《Virtual reality: Chaos theory》 Chapter one: Chaos theory It has been roughly three weeks since Chaos theory took humanity hostage. Most people haven¡¯t adjusted and there is a deep feeling of helplessness. ¡°I have fifteen minutes. Before I do anything let¡¯s get rid of that useless assistant.¡± It has been exactly fourteen hours and forty five minutes since Rak last logged into Chaos theory, which has replaced sleeping. While he understood that he would be safe anywhere in the world, even in the scorching heat or oxygen deprived mountain tops, but it was still going to be undignified. Rak has the Devion name to think of. He also didn¡¯t want to experience the humiliation either. Fortunately, ¡®hotel booths¡¯ have become popular in the past week. Before doing anything else Rak slightly fixed the sleeve on his expensive suite. Letting out a breath of air Rak opened up his personal computer device, a holographic screen popped up in front of him like a computer screen. ¡°Olei, fire Jandi and hire me a new personal assistant.¡± ¡°Any preferences?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking a brunette this time.¡± ¡°Consider it done.¡± With a thought the video application vanished and a moment later a map of the city appeared with Rak¡¯s location as the center. ¡°These booth¡¯s might be worth investing in.¡± Rak¡¯s thoughts began navigating through the map, he had already brought up all hotel¡¯s nearby and only these hotel booths were close enough. ¡°God dammit. This is all that Jandi¡¯s fault.¡± It can be considered shameful within Rak¡¯s circles to fall asleep out and about, but even just having to sleep in these booths was bad enough. And he blamed all on his assistant, Jandi, who hadn¡¯t dragged him away from his ¡®leisure¡¯ activities quick enough. ¡°This one will do.¡± Not only were these booths ¡®popular¡¯ they were expensive as well, they exploited people in a rush. Upon arriving, Rak already had a frown. ¡°Look at this shifty rat. Damnit.¡± ¡°I need a booth, the best you have.¡± ¡°Forty credits.¡± Rak saw the holographic screen push out from the manager, after seeing the price, Rak wasn¡¯t shocked, he just waved his hands paying for the booth. ¡°You¡¯re number sixty eight, down at the end.¡± Rak was even more indignant now that he saw that there was no ¡®best booth¡¯ but after glancing at how much time he had left he suppressed his anger. ¡°Damnit. Maybe I need to do more than just fire that bitch.¡± The suppressed anger was quickly directed at his rather beautiful soon to be former assistant. Rak opened the booth and stepped inside. The booth closed shortly after he got into position and tilted slightly. ¡°Two minutes. That was too close.¡± After locking the booth from the inside, Rak instantly went to ¡®sleep¡¯. Of course what he did was what everyone does, enter Chaos theory. Usually he would go into his very well outfitted incubator at home, with all the benefits that go with it. While everyone can enter Chaos theory wherever they want, having a custom made incubator chamber made by the General Artificial Intelligence Agency, gives far too many benefits. Only, this chamber not only costs a fortune, its upkeep is frightening. Frightening for normal people. In a beautiful mansion a woman paced back and forth tapping her fingers on her thigh. When an alert from her personal device popped up her heart stopped for a brief moment and moments after her face paled. Jandi has been relieved of her duties. Whatever she wanted the Devion¡¯s family resources to help her with will never be fulfilled. Opening his eyes inside Chaos theory, Rak saw a familiar scene, he was lying in a bed. A quick look around would have a person think this was a commoners house. Everything from the bed to the walls and ceiling is made of wood. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± The first thing Rak does, as do most people when they wake up in Chaos theory, is look at their status. ¡°At least I¡¯m rested.¡± Rak couldn¡¯t help but frown, it cost him a ¡®fortune¡¯ to buy this house.
Character
Status
Constitution: 86/100%
Fatigue: 75/100%
Hunger: 20/100%
Clarity: 57/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°Even just getting to seventy five percent is hard enough.¡± Being rested means a player has to reach at least half their fatigue value. Rak has four hundred and eighty seven fatigue points, at seventy five percent that means he has about three hundred and sixty five points before he needs to go back to sleep. If it wasn¡¯t for this value, people could spend their entire lives in Chaos theory, it is also because of the value of this fatigue system that Rak spent so much time and money to buy this commoners house. Every time people sleep in Chaos theory they replenish some fatigue points. Beds amongst other things can increase how high it can go or how much is gathered over time. ¡°With this I should be able to stay for about a week at a time. That reminds me, I got to set an alert, I can¡¯t forget my real body is in some dirty booth right now.¡± After fiddling about for a few moments, Rak put on his gear. The action took about a half a second, suddenly his white underwear turned into slick black pants and his naked torso was adorned with a white shirt and a loose slightly faded black jacket. All in all, Rak isn¡¯t a fighter or any sort of adventurer so his items weren¡¯t suited for combat. Instead what Rak was dressed for is business. ¡°If all things go well, my first startup should take off today. While a single brewery isn¡¯t much, I¡¯m sure once enough capital returns I can expand.¡± Majority of Rak¡¯s wealth went into two things. One, the commoners house and second, his brewery. It had been less than easy to get the town¡¯s management to allow him to buy a house in the town, and even harder to get the brewery finalized. ¡°I should go check on everything.¡± On the way to the brewery, Rak met many people making their way around on the course gravel road. The roads were dry so on occasion some dust would get kicked into the air. ¡°Morning mister Abstinence.¡± ¡°Morning miss Helena.¡± ¡°Morn¡¯ Abstinence.¡± ¡°Morning mister Karl.¡± Everywhere he went, Rak was greeted by the town¡¯s folk, this all because of his hard work. In the past two weeks, Rak had spent every waking moment increasing his reputation in the small town of Alp. It has already been three weeks since Chaos theory launched, yet a single map of the world was yet to be found. The best people could find was the villages and nearby towns they spawned near. Originally Rak spawned in a village a bit away from Alp, but in that village he had to do all sorts of miscellaneous tasks just to get a ride on a worn down wooden carriage. ¡°Oh! If isn¡¯t the big businessman, mister Abstinence.¡± ¡°You flatter me, mister town planner. If it wasn¡¯t for you, where would I be? Still running around town helping people look for lost pets, I bet.¡± Town planner Ung¡¯s eyes lit up and he laughed, looking on Rak with a friendly smile. ¡°Nonsense, even if these old bones weren''t around, I¡¯m sure a hardworking man like you would have no issues.¡± After a few pleasantries, Rak, also known as Abstinence, glanced at the nearly finished brewery. Its outwards appearance was little more than a glorified warehouse. Inside there were barrels and some specialized tools meant for brewing. Fortunately for Rak, he didn''t need to actually brew his own beer, he could leave that to someone who actually knows how to. Namely, a middle aged man called Orlic, a trained brewer. Although Orlic isn¡¯t very talented, his proficiency far exceeds Rak¡¯s. In either case, Rak never intended to actually do any manual labour in the first place, he was just creating a business, as that was what he was good at. In Chaos theory, even an entrepreneur could be a job. Rak stood there beside the town planner and watched as the sizeable loading bar above the brewery turned from ninety nine percent to a hundred. It is also possible to speed up this process by hiring carpenters and architects, but that can multiply the cost. Not to mention that the town would have to have people trained in such jobs. ¡°Let me be the first to congratulate you on your first business, mister Abstinence.¡± ¡°Thank you, mister Ung.¡°
You have completed a basic brewery. Experience: 1200 Coin: 35 copper Title: Brewer
Brewer: Increases alcohol effects on you by 10%
¡°Sure enough, the rewards are poor. At least the experience is not bad.¡± Unlike fighting beasts, becoming a businessman isn¡¯t rewarding in the experience department, in fact Rak only recently leveled to level ten. And he only did that to be applicable to actually buy property. Reaching level ten can be done in a week if a person focuses on doing activities that properly reward it or even just the ones that are considered challenging. Instead, Rak has been doing trivial tasks around town to gain reputation. Trivial means lacking in experience returns. ¡°Orlic!¡± ¡°Oh, mister Abstinence. So the brewery is finally up and running?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now we just need you and a few helping hands to get started and then it''s all in your hands.¡± ¡°All we need to do is get the first batch going, after that I can slowly prepare everything for the next ones.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Good, our helpers should arrive in an hour or less, the construction completed a bit earlier than expected.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how these things go.¡± Like Rak, Orlic was excited about the brewery. Previously Orlic was casually working as a sustinences farmer and only brewing beer as a hobby. Having been hired by Rak he could now simply buy food and brew beer for his living. Every person in Chaos theory can be said to be their own person, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll put themselves in harms way to gain glory or even put in effort to change their situation. Pain is very real in Chaos theory, and while death isn¡¯t permanent, it is no laughing matter either. ¡°That should be them.¡± Walking in a group of three were two young men wearing cheap hemp-esque clothing and a tad better dressed older woman with cloth wrapped around her hair. ¡°Good, they sent Hilde, with her this will go smoother¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know Hilde? She¡¯s the baker¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Right! Young baker Temp¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. With her experience we might finish the first batch before noon. Actually, you should ask her about her daughter, I know you just bought that nice little place down in Koroners street.¡± Ever since joining Chaos theory, Rak took on a second personalities, one in the real world where he had wealth and power. And one inside Chaos theory were he had to literally scrape his hands and knees for a few copper coins. ¡°I didn¡¯t know being a matchmaker was one of your talents, Orlic.¡± Breathing sharply through his nose, Orlic smiled and shook his head. He understood he shouldn¡¯t force things, youngster will do what youngsters will do. ¡°Mister Abstinence, Mister Orlic, Mister Ung.¡± ¡°Nice to see you today, Missus Baker.¡± The town Alp has only one bakery, and like other establishments where only one was within the town borders, people would be called by their occupation or even spouse''s occupation. Even their children could be called ¡®little baker¡¯ and so on. ¡°Since you are all here, I¡¯m sure Mister Abstinence is itching for us to get started. I¡¯m sure you want to join in, mister Abstinence.¡± Rak has long since stopped trying to get people to call him Rak, but he has managed to be called everything from ¡®the leaf raker¡¯ to ¡®that guy with the chairs¡¯. It has been a humbling experience for Rak, yet it does not carry into the real world. Or it should be said his real world personality has yet to take hold within Chaos theory. Outside the brewery is a small wagon meant for people to drag around, on it are large bags filled with grain. The two younger boys are here to move these around as there is a considerable number of them. After moving in a few bags, Rak watches Hilde go about preparing the grain. This grain will be fermented in the large containers, these look like massive barrels that have been toppled over. ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll be done by noon, look how big these are.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be filling them to the brim, just up to here. Most of the work will be to prepare the grain and get them inside, the water pump should do the rest.¡± Two rivers flow through Alp town, one into a large lake, the source of water for the town, this lake¡¯s water is connected to an underground river, but none of the town¡¯s folk know that. The other flows all the way down south, where it meets up with another river. After all the grain was moved inside the brewery, the two young boys grabbed a bucket of water from the water pump and sat down outside in the sun. Hilde and Orlic continue preparing the grain, cleaning and removing unwanted extra material. ¡°I still don¡¯t believe this is all that goes into making beer.¡± Rak¡¯s thoughts are understandable, though he did not know that usually beers need at least yeast to convert the extract sugar from the grain into alcohol, but Chaos theory does not need to abide by common sense, only enough to not cause people to feel it to be alien. ¡°This is all you need. Later on you can flavour it, but those are recipes I don''t know. You know what kind of failure rate experimentation is.¡± ¡°Right, I can¡¯t afford to let you experiment right now. If the first few batches sell alright, we can try experimenting with one of the containers.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good plan, Abstinence.¡± In truth, Orlic had made some fine tasting beer in his time, but he had never succeeded in discovering an actual recipe. Just creating a product isn¡¯t enough to establish a repeatable recipe, he had to recreate the same thing three our four times within some margin of error. ¡°Mister Abstinence, won''t you be a dear and jump down to the bakery and grab us all something to eat for lunch.¡± It was clear at this point that they¡¯d have to stay till late in the afternoon before completing everything. When Hilde¡¯s words ended, Abstinence received a familiar alert.
Hilde has asked you to go to the baker¡¯s for some things Rewards: Nothing
Rak was not unfamiliar with the ¡®nothing¡¯ reward. This is the expected reward from Hilde, the Chaos theory system however does reward all quests, no matter how trivial. Most quest given out by people are straight forward like this quest. If Rak asks someone to do something they¡¯ll receive a similar quest, and even if he promises something in return, he may not have to pay it. Many people have been scammed in this way, the rewards listed are only what is expected, it requires Chaos theory system to mediate to secure any contract. Rak has such a contract with Orlic, the town hall, who hired the young men and Hilde. However he only has an open ended contract with Hilde about going to the bakery. ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡± ¡°No need to hurry.¡± ¡°I still have some things to do, so I¡¯ll head out anyway.¡± Rak was getting bored watching them do menial work, by noon they¡¯d still need a few hours before dumping materials down into the breweries contains. It should only take a few hours to a day for the first batch to complete. The value in the brewery is the large volume, many other production jobs require substantially less time to create many items. Take cooking, throwing something in a fire for two to three seconds might be enough for it to be considered ¡®baked¡¯ as odd as it may sound. ¡°I need to settle my contract with the taverns.¡± With the brewery up and running Rak finally had the opportunity to create a Chaos theory system contract rather than relying on the taven owner¡¯s word. Before this, the system wouldn¡¯t allow Rak to give the assurance that he could deliver the alcohol. It may seem like a strange line in the sand, but the difference between owning an axe and being ready to buy one is exactly that line. Going around saying you¡¯ll sell people firewood is all fine, but the system won¡¯t let you give that assurance until you have the tools to do so. While this may seem like it¡¯s to protect people from Rak, it is actually the system protecting Rak from himself. In simple terms, the woods are guaranteed to be there and be ready to be chopped but the axe might be sold out before he bought one, something along these lines. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Good day.¡± While Rak knows a whole slew of people in Alp, there are still thousands that he only recognizes and thousands more he has never seen. There are also travelers, merchants and other players. It has become a habit for Rak to be polite to people in order to gain quests, especially ones that lead to town hall reputation, which are not the easiest to gain when you are just stumbling around. This is the case of being a pioneer, if someone else entered this town and consulted Rak on how to get reputation with town hall, that individual would be in luck. Cutting corners like this has not worked for Rak, in some cases, asking the people how to increase his reputation can decrease it instead or prevent him from getting quests related to it from affiliated people. ¡°The Horseshoe Inn.¡± The name of the tavern is a remnant to when it actually sold rooms for people to stay in, it has since all been changed into a larger bar and during the day a place to eat. ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t the aspiring brewer.¡± Seeing the tavern owner Rak couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Not at him but with him. ¡°Not doing much of brewing, I got Olric for that.¡± ¡°Right, right. I¡¯ve tasted his stock before, there was never enough.¡± ¡°There will be this time.¡± ¡°So when can I expect a delivery?¡± ¡°It should be tomorrow noon-ish in the latest but to be safe I¡¯d say two days from now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then, Its a real hassle to have it all delivered from Hampter, and they water it down as well.¡± ¡°Rest assured, when you hear Abstinence, you know its quality.¡± After a few words and rather lewd joke on behalf of tavern owner Frank, Rak went on to discuss the finalized deal. ¡°Good, it all works as it should.¡± ¡°Alright, I should be on my way then, I still have some things to tend to, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow Frank.¡± ¡°Good, tomorrow then.¡± Nodding and putting down a still dirty glass he had just ¡®cleaned¡¯ Frank turned his attention to his other affairs. ¡°With that done, I should make it to Laughter¡¯s medicine before going to the bakers. I¡¯ll deal with Withered fox last, seeing as that demoness Tril will probably drive me mad.¡± Traveling around town takes up majority of Rak¡¯s time, not owning a horse or any sort of mode of transportation can cause simple things to become long and tedious. For example, Rak has plans to make deals with local villages, that will take him week if not more in travel time, without a horse that is. It is safe to assume that once Rak¡¯s brewery income comes in he¡¯ll be hiring a personal carriage to shuttle around for a day or two. The cost of which should be around a silver, an extravagant number for anyone living in a town. Perhaps only higher ups on town hall can spend in this way without feeling too much of a sting. One has to remember that in Villages people mostly practice sustenance farming and the like. In towns it is better but by how much can vary. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t so far to the next town I-forget it, the travel cost alone might make it wasteful. I have one silver and twenty copper after the brewery quest finished, I might start heading to one of the villages before it gets dark. But then I¡¯ll have to stay there for the night.¡± Thinking things through, Rak shook his head, it wasn¡¯t worth it to abandon his bed, not only could it bring in a few fatigue points it also lowers the consumption of it somewhat. Without a ¡®good¡¯ bed, which is generous when talking about Rak¡¯s housing, fatigue consumption will run rampant. ¡°I might still be able to reach Horst village and make it back before nightfall. I¡¯ll have to wait and see how things at the Withered fox goes.¡± Having marched across town again, Rak steps into the Laughter¡¯s medicine tavern. Similar to the Horseshoe in, it takes its name for what it was in the past. Two generations ago, it had been a failing ¡®holistic¡¯ medicine business before the owners son at the time discovered people came for their alcohol ¡®medicine¡¯. Rak¡¯s biggest business should be with the Laughter¡¯s medicine because it is stationed closest to town hall, and the facilities here a bit better than at the Horseshoe inn or the Withered fox. ¡°Good day, is missus Medin in?.¡± The current owner of the tavern is the widowed Medin, she and her children run the tavern, taking care of their four grandparents as well. They can only do this because of the tavern¡¯s prosperity. ¡°Mom is out back, are you mister Abstinence?¡± ¡°You must he Savan. Good, you look beautiful like your mother, she must be proud to have a daughter like you.¡± ¡°Taken a fancy to my daughter, now? You know this sort of flattery can be dangerous.¡± Arlina Medin, owner of the tavern just walked from behind the bar¡¯s backdoors, in her hand a dry cloth she is using to clean her muddy hands. She had been out back tending a rather sizeable herb garden. Not forgetting their roots, the Medin family still creates medicine and even offers it as a supplement in drinks. This is not cheap and only town hall and other wealthier town members can afford it. ¡°Aye, I wouldn¡¯t dare, to pair such a beautiful flower with a pile of dirt like me? Impossible.¡± Arlina Medin¡¯s eyes shone brighter, the more she looked at Rak the more she was satisfied with him. While her daughter is just sixteen and still some ways a child, she has long since begun making plans for her. ¡°You must be here about your ambitious brewery. Have a seat I¡¯ll be with you in a moment, Savan get mister Abstinence something to drink.¡± Only daring to nod, Savan looked at Rak expectantly. Feeling a bit helpless Rak only let out a sigh in his heart and sat down at a table. Ordering a Green wistful, a drink that increases stamina generation by two percent. A feeble number, barely worth noting. ¡°You can¡¯t let your guard around the older people, everyone is a matchmaker.¡± In truth it is because of Rak¡¯s reputation in town, that he owns a house and soon to be brewery that he¡¯s being targeted by cunning old men and women. It would be unfair however to call Medin old, still only forty, appearing to be in her early thirties. ¡°Here you go mister Abstinence.¡± It is only in small towns and villages that people show such friendly gestures, everywhere Rak goes, he gets called mister this, mister that, and out of habit he has begun doing so as well. ¡°Thank you little Savan, what is your little brother up to these days?¡± Originally Savan had been smiling sweetly and a bit flushed, but hearing the words ¡®little Savan¡¯ made her a bit annoyed causing her to pout slightly. ¡°He¡¯s out back in the garden, he spends all his time there.¡± ¡°Last time I was here he said he was going to become a medical doctor.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about, he wants to become an herbalist and an alchemist at the same time, he just doesn''t know what a medical doctor is.¡± This little venture of the young Medin boy is a secret in the young boy¡¯s mind, he is supposed to take over the tavern business and not become some doctor. It can be said it is just the right amount of rebelliousness for a boy his age. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll become a great herbalist then. As for alchemist, that¡¯ll be hard without a teacher.¡± Rak laughed and chatted with Savan for a few moments before Arlina finally came out, she held a rough paper document with some numbers on them. Savan excused herself, while Rak took the documents to read. ¡°Huh. They have more business than I thought. With this I can increase production by twenty percent or so.¡± The brewery can produce enough beer to supply the town three times over. Originally he was only going to increase production after he made a deal with all the local villages but now he may be able to reach forty percent production and only slightly over produce. ¡°This is good, missus Arlina. I¡¯ll be able to meet all your needs and save you up to forty five percent.¡± As they had already gone through some discussions, Arlina wasn¡¯t too surprised but she was only expecting up to thirty five percent cheaper goods. All in all the taverns in town had to get their beer shipped in from the city or two towns over. Whatever it was, it was too long a distance so it incurred extra free. And there was little promise of quality. ¡°Forty five? Your not trying to buy Savan from me? I won¡¯t let her go to a scoundrel like you.¡± Rak¡¯s eyes were still on the document when he felt a soft hand land on his thighs. He was a bit surprised but none of it showed on his face. Arlina¡¯s voice was soothing and familiar to him, and for some reason he was afraid to meet Arlina¡¯s eyes. It has to be mentioned that Rak has plenty of experience in the ways between a man and woman, but it is usually him making advances and him in control. ¡°I would be one hell of a businessman if I could get any advantage out of you, missus Arlina.¡± ¡°Call me Lina.¡± It seemed to Arlina that Rak¡¯s words were an invitation and she began allowing her hand to move freely and slowly upwards. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to get you the supplies around noon-ish at the latest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, shouldn¡¯t we go somewhere more private and finalize the contract?¡± Rak was already being dragged from his chair and into the upstairs portion of the building. He was a bit loss of words and feeling a sense of helplessness he hadn¡¯t felt in a long while. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Before Rak could gather his thoughts he was pushed onto a bed fit for two. A lioness of a woman staring at him like prey. It has been four years since she lost her husband and to tell the truth, the men in town were a bit lacking, only this Rak person managed to light a fire she thought had long since been put out. ¡°What a good little merchant. What do you want to sell today?¡± Rak was becoming flustered, he was a bit like an inexperienced girl experiencing her first love. Every time his thoughts were forming this woman managed to tangle them further. ¡°Is this for sale?¡± Arlina¡¯s hands went from Rak¡¯s chest to his waste where she dug up the tucked in shirt and began lifting it up in one smooth motion, leaving Rak bare chested. She lifted the shirt to her face and smelled it. ¡°Oh?¡± She was already like a flame let loose but the smell of the shirt is combination of cologne mixed with his sweat, if anything it shouldn¡¯t have been pleasant but she felt her cheeks burn and a slight shiver went through her. ¡°Missu-.¡± ¡°Lina.¡± ¡°Lina, I don¡¯t know if this is a good idea.¡± It has to be mentioned that Rak is not in anyway inexperienced when it comes to these types of things but he is first and foremost a businessman. The idea of tangling up business and pleasure is never good. And yet here he is, captured by a wild confident woman. ¡°This is the best idea I¡¯ve had in years. Now, these old things, they must be for sale as well?¡± Lina¡¯s hands never stopped moving and were not unbuckling Rak¡¯s pants, her actions unhurried and her gaze firmly on Rak ?s rather flustered appearance. ¡°What good clothing, I must have them.¡± While Rak knew he could walk away anytime he wanted, it''s not like the woman could actually stop him. But he also knew he¡¯d be risking his deal with the tavern. As these thoughts roamed in his mind he felt Arlina¡¯s soft hand around his member. He didn''t want to admit it but he was standing at attention. ¡°What a good merchant.¡± All thoughts of deals and whatnot vanished when he felt a warm wet sensation override his senses. He had never felt this sort of stimulation in real life, the feeling almost made him feel faint. ¡°Ah. A-¡± Unable to contain himself Rak couldn¡¯t help but let out moans, the action made him unbearably embarrassed but it only served to make Arlina more enthusiastic. Down stairs a bright faced girl kept cleaning the same spot on the bar¡¯s counter, it would seem that she heard something interesting. Having no way to control himself Rak felt an overwhelming pleasure. His back arched before he suddenly relaxed and fell backwards onto the bead from his seated position. ¡°Done already? It seems I haven¡¯t lost my touch.¡± It could be said that Arlina hadn¡¯t felt this type of power and satisfaction in a long while. She quickly let her clothes drop, one after the other. She gave Rak no chance to move. An even deeper sensation of warmth overwhelmed Rak once more. ¡°Ah. What a good little merchant. Let this lady buy a piece.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the great pleasure Rak was experiencing he¡¯d feel Arlina¡¯s merchant roleplaying words a bit off but he couldn¡¯t even wrap his head around how different everything felt in Chaos theory. He was writhing on his back while this beautiful brunette with deep brown eyes was riding him like he was a toy. He felt like he was being played with. Watching Arlina¡¯s breasts move with her grinding he had the strongest urge to reach out and grab them. ¡°Oh? You know how to take advantage? As expected of a merchant like you.¡± Unlike before, Arlina¡¯s voice was now a bit ragged and far more sensual. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Rak¡¯s fingers rather firm fondling of her nipples. The sensation shot down her body and her motions became more erratic and hurried. Before she knew it she was letting out sounds sounds of pleasure. It can be said to be fortunate for the young Medin boy that he was outside tending the garden. But Savan felt her soul stir as she continued mindlessly move a piece of cloth in circular motions on the bar¡¯s desk, she may even have forgotten her own existence at this point. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯-.¡± When Arlina fell forward, Rak felt an extremely soft sensation mush into his face and his entire body filled with pleasure he had never felt before. Arlina¡¯s body twitched and shook for the better part of a minute before finally come to a stop.
Experience: 500 Coin: 0
The alert came as quick as it left, buried in Rak¡¯s system notification log. And strangely his ¡®combat¡¯ log was also cluttered with various information. Mainly an abrupt drop in fatigue, stamina and clarity. Only at the end did the clarity return to its former value and even increase numerically by a few points. Chapter two: Stamina
Abstiance brewery will supply the Laughter¡¯s medicine with the alcoholic beverage that matches the quality of tier one beer. The beverage must come within three days if requested. Standing order to fill up to three large barrels every two days to a week, depending on Laughter¡¯s medicine requests. In turn, Laughter¡¯s medicine will pay twenty copper for every ten litres of tier one beer. Both parties, Abstinence and Arlina Medina reserve the right to restart negotiations at any time, with a week¡¯s notice at the latest.
In general, taverns will sell their beer in two hundred milliliters, five hundred milliliters or in a large two litre pitcher. In Laughters medicine, two hundred milliliters sell for two coppers, five hundred for five coppers and two litres pitch for ten. This outside any special additions from the herb garden. Originally they would purchase ten litre of sub quality tier one beer for twenty eight to thirty coppers. Approximately forty to fifty percentage more expensive than Rak¡¯s deal. He can do this because of the quantity he¡¯s selling and the short shipping distance and he''s not trying to make profit yet. ¡°That should settle it.¡± Arlina was more than satisfied with the deal, and while her previous actions with the young Rak were rather extreme it did not show on her face currently. Similarly, Rak was the picture of professionalism. It was only Savan who had endured for some time who had a weird expression. It was even worse when she had to deliver cold drinks to her mother and Rak. She didn¡¯t dare make eye contact with anyone and quickly disappeared behind the bar¡¯s back door after putting down the refreshments. ¡°With this, Laughter¡¯s medicine and Abstinence brewery official start their business.¡± Arlina jotted down some notes on a piece of parchments before giving Rak a knowing smile. She stood up and went to the back where Savan had disappeared to, to her office. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then, I¡¯m excited to see what you bring me.¡± ¡°Tomorrow then.¡± After stepping out of the Laughter¡¯s medicine tavern, Rak felt like chains were let loose. Never in his life had he experienced anything like this. ¡°That woman is a devil in disguise.¡± He is a scion of a wealthy family, he had created a few lucrative startups. Although none of his projects amounted to much they all returned considerable profit. Nothing in comparison to the Devion family businesses, but enough to be considered successful. And in spite of all this, he was played with like a naive little boy with no understanding of the world. Rak drove his thoughts away and took a look at the time. While it was still early he headed towards the bakery, even walking there should take him twenty to thirty minutes depending on his pace. ¡°Looks like I need to spend some on my meal.¡± Like the drink Rak had earlier, food can give various increase to attributes or affect status. Most food increase the hunger status, while a few only slow down the steady decline of hunger points.
