Chapter 942 - Bribe

I don't even have to call attendee protection services against this kidnapper of a man, and just like how Elian appeared near me, Ruby appears here as well.

It is annoying, but I guess it is the right of older people to brag to younger generations by making impossible appearances like that, ones that leave not a single sign of it happening to my senses.

Ruby is wearing an unusually nice dress. The dress is dark green, which strikes a high contrast to her red hair. Her paler skin emphasizes the contrast further, and it even somehow makes her usually less noticeable freckles a bit more apparent. I am mostly used to her wearing only that suit, so it is a bit of a surprise.

Stunned by this, I look at her and especially at her dress. The material is very nice, and after seeing the sleeve from the last time, I wonder what rare material it is made of and how many shards it would net me.

Meanwhile, the Last Elf attracts most of the attention in the room, so the three of us are left alone. Of course, there is no way people of this level didn't notice a Ruler or the Magi standing there, but no one seems to dare to interrupt.

“Lady Greed,” Elian greets her politely, giving an elegant bow. “It is a great pleasure to see you.”

“Bitch.”

“How harsh.”

“What do you think you will gain by skirting the rules and getting your annoying ass here?”

“While previously I hadn't thought I would be able to break through the domain of the one winged wyvern, now that the imitation cleared the path and the wyvern is gone, I have high hopes of entering the 13th floor of Beyond.”

“As if. So is it all just for the First Dungeon? You must be aware of the requirements and obligations tied to your presence here.”

“Yes, I am well aware. I believe I will find an attendee or two to offer my guidance to, as well as respect the rules set at the creation of this place and over the time of its functioning. I wonder, Mister Gwyn, have you thought of my offer, and would you be interested in me becoming your Handler? I can offer guidance as well as knowledge that you would find very useful with your ocular trait.”

“It is kind of a dick move to try to steal me right in front of my Handler,” I note.

“This may be a lesson learned over time, but letting emotions dictate your choices is rarely wise and often dangerous. While I am sure Lady Greed would not appreciate it and it would cause problems for me, I made the offer with full awareness of the consequences, and the rest is up to you to decide.”

“What an arrogant way to speak for someone who came here to hide from the imitation.” Ruby almost snorts but gives a smile that looks far too friendly and gentle. Something tells me she doesn't like the guy, and I come to the conclusion she has had dealings with him previously. Things like that just don't come out of nowhere.

In a way, it is somewhat reassuring to see them behave this way. For Rulers to be petty, for some to care about their image, and for other powerful people to still behave like humans, like mortals, even after all these years.

Often I hear people comparing them to some sort of object of worship and putting them on a pedestal. Many times I have heard locals and attendees speak of Rulers, and most of them look up to them like they are gods.

Well, not gods that actually exist in this universe, but in the way humans on Earth look at gods. Though in this case, it is sort of like Greek or Egyptian gods. The sort that feel human, cheating, betraying, and punishing thousands due to their anger. Just humans with incredible powers.

I wondered about it previously, often expecting the next old, powerful being I meet to be different. While not even knowing what to expect, I just thought a passage of so much time changes a person somehow.

But now? Yes, the passage of so much time does change people. They think differently, often on a much longer scale, and they have much more experience and knowledge, yet these core emotions are still here.

“The Imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne's location is hidden even to me, and I estimate it is to you as well. However, I wouldn't expect her to act as spiteful and childish as you suggest.” Elian says.

“Hoo?” Ruby smiles, a bit more intrigued now. “You won't say anything about being able to handle her in case she comes after you? Where is that legendary, baseless overconfidence of yours?”

“My confidence is based on objective truths and facts. I am fairly confident I would offer her a good fight and, if needed, be able to escape. Yet she has proven her prowess multiple times already, and escaping the tutorial isn't something to be ignored, nor is the fact on whose record the imitation is based.”

“Nathaniel, would you want such a cowardly little bitch as your Handler?” Ruby asks me directly.

“Would my current Handler mind if I put myself up for auction? I might be able to speak with the elf too and have him participate,” I say.

Ruby pretends to be thinking before giving a slight shrug. “I think your Handler is a very spiteful woman who doesn't like to give up something she considers hers. And I mean, she really doesn't like it.”

“Oh, that's unfortunate.”

“It is.” Ruby gives a melancholic sigh. “Though, I don't think the Last Elf would be willing to become your Handler. Want to hear a thing even the four-eyes over here doesn't know about?”

That causes Elian to look at her with interest while Ruby entirely ignores him and lowers her voice to a whisper. “The Last Elf already has an attendee in mind. This information was very difficult to come by, but he isn't the only one having such resources.”

She speaks in a way that Elian still hears, and I do wonder what she aims to accomplish with it. If she informs him that way, it could be that she is testing if he already knows or if the Magi is cooperating with the Elf.

And Ruby, without much hesitation, shares further details. “There is an attendee. An A rank whom the Last Elf raised and trained before he ever started his tutorial. Someone who stayed dormant and out of the eyes of everyone until now. The pointy ear thought that applied to even me.” She gives a snicker.

Somewhere across the room, the Last Elf's piercingly blue eyes turn our way, making me realize that from the entire party, only me, Elian, and the Elf are able to hear her words.

