Chapter 30 – Arsenal of an Empire.

The air inside the Grand Arcane Archive of Ivory was cold, saturated with the smell of old paper, crafted leather, and the luminous dust of dormant magic runes.

Diana walked at a slow pace through the third floor's restricted high-magic section, accompanied by Rhea.

With Intelligence 28, Diana's brain operated at a mind-boggling processing speed. She grasped complex spell structures in minutes, but she knew her current limitation wasn't a lack of magic power, but rather tactical variety. Possessing only Arcane Arrow and Ice Lance made her combat style predictable to experienced mages and high-level bosses.

She needed a complete grimoire. A magic arsenal capable of handling any element, any distance, and any type of threat.

Approaching the senior librarian's counter, an elderly elven man in blue robes, Diana set ten gleaming silver coins onto the stone.

"I want access to the elite tomes of the Fire, Illusion, Mobility, Sealing, and Perception schools." Diana declared, her voice crisp and firm.

The librarian looked up, impressed by the black-haired girl's composure. He activated the archive's secret compartments and brought out five tomes bound in dark leather and fine gold.

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[ELITE MAGIC TOMES ACQUIRED]

1. [Tome of Greed's Flame - Level 1]: Arcane Fire. Fires a blast of black flames dealing Fire damage per second and draining 5% of the target's MP with each pulse for 6 seconds. (Cost: 2 Silver Coins).

2. [Tome of Arcane Teleportation - Level 1]: Mobility. Enables an instant magic displacement blink of up to 8 meters in any line of sight, leaving an illusion replica at the starting position. (Cost: 2 Silver Coins / MP Cost: 15).

3. [Tome of Arcane Storm Orb - Level 1]: Area Magic Damage / Control. Launches an arcane electric energy orb that expands upon striking the ground, dealing continuous damage and stunning all enemies in a 6-meter radius for 3 seconds. (Cost: 2 Silver Coins).

4. [Tome of Mana Prison / Commander's Seal - Level 1]: Anti-Magic. Projects a beam of transparent chains that seals the target's mana channels for 4 seconds, preventing the casting of any spell or active skill. (Cost: 2 Silver Coins).

5. [Tome of Command Eye / Sovereign's Perception - Level 1]: Support / Perception. Activates an expanded arcane vision. Instantly reveals complete enemy status sheets, hidden weaknesses, invisible traps, and movement vectors within aura radius. (Cost: 2 Silver Coins).

TOTAL SPENT ON FIVE TOMES: -10 Silver Coins (1,000 Bronze).

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[INTERMEDIATE FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 48 Silver Coins.

Spent on Magic Tomes: -10 Silver Coins.

[TEMPORARY POCKET BALANCE: 38 SILVER COINS (3,800 Bronze)]

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Diana held the five tomes in her arms, feeling the weight of the wisdom contained within those pages.

With Intelligence 28 operating at her brain's full capacity, Diana sat down at the library reading table and dedicated four uninterrupted hours to studying the arcane codes. 

One by one, the spell structures were absorbed into her muscle memory and logged onto her Commander of Arcane Greed class panel.

From that moment on, she was no longer just a mage shooting arrows of light. She possessed instant mobility with Arcane Teleportation, crowd control with Storm Orb, sustained combat with Greed's Flame, cancellation of enemy mages with Mana Prison, and absolute tactical field reading with Command Eye.

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Forge District - Master Volkan's Workshop

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With her own grimoire expanded, Diana met up with Rhea, Kael, and Lyra at Master Volkan's workshop.

The time had come to equip the two recruits with high-tier specialized weaponry to keep pace with Level 18 to 20 dungeons.

Volkan inspected Kael and Lyra with his four volcanic-rock eyes, measuring their body structures and energy channels with a master's gaze.

"The shield boy needs an unshakeable vanguard that reflects the impact of the strike!" Volkan declared, slamming a hand onto the anvil. "And the little priestess girl needs a staff that channels mana without wasting cast time!"

Diana pulled fourteen silver coins from her reinforced pouch and placed them onto the smith's table.

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[SPECIALIZED ELITE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES]

1. Volcanic Steel Tower Shield (For Kael): Forged by Volkan. Heavy steel fused with magma stones. (Physical Defense +30, Fire Resistance +25%, Passive Skill: Reflects 15% of incoming physical damage back at the attacker). -> Cost: 8 Silver Coins.

2. Silver Priestess Robe & Mana Crystal Staff (For Lyra): Staff topped with a pure Arcane Amethyst and enchanted robe. (Intelligence +4, Cast Speed +30%, MP Cost Reduction by 15%). -> Cost: 6 Silver Coins.

TOTAL SPENT ON EQUIPMENT: -14 Silver Coins (1,400 Bronze).

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[INTERMEDIATE FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 38 Silver Coins.

Spent on Recruits' Equipment: -14 Silver Coins.

