Interlude: rcury, the rise of a rchant.
Gaia, private estate of the Riuslings clan.
rcury descended from the luxurious fiacre lent to him by his guild. A gust of wind made him stagger, and the elven coachman behind him had to prevent him from falling.
"Thanks. Without you, the fall would have been rough," rcury smiled, avoiding looking behind him. He had a slight vertigo, and the floating island he had just landed on was situated several hundred kiloters above the capital.
"Not as rough as the fine. Without a license, you have no right to fly or fall into the VIP airspace," the coachman replied as he climbed into the driver's seat. "A friend's widow had to sell their house after he committed suicide."
"...My condolences."
"Don't be sorry; she's sleeping in my bed now," the coachman laughed before whistling, urging the four pegasi to take off. Symbols of his guild, Olympus, the creatures soared, carrying the carriage. The enchanted taxi to stay stable and the legendary beasts were costly, but it was a sacrifice willingly made by his guild to maintain its status.
rcury doubted that the pegasi would impress his client of the day.
As his vehicle drifted into the air, he turned towards a monuntal portal forged from black tal. rcury had no idea about the alloy's nature, but its imperviousness to [Identification] demonstrated its value. Taking a deep breath, the rchant froze his face into a smiling mask and advanced.
The heavy gates opened slowly, revealing a sea hidden behind the walls enclosing the island. As he entered the property, rcury didn't hear the slightest runic crackle, proof of the quality of the rituals protecting the vast domain.
He stopped a few ters away, observing the path of fine sand that split the sea in two. The way was evident, but did he really have to walk kiloters alone? No one was waiting for him, except for a pair of nacing bronze and steel statues.
"Junior rchant rcury, I presu?" The voice belonged to the automaton that rcury had mistook for a statue. Three ters tall, the tal golem left its pedestal and approached with preternatural grace.
"That's ."
The automaton turned towards the sandy path and began to walk. rcury raised an eyebrow before following suit. The reception was strange but not necessarily evidence of disdain. Each faction had its own rules and customs, and rcury knew that draconic forces were particularly uninterested in all other species.
If they didn't devour you alive, it was already a mark of respect.
Three strides later, rcury left the sandy path, leaving behind a vast sea. The automaton must possess a space-manipulating enchantnt. A thin smile appeared on the rchant's face. The wonders of this world never ceased to amaze him.
Before him stood a mountain, transford into a mansion. A single peak existed, at the crossroads between natural terrain and a castle. The structure seed to have been carved from a single block of black marble with silver veins. Windows of various sizes, more or less hidden, were visible in the broken-angled rock.
Not a speck of dust desecrated the wonder, and ti seed to have no hold on the fortress. An enchantnt bestowed a halo of black light on the stone, completing the creation of a fantastic atmosphere. Black light?! Seeing the laws of physics so easily ignored, rcury understood that the builder had been a High Tier. Perhaps even one of the few Immortals of Sector Hope.
The automaton moved towards an arch covered in vines. A crack appeared, revealing an imposing double door.
The entrance led to a hall carved from bright white marble. In the center, a smiling young human awaited.
"Young Master Aarthash is waiting for you in his office. Please, follow ."
rcury followed her, remaining vigilant. The maid emitted high-frequency spiritual disturbances, revealing a soul baptized by High Tribulations. However, to his knowledge, no human had yet reached Tier 1. The servant had taken the appearance of a human, but for what purpose? To win him over? Or to prove that they knew humans well?
The Riuslings were one of the most powerful clans in the sector. Recently, they had invested in many human businesses. On Gaia, the giant continent where rcury had landed, over five million humans had appeared. A significant number were sponsored by major powers hoping to gain weight in the upcoming human Reunions.
The servant stopped in front of a stone wall that disappeared, revealing a cave with golden reflections.
"I will wait outside," the maid smiled.
rcury entered and almost jumped when the doors closed behind him. A telepathic invitation touched his soul, and he advanced, taking care to keep his eyes on his feet. Many treasures lay on the floor, and the draconic bloodline of the Riuslings was pure enough to arouse paranoia. It was undoubtedly a rumor spread by the clan itself to flatter their heritage, but rcury preferred not to take any risks.
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If Aarthash Riusling thought rcury coveted his treasures, he would kill him.
"Welco, Junior rchant rcury," a voice as powerful as it was majestic roared. "Raise your head. Unlike thieves, rchants steal without hiding."
rcury complied, smiling politely at the host's jest. His smile lasted only a fraction of a second, eclipsed by the admiration inspired by the drake standing before him. Aarthash might not deserve the title of Dragon, but he was nonetheless the most majestic creature rcury had ever seen. Four tallic wings covered a body adorned with precious scales. Powerful muscles protruded under his skin, and esoteric Concepts seed to manifest in his starry eyes.
