Reveal Potion kick? Grade-game.
Knight-grade? Niche-tool, beast-type lock.
Mage-grade? Whole 'nother beast. Force-flip most fang-fakes to raw-dog. Power-pack? Price-tag monster. Pint? Ten-k silver street-snap easy.
Fortune-flirt two-fer. Trials glory-perk?
Why me? Elias gut-stab sharp-frust. Dangle that stack, grab-zilch tease... Life's crap-shoot raw.
Trapped hard. Riddle-crack or bust? Win-no. Can't spotlight fake "Arthur Blackwood." Mug-mem stick? Years-tick, healed-arm Arthur cap-re-roll? Clash-boom.
Rule one: ghost-mode lock.
Fisk match-Darian drop. Twenty-k silver pot. Hopefuls? Jaw-drop haul.
"Prime!" Lucius beam-blast. "Masters gen-juice? Shire coin jump-in! Every hopeful here? Ten silver cap-pocket!" One line? Three-k public-purse dump.
Academy-suit nudge Morrow. Prime snap-alert, hopeful-chorus thanks-lead. "Lord Gov, duo-masters grace!"
Echo-swarm: "Lord Gov, duo-masters grace!" Gov-first nod, masters-meat bigger.
Lucius hand-wave off, academy-suit tag. "Three-hundo pen-push space?"
"Aye, m'lord," suit eager-pop. "Cultivation Garden lecture-caves big."
"Solid. Path-clear."
Suit hustle-road, Gov-crew invite-front. Lucius-side whis-drop. Gov nod. "Riddle-prep, then."
Suit-halt, aide-relay. Aide crowd-yell: "Gents, hold-tick. Tables-chairs-paper set, but ink-brush three-hundo short-fuse? Tough. Room-run, kit-grab own."
"Copy," Morrow lead, dorm-dash.
Hopeful herd jog-light tail.
Elias no-play, turn-sync, prize-stack spin-brain. Short-haul, bull-blur front-cut: Willem Blaze hustle-head.
Elias pony-auto-snag—bun-bump. Hand-drop. Peep-watch tick, light-spark. Jaw-clench call: sprint-catch.
"Brother Blaze!" Warm-pipe un-Elias vibe.
Willem whirl, stun-mug. Ice-loner chat-start? Pump-enth? Miracle. "Brother Blackwood?" Jolt-Q. "Trouble?"
Elias yard-sweep, arm-snag walk-slow. "Back-bunk haul-far. No sprint-need."
Willem bewilder-plus. "Brother Blackwood, assist-gig?"
Elias first-real bro-grin. "Quick-peep, if cool. County cut-rank?"
Willem sus-peep, truth-spill. "131st. Flop-show, sorry."
"Nah! Boss flex," Elias grin-wide. Brain-calc: 131. Pass-zilch. Fail? No re-up likely. Real Arthur cross-risk? Low-ball.
Willem odd-glint clock. "Yours, Brother Blackwood?"
Elias dram-sigh. "Flop-tier too. 100+ club. 106th."
"25 up! Modest-max."
"Nope, same-boat blues," Elias brush.
"Real-talk no-polite," Willem push. "Fam stun I scraped. Essay-gamble, luck-miracle right. Pure dice. Zero your scroll-pro."
Elias knew the scam—examiner pref-pred. Cheat-no, fair-fail. Connections cash. Willem fam? Pull-strings. Note-file, later. "Humble gold," Elias cut-self-roast. "Brother Blaze, our slots? Cap-odds crap. Fail this? Re-roll?"
Willem gut-laugh. "Hell no! Luck twice? Nah. Fam force-see-it-through. Flop? Home-local slot, proper-play. Truth?" Voice-drop. "Official gig? Zip crave. Road-rat knight, justice-dole! Ha! Pipe-dream, yeah."
Elias buy-in. Callus-grip, greatsword-love? No-fake. Key: no-re. Arthur-clash min.
Safe-zone.
Wall-detach crack. Prize-siren? Heart-thump wake.
Risk-know. Best? Zero-print.
Head-whis: Spire Master now. Feed the fam duty.
Worry-wash, Elias steel-set. Straight-shot. "Brother Blaze, prize-split how?"
Willem shrug. "Clue-me. Champ bags bulk, sure."
"Sync," Elias. "You chase?"
Building-shade path-turn. Willem halt, grin-pop. "Who skips? Coin cool, but Gov-impress? Goldmine-plus."
Elias pause-sync, dumb-play feign. "Fortune trump? Us broke-folk prio-swap with rich-kid nobles."
Willem stun-peep. "Serious or dumb? Why grind-scroll, haul-far? Future-lock! No game; shire-top mug audience. Fisk quick-wit tag? Win? Lore-legend years. Trials tank? Any shire-suit door-bust: 'Gov-picked clever-cat.' Doors? Gold-gush. Coin? Chump-change."
Elias click-flash. Naive-no. Willem simple-shell? Polly-pro. Honest? Fresh-air. Elias direct-drop.
"Think you bag it, Brother Blaze?"