Nature shows no mercy, treating all creatures as mere grass and dogs.

You think the best kind of friendship is having high school classmates as your bridesmaids or groomsmen.

But the strongest bonds are forged by studying together, fighting together, and even reveling together.

The Black Sail gang roamed the streets of Duguli, visiting several clubs but finding none satisfactory, either due to mediocre decor or the girls not feeling quite right though they weren't lacking in youth or beauty.

Swan and Saleret didn't care much, as long as there was food and perhaps a foot wash.

Galen would follow them anywhere, never dreaming he would bathe with such characters.

But the trio, Cui Wen Gan, had different ideas.

Werewolf Pepper, Thief Bully, Hall Detective, all urgently needed to restore their SAN value.

"Damn it, just some ordinary crap club with crappy masseurs, totally unsatisfying! You think you can out-party Mika? He's been everywhere! We must surpass that guy and hit the spots even he hasn't."

Rein's eyes were blazing.

Mika really was too powerful.

Even if tasked with managing Pure Love Imperial City alone, he remained unbeatable.

Rein was determined—tonight, he would slay immortals.

"I know a place but… I'm out of money. Guys, could someone spot me?"

Ben was almost in tears. In his prime, he could afford to splurge, but now he had just over sixty silver coins, though that was more than enough for an ordinary club.

He was undoubtedly the poorest among the six, even Galen had more money.

Doringger wasn't stingy with his subs, and Saleret, though having had a tough few years, was actually the wealthiest of the group.

Chuan Che had even less to worry about, being part of the Hall and receiving ample allowances from Lostra—his was in banknotes, with the exchange rate from Aran being six to one Copper Noah, his account boasted tens of millions.

The remaining profits from the train robbery alone, untouched by Reinswan, amounted to an astronomical figure.

Rein, lavish as can be, had spent freely since the new year, yet still had over three hundred Golden Dragons left after six months.

Swan, the Saint, was even more ridiculous, saving every coin, over five hundred Golden Dragons to his name.

Not to mention they both owned shares in Black Sail, with future dividends alone making money a mere number.

"What place?"

Chuan Che was intrigued. He liked to freeload, yet with his wealth, no one would dare offer. He followed Celeste, hoping to rise smoothly in status.

"It's 6:30 now, we can still make it in time. Cloud Palace starts at eight, and it's absolutely the pinnacle of the world."

Ben explained.

"The pinnacle of the world? You've been there?"

Rein knew that although Ben lived clownishly in Heaven Port, he indeed had seen the greater world.

"No, heard it from a friend. If you don't visit once, you can't call yourself a true resident of Summer Sunset Island. That floating platform we saw during the day is actually a brothel, but calling it a brothel doesn't quite do it justice, it ranks in the world's TOP10."

Ben seemed wistful.

"So, it's still a brothel…"

Swan was speechless, wondering if the Empress of Summer Sunset Island knew how their land was being represented and was already hungry, just wanting to eat.

"TOP10? Then we must definitely savor it thoroughly."

Chuan Che, having traveled to the most chaotic parts of the world, like Heaven Port, truly hadn't had the chance to relax properly.

Due to the Adventurer's Guild enjoying their celebrity endorsements, many Hall-level kept their private lives tidy, lest those idiot editors make a mess with wild stories.

But Chuan Che didn't care, he was about to join the Lostra Royal Knights; let those who wanted to stay adventuring do so. No matter how esteemed, it was still a tough life, and he wanted to wash his hands clean of it, opponent's discontent notwithstanding, since an official position was most reliable.

"We should watch out for nobles and officials there; remember our infamy in Aran."

Swan cautioned, seeing that libido was clouding their minds.

"Just buy some helmets to wear. With my strength, no one dares to check on my friends here."

Chuan Che stated matter-of-factly.

"Cloud Palace, here we come!"

Rein shouted, eager for the night's adventures. "Hey Mika, your days of effortless connections are over, hand over the Immortal Emperor's throne to me."

"Can you guys spot me? Please pity a virgin!"

Ben cried dramatically, worried the group might leave him behind.

Galen, of course, was invited by Rein and wouldn't have to spend a dime, giving face to the Boss of the East Sea.

Half an hour later, at seven,

the six finally arrived at the landing spot for Cloud Palace, or as the polite term went, the VIP waiting lounge—they preferred calling it a safety check over the crass term financial verification.

Galen, never having been to such a high-end establishment, was somewhat shocked by the extravagant decor, the kind that makes one hesitant to use the restroom in a five-star hotel.

Even Ben, who loved to nitpick, couldn't find fault with the decorations here, admiringly clicking his tongue at the attention to detail.

The decor was reportedly inspired by a visit to a High Tower of the Tower Alliance by the owner of Cloud Palace, replicating the aesthetic of one esteemed Tower Master.

The elegant interior waterfall, absent main lights, and a soothing illumination provided by the purplish galaxy-like Demon Crystals, the moon-arched, openwork corridors surrounding the high-ceilinged lobby that reached up to a crystalline skylight, with unobtrusive embedded light strips like flowing wings. The high walls were adorned with giant, masterfully carved prestigious stones, detailed depictions of Magic Beasts—a grandiose spectacle.

The sound of the waterfall was soothing, a pleasant white noise, but holy moly, who could tell if this place wasn't a brothel?

