Alex, Tereza, and Menchi, accompanied by Rishi—who at least wants to check out the rooms—follow Susi, the cat-girl maid of the Sundered Circle.
She leads them to three adjacent rooms, and Alex enters the first one. It's spacious and furnished in a traditional Chinese style.
"I rather like this. At least it's different, huh?" Alex comments.
"Not my style, but it's not like we're paying for these rooms," Tereza replies, looking slightly disappointed and confused.
Menchi, meanwhile, smiles, seemingly satisfied with the room. "This is nice. This will do just fine as my personal headquarters."
[Does Host want to link this room to his player room? This will enable Host to leave and enter the Realm at this point. Host can also travel between his room and this room should he want to.]
"Yes, 1337. Also bind Menchi's room as well!" Alex responds.
[As your Supporter, Menchi and you can access each other's room, should you be willing to do so.]
"Make it so only Menchi can enter her room… let's give her just a bit of privacy, okay?" Alex says, realizing it hasn't been easy for her until now.
[Acknowledged, but by just asking, you can simply revert this change, as this system is unable to withdraw any rights from the Host.]
"Sorry, Menchi. Best I can do," Alex says, looking slightly apologetic.
"It's totally fine, Alex. I trust you. You can enter if something important's going on—we'll still see each other daily," Menchi replies with a heartfelt smile.
Thankfully, all the excitement is making her forget that she lost a lot of her freedom. I need to make sure I give her enough space.
Susi helps the others settle into their rooms and then politely excuses herself.
Finally left alone, Alex asks the group, "So Rishi, now you can explain it to us. I'm still not that sure about joining this guild."
"Look, joining this guild has absolutely no downsides. The restrictions are minimal, and in return, we get an added layer of protection. There are tons of guilds around, and we refuse to enter most of them, as we value our independence. This guild however, grants us some practical perks without restricting us. If someone plots against us, we'll get a warning—if someone in the guild is aware of it. We can trade, gather information, and people will mostly leave us alone, since they know we have backing—and that we're strong enough to qualify for this guild."
"I guess that makes sense. Instead of joining no guild at all, this one's certainly a good option," Alex admits. "Anyway, I take it you'll visit the auction too, Rishi?"
"Of course. However, I don't plan on spending anything. This auction is going to be massive, and I'm guessing most items will be quite overpriced. It's not a smart time to buy under these conditions, but maybe you'll find something rare that you desperately want. In any case, learning about more items is hugely important."
"I'm planning to participate. My items will be auctioned off early, and I'll get my FC right away. After that, I'm hoping I'll be loaded enough to buy something interesting."
"Don't waste your money just because you get rich. A lot of idiots blow through their fortunes the second they get them," Menchi warns.
"You don't need to worry about Alex—look at the car he still drives!" Tereza says with a smile.
My poor car… I like it! At least I won't cry if some asshole keys it.
"I'll see you guys at the auction in a few days then," Rishi says, walking out of the guildhouse.
Alex quickly settles into his new room but doesn't waste much time there. He returns with Menchi and Tereza, heading straight back to the real world.
"I'm guessing you'll be busy, Menchi. You already have a business partner lined up, right? Want me to come with you?" Alex asks, remembering her prior conversation with player 9861.
Menchi shakes her head. "I can handle it myself. Also, he or she probably doesn't want you to see what they look like. These people value anonymity way too much, in my opinion."
"Let's go have some fun then, Jewel. Might as well go out. You coming too, Tereza?"
Princess Jewel loves going outside with her Soulmate. Jewel wants to go shopping for meat!
"Yes. After that, I'll focus on the Realm, however. I want to catch up quickly," Tereza says, her expression turning determined.
I guess I should get serious as well… after the auction, I need to look ahead. For now, though—let's have fun, Jewel!
❤️
Alex spends a few calm days until the day of the auction arrives. He's lying comfortably on the couch next to Tereza, petting Jewel, while Menchi reads a cooking book from her ever-growing collection. After a while, he sighs and gets up, muttering, "I better get going now."
"Why are you leaving this early, Alex? The auction begins in a few hours, right?" Tereza asks, visibly confused.
"Me and Jewel better head out—Glimmerwhisk wanted to talk to me, and I guess I also need to… act the part, you know?"
"Well, just stay at her side. Your trick is actually working out well. Only Ziyou saw through it—but his skill is probably extremely rare. Most players wouldn't realize that it's actually just an act," Tereza notes.
Jewel will protect Soulmate! If this scheming goblin goes too far, Jewel will eat her!
"Just stay calm, Jewel, and don't reveal your ruby teeth! Anyway, the focus should be on the auction—nothing else. This time, a lot of FC is at stake. I'll see you and Menchi later," Alex says as he enters the Realm together with Jewel.
Making his way out of his room in the new guildhouse, Alex notices a lot of people mingling on floor 0 of the player tower—no doubt preparing to visit the auction on the event floor in a few hours.
It must be because of the auction. I guess I'm lucky I'm assured a seat, huh? I wonder what Rishi, Tereza, and Menchi will do… maybe I can ask Glimmerwhisk to help them out. Rishi didn't sound too enthusiastic about spending FC. According to him, he wants to upgrade his Death Note and spend most of his gains on that. I wonder if he's making a mistake. That's not a combat tool—it's an assassination tool. Well he should know these things, I'll let him make his own decisions.