Character
Status
Constitution: 87/100%
Fatigue: 68/100%
Hunger: 35/100%
Clarity: 91/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°My fatigue is already at sixty eight percent?¡± Feeling confused Rak brought up his notification log, ignoring the sizeable five hundred increase in experience he closed the window. He didn¡¯t bother checking his combat log he has yet to even enter a combat state, making him completely ignore the combat log. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me having sex has this dramatic effect on fatigue? It seems I have to be careful.¡± Any young man would spew out blood and curse Rak hearing his worried thoughts. Many could only dream for such a passionate encounter, yet here he was preparing to guard against tigers and cougars. ¡°Just walking to the bakery has me at sixty seven percent.¡± If Rak concentrated on the fatigue bar, he could make it reveal his numerical fatigue points, it just so happened that it was nearing the turning point to sixty seven from sixty eight. It would be absurd for him to lose a single percent of fatigue just from a brisk walk. ¡°I should get something substantial to eat.¡± ¡°Good morning, baker.¡± ¡°Mister Abstinence! Good to see you. I hear my mother has been tasked to help out at the brewery, how is it coming along?¡± Bart, Hilde¡¯s son is genuinely pleased to see Rak, his mother doesn''t have many opportunities to help out these days, especially since most of the bakers duties went to himself. Most days she would find chores to do, from weeding out small tufts of grass between stone paths to dusting unreachable locations within the house. ¡°It¡¯s going well, your mother has been an invaluable asset. She sent me here to grab some lunch for us all.¡± ¡°Good good. I¡äll get something good together. On the house of course.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Forget it, treat it as a downpayment, when will I get to taste your beer?¡± ¡°Ah, how can I say no? I¡¯ll bring some over tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drop by the Weaving cross in and get something to satae me there.¡± Rak didn¡¯t wanna gouge the baker and leave a bad impression so he decided he¡¯d spend a little more money elsewhere, otherwise the baker might try to offer him too much for free. From experience, Rak understood that taking a gift every once in a while isn¡ät bad, and in some cases helpful. But to overreach will leave a bad impression and be detrimental in the future. ¡°This should feed a family of six. Have mother bring the basket when she¡¯s done.¡± Rak took the large basket made from thin tree branches. If something is to be said about the townsfolk it¡¯s that they are very thrifty. Everything from a sharp stone to a dead branch was could be used in one way or another. After a short chat and saying his goodbyes, Rak was on his way to the Weaving cross inn. This place actually serves as the towns only hotel, not only is it big it also has the town¡¯s largest restaurant. Often people from town hall would reserve the restaurant for half a day for various occasions. Once Rak arrived he ordered from memory, five minutes passed and the entire meal vanished and so did a good ten coppers from his inventory. Ten copper for a meal is no joke. However his hunger has risen to a solid sixty two percent and will rise for another hour before middling out and eventually begin declining again. With unhurried steps Rak greeted and smiled to all passerbys, as it was nearing noon, more and more people were out and about. Aside from early evening this is the highest volume of people during the day. ¡°Even simple food taste better than cuisines in real life.¡± What people and Rak were slowly learning was that Chaos theory was evolving. Approximately three weeks ago, bread tasted like bland bread. But now even the most basic tier one bread, even failed products, tasted just right. While bread alone is not a grandiose meal, a well cooked meal by an amateur chef has now become a delicacy. Had Rak had an encounter with a women, like Arlina a few weeks ago he would have not been impressed in the slightest, but now occasionally he would reminisce over the encounter. Even the meal he just had, while the meat was overcooked and the vegetables were rather stale, it tasted like a four star meal. ¡°The smell of all these pastries are making me hungry again.¡± After arriving at the brewery, Rak took a look at this fatigue levels. It was still at sixty seven, he nodded, thinking this was more reasonable. ¡°If I can¡¯t even walk around town without draining my fatigue, how would i manage all the traveling I have to do tomorrow.¡± Normally, at the bare minimum, people spend thirty six hours in Chaos theory. It might be more accurate to say that is the required time. Sleep takes up a portion of that, but if a person¡¯s fatigue drops too low they¡¯ll lose consciousness in the world and if they don¡¯t have a bed to sleep in, they¡¯ll be left to the elements. People may rob them and they may even die in the worst case scenario. ¡°I got lunch.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re back already?¡± Olric stretched his back, the sun shining into his eyes. He glanced at the two boys lying asleep next to a bucket of water, he could only shake his head. ¡°Youngsters these days.¡± Hilde didn¡¯t stop, it had been a while since she last felt so useful. In truth, Hilde is only sixty some years old yet has the energy of a forty year old. Her days were rather boring, it didn¡¯t help her husband was very complacent just reading all day. If it wasn¡¯t for uncertain danger, she might start hiking in the nearby woods. ¡°Your son really filled this basket the brim, I fear he¡¯s losing to much on this. How about this, I¡¯ll bring a keg for your son and husband tomorrow.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t.¡± Unlike her son, her words were obviously pleasantries, she liked the way Rak spoke to her and she is happy that her son sent so much, it really gave her a lot face. Every bit of pride in a small town like Alp is valuable. At least that¡¯s the mindset around these parts. ¡°Don¡¯t argue with me, missus Hilde, I won¡¯t be convinced.¡± Hilde laughed gently and continued tending the grain, only a couple of hours and they should be done. ¡°I¡¯ll wake up the boys and we can sit down and eat.¡± Out back behind the brewery a small creek flowed and in accordance to the building plans, a small patio was built with chairs and a table, this was all in consideration of Olric and any future workers at the brewery. Half passed two everything was ready and done, one large barrel container was filled with all the grain they prepared and the water pump just finished meeting the required amount. ¡°Now it¡¯s all you Olric.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± In truth, Olric had to little to do, but he couldn¡¯t step away from the containers for too long, occasionally he¡¯d have to check on and even add small amounts of water or a few grains. All in all it was sort of pointless but the results were all the same, a large quantity of tier one beer. ¡°I¡¯ve got business down at the Withered fox then, and if I can, I¡¯ll head down to Horts and back.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Horts? You got a carriage?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop by town hall and see if one theirs is available.¡± While there are carriage services to help people travel between villages, towns and cities, they are on a semi-fixed schedule and in a town like Alp only Town hall has their own carriage for business purposes. Lending them out for a period is also a way to make some coins. ¡°Town hall will rip you off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they will, but time is coin.¡± ¡°Time is coin. huh, that¡¯s a clever saying.¡± Rak laughed and shook his head, it was easy to forget he was in a simulated world. However, pain, pleasures and time, they are all very real in this world. Even quests were nothing but simple contracts in real life, though much safer. As general contracts in real life cannot be enforced my an all powerful General Artificial Intelligence. After rubbing his calves Rak went out for another walk. It should take him forty some minutes to make it to town hall with his leisurely pace, but he was heading to the Withered Fox, which is on the other side of town. It should take him about an hour and half. ¡°It won¡¯t be long until I can afford a horse a carriage and even a driver.¡± Although Rak was already used to walking everywhere and his stamina had increased, he still felt his muscles ache with every step. As his intentions weren¡¯t simple, Rak was constantly going from one place to another. Halfway through his brisk walk, he was forced to a stop, his notification log was blinking. Majority of the time this meant he completed a quest or gained some experience for completing some event or achievement.
Gained Basic stamina
Nothing else appeared on screen. Rak was more than a little confused, he had never gained an ability like this, in fact he wasn¡¯t sure how to even get an ability. He knew there are a bunch of people out there hunting monsters with magic abilities. Swords that extended for a brief moment or gales so sharp it cut into the thick skins of beasts. Rak navigated to his ability menu, which was usually empty and saw a new passive ability. He further concentrated on it to view its description.
Character
Status
Abilities
Active
Passive
Basic stamina
Increases base stamina by: 98 points Increases stamina recovery by: 4%
Inventory
¡°Is this how you gain abilities? Just walking around is good enough?¡± Thinking back, Rak had never even tried to go out and fight beasts or what have you, the only reason he even left the village he spawned in, was to go to the town Alp. Some towns have things like beast hunting lodges, large butcher¡¯s that need a lot of meat, adventure locations and some towns even have to routinely fight off nearby pests. But all of Rak¡¯s quests have been mundane to the point of trivial. ¡°I might have to ask around about this.¡± Had Rak spent some time in taverns and talked to the more rugged men and women there, he might have gotten an opportunity to join them on a combat oriented quest. While some towns and villages would have issues with the local wildlife or some pests, Alp did not. For Rak to get any combat related quests, he would have to talk to the kinds of people that actively seek that out. He could also try to get introduced to some of the local wild game hunters, but those usually keep to themselves. Talking to Alp¡¯s butcher might lead to such an introduction for example, but the butcher himself will not issue any hunting quests. Ignoring quests, even just walking outside of town, one would find critters, and while small critters like squirrels and rabbits are not much, they can still be hunted for their meat, skins and experience. Of course, this will not gain any reputation within the town, which has always been Rak¡¯s goal. ¡°The Withered fox.¡± Outside of Laughter¡¯s medicine, the Withered fox is the most popular place to drink and eat. The Withered fox stands on the outskirts of town, just beside a cross road leading through the village Cal to Jurne town, which leads to the city Hampter, these are down south. The other two roads from east and west, to the east the village Inte that¡¯s close to a mountain range, a rather dangerous one, but this village would be isolated if not for the only road in and out from it to Alp. the west leads to the village Often which is then connected to the town Yr. As a general rule, no town leads directly to another town, while there are exceptions, there are non around Alp. In addition to this, all towns lead to multiple villages, and all cities leads to multiple towns. Looking at it from a birds eye view, it is a messy net of villages, towns and cities. When taking things like kingdoms and empires into consideration, those are still just a conglomeration of villages, towns and cities. The only exception to this all is the places where the Chaos theory system holds absolute law, in those places there is no government, making it a unique existent. ¡°Even during the day this place is busy.¡± One of the reasons why the Withered fox can contend with the Laughter¡¯s medicine is because of stranger¡¯s traffic. Most merchant, vagrants and any sort of traveller upon entering Alp will at least drop by the Withered fox for a drink and something to eat. The traffic between a town to a village isn¡¯t much, the traffic between a town and another town isn¡ät to much either, even between city to a town isn¡¯t much, but all put together added to the random travellers with no general purpose or some obscure objective, the total becomes respectable. ¡°Abstinence! You¡¯re here already?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t come now, when will I get my meal?¡± ¡°What to you take me for? I, Tril, am a respectable Tavern co-owner.¡± If there is anyone that has managed to get under Rak¡¯s skin in this town, it is this Tril. She and her friend Kodre own this Tavern together, though it can be said that Tril runs it alone. Kodre spends his time writing poems and songs, some of which he forces onto the customers virgin ears. ¡°Enough of the stare Abs, find a seat, I¡¯ll bring you something.¡± With a strong exhalation through the nose, a ¡®hmph¡¯ sound and a fierce glare Rak finally sits down, the tiniest of pout on his lips. Even Rak hasn¡¯t realized how he is acting, just like how he doesn¡¯t notice how polite he becomes when he enters Chaos theory. One has to remember that Rak is anything but a nice person in real life. While not twisted or a degenerate, he can still be somewhat depraved, especially in his pursuit of women. ¡°I really can¡¯t stand the woman.¡± Like a wronged little boy, Rak pouted, using his time to complete the draft of the contract. He is thinking about just giving her thirty percent rather than the forty five he gave Laughter¡¯s medicine. He didn¡¯t. Almost entirely because his favorability within the town keeps growing and has plans to build more production related things. Villages, towns and cities all have their own rules and regulations, these rules are then enforced by various officials. Aside from their own set of rules, there lies the fundamental part of Chaos theory, like why Rak has to earn favorability with the town. He¡¯s not gaining favorability with the people, at least in a way that can be viewed numerically, but the part of the town that is actually a small subset of Chaos theory. Essentially, every action Rak takes can influence his standing in the town. A positive action increases his reputation, a negative decreases it. Then there is the individual reputation, being polite to someone or even bribing them can induce quests that then in turn reward positive reputation with the local town. ¡°Here you go, as promised, on the house of course.¡± ¡°Wait, wait. Where are you going? Aren¡¯t we going to finalize the deal?¡± ¡°In a moment, I¡¯m busy unlike a little vagrant like yourself.¡± ¡°This god damn bitch.¡± Everything from the tone to the disdaining tone in her voice cuts Rak to the bone. He knows she is messing with him, and that she herself is enjoying it. Even though Rak understands she isjust messing about and not being serious he can¡¯t help but feel frustrated. Perhaps if he could see himself and their interaction he¡¯d laugh at himself. ¡°So you¡¯re the aspiring brewer?¡± Majority of the tavern is locals but with so many strangers, it is common for people to be talkative. Rak¡¯s eyes meet with a rather unsavory looking person, even from a table away the stench of alcohol wafts across to Rak. ¡°Brewery owner, I don¡¯t do much of the brewing if any. Got Olric for that.¡± Clearly the person talking to Rak has no idea who Olric is, which isn¡¯t too surprising this is a rather sizeable town and you can¡¯t know everyone by name alone. ¡°Oh. Well Owner or brewer, it¡¯s all the same. I¡¯m something of a connoisseur of the drink.¡± ¡°I bet.¡± The alcohol smell seems to be intensified but it still not enough to cause Rak to feel disgusted, if anything, in a tavern it is expected. ¡°A connoisseur you say? Huh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been traveling from city to city, town to town even from village to village and I don¡¯t leave until I¡¯ve had a least a drink.¡± Smacking his chest the man looks into air to the ceiling and begins reminiscing of good times. ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t suppose you got a map with you then?¡± One of the most difficult things to aquire in Chaos theory is a map, for some bizarre reason, all maps are only large enough to fit in one or two towns and whatever was between. Even if one is lucky enough to find such a map, it wouldn¡¯t hold much descriptive detail. ¡°Of course, how can a man travel without a map?¡± In reality, just moving about filled in a blank slate of a map. Rak¡¯s map is sad to view, other than being a bit detailed around Alp, it was essentially one small circle, a line directly to a larger circle. The smaller circle being the town he spawned in Alp being the larger circle. ¡°Mind if I take a look?¡± ¡°Sure thing, if you let have a taste of that beer of yours.¡±
Give anonymous tavern dweller a taste of Abstinence brewery¡¯s beer. Reward: Map information.
Looking at the quest, Rak sighed inwardly, while it looked like a quest, all in all it was just a request and who knew if this person would hold up his end of the deal? Thinking back, Rak has on numerous occasions gotten a different reward than the one ¡®promised¡¯ on the quest. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be delivering some here tomorrow, I¡¯ll let you drink it right out of the barrel.¡± ¡°Out of the barrel?¡± The man¡¯s eyes are shining, he never thought of drinking beer straight from a barrel, how extravagant. In his heart, this anonymous traveller decided he¡¯d not doctor any of his map information. Even though he is drunk he understands the value of a good map. ¡°You¡¯re not eating?¡± Looking down at the meal on the table and smelling the strong scent of alcohol, Rak lost all his appetite. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose¡­¡± The man did not finishing his sentence to help Rak offer him the meal, this way he wasn¡¯t a beggar, at least in his heart. ¡°Oh, go right ahead, it would be a shame to see it go to waste.¡± ¡°Right, a shame. A damn shame!¡± Without any politeness or hesitation the man began devouring the meat and vegetables. In a flash it was all gone and the plate returned. ¡°Ah! I haven¡¯t had a meal like that in a good while now.¡± ¡°Oh? You short on coin?¡± ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m a veteran herbalist and general know-it-all. How could I lack coin?¡± ¡°But, you just said, actually nevermind.¡± Feeling that it wasn¡¯t worth chasing after this man''s thoughts, Rak put it away and looked towards the bar area, at the moment Tril was talking to two of her employees. As if knowing Rak was looking at her she turned her gaze towards him and smiled a rather mysterious smile. ¡°God damnit, she¡¯s doing this on purpose.¡± ¡°Oh? You fancy the owner? Aie, give it up lad, that women is just trouble.¡± With the voice that can cause rust to appear wood, the anonymous traveller pats Rak on the shoulder and gives him a long sigh. ¡°Let this old man help you, let¡¯s see.¡± Rak felt even more helpless at the situation, but he didn¡¯t correct the man, he felt like any word would be misunderstood and any question would go unanswered. ¡°Look there, that¡¯s a gal for you. She can definitely hold her drink but look at her swaying and the spit when she talks, that¡¯s an easy catch.¡± To say that Rak¡¯s standards for women were high is an understatement and the ¡®woman¡¯ he was being matched with was not only in her fifties, she was almost two time his size in every direction. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can handle someone like her, sir why don¡¯t you snag her up?¡± ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t mind? I never knew such a generous soul.¡± In all honesty, Rak didn¡¯t know what to make of the situation, if the man¡¯s words and expressions weren¡¯t so sincere, he¡¯d think this travelling vagrant was being sarcastic and joking around. This was not the first time Rak met someone eccentric, even just in this small town of Alp there are numerous weird people acting strange. This is strange as in odd or weird not as in suspicious. ¡°When will that little witch come over, I should go over there myself.¡± Tapping his fingers on the semi-dry table Rak stared daggers are Tril, who in turn lifted up one finger as if to say ¡®one moment¡¯. This only served to irritate Rak more. One should know that Rak is a patient man but not necessarily wise or well learned in various social battles. What Rak learned when he was growing up was how to be proper and study to become a business mogul like his father and mother. Of course with wealth he couldn¡¯t help but become a bit perverted and enjoy the power that came with it all. ¡°So sorry to keep you waiting all this time, Abs, I just have really important things going on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Finally we can get this over with.¡± ¡°You see, Kath over there? Katerine, you know Katherine right? See Kath has a little brother whose birthday is in a week and we¡¯ve just been knocking our brains of how to celebrate it.¡± Turning a bit pale, Rak looked into the woman''s eyes, he saw genuine worry and struggle. Never in his life has he been played like this, yet somehow he wasn¡¯t angry only exasperated. ¡°Oh, I see. Well¡± Giving it a moment, Tril watched for Rak¡¯s reaction and saw he was only a bit annoyed and disinterested. Suddenly she huffed and put her hands beneath chest and sat down pouting. ¡°What is with this woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve drafted up the contract.¡± Rak lifted up his hand and pushed it forward lightly in the direction of Tril, the screen holding the contract¡¯s information minimized and sped up towards her. This took less than half a second to occur. ¡°Look it through and let me know if there is any problem.¡± After giving it a cursory glance, still with a rather unsatisfied look, Tril¡¯s eyes suddenly enlarged. ¡°This is forty five percent cheaper than what we currently pay!¡± The look in Tril¡¯s eyes softened and she tapped into the air, this should signify her agreeing to the conditions. And sure enough Rak got a notification saying it was all alright. ¡°Good. then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± Despite everything, Rak was thrilled having the contract signed, in addition he didn¡¯t need to suffer this woman¡¯s antics anymore. While in some ways he was interested in Tril, he couldn¡¯t find it in him to pursue it, it was too strange for him to be in this position. On the way back to the brewery, Rak couldn¡¯t help but think about tomorrow. He suddenly realized he didn¡¯t have any way to actually transport his beer. He could have someone carry it but that would be a bit absurd. Thinking this far, Rak began making his way to town hall, he couldn¡¯t help but scold himself for being unprepared. To Rak¡¯s defence, he had no idea that it would take so little time to produce such great quantities of beer. Even if town hall and the Withered fox were so far apart, he had to walk quite the distance back to the brewery anyway. In addition, he had to see if he could book one of town halls carriages for the day. ¡°Mister Abstinence?¡± ¡°Oh! Just the person I was looking for, Mister town planner Ung.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be overseeing the brewery.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been dealing with the taverns.¡± ¡°Oh? Ah, of course, with your brewery I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll all want a little piece.¡± Rak laughed slightly and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s them doing me a favor, without customers, what will I do? Drink it all myself?¡± Town planner Ung chuckled and waved his and, indicating Rak to follow him inside. Once inside, they navigated to a Ung¡¯s office. While being the town¡¯s planner gave Ung certain powers, due to the unique Chaos theory universe interfering in things, it was still limited. ¡°So what can I help you with, Abstinence. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re building something else?¡± ¡°Not yet, I came to town hall to looking to rent a carriage, I need one for at least a day, even getting one today as well would be great.¡± ¡°A carriage. Hmm.¡± ¡°Right. I need to do some deliveries tomorrow and I¡¯m also planning to visit the local villages.¡± At this point in time Ung put on thoughtful expression. This is one of those situations where indeed he has the power to loan one of the Town¡¯s properties. Not only that, he could loan Rak the carriage driver. One thing Rak hadn¡¯t thought of, was that driving carriage is no easy job, and frankly impossible for him. He could pick it up in a day or two, but for his purposes he¡¯d be best to hire an experienced driver. If this was real life, perhaps he could make due winging it. But this being Chaos theory, abritiratly limitations are everywhere. With these limitations come an advantage as well, to be able to excel at something. For example getting abilities that increase speed, the carry load and other things that would never work in reality. ¡°I suppose we could get this done, but it¡¯ll be costly.¡± ¡°How much are we talking here? I¡¯ve got to make a living, you know.¡± The conversation was still rather light and they were half playing around, but there was still some seriousness in it. After all, Ung couldn¡¯t loan Town¡¯s property for nothing. This is a limitation set by the town¡äs government. Though exception can be made, in general they are kept to. ¡°Seeing as your in a tough spot and you¡¯ve been helping out so much lately I¡¯ll let you have it for ten coppers a day. But unless you¡¯ve got driving carriage experience you¡¯ll have to hire a driver.¡± ¡°Hoh? Do I need an ability to drive a carriage?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but you can also be considered practically useless without it.¡± Ung shook his head, he himself had to move the carriage once and ended up wasting his lunch break. This was three years ago and it still stayed with him, his launch breaks were paid for, he essentially worked through his launch, it was no joke for a government official. ¡°What¡¯s that going to cost me, you reckon?¡± ¡°Shesh. Well, you¡¯ll have to take that up with one of the drivers. I think Forl is out on a job to Hampter so it''s only Iter and Url you can talk to. Url should be in his stables up north, but Iter will probably be at the Laughter¡¯s medicine.¡± Rak felt a cold shiver when the name Laughter¡¯s medicine came up and he resolved to make the trip up north to Url¡¯s house, which is where Url¡¯s stables are built. It is also where the largest flatlands around Alp is located, perfect for keeping horses. ¡°Will I have to fetch Url over then?¡± ¡°Url should have one of the Carriages. We do have three after all and they are of no use without a driver and horse.¡± Ung shook his head thinking about it. This policy of leaving the carriages with the drivers came exactly from that incident three years ago when Ung lost out on his lunch break. ¡°Guess I¡¯m going on another walk.¡± Chapter three: Urls homebrew Looking at Alp, it seemed a bit difficult to find other players beside Rak. The truth is that Chaos theory is astronomically large and people have been split up over hundreds of thousands of countries into millions of villages, towns and cities. And from there these people have wandered about. It can be considered impossible for a human to understand Chaos theories current size. Even when people gather in cities they get buried under the overwhelming cities population, some cities, like empire cities, reaching tens of billions. This doesn¡¯t make it impossible to contact other ¡®real¡¯ people, but it does it make extremely difficult. Even now, with the Devion families wealth, none of their family members or subordinates know were each other are. It is likely they are not even in the same continent. After all, the Chaos theory general intelligence knows what people know each other and may have decided to split them up thoroughly. From this issue, sprouted a different issue, not exactly an issue, perhaps a boon instead. People began cozying up to the dwellers of Chaos theory, after three weeks since humanities forceful introduction to Chaos theory they have spent at least hundred and ninety hours living in Chaos theory¡¯s universe. ¡°This place is like a small zoo.¡± One of the charming things about towns and villages in Chaos theory is the activities the residence take in. One example has already been introduced, Orlic the new head brewer at Absitance brewery. Url has has the hobby of taming beasts. Outside the sizable barn, a medium sized house and a rather large stable is a bunch of miscellaneous animals waddling around. ¡°This is the right place.¡± Rak just glanced at his map, on it was very clearly a marker that says ¡®Url¡¯. Town planner Ung had marked it on Rak¡¯s map, or more precisely shared this piece of information from his own map. ¡°Hello! Is anyone home!¡± There was no way Rak was going to walk through this group of animals, he already didn¡¯t like dogs or cats, these didn¡¯t look any more pleasing to him. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve gone to the Laughter¡¯s medicine instead.¡± After a moment passed and Rak called out once more, a young boy walked out from the barn, his clothing practically screamed he was a farm boy through and through. ¡°Can I help you sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for Url.¡± ¡°You found him.¡± ¡°Oh. Eh. Well, you see, I¡¯m looking to hire you as a driver.¡± ¡°Driver? You from town hall then?¡± ¡°Not exactly, I''ve spoken to town planner Ung and rented the carriage for the next two days.¡± ¡°I see.¡± One of the more irritating things about the people of Chaos theory is that their deep reluctance to do anything for a person they do not know. It is however fortunate that Rak isn¡¯t asking for charity but instead a paying customer. ¡°Two days of work. Today included?¡± ¡°Today included, I need to head to a few of the local towns. I will also need to deliver some beer to the taverns in town as well.¡± ¡°Beer is it? You a merchant?¡± ¡°Something like it, I recently built a brewery in town. The name is Abstinence.¡± ¡°I see. Good to meet you Abstinence, I¡¯m Url.¡± After a brief introduction and expanding on what Rak wants to do, a deal was finally made. It was good that Rak went to Url, it just so happens that the man had some business near a nearby town as well. He has plans to capture some beasts near Inte and one near Hort. ¡°I will fetch the carriage, wait here a moment, best to stay away from the pack. Not that they¡¯re hostile, they aren¡¯t used to being around people other than me and the kid.¡± ¡°No problem, Actually, I¡¯ll wait over there.¡± Nodding at Rak, Url went off to prepare the carriage. Rak went to stand by the end of the property, however he did not escape the scent of manure. ¡°This Url has really gone overboard with collecting all these animals. How does he feed them all?¡± It was a bit troubling for Rak to watch these critters and beasts roam about, he even felt a bit itchy. ¡°What even is that?¡± After staring at one particular creature for a good few minutes, a creaking and the sounds of hoofs stomping emerged and slowly became clearer until Rak was finally woken up from his daze. ¡°Hop on.¡± ¡°Oh. You were quick.¡± ¡°So, where are we going?¡± ¡°We should drop by the brewery before heading to Horst. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll managed too far but if we take this path, we might reach Gorg before heading back to Alp.¡± Rak waved his hands about and pushed it towards Url. Viewing the updated the map, Url nodded and snapped his leash, making the two horses start picking up pace. ¡°I know the route, there''s a bit of a Igorra infestation there but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll me alright, those things don¡¯t care for big creatures like horses.¡± Even though Rak has no idea what an ¡®Igorra¡¯ is, the words beast and infestation caused his skin to crawl. ¡°Should we go straight back from Horst? I¡¯m not sure if it''s worth it, its an abandoned path afterall, it must be abandoned for a reason.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the good of the brewery, Rak wouldn¡¯t be willing to even step out of town, what not going on some sort of road trip to all local villages. Rak had been doubting himself these past weeks, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was worth investing in a town like this rather than a city. The only reason he stuck to a town is because his father, some of his father¡¯s subordinates and his own subordinates had already travelled to a city, and starting up a business there is no easy task. Considering it took him well over forty days just buy a house and build the brewery, the city would be even more difficult. In the end, it was still a gamble on Rak¡¯s part to stay in Alp town. It is indeed more difficult, not only are the quest to gain reputation mountains more difficult, but requirement to be ¡®known¡¯ in a city and a town is worlds apart. This isn¡¯t even the half of it. The value of a property in the city is enough to make a young man grow grey hair, and on top of that, any sort of expenditure from building a business, hiring workers and what not inconsequential.