A few days after Arthur started his seclusion, the Joker appeared in a breath-taking courtyard with no soul in it. It was calm and refreshing, moreover, the energy in that area was so pure and thick which made it the perfect cultivating ground for any person.

This place was situated in the Divine Planet, possibly the most planet in the Cloud Sea Universe.

Just as he landed on the ground, a cold and irritated voice rang in his ears

"You always barge in whenever you like, at least have some decency!"

The voice seemed to reprimand him but the Joker shrugged his shoulders and excitedly said

"You won't believe what I saw and who I encountered!"

Unfortunately, this seemed to be the normal routine for the hidden person as she sighed and replied

"That's what you always say when you come here. I'm in a critical period and I need some time alone to breakthrough."

Despite being flatly kicked out by the mysterious lady, the Joker laughed out loud and added:

"Are you sure you don't want to know?"

This time, he was met with no answer as if she started ignoring him but after a few seconds passed, that didn't seem to be the case.

"... You have the smell of an unfamiliar white specter."

The strange man grinned evilly and stated

"My my, didn't you say you want some time alone? I guess I'll have to go since 'someone' is busy breaking through."

He acted as if he was going to leave and just when his figure started turning blurry, dangerous white flames enveloped him thus negating his teleportation. Though these flames have a strange color, their power is by no means weak. In fact, any other person would disintegrate into nothingness if they were hit by this white fire.

"Speak."

A tall woman appeared some distance away from him. With long silver hair and sky-blue pupils, she resembled a human but by no means was she one. Her beauty was impeccable and her demeanor was usually cold and indifferent but this time, she was curious after noticing the smell of a white specter that didn't belong to her clan.

"Hahahaha you think by looking scary you're going to force me to talk? Don't forget who taught you how to fight."

Seeing act like this after igniting her curiosity, the woman snorted and turned around. It's either he's tricking her as it's part of his nature or he's not willing to divulge the truth.

"Come on! Don't be such a brat. Come here, let's have some of your special tea while I spit the beans."

Although she was a bit unwilling, she clicked her tongue and went to sit next to him while taking a teapot out of nowhere.

'Tsk! Does he know how expensive the leaves are?'

The two spent around ten minutes enjoying the tea, none of them spoke as silence was the best atmosphere for such a tea.

"So... what do you want to know?"

"Weren't you the one who wanted to tell me what you saw and who you met?"

The Joker acted as if he forgot what he said and nodded his head continuously

"Ah! Yes yes, that's right! Many things happened, amazing things I might say but I'll only tell you one thing."

"..."

The woman glared at him coldly but said nothing, expecting him to continue. He glanced at her and chuckled as he saw her reaction.

"I did indeed meet a white specter. A woman, to be precise. She has talent greater than yours and has inherited your hair."

Just as he muttered those words, an expression of disbelief appeared on the woman's face. She quickly became angry and yelled

"You.... if this is one of your tricks then I'll..."

"What? Do you think I'm lying? Aren't you the one who smelled her in the first place?"

The woman took a few seconds to calm her heart then added:

"What's her name?"

"Lucy."

"What about her last name?"

"That, I cannot say."

'Slap'

Just as he refused to answer her, he received a loud slap on his face but he didn't seem affected and just stabilized his body before gazing back at the frustrated woman whose feelings were in total disarray

"You know how much I looked for her yet now you're refusing to let me find her! Why!?"

"Simple, she doesn't want to meet you. Furthermore, what would you do now that she's married and even has a kid?"

His words were like bombs that fell on her, each surprising her more than the last.

"... w-what?"

"You heard it right. She doesn't need you and she's happy with her life. You, interfering with her life would ruin everything, especially since you'll definitely not like her husband, who has no special background."

The more he talked, the angrier the woman became. She didn't show it on her face, who almost remained emotionless after the initial disbelief, but her slightly shaking body was the proof of her rage.

"You're going to tell me where sh-"

Before she could finish, the Joker flicked her forehead thus knocking her unconscious.

"I am sorry but I cannot do that.... and it's your fault for losing her so why should I lend a hand?"

*****************

When she returned to Earth, Lucy went to check on Saly and played with her for the rest of the day and when the little girl obediently went to sleep. She and Astrith started looking for Gutcha, who wasn't that easy to find. Even Delia was forced to help them but even after spending the whole night searching everywhere on Earth, the trio found no signs of the Pigolo.

This worried Lucy as she knew Arthur specifically needed Gutcha for a very important task but the issue laid in the pigolo's disappearance.

With his abilities, he cannot leave Earth alone, moreover, there is nothing around the planet except dark matter and countless rubbles so it's pointless to head there.

After spending two whole days searching, the trio gave up and decided to let Arthur do it since he has much more efficient tracking skills.

Delia went back to seclusion and Astrith returned to Saly's side. As for Lucy, she used the device her husband gave her to return to Astria.

She found out that he's still inside the cave and even locked all entrances so she waited for him. In the meantime, she got to spend time with Mary, Sonia, and Anastassia, who is busier than ever, preparing for her wedding.

Jackob was bursting with happiness as he went around boasting about his marriage and his wife, who was described(by him) as beautiful, strong, etc...

Lucy noticed that Arthur wasn't cultivating but doing something else. Moreover, thanks to her soul bind, she gained 80% of his stats but in the last few days, she lost more than 20% of her overall stats without knowing why but it certainly had to do with Arthur.

Finally, after spending five days inside that cave, Arthur appeared though he looked mentally tired and physically exhausted. Lucy was the first one to welcome him, just in front of the cave and what she saw inside really made her puzzled.

There were two large and rectangular boxes, one was jet black and the other was pure white. They didn't emit any energy and the material they were made of remains unknown.

The first thing Arthur did was give a big hug to Lucy and go with her to their bedroom so he can sleep for a bit as he exhausted all his Mental Power and even lost a portion of his stats, however, the results were more than satisfactory and his goal was achieved.

The only thing left to do is to send Gutcha away and he'll feel relieved.