Draco and Riveting Night took a carriage from the Guild Hall to the Castle. As they went along the street, they Evil Duo chatted lightly about how to deal with the Rank 7 Hidden Powers who dared to support Myriad Cards and Lorebinders.
The problem was that this rebalance had taken away Draco's trump card, which had been Omega. Even if he would be killed, Draco knew that Omega could at least destroy any one Rank 7 NPC, which would instill fear in others.
However, the old Omega had been too useless, in the sense that it had so many limitations. Not only would it negate drops and leave him n.a.k.e.d for death, but it would also rip holes in the fabric of reality and cause catastrophes.
The system had brought Omega down to his level, so he could 100% kill anything within his Rank while still gaining loot for this action.
As such, Draco could only default to his original method, which had been to rely on Richmond's Heraldry until he acquired another Divine item. Fragarach and the Dragonlance were upgradeable, but 1,000 levels to raise them would be…
Soon enough, they reached the Castle, and the carriage dropped them at the gate. It wasn't that it couldn't take them in, but rather that there was already a welcome party awaiting the duo.
A group of Knights on horses dismounted and got on their knees. "We greet our Lord!"
Draco nodded at them and mounted the horse he had tamed the other time he came. It was a pure black and handsome steed that looked malevolent mostly because of its dark affiliation.
Another pure white and much more graceful horse was brought alongside this one. If one added a spiral horn to its forehead, it would look just like a unicorn.
Draco mounted the black horse while Riveting Night mounted the white horse. The Knights escorted them from the gate of the Castle to the main entrance, where a row of maids were waiting all lined up.
"We greet our Lord!"
Draco smiled at the maids, dismounting from the horses while entering the Castle, along with Riveting Night.
The two horses were led away, and they moved silently and without a fuss, but…
How was this possible? This Black Horse was known to be unruly and very wild when Draco wasn't around. Why was it extremely docile today?
While the stable hands were confused, the languid face of the Black Horse displayed nothing but calmness and geniality. Even when it was led to its stable, it didn't bite or snap at anyone.
The moment the stable hand left, and there was no one else around, the Black Horse fell to the floor in a heap of sweat, fear, and anxiety.
Its tongue rolled out as it panted like it had sprinted for days on end, and its eyes were opened wide, as if it had looked at the most horrifying things on this planet.
'Shit, how did he become even more of a monster in such a short period of time??'
The Black Horse had sworn to get revenge on Draco the next time they met after he had suppressed it with Control. How dare the fellow suppress it? Even worse, he had mounted him in public.
As such, the Black Horse had gone to the waterfall at the back and practiced zen. It had trained for the 3 weeks since it had last seen Draco, going through the typical training montage every protagonist experienced before beating the last boss.
However, all that went to shit when it laid eyes on Draco. The fellow practically suppressed its everything with his aura and the sheer amount of powerful items on his person.
Not to mention that as a Black Horse, it could not dare to raise its head against Draco who had both Demonic and Devil blood. He was the type of person that the greatest member of his race would willingly single-handedly sacrifice its own family for a chance to serve.
Yet, this Black Horse couldn't accept this!
Why?
It was for a pretty common and simple reason really. It had seen Draco before he had this aura, so its first impression of him conflicted with its current impression.
Due to the humongous gap in impressions, it refused to believe the current impression and stubbornly stuck with its first impression.
This was a pretty normal thing in society. It was the same kind of scenario concerning the dumb kid in high school who flunked basic tests suddenly pull up to the reunion party in a Ferrari, with two babes in each arm. Such a thing would definitely startle anyone who knew the old him.
They would refuse to believe it was the current him and only place the image of the old him on the current him.
As such, it felt that Draco had used some tricks on it.
'Hmph, trying to pose for this Horse Daddy? Well, the idea was good, but the execution was terrible! As such, this Horse Daddy will have to teach you a lesson, heh heh…'
There was a reason why it - among all the members of its noble race - had been captured by humans for Draco. It was clear... that this Black Horse was lacking in the IQ department.
