Whew! Looks like the deal is sealed!' Riley sighed heavily as he, Mason, and Polites exited the Exrump Corporation's imposing building. He had no idea things would go this well, and the sheer success of the negotiation left him overjoyed, though thoroughly drained.
"The tension... it was intense," Riley muttered to himself. Every moment had been a tightrope walk, where breaking character even for an instant could have cost him dearly. The persona he had adopted had been draining, but it had paid off in spades.
'Still… to think we secured such a sweet deal.'
Riley could not pinpoint how exactly he had been able to score so many good points with the shrewd Half-Orc broker known as Elom Tusk.
"Could it be because I initially addressed him with respect?" Riley remembered how he chose to call him Mr. Tusk rather than the casual 'Elom.' "He might have taken offense if I addressed him too casually…"
As the negotiations progressed, Riley had found his footing and his confidence grew with every exchange. By the end, he had managed to negotiate more benefits than he had ever imagined.
'We signed an exclusive contract with them, which means we already have a reliable place to sell Monster Cores.'
That certainty put Riley's heart at ease.
'The total number of Monster Cores ended up being 16,590. With the total price of 7 Gold Coins per piece, that's 116,130 Gold Coins.'
In other words, 1,161.3 Platinum Coins.
'We're fucking rich!' Riley could not believe just how stinkingly rich he had become in such a short period. It was too absurd.
'I initially had a goal of 4 Gold Coins and approximated the amount of Monster Cores to 16,000.'
That would have totaled 640 Platinum Coins.
'Not only did I get nearly twice that amount, but I got sweet deals as well.'
Discounts on magical and luxury products, as well as first priority on new items, and the ability to make custom orders, which was an exclusive privilege given only to clients who belonged in the upper echelon of the Corporation's priority list.
Riley felt like a god!
'This trip was totally worth it! Hehehe!' He thought with a grin.
Riley was especially so glad he hadn't left the negotiation to Mason. Though his friend was a seasoned military operative, he lacked the finesse and experience needed for such delicate business dealings. Riley had no doubt Mason would have fumbled the whole thing.
'At this point, I don't even care about those few Platinum Coins he lost to that scammer.'
Not only had they recouped that loss, but they had gained so much more.
It was all too incredible, but the proof was in his hands.
'Hehehe! Hehehehehehe!! Hahahahahaahaha!!!'
"Hey captain, what now?"
Polites' voice woke Riley from his deep thoughts. Of course, the only deep thing about those thoughts was how deep his pockets had become.
He was filthy rich!
However, he knew that his patriotism and commitment to the Empire, God, and mankind were more important than any amount of gold or platinum. Even though he now had the means to live lavishly in this New World as a billionaire, his sense of responsibility wouldn't allow him to turn his back on his motherland.
"What now? Well, first of all, we head back to the rented mansion, gather the others, and discuss how we'll be arranging things going forward," Riley answered Polites, already planning his next moves. He had a clear idea of his strategy but preferred not to discuss sensitive matters out in the open.
His current plan was simple.
'I'll have Mason or the others deliver the sacs of Monster Cores using a Spatial Ring. But we'll only deliver one sac a day, considering how the value will reduce if we oversaturate the market.'
It wasn't like Riley was desperate for money, and he wasn't in a hurry to earn any more than he already had. Besides, if he wanted to, he could always increase the rate. But for now, he was in control, and by controlling the flow, he would keep demand high and profits steady.
'Right now, I hold all the cards. I should dispense them slowly…'
Riley doubted the Exrump Corporation would keep buying Grade 6 Monster Cores from him forever. It wasn't that he doubted their wealth. No, not at all. In fact, he was sure they would be able to make immense profits from every sac they bought from him.
The real issue was greed.
In a capitalistic system, greed was inevitable, especially among larger corporations, and Riley had seen it happen before. He thought back to the Ukraine Federation, a former Soviet Union state that had turned into a corporatocracy when it became a pure capitalist nation, an opposite fate to the now-divided Soviet Union. The greed within its economy had led to an imbalance, similar to what could happen with the Exrump Corporation if he wasn't careful.
'That's why the Capitalist Party among the Right-Wing parties back in Austronesia doesn't have too much power, same as the Left-Wing parties. Too much greed leads to political imbalance, just like what happened in the Ukraine Federation.'
