Chapter 64

    When the Prince killed his opponent with a hammer to its face, there was a loud cheer. The Prince stood up and roared with his hammer raised, reveling in his victory.

    We have won! And to the victor goes the spoils!

    The guards around the Prince cheered at that, raising their unused weapons in the air.

    Moving to a very bloody Aster and Liz, Matt whispered, That was slightly easier than I feared. Especially with seven bosses.

    Liz nodded, and added in a deep voice, Quantity has a quality all its own, as long as its near the same Tier. Otherwise, it turns to scrap.

    Matt just scoffed at her trying to be philosophical.

    Prince Albert called out, This falls under group loot, as no single party took the place, so the fortress and all its contents have to be auctioned off.

    A feeling of the floor dropping out from under them crept up his stomach. They had just fought a brutal, multi-day battle. They had taken Ascenders knew how many casualties. And now, the Prince was trying to rush the distribution of loot.

    The people called out in shock and anger, with Matt and Liz included.

    What about the vault? someone from the crowd called out.

    It was a good question, and Matt waited along with everyone else for the answer.

    Albert raised his hands and smiled, saying, Ill promise with my AI verifying that everyone will get their fair share of the loot, according to one of the contribution models. Including the loot from the vault, as well as the golem corpses and discovered bar stock.

    Fucking fucker! Lizs curses mirrored his own feelings on the matter. None of them could outbid the Prince of a Kingdom. If she had access to her funds from before she joined The Path, Liz would be able to crush him, but they were cut off from accessing them. Any auction had to be done with funds on hand. Besides, the communication to the greater networks was down, with the teleporter shut down and the lack of satellites.

    Even if they could access the funds, the restrictions of The Path forbade them from using funds from Lizs parents.

    Someone else had the same thought, and called out, None of us can access our savings. Its not fair.

    The Prince laughed good-naturedly and said, Neither can I! And I have more than enough in savings to crush all of you, if we had access to those. This is far more fair, considering it has to be funds on hand.

    That was enough to make people think it over, and come to the realization that they might have a chance. Then Prince threw fuel on the fire.

    We also need to make a choice. Do we want to have a closed auction, with just the people who participated in the assault? Or do we wish to open it up to the greater Kingdom...? He paused as people mulled it over. If that happened, they would make more money, but they would never have the chance to own the flying fortress.

    Still, if whoever won the fortress turned around and resold it straight away, they would then get the entire sale price to themselves.

    As people started to waffle on their decision, the Prince tipped them over. ...Or even the greater Empire? Im sure people would flock to purchase this flying fortress.

    There was grumbling, but a poll about which auction type they wanted was sent out to everyone. Matt realized that the Prince had been having his speech transmitted in text form to everyone who participated, but wasnt present in the boss room.

    Liz whispered, We should sell it outside, or try to get it ourselves if the vote goes that way. It will be worth a fortune on the open market.

    Open this auction to a group larger than the people who participated? If yes, a time and place will be voted on.

    Yes? No?

    The window was sent out, and the vote was forced. Matt watched as the window instantly locked the choice in from people who clicked the No option, and forced the auction to remain closed. The majority must have thought they could outbid the Prince, or were trying to get on his good side by ensuring his plan went into action. He hadnt even had time to cast his vote.

    It was the selfish option, and what Matt assumed that the Prince was counting on. Everyone would get a much larger personal share if they got some Tier 30s interested. From his recent education, only Tier 35s who were given the title of duke were given a flying island. They were ruinously expensive to make, and only Tier 40s or higher were able to afford a flying device larger than a house.

    But if someone had more money than the Prince

    Even Matt felt the greed rise up.

    With the event started, Matt saw a hundred and seventeen people attending. A few names Matt recognized were with the healers. Even Camillas name was there, but grayed out.

    Matt leaned into Liz and asked, Think we can do this? What are our funds like?

