Max sat in the quiet of his mountain home, the rainbow crystal resting on the table before him.
The prismatic light refracted across the walls, casting shifting patterns that seemed almost alive. He leaned back, his golden eyes thoughtful as he weighed the stone in his hand.
Max had an idea and typed the detailed parameters of the Crystal from the simulator's screen to his phone.
"AI," he said aloud, his tone calm, "analyze possible applications for this crystal."
The screen of his superphone lit up, and a soft hum filled the room.
A progress bar crawled across the display, painfully slow.
Max experimented in the meantime, exposing the crystal to different conditions. He tried infusing it with a trickle of energy, setting it near other enchanted objects, and even crushing a part of it into powder and feeding it to different species, they simply died.
Nothing noteworthy happened. The crystal remained inert, its vibrant glow unwavering but unresponsive.
"Worthless for now," he muttered, setting the crystal back on the table.
Finally, the superphone chimed.
[No significant properties detected under current conditions.]
Max's lips pressed into a thin line. "So much for that."
Shifting his focus, he opened the phone's hacking interface. "Access Lyra's family's data. Target: research on rainbow crystals."
The screen flickered as the simulator worked, bypassing layers of mediocre security. Within moments, a trove of data became accessible, and Max began reading.
Lyra's family was underwhelming, a small, unremarkable house with no history of significant power or influence.
Their sole claim to relevance was a single B-rank powerhouse who is the head of the family, and Lyra and her brothers who had lucked into finding the dungeon that later transformed into the rainbow crystal mine. Prior to that, they didn't even have a proper research facility.
The mine had been their desperate attempt to break into the upper echelons of society.
The research notes were disorganized and amateurish, filled with conjectures and inconclusive results.
Most of their experiments had failed, and the family seemed to lack both the resources and the expertise to make meaningful progress.
Max scoffed. "They're fumbling in the dark. Not surprising."
After hours of reading, he decided to shelve the matter for now. The crystal was intriguing, but without a clearer path forward, there was little point in pursuing it further.
Just as he leaned back to stretch, his superphone buzzed with an incoming call. The name on the screen: Charles.
Max answered. "What is it?"
Charles's voice was crisp and professional, but there was an undertone of urgency. "The B-rank you attacked, he's alive. Barely."
Max raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Explain."
"It seems he saw your attack whatever it was coming. He didn't have time to escape completely, but it was enough to brace for impact. Likely used some defensive skills or items to mitigate the damage. He's in critical condition, but stable."
Max nodded slowly. It wasn't entirely unexpected. A B-rank wouldn't go down easily, and while the shot had been devastating, someone of his level might have had just enough time to prepare.
"Go on," Max said.
Charles continued, "He proposed to make a deal with us. As long as we don't speak of his injuries and refrain from attacking him again, he'll stand by us in future dealings. A mutual non aggression pact, so to speak.
Should I accept, I told him I'd ask the one that attacked him before giving him an answer. "
Max tapped his fingers on the table, considering the proposition. "That works.
And I need you to Expand our channels and markets," Max said decisively. "Use this opportunity to solidify our position. And…" He glanced at the crystal on the table, its glow reflecting in his eyes.
"Keep an eye on Lyra's family. Their mine won't amount to much with their incompetence. Once they fail to produce results, move in and acquire it."
"Understood, but who's Lyra and what mine? ".
" I'd send you their details, also don't acquire that yourself, if the crystals prove useful, than I plan on mining it till there is nothing left, so someone should take the blame in the future. "
"No problem, I'd find a pawn to take the credit. "
Charles didn't have the slightest idea how to go about it, but his father should, and he would be more than happy to help since they were expanding their reach, which can literally save his life from old age, with access to markets and the invisible protection of a Powerhouse he might just be able to buy something that can help him live longer in the future.
Max ended the call and set the phone down. His gaze returned to the rainbow crystal.
'For now, there were other priorities.'