Those who came here were either high-ranking officials or wealthy businessmen, all dressed in fine clothes, accompanied by women in their prime, moving gracefully.

The six of them looked out of place; not exactly homeless, but they might as well have been pirates from Heaven Port, which was practically the same in the eyes of the onlookers.

But these onlookers were refined folks, and it was naturally impossible for them to laugh out loud, unless the situation was unbearable. Maintaining their noble composure, they gave the odd group curious looks, smiling subtly if they found it amusing.

They thought these must be some country bumpkins who were about to make a fool of themselves.

However, some who liked reading the adventurer's guild newspaper thought one of them looked familiar.

The manager here, upon seeing them, couldn't hold back, "Gents, your outfits are impacting the atmosphere and business here."

Before the group could even approach and ask, a male manager stopped them.

"Gentlemen, do you have a reservation?"

The male manager spoke extremely kindly. They were highly professional, and as long as one followed the procedure, even a beggar could go up—Cloud Palace indeed required a reservation, hard to get, needing at least a week's notice.

If it were anywhere else, Rein might have stabbed him with a claw, exasperated, "A reservation? Your mom needs a reservation!" But the decor here truly looked incredible, perhaps a reservation was indeed necessary.

"What reservation? For places like this, you must have spots reserved for VIPs, how does one pay here?"

Chuan Che, dressed shabbily, and his Large Arm Armor scratched all over, was also hard to miss.

The male manager was shocked, wondering, could it be?

Chuan Che pulled out his adventurer's guild card, handed it to the male manager for verification, who then used a Magic Energy Industry portable scanner to check the circuit inside.

The male manager's pupils shook, "Holy moly, this is a big celebrity. Aran's officials like to keep a low profile, unable to bring business and profit, but this man in front of me is definitely eligible."

"Gentlemen! This way, please! Have a seat! I'll call our boss!"

Manager was just a nominal title, everyone here was called a manager, now he needed to call a senior executive.

Galen felt like he was living in a dream. Just a short time ago, he was fishing corpses out of Nameless Bay; now, all of a sudden, he had transformed. Was he really going to enjoy this?

Seeing the six ragamuffins receiving VIP treatment was truly a delight—a real feel-good plot twist. The people who had reserved in advance were all dumbfounded.

VIPs at Cloud Palace were either high-ranking officials or hugely influential businessmen, basically, folks with connections everywhere.

Soon, a female executive in a formal gown approached the six men.

Before she could speak,

"All this dilly-dallying, just tell us how we pay!"

Ben, still worried they wouldn't help his cause, played the fool.

"The esteemed guest, please calm down. I've just learned that you are friends with a Hall-level adventurer; it's our oversight not to have welcomed you from afar. Here's the deal—if Mr. Chuan Che would agree to leave an autograph and photo to promote our establishment, we will cover 90 percent of your expenses," the female executive said, neither servile nor overbearing.

What do high-class venues lack? Not refinement per se—it's just banal to pursue ultimate refinement. They need legendary tales, heroic deeds, celebrity influence.

Unconnected to income or background.

Needed...

Flamboyant clients, flamboyant in every way.

And Chuan Che was definitely such a legendary client; having visited Cloud Palace, he would bring in substantial invisible profits.

Hearing the words "Hall-level adventurer" from the female manager, some other people in the hall recognized him and began to stir, preparing to come over for autographs or the like.

Those who were previously showing off to their companions also felt a bit embarrassed, but it was a personal embarrassment, unnoticed by others.

"I get what an autograph is, but what's a 'photo'?"

Chuan Che had seen something about a camera when he was reading a newspaper in Golden Palm Port.

"We already have a few Hall-level adventurers' photos in our establishment, no worries, it's just a portrait, but done quickly," the female executive responded.

They weren't going to use any sort of discount rhetoric here but offered to cover a certain portion of the expenses. Even if it was 90 percent, it was a gesture that they needed those people to come; for a top-tier venue like Cloud Palace, it would be undignified otherwise.

"10 percent off? Then what are you still pondering about?"

Swan was in a hurry to eat, and since Chuan Che was getting it almost free, he urged him to hurry up.

Rein was an old hand at this. Straight to the point, "We're mainly here to slay immortals tonight, I don't give a damn about your fancy Cloud Palace."

"Isn't this a brothel? This is one weird brothel, offering discounts and all, is that even legit?"

Rein cursed, when has a foot-washing city ever offered coupons? Only rubbish clubs with poor business would do that; now the True Heavenly Kingdom Port pirates were really showing their style.

The other guests, hearing this, were all surprised. As expected of a friend of Hall-level adventurers—all were straightforward big shots.

The female executive was about to go crazy, pulling Rein aside to whisper softly, "Here's the thing, our establishment doesn't engage in that, it's against the laws of Aran. But we do have some of the best minstrels in the world, they are resident musicians, but they have all agreed, it's up to you to discuss. Also, our accommodations are some of the best in the world."

This agreement was naturally *that* agreement.

Rein was moved to tears, now he could truly play hard in Egypt.

"Sister, utterly classy, we must discuss properly."

Rein finally understood the high-end nature of Cloud Palace—it truly was top-notch.

Zahak and the others had already ascended to Cloud Palace, waiting for a navy official to come for dinner and discuss matters.

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