    She whispered back, I dont know. I doubt this was planned, but most of our money from selling your mana was traded for our skills and item upgrades. We never got the hard currency for it. Putting items up for collateral is always a losing bet, as well get the lowest price for them.

    Matt cursed, Shit. Hes definitely going to play games with the loot after as well, isnt he?

    Im sure he has something planned. Otherwise, he wouldnt so openly state it. Maybe a trusted aid sneaks off with most of it or something, and they say he isnt responsible. Im sure hes planning something. Even if hes not, hes getting a flying fortress that even Tier 30s would love, for what essentially amounts to chump change.

    Can we stop the auction? Matt hoped Liz knew of a way that he didnt. After raid-level events, where the loot was found by more than one team, an onsite auction was the standard procedure. It helped to prevent the items from being bid on by a strong faction that an individual cultivator couldnt compete with. It was the fairest way possible, as it meant that people were reliant on either their savings, or keeping their wealth on them while going to a dangerous situation.

    As they talked, the bidding price slowly rose up to a Tier 7 mana stone, and it held there for a long moment. The automatic countdown started its slow march down from ten.

    Matt threw in their highest bid of a Tier 7 mana stone, and thirty-two Tier 6 mana stones.

    There was a long pause while the auction timer counted down, and Matts hope started to rise. His excitement at the possibility of getting the fortress skyrocketed as the number hit two.

    Once it did, the Prince called out, Sorry, this is as high as I can go. One Tier 7 mana stone for everyone here who participated. For those alive, at least. That comes out to one hundred and seventeen Tier 7 mana stones. That equals two Tier 8 mana stones, and seventeen Tier 7s. Can anyone beat that?

    Those were depressing numbers, considering they had started the invasion with nearly two hundred fighters. Matt watched as the countdown dropped down to two, then the bid suddenly went up to three Tier 8 mana stones. Everyone paused and looked to the Prince, who exclaimed, Varrick! What are you doing?

    One of the guards next to the Prince shrugged. Its a steal for the price. Why wouldnt I bid?

    How do you have that much money on hand?

    The countdown almost reached zero, but the price increased to four Tier 8 mana stones just before the fortress sold. The Princes name was shown under the bid. Clearly, his earlier statement that one hundred and seventeen Tier 7 mana stones was his limit was a lie.

    Almost immediately, Varricks name reappeared with a bid of one Tier nine mana stone.

    Matt was surprised at the jump in price, but the Prince looked like he was just smacked across the face.

    How do you have that many actual mana stones on hand?

    Varrick answered Did you forget who my father is? Hes a Duke of the Kingdom. I have some of his spare change to ensure that I can get out of trouble if I fall into it. The armored man finished, Its not like we do any real fighting around you.

    Matt didnt know how to feel after this turn of events, but a petty part of him was glad that the Prince was getting screwed over just as much as them. He had instigated this little scheme to keep the price down, so it was fitting that he had been foiled by one of his own men.

    What about the promise? Someone shouted out, Now youre just going to steal everything from us?

    Matt glared at the Prince, along with everyone else. If they lost the items in the fortress because of his great idea...

    Varrick seemed to panic as the heated glares turned to him, and shouted, No! No! I will abide by the same rules, and give everything that isnt a part of the fortress to everyone, based on their contribution. Just how it should be done. Im giving this to my father, and he couldnt care less about Tier 6 materials.

    Matt checked his information packet about the Seven Suns vassal Kingdom. In the Empire, a Duke was Tier 35. But here, where the King was only Tier 35, a Duke was Tier 30. It was the equivalent of a Marquess in the Empire proper.

    That promise seemed to settle everyone, and weapons were lowered. Before the fighters could completely settle down, though, the sound of clapping rang out from above them. Matt turned, to see two people floating in the air behind and above them.

    The Prince seemed shocked, and called out, Frederick? Oliver? What are you doing here?

