Summoned after his death and given the powers of the Celestial Forge, Damion begins a quest to save worlds. Traveling to distant lands, he will do his best to leave everywhere better than how he found it.
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What Was Once
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What Was Once a normal life: Chapter 1
What Was Once a normal life: Chapter 1
For those of you who are big Konosuba fans. We will meet the characters… briefly and occasionally. For those of you interested in the rules I'm using for the Celestial Forge I'm using "Celestial Forge Revised v2"; google that, it's a well done list. I'm going to be running at 500 words/100 points.
I'm not a prime Jumpchain writer, but I will be searching for everything I don't know (Or recognize from another story) I'm using more divisions than most people I've read, dividing everything into the categories of 2.0, all the secondary categories, but I will not be labeling them internally to the story.
This is a nice chair. I don't know why that thought crossed my mind now of all times, but it did. This is a nice chair.
I looked around, seeing a deep void stretching out, checkered floors stretching in every direction. I blink. 'Am I in a meeting?' I wonder as I see an empty chair across from me.
'Why can't I remember how I got here?' repeated a few times as I looked around, and then I heard steps.
I turned, and see a beautiful woman in a red… dress? She looked more like a nun than anything else. She sat in the chair across from me, calmly, and began, "Hello Damion."
I blink. "Hello…"
"I'm Fyora. Goddess charged with sending you to the afterlife."
I blink. "Afterlife? How...how did I die?"
"Do you really want to know?"
I blink. "I feel like the answer after I know will be no, but I do."
She smiles, "Perceptive. You were hit by a train."
I blink, several times, "How?"
"Murder." She begins, "You had been dismissive to an angry preteen, and he shoved you."
I blink. "I was murdered by a child?"
"Yes. Effectively."
I sigh, leaning on my hands, "Perfect."
"Now, Damion Peramos, you have a choice." Fyora says, "You can choose to go to Heaven. You can choose to be reincarnated into your world, or you can be...I believe the term you humans have come up for it is, 'Ea-sa-ki'."
"Isekai? That's... seriously?"
"Indeed. It's real. Less...glamorous than your stories would suggest, but it is certainly possible."
I blink, "I assume that you must get something out of it?"
"We save a world. Sometimes many worlds. Currently, there is a world that my...boss…" I could feel the unpleasantness of that admission, "has followers in, and she has loosened the rules to save it. I will send you to her, chosen power in hand, for her to incarnate you."
I blink, "So what are my options?"
"You accept?"
"I...honestly haven't done that many great things in my life. Taking a crack at saving a world? I'd be on board."
"That's… a different motivation? You don't believe you would succeed?"
"It sounds like you've sent people before, probably more than a few with crazy powers. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to try my hardest, but if I'm the thousandth person running around with superpowers...odds are that I won't have done anything different from the last guy with pallet 3 powers."
She smiles, "That's… realistic. However, you are underestimating the number of choices."
I blink, "There are powers you haven't sent yet?"
"Always. People may choose their own."
I narrow my eyes, suspicion coming to the forefront, "You're sending people with whatever power they want into the world and pointing them at a Dark Lord, and he isn't dead?"
"Lady Aqua...discourages them from selecting powers that require work for her to grant them."
I blink, "Is she the one who wants this world saved?"
"Yes." Fyora sighs.
I facepalm. "Is she that stupid?"
"Yes." I hear Fyora mutter and look directly at her.
As my brain registers that this 'Aqua' is hamstringing heroes sent to save her world...by being lazy, I facepalm again.
"Yeah, I can see why she needs help."
Fyora sighs, "Yes, well, what power do you want?"
I look at her carefully, "Any power? But just one?"
She sees my look, "I remember that look from several others, creatives with delusions of having a choice of any power. Some said ridiculous things like 'the powers of a god', or 'Superman'."
I smile, "Are you familiar with the term Celestial Forge?"
Fyora frowns and pulls some papers out of a book that appeared in her hand. Pages that look like printed pages from Reddit. "This...this is...huh?"
I smile, "Would we be able to do that?"
She looks at me, "I would need some assurances."
"What happens after I slay the Dark Lord?"
"The traditional offer is returning to Aqua for a heavenly wish."
I nod, "So then we make a pact, hard limits on my power to prevent me from realm traveling. Locking me into 1 realm until after I kill him."
She blinks, "That's...a working limitation."
I smile, "I'm sure you can see the usefulness of maybe...starting me with something small. A workshop?"
She smiles, "Aqua would have had a time and a half with you."
"I suspect that's a compliment. Goodbye Goddess Fyora. I hope Aqua isn't too much of a pain when parts of her world are on a different kind of fire."
She laughs, "Good luck, hero."
A blue circle appears below me, and suddenly I'm holding a paper, with my power details on it. And a spot for a signature.
Sitting across from me is a woman dressed in blue. She...doesn't feel like Fyora did. She's almost...petulant looking. And is surprised when she reacts to my presence. "Who are you?"
"Damion? I was offered an incarnation in a world to save it? Are you Aqua?"
She looks at me, "I did tell them to send me some good fodder."
"I can hear you?" I say slowly, confused as to if she knew that.
She turns to me, "I am the high goddess Aqua! If my inferior…" Yah right. "... has spoken to you then you have selected a power and know the stakes?"
"Indeed. I…"
"Then I approve!" The paper dissolves into light strings, trying itself around my neck, a thin white chain appears, and I explain, "There was a…"
"It is settled. Now, you will…"
"Wait a damn minute!"
She pauses, "What?"
"I'm realm locked until I defeat the Dark Lord, then after I do I come back here? That's the deal? You do know about that right?"
She looks confused, and my paper appears in her hands, a glowing white section visible through the paper. She takes a long minute, "That's correct."
I sigh, "So you'll pull me back right?"
"Indeed. Should you succeed you will be granted a boon from the Heavens themselves!"
Grandiose, "With that settled, I'm ready to go."
Aqua looks at me, "That's all you interrupted me for?"
"My safety and soul's well being? Yes. That's all."
She blinks, looking dismissive, "On, right, before I forget, take your language package. You can be on your way."
I look at the pamphlet in her hand and see red peeking out from the corner, under her hand. "What are…"
"I'll take that as a yes. Congratulations on your journey to another world!" And I appear in a field, alone.
"Could you be any worse!?" I shout into the sky. Pissed beyond belief. What was that warning? Why is she so terrible!?
I can see a town in the distance, and start walking. Apparently, I have a ways to go. Heading into town, I run into a Merchant. "Hello there! Are you heading into Axel?"
I blink, isn't this world supposed to be on fire? Or like… a mess? "Indeed. I assume the town behind you…" I point, "is Axel."
He chuckles, "It is, be safe now. It's coming up on Winter now, and the Giant Toads are looking for food."
I blink. Is he… "They go after people?"
He smiles, "You must be southern city folk. Yep. The toads prefer goats, but some have grown quite fond of humans. The Guild contracts keep them pretty much in check, but they're fierce blighters, and I wouldn't want to be ambushed."
I nod, taking in the fact that there are man eating giant toads and I don't even have a knife.
I sigh, so everything's not burning down exactly, it's just overly hostile to everyone and everything.
Great.
I'm cautious heading into town, watching around me for...well not being eaten by a toad of all things. Eventually, I make it to the gates and am let in without hassle. It's...quaint. A massive looking town, but people are happy, and there aren't homeless and beggars at every corner. I've walked down worse streets back home.
Reaching the center of town there is a larger wooden building. I only went inside because it was listed as the Guild, and if they give out quests… then they probably have Adventurers there. And I am trying to help.
It was half bar, half inn, half… well I guess, a job office. Not sure what I was expecting. Walking over to the counter, I get some looks, but nothing hostile, and there is a...very endowed woman in the window. She smiles as I walk up, and I carefully avoid looking at her… endowments.
"Hello. Are you looking to post a job?"
I see her gracious smile, and feel a little better, "I'm… new here and I was hoping... " I pause. What was I looking for exactly? If this was a game… "To register? I think."
She blinks, "You're looking to register with the Guild?"
"Yes? Like… as an Adventurer?"
She smiles, "Ok then. There… is a small fee for a new or replacement of a Guild Card."
I frown, "How much?"
"2 Gold coins, about 200 Eris." She… Luna, given the nameplate, said calmly.
I frown, "Is… is that a lot?"
"Not tremendously. But it is mandatory."
I nod, I search myself and find little. My wallet's probably useless here, even the credit card/multitool won't impress someone with magic. My car keys are… well my car is in another dimension. Not helpful. My phone...and my solar charger. That might be good.
I pull them out and get some recognition from some of the looks I can see out of the corner of my eye, and a small laugh from a gruff man near the booth. "This is a… minor magical artifact. It has many features." I unlock it and hand it over, explaining a few of the 'strange otherworldly symbols, and then she discovers the picture and calculator she's sold.
*Auto-smelter (Azeroth) (100) requires Warehouse (Personal Reality) (100). Warehouse Bought. Remaining: 0 points. *
I smile internally. It begins. Looking internally, I feel the rotating constellations. I have a single orb extending from me into a rotating series of smaller constellations labels Warehouse. There are other great constellations that I can't see yet. They seem to be further away.
Luna interrupts, "I will take this device. I'll pay you the registration costs and 1 day of meal vouchers."
I frown, "I don't know...maybe 3 days."
"2 days."
"4 days, and I'll throw in a charger, to keep it operational."
She twitches, and smiles, "You have a deal." She writes out 8 slips of paper and comes around the counter. As she approaches, she silently takes my hand, and places it on the blue orb near her window, "This device will measure your aptitudes, and allow you to select a class."
It looks and operates like a 3D printer. Blue light running along a small card I didn't notice her put under it until it started moving. After about a minute it stops, and I look down at the card, registering the alien characters for a moment before my Language Package kicks in.
It's my name and stats. But… it has a class already assigned. That's… Artificer doesn't sound like a combat class.
Luna picks it up, and looks at me, "You are reregistering?"
I frown, and shake my head, "No. I've never done this before. Why?"
She looks at my card again, "Because you have a class. Artificer. A very rare class indeed, but… not a combat job."
I frown, and reach for it, "I can't say that I understand, but maybe it's a fluke?"
Luna looks at me, "It's not the most uncommon thing in the world. I'd say 2 or 3 people every year come with a job attached to them, but one as prestigious and combat averse as an Artificer is… strange."
I blink, "That's the second time you brought that up. What do you mean exactly?"
"Artificers can't learn combat skills. They don't get any combat magic, and training without a class feature in finesse can be… difficult."
I pause, "Magical weapons…"
"Most Artificers need to study for years, or even decades before they have enough points and skill to make anything protective or offensive enough to fight. You'd make a good support mage, but I recommend you look for a shop to take you in. They will help you train, and practice without any of the typical fatal flaws of the Adventurer lifestyle. Wiz might be hiring if you don't set a price too high."
I frown but accept. "I may not learn any combat magic, but I think I'll surprise you."
*Orb Design Plans (Swat Kats) (800) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
Luna looks conflicted.
"Maybe in a few weeks. Now, where is this… Wiz and her shop."
Luna looks much happier, and guides me personally, dragging me along.
I really can't decide if she's intentionally getting back at me given where she's holding my arm, or if she's just like this. I don't know which would make this trip more awkward. Fortunately, it's a short trip. A minute walk or so and we arrive at an almost invisible store, a solid brick face between it and the neighboring buildings makes it look like an add on to them, not an independent store.
Entering, there is an even more endowed woman leaning toward us on the counter. She perks up at the sound of the opening bell, and sees "Luna! Who's this?"
"This is Damion. Damion Peramos. He's a newly registered Artificer. I was hoping you could employ him? Living space and food?"
Wiz looks around, "I… I've been working so hard, I need to, getting this place off the ground."
I smile, "I'm not trying to push you out of house and home. I can help. Maybe you can relax a little more. That's what help is for after all."
Wiz blinks, "I… ok. We…" She looks at Luna, holding my arm in her bosom, and frowns, Luna lets go and Wiz blinks like she's surprised. "We can talk about pay after a week or so, but I would like to see you manage inventory, and make a few things before I sign you on for longer than that."
I smile, exting my hand, "So long as I can have a roof for that week, I accept."
Wiz shakes my hand, and she's cold. As Luna leaves, smiling, I ask, "Are… are you ok? Your hand was… very cold."
Wiz freezes. She frowns and looks a little panicked, and I try helping. "I… magic is all kinds of new to me, and if it's like… a personal thing I get it."
She looks at me, conflicted, and mutters, "Imalich."
I blink, "I… were those words?"
She blushes, "I'm a lich."
I frown, "How…" she flinches, "...are you blushing?"
She looks at me. "Huh?"
"You're a Lich? You're cold because of no blood flow, that makes sense. So how can you blush?"
She gapes, looking… like I've shocked her. "You… aren't scared?"
"You run a magical item shop near the center of town. There are children playing soccer outside. If you were some kind of soul eating monster then someone would know about it. So no."
She smiles, brightly, and blushes again. "That's… very nice of you to say."
I blink, "I guess. So again… how do you blush?"
Wiz begins explaining her magical skin illusion/conjuration/transfiguration magic hybrid spell, and I'm lost immediately. "Wiz."
"-using the principle of Gabaron's Second Principal of Observation, and applying it to-"
"Wiz!"
She pauses, and I continue, "I don't know what you are talking about."
She blinks, "But you're an Artificer, shouldn't you know about self targeting spells?"
*Craftsman (Renegade Immortal) (100) Subtracting 100 for Status: {Mortal}, Internal Overflow, Craftsman II (Renegade Immortal) (200) Subtracting 100 for Status: {Mortal}, Internal Overflow, Craftsman III (Renegade Immortal) (300) Subtracting 100 for Status: {Mortal}. Cost (200) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
I blink and look at what that does.
Craftsman (Renegade Immortal): Building and crafting things is an omnipresent facet of civilization. Utensils, furniture, homes and everything else, they all need people to build them. It's the same for cultivators, though the sheer length of time they live tends to mean that everyone picks up some skills here and there. When they actually devote time and effort towards mastering crafting though? The results are beyond belief.
You have the sheer level of talent and vision necessary to match, and eventually outclass Esteemed Tian Bao, the most famed craftsman of the collapsed Celestial Realm from ages gone by who was responsible for the God Slaying Chariot, an attempt to create a peerless weapon that was surprisingly successful in the end. While you're not there yet, with time, experimentation and the right materials, you could create similarly powerful treasures, artifacts or pieces of art, things that would attract the attention of Third Step cultivators. Mortals can buy this level for 200.
I have the ability to make ultra high quality anything if I put my mind to it. I can get behind that. No idea what a Cultivator is, but… if it's weapons on the level of God Slaying… that's like… crazy high tier.
This is also a new Constellation set that I connected to. It's simply labeled Abilities, and it's the largest by far. The minor constellation...seems to have a name, but I can't see it yet. Like it's waiting for me to know more.
Blinking back from my constellation, I turn to Wiz, "I've never studied magic. I got Artificer through some weird coincidence when I registered. Blank slate."
Wiz looks at me, and smiles, "I have a student!" She says, looking ecstatic, "Do you know how long it's been since I really taught anyone anything?"
There's a pause in the conversation like I'm supposed to answer, "You don't look a day over 22?"
She blushes, harder, her whole face going full anime red. "I… thank you."
Silence holds the room down for a bit, and I continue, "I can't even guess."
She smiles, unnaturally quickly losing her blush. Illusion magic, right. "Too long. I'll close up, and we can look into training you to really make some stuff. As an Arch-Lich and an Arch-Witch, I can make some items, but they are more power focused, not really high quality. If they were…"
She looks at me, a greedy shine coming over her eyes, "Well… Good enchantments are worth more than their weight in gold."
I smile, "So training me right is profitable?"
She smiles, "It is. Let's get to work."
Dragging me into the back room, the same way Luna did, is… different, she's not warm like Luna had been, but Wiz was firm and somehow less… pushy. Or I was projecting from my far more aggressive negotiations with Luna.
Arriving in the back room, there are several small tables. Some seem to be for alchemy, and others for… I hesitate to say anything, but I see tiny arms, but once Wiz turned the lights on…
It's so relieving to see stuffed doll arms instead of something bloody. "This is my work room. I make some of my wares here. If you need any type of magical station, then I can get it built or brought in. But for now, this…" She drags me over to a pentagon, with five smaller sets of interlocking squares set up in the general shape of a pentagram. "... is the basic enchanting table. It has stations for smaller magics and is a station for minor magic. Intermediate tables need to be made out of harder, and rarer materials than this… by the time you need one of those, we will probably already have the money for one."
I nod, and she puts some paper, and ink on the closest 3 interlocking squares. "This is paper, prepared for enchanting into contract paper."
*Artisan of Moonsilver (Exalted - The Lunars) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 100 Points.*
I missed something, but that's fine. Looking down at the paper, I focus on it, placing my hand on it, and looking within for magic. My magic. After a few seconds, I don't feel anything.
Until I start hearing Wiz laugh, "Ok. So… you are going to cast Enchant soon right?"
I blink, "Cast what?"
She blinks, and sighs, and holds out her hand slowly. "It's on your Guild Card?"
I blink and hand her my guild card. She frowns, and presses something, and shows it to me. "I put all 6 of your starting points into Enchant. It's the only spell you have, and making basic things requires so little mana most Knights could do it. Now, press the 'you' icon in the top right to confirm."
I do, and there's a sensation. Like I'm being rewritten, but… in a good way. Like a debugging process or a massage for my...me. After a few seconds, the card stops glowing and the sensation leaves me feeling relieved. Like a hot shower.
I turn back to the paper, saying directly, feeling giddy inside, "Enchant."
Golden and black light reach out from my fingers, touching the paper as if it's weaving through it. I can feel Craftsman activate as I know what to do, and am mildly offended in some corner of my being at the quality of the paper I'm putting my energy into. It fades quickly, but it's weird.
After a few seconds, the paper stops glowing, and my bands of energy turn on the ink. Sinking into it from its open top bottle magically changes it to a far more… cosmic looking black, stars floating in the ink like the night sky. As it finishes, the bottle glows and cracks. I almost stop, but I can feel that I'm doing this correctly. The bottle stops glowing moments later, with sharper edges, better definition, and is slightly slimmer. Finally, my magic turns to the simple white feather quill, which begins to glow and elongates, gaining silvery streaks in the core and a solid gold natural looking tip.
Wiz stopped breathing about halfway through the minutes-long process, holding a hand over her face, and looking flabbergasted. As it finishes, I turn, kinda dizzy, and say, "I know you don't need to breathe. But it's comforting? Why am I tired all of a sudden?"
Wiz blinks, and smiles, "I was expecting you to burn through your magic trying to do the paper. I… never expected this."
I smile, "I got a gift!" I was never a big drinker, is this what being drunk feels like?
She smiles, "You do. Now…" She puts her hand on my shoulder and I shiver and feel awake again. "It seems that you should invest points from your training into Mana, not Enchant. Your control is… well I've never seen better. I doubt anyone has. The Dustiness Ford family would pay a small fortune for paper this good."
*Mind of the Sun (Exalted - The Solars) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 Points.*
Wiz leaves a stack of paper on the table, saying, "The ink and quill will sell incredibly well, but not in the volume of paper. You do as much as you think you can and then stop. I don't want to find you passed out from Mana Down in here."
I nod, and ask, "How… how do you know when you're at your limit?"
She frowns, "I… I start to fall apart, literally dematerialize, you… that same dizzy feeling you muttered about is typical for humans. Try doing 1 page at a time."
I nod, and she leaves. I put all but 1 page out of the stack in the center of the table, and the single page on the squares closest to me. I look at it, and speak again, "Enchant."
All 5 interlocking squares light up. And the central stack starts floating. Joined quickly by the piece I set off to the side, and I...don't know how to stop. I can feel my skill guiding my hands, making masterwork contract paper until it's done. Surprisingly quickly actually. Then I feel that same drunkenness hit me like a truck. Damn it.
I feel my legs go to jelly, and slowly fall backward. I'm actually too numb to feel myself hitting the floor, and I pass out almost instantly.
I woke… unknown time later to Wiz's angry look, "I said not to pass out."
I blush, and stammer out, "I pushed all but one off to the side, well… technically in the center of the table, and I tried casting only on the one piece, but the whole table activated, and they were floating, and I'm not sure how to stop the spell, and then I fell over."
She frowned, "That's… a simple mistake. And for the entire stack, that's more efficient. But you also... " She leaves through the stack. "Well… for normal people running out of magic ruins the final product. But you apparently had either exactly the right amount of magic. Or are some kind of… professional."
She looks at me suspiciously, and I frown, "I've never done this before."
"I know. You can't lie on a Guild Card. It's impossible."
I nod, and she lets me up. "Given that we seem equally accident prone… perhaps you should keep one or two magic up potions on you. They are prohibitively expensive because no one in town makes them… but you might be able to."
I nod, "I can definitely try."
She leads me over to the potion station and explains how the ingredients work. She even has the stuff I will need, but, "Normally only someone well trained in Enchant Potion can make potions, and it's restricted to the Artificer class as a secondary spell. You can see it on your spells list, but I don't expect you to get access to it for weeks. It costs more mana, and is far more forgiving than the enchanting spell, and let's see if you're a professional at this as well."
I nod and begin mixing the ingredients.
I… Well, that happened. I checked what my new powers were and actually started laughing. Real, full body laughing. I actually fell over, I was laughing so hard. That's too good.
Slime (Overlord - The Series): There are many types of slimes and oozes. All of them uniformly are next to impossible to hurt with physical attacks, but are incredibly vulnerable to one type of elemental damage (fire for a regular slime, ice/cold for a lava slime, etc) and also possess a slight weakness to magic in general. You possess the ability to take on a human form that will pass even close inspection, while losing none of the benefits that come with being made up of an amorphous slime-like substance. You possess physical abilities at least twenty times that of a human including speed, despite how odd that may seem. You can naturally fit through tight spaces, shape your body into unnatural forms, and can make as many 'feelers' or 'manipulator arms' as you like. In truth you're more like a uniformly colored Shoggoth than you are anything else, except without all the eyes and body parts. Slimes are also powerfully acidic and can inflict grievous acid damage on anything they touch; you naturally possess the ability to determine whether or not your acid will damage the things you are in contact with. All Slimes are naturally good at alchemy and can create alchemical substances and magical potions, if they possess the knowledge of their creation, directly out of their own body. Slimes, due to their nature, are ageless.
Alchemic Prodigy (Elder Scrolls Online): One of the most profitable and respected professions in Tamriel, a good alchemist can find lucrative work just about anywhere on Nirn, from Necrom to Stros M'Kai. Aside from a good bit of experience in identifying herbs that can be used for medicinal (or malign) creations, you have enough experience to work with up to Rank Five solvents and oils (Purified Water and Pitch Vile respectively), with a whole decade to learn even more. Healing potions, potions to bolster physical attributes, or even debilitating poisons cannot only be produced, but with adequate testing you can even begin to mix and match their effects by combining the right ingredients.
I was already decent at making anything, but I am a damn near master at Alchemy now. That's amazing, and I need to see how this goes.
I need to restart because I don't have the concentration right. Wiz seems surprised, but doesn't even blink when I freehand the measurements to the grain this time, and mix them with a small cleansed wooden stick, before casting "Enchant!"
She actually looks away, expecting a wave of light like before, and when nothing seems to happen, she turns back around, seeing the creation bottle full of a deep blue potion.
She frowns. "It's supposed to be a light blue color, nearly green."
I nod, actually knowing what happened, "That's for a low density potion. This is prime, grade S, Magic Restoration potion."
She blinks, "How...how concentrated?"
I turn, my brain supplying ratios, and eventually, "If I can get 4.88 Gallons of purified water… well. We'll have a new product."
Wiz actually tears up at my masterpiece. "This is amazing!"
I smile, standing, "That you for giving me a chance to… thrive."
For those of you who are big Konosuba fans. We will meet the characters… briefly and occasionally. For those of you interested in the rules I'm using for the Celestial Forge I'm using "Celestial Forge Revised v2"; google that, it's a well done list. I'm going to be running at 500 words/100 points.
I'm not a prime Jumpchain writer, but I will be searching for everything I don't know (Or recognize from another story) I'm using more divisions than most people I've read, dividing everything into the categories of 2.0, all the secondary categories, but I will not be labeling them internally to the story.
This is a nice chair. I don't know why that thought crossed my mind now of all times, but it did. This is a nice chair.
I looked around, seeing a deep void stretching out, checkered floors stretching in every direction. I blink. 'Am I in a meeting?' I wonder as I see an empty chair across from me.
'Why can't I remember how I got here?' repeated a few times as I looked around, and then I heard steps.
I turned, and see a beautiful woman in a red… dress? She looked more like a nun than anything else. She sat in the chair across from me, calmly, and began, "Hello Damion."
I blink. "Hello…"
"I'm Fyora. Goddess charged with sending you to the afterlife."
I blink. "Afterlife? How...how did I die?"
"Do you really want to know?"
I blink. "I feel like the answer after I know will be no, but I do."
She smiles, "Perceptive. You were hit by a train."
I blink, several times, "How?"
"Murder." She begins, "You had been dismissive to an angry preteen, and he shoved you."
I blink. "I was murdered by a child?"
"Yes. Effectively."
I sigh, leaning on my hands, "Perfect."
"Now, Damion Peramos, you have a choice." Fyora says, "You can choose to go to Heaven. You can choose to be reincarnated into your world, or you can be...I believe the term you humans have come up for it is, 'Ea-sa-ki'."
"Isekai? That's... seriously?"
"Indeed. It's real. Less...glamorous than your stories would suggest, but it is certainly possible."
I blink, "I assume that you must get something out of it?"
"We save a world. Sometimes many worlds. Currently, there is a world that my...boss…" I could feel the unpleasantness of that admission, "has followers in, and she has loosened the rules to save it. I will send you to her, chosen power in hand, for her to incarnate you."
I blink, "So what are my options?"
"You accept?"
"I...honestly haven't done that many great things in my life. Taking a crack at saving a world? I'd be on board."
"That's… a different motivation? You don't believe you would succeed?"
"It sounds like you've sent people before, probably more than a few with crazy powers. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to try my hardest, but if I'm the thousandth person running around with superpowers...odds are that I won't have done anything different from the last guy with pallet 3 powers."
She smiles, "That's… realistic. However, you are underestimating the number of choices."
I blink, "There are powers you haven't sent yet?"
"Always. People may choose their own."
I narrow my eyes, suspicion coming to the forefront, "You're sending people with whatever power they want into the world and pointing them at a Dark Lord, and he isn't dead?"
"Lady Aqua...discourages them from selecting powers that require work for her to grant them."
I blink, "Is she the one who wants this world saved?"
"Yes." Fyora sighs.
I facepalm. "Is she that stupid?"
"Yes." I hear Fyora mutter and look directly at her.
As my brain registers that this 'Aqua' is hamstringing heroes sent to save her world...by being lazy, I facepalm again.
"Yeah, I can see why she needs help."
Fyora sighs, "Yes, well, what power do you want?"
I look at her carefully, "Any power? But just one?"
She sees my look, "I remember that look from several others, creatives with delusions of having a choice of any power. Some said ridiculous things like 'the powers of a god', or 'Superman'."
I smile, "Are you familiar with the term Celestial Forge?"
Fyora frowns and pulls some papers out of a book that appeared in her hand. Pages that look like printed pages from Reddit. "This...this is...huh?"
I smile, "Would we be able to do that?"
She looks at me, "I would need some assurances."
"What happens after I slay the Dark Lord?"
"The traditional offer is returning to Aqua for a heavenly wish."
I nod, "So then we make a pact, hard limits on my power to prevent me from realm traveling. Locking me into 1 realm until after I kill him."
She blinks, "That's...a working limitation."
I smile, "I'm sure you can see the usefulness of maybe...starting me with something small. A workshop?"
She smiles, "Aqua would have had a time and a half with you."
"I suspect that's a compliment. Goodbye Goddess Fyora. I hope Aqua isn't too much of a pain when parts of her world are on a different kind of fire."
She laughs, "Good luck, hero."
A blue circle appears below me, and suddenly I'm holding a paper, with my power details on it. And a spot for a signature.
Sitting across from me is a woman dressed in blue. She...doesn't feel like Fyora did. She's almost...petulant looking. And is surprised when she reacts to my presence. "Who are you?"
"Damion? I was offered an incarnation in a world to save it? Are you Aqua?"
She looks at me, "I did tell them to send me some good fodder."
"I can hear you?" I say slowly, confused as to if she knew that.
She turns to me, "I am the high goddess Aqua! If my inferior…" Yah right. "... has spoken to you then you have selected a power and know the stakes?"
"Indeed. I…"
"Then I approve!" The paper dissolves into light strings, trying itself around my neck, a thin white chain appears, and I explain, "There was a…"
"It is settled. Now, you will…"
"Wait a damn minute!"
She pauses, "What?"
"I'm realm locked until I defeat the Dark Lord, then after I do I come back here? That's the deal? You do know about that right?"
She looks confused, and my paper appears in her hands, a glowing white section visible through the paper. She takes a long minute, "That's correct."
I sigh, "So you'll pull me back right?"
"Indeed. Should you succeed you will be granted a boon from the Heavens themselves!"
Grandiose, "With that settled, I'm ready to go."
Aqua looks at me, "That's all you interrupted me for?"
"My safety and soul's well being? Yes. That's all."
She blinks, looking dismissive, "On, right, before I forget, take your language package. You can be on your way."
I look at the pamphlet in her hand and see red peeking out from the corner, under her hand. "What are…"
"I'll take that as a yes. Congratulations on your journey to another world!" And I appear in a field, alone.
"Could you be any worse!?" I shout into the sky. Pissed beyond belief. What was that warning? Why is she so terrible!?
I can see a town in the distance, and start walking. Apparently, I have a ways to go. Heading into town, I run into a Merchant. "Hello there! Are you heading into Axel?"
I blink, isn't this world supposed to be on fire? Or like… a mess? "Indeed. I assume the town behind you…" I point, "is Axel."
He chuckles, "It is, be safe now. It's coming up on Winter now, and the Giant Toads are looking for food."
I blink. Is he… "They go after people?"
He smiles, "You must be southern city folk. Yep. The toads prefer goats, but some have grown quite fond of humans. The Guild contracts keep them pretty much in check, but they're fierce blighters, and I wouldn't want to be ambushed."
I nod, taking in the fact that there are man eating giant toads and I don't even have a knife.
I sigh, so everything's not burning down exactly, it's just overly hostile to everyone and everything.
Great.
I'm cautious heading into town, watching around me for...well not being eaten by a toad of all things. Eventually, I make it to the gates and am let in without hassle. It's...quaint. A massive looking town, but people are happy, and there aren't homeless and beggars at every corner. I've walked down worse streets back home.
Reaching the center of town there is a larger wooden building. I only went inside because it was listed as the Guild, and if they give out quests… then they probably have Adventurers there. And I am trying to help.
It was half bar, half inn, half… well I guess, a job office. Not sure what I was expecting. Walking over to the counter, I get some looks, but nothing hostile, and there is a...very endowed woman in the window. She smiles as I walk up, and I carefully avoid looking at her… endowments.
"Hello. Are you looking to post a job?"
I see her gracious smile, and feel a little better, "I'm… new here and I was hoping... " I pause. What was I looking for exactly? If this was a game… "To register? I think."
She blinks, "You're looking to register with the Guild?"
"Yes? Like… as an Adventurer?"
She smiles, "Ok then. There… is a small fee for a new or replacement of a Guild Card."
I frown, "How much?"
"2 Gold coins, about 200 Eris." She… Luna, given the nameplate, said calmly.
I frown, "Is… is that a lot?"
"Not tremendously. But it is mandatory."
I nod, I search myself and find little. My wallet's probably useless here, even the credit card/multitool won't impress someone with magic. My car keys are… well my car is in another dimension. Not helpful. My phone...and my solar charger. That might be good.
I pull them out and get some recognition from some of the looks I can see out of the corner of my eye, and a small laugh from a gruff man near the booth. "This is a… minor magical artifact. It has many features." I unlock it and hand it over, explaining a few of the 'strange otherworldly symbols, and then she discovers the picture and calculator she's sold.
*Auto-smelter (Azeroth) (100) requires Warehouse (Personal Reality) (100). Warehouse Bought. Remaining: 0 points. *
I smile internally. It begins. Looking internally, I feel the rotating constellations. I have a single orb extending from me into a rotating series of smaller constellations labels Warehouse. There are other great constellations that I can't see yet. They seem to be further away.
Luna interrupts, "I will take this device. I'll pay you the registration costs and 1 day of meal vouchers."
I frown, "I don't know...maybe 3 days."
"2 days."
"4 days, and I'll throw in a charger, to keep it operational."
She twitches, and smiles, "You have a deal." She writes out 8 slips of paper and comes around the counter. As she approaches, she silently takes my hand, and places it on the blue orb near her window, "This device will measure your aptitudes, and allow you to select a class."
It looks and operates like a 3D printer. Blue light running along a small card I didn't notice her put under it until it started moving. After about a minute it stops, and I look down at the card, registering the alien characters for a moment before my Language Package kicks in.
It's my name and stats. But… it has a class already assigned. That's… Artificer doesn't sound like a combat class.
Luna picks it up, and looks at me, "You are reregistering?"
I frown, and shake my head, "No. I've never done this before. Why?"
She looks at my card again, "Because you have a class. Artificer. A very rare class indeed, but… not a combat job."
I frown, and reach for it, "I can't say that I understand, but maybe it's a fluke?"
Luna looks at me, "It's not the most uncommon thing in the world. I'd say 2 or 3 people every year come with a job attached to them, but one as prestigious and combat averse as an Artificer is… strange."
I blink, "That's the second time you brought that up. What do you mean exactly?"
"Artificers can't learn combat skills. They don't get any combat magic, and training without a class feature in finesse can be… difficult."
I pause, "Magical weapons…"
"Most Artificers need to study for years, or even decades before they have enough points and skill to make anything protective or offensive enough to fight. You'd make a good support mage, but I recommend you look for a shop to take you in. They will help you train, and practice without any of the typical fatal flaws of the Adventurer lifestyle. Wiz might be hiring if you don't set a price too high."
I frown but accept. "I may not learn any combat magic, but I think I'll surprise you."
*Orb Design Plans (Swat Kats) (800) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
Luna looks conflicted.
"Maybe in a few weeks. Now, where is this… Wiz and her shop."
Luna looks much happier, and guides me personally, dragging me along.
I really can't decide if she's intentionally getting back at me given where she's holding my arm, or if she's just like this. I don't know which would make this trip more awkward. Fortunately, it's a short trip. A minute walk or so and we arrive at an almost invisible store, a solid brick face between it and the neighboring buildings makes it look like an add on to them, not an independent store.
Entering, there is an even more endowed woman leaning toward us on the counter. She perks up at the sound of the opening bell, and sees "Luna! Who's this?"
"This is Damion. Damion Peramos. He's a newly registered Artificer. I was hoping you could employ him? Living space and food?"
Wiz looks around, "I… I've been working so hard, I need to, getting this place off the ground."
I smile, "I'm not trying to push you out of house and home. I can help. Maybe you can relax a little more. That's what help is for after all."
Wiz blinks, "I… ok. We…" She looks at Luna, holding my arm in her bosom, and frowns, Luna lets go and Wiz blinks like she's surprised. "We can talk about pay after a week or so, but I would like to see you manage inventory, and make a few things before I sign you on for longer than that."
I smile, exting my hand, "So long as I can have a roof for that week, I accept."
Wiz shakes my hand, and she's cold. As Luna leaves, smiling, I ask, "Are… are you ok? Your hand was… very cold."
Wiz freezes. She frowns and looks a little panicked, and I try helping. "I… magic is all kinds of new to me, and if it's like… a personal thing I get it."
She looks at me, conflicted, and mutters, "Imalich."
I blink, "I… were those words?"
She blushes, "I'm a lich."
I frown, "How…" she flinches, "...are you blushing?"
She looks at me. "Huh?"
"You're a Lich? You're cold because of no blood flow, that makes sense. So how can you blush?"
She gapes, looking… like I've shocked her. "You… aren't scared?"
"You run a magical item shop near the center of town. There are children playing soccer outside. If you were some kind of soul eating monster then someone would know about it. So no."
She smiles, brightly, and blushes again. "That's… very nice of you to say."
I blink, "I guess. So again… how do you blush?"
Wiz begins explaining her magical skin illusion/conjuration/transfiguration magic hybrid spell, and I'm lost immediately. "Wiz."
"-using the principle of Gabaron's Second Principal of Observation, and applying it to-"
"Wiz!"
She pauses, and I continue, "I don't know what you are talking about."
She blinks, "But you're an Artificer, shouldn't you know about self targeting spells?"
*Craftsman (Renegade Immortal) (100) Subtracting 100 for Status: {Mortal}, Internal Overflow, Craftsman II (Renegade Immortal) (200) Subtracting 100 for Status: {Mortal}, Internal Overflow, Craftsman III (Renegade Immortal) (300) Subtracting 100 for Status: {Mortal}. Cost (200) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
I blink and look at what that does.
Craftsman (Renegade Immortal): Building and crafting things is an omnipresent facet of civilization. Utensils, furniture, homes and everything else, they all need people to build them. It's the same for cultivators, though the sheer length of time they live tends to mean that everyone picks up some skills here and there. When they actually devote time and effort towards mastering crafting though? The results are beyond belief.
You have the sheer level of talent and vision necessary to match, and eventually outclass Esteemed Tian Bao, the most famed craftsman of the collapsed Celestial Realm from ages gone by who was responsible for the God Slaying Chariot, an attempt to create a peerless weapon that was surprisingly successful in the end. While you're not there yet, with time, experimentation and the right materials, you could create similarly powerful treasures, artifacts or pieces of art, things that would attract the attention of Third Step cultivators. Mortals can buy this level for 200.
I have the ability to make ultra high quality anything if I put my mind to it. I can get behind that. No idea what a Cultivator is, but… if it's weapons on the level of God Slaying… that's like… crazy high tier.
This is also a new Constellation set that I connected to. It's simply labeled Abilities, and it's the largest by far. The minor constellation...seems to have a name, but I can't see it yet. Like it's waiting for me to know more.
Blinking back from my constellation, I turn to Wiz, "I've never studied magic. I got Artificer through some weird coincidence when I registered. Blank slate."
Wiz looks at me, and smiles, "I have a student!" She says, looking ecstatic, "Do you know how long it's been since I really taught anyone anything?"
There's a pause in the conversation like I'm supposed to answer, "You don't look a day over 22?"
She blushes, harder, her whole face going full anime red. "I… thank you."
Silence holds the room down for a bit, and I continue, "I can't even guess."
She smiles, unnaturally quickly losing her blush. Illusion magic, right. "Too long. I'll close up, and we can look into training you to really make some stuff. As an Arch-Lich and an Arch-Witch, I can make some items, but they are more power focused, not really high quality. If they were…"
She looks at me, a greedy shine coming over her eyes, "Well… Good enchantments are worth more than their weight in gold."
I smile, "So training me right is profitable?"
She smiles, "It is. Let's get to work."
Dragging me into the back room, the same way Luna did, is… different, she's not warm like Luna had been, but Wiz was firm and somehow less… pushy. Or I was projecting from my far more aggressive negotiations with Luna.
Arriving in the back room, there are several small tables. Some seem to be for alchemy, and others for… I hesitate to say anything, but I see tiny arms, but once Wiz turned the lights on…
It's so relieving to see stuffed doll arms instead of something bloody. "This is my work room. I make some of my wares here. If you need any type of magical station, then I can get it built or brought in. But for now, this…" She drags me over to a pentagon, with five smaller sets of interlocking squares set up in the general shape of a pentagram. "... is the basic enchanting table. It has stations for smaller magics and is a station for minor magic. Intermediate tables need to be made out of harder, and rarer materials than this… by the time you need one of those, we will probably already have the money for one."
I nod, and she puts some paper, and ink on the closest 3 interlocking squares. "This is paper, prepared for enchanting into contract paper."
*Artisan of Moonsilver (Exalted - The Lunars) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 100 Points.*
I missed something, but that's fine. Looking down at the paper, I focus on it, placing my hand on it, and looking within for magic. My magic. After a few seconds, I don't feel anything.
Until I start hearing Wiz laugh, "Ok. So… you are going to cast Enchant soon right?"
I blink, "Cast what?"
She blinks, and sighs, and holds out her hand slowly. "It's on your Guild Card?"
I blink and hand her my guild card. She frowns, and presses something, and shows it to me. "I put all 6 of your starting points into Enchant. It's the only spell you have, and making basic things requires so little mana most Knights could do it. Now, press the 'you' icon in the top right to confirm."
I do, and there's a sensation. Like I'm being rewritten, but… in a good way. Like a debugging process or a massage for my...me. After a few seconds, the card stops glowing and the sensation leaves me feeling relieved. Like a hot shower.
I turn back to the paper, saying directly, feeling giddy inside, "Enchant."
Golden and black light reach out from my fingers, touching the paper as if it's weaving through it. I can feel Craftsman activate as I know what to do, and am mildly offended in some corner of my being at the quality of the paper I'm putting my energy into. It fades quickly, but it's weird.
After a few seconds, the paper stops glowing, and my bands of energy turn on the ink. Sinking into it from its open top bottle magically changes it to a far more… cosmic looking black, stars floating in the ink like the night sky. As it finishes, the bottle glows and cracks. I almost stop, but I can feel that I'm doing this correctly. The bottle stops glowing moments later, with sharper edges, better definition, and is slightly slimmer. Finally, my magic turns to the simple white feather quill, which begins to glow and elongates, gaining silvery streaks in the core and a solid gold natural looking tip.
Wiz stopped breathing about halfway through the minutes-long process, holding a hand over her face, and looking flabbergasted. As it finishes, I turn, kinda dizzy, and say, "I know you don't need to breathe. But it's comforting? Why am I tired all of a sudden?"
Wiz blinks, and smiles, "I was expecting you to burn through your magic trying to do the paper. I… never expected this."
I smile, "I got a gift!" I was never a big drinker, is this what being drunk feels like?
She smiles, "You do. Now…" She puts her hand on my shoulder and I shiver and feel awake again. "It seems that you should invest points from your training into Mana, not Enchant. Your control is… well I've never seen better. I doubt anyone has. The Dustiness Ford family would pay a small fortune for paper this good."
*Mind of the Sun (Exalted - The Solars) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 Points.*
Wiz leaves a stack of paper on the table, saying, "The ink and quill will sell incredibly well, but not in the volume of paper. You do as much as you think you can and then stop. I don't want to find you passed out from Mana Down in here."
I nod, and ask, "How… how do you know when you're at your limit?"
She frowns, "I… I start to fall apart, literally dematerialize, you… that same dizzy feeling you muttered about is typical for humans. Try doing 1 page at a time."
I nod, and she leaves. I put all but 1 page out of the stack in the center of the table, and the single page on the squares closest to me. I look at it, and speak again, "Enchant."
All 5 interlocking squares light up. And the central stack starts floating. Joined quickly by the piece I set off to the side, and I...don't know how to stop. I can feel my skill guiding my hands, making masterwork contract paper until it's done. Surprisingly quickly actually. Then I feel that same drunkenness hit me like a truck. Damn it.
I feel my legs go to jelly, and slowly fall backward. I'm actually too numb to feel myself hitting the floor, and I pass out almost instantly.
I woke… unknown time later to Wiz's angry look, "I said not to pass out."
I blush, and stammer out, "I pushed all but one off to the side, well… technically in the center of the table, and I tried casting only on the one piece, but the whole table activated, and they were floating, and I'm not sure how to stop the spell, and then I fell over."
She frowned, "That's… a simple mistake. And for the entire stack, that's more efficient. But you also... " She leaves through the stack. "Well… for normal people running out of magic ruins the final product. But you apparently had either exactly the right amount of magic. Or are some kind of… professional."
She looks at me suspiciously, and I frown, "I've never done this before."
"I know. You can't lie on a Guild Card. It's impossible."
I nod, and she lets me up. "Given that we seem equally accident prone… perhaps you should keep one or two magic up potions on you. They are prohibitively expensive because no one in town makes them… but you might be able to."
I nod, "I can definitely try."
She leads me over to the potion station and explains how the ingredients work. She even has the stuff I will need, but, "Normally only someone well trained in Enchant Potion can make potions, and it's restricted to the Artificer class as a secondary spell. You can see it on your spells list, but I don't expect you to get access to it for weeks. It costs more mana, and is far more forgiving than the enchanting spell, and let's see if you're a professional at this as well."
I nod and begin mixing the ingredients.
*Slime (Overlord - The Series) (200) Bought. Remaining: 100 points. Rerolling. Alchemic Prodigy (Elder Scrolls Online) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 Points.*
I… Well, that happened. I checked what my new powers were and actually started laughing. Real, full body laughing. I actually fell over, I was laughing so hard. That's too good.
Slime (Overlord - The Series): There are many types of slimes and oozes. All of them uniformly are next to impossible to hurt with physical attacks, but are incredibly vulnerable to one type of elemental damage (fire for a regular slime, ice/cold for a lava slime, etc) and also possess a slight weakness to magic in general. You possess the ability to take on a human form that will pass even close inspection, while losing none of the benefits that come with being made up of an amorphous slime-like substance. You possess physical abilities at least twenty times that of a human including speed, despite how odd that may seem. You can naturally fit through tight spaces, shape your body into unnatural forms, and can make as many 'feelers' or 'manipulator arms' as you like. In truth you're more like a uniformly colored Shoggoth than you are anything else, except without all the eyes and body parts. Slimes are also powerfully acidic and can inflict grievous acid damage on anything they touch; you naturally possess the ability to determine whether or not your acid will damage the things you are in contact with. All Slimes are naturally good at alchemy and can create alchemical substances and magical potions, if they possess the knowledge of their creation, directly out of their own body. Slimes, due to their nature, are ageless.
Alchemic Prodigy (Elder Scrolls Online): One of the most profitable and respected professions in Tamriel, a good alchemist can find lucrative work just about anywhere on Nirn, from Necrom to Stros M'Kai. Aside from a good bit of experience in identifying herbs that can be used for medicinal (or malign) creations, you have enough experience to work with up to Rank Five solvents and oils (Purified Water and Pitch Vile respectively), with a whole decade to learn even more. Healing potions, potions to bolster physical attributes, or even debilitating poisons cannot only be produced, but with adequate testing you can even begin to mix and match their effects by combining the right ingredients.
I was already decent at making anything, but I am a damn near master at Alchemy now. That's amazing, and I need to see how this goes.
I need to restart because I don't have the concentration right. Wiz seems surprised, but doesn't even blink when I freehand the measurements to the grain this time, and mix them with a small cleansed wooden stick, before casting "Enchant!"
She actually looks away, expecting a wave of light like before, and when nothing seems to happen, she turns back around, seeing the creation bottle full of a deep blue potion.
She frowns. "It's supposed to be a light blue color, nearly green."
I nod, actually knowing what happened, "That's for a low density potion. This is prime, grade S, Magic Restoration potion."
She blinks, "How...how concentrated?"
I turn, my brain supplying ratios, and eventually, "If I can get 4.88 Gallons of purified water… well. We'll have a new product."
Wiz actually tears up at my masterpiece. "This is amazing!"
I smile, standing, "That you for giving me a chance to… thrive."
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What Was Once an unknown salesman: Chapter 2
What Was Once an unknown salesman: Chapter 2
AN: We meet some of the characters in the main series here. I'm going by Anime ages, because...honestly Megumine looks and sounds 13.
I was smiling like a loon as Wiz took a bidding war over her new product. We were rolling in it now. Apparently, magic replenishing potions were worth…
"8000 Eris!"
"9000 Eris!"
"12000 Eris!"
"20000 Eris!"
"21000-"
"35000 Eris!"
The big jumps were this older looking man. He looked more like a butler than nobility.
There is a grumpy silence from the crowd of heavily armed men, when he strides forward, bag in hand, and proceeds to take out coins, "35000 Eris."
Wiz blinks, realizing who this is, "The Dustiness Ford family need not pay this much, we…"
"My lord has ordered that I leave this shop with a Mana Restoration potion. I am authorized up to 50000 Eris before simply demanding it as a replacement for this month's rent on your store."
I step forward. "If I guarantee 2 potions a month to your lord, can we deliver ahead of schedule, and have that in writing?"
He blinks. "I understand you are her new employee. If Wiz is willing to make such a contract, then I have the authority to sign such an agreement."
I head into the back and bring out our newest contract paper, quill, and ink, I look to Wiz who dictated the contract, " Lord Dustiness Ford agrees to receive the payment of 2 vials of Mana Recovery potion every month until such a time that it becomes prohibitive for the employees of Wiz's Magical Item Parlor to continue such a dealing."
The butler looks at us, and smiles, "You know I can't allow that."
We haggle, and something in the promise of more potions tips off everyone that we can make them.
We end up with a simple contract. One that means that we will only have one maybe 2 deliveries before we get voided.
*Hull Architect (Endless Space) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
Oh good. Making spaceships. That's definitely something that will come in handy sooner than later.
Wait. I… that's an orbital bombardment craft, with a high grade targeting grid. Devil King versus orbital strike laser… that might be more useful than I thought. Eventually.
Looking down at the contract, we can pay ahead of time, obviously, an unlimited amount of time too, but if he decides that we are getting away too good with this deal, or if we can't make potions anymore, the contract is voided.
Wiz smiles at me, and I nod. I spend the next few hours making as many potions as I can manage the materials for. Internally as well, seeing as I'm technically a slime now. That's so cool. The potency isn't higher, but using… me as a base I actually get almost twice to volume per set of ingredients. The ingredients are cheap too because they aren't terribly useful in much else and grow plentifully around here.
Almost like it's supposed to be a beginner town and has the resources for it. I don't know what that minor competent design decision for this world was so impressive, but it was.
Making as many potions as we could with the proceeds of our first batch of potions was… a long effort, even with my Slime powers. At the end of the day, 285 potions were made. I had needed 3 through the process to finish making the rest. Saving 11 for ourselves, we delivered the other 274 to the manor at the edge of town. 274 divided by two is 137 months of operation covered, meaning that as 30000 Eris a month, they had delivered a literal fortune for the use of our store for 11 years, 5 months. He had ripped up the contract immediately afterward, but… it was worth it. Wiz and I had nearly 100% profitable employment for more than a decade.
More than enough time for me to build the weapons I would need to kill the Devil King and...huh. Anything I could ask for… but what did I want? I wanted to do something good with a second life, making fewer mistakes, and I certainly haven't made many yet, I wasn't sure what I was even going to ask for.
Maybe demoting Aqua and getting another world saving job. So far, this was a lot of fun.
Regardless of my long term plans, tonight I was going to try getting into my workshop.
Then I realized that I didn't have the blueprints to make a key.
That's… huh. I wonder why not? Normally it's one of the things everyone already has built when the story starts, but I am violently lacking in Keys. Maybe I'll get in when I get an actual place to go. I unlocked the workshop, not anything in it to get to so far.
Then… I'll work on my Enchanting spell. I want to see what it can do.
*Getting With The Times (Highschool DxD) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
I… I think I was relieved. I… watched 1 whole episode of that show once, and I was not looking forward to what that nudity obsessed trainwreck might give me for a power. I've seen box art. No thanks.
Looking back to my enchanting, I have one of our remaining lesser potions. I don't know what is going to happen if I try this… but Wiz was nearby, and as a Slime, the portion of me she was holding in a jar would theoretically be able to be healed back to full.
I can't have more than one of me running around. Tried that. It dissolved under the healing spell and returned to me.
Now, before any other terrible thoughts run wild, "Enchant!"
The potion glows, it gradually gets darker and darker until it matches the shade I made personally.
That's… what the hell kinda…
Then it catches fire, and I smother it with a gelatinous hand.
I'm… I'm conflicted by this result. I'm kinda glad that I, a level 1 Artificer with the highest skill level and no experience, can't make infinity of my potions, diluting them over and over again for infinite profit, but I'm also pissed that I can't make an infinite supply of my dark blue potions and just hire an army to kill the Devil King.
Or build a spaceship, and shoot him from space. That would be good too.
Wiz smiles, "That's what not having enough magic to stabilize the enchantment normally looks like. It's nice to see that you have limits. If you hadn't absorbed that potion when you did you would probably have collapsed."
I blink. So my magical cap. "Is there a way to train your magical cap?"
Wiz sighs, "If only. People have a magical cap sent primarily by their skills, and how they invest in things. If you invested heavily in yourself instead of skills then you could rapidly cast more and more spells, but for this kind of work you typically pay for a better staff, and or Manatite crystals. Natural structures with theoretically infinity Mana as long as you don't fully discharge them."
I nod, "So how much mana am I short if you had to guess?"
"I don't know. That's one of the biggest issues with Enchanting. You could need 1 more point or a million. There isn't really any method of knowing without the Analysis spell, something that you need to be level 5 to unlock.
I nod slowly, "How do I do that?"
"Killing monsters or fulfilling quests. Quests have a fixed amount of experience that is divided up amongst those who did work, based on effort. Eris can be split however the completing party decided, but the experience is automatic. It is also dynamic. If you have a quest to deliver mail, then you might get 10 experience, if you run into a bandit, and stop them then you might get 100."
I nod, "How do I go about completing… crafting quests?"
*Savvy Sultan (Macross) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 Points.*
Unfortunate, because I know that's one of the massive boosts to production, but… oh well.
"I didn't ask the guild for them, I… didn't want the attention, but you could go in and ask for Enchanting or Alchemy. They probably won't give you much experience, but with how fast you are at it compared to others… and the quality, they might have an experience bonus for exceeding expectations. And I need to register you as my employee before she gets any ideas."
I nod along, until that last part, "I'm sorry, what was that last part?"
"Nothing Damion. I'll see you in the morning." She begins dragging me outside, and I pause.
"Um...Wiz? Aren't I staying here?"
Wiz blinks, blushing to the roots again, "No! I… got you a small room at the Guild building. It's… I don't sleep and I don't own a bed."
I blink. Right. Lich. "Oh. Ok. I'll see you in the morning, Wiz!" I call out as I leave the store.
Arriving back at the guild building was… strange. It's been a day. One day, and I was employed, soon to be minorly wealthy, if my skills were anything to go by, and I had made and helped my friend/boss with her lease. For more than a decade.
And I'm a slime monster now. I think that precludes me from being eaten by Frogs, so that's awesome.
I head to the window, get my prepaid key for my room, and head up. I'm ready to hit the hay.
Then I actually lay in bed. And...am not tired. Like at all.
I should be… it's been such a long day, and I did so much nearly passing out, and I made trade agreements, and I… became… a…
I pull back up the description and frown. It doesn't say they don't need sleep. It says they are ageless, meaning I'm less mortal than I used to be, but… it doesn't say anything about not needing sleep, which...huh. What kind of slime am I? I deform into my slimy form, and huh…
I look a lot like that ink from before. I'm solid, eerie black, with stars, constellations visible out the window are on my skin. Am...Did I roll Cosmic Slime? What...what's even the weakness of a cosmic slime?
Time magic would be my only bet, but...eh. I turn human again and just give up. Heading back to work I explain that I had an idea, and need to work on it right now. I give the excuse that I'll bunk with Wiz, or sleep on the floor, or make a magic bed or something.
The night receptionist...who doesn't have her own nameplate, I looked, looks… not scandalized, but annoyed that I'm returning my key after… about 20 minutes, but she's kind enough to give me my money back.
I slip under the door to Wiz's shop and am about to announce myself when I'm frozen up to my neck by Wiz in...bone pajamas.
*Lost Arts (World of Darkness - Mummy the Resurrection) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 Points.*
"Hi Wiz. I… don't sleep anymore, so I came back. I can...should I leave?"
She looks...distracted, "I… Sorry. I've had break ins before by adventurers who know I'm a Lich. It's stressful, so I have a ward over the door."
I blink, "Smart. That doesn't answer my question, would you like me to leave?"
"I...pretend to sleep. It's… helpful to remember what being human is like, to...try to relate."
I nod, "That takes far more self control than I've ever had. I'm going to head out. Maybe I'll see if the Giant Toads can eat space slime."
She blinks, "What?"
I morph, "I'm a Slime."
She blinks, and rage is in her eyes, "Hans, I don't know how you deceived the Guild, but you should not have tried to deceive me!"
I freeze, literally, as more ice climbs my neck, "Wait! Wiz! I'm not...whoever Hanz is." I morph into my slime body, trying to escape, and she freezes.
"I… Damion… You… your guild card?"
I'm shivering, "Can you thaw me out, and I'll explain?"
She nods, and I thaw, more and more of my constellations coming out as I do. "I wasn't a slime this morning. I wasn't on this planet this morning."
"You're a summoned hero?"
I blink, "Yes. I… suppose that's common?"
"About a tenth of the population of the town. Moderate numbers across the world. Are… Are you here to slay the Devil King?"
"Eventually. Yes."
"I… need to ask why?"
I blink, confused, "Um...well I was offered a chance to save a world? It's… I spoke to a goddess, and she allowed me to choose a gift. Mine is a slowly, but near endlessly growing library of magical, technological, and techno-magical weapons, armor, ideas, and skills that I will one day use to kill the Devil King. I'm saving this world."
Wiz blinks, "That's...huh."
"What's the problem?"
"Well… the Devil King isn't… I was once in a party to kill him. But… I made a deal with him as the Ice Witch not to harm innocent people, only those that attack him or are Adventurers. People whose whole job it is to fight monsters. I… as far as I know he had abided by our agreement."
I blink. "That's… very open ended. And kinda self defeating."
She blinks, looking a little betrayed, "How?"
"Well, you've attacked me. If a villager throws a rock at me, hell depending on the magical, or mental gymnastics he might be able to attack someone because they were rude, or insulting. 'He attacked my image as the Devil King.' or something like that."
She blinks, "I...no. He… he swore to uphold our deal."
I frown, "I… Wiz. what are you doing for him?"
"His castle. It has an indestructible barrier. It's maintained by the life energy of 8 people. 7 of his 8 generals, and myself. His final general is inside the castle. Protecting his king."
*The Overachiever (Toaruverse) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 400 Points.*
I nod. Expensive perk, but oh well. "Ok. I… I understand why you did what you did. If I believed that one act, not even harming anyone, could prevent...years?"
She frowns. "Decades?"
She nods, and I frown, "Wiz. I want you to think about something. If he's even paid lip service to your deal, how many people do you think were spared? If half of a town runs away and aren't followed because of your deal, how many hundreds, maybe thousands of lives have you saved with this sacrifice?"
Wiz looks up. Tears in her eyes and I approach to wipe them away, and they kinda… dissolve into vapor. Huh. Automatic control of my surface damage. That's neat.
She smiles at me, "I… I'll help you, and when you need to breach his castle…"
"Remember that near infinitely large mass of magic and techno-magic? I will find a way to save you."
She frowns, "I… don't…"
"You made a deal in good faith. You trusted that he might be something resembling honorable. If he was… then you've saved literally countless lives, if he was even the littlest bit respectful, then you've had more lives than anyone else in this city, maybe combined. If he hasn't done anything at all then you would have heard about it… right?"
"He… the guild hasn't said much about rampant town burning, but…"
"That means he's doing something. That's good. Remember what that little bit of restraint you've put on him has caused. So many lives."
She smiles. Widely, "Thank you. Damion. Thank you so much."
"It's the least I can do for a friend. Now...let's see what madness we can make tonight."
She smiles, and I form into a human again, and we head back. Time to make some magic happen.
Several hours later… we don't have many ideas. Wiz frowns, "I… my mind's elsewhere."
I nod, "Same."
I blink for a bit, "Wiz… do you want to try making a bed that would allow us to sleep?"
Wiz blinks, "I… that would be an interesting challenge."
I smile, "I'll start researching the enchantment, you research the components, and in the morning we'll get a bed delivered to perfect a night's sleep."
She smiles, and heads over to her bookshelf, and brings the tombs. Splitting my eyes, scanning for good information, and combining back together when I find anything good. It's a good project for us to work on this early in the morning. And if we can get in on sleeping roles… perfect sleep, even in the wilds…
That sounds like a cash cow from Adventurers. I smile. Multitasking.
As the sun rises into the street, I find it. The magical requirement from this sleeping spell, it's not the standard, that only works on things that sleep normally, this...this is something more potent, and something that will put us to sleep. The comfort and stability enhancement over here can be repurposed from those ghastly heels to something more well rounded.
*Sum of its Parts (Satisfactory Factorio Gauntlet) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 500 Points.*
I… knowing what I do about Gauntlet, and the marginally less about Satisfactory and Factorio, that… might have been crazy useful. But sadly, not today.
But my enchantments are ready, turning and Wiz… left. Leaving me a stack of ingredients in her wake.
I smile, that's awesome.
She returns a few hours later, a bed being carried by 2 tall men. "Damion! I got the test bed!"
I smile, "Nice. Let's try this thing."
She has them put it down in the middle of the room, and I lay the removable top of the enchanting table on its surface. The men watch as I cast, "Enchant!"
Light glows from the bed, as its wood is seemingly replaced by a grey material, and its sheets turn a silvery color, before becoming almost gold. Then it stops.
And it doesn't catch fire.
I jump, pumping my fist in success. "I did it! The magical super bed is a go!"
The two men look at it, and one of them asks, "Why'd you make a magic bed?"
I turn, "Have you ever had a bad night of sleep and spent the next day, or even two days off, and grumpy?"
They look between them. The other answers, "Nah, the ale at the guild knocks yuh out gud."
I blink. "You regularly drink enough to blackout?"
"What a 'black out'?" The other asks, still alternating.
"When you drink until you can't remember, or until you are unconscious."
"Oh. Yep. Sometimes 's mult-iple times a night." The other answers again.
I nod, "You know that can cause brain damage? Permanent?"
"Na little fella. Every few weeks we gets ourselves pur-fied by one of the Eris gents. Right as rain."
I blink. "Curing brain damage with holy magic. I… that's something I never would have considered. That's… a very interesting strategy."
"We gots an appointment today. Taken this moneys for the costs." The same one that answered my questions finished.
I nod, "Well… I hope to see you around."
They leave, and Wiz smiles, "They're normally more conversational. They lost their brother about a year ago, and have been doing this ever since."
I blink, and nod, "I… kinda feel bad."
"Don't. You can't have known they were suffering, and they are slowly getting over it. Slowly."
I nod, and point to the bed, "I'm going to see about a few quests. I can cover the store when I get back if you want to test it."
"It was your idea. You can try it tonight."
I smile, "Ok Wiz. See you in a bit."
I head into the Guild, walking up to the front desk I ask, "Hello Luna. Do you have any crafting quests?"
She blinks, "We do indeed. Are… are you taking them? Wiz was never really on board."
"She told me I should. I think she didn't want them herself. So… what do you have for me?"
"A batch of healing potions. B grade minimum, herbs provided. Not a lot of experience."
