Invitations and Refusals

Not long after Silvia left with her teammates, they arrived at an Abandoned Small County Town. Silvia told the others to rest for a while, then went to freshen up.

She couldn't help it; she'd always been a clean person. Even when she went into the Wilderness Area, she brought a pile of toiletries. Fortunately, Jiang Mingyue hadn't thrown them away just now.

After she'd cleaned up, Silvia suddenly spotted someone standing on the roof of the building opposite, smiling at her.

"A pervert?"

That was the first thought that crossed Silvia's mind. But she soon realized he wasn't a pervert at all—he was someone she knew.

After a moment's thought, Silvia used her Mental Energy to control her shield and flew swiftly to the opposite building.

"Hey, Silvia. Do you remember me?"

"War God Wang Cheng. I don't think I could ever forget you!" Silvia strode forward and gave Wang Cheng a hug.

"I didn't expect we'd run into each other here again!" Wang Cheng said with a smile.

"You saved my life last time, and you saved it again today. How should I repay you?" Silvia asked suddenly as she let go of Wang Cheng.

"Huh?" Wang Cheng blinked.

"You were the one who saved me in the rat tide just now, weren't you?" Silvia fixed her eyes on Wang Cheng.

"You're more perceptive than I expected!" Wang Cheng said, looking at Silvia in surprise. "How did you figure it out?"

"Wait, it really was you?" Now it was Silvia's turn to be stunned.

"So you weren't sure after all!" Wang Cheng chuckled.

"That's right. If you'd denied it, I couldn't have trusted my own judgment!" Silvia nodded. "You know, it was just too unbelievable!"

"I wasn't going to deny it. I was planning to bring it up myself. Saving someone and then staying anonymous—that's not my style. Besides, I saved you again, so you ought to thank me!" Wang Cheng said with a smile.

"I don't think you'd admit it just for some so-called 'reward.'" Silvia was surprisingly calm.

"That's only part of the reason!" Wang Cheng smiled. "But what I'd really like to know is how you figured out I was the one who saved you."

"Your scent, my instincts, and a bit of analysis!" Silvia straightened Wang Cheng's clothes. When she'd hugged him, she'd noticed a fresh, clean scent about him. It wasn't the sort of scent someone would have after surviving a Rat Disaster in the Wilderness Area. It was more like the scent of someone who'd been flying through the sky.

Besides, when Silvia had returned earlier, she'd quietly asked around to see whether there was a War God named Wang Cheng in Huaxia Country.

There were only a little over three thousand War Gods in the world, and Huaxia Country had far fewer than that. Yet no matter how much Silvia asked around, she couldn't find a single War God named Wang Cheng. That alone had seemed suspicious.

Those two clues, along with a few instincts, were why Silvia had said what she did.

Just as Silvia had admitted, she wasn't certain of her judgment. She'd only said it offhand, never expecting Wang Cheng to admit it outright.

"Who are you, really? And how did you do that just now?" Silvia couldn't help asking.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Wang Cheng glanced down at Silvia.

"I already know you were behind what happened just now. I don't see how knowing a little more could make a difference!" Silvia spread her hands.

"You're right!" Wang Cheng nodded, then smiled. "But if you're asking how I did it, I can't give you a specific answer. All I can tell you is that you just have to be strong enough."

"But we've always known that the strongest person on Earth is Hong, the Head Curator of the Limit Martial Hall, and the second strongest is Thor, the Head Curator of the Lightning Martial Arts Hall!" Silvia voiced her doubts.

"That's right. Hong is the strongest on Earth, and Thor is the second strongest!" Wang Cheng smiled. "Their strength far surpasses that of any other human."

"But surely Hong and Thor couldn't have done what you just did?" Silvia still hadn't grasped the implication behind Wang Cheng's words.

"They couldn't come close!" Wang Cheng nodded again.

"You've completely lost me!" Silvia thought it over, but still couldn't make sense of it.

"It's simple. I'm a human from beyond Earth—in other words, what you call an alien!" Wang Cheng told her the truth, though Silvia clearly couldn't accept it.

Silvia was sure she knew better than anyone whether Wang Cheng was human. Did aliens enjoy doing that sort of thing, too?

"If you don't want to tell me, forget it!" Silvia took a wary step back. "Now that I know your secret, you're not going to kill me to keep me quiet, are you?"

"What do you think?" Wang Cheng's expression was half a smile, but as he stared at him, Silvia felt an indescribable terror rise within her.

