The Ascender's Legacy [A CHAOTIC STORM LITRPG]

Two hours had passed since Aodhán and Daruk returned to the academy. In that time, they'd finished tallying the total value of the plants—excluding those in Professor Jorendil's pile and a few others they'd set aside for themselves, like the rare water affinity plant Aodhán had tucked away in his spatial storage to give to Meredith.

He doubted she needed it, being of noble birth and all, but it was a gesture nonetheless, and he believed she would appreciate it very enthusiastically when he saw her tonight.

The thought sent anticipation thrumming through him; however, all that came to a halt the moment he laid his eyes on the final tally on the notepad.

Aodhán blinked, certain he'd miscounted.

Five hundred and twenty-eight thousand gold coins.

If they added the two hundred and seven thousand gold that Professor Jorendil would pay for his own pile, that brought the total to seven hundred and thirty-five thousand gold coins.

It was an absurd amount—so much that Aodhán couldn't even imagine how he'd spend it.

Silence reigned in the room for a moment before Gwendolyn broke it with a heavy sigh. "That is a lot of money."

Aodhán nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Andrew, Yurin, and Daruk were no different, staring wide-eyed at the final amount written boldly on Aodhán's notepad.

"Are we dreaming?" Yurin asked in a whisper.

"I doubt it," Andrew replied softly. "But if we are, I never want this dream to end."

Chuckling at their awed expressions, Gwendolyn gathered all the plants the pavilion had bought into a spatial ring designed specifically for awakened plants, then handed it to Aodhán with a smile. "Fortunately for you, it's not a dream. Hold this. If you'll all wait here, I'll return shortly with your payment."

Aodhán nodded and collected the ring. "How long do we have to wait?"

"I truly don't know." Gwendolyn frowned and then sighed. "This is a massive transaction. The Pavilion may not span the entire continent like the Eternal Emporium, but it still takes a mountain of paperwork and verification to authorize such a large sum. Hopefully, it shouldn't take more than an hour or two. You guys can keep yourselves busy with the Emporium's interface till I come back."

She left soon after that, and the boys busied themselves with the Emporium's interface, huddling together so they could peer at each other's screens whenever one of them found something they wanted to share with the others.

Aodhán scrolled through each category leisurely, shaking his head at the absurdity of the items available for sale. Every once in a while, when he came across an item that was simply mind-blowing or a perfect fit for any of the boys, he showed it to them, discussing the potential benefits of absorbing any of the items.

An hour passed before Gwendolyn finally returned, accompanied by two professors who also worked as Pavilion agents. The first was Professor Aleran, while the other was a third-year professor Aodhán recognized but had never formally met.

Professor Aleran grinned as he approached them. "When Gwendolyn told us about this, I honestly thought she was joking. You're only first-years! To gather such a staggering number of plants in less than a week. Simply astonishing. That core-sensing ability of yours must've evolved considerably…"

Aodhán smiled. "I couldn't have done it alone, Professor Aleran. I doubt I would have even gotten a quarter of this without my friends."

Daruk and Yurin puffed their chests at the praise, and Professor Aleran's grin widened. Shaking his head in amusement, he gestured toward the other man. "This is Professor Vastermoff. Third-year alchemy professor. He's the lead Pavilion agent within the academy."

Vastermoff stepped forward and extended a hand to Aodhán and the others. "A pleasure," he said with a nod, and after shaking Yurin's hand, he turned to Gwendolyn. "Can we see the plants for verification?"

Gwendolyn nodded toward Aodhán, who stepped forward and placed the spatial ring on the counter.

Professor Aleran picked it up first, his breath catching as he scanned its contents, before passing it to Professor Vastermoff, who spent considerably more time examining the plants before setting the ring back on the counter with a measured exhale.

"That," he said, "is an outstanding haul. How long did you say it took you to gather this?"

"Two days," Aodhán replied proudly, even though it was technically only thirty-six hours. Two days still sounded impressive, and Professor Aleran's raised eyebrow confirmed it. "Did you guys sleep at all?"

"We did," Andrew responded awkwardly, then added in a lower tone, "Some of us even passed out."

Both professors raised their eyebrows at that, but rather than pursue the matter, they exchanged a glance loaded with hidden meaning. It was fleeting, but Aodhán caught it—and when they looked back, their expressions had shifted subtly, tinged with newfound respect.

"I cannot begin to explain how impressive this is," Professor Vastermoff began. "Plant hunting is lucrative but time-consuming. Professional hunters usually take weeks, even months, to gather a haul this size. The fact that you four managed it in two days..." He shook his head. "Tell me this is a profession you're all willing to pursue."

"Yes, sir!" Yurin and Daruk answered immediately, shooting Aodhán and Andrew looks that dared them to say otherwise. Chuckling, Aodhán concurred. "Yes, sir. It's definitely something we'd like to pursue."

