I raise my brow. “What do you mean? There are other ways to grind in The Gilded District.”
Both of them turn to look at me. The bug on Vesper’s shoulder tilts her head.
“The Minor Bosses give us the most XP,” Locke points out.
I stop and really stare at them. “Are you telling me you two have been just walking around fighting Minor Bosses instead of grinding on the easier stuff?” I shake my head. “How many Minor Bosses have you fought?”
Locke shrugs. “All of them.”
My eyes widen and I glance at Vesper for confirmation. She nods in agreement.
“Though, the last one was by accident. Debbie kind of surprised us,” Vesper adds.
I school my features quickly, pretending like I didn’t just hear what I had. All of them. Spoken as if it’s not a big deal at all. How long had I taken before I’d fought any Minor Bosses? Fuck, I don’t think I fought any of them until I was a Tier Two.
“They fought two of the bosses before they chose their Glitch,” Cipher tells me helpfully. “Locke only just leveled up with the last Minor Boss.”
I shut down all expression on my face. “Okay.” I gesture toward the street in front of us. “It’s not my business if you want to get yourself killed.”
Locke’s expression sours, his dislike of me growing. That’s okay. I don’t particularly like the Bone Breaker anyway. I’m not here for him.
But I’m very intrigued.
I follow the two low levels silently, watching as they push through the crowd. I don’t have to do any pushing. The crowd parts for me just as much as they do for the Ophanim following Locke and Vesper around. I’ve never seen an Ophanim until now. I didn’t even realize there were Ophanims here. Most people talk about them in hushed whispers, and here is this one, hanging out with a Tier One Beast Bound and Tier Two Bone Breaker.
None of this makes any fucking sense.
“I think it’s this building,” Locke says, looking up at the large white stone building.
He’s right. This is the Rune Stock Exchange, and the Minor Boss in this building won’t be anything like they’ve probably fought before. Am I going to tell them that? No. Part of me is curious to see them in action. If they’ve really fought all Minor Bosses until now and managed to level up that way, I want to see them operate. If only to reassure myself they’ve gotten through on luck alone.
“Some of it was luck,” Cipher admits. “But neither player chose a Glitch where their luck is exponentially changed.”
Cipher sounds . . . proud. I don’t know if I like that. Once upon a time, he’d sounded that way about me, too. Until the incident. Until everything had changed.
Nine years later, and the most exciting thing to happen to me is this Bone Breaker and Beast Bound showing up in my favorite speakeasy.
“Let’s go,” Vesper says, drawing a large bone dagger from her inventory. Her familiar dances on her shoulder, clearly itching for a fight.
“Ew,” the Ophanim says. “This building issoneoclassical. I totally hate it. Just look at that massive Corinthian column colonnade! Ugh! A travesty! Where is all the color?”
I glance at the Ophanim with raised brows, but remain silent. In fact, I don’t plan to say anything at all during this Minor Boss battle. I’m planning to watch.
They all trail up the large steps leading up to the Rune Stock Exchange, their eyes taking in the sculpture above the entrance and the strange glowing runes carved into it. Vesper looks back at me, as if to ask about them, but changes her mind.
“Cipher?” she asks instead. “What are those?”
“Runes,” he replies out loud for us all to hear. “This is the Rune Stock Exchange Building.”
She hums under her breath and follows Locke inside, so cavalier with her safety that she doesn’t even look behind her. She views me as no threat at all. I should change that.
Vesper and Locke push through the doors first. The bug flares her wings wide as they push through the large double doors. The Ophanim hovers behind them, taking in every detail with its hundreds of eyes. The moment we all step inside, I get a good look at the inside, a scene I know all too well.
Hell, I’d failed it a few times before I’d defeated him.
BOSS BATTLE INITIATED: THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
I hope you brushed up on your finance skills.
