The sign read 'silver plasma elixir, level 7'. That would certainly do wonders for Hector's current body enhancement level. "Do they always list level for plasma elixirs at the auction?"

"Anyone selling elixirs had better list their level," Dorian said. "If you receive one as a gift, it's considered rude to comment on the energy density. Otherwise you need to know the quality of what you are spending your money on."

Hector checked the lowest price on the chalkboard. Eight platinum coins. He could bid slightly higher than that and possibly walk away with twelve of them. What would twelve level seven silver elixirs do for his body enhancement?

Dorian tugged on his arm. "Don't be distracted by the first halfway interesting thing you pass, Hector. If you choose to buy an elixir instead of a pill, at least select a gold one."

The booths seemed to be organized by product category, because instead of every one in this section advertising exotic meats, they now all held elixirs. There were gold and silver plasma elixirs of various levels. The gold elixirs were currently going for between twelve platinum coins and twenty-six platinum coins.

Hector determined then that he would only purchase products at or above level seven, which meant he could potentially afford four of the gold plasma elixirs. How far would that advance his body enhancement? He suspected it would be enough to reach the peak of level six.

Though he was now resolved to study all of the items available before bidding. It seemed like every other thing he saw was better than his previous favorite. Which proved true when his eyes found a level eight steel bone elixir. Volithur drank one of those shortly before his death. Hector thought he was too low level to make full use of it. His entire skeleton would probably instantly saturate to the peak of six, then a portion of the excess energy would be absorbed into his soul reserves. That wouldn't be terrible, but he thought the true value of that elixir would show itself if he used it after advancing to level seven himself. That would raise the ceiling of the energy density that his bones could achieve so that he didn't waste the elixir's potential.

They had reached the end of the row and looped around to come back towards the entrance in the second aisle. The product category switched from elixirs to pills there and Dorian could barely hide his excitement. Many of the pills listed their ingredient list rather than their name. Mulberry and sesame. Cannabis and mushroom. Ephedra and rhodiola. Bone and gelatin. Heart and blood. Cartilage and skin. Liver and kidney. The prices were steep. The lowest bid Hector saw for a true Zing pill was twenty-two platinum coins.

Those weren't even the named pills. When he saw the rate for things such as 'heavenly bone pill', 'heavenly muscle pill', 'pinnacle organ pill', and 'superior sinew pill', his eyes bulged. Seventy platinum coins.

"That's way too expensive," he muttered as Dorian placed a bid on the 'heavenly flesh pill' for ninety platinum coins. In one bid, Dorian locked up the majority of his funds.

Dorian shrugged. "If I want to finally advance to level eight, I need this pill or something very similar to it. My body enhancement actually declined after I disinherited myself. I couldn't afford the resources I needed to maintain myself without family support, so I slowly became less. It wasn't until I lost enough pride to enter into service that I began to improve again. Switching from Lord Andrew to Lord Zara has been especially good for me. I suppose I should thank you for your antics at the tournament. But I won't. Running for my life from an angry lord is the most terrifying experience of my life. Even worse than the aftermath of the antimatter attack on the Lord General."

That piqued his interest more than it should have. "What happened on Union Central after the antimatter attack?"

"I had to survive on the run from the Jinn for half a day in the company of my father. It was the event that caused me to leave the family." Dorian flashed a bitter smile. "There is nothing quite like fighting for your life while your father explains how you deserve your immanent death."

"No child deserves that kind of treatment."

"Hector, don't patronize me. I know perfectly well that Aramar is a deranged narcissist obsessed with living up to his father's legacy. I knew it from the time I could walk. Sympathizing with my situation doesn't encourage me. It only inspires annoyance."

"You're the one who brings the topic up, Dorian. What should I say?"

"Say nothing. Or, if you must, tell me my words are empty air."

Hector rolled his eyes. "To very obviously change the subject… what should I buy?"

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To his credit, Dorian took the question seriously. "Were I you, I believe I would try for a flesh pill and an assortment of mental pills. Let's say… level seven flesh pill, then a cannabis and mushroom pill. Finally, two ephedra and rhodiola pills. That should get your mind and body close to the peak of your current soul level."

"I don't need anything for my mind."

"Just because you can't see any obvious benefits doesn't mean you can afford to neglect your mind. I'm not talking about Arahant mental manipulation, either. Your reserves will develop a slow leak if you don't keep all your apertures within two levels of your overall soul level."

