Keizeix stared at Estros's message for several long seconds.
**Who taught you how to use this platform?**
He considered lying.
That seemed stupid.
Whoever Estros was, he'd already identified that Keizeix's designation was new almost immediately. A bad lie would only advertise ignorance.
Keizeix typed carefully.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*No one. I only recently gained access to the communication functions and began exploring them myself.*
The response came almost instantly.
**Estros:**
*That explains it.*
Keizeix frowned.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Explains what?*
Several seconds passed.
**Estros:**
*You messaged a stranger about a weapon without hiding your designation, checking his trade history, examining the age of the listing, requesting a protected exchange, or determining whether the item contains a soul-binding curse.*
Keizeix's eyes widened.
He looked back at the sword listing.
There were options he'd ignored.
Small symbols.
Additional menus.
Information tabs.
"...Oh."
Another message arrived.
**Estros:**
*If I were interested in eating your soul, enslaving you, marking your location, or inserting a tracking curse into your core, you would have made this exceptionally easy.*
Keizeix slowly lowered himself onto his bedding.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*I assume this means you're not planning to do any of those things?*
There was a pause.
Then:
**Estros:**
*That depends on how annoying you become.*
Keizeix stared.
Then laughed.
He liked this stranger already.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Fair enough.*
**Estros:**
*Open my profile. Select trade history.*
Keizeix did.
A vast list appeared.
Transactions numbering in the thousands.
Weapons.
Cores.
Monster remains.
Alchemy ingredients.
Contracts.
Some trades involved quantities of cores so large Keizeix had to reread them.
Others used cores whose grades he had never seen before.
Then he noticed something else.
**Verified successful trades: 18,742**
**Disputed trades: 0**
**Confirmed malicious contract violations: 0**
Keizeix whistled softly.
**Estros:**
*That is the first thing you check before trading with anyone.*
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Understood.*
**Estros:**
*Second. Never accept a direct contract from someone you do not know.*
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Why?*
**Estros:**
*Because inexperienced fools think words mean what they appear to mean.*
Keizeix tilted his head.
Another message came.
**Estros:**
*A contract stating "you will surrender no property" can still contain magical definitions establishing your body as an asset rather than property.*
Keizeix's amusement vanished.
**Estros:**
*Another may promise not to harm you while defining spiritual mutilation as transformation rather than harm.*
Keizeix stared at the screen.
Earth lawyers suddenly seemed pleasant.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*People actually do that?*
**Estros:**
*Constantly.*
Then:
**Estros:**
*The platform prevents some direct fraud. It does not protect idiots from agreeing to terrible deals.*
Keizeix committed that to memory immediately.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*And the sword?*
**Estros:**
*Still interested?*
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Very.*
**Estros:**
*What grade cores do you possess?*
Keizeix hesitated.
He had thousands of human cores.
But he didn't actually know their marketplace value.
That was embarrassing.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Mostly cores from enemies at my current level or below.*
**Estros:**
*You don't know their grade.*
Keizeix stopped.
Was this dragon reading his mind?
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*I did not say that.*
**Estros:**
*You didn't need to.*
Keizeix clicked his fangs.
**Estros:**
*Keep the cores for now. Do not throw away thousands of them on a weapon you cannot properly value.*
Keizeix glanced toward the Gravefang sword again.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*You're talking me out of buying your own merchandise?*
**Estros:**
*Yes.*
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Why?*
This response took longer.
**Estros:**
*Because someone once did the same for me.*
Keizeix's expression softened.
Then Estros ruined the moment.
**Estros:**
*Also because your ignorance is amusing.*
Keizeix mentally closed the chat.
"Asshole."
A notification immediately appeared.
**Estros:**
*I can tell when someone closes a private channel.*
Keizeix reopened it.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Good night.*
**Estros:**
*Learn how privacy settings work.*
Keizeix closed the system entirely.
He went to sleep irritated.
And smiling.
---
Morning arrived violently.
"YOUNG MASTER!"
Keizeix shot upright.
"What?!"
Shirespoke entered.
"You overslept."
Keizeix looked toward the tent opening.
