Chapter 46 – Halfway There.

The aromatic steam of medicinal oils and purified spores filled the basement of the Arcane Greed Faction Headquarters.

After three days of intense labor in the Bastion's alchemy laboratory, Diana and Aurelia-Elysia lined up the one-hundredth crystal bottle on the stone workbench. The batch of one hundred Lust Mist Purification Elixirs promised to Cassian was officially complete.

The moment the final cork was sealed with silver wax, the System interface flashed in a shade of gleaming black gold before Diana:

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[CRAFTING AND EXPERIENCE MILESTONE REACHED!]

[Legendary Batch of 100 Elixirs Completed with 90% Purity!]

- DIANA REACHED LEVEL 25! (Halfway to the Second Circle Crossing Requirement!)

- RHEA REACHED LEVEL 23!

- KAEL REACHED LEVEL 22!

- AURELIA-ELYSIA REACHED LEVEL 22!

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—Well look at that…

The System's voice echoed in Diana's mind, its tone ancestral and solemn.

—Level 25. Exactly halfway along the path required to cross the border to the Third Circle. Your body's evolution is starting to catch up with the pace of your soul, Diana.

Diana looked at her hands.

With Level 25 reached, the sense of spiritual stability in her body was palpable. The Soul Backlash she had suffered weeks ago had vanished completely, her physical vessel was now dense, strong, and capable of channeling mass destruction spells with ease.

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Level 25 Attribute Distribution Session

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The complete squad gathered at the living room dining table for the rigorous allocation of Level 25 unassigned points.

Following the System's constant mathematical rule, 5 Free Attribute Points per Level Gained, Diana coordinated the point allocation for each member:

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[UPDATED STATUS PANELS - LEVEL 25]

- Diana (Level 25): Strength: 18 | Agility: 23 | Vitality: 32 | Intelligence: 87 | Wisdom: 20 | Perception: 43 | Willpower: 8 | Luck: 3. (HP: 320 / MP: 450)

- Rhea (Level 23): Strength: 29 | Agility: 60 (68 AGI) | Vitality: 20 | Intelligence: 7 | Perception: 13 | Willpower: 6 | Wisdom: 4 | Luck: 1. (HP: 200 / MP: 70)

- Kael (Level 22): Strength: 30 | Agility: 8 | Vitality: 44 | Intelligence: 6 | Wisdom: 4 | Perception: 5 | Willpower: 14 | Luck: 1. (HP: 490 / MP: 30)

- Aurelia-Elysia (Level 22): Strength: 5 | Agility: 7 | Vitality: 6 | Intelligence: 43 (49 INT) | Wisdom: 29 | Perception: 14 | Willpower: 5 | Luck: 1. (HP: 60 / MP: 410)

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Intelligence 87 for Diana. Four hundred and fifty MP points in her pool.

Kael bordering five hundred HP points on his shield. Rhea with Agility 68.

The squad of the Arcane Greed Faction was now a regional military force in the Second Circle.

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Financial Audit - The Passive Gold Milestone

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Diana opened the workshop's financial record book on the table.

Due to the exclusive glass vial supply contract, the boycott of the Mercury Guild, and batch orders from the citadel's elite guilds, the Arcane Greed Workshop was now generating passive daily income in Gold Coins.

The earnings from recent days combined with the payment for the elixir batch yielded a gross income of 37 Pure Silver Coins for the faction account.

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[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 83 Silver Coins (8.3 Gold Coins).

Passive Sales Revenue + Elixir Batch: +37 Silver Coins!

[NEW ABSOLUTE NET WORTH: 120 SILVER COINS (12,000 Bronze! / EXACTLY 12 PURE GOLD COINS!)]

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One hundred and twenty silver coins stashed in the faction vault.

Exactly Twelve Pure Gold Coins.

The historical milestone of double digits in gold coins had been achieved.

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At nightfall, the squad gathered on the Bastion balcony for a celebration toast beneath the Second Circle's silvery sky.

Diana sipped sweet fruit juice from her crystal goblet, observing the lights of the Ivory Citadel.

Beside her, Rhea rested her head against her shoulder, while Kael and Aurelia-Elysia chatted excitedly about preparations for the upcoming Level 25 to 30 dungeons.

Diana spread the Third Circle crossing map over the balcony table.

"We reached Level 25 and accumulated twelve gold coins in the vault." Diana declared, her crisp, imperious voice commanding everyone's attention. "Starting tomorrow, we initiate the final phase of dominating the Second Circle."

She pointed to the marked locations on the map.

"Our objectives up to Level 50 are clear:" Diana listed with mathematical precision:

1. Dungeon Mastery (Level 25-35): Conquer the deep galleries of Ivory Valley to gather legendary ores and Level 30+ gear.

2. Commercial Expansion: Open two branch shops of the Arcane Greed Workshop in the north and east sectors of the citadel.

3. Forge Mastery: Advance Metallurgy and Alchemy proficiencies to Level 10 with Master Volkan.

4. Portal Crossing: Pass the Level 50 Border Test and march toward the Third Circle (The Circle of Gluttony).

Kael, Aurelia-Elysia, and Rhea raised their goblets into the air.

"We go to the top with you, Commander Diana!" Kael promised firmly.

Diana looked at her united team, feeling the energy of her Intelligence 87 and the calm pulse of her Aura of Arcane Domain.

The lonely girl who had fallen into the First Circle's alley now possessed twelve gold coins, a headquarters of her own, an unbeatable squad, and half the journey to the Third Circle conquered.

The Commander of Arcane Greed was ready to dominate the rest of the Second Circle of Hell.

Final Notes:

BIG things are coming! Hehehehehe. Sorry for the short chapter, I've had some major personal and financial problems... but anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! :D

Ten chapters ahead for those on Patreon! <3