Riley knew he had to navigate this carefully. He was playing a long game, one where his success would depend on more than just money. It would require patience, strategy, and an understanding of the forces at play in both this world and the one he came from.
'Eventually, these guys will try to bypass me and go straight to the source for the Cores.' Riley knew all too well how business worked. Loyalty in this world was fleeting, especially when profit was involved.
'That's why I need to stay as loosely involved with this as possible,' he thought, his strategy forming. Until he could find a more sustainable alternative, maintaining the relationship he already had with these buyers was essential. But he couldn't afford to become too entangled.
'Aquarius is as dangerous as any Black Market, with the only difference being that it's mainstream and legal.'
The reason these people were in Aquarius was because they weren't satisfied with trade under the governance of the laws of their countries.
They didn't like being regulated, taxed, or restricted by laws they didn't agree with. Most of their motivations were driven by unchecked greed, and Riley knew that same greed would eventually turn them against him.
'And that greed will eventually lead them to betray us. That's why we have to be prepared…'
To make sure none of his subordinates remained compliant to him, Riley knew he had to keep them content, which meant regularly sharing his profits with them.
Now that the business side is over, there were more important things to focus on.
'I need to inform the High Command about this development.'
————————————————————
Free Trade City of Aquarius, Unknown Location
1st Year of God, Wednesday, 4th Week, 2nd Month Of Noah.
Within a finely furnished office located in an unknown place, a man stood close to the windows, ignoring the fine chair and exquisite desk behind him.
The blond hair on his head fell a lot longer than a man's, but a tad bit shorter than a woman's length. He had a few wrinkles lined his face, displaying his age, while a finely trimmed beard added a touch of refinement.
His outfit was also reminiscent of the room, grandiose and expensive-looking. And what truly set him apart was the pair of fish-like fins that replaced the pointed ears one might expect on an elf.
He is a Merfolk.
Right now, he was watching the events of the bustling marketplace below with a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
As one of the six members of the Obsidian Council, a shadowy group of individuals that rule the entirety of Aquarius city, it pleased him to see the community thriving.
As he smiled and sipped his wine, his moment of reminiscing was cut short by a knock on the door.
The man's blue eyes darted to the door, and his curled up lips slowly fell.
"Come in," he commanded.
The door slowly creaked open, and a man dressed in an expensive waistcoat, as well as an overall formal outfit walked in.
He looked young, perhaps in his early thirties, but the experienced look in his eyes did not belong to a youth. Furthermore, it wasn't just his eyes that marked him as different, as the tusks protruding from his mouth were distinctly non-human, and certainly not elven.
This was Elom Tusk, one of the many brokers for the Exrump Corporation.
"Lord Rum, I have reports for you," Elom announced in a respectful tone.
"Rum" was the codename given to this Merfolk within the Obsidian Council. Each member of the six had their pseudonym, but he stood out, being the polar opposite of the Council's dark moniker.
"It's fine, boy. There's no need to call me that here. Just address me normally," the older man replied.
Sure, the man who entered was younger than this Lord Rum, but it wasn't enough to be called a 'boy', which seemed a stretch. Still, he nodded in understanding.
As this man slowly turned to face Elom, he could see him deactivate his 'Identity Concealment Item'.
Before Rum's eyes, Elom's appearance transformed, the orcish tusks vanishing, and his features shifting to resemble a younger version of Rum himself, down to the same fish-like fins in place of ears.
"I understand… father," Elom replied, his voice now that of a young man barely twenty years old.
Rum chuckled as he eased into his comfortable chair and offered Elom the same courtesy. "Hehe… that's much better," he said, clearly pleased. Elom took the offered seat without a moment's hesitation and sat opposite his father.
"So, talk to me. Tell me what all this fuss is about," Rum urged, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed yet keen interest.
Rum was a man of many means, and even before Elom had arrived, he had a faint inclination of the events unfolding within his corporation. But just how much did he truly know?
"Alright father. The thing is…"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Good heavens," Rum's face contorted in downright shock as he listened to his son finalize his story. "That's absurd." He muttered as disbelief was clear in his voice.
"Right? I thought so too. But it was all real, everything I told you."
It seemed like a made up story… that someone of such caliber would just casually walk into their place of business like it was nothing.