"I'm not neglecting my mind. I have other means of advancing it."

"Pouring your soul reserves into mental strengthening techniques is inefficient."

Hector paused to consider if he needed to keep his next words secret. "I can cultivate chaos with my mind when I'm in close proximity to rifts. All I need to do is spend some time in a dungeon."

"That may actually be more annoying than hearing your platitudes about my father." Dorian shook his head. "It really feels like you are cheating at cultivation, Hector. You're going to pass me by faster than Harridan did. Assuming you survive long enough."

"Fortunately, I've decided to avoid deadly situations for at least a couple of months," Hector said. "Not until I join the Aes Reconquest, at least. Now my real dilemma is whether I should buy something that I take immediately or something that I hold onto until I reach level seven."

Dorian laughed. "There is no dilemma. Power now, Hector. That's the right answer."

"I don't need a boost to my energy reserves. What can I take that will get me to the peak of my current limits on body enhancement for the least investment?"

"A level six heavenly honey pill."

"Sorry," Hector said, "I need to add another restriction. It can't be made from a human."

After some thought, Dorian shrugged. "I am not an expert on Zing resources. My guess would be that you could buy level six pills for the various stages of the cold forged method. Then you should have funds left over to buy resources for after your next advancement."

Hector considered that for a full minute before agreeing that it sounded like it would work. He went back through the second aisle to stop at various booths and place his bids. Twenty-three coins on a level six 'bone and gelatin pill'. Twenty-five coins on a level six 'cartilage and skin pill'. Then fifty coins for a level seven 'bone and gelatin pill' that he would save for later. That left him two unspent coins that he could use to increase a bid if he fell of a list.

His selections made, Hector wondered if his plan would work as expected. If he understood correctly, the bone and gelatin pill was concocted from dried, powdered bone, dehydrated gelatin, imperial honey, and the core of whatever beast donated the main ingredients. It should finish his skeleton in just minutes. Then the cartilage and skin pill should finish his tendons just as quickly. Presumably the overflow from those two pills would result in significant benefit to the rest of his body as well. He should be able to enhance the other tissue types rapidly through his own efforts.

He would store away the more advanced bone and gelatin pill for later. It might take him a year or two, but eventually Hector would be able to make good use of it. Not right away. He would only advance to level seven after he brought his mind, aura, and domain up to more respectable levels. He finally had better methods to train those apertures. He just needed to find the time to dedicate to training. Perhaps in the gap between this expedition to Oceania and his trip to Aes there would be time to make some progress.

A tap on Hector's shoulder caused him to turn. There were three men in the uniform of the auction house standing there, all of them level seven. "Master Hector? Your presence is requested. Could you please follow us?"

The way these men watched him with hard eyes caused a sense of unease in him. Hector didn't think they would accept a refusal. "Is there a problem?"

He had no idea what had drawn attention to him. The first thought was that they somehow discovered he wasn't from Tian. That seemed improbable on closer analysis. Other than being unusually muscular, he looked typical for someone born in Amarat. His behavior might be off a bit, but that wasn't obvious until someone spent time with him. Any minor lapse should be dismissed as an eccentricity. So, then… something to do with the Azure Spear Maidens? Had they responded to his rejection by making false accusations against him to the officials?

"We need you to follow us, Master Hector. Right away."

The tension rising within the men indicated this was a 'comply or else' type of situation. Hector looked to Dorian, but the man had gone still and pale as a sheet. There would be no assistance coming from that direction. "Very well," Hector said.

They surrounded him on the walk to a nearby door leading deeper into the building.

"How long do you think this will take?"

"We will be there soon." The man's misunderstanding of the question had to be intentional. His tone was about as far from customer service mode as one could get without veering into outright hostile territory. These men were intent on performing their job and did not view Hector as anything more than an assignment.

A cramped hallway in an employee only section led them to a thick steel door set into the stone of the building. One of the three men opened the door and gestured for Hector to enter. The two behind Hector made sure he did so.

The suppression field hit him just as he saw the two people waiting for him. One was Master Percival, who once was the talent manager for the tournament Hector barely escaped. The other, more frightening, personage was none other than the Lord Platinum herself.

"Fuck me," Hector said.

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