    The one on the right answered while laughing, Watching you make a fool of yourself! You wanted to have your cake and eat it too. But instead, you didnt even get crumbs. How poetic. To answer your question, we are doing our jobs, and ensuring that this ruin is taken out of commission. The King decided that this has gone on long enough. If you had failed, we wouldve had to step in. But he ordered us not to interfere with your attempt.

    And take the rewards, had you failed, the other flying man added, Honestly, Im just here for moral support. Were pretty bored, and watching you all fight through the levels has been the best entertainment we could find on this rock.

    You tried to kill me! You have no room to mock! The Prince looked from the first speaking flyer to his guard Varrick, and shouted, And you are dismissed from my service.

    The Tier 15s just kept laughing.

    Varrick asked the question that Matt had been wondering. So does anyone know how to fly this thing?

    That caused more laughing from the flyers. Most people started meandering around, and Liz elbowed Matt while looking around. Wheres Camilla? My AI said she was over there, but shes gone.

    Matt glanced at where Liz was pointing, and found the cage Camilla had been in. He gave Liz the story of him taking her to the healers.

    Well, lets go sit by her. She could wake up at any time.

    Aster decided, now that the excitement was over, to voice her displeasure at being a blood fox instead of an arctic fox. Her yipping and yowling was even accompanied by a pull at Lizs braid.

    Matt just stood to the side and watched as Liz struggled to satisfy the fox. From their bond, he felt that the fox was actually quite mad, and wanted to be cleaned now.

    Liz pleaded for the fox to stop pulling her hair. Please stop. Oww. It hurts! Aster stop! Ill wash you! Just let us find a place to sit down.

    That caused the pulling to stop, but Matt couldnt hold in his laughter when he noticed that Aster didnt let her mouthful of hair go. Her threat was clear, and it was adorable enough to help the stress and tension from the battle bleed away.

    The three of them made their way to Camillas bed, and found a tub for Liz to earn Asters affection back with. His bond let out a mournful yowl when she saw the first bit of water run red, and she tried to raise her paws out of the dyeing liquid.

    A glare was shot at him from both women, but he could only cover his mouth, as his smile was bolted on.

    Liz glared at him and ground out, What are you laughing at? You know what, I dont care. Go find more water, and a place to dump the dirty stuff.

    A message popped up, and in the quiet, the Princes outcry of shock was loud, and oh so satisfying.

    Contribution points ranking

    Liz (Aster): 2751.Matt: 1849.

    Matt didnt bother to look any further, and just stared in confusion. That couldnt be right. The shout of, What did you do? from the Prince caused him to look up.

    Varrick just started laughing. Oh? Surprised you are near the bottom? Well, your highness, I own the fortress and everything in it, so I got to choose the way the AIs calculated contribution. That said, I decided to go with direct contribution.

    Matt wanted to laugh as he found the Prince ranked 82nd, with only 150 points. Clicking on the mans name, he was only credited with a single golem boss kill.

    You screwed yourself as well.

    Varrick just laughed in the Princes face. Sure, Ive got no points with this ranking system, but I will be rewarded by my father. You shouldnt have fired me.

    The man was full of pride at getting one over on his old boss.

    Matt clicked on Liz and Aster''s names, and found their points had been combined, as they were a part of the same team. Aster was a bond who wouldnt choose her own rewards, so they went to the human she spent more time with.

    Finding the list of enemies Liz and Aster killed caused Matts eyebrows to crawl into his hairline. They had been killing the large golems like they were going out of style, and the scroll down to the end of their list took nearly a minute. Between their humanoid and giant spider kills, they could build a whole scrapyard.

    He knew they were strong, but it was impressive how much they had done.

    Confused at his own high ranking, he clicked on his own name, and found the expected number of golems kills. There werent many, but he saw an entry under his kill count.

    Time spent on the frontline. High casualty rate. Points calculated from damage done by backline assisted on. It was worth 1427 points on its own.

