C9 CHAPTER9

"Here, take 10,000 coins," Felipe said casually. This amount wasn't much for him, and it was worth it to see if that pill was genuine. When he got the small pill, he stared at it for a few seconds before swallowing it.

A couple of minutes later, he opened his eyes. Although he hadn't leveled up, he felt a slight increase in his power that had been stagnant for years.

"One more, please..."

"One more, please..."

"One more, please..."

In total, he consumed nine pills to level up. Sam, who was thrilled with the influx of coins, was also a bit worried that his pills might not work, which would be disastrous for his business.

"System, you didn't dilute the pills with water to weaken them, did you?"

"Hmmph! Humble host, don't compare me to you. The products I offer are of the highest quality. However, the experience needed to go from Awakened to Evolved is much greater; a total of ten pills are required to break the barrier."

When Felipe took the tenth pill, Pop! A great surge of pure energy coursed through his body, breaking the shackles that bound him to the ten stars. When he opened his eyes, they shone with happiness and surprise.

"I've advanced. Now I am a 1-star Evolved... finally, after so many years."

It had cost him 100,000 Spirit Coins, but it was worth it. After regaining his composure, he turned to Sam, looked at him for a few seconds, and said, "Thanks, boss. This favor you've done for me today, I'll remember for the rest of my life. Don't doubt for a second that I'll gather more money and come back to buy more miracle pills."

At the end of the sentence, Felipe's face lit up with a sincere smile, one that hadn't been seen in a long time. With this new level of power, his position as the third boss of the gang was now secure. As his eyes wandered over the other items, including the Little Lion sleeping at the Boss's feet, he felt the urge to buy everything in the store. He also wanted his own battle pet.

Sam was even happier than Felipe. At this rate, he'd have his store in the central area soon. "Thank you very much for your purchase, dear customer. We hope you come back soon," he said with a friendly smile.

When Felipe walked out the door, his smile had vanished, but a commanding presence set him apart from the others. As soon as Scarface saw him, he rushed over.

"Is the store owner dead? Can I go burn his body?"

"Slap!" Another slap landed on Scarface's face.

"From now on, the owner of this store is my brother. Anyone who harms him is harming me. Show him respect, even more than you show me!" Felipe declared loudly, addressing both his subordinates and the onlookers who had been gossiping.

Scarface Jack, with both cheeks red and swollen, stared blankly at the store and then at his boss. Anger boiled inside him as he stood up, casting one last hateful glance at the shop before leaving with the others.

"I get that you don't want revenge, but slapping me twice when I'm part of the gang..." Scarface thought bitterly.

"Did you hear what Felipe said?" someone murmured. "We need to be careful with this store owner. Better to avoid any trouble."

The other store owners were taken aback. The Black Vultures gang had shown up twice in one day. The first time, they left defeated, and now they were leaving peacefully. Even the third leader had declared the grocery store owner his brother. What on earth was happening in that store?

Sam didn't challenge Felipe's words; he understood it as a gesture of goodwill. With the little lion and Elder Moreels, he wasn't worried about a group of thugs causing trouble, but it's always better to conduct business peacefully.

"Damn, these prices... are you crazy, Boss? Or am I mistaken and I'm in the city's central district?" Without realizing it, a new customer had entered the store. Seeing the prices of the pills, with the cheapest one costing 1000 coins, he couldn't help but curse.

Blake Vaughn had wandered into the store out of curiosity, with no intention of buying anything. He was simply exploring the district to pass the time. In the central area, there were more activities and better places to visit, but it was much more expensive. However, in the commoner district, things were different. With just a few coins, you could buy many things, even hire a couple of escorts for your visit.

For Blake, feeling important, even if it was because of his money, gave him a sense of satisfaction. That's why he often visited the area and became friends with some store owners. But now, he felt like he had returned to the heart of the city, to the most luxurious street.

He couldn't believe he was seeing products priced at $1,000, $10,000, and even $100,000. When did the folks in the neighborhood become so wealthy? There were even battle pet summon-cards for sale.

Sam immediately recognized that this new customer was someone with money; he could sense the aura of wealth from the young buyer's suit.

"Welcome to my store, dear customer. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm interested in battle pets, but..."

"Sure, we have Black Iron quality summon-cards for $5,000, and the bronze grade ones cost $50,000. Which one would you like to buy?"

"Are you sure they're battle pets and not just stray dogs and cats? I'm looking for a true beast that can fight."

"Little Lion!"

When the Fierce Wind Lion heard his name, he opened his eyes. Seeing a signal from his master, he stretched and, with a leap, transformed into a ferocious beast.

"Roar!"

With the roar of the Little Lion, the beast accompanying Blake was scared out of its wits, tucked its tail between its legs, and hid behind its master, visibly terrified.

"Dark beast, you're a seven-star battle pet with noble lineage and exceptional training. How is it possible that..."

Blake was surprised by his battle pet's reaction; it was the first time this had happened. His partner had never been afraid of other beasts. After taking a closer look at the Little Lion, he realized it was indeed a formidable battle pet.

"You have a very strong beast, Boss."

"This battle pet is bronze grade. I still have another like it on the counter; you can check it out. Little Lion, stop showing off and lie down."

With considerable interest, Blake walked over to the display case where the battle pets were and picked up the summoning card.

"Bronze-grade Snow Leopard... price $50,000." Although it was expensive, it was a fair price for a fierce battle pet.

"I want it," Blake said as he handed over the $50,000 to Sam, who couldn't help but think about the $5,000 commission he was about to earn.

Blake immediately called for his new pet.

"Roar!"