"Money? Haha, what use is that to a misfit like me, still facing over a decade of imprisonment? Consider it a gift; if you find any promising untested recruits, bring them here to help reduce my sentence. Alright, your tests are all filled out. Go up and settle things," Spencer said as he ushered them out.
After thanking Spencer with a tip of his hat, Elyon left the room. Captain Kappa, who had been silent until now, remarked, "Didn't expect old stingy Spencer to give you glasses. That thing must be at least a magical item."
"Magical item?"
"Oh, I forgot you're still green. A magical item is something that spiritual beings or saints craft or enchant with magic. While they usually have limited range or not much offensive power, they are handy little gadgets without side effects. What you're holding is one, probably engraved with plenty of color-changing runes, photo-sensitive runes, and magic-absorbing runes. It normally draws a little bit of your magic to store and maintain the glasses' color-changing property."
"Is it valuable?" Elyon wasn't particularly interested in this, knowing such things could only be made by spiritual beings, and he was still far from that level. His only concern was how much it was worth in pounds.
"Are you that hard up for cash? You have to convert everything into pounds to understand?" Kappa asked, hand on his face.
"Normal people don't typically sell magical items. Even if they did, the materials for engraving runes are best as gold, and with the right transcendent materials and a week's labor from a spiritual being, even something as small as your glasses could easily fetch four to five hundred pounds."
"Four to five hundred pounds?" Elyon did the mental conversion – that was equivalent to several hundred thousand yuan on Earth. Considering the cheap spectacles he had purchased near his college, Elyon felt as if he were wearing a rare antique.
The two returned to the first floor and handed the test reports to a clerk, who reviewed them and filled out a small card before passing it to Elyon.
"Sir, please confirm the information. If there are no objections, I'll file it away. We have monthly Transcendent lectures; remember to visit the reception on the 10th of each month. They'll direct you where to attend."
Taking the card, Elyon read:
Name: Elyon Age: 21 Nationality: Brugel Faith: Winter God Transcendent Rank: Awakened Strength: D+ Speed: D+ Endurance: D- Magic: A Potential: C Awakened Body Part: Eyes Awakened Ability: Eagle's Sight (C) Notes: Stable condition, eyes sensitive to strong light.
Elyon considered the grades – D was likely the lowest standard, A was high-level. He was still an average Joe in this transcendent world. Though his eye technique was probably more than C, even if rated A, his potential wouldn't exceed C+ or B-.
He handed the card back to the clerk with a wry smile. "No issues. Anything else I should be aware of?"
"Oh, if necessary, please refrain from using your transcendent abilities in front of non-transcendents. If you plan to leave the Kaelang region, report to the authorities in your new area promptly. If you feel you can actively expend magic, congratulations, you've leveled up and will need to come back for retesting until you reach spiritual being status or higher. The classification of different transcendent levels will be covered in the lectures."
After wrapping up their eventful day, Elyon and Kappa emerged back into the sunlight, feeling revitalized by the warmth.
Meanwhile, in the Special Actions Division's subterranean second level, Aegisburg's seasoned doll enthusiast and self-proclaimed noble vampire, Spencer, was fussing over his latest handmade doll. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew open his room's door, and a wisp of black smoke wafted in before coalescing into an old man.
"Why did you lie? I felt that power surge all the way up here. If I hadn't known a newbie was being tested today, I would've thought a saint had arrived."
"You could've knocked before coming up, you know. Should I call you the strongest saint or the weakest half-god? A being that possesses the power of a demigod yet can't manifest it. Where were we? Ah, mental strength. Not quite a saint, but that boy's mental strength is almost equal to mine."
"So for your petty pride, you downgraded him?"
"That's one reason. The other is that standing out too much can make him a target. I was looking out for him, you see."
The vampire cleared his nose – certainly, a scene that would shatter the image of vampires held by young romantics.
"Is that all? Nothing else?"
"I got the feeling he was lying about his special ability, whether underreporting it, lying about the type, or the cost. Maybe all three."
"You're just lounging around on the job, then."
"Who in this building isn't slacking off once in a while? A couple of small mistakes won't hurt. By the way, how old are you this year, old immortal?"
The elder pondered the cost of killing a vampire but then decided not to bother – this vampire was pitiful enough already.
"I was born when Brugel and Luka were fighting the Hundred Years' War, and by the time I went to school, the war had ended."
"Wow, almost seven hundred years old. That's old even by vampire standards."
"Your kind may be known for longevity, but most of that time is spent in hibernation. Your vampire progenitor has been missing for over two thousand years, and the four princes are either dead or in deep slumber. Outside, you have a council of nine dukes ruling over the vampires. Your race's beautiful appearance has brought you misfortune, attracting demons from the Source of Corruption who love to snatch vampires away. While I can't beat a vampire duke, it's quite difficult for them to catch me. You'd better remember any details, or else I won't bother avenging a missing council member. At most, they'll just ask for financial compensation."
Spencer realized the old man before him wasn't someone he could afford to provoke and complied.
"Although the boy radiated white light, which suggests he's a follower of the Winter God, his strong mental strength didn't show any holy emblem, indicating he's not a god's favored. Unless he carries some artifact that amplifies mental strength, it's hard to imagine a non-favored having such potent mental force."
"Tsk, the world might be in for a change."
"He doesn't seem like a bad person."
"It's not him. Such a strong mental strength emerging indicates our connection to the Supreme Heavens is strengthening. It's possible the chosen of the four malevolent gods have already appeared. Shall I let you out to check?"
Spencer initially wanted to agree but remembering the old man's earlier threats, he decided against venturing out. Facing a follower of the Source of Corruption could be worse than death, and hiding here might be safer than by a vampire duke's side.
"I've got some dolls to work on; I'll stay put."
"Alright, I'm leaving. Remember to notify me of any special developments," the old man said as he dissipated into smoke and drifted away.
"Close the door, you jerk!" Spencer shouted after him.