Sunlight.
"...Oh."
"Late-night scheming?"
"Something like that."
Shirespoke narrowed his eyes but let it go.
Outside, Sia was waiting.
She looked delighted.
"You overslept."
"I noticed."
"Perhaps victory exhausted you."
Keizeix walked past her.
"Perhaps losing by seven caused you to wake early."
Sia's pleasant expression disappeared.
Marike groaned.
"Must we begin immediately?"
"Yes," they answered together.
---
The day's fighting was worse than before.
The humans had stopped behaving like frightened prey.
They had reorganized.
Their commanders were learning.
Archers targeted webs.
Mages maintained floating light fields to reduce usable shadows.
Heavy infantry moved in smaller formations to prevent Keizeix from trapping entire groups at once.
Keizeix was impressed.
Then he slaughtered them anyway.
The new tactics slowed him.
They did not stop him.
He used Shadow Mist sparingly.
Instead he concentrated on refining everything else.
Silk strands became thinner and stronger.
Rather than throwing enormous webs, he began firing narrow cords at sword wrists, ankles, helmets, and bowstrings.
A tiny amount of silk could ruin a warrior's balance.
Balance lost meant armor gaps exposed.
Armor gaps exposed meant death.
His system responded constantly.
**Strength increased.**
**Intelligence increased.**
**Health capacity increased.**
Keizeix drove both front legs into the chest of a knight and hurled the armored man into two others.
Three bodies crashed into the mud.
"Definitely stronger."
His soldiers followed behind him, finishing enemies he disabled but didn't personally kill.
Keizeix almost complained.
Then remembered the competition.
"No! Wait! Those are mine!"
The soldiers hesitated.
"My prince?"
"Never mind!"
He charged ahead.
Hours passed.
By midday, Keizeix checked his statistics.
**Strength: 15,882 / 100,000**
**Health: 16,307 / 100,000**
**Magic: 14,961 / 100,000**
**Intelligence: 17,114 / 100,000**
**Mana: 14,961 / 14,961**
His progression had slowed dramatically compared with the earliest days.
That only confirmed his theory.
Weak enemies became less valuable as he grew.
"Which means eventually these humans won't help much at all."
That was concerning.
It meant reaching Heroic wouldn't simply require killing another few hundred thousand weak soldiers.
He would eventually need stronger prey.
Or cores.
His thoughts briefly returned to the mountains hidden inside his storage.
Then to Estros.
*What grade cores do you possess?*
Keizeix still didn't know.
"Tonight."
He dismissed the system.
"I'll figure that out tonight."
A lightning blast erupted somewhere far across the battlefield.
Black-purple light stabbed into the sky.
Keizeix froze.
"Sia."
The distant explosion was followed by another.
Then another.
His eyes narrowed.
"Oh no you don't."
He surged forward.
---
The competition became ridiculous.
Keizeix couldn't see Sia.
He didn't need to.
Every distant flash of black-purple lightning made him attack faster.
Every time his system registered another kill, he imagined her doing the same.
A mage attempted to surround himself in flame.
Keizeix dove into the man's shadow before the barrier fully formed and emerged inside it.
The mage's expression was priceless.
"Hello."
One strike.
Dead.
Keizeix vanished again.
His Mana drained.
Recovered slowly.
Drained again.
But this time he watched it carefully.
No dizziness.
No collapsing.
No embarrassing retreat.
As evening approached, he finally paused beneath the remains of a broken stone wall.
His entire body was coated in dirt and blood.
He opened his status.
**Name: Keizeix Silversilk**
**Race: Spiderling — Silversilk Clan**
**Rank: Master**
**Strength: 19,246 / 100,000**
**Health: 18,774 / 100,000**
**Magic: 17,903 / 100,000**
**Intelligence: 19,681 / 100,000**
**Mana: 17,903 / 17,903**
Keizeix stared at his Strength.
"Almost twenty thousand."
Only days earlier, twelve had been his entire physical strength.
He closed the system and looked toward the darkening battlefield.
"Heroic."
For the first time, it didn't feel impossibly distant.
