Skadi, Charymos and the crystal ball broadcasting Veladreth’s form, were in a gloomy, somewhat damp office that was honestly not too badly decorated, having an array of furniture that would sell for a hefty price outside of this Tower.

However, by the Tower’s standards, this place was far too shabby. Even the Serpent Governor of the Third Floor, Selkess, would much rather die than to come to a place like this.

And yet, here were beings much more important and powerful than Selkess —Skadi and Veladreth.

[Hmph...]

Charymos scoffed inwardly. He was well aware of the shabbiness of the Basement Floor because he had been to the other Floors, and that under normal circumstances, these two would have never even acknowledged his existence.

[Fascinating how the mighty can easily swallow their pride in order to satisfy their own selfish ambitions!]

Charymos failed to conceal a smirk as he sat across Skadi and the crystal ball.

[I need to make sure I get the best out these negotiations, I will settle for nothing less than a promotion to Governer!]

His eyes burned intensely with determination.

"Please, help yourself to some refreshments."

Cutting the dry silence in half, Charymos gestured at the tray of drinks that had been brought by a slim-figured Merman who wore a maid outfit and heavy makeup.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but I am fine."

Skadi rejected the drink, and despite his calm demeanor, Charymos could sense a faint disgust in his tone.

"Is that so, then what about you, Lord Veladreth?"

Asked Charymos.

"Amphibian. Is your brain also made of slime? I had been wondering why you asked your servant to bring three refreshments, but I had convinced myself that surely even you weren’t that stupid."

Veladreth frowned at Charymos.

"Ah~ I meant nothing by it, Lord Veladreth! But please understand that one as weak as myself cannot comprehend the powers of a greater being such as you!"

Charymos responded flamboyantly, but the heavy sarcasm in his voice would fool no one.

[This damn frog, he knows that he has something that we want... How embarrassing.]

[Had it not been for Skadi’s appearance, I would have already gotten what I want.]

Veladreth chewed his lips. You see, he had instructed the Vampire earlier to provoke Charymos as much as possible so that he’d be killed by him. After that, Veladreth would claim that Charymos had declared war on the Eighth Floor and demand that interesting Homunculus, Veylith, as reparation.

"Tell me, frog. Why is it that you have your Mermen dress as women?"

Not willing to let Charymos have the last say, Veladreth asked a question that made Charymos’s mischievous smirk evaporate into thin air.

"Could it be that the rumors are true, Skadi?"

Veladreth snickered, and Skadi looked away as though saying, leave me out of it.

"Amphibian — No, Charymos. Did you really fabricate justification and have all the Mermaids’ souls sacrificed to Caelvorn? Simply because you were jealous of their beauty and wanted to sleep with their husbands? How truly tragic."

"Did you know? Because of you, Caelvorn’s son descended from the Tenth Floor in order to persecute his father for consuming far too many souls? Your actions alone incited a civil war on the Ninth Floor."

Veladreth was striking each and every single one of Charymos’s chords, hoping —No, praying that the Kraken Spawn reacts.

"Veladreth, you must not say his name so carelessly. ’Lord Caelvon’ is what you must refer to him as. That man is leaps and bounds above all of us Governors."

Skadi’s words caused Veladreth’s brow to twitch.

"Is that so? Then should you not refer to me as ’Lord’ as well, Skadi? I am two Floors above you."

Those words were spoken through gritted teeth and a tamed wrath.

"That may be the case. However, even though you are two Floors above me, your level does not exceed mine by two digits."

"Lord Caelvorn on the other hand, being a single Floor above you is —"

"Shut your mouth Skadi, do not displease me any further than this."

Veladreth’s fangs grew longer, his entire face red and riddled with bulging veins.

"..."

Skadi remained calm and silent, his diamond eyes merely sparkling as they reflected the enraged Governer on the crystal ball.

"Oh my~ Perhaps I should have had my servant bring some popcorn?"

Charymos covered his mouth and chuckled.

"Enough of your antics, Charymos. Let us begin the negotiations. Make your demands known."

Skadi folded his bouldering arms on his chest.

"Mm~ I’m not too sure about what I want. Ah! How about we handle this in an auction-style format, where the two of you bid your offers?"

[I want to watch you two hunks fight for it~]

Charymos bit his bottom lip slightly in a perverse anticipation.

"..."

Veladreth sensed Charymos’s intention and almost gagged, but he concealed his disgust so well that no one noticed.

"Veladreth, the one you desire is that child you claimed to be a Progenitor is it not?"

Skadi inquired.

"Yes. So I will take the initiative and make the first bid..."

Veladreth paused briefly before continuing:

"...For that child, I offer you an elixir brewed from the wings of... Well, a frog like you does not need to know, but surely you know what an elixir is, yes?"

[A-an elixir?!]

Charymos’s heart almost beat out of his chest.