*Shadow Economy | Discreet Purchaser (Lords of the Night - Liches) (800) Not Bought. Remaining: 600 Points.*
Damn, my luck is bottom tier today. That looks...damn powerful too.
I look back to Luna, and frown, "Maybe, but what else have you got?"
She shuffles her paperwork some, and has, "There's a crusader… she wants assistance, but… it's been failed enough by mages that it has a challenge flag."
I smile, "Accuracy buffs?"
"Not long enough, and most aren't strong enough."
"How much experience are we talking about?"
"Level 8, maybe 9."
I smile, "Send her over. I'll see about getting all that expe- getting her trained to hit things."
Luna shorted, and it was kinda adorable. Walking away, "Is that Healing potion one… repeatable? Or overacheveble?"
"Double the experience for each grade over requested, and fixed to the number of potions, it's a permanent recurring quest."
I smile, "Actually, sign me up for that too. Can't hurt right?"
She smiles, "Thank you. We always need more healing potions. The supplies will arrive in an hour or so."
Walking out, I mentally catalog, I can make S+ class healing potions right now. I can double the number for every grade I go down. But if they are supplying the resources...then I could just make all the ones I can for no cost. Minimal exp times 4, times the number they ask for, given standard vials...I nearly get double the mass for my potions created internally…
That's a pretty penny.
I smile. And I'm helping people. That's always good.
Arriving at the shop, there's a small girl waiting at the door. "Hello. Can I help you with something?"
She turns around...witch hat billowing with her cloak as she spins in shock.
"Ahhhh!"
I blink, "I'm an employee at that store. You're standing in our doorway. Would you like to come inside?"
She frowns, "I… no."
I frown. "Little one…"
"I'm not a child!"
"How old are you?"
"I'm… thirteen."
I frown, "Ok. When you can vote, I'll call you a fellow adult."
She frowns, "What voting?"
"Nevermind." I blink. Right. Medieval aristocracy. "When the Guild will sell you a drink."
She pouts, "I… want a staff."
I look at the gnarled wood in her hand, "Looks like you have one. Want an improvement? Or a new one?"
She blinks, "You… aren't going to ask if I can afford it?"
"You're a Witch right?"
"I am an Arch-Witch I'll have you know."
"Then I might call in a favor. Charging a Manatite crystal, or helping me get rare ingredients. You will be signing a contract about that, however. Economic security and all that."
She frowns, "Yes. That."
I smile, "Come on in. I'll get you set up before my Guild contact gets here."
She follows me inside, and Wiz blinks, "Did you get your quests?"
"Healing potions and a Crusader needs accuracy."
They both chuckle, and I look between them. Wiz begins, "Darkness… she's… her finesse is effectively zero."
I nod, "I'll figure something out. Now… little Arch-Witch, what do you want to be added to your staff?"
*Equivalent Exchange (Minecraft) (600) requires Crafting Table (Minecraft) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
She blinks, "I… I cast Explosion."
I'm not really focusing on her anymore, I know that perk. This… this is going to be fun. Infinite resources, just add time. I frown, "Ok. That's a big spell isn't it?" Turning to Wiz.
She nods, explaining, "Advanced magic. High drain, high reward."
I'll need a light dusk, some magically conductive dust, and a diamond. And a log. I think quickly of the enchantments I saw in that book, looking at the staff, "I can probably get a magic booster or a small mana battery in the crystal."
The little witch looks ecstatic, and I continue, "Can… can I do both?"
I look at the staff, "I don't think so."
She frowns, "Then… can I do the booster?"
I nod and hold out my hand. I head into the back and focus on the staff for a bit. "Enchant!"
I smile, as the enchantment holds, and I give it back to the witch and ask Wiz, can you get her a favor contract? I… have something I need to investigate."
Wiz blinks, and I wave, "It's a creation thing."
She nods, and smiles, "I'll handle it."
Heading into the back, I investigate. When the boxes from the Guild arrive, I take them into the back, 2 or three at a time, and eat them completely, forming bottle after bottle, and head back out to get another crate of bottles to go with my volume increase.
They are… mortified and Wiz explains that I can make more, not that I'm done.
I blink, why is she… Oh. I made 120 potions in 4 minutes, that's… crazy.
I shrug and agree.
They leave a second box of vials later, and I fill that one too, actually finished this time.
Heading back to my book, Wiz interrupts, "What's wrong with you?"
I blink. "I need to find some specific materials, and then I can really start making progress."
"What do you need?"
"I need 4 handfuls of dust infused with light, and 4 handfuls of dust infused with magic channeling, and a small diamond."
She blinks, "That's a very specific requirement."
"It is."
She picks up the book and tells me to wait for Darkness, given that I have a quest to finish.
I nod, still feeling drawn to the research, I want to make my stone, but I should do my commitments. There are so many things I need that stone to make. And so little I can make with everything else I can make. It's… infuriating to be limited like this the moment I'm free to actually make something awesome.
Darkness arrives, and I focus on that. "Hello, Darkness."
She looks at me, "I… I don't know you."
I smile, "True. I'm new in town, I arrived yesterday in fact. Damion. I'll be your Artificer today. I understand you are...accuracy challenged."
She blinks. "I… yes. I am a crusader. I must be on the frontlines, as strong as possible to defend my comrades."
I smile. Ok, sure.
*Bonesinger (Warhammer 40K - Craftworld Eldar Jumpchain) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
I look at her, "Can I see your sword and your stat plate? I have an idea or two about enchanting it."
She nods and hands me her blade. Looking at it, I have options. "I'll be right back."
I head back into the back room and set the blade on the table. Let's see… I can see the issue, just like Wiz described before I… got distracted. Her finesse is below the minimum to wield the sword. So, I can alter that, remove it, or...hmmm…
That's good. Let's see then… removal and replace huh?
I smile and replace the finesse requirements with a second strength requirement. Let her go wild.
I head back out, and she blinks, "Are… you can't be done."
I smile, "I am indeed. Let's go see you hit something."
We head outside town and find a Giant Toad. It's not hard heading towards the forest. She runs over and swings.
Rib-bliggg.
The toad falls. Into 4 pieces. Critical hit?
She jumps up and down, yelling, "I did it! Did you see that! I hit something!"
I smile. "Good, good indeed. Let's head back, I'm sure you want to let everyone hear the good news."
Returning to the Guild was nice. I told them I would deliver the potions this afternoon, and Darkness hit a standing dummy.
The crowd lost their mind. Cheering, happiness, and calls for ale, and harder, from the bar.
I looked around and smiled. I went back to my shop after confirming that I had the reward.
Level 9.
I learned Analysis and put all my remaining points into my magic. I wanted my Philosopher's Stone and I wanted my recursion loop.
Getting back to the shop, Wiz had one of the answers for me. "Damion! I found one. Crushed Coronatite! It looks like it will work!"
I look at the pages, and I read through them. I smile. That will work. 4 small clumps of crushed Coronatite.
Looking at Wiz, "That's amazing. I…"
I see the rarity, and the cost flickers through my mind, "Wiz… we would need tens of millions…"
"I have a small chunk. We can grind it up. It's… something I never wanted to use. I'm an ice mage, not a fire mage."
I smile, "That's… Wiz, thank you so much. This means so much. And the glowstone? Any leads at all?"
"No. I… materials with light properties are rare. And nothing with a glass like secondary feature."
I nod, "I can look into it with you. Glowstone is weird."
We head into the back room and go through the books. At sun fall, the Guild people come back, and I give them the crates, they will send me the details when they've tested and counted them.
The books thin, and eventually I give up. I'm going to need to invent glowstone. There's a massive number of near glass crystals and many types of light magic that can be created. I just need to make the planks for the crafting table.
*Power Of The Pixel (Starbound) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
So, I get an uncut log from a local carpenter, and focus on it, trying to craft with it. And nada. Minutes of trying everything I can think of, but nada. Not so much as a twitch.
Looking up the rules for the crafting table, I blink.
Crafting Table (Minecraft): You can easily assemble a few planks into a crafting table, upon which you can nigh instantly produce almost anything, so long as you have all the parts and know the recipe. Items larger than a 1m3 cube, or which are not designed to be worn on your person or carried in your hand, may require more advanced crafting techniques, but you'll still find it easier to make the parts for it. Complex items usually require a bunch of subparts, and figuring out all the recipes for them can be difficult.
Oh. I need planks first.
AN: We meet some of the characters in the main series here. I'm going by Anime ages, because...honestly Megumine looks and sounds 13.
I was smiling like a loon as Wiz took a bidding war over her new product. We were rolling in it now. Apparently, magic replenishing potions were worth…
"8000 Eris!"
"9000 Eris!"
"12000 Eris!"
"20000 Eris!"
"21000-"
"35000 Eris!"
The big jumps were this older looking man. He looked more like a butler than nobility.
There is a grumpy silence from the crowd of heavily armed men, when he strides forward, bag in hand, and proceeds to take out coins, "35000 Eris."
Wiz blinks, realizing who this is, "The Dustiness Ford family need not pay this much, we…"
"My lord has ordered that I leave this shop with a Mana Restoration potion. I am authorized up to 50000 Eris before simply demanding it as a replacement for this month's rent on your store."
I step forward. "If I guarantee 2 potions a month to your lord, can we deliver ahead of schedule, and have that in writing?"
He blinks. "I understand you are her new employee. If Wiz is willing to make such a contract, then I have the authority to sign such an agreement."
I head into the back and bring out our newest contract paper, quill, and ink, I look to Wiz who dictated the contract, " Lord Dustiness Ford agrees to receive the payment of 2 vials of Mana Recovery potion every month until such a time that it becomes prohibitive for the employees of Wiz's Magical Item Parlor to continue such a dealing."
The butler looks at us, and smiles, "You know I can't allow that."
We haggle, and something in the promise of more potions tips off everyone that we can make them.
We end up with a simple contract. One that means that we will only have one maybe 2 deliveries before we get voided.
*Hull Architect (Endless Space) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
Oh good. Making spaceships. That's definitely something that will come in handy sooner than later.
Wait. I… that's an orbital bombardment craft, with a high grade targeting grid. Devil King versus orbital strike laser… that might be more useful than I thought. Eventually.
Looking down at the contract, we can pay ahead of time, obviously, an unlimited amount of time too, but if he decides that we are getting away too good with this deal, or if we can't make potions anymore, the contract is voided.
Wiz smiles at me, and I nod. I spend the next few hours making as many potions as I can manage the materials for. Internally as well, seeing as I'm technically a slime now. That's so cool. The potency isn't higher, but using… me as a base I actually get almost twice to volume per set of ingredients. The ingredients are cheap too because they aren't terribly useful in much else and grow plentifully around here.
Almost like it's supposed to be a beginner town and has the resources for it. I don't know what that minor competent design decision for this world was so impressive, but it was.
Making as many potions as we could with the proceeds of our first batch of potions was… a long effort, even with my Slime powers. At the end of the day, 285 potions were made. I had needed 3 through the process to finish making the rest. Saving 11 for ourselves, we delivered the other 274 to the manor at the edge of town. 274 divided by two is 137 months of operation covered, meaning that as 30000 Eris a month, they had delivered a literal fortune for the use of our store for 11 years, 5 months. He had ripped up the contract immediately afterward, but… it was worth it. Wiz and I had nearly 100% profitable employment for more than a decade.
More than enough time for me to build the weapons I would need to kill the Devil King and...huh. Anything I could ask for… but what did I want? I wanted to do something good with a second life, making fewer mistakes, and I certainly haven't made many yet, I wasn't sure what I was even going to ask for.
Maybe demoting Aqua and getting another world saving job. So far, this was a lot of fun.
Regardless of my long term plans, tonight I was going to try getting into my workshop.
Then I realized that I didn't have the blueprints to make a key.
That's… huh. I wonder why not? Normally it's one of the things everyone already has built when the story starts, but I am violently lacking in Keys. Maybe I'll get in when I get an actual place to go. I unlocked the workshop, not anything in it to get to so far.
Then… I'll work on my Enchanting spell. I want to see what it can do.
*Getting With The Times (Highschool DxD) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
I… I think I was relieved. I… watched 1 whole episode of that show once, and I was not looking forward to what that nudity obsessed trainwreck might give me for a power. I've seen box art. No thanks.
Looking back to my enchanting, I have one of our remaining lesser potions. I don't know what is going to happen if I try this… but Wiz was nearby, and as a Slime, the portion of me she was holding in a jar would theoretically be able to be healed back to full.
I can't have more than one of me running around. Tried that. It dissolved under the healing spell and returned to me.
Now, before any other terrible thoughts run wild, "Enchant!"
The potion glows, it gradually gets darker and darker until it matches the shade I made personally.
That's… what the hell kinda…
Then it catches fire, and I smother it with a gelatinous hand.
I'm… I'm conflicted by this result. I'm kinda glad that I, a level 1 Artificer with the highest skill level and no experience, can't make infinity of my potions, diluting them over and over again for infinite profit, but I'm also pissed that I can't make an infinite supply of my dark blue potions and just hire an army to kill the Devil King.
Or build a spaceship, and shoot him from space. That would be good too.
Wiz smiles, "That's what not having enough magic to stabilize the enchantment normally looks like. It's nice to see that you have limits. If you hadn't absorbed that potion when you did you would probably have collapsed."
I blink. So my magical cap. "Is there a way to train your magical cap?"
Wiz sighs, "If only. People have a magical cap sent primarily by their skills, and how they invest in things. If you invested heavily in yourself instead of skills then you could rapidly cast more and more spells, but for this kind of work you typically pay for a better staff, and or Manatite crystals. Natural structures with theoretically infinity Mana as long as you don't fully discharge them."
I nod, "So how much mana am I short if you had to guess?"
"I don't know. That's one of the biggest issues with Enchanting. You could need 1 more point or a million. There isn't really any method of knowing without the Analysis spell, something that you need to be level 5 to unlock.
I nod slowly, "How do I do that?"
"Killing monsters or fulfilling quests. Quests have a fixed amount of experience that is divided up amongst those who did work, based on effort. Eris can be split however the completing party decided, but the experience is automatic. It is also dynamic. If you have a quest to deliver mail, then you might get 10 experience, if you run into a bandit, and stop them then you might get 100."
I nod, "How do I go about completing… crafting quests?"
*Savvy Sultan (Macross) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 Points.*
Unfortunate, because I know that's one of the massive boosts to production, but… oh well.
"I didn't ask the guild for them, I… didn't want the attention, but you could go in and ask for Enchanting or Alchemy. They probably won't give you much experience, but with how fast you are at it compared to others… and the quality, they might have an experience bonus for exceeding expectations. And I need to register you as my employee before she gets any ideas."
I nod along, until that last part, "I'm sorry, what was that last part?"
"Nothing Damion. I'll see you in the morning." She begins dragging me outside, and I pause.
"Um...Wiz? Aren't I staying here?"
Wiz blinks, blushing to the roots again, "No! I… got you a small room at the Guild building. It's… I don't sleep and I don't own a bed."
I blink. Right. Lich. "Oh. Ok. I'll see you in the morning, Wiz!" I call out as I leave the store.
Arriving back at the guild building was… strange. It's been a day. One day, and I was employed, soon to be minorly wealthy, if my skills were anything to go by, and I had made and helped my friend/boss with her lease. For more than a decade.
And I'm a slime monster now. I think that precludes me from being eaten by Frogs, so that's awesome.
I head to the window, get my prepaid key for my room, and head up. I'm ready to hit the hay.
Then I actually lay in bed. And...am not tired. Like at all.
I should be… it's been such a long day, and I did so much nearly passing out, and I made trade agreements, and I… became… a…
I pull back up the description and frown. It doesn't say they don't need sleep. It says they are ageless, meaning I'm less mortal than I used to be, but… it doesn't say anything about not needing sleep, which...huh. What kind of slime am I? I deform into my slimy form, and huh…
I look a lot like that ink from before. I'm solid, eerie black, with stars, constellations visible out the window are on my skin. Am...Did I roll Cosmic Slime? What...what's even the weakness of a cosmic slime?
Time magic would be my only bet, but...eh. I turn human again and just give up. Heading back to work I explain that I had an idea, and need to work on it right now. I give the excuse that I'll bunk with Wiz, or sleep on the floor, or make a magic bed or something.
The night receptionist...who doesn't have her own nameplate, I looked, looks… not scandalized, but annoyed that I'm returning my key after… about 20 minutes, but she's kind enough to give me my money back.
I slip under the door to Wiz's shop and am about to announce myself when I'm frozen up to my neck by Wiz in...bone pajamas.
*Lost Arts (World of Darkness - Mummy the Resurrection) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 Points.*
"Hi Wiz. I… don't sleep anymore, so I came back. I can...should I leave?"
She looks...distracted, "I… Sorry. I've had break ins before by adventurers who know I'm a Lich. It's stressful, so I have a ward over the door."
I blink, "Smart. That doesn't answer my question, would you like me to leave?"
"I...pretend to sleep. It's… helpful to remember what being human is like, to...try to relate."
I nod, "That takes far more self control than I've ever had. I'm going to head out. Maybe I'll see if the Giant Toads can eat space slime."
She blinks, "What?"
I morph, "I'm a Slime."
She blinks, and rage is in her eyes, "Hans, I don't know how you deceived the Guild, but you should not have tried to deceive me!"
I freeze, literally, as more ice climbs my neck, "Wait! Wiz! I'm not...whoever Hanz is." I morph into my slime body, trying to escape, and she freezes.
"I… Damion… You… your guild card?"
I'm shivering, "Can you thaw me out, and I'll explain?"
She nods, and I thaw, more and more of my constellations coming out as I do. "I wasn't a slime this morning. I wasn't on this planet this morning."
"You're a summoned hero?"
I blink, "Yes. I… suppose that's common?"
"About a tenth of the population of the town. Moderate numbers across the world. Are… Are you here to slay the Devil King?"
"Eventually. Yes."
"I… need to ask why?"
I blink, confused, "Um...well I was offered a chance to save a world? It's… I spoke to a goddess, and she allowed me to choose a gift. Mine is a slowly, but near endlessly growing library of magical, technological, and techno-magical weapons, armor, ideas, and skills that I will one day use to kill the Devil King. I'm saving this world."
Wiz blinks, "That's...huh."
"What's the problem?"
"Well… the Devil King isn't… I was once in a party to kill him. But… I made a deal with him as the Ice Witch not to harm innocent people, only those that attack him or are Adventurers. People whose whole job it is to fight monsters. I… as far as I know he had abided by our agreement."
I blink. "That's… very open ended. And kinda self defeating."
She blinks, looking a little betrayed, "How?"
"Well, you've attacked me. If a villager throws a rock at me, hell depending on the magical, or mental gymnastics he might be able to attack someone because they were rude, or insulting. 'He attacked my image as the Devil King.' or something like that."
She blinks, "I...no. He… he swore to uphold our deal."
I frown, "I… Wiz. what are you doing for him?"
"His castle. It has an indestructible barrier. It's maintained by the life energy of 8 people. 7 of his 8 generals, and myself. His final general is inside the castle. Protecting his king."
*The Overachiever (Toaruverse) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 400 Points.*
I nod. Expensive perk, but oh well. "Ok. I… I understand why you did what you did. If I believed that one act, not even harming anyone, could prevent...years?"
She frowns. "Decades?"
She nods, and I frown, "Wiz. I want you to think about something. If he's even paid lip service to your deal, how many people do you think were spared? If half of a town runs away and aren't followed because of your deal, how many hundreds, maybe thousands of lives have you saved with this sacrifice?"
Wiz looks up. Tears in her eyes and I approach to wipe them away, and they kinda… dissolve into vapor. Huh. Automatic control of my surface damage. That's neat.
She smiles at me, "I… I'll help you, and when you need to breach his castle…"
"Remember that near infinitely large mass of magic and techno-magic? I will find a way to save you."
She frowns, "I… don't…"
"You made a deal in good faith. You trusted that he might be something resembling honorable. If he was… then you've saved literally countless lives, if he was even the littlest bit respectful, then you've had more lives than anyone else in this city, maybe combined. If he hasn't done anything at all then you would have heard about it… right?"
"He… the guild hasn't said much about rampant town burning, but…"
"That means he's doing something. That's good. Remember what that little bit of restraint you've put on him has caused. So many lives."
She smiles. Widely, "Thank you. Damion. Thank you so much."
"It's the least I can do for a friend. Now...let's see what madness we can make tonight."
She smiles, and I form into a human again, and we head back. Time to make some magic happen.
Several hours later… we don't have many ideas. Wiz frowns, "I… my mind's elsewhere."
I nod, "Same."
I blink for a bit, "Wiz… do you want to try making a bed that would allow us to sleep?"
Wiz blinks, "I… that would be an interesting challenge."
I smile, "I'll start researching the enchantment, you research the components, and in the morning we'll get a bed delivered to perfect a night's sleep."
She smiles, and heads over to her bookshelf, and brings the tombs. Splitting my eyes, scanning for good information, and combining back together when I find anything good. It's a good project for us to work on this early in the morning. And if we can get in on sleeping roles… perfect sleep, even in the wilds…
That sounds like a cash cow from Adventurers. I smile. Multitasking.
As the sun rises into the street, I find it. The magical requirement from this sleeping spell, it's not the standard, that only works on things that sleep normally, this...this is something more potent, and something that will put us to sleep. The comfort and stability enhancement over here can be repurposed from those ghastly heels to something more well rounded.
*Sum of its Parts (Satisfactory Factorio Gauntlet) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 500 Points.*
I… knowing what I do about Gauntlet, and the marginally less about Satisfactory and Factorio, that… might have been crazy useful. But sadly, not today.
But my enchantments are ready, turning and Wiz… left. Leaving me a stack of ingredients in her wake.
I smile, that's awesome.
She returns a few hours later, a bed being carried by 2 tall men. "Damion! I got the test bed!"
I smile, "Nice. Let's try this thing."
She has them put it down in the middle of the room, and I lay the removable top of the enchanting table on its surface. The men watch as I cast, "Enchant!"
Light glows from the bed, as its wood is seemingly replaced by a grey material, and its sheets turn a silvery color, before becoming almost gold. Then it stops.
And it doesn't catch fire.
I jump, pumping my fist in success. "I did it! The magical super bed is a go!"
The two men look at it, and one of them asks, "Why'd you make a magic bed?"
I turn, "Have you ever had a bad night of sleep and spent the next day, or even two days off, and grumpy?"
They look between them. The other answers, "Nah, the ale at the guild knocks yuh out gud."
I blink. "You regularly drink enough to blackout?"
"What a 'black out'?" The other asks, still alternating.
"When you drink until you can't remember, or until you are unconscious."
"Oh. Yep. Sometimes 's mult-iple times a night." The other answers again.
I nod, "You know that can cause brain damage? Permanent?"
"Na little fella. Every few weeks we gets ourselves pur-fied by one of the Eris gents. Right as rain."
I blink. "Curing brain damage with holy magic. I… that's something I never would have considered. That's… a very interesting strategy."
"We gots an appointment today. Taken this moneys for the costs." The same one that answered my questions finished.
I nod, "Well… I hope to see you around."
They leave, and Wiz smiles, "They're normally more conversational. They lost their brother about a year ago, and have been doing this ever since."
I blink, and nod, "I… kinda feel bad."
"Don't. You can't have known they were suffering, and they are slowly getting over it. Slowly."
I nod, and point to the bed, "I'm going to see about a few quests. I can cover the store when I get back if you want to test it."
"It was your idea. You can try it tonight."
I smile, "Ok Wiz. See you in a bit."
I head into the Guild, walking up to the front desk I ask, "Hello Luna. Do you have any crafting quests?"
She blinks, "We do indeed. Are… are you taking them? Wiz was never really on board."
"She told me I should. I think she didn't want them herself. So… what do you have for me?"
"A batch of healing potions. B grade minimum, herbs provided. Not a lot of experience."
*Shadow Economy | Discreet Purchaser (Lords of the Night - Liches) (800) Not Bought. Remaining: 600 Points.*
Damn, my luck is bottom tier today. That looks...damn powerful too.
I look back to Luna, and frown, "Maybe, but what else have you got?"
She shuffles her paperwork some, and has, "There's a crusader… she wants assistance, but… it's been failed enough by mages that it has a challenge flag."
I smile, "Accuracy buffs?"
"Not long enough, and most aren't strong enough."
"How much experience are we talking about?"
"Level 8, maybe 9."
I smile, "Send her over. I'll see about getting all that expe- getting her trained to hit things."
Luna shorted, and it was kinda adorable. Walking away, "Is that Healing potion one… repeatable? Or overacheveble?"
"Double the experience for each grade over requested, and fixed to the number of potions, it's a permanent recurring quest."
I smile, "Actually, sign me up for that too. Can't hurt right?"
She smiles, "Thank you. We always need more healing potions. The supplies will arrive in an hour or so."
Walking out, I mentally catalog, I can make S+ class healing potions right now. I can double the number for every grade I go down. But if they are supplying the resources...then I could just make all the ones I can for no cost. Minimal exp times 4, times the number they ask for, given standard vials...I nearly get double the mass for my potions created internally…
That's a pretty penny.
I smile. And I'm helping people. That's always good.
Arriving at the shop, there's a small girl waiting at the door. "Hello. Can I help you with something?"
She turns around...witch hat billowing with her cloak as she spins in shock.
"Ahhhh!"
I blink, "I'm an employee at that store. You're standing in our doorway. Would you like to come inside?"
She frowns, "I… no."
I frown. "Little one…"
"I'm not a child!"
"How old are you?"
"I'm… thirteen."
I frown, "Ok. When you can vote, I'll call you a fellow adult."
She frowns, "What voting?"
"Nevermind." I blink. Right. Medieval aristocracy. "When the Guild will sell you a drink."
She pouts, "I… want a staff."
I look at the gnarled wood in her hand, "Looks like you have one. Want an improvement? Or a new one?"
She blinks, "You… aren't going to ask if I can afford it?"
"You're a Witch right?"
"I am an Arch-Witch I'll have you know."
"Then I might call in a favor. Charging a Manatite crystal, or helping me get rare ingredients. You will be signing a contract about that, however. Economic security and all that."
She frowns, "Yes. That."
I smile, "Come on in. I'll get you set up before my Guild contact gets here."
She follows me inside, and Wiz blinks, "Did you get your quests?"
"Healing potions and a Crusader needs accuracy."
They both chuckle, and I look between them. Wiz begins, "Darkness… she's… her finesse is effectively zero."
I nod, "I'll figure something out. Now… little Arch-Witch, what do you want to be added to your staff?"
*Equivalent Exchange (Minecraft) (600) requires Crafting Table (Minecraft) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
She blinks, "I… I cast Explosion."
I'm not really focusing on her anymore, I know that perk. This… this is going to be fun. Infinite resources, just add time. I frown, "Ok. That's a big spell isn't it?" Turning to Wiz.
She nods, explaining, "Advanced magic. High drain, high reward."
I'll need a light dusk, some magically conductive dust, and a diamond. And a log. I think quickly of the enchantments I saw in that book, looking at the staff, "I can probably get a magic booster or a small mana battery in the crystal."
The little witch looks ecstatic, and I continue, "Can… can I do both?"
I look at the staff, "I don't think so."
She frowns, "Then… can I do the booster?"
I nod and hold out my hand. I head into the back and focus on the staff for a bit. "Enchant!"
I smile, as the enchantment holds, and I give it back to the witch and ask Wiz, can you get her a favor contract? I… have something I need to investigate."
Wiz blinks, and I wave, "It's a creation thing."
She nods, and smiles, "I'll handle it."
Heading into the back, I investigate. When the boxes from the Guild arrive, I take them into the back, 2 or three at a time, and eat them completely, forming bottle after bottle, and head back out to get another crate of bottles to go with my volume increase.
They are… mortified and Wiz explains that I can make more, not that I'm done.
I blink, why is she… Oh. I made 120 potions in 4 minutes, that's… crazy.
I shrug and agree.
They leave a second box of vials later, and I fill that one too, actually finished this time.
Heading back to my book, Wiz interrupts, "What's wrong with you?"
I blink. "I need to find some specific materials, and then I can really start making progress."
"What do you need?"
"I need 4 handfuls of dust infused with light, and 4 handfuls of dust infused with magic channeling, and a small diamond."
She blinks, "That's a very specific requirement."
"It is."
She picks up the book and tells me to wait for Darkness, given that I have a quest to finish.
I nod, still feeling drawn to the research, I want to make my stone, but I should do my commitments. There are so many things I need that stone to make. And so little I can make with everything else I can make. It's… infuriating to be limited like this the moment I'm free to actually make something awesome.
Darkness arrives, and I focus on that. "Hello, Darkness."
She looks at me, "I… I don't know you."
I smile, "True. I'm new in town, I arrived yesterday in fact. Damion. I'll be your Artificer today. I understand you are...accuracy challenged."
She blinks. "I… yes. I am a crusader. I must be on the frontlines, as strong as possible to defend my comrades."
I smile. Ok, sure.
*Bonesinger (Warhammer 40K - Craftworld Eldar Jumpchain) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
I look at her, "Can I see your sword and your stat plate? I have an idea or two about enchanting it."
She nods and hands me her blade. Looking at it, I have options. "I'll be right back."
I head back into the back room and set the blade on the table. Let's see… I can see the issue, just like Wiz described before I… got distracted. Her finesse is below the minimum to wield the sword. So, I can alter that, remove it, or...hmmm…
That's good. Let's see then… removal and replace huh?
I smile and replace the finesse requirements with a second strength requirement. Let her go wild.
I head back out, and she blinks, "Are… you can't be done."
I smile, "I am indeed. Let's go see you hit something."
We head outside town and find a Giant Toad. It's not hard heading towards the forest. She runs over and swings.
Rib-bliggg.
The toad falls. Into 4 pieces. Critical hit?
She jumps up and down, yelling, "I did it! Did you see that! I hit something!"
I smile. "Good, good indeed. Let's head back, I'm sure you want to let everyone hear the good news."
Returning to the Guild was nice. I told them I would deliver the potions this afternoon, and Darkness hit a standing dummy.
The crowd lost their mind. Cheering, happiness, and calls for ale, and harder, from the bar.
I looked around and smiled. I went back to my shop after confirming that I had the reward.
Level 9.
I learned Analysis and put all my remaining points into my magic. I wanted my Philosopher's Stone and I wanted my recursion loop.
Getting back to the shop, Wiz had one of the answers for me. "Damion! I found one. Crushed Coronatite! It looks like it will work!"
I look at the pages, and I read through them. I smile. That will work. 4 small clumps of crushed Coronatite.
Looking at Wiz, "That's amazing. I…"
I see the rarity, and the cost flickers through my mind, "Wiz… we would need tens of millions…"
"I have a small chunk. We can grind it up. It's… something I never wanted to use. I'm an ice mage, not a fire mage."
I smile, "That's… Wiz, thank you so much. This means so much. And the glowstone? Any leads at all?"
"No. I… materials with light properties are rare. And nothing with a glass like secondary feature."
I nod, "I can look into it with you. Glowstone is weird."
We head into the back room and go through the books. At sun fall, the Guild people come back, and I give them the crates, they will send me the details when they've tested and counted them.
The books thin, and eventually I give up. I'm going to need to invent glowstone. There's a massive number of near glass crystals and many types of light magic that can be created. I just need to make the planks for the crafting table.
*Power Of The Pixel (Starbound) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
So, I get an uncut log from a local carpenter, and focus on it, trying to craft with it. And nada. Minutes of trying everything I can think of, but nada. Not so much as a twitch.
Looking up the rules for the crafting table, I blink.
Crafting Table (Minecraft): You can easily assemble a few planks into a crafting table, upon which you can nigh instantly produce almost anything, so long as you have all the parts and know the recipe. Items larger than a 1m3 cube, or which are not designed to be worn on your person or carried in your hand, may require more advanced crafting techniques, but you'll still find it easier to make the parts for it. Complex items usually require a bunch of subparts, and figuring out all the recipes for them can be difficult.
Oh. I need planks first.
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What Was Once a minor inconvenience: Chapter 3
What Was Once a minor inconvenience: Chapter 3
AN: For those of you who don't know, I'm using ProjectE rules for equivalent exchange. It's the version of the rules that lends itself best to the Celestial forge's… whole deal.
Buying planks from the carpenter was a fun conversation, he smiled. "Needed more refinement huh?"
I frown, "The magic requires both. I just needed more research."
Yes, it's a lie, but I'm going to use the log, so it's fine.
He shrugs, "Sure." He lets me take my 4 planks, and I head back, holding them together, forcing them into the table. They disappear for a moment and then appear again as a table. My crafting table.
Placing it in a corner of Wiz's shop, I can place my blueprints on it, checking for valid components. That's good.
I check the Coronatite and it works. Nice. Checking the diamond that Wiz has on hand, most of them are diamond shards, but I combine 9 of them, making an easily fist sized diamond.
Wiz freezes seeing that happen, and demands, "What is that?"
I smile, "This is nothing. I'm building my stone. It's portable, and unlocks massively potent recipes."
She smiles, "This would explain your obsession."
I nod, "It would."
She looks again, "So… what is this Glowstone?"
I pause, "It's the only light growing in a hell dimension. The rest is lava."
She blinks and opens the books again. "I have an idea."
I nod, and I go back to my table, looking into several recipes I know. I don't have obsidian, I didn't have the metals or the sugarcane for books.
Hmmmmm….
I don't have much from the game actually.
Walking over to the book Wiz was reading, she brought out a page, one that I hadn't seen.
A rock, it only grew in demonically infected areas, and it glowed in the dark.
Huh…
She smiled, "This might be it!"
I smile, "It might. I don't suppose you have this."
"I don't. But in one of the dungeons in the mountains, there is one that has some. It's not that difficult to get some."
I nod, "Can I post a quest?"
"You need to put a request in. The difficulty might be high, and the money from the potions might cover it."
I nod, "I'll head over, and see what the Potions are worth, and post a quest with what I can."
Walking over doesn't take long, and approaching the attendant is easy, "Hello. I have 2 inquiries to make."
She frowns, "They are?"
"What is the payout on my potions making quest?"
Her eyes widen and she gapes slightly, "You… you're the maker of those S+ class healing potions?"
I nod, "I am."
She sighs, and she writes out a check, "It's a massive amount, we don't have cash on hand for everything."
"That's fine. What's the experience like?"
She blinks. Looking at me like I've announced myself as king of the moon, or something equally stupid. "The experience?"
*Don't Need A Team (Ace Combat) (100) Bought. Overflow. Engine-sister (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus) (100) Bought. Overflow. Magitech Master (World Seed) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
Suddenly there was a tall, and I mean tall woman in my arms. She had a set of red robes and a clearly mechanical eye. Well, to me, given the slight glow compared to her other eye.
There is a silence from the night not-Luna, from me, and from this new..6' 8-9" woman for a moment, until she clambers out of my arms and bows at the waist.
Here I was expecting that if I got a minion it would be like… a dwarf. That symbol is Adeptus Mechanicus for sure.
"Hello Master. I am a sister of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Violette McAnaw. I am here to serve at your pleasure."
I nod slowly. I drown out all the emotional crap, and the looming dread of needing to explain this to Wiz, and maybe others, and just nod. "Violette, I need to finish negotiations with this representative, and then I will show you where you will be staying."
I blink at the tone, and it's… format for me, and given the strange looks, probably not local speak. Great. She bows again and stands just behind me.
Great.
Turning to the Guild Rep again, "Apparently someone summoned me an assistant."
She blinks, "That's...I… fine. Whatever. You turned in 20 counts of 4 above bar potions. That's 80 times experience, I've registered the change, placed your card under the on your card."
"Perfect. Now, can you make my new compatriot here a Guild Card please?"
She nods, "Miss?"
Violette doesn't respond, huh. "Violette, place your hand on the orb." I felt myself switching back to English, and Violette moves. She's… Level 41. A Crusader/Engineer. What the hell, …
I really look at her. She's stronger than Darkness. That's… how? Wait. She's a high ranking member of the Adeptus Mechanicus. She's probably about half machine, and a few hundred years old. I… that makes so much sense.
I nod, still screaming internally at the powerhouse before me, level 41, and my newly level 13 self is concerned, "Let's go, Violette."
She follows me back to Wis's shop.
Wiz is… less than enthused until I explain that my power can drop people on me too. Wiz blinks, "Damion. Did you…" Wiz waves at the amazon, and I blush to my roots.
"No I did not. I… this just happened."
Turning to Violette asking, "What are you trained in Violette?" and bringing up her Celestial Forge description, and I'm shocked.
"Master, I am trained in the arts of Engineering, and Genetic Manipulation. I can forge beasts, and machines from any planet in the Imperium, and am versed in calming machine spirits."
I blink. Genetic Manipulation huh?
"Violette, why are you calling me master?" I need to check.
She hesitates, "I am of the Order of the Adeptus Mechanicus. In our services to the Omnissiah we seek the perfection of the Machine, but… I am a heretic. I desire a balance struck, to be human and machine, the best of both, the flaws of neither."
*Devilish Details (Dungeon Keeper) (200) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
Pulling that up I was… not excited.
Devilish Details (Dungeon Keeper): While dark and dank may suffice for the common rabble, great Keepers require suitably grandiose lodgings to show off their wealth and power. Make doing so easier by acquiring the ability to slowly alter any property you own to better reflect your personality. Watch colors slowly shift to match your preference and fixtures become personalized in shape and form. The effect is only skin deep, so while a poorly constructed home may look impressive, it's still as rotten on the inside as its owner.
I look back to Violette, and smile, "I… can certainly work towards that goal with you."
She smiles widely, and hugs me. With her height, she buries me in her chest. It's… Ok. I enjoyed it, I'm not dead… Wait. That's…
I pull back, blinking off that confused and possibly mildly racist line of thought, and look at Wiz. "I was planning on needing something like that."
Wiz blinks, "I… you were-?"
"When the barrier needs to come down, saving you was a priority. Never think otherwise."
Wiz tears up, and smiles, "Thank you, Damion."
I turn back to Violette, "There is a magical bed in the back, sleep for the night. I…" Damn. "I need to go back to the Guild, and put in my quest."
Leaving again I arrive at the guild, and not-Luna asks, "Any more girls going to fall into your lap?"
I frown, "Two out of ten for snark, but no. That shouldn't happen again. No, I'm here to post a quest. Resource gathering, possibly something someone in town already has."
She blinks, "Low experience and low reward for that little risk."
"I need 4 handfuls of Dalmeriam."
She blinks, "That's… you know that's a restricted substance?"
I blink. "It is?"
"It's highly flammable and needs special attention to put out. What… are you using it for?"
"I need an advanced alchemical base for advanced alchemical creations. Better potions and the like."
She blinks, "Better potions? What are you working with now?"
"An unimproved table and my skill."
She blinks, "And you are willing to pay for this?"
"Whatever the Guild thinks is most appropriate. Is giving it to a mage who knows how to handle it better than adventurers carrying it around in secret?"
She blinks, "Yes, will it be a repeatable quest?"
I pause, "Lower the cash payout after the first delivery. After that, if it keeps people from having a burning deathtrap on their person…"
She nods, "Given that people already have it, the exp is low too."
I nod and sign the paper, and she puts it on the board. I leave her with a bag, "I can only take up to this much Eris in rewards right now. When this runs out, I'll see about filling it again."
She nods, and I take my leave. Now I just need obsidian in large quantities. And smooth stone.
I'll figure it out when I actually have the resources.
Arriving back at the shop. Wiz and Violette are tucked in together and…
Wait. Violette is taller than the bed. How…
Magic. It's magic. I didn't even know that enhancement was on the bed, but it might be the comfort magics. Neat.
I smile at their calm sleep and get to work. We can sell a few more Mana Restoration potions, and I have an idea for enchanted arrows.
Morning comes, and Wiz and Violette wake up. I can now infinitely loop my mana potions, which is fantastic.
*Schematics to Time (Generic Video Game Developer) (200) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
I had started on magic arrows. Bundles of 4, one for all 4 Avatar elements, that can go for free samples, and quivers of each type for sale, at a good markup for quality. And they were quality.
They weren't hard to make, and I did so in bulk for most of the night.
Wiz and Violette were both impressed at the large pile of arrows that I had left in 5 distinct piles.
Wiz was clear "Violette needs to be able to communicate. You need to teach her Common."
I blink. "It's really called Common?"
Wiz blinks, "Yes?"
I smile, "That's so fantasy. Ok."
I sat down with Violette, the door to the shop open to hear if Wiz needed anything. Violette spoke 4 languages and was talking quickly to Common. In a few days, she would probably be able to have basic conversations.
Then the Guild had a delivery, 36 handfuls of Dalmeriam, and I grabbed 4 of them and went over to my crafting table. Placing them in the spots the crafting table accepted them, and I had a Philosopher's Stone.
It was a perfect red sphere, and it was warm to the touch. I smiled, feeling really really good about it, and I tried opening it. The crafting table and the menu for its conversions. I put some sand from the stockpile and… boom.
Smooth stone came out, and I smiled. I just needed some obsidian, and I could really get started.
Asking Wiz, she said she would get some delivered, it was a common base for more advanced alchemy.
I would need to wait a few days, and I did. Making arrows and a few other things for Wiz, but only one collector, the glowstone was highly limited. Setting it to run with a Minecraft Jack O'Lantern on it early the second day let it run for a long time.
I also made some dark matter for the upgrade, eventually. I don't remember many other recipes from it, actually, and I don't have anyway without experimenting wildly.
I did get the Aeternalis Fuel from the Collector, and from upgrading coal, which was explosive.
What was far more interesting to Wiz was my Alchemical Chest, and bag, those were difficult to make, the redstone turquoise dust specifically.
The chests and bags were… stupidly large. Like… I could pack away arrows in bundles of 40 into 64 deep slots. My mana potions stacked too, only up to 16, and only I can access the chests. It's still a massive space saving measure.
What's really strange is the way you can open them… without opening them. Violette spent every waking second she wasn't practicing Common analyzing how I can extract and store things while the box is closed by another box being on top of it.
She was very disturbed by that property of the sorcery and I smiled. That's going to be a common misconception around here. Especially once I get something weird.
*Do One Thing At A Time (Dinotopia) (300) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
I recognized that one. Kinda a shame I didn't get it, but I was never really doing one thing anymore, I made 40 dust per redstone I siphoned out of the Collector I needed 1 dust per chest, with the coal and diamond mixture needed to upgrade to bags. I had a full chest of bags full of potions, in the 3 days, it took the delivery of Obsidian. I had 8 chests alone full of arrows, 2 per type, and a regular chest, that is to say, a nonmagical infinity stacking chest with free samples of the arrows, with a one per group enforced by Wiz or myself.
Then the obsidian arrived and I was ready to make my Transmutation Table. It literally took seconds, Wiz was very envious of my crafting table, and I got to work. Adding everything I could get a sample of my new transmutation table, I got trash.
This city generates lots of broken materials. And I needed more obsidian for the condenser, and the transmutations table let me dump trash into it, and until I could get obsidian.
It wasn't long before the Guild was asking questions, and I explained I'm using alchemy. They just shrugged and reminded me that blowing up the town was bad.
I nodded, and I think Wiz knew that I was punking them. But I was making Coronatite and Dalmeriam by the 1 cubic meter brick, so… maybe I wasn't kidding.
I had all the pieces I needed for my elementary level power flower. What I didn't have was space to build the thing.
I needed more room. Wiz wasn't allowed to make structural changes without asking Lord Dustiness Ford, so we went by his place.
I explained, "We would like to expand the shop."
He blinks, "Are… you are aware that there are businesses lining your side walls?"
I nod, "I understand, but I need a larger workspace for some of the larger scale work I would like to do. Producing items of higher quality, and higher numbers can only create more profit…"
"Of which I'm not seeing any. The potions you're selling have rendered my stock nearly worthless."
I carefully don't laugh at the really obvious ploy that we were allowed to get away with. He looks sternly, "I'm tempted to say no out of hand. Especially given that you aren't the finest enchanter in the city any longer." I blink. I… I'm offended. Who… "Lalatina, come in here please."
A moment passes, and I wonder. Did he import competition to drive prices down? That… you're a sly old fox aren't…
That's Darkness.
Darkness walks into the room, and I'm agape, "My daughter had some… issues with her chosen profession, handled just days after you arrived by an established…"
"Father! He's the one I was speaking to you about."
He turns… looking at me like he's never seen me before… "You… you've allowed my daughter to improve so dramatically? In moments? That mage was you?"
*Built-In Geo-Nav (Dead Space) (200) Bought. Overflow. Wired Watchmaker (Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magic Obscura) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
I nod. Wiz nods. Violette nods. Darkness nods. Eventually, the count nods. "Modify the building however you so choose as long as it, and its neighboring shops, aren't destroyed."
I smile, "That you sir. That's very generous." I… huh. These were strange, and I wonder which one let me remember those old Minecraft recipes with ease. Whichever it was, it was damn useful.
Returning home, Wiz began using her earth magic to carve a basement with one corner having exactly the dimensions I needed to set up my Power Flower. The glowstone looking blocks making the shell, the obsidian plated collectors capturing all the energy of the 17 Light collectors, and funneling it into my condenser. I had it set to Dark matter for the moment, and it was chugging along. I could throw trash directly into the collector.
It's incredibly rewarding to see this all go up, but… I'm not staying here forever. Not long term either, with after the Devil King or anything like that, shorter term, Violette can't really get stronger fighting local monsters, and I'm not level dependent, and the resources here are… lacking for most of the things I want to make. Towns with higher level monsters, and equally improved drops, minerals, and plants. Wiz remembers Loskenfor as the second town her party visited early on their quest.
Violette was bored in the field and was taking apart a collector to see how the light created energy, she was interested in a possible super mana skin with this woven in somehow.
Before she burned down the city I needed to get her something to do.
Specifically, I got her the materials to begin the construction of a wagon. Powered by the collectors somehow to drive us there.
Yes, I was making a solar car that ran on magic super coal, no the world can't stop me.
She took to it like a fish to water and was ecstatic to see what she could make.
I was slowly accelerating my power flower's upgrade, making the dark matter and the glowstone for upgrades one piece at a time. Once everything was done I was going to upgrade it to Red Matter, but… not out here. I wanted that somewhere the possible explosion of not handling it correctly would be less apocalyptic.
Winter came into town, and I was selling blankets for warmth almost as fast as I could make them, and I was studying my constellation to see why I didn't have a key. It's strange. I should surely? I bought the warehouse perk, so where was it?
The extraordinarily profitable went ridiculous after Violette realized she could use a few hours of Power Flower to make bars of gold to just… have. Emergency money? Please. Emergency money was her using her dark matter sword of disintegrating matter. Those were not for sale. And had been charmed with several different anti theft measures.
No, I was kinda stuck momentarily until I figured out my warehouse.
*Woden's Blood (Über) (200) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
Then I met her again. It was incidental actually. Wiz was purifying the graveyard every few nights, and I had started coming along. We were ahead on our orders, getting dark matter at a decent clip for a series of power flowers eventually. Violette came to ensure we weren't attacked by the lingering spirits, or the 'Chaos banished souls.'
I nearly ate one. I wanted to study it, and the ghost tried to fly through me as a 'spooky ghost' prank and it got stuck. Before I knew what was happening the ghost was crying out for help, and Violette yanked it out praying for "Ancestor's blessings."
She was very demanding as to why, and I was more confused as to how. That was a good bonding night.
Then Aqua and her band of misfits showed up.
At first, I was crazy confused, seeing Aqua here, on the mortal plane. Then the boy with her, Kasuma Satou, explains, "I… when I died I met her in the afterlife… I…"
"Those were some good chairs right?"
He looks at me, "Yes they…" he begins to spaz minutely, "You're from Earth too?"
I nod. "I am. I got a noncombat class as a side effect, so I work here. In Wiz's shop."
Then Aqua begins to cast an exorcism on Wiz, and I shout, "Aqua if you exorcise my friend, I will be forced to have the little witch girl blow you up."
All eyes turn to me as Aqua stops, "But… she's undead."
"Racist much?"
Aqua looks… offended. "Do you know who I am?" I'm-"
"You're Aqua. We met. You were eating potato chips."
She pauses, "I… Ah yes. I gave you fabulous powers. Now help me with this undead."
"You didn't give me anything. You barely remembered to give me the local language. I am not helping you kill my friend because you're racist."
She twitches, "I am not racist!"
"Why are you attacking Wiz?"
"Because she's undead!"
"So if she had a different race, one more acceptable to your preferences you wouldn't bother her?"
"Of course. As a goddess…"
I turn to Kasuma and the witch girl, "So do the rest of you see that obvious verbal confirmation, or do I need to make her blunder into a more obvious verbal landmine."
They look between themselves, and the witch protests, "I won't attack Aqua!"
"I have a magic contract that says you owe me a favor. If Aqua hurts my friend, then blowing her to hell is a fantastic use of it."
Aqua was saying something, and turned to the witch, "You signed a favor contract with him?"
"It was before I met you all. I… wanted to be more reliable or at least more damaging so I could find a party."
I nod, "At the time I was going to have her fill some Manatite for me, but…" Seeing Aqua orient on Wiz again, "Violette, if she starts casting another spell at Wiz, you have permission to use force."
*Genius (Fantastic Four) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
Aqua looks at Violette, she huffs, "You're the crusader, you won't hurt me."
"I serve the Omnissiah. You are too weak and flesh to be him in any of his many forms."
Aqua blinks, and steps back, a defeated look on her face. They leave, and Wiz apologizes for causing trouble.
"Wiz, Aqua's racist. That's not your fault. Whenever she comes by, Violette or I can watch the store." As we leave, Aqua runs back and casts a big barrier around the cemetery. She huffs at us and leaves.
Whatever.
The next morning, there is a massive alarm disturbing my work, and Wiz drags us both to the gate, explaining on the way. "Harvest season is over, meaning that the Cabbages are here."
I blink. "The what?"
"A seemingly endless swarm of cabbages. You need to quickly make that ring you told me about that lets you shoot arrows."
I blink, Um… I have feathers, "I need 4 bows for that."
Wiz heads to the guild hall for 4 beginner trash bows, while I turn around, grab 4 dark matter orbs from the chest, I find the arrows, and pause… thinking. That will work.
I grab my bag, empty it into the chest with fire arrows, then I get two of the purified iron bands that Wiz had ordered for me, and pause. I also grab a spool of thread.
I cut 6 lengths of string and tried crafting the first one. It fails, and I curse under my breath. "Analysis." Impurities from the crafting process. I need to craft them with a bucket of lava, which can't exist in this world, or get them purified.
I run to the Guild, and explain that I need a priest. Preferably a strong one.
Two very much not guild members approach while Luna is looking for one.
"Looking for a Priest?"
I look at them skeptically, "I need high grade purification magic for a crafting component."
They smirk, "See… Aqua owes us a debt. It's not large, but a purification spell isn't that hard."
"But compensation would be nice. And it's not like Aqua's going to pay us back soon with how little her party does."
I frown, "Ok listen. I'll pay Aqua's debt right now, if and only if she can purify what I need."
They smile, "So owes us 20 K."
I shrug, and say, "I'll remember that number. Come by the shop later."
I run out, finding Aqua outside the gate quickly, 4 bows over my shoulder.
She scoffs, "What are-"
"I need you to cast your highest level of purification on 2 metal bands so I can craft with them. I've agreed to cover your current debts-"
"Deal." She focuses on my hand, where my 2 rings are, and yells, "Sacred Purification!"
A circle appears, and a few moments later there is a sheen to the rings that wasn't present before. I check the recipe again and smile, "Thanks."
I make my 2 rings and smile. Black Hole Band and Archangel's Smite.
*Machine empathy (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 points.*
As useful as that perk might have been, I'm kinda glad I don't have something else to focus on.
I aim my hand, Archangel's Smite's little skull band glittering in the sun, and a hailstorm of arrows appears.
I'm firing 7 arrows with every thrust of my hand, killing 7 cabbages with every volley. It's incredibly unfortunate that the Archangel's Smite stripped the magic from the arrows, I had hoped it wouldn't, but used our lowest selling arrow just in case, but on the plus side, it's also only consuming 1 arrow for every 4 given the understanding I have of my ammo count. And like I predicted my Black Hole band is allowing me to store, directly into my bag, the cabbages.
Perfectly preserved.
It's nearly an hour, and watching the little witch's spell take out a moderate chunk of the hoard in an instant is cool. Watching Darkness let herself be hit by the cabbages and… giggle was… less than amusing. Violette is cleaving them into pieces with every swing, two or three cabbages going down every time she swings her blade.
I moved over towards her as the swarm thinned, and my ring started consuming her cabbages too, leading to a minor accusation from one of the nearby adventurers, before she yelled, "He is my party leader!"
Silence was met at that announcement, and I let loose. Target all, rapid fire. Beams of arrows exploded from me like a never ending tide of death. Every arrow finding its mark, many arrows finding the already dead corpse of cabbage as they fell. I pushed mana into the Black Hole band and tried something stupid.
"Enchant."
Suddenly my arrows were disappearing from the cabbages, and the arrows that didn't have targets were finding new ones guided by magic.
I stopped firing and just watched my arrows work. The carnage was glorious. My bag was full of about 21 stacks of cabbages before my arrows were done seeking out targets, leaving them to roll in a pile behind me. I collected them and tossed them in a basket someone left laying around empty, and Violette offered to carry it. I didn't protest, and we went back to the Guild. Seeing Luna looking calmer, I ask "So… what the hell was that?"
"The Cabbage harvest. Every year when the horde is ripe, they fly away from their farms, and attack villages, hoping to be killed. If they aren't they keep flying, rotting quickly in the hot sun further north of here."
I blink, and Violette says it best, "That's an asinine way of harvesting food."
Maybe a little blunt. Luna defends, "What can we do?"
"Nets. Magical Barriers." I state, "Many more options than organize this every year. That's majorly hypocritical given that it's going to make me rich, but what can you do?"
Luna looks at our basket. "That's not too many…"
"Those are the ones that didn't fit in my magic bag."
She blinks, "Your magic bag is full of cabbages?"
*Geomancy (World of Darkness - Mortal) (100) Bought. Overflow. Blueprints | Research Notes | Dark Journal (Van Helsing) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 points.*
"About a fourth. I didn't use that many arrows."
Luna quickly grew to feel horrified at my bag when I dropped 28 stacks of 64 cabbages, some of whom were still dying when they came out of the bag. The Guild members counted and tallied, and gave me back my arrows, stripped of magic. I wonder if I can re-enchant them to Earth, the piercing tipped arrow is our best seller. I shouldn't have made that many fire arrows in the first place.
Luna calculated our take, and it's a moderate scratch. "119 Million Eris!"
The tavern turns to me, eyes greedy, and I turn, "One."
Cheers abound and I turn back to Luna, "Subtract the Eris for one round for everyone here."
She smiles, "Guild members too?"
"Sure. After the dying screams, I brought in here I owe that much."
Walking away I get graded by Aqua, muttering darkly, I see the 2 shady guys from before, and Aqua begins, "He'll be paying."
I blink, "I'm paying 20 K. That's all I promised you. Your debts before the Cabbage Event."
She looks blurry at me, "No that's…"
"That's exactly what I said. It's what I said to these gentlemen, and that's all I agreed to."
She looks like she's about to cry. I… honestly don't have it in me to feel terribly bad. She's a god, she's the 'responsible' caretaker that let it get to a state that she was tricked into coming personally. Maybe she'll learn something from this.
Walking away, Aqua negotiated for a few days, miserably.
Somehow I wondered how that would help.
Days pass, I'm missing about 60 arrows, and have enchanted everything. To Earth this time.
I also used some of that 112 Million to get Violette a permanent bed. "Master…"
"Violette. You are sleeping in a magical workshop. If I blow something up, you might die before you even know what's happening. I got you a room at the Guild. If I slept then I would join you… In a different room." I saw that look, Wiz.
"If I had better tools…"
I smile, "You will. Soon. I just need the right power first. For now… I can enchant the bed if you want. It's ours for as long as you want it."
She frowns, "Fine."
It takes less than a year for that decision to come back to haunt me.
4 people storm into the shop, armor clad with a crest I don't recognize, led by a stern woman in a blue suit.
"Are you the leader of the party containing Violette McAnaw?"
I blink, "I am. What seems to be the problem?"
"She's been arrested for assaulting nobility."
I sigh. "Give me a moment to close up shop."
I close up shop, fill my magic bag with a few levels of nuclear options, I take Wiz with me, and I turn up at the prison. Violette is in an interrogation cell, a scribe behind her, and the suited woman sits down across from her.
*Mana Substitution (Generic Builder) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 400 points.*
"The only reason you aren't in chains is that you are too strong for any that are available in a starter town. Do you understand?"
"I do."
"You are being charged with assaulting a Baron."
"No nobility worth speaking a title for would treat human beings as that thing did."
"So you do not deny the crime?"
"I did not commit a crime."
The woman in the suit looks at a strange bell on the table. She's waiting for something obviously.
I lean in slightly, "Are we waiting for something?"
The interrogator, and the scribe both look at me, "What?"
"This is a Truth Telling Bell. Any lies told in its presence make it ring out."
I nod, "That's all well and good. But if my party member didn't commit crimes, what are you holding her for?"
A longer silence sits there. The 2 law enforcement officers don't seem to understand how to proceed.
"You understand that this woman assaulted a baron?"
"Can he prove that?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Can he prove his status as a baron?"
They look at me, confused, "He's the baron. We know him."
"So you are friends with the supposed victim and are therefore not qualified to prosecute his supposed attacker. You will release her into my custody as the only person capable of controlling her without violence, and will present evidence of this supposed crime."
"We… the baron… Ummm…"
"We will await a summons from a legal body unaffiliated with the baron. Should you attempt to illegally imprison my party member again, I may need to engage in economic or military responses to the severity of your breach."
The woman in the suit scowls, "We did not illegally arrest her."
*Ding*
She turns, betrayed at the bell's noise. I frown, "I see…"
She turns back to be, "The Kingdom of…"
"You misunderstand. I am not engaging with a legal institution. I am speaking to you and your colleagues who illegally incarcerated my party member, and have made claims against her character without evidence of any kind. I need not, nor do I care, whom you claim to work for or against. You as individuals have moved against me. And this is your warning. Next time I will not be so lenient."
"You… you believe that you can attempt to fight the guard of Axel?"
"I believe that it would be quite easy."
She turns again, prayer in her eyes, that the bell will ring.
Silence greets the room. She looks up at me. "Who are you?"
"I am Damion Peramos, and I am likely the most powerful man you have ever spoken to."
I take Violette and leave, heading back to the shop, and putting a closed indefinitely sign out front.
AN: For those of you who don't know, I'm using ProjectE rules for equivalent exchange. It's the version of the rules that lends itself best to the Celestial forge's… whole deal.
Buying planks from the carpenter was a fun conversation, he smiled. "Needed more refinement huh?"
I frown, "The magic requires both. I just needed more research."
Yes, it's a lie, but I'm going to use the log, so it's fine.
He shrugs, "Sure." He lets me take my 4 planks, and I head back, holding them together, forcing them into the table. They disappear for a moment and then appear again as a table. My crafting table.
Placing it in a corner of Wiz's shop, I can place my blueprints on it, checking for valid components. That's good.
I check the Coronatite and it works. Nice. Checking the diamond that Wiz has on hand, most of them are diamond shards, but I combine 9 of them, making an easily fist sized diamond.
Wiz freezes seeing that happen, and demands, "What is that?"
I smile, "This is nothing. I'm building my stone. It's portable, and unlocks massively potent recipes."
She smiles, "This would explain your obsession."
I nod, "It would."
She looks again, "So… what is this Glowstone?"
I pause, "It's the only light growing in a hell dimension. The rest is lava."
She blinks and opens the books again. "I have an idea."
I nod, and I go back to my table, looking into several recipes I know. I don't have obsidian, I didn't have the metals or the sugarcane for books.
Hmmmmm….
I don't have much from the game actually.
Walking over to the book Wiz was reading, she brought out a page, one that I hadn't seen.
A rock, it only grew in demonically infected areas, and it glowed in the dark.
Huh…
She smiled, "This might be it!"
I smile, "It might. I don't suppose you have this."
"I don't. But in one of the dungeons in the mountains, there is one that has some. It's not that difficult to get some."
I nod, "Can I post a quest?"
"You need to put a request in. The difficulty might be high, and the money from the potions might cover it."
I nod, "I'll head over, and see what the Potions are worth, and post a quest with what I can."
Walking over doesn't take long, and approaching the attendant is easy, "Hello. I have 2 inquiries to make."
She frowns, "They are?"
"What is the payout on my potions making quest?"
Her eyes widen and she gapes slightly, "You… you're the maker of those S+ class healing potions?"
I nod, "I am."
She sighs, and she writes out a check, "It's a massive amount, we don't have cash on hand for everything."
"That's fine. What's the experience like?"
She blinks. Looking at me like I've announced myself as king of the moon, or something equally stupid. "The experience?"
*Don't Need A Team (Ace Combat) (100) Bought. Overflow. Engine-sister (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus) (100) Bought. Overflow. Magitech Master (World Seed) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
Suddenly there was a tall, and I mean tall woman in my arms. She had a set of red robes and a clearly mechanical eye. Well, to me, given the slight glow compared to her other eye.
There is a silence from the night not-Luna, from me, and from this new..6' 8-9" woman for a moment, until she clambers out of my arms and bows at the waist.
Here I was expecting that if I got a minion it would be like… a dwarf. That symbol is Adeptus Mechanicus for sure.
"Hello Master. I am a sister of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Violette McAnaw. I am here to serve at your pleasure."
I nod slowly. I drown out all the emotional crap, and the looming dread of needing to explain this to Wiz, and maybe others, and just nod. "Violette, I need to finish negotiations with this representative, and then I will show you where you will be staying."
I blink at the tone, and it's… format for me, and given the strange looks, probably not local speak. Great. She bows again and stands just behind me.
Great.
Turning to the Guild Rep again, "Apparently someone summoned me an assistant."
She blinks, "That's...I… fine. Whatever. You turned in 20 counts of 4 above bar potions. That's 80 times experience, I've registered the change, placed your card under the on your card."
"Perfect. Now, can you make my new compatriot here a Guild Card please?"
She nods, "Miss?"
Violette doesn't respond, huh. "Violette, place your hand on the orb." I felt myself switching back to English, and Violette moves. She's… Level 41. A Crusader/Engineer. What the hell, …
I really look at her. She's stronger than Darkness. That's… how? Wait. She's a high ranking member of the Adeptus Mechanicus. She's probably about half machine, and a few hundred years old. I… that makes so much sense.
I nod, still screaming internally at the powerhouse before me, level 41, and my newly level 13 self is concerned, "Let's go, Violette."
She follows me back to Wis's shop.
Wiz is… less than enthused until I explain that my power can drop people on me too. Wiz blinks, "Damion. Did you…" Wiz waves at the amazon, and I blush to my roots.