.............
Draco didn't even head to his room, no. He briskly walked to the shop of the Roaming Merchant, Shuro. Last time he had visited the Castle, before heading to the Flora and Fauna Quest, Shuro had told Draco that his stock hadn't arrived yet.
Due to the various events that happened ever since, he hadn't had time to see exactly what nonsense Shuro had been hiding.
Now, he was looking forward to seeing what the fellow had in stock and just what qualified him to occupy a Rank 7 Castle and dare to tell the owner to wait patiently.
Draco and Riveting Night reached Shuro's shop, and saw the fellow standing there without a care in the world. His shop was located in one of the hallways of the Rank 7 Castle, styled in a manner similar to a roadside kiosk.
Shuro was a well-built Asiatic man who wore a long robe that was black in color. He also had a Japanese samurai hat and a black mask that covered every part of his face except his light crimson eyes.
Draco smiled thinly and approached the fellow. "I assume your stock is filled this time?"
Shuro seemed unbothered by Draco's subtle aggressiveness. "Quite a while ago I would say. In fact, I waited for my Lord for so long that I became worried."
His voice was thick and very manly, giving one the vibe that he was a capable fighter. From his get-up and his demeanor, Draco began to suspect that Shuro didn't rely on trade routes for his 'stock' but acquired it… directly.
"Hoh? Then show me your stock." Draco replied with a glint in his eye.
Shuro seemed to smile under his mask and gestured to the area behind him. "The best items available for the best prices"
With a line reminiscent of a vendor NPC from those old PC games, a screen popped up before Draco with a list of 10 items, their description, and their prices.
When Draco saw what they were, his heart stopped and his mind went blank. This vendor was probably the first of his trade who did not exaggerate.
｢State of Being Upgrade Potion – Consumable
Rank: Legendary (100% effectiveness)
Effect: Permanently upgrade one's racial State of Being to one Rank higher.
Price: 60,000 platinum｣
｢God's Heraldry – Consumable
Rank: Legendary (100% effectiveness)
Effect: Become the herald of a random True God on this plane.
Price: 170,000 platinum｣
｢Phoenix Contract – Consumable
Rank: Legendary (100% effectiveness)
Effect: Allows one to gain a Phoenix mount with an excellent attack, defense, and support capabilities.
Price: 210,000 platinum｣
｢Privateering – Legendary Tradeskill
Effect: Learn how to sail the monster-infested seas and build sh.i.p.s that can survive the deep waters.
Price: 80,000 platinum｣
｢Scrivener – Legendary Tradeskill
Effect: Learn how to transform learned and theoretical techniques into skillbooks through writing.
Price: 500,000 platinum｣
｢Merchant King – Legendary Quest Scroll
Effect: Provide one with the "Merchant King" class change quest.
Price: 30,000 platinum｣
｢Seneschal – Legendary Quest Scroll
Effect: Provide one with the "Seneschal" class change quest.
Price: 30,000 platinum｣
｢Great Commander – Legendary Quest Scroll
Effect: Provide one with the "Great Commander" class change quest.
Price: 30,000 platinum｣
｢Lightfire – Fusion item
Rank: Legendary
Effects:
Passive 1 – Purification: Cleanse all darkness and evil in the world. Every Light or Fire based skill, spell or technique will deal 1,000% more damage to evil beings.
Passive 2 – Light's Might: Light and Fire based skills, spells or techniques deal 500% more damage.
Active 1 – Inferno: Purge the world of all dirt. Send out a shockwave of heat and light that deals 800% Light damage and 800% Fire damage over an Area Zone. Cooldown: 7 days.
Description: This is a flame that was birthed due to the presence of Light, a legendary mystic flame born from the rays of light in the world. Ranked number 3 out of the Great Ten Mystic Flames.
