Chapter 1,337 – Everit Draom

“Holy crap,” Zac mumbled with awe.

Zac could only identify one pile without Esmeralda’s assistance: the neat stacks of Cosmic Crystals. There were exactly a thousand Middle-quality Cosmic Crystals, nearly half of them attuned. The ten High-quality Cosmic Crystals were all unattuned. Together, the stacks were worth over 30 C-grade Nexus Coins.

The High-quality Cosmic Crystals were technically worth less than the pile of Middle-quality crystals, but most C-grade factions would pick the former if they had to choose. High-quality crystals were a genuine C-grade resource and incredibly rare on the frontier. They never appeared on the open market, and they’d become fiercely guarded strategic resources during the war.

Their extremely condensed C-grade Cosmic Energy was far more suitable for nurturing Inner Worlds. Using them also saved a significant amount of time compared to refining mountains of lower-grade resources, leaving Monarchs more time to cultivate. For the same reason, only High-grade Cosmic Crystals could fully unlock the might of C-grade Arrays.

As sought-after High-quality Cosmic Crystals were by Monarchs, Peak Hegemons were just as anxious to get their hands on some. Their calm, stable C-grade Cosmic Energy was a great supplement when attacking the bottleneck of Monarchy. Five crystals weren’t enough for Zac with his exceedingly deep foundations, but they would relax the requirements on where he broke through.

The 30 C-grade Nexus Coins worth of crystals was only the tip of the iceberg. There were also two array disks and twelve piles of processed materials, all of which emitted energy fluctuations ranging from High D-grade to Pseudo C-grade. Anticipating that Zac wouldn’t recognize them, each resource came with an Information Crystal. Zac scanned one floating before a cube of ochre-colored dust.

‘Since time immemorial, the Centigrade Constellation has pushed the boundaries of innovation. Our marvels have dazzled the Cosmos with their grandeur and ingenuity. Other breakthroughs are hidden gems only known by our closest friends. Originally the residue of a failed experiment, the [Spacemelding Rust] is one such treasure.

When infused in Spatial Treasures or Spatial Arrays, the [Spacemelding Rust] will effectively raise its strength by half a grade. Its calming effect will also improve longevity. Taking full advantage of this miracle material requires the use of the Centigrade Foundries and proprietary techniques. You’re welcome to bring your idea to us, and we shall faithfully turn your vision into a reality!

Should you be unable to reach our subsidiaries, you can use the provided simplified method. Be warned, that path will only exhibit 30% of the described potential.’

The whole thing read like a marketing brochure, including the following section with technical information aimed at artisans. Still, what Zac saw was extremely impressive. Raising a Spatial Treasure by half a grade was outstanding on its own, and the rust also helped stabilize the spatial fluctuations. The provided compound was Peak D-grade so it would retain some of its effect on Pseudo C-grade treasures.

The applications were endless. Teleportation Arrays would reach further, providing access to remote areas. Spatial Rings would hold greater spaces, and their ability to contain high-grade materials would improve. Whether it was for your own use or resale, the potential profits were immense.

Zac inspected the next Information Crystal, and it was more of the same. The cube of deep-blue goo could strengthen the barriers of Town Protection Arrays by the same amount, which could mean the difference between life and death during a siege. It didn’t take long to go through the information. The materials were all local specialties of the Centigrade Constellation related to crafting.

They boasted a wide array of uses, from increasing the success rate of difficult projects to improving the quality of the product. Two could boost the effect of finished arrays, and one could assist in salvaging damaged Spirit Tools. The arrays were multi-function crafting formations needed to use compounds.

Even the Cosmos Sack was a treasure. Instead of a blank subspace with vague borders, the bag held a proper chamber covered in arrays designed to nurture, stabilize, and self-repair from within. While still a D-grade Spatial Treasure, it was probably as durable as an Early C-grade Spatial Ring. In other words, it might be able to permanently store D-grade Void Treasures without causing spatial degradation.

There was no way to convert most of the materials into the strength inside the trail, most likely by design. Two could be used when upgrading [Verun’s Bite], but Zac had no plans of doing so. The Centigrade Pryer’s insight into the Peak of the Grand Tapestry was among the highest in the Multiverse. Zac had no way of knowing if the materials would install hidden backdoors like the Yphelion’s tracker.

