Chapter 47 – The Weight of Silver.

The route leading to the canyons south of the Ivory Citadel cut through a chain of rugged white limestone mountains.

The wind coming down from the peaks brought a constant hum, a cold magical resonance signaling the proximity of one of the most sacred and dangerous structures in all of the Second Circle: The Silver Abyss Dungeon (Level 26-28).

Unlike the ordinary dungeons explored by the faction thus far, the Silver Abyss was one of the Three Pillars of the Circle. It was a colossal chasm from which sprouted veins of pure arcane ores, high-tier crystals, and mutant monsters whose cores were worth fortunes on the black market.

Diana walked at the head of the Arcane Greed Faction, wearing her Dragon Crystal and Magic Silver Chestplate.

Beside her, Rhea kept her sharp wolf senses on full alert with Agility 68. Kael held his Volcanic Shield with the firmness of his 490 HP points, and Aurelia-Elysia carried her Crystal Staff with 410 MP circulating through her channels.

They were at the peak of their preparation. Ready to cross the threshold of Level 25 and challenge the deepest monsters of the sector.

However, as they rounded the final bend of the canyon leading to the dungeon's entry arch, the passage was blocked.

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Gorge of the Abyss - The Military Blockade

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Thirty soldiers clad in full suits of polished silver plate armor formed an impenetrable barrier of spears and heavy shields across the stone chasm.

Gray velvet banners bearing the emblem of a silver winged lion fluttered atop iron posts driven into the ground.

It was the Silver Legion, the largest and most influential military guild in the south sector of the Ivory Citadel.

In the center of the barricade, standing on a rock platform, was the man who commanded that territory's monopoly: Lord Cassius, Commander of the Silver Legion.

He was an immense man, nearly two meters tall, with battle scars etched across his stern face, gray eyes cold as granite, and black hair cut short. He wore a colossal battle armor made of gravity-rune-reinforced steel and carried a two-meter-long, two-handed cleaver strapped to his back.

Diana halted ten meters from the barricade, raising her left hand to hold back her squad's advance.

She discreetly activated [Command Eye], analyzing the Legion leader's stats:

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[TACTICAL ENTITY ANALYSIS]

- Name: Lord Cassius (Level 32)

- Class: Legion Warlord Commander

- HP: 1,400 / 1,400 | MP: 350 / 350

- Main Stats:Strength: 68 | Vitality: 65 | Agility: 28 | Intelligence: 22 | Willpower: 30

- Threat Level: Extreme / Elite Physical Juggernaut.

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Strength 68. Vitality 65. Fourteen hundred hit points.

Diana absorbed the data with surgical coldness.

Cassius was no stuffed-suit, cowardly noble like Vane, nor a mindless killer like Malakor. He was a veteran military commander, Level 32, built like a true living fortress of flesh and steel.

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Cassius stepped down from the rock platform with heavy strides that made the limestone ground vibrate. He stopped before Diana's formation, crossing his armored arms over his chest, his clinical gaze sweeping over the four-member squad.

He immediately recognized the shadow dragon scales on Diana's chestplate and Rhea's daggers.

“You must be Commander Diana.” Cassius spoke. His voice was deep, raspy, laden with a natural authoritative weight, free of the ridiculous affectation of palace aristocrats. “The leader of the Arcane Greed Workshop who crushed the Mercury Guild and bought a headquarters of her own in the south sector.”

“Lord Cassius.” Diana replied, keeping an upright posture and a perfectly level voice. “I believe the Silver Abyss Dungeon is a registered public hunting zone under Second Circle Chamber laws. What is the reason for this military blockade?”

Cassius let out a short, dry laugh devoid of humor.

“Chamber laws work inside the citadel walls, girl.” Cassius said, gesturing toward the dark chasm behind him. “Out here at the Three Pillars, the Silver Legion dictates the rules. We maintain the security of this rift and pay with our men's blood to contain the hordes trying to climb out.”

Cassius stepped forward, closing the distance. The size difference between him and Diana was stark.

“I don't stop anyone from hunting.” Cassius continued, his tone turning cold and transactional. “But to cross this gate, your faction has two choices: either you pay a 50% crossing tax on all loot collected in the Abyss, or you sign a contract granting exclusive distribution of your workshop's potions to my Legion at cost price.”

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The silence that followed in the canyon was razor-sharp.

Kael tightened his grip on his Volcanic Shield, feeling the tension rise. Rhea shifted her body weight to the balls of her feet, readying her Agility 68 for any sudden movement, while Aurelia-Elysia quietly channeled mana into the tip of her crystal staff.

Diana stared Cassius directly in his gray eyes.

Diana's greed was a bottomless pit, but her pride as Commander was a blade forged in diamond. The mere thought of surrendering fifty percent of her treasure or handing over her brand name to a military commander made her blood boil.

