Ray picked up the weird rock. This had to be the treasure they were supposed to retrieve from the dungeon. It didn’t look like much, admittedly. Just a very thin, pointed rock that oddly resembled a paintbrush. He supposed that made sense, considering the dungeon they had just cleared.
No notification about clearing the dungeon itself yet, though. Ray figured that would come later once they were actually outside the dungeon. That was what had happened the last time.
Regardless, Primordial Gauge was actually indicating that the item he held was interacting with Mana. Ray wasted no time taking a peek at what it was, especially considering that he hadn’t bothered to properly evaluate what his first treasure was. He seriously needed to check its description before the auction.
[Primordial Gauge]
Primordial Gauge indicates there is an item nearby interacting with Mana.
* Carver of the Ancients: Painting implement fashioned by the ancients who populated the floating range of Pyre Rock. Possesses the keen edge needed to carve even stone. Used to inscribe the will of its master into a specific subject.
Ray was a smidge delighted to see the name of the item. He had a perk titled similarly, so he figured it might have had something to do with his abilities.
Unfortunately, the description didn’t state anything like that. Although, what it did say was still quite interesting. Inscribing one’s will… He wondered if that was applicable to him somehow. At the moment, he couldn’t think of any particular uses for himself. But he still saw the immense value it could provide.
“Ugh.” Gritty was back, groggily getting to her feet. “No way. Did that thing really make me pass out?”
“Welcome back,” Ray said. “You ought to thank Marcus for even being back this quickly.”
Gritty looked a little surprised, though more at the fact that she had fallen unconscious than that Marcus had healed her.
She rounded on their companion. “Thanks, knight guy. I owe you one.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Marcus said.
“If you ever need anything, like a blood transfusion or something, you know who to call.”
Marcus started sweating a little. “Please don’t sweat it.”
He sounded more like he was talking to himself that time.
They decided to get out of the dungeon and actually finish the challenge. Ray told the others the treasure’s description, which got them thinking about its potential applications.
Honestly, all he could think about was how it could further the Sylvans’ agenda of getting the Fleshcrafter to take over the Tower of Forging. Even if it alone appeared rather innocuous, could it combine with some other treasure to perform a more nefarious function? He supposed they could already inscribe rather malignant intents. Turning things fleshy would be a lot easier.
“Strange,” Gritty said. “Leaving the dungeon didn’t feel that easy the last time.”
She was so right. They’d had to dash out of the last dungeon as quickly as they could while being chased by a horde of competitors. Compared to that, this felt almost cozy. Eerily so.
“We’ve got to be careful at the auction,” Marcus said. “Can’t just go in there without knowing what we’re selling and what we’re buying.”
He was unconsciously rubbing his stump with his good hand. It made Ray frown a bit. As much as he wanted to keep a careful watch on their funds, especially where Marcus was involved, he wasn’t going to hold anything back when it came to Marcus’s disability.
Poor guy had literally sacrificed his hand for the team. The least Ray could do was help him get whatever he needed to alleviate his distress.
It was pretty admirable the way Marcus had carried himself despite such a debilitating injury. There had to be so many little ways that he was inconvenienced, all of which were invisible to Ray and anyone else looking on from the outside. Some things you couldn’t fully grasp without experiencing it first-hand.
They arrived at the end of the dungeon before long. In a morbidly funny way, they were also the only people emerging from the dungeon.
[Dungeon Cleared—Records of the Ancients]
Rewards
* 10 True Mana shards
* 5 Origin Mana shards
* 1 True Mana Tier Point
* 1 Origin Mana Tier Point
* 2 True Mana Skill Points
* 1 Moulding Clay
* +5,000 Essence
* Reputation: +25 Cooperative
Essence to Level 50: 121,160/221,200
[Reputation Threshold Crossed]
For reaching the 100-point threshold, your cooperation now boosts all your stats by 20 when in a party or Faction.
Cooperation to next Threshold: 110/250
With the new points, Ray raised Lifeblood Graveyard, Goliath Eater, Vengeful Plunder, and Core Deconstruction up by a Tier. He’d need them in later fights, he was sure.