Soulmate is too kind, worrying about others all the time. Princess Jewel suggests he cares more about himself—and his beloved Jewel.
You are my first priority, Jewel.
❤️
Alex gently caresses his pet with a smile, his hand sliding across the cool, smooth surface of her body.
He makes his way toward the Eternal Coffins and is immediately escorted to Glimmerwhisk's private chamber by her assistant, Softspark.
Alex can't help but cringe as he notices most of the female goblins pointing at him, giggling, while some even blush as he walks past them.
"This is just something new for them, deal with it. The Mistress has never openly displayed a slave before. It's not uncommon for goblins to brag about their might by showing off slaves of various races—but the Mistress has never done so until now," Softspark explains.
"Whatever…" Alex mutters.
"I know the truth, but everyone else doesn't. You better keep up the charade. You owe the Mistress! Also, that choker suits your actual position—don't think you're special, human." She scolds him, clearly annoyed.
"Well, you don't need to worry about her reputation. I like that you actually care about her. You're more than just an employee, right? Don't worry—I won't hurt her reputation," Alex replies, causing Softspark to stop in her tracks for a moment before quickly continuing forward.
Before they can enter Glimmerwhisk's office, the goblin in question steps out and walks toward them.
She's wearing a dark green dress that matches her emerald eyes and dark hair—almost giving her the appearance of royalty.
"You look good," Alex says, appreciating the harmony of greens.
Green on green works—that's a surprise.
"I'm glad you like my dress, but you better only open your mouth in public when I speak to you. Just answer my questions when we're in front of others, and always quietly follow me—always at a small distance, unless I say otherwise," she says with a slight blush.
"Yes, Mistress," Alex jokes.
"You might be teasing me, but I know you actually like it! This is more than an act and you know it. Now let's hurry up. I reserved a lounge for us. Since this auction is partially organized by the Union, I need to show up anyway. Besides, it pays to stay informed about what's going on in the Realm. This auction is open to all players, but despite that, I've heard of a few high-class items that will appear."
"Such as?" Alex asks curiously.
Glimmerwhisk pauses to think for a second before responding, "Your Kekkei Genkai is actually one of them. It's certainly not the most expensive item, but it's still considered a rarity—especially paired with the matching Jutsus. I also heard a couple of Devil Fruits will be up for auction, including a Logia-type, which is bound to be of at least Light-Gold rarity."
"You know, if you ever stumble across a mission item or anything that could help Jewel evolve, please tell me. It's her dream—but it has to at least allow her to gain a partially human form," Alex says.
Jewel nervously shifts atop Alex's head.
"That's not something easily found. Evolution is a rare concept, despite how obvious it may seem. Your best chance is to go to a specific world—one that features monsters and hybrids," she explains.
"I can think of a few right off the bat, but they're all relatively unknown. Some are from fringe Japanese romance anime without any combat," Alex replies.
"Your pet is strong, and her SSS-rank innate skill is combat-oriented. Don't assume that just any monster-girl will be the key to her evolution," Glimmerwhisk says. "Anyway, let's go. I've prepared a carriage."
Alex, Glimmerwhisk, and Softspark leave the bank and step into a waiting carriage—drawn by two majestic white unicorns.
"Using unicorns as horses?!" Alex exclaims.
"Nothing too extravagant, of course. You know I could buy every single item at today's auction without even blinking. If I could help you, I would—but the Realm limits how much I can interfere," she says with a slightly regretful expression.
So she's rich as fuck! Damn… too bad she can only support me indirectly!
"It's fine… Anyway, I think there are a few worlds that might fulfill the conditions for Jewel's evolution."
"Really? I know of thousands of worlds, and nothing immediately comes to mind. It can't be something obvious like the Human-Human Fruit from One Piece, I hope you realize that," she says, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm thinking of the Fate Spinner—or its upgraded form, the Fate Weaver—from Heroes 6. Or even Mother Namtaru, the spider goddess," Alex explains. "I always loved Might and Magic and the Heroes spinoffs. Even though 6 and 7 were a step down, there's still a bit of magic left in them."
"I'm familiar with those worlds—but mostly the older games. I don't know many details about the newer ones. They were pretty popular a decade or two ago, but they've been losing relevance ever since then. They're combat-focused, but nowadays, they're mostly forgotten. While it is possible to enter those worlds, they're exceedingly difficult to access. The more people know and care about a specific world, the more likely it is for people to enter it," Glimmerwhisk explains.
I guess the worlds of older games that aren't popular anymore are hard to reach, however, there are bound to be some fans around! So this isn't impossible, just difficult. I hope my LUK can help me with that!
"I see," Alex sighs. "I know about a couple more, but just knowing about them isn't enough. Is there any way to get a mission item that lets me choose?"
"Yes, in fact, some will be sold today. However, you'll need to check carefully to see if they're what you're actually looking for," Glimmerwhisk replies, not sounding too optimistic.
Then Alex feels the carriage come to a stop. He and Glimmerwhisk step out, only to find themselves in front of the player tower—greeted by numerous goblins and countless players, all staring at Glimmerwhisk, himself, and Softspark.
------------------------------------------------
A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
If you are interested, then please support me at patreon.com/FRWriter
60+ Early chapters available - I will still release on WN daily!! Thank you!
Bored? Complains? Demands? Check out the Discord: https://discord.gg/puVqWsf3y9
Thank you for supporting the story with Power Stones!