“Fifty percent tax…” Diana repeated slowly, a small, icy, sharp smile appearing on her lips. “…or surrender my production to your guild?”

She stepped forward, breaking the safety distance, staring down the Level 32 giant without backing away a single millimeter.

“Save your chains for dogs that wear collars, Cassius.” Diana said, her voice slicing through the canyon wind like a razor. “The Arcane Greed Workshop does not split a single cent with anyone. And I don't pay tolls to soldiers hiding behind stone barricades.”

The thirty silver legionnaires took a step forward in unison, slamming their spears against their shields with a deafening metallic clatter.

Cassius didn't flinch, but his gray eyes narrowed with a dangerous chill.

“Brave words for a Level 25 girl.” Cassius hissed. “Do you think that because you survived mediocre duelists, you can challenge the Legion's authority in my territory?”

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The Clash of Command Auras

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Cassius didn't draw his war cleaver.

Instead, he unleashed his supreme command skill: [Presence of the Silver Conqueror].

A shockwave of dense, physical gravitational pressure exploded from Cassius's body. The aura of a Level 32 Warlord, driven by 68 Strength points and 65 Vitality, crashed down upon the canyon like a mountain collapse.

Loose stones on the limestone ground crushed to dust under the gravity's weight. The air turned thin, suffocating, burning the lungs.

Kael took a heavy step back, driving his shield into the ground to keep from being shoved back by the gravitational mass. Aurelia-Elysia projected a Protection Barrier over herself, gasping under the pressure, while Rhea gritted her teeth, holding her ground with her speed.

Cassius expected to see Diana fall to her knees or retreat in terror beneath the pressure of 68 Strength.

But Diana raised her head.

Her dark eyes flared with a silver-blue glow and violent black gold.

AURA OF ARCANE DOMAIN!

Diana unleashed her class presence, driven by her 87 INTELLIGENCE POINTS, channeling a controlled blast of 15% of the ancestral essence of her Candidate of Greed soul.

A shockwave of pure, bluish-golden mana collided head-on with Cassius's physical gravity.

BOOM!

An inaudible sonic boom echoed through the canyon.

The clash between the two auras was so violent that the paving stones between Diana and Cassius fractured into a deep web of cracks. The air vibrated at a high frequency that made the legionnaires' silver armor ring like out-of-tune bells.

Several barricade soldiers took two involuntary steps back, horrified to see a Level 25 girl withstand their Level 32 Commander's presence without yielding a single inch.

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—This brute has 68 Strength and 65 Vitality, Diana.

The System's voice echoed in her mind, the interface floating in black gold in the corner of her vision with a sharp analytical tone.

—His aura is too heavy for direct combat out here. He has thirty high-level legionnaires backing him up. If you start a war of attrition now, your party will have to burn precious resources just to walk out alive. The risk is high and the profit is zero.

Diana absorbed the System's counsel without taking her eyes off Cassius.

She knew the System's math was correct.

Starting a bloody battle there against a 1,400 HP warrior backed by thirty soldiers in a fortified position was a negative-yield move. There was no immediate treasure to loot, and the drain on stamina and potions would stall the faction's advance to the Third Circle.

Diana retracted her magic aura with a clean severing of energy, letting the canyon wind circulate once more.

Cassius, sensing the controlled withdrawal of pressure, reined in his own physical gravity, though his eyes remained fixed on Diana with a dark, cautious respect he had never granted to any rookie. He realized that this girl's magic-driven mind was a dangerous anomaly.

Diana took a half-step back, adjusting the collar of her dragon chestplate, maintaining an expression of calm, absolute mockery.

“Keep your toll for today, Cassius.” Diana said, her voice echoing clean through the stone fissure. “Enjoy your barricade while it's still standing. When I return to cross this gate, you won't charge me taxes. You will clear the way.”

Cassius held her gaze, his hands resting on the hilt of his war cleaver. “I'll be waiting, Commander of Greed. Let's see if your magic survives my Legion's steel.”

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Diana turned her back with a fluid flick of her cloak.

“Faction, fall back in formation.” Diana ordered in a firm tone.

Rhea, Kael, and Aurelia-Elysia turned in flawless sync, maintaining tactical covering formation as they descended the canyon back toward the main road, leaving the Silver Legion behind in absolute silence.

Upon reaching the top of the hill overlooking the valley, Diana paused for a second, looking back at the winged lion banners fluttering in the distance.

There was no frustration on her face. There was only the cold, methodical, relentless calculation of someone who had just identified her next major target.

Cassius was the lord of the Second Circle's south. And to take definitive control of that territory prior to crossing into the Third Circle, the Arcane Greed Faction needed to shatter the Silver Legion's iron wall.

Diana touched the hilt of the black steel dagger at her waist, feeling her Intelligence 87 energy pulse steady in her chest.

Rivalry was declared. And the hunt toward Level 30 had just gained a brand new purpose.