Aurora Morwyn’s brows lifted the instant Fenric named his price.
The Heart of the Brave.
It’s her item.
"Shura, you’ve got an eye." She let out a low sigh that carried more respect than flattery.
She knew its effect firsthand. She’d taken one—back when she hit the wall that separated top‑tier from the legendary. Fear is a limiter; most fighters bleed half their strength the moment hesitation creeps in. Heart of the Brave burns that hesitation out. When it takes hold, no matter the enemy, no matter the field, your mind stays steady—no panic, no freeze.
"Good. I accept."
Fenric blinked. So direct? This woman really was cleaner than half the men he’d bargained with.
Aurora smiled. "If you wanted anything else, I might not manage it—Samsara points are tight for all of us. But the Heart is different. I consigned it myself." She tapped the vial of soldier serum and the Armament Haki scroll she’d already put on the table. "And yes—I’ve used one. It doesn’t raise raw stats, but it lets you face danger without flinching.
She studied him. "With your talent, Shura, you’ll make the Global Top 100 sooner or later." A playful glint entered her eye. "Some people are calling you the most gifted genius the Samsara Tower’s ever seen. I’m stuck at Floor Twenty‑Eight. Think you can...bring me along?"
That actually wrong‑footed him. From someone with her aura?
"Sure," Fenric said.
He figured she was in a good mood after they clinched terms—probably teasing him. Fine. He could play along.
"Then let’s trade. Head to the Trading Center and wait for me. I’ll reclaim the Heart of the Brave from consignment."
"No problem."
They left the box together.
"Look—Shura and Aurora Morwyn came out together!"
"Deal’s done, has to be!"
"So fast? Aurora Morwyn’s face really carries weight."
"Don’t talk nonsense about them ’seeing each other.’"
"Right—big gap between them. Shura’s a monster talent, but Aurora Morwyn is Aurora Morwyn."
"She’s my goddess. No man measures up!"
"She wouldn’t look at you either."
"Anyway—if it really stayed in Jadeveil hands, that’s huge. Government’ll groom elites. Probably select clean, loyal troops and push them through the Tower."
Outside the bar, Aurora Morwyn’s figure flashed and vanished in teleport light. Fenric stood there a moment, bemused.
That easy?
He’d expected a long night—multiple delegations, hidden threats, staged auctions. Instead, Aurora pressed "confirm," and the whole thing closed.
Because she was decisive. And she paid big.
Super Soldier Serum. Entry Armament Haki. Plus the Heart of the Brave.
He remembered that one serum sale that hit national news—the government paid a full billion Jade Coins and handed the seller a senior post. That’s the ballpark we’re talking.
For Fenric personally, Armament Haki was worth more than serum.
Add the Heart?
He’d just cleared a haul that rivaled—maybe beat—his SSS reward run.
He grinned, shook his head, and instructed the system to transfer him to the Trading Center.
In the Samsara Space, private special items can’t simply be handed over. No off‑the‑record gifting. No looting transfers.
All permanent exchanges must clear through either Consignment or the Trading Center’s notarized system contract. It’s a built‑in shield for weaker Samsara players—otherwise big fish would strip small fish bare.
Fenric didn’t wait long. Aurora materialized; the hall rippled as eyes swiveled. Even veterans stared—#2 in the world did that to a room.
They entered a trading room. The system sealed the chamber, verified both parties, and logged the contract.
Deal complete.
Fenric laid the strategy out plainly.
"In Zombie World War, the undead are savage but have a fatal quirk—they won’t attack hosts carrying a lethal pathogen.
Infect yourself with something fast‑acting, the kind that shows symptoms early, and you can stroll through the streets. No swarm will touch you."
"After infection, hit the police station. Arm up. Then harvest zombies at scale."
Aurora’s eyes flashed. "How did you find a loophole like that?"
He gave the cover story he’d prepared:
"Spawned in a hospital. While waiting for the outbreak, I saw it. Zombies ignored the terminal ward—went straight for healthy bodies. I gambled. Took a vial, injected it and it worked—full avoidance. After that, the rest was logistics."
She held his gaze—then nodded. It tracked. And it took guts.
Even if she entered Zombie World War herself, she wasn’t sure she’d have gambled a lethal infection inside a permadeath run.
"Shura," she said quietly, "no wonder they call you the most gifted genius in Samsara."
The admiration faded into steel. Her face hardened.
"You need to grow—fast."
Fenric stiffened. "What happened?"
"There’s an unpublished rule in the Samsara Space," Aurora said. "Whoever first clears Floor Thirty‑Three of the Samsara Tower receives partial authority over the entire system."
She went on before he could interrupt.
"Adam—yes, that Adam—is already through Twenty‑Nine. Stalled at Thirty, for now. If he reaches Thirty‑Three first and takes that authority..." She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to.
"Given relations between the Cindralock Dominion and Jadeveil, letting him seize control would be...disastrous."