The Legendary Method Actor

Beside Ray, Rina looked exceptionally pale. She swayed slightly, placing a hand on the armrest to steady herself. She was doing the mental math. One hundred and seventy-five thousand Gold Crowns. She had to sit down to catch her breath, entirely overwhelmed by the casual display of staggering wealth.

"Are you alright, Rina?"

Svane asked, a rare hint of amusement in his deep voice.

"I just... I need a moment."

Rina whispered weakly, fanning her face.

As the evening approached its climax, Chapman signaled for the grand hall's main chandeliers to extinguish entirely. The stage was bathed in a single, dramatic spotlight. The ambient chatter of the crowd died down into a tense, hushed silence.

"And now, honored guests. We arrive at our headline lots."

Chapman said, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper.

Two heavily armed SMT elite guards carried a thick, magically sealed glass case onto the stage. Inside the case rested an ancient, leather-bound book, its pages thick with parchment and spilling over with erratic, handwritten notes.

"The Alchemical Compendium of Grandmaster Alchemist Sydonia! The original, unedited, handwritten journal of the late Grandmaster Alchemist Sydonia. It contains lost formulas, experimental theories, and the foundational research for potions that changed the course of the modern alchemical field of our kingdom’s history. The family has finally decided to part with it."

Chapman announced.

Ray leaned forward, genuinely interested. He quickly did the mental math on his remaining balance. He still had eighty six thousand two hundred and seventeen Academy Marks to his name. If he could secure this book and feed its contents to the Eccentric Scholar archetype, his personal alchemical progression would skyrocket.

"We shall open the bidding, at fifty thousand Marks."

Chapman said, raising his gavel.

Ray reached for his communication crystal, intending to place an opening bid.

Before his finger even touched the stone, the other room exploded.

"Eighty thousand!"

Called out the SMT attendant stationed on the balcony of VIP Room II, snapping their paddle up.

"One hundred and twenty thousand!"

Countered the attendant acting for VIP Room IV, their voice ringing clearly across the hall.

"One hundred and eighty thousand Marks!"

Screamed a merchant down on the main floor, raising his own paddle frantically.

Ray froze, his hand hovering over the crystal. The bidding war was ferocious, waged not by standard nobles, but by the true continental heavyweights, it could have been representatives of major merchant guilds, royal courts, and elite academic factions, all relaying their relentless commands to their dedicated attendants.

"Two hundred thousand Marks!"

The attendant for VIP Room II fired back without hesitation.

"Two hundred and ten!"

The VIP Room IV attendant shot back just as fast.

Within sixty seconds, the price had completely eclipsed Ray's entire net worth. He pulled his hand back, resting it on the armrest as he watched the madness unfold.

"Two hundred and twenty thousand Marks! Going once! Twice! Sold to VIP Room II!"

Crack!

The gavel struck, echoing like thunder.

Two hundred and twenty thousand Academy Marks. Two point two million Gold Crowns for a single book.

Ray leaned back into his chair, exhaling slowly. Up until this very moment, navigating the Academy and solving the Starr Manor crisis, he had felt like head moved up in the world, and had amassed a significant amount of wealth. But witnessing a single, ancient journal sell for more than double his total liquid assets served as a stark, profoundly humbling reality check.

He was a very wealthy student. But compared to the true titans of the kingdom, he was still just a small fish in a very large pond.

Rather than feeling defeated, Ray felt a cold, sharp spark of ambition ignite in his chest. He looked at his own reflection in the one-way glass. His family’s territory, the Greywood Domain, had potential. He was going to build it up, leverage his modern knowledge, and utilize his archetypes until he could sit in these rooms and casually drop millions without blinking.

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A short while later, after the final lot was concluded, a gentle knock came at their door.

Aila entered the viewing room, pushing a velvet-lined cart carrying two highly secure, runic lockboxes.

"Your purchases, my lord, Congratulations on your successful bids."

Aila said, offering a deep, respectful bow.

Ray unlocked the first box. Inside rested the ancient, bone-carved Magic Vessel. He reached out, brushing his fingertips against the tarnished silver rim. Beneath the cold bone, he felt it, a tiny, imperceptible spark of ancient, dormant heat, waiting to be awakened. He smiled. The Crimson Weaver was absolutely right.

He closed the box and effortlessly swept both the Magic Vessel and the Amulet of Health into his Bag of Holding. He stood up, adjusting his coat.

He looked at Rina, who had finally recovered her composure, and at Svane, who stood ready by the door.

"Our business for the day is concluded. Let us head home."

Ray said softly, the weight of his new ambition settling over him.

The carriage ride back to the Spire of Sages was quiet, filled only with the soft rattling of the wheels against the cobblestone and the distant, fading night scene of the Market District.

When they finally arrived at Ray’s luxurious suite, Svane stepped inside just long enough to carefully deposit the towering mountain of shopping bags, lockboxes, and wrapped parcels onto the living room floor. He stacked them with the same meticulous precision he used to organize armory crates.