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. One of the most lucrative thing a new arrival in Chaos theory can do, is to train to be carriage driver and purchase, or even build a carriage. After that they can try and investigate the difference in the economy and flip common or rare goods. While a some sixty percent of the ¡®real¡¯ human population has struck out as a combat profession of some sort, a good forty is twiddling their thumbs doing other things. Rak is of course of one such examples. Another thing to note, is that a job a person can take requires some investment of time, people can only gain a job through an instructor or directly through a quest Chaos theory provides through some means like a lost shrine of a forgotten warrior or mage. ¡°Not much for talking this Url.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to travel to the brewery, seeing as he was in a hurry, Rak quickly explained to Orlic what his plans were before jumping back on the carriage and head over to Horst. After approximately two hours it was already early evening and the stun was showing signs of setting. The day in Chaos theory are always exactly as long, there is no deviation. The only difference is the amont of star and moonlight each night. Three days out of every thirty there will no starlight and everything becomes pitch black. Today, the last two days and all the way to two days from now is a ¡®high moon¡¯. This means during the night people can still depend on moon and starlight to walk around during the night. ¡°How long do you think this will take?¡± ¡°Horst is just over that ridge.¡± Rak could see on his map they were just about to arrive, the only reason he asked was to get this man to talk about anything. The trip had been eerily silent, with only Rak asking questions, trying to strike up a conversation while Url gave one word answers. ¡°Will you join me at the local pub? I shouldn¡¯t be long but you can grab a drink at least.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Sighing in his heart, Rak didn¡¯t know how he should feel about this solemn quiet zookeeper. After putting away his thoughts he began thinking about the cost of transportation and how much it would affect his final price. Unlike in Alp, Rak didn¡¯t need to give too much of a discount as the reputation in the village Horst wasn¡¯t something he valued. The land here was almost three times cheaper than in Alp but even then he didn¡¯t have many plans for it. At the end of the day, it is the transportation cost that piles up not the land he builds on. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what they are paying down here, and what kind of product they are getting.¡± To poor villages, ones that mostly sustenance farm and hunt, drinking alcohol can be seen as a luxury, but not unattainable once in a while. While the price might remain high, what happens instead is they buy less frequently but in high quantity. What is weird is that it isn¡¯t difficult to create more than they need and sell it, they just don¡¯t do it. Most laze around doing hobbies with their spare time. ¡°I¡¯ll try and talk them into buying enough for a about a month, I still don¡¯t know how much they go through but this carriage should be able to carry enough.¡± ¡°You know where the tavern is in Horst?¡± ¡°Tavern should be the village center.¡± While some villages are large enough to complete with some towns, most of them are too poor to compare. What ends up happening is that the ¡®village government¡¯ as it were, takes on the common supply issues. This is why most shops in a village are actually a communal shop and can¡¯t really be called a real shop. There are of course exceptions to this as many shops can also be living quarters. ¡°This should be it.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll head in.¡± It was already obvious this was the tavern, while the insides were a bit grander than what a tavern should look like, it was still housing quite a few people. Unlike in the Alp¡¯s tavern, there was not singing or music playing, only people merrily chatting. ¡°Evening mister, are you new in town?¡± Rak had spawned in this village but he only stayed here long enough to pay for his way to Alp, his impact here in the village Horst was minimal. Most villagers knew or at least recognized all adults in the village. ¡°You can say that, I wonder if I could speak to the owner of this, this tavern.¡± ¡°The owner? I guess that would be old Tom, but its Ronald that manages it most of the time.¡± ¡°I see. Where can I find Ronald then?¡± ¡°He¡¯s out back, should I go get him?¡± ¡°Please.¡± After giving the tavern a good look around, he noticed there was no bar area, in its stead was something you¡¯d see in kitchens or buffeys. A larger window like opening in a wall and on the other side of it is a clear view into the kitchen. At this window a couple of people were chatting, presumably waiting for an order or something like it. ¡°Villages really are different from towns.¡± Rak had no interest in drinking, so he had never entered this establishment, most of his time was doing random chores before hitching a ride to Alp. This held true even in Alp. ¡°There is a good few people here and they are all drinking. This looks like the Horseshoe tavern crowd on a slow day.¡± ¡°This is him, Ronald.¡± ¡°Oh, greetings mister Ronald. I am Abstinence, a merchant of sorts.¡± Ronald¡¯s stern eyes gave Rak a rather good look before nodding. ¡°Good to meet you mister Abstinence. You say your a merchant, what do you need?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. I started up a brewery up in Alp, and I¡¯m looking to sell some of the breweries product to you at a fair price.¡± ¡°A brewery.¡± Ronald had a few things running through his head. None of which pertained to the brewery, and yet he took this moment to let his mind wander. It wasn¡¯t until the young man beside him nudged that he woke from his stupor. ¡°Right a brewery. Alright, follow me out back, we¡¯ll talk in my office.¡± After getting into an ¡®office¡¯ which was instead something like a conference room with a large table and three designated areas which would constitute as office space. ¡°First of, how much are you paying for a barrel of tier one beer?¡± ¡°About twenty four copper.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the quality like, does it hold up?¡± Ronald shook his head, the quality would vary depending on who delivered it, often it was siphoned and then watered down a bit. This was even expected and hadn¡¯t changed in the last ten years. ¡°I can promise you eighteen copper a barrel, and guarantee its quality. What do you think?¡± ¡°Eighteen? Really? That sounds a bit too good to be true.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if its too good to be true, I¡¯ve got a contract here to guarantee it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll sign a System contract?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see it, if checks out, we have a deal.¡± Just as expected, Rak didn¡¯t believe he would meet any resistance. In fact, he believed he could just guarantee the quality and offer the same price as the competitor and still they would accept. The only issue was if the competitor had friendly ties with the costumer, it would be hard to convince them even with up to forty some percentage discount. Ten minutes had passed before Url and Rak were on their way to Gorge through a beaten ¡®abandoned¡¯ path. The traffic between Gorg and Horst is practically non-existent, most trafic goes from the town Whor through Horst and into Alp. ¡°You¡¯re looking for some creatures on this path?¡± ¡°If I see them, If I can¡¯t spot them, it¡¯ll be a waste to look for them.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rak has more questions but decided it wasn¡¯t worth it, he found Url to be an unpleasant talker. The words all sounded off, Rak was convinced Url hadn¡¯t spoken as many words as he had farted through his lifetime. ¡°He did say something about an infestation on this path.¡± At this point in time, it is good to remember that Chaos theory does reward advancement through combat, more so than any other aspect of the world. While absurd riches or clever strategies allow one to complete and even excel, it is generally combat that gives the most abundant rewards. Rewards in terms of experience, items generated from slaying anything from a wild critter to somethin ethereal, this includes human humanoids. In addition to this, harvesting the corpses of ¡®carbon¡¯ lifeform results in anything from meat, alchemical materials, rare cooking materials, fur, bones and claws. Outside of carbon lifeforms there are primordials that can result in various materials as well but the harvesting methods differ greatly. Of course everything can be learned, but not everyone has the time, and in some cases, not the talent. ¡°Looks like Igorra tracks.¡± ¡°Igorra.¡± ¡°What exactly are Igorras?¡± Url can¡¯t help but give Rak a good hard look. He hadn¡¯t expected Rak to be this useless, not even knowing the local wildlife, not even a common pest like Igorra. ¡°A four legged omnivore that eats just about anything with a pulse.¡± Again Url shook his head when he saw Rak¡¯s face go pale, he hadn¡¯t expected he was with some wet behind the ear rookie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the Igorras they might be pack animals, but you should manage a group of three to five of them. Worst case I¡¯ll take them all down. They aren¡¯t good for eating but their claws and bones make for good arrows.¡± ¡°Take them on? Forget it.¡± Seeing Rak nod at thim, Url shook his head again and sighed deeply in his heart. In truth Url doesn¡¯t care for people but he has no aversion to them. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t run into their nest or mating ritual, they probably won¡¯t even bother with us.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Rak was unable to take his eyes off the surroundings, every blade of grass moved by the wind was suspicious now. In the height of his paranoia, time went slowly for Rak. The carriage still made decent speed, the road still not in too bad of a shape. ¡°Hooh there. Hoh there. Easy girls.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You smell that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That muddy smell.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I can smell it.¡± ¡°Most likely, that means somewhere upwind there is an Igorra mating ritual. If we barge in on them, we¡¯ll either have to take off or fight them.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t fight them right?¡± ¡°We can. A mating ritual makes them more aggressive but its not as bad as stumbling upon their nest, and depending on our timing, only a portion of them might bother with us.¡± Url didn¡¯t bother to explain why or how the Igorra mated and why only a portion might notice them. Instead he fished out an old rusty container, popped the lid of and took a good drink. ¡°Here, this¡¯ll help you find bravery.¡± Usually Rak wouldn¡¯t hesitate to go along with what town folk asked him to do, but this was a bit too much. ¡°Come on! It¡¯ll calm your nerves.¡± It is unlike Rak to feel pressure like he is now, but his understanding of Url and the sudden change in atmosphere has Rak doubting himself. After receiving the container Rak directly mimicked Url¡¯s previous swig, and the burning liquid scorched down his throat. ¡°Uaaaaah! That¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll make a man out of you.¡± This was the first time Rak drank any strong alcohol in Chaos theory, and he was no stranger to stiff alcohol in the real world, but it was as if this particular drink was brewed to feel this incredibly hot and spicy. Rak noticed his notification log was highlighted, indicating something of note had occurred. He willed the window to pop up in front of him.
Url¡¯s homebrew has caused your senses to heighten for a short period. Url¡¯s homebrew has increased all attributes by 3%
¡°He brewed this devil drink?¡± Just as the notification said, he felt his senses heighten, the smell of mud became more distinct, he felt he could hear the carriage a bit better and even his sight seemed to have improved. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too powerful?¡± As Rak basked in this new sensation, the carriage continued its march toward Gorg at a good pace, if they managed to dodge the Igorra rut, they¡¯ll make it well before late evening. Best case scenario, they¡¯ll be back in Alp within three to four hours. Chapter four: Static ability No matter how Rak hoped and tried to will these Igorras away, eventually he saw movements on the ground. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look to bad, strange that they are so close to the road.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Got a weapon?¡± ¡°No.¡° This time around Url didn¡¯t hide his disappointment and gave Rak a disdainful look. With great reluctance he fished out an item and handed it to Rak. ¡°Get ready.¡±
Received Url¡¯s spare spear
Url¡¯s spare spear
Damage 15 23
Attack speed 1 1
Durability 25 22
Url¡¯s hunting thrust
Cooldown 10s
Energy 5
Damage 115%
¡°Url¡¯s hunting thrust is a simple maneuver that has a piercing effect and is adequate to tackle low level creatures.¡±
This is the first weapon Rak has come across, excluding simple blades used for cooking or harvesting utensils. Not only that, the weapon has an ability imbued in it. The only other way to get such abilities is by completing a ¡®job¡¯ or ¡®class¡¯ quest. ¡°Huh?¡± Outside of burning anxiety, surprise bloomed in Rak¡¯s heart. These Igorras are not even the size his head and they look rather harmless. ¡°I¡¯ll try and keep the course, jab at them if they get close, careful not to fall off the carriage.¡± One of the reasons Url wasn¡¯t worried in the least, was because they still had the horses and the carriage. These Igorras are not smart animals and will attack the wheels or try to leap onto the carriage. Only they can¡¯t jump so high and they can¡¯t really do significant damage through impact alone. They are never considered dangerous as much as they are considered pests. ¡°One of them is coming, Url.¡± ¡°Stab it.¡± Rak was unwilling to feel frightened at such a small furry animal, even though there were plenty of them and their muddied appearance made them somewhat scarier than their usual appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t be little chicken shit Rak, just use the ability.¡± A slight glow appeared on the spear before a feint image of the spear shot towards the targeted beast. The image pierced through it and into the ground behind it. The number fifteen floated above the creature for a moment before fading away. ¡°Eh?¡± In truth, Igorras are the type of animal even children are capable of dealing with. In most villages there will be some sort of pest like the Igorras that a beginner like Rak would be tasked to deal with. ¡°It died just like that?¡± ¡°There are more of them coming.¡± Rak found courage after seeing the creature fall instantly and steadied his hand, ignoring the notification he just recieved. ¡°How dare they scare me like that.¡± After a moment''s thought Rak became a bit arrogant, blowing air out of his nose and grunting he let the spear pierce forward. Unlike before this is just a simple thrust, relying on Rak¡¯s strength and finesse. ¡°What?¡± Looking to Url for an answer what he saw was another disdainful gaze and he could practically hear the words, ¡°you can only do this much damage?¡± ¡°Shit.¡± The number seven flew above the little Igorra¡¯s head. Leaving it with just a sliver of its total of eleven health. It also got knocked back and could barely stand, it no longer chased and instead whined desperately. ¡°Is the spear supposed to do at least fifteen damage?¡± Understandably, Rak is confused. The spear does indeed possess the capabilities of bolstering Rak¡¯s attacks but most of it depends on him executing the attack properly, his attributes and also on the creatures defensive capabilities. Feeling indignant, Rak put more effort into his next thrust, and was elated to see the number eleven rise up. He glanced at Url victoriously as the creature had died in one hit. But what he met with was a face of indifference. Everytime Rak used the spear¡¯s ability, a creature died, and every third of his own thrusts managed to kill one of the chasing Igorras. All in all it was abysmal performance but still adequate due to the crying Igorras which stalled quite a few of them, who tended the wounded beasts. ¡°They should stop chasing us in a moment.¡± A moment passed and indeed the Igorras turned tail and ran back. Url¡¯s knowledge of local wildlife can¡¯t be called insignificant. In general, all creatures have a range in which they stay, some can be tens of kilometers while others are just tens of meters. Even though Rak¡¯s performance was lackluster, Url¡¯s impression of him went a bit up. From what Url understands, Rak is some type of merchant that doesn¡¯t even carry a weapon, and yet managed to kill well over ten Igorras on his first try. ¡°This your first time hunting?¡± ¡°This can be considered hunting?¡± ¡°Yes, first time holding a spear as well.¡± ¡°That reminds me, hand it back.¡± To Rak¡äs dismay, Url never intended to give away the spear. If it wasn¡¯t for Url himself having plans of his own, he would¡¯ve went out in the field and slaughtered those Igorras himself. ¡°I wonder if I can get him to sell it to me.¡± After experiencing the feeling of combat, a weird one on a carriage combat, but combat nonetheless. Rak felt it wasn¡¯t too bad and that maybe he should try some casual hunting of his own once one or two his startups could run themselves. One of the key aspects of becoming a ¡®startup¡¯ guy was to make sure everything ran by itself, and that he¡¯d only have to check and balance some expenditures versus a final income. This not the best or most perfect way to assure the success of a business but it allows him to focus on many different businesses. ¡°Woah. Shhhhh, easy girls. Easy now girls.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°See over there?¡± ¡°Eh? No?¡± ¡°By the creek, by those stalks of river cane.¡± Along the creak there are large patches of river cane, its texture green at parts and yellow at others, most of the time, a blend of both. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Those green and white bamboo looking things?¡± Url ignored Rak¡¯s question and just handed the reins to the carriage to him. ¡°Hold this, If I¡¯m lucky I¡¯ll only be ten or fifteen minutes.¡± Helpless, Rak sat there limply holding onto the reins. He saw Url slowly go out of focus, which was bizarre, and before he knew what happened he couldn¡¯t see Url anymore. ¡°How the hell did he do that?¡± Unlike more nefarious professions or those arcane ones, the hunter is closer to the druid in its stealth. The hunter¡¯s stealth is more in alignment with its environment and makes it easier to mask his scent, allowing him to walk from up wind of some animals. This doesn¡¯t mean that his scent vanishes, but that it becomes something neutral, something animals do not have any developed senses to be alert against. ¡°He¡¯s done?¡± Url¡¯s figure blurs back into vision by the river cane, in his hand a small green and yellow animal that¡¯s struggling to no avail. ¡°Alright, I need to subdue it, so you get us going.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lift the reins and slightly whip them down.¡± Unwilling to take another of Url¡¯s disdainful looks, Rak lifted the reins and snapped them down. The two horses neighed and looked back, their eyes filled with questions. Due the nature of Chaos theory, not anyone could just command a carriage like that. ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Do it again but a little bit faster.¡± After numerous attempts the two horses reluctantly began walking forward at a snail like pace. But to Rak this was a major improvement, he no longer saw those horses look back at him with questions that he felt were more like them mocking him. ¡°It worked!¡± ¡°Good, now do the same thing twice in succession.¡± Feeling confident, Rak whipped the rains two times. To his dismay the two horses immediately stopped moving and looked back. Rak frowned deeply and he became a bit pale. ¡°Am I moving backwards? Why did they stop.¡± ¡°Alright start from the beginning. Whip the reins once and then two times.¡± Rak didn¡¯t turn back, in the carriage Url was doing something to subdue the river cane animal, Rak had no idea what he was doing and focused on the carriage. A more experienced carriage driver could make the animals go to whatever speed they were capable of with a simple motion, and yet here Rak was struggling to get them moving to a even a jogging pace. ¡°I¡¯ll be here til nightfall.¡± A rough hour of whipping the reins and countless bewildered looks from the horses has made Rak numb and his forearms weak. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Good job.¡± An immense feeling of pride and accomplishment is washing over Rak, a degree of which he has never felt before. Not when he started up his first business, not when the finished school, not when he lost his virginity, not ever has he felt like he really worked for something as hard. If he had a phone on him, he¡¯d call his father and tell him about this excitedly. ¡°Alright, the girls should do most of the work, but make sure they don¡¯t veer of the road, it¡¯ll be a hassle if the carriage gets stuck in the loose and wet dirt.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± It was to Rak¡¯s fortune that the original path between the two villages was built to be wide enough for two carriages to drive side by side, as his driving has him swerving left and right constantly. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it go straight?¡± Seeing as Url wasn¡¯t making any comments Rak could only continue to keep the carriage straight. At least the horses were moving at a good pace, not nearly as fast as when Url was driving but this much speed is already a huge accomplishment for Rak. ¡°That should do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re done taming it?¡± ¡°No, I just subdued it so I would be able to tame it later.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The usual uninterested voice coming from Url was a bit more outspoken after subduing the river cane animal. ¡°If you don¡¯t subdue the animal after you capture it, it will much more difficult to have it get used to you later on. Unless you¡¯re breeding war animals, this is something you have to do.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rak shook his head in his heart, he was already used to people in Chaos theory talk about things in such a way. He took it to be an esoteric thing at first and later realized it was just that Chaos theory is still a virtual world with its own means of teaching things to people. ¡°You want the reins?¡± ¡°You got novice carriage driver yet?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Consider it a gift, I¡¯ll help you get your novice.¡± Rak was a bit confused for a moment before sudden clarity hit him. There are no horse riding instructors in town or carriage drivers for that matter. But what he didn¡¯t know is that Url has expended a lot of effort hunting that river cane beast and then subdue it. In truth, Url is just exhausted. It should have been about an hour or two to Gorg from Horst but it took Rak, with Url¡¯s occasional instructions, three and a half to get there. Just outside Gorg, Rak received a notification which made his eyes light up like torches in the night.
Gained novice horse rider Gained novice horse carriage driver
While the passive abilities he just gained are exclusive to horses, it will not take too long before they become generalized to all beasts in the same size category as horses.
Character
Status
Abilities
Active
Passive
Basic stamina
novice horse rider
While riding horses, maneuverability is increased by 15% While riding horses, movement speed is increased by 10%
novice horse carriage driver
While driving horse carriage, maneuverability is increased by 10% While driving a horse carriage, movement speed is increased by 5%
Inventory
Already Rak can feel his control over the carriage become easier, the things he tried to do came a bit easier and he saw horses sped up a bit. ¡°You got novice rider then?¡± ¡°Yes! And novice horse carriage driver¡± ¡°Of course, a carriage driver can¡¯t be learned without the other.¡± Had Rak already learned to be a novice rider, he would have had a much easier time becoming a novice carriage driver. Not only that, if he hadn¡¯t had Url giving him instructions for approximately two hours, it may have taken more than two days to achieve this much. While this skill is not priceless, and not even that difficult to attain, it can still take considerable time and for people at this stage in time it can be considered expensive. ¡°Alright, give me the reins. We¡¯ve wasted enough time.¡± After reluctantly giving away the reins, Url and Rak quickly found the village ¡®centre¡¯ hower due to the time, it was already filled to the brim with outgoing villagers. ¡°Will you come in this time? Grab something to drink, maybe something to eat?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait here and keep the girls company.¡± Rak could only enter the lively village centre by himself. Upon entering the heavy air was the first thing to hit him and then the numerous gazes on him which made his skin crawl. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Wit¡¯s kid?¡± ¡°Wit¡¯s kid is eleven.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°How is that an eleven year old?¡± ¡°What do you know? Kids grow up so fast these days.¡± ¡°Alright, you should slow down on the drinking.¡± Various conversations began sprouting up but eventually most of them went back to their own little worlds. Rak went straight to the kitchen entrance, like in Horst there is a window showing the insides of the kitchen, only a tad smaller. ¡°Oh? Good eve, mister?¡± ¡°Abstinence.¡± Rak had already resigned himself to the nickname he chose for himself, seeing as contracts would use that name without consulting him. ¡°How can I help mister Abstinence?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for the owner.¡± ¡°The owner. Uh. I guess the village head is the owner. But Klaus manages the the village centre.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to meet Klaus then.¡± ¡°He¡¯s over there.¡± The working village bar maid pointed to a table with three men chatting enthusiastically while partaking in the bar¡¯s finest ale. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The one with the rusty beard.¡± ¡°The bald one?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like to be called balled.¡± Rak gave the barmaid a knowing look and went to seek Klaus. ¡°Not too surprising.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act so big, you¡¯ve never faced Igorras that big.¡± ¡°Enough with your giant Igorras, who hasn¡¯t hunted Igorras before?¡± Listening to the three men bicker Rak felt a bit awkward. He was already standing just by the table but the men were really into their nonsense. It wasn¡¯t until someone bottomed out their large mug and searched for the barmaid that one of them noticed Rak standing there. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°This young boy.¡± ¡°Oh. Is it Murfie¡¯s kid?¡± ¡°Oh Murfie¡¯s kid?¡± ¡°Ah. Ko-. No Can? Murfie Can.¡± ¡°Ah! Of course little Murfie Can.¡± ¡°What do you need little Can?¡± Rak felt sweat roll down his back and he was thinking about abandoning his plans and come back at another time. ¡°Well spit it out then. What¡¯s he standing there all quiet like?¡± ¡°Probably shy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s mute!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Murfie Can, I¡¯m Abstinence and I need to talk to Klaus for a few minutes.¡± ¡°What business do you have with Klaus?¡± ¡°Whatever business you have with Klaus is directly related to us.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you speaking? How is my business any of you two idiots business?¡± After a harrowing struggle, Rak finally managed to peel Klaus from the wretched hands of those two older men. Even as they walked away towards the kitchen¡¯s door, he could hear them hollering to not keep secrets from his friends. ¡°Mister Klaus, I am mister Abstinence and I have recently set up a brewery in Alp Town.¡± ¡°A brewery?¡± ¡°Abstinence brewery. And I want to offer you the same deal I offered the guys down in Horst.¡± Just like in Horst, it didn¡¯t take much convincing to settle on a contract. Rak finalized the deal after a sober assistant of Klaus ran her eyes over the deal. This assistant is the same barmaid spoke to earlier. Once the deal was done, Rak quickly went outside and jumped on the carriage. No words needed to be said, Url snapped the reins and the carriage took of running. Their speed enough to make Rak feel his head pull back. ¡°It can go this fast?¡± Url decided he¡¯d go their fastest maintainable pace, considering his girls needed the exercise anyway and they¡¯d get a good reward afterwards. Just like anything else, these horses need to train to become stronger. In Url¡¯s fashion he didn¡¯t say anything useless and only focused on the path. The illuminating star brilliance made everything look rather desolate but beautiful nonetheless. ¡°This isn''t too bad.¡± Finally getting some time to relax, Rak leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment before checking his status.
Character
Status
Constitution: 87/100%
Fatigue: 52/100%
Hunger: 15/100%
Clarity: 74/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°My fatigue really dropped during the hunting. Looks like people who fight need to do more than just buy a house and a bed.¡± There are endless ways to manipulate various statuses, but fatigue is the most cumbersome in Rak¡¯s current position. There are also multiple ways to increase the numerical value of each status, constitution and stamina being the easiest. ¡°I need something to eat when we get back to Alp.¡± The rest of the journey back to Alp was filled with silence. At a few points Rak wanted to strike up a conversation with Url but then remembered that Url¡¯s responses were dry and left one exasperated. What Rak didn¡¯t know, was that Url¡äs impression of Rak was increasing specifically because Rak wasn¡¯t talking. Url enjoyed the galloping of his horses and the bright star brilliance. He didn¡¯t mind having Rak accompanying him on this ride. After arriving back in town, they drove by the brewery but seeing that there was no movement, Rak assumed correctly that Olric went home for the night. So Rak had Url drop him off at the nearest tavern, the Horseshoe inn to get something substantial to eat. Unlike villages, the town offered more services this late during the evening but not that many. The taverns and two restaurants were currently open. Two of these restaurants are far enough away that Rak didn¡¯t consider them. The rowdiness of the the horseshoe Inn can¡¯t be compared to those village centers. But nonetheless Rak strode in, ordered a large meal and asked to take it with him. Rak was given a plate asked to return the plate tomorrow. ¡°Can¡¯t even get proper take-away.¡± After eating like a wolf on his deathbed, Rak returned the dish indignantly and began walking back to house. ¡°This world really needs the internet.¡± Upon entering his house Rak directly removed his clothes and went into bed. He selected the option to sleep for nine hours. According to his bed¡¯s information that¡¯s maximum efficiency of the bed and fatigue will no longer build up and only be maintained. With Rak¡¯s current fatigue he can only reach sixty seven percent. The bed can fill fatigue by exactly fifteen percent by itself. Other effects can be stacked to increase it further. People who seek sustainable fatigue are people who do not want to return to the real world. Rak should not be one of these people. He did however enjoy the benefits of being ¡®rested¡¯. Chapter five: Day twenty three
Abstinence brewery produced 35000 litres of tier one beer Reward: 35000 brewery experience
Rak stood by his bed a bit befuddled. Since he just woke up the gears were not running right and he thought he read that he just received thirty five thousand experience. After a short silence things began ticking and everything became a lot clearer. He brought up his brewery information, it is neatly located in his ¡®inventory¡¯ next to his house and other miscellaneous things like his bed. Of course these things are not actually transportable and are not physically there. ¡°This seems strange. It¡¯s halfway leveled?¡± The green bar under his brewery icon was green but only reaching the middle. Previously he had no idea that his brewery had the ability to grow in this way, he had thought it may be possible to build it up further but not actually gain experience. ¡°What happens if it levels up?¡± Rak tried to concentrate on the brewery icon in his inventory and a blank window popped up.