"What of you, Skadi? What will you offer this amphibian for that child?"

"Nothing. Veladreth, you may have that child, I will not be participating in the bid for her."

Skadi’s words shocked Veladreth.

"You will not?"

Charymos asked, and Veladreth was also curious as to why he would say such a thing.

"Yes, I conceed her to you, Veladreth."

"Instead..."

The pair of diamonds shifted from the crystal ball and grew dim as they reflected Charymos’s form.

"...Give me that child you were carrying, Charymos. If you do, I will aide you in usurping the Third Floor. Not only that, I will personally forge you equipment to aide you in being worthy of that position. In addition to the elixir Veladreth will give you, it should be relatively easy."

Skadi boldy declared, leaving his two colleagues absolutely baffled. Why? The Floor was not his to give, only the Ruler of this Tower had such authority.

"... Are you... Certain? How will you give me something that is not yours to give?"

All Charymos could ever dream of was becoming a Governor and shedding his Overseer title. Even the First Floor would do, but now he was being promised ascension to the Third?

[Could I really just give up Kaelen?... I mean, he has been troublesome, but...]

Charymos chewed his nails.

"I understand your concern, but I swear it upon my name, or better yet... Shall we perform a Blood Pact?"

[!!]

"Have you gone insane, Skadi?!!"

Veladreth simply couldn’t fathom it, why would Skadi go so far just to —

[!!]

[Ah...]

He finally remembered the intel he had gotten from one of his spies planted on the Sixth Floor, about Skadi’s special ability, or rather, skill.

[I have been duped... Just what did you see from that weak-looking boy with those eyes of yours, Skadi?]

Veladreth clenched his teeth and sheathed his fangs.

[My eyes...]

Despite his calm exterior, Skadi had been extremely distressed ever since he laid eyes on Kaelen.

[... That child, Veylith was it? She was bright. About as bright as any of us Upper-tier Governors. That in of itself should be impossible, her existence alone is inconceivable... Madness, pure madness.]

[However...]

Skadi’s heart sank deeper into his chest, the precious gemstones he had for teeth, quietly grinding against one another.

[... That other child is a Monster! An anomaly I say!]

[My eyes! My eyes!]

[They saw nothing! Nothing at all!]

[Even an insect has a glimmer of value! Dare I say, even a carcass!]

[But I saw nothing!!]

A hurricane of madness corroded Skadi’s psyche, but not a single muscle on his face twitched to reflect this.

[The only people whose light my eyes cannot perceive are Lord Caelvorn, his son, our Ruler’s personal guards and the Ruler himself! Just those five persons!]

[So then why?! Why is it that I cannot see the light of a creature made from a bottle?!]

He continued spiraling with madness.

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Midas Sight.

Skill Type: Perception/Analytical | Passive/Active.

Rank: S+

> Description:

A gaze touched by the legend of King Midas, whose power was said to turn all he touched into gold. Unlike the myth, this skill does not transmute matter, but instead grants the user the ability to perceive the ’true value and potential of all things’.

Through Midas Sight, the world reveals its hidden worth. Materials, artifacts, creatures, and opportunities shimmer with faint golden auras representing their rarity, quality, and latent power. False riches crumble under this gaze, while treasures buried beneath layers of deception shine unmistakably bright.

To others, the world is mundane. To the bearer of Midas Sight, reality itself becomes a landscape divided between gold and dust.

> Passive Effect:

-Grants [Value Perception], allowing the user to instantly determine the rarity, quality, and estimated worth of materials, items, and artifacts.

-Reveals hidden enchantments, concealed properties, or dormant abilities within objects.

-Allows detection of valuable resources, rare ores, treasures, or magical items within a 20-meter radius.

-Highlights individuals possessing extraordinary talent, bloodlines, or hidden potential through faint golden halos.

-Provides immunity to deception involving counterfeit materials, illusions of wealth, or disguised artifacts.

> Active Effect:

-[Golden Appraisal]: Focus on a target to receive a comprehensive breakdown of its properties, including durability, composition, enchantments, and potential uses.

-[Prospector’s Vision]: Temporarily expands perception, revealing all valuable materials, resources, and magical artifacts within a 50-meter radius.

-[Fortune Gauge]: Analyze a person, object, or opportunity to determine the likelihood of gaining significant value or benefit from interacting with it.

> Special Trait:

-[Gilded Opportunity]: Once per day, the user may instinctively identify the single most valuable opportunity within their vicinity. This could manifest as a hidden treasure, a rare material, a strategic advantage, or a person of immense potential.

> Limitations:

[Prospector’s Vision] consumes 8% of Max Mana per second while active.

[Golden Appraisal] cannot analyze artifacts or beings whose rank exceeds the user’s by more than two tiers.

[Gilded Opportunity] has a cooldown of 24 hours and only reveals the existence and direction of the opportunity, not the exact method required to obtain it.

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