"I will take my leave for the night, my lord. I must submit my field exercise request to the Headmaster and begin my preparations for the journey to the Greywood Domain."

Svane said, his deep voice carrying a note of anticipation.

"Rest well, Svane. I will see you in the morning."

Ray nodded.

After the door clicked shut behind the Gold Aegis, Ray turned his attention to his attendant. Rina was already on her knees in the center of the living room, surrounded by her shopping haul. Her eyes were bright with unadulterated joy as she began sorting through the frost-silks, winter coats, and small trinkets she had bought for her family.

As Ray watched her, the darkness stretching from his boots suddenly rippled. A sleek, midnight-black feline shape detached itself from his shadow. Nox, the void-malkin, fully materialized into the physical realm with a soft, resonant purr. The shadowy feline padded gracefully across the living room floor, hopped onto a sturdy wooden lockbox, and draped himself comfortably across Rina's shoulders. Rina didn't even flinch; she simply smiled, reaching up to scratch Nox behind his smoky ears as she continued to sort her items.

Watching them, the sharp, calculating ambition that the auction had ignited within Ray softened into something far more grounded. This was why he needed wealth and power. Not just for a seat at the elite tables, but to secure the happiness and safety of his people.

"Do not stay up too late packing, Rina."

Ray advised gently.

"I won't, young master! Goodnight!"

She beamed, holding up a beautifully woven scarf.

Ray retreated to his private quarters, sealing the door behind him. The room was dim, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the expansive windows. He walked over to his heavy oak study desk, activated his study , took a seat, and opened his Bag of Holding.

He carefully laid his purchases out on the polished wood: the Ring of Warmth, the Pipe of Remembrance, the Bottle of Boundless Tea, the Thermal Cube, and finally, his two auction prizes.

Ray decided to verify the functionality of his standard purchases. SMT had thoughtfully attached elegant, enchanted parchment tags to each item, detailing their specific command words and activation instructions.

He started with the Thermal Cube. Placing the three-inch block of solid brimstone in the center of his desk, he spoke the activation word listed on its tag. Instantly, a wave of dry, comforting heat expanded outward in a perfect sphere. Within seconds, the immediate fifteen-foot radius around the desk reached a balmy 35 degrees.

Ray stepped back, easily feeling the sharp, invisible boundary where the heat stopped and the cool night air of his suite began. It was remarkably efficient. Satisfied, he spoke the command word again to deactivate it before the room grew too stifling.

Next, he picked up the dark metal Ring of Warmth and slipped it onto his index finger. To properly test its limits, Ray drew a sliver of mana into his palm and cast a localized Frostbite cantrip directly over his own hand. A layer of jagged, freezing white frost instantly crystallized over his skin, dropping the immediate temperature well below freezing. Yet, beneath the ice, Ray felt absolutely nothing. The ring completely nullified the harsh temperature, leaving his hand perfectly comfortable. He dispelled the cantrip with a highly satisfied nod. His brother Corbin would definitely appreciate this in the Northern Citadel.

Moving down the line, Ray picked up the polished metal Bottle of Boundless Tea. The exterior of the flask was entirely cool to the touch. He popped the chained cork stopper and poured a small measure into a spare glass resting on his desk. Rich, fragrant steam immediately rose from the amber liquid. He took a sip. It was a perfectly brewed, soothing herbal blend, radiating a comforting warmth that completely defied the cold metal of its container.

Finally, he picked up the Pipe of Remembrance. Following the instructions, he channeled a tiny, controlled spark of elemental fire to ignite the smooth river-stone bowl. He took a shallow draw, closed his eyes, and let his mind drift, not to a recent memory, but to a distant one. Back to a time before magic, before the Academy, before he was even Ray Croft.

He thought of Alex Chen.

He remembered the grueling finale of one of his greatest stage performances. He recalled the blinding heat of the stage lights, the smell of the heavy velvet curtains, and the overwhelming, deafening roar of a packed theater rising to their feet.

Ray exhaled.

Instead of dissipating into the air, the thick white smoke curled, lingered, and began to weave itself together. Right over his desk, the smoke formed a miniature, incredibly detailed, moving diorama. It shaped a tiny, shadowed figure standing center stage, taking a deep, exhausted bow while a sea of smoky silhouettes rose from their seats in a standing ovation.

The lifelike performance looped for a few moments before the smoke finally thinned and faded away into nothingness.

Ray smiled softly, a bittersweet warmth settling in his chest. Although he was fully immersed as Ray Croft now, deeply rooted in this world and fiercely protective of his new family. But the memories of the actor he once was still formed the bedrock of his soul. The pipe worked flawlessly. He knew his father, Alistair, would absolutely treasure the gift to relive his own golden days.

Having confirmed that SMT’s standard wares lived up to their flawless reputation, Ray finally turned his attention to his auction prizes.