Abstinence brewery
Location: Alp town Owner: Abstinence
He had already seen this information and it has not changed since. ¡°Nothing? I should ask Town planner Ung about this.¡± While he was curious, Rak knows he will have to research this, seeing as he had to go through town hall to build the brewery, it is likely they¡¯ll have answers. Even in the real world on websites dedicated to various Chaos theory information, he¡¯d struggled to find anything related to building experience, as not many have accomplished what Rak has. ¡°Fatigue is still acceptable. But why is my constitution 90?¡±
Character
Status
Constitution: 90/100%
Fatigue: 67/100%
Hunger: 30/100%
Clarity: 68/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
After staring a the status window for a moment he saw the clarity percentage rise by one percent. Clarity, like stamina, is a very fleeting status and is prone to dip fast and recover just as fast, though unlike stamina, clarity has a soft cap that isn¡¯t self explanatory. ¡°I should get going. Url should arrive at the brewery in less than an hour. Hopefully we can get the first batch ready before then.¡± Clothes miraculously appeared on Rak and he stepped outside his small house. The air seems a bit light today, every breath caused Rak to feel refreshed. It was only here in Chaos theory that Rak could simply stand around and enjoy breathing in the air. Arriving at the Brewery, Rak is bet with Olric who is inspecting thirty some barrels. There is a large cork closing the top of the barrel and on its bottom is a place where a faucet can be inserted to poor the beer. ¡°Rak, your here.¡± ¡°You filled the barrels already? How much do these hold?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t filled them, they just arrived from town hall.¡± Due to certain constrictions, it is possible to buy various tools from the Chaos theory system but it is hidden behind some arbitrary restrictions. These restrictions are very much the restrictions Rak had to get through to get town hall to authorize and finally build his brewery. ¡°Huh. They work quick. I count thirty five barrels. Is that enough?¡± ¡°Ye. Each can hold one thousand litres.¡± Rak¡¯s expression isn¡¯t showing surprise as he expected something like it, but anyone who isn¡¯t knowledgeable about Chaos theory in general would find this strange as these barrels, at a glance, would look like they can at most be capable of containing about hundred litres at best. ¡°How much do they weigh? I think we can only carry roughly two tons on the carriage.¡± ¡°They are about a hundred kilos each. But you will only be able to carry ten on the carriage, due to their dimensions.¡± ¡°Looks like it. It¡¯s still better than what I expected.¡± In real life Rak can maybe lift eighty kilograms if they are weights, but a eighty kilogram barrel is difficult to manage. ¡°With the first three deliveries I¡¯ll easily afford another carriage, I need to visit Often, Inte and Cal. Cal is on the way to Hampter but the distance between the two is still considerable.¡± The distance between a town and a village is not too far but still enough to make people hesitant about walking between the two. The distance between a town and a city however is far further. It can take a person up to two days of traveling near constantly with a carriage to reach a city. The shortest distance between Alp town and the city Hampter is through the village Cal and the town Jurne. Traveling to Jurne town from Alp town can be done in a days time but going from Jurne to Hampter will take almost three days. The travel time can be shortened with better than average horses or other modes of transportation. ¡°I should try and get some sort of position in town hall. Or at least get access to what town in Chaos theory can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to begin filling the barrels.¡± Rak didn¡¯t need to do anything so after watching Olric fill two barrels and somehow have the strength to move them out front with relative ease he sat down the brewery.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Having a business up and running really is a satisfying feeling.¡± Once Rak has set up all contracts with various taverns or any business selling something similar to tier one beer, he¡¯ll have practically no need to even bother with the business as it¡¯ll manage itself. There is a chance that Olric will swindle some beer, make some mistakes and what not, but in general Rak will have little to do. ¡°Url! You¡¯re here.¡± Url felt that him and Rak already knew each other well enough so he only nodded and gave him what could almost count as a smile. ¡°Here.¡± After giving Url his quest, meaning where and what to deliver to who and how much each thing cost, Url jumped off the carriage and began loading the carriage with the filled up barrels, he does it with far more ease than Olric. ¡°With this I can relax a bit and let things run themselves. Hopefully I can rent another carriage for today, get myself to the last three surrounding villages and wrap this up.¡± While Rak could also go to neighbouring towns and try and sell his tier one beer, they wouldn¡¯t be getting the great deal he¡¯s giving to the nearby villages. Mostly due to the travel cost. With less incentive to switch providers, Rak may need to actually get to know the owners in those towns. Instead of doing that, Rak felt it made more sense to hire someone to negotiate with the breweries customers in the long term. Currently Olric only has to work a few days out of the week to keep up production, but he¡¯s not an ideal candidate for business deals. ¡°Will town hall have anyone to recommend?¡± Having done his ¡®work¡¯ Rak began walking towards town hall, planning to grab something to eat on the way. While he only has a few coppers to his name right now, the coin should come in steadily after today. Currently in Chaos theory, very few people have done something like Rak has, and even fewer are successful at what they doing. This is in relation to setting up some sort of shop or having a building built within a town, village or even city. However, all things considered, Rak spent near straight two weeks doing little other than gaining the privilege to build his brewery. While he still in some debt, it only amounts to forty three silvers, which he can pay over next three months. Originally, Rak accumulated one gold and thirty six silvers before buying his house and brewery, casting him hundred and twenty silver and took a forty three silver loan from town hall, but more accurately, the Chaos theory system that is ¡®managed¡¯ by town hall. In truth, owning over a gold after three weeks since Chaos theory released is a type of accomplishment but not too uncommon. Spending that accumulated piece of gold on real estate in some random town however is astronomically rare. Everything has to be considered in relative terms. One gold may be a towering sum today but a year from now, gold may be something people spend on leisure activities. This however assumes that people have a constant increase in income, which is a fair assumption. After ravenously eating his fill, Rak¡¯s coffers were even lighter but in no way did he feel bad about it. Rak¡¯s mind that had originally been spinning about a thousands of things related to the brewery, finally relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s really done.¡± The stroll to town hall is calm, this early in the morning there aren¡¯t too many people walking about. Rak¡¯s thoughts eventually settle, he wants to go back to reality and tell his father of his success, but beyond that, he wants to plan his next venture, whatever it may be. ¡°Should I talk to Url about being a hunter? He might be some sort of animal rearer. Is there any profit in animal rearing like that?¡± Ideas are beginning to form, from setting up a chain of restaurants to his own carriage company, all things have to be considered. The walk went by in a flash and a slight smile can be seen hanging on Rak¡¯s confident face. ¡°No rush, I should take a few days to relax, completely finalize the brewery contracts.¡± Still to this day, no person in the real world has revealed that they have gained a job. Job being an occupation like a butcher, brewer, fighter of some sort or an explorer and so on. Because people just don¡¯t know these jobs exist, they won¡¯t try to look for them. It may be worth noting that while a job is a lifetime sort of thing, it is entirely possible to have multiple jobs. And each job can go down a rabbit hole of specializations, these specializations can come with restrictions making other specializations in the respective job field unavailable. This isn¡¯t too complex, a mage specializing in something like frost magic may become restricted from taking up fire related specializations. This does not mean they cannot learn fire spells, only that they cannot gain the benefits of going into fire specializations jobs. We can take Rak as an example. Let¡¯s say Rak finds a quest through some extraordinary circumstance that leads him into being a mage. Rak¡¯s level as a mage will be level zero. Once Rak accumulates levels, he might find a quest that leads him into become a frost mage, his level as a mage will vanish and he¡¯ll become a level zero frost mage. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± Entering town hall, Rak is met with quite a few familiar faces and is quickly directed towards town planner Ung¡¯s office. While the town isn¡¯t too small, the social pool around town hall can be considered somewhat tight knit. ¡°Oh! If it isn¡¯t the local brewer.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ung.¡± ¡°Morning. So what brings in today?¡± ¡°Well I was hoping you would rent me the other carriage.¡± ¡°You need another one? Can It be your brewery is producing so much beer that you need two carriages?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Rak laughed lightly and shook his head. ¡°I need to make a trip to three local villages and Url is already busy with delivering our current supply.¡± ¡°I see. Usually I wouldn¡¯t fuss and loan you it right away, but as per protocol, we need to have one carriage ready in case of emergency.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all bad news, I can get you to Inte and back today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. We got business with Inte, we aren¡¯t supposed to send them supplies for two days, but we can send them tonight.¡± After going through some details, everything was cleared up. Usually Rak would be able to rent the last carriage but with town hall needing in two days time, protocol says they can¡¯t risk Rak not returning it on time. Incidentally, Alp has a contract with Inte to supply them with various things. Almost everything from food to weapons and other survival supplies. Inte is town very close to the mountain range had has an active adventurer population. They still have some farmers, but mostly the town lives on the meat they hunt. The mountain range is one of the areas where no ¡®civilization¡¯ lives. There may be tribes or hidden villages beyond the mountains or deep within the forest, but none that known to the public. Currently, only villages are located near these forests are they can pose a threat to even city. It might be odd that a village is near a forest that poses a threat to a city, but this how these things are. Actually, Alp is very close to Inte, closer than it is to Horst, Often and Cal. It is so close that on a high enough hill, it is easy to make out the village. The mountain and forest are however masked by thick white fog. One of the reasons, Inte can afford to have Alp send them supplies like this, is because they are wealthier than Alp. It¡¯s not obvious at a glance, but their hunting culture and frequent adventuring can create considerable wealth. People are also far stronger there on average. Alp town has numerous businesses but none of which import goods, not until Abstinence brewery. But what the do have is a greater ¡®government¡¯. This seems a bit odd, but the distinction between a town and a village, isn¡¯t number of residents, but the degree of Chaos theory government system in place. Not many towns have many active hunter or adventurers. Cities may have a lot of powerful people, but these people will not be hunting just outside the city walls. People have to go where there is something worth hunting. Such locations are areas like the endless mountain range, the one Inte is at the root of. What cities usually have is very fertile nearby lands, something like a grand river connecting it to other cities, strict connection to nearby towns and villages or they have something like Hampter, an underground cavern that is classified as a tier one dungeon. Dungeons are places generally infested with creatures of some sort. Hampter also has a grand river which connects it to both Ipan and Yiest. These are two grand cities that also have a version of a tier one dungeon. They are all also rather independent from local towns and villages, and only require a portion of the food the farmers of these cities provide. Quite a few people seek out a city just for their famous dungeon grounds. With plenty of people to team up with, it can be easy to settle down in this world, especially for foreigners like Rak and other people from Earth. ¡°So. Why does Inte need all these weapons then?¡± Town planner Ung could only frown slightly and shake his head. ¡°Self defence is a part of it. After all, they are at the root of the Endless mountain range, sometimes beast roam randomly into the village, sometimes it''s a herd and they can even experience a flood of beasts.¡± ¡°Really? Why would they live in such a place?¡± ¡°It''s a bunch of maniac, thats why. They even venture into the woods regularly to explore. What¡¯s there to be found out in the forest?¡± ¡°Humm.¡± ¡°You know. There are more people in Inte than in Alp, even though the village is a bit smaller than Alp, they can easily contest with a town.¡± ¡°How are they still considered a village then?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know this? Ah I guess it makes sense, you¡¯re not a government employee after all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Its like this, Alp is a town because our government system is tier two. Inte¡¯s government system is tier one. And cities like Hampter are tier three.¡± ¡°Oh? Can you tell me about it?¡± ¡°I can give you the gist, but if you want to study it I can give you access to town hall¡¯s library.¡± ¡°Oh you have a library? Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I hiding it from you.¡± Town planner Ung laughed and waved his hand about before pushing his open palm towards Rak.
Alp¡¯s library card
Access tier: guest
¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±
Contract fulfilled with Arlina Medin Reward: 10000 copper coins Reward: 800 experience
After chatting for a bit Ung and Rak went off to Laughter medicine. Rak decided to treat Ung to a meal, even tho its not even ten yet. He is doing this because he just got a notification. They shaved their talk from earlier due to Rak receiving the notification Ten thousand copper coins is a hundred silver coins or one gold coin. This is after selling whole five barrels of tier one beer. Five barrels filled to the brim are five thousand litres. Arlina is paying twenty coppers per ten litres. Entering Laughter¡¯s medicine, Rak was met with the refreshing smile of Savan, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel blush, but she was in much better shape than after yesterday''s incident. After taking their seats and ordering some of the more expensive dishes and drinks, Rak turned to Town planner Ung. ¡°Ung, my friend, I¡¯m interested in the government system.¡± ¡°I never expected you to be interested in bureaucracy.¡± Chapter six: The famous founder ¡°Alright, settle in then, this will be a mouthful or two.¡± ¡°Got it. Go on.¡± While it is no grand secret how the Chaos theory government system works, it can¡¯t be explained in a sentence or two. ¡°Like I told you earlier, villages are what you call tier one government. But what I didn¡¯t mention is that untiered government is called a settlement. Not any random gathering of people in some location is a settlement.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°To create a settlement you need to directly interface with the Chaos theory system.¡± ¡°How do you mean?¡± ¡°Without having an settlement order, you can¡¯t really do it. But it¡¯s a lot like your brewery building order.¡± ¡°Oh! Right. So a settlement is a building of some sort?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a sizeable building, but smaller than a village centre.¡± Ung took a moment to take sip of his cup. In the cup is strong distilled alcohol mixed with a few herbs and some fruit cider. The drink itself costs and entire piece of silver, an extravagant sum. ¡°In theory, you can get a settlement order from dungeons but most of them are fabricated by cities.¡± ¡°So I can get one from Hampter city?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Well, look at it this way, it took you some effort to build your fine brewery.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Building a settlement is a bit like it, but the effort is multiplied and so is the cost. And even then, there are strings attached to settlement orders fabricated in cities.¡± ¡°What kind of strings? They want tax money?¡± ¡°Mainly, yes. Actually most villages and towns are under the ¡®govern¡¯ of a city, we¡¯re naturally under Hampter and fifteen percent of any earnings go to them.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯d be one of few that feels that way, most would feel a bit drowsy at this point.¡± Both Ung and Rak let out a hearty chuck before leaning back because Savan is here with their meal.¡± ¡°Thank you Savan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome mister Abstinence.¡± ¡°Why is my little Savan so flustered?¡± Unwilling to answer Ung¡¯s question, Savan quickly skittered behind the bar and disappeared to the back room. ¡°She¡¯s energetic today. Don¡¯t you think Abstinence?¡± ¡°She sure is. I wonder where her mother is, I was hoping to celebrate with her as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Arlina is busy managing things out back, if not, she¡¯s probably tending the herb garden.¡± On the table are two halves of some sort bird, quite a few vegetables and a saucer boat filled with steaming brown sauce. ¡°A question. How does a settlement become a village, or village a town?¡± ¡°There are quite a few factors actually.¡± ¡°Can you recall a few?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t rattle on, but I can remember a few, rest you¡¯ll have to look up in the library.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± ¡°A settlement needs a certain number of people, that¡¯s self explanatory.¡± ¡°Residents?¡± ¡°Yes, a person with a registered house.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°They need to be self sufficient to a degree.¡± ¡°So farmers?¡± ¡°And hunters. Of course a source of water to sustain them.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem too difficult.¡± ¡°It also need enough experience, a level ten settlement and enough funds to buy the town upgrade order.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem too difficult.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t difficult, just time consuming.¡± ¡°I was wondering, Ung.¡± ¡°Go a head.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what I¡¯ll do once my Brewery is up and running.¡± ¡°You want to start up another business?¡± ¡°Maybe. I was wondering if there are open position at Town hall.¡± ¡°You want to work for me?¡± ¡°With you preferably.¡± ¡°I see. Well.¡± Stroking his stomach Ung leaned back his expression telling Rak that Ung was thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t I have anything for an ambitious person like you.¡± ¡°No? Well, don¡¯t sweat it. Let me ask you this instead. What happens if Alp becomes a city?¡± ¡°Hoh?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Alp become a city?¡± ¡°It can, sure. But.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult and expensive. And our location doesn¡¯t really allow us to expand.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t expand?¡± ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have a map of all the nearby villages, towns and cities.¡± ¡°Only Horst and Gorg.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯d probably have to absorb one of the villages and build the city in the way, probably relocate the town hall. While the relocation wouldn¡¯t be too difficult, getting a village to be absorbed would.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Everything else can be slowly done, but absorbing a village is the biggest hurdle. If we were in a better location we could set our ambitions higher.¡± Town planner Ung couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh and bottom out his drink. He, like most town planners, has the ambition of growing the town, not just maintain status quo. ¡°This is a secret Abstinence, so keep it close to your heart.¡± Ung leaned in and waved for Rak to do the same. ¡°Our deal with the village Inte is a part of my plan to absorb them.¡± ¡°Hoh. You¡¯re so ambitious?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t become Town planner by accident.¡± Although Ung didn¡¯t say it outright, he was proud of his position. Of course someone like him had ambitions. While there are quite a few official that don¡¯t plan to upgrade a town, they are still trying to achieve something. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for the details of this plan of yours, but if you ever need a hand, you can count on me.¡± ¡°Careful, I might hold you to that.¡± ¡°If Alp benefits, I benefit.¡± ¡°Oh? How¡¯s that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to stop with just a brewery, there are still other things to do. If Inte needs weapons, I might start a Smithy. Whatever the people need, I¡¯m sure I can manage to provide them.¡± ¡°Seems we¡¯ll be in continued business then.¡± ¡°You can bet on it.¡± After finishing their lavish lunch they said their goodbyes and went on their way. Rak would hitch a ride to the village Inte tonight with Alp towns delivery. Url will finish his delivery job today but he won¡¯t be able to hire him to travel with him until tomorrow.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Seems like hunting monsters is profitable. How else can a village contend with a town¡¯s treasure?¡± Rak really has nothing to do for the most part of the day and he is aimlessly wandering around town. He had thought of visiting the library but realized he didn¡¯t have any questions so he didn¡¯t even know what to study. He only has a loose contract with a certain vagrant at the Withered Fox, which he seems to have forgotten despite not being busy. ¡°I wonder what kind of medical supplies they use out there. Bandages can¡¯t be all, right? Potions? Probably potions as well, ye.¡± Almost anything in Chaos theory can be manufactured by a profession. While Rak doesn¡¯t know it, he just assumes it because of his experience in Chaos theory. It doesn¡¯t have to be ¡®hand made¡¯ it can be requested from the system or crafting through a profession like Olric¡¯s brewing and the barrels they received through Town hall. ¡°I can¡¯t make a general workshop to create these things, everything needs its own building so if I do decide on something, it¡¯ll need to have a substantial consumer base.¡± After stumbling his way back to the brewery, Rak looked in on Olric. Olric was already gone back to his small farm where he spends most of his time. It made Rak realize how little time it took to create something in Chaos theory. While today''s deliveries covered all of Rak¡¯s expenses, he wouldn¡¯t be selling anything until two or three weeks passed. Getting five to six gold every three weeks is quite something, and rak is doing it by mere ownership of his brewery. This income may increase as well. ¡°This brewery will be dormant for a few weeks and I have no other use for it.¡± Rak shuddered to think how many contracts he¡¯d have to make to have the brewery in constant production. The only way he¡¯d be able to do that is if he can make deals with large taverns in the cities. ¡°I can see why a river is so important.¡± Transport with a ship over the river is far more cost efficient. There is a river that runs through Alp, but it can¡¯t carry large ships. They can still use it to ferry some product about but it has too many limits. ¡°Best I can do is get better horses and carriages in the future. And competent drivers.¡± The more Rak thought about it he felt that investing some time in researching transportation was a good idea. Even if it didn¡¯t amount to much he could still use them as a merchant fleet, even though trading in small margins is a hassle and hard to manage, it¡¯s fine as long as it turned a profit. Rak made no snap decisions, he still wants to go to Inte and find out what their needs are and how large those needs are. He plans to stay the night there and he was even bit curious to find out what kind of beasts were being hunted. ¡°I still have seven hours before I can return to the real world, I should be in Inte by that point, I¡¯ll exit the booth, return home and go back when it¡¯s morning in Chaos theory.¡± In real life, Rak has few responsibilities. He doesn¡¯t want for anything or anyone and his time is spent chasing whatever strikes his fancy. It is a luxurious life. A lot people have it better with the introduction of Chaos theory. This has to do with the protection in place for people who enter Chaos theory. Any attempt to harm a person who is asleep is futile and painful for the person attempting it. Due to Chaos theories protection, a lot of people in horrible situations in real life are finding freedom in Chaos theory, these are the people that search for all and any way to maintain their fatigue levels. They do this all in the hopes of one day never having to exit Chaos theory, unwilling to return to the real world where they might be held captive or forced to menial labour. Outside of physical protection while asleep, Chaos theory, the real life ¡®company¡¯, the veiled disguise of the general artificial intelligence running Chaos theory, provides every person enough food to survive. While the Chaos theory¡¯s general intelligence is not human, it does learn from mistakes and will compensate for them. In the case of people dying of hunger, some incidentally while inside Chaos theory has caused it to do some wanton charity work. This charity work has caused economical shift the likes of which the world has never seen. When Rak finally woke up in his booth in real life, he had already ¡®slept¡¯ for nine hours and fifteen minutes. He arrived in Inte with Town hall¡¯s carriage, a short trip, not even half the distance from Alp to Horst. After he walked a bit around the village he decided to book a room at an Inn and return to reality. ¡°God damnit.¡± Almost instantly Rak¡¯s personality began to change, usually it was a more gradual occurrence but due to his current location he was triggered faster. As a rather ¡®noble¡¯ individual he couldn¡¯t be seen sleeping in some commoner booth¡¯s. Right now he felt rage, humiliation and as if he were filthy. ¡°I need a bath. I might need a whole detox session.¡± In some ways, a ¡®noble¡¯ or a multi generation wealthy person is like a germaphobe, except the germs are normal everyday people. It¡¯s not the best way to describe it, but it explains the ¡®noble¡¯ mindset. Rak certainly was spoiled in this regard. ¡°Hope you had a nice stay.¡± The manager from before has been replaced by a younger man but not any less suspicious looking. The look on the man¡¯s face made Rak¡¯s frown harder, causing large wrinkles to appear between his eyebrows. ¡°I should get this sorted out.¡± Rak is navigating to his communication application to call his assistant, this is actually one of three and is less his assistant and more his dad¡¯s company assistant. Rak should have a new assistant by now but he hasn¡¯t checked his messages for the relevant information. ¡°Good morning young master.¡± Rak recognized the voice, this was the only one of three assistants that he couldn¡¯t figure out, not that it mattered, it was just an itch at the back of his mind. ¡°Hi, Petra, I need you to take care of something for me.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already assigned you a new assistant, a striking one I might add, I even feel a bit jealous.¡± Usually Rak would take this opportunity to have a battle of wits with Petra but he really didn¡¯t want his staying in this booth to leak to his ¡®friends¡¯ as they were. ¡°I was forced to sleep in this disgusting peasant booth and I need it to be dealt with. Understand?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Just do it, please.¡± ¡°Please? Anything for the little Devion master.¡± It was exceedingly rare for Rak to ask for anything without it sounding like a direct command with no room for negotiation. If it had been one of the other two assistants he would have directly told them to purge this booth¡¯s data. The reason for all of this is that Rak is certain this booth operation is up to no good. Perverts are everywhere and especially when people are sleeping so heavily that not even cutting an arm of will wake them up. Of course cutting an arm of a person is very difficult and leads to devastating repercussions for the cutter, not to mention not worth it as it is almost certainly not a fatal wound with nanomachines managing the body. In addition to difficulty, the Chaos theory artificial intelligence learns from every infraction ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Rak ordered a driver to pick him up. He wasn¡¯t met with a person but an empty car that was driving itself. It is driven by an artificial intelligence, not like Chaos theory one but a more basic one that can be considered a complicated program instead. One that can be broken down and actually understood by humans. Arriving at his mansion Rak went on to have his servants scrub his entire body clean while he looked over some of his companies reports. Currently he has three companies running themselves but he always enjoys reading the reports everyday. ¡°I left Chaos theory at eight in the evening. I should stay in reality for at least four hours so I wake up in the evening.¡± Having nothing to do after reading the short daily reports from his three companies Rak honestly has nothing to do. He turned his eyes to two of the servant girls tending him in the bath, they are both naked and entirely unflustered at his lecherous gaze. ¡°Guess I can play at home this time.¡± It didn¡¯t take long before exaggerated moans caused a slight echo in the large bathroom. These girls understand their master and cause quite the noise to make sure their master thinks he¡¯s satisfying them. Like many men, Rak is blissfully unaware of these womens plights but considering his personality, he would probably enjoy it more knowing how hard they worked. Perhaps in the future he¡¯d no longer have servant like these, if they are capable of staying within Chaos theory for as long as they want. Chaos theory would send for them to be picked up and set up at what is being referred to as ¡®the ward¡¯. Some call it the farm, though there is nothing being farmed. People get hooked up and fed nutrients intravenously and the nano machines make sure the body doesn¡¯t fall to decay. This process should be unbearably painful but the brain doesn¡¯t receive the signals from the body''s pain receptors while in Chaos theory. While Rak entered his incubator and everything was set up, a certain hotel booth shop was now having a change of ownership and copious amount of very questionable recordings were claimed. Majority of the recordings were some sorts of assault on women, none of them ¡®touched¡¯ them or it would be better say, harmed them physically. Not only this, inside the booths are cameras, although they didn¡¯t show much it did archive Rak¡¯s ¡®humiliation¡¯ of having to merely sleep there. This data was subsequently destroyed. Rak returned to Chaos theory without much fanfare. The world was already adjusting to the new daily activity. And to people like Rak who were free to do as they wanted, it was no issue to stay inside Chaos theory for prolonged periods and ignore reality. Initially Rak was going to brag to his dad and his siblings about his success but once back in reality he didn¡¯t feel it was enough to just brag directly. If was going to brag he should do it casually as if what he did was no big deal. In twelve days, the Devion family is going to gather together for a bi annual party, that was when he could brag to his heart''s contents.
