Chapter 8: An A Rating? No One Believes It
Veyra didn’t actually go back to rest.
She stopped beside the Oath Hall and held out a hand.
"Give me a few."
Cassian looked at her. "A few what?"
"Those crystals from earlier."
"Aether Crystal?"
"Mm."
Veyra glanced at her right hand. "The Domain advancement raised how much power I can manifest right now, but I’m still nearly empty. The energy in those crystals is crude, but it should restore something."
Cassian opened his storage.
[Aether Crystal: 1,131]
For an ordinary newcomer on the first day, even one hundred Aether Crystals would already count as a meaningful reserve.
Cassian took out ten.
Veyra gave them a look. "Generous."
"Is it enough?"
"I’ll test it first."
The moment the first crystal touched her palm, dark-gold light shone between her fingers.
Crack.
The crystal broke apart, and pale-blue energy flowed into her wrist. The Eclipse Chains trembled faintly.
Veyra closed her eyes for several seconds before opening them again.
"Poor quality."
"Then give them back."
Veyra calmly put away the other nine.
"But usable."
Cassian looked at her.
The corner of her mouth lifted. "You’re so good at accounts. Did you lose money this time?"
"No." Cassian glanced at the chain around her right wrist. "If it actually helps you recover, then it’s a consumable."
Veyra’s hand paused for an instant.
Cassian had already lowered his gaze to the reward chests.
Four Refined Chests. Eleven Common Chests.
He opened the first.
[Acquired: Blacksteel Dirk]
[Quality: Refined]
[Strength +2]
[Agility +1]
The second contained Aether Crystal ×50. The third gave Black Oak ×100. The fourth contained a building blueprint for a Watchtower.
Most of the eleven Common Chests held ordinary supplies—wood, stone, basic weapons, and other low-tier materials.
Cassian picked up the Blacksteel Dirk last.
It was far better than the starter shortsword. Light, sharp, and easily one of the better weapons a newcomer could hope to have this early.
Veyra glanced at it. "You finally own a weapon that doesn’t look like garbage."
Cassian tested the balance once, then opened the Regional Exchange.
Veyra turned toward him.
[List Blacksteel Dirk for sale?]
"Yes."
[Choose sale method.]
[Auction]
[Buyout]
Cassian selected the second option.
[Buyout Price: 2,000 Aether Crystal]
Now Veyra fully turned around. "You aren’t going to use it?"
"I would."
"Then why sell it?"
Cassian pulled out the starter shortsword the Packlord had bent.
"This can still stab someone."
He looked at the Blacksteel Dirk in his other hand. "The dirk only makes me a little more comfortable right now. Two thousand Aether Crystals can do a lot more."
Veyra stared at the badly bent shortsword, then at Cassian.
"You really aren’t picky."
"I am."
Cassian struck the bent blade against a stone.
Clang.
It straightened slightly.
"I just can’t afford to be picky yet."
The listing went live.
A system announcement appeared in the regional channel almost immediately.
[Cassian Vale has listed Refined equipment on the Regional Exchange: Blacksteel Dirk.]
[Sale Method: Buyout]
[Price: 2,000 Aether Crystal]
One second later—
[Transaction Complete.]
[Aether Crystal +2,000]
Veyra looked at him without speaking for a moment. "Who bought it?"
Cassian checked the transaction record.
[Buyer: Seraphine Valcrest]
He didn’t recognize the name. But anyone who could spend two thousand Aether Crystals without hesitation roughly an hour into the first day was not an ordinary newcomer.
The regional channel erupted at the same time.
"Wait. Cassian?"
"Wasn’t he fighting the First Blood Trial?"
"That’s Refined equipment. How long has the region even been open?"
"Who bought it for two thousand?"
"That’s not the point. If Cassian is selling Refined gear right now, doesn’t that mean his trial is already over?"
That silenced the channel for a heartbeat.
Then the messages came even faster.
"Impossible. It’s only been a few minutes."
"He triggered the trial first, remember?"
"Even then, that’s too fast."
Lucan Deyne had been quiet for a while. Eventually he returned with another explanation.
"Maybe the Golden Newcomer Chest gave him a high-grade one-use scroll. Clearing one wave isn’t impossible with something like that."
Elara replied immediately.
"At least he’s alive."
Lucan went silent.
Elara followed up. "Who was it that said he’d be dead in half an hour?"
He didn’t answer.
Rowan, however, sent a message for the first time.
[Rowan Ashford: Cassian, is your trial over?]
Cassian saw it and replied simply.
[Over.]
The channel paused again.
[Rowan Ashford: Battle rating?]
Cassian had no reason to hide it.
[A.]
This time the silence lasted longer.
Then the questions flooded in.
"A?"
"Is he joking?"
"An A battle rating?"
"Wasn’t the highest rating in the entire North March newcomer region last year only B?"
"You’d need zero casualties just to have a chance at A. How does an F-grade Domain take zero casualties?"
Lucan seized on the opening.
"Now he’s exaggerating. If he’d said C, maybe I’d believe him. A? Why not just claim S?"
Even Elara didn’t immediately answer that one.
An A rating really was hard to believe.
Rowan went quiet as well. After a while, a private message arrived.
[Really?]
Cassian replied.
[Really.]
[How?]
Cassian glanced toward Veyra, who was still absorbing Aether Crystal, then at the war mist retreating in four directions around the Forgotten Shrine.
[Six seconds.]
Nothing came back for more than ten seconds.
Then Rowan finally sent a single response.
[...]
That was all.
Cassian closed the conversation.
Veyra had opened her eyes again. The first crystal had already crumbled completely, and she was holding the second.
"They don’t believe you?"
"Mm."
"You aren’t going to explain?"
"Explanations cost extra."
Veyra laughed. "How much are they willing to pay?"
"No idea." Cassian looked at the two thousand Aether Crystals he had just received. "But someone has already started."
A new regional announcement sounded before he could say more.
[Rowan Ashford has completed Rank I advancement.]
[Regional Rank: 2]
[Reward: Refined Chest ×1]
[Fame +5]
Less than a minute later, another announcement followed.
[Elara Vayne has completed Rank I advancement.]
[Regional Rank: 3]
[Reward: Refined Chest ×1]
[Fame +3]
More and more newcomers were beginning to catch up.
The real competition of the first day was only beginning.