I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 273

Chapter 273: Chapter 275: You Can Break Even, But I Will Always Earn Ten Times More (7800 Words) Chapter 273: Chapter 275: You Can Break Even, But I Will Always Earn Ten Times More (7800 Words) “Chieftain Sam, give the order. That hill has always been the territory of the Iron Hoof Tribe, and the ore veins buried there belong to us!”

“Yes, if we don't seize that ore vein, we will no longer have any resources to trade with Dawn City.”

“Chieftain, as soon as we act we could recapture resources for thousands of sets of armor; don't you want our 800 heavy warriors to multiply in number several times over?!”

“The Iron Hoof Tribe should be the rulers of this region!”

Sitting in the center of the giant beast skin tent, Sam frowned slightly as he looked around at the agitated Centaurs. His gaze unwittingly drifted to a discreet corner where an old, silent man-horse stood like a stone sculpture.

Disappointed by the lack of response, Sam turned his head away and gave his stirred subordinates a deep look.

“We'll discuss everything after the Kachar City Lord arrives.”

After saying that, he closed his eyes to meditate and did not speak again.

Seeing Sam's demeanor, the Centaurs below quieted down, and no one spoke any further.

Sam felt conflicted; the Iron Hoof Tribe's situation was far from ideal. Over a hundred years ago, they had control over a region near their settlement, but then a powerful tribe moved in and took over that area.

The Iron Hoof Tribe's strength was on par with this other tribe, and since the area was lacking in resources and considered impoverished, they paid it no heed.

For over a hundred years, the Iron Hoof Tribe had disregarded it, as such areas were all too common in the dwarf hills and could not all be looked after.

But just two months ago, they discovered several ore veins in that area, and one of them turned out to be the rare fine iron vein, sparking Sam's interest.

Extracted fine iron was over three times as solid as regular steel, and it was also highly productive–always an exceedingly rare vein to find.

Even with no talent for forging, the Centaurs could easily extract the fine iron and forge armor sturdy enough for their use.

Though at best they could only forge ordinary armor–barely able to utilize half the potential of fine iron–it was enough for the Centaurs, certainly better than their bone armor.

So, the appearance of a fine iron vein meant an inevitable struggle for resources.

Two months after discovering this vein, Sam initiated negotiations with the tribe controlling the region, attempting to reclaim the fine iron vein from them.

But, unsurprisingly, he was rejected.

The other tribe had discovered the fine iron vein as well. It was a precious resource–why should they just hand it over?

The two tribes were at an impasse, and because both had similar strengths, neither was determined whether to wage war over it.

Because once war broke out, there was a high chance both tribes would be devastated, making it uncertain whether the vein would even belong to them anymore.

Of course, Sam was happy to see this stalemate because the longer it dragged on, the stronger the Iron Hoof Tribe would become.

Having established trade with Lide, given some time, thousands of heavily armored Centaur heavy cavalry would become an indestructible force.

Little did Lide know that he had inexplicably become the key factor in the outcome between the two tribes.

After a night of flying, they finally arrived at the previous secret base in Risier City.

This place had now become a regular trading post with the Iron Hoof Tribe.

Sitting atop Castro, he looked down at the valley below with a smile on his face.

The ruins of what used to be human city structures remained unchanged. What was different, though, was the huge stretch of beast skin tents erected in front of the wasteland.

From the sky above, the sprawling patchwork of black and yellow beast skin tents looked ancient and worn.

Seeing the dense swarm of Magic Language Bats in the sky, the Centaurs below immediately sent up a signal, and the whole camp sprang into life.

Thousands of Centaurs emerged from their large tents below, particularly the ones wearing dark patterned heavy armor. They looked especially majestic.

Lide was very pleased to see this scene.

“My friends, are your hides ready? The kind and simple me has come to help you again.”

No longer hesitating, he urged the Castro he was riding to land in the open space in front of the tent, dismounted, and once again set foot on the hard yellow ground.

Sam, who had just walked out of the tent, also saw Lide.

The corner of his eye caught sight of the Magic Language Bats in the sky, laden with goods, and his smile was extremely bright.

“Good day, Kachar City Lord, the honored Hand of Glory.”

Three-bladed High, clad in Perfect Level heavy armor, almost bursting at the seams, Centaur Chieftain Sam greeted Lide with a face full of smiles.