Character
Status
Constitution: 90/100%
Fatigue: 62/100%
Hunger: 33/100%
Clarity: 57/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°I guess a bed from an Inn isn¡¯t too bad. The cost will accumulate quick though, in three weeks my bed will have paid for itself.¡± By habit Rak checked his status window when he woke up but he quickly closed it and put on his daily clothes. It is a bit tragic but currently Rak only possess one set of clothing, the faded black jacket, white-ish shirt and black pants. ¡°I should head to the village centre, they might even have a library.¡± It is already nine in the morning when Rak exits the Honored goose Inn. On the streets some people can be seen out and about, but unlike in the other villages and Alp, these people seem more serious and not at all polite. It could be said this village lacks a certain charm a village should have. ¡°The food here is great though.¡± Rak had eaten breakfast in the Inn¡¯s restaurant, it was meat with meat sauce with no vegetables. The meat was fatty and filling, it was the sauce however that blew Rak away, and the whole meal only cost him five coppers, even he felt it was absurd. It wasn¡¯t difficult to find the village centre, people are streaming in and out of it. The crowded village centre more than puzzled Rak. In Horst and Gorg there had been almost no traffic, though admittedly he did arrive rather late in the day. ¡°What in the world is going on in this village?¡± With no other means, Rak had to que up to talk to a clerk, and even that was a sizeable line. Majority of people were talking the employees who issued quests and other governmental work. The clerk Rak was queing up for was there to answer and deal with more general issues and directing the people to the right places to have their issues deal with. ¡°How can I help, Sir?¡± ¡°Hi. I¡¯m looking for information about a few things, I was hoping to meet with someone knowledgeable about Inte and get access to your library if possible.¡± ¡°There is no problem in giving you access to our library archives but the meeting you want is an issue and not one we can help you with. I can recommend a local who might be willing to help you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to.¡± ¡°Great.¡± The clerk waved her hand in the air before pushing her open palm towards Rak.
Inte¡¯s library card
Access tier: guest
¡°The library is down that hallway to the right. Have a good day.¡± ¡°Thank you, Good day.¡± Everything went by swiftly and before Rak knew it he was standing inside the small library being stared at by a drowsy looking older man. ¡°Card.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Rak repeated the clerk¡¯s actions to show the librarian his library card. ¡°Alright go on. You can¡¯t borrow any book with a guest pass but you are welcome to browse through everything in this area. Only tier one pass allows you to enter the other room. ¡°Thank you. Do you know where I can find things about Inte¡¯s businesses?¡± ¡°Businesses? Hmm. I suppose your best bet is looking through the public records. It''s the far most right isle. You¡¯ll have to go through it yourself.¡± ¡°Thanks again.¡± The man only nodded and went back to his book. Rak went straight for the government archives. These are not really books but great big ledgers sorted by year, month and branch of government. Rak went straight for the infrastructure section. The records only go back five years, as this is a very young town and the information of every page was shockingly small. As most things just recorded who built something, where and what was built.
Resident house Yem street, house number six. Building requested by: Homl Ka Total cost: thirty silver and seven copper.
This information caused Rak to frown, this wasn¡¯t at all what he wanted to know. After browsing through, almost everything he found was resident buildings being built. He found something like an Inn as well and a Tavern. In general, a vast majority of buildings are residence buildings. ¡°I guess this makes sense. But this won¡¯t help me see what these people need. I have to visit some general shops and then try to make some deals with the local taverns.¡± Rak didn¡¯t waste his time reading and decisively exited the village centre to look for the person the clerk referred him to. Supposedly this person is a local ¡®know-it-all¡¯ and one of the village founders. Finding this proclaimed know-it-all is also supposedly easy, this person should spend most of his time in a tavern called Hunter¡¯s pride. While it seems a bit early to be to be moseying around a tavern, it can be considered the man¡¯s home away from home. ¡°I forgot about vagrant at the Withered fox, didn¡¯t I?¡± As quickly as the thought came to Rak it went away. This was not the first time nor the last time he¡¯d fail to meet a loose quest like that. It was easy to let the thought drift away as Rak was busy inspecting the local shops and the people walking the streets. ¡°Hard to believe this is a village. The foot traffic alone is greater than peak lunch time in Alp.¡± There are not many shops around but those that are, are rather general and are obviously two stories for the purpose of housing a living quarters above the storefront. These stores have general supplies but they also attempt to distinguish themselves from their peers. Aside from general stores there are a number of butchers, restaurants but not a single bakery, as they simply don¡¯t have the supply to do daily business. Any baking is done by village run stores, and they do not rely on their baking, leaving it as an occasional luxury for sale. ¡°If I can get frequent and reliable wheat down here I could set up a bakery.¡± There is also no smithy but there is a substitute for it set up by the village, they exclusively maintain weapons and other tools. A smithy, similar to a bakery, require steady supply of materials to forge with and they simply don¡¯t have it. It should not be impossible or even difficult to set up a supply chain into Inte with wheat and forging supplies but there just isn''t one. Just as there was no brewery in Alp, it just didn¡¯t exist there. What Inte does possess is quite a few hunting lodges and exactly two training halls. The hunting lodges is something like Url¡¯s housing except these are built for many people to gather at. The training halls are exactly what they are called, a place to train. While a Training hall doesn¡¯t make sense immediately, it becomes clear when people learn the bonuses from training in them. Just like a Brewery has the potential to massively increase the volume of alcohol brewed, so does a training hall have it¡¯s own benefits. ¡°I might be able to import meat from this place. Maybe I¡¯ve been going about this all wrong, maybe I should export items from here to other places.¡± Rak let his mind run around in circles thinking of businesses he could create. It only took Rak half an hour to waddle his way to the Hunter¡¯s pride, entering he was met with a lively crowd eating, drinking and chatting up a storm. Most of these people were rather hard looking men and women. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he looks like.¡± Feeling a great amount of annoyance Rak scratched his neck and surveyed the crowd. It¡¯s not too unusual for a village to have a place that is a dedicated tavern but here he was inside one of four. ¡°It really is a normal tavern.¡± It shouldn¡¯t be to shocking for a village to have a tavern but Inte has four, which is just bizarre. This has to with type of people that travel to Inte and the ones who decide to make a living here. Although making a living might be stretch for some, quite a few are here in search of adventure. ¡°I suppose I should just ask the staff, this person is a regular after all.¡± Having few other options, Rak directly went to the bar and ordered a drink from the tall bartender. The man oozed manliness and was cleaning out a dirty glass with a dirty rag and with what Rak assumed was dirty water. ¡°I was told I could find Vern here.¡± Being a man of very few words, the bartender continued his ¡®cleaning¡¯ and only nodded in a direction. Following the man¡¯s gaze Rak saw a lively older man speaking in a very animated way. In spite of not actually hearing what the man was speaking, Rak felt he could understand what he was saying through his animated story telling alone. ¡°I suppose nothing comes easy.¡± Feeling extremely reluctant. Rak cleared the rough drink in a gulp and walked towards Vern, one of the founders of Inte and a local drunk. The man, Vern, was known for his stories and charming conversation. It is through these features he manages to convince people to buy him drinks. ¡°Hi. Sorry for the interruption but can I borrow Vern from you?¡± Not only did Vern look back wide-eyed but the two rather frustrated people as well. These two people are a couple who had recently arrived in Inte to try their luck in the forest and perhaps the mountain range. ¡°Excuse me good people, people like me are always hounded after, ah.¡± ¡°No, no, please.¡± For a moment Rak was confused before feeling a shadow cover his heart. Vern looked ecstatic but only for a moment before put up a stoic front, he raised his chin a bit and gave Rak a good look over, only then did he nod. Rak didn¡¯t know but Vern¡¯s thought were that Rak looked like someone that had money. ¡°Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea.¡± Chapter seven: the Villain, the vagrant and the vixen.
Purchase Vern a drink of his choice Reward: Information
¡°Well that clears things up.¡± ¡°What do you want to drink? I¡¯ll buy.¡± Not every loose contract has to be directly asked for, if a person intention is strong enough it can be directly related to those nearby, and if a person concentrated their intentions, like Vern is doing, they can wordlessly send such contracts. Not everyone knows how to do this, but a Vern is a veteran of the art. ¡°How gracious! I¡¯m not one to slight new friends, of course I can¡¯t deny your gift.¡± Vern let a half a laugh before looking mournful as if he was really forced up against a wall, but he still didn¡¯t hesitate to signal the bartender who expected as much and was already filling a glass to the brim. It would appear the Bartender and Vern could communicate without words. ¡°So tell me young entrepreneur Abstinence, what do you want to know?¡± Just as Rak was about to speak Vern continued without missing a beat. ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to know everything but around Inte? Heh. Well I don''t have to tell you? I¡¯m sure my name already spread to the cities Long, Trove and Hampter. Aye, aye. Ah.¡± ¡°This is going to be a hassle.¡± In his heart, Rak wanted to curse the man but he didn¡¯t let it show and just nodded and laughed with Vern, he did know other such showmen who liked the limelight. ¡°Of course! The real reason I came to Inte was to meet an exalted founder like yourself.¡± Unbearable praise and self praise continued to ring out in the Hunter¡¯s pride tavern, so much that the couple trying to enjoy themselves were practically chased out, unable to stand it. ¡°Vern, let me ask you, what are the needs of the village? What could a person like myself do to help bring Inte joy?¡± For the first time Vern couldn¡¯t immediately vomit out words and had to take a moment to gather his thoughts, but it was still only a moment, a person like Vern wouldn¡¯t stop talking just because he didn¡¯t have an answer at the tip of his tongue. ¡°Aye, this is a question very dear to me. As you know, Me, Vern, a venerable founder of Inte can feel the bonds of responsibility weighing heavily on me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°As such I spend every day thinking of how to better the lives of Inte¡¯s commoners. Aye, ah! It is a true plight.¡± At this point Rak understood his question was too general, this Vern person wasn¡¯t any sort of businessman or a government official. Vern continued to drag things out so Rak decided to ask more generic questions about the town. It was already noon when Rak managed to tear himself away from Vern after gathering suitable information and Vern even handed over a rather detailed map of Inte after being bribed with a tall drink. ¡°Things really do get more challenging as we go along.¡± Feeling drained Rak felt the need to roam about aimlessly to recharge, his eyes on the various people walking about, their clothing and weapons hanging at their side. There is no reason for a person to have their weapons hanging like that, as they can directly summon it from their inventory. ¡°Suppose having good looking swords and armor is something of note.¡± Exactly as Rak said, the quality of armor around these parts can only be said to be up to be average, the biggest factor differentiating people is the style. Two swords entirely different in caliber may be of the same quality and yet one is far more expensive and sought after. This is just human nature at work. ¡°When I get back to Alp I should try to see if I can see a list of people¡¯s hobbies.¡± Just as Rak had stumbled onto Olric, Rak might be able to set up variety of workshops by hiring locals in Alp. In fact, hiring a person from Alp increased Rak reputation with the Chaos theory¡¯s government system in Alp. ¡°One of the problems is advertisement. There is no obvious way to set up adverts so you have to rely on preexisting places to sell wares. And without renown I have to personally contact people to set up contracts.¡± From Rak¡¯s perspective, the biggest factor in setting up businesses is advertisement, whether if its to the public or other companies. Without advertisement things become a lot more direct. ¡°I suppose making an advertisement company could work, but the management is too hands on, I¡¯d have to find a very competent person for it to work, not to mention the cost could be towering.¡± The more Rak thought about it, the more he liked the idea of setting up workshops in Alp and import from there. If he found some interesting things in other villages, towns and cities, he could create more profit by creating trade routes. This idea of Rak¡¯s is not at all unique, but not every place is teeming with ambitious and innovative merchants. ¡°I suppose I should talk to Url, his taming might be key to a more affordable carriage fleet.¡± Unlike buildings, which can be commissioned by the government system in villages, towns and cities, taming or training beasts is something done by people. Carriages can be commissioned but their value can¡¯t compare to a novice tier one carriage built by an engineer. Rak doesn¡¯t know how carriages are built or purchased, ignoring the government commissioning them, the materials used to build carriages can¡¯t be too cheap and the quantity is not to be underestimated. However, just as tier one beer can be easily and quickly produced, tier one carriages can also be crafted in a relatively short period. What must be taken into account is that not all creations are equal, crafting a sword may take longer than crafting a pair of pants in the same tier, but creating one tier higher pants could very well take longer than creating a sword. If Rak¡¯s brewery could produce tier two beer, they might only sell small quantities of it and would be forced to deal with cities to find valuable consumers. But what goes into creating tier two beer? Can it be as easy, as quick and as cheap as tier one beer? The answer is no, and as tiers scale higher, eventually, even with people willing to purchase, they won¡¯t be able to keep up production due to many factors. ¡°From what I understand, most of the ore comes from great mines, one in the village Kante and a portion all the way from the village Dim, which is a town away from Hampter.¡± Speaking to Vern didn¡¯t result in too many obviously useful information, but the man had spoken to quite a few travellers and even carriage drivers who hauled things like ore, food, weapons and other miscellaneous products to Inte. There is a potential mine in the town Tyr, but is has not been developed because they have no idea it is there. Similarly quite a few potentially valuable resources go unattended due to ignorance. ¡°Neither Dim or Kante transport ore through Alp, this might be an issue if I want to set up a Smithy. Do I have to make a trip to the village Kante? Suppose it¡¯ll be worth if I can get Whor town and Kante to sign brewery contracts.¡± If Rak finds people to work in his workshops, materials should be easy to attain and in sustainable volume, as long as they are within tier one. Even some tier two products are not too hard or too expensive to attain at the moment. Inte for example can be said a somewhat reliable source for tier two beast materials, wild herbs and wood. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in no hurry, taking a few days to settle things isn¡¯t too bad either. I should check out this Training hall and Hunting lodge.¡± In Alp town there are Hunting lodges, but they are personal lodges not large ones meant for groups of people, there is however no Training hall. In general these places are meant to generate system contracts. Village centres, Town halls or City offices can all generate contracts but what people really want are Chaos theory system contracts. While government generated contracts are valuable, Chaos theory has its own worldly system which is active everywhere in the world, a rare rusty pin found beneath the dirt in some abandoned forest could trigger such a contract, and they can also be induced by building things like Training hall and Hunting lodges. Unlike traditional production buildings such as the brewery or Smithy, Training halls and Hunting lodges focus on combat related contracts. While Rak¡¯s brewery may induce some contracts, it is more likely that Olric will be on the receiving end of it, rather than Rak who is unlikely to spend much time brewing. ¡°Looks like a normal building, not too large not too small.¡± It is unfortunate for Inte that their buildings can only be built as tier one buildings. It is not impossible to upgrade it to tier two, but without town the difficulty is increased by a few factors. It is however not all that unusual to only have tier one buildings towns even though if could upgrade to tier two. ¡°Very quiet people here.¡± Inside the Bear Hunting lodge are eight individuals, two of which are part of the hunting lodges management. While there isn¡¯t much to manage, being affiliated with management can grant benefits. ¡°More bird quests?¡± ¡°Seems like all we get are bird quests these days.¡± ¡°Some city or town must have a great need for arrows.¡± ¡°It has to be, it¡¯s not for the meat is it?¡± On a decrepit wooden board that looks like it¡¯s seen better days are contracts. Not everyone can see all these contracts, but quite a few are open to the public. ¡°Still better than last month¡¯s bear claw fiasco.¡± ¡°I thought we agreed not to talk about that.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Well, all these bird hunts are making me want to put down my bow, the amount of arrows I¡¯m losing isn¡¯t helping either.¡± ¡°Stop missing then.¡± Rak had approached the wooden board and saw two contracts immediately and four other contracts that are obfuscated in some sort of blurr. ¡°Hmm?¡±
Bear hunting lodge hunt
Hunt Trel wart pig Requirement per portion: five kilogram of raw meat Requirement per portion: four pristine claws Requirement per portion: Two square meters of pristine fur Portions left: 27 Reward: 150 experience Reward: 15 copper
Bear hunting lodge hunt
Hunt Yellow trim Requirement per portion: six pristine tail feathers Portions left: 856 Reward: 100 experience Reward: 5 copper
¡°This barely seems worth it. Experience is alright but the pay is pretty awful.¡± When Rak was doing various chores in Alp he did have to accept similar payment but he wasn¡¯t going out to hunt, his tasks were almost entirely without risk. Not only that, as he completed more and more tasks, his compensation from both the town¡¯s people and the Chaos theory system increased. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m not hunter, the contracts I can¡¯t see are probably worth a lot more.¡± With many fledgling hunters the large amount of hunting causes considerable income, and is one of the reasons why Inte is as wealthy as it is. There are other factors outside of hunting, such as their lumber trade which is also considerable due to the city Hampter and the city Trove who both require a considerable number of quality lumber. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have to actually accept these contracts.¡± Losing interest in the public hunting board, Rak went on to inspect the bows and arrows the hunters all carry around. ¡°So all hunters use bow and arrow?¡± In truth, only two people inside the hunting lodge have the hunting job, rest are all aspiring hunters and can only be considered amateurs. Once they attain the hunting job, they will no longer be as dependant on a hunting lodge as the Chaos theory system will be more likely to issue them with quests suited for them. A hunter may only need to come across the tracks of an animal to be issued a challenge to hunt it. ¡°Huh, those two also carry spears.¡± The Hunting lodge is not large by any measure and currently has no wares for sale, so Rak decided to check out the Training hall. On the way Rak stumbled onto a tannery where people produce leather. Unlike the hunting lodge, none of the devices are public and the whole building is owned by a group of people. To be specific it owned by an individual who is in charge of a group of people called Ongoing hunt. The group is registered in Hampter, as only City Offices can register people as one entity. These groups of people are officially called a guild, each guild has multiple benefits to offer people and these benefits can become very specialized. The Ongoing hunt has a few perks that make hunting, skinning and leatherworking easier for its members. To mention a few, tracking and skinning are less likely to fail. Successful hunts also increase experience gained. It is fair to assume that Ongoing hunt is a guild filled with Chaos theory created people, but it is not improbable that a few real humans have joined the group. A single person can create its own guild for purpose of developing it for themselves and them alone, but such actions can be time consuming and in some cases expensive. In some cases for people that are very specialized, they can create their own guild and focus only on one job aspect. A smith of some sort can invest into guild benefits that only work in the field of smithing, making the guild a ¡®smith¡¯ guild as it were. In this same way, Ongoing hunt is considered a hunting, skinning and leatherworking guild. Three aspects isn¡¯t too hard to manage for a sizeable guild. Like most things in Chaos theory, guilds are organized into tiers and so are the benefits. Ongoing hunt for example can still invest in more relevant benefits but to upgrade current benefits they¡¯ll have to level up the guild and reach tier two. In Rak¡¯s experience so far, most things are either tier one or untiered. Most of the food he eats is untiered, the carriages he travelled in are untiered, his house and bed are all untiered. His brewery however is considered to be tier one. The weapons people walk around Inte with are for the most part tier one. Upon being worked, a lot of the fur and leather will become tier one products. It is not impossible to find tier one food, but in general, restaurant have no need to serve tier one food and they would likely not have too many buyers as the price would dramatically increase. In many cases, consumable products suffer from this, when a person¡¯s armor and weapon reach tier three, they¡¯ll most likely still continue to use tier two or even tier one consumables like food stuff and potions. ¡°This place is noisy, even compared to the tavern.¡± Standing outside the Warrior¡¯s hut Training hall Rak can hear the impacts from people hitting both each other and various dummies. Accompanied by this noise is the low yells of various people sparring and training. ¡°This place smells like that hotel booth.¡± This Training hall is owned by an adventurer guild that takes on missions in the endless mountain range, and even though they mostly fight beasts and their duties are similar to hunters. However the few people with a combat job like a warrior, incidentally, a hunter is also considered a combat job, these people with a ¡®job¡¯ do receive jobs to explore sections of the mountain range. The greatest difference between what is considered an adventure guild and a hunting guild is the manor of their contracts. A hunter is associated with hunting but they can also receive exploration quests, only they are more likely to receive hunting quests. ¡°Are these people all part of some organization?¡± Vast majority of the twenty some people in the Training hall have a large snake slithering down their right arm, the tattoo sometimes faintly shines. Their sized vary between a person but they are easily identified as the same pattern. Quite a few of the women are considerably smaller than the men and the tattoo reflects that. ¡°Are they flashing?¡± Previously in the Hunting lodge, Rak didn¡¯t notice a small arrow on the neck of the hunters, everyone inside that building is a part of the Ongoing hunt but none of them flickered with light like the ones from the Lost in the forest adventurer guild. The guild mark shines everytime they receive experience in some form. Everyone in the Training hall is busy one way or another, making Rak, who is standing still, stand out. Fortunately, the people really are busy and take no note of him inspecting the place. ¡°Should I try copying them?¡± Rak is no stranger to exercise but never has he punched a wooden dummy. As he doesn¡¯t feel comfortable asking someone to spar with him, the next best thing is to mimic those that are punching and kicking wildly. Quite a few are also equipped with wooden weapons but there are none of these weapons lying around for Rak to use. ¡°Screw it, it¡¯s just punching a dummy right?¡±
Gained 10 experience
¡°Really?¡± As Rak has never experienced actual training in in Chaos theory he has not ever seen his experience increased in such a way. Every punch causes a bolded number to float above the wooden dummy. Ten punches in, Rak steps back and falls into thought. The experience isn¡¯t much as he still requires over a hundred thousand experience to level to the next level. From Rak¡¯s perspective this is not worth his time at all. Even if he achieves level eleven, level twelve will take multitudes longer. ¡°Some of their attacks don¡¯t look normal. Some of them look a bit like Url¡¯s spear.¡± Having thought this far something clicked for Rak. ¡°They must be training abilities and the experience is just a byproduct.¡± Rak is neither a genius nor is he dumb, on this occasion he has guessed correctly. out of the people with abilities their main reason to train in the Training hall is the increased rate of skill progression. Their intention is to get their ability to the next tier. After throwing a few kicks and even slamming his shoulder into the dummy Rak felt more confident in his guesses. What surprised him was that he rather enjoyed the activity, while it isn¡ät to the extent of wanting to spar, the feeling of his fists connecting with the dummy left him with a satisfactory sensation. ¡°I don¡¯t see how I can make a business out of these people yet. From the look of it, they look like a frugal bunch. With the Village hall providing cheap weapon and armor repair there isn¡¯t much to do.¡± Feeling he couldn¡¯t get his thoughts straight Rak decided to tend to his business and begin his negotiation with the local taverns. As with other villages, Rak had no issue convincing the taverns to switch to him as a supplier. ¡°If I knew Inte had such dedicated drinkers I would have come here first.¡± Only the Withered fox and Laugher¡¯s medicine could contend with these taverns and yet Inte as a whole managed to consume a quarter more than Alp town¡¯s taverns combined. ¡°Assuming the other two villages relent as well, my profits should be over ten gold every two to three weeks.¡± It didn¡¯t take too long to deal with Inte¡¯s tavern owners and eventually Rak met up with Alp town¡¯s carriage driver who is in the process of loading processed leather. This leather will later be sold in Hampter where the demand is high enough. ¡°I wonder what the average strength is.¡± Forl, one of three Alp¡¯s resident carriage drivers has no issue lifting large bundles of leather and even a single huge green wood log. Only after finishing the job does Forl appear to be a bit out of breath. While Rak isn¡¯t unwilling to leave Inte yet, he did have some ideas of trying out hunting for the fun of it. After listening to Vern¡¯s stories, most of which were centered around fighting, exploration and treasure, Rak felt a little fire lit inside him. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the brewery business then I can take a break for one or two weeks, see what other things this world has to offer.¡± On the way back to Inte, Forl didn¡¯t speak a word, even when posed with questions he would only nod or shake is head, and that was only on Rak¡¯s insistence. Being no stranger to untalkative people, Rak cast away any thoughts of talking to the headstrong carriage driver. ¡°Compared to Forl, Url is a chatty Cathy.¡± The trip back to Inte was quick, even though their carrying load more than tripled, slowing them down by a degree. It is still early evening so Rak stopped by the Withered fox, and in the processes remembered he had promised to let a man drink beer out of a barrel. Unfortunately, Forl did not agree to Rak¡¯s request to go get one barrel. ¡°I can still ask Tril to let him take a sip out of the barrel. Only I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s still here.¡± When the thought finished, Rak felt a sudden discomfort, asking that Tril to do anything was an issue. Sure, in the end he¡¯d probably get what he wanted, but not without some struggle. ¡°How important can a map be anyway?¡± As Rak took a step into the Withered Fox he was met with a very lively environment, the music is playing, it is only a bit higher than the constant chatter and occasional cheering. At a glance, Rak saw Tril carrying two large pitchers of what he assumed was his tier one beer. There isn¡¯t a table left open in the tavern, quite a few people are having to stand by the bar with their glass in hand. Eventually Rak found what he was looking for, the vagrant is occupying his own table talking to a towering woman with great passion. Not wanting to waste too much time in this rowdy place, Rak immediately went to talk to the man. The rather large woman is only halfway listening to the vagrant, it is uncertain why she has left already, perhaps because no other table is free. ¡°Rak! You finally came!¡± Not expecting such a warm welcome, Rak felt a bit easier in his heart, for some reason he really wants a better map, he feels he knows too little about this world. Sitting down, Rak felt the woman¡¯s heated gaze on him, making him feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Did you bring the barrel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t I have it on me, I can talk to one of the tavern owners and have them let you have a taste.¡± ¡°Drinking straight from the barrel!¡± As before, the vagrant felt exuberated at the thought of opening a barrel and taking a large drink. ¡°You know, if you got the coin I can let you buy an entire barrel of untouched tier one beer.¡± ¡°This. You mean it?¡± ¡°Of course. If you follow me back to the brewery we can do it while the evening is still young.¡± ¡°Can my beautiful friend join us?¡± Despite being entirely wasted, the vagrant didn¡¯t have any trouble speaking fluently, not one word slurred. Rak only hesitated for a brief moment before relenting. ¡°Sure alright, ye, she can come.¡± ¡°Great! What do you think darling, want to go for a stroll? I¡¯m buying a pristine barrel of quality tier one beer!¡± The Withered fox has already received their delivery of tier one beer, but have not yet exhausted their previous supply. Not only the vagrant¡¯s eyes but the woman''s eyes have lit up with a fervent gaze. Just as Rak has managed to drag the pair out of the tavern a cutting shout reaches Rak¡¯s ears. ¡°Abstinence!¡± Freezing for a brief moment Rak doesn¡¯t turn back and instead quickly shuts the tavern¡¯s door behind him, going so far as to rush the pair along. ¡°Come, come!¡± Rak has taken to a brisk jogging pace, and can¡¯t help but be amazed that their pair has easily caught up, and even to the point to grabbing Rak and taking off into a sprint. Absolutely baffled, Rak is met with a serious eyes and the soft sensation of a rather enormous pair of breasts, seemingly larger than his head. ¡°Who are we running from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Abstinence, who are we running from?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The vagrant and large woman look back suspiciously, it is apparent that the pair as used to such actions, not even hesitating to running even though neither know why. Rak didn¡¯t come out of his puzzlement before he heard the woman speak up once again. ¡°I think we lost them.¡± ¡°Whose them? Why did you suddenly pick me up and sprint like that!?¡± Only by screaming in his heart could Rak calm down but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. ¡°Okay we¡¯re safe, let me down please.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can carry you.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Feeling his body being pressed further into a mountainous valley, Rak was again unable to muster out any words. Only after insisting a few times did the woman reluctantly let Rak escape her firm embrace. ¡°So where is your brewery?¡± The vagrant was left a bit unsatisfied that the brewery was almost on the other end of town, but the thought of his own barrel erased any dissatisfaction. The woman was more than happy, partly due to the tier one beer but also because she has another more insidious aim, Rak¡¯s innocent body. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way she keeps looking at him, I¡¯m not imagining this, right?¡± The woman isn¡¯t bad looking or even out of shape, she is just too tall. If it wasn¡¯t for her radiant eyes and obvious womanly figure, he¡¯d doubt she was human. Rak just barely reached her chest. ¡°Is she a type of giant? I don¡ät think I¡¯ve ever seen a person this tall.¡± The more he thought about it the more he was sure she was the tallest person he has ever laid eyes on. Just her size made him feel a bit emasculated, the vagrant on the other hand didn¡¯t stop trying to get her attention as if he was contending with Rak to climb the mountain peak. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, it¡¯s over there, you see the lone building?¡± The brewery is built on the cheapest land available in Alp, the surrounding land is all empty lots but with time this area should all become residence housing. It''s not impossible to break into buildings and steal things in Chaos theory, but within a governed area, such activities can prove to be difficult and even harder to go unnoticed, as the local government is immediately informed. The invaders would require sufficient strength to even escape. ¡°Have a seat out back, I¡¯ll bring out a barrel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright miss, I can do it.¡± ¡°Call me Delil.¡± ¡°Okay, miss Delil, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She was initially reluctant to part with Rak but after hear the words ¡®miss Delil¡¯ she seemed satisfied and took a seat directly across from the vagrant. ¡°Was it a mistake to bring those two here?¡± Chapter eight: Lecherous and Suspicious women
Container: Barrel
Basic barrel commissioned from Town hall in Alp town Capacity: 1000 litres
¡°Its thousand litres. Even if I sell at twenty copper like I sell Alp¡¯s taverns, that¡¯s still one gold.¡± Rak walked in circles around the barrel before finally getting a decent handle on it. Surprisingly he does not have too difficult of a time carrying it despite weighing just about hundred kilos. ¡°Will they even be able to drink out of this?¡± ¡°Oh! Is that it?¡± Rak managed to let out a forced ¡®yes¡¯ before putting the barrel down. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s everything I thought it would be.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just some beer, right?¡± ¡°I forgot to mention this, but this barrel contains a thousand litres.¡± ¡°That¡¯s less than expected but still not bad. I¡¯ll give you two gold for it, what do you think?¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Rak was planning on selling the barrel for one gold but now it seems he may have to increase the cost in the future. ¡°No problem, I can let it go for two gold.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The vagrant waved his hands in the air, a familiar action, and when it pushed forward gently, Rak receives a contract
Hormby wants to trade |Barrel| for 2 |Gold coins| Accept Decline
After accepting Rak was two golds richer and the travelling vagrant, Hormby a barrel richer. ¡°I won''t stand on ceremony then.¡± The barrel Rak was originally practically using his entire strength to move, Hormby lifted easily after popping the top of it open. After drinking for a solid five seconds the barrel finally came down. ¡°What an experience! Here, Delil have some.¡± Rak was already baffled by Hormby¡¯s display of strength and then absolute monstrous drinking capability and yet he was again shocked when the tall Delil grabbed the barrel with even greater ease than Hormby. ¡°I¡¯ve liked women who could drink.¡± Hormby couldn¡¯t help but praise Delil but soon his admiration turned into shock, so now there are two men shocked at the capabilities of the towering woman. ¡°This. She won¡¯t drink it all?¡± ¡°My beer.¡± ¡°Forget the beer, where is it all going?¡± When the barrel finally came down Delil let out a satisfied groan. In truth she has been travelling for a long time now and not gotten a drink in what she considers ages. Not only did she find eye candy but she could finally quench her thirst. ¡°One hundred and sixty. Whoah.¡± ¡°How can she drink, no how can anyone drink that much without exploding?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate people with a second job, Delil is no normal woman.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me what¡¯s normal, your not normal either.¡± ¡°Come, Abstinence, have a drink with me.¡± Unable to fight the now rosy faced Delil, Rak is now sitting on the lap like a little boy. The large barrel lifted up and tilted threatening to drown him in quality tier one beer. ¡°Wait, wait Delil, wait!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I like drinking out of a glass.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like drinking at all, but I doubt that is an acceptable answer to these two maniacs.¡± After fishing out a gauntlet that somehow can contain twenty litres of liquid, Delila filled it and handed it to Rak. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Can you put me down?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What ¡®why?¡¯ I¡¯m being held captive here. What is going on!?¡± Rak felt like screaming but he only let it out in his heart. Even when dealing with Arlina Medin he wasn¡¯t this helpless, at least then he still felt like a man, but now he was like a doll being played with. ¡°Drink.¡± ¡°Drink!¡± While Hormby didn¡¯t like that Rak somehow managed to seduce his target, he wasn¡¯t one to have qualms about such things, not to mention that Delil is on her second job. Even if he managed to sneak up on her while she slept, he wasn¡¯t confident in successfully attacking her. ¡°When in rome, eh?¡± ¡°To us then!" Chapter nine: Death It is uncertain when, but Rak eventually managed to climb down from miss Delil and take his seat on the large bench. He still sat beside Delil and across from Hormby. His stiff drink from earlier is already causing him to feel a bit numb. Rak didn¡¯t know it but his mind had been on a constant spiral of never ending thoughts. He hadn¡¯t thought he needed a break, but now that he was taking one he was feeling relaxed. In hindsight, it may just have been the alcohol giving him short reprieve. The entire night gradually became a blur only flashes of continuous drinking and uninterrupted fondling remained in Rak¡¯s memory. When he woke up his body felt weaker than usual but worse than physical weakness, his mind was dulled.
