Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 203

Chapter 203: Experiencing Face slapping

Aiden and his companions entered the restaurant and immediately noticed a stark contrast to the bustling city outside. For Shelly and Serina, it was a cozy, serene haven, while Aiden thought it was as quiet as a library, with an invisible dome around each table that isolated all sound. From afar, they could see people talking, but there was no noise, making it feel almost surreal.

As Aiden looked around, he thought to himself, “This place isn’t meant for singles, or someone might go mad with all this silence. But for an introvert, this is paradise.”

Shaking his head, they directed their attention to the grand staircase at the end of the hall. They observed many people in luxurious attire casting disdainful glances at those on the first floor as they ascended.

Aiden raised an eyebrow, curious about the hierarchy, but his question was soon answered when a waiter approached them. The waiter, impeccably dressed with his hair neatly combed, walked with the precision of a professional. Bowing respectfully, he said, “Esteemed guests, please show me your identification so I can guide you to your seats.”

The waiter internally thought, “Given their attire, they don’t seem very important, but I should follow protocol. Even if they turn out to be significant, my life won’t be in danger since I’m just doing my job.”

Aiden and the others handed over their Explorer cards. The waiter’s face initially showed a slight frown, but as he looked at the cards, his complexion turned pale. His hands trembled when he saw the shining golden ‘S’ on the cards. Realizing they were S-rank Explorers, equivalent to Dukes in nobility, he quickly understood the gravity of the situation. In this continent, the Explorer organization was untouchable, and their ranking system was infallible. An S-rank denoted immense power, akin to that of a Spirit Emperor.

Returning their cards with great reverence, the waiter bowed deeply and said, “Welcome, esteemed guests. I will escort you to our second-best floor.”

He began leading them upstairs, and Aiden followed, intrigued.

“Second-best?” Aiden inquired.

“Yes, young master. The best floor is reserved exclusively for the King and his queens. Even the princes aren’t permitted there,” the waiter explained.

“Is there any difference in the quality of food served on different floors?” Aiden asked as they continued their ascent.

“Indeed, young master. The quality of ingredients improves as you move to higher floors,” the waiter confirmed with a nod.

“By the way, young master, is this your first visit here?” the waiter asked.

“Yes,” Aiden confirmed.

As they moved up the grand staircase, many patrons watched them with curiosity. In this restaurant, moving to higher floors signified higher status.

They soon reached the 13th floor, and just as they were about to ascend to the 14th, a commanding voice shouted, “Stop there!”

Aiden and his group turned to see who had called out. The waiter sighed, rubbing his temples. “That’s why no one wants to work on the 13th floor, the so-called ‘floor of young masters’,” he muttered. This floor was notorious for frequent incidents, as it was reserved for the children of high nobility and their friends. Pampered and hot-blooded, conflicts were an almost daily occurrence here.

Aiden turned to see the noble group he had encountered earlier on the street. ‘Is he stopping us because I beat the crap out of his lackeys?’ he wondered.

Shelly, now visibly annoyed, had endured enough interruptions for one day. First, they were mocked at the Explorer Guild when they asked for S-rank promotion, only to be taken seriously after proving their cultivation, fighting prowess, and showing the equipment of an old demonic cultivator. Then, they faced hostility from the restaurant guards and now from this noble group again.

Her patience was running thin.

“What do you want?” Aiden asked calmly.

Reynold’s friend, infuriated by Aiden’s boldness, sneered, “How dare he look at me like that?” Turning to the waiter, he loudly demanded, “Why are you escorting these beggars to the best floor while my friends and I aren’t allowed there?”

His question drew the attention of others, who began to scrutinize Aiden and his group. Seeing their less expensive clothes, many frowned and started voicing their disdain.

“Yes, from the looks of them, they seem like beggars.”

“Seems this place now also houses beggars.”

“The standards have really dropped here.”

“Just standing in the same room as them makes me feel dirty.”

Aiden’s lips twitched in anger as he heard these comments. He looked at the source of the disturbance, seeing Reynold smiling with disdain and triumph.

