Half a month went by since Beirut came by for a chat and Lily decided to begin her plan to improve technology. The promised blacksmith from the emperor has yet to arrive, which only made the five to disapprove of the emperor. Though, Towa still began to learn as Beirut fulfilled his promise and a demigod called Leon Luff comes by to teach.
Leon Luff, appeared as a woman in her early thirties with a warrior build. When she first appeared her midnight blacj hair and sparkling blue eyes captured everyone's attention. However, she seems to be stuffering as her name is male, and won’t change it as it one of the few links to her long since dead parents.
So, besides their time spent on training, Zaraf’s group was up and about either studying or traveling throughout the kingdom. Lily would bring Delia and sometimes Lyana, when Towa would begin to learn about blacksmithing. While Zaraf sometimes joined her and just watched or work around the house.
Before Lily goes out, she would, give Zaraf a list of what room either needs changed or rebuilt for more space. So, he spent his time building outside of sculpting or walks around the capital where he started at. When he walks down the street, the girls either attempted to flirt or stare at him like meat, while the males send death glares.
His green and red eyes with a mohawk and sculpted to near perfection body drew attention. He was nearly kidnapped by a few noble girls. Though the thought of sending a couple rank six guards him wasn't wise.
Sitting down for dinner table, the five were talking about their day plans.
“So, what is all your plans today?” Zaraf asked.
“Besides today training training, I was going to start looking at locations for the shop with Delia and Lyana. I gathered enough information currently to understand where and how to begin.” Lily explained three of the four girls.
“Leon is coming by in the afternoon for my lessons,” Towa said.
“What your plan, Zaraf,” Delia asked him.
“I don’t really know, maybe watch Towa lesson or take a walk around the capital.” He replied not really sure.
“Oh, since you don’t have a plan today, remodel the third floor into a studio for fashion and clothes creation.” Lily smiled.
“Well, ok than I am remodeling the house...again.” Zaraf shrugged.
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A few months passed with Towa finishing her lessons with Leon who drops by once in a while. Delia and Lyana store turned into one of the most popular stores in the capital that they decided to branch out into nearby cities. So they currently have three stores in and around the capitol in the O’Brien Empire.
The was done, by the artifacts, tools, jewelry, clothing, and fresh food all in one shop. Need a food for dinner, and a plow for your fields, Five Dragons got what you need in one stop. Why did it was called Five Dragon, they weren’t really sure. It came out like a tyrant dominating the area they were located.
It also helped their prices were reasonable and didn’t fluctuate on a whim of the seller. So, even of the poorer shopped there often as they could afford to eat more for the same price. As for the women section of clothing, well that exploded expressially the night clothes. Delia and Lyana had trouble keeping up began hiring rapidly hoping to keep up. Though the two still kept up with their training.
Towa luckily could train and forge at the same time, which improved her cultivation and closer to saint rank. She has had to hire some assistants to help out forging or assembling some of their bigger products. On the side though she was working on an auto hammer to help speed up the forging.
As for Zaraf, he was either sculpting, or helping where he was needed. Which was behind the counter taking the money and making sure no one stole anything. Somehow Delia and Lyna projected grew into a full time thing. They haven’t had a day off in a month and winter came so they couldn’t even enjoy their pool.
Inside the bed room, moans of pleasure left the closed door.
“Zar, explain again why what was supposed to be a small time shop turned into a big thing.” Lily moaned as he gave her a back massage. “Ah, that the spot.”
“You wanted to move along the stagnated technology, and it became popular. In a couple years we might have stores all across the continent. I hope we have others running the business or building the products by than.” Zaraf said as he continued giving her a massage.
“Who knows, the Dawson Conglomerate might be interested and we could sell it to them when we grow bored.” Lily moaned out.
After he finished giving her a massaged and left the room, they found Delia and Towa blushing and refusing to look him in the eye. When Lily came out practically glowing as she feel better and relaxed both of them stumbled with nose bleeds.
“What is wrong with you two?” Zaraf asked.
“Oh, they are letting their imagination get to them.” Lily said. “So do you two want a turn?”
Both of them turned red from head to toe before they went into a dreamy state and fainted.
