Chapter 164: A Hundred Years for One Cup

Aveline Vayne could hardly untangle what she felt.

Joy. Astonishment. Disbelief. She was deeply glad that Elara had tied her fortunes to Cassian. Access to his Royal Hall’s recruits had helped her daughter win a Bronze Battle Name.

Then she thought of Riftward’s break with the Jade Court, and worry returned.

"If it comes to a true crisis, I’ll have to descend myself."

Aveline was not someone who shrank from trouble. She took a breath, her expression settling into calm resolve.

"Let it never come to that. But if it does, whether for the Crown or my family, I cannot stand aside."

She was a powerful Warbound Lord. Even so, descending from Sector 642 to Sector 666 could consume everything she had accumulated over twenty years.

——

The Jade Court’s envoy had remained in Mira’s Domain, refusing to leave.

Even if Riftward withdrew from the Court, he insisted, he must witness Veyra’s name changing to Little Ivy. He wanted an image of her panel to take back as proof that the decree had been obeyed.

Then he confirmed that Cassian had taken first place.

The envoy forgot about the name. He withdrew his manifested will at once. His mistress needed to hear this news immediately.

——

Cassian read the report sent by the King’s Frontier Legion. It contained fresh intelligence on the Black Banner and Free Will’s latest movements.

"Mara, thank the commanders for me."

The honorary lieutenant general’s rank mattered little to him. This information was another matter.

Mara nodded.

"Yes, sir."

He could guess most of the great powers’ reactions without asking. If he had not wanted the Gold Battle Name, he would never have drawn so much attention to himself.

"What’s done is done. I need more strength and more cards to play. Whatever they send, I’ll deal with it."

Perhaps he would even break their rules and build a new order.

He had barely finished that grand declaration when an uninvited representative of House Frost arrived by Will Descent.

"A billion Aether?"

Cassian looked at Merrick in surprise.

"An important person in House Frost is reasonably satisfied with your performance," the steward said coolly. "This billion is your reward. You may give thanks."

He did not name Edran. Cassian saw no reason to name him either.

He accepted the award and inclined his head.

"Please convey my thanks to the important person behind you."

Merrick was displeased. Even if Cassian refused to kneel, surely a billion Aether merited more gratitude than that.

If the opportunity arose, he would let his lord know just how little respect this boy had shown. Perhaps that would finally sour Edran’s opinion of him.

The steward’s will withdrew.

Cassian opened the crop store’s report. Three hundred grains of Legendary Moonrice had been set aside from the recent harvests, the result of the Aether Vein’s mutations.

He sent all three hundred to Darian through the Exchange.

[Attached message: Someone has already paid.]

Ever since the gift of a hundred Epic grains, Darian had kept asking whether any Legendary Moonrice was ready. An Epic grain was worth around a hundred thousand Aether; Legendary grains could fetch dozens of times that. Three hundred made a fitting return for a billion.

More importantly, the rice would support Darian’s Warbound training. The stronger he became, the better their chances of holding Riftward and Tidecrown.

A video request arrived almost at once.

"You finally have Legendary Moonrice!" Darian said eagerly. "You’re giving me this much? Have you kept any for yourself?"

[Darian Frost has sent you 1,000,000,000 Aether through the Exchange.]

Cassian frowned.

"Didn’t I say someone had already paid?"

"My father told me. And I know you don’t like owing favors." Darian hesitated, unusually awkward. "This billion is for something else I want to ask."

Cassian was curious now.

"Go on."

"You’ve just earned another twenty thousand Renown. If you find the Hall of Renown again, could you exchange for a Legendary Hero Soul for me? Please?"

Behind him, Maren looked deeply moved.

Cassian understood. Renown itself could not be traded, but the things it bought could. If Maren became Legendary, Darian’s strength would rise sharply.

A sale at twenty times the cost, and a stronger ally. Why refuse?

He pretended to consider it for a moment.

"All right. We’re comrades, after all."

"Thank you, Cassian!"

"You have several Epic Heroes. Is one Soul enough?"

"One is enough. You have your own Heroes to look after too."

A pity. Cassian could have welcomed more business.

After ending the call, he found a Legendary Hero Soul listed on the Exchange for fifty million Aether. He bought it and set it aside for Darian. When the Hall of Renown next appeared, he could deliver it as agreed.

Two billion Aether received in quick succession. Cassian was in an excellent mood.

He would need plenty of money for the Epic and Legendary Fields he intended to build. First place in the Agriculture Ranking was worth the investment.

A message arrived from Farmer One.

"Lord, the Enlightenment Tea Tree has been planted successfully."

Cassian stepped into the Enclosure at once.

The sapling had changed. Its twisted, iron-black branches gleamed like metal. It drank in the surrounding Aether so greedily that a small vortex formed around it.

Though still young, it had filled the space with a faint woody fragrance.

Cassian breathed in. His thoughts cleared. Questions that had troubled him in his arts and skills suddenly seemed much easier to resolve.

"What an effect. Even practicing beneath it should be worth a fortune. Never mind drinking the tea."

He wanted those leaves more than ever.

"How long until the first batch?"

Farmer One hesitated.

"A Mythic plant is difficult to judge, Lord. But from my experience, even in an environment this favorable... perhaps a hundred years at the earliest. Three hundred at the latest."

Cassian stared at him.

Rich Aether Mist, a Legendary Field, careful tending, and spiritual spring water. After all that, it would still take centuries?

Perhaps the stories of Celestial Peach Trees taking three thousand years to flower and another three thousand to bear fruit were not exaggerations.

An ordinary Lord who obtained this tree might have to pass it down through hundreds of generations before anyone enjoyed a harvest.

On reflection, it made sense. His first Epic Moonrice had needed forty subjective days to mature. The gap between Epic and Legendary was enormous. The gap from Legendary to Mythic was greater still.

"Fortunately, the Aether Vein cuts plant growth cycles in half. And there’s one more thing..."

He opened the Enclosure’s Time Acceleration settings. At Rank IX, its current limit was fifty times.

"Raise it to the limit."

[Time Acceleration: 50×]

[Duration: one Realm Day. Cost: 10,000,000 Aether.]

He paid. The new setting replaced the earlier tenfold acceleration, and the flow of time within the Enclosure quickened.

"Ten million a day. Three hundred million for a month. A small price."

Even with the Vein halving the growth cycle and fiftyfold acceleration, the earliest harvest was still a year away.

"Too slow."

Further Domain upgrades might strengthen the Deep Layer. More Fortune could strengthen the Aether Vein. Those were his ways to shorten the wait.

"I’m taking first place in this Agriculture Ranking."

The appointed hour had arrived.

Cassian opened the Gate permissions for his guests. Light flashed again and again as Elara, Darian, Nessa, and the others stepped through.

Before he could greet them, Elara called out.

"A new instance has appeared outside my Domain. A large one!"

Cassian paused.

A large instance?

Those held far richer resources. And they usually had more than one entrance.