"No I did not. I… this just happened."
Turning to Violette asking, "What are you trained in Violette?" and bringing up her Celestial Forge description, and I'm shocked.
Engine-sister (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus): Voluminous red robes cannot hide the curves beneath to this woman's eternal embarrassment. Friendly and perky in conversation to both man and machine, she is torn between her desire to be closer to the machine and her attachment to humanity. The possibility of a harmonious union between the two has inspired her to follow you. She has all 100, 200, and 400 class engineer perks. She also has 'subtle bionics' 'artisan' and one pick of 'magos designation.'
"Master, I am trained in the arts of Engineering, and Genetic Manipulation. I can forge beasts, and machines from any planet in the Imperium, and am versed in calming machine spirits."
I blink. Genetic Manipulation huh?
"Violette, why are you calling me master?" I need to check.
She hesitates, "I am of the Order of the Adeptus Mechanicus. In our services to the Omnissiah we seek the perfection of the Machine, but… I am a heretic. I desire a balance struck, to be human and machine, the best of both, the flaws of neither."
*Devilish Details (Dungeon Keeper) (200) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
Pulling that up I was… not excited.
Devilish Details (Dungeon Keeper): While dark and dank may suffice for the common rabble, great Keepers require suitably grandiose lodgings to show off their wealth and power. Make doing so easier by acquiring the ability to slowly alter any property you own to better reflect your personality. Watch colors slowly shift to match your preference and fixtures become personalized in shape and form. The effect is only skin deep, so while a poorly constructed home may look impressive, it's still as rotten on the inside as its owner.
I look back to Violette, and smile, "I… can certainly work towards that goal with you."
She smiles widely, and hugs me. With her height, she buries me in her chest. It's… Ok. I enjoyed it, I'm not dead… Wait. That's…
I pull back, blinking off that confused and possibly mildly racist line of thought, and look at Wiz. "I was planning on needing something like that."
Wiz blinks, "I… you were-?"
"When the barrier needs to come down, saving you was a priority. Never think otherwise."
Wiz tears up, and smiles, "Thank you, Damion."
I turn back to Violette, "There is a magical bed in the back, sleep for the night. I…" Damn. "I need to go back to the Guild, and put in my quest."
Leaving again I arrive at the guild, and not-Luna asks, "Any more girls going to fall into your lap?"
I frown, "Two out of ten for snark, but no. That shouldn't happen again. No, I'm here to post a quest. Resource gathering, possibly something someone in town already has."
She blinks, "Low experience and low reward for that little risk."
"I need 4 handfuls of Dalmeriam."
She blinks, "That's… you know that's a restricted substance?"
I blink. "It is?"
"It's highly flammable and needs special attention to put out. What… are you using it for?"
"I need an advanced alchemical base for advanced alchemical creations. Better potions and the like."
She blinks, "Better potions? What are you working with now?"
"An unimproved table and my skill."
She blinks, "And you are willing to pay for this?"
"Whatever the Guild thinks is most appropriate. Is giving it to a mage who knows how to handle it better than adventurers carrying it around in secret?"
She blinks, "Yes, will it be a repeatable quest?"
I pause, "Lower the cash payout after the first delivery. After that, if it keeps people from having a burning deathtrap on their person…"
She nods, "Given that people already have it, the exp is low too."
I nod and sign the paper, and she puts it on the board. I leave her with a bag, "I can only take up to this much Eris in rewards right now. When this runs out, I'll see about filling it again."
She nods, and I take my leave. Now I just need obsidian in large quantities. And smooth stone.
I'll figure it out when I actually have the resources.
Arriving back at the shop. Wiz and Violette are tucked in together and…
Wait. Violette is taller than the bed. How…
Magic. It's magic. I didn't even know that enhancement was on the bed, but it might be the comfort magics. Neat.
I smile at their calm sleep and get to work. We can sell a few more Mana Restoration potions, and I have an idea for enchanted arrows.
Morning comes, and Wiz and Violette wake up. I can now infinitely loop my mana potions, which is fantastic.
*Schematics to Time (Generic Video Game Developer) (200) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
I had started on magic arrows. Bundles of 4, one for all 4 Avatar elements, that can go for free samples, and quivers of each type for sale, at a good markup for quality. And they were quality.
They weren't hard to make, and I did so in bulk for most of the night.
Wiz and Violette were both impressed at the large pile of arrows that I had left in 5 distinct piles.
Wiz was clear "Violette needs to be able to communicate. You need to teach her Common."
I blink. "It's really called Common?"
Wiz blinks, "Yes?"
I smile, "That's so fantasy. Ok."
I sat down with Violette, the door to the shop open to hear if Wiz needed anything. Violette spoke 4 languages and was talking quickly to Common. In a few days, she would probably be able to have basic conversations.
Then the Guild had a delivery, 36 handfuls of Dalmeriam, and I grabbed 4 of them and went over to my crafting table. Placing them in the spots the crafting table accepted them, and I had a Philosopher's Stone.
It was a perfect red sphere, and it was warm to the touch. I smiled, feeling really really good about it, and I tried opening it. The crafting table and the menu for its conversions. I put some sand from the stockpile and… boom.
Smooth stone came out, and I smiled. I just needed some obsidian, and I could really get started.
Asking Wiz, she said she would get some delivered, it was a common base for more advanced alchemy.
I would need to wait a few days, and I did. Making arrows and a few other things for Wiz, but only one collector, the glowstone was highly limited. Setting it to run with a Minecraft Jack O'Lantern on it early the second day let it run for a long time.
I also made some dark matter for the upgrade, eventually. I don't remember many other recipes from it, actually, and I don't have anyway without experimenting wildly.
I did get the Aeternalis Fuel from the Collector, and from upgrading coal, which was explosive.
What was far more interesting to Wiz was my Alchemical Chest, and bag, those were difficult to make, the redstone turquoise dust specifically.
The chests and bags were… stupidly large. Like… I could pack away arrows in bundles of 40 into 64 deep slots. My mana potions stacked too, only up to 16, and only I can access the chests. It's still a massive space saving measure.
What's really strange is the way you can open them… without opening them. Violette spent every waking second she wasn't practicing Common analyzing how I can extract and store things while the box is closed by another box being on top of it.
She was very disturbed by that property of the sorcery and I smiled. That's going to be a common misconception around here. Especially once I get something weird.
*Do One Thing At A Time (Dinotopia) (300) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
I recognized that one. Kinda a shame I didn't get it, but I was never really doing one thing anymore, I made 40 dust per redstone I siphoned out of the Collector I needed 1 dust per chest, with the coal and diamond mixture needed to upgrade to bags. I had a full chest of bags full of potions, in the 3 days, it took the delivery of Obsidian. I had 8 chests alone full of arrows, 2 per type, and a regular chest, that is to say, a nonmagical infinity stacking chest with free samples of the arrows, with a one per group enforced by Wiz or myself.
Then the obsidian arrived and I was ready to make my Transmutation Table. It literally took seconds, Wiz was very envious of my crafting table, and I got to work. Adding everything I could get a sample of my new transmutation table, I got trash.
This city generates lots of broken materials. And I needed more obsidian for the condenser, and the transmutations table let me dump trash into it, and until I could get obsidian.
It wasn't long before the Guild was asking questions, and I explained I'm using alchemy. They just shrugged and reminded me that blowing up the town was bad.
I nodded, and I think Wiz knew that I was punking them. But I was making Coronatite and Dalmeriam by the 1 cubic meter brick, so… maybe I wasn't kidding.
I had all the pieces I needed for my elementary level power flower. What I didn't have was space to build the thing.
I needed more room. Wiz wasn't allowed to make structural changes without asking Lord Dustiness Ford, so we went by his place.
I explained, "We would like to expand the shop."
He blinks, "Are… you are aware that there are businesses lining your side walls?"
I nod, "I understand, but I need a larger workspace for some of the larger scale work I would like to do. Producing items of higher quality, and higher numbers can only create more profit…"
"Of which I'm not seeing any. The potions you're selling have rendered my stock nearly worthless."
I carefully don't laugh at the really obvious ploy that we were allowed to get away with. He looks sternly, "I'm tempted to say no out of hand. Especially given that you aren't the finest enchanter in the city any longer." I blink. I… I'm offended. Who… "Lalatina, come in here please."
A moment passes, and I wonder. Did he import competition to drive prices down? That… you're a sly old fox aren't…
That's Darkness.
Darkness walks into the room, and I'm agape, "My daughter had some… issues with her chosen profession, handled just days after you arrived by an established…"
"Father! He's the one I was speaking to you about."
He turns… looking at me like he's never seen me before… "You… you've allowed my daughter to improve so dramatically? In moments? That mage was you?"
*Built-In Geo-Nav (Dead Space) (200) Bought. Overflow. Wired Watchmaker (Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magic Obscura) (100) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
I nod. Wiz nods. Violette nods. Darkness nods. Eventually, the count nods. "Modify the building however you so choose as long as it, and its neighboring shops, aren't destroyed."
I smile, "That you sir. That's very generous." I… huh. These were strange, and I wonder which one let me remember those old Minecraft recipes with ease. Whichever it was, it was damn useful.
Returning home, Wiz began using her earth magic to carve a basement with one corner having exactly the dimensions I needed to set up my Power Flower. The glowstone looking blocks making the shell, the obsidian plated collectors capturing all the energy of the 17 Light collectors, and funneling it into my condenser. I had it set to Dark matter for the moment, and it was chugging along. I could throw trash directly into the collector.
It's incredibly rewarding to see this all go up, but… I'm not staying here forever. Not long term either, with after the Devil King or anything like that, shorter term, Violette can't really get stronger fighting local monsters, and I'm not level dependent, and the resources here are… lacking for most of the things I want to make. Towns with higher level monsters, and equally improved drops, minerals, and plants. Wiz remembers Loskenfor as the second town her party visited early on their quest.
Violette was bored in the field and was taking apart a collector to see how the light created energy, she was interested in a possible super mana skin with this woven in somehow.
Before she burned down the city I needed to get her something to do.
Specifically, I got her the materials to begin the construction of a wagon. Powered by the collectors somehow to drive us there.
Yes, I was making a solar car that ran on magic super coal, no the world can't stop me.
She took to it like a fish to water and was ecstatic to see what she could make.
I was slowly accelerating my power flower's upgrade, making the dark matter and the glowstone for upgrades one piece at a time. Once everything was done I was going to upgrade it to Red Matter, but… not out here. I wanted that somewhere the possible explosion of not handling it correctly would be less apocalyptic.
Winter came into town, and I was selling blankets for warmth almost as fast as I could make them, and I was studying my constellation to see why I didn't have a key. It's strange. I should surely? I bought the warehouse perk, so where was it?
The extraordinarily profitable went ridiculous after Violette realized she could use a few hours of Power Flower to make bars of gold to just… have. Emergency money? Please. Emergency money was her using her dark matter sword of disintegrating matter. Those were not for sale. And had been charmed with several different anti theft measures.
No, I was kinda stuck momentarily until I figured out my warehouse.
*Woden's Blood (Über) (200) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
Then I met her again. It was incidental actually. Wiz was purifying the graveyard every few nights, and I had started coming along. We were ahead on our orders, getting dark matter at a decent clip for a series of power flowers eventually. Violette came to ensure we weren't attacked by the lingering spirits, or the 'Chaos banished souls.'
I nearly ate one. I wanted to study it, and the ghost tried to fly through me as a 'spooky ghost' prank and it got stuck. Before I knew what was happening the ghost was crying out for help, and Violette yanked it out praying for "Ancestor's blessings."
She was very demanding as to why, and I was more confused as to how. That was a good bonding night.
Then Aqua and her band of misfits showed up.
At first, I was crazy confused, seeing Aqua here, on the mortal plane. Then the boy with her, Kasuma Satou, explains, "I… when I died I met her in the afterlife… I…"
"Those were some good chairs right?"
He looks at me, "Yes they…" he begins to spaz minutely, "You're from Earth too?"
I nod. "I am. I got a noncombat class as a side effect, so I work here. In Wiz's shop."
Then Aqua begins to cast an exorcism on Wiz, and I shout, "Aqua if you exorcise my friend, I will be forced to have the little witch girl blow you up."
All eyes turn to me as Aqua stops, "But… she's undead."
"Racist much?"
Aqua looks… offended. "Do you know who I am?" I'm-"
"You're Aqua. We met. You were eating potato chips."
She pauses, "I… Ah yes. I gave you fabulous powers. Now help me with this undead."
"You didn't give me anything. You barely remembered to give me the local language. I am not helping you kill my friend because you're racist."
She twitches, "I am not racist!"
"Why are you attacking Wiz?"
"Because she's undead!"
"So if she had a different race, one more acceptable to your preferences you wouldn't bother her?"
"Of course. As a goddess…"
I turn to Kasuma and the witch girl, "So do the rest of you see that obvious verbal confirmation, or do I need to make her blunder into a more obvious verbal landmine."
They look between themselves, and the witch protests, "I won't attack Aqua!"
"I have a magic contract that says you owe me a favor. If Aqua hurts my friend, then blowing her to hell is a fantastic use of it."
Aqua was saying something, and turned to the witch, "You signed a favor contract with him?"
"It was before I met you all. I… wanted to be more reliable or at least more damaging so I could find a party."
I nod, "At the time I was going to have her fill some Manatite for me, but…" Seeing Aqua orient on Wiz again, "Violette, if she starts casting another spell at Wiz, you have permission to use force."
*Genius (Fantastic Four) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
Aqua looks at Violette, she huffs, "You're the crusader, you won't hurt me."
"I serve the Omnissiah. You are too weak and flesh to be him in any of his many forms."
Aqua blinks, and steps back, a defeated look on her face. They leave, and Wiz apologizes for causing trouble.
"Wiz, Aqua's racist. That's not your fault. Whenever she comes by, Violette or I can watch the store." As we leave, Aqua runs back and casts a big barrier around the cemetery. She huffs at us and leaves.
Whatever.
The next morning, there is a massive alarm disturbing my work, and Wiz drags us both to the gate, explaining on the way. "Harvest season is over, meaning that the Cabbages are here."
I blink. "The what?"
"A seemingly endless swarm of cabbages. You need to quickly make that ring you told me about that lets you shoot arrows."
I blink, Um… I have feathers, "I need 4 bows for that."
Wiz heads to the guild hall for 4 beginner trash bows, while I turn around, grab 4 dark matter orbs from the chest, I find the arrows, and pause… thinking. That will work.
I grab my bag, empty it into the chest with fire arrows, then I get two of the purified iron bands that Wiz had ordered for me, and pause. I also grab a spool of thread.
I cut 6 lengths of string and tried crafting the first one. It fails, and I curse under my breath. "Analysis." Impurities from the crafting process. I need to craft them with a bucket of lava, which can't exist in this world, or get them purified.
I run to the Guild, and explain that I need a priest. Preferably a strong one.
Two very much not guild members approach while Luna is looking for one.
"Looking for a Priest?"
I look at them skeptically, "I need high grade purification magic for a crafting component."
They smirk, "See… Aqua owes us a debt. It's not large, but a purification spell isn't that hard."
"But compensation would be nice. And it's not like Aqua's going to pay us back soon with how little her party does."
I frown, "Ok listen. I'll pay Aqua's debt right now, if and only if she can purify what I need."
They smile, "So owes us 20 K."
I shrug, and say, "I'll remember that number. Come by the shop later."
I run out, finding Aqua outside the gate quickly, 4 bows over my shoulder.
She scoffs, "What are-"
"I need you to cast your highest level of purification on 2 metal bands so I can craft with them. I've agreed to cover your current debts-"
"Deal." She focuses on my hand, where my 2 rings are, and yells, "Sacred Purification!"
A circle appears, and a few moments later there is a sheen to the rings that wasn't present before. I check the recipe again and smile, "Thanks."
I make my 2 rings and smile. Black Hole Band and Archangel's Smite.
*Machine empathy (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 points.*
As useful as that perk might have been, I'm kinda glad I don't have something else to focus on.
I aim my hand, Archangel's Smite's little skull band glittering in the sun, and a hailstorm of arrows appears.
I'm firing 7 arrows with every thrust of my hand, killing 7 cabbages with every volley. It's incredibly unfortunate that the Archangel's Smite stripped the magic from the arrows, I had hoped it wouldn't, but used our lowest selling arrow just in case, but on the plus side, it's also only consuming 1 arrow for every 4 given the understanding I have of my ammo count. And like I predicted my Black Hole band is allowing me to store, directly into my bag, the cabbages.
Perfectly preserved.
It's nearly an hour, and watching the little witch's spell take out a moderate chunk of the hoard in an instant is cool. Watching Darkness let herself be hit by the cabbages and… giggle was… less than amusing. Violette is cleaving them into pieces with every swing, two or three cabbages going down every time she swings her blade.
I moved over towards her as the swarm thinned, and my ring started consuming her cabbages too, leading to a minor accusation from one of the nearby adventurers, before she yelled, "He is my party leader!"
Silence was met at that announcement, and I let loose. Target all, rapid fire. Beams of arrows exploded from me like a never ending tide of death. Every arrow finding its mark, many arrows finding the already dead corpse of cabbage as they fell. I pushed mana into the Black Hole band and tried something stupid.
"Enchant."
Suddenly my arrows were disappearing from the cabbages, and the arrows that didn't have targets were finding new ones guided by magic.
I stopped firing and just watched my arrows work. The carnage was glorious. My bag was full of about 21 stacks of cabbages before my arrows were done seeking out targets, leaving them to roll in a pile behind me. I collected them and tossed them in a basket someone left laying around empty, and Violette offered to carry it. I didn't protest, and we went back to the Guild. Seeing Luna looking calmer, I ask "So… what the hell was that?"
"The Cabbage harvest. Every year when the horde is ripe, they fly away from their farms, and attack villages, hoping to be killed. If they aren't they keep flying, rotting quickly in the hot sun further north of here."
I blink, and Violette says it best, "That's an asinine way of harvesting food."
Maybe a little blunt. Luna defends, "What can we do?"
"Nets. Magical Barriers." I state, "Many more options than organize this every year. That's majorly hypocritical given that it's going to make me rich, but what can you do?"
Luna looks at our basket. "That's not too many…"
"Those are the ones that didn't fit in my magic bag."
She blinks, "Your magic bag is full of cabbages?"
*Geomancy (World of Darkness - Mortal) (100) Bought. Overflow. Blueprints | Research Notes | Dark Journal (Van Helsing) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 points.*
"About a fourth. I didn't use that many arrows."
Luna quickly grew to feel horrified at my bag when I dropped 28 stacks of 64 cabbages, some of whom were still dying when they came out of the bag. The Guild members counted and tallied, and gave me back my arrows, stripped of magic. I wonder if I can re-enchant them to Earth, the piercing tipped arrow is our best seller. I shouldn't have made that many fire arrows in the first place.
Luna calculated our take, and it's a moderate scratch. "119 Million Eris!"
The tavern turns to me, eyes greedy, and I turn, "One."
Cheers abound and I turn back to Luna, "Subtract the Eris for one round for everyone here."
She smiles, "Guild members too?"
"Sure. After the dying screams, I brought in here I owe that much."
Walking away I get graded by Aqua, muttering darkly, I see the 2 shady guys from before, and Aqua begins, "He'll be paying."
I blink, "I'm paying 20 K. That's all I promised you. Your debts before the Cabbage Event."
She looks blurry at me, "No that's…"
"That's exactly what I said. It's what I said to these gentlemen, and that's all I agreed to."
She looks like she's about to cry. I… honestly don't have it in me to feel terribly bad. She's a god, she's the 'responsible' caretaker that let it get to a state that she was tricked into coming personally. Maybe she'll learn something from this.
Walking away, Aqua negotiated for a few days, miserably.
Somehow I wondered how that would help.
Days pass, I'm missing about 60 arrows, and have enchanted everything. To Earth this time.
I also used some of that 112 Million to get Violette a permanent bed. "Master…"
"Violette. You are sleeping in a magical workshop. If I blow something up, you might die before you even know what's happening. I got you a room at the Guild. If I slept then I would join you… In a different room." I saw that look, Wiz.
"If I had better tools…"
I smile, "You will. Soon. I just need the right power first. For now… I can enchant the bed if you want. It's ours for as long as you want it."
She frowns, "Fine."
It takes less than a year for that decision to come back to haunt me.
4 people storm into the shop, armor clad with a crest I don't recognize, led by a stern woman in a blue suit.
"Are you the leader of the party containing Violette McAnaw?"
I blink, "I am. What seems to be the problem?"
"She's been arrested for assaulting nobility."
I sigh. "Give me a moment to close up shop."
I close up shop, fill my magic bag with a few levels of nuclear options, I take Wiz with me, and I turn up at the prison. Violette is in an interrogation cell, a scribe behind her, and the suited woman sits down across from her.
*Mana Substitution (Generic Builder) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 400 points.*
"The only reason you aren't in chains is that you are too strong for any that are available in a starter town. Do you understand?"
"I do."
"You are being charged with assaulting a Baron."
"No nobility worth speaking a title for would treat human beings as that thing did."
"So you do not deny the crime?"
"I did not commit a crime."
The woman in the suit looks at a strange bell on the table. She's waiting for something obviously.
I lean in slightly, "Are we waiting for something?"
The interrogator, and the scribe both look at me, "What?"
"This is a Truth Telling Bell. Any lies told in its presence make it ring out."
I nod, "That's all well and good. But if my party member didn't commit crimes, what are you holding her for?"
A longer silence sits there. The 2 law enforcement officers don't seem to understand how to proceed.
"You understand that this woman assaulted a baron?"
"Can he prove that?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Can he prove his status as a baron?"
They look at me, confused, "He's the baron. We know him."
"So you are friends with the supposed victim and are therefore not qualified to prosecute his supposed attacker. You will release her into my custody as the only person capable of controlling her without violence, and will present evidence of this supposed crime."
"We… the baron… Ummm…"
"We will await a summons from a legal body unaffiliated with the baron. Should you attempt to illegally imprison my party member again, I may need to engage in economic or military responses to the severity of your breach."
The woman in the suit scowls, "We did not illegally arrest her."
*Ding*
She turns, betrayed at the bell's noise. I frown, "I see…"
She turns back to be, "The Kingdom of…"
"You misunderstand. I am not engaging with a legal institution. I am speaking to you and your colleagues who illegally incarcerated my party member, and have made claims against her character without evidence of any kind. I need not, nor do I care, whom you claim to work for or against. You as individuals have moved against me. And this is your warning. Next time I will not be so lenient."
"You… you believe that you can attempt to fight the guard of Axel?"
"I believe that it would be quite easy."
She turns again, prayer in her eyes, that the bell will ring.
Silence greets the room. She looks up at me. "Who are you?"
"I am Damion Peramos, and I am likely the most powerful man you have ever spoken to."
I take Violette and leave, heading back to the shop, and putting a closed indefinitely sign out front.
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What Was Once a nice town: Chapter 4
What Was Once a nice town: Chapter 4
Taking Violette downstairs, and breathing out, "That was stressful. And irritating. What happened?"
"A spherical man entered the guild, he had with him two children, they looked to have avian features, and were very similar looking. I scanned them for health defects and found many physical and some more horrifying abuses taken."
*Lord Jumper's Armor (Skulduggery Pleasant v1.05) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 500 points.*
Understanding her whole body shiver I say slowly, "And the man is dead."
"Nearly. I was prevented from harming him by numerous others in the room banding together until he could escape."
I frown, "Unfortunate. Wiz guesses as to who he might be?"
"Baron Alderp. He's the most… spherical person in town."
"Weaknesses?"
"He's lazy, slow, has no combat skills, and is known for his… less than pleasant attitude towards women and adventurers."
I nod, long list, "Advantages?"
"He was born into nobility and money."
I nod. "Would anyone seriously object to his tragic but completely accidental death?"
Wiz blinks, "I… that's…"
"Wiz. He assaults children and keeps them on leashes. If you want to see what someone asking for death looks like, he is."
Wiz blinks, "I…" She nods, "understand. Ok. Um… possibly the local guards, but the Dustiness Ford Family is far more liked by… everyone."
I nod, given the small scale experiments I've been doing Coronatite and Dalmeriam could be mixed into a napalm like substance. Just in case. "They will be calling for a trial sooner than later, probably once someone used one of my good healing potions on him."
Wiz startles, and says, "There is a knock at the door."
I sigh, and head upstairs, and see the guards, and the suited lady. "Are you here to illegally detain my party member again?" I ask, my skull adorned rings glinting malevolently in the midmorning sun.
They pause, "We are here to request an S+ class healing potion for the Baron."
I frown, "What happened to the ones I delivered a few weeks ago? There were more than a hundred of them?"
"They were sent to the front lines, where they can be of more effective use. The A rank potions won't heal his injuries sufficiently cleanly."
"If fines are levied, how much are they likely to be?"
They look between themselves, "Baron Alderp is pushing for enslavement."
"Then may he choke on an A rank potion."
I turn around, and the woman in the suit says, "It was not a request."
I pause, turn around, and look at her. "Understand something. If you demand that I heal a man so that he may enslave my compatriot, then I will sooner burn this town to ash than cooperate."
She looks into my eyes and sees something. Something she doesn't like. "I am willing to negotiate for a compromise."
I frown, "Let's hear it."
"You make the potion and we remove execution from the table."
I frown, "I make the potion and we remove enslavement and execution from the table."
She blinks. "I… the fine may be large…"
"I am your only source of Healing and Mana Restorations potions. I know the guild is buying up most of my stock every day, I'm assuming for the front lines. It would be a terrible shame if those potions cost more."
*Stress Evolution (Factorio) (600) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
Looking at that is… revealing. I'll need to train that up, but it will be good.
Stress Evolution (Factorio): The most dangerous trait of a hive's minions is the ability to rapidly evolve in response to injury. Cracked shells grow back thicker. The most heavily-worked muscles bulge with new tissue. Overtaxed acid glands are pumped full of hormones to encourage development. Worse, when these tougher variations and dragged back to a hive for re-absorption the new traits are passed on to all future generations. That gift is now yours. When overworked and under stress, growth is immediate and noticeable. Skin toughens in response to cuts. Bones grow back even stronger. Even the mind grows sharper when taxed, and your body will automatically work to ensure every enhanced trait is carefully balanced with the rest of your biology - develop hyper-acute senses, and the mind will adjust to handle the new input.
Looking at her, again, I see her reacting unfavorably, "You would be endangering the lives of…"
"The Baron is endangering the supply and any subsequent effects. I'm merely protecting those I care about."
She freezes, "And if we were to renege on this?"
"Oh, you can expect your enemies to have access to my potions and everything else I can create. My rings aren't difficult to make."
She looks down, "You can mass produce the Arrowstorm Ring?"
"Of course. It's not difficult."
"You…"
"I could be the god of death if I so chose. I am choosing to be trusting and honest. If I am betrayed then I am less willing to be charitable. But we've gotten off topic. I am willing to make my healing potion for the written guarantee that the court will be pursuing a debt to the Baron for damages, I am willing to destroy the local economy of precious metals and make him a few dozen pallets of gold. I am willing to burn the town down if he touches her again. Think over the deal."
"And your continued Healing potion creation?"
"I don't know if the experience is worth it. I haven't leveled up in a few trips. I'll need to evaluate the time costs." I state, glacially. "Now, I think the Baron needs to sign…" I offered her a contract to the effects I offered her before. Magically enforceable, with a line in English at the bottom that will not be taken well if I need to push it.
She reads it, "I… I'll give him the contract."
I head downstairs and explain what happened. I turn to Wiz, "I'm going to make a batch of healing potions, and I need you two to hurt me."
They blink, "Why?"
"I have a new skill, I adapt to any damage I take. As a slime, I'm nearly immune to physical damage, but I can be better. Magically, I'm basically as weak as a normal person, and I need to fix that."
Wiz nods, and Violette sobs, "I'm sorry I…"
"Violette. You did the right thing. Nothing that has happened today, nothing that might happen tomorrow will change that. That monster of a man is going to die, but we need to clear you of wrongdoing first, but only because I honestly don't want to leave town quite yet."
She nods and smiles "Thank you...Damion."
I smile, "Thank you, for remembering my name."
I hug her, growing taller as a slime to hug her and hold her head without it being awkward.
We spend about an hour, Wiz hitting me with spells, bringing me close to the edge before Violette drops a healing potion on me.
She's fascinated by the new biological pattern forming in my skin, almost like I'm weaving new types of cells into my whole body.
Then they return, and I go back upstairs, 2 potions in hand.
*Nth Metal Ingots (Injustice) (200) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
She looks relieved, "I got it signed, as is."
I read over the paper, he signed it, no alterations were made. "Then here you go." I hand her the potions, "I suspect a trial tomorrow or even later today?"
"Now, the Baron demanded now."
I head downstairs and get Wiz and Violette.
Heading to the town square, there is a crowd. I can't tell what they are expecting.
The Baron looks like he got run over by a train. He's glaring at me and is rolled over. "Boy, I will have your harlot in chains."
I smile, "Someone can't read. Give him the potions."
She does, and he guzzles both with his obnoxious mouth and takes a table on the opposite side of the bell to Wiz. I stand with Violette.
The judge, in his raised position, said, "I call this trial to order!"
The crowd becomes nearly silent.
"Violette McAnaw, you stand accused of assaulting a member of the nobility without cause. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty." She announces.
The woman in the uniform is addressed, "Prosecutor Sena, begin."
She takes a breath, and approaches, "Did you or did you not assault that man." she points to the Baron.
"I do not see a man. I assaulted that strange fat being yes."
Laughter resounds. "Why?"
"My eye, it is what you would refer to as a magical item. I can scan for injuries upon anyone I can see directly with it, who isn't shielded from its gaze. I saw attacks, injuries, and villainous assaults upon the forms of children it was dragging along behind him. I reacted to that monstrosity with less than appropriate vitriol, but I was unarmed at the time."
Silence rang out, and Sena looked at the Baron, "So you did assault the Baron?"
"If he can be called one by your court."
Sena frowns, "No further questions."
The judge is looking at the Baron like he stepped on something. "I believe we have all heard enough."
"I quite agree." The baron… well he doesn't quite stand, "That woman assaulted me. I demand recompense."
The judge reads something on his desk, "This court fines the party whom houses Violette McAnaw one hundred thousand Eris for-"
"I demand her enslavement. Now." The Baron interrupts smiling.
"I'm afraid you can't Baron." I say smiling freely.
"What do you mean boy?"
"Did you not read the contract for the healing potions you drank?"
He smiles, "It has no punishment clauses boy! I can…"
I hold up the paper, "This bottom line. Should I, the beneficiary, attempt to cheat this contract he, the contractor, has the right to claim up to and including my life at its value."
The Baron freezes. The crowd freezes. "Now then, Baron, you have attempted to cheat this contract."
He freezes. He looks at me like a cornered animal. "Guards-!"
"Now Baron, you really should consider the consequences."
He pauses again, sweating, red, and angry. "What do you want?"
I walk up and lay a second contract on the desk. "Sigh this, and I will void my claim on your life."
*Great Man (Fate/Legends - Strange New World) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
He reads it aloud, "I'll pay all court fees and I will not interfere or plan to interfere, with the affairs of you three listed by name, or your immediate associates under threat of immediate death."
I nod, "That is the contract."
He frowns, "I'll get you for this."
"You'll find that if you had kept your head, and chosen not to go after my friends then this wouldn't have happened."
He scowls, "And if I refuse?"
"You die, an oath breaker, and I steal your name and rank out from under you as penance for your oath breaking."
He scowls, "Fine then brat." he signs, and clutches his chest.
"Planning has a warning built in. Every time your mind conjures up a way to make me pay for this, you feel the impending specter of your death." AKA a minor heart attack.
He scowls, "I wasn't…Ahhhh."
I frown, "Goodbye. I hope never to see you again."
He glares at the judge, who looks slightly conflicted. "Damion… this is a dangerous path, young man."
"Your honor, this was plan A. Plan B was messier."
*Ding*
I blink. Right, "Well… plan B required 1 death. Plan C was messier."
"Define messier?"
"Admitting to possession might be a crime locally, so I'll just say, enforce power through having the bigger gun."
"What possession?"
"Alchemic bombs."
"Containing?"
"Aren't you happier not knowing?"
"No."
*Ding*
The judge pauses, "Well, yes I would be happier not knowing-"
"Then I'll take my leave. Wiz, we should probably stop by the Guild building, and Lord Dustiness Ford's abode."
We teleported out, leaving the exact expectation that I wanted. The words 'Alchemic' and 'Bombs', combined with a teleportation spell. Let their minds fill in the blanks.
Arriving at the Guild, I see Luna, "So… I'm going to need a refund on that room."
She sighs, "Are you sure that I can't persuade you to continue to stay here?"
"I've had to threaten to light the town on fire 4 times today. Someone stupid is going to make me demonstrate one of these days. I will not have someone I care about sleeping in what that amounts to an enemy stronghold."
Luna frowns, "That's...fair."
"Also, the potions are done. Not while Lord Whale is in town."
She pauses, "But…"
"If you have any in stock, are you required to give them to him?"
"We are…"
"Then tell the caravan to make stops at my place, with the herbs. I'm not cruel, just exhaustingly pragmatic."
She frowns, "We also…"
"The Mana potions. I suspect I'll see a large uptick in profits on both potions."
She hunches slightly, "Sorry Luna. I've known since day one. But until this happened, I wasn't actually disadvantaged by working with you."
She frowned, "The experience."
"It's why I was doing them, yes. Also… we're probably leaving sooner than later."
She nods, "I… that's expected. After this, I can't blame you. Where are you going?"
"I'm thinning the Dwarven Kingdom of Groclk, north east of here. They have excellent access to
massive amounts of ingredients, and I have money to…. well... not burn, but I can make it easier."
*Core Tuning (MOUSEHUNT) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 points.*
Luna smiles, "I know. Thanks for telling me."
I nod, and we teleport again to Lord Dustiness Ford's manor and ask for an audience. We get one quickly, and he demands, "Did you threaten the town?"
"I did everything short of directly threaten the town."
"You are aware that your lease comes due if any of you are criminals."
"And out of respect for your daughter, I will not take that as a threat. We're leaving shortly. The town."
He blinks, "You are… this town isn't doing well. You three are the cornerstone of our recovery."
I shrug, "And until the Baron brought evidence of his pedophilic acts into a public space, and was spared death by the grace of chance alone, I might have cared. After today, I'm tempted to wish you all to hell."
He flinches. "I… won't deny his proclivities. But…"
"And that's why I'm leaving. May Baron Walrus choke on a chicken bone and die horribly. May you grow a spine and deal with him. Is there anything else?"
"Can I persuade you to stay?"
"Can you banish Baron Lard?"
"I cannot."
"Then no." I hesitate, "Where are the 2 children that were with him?"
"They were taken in by the Guild, they… they are his slaves."
I growl, "I should have killed him when it was legal."
"Contractually claiming someone's life is murder."
"Because he's nobility. I'm aware."
He shivers, "You really truly don't respect the customs of the aristocracy, do you?"
"I think that I respect people and customs that produce beneficial results."
He blinks, "I've…"
"I respect you. Enough to tell you we're leaving anyway. But every good thing you've done, and every drop of respect I have for you and the people at the local guild is gone thanks to that monstrosity of a man."
He frowns, "I… I understand. I wish you good luck in your endeavors."
I smile, "Thank you. And good luck with this town. I think you're going to need it."
He sighs, "We are."
We head back to the shop. I start dumping arrows into the condenser, flipping it for red matter. Screw waiting for a Warehouse to work. In a minute when it finishes processing the arrows, I use the red matter from my arrows and upgrade my flower to its max.
It's… about 1.5 times as fast as it used to be all things considered, and it shows. A separate slot for the item being created in the condenser too.
Then I made the gear I was waiting on. Red Matter weapons in an hour for Violette, a custom formed re matter gloves, with an Evertide Amulet built in. Lowers the cost of ice and water magic to nearly nothing. Both of them get a Swiftwolf's Rending Gale, allowing flight, and I make myself a full Ring of Arcana.
"I was going to give you both these when we left the starting town because honestly you two don't need them here. Sorry, this is rushed. I'm packing everything, and still pissed off."
*HIVE PROCESSING (The Culture Minds) (400) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I see my new perk and recognize the Infinite Multitasking via mental 'subforms' and sigh. Something I can't use and has no purpose right now. Great.
Working on packing up the shop, I'm moving. The Don't Need A Team perk decided this was maintenance. I was throwing everything Wiz didn't want into my Transmutation table and dumping the EMC into Stacks of something that will take the most EMC and the occasional stack of smooth stone. Feeding all of Wiz's shop into the endlessly hungry chest.
We finished an hour later. I'm quite sad to see the town go, but… we have places to be. Anywhere but here specifically.
We all get into the car, I upgrade the engine with a red matter furnace on a whim, and it repairs the whole thing to run at this new energy and efficiency level. It's impressive how little I need to do to account for a nearly 400% increase in power. Adeptus Mechanicus manufacturing for you. Violette takes the complement and goes red.
We're driving out of town when the emergency alarm goes off.
I turn to the gate, and we exit. There's a… headless horse with a headless horseman on top. Wiz gasps, "That's Beldia, he's a general of the Devil King. Loyal to a fault."
"Will he try stopping us?"
She hesitates, "I… don't know, but… we are a threat."
"Stop! In the metal carriage!" A growl from the general. "Stop there."
I get out. Rings glowing with my mana. "Yes?"
"Have you been blowing up my castle?"
"If I was blowing up your castle, you would be dead, Beldia."
He blinks. "You know who I am, and you stand firm?"
"I'm in a bad mood."
Beldia looks pissed from how he is holding out his head, "You're angry? Someone has been coming round…"
I… really don't care. I realize, and I point my hand, grabbing the bag of water arrows. I specifically set them not to freeze with a small enchantment on the bag, altering my magic I could do almost automatically now, that's cool.
Finishing that after a moment, "...have any idea what that 'Boom!' 'Boom!' 'Boom!'..."
Still talking. I enchant my Archangel's Smite. 1 to 1 homing arrows, but all water bombs.
I point my hand, and he stops, "Are… are you shushing…."
"Die." And a cascade of arrows flies from my hand. He doesn't do anything at first until he gets hit. Then the clean water makes him howl in pain. He tries to escape, but my arrows follow him. He didn't know they could do that obviously.
He was screaming about… something but I didn't care. Eventually, he falls, and my arrows swarm drowns him completely. He's not dying, however, and I stop. He slowly crawls to his feet, as I switch my enchantment. Water was good, but perhaps Holy is better.
*System Worker (Fate/Extella) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I miss a perk, and I begin firing again. Silvery light follows these arrows, and he screams as I hit him again and again.
It takes almost another full stack of arrows before he stops screaming, and disappears completely.
I sigh, take back off my Archangel's Smite and get back in the car.
A knock on the window from one of the villagers has me turning, eyes hateful.
He blanches, but asks, "Don't… don't you want to stay and celebrate?"
I frown, "Wiz? Violette?"
They look at me, and frown, "I think you should lie down in the back." Violette says, and I shrug climbing into the back and find the enchanted bed.
Laying down, I realize that I never did… get… to… try…
Waking up to the sounds of an engine is odd until I place it as the car Violette built.
Looking, bleary eyed at the two of them, I realize something. "I'm stupid."
Wiz looks at me, "Huh?"
"I've been getting more and more irritable, and less focused and creative. I might not need to sleep every night and with Stress Evolution, I can push it much further, but… I definitely can't afford to go… it's been almost 2 months since I've slept."
Violette blinks, "I thought he slept during my shift?" turning to Wiz, who blushes.
"I… I thought he was sleeping during my shift."
I blink. "You… you both thought I was sleeping with the other?"
"Not like that!"
"Don't say that!"
They look between themselves and laugh. "We… sorry."
I blink. "It's fine." They both thought I was sleeping with the other? That's… looking back, dividing my attention into each individual day, I… huh. About a week after I built the bed they both started acting strange, and when I moved the bed out of the workshop… It made things worse and asking Violette to sleep in the Guild building hurt her more than I realized.
"I apologize. I… it seems I may have unintentionally deceived both of you. I… wasn't thinking through the majority of my decisions, and I was acting irrationally at your trial."
I blink, seeing those memories, "I nearly killed the Baron in front of everyone. That… that would have been terrible. I threatened the whole damn town." Ahhh…. I cover my head with my arms, sinking into a gelatinous state. "I'm so stupid."
Wiz smiled, and Violette said, "At least you realized something was wrong."
"I knew him before he started slipping. Those few days were important."
I… don't know how to feel about the comradery at my expense. "Where are we going?"
"Alcanretia." Wis said, "It's a town built on the concept of Hot Springs. I thought it would be best for you to get some relaxation time. Time away from crafting, and optimizing and enchanting. The check we picked up before we left for the death of a general got you a massive payout."
"Nice." I say, leaning back, "When are we…"
"We're here." Suddenly the car is full of light.
*Rare Talent: The Ability to Craft Ter'angreal (Luck of the Draw) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
I smile, as we arrive at an inn. Wiz explains, "This is a religious town. The Cult of Axis. Don't sign anything."
I nod. Violette nods. And we head out. I personally want to head to a hot spring as far up the mountain as I can. I want a view. We decide that it can't hurt and head out together. It's a good thing.
"Would you like to join the Axis church?"
"A free bar of soap with a dedication!"
"A free bar of soap and a bottle of detergent for a simple dedication!"
"I saw them first!"
"Free detergent! And look at this flier! It needs your name, right here…"
Dear all that is unholy, what is this hell?
I flee. Literally, I start floating about 6 feet off the ground and walking ahead.
"Don't abandon us!" Wiz says, and I ask.
"Your bands?"
"We didn't wear them!"
I sigh and descend. Then Violette does something genius, "I am a Crusader of the Omnissiah. My loyalty is unwavering."
They seem confused. "Are they subservient to Goddess Aqua?"
I blink, fear flowing through me. I never got much into Warhammer, but even I know you never question their god. That way lies a smiting.
"No. The Omnissiah is subservient to no other. He is the unlimite-"
Hisses, and spitting and they turn to us. But now I have a plan. I ask quickly, quiet as can be, "The Omnissiah is a god of machinery and engineering?"
"I have been lax, the Omnissiah is the highest god! He is the god of machinery and is the recipient of all knowledge in the universe."
For a moment I think that's absurd. All knowledge in the universe. Then I pause. I… I know there are perks that unlock vast… No. Incalculably large stores of data. One maybe two of those… no. A being with all the knowledge in a universe isn't that unrealistic at all.
I smile, "I believe I would like to know more."
Sighs ring out from around me, until one of them yells, "We must try converting him even harder!"
No thanks. I grab both Wiz and Violette and fly us both to the entrance of the hot spring at the highest part of the town. Unfortunately, it's right next to the Cathedral, but I think we can probably avoid causing trouble."
I set us down, and we enter. "Hello! Are you here to convert?"
"We're here to use the hot spring."
The man nods, "Free towels if you join the Axis church."
"We'll pass."
He nods numbly, "I'll offer again when you leave."
We split up and change out of everything. I cast a potent non interference charm on my stuff, burns for people, and vaporization for not people. I tell him explicitly and he nods. I… can't tell if he believes me.
Walking out of the changing room, the first thing I see is the sparkling mountain plateau separating us from a massive desert.
*The Test of Time (World of Darkness - Demon the Fallen) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Then I saw the water.
Then I very nearly blacked out seeing both Wiz and Violette naked in the pool.
I turn around, and rush out, speaking to the manager, I demand, "Where is the other pool?"
He blinks at me. "We only have the one available. The other is only for the priest."
I blush to the roots, and he laughs, "You didn't know?"
I mutter, "Of course I didn't. I would never have come here if I knew."
He laughed, "You seem the type. Go out there. Tell them it was an honest mistake, and maybe take a small beating."
I frown, and cover myself, walking back out… I clear my throat.
They both turn and see me. They both go completely red. "I… remember how we saw 2 partitioned areas? Well, that partition is for the priests, not for men and women."
They seem to have a whole conversation in a look, and Wiz stutters, "We-well-here?"
Violette translates. "I… we're here."
I blush bright red, and walk over a few feet from them, and sink into the bath. It's warm and feels spectacular.
Then I hear water moving, and people on either side of me settle into place. "Girls?"
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
Oh good. It's them. "Not that I mind but… it's a tad awkward for me…"
Pressure on my arm from someone warn means that Violette is leaning on me. "You're a slime. Can you even have awkward moments?"
I pause, "Huh."
Giggles erupt. Wiz stutters, "It-It's ok. We-you haven't done much as a slime."
I nod slowly, refusing to open my eyes.
Violette asks, "You… don't want to look?"
I freeze. I know quite well that there isn't a good answer to that. "I...yes, but you didn't know that you would be...with me…" God. I feel like a nervous teenager again.
"Ah. That's very honorable of you." Then why do you sound disappointed!
"It's cute."
I turned to Wiz, a shocked betrayal on my face, "Wiz!"
She covers up, as I realized I opened my eyes, and just melt. Literally. Melt into goo spreading across the surface of the water.
This… this feels weirdly nice. The cleansing heat of the water, and the warmth of the sun.
I feel magic, and converge as Wiz is saying, "Reform. Reform. Re-oh."
I blink, facing away from them, and ask, "What's up?"
"You're a massive black goo, not subtle!" Wiz comments, and I frown.
"True."
Violette is extra affectionate today, or have I been so sleep deprived that my memories are less adventurous.
No. She's definitely more affectionate today.
Is it because I showed interest in the Omnissiah? She wouldn't flip on a dime like that for that… would she? I mean… I am interested. Writers of other stories have… many ideas about what's really going on with the machines of the Terrans, maybe I can learn from the source. A source.
And more selfishly, maybe there are perks it will unlock for free. I doubt it, but it literally can't hurt to try.
*Canoptek Spyder (Necron) (400) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
Canoptek Spyder (Necron): Not all troops in the Necron arsenal were once Necrontyr. The Canoptek constructs bear the distinction of being entirely robotic in nature. One of the most important of these constructs is the Canoptek Spyder, meant to oversee Necron tombs while its inhabitants sleep. To aid in this purpose, the Canoptek Spyders are able to manufacture swarms of Canoptek Scarabs and direct them towards intruders, ripping them to shreds before they even have a chance to scream. Additionally, they are capable of repairing Necrons who are damaged beyond even Necrodermis' ability to repair.
Oh sh-
A humming sound graces the world, and I pull up the notes.
I RESCIND! I REPENT! AHHHHH! Why did I taunt the universe?
Then we aren't all killed in laser beams, and I look up. It's looking at me. "Hello?"
Its robot eyes light up, and a series of noises are emitted. None of them I can fathom a guess as to their purpose.
It looks happy though.
"I'm Damion."
It tweets out noises for almost a minute before becoming quiet.
"I… I can't understand you."
It looks around and sees Violette, and for a moment I think we're going to have conflict, it rushes over, and she responds in a modem noise this time, confusing me.
She turns, "Unit 7781-118923441967 says… hello master."
I blink. "Hello back. I...um…"
"I will attempt to teach the Necron the Common tongue."
I nod, calmly. I think I'm in denial. This… how is this my life.
Taking Violette downstairs, and breathing out, "That was stressful. And irritating. What happened?"
"A spherical man entered the guild, he had with him two children, they looked to have avian features, and were very similar looking. I scanned them for health defects and found many physical and some more horrifying abuses taken."
*Lord Jumper's Armor (Skulduggery Pleasant v1.05) (600) Not Bought. Remaining: 500 points.*
Understanding her whole body shiver I say slowly, "And the man is dead."
"Nearly. I was prevented from harming him by numerous others in the room banding together until he could escape."
I frown, "Unfortunate. Wiz guesses as to who he might be?"
"Baron Alderp. He's the most… spherical person in town."
"Weaknesses?"
"He's lazy, slow, has no combat skills, and is known for his… less than pleasant attitude towards women and adventurers."
I nod, long list, "Advantages?"
"He was born into nobility and money."
I nod. "Would anyone seriously object to his tragic but completely accidental death?"
Wiz blinks, "I… that's…"
"Wiz. He assaults children and keeps them on leashes. If you want to see what someone asking for death looks like, he is."
Wiz blinks, "I…" She nods, "understand. Ok. Um… possibly the local guards, but the Dustiness Ford Family is far more liked by… everyone."
I nod, given the small scale experiments I've been doing Coronatite and Dalmeriam could be mixed into a napalm like substance. Just in case. "They will be calling for a trial sooner than later, probably once someone used one of my good healing potions on him."
Wiz startles, and says, "There is a knock at the door."
I sigh, and head upstairs, and see the guards, and the suited lady. "Are you here to illegally detain my party member again?" I ask, my skull adorned rings glinting malevolently in the midmorning sun.
They pause, "We are here to request an S+ class healing potion for the Baron."
I frown, "What happened to the ones I delivered a few weeks ago? There were more than a hundred of them?"
"They were sent to the front lines, where they can be of more effective use. The A rank potions won't heal his injuries sufficiently cleanly."
"If fines are levied, how much are they likely to be?"
They look between themselves, "Baron Alderp is pushing for enslavement."
"Then may he choke on an A rank potion."
I turn around, and the woman in the suit says, "It was not a request."
I pause, turn around, and look at her. "Understand something. If you demand that I heal a man so that he may enslave my compatriot, then I will sooner burn this town to ash than cooperate."
She looks into my eyes and sees something. Something she doesn't like. "I am willing to negotiate for a compromise."
I frown, "Let's hear it."
"You make the potion and we remove execution from the table."
I frown, "I make the potion and we remove enslavement and execution from the table."
She blinks. "I… the fine may be large…"
"I am your only source of Healing and Mana Restorations potions. I know the guild is buying up most of my stock every day, I'm assuming for the front lines. It would be a terrible shame if those potions cost more."
*Stress Evolution (Factorio) (600) Bought. Remaining: 0 points.*
Looking at that is… revealing. I'll need to train that up, but it will be good.
Stress Evolution (Factorio): The most dangerous trait of a hive's minions is the ability to rapidly evolve in response to injury. Cracked shells grow back thicker. The most heavily-worked muscles bulge with new tissue. Overtaxed acid glands are pumped full of hormones to encourage development. Worse, when these tougher variations and dragged back to a hive for re-absorption the new traits are passed on to all future generations. That gift is now yours. When overworked and under stress, growth is immediate and noticeable. Skin toughens in response to cuts. Bones grow back even stronger. Even the mind grows sharper when taxed, and your body will automatically work to ensure every enhanced trait is carefully balanced with the rest of your biology - develop hyper-acute senses, and the mind will adjust to handle the new input.
Looking at her, again, I see her reacting unfavorably, "You would be endangering the lives of…"
"The Baron is endangering the supply and any subsequent effects. I'm merely protecting those I care about."
She freezes, "And if we were to renege on this?"
"Oh, you can expect your enemies to have access to my potions and everything else I can create. My rings aren't difficult to make."
She looks down, "You can mass produce the Arrowstorm Ring?"
"Of course. It's not difficult."
"You…"
"I could be the god of death if I so chose. I am choosing to be trusting and honest. If I am betrayed then I am less willing to be charitable. But we've gotten off topic. I am willing to make my healing potion for the written guarantee that the court will be pursuing a debt to the Baron for damages, I am willing to destroy the local economy of precious metals and make him a few dozen pallets of gold. I am willing to burn the town down if he touches her again. Think over the deal."
"And your continued Healing potion creation?"
"I don't know if the experience is worth it. I haven't leveled up in a few trips. I'll need to evaluate the time costs." I state, glacially. "Now, I think the Baron needs to sign…" I offered her a contract to the effects I offered her before. Magically enforceable, with a line in English at the bottom that will not be taken well if I need to push it.
She reads it, "I… I'll give him the contract."
I head downstairs and explain what happened. I turn to Wiz, "I'm going to make a batch of healing potions, and I need you two to hurt me."
They blink, "Why?"
"I have a new skill, I adapt to any damage I take. As a slime, I'm nearly immune to physical damage, but I can be better. Magically, I'm basically as weak as a normal person, and I need to fix that."
Wiz nods, and Violette sobs, "I'm sorry I…"
"Violette. You did the right thing. Nothing that has happened today, nothing that might happen tomorrow will change that. That monster of a man is going to die, but we need to clear you of wrongdoing first, but only because I honestly don't want to leave town quite yet."
She nods and smiles "Thank you...Damion."
I smile, "Thank you, for remembering my name."
I hug her, growing taller as a slime to hug her and hold her head without it being awkward.
We spend about an hour, Wiz hitting me with spells, bringing me close to the edge before Violette drops a healing potion on me.
She's fascinated by the new biological pattern forming in my skin, almost like I'm weaving new types of cells into my whole body.
Then they return, and I go back upstairs, 2 potions in hand.
*Nth Metal Ingots (Injustice) (200) Not Bought. Remaining: 100 points.*
She looks relieved, "I got it signed, as is."
I read over the paper, he signed it, no alterations were made. "Then here you go." I hand her the potions, "I suspect a trial tomorrow or even later today?"
"Now, the Baron demanded now."
I head downstairs and get Wiz and Violette.
Heading to the town square, there is a crowd. I can't tell what they are expecting.
The Baron looks like he got run over by a train. He's glaring at me and is rolled over. "Boy, I will have your harlot in chains."
I smile, "Someone can't read. Give him the potions."
She does, and he guzzles both with his obnoxious mouth and takes a table on the opposite side of the bell to Wiz. I stand with Violette.
The judge, in his raised position, said, "I call this trial to order!"
The crowd becomes nearly silent.
"Violette McAnaw, you stand accused of assaulting a member of the nobility without cause. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty." She announces.
The woman in the uniform is addressed, "Prosecutor Sena, begin."
She takes a breath, and approaches, "Did you or did you not assault that man." she points to the Baron.
"I do not see a man. I assaulted that strange fat being yes."
Laughter resounds. "Why?"
"My eye, it is what you would refer to as a magical item. I can scan for injuries upon anyone I can see directly with it, who isn't shielded from its gaze. I saw attacks, injuries, and villainous assaults upon the forms of children it was dragging along behind him. I reacted to that monstrosity with less than appropriate vitriol, but I was unarmed at the time."
Silence rang out, and Sena looked at the Baron, "So you did assault the Baron?"
"If he can be called one by your court."
Sena frowns, "No further questions."
The judge is looking at the Baron like he stepped on something. "I believe we have all heard enough."
"I quite agree." The baron… well he doesn't quite stand, "That woman assaulted me. I demand recompense."
The judge reads something on his desk, "This court fines the party whom houses Violette McAnaw one hundred thousand Eris for-"
"I demand her enslavement. Now." The Baron interrupts smiling.
"I'm afraid you can't Baron." I say smiling freely.
"What do you mean boy?"
"Did you not read the contract for the healing potions you drank?"
He smiles, "It has no punishment clauses boy! I can…"
I hold up the paper, "This bottom line. Should I, the beneficiary, attempt to cheat this contract he, the contractor, has the right to claim up to and including my life at its value."
The Baron freezes. The crowd freezes. "Now then, Baron, you have attempted to cheat this contract."
He freezes. He looks at me like a cornered animal. "Guards-!"
"Now Baron, you really should consider the consequences."
He pauses again, sweating, red, and angry. "What do you want?"
I walk up and lay a second contract on the desk. "Sigh this, and I will void my claim on your life."
*Great Man (Fate/Legends - Strange New World) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 200 points.*
He reads it aloud, "I'll pay all court fees and I will not interfere or plan to interfere, with the affairs of you three listed by name, or your immediate associates under threat of immediate death."
I nod, "That is the contract."
He frowns, "I'll get you for this."
"You'll find that if you had kept your head, and chosen not to go after my friends then this wouldn't have happened."
He scowls, "And if I refuse?"
"You die, an oath breaker, and I steal your name and rank out from under you as penance for your oath breaking."
He scowls, "Fine then brat." he signs, and clutches his chest.
"Planning has a warning built in. Every time your mind conjures up a way to make me pay for this, you feel the impending specter of your death." AKA a minor heart attack.
He scowls, "I wasn't…Ahhhh."
I frown, "Goodbye. I hope never to see you again."
He glares at the judge, who looks slightly conflicted. "Damion… this is a dangerous path, young man."
"Your honor, this was plan A. Plan B was messier."
*Ding*
I blink. Right, "Well… plan B required 1 death. Plan C was messier."
"Define messier?"
"Admitting to possession might be a crime locally, so I'll just say, enforce power through having the bigger gun."
"What possession?"
"Alchemic bombs."
"Containing?"
"Aren't you happier not knowing?"
"No."
*Ding*
The judge pauses, "Well, yes I would be happier not knowing-"
"Then I'll take my leave. Wiz, we should probably stop by the Guild building, and Lord Dustiness Ford's abode."
We teleported out, leaving the exact expectation that I wanted. The words 'Alchemic' and 'Bombs', combined with a teleportation spell. Let their minds fill in the blanks.
Arriving at the Guild, I see Luna, "So… I'm going to need a refund on that room."
She sighs, "Are you sure that I can't persuade you to continue to stay here?"
"I've had to threaten to light the town on fire 4 times today. Someone stupid is going to make me demonstrate one of these days. I will not have someone I care about sleeping in what that amounts to an enemy stronghold."
Luna frowns, "That's...fair."
"Also, the potions are done. Not while Lord Whale is in town."
She pauses, "But…"
"If you have any in stock, are you required to give them to him?"
"We are…"
"Then tell the caravan to make stops at my place, with the herbs. I'm not cruel, just exhaustingly pragmatic."
She frowns, "We also…"
"The Mana potions. I suspect I'll see a large uptick in profits on both potions."
She hunches slightly, "Sorry Luna. I've known since day one. But until this happened, I wasn't actually disadvantaged by working with you."
She frowned, "The experience."
"It's why I was doing them, yes. Also… we're probably leaving sooner than later."
She nods, "I… that's expected. After this, I can't blame you. Where are you going?"
"I'm thinning the Dwarven Kingdom of Groclk, north east of here. They have excellent access to
massive amounts of ingredients, and I have money to…. well... not burn, but I can make it easier."
*Core Tuning (MOUSEHUNT) (400) Not Bought. Remaining: 300 points.*
Luna smiles, "I know. Thanks for telling me."
I nod, and we teleport again to Lord Dustiness Ford's manor and ask for an audience. We get one quickly, and he demands, "Did you threaten the town?"
"I did everything short of directly threaten the town."
"You are aware that your lease comes due if any of you are criminals."
"And out of respect for your daughter, I will not take that as a threat. We're leaving shortly. The town."
He blinks, "You are… this town isn't doing well. You three are the cornerstone of our recovery."
I shrug, "And until the Baron brought evidence of his pedophilic acts into a public space, and was spared death by the grace of chance alone, I might have cared. After today, I'm tempted to wish you all to hell."
He flinches. "I… won't deny his proclivities. But…"
"And that's why I'm leaving. May Baron Walrus choke on a chicken bone and die horribly. May you grow a spine and deal with him. Is there anything else?"
"Can I persuade you to stay?"
"Can you banish Baron Lard?"
"I cannot."
"Then no." I hesitate, "Where are the 2 children that were with him?"
"They were taken in by the Guild, they… they are his slaves."
I growl, "I should have killed him when it was legal."
"Contractually claiming someone's life is murder."
"Because he's nobility. I'm aware."
He shivers, "You really truly don't respect the customs of the aristocracy, do you?"
"I think that I respect people and customs that produce beneficial results."
He blinks, "I've…"
"I respect you. Enough to tell you we're leaving anyway. But every good thing you've done, and every drop of respect I have for you and the people at the local guild is gone thanks to that monstrosity of a man."
He frowns, "I… I understand. I wish you good luck in your endeavors."
I smile, "Thank you. And good luck with this town. I think you're going to need it."
He sighs, "We are."
We head back to the shop. I start dumping arrows into the condenser, flipping it for red matter. Screw waiting for a Warehouse to work. In a minute when it finishes processing the arrows, I use the red matter from my arrows and upgrade my flower to its max.
It's… about 1.5 times as fast as it used to be all things considered, and it shows. A separate slot for the item being created in the condenser too.
Then I made the gear I was waiting on. Red Matter weapons in an hour for Violette, a custom formed re matter gloves, with an Evertide Amulet built in. Lowers the cost of ice and water magic to nearly nothing. Both of them get a Swiftwolf's Rending Gale, allowing flight, and I make myself a full Ring of Arcana.
"I was going to give you both these when we left the starting town because honestly you two don't need them here. Sorry, this is rushed. I'm packing everything, and still pissed off."
*HIVE PROCESSING (The Culture Minds) (400) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I see my new perk and recognize the Infinite Multitasking via mental 'subforms' and sigh. Something I can't use and has no purpose right now. Great.
Working on packing up the shop, I'm moving. The Don't Need A Team perk decided this was maintenance. I was throwing everything Wiz didn't want into my Transmutation table and dumping the EMC into Stacks of something that will take the most EMC and the occasional stack of smooth stone. Feeding all of Wiz's shop into the endlessly hungry chest.
We finished an hour later. I'm quite sad to see the town go, but… we have places to be. Anywhere but here specifically.
We all get into the car, I upgrade the engine with a red matter furnace on a whim, and it repairs the whole thing to run at this new energy and efficiency level. It's impressive how little I need to do to account for a nearly 400% increase in power. Adeptus Mechanicus manufacturing for you. Violette takes the complement and goes red.
We're driving out of town when the emergency alarm goes off.
I turn to the gate, and we exit. There's a… headless horse with a headless horseman on top. Wiz gasps, "That's Beldia, he's a general of the Devil King. Loyal to a fault."
"Will he try stopping us?"
She hesitates, "I… don't know, but… we are a threat."
"Stop! In the metal carriage!" A growl from the general. "Stop there."
I get out. Rings glowing with my mana. "Yes?"
"Have you been blowing up my castle?"
"If I was blowing up your castle, you would be dead, Beldia."
He blinks. "You know who I am, and you stand firm?"
"I'm in a bad mood."
Beldia looks pissed from how he is holding out his head, "You're angry? Someone has been coming round…"
I… really don't care. I realize, and I point my hand, grabbing the bag of water arrows. I specifically set them not to freeze with a small enchantment on the bag, altering my magic I could do almost automatically now, that's cool.
Finishing that after a moment, "...have any idea what that 'Boom!' 'Boom!' 'Boom!'..."
Still talking. I enchant my Archangel's Smite. 1 to 1 homing arrows, but all water bombs.
I point my hand, and he stops, "Are… are you shushing…."
"Die." And a cascade of arrows flies from my hand. He doesn't do anything at first until he gets hit. Then the clean water makes him howl in pain. He tries to escape, but my arrows follow him. He didn't know they could do that obviously.
He was screaming about… something but I didn't care. Eventually, he falls, and my arrows swarm drowns him completely. He's not dying, however, and I stop. He slowly crawls to his feet, as I switch my enchantment. Water was good, but perhaps Holy is better.
