Chapter 70 – The Anatomy of Treasure.

The second day off at the Bastion of Arcane Greed proceeded in a rare domestic calm.

In the sunny inner courtyard, Kael was doing light push-ups under the shade of the purple-leaf willow, maintaining the tone of his 870 hit points. In the manor kitchen, Aurelia-Elysia baked honey breads with sweet herbs, while Rhea and Seraphina sat on the garden bench, chatting about elemental spirit contracts from the summoner's grimoire.

Diana, however, was not in the garden.

The Commander had gone down to the basement laboratory right after sunrise, lighting the arcane exhaust systems and crystal lamps over the large stone workbench.

Upon the workbench, Diana had dumped the contents of every spatial bag brought back from the Amethyst Labyrinth expedition.

The sheer quantity of rare materials, ancestral gems, and raw ores accumulated across four days of siege formed a true sparkling mountain that illuminated the basement in shades of violet, blue, and silver.

Diana pulled out a fresh parchment, dipped her quill in the inkpot, and activated [Command Eye] with her 70 Perception points.

—Here comes the most methodical girl in Hell… The System's voice echoed in her mind, the interface floating in black gold above the workbench. A whole room full of Level 35+ materials and you're already ready to dissect every crystal atom.

“Every material that goes uncataloged and unforged is idle money, System.” Diana replied mentally with pragmatic coldness. “And idle money is an insult to Greed. And after that we'll figure out what to spend all this money on as well.”

Diana began the process of cataloging and recipe planning:

***

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RARE MATERIAL CATALOGING AND FORGE PLANNING

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1. [Heart of the Amethyst Emperor (Level 38 - Legendary Material)]:

- Origin: Third Floor Supreme Boss.

- Mana Analysis: Pulsing purple diamond sphere with 2,000 MP storage capacity and gravity-distortion properties.

- Crafting Project: Diana planned the forging of the Crown of Arcane Sovereignty for herself (Requirements: Smithing Level 15 + Alchemy Level 20). The artifact will grant +20 Intelligence and a passive continuous mana regen aura for the entire squad.

2. [3x Imperial Amethyst Cores (Level 36)]:

- Origin: The Triumvirate of Imperial Guardians.

- Mana Analysis: High-density crystals with magic resistance and armor penetration properties.

- Crafting Project: Cut into three Runic Socket Gems:

- Gem 1 (For Kael): Socket into Volcanic Shield (Grants immunity to gravitational stun).

- Gem 2 (For Rhea): Socket into Dragon Daggers (Grants +15% physical armor penetration).

- Gem 3 (For Seraphina): Socket into Silver Grimoire (Increases summon duration by 50%).

3. [Amethyst Chimera Core (Level 34) & Archmage Core (Level 36)]:

- Origin: Second Floor Hall Bosses.

- Crafting Project: Transmutation via Level 20 Alchemy to produce three Stat Ascension Elixirs and the Ring of Arcane Focus for Aurelia-Elysia (+10 Wisdom and -10% spell cost).

4. [30x Sacks of Pure Amethyst Ore and Quartz Steel]:

- Origin: Kael's extraction in second floor galleries.

- Crafting Project: Smelting at Master Volkan's workshop via Level 12 Metallurgy. Yields fifty Amethyst Steel Ingots, thirty of which will reinforce faction armors and twenty will be sold at the commercial stall for an estimated twenty silver coins profit.

5. [Batch of Beast Hides and Arcane Silk]:

- Origin: Rhea and Aurelia-Elysia's sweep.

- Crafting Project: Treatment via Level 9 Leatherworking to craft internal magic protection linings against cold and fire for the whole squad.

***

Diana finished drawing the diagram lines on the parchment, analyzing the plan with glowing eyes.

With the execution of that crafting blueprint at Volkan's forges, the faction's Metallurgy and Leatherworking proficiencies would easily leap to Level 15, leaving the entire group equipped with Level 35 to 40 imperial-grade items without her needing to spend a single gold coin in noble warehouses.

While reviewing her notes, Diana opened the automated financial report for the Arcane Greed commercial stall in the Central Plaza.

The passive revenue from daily sales of pure healing potions and anti-rust oils yielded an additional influx of 15 Pure Silver Coins directly into the faction vault.

***

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[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 310 Silver Coins (31 Gold Coins).

Arcane Greed Workshop Passive Revenue: +15 Silver Coins!

[NEW ABSOLUTE NET WORTH: 325 SILVER COINS (32,500 Bronze! / EXACTLY 32.5 PURE GOLD COINS!)]

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***

The soft sound of footsteps descending the basement stairs caught Diana's attention.

Seraphina entered the laboratory holding a tray with two slices of freshly baked honey bread and two cups of steaming tea prepared by Aurelia-Elysia.

“Aurelia told me to bring a snack for you, Commander…” Seraphina said timidly, placing the tray on the edge of the workbench. “She said if you spend over four hours without eating, your leader mood turns dangerous.”

Diana let out a short laugh through her nose, picking up a teacup. “Aurelia talks too much.”

Diana pushed the planning parchment toward the young summoner.

“Take a look at section two.” Diana pointed with her quill. “I designed a socket with the Level 36 Imperial Core for the spine of your grimoire. It will extend the duration of your quartz sentries by fifty percent and reduce continuous summon mana drain.”

Seraphina stepped closer, reading the magic calculations drawn by Diana on the paper.

The summoner's eyes widened behind her round glasses. The value of an imperial socket of that level on the noble market easily exceeded ten gold coins.

“Diana…” Seraphina looked at the human girl, her voice trembling with genuine emotion. “You… you're gonna spend a Level 36 imperial core on my grimoire…?”

Diana took a bite of Aurelia's honey bread, chewing slowly with a small, calm, sharp smile.

“I told you once before, Seraphina.” Diana said, her dark eyes fixed on her. “What belongs to my faction cannot be mediocre. Your sentries protect my squad's rear; keeping them strong is the smartest logical decision.”

Seraphina hugged her chest, a radiant, moved smile on her face. “Thank you, Diana. I promise my summons will never let a monster cross the line.”

Diana took a sip of her hot tea, looking at the mountain of amethysts and crystals gleaming under the laboratory lamps.