The Moulding Clay turned out to be pretty much Mimic Mana but for any specific item. Ray could essentially replicate the effects of anything. It made him wonder if he could create a fake treasure, but the description stated it was a one-time use thing, so that limited that line of thought.
Ray had to wonder what had happened to the third Sylvan he hadn’t managed to ensnare and kill. He hadn’t even bothered to ambush them anywhere within the dungeon. Though, that was obvious. He’d have been outnumbered easily, then killed, even if he managed to get one of them.
Once outside, the tournament officials accosted Ray’s team, confirmed they possessed the treasure, then announced them as the victors.
Marcus grinned triumphantly, while Gritty slightly fist-bumped Ray’s shoulder. Ray himself smiled in satisfaction too. While it hadn’t been as difficult as their first foray, the win and the treasure would boost their prospects at the auction.
Sridayne: Be careful. As winners of two dungeons, you are now on the eyes of many onlookers.
Ray frowned. He had been about to reply, wondering why she had sent a message through the System chat instead of talking to them directly. She was on the island, after all.
But the reason became apparent in the next second.
A group of Sylvans approached the victors with calculating looks. Ray recognized them. Sridayne had pointed them out as a group affiliated with the Lord of the Third Floor.
“Bastards,” Gritty muttered under breath.
Ray felt the same, honestly. These people no doubt had some connection with the trio of Sylvans who had registered and entered the tournament just to kill Ray and his friends.
“Greetings,” one of the Sylvans said. He was a large fellow, rich and rotund. The tips of his horns gleamed with polished silver caps. “And congratulations on your victory. You did magnificently.”
Another Sylvan nodded in seemingly exuberant agreement. “Yes, yes! Very well done. Not only how you handled the various guardians, but also your fellow competitors. Fantastic.”
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It was worth noting that they weren’t fazed at all by the deaths of the other competitors. Not even slightly regretting the fact that members of their own race had been killed by Ray’s team. Said a lot.
When neither Ray nor his teammates said anything in reply, the first Sylvan to speak continued.
“It is excellent that you have acquired the treasure,” he said, eyeing the rock in Ray’s possession with an avaricious gleam. “I assume you are wondering as to its true value?”
Ray was about to answer with the affirmative, though he was starting to get the sense that the Sylvans were looking to get the treasure off his hands. But before he could speak, Marcus butted in first.
“We’re not allowed to sell the treasure outside of an auction,” Marcus said. “No can do, bub. If that’s what you want, I suggest you sod off and wait till it’s time.”
Undeterred by Marcus’s rather aggressive refusal to consider their proposal, the Sylvan went on. “You are working under an assumption, Denizen. We are merely discussing the treasure. Would you not wish to know its true worth before you head into the auction?”
“Not if it depends on us forming some pre-emptive deal with you lot.”
“How uncouth!” the second Sylvan said.
A third Sylvan said shook his head and said something that the System strangely didn’t translate.
“Now, now.” The first Sylvan raised his hand to instil some patience in his companions. “The Denizens need to look out for themselves. It is quite understandable. We ought to respect their wishes. But that does not mean we cannot come to some reasonable agreement.”
“I knew it,” Marcus muttered.
Sridayne: It is a trap. You would do well to be wary.
Ray closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, he came to a decision. “You know the proper worth of this treasure?”
Marcus glanced at him, but didn’t argue thankfully.
“Of course!” the first Sylvan said, gleefully rubbing hands.
“I can tell that it’s used to inscribe intent, whatever that means. Do you know anything further?”
“That item is quite valuable, and it is rather obvious that you do not quite understand that. Since you do not understand what intent means in this instance, allow me to enlighten you. Intent is simply your abilities. All the powers you can channel thanks to your access to the System. That is the intent that the Carver can achieve.”
Ray blinked. He was starting to connect two and two together. A while back, Sridayne and her assistant had mentioned using items that had skills inserted into them. And now, this Sylvan was suggesting they possessed a treasure that could do the inserting.
In essence, Ray could take any of his spells and potentially inscribe them into any item that was compatible with said spell. That was incredibly valuable.
“Why would you tell us that free of charge?” Marcus asked, still holding onto his suspicion like it was a prized heirloom.
