CHAPTER 38

One day, Oka asked Mir:

“Young boss, don’t you want to grow our faction?

-I do.

-Then, why do you refuse every disciple asking to join us with such disdain?

-Hm... Oka, have you ever heard about the elevator pitch? No, of course not. There are no elevators…Let’s see… Let’s name it, the stairs phenomenon.

-Eleve-elevator? Stairs phenomenon?

-Right. In business, to show respect to the busy workers, you do not ever disturb them during their work. Even more so when they are selling and buying. So, how and when can you discuss with a true businessman?

-That’s…When he is finished?

-You think? Let me tell you something: A true businessman never has enough time to waste on listening to any and every one that want to speak with him. The only lapse of time available to discuss with a businessman and not disturb him, showing him real respect, is when he travels from point A to point B. If they can’t even respect our business, then how can you even expect that I would hear them out?

-I understand, young boss. Then, what do we do about this guy?”

And that’s when he saw someone walking alongside them. A man in his twenties with a business smile on was looking at them as they walked. The man said:

“It is a pleasure to meet you, young brother Mir, I am Bolores Davon, son of Bolores Dreco.

-Oh? Nice to meet you, Davon. How is your father’s business faring this days?

-Very well, thanks to your generosity.”

Mir couldn’t help but grin. Out of all the people he could have met, it ended up being one of the sons of Bolores Dreco. He was the businessman that gambled against him and lost back when Mir and elder Lan were at the genius tournament.

Mir decided to show respect towards Davon as Davon showed him respect as well. Mir started walking more slowly. The only time to speak with a businessman is between travels but this time can be stretched by the businessman if he becomes interested by what he hears. This was such a time. Bolores was a big name in this kingdom when it came to commerce. There was more reason to listen than to ignore.

And so, Davon spoke:

“I come here on his orders as well. Your deal with him, I am here to fulfill it.

-Fulfill it? How so? I have yet to ask him for something.

-I am this something. He sends me to serve you in exchange for the debt.

-Oh? Well, I refuse. Get lost and tell him that I will contact him when the time comes.”

Mir didn’t need a servant like that and it was better to have someone owe him than anything else. Even more so when he could ask anything out of that person. Who the fuck did this old man thought he was? Trying to force a deal on Mir? He was a thousand years too young! Mir scoffed and was going to accelerate when Davon retorted:

“I guessed you would say that. My sentiment remains, I wish, personally, to enter your services. I believe that it would be entertaining to follow someone with the abilities to outdo my father in his specialty.

-We will think about it.

-Thank you very much. When do you think you will be able to give me an answer?”

Davon was not a pushover either. Asking for a definite time is one of the most key point a businessman needs to ask. It means that he will make sure to meet you again and it demonstrates his interest. The best way to handle this is obviously to remain vague:

“I do not know as we have more pressing matters to attend to. We’ll be the ones contacting you. Have a good day.”

And that was it. Truth is, Mir wished to get this man under his services. It would be a hindrance to manage his business himself. It takes time and he needs time to cultivate and such. But it is better to make the man think he is unneeded. That way, it is possible to negotiate his work at a lower price. Making him feel indebted to the employer is the right way to employ people. They will work hard.

But how did it come to this? Simple. Bolores Dreco is a merchant. A powerful one. He has ties to many clans and nobles obviously. It is not hard to think someone sold him the information on Mir.

Then, he sent the message to his son, Davon, and asked him to get in touch with Mir. If possible, end the deal and regain the clan’s honor. If not, at least get close to the kid because he left a very big impression, still vivid, in Dreco’s mind.

Davon is the third son. The first one succeeds, the second one is married to a partner and the third one is lucky. He is sent to learn martial arts so as to create ties with the future leaders of the country. Davon earned his share of training and displayed talent, it was easy for him to enter the Royal Palace School.

Since he entered twelve years ago, he has already become an influential businessman inside and makes deals pertaining to all kinds of goods, as a broker. He is one of the key players in the school business and established his name and his worth as a true descendant from the Bolores Clan.

Though he has no reason to work for a kid and despised his father’s orders, now that he had met the kid face to face…There was indeed something. The rumors, the meeting and more than anything, his market study regarding the kid’s business made him sure of one thing: his father was right to keep an eye on him. He could become someone if he successfully grows up.

Time passed and Mir’s building in the Ninth faction’s territory was finished. It was located on the safe conquest area. On level six. Mir never went that high before. He was excited. Ma Huang and Ma Liuya were waiting for Mir at the fifth level.

Unfortunately, to go to the fifth level, even if it was possible to all, it required disciples to pay a fee. Only 500 points per head. Every single time. Clearly, it was not something just anyone could do. Or, was it? Anyways, Mir and Oka paid and past the stairs, they arrived in the middle of a citadel. In the middle of a plaza even. There were even more disciples here but something was completely different from the other floors: none were in robes. Mir asked Oka:

“Why are they all wearing this, aren’t we at the entrance?