    Matt couldnt hold back a grin. He had never not been on the frontline. Others had taken blows that took them out, and the injuries piled up. Meanwhile, [Cracked Phantom Armor] made it so the only danger he was in was from the crossbow bolts, or the thrown bar stock. Neither of which were problems in the close quarters melee he had been a part of.

    Liz punched his shoulder, cocked a hip out, and posed, while holding Aster up with her paws up in the air.

    We are the champions!

    Matt poked the ticklish spot under her rib and said, Thats two of you. If you were separate, Id be number one. In a deeper voice, he quietly said, I demand a recount!

    Their banter was interrupted, as the Prince got himself under control and opened the vault. Matt and everyone else peered inside, to see the shelves lined with nothing. Or nearly so.

    There were items on the shelves, but nothing compared to full shelves of metal they had cleared out. The dirt and dead herbs and such were actually still there, but with a few new additions.

    The crowd who had gathered to see great riches started to shout and demand answers.

    I cant see!

    Camillas message caused him to pick her chair up so she could see.

    Ha! Its empty! Hahahahahaha! We took everything, and they dont even know it.

    Matt didnt find it quite that funny. He had thought that with the golems bringing in so much stuff and delving rifts, they would have refilled the vault.

    Turning with everyone else who was disappointed, they moved back to the healer''s area.

    Apparently, the other Tier 15, Oliver, had gone and got an appraiser from his city. They now moved through and verified the few items found, and put their descriptions on the LocalNet bidding section. There, anyone could spend their points for items.

    Matt looked out for anything particularly interesting, but nothing came up. So, he and Liz decided to just put their points in securing most of the bar stock. It was being bought by the city for a slightly above average price, as it was pure and ready to be used to rebuild. It was much needed, after the fortress had leveled the city.

    The other special items were being bid off, and their price was inflated, as two were growth items that clearly fit people. In the end, they got a little more than three Tier 9 mana stones from their portion of the materials. Considering they were only Tier 6 metals, it was quite the haul, and only possible because they were the top earners.

    When they reached the rebuilding ruin of the teleport city, Matt and Liz immediately looked for skill shards on the CityNet, but found nothing. They could probably get a Tier 8 skill for a few Tier 9 mana stones. There were just none on the market.

    The plan was to send Camilla back with a larger party that was returning to the Kingdoms capital, where she could get properly healed. Before she left, they stopped at one of the rebuilt stores ,and had a nice meal together.

    Camilla had been seen by a Tier 9 healer, who had gotten her well enough to walk with a cane. That gave her enough mobility to feel comfortable enough to make the journey on her own.

    Liz once again asked, Are you sure you dont want us to accompany you back? We will. It really isnt...

    Camilla cut her off. Its fine. Im going back home and going to have a good look at myself.

    She paused for a moment and collected her thoughts. Everyone was right. It was too early to come out. I wasnt as ready as I thought I was. Its like Its like some part of me is still trapped in that cage. I still feel like a victim, even after growing in both cultivation and experience. Im looking for, and finding betrayal in everyone''s actions. Even now, Im keeping an eye on possible threats. Checking sight lines, counting the exits, wondering if the waitress is coming over to take our order or to slit my throat... Its exhausting living like this.

    She rubbed her eyes, and paused to take a deep breath. I I cant keep this up anymore. The stress is grinding me away. If I dont fix myself, there may be nothing left of me.

    No one spoke for a minute, before Camilla continued. I dont know what Ill do after this, but I really enjoyed our time exploring the planet before... She waved her fork around shakily, Well, you know. Maybe Ill do something like that in the future.

    Someone came to their table, and dropped off a bag to Camilla, who thanked them and pulled out a tub of ice cream. Aster noticed immediately, and looked up from her nearly empty plate, then bounded to the woman across the table. She knocked Matts cup over in the process, and stepped directly on Lizs plate of food.

    Neither had the heart to correct the fox, who was already face first in the bag, trying to get at the concealed treat.

    Where did you even find that? Matt had looked at the stores postings, and had found nothing when they arrived.

    Camilla laughed, I asked our resident finder boy.