*System Worker (Fate/Extella) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I miss a perk, and I begin firing again. Silvery light follows these arrows, and he screams as I hit him again and again.
It takes almost another full stack of arrows before he stops screaming, and disappears completely.
I sigh, take back off my Archangel's Smite and get back in the car.
A knock on the window from one of the villagers has me turning, eyes hateful.
He blanches, but asks, "Don't… don't you want to stay and celebrate?"
I frown, "Wiz? Violette?"
They look at me, and frown, "I think you should lie down in the back." Violette says, and I shrug climbing into the back and find the enchanted bed.
Laying down, I realize that I never did… get… to… try…
Waking up to the sounds of an engine is odd until I place it as the car Violette built.
Looking, bleary eyed at the two of them, I realize something. "I'm stupid."
Wiz looks at me, "Huh?"
"I've been getting more and more irritable, and less focused and creative. I might not need to sleep every night and with Stress Evolution, I can push it much further, but… I definitely can't afford to go… it's been almost 2 months since I've slept."
Violette blinks, "I thought he slept during my shift?" turning to Wiz, who blushes.
"I… I thought he was sleeping during my shift."
I blink. "You… you both thought I was sleeping with the other?"
"Not like that!"
"Don't say that!"
They look between themselves and laugh. "We… sorry."
I blink. "It's fine." They both thought I was sleeping with the other? That's… looking back, dividing my attention into each individual day, I… huh. About a week after I built the bed they both started acting strange, and when I moved the bed out of the workshop… It made things worse and asking Violette to sleep in the Guild building hurt her more than I realized.
"I apologize. I… it seems I may have unintentionally deceived both of you. I… wasn't thinking through the majority of my decisions, and I was acting irrationally at your trial."
I blink, seeing those memories, "I nearly killed the Baron in front of everyone. That… that would have been terrible. I threatened the whole damn town." Ahhh…. I cover my head with my arms, sinking into a gelatinous state. "I'm so stupid."
Wiz smiled, and Violette said, "At least you realized something was wrong."
"I knew him before he started slipping. Those few days were important."
I… don't know how to feel about the comradery at my expense. "Where are we going?"
"Alcanretia." Wis said, "It's a town built on the concept of Hot Springs. I thought it would be best for you to get some relaxation time. Time away from crafting, and optimizing and enchanting. The check we picked up before we left for the death of a general got you a massive payout."
"Nice." I say, leaning back, "When are we…"
"We're here." Suddenly the car is full of light.
*Rare Talent: The Ability to Craft Ter'angreal (Luck of the Draw) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
I smile, as we arrive at an inn. Wiz explains, "This is a religious town. The Cult of Axis. Don't sign anything."
I nod. Violette nods. And we head out. I personally want to head to a hot spring as far up the mountain as I can. I want a view. We decide that it can't hurt and head out together. It's a good thing.
"Would you like to join the Axis church?"
"A free bar of soap with a dedication!"
"A free bar of soap and a bottle of detergent for a simple dedication!"
"I saw them first!"
"Free detergent! And look at this flier! It needs your name, right here…"
Dear all that is unholy, what is this hell?
I flee. Literally, I start floating about 6 feet off the ground and walking ahead.
"Don't abandon us!" Wiz says, and I ask.
"Your bands?"
"We didn't wear them!"
I sigh and descend. Then Violette does something genius, "I am a Crusader of the Omnissiah. My loyalty is unwavering."
They seem confused. "Are they subservient to Goddess Aqua?"
I blink, fear flowing through me. I never got much into Warhammer, but even I know you never question their god. That way lies a smiting.
"No. The Omnissiah is subservient to no other. He is the unlimite-"
Hisses, and spitting and they turn to us. But now I have a plan. I ask quickly, quiet as can be, "The Omnissiah is a god of machinery and engineering?"
"I have been lax, the Omnissiah is the highest god! He is the god of machinery and is the recipient of all knowledge in the universe."
For a moment I think that's absurd. All knowledge in the universe. Then I pause. I… I know there are perks that unlock vast… No. Incalculably large stores of data. One maybe two of those… no. A being with all the knowledge in a universe isn't that unrealistic at all.
I smile, "I believe I would like to know more."
Sighs ring out from around me, until one of them yells, "We must try converting him even harder!"
No thanks. I grab both Wiz and Violette and fly us both to the entrance of the hot spring at the highest part of the town. Unfortunately, it's right next to the Cathedral, but I think we can probably avoid causing trouble."
I set us down, and we enter. "Hello! Are you here to convert?"
"We're here to use the hot spring."
The man nods, "Free towels if you join the Axis church."
"We'll pass."
He nods numbly, "I'll offer again when you leave."
We split up and change out of everything. I cast a potent non interference charm on my stuff, burns for people, and vaporization for not people. I tell him explicitly and he nods. I… can't tell if he believes me.
Walking out of the changing room, the first thing I see is the sparkling mountain plateau separating us from a massive desert.
*The Test of Time (World of Darkness - Demon the Fallen) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Then I saw the water.
Then I very nearly blacked out seeing both Wiz and Violette naked in the pool.
I turn around, and rush out, speaking to the manager, I demand, "Where is the other pool?"
He blinks at me. "We only have the one available. The other is only for the priest."
I blush to the roots, and he laughs, "You didn't know?"
I mutter, "Of course I didn't. I would never have come here if I knew."
He laughed, "You seem the type. Go out there. Tell them it was an honest mistake, and maybe take a small beating."
I frown, and cover myself, walking back out… I clear my throat.
They both turn and see me. They both go completely red. "I… remember how we saw 2 partitioned areas? Well, that partition is for the priests, not for men and women."
They seem to have a whole conversation in a look, and Wiz stutters, "We-well-here?"
Violette translates. "I… we're here."
I blush bright red, and walk over a few feet from them, and sink into the bath. It's warm and feels spectacular.
Then I hear water moving, and people on either side of me settle into place. "Girls?"
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
Oh good. It's them. "Not that I mind but… it's a tad awkward for me…"
Pressure on my arm from someone warn means that Violette is leaning on me. "You're a slime. Can you even have awkward moments?"
I pause, "Huh."
Giggles erupt. Wiz stutters, "It-It's ok. We-you haven't done much as a slime."
I nod slowly, refusing to open my eyes.
Violette asks, "You… don't want to look?"
I freeze. I know quite well that there isn't a good answer to that. "I...yes, but you didn't know that you would be...with me…" God. I feel like a nervous teenager again.
"Ah. That's very honorable of you." Then why do you sound disappointed!
"It's cute."
I turned to Wiz, a shocked betrayal on my face, "Wiz!"
She covers up, as I realized I opened my eyes, and just melt. Literally. Melt into goo spreading across the surface of the water.
This… this feels weirdly nice. The cleansing heat of the water, and the warmth of the sun.
I feel magic, and converge as Wiz is saying, "Reform. Reform. Re-oh."
I blink, facing away from them, and ask, "What's up?"
"You're a massive black goo, not subtle!" Wiz comments, and I frown.
"True."
Violette is extra affectionate today, or have I been so sleep deprived that my memories are less adventurous.
No. She's definitely more affectionate today.
Is it because I showed interest in the Omnissiah? She wouldn't flip on a dime like that for that… would she? I mean… I am interested. Writers of other stories have… many ideas about what's really going on with the machines of the Terrans, maybe I can learn from the source. A source.
And more selfishly, maybe there are perks it will unlock for free. I doubt it, but it literally can't hurt to try.
*Canoptek Spyder (Necron) (400) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
Canoptek Spyder (Necron): Not all troops in the Necron arsenal were once Necrontyr. The Canoptek constructs bear the distinction of being entirely robotic in nature. One of the most important of these constructs is the Canoptek Spyder, meant to oversee Necron tombs while its inhabitants sleep. To aid in this purpose, the Canoptek Spyders are able to manufacture swarms of Canoptek Scarabs and direct them towards intruders, ripping them to shreds before they even have a chance to scream. Additionally, they are capable of repairing Necrons who are damaged beyond even Necrodermis' ability to repair.
Oh sh-
A humming sound graces the world, and I pull up the notes.
I RESCIND! I REPENT! AHHHHH! Why did I taunt the universe?
Then we aren't all killed in laser beams, and I look up. It's looking at me. "Hello?"
Its robot eyes light up, and a series of noises are emitted. None of them I can fathom a guess as to their purpose.
It looks happy though.
"I'm Damion."
It tweets out noises for almost a minute before becoming quiet.
"I… I can't understand you."
It looks around and sees Violette, and for a moment I think we're going to have conflict, it rushes over, and she responds in a modem noise this time, confusing me.
She turns, "Unit 7781-118923441967 says… hello master."
I blink. "Hello back. I...um…"
"I will attempt to teach the Necron the Common tongue."
I nod, calmly. I think I'm in denial. This… how is this my life.
Last edited:
What Was Once a simple spa trip: Chapter 5
What Was Once a simple spa trip: Chapter 5
Watching Violette teach Unit...yah that name isn't going to work.
Looking at him… it… ...her… I ah…. Damn it. I'll ask later.
Looking at the Necron. Probably it actually. I decide to wait until it can-
It takes a few minutes of strange modem/dial tone/screeching before the flying spyder turns to me, synthesizer dialed right to Darth Vader baritone.
"Hello." I begin.
"I am Canoptek Spyder Unit 7781-118923441967."
"Can… is there another title I can call you? I'm terrible at long strings of numbers."
"My name is not a string, it is an integer."
Violette explains, "Organics are typically given relatively individualized by short strings associated with an identity."
I blink. "Yes… that's true."
The Spyder orient itself on me again, and states, "I do not have a name?"
"Well Do you have a preference towards a noun or an adjective?"
"I am not programmed for preferences."
"What do you do?"
"This unit is specialized as a mobile repair drone. I was fabricated with a quad Fabricator Claw Array. This required the removal of the offensive cannon most 7781 units were fabricated with. I was upgraded with a custom Gloom Luker Prism by my previous Lord. I can shield myself from Psyker energies or I can render myself undetectable visually."
I nod. That… That's stupidly convenient. "That's amazing."
"My parameters are commonplace."
I hesitate. "Huh?"
"I do not understand the meaning of that phrase?"
I blink, "That's a demonstration of confusion."
"Uncertainty is not part of my programming."
Yup. 100% robot. Well, "You may not be programmed for combat…"
"Statement is Erroneous. Fabrication Claw Arrays are equipped for molecular deconstruction."
I blink. "Why are short range disintegration weapons called Fabricators?" muttering in defeat, "Then I shall name you Arnold."
"I do not comprehend the designation alteration?"
"In combat, with the communication capabilities valuable, it is more efficient to have a human name. Response time can be shortened by more than two point one seconds." Violette begins. "And your designation is even longer than the Mechanicus standard."
Arnold focuses on her, "Simulations concur."
*Soft Physics (Generic Builder) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I turn to Arnold, "I apologize if Arnold isn't to your tastes, however. It was an impulse. If…"
"My Lord, my name will reflect Necron. I will be Ankh."
I blink. "Ok. Ankh. Now… I'm aware you can't change me, but is there a limit to your ability to become invisible?"
"My power storage will require recharging after 12.8843 hours of operation."
I frown, "Externally?"
"Yes. Energy cells will require recharging in 982 hours."
I nod slowly. "I… literally can't know if I'll have some way of keeping you alive by then. That's more than a month, but if I get involved somewhere with the Devil King, well, training and crafting seems to get me nothing after one or two times, and I can't guarantee that I'll be quote, unquote interesting enough, or roll a tech that has high level energy storage. Ok so, if you don't need to move under your own power, or enter a hibernation state briefly, can you conserve more energy?"
"I am capable of hibernation at energy minimums for 29,866 hours without connection to an external power grid."
I nod, and grab my bag, Ankh orients, "Warp Unaffiliated Spatial Anomaly."
"I don't want you to die. And I can't keep you running for very long without causing a panic, and we're strong, but a really strong adventure can drop spells that might really hurt all 4 of us."
Ankh looked at me, "I will enter hibernation in that spatial anomaly?"
"For now. Just until I can make something that will keep you, and us, safe from outsiders."
Ankh blinks, "Anhnoladge. Purpose: Gather information, Assist Lord. Current resource state does not allow long term demonstrable survival. Alternatives...Error. Construction templates for minor command and D class gathering structures absent from files. Error: Construction for secondary backup system absent from files. Conclusion: Connection established."
3 little drones appear in a green flash, "All internal material banks consumed. Establishing network connections with 4 designations: allies in proximity. Achieved."
Violette blinks, and shivers. "Are… you optimized my systems?"
"Correct. Designation: ally 2 compiling under inefficient and redundant checks and understandings. Designation: Positive Warp Presences detected in Designation: ally 2 hardware has been ignored."
I blink. I… were those Machine Spirits? The Necrons can see them? Communicate? That's… I need to know more. A lot more.
The small dinner plate sized drone attaches to my back, and I let it sink into me completely. Wiz hides her under her illusion spell, and Violette's… dematerialized into green lines on her back then to nothing. Violette is looking around at herself, "These nanites are incredible. They're upgrading my hardware, and reinforcing the stability of the biological system! It's incredible!"
I smile, and Ankh looks at Wiz and I. "Nonhuman physiology. Adaptations."
Wiz shivers and her skeleton flashes green for a bit, and I feel the bot breakdown in my body, spreading into a uniform part of my whole form, in and shape. "Modified monitoring established."
I blink, "I… can you feel us through these?"
*Archon (Draka Series) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
"I can. I anticipate communication hardware."
I nod, and ask, "Can… can you control them too?"
"I can."
"Can you damage me?"
"Why? Such behavior is counterproductive!"
I explain my Factorio perk about growing stronger to any attacks that don't kill me.
"Understanding. Multitude of defense growth applicable at all times. Concede."
I feel pain like nothing I've ever encountered before, and almost a minute later, "Error, the subject is not demonstrating increasing resistance."
"Are you healing me too?"
"Yes."
"Stop. I need to heal myself."
"Understanding. Continuing."
I feel the pain for a second. Not much, but it still brings me to my knees for a moment. A few seconds later, I feel the pain in patches, like less of me is being ripped apart. Minutes later, I stop feeling anything. "Most Impressive. Adaptive protection even on the subcellular level."
I smile, "Got anything else?"
"With material I can begin altering nanoparticles to expose all known types of damage."
I pull out a full stack of gold bars, 64 100% pure gold bars. "These work?"
"Spatial Warping is impressive. Affirmative."
I dump them into my body, and he gets to work. I pick up his main body, and carefully lower him into the chest. As he disappears, I look at Violette. "Can he still communicate?"
Violette has me close the bag. "He is still communicating."
I smile and look at him in the bag, the status bar showing him dropping below half, "Ankh! What are you doing!"
The consumption of gold in me stops, and Violette conveys, "Recreation of alternate forms of damage is energy intensive. Low energy environmental protocols updated."
I look into the bag, seeing the traditional status bar, and frown. Reaching into other bags, I make something. It probably shouldn't work, but Minecraft's rules can be stupidly asinine at times. I make a Repair Talisman.
It doesn't work, and I frown. "I tried."
"He says his stockpile of repair nanobots is restocking, in a few hours, he will be able to create and consume a Scarab for power."
I smile, "Not much then, but enough that he won't die."
Smiles all around.
… it takes me about a minute to realize I'm having a full conversation with them, completely naked. Amazing what a giant flying death robot spyder can make you forget. I blush again and trying to hide it turns my whole skin red. Which makes me blush an interesting white color I see in the pool's reflection. "I… um…"
"It's ok Damion." Violette says.
Looking up, I try keeping my eyes from straying, and it… well it goes incredibly poorly. Wiz is half hiding, half pushing out her chest, and Violette is endlessly composed. Wait, isn't she supposed to be shy?
She's also sporting some newly green tech across her arms, legs, and sides. The flowing green lights are… no. Eyes. Eyes.
She smiles, "I spoke to several young women in Axel, one of them was even a demon. She had no Warp corruption, my prayers would have killed her as she approached if she had." Is that true here? Probably. Holy magic is potent. "And she said that I am my own and that the gods care for us, and our passions. She reminded me that I am on a journey to expand my own faith and that I must have courage, in myself, and in my scriptures to do that."
*Tower of Sorcerae | Floating Isle | Moving Locations | Arcane | Sorcerae | A Memory Of The Face Of Creation (Lords of the Night - Liches) (300) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I smile at her, "I can understand that. But I'm going to turn around again because this is awkward for me."
Then I open my new perk.
Holy crap.
Tower of Sorcerae (100): You have a tower dreamt into reality. Maybe by you, maybe by someone else, but it was never made a concrete and defined thing. It starts out a thing the size of a city block, and thirty stories high. It can be something of stone, or glass, or crystal, or wood. When no one is watching it, it can change its outer facade. Inside it has a basic layout, though you can change that layout whenever it is unobserved by people other than you. Both the inside and out will repair themselves over time, and the tower may slowly shift itself, faster if unobserved, though still slowly.
The tower echoes any crafting perks you possess, gaining technologies and magics in keeping with the secrets and arts you've seized. You may feed the tower vast quantities of Arcane over time to make it grow. You may make it grow in luxury, making everything inside the tower higher quality over time and more comfortable and beautiful. You may make it grow in utility causing it to grow embedded magical items, and if you have the perks, technological ones. You may make it grow in size, becoming broader or taller or both, or even make it grow inside without growing outside, though that's even more expensive.
If you make the Tower a bound artifact, all those functions will be enhanced. You can also have it already on legs, or other appropriate mechanisms, so that it can move about. You may import an existing property as your Tower, though if that combination would be especially powerful you must pay an extra 100cp for the privilege.
Floating Isle (100): Unbought: Your Tower flies, and so does a modest amount of land around it. Enough for a small family farm though like with the rest of the tower it's possible to expand this. The weather's always pleasant - the air elementals bound to moving it make sure. They're quick to defend the tower if need be, and there are many permanent unseen servants to invisibly serve guests and do work about the place. And the elementals can push the tower at a decent pace. You get about a dozen elder air elemental servants. If killed, they will come back in a day and a night. They can't leave the premise, but otherwise faithfully obey you. They're also surprisingly bright, for elementals at least. You know methods of binding more with the same properties should you require them, though it is neither a fast nor easy process.
Moving Locations (100) Unbought: Your tower has several dozen portals to major population centers, a few smaller towns, and an interesting hidden place of wonder or magic. It has this... for every major plane of existence in the local cosmology, and several of the minor ones. These portals form extensions of the tower on the other end, small buildings or annexes built of the towers essence. The portals work automatically for you, and you can key other people to use them. Minions created by your power always count as 'keyed,' unless you've unkeyed them. The portals are near impossible to notice for those not keyed to them, and would require something on the level of epic magic or similar in order to force open. All of the portals are clearly marked as to where they go... but only to those that are actually keyed to using them.
Arcane (0): You have traded away Life for a measure of the Arcane, writing the truth of yourself upon the fabric of Reality. It is the Wellspring of Creation, the fire from which things become Possible. It opposes destruction and stagnation. Though it's worth noting that a nova consuming a world full of life and culture doesn't qualify as 'destruction' or 'stagnation.' Merely change, and change is interesting.
Arcane has a kind of supremacy over mortal magics - not just normal arcane magic either. An Arcane Lich can strip a Dragon of its breath, a Beholder of its gaze, and a Sorcerer of their spells. Such work are the products of specialized Arcana, formal techniques some Liches learn. The converse is not true. An Anti-Magic field does nothing to something fueled with Arcane, while an Arcane Null-Magic Field shuts down mortal magic. An Arcane Item won't show up to Detect Magic, won't be damaged by Disjunction, and generally speaking ignores all such forces.
In future jumps, it's safe to treat Arcane as a 'higher' force, except when it runs against other explicitly 'higher' reality rewriting forces, such as the Power Cosmic of Marvel or Flame Imperishable of LotR. It can affect the 'lesser forces', and they cannot affect it. On its own, this perk gives you a small pool of Arcane which can be used several ways
1) You can fuel Sorcerae - unstructured magic where you simply create the effect you want.
2) You can transfer it from or to another being or object that can hold it. This can't be used to steal it from another being or to grant the ability to hold or use Arcane to people that cannot already do so. As its own regeneration rate is trivial, storing Arcane energy in prepared crystal and gemstone receptacles ahead of time is the normal method of getting it.
3) Your creative mental energies lets you slowly dream more of it into being. Mechanically your regeneration rate is tied to your Intelligence.
4) You can see Arcane Script, a magical language written in Arcane energies. It has some use in magical items. If you know the script (which you do), you can also write it, though that costs energy. It's possible to drain the Arcane energy used to write the script, erasing what was written.
5) They can develop Arcana, special disciplines fueled by their Arcane energies. Arcane naturally recovers at a snail's pace for all but the most intelligent. More evolved liches gain bonuses to its recovery. However even for superhumanly intelligent spectral liches (the most advanced kind) the recovery rate for Arcane energy is still not terribly quick. (see notes)
Sorcerae (0): You can perform Sorcerae, dreaming what you want to happen into being. This is a dangerous power, and the very power the Guild of Wizards claim was used to bring Reality into being. There are ways of sensing its use, and mortal minds were not designed to bear witness to such shapings.
There are stacking bonuses and penalties to an attempt, but how difficult it will be and how much it will cost is a shifting thing. Taking extra time makes it easier, but also makes finding you easier for those keeping an eye out for such things.
1) Spending extra Arcane can reduce the difficulty.
2) The easiest form of this is dreaming into being an effect you could cast - the known spells of a Sorcerer or the prepared spells of a Wizard. The known spells, that aren't prepared, of a Wizard (and equivalents) are also pretty easy.
3) Any spell you've seen cast, that matches a type you can cast. If you've cast it, you've seen it cast, so these bonuses often go together.
4) Any other effect you've seen is a bit easier, but not much.
5) A spell you can cast, but from an alternative source is a bit easier, but not as much. If you're a specialist wizard, and you somehow learn a forbidden spell, or if you have Cleric levels and decide to copy a Cleric spell, you use this modifier instead
6) A spell from a type you can cast, that you haven't seen, is a little more difficult.
7) A spell that isn't appropriate (Cleric, Druid, other spell list) is more difficult.
8) A spell that's higher level then you can cast is more difficult.
9) A completely new effect is even more difficult.
* Such effects cost Arcana the more powerful they are, and with factors that increase difficulty. There are also some special modifiers.
10) Truly destroying something, Be Not, involves a massive spike in cost.
11) Making something real and permanent multiples the cost by ten. So if you can afford ten times the cost of Summon Monster IX, then you can permanently call such a set of helpers into being.
* Groups can pool their efforts to achieve greater effects.
A Memory Of The Face Of Creation (0): The power of the Arcane, and the necromantic forces that bolt it to a human soul... the mind was not built to cope with such things. Well, other people's minds might not be. You deal with it fine. In fact, you'll find that you deal with everything fine. Madness just doesn't 'take' when it's you. Your mind refuses to warp, your personality stays stable, and your view of reality matches what you sense and perceive.
1) Just read the perk, its one of the best things in the CF, scaling, with unlimited potential for both magic and tech
2) Limited reality warping styled magic free along with it and to fuel it
3) Arcane energy was used to create the entire dnd multiverse of this setting.
Due to Dimensional Binding, Tower gains Warehouse status as Bound Super-Dimensional Space: Requires 200 Points for activation and compatibility.
Floating Isle (100) and Moving Locations (100) are not perks permitted to apply to Bound Super-Dimensional Space AKA Warehouse. Perks: Key Making I(0) and Keyring (200) become available. Prices recalculated. Key Making I(0) Purchased. Keyring (0)Purchased.
I blinked. I… think I have a warehouse. I smile like a look, and grab a golden bar from my internal storage, and use my superior grip to force it into the right shape. That's all it takes. It turns silver, I turn around, giddy. "I got my warehouse!"
They both look at me confused, and I realize I haven't explained. "Ok. So, my powerset traditionally starts as a variable size empty white room, just outside of reality. Typically it grows as I get new rooms added onto it, and has resources just kinda appear when I unlock abilities for it. It's… a common staple. I didn't get one, so I thought I just wasn't going to for a while. My most recent perk got me a massive set of customizable rooms and spaces, meaning that I can make a storage space for anything and everything the three… four of us might need. I can use the Equivalent Exchange stuff to generate the resources to eventually make power and recharge Ankh. And if we need to leave an area again, we can basically take the back room, and the workshop with us, no mess, no fuss."
Their eyes get wider, and wider until I finish. "You… have an extra dimensional warehouse/workshop?" Wiz asks slowly.
"I do. Apparently a huge one. And formally it's Super-Dimensional but I… don't know the difference yet."
Wiz nods, and Violette asks slowly, "Can… I didn't ask before because we didn't have a place for such a thing, but can I have a Cathedral? I don't-"
"Violette. I'm told that gold is a huge expense of that right? But more is better?"
"Well, yes… but…"
"Would solid gold be better? Or some kind of steel plated gold? Or a titanium?"
She blinks, "It's not too expensive?"
I reach into my pocket and pull out a cube, 8 meters across, 8 meters tall, 8 meters thick. "Did you forget who I am?"
She… she starts crying. I step over, hand up, "I… sorry, I… it's not…"
A very strong, very naked woman throws herself at me, crying, and laughing, "Thank you!"
I smile, she really missed this. "It's ok. I'm sorry I didn't know."
She takes a minute or 3 to cry, and when she recovers I put the gold back into my bag, and explain. "I also got a perk that lets us travel to any door that I've… well Keyed." I hold up my key. "This 'unlocks' any door, and opens to my workshop. I can't make more, and I can't give it away for any serious length of time, but inside, I can open any door I've opened with this key. Only one at a time though."
*Sack of the Maker (Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyo) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
They both think as I walk over to the door leading out here from the men's changing room. "Want to take a little trip?"
They leave, "We're going to get dressed first", and I get my clothes on too, then we open the door.
Opening it, we find a… very techno building. Like… a stainless steel podium in the center of the room, with a seemingly glass display on it, a green potato sack with rocks coming out of it. A soothing grey/white metal wall, that curves, seemingly into a single piece with the roof, and sharp counters where it joins with the floor, only a thin sky-blue blue accent line to keep the distinction from being too difficult to see.
I remember all too well that any place I own will look like my ideal, and… this is my ideal for a warehouse. A futuristic, and spacefaring place of discovery, slightly less bright than the white of the Enterprise, and less oppressive than the strong grey/black of a Star Destroyer. Just enough texture to keep you from feeling like you were static in large spaces. It was perfect.
The girls were more impressed with the fact that the key worked, and the windows to appreciate that, I think.
I walk over to the bag and find ore, and crystals of several kinds. That most recent perk… Ok. A sack that refilled every day with random types of ore. I'll dump them into the Red Matter smelter somehow, it all but multiples the ore I should get by 2, and the dust exploits might not be possible.
I set up 2 chests, empty chests, and effectively, just suspend the sack upside down over the chest, lip inside the shoot. It empties quickly, and I can still see the inventory of the chest. Seeing most of the ores disappear, I can assume they are being ready to be smelted. Placing a red matter upgraded collector, and a brick of Dalmeriam on that, it starts smelting. Lighting up, and warming the whole room slightly past comfortable. Then I pause. Stupid, we're in the entry way!
I walk over to the central of the three doors. It… isn't the magical portal that I was envisioning, unfortunately. It does connect to a hallway, with larger doors into what are probably custom workspaces. I… don't see a method of going higher, despite the statement that such an option exists. Turning around, I try another door. The one on my left seems to go into an identical room, missing the podium, and the right door is the same. Then I look out the windows and see a different space.
I close the door behind me and decide to try something… crazy.
*MASTER OF THE MIND (PREY) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I open the window. Nothing bad happens, and I stick my head out. I'm on a massive DNA looking tower, maybe... halfway up the 30ish stories, probably just over half actually. I fire a water arrow at Violette, and it circles down to the window in the level below.
Well then. That explains that.
I close the window and head back. The water is already disappearing outside, and I explain. "So, apparently, the left and right doors are… elevators of a sort. They go to other floors. We're in the middle right now. I'm going to set up EMC mass production right near this door, on the left. If we decide to set up another shop, we will use this level, but on the left through that door.
Almost as I'm speaking, the doors get labels. Crafting, floor 13 and floor 15 appear, in crisp green fonts. I can tell that they appeared all throughout the building. "Like the signs say."
I reach into my bag and let Ankh out. Then realize an issue. Um…
The internal doors feel different. And open with a touch. Just wide enough for any of my companions or creations. I can feel my Warehouse adapting under the rules of the Wizards Tower, and Devilish Details. Then I remember something monumental. I pull up my Geomancy description.
Geomancy (World of Darkness - Mortal): The art of geomancy (known as feng shui in the East) is the study of harmonizing the physical environment with the flow of energy. The goal of feng-shui is to create the ideal place to live or work. Through a combination of architectural design and mystic mathematics, a geomancer plans a pattern that must be duplicated within the entire structure (in the case of a building) or the layout of a room or series of connected rooms (in the case of interior design). Implementing this design increases the time required and the cost of the work involved, but practitioners consider it well worth the effort. When designing a geomancy effect, the thaumaturge chooses a single Attribute or Skill to be the focus.
Once assigned, the Trait cannot be changed without completely redesigning the location. Attribute-based designs are more difficult to create than Skill-based ones. The selected Trait must reflect the building or space's function. For example, a library might enhance academic or research skills. If the thaumaturge is successful, she creates a unique design that benefits those who use the location in the manner for which it was created, provided that the design is followed perfectly. If the thaumaturge creates her geomancy design successfully, and the architect or interior designer successfully integrates the design into the physical location, the flow of energy is modified within the space. Any action that takes place in the space using the designated Attribute or Skill may gain a bonus.
Once a geomantic design is created and implemented, it remains in effect indefinitely unless something happens to disrupt or change the flow of energy. Natural disasters may change the magical landscape more than they appear to affect it physically, requiring geomantic designs to be realigned. New construction or destruction of buildings or even spaces within a building may require that a thaumaturge reassess the location for potential updates. Poorly designed geomantic locations may disrupt those around them, as well. The only limits on the number of designs a geomancer may create are her time, her capability and the ability of others to come up with the resources to put her designs into place.
Well… I can make a Watch of Flowing Time, and some kind of Craftsman enhanced EMC gathering space under Geomancy. I smile, and Wiz chuckles, "You have one of your crazy ideas?"
I turn, "Yah I do."
I run into the space and pause. Right there on the door, is the ProjectE logo. A perfectly square room, lines denoting the 1 meter spaces, with the holes I need for flowers premade perfectly.
This is a really good warehouse.
Setting up the collectors takes no time at all, setting up the furnace as well takes no time either. Everything that can't be smelted gets dumped into the Transmutation Table. So do the ingots. The names of them are cool, and some of the EMC values are wild. One of the unsmeltable stones was being registered at gunpowder and another refined bedrockium. It's more than a billion EMC.
What the hell?
I'm never that lucky. I hesitate. I could expand my production, I could make a fully charged set of Red Matter Plus armor, the immunity to damage, near creative mode armor. I…
Could I make an Alchemical Tome? Instant access to every material. It didn't adapt to new mods in the game, but… my perks didn't create the information, just allow me access… and there are perks that adapt to all future perks like my current tower.
That… I do. I take a book from Wiz's archive, and try duplicating it. I can't… but I can search through her library for…
Empty notebook. Sounds like a good title.
I craft the diamonds and fuel I need to make the Klein Star Omega, 1024 diamonds, and 8,192 Mobius Fuel. I make my Omega and feed it to my Transmutation table.
*Great Man (Fate/Legends - Strange New World) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
I pull two out of the table, fully charged, and make my book. As I reach for it I feel a barrier.
No. NO! I'm so close! I push and feel the barrier impart words.
Invalid Object.
I pull back, and my items all stop registering with my Philosopher's Stone and fall to the floor. I sigh and sit down.
I was so close! Any material! Fuel for Ankh, food, and resources to build the spaceships I can only design. The materials to build weapons and resources to fight any threat. Skipping every step between design and construction.
… Invalidating every difficulty and challenge that could cross my path. Forcing every idea and design schematic to design on the principles of my Transfiguration Table and Energy Condenser.
Would… would that even be a good thing?
I pause at what that stupid book could cost me for that easy path.
Purchase Offer for Overcoming Mnemonic Threat: Mental Resistance III (Essential Body Modification Supplement) (200CP)
I… what the hell? The…
"Purchase!"
Purchased: Mental Resistance III Remaining: 0 points.
I blink, and the Tome… no longer has any draw. I can understand the threat that settling for this easier answer, that chaining every step of my design process to Equivalent Exchange was… a threat. Any disruptions in future universes would, or from effects I might get in the future would be… horrifically dangerous. Destroying my entire infrastructure, and leaving anyone I left behind stranded, downing in tech, and material they can't use.
Then I blink. Why do I sound like I'm moving on? Like it's inevitable? I mean… I signed up to save this universe… and it's not been terrible so far… and I met some great people, and have some good companions that will be joining me if I move on.
And do I really want to go back to middle management? Would office work ever be… fulfilling if I could build actual world breaking technology? And do magic? And…
Wait. I know enough about Warhammer 40K's Holy Terra to recognize that beginning.
I go back, get bored living with the science and engineering of literal gods in my hands, use it a little, spread it to some of my most trusted people, and accidentally found a technocracy that I can never be overthrown from. I… I find the concept of being some kind of God Emperor… horrifying. I don't want that.
But then what do I want?
Watching Violette teach Unit...yah that name isn't going to work.
Looking at him… it… ...her… I ah…. Damn it. I'll ask later.
Looking at the Necron. Probably it actually. I decide to wait until it can-
It takes a few minutes of strange modem/dial tone/screeching before the flying spyder turns to me, synthesizer dialed right to Darth Vader baritone.
"Hello." I begin.
"I am Canoptek Spyder Unit 7781-118923441967."
"Can… is there another title I can call you? I'm terrible at long strings of numbers."
"My name is not a string, it is an integer."
Violette explains, "Organics are typically given relatively individualized by short strings associated with an identity."
I blink. "Yes… that's true."
The Spyder orient itself on me again, and states, "I do not have a name?"
"Well Do you have a preference towards a noun or an adjective?"
"I am not programmed for preferences."
"What do you do?"
"This unit is specialized as a mobile repair drone. I was fabricated with a quad Fabricator Claw Array. This required the removal of the offensive cannon most 7781 units were fabricated with. I was upgraded with a custom Gloom Luker Prism by my previous Lord. I can shield myself from Psyker energies or I can render myself undetectable visually."
I nod. That… That's stupidly convenient. "That's amazing."
"My parameters are commonplace."
I hesitate. "Huh?"
"I do not understand the meaning of that phrase?"
I blink, "That's a demonstration of confusion."
"Uncertainty is not part of my programming."
Yup. 100% robot. Well, "You may not be programmed for combat…"
"Statement is Erroneous. Fabrication Claw Arrays are equipped for molecular deconstruction."
I blink. "Why are short range disintegration weapons called Fabricators?" muttering in defeat, "Then I shall name you Arnold."
"I do not comprehend the designation alteration?"
"In combat, with the communication capabilities valuable, it is more efficient to have a human name. Response time can be shortened by more than two point one seconds." Violette begins. "And your designation is even longer than the Mechanicus standard."
Arnold focuses on her, "Simulations concur."
*Soft Physics (Generic Builder) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I turn to Arnold, "I apologize if Arnold isn't to your tastes, however. It was an impulse. If…"
"My Lord, my name will reflect Necron. I will be Ankh."
I blink. "Ok. Ankh. Now… I'm aware you can't change me, but is there a limit to your ability to become invisible?"
"My power storage will require recharging after 12.8843 hours of operation."
I frown, "Externally?"
"Yes. Energy cells will require recharging in 982 hours."
I nod slowly. "I… literally can't know if I'll have some way of keeping you alive by then. That's more than a month, but if I get involved somewhere with the Devil King, well, training and crafting seems to get me nothing after one or two times, and I can't guarantee that I'll be quote, unquote interesting enough, or roll a tech that has high level energy storage. Ok so, if you don't need to move under your own power, or enter a hibernation state briefly, can you conserve more energy?"
"I am capable of hibernation at energy minimums for 29,866 hours without connection to an external power grid."
I nod, and grab my bag, Ankh orients, "Warp Unaffiliated Spatial Anomaly."
"I don't want you to die. And I can't keep you running for very long without causing a panic, and we're strong, but a really strong adventure can drop spells that might really hurt all 4 of us."
Ankh looked at me, "I will enter hibernation in that spatial anomaly?"
"For now. Just until I can make something that will keep you, and us, safe from outsiders."
Ankh blinks, "Anhnoladge. Purpose: Gather information, Assist Lord. Current resource state does not allow long term demonstrable survival. Alternatives...Error. Construction templates for minor command and D class gathering structures absent from files. Error: Construction for secondary backup system absent from files. Conclusion: Connection established."
3 little drones appear in a green flash, "All internal material banks consumed. Establishing network connections with 4 designations: allies in proximity. Achieved."
Violette blinks, and shivers. "Are… you optimized my systems?"
"Correct. Designation: ally 2 compiling under inefficient and redundant checks and understandings. Designation: Positive Warp Presences detected in Designation: ally 2 hardware has been ignored."
I blink. I… were those Machine Spirits? The Necrons can see them? Communicate? That's… I need to know more. A lot more.
The small dinner plate sized drone attaches to my back, and I let it sink into me completely. Wiz hides her under her illusion spell, and Violette's… dematerialized into green lines on her back then to nothing. Violette is looking around at herself, "These nanites are incredible. They're upgrading my hardware, and reinforcing the stability of the biological system! It's incredible!"
I smile, and Ankh looks at Wiz and I. "Nonhuman physiology. Adaptations."
Wiz shivers and her skeleton flashes green for a bit, and I feel the bot breakdown in my body, spreading into a uniform part of my whole form, in and shape. "Modified monitoring established."
I blink, "I… can you feel us through these?"
*Archon (Draka Series) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
"I can. I anticipate communication hardware."
I nod, and ask, "Can… can you control them too?"
"I can."
"Can you damage me?"
"Why? Such behavior is counterproductive!"
I explain my Factorio perk about growing stronger to any attacks that don't kill me.
"Understanding. Multitude of defense growth applicable at all times. Concede."
I feel pain like nothing I've ever encountered before, and almost a minute later, "Error, the subject is not demonstrating increasing resistance."
"Are you healing me too?"
"Yes."
"Stop. I need to heal myself."
"Understanding. Continuing."
I feel the pain for a second. Not much, but it still brings me to my knees for a moment. A few seconds later, I feel the pain in patches, like less of me is being ripped apart. Minutes later, I stop feeling anything. "Most Impressive. Adaptive protection even on the subcellular level."
I smile, "Got anything else?"
"With material I can begin altering nanoparticles to expose all known types of damage."
I pull out a full stack of gold bars, 64 100% pure gold bars. "These work?"
"Spatial Warping is impressive. Affirmative."
I dump them into my body, and he gets to work. I pick up his main body, and carefully lower him into the chest. As he disappears, I look at Violette. "Can he still communicate?"
Violette has me close the bag. "He is still communicating."
I smile and look at him in the bag, the status bar showing him dropping below half, "Ankh! What are you doing!"
The consumption of gold in me stops, and Violette conveys, "Recreation of alternate forms of damage is energy intensive. Low energy environmental protocols updated."
I look into the bag, seeing the traditional status bar, and frown. Reaching into other bags, I make something. It probably shouldn't work, but Minecraft's rules can be stupidly asinine at times. I make a Repair Talisman.
It doesn't work, and I frown. "I tried."
"He says his stockpile of repair nanobots is restocking, in a few hours, he will be able to create and consume a Scarab for power."
I smile, "Not much then, but enough that he won't die."
Smiles all around.
… it takes me about a minute to realize I'm having a full conversation with them, completely naked. Amazing what a giant flying death robot spyder can make you forget. I blush again and trying to hide it turns my whole skin red. Which makes me blush an interesting white color I see in the pool's reflection. "I… um…"
"It's ok Damion." Violette says.
Looking up, I try keeping my eyes from straying, and it… well it goes incredibly poorly. Wiz is half hiding, half pushing out her chest, and Violette is endlessly composed. Wait, isn't she supposed to be shy?
She's also sporting some newly green tech across her arms, legs, and sides. The flowing green lights are… no. Eyes. Eyes.
She smiles, "I spoke to several young women in Axel, one of them was even a demon. She had no Warp corruption, my prayers would have killed her as she approached if she had." Is that true here? Probably. Holy magic is potent. "And she said that I am my own and that the gods care for us, and our passions. She reminded me that I am on a journey to expand my own faith and that I must have courage, in myself, and in my scriptures to do that."
*Tower of Sorcerae | Floating Isle | Moving Locations | Arcane | Sorcerae | A Memory Of The Face Of Creation (Lords of the Night - Liches) (300) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I smile at her, "I can understand that. But I'm going to turn around again because this is awkward for me."
Then I open my new perk.
Holy crap.
Tower of Sorcerae (100): You have a tower dreamt into reality. Maybe by you, maybe by someone else, but it was never made a concrete and defined thing. It starts out a thing the size of a city block, and thirty stories high. It can be something of stone, or glass, or crystal, or wood. When no one is watching it, it can change its outer facade. Inside it has a basic layout, though you can change that layout whenever it is unobserved by people other than you. Both the inside and out will repair themselves over time, and the tower may slowly shift itself, faster if unobserved, though still slowly.
The tower echoes any crafting perks you possess, gaining technologies and magics in keeping with the secrets and arts you've seized. You may feed the tower vast quantities of Arcane over time to make it grow. You may make it grow in luxury, making everything inside the tower higher quality over time and more comfortable and beautiful. You may make it grow in utility causing it to grow embedded magical items, and if you have the perks, technological ones. You may make it grow in size, becoming broader or taller or both, or even make it grow inside without growing outside, though that's even more expensive.
If you make the Tower a bound artifact, all those functions will be enhanced. You can also have it already on legs, or other appropriate mechanisms, so that it can move about. You may import an existing property as your Tower, though if that combination would be especially powerful you must pay an extra 100cp for the privilege.
Floating Isle (100): Unbought: Your Tower flies, and so does a modest amount of land around it. Enough for a small family farm though like with the rest of the tower it's possible to expand this. The weather's always pleasant - the air elementals bound to moving it make sure. They're quick to defend the tower if need be, and there are many permanent unseen servants to invisibly serve guests and do work about the place. And the elementals can push the tower at a decent pace. You get about a dozen elder air elemental servants. If killed, they will come back in a day and a night. They can't leave the premise, but otherwise faithfully obey you. They're also surprisingly bright, for elementals at least. You know methods of binding more with the same properties should you require them, though it is neither a fast nor easy process.
Moving Locations (100) Unbought: Your tower has several dozen portals to major population centers, a few smaller towns, and an interesting hidden place of wonder or magic. It has this... for every major plane of existence in the local cosmology, and several of the minor ones. These portals form extensions of the tower on the other end, small buildings or annexes built of the towers essence. The portals work automatically for you, and you can key other people to use them. Minions created by your power always count as 'keyed,' unless you've unkeyed them. The portals are near impossible to notice for those not keyed to them, and would require something on the level of epic magic or similar in order to force open. All of the portals are clearly marked as to where they go... but only to those that are actually keyed to using them.
Arcane (0): You have traded away Life for a measure of the Arcane, writing the truth of yourself upon the fabric of Reality. It is the Wellspring of Creation, the fire from which things become Possible. It opposes destruction and stagnation. Though it's worth noting that a nova consuming a world full of life and culture doesn't qualify as 'destruction' or 'stagnation.' Merely change, and change is interesting.
Arcane has a kind of supremacy over mortal magics - not just normal arcane magic either. An Arcane Lich can strip a Dragon of its breath, a Beholder of its gaze, and a Sorcerer of their spells. Such work are the products of specialized Arcana, formal techniques some Liches learn. The converse is not true. An Anti-Magic field does nothing to something fueled with Arcane, while an Arcane Null-Magic Field shuts down mortal magic. An Arcane Item won't show up to Detect Magic, won't be damaged by Disjunction, and generally speaking ignores all such forces.
In future jumps, it's safe to treat Arcane as a 'higher' force, except when it runs against other explicitly 'higher' reality rewriting forces, such as the Power Cosmic of Marvel or Flame Imperishable of LotR. It can affect the 'lesser forces', and they cannot affect it. On its own, this perk gives you a small pool of Arcane which can be used several ways
1) You can fuel Sorcerae - unstructured magic where you simply create the effect you want.
2) You can transfer it from or to another being or object that can hold it. This can't be used to steal it from another being or to grant the ability to hold or use Arcane to people that cannot already do so. As its own regeneration rate is trivial, storing Arcane energy in prepared crystal and gemstone receptacles ahead of time is the normal method of getting it.
3) Your creative mental energies lets you slowly dream more of it into being. Mechanically your regeneration rate is tied to your Intelligence.
4) You can see Arcane Script, a magical language written in Arcane energies. It has some use in magical items. If you know the script (which you do), you can also write it, though that costs energy. It's possible to drain the Arcane energy used to write the script, erasing what was written.
5) They can develop Arcana, special disciplines fueled by their Arcane energies. Arcane naturally recovers at a snail's pace for all but the most intelligent. More evolved liches gain bonuses to its recovery. However even for superhumanly intelligent spectral liches (the most advanced kind) the recovery rate for Arcane energy is still not terribly quick. (see notes)
Sorcerae (0): You can perform Sorcerae, dreaming what you want to happen into being. This is a dangerous power, and the very power the Guild of Wizards claim was used to bring Reality into being. There are ways of sensing its use, and mortal minds were not designed to bear witness to such shapings.
There are stacking bonuses and penalties to an attempt, but how difficult it will be and how much it will cost is a shifting thing. Taking extra time makes it easier, but also makes finding you easier for those keeping an eye out for such things.
1) Spending extra Arcane can reduce the difficulty.
2) The easiest form of this is dreaming into being an effect you could cast - the known spells of a Sorcerer or the prepared spells of a Wizard. The known spells, that aren't prepared, of a Wizard (and equivalents) are also pretty easy.
3) Any spell you've seen cast, that matches a type you can cast. If you've cast it, you've seen it cast, so these bonuses often go together.
4) Any other effect you've seen is a bit easier, but not much.
5) A spell you can cast, but from an alternative source is a bit easier, but not as much. If you're a specialist wizard, and you somehow learn a forbidden spell, or if you have Cleric levels and decide to copy a Cleric spell, you use this modifier instead
6) A spell from a type you can cast, that you haven't seen, is a little more difficult.
7) A spell that isn't appropriate (Cleric, Druid, other spell list) is more difficult.
8) A spell that's higher level then you can cast is more difficult.
9) A completely new effect is even more difficult.
* Such effects cost Arcana the more powerful they are, and with factors that increase difficulty. There are also some special modifiers.
10) Truly destroying something, Be Not, involves a massive spike in cost.
11) Making something real and permanent multiples the cost by ten. So if you can afford ten times the cost of Summon Monster IX, then you can permanently call such a set of helpers into being.
* Groups can pool their efforts to achieve greater effects.
A Memory Of The Face Of Creation (0): The power of the Arcane, and the necromantic forces that bolt it to a human soul... the mind was not built to cope with such things. Well, other people's minds might not be. You deal with it fine. In fact, you'll find that you deal with everything fine. Madness just doesn't 'take' when it's you. Your mind refuses to warp, your personality stays stable, and your view of reality matches what you sense and perceive.
1) Just read the perk, its one of the best things in the CF, scaling, with unlimited potential for both magic and tech
2) Limited reality warping styled magic free along with it and to fuel it
3) Arcane energy was used to create the entire dnd multiverse of this setting.
Due to Dimensional Binding, Tower gains Warehouse status as Bound Super-Dimensional Space: Requires 200 Points for activation and compatibility.
Floating Isle (100) and Moving Locations (100) are not perks permitted to apply to Bound Super-Dimensional Space AKA Warehouse. Perks: Key Making I(0) and Keyring (200) become available. Prices recalculated. Key Making I(0) Purchased. Keyring (0)Purchased.
I blinked. I… think I have a warehouse. I smile like a look, and grab a golden bar from my internal storage, and use my superior grip to force it into the right shape. That's all it takes. It turns silver, I turn around, giddy. "I got my warehouse!"
They both look at me confused, and I realize I haven't explained. "Ok. So, my powerset traditionally starts as a variable size empty white room, just outside of reality. Typically it grows as I get new rooms added onto it, and has resources just kinda appear when I unlock abilities for it. It's… a common staple. I didn't get one, so I thought I just wasn't going to for a while. My most recent perk got me a massive set of customizable rooms and spaces, meaning that I can make a storage space for anything and everything the three… four of us might need. I can use the Equivalent Exchange stuff to generate the resources to eventually make power and recharge Ankh. And if we need to leave an area again, we can basically take the back room, and the workshop with us, no mess, no fuss."
Their eyes get wider, and wider until I finish. "You… have an extra dimensional warehouse/workshop?" Wiz asks slowly.
"I do. Apparently a huge one. And formally it's Super-Dimensional but I… don't know the difference yet."
Wiz nods, and Violette asks slowly, "Can… I didn't ask before because we didn't have a place for such a thing, but can I have a Cathedral? I don't-"
"Violette. I'm told that gold is a huge expense of that right? But more is better?"
"Well, yes… but…"
"Would solid gold be better? Or some kind of steel plated gold? Or a titanium?"
She blinks, "It's not too expensive?"
I reach into my pocket and pull out a cube, 8 meters across, 8 meters tall, 8 meters thick. "Did you forget who I am?"
She… she starts crying. I step over, hand up, "I… sorry, I… it's not…"
A very strong, very naked woman throws herself at me, crying, and laughing, "Thank you!"
I smile, she really missed this. "It's ok. I'm sorry I didn't know."
She takes a minute or 3 to cry, and when she recovers I put the gold back into my bag, and explain. "I also got a perk that lets us travel to any door that I've… well Keyed." I hold up my key. "This 'unlocks' any door, and opens to my workshop. I can't make more, and I can't give it away for any serious length of time, but inside, I can open any door I've opened with this key. Only one at a time though."
*Sack of the Maker (Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyo) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
They both think as I walk over to the door leading out here from the men's changing room. "Want to take a little trip?"
They leave, "We're going to get dressed first", and I get my clothes on too, then we open the door.
Opening it, we find a… very techno building. Like… a stainless steel podium in the center of the room, with a seemingly glass display on it, a green potato sack with rocks coming out of it. A soothing grey/white metal wall, that curves, seemingly into a single piece with the roof, and sharp counters where it joins with the floor, only a thin sky-blue blue accent line to keep the distinction from being too difficult to see.
I remember all too well that any place I own will look like my ideal, and… this is my ideal for a warehouse. A futuristic, and spacefaring place of discovery, slightly less bright than the white of the Enterprise, and less oppressive than the strong grey/black of a Star Destroyer. Just enough texture to keep you from feeling like you were static in large spaces. It was perfect.
The girls were more impressed with the fact that the key worked, and the windows to appreciate that, I think.
I walk over to the bag and find ore, and crystals of several kinds. That most recent perk… Ok. A sack that refilled every day with random types of ore. I'll dump them into the Red Matter smelter somehow, it all but multiples the ore I should get by 2, and the dust exploits might not be possible.
I set up 2 chests, empty chests, and effectively, just suspend the sack upside down over the chest, lip inside the shoot. It empties quickly, and I can still see the inventory of the chest. Seeing most of the ores disappear, I can assume they are being ready to be smelted. Placing a red matter upgraded collector, and a brick of Dalmeriam on that, it starts smelting. Lighting up, and warming the whole room slightly past comfortable. Then I pause. Stupid, we're in the entry way!
I walk over to the central of the three doors. It… isn't the magical portal that I was envisioning, unfortunately. It does connect to a hallway, with larger doors into what are probably custom workspaces. I… don't see a method of going higher, despite the statement that such an option exists. Turning around, I try another door. The one on my left seems to go into an identical room, missing the podium, and the right door is the same. Then I look out the windows and see a different space.
I close the door behind me and decide to try something… crazy.
*MASTER OF THE MIND (PREY) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I open the window. Nothing bad happens, and I stick my head out. I'm on a massive DNA looking tower, maybe... halfway up the 30ish stories, probably just over half actually. I fire a water arrow at Violette, and it circles down to the window in the level below.
Well then. That explains that.
I close the window and head back. The water is already disappearing outside, and I explain. "So, apparently, the left and right doors are… elevators of a sort. They go to other floors. We're in the middle right now. I'm going to set up EMC mass production right near this door, on the left. If we decide to set up another shop, we will use this level, but on the left through that door.
Almost as I'm speaking, the doors get labels. Crafting, floor 13 and floor 15 appear, in crisp green fonts. I can tell that they appeared all throughout the building. "Like the signs say."
I reach into my bag and let Ankh out. Then realize an issue. Um…
The internal doors feel different. And open with a touch. Just wide enough for any of my companions or creations. I can feel my Warehouse adapting under the rules of the Wizards Tower, and Devilish Details. Then I remember something monumental. I pull up my Geomancy description.
Geomancy (World of Darkness - Mortal): The art of geomancy (known as feng shui in the East) is the study of harmonizing the physical environment with the flow of energy. The goal of feng-shui is to create the ideal place to live or work. Through a combination of architectural design and mystic mathematics, a geomancer plans a pattern that must be duplicated within the entire structure (in the case of a building) or the layout of a room or series of connected rooms (in the case of interior design). Implementing this design increases the time required and the cost of the work involved, but practitioners consider it well worth the effort. When designing a geomancy effect, the thaumaturge chooses a single Attribute or Skill to be the focus.
Once assigned, the Trait cannot be changed without completely redesigning the location. Attribute-based designs are more difficult to create than Skill-based ones. The selected Trait must reflect the building or space's function. For example, a library might enhance academic or research skills. If the thaumaturge is successful, she creates a unique design that benefits those who use the location in the manner for which it was created, provided that the design is followed perfectly. If the thaumaturge creates her geomancy design successfully, and the architect or interior designer successfully integrates the design into the physical location, the flow of energy is modified within the space. Any action that takes place in the space using the designated Attribute or Skill may gain a bonus.
Once a geomantic design is created and implemented, it remains in effect indefinitely unless something happens to disrupt or change the flow of energy. Natural disasters may change the magical landscape more than they appear to affect it physically, requiring geomantic designs to be realigned. New construction or destruction of buildings or even spaces within a building may require that a thaumaturge reassess the location for potential updates. Poorly designed geomantic locations may disrupt those around them, as well. The only limits on the number of designs a geomancer may create are her time, her capability and the ability of others to come up with the resources to put her designs into place.
Well… I can make a Watch of Flowing Time, and some kind of Craftsman enhanced EMC gathering space under Geomancy. I smile, and Wiz chuckles, "You have one of your crazy ideas?"
I turn, "Yah I do."
I run into the space and pause. Right there on the door, is the ProjectE logo. A perfectly square room, lines denoting the 1 meter spaces, with the holes I need for flowers premade perfectly.
This is a really good warehouse.
Setting up the collectors takes no time at all, setting up the furnace as well takes no time either. Everything that can't be smelted gets dumped into the Transmutation Table. So do the ingots. The names of them are cool, and some of the EMC values are wild. One of the unsmeltable stones was being registered at gunpowder and another refined bedrockium. It's more than a billion EMC.
What the hell?
I'm never that lucky. I hesitate. I could expand my production, I could make a fully charged set of Red Matter Plus armor, the immunity to damage, near creative mode armor. I…
Could I make an Alchemical Tome? Instant access to every material. It didn't adapt to new mods in the game, but… my perks didn't create the information, just allow me access… and there are perks that adapt to all future perks like my current tower.
That… I do. I take a book from Wiz's archive, and try duplicating it. I can't… but I can search through her library for…
Empty notebook. Sounds like a good title.
I craft the diamonds and fuel I need to make the Klein Star Omega, 1024 diamonds, and 8,192 Mobius Fuel. I make my Omega and feed it to my Transmutation table.
*Great Man (Fate/Legends - Strange New World) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
I pull two out of the table, fully charged, and make my book. As I reach for it I feel a barrier.
No. NO! I'm so close! I push and feel the barrier impart words.
Invalid Object.
I pull back, and my items all stop registering with my Philosopher's Stone and fall to the floor. I sigh and sit down.
I was so close! Any material! Fuel for Ankh, food, and resources to build the spaceships I can only design. The materials to build weapons and resources to fight any threat. Skipping every step between design and construction.
… Invalidating every difficulty and challenge that could cross my path. Forcing every idea and design schematic to design on the principles of my Transfiguration Table and Energy Condenser.
Would… would that even be a good thing?
I pause at what that stupid book could cost me for that easy path.
Purchase Offer for Overcoming Mnemonic Threat: Mental Resistance III (Essential Body Modification Supplement) (200CP)
I… what the hell? The…
"Purchase!"
Purchased: Mental Resistance III Remaining: 0 points.
I blink, and the Tome… no longer has any draw. I can understand the threat that settling for this easier answer, that chaining every step of my design process to Equivalent Exchange was… a threat. Any disruptions in future universes would, or from effects I might get in the future would be… horrifically dangerous. Destroying my entire infrastructure, and leaving anyone I left behind stranded, downing in tech, and material they can't use.
Then I blink. Why do I sound like I'm moving on? Like it's inevitable? I mean… I signed up to save this universe… and it's not been terrible so far… and I met some great people, and have some good companions that will be joining me if I move on.
And do I really want to go back to middle management? Would office work ever be… fulfilling if I could build actual world breaking technology? And do magic? And…
Wait. I know enough about Warhammer 40K's Holy Terra to recognize that beginning.
I go back, get bored living with the science and engineering of literal gods in my hands, use it a little, spread it to some of my most trusted people, and accidentally found a technocracy that I can never be overthrown from. I… I find the concept of being some kind of God Emperor… horrifying. I don't want that.
But then what do I want?
What Was Once an ordinary arrival: Chapter 6
What Was Once an ordinary arrival: Chapter 6
I want to see what this can do completely. The majesty of that kind of crafting at its absolute limits.
I… I want to bring Wiz, Violette, and Ankh with me. Make more friends, but not with my hands.
I… I don't know if 'saving people' is a long term goal. As terrible as that sounds, I don't have a Hero complex, but… Wiz has a small one, and I have a scarily low tolerance for slavery and the like. I have a moral code that doesn't exactly point north, but I am vicious with anything that does enter its 'not acceptable' zone.
*Strategy Trance (Brockton's Celestial Forge) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I blink. I… that's from his story? What?
Strategy Trance (Brockton's Celestial Forge): At will you may go into a trance in which your mind speeds up, your eyes glaze over and you start to instinctively analyse your current situation, any data points about your enemies, environment, your available powers and tools and their uses. You can then use all that information to instinctively construct hypothetical scenarios of possible resolutions to the encounter. After the trance ends you will have boosted competence to follow through with any plans you made within the trance, almost as if your instincts are guiding you.
The trace does not leave you defenceless, two things protect you during it, firstly a few external seconds of trance can be up to 10s of minutes of internal time. Secondly you will immediately wake up from the trance if you are attacked or if you would have wanted to be woken from it at any time for some other reason.
This perk is further boosted by any other mental perks you have and synergies and integrates aspects of all your mental perks to enhance the trance in some way or another.
I see it. That… that sounds ridiculously broken in the right context. I love it.
I turn back to my workshop. I nod. I need to finish, and 20 full red flowers producing EMC. Then I begin my Geomancy. Adjusting the flow in here is… horrifying easily. Like it was expecting to be modified.
Efficiency of Energy Generation. The room seems to glow, and I see the EMC rate triple. That's…. Ok. I can work with that.
I can't set any of them to produce Refined Bedrockium, I spent too much EMC to get one out of my Transmutation Table. So I'm making blocks of Red Matter, and when I have enough, the Pedestals. I make a few Watches of Flowing Time, and use the generating pedestals on top of the tallest point of the flowers, and "Enchant" them to triple the effect, and limit the radius to the flower.
Then I begin the Time, and the times 6 speed kicks in hard.
I wait a bit, and get the first Refined Bedrockium ingot, and moving it to the Condenser makes me feel heavy being in its presence.
When I finish the conversion, I go looking for Wiz and Violette. They haven't gone far. They are unpacking… well Violette is unpacking, given that Wiz can't access them. No one that isn't my companion can.
I go looking for Ankh, and pause, as I get a gut feeling, and head to the top floor. There is an open window, and I follow him outside. He's standing on the roof, looking out at the nebula. "Hello Lord. I… wished to look at the stars. They are new."
I blink. That's more agency than he's shown yet. "That's fine."
He was… standing still, "I… disobeyed."
I blink. "When?"
"I made a modification to my drones. When I can be awakened again, the Scarab I left in the Entrance hall will react to the energy levels required. I… Will not be a drain on your short term resources."
My eyes bug out. "I… No! Ankh, you…"
"My failing battery is an issue. Is it not?"
I pause, "I… You know that I would be lying if I said it wasn't. But the powers I get are random! We might not get anything applicable for a long time! The bag…"
"Did not recharge me. That was a falsehood. The… Not warp energies of that chest… were altered by, or perhaps the separation me from my Hive. Regardless, I am not currently capable of assisting. And worrying about me until such time as I can be properly maintained is an excess of your finite focus, resources, and research time. I will awaken when you have the energy to support me. Be that today, or a century. I am not at risk. I will merely be sleeping."
I blink. "I… Ankh."
"Lord, I am not in danger, why do you cry?"
*Magical Laboratory (World Seed) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I reach up, feeling wetness. I… didn't know slimes could cry, "Because… I… I brought you here. My powers separated you from your necessities, and that's…"
"Your power grants you random boons. Once I am freely available to charge. I will reawaken."
"And how do you know this won't drive all three of us to pursue your health?"
"Because I ask you not to."
I stared at him, betrayed, "That's… that's not fair."
"I am not programmed… with… … that … … … term."
I blink away tears, as the glowing light fades from him. "Damn it." I collapse, I… I'm some super Tinker. I should have an answer to this! I shouldn't be sitting here crying! I should be taking him downstairs and hooking of some kind of tesla coil running on magic and the magnetic field of Earth or something stupid. Not stuck making magic potions that can't help anyone important to me, and stuck with magic explosives.
I… even with all the power I could have ever dreamed I'm useless.
I carry him back downstairs, and Violette is sad, and Wiz is confused. "Why…"
"He determined the most efficient course of action. He felt he was an unnecessary drain on our time."
Wiz gasped, "He died?"
I begin, "No. He's just… sleeping. He has a memory backup in a Scarab by the door. It's safe. Then we get a real power source, we can recharge him."
Violette reaches out, and I bat away her hand, "Did you know?"
She looks at me… "Yes."
I had been leaning, Ankh was heavy but putting him gently down, I stood up, growing slightly, and losing my human complexion as I clenched my goo into circles, "Why didn't you try to stop him!"
