Chapter 78: The popped bubble

The happy, joyful mood that Jacob had experienced earlier over Smith obtaining an Enhancement Stone from the Black Snakeman’s loot came to a sudden halt. He abruptly remembered that although this stone was currently in his hands, its ownership was far from guaranteed to be his.

​It was not that he worried Smith would refuse to sell the item to him. As far as he knew, the two of them maintained a very good relationship. Jacob had no fear that Smith would turn him down because, based on Smith’s current circumstances, he would have no use for the item for the time being. This tier of Enhancement Stone served only one primary purpose to maximize its value:to promote a non awakened individual and it required Smith to have a child who would then need to grow until reaching eighteen years of age before the item could be used. Smith would need a timeframe of at least twenty years before he could make any practical use of it. For now, it was a certainty that Smith would decide to sell it.

And as for Sarafina,his aunt this high grade lower-tier Enhancement Stone has three uses so it is a forgone conclusion that Smith will clearly use one slot and the remaining two turns are the ones that are on the table for discussion on the distribution.

​From an emotional standpoint, Smith was very likely to sell one chance directly to Jacob. However, things were not that simple. Smith was not merely a Grand Elder for the Brown family alone; he was a Grand Elder representing all seven allied families. It had been agreed upon early on that while all spoils of a mission or task entirely belonged to Smith and he retained the right to sell or retain the item he found and even have the freedom to choose whom to sell the item to but there is an unwritten rule in the alliance: all spoils obtained from a joint mission were typically contested through an auction where the highest bidder prevailed. The respective families who had participated in that task would bid against each other to decide who would secure the item and who would step aside.

​Smith’s present situation meant that situation where by his solo missions were treated under the same guidelines as joint missions involving all seven families. If Smith decided to sell the item for contribution points, representatives from every faction had to gather first to appraise the item before any distribution could take place. Furthermore, given Smith’s high status as a Grand Elder, the other families were required to send their own Grand Elders or their direct representatives to be present for the appraisal. Sending lower-ranking representatives would be seen as a sign of disrespect toward Smith.

​Those old geezers would inevitably arrive to inspect the item personally. For an item of this unique type and high level, which of those elders did not harbor a child they regretted not sending into the dungeon? Which of them did not have a treasured grandson they doted on so intensely that they had refused to let them take the risk of the Awakening Trial out of fear of losing them? Those old veterans would fight fiercely for an item like this. That was precisely why Jacob felt so anxious—the prized item sitting in his hands was something he was merely holding temporarily to keep warm, not something he truly owned.

​Smith, Astra, and Diana sat nearby, watching the rapid shifts in Jacob’s expression. They saw him go from initial anticipation over inspecting the rewards, to a sudden outburst of joy upon discovering the Enhancement Stone, and finally to a troubled, anxious look. The whole transformation took place in a matter of seconds.

​Smith found it difficult not to smile at how quickly Jacob’s expressions changed. Smith knew that for people at their power level, maintaining emotional control and a composed demeanor was usually second nature. For Jacob to lose control of those constraints so visibly meant he genuinely did not care about preserving his composure in front of everyone. Nevertheless, Smith and the others remained quiet, waiting patiently for Jacob to finish riding his emotional rollercoaster.

​Eventually, Jacob leaned back into his chair and set the item on the table.

​"Smith," Jacob said, adhering to formal protocol, "regarding the items from your previous loot, which ones are you planning to sell?"

​Smith hesitated for a moment before answering. "From my previous run, the rest are just standard Enchantment Stones with percentage boosts varying from three to five percent. There are also some energy orbs and a few blueprints. I don’t need the blueprints because my Queen’s gear are already of much higher quality. I will only keep the consumables, such as the Repair Stones and the energy orbs, and sell the lower-tier equipment blueprints. As for my life-bound artifact, I definitely need that, so I will keep it. For now, I will only be selling the low-rated blueprints and this Enhancement Stone."

​Jacob nodded. He had already anticipated Smith’s decision, so the response came as no surprise. He followed up with another question. "Smith, regarding this Enhancement Stone, do you want to sell it right now, or are you planning to sell it at a later time?"

​After considering it for a moment, Smith replied, "If possible, I would like to trouble you to process the sale now."

​Smith himself understood the official protocol for selling items of this tier because it had been explained to him previously. That was also why he understood Jacob’s sudden emotional outburst earlier and had refrained from questioning him about it.

​Upon hearing Smith’s answer, Jacob took a long, deep breath. He retrieved his phone from his pocket; his personal secretary was currently absent, attending another high-level meeting on his behalf. Opening the Elders’ private chat group with slow, stiff movements, Jacob began to type out a message:

​Hello to all Elders in the group. I apologize for disturbing you, but I must inform you that Smith has successfully completed his mission into the Slaughterhouse and has safely returned. He plans to settle his contribution points this evening. I request that all elders send their designated representatives.

​With a heavy heart—feeling as though he had just pressed the detonator button on a bomb that would destroy his own chances—he hit the send button.

​Within a few seconds, replies began popping up on the screen. The other six Elders directly acknowledged the message, confirming they had seen the notification and would act immediately.

​Jacob placed his phone face down on the table. "Alright, Smith. The elders will send their top representatives this evening. You may go and rest for now. Once they arrive, we will notify you so the discussion can begin."

​Taking that as the signal that their meeting was concluded, Smith and Astra excused themselves. They were escorted up to the first floor by a servant, who led them to their designated quarters.

​To Smith’s surprise, the suite assigned to them was exceptionally large, resembling a full city apartment. Positioned at the very center of the main room was a custom-made bed that was more than three times the size of a standard king-size bed. Smith immediately realized that the staff must have received information that he and his girls typically stayed together in one room, and they had prepared the accommodations accordingly. There were even several sets of clothing laid out in different sizes tailored specifically to each of the girls.

​Smith was thoroughly impressed by their meticulous attention to detail. For the moment, however, most of those extra preparations went unused; the rest of the girls remained still in his spiritual space to rest and recover, leaving only Astra present with him.

​Smith and Astra took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. Although they had managed to rest occasionally while inside the Slaughterhouse, they had never been able to relax completely due to the constant threat of a sudden ambush. During their time in the dungeon, their rest had only alleviated their physical exhaustion; their mental fatigue had continued to accumulate because they were required to remain on high alert at all times.

​The moment Smith and Astra lay down on the soft pillows, feeling the absolute security of their surroundings, the built-up mental exhaustion swept over them and they drifted off into a deep sleep almost instantly.

​While Smith and Astra slept, both were immersed in sweet dreams. Smith dreamed of the day he would walk on his own two legs again becoming full in control, without the girls carrying him around effortlessly and embarrassing him like before. In his dream, his sweet revenge was finally within reach. Astra, on the other hand, dreamed of the day she would snip targets from ten kilometers away, achieving the legendary feat of striking down an enemy from beyond the horizon.

​Yet while both of them enjoyed peaceful, carefree dreams, Jacob sat alone nearby, unable to share in any such peace of mind as he anxiously awaited for the awaited time but after few minutes the door was knocked and one of the servants went to open the door And the person was escorted to the living room and after Jacob saw the person who arrived he almost died from a heart attack.