    That made sense, and Matt sent a message asking if Malcolm had found the info that he had already asked for while they traveled. He felt dumb for forgetting Malcolm cound find mundane items, and only asked for exotic things.

    Camilla had dished out the small tub of ice cream to them all, while dumping the remainder in a larger bowl for Aster.

    Oh, I got a message from Uncle Waters. Liz paused her eating, and shared it with Matt.

    It was short, and the man looked hurried.

    Hey, BethBeth. I was planning to come and say hi, but Manny found out about what I did with Cammie, and wasnt happy that I meddled with The Path. So as punishment, Im getting sent to our expanding border with the Sects to secure new land. I hope everything is going well. If you need anything, I figure Ill have this settled in a year or two.

    The blue haired man smiled cheekily. He just said that I need to secure the expansion and stop them from trying to encroach. He never said how long that has to last. Once I get this done, the army will move in to secure the new border. Have fun and enjoy the exploration! Theyre always fun. Dont set off an apocalypse.

    That last bit felt a little too pointed, and Matt looked around. Had he known, or was he just making a joke? Were they being watched even now?

    They finished their meal, and Matt carried a now round and unconscious Aster to see Camilla off. They also found Malcolm waiting at the platform.

    You''re leaving so soon? I figured the Prince would want more from you.

    Malcolm ducked at that and whispered, He did, but I slipped out when he started to plan his revenge on his guard. Hes so busy with that, he forgot about me in the mess. Im going back to the guild, and never leaving.

    Malcolm then sent over a message containing two locations.

    Sorry I couldnt find anything for you when I asked for the Mana Concentration effect, but I found perfect items for all three of you. Two of them are in the same place. Id hurry there. Anyone can find them before you.

    Matt clapped the mans shoulder and thanked him. Instead of exploring more ruins, Matt traded the items locations for escorting Malcolm to the golems'' ruin, and getting the growth item he was looking for.

    In return, he had asked the man to look for Mana Concentration natural treasures, and perfect items for Liz and Aster. Apparently, Malcolm looked for Matt as well when he didnt find anything for the first request.

    Seeing the platform was about to launch, Matt said, Thanks for the help. I... He paused and gathered himself. I was too harsh on you when we first met. I thought either you were a trap, or just useless. I judged you too harshly, and too early. I cant judge everyone with the same criteria. Sorry.

    Malcolm looked surprised and smiled. Thanks, Matt. You all were kinda dicks, thats true.

    Matt winced at that, but Malcolm continued. But I could have prepared better, and could have been less suspicious. Thanks for not stabbing me in the back or anything. He laughed. Thats what my Talent said would happen if I had gone with the other two Tier 5 teams before you, so you werent the worst.

    Thinking about the ruin caused Matt to remember the vault they had looted, the man had a twenty five percent share of that according to their original agreement and Matt didn''t want to screw the man so messaged, When we get the contents of the vault appraised Ill send you your share.

    Malcolm''s eyebrows crept towards his hairline as he replied, You got in? That''s why it was empty? Ha, ok that''s fine no rush as I''m sure that would alert the Prince to who got in first and none of us want that.

    The call for the teleport sounded, and Malcolm made his way to the platform, and waved at the three of them remaining on the still unexplored planet.

    As the count down neared, Camilla gave them each a hug and thanks, with a kiss for the groggy Aster. Before she entered the platform she called out, Thank you guys. Find me when you get back to the Empire.

    When they disappeared, Matt looked to Liz and asked, We have locations for good items. Want to go get them?

    No. I want a shower and a real bed for at least a night.

    Matt laughed and agreed. A real bed would be amazing.

    What do you want to do after that?

    Lizs question was a good one, and he thought about it before he sent Liz a message.

    We should see what goodies we can get from delving fully charged Tier 5 rifts as a vacation. This planet is the best chance well have to test it without people coming to bother us.

    With her agreement, they went to find a real room to crash in.