'What kind of man is this masked seller?' Rum wondered, a sense of unease creeping into his thoughts.
"Did he drop a name? Anything to identify him as?" Rum asked, desperately hoping to leverage his extensive network to unearth some information. But the look on Elom's face told him it wouldn't be worthwhile.
"He just told us to call him 'Ghost'. Even among the most accomplished Adventurers, none bear that name."
Rum squinted his eyes and pulled at his beards a little.
His son wasn't wrong.
'Adventurers either use their real name or have flashy titles and pseudonyms. This seems like the latter, but…'
If Ghost was an extremely strong or accomplished Adventurer as he appeared, surely they would have heard of him by now.
"What a mysterious fellow…" Rum whispered. "You did good by bringing him to our side, boy."
But there was just one more crucial detail Rum needed to clarify. It was a matter of utmost pertinence that Rum had to personally ask.
'This'll determine how we consider our future with him…'
"You used your [Eye Of God], right? How strong is he exactly?"
The [Eye of God] was a Grade 4 Magic Artifact, a rare and powerful tool that could assess a person's strength, power, and Magicule Levels to a limited degree, though not without the other party potentially noticing. Its most subtle feature, however, was its ability to measure overall strength by detecting Magicule Levels, even if the target used skills or artifacts to conceal it.
"What was his Level?" Rum asked, his eyes narrowing with intensity.
In response to this question, Elom Tusk, or if that is his real name, had a conflicted expression. It wasn't that he didn't understand the question, but rather he couldn't decide on how to answer it.
After a moment's pause, he decided to throw aside his indecision and just be as straightforward as possible.
"It… it didn't work, I think."
"It didn't work?" Rum's deep frown returned with disbelief in his face. "That's a Grade 4 artifact! It has to work!"
Grade 4 Magic Artifacts were the pinnacle of what could be obtained on the market. Whether raw materials or finished products, they represented the height of current magical craftsmanship.
For such a sophisticated item to fail was almost unthinkable.
"I know! But… after our meeting, I checked the results, and it just said *None*."
Elom's voice was laced with confusion. In all his years of doing business, he had never encountered anything like this. It didn't make sense, so he just chalked it down to a malfunction. But as he glanced at his father, he noticed a different reaction, one that sent a chill down his spine.
"Did you just say… *None*?" Rum's voice quivered with a rare hint of fear. The look of horror on his face made Elom's heart race, but he did his best to nod regardless.
'I've never seen Father this shaken before…'
As he had this thought, Rum rose from his seat as if it suddenly had a thousand needles on it. He just wasn't comfortable any longer.
"The [Eye Of God] can measure the individual's Magicule Levels," He began, his breathing seeming a little uneven. "Even if they wore an item or had a skill that could conceal their power, the artifact could easily bypass it. Not even a Transcendent Tier-1 being could hide from it,"
Even Elom was growing increasingly restless just listening to his father.
"But if the artifact showed *None*, it means one of two things: either the individual is manaless, like an ordinary human, or… it has encountered something above its ability to analyze."
Upon hearing this, Elom felt his stomach drop as he pieced together the implications.
"No way…"
"Indeed…" A grim frown tugged at Rum's lips as he stared hard at his son.
"The 2nd-Tier Transcendent. The realm of the Disasters."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. The 2nd-Tier Transcendents were beings of immense power, far beyond the capabilities of a Tier-1 Transcendent, of which there were only a few dozen in the entire Third Civilization Zone.
Even their most powerful members were only at the Transcendent Tier-1 at most.
Among those of the highest power, were the Dwarf King, the Valkyrie Queen, the Fairy Queen, the Orc Warboss, and the deceased Elf Queen. Only they are well-known individuals who reached the heights of this power in this Civilization Zone.
But the worst thing they could think of is what if this mysterious figure, Ghost, was at that level?
"Boy, I'll tell you this for free…" Rum's voice cut through the heavy silence in a deadly serious tone.
Elom had never seen his father this shaken before, a man usually composed and confident now cloaked in caution, mixed with a grimness so deep that it defied explanation, shrouded his face.
It seemed even one of the Obsidian Councilors could show fear.
"Never… ever cross that man."
Elom didn't hesitate to nod, understanding the gravity of his father's words.
"He could destroy us all."