The Path of Ascension Chapter 471

Chapter 471

 

Allie groaned as she slumped in her chair, panting heavily. Sure, fanning herself with Aster’s tail was pure theatrics but Matt still made a note to make her a nice basket of pastries in a few months when things died down. She deserved it after her efforts in teleporting them and their items around.

From their chats in recent days they’d long since planned their steps upon returning but they had one important thing to do as the location of their loot was revealed by Allie. Predictably she’d been dropping everything off at Lila’s guild too but that meant their previous unknown loot would be well documented with the mysteries revealed.

Not that they’d be selling any of it any time soon. He didn’t regret Allie skipping the decades-long return journey back to settled space, but by the very nature of the breach attracting the Empire’s most affluent, most of the people they wanted to sell their items to were still in deep chaotic space.

As were the items they’d want to buy in exchange.

Matt did, however, want to learn about all of the Natural Treasures they had gotten but couldn’t distinguish at the moment. Especially the ones from the strange realm that had allowed them to customize the Natural Treasures. It had created a plethora of items they hadn’t been able to identify at all or hadn’t been certain of their effect.

In hindsight Matt was doubly thankfully to that strange realm putting him onto the idea of mana storage devices. The gem that was still hidden inside in his chest holding the strange realm’s energy in perfect stasis. The same gem he’d been toying with like a painful tooth since they exited the strange realm. He was almost desperate to get back to his own guild for further testing and investigations.

The energy was still perfectly stable and swirling around without a single fluctuation that might signify its deterioration. Every time he saw that, it only made him want to run experiments he was physically incapable of performing at the moment.

Given how close he’d come to bottoming out on willpower he wasn’t willing to risk using his Domain until he’d fully recovered his willpower. As such, he forced himself to relax and enjoy the process with the rest of the crew as their final activity together.

He was glad he did.

Their sudden arrival in Lila’s guild’s headquarters’ world was met with a rapid but brief mobilization, as every system shouted warnings thanks to their sudden arrival in a place where ships normally exited into chaotic space. Then, upon receiving their identification codes, everyone rushed over anyway, wanting to see why they’d returned so early.

Most of the hangers-on kept a respectful distance, but that was because they were mainly from the other exploration guilds that were also headquartered out of this system. They were only interested in updates both general and about their particular teams.

The Unsparing sent what information they had but otherwise ignored them, instead flying to the space station Lila’s guild used as its headquarters.

Clearly Corporations design with no attempt to blend it in, Matt had heard its origin story more than once. Lila had gotten wind of the Corporations moving a deployable naval dock to the frontlines and stole it, before slipping back into the Empire before the Corporations could respond.

That wouldn’t have been a problem, but the Empire hadn’t been at war with the Corporations at the time, and she’d nearly caused one with her stunt.

That was where the story always differed.

When Lila told the story, she swore that she volunteered to pay the Corporations for the space station to settle the dispute.

When someone like Luna told the story, the narrative was that Lila ran away from Georgios with her hoard for almost a week before he caught up with her, forcibly taking the payment from a temper tantrum-throwing dragon.

Matt knew who he believed, and it wasn’t the famously dragony dragon.

If Lila had wanted to buy a space station, she’d have done so from the outset. Even if she hadn’t wanted an Empire-built station, she, as an Ascender, would have had more than enough influence to get one from a Corporations manufacturer.

Captain Stenson let out a long sigh as he patted the armrest of his chair as they finished attaching themselves to the larger station signifying the true end to their journey. “Ah, it was a good journey, but time to say goodbye once again.”

His melancholy was quickly dispelled when his lieutenant quipped back, “Weird time to say that, given this is one of the few times this ship has returned from chaotic space intact.”

Stenson barked a laugh and brightened considerably.

Seeing the small rush of support staff, Matt swept the guild hall and laughed when he realized everyone remaining had already arrived. Appraisers, however, were far less likely to go into deep chaotic space than most other professions, and the guild’s four permanent appraisers were already waiting for them at the end of the dock.

One woman was even rubbing her hands together, unable to contain her excitement looking at the rear of The Unsparing.

Allie, who had slung herself over Aster’s shoulder, garbled, “I wish I could feel ten percent of her enthusiasm.”

Liz raised an eyebrow at the waxy teleporter. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like a candle left out in the sun.”