The Sylvan spread his hands. Clearly, a practiced gesture. “Simple. Because there is far more going on with it, and we would be happy to share that knowledge with you. So long as you share knowledge of what you possess.”
Ray blinked. Right, of course. There was no point in them telling Ray’s team about their current treasure if they were only going to form a deal that allowed this group to take it. They wouldn’t be auctioning it off, so knowing its worth wouldn’t help. Plus, them telling Ray the Carver’s true worth would only make it less profitable for the Sylvans to acquire it.
Instead, they wanted the other treasure Ray’s team had won in their first dungeon. Wily bastards.
“Sorry, but that’s not for sale,” Ray said. “Or rather, it is for sale. At the auction. Not outside it. And no, we aren’t going to form some backhanded deal about it outside the auction either.”
“I see.” The Sylvan immediately closed off. All the affability he had come in with was now gone. “Suit yourself, then. May your auction endeavours be successful.”
He turned and started leaving without another word. His companions followed, though not before shooting Ray and his friends scathing looks.
“Hey!” Gritty said, stepping forward. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
The Sylvans turned, frowning at her.
“What do you—”
She cut off the first Sylvan. “You knew those three in the dungeon, didn’t you? The ones who attacked us. The three Sylvan bastards who ambushed us in the boss room. You knew them.”
“We may have seen them.” The Sylvan in the lead was clearly annoyed at having been interrupted. “What of it?”
Gritty sneered. She looked like she was about to jump them then and there, but with a supreme force of will, she held herself back. “Do me a favour. When you go running back to the Floor Lord, make sure to tell him that we won’t go down so easily. Tell him to show up in person if he really wants to take us on.”
“I would suggest you watch your mouth, Denizen.”
Gritty ignored the warning entirely. “In fact, how about this? Why doesn’t he take part in this tournament? He’ll have a clear, legit shot at taking us down instead of relying on dirty tricks. Tell him to either show up or shut up.”
Things looked like they were about to boil over. The Sylvans didn’t take kindly to Gritty’s overt aggression and Gritty herself was advancing on them as though she would like nothing better than to rend them limb from limb.
Ray and Marcus restrained her successfully, while several Sylvan officials came in to escort the noble Sylvans away. They all threw the three humans scathing looks as they left, though.
“Chill, will you?” Ray asked.
Gritty relaxed, though she still had the undercurrent of ferocious anger didn’t leave her. Not until they had made it all the way back to Auction Island.
On the way, Sridayne and Vyournel had come to meet them again. She congratulated them on their victory in person, and for navigating the quagmire that the Sylvan nobles wanted to land them in, though it could have been handled a bit better. That last part was aimed surreptitiously at Gritty.
The important thing she had come to speak to them about was an official interview. With their latest victory, a lot of viewers had become interested in Ray and his team.
“In fact,” Vyournel said, his eyes unfocused as he used some kind of ability Ray couldn’t figure out. “Three of the other broadcasters are already preparing to conduct interviews. You can’t avoid the media aspect any longer, I’m afraid.”
Ray sighed. “I’d have preferred not to deal with this, but hey, that’s why we’re working together, right? I’m guessing you guys had a plan on how to deal with it.”
Sridayne nodded. “Yes. As before, you will be receiving all contacts directly, and it will be up to you to send any communiques our way to handle best as we see fit. But we do have a pre-emptive plan, yes.”
“Well, let’s hear it then.”
“It is rather simple. You do a brief interview with us before the auction. After the auction, you will be far too busy handling your personal matters, so when the others want a piece of you as well, they will have no opportunity and will instead have to rely on the footage we gather.”
Gritty eyed Sridayne with reluctant admiration. “You really thought it all out to make sure you profited, didn’t you?”
“And I made sure you all received the best you could from us too. Of course, if you have any other suggestions you think will work better, we are all ears. But until then, this might be the best bet.”
Ray figured he needed to think about it before he made a call. Neither Gritty nor Marcus voice any complaints, so for now, they decided to confirm with Sridayne early on tomorrow.
“First thing’s first,” Marcus said as they took their first steps on Auction Island. “We need to take a proper look at the first treasure.”