"Excellent. Continue like this, and it's only a matter of time before you become the top plant-hunting party in the kingdom."

Excitement bubbled in Aodhán's chest as he grinned. He could already picture it—the four of them moving from forest to forest, harvesting plants and fighting monsters, all while amassing so much wealth that they rivaled dukes.

The image bloomed bright and vivid in his mind. A future filled with adventure, freedom, and prosperity. Before the dream could fully take root, though, reality intruded with Professor Vastermoff's next words.

"The pavilion thanks you for choosing us. With the war entering a more... challenging phase, our soldiers need every enhancement pill and potion we can provide."

Professor Aleran nodded grimly, then glanced at Gwendolyn. "The payment is approved. We'll take the ring."

"Of course, Professor." Gwendolyn handed it over with proper deference.

With final nods in their direction, both professors headed for the door. At the threshold, Professor Aleran glanced back and winked. "Stay out of trouble, boys. Or at least don't let the trouble file a report."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

They all laughed, and when the door clicked shut, Aodhán turned to the others with a grin. "I think we impressed them. Having Professor Vastermoff on our side could mean more opportunities like this."

Gwendolyn chuckled. "It definitely will. You just earned your first serious admirers and considerable business credibility. Professor Vastermoff isn't usually this accommodating."

"Business credibility," Yurin repeated, testing the words. "I like the sound of that."

Andrew clapped Aodhán's back. "We should get that embroidered on something."

"You don't even own anything worth embroidering," Daruk said with a grin.

"I will now."

Their laughter filled the office until Gwendolyn pulled an ornate wooden box from her spatial ring, placing it deliberately on the counter. With a smile, she slid it forward.

"Your official payment."

Their laughter cut short, and as one, they moved closer to the counter, leaning forward as Gwendolyn clasped the box and opened it. Blinding light erupted from within, and everyone except Gwendolyn let out an audible gasp as a pile of Lutian credits revealed themselves in all their runic glory.

"Oh, stars above," Yurin breathed, eyes wide as he reached forward to touch one of the credits. Unable to resist the urge, Aodhán did the same, palming the shimmering currency with care bordering on reverence. Lutian credits were the highest level of currency used in Lutia—each one worth a thousand gold coins.

Unsurprisingly, Andrew was the first to snap out of the trance the credits had put them in. "What is five hundred and twenty-eight divided by four?" he asked quietly.

"One hundred and thirty-two," Daruk replied immediately, and they all gasped again.

One hundred and thirty-two Lutian credits equaled one hundred and thirty-two thousand gold coins. It wasn't quite as staggering an amount as the total, but it was still overwhelming.

A memory of Emissary Ludacris offering him a similar box of Lutian credits flashed through his mind, and Aodhán wondered if he would be where he was now if he'd taken that money and fled. Would his life be simpler or more complex?

Before he could dwell on it further, Gwendolyn spoke. "I suggest you meet Professor Jorendil first before you start dividing your earnings."

They all agreed, and ten minutes later, Aodhán stood in front of Professor Jorendil's office, a spatial ring and notepad in hand. Inhaling deeply, he knocked and pushed the door open, only to duck hastily as an explosion of black flame billowed out of the laboratory into the main office.

The explosion was arrested before it could burn anything, but Aodhán made a mental note to be more careful when entering Professor Jorendil's office going forward.

A cough echoed out from the laboratory, and a moment later, Professor Jorendil peeked out, face covered entirely in soot. When he saw Aodhán, he smiled and stepped into the main office.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "It turns out alchemy isn't quite as safe as its practitioners preach."

Aodhán chuckled. "Nothing that has to do with magic is safe, sir. Fortunately for me, I learned that very early on."

"That is true," Jorendil conceded with a dry chuckle and rubbed his hands excitedly. "So, did you find all the plants I asked for?"

"No," Aodhán shook his head somberly before allowing a slow smile to creep onto his face. "Only seventeen of them."

Professor Jorendil exhaled in relief and glared at him. "For a moment there, I was almost disappointed, but seventeen is far more than I expected, actually. Which one did you not find?"

"The purple ambrosia," Aodhán replied with a frown. "Other hunters must have gotten to it before we did, but I was hoping to find—"

"Don't worry about it." Professor Jorendil waved a hand dismissively and moved to stand behind his desk. "The purple ambrosia is renowned for its elusiveness. If you'd had a few more hours, I'm quite certain you would have found it."

He smiled and sat down. "So, how was the adventure? Was it as fun as you imagined?"

Aodhán smiled. "It was. I really enjoyed it."

Professor Jorendil sniffed in amusement. "I can tell you enjoyed yourself. I really hope you didn't encounter too many beasts, though. Nilhal can be dangerous sometimes, although it's generally considered safer than the Verdant Sea or the AshenBriar."

Aodhán thought back to all the beasts they'd encountered during their hunt and shrugged. "Nothing we couldn't handle, although an advanced-class Velynar did put Yurin and Andrew out of commission for the second day."