[TEMPORARY POCKET BALANCE: 24 SILVER COINS (2,400 Bronze)]

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Kael donned his new volcanic steel armor and slotted his arm into the tower shield. The piece was black, with reddish grooves emitting a gentle heat. When he activated his [Unshakeable Stance] skill, the shield flared with a threatening volcanic glow that looked like an impregnable wall.

Lyra donned the Silver Priestess Robe and grasped her new Mana Crystal Staff. The amethyst atop the staff began pulsing with a glowing lilac light, cutting the casting time for her healing and barrier spells in half.

The two looked at Diana with eyes filled with a devotion and gratitude verging on tears.

"Commander Diana…" Kael gripped his shield's handle tightly. "We never imagined we'd wield elite weapons like these!"

"Don't thank me with words." Diana said, adjusting her leather gloves. "Thank me by keeping the frontline intact in our next fight. Let's head to the training arena to test the new spells and gear."

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South Sector Private Training Field

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The testing session for the Arcane Greed Faction's new arsenal was a showcase of tactical coordination.

Diana activated her new [Command Eye] spell.

Her dark eyes shone with an intense, silver-blue shade. Instantly, the entire training field transformed into a three-dimensional tactical map in her vision: she could see Rhea's velocity vectors (Agility 36), the stress points on Kael's shield, and the mana channels circulating through Lyra's staff.

"Advance!" Diana ordered.

Kael took two steps forward and slammed his Volcanic Shield into the ground. IRON TAUNT! The shield's red aura drew the field's training automatons toward him.

Lyra raised her crystal staff. The casting speed boosted by her new staff allowed her to project two Protection Barriers in under two seconds, covering Kael's shoulders.

Rhea turned into an invisible streak. PHANTOM STEP! The wolf girl materialized behind the automatons, her corrosive daggers slicing through their metal joints.

And Diana tested her new mobility.

One of the heavy automatons attempted to attack Diana from behind.

ARCANE TELEPORTATION!

With a crackle of bluish energy, Diana's body vanished, leaving an illusion decoy at her starting spot. She reappeared instantly 8 meters away, behind the automaton's back.

Without breaking stride, she extended her left hand.

GREED'S FLAME + STORM ORB!

An electric sphere exploded in the center of the automatons, stunning all of them for 3 seconds, while black flames devoured the machines' metal structure.

The training test was an absolute success. The squad now operated like a miniature elite army.

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At the end of the day, Diana stopped by the Arcane Greed commercial stall in the Central Plaza to collect the automated earnings from sales of pure potions and elixirs produced by her workshop.

The day's batch had sold out completely to two mid-sized hunter guilds, bringing in 6 Silver Coins and 50 Bronze directly to the faction account.

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[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 24 Silver Coins.

Arcane Greed Workshop Sales Revenue: +6 Silver Coins and 50 Bronze.

[NEW ABSOLUTE NET WORTH: 30 SILVER COINS AND 50 BRONZE COINS (3,050 Bronze! / 3 GOLD COINS AND 50 BRONZE!)]

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Thirty silver coins and fifty bronze safely stored in the vault.

Back at the duplex apartment at the Ivory & Silk Residence, the party was having dinner at the balcony table beneath the Second Circle's dark sky. Kael wiped his volcanic steel shield proudly, Lyra admired the staff's amethyst, and Rhea served tea to Diana.

The night seemed peaceful… until a strange sound cut through the balcony air.

It wasn't an attack.

A small falcon made of shadows and black fire energy landed softly on the balcony's stone parapet. The falcon's talons held a letter sealed with a glowing red wax stamp, bearing the coat of arms of the Council of New Nobles.

Diana raised an eyebrow, exchanging a sharp look with Rhea.

She approached the parapet and took the letter. The shadow falcon dissolved into mist that very second.

Diana broke the red wax seal and opened the velvet parchment.

The message written in elegant golden lettering carried an official summons that would change the course of the Arcane Greed Faction:

"To Commander Diana of the Arcane Greed Faction.

Your rapid rise, the quality of your consumables, and the recent elimination of Mutant Bosses have caught the attention of the high aristocracy of the Ivory Citadel.

Your presence is required at the Palace of the Council of New Nobles tomorrow at noon for the presentation of your commercial license and integration evaluation for the Level 20 Elite Dungeon fiefs.

Refusal is not an option.

Signed: Vane."

Diana read the summons in silence.

Beside her, Rhea, Kael, and Lyra looked at the parchment with serious expressions. The Council of New Nobles was a new authority beginning to emerge, new nobility.

Diana folded the parchment slowly, a sharp, arrogant, dangerously ravenous smile creeping onto her dark lips.

The attention of Hell's nobility had fallen upon her. And Diana hadn't the slightest intention of backing down.

Final Notes:

They're starting to attract attention, hehehe, starting to-