Chapter 378: — Beyond the Limit

Elarion

“Master Dray has described the additional expense as a modest adjustment, my lord.”

Lucas placed the naval estimate beside Lucien’s elbow and tapped the final figure with an index finger that suggested he’d personally prefer to tap Dray’s head with a heavy book.

Lucien looked down at it. “His definition of ‘modest’ has grown.”

“Along with the ship, apparently, my lord. I am beginning to suspect the Bismarck is being built entirely out of money, with a thin layer of steel slap-dash over the top just to keep it dry.”

Lucien laughed and drew the paper closer. Dray had attached an explanation beneath the revised estimate—mostly technical jargon that essentially boiled down to ‘it costs more because we built it bigger.’ He read it through before setting the sheet aside.

“Leave this with me. I’ll speak with him before approving the increase.”

“Yes, my lord. Preferably before he finds something else that requires a modest adjustment—like gold-plated handrails.”

The desk was covered with reports from the surrounding cities. Workshop returns lay beside rail schedules, supply accounts, and requests that Lucas had already marked for further explanation.

They had spent most of the morning going through them. Several matters that would once have required Lucien’s personal attention had been settled by the departments responsible. The reports now told him what had been done instead of asking him to solve the same problems again.

Lucas turned a page in his ledger. “The city returns are complete, my lord. If we can keep this month’s expenditure within—”

A clear, resonant chime sounded inside Lucien’s head.

A blue window unfolded above the desk, and his attention instantly left the papers.

Civilization Assessment Complete.

Territory: Elarion

Civilization Tier: III

Completion: 100%

Tier III Completion Milestone Achieved.

Lucien leaned forward. For a moment, he forgot the naval estimate entirely.

“My lord?” Lucas asked, looking up from his calculations.

“It’s finished.”

Lucas glanced at the pile of reports. “I should hope so, my lord. I have checked those figures twice and my math is practically smoking.”

“The civilization assessment. We’ve completed Tier Three.”

The administrator’s quill stopped moving mid-stroke. Lucas could not see the glowing window, but he knew enough about the miraculous system Lucien possessed to understand what those words meant.

“Fully completed, my lord?”

Lucien nodded and opened the detailed breakdown.

It covered the production networks, transport, administration, and public services operating across Elarion and its five surrounding cities. The factories had to keep producing, the railways had to carry their loads, and the settlements had to support the people who made it all function.

The system had finally accepted that those complex arrangements could sustain themselves without collapsing into chaos.

Lucien sat back, feeling some of the heavy tension leave his shoulders. He remembered when a single missing gear or a shortage of trained workers could hold up an entire regional project. He still received requests for both, but now there were workshops capable of making the machines and people capable of training the workers.

That structural independence had taken far more effort than obtaining the first magical blueprints.

Lucas laid down his quill cleanly. “Then congratulations, my lord.”

“To all of us.”

Lucas offered a rare, genuine smile before his eyes flicked back to the mountain of pending requests. “I assume the next tier will require considerably more expenditure, my lord?”

Lucien opened the notice beneath the assessment. “The next development objectives are available. We haven’t completed those yet.”

“Of course, my lord. For a terrifying moment, I feared I might have to find another occupation.”

Another window flashed before Lucien could reply.

Milestone Rewards Available.

System Points: 1,000,000

Lucien stared blankly at the staggering string of zeros.

When the system update had finished, his balance had stood at fourteen thousand six hundred and eighty-two points. Elarion had then been generating a modest three hundred and seventeen points a day. This single milestone reward was worth more than eight solid years of that entire territorial income.

“How much, my lord?” Lucas asked, noting the sudden stillness.

“A million points.”

Lucas straightened up so quickly his heavy wooden chair scraped violently against the floor. “That is the reward, my lord? Not our total accumulated balance?”

“The reward alone.”

A broad, brilliant smile spread across Lucas’s face. He turned to a fresh, clean page in his ledger with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

“My lord, allow me a moment to enjoy that figure before everyone brings their endless shopping lists.”

“We still have plenty of those.”

“I know, my lord. That is precisely why I asked for a moment.”

Lucien smiled and tapped the next entry on the reward screen.

His expression shifted.

Ascendant Advancement Card ×5

Destination: Ascendant

Effect: Grants direct advancement to the stated rank along the recipient’s existing path.

Shield restrictions remain applicable. If advancement is prevented by an enclosing shield, the reward remains dormant until the recipient is beyond its boundary or the restriction has ended.

Lucien read the detailed description twice, checked the quantity, and then slowly looked across the desk at his administrator.

“There are advancement cards as well.”

Lucas’s fingers remained hovering over his ledger. “How many, my lord?”

“Five. Each one grants direct advancement to Ascendant.”

Lucas stared at him, his mouth slightly open.

Outside the office window, a heavy supply cart rattled across the stone courtyard. Its wooden wheels iron-rimmed against the cobbles while neither man inside uttered a word.

