Austronesia Empire, Imperial Majahapit, New Papua Guinea, Jayapura Pupua, Jayapuya Mining Complex

1st Year of God, Thursday, 2nd Week, Month Of Abraham.

“Heal!”

Glows of radiant lights lit up the interior of the emergency trauma tentage as a group of elves used their magic to heal the wounds of the injured soldiers.

Meanwhile, medical personnel worked fervently on the wounded as they were carried out from the dungeon in an almost endless stream. Soldiers carrying stretchers were directed to different tents, each designated for varying degrees of injury, with the medics hastily scribbling medical lingo on the foreheads of the wounded.

Odysseus had immediately mobilized some of the elves to the scene when he saw the disastrous action inside the dungeon, knowing that the standby team of medical staff alone was not enough to handle all the casualties.

The miners and workers all also abandoned their work and helped transport the wounded to the medical area set up for treatment, while Colonel Ciaphas organized the rescue and medical teams. The men of Platoon 2, who had been battling the Evolved Silver Land Dragon, had suffered one form of injury or another and most of it severe, while the two sections from Platoon 3 who were sent to reinforce the fight against the dragon also suffered heavy casualties

Platoon 4 of Alpha Company were deployed to help medevac the wounded out of the dungeon while Platoon 1 remained above ground as security for the mining complex. Odysseus could be seen running between the medical tents, casting major healing spells on the more critically wounded to stabilize their conditions.

Nearly an hour later, five half-tracks, with two bearing the red cross on their sides and the others in dark navy gray, rumbled into the mining complex, bringing additional medical staff and supplies to assist with the treatment of the injured.

—————————————————————————

Austronesia Empire, Imperial Majarlika, Metro Manila, Malacanang Palace, Quezon Room

1st Year of God, Thursday, 2nd Week, Month Of Abraham.

"Your Majesty."

Amelia, an officer from the Austronesia Constabulary's Intelligence Division, barged into the grand Quezon Room without so much as a knock.

"What's the matter?" Emperor Maximo, seated alone before his computer, looked up, knowing the IDAC rarely contacted him in person unless something serious had happened.

"Alpha Company has taken heavy casualties in the dungeon just minutes ago," she reported. "And that's not all."

"How bad?" Maximo asked back. "Is medical support in place?"

"Platoon 2 and half of Platoon 3 is effectively rendered non-combat capable," she replied grimly, "That's almost 4% of the Alpha Company's fighting strength. Colonel Ciaphas Cahyono was on-site, and had already used his authority to mobilize all available medical support over to the mines."

“Understood. And the other issue?”

Amelia hesitated. "...You need to see this," she said, gesturing for the Emperor to follow her.

"What is it?" Maximo asked, rising from his desk and following her out of his office. They walked briskly through the Palace's halls.

"Just two hours before Alpha Company's incident, Team Charlie, one of the Special Operatives we sent into the outside world had reported activity within the Orcs' homeland," Amelia explained as they entered another room filled with an array of television screens. "We launched one of our remaining satellites to monitor the situation, and this just came in." She turned to a staff member. "Bring the satellite feed on display 2," she instructed, and the technician quickly complied, tapping on his keyboard.

An overview footage appeared, showing a massive, meteor-like structure. "This was taken 20 minutes ago," Amelia said, pointing to a crescent-shaped cove where dozens of small shapes could be seen. "Zoom in there."

The image zoomed in, displaying a large cluster of ships beating out of the messy chaotic harbor, heading towards the exit of the cove. Amelia changed the settings of the video to real-time, and the image jumped to another view, showing a large flotilla of crude wooden ships advancing through the seas.

"The computer analysis estimates they will hit the northeast coast of New Guinea Pupua in two days."

"Damn, we knew they would send more, but it's still surprising how fast these wooden ships can move. What's the status of our forces on the Isle of Guinea?" Maximo asked.

"Alpha Company is stationed at the Jayapura Mining Complex, Bravo Company, or the 39th Infantry Battalion at Buna, Charlie Company, also known as the 352nd Infantry Division at Gona, with both armies reinforcing the island's northeastern provinces," Amelia recited from a list. "And lastly, Delta Company is at the Guinea Highlands where the largest mountain ranges resided, training new recruits."

"What's the landing zone of those Orc ships?" Maximo asked as he rubbed his bearded chin in thought.

