Chapter 622: Rewards

Michael thought that it would be a good idea to reward everyone generously after they put their lives on the line to protect everyone.

First, he decreased everyone's debt to reward the Untamed Awakened for fighting against the Heart of the Blazing Lion army and surviving. Following that, Michael chose to give everyone an additional discount in the Jungle Shop and a bonus for killing powerful enemies.

All those gains might not be necessary, but Michael felt that fighting solely for the purpose of protecting their settlement wasn't enough long-term. Sure, it would be more than enough for a while, however, their enemies would grow stronger and the casualty rate in battles would increase.

Thus, Michael decided that it would be the best idea to give the combatants additional benefits for fighting against their enemies and for killing more powerhouses. It was not like Michael didn't gain anything in return either.

First and foremost, Michael's subordinates would grow stronger as they procure more Jungle Points and combat experience. Second, Michael would gain a lot more resources as his subordinates eliminated more enemies.

It was a win-win situation with Michael gaining the most.

The news of Michael's actions spread quickly. Everyone was glad about the additional benefits, the discounts in the Jungle Shop, and the fact that they had less pressure to pay the remaining Jungle Points that they'd loaned a few days ago.

Even the Holy Knights, Blessed Squires, and other Summons, who'd been participating in the ferocious fight against the Zentika Empire, received generous rewards from Michael.

Michael's wallet was bleeding, but he was glad that his subjects were doing better. Handing out generous rewards changed the atmosphere in the settlements a lot more than expected.

It was quite surprising.

Once he was done emptying his wallet, Michael approached Hiraku. The young Awakened had yet to ask for the termination of their Link of Loyalty, but it was quite obvious that it was only a matter of time before Hiraku would leave.

"We haven't been talking a lot, but I think that I owe you something. If you hadn't been here we would have probably lost against the Heart of the Blazing Lion army. Even if we had won we would have lost at least twice as many good men and women. You helped me protect my people, and I'm grateful for that," Michael said, smiling lightly.

"I would like to thank you. You can pick a Soultrait Symbol from the Jungle Shop and have it upgraded to 4-Star free of charge. Consider it as a gift for helping me protect those I hold dearly."

Michael was unwilling to let Hiraku go. He was hoping that Hiraku would stay in his territory and that he wouldn't terminate his Link of Loyalty anytime soon. Hiraku was a powerful ally. Strengthening him with more Soultraits and Soultrait Upgrades would turn him into a monstrosity among the Descendants, but Michael was not worried about getting betrayed.

Despite feeling like inviting Hiraku to his territory, he didn't throw the invitation out right away. He didn't want Hiraku to misunderstand his intentions. The gift and the invitation were separate matters. Michael didn't want Hiraku to think of the gift as a bait.

Hiraku raised an eyebrow and looked at Michael for a while, "I gained a lot already. You helped me escape the island and I fought for you in exchange. There is no need to give me anything."

Hiraku rejected the gift coldly, but Michael sensed a glimmer of hesitation in Hiraku's voice.

"Are you sure? How about you take a look at the list of Soultraits and decide then?" Michael offered.

Hiraku was about to deliver another rejection, but he didn't say anything.

"That's not a trick to show off the resources you grant your subordinates, right?" Hiraku asked in a neutral tone, but his sharp silver eyes landed on Michael, who could only shrug.

"I'm not here to brag, though I cannot deny that I would love to invite you into my territory. I am sincere when I say that you can pick any Soultrait Symbol listed in the Jungle Shop. I will give it to you after upgrading it to 4-Star. It won't cost you anything. As for inviting you to stay in my territory permanently, I hope you can think about it. HOWEVER, it has nothing to do with the Soultrait I want to give you! It's a gift."

Hiraku nodded slowly. He could tell that Michael was agitated about his suspicion, but who wouldn't be suspicious about such a generous gift? It didn't make sense that Michael would gift him a Soultrait and upgrade it straight to 4-Star.

"I...will think about it."