"I did. He's more than stubborn enough to ignore the emotional response. And telling you would have given you a few more minutes to feel depressed that he was going to die, not working in the aftermath."
"That cold, I thought you were trying to be human." I spit.
Her eyes glaciate, and her tone follows, "I've lost comrades, to long and short deaths." Violette explains, "When prevention of their deaths is inevitable, it can destroy people to watch them die. For them to die, and you not to have time, and emotion to invest in the process is better for you, and for them. Furthermore, Ankh is not dead. The moment you get sufficient power to recharge him he will return. This is not losing a comrade, this is a coma until supplies arrive for healing. You signed on to save a world. Not to fall apart at this speed bump."
I want to rage. I want to vent. I want to do a lot of things, but right now… I need to be strong. "I… I want to hate what you did so much. But you're right." I concede.
*No Monsters Were Harmed in the Making of This Product (Monster Girl Encyclopedia) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
Violette smiles, and that rage comes back. "Come on. We should get going. Groclk is only a few days from here right?"
They both frown. Wiz says, "Ok."
Violette frowns, "This trip was to get you to relax."
"Shame that." I say, and we all exit the building. Night had fallen, and there was a man sticking his arm into the hot spring.
Wiz blinks, and gasps, "Hans?"
I blink. That means he's a Devil King's general. Wiz doesn't know anyone else. He turns around, and facepalms. "Wiz? How… when?"
"This morning, and… what are you doing?"
He looks down, "Poisoning a Hot Spring?"
I blink at his… brazenness. "Aren't there orders not to harm innocent people?"
"You've met them right?"
"How long Hans?"
"I just got here! It's been 1 day." Hans looks at the sky.
I nod, "Welcome to my life."
He looks at me, "Ok. I'm a poison slime, and…"
I chuckle, "Elemental Poison?"
"Slime are…"
"I know Slimes are strong here. But your element is poison?"
A blood vessel in his forehead trembles, "When I've consumed you you'll…"
All three of us are chuckling now. "That's not going to work, bud."
"Why the hell not?"
"I'm the superior slime." I morph, and expand, rushing forwards.
He tries to dodge, but a Redmatter sword is between him and his target. He bluffs, "I'm a slime…"
"And my blade was built by one." He pushes, but the blade burns him.
"Red Matter is antithetical to matter once formed into a blade." I explain as I surround him, "No escape."
He screams, and his massive purple form meets mine with the same effect everything else has had on me since I started forcing myself to evolve preternaturally quickly. It hurt for a few seconds, and he pushed in, and I consumed for the first time. He literally couldn't escape, I was sucking him in with some alignment of my stars. He screamed, and eventually, he was gone.
I turn to Wiz, taking back human form, "Ahhh, shouldn't' the Devil King's generals be… hard to take down?"
Wiz frowned, "I'm not sure most of them have fought anyone challenging in centuries. It's very possible they've forgotten. But… generally, we were well equipped to fight them at every step.
I nod. "Secondly… shouldn't I be getting bigger? I've been eating neatly like a regular person, and a slime like 30 times my size."
Wiz blinks, "Some slimes get larger when they get stronger. Some don't. That's why Slimes are an S-Rank regardless of size or typing. A slime the size of your fist could be strong enough to eat a mountain, or an Elder Dragon, or a slime could be larger than a Castle and be killed by a child with a rusted dagger. But it's never obvious. You are almost boringly average beyond your coloration, and ability to suck things in."
I frown, "That's my ring. I can target enemy monsters with it too."
Wiz frowns, looking… "Then… I don't know."
*Miskatonic University (Smash Up-Obligatory Cthulhu Supplement) (400CP) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Well, Cthulhu avoided, and a second General dead, so we decided to leave.
Getting back to our wagon, it was covered in conversion pamphlets, and I asked Wiz, "Is it just me, or does this look like a… well magically enforced insanity to be this prevalent?"
She looks at the paper, "I'm not getting anything from it, but… well maybe."
I think back to meeting Aqua, "I… Honestly, I don't think it's Aqua. She doesn't strike me as a… competent enough to do this."
Violette nods, and Wiz hesitates, "It is underhanded and sneaky."
We decided to just leave, not to investigate the Cult, because honestly it wasn't a good place to poke out noses.
Leaving was easy if showered in flyers, and eventually, we were back out in the middle of nowhere, on our way to Groclk. I was building a door into the outside of the car, carefully, and once it was done, I Keyed it. Now we were set to have a door anywhere we were, and coils add doors to places in towns. Useful.
It took 4 days to arrive at Groclk, and nearly another for the Customs agent to let us by, "Tariffs apply on all trade goods imported into the city. This car-"
"Is not, and will never be for sale." I state calmly. "Why do you keep coming back to it?"
He looks at the car, "It's valuable!"
"Valuable doesn't mean purchasable!"
He pauses, "I'm still required to-"
"Master, I think he is trying to set a price for the car. This is a mercantile city." Violette interrupts.
I turn back to the dwarf, "The lady understands."
I sigh, "300 Billion. Moving on."
He blinks, "That's not how an…" Apparently, he sees the done in my eyes, and looks at Violette. "Is she a slave?"
"The price is your head on a pike." I say, coldly enough that everyone else shivers for a moment or two.
He backs off, "Anything else to declare?"
I sigh, "I declared my magic bags and the contents of them. That's everything on my person."
The dwarf looks at the strange wooden plank on the wall, and sighs, "Well, everything you've said so far is above board."
I blink. "Is…. Analysis."
The board is a potent anti-smuggling charm. It rattles when someone is attempting to cheat someone at business, or steal, or smuggle. I wonder if it picked up on my Warehouse. That would be a strong magic. He finally lets us go through, and we arrive in an underground steampunk citadel. The road to enter was a long spiral downwards and was easily the last day of our trip.
I wondered if we were near Balrog depths. I assumed so, but we were barely moving for that day.
The first thing I do is carve a door near a backroad, and label it internally as 'Groclk Small' as I intended to see about car sized doors one of these days. And spaceship doors. Maybe army portals too.
*Forge and Ore (Silmarillion) (600CP) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
I freeze. I… oh gods… I… I knew the Lord of the Rings was in here, but Damn. I… I can't see the perk until I buy it, but… could I make rings of power?
I pause and register my Mental Corruption III prevent… something and I realize, The rings of power are Corruptive. Deserving of that capitalization if they can corrupt me into wanting to make them by knowing about them. Is that because I can?
Given the activation of my power, probably. That's not terrifying. Nope.
I rejoin my comrades, and we go out looking for a lord, or the local equivalent. We were looking to make some allies and some money along the way. Violette is all but scowling our whole way through the city, and eventually, I need to ask, "Violette? What's up?"
"This cursed machinery." I blink. I… was expecting a little techno-snobbery, but... "Not a Machine Spirit to be found anywhere. No wonder it seems to be so patchwork."
No. This is a religious issue. That… that could get ugly fast. "Violette…"
"I am aware that I lack the tools to correctly fix this Omnissiah forsaken place, not the Wax, nor the texts. My altar can only provide my organic side the comfort of the Omnissiah's light, not extend the grace of the Machine Spirits to these masses."
I… don't know how to respond to that. She had a solid golden machine running on… something on the floor below the entrance. I helped her with the materials, but she was absolutely insentient that only those properly inducted as Adeptus Mechanicus could make a shrine of the Omnissiah. It was… a massive machine that produced about a standard lightbulb's worth of energy from nothing, and projected that light on an altar. It was nearly 125 Million EMC in 100% cast gold.
I wasn't exactly hurting for EMC. All of my Power Flowers were making 1 cubic meter blocks of Refined Bedrockium. It was 11 Billion EMC even, and I was making about 1 every 7 days. That's after my time accelerations and efficiency bonuses. Given that I was storing what amounted to 6 chests of infinite EMC, I certainly hadn't minded the 2ish hours of gold production. Of one machine.
I considered making a few thousand of them to power Ankh was… both not what he would have wanted, and not respectful to Violette's religion.
The meeting with the local 'High Anvilman' was… interesting. Nobility could be awarded for excellence in one of 3 spheres of the local economy. The most profitable business owners, which given the restrictions and scrutiny, were rarely held by the same person for more than 1 year in a row. The best craftsman, who was typically outclassed by someone who didn't have to spend so much time settling disputes through the year. The best architect was a more stable position, typically held for 2 or 3 years at a time, until a building befitting the contest was finished.
*Ran'Tao's Notes - The Origin Of The Bount (Bleach 4.03) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Anyone over a certain level of excellence was technically nobility, and it was not inheritable. I liked this system. Meeting this young dwarf was interesting, and a massive learning experience.
"Hello. I am the High Anvilman Ingothorn Dhudruli, but call me Ingot. I'm the youngest dwarf to ever hold the title in gold making. I understand you want to talk to me about the possibility of trade, or a store. You understand that any trade deals need to go through the Guard, and their Tariffs will apply."
I smile, "Actually Tariffs apply as a percentage to externally produced products. It affects materials other than food, and raw resources. I wish to speak to you about licensing the right to an… extremely profitable method of smelting. Possibly other things."
"Why?"
I smile, shrewd. "I am looking to make allies more than coins. I want good people willing to follow me, as I approach the citadel of the Devil King."
He frowns, "Many think that's a pointless war in these parts. The Devil king leaves us well enough alone. His emissaries even pay the Tariffs. His agreement with the Ice Witch is known to us thanks to Dwemer Hammerborn."
Wiz sits up straight, "Is he still alive?"
"No. 7 years ago, in the spring. He died fighting as he wanted. How would you know him, lass?"
Wiz smiles, "You know the price I paid for the deal?"
He blinks, "Empower the field, but… Undead?"
"I am a High-Lich. Our deal lasted so long as I live, with strong magic. This was a beneficial compromise."
He nods, "Then… perhaps you do have a chance. With her death."
"With her separation from magic, even temporarily."
Ingot blinked, "You… you think you can reconnect someone to magic?"
"It will require more study, but yes."
"Can you empower someone with magic?"
I pause, "Not yet, the safe disconnect, given her state, was a more direct concern."
He smiles, "You honor your allies, and offer me profit. I think I like you."
I smile, "Now that, should I prove my claims?"
"Indeed. I had one ingot worth of our most difficult ore to extract ordered here. It is expensive, and I will expect compensation if it fails."
"Not an issue." I say, and I set up my Red Matter forge and the collector.
"Is that made of Dalmeriam?"
"A little bit. It's stable." I wave off.
He steps back, but sees the shrugs and apathy on Wiz and Violette's faces, and relaxes a bit.
"I can empower it with a different source, but this is sustaining."
He blinks, "Will it run forever?"
"Unless something breaks it." I wave off his massive eyes. "Now, when's the ore getting here?"
"I… in about 20 minutes. I assumed this would take longer."
We sit down, and he gets something from his desk, "Can I try this?" He holds up a small hand held sample of a red ore, "I… magic was used to extract it whole, as ore, not as dust. It's… well it's never been extracted like this before."
*Matching and Mixing (The Weakness Of Beatrice) (600) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I'll investigate that later. I'm smiling as he hands it over. I carefully put it in the Furnace. It takes almost a minute to fully craft, and then a bar of Adamantium comes out.
His eyes but out… "That's… that's not possible. It's… no one but Odin Fireheart has ever smelted Adamantium. It's… that's not possible to… in a moment!"
I smile, handing him the bar, "The ore is the most difficult part I would think."
He smiles, "For you apparently."
"For me." Then I pull a miracle and pull out the other bar.
Ingot looks confused and looks down at his hand. "But… I… what mysticism is this?"
"This is the power of my furnace. This is why I'm so confident you'll make a profit, and the tip of the iceberg."
"What is an iceberg?"
I pause. Idioms. "This is only the surface of the mountain."
He blinks. "That's… I like that one."
I nod, "Also… can I have this? I know that's-"
"A bar or Adamantium?"
"I need it for 5 minutes. I'll give it back."
He frowns, "What do you plan to do?"
"I plan to see if I can work real magic on this."
"Huh?"
"I want to test its propensity for magic."
"It's Adamantium! It's the strongest magical conductor of any solid."
"It came out of my forge, doubled."
He blinks, "Where are you going?"
"My metal wagon."
He blinks, "Not in your magic bag?"
"I didn't bring my stuff in."
He stands up, "We have time. I would like to see this wagon."
I blink, and all 3 of us tense. He sees that. "What?"
"I… There is a magical compartment on my car that I have a small workspace in. It's… a secure space. I don't like sharing it with people I don't know."
He nods, "I'll remain outside."
I smile, "Thanks."
We go out, and I go into the door, slipping in like it's an effort. I scan the Adamantium into my Transmutation Table. It's only about twice the EMC of diamond, and that's…not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Returning back out, like it's a squeeze. "It's… exactly like I expected."
I look and see several guards, holding a crate.
I blink, and they ignore me, looking past me to Ingot looking at my engine. Apparently being on fire isn't an issue for him. He blinks and looks at me. "Huh."
"Working hard?"
"Well… Violette offered, but apparently, my scarf wasn't prepared for work." I frown, and he shrugs.
"Did he break anything?"
"I don't think so, but I haven't checked it yet."
Ingot pauses, "Wait, you built this machine?"
"I did. It was a rudimentary system once Damion provided me with a heating element of this efficiency. I merely enclosed the liquid within the pipes and used an enchanted cooling brace. Using real mechanical properties for this little force would be easier, but the parts don't exist."
*Resource Management (Empire from the Ashes) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
While they talk, I look at my new perks and am impressed, and disappointed in some of my past design decisions. Ideas I had worked on. I… huh… that's interesting.
Matching and Mixing (The Weakness Of Beatrice): If Mixing combines different ingredients to create new objects, like combining various plants to make powerful healing potions, what happens when you combine two or more of the same thing? Normally, nothing, it's a total waste of ingredients. It's not entirely impossible to find a way past that limitation and when you found that way, you rocketed past it to new heights of crafting power. You're able to combine multiples of the same thing to increase its overall power and utility. This can range from combining many corpses of the same being to create a super strong golem under your command to combining many Shining Weapons into one Frankenstein weapon that can channel an unholy shit-load of power at once.
Resource Management (Empire from the Ashes): What can I say? You're an expert at logistics. You know how to extract the maximum possible use out of even the absolute least resources. A ragtag group of counter-mutineers managed to not only survive, but actually attack and make inroads into damaging an almost unimaginably better armed, equipped and numerous group. Just like them, you too can make virtually endless repairs, adapt low level-tech to interface with higher level tech, and in general stretch the usage of those resources far beyond what even the shrewdest economist could ever manage. Mind you, this is for people and tech most of all. While it will work on other resources, even magical, esoteric ones like mana and whatnot, don't expect remotely the same efficiency for them.
I… can I combine multiple collectors? I can. "Violette, we should do the smelting thing, and then I had a new idea."
Ingot blinks, "Correct. Inside men, we have a revolution on our hands."
They carry the crate inside, and into the meeting room. The man in front, with a thick red mustache, scoffs, "It's not even large enough for my small tongs. This is a joke."
"Magic." Ingot says, "I've already earned enough today to keep my title for the year."
The red beard chuckles, "With what?"
"The red ore we extracted?"
Red beard orients on me, eyes hard, "You… you smelted that!"
I smile, "I did. Even better, I made 2 ingots."
I hand Ingot back the red ingot, and there are gasps. "You… you took that handful, and made 2 bars?"
I nod, "Now… what did you bring me?"
They open the crate. A thin silvery dust was in the box, about half way up.
"This... this is unprocessed Mithril dust. The most potent ore we have. A handful has killed smithies larger than this house." Red beard began, and I scooped a vial in a scoop and brought it with me to the forge. The menu reacted, and Mithril Dust disappeared into the Smelter.
I walk over, pick up the crate, and walk over to the forge, to the horror of the guards, "Where did it go?!"
After thirty seconds of shouting and yelling, I pull out 2 bars. "This is what you ordered, yes?"
Silence. Shocked, painful silence. "That's… not possible. This entire crate is 1 full ingot!"
I blink, "Oh. There is some extra. Can I have it?"
Red beard laughed, "This is a miracle. I think we can excuse a few scraps."
Ingot glares at me, "How much more you cunning Elven tongued...?"
"Ingot! Don't insult this Miracle Maker!"
I check, "126 ingots."
I can feel the record scratch. Brain not processing my words.
Red Beard looks at me. "You… you... "
"I'm kidding. I didn't come here to steal from you. If it can be modified like I think it can be, I'll take 1 bar. If not… half of your unspeakable immense profit."
Eyes orient on me from the Guards, Ingot, and Red beard. "Is this the same test you did to the Adamantium?"
"It is."
"What did you do?"
"I'm magic."
They all question, and Ingot looks at me like I've betrayed him. "Is this real?"
"Yes. Perfectly real, even the same bar you gave me."
He looks suspicious, "What did you do?"
"I scanned it into my Transmutation Table."
Laughter is heard. "You can't transmute Adamantium. Or Mithril."
I stand up straight. I smile a smile that sets fear and dread in the minds of all beings who look upon it. Wiz and Violette both know something terrible is going to happen.
*Crafting: Weaponsmithing (Aion SB) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
"What will you give me if I can?"
"Are you offering a wager?"
"And if I am?"
Red Beard sat, Ingot sat behind his desk, "We sign a contract."
I smile, I pull out a contract paper, personally enchanted by me, "Your quill?" handing over the paper.
They write out a contract. Common, no hidden clauses, "If I can't Transmute Adamantium and Mithril to a high purity standard… I leave my furnace with you, and if I can, I may demand one thing from both of you?"
"Indeed. Short, sweet, and direct."
I nod, "Ok. Give me one Mithril bar." They do, "I'll be back in about 2 minutes."
I head outside, wondering if they are going to try getting the rest of the Mithril out of the Furnace. Sorry, it only works for me. And Violette.
I scan the Mithril and get an Adamantium and Mithril bar out of the Table. It takes less than 2 minutes so I make a Transmutation Tablet to exercise my dominance, and when I return there are angry Dwarves. "You cursed this forge!"
"No. Only I can put things into, or extranet things from this forge."
They blink, "You voided…"
I place the ingots on the desk.
"How do we know…?" Red beard begins, and I pull another out of my tablet. 4 bars of Adamantium on the desk, and 10 bars of Mithril being pulled out of the Furnace. "Are you done protesting?"
Red Beard sits down. "I… that's… by the Hammer of Fireheart, this… this is… Words are lacking. There is nothing we can offer. The Wealth you have created from nothing today could buy cities. You could conquer the world."
"What about save it?"
All eyes turn to me. "I am Damion Peramos. My goal is the death of the Devil King. For that, I require allies, armies, resources. Allies."
They look at me, "You… you come here with the power of gods, and you ask for allies?"
"I come here, powers and gifts, aplenty, my entire trust in those with me. I do not come to rule, I do not come to conquer or to pillage. I come to forge the first branch of an army to save this world from it's end."
They bow, and I freeze. I… why did I say all of that. What are they doing?
"We will serve, Giver of Gifts."
I'm petrified. Why did I paraphrase Sauron of all people? Why not someone heroic? That was so stupid!
There is a long silence, and everyone is staring at me, bright red, and nearly losing control of my human form.
Violette whispers, "Maybe you should accept?"
"I...I accept!" I half shout and got even redder.
Red Beard laughs, "Methinks the child doesn't take to leadership."
I'm frozen. I… I had… That's not fair. I've never led a real group of people into combat. I've barely led any combat at all. I just… I'm not someone who can solo a crazy powerful enemy.
*All Magic Affinity (In Another World With My Smartphone) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
I want to see what this can do completely. The majesty of that kind of crafting at its absolute limits.
I… I want to bring Wiz, Violette, and Ankh with me. Make more friends, but not with my hands.
I… I don't know if 'saving people' is a long term goal. As terrible as that sounds, I don't have a Hero complex, but… Wiz has a small one, and I have a scarily low tolerance for slavery and the like. I have a moral code that doesn't exactly point north, but I am vicious with anything that does enter its 'not acceptable' zone.
*Strategy Trance (Brockton's Celestial Forge) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I blink. I… that's from his story? What?
Strategy Trance (Brockton's Celestial Forge): At will you may go into a trance in which your mind speeds up, your eyes glaze over and you start to instinctively analyse your current situation, any data points about your enemies, environment, your available powers and tools and their uses. You can then use all that information to instinctively construct hypothetical scenarios of possible resolutions to the encounter. After the trance ends you will have boosted competence to follow through with any plans you made within the trance, almost as if your instincts are guiding you.
The trace does not leave you defenceless, two things protect you during it, firstly a few external seconds of trance can be up to 10s of minutes of internal time. Secondly you will immediately wake up from the trance if you are attacked or if you would have wanted to be woken from it at any time for some other reason.
This perk is further boosted by any other mental perks you have and synergies and integrates aspects of all your mental perks to enhance the trance in some way or another.
I see it. That… that sounds ridiculously broken in the right context. I love it.
I turn back to my workshop. I nod. I need to finish, and 20 full red flowers producing EMC. Then I begin my Geomancy. Adjusting the flow in here is… horrifying easily. Like it was expecting to be modified.
Efficiency of Energy Generation. The room seems to glow, and I see the EMC rate triple. That's…. Ok. I can work with that.
I can't set any of them to produce Refined Bedrockium, I spent too much EMC to get one out of my Transmutation Table. So I'm making blocks of Red Matter, and when I have enough, the Pedestals. I make a few Watches of Flowing Time, and use the generating pedestals on top of the tallest point of the flowers, and "Enchant" them to triple the effect, and limit the radius to the flower.
Then I begin the Time, and the times 6 speed kicks in hard.
I wait a bit, and get the first Refined Bedrockium ingot, and moving it to the Condenser makes me feel heavy being in its presence.
When I finish the conversion, I go looking for Wiz and Violette. They haven't gone far. They are unpacking… well Violette is unpacking, given that Wiz can't access them. No one that isn't my companion can.
I go looking for Ankh, and pause, as I get a gut feeling, and head to the top floor. There is an open window, and I follow him outside. He's standing on the roof, looking out at the nebula. "Hello Lord. I… wished to look at the stars. They are new."
I blink. That's more agency than he's shown yet. "That's fine."
He was… standing still, "I… disobeyed."
I blink. "When?"
"I made a modification to my drones. When I can be awakened again, the Scarab I left in the Entrance hall will react to the energy levels required. I… Will not be a drain on your short term resources."
My eyes bug out. "I… No! Ankh, you…"
"My failing battery is an issue. Is it not?"
I pause, "I… You know that I would be lying if I said it wasn't. But the powers I get are random! We might not get anything applicable for a long time! The bag…"
"Did not recharge me. That was a falsehood. The… Not warp energies of that chest… were altered by, or perhaps the separation me from my Hive. Regardless, I am not currently capable of assisting. And worrying about me until such time as I can be properly maintained is an excess of your finite focus, resources, and research time. I will awaken when you have the energy to support me. Be that today, or a century. I am not at risk. I will merely be sleeping."
I blink. "I… Ankh."
"Lord, I am not in danger, why do you cry?"
*Magical Laboratory (World Seed) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I reach up, feeling wetness. I… didn't know slimes could cry, "Because… I… I brought you here. My powers separated you from your necessities, and that's…"
"Your power grants you random boons. Once I am freely available to charge. I will reawaken."
"And how do you know this won't drive all three of us to pursue your health?"
"Because I ask you not to."
I stared at him, betrayed, "That's… that's not fair."
"I am not programmed… with… … that … … … term."
I blink away tears, as the glowing light fades from him. "Damn it." I collapse, I… I'm some super Tinker. I should have an answer to this! I shouldn't be sitting here crying! I should be taking him downstairs and hooking of some kind of tesla coil running on magic and the magnetic field of Earth or something stupid. Not stuck making magic potions that can't help anyone important to me, and stuck with magic explosives.
I… even with all the power I could have ever dreamed I'm useless.
I carry him back downstairs, and Violette is sad, and Wiz is confused. "Why…"
"He determined the most efficient course of action. He felt he was an unnecessary drain on our time."
Wiz gasped, "He died?"
I begin, "No. He's just… sleeping. He has a memory backup in a Scarab by the door. It's safe. Then we get a real power source, we can recharge him."
Violette reaches out, and I bat away her hand, "Did you know?"
She looks at me… "Yes."
I had been leaning, Ankh was heavy but putting him gently down, I stood up, growing slightly, and losing my human complexion as I clenched my goo into circles, "Why didn't you try to stop him!"
"I did. He's more than stubborn enough to ignore the emotional response. And telling you would have given you a few more minutes to feel depressed that he was going to die, not working in the aftermath."
"That cold, I thought you were trying to be human." I spit.
Her eyes glaciate, and her tone follows, "I've lost comrades, to long and short deaths." Violette explains, "When prevention of their deaths is inevitable, it can destroy people to watch them die. For them to die, and you not to have time, and emotion to invest in the process is better for you, and for them. Furthermore, Ankh is not dead. The moment you get sufficient power to recharge him he will return. This is not losing a comrade, this is a coma until supplies arrive for healing. You signed on to save a world. Not to fall apart at this speed bump."
I want to rage. I want to vent. I want to do a lot of things, but right now… I need to be strong. "I… I want to hate what you did so much. But you're right." I concede.
*No Monsters Were Harmed in the Making of This Product (Monster Girl Encyclopedia) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
Violette smiles, and that rage comes back. "Come on. We should get going. Groclk is only a few days from here right?"
They both frown. Wiz says, "Ok."
Violette frowns, "This trip was to get you to relax."
"Shame that." I say, and we all exit the building. Night had fallen, and there was a man sticking his arm into the hot spring.
Wiz blinks, and gasps, "Hans?"
I blink. That means he's a Devil King's general. Wiz doesn't know anyone else. He turns around, and facepalms. "Wiz? How… when?"
"This morning, and… what are you doing?"
He looks down, "Poisoning a Hot Spring?"
I blink at his… brazenness. "Aren't there orders not to harm innocent people?"
"You've met them right?"
"How long Hans?"
"I just got here! It's been 1 day." Hans looks at the sky.
I nod, "Welcome to my life."
He looks at me, "Ok. I'm a poison slime, and…"
I chuckle, "Elemental Poison?"
"Slime are…"
"I know Slimes are strong here. But your element is poison?"
A blood vessel in his forehead trembles, "When I've consumed you you'll…"
All three of us are chuckling now. "That's not going to work, bud."
"Why the hell not?"
"I'm the superior slime." I morph, and expand, rushing forwards.
He tries to dodge, but a Redmatter sword is between him and his target. He bluffs, "I'm a slime…"
"And my blade was built by one." He pushes, but the blade burns him.
"Red Matter is antithetical to matter once formed into a blade." I explain as I surround him, "No escape."
He screams, and his massive purple form meets mine with the same effect everything else has had on me since I started forcing myself to evolve preternaturally quickly. It hurt for a few seconds, and he pushed in, and I consumed for the first time. He literally couldn't escape, I was sucking him in with some alignment of my stars. He screamed, and eventually, he was gone.
I turn to Wiz, taking back human form, "Ahhh, shouldn't' the Devil King's generals be… hard to take down?"
Wiz frowned, "I'm not sure most of them have fought anyone challenging in centuries. It's very possible they've forgotten. But… generally, we were well equipped to fight them at every step.
I nod. "Secondly… shouldn't I be getting bigger? I've been eating neatly like a regular person, and a slime like 30 times my size."
Wiz blinks, "Some slimes get larger when they get stronger. Some don't. That's why Slimes are an S-Rank regardless of size or typing. A slime the size of your fist could be strong enough to eat a mountain, or an Elder Dragon, or a slime could be larger than a Castle and be killed by a child with a rusted dagger. But it's never obvious. You are almost boringly average beyond your coloration, and ability to suck things in."
I frown, "That's my ring. I can target enemy monsters with it too."
Wiz frowns, looking… "Then… I don't know."
*Miskatonic University (Smash Up-Obligatory Cthulhu Supplement) (400CP) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Well, Cthulhu avoided, and a second General dead, so we decided to leave.
Getting back to our wagon, it was covered in conversion pamphlets, and I asked Wiz, "Is it just me, or does this look like a… well magically enforced insanity to be this prevalent?"
She looks at the paper, "I'm not getting anything from it, but… well maybe."
I think back to meeting Aqua, "I… Honestly, I don't think it's Aqua. She doesn't strike me as a… competent enough to do this."
Violette nods, and Wiz hesitates, "It is underhanded and sneaky."
We decided to just leave, not to investigate the Cult, because honestly it wasn't a good place to poke out noses.
Leaving was easy if showered in flyers, and eventually, we were back out in the middle of nowhere, on our way to Groclk. I was building a door into the outside of the car, carefully, and once it was done, I Keyed it. Now we were set to have a door anywhere we were, and coils add doors to places in towns. Useful.
It took 4 days to arrive at Groclk, and nearly another for the Customs agent to let us by, "Tariffs apply on all trade goods imported into the city. This car-"
"Is not, and will never be for sale." I state calmly. "Why do you keep coming back to it?"
He looks at the car, "It's valuable!"
"Valuable doesn't mean purchasable!"
He pauses, "I'm still required to-"
"Master, I think he is trying to set a price for the car. This is a mercantile city." Violette interrupts.
I turn back to the dwarf, "The lady understands."
I sigh, "300 Billion. Moving on."
He blinks, "That's not how an…" Apparently, he sees the done in my eyes, and looks at Violette. "Is she a slave?"
"The price is your head on a pike." I say, coldly enough that everyone else shivers for a moment or two.
He backs off, "Anything else to declare?"
I sigh, "I declared my magic bags and the contents of them. That's everything on my person."
The dwarf looks at the strange wooden plank on the wall, and sighs, "Well, everything you've said so far is above board."
I blink. "Is…. Analysis."
The board is a potent anti-smuggling charm. It rattles when someone is attempting to cheat someone at business, or steal, or smuggle. I wonder if it picked up on my Warehouse. That would be a strong magic. He finally lets us go through, and we arrive in an underground steampunk citadel. The road to enter was a long spiral downwards and was easily the last day of our trip.
I wondered if we were near Balrog depths. I assumed so, but we were barely moving for that day.
The first thing I do is carve a door near a backroad, and label it internally as 'Groclk Small' as I intended to see about car sized doors one of these days. And spaceship doors. Maybe army portals too.
*Forge and Ore (Silmarillion) (600CP) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
I freeze. I… oh gods… I… I knew the Lord of the Rings was in here, but Damn. I… I can't see the perk until I buy it, but… could I make rings of power?
I pause and register my Mental Corruption III prevent… something and I realize, The rings of power are Corruptive. Deserving of that capitalization if they can corrupt me into wanting to make them by knowing about them. Is that because I can?
Given the activation of my power, probably. That's not terrifying. Nope.
I rejoin my comrades, and we go out looking for a lord, or the local equivalent. We were looking to make some allies and some money along the way. Violette is all but scowling our whole way through the city, and eventually, I need to ask, "Violette? What's up?"
"This cursed machinery." I blink. I… was expecting a little techno-snobbery, but... "Not a Machine Spirit to be found anywhere. No wonder it seems to be so patchwork."
No. This is a religious issue. That… that could get ugly fast. "Violette…"
"I am aware that I lack the tools to correctly fix this Omnissiah forsaken place, not the Wax, nor the texts. My altar can only provide my organic side the comfort of the Omnissiah's light, not extend the grace of the Machine Spirits to these masses."
I… don't know how to respond to that. She had a solid golden machine running on… something on the floor below the entrance. I helped her with the materials, but she was absolutely insentient that only those properly inducted as Adeptus Mechanicus could make a shrine of the Omnissiah. It was… a massive machine that produced about a standard lightbulb's worth of energy from nothing, and projected that light on an altar. It was nearly 125 Million EMC in 100% cast gold.
I wasn't exactly hurting for EMC. All of my Power Flowers were making 1 cubic meter blocks of Refined Bedrockium. It was 11 Billion EMC even, and I was making about 1 every 7 days. That's after my time accelerations and efficiency bonuses. Given that I was storing what amounted to 6 chests of infinite EMC, I certainly hadn't minded the 2ish hours of gold production. Of one machine.
I considered making a few thousand of them to power Ankh was… both not what he would have wanted, and not respectful to Violette's religion.
The meeting with the local 'High Anvilman' was… interesting. Nobility could be awarded for excellence in one of 3 spheres of the local economy. The most profitable business owners, which given the restrictions and scrutiny, were rarely held by the same person for more than 1 year in a row. The best craftsman, who was typically outclassed by someone who didn't have to spend so much time settling disputes through the year. The best architect was a more stable position, typically held for 2 or 3 years at a time, until a building befitting the contest was finished.
*Ran'Tao's Notes - The Origin Of The Bount (Bleach 4.03) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Anyone over a certain level of excellence was technically nobility, and it was not inheritable. I liked this system. Meeting this young dwarf was interesting, and a massive learning experience.
"Hello. I am the High Anvilman Ingothorn Dhudruli, but call me Ingot. I'm the youngest dwarf to ever hold the title in gold making. I understand you want to talk to me about the possibility of trade, or a store. You understand that any trade deals need to go through the Guard, and their Tariffs will apply."
I smile, "Actually Tariffs apply as a percentage to externally produced products. It affects materials other than food, and raw resources. I wish to speak to you about licensing the right to an… extremely profitable method of smelting. Possibly other things."
"Why?"
I smile, shrewd. "I am looking to make allies more than coins. I want good people willing to follow me, as I approach the citadel of the Devil King."
He frowns, "Many think that's a pointless war in these parts. The Devil king leaves us well enough alone. His emissaries even pay the Tariffs. His agreement with the Ice Witch is known to us thanks to Dwemer Hammerborn."
Wiz sits up straight, "Is he still alive?"
"No. 7 years ago, in the spring. He died fighting as he wanted. How would you know him, lass?"
Wiz smiles, "You know the price I paid for the deal?"
He blinks, "Empower the field, but… Undead?"
"I am a High-Lich. Our deal lasted so long as I live, with strong magic. This was a beneficial compromise."
He nods, "Then… perhaps you do have a chance. With her death."
"With her separation from magic, even temporarily."
Ingot blinked, "You… you think you can reconnect someone to magic?"
"It will require more study, but yes."
"Can you empower someone with magic?"
I pause, "Not yet, the safe disconnect, given her state, was a more direct concern."
He smiles, "You honor your allies, and offer me profit. I think I like you."
I smile, "Now that, should I prove my claims?"
"Indeed. I had one ingot worth of our most difficult ore to extract ordered here. It is expensive, and I will expect compensation if it fails."
"Not an issue." I say, and I set up my Red Matter forge and the collector.
"Is that made of Dalmeriam?"
"A little bit. It's stable." I wave off.
He steps back, but sees the shrugs and apathy on Wiz and Violette's faces, and relaxes a bit.
"I can empower it with a different source, but this is sustaining."
He blinks, "Will it run forever?"
"Unless something breaks it." I wave off his massive eyes. "Now, when's the ore getting here?"
"I… in about 20 minutes. I assumed this would take longer."
We sit down, and he gets something from his desk, "Can I try this?" He holds up a small hand held sample of a red ore, "I… magic was used to extract it whole, as ore, not as dust. It's… well it's never been extracted like this before."
*Matching and Mixing (The Weakness Of Beatrice) (600) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
I'll investigate that later. I'm smiling as he hands it over. I carefully put it in the Furnace. It takes almost a minute to fully craft, and then a bar of Adamantium comes out.
His eyes but out… "That's… that's not possible. It's… no one but Odin Fireheart has ever smelted Adamantium. It's… that's not possible to… in a moment!"
I smile, handing him the bar, "The ore is the most difficult part I would think."
He smiles, "For you apparently."
"For me." Then I pull a miracle and pull out the other bar.
Ingot looks confused and looks down at his hand. "But… I… what mysticism is this?"
"This is the power of my furnace. This is why I'm so confident you'll make a profit, and the tip of the iceberg."
"What is an iceberg?"
I pause. Idioms. "This is only the surface of the mountain."
He blinks. "That's… I like that one."
I nod, "Also… can I have this? I know that's-"
"A bar or Adamantium?"
"I need it for 5 minutes. I'll give it back."
He frowns, "What do you plan to do?"
"I plan to see if I can work real magic on this."
"Huh?"
"I want to test its propensity for magic."
"It's Adamantium! It's the strongest magical conductor of any solid."
"It came out of my forge, doubled."
He blinks, "Where are you going?"
"My metal wagon."
He blinks, "Not in your magic bag?"
"I didn't bring my stuff in."
He stands up, "We have time. I would like to see this wagon."
I blink, and all 3 of us tense. He sees that. "What?"
"I… There is a magical compartment on my car that I have a small workspace in. It's… a secure space. I don't like sharing it with people I don't know."
He nods, "I'll remain outside."
I smile, "Thanks."
We go out, and I go into the door, slipping in like it's an effort. I scan the Adamantium into my Transmutation Table. It's only about twice the EMC of diamond, and that's…not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Returning back out, like it's a squeeze. "It's… exactly like I expected."
I look and see several guards, holding a crate.
I blink, and they ignore me, looking past me to Ingot looking at my engine. Apparently being on fire isn't an issue for him. He blinks and looks at me. "Huh."
"Working hard?"
"Well… Violette offered, but apparently, my scarf wasn't prepared for work." I frown, and he shrugs.
"Did he break anything?"
"I don't think so, but I haven't checked it yet."
Ingot pauses, "Wait, you built this machine?"
"I did. It was a rudimentary system once Damion provided me with a heating element of this efficiency. I merely enclosed the liquid within the pipes and used an enchanted cooling brace. Using real mechanical properties for this little force would be easier, but the parts don't exist."
*Resource Management (Empire from the Ashes) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
While they talk, I look at my new perks and am impressed, and disappointed in some of my past design decisions. Ideas I had worked on. I… huh… that's interesting.
Matching and Mixing (The Weakness Of Beatrice): If Mixing combines different ingredients to create new objects, like combining various plants to make powerful healing potions, what happens when you combine two or more of the same thing? Normally, nothing, it's a total waste of ingredients. It's not entirely impossible to find a way past that limitation and when you found that way, you rocketed past it to new heights of crafting power. You're able to combine multiples of the same thing to increase its overall power and utility. This can range from combining many corpses of the same being to create a super strong golem under your command to combining many Shining Weapons into one Frankenstein weapon that can channel an unholy shit-load of power at once.
Resource Management (Empire from the Ashes): What can I say? You're an expert at logistics. You know how to extract the maximum possible use out of even the absolute least resources. A ragtag group of counter-mutineers managed to not only survive, but actually attack and make inroads into damaging an almost unimaginably better armed, equipped and numerous group. Just like them, you too can make virtually endless repairs, adapt low level-tech to interface with higher level tech, and in general stretch the usage of those resources far beyond what even the shrewdest economist could ever manage. Mind you, this is for people and tech most of all. While it will work on other resources, even magical, esoteric ones like mana and whatnot, don't expect remotely the same efficiency for them.
I… can I combine multiple collectors? I can. "Violette, we should do the smelting thing, and then I had a new idea."
Ingot blinks, "Correct. Inside men, we have a revolution on our hands."
They carry the crate inside, and into the meeting room. The man in front, with a thick red mustache, scoffs, "It's not even large enough for my small tongs. This is a joke."
"Magic." Ingot says, "I've already earned enough today to keep my title for the year."
The red beard chuckles, "With what?"
"The red ore we extracted?"
Red beard orients on me, eyes hard, "You… you smelted that!"
I smile, "I did. Even better, I made 2 ingots."
I hand Ingot back the red ingot, and there are gasps. "You… you took that handful, and made 2 bars?"
I nod, "Now… what did you bring me?"
They open the crate. A thin silvery dust was in the box, about half way up.
"This... this is unprocessed Mithril dust. The most potent ore we have. A handful has killed smithies larger than this house." Red beard began, and I scooped a vial in a scoop and brought it with me to the forge. The menu reacted, and Mithril Dust disappeared into the Smelter.
I walk over, pick up the crate, and walk over to the forge, to the horror of the guards, "Where did it go?!"
After thirty seconds of shouting and yelling, I pull out 2 bars. "This is what you ordered, yes?"
Silence. Shocked, painful silence. "That's… not possible. This entire crate is 1 full ingot!"
I blink, "Oh. There is some extra. Can I have it?"
Red beard laughed, "This is a miracle. I think we can excuse a few scraps."
Ingot glares at me, "How much more you cunning Elven tongued...?"
"Ingot! Don't insult this Miracle Maker!"
I check, "126 ingots."
I can feel the record scratch. Brain not processing my words.
Red Beard looks at me. "You… you... "
"I'm kidding. I didn't come here to steal from you. If it can be modified like I think it can be, I'll take 1 bar. If not… half of your unspeakable immense profit."
Eyes orient on me from the Guards, Ingot, and Red beard. "Is this the same test you did to the Adamantium?"
"It is."
"What did you do?"
"I'm magic."
They all question, and Ingot looks at me like I've betrayed him. "Is this real?"
"Yes. Perfectly real, even the same bar you gave me."
He looks suspicious, "What did you do?"
"I scanned it into my Transmutation Table."
Laughter is heard. "You can't transmute Adamantium. Or Mithril."
I stand up straight. I smile a smile that sets fear and dread in the minds of all beings who look upon it. Wiz and Violette both know something terrible is going to happen.
*Crafting: Weaponsmithing (Aion SB) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
"What will you give me if I can?"
"Are you offering a wager?"
"And if I am?"
Red Beard sat, Ingot sat behind his desk, "We sign a contract."
I smile, I pull out a contract paper, personally enchanted by me, "Your quill?" handing over the paper.
They write out a contract. Common, no hidden clauses, "If I can't Transmute Adamantium and Mithril to a high purity standard… I leave my furnace with you, and if I can, I may demand one thing from both of you?"
"Indeed. Short, sweet, and direct."
I nod, "Ok. Give me one Mithril bar." They do, "I'll be back in about 2 minutes."
I head outside, wondering if they are going to try getting the rest of the Mithril out of the Furnace. Sorry, it only works for me. And Violette.
I scan the Mithril and get an Adamantium and Mithril bar out of the Table. It takes less than 2 minutes so I make a Transmutation Tablet to exercise my dominance, and when I return there are angry Dwarves. "You cursed this forge!"
"No. Only I can put things into, or extranet things from this forge."
They blink, "You voided…"
I place the ingots on the desk.
"How do we know…?" Red beard begins, and I pull another out of my tablet. 4 bars of Adamantium on the desk, and 10 bars of Mithril being pulled out of the Furnace. "Are you done protesting?"
Red Beard sits down. "I… that's… by the Hammer of Fireheart, this… this is… Words are lacking. There is nothing we can offer. The Wealth you have created from nothing today could buy cities. You could conquer the world."
"What about save it?"
All eyes turn to me. "I am Damion Peramos. My goal is the death of the Devil King. For that, I require allies, armies, resources. Allies."
They look at me, "You… you come here with the power of gods, and you ask for allies?"
"I come here, powers and gifts, aplenty, my entire trust in those with me. I do not come to rule, I do not come to conquer or to pillage. I come to forge the first branch of an army to save this world from it's end."
They bow, and I freeze. I… why did I say all of that. What are they doing?
"We will serve, Giver of Gifts."
I'm petrified. Why did I paraphrase Sauron of all people? Why not someone heroic? That was so stupid!
There is a long silence, and everyone is staring at me, bright red, and nearly losing control of my human form.
Violette whispers, "Maybe you should accept?"
"I...I accept!" I half shout and got even redder.
Red Beard laughs, "Methinks the child doesn't take to leadership."
I'm frozen. I… I had… That's not fair. I've never led a real group of people into combat. I've barely led any combat at all. I just… I'm not someone who can solo a crazy powerful enemy.
*All Magic Affinity (In Another World With My Smartphone) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
What Was Once a burgeoning alliance: Chapter 7
What Was Once a burgeoning alliance: Chapter 7
Violette stepped up, and spoke, "Damion isn't a military leader, true. He is a creator and backer. He can make things you can't even dream them up, with quality that can barely be compared to. What he isn't is a frontliner, what we need is a group of people who can use his weapons to fight the Devil King."
The Dwarves look between themselves, and Ingot nods. "We can do that."
I smile, calming as Violette handles the… well… human contact for me. I feel scummy letting her do it, but she's far more confident, not to mention competent with this then I could be. Stepping back, I let her begin a strategic planning meeting. Making promises that I can fulfill for uniform weapons, and armor. Materials, and information. She's carefully promising numbers off of my Dark Matter gear, which are already low estimates.
The Dwarves look more and less surprised every time she dismisses concerns about shipping, and communication delays, and information security. I think what pushes the incredulity is the weekly deliveries to every Dwarven city willing to sign on.
"He can't promise that! Even the Dulimoar won't hesitate to take this deal! They are more then 11 days by boat. Weekly deliveries to…"
I step forward. "Gentlemen. It's not an issue." I fish more contract paper out of my bag, and let them set up a loyalty agreement, and explain my addition of an ironclad nondisclosure agreement.
They bring the last High Anvilman, and I learn that Red Beard is Sibrack Blackcloak, the High Anvilman of Crafting. Fitrila Opal, the High Anvilman of Architecture is summoned and she's easily the tallest dwarf I've met so far. She laughs at the contract until she sees me pull a bar of Adamantium out of my Transmutation Tablet. Then she signs without hesitation.
With the three of them having signed the nation-city of Groclk is officially a member of the Adamantite Accord, which…. Well has its own connotations in their culture. They, and Violette, will be taking my car with them to meet all the other nation-cities. There are 11 or 12 of them, and I show them my Warehouse. I also show them the doorway to the other side of the city, one I made as a more touristy thing than an intentional breach of their security. When asked, I told them to try setting a destination themselves. It was… funny watching them try. Blackcloak had some serious magic, and managed to see the switches, but couldn't change anything. They conceded the point after that.
They set off, and I… well I had a new project to work on.
Combining my collectors into something… ridiculous. The properties the method talked about sounded more than additive, but… how much more?
I look at my 64 stacks of red matter collectors, a massive investment that I had put aside to expand my power flowers extremely and push a combination. I have 32 EMC collectors that… collect 120 EMC per second.
Huh?
I look at that number. The uncombined collectors get 40 EMC per second. So… Combining them together adds 1 more to the properties. Equivalent to adding 3 actually.
*Centurio Ordinatus (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Combining them again, I get 16 collectors at 360 EMC. I nod and combine to 1 collector. 29160 EMC per second. Then, as I'm putting it next to a relay, I pause. I pick up the relay, and combine it with the MK8 Collector, into… a Full Energy Relay. 29160 EMC per second, that can be transferred to adjacent Relays, upgrade fuels, charge Klein Stars, or… charge Condensers.
I smile an evil smile and reformat my power flower to make these new creations. The full cost of the 65 high tier blocks, but it's worth it, and as my idea forms, my workshop changes too. The almost half complete block of Refined Bedrockium disappears and in its place a quarter of one of these. Emptying all the energy I have from all 6 condensers into this project, and making a second one from the 85 condensers I already have available, I see the EMC counter tick up, agonizingly slowly. But I have 6 of my watches just… sitting around.
Combining them, and reaffirming a tripling of effect and tying the effect into the two Superblocks… well…
The combinations of the active effects are straight multiplicative. The 58320 EMC from my stacked collectors, doubled by the room, something that the minor changes to the geometry didn't change, times the 6 times production from all 6 watches.
I was producing another collector/relay every 11 seconds.
I was grabbing them, and making towers, 6 high… well 5 high, with a glowstone cap. Then, I put a Condenser in front of it and watched it tick up. 7,873,200 EMC a second.
I… that's… I would fill the chest with Refined Bedrockium in minutes!
I realized that Bedrockium wasn't actually useful, and combined 1 stack of Alchemical Chests, with a Condenser, to typically result. A passive reaction of storage means I should have 75897 slots, but I don't. I have 75816, which isn't a large difference, but it means that if there is an inferior version of a bonus, then it won't add in. The chest also no longer processes or even stores things. It only holds the item it's making. I resolved to keep a trash can chest making Adamantium somewhere. Then I set up this new, far less expensive, Condenser along the massive relay tube, and set it to produce things I'll need. Like the parts to make more or itself, for big jobs, and for now, Adamantium and Mithril.
A few… I'm not actually sure actually, how long, Wiz clears her throat. I turn, "Hi Wiz. What's up?"
"We… we need to talk about your magic."
I blink. "Huh?"
"You're… sparking."
I look down, and there are bolts of electricity arcing off of me in all directions. "Huh."
It peters out, and a thin fog drifts around me. "Oh. I'm… affecting the weather?"
Wiz nods, "Extremely potent magical casters need to exercise control. You nearly set Violette and me on fire after… after you learned about Ankh. You actually went partially invisible during the negotiations with the Dwarfs. You're wearing your emotions on your sleeve."
*At The End of Time (Divinity - Original Sin) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
I blink. I… huh. "I hadn't noticed."
"I figured." Wiz said, "I had a… much smaller issue with frosting my clothes when I was emotional, you seem not to have 1 elemental affinity, it seems you have a magical affinity instead."
I blink, "I got a perk for that when I got this place. Sorcere and Arcane." I pull up and read her the descriptions.
Arcane: You have traded away Life for a measure of the Arcane, writing the truth of yourself upon the fabric of Reality. It is the Wellspring of Creation, the fire from which things become Possible. It opposes destruction and stagnation. Though it's worth noting that a nova consuming a world full of life and culture doesn't qualify as 'destruction' or 'stagnation.' Merely change, and change is interesting.
Arcane has a kind of supremacy over mortal magics - not just normal arcane magic either. An Arcane Lich can strip a Dragon of its breath, a Beholder of its gaze, and a Sorcerer of their spells. Such work are the products of specialized Arcana, formal techniques some Liches learn. The converse is not true. An Anti-Magic field does nothing to something fueled with Arcane, while an Arcane Null-Magic Field shuts down mortal magic. An Arcane Item won't show up to Detect Magic, won't be damaged by Disjunction, and generally speaking ignores all such forces.
In future jumps, it's safe to treat Arcane as a 'higher' force, except when it runs against other explicitly 'higher' reality rewriting forces, such as the Power Cosmic of Marvel or Flame Imperishable of LotR. It can affect the 'lesser forces', and they cannot affect it. On its own, this perk gives you a small pool of Arcane which can be used several ways
Sorcerae: You can perform Sorcerae, dreaming what you want to happen into being. This is a dangerous power, and the very power the Guild of Wizards claim was used to bring Reality into being. There are ways of sensing its use, and mortal minds were not designed to bear witness to such shapings.
There are stacking bonuses and penalties to an attempt, but how difficult it will be and how much it will cost is a shifting thing. Taking extra time makes it easier, but also makes finding you easier for those keeping an eye out for such things.
Groups can pool their efforts to achieve greater effects.
She nods, "Those are… probably equal in sheer potency to the Warehouse. As a high form of magic, Arcane is a massive power. Reshaping the laws of the world, massive."
I nod, and she continues, "But Sorcere, if it operates how I believe it does… is possibly the most potent magical weapon, and barrier imaginable. It would make a very strong weapon, maybe one capable of bringing down the Barrier around the Devil King's castle without altering me."
I pause, "Wouldn't that put you in danger?"
"I… don't know actually. Magic that strong will attract attention and the barrier is tied by an equality to… actually, let's not try that as a plan A."
I smile, "Ok."
"But for creating weapons to fight the Devil King, his abilities are vast, but the ability to possible just void all his magic, internal and external… that, by itself, would be a massive boon. And armor Arcane Forged against his physical attacks would render him nearly powerless."
I nod, liking the plan she put together. "Arcane enchanting will take time to learn."
"And we have much time to actually arrive at the other cities, and to gather, outfit, train, and move that many troops."
I nod. "True."
"So for now, let's go to the roof, and we should practice some of this magic. You said that this Wizard's tower can be expanded by investing Arcane and Sorcere power. Let's go try that out."
I nod, and we head all the way up, after informing Violette where we would be and got to work. It was… strange to look inside oneself, feel like you're falling into your being to draw out magic. It's very different than Enchanting, and Violette comes telling us we're about 8 hours out and that I need to sleep, to prevent any… anger management issues.
I protest, "That was a month!"
"It's been almost 2 weeks!"
I blink and look at Wiz, who shrugs. "I thought we were stopping at every city?"
"We did, but you have a chest that I can carry, and throw trash into to make Adamantium. Only the High King of the Dwarves actually requires your presence. We made you a formal robe."
I blink, "How? You don't…"
"You're a slime. It will fit."
I blink. "Sorry, that's still new to me."
She sighs, "Go to sleep."
I make another bed, making the second room on the left side a makeshift bedroom. 8 hours later, I'm in… an armored toga. What the hell?
*Diamond Techniques | Promise of Steel (Summon Night Swordcraft Story) (1100CP) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Looking at Violette, laughing, "Dwarven formal wear. I hadn't seen it yet."
I scowl, "Why can't I wear human formal wear?"
"Because you are negotiating with a Dwarven King."
I raise my eyebrow, her and the dwarf behind her laughing as I stand in my toga, and walk back into my workshop for a moment. And I do something petty. I know it's petty. I know it's grandstanding, and if he is going to put me in a toga then it's going to be a bulletproof toga. I merge the metal plates with Adamantium and the toga with Mithril. Pilling it with a solid diamond so that I'm actually covering even half of my chest, and letting a little of it out to cover my knees.
Walking back out, Violette smiles, and the Dwarf behind her goes so red I think she might need a healing potion.
Leaving my car, I'm at a massive castle. Mostly made of solid gold, on the edge of a massive cliff overlooking the sea. Walking inside, there are gasps and gibbering, and more than one person faints.
2… ok. I'm not calling someone as tall as Violette a Dwarf even if they have the armor, and weapons, and vibe that all other Dwarves have had up to this point.
They open the doors, seemingly not noticing my 'toga'. Wiz runs up, and whispers, "You're glowing."
I seal my emotions, not… unfeeling, but controlled exposure, which I'm sure is doing wonders for… Violette mutters, "Let go. That glow is potent and will help your case."
Wiz looks at her, and they mutter for a bit and Wiz sighs, "Fine, let your aura loose. Different cultures."
I sigh, and push out that feeling instead, and I can feel Violette's smirk behind me as the two guards quiver slightly, before announcing, "Presenting the Adamantite Smith Damion Perems."
I pause and Violette, whispers, "React. This is a massive disrespect."
I turn to the guard, feeling like a puppet on a string, "Excuse me?" I reach inside, and ice behind to spread from my feet, "That is not my name."
A proud voice from inside the hall booms. "Pay her no mind. We have business…"
Violette clenches her teeth, thinking, and whispers, "That's the King. He knows he's slighting us. He doesn't like you, or what you represent. If you can be half as cold and viciously threatening as when you killed Beldia, do it."
I scowl, I bring up all the 'pissed', and 'how dare you make me do this, today' I have within my poorly acted body, and I step forward.
The King is massive. Taller than the two by the door even, and I seem to be the only one surprised.
Violette sees this, "Dwarves are smaller equal to magical potential. The Interbreeding within the royal family and the locals of this town mean that barring a few exceptions, they are all 6 plus feet tall, with a far more than expected upgrade in actual physical strength. I tested myself against one of his Royal guards yesterday, and she was… more than my match with raw power. She broke a Mithril sword with her warhammer."
I nod, as we approach.
*Artiste (Girl Genius SB) (100) Bought Overflow. Lost Arts (World of Darkness - Mummy the Resurrection) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Artiste (Girl Genius SB): From acting to painting, there's a lot of call for people like you around here! Simply put, you have the skills and talent to be one of the greatest, finest artists of all time. Not just in any one field either. Your talent is boundless and unbelievable at everything remotely art-related you do. With the slightest effort, you could be a scintillating star in all fields from writing, painting, singing, underwater basket weaving... er, you get the idea. Crowds throng to listen to a concerto from you, and books you write may well cause knife fights between people wanting to buy them!
Such is your talent that in but a handful of months you could become a celebrity every bit the equal of the Queen of the Dawn, or any other celebrity you've heard of. This also makes anything you do look unbelievably good, from your fighting which looks like a dance, to your clanks which all look like Things of Beauty and Grace even when stuffed chock-full of firepower.
I read the description and, dear gods, power, thank you. I needed this.
My gate became more… elegant and forceful. My posture is more prickly. The emotional storm around me took on a flare for the dramatic, and a massive, massive flair for the dramatic. And showing everyone exactly what I wanted them to see. In this case, walking towards the king, my aura grew, I noticed Violette and Wiz both stepping back some, and I appreciated that my work was… working.
As I approached, the Kings' face was growing less and less pompous upon his massive and elevated thrown.
Then I saw them. Humans? No. The ears. Elves, 4 of them, chained to the floor.
The tepid thundercloud of ice and cold begins to spin. I can see candles growing, burning out, slowly. Guards began to look pained, in all that gold armor. I equip my rings and feed that fire. Actually melting the tile flooring with my steps like the walk behind an angry god.
The King's eyes shoot up occasionally like he's expecting a trap to spring, or because his crown is beginning to melt on his head I can't tell. The elves and my party are being avoided by my aura's heat. My Equivalent Exchange Ring of Arcana accepted my Field of Focus enchantment long ago. Now it gets a second one. Enhancing my power and control of Arcana, for which it is named.
As I reach the end of the trial, a thin gate separating me and the king, he has several lines of smoke from his crown on his hair.
"I understand that you demanded my personal attendance in this meeting." As I speak, the candles behind me finish burning, going out like an approaching demon. My acting subconscious fully in control of timings I give it a mental high five as the only light in the room remaining is my hateful aura.
I look down, eyes beginning to glow, "I'm surprised your guards let me in during a sentencing hearing of some kind. But I suppose I did arrive on time."
The King is pissed. "There are my women. Not prisoners."
I blink, acting surprised, "Ah. I understand now. A demonstration of depravity, to ward off honorable dealings. I've heard of such displays from Goblin chiefs."
He blinks. "I… what?"
Violette makes a small gasp, and I look up at him, meeting his eyes. Glowing hatefully as I know them to be, he's unsettled, and after several seconds, his crown begins to melt, forcing him to discard the metal band, leaving a now visible scar on his head.
I blink. "Are you injured?"
His eyes flash, and he demands, sounding both petulant and afraid, "I demand respect! I am king here!"
*Rare Talent: The Ability to Craft Ter'angreal (Luck of the Draw) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 600 points.*
I smile. "No child to ever declare 'I am king' was worth the title." I say, cutting him deeply, "And no being worthy of respect would sit upon a monument of depravity the likes of which you seem to enjoy." He stands, and I demand, "Sit back down." as wind swirls, pushing him back into his seat, and his guard slides into the walls of the room. It's a fantastic thing Violette wanted pissed.
I look at him, and push my aura higher, as I begin again, "Despite these facts, I have agreed to a conversation with you." I wave my hand, "Begin."
He's kinda blinking at me, newly confident again somehow. "Well then crafter, I have demands if I am to employ you."
I blink, and look momentarily at Violette, "Was I misinformed?"
Violette looks lost, and the king continues, "You will grant me the secrets of your process. You will give me, in full, the secrets of your power, and… your lovely attendant."
I blink. Many of his guards are looking at him like he's lost his mind. Violette looks angry, pissed, and confounded. Wiz is smiling so evilly that I can't call it anything but malicious. I turn to him, "Excuse me?"
"I know you are a fraud! Your power is fake! Here for months and it fades in power to a mear glow."
I blink. I… I laugh. I actually laugh for a moment, and look at him, "I… this is unexpected. I… well I honestly thought that you couldn't be any stupider."
He looks around, "Your energy is spent mage."
I bring my aura down from the highest I'd elevated it, constraining my power.
His eyes trembled, and bravado left his spine. "I raised my aura to a point you could not even perceive it. I did so you might speak."
I forced my aura lower and condensed it into this room. He and several of his guards actually struggle to breathe as I force my aura around them. Then I decide to take a page out of the villain monologuing playbook, and start floating, taking steps forward, crossing his silly barrier, and feeling my Archangel's Smite stops responding, not broken just off, like an anti-magic field is working.
"Oh. That's cute. You have an anti-magic barrier."
His eyes bulge, and I wave my hand. The chain on the elves snap under lightning bolts, and I calmly walk to the king.
His eyes bulge, as he begins to suffocate, and I raise my aura again. As an experiment, I push it to its maximum and can see the glow from my body as I stare him in the face. "I honestly don't know what to do with you. I could kill you. You certainly don't have enough going for you to be worth sparing, but...are you trash enough to be worth killing.
He reaches for a massive, like… Buster Sword's half-meter width blade on the Masamunai 's 5 something meter blade, and it seems to be made of Mithril.
*Custom Factory (Warhammer 40k: T'au Empire) (400) Bought. Overflow. Golem Formula (Generic Isekai) (200) Bought. Overflow. Provider chest (Factorio) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
He swings, and I bring my toga up, enhancing every once of defense I can muster with my ring and my toga. I raise my other hand, and a cascade of hate is born. Taking that hit slams me into the wall with enough force to crack the wall, but I… don't even feel it. Like I was caught by, or made of, a cloud for all the oomph he made.
I'm a Slime. Duh.
I fly back over, and the melting emotion crystals pinning his body to his throne, and it looks like he fell onto the Iron Throne. They are dissolving him, and melting his throne, into an unpleasant grey/red smoke that is all for show, according to a quick analysis spell. The almost artistically chosen points to be dehumanizing, left him half contorted in pain as he lay slain. I smiled, and floated down to my companions, guarding the Elves with their bodies. "I believe that this meeting is over. We have nothing to gain from working with…" I turn to Violette, "Should I have learned his name at some point?"
The guards drop weapons, as we walk past them, leaving the castle.
I need to go check out floor 16, it's all been taken up by the Tau Factory. I can feel that from here. I also need to see what my Golemancy, and 'Provider Chests' are.
Arriving back at my car, I led the elves inside, and to some of the enchanted beds, letting them sleep off some of today. Then I take my 2 companions upstairs. 3 sets of eyes bug out at the factory I suddenly have available. It wasn't large, about half a square kilometer, of white chrome and efficient silver internals, until I pushed it.
I pushed my Arcana, my new understanding of actually being in a universe being extraordinarily helpful to making it work. It expands to a size worthy of being my entire floor. It expands to nearly 4 by 16 kilometers, the machine staying exactly where they were. I extend my arms, slime extensions to see if I can, using the 2 meters deep, 2 meters tall, L shape indent running along both long edges, and use the already full chests of Full Relays, and Condensers with Glowstone on top. That's 32000 of each, a not insignificant drop in their numbers stored, but more than sufficient for my purposes.
The full 64 square kilometers became a 'door'. I'd read this description before, it's a massive powerhouse of fabrication, it can make spaceships, and I intended for it to make ships too. Then I paused. I didn't know the schematics. I didn't know the materials. I didn't know anything about this tech.