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Months began to pass, with the name of Five Dragons continued to grow, throughout the continent. From training, to running a business, and taking care of the assassins business rivals send. Zaraf, Lily, Towa, and Delia either at nearly the peak of rank nine or nearly there as building the formation out of rank nine cores increase their speed of training. Lyana recently broke into the rank nine.
“So, what rank do you think the next assassin going to be?” Lily asked as Towa burned the latest attempted to ash.
“No idea, the latest on was rank eight warrior and could on average rank nine.” Delia said as she cleaned her blade.
“He did go on about the Holy Union or the Church, so it might not be a business competitor.” Towa said.
“Than why send an assassin to us? We haven’t done anything to them beside ignore their existent.” Zaraf frowned.
“Don’t know, though there are rumors they been kidnapping or escorting those they deem as talented. There news that Linley is a rising star on the continent due to being a grandmaster sculptor, dual elemental magus, and warrior.” Lyana coldly stated as she threw out Linley name. No one in the group really knew why she hated him.
“Interesting, kind of disheartening that I don’t have the title of grandmaster sculpting title.” Zaraf said.
“I believe yours is the God of Sculpting or something like that, since your masterpieces are leagues above theirs.” Lily answered making him shake his head at that.
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“That weird but ok,” Zaraf shrugged.
“The next assassin, we should just capture so we can know who is sending them. Not just assuming it the Church as we currently lack the strength to destroy the entire church.” Towa said bring the topic back on track.
“Agreed,” they all said.
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Laying by himself in bed, Zaraf entered his Genetic playfield which he hasn’t done for a few years. Not that he hasn’t thought of it, but he didn’t have anything to add to his genetic code or change. Even the genetic limiter were available as breaking through the ranks removed them for him.
From time to time though he planned to add different abilities, but would usually stop. At one point he thought it would be interesting to breath fire, excepted the physical change could kill him. His throat would need to be changed so it does burn he breathes fire.
There was a large snake that could petrify it pray and he thought about copying it. Only have reptile yellow eyes removed that option as Lily would hurt him if his eyes changed. So that left that one out.
So, what could he do with his gift, which he barely touched. The answer hit him, as he could experiment with the assassins that they can capture from now on. They are doomed to die, so what a few mutations going to do to them. The thought occupied his thoughts until he arrived in front of the red barrier.
So only on more before Alpha stage. He thought as thinking if he should break it or not.
I will break it if I don’t in the next few months. Zaraf thought leaving the space.
“What to do now,” Zaraf thought leaving the bed.
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Time flowed by like the river, and Zaraf smiled as he felt a change in himself as he broke into the Saint realm as a magus. The day they named his and Lily’s birthday he became a saint rank magus. Which was followed in the months that followed by Lily, Towa, and Delia. Lyana on the other hand was one step away and said she will break through in the next few months.
There wasn’t an announcement or news of their breakthrough, so to everyone who knew them thought they were either rank eight or nine. Only Beirut knew and didn’t explained how he knew which annoyed Zaraf as he didn’t like unknown people watching them.
Their empire of the market continued to grow as more and more learned and bought them. If you didn’t know of the Five Dragons. Others will laugh, as even saints or higher in seclusion for hundreds of years was learning about them. So, Lily plans for technology began moving the stagnated world forward bring her much glee.
As for the assassins, they simply vanished as if they learned the intent of the group. So, Zaraf test subjects didn’t come. Which annoyed him to no end but couldn’t do much about it. After all, he wasn’t going to get in the habit of kidnapping.
“Well, I’m bored and there not much resistices in moving the world forward.” Lily said as business ran smoothly.
Which was true as even the Dawson Conglomerate took caution when dealing with them. It has more to do with the possibility of them using their resources and focusing on weapons. They could probably conqueror the continent as long as they stay away from certain areas.
“We could block the sales to the Radiate Church as they are getting more courage in their kidnapping. That should spark a battle between us and them.” Zaraf replied simply as most factions bought from them.
“Yeah, I recently got a bit of information from a man who betrayed the higher ups. They have something they called Angels, which they get when they sacrifice pure souls.” Delia said looking over the financial from their business.
“We might as well take out their financial support as well.” Lyana coldly said.