"I see," Professor Jorendil frowned and then sighed. "Okay, let's get down to business. Can I see the other plants?"

Aodhán handed the spatial ring over and smiled when Professor Jorendil's breath hitched in surprise as he scanned the contents of the ring.

"They are all in perfect condition." He breathed and then set the ring down. "I'm very grateful for this. How much is my fee?"

"Two hundred and seven thousand gold," Aodhán replied confidently and placed the notepad on the table. "That's the base price of all seventeen plants. I have added no extra charges, as you will see if you check out the Emporium's value of the plants."

Professor Jorendil glanced at the notepad and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't their prices usually more expensive than the normal market prices?"

Aodhán shook his head. "We thought the same, but we quickly found out that due to the demand for some of these plants, the local market prices are more expensive than those of the emporium."

Professor Jorendil quirked an eyebrow and nodded. "That makes sense."

He pulled the notepad closer, scanning the prices with only a slight furrow in his expression. When he finished, he sighed. "I knew this whole alchemy thing was going to be expensive before going into it, but damn, it is expensive."

Rather than haggle, though, he sighed again. "Well, damn. It would have been more expensive if I'd hired someone else, and besides, I wouldn't have gotten the plants this early either. I'll pay it."

Aodhán grinned, his entire body vibrating with excitement as Professor Jorendil pulled out a pouch of coins from his spatial storage. One look at the green glow and Aodhán knew he would be getting paid in credits once again.

Professor Jorendil took a moment to scan the pouch contents before handing it over. "This is two hundred and ten credits. I insist on paying for the efforts you and your friends put in to get this mission done as quickly as possible."

Aodhán's smile stretched wider, and he accepted the coin pouch with a bow. "Thank you, Professor Jorendil. It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"And you, too." Jorendil stood up from his chair and swiped the spatial ring from the table, excitement and anticipation evident in his stance. "Would you like to join me as I begin my alchemical preparations?"

Aodhán shook his head. "As much as I would have loved to, Professor, I can't right now. Maybe another time."

"Okay then." Professor Jorendil conceded and pointed a finger teasingly at him. "But make sure you come by soon. I quite enjoyed our last discussion."

Aodhán nodded and, after waving Professor Jorendil goodbye, he stepped out of the office, letting out a silent scream of excitement as he raced back to the nature laboratory, uniform swishing behind him.

He arrived at Gwendolyn's office with a squeal of excitement. "We did it, baby. We are rich!"

Yurin whooped. "I'm not your baby, but I'm excited. Bring it here; let's share that money."

Aodhán placed the coin pouch beside the wooden box on the counter, and as one, they all turned to Daruk, who was already doing the calculations. "Seven hundred and thirty-eight credits divided by four."

"That's one hundred and eighty-four credits each, plus five hundred gold coins."

Without hesitation, Aodhán dug into the pouch of coins and began sharing the money between the four of them. One person, however, wasn't satisfied with the arrangement, and she scowled. "Surely, you boys don't think you can use my office and all without giving me something too."

Aodhán looked up at Gwendolyn, having forgotten that she existed for a moment. "Uh… would a credit suffice as payment?"

"I would have suggested half that, but who's seeking my opinion?" Yurin muttered while Gwendolyn smiled widely.

"It would suffice." She replied and simply grabbed one credit from the pile.

The loss of one credit cut all their shares by two hundred and fifty gold coins, but with 184 credits, Aodhán couldn't care less about it.

The next two minutes passed in a blur of laughter, shimmering credits, and even more laughter.

With the money now firmly in his possession, Aodhán realized there was so much he needed to do. He still had a debt to pay to Principal Zatya, and another to pay to Geneva, although he doubted she would want his payment with the recent development with Aldric. But more importantly, he needed to get all the materials he would need to create his item.

A glance at the Emporium's interface showed that he still had about an hour before his temporary access was denied. He could use that—buy all the bizarre materials he might need, but before that, he needed to speak to Professor Caldwell first.

Saying a hasty goodbye to his friends, he raced out of the nature laboratory and made his way to the Runic laboratory on the other side of the academy, only stopping to catch a bite from the cafeteria before moving on.

When he reached the runic laboratory, he found Professor Caldwell discussing with Ankaz Urdania about a particular rune he was having trouble with. It wasn't one Aodhán had learned yet, and he silently cursed his lack of time for hindering his study of runes.

He must have made a sound, though, because both of them looked up curiously. Professor Caldwell smiled when she saw him and waved him forward. "Come in, Aodhán. Ankaz and I are just finishing up. What's the matter?"

"Nothing too serious," Aodhán muttered as he waited for Ankaz to leave the lab, waving goodbye to him when he gave a nod in greeting. As soon as Ankaz left, though, he turned back to Professor Caldwell, a large smile stretching across his features. "I know the item I want now, but I need your help with the materials, and I've only got one hour left to buy them."