"You look like an elf with no affinity for aether," Aarthash said, releasing rcury from the grip of his charisma. "Your civilization must exploit this resemblance."
"You are absolutely right, Young Master Aarthash," rcury replied, focusing on his posture. Legend had it that dragons appreciated politeness, and those who possessed their bloodline liked to imitate the originals. "It is thanks to this that I was accepted at Olympus."
rcury grimaced, realizing he had invoked the na of his guild. It could be seen as a feeble attempt to protect himself.
"No need to remind of where you co from, rcury. I didn't bring you here to eat you," reassured Aarthash, bursting into laughter.
A weight lifted from the rchant's shoulders. When he was summoned by the young master of the Riuslings, he had tried to guess why. Only two explanations had appeared.
So young mbers of the aristocracy in Sector Hope were known to devour mbers of new species introduced by the System in search of a useful racial Talent. It was more interesting to kill essential specins of a race than thousands of weak ones. If Aarthash had no intention of tasting his flesh, there was only one possibility...
"Do you know that our clan sponsors tens of thousands of humans?" the drake continued. "So have brought us interesting information. Priam Azura, your Champion, has just beco an Ace. Do you know him?"
The question was rhetorical; rcury wouldn't have been invited otherwise.
"I had the opportunity to do business with him," the rchant admitted.
"Tell more," ordered the drake. His aura and charisma rged, gently pressing rcury. His mouth opened, and he began to speak without hiding anything. In a few minutes, he summarized his interactions with Priam.
Aarthash nodded thoughtfully. "I believe I understand his character better... Too bad he's in Elysium; it makes him impossible to contact."
rcury remained silent. Both knew that contacting soone in Elysium was not difficult, but the consequences on the eve of a Universal War could be terrible.
Aarthash turned towards him. "Do you think he will resu facing the waves of the Colosseum before the next Reunion?"
rcury nodded. "It's likely. He has the ability to return to the Moon, and the rewards from the first Reunion are too useful to ignore."
"Good. Let it be announced that if Priam Azura, Champion of Humanity, reaches wave eighty, I will buy and release all willing humans under contract in Gaia. If he reaches wave ninety-five, I will send them to join your Front."
At these words, a light nova ford around Aarthash before exploding. His draconic bloodline was pure enough that he couldn't easily go back on his word.
rcury stood in stunned silence. Among the five million humans on Gaia, half had signed malicious contracts. Most were barely more than slaves. Freeing them was expensive, but nothing that could dent a Prince's fortune like Aarthash's. Apparently, Priam's new Title made him interesting in the eyes of the powerful.
The second promise was much more surprising. After the Tutorial, humanity had been dispersed across thousands of different worlds. Approximately one percent of humans, chosen from those who had passed a Tutorial other than easy, had ended up on a virgin planet: the Front.
To spice things up, the System had grouped humanity with other newly imported civilizations. Thus, humanity was not alone on the Front. One of these races would prevail at the end of the third Reunion. They would then have a stable headquarters, ensuring a safe place in this new universe.
Earth could eventually beco a second headquarters, but it was currently infested with monsters. The reconquest of their world would begin during the second Reunion, but rcury knew it would take ti.
The situation on the Front was disadvantageous for humanity. According to his informants, Protheus fought valiantly for the survival of their species, but the rival civilizations were terrifying. Three million new humans arriving with resources could change the ga.
But why help us so much? Sending so many humans to the Front before the third Reunion was incredibly expensive. For the sa price, Aarthash could have bought three billion Tier 0s.
"It's very generous of you," rcury thanked after regaining his composure.
"Rare are the relationships my money can buy," Aarthash replied simply. For the drake, it was obviously an investnt.
"Humans won't forget your kindness."
"It has nothing to do with humans," Aarthash replied. "Your species is interesting, but I especially want to forge a connection with a potential powerhouse. It's also a way to ensure he deserves his Title."
"Priam will make it," rcury assured.
Aarthash narrowed his starry eyes. "We shall see. My Tier 0 record was wave ninety-four. A record that has stood for millennia in our sector."
rcury widened his eyes. Aarthash Riusling was known to be an Ace and a rising star in Sector Hope. His draconic bloodline was incredibly pure for such a remote corner of the Universe of the Seven.
"What is the boss of wave ninety-five?" rcury asked.
The stars in Aarthash's eyes shone as he answered.
"The phantom image of an ancient Phoenix Prince."
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