---
Dinner was quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
Keizeix didn't trust it.
Sia sat opposite him with an unreadable expression.
Keizeix narrowed his eyes.
She narrowed hers.
Marike smiled into her cup.
Shirespoke sighed.
"I dislike this already."
The report guard entered.
Both spiderlings immediately straightened.
He bowed.
"Final numbers for today's engagement."
Keizeix felt his legs tense.
The guard read first from Keizeix's scroll.
"Prince Keizeix Silversilk: twenty-six thousand nine hundred and eleven confirmed kills."
Keizeix's confidence rose.
That was good.
Very good.
The second scroll opened.
"Princess Sia Silversilk: twenty-six thousand nine hundred and fourteen confirmed kills."
Keizeix froze.
Sia slowly lifted her head.
Three.
Three kills.
Her posture transformed.
Keizeix could practically see smugness radiating from every golden marking on her body.
"Brother."
Keizeix stared at the table.
"Don't."
"Three."
"I heard him."
"Three whole kills."
Keizeix looked up.
"Do not use my words against me."
Sia leaned closer.
"A victory is a victory."
Keizeix's legs dug into the floor.
Marike exploded into laughter.
Shirespoke closed his eyes.
"Of course."
Sia continued.
"Perhaps tomorrow you can make it closer."
"Closer?"
Keizeix stared at her.
"You beat me by three!"
"Correct."
"That's nothing!"
Sia tilted her head sweetly.
"Strange. You seemed convinced one was sufficient."
Keizeix had absolutely no response.
Marike slapped the table.
"My princess learns quickly!"
Shirespoke pointed toward her.
"Do not become insufferable."
"Your pupil started it."
"And yours has clearly perfected it!"
Keizeix and Sia continued glaring.
Then Keizeix spoke.
"Tomorrow."
Sia nodded.
"Tomorrow."
No joking this time.
No teasing.
War had been declared.
---
Hours later Keizeix lay in his tent with the platform open.
He checked Estros's profile again.
Then his own cores.
He selected one from storage and focused on it.
The System responded.
**Core Appraisal unavailable.**
**Basic Marketplace Estimation available.**
Keizeix selected it.
Information appeared.
**Stage 1 Core — Beginner Grade**
Keizeix's eyes widened.
"So it can tell me."
He began checking others.
Beginner.
Intermediate.
A few Master.
Different values.
Different marketplace equivalents.
Suddenly the piles in his storage stopped looking like corpses' leftovers.
They looked like money.
A lot of money.
Keizeix opened Estros's messages.
Before he could type, a new message appeared.
**Estros:**
*You finally learned how to appraise them.*
Keizeix stared.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Do you ever sleep?*
**Estros:**
*Rarely.*
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*That's disturbing.*
**Estros:**
*You contacted a Death Dragon. Adjust your expectations.*
Keizeix stopped.
Death Dragon.
He reread the sentence.
Then slowly opened Estros's profile again.
A new permission had appeared.
Estros had revealed part of it.
**Name: Estros**
**Race: Death Dragon**
**Stage: Omni Lord Tier Breaker**
Keizeix stared.
He reread it.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Omni Lord.
Tier Breaker.
Keizeix suddenly remembered Marike and Shirespoke discussing Heroic levels as though they were terrifying heights.
Heroic.
Epic Lord.
Ruler Lord.
Omni Lord.
And this creature was standing at the very edge of whatever came after that.
Keizeix swallowed.
A new message appeared.
**Estros:**
*Now you understand why I told you not to accept random contracts.*
Keizeix's limbs felt strangely cold.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Why reveal that to me?*
There was a long pause.
Then:
**Estros:**
*Because I have decided to trust you.*
Keizeix stared.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
*Trust me? Why?*
The answer arrived.
**Estros:**
*Honestly you remind me abit of myself several hundred years ago.*
Keizeix's eyes widened.
**Keizeix Silversilk:**
Hundred?
For nearly a minute there was nothing.
Then he replied
** Estros:**
Yes some of us are far older than you could imagine earth was destroyed long long ago. We survivors have been being born for millennia.
Keizeix's eyes widened.