You have died from choking
Rak read the message and was completely baffled. The confusion in his eyes was at an all time height but he can¡¯t deny reality, every nerve of his body is screaming out to him that something is wrong. ¡°What happened?¡± Looking around Rak felt relieved he was till in his own house, reassurance he returned to his notifications.
You have become inebriated Pain reduction: 10%
You are in an increased state of inebriation Pain reduction: 20% Clear thought: Your thoughts are clear but unfocused
You are in an increased state of inebriation Pain reduction: 40% Clear thoughts: Your thoughts are clear but unfocused Memory fault: Your capture of of memory is flawed
You are in an increased state of inebriation Pain reduction: 65% Clear thoughts: Your thoughts are clear but unfocused Memory fault: Your capture of of memory is flawed Weakness: Your physical self is suffering from bouts of weakness.
You have died from choking
¡°Who the hell choked me?¡± Rak has never experienced death, and his memory of his first death has been washed away by the reckless consumption of alcohol. Rak¡äs body is now experiencing both a hangover and a weakness state, while the hangover will pass, the death penalty can only removed through rare consumable items or the more common, a doctor¡¯s treatment. After scouring his combat log, Rak found only the steady decline in maximum stamina, constitution and the percent decrease in clarity. After searching for a while he saw that somehow numerically, clarity increased for a period but the percentage value still decline in tandem. Now his status window show his clarity¡¯s percentage had recovered but the numerical increase remained. What this means is that through his endeavour, his capabilities for focus increased due to some factors and that this increase is permanent.
Character
Status
Constitution: 75/100%
Fatigue: 42/100%
Hunger: 9/100%
Clarity: 60/100%
Stamina: 74/100%
Abilities
Inventory
The most glaring thing to notice is that his stamina and constitution are at seven five percent and seventy four percent. This is because dying has left a soft cap on all capabilities and the nature of stamina is such that it can¡¯t remain maxed out. ¡°First, I really need to eat.¡± The hunger pangs become the only thing occupying Rak¡¯s thoughts, only his appetite doesn¡¯t seem to agree with him. Not being unfamiliar with a hangover, Rak was going to put on his clothes on when he noticed they were already on him. The sunlight seemed the be there to punish Rak when he stepped outside of his house, he could only grimace and continue towards the Horseshoe Inn. On the way people greeted Rak but he only nodded, feeling his throat too sore to speak. People acknowledged his sickly look and made their own assumptions. After stumbling into the Horseshoe in the first face Rak saw was Frank¡¯s. Frank, being an experienced tavern owner recognized hangover at a glance and delivered Rak with a shot of a strong distilled alcohol from his own collection. ¡°Just drink it. It¡¯s on me.¡± Perhaps because of their business deal or Rak¡¯s favorability in Alp town, Frank treats Rak with great care. ¡°Frank, I think I died.¡± ¡°Aye, so that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°I was drinking and then I woke up at home.¡± ¡°Oof. It¡¯s not too rare but I haven¡¯t seen one in a while. Death penalty and alcohol recovery.¡± ¡°I need to eat but I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Rak already knows what the death penalty is, this is his first experience with it but he still knows from various news reports in reality, and so, after eating Rak plans to head to Town hall to talk to their resident doctor. The cost can reach enormous figures but being his first death, Rak may not be charged too much. ¡°Here. Eat this.¡± ¡°Frank.¡± ¡°Just eat it, believe me, it¡¯ll give you a kick.¡± Slowly researching the hot mess goob in a large bowl Rak has his reservations. ¡°This is still considered food? ¡°Eat it!¡± After letting out a long exaggerated sigh rak picks up the presumably dirty spoon and shoves the rough pudding like substance into his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Alright, I got stuff to do, get better.¡± The day slowly ticked on, Rak felt a bit of fire light in him after that drink and that heat only got bigger after eating a bowl of whatever Frank brought him. ¡°I got to get rid of this sickness.¡± Even though he felt better, the unsettling feeling still remained. Rak repeatedly cursed the town for not having a taxi. Due to Rak¡¯s slow pace it took him the better part of an hour to get to Town hall. ¡°Good morning mister Abstinence.¡± ¡°Morning Jiel. Can you help me set up a meeting with the doctor?¡± ¡°Of course. He should be free now, i¡¯ll put it through.¡± Rak sat down in Town halls adequate sized waiting room and let out a sound that told the story of his fatigue. He felt like he hadn¡¯t sat down in years and finally he got his rest. It didn¡¯t take five minutes before he was called up. The Town hall already has a few people waiting for miscellaneous things but none of them were waiting to meet a doctor. The office the doctor stays in is larger than Town planner Ung¡¯s office by a tiny bit. There is a table, a few chairs and a bunch of cabinets with murky glass hiding what¡¯s behind. The woman wearing casual clothing points toward a chair. ¡°So.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, what can I help you with?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°I died?¡± ¡°Ah. Well this¡¯ll be quick then.¡± A burst of light appeared from the doctors hands and they landed on Rak¡¯s head and slowly made their way down until they reached his thighs. ¡°That should be it. Seeing as this is your first time, and apparently you have some standing in Alp, it¡äll only be thirty eight silver, thirty copper. You can pay the receptionist or talk to one of the administration clerks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Rak waves his hands about and shakes his head a bit before acknowledging that he does indeed feel perfectly fine, his slight buzz from the Horseshoe Inn is gone as well. Even though forty-ish silver seems forgiving, it has to be taken into consideration how often a person can die. Currently Rak¡¯s standing in Alp town is pretty good, while he still as some way to go, it does afford him some benefits and in this case, a discount. In addition to a discounted treatment, his low level, his first death and no job, means the price is already about as low as it can be. This cost is still hard for many considering that majority of people spend their days doing their hobbies and not trying accumulate coin. People like Olric or Url, they do the bare minimum to keep food on the table and focus on their hobbies, this can be considered majority of people in Chaos theory. The trouble is when people have to earn coin while bearing a death weakness penalty or when they are not in a place that has government doctors to remove their sickness. And if there are other methods available, they might be far steeper in cost. ¡°Since I¡¯m already at Town hall I should rent a carriage to transport goods to Inte. I also need my own personal carriage.¡± The more he thought about it the more it made sense. It¡¯s true that he may not need to travel everyday and that he didn¡¯t really need a carriage, but he also understands the convenience and the value of time. If Rak was in Hampter he might be able to find an engineer to craft him an expensive tier one carriage but in Alp town the best he can do is ask them to commission an untiered one for him. He¡¯ll have to deal people like Url for a horse to pull it. Unlike the doctor, Town planner Ung is a busy man and Rak had to wait more than an half hour before Ung could see him, and he only agreed to squeeze him in is because him and Rak are on rather good terms. After the niceties were over, Rak rented a carriage with no issues, although he didn¡¯t get the same cheap deal as before. Once everything was taken care of Rak got Ung to commission a carriage for him. It would be ready sometime today, Ung told him he¡¯d be notified once it was completed. Just like Rak¡¯s brewery, things commissioned through the town¡¯s government system, they all take time. Most of the time the time required has to do with the the size of objects but it can also be affected by the materials provided for the commission. Not all commissions require materials to be commissioned many cannot even be supplemented. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get one made or buy a tier one carriage if you want larger space.¡± One of issues of the carriage isn¡¯t just the weight it can carry but its dimensions as well. This being a virtual world, dimensional magic can be worked into things. In cases of transportation, such magic is invaluable. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want a tier one carriage, I just don¡¯t know where to get it. And if I did, could I afford it?¡± ¡°Of course you¡¯re right. Even a used carriage will probably put a dent in even the town¡¯s treasury.¡± Town planner Ung let out a laugh, he wasn¡¯t too serious. Alp town can afford a tier one carriage, but was there a need for it? They have three carriages and they can easily serve all their needs, not to mention other places will transport goods to them as well. Buying a tier one carriage is just frivolous. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the barrels large dimensions it wouldn¡¯t matter, and who knows what else i¡¯ll need to transport in the future?¡± In truth, hiring three or four carriage drivers and buying a few untiered carriages would be enough but eventually a tier one carriage would earn back its large upfront cost. This has to do with the wage of a driver, the possibility of carrying more items per trip and its speed. ¡°Often people don¡¯t know they want something until they are presented with it.¡± After recovering, Rak was back to his old ways, thinking of business plans. He was a lot more ambitious now that he has the coin to invest with. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any engineer friends, but I can introduce you to someone in Trove that may be able to point you in the right direction.¡± ¡°Trove, huh. I don¡¯t play on making the trip to a city any time soon, but I was planning on going to Kante to check things out and do some business.¡± ¡°If you do decide to go, I recommend a proper transport and not hitching a ride with one the merchant carriages. The trip will be much pleasurable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it into consideration.¡± Rak¡¯s have turned away from Ung and into the air, appearing in thought. Being used to such things, Ung sat back and took up his cup. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to try out hunting, is there somewhere in Alp I can try it out? Inte looked a bit. A bit intense.¡± ¡°Of course. But if you want to hunt something large, you¡¯ll still need to travel a bit.¡± ¡°I see. Where do I go then?¡± ¡°There is always Url, you already know him. Though he doesn¡¯t hunt too much and mostly tames beasts.¡± ¡°Right. I got business with him away, but I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll have the time if i hire him.¡± Ung let out a small laugh at Rak¡¯s plight. ¡°Well here is Georg, Alley, Jain and Opfer. They all own their own little hunting lodges and should be accustomed to hunting, only I don¡¯t know if any of them are willing to take people hunting with them.¡± ¡°Can I ask for their information?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll transfer the details to you.¡± ¡°With this, I should only have to get Olric to produce another batch, after all the tier one beer doesn¡¯t exactly expire quickly.¡± Rak¡¯s thoughts swirled about, he even entertained the idea of letting Olric experiment a bit so he could begin selling tier one strong alcohol. Currently Olric can only create a few varieties of tier one beers and some miscellaneous untiered drinks. Only from Rak¡¯s perspective, untiered drinks are barely worth the trouble, considering the transport cost. Something yet to occur to Rak was to embolster himself. It is still a possibility to live a lavish life while spending his time on creating a financial empire, he would still become subjected to the strong in the long run. In the end he¡¯d have to either hire or bow his head to those that pursue strength. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch Ung, as always you¡¯re invaluable. I owe you a meal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± Not only Rak, but Ung felt a rare sort of comradery. Maybe it was because of the way they talked, the way they conducted themselves of because they were similarly ambitious, whatever it is, they felt like kindred spirits and took each other as friends. ¡°I¡¯ll go see Url and then check on this Georg person seeing as he lives the closest to Url.¡± While on the road to Url, Rak once again searched his logs but found nothing indicating that he had been physically attacked. What did happen was with increased levels of alcohol, Rak¡¯s muscles became so numb and weak that he could no longer sustain his breathing and was therefore technically suffocated to death. It is the systems fault for identifying this as a choking which indicates a second party involvement. This is made reasonable seeing as nothing on him was robbed, even his simple clothing with very low durability remains entirely intact. ¡°I guess I can drop by the Withered fox and check if that vagrant is still there. Can it be that woman was a pervert and choked me to death?¡± Rak had tried not to think of this option but eventually it crept up on him and when it did he felt a cold shiver run down his back. It wasn¡¯t until he arrived at Url¡¯s animal infested hunting lodge and residence that the feeling subsided. ¡°Url!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s going to be home.¡± After squinting his eyes for a good minute trying to identify the manner of creatures roaming Url¡¯s property Rak decided to shout once more. Supposedly Url is supposed to receive a request from Town Hall for the carriage and in turn that assumes Url will be needed to drive it. ¡°He should be here, right?¡± ¡°Url! You in there?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Can you come outside?¡± ¡°No! Come inside!¡± For a moment Rak was stunned into silence and followed by a deep frown. ¡°He can¡¯t be expecting me to barge through this flood of creatures?¡± After a few back and forth shouting, Url and Rak agreed that Rak would wait outside for some time. After fifteen minutes passed Url finally stumbled out of his hunting lodge with a small fluffy creature in tow. ¡°Well, what is it?¡± Rak didn¡¯t expect the rude greeting but he brushed it off as a part of Url¡¯s character. ¡°I need to do more deliveries for me, as we talked about last time. Thought it be best to talk to you again rather than hire someone else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you hire someone else.¡± ¡°This guy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just to Inte and back, can you do it tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow works.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Seeing Rak standing awkwardly staring at him, Url surprisingly asked Rak. ¡°Ah. Well, I¡¯m interested in trying out some hunting, but I was going to see George as you must be busy.¡± ¡°I am busy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t go to George. Not him, I recommend Alley, she¡¯s good with people like you.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°Timid, weak, unexperienced.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It seemed that Rak has to get used to being looked down. In Chaos theory he doesn¡¯t have the background or wealth to barge his way to what he wants. So hearing Url¡¯s remarks, which didn¡¯t seem to be out of malice but genuine honest guidance, Rak can only swallow his pride and let it slide. ¡°Strength, wealth and influence. I need plenty of one these.¡± Something Rak¡¯s father taught him was that with strength, wealth and influence followed. And in that same vein, with wealth, strength and influence could be obtained. He went on to say that with great influence, strength and wealth are there for the taking. In short, focusing on one aspect gives access to others. Even after dealing with Url¡¯s brazen attitude, Rak decided to follow Url¡¯s advice and seek out Alley instead of George for a consultation on hunting. It might seem odd that Rak would be willing to accept the disrespectful attitude from someone like Url when in the real world he felt slighted by the mere thought of sleeping in what he considered commoner¡¯s accommodations. What it really is, is a disconnect from reality and Chaos theory. Just as a person doesn¡¯t treat their mother like they treat their best friend, people do not treat Chaos theory like they do reality. In addition to this, Rak¡¯s experience so far in Chaos theory has molded his perspective to be surprisingly humble. ¡°I hope this Alley is a reserved person.¡± Rak didn¡¯t notice himself but he was slowly developing a rather odd suspicion of women, he had thoughts that could only be considered vain or egotistical. His thoughts were along the the line that he was just too handsome, too charming and to amazing. This is due to his two recent romances. While only one bore fruit, the other was certainly ripe only not plucked. ¡°It¡¯ll be good if she¡¯s not too good looking.¡± While pondering such inane things, Rak slowly made his way to Alley¡¯s hunting lodge that looked eerily similar to Url¡¯s hunting lodge only without the farmhouse. Beside the hunting lodge is a small house fit for perhaps two people. ¡°There is always large scale farming as well. But is there a market for it?¡± Unlike in real life, practical things like vegetable farming and animal rearing, were not a necessity. Sure they were appreciated and in widespread use, but they are not irreplaceable. A large hunting guild can easily provide enough food for an entire town or two, not to mention a few hunting guilds or numerous enthusiast. For example, the four hunters in Alp easily provide the town¡¯s requirement for meat, but outside of them there are still others that hunt and there is still more food coming from farms and even food imported by Town Hall. In short, food is not an issue in terms of survival. ¡°I should just knock, right?¡± With great care Rak knocked lightly on the hunting lodge¡¯s door, choosing to ignore the house next door, assuming Alley would stay in her hunting lodge rather than house. The snapped open violently making Rak out an undignified shriek. The shriek made Alley shriek in turn and leap backwards. After a seering moment of complete confusion, Rak¡¯s face turned scarlet red while Alley became even more confused. ¡°Why did she have to be this beautiful.¡± There is a whole slew of unattractive people in Chaos theory, and yet Rak seems to stumble and somehow attack rather gorgeous women. ¡°Who are you? What do you want? Why were you shouting.¡± Despite Rak¡¯s very red face and the awkward encounter he still recovered in a flash and put on an umassiming expression that hinted at a smile. ¡°Hello, I am Abstinence and I¡¯m looking to try out hunting. Url told me you were the better choice than George.¡± Alley¡¯s expression was rather annoyed when Rak began speaking but perked up when she heard that Url put her above George. ¡°Url said I was a better hunter?¡± ¡°Did he say she was better?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°At least that dog still has eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, he still has eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know he still has eyes, it¡¯s an expression.¡± ¡°It is?¡± ¡°Yes it is! Forget it, you want to try hunting?¡± ¡°Yes I figure it¡¯s a way to become stronger.¡± Alley¡¯s expression turned foul quickly when she heard Rak¡¯s reason for hunting. ¡°What do you mean stronger? Hunting isn¡¯t a game. Its hunting not a sport. Go train with those braindead warriors if you want to become stronger.¡± ¡°What warriors?¡± ¡°Those warriors. You know warriors. It¡¯s an expression.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°Yes it is!¡± ¡°Okay, but I don''t know any warriors. Do they live in Alp?¡± ¡°No. I said it¡¯s an expression.¡± ¡°Uh. I see. So what about that hunting?¡± Not only was Rak confused, but somehow Alley had confused herself in her hate for warriors. Only after giving it a moment¡¯s thought did she realise she was being a bit strange. ¡°What do you want to hunt?¡± ¡°I was thinking something stronger than a Igorra.¡± ¡°Stronger than an Igorra? A child could kill an Igorra.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never hunted anything.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your bow skill then?¡± ¡°I have never shot a bow.¡± This time around Alley was not confused but curious. There is a reason Url sent Rak to Alley, it was that he recognized Rak¡¯s talkative nature and knew Alley would similarly blather to no end. ¡°Never shot a bow. Never hunted. Are you even a man?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to-.¡± ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll make a man out of you. You are at least tall. Your body looks okay. Bit of a pretty face but we can work with it.¡± It was now Rak¡¯s turn to frown. He had a bad premonition when he heard her say ¡®pretty face¡¯. He was a bit tired of being treated like a plaything, especially since he was used to be the one playing with others. Even though he adopted a more humble personality in Chaos theory, he was still the same person deep beneath. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll get the bow.¡± Chapter ten: Seduced!
Alley¡¯s beginners bow of training.
