Quest Academy: Silvers, page 42
Sal didn’t waver at all as he spoke. “As I said, I will work on projects that earn me the most. Yes, that could be from other guilds, or it could be working with Myth.”
Vanessa coughed, which brought the attention of both Villa and Sal toward her. With a placating smile, she moved in to attempt damage control. Her eyes were telling Sal to stop what he was doing, but Villa raised her hand to stop Vanessa from interjecting.
“No. Let the little Argento dig his own grave. He wants to bet on an unknown Crafter rather than our tier-two guild. Or is it that you want to increase your rates because maybe, sometime in the future, another guild might want to work with you? Is that right?” Villa’s expression was neutral, but her words were venomous.
When she cast her glance back to Sal, he felt a surge of panic and he tried to wrestle it under control. After a moment of composing himself, he continued as best as he could. “An unknown Crafter? Did Vanessa not tell you?” Sal looked over at Vanessa in confusion, and she looked to be keeping her composure despite being completely blindsided.
Villa rounded on Vanessa with crossed arms. “What is it that Vanessa…didn’t tell me?”
Sal shook his head as he lifted the case up to the table. Clicking it open, he lifted the lid to reveal the gleaming Legendary sniper rifle. With no hesitation, he propped it up on the table and placed the case back on the ground. Both Villa and Vanessa gaped at it, but Sal didn’t give them any time to process what was happening.
“Original state was a flawed once-Epic-grade sniper rifle with a rating of Upper Rare grade. Currently, it has been upgraded and refitted to be a Legendary-grade sniper rifle, with an evolutionary trait that will guarantee its evolution to the first known Mythic-grade crafted weapon. It can fire essence-tethered bullets in a range of firing modes, with every shot being a guaranteed critical hit and dealing massive damage. Scope allows for target tracking and homing bullets. The barrel is self-cleaning and has been elongated to increase the range to just under five thousand meters. No essence absorption required, so the user won’t become fatigued through use. Everything is documented in this Appraisal, which I did for free, as a thank-you for the chance you gave me.”
Sal handed over the Appraisal documents, and Villa could do nothing but accept them numbly, her eyes not budging from the sniper rifle on the table. Vanessa was clearly trying to compose herself, but she was in just as much shock as the vice-captain of the Reavers Guild.
Name
Maslow’s Legacy Sniper Rifle
Origin
Crafted
Age
New (Reworked)
Grade
Legendary
Dimensions
62 inches | 27 lbs.
Materials
Refined Mythcraft Essence | Premium Infused Gunmetal Alloy | Ether Crystal
Attributes
Tether: Shots will tether the rifle to its prey, siphoning off essence over time.
Hunt: Shots have a certain chance to home in on locked targets.
Headshot: Shots will have a certain chance to apply critical damage when vitals are hit.
Cleanse: Rifle uses a portion of siphoned essence to clean and repair itself.
Recharge: Rifle uses a portion of siphoned essence to amplify shot damage.
Grounded: Rifle negates distance penalties and gives a drastic boost to range.
Evolution: Rifle will gather essence from kills and evolve into Mythic Grade over time.
Abilities
Tether | Hunt | Cleanse | Headshot | Recharge | Grounded
Power Source
External Essence
Evolution
Yes | 0% to Mythic Grade
Quality
Perfect
Condition
100%
Value
Est. $215,000.00 – $750,000.00
“Fuck.” Vanessa finally breathed as she looked at Sal in complete disbelief.
Sal stared at Villa, who gaped at the Appraisal document. The first rule of negotiation was to never accept the first offer, so Sal kept his mouth shut. He wanted to say more, but he had more power by remaining silent. Villa would need to come to him for this one, and without Myth in the room…she could only negotiate through Sal and Vanessa. With a passing glance at Vanessa, Sal felt his heartbeat elevate erratically as he decided to add in one more thing. Just to make his stance clear.
“Vanessa told Myth to try his best, and he’s apparently smitten with her…so you have her to thank for him going all out on this.” Sal gestured at the Legendary sniper rifle with a smile.
Villa’s eyes snapped up to regard Vanessa. “Bring him here. I need to speak with him immediately.”
For the first time, Sal saw uncertainty on Villa’s face. The cogs were clearly turning in her head as she realized how incredible this item was, and how pivotal Myth was going to be in the future.
Vanessa, now fully in the loop, pressed Villa. “Unfortunately, I can’t do that, on orders of the headmaster. As you can likely appreciate, we can’t endanger a student with such an incredible skill. I’m not sure if you’re conscious of it, with how powerful you are, but your threatening aura would likely hurt him gravely. We can’t take that risk, so he’s not going to be meeting with any of the guilds.” Vanessa smiled sweetly and Villa, instead of answering, turned her head back to the Appraisal sheet with a frown.
Without glancing up, she spoke. “And you Appraised this? A Legendary grade?”
Sal nodded as he gestured to a few points on the rifle. “You can see here that Myth credited some of the Crafters who helped him in the process. He also signed his name but left the engraving of Watcher’s father. Those details are listed on the next page. I thought it worth mentioning because Myth is still learning his craft. He wasn’t happy with the final product, but…you didn’t give him a lot of time. Who knows what he could make with enough time and resources?”