Lide's smile was just as splendid.

What a fine sheep–er, partner.

“Good day, Chieftain Sam, it's been a few months since we last met, and the Iron Hoof Tribe has become stronger and stronger.”

He then gestured to some of the Heavy Centaur Warriors who were coming out of the surrounding tents.

A hint of sentiment appeared on Sam's face, “I still have to thank you, Kachar City Lord, for your support. It was only with the heavy armor that the Iron Hoof Tribe was able to make a substantial improvement in strength…”

Lide smiled faintly and gestured towards the Magic Language Bats that were landing.

“Chieftain Sam, this time I've brought you 2,000 sets of Rare Level armor. I think you'll be satisfied.”

Two, two thousand???

Hearing this figure, Sam felt a wave of dizziness, his mind momentarily clouded by immense surprise.

“Kachar City Lord, you're not joking? 2,000 sets of armor?!!”

Lide nodded, as if it were a matter of course.

“That's right, all Dwarf-made products, consistently high quality, trustworthy.”

Factory-produced items would naturally have consistent quality, being produced modularly–if there were any inconsistency, it would certainly be an issue with the production line.

“Hahaha, Kachar City Lord, for the Iron Hoof Tribe to become partners with you, we must have been blessed by the Centaur God!!

Praise the Centaur God!! Praise you!!”

After speaking, Sam hastily made way and invited Lide into the large animal skin tent in the middle that looked like a small hill.

Lide didn't hesitate and followed suit, stepping forward.

Upon entering the tent, the strong smell of sheep milk hit his nose; the ground was covered with black thick woolly animal skins, providing warmth during this early spring where the weather still held a chill.

The tent was supported by huge white wooden beams, reaching five blades in height, with a skylight opened in the middle, allowing light to shine in from the outside and keep the interior from being gloomy.

There were no chairs here. Not far away was a small table, and upon entering, Sam settled down on the black animal skin like a horse laying down, sitting behind the central small table.

The seven or eight Centaur Warriors who had followed him in also sat down in the same manner around the lower area.

Each table was considered one seating place.

Lide, not being shy, took his seat on the left side of Sam.

“Kachar City Lord, you can taste our exclusive Dragon Horn Goat Milk from the Dwarf Hills,” Sam courteously gestured toward the wooden container on the tabletop, covered with a white wooden lid.

Lide looked at such a primitive and simple scene, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Accustomed to the refined noble life of the Bloodline, he had never seen such roughness.

He reached out and lifted the lid; the Dragon Horn Goat Milk appeared in what was clearly a very roughly hewn wooden bowl, with even some short wooden stubs around the edges.

Lide looked at Sam, who was looking at him with some expectation. Unable to refuse, he used the system to check the attributes. After the system gave no prompts, he steeled his nerves, reached out to take the somewhat prickly wooden bowl, and gently sipped the goat milk.

Hmm?

Surprisingly, what smelled strongly of goat's odor turned out to be very fragrant and delicious. It had a very smooth texture, and the odor actually added a rich layer to the milk's taste.

Good stuff.

Lide couldn't help but take a couple more sips, and after finishing, he felt a warm stream rising in his belly. He then noticed his spiritual power had become much more active, and his magic recovery speed also increased slightly.

Is this goat milk? Are you sure it's not a magic potion?

Lide, with a hint of surprise, turned his head to look at Sam, about to ask a question when Sam, seemed to know what Lide was thinking, and smiled very happily.

“Kachar City Lord, the Dragon Horn Goat is a unique creature to the low hills, very rare, and our entire tribe has only three.”

“The milk of the Dragon Horn Goat can increase spiritual vitality and enhance magic recovery speed; it's a rare and precious thing.”

Three? Lide shook his head with a hint of regret; it was obvious that such items were not for sale, otherwise rearing a few in Dawn City would have been quite nice.

After finishing the goat milk, they returned to the main topic.

“Chieftain Sam, about the 2,000 sets of armor for the trade…”
At this point, Sam's face stiffened slightly, then he spoke with some embarrassment.

“Kachar City Lord, the Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin from our last trade with you has depleted our stock… We no longer have enough hides for this trade…”

What's that??

Lide's eyes narrowed slightly.