Ray grunted in affirmative. While they would do well to rest up, the Auction Hall and the bank there was on the way to their hotel anyway, so a quick stop would be best.
They arrived before long. The Halftyr banker congratulated them on another victory, while also inviting them to store their second treasure there as well.
“Same rate as the first one?” Ray asked.
“Actually, the rate is a little lower for every successive treasure you add to your stockpile.” Skent smiled. “Small perk of being more successful.”
That sounded good enough to them, so they added the second treasure to their pile.
Skent brought out the first treasure. He handled the flesh-studded crystal with great care, wearing gloves and using what looked like some kind of fancy tongs.
“What’s it say?” Marcus asked.
“Didn’t you say you have an identification skill?” Ray offered the treasure to Marcus. “What does it say to you?”
Marcus shook his head. “My ability only works on living things. Not on anything that works with Mana.”
“Ah, gotcha. Alright, let me take a look.”
[Primordial Gauge]
Primordial Gauge indicates there is an item nearby interacting with Mana.
* Primordial Flesh Conduit: Conductive crystal that stores the very first essence of life. Bits of flesh stick out, acting as individual expressions of life. Each expression acts as a bulwark against the forces that repress life itself, such that if one fails, the rest can continue prospering. Can be used to learn a sacrificial, defensive ability.
Ray read the description a couple of times. He had a hard time believing it. It wasn’t that it didn’t make sense. This thing was studded with flesh. Of course it could manipulate life.
But that was Ray’s specialty. His Lifeblood Chaos was what could control how life varied by taking “samples” from the beings he killed and then fused them with other beings to basically create whatever construct he wanted.
“Wingman.” Gritty poked him. “You good?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ray said. “Was just a little surprised by the description. Apparently, it’s something people can use to learn some kind of defensive skill based on life forces. Not sure exactly what, but it looks pretty useful.”
“Life forces?” Marcus said. He whistled under his breath. “That sounds powerful.”
“You mean like what you can do already?” Gritty asked Ray.
He nodded. “That’s what it sounds like. Or at least, something similar.”
Marcus eyed Ray with renewed interest. “You can manipulate life forces? I’m starting to see how some of your powers work.”
But that was all besides the point. Now they knew what exactly the treasure performed, Ray was a little reluctant about just letting it go. But then again, his goal was to win this tournament. To that end, he needed to do well in the auction too.
“We don’t know how valuable it is compared to other treasures, though,” Gritty said. “Or how valuable it might be to the actual buyers tomorrow.”
Marcus nodded. “We should be able to get a decent idea, if we look at purchase histories of different auctioneers, look at their public info, and probably try and poke Sridayne to see if she has any intel.”
“Right,” Ray said. “Do you think you can take care of that? We have less than a day left, and we should also get some rest before tomorrow too.”
“I can, but you sound like you’re going to be busy with something.”
Marcus left the question of what unsaid, but it was pretty evident on his face.
“I’ve got an idea about a skill that might help me,” Ray said. “And I know how to get it with our two treasures. At least, I’m pretty sure.”
“Now hold on a second.” Marcus stepped up to stand right in front of Ray’s face all of a sudden. “Are you thinking of using up the treasure we worked so hard to get to the auction?”
“Uh, I didn’t know they could be used up?”
“They won’t be,” Gritty said. “Nothing in the descriptions state anything like that.”
Marcus tutted like he couldn’t believe Gritty was taking Ray’s side. “Look, I just want to make sure our auction goes without any hitches.”
“Believe me, Marcus.” Ray said. “I want to be successful at this auction just as much as you do. But it would be stupid not to take advantage of the treasures we worked hard to gain. I don’t even mind showing you exactly what I’ve got in mind. Trust me, if it starts looking like something’s going to happen to the treasures, I’ll stop. Alright?”
Marcus didn’t look happy, but he eventually sighed and shrugged. That was as much of a go ahead as Ray was going to get. He wasn’t sure what would have happened if Marcus had continued being against it, especially since Ray hadn’t intended to back down, but he was glad it hadn’t come to that.
Nodding at the others, Ray headed over to Skent. Time to retrieve the treasure he had only just submitted. More importantly, time to get himself a new ability.