The World Devouring System

After Boros accepted the bet, the next few hours passed swiftly.

First, Boros took Caelum to the Dispute Resolution Office—an institution tasked with a variety of responsibilities, including enforcing wagers like the one they had just made. Officially registering the bet ensured that neither party could back out, making the agreement binding and final.

Once the process was complete, Boros appeared quite pleased. Adopting the tone of an enlightened monk, he addressed Caelum:

"Don't hold this against me, Brother Caelum. This incident will teach you two invaluable lessons. First, fighting across cultivation realms is impossible unless you're a Heaven-Chosen. Second, cultivation is not easy—it takes a lot of time and effort."

His tone then softened slightly as he added, "Just think of the 100 spirit stones as payment for these lifelong lessons."

Caelum responded with a polite smile, choosing not to prolong the discussion. With his original plan of power-leveling through devouring captives now in shambles, he needed to reassess his approach and devise new strategies. But first, Caelum wanted to explore the Estate and get some fresh air. This would also serve as an opportunity for him to show his face to people, letting them know that he was indeed cured of his condition. Moreover, he had business to attend at the Dao Pavilion and Weapon Selection Hall anyways.

Caelum told Boros that he was in the process of reacquainting himself with the estate and asked if he would like to accompany him on a little tour. Boros, happy from the belief that he had successfully scammed Caelum out of his spirit stones and with nothing else to occupy his time, agreed to the suggestion. Apparently, he was taking a break from cultivation that day.

First, they visited the Weapon Selection Hall, where a vast array of weapons filled Caelum's view. The weapons could either be bought or borrowed using a currency known as Family Contribution. However, borrowing plain mortal weapons came at no cost, so Caelum selected a simple sword for himself. Boros found Caelum's choice to be quite boring, saying that there were too many sword cultivators out there. He also took the opportunity to flaunt his ornate spear in front of him, like a child showing off his favorite toy to his friends.

Afterward, they proceeded to the Dao Pavilion. Here, Caelum acquired a copy of the Goldheart Family's cultivation technique—something he would at least need to pretend he required. Additionally, he borrowed a beginner sword manual titled "Foundation of Thousand Cuts." This technique, which required no Qi to practice, focused on mastering the fundamentals. With Combat Contribution being a thing now with the World Devouring System, this manual would help Caelum increase his own fighting ability.

With everything Caelum needed now in hand, he allowed Boros to take charge of the tour from that point onward.

The first place Boros led them to was the martial arts arena, the venue for the upcoming tournament. Along the way, they passed by the Estate Dining Hall, which was not to be confused with the Duke Family Dining Hall where Caelum had his lunch. Their tour included several other notable locations throughout the Goldheart Duchy.

During their journey, many people pointed at Caelum and whispered among themselves. Some even approached him directly, asking if he truly was who they thought he was. Caelum realized that his predecessor had been somewhat reclusive, spending most of his time in the Duke Family Mansion, either playing with Lyra or focusing on his education.

Caelum handled these interruptions with grace, managing to forge some connections and even make a few friends along the way. His natural social skills left Boros both impressed and slightly disgruntled, as he found himself overshadowed and no longer the center of attention. From time to time, Caelum had to coax Boros by telling him how awesome he was.

Towards the end of their tour, they arrived at the massive training grounds. To Caelum, the area felt more like a small forest. 'A forest inside an estate… pretty crazy,' he mused to himself.

The grounds were filled with low-level magical beasts, and entry was restricted to members of the younger generation aged 20 or below. These grounds served as a training area where young cultivators could hunt beasts to practice, polish and potentially gain enlightenment in their Dao Techniques.

Caelum thought to himself: 'I wonder how much my cultivation will increase by devouring the beasts over here. The woman I succeeded in partially devouring only increased my cultivation by a very small amount. I assume that devouring stronger targets will lead to greater increases in strength. If not, the milestones would be impossible to complete due to the constantly accumulating Madness. The system seems to be encouraging quality over quantity, which is quite interesting. After all, why would it be that way?'

Since Caelum suspected that taking shortcuts with the system would likely fail, the training grounds became his next best option. He considered visiting them for some hunting the next day.

Caelum's thoughts were interrupted by Boros, who gazed at the training grounds with longing. "At the center of this training ground is a conquered Rift. That's where the real training grounds are. In the most dangerous area inside the Rift roams a mighty beast—one in possession of an Elemental Source! The Source belongs to whoever manages to fell the beast."

Caelum was surprised. While he knew from his predecessor's memories about the Rift leading to the true training grounds, he had no knowledge of the mighty beast or its Elemental Source.

After a brief pause, Boros continued in a determined voice. "My goal is to fell that beast and claim its source. Once I leave for the Royal Academy, the training grounds will become permanently inaccessible to me. Very few in the family's history have accomplished this feat. It is said to be impossible unless you are a Heaven-Chosen. Your elder sister, Seraphina, managed it—and she did it quite easily from what I heard."

Then, with a hint of hesitation, Boros added, his voice quieter, "I wonder if I'll be able to do it too. Realistically, probably not…"

Boros wasn't a Heaven-Chosen. Throughout the day, Caelum had learned much about him, but this vulnerable side was new. To Caelum, people were like puzzles, and he enjoyed solving them. To understand someone was to solve them, and gaining deeper insight into Boros felt satisfying in a peculiar way. It was almost like a weird kink that Caelum had.

Caelum encouraged him with a smile. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it. Think about it—what's more impressive? Felling the beast because you were lucky enough to be born with a blessing from the Heavens, or completing this mammoth task in spite of not having a Heavenly Gift? The latter is far more glorious, and who better to claim such glory than you?"

Caelum's words surprised Boros but also stirred something within him. His spirits lifted, and he felt a surge of confidence. "You know, when I first heard about you and even saw you, I didn't have a good impression. People born with diamond spoons in their mouths, like you, usually have terrible attitudes. But you're a cool guy!" Boros said with a grin.

Anyone who witnessed this interaction would think that Boros and Caelum were on their way to forging a great brotherhood. Boros certainly had a positive impression of Caelum now despite his initial hostility. But what about Caelum? Did the words of encouragement come from the bottom of his heart? Did he truly mean anything he said?

The answer to that was... No. Not at all. Caelum was an actor through and through. For him to truly get close to someone was extraordinarily difficult. If Boros had a good impression of Caelum, if he found his words pleasing... it was only because Caelum wished for that to be the case. One day in the future, Caelum would show Boros his true colors, but that day was not today.

Uninterrupted, Boros added, "There's nothing else to see for now. Let's head to the dining hall for some snacks since it's evening anyways. On the way, we'll pick up some of my friends so you can get acquainted with them. Also, if anyone around our age gives you trouble, just let me know, and I'll take care of it!" He patted his chest with a confident expression that seemed to say, 'Aren't I dependable?'

Caelum thanked Boros for his kindness, and they headed to the residential area with the intention of inviting Boros' friends.

However, things did not go quite according to plan.