Chapter 31: Goldtooth and the Grand Cathedral
After seeing Evelyn off, Ryan nudged Molly gently, encouraging her to enjoy the dishes on the table. Meanwhile, he mentally rehearsed the words he was about to say.
Truthfully, Ryan didn’t harbor much personal resentment toward the company that had swallowed up his family’s business. In the financial world, it was just a matter of big fish eating smaller ones. It just so happened that this time, his own family had been devoured.
Besides, Evelyn had nothing to do with the acquisition itself—she was merely the daughter of one of their major clients.
In fact, when the company realized the hardship the family was going through, they ended up waiving a significant portion of the debt. Of course, that gesture had mostly come about thanks to Evelyn, who had pleaded with her father on their behalf.
Even so, it was still that very company that had destroyed their livelihood and left their family in ruins. Mia knew that Evelyn wasn’t to blame, but she couldn’t bring herself to accept it. In this regard, Mia was even more stubborn than her younger sister, Molly.
Ryan suspected it was Victor Hanley’s influence that fueled Mia’s lingering resentment. But whatever the reason, he had no way of easing the turmoil in her heart. All he could do was work harder, earn more, and try to improve their lives one step at a time.
Mia hadn’t been able to sleep at all after everything that happened. Clinging to Ryan’s arm, she pestered him to help her level up in the game.
Ryan chuckled, lightly tapping her on the nose. "Alright, alright. I’ll help you grind," he said.
He was almost at Level 10 himself, and once he reached it, he’d unlock a flood of new abilities. Power-leveling a little mage like Mia would be a breeze after that.
Level 10 was a turning point. Players could learn a wide range of new skills from their class trainers. For Paladins especially, this was when the class started to split into three specialized paths. Even without completing the class specialization quest, the base abilities unlocked at Level 10 were substantial.
After logging in, Ryan immediately sent Mia off to continue the main questline in Goldmine Town. He took the chance to finish grinding the last bit of experience he needed to level up.