Finally, Lucas leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You are certain it says Ascendant, my lord?”

“Yes.”

“And all five grant that exact rank?”

Lucien turned back to the description, thoroughly checking for any fine print or hidden catch he might have missed.

All five cards carried the exact same effect. They granted direct rank advancement—not merely assistance with a breakthrough or a vague promise of improved talent.

“Yes,” Lucien confirmed. “All five.”

Lucas slowly released his tight grip on his quill.

Lucien recalled the staggering price he had seen when the expanded Exchange first unlocked. A single Ascendant advancement card had carried a tag of one hundred and forty-five million points. At the time, the figure had been so absurdly beyond his reach that he had closed the menu almost immediately.

He told Lucas.

The administrator picked up his quill, mentally considered the number, and promptly put it back down again.

“I shall record these separately, my lord.”

“Why?”

“Because if I put them beside Master Dray’s naval estimate, I may start thinking the man’s ship is reasonably priced.”

Lucien laughed out loud, then turned back to study the rewards.

Malen was currently a Peak Knight. Gandalf remained a Grand Mage, while Maerath had already hit the Legendary limit enforced on this continent. Each of them understood the immense, near-insurmountable chasm between their present strength and the rank of Ascendant far better than a numeric price could ever express.

Now Lucien held the key to carrying them across it.

“One for Malen,” Lucien said, counting them off. “One for Gandalf, one for Maerath, and one for me.”

Lucas nodded along, but his sharp administrative expression quickly turned thoughtful. “The shield, my lord?”

“The cards cannot force a breakthrough through its hard restrictions.” Lucien read the warning clause aloud. The card could be bound to its recipient, but the actual rank advancement would remain dormant while the surrounding shield suppressed the destination rank.

Lucas rested an elbow beside his ledger. “So Gandalf would still be a Grand Mage after receiving one, my lord?”

“Until the restriction ends or he steps beyond that boundary, yes.”

“And Maerath would remain capped at the continent’s limit?”

“Yes.”

Lucas considered that practical reality before giving a firm nod. “Then we must continue preparing with the strength they possess right now, my lord.”

“We will.”

Lucien understood the practical distinction completely. A dormant reward waiting for a restriction to drop couldn’t blast a demon army off a city wall today. Their forces still needed rifles, artillery shells, supply trains, and competent people keeping those logistics running.

Yet the long-term horizon had shifted entirely. The moment the shield no longer suppressed them, the inner circle beside him would step into the fight with godlike power.

He scrolled further down the reward list.

There was one more card.

Paragon Advancement Card ×1

Destination: Paragon

Effect: Grants direct advancement to the stated rank.

Advancement remains subject to shield restrictions.

Lucien’s hand settled heavily against the dark edge of the desk. “A sixth card.”

“Another Ascendant, my lord?”

“Paragon.Probably the rank above it.”

He opened the accompanying rank tier hierarchy:

Rank XI: Ascendant

Rank XII: Paragon

Rank XIII: Exalted

Rank XIV: Eternal

Lucien read the titles aloud.

Lucas listened quietly, this time making no move toward his inkwell. “Three ranks above Ascendant, my lord?”

“Three shown here.”

Lucien studied the list. The Greater Shield had locked a artificial ceiling over everything beneath it, but that ceiling was clearly just the starting floor of the wider world.

His eyes returned to the gleaming gold-bordered card. “This one is for Aurethar.”

Lucas asked instantly. “So our oversized golden cat is at ascendant.”

“Yes.”

Lucien examined the attached restrictions, then clarified. “The shield around this continent suppresses how much of his original power he can tap into. If that inner restriction drops, he regains his true Ascendant strength. Advancing to Paragon is a separate matter—the Greater Shield blocks that.”

“So removing the inner restriction would still leave his ultimate advancement queued, my lord.”

“Yes. He must also be free of the Greater Shield.”

Lucas made a quick, tidy note beside the reward list. “Aurethar will certainly want to hear that himself, my lord.”

Lucien smiled faintly. “I’d pay a few points just to see his face when he does.”

He left the display open for another moment. Aurethar had carried ancient knowledge and raw power that nobody else in Elarion could truly measure. For once, Lucien would be handing the dragon something that reached far beyond anything he currently possessed.

Lucas looked up from his desk. “My lord, these rewards are magnificent, but I trust we still intend to keep those shields intact for as long as humanly possible.”

“Of course.”

“Good. I would much prefer to collect the benefits without accidentally inviting an army of high-tier demons to the victory party.”

Lucien chuckled and confirmed the claims.

The one million System Points hit his balance instantly. Then, six physical cards materialized above the desk’s edge with a soft chime and settled onto the polished wood.

Five bore a pale silver-blue emblem; the sixth featured a rich, deep-gold border with Paragon etched beneath its central rune.

Lucas leaned over the desk to peer at them. After talking about numbers capable of buying entire empires, the objects themselves looked ridiculously small.