"Here," Amelia responded, highlighting a location on the tactical map. "The entire Orc fleet is expected to land roughly over a stretch of 10 kilometers along the coast."

"Intel reports 273 ships of various sizes. The most common type is a galley-sail configuration, numbering 191 vessels in total," she said, showing an image of a long rakish design with a low freeboard with two sails, a catapult at both ends of the ship, and rows of oarsmen in either side. "Intel is designating their estimated tonnage as a frigate type and call sign as 'Dagger' class. They also estimate a crew of roughly 180 to 250 manning the ship with cruising speeds of 12 knots per hour using both wind, rowing, or whatever weird magic they possessed, along with a burst speed of up to 20 knots. It also mounts twenty to thirty primitive catapults."

"The second most common type of ship observed is this," Amelia continued, switching the image to an overhead view of another larger vessel. It featured three sails and a higher freeboard, with around eighty catapults on the top deck and on the sides, along with what appeared to be a ram at the bow as it cleared the waves. "This resembles an old Earth sloop-of-war, though with a straight bow and an underslung ram. It likely carries a single broadside of ballistas below deck and Intel thinks it carries a crew of roughly 150 to 200 Orcs. We’ve designated it as the 'Sword' class destroyer. The Orc fleet has around 50 of these."

"There's also another less common design seen here," Amelia said, changing the image to display a large twin-hulled galley. It looked like two galleys were clobbered together, with dual sets of sails on each hull and rowers on either side. "This appears to be their supply or troop transport. Intel guesses that it could hold roughly 400 to 600 bodies onboard. We've classified it as the 'Scabbard', a transport class, with 11 such vessels in the fleet."

"Finally the rest of the ships are a mix of designs, most likely prizes captured ships from the surrounding kingdoms," Amelia pointed out as he highlighted the rest of the seagoing ships. "At first, we estimated their total force at 34,000, but now that number has changed and we believe there could be between 40,000 and 50,000 Orcs."

Maximo sat down on the command chair with his fingers gliding over the images on the display. "Put me through to Colonel Ciaphas Cahyono," he instructed the comms operator.

When the call connected, Maximo asked, "Colonel, what's the readiness of the Navy Fleet?"

[A hundred of our battleships are standing by on the northeastern coast,] Ciaphas Cahyono reported. [The medium-weight vessels are being recalled to the naval base.]

"And the Phoenixes?" Maximo pressed.

[We have only eight operational,] Ciaphas replied. [The rest are under maintenance, Supreme Commander. Most of the pilots aren’t ready for combat, and the aircraft are not fully armed. We can launch the Thunderwings instead.]

"Do we have spare rocket pods for the Thunderwings?" Maximo asked. "Load the Phoenixes with the rocket pods, and let the pilots learn by a trial of fire!"

[But, Supreme Commander,] Ciaphas protested, [These eight are all we have left after the war with the Demons. The next batch of airframes is weeks from completion, and the pilots aren’t fully prepared!]

Maximo waved off the objections. "Colonel, remember what I’ve told you before? We’ve got enemies at our doorstep. We can’t afford to coddle the men now."

Ciaphas sighed in resignation and nodded. [I’ll call for volunteers.]

Maximo nodded thoughtfully before asking, "And what about these ‘Combat Walkers’ I've been hearing about?"

Ciaphas’ expression brightened at the question. [Ah, I’m glad you brought that up. A few days ago, Sir Odysseus wasn’t able to join the Dungeon clearing because he was busy creating more Earth Golems. He’s been combining them with our advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence. So far, he’s successfully built over a dozen. And from what I’ve heard, he’s working on something even bigger, a major new project.]

“Good to know. Reported me of any updates,” Maximo said and ended the call. "Amelia, instruct the IDAC to maintain UAV or Satellite surveillance over the Orc fleet and raise the alert to Condition Yellow. Contact the Major Generals of all divisions in New Papua Guinea to cease all training exercises and recall anyone on leave back to active servicing. The entire island will be our main defensive force."

"Yes, Sir," Amelia nodded firmly before going off to carry out his orders.

Maximo leaned back in his chair, staring at the display showing the approaching fleet. "Damn it, why now?" he muttered to himself.

“The last time a battle took place in New Guinea was when Australia, the Old United States, and the UK Netherlands fought the Imperial Japanese during the Second World War. History never changes.”