Allie only seemed to have the energy to make a rude gesture, but that merely got Liz to laugh. “You’re the one who insisted on returning as soon as possible. Everyone else was fine with flying for another month or so to let you recover more and shorten the distance. This is all on you and you won’t get any sympathy from us.”

Allie looked to Aster, clearly seeking aid, but Aster was even more heartless. “I will drop you.”

Unable to hide her smile, Allie shot right back as they waited for everyone else to finish the more time sensitive measures before getting off.

A man Matt recognized as one of the guild’s admins approached them the moment they walked inside.

“We set aside one of the ballrooms with your previous umm… delivery. Two of them actually, but one simply has the bulk goods we can sell off at any time you give the word. Everything else but most importantly, the more valuable Natural Treasures, are well preserved and should have no issues remaining until the Breach Exchanges when the deepest explorers return.”

Early explorers rarely sold their most valuable items, rather holding onto them until the deepest explorers returned with hopefully the best items. The event was almost as anticipated as the Breach itself as it inevitably attracted the Empire’s most wealthy. More importantly they drew out the oldest Immortals most of whom were older than the current Dynasty.

While most of that type had been purged, either forcibly ascended or killed when Agatha took power, she hadn’t been a monster and those who were willing to follow her new laws and more importantly restrictions were allowed to remain.

Matt had no hard numbers but he knew from talking with Aunt Helen most people who lingered did so for two reasons. They either couldn’t ascend or they had too many attachments to leave. Both groups were interested in breaches, or more accurately the rare and exotic materials pulled out of them, though usually for different reasons.

According to Aunt Helen people who wanted to Ascend but couldn’t, typically fell into two categories. The first couldn’t form their Aspect and therefore couldn’t connect to the realm and pass through its barrier. The second group were those who had their Aspects but also had a growth item below Tier 45 that wouldn’t survive the process.

Both needed rare items often only found in breaches and would spend anything for the possibility of advancement as did those who were looking for items to strengthen their various organizations in a more general sense.

With their age came the accumulation of resources and with such people exiting their seclusion everyone not already involved with the exploration would flock to cater to them turning the exchange into a hyper action and bartering center.

Matt couldn’t wait though he’d have to as while lesser more common Natural Treasures would be sold for market value he wasn’t interested in such items having long since had access to them through the Empire.

Seeing the ballrooms that housed roughly half of what they’d pulled out of chaotic space Matt couldn’t help but be impressed at what they’d managed.

Rows upon rows of floor to ceiling shelves were stacked with preservation boxes all carefully labeled and organized. Each item that required it, which was most of the Natural Treasures showcased in the front, were stored in its own unique enclosure perfectly mimicking the habitat that spawned it. The system was similar to the ship, but far more robust, taking advantage of the looser space restrictions.

The Corporations built most of their space stations as monstrous hulks, and the storage rooms turned ballrooms that were once more being repurposed as storage, were no different.

And they’d managed to fill at least two of them.

Floating over to one of the biggest question marks of their journey, Matt and Liz stopped in front of the Tier 30 Ichor Bonsai Tree.

It was still a horrifying mimicry of a tree, made out of a wereboar’s magical circulatory system with three ‘apples’ that were actually floating light orbs. Worse yet its trunk and leaves still pulsed with the rhythm of a beating heart, its blood vessels carrying golden ichor through golden flesh.

Everyone followed them wanting to know as much as they did.

Skipping past what they knew, Matt found the official appraisal.

Primary effect: Apples appear to be filled with Ichor’s full vitality and the ingestor, for an estimated duration of a day, is granted overhealth effects along with a rapid healing factor at little to no cost.

Suspected secondary effect: permanent enhancement in the body’s healing ability, so long as the energy isn’t used, but rather allowed to settle naturally. See appendix 3 for full list of possible alternative secondary and tertiary features.

Additional notes: Natural Treasure is draining energy from the ‘soil’ it’s planted in. It prefers flesh of high-Tier were-beasts or boars. Other meat types seem to be absorbed at a reduced rate, but no other adverse effects were noted. Ichor mana enriched meats also appeared to satisfy slightly more than untreated flesh but not as fully as boar meat.

Estimated longevity: Unknown. Natural Treasure shows limited and contradictory signs of conventional aging, seeming to grow more robust over time though unknown if such will continue post harvesting. Advancement in Tier is speculative, but unlikely. Rather it is supposed the treasure has an increased chance of the saplings surviving past the normal first few dozen generations that normally limit Bonsai Trees.