“Hey, you said floor attendants have many authorities, right?” Aiden asked the annoyed waiter.

The waiter nodded respectfully. “Yes, young master. Even if you kick them out or ban them, we will comply with your orders.”

Hearing this, Reynold frowned, and others began raising their voices, arguing with the waiter.

The waiter stood emotionlessly, waiting for Aiden’s command.

“Good, now I want you to kick and ban all of them who were shouting just now,” Aiden ordered.

The waiter nodded and pulled out a whistle from his pocket. It was pure black with an insignia, indicating the restaurant’s affiliation with the Explorer Guild. He blew the whistle, and black-clad guards stormed the floor.

Aiden observed the guards with curiosity, noting that they were all Spirit Kings, with their leader being a Spirit Emperor.

The waiter explained the situation to the leader, who frowned before unleashing a heavy pressure targeted at the disruptive nobles, knocking them out. He ordered his men to throw them out, which they did by opening the windows and tossing them out.

Aiden watched in astonishment. ‘I never thought they would handle it like this. I wonder if they’ll survive being thrown out of the 13th floor…probably, since this is a cultivation world.’

Aiden then looked at Reynold, who was now sitting in his seat, watching the commotion with curiosity. Aiden smirked and began to approach him.

Reynold, sensing Aiden’s arrival, gulped hard. ‘Damn it, if they are such big shots, why dress like beggars? Anyone could mistake them,’ he thought angrily, shifting the blame onto them.

“Hey!” Aiden placed his hand on Reynold’s shoulder and squeezed, causing his shoulder blade to crack.

Reynold bit his lip to fight the pain, not wanting to scream, especially in front of his fiancée, who was calmly sipping her tea across from them. “What is the problem, sir?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Do you really need to ask? Wasn’t it you who started this whole drama?” Aiden replied, clenching harder and causing more bones to crack.

Reynold bit down so hard his lips started to bleed. Lowering his head, he said, “I think you are mistaken, sir,” as calmly as he could.

Aiden looked at him and then turned to the guards. “Throw him out and ban him too.”

Reynold jolted awake, standing up angrily and pointing his finger at Aiden. “Who the hell are you to say that? You… a hairless brat! Do you know I am the son of Duke Crimson, the same Duke who once slaughtered an army of 1,000?” he shouted, his anger overflowing.

“One word from me, and my father will put an end to your pitiful life!” he continued.

Aiden tilted his head and said, “Oh! Very well, then call him.” He took a seat and, crossing his legs and arms, said leisurely, “I’m sitting here. Go on and call your all-powerful father.”

Reynold gritted his teeth and took out a communication ring. Twisting it, a hologram of an older version of him manifested.

“This better be important, or you know what will happen,” the hologram of the middle-aged man said threateningly.

Reynold gulped and began to speak, “Father, please come here. Someone is bullying me. They not only disturbed my dining but also called me a beggar and a coward. He also said he will ban our whole family from this facility.”

“Seems I haven’t moved for a long time. People have forgotten who I am,” the Duke said menacingly. “Wait there. I will come.”

As the communication cut, Reynold pointed at Aiden and laughed confidently, “Ahaha, now you are done for!”

Seeing him act like this, everyone around twitched in disbelief, thinking, ‘Some people never learn.’

The guards, meanwhile, contacted the manager and explained the situation.

“Just watch and see. If our dear guest can’t handle Duke Crimson, I will intervene,” a feminine voice responded from the other side. The head guard nodded and waited calmly.

Serina and Shelly also took a seat, ordering a variety of dishes. Aiden, seeing this, nodded and placed his own order. The waiter respectfully took their orders and sent the details through his communication ring. Within a minute, several waiters entered, carrying the various dishes they had requested.

Reynold, watching them, felt something was off but regained his confidence when he remembered his father had just broken through to Spirit Saint. Glancing at them with disdain, he thought, ‘Enjoy your last meal while you can.’