Beggar Cultivation System

After eating his meal, Apollo put the basket in the corner where Ned would pick it up later. He went back inside his beggar spot and sat under his makeshift roof.

"I should get back to cultivating," Apollo muttered. If he could increase his strength before the Advancement Examination began, that would be great. "If I don't reach the Half-Step Qi Condensation before the examination, I should find a place to master my Simple Movement Technique."

With this in mind, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. The moment he wanted to feel and see the Qi, the world instantly turned black, with only him and the countless bright Qi surrounding him.

Then he began to mobilize them, inhaling through his mouth, nose, and skin. They entered his body without any hindrance and followed the Revised Simple Breathing Technique.

His body relaxed on its own and his mind was at peace. Time became insignificant, and everything felt like an eternity.

...

Two days later.

In the manor of the Helflick Family, inside the office of the family head, were two men and one woman.

Mathias sat behind his office table, spectacles perched on his nose as he read a report. "Tsk tsk, they are showing signs that they're going to attack," he muttered, putting the paper down.

"Are they preparing for an attack?" Bel asked worriedly, while June, standing beside her, although not showing emotion, had eyes that told otherwise.

"Very likely," Mathias nodded. "But don't worry, the Advancement Examination will proceed as planned, so nothing will hinder you from getting first place."

Bel went silent for a moment before she sighed. "Hopefully. But what will happen to that man who got marked?"

"We don't know," Mathias shook his head. "Worst case scenario, he will be dead before we can kill the Alpha." Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"That's... unfortunate," Bel muttered. Her mind then wandered to the kid who had saved her life in that forest. Thankfully, he didn't get marked by that monster.

When Mathias remembered that the Alphadusk Shadowtail had a trait of marking its target and not letting it go even to the ends of the world, he immediately sent an order to search for a person with a mark on their back. He also took note of the kid who saved his daughter.

As they began their search, it didn't take long to find a middle-aged man with the target mark of the Alpha on his back. This made them halt the search for Bel's savior.

The middle-aged man said that he went to that forest to procure herbs for his ill wife. That's when he met the Alphadusk Shadowtail, which attacked him from behind but didn't chase after him.

"We promised him that his wife will be healed and we will compensate her greatly for his sacrifice. He will be deemed a hero, and his body will be buried in the Hero's burial," Mathias said, his tone as serious as usual. Being the head of a great family such as this made him witness a lot, and this kind of thing was nothing new to him.

Hearing this eased the worry on Bel's face. "That's good. Hopefully, he will get through this alive."

"That's what I hope too," Mathias smiled, stood up, and went straight to the door. The giant door opened, and a creaking sound echoed in the room. "Let's go. I want to watch you succeed."

Bel chuckled and followed after her father. "You know, Father, you should really fix these doors."

June smiled, walking behind them.

Because the mansion was big, they had to take a lot of turns just to reach the front entrance. Outside the gate, there was already a carriage waiting for them.

June, as always, took the driver's seat while the father and daughter went inside the carriage.

"Father, you know if we just jumped from outside your room, we would have arrived here in just a matter of seconds," Bel complained as soon as she took her seat. "The house is too big, and walking is too slow."

June was about to make the horses move when he stopped, his ears perking up. He shared the same sentiments as her, making him curious about the family head's answer.

Mathias glanced at his daughter with a sigh. "You're too hasty, my child. Did you know that walking is a great way to calm our minds? Besides, if I let you do that, what do you think our house would look like?"

Bel began to imagine the scene: her, June, and the others jumping from here and there just to get to their destination…

"The house would look like a kid's playground," Mathias answered for her. "That would degrade our status and make people lose respect for the Helflick Family."

"It's a waste of convenience," Bel muttered in disappointment.

As the carriage began to move, Mathias couldn't help but think she was right. But because he wanted to maintain the respect of other people towards them, he had to maintain the crème de la crème of his family, even though he also wanted to just fly around to get to his destination.

But such a shame, how people look at them is also a 'kind' of power.

"By the way, Bel, you said that your savior is just a kid?" Mathias changed the subject.

"Yeah, I also couldn't believe it. He can defeat three to four Duskfang Shadowtails on his own, and he barely looks like he's ten years old!" Bel said, her eyes burning with excitement. "I think he's the most talented person I've ever seen!"

She actually wanted to find him, but because she was punished for sneaking out, she couldn't leave the mansion and had to become a maid.

"A kid with that strength? He's likely at the 2nd-Step Foundation Building or at the 3rd-Step," Mathias said before he looked deeply into his daughter's eyes. "However, you have to be careful. We are not sure if he is just a kid or pretending to be a kid. There's even the possibility he saved you just to get on your good side."

Bel nodded in understanding. "I understand, Father."

"Good," Mathias nodded with a smile.

I wonder if he is going to participate. With his strength, he could defeat a martial student before the examination begins and take their place instead. Bel couldn't help but think about her savior, the 'beggar.'