Chapter 228 — Paying Up

Chapter 228: Chapter 228 — Paying Up

Chapter 228 — Paying Up

"When I was at the Graveborn estate, I saw two Shadow Foxes."

Elder Benton nodded.

"I’ve heard of them."

Victor looked at him with mild surprise.

Benton leaned back in his chair. "A team returned from the Sanctuary several years ago with two Shadow Foxes."

That made sense.

If Benton knew as much about the Sanctuary as he’d just revealed, there was a good chance he’d heard about Valkor and Sierra.

"But why is this important?" Benton asked.

Victor hesitated briefly before continuing.

"I’m sure you’ve done your research on me, so you probably know I have a wife."

"I’ve heard."

"She’s not actually my wife. She’s a companion of mine. She returned from the Sanctuary with me."

Benton waited.

Victor looked directly at him.

"She’s also a Shadow Fox."

For the first time since Victor had entered the office, Benton looked genuinely surprised.

His mind immediately went to the young woman he’d seen with Victor before.

Lyra.

He’d heard about her unusual flame as well. From what he’d been told, she possessed some type of bloodline flame that could be used for alchemy.

Now Victor was telling him she was a Shadow Fox from the Sanctuary.

Instantly Elder Benton couldn’t understand how a beast obtained a bloodline flame. Something only humans could normally receive.

He would try to understand this later.

"Okay," he said slowly.

Victor continued.

"Those two Shadow Foxes at the Graveborn estate are her parents."

Benton’s expression completely changed.

"What?"

"They’re Lyra’s parents."

For once, the normally stoic elder couldn’t hide his shock.

Victor had somehow returned from the Sanctuary with a Shadow Fox, and that Shadow Fox just happened to be the daughter of the two slaves brought back from the Sanctuary years ago.

The chances seemed ridiculous.

"Are you certain?"

Victor nodded. "I’m sure."

Benton stared at him for several seconds before slowly leaning back.

Then understanding settled across his face.

"So you’re asking me to help you retrieve those two Shadow Foxes."

"Yes."

Benton shook his head.

"You realize that won’t be easy."

"I know."

"No, boy. I don’t think you understand exactly how difficult it might be." Benton folded his hands on the desk. "The Graveborns practically cherish those two. You already know the family’s business revolves heavily around the Tower’s slave trade. They bring in close to ninety percent of the slaves that enter the Tower."

Victor nodded.

"And among all the slaves they own, those two Shadow Foxes are probably some of their most prized possessions. They’re incredibly rare. Getting Gravius to willingly give them up won’t be easy."

"I understand completely."

Benton studied him.

Victor didn’t look discouraged.

If anything, Benton knew that expression well enough by now to realize the boy had already thought of something.

"But I think I have something that might entice them," Victor said.

He paused.

"Or at least something that might entice you enough to put forward an offer they’ll accept."

Benton frowned slightly.

Now Victor had his attention.

The boy had just admitted he’d spent six months inside the Sanctuary, so it wasn’t impossible that he’d returned with something valuable.

But Benton couldn’t imagine what a Spirit Gathering cultivator could possibly possess that would impress either himself or that old fool Gravius.

"All right," Benton said. "Show me."

Victor didn’t immediately move.

This was a much bigger step than simply admitting he’d been inside the Sanctuary.

Revealing that alone had already felt like handing Benton a dagger and trusting him not to put it against Victor’s throat.

What he was about to reveal would test that trust even further.

But Victor didn’t have much of a choice.

This involved Lyra’s parents.

They were important to her, which meant they were important to him. If their positions were reversed, Victor knew Lyra would do the same for him without hesitation.

His storage ring flashed.

One container appeared on Benton’s desk.

Then another.

And another.

By the time the light disappeared, fifty containers sat between them.

Benton stared.

He reached for one and examined the pill inside.

"What are these?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I’ve never seen this formula before."

"You probably wouldn’t have."

Benton continued studying the pill.

Then he paused.

"Wait."

Something seemed to click.

"I heard your wife took some kind of pill before her breakthrough."

Victor remained silent.

Benton looked up.

"Are these breakthrough pills? For advancing from Body Tempering into Spirit Gathering?"