Out of stock?

“Chieftain Sam, how much Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin is left?”

“3,000 pieces…” As he spoke, Sam's confidence seemed to falter.

It was indeed embarrassing to be unable to provide the necessary goods for the trade when someone had brought the desired equipment right to their doorstep.

“Twenty pieces of Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin for a set of Rare Level armor, and I'll give you a discount on the Rare Level–five skins for one set of armor.

2,000 sets of armor will need 10,000 pieces of Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin.”

Lide watched with interest as Sam's expression changed, “I wonder if Chieftain Sam has any other resources to make up for these 7,000 pieces of rhinoceros skin?”

He needed the hides of Demon Beasts, but he also needed other resources.

The initial intent of trading with the Centaur Tribe was to accumulate wealth–and that wealth did not only refer to the hides of Demon Beasts.

Sam's next words instantly perked up Lide.

“Kachar City Lord, we have discovered a vein of Fine Iron Ore…”

A vein of Fine Iron Ore?

Sparks flew in Lide's eyes.

Fine Iron Ore was fundamentally still a type of iron ore, but it was a higher grade version of iron ore, with all aspects of its performance significantly superior to regular iron.

Although Fine Iron Ore was not as precious as Secret Silver Vein, if the output was sufficient, it was definitely a resource worth waging wars over by the great Nobles.

If Dawn City could obtain a vein of Fine Iron Ore, the quality of weapons produced by the weapon factory would absolutely improve by more than one grade.

He hadn't expected to receive such important resource information in the short term from the hilly regions, it seemed the trade with the Centaur Tribe was definitely a wise decision.

“Chieftain Sam, is the Iron Hoof Tribe currently mining the Fine Iron Ore Vein?”

Sam's expression turned somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.

“Not at the moment, the vein is not within the control of the Iron Hoof Tribe…” Seemingly aware of the forced nature of his response, he quickly added,
“But that area was once our Iron Hoof Tribe's territory, only occupied by the Black Wind Tribe over a hundred years ago. At that time, we didn't realize there was a vein of Fine Iron Ore, so we didn't pay much attention to it. Two months ago, a heavy rain caused a landslide on a ridge, exposing a large expanse of ore…”

After listening, Lide looked at Sam with a somewhat odd expression, thinking so this area was something you previously deemed too poor to dispute and lazily decided not to fight over. Now that there are resources, you want it back.

You sure have some wishful thinking; do you really believe the other party will agree??

Sam noticed Lide's peculiar expression, but as things stood, the combat strength of the Iron Hoof Tribe was evenly matched with the Black Wind Tribe, with the latter even boasting nearly 30,000 members, about seven or eight thousand more than the Iron Hoof Tribe.

Without Lide's support, even if the Iron Hoof Tribe managed to reclaim the area, they would likely pay a price they couldn't afford.

Hence, Lide's attitude was critical.

“The Fine Iron Ore Vein has always belonged to the Iron Hoof Tribe, Kachar City Lord; I need your support. As long as you can help the Iron Hoob Tribe recover the vein, we are willing to jointly develop it with you.”

Not only Sam, but the other high-ranking Centaur Tribe members in the tent who had not spoken were all somewhat anxiously watching Lide.

When the strength of both parties was almost equal, with the Iron Hoof Tribe even at a disadvantage, introducing a powerful ally was definitely the best choice.

The Centaur was not a foolish race; having established their empire tens of thousands of years ago, their intelligence was no less than any other races.

You want me to fight on your behalf in exchange for the future mining rights of an ore vein??

You really do have some nice plans, a smile that was not quite a smile curled the corners of Lide's lips.

These big fellows, such sly thinking.

After mulling it over for a short moment, he slowly shook his head.

“Chieftain Sam, it's not enough, warring with other Centaur Tribes is an internal matter for your Centaur Tribe. It has nothing to do with Dawn City. In fact, I could completely collaborate with another Centaur Tribe to develop this vein.”

These words caused Sam's complexion to sour.

“Kachar City Lord…”

Lide, with a piercing gaze, suddenly broke into a smile.

“Of course, that was a joke. The Iron Hoof Tribe is an ally of Dawn City, and I am the Hand of Glory of the Iron Hoof Tribe; we stand together.”