Damage 8 13
Attack speed 1.6 1.6
Durability 12 12
Steady hand
Cooldown 60s
Duration 20s
Energy 15e
¡°Steady hand is an ability all hunters rely on, despite the name¡¯s suggestion it doesn¡¯t steady the hand but the mind, a cool refreshing feeling washes over the person using it.¡±
¡°Hold it like this. See?¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°No, your stance is all wrong. Here I¡¯ll adjust it for you.¡± Suddenly a long leng struck between Rak¡¯s feet and widened is stance, at the same time a pair of hands began to meticulously adjust Rak¡¯s hands, waist, back, chest and the hand even managed to reach his face. ¡°Does my face have to be adjusted as well?¡± ¡°Now pull.¡± ¡°Can you backup a bit?¡± ¡°How can I adjust your stance if I do that? Just pull. Why do the pretty ones always talk so much?¡± With the greatest of sighs Rak prepared to pull the bow¡¯s string when Alley¡¯s hands once again began to move about. ¡°Why did you move so much! Don¡¯t relax your stance like that.¡± Just his exhalation seemed to have ruined Alley¡¯s meticulous work. His stance just a slightly off, and few would notice the difference but her eyes saw countless flaws and this required another session of ¡®adjusting¡¯. ¡°There. Now don¡¯t move, pull.¡± ¡°How can I pull if I can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Pull!¡± Alley is a rather talkative person and lively too. It is fortunate that her voice isn¡¯t too loud even when being assertive as her lips are just by Rak¡¯s ears. ¡°Good, slowly. Ease it up. Now hold it.¡± All the while Rak drew the arrow he felt it took far more effort than expected. However, once again Alley¡¯s hands began to move down to his stomach. ¡°From here, feel the pressure here? That¡¯s where you hold your power.¡± Rak felt his body prepare to shake and soon he¡¯d give in. It seems this bow¡¯s strength requirements are a bit too much for him. ¡°Activate |Steady hand| now. Hold the stance.¡± Concentrating on the ability, suddenly Rak began feeling like he just drank the most pristine, ice chilled water. Once it spread to his mind it ran through his hand and chest stopping at his stomach. ¡°Do I shoot?¡± ¡°No. Hold the stance.¡± The second passed slowly but Rak felt like he had been standing there for tens of minutes. ¡°Okay release.¡± Hands exhausted and his left fingers numb, Rak felt his feet buckle but he didn¡¯t fall. Right behind is a prepared Alley. ¡°Good job. That was okay. Take a minute to rest and we¡¯ll do this again.¡± At this moment Rak doesn''t have any complaints, he doesn''t have the capacity right now to feel indignant, all he can to do is close his eyes and sit still. Not only is his body exhausted, he is unable to hold a single thought. This experience can be described as profound, especially to a person like Rak. It is the monks, the dedicated meditators that can understand it better and they would be stupefied how easily Rak entered this rare state. One could consider it a wild coincident but it is very much intended, this is one of Chaos theory¡¯s purposes. To better humanity¡¯s mind in certain ways. To be exact, to make people more intelligent. Only it is uncertain what side effects may follow.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Okay we it¡¯s no use to to practice your stance. Hunters are a lot like assassins, they don¡¯t fight a lot, instead they focus on a single powerful strike.¡± After snapping out of his reverie he felt a deep longing to return to that previous void-esque mindset. He is also nimble enough to understand that this state of mind isn''t easily achieved. By this point Rak has recollected his thoughts and is intently listening. ¡°A single strike?¡± ¡°A Single strike. It is true that there are times where even a calculated strike will fail and you need to practice to survive such situations, but that is hunters not novices like you.¡± Alley¡¯s trail of thoughts is not considered wrong. Any hunter should aim for a single traike to strike down their prey. Just like an assassin should aim for a single hit to take down their opponent by surprise, in this way hunters and assassins are alike. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Knowing that he has yet again to experience the tormentous feeling of holding the bow back, Rak was enthusiastic rather than reluctant. From Alley¡¯s perspective, Rak held certain talent for hunting. But what she didn¡¯t know was that the only thing holding Rak back is his personality, mainly due to his upbringing. Rak can be considered a ¡®genius¡¯, only his personality is a severe anchor, preventing him from soaring into greatness. This can be seen from that tasks that Raks sets himself in and those he lands himself in, everyone of which go smoothly. Even Arlina Medin would agree that Rak¡¯s performance is admirable. ¡°Good.¡± Unlike before, Alley only has to make slight adjustments before Rak once again lapses backwards exhausted, only this time that void-esque experience doesn¡¯t arrive. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing Rak¡¯s frustration from his expression, Alley couldn¡¯t help herself from explaining. After all she isn¡¯t like those tongue tied men who treasured every word. It was actually because of her rather loose tongue that she didn¡¯t have much popularity despite her excellent looks. ¡°Ah. Little Abstinence.¡± ¡°Little?¡± No matter how Rak looked at it, He was taller than this women. Sure she was probably stronger than him by a large margin, but was still taller and he held the unreasonable pride of a man. ¡°You can¡¯t expect to gain enlightenment anytime you concentrate.¡± Alley began shaking her head and closed her eyes. When they finally peered open she looked at Rak with great benevolence and the great care of an elder. ¡°There is too much to learn in this life. How could you possible see through it with a glimpse.¡± When she finished she looked slightly up and closed one eye while the other was just slightly open, she was watched for Rak¡¯s reactions. When she saw the frustration she let out an exaggerated sigh but it was hard for her to hide her smile. ¡°It¡¯s simple too hard. Aie. I guess if I gave it my all I could lead you in the right direction.¡± Alley¡¯s eyesight never left Rak and when she saw Rak was about to respond she immediately continued. ¡°Aie! Even then.¡± Again Alley paused just long enough for Rak to begin talking but she wouldn¡¯t let him talk and she began again. ¡°Even then, It would still be up to you. You lucky you know?¡± ¡°Lucky?¡± As the words left Rak he regretted them, he felt like he walked into a trap. ¡°Ah! Lucky indeed. Where else would you meet someone willing to give away the guidance like this? Url? George? Forget it!¡± Rak wanted to let out a sigh and he wanted to respond but he was no dummy, he was now seeing some clues. From his perspective, this Alley was a bit of a bragger. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask. I¡¯ll make sure you become a fine hunter. Abstinence, what level are you?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± ¡°Ten. Huh.¡± ¡°Ye, Ten.¡± ¡°Ten,¡± At this point Rak was feeling annoyed, Alley¡¯s expression was one of disdain. It was hidden disdain but an seasoned ¡®noble¡¯ like Rak could detect it a mere glance. ¡°What? Is ten bad? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been trying to level.¡± ¡°Oh? Then it makes sense. So what have you been doing.¡± ¡°I started my own business. I got my own brewery in Alp down. Its near up north of town, near the Horseshoe Inn.¡± ¡°A brewery.¡± Alley¡¯s word dragged out and faded slowly. It was clear that she wasn¡¯t impressed and in infact her disdain became more apparent. For the first time in Chaos theory Rak was furios. ¡°That¡¯s right! A brewery! I already made ten gold from casual deals with nearby taverns.¡± ¡°Ten gold!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only the beginning. Who knows, maybe it¡¯ll be hundred gold soon?¡± At this point Rak gave Alley a casual but calculated look. He wanted her to know that ten gold was nothing much to him, yet what he saw alarmed him more than anything. Her eyes seemed to shoot out fire, he felt as his clothes were stripped and his heart began beating faster. ¡°Ohohohoho. Isn¡¯t this good.¡± Just as Rak was feeling a sense of danger a beautiful woman managed to snaked around his body, her unnatural grasp left him unable to move without a violent struggle. ¡°Uh, miss Alley, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Youl. You are. Uh. You¡¯re holding me?¡± In truth Rak didn¡¯t know what to make of this situation, Alley had somehow manage to snake around him and wrap him in her arms. Even slight movement proved to be difficult. ¡°I¡¯m jus training you. Actually we should go back to the house and massage you, you seem a bit tender.¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m a good trainer.¡± ¡°But I want to learn to hunt.¡± ¡°Just relax, we are just going over the basics. Besides you told Url you¡¯d be coming here, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t Url kinda-.¡± Just as Rak was going to explain that Url left him hanging he saw a shift in Alley¡¯s expression. ¡°Oh? He just rushed you off like that? Well no worries. Even if no one knows your here, I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± From Rak¡¯s perspective it seemed like a threat, but no matter how ¡®subtly¡¯ he tried to struggle eventually he was dragged to Alley¡¯s private housing. It wasn¡¯t until the doors closed that he regained his ¡®freedom¡¯. ¡°Want something to drink? Actually I got something that¡¯ll loosen you up. You look a bit stiff.¡± The more Rak experienced the more he frowned. Anyone would see Rak was annoyed and frankly, angry, but Alley saw a golden sheep and her eyes gleamed. ¡°Have a seat, relax. You can also stretch.¡± ¡°Stretch?¡± ¡°Whatever you want. I¡¯ll get the drinks¡± At this point Rak was feeling genuine fear. He realized he was once again being prayed upon. His eyes flickered for a moment. This house was at least five times bigger than his little hovel, but it was nothing spectacular. He tried to make subtle steps backwards towards the exit of the house. Just as she exited the ¡®living room¡¯ a rather ravenous Alley appeared. She found the time to change clothes and they stunned Rak into silence. Alley pretended nothing had changed and grabbed Rak¡¯s hand. ¡°Here try this. It¡¯s cook¡¯s wine¡± The mere arome of the wine made Rak swallow but the more he felt like he wanted the wine, the more he felt apprehensive. But even then, he recklessly gave it a good whiff and took a small sip. ¡°Good wine!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy it.¡± As Rak swallowed the wine he received a notification but his current state made him miss it. ¡°Have you see the latest Jelorost quest?¡± After giving a rather awkward cough Rak asked. ¡°What is a Jelorost quest¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what a Jelorost quest is? I¡¯ll put it on.¡± Suddenly a screen shot out into the room and covered the entire room. It looked like a private movie screening. A group of six people, three men and three women were talking and planning their next steps. ¡°This is the Jelorost group. They are one of pioneers in the endless mountain range. They have discovered over sixty recipes. All beneficial to humanity. And they share them for free!¡± There was no hiding Alley¡¯s reverence. She watch the screen but still stole a few glances at Rak, who was entirely enthralled in the visual experience. He was so distracted he didn¡¯t notice Alley¡¯s hands slithering about, weaving Rak into a position where it looked like it was him embracing her, rather than her embarrassing him. She even managed to pull out a rosy shine on her cheeks as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about three cities away from Inte or Kante. So about Six to ten days of continuous travel.¡± In Chaos theory, traveling is in a primitive stage and while is improving, most used the distance between known measurements. While everyone understands what a meter, kilometer and so on is, it doesn¡¯t bring much understanding to how much time something will take to travel. At least not the layman. So saying its a village¡¯s distance is a perfectly common. ¡°Abstinence. Why don¡¯t you sit down? You can even lay down if you want.¡± The offer seemed pleasant but Alley¡¯s eyes betrayed her and Rak had seen these eyes before, not only in Arlina Medin but also the tall giant woman accompanied by the vagrant Hormby. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Actually I was thinking about heading back. I still have some things to deal with actually.¡± Even though he said these things he knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Worst of all, Alley¡¯s appearance was actually attracting him and he almost felt reluctant to leave. Chapter eleven: Stripped and cleaned.
Character
Status
Constitution: 75/100%
Fatigue: 29/100%
Hunger: 63/100%
Clarity: 74/100%
Stamina: 74/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°Leave?¡± ¡°My fatigue is too low.¡± ¡°How low?¡± ¡°Twenty nine percent.¡± Rak wasn¡¯t sure what to expect but seeing Alley spit out with an audible ¡®Pah!¡¯ sound he cringed at the sight. ¡°What twenty nine percent!? This is why it''s good you met me, It seems there are too many things wrong. Forget archery, we need to fix your personality. A mouse can¡¯t hunt cats!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Good. We will do this then. Wait. How much gold you have?¡± ¡°I got ni-. Wait, that¡¯s none of your business.¡± Rak¡¯s expression was already awful, he was tired, he felt a bit ashamed and now he almost blurted out that he had nine gold on him. But it was too late. He saw the look in Alley¡¯s eyes and understood she heard that he was about to say nine. Rak became even paler and while he was already sitting down he tried to back up, looking like he was crawling backwards like a spider. ¡°This going to be hard on you, okay? Remember no matter how it hurts, how much you cry, that just means it''s working.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s working. Hey! Stay back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you still need to sign this contract.¡±
Alley the Advanced hunter
I, Abstinence agree to Alley¡¯s training even if it leads to my death. Contract completes when Rak becomes a novice hunter or Alley decides Abstinence awful personality traits have been whittled down and reforged. Initial cost: 2g Maintenance cost: Up to 3g Final cost upon reaching the rank of hunter: 3g
¡°Sign it and we can begin.¡± Rak¡¯s head is already spinning and his face pale as snow, but seeing the contract he felt extremely apprehensive. This contract would strip him of his entire fortune and it was so vague. ¡°What kind of contract is this? This is robbery!¡± ¡°What do you know? If it wasn¡¯t for my easy going personality, great looks and amazing teaching abilities, would I even bother with a fragile kid like you?¡± ¡°Fragile? Kid? I¡¯m probably older than you!¡± Looking away from the contract and to Alley, Rak¡¯s eyes show rare anger. But what he sees is a woman facing the sky and one eye looking down to him. ¡°This why doing good deeds is too hard.¡± ¡°Who wants your good deeds? This. This malicious contract! What even is a novice hunter? Who said I want to be a novice hunter?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know this?¡± Feeling like Rak wasn¡¯t appreciating her generous offer to help him, despite it being a huge waste of her time as and advanced hunter. Sure, she just recently advanced, but to find another advanced hunter in Alp? It was more than just difficult. In truth it isn¡¯t Rak¡äs fault. He simply doesn¡¯t understand the advantage of reaching his first tier one job. While it it can be debated what job is the best job, just having a tier one job increases almost every attribute a person has. A person still has to reach certain thresholds to advance to that stage and not just anyone can stumble into it. It is because these thresholds exist that not many humans have reached this stage. It also because so few people have reached the level of a tier one job that other humans do not know about it. Even Rak¡¯s father and mother, who take Chaos theory very seriously, have not grasped the concept of the strength of a ¡®job¡¯. They have a rather impressive information net with all their subordinates and yet don¡¯t know this much. ¡°I still don¡¯t see how becoming a hunter is worth eight gold. And I can''t even afford it!¡± What Rak doesn¡¯t know is that Alley even being able to send that contract to him, means Rak must at least be worth eight gold. This trick to find out someones value like this can be protected, but how could a noob like Rak know this? ¡°I¡¯ll show you then.¡± Alley is now standing three meters away from Rak who is looking at her with enormous suspicious. Suddenly he begins squint is eyes, for some reason Alley is going out of focus just before him. That blurring figure begins moving and soon he can¡¯t see anything at all. Rak twirls around in circles before coming to a stop, his eyes still flickering about and he is concentrating on his hearing rather than eyes. ¡°How can this be? Is this magic¡± While people don¡¯t know too much about the intricacies of Chaos theory, they do know that magic exists in this world, only they don¡ät know how it works or how to attain it. Url¡¯s spear and Alley¡¯s bow are both imbued with magic in the form of their abilities and the general attributes on the items themselves, making so that mundane items have become strengthened to a previously impossible degree. Just as Rak flips around, believing he heard something behind him, a hand wraps around him from behind, even though he just turned around and was certain nothing had been there. ¡°What do you think? Is a hunter worth it?¡± ¡°Invisibility.¡± ¡°It¡¯s concealment and not invisibility, I am directly interfering with your mind, making it hard for you notice me. This includes sounds and if strong enough, touch.¡± When Rak heard her he noticed two hands on his chest and that he was indeed being embraced. Yet he felt nothing, as if she wasn¡¯t there holding him. ¡°Even this is possible?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too weak. Against a novice hunter I may only be able to blur out of sight and meld into the environment, but hiding my scent, sound and touch will become a lot harder. This also depends on what I concentrate on interfering with. Most hunters hide their scent when hunting with sound as a secondary priority.¡± ¡°I can already imagine the possibilities.¡± Perhaps because Rak had been thoroughly rattled and Alley interfering with his perceptions, but his eyes gleamed with a suspicious light and slight red appeared on his cheeks. ¡°What are you thinking about!¡± Struck out of his reverie Rak put on the expression of the wronged. ¡°I was thinking about hunting beasts!¡± ¡°Oh? Is that why you are standing at attention?¡± Once again Rak felt a shock to his mind. He was indeed standing at attention like a good soldier. ¡°This. No it¡¯s because of these.¡± As Alley already leapt back, Rak pointed at the wrapped up chest, even though the size wasn''t too impressive, Rak understood they were being caged behind the tightly wound villainous cloth. ¡°It seems I have more work to do than I expected. To think you are a lecherous pervert as well.¡± ¡°What pervert!? You''re the one groping me incessantly! I¡¯m the one being harassed here.¡± Before Rak could continue his accusations he suddenly saw the sky. Alley had swept his feet and landed on his back. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can drive this evil out of you.¡± The wind has been knocked out of him so he couldn¡¯t muster the strength to rebut Alley for her very harsh treatment. He still felt indignant when she sat on his stomach and looked at him the greatest of disdain. He felt he turned into a dirty puddle of water and she was a fair maiden unwilling to even step on him. ¡°Oh? You even like this? What a beast.¡± Rak¡¯s thoughts are swirling unceasingly he is almost like a statue as this point not know what o do. While Alley¡äs weight didn¡¯t seem much her hands were hold him down and her legs pushing down his thighs,making it impossible to even squirm properly. Alley has now brought Rak¡äs hand together above his hand and is using one hand to hold both his hands. ¡°Looks like a beast, acts like a beasts. Most likely it is a beast.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Just as Rak felt the strength to speak Alley¡¯s free hand covered Rak¡¯s mouth. ¡°Are you going to sign the contract? See how weak you are.¡± ¡°Mrrmph!¡± ¡°What was that? I can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°Mrph!¡± It took some time for Rak¡¯s eyes to turn from helplessness to urgency and eventually to rage and resentment. ¡°Oh? Your angry? Why don¡¯t you just break free? You¡¯re a man aren''t you? Just push me away, I¡¯m just a woman, right? Just a little woman.¡± Alley¡¯s playful eyes could easily see through Rak¡¯s struggle but she suddenly became disappointed when she saw Rak give up. It only took a few minutes for him to resign himself to his fate. ¡°Look at you. Pathetic. If I wanted to, I could entrap you easily and keep you as a slave. Just because you live in Alp doesn¡¯t mean your safe. War could break out any minutes. Corrupt officials could decide to make an example out of you. People with money could buy your life. Is this what you want?¡± The extreme disdain and feint anger stunned Rak. he had felt helpless before, in particular with Arlina and that giant of a woman. But this was different, he felt he could see himself trapped in a dungeon of some lousy city, he saw himself capture by a competing merchant, every word Alley spoke struck his heart. ¡°Alright, what do you think?¡± Alley let Rak go and stood up, but Rak was laying there, now he was trapped by his own thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Good. I¡äll make something out of you yet. Rak felt his world turned upside down in the passed five minutes but he was still stunned to see the brilliant smile and the pride in Alley¡äs eyes. She really felt proud of Rak¡¯s decision and felt she wasn''t wasting her time.
2 gold transferred to Alley.
¡°Two gold.¡± Even though Rak was now confident in his decisions he still felt a terrible sting in his heart to see two gold vanish like that. He also knew more were sure to vanish, but Alley¡¯s hearty laughter was the most unsettling to him. ¡°Alright, we should get started right away.¡± ¡°Wait. I still have to tend to my business, I have to go to Cal and Often to sell my beer.¡± ¡°Sell your beer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I got a brewery here in Alp and I¡¯ve been selling to the nearby villages.¡± Unlike Rak, Alley has a far better understanding of Chaos theory, or better to say, the nearby cities. If Rak has been dealing with nearby villages, he must be undercutting other suppliers. Depending on Rak¡¯s competition, they might decided to deal with him directly. ¡°When did you begin this business of yours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, but it''s already going really well. I just need to go to Cal and Often and then I¡¯m selling to all nearby villages. I am also going to Whor town and the village Kante for some things.¡± Alley looked at Rak with great suspicion. The look caused raked to become curious. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You think this is safe? With your strength?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Wait. You don¡¯t think some other brewer is going to come after me?¡± The real issue here is that Rak is not a second generation merchant but one of long line of businessmen. He has never felt the real sting of a wealthy and merciless competition, unlike his father and mother. They are also of a line of merchants but they can be said to far more worldly. ¡°It would be strange if they didn¡¯t. If you are lucky you can hide for a bit but eventually they¡¯ll find your supply chain, your transportation and rob them. That¡¯s assuming they don¡¯t kill you first.¡± Rak was a bit speechless. Indeed the more he thought about it the more he realized she was right. And if a casual hunter like Alley could pin him down, couldn¡¯t some wealthy merchant hire someone to kill him or blackmail him? Of course Alley isn¡¯t just any casual hunter but one at the peak of a tier one job, making her strong enough to contend with top people in cities. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll do this. I¡¯ll join you and train you while we deal with your business. I¡¯ll only ask for fifty percent of the profits.¡± ¡°Fifty percent? Are you insane? I¡¯ll give you five silver how¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oh? You want to die I see. Forget it then. When they come to kill you, there will still be a chance we can make a deal.¡± ¡°Ten silver?¡± ¡°You¡¯re life is only worth ten silvers?¡± ¡°Five percent! That¡¯s final¡± Alley let out a great sigh and looked at Rak with great pity. ¡°Ten percent! Anything else I¡¯ll go to Town hall for protection.¡± ¡°Deal.¡±
Alley the Advanced hunter
Alley will protect Rak and his business for 10% of monthly profits
¡°What if you can¡¯t protect it? This contract isn¡¯t good enough.¡± ¡°Dear me.¡±
Alley the Advanced hunter
Alley will protect Rak and his business for 10% of monthly profits If damages to the business exceed 10% Alley will not collect 10% of monthly profits
¡°What if I die?¡± ¡°How is that my concern?¡± After back and forth debate Rak finally signed the contract with a sullen face. Alley had slowly convinced him that his life was in no way connected to the business and that if he died it would only serve to toughen him up in the long run. ¡°You won¡¯t let me die though, right?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± It was just as Url predicted. These two talkative people would click like two pieces of a puzzle. While a lot of seemed like arguing it can be said that they still get along really well. ¡°So how will we do this? Sometime today i¡¯ll get the carriage I commissioned from Town hall and I was planning on heading to Often and then Cal if It isn¡¯t too late.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do that then.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. From this day and until you become a novice hunter I¡¯ll stay by your side. Some of the time.¡± ¡°Some of the time?¡± ¡°Sometimes you have to do things by yourself and I also have things to do on occasion.¡± ¡°Whatever. How long will this take then?¡± ¡°Just getting you to a novice hunter should be easy, but your timid ways, weak mannered ways may take longer.¡± ¡°So how long?¡± ¡°I''m thinking two weeks should be sufficient and then I¡¯ll take you to a place with a hunter quest.¡± After the ordeal was over Rak is now once again forced to draw the bow repeatedly until his fatigue went below five percent. A this point Rak is as white as a sheet. ¡°I¡¯m running out of fatigue!¡± Rak let out a shout but there was so little power behind it he sounded like a wronged kid. ¡°This is a part of your training.¡± ¡°I will go unconscious for hours if we keep this up.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll go unconscious.¡± At some point Alley had pulled out a chair and was sitting with a drink. She glanced at Rak and then continued waving her finger in the air, as if she was navigating through something. Rak rested for a moment then gritted his teeth and pulled the bow again with shaking arms, they only stopped once he activated |Steady hand|. This time that elusive feeling of surprising nothingness hit him again. What this current training is doing is increasing Rak¡¯s bast attributes, his fatigue, stamina and especially his clarity. Other general attributes pertaining to constitution are also developing but they cannot be trained with similar efficiency and often require reaching great threshold and complete a transitional point in a job. From a certain perspective it can seen as preparing the mind to expand the body, rather than preparing the body to expand the mind. It is not unthinkable to prepare the body in order to expand the mind but this processes is long and difficult. ¡°He finally passed out? He¡¯ll have to endure it a few times before he¡¯s ready.¡± Alley finally stands out of her seat, walks to Rak¡¯s unconscious body and carries him to her private house. After settling him in, Alley begins summon one tool after another from her inventory and begins fiddling about. Her intent is to craft various medicine all hunters would welcome. In addition to being a hunter, Alley, like many other hunters, has taken up a useful job. This job is more in the vein of a brewer like Olric and in Alley¡¯s case is potion making that uses wild herbs, various animal parts and to a degree, magic. Some of this ¡®magic¡¯ is Alley¡¯s and the other is the Chaos theory meeting her halfway. In actuality everything can be considered Chaos theory doing everything, and only a person invoking a command that Chaos theory will then carry out. But to the average person they will feel their mind and body respond with a sense of power when they do, giving the illusion of conjuring magic, a very esoteric feeling. Rak has now experienced such a feeling through Url¡¯s spear and Alley¡¯s bow, but those were both static abilities and cannot compare to the sensation of casting his own ability. Even his profound state of ¡®nothingness¡¯ isn¡¯t comparable as it isn¡¯t casting magic but strengthening what the mind is capable of. It is easy to think along the lines of, if this is a ¡®virtual world¡¯ why can¡¯t people just casting magic casually? And in truth, they can and for the most part will. The grand goal however is stretch the limits of human potential or even more ambitious goal is to add it it, reforge it. Knowing the mind of the Chaos theory General Artificial Intelligence is impossible by any means of the human capabilities. A lot comes down to what the A.I. wants to accomplish. Its initial directive is to make ¡®me¡¯ smarter. Now the A.I. at this point cannot accurately know what ¡®me¡¯ entails and it eventually decided the best course of action that cannot be ¡®wrong¡¯ by its own parameters of what is wrong, that course of action is to assume that ¡®me¡¯ is the entirety of the human race. Once it established its target, it had to find out what ¡®smarter¡¯ means. Smarter is often conflated with the accumulation of knowledge and it is even conflated with social decorum. To make this short, to become ¡®smarter¡¯ can mean near any action a human takes, and erring on the side of caution, it had no other recourse but to create a way to better every possible human trait, ignoring all moral distinctions. Another impossible question when is a person smarter? How smarter? Lacking these parameters the answer can be elusive. As to how Chaos theory answered this question, that¡¯s for it to know and for human to reach out for. Assuming humanity reaches a new pinnacle, that may be answer. In short, it can be said that Chaos theory was asked to create enough food for everyone so it turned the whole world edible. Overcompensating to assure completion. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake?¡± ¡°Where is this?¡± Acting on instinct, Rak brings up his status window, something he¡¯s been doing for almost three weeks now.