Victor nodded.

"It seems you already heard about that."

"Of course I heard about it."

Benton looked back at the containers.

"Why do you have so many?"

He picked one up and removed the lid.

"The cost of producing pills like this is outrageous. Even acquiring the ingredients for the formulas we currently possess can cost a fortune. A single pill can run close to five hundred thousand credits."

Benton carefully examined the pill before bringing it closer and smelling it.

His expression grew increasingly serious.

"And this isn’t one of our formulas."

He could feel the medicinal power radiating from it.

The more he examined the pill, the less he liked what his instincts were telling him.

"The breakthrough pills we currently produce might give someone around a twenty-five percent chance of successfully entering Spirit Gathering."

His eyes narrowed.

"But this..."

Benton looked at Victor.

"If someone at the peak of Body Tempering took this, I have very little doubt they’d successfully enter the Spirit Gathering Realm."

Victor said nothing.

"Where did you get these?"

Victor had already prepared his answer.

"I had a lucky encounter inside the Sanctuary. I found a storage ring."

He gestured toward the pills.

"This is all that was inside. These fifty are all I have."

Victor watched Benton carefully, hoping the lie wouldn’t show.

Benton didn’t seem suspicious.

Why would he?

Finding even one pill of this quality would have been an incredible discovery. Finding fifty was already absurd enough.

The idea that Victor might have hundreds more probably didn’t even cross his mind.

Benton looked over the containers again.

"Boy..."

He shook his head.

"Do you have any idea what these are worth?"

"I figured they were worth a lot."

"A lot?"

Benton almost sounded offended by the understatement.

Victor smiled slightly.

"I also knew I couldn’t exactly walk into the market and start selling them. Not with everyone watching me. So until I had a safe way to use them, they were basically just expensive stones sitting in my storage ring."

Benton nodded.

"That was wise."

His expression became serious again.

"If any of the higher powers in this Tower learned you were walking around with fifty pills like these, someone might knock you unconscious, drag you into an alley, slit your throat, and take everything you own."

Victor believed him.

Especially after everything he’d learned recently.

Benton looked back at the pills.

"This should be more than enough."

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"Enough for the Shadow Foxes?"

"More than enough."

Benton gave a quiet scoff.

"If I know Gravius, for fifty pills like these, he’d probably give you both Shadow Foxes and throw in several Spirit Gathering artifacts on top."

That was better than Victor had expected.

Benton began placing the containers into one of his storage rings.

"I’ll do everything I can to acquire those two slaves for you."

He paused.

"Your wife’s parents, I mean."

Victor shook his head.

"No need to apologize. I understand. That’s simply how this world works."

He gave a faint smile.

"Those who are weak don’t tend to live very long. That’s almost exactly what you told me not too long ago."

For once, a rare smile appeared on Benton’s face.

Every time he dealt with Victor, the boy seemed to bring another surprise with him.

He was young, but far more cautious and perceptive than most people his age. He was tenacious, talented, and somehow his abilities seemed to increase every time Benton looked away.

For a moment, Benton considered taking Victor as his personal disciple.

The thought had crossed his mind before.

But now wasn’t the time.

There were too many things happening around the boy, too many questions Benton still didn’t have answers to.

Better to let some of this settle first.

"Go home," Benton said. "And make sure that lass of yours doesn’t do anything stupid in the meantime."

Victor smiled.

"I’ll try."

"I should have something figured out by tomorrow."

Victor stood.

"Thank you, Elder Benton."

He headed toward the door, but just before leaving, he stopped.

Victor turned around.

For a moment, he simply looked at Benton.

Then he gave him a sincere bow.

"Thank you. Really."

Benton stared at him, mildly surprised.

Victor straightened, opened the door, and walked out.

The door closed quietly behind him.

Benton remained seated for several seconds before looking down at the storage ring containing the fifty pills.

His thoughts returned to the boy who had just left.

Six months in the Sanctuary.

A Shadow Fox companion.

A Firebird.

Fifty breakthrough pills from a formula Benton had never seen before.

And somehow, Benton had the distinct feeling those were only the things Victor had chosen to show him.

A faint smile crossed his face.

"That boy just keeps bringing more and more surprises."