My Handler even seems to be enjoying this as she gives a smile. “Of course, that attendee has gotten two stigmas already. From Endless War and from Starless Sky as well. Though I do wonder if the Elf isn't just a bit nervous, with Starless Sky giving a stigma to Victoria Gwyn previously. That freak does not like unexpected situations like that, but it is not like he can complain to his precious Godking that the elves liked to hide behind.”

In reaction to that, the Elf only gives a smile and short bow in our direction, and returns to speaking to one of the Handlers that were brave or curious enough to get into conversation with him.

"How fascinating," Elian says, though I can't tell if he's acting or if this is truly news to him. "So there's an attendee who can handle stigmas from two godkings..." His words trail off as he looks across the room, then back at Ruby.

With that, he gives her a bow. "Very well. It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Greed, and I will not further interrupt your time with your ward. As for you, Mister Gwyn, even if you decide against my offer, I believe there is a deal to be made that would satisfy both sides. I strongly urge you to consider it sooner rather than later, especially given the state of your body."

I also get a short bow, and just like that, Magi Elian leaves, but I guess this isn't the last time I will be seeing him. Watching him from a distance, I also notice he gets into a conversation with two more fresh Handlers who bow deeply to him, and I even catch one of them calling him Master Elian.

It seems he didn't come here alone. He is exactly the type who would play all sides, be it the Elf and gods or Rulers and the system. And in a way, he seems to be getting nearly the same amount of respect I saw the Handlers give to Kindness or Ruby.

“Don't underestimate that asshole. He might act like a bitch, but every move he makes is carefully calculated, and he has the raw power to back it up,” Ruby grumbles, now somehow holding a glass of some drink.

For a moment, I wonder how amusing it is that I see her so often with those kinds of drinks. Either she is trying to be a drunkard, or she is sipping on some philosopher's stone juice or whatever.

“Do you have experience dealing with the guy?” I ask her.

“Plenty, and with the Elf too. With how long all of us have been around and our goals clashing, it is impossible not to, even with how fucking big the universe is,” she sighs. “Elian is one of the architects of Beyond, and though I went over the blueprints back then, I should have known the bitch would sneak in backdoors. I would like to think that he and the Elf appearing here at the same time is a coincidence and he just wants to satisfy that curiosity and try to get to the 13th floor, but I am not so naive. Pride, Starless Sky, Charity, the imitation of Master Lissandra, the Elf, the dragon movements...” She stops swirling the liquid in the glass and looks at me, giving a small smile. “You too. Everything seems to be heading towards a second system war.”

“Me too?” I ask in surprise.

There is still that field around us that makes our conversation audible only to the two of us, as Ruby talks in the corner of my vision. She looks not into my eyes, but directly at them.

“Noumenon Pupils,” she says. “Do not underestimate what you got. I saw the records they are built on. This is as much of a bribe from the system as you can get.”

“You will have to be less mysterious, Ruby. My freshly awakened brain isn't built for this.”

Her smile widens, but she continues to look at my eyes. “With Pride gone, the system will look for its new Champion. The Last Elf and the gods already selected theirs, though I am sure they have multiple replacements already prepared. You, dear Nathaniel, are one of the thousands of people the system considers. As of late, prototype skills are given out more easily, along with unique classes, passives, and traits. All of this is in accordance with the rules set, and it is never for free, obviously. Yet, the system always becomes less stingy when there is a threat.”

“How nice for me to be one of the thousands of people like that.”

“You can be as sarcastic as you want, my dear ward, but if you actually thought about it, you would realize that being one of only a thousand is a big. Fucking. Thing.” Three times, she taps the middle of my forehead.

“Your pupils' strengthenings were reduced to three instead of five, and each of them will offer pretty big bumps in their capabilities. Of course, you can get these through your own effort and achievements. The system will never lock them away from you, the Last Elf and some of our enemies having the system confirms that. But if the system considers you useful, it will give out quests to you. This is still within the rules and settings, but it will allow you to strengthen your trait faster and grow more powerful.”

“So, a bribe.”

“Kind of.”

“Are my pupils as good as Parallax eyes if I get them to the third strengthening?”

That gets an honest, out-loud chuckle from her, right into the glass she was about to drink from.

“No,” she says, still chuckling, and looking at me like I am some sort of naive, cute child. “Even if you strengthen them fully, they will be far behind. It is a bit as if you would compare a B rank with an S rank.” She gives a pause. “Or maybe a B+ rank. Kyralon's eyes are the only ones in the universe, and no other person can awaken them. At a certain level, you can do some fancy things with your trait, and his predecessor did exactly that. He got the eyes at a time before the system had as many records as it has now, so you could say they weren't properly, well, balanced. And in that time, he made it so they became more powerful over time as they feed on your mana, or as they are passed along. Kyralon is someone who has held them for a long time already, so there wasn't that much 'passing' involved, but currently, he uses ninety percent of his mana constantly to continue making them more powerful.”

“This directly contradicts your previous answer.”

“I know what you are hinting at, and I shouldn't have forgotten what kind of lunatic you are. So allow me to rephrase it. While they aren't anywhere close to the current Parallax eyes, they have the potential to become like them. A trait belonging to Nathaniel Gwyn alone in the entire wide universe.”