Chapter 41: The Balance Arrives, Rank III—and a Legendary Hero
Cassian did not move forward.
Roughly a kilometer separated him from the Dwarven Royal Hall.
That was close enough to see the formation in front of it clearly.
The Hill King stood at the center.
Formations of Ridgewardens and Ironhorn Ram Cavalry held both flanks. Behind them were long-bearded heavy infantry, Dwarf Gunners, and ordinary Dwarf Troops still pouring out of different stone gates.
A rough count put them near a thousand.
And the number was still rising.
Eira stood at Cassian’s right.
"Fight?"
"Not now."
She did not look surprised. She only raised the tip of her spear toward the center.
"Because of him?"
Cassian watched the Hill King.
Level 18.
Legendary.
Quality and level alone put him in a completely different class from the Ridgewardens they had already fought.
If all six Stormlance committed to him, they might be able to pin him down.
But the nearly one thousand Dwarves behind him were not going to stand still while that happened.
Gloomhoof and Blackfang could control routes.
They could not hold the full garrison of an Epic Troop Building head-on.
He could call in all two hundred nine Eclipse troops. Aegis Fold would make the front much harder to break, but this mountain road was a poor environment for a heavy line. Dragging the entire formation here would not make a Level 18 Legendary Hill King disappear either.
The Wild Tide Lure was not the answer.
It could draw nearby wild monsters toward a marked point, but it could not guarantee that the Hill King would be the one pulled out. It could not guarantee that nothing else in the mountain came with him. Against an Epic Troop Building with an organized garrison, using the Lure now would only add an uncontrolled variable.
Veyra was not an option at all.
The Temporary Covenant still restricted her to Forgotten Shrine’s Domain.
And there was a more immediate problem.
If every Stormlance went onto the Boss, who stayed beside Cassian?
Cassian had no problem taking risks.
That did not mean he enjoyed putting himself in a position where one Rare squad slipping through would be enough to create a crisis.
"We watch first."
Eira nodded.
The other side was clearly watching them too.
The Hill King’s gaze swept over the five Gloomhoof on the slope, paused on the six Stormlance, then finally settled on Cassian.
He planted the head of his enormous warhammer on the ground.
"Young human Lord."
His voice rolled across the mountain walls.
"You have killed my border wardens."
"But Dwarves and humans are not blood enemies."
"Leave the King’s Ridge now, and I will count the blood already spilled as a border misunderstanding."
One of Cassian’s brows lifted slightly.
They had fought their way to the gate.
And the other side was still willing to talk.
Good.
Time was exactly what Cassian needed.
"It may have been a misunderstanding."
The Hill King’s eyes did not soften.
"Then leave."
Cassian was about to keep the conversation going when his private channel vibrated twice in rapid succession.
Elara.
He looked down.
[Elara Vayne: The money is here.]
Two transfers appeared almost together.
[Aether Crystal +680,000]
[Hero Sigil balance paid in full]
A second transfer followed.
[Aether Crystal +100,000]
[Note: Additional Vayne-side price correction. Not part of the original contract balance.]
[Aether Crystal: 324,466 → 1,104,466]
Cassian watched the balance for one breath.
Elara’s messages followed immediately.
[Elara Vayne: The 680,000 is what I owed you.]
[Elara Vayne: The other 100,000 brings it back to the Caravan’s public nine-hundred-thousand price.]
[Elara Vayne: My family also told me to say that worrying you’d take the money and refuse to deliver the Sigil was their mistake.]
Cassian did not comment on the apology.
He dragged the Epic Hero Sigil from the top of his storage directly into the trade window.
[Epic Hero Sigil ×1]
[Recipient: Elara Vayne]
[Confirm trade?]
"Confirm."
Ten seconds later:
[Trade complete.]
[Epic Hero Sigil transferred]
***
Inside Elara’s Domain, a silver-white Observer Passage had just closed beside the Domain Core.
Aveline stood alone at the arrival point.
No Troops.
No resources brought through the Passage.
Tier III authority gave her only six hours of non-combat visitor status.
She had no intention of wasting it.
First, she would watch Elara recruit the Hero.
As for Cassian, she had asked about him the moment she arrived.
Elara had given her one answer.
"He’s out. He’s not at Forgotten Shrine right now."
Aveline had no interest in making a pointless second trip.
She would stay here first and arrange the meeting after Cassian’s location and schedule were confirmed again.
At that moment, the Epic Hero Sigil arrived through the normal trade system.
Elara gripped it, unable to hide her smile.
"Once the Hero comes out, I’m going into the mountains and making those Dwarves—"
"Don’t use it yet."
Aveline cut her off and pointed at the Hero Contract interface.
[standard Hero Contract: 1 / 1]
[Epic Hero Sigil requires an empty standard Hero Contract slot.]
Elara’s smile faded.
Of course she already had a Hero.
That Hero was the reason Elara had taken seventh place in the Hero Power Ranking.
"You knew this was going to block me?"
"Yes."
"So you came in here planning to watch me replace her?"
Aveline met her eyes.
"If it were me, I would replace her. An Epic Hero is worth making that choice."
Elara’s voice cooled slightly.
"Because you never fought beside her."
"Correct."
Aveline did not dodge the point.
"That’s why I’m only reminding you that the slot is full. I’m not releasing the contract for you."
She paused.
"You can keep the Sigil. You can also wait until you have a second Hero slot later."