————————————————————

In the Ocean near the Eastern Seas of New Papua Guinea

1st Year of God, Thursday, 2nd Week, Month Of Abraham.

Orc Warmaster Jiak the Skull Krusher flexed his green-toned, muscular biceps before the throng of Orcs gathered before him. Seated on a throne made of skulls from various creatures and species, he towered over even the tallest Orcs with his body twice the size and muscle mass of the average Orc.

And the aura that radiated from him was so intense it could intimidate even Level 10 magic users.

His a Transcendent Tier 1 being.

A spray of seawater splashed over the quarterdeck where his skull throne sat. Jiak wiped the saltwater from his bluish hair done in a mohawk style. His square jaw chewed constantly on a piece of tough gristle that he spat over the side of the ship. This ship, the ‘Skull Taker’, was a prize he had captured many moons ago.

"So, yer tellin' me da delay uv da ships was ‘cause of the tides an’ winds, not yer own failin’s?" he growled, glaring at the two goblins who cowered and whimpered before him.

"Yesss, Warmaster! we no meant for delays! it was da winds an’ sea!" the whimpering goblins cried out, trembling in fear.

"If ‘dat's ‘da kase," Jiak said, waving a hand toward his personal guards, which were hulking Orcs clad in thick armor reinforced with small metal plates. The guards picked up the terrified goblins, lifting them effortlessly, one in each hand. "Then send ‘em ta WAAGH! ‘n advance ta let ‘em appease da twin Godz, since dey blame ‘em for da delay. A proper apology iz in order, yeah?"

The goblins shrieked in terror as they were held by the larger Orc guards, biting and scratching at the armored hands holding them but to no avail, as they were unceremoniously stuffed into the yellow-painted cannons like unwanted rubbish, wailing in fear as they were blasted into the air, and disappeared into the sky.

"Any more 'cuses about da wind an sea?" Jiak roared across the deck from his throne to his crew. When no one dared to respond, he nodded with satisfaction, "No? gud, ‘dat's wot i thought. I want ta reach ‘da landfall before ‘da sun sets!”

And the crew hurriedly went above their tasks, while the Orc Shamans cast more wind spells to fill the sails, pushing the ship faster.

————————————————————

Free Trade City of Aquarius, Streets of Aquarius

1st Year of God, Friday, 2nd Week, Month Of Abraham.

The city of Aquarius bustled as usual, its streets filled with a diverse array of races and visitors from distant lands. The market areas were vibrant and busy, as mainstream as they came, with legitimate businesses thriving alongside more discreet dealings.

Riley, the leader of Team Epsilon, moved through the crowd in disguise. He had assumed the form of a more mature individual to hide his identity. His Orichalcum Mask was going to distort the prying gazes of detection Magic, but he was aware that high-level spells could probably still pass through its effects.

Beyond the mask, Riley’s appearance was calculated to project authority. His skull mask, dark cloak, and the menacing aura he exuded made the lowlifes avoid him and commanded respect from those who were strong enough to recognize it.

'Mason should be wrapping up his business by now. I need to sell these Monster Cores or Mana Stones quickly, even if they're at a discount.'

With an overwhelming number of Mana Stones about to flood the market, Riley knew he had to act fast or risk his entire business plan collapsing before his very eyes.

'It’s a bit early, but… I have no choice.'

As Riley arrived at the ExRump Corporation headquarters, he was immediately welcomed gracefully with utmost respect. He was shown the path upstairs and even escorted by an esteemed individual like the VIP that he was.

"Your subordinate is still in discussions with Sir Elon Tusk. Would you like to join them?" an attendant asked.

Riley was surprised that Mason hadn’t left the building yet, but he dismissed the thought as trivial compared to the task at hand.

"Yes, I would," he replied.

He was led to the room where Mason and Elon were meeting. The space was more lavish than the one he remembered, a sign of the company’s intent to treat them well as Exclusive Sellers.

'I suppose they want to keep us happy,' Riley thought, managing a smile as he turned the knob and entered the room.

'Let's just hope I can maintain that status.'

The moment he stepped inside the room, Riley was almost instantly greeted by a very excited Human-Orc.

“Ah, sir! It's such a pleasant surprise to see you!" The man was grinning sheepishly at him, almost the way a fan would react when meeting their favorite celebrity for the first time.

