Reidar watched the elevator doors slide open. The top floor spread out before them—part trading post, part armory.

Behind the counter stood Zix, the vendor. He looked up as they entered, and his face split into a wide grin.

"Well, well, well!" Zix said, spreading his arms in an expansive gesture. "If it isn't the heroes of Creamont themselves! I heard what you did to those War Hound bastards, and you pushed the Church of Unbinding right out of the city too! That takes serious spine, my friends. Serious spine!"

Reidar gave a curt nod, not interested in prolonging the pleasantries. "We did what needed doing."

"Modest too," Zix said with a laugh. "I like that. So, what brings you to my humble establishment? Looking to celebrate your victory with some new toys?"

Reidar nodded. "I need gear. And skills. Summoning skills specifically. Tier 30 and higher."

Zix's grin didn't waver, but his eyes sharpened with enthusiasm. The last time Reidar had been there, he had brought in millions. "Tier 30 and up, huh? You're not messing around. Alright, let me see what I've got for a Summoner of your… caliber."

Zix gestured, and the System interface materialized between them like frosted glass. The vendor's fingers moved across it, and rows of skill entries began to populate the space.

Reidar leaned forward, eyes scanning the list. As every entry displayed Tier 30 or higher, the numbers alone made his chest tighten—millions of Survival Points per skill. He scrolled through them, watching names blur past.

—[«SHOP»]—

—« Voidborn Sentinel »—

…

—« Crimson Wraith Legion »—

…

—« Stoneheart Colossus »—

…

—« Stormcaller Drake »—

…

—« Deathsworn Battalion »—

…

—[«END»]—

Some of these were batch summons; most weren't. Besides, Reidar learned the hard way that at high levels, quantity didn't scale the way it used to at lower ones.

At higher tiers, a single powerful summon could and often would outperform an entire squad. A simple example was the Twin Boulderback Behemoths he often summoned. While they could at least tank a couple of Silas' attacks, all the other ones simply got disintegrated as soon as Silas set their eyes on them.

Having so many batch skills was not beneficial. He needed something more specific, even if it meant decreasing the list of possible skills.

"Filter it," Reidar said. "Show me single summoning skills only."

Zix raised an eyebrow. "Single summons? You sure about that? It's pretty far from your usual fighting style."

Reidar's eyes flicked up from the interface. "How do you know my fighting style?"

Zix leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, grin still in place. "You're not exactly a secret, my friend. Word travels fast among vendors—especially when someone does what you did or spends as much as you did. That kind of thing gets noticed."

Reidar said nothing, waiting.

"Plus," Zix said, tapping the counter, "last time you were here, you made it pretty clear what you were after. Batch summoning skills. You said yourself that you liked having numbers on your side. And based on what you bought and what I've heard from others, that's the impression I got. You're the guy who floods the field with summons. It's pretty hard to miss someone who can summon an entire ecosystem whenever he wants."

Reidar's jaw tightened. That had been his style. It wasn't anymore.

His eyes didn't leave the interface as he sighed. "Batch summoning isn't as effective anymore. Not at this level. I need something that hits hard and lasts. One creature that can take the pressure off me, not ten that get wiped in the first exchange."

"Glad you finally noticed that."

"If batch summoning loses effectiveness at higher tiers, why didn't you or any other vendor mention it?"

Zix shrugged. "It's situational. Batch summoning skills are effective at lower levels. Sometimes extremely effective. You get numbers, you overwhelm enemies, and you survive. That strategy works until it doesn't."

He gestured at the interface. "There are batch summoning skills at Tier 30 and higher that can summon creatures as powerful as anything you'd get from a single-summon skill. But those are expensive, mana-intensive, and rare. Creating them isn't simple, and finding them is even harder. I just have a few."

Reidar said nothing.

"Besides," Zix added, "most Summoners figure it out on their own once they hit this level. The ones who don't... well, they don't usually make it past Tier 30."

Zix tapped the interface, and the display recalibrated. Entries vanished, replaced by a shorter, more focused list. "Though, I'll say this, having at least one batch summoning skill at Tier 30 or higher wouldn't hurt. Insurance, you know? When you need bodies on the ground fast."

"I'll keep that in mind," Reidar said, already scanning the new entries.

The list got populated with fresh options, each one displaying detailed statistics and cost breakdowns.

Zix tapped the interface, highlighting a sleek entry. "Tier 35: Phantom Stalker—fast, incorporeal, perfect for scouting and hit-and-run tactics. It phases through walls like a ghost, which is Extremely handy." His finger swiped down, revealing another option.

"Now, this one's a personal favorite—Tier 38: Ironbound Juggernaut. Single summon, but don't let that fool you. It's a walking fortress. This is, in fact, a massive construct of absurd durability, and its melee attacks? They are Devastating. With one punch, your problem stops being a problem."

Reidar examined each entry carefully, his mind already calculating how they'd fit into his strategy. Lena and Jake stood behind him, watching the display with interest.

"What about gear?" Reidar asked.

"Ah yes, the good stuff." Zix swiped the interface, and a new section materialized, showing equipment. "Tier 31 armor: Summoner's Mantle. Boosts your minion summoning speed and increases their damage output. Also gives you a decent chunk of physical resistance."

He tapped another entry. "Tier 33: Death Rattle Gauntlets. Every time one of your summons dies, you get a burst of mana regeneration. Synergies well with disposable minions."

Reidar's eyes lingered on the gauntlets' description. That could be useful.

Zix wasn't done. He scrolled through more entries: rings, amulets, and a belt, each piece radiating power in the interface's display. "I've got plenty more in the catalog if none of these strikes your fancy. But I think you'll find what you need here."

Reidar nodded slowly. "I'll take a look at everything."

Then Zix turned to Lena and Jake while Reidar kept looking at the shop interface. "What about you? What can I assist you with?"

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