CHAPTER 413: THE INDIVIDUAL PRICE

The group cheered, pleased with the rewards. They were excellent rewards for winning the first of many rounds to come. Yet, he couldn’t deny feeling completely satisfied with them either.

’The discount is nice, but I don’t rely too much on equipment. My control allows my body to act like a weapon and armor at the same time. I hoped to gather resources to complete the transformations so I can ascend to the next stage.’

He thought so, but didn’t complain. The resources he needed were rare and plentiful. It would be strange if he received them as rewards. The merchants were generous to a point. Even their own heirs wouldn’t be worthy to bleed treasures on.

"We aren’t done yet." As he prepared to leave the dining room, he heard Sterling call. Hex stopped. The group around him also fell silent. The mention of what sounded like more rewards pulled everyone’s attention.

Sterling signaled for Jana to continue.

"Like Lord Sterling has said, there is more. These were the group rewards, given to teams according to their rank. Aside from these, some individuals are eligible to win additional rewards. The eligibility is decided by the Elders, judges, and the representatives. The criteria to win a prize is based upon the amount of bonus points individuals have managed to amass."

"Wonderful," Dollaire punched the air in delight. "I received some bonus points as the fastest refiner in the east block."

No one minded her smug look. Bonus points were difficult to earn. If she had some, she had every right to boast about it.

Jana, however, looked uncomfortable. Seeing her nervous smile, everyone, including Dollaire fell silent.

"Ahum, congrats on the achievement...but..."

"Out with it. I didn’t get a prize?" Dollaire asked coldly. Her stare caused Jana to tremble. For a second. Jana quickly realized how she might appear to the group, so she clenched her fist and stepped forward.

"No. You didn’t get one. You weren’t even considered," Jana said, staring right into Dollaire’s eyes.

"Then who got one?" Dollaire asked, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"One person per team received the additional price. It was the person with the most bonus points for the team."

"Who is our top scorer then?" Dollaire asked Jana, but Hex felt her gaze on him. Not only hers. The entire room was staring at him. Given their history, they were familiar with his abilities, even if they never saw his true limits.

"Mike Lichtemane," Jana said with a bright smile, her eyes darting around to meet the man of the hour. Only, no one reacted.

Hex stifled a chuckle at the confused gazes of everyone present. Aside from Sterling. As the leader of the team, he registered the names. Hex had discussed the identities he would use, which Sterling then registered as members of the team.

"Ahum," Sterling coughed, drawing everyone’s attention. "Mike is a trump card I had up my sleeve and will be revealed in the time to come."

The groans and protests from the table displayed the unhappiness of the crowd, but before they could gang up on Sterling for a name, he threw another question at Jana as a distraction.

"What did he get? I mean, he isn’t here but we can still discuss the price he received, right?"

That stopped the people in their tracks. As one, they turned toward Jana, who needed a moment to respond. Despite her confident smile, the ever-changing mood of her audience left her nervous. Maybe she didn’t realize it herself but she hid half behind Hex, who happened to be nearest to her.

"Ah, what? No, right. Yeah, I can do that."

"They are harmless," Hex whispered, taking a step sideways. "They are just loud. So, relax."

He caught her eye and nodded reassuringly. It worked, apparently. She drew a sharp breath, straightened her posture, and took her spot at the front of the table.

"Mister Mike has earned a sponsorship deal with a shop of his choosing. He can post a request, and they will fulfill it. To a limit, though. The limit is negotiable and decided between him and the shop owner. As the champion of the first-placed team, he gets the first priority on any chosen shop. The prerequisite is that he needs to complete the transaction before the next round. Or else, the price expires."

Another round of protests broke out. Some complained about the unfairness of rewarding only one person per team. A team win was won by...well, a team. Rewarding just one person seemed unfair to others who went above and beyond.

Some complained about the vagueness of the reward. The shops would do their best to place the limit as low as they could. What if this...Mike wouldn’t end up with something far less in value than someone in the sixteenth place?

And a small group, if you call one person a group, complained about the time constraint. Sterling argued that they wouldn’t have enough to gather enough information to make the best decision.

Jana looked nervous and nodded at everything with a smile that screamed she wished to get away from this place. With a sigh, Hex stepped up and hid the girl behind him, while he faced the mob, who paused seeing him appear so suddenly.

"Hold up. There is no point in making her uncomfortable. She isn’t the one deciding all this. And why are you guys complaining on behalf of someone who isn’t even here? Let him decide on his own what he will do with the price. If he ends up making a fool of himself, well, good for him. Don’t you agree?"

The rest looked at each other and then back at him. Some backed away. Sterling, knowing his other identity, chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, I hope he doesn’t make a fool of himself," Dollaire grumbled, with her sister nodding along. But they did take a step back and sat in their seats.

"I am sorry for their behavior," Hex said, turning toward Jana. The girl was staring at him but lowered her head, turning red in the face, when she caught his eye.

"Are you all right?" He asked, worried they might have spooked the poor girl. Seeing her nod timidly, he relaxed. He didn’t believe her entirely but his mind was flooded with options to cash in on the price. One stood out. If he could make it happen, his search for resources would become so much easier.