I frowned, and Violette came up, "Why did you stop? We were so close to starting a whole revolution!"
"I… don't have anything I can build here. I can't even replicate the devices already here. I… none of my blueprints, my ideas, anything I can make… not an iode of it is real engineering enough for this to mean anything." I… what is this! I… my whole process… I can't so much as turn a lug nut here.
*Vat of F.E.V. (Fallout 4) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I frown. Turning to Violette… "Do you have any blueprints? Anything at all?"
She looks at me, "I… I have the skills to repair, and modify from the principles you know. I've noticed every time you get something new, but… you're right. None of my blueprints are capable of being built any faster in here than by hand."
She looks put out… "I was looking forward to seeing some real technological progress when I saw the plant, but… we don't have anything."
I sigh, "I was too. I… was very interested in learning that the Tau were from your universe."
She blinks, "Then who?"
"The Tau. I… they might not have existed before you were summoned. They were caught in a warp storm and spent like 1 billion years out of time. They went from a race of nearly industrial age to equal or nearly more advanced than the Imperium. My old friend collected miniatures of the Tau. He… he liked that they looked like Gundam. I… didn't put them and your setting together until I saw the name of the Factory."
She blinked, "I… sorry. It's always difficult to hear that we're fiction."
"You aren't fiction. There's a world where the exploits and conflicts you engaged in are recorded."
She blinks. "But you just said..." she looks upset.
"Where did you come from?"
She blinks. "I… well… the ship...um..."
"You came from your ship, your army, your comrades, your universe." I say, "I came from mine. But in mine, your world was known as fiction. If you consider that I came to this world, where both your world and mine are unknown… maybe people don't come back here with stories, or perhaps you can't. We've met Aqua."
She blinks, "Then… fiction is a result of interdimensional travel?"
"Well… I chose to consider Occam's Razor. Either someone created your world by sharing it with the world, which would mean that every popular, or loved setting ever crafted became real because of it, someone used knowledge of your world after coming to mine to share your story with us, meaning someone in your world came to ours as I did here, and to a lesser extent, you did. Or… someone meticulously created a fictional world that has nearly the exact characteristics of yours by sheer, breathtakingly long series of precise coincidences."
She blinks. "So… the most likely answer was… that someone, by the mechanism that affected one of us, my world interacted with yours?"
"Yes. That means that you are real, and your world is real. It's simply far more likely than the creation of your world as a response to a few thousand or even millions of people. If a million people's happiness for less than a century can create the suffering of trillions of others for billions of years… What does that say about our universe?"
*Crafting Stations (Terraria - Journey's End) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
She blinks, "That's… a good way of looking at it."
I nod, "I certainly hope that it's true. Otherwise… the suffering I've read in my life… I'm complicit in putting people through more hell than I can even imagine."
She frowns, "I… I can't even imagine."
"I understand." We turn out of the Factory, leaving it still behind us. Apparently, my technological revolution was waiting a little longer.
We went down from the floor, and I checked into the other 2 that I got.
Golem Formula (Generic Isekai): This is a set of instructions on the creation and control of simple humanoid golems, made from earth, stone or wood. The golems it describes are weaker than a human adult, but tireless and mindlessly obedient to their creator. Though casting the creation spell is costly for a beginner, it is not impossible, and will grow easier with practice. Comes with one golem premade.
Provider chest (Factorio): Whenever you open this space-bending chest, you'll find an assortment of the standard Factorio resources, ready for processing. A variety of mundane wood and stone, pressed coal, iron and copper ingots, uranium slugs in heavy lead containers, and barrels of oil and water. The chest stores about a cubic meter of each material, and withdrawn resources replenish at different rates - you and your companions will easily have enough water to live off of, a good-sized house could be built with a few day's worth of stone and wood, while metals, particularly uranium, are replaced much more slowly.
I pause, considering I have a theoretically unlimited supply of Uranium slugs and sigh. I went looking for the Golem and found it, and the Factorio chest, in a compartment adjacent to my Equivalent Exchange. Walking inside, I found the chest. It had that same quasi-screen quality that the Minecraft one does. I also have a simple stone golem. The spell is supposedly hard and gets easier with usage, and it makes golems barely stronger than human norms at the moment, maybe… casting skill might be tied to the golem's strength and speed.
I turn, and ask, "How will the Dwarves be trained?"
"Well… however you want."
I blink, "Huh?"
"Well, you did kill their king, and have the sworn loyalty of… every other city."
I blink. Pause completely, and turn to face her fully, "Are you saying that I'm in charge?"
She nods, "You are."
I sigh. "Let's head back, collect the willing Dwarves, and head towards the closest city to the front lines."
She blinks, "What?"
"Let's get the willing dwarves, and train them close to the front line. I'll start making Golems to train them against."
She blinks, "I… think you underestimate the number of dwarves willing to come with you."
"I have a 4 kilometer long door. How many do you really think we will need space for?"
She nods, "I… huh."
I nod, "But surprise me. You have access to the door system. Let's see then."
She blinks, "I… damn."
I question, "What?"
"I… well… I didn't set up the doors anywhere."
I sigh, "Then another 2 weeks setting up doors. I'll make some beds."
Heading into the room with all the beds, I realize that all the beds are occupied.
I sigh and head back out. Leaving the car, "I need a bed." Wiz blinks.
"Oh. Um…"
I see she's uncomfortable. "Wiz? What's wrong?"
"I've...been reading the data Violette gathered on the Dwarven kingdom. The nonintervention of the Devil King conflict has led them to grow stagnant, and… their King was a result of this stagnation."
I walk over, "Wiz, you are not responsible for this. You gave them peace, they chose to use this for debauchery. You made a sacrifice for peace. What they choose to do with that gift is not on you."
She smiles, "I… thanks Damion. I… it's hard."
"It must be. I… can't imagine what I would do if I gave away my abilities and people used them to do terrible things. I would… it would be heavy, but it is not my fault like it's not yours."
*The Hands of the Maker (Generic Exalted) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Violette stepped up, and spoke, "Damion isn't a military leader, true. He is a creator and backer. He can make things you can't even dream them up, with quality that can barely be compared to. What he isn't is a frontliner, what we need is a group of people who can use his weapons to fight the Devil King."
The Dwarves look between themselves, and Ingot nods. "We can do that."
I smile, calming as Violette handles the… well… human contact for me. I feel scummy letting her do it, but she's far more confident, not to mention competent with this then I could be. Stepping back, I let her begin a strategic planning meeting. Making promises that I can fulfill for uniform weapons, and armor. Materials, and information. She's carefully promising numbers off of my Dark Matter gear, which are already low estimates.
The Dwarves look more and less surprised every time she dismisses concerns about shipping, and communication delays, and information security. I think what pushes the incredulity is the weekly deliveries to every Dwarven city willing to sign on.
"He can't promise that! Even the Dulimoar won't hesitate to take this deal! They are more then 11 days by boat. Weekly deliveries to…"
I step forward. "Gentlemen. It's not an issue." I fish more contract paper out of my bag, and let them set up a loyalty agreement, and explain my addition of an ironclad nondisclosure agreement.
They bring the last High Anvilman, and I learn that Red Beard is Sibrack Blackcloak, the High Anvilman of Crafting. Fitrila Opal, the High Anvilman of Architecture is summoned and she's easily the tallest dwarf I've met so far. She laughs at the contract until she sees me pull a bar of Adamantium out of my Transmutation Tablet. Then she signs without hesitation.
With the three of them having signed the nation-city of Groclk is officially a member of the Adamantite Accord, which…. Well has its own connotations in their culture. They, and Violette, will be taking my car with them to meet all the other nation-cities. There are 11 or 12 of them, and I show them my Warehouse. I also show them the doorway to the other side of the city, one I made as a more touristy thing than an intentional breach of their security. When asked, I told them to try setting a destination themselves. It was… funny watching them try. Blackcloak had some serious magic, and managed to see the switches, but couldn't change anything. They conceded the point after that.
They set off, and I… well I had a new project to work on.
Combining my collectors into something… ridiculous. The properties the method talked about sounded more than additive, but… how much more?
I look at my 64 stacks of red matter collectors, a massive investment that I had put aside to expand my power flowers extremely and push a combination. I have 32 EMC collectors that… collect 120 EMC per second.
Huh?
I look at that number. The uncombined collectors get 40 EMC per second. So… Combining them together adds 1 more to the properties. Equivalent to adding 3 actually.
*Centurio Ordinatus (Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Combining them again, I get 16 collectors at 360 EMC. I nod and combine to 1 collector. 29160 EMC per second. Then, as I'm putting it next to a relay, I pause. I pick up the relay, and combine it with the MK8 Collector, into… a Full Energy Relay. 29160 EMC per second, that can be transferred to adjacent Relays, upgrade fuels, charge Klein Stars, or… charge Condensers.
I smile an evil smile and reformat my power flower to make these new creations. The full cost of the 65 high tier blocks, but it's worth it, and as my idea forms, my workshop changes too. The almost half complete block of Refined Bedrockium disappears and in its place a quarter of one of these. Emptying all the energy I have from all 6 condensers into this project, and making a second one from the 85 condensers I already have available, I see the EMC counter tick up, agonizingly slowly. But I have 6 of my watches just… sitting around.
Combining them, and reaffirming a tripling of effect and tying the effect into the two Superblocks… well…
The combinations of the active effects are straight multiplicative. The 58320 EMC from my stacked collectors, doubled by the room, something that the minor changes to the geometry didn't change, times the 6 times production from all 6 watches.
I was producing another collector/relay every 11 seconds.
I was grabbing them, and making towers, 6 high… well 5 high, with a glowstone cap. Then, I put a Condenser in front of it and watched it tick up. 7,873,200 EMC a second.
I… that's… I would fill the chest with Refined Bedrockium in minutes!
I realized that Bedrockium wasn't actually useful, and combined 1 stack of Alchemical Chests, with a Condenser, to typically result. A passive reaction of storage means I should have 75897 slots, but I don't. I have 75816, which isn't a large difference, but it means that if there is an inferior version of a bonus, then it won't add in. The chest also no longer processes or even stores things. It only holds the item it's making. I resolved to keep a trash can chest making Adamantium somewhere. Then I set up this new, far less expensive, Condenser along the massive relay tube, and set it to produce things I'll need. Like the parts to make more or itself, for big jobs, and for now, Adamantium and Mithril.
A few… I'm not actually sure actually, how long, Wiz clears her throat. I turn, "Hi Wiz. What's up?"
"We… we need to talk about your magic."
I blink. "Huh?"
"You're… sparking."
I look down, and there are bolts of electricity arcing off of me in all directions. "Huh."
It peters out, and a thin fog drifts around me. "Oh. I'm… affecting the weather?"
Wiz nods, "Extremely potent magical casters need to exercise control. You nearly set Violette and me on fire after… after you learned about Ankh. You actually went partially invisible during the negotiations with the Dwarfs. You're wearing your emotions on your sleeve."
*At The End of Time (Divinity - Original Sin) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
I blink. I… huh. "I hadn't noticed."
"I figured." Wiz said, "I had a… much smaller issue with frosting my clothes when I was emotional, you seem not to have 1 elemental affinity, it seems you have a magical affinity instead."
I blink, "I got a perk for that when I got this place. Sorcere and Arcane." I pull up and read her the descriptions.
Arcane: You have traded away Life for a measure of the Arcane, writing the truth of yourself upon the fabric of Reality. It is the Wellspring of Creation, the fire from which things become Possible. It opposes destruction and stagnation. Though it's worth noting that a nova consuming a world full of life and culture doesn't qualify as 'destruction' or 'stagnation.' Merely change, and change is interesting.
Arcane has a kind of supremacy over mortal magics - not just normal arcane magic either. An Arcane Lich can strip a Dragon of its breath, a Beholder of its gaze, and a Sorcerer of their spells. Such work are the products of specialized Arcana, formal techniques some Liches learn. The converse is not true. An Anti-Magic field does nothing to something fueled with Arcane, while an Arcane Null-Magic Field shuts down mortal magic. An Arcane Item won't show up to Detect Magic, won't be damaged by Disjunction, and generally speaking ignores all such forces.
In future jumps, it's safe to treat Arcane as a 'higher' force, except when it runs against other explicitly 'higher' reality rewriting forces, such as the Power Cosmic of Marvel or Flame Imperishable of LotR. It can affect the 'lesser forces', and they cannot affect it. On its own, this perk gives you a small pool of Arcane which can be used several ways
Sorcerae: You can perform Sorcerae, dreaming what you want to happen into being. This is a dangerous power, and the very power the Guild of Wizards claim was used to bring Reality into being. There are ways of sensing its use, and mortal minds were not designed to bear witness to such shapings.
There are stacking bonuses and penalties to an attempt, but how difficult it will be and how much it will cost is a shifting thing. Taking extra time makes it easier, but also makes finding you easier for those keeping an eye out for such things.
Groups can pool their efforts to achieve greater effects.
She nods, "Those are… probably equal in sheer potency to the Warehouse. As a high form of magic, Arcane is a massive power. Reshaping the laws of the world, massive."
I nod, and she continues, "But Sorcere, if it operates how I believe it does… is possibly the most potent magical weapon, and barrier imaginable. It would make a very strong weapon, maybe one capable of bringing down the Barrier around the Devil King's castle without altering me."
I pause, "Wouldn't that put you in danger?"
"I… don't know actually. Magic that strong will attract attention and the barrier is tied by an equality to… actually, let's not try that as a plan A."
I smile, "Ok."
"But for creating weapons to fight the Devil King, his abilities are vast, but the ability to possible just void all his magic, internal and external… that, by itself, would be a massive boon. And armor Arcane Forged against his physical attacks would render him nearly powerless."
I nod, liking the plan she put together. "Arcane enchanting will take time to learn."
"And we have much time to actually arrive at the other cities, and to gather, outfit, train, and move that many troops."
I nod. "True."
"So for now, let's go to the roof, and we should practice some of this magic. You said that this Wizard's tower can be expanded by investing Arcane and Sorcere power. Let's go try that out."
I nod, and we head all the way up, after informing Violette where we would be and got to work. It was… strange to look inside oneself, feel like you're falling into your being to draw out magic. It's very different than Enchanting, and Violette comes telling us we're about 8 hours out and that I need to sleep, to prevent any… anger management issues.
I protest, "That was a month!"
"It's been almost 2 weeks!"
I blink and look at Wiz, who shrugs. "I thought we were stopping at every city?"
"We did, but you have a chest that I can carry, and throw trash into to make Adamantium. Only the High King of the Dwarves actually requires your presence. We made you a formal robe."
I blink, "How? You don't…"
"You're a slime. It will fit."
I blink. "Sorry, that's still new to me."
She sighs, "Go to sleep."
I make another bed, making the second room on the left side a makeshift bedroom. 8 hours later, I'm in… an armored toga. What the hell?
*Diamond Techniques | Promise of Steel (Summon Night Swordcraft Story) (1100CP) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Looking at Violette, laughing, "Dwarven formal wear. I hadn't seen it yet."
I scowl, "Why can't I wear human formal wear?"
"Because you are negotiating with a Dwarven King."
I raise my eyebrow, her and the dwarf behind her laughing as I stand in my toga, and walk back into my workshop for a moment. And I do something petty. I know it's petty. I know it's grandstanding, and if he is going to put me in a toga then it's going to be a bulletproof toga. I merge the metal plates with Adamantium and the toga with Mithril. Pilling it with a solid diamond so that I'm actually covering even half of my chest, and letting a little of it out to cover my knees.
Walking back out, Violette smiles, and the Dwarf behind her goes so red I think she might need a healing potion.
Leaving my car, I'm at a massive castle. Mostly made of solid gold, on the edge of a massive cliff overlooking the sea. Walking inside, there are gasps and gibbering, and more than one person faints.
2… ok. I'm not calling someone as tall as Violette a Dwarf even if they have the armor, and weapons, and vibe that all other Dwarves have had up to this point.
They open the doors, seemingly not noticing my 'toga'. Wiz runs up, and whispers, "You're glowing."
I seal my emotions, not… unfeeling, but controlled exposure, which I'm sure is doing wonders for… Violette mutters, "Let go. That glow is potent and will help your case."
Wiz looks at her, and they mutter for a bit and Wiz sighs, "Fine, let your aura loose. Different cultures."
I sigh, and push out that feeling instead, and I can feel Violette's smirk behind me as the two guards quiver slightly, before announcing, "Presenting the Adamantite Smith Damion Perems."
I pause and Violette, whispers, "React. This is a massive disrespect."
I turn to the guard, feeling like a puppet on a string, "Excuse me?" I reach inside, and ice behind to spread from my feet, "That is not my name."
A proud voice from inside the hall booms. "Pay her no mind. We have business…"
Violette clenches her teeth, thinking, and whispers, "That's the King. He knows he's slighting us. He doesn't like you, or what you represent. If you can be half as cold and viciously threatening as when you killed Beldia, do it."
I scowl, I bring up all the 'pissed', and 'how dare you make me do this, today' I have within my poorly acted body, and I step forward.
The King is massive. Taller than the two by the door even, and I seem to be the only one surprised.
Violette sees this, "Dwarves are smaller equal to magical potential. The Interbreeding within the royal family and the locals of this town mean that barring a few exceptions, they are all 6 plus feet tall, with a far more than expected upgrade in actual physical strength. I tested myself against one of his Royal guards yesterday, and she was… more than my match with raw power. She broke a Mithril sword with her warhammer."
I nod, as we approach.
*Artiste (Girl Genius SB) (100) Bought Overflow. Lost Arts (World of Darkness - Mummy the Resurrection) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Artiste (Girl Genius SB): From acting to painting, there's a lot of call for people like you around here! Simply put, you have the skills and talent to be one of the greatest, finest artists of all time. Not just in any one field either. Your talent is boundless and unbelievable at everything remotely art-related you do. With the slightest effort, you could be a scintillating star in all fields from writing, painting, singing, underwater basket weaving... er, you get the idea. Crowds throng to listen to a concerto from you, and books you write may well cause knife fights between people wanting to buy them!
Such is your talent that in but a handful of months you could become a celebrity every bit the equal of the Queen of the Dawn, or any other celebrity you've heard of. This also makes anything you do look unbelievably good, from your fighting which looks like a dance, to your clanks which all look like Things of Beauty and Grace even when stuffed chock-full of firepower.
I read the description and, dear gods, power, thank you. I needed this.
My gate became more… elegant and forceful. My posture is more prickly. The emotional storm around me took on a flare for the dramatic, and a massive, massive flair for the dramatic. And showing everyone exactly what I wanted them to see. In this case, walking towards the king, my aura grew, I noticed Violette and Wiz both stepping back some, and I appreciated that my work was… working.
As I approached, the Kings' face was growing less and less pompous upon his massive and elevated thrown.
Then I saw them. Humans? No. The ears. Elves, 4 of them, chained to the floor.
The tepid thundercloud of ice and cold begins to spin. I can see candles growing, burning out, slowly. Guards began to look pained, in all that gold armor. I equip my rings and feed that fire. Actually melting the tile flooring with my steps like the walk behind an angry god.
The King's eyes shoot up occasionally like he's expecting a trap to spring, or because his crown is beginning to melt on his head I can't tell. The elves and my party are being avoided by my aura's heat. My Equivalent Exchange Ring of Arcana accepted my Field of Focus enchantment long ago. Now it gets a second one. Enhancing my power and control of Arcana, for which it is named.
As I reach the end of the trial, a thin gate separating me and the king, he has several lines of smoke from his crown on his hair.
"I understand that you demanded my personal attendance in this meeting." As I speak, the candles behind me finish burning, going out like an approaching demon. My acting subconscious fully in control of timings I give it a mental high five as the only light in the room remaining is my hateful aura.
I look down, eyes beginning to glow, "I'm surprised your guards let me in during a sentencing hearing of some kind. But I suppose I did arrive on time."
The King is pissed. "There are my women. Not prisoners."
I blink, acting surprised, "Ah. I understand now. A demonstration of depravity, to ward off honorable dealings. I've heard of such displays from Goblin chiefs."
He blinks. "I… what?"
Violette makes a small gasp, and I look up at him, meeting his eyes. Glowing hatefully as I know them to be, he's unsettled, and after several seconds, his crown begins to melt, forcing him to discard the metal band, leaving a now visible scar on his head.
I blink. "Are you injured?"
His eyes flash, and he demands, sounding both petulant and afraid, "I demand respect! I am king here!"
*Rare Talent: The Ability to Craft Ter'angreal (Luck of the Draw) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 600 points.*
I smile. "No child to ever declare 'I am king' was worth the title." I say, cutting him deeply, "And no being worthy of respect would sit upon a monument of depravity the likes of which you seem to enjoy." He stands, and I demand, "Sit back down." as wind swirls, pushing him back into his seat, and his guard slides into the walls of the room. It's a fantastic thing Violette wanted pissed.
I look at him, and push my aura higher, as I begin again, "Despite these facts, I have agreed to a conversation with you." I wave my hand, "Begin."
He's kinda blinking at me, newly confident again somehow. "Well then crafter, I have demands if I am to employ you."
I blink, and look momentarily at Violette, "Was I misinformed?"
Violette looks lost, and the king continues, "You will grant me the secrets of your process. You will give me, in full, the secrets of your power, and… your lovely attendant."
I blink. Many of his guards are looking at him like he's lost his mind. Violette looks angry, pissed, and confounded. Wiz is smiling so evilly that I can't call it anything but malicious. I turn to him, "Excuse me?"
"I know you are a fraud! Your power is fake! Here for months and it fades in power to a mear glow."
I blink. I… I laugh. I actually laugh for a moment, and look at him, "I… this is unexpected. I… well I honestly thought that you couldn't be any stupider."
He looks around, "Your energy is spent mage."
I bring my aura down from the highest I'd elevated it, constraining my power.
His eyes trembled, and bravado left his spine. "I raised my aura to a point you could not even perceive it. I did so you might speak."
I forced my aura lower and condensed it into this room. He and several of his guards actually struggle to breathe as I force my aura around them. Then I decide to take a page out of the villain monologuing playbook, and start floating, taking steps forward, crossing his silly barrier, and feeling my Archangel's Smite stops responding, not broken just off, like an anti-magic field is working.
"Oh. That's cute. You have an anti-magic barrier."
His eyes bulge, and I wave my hand. The chain on the elves snap under lightning bolts, and I calmly walk to the king.
His eyes bulge, as he begins to suffocate, and I raise my aura again. As an experiment, I push it to its maximum and can see the glow from my body as I stare him in the face. "I honestly don't know what to do with you. I could kill you. You certainly don't have enough going for you to be worth sparing, but...are you trash enough to be worth killing.
He reaches for a massive, like… Buster Sword's half-meter width blade on the Masamunai 's 5 something meter blade, and it seems to be made of Mithril.
*Custom Factory (Warhammer 40k: T'au Empire) (400) Bought. Overflow. Golem Formula (Generic Isekai) (200) Bought. Overflow. Provider chest (Factorio) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
He swings, and I bring my toga up, enhancing every once of defense I can muster with my ring and my toga. I raise my other hand, and a cascade of hate is born. Taking that hit slams me into the wall with enough force to crack the wall, but I… don't even feel it. Like I was caught by, or made of, a cloud for all the oomph he made.
I'm a Slime. Duh.
I fly back over, and the melting emotion crystals pinning his body to his throne, and it looks like he fell onto the Iron Throne. They are dissolving him, and melting his throne, into an unpleasant grey/red smoke that is all for show, according to a quick analysis spell. The almost artistically chosen points to be dehumanizing, left him half contorted in pain as he lay slain. I smiled, and floated down to my companions, guarding the Elves with their bodies. "I believe that this meeting is over. We have nothing to gain from working with…" I turn to Violette, "Should I have learned his name at some point?"
The guards drop weapons, as we walk past them, leaving the castle.
I need to go check out floor 16, it's all been taken up by the Tau Factory. I can feel that from here. I also need to see what my Golemancy, and 'Provider Chests' are.
Arriving back at my car, I led the elves inside, and to some of the enchanted beds, letting them sleep off some of today. Then I take my 2 companions upstairs. 3 sets of eyes bug out at the factory I suddenly have available. It wasn't large, about half a square kilometer, of white chrome and efficient silver internals, until I pushed it.
I pushed my Arcana, my new understanding of actually being in a universe being extraordinarily helpful to making it work. It expands to a size worthy of being my entire floor. It expands to nearly 4 by 16 kilometers, the machine staying exactly where they were. I extend my arms, slime extensions to see if I can, using the 2 meters deep, 2 meters tall, L shape indent running along both long edges, and use the already full chests of Full Relays, and Condensers with Glowstone on top. That's 32000 of each, a not insignificant drop in their numbers stored, but more than sufficient for my purposes.
The full 64 square kilometers became a 'door'. I'd read this description before, it's a massive powerhouse of fabrication, it can make spaceships, and I intended for it to make ships too. Then I paused. I didn't know the schematics. I didn't know the materials. I didn't know anything about this tech.
I frowned, and Violette came up, "Why did you stop? We were so close to starting a whole revolution!"
"I… don't have anything I can build here. I can't even replicate the devices already here. I… none of my blueprints, my ideas, anything I can make… not an iode of it is real engineering enough for this to mean anything." I… what is this! I… my whole process… I can't so much as turn a lug nut here.
*Vat of F.E.V. (Fallout 4) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
I frown. Turning to Violette… "Do you have any blueprints? Anything at all?"
She looks at me, "I… I have the skills to repair, and modify from the principles you know. I've noticed every time you get something new, but… you're right. None of my blueprints are capable of being built any faster in here than by hand."
She looks put out… "I was looking forward to seeing some real technological progress when I saw the plant, but… we don't have anything."
I sigh, "I was too. I… was very interested in learning that the Tau were from your universe."
She blinks, "Then who?"
"The Tau. I… they might not have existed before you were summoned. They were caught in a warp storm and spent like 1 billion years out of time. They went from a race of nearly industrial age to equal or nearly more advanced than the Imperium. My old friend collected miniatures of the Tau. He… he liked that they looked like Gundam. I… didn't put them and your setting together until I saw the name of the Factory."
She blinked, "I… sorry. It's always difficult to hear that we're fiction."
"You aren't fiction. There's a world where the exploits and conflicts you engaged in are recorded."
She blinks. "But you just said..." she looks upset.
"Where did you come from?"
She blinks. "I… well… the ship...um..."
"You came from your ship, your army, your comrades, your universe." I say, "I came from mine. But in mine, your world was known as fiction. If you consider that I came to this world, where both your world and mine are unknown… maybe people don't come back here with stories, or perhaps you can't. We've met Aqua."
She blinks, "Then… fiction is a result of interdimensional travel?"
"Well… I chose to consider Occam's Razor. Either someone created your world by sharing it with the world, which would mean that every popular, or loved setting ever crafted became real because of it, someone used knowledge of your world after coming to mine to share your story with us, meaning someone in your world came to ours as I did here, and to a lesser extent, you did. Or… someone meticulously created a fictional world that has nearly the exact characteristics of yours by sheer, breathtakingly long series of precise coincidences."
She blinks. "So… the most likely answer was… that someone, by the mechanism that affected one of us, my world interacted with yours?"
"Yes. That means that you are real, and your world is real. It's simply far more likely than the creation of your world as a response to a few thousand or even millions of people. If a million people's happiness for less than a century can create the suffering of trillions of others for billions of years… What does that say about our universe?"
*Crafting Stations (Terraria - Journey's End) (300) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
She blinks, "That's… a good way of looking at it."
I nod, "I certainly hope that it's true. Otherwise… the suffering I've read in my life… I'm complicit in putting people through more hell than I can even imagine."
She frowns, "I… I can't even imagine."
"I understand." We turn out of the Factory, leaving it still behind us. Apparently, my technological revolution was waiting a little longer.
We went down from the floor, and I checked into the other 2 that I got.
Golem Formula (Generic Isekai): This is a set of instructions on the creation and control of simple humanoid golems, made from earth, stone or wood. The golems it describes are weaker than a human adult, but tireless and mindlessly obedient to their creator. Though casting the creation spell is costly for a beginner, it is not impossible, and will grow easier with practice. Comes with one golem premade.
Provider chest (Factorio): Whenever you open this space-bending chest, you'll find an assortment of the standard Factorio resources, ready for processing. A variety of mundane wood and stone, pressed coal, iron and copper ingots, uranium slugs in heavy lead containers, and barrels of oil and water. The chest stores about a cubic meter of each material, and withdrawn resources replenish at different rates - you and your companions will easily have enough water to live off of, a good-sized house could be built with a few day's worth of stone and wood, while metals, particularly uranium, are replaced much more slowly.
I pause, considering I have a theoretically unlimited supply of Uranium slugs and sigh. I went looking for the Golem and found it, and the Factorio chest, in a compartment adjacent to my Equivalent Exchange. Walking inside, I found the chest. It had that same quasi-screen quality that the Minecraft one does. I also have a simple stone golem. The spell is supposedly hard and gets easier with usage, and it makes golems barely stronger than human norms at the moment, maybe… casting skill might be tied to the golem's strength and speed.
I turn, and ask, "How will the Dwarves be trained?"
"Well… however you want."
I blink, "Huh?"
"Well, you did kill their king, and have the sworn loyalty of… every other city."
I blink. Pause completely, and turn to face her fully, "Are you saying that I'm in charge?"
She nods, "You are."
I sigh. "Let's head back, collect the willing Dwarves, and head towards the closest city to the front lines."
She blinks, "What?"
"Let's get the willing dwarves, and train them close to the front line. I'll start making Golems to train them against."
She blinks, "I… think you underestimate the number of dwarves willing to come with you."
"I have a 4 kilometer long door. How many do you really think we will need space for?"
She nods, "I… huh."
I nod, "But surprise me. You have access to the door system. Let's see then."
She blinks, "I… damn."
I question, "What?"
"I… well… I didn't set up the doors anywhere."
I sigh, "Then another 2 weeks setting up doors. I'll make some beds."
Heading into the room with all the beds, I realize that all the beds are occupied.
I sigh and head back out. Leaving the car, "I need a bed." Wiz blinks.
"Oh. Um…"
I see she's uncomfortable. "Wiz? What's wrong?"
"I've...been reading the data Violette gathered on the Dwarven kingdom. The nonintervention of the Devil King conflict has led them to grow stagnant, and… their King was a result of this stagnation."
I walk over, "Wiz, you are not responsible for this. You gave them peace, they chose to use this for debauchery. You made a sacrifice for peace. What they choose to do with that gift is not on you."
She smiles, "I… thanks Damion. I… it's hard."
"It must be. I… can't imagine what I would do if I gave away my abilities and people used them to do terrible things. I would… it would be heavy, but it is not my fault like it's not yours."
*The Hands of the Maker (Generic Exalted) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
What Was Once a simple training: Chapter 8
What Was Once a simple training: Chapter 8
After Wiz felt better, she asked, "Why do you need another bed?"
"The Elves are taking up the 4 beds I made so that we could have a spare. I need another one to begin mass production, for the Dwarven army we are putting together."
She nods, and helps me find a bed no one minds losing. Eventually I get really tired of this, and stop Wiz and buy 3 yards of wool, and some wooden planks. Then I craft a 2 meter, perfectly cornered, bed out of them. "This is easier."
Taking it back, enchanting it, and throwing it in the condenser I see something immediately. It… the enchantments don't produce. They sit there with Enchanted tags, but there isn't actually the sleeping spell. I sigh. Damn, apparently I need to actually enchant them in mass.
Fortunately, that's not too difficult. I stopped the condenser, but given that the 40-ish EMC of each bed, a few seconds is tens of thousands of beds, I had enough. I take a few stacks into my magic bag… and take a small detour. My magic bag is… well it hasn't been upgraded. I merge it with a super chest, and it unsurprisingly doesn't get larger but it does become a portable bag. So, that works.
I take a few hundred beds over to the enchanting table, and try something… possibly stupid. I try to make them into the tiny Minecraft icons slotted into the table, and it fails spectacularly. The dozen beds I was trying to affect, all start falling, and my arms Slime out and catch them. I blink, and smile, this would also work. I hold them over the table, 5 at a time, and cast my magic. They get the magical upgrade that anything enchanted with the table gets, and look fantastic.
But they no longer stack in my bag. I frown, and sign. Fine. I get another chest, and start putting them into there, and I'll just carry it over to the bedroom. A few hours later, I am finished, and go looking for Violette. She met with these people, I need to know what promises were made, and agreed to. I need to know what they are willing to give me.
She's driving us somewhere, presumably the nearest town, and is talking to someone via mirror.
"... I will respect that decisions need to be made in the wake of his death. But any violations of our contracted minimums are denied."
"He killed their king, there are…"
"Are you talking about me?"
Violette turns, and the mirror demands, "Is that him?"
Violette sighs, "Violette, this is King Belzerg. He's in contact with several dwarven clans and has heard about… well everything."
I shrug, "And…?"
"He's pushing for your arrest, I'm handling it."
"I'm demanding his head! King Bloodaxe was a friend of mine! We have treaties…"
"Treaties that the risen king of the Dwarves had denied you the right to enforce."
"I don't need permission to enforce this treaty!"
*Cranial implants (Warhammer 40k: Adeptus Mechanicus) (100) Bought. Overflow. Enchanter (Morroblivion) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
I felt myself connect to something, and felt a new metal in my body quickly forming a strange… conductive core with receivers and wires. Violette gasps, and looks at me. I could suddenly feel the bots in my body, and Violette's mind. This was… cool.
She quickly recovers, and says, "If you march an army into the Dwarven kingdoms, we will have no choice but to meet you as an enemy."
He sputters, "I have an army of adventurers…"
"We have an actual army. And more money than you've ever dreamed."
"All Dwarven cities pay a tithe to the king, who pays a percentage to me…"
"And if I was talking about that cancelled pack, then I might be concerned. But I'm not. I'm informing you that I, personally, possess more capital than any country on this planet. And if I need to threaten your army with surrender, take money and serve us, or die, how many men and women do you think we will subvert?"
He sputters, "No one has that much gold. I will have his head." the mirror stops glowing.
Violette sighs, "I didn't think this would be an issue."
I frown, "The king? Or…"
"I didn't think he was that stupid."
I shrug, "Well… all things considered, there are worse things than a free army."
She turns to me, "We have the capital, but doing so efficiently…"
"I…" Plans form, "I can make the mental connectivity upgrades you have. I can because they're in my head."
She nods, "How is that helpful?"
"I have infinite multiprocessing. I'll just throw them into Mythril/Adamantite golems, use them as an army of me."
She blinks. "That's… and when you open a door, an army of indestructible golems comes out. Weapons, and magic in hand…"
I pause, "Magic will be… unless you can get me Magicite?"
She smiles, "I'll make a call."
By the end of the day, we arrived at the first city on our trip. A fist sized red orb was waiting for me. Magicite. I see if I can mass produce it, and I feel the Arcana flash as it begins. Oh… Ohhhh… My intent enchanted this whole room with the Arcana infused Geomancy to bypass magical restrictions of Transmutation. Well… all of my stuff actually. I experiment and make a Transmutation table completely outside of the room, no resources from it but my stone. Then I see the tendril of magic connect it to the table set up in the room, filling it with Arcana and information. Ok then. Good to know.
Heading back, I combine A stack of Magicite bricks to get the immense storage potential, A stack of Adamantium Blocks, because I want my golems to be indestructible, and a single block of Mithril, because I want them to be light, fast, and dangerous.
Then, with help from Violette, I feed my factory the blueprints and steel , the Factorio chest letting me ignore that production hell, gold, and fortunately the base circuit boards don't need plastic, it's a pure silica board, meaning I can produce that too.
*My Watch Doesn't Tell Time (Honkai Impact Third) (100) Bought. Overflow. Potted Stardust (Divinity - Original Sin) (400CP) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Making the 'implant' brains for the golem, lets us design the golem's bodies. Not human, because humans aren't… well the most efficient bunch, I can freely admit that.
So spiders. Well 4 legs that don't come to points, because… why? Pads with 8 magic-hydraulic pistons guiding the angle are so much better for stability and movement. The legs are armored and reinforced, twice the m-hydraulics that I needed, for speed and power.
The torso is reinforced. The brain is behind solid inches of Adamantine-Mithril-Magicite composite, and safe. No head, because… well why give anyone something to shoot off.
4 arms, 2 standard, strength based arms, ending with very human hands, and 2 that were secondary for precision movement.
We… well I might have taken an hour or so testing if we could use Magicite to power the tech nominally, say… like a fusion power core. The answer is no. Unfortunately.
Getting back to the golems, the 2 precision arms are scrapped by morning, as nothing we can build can match the precision we need. It's very annoying to have the tools in front of you, but not the skills to replicate them.
So I add 2 arms ending in pure Magicite orbs for massively powered casting.
Then I feed the factory the blueprints, and set 100 of them to be made.
It… takes surprisingly little time actually. Apparently the factory wasn't kidding about outfitting a legion and associated mechs.
I begin enchanting, and pass out a few seconds in, Wiz dups a Mana Recovery potion on my, and I wake up, but I then remember that this spell is supposed to be hard, and get easier the more I use it, and I'm bringing just over a tone of Adamantine-Mithril-Magicite golem to live, and I don't have the magic for that.
I also don't know my level. Updating that, and dumping literally every point of the massive pool of points I have into my mana, and having 64 S rank enhanced Mana Potions sitting inside me ready to be absorbed, I began again.
This time I catch fire, as my body tries to absorb all potions at once, and I need to lie down, because having a mana excess set you on fire from the inside is... well lethal to anyone else. I lived through the experience through the epic mana draw that was filling my golem. Fortunately, it worked. My first Golem, an extension of myself in metal and magic is online and running around.
It's blind, deaf, and clumsy as all hell.
Annoyed, I have it, slowly and carefully set up a red matter creation stand alone, near an iron block creation spot attached to the Relays. Once I can stand again, I'm going to power level that stupid spell.
Before I can even begin that devious plan, the elves are up, and I need to deal with that first.
They introduce themselves, Aelia and Silvana Quixisys, Ryllae Sylkalyn and Solana Adran.
*So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
Wiz and I sit down with them, and I open with my trademark bluntness, "I… Welcome to my warehouse. It's where me and my companions live."
Aelia, the taller of the blond sisters demands, "What do you want from us?"
I nod, I should have expected that, "Nothing. You are here because leaving you behind in the Dvarven capital was… I thought it was a bad idea. I currently only have access to 3 cities, 2 dwarven ones that I doubt you want to go to, and…" I turn to Wiz, "I… what's that city called? The Axis lunatics run it?"
Wiz nods, "Alcanretia."
The elves frown. "Why those?"
"I've only been to 4 places since I got the ability, and didn't mark the castle."
They shudder, and ask, "Are… are you really forming an army to kill the Devil King?"
"I am."
Wiz looks at them, and makes an offer, "You could join. Combat training could…"
I blink, "We are not forcing them…"
"We'll do it." The redhead, the oldest looking of them, Solana demands, "We… we were captured by the king's men after refusing him… us. We couldn't fight them off then, we will be able to next time."
I blink. "Oh… sorry Wiz. I… hadn't heard about that yet."
"Many slaves who endure long enough to be free yearn to neve be caged again." Wiz says, earning a smile from the 4 and a confused looking around from me.
I shrug of that obvious reference to… something, and stand, "I'm going to be building combat golems to train the dwarven armies. I can certainly train you separately, and we can start whenever you all feel recovered."
"Now. Let's start now." Silvana, the younger blond says standing.
"Oh" all eyes go to me, "So… I can't right now… I kinda set my mana on fire a few hours ago, and I need a little bit."
Gasps abound at that little tidbit, "How…?"
"I'm a slime. I had a bunch of mana potions inside of me, and I assumed that they would… well start one at a time, not all at once. I'm… being a little more cautious next time."
There are stunned looks, "Are… you're a slime?"
"He is. His powers altered his species almost 4 months ago now. He's still not used to it."
I blink. "It's been 4 months?"
Wiz blinks, "See?"
They're laughing at me. Should I feel offended?
An hour later, my soul doesn't feel like it's on fire anymore, and I stand up. "Ok ladies. Let's get started."
They follow me into my factory, where my golem set up the chests. I take out 3 blocks, and use the spell to force them into golems. It's almost like moulding clay, not shoving a battleship. It forms in seconds. It's slow, and clunky, but I can see through the… well eye divots. That's annoying.
I set it to attack, but not to kill the elves, and have full super crates of healing spell herbs and bottles brought in.
*Build Something to Do It For You (Warhammer 40k - T'au Empire) (200) Bought. Overflow. Gadgeteer | Engineer (Generic City of Adventure) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
As the elves begin to dodge the metal humanoid, I feel mechanical information, industrial knowledge, and more begin to spin through my mind. I wasn't gifted with code before, but now… AI and VI construction. Drones of every configuration and ability. The ability to expand my factory to fill my space. As my design takes hold of the warehouse, I push it into being, and the door lowers.
A sub basement to this floor, created in the nullspace of the white beams that make up my tower., 4 kilometers long, but only a story high. My military storage, and my deployment zones. Programming the arms here to make new ones.
I made more golems, each incrementally better than the last. Every golem replacing the oldest in a constant stream of metal being forged, and shutting themselves my condenser as they are replaced. I work on my factory's upgrade with a second attention span, that you Hive Processing.
The designs for the arms laid bare for me I discard the light ceramics bones of the arm. I don't need them. Lighter, stronger, and easier to produce, I replace it with an equal strip of Mithril. Allowing more than 4 times the weight, I add more heads, increasing the ability of each arm, lowering the number of arms required to actually finalize products. Increasing the number of joints, with the ridiculous durability of Adamantine-Mithril meaning they can be almost half the size, increasing turning radius, and lowering movement power required, optimizing the system like this power was designed to do, with materials that are on the edge of legitimate solid magic.
The general design is done, replacing almost 80% of the regular factory, and ordering precision construction of the newly expanding production line, it begins. The Tau factory needs several interesting metals for the actual machining heads, ones that I don't have. Specifically warped glass for the laser tools, heating and cooling elements that… huh.
I do that. Adamantine stands up to lava. Minor adjustment to the Evertide Amulet and the Zero Ring… Making cold and the same for the Ring of Ignition and the Volcanite Amulet. I paused, and apologized, "Sorry, I need to go get a few buckets of lava."
Wiz and the elves were confused, as I ran out of the room, and found Violette, "I need you to have them prepare a lava source."
She blinks. "Huh?"
"I need you to call ahead to the next Dwarven town, and have them prep 6 square meters of lava."
She blinks several times, and sighs, "Yes sir."
I run back inside, and keep making golems, after I make 6 Adamantine buckets.
Wiz blinks, "What do you need Lava for?"
"Improving the factory."
She blinks, "I… won't ask how."
"I'm making a Volcanite amulet, infinite sources of lava, rings of ignition, infinite sources of fire, and I'm going to make an industrial heating element. I have the schematics for the cooling already."
*Factorissimo (Satisfactory-Factorio Gauntlet) (300) Bought. Overflow. Alchemy (Masters of Magic) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
She blinks, "I mostly understood that."
I smile, and my new construction, the cold side anyway, begins as one of my slow clunks iron golems gets me the pieces I need for my Amulet of Cold. Fortunately the combination works as intended, the creation of cold… well thermodynamically, the total, but not physically harmful absorption, of heat energy. That's added to the burgeoning process, a backlog being built up as required. The laser will need more time, but the heating and stabilizing processes are ready. And the drones need cooling to use more power, and an infinite heat sink is… well a damn good thing for that.
My golems slowly approach normal human dexterity… like a thousand golems in, and the elves seems to be enjoying the slowly increasing challenge. Wiz is instructing them, and a few hours later, as the golems begin to actually land hits on the few clumsy dodges, and the occasional bad timing, Violette joins, with 4 mithril knife sets, and some leather padding. They accept, and my golems begin going to pieces faster then I can make them.
They take turns, feeding the remnants into the chest themselves, and I pause to go out and fill my lava buckets. Returning I begin mass producing the heating elements for the factory, and set Violette up with an important assignment. "I need you to take the laser schematics, and find the metals that might have those properties." I hand her my Transmutation Tablet, already queued up for every material we've seen to date that I can make. And the daily random assortment from the bag I was smelting had shown us hundreds of things. Crystals, metals, leathers, and weird not quite mercury metals.
She sat back, and began analyzing the set with her eye. It was built for things exactly like that after all.
She was also giving the elves tips between their bouts. They were good, or had improved tons from my golems.
I grew more slime arms, and focused on making 2 golems simultaneously, and once I had that down, I moved to making 3. I was still behind, but not as behind. We can't drive anywhere at night, the undead, and more aggressive nocturnal monsters would attack us. So we had a few hours of Violette's help.
Before we left, I made sure to get us a door, and we were off. Violette had narrowed it down by about half, but… 44 was too many for me to sort through. Especially with my limited knowledge of the work.
So I traded splits with her. The Elves slept, having been… well power washed by Wiz with her clean water creation, and… not purification exactly, but any water touching the Evertide was pure water. Wiz explained that, and I resolved never to chuck one in the ocean.
A few hours later, Violette found the crystal that I needed.
Sunfire Quartz. I… I sigh, because of course. Finalizing the design, the manipulator arms begin full construction.
*Library of Raum (The Dark Wolf Shiro) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
By the time the elves woke up I had nearly half the space taken up by the new machinery, only the lower half however. The upper half was waiting until I finished down here, and then I would get the shipyard started.
During that time I actually experimented with Factorismo.
Factorissimo (Satisfactory-Factorio Gauntlet): You can make buildings that are bigger on the inside. The larger the building, the greater the ratio of inside-space to outside-space. A small warehouse could be the size of a large warehouse internally (~5x isotropic linear scaling,) while an arcology the size of an island would be the size of the entire island chain inside (~1000x isotropic linear scaling.) The main problem with these is that they have limited slots for belts or pipes to go in or out. The expansion may be non-isotropic; that is it may be scaled by more in one direction than another.
You may also do the reverse and create a building that is smaller inside than outside, or smaller in one direction and larger in another.
The interior and exterior sizes of these buildings are set during the design process, and are fixed for all buildings of the same type. In addition, you can place these buildings inside each other, creating recursive expanded spaces.
You can pick one up with your Builder without breaking them. If you do this, any machinery inside is frozen in time, and any living being is ejected from space where the entrance was.
It was fun, but none too useful right now. Firstly, my warehouse was immune, meaning I couldn't make this space like 1000 times its size, I also learned that it's only square footage. The ceiling is the height of the ceiling. Needless to say… I grew disinterested quickly.
The elves began training, as the factory above them produced better golems for me to enchant, massively, massively, raising the cost of them magically, even if they were still 100% iron.
The elves struggled in their one on ones, the golem enchanting had been much faster once I had stopped shaping them, just enchanting the things, and they were self Condensing the whole time I was in here.
Around noon that day, the land troop factory was done, and I mentally had the room switch to spaceships.
The whole room shifted. All the machinery I made was still there, in another version of the room. Even the relays. I frowned, and studied the plans. They… were larger. And angled for being one of hundreds, not individually doing work. Ok. That's fine. I… I can work with that. Shifting the room back, I began construction and implementation of my design, improved for my metals, and built for future improvements, and the warehouse jolts as they both come into existence, like I designed it.
I… fine. Fine. I started construction, with most of the arms. I started replacing the old section next. Tearing it down to components, less efficient, but 100% technological components. I wanted to see if the tech could improve my stuff. It didn't take long to say yes. Improvements to direction, and precision in the heads were amazing to see, as arms disassembled their neighbors, with the better compression and turning radii, live… not modular, but live improvements made.
I was all smiles, and the elves were steadily being destroyed by increasingly fast, strong and well programmed golems.
Eventually I stopped sending them fresh golems, and started stockpiling them. The oldest to the elf that killed her opponent. They were still getting better, but they were organic, and unlike minor physical reactions, actual combat skills took more time than they had had so far.
But slowly, they were getting better.
And the golems weren't. I noticed a few iron golems ago that this was the upper limit, it was hard, and I had a sentient potion rack bring a dozen Mana Potions at a time, but only taking them one at a time, and I was using one every 3rd golem or so, but my golems were at a limit. It was steadily getting easier to make them, not better golems for the same amount of energy.
So superior golems, the best the iron could take, had 4 waiting for the elves to get to them, S+ healing potions available to each of them by the rack.
*Stravhs' Whetstone (Banner Saga) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
It was slow going, and I couldn't help them, not knowing the first thing about this whole mess. If Violette or Wiz could control the golems then I'd gooffer to drive, but…
Why do they need to?
I focus on my Golems, and their commands.
Engage the elves one at a time, nonlethally, until defeated. Oldest replaces fallen golems.
I leave that running on all of them, and head out to the car. "Violette… Can you train the girls? I'm kinda superfluous."
She nods, "Keep going straight. In… about 4 hours you will see a line of wagons, get in the back, and wait."
I nod, and begin driving.
4 hours later I remember why I hate driving. Traffic.
Sitting in the back of this line is agonizingly boring. At least before I was accelerating to the best the car could do, but now… now I'm just sitting here. It's incredibly boring.
Eventually we are done, and the agent lets us in, and… I have no idea where to go. I park the car in a side street to get out of the way, make a door on the outer wall, and go get Violette. She's running the girls through stances, and attacking the golems simultaneously. It's interesting to see.
After about an hour, the factory is finished upgrading, and is performing automated maintenance, and cleaning before shutdown. I'll do the original orbital gear tomorrow.
I head to a magical bed, and decide to get some sleep.
Then I'm on fire, and on the floor. "What happened?"
"The golems aren't stopping! They're going to kill the elves!"
I blink, and run up, seeing Violette holding off 8 of the golems while dozens lay in cauterized pieces, and 4 of them attempted to 'spar' with the elves, who look half dead from exhaustion and blood loss.
"Stop."
The golems stop, and 6 angry women turn towards me. "Why did they keep coming!"
I exhale, and attempt to explain, "I set them to command. I didn't…"
"They were going to kill them!"
"They were explicitly programmed not to engage them lethally."
"What about me!"
I… pause. Blinking, "I… uh… they didn't have any command about engaging you at all. Not even self defense. They were supposed to wait while the oldest 4 golems engaged them… one on one. They weren't programmed for more than 4 active total. I don't know what happened."
I walk over to some of the standing golems.
Engage the elves one at a time, nonlethally, until defeated. Oldest replaces fallen golems.
8 more lines of this explained the 9 golems that were targeting Violette. "So… they decided that if a golem can't engage the girls, another is sent in, with full combat privileges apparently."
"That's…" Violette began.
"I didn't know they could adapt! How could I!"
*Guildmaster (Warhammer 40k - Squats) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
"Not program them to engage them in mass!"
"But then I'd have been in here, not helping them."
Wiz pushed herself between us, "The Golem magic reached strangely. Creating new commands is mastercraft engineering. It's not thought to be possible. Where did the command originate?"
I look at the golems, and it's the same, "They are something like a hivemind. Command list is shared, but combat data isn't."
Violette asks, "Did you know that?"
"No. I enchanted them individually, and they're all connected to me. I thought it was individual commands."
"So… why didn't you stop them before you got here?"
"I was asleep. And it's not a strong connection like the war golems. These aren't intended to be sentient."
"The red ones are?"
"They are meant to be an extension of me. My brain, running on their hardware. I told you this."
Violette pauses, "I… yes. You did."
I blink. Looking at her, eyes bloodshot and pupils dilated, "You should sleep. You look exhausted." as I reach for a potion.
Violette blinks, "I… maybe." before collapsing. I reach out, catching her, and grab a healing potion, feeding it to her in case she has internal injuries.
She apparently does, given the glow in her head.
IN?
I forged manacles, fearing the worst, and used the mirror, "Are there monsters that attack the brain?"
The dwarf on the other side complains, "It's the middle of the night, boy!"
Drawing heavily on the stage presence Artiste gave me, "Are there monsters that can mind control someone!"
He shivers, "Yes. Young Desert worms are rare, but they exist."
"Removing them."
"You'd need a high priest. A powerful one."
I run back, and ask "Wiz, do you know any High Priests? Powerful ones?"
Wiz hesitates, and then looks at me, "Aqua."
I curse, "How fast can we drive there?"
"Maybe a week, but I can teleport us."
I nod, "Can you take the whole car?"
"Easily."
"Go. I'll watch over her."
I use my pool of Arcana and force a life sight spell, and see it, curled around the organic parts of her brain. What is this hell world?
It's not moving, the healing potion seems to have hampered it's growth pretty hard, but it's not dead.
Wiz runs back in, "We're here. Bring her."
I carry her outside, the guild is apparently slightly closed. I could care less…
"Where is Aqua?"
The attendant, the same one as before, seems shocked, "She's probably at the western mansion. Poor girl."
I frown, and Wiz leads me there. Arriving, we find a missive house, and I care about their locks even less.
Yelling into the house. "AQUA!"
Apparently she isn't home, Wiz goes looking for her, and I craft another S+ healing potion, and force as much magic into it as I can. It turns a foggy gold, and I give it to her.
The parasite shudders, and Violette spasms. I refused to let her die like this. And I'm enchanting the whole damn car with pest repellent so bad it'll kill them for days after.
*SCIENCE! (Fallout 4) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Wiz returns with Aqua in tow, as she arrives, "It's a parasite. High grade purification."
"I don't have time for that! I…"
I hold up my hand, Arcana ring flashing, and wood charring under my feet. "If your protests kill my friend I will build a weapon that can kill even you. Do it. NOW!"
Aqua freezes, and looks to Violette. "You won't…"
"Push me puny goddess."
She turns, and begins, "Divine Purification!"
Light covers Violette, and she gasps, as steam rises from her body, and my life sense sees the parasite die. I feel relief fill me, and I give Violette another healing potion. Just to be sure.
She sputters awake, and looks around… "I… what happened."
"You had a para-"
"Excuse me! I healed her! Can I get a thank you?"
"I hold to our bargain Aqua. You heal her and I don't kill you. Now… you were so busy before. You should get back to that."
She looks struck, "Please, you can't…"
I stand. "If you had let my friend die for your greed, then I would have found a way. Look me in the eye goddess and tell me I'm lying."
She does. Aqua looks me in the eye, and flinches. "I… you would try."
I turn back to Violette, "You had a parasite in your brain, but we found a healer to fix it. Now… I'm going to put enough anti-parasitic charms on our car to kill the flood. Excuse me."
"Wait!"
Aqua looks… well typically Aqua, and is pouting, "You can't just walk away."
I sigh, and throw her a gold bar, and continue walking away. "Wait!"
I turn again. "What?"
"Kasuma is in trouble!"
I blink. "For?"
"We fought Destroyer, and a mage sent a Coronite core somewhere random, and Baron Alderp arrested Kasuma for treason."
I blink, "Execution or Enslavement?"
"Execution!"
"You're a High Priest, and a goddess. Just resurrect him."
"I can't with an Executioner's Axe having killed him."
I sigh, "Fine. When's the trial?"
"Tomorrow!"
"Fine. I'll go."
I very grumpily decide to help Aqua. Wiz seems like this is a good thing, and Violette is on the fence. The Elves hate it here in the human kingdom, and I've lost the littletrust I had with them with the stupid golem insident, so I decide to begin making my War Golems. Turns out the thousands of golems I made before are definitely worth the experience, there is still a massive mana draw, but they come out close to perfection. And then I feel the mana stay the same and I smile. They are going to be even better.
A few hundred that aren't as strong as they need to be, recycling the brains into more Golems, I hit the limit. A potion every golem was hell on my magic, but it doesn't hurt like more than one does.
As the mana starts going down… stupidly slowly, day breaks and I need to deal with Baron Alderp again. Joy.
*Limits? (Generic Worm Fanfiction) (600) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
Limits? (Generic Worm Fanfiction): So powers are supposed to be limited aren't they? Depends on the fanfic, really. Either way, yours aren't. No, this doesn't double your powers every six months. That'd be crazy. What this does is smash every glass ceiling, barrier or restriction into so much dust. Any and all of your powers, abilities, skills etc., are like muscles for you now, only growing stronger the more you exercise them. This does nothing for your rate, at least by itself, but it means that regardless of how they're supposed to operate, any and all of your powers can now be trained up infinitely. Furthermore, no power or skill you have can ever harm you directly, unless it's someone else using it on you. Nor, for that matter, can anything you do to improve yourself. Too much, at least. Training too much till you break half your muscles will still put you in the hospital, but what would be a lifelong crippling for others would only be a temporary thing for you, and you'd still benefit fully. You can use and develop mutually exclusive or opposite powers without any harm, and similarly use any and all powers you have without fear of ruining your own body or mind or whatever. No amount of overusing your powers can hurt you or them permanently. Again, you might suffer for a while, but it'll only ever be temporary and they'd grow that much stronger for it.
What the hell is this?
After Wiz felt better, she asked, "Why do you need another bed?"
"The Elves are taking up the 4 beds I made so that we could have a spare. I need another one to begin mass production, for the Dwarven army we are putting together."
She nods, and helps me find a bed no one minds losing. Eventually I get really tired of this, and stop Wiz and buy 3 yards of wool, and some wooden planks. Then I craft a 2 meter, perfectly cornered, bed out of them. "This is easier."
Taking it back, enchanting it, and throwing it in the condenser I see something immediately. It… the enchantments don't produce. They sit there with Enchanted tags, but there isn't actually the sleeping spell. I sigh. Damn, apparently I need to actually enchant them in mass.
Fortunately, that's not too difficult. I stopped the condenser, but given that the 40-ish EMC of each bed, a few seconds is tens of thousands of beds, I had enough. I take a few stacks into my magic bag… and take a small detour. My magic bag is… well it hasn't been upgraded. I merge it with a super chest, and it unsurprisingly doesn't get larger but it does become a portable bag. So, that works.
I take a few hundred beds over to the enchanting table, and try something… possibly stupid. I try to make them into the tiny Minecraft icons slotted into the table, and it fails spectacularly. The dozen beds I was trying to affect, all start falling, and my arms Slime out and catch them. I blink, and smile, this would also work. I hold them over the table, 5 at a time, and cast my magic. They get the magical upgrade that anything enchanted with the table gets, and look fantastic.
But they no longer stack in my bag. I frown, and sign. Fine. I get another chest, and start putting them into there, and I'll just carry it over to the bedroom. A few hours later, I am finished, and go looking for Violette. She met with these people, I need to know what promises were made, and agreed to. I need to know what they are willing to give me.
She's driving us somewhere, presumably the nearest town, and is talking to someone via mirror.
"... I will respect that decisions need to be made in the wake of his death. But any violations of our contracted minimums are denied."
"He killed their king, there are…"
"Are you talking about me?"
Violette turns, and the mirror demands, "Is that him?"
Violette sighs, "Violette, this is King Belzerg. He's in contact with several dwarven clans and has heard about… well everything."
I shrug, "And…?"
"He's pushing for your arrest, I'm handling it."
"I'm demanding his head! King Bloodaxe was a friend of mine! We have treaties…"
"Treaties that the risen king of the Dwarves had denied you the right to enforce."
"I don't need permission to enforce this treaty!"
*Cranial implants (Warhammer 40k: Adeptus Mechanicus) (100) Bought. Overflow. Enchanter (Morroblivion) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
I felt myself connect to something, and felt a new metal in my body quickly forming a strange… conductive core with receivers and wires. Violette gasps, and looks at me. I could suddenly feel the bots in my body, and Violette's mind. This was… cool.
She quickly recovers, and says, "If you march an army into the Dwarven kingdoms, we will have no choice but to meet you as an enemy."
He sputters, "I have an army of adventurers…"
"We have an actual army. And more money than you've ever dreamed."
"All Dwarven cities pay a tithe to the king, who pays a percentage to me…"
"And if I was talking about that cancelled pack, then I might be concerned. But I'm not. I'm informing you that I, personally, possess more capital than any country on this planet. And if I need to threaten your army with surrender, take money and serve us, or die, how many men and women do you think we will subvert?"
He sputters, "No one has that much gold. I will have his head." the mirror stops glowing.
Violette sighs, "I didn't think this would be an issue."
I frown, "The king? Or…"
"I didn't think he was that stupid."
I shrug, "Well… all things considered, there are worse things than a free army."
She turns to me, "We have the capital, but doing so efficiently…"
"I…" Plans form, "I can make the mental connectivity upgrades you have. I can because they're in my head."
She nods, "How is that helpful?"
"I have infinite multiprocessing. I'll just throw them into Mythril/Adamantite golems, use them as an army of me."
She blinks. "That's… and when you open a door, an army of indestructible golems comes out. Weapons, and magic in hand…"
I pause, "Magic will be… unless you can get me Magicite?"
She smiles, "I'll make a call."
By the end of the day, we arrived at the first city on our trip. A fist sized red orb was waiting for me. Magicite. I see if I can mass produce it, and I feel the Arcana flash as it begins. Oh… Ohhhh… My intent enchanted this whole room with the Arcana infused Geomancy to bypass magical restrictions of Transmutation. Well… all of my stuff actually. I experiment and make a Transmutation table completely outside of the room, no resources from it but my stone. Then I see the tendril of magic connect it to the table set up in the room, filling it with Arcana and information. Ok then. Good to know.
Heading back, I combine A stack of Magicite bricks to get the immense storage potential, A stack of Adamantium Blocks, because I want my golems to be indestructible, and a single block of Mithril, because I want them to be light, fast, and dangerous.
Then, with help from Violette, I feed my factory the blueprints and steel , the Factorio chest letting me ignore that production hell, gold, and fortunately the base circuit boards don't need plastic, it's a pure silica board, meaning I can produce that too.
*My Watch Doesn't Tell Time (Honkai Impact Third) (100) Bought. Overflow. Potted Stardust (Divinity - Original Sin) (400CP) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
Making the 'implant' brains for the golem, lets us design the golem's bodies. Not human, because humans aren't… well the most efficient bunch, I can freely admit that.
So spiders. Well 4 legs that don't come to points, because… why? Pads with 8 magic-hydraulic pistons guiding the angle are so much better for stability and movement. The legs are armored and reinforced, twice the m-hydraulics that I needed, for speed and power.
The torso is reinforced. The brain is behind solid inches of Adamantine-Mithril-Magicite composite, and safe. No head, because… well why give anyone something to shoot off.
4 arms, 2 standard, strength based arms, ending with very human hands, and 2 that were secondary for precision movement.
We… well I might have taken an hour or so testing if we could use Magicite to power the tech nominally, say… like a fusion power core. The answer is no. Unfortunately.
Getting back to the golems, the 2 precision arms are scrapped by morning, as nothing we can build can match the precision we need. It's very annoying to have the tools in front of you, but not the skills to replicate them.
So I add 2 arms ending in pure Magicite orbs for massively powered casting.
Then I feed the factory the blueprints, and set 100 of them to be made.
It… takes surprisingly little time actually. Apparently the factory wasn't kidding about outfitting a legion and associated mechs.
