Best Friend

The meeting with the merchant Bamifladofu was nothing more than a minor interlude. Although the man was exceedingly respectful, Su Ke kept his distance, brushing off several of his invitations with perfunctory refusals.

He had vaguely guessed the intentions of the two young girls, yet he remained unmoved.

Heh, trying to test me?

Shortly after, watching the merchant depart with his two reluctant daughters, Su Ke felt a slight sense of irony.

Half a month ago, in the eyes of a merchant of such status, he would have been nothing more than an ant. Yet now, Bamifladofu had to humble himself and fawn before him, terrified of causing the slightest displeasure.

Money, power, and strength—they truly are wonderful things.

"Beep."

Su Ke's smart brain suddenly received a communication from an acquaintance.

On this planet, the number of people who could contact him directly could be counted on one hand.

A light screen popped up.

"Su Ke, it's been half a month! Where have you been?" shouted a teenager with messy, flame-red hair, piercing blue eyes, and slightly tanned skin. Although his face still held a hint of youth, one could see the solid, bulging muscles beneath his clothes, radiating power. Standing nearly two meters tall, he looked like a fierce little lion.

He was Zuo Mu, one of Su Ke's best friends since childhood.

Despite his rough and wild appearance, he was actually a Psychic Master.

Because of this, he was the strongest of their trio—under equal rank, a Psychic Master is generally more formidable than a martial artist.

Due to his temper, he was also a frequent troublemaker.

The last time Su Ke had been beaten into a coma during a fight, it was partly due to him.

However, Su Ke didn't mind. They were brothers; in critical moments, you have to be willing to take the heat for each other.

He knew that if he were ever in trouble, Zuo Mu would stand by his side without hesitation.

"Hm? Are you outside?" The red-haired youth noticed the lake behind Su Ke and looked puzzled. "That looks familiar, I feel like I've seen it somewhere..." From his angle, he couldn't see Khair and the other Stellar Rank expert standing beside Su Ke.

"Why are you in such a rush to find me?" Su Ke asked with a chuckle. No matter how his status or position changed, he never needed to put on an act in front of his best friend.

Zuo Mu finally remembered the point. "Right, remember to come over to my place tomorrow. There's something important..."

"What is it?" Su Ke asked curiously.

"Oh, you know, that thing..." Zuo Mu winked suggestively.

"If you don't say it clearly, how would I know?" Su Ke couldn't help but shake his head at his friend.

"It's... my sister's birthday." Zuo Mu finally spilled the truth.

Su Ke remembered.

Zuo Mu's family situation was different from his own; Zuo Mu's father had taken more than one wife, resulting in Zuo Mu having two older sisters and three younger sisters.

Zuo Mu was a year older than Su Ke. Two of his sisters were quite fond of Su Ke, which was why he rarely visited Zuo Mu's home—he was afraid of being pestered. Just looking at Zuo Mu's personality, one could tell his sisters weren't exactly easy to deal with either.

Observing Su Ke's expression, Zuo Mu said cautiously, "My sister begged me. She said even if I have to drag you there, I have to bring you. We've known each other for so long, just come and go through the motions. Don't make things hard for your brother..."

He was actually quite helpless himself; he was the only son in the family, surrounded by women, and his father held little sway in front of his mother and the others.

Zuo Mu added bluntly, "Actually, in my opinion, you should just marry Luna and the others. My sisters are pretty and have great figures. You wouldn't be losing out. Your family is small, so having a few kids early would definitely make your parents happy..." Seeing Su Ke's expression turn increasingly sour, his voice trailed off, ending in a dry laugh.

Clearly, he also knew that his own troublesome sisters weren't his brother's type.

Su Ke sighed. "Fine, I'll come."

Zuo Mu's sisters were indeed very beautiful, but his original self had never liked them.

Even now, after awakening his memories and being influenced by the original, he had no such thoughts.

"Right, there's one more thing." Zuo Mu looked mysterious.

"What now?" Su Ke glanced at him. "Don't keep me guessing, or I'm hanging up."

"Don't hang up yet." Zuo Mu coughed. "While you were gone these past few days, Eloy had a breakthrough."

Su Ke paused, a slender, blue-clad figure appearing in his mind.

Eloy... one of the three members of their small group.

Although she appeared to be a quiet girl on the surface, her calm and decisive nature made her the strongest among them, forming a stark contrast to Zuo Mu.

Of the three, only Su Ke and Eloy were martial artists, while Zuo Mu was the Psychic Master. The three of them often competed to see who was stronger.

Compared to Su Ke, Eloy, despite being a girl, possessed a fierce tenacity. She was the type to grit her teeth and push through even when bloodied, a drive that sometimes made even Su Ke feel inferior.

"She had a breakthrough?" Su Ke was surprised.

"Yeah." Zuo Mu scratched his head. "I didn't expect her to be the first of us three to break through either. I asked her about it; it seems her uncle returned from an adventure and, having gained some benefits, gave her some help, which allowed her to break through early." He wore a look of longing, clenching his fists. "I'm going to go on adventures in the future, too. I want to be a Cosmic Adventurer roaming the universe."

A Cosmic Adventurer must traverse the perilous starry sky, dancing on the edge of a blade. You never know when you might die, but the risks are proportional to the rewards; Cosmic Adventurers often find themselves gaining massive fortunes.

"Eloy has an uncle?" Su Ke asked, puzzled. He had never heard of one.

"She does. Her uncle went out to adventure many years ago and hadn't returned for decades, only coming back recently." Zuo Mu nodded, clearly having received the news in advance. "I heard he came back with a powerful team of Cosmic Adventurers. There are several Stellar Rank experts in that team."

Su Ke was thoughtful. A Cosmic Adventurer... those who dare to explore the dangerous universe usually aren't weak. Stellar Rank experts are considered high and mighty even on their Moon River Planet; there might even be some among them stronger than the local experts of their own world.

It seems Eloy's uncle hasn't been doing too badly for himself.

Seeing Zuo Mu's lingering obsession with adventurers, Su Ke couldn't help but shake his head. The life of a Cosmic Adventurer sounded blood-pumping, but it also meant facing life-threatening danger at any moment; given Su Ke's personality, he didn't care for a life filled with constant surprises.

"Eloy will be coming over on my sister's birthday, so don't forget," Zuo Mu reminded him. "And remember to bring a gift."

"I know," Su Ke replied perfunctorily.

"See you tomorrow, then."

Right until the end, Su Ke never told his best friend about his breakthrough.

If Zuo Mu found out, he would surely be devastated. The one who was originally the strongest in their group had now become the tail-ender. In his sorrow, he would probably eat a huge meal to comfort himself before pulling himself together again.

The call ended. Su Ke looked up toward the distant forest and muttered to himself.

"Looks like I'll have to head out again tomorrow."