'He's literally gushing…' Was Riley's impression as he nodded slightly, entering the room.

"I was just asking your subordinate here when we might have the pleasure of seeing you again," the man continued.

Riley glanced at Mason and noticed the uncomfortable smile plastered on his face.

‘Were they pressuring him to convince me to come? Is that why he took so long?’ Riley wondered, though he quickly brushed the thought aside.

"In any case, it's truly good to have you here. We have much to discuss."

Riley took a seat on the sofa, and Mason went and stood behind him almost instantly.

‘Good. He knows how to keep up appearances without needing to be told,’ Riley mused, feeling a sense of relief. Mason seemed to be able to handle himself in business matters now, but sometimes he was still an indecisive klutz. Like just now, when he allowed his time to be delayed because of this man with Orc tusk.

Mason’s discomfort was hidden behind his smile, but Riley chose to ignore it. These were the kinds of situations Mason needed to navigate on his own to learn.

‘But this is going better than I expected. It seems they haven’t caught wind of the incoming market saturation,’ Riley thought, feeling a sense of relief, to say at least. This meant he had a shot here, to sell and be done away with what would soon become useless rocks given enough time.

"Before we get straight into business, I believe there’s someone you should meet," Elon said with a smile, raising his hand to speak into a bracelet on his wrist.

"Bring him in."

‘Who? What’s this about?’ Riley wondered, though he didn’t have long to speculate, because a knock promptly echoed through the room, and the door opened before he could form any guesses.

"We’ve brought him, sir," a voice announced.

Riley’s gaze shifted to the doorway, where two burly men stood behind a figure who looked absolutely miserable.

The man in front of them was tied up, and he had rags for clothes. Bruises covered his face, and he had an expression that showed he was desperately begging for mercy.

He couldn't speak, though, as his mouth was covered in a very thick gag.

But his eyes, wide with fear, said all that needed to be said.

'What the hell?! Who is that guy?' Riley wondered in shock.

He caught sight of Mason fidgeting nervously out the corner of his eye, which meant that he might recognize the unfortunate man.

'Could it be…?!' Riley’s eyes widened under the mask as the two men dragged the pitiful man into the room.

"We managed to track down and capture the man who falsely claimed to be our Affiliate," Elon explained with a cold smile. "A lowlife like this, using our name to scam one of your esteemed subordinates… that strikes me as unjust."

Riley found himself nodding, though his mind was still reeling.

"And so, we decided to punish him for his acts. Of course, he regrets his actions and would like to say a few words to you."

Elon gestured to one of the hefty men, who immediately began untying the captive. The gag was removed, and as soon as he was freed, the man collapsed into a desperate prostration before Riley.

"I… I am shawry… Sho shawrry… Sharry for my a-ackshuns. Won't… won't do it again. P-pleashe… hab mershheyy…"

It seemed like the man's teeth had been broken, and his swollen lips got in the way of his words.

'I've seen a lot of things, but this is just brutal…' Riley thought as he watched the man repeatedly bow his head to the floor while begging for forgiveness.

'I feel bad for him. I even got my money back, so there's no need to be this extreme.'

"Hm. You didn't have to go out of your way…" Riley said, turning to Elon.

"Hah! Nonsense! This is the least we could do for your continued business with us," Elon replied, smiling the same way any bootlicker would.

'I've spent enough time around people to know what ass-kissing looks like,' Riley thought, recognizing the manipulative undertone in Elon's actions. It was clear Elon wanted something from him, which explained why he and his group went ahead and did this with extreme measures.

'Do I really strike them as someone who would enjoy this? Goddamn!' Riley was both impressed and disturbed by the lengths they were willing to go. 'At least now I know that this persona works well in this situation,' he concluded, realizing that his carefully crafted image had achieved its intended effect.

His black skull mask was crudely made, so he was thinking of getting something new, but it served its purpose well in cultivating his fearsome persona, and with this entire thing, he knew he had to keep it somewhere… just in case,

"Well, it's fine. It seems he has learned his lesson, so he's free to go. We have more important things to consider anyway," Riley said, dismissing the battered man.

Elon seemed very satisfied with this decision, so he turned to the hefty guard and nodded.

"T-THANK YOUU! Thank you so muuussshhh!" The pitiful man exclaimed as he was dragged off with his broken teeth exposed and his bulging eyes nearly popping out of his sockets.

