Noan saw Lylia''s message and didn''t know whether to laugh or cry or feel uneasy or joyful.

    Considering his current capabilities, 10 million credit points was an insignificant amount. A single energy stone could earn him many times that.

    After thinking for a moment, he replied to the message: "If I lose, will you protect me?"

    [Of course!]

    It seemed like the reply came instantly. Seeing Lylia''s response, Noan could only force a smile, unsure what to say.

    Why was this girl so enthusiastic? Could she be interested in him?

    However, Noan immediately dismissed the thought, shaking his head. He thought to himself, "No, definitely not. It''s probably just her easy-going personality that makes others misunderstand."

    In the past, when he lived on Earth, Noan had never been in love, but he had seen many people suffer from misunderstandings.

    They mistook friendship for love, mistook friendliness for special attention.

    Because of this, Noan didn''t want to entangle himself in such things.

    After contemplating, he replied: "Don''t worry, I will win."

    [Tsk! I was hoping you''d lose. Alright then, winning is fine, too. Do you need my help with anything?]

    "No need! I''ll handle this with my own strength."

    [Good! Best of luck. Bleh! Bleh!] Lylia added a playful tongue-out emoji before ending the conversation.

    Noan sighed, feeling like his upcoming opponents weren''t just Jankos and Lylia.

    One night passed. Noan and Maya slept until morning. This might have been his most peaceful sleep in a long time.

    However, apart from the soft body he had "battled" with in front of him during the night, another soft body was pressing against his back.

    Of course, he knew it was Vylyss, but he pretended to stay asleep.

    After all, she was a Succubus. If he allowed her to get excited, she might drain his "Vital Energy" until he died.

    In the morning, Maya woke up early. She bathed and then took some medicine. Naturally, Noan knew it was a contraceptive pill.

    When she saw him awake, she hastily explained, "I''m sorry... I''m afraid if I get pregnant now, I won''t be able to take care of my mother."

    Maya''s voice trembled, her face still cloaked in sadness and gloom.

    She bit her lip, wanting to say something but swallowing her words instead.

    "If you want to say something, just say it. It''s about money, isn''t it?" Noan said with a smile.

    Maya bit her lip and nodded lightly. "Yes... I need money to pay my mother''s hospital fees. Not too much... just 1 million credit points."

    As she said this, she glanced up to see Noan''s reaction, her hands clenching nervously, her body trembling slightly.

    "One million?" Noan raised an eyebrow and looked at Maya, his voice slightly louder.

    "Work?" Vylyss tilted her head, looking at Noan with confusion upon hearing his words.

    ...

    In a small basement beneath an inconspicuous bar, a room no larger than 10 square meters was filled with the thick, acrid smell of cigarette smoke.

    A man sat on a worn-out sofa, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, trails of smoke curling upward. His gaze was fixed on the slowly rotating ceiling fan above, lost in thoughts only he knew.

    BAM!

    A sudden loud crash broke the silence, making the man frown.

    He turned his head toward the door, his eyes narrowing with a hint of killing intent.

    Leaning forward, he reached under the table and retrieved a dagger. Instead of holding it in his hand, he discreetly tucked it behind his back, out of sight.

    Crack!

    The door creaked open, revealing a familiar figure standing in the doorway. Behind him, bodies lay scattered on the ground, motionless as though unconscious.

    The man smirked, his voice calm and steady. "We meet again, Noan. It seems... you''ve been taking good care of my men."

    Noan frowned, his voice low. "Kaito, I''m just returning the favour."

    "Hahahaha..." Kaito laughed loudly. "Since becoming a Lord, your courage has grown significantly."

    "Care to test it?" Noan replied coolly, his tone dripping with disdain.

    Indeed, the man was Kaito—Noan''s creditor.

    Kaito''s smirk twisted into a sneer as he grabbed the ashtray on the table, hurling it toward Noan.

    However... his hand froze mid-motion, unable to move. The same went for the hand clutching the dagger behind his back.

    It was as if his entire body had been bound by an invisible force, rendering him utterly immobile no matter how hard he tried.

    Noan stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Kaito''s eyes filled with fear but also brimmed with hatred.

    "Kaito, do you remember what you used to beat me with?" Noan''s voice was icy. "Ah! A metal baseball bat."

    "I should be thanking you and your men. Because of you, I found the strength to rise and become who I am today."

    "That''s why I''m here... not just to settle old debts but to repay you for everything."

    "You bastard!" Kaito gritted his teeth, spitting curses. His inability to move only fueled his growing dread.

    If Noan killed him now, no one would ever know.

    "Don''t worry..." Noan said softly as if reading Kaito''s thoughts. "I''m not going to kill you. I''m just going to return the kindness you once showed me."

    "You..."

    BAM!