Now that we were no longer as restricted by our rank, I allowed time to pass more quickly once again. But, at the same time, I glanced towards the market. There was something that I had been thinking about ever since my promotion, and I decided that now was the time to finally take care of it.

Back during one of my very first Keeper Meetings, Bihena participated in various games on my behalf. That was how we first me Balu, after all. And it was in that meeting with Balu that I discovered the power of fourth tier magic.

In the game that they played, they were restricted to the power of a first rank world, so the appearance of fourth tier magic was definitely a sign. Even if it was considered as the ‘ultimate spell’ at the time, that still means that it should be far more common once we hit the second rank. Once I considered this, I knew that we would need to upgrade our various magic tiers to the next level before we could fight off an invasion in our new level.

The problem was the cost. Each fourth-tier magic information cost five thousand, four hundred points. And we needed that information for Geometric, Runic, Card, Stellar, and Familiar Binding magic systems. That’s a total of twenty-six thousand points…

For some systems, it was possible for us to get around the need for the new knowledge due to self-discovery. However, for both the Runic and Card Magic systems, that was impossible. Those two systems had further tiers unlocked only when they were purchased. Which meant that I was facing a minimum cost of just over ten thousand.

Everyone. I sent out a brief message, calling for their attention. I’m working on buying the next tiers of magic, so I need a census for how many points each person has in their personal funds.

This was the easiest way for me to cover the costs, by having each person foot the bill for their own world’s magic. Unsurprisingly, the first to speak up was the halfling still sitting on the couch next to me. “Oh, we’re getting an upgrade?!” She asked in excitement, her eyes going wide.

“Let’s see… We haven’t really bought anything for Fyor in a while. Bihena and I are sitting at nine thousand, nine hundred points.” Aurivy’s report was soon confirmed when Bihena gave me the same number. Given how many points they had earned in the last meeting, I was happy to hear that they still had so many left over.

I’ve got just over six thousand. Udona spoke up cheerily. I wasn’t surprised that she had so much, since Deckan was one of the oldest worlds.

It was Irena’s report that threw me off the most, as she did not have a ‘world’ to generate her own income. Five thousand, nine hundred, and fifty points. It took me a moment to recall that she was actually the biggest winner of the most recent meeting, and that the only thing she had truly spent it on was the upgrade to the karma system.

“Alright… looks like we can easily afford the card and runic upgrades.” I spoke up, happy that we were able to meet the bare minimum at the very least.

Next was Accalia, who reported that she only had eight hundred points… From what I could tell, she adjusted her culture too much to properly save points. And then was Keliope and Tubrock, who had saved a total of twenty-seven hundred.

Just as I was beginning to worry that we wouldn’t have enough for everything, Ashley spoke up in my mind. I’ve got seven thousand points, if that can help.

Last to report in was Ryone, with a total of eighteen-hundred points, and Tryval with… three hundred. Thankfully, Sher Dien did not have its own magic system to worry about. Okay… Aurivy, Udona, and Ashley. If you could, transfer five thousand, four hundred points to the main balance. Tubrock, Keliope, and Ryone, I’ll need everything from your balances, and will cover the rest myself.

Before I could even mention Accalia, Irena’s voice spoke up to stop me. I’ll cover Accalia’s cost. She said in a gentle tone, and I could feel a wave of relief coming from Accalia at that. With this, everything was taken care of, and it was time to get started.

Opening up the market once again, I selected the five magic tiers that I wanted. After spending a small fortune, five streams of blue light descended from above. I was able to see the familiar scene of five crystal spheres forming around me. Despite their identical appearances, I was able to identify at a glance which one belonged to which system. Something I was distinctly aware was shared with my companions.

“Yoink!” Aurivy laughed, snatching the orb for Fyor’s Runic Magic right out of the air as soon as it was done forming. I simply chuckled, shaking my head as I transferred the other four off to their respective recipients.

In truth, it would likely be beneficial for me to unlock the next tiers of the other energy types, as well. However, that was another large expense, which I was not able to cover quite yet. If I was not mistaken, the power to control space itself with ki should be an ability that is unlocked in the later portion of the fourth tier. As for the other types, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect to find there.

Once you’ve made copies of the orbs, make sure to send one back for me to study. I reminded those who had received their orbs. Being able to study them would only bring me benefits, as it meant that I would have more options when mirroring Ryone’s ability.

With that taken care of, I turned my sights back towards Earth. Several months had already passed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Jonas had finally succeeded in his transformation. It had cost him… another two slimes, by my count, but he had managed to transform his body with his own divine energy.

