The Lord Platinum gestured and the guards shoved Hector fully inside the room before slamming the door shut. Then it was just the three of them: Hector, the Lord Platinum, and Master Percival. This situation was so far outside of his expectations that he couldn't understand how it had come to be. He knew enough, though. This was the death of him.

Understanding his fate was sealed didn't mean he would go down without a fight. He couldn't physically prevail against a lord, but Hector would exhaust every other avenue.

"I believe the Zing Emperor personally guarantees the safety of every auction participant."

The Lord Platinum smiled. "Be serious, Hector. You must know by now that among the Xian, there are no doors that power and wealth cannot open. I'm a valued supplier to the Zing Capital Auction and so receive special considerations. Not that having you brought here was free of charge. I paid quite well for this meeting."

She moved closer to leer at him. "Coming back to Tian after your escape was foolish. Attending the auction more so. But your greatest sin was a lack of situational awareness. You almost bumped into me out there, Hector, and never noticed me. I had time to negotiate this pleasant get-together. If your eyes were watching, you would have escaped long since."

"I have backing," he attempted.

"I don't care," she purred. "You humiliated me before my peers, forced me to pay reparations to two of my customers, and ruined the reputation of my tournament series. There is nothing in the entire world that could tempt me to forgive your transgressions."

The wording she chose gave Hector hope. "Is it safe to speak openly in here?"

The Lord Platinum smirked. "We are unobserved. Speak whatever you wish. Before you do, be aware that I did my research. I know of your supernatural energy restoration rate. Combined with your transit sphere and the fact that you knew to flee, I have a good idea just whose memories you carry within you. I'm not worried about my involvement with the Dream Engine being brought to light. You have no cards to play, Hector."

"The Mother Elixir."

A cheek twitched. The lord schooled her features back to smug. "A lost secret. What of it?"

"A found secret."

She crossed her arms and looked away from him. "I don't see any reason to trust you, Hector. Even if you did have accurate information, it is unlikely I could act on it."

Hector could tell he had her attention. "I was the treasure hunter who found it."

"Again, Hector, I have no faith in your word. And a treasure in the hands of the Emperor does me no good. Your body and core, on the other hand, are quite valuable."

"The secret of the elixir isn't its recipe. There is a colony of microorganisms called the Mother that produces it. The Mother cultivates and changes tea, sugar, and cores into a level ten elixir."

The Lord Platinum studied him. "You're still not bridging our lack of trust."

Hector took a deep breath. "The Mother grows in layers that can be separated. When I retrieved it for the Emperor, I kept one layer for myself."

As the silence after his statement stretched, Percival spoke for the first time. "You can't trust him. This is a trap. He wants you to allow him to summon his transit sphere."

The Lord Platinum nodded. "Probably. Desperate men will do anything. But he can't escape."

"I will take you to it," Hector said, hope blooming in his heart. "In exchange, I want you to guarantee my life."

"Oh, Hector, I am not traveling with you. A suicidal man might open his transit sphere within the primordial to bring his enemies to death with him. What we will do is allow you to travel there. We will follow close behind. Be careful in your next move, Hector. Be very, very careful."

"I want a promise that you will let me live."

The Lord Platinum gave the slightest tilt of her head. "If you deliver me the means to produce the Mother Elixir, I swear to spare your life."

The suppression field vanished. Hector summoned his sphere immediately. As it grew into existence, another arose beside Percival. He entered his first and began his journey, trying his best not to think about the intense, cold rage the Lord Platinum had worn on her features. She wanted him dead. Not as bad as she wanted the Mother Elixir, thankfully. How could the lord famous for brewing the preeminent Amaratti elixir not want to get her hands on the ultimate elixir? He just had to hope that her word meant something to her.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

When he arrived, Hector pulled a flashlight from his pocket and clicked it on. Everything was still in place, fortunately. The mirrored sphere of Percival opened to let out his two captors. Their eyes paused ever so briefly on the forbidden technology of his flashlight before fixating on the real prize. The Lord Platinum rushed forward suddenly.

Her finger poked at the partially submerged rubbery Mother and emerged. She sucked the liquid from her finger and laughed in pure delight. "You are the most foolish of men, Hector."

"Am I free to go, Lord Platinum?"

"Don't travel directly back to the auction house if you value your life. Go to the square outside it and show them your medallion. They will let you back inside without issue." The Lord Platinum held out her hand. "Give me your Jinn device before you leave."