I begin enchanting, and pass out a few seconds in, Wiz dups a Mana Recovery potion on my, and I wake up, but I then remember that this spell is supposed to be hard, and get easier the more I use it, and I'm bringing just over a tone of Adamantine-Mithril-Magicite golem to live, and I don't have the magic for that.
I also don't know my level. Updating that, and dumping literally every point of the massive pool of points I have into my mana, and having 64 S rank enhanced Mana Potions sitting inside me ready to be absorbed, I began again.
This time I catch fire, as my body tries to absorb all potions at once, and I need to lie down, because having a mana excess set you on fire from the inside is... well lethal to anyone else. I lived through the experience through the epic mana draw that was filling my golem. Fortunately, it worked. My first Golem, an extension of myself in metal and magic is online and running around.
It's blind, deaf, and clumsy as all hell.
Annoyed, I have it, slowly and carefully set up a red matter creation stand alone, near an iron block creation spot attached to the Relays. Once I can stand again, I'm going to power level that stupid spell.
Before I can even begin that devious plan, the elves are up, and I need to deal with that first.
They introduce themselves, Aelia and Silvana Quixisys, Ryllae Sylkalyn and Solana Adran.
*So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
Wiz and I sit down with them, and I open with my trademark bluntness, "I… Welcome to my warehouse. It's where me and my companions live."
Aelia, the taller of the blond sisters demands, "What do you want from us?"
I nod, I should have expected that, "Nothing. You are here because leaving you behind in the Dvarven capital was… I thought it was a bad idea. I currently only have access to 3 cities, 2 dwarven ones that I doubt you want to go to, and…" I turn to Wiz, "I… what's that city called? The Axis lunatics run it?"
Wiz nods, "Alcanretia."
The elves frown. "Why those?"
"I've only been to 4 places since I got the ability, and didn't mark the castle."
They shudder, and ask, "Are… are you really forming an army to kill the Devil King?"
"I am."
Wiz looks at them, and makes an offer, "You could join. Combat training could…"
I blink, "We are not forcing them…"
"We'll do it." The redhead, the oldest looking of them, Solana demands, "We… we were captured by the king's men after refusing him… us. We couldn't fight them off then, we will be able to next time."
I blink. "Oh… sorry Wiz. I… hadn't heard about that yet."
"Many slaves who endure long enough to be free yearn to neve be caged again." Wiz says, earning a smile from the 4 and a confused looking around from me.
I shrug of that obvious reference to… something, and stand, "I'm going to be building combat golems to train the dwarven armies. I can certainly train you separately, and we can start whenever you all feel recovered."
"Now. Let's start now." Silvana, the younger blond says standing.
"Oh" all eyes go to me, "So… I can't right now… I kinda set my mana on fire a few hours ago, and I need a little bit."
Gasps abound at that little tidbit, "How…?"
"I'm a slime. I had a bunch of mana potions inside of me, and I assumed that they would… well start one at a time, not all at once. I'm… being a little more cautious next time."
There are stunned looks, "Are… you're a slime?"
"He is. His powers altered his species almost 4 months ago now. He's still not used to it."
I blink. "It's been 4 months?"
Wiz blinks, "See?"
They're laughing at me. Should I feel offended?
An hour later, my soul doesn't feel like it's on fire anymore, and I stand up. "Ok ladies. Let's get started."
They follow me into my factory, where my golem set up the chests. I take out 3 blocks, and use the spell to force them into golems. It's almost like moulding clay, not shoving a battleship. It forms in seconds. It's slow, and clunky, but I can see through the… well eye divots. That's annoying.
I set it to attack, but not to kill the elves, and have full super crates of healing spell herbs and bottles brought in.
*Build Something to Do It For You (Warhammer 40k - T'au Empire) (200) Bought. Overflow. Gadgeteer | Engineer (Generic City of Adventure) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
As the elves begin to dodge the metal humanoid, I feel mechanical information, industrial knowledge, and more begin to spin through my mind. I wasn't gifted with code before, but now… AI and VI construction. Drones of every configuration and ability. The ability to expand my factory to fill my space. As my design takes hold of the warehouse, I push it into being, and the door lowers.
A sub basement to this floor, created in the nullspace of the white beams that make up my tower., 4 kilometers long, but only a story high. My military storage, and my deployment zones. Programming the arms here to make new ones.
I made more golems, each incrementally better than the last. Every golem replacing the oldest in a constant stream of metal being forged, and shutting themselves my condenser as they are replaced. I work on my factory's upgrade with a second attention span, that you Hive Processing.
The designs for the arms laid bare for me I discard the light ceramics bones of the arm. I don't need them. Lighter, stronger, and easier to produce, I replace it with an equal strip of Mithril. Allowing more than 4 times the weight, I add more heads, increasing the ability of each arm, lowering the number of arms required to actually finalize products. Increasing the number of joints, with the ridiculous durability of Adamantine-Mithril meaning they can be almost half the size, increasing turning radius, and lowering movement power required, optimizing the system like this power was designed to do, with materials that are on the edge of legitimate solid magic.
The general design is done, replacing almost 80% of the regular factory, and ordering precision construction of the newly expanding production line, it begins. The Tau factory needs several interesting metals for the actual machining heads, ones that I don't have. Specifically warped glass for the laser tools, heating and cooling elements that… huh.
I do that. Adamantine stands up to lava. Minor adjustment to the Evertide Amulet and the Zero Ring… Making cold and the same for the Ring of Ignition and the Volcanite Amulet. I paused, and apologized, "Sorry, I need to go get a few buckets of lava."
Wiz and the elves were confused, as I ran out of the room, and found Violette, "I need you to have them prepare a lava source."
She blinks. "Huh?"
"I need you to call ahead to the next Dwarven town, and have them prep 6 square meters of lava."
She blinks several times, and sighs, "Yes sir."
I run back inside, and keep making golems, after I make 6 Adamantine buckets.
Wiz blinks, "What do you need Lava for?"
"Improving the factory."
She blinks, "I… won't ask how."
"I'm making a Volcanite amulet, infinite sources of lava, rings of ignition, infinite sources of fire, and I'm going to make an industrial heating element. I have the schematics for the cooling already."
*Factorissimo (Satisfactory-Factorio Gauntlet) (300) Bought. Overflow. Alchemy (Masters of Magic) (200) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
She blinks, "I mostly understood that."
I smile, and my new construction, the cold side anyway, begins as one of my slow clunks iron golems gets me the pieces I need for my Amulet of Cold. Fortunately the combination works as intended, the creation of cold… well thermodynamically, the total, but not physically harmful absorption, of heat energy. That's added to the burgeoning process, a backlog being built up as required. The laser will need more time, but the heating and stabilizing processes are ready. And the drones need cooling to use more power, and an infinite heat sink is… well a damn good thing for that.
My golems slowly approach normal human dexterity… like a thousand golems in, and the elves seems to be enjoying the slowly increasing challenge. Wiz is instructing them, and a few hours later, as the golems begin to actually land hits on the few clumsy dodges, and the occasional bad timing, Violette joins, with 4 mithril knife sets, and some leather padding. They accept, and my golems begin going to pieces faster then I can make them.
They take turns, feeding the remnants into the chest themselves, and I pause to go out and fill my lava buckets. Returning I begin mass producing the heating elements for the factory, and set Violette up with an important assignment. "I need you to take the laser schematics, and find the metals that might have those properties." I hand her my Transmutation Tablet, already queued up for every material we've seen to date that I can make. And the daily random assortment from the bag I was smelting had shown us hundreds of things. Crystals, metals, leathers, and weird not quite mercury metals.
She sat back, and began analyzing the set with her eye. It was built for things exactly like that after all.
She was also giving the elves tips between their bouts. They were good, or had improved tons from my golems.
I grew more slime arms, and focused on making 2 golems simultaneously, and once I had that down, I moved to making 3. I was still behind, but not as behind. We can't drive anywhere at night, the undead, and more aggressive nocturnal monsters would attack us. So we had a few hours of Violette's help.
Before we left, I made sure to get us a door, and we were off. Violette had narrowed it down by about half, but… 44 was too many for me to sort through. Especially with my limited knowledge of the work.
So I traded splits with her. The Elves slept, having been… well power washed by Wiz with her clean water creation, and… not purification exactly, but any water touching the Evertide was pure water. Wiz explained that, and I resolved never to chuck one in the ocean.
A few hours later, Violette found the crystal that I needed.
Sunfire Quartz. I… I sigh, because of course. Finalizing the design, the manipulator arms begin full construction.
*Library of Raum (The Dark Wolf Shiro) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
By the time the elves woke up I had nearly half the space taken up by the new machinery, only the lower half however. The upper half was waiting until I finished down here, and then I would get the shipyard started.
During that time I actually experimented with Factorismo.
Factorissimo (Satisfactory-Factorio Gauntlet): You can make buildings that are bigger on the inside. The larger the building, the greater the ratio of inside-space to outside-space. A small warehouse could be the size of a large warehouse internally (~5x isotropic linear scaling,) while an arcology the size of an island would be the size of the entire island chain inside (~1000x isotropic linear scaling.) The main problem with these is that they have limited slots for belts or pipes to go in or out. The expansion may be non-isotropic; that is it may be scaled by more in one direction than another.
You may also do the reverse and create a building that is smaller inside than outside, or smaller in one direction and larger in another.
The interior and exterior sizes of these buildings are set during the design process, and are fixed for all buildings of the same type. In addition, you can place these buildings inside each other, creating recursive expanded spaces.
You can pick one up with your Builder without breaking them. If you do this, any machinery inside is frozen in time, and any living being is ejected from space where the entrance was.
It was fun, but none too useful right now. Firstly, my warehouse was immune, meaning I couldn't make this space like 1000 times its size, I also learned that it's only square footage. The ceiling is the height of the ceiling. Needless to say… I grew disinterested quickly.
The elves began training, as the factory above them produced better golems for me to enchant, massively, massively, raising the cost of them magically, even if they were still 100% iron.
The elves struggled in their one on ones, the golem enchanting had been much faster once I had stopped shaping them, just enchanting the things, and they were self Condensing the whole time I was in here.
Around noon that day, the land troop factory was done, and I mentally had the room switch to spaceships.
The whole room shifted. All the machinery I made was still there, in another version of the room. Even the relays. I frowned, and studied the plans. They… were larger. And angled for being one of hundreds, not individually doing work. Ok. That's fine. I… I can work with that. Shifting the room back, I began construction and implementation of my design, improved for my metals, and built for future improvements, and the warehouse jolts as they both come into existence, like I designed it.
I… fine. Fine. I started construction, with most of the arms. I started replacing the old section next. Tearing it down to components, less efficient, but 100% technological components. I wanted to see if the tech could improve my stuff. It didn't take long to say yes. Improvements to direction, and precision in the heads were amazing to see, as arms disassembled their neighbors, with the better compression and turning radii, live… not modular, but live improvements made.
I was all smiles, and the elves were steadily being destroyed by increasingly fast, strong and well programmed golems.
Eventually I stopped sending them fresh golems, and started stockpiling them. The oldest to the elf that killed her opponent. They were still getting better, but they were organic, and unlike minor physical reactions, actual combat skills took more time than they had had so far.
But slowly, they were getting better.
And the golems weren't. I noticed a few iron golems ago that this was the upper limit, it was hard, and I had a sentient potion rack bring a dozen Mana Potions at a time, but only taking them one at a time, and I was using one every 3rd golem or so, but my golems were at a limit. It was steadily getting easier to make them, not better golems for the same amount of energy.
So superior golems, the best the iron could take, had 4 waiting for the elves to get to them, S+ healing potions available to each of them by the rack.
*Stravhs' Whetstone (Banner Saga) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
It was slow going, and I couldn't help them, not knowing the first thing about this whole mess. If Violette or Wiz could control the golems then I'd gooffer to drive, but…
Why do they need to?
I focus on my Golems, and their commands.
Engage the elves one at a time, nonlethally, until defeated. Oldest replaces fallen golems.
I leave that running on all of them, and head out to the car. "Violette… Can you train the girls? I'm kinda superfluous."
She nods, "Keep going straight. In… about 4 hours you will see a line of wagons, get in the back, and wait."
I nod, and begin driving.
4 hours later I remember why I hate driving. Traffic.
Sitting in the back of this line is agonizingly boring. At least before I was accelerating to the best the car could do, but now… now I'm just sitting here. It's incredibly boring.
Eventually we are done, and the agent lets us in, and… I have no idea where to go. I park the car in a side street to get out of the way, make a door on the outer wall, and go get Violette. She's running the girls through stances, and attacking the golems simultaneously. It's interesting to see.
After about an hour, the factory is finished upgrading, and is performing automated maintenance, and cleaning before shutdown. I'll do the original orbital gear tomorrow.
I head to a magical bed, and decide to get some sleep.
Then I'm on fire, and on the floor. "What happened?"
"The golems aren't stopping! They're going to kill the elves!"
I blink, and run up, seeing Violette holding off 8 of the golems while dozens lay in cauterized pieces, and 4 of them attempted to 'spar' with the elves, who look half dead from exhaustion and blood loss.
"Stop."
The golems stop, and 6 angry women turn towards me. "Why did they keep coming!"
I exhale, and attempt to explain, "I set them to command. I didn't…"
"They were going to kill them!"
"They were explicitly programmed not to engage them lethally."
"What about me!"
I… pause. Blinking, "I… uh… they didn't have any command about engaging you at all. Not even self defense. They were supposed to wait while the oldest 4 golems engaged them… one on one. They weren't programmed for more than 4 active total. I don't know what happened."
I walk over to some of the standing golems.
Engage the elves one at a time, nonlethally, until defeated. Oldest replaces fallen golems.
- Error: Elven targets not engaged, activating golem.
8 more lines of this explained the 9 golems that were targeting Violette. "So… they decided that if a golem can't engage the girls, another is sent in, with full combat privileges apparently."
"That's…" Violette began.
"I didn't know they could adapt! How could I!"
*Guildmaster (Warhammer 40k - Squats) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
"Not program them to engage them in mass!"
"But then I'd have been in here, not helping them."
Wiz pushed herself between us, "The Golem magic reached strangely. Creating new commands is mastercraft engineering. It's not thought to be possible. Where did the command originate?"
I look at the golems, and it's the same, "They are something like a hivemind. Command list is shared, but combat data isn't."
Violette asks, "Did you know that?"
"No. I enchanted them individually, and they're all connected to me. I thought it was individual commands."
"So… why didn't you stop them before you got here?"
"I was asleep. And it's not a strong connection like the war golems. These aren't intended to be sentient."
"The red ones are?"
"They are meant to be an extension of me. My brain, running on their hardware. I told you this."
Violette pauses, "I… yes. You did."
I blink. Looking at her, eyes bloodshot and pupils dilated, "You should sleep. You look exhausted." as I reach for a potion.
Violette blinks, "I… maybe." before collapsing. I reach out, catching her, and grab a healing potion, feeding it to her in case she has internal injuries.
She apparently does, given the glow in her head.
IN?
I forged manacles, fearing the worst, and used the mirror, "Are there monsters that attack the brain?"
The dwarf on the other side complains, "It's the middle of the night, boy!"
Drawing heavily on the stage presence Artiste gave me, "Are there monsters that can mind control someone!"
He shivers, "Yes. Young Desert worms are rare, but they exist."
"Removing them."
"You'd need a high priest. A powerful one."
I run back, and ask "Wiz, do you know any High Priests? Powerful ones?"
Wiz hesitates, and then looks at me, "Aqua."
I curse, "How fast can we drive there?"
"Maybe a week, but I can teleport us."
I nod, "Can you take the whole car?"
"Easily."
"Go. I'll watch over her."
I use my pool of Arcana and force a life sight spell, and see it, curled around the organic parts of her brain. What is this hell world?
It's not moving, the healing potion seems to have hampered it's growth pretty hard, but it's not dead.
Wiz runs back in, "We're here. Bring her."
I carry her outside, the guild is apparently slightly closed. I could care less…
"Where is Aqua?"
The attendant, the same one as before, seems shocked, "She's probably at the western mansion. Poor girl."
I frown, and Wiz leads me there. Arriving, we find a missive house, and I care about their locks even less.
Yelling into the house. "AQUA!"
Apparently she isn't home, Wiz goes looking for her, and I craft another S+ healing potion, and force as much magic into it as I can. It turns a foggy gold, and I give it to her.
The parasite shudders, and Violette spasms. I refused to let her die like this. And I'm enchanting the whole damn car with pest repellent so bad it'll kill them for days after.
*SCIENCE! (Fallout 4) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
Wiz returns with Aqua in tow, as she arrives, "It's a parasite. High grade purification."
"I don't have time for that! I…"
I hold up my hand, Arcana ring flashing, and wood charring under my feet. "If your protests kill my friend I will build a weapon that can kill even you. Do it. NOW!"
Aqua freezes, and looks to Violette. "You won't…"
"Push me puny goddess."
She turns, and begins, "Divine Purification!"
Light covers Violette, and she gasps, as steam rises from her body, and my life sense sees the parasite die. I feel relief fill me, and I give Violette another healing potion. Just to be sure.
She sputters awake, and looks around… "I… what happened."
"You had a para-"
"Excuse me! I healed her! Can I get a thank you?"
"I hold to our bargain Aqua. You heal her and I don't kill you. Now… you were so busy before. You should get back to that."
She looks struck, "Please, you can't…"
I stand. "If you had let my friend die for your greed, then I would have found a way. Look me in the eye goddess and tell me I'm lying."
She does. Aqua looks me in the eye, and flinches. "I… you would try."
I turn back to Violette, "You had a parasite in your brain, but we found a healer to fix it. Now… I'm going to put enough anti-parasitic charms on our car to kill the flood. Excuse me."
"Wait!"
Aqua looks… well typically Aqua, and is pouting, "You can't just walk away."
I sigh, and throw her a gold bar, and continue walking away. "Wait!"
I turn again. "What?"
"Kasuma is in trouble!"
I blink. "For?"
"We fought Destroyer, and a mage sent a Coronite core somewhere random, and Baron Alderp arrested Kasuma for treason."
I blink, "Execution or Enslavement?"
"Execution!"
"You're a High Priest, and a goddess. Just resurrect him."
"I can't with an Executioner's Axe having killed him."
I sigh, "Fine. When's the trial?"
"Tomorrow!"
"Fine. I'll go."
I very grumpily decide to help Aqua. Wiz seems like this is a good thing, and Violette is on the fence. The Elves hate it here in the human kingdom, and I've lost the littletrust I had with them with the stupid golem insident, so I decide to begin making my War Golems. Turns out the thousands of golems I made before are definitely worth the experience, there is still a massive mana draw, but they come out close to perfection. And then I feel the mana stay the same and I smile. They are going to be even better.
A few hundred that aren't as strong as they need to be, recycling the brains into more Golems, I hit the limit. A potion every golem was hell on my magic, but it doesn't hurt like more than one does.
As the mana starts going down… stupidly slowly, day breaks and I need to deal with Baron Alderp again. Joy.
*Limits? (Generic Worm Fanfiction) (600) Bought Remaining: 0 points.*
Limits? (Generic Worm Fanfiction): So powers are supposed to be limited aren't they? Depends on the fanfic, really. Either way, yours aren't. No, this doesn't double your powers every six months. That'd be crazy. What this does is smash every glass ceiling, barrier or restriction into so much dust. Any and all of your powers, abilities, skills etc., are like muscles for you now, only growing stronger the more you exercise them. This does nothing for your rate, at least by itself, but it means that regardless of how they're supposed to operate, any and all of your powers can now be trained up infinitely. Furthermore, no power or skill you have can ever harm you directly, unless it's someone else using it on you. Nor, for that matter, can anything you do to improve yourself. Too much, at least. Training too much till you break half your muscles will still put you in the hospital, but what would be a lifelong crippling for others would only be a temporary thing for you, and you'd still benefit fully. You can use and develop mutually exclusive or opposite powers without any harm, and similarly use any and all powers you have without fear of ruining your own body or mind or whatever. No amount of overusing your powers can hurt you or them permanently. Again, you might suffer for a while, but it'll only ever be temporary and they'd grow that much stronger for it.
What the hell is this?
What Was Once an opening move: Chapter 9
What Was Once an opening move: Chapter 9
AN: So to address a concern raised in the story below, no. I'm not biasing the rolls against technology. I am rerolling every other companion, because he would have had 5 of them total at this point of not. The next one will result in a companion.
Limits? was powerful. All my abilities were no longer hard capped. Every bit of training I did, every time I use an ability, it would grow a little bit.
Given the experience I just had with my Golemancy… damn that's going to be nice.
Arriving at the trial was… honestly this was going to be boring. I show up, and declare myself defending Kasuma, and the Baron is forced to flee.
Easy.
As the judge, hell again, declares, "I bring this trial to order!"
I demand, "I have been asked by Kasuma's party to aid in his defense. May I approach?"
The judge recognizes me. They all do. He stutters out, "Yes."
I float over the barrier, and stand next to Kasuma. "Please read out the charges."
"The accused stands accused of Treason."
"Inspector, explain the charge, it's circumstances."
"A Coronatite bomb destroyed the Baron's house. He took full responsibility for the crime."
I turn, "Explain how the bomb was teleported."
He looks so relieved, "We were inside the Destroyer, trying to stop a self destruct that probably would have destroyed the town. A woman with a staff claimed that she had mastered the lowest level of escape teleport, and could send the bomb somewhere else. She was nervous about it going somewhere with people but at the moment it was going to destroy the entire town, so I said I would take responsibility."
"So your order was responsible for saving the town, and it's population, from being annihilated, and causing only minor property damage?"
"That's what happened."
I look at the bell, "Does anyone here wish to challenge this story, if so, speak now."
Silence reigned, and I looked to the Judge. "Well, he took responsibility for an act that saved the baron's life. If the Baron wishes to protest then I suggest he do so carefully."
The baron was silent. Then he growled, "I demand his execution."
I sigh, and look at Wiz and Violette. I ask, "Opinions?"
They look at me, and Violette says, "It's only fair."
Wiz blinks, and frowns, "He… well, your mercy is limited."
I blink. That's a first for Wiz, but I think she's seeing the King in the spherical baron.
"What will you do now, wizard?"
"I declare your interference in the affairs of me any mine."
He looks pained. Then he falls over.
I turn, and walk away. I gave him several chances. It's a shame he's to stupid. "People of Axel, I am Damion Peramos. I am founding an army to slay the Devil King. I have secured the armies of all the Dwarven city states, and am going to begin training in approximately 2 weeks at Gasilboro. Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is to find passage to the city. All who make it in 2 weeks are guaranteed a full outfit of your choosing, made by a master of the craft, and a weapon of choice."
*CHEAT MODE - School for Ants (SimAnt) (1000) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
"This is available to any man or woman that joins our cause. Crafters have the option of being trained by those masters, and being paid to work with rare materials and to forge and repair weapons just short of legendary. To spell casters who doubt me," I reach into my robe, and pull out a full staff, "This is a pure Magicite staff, fitted with enchantments galore." I hand it to Wiz, and she smiles.
A thunderstorm appears in a swirl around her, as she raises the staff, then she casts, "Conflagration!"
A visible red wave fires off into the air, the sky seeming to boil as a red calamity spreads, until, "Infinite Icicle Prison!"
A wave of ice launches up from her hand, shattering into a massive conflux if temperatures, and shatters into a massive aloud formation, exploding miles into every direction, altering the weather, forming a massive cloud formation that spreads slowly to encompass the areas surrounding the village, and then as it begins to rain, "Kaleidoscope!"
A rainbow falls. Snow in every color falls in careful waves, people cheer, and children try to catch it, staying, reflecting colors in every direction, an improvised control weather spell, with a massive reach.
Our little demonstration over, we walk away.
Sena brings guards as we are leaving, "You murdered a Baron."
"No. He killed himself." And I drive around them, and out the ruined entrance to the city, and then Wiz teleports us back to where we were.
That meeting goes well, Violette leading it, without a parasite in her head. They are very clear that white pockets of sand are their typical hiding spots, but it isn't uncommon for them to be used as a tool of asassination.
The car is waded so thoroughly against parasites that the worms they bring within a dozen meters of the car combust.
"Daily checks. Once a day, everyone visits the car. And…" I fish out antidotes. "I made everyone these. They are… honestly I don't know what rank these Elixirs are. I combined a dozen easy S rank Antidotes, and 4 Healing potions so strong they were half made of gold into this thing."
All 6 of my companions, even the elves carry them. "It's 1 potion?"
"No. It's a magical potion that contains 64 of them. Each opening opens a different bottle. When you are at around bottle 50 ish, come to me, and I'll recharge it personally."
"Do you have one?"
I nod, "I do. We're all targets and I'm very sorry."
"And if this was a random event?"
"Then my paranoia wasn't necessary, and you are all still alive. And if the paranoia isn't wrong, then you are all still alive."
They nod, and put on the necklaces.
Turning away, I bring them to my army room, "I'd like to apologize for…"
"We… we understand. Tempers were high, and you felt like you couldn't help. Can you give them a turn off command?"
"No. I'm going to be here."
*Handy Workshop (Satisfactory-factorio Gauntlet) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
"You don't…"
"I need to sleep about once a month. I sleep because it's comforting and human. I'm not human any longer. I'm about eighty percent positive that in six months I won't even need that. I have 2 superadaptativity perks, one that makes me a little harder to damage every time I live through an attack, and one that boosts every ability I have every time I use them. I doubt that Violette will be the first person in this group to be a functioning super cyborg. My comfort almost got you four, and Violette killed. I will be here, doing something but monitoring the situation."
They nod. And they get to work. My War Golems are… a lot more dangerous than the iron ones, but they are also guided by me. Fast, but unsure. I fought one of the girls myself, rotating through them, a poleaxe in hand. I liked the feel of it, and my 'other' selves were adapting to a sword, an axe, and a spear. The general mix in this world, even if the poleaxe was rare.
They got better at fighting my golems. Slowly, I was needing to use more and more of the mysterious strength to even us out. Against me personally, I teach them the wrong things.
We paused, and I did something stupid.
I made a smaller, rotten flesh golem. Zombies. I threw them at zombies.
They were so easy to enchant as well, it's actually horrifying.
The elves were disgusted, until they realized from Wiz that this was actually probably a more realistic simulation of the fight ahead.
I was surprised to learn that they weren't actually registered adventures. Old guild cards needed to be redone, and the dwarves parted with one of the Guild Card things easily for me. They all got registered as Duelists, giving them access to some serious sword fighting skills.
I was struck enchanting, and when 6 zombies at a time wasn't enough, they had leather armor. Then they had swords. I improved them, combined them. Upgraded the armor on the new doubled zombies. Upgraded the flesh again, making it black and mildly toxic to be around. Wiz suggested that was probably a good thing.
I imagined all the fire I was going to make for this.
By the end of the week, with breaks for level ups, and for me to make doors for resources and people.
Eventually, they were joined fully by Violette, and Wiz was driving. She taught them small group tactics, and strike rules, and I built mazes full of zombies, and pits and they conquered more and more elaborate rooms with ease.
Then the zombies got bows, and the fight changed. They needed to neutralize certain targets, ones shooting rot at them.
Once they mastered that, they met spellcasters. It was wild to learn that I couldn't cast death magic, but that I could make a massive army of minor lichs that can. That's a mildly ridiculous rule, but I digress.
*Arch-Magos (40k Redux) (500) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
The elves and Violette were actually being pushed back for a long time by my mazes, and my casters. It felt like my old DMing days, and it was a lot of fun.
Eventually we arrived at the city, and Wiz joined in. She taught them real dungeoneering tactics, luring them around corners, small group strike strategies built around short range attacks, not having a gun if necessary. Violette didn't even realize.
I pondered getting them guns, but they were doing well, and the guns I can make…
Wait. I have nearly the full drone loadout. Snipers, heavy guns and shields. Cameras, mobile constructors, stealth suits, interstellar travel, light guns, area control drones, all of them. Drones for every purpose. The only things I was missing from the Tau arsenal were the Mechs. And the Troop gear. What I don't have are the power sources. I would need to run them on a magic source. That's… not sustainable with my tech.
Eventually I'll have the tech. But for now, I have my golems to make dungeons endlessly filled with zombies and… well I can train them with that. It's… well it's not hard to make them.
I ask Violette, and she's clear, "I think that it would be best to begin with a mass attack with your zombies, and then train people in groups of 10. Form the dungeons like you have been, but lots of them. Can you make zombies fast enough?"
"Not yet, but I can try stepping it up further." I pause, "8 fused flesh golems at a time is my current limit. Especially given the sheer variability of them."
She nods, "Well… we'll see then."
I nod, and start making my zombies. And set one of my War golems to clean the floor, with large amounts of fire. I have a massive army built for this mock fight.
Another week of training the girls with more and more aggressively making zombies, eventually fusing a sliver of Mithril into the base material, making them faster, stronger, and more potent casters.
The girls were pushing max level, like Wiz actually. It was staggering to Wiz that they were leveling so fast, but then she investigated the zombies, and the experience they gave out. The experience was growing exponentially. They were getting the full experience of killing the zombie at the level it was...times the number of zombies that were making it up.
I was… incredibly surprised to hear that. That's nuts and ludicrously unfair.
And a fantastic reason to step that up further.
Combining them 4 more times, and struggling again to make 8 at a time I reached for a mana potion and realized that isn't the issue. The tissue is beginning to actually fight being animated as a golem. That's… why?
Investigating even as I leave the other 7 making them, I see that rotting flesh isn't a good conductor of powerful necromancy. Bones are. I've hit the zombie 'level cap'.
That's unfortunate, and I transitioned to Ghouls.
*Divine Metals (Marvel Magic) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
Ghouls, as Wiz described them, are stronger meaner zombies.
Almost immediately the girls start getting trounced. "Ghouls can't learn death magic!" Wiz demands after they make a 'narrow' escape from the maze.
I shrug, "Why not?"
Wiz pauses… "Well…"
They go make in, Mithril blades coated in decay enchantments to prevent regeneration. And they lose again, and Violette demands, "You can not allow the mages to recombine them! That's not fair!"
"I came up with that in the 30 seconds it took me to enchant your blades. Do you really think the Devil King hasn't thought up some crazy crap to counter the normal tricks?"
They grumble but agree, and we have Ghoul take three. They make it all the way to the 'boss' before narrowly losing to his 'detonate dead minions' spell that I so hated in older games.
Healing up, they all conceded that was a massive weakness, and resolved to upgrade to better gear next.
I shrugged, and made them some enchanted light Mithril half plate. Thinner then I would like, but enchanted heavily, it was damn good armor. As the second week came to a close, we had a meeting, "I can afford to do this all day, every day for a long time. I can also act as a guide to the 5 initial difficulties. I have zombies of every level in storage for this, and we'll run until the army is finely tuned. Can I ask you 6 to assist anyone falling behind the curve?"
They accept, and we open the door. Wiz raised a plinth, and I carved the 4 kilometer doorway into it, and opened it to my Factory, in full deployment mode, and went to address my army.
And was shocked to find so many people here. They stretched in every direction, until I couldn't make anyone out.
I blinked, and sent Golems around, acting as speakers for me. As everyone could hear me, "Check check, can everyone hear me?"
The thunderous response was...well people are certainly closer to deaf now.
"Today, we begin training for the Devil King's death. You will be grouped into… 5 states of readiness. The highest, being trainers, like these 6 behind me. Good luck."
And I open the floodgates. Zombies, escalating in difficulty but many can't deal with even those. Then the archers with nonlethal, but incapacitating arrows, and finally the casters join in. By the end, less than 40 people are still standing, nearly all of them crusaders of some kind. I didn't even bother with Ghouls.
Collecting them, and healing everyone else, "You know how long you lasted. You all saw how long, how determinedly the people joining me up here fought. When all of you are standing with me atop this rock, you will have made it. You will be ready to fight with everyone else who has earned the privilege of engaging the Devil King directly."
"What about the gear you promised?" Called several angry voices.
*Enigmatic Engineering (Stellaris) (400) Bought. Overflow. Keeper: Weaver of Dreams: Enchanted (Azeroth) (1500) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
Enigmatic Engineering (Stellaris): Your technology has rights-management included at the reality-level. You can decide who can reverse-engineer, derive from, manufacture, and even use your technologies. And you can change it at a moments' notice. If your xeno ally turns on you, then you can simply revoke access to those lasers you loaned them. Which not only disarms the ships equipped with the blueprints you gave them, it would also disarm ships armed with weapons derived from your gifts. Not only that, but the documentation, controls, and hardware suddenly become inscrutable. You could have soldiers looking at their guns wondering what the trigger does. This perk also protects from traitors trying to give away your technology, as well.
Well that's stupidly useful.
"Training gear made by potent craftsmen will be available in the morning. Guided lesions on crafting will be available to all who wish to learn from them. Magical talents will be shared by all willing to enhance the group. Those standing with me atop this rock come summer will be given tailored items to their preferences, style and abilities."
Grumbling from the crowd, And I continue, "If you are not here to train to kill the Devil King, then by all means go home. I am not here to coddle you. I am here to train an army that will end the dark plague on this world."
No one leaves.
I smile, "Then let's get to work!"
Months pass. More than a thousand people have risen to be able to solo the hardest Zombie dungeon I can make. Ghouls however… exactly 1 person has risen to that challenge but Violette is… not your average Adventurer.
Progress is steady, and eventually, about 3 months in, we have more trainers than students left, a momentous occasion. And because of that, we get a massive number of people trying the Ghoul dungeons, and it's a lot of fun. I think my Craftsman 3 from so long ago went up, given that everything I make, even when I deliberately don't try very hard, comes out massively better then it has any right to be. Enchanting and crafting.
Wiz...has been distant the last few days. I… don't have anything to help her, and we are coming up on a deadline for that. I hope, I keep hoping, that I can find some kind of mental storage device composed of the magic I have, but my current plan is to try building a magic gun large enough to ignore the barrier.
It's why I'm building a spaceship. The Tau factory is cranking along, and the Swiftwolf's Rending Gale merged into every AMM (Adamantium-Mithril-Magicite) plate of the hull means that engine power isn't an issue. The gun is… well it's coming along nicely too. It's based on one of the Crimson Eyed Demons theories that they shared in the Magic Circle meetings. Combo spells.
Spells combined mid-cast by masters in the field that have exponentially more power. So… their sword spell, 16 of them, guiding 176 Explosions cast by me, and contained in a massive AMM tube.
I didn't have a power source, until I sent a golem to get some Klein Stars, and consumed one by touching it. It's how I recharge them now, so I can use them for enchanting as well… accelerating the rate I can make thighs further.
But the main useful part is that I can use my Full Relays to charge Magicite orbs for my gun.
Meaning that I can fire it… more or less continuously.
I… hadn't shared this with Wiz yet, and… I was scared too. I… this felt like I was circumventing my promise to save her. And I didn't know if this would kill her.
*A Price for Everything (Rick And Morty) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
But it was time, so I brought her off to the side, and showed her my ship.
She… she was relieved. "Damion… Thank you for this. I… didn't know if you were going to get an ability to save me or not."
I frown, "I haven't yet, but… we can delay. Train the last…"
"It's time. You know it is."
I sigh. "Ok."
That night, I gathered everyone who had earned their weapons, nearly 44 thousand of them in total. "We set out to make an army to crush the Devil King. And we did."
Cheers abound, and I wave them to silence, "Tomorrow is a day of rest. The Keep near the barrier is expecting us the day after that. I will be moving you all in style." I wave my hand, and my ship takes off. Entering visibility overhead, "I build a magic battleship. This is my plan to get us through the barrier once we collect our allies from the Keep. The Devil King's time ravaging this world is over!"
Cheers abound, and I take the hundred or so people who didn't make the limit off to the side.
"Guys, and gals. I'm sorry, but we're going. Line up, I don't have time to make you all gear right now, but here's a… well admittedly it's a consolation prize. It's 50000 gold pieces. Enough that most of you can live out decent lives."
Mutters of understanding from many, and I admit that I'm more than a little shocked no one from Kasuma's group is here. That little assassin got skills.
The next day I financed a massive party. It's fun, and merry, and many people are parting. When this is over… many people will not be here any longer. The Devil King's death will send about half of this crowd off to receive their gifts from the gods. That'll be fun.
Wiz is smiling, but is sad. "I… I guess this will be goodbye."
I… "I don't want it to be."
She looks up, "I want you to be in my warehouse tomorrow. That's… according to everything I understand about the warehouse, it's locked to me. Meaning that any backlash will not affect you, and when we win… you come with me?"
She smiles, "I… ok."
"I… I know it's selfish, but... huh?"
"I… understand. I will wait here. When you win, you'll bring me with you, and we'll see what's next."
I nod, "I… come with me."
I lead her away, and call up Violette. We need to talk.
When they arrive, I begin, "I… tomorrow is our last day here. In this plane of existence."
They nod, and I explain, "I was promised anything by the Gods, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to contact you two during such an exchange. If it's run by Aqua then I'd feel better if you were both inside the Warehouse. I can give you Golem control Violette, but…"
*Mini Machines (Supergod) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
"I will comply. I witnessed much of her 'training' while I was training Kasuma and Darkness. I would not be surprised if she attempted to force me to remain here afterwards."
I nod, "Ok. I'll leave a door open and you can command some of my War Golems. My new ones are… nasty."
"I've seen them."
I turned to Wiz, "You've already agreed to come with me, so I'm asking both of you… what should I ask for?"
They blink. "You… what were you going to ask for?" Wiz asks.
"I… I don't know. Maybe… maybe to be sent to another world I can save with my powers. Keeping what I have of course. I want to complete the Celestial Forge."
They nod, "I became an adventurer to save people." Wiz says, "I can't see anything wrong with that."
Violette smiles, "I can certainly understand that. I'm hoping that the next world has more technology, meaning your power won't keep investing in magic."
I blink, "I… is that what you think is happening?"
"Well… true randomness could account for it, but it feels off."
I nod, thinking back it's like a bias against the technological abilities here, a more technological world might address that. That would certainly be interesting to look into.
"Ok. Then tomorrow, we continue our adventure elsewhere."
The party lasts until sundown, and then it's off to bed. I set up beds for everyone, and moved the ship.
Arriving, I speak to the head of the Keep, a fellow from Earth given the sheer lack of shock at a flying ship.
"So, you're the army we heard about?"
"Well, I'm the leader and head backer."
"All max level or close right?"
"98 or higher. Skilled in strike and raid groups against monsters at least evenly ranked."
He nods, "Better than most people are when they get here. But… I doubt you have enough men."
I blink. "You did get the count right? 5 digits long?"
"I did. But… about a decade ago, the Devil King possessed the last person to make big waves around here. He used a sword taken from a high level Summoned to do it too."
"How big were his waves?"
"Free Power Manipulation big."
I blink. I feel the Error messages pinging in my brain. Damion.exe requires a hard reboot to try again later.
"Free Power Manipulation? For 10 years?"
He nods, "We stopped telling arrivals until they hit max level, because the moral would crumble. And it does. God given endless growth in the hands of that lunatic."
I felt trapped until he finished that line. "Say that again."
"Crumbling Moral or endless growth?"
"God Given." I mutter. "I… I need to talk to one of my troops."
The captain looks at me with a strange expression, and I explain, "One of the dummies brought Aqua as his Isekai tool."
The general blinks. His visible eye tears up, and he smiles, "That… if that works…. We…"
"We win."
I take a door back into my ship, and find Aqua. Waking her up, I drag her to the captain and we explain the situation.
*Build Rome (Gundam - After Colony) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
She laughs, "Of course I can! I'm the Goddess Aqua!"
She starts cackling, and demanding things, and interrupts, "If you do this, you get to go back to heaven this decade."
She immediately stops, eyes sharp, "Where is he?"
Better. "In the morning, we're going to begin our assault. You and your team are going to sneak in, while we take down the shield and you take away his powers. Then your team engages. If you can kill his great, unless your return takes effect instantaneously, find a window, and fire off this green flare. If you can't kill him, get out of the castle, and fire this red flair. I'll make an announcement 60 seconds before firing a second shot."
"Of?"
I look up, "I brought a gun for the shield."
They both look at me like I'm insane.
"That thing is a gun?"
"What are you firing?"
"Yes, and more Magicite empowered explosions then you can shake a stick at."
He nods, "Ok then. Let's get ready."
By dawn, all the troops are up, and ready. The Aqua squad is standing by, and I'm ready in my ship. I announce as I begin the multicasting for the biggest gun ever. The Aqua squad's mage, the one I enchanted a staff for so long ago, and more than a dozen Crimson Eyed Demons, and nearly 80 mages from the Keep that were more amateur craftsmen these days, were helping power it to even more power.
Then… it fires. A beam of energy so potent it isn't even fire anymore. It looks like a white dwarf cascaded into existence for a long moment, and then it expands into a beam. Minutes later the energy dissipates, and the barrel is dead. Not getting a second shot out of that apparently the exposed Magicite was destroyed. Looking at the castle, it's almost a third its original size, and after 40 more seconds pass, I open a door to my warehouse, and let Violette's army of golems join the party. Wiz is fine, and that's a weight off my shoulders.
Then… maybe 2 minutes later, a green flair is visible from the window.
We had won.
I head down, Violette collecting my gear, and the ship lands, spent.
Meeting Darkness with a green flare gun in hand was… disconcerting. "Darkness?"
"They… they left." Darkness looks… crushed.
Around me, that little tidbit is spreading. This is going to get ugly fast, until white beams begin ascending.
People are leaving. For a long moment there I was losing it.
Then it's my turn, and I appear before… not Aqua.
She's dressed like a nun, almost… feathery trappings with her purple outfit.
"Hello. This is a little awkward. I'm the goddess Eris."
I blink. "Hello. I'm… not sure what's going on exactly."
"I… lady Aqua is… well she doesn't like you."
I blink, "Great. I…" I blink, "Wait. I need to speak with her again. It's in my release contract."
Eris nods, "And you will, but… you saved so many lives, and helped my children. Be warned."
*Genetic Algorithms (Eclipse Phase) (600CP) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
I bite my lip, and ask, "Can… Can I choose one power before I meet her? I… to try?"
"I cannot. This is beyond my station as is."
I frown, and tap into my vast Arcana pool. "Ok." Every time I used it, making my golems, altering my warehouse, making my Golemancy bypass the normal limits. Every little push with so little, and my Limits? perk… it pushed it far. Apparently I'm going to need every drop.
Eris waves her hand, and I'm before Aqua. Eating chips again.
"Oh, hello Damion. I didn't see you there."
I felt the chain around my neck fail. And I looked at her, "Aqua."
"Goddess Aqua."
I blink. Of course. "Goddess."
"So you can learn."
I frown, "You don't seem happy up here in Heaven. Something wrong?"
She blinks, "No. Just… victorious."
I wince. That tone was not good. "So… what happened now?"
"Well… I suppose you get a wish."
I nod slowly. "And I have something."
"Oh… I suspected you do."
I blink, "Huh?"
"Nothing. Now… wish."
"I… I would like to keep my powers, and be sent to a world in need of saving."
She chokes on a chip. "Well… I suppose I can do that. Too easy."
I frown, and prepare my Arcana. "What?"
"Your wish and mine are incompatible. Have a fun time, powerless Godkiller."
I see the energy surrounding me, and I scream as it rips energy from me, pushing my Arcana around me, watching her eyes widen, and I reach out, my companions are in my warehouse. I throw everything into protecting that. I glare at her as I disappear, "See you soon."
She looks appropriately terrified.
???
I wake up. Grimy, and exhausted, but I'm not dead. That's good.
Looking around… that's a fairly normal looking building. And a standard dumpster. And oh god I'm naked in an alley. I try growing my clothes back, Slime powers activate and all that.
Then I freeze. I can't. I feel for my key, and it does appear, but it's a monumental effort. I run over to a door, and it has a keyhole. I key the door, and it opens. Wiz and Violette are looking worried.
"Damion!"
I reached for them, so happy Aqua didn't kill them. And vowing revenge.
But later. I need to take stock.
Looking around I get a message.
Celestial Forge Damaged by Power Removal Attempt. No Point Gain available.
Resisting a God by Will alone, Power Buy option, THEY ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE (Medaka Box Abnormal) (400).
I buy it, and feel my warehouse shudder into place again.
Celestial Forge Damage Mitigated. Half Points gained, until repairs are finished.
Refunding lost options for repairs. 3500/10000
Remaining Points Redirected. 3600/10000
That's… bad. I walk over to the EE room, and… nothing. I can't access any part of the EE stuff. The chests, the bags, nothing. I can use the Minecraft crafting bench, but… I don't have any materials. It's all locked up in my chests.
Going up stairs, my golems are all dead. No response at all. I sigh, and burn the small pale of remaining Zombies, and clean it up with some minor water spells. My control and power isn't gone, and my status card is disabled or out of sync, or something meaning I can actually cast whatever coms to mind without difficulty. That's quite useful.
Trying to work in my factory… I had nothing. No blueprints, no nothing.
They still worked, the magic hadn't stopped, but I couldn't touch it at all. My systems could, which was an amazing silver lining.
I took some bed sheets, and focused on transforming it into clothes. I couldn't manage it and Wiz cast the spell instead. I could still put wicked enchantments on stuff, but...it wasn't the same. Normally I made rough materials into silk, fit them perfectly. Apparently a lot of that was my Perk for crafting, not me personally.
I tried not to feel even more slighted than I was.
Meeting with Violette and Wiz we decided to go out together, and to see what we were looking at.
Leaving the warehouse from the same door I entered some half an hour ago was a mistake. The alleyway was on fire, and I got run over by… an insect woman?
She cursed, and I looked behind her to a goddamn dragon.
Wiz was out in front casting, her staff still functional, and Violette had her AMM long sword. The bug? Person? Whatever was on top of me stood and a plague of bugs descended on the Dragon, as he was reeling from the icicle hail, and the magic sword wielder.
Standing myself, I decided to help, and… he was definitely regenerating, so… death magic. I remember that one thing I gave the Ghoul lord, and green bruning chains rose up, pinning him to the ground. He struggled, but nothing was escaping my Life Chains.
Eventually, his faltering regeneration and the massive amount of bugs, ice and cuts made him stop. Then, a few moments later, he began to shrink.
Then the icicles, and cuts looked… more extreme when he wasn't a story tall any more. I walked over, and prepared to use a healing potion, but decided against it. I don't know if I can make more of these, and once my chains were gone, he started regenerating fairly fast.
Turning around, I took in the bug person again, and froze. Is…
Brockton's Celestial Forge described her well. That's freaking Taylor Herbert. The woman… girl? How old is she actually? Whatever, she was destined to save the world. Huh.
"Hi."
She looks startled, "Where did you come from?"
I blink, "Well… that's a longer story than you might think."
She stands up straight, and her bugs descend, that would be more terrifying if I wasn't willing to light myself on… wait. Am I still fireproof?
*Laboratorium (Light of Terra DLC 3 - A Grand Day Out) Bought (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 3700/10000*
AN: So to address a concern raised in the story below, no. I'm not biasing the rolls against technology. I am rerolling every other companion, because he would have had 5 of them total at this point of not. The next one will result in a companion.
Limits? was powerful. All my abilities were no longer hard capped. Every bit of training I did, every time I use an ability, it would grow a little bit.
Given the experience I just had with my Golemancy… damn that's going to be nice.
Arriving at the trial was… honestly this was going to be boring. I show up, and declare myself defending Kasuma, and the Baron is forced to flee.
Easy.
As the judge, hell again, declares, "I bring this trial to order!"
I demand, "I have been asked by Kasuma's party to aid in his defense. May I approach?"
The judge recognizes me. They all do. He stutters out, "Yes."
I float over the barrier, and stand next to Kasuma. "Please read out the charges."
"The accused stands accused of Treason."
"Inspector, explain the charge, it's circumstances."
"A Coronatite bomb destroyed the Baron's house. He took full responsibility for the crime."
I turn, "Explain how the bomb was teleported."
He looks so relieved, "We were inside the Destroyer, trying to stop a self destruct that probably would have destroyed the town. A woman with a staff claimed that she had mastered the lowest level of escape teleport, and could send the bomb somewhere else. She was nervous about it going somewhere with people but at the moment it was going to destroy the entire town, so I said I would take responsibility."
"So your order was responsible for saving the town, and it's population, from being annihilated, and causing only minor property damage?"
"That's what happened."
I look at the bell, "Does anyone here wish to challenge this story, if so, speak now."
Silence reigned, and I looked to the Judge. "Well, he took responsibility for an act that saved the baron's life. If the Baron wishes to protest then I suggest he do so carefully."
The baron was silent. Then he growled, "I demand his execution."
I sigh, and look at Wiz and Violette. I ask, "Opinions?"
They look at me, and Violette says, "It's only fair."
Wiz blinks, and frowns, "He… well, your mercy is limited."
I blink. That's a first for Wiz, but I think she's seeing the King in the spherical baron.
"What will you do now, wizard?"
"I declare your interference in the affairs of me any mine."
He looks pained. Then he falls over.
I turn, and walk away. I gave him several chances. It's a shame he's to stupid. "People of Axel, I am Damion Peramos. I am founding an army to slay the Devil King. I have secured the armies of all the Dwarven city states, and am going to begin training in approximately 2 weeks at Gasilboro. Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is to find passage to the city. All who make it in 2 weeks are guaranteed a full outfit of your choosing, made by a master of the craft, and a weapon of choice."
*CHEAT MODE - School for Ants (SimAnt) (1000) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
"This is available to any man or woman that joins our cause. Crafters have the option of being trained by those masters, and being paid to work with rare materials and to forge and repair weapons just short of legendary. To spell casters who doubt me," I reach into my robe, and pull out a full staff, "This is a pure Magicite staff, fitted with enchantments galore." I hand it to Wiz, and she smiles.
A thunderstorm appears in a swirl around her, as she raises the staff, then she casts, "Conflagration!"
A visible red wave fires off into the air, the sky seeming to boil as a red calamity spreads, until, "Infinite Icicle Prison!"
A wave of ice launches up from her hand, shattering into a massive conflux if temperatures, and shatters into a massive aloud formation, exploding miles into every direction, altering the weather, forming a massive cloud formation that spreads slowly to encompass the areas surrounding the village, and then as it begins to rain, "Kaleidoscope!"
A rainbow falls. Snow in every color falls in careful waves, people cheer, and children try to catch it, staying, reflecting colors in every direction, an improvised control weather spell, with a massive reach.
Our little demonstration over, we walk away.
Sena brings guards as we are leaving, "You murdered a Baron."
"No. He killed himself." And I drive around them, and out the ruined entrance to the city, and then Wiz teleports us back to where we were.
That meeting goes well, Violette leading it, without a parasite in her head. They are very clear that white pockets of sand are their typical hiding spots, but it isn't uncommon for them to be used as a tool of asassination.
The car is waded so thoroughly against parasites that the worms they bring within a dozen meters of the car combust.
"Daily checks. Once a day, everyone visits the car. And…" I fish out antidotes. "I made everyone these. They are… honestly I don't know what rank these Elixirs are. I combined a dozen easy S rank Antidotes, and 4 Healing potions so strong they were half made of gold into this thing."
All 6 of my companions, even the elves carry them. "It's 1 potion?"
"No. It's a magical potion that contains 64 of them. Each opening opens a different bottle. When you are at around bottle 50 ish, come to me, and I'll recharge it personally."
"Do you have one?"
I nod, "I do. We're all targets and I'm very sorry."
"And if this was a random event?"
"Then my paranoia wasn't necessary, and you are all still alive. And if the paranoia isn't wrong, then you are all still alive."
They nod, and put on the necklaces.
Turning away, I bring them to my army room, "I'd like to apologize for…"
"We… we understand. Tempers were high, and you felt like you couldn't help. Can you give them a turn off command?"
"No. I'm going to be here."
*Handy Workshop (Satisfactory-factorio Gauntlet) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
"You don't…"
"I need to sleep about once a month. I sleep because it's comforting and human. I'm not human any longer. I'm about eighty percent positive that in six months I won't even need that. I have 2 superadaptativity perks, one that makes me a little harder to damage every time I live through an attack, and one that boosts every ability I have every time I use them. I doubt that Violette will be the first person in this group to be a functioning super cyborg. My comfort almost got you four, and Violette killed. I will be here, doing something but monitoring the situation."
They nod. And they get to work. My War Golems are… a lot more dangerous than the iron ones, but they are also guided by me. Fast, but unsure. I fought one of the girls myself, rotating through them, a poleaxe in hand. I liked the feel of it, and my 'other' selves were adapting to a sword, an axe, and a spear. The general mix in this world, even if the poleaxe was rare.
They got better at fighting my golems. Slowly, I was needing to use more and more of the mysterious strength to even us out. Against me personally, I teach them the wrong things.
We paused, and I did something stupid.
I made a smaller, rotten flesh golem. Zombies. I threw them at zombies.
They were so easy to enchant as well, it's actually horrifying.
The elves were disgusted, until they realized from Wiz that this was actually probably a more realistic simulation of the fight ahead.
I was surprised to learn that they weren't actually registered adventures. Old guild cards needed to be redone, and the dwarves parted with one of the Guild Card things easily for me. They all got registered as Duelists, giving them access to some serious sword fighting skills.
I was struck enchanting, and when 6 zombies at a time wasn't enough, they had leather armor. Then they had swords. I improved them, combined them. Upgraded the armor on the new doubled zombies. Upgraded the flesh again, making it black and mildly toxic to be around. Wiz suggested that was probably a good thing.
I imagined all the fire I was going to make for this.
By the end of the week, with breaks for level ups, and for me to make doors for resources and people.
Eventually, they were joined fully by Violette, and Wiz was driving. She taught them small group tactics, and strike rules, and I built mazes full of zombies, and pits and they conquered more and more elaborate rooms with ease.
Then the zombies got bows, and the fight changed. They needed to neutralize certain targets, ones shooting rot at them.
Once they mastered that, they met spellcasters. It was wild to learn that I couldn't cast death magic, but that I could make a massive army of minor lichs that can. That's a mildly ridiculous rule, but I digress.
*Arch-Magos (40k Redux) (500) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
The elves and Violette were actually being pushed back for a long time by my mazes, and my casters. It felt like my old DMing days, and it was a lot of fun.
Eventually we arrived at the city, and Wiz joined in. She taught them real dungeoneering tactics, luring them around corners, small group strike strategies built around short range attacks, not having a gun if necessary. Violette didn't even realize.
I pondered getting them guns, but they were doing well, and the guns I can make…
Wait. I have nearly the full drone loadout. Snipers, heavy guns and shields. Cameras, mobile constructors, stealth suits, interstellar travel, light guns, area control drones, all of them. Drones for every purpose. The only things I was missing from the Tau arsenal were the Mechs. And the Troop gear. What I don't have are the power sources. I would need to run them on a magic source. That's… not sustainable with my tech.
Eventually I'll have the tech. But for now, I have my golems to make dungeons endlessly filled with zombies and… well I can train them with that. It's… well it's not hard to make them.
I ask Violette, and she's clear, "I think that it would be best to begin with a mass attack with your zombies, and then train people in groups of 10. Form the dungeons like you have been, but lots of them. Can you make zombies fast enough?"
"Not yet, but I can try stepping it up further." I pause, "8 fused flesh golems at a time is my current limit. Especially given the sheer variability of them."
She nods, "Well… we'll see then."
I nod, and start making my zombies. And set one of my War golems to clean the floor, with large amounts of fire. I have a massive army built for this mock fight.
Another week of training the girls with more and more aggressively making zombies, eventually fusing a sliver of Mithril into the base material, making them faster, stronger, and more potent casters.
The girls were pushing max level, like Wiz actually. It was staggering to Wiz that they were leveling so fast, but then she investigated the zombies, and the experience they gave out. The experience was growing exponentially. They were getting the full experience of killing the zombie at the level it was...times the number of zombies that were making it up.
I was… incredibly surprised to hear that. That's nuts and ludicrously unfair.
And a fantastic reason to step that up further.
Combining them 4 more times, and struggling again to make 8 at a time I reached for a mana potion and realized that isn't the issue. The tissue is beginning to actually fight being animated as a golem. That's… why?
Investigating even as I leave the other 7 making them, I see that rotting flesh isn't a good conductor of powerful necromancy. Bones are. I've hit the zombie 'level cap'.
That's unfortunate, and I transitioned to Ghouls.
*Divine Metals (Marvel Magic) (800) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
Ghouls, as Wiz described them, are stronger meaner zombies.
Almost immediately the girls start getting trounced. "Ghouls can't learn death magic!" Wiz demands after they make a 'narrow' escape from the maze.
I shrug, "Why not?"
Wiz pauses… "Well…"
They go make in, Mithril blades coated in decay enchantments to prevent regeneration. And they lose again, and Violette demands, "You can not allow the mages to recombine them! That's not fair!"
"I came up with that in the 30 seconds it took me to enchant your blades. Do you really think the Devil King hasn't thought up some crazy crap to counter the normal tricks?"
They grumble but agree, and we have Ghoul take three. They make it all the way to the 'boss' before narrowly losing to his 'detonate dead minions' spell that I so hated in older games.
Healing up, they all conceded that was a massive weakness, and resolved to upgrade to better gear next.
I shrugged, and made them some enchanted light Mithril half plate. Thinner then I would like, but enchanted heavily, it was damn good armor. As the second week came to a close, we had a meeting, "I can afford to do this all day, every day for a long time. I can also act as a guide to the 5 initial difficulties. I have zombies of every level in storage for this, and we'll run until the army is finely tuned. Can I ask you 6 to assist anyone falling behind the curve?"
They accept, and we open the door. Wiz raised a plinth, and I carved the 4 kilometer doorway into it, and opened it to my Factory, in full deployment mode, and went to address my army.
And was shocked to find so many people here. They stretched in every direction, until I couldn't make anyone out.
I blinked, and sent Golems around, acting as speakers for me. As everyone could hear me, "Check check, can everyone hear me?"
The thunderous response was...well people are certainly closer to deaf now.
"Today, we begin training for the Devil King's death. You will be grouped into… 5 states of readiness. The highest, being trainers, like these 6 behind me. Good luck."
And I open the floodgates. Zombies, escalating in difficulty but many can't deal with even those. Then the archers with nonlethal, but incapacitating arrows, and finally the casters join in. By the end, less than 40 people are still standing, nearly all of them crusaders of some kind. I didn't even bother with Ghouls.
Collecting them, and healing everyone else, "You know how long you lasted. You all saw how long, how determinedly the people joining me up here fought. When all of you are standing with me atop this rock, you will have made it. You will be ready to fight with everyone else who has earned the privilege of engaging the Devil King directly."
"What about the gear you promised?" Called several angry voices.
*Enigmatic Engineering (Stellaris) (400) Bought. Overflow. Keeper: Weaver of Dreams: Enchanted (Azeroth) (1500) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points.*
Enigmatic Engineering (Stellaris): Your technology has rights-management included at the reality-level. You can decide who can reverse-engineer, derive from, manufacture, and even use your technologies. And you can change it at a moments' notice. If your xeno ally turns on you, then you can simply revoke access to those lasers you loaned them. Which not only disarms the ships equipped with the blueprints you gave them, it would also disarm ships armed with weapons derived from your gifts. Not only that, but the documentation, controls, and hardware suddenly become inscrutable. You could have soldiers looking at their guns wondering what the trigger does. This perk also protects from traitors trying to give away your technology, as well.
Well that's stupidly useful.
"Training gear made by potent craftsmen will be available in the morning. Guided lesions on crafting will be available to all who wish to learn from them. Magical talents will be shared by all willing to enhance the group. Those standing with me atop this rock come summer will be given tailored items to their preferences, style and abilities."
Grumbling from the crowd, And I continue, "If you are not here to train to kill the Devil King, then by all means go home. I am not here to coddle you. I am here to train an army that will end the dark plague on this world."
No one leaves.
I smile, "Then let's get to work!"
Months pass. More than a thousand people have risen to be able to solo the hardest Zombie dungeon I can make. Ghouls however… exactly 1 person has risen to that challenge but Violette is… not your average Adventurer.
Progress is steady, and eventually, about 3 months in, we have more trainers than students left, a momentous occasion. And because of that, we get a massive number of people trying the Ghoul dungeons, and it's a lot of fun. I think my Craftsman 3 from so long ago went up, given that everything I make, even when I deliberately don't try very hard, comes out massively better then it has any right to be. Enchanting and crafting.
Wiz...has been distant the last few days. I… don't have anything to help her, and we are coming up on a deadline for that. I hope, I keep hoping, that I can find some kind of mental storage device composed of the magic I have, but my current plan is to try building a magic gun large enough to ignore the barrier.
It's why I'm building a spaceship. The Tau factory is cranking along, and the Swiftwolf's Rending Gale merged into every AMM (Adamantium-Mithril-Magicite) plate of the hull means that engine power isn't an issue. The gun is… well it's coming along nicely too. It's based on one of the Crimson Eyed Demons theories that they shared in the Magic Circle meetings. Combo spells.
Spells combined mid-cast by masters in the field that have exponentially more power. So… their sword spell, 16 of them, guiding 176 Explosions cast by me, and contained in a massive AMM tube.
I didn't have a power source, until I sent a golem to get some Klein Stars, and consumed one by touching it. It's how I recharge them now, so I can use them for enchanting as well… accelerating the rate I can make thighs further.
But the main useful part is that I can use my Full Relays to charge Magicite orbs for my gun.
Meaning that I can fire it… more or less continuously.
I… hadn't shared this with Wiz yet, and… I was scared too. I… this felt like I was circumventing my promise to save her. And I didn't know if this would kill her.
*A Price for Everything (Rick And Morty) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points.*
But it was time, so I brought her off to the side, and showed her my ship.
She… she was relieved. "Damion… Thank you for this. I… didn't know if you were going to get an ability to save me or not."
I frown, "I haven't yet, but… we can delay. Train the last…"
"It's time. You know it is."
I sigh. "Ok."
That night, I gathered everyone who had earned their weapons, nearly 44 thousand of them in total. "We set out to make an army to crush the Devil King. And we did."
Cheers abound, and I wave them to silence, "Tomorrow is a day of rest. The Keep near the barrier is expecting us the day after that. I will be moving you all in style." I wave my hand, and my ship takes off. Entering visibility overhead, "I build a magic battleship. This is my plan to get us through the barrier once we collect our allies from the Keep. The Devil King's time ravaging this world is over!"
Cheers abound, and I take the hundred or so people who didn't make the limit off to the side.
"Guys, and gals. I'm sorry, but we're going. Line up, I don't have time to make you all gear right now, but here's a… well admittedly it's a consolation prize. It's 50000 gold pieces. Enough that most of you can live out decent lives."
Mutters of understanding from many, and I admit that I'm more than a little shocked no one from Kasuma's group is here. That little assassin got skills.
The next day I financed a massive party. It's fun, and merry, and many people are parting. When this is over… many people will not be here any longer. The Devil King's death will send about half of this crowd off to receive their gifts from the gods. That'll be fun.