Lucien picked up one of the pale Ascendant cards. It rested lightly between his fingers, almost weightless.

Then he held it out across the desk toward his administrator. “The fifth is yours.”

Lucas blinked, looking at the card, but kept his hands firmly planted beside his ledger. “My lord, I am not a combatant. Give it to a commander who will actually be standing on a wall facing down a demon horde.”

“Do you expect a demon to politely skip your office because you’re holding a quill?”

“No, my lord, but there are field officers who could—”

“You keep our cities fed, the workers paid, and my wild plans from bankrupting us,” Lucien interrupted smoothly. “I need you alive, Lucas. If an enemy breaks through and reaches this desk, I want you fully capable of vaporizing them yourself.”

He pushed the card forward. “Take it.”

Lucas looked at Lucien’s resolute expression for a long moment before extending a hand and accepting the card. His thumb rested against the cool, pale emblem, handling the thin material as if it were made of glass.

“Thank you, my lord.”

Lucien nodded.

Lucas carefully slipped the card into the inner breast pocket of his coat, then immediately reached for his quill again with practiced professionalism.

“I shall still be questioning Master Dray’s naval estimate, my lord.”

Lucien laughed out loud. “That is precisely why you’re getting one.”

Just then a vibrant red-and-gold banner flashed over the system window.

Milestone Exchange Unlocked.

Availability: 72 Hours

Discounts: 50%–90% on selected listings

Purchase Limit: One discounted purchase per listing

All existing usage requirements remain applicable. Your achievements have earned a celebration. Your next achievements will still require payment.

Lucien read the system note aloud.

Lucas closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “And there it is, my lord.”

“What?”

“The exact reason the shop gave you a million points of spending money.”

Lucien opened the first page of the sale. Discounted items flooded the interface—finished magitech gear, advanced blueprints, industrial schematics, and specialized knowledge packages.

He spotted one instantly.

Advanced Precision Manufacturing and Metrology

Regular Price: 24,000 Points

Milestone Price: 12,000 Points

Discount: 50%

“We looked at this one before,” Lucien noted.

Lucas listened as Lucien read the details. “The advanced metrology manual, my lord? The one that assumed we already possessed high-precision optical lathes we haven’t even designed yet?”

“Yes.”

“Has it miraculously become easier to read?”

Lucien opened the prerequisites. It still demanded climate-controlled workshops and precise measuring equipment far beyond standard machine shops.

“The requirements are unchanged.”

“Then we should remember that before getting overly excited about the price tag, my lord.”

“Twelve thousand is a massive reduction.”

“So is buying half an airship, my lord. I would still very much like to know how we intend to fly it.”

Lucien chuckled and bookmarked the entry for later review.

He scrolled down.

Field Resonance Communication Set

Regular Price: 9,800 Points

Milestone Price: 980 Points

Discount: 90%

He read the price twice to make sure he hadn’t missed a zero.

Lucas caught the look. “Something actually practical, my lord?”

“Long-range paired communication sets. Nine hundred and eighty points.”

Lucas held out his hand for the spec sheet before remembering the interface was invisible to him.

Lucien read the item specs aloud.

The administrator drew a thick line beneath the price in his ledger. “Cedric should examine that one immediately, my lord.”

“You approve?”

“I approve of considering something genuinely useful at a tenth of its regular cost, my lord. That approval does not automatically extend to everything else on the sale page.”

“I hadn’t asked.”

“I thought I should establish my stance before you did.”

Lucien continued browsing the sale. Some items would directly boost ongoing projects, while others required industrial infrastructure Elarion hadn’t even begun to build. A few remained eye-wateringly expensive despite the massive discounts.

The million-point grant gave them plenty of breathing room to grab things they’d previously set aside. Lucien flagged several high-value blueprints, then stopped scrolling.

The heads of their departments—workshops, military, naval operations, and intelligence—would know far better which items solved their immediate bottlenecks. He could sit down with them and evaluate the listings together before spending a single point.

Lucas’s gaze fell back to the document case on the desk. “We also have those to distribute, my lord.”

“Yes.”

Lucien placed four Ascendant cards and Aurethar’s Paragon card into the case and latched it tight. Lucas already had his tucked safely in his coat.

He slid the case into his lockable desk drawer, turned back to Lucas, and smiled.

“Lucas, send word to Malen, Cedric, Gandalf, Maerath, Ironbreaker, Brakka, and Dray. Make sure Aurethar hears from you as well.”

Lucas dipped his quill. “Shall I ask them to bring their wishlists, my lord?”

“Only their most pressing requirements. Have them decide what they need first—before they find out how many points we have to spend.”

“That may save us several screaming matches, my lord.”

“It should at least keep the arguments short.”

Lucas smiled, his quill flying across the paper.

Lucien glanced once more at the glowing 72-hour sale timer before closing the window.

“Gather everyone in the council chamber this afternoon, Lucas. We’ll hold a full meeting, distribute the cards, and decide how to spend our million points.”