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly relaxed; the group of Centaurs had been frightened by Lide's indifferent words.

If this mysterious and powerful ally truly joined the opposing camp without regard for the consequences, they would stand no chance at all.

They had not forgotten that this individual before them was the one who had enslaved the Bone Dragon and commanded an immense Vampire army.

“I'll return in half a month. This time I'll bring 3000 sets of armor, and along with the 2000 sets from this time, that's enough for the Iron Hoof Tribe to form an invincible Heavy Cavalry army.

And Dawn City will personally take part in this war!”

The room immediately filled with rapid breathing, and the gazes towards Lide were brimming with surprise.

3000 sets of armor!!! They were enough to form a dominant army.

A hint of a mocking smile appeared in Lide's eyes, “Also, the Iron Hoof Tribe has more than just Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin, right? Bring out all the prepared hides you have, and I will have people choose the usable ones.

If that's not enough, the debt for this time and the armor for next time will be offset with ore after we take possession of the Fine Iron Ore Vein.”

After finishing his sharp speech, his gaze swept around the room, finally settling intently on Sam.

“I want half of the Fine Iron Ore Vein, and I want the other half as well.”

“Kachar City Lord, what do you mean?” Sam couldn't contain the restlessness in his heart.

“I will use the supplies you need to buy the Fine Iron Ore you mine–armor, weapons, even various daily necessities… As long as you need it, I can provide it.”

Lide's smile slowly brightened, trade with the Centaur Tribe was never equal.

The Fine Iron Ore Vein was just a beginning, and he believed the cooperation between the two parties would become even more pleasant.

Sure enough, upon hearing Lide's words, Sam also revealed a bright smile.

The hilly highlands were too barren, the long-term blockade of this area by humans had caused various shortages, and the Centaurs didn't know how to tackle all this, not knowing how to leverage the vast land they had.

They could only rely on heaven for food.

Lide's move was undoubtedly a reassuring pill for Sam.

After all, having the help of a powerful city, the Iron Hoof Tribe would certainly live better.

The most critical point was that even if they got the Fine Iron Ore Vein, the armor they could produce would not come close to the quality of dwarven products.

So with Lide's supplied materials, the originally very important Fine Iron Ore Vein became superfluous.

Their initial intention of capturing the vein was to trade for armor with Lide.

Now that Lide could still offer help, it was perfect, and although he wanted half of the share, it was completely acceptable for the Iron Hoof Tribe.

After all, without Lide's military resources, it would be very difficult for them to capture the vein.

“Thank you for your generosity, Kachar City Lord.”

Lide smiled slightly, considering this trade done.

The Fine Iron Ore Vein was indeed an unexpected joy for him.

And a huge surprise at that, significant enough for him to be willing to send troops directly.

He also felt deeply that his unintended strategy had indeed had a remarkable effect.

If he had simply eliminated this group of Centaurs without asking any questions, although he would have looted their population, the potential loss would probably have been astonishingly great.

Six Sunshine Hours later, after enjoying a barbecue hosted by Sam with great hospitality, the outside was finally done with the commotion.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Lide stepped outside the tent onto the open ground, looking at the Demon Beast hides already bound to the back of Magic Language Bats with great pleasure.

“Your Highness, after tallying up, there are a total of 3,100 pieces of Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin and 12,000 other Demon Beast hides that meet our requirements, equivalent to 3,000 pieces of Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin.

All in all, the Iron Hoof Tribe still owes us 4,000 pieces of Wilderness Rhino Skin…”

The Bloodline that had come with the group respectfully reported to Lide.

Beside him, the Level 15 Centaur Chieftain Sam's face once again showed a hint of embarrassment after hearing this, although the matter had already been settled indoors.

But having it directly pointed out by Lide's subordinate like this was indeed a bit humiliating.

Yet he dared not say much, as the mysterious presence before him could potentially be Transcendent, and even if not, the other party was definitely terrifyingly powerful.

He hadn't forgotten the powerful Bone Dragon that could easily destroy a city, lying at Lide's feet like a dog, a scene way too shocking for him.

Lide waved his hand.

“Rest for a while, we'll return to the city at dusk.

These issues with Demon Beast hides have already been settled with Chieftain Sam.”

After saying this, Lide turned to Sam and smiled.

