Michael was on his way to Bartholomew House of Witchery for the third time in a week.
Almost two weeks had passed in the Origin Expanse, but to the outside world, only a little over a week had passed. Some of the staff at the shop knew how much money Michael had earned on those three trips, and that he spent the entire fortune he had earned.
From their point of view, it was ridiculous how much money Lords could earn, and how much they had to spend. It was crazy.
Michael immediately walked over to the Witchery Bazaar where three staff members led him inside the appraisal room.
'Now that I am set to enter the Saphirelake Military Academy, I should advance to the 1st Tier before the 20th,' Michael thought while retrieving the blueprints and carcasses he wished to sell.
Michael recalled Danny's advice and the fact that there were fewer open spots in the Academy due to the influence and donations of the rich, who wished to give their child the best opportunity to grow and reserve a seat.
Most ordinary people would consider the actions of the rich annoying and unfair, but Michael thought that it was surprisingly good.
More donations meant that the Saphirelake Military Academy had more funds, which would provide more and better resources to him as long as he would become one of the strongest freshmen!
That was also why he had to increase his strength as quickly as possible and receive a high evaluation in the aptitude assessment.
He was willing to give his best to join the Saphirelake Military Academy. It seemed important for his future, whether it was about the high possibility of an upcoming war, or his future growth. The system might be rigged by the rich, but that was quite normal.
No matter where one looked, the wealthy and strong would have their hands in the game of power and influence.
Michael figured that he would have to accept this reality and barge straight into the Lion's den if he wanted to become stronger and overcome all kinds of ordeals and perilous situations.
But for now, he had to face the graduation ceremony first.
"Sir, are you fine with this price?" The clerk asked.
Michael was pulled out of his train of thought and noticed only now that they had returned to the Witchery Bazaar's counter. The clerk held out the form where all necessary information was mentioned.
He sold the near-perfectly dissected carcasses of 261 Low Tier-1 Monsters for an average of 1025$, and 21 blueprints for an average price of 4800$, totaling 368,325$.
That was more than enough money to purchase a suit of high-quality, and a few other things for his territory.
But instead of purchasing something immediately, Michael left the House of Witchery. He visited the tailor where he purchased an expensive suit and handmade leather boots for the graduation ceremony. Afterward, he went to a different shop to find a way to workout properly inside the Origin Expanse.
Nowadays, he spend most of his time inside the Origin Expanse, mainly fighting, or using his Soultrait to aid his subjects in collecting sturdy resources. That was why Michael had to search for a technique that allowed him to use the dormant energy of the Origin Expanse to stimulate his body to keep it fit and agile.
Michael had already researched a few techniques, but he was still unsure what he wanted to purchase.
It should be a workout technique that uses the Origin Expanse's energy to its full extent and his body's nutrition to stimulate every fiber in his body. That way, Michael could stay fit and improve his physique as well.
With a fit body and a stimulating workout it would be much easier to adjust to the constant enhancement he received from the War Rune and improve his stamina.
He entered a shop called [Rainbow Koi], a shop where thousands of books, tomes, and scrolls were sold, and searched for a suitable technique for 20 minutes before he found something interesting.
"[Berserker Physique]. It is a formidable technique that refines your body using the training method of the Berserker tribes in the Origin Expanse. Their Shamans shared the techniques with a human Lord, who is willing to sell the technique for merely 200,000$!" The young man explained graciously.
Michael frowned a little, but he couldn't help himself. The introductory part of the Berserker Physique sounded interesting.
"Isn't it just the copy of a workout technique? Why is it so expensive?" Michael asked, feeling certain that the shop wanted to exploit him.
However, the young man shook his head valiantly.
"Esteemed customer, you don't understand. The Berserker Physique is not an ordinary workout technique but a body refinement technique that increases your physical strength, endurance, and stamina to that of a Peak Tier-1 Lord up to 30% once practiced to the extreme!"
Michael pressed his lips together and asked one last question before he made his final decision.
"I can share the technique with my subjects, right?" He inquired, and the staff member nodded his head immediately,
"Of course, you can. Even Adventurers, who took an oath of subordination to you, are given permission to practice the technique!"
Michael nodded his head subconsciously, "Alright, I'll take it."
After he made his decision, the staff member acted quickly and completed the formalities.
Five minutes later, Michael left the shop with the Berserker Physique technique and a massive deduction of 200,000$ in his bank account.
He left the Central Trading Hall, hailed a shuttle, and opened a holographic screen.
Danny was not online, but Michael sent him a message, nonetheless. He wanted to let his brother know that he was still alive after the protection barrier had been lifted.
'I hope he is doing fine. The expedition this time around would most probably be a little bit more dangerous than usual.'
Michael knew that Danny didn't like cooperating with other Lords under normal circumstances. He had experienced a few betrayals in the past, which made him very vigilant when it came to trusting other Lords in the Origin Expanse. However, for this particular expedition, Danny made an exception and created an alliance with three other Lords.
He had researched a lot about the other Lords and found them trustworthy enough to explore the outer parts of the Primedival Pyramid.
However, Michael didn't really feel good about that.
The fact that Danny was willing to make an alliance with other Lords meant that the Primedival Pyramid was far more dangerous than he initially expected.
'I swear, if you worry about me all the time while you're in an even more dangerous situation, I will kill you!'
