n

n

nI watched as Vaner's back disappeared behind the doors. A few more moments filled with the sound of his steps, and then the silence returned back to the mansion.

n'Dual Cultivation, was it?' I thought, unable to stop the excitement at the sheer thought of the idea.

nFrom one side, it was the most pleasant way of cultivating. On the other side, the idea of casual intercourse focused on growth rather than the act itself has its charm as well.

nObviously, those were just stray thoughts born out of my horny nature as a young adult, not something that I would ever actively pursue.

nBecause now, I had Mia by my side. And whatever my momentary fetishes would be would never turn to be more important or exciting than the prospect of holding this one, particular girl close.

n

"Still, just one week left, huh?

" I muttered, casting all the stray thoughts aside and focusing on the matter at hand.

nIn a single week, the audit will start. This audit would be my first chance to bring Mia out of this sect where there was someone actively targeting her.

nI wasn't naive enough to believe that the lack of attacks on me or the girl over the past week meant that we were now safe. Rather than that, I was inclined to believe that instead of throwing some haphazard schemes, Jenne was busy cooking up a massive action.

nAs such, there was no time for me to waste on anything but preparations!

n

"Why are you so pressed to keep on training?

" Mia suddenly asked, emerging from the shadow of the room.

nEver since my talk with Vaner, I forgot about her presence. Only now, when she willingly made herself known, I realised that she likely heard it all.

"Anyone with brain rather than trash in their head could see how much you achieved already,

" she said, approaching me only to wrap her hands around my chest and hug me closely.

"Rather than having you train so much, I would have you embrace me every night for longer,

" she added in a soft whisper.

n

"It's all because I think I will be able to enter the Core Establishment stage before the audition starts,

" I explained, caressing the back of Mia's head.

n

"Wait, what?!

"' Mia barely managed to suppress her shout, raising her face and looking at me with her eyes wide open.

"So quickly?!

" she shouted, no longer able to hold down her voice.

n

"Yeah,

" I nodded my head.

nJudging from my current rate of progress, I could safely claim to fill all the gauges of my status before the end of the next week. What's more, with both my tailoring and cooking job rising steadily over the past week, I now had some aces hidden in my sleeve, allowing me to even consider the idea of breaking through.

n

"I guess I will go back to training then,

" Mia smiled uneasily, overwhelmed by my announcement. From the lack of self-confidence in her eyes, I could tell that she feared the idea of me leaving her behind.

n

"Don't worry about it, dear,

" I instantly said, unwilling to let this fear fester in her soul.

"The only reason why I try so hard is to be strong enough to stop anyone from stealing you from me!

" I said, pulling Mia back for yet another hug.

nA deep union of our lips later, Mia finally managed to wrestle herself free out of my arms.

n

"I'm going to train now,

" she said in a decisive voice, her face no longer poisoned by the uncertainty.

"Just like you want to be able to protect me, I want to be able to protect you,

" she said before a lovely smile appeared on her lips.

"Meanwhile, how about you take a real break?

" she proposed.

n

"Actually, that's something that I had on mind for a while,

" I admitted, looking towards the mansion's exit.

nWhile getting out of the sect would be a road through hell after the incident at the arena, I still had quite a few things to do in town.

nGetting the next batch of the stones included so that we could keep our training rate going.

n

"Then let's meet once we are done with our respective tasks,

" Mia said, blessing me with a quick peck to my cheek before quickly running away to our private garden.

nWith nothing better to do, I followed my words and moved out of the mansion. And just as expected, the second I stepped into the outside world, I could feel waves upon waves of scorn and ridicule wash at my face.

n

"Look, it's that shameless trash,' someone whispered, actually trying to hide their voice from my ears.

n

"I heard he didn't even realize he was duped into taking responsibility for the punch that wasn't his!

" someone else claimed, not bothering to hide their malicious intent and voice whatsoever.

nThankfully, I long grew used to this kind of treatment. Ever before reincarnating to this world, I acquired the ability to allow all kinds of remarks like that to simply wash down my back, not even affecting my mood whatsoever.

nStill, being personally aware of just how misguided they gave me some degree of personal satisfaction, an unspoken vendetta that only I could enjoy for now.

nThankfully, my new lodging wasn't that far away from the boundary of the sect. As such, I only had to endure the scornful remarks for a short while before moving through the gate in the mountain and reaching the town.

nIt was time to do some shopping and idea hunting!

nNo matter what, I had to find a way to make more money. While I still had a sizeable fortune in my account, given the rate at which both I and mia consume the spirit stones, it was only a matter of time before I would end up deprived of them.

nWith only a week remaining before the true audition would begin, I couldn't allow myself any slack, especially if it would be caused by a lack of resources rather than my internal choice!

n