'Now I feel like a Criminal Overlord or something. How did things end up this way…?' Riley thought, almost sighing in exasperation.

Still, he quickly composed himself, ready to steer the conversation in his favor. "Alright. What do you want?" he asked, cutting straight to the point. He knew it was better if he took the initiative and had the lead in this conversation.

"Oho! It seems you figured it out, Sir," Elon replied, clearly pleased.

"You wouldn't have done something as unnecessary as that without an intention. So, I ask you again… what do you want?" Riley asked calmly, though he couldn't help but feel it was slightly insensitive, if not downright rude, to refer to the brutal beating of that man as "unnecessary" in such a light manner.

But he already knew how the game had to be played.

He wasn't about to slack off.

"Indeed. The thing is… Sir… we are in need of those Mana Stones you provide." Elon began with an honest position. He had a gentle smile, one so genuine you wouldn't believe he ordered that a man should be beaten so badly. He leaned closer to Riley and had that look of excitement still radiating all over his face.

"I see. How many exactly?" Riley answered in a calm and unchanging tone, maintaining his calm exterior while his mind raced with thoughts.

'Yes, perfect! The worst-case scenario has been avoided!' he celebrated internally. He had to hide his excitement very well, and he felt like his skull mask he wore helped hide any telltale signs of his excitement.

'I just hope they need as much as I have. It would be suspicious if I try to sell them more than what they are asking for,' he mused. The laws of demand and supply were unforgiving, and he knew he had to tread carefully or that would ruin the value of his goods.

But desperation had a way of bending even the strictest rules. 'But right now I'm desperate. I don't mind selling it at a slightly lower price if—'

"As much as you have!" Elon’s sudden, loud declaration snapped Riley out of his intense thoughts.

"Hm…?" Riley responded, momentarily caught off guard. It was so surprising that he was taken aback by the Broker's words.

As if Riley didn't hear it the first time, Elon repeated his words with far more fervor.

"We are willing to buy everything you have!"

————————————————————

Elon’s POV:

‘How will this go…?'

Elon tightened his fingers that were wrapped around one another as he made a resolute stare at the man before him. Despite his outward confidence, he was quite nervous.

'He hasn't shown up to sell in a few days, so the expansion plan has been compromised because of it…’

There was a chance that the man before might have broken their exclusive contract and sold to another party, but Elon didn't want to think that, he just didn't seem like that kind of guy. But, even if he did break their agreement, what was Elon supposed to do?

'He’s a Transcendent Tier 2. Father warned me, under no circumstances can we make an enemy of him…'

That meant he couldn't even be penalized for breaking the contract. All that he and this Corporation could do was try to renegotiate and strengthen their bond.

'We've given him no reason to doubt our sincerity. And while it isn't much by disciplining that lowlife, I hoped we could show just how useful and committed we are to him.'

But the man's indifferent response with an unimpressed tone told Elon that this move wasn't as effective as he had hoped, but he couldn’t afford to give up.

'For expansion into other markets… we need a substantial supply of goods.'

If possible, the same amount as what he brought last time.

No, even double.

It actually didn't matter the amount he could provide, as the more Mana Stones they had, the bigger their profit would be.

Elon just hoped their esteemed seller would agree to cooperate with them.

'In all my years, I've never been pushed to this point…'

Elon had learned everything he knew from his father, and he had spent his entire life immersed in the operations of the ExRump Corporation.

He was well-versed in the inner workings of business and he had long mastered the art of negotiation.

Bargaining Power, Equivalent Exchange, Demand and Supply, and various other concepts of business had been ingrained in his brain since childhood.

The only reason he was currently operating under his monika of “Elon Tusk”, a mere broker, was simply because this was a final test his father concocted to see if he was truly ready to take on the larger business world.

Elon knew he couldn't afford to fail here.

"Are you sure… you can handle what I possess?" The moment he was asked this question, Elon froze in place.

He instantly realized the error he had made.

'What did I just say? How could I have been so careless?'

By saying they would buy all the Mana Stones in their seller's possession, Elon had implied that the ExRump Corporation could afford all of it.

For a Transcendent Tier 2 being, one who had long exceeded the limits of almost every inhabitant in the Third Civilization Zone, that would be nothing short of an insult.

