He Became A Monstrous Genius After Obtaining A Time Dilation Artifact-Chapter 431. The slums

Slum District B.

Atlantis.

"This is the district I grew up in."

Anaya said as their gazes swept across the open regions of the slum district, full of chatter, the loud communication between various sea race people and other races, and the constant whizzing past of low-class vehicles through the narrow streets.

The air was noisy and crowded, filled with voices, movement, and the smell of saltwater mixed with waste.

Everyone couldn’t help but think that Anaya had experienced a very difficult childhood just from glancing at this place.

"The slums of Atlantis are quite run down," she added.

Everyone listened to her quietly as they continued observing the district.

Compared to the opulent and dazzling metropolis where the large clans resided, this place was completely run down, and the difference between the two regions was unimaginable and far too contrasting.

"Growing up in a low-class family without any resources for cultivation was not easy. I had to make use of any little amount of available resources I got judiciously.

"Fortunately, an instructor from the Atlantis Academy of Geniuses saw my potential and recommended that I take the entrance exams for the Astral Empire Academy, and the rest is history, and here we are.

"Anyway, enough about myself. Let’s pass through."

"Yeah, let’s hurry up and pass through. The villa they are now living in is the talk of this district lately."

As the group passed through the district, still in their camouflaged forms as a result of the elixirs Kailen made them take earlier, they quickly noticed that things here were very bad.

Robberies were occurring openly.

People were living in alleyways, scraping for food.

In fact, they even noticed one individual quietly dragging a dead body into an alleyway with a gleeful expression on their face, as the fellow began searching through the pockets of the dead body for anything it may have been possessing.

"Seriously. Even Atlantis, the so-called peaceful, hospitable, and accommodating part of the Astral Empire, is still like this?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Charles couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.

In fact, they kept seeing similar and even worse scenes in the alleyways wherever they passed.

"Peace necessarily isn’t the absence of these kinds of vices, in my opinion," Zarek added. "The absence of open political wars, anarchy at a level that disrupts the functioning of the realm, is what constitutes peace."

"I suppose you have a point."

"Truer words have never been spoken."

The group agreed with Zarek’s reasoning.

Even Charles realized his thoughts had been naïve.

He had missed the point.

He was expecting Atlantis to be all goody-two-shoes, like some sort of paradise, because Atlantis was well known for its serene environment.

This was why he was surprised when he saw the vices in the alleyways and the slums.

But in a world where strength was law and weakness was a sin, peace was exactly what Zarek had just described.

Kailen nodded calmly at Zarek’s words.

Zarek was extremely pragmatic concerning these kinds of things, and Zarek was right.

Apart from the dog-eat-dog principle of the universe, Kailen didn’t really blame those who were killing others for food in the slums, or fighting with one another for resources in the alleyways.

Did they have a choice?

Even if they did, everyone had their own code of survival, right?

People decided what they wanted to do and had to live with the consequences of their actions.

Of course, as long as someone’s code of survival didn’t threaten him or those he cared about in any way, or rub him off the wrong way, why would he care?

"We are here."

Anaya’s words brought Kailen out of his thoughts.

Far off in the distance stood an extremely ginormous and beautiful villa perched atop a mountain.

Water bubbles drifted past them as they moved toward the villa, the path leading upward clean and well maintained.

Whispers and chatter followed them from the district below, conversations revolving around the people living in the villa — Anaya’s family.

"I really envy the Robertsons. They have gone from poverty to overnight riches because of Kailen Darkhaven and their future son-in-law, and their genius daughter’s decision to ally with these men."

"What do you mean?"

"Sigh. Everyone in Atlantis knows this. Pay attention to the news.

"After the Revearson clan mysteriously decided to come to their aid, bought them a villa, and gave them an extremely comfortable life, that was not the end.

"Kailen Darkhaven cemented his ruthlessness and strength with his feats during and after the society wars of the Astral Empire Academy, and since then, their prestige has automatically soared.

"Some clans have decided to pay occasional visits to them to ask for the hand in marriage of their youngest daughter in order to get close to Kailen Darkhaven. However, the Robertsons have respectfully declined their advances.

"I heard that the young master of the Pandora Clan is currently there today to ask for the hand in marriage of their youngest daughter. There are rumors that this is the fifth time he has visited them, despite their rejections."

When Anaya and the others heard this, they couldn’t help but grow extremely angry.

Was this bastard trying to harass Anaya’s little sister?

Did he see her as some sort of commodity he could marry to get close to Kailen?

Anaya, for instance, was so pissed off that the water in the immediate vicinity spiraled around her figure, forming a water tornado that began circling her.

Everyone could feel the power radiating from the water around her.

It was purer, sharper, and more lethal than before.

This was definitely an effect of the enlightenment fragment she had merged with.

Lian Yu realized he had to tell her to calm down.

They would handle the situation once they entered the Robertson villa.

There was no need for her emotions to spiral out of control, even though her reaction was completely understandable.

Lian Yu held her hand.

"Calm down, babe. We will deal with this when we get there."

Anaya slowly calmed down at Lian Yu’s words, though her anger still simmered beneath the surface.

The moment they approached the gates of the villa, Arnold simply released the aura of a rank-1 beginner-stage galactic-level lifeform.

The pressure alone was enough to make the guards respectfully open the gates without hesitation.

In their camouflaged forms, the group moved forward, traversing beautifully arranged gardens and clear ponds as they headed toward the doors that led into the villa.