Value: Tier 34-38. Alchemical and medical research value is estimated at Tier 37. Direct application use value, Tier 34. Possible longevity speculation multiplies any potential value exceptionally. Synergy with Ascender Legion adds another variable that can’t be estimated leaving the above theoretical.

Liz licked her lips and Matt playfully covered Aster’s eyes. “I’m not sure that’s an appropriate expression, honey. There are children about.”

Aster flattened her fox ears and let her tail droop, going along without jostling Allie.

Liz waggled her eyebrows right back at him but sighed as she turned back to the tree. “I really want to eat one or maybe two. Okay I want to eat all three so badly. I can’t say that the secondary benefit is accurate, but my instincts tell me it’s not wrong. In fact, I’d be willing to bet it’s only scratching the surface of what I can get out of those apples.”

Matt too was somewhat interested in eating one, although he had to admit his upgraded [Regeneration] mostly made the effects redundant for him, so he had no interest in fighting over them.

Stepping back, Liz took a deep breath and then turned around. Phoenix Liz was more honest as she used her flexibility to watch the tree while still technically facing forward. Ecstatic for his wife, Matt plucked the raptor from Liz’s shoulder and held her to his chest and blocked the view. The betrayed look tickled him pink, but the bonsai tree was far from the only good reward they’d collected.

Besides, after reading the description he wanted to see how Melinda’s body guard Evelyn would respond to the Natural Treasure. She was the primary test subject of project Iron Vine, an attempt at making an organic growth item that unfortunately was still semi parasitic for now, and already had an incredible healing factor. The resulting combination could be interesting.

If the tree truly didn’t die and could continuously produce more Natural Treasures it would be shoved into Liz’s greenhouse terrarium to accelerate its growth fed by an ocean of conjured ichor and harvested monster meat. It might take decades but eventually they’d have enough for casual testing.

While everyone else split off to look at the Natural Treasures they’d tried to make for themselves, Matt and Liz continued to browse the Ichor treasures a bit more. That was until a very excited Liz pulled him over to what looked like some strange, softly pulsating, golden sponge.

Reading the description he understood her enthusiasm.

Primary effect: When implanted in a person’s bone marrow, it produces enhanced ichor-like blood that vitalizes and strengthens the body on an organic level.

Additional notes: High end body modding typically replaces the blood creation function with a dedicated organ. Reversing this would be required for application. The cascade of other changes will result in the reduction in efficiency with other related modifications. While the enhancements the improved blood brings are likely to exceed this weakening, it is not guaranteed. Caution is advised.

Value: Estimated objective worth: T32, given that all-encompassing physical boosts are rare. Estimated sale price: T37, Ichor based natural treasures are basically non-existent and very prestigious due to association with Ascender Legion.

“You should use this honey. This way you’d also have Ichor blood, or something close to it. I even have some ideas how I can take it and enhance it using my new cauldron to make it even more potent before you implant it.

Matt pulled Liz closer in a small hug before pretending to be hurt, “You just got tired of having a clone hang out in a boring ole blood body and want me to renovate.”

Liz looked surprised at his initial reaction but she played along well enough. “You caught me. I might do a little dusting while I’m inside too.”

Perusing the rest of the ichor items they weren’t overly impressed by any of the Natural Treasures despite them being both valuable and individually powerful. Things they couldn’t directly use were only good for being used to buy things they needed but that didn’t mean they weren’t interested or couldn’t be inspired so they took their time looking at each item as if it was an aquarium.

They even saw the phoenix lily they had assumed the effects of but hadn’t been able to fully identify.

Name: Ichor Phoenix Lifeblood Lily. Tier 27

Primary effect: Allows one to convert their bloodline into an ichor phoenix.

Secondary effect: Consume to strengthen existing ichor phoenix bloodline.

Warning: Due to Tier differential, suspected bloodline should be transformed from a standard fire phoenix to a ichor phoenix following the path Ascender Legion already blazed.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Value: Unknown. Estimated Tier 40 minimum.

It was a solid item but without special secondary effects it wasn’t one Liz particularly needed and they didn’t decide how they were going to handle it.

Their next stop wasn’t exactly far away as the guild had generally sorted things by mana types.