It was a pressure that seemed to come from the very essence of life. Silvia's mind went almost blank, but the feeling came and went in an instant.

Wang Cheng turned his gaze elsewhere, and Silvia's thoughts returned to normal.

"So it really was you!" Silvia no longer had the slightest doubt about what had happened earlier. A casual glance from Wang Cheng had been enough to blank her mind. He was definitely more than just a War God.

"Right. Remember to keep it to yourself!" Wang Cheng nodded.

"That's all?" Silvia asked in disbelief.

"What else do you want?" Wang Cheng asked.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell people?" Silvia asked.

"Do as you like!" Wang Cheng looked at Silvia and smiled. "It'd be best if you didn't, but if you do, it won't matter much. It'll just be a little troublesome."

"..."

Silvia looked at the man before her and gave a small nod.

Even though Wang Cheng had said it wouldn't matter if she told anyone, she still chose to keep his secret.

"All right, let's talk business." Wang Cheng's expression turned serious.

"Okay!"

Silvia nodded too, growing serious. In her eyes, Wang Cheng was now utterly mysterious. If even he had something to call business, she had to take it seriously.

"I live on Earth, and I'm missing someone who can look after me. I'd like that person to be you!" Wang Cheng stated his request sincerely.

"You mean you want to marry me?" Silvia found the idea unbelievable.

"Ahem, I may have phrased that badly!" Wang Cheng cleared his throat. "I'm missing someone who can handle odd jobs for me. I think you'd be a good fit!"

"Odd jobs?" Silvia looked at Wang Cheng strangely, though she felt a little relieved.

"One-month trial period. After that, I'll pay you," Wang Cheng said earnestly. "And the reward I offer will be worth far more than you can imagine. In fact, there's probably very little on Earth right now that could compare."

"If I understand you correctly, you're looking for a servant," Silvia said.

"If you insist on putting it that way, then yes." Wang Cheng thought about it, but didn't argue.

The last time Wang Cheng returned to his villa, he'd felt that it was a bit ridiculous for someone at Stellar level to have to clean up after himself. That was why he'd decided to find someone who could help him with chores.

Thinking about it, serving tea, cleaning, and taking care of odds and ends really did amount to being a servant.

As for why he'd asked Silvia, Wang Cheng hadn't planned to recruit her in the first place. He'd simply run into her, thought she seemed suitable, and decided to ask.

It wasn't that Wang Cheng was full of himself. On Earth, working for him would be a Great Opportunity!

Especially with the reward he planned to offer. It was enough to let any Earthling rise to the top overnight. Only someone with the Opportunity Grasping System could hand out a reward like that so casually. Even the richest person on Earth probably wouldn't spend that kind of effort on someone hired to do odd jobs.

"What do you say?" Wang Cheng asked.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse!" Silvia answered without hesitation.

"Won't you think about it?" Wang Cheng looked at Silvia in surprise. He'd expected her to refuse, but not so decisively. After all, he'd said he would offer something worth more than most of Earth's treasures!

"There's nothing to think about." Silvia shook her head without hesitation.

"Maybe I wasn't clear. The treasure I'm offering has a very good chance of making you Beyond War God in a short time. After that, your strength will keep soaring. You might even surpass Thor at Planet level!" Wang Cheng said again.

"Is Planet level what you call beings who are Beyond War God?" Silvia asked.

"That's right. This universe is vast. Planet level is only the beginning." Wang Cheng smiled. "Well? Tempted?"

"It's hard to refuse an offer like that," Silvia sighed. Then she continued, "But I still refuse!"

"Oh?"

Wang Cheng looked at Silvia, who had once again refused without hesitation, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. But he didn't say anything more. Silvia wasn't his only option, and if she was so firmly opposed, he wouldn't force her.

"A lot happened today. I'll have to repay you for saving my life next time! Get in touch when you have a chance!" Silvia made a gesture indicating they'd meet again, then turned without hesitation. She controlled a shield with her Mental Energy and rode it down from the building.

"Looks like not every Warrior is desperate to get stronger!" Wang Cheng shook his head. If Silvia had truly been willing to do anything to grow stronger, she wouldn't have refused his offer. Her firm refusal could only mean that, to her, something else mattered more than strength.

Wang Cheng didn't dwell on it. Not long after Silvia left, he turned toward one side of the roof of the Residential Building.

"Are you still not coming out? Did you really think your lousy hiding skills could fool me?" Wang Cheng's calm voice rang out. Soon, a nimble figure climbed up from the Residential Building next door.