“Chieftain Sam, in half a month, Dawn City will lead the army here.

Then we will take back what is ours, the Fine Iron Ore Vein.”

Sam laughed heartily.

“That's right, take back OUR Fine Iron Ore Vein!!

The Glory of the Centaur God shines upon us!”

As evening approached and Lide left, Sam's expression gradually became more pensive, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

The Centaurs around him had dispersed, and the Old Centaur had arrived beside Sam at some point.

Turning his head to look at the old man whose face was lined with wrinkles, Sam's expression grew complex.

“Father, are we really doing the right thing by continuing down this path?”

Having said this, he couldn't help but look at the tribal members around him, who were gleefully brandishing their new armor.

The temptation of the armor was just too great.

In the hilly highlands, no Centaur Tribe could resist the temptation of dwarven-made armor, none at all.

The old man turned his head and looked deeply at Sam.

“No wonder the mysterious Kachar City Lord had those words of admonition for you.

Sam, remember, once you've chosen your path, you must walk it with all your might.”

“We've been aligned with Kachar City Lord from the start, and if you still have such doubts, then it can only prove that you're truly not fit to lead the Iron Hoof Tribe towards glory.”

To the old Centaur, once the Iron Hoof Tribe had chosen to cooperate with Lide, it was destined for the tribe to be in a passive position.

Sam's mistake was that, even at times when the tribe lacked capabilities, he still wanted to maintain control.

But the weak never have room to choose.

Sam was taken aback and subsequently fell into deep thought, eventually having to admit that the old Centaur's words left him without refutation.

The scene fell into prolonged silence.

After a while,
“Father, is this Kachar City Lord from the Bloodline?” Sam suddenly asked, as if recalling something.

With Magic Language Bats and Bloodline's blatant presence, even an idiot couldn't just ignore them.

But the problem was that Lide had previously enslaved an Undead Bone Dragon, and he had never revealed any trace of being Bloodline, even going as far as to arrange precious Dragon Horn Goat Milk to receive Lide today, which Sam intentionally or unintentionally wanted to test.

After all, Bloodline seemed not to care much for anything other than fresh blood.

Yet even so, Sam could not be sure. This Lord was too mysterious, and he couldn't sense any aura from the other party.

The old man shook his head, “So, if the other party is Bloodline, you won't cooperate with him?”

Sam opened his mouth and then closed it again. Right, even if the other is a Legendary Vampire, would he refuse to cooperate? Impossible. Even if it were a Demon, the Iron Hoof Tribe wouldn't back down at this point.

As such, his actions seemed to have no benefits other than being annoying.

Sam slapped his forehead in frustration, finally understanding the extent of his difference from the old Chieftain who had led the Iron Hoof Tribe for over a hundred years.

When Lide led the Magic Language Bats back to Dawn City, he still felt great inside–it was, after all, a profitable trip.

However, this trade with the Iron Hoof Tribe also exposed some problems and inconsistencies that he needed to sort out.

Stanley was deep in thought when he saw Lide.

“Your Lordship, are you?”

Lide looked at Stanley thoughtfully.

“Stanley, have the weapons factory produce another 3,000 sets of Rare armor based on the Centaur template within half a month.”

“The Centaur Tribe has discovered a Fine Iron Ore Vein in the short hills. Locate the exact position using this map and send Bloodline transformed into Blood-colored Blades to investigate the place.”

“If you find the Centaurs guarding the Fine Iron Ore Vein, you may attempt to make contact with them.”

After finishing, there was a flicker of profound meaning in Lide's eyes.

“Arrange for some people from the Think Tank to lead a team as soon as possible, with Withered Bone following as a show of force, and take a few hundred sets of armor to trade with the Centaur Tribe in the short hills.

If the cooperation goes well, we can work together multiple times. We can support several forces; the Iron Hoof Tribe is not the only one.”

The lack of resources in the Iron Hoof Tribe made Lide realize his current problem with the short hills–he was engaging too little, had too few channels, and made contact with too few Centaur Tribes.

Just one tribe wasn't enough; the Iron Hoof Tribe's purchasing power was limited and couldn't fully absorb the productivity of Dawn City.

After three or two trades, the tribe of ten to twenty thousand could no longer offer anything of value in exchange.