Elara stared at the `1 / 1` for several breaths.
"She helped me take seventh."
"I know."
"...Which makes this choice really irritating."
In the end, Elara opened her current Hero Contract herself.
Her finger hovered for one moment before she confirmed.
"Release."
[Existing standard Hero Contract released.]
[standard Hero Contract: 0 / 1]
Aveline did not tell her she had made the right choice.
Elara did not look at the empty slot again. She placed the Epic Hero Sigil into the new contract slot.
"Recruit now."
[Epic Hero Sigil ×1 consumed]
A purple-gold summoning gate opened in front of the Domain Core.
Heavy footsteps came from inside.
The first thing through was a warhammer nearly as tall as a person.
Then broad shoulders.
Heavy armor.
A gray-brown beard braided into three thick strands.
The smile on Elara’s face slowly disappeared.
The system gave only the necessary line.
[Epic Hero has answered the contract]
[Dwarf King — Brogan Stonecrown]
The tall Dwarf looked at Elara, then around her Domain.
He rested the warhammer on one shoulder.
"Lord Elara Vayne?"
"Brogan Stonecrown. I’ve answered your contract."
He paused.
"Do you have any ale?"
Elara: "..."
Aveline turned her head very slowly.
"Who did you just say you were going into the mountains to settle accounts with?"
"Shut up."
Elara stared at the Epic Dwarf Hero she had just recruited.
Two breaths later, she still could not stop herself from messaging Cassian.
[Elara Vayne: The Hero is here.]
The next line took noticeably longer.
[Elara Vayne: He’s a Dwarf.]
[Elara Vayne: Don’t ask.]
***
Outside the Royal Hall, the corner of Cassian’s mouth lifted as he read the three messages.
The Sigil had been delivered.
Elara had already turned it into an Epic Hero on the spot.
The deal had only truly become combat power once Elara summoned the Epic Hero.
Cassian closed the trade window.
Eight hundred thousand had been the original deal.
The extra one hundred thousand was House Vayne correcting its earlier valuation of him.
Almost at the same moment, another message arrived.
Bram.
[Bram Alder: The latest Gold Ore from both veins has entered storage.]
[Bram Alder: You told me to report the moment it hit one hundred.]
[Bram Alder: It’s 100 / 100 now.]
Bram’s message pulled Cassian’s attention off the Hill King and back to Rank III.
Rank III.
He opened Forgotten Shrine’s interface.
The two Gold Veins had never stopped producing after Eclipse Muster Hall was completed.
Stone, Black Oak, and Refined Iron had already met their upgrade requirements.
Gold Ore had been the last missing line.
Now that line was lit too.
[Forgotten Shrine Rank III Upgrade]
[Aether Crystal: 100,000 / 100,000]
[Stone / Black Oak / Refined Iron: Requirement met]
[Gold Ore: 100 / 100]
Cassian did not hesitate.
"Upgrade."
[Aether Crystal: 1,104,466 → 1,004,466]
[Gold Ore -100]
[Forgotten Shrine has begun upgrading to Rank III.]
[Estimated completion time: 4 hours]
[Immediate Completion: Aether Crystal ×4,000]
Cassian looked at the nearly one thousand Dwarves behind the Hill King.
Four hours?
No need.
"Complete it now."
[Aether Crystal: 1,004,466 → 1,000,466]
More than twenty kilometers away, Forgotten Shrine’s Domain Core flared to life.
The Temporary Covenant still could not bring Veyra out of the Domain, but the vibration from the upgrade traveled through their connection for an instant.
Even from the ridge, Cassian felt the faintest echo under his feet.
The system refreshed.
[Forgotten Shrine: Rank II → Rank III]
[Domain range expanded.]
[New Buildings Unlocked: Waygate / War Stable]
[Oath Hall standard Hero Contract capacity: 1 → 2]
[Temporary Covenant does not consume standard Hero Contract capacity.]
Cassian did not open Waygate.
He did not open War Stable either.
His attention went straight to the line he had already seen in the Oath Hall preview.
It had been grey before.
Now it was active.
[High Realm Call: Unlocked]
[Based on current Realm Renown and Renown State, you may actively issue a recruitment call to a higher-rank Hero.]
[Detected: Renown State — Widely Known]
[Detected: Legend — 100]
[Current lockable Call Quality: Legendary]
[Call Cost: Aether Crystal ×1,000,000]
[Legend is used only as a qualification threshold and will not be consumed.]
Cassian read it for two seconds.
Then he looked at his balance.
[Aether Crystal: 1,000,466]
Only four hundred sixty-six to spare.
Eira had seen the Legendary line too.
She was silent for a moment.
"You just sold an Epic Hero Sigil."
"Yes."
"And now you’re spending a million to recruit a Legendary?"
Cassian looked toward the Hill King in front of the Royal Hall.
"That one was Elara’s."
"This one is mine."
The corner of Eira’s mouth twitched.
"Fine."
Cassian confirmed.
[Spend Aether Crystal ×1,000,000 to lock Legendary Hero High Realm Call?]
"Confirm."
[Aether Crystal: 1,000,466 → 466]
[Legendary Hero High Realm Call locked.]
[Begin recruitment immediately?]
Mountain wind passed through the space between the two forces.
The Hill King was still waiting to hear how Cassian intended to finish explaining their so-called misunderstanding.
Cassian had already raised his hand.
"Recruit."