Sometimes, the most direct approach yields the best results.
Threats, for example.
Even if there really was a Cultivator in the wooden cabin, Paige Summers felt no fear whatsoever.
Her request for an audience had been denied, so she could only try courtesy before resorting to force.
In any case, judging by the current situation, the person inside clearly didnât appreciate their disturbance. The original plan to trade for some seeds was unlikely to succeed. So, she would settle for the next best thing: just asking for the method to grow mutated plants.
Sure enough, not long after she spoke, there was a stir from inside.
"Why go to all this trouble? If you want something, just say it," a light, clear voice drifted from the cabin, perfectly audible.
âThat phrasing... why does it sound so awkward? Itâs not conversational at all!â
But that wasnât why Paige Summers frowned. It was because... she felt like sheâd heard that voice somewhere before...
As she was thinking, Zephyr Mercer, who was beside her, suddenly responded respectfully, "This junior has been impertinent, Senior. I am Finn of the Mercer Family, and I only wished to request an audience!"
Her train of thought shattered. Paige Summersâs brow twitched, and she had the urge to grab him by the collar and scream, âCan you not get sucked into his way of speaking?! Do you have to be so subservient?! Yes, weâre here to ask for something, but by acting like this, youâve ruined our ability to negotiate! With all this "junior" and "senior" nonsense, if I try to play hardball now, itâll just make me look crass!â
They couldnât start fighting amongst themselves. She bit her tongue and said nothing.
The person inside seemed to mutter something, and after a moment, they responded.
"In that case, come in."
Paige Summers let out a breath. âOh well,â she thought, âletâs just meet him first and figure it out from there.â
With those words, the previous obstruction vanished as they entered the courtyard. The path was just an ordinary path, and in a few moments, they were inside the wooden cabin.
Upon stepping inside, Zephyr Mercer was fine; he only felt that it was quite refreshing in the cabin.
Paige Summers, however, felt an incredibly comfortable stream of qi wash over her and pour into her body. Instantly, the energy within her began to flow with perfect smoothness!
She froze for a second. âIs this... Am I about to Promote?!â
She had been at the Seventh Rank for quite some time, but advancing to the Eighth Rank was no easy feat. She always felt like she was just missing that little something.
But today, for some reason, that missing piece seemed to have been filled!
âBut this isnât the right place for it,â she thought. Just then, the voice came from the inner room of the cabin again. "This young lady has quite the spiritual aptitude. You might as well calm your mind and meditate now. Forcibly suppressing it will do your body more harm than good."
A jolt of alarm shot through Paige Summers.
It wasnât impossible to detect the energy fluctuations in her body, but doing so required a Superpower Rank higher than her own. âIs this person really that powerful?â
In truth, she was stuck in her usual way of thinking.
The person inside was indeed a Cultivator, just as she had guessed, but their cultivation was still at a low level. After all, in Earthâs current environment, the amount of Spiritual Energy was incredibly scarce, making Cultivation far from easy. It was simply that a Cultivatorâs Cultivation methods differed from a Superpower Userâs. This person had mastered the Energy Observation Skill, which was how they were able to perceive the sudden disturbance within her body.
This lack of understanding made Paige Summers all the more wary, but she also understood that for now, it was best to do as the person said.
"Thank you. In that case, I wonât stand on ceremony."
She signaled to Ben to be careful, then gave Zephyr Mercer a nod before finding a corner in the front room and sitting down cross-legged.
If Zephyr Mercer had been baffled just a moment ago, he now had a vague understanding of what was happening.
A complicated mix of feelings stirred within him.
âIt wasnât that he wasnât happy for Paige Summers. To have such an accomplishment at her age... An Eighth Rank Superpower User! Although her superpower type was on the weaker side, at that Level, she was an incredibly powerful support. Whatâs more, her skills with fists and weapons were quite good, and she was constantly improving. When combined, her strength was self-evident!â
âHe had seen countless scions of the great families in Central City, but few were this outstanding.â
âMost of the Superpower Users who had reached the Eighth Rank or higher were old geezers in his eyes, people who had simply gotten a head start and began their superpower Cultivation earlier than others. And even among them, the highest anyone had ever reached was the Twelfth Rank. Anything beyond that... at least, he had never heard of it.â
âThis just went to show how incredibly talented Paige Summers was.â
âOf course, reaching her current level of achievement wasnât something that could be attributed to talent alone. Paige Summersâs own perseverance played an even more important role.â
âThe Mercer Family rarely produced Superpower Users, and Zephyr Mercer wasnât one either, so he didnât know the specifics of a Superpower Userâs Cultivation. But all principles are interconnected; he knew better than anyone the immense difficulties of practicing Ancient Martial Arts, and he imagined that cultivating a superpower was much the same.â