Chapter 126 – Vision [1]

By the time Isolde stepped out of the bathroom, her mind fully settled on her identity and her life, Cassius had already managed to regain consciousness.

Isolde arched an eyebrow at the sight of him: beads of sweat clustering around his eyebrows and lips, a large portion of the bed drenched by the same sweat.

"What happened?" She asked as she walked toward him, worry beginning to crawl inside her heart again, thinking something must have happened to him during his time alone.

A worry Cassius could clearly see, and it made him smile wryly. "Don’t give me that look. You’ll make me feel like a damsel in distress."

"Well, what’s wrong with being a damsel in distress?" Isolde asked with a relaxed smile, seeing he was okay, then immediately corrected herself. "No, well, not just any damsel in distress. My damsel in distress instead."

She grinned. "What do you think? Tempting, right? I’ll cuddle you."

"I might actually accept." Cassius replied, then winked. "Only for the cuddle, of course. Not because I like being protected and pampered like a baby. Not at all, darling."

"Right." She giggled. "And I believe you. Let’s just assume that, shall we?"

Cassius chuckled.

By that point she was already on the bed, sitting in front of him. Looking at the sweat soaking the sheets again, she spared him a curious glance, seeking an explanation.

Cassius didn’t make her wait long.

"I have shown you who I truly am." He began, settling himself more comfortably. "Now let me tell you what that identity has made me."

Isolde focused immediately, and Cassius began, talking about the Fated Quest, the Origin Store, and the fact that he had managed to acquire an Innate thanks to one of the items inside that Store.

The same Store the Beauty Potion he had gifted her had come from.

The more he spoke, the more Isolde became utterly and profoundly flabbergasted, unable to fully grasp how significant an advantage Cassius had over people of his own generation...and even older ones.

The Origin Store could make him the strongest, as long as he remained prudent, knew his limits and didn’t overstep.

Not only the strongest. The richest too.

Now Isolde understood his confidence about the Merchant Organisation.

With the Store, they would inevitably acquire items they didn’t necessarily need themselves. And those items could be sold to others who needed them more, others who would be willing to give anything to obtain them.

At that, Isolde immediately thought that the best structure for their Company was an auction house. One where they would display their products and let the highest bidder claim them.

Those auctions would generate money, but also the ability to build connections between renowned buyers. People from across the Kingdom... and eventually beyond.

Isolde could barely contain her excitement once she fully grasped the potential of all this. With the right steps and ideas, they could reach a level of wealth comparable to the Wealth Family.

Far-fetched, of course. But with time and compounding... miracles could indeed happen.

However, focusing only on the benefits would be foolish of her. The benefits were genuinely awe-inspiring. But the downsides and the risks were not to be ignored.

The only way to earn the ability to purchase inside that Store was to succeed in Fated Quests. Quests that made Cassius unable to stray far from the Chosen Ones, forcing him to constantly interact with them, with no real way out.

He would gain VP as long as he hindered the Chosen Ones in any way possible and managed to affect large groups of people through his actions.

It was dangerous. And one day he might encounter something he could neither beat, nor outsmart, nor even adapt from.

That understanding dampened Isolde’s good mood. Realising the danger her husband would be placed in — simply because of his Fate — weighed on her.

But she managed a smile, knowing inwardly that as long as she was alive, Cassius would be alive.

Vorn would have to take her soul first before so much as thinking about taking her husband’s.

And even if she were gone, she might just create enough chaos inside the Gate of Death to protect him regardless. She was not ashamed to say it, because she knew with certainty that Cassius would do the same for her.

Which was, in fact, exactly the case.

After the Origin Store discussion, Cassius wasted no more time, and directly used 115 Stat Points in front of Isolde, pushing both his Perception and Agility to 100.

The moment those two stats reached their limit, Cassius felt a sense of completeness wash over him.

He felt his body brimming with power, each of his muscles coiling and flexing like a snake ready to shed its skin and evolve further. He understood instinctively that he was ready for a rank-up. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Ready to step into the Imbued rank.

And for that, he already had what he needed.

"So that was the reason for your shameless theft." Isolde chuckled, watching Cassius hold an ACS in his hand.

A Tier Two ACS.

The item was entirely white, shaped like any ordinary stone with jagged edges; but inside it, finger-like lights of essence in different colours swirled and moved in a pattern too mysterious for either of them to decipher.

