The Glorious Evolution

The moment Levi’s feet touched the marble floor, his Harmonic Spine mapped the vast hall around him.

Tall pillars curved outward at their tops like open fans, supporting a ceiling whose broad folds resembled overlapping flower petals.

Smooth porcelain plates covered parts of the pillars like scales, following their curves into the balconies above.

He and Jasmine stood on a circular arrival platform inside the Myriad Treasures Exchange, in the Third Sky Province’s capital.

The center of the hall opened into a sunken garden, large enough to resemble a small East Asian park.

Streams wound between flower beds and miniature trees, spilling over shallow ledges in little waterfalls. Their splashing mingled with soft conversations, while a sweet floral scent drifted toward him.

Two levels of balconies surrounded the garden, connected by wide, curving stairways. Rounded lounges lined both floors, their open fronts facing the greenery.

Nobles sat inside in small groups, separated from their neighbors by fabric screens shaped like folded wings.

Jasmine knew Levi could perceive the hall through frequencies... but she still wanted to share the details that made it beautiful to her, so she sent him a message.

’The columns are white, with dark blue porcelain winding around them like scales... and sunlight filters through the ceiling in shades of honey and amber. It feels like we’re standing inside an enormous lantern.’

Levi tilted his head toward the ceiling, fitting her description to the shapes his Harmonic Spine traced.

’People weren’t exaggerating about Cauldron-Fey architecture... it truly feels like we are inside a glorified, beautiful alchemist workstation,’ he said softly.

He knew their hosts chiefly for their alchemy... Generations of that ancient craft helped the Cauldron-Fey Trueborns build one of the Boundless Expanse’s most powerful and authoritative kingdoms with reach beyond the expanse.

It made sense, as they were one of the few noble Houses with multiple Alchemy Grandmasters among them, who were able to concoct evolutionary formulas as high as Tier 9!

This meant they held the keys to everyone’s path to the Glorious Evolution, which made them respected, protected, and cherished by the majority of nations across the Nine Greatroot Realms.

Who would dare offend the pioneers of alchemy and evolutionary formulas research in today’s era?

’They’re famous for their gardens and mystic fish ponds as well... we should take a look before we leave.’

’I’d like that.’

Jasmine nodded and continued admiring the hall. The place felt like a heavenly palace, and every glance revealed another detail that caught her interest.

Levi lingered beside her a little longer before turning his attention to the conversations around them.

There were enough guests to keep the hall lively, but the groups remained small... three nobles discussed a sealed vessel beside the garden. Farther along, a woman introduced two men before withdrawing with her companion, leaving them to examine the treasures on each other’s screens.

Attendants moved between the seated groups, serving refreshments and carrying rare treasures on padded trays... these treasures were being showcased by the hosts.

When someone requested a closer inspection, a table’s transparent cover rose around the offered material, allowing its owner to open the container while the conversation continued.

There was space to approach each group, exchange a greeting, and be invited to stay... or be politely given a reason to move along.

”Baron Dark Sun?”

An attendant had approached their platform. Levi presented the invitation, and a brief verification brought up the lots accepted with his application.

”Your display is ready, sir. These are the entries you approved.”

A dimensional screen appeared above Levi’s head.

[Baron Dark Sun]

Offered: Preserved Ancient Behemoth Marrow, Crystallized World Serpent Heartblood, Nine-Headed Hydra Venom Glands, Ancient Scarlet Dragon Scale.

Beast Grade: Leviathan.

Seeking: Unrefined Thousandflavor Orchid Nectar.

Each entry opened into its submitted description, including each treasure’s quantity and preservation details.

Similar screens hovered above the other attending nobles, following their movements at a comfortable distance.

Some listed a few treasures... others displayed dozens of entries, with requests for several specific materials beside them.

Levi understood how quickly they could save him from approaching the wrong people... but knowing who owned something was only the beginning.

Someone had to want what he offered, trust what he said about it, and be willing to speak with him long enough to discover whether an exchange was possible.

A useful introduction could accomplish what a larger purse couldn’t.

Levi found himself appreciating the arrangement... while also becoming painfully aware that he had arrived knowing almost nobody, which meant he had no established reputation to help him be taken seriously.

But he wasn’t too worried... his screen spoke on his behalf.

Soon, Jasmine slipped her arm through his, and they followed a walkway beside the garden, passing next to the lounges.

Levi checked the displays for the nectar while giving anyone interested in his own stock time to approach.

He didn’t have to wait long.

A woman with amber scales along her temples excused herself from a nearby conversation and approached them with her husband.

While he greeted them with a courteous nod, her attention shifted from Levi’s listed treasures to the matching embroidery on their clothes. Her gaze lingered briefly on the two of them, and an appreciative smile touched her lips.

”You make a striking pair. Those outfits suit you both beautifully.”