Elon knew he had to correct himself immediately.

"I… I apologize. What I meant was that we'd buy as much as you're willing to sell. We only hope you can sell as much as possible."

It was impossible to decipher the seller's reaction to this since his face was hidden behind a mask, leaving Elon to nervously hope his correction was effective.

"I see. Very well, then…"

Elon couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the man straighten his posture.

'Thank goodness!' He sighed in relief. ‘Looks like we've almost got ourselves a deal.'

————————————————————

Riley’s POV:

'This… this is crazy!'

Riley couldn't believe his luck. He had expected to be the one desperate to sell his stuff, but it seemed like he possessed all the bargaining power.

'It will be foolish of me to keep hoarding my stock now.'

It was clear that the ExRump Corporation was in dire need of Mana Stones of good quality. It was inevitable that word of this got out, and soon enough, it would only be a matter of time before the influx of Mana Stones would come their way. From what Riley could gather, these people had a lot of influence.

The fact that they were able to track down the same scammer who had duped Mason just to please him, and their readiness to buy so many Mana Stones proved they were very wealthy and powerful people.

'I can't miss out on this opportunity now.'

If he hesitated, there was a chance he would suffer a loss unlike any other.

'Since I've been given this chance, I'll sell everything I have.'

Riley reaches into his Spatial Ring and brings out a couple of sacks from each box within. Without Polites to act as his walking storage, he had to do it himself.

And of course, each sack was filled to the brim with Mana Stones.

However…

'One of these sacks is different.'

Riley smiled as he opened the small sack, more like a pouch, really, in front of Elon, and within it were several Spatial Rings.

'Thankfully, I was able to acquire a good amount of Spatial Rings and implemented a prototype of my grand plan before everything went south.'

"Each of these rings contains three sacks of Mana Stones," Riley explained. "There are fifty rings in this pouch, totaling 150 sacks. Adding that to the forty-five other sacks here makes a total of 195 sacks. This is what I’m willing to sell to you, Mr. Tusk."

Riley watched as the man’s eyes widened in disbelief, and could see him salivate as his eyes nearly popped out of his eyes. The broker certainly wasn't expecting such an absurd influx of Mana Stones from Riley.

"The question is… can you afford it?"

As Riley’s voice echoed through the room, he studied Elon’s overwhelmed expression.

'He seems surprised, but not to the point of being unable to pay…'

Riley couldn't be certain, so he kept his fingers crossed and waited for an answer.

Fortunately for him… luck was on his side.

"YES! WE WILL BUY EVERYTHING!"

And like that, the deal was sealed.

Elon Tusk used a Magic Artifact to calculate the exact number of Mana Stones that existed in each sack. By multiplying the total with the agreed-upon price, they arrived at the final selling price.

A whooping 4,650 Platinum Coin!

'I still can't believe this…'

Riley was trying his best to remain composed after hearing such an absurd number, but his heart pounded with excitement. Adding this sum to his existing balance of 1,051 Platinum Coins, he now had a total of 5,701 Platinum Coins.

'I never imagined I'd make this much in a single transaction… talkless of now.'

Riley couldn’t help but feel like a scammer, though he felt no guilt whatsoever. Why would he?

‘Once the influx of Mana Stones arrives, these guys will be at a loss. I should probably avoid coming here in this place for a while…’

He smiled internally, satisfied that he had made enough money for now.

The mission for the Empire was what came next, so distractions like this were unnecessary.

"As always, it’s a pleasure doing business with you," Elon’s voice broke into his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.

The deal was done, but they were both still in the lounge. Staff had come to collect the Mana Stones and deliver his payment. At this point, Riley felt like he was overstaying his welcome, so he rose to his feet in a slow, dignified manner, feeling Elon’s gaze was on him the entire time.

"Likewise. I'm leaving now," he said in a monotone voice.

At this point, Elon jumped to his feet, almost as if he hadn't expected their dear seller to leave so soon.

"Please, why not stay a bit longer? I would like us to discuss further on—"

"There are other places I must be…"

Riley had pressing matters to discuss with his team regarding more of the mission. Besides, it would really suck if the influx of Mana Stones happened while he was still in the building. For his own safety, he needed to leave quickly.

"Okay, I understand! But before you leave, why not take a look at our newest products? As our valued seller, it would be our greatest pleasure to show you some of what we have to offer."

