The Glorious Evolution

”You claim to have lived for a very, very long time.” Levi frowned. ”I refuse to believe that you are as broke as I am...Where are you hiding your Nocrix credits, treasures, map fragments, and such? I know there is a banking system in Boundless Expense.”

Levi always wanted to ask Ash’Kral about this, but he felt that he might have them hidden somewhere far away or in the Shadow dimension. But now, he knew that the Boundless Bank was all Ash’Kral needed to protect his assets, and it was accessible with a thought.

Alas...

”Boy, you seem mistaken,” Ash’Kral chuckled. ”I did have money, territory, map fragments, and a lot of it. But in pursuit of greatness, they have little value.”

”So, you squandered it all...?”

”Yep.”

”How, how is it even possible? Especially the territories...don’t tell me you sold them too?”

”I do possess multiple territories, but they are under the souls of my past partners.”

”Wait, aren’t your souls supposed to be integrated once a Daywalker contract is signed?”

”No, the souls are linked through a contract, but they aren’t perfectly integrated...Such integration isn’t simple to achieve when everyone’s souls are unique.” Ash’Kral shook his head. ”Hence, my ex-partners have their own closed bank accounts and territories, but I have no access to them.”

”I see...”

Levi understood that it made sense for the ex-partners to put everything they owned in their personal accounts. After all, no one was that dumb to trust Ash’Kral with their accounts...Especially when he seemed to have poor monetary management.

”Is there any chance I can get access to them?” Levi wondered.

”There is a method, but it’s too out of reach for you at the moment.” Ash’Kral replied. ”It’s best to focus on what you can get with your own hands, then waste your time chasing locked treasures...Especially when your strength doesn’t permit you to travel far.”

”True.” Levi nodded in agreement.

He knew that if it were easy to secure a dead man’s assets, Ash’Kral would have started with it to give him a massive boost in his journey. Since it wasn’t achievable at the moment, it was best to leave it for his future self...

”Still, how can you lose all of your personal money and territory?” Levi frowned.

”Once you get to a certain point in your path, you will understand.” Ash’Kral kept it vague as always, leaving Levi’s lips to twitch.

He thought that he had gotten lucky with Ash’Kral, but he was just another brokie like him...Though for him to lose everything, it made Levi a bit uneasy about what awaited him in the future. Was it the Three-Body Problem? The gluttonous seeds’ requirement for energy? The cold/heat flares? Something needed an insane amount of resources, and he didn’t know if it was one of those options or all of them combined.

Whatever it was, it made Levi understand that he really needed the program more than it needed him...Riches were now a priority to ensure a stable future.

”Still, don’t tell me you have zero in your account, just check.” Levi hoped. ”There might be some change left that I can use at least to modify my appearance. Or a small forgotten territory in the realm...Just check everything.”

”Fine, fine.”

Ash’Kral checked his account with a mere thought. The Boundless banking system was also connected to everyone’s souls, allowing them access through pure will. At the same time, no one could access it without possessing the same soul, which was impossible, since every creature had a unique soul.

A moment later, Ash’Kral’s amused voice echoed. ”You are one lucky bastard; I still own five thousand Nocrix credits and a tiny island in a desolate area. Must be compound interest, as I clearly remember owning no more than one hundred credits.”

Levi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”You must be the brokest, most powerful nightcrawler I know,” he sighed.

”Make your jokes; a time will come when you will be as broke as me.” Ash’Kral chuckled, unbothered.

Levi’s heart skipped a beat again, but he swiftly threw the subject to the back of his mind and refocused on the tiny island Ash’Kral said he owned. ”Isn’t the island enough to make you an owner?” Levi’s spiritual eyes sparkled. ”You must have your Boundless Domain’s dimensional key.”

The dimensional key was in the shape of a territory ownership contract with the ability to open a dimensional gate anywhere to one’s own personal Boundless Domain. Though it could be used only once a month for entry and exit, since it consumed immense spatial energy for each dimensional portal opened.

Of course, this was the standard one; the authoritative entities had a higher quality key with no limitation.

”I sure do,” Ash’Kral smiled. ”But it’s mine.”

Levi’s upper lip twitched. ”I know, I don’t want to own your shitty island. But it will help me train and prepare for the games until I get my piece of land.”

”That’s given; I am not that stingy with my partners.” Ash’Kral proceeded to prove it by wiring Levi all the money he owed.

–Ting, you have received a wire transfer from N41o9f...–

Levi swiftly checked his bank account and found four thousand and eight hundred credits, minus two hundred as transaction fees...His bank account’s details were also included in that five-hundred-page contract.

The contract was so well made, it ensured any newbies had their start in the Nocturnal Ring as smoothly as possible.

With almost five thousand credits in hand, Levi moved past the horrible free cosmetic options, sparing them not a single glance.

Levi understood that his registered appearance would be his defining identity forever. He could always change it later on, but he recognized that the first impression was vital in this program.

Although Levi couldn’t care less about publicity and attention, he knew that it was immensely important on the platform due to map fragments. If Nocrix credits were silver, then the map fragments were the gold currency. They were always sold, traded, earned, exchanged, rented, and whatnot.

Since everyone was chasing to collect map fragments for specific territorial areas, social identity was important. After all, one could own a map fragment that was an important piece to another person’s territory. If his identity weren’t famous or important with an immense network, he wouldn’t be able to leverage it in his favor for a trade or a purchase. )

Levi couldn’t build an identity if he kept changing his appearance over and over again. He needed something unique and mysterious, veiled in secrets that would drive everyone to question everything about him.

After scrolling through the prepared options, Levi realized that nothing would do the trick more than something he designed.

He paid for a monthly subscription to obtain a creator’s code, and then he was introduced to an empty white page.

It had a single sentence written on top: Paint with your imagination.

A grin surfaced.

This was all Levi needed to craft his new appearance.