"Indeed." He smiled, turning the stone over in his hand. "I don’t know if you’ve heard, darling, but a Tier Two ACS is known to give more than one skill when ranking up."

He lifted his eyes to her, excitement plain in them. "Can you imagine the benefit? Especially at Exalted rank when your previous skills fuse into one Ultimate Skill alongside the awakening of your Soulblade."

"The more the merrier." Isolde said with a low chuckle, then suddenly narrowed her eyes with competitive intensity. "With your Origin Store and this Tier Two ACS, you will certainly become extremely strong."

"You mean stronger than you?" He taunted, grinning.

"In your dreams." Isolde scoffed, fully confident. "I gained some insights while looking through your memories. And I saw one thing that dangerously piqued my interest."

"Oh?" Cassius tilted his head, intrigued. "Something that can make you stronger, I assume?"

"Far stronger." Isolde nodded. "Obtaining it would greatly enhance my strength and cover my weaknesses. However, I may need to act quickly to get my hands on it. From what I saw, it will soon be obtained by someone else." She paused, then laughed softly. "Someone I know rather well."

"What exactly are you talking about?" Cassius asked, still idly turning the ACS in his fingers, feeling something inside him begging to consume it. "And who is the one supposed to obtain it?"

Isolde bared her teeth into a grin. "It’s a fruit."

Instantly, without needing anything more to be said, Cassius knew exactly what she was referring to. But for the sake of it, Isolde continued to the end.

"A fruit made of some unknown blood, capable of increasing the Capacity of my Birthright." She smiled wider. "A fruit initially obtained — from what I saw — by..."

"...Cassandra of Patience." Cassius finished. "The current Palatine of the second year at the Academy, eldest daughter of the Third Knight of the Deathless Crusaders, also known by many as the Widow of the Goddess."

As he finished, he couldn’t help but smile wryly.

This was a treasure he knew well from the game. Not only him, many other players of Earth did too. It was among the most well-known treasures that still managed to stay shrouded in mystery until the very end.

Everyone knew its effect on Birthright Capacity, but many speculated that wasn’t its only use.

Unfortunately, Cassandra was not among the Chosen Ones. She was the kind of character who was extraordinarily powerful yet never bothered herself with anything outside her own role.

She was among the rare women who never fell for Emrys’s charm.

Only for that, she was a favourite of many in the game.

Very few knew the true depth of her Aspects, and when she obtained the fruit during a mission she shared with the first-year students, Cassandra became even more elusive, until the game eventually left her out of the Storyline entirely.

That was why Cassius felt uncertain, wondering if it was wise to pursue the fruit given how little was known about it.

But looking at Isolde, he already knew there was no talking her out of this.

He could only support her.

"As you wish, darling." Cassius said softly. "However, before that, let’s do something first."

He set the ACS down and decided to use the two tickets he had obtained from his last Quest: the Show Me Show Me Show Me tickets.

They appeared in his hand instantly. Grey, with the sigil of an open eye etched on each one...an eye that seemed to blink.

This was a ticket that showed the user what they needed to see. Something from the past. Something from the future. Or simply a vision of whatever would most aid them on their current path.

A very precious ticket, rarely obtained in the game.

"Before I officially rank up, and before you decide to act on your current thoughts," Cassius said, extending one ticket toward Isolde, "let’s first see what we need to see before making any official decision."

Isolde blinked, staring at the ticket, feeling a deep and mysterious power emanating from it. A power quite rare, yet somehow familiar enough.

The power of divination.

She hesitated briefly, wondering whether it was right for her to take something so precious from him, but shook her head almost immediately after.

Helping and supporting each other in order to grow stronger together was simply how it was supposed to be.

And Cassius would never hesitate if it meant elevating those he loved. His goal was to save and protect them, and he was not arrogant enough to believe he alone was sufficient.

He needed them strong too. All of them.

At that, Isolde smiled with quiet gratitude and took the ticket from his hand, looking at him warmly. "Thank you, husband."

Cassius suddenly smiled shyly, as he always did when he couldn’t quite handle genuine gratitude from his wife or those close to him. He simply nodded, then immediately activated his ticket with his essence.

Isolde chuckled at his reaction and followed shortly after.

Grey light instantly sprayed through the room at their combined actions, taking both Isolde and Cassius somewhere else entirely.

The Spiritual Principality.

—End of Chapter 126—