Vanessa gestured to Sal to slow down, and he nodded in understanding. Silence enveloped the room, but Vanessa’s smile kept Sal from panicking. It was one of the most stressful and exciting moments in his life, and he just wanted to know what was going to happen next.
He couldn’t fathom how Vanessa maintained her composure in such a stressful situation, but she was as steady as a rock. Her smile should have been gloating, but it was still a picture of politeness. She was a professional at this.
Eventually, after what was a torturous silence, Villa threw down the Appraisal sheet and placed her hands on the edges of the table, staring intently at the Legendary-grade rifle. “I can’t verify any of this…and I can’t think of a single Appraiser who can tell me if you’re bullshitting me. The only one I have is related to you, so that’s off the table.” Villa sighed as she twisted her neck to one side, eliciting a series of cracking noises.
With another moment or two of thought, she reached into her pocket and withdrew a small earpiece, which she tapped twice before placing it into her ear. Villa looked off to one side as she started to speak. “No…shut up. Just listen. Get Blink to bring Watcher to the VIP room at the academy. Stop asking questions and just do it.”
Taking the device out of her ear, Villa threw it onto the table with a grimace. When she looked up at both Sal and Vanessa, she had a conflicted expression on her face. “Watcher is going to test this rifle. If it verifies even half of this shit…” She gestured at the Appraisal document in front of her. “Then we can talk about your partnership with the Reavers Guild and how we can best work with Myth going forward.”
Vanessa gave Sal a meaningful look, but he just nodded. He knew that the rifle would perform exactly as specified. That was enough for Vanessa, who turned back to Villa with a smile. “This is exciting, isn’t it? A Legendary Appraiser and a Mythcrafter who love working together. Sounds like a perfect package, doesn’t it?” Her silky-smooth voice held a hint of teasing that didn’t escape Villa.
“Don’t fucking push it.”
Chapter 57:
Verdict
“How long does it fucking take to fire a few bullets?” Villa complained through gritted teeth as she flung the dagger into the various fissures in the ceiling, all of which were likely created over the course of her repeat visits to the academy.
Blink and Watcher had left a while ago, and Sal wished he could have seen more of Watcher’s reaction to the weapon. But Villa’s mood didn’t allow for any small talk. Vanessa seemed to be the only person in the room at complete ease as she lounged on one of the seats across from Sal. For the sake of their cover, she had to pretend that she knew everything about the rifle…and she played off the fact that Myth wanted it to be a surprise for her. Villa readily accepted that Myth was wrapped around Vanessa’s little finger and made a few comments about how they’d be able to use that to their advantage if the rifle turned out to be as good as they thought.
“That wasn’t a rhetorical question!” Villa warned threateningly, and both Sal and Vanessa looked over at her in surprise. Much to their collective relief, she was holding her earpiece and likely talking to one of the Reavers Guild members.
“You can’t be serious?” Villa sat up abruptly. “From how far?” Villa’s jaw practically dropped in astonishment as she stared at Sal. It was the most uncharacteristic thing he had ever seen, and he absolutely loved it. “Tell them to come back here now!”
Villa took the earpiece out and got to her feet with a sigh. A bright smile lingered on her lips, and she walked over to the table. Both Sal and Vanessa followed her example and got to their feet too. Villa grinned at them.
“It’s actually real! Watcher is currently at the top of our guild tower, firing into the closest Red Zone over three kilometers away. He’s killing everything with a single shot!” She shook her head in disbelief. “The essence-tethering thing, he’s able to shoot through the barrier without damaging it! How is that even possible?”
Sal shrugged as he gestured at the Appraisal document. “I just see what it can do. I can’t make sense of how it works, though. I’ll make sure to ask Myth in our next class together!”
Villa nodded. “Please do.”
Sal was surprised at the sudden change of tone. He didn’t think Villa was capable of using polite words, yet here they were. In almost a complete role reversal, Vanessa became the predator in the room.
“I wonder how long it would take for the Reavers Guild to rank up to Tier One with such an amazing weapon.”
Villa sighed as she placed her face in her hands. “You’re not going to let me off easy, are you? Well, we might as well start off by sweetening the deal.” Turning her head, Villa gestured at a case that was propped up on one of the couches.
“This is a gift from the Reavers Guild, Sal. Out of all the items you Appraised for us, this was one we didn’t need and were going to sell. Maybe Myth can fix it up into something even better.” Villa then turned toward Vanessa with a meaningful look, as if to say, I can be nice.
Sal wondered whether it was the damaged helm that he had Appraised, but he wasn’t expecting anything of that level. It was likely going to be one of the more basic pieces. His head started to go into overdrive because a lot of the stuff he had looked at was really interesting.
When he clicked open the lid, he saw the Rare-grade sword that could create long-ranged attacks. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he thought back to what Rust had said about them being allowed weapons in the team battles. This would definitely give him a better shot at avoiding relegation. Villa’s voice brought him right back to reality.