Selling them was the prudent choice. Going by Zac’s limited understanding, the materials vastly surpassed the Cosmic Crystals in value. The collection could more than double his net worth if he found the right buyer. That was enough for Zac to discard any notion of tossing the bag, even if he couldn’t rule out it was part of a scheme.

With the intersector war coming to an end, Zac’s main source of income was gone. His Creator Cosmic Vessels were prohibitively expensive for their grade. It was fine when the ships could recoup their cost by accruing war contributions. Without that, it was more efficient to spend money on large fleets of cheap vessels or higher-grade designs.

There was also the security issue of the Creator Shipyard. Zac understood that the Centigrade Constellation’s interest in him and the region should plummet after the trial was over. Still, having the spies of an A-grade faction on his homeworld was too big a risk, and his encounter with Kaltosa Lu had done nothing to ease his fears.

Without the shipyard, the Atwood Empire would enter a deficit. It wasn’t like their costs would decrease just because the war was over. If anything, it was the opposite. Provided his government followed their plan, Earth was already a High D-grade planet. In addition, the Atwood Empire would have added a dozen feeder planets that needed to be brought up to standard. Cash infusions like Kaltosa Lu’s bribe would tide them over until his faction could establish new income streams.

The reason behind the gift was as important as what it could be used for. The elemental had proclaimed his ambush was because Zac was a homewrecker who consorted with his “fiancée.” Zac spent days providing explanations, and it made no difference. However, the second they reached the Transformation Docks, anything Zac said was taken as a compliment.

Kaltosa Lu acted like he hadn’t tried to kill him just seconds ago, shifting the topic to cooperation. Zac would have to be a fool to take the Flamebearer’s words at face value. His whimsical personality wasn’t necessarily feigned, but Kaltosa Lu was no Don Quijote out adventuring with his squire. The Centigrade Constellation’s Flamebearer was cut from the same cloth as Yselio Tobrial.

Ruthless pragmatism lurked behind the exterior of a scatterbrained genius. There was no malice behind the ambush. It was a simple attempt to snatch Zac’s Imperial Merit. Kaltosa Lu didn’t harbor any anger when his plan failed. He just pivoted to another method of extracting value from Zac.

The butler’s invitation to cooperate was most likely sincere. The Centigrade Constellation didn’t lack money, and getting the assistance of another Flamebearer could prove useful. Such a collaboration would only last so long as Zac could provide more benefits alive than dead. Kaltosa Lu would turn on him the second the risk-to-reward ratio was good enough.

As much as he wanted to, Zac couldn’t disdain the elemental for his amoral actions. Zac knew he wasn’t much better. While Zac tried to avoid targeting other cultivators for their resources, he’d done things that would horrify anyone before the integration. Furthermore, Zac wouldn’t reject a temporary alliance if he thought it the best way to achieve his goals. It also wouldn’t stop Zac from plotting his revenge.

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Zac shook his head and turned back toward the bustling street. Whether revenge or cooperation, it would have to wait until he’d seen what the Mercurial Court had in store.

The Imperial Road Project was almost completed, and capitals like the Transformation Docks were already seeing the benefits. There was barely any Earthly Taint in the air. The ambient energy was also extremely abundant. Even diluted, it could cover a Monarch’s needs, so the city planners squeezed large districts into spatial arrays the size of a block. As such, the Transformation Docks were even larger than the memory domain indicated.

The streets were overflowing with people here to witness the historical occasion, and Zac could quickly confirm the salient points. As he’d learned over the past month, the Mercurial Court’s opportunity wasn’t a one-day event. Participants were coming from every corner of the world, so the Outer Courts would keep their gates open for a three-year window.

The caveat was that the opportunities were on a first-come, first-served basis, much like the items on the Limited Exchange. The Mercurial Court was only taking in nine permanent disciples among hundreds of sealbearers. If you arrived late and the slots were already taken, you weren’t fated. Beyond the basics, Zac learned overheard a few new things.

“Grandpa, the docks opened six days ago, so why have only a dozen Sealbearers set out? Shouldn’t it be better to head out to sea early?” a young woman just ahead asked her guardian. “The longer Senior Brother waits, the fewer [Peregrine Gondolas] he’ll have to choose from.”