Riley could already tell that they were trying to bait him into becoming a customer of theirs, hoping to establish a mutually beneficial relationship, and that way, it could go both ways

'Well… there's no harm in seeing what they have, I guess.'

Frankly speaking, Riley was on the lookout for good equipment, as he'd often heard how Magic Artifacts were lifesavers for Knights and Adventurers, and that even a weakling could be unbelievably strong with the right gear.

‘After all, I’m just a regular human among these superhuman freaks like those superheroes from comic books.’

Having Magic Artifacts to aid his survival in this dangerous world seemed like a wise investment.

"Fine. Let me see."

Elon seemed extremely pleased to hear that Riley was interested, and he didn't hesitate to show his obvious satisfaction.

At that moment, Riley couldn’t help but notice how different Elon seemed from the man he was first introduced to, as though he was seeing two different people.

‘I guess this is what happens when you’re around people who are stronger and wealthier than you…’

————————————————————

After a few minutes, Elon led the masked fellow to their exclusive shopping area, a space reserved for only the most esteemed customers. Even in a high-end store like this, there was no way to escape discrimination in some way, as certain products were hidden away, reserved for the elite.

Some things simply weren’t meant for all eyes to see. They were special, meant only for the cream of the crop.

The masked seller was brought to the place where these exclusive items were kept.

"Welcome to our VIP Area," Elon announced with pride in his voice. "Every item here is crafted from the highest-grade materials available."

No Mana Stones less than Grade 7 were used in the creation of any of the items here. Only the most refined minerals and Mana Crystals were utilized in the manufacturing process. Not only that, each product was one of a kind, unless part of a set, and even then, you’d never see more than one person carrying an identical item from this collection.

A truly luxurious place.

"Due to your continued relationship with us, we’d like to offer you a gift," Elon said, breaking the silence that had settled over the room. This was the real reason he had brought the masked man to their VIP section.

"You may select any one Artifact of your liking. No, make that two, since your guard there might fancy something as well."

Elon could see the seller’s subordinate twitch slightly at the offer, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in himself for employing such a clever strategy.

'He often sends this man to do business with us. If we can get him wholly on our side, I'm sure that would work to our benefit.'

"I see. Then I shall take a look around," the deep tone of the masked man curtly interrupted Elon's thoughts, causing him to straighten up instantly.

"Yes! Please, take your time!"

And so, the seller advanced to the rows of Magic Artifacts, while Elon stood still in place and watched him from his position.

'Hopefully, with this… we can have his goodwill.'

————————————————————

'Holy fuck! These items are insane!'

Riley had been to luxury stores before and had seen impressive Artifacts, like the ones where he acquired his Spatial Rings and his current attire. He had even checked out a few more items through Mason after some of their sales.

But compared to those, the Magic Artifacts he was seeing here were on an entirely different level. They made those other items seem like garbage.

'And what the hell are these prices?!'

In the VIP section of the previous store, the cheapest item had cost a Platinum Coin. Here, the cheapest was five.

**"I could buy decent land for that much, couldn’t I?"**

It seemed that in this world, buying power was far more expensive than buying property. When Riley thought about it, it all made sense.

What good was owning property if you couldn’t protect it? A landowner could be maimed, robbed, and stripped of everything they possessed. But those with power? How could they be victims of such cruelty when they are now untouchable?

No, they were the ones who would do the maiming and robbing. They were the ones who would strip others of all they had.

In essence, having power was infinitely more valuable than owning mundane things like property.

Even comparing between the richest multinational corporate owned billionaires on Earth and a hillbilly who could split a mountain and decimate armies, the hillbilly would undeniably hold the true power.

"With enough power, you could even defy established governments and carve your own path…"

With the increasing threat of Magic Beasts, Sea Monsters, and Orcs, the demand for power had skyrocketed.

Riley understood this all too well, so after his initial shock, he forced himself to calm down.

Besides…

‘The effects look nice. They're worth it,’ he thought, his eyes scanning the plaques beneath each Artifact, detailing their abilities.

Each Magic Artifact had a price tag and a description of its powers, allowing Riley to grasp their potential at a glance.

‘This one can actually double the power of Magic Spells by a hundred percent… that’s insane.’

It literally meant double the firepower.

