Chapter 128: A Gift Worth Giving

"The Beacon League cares about profit. Nothing else," the adjutant said sharply. "He’s saying it where we can see it because he wants a higher price."

Then his expression grew puzzled.

"But how did Riftward earn that many points with so few Lords?"

Mercer was silent for a moment.

"I suspect Cassian has something to do with it again. Has Lieutenant Mara sent any inside information?"

"She says some things are Marches secrets. As one of its Lords, she isn’t free to disclose them. As for these Kill Points, she says she genuinely doesn’t know."

"All right." Mercer sighed. "I’ll go to Coldridge. However unpleasant Adrian is, we still need him on our side."

He returned to his Domain shortly afterward, furious.

"Greedy bastard. He actually wants us to force Riftward to give up first place!"

The adjutant stared.

"He’d go that far?"

Mercer’s face darkened.

"He has no intention of cooperating honestly. We need to prepare for the worst."

——

Cassian watched the Channel for a little longer, then closed it. He paid to return to Forgotten Shrine through the ship Gate, took three bottles of Life Essence from the Fountain’s stored supply, and sent Nessa a message.

[Cassian Vale: Come over. I have a reward for you.]

She arrived through the portal soon afterward and hurried up to him, her eyes bright behind her glasses.

"What is it?"

"Open your mouth."

"Ah..."

She tilted her head back. Cassian poured a bottle of Life Essence into her mouth.

Before long, her face flushed. Fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

"Cassian, I feel hot."

Then she sniffed and wrinkled her nose.

"Why does my sweat smell so awful?"

Cassian quietly took a step back. The impurities coming out of her body certainly did not smell pleasant.

Nessa’s disgust vanished.

"My Aptitude reached D! Wait... C!"

One bottle had doubled her attributes. The additional Load would let her wear much stronger equipment too. With that, she could triple her fighting strength.

"Go home and have a bath," Cassian said. "Then get back to earning points. No slacking."

She nodded eagerly.

He watched her step back through the portal.

Cassian called Tobias and Rowan over separately. He was much less gentle with them, simply tossing each a bottle.

"Drink it. Then get out there and earn some points."

Perhaps Black Banner wasn’t entirely wrong about his fondness for pretty women.

Both men drank the Life Essence. Their Aptitudes reached C, and their gratitude was plain to see.

Rowan was especially moved. His family was a small one. Following Cassian had helped him become an influential Lord in the Marches. Now he had the potential of a C-grade talent as well.

Even among a million people, someone with that Aptitude would stand out.

Rowan insisted on giving Cassian seventy percent of his Domain’s shares.

"You’ve done this much for me. Let me give you something back."

Cassian accepted, and Rowan completed the transfer. When Tobias came, he offered the same share of his own Domain. Cassian accepted, and Tobias completed his transfer too.

Tobias’s Blood Duke installments remained as agreed. These shares were a new gift.

During each man’s visit, Cassian also asked a brief question with the Mindseal Tower’s Truth effect active.

"Have you told anyone outside our circle the private information I’ve shared with you?"

"No," each answered.

Neither answer was knowingly false. After all their time together, it was reassuring to confirm that both men had kept his secrets.

Watching Tobias leave, Cassian sighed in satisfaction.

"That should save me a few hundred kills a day."

Mara was another matter. Her military position made things more complicated. He would observe her a little longer.

"And if Seraphine can bring in a few more fighters..."

Lords who specialized in personal combat often had Talents such as Lone Star or One Against Many. Even if their Aptitude was low, their Domains’ development gave them greater and greater personal attribute bonuses.

Seraphine had only D-grade Aptitude. Her attributes could already match a two-star Epic Hero at her Level.

——

Six golden pillars of light descended into Greyfen, one after another.

Domains were arriving.

Mira had used her Civil Deputy permissions to move Domains between the Marches’ Regions repeatedly over the past few days. The nearby Lords had grown used to the sight and paid little attention.

They did not know these six Lords had come from outside the Marches, using Advanced Relocation Writs. Some had come all the way from the Crown’s heartlands.

Before long, all six had gathered in Seraphine’s Domain. They clearly knew one another well.

One of the newcomers, her cousin Lyra, was a spirited young woman who went straight to the point.

"Seraphine, I hear you want to introduce me to a man."

Seraphine coughed.

"Later, Lyra. First, let’s see how you do in this Kill Points Ranking."

Lyra Valcrest looked offended.

"You make it sound as though I’m not good enough for him."

"Well..." Seraphine hesitated. "I’m not entirely sure."

Lyra gritted her teeth.

Seraphine did not know how to explain. The standings had shocked her too deeply.

She doubted Nessa’s claim of a million points. Seraphine had worn an Epic equipment set and worked herself to the limit, and even she had earned only four million in a day.

She had a strong feeling Cassian was behind this again.

He had started with an F-grade ruin and no troops at all. Since then, he had outdone War Lords at war and Farming Lords at farming. Now he was taking over personal combat too.

What was he planning to leave for anyone else?

"Start hunting for now," she told them. "When there’s a good opportunity, I’ll introduce you all to Cassian."

——

A day later, the standings refreshed again.

[1. Riftward Marches — 563,000,000]

[2. Coldridge Marches — 555,000,000]

Coldridge had clearly worked itself to the limit. The gap had closed to less than ten million. Adrian had reportedly brought in several Lords who specialized in personal combat as well.

Cassian, however, felt relieved.

He had spent three fewer hours hunting that day.

Seraphine had brought six strong fighters from her own family. Darian had recruited more than a dozen personal combat specialists. They were not as strong as the Valcrests, but they could match Elara and the others.

And now that Riftward’s Lords could see a chance of winning, they were working day and night, barely stopping for meals or sleep.

"Finally. I can take a break."

Cassian stretched comfortably.

His recent Exchange purchases had brought his stock of new Monster Lures to seven. When the time came, he could use them to draw a monster tide and earn another mass of points.

A message from Darian appeared in the officers’ group.

[Darian Frost: We’ve worked this hard, so why haven’t our points gone up more? Has someone been slacking?]

Cassian said nothing.

He had spent those missing hours gathering what he needed for a new Building.

Through the Exchange, he had bought a fresh Courtyard Pool Blueprint and the materials required for its Clearjade Pool Evolution Path. With the construction and evolution costs paid, he had returned to Ghost One through the Gate, paying its usual fees, and started the work on deck.

Now he gave a wave of his hand.

"Complete it immediately."

[Instant completion cost: 43,200 Aether.]

[Payment complete. Clearjade Pool construction complete.]

The unfinished Building took shape at once.

The Epic Clearjade Pool was still Level 0, forty meters long and thirty meters wide. Steam drifted above the water. Even at that size, it fitted easily on Ghost One’s broad deck.

Of course, Cassian had built it for more than entertainment.

He opened the Clearjade Pool’s panel.