Chapter 153 | Rewards!!!
Admiring his work for a few more minutes, Dexter smiled in satisfaction, walked inside and headed straight for the kitchen.
Dinner had already been prepared earlier that afternoon while he was making the pepper soup for Lyra and Selene, he had simultaneously assembled a separate meal of braised vegetables and steamed rice with a side of pan-seared chicken.
The food had been kept warm in the Type-II Spirit Cooking Pot, which maintained temperature perfectly without overcooking.
He ladled the food into four bowls, set them on the table, and called the girls.
It was silent but the sound of the TV from the living room could be heard all the way to the dining table.
The braised vegetables were perfectly seasoned, the chicken seared with a crisp, golden skin that gave way to tender, juicy meat.
---
After dinner, he washed the dishes, dried his hands, and walked into the living room.
Mira was sitting in her wheelchair by the window which was now her usual spot.
Her complexion had improved somewhat since the afternoon. But there was still lingering pink along her cheekbones and the tips of her ears.
Dexter stopped behind her wheelchair and reached for the brakes.
"Come on," he said. "Time for your evening massage."
"Not today."
Dexter paused, his hands hovering over the brake levers.
He looked at her and saw her eyes were fixed firmly on the window.
Although he wouldn’t claim to know Mira deeply but he had learned to read her over the past few weeks.
He could tell when her refusals were performative, when she pushed back simply because of her pride and when she was truly serious.
This time, she was serious.
He removed his hands from the wheelchair.
"Alright," he said slowly. Then, after a second, his brow furrowed with concern. "Is it the fever? Are you feeling worse? I can make more soup if you—"
Mira’s head snapped toward him and her crimson eyes unexpectedly widened as her brows furrowed in confusion
’Fever? Soup?’
It took her a full two seconds to connect the dots.
’He truly has no idea... This idiot.’
Mira stared at him incredulously for a moment. Then she exhaled slowly and shook her head.
"No need. I’ll be alright by tomorrow."
She spoke calmly but the pink on her ears darkened even further.
Dexter studied her face carefully. Her complexion did look better than it had a few hours ago.
She was probably right, whatever had caused it seemed to be passing.
"Alright," he conceded. "But if you haven’t improved by tomorrow, I’ll call a doctor to come look at you."
Mira’s eyes narrowed. "There’s no need to go that far."
"It could be something serious, Mira. If—"
"Im fine is." She said in a sharp tone then turned her head as she said in a soft tone.. "I just need to be alone for a while."
Dexter blinked as he frowned at her. ’This is new...’
He could tell she was angry and yet she was trying to be. He shook his head and scoffed. "You’re really bipolar you know that."
Mira rolled her eyes and refused to answer his obvious attempt at ragebaiting.
Seeing her not taking the bait, Dexter shrugged and left for his room.
---
Cultivating on his bed, Dexter gave up trying to decode the labyrinth of Mira’s emotions, and closed his eyes.
He had barely entered a meditative state when—
Ding!
Dexter’s eyes snapped open.
Golden text materialized in the air before him.
---
[10,000x Investment System Activated]
[Calculating cumulative investments...]
[Multiplier: 100x]
---
[Investment 1: Purchased snacks and junk food for Lyra Vance.]
[Return: 100 Grade-2 Assorted Snacks — Varieties include mana soaked chips, chocolate wafers, honey-roasted mana nuts, dried celestial fruit strips, and assorted confectioneries. All items possess mild restorative properties and are safe for daily consumption.]
---
[Investment 2: Purchased massage oil and massaging equipment for Mira Calloway.]
[Return: Grade-4 Spiritual Massage Oil — A refined medicinal oil that penetrates deep into muscle tissue, repairs micro-tears in connective tissue, and soothes nerve endings. Regular application accelerates long-term nerve regeneration by 15%.]
[Return: Type-3 Shockwave Gloves — Can release shockwave attacks from the palms]
---
[Investment 3: Performed 36 Styles Massage Technique on Mira Calloway, stimulating dormant nerve pathways and channeling mana into damaged tissue.]
[Return: Technique Evolution — 36 Styles Massage Technique (Tier 2) → 108 Heavenly Massage Sutra Technique (Tier 5)]
[108 Heavenly Massage Sutra (Tier 5)]
Description: A legendary body-refining massage art passed down from ancient medical cultivators. The sutra contains 108 distinct techniques, each targeting a different aspect of the physical body — muscle, bone, nerve, meridian, organ, blood vessel, and even the soul-anchoring points along the spine.
Effects when performed on others:
- Accelerates healing of damaged tissue by 400%
- Stimulates dormant nerve pathways
- Improves blood circulation dramatically
- Releases accumulated tension in deep muscle tissue
- Strengthens the connection between mind and body
- Can gradually repair minor meridian damage with repeated sessions
- Induces a state of deep physical and mental relaxation.
---
[Investment 4: Taught Mira Calloway new physical awareness through therapeutic bodywork.]
[Return: Grade-3 Contraceptive Capsule ×5]
[Grade-3 Contraceptive Capsule]
Appearance: A small, translucent capsule containing two pills — one red, one blue.
Effects:
- Red Pill: Consuming the red pill renders the user completely infertile for one full year. No pregnancy can occur regardless of circumstances. The effect is immediate and cannot be overridden by other medications or abilities.
- Blue Pill: Consuming the blue pill immediately cancels the red pill’s effect, restoring full fertility within 24 hours.
Note: Both pills are painless, have zero side effects, and do not interfere with mana circulation or cultivation.
---
[Investment 5: Purchased paint and renovation materials for the household.]
[Return: Type-3 Invisible Paint — A specialized paint infused with light-bending mana particles. When applied to any surface — including skin, clothing, weapons, or structures — it renders the coated object completely invisible to the naked eye and most mana-detection methods for up to 8 hours. Washes off completely with warm water.]
---
[Investment 6: Repaired and renovated the bungalow for the safety and comfort of your wives.]
[Return: Property Deed — Bungalow and Land Title]
[Property Deed — Bungalow and Land Title]
Description: A legally binding document transferring full and unconditional ownership of the residential property and all associated land to Dexter Ashford. This deed is recognized by all municipal, regional, and national authorities. No other individual, family, or organization holds any claim, lien, or interest in the property.
[A/N: I want to thank every single one of you for your support so far... WE WON!!!]
[Although we took third place. We still WON!!!]
[You guys are soooo freaking amazing!!!]
[A six month long competition. We only entered three weeks ago and we actually still won competition despite everything... If it wasn’t for you guys honestly, it wouldn’t have been possible at all.]
[I just want to appreciate every single one of you. Would love to list everyone here but it’s a long list... 🙃 hehe.]
[You guys are awesome. If anyone says otherwise, they’re pure, undiluted fools who needs glasses. (It wouldn’t help anyways) Haha. I’m ranting again. THANK YOU ALL!!! ❤️🔥🫂]
[Don’t worry, this isn’t a filler text lol, just 4 words left to become filler lol. THANKS GUYS, yall the best fr]