‘Unfortunately, I’m just a manaless human, so it’s useless to me…’

Plus, Riley had the new AF-1 Magic Rifle that his country had developed, so while he was impressed by the abilities of the Magic Artifacts around him, he wasn’t willing to purchase it.

‘I can see how a weakling could become twice as powerful just from that item, though,’ he smirked.

Riley shifted his gaze to Mason, who had been standing quietly the entire time. He had forgotten about him since he was so invested in the items.

"You heard Mr. Tusk. Get over here and choose a Magic Artifact for yourself."

“...Neat.”

Mason’s quick reaction showed he had been waiting for those words. He leaped from his position and eagerly rushed to the rows of shelves displaying the pristine merchandise.

'All these items are great and all. It's hard to pick one…' Riley mused.

He began to wonder if he should take just one Magic Artifact, test it out, and then return to buy a full set using his Discount Privilege.

'Or should I just get the whole set of stuff I wanna buy now?'

Knowing that there was a high chance that he might burn his bridges with the ExRump Corporation, wasn't it best to milk as much from this entire relationship as possible while it lasted?

'But… what if I don't end up burning those bridges?'

What if the oversaturation he anticipated never happened? It was, after all, just a theory in Riley’s head, and there was a chance he could be wrong.

If that were the case…

'Getting all the items I want now will make me seem too eager, as if I haven't seen these kinds of things before…'

It would ruin his image.

'Besides, since Elon Tusk wants to give me a gift, and if I take too many Magic Artifacts, he might feel obligated to give me everything for free…'

Riley didn't particularly mind the idea, but he knew it wouldn't be good for business.

'I can't let them think I'm taking advantage of them. We both need to feel like we’re mutually benefiting…’

There was a thin line between interest and greed. Riley didn't want to be the first one to display the latter, though he knew it was inevitable that the ExRump Corporation would eventually reveal their own greed, like any other corporations in his previous world.

'That won't happen anytime soon, though. I should try to be as careful as possible here…'

With that in mind, Riley decided to pick just one item.

As Riley made his decision, he noticed Mason approaching.

"Hey Mason, what did you pick out?" he asked, curious.

"Oh, this," Mason replied, holding up a blade barely three inches long. Despite its small size, it resembled a traditional Japanese katana, complete with intricate details.

"I forgot you were more into swords than guns. Is that why you chose this?" Riley asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I was a big anime fan before Japan became an imperial power again. You should try it out sometime, maybe fight against some mythical creatures in this world, like a… a Siren, a Cyclops, Giants, Harpies, Chimeras, Minotaurs, a Werewolf! Or even better, a Hydra!"

Riley sighed. "I'm more of a gunman than a swordsman, so that’s never going to happen," he said, shaking his head. His eyes caught sight of the runes etched into the blade.

"The numbers, Mason. What do they mean?"

"Oh, right! The description mentioned that it has three effects. First, it always returns to the user after a set period, or you can call it back like a magnet. Second, it can grow into a full-sized sword only for a second. And third, it will be enveloped in magical energy and burst these energies out like a bomb."

Riley nodded, impressed. Those were indeed powerful abilities for a weapon to have.

"That's an impressive weapon, but the problem is you need Mana to activate those abilities, and we humans don’t have that luxury."

Mason grinned. "Don't forget we’ve got plenty of Mana Stones at our disposal, and one of our teammates is working on a device that lets us humans activate Artifacts using those stones."

"Right… I almost forgot."

"But the best part? This blade doesn’t even need external Mana to use its functions. It doesn't even consume a single strand of magical energy at all."

"Really? It’s got Mana Crystals embedded in it, so it must use its own Mana supply," Riley observed.

"True, but that just means it can't stay big in size indefinitely. There’s probably a duration period and cooldown state after each use," Mason added.

"But the Mana in it should recover over time, so it’s not a one-time consumable," Riley concluded.

Mason had chosen a remarkable Magic Artifact, and Riley couldn’t help but feel proud of him, almost like an older brother would when their younger sibling told them they finally got a girlfriend.

Riley nodded approvingly from behind his mask.

‘Now that we’re done here, I wonder what the others have been up to…’

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A/n: Thanks for reading! Make sure to vote and comment on this chapter.

And it seems Riley underestimates how much these people value him.

Furthermore, the next chapter will focus on Riley's other teammates, and the bizarre battle they were about to be involved in ;)