“Don't put all your eggs in one basket,” that was the lesson learned.

At this time, exploring a few new trade routes was an entirely viable strategy.

The entire range of short hills remained untouched by outsiders, a virgin land awaiting exploration. He had sufficient military strength as insurance, things impossible for humans were not difficult for him.

Great wealth awaited his discovery.

This time, the cooperation with the Centaur Tribe went well. While not as much as the last trade, the earnings were still enough to cause envy.

Rare Level armor was sold for roughly 30 Gold Pucks a set in Green City, while Dwarf-made sets fetched about 50 Gold Pucks each.

However, in Dawn City, the Weapon Factory's manufacturing cost was only about 10 Gold Pucks per set, with 2,000 sets of armor amounting to a cost of twenty thousand Gold Pucks.

One Wilderness Rhinoceros Skin could make 5 magic scrolls, and Iron Hoof Tribe exchanged 3,000 of them, translating to 15,000 Magic Scrolls.

At a profit of 7 Gold Pucks per scroll, the total came to 105,000 Gold Pucks.

There were also tens of thousands of other Demon Beast skins, with the total value equaling 3,000 Wilderness Rhinoceros Skins, amounting to about 100,000 Gold Pucks in profit.

This trading trip out, with 2,000 sets of Rare Level armor, the preliminary revenue was around 200,000 Gold Pucks. And now the Iron Hoof Tribe still owed him 4,000 Wilderness Rhinoceros Skins.

Including their debt, this trade netted him approximately 300,000 Gold Pucks.

In comparison, the cost of two thousand Gold Pucks he had to pay was utterly negligible.

The weapons were forged by dwarven smiths in three days, using steel derived from stone mined by beastmen within the Dwarf Valley.

This back and forth trade resulted in nearly a 15-fold profit.

Thinking of this, Lide's mood surged even higher.

You might make a small profit, but I will always earn ten times more than you, and you will be overwhelmingly grateful to me.

At this thought, Lide's expression became somewhat excited, having earned several hundred thousand Gold Pucks from just the trade with the Iron Hoof Tribe.

If he negotiated with a few more Centaur Tribes, wouldn't he be able to gather enough money to forge Legendary Equipment?

“Yes, Your Highness,” Stanley nodded solemnly. He only needed to obey Lide's commands.

After confirming there were no major issues, Lide changed the subject, “Haven't Harrison and the others woken up yet?”

Stanley shook his head, “Not yet, they have been sleeping the whole time. I've fed each of them a few bottles of Magic Blood, but they don't seem to be very desperate for energy.”

From yesterday morning to tonight, a day and a half had passed.

“It seems that this class change is not so simple,” Lide's expression tightened slightly.

The difficulty of transforming into a Crimson Hunter had far exceeded his expectations.

Crimson Hunter (Bloodline hidden Profession)
Class Change Requirements: Bloodline, reach Level 10, Special Requirement: Resolute Will, class change requires passing a trial of true resolve.

The class change explanation was very simple, but what exactly was this trial of true resolve?

Why did it take such a long time? There was no one who could answer these questions.

Lide couldn't help but frown.

He could facilitate the class change for the Bloodline, but he couldn't control the process, so he had no way of knowing what the trial of true resolve involved.

Moreover, these were the first ones to brave the unknown, with no prior experiences to learn from.

“Make sure they are well guarded, do not let outsiders disturb their transformation, and report to me immediately if there are any changes.

Also, move the batch of Demon Beast hides and furs back to Green City as soon as possible; the Crimson Mage Tower needs the material for the warehouse.”

“Your Highness, there's one more thing…”

“What is it?”

“The bomb-carrying armor for the Magic Language Bats has been designed, but you haven't had time to choose the final model…”

Lide brightened up, having been so busy these past days, he had indeed forgotten about it.

The Dawn City Air Force.

If the bomb-carrying armor for the Magic Language Bats could be mass-produced, did that mean Dawn City's Air Force was about to be deployed?

The thought of bombs blanketing the battlefield excited Lide.

There was a battle to be fought in half a month. If they could produce it now, they could test the power of the Alchemy Bombs in actual combat by then.

“Lead the way; let's take a look.”

Lide didn't waste a word, full of anticipation as he headed to the Alchemy Factory with Stanley.

Chapter end