Eric's pov :

Eric turned to her and smiled :" I am the collector!"

Aria knew that he would not yet reveal his identity, he has already shown her his sincerety by showing his face! Eric opened his bag and when she saw what was inside she was dumbstruck!

"hahaha! we really earned big this time! a dozen metallic Lotuses, Starlight essence, and Transcendent beast eggs! 2 magical cores and a transcendent beast corpse! my god! we struck it rich!" he laughed heartily!

" What did you say!" When she heard the gains she did not know what was going on in the world anymore! Metallic lotuses can upgrade weapons by 1 star! Start Light essence! not iron! It was used as an addition during forging it increases chances of getting a top rank weapon and its fortifying abilities were on a whole different scale! It was not the star meteoric iron!

Transcendent beast eggs! and 10 at those! Each would catch a sky high price but who would sell them? If they were tamed! they would be a force to be reckoned with! This beast was a king among beasts! It just reached adulthood and was able to lay eggs! Its bloodline had gained some benefits from the starlight essence causing it to become a variant twin headed snake! It actually formed 2 magical cores meaning it had 2 times the amount of force a transcendent beast had! But wait he actually gained them in addition to its corpse! That means his accomplices actually killed this beast!

Since Amelia Joined the mansion, she knew he was not working alone . She got more confused and curious about this temporary master of hers!

Eric turned around to her and said:

"we can use the starlight essence for about 6 weapons, I need three and I shall give you a staff made with starlight essence as the fourth so we'll keep the rest for now!"

Aria's jaw fell! and she looked at him strangely. He asked her:

" what?"

"Stop the bad jokes?"

" what jokes ?" he looked puzzeled.

" are you serious?" she asked

" about what?"

" the staff"

"Of course!" he then turned around and said : " let's hurry back! I need to breakthrough!"

Aria followed behind him, and a storm raged inside her mind. She had only known him for a couple of days yet he promised her to help her become stronger and keep her dignity! She knew the value of star essence, the amount needed for the staff would buy her 30 times! Yet he did even flinch! He truly treated her as an equal and abided by his promise! In just 3 days , he gave her what she could not afford in a lifetime! Slowly her thoughts about him started changing from curiosity to something else! But she hid it and swore that she will never forget his favor and that she will only think about this after her revenge!

Vince's pov :

Vince on the other hand had packed the the parts of the snake together and started to leave. He felt that there was a magical core in each headthanks to his high senses and sensibility towards soul power and fluctuations of Inner force! he sent this to Eric and Cross who were happy by this fact! Emilia stood by his side silent . After a while, she asked : " Are you gonna sell the Snake to the Barzotti family?"

Vince just shook his head and stayed silent! Emilia then asked again:

" Why did you keep the fact that you're a transcendent hidden?"

Vince just shook his head once again and stayed silent ignoring her!

"I need to know! if you have enemies we maybe can help you stay hidden this kind of information is not something you can keep when working for someone!"

Vince stopped and wrote on a paper : " I am not a transcendent! Innate ability!" Then he ignored her once again and continued on! he was also in a hurry to breakthrough!

Emilia was now silent! Her head was blank! he was not a transcendent but had an innate ability to release inner force! and that speed! she was now in a hurry to report this to her mother. No wonder she placed high hopes on him! They had to rope him in!

When they reached the Barzotti mansion, Emilia immediately relayed what happened to her mother. Fiona's eye had a hidden light flash through them as she thought " It was indeed a good choice to recruit him! It seems a change of plans is now necessary!" she then Said to him:

" You may keep the snake. You are a lot stronger than what i Thought! Anyways I got news That The noble families had gained the 40% share and are now bringing it here, I'll add a bit of Star meteoric Iron to your sword as a reward for protecting my daughter."

Vince had noticed the change in her expression when Emili recounted what happened in the fight, it seemed they had something in mind planned for him and he now further hightened up his guard against them!

He calmly wrote :" thank you"

" haha! no worries! we gained big this time a bit of star Iron is no big deal! you can pick up your sword in 4 days" A smile appeared on her lips as she winked at Vince

"Ok" wrote Vince and nodded, this time his mind did not wander but had his guard up! But he acted normally and did not arouse suspicion! Then he turned around and left with the snake! he would take it with him in the night to their base! They still needed to decide on a name for their team and their base/ mansion.

Cross's pov :

" hahaha! Good job! This quantity of star meteoric iron is indeed big! We'll offer 30% as a tribute to the Royal family! 20% is ours! 10% shall be kept in the treasury and those with enough merit will get their weapons fortified by it ! " Old man Dylan Was in a good mood today for the first time after his son's death. As to why! he now had star meteoric Iron and had heard that there was a Metallic lotus with these two he can create a perfect weapon for himself! a Top 3 star weapon!

" Cross, You fought well against the beast, you are a warrior and survived! as per our agreement I shall give you enough star meteoric iron , same volume as your axe!" He was now sure he can rope in Cross!

" thank you old man Dylan !" Thanked Cross with a grateful expression. He knew Dylan did this to rope him in but Dylan was not a bad guy and he would repay him in the future!

" No big deal! Dismissed" He allocated some rewards to others and only Levi got Star iron as well.

When He said the Barzotti family had hired a transcendent or that may be their daughter's lover, his eyes squinted! Another Transcendent in a noble family would upset the balance.

Later the Barzotti family, released that Vince was a sentient swordsman with an agility ability! He was the young lady's bodyguard! Rumors spread about a sword deity working for the Barzotti family and how he could slay transcendent beast when he was still in extreme mortal stage/ path chooser!

Cross left his clone here in the city lord's mansion and went to their base as well!

This was the first night since entering Candor did the three brothers gather once again!