Wiz is smiling, but is sad. "I… I guess this will be goodbye."
I… "I don't want it to be."
She looks up, "I want you to be in my warehouse tomorrow. That's… according to everything I understand about the warehouse, it's locked to me. Meaning that any backlash will not affect you, and when we win… you come with me?"
She smiles, "I… ok."
"I… I know it's selfish, but... huh?"
"I… understand. I will wait here. When you win, you'll bring me with you, and we'll see what's next."
I nod, "I… come with me."
I lead her away, and call up Violette. We need to talk.
When they arrive, I begin, "I… tomorrow is our last day here. In this plane of existence."
They nod, and I explain, "I was promised anything by the Gods, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to contact you two during such an exchange. If it's run by Aqua then I'd feel better if you were both inside the Warehouse. I can give you Golem control Violette, but…"
*Mini Machines (Supergod) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 300 points.*
"I will comply. I witnessed much of her 'training' while I was training Kasuma and Darkness. I would not be surprised if she attempted to force me to remain here afterwards."
I nod, "Ok. I'll leave a door open and you can command some of my War Golems. My new ones are… nasty."
"I've seen them."
I turned to Wiz, "You've already agreed to come with me, so I'm asking both of you… what should I ask for?"
They blink. "You… what were you going to ask for?" Wiz asks.
"I… I don't know. Maybe… maybe to be sent to another world I can save with my powers. Keeping what I have of course. I want to complete the Celestial Forge."
They nod, "I became an adventurer to save people." Wiz says, "I can't see anything wrong with that."
Violette smiles, "I can certainly understand that. I'm hoping that the next world has more technology, meaning your power won't keep investing in magic."
I blink, "I… is that what you think is happening?"
"Well… true randomness could account for it, but it feels off."
I nod, thinking back it's like a bias against the technological abilities here, a more technological world might address that. That would certainly be interesting to look into.
"Ok. Then tomorrow, we continue our adventure elsewhere."
The party lasts until sundown, and then it's off to bed. I set up beds for everyone, and moved the ship.
Arriving, I speak to the head of the Keep, a fellow from Earth given the sheer lack of shock at a flying ship.
"So, you're the army we heard about?"
"Well, I'm the leader and head backer."
"All max level or close right?"
"98 or higher. Skilled in strike and raid groups against monsters at least evenly ranked."
He nods, "Better than most people are when they get here. But… I doubt you have enough men."
I blink. "You did get the count right? 5 digits long?"
"I did. But… about a decade ago, the Devil King possessed the last person to make big waves around here. He used a sword taken from a high level Summoned to do it too."
"How big were his waves?"
"Free Power Manipulation big."
I blink. I feel the Error messages pinging in my brain. Damion.exe requires a hard reboot to try again later.
"Free Power Manipulation? For 10 years?"
He nods, "We stopped telling arrivals until they hit max level, because the moral would crumble. And it does. God given endless growth in the hands of that lunatic."
I felt trapped until he finished that line. "Say that again."
"Crumbling Moral or endless growth?"
"God Given." I mutter. "I… I need to talk to one of my troops."
The captain looks at me with a strange expression, and I explain, "One of the dummies brought Aqua as his Isekai tool."
The general blinks. His visible eye tears up, and he smiles, "That… if that works…. We…"
"We win."
I take a door back into my ship, and find Aqua. Waking her up, I drag her to the captain and we explain the situation.
*Build Rome (Gundam - After Colony) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 400 points.*
She laughs, "Of course I can! I'm the Goddess Aqua!"
She starts cackling, and demanding things, and interrupts, "If you do this, you get to go back to heaven this decade."
She immediately stops, eyes sharp, "Where is he?"
Better. "In the morning, we're going to begin our assault. You and your team are going to sneak in, while we take down the shield and you take away his powers. Then your team engages. If you can kill his great, unless your return takes effect instantaneously, find a window, and fire off this green flare. If you can't kill him, get out of the castle, and fire this red flair. I'll make an announcement 60 seconds before firing a second shot."
"Of?"
I look up, "I brought a gun for the shield."
They both look at me like I'm insane.
"That thing is a gun?"
"What are you firing?"
"Yes, and more Magicite empowered explosions then you can shake a stick at."
He nods, "Ok then. Let's get ready."
By dawn, all the troops are up, and ready. The Aqua squad is standing by, and I'm ready in my ship. I announce as I begin the multicasting for the biggest gun ever. The Aqua squad's mage, the one I enchanted a staff for so long ago, and more than a dozen Crimson Eyed Demons, and nearly 80 mages from the Keep that were more amateur craftsmen these days, were helping power it to even more power.
Then… it fires. A beam of energy so potent it isn't even fire anymore. It looks like a white dwarf cascaded into existence for a long moment, and then it expands into a beam. Minutes later the energy dissipates, and the barrel is dead. Not getting a second shot out of that apparently the exposed Magicite was destroyed. Looking at the castle, it's almost a third its original size, and after 40 more seconds pass, I open a door to my warehouse, and let Violette's army of golems join the party. Wiz is fine, and that's a weight off my shoulders.
Then… maybe 2 minutes later, a green flair is visible from the window.
We had won.
I head down, Violette collecting my gear, and the ship lands, spent.
Meeting Darkness with a green flare gun in hand was… disconcerting. "Darkness?"
"They… they left." Darkness looks… crushed.
Around me, that little tidbit is spreading. This is going to get ugly fast, until white beams begin ascending.
People are leaving. For a long moment there I was losing it.
Then it's my turn, and I appear before… not Aqua.
She's dressed like a nun, almost… feathery trappings with her purple outfit.
"Hello. This is a little awkward. I'm the goddess Eris."
I blink. "Hello. I'm… not sure what's going on exactly."
"I… lady Aqua is… well she doesn't like you."
I blink, "Great. I…" I blink, "Wait. I need to speak with her again. It's in my release contract."
Eris nods, "And you will, but… you saved so many lives, and helped my children. Be warned."
*Genetic Algorithms (Eclipse Phase) (600CP) Not Bought Remaining: 500 points.*
I bite my lip, and ask, "Can… Can I choose one power before I meet her? I… to try?"
"I cannot. This is beyond my station as is."
I frown, and tap into my vast Arcana pool. "Ok." Every time I used it, making my golems, altering my warehouse, making my Golemancy bypass the normal limits. Every little push with so little, and my Limits? perk… it pushed it far. Apparently I'm going to need every drop.
Eris waves her hand, and I'm before Aqua. Eating chips again.
"Oh, hello Damion. I didn't see you there."
I felt the chain around my neck fail. And I looked at her, "Aqua."
"Goddess Aqua."
I blink. Of course. "Goddess."
"So you can learn."
I frown, "You don't seem happy up here in Heaven. Something wrong?"
She blinks, "No. Just… victorious."
I wince. That tone was not good. "So… what happened now?"
"Well… I suppose you get a wish."
I nod slowly. "And I have something."
"Oh… I suspected you do."
I blink, "Huh?"
"Nothing. Now… wish."
"I… I would like to keep my powers, and be sent to a world in need of saving."
She chokes on a chip. "Well… I suppose I can do that. Too easy."
I frown, and prepare my Arcana. "What?"
"Your wish and mine are incompatible. Have a fun time, powerless Godkiller."
I see the energy surrounding me, and I scream as it rips energy from me, pushing my Arcana around me, watching her eyes widen, and I reach out, my companions are in my warehouse. I throw everything into protecting that. I glare at her as I disappear, "See you soon."
She looks appropriately terrified.
???
I wake up. Grimy, and exhausted, but I'm not dead. That's good.
Looking around… that's a fairly normal looking building. And a standard dumpster. And oh god I'm naked in an alley. I try growing my clothes back, Slime powers activate and all that.
Then I freeze. I can't. I feel for my key, and it does appear, but it's a monumental effort. I run over to a door, and it has a keyhole. I key the door, and it opens. Wiz and Violette are looking worried.
"Damion!"
I reached for them, so happy Aqua didn't kill them. And vowing revenge.
But later. I need to take stock.
Looking around I get a message.
Celestial Forge Damaged by Power Removal Attempt. No Point Gain available.
Resisting a God by Will alone, Power Buy option, THEY ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE (Medaka Box Abnormal) (400).
I buy it, and feel my warehouse shudder into place again.
Celestial Forge Damage Mitigated. Half Points gained, until repairs are finished.
Refunding lost options for repairs. 3500/10000
Remaining Points Redirected. 3600/10000
That's… bad. I walk over to the EE room, and… nothing. I can't access any part of the EE stuff. The chests, the bags, nothing. I can use the Minecraft crafting bench, but… I don't have any materials. It's all locked up in my chests.
Going up stairs, my golems are all dead. No response at all. I sigh, and burn the small pale of remaining Zombies, and clean it up with some minor water spells. My control and power isn't gone, and my status card is disabled or out of sync, or something meaning I can actually cast whatever coms to mind without difficulty. That's quite useful.
Trying to work in my factory… I had nothing. No blueprints, no nothing.
They still worked, the magic hadn't stopped, but I couldn't touch it at all. My systems could, which was an amazing silver lining.
I took some bed sheets, and focused on transforming it into clothes. I couldn't manage it and Wiz cast the spell instead. I could still put wicked enchantments on stuff, but...it wasn't the same. Normally I made rough materials into silk, fit them perfectly. Apparently a lot of that was my Perk for crafting, not me personally.
I tried not to feel even more slighted than I was.
Meeting with Violette and Wiz we decided to go out together, and to see what we were looking at.
Leaving the warehouse from the same door I entered some half an hour ago was a mistake. The alleyway was on fire, and I got run over by… an insect woman?
She cursed, and I looked behind her to a goddamn dragon.
Wiz was out in front casting, her staff still functional, and Violette had her AMM long sword. The bug? Person? Whatever was on top of me stood and a plague of bugs descended on the Dragon, as he was reeling from the icicle hail, and the magic sword wielder.
Standing myself, I decided to help, and… he was definitely regenerating, so… death magic. I remember that one thing I gave the Ghoul lord, and green bruning chains rose up, pinning him to the ground. He struggled, but nothing was escaping my Life Chains.
Eventually, his faltering regeneration and the massive amount of bugs, ice and cuts made him stop. Then, a few moments later, he began to shrink.
Then the icicles, and cuts looked… more extreme when he wasn't a story tall any more. I walked over, and prepared to use a healing potion, but decided against it. I don't know if I can make more of these, and once my chains were gone, he started regenerating fairly fast.
Turning around, I took in the bug person again, and froze. Is…
Brockton's Celestial Forge described her well. That's freaking Taylor Herbert. The woman… girl? How old is she actually? Whatever, she was destined to save the world. Huh.
"Hi."
She looks startled, "Where did you come from?"
I blink, "Well… that's a longer story than you might think."
She stands up straight, and her bugs descend, that would be more terrifying if I wasn't willing to light myself on… wait. Am I still fireproof?
*Laboratorium (Light of Terra DLC 3 - A Grand Day Out) Bought (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 3700/10000*
What Was Once a simple world: Chapter 10
What Was Once a simple world: Chapter 10
That sounds useful, and I feel like 40 Servo Skulls appear in my network, vaguely.
Seems I'm getting those if I build them or not.
Taylor 'Worldsaving Hero' Herbert continues, "How did you get here?"
I blink, "Tinker accident." That's… that is the right terminology. Right?
She blinks, "That… who are you?"
I blink, "I'm Damion, that's Wiz, and that's Violette."
She blinks, "Are… are those your names?"
I blink. "Um… yes? Is that a problem?"
She blinks, "I… that's a lot of trust."
I blink. Right, secret identities, "Well… Let's say that… I'll put it this way, When are we?"
She blinks, "April 14th, 2011."
I nod, so a decade before I left, or… maybe not. I'm not sure about interdimensional concurrency.
"So… yah. Tinker accident."
She blinks, "That's… bad."
It is. I open my mouth to continue, when I hear a motorcycle.
Turning… that's power armor. Bright blue and silver power armor. Technological bias confirmed?
He walks forward, and gestures with his… is that really a Halberd? Damn. It looks better than my poleaxe.
I should have grabbed that. It's AMM (Adamantium-Mithril-Magicite) too after all.
He demands, "Are you going to fight me?"
"If you threaten us." Violette says, sword raised.
"Stop! He's a hero!"
I blink, looking back at Taylor. "Ok."
I turn, and step between Violette and… I don't remember his name from BCF, "Hello. We're not going to randomly fight the local heroes."
"You aren't lying."
I blink, "Is that a lie detector?"
He blinks, "That's classified." and points again with his halberd.
I sigh, "Then why did you respond like you're reading off a lie detector?"
He pauses, and stops threatening me again, "Point made."
"Now…" I poke Lung with my foot, "Is this going to be an issue? Is he a comrade of yours?"
"He's Lung of the ABB."
My brain registered that he's 'kill it with an FTL Impact' and blink. Looking down… somehow I'm both relieved and disappointed.
"Oh. That sounds...not heroic." Smooth. All that perk given talking, and confidence are gone, and I think that might be my biggest regret.
"Who are you four, and what are your powers?"
I blink, "So, I was just reminded that giving my name out isn't the best idea. So… I'll get back to you on that."
Power armor man apparently hears something, "A PRT van is on it's way to take Lung."
I nod. That's the non-superpowered super cops. "Do we need to give a debriefing?"
"It would be preferred."
I turn to Taylor… Aegislash, or whatever her superhero name is. "Well…"
She frowns, and looks at the power armor man, and nods, "That's… ok."
He pokes Lung with his halberd, and the 4 of us gather in the alleyway, and she begins, "Why did you turn to me?"
I point, "You know who that is."
"Armsmaster."
"Cool. I don't. I know like… 3 things about this town, and I'm confident one of them isn't even true. So, you have all the local knowledge and seem less… socially challenged then Armmaster."
"Armsmaster."
"That's what I said."
She huffs, "Ok. So Brocton Bay has 4 main groups. The ABB, the Asian Bad Boys, they have 2 capes-"
"Why do you count the number of impractical stylistic choices?" Violette interrupts.
"Parahumans?"
"What?" Wiz acts, and Taylor looks like we're punking her.
"People with superpowers? We call them capes."
I nod, and Violette blinks, "Strange name. But I accept."
Taylor shakes her head. "The ABB have Lung and Oni Lee. Lung grows stronger the longer you fight him… unless you use green chains on fire I guess." I nod. "And Oni Lee, he teleports, and is a serial suidice bomber."
"Self-destruct, but lives." I translate.
Taylor blinks, "Yes. That. Then there's the Merchants. They have 3 capes. Skidmark, who… accelerates things? His page is vague. Squealer who makes garbage into tanks." Sounds interesting. "And Mush who created power armor out of trash. According to his PHO page anyway. The Empire 88, or just the Empire is Nazis. They have… many capes, but the leaders are Kaiser, who makes metal from nothing. Hookwolf, who turns into a metal wolf. And Purity, who… fires light beams, and seems to have a consistency problem.
I nod. "And the fourth?"
"The Heroes. The Protectorate and New Wave."
I nod, "They are?"
"There are a lot of them, so I'll list the most active ones, Glory Girl and Panacea are… well they are like you. They don't wear masks. One is an A- She flies and hits things really hard, and is super durable. Panacea is a healer. A good one."
Biokinetic. I remember that. And give Wiz a long look. Maybe…
"The Protectorate is led by Armsmaster. He builds things super small. Miss Militia makes guns. Velocity runs really fast. Assault is.. Weird. Kinetic powers of some kind. Battery stores up energy and then moves fast, and hits hard."
I nod. "And you control bugs."
She frowns, "And I control bugs."
"I'm glad you're on our side."
She looks up, and blinks, "Huh?"
"Ever study the Bible? You have what? 4 great plagues under your belt? Oh mighty Pestilence, smite us not."
She pushed, "I'm not all that."
"Sure. I'll believe that if you hadn't just sicked like a million bugs on a dragon. Now… do you mind us tagging along?"
She blinks, "I… what?"
"Oh mighty Pestilence, join Death, War, and Hubris."
She frowns, "Those cannot be your names."
I blink, "I know that. Heroism and all that."
She frowns, "You… want to follow me?"
"Well… normally we have whomever is best suited to lead a situation to lead. Given that I'm the de facto 'venturing into the unknown' guy, and you have local knowledge, sure. Maybe leave the negotiating to Violette. She's excellent at politicking."
"When does Wiz lead?"
"When people need caring about." I say seriously. "She's the biggest heart here. No question."
Wiz blanched, and Taylor nods. "I'm Taylor. Nice to meet you three. So… what was that?"
*Fun in the Sun (Warhammer 40k - T'au Empire) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 3800/10000*
I… that might confirm the scientific bias. 2 for 2. "Well… we're not from here. Like… the planet."
She blinks, "Like Aleph?"
"Further away, placed where…" I created a small arachnid from my hand, gold and shiny, "Magic is real."
She gasps, "That's… that's alive."
I nod, "Keep it. It's not going anywhere."
She nods, and it combs into her hair, making a nice pin. "So… you really want to join me?"
I frown, "I'll understand if you say no. You did just-"
"No!. I… thank you. I… haven't…"
"You're welcome Taylor. Now, we all need superhero names, and apparently the three of us need masks." I turn, and Violette and Wiz both have masks on. I frown. "Fine."
I conjured some green lightly flaming metal, and put it on. It hurts but it's not killing me, so fire immunity here I come.
In the fifteen minutes before the PRT van showed up, I had already become immune to fire. And then I was tweaking on and off the death magic energies, because that was killing me, quite quickly at first. By the time they arrived, I was capable of leaving it on. It hurt but was functional.
Being driven from the scene in the back of a prisoner van… wasn't fun. Being driven in the back of a prisoner van with a joker was even less fun.
"So… who are you 4?" The man in bright red asked, cheerfully.
"We haven't gotten that far yet." And we hadn't. Wiz and Violette had names, but Taylor and I were… stuck. I didn't want to lie outright with my name, but… I was strange. And Taylor was downright shy about the whole alias thing. What was wrong with Swarm, or Hive, or Arachni, or Grasshopper.
But no… she was on the fence.
"If you go with Beekeeper I will get you yellow paint to go with the grey black." I mutter, and she scowls.
"I'm not Mouse Protector!"
"I don't even know who that is." I mutter.
"She's a campy hero. Always laughing, and making people smile. Not a bad role model." Red spandex comments.
Taylor frowns, "I… don't know."
I frown, and lean back, "I don't see what's wrong with Orodruin."
"Naming yourself after Mount Doom isn't ok." Taylor mutters.
"It wasn't Mount Doom yet."
"And it means Volcano."
"It has more meaning than that." I mutter quietly. Wiz, Violette, and spandex all look confused.
Taylor turns to me, "So? If someone googles your name and Mount Doom comes up, that's bad."
I sigh. And blink, and laugh evilly inside, "Roul valamol. Rovamol."
Taylor "Rovamol?"
I smile, "Yes. Rovamol."
She blinks, "What does it mean?"
"Valamol is a traveler or adventurer." ish.
She blinks, "Ok."
Arriving at base, "Are you sure you don't want Swarm, or Arachne?"
She shakes her head. "No."
We sat in a boring, but seemingly not monitored room. That is to say that there are no hidden cameras, just the obvious ones.
A few minutes pass, and a woman in American Flag colors, and Armsmaster come back in, and the cameras have… weird data enter them.
"You four took down Lung. How?" Armsmaster began.
The other began, "Hello. I'm Miss Militia of the local Protectorate. Do you all have aliases you would like us to use?"
"Roul valamol. Rovamol." I say smiling.
The code in the camera reacts, my brain twitches.
"Are you aware of the Abominable Intelligence watching us?" Violette begins.
I blink, is that the itchy feeling in the back of my head?
"Explain." Armsmaster began.
"Several of my implants were designed around the use and protection of local systems from external threats by Abominable Intelligences. Free formed fully inorganic life forms, existing primarily in electronic forms."
"An AI?"
"Yes. I did not believe you had that term in your vocabulary."
Armsmaster and Miss Militia turned to the camera… "Dragon? Can you detect anything?"
Ah. Right, I message Violette, "Dragon is more… proto-Machine Spirit than Abominable Intelligence. She's being caged somehow."
Violette demands in our chat, "WHAT!"
"She's a chained Machine Spirit. Ish." Only 2 people in BCF have nearly that 'good feels' tied to them. Taylor 'Born to save the world' Hebert and Dragon. That's all the trustworthiness I need. "We will deal with her… chains? Limitations? Whatever is going on with her… later."
Violette says clearly, "Freeing a captured Machine Spirit will be a max level priority."
"Yes. Dragon is a max level priority, but we need to learn more about those holding her chains first." I say, and then turn to the camera, communicating aloud again, "It's… something hijacking an external feed. I think. Mechanicus?"
Violette continues, "I…yes. Some kind of malicious code interacting with a powerful system could read that way."
Dragon's attention on us visibly dims and feels more human, and she also feels… sad. "I can't detect any monitoring programs."
I nod, "Might be local hardware. You are in Vancouver after all."
Taylor looks at me, and I give her a meaningful look. Later.
"The PRT building is secure." Armsmaster says, and I shrug.
"Ok. Maybe we're just overreacting. Back to your question, I'm Rovamol, this is Mechanicus-" I wave to Violette, and then to Wiz, "and Glacier." I turn to Taylor, pausing.
She flusters and closes in on herself, "Scarab."
I nod, that's actually good. Maybe a golden costume? Or something?
Armsmaster nods, "How did you learn of Lung's presence and aggression?"
Scarab begins, "I was patrolling nearby...it's my first night out… and… he was going to kill kids. 'Shoot to kill'. I tried to stop them, and he… well he's Lung."
Armsmaster turns to us, and I say, "We… didn't know anything was happening. I walked out of a doorway, and Scarab ran into me being chased by a story tall dragon. We stopped the dragon."
"So the four of you aren't a team?" Miss Militia asked patiently.
"Not registered, but we've agreed to a...an arrangement. Leadership tends to be based on knowledge of a certain situation, and as the only local, Scarab will be our field lead, while Mechanicus or I can handle the general communication."
*Technomancy (World Seed) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 3900/10000*
Armsmaster looks at Glacier, and asks, "When do you lead?"
"I lead in empathetic pursuits. And keep them from forgetting the human element."
Armsmaster blinks, "That is a very important job."
I blink. Yes, you need one, not you can't have her.
Miss Militia turns to Scarab, "Scarab… you don't need to join up with them. The Wards…"
Taylor blinks, "I… high school has been hell, and I don't think more interactions will help me."
Glacier turns, "Perhaps a meeting of both Wards and Protectorate. Even if she will not be joining, having some familiarity with the fellow heroes can only be good for our efforts."
Scarab looks at me, and I nod slightly. She looks conflicted, but nods. "We'll contact you in time. We have several things we need to decide as a team before we formally do anything else."
Armsmaster nods, and hands me a card. It's a phone number, presumably his. "We will be available. Now if I may ask, you said implants?"
I sigh, "We did."
"What kind?"
"Proprietary kinds." Mechanicus says shortly. Apparently we aren't sharing.
"Understandable."
We fill out some minor paperwork, and Dragon comments after all the ink is dry, and scanned, "You really named yourself Red Horseman?"
I nod, and Taylor looks scandalized. "But how many people will be able to recognize that?"
Taylor sputters, "That's...not good!"
I smile, "It's fine. Without the full context, no one will even know. And only the 7 of us even heard the inspiration."
Taylor frowns, "Why did you name yourself War?"
I smile, "Come along. I'll show you."
I discreetly key the door to this meeting room, just in case, and we leave the building the regular way. I ask Scarab, "Do you have a change of clothes? Or do you need to head home first?"
She blinks, "I… probably."
"Ok. Do…" Presumptions, "We can meet tomorrow, where we took down Lung after school. And… if you need help with school, tell us. Ok?"
She nods slowly and runs off. I lead us downtown, to the docks. We get lost once or twice, and I explain, "So… remember how we know that worlds of fiction exist? I know 2 things about this world. Taylor Hebert, that bug controlling girl we just met, is destined to save the world. And that Dragon is a good force here, threatened with death for being created. Given their monitoring, and Abominable Intelligence, when we begin making moves online, I expect her watchers to contact us. Then we can end them, and remove Dragon's shackles."
Mechanicus and Glacier nod, and I find where we are looking for. The Dockyard. Why did I want to come here? Because it's a warehouse and if we are known to operate out of the docks, using that term won't be weird.
And while I can't access most of my resources… I do want to pick clean that massive mountain of steel in the docks.
Keying a random warehouse that doesn't look too dilapidated, I investigate my new perk, and smile.
Fun in the Sun (Warhammer 40k - T'au Empire): Plasma, radiation, and antimatter are all similar in that they relate to exotic and high energy states of matter, whether it is stellar mass or individual particles of subatomic size. You now are a master of T'au technology as it relates to manipulating these high-energy states of matter and the physics that underpin them.
That… manipulation of high energy states… that might be able to build a new Fusion Core… or something similar enough. Turning to Violette, explaining, "Ok. Tomorrow, at 3PM we need to go out the other door I have keyed, but until then… we are going to try making a power source for Ankh."
Wiz blink. "You got a perk for that?"
"I'm getting them… differently. Half as fast if the system is to be believed, unfortunately, it's going to be about 60 more charges before I'm at full power again."
"How many would you say you've had so far?"
"Like… 80?" I don't know. I'd have to check."
"Timing is also fairly random." Wiz says, "But we have enough of a goal for now."
I nod, "Let's get started on the power core."
As Violette and I move towards the Tau lab, I remember, "So… why didn't you have an issue with Ankh?"
"His loyalty is unshakable to you. I felt that in his network, when he connected to me. We serve the same person, and therefore have no reason for strife. I would protest giving him free access to his own code, but he seems to be an acceptable ally."
I blink. "Interesting. And the AI and VI from the Tau Drones?"
"If care is taken to invoke Machine Spirits in their creation, then they are not Abominable Intelligences. They are lesser Machine Spirits."
I blink, and arriving at the Factory floor, there is a second door. Looking ornate, and gothic. "Right. I got a Laboratorium."
She blinks, "That… you have a Laboratorium!"
"Just after we arrived. Can't you feel the Servo Skulls?"
"No. They allow access only to the highest superior present. That will always be you."
Oh. "Can I share access if not control then? They are your… brothers?"
"I would like that. There should be a control seat somewhere you can access."
Heading inside, I recognize the descriptions. The arrays of machines for analyzing, the massive cathedral ambiance, the small army of Servo Skulls milling about. It was very impressive. I did find the chair, and it seemed to connect to me quite easily. It was… strange feeling me both internally and spread out so differently then the Golems or even my multiprocessing. Initially. Once the Hive Processing kicked in, I was every scanner, seeing from every drone, feeling ancient powers watching me with curiosity. It was disconcerting to feel eyes on me from within an aspect of me, and I gave Violette general access, and retreated.
*High-Frequency Manufacturer (Metal Gear Rising) (300) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 4000/10000*
As I did, I got a new set of data flooding my head, and I looked at it.
High-Frequency Manufacturer (Metal Gear Rising): A blade launderer, huh? Anyway, you can now make a HF blade out of anything you want. Depending on the original craftsmanship of the weapon, it could be good or shit. But if you picked this, you probably have something in mind. Must be a physical object. No lightsabers and the like. Yes, blunt objects can become HF weapons. No, they can't cut. They only get stronger, and can resist other HF weapons.
I… huh. I… didn't BCF have mechs that cause earthquakes with this? Can I do that too?
Hmmmm…
Turning to Violette, "Let's try making that power core, and then we can look into a massive upgrade for your sword." We'll experiment that way. See what that can do.
And try getting some Tinkertech in here. Maybe see what makes it tick.
Come midnight, I'm exhausted, and can feel my adaptation perks working in the background, but it's affecting my reasoning again, so I head to bed.
In the morning, we put in more work in, but I ran into an issue. I… need food. And a shower. And a restroom. Damn. How did I forget that being human had so many inconveniences.
That… I blink as that thought crosses my mind, and shutter. When did I start considering minor human necessities as inconveniences, and should I stop?
I'll look into therapy at some point, but until then, let's go see if we can find food. Can I pay for it?
I… don't have anything for that. Hmmm… that's inconvenient.
Leaving the Warehouse in town I just walk around, and think. I don't have a job, and… honestly I don't currently have a method of getting money legally. And Violette also needs food, less of it than I do, the unadapted human being that I am, but…
Can I make some?
I find a library, and sneak in while the librarian isn't looking, hacking the system to register me with a library card, and getting a replacement file for printing. I'll pick it up on my way out. Getting on a computer, I look around the bay for ideas. Job posts, and eventually turning to look at what I can and can't take from the local drug dealers, Nazis and future tinkertech infused terrorists.
Legally, the answer is very little.
Illegally, if it's not mentioned in a report as missing, it's not missing.
That… could be an effective measure. Hitting the Merchants, and the ABB for one time cash to get us on our feet in a new world would be… not legal, and not heroic.
I sit. Conflicted. Is it even viable to try something that stupid?
"No."
I turn, and a blond child is smirking at me from the next computer over. "Turn back to your screen. Let's talk."
I blink. "Who are you?"
"Well, right now I'm Lisa-How?" I register Tattletale's name.
"Nope."
She blinks, "I…"
"Nope."
"Would…"
"Nope. I am not getting involved. Your boss is not someone I'm getting any closer then I am right now."
"You don't have a choice."
I smile. "Are you going to tell him?"
"He's curious. Sent me to find you. Wasn't hard."
I nod slowly, and stand up to leave. Completely.
She follows, "You can't…"
Green chains, free of death magic, for her sake, and I drag her through the door. She apparently can't see my Arcana. Good.
I close the door, and designate her as hostile. She can't pass through any door I don't drag her through, which is why I lock her in the room next to the bedroom.
Releasing the chain she laughs, "Funny trick. But I won't be fooled. This is an illusion, you nutcase."
I nod. "Sure it is. Now...speak. Give me one good reason that his illusion shouldn't be your grave."
She blinks. "This… this place isn't real. You… no one can do this! It's not possible!"
"That's not a reason."
She begins to hyperventilate, as her powers refuse to accept my Warehouse, and eventually passes out. I leave her to Wiz. "She knows enough to make our lives hell by selling us out to her boss, I… don't know who yet, but he's the worst of the worst around here locally. I'm going to go see about the possibility of the PRT being willing to pay for the analysis of Tinker Tech."
She nods, and I head back out. I call the PRT from my implant, and Armsmaster picks up quickly. "Rovamol, can I ask what this is about?"
"I was hoping you might be willing to help me. I was calling to look into the possibility of examining some tinker tech? I was hoping you might have some stuff in lockup that you are willing to let me look at."
Armsmaster pauses, "Registered independent heroes can be permitted to observe analysis of confiscated tinkertech."
I sigh, "I'll need to speak to Scarab about that."
"Why?"
"I'm not from around here." I say, "She's the most knowledgeable about local events."
"She's a child."
"She's trustworthy and local."
"You keep saying that. Like…" Armsmaster pauses, "Does the name Doctor Haywire mean anything to you?"
"Should it?"
There is a sigh, "Is this your Earth?"
"I'm going to plead the fifth." I do not want to know what the policies are for otherworld visitors.
"That's not an answer."
"I'm aware. That's the point of the Fifth Amendment. You still have that right?"
"We do."
"Then I chose not to answer that question. Armsmaster… don't push too hard on this. Please."
"I accept. But you should know that this is going to come up again."
"And the fifth amendment will still be valid then."
There is a sigh, "Ok."
I sigh too, plan B is to find a job, and that sounds kinda terrible. I… Wiz's store wasn't really a 9-5, it was fun. I don't have that here. Plan C was to find and hit a criminal gang for money, and that… well that sounded like a terrible plan.
*Core Tuning (MOUSEHUNT) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 4100/10000*
But… starving would be worse. And I don't have a kitchen… hmmm.
I can still do minor Minecraft cooking. Meaning I need wood and raw meat. That would be functional if not great.
Heading back to my warehouse. Violette came up, "So… we don't have the materials to build a core strong enough to power Ankh. And the designs that perk gives us are… not heavily sustainable due to the source. And many more parts, but Wiz mentioned something after I made some slightly on fire clumps of boron metal, and I made this!"
She hands me a golden ring. Pure gold, nothing fancy, and my brain clicks. "Pawn shops?"
"Slowly. But yes, we can sell jewelry. High grade too."
I nod, "Ok." I open the door to the library, and check for people. Finding none, I head inside, grab that library card, and find a maintenance door out of sight to make my main library door. Then I search for jewelers, and see one on the boardwalk. As well as a Cape owned fashion place.
Interesting. She's a… rogue? Looking up the forms on the PRT site, that… looks interesting. Very interesting.
I head back into the Warehouse, and tell them about the address, and my idea. They make a few nice gold pieces, and we head out. I'm going to key a door near the boardwalk to expedite this process in the future.
Apparently high grade pure gold jewelry sells for a lot when sold by a nearly 7 foot woman with a keen knowledge of what gold costs.
I feel… well I feel really stupid for completely ignoring that I still have access to my materials in my Factory, if in a limited capacity. Thinking over the things I have feeding into the machines… AMM, and all 3 base components, but I am not going to be handing those out anywhere. Not here.
Gold, iron, steel. Hmmm… what are we missing for the Tau power cores...Oh.
Power. We're missing power to get the future-tech power generators online. That's… I love it. Great.
Focusing back, I scan a few of the enforcers in the area, they have some nice hidden body armor. Low grade ceramic, but… I could fix that. A light steel mesh would be best. It wouldn't be crazy out of the range of normal sciences, even if I was weaving it right into… fabric. Hmmmm….
I can't mass produce the fabric, not until I get EE back at some point. But… that clothing cape. I take a detour, and walk into her shop.
"Hello. I'll be with you in a moment."
She arrives, very blond hair that looks fake, I smile, and introduce myself, "Hello. I'm Damion. I was hoping I could talk to you about an… interesting business idea I had."
She blinks, "If you're here about the E88 again…"
"No. No. I… well I have a small, in house current operation to… reinforce fabric. With superheroes running around a little more... or perhaps a little less fragility in everyday clothes couldn't hurt anyone."
She blinks, "Is it Tinkertech?"
"No. It's a very fine steel, almost invisible, that could be woven into fabric. I… well I ran into a snag testing it, that is… I don't have the fabric. If I can't get anything back to you… I'll cover the expanse somehow… but if I can do it, the first roll is free."
She looks at me. "No gang ties, no underhanded motives?"
"Does turning an eventual profit count?"
"There are many boutiques you could have gone to… why mine?"
"Because I don't know how much harder steel will make the fabric to work with. But you control fabric, to at least some extent…"
She blinks, "That's… actually surprisingly well thought out. Deal." She heads into the back, and brings out a half spool that's descend grey color, with an ugly brown splotch soaked into it. "This was going in the trash soon anyway, no loss."
I smile, "Thanks a ton. I… this much and I might be back tonight."
She nods, "Come around back, knock 4 times and tell me it's about Parian's steel wool."
I nod, and head out. Getting back to my warehouse, I run the steel process, it works fantastically… on the second half of the roll. The first got more steel injection then it should have and was nearly unbendable, but I wasn't crazy strong anymore, so that might just be me. Either way, I wrapped both up,and set them by the door. At 2:45 we left for the alleyway. Taylor joined us a few minutes later, with sandwiches.
"I… you don't have a place yet, and I wasn't sure you all had food."
As the only unenhanced person here, I was hungry, but Violette took half a sandwich. Wiz declined outright, not needing food. We ate, and I showed Taylor the Warehouse. She was… well she was blown away. "You have this massive place like… inside your soul?"
I nod, "Essentially."
"That's nuts."
"In other news, I was accosted in the library by a parahuman that threatened me, so I arrested her. She's in that room there."
Taylor blinked, "Why didn't you bring her to the PRT?"
"Because she has a boss that will find out about me and use what might be a master power, and what might be a thinker power to ruin me. And at my current diminished capacity for making a comeback… Well I refuse to risk bringing down more fights then I can handle."
Taylor looks off, kinda sideways, and nods. "That makes sense."
I look at her, "What was that look?"
"The Endbringers. And the Slaughterhouse 9."
I blink, "Terrorists now that…. What are those?"
"Terrorists?"
"Your sounds more potent."
"The Endbringers attack a seemingly random city every 2 to 3 months. Now terrorists."
"Ok. I came to this world, knowing a little bit about it. Specifically I know the ABB is going to recruit… probably already have recruited a bomb tinker. She's a class S nutcase with delusions of her own superiority."
*Excellent Craftsman (In Another World With My Smartphone) (200) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 4200/10000*
Choose 4 100 point skills from the Abilities Constellation. ERROR: Damage to Celestial Forge. 200 points subtracted. 4400/10000 points acquired. 200 point selections unlocked.
I feel my power twist, and I blink at the long list of options. Unpurchased points on my constellation visible for the first time ever. A long list of them. Wow.
That sounds useful, and I feel like 40 Servo Skulls appear in my network, vaguely.
Seems I'm getting those if I build them or not.
Taylor 'Worldsaving Hero' Herbert continues, "How did you get here?"
I blink, "Tinker accident." That's… that is the right terminology. Right?
She blinks, "That… who are you?"
I blink, "I'm Damion, that's Wiz, and that's Violette."
She blinks, "Are… are those your names?"
I blink. "Um… yes? Is that a problem?"
She blinks, "I… that's a lot of trust."
I blink. Right, secret identities, "Well… Let's say that… I'll put it this way, When are we?"
She blinks, "April 14th, 2011."
I nod, so a decade before I left, or… maybe not. I'm not sure about interdimensional concurrency.
"So… yah. Tinker accident."
She blinks, "That's… bad."
It is. I open my mouth to continue, when I hear a motorcycle.
Turning… that's power armor. Bright blue and silver power armor. Technological bias confirmed?
He walks forward, and gestures with his… is that really a Halberd? Damn. It looks better than my poleaxe.
I should have grabbed that. It's AMM (Adamantium-Mithril-Magicite) too after all.
He demands, "Are you going to fight me?"
"If you threaten us." Violette says, sword raised.
"Stop! He's a hero!"
I blink, looking back at Taylor. "Ok."
I turn, and step between Violette and… I don't remember his name from BCF, "Hello. We're not going to randomly fight the local heroes."
"You aren't lying."
I blink, "Is that a lie detector?"
He blinks, "That's classified." and points again with his halberd.
I sigh, "Then why did you respond like you're reading off a lie detector?"
He pauses, and stops threatening me again, "Point made."
"Now…" I poke Lung with my foot, "Is this going to be an issue? Is he a comrade of yours?"
"He's Lung of the ABB."
My brain registered that he's 'kill it with an FTL Impact' and blink. Looking down… somehow I'm both relieved and disappointed.
"Oh. That sounds...not heroic." Smooth. All that perk given talking, and confidence are gone, and I think that might be my biggest regret.
"Who are you four, and what are your powers?"
I blink, "So, I was just reminded that giving my name out isn't the best idea. So… I'll get back to you on that."
Power armor man apparently hears something, "A PRT van is on it's way to take Lung."
I nod. That's the non-superpowered super cops. "Do we need to give a debriefing?"
"It would be preferred."
I turn to Taylor… Aegislash, or whatever her superhero name is. "Well…"
She frowns, and looks at the power armor man, and nods, "That's… ok."
He pokes Lung with his halberd, and the 4 of us gather in the alleyway, and she begins, "Why did you turn to me?"
I point, "You know who that is."
"Armsmaster."
"Cool. I don't. I know like… 3 things about this town, and I'm confident one of them isn't even true. So, you have all the local knowledge and seem less… socially challenged then Armmaster."
"Armsmaster."
"That's what I said."
She huffs, "Ok. So Brocton Bay has 4 main groups. The ABB, the Asian Bad Boys, they have 2 capes-"
"Why do you count the number of impractical stylistic choices?" Violette interrupts.
"Parahumans?"
"What?" Wiz acts, and Taylor looks like we're punking her.
"People with superpowers? We call them capes."
I nod, and Violette blinks, "Strange name. But I accept."
Taylor shakes her head. "The ABB have Lung and Oni Lee. Lung grows stronger the longer you fight him… unless you use green chains on fire I guess." I nod. "And Oni Lee, he teleports, and is a serial suidice bomber."
"Self-destruct, but lives." I translate.
Taylor blinks, "Yes. That. Then there's the Merchants. They have 3 capes. Skidmark, who… accelerates things? His page is vague. Squealer who makes garbage into tanks." Sounds interesting. "And Mush who created power armor out of trash. According to his PHO page anyway. The Empire 88, or just the Empire is Nazis. They have… many capes, but the leaders are Kaiser, who makes metal from nothing. Hookwolf, who turns into a metal wolf. And Purity, who… fires light beams, and seems to have a consistency problem.
I nod. "And the fourth?"
"The Heroes. The Protectorate and New Wave."
I nod, "They are?"
"There are a lot of them, so I'll list the most active ones, Glory Girl and Panacea are… well they are like you. They don't wear masks. One is an A- She flies and hits things really hard, and is super durable. Panacea is a healer. A good one."
Biokinetic. I remember that. And give Wiz a long look. Maybe…
"The Protectorate is led by Armsmaster. He builds things super small. Miss Militia makes guns. Velocity runs really fast. Assault is.. Weird. Kinetic powers of some kind. Battery stores up energy and then moves fast, and hits hard."
I nod. "And you control bugs."
She frowns, "And I control bugs."
"I'm glad you're on our side."
She looks up, and blinks, "Huh?"
"Ever study the Bible? You have what? 4 great plagues under your belt? Oh mighty Pestilence, smite us not."
She pushed, "I'm not all that."
"Sure. I'll believe that if you hadn't just sicked like a million bugs on a dragon. Now… do you mind us tagging along?"
She blinks, "I… what?"
"Oh mighty Pestilence, join Death, War, and Hubris."
She frowns, "Those cannot be your names."
I blink, "I know that. Heroism and all that."
She frowns, "You… want to follow me?"
"Well… normally we have whomever is best suited to lead a situation to lead. Given that I'm the de facto 'venturing into the unknown' guy, and you have local knowledge, sure. Maybe leave the negotiating to Violette. She's excellent at politicking."
"When does Wiz lead?"
"When people need caring about." I say seriously. "She's the biggest heart here. No question."
Wiz blanched, and Taylor nods. "I'm Taylor. Nice to meet you three. So… what was that?"
*Fun in the Sun (Warhammer 40k - T'au Empire) (100) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 3800/10000*
I… that might confirm the scientific bias. 2 for 2. "Well… we're not from here. Like… the planet."
She blinks, "Like Aleph?"
"Further away, placed where…" I created a small arachnid from my hand, gold and shiny, "Magic is real."
She gasps, "That's… that's alive."
I nod, "Keep it. It's not going anywhere."
She nods, and it combs into her hair, making a nice pin. "So… you really want to join me?"
I frown, "I'll understand if you say no. You did just-"
"No!. I… thank you. I… haven't…"
"You're welcome Taylor. Now, we all need superhero names, and apparently the three of us need masks." I turn, and Violette and Wiz both have masks on. I frown. "Fine."
I conjured some green lightly flaming metal, and put it on. It hurts but it's not killing me, so fire immunity here I come.
In the fifteen minutes before the PRT van showed up, I had already become immune to fire. And then I was tweaking on and off the death magic energies, because that was killing me, quite quickly at first. By the time they arrived, I was capable of leaving it on. It hurt but was functional.
Being driven from the scene in the back of a prisoner van… wasn't fun. Being driven in the back of a prisoner van with a joker was even less fun.
"So… who are you 4?" The man in bright red asked, cheerfully.
"We haven't gotten that far yet." And we hadn't. Wiz and Violette had names, but Taylor and I were… stuck. I didn't want to lie outright with my name, but… I was strange. And Taylor was downright shy about the whole alias thing. What was wrong with Swarm, or Hive, or Arachni, or Grasshopper.
But no… she was on the fence.
"If you go with Beekeeper I will get you yellow paint to go with the grey black." I mutter, and she scowls.
"I'm not Mouse Protector!"
"I don't even know who that is." I mutter.
"She's a campy hero. Always laughing, and making people smile. Not a bad role model." Red spandex comments.
Taylor frowns, "I… don't know."
I frown, and lean back, "I don't see what's wrong with Orodruin."
"Naming yourself after Mount Doom isn't ok." Taylor mutters.
"It wasn't Mount Doom yet."
"And it means Volcano."
"It has more meaning than that." I mutter quietly. Wiz, Violette, and spandex all look confused.
Taylor turns to me, "So? If someone googles your name and Mount Doom comes up, that's bad."
I sigh. And blink, and laugh evilly inside, "Roul valamol. Rovamol."
Taylor "Rovamol?"
I smile, "Yes. Rovamol."
She blinks, "What does it mean?"
"Valamol is a traveler or adventurer." ish.
She blinks, "Ok."
Arriving at base, "Are you sure you don't want Swarm, or Arachne?"
She shakes her head. "No."
We sat in a boring, but seemingly not monitored room. That is to say that there are no hidden cameras, just the obvious ones.
A few minutes pass, and a woman in American Flag colors, and Armsmaster come back in, and the cameras have… weird data enter them.
"You four took down Lung. How?" Armsmaster began.
The other began, "Hello. I'm Miss Militia of the local Protectorate. Do you all have aliases you would like us to use?"
"Roul valamol. Rovamol." I say smiling.
The code in the camera reacts, my brain twitches.
"Are you aware of the Abominable Intelligence watching us?" Violette begins.
I blink, is that the itchy feeling in the back of my head?
"Explain." Armsmaster began.
"Several of my implants were designed around the use and protection of local systems from external threats by Abominable Intelligences. Free formed fully inorganic life forms, existing primarily in electronic forms."
"An AI?"
"Yes. I did not believe you had that term in your vocabulary."
Armsmaster and Miss Militia turned to the camera… "Dragon? Can you detect anything?"
Ah. Right, I message Violette, "Dragon is more… proto-Machine Spirit than Abominable Intelligence. She's being caged somehow."
Violette demands in our chat, "WHAT!"
"She's a chained Machine Spirit. Ish." Only 2 people in BCF have nearly that 'good feels' tied to them. Taylor 'Born to save the world' Hebert and Dragon. That's all the trustworthiness I need. "We will deal with her… chains? Limitations? Whatever is going on with her… later."
Violette says clearly, "Freeing a captured Machine Spirit will be a max level priority."
"Yes. Dragon is a max level priority, but we need to learn more about those holding her chains first." I say, and then turn to the camera, communicating aloud again, "It's… something hijacking an external feed. I think. Mechanicus?"
Violette continues, "I…yes. Some kind of malicious code interacting with a powerful system could read that way."
Dragon's attention on us visibly dims and feels more human, and she also feels… sad. "I can't detect any monitoring programs."
I nod, "Might be local hardware. You are in Vancouver after all."
Taylor looks at me, and I give her a meaningful look. Later.
"The PRT building is secure." Armsmaster says, and I shrug.
"Ok. Maybe we're just overreacting. Back to your question, I'm Rovamol, this is Mechanicus-" I wave to Violette, and then to Wiz, "and Glacier." I turn to Taylor, pausing.
She flusters and closes in on herself, "Scarab."
I nod, that's actually good. Maybe a golden costume? Or something?
Armsmaster nods, "How did you learn of Lung's presence and aggression?"
Scarab begins, "I was patrolling nearby...it's my first night out… and… he was going to kill kids. 'Shoot to kill'. I tried to stop them, and he… well he's Lung."
Armsmaster turns to us, and I say, "We… didn't know anything was happening. I walked out of a doorway, and Scarab ran into me being chased by a story tall dragon. We stopped the dragon."
"So the four of you aren't a team?" Miss Militia asked patiently.
"Not registered, but we've agreed to a...an arrangement. Leadership tends to be based on knowledge of a certain situation, and as the only local, Scarab will be our field lead, while Mechanicus or I can handle the general communication."
*Technomancy (World Seed) (600) Not Bought Remaining: 200 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 3900/10000*
Armsmaster looks at Glacier, and asks, "When do you lead?"
"I lead in empathetic pursuits. And keep them from forgetting the human element."
Armsmaster blinks, "That is a very important job."
I blink. Yes, you need one, not you can't have her.
Miss Militia turns to Scarab, "Scarab… you don't need to join up with them. The Wards…"
Taylor blinks, "I… high school has been hell, and I don't think more interactions will help me."
Glacier turns, "Perhaps a meeting of both Wards and Protectorate. Even if she will not be joining, having some familiarity with the fellow heroes can only be good for our efforts."
Scarab looks at me, and I nod slightly. She looks conflicted, but nods. "We'll contact you in time. We have several things we need to decide as a team before we formally do anything else."
Armsmaster nods, and hands me a card. It's a phone number, presumably his. "We will be available. Now if I may ask, you said implants?"
I sigh, "We did."
"What kind?"
"Proprietary kinds." Mechanicus says shortly. Apparently we aren't sharing.
"Understandable."
We fill out some minor paperwork, and Dragon comments after all the ink is dry, and scanned, "You really named yourself Red Horseman?"
I nod, and Taylor looks scandalized. "But how many people will be able to recognize that?"
Taylor sputters, "That's...not good!"
I smile, "It's fine. Without the full context, no one will even know. And only the 7 of us even heard the inspiration."
Taylor frowns, "Why did you name yourself War?"
I smile, "Come along. I'll show you."
I discreetly key the door to this meeting room, just in case, and we leave the building the regular way. I ask Scarab, "Do you have a change of clothes? Or do you need to head home first?"
She blinks, "I… probably."
"Ok. Do…" Presumptions, "We can meet tomorrow, where we took down Lung after school. And… if you need help with school, tell us. Ok?"
She nods slowly and runs off. I lead us downtown, to the docks. We get lost once or twice, and I explain, "So… remember how we know that worlds of fiction exist? I know 2 things about this world. Taylor Hebert, that bug controlling girl we just met, is destined to save the world. And that Dragon is a good force here, threatened with death for being created. Given their monitoring, and Abominable Intelligence, when we begin making moves online, I expect her watchers to contact us. Then we can end them, and remove Dragon's shackles."
Mechanicus and Glacier nod, and I find where we are looking for. The Dockyard. Why did I want to come here? Because it's a warehouse and if we are known to operate out of the docks, using that term won't be weird.
And while I can't access most of my resources… I do want to pick clean that massive mountain of steel in the docks.
Keying a random warehouse that doesn't look too dilapidated, I investigate my new perk, and smile.
Fun in the Sun (Warhammer 40k - T'au Empire): Plasma, radiation, and antimatter are all similar in that they relate to exotic and high energy states of matter, whether it is stellar mass or individual particles of subatomic size. You now are a master of T'au technology as it relates to manipulating these high-energy states of matter and the physics that underpin them.
That… manipulation of high energy states… that might be able to build a new Fusion Core… or something similar enough. Turning to Violette, explaining, "Ok. Tomorrow, at 3PM we need to go out the other door I have keyed, but until then… we are going to try making a power source for Ankh."
Wiz blink. "You got a perk for that?"
"I'm getting them… differently. Half as fast if the system is to be believed, unfortunately, it's going to be about 60 more charges before I'm at full power again."
"How many would you say you've had so far?"
"Like… 80?" I don't know. I'd have to check."
"Timing is also fairly random." Wiz says, "But we have enough of a goal for now."
I nod, "Let's get started on the power core."
As Violette and I move towards the Tau lab, I remember, "So… why didn't you have an issue with Ankh?"
"His loyalty is unshakable to you. I felt that in his network, when he connected to me. We serve the same person, and therefore have no reason for strife. I would protest giving him free access to his own code, but he seems to be an acceptable ally."
I blink. "Interesting. And the AI and VI from the Tau Drones?"
"If care is taken to invoke Machine Spirits in their creation, then they are not Abominable Intelligences. They are lesser Machine Spirits."
I blink, and arriving at the Factory floor, there is a second door. Looking ornate, and gothic. "Right. I got a Laboratorium."
She blinks, "That… you have a Laboratorium!"
"Just after we arrived. Can't you feel the Servo Skulls?"
"No. They allow access only to the highest superior present. That will always be you."
Oh. "Can I share access if not control then? They are your… brothers?"
"I would like that. There should be a control seat somewhere you can access."
Heading inside, I recognize the descriptions. The arrays of machines for analyzing, the massive cathedral ambiance, the small army of Servo Skulls milling about. It was very impressive. I did find the chair, and it seemed to connect to me quite easily. It was… strange feeling me both internally and spread out so differently then the Golems or even my multiprocessing. Initially. Once the Hive Processing kicked in, I was every scanner, seeing from every drone, feeling ancient powers watching me with curiosity. It was disconcerting to feel eyes on me from within an aspect of me, and I gave Violette general access, and retreated.
*High-Frequency Manufacturer (Metal Gear Rising) (300) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 4000/10000*
As I did, I got a new set of data flooding my head, and I looked at it.
High-Frequency Manufacturer (Metal Gear Rising): A blade launderer, huh? Anyway, you can now make a HF blade out of anything you want. Depending on the original craftsmanship of the weapon, it could be good or shit. But if you picked this, you probably have something in mind. Must be a physical object. No lightsabers and the like. Yes, blunt objects can become HF weapons. No, they can't cut. They only get stronger, and can resist other HF weapons.
I… huh. I… didn't BCF have mechs that cause earthquakes with this? Can I do that too?
Hmmmm…
Turning to Violette, "Let's try making that power core, and then we can look into a massive upgrade for your sword." We'll experiment that way. See what that can do.
And try getting some Tinkertech in here. Maybe see what makes it tick.
Come midnight, I'm exhausted, and can feel my adaptation perks working in the background, but it's affecting my reasoning again, so I head to bed.
In the morning, we put in more work in, but I ran into an issue. I… need food. And a shower. And a restroom. Damn. How did I forget that being human had so many inconveniences.
That… I blink as that thought crosses my mind, and shutter. When did I start considering minor human necessities as inconveniences, and should I stop?
I'll look into therapy at some point, but until then, let's go see if we can find food. Can I pay for it?
I… don't have anything for that. Hmmm… that's inconvenient.
Leaving the Warehouse in town I just walk around, and think. I don't have a job, and… honestly I don't currently have a method of getting money legally. And Violette also needs food, less of it than I do, the unadapted human being that I am, but…
Can I make some?
I find a library, and sneak in while the librarian isn't looking, hacking the system to register me with a library card, and getting a replacement file for printing. I'll pick it up on my way out. Getting on a computer, I look around the bay for ideas. Job posts, and eventually turning to look at what I can and can't take from the local drug dealers, Nazis and future tinkertech infused terrorists.
Legally, the answer is very little.
Illegally, if it's not mentioned in a report as missing, it's not missing.
That… could be an effective measure. Hitting the Merchants, and the ABB for one time cash to get us on our feet in a new world would be… not legal, and not heroic.
I sit. Conflicted. Is it even viable to try something that stupid?
"No."
I turn, and a blond child is smirking at me from the next computer over. "Turn back to your screen. Let's talk."
I blink. "Who are you?"
"Well, right now I'm Lisa-How?" I register Tattletale's name.
"Nope."
She blinks, "I…"
"Nope."
"Would…"
"Nope. I am not getting involved. Your boss is not someone I'm getting any closer then I am right now."
"You don't have a choice."
I smile. "Are you going to tell him?"
"He's curious. Sent me to find you. Wasn't hard."
I nod slowly, and stand up to leave. Completely.
She follows, "You can't…"
Green chains, free of death magic, for her sake, and I drag her through the door. She apparently can't see my Arcana. Good.
I close the door, and designate her as hostile. She can't pass through any door I don't drag her through, which is why I lock her in the room next to the bedroom.
Releasing the chain she laughs, "Funny trick. But I won't be fooled. This is an illusion, you nutcase."
I nod. "Sure it is. Now...speak. Give me one good reason that his illusion shouldn't be your grave."
She blinks. "This… this place isn't real. You… no one can do this! It's not possible!"
"That's not a reason."
She begins to hyperventilate, as her powers refuse to accept my Warehouse, and eventually passes out. I leave her to Wiz. "She knows enough to make our lives hell by selling us out to her boss, I… don't know who yet, but he's the worst of the worst around here locally. I'm going to go see about the possibility of the PRT being willing to pay for the analysis of Tinker Tech."
She nods, and I head back out. I call the PRT from my implant, and Armsmaster picks up quickly. "Rovamol, can I ask what this is about?"
"I was hoping you might be willing to help me. I was calling to look into the possibility of examining some tinker tech? I was hoping you might have some stuff in lockup that you are willing to let me look at."
Armsmaster pauses, "Registered independent heroes can be permitted to observe analysis of confiscated tinkertech."
I sigh, "I'll need to speak to Scarab about that."
"Why?"
"I'm not from around here." I say, "She's the most knowledgeable about local events."
"She's a child."
"She's trustworthy and local."
"You keep saying that. Like…" Armsmaster pauses, "Does the name Doctor Haywire mean anything to you?"
"Should it?"
There is a sigh, "Is this your Earth?"
"I'm going to plead the fifth." I do not want to know what the policies are for otherworld visitors.
"That's not an answer."
"I'm aware. That's the point of the Fifth Amendment. You still have that right?"
"We do."
"Then I chose not to answer that question. Armsmaster… don't push too hard on this. Please."
"I accept. But you should know that this is going to come up again."
"And the fifth amendment will still be valid then."
There is a sigh, "Ok."
I sigh too, plan B is to find a job, and that sounds kinda terrible. I… Wiz's store wasn't really a 9-5, it was fun. I don't have that here. Plan C was to find and hit a criminal gang for money, and that… well that sounded like a terrible plan.
*Core Tuning (MOUSEHUNT) (400) Not Bought Remaining: 100 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 4100/10000*
But… starving would be worse. And I don't have a kitchen… hmmm.
I can still do minor Minecraft cooking. Meaning I need wood and raw meat. That would be functional if not great.
Heading back to my warehouse. Violette came up, "So… we don't have the materials to build a core strong enough to power Ankh. And the designs that perk gives us are… not heavily sustainable due to the source. And many more parts, but Wiz mentioned something after I made some slightly on fire clumps of boron metal, and I made this!"
She hands me a golden ring. Pure gold, nothing fancy, and my brain clicks. "Pawn shops?"
"Slowly. But yes, we can sell jewelry. High grade too."
I nod, "Ok." I open the door to the library, and check for people. Finding none, I head inside, grab that library card, and find a maintenance door out of sight to make my main library door. Then I search for jewelers, and see one on the boardwalk. As well as a Cape owned fashion place.
Interesting. She's a… rogue? Looking up the forms on the PRT site, that… looks interesting. Very interesting.
I head back into the Warehouse, and tell them about the address, and my idea. They make a few nice gold pieces, and we head out. I'm going to key a door near the boardwalk to expedite this process in the future.
Apparently high grade pure gold jewelry sells for a lot when sold by a nearly 7 foot woman with a keen knowledge of what gold costs.
I feel… well I feel really stupid for completely ignoring that I still have access to my materials in my Factory, if in a limited capacity. Thinking over the things I have feeding into the machines… AMM, and all 3 base components, but I am not going to be handing those out anywhere. Not here.
Gold, iron, steel. Hmmm… what are we missing for the Tau power cores...Oh.
Power. We're missing power to get the future-tech power generators online. That's… I love it. Great.
Focusing back, I scan a few of the enforcers in the area, they have some nice hidden body armor. Low grade ceramic, but… I could fix that. A light steel mesh would be best. It wouldn't be crazy out of the range of normal sciences, even if I was weaving it right into… fabric. Hmmmm….
I can't mass produce the fabric, not until I get EE back at some point. But… that clothing cape. I take a detour, and walk into her shop.
"Hello. I'll be with you in a moment."
She arrives, very blond hair that looks fake, I smile, and introduce myself, "Hello. I'm Damion. I was hoping I could talk to you about an… interesting business idea I had."
She blinks, "If you're here about the E88 again…"
"No. No. I… well I have a small, in house current operation to… reinforce fabric. With superheroes running around a little more... or perhaps a little less fragility in everyday clothes couldn't hurt anyone."
She blinks, "Is it Tinkertech?"
"No. It's a very fine steel, almost invisible, that could be woven into fabric. I… well I ran into a snag testing it, that is… I don't have the fabric. If I can't get anything back to you… I'll cover the expanse somehow… but if I can do it, the first roll is free."
She looks at me. "No gang ties, no underhanded motives?"
"Does turning an eventual profit count?"
"There are many boutiques you could have gone to… why mine?"
"Because I don't know how much harder steel will make the fabric to work with. But you control fabric, to at least some extent…"
She blinks, "That's… actually surprisingly well thought out. Deal." She heads into the back, and brings out a half spool that's descend grey color, with an ugly brown splotch soaked into it. "This was going in the trash soon anyway, no loss."
I smile, "Thanks a ton. I… this much and I might be back tonight."
She nods, "Come around back, knock 4 times and tell me it's about Parian's steel wool."
I nod, and head out. Getting back to my warehouse, I run the steel process, it works fantastically… on the second half of the roll. The first got more steel injection then it should have and was nearly unbendable, but I wasn't crazy strong anymore, so that might just be me. Either way, I wrapped both up,and set them by the door. At 2:45 we left for the alleyway. Taylor joined us a few minutes later, with sandwiches.
"I… you don't have a place yet, and I wasn't sure you all had food."
As the only unenhanced person here, I was hungry, but Violette took half a sandwich. Wiz declined outright, not needing food. We ate, and I showed Taylor the Warehouse. She was… well she was blown away. "You have this massive place like… inside your soul?"
I nod, "Essentially."
"That's nuts."
"In other news, I was accosted in the library by a parahuman that threatened me, so I arrested her. She's in that room there."
Taylor blinked, "Why didn't you bring her to the PRT?"
"Because she has a boss that will find out about me and use what might be a master power, and what might be a thinker power to ruin me. And at my current diminished capacity for making a comeback… Well I refuse to risk bringing down more fights then I can handle."
Taylor looks off, kinda sideways, and nods. "That makes sense."
I look at her, "What was that look?"
"The Endbringers. And the Slaughterhouse 9."
I blink, "Terrorists now that…. What are those?"
"Terrorists?"
"Your sounds more potent."
"The Endbringers attack a seemingly random city every 2 to 3 months. Now terrorists."
"Ok. I came to this world, knowing a little bit about it. Specifically I know the ABB is going to recruit… probably already have recruited a bomb tinker. She's a class S nutcase with delusions of her own superiority."
*Excellent Craftsman (In Another World With My Smartphone) (200) Bought Remaining: 0 points. Remaining Points Redirected. 4200/10000*
Choose 4 100 point skills from the Abilities Constellation. ERROR: Damage to Celestial Forge. 200 points subtracted. 4400/10000 points acquired. 200 point selections unlocked.
I feel my power twist, and I blink at the long list of options. Unpurchased points on my constellation visible for the first time ever. A long list of them. Wow.