The room went still. Even the soft buzz of the holo-tablet faded.
Vaeliraâs eyes locked on him.
Kaiden continued without being bothered by the change in the atmosphere. "The cherished A-tier awakened of Nova Circuit peddles drama like a street vendor slinging shit just to juice her streamâs engagement numbers. Jack acts like weâre in a perpetual dick-measuring contest. And Sasha? If I had a coin for every time she looked at one of my girls like they were beneath her, Iâd have enough to buy a private dungeon."
His gaze flicked to Taliaâs face on the hologram. "And Diaz. Strong or not, heâs the sole survivor of a nineteen-man slaughter. Iâve got doubts about him."
Silence.
No one interrupted him.
Not Talia, whose lips thinned on the other end of the screen. Not Tessa, whose brows furrowed as she realized the negotiation had shifted. And definitely not Vaelira, who sat with her head tilted, eyeing him like she was about to slap him.
Kaiden gave her a wink before continuing.
"So hereâs how it is. I want seventy-five percent of all spoils."
Taliaâs expression tightened.
"Diaz is experienced, sure," Kaiden went on, "but itâs your guild thatâs under threat of dissolution. Youâre here because youâre desperate. Runewoven is being done a favor just by being part of this conversation. That alone is worth your cut."
He shifted, turning toward Tessa now. "As for Nova Circuit... Vaelira might be A-rank, but the rest of her squad is simply not ready. Back in the desert, my team did most of the heavy lifting while they threw tantrums and pouted through it."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Ariaâs smile deepened as she grabbed onto Kaidenâs hand resting on her thigh and stroked it lovingly.
Tessa didnât like what she was hearing. Not one bit. But...
She couldnât deny it either.
Nova Circuit hadnât looked good during the desert dungeon. Kaidenâs claim of her guild members doing worse than his team was questionable at best, while a straight-up lie if one asked her, but the footage made one thing crystal clear: they were indeed stirring a lot of drama in a tense situation. It was extremely amateurish.
She exhaled.
"...Iâll give up five percent."
Her voice was cool. Steel behind silk.
"If thatâs what it takes to get this ball rolling, fine. But I wonât risk the lives of my precious guild members in a dangerous dungeon where theyâre treated like dead weight. If you want this to work, then take the deal."
Kaiden met her eyes.
A beat passed.
Then he gave a nod.
"Deal."
Talia protested, but once both parties turned on her, she wasnât given much of a choice but to agree.
Thus, the terms were set.
65% to Valhallaâs Sinners.
35% to Nova Circuit.
0% to Runewoven.
The next time they stepped into a dungeon, it wouldnât be for spectacle.
It would be for legacy.
And blood.
...
Kaiden and co left the guild building satisfied, though one thing was for certain: they agreed to a very harsh undertaking. It was the same-ranked dungeon as the desert one, and they nearly died there many times.
Furthermore, the level cap being at 25 meant theyâd face stronger monsters, and the person limit added another layer of difficulty. If that wasnât bad enough, a vampire crypt sounded more difficult than the desert setting.
But at the end of the day, they got what they wanted, so excitement could be felt when they returned to the bunker to make their final preparations.
They had over 35,000 Chronos to their name, the equivalent of over 3.5 million USD. It was time to invest the cash in their gear to increase their chance of survival.
Their current gear was common-rarity, the one above junk. There were no spells imbued into them, and even low-level monsters could destroy it with a few attacks. That wouldnât do from now on.
Kaiden leaned back into the bunkerâs plush sofa, sinking into its comfort. He was looking a bit like a king on his throne. The long day of negotiations was behind them, so now a far more exciting phase could begin.
His hands settled on the shoulders of Luna and Aria, who sat flanking him on either side. They melted into his touch, each wearing a giant smile as they leaned into him with similar levels of glee.
He cracked his neck once.
"Letâs shop, my beloved Valkyries and tanned kitten."
The Awakened Platformâs holographic marketplace opened up in front of his mindâs eyes. Thousands of items were laid out in categories, filters, auctions, and bundles. Gear of all classes, rarities, and functions.
He filtered the results by uncommon rarity and above and narrowed the tag to [Undead] and [Vampiric] resistance.
His eyes landed on a set of matte black armor lined with silvery lines:
Set Name: Dawnguard (Uncommon)
Class Compatibility: Hybrid / Melee Caster
Perks:
12% Resistance to Necrotic and Blood Affliction
+15% Mana Flow Efficiency
Reactive Barrier: Generates a burst of light when struck by vampiric attacks, blinding attackers briefly.
Price: 3,000 Chronos
Kaiden whistled low under his breath.
"Forty Chronos for the Metal Nomad Set, huh?" he muttered. "And now they want three thousand. What a jump in price..."
Still, the stats were perfect. The utility. The defense. The light-burst deterrent? Beautiful. He locked it in.
Next up: a weapon.
He filtered again, [Silver], [Anti-Undead], and [Two-Handed].
What he found was nothing short of a monster.
Name: Twilight Ripper
Type: Greatsword (Silver Core Alloy)
Rarity: Uncommon (Modified)
Perks:
â Bonus Damage vs. Vampiric, Undead, and Possessed enemies (+18%)
â Converts 4% of dealt damage into a temporary lifesteal shield
â Blade can be infused with mana to release a crescent arc slash (15s cooldown)
"Goodbye, War Axe..."
He clicked Purchase.
One by one, the items dematerialized from the server grid and reformed before him. The armor hovered in piecesâpauldrons, breastplate, greaves.
Twilight Ripper manifested last. The room dimmed for a moment, the sword drinking in the light.
Kaidenâs gaze slowly shifted.
He saw them. His girls. Already donning their new gear.
They hadnât said a word yet.
But they didnât need to.
They looked just a little too sexy in those updated outfits. And they hadnât even posed yet.
Kaidenâs eyes shone with fire as he stood to his feet.