Willem back-slap boom, walk-nudge. "Nah, course not," gut-laugh. "Gotta swing, right? Who knows—dice-roll twice?"
This lug? Luck-magnet real, Elias inner-muse. Pace-brake, voice-plot thick. "What if I hook you first-bag?"
"Huh?" Willem halt-stare, tick-grin disbelieve-crack. "Ease up, joke's up. Kit-grab go-time."
Subtext scream: Win-caliber? Why my wing?
Elias no-release. "Dead-serious, Brother Blaze. Real-deal assist your shine." Skeptic-mug hold? Push-gas. "Deal this: I rig your top-dog, glory-tag yours. Prize stack? My haul. Deal?"
Willem re-halt, brow-knot frown. "Brother Blackwood, real-spill?"
Elias coin-crave no-leak. Spin-alt yarn. "Truth? Riddle-pro. But prestige-perk you hype? Me-zilch. Shire-post hunt? Nah. Trials tank this? Loop-grind till dirt-nap."
"..." Willem mute-shock. Knew life-loser knight-chasers, gray-hair grind. Never pegged one. Talent-cruel lock? Too-mean spit first-timer.
"Brother Blackwood," soft-pad, "front-bag here? Cap-no-hurt. No need my-sac."
"Flip," Elias hold. "Me-boost too. Pass? This blip-forget. Tank? Stack fuel study-no-beg, next-prep loop. You? Win-lock shire-slot sweet. No-link me? High-place bud someday crave. Safety-net. Free-spill? You honor-gut. Alliance-ask. Take?"
Puz-pieces snap. Willem peep-pop, confuse-to-respect shift. Far-game plot, win-lose nets... This dude? Mediocre-no, destiny-dog.
"True-assist," Willem fresh-respect pipe, "forget-no. But... bag-sure?"
Elias shoulder-clap. "Chill. Swing-harm zero, yeah?"
Willem grin-lock. No-lose lock. "Deal sealed."
Pact-pop, duo arm-sync laugh-strut back.
Door-wait Midge head-poke. Stun-mug arm-in-arm re-up. Ice "Arthur Blackwood"? Master BFF flip.
"M'lord, Lord Arthur," Midge polite-peep.
"Kit-haul," Willem order.
Elias tag: "Spare-set? Borrow-grace."
Midge big-blink, master-scan cue.
"Brush-ink stock," Willem. "Stone-solo. Midge prac-mini, you no-accust. Own-grab? Up-quick."
Elias awk-flick. "Ah, that. Home-rush... kit-zip."
Willem-Midge stare-mirror stun. Cap-trek scroll-jock kit-less?
"Escort fault," Elias Guild-blame quick. "Tome-stash chuck. 'Target-low disguise.' Cool. Midge kit prime."
Willem weird-buy, Midge-fetch nod. Tick-later, duo hopeful-herd re-join, confu-Midge trail-stare.
Re-up? Hopeful swarm primed. Cultivation Garden cave-lecture haul. Inside? Attends hustle three-hundo low-desk cush-set.
Short-hush, suit-yell: "Gents, perch-hunt."
Room-buzz low-hum.
Elias hall-sweep: door-window wide, gale-gust chaos-flow. Gut-sink. No-prime.
Bag-boost? Incense-stick lock. "Stick-burn tick" key-code.
Spire secret Foresight & Echo? Dual-drill mash. Echo ear-momentum sound-whis. Foresight Elias eye-qi aspect peep.
Step-dust kick, hand-wave breeze, smoke-stream curl—all "aspect" eye-candy.
Foresight rungs: Lesser Insight, Greater, myth Formless.
Lesser: Elias near-vibe glitch-deduce unseen. Greater: weave near-far obs, big-pic weave. Formless? Sky-peep weather-know, fortune-flip, mile-off deed-spot.
Master? Greater-door nudge. Elias? Lesser-noob, focus-burn brain-melt.
No steady incense-smoke trail-peep? Cheat-cripple hard.
Wind-whirl three-hundo subtle-sync? Near-miss hell.
Hall-scan, Elias Willem-peep, back-corner jab. Willem confu-tail. Vantage? Full-room pan.
Six Laureates front-lock nat.
Settle-hush, Willem clock Elias drift. Window-in hall-glance loop. Gust-whoosh? Finger-wet up-test flow. Clue-zero on weird-wing ally play.
Elias? Incense no-show? Riddle-rope thin. Ghost-plan? Crack-risk. But stack-siren? Heart-pang pull. Spire starve no-more?
Willem side-nudge. "Brother Blackwood, wind-freak?"
Elias half-grin. "Air-trick. Flow-read. Riddle-rush? Smoke-line ghost. Wind-war? Peep-mess."
Willem head-tilt. "Cheat-code?"
"Edge," Elias whis. "You? Front-lock. I back-vig. Your bag, my scan. Deal-sync?"
Willem stun-nod. "Luck-link?"
"Watch." Elias eye-slit, wind-whis decode. Gust-map lock. Three-hundo qi-thread? Weave-doable.
Room-set, suit-re-pop. "Gents, hush. Masters riddle-drop soon. Incense-light, tick-start. Solve-max bag. Win? Prize-pop."
Buzz-spike excite-nerve.
Elias breath-hold. Incense? Backup plan B.
Aide incense-light march, hall-front table-set. Three-stick sync-spark, smoke-curl steady-rise.
Elias eye-snap. Gold. Wind-gust? Smoke-thread weave. Lesser Insight lock: three-hundo brush-ink qi-flow, riddle-crack decode.
Game on.