No less exciting than the sponge were the six Natural Treasures that all had ichor bolstering properties. The same properties needed when making a potion that could suppress ichor and its various effects. The appraisers couldn’t be sure but the items recorded high matches for the energy types needed to make potions to protect any children they might have before they awakened and could start advancing.

Bloodline children having side effects before awakening due to the parent’s bloodline or its respective mana type, was closer to the norm than the exception. While they were rarely truly dangerous outside of Void bloodlines, they could still be an inconvenience.

As such, potions to moderate those side effects was a very old and mature field of alchemy. Sadly they had known from day one that Ichor was projected to be a rough bloodline to pass on.

Not on the level of Void, but far closer than most bloodlines. There always was a chance the potions wouldn’t work thanks to some unique property of ichor they hadn’t discovered yet, but that was unlikely.

Matt didn’t care about that slim possibility in the slightest. Just having six options took a weight off his shoulders he hadn’t realized had been hanging over him and his concerns for having children. With the main ingredients secured they wouldn’t need to look at the less than ideal alternatives.

They didn’t get much further along their aisle before a hint from Aster directed them at another success they hadn’t realized the magnitude of at the time.

The odd elemental upgrade orbs they’d taken out of the strange realm actually managed to meet Matt’s wildest fantasies.

Primary effect: Upgrades a skill to the appropriate Tier similar to a normal upgrade orb, but will impart a guaranteed elemental effect instead of the random change an upgrade normally is.

Warning: Upgrades are likely still semi-random, but the additional elemental effect is believed to be guaranteed. Elemental conflicts are suspected if opposite elemental types are used together, but without actual tests, all speculation remains so. Several Talent based tests indicate results are more likely positive than negative but caution is advised.

Value: Research value could reach as high as Tier 42. Practical value: Buyer dependent, but estimated to be no lower than Tier 38 for the Tier 14 orbs.

Seeing the rows of various elemental skill upgrade orbs sitting in a protective rather than preservation box, Matt knew what he’d be spending at least some of his willpower recovery time doing at Titan’s Torch. If he could create a rift that dropped elemental upgrade orbs, he’d once more shake the skill industry, but he suspected it wouldn’t be as easy as creating aura rifts had been.

Upgrade orbs only started dropping as rewards at Tier 14, and making millions of such rifts in any kind of large-scale testing was still well beyond the guild’s current scale and knowledge. He could pay for a team or two to do such tests, but Matt had wanted to get his hands dirty in aperology for a while, and that seemed like an interesting enough topic to investigate.

That was, if the guild itself hadn’t made any interesting inventions that might grab his attention. He’d not gotten such non-vital updates thanks to Allie’s prohibition on such ‘boring’ information, but he was confident something had to have happened in the centuries they were out in chaotic space.

Despite all of the hardship the largest hurdle was already done, they knew such special upgrade orbs existed. Once the Empire’s various higher Tiers got their hands on the orbs’ descriptions they would be fighting for the chance to expand their arsenal and willing to pay any price for such a limited supply.

That was if they sold them at all.

Matt doubted Manny would do it but he might want to monopolize them for the Empire. They’d be well paid if that happened but personally he wanted to see the splash they’d cause on an auction platform.

They’d need to sell at least half.

Pondering that Matt corrected himself.

They’d need to sell at least a few to establish interest.

Maybe one or two.

In fact… They’d need to use one the orbs to confirm its effects which would theoretically ‘waste’ one of the upgrades but he was still more than eager to get his hands on at least one after they did so.

They had over a dozen but suddenly that felt like far too few and Matt couldn’t wait to advance where he’d have more mana available making such higher Tier aperology realistic.

They were walking through some of the lower Tier items when one of the descriptions caught Matt’s eye, as he struggled to remember where they’d gotten the twinkling mote of light. Fittingly enough, its primary effect was on a person’s vision.

Primary effect: Lets you see what people are looking at so long as you are looking at the person’s eyes.

Warning: limited control over the secondary vision should the other person catch on, as visual illusions are transmittable but other senses aren’t.

Value: Tier 26-28. Tier 26 for the base value of the item’s Tier. While there are downsides, the item is still useful at all Tiers as a support item.

Matt didn’t want to use the item, but it was interesting and he understood why Susanne had flagged it as one she was interested in keeping for herself.