That was good enough for Michael. He nodded lightly and chatted a little bit longer with Hiraku to find out more about Hiraku's Soultrait and his transformations. Hiraku was a little secretive, but it was also a rare occasion for him to talk about his powers with someone who was clearly stronger than him. Of course, there were many powerhouses in the Saphirelake Military Academy and the Lightweaver Academy where he had been before transferring to the Saphirelake Military Academy, but Michael was younger, at a lower Tier, and stronger as well.

After yesterday's battle, Hiraku's respect for Michael soared through the roof. He understood why his subjects trusted Michael. Their unbending loyalty and trust were the result of Michael's actions and his sacrifices in battle.

Hiraku's life had been in danger several times yesterday, but he had never been close to death. Michael always intervened when the tide of the battle was about to turn against them. Michael had been on the verge of death and seriously injured multiple times. It was a surprise that he was still able to stand and talk calmly.

If it was anyone else, they would have been forced to reside in bed for several days, if they recuperated fast, and for several weeks, if they were ordinary Low rank Tier-3 Lords.

However, Michael was anything but normal.

He was an anomaly, just like Hiraku. It was just that Michael was an even more abnormal anomaly than Hiraku.

In the end, Hiraku ended up revealing some information about his Soultraits to Michael. Hiraku didn't know how it turned out like that, but he revealed a lot. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he talked this much with anyone. It had been a while. That was for sure.

Michael was busy and had to leave at some point.

"Make sure to check the Jungle Shop. Don't forget to reconsider my invitation as well. I hope you can join my territory. We need someone like you!"

He disappeared right after saying those words, leaving Hiraku alone. But he wasn't alone for a long time. Frederik found Hiraku and rushed to his new friend with a smile.

"I reached the Late rank of Tier-2!! If I continue to improve like this, I will advance to Tier-3 in a few months! Ain't that amazing?!"

Frederik was a lot happier than he used to be. His sullen mood was no more. He was stronger.

Michael's action might seem simple, at first glance, but he could change the lives of his people forever. The most interesting was that Michael didn't even seem to realize what he was capable of. He treated everyone nicely and rewarded those who worked hard generously. At first glance, it felt like Michael was wealthy, but that wasn't the case.

He earned a lot from several sources of income, but his wealth was used up almost instantaneously to improve his subjects' living standards, expand his territory, and strengthen his people.

It was necessary to strengthen his people, but most Lords would focus on themselves. They would try to ascend to a Higher Lifeform to expand their lifespan as quickly as possible before dealing with their enemies one by one. Michael didn't have that much time. He had enemies everywhere, but it looked like he didn't mind that.

On the contrary, Michael was relaxed and finished his tasks one by one.

'Is he calm, or just ignorant about the approaching dangers? Is he smart and calculative, or is it plain stupidity? But if he was stupid, he wouldn't have managed to make it this far.'

Hiraku didn't spend all his time in the Origin Expanse after he was teleported to the Untamed Jungle. He had been outside the Origin Expanse for a while to research Michael and his background. Hiraku could tell that Michael was a good guy, but Hiraku knew how fake people could be. He didn't know Michael for a long time. He couldn't trust him entirely right away.

'He wasn't always strong. It's his Soultrait that allowed him to grow stronger slowly but steadily. He gained more Soultraits and started upgrading them, therefore, granting him exponential gains. But reports also state that he had been on the verge of death quite often. His brother died, turning him into a living zombie for a while. And about his parents...his mother seems to be powerful, but there is no information about her. Is it a good idea to consider joining him, or should I reside away from him?'

Hiraku was not sure what to do. People like Frederik were grateful for Michael. They would follow him everywhere simply because he had the means to grant them more power. Frederik was probably a little bit different because he was Michael's friend, but Hiraku could tell that Frederik had fallen into a deep pit of greed.

"You ought focus on your own strength. If Michael could grant you Soultraits and Soultrait Upgrades, he can probably take them away as well. Increase your strength and don't even think of blindly relying upon your strength. You will die just like the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs who fell victim to their greed and desires!"

Frederik's smile froze. He stared at Hiraku, his lips pressed together.

"You really know how to kill my vibe, you know?"