”Thank you... coming from such an elegant couple, that means a great deal.” Levi smiled, while Jasmine acknowledged the compliment with a gracious nod.

”Baron Dark Sun... are these from a private collection, or do you deal in materials from Leviathan-grade beasts?”

”I own Dark Sun Beast Trading,” Levi replied. ”These are selected pieces, but the business handles more than what I’ve brought tonight.”

She raised a brow in surprise, as the listed materials were already hard to find in the markets. Some of the beasts they came from were believed to be extinct or in hiding.

”Then perhaps we should speak... mind joining us?”

She pointed to their friends sitting in an open lounge overlooking the garden.

Levi turned toward Jasmine before accepting.

Her arm remained comfortably linked with his as they followed the couple toward their waiting friends.

The woman introduced herself as Viscountess Melisande of House Bellac from the Long Stretch Border between the Ninth and Eighth Provinces... then presented Levi and Jasmine to the two couples seated inside.

Baron Oswin of House Riven barely waited for the introductions to finish before pressing the entry for the Hydra glands on Levi’s screen to view its details.

”Removed intact?” he asked, his voice rough.

”The preservation details are included,” Levi said, nodding as he sat beside Jasmine. ”You’re welcome to examine them if you’re interested.”

Before he could accept, his wife gave him a weary look... Levi could tell that she was scolding him through dimensional messages for being impolite to new guests.

After all, the polite thing to do was to chitchat a bit, then reject the offer and show a sense of trust to build rapport... even if he had to fake it.

Alas, Oswin couldn’t care less about nobility formalities, as he had been burned more than once... so he continued without apologizing.

”The last merchant I trusted sold me ancient Kirin marrow with impeccable preservation records,” Oswin said, his vexation buried in his tone. ”The outer layers looked excellent. Deeper inside, though... most of the marrow retained a fraction of its original potency. Someone sealed it properly only after years of poor storage.”

’Honey... don’t spoil the mood, I beg.’

He ignored another questioning look from his wife.

”When I confronted him, he blamed our handling of it and refused to discuss compensation.” Oswin turned back to Levi. ”So yes, Baron. I would appreciate a closer examination.”

While the atmosphere turned a bit charged, no one intervened... their gaze affixed on Levi and Jasmine, studying their reactions.

Neither looked bothered, maintaining the same serene smile on their faces.

”Of course.” Levi nodded in understanding. ”You’re right to ask... with materials this valuable, I’d rather deal with someone who examines them carefully.”

His answer eased some of the tension around the table.

”The market for Leviathan-grade materials is full of tricks like that. I fell for a few myself... convincing records, respectable sellers, and something wrong that only became obvious afterward.”

Oswin’s wife turned toward him with renewed interest.

”But I won’t pass those losses on to my customers,” Levi assured. ”I personally check every material before we put it up for sale... if its condition doesn’t match the description, it doesn’t leave under my company’s name.”

Melisande nodded approvingly, and her husband murmured his agreement.

Oswin, however, remained unconvinced.

”I appreciate that, Baron. Unfortunately, the man who sold me that marrow spoke just as firmly about his reputation.”

’Dear... You must be missing the couch.’

His wife showed him a slight glare, but Levi answered before she could rip him a new one.

”Hence, the examination to ease your worries... if even the examination isn’t enough.”

Levi kept the same easy tone as he opened a small screen above the table.

”These are the hunter squads currently working with us and can vouch for my company’s reputation... You may recognize a few.”

A list appeared, showing three Leviathans’ hunter squads’ emblems, their captains, and links to their public profiles.

Levi hadn’t spent so much money to build the company just to sign Oracli’s Hunter Squad alone... he had gotten himself busy and signed two more after a series of failures from much more famous squads, as they already had dealings with different big-shot managerial companies.

Still, three signed Hunter Squads in less than four boundless months of the company’s birth was a great start... and if it wasn’t for Oracli taking a leap of faith on him, the other two wouldn’t have been convinced as easily, even when he offered to buy the completed carcasses.

”The infamous Hunter Oracli?” Melisande’s husband interrupted. ”You work with the Pallbearer Hunters?”

Seeing his astonished reaction, Oswin and the others moved closer to the screen before Levi could answer.

They opened the hunter’s profile, verified his affiliation with Dark Sun, then checked the other two squads. Each list of successful hunts drew fresh exclamations... until Oswin returned to the company details to make sure he hadn’t misread them.

The company was still a newborn in the Beasts market, and yet... it had already included three Leviathans’ Hunters squads? They couldn’t believe it.

”These squads... what kind of business relationship do they have with the company?”

Viscountess Melisande inquired, understanding that it shouldn’t be possible for a mere Baron to have this kind of reach unless he came from a powerful background, or his company merely dealt with a small aspect of the hunters’ catch.

”We handle their hunts exclusively.”

Levi spoke with easy confidence, as though he were sharing a minor detail about his business.

”Huh... exclusively?”