“They probably going to send saint ranks to destroy us.” Towa said, before Zaraf and Lily laughed.
“And it will be a grand battle, as they fall one by one.” Zaraf said with a twinkle in his eye.
The girls just rolled their eyes at him, as they weren’t really worried about it.
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So what was decided on a whim became a reality as Five Dragon attacked and banned the Radiate Church and anyone supporting it. They began attacking most of the church supplies and income making the Church massive financial side crash. News spread and all the small time rumors exploded, such as kidnapping, enslavement and more dominated the continent.
It got the point if a death was couldn’t be solved or explained it was the church's fault. The sad thing was that most of the rumors were already there, but it didn't stop Lily or anyone to make more.
The other rumor was that Grandmaster Linley was revealing a masterpiece in the coming months. Zaraf had thoughts of going to check it out, but gave it up as he rather play in the pool with Lily and the girls. The thought of looking at another sculpture didn’t really compare since he was mostly disappointed in this universe standards.
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Life for the Radiate Church came crashing down for King Clayde and his son Shaq. With large amounts of money and resources to cover his selfish deeds. Clayde was having a miserable time as all the male wives he sleep with most of the time by force was speaking out. His reputation was destroyed and hundreds are out for his blood since his resources and guards are gone.
Lucky for him or not he was ranked nine warrior and most after him was around rank five on the most part. So, he was safe for frontal assaults for the most part as he can easily handle them. Only his overconfident over the years allowed him to skip over checking his drinks or food.
Poison, forcefully suppressing his cultivation down to rank seven and weakened. Unlucky for him a mob of rank seven and lower gathered ready to tear him apart.
“Why is this happening to me,” Clayde mumbled as the mob surrounded his mansion.
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Inside his domain, Beirut was reading a report of his young friends and semi students. Their way of battling against a large group of enemies was interesting. He long knew of the Raditate Church and Holy Union crimes. However, he knew someone would destroy them, but they would use brute force.
“Clever, it has been a long time since this tactic been used. Most just follow might equal right.” He praised them before moving onto other reports.
“I wonder if they would be interested in Necropolis of the Gods in a couple decades.” Beirut hummed.
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In her study, Delia was looking over reports of her business with Lily and Lyana to speed the paper work along. Stumbling across a letter, a letter from her brother she quickly read over it and frowned.
“What is it?” Lily asked.
“The Debs clan in the Holy Union hurt my brother friend Linley. It seems they became friends after we left. Anyways the heir took Linley girl called Alice after Liney and her been dating for a while. Something about showing off money and prestige.” Delia frowned at that as she never really like these that take the easy way to fame or wealth.
“What is he asking?” Lily also frowned. “We aren’t going to help them play who better game. Besides, if a girl does it for money or fame, they aren’t worth befriending or knowing.”
“No, he asking to suppress the Debs clan and pressure them. It says the Dawson Conglomerate are already doing it.” Delia explained.
“Do it, they are a useless clan as I believe the heir attempted to stalk us at some point.” Lyana coldly stated before moving on.
“Very well.” Delia shrugged, not really caring.
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In the Holy Union, the Debs clan was having a bout of bad luck and they don’t know how it started. Out of nowhere as far as any of them are concerned, the Dawson Conglomerate cut ties and began pressuring them. Now the Five Dragon joined turning them from one of the wealthy families to the poorest in the surrounding areas.
Citizen refused to buy from their shops, or even to give them respect anymore. Even than they don’t know when or why it was happening. So gathering for a family meeting, they gathered trying to solve the issue.
“So, can anyone tell me how or why this is happening.” Bernard the head of the clan asked.
“We don’t know as none of our smuggling operations were caught , or known in recent years.” the head of operations replied.
“Kalen, do you have something to add,” Bernard asked his nervous son.
“It might because I sort of took Alice from Linley who friends which one is the Heir to the Dawson Conglomerate, and one is the brother of one of the owners and founder of Five Dragons.” Kalen replied as he looked at the paper in front of him.
A deathly chill filled the room, as death glares were flung to him. Even his father didn’t spare him as he single handed ruined the family business. Even if they killed him it would solve nothing and their reputation is ruined anyways.
“Well. at least we know we are screwed by my son actions.” Bernard said.
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