Looking elsewhere, I was a bit disappointed to see that Tsubaki was not even attempting to make any progress in this regard. Part of me was tempted to drop a hint or two for her to help her along the way, but I ultimately decided against it. While she had been the strongest individual in my world for so many years, that was purely due to her own effort. If someone happened to overtake her, then maybe it would be just the push she needed.

“Are you sure it’s ready?” Crystal asked from the throne room, looking down at the two people before her. That’s right, two… After a specialized game capsule, designed to work with spirits appeared at her doorstep, Crystal’s real world familiar had begged to let her join the game.

Once in the game, it was only a matter of Dana teaching Crystal the summoning ritual she would need to call the familiar to her. Ever since then, there had been an extra passenger aboard the Sky Citadel, giving Dana another playmate while Crystal herself was busy managing the mobile base.

To her credit, Crystal Heart’s familiar chose an avatar that looked almost exactly like Crystal herself. With the name Crystal Soul, the only difference between the two were Crystal Soul’s icy blue eyes, as opposed to Crystal Heart’s pale green.

“That’s right, captain!” Dana smiled, performing a salute with her hand over her heart. “All weapons and armor systems have been refitted and upgraded. Our current combat capabilities are now specialized to deal with shadow-aligned creatures. Finally, the summoning ritual has been prepared to call forth the Mad King.”

Crystal took a deep breath, nodding her head. “Good. Soul, you’ll be manning the secondary weapons. Dana, I’m leaving the defense systems to you. Once you’ve finished the summoning, fall back to barrier controls.”

Dana nodded her head heavily, a bright smile on her face. “Understood!”

Crystal gripped the arm of her throne firmly, knowing that this battle would alter her future experiences within Vision Expanse, and perhaps even in the real world. She had made a deal with Aurivy, after all. No holding back in this battle… which meant that there was the very real possibility that the Sky Citadel could be destroyed.

The loss of the base wouldn’t cause any major waves within the game, as other mobile bases were already being built. Many such facilities were designed with the purpose of space exploration. However, it would mean that she was no longer free to roam with such a small group. Even in terms of levels, she had long since fallen behind on the leaderboards. If this raid failed… she would be just another veteran player.

“Go.” Still, she gave the command. Because this was about more than just her reputation in the game. It was about more than her levels or her equipment. This was a promise that she had made with a goddess, a goddess that was willing to call Crystal her best friend.

Dana gave another nod, turning and pushing open the doors of the throne room. Outside, within the courtyard sat a spiral altar of stone, at the top of which was a polished black fragment. “Construction materials check out.” Dana nodded, her eyes flashing blue.

“Now, for the summoning.” Clearing her throat, Dana held up her hands. One was facing towards the top of the altar, while the other faced its bottom. “Lord of darkness, shadow of calamity, fragment of a fallen king.”

“Call flesh to flesh, and soul to soul, come forth to battle. Let no chains bind your form. Let no lock hold back your will.” As she continued her chant, the black stone atop the altar began shaking, cracks forming along its surface.

“By the name of Ashley, I trace the darkness. By the name of Aurivy, I call you forth. By the name of Ryone, I seek a bargain. I issue the contract in my name, Dana Jafer! With power unfettered, a fatal conflict, with a single wish as the prize to the victor. Now, answer my call!”

Following Dana’s final cry, the stone shattered, silence falling upon the courtyard. Dana’s lips began curving gently upwards as she saw the space outside of the citadel’s shield beginning to distort. As if the stars were snuffed out, one by one the darkness spread. It formed a body far larger than that of the citadel itself, truly visible only once it had fully congealed.

The figure stood as tall as a small moon, with blood red eyes staring down at the citadel. Its skin seemed to shift and undulate, making its true features hard to determine. However, it was at least vaguely humanoid, with two arms and two legs.

Its mouth did not move, but its voice echoed into not only Dana’s mind, but also the minds of both Crystal Heart and Crystal Soul. “I accept the terms of the contract.”

“Good, now if you don’t mind…” Dana immediately turned around, running back inside. “That’s my cue to go!”

The Sky Citadel appeared as no more than a grain of sand before the titan of darkness that was the Mad King. And when Crystal saw that, she clenched her teeth, no longer certain of her victory. “Oh, you are so not playing fair. Fine… let’s do this.”

“Channel power to auxiliary weapons, and begin charging main gun!” Her voice sent commands to the intelligence controlling the citadel, preparing herself for battle. She trusted Dana to handle their defensive measures, so it was her job to make sure she brought down the Mad King. “Place the Kingslayer on standby, await my orders to fire!”

Numerous silver barrels formed along the upper levels of the citadel, shooting beams of condensed light towards the enemy. At the same time, Dana commanded the mobile base to begin taking evasive measures. It was hard to imagine whether a creature that size could truly be fast, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.