Price: 300,000 platinum｣
｢Purefire – Fusion item
Rank: Legendary
Effects:
Passive 1 – Clear Mind: All status effects relating to the mind and soul are unconditionally resisted.
Passive 2 – Clear Body: All stats effects relating to the body are unconditionally resisted.
Active 1 – Heartfire: Expel all the negativity in a target's heart and body, bringing about perfect mental and physical stability. Cooldown: 1 day.
Description: This is a flame that was birthed due to the presence of purity, a legendary mystic flame born from the power of the soul. Ranked number 2 out of the Great Ten Mystic Flames.
Price: 350,000 platinum｣
Draco had to take many breaths to calm himself down. When Riveting Night checked the list, her reaction wasn't any better. After all, what Shuro was offering would even get the War Maniac Pavilion to hunt him down.
"H-How?" Draco asked weakly.
Shuro didn't seem surprised nor bothered by their shock. "I have my ways."
His cryptic answer made Draco calm down. Riveting Night also reined in her excitement. They finally understood that their ignorance of the highest point of Boundless was too great.
They had gotten very far in their previous lives, but had plateaued in many areas. Since they had gotten a chance to restart with all their knowledge, they had taken shortcuts and built a foundation that was far too sturdy for their Rank.
Now, they were encountering bits of lore and game mechanics that were absolutely new and mind-blowing to them.
They had formerly arrogantly believed that they had seen it all, but it was clear that they had yet to scratch the true surface of Boundless' greatest secrets. This was why despite reincarnating and finding out about the lineages, the Evil Duo still prioritized Boundless.
There was so much to do and acquire in this second world that there was very little time to waste on reality or the 'first world'.
"I want it all…"
Draco said this lightly, but it contained a certain finality that was unbreakable.
"The Lord can have my wares, if he has the coin," Shuro replied in a similarly light tone.
Draco's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the calm Shuro, who seemed unfazed by his scrutiny. Riveting Night's aura began to spread and chill the area, which made the nearby maids freeze in fear.
"I said, I want it all," Draco repeated with a dark tone.
Unlike the other NPCs, Shuro didn't react to their aura. The vendor just nodded and spoke evenly. "That would come to 1,790,000 platinum."
There was a short period of tense silence before Riveting Night's aura disappeared and Draco broke into a friendly smile.
"I do not have enough for everything on me, so I would like to ask how long your stock will last?"
Shuro tapped his counter lightly, pondering for a bit. "I have currently only one patron, which is you. Until everything is cleared out, there won't be any new stock."
Draco shook his head. While he understood the logic of Shuro's words, he understood a little bit about this Roaming Merchant mechanic from the little he had interacted with Shuro as well as what he could reason as a gamer.
Unique merchants in all RPG games always had the best stuff for the best prices, but they only ever stuck around for very short periods of time. It could be a week or even just a day.
(Author's note: an example is Baro Ki'Teer from Warframe.)
As such, Draco reworded his question. "How long until you leave to acquire some new goods?"
Shuro smiled lightly. "I leave every three months after the first day I am visited by my patron… so 90 days from now."
Draco breathed out and relaxed. That would be about 7 days after the Auction in the Rank 7 Shop. If he worked hard enough, he could acquire enough money from the auction to purchase Shuro's stuff.
As it were, he would have to wait for an equivalent amount of time and freeze Umbra's operations for the Rank 7 shop's profits to amount to a sum allowing him to get everything out of Shuro's hands.
That would be extremely foolish and wasteful. Umbra was now tight on funds due to the need to develop the budding Vita City State. Draco had fleeced the Hidden Powers, but they had mostly paid in resources, not money.
Resources could bring one money, but money couldn't always bring one resources in the world of Boundless. Someone who had seen the future like Draco knew this very well.
Currently, he had about 100,000 platinum in personal funds and Umbra had about 350,000 platinum in reserve. If he drained both accounts to buy some items, he could get a few things but…
Draco took a deep breath. "Make sure you're here 84 days from now. Even if you need to shit, hold it in until you see my face. Is that understood?"