-I do not know, young boss…”

As they stared bewildered at their classmates who were walking around in heavy armor, weapons out, they were found by the Ma sisters. Ma Liuya was the one to speak:

“Hi, younger brother Mir, younger brother Oka. How are you?

-We’re good…Why is everyone wearing armor?

-Because we’re in the conquest area? Rather, why are you two not wearing any? Don’t tell me you have none?

-We do have some…

-Then, come. First, we’ll have you guys get geared up. Then, we’ll go to the meeting with the others and go towards the sixth floor.”

Of course, Mir and Oka had armors. Fucking rank 4 items, that is. The Ma sisters were wearing the gold armor with the symbol of the ninth on them. But their weapons were different. At first sight, Mir could see that both were rank 3 items. Not too shabby and expected from prince followers.

They led Mir and Oka to a small tavern with the ninth symbol on it. once they entered, everyone went silent. Everyone inside was wearing the ninth armors. They went back to their talks as soon as they saw the two girls. They were home. Mir and Oka, however, were not.

The girls brought the guys behind the counter to a long hallway, probably space alteration again. They stopped in front of door number nine. Well, every door had the number nine on it. Mir asked:

“How do you know which room is which?

-We do. That’s all.”

Clearly, some weird functions but who cares? The girls had the two kids enter the room and change into some armor. Mir took out the golden sparrow armor and golden sparrow spear for himself. He gave a dark TigerBear of doom armor to Oka.

Armors, what are they? They cover you from your tiptoes to your head. Protecting you from everything else. But ranked items are different. Rank 4 items even more. The first rank gives the possibility to infuse energy and renders the item stronger.

The second rank and onwards add abilities to the item. What are the basic abilities you want from an armor? Self-reparation is most of the time the second one. For those items, however, it is sustainable-adjustment. It is a higher tier of self-reparation. The item will always regenerate itself, it will adapt to the wearer and more than anything, gives the possibility to the wearer to alternate between modes. Either wearing as a full-armor or only a few parts, even just one part.

Mir decided to wear his black suit and have the golden sparrow armor remain as just a gauntlet covering his right forearm and hand. Oka did the same with the black armor. Next, the weapon. Mir had it at his belt. Of course, the spear has the same feature as the armor: sustainable adjustment. A spear you can retract and allonge, what a wonderful weapon already. But, that’s only the very first true option…and it costs energy like all thinkable options would...

Anyway, once they were geared up, they exited the room and both girls were surprised to see their appearances. Ma Liuya was the one to speak:

“You guys…Don’t tell big sis that you don’t understand where we’re going…”

Both Mir and Oka shrugged and made the sisters sigh. They went back to the café and sat at a table on the second floor. Ma Huang was the first to speak:

“While we wait for our escort to arrive, let me explain it. to go to the sixth floor, we need to cross the crawling forest first. It is a trial. Every time. There are many who never get outside the citadel. And many more who never step in the sixth floor. It is near impossible to cross the forest for people under the second rank fourth realm.

-Why?

-Because there are monsters in this forest. There is much, much more to this whole tower than just a school.

-I guessed so. It feels strange that people are trying to remain here longer than necessary yet they can’t. Well, it is hard to explain but I feel like there’s something weird about this school.

-There are many secrets. We do not share much with those who would be hindrances but you guys are vips so, I will give you a bit of insight on this school.

-Thank you so much, big sister Huang.

-Fufu, you’re welcome. So, you know about the level zero to four. They are free of access. 80% of the disciples are there at all times. It’s the school. The level five and six are officially considered to be used for alliance’s battles and such. It’s not. The fifth level contains around 11% of the disciples. Out of them, there are a lot of alliances created with the purpose to kill their own and rob them. Infightings here is legal. Politics and business is very important here. Factions related to clans and such are very active. However, only between the citadel and the forest.

-Why?

-The citadel is still part of the school. It is a safe zone. The forest is too dangerous to roam in so it’s a big no-no. Only the road is left. There are a few alliances that have their headquarters along the way and around too but they are bottom-feeders. The true alliances are on the sixth floor. It’s a place to gather the items and prepare for the higher floors, the shared zone.

-Wait. I do not get it. What is there that make it so worth it to stay and participate in all this?

-…The seventh floor is the first shared zone. It is linked between schools from all the continents. Being in this school means access to this zone for all of us. If you had remained in the Burning Sea School…Only fifty students are allowed in every year. Even less for smaller schools. The seventh floor exists mostly for politics and business. But there is a very high rivalry and lots of battles. It is extremely dangerous as everyone attacks each other. You can get precious items from all over the continent there. Though, it exists to protect the entrance to the higher floors, where the true treasures remain hidden.

-And what are those treasures? Is my question.

-Skills, relics, artifacts… From floor eight to higher, it is unknown territories left by the oldest generations of cultivators. It is said to be filled with treasures.

-Wait. Said to be?