This courtyard was simply too comfortable!

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

Ethan and the others were all green with envy.

"I think Velen built such a luxurious courtyard for Clinton on purpose—just to push us to level up faster!"

"I think so too! We’re all long-time members of the fortress, yet Velen didn’t upgrade our courtyards. Instead, he built such an extravagant residence for Clinton, who’s about to enter the Upper Plane Universe. It must be to motivate us!"

"We have indeed been slacking off compared to Hael and the others."

"No way, we have to work harder! Only by leveling up can we gain more privileges and get Velen’s attention!"

After a brief exchange, Robert, Ethan, and Aiden all saw the determination in each other’s eyes.

They were convinced they had figured out the truth behind this situation!

Meanwhile, Clinton looked at them and couldn’t help but think they had completely misunderstood.

An outsider sees more clearly than those involved.

Velen’s behavior had nothing to do with motivating them—he was simply showing off his wealth.

After all, Velen had casually taken out 100 Mana Planets. It was clear he wasn’t lacking such things, so there was no hidden message urging them to level up.

Velen’s goal was simple and direct!

At that moment, the system’s voice suddenly rang in Velen’s ears:

"All Mana Planets have been used. Show-off attempt failed. No reward."

Velen froze.

What?

He had gone through so much effort to show off his wealth, and yet there was no reward?!

Building a house with 100 Mana Planets—if that’s not showing off, what is?!

"The host’s flaunting attempt failed because the target characters actively participated in the construction. Since they believed it was within the host’s capabilities, it did not trigger a reward."

Velen suddenly realized:

"So… I didn’t show off enough?"

Hearing the system’s explanation, Velen finally understood.

Clinton had been sealed for 300 years—he was probably mentally scarred from it.

I miscalculated!

Shaking his head, Velen decided to forget about it and just went to sleep.

…

Time passed quickly.

Late at night.

Two figures silently slipped into the fortress.

"Senator William, you’re from Ducal Manor. Do you really need to sneak around like this?"

Corner looked at William in confusion. As a righteous man, he didn’t like this sneaky behavior.

William, however, shook his head seriously.

"Corner, look at the time. It’s already late. They’re probably either asleep or, like Miss Anastasia, busy leveling up. We shouldn’t disturb them. Let’s just wait until morning."

Corner considered his words and found them reasonable.

After all, the fortress had become the true gathering place of Ducal Manor’s top talents.

It was only right to show some respect to these geniuses.

Especially Velen—who loved to sleep—he must not be disturbed.

However, as they continued sneaking deeper into the fortress, Ethan and Clinton immediately sensed their presence, their expressions turning serious.

"Enemies?"

At the same time, William and Corner—unfamiliar with the layout of the fortress—were wandering around aimlessly.

"There’s Velen’s presence here. This must be where the fortress geniuses rest. Let’s find another area."

Just as they left Velen’s courtyard, Corner suddenly stiffened.

"Ascended Rank Lv3!"

"Ascended Rank Lv4!"

"And another Ascended Rank Awakener!"

"The three you mentioned should be Kevin, Robert, and Aiden," Velen replied casually.

He was very familiar with their auras.

This confirmed it—they had found the senators’ quarters.

"Senator William! Corner!"

At that moment, Ethan—who had been approaching—recognized their auras and suddenly got an idea for a little prank.

They wanted to sneak in to surprise them?

He’d surprise them first!

"A floating courtyard? What’s going on?"

As they ventured deeper, William and Corner’s pupils shrank sharply!

They had seen floating islands before, but this courtyard…

The immense mana fluctuations emanating from it…

It was like a mana fountain!

Both of them were dumbfounded!

"A senator’s personal courtyard… this is way too extravagant! How many Mana Planets were used for this? Three?"

Corner couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

Velen’s expression turned serious, and he shook his head repeatedly.

"Three? Impossible."

"Mana Planets gather mana naturally. If only three were used, it couldn’t have created such a dense mana field. At least ten were used!"

Then, a horrified expression crossed Velen’s face as he realized something.

"I think it’s far more than ten. Mana Planets are extremely rare, and even one would cause a war over ownership."

"The only person who would use them to build a house is Velen."

"So… judging by this floating courtyard, I’d say at least 100 Mana Planets were used!"

Hearing this, Corner stared at Velen in disbelief.

No way.

100 Mana Planets?!

Even if you gathered all the Mana Planets in Titan Galaxy and the neighboring star systems, it wouldn’t total 100!

At the same time, William’s expression grew extremely serious.

This meant that—on some level—he believed Velen actually could take out 100 Mana Planets!

"William, we’re old friends, right?"

Corner suddenly asked.

"Be honest with me—does your fortress need a mixologist?"

Velen’s extravagance had shattered his perception of reality.

He had spent decades grinding in Chaos City, yet even that couldn’t compare to a single brick of this courtyard!

If he could just stay close to Velen, it would be a million times better than slaving away in Chaos City!

William immediately understood what was going through Corner’s mind.

After all—anyone who had seen Velen’s lavish lifestyle had thought about becoming his loyal servant.

But…

This was Corner.

A man who once considered himself too noble to mix drinks.

Yet now—he was begging to be Velen’s bartender?

The world truly is unpredictable.

That said, William knew one thing—if Corner shamelessly clung to Velen, he might actually become the fortress’s mixologist!

Though Corner had a good chance, William wasn’t going to let him off easily.

He’d make sure to tease him a little first before giving him a real answer.

Meanwhile, Clinton—who had been hiding in the shadows—let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing their behavior, it was clear they weren’t enemies of the fortress—rather, they were trying to join the fortress and follow Velen.

The fortress was already powerful beyond belief, and yet more strong figures were gathering.

Just how terrifying would the fortress become in the future?

Thinking this, Clinton stepped out of the darkness.

"Since you’re friends of the fortress, rest in my courtyard for now. We’ll talk when Velen wakes up."

As Clinton revealed himself, William and Corner’s pupils shrank!

They had remained highly alert, yet hadn’t sensed his presence at all.

But judging by his words, he had been watching them for a while—he knew everything they had said.

If this old man had wanted to kill them, they would have died on the spot!

Just how terrifying was his strength?!

More importantly—he looked like a complete hobo.

Compared to them, his disguise was far more convincing.

The two exchanged a glance—and saw the competitive pressure in each other’s eyes.

They had merely pretended to be sneaky—this old man had mastered it!

Seeing their hesitation, Clinton smiled and said:

"You must have just escaped from a seal too, right? Don’t be nervous. I was also recently unsealed. I understand your feelings."

??

William and Corner were utterly confused.

Before they could react, Ethan’s loud voice rang out from a distance.

"Senators William and Corner, you’re both friends of the fortress. Why are you sneaking around like thieves? I don’t get it!"

As Ethan’s words echoed, William and Corner’s faces turned dark—but they knew Ethan was just messing with them.