Shuro smirked and bowed lightly. "As my Lord wills."
With shaky steps, Draco resolutely walked away without buying anything. He would wait until he had enough to do it in one fell swoop, and then he could bask in the glory of his rewards.
Riveting Night squeezed his shoulder with worry. She understood Draco was loot crazy, mainly because of how he had worked his way up from a bottom feeder in their past life for a long time.
She was also excited by good loot herself, but only because she was ecstatic to see it acquired by Draco.
When she had received the Eye of Heaven and Abyssal Ring, she hadn't been moved despite their worth. The Abyssal Ring has made her happy more because of the symbolism it represented than the actual stats.
When Draco had received the Divine Chest, she shivered crazily from excitement.
Draco was comforted by Riveting Night's presence. "Don't worry. Even if there is a Divine Chest that is denied me, I will never be bereft as long as you are here."
Riveting Night was so moved that she laid into Draco as they walked along and spoke with a slightly soft and gentle tone. "I know."
Ah?
What kind of trash romance was this?
No wait, who exactly would be moved by such a flimsy line?
Riveting Night, just how low were your standards that this would make a fierce and insane woman like become like a smitten schoolgirl?
Sigh…
The Evil Duo came to the door of Draco's room, where they saw the Head Maid standing outside with a worried look on her face. When she saw the Evil Duo approach her, she jumped with surprise and worry.
"My Lord and My Lady, greetings!"
Draco frowned when he saw her like this and Riveting Night spoke his discontent. "What has you so worried?"
The Head Maid seemed discomfited by their question, but dared not to lie.
"There is a strange guest who has come to visit the castle a few days ago, and he has holed himself up in the courtyard ever since."
Draco and Riveting Night shared a look.
"What has this guest been doing and who is he?"
The Head Maid became even more embarrassed. "He has been… examining… all the maids in the palace on my Lord's behalf. As for his identity, he claims that he is a person My Lord is most thankful to and treats as his father."
"He also claims that his current task is a necessary test to fuel the progression of mankind."
Draco's forehead creased as black lines appeared on his temples.
"Say no more, there is only one person who could act like that. You may take your leave."
The Head Maid seemed to have more to say, but just bowed and shuffled away quickly. Draco walked towards the courtyard with Riveting Night in tow.
In there, the Evil Duo were treated to the sight of an old man in mage robes and a pointy hat sunbathing without a care in the world.
The fellow had dark shades on, with a mirror to reflect the light of the sun onto his face. His long and grey beard swayed in the gentle breeze.
The sight of Richmond lounging around in his Castle made Draco want to thwack the fellow on the head. How dare this old fart come and lounge around on his property after being a no-show during the negotiations with the Hidden Powers?
Before Draco could move forward to assault Richmond, the fellow laughed loudly then threw away his mirror and shades with a certain flair.
He rose from his seat and stretched while sighing with pleasure. After performing some jumping jacks and hip twists, Richmond pointed to Draco with a glint in his eye.
"Boy, what kind of herald are you? Instead of fulfilling your tasks by spreading my name to the world, you are going around building castles and shops to boost your own fame!"
"Have you no dignity?!"
Draco felt his vision blacken from anger. How could the fellow twist facts and use such obscure logic to try and claim the upper hand? Shouldn't the first thing from his mouth be an apology?
But how could Draco have forgotten who Richmond was in the short time they had been away? Richmond was just as bad as Qiong Qi... no, he was worse.
Dignity? Richmond was unable to understand the word. The fellow came of out his mother's w.o.m.b with skin thicker than the walls of a bunker.
Draco calmed himself down and spoke slowly. "I have been trying to build a foundation for myself. By making a name for myself, I am also putting the name of my 'master' out there as well, is that not true?"
Richmond smiled and lowered his pointed finger. "That is true. Which is why I've decided to reward you."
The fellow smiled cryptically.
"I've decided to groom you as a potential Mage God."