I nod, intrigued by the concept ofproto-realms. Does this mean this token is capable of creating mini-realms? If so, then the question naturally arises in my mind: who has such power? We’re talking about multiple realms per person, with tens if not hundreds of people using them at the same time.
Fascinating.
“I will illustrate an example. You and another patron decide to complete a transaction: the patron offers you a book on offensive runes and you offer to pay one thousandslovafor it. Once you both scan your tokens, a proto-realm will open up for your transaction. You will deposit your funds in that space, the other person will deposit the book. Once both parties have fulfilled their obligations, the items are automatically distributed by the realm after which it will cease to exist.”
His explanation makes it even more intriguing. I’ve never before heard of such technology. Not only is it easy and intuitive, but it also maintains a much needed boundary between what happens in Utopiya and real life. This anonymity will ensure that my identity is protected in case I take on an illegal job—that in itself makes me feel more secure about my decision.
“What about the job offerings?” I inquire later.
“The same concept. You scan your token once you agree on a job. However, in this situation, since the exchange is not entirely direct, the proto-realm will remain open until both parties have satisfied their side of the transaction. I will illustrate an example. A patron wishes to hire someone for protection for one day. These types of jobs typically offer half the payment upfront andhalf upon completing the services. You decide to take the job, so the proto-realm will provide you with your initial fee and any relevant information you might need for the job. At the end, the patron will confirm the services have been rendered and you will receive the remaining fee. That is when the realm will close. One thing to add: for any jobs undertaken within Utopiya, you must use the silver token so the glamor spell is activated.”
“I see.”
“Any questions?”
“No, that was pretty clear.”
“I must warn you. Our institution operates on secrecy. If at any point while performing a job assigned through Utopiya you are caught and interrogated, a self-defensive mechanism will be triggered within the token.”
I blink. “And what happens?”
“Your brain will be fried so no one can access your memories,” he replies matter-of-factly.
Right, not at all scary or dangerous.Teras’ offer sounds more and more appealing. But I don’t betray my true feelings.
I simply nod and accept the terms. By the Seven, this better be worth it! Of course, due to how elusive and infamous Utopiya is, the jobs here will also be at larger scale than anything Teres could have offered me. By completing just a few missions, I can earn enough money to not only give Moe more allowance, but also spoil her with clothes, jewelry and other items females like.
That alone gives me the strength to follow the masked male. He shows me to the room where the meeting is to take place, and as I open the door to go inside, I find him already gone.
As I step forward into the room, the first thing I note is the dim lighting. There are ten rows of five chairs, most of them already occupied. I take one of the empty seats in the back and wait for the meeting to start.
At exactly eight, a person appears in front of the room. The previous dim lights start beaming. Even with the increased luminosity, as I look around, I see that the glamor doesn’t just alter the appearance of the participants, it creates a haziness around their form. The moment I glance away, I immediately forget the person I’d been looking at before.
Interesting.
The meeting is split in two: first, the exchanges, then the job offerings. Since I have no funds for the first, I only listen, curious about the items on sale. One of the most common item is Zantrax. But compared to the vials I have, these ones come with specific information: the level of the warrior, the abilities, even how many hours the effect lasts, one figure for mortals and one for immortals.
My eyes widen as I realize that not only does Zantrax lasts differently for mortals and immortals, but that depending on the level of the essence, that interval becomes longer.
I wish I had a way to identify the levels of the vials I took from Denos.
The prices for these items are also staggering! One vial of Zantrax at level five is a whopping fifteenkaths—equal to one thousand five hundredslovacoins. It’s not even the crazy amount—which I could not afford by working a full year—but also thatkathas a currency is incredibly hard to come by. Only the highest strata of society would have access to them. Even as a public servant, the chances of me ever handling akathare…below zero.
One patron even has a level six Zantrax, with a potency lasting up to thirteen days for immortals. But when he states his price—two hundredkaths—only silence greets him.
It makes sense why it would be so expensive. Once a warrior reaches level five, every level above that includes a qualitative change. Their strength is double that than at level five, and theyunlock new abilities as well. However, it is alsoextremelyhard to reach level six. Some people spend thousands of years stuck at level five.
In fact, based on the information I’d read in the books at the War Department, the average level of Tartareian warriors across the realm is level four. Most people will be a level three or below, with a sizable number at level four—those are seen already as experts. The true power, however comes after level five. And then again after level nine.
At level five, a warrior can enroll in the army, and at level nine, they’re officially given the title of Son of Tenebreis. The highest level recorded in Tartareia is thirteen as far as I know, and that was a legendary warrior. From what Elysand has mentioned before, the most powerful Houses have eleven and even twelfth level warriors, but they are incredibly rare. Anything above level nine is considered out of the ordinary, hence why we need to monitor them.
The man in charge of the meeting asks if there are any other Zantrax transactions, to which everyone remains quiet.
It seems six is the highest level available today and it makes me wonder if there are even higher than that. Never mind that those would cost an arm and a leg, but with so much spiritual energy, the effects would last much longer too—perhaps as much as a fortnight, or more. Considering both the rarity of such warriors and the fact to harvest their essence they must be defeated first, the outrageous prices make sense. But that’s not something I can afford now or any time in the future.
The next segment consists of books, followed by different artifacts. The man in charge gives a short introduction.
Similar to Zantrax, artifacts are formed from the essence of an immortal. Some are of the highest order, like the Lake, which are said to be remnants of the Seven. Some are formed when an immortal dies and the explosion of energy crystalizes in astrange metal which is then modified by artisans into different useful accessories.