“It’s just a token of our appreciation for the Appraisal work that you completed for us…”
“I’m very grateful. Thank you,” Sal answered as he closed the case and returned to the table.
With a sudden burst of essence, Blink appeared in the room with Watcher’s arm around her waist. In his other arm, cradled against his body, was the sniper rifle.
Villa sighed. “Finally! What’s your verdict? I got some information from Blink while you were shooting, but what’s your take?”
Everyone looked expectantly at Watcher, who continued to hold the rifle as if it were his child.
“It’s by far the most incredible thing I’ve ever used. Even the stories my father told me about when it was in its prime…this weapon is beyond that. It’s…beyond everything.”
Villa looked at Watcher as if he were a simpleton. “Very useful. What sort of stats?”
Watcher blinked as he looked at Villa. It was as if he sobered up in an instant and had suddenly realized who he was talking to.
“Apologies, Vice-captain. Forty shots, thirty-four confirmed kills. An extra three were for range markers, and I managed to get an accurate hit at five thousand, two hundred meters. Multiple moving targets, took down mostly Leechers and a few Prowlers, all with one hit. Three shots to take down the first Hulker, and then two shots to take down the second one. It was like the gun was learning how to kill them! Before, it would take at least a dozen bullets to take one down!”
Everyone in the room stared at Watcher in complete disbelief.
Villa exhaled loudly and said what everyone was thinking. “Prowlers are a one-hit kill—that’s impressive, yes…but a Hulker? In just two shots? How the fuck did you see that many? They don’t just stand out in broad daylight!”
Watcher pointed to the scope at the top of the rifle. “Essence tracking! Literally can see them through walls, and the bullets rip through to hit them. Had to stop using my actual visor, as it was impeding the scope. It was showing a huge collection of them underground, which I think is probably an undiscovered dungeon.” The entire time he spoke, he beamed at the rifle like a proud father gushing about their child.
Sal stared at the rifle in a whole new light, finally understanding how much of a difference it made. It was an exhilarating and terrifying thought all at the same time. The next thought that came to his mind, he said openly into the room, causing everyone to fall silent.
“What will it be like when it evolves into the Mythic-grade version?” Both Blink and Watcher looked at Sal with dumbfounded expressions. “The knife that Blink showed me, with the evolutionary trait. I told Myth about it, and he put it on the sniper rifle. With enough kills, it will evolve.” Sal turned to Vanessa.
“So, technically…it’s not as amazing as it could be.” She smirked before turning to Villa. “So, how would you like to proceed?”
Villa waved at both Blink and Watcher, as if telling them they could leave. They nodded before waving at Sal.
Blink pointed at him meaningfully. “We’re going to get loads of shit for you to Appraise, Sal!”
Watcher raised the sniper rifle in his hands. “I’ll kill ’em, and she’ll loot ’em!” And with that, Blink teleported, and they were gone.
Sal smiled and was happy that he got to see them again.
Villa, on the other hand, had her arms crossed as she looked directly at Vanessa. “So, which one of you is going to be playing with me? Which one gets me an in with Myth?”
Sal raised a single hand and pointed at Vanessa. “She pretty much says jump, and he’s already in the air.”
Vanessa smirked and gave Sal a sideways glance. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Sal.”
Looking back to Villa, she gave her a curt nod. “But it’s true. Myth will do what I ask him to do…and I’m seriously considering branching out from the Credit floor to represent him full-time.”
Sal gave Vanessa a surprised glance, but it was Villa who made it even more surprising.
“Makes total sense. The broker fee for a weapon like that would probably pay more than a year’s wage on the Credit floor.” The vice-captain of the Reavers Guild looked at Vanessa closely before continuing. “I can only imagine that you’re telling me those plans so I can incorporate it into my proposal, is that right?”
Vanessa spread her hands and shrugged but didn’t say a word.
Villa groaned. “Cloak-and-dagger bullshit is exhausting. Can you not just put your cards on the table? What do you want? Guild backing? Set yourself up as an affiliate with preferential rates?”
Vanessa pretended to consider the option before she gestured across at Sal. “I’m trying to think of an outcome that will give me a full-time job, while also setting up this guy and Myth for the future. Affiliate sounds good, but what if I pushed Myth into creating his own guild? Maybe a partnership would solve all our issues, and allow Myth to work independently for the highest bidder?”
Villa snorted. “He’s a Crafter, and Sal is an Appraiser—you’ll be stuck in Tier Five for years!” In the same moment that she dismissed the thought, a sudden realization hit her.
Vanessa finished it for her. “But if we could guarantee high-grade weapons and armor, that would attract the top Heroes. It’s the long game, Villa. Right now, you can’t have exclusivity on Myth. Nobody knows about him, and only the people in this room know the full extent of his Crafting capability. You can either continue as you were, sending in stuff for Appraisals and Sal will look after them…or, you can make us an offer that benefits everyone. You help them get to graduation and set them up for the future. All it would take is a bit of investment and preferential treatment from you.”
As Villa bit her lip, she turned to look at Sal. “What does the little Argento think of all of this?” She crossed her arms again and looked at him expectantly.