He handed over the flashlight without hesitation. As his sphere appeared once more, the Lord Platinum sighed. "Hector, take my coin purse. It holds two hundred Zing platinum coins. I cannot pay the same as the Emperor, but I recognize that you have given me something priceless. Buy as many resources as you can at the auction and then stay away from Tian until you are lord level."

Hector hesitated to reach for the purse, which inspired the Lord Platinum to speak again. "I believe the two of us will have a profitable business relationship in the future. Though it cost me much face, your escape from the tournament impressed me. A level five transit sphere should not have been able to resist a level ten suppression field, not even when it was already summoned. The level ten Ogre was you as well, I am certain, though I have no proof. Now the Mother Elixir. If you keep advancing, Hector, you will soon become someone I am fortunate to know."

He took the purse. "Thank you, Lord Platinum." Then he escaped the cavern.

With his life, thankfully. But down a priceless resource that was supposed to pave the way for his body enhancement all the way to his end game. The two hundred platinum coins would be a huge short term benefit for him, but it couldn't make up for his loss.

Her parting advice rang in his ears. Hector should leave Tian behind until he was lord level. Wise words, no doubt. Should he stop bringing goods back to the cafe? Hector felt reluctant to make such a hasty decision. He could purchase goods from Zara and random people in Stein without exposing himself to much risk at all.

The officials in the receiving square seemed slightly confused to encounter someone already bearing a medallion for that day's auction. They didn't let that impact their professionalism and he was soon back inside the auction house. Hector took the time to count the contents of his purse. The platinum coins were tiny things smaller than an American dime. His quick count indicated there were exactly two hundred coins. Twice what Zara granted him.

Hector began walking the minor auction area and discovered Dorian standing near the booth containing the heavenly flesh pill he bid on. The bids had increased since Hector last saw them. "Hey, Dorian. I came into possession of some extra coins. Is there something I can do to add them to Zara's account?"

Dorian spun to Hector. "Where have you been? Did you violate some rule of the house?"

"Honestly, Dorian, I think it's best if we don't talk about the situation. File this under 'things it is best to remain ignorant of'. The more important thing is that I have two hundred extra coins in my possession that I want to use for bids."

Dorian rubbed his face aggressively with his palms. "Does your good fortune never end?"

"This is nowhere near the true value of what I had to give in exchange. How do I use the coins in this auction?"

"Just place your bids, Hector. Zara must pay with physical coins when we collect our items. If you are able to cover your excess at that time it won't be a problem." Dorian nodded towards the chalkboard. "I'm being outbid here even though I raised my bid to a hundred coins."

"Are you asking to borrow from me?"

"To my everlasting shame, I am."

"You can have ten coins. Remember this favor."

Hector had to increase his existing bids before making new ones. He placed another bid on a level seven cartilage and skin pill, then a pinnacle organ pill that he learned was made from the organ meat and core of a level seven bear. He then waited out the clock, stopping by the various booths and upping his bids as necessary. When he had the top bids at just ten minutes prior to close, Hector went to a booth selling level six gold elixirs and placed a bid with his remaining nineteen coins.

A sonorous bell announced the end of bidding and doors opened to allow the bidders into another hall. Darius found Hector in the chaos of people rushing deeper into the building. "We need get your coins to Lord Zara before she goes to pay. Don't get distracted by the egg tarts."

The tables filled with pastries were indeed a hub of activity. Bidders who hadn't eaten in many hours swarmed the food offered. To Hector's mental sense, there was nothing special about the egg tarts. Judging by the appreciative comments he overheard, they must taste good. Noticeably absent from the crush of bodies was Zara. No doubt she wouldn't be tempted by the empty calories of a sugary dessert lacking any significant cosmic energy content.

There were queues forming on the opposite side of the room before a table staffed by clerks and surrounded by powerful guards. Halfway back one of the lines was Zara. Hector approached and handed her the purse, which caused her brows to shoot up her forehead. "What is this?"

"It's to cover the extra we spent on bids."

Zara studied the fabric of the pouch, eventually fixating on a small design sewn into its side. "Platinum. What have you been up to, Hector?"

"Saving my life and getting extorted. I don't think this is the place to talk about the details."

She turned to Dorian and the man shrugged. "The man's intrigues never seem to end."

"We will have a long conversation about this later," Zara promised.

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