Character
Status
Constitution: 90/100%
Fatigue: 80/100%
Hunger: 15/100%
Clarity: 55/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°My fatigue.¡± His constitution, meaning his general physical being had completely recovered and it is bizarre to say the least, but his fatigue breaching the soft cap of seventy five percent and going into eighty percent is just too mind boggling. ¡°How?¡± ¡°You looking at your status? If you check your logs you¡¯ll see I gave you some supplements, of course my bed played a big part as well.¡± ¡°This is amazing. Doesn¡¯t this mean I can stay in Chaos theory forever?¡± ¡°You think this is free? Sleeping in my bed is already costing you ten silvers, I¡¯m not sure if three gold will cover all the maintenance fees. You said you needed to go make more deals in Cal and Jurne, right? When are we going? I think we need to get more coin.¡± Rak was just barely waking up but hearing Alley¡¯s tone complemented by her calculating eyes, he felt a shiver run down his spine and subconsciously reached for a non-existent wallet. Which is strange as the only wallet he owns is purely for cosmetic purposes. ¡°Get dressed and let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Dressed?¡± It was only now that Rak noticed he was stark naked, not even wearing his underwear. Ignoring any feeling of embarrassment he donned his usual outfit and glared at Alley. ¡°Why was I naked?¡± ¡°I undressed you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t about letting you sleep in my bed in your dirty clothes.¡± ¡°But naked is fine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I already cleaned you.¡± Feeling another wave of confusion hit him, Rak inspected himself and indeed he somehow seemed cleaner. Since he entered Chaos theory he had never cleaned himself and didn¡¯t even think it was needed. He had met some people that stank but somehow thought himself immune, all in all, he didn¡¯t even notice the negative effects it was having, as it is difficult to notice some event not happening. Filth does indeed accumulate just at a much slower rate and cannot be compared to the real world. ¡°You were filthy and stank. It¡¯s not good to go without washing for so long, alright no need to thank me. We should be productive, this is also a part of remodeling your personality.¡± ¡°What kind of pervert is this? Also she couldn¡¯t have been serious about changing my personality, could she? I¡¯m not a five year old.¡± Rak is still unclear of what kind of attitude people in Chaos theory carry. While nudity isn¡¯t prohibited it is frowned upon, similarly public sexual activities are not illegal in any way, but they are similarly frowned upon. On top of this, discrete private sexual encounters are not at all vilified and only considered normal or expected, the concept of modesty is far less invasive. ¡°I should be careful about falling asleep around people, maybe she is a unique case but I got a hunch that other people are just as crazy.¡± After making sure everything is in its right place Rak began slowly getting over his feelings of being cleaned and touched while asleep. In truth, Rak has had women around him all his life in form of servants, as a scion of a rich family this was a norm. Being cleaned by a woman is not even unexpected but instead something he has grown used to. Considering all these things it should not be too surprising when he brushed the actions away as a mild annoyance. ¡°My carriage was ready last night but I was busy training that bow pulling to go.¡± Seeing the impatience in Alley¡¯s eyes Rak stood up and followed her outside. Unlike Url, Alley isn¡¯t a beast tamer, though she does have some experience in it, she doesn¡¯t practice it. She does however have a animal riding skills. ¡°Ley!¡± ¡°Ley?¡± ¡°Ley is my beast companion.¡± Just as Rak was about to continue his questions a furry four legged beast with a snubbed tail rushed out from behind the hunting lodge. In its mouth is a half gnawed bone. ¡°What is this creature?¡± ¡°Get on.¡± ¡°This. I¡¯m not so sure about this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be unsure about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden a. What is this?¡± ¡°This is Ley. She¡¯s a River Don.¡± ¡°You consider that answer?¡± ¡°Hurry up and get on.¡± Reaching out and grabbing Alley¡¯s hand Rak felt all of his weight vanish and as suddenly as it went it returned. Sitting on the beast Rak could not help but notice the creature glance at him, he isn¡¯t too sure but he thinks he can detect disdain in those large eyes. ¡°Go.¡± The sudden take off nearly made Rak tumble backwards, only staying on by grabbing onto the long furr. ¡°We can go to see Url first, that little boy can sell you a couple of horses.¡± ¡°Little boy? Url has to be two or three times your age.¡± It is easy to understand Rak¡¯s confusion, ignoring age, Url looks physically stronger even though he¡¯s shorter than Alley, and yet Alley is leaps and bounds stronger than Url who is only a novice hunter. This has to do with Url¡¯s hobbies more than anything else, it can be said he¡¯s spread too thin. Taming all those beasts and caring from them is a considerable time investment. In Chaos theory, Rak like many other of people from the real world are more than willing to go with the flow of events. While they can easily reject things, events that happen can be taken in stride. Rak for example has taken his meeting with Alley as a quest of some sort, even though he hasn¡¯t received one from Chaos theory. Thinking back, Rak has only received two from Chaos theory directly and those were trivial to say the least. Rak of course doesn''t differentiate between Chaos theory direct quests and those given by Town hall or other sources, taking them all to be the same. This is because they all give out rewards all the same, experience accumulates and coin is gained. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± With his head swirling and stomach somewhat unsettled Rak is met with the sight of Url¡¯s house, farm and hunting lodge. All the animals have gathered in one place staring worryingly at the beast Ley. ¡°We¡¯re already here? How quick!¡± Chapter twelve: In her bed. Rak really isn¡¯t too sure as to why Alley has taken such great interest in him but he has a sneaking suspicion that it is because of his gold. But even that seems a bit of a stretch, especially after seeing the woman¡¯s strength. With that kind of abilities surely should she should be able to gather gold coins easily. These were among Rak¡¯s thoughts, but what he fails to understand i that humans will not do what is ¡®ideal¡¯ or ¡®efficient¡¯. What Alley does to spend her time may not be profitable at all. In fact, her interest in Rak is more likely to be a part of her interests in general, one could guess that her interest lay in people or meddling in others business. Whatever her motives are, they have entangled with Rak¡¯s. ¡°What do you two want?¡± ¡°Do me a favor and sell Rak a couple of your horses for his new carriage.¡± ¡°No!¡± Rak felt a bit embarrassed by Url¡¯s very blunt response and then he remembered what kind of person Url is. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You know you can¡¯t sustain this many animals. How many horses do you have anyway?¡± On the tall beast and its current location near the farm, Rak can see a herd of at least twenty horses grazing. Near the horses is another herd of horse like creatures that are clearly of similar descent. Near those are another batch of animals, though half the size of an average horse, yet seems to make up for it in girth. ¡°I have just enough, can¡¯t lose a single one.¡± ¡°We both know you can barely feed all these things and Town hall isn¡¯t willing to give you any more grazing land. You know, I could let a portion of your beasts graze on my land. Unlike Url, Alley is an advance hunter and including her various contributions over the years, she has accumulated quite a few perks. This is why despite not having a farm her over all property in Alp is larger than Url¡¯s. ¡°I don¡¯t need more grazing land.¡± This time around it was very clear to both Alley and Rak that Url¡¯s conviction is wavering. ¡°C¡¯mon Url. You already know Rak, right? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll need a place for them to rest and live when he can¡¯t use them.¡± This was a little white lie but not entirely wrong, Rak would probably not let those horses go for a while. If there is a time where he has to travel to the endless mountain range, he¡¯d still not return the horses here because he¡¯d have to store them near whatever village is close to the endless mountain range. ¡°...¡± ¡°I also have a lot of work in the future Url, I may need you to tame more horses for me.¡± ¡°Tame more?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t set it stone but I¡¯m planning to build a merchant fleet. Though I would be calling it an import export company. But there is no need to go into that.¡± Rak noticed Url¡äs eyes dim with uninterest and decided against enthusiastically propose some his grander ideas despite feeling positively bubbly with excitement. What Rak didn¡¯t notice was Alley¡¯s glimmering eyes when she heard ¡®merchant fleet¡¯. While she is no business woman, she can easily relate the word merchant with wealth. It may be that her interest do lie in the financial aspects after all. ¡°I¡¯ll need bigger land to tame more in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can help with that right now, but I¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°You can only buy untiered horses.¡± Seeing as Url finally relented, Rak felt excited until he realized he may not be able to afford Url¡¯s beast. Even though he had nine gold, eight of them are spoken for. However Rak is worrying for nothing, untiered beasts aren¡¯t valued too highly and Url is no cunning merchant. ¡°Alright, with these two steeds you should be ready to make your journey to Cal and Often.¡± Rak has already stopped wondering about Alley¡¯s motives but seeing her enthusiasm again, he couldn¡¯t help but relight his suspicion. The only reason he doesn¡¯t dwell on it is because of the conscious knowledge that this is a virtual world and perhaps this Alley, that Url and whoever else, have no reason for doing what they do. In simple terms, Rak is being dismissive of the autonomy of humans in Chaos theory, the humans that he considers not human. This thought will be better left behind in the future or it may cause a tragedy that is hard to recover from. ¡°You should lead these two down to Town hall.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡± Alley didn¡¯t answer and just leapt back on her companion beast, Ley. after reaching out and scratching her ear she looks back at Rak. Rak, feeling a bit exasperated by the dramatic silence and the whole show, can¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°I got your scent, I¡¯ll find you later. I got things to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Not leaving to hear Rak¡¯s answer, Alley let out a sound and Ley took off in the direction of her house. ¡°Guess that was it.¡± ¡°Take good care of those two boys, they¡¯re still young and a bit unruly but that¡¯s just how these young bucks are.¡± Url¡¯s voice seemed to crack with emotion, Rak was so surprised he didn¡¯t take note of anything Url said and just nodded absentmindedly. ¡°Alright, come by when you need a driver.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Few minutes passed before Rak finally got knocked out of his reverie. For some reason he felt this odd feeling he has never felt before. Anyone that has ever experienced friendship may understand, or at least the beginning of one. Growing up as scion of a wealthy family the closest thing Rak ever had as a friend is his siblings and they were and still are nothing if not mean spirited and competitive. Rak¡¯s attachment to Chaos theory, to Alp suddenly changed and he somehow felt at home now. This profound and esoteric feeling manages to compete with his nirvana esque nothingness he felt when training yesterday. ¡°God damn it, why am I tearing up like this. Am I crying?¡± While no tears emerged yet, with wet eyes Rak tries to shake off this sudden burst of emotions. One of two new horses walking with Rak roughly rubs its head on Rak, making him stumble. ¡°Careful buddy.¡± Not willing to be outdone, the other horse awkwardly prods its head on Rak¡¯s left shoulder, making him stumble again. ¡°Okay I get it guys. Thanks.¡± After gathering his thoughts Rak continues to Town hall where he receives his new carriage. Soon Rak is at the edge of town with hesitation in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have to wait for her right?¡± It isn¡¯t insecurities that¡¯s holding Rak back but his genuine want for some companionship. ¡°Forget it, I can¡¯t wait here forever.¡± Thirty some minutes have passed and only now Rak is prepared to head out on his own. The two bucks seem excited at the thought of travelling outside the village border, their eyes flickering at every which thing along the path, their neighs and burst of air signal something new they see. ¡°At least they¡¯re having fun.¡± With a smile on his face, Rak holds onto the reins and enjoys the travel in spite of the slow pace. It is not yet noon but the sun shining and a soothing wind is blowing, this sort of atmosphere can lul a person into enjoying even the silence. On the way to Cal nothing of mention occured other than the novelty of travelling by himself wearing off. The two young steeds still felt curious at the wind moving nearby grass. Upon arriving in Cal Rak quickly found the village¡¯s center and with the confidence of experience he smoothly set up a contract to supply them with cheaper and higher quality tier one beer. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! While the travelling isn¡¯t the most fun activity Rak has no other business in Cal and so he resumes his travel with his two eagre new companions. Rak¡¯s map indicates a shortcut similar to the one him and Url explored, ending up with them having a little fight with a local Igorra infestation. The shortcut is a remnant of a bygone era and not in much use. Due to lacking regular traffic, animals are more likely to found near the road, this just makes people less likely to take path. It is because of these reasons that Rak choice is to return back to Alp and from there head to Often. From a fighter¡¯s perspective this choice to avoid danger is considered a cowards way and even a waste of opportunity. It isn¡¯t in line with Rak to seek out danger and this decision of his reflects that. This is especially apparent considering that Raks experience with Igorra was a success but that clearly hasn¡¯t given him enough confidence. It¡¯s already late afternoon when Rak¡¯s little unranked carriage strolls back into Alp town. ¡°I should grab something to eat.¡± The frown on Rak¡¯s face is due to Laughter¡¯s medicine. It is the obvious choice right now, but the thought of dealing with Tril¡¯s nonsense is making him a bit hesitant. Maybe it¡¯s the long travel but Rak really doesn¡¯t feel like going into town. Not only is it easy to just slide into the large front area of Laughter¡¯s medicine, but maneuvering around is more difficult within the town, especially considering his current skill level. ¡°What am I even doing? She¡¯s not that bad is she?¡± Taking a breath and emulating the sensation he felt was training, Rak feels his head clear. The two horses arrive in front of the Laughter¡¯s inn, the place is pretty busy but the noon crowd is already filtering out. ¡°That vagrant is not going to be here is he? And that giant?¡± Despite feeling indignant about it, Rak somewhat felt an urge to see that woman again. She was something so new he didn¡¯t know where to place her. Sure, Arlina, Savan and Tril are beautiful and posses some uniqueness but in Rak¡¯s mind they aren¡¯t any sort of abnormality. Even Alley never felt off, strange or out of the ordinary. It may be because Alley hasn¡¯t shown Rak her immense physical strength that he has managed to reconcile her into his mind without much trouble. That towering woman is like a puzzle piece from an entirely different puzzle. Rak stepped into the tavern and took in the alcohol infused air. Inside he immediately ordered food and skimmed the crowd for someone familiar. ¡°How is this a traveller? How long is he going to stay here?¡± ¡°Abstinence! You¡¯re alive! Well of course you are but, hey!¡± ¡°Alive and well. Aren''t you supposed to a traveller? How long as you staying here?¡± ¡°Who knows when I can taste tier one beer again? How can I leave before buying up your stock?¡± ¡°You can buy as much as you can carry.¡± ¡°You better be true to your word.¡± ¡°Of course. So hey. Where did that.¡± No matter how casual Rak tried to be, it is obvious he¡¯s trying to stay calm. Fortunately his conversation partner is inebriated and focused on different things to notice Rak¡¯s awkward attempt to appear at ease. ¡°Delil. That tall woman go?¡± No matter how casual the question is asked, the inebriated person was going to jab at Rak¡¯s it, making Rak¡¯s efforts futile. ¡°Oh? You know she was really worried about you, kept stroking your pale cheeks, even tried to resussicated you, but she¡¯s better at killing than healing.¡± Bursting into laughter the vagrant traveller Hormby slaps Rak¡¯s back. Not wanting to let out his true thoughts Rak just laughed with him, half to avoid suspicion and half because he did think it was a little funny. The woman made a hundred kilogram barrel look like an empty plastic cup. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be sad, she said she¡¯ll be back in a few weeks. She told me to tell you she¡¯s sorry for letting you die.¡± ¡°Ah. I see.¡± After some rather ramblings Rak¡¯s food arrived by one of the waitresses that works the day shift. ¡°How did you like my map? Pretty good, right? Ten cities. Twenty eight villages, twenty two towns.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still going through it, it really is impressive.¡± The map detailed some odd things but the normal things are still there. Rak may not be preparing to travel to multiple cities and whatnot, getting a good idea of what the world is like can be invaluable. ¡°You know, this is the first I¡¯ve been in a town with a brewery, but this isn¡¯t my first time tasting tier one beer. In fact I keep a bottle of tier two drink called Cavalier¡¯s vision. It¡¯s a one off batch made by a genius brewer, sadly he hadn¡¯t made a recipe so for now it¡¯s a unique piece of wine.¡± ¡°That right?¡± No matter how much Rak tried to get into the conversation he felt he didn¡¯t have much to talk about. He tried bringing up some of his interests in making new businesses but Hormby always managed to turn the subject to drinking. ¡°I should get going.¡± After repeatedly saying his goodbyes, Rak eventually gave up and just stood up, left the tavern and ignoring Hormby¡¯s continued chattering. ¡°Unless you¡äre going to join to Often, this is where we have to leave it.¡± ¡°Often, hmm?¡± An unsettling feeling has begun to form within Rak. ¡°I guess I could check out this Often place, though I don¡¯t like the small time village centres, they can be okey.¡± ¡°No! Forget it. I¡¯m going alone, you stay here and wait for Tril to serve tier one beer.¡± ¡°She has tier one beer?¡± ¡°Ye, I sold all the taverns and local villages tier one beer already, Often is my last stop for now.¡± With eyes shining like a full moon it was no Hormby¡¯s time to ignore Rak as he flashed back into the tavern with a new mission. ¡°How in the world does this person make money?¡± In a boring fashion Rak made his way to Often and back, arriving late in the evening. The travel time isn¡¯t half bad but most majority of the day has gone into nothing but travelling. Rak got numerous messages in his logs telling him he got increased skill efficiency as a carriage driver and tiny bits of experience towards level eleven. ¡°Why did I expected Alley to appear at one point? Isn¡¯t she training me?¡± Fiddling with his right index finger Rak stares his two horses eating and resting outside his small house. There isn¡¯t much room for horses but this being a village, the houses are built sparsely with decent space between them. ¡°Do I have to go look for her myself? I could also take a break for a while, I am sort of exhausted.¡± Rak¡¯s actions contradict his thoughts as he is already getting the horses ready for another trip, this time to Alley. Olric is already working on making more beer but Rak already increased the production again, overproducing by about thirty percent, in case any surprises pop up and one of the taverns need theirs delivered prematurely. With that, he has little to do. ¡°Should I visit a city soon?¡± A city will have more busineses and more demands than towns or villages. The busineses there should give Rak some ideas of how to expand in the future. There is also the mission of gathering a bigger map, with the hope of finding the city his family might have spawned near. ¡°It was Vik, Underfell, Konvar, Housing, Dellkast and Jung. Those are the cities mom, dad, Hart, Jiji, Loje, Irel and Varri are near.¡± These are the cities his family know about, or more acurattely, knew about two weeks ago. At that time, Rak had also known that Hampter was one of the two nearby cities. Now he has the names of eleven cities. Hampter and Trove he gatheres on his own, and the other nine he got from the traveller Hormby¡¯s map. ¡°I should also return home and send this to dad, he¡¯ll definitly praise me.¡± Being the youngest of five siblings, Rak has always been doted on but he is also in a position where his achievements are shadowed by his elder siblings. No matter what Rak achieves, one of his brothers or sisters have already done the same and probably did it better and at a younger age. These feels are buried deep beneath the surface and rarely show themselves, but this time around Rak believes he has something of worth. ¡°I should still go see Alley and stop by Url¡¯s and set up a delivery contract. It¡¯s a shame Olric isn¡¯t any good at managing.¡± It might not seem like a hard job, but if Rak let Olric handle things too many things can go wrong. Letting him focus on brewing not only lets him produce faster it gives him more time to experiment on his own. Rak hopes that Olric discovers a new tier one recipe, giving him another product to sell. Even if it would take longer to make, be more expensive and be more prone to failure it is still considered a worthwhile endeavor. On the way to Alley Rak decided to got Url instead and finalize the delivery contract and it is near midnight when Rak is arriving at Alley¡¯s private house. As his carriage makes its way down the private road Rak can¡¯t help but take notice of how large Alley¡¯s land is compared to his little ¡®hovel¡¯. ¡°The treatment is too different.¡± Comming to a full stop suddenly Rak feels a bit awkward, what is he doing here? Should¡¯nt he be at his house sleeping? Shouldn¡¯t he go leave a report for his dad about his map? All these things swirl in his head but that doesn¡¯t stop him from getting off the carriage, tying the horses and knocking on Alley¡äs door. ¡°Is it because I want become a hunter?¡± One thing Rak is sure of, is that he isn¡¯t infatuated by Alley so this compulsion to come here isn¡¯t him lusting after the woman, no matter how curveous and beautiful Alley is. ¡°Maybe I want to become stronger?¡± In the past days Rak¡¯s horizons have been expanded a great deal. From Delil and Hormby¡¯s strength to Alley¡¯s miracolous concealment ability, Rak seems to have sparked a flame of curiosity. While Rak hasn¡¯t reconglized this new feeling with himself, he has certainly acknowledged its existence. ¡°Why are you here this late?¡± ¡°To train?¡± ¡°Its almost midnight, what training are you thinking of? It can¡¯t be you...¡± Feeling a heat fiercly flow through him, Rak understood he was embarassed. He was embarassed because he was clearly out of place. He wasn¡¯t embarassed because of Alley¡¯s very obvious teasing or the thought of them tangling togther as it is something he is really not unaccustomed to. ¡°Damnit. I should have just come in the morning.¡± ¡°Okay okay don¡¯t stand there like a fool, come inside.¡± Alley is dressed in very light clothing but no matter how Rak tries he can¡¯t see through those thin looking fabrics, instead everything seems to become increasingly blurry. ¡°If your going to train then train.¡± Throwing away his thoughts Rak walks in the direction Alley is pointed and sits down and summons the bow from his inventory. In attempt to rid himself of embarssement he tires to immerse himself but all thoughts lead back to that moment of him standing outside Alley¡¯s door like and uninvited cat. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go get something to drink.¡± While Rak struggled with his embarassemtn, Alley faces her own problems. Never has she hosted a person before so she has now ended up standing in her kitchen staring at empty shelves. ¡°Why did that brat come in so late? I wasn¡¯t expecting him until tomorrow. Is it okay to just bring out water? I do have this bear¡¯s blood but he hasn¡¯t gotten his tier one job yet.¡± As the night continues Rak is eventually presented with a cup of bear¡¯s blood and a rather anoyed Alley. ¡°Are you intending to stay the night?¡± ¡°I was going to train like I did yesterday.¡± Another bout of silence and Rak finally grabbed the cup, the red color makes Rak assume it is a wine. Not expecting wine he¡¯s slightly surprised but has a small sip anyway. The lukewarm drink is viscous but has a delightful taste. ¡°This is amazing, what is it?¡± ¡°Bear¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°What sort of person serves people blood? Well it is amazing.¡± No matter how Rak racks his brain, he can¡¯t think of a better tasting drink. THis is coming from a scion of a wealthy family, his access to lavish cuisine is great and yet this cup of bear¡¯s blood has stumped him. Just as Rak is about to continue praising the drink he feels a surge of energy course through him. ¡°Activate |Steady hand| to use the energy.¡± Bear¡¯s blood is something like coffee to Alley, but to a untiered person like Rak whose body hasn¡¯t been developed, its a rage of energy that needs venting. ¡°If that isn ¡®t enough just pull back the bow for longer.¡± Alley isn¡¯t too sure how effective the bear¡¯s blood is but her senses are telling her that it wouldn¡¯t be good to give him more than just a few drops at a time. It is called bear¡¯s blood and not the blood of a bear because it is something Alley has refined herself and not something just extracted from an exotic bear. Although one of the main components is the blood of a particular bear crreature, it is not the ¡®active¡¯ ingredient. Every time Rak comes out of |Steady hands| calming ability, he still feels energetic. Everytime he feels his breathing getting too ragged he takes another sip and resumes his training. This sort of training is consuming everything at a faster rate and in less than an hour Rak has nearly depleted both the cup of Bear¡¯s blood and his fatigue. ¡°Why am I already so tired?¡± As Rak¡äs fatigue falls below ten percent he can feel the very obvious exhaustion that follows. Just like reaching over fifty percent fatigue grants a person a ¡®rested¡¯ feeling falling below ten percent causes ¡®exhausted¡¯ feeling. Both are hidden effects but are still public knowledge. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll be renting my bed again. I hope you made some deals today, hotel Alley isn¡¯t cheap.¡± Even though Rak was feeling exhausted he still find the energy to dramatically roll his eyes and give Alley a disdainful look. This causes Alley laugh with glee and she pours herself another cup of Bear¡¯s blood. ¡°I didn¡¯t expected my Bear¡¯s blood to be this effective. Maybe I should have it appraised.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy all you got for thirty silver coins.¡± ¡°Thirty?¡± Looking into the air, Alley is making calculations but realizes she doesn''t know the market value of anything she used to craft this Bear¡¯s blood. Ninety percent of the things she creates are from materials she gathers herself and can be considered done at random. Similar to Olrics attempt to brewing new beverages it isn¡¯t a recipe yet. ¡°Forget it, treat it as a part of the maintenance cost.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Not willing to spare more effort on speaking, Rak continues training. He hasn¡¯t managed to enter that profound state again. When Rak finally collapses, Alley sits there staring at Rak and slowly drinks her Bear¡¯s blood. The drink doesn¡¯t have much effect on her and she just drinks it for the taste. ¡°He should be ready mentally for a tier one job. His physique is a bit lacking but that can¡¯t be helped in such a short time. He should spend a week training archery, if he meets the mark I¡¯ll take him to get the hunter promotion quest.¡± After emptying her cup Alley carries Rak to her bed. Even though she can stay away for days at a time, and has done so on many occasion on one of her hunts, she still decides to lay down next to Rak to sleep. Earlier in the evening she was feeling bit off put by Rak¡äsudden appearance. This has mostly to do with her being used to being alone. Unable to sort out her thoughts Alley chooses to sleep, leaving behind a very harmonious sight. Chapter thirteen: An exciting morning. Waking up Rak felt an uncomfortable warmth. In his house in Alp usually he¡¯d feel a bit cold, but in his home in reality he¡¯d feel a perfect equilibrium. Alley¡¯s room is abnormally hot, even after throwing of the covers and squirming around the bed. While Rak can be considered conscious right now, his eyes are still shut and his mind intent on sleeping. Rak¡¯s movements have roused Alley from her sleep, the roaming hands and feet at first made her annoyed, then angry and finally caused her to laugh. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± In the first place, Alley always expressed herself fairly forwardly, and now that she saw Rak was sneakily taking advantage while they slept she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She had only been annoyed that he had woken her up and then angry that he kept proding her, forcing her to open her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so hot in here.¡± The words came out but they were mumbled. Thankfully Alley is more than just a simple person he she can easily discern the near incoherent words whispered. ¡°Interesting way to sleep.¡± Somehow Rak managed to half climb on top of Alley and halfway spoon her, his hands around her ribs and the left leg hooked around her right leg. While it isn¡¯t a sexual position it can be consider very intimate, and in some ways, that intimacy can spark great arousal. One of the reasons why Rak climbered Alley in his hazy state is due to her very cold body, somehow her body temperature is well below the room¡¯s temperature. This is her natural constitution that is further embellished with her job as a hunter and the value of a lower level body temperature. Instead of pusing Rak away, Alley slowly squirms about, forcing Rak to reposition himself in a ¡®natural¡¯ way. In some ways, Alley is thinking a few steps ahead and luring Rak in a possible trap. Before Rak finally manages to come to he¡¯s playing the part of a big spoon and his left hand entirely grasping Alley¡¯s breasts. ¡°What is that smell?¡± The first thing Rak notices isn¡¯t his attentive member standing at attention, the firm breasts in his hands, the smooth legs, but the unmistakable smell of a woman. Unable or perhaps unwilling to restrain himself, Rak takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. Opening his eyes a glorious view of a very athletic mature woman comes into view. Alley, pretending to be asleep scrunches her nose lightly holding in a small laugh. Rak¡¯s view would tempt even the most docile man what not an active man like himself. With what could be consider an seven richter scale quake his little man twitches. Just as Rak¡¯s thoughts began to return to him, Alley slowly turns over, giving Rak another unresistable view. ¡°Oh? Your awake.¡± Being as forward as she is, Alley reaches out and lets her hand fall on Rak¡¯s chest and slowly slither down before stopping at his stomach. ¡°How did you sleep?¡± The soothing voice, the smell, the view. Everything is triggering natural reactions within a young man like Rak. Not being too unfamiliar with the female body, Rak manages to return to his senses and follows Alley¡¯s gaze down. Just as his eyes meet his little brother a lithe hand reaches out and two finger run down the rising soldier. ¡°I should have known you were a morning person. How about we exercise a bit before getting food?¡± At this point in time, Rak can¡¯t think of any reasons to reject the proposal or perhaps it¡¯s better to say he¡¯s looking for reasons to agree instead, and there seems to be no issue finding some. Being experienced in such matters, Rak doesn¡¯t answer and let¡¯s his actions express his intentions. ¡°Ah!¡± Letting out a rather a little yelp, Alley is flushed red, Rak unexpectedly moved his hands to her already firm nipples and arrogantly but gently pinched. The action caused a slight pain but pleasure soon followed. It wasn¡¯t much, but the sudden nature of it was what caught her unaware. ¡°You little fox.¡± ¡°What?¡± The mood already fiery Rak let out a smug smirk. Rak¡¯s gleeful smile vanishes as Alley retaliated, her hands already behind enemy lines. Alley¡¯s hand moved deftly and with purpose, the action causes Rak to twitch and his back slightly arched backwards. Both Alley and Rak are facing each other on their sides but slowly they are becoming engaged in a strange competition that they both seem to be simultaneously losing and winning. It¡¯s only after their lips finally meet that they become united in their goal. After wrestling each other, Alley¡¯s impatience gets the best of her, strange for a hunter, but this is no hunting situation and something else entirely. Her physical strength makes it easy for her to whirl Rak on his back and place herself onto of him. Rak lets out a quiet grunt but relaxes his body quickly, a knowing glint in his eyes. All that wrestling made him realize the gap between their strengths, he was no match but instead he slowly understood she was allowing him to occasionally get the upper hand. Due to Alley¡¯s fervent gaze, Rak may have have thought she was about to devour him or become feverish. Alley¡äs hands guide Rak inside her, the warmth is unique as Alley¡äs physical body is a few degrees lower than the average human. But Rak cannot pay attention to it and can only feel the rush of pleasure wash through him. ¡°Calm down.¡± Alley¡¯s voice allows Rak to regain some of his composure and he attempts to calm himself, the attempt is somewhat effective but the continued assault of pleasure fights back with aggression. ¡°Ah!¡± Very intentionally, Alley lets out a whimper but it may as well have been her shouting from Rak¡¯s perspective, his hips move in response, wanting to do something. Prepared, Alley works with Rak¡¯s rhythm and their fighting evolves into a new form, one where Rak is clearly at a disadvantage and Alley in full control. This allows Alley to continue her slow movements, of which Rak wanted to speed up in his excitement. Through integrating to Chaos theory and recent training, Rak¡¯s senses have been enhanced further, each movement rings with mind shaking stimulation, if not for his increased clarity he¡¯d long since succumb to the overwhelming pleasure. In the case of Alley she has even sharper senses and the stimuli competes, but her clarity attribute is well within its limits, allowing her to fully enjoy every sensation without losing any of her faculties. Rak¡¯s desperately tries to thrust his hips to increase their pace but Alley continues to move along with him, causing untold frustration in Rak, his eyes redding his breathing growing even rougher. ¡°Want to go faster?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± In truth Alley herself wants to increase the pace but she is enjoying the view of Rak growing increasingly violent in his attempts. Patience is a virtue Alley has in large swathes but she herself won¡¯t deny herself pleasure for too long. When Rak is at a point of wanting to scream, Alley sitting on top of Rak, begins to increase the speed her hips moving up and down. This sudden action causes Rak to nearly convulse and quickly reach nirvana. Alley herself lets go and lets her senses overcome her, still on top of Rak she twitches, her muscles contracting violently on occasion but otherwise she is frozen still. In the end Alley jumps off Rak whose breath cannot return to normal and his body still twitching occasionally. The sight causes even further joy in Alley who is already beginning to recover due to her physically superior body and well trained mind. If this was the real world, Rak might have gone back to sleep but his fatigue hasn¡¯t dropped low enough. The intense events didn¡¯t last longer than fifteen minutes and while it did drain some fatigue it''s only by roughly ten points. Ten points for an event lasting fifteen minutes can be considered near the maximum amount lost in such a time frame without using special abilities that cause great strain on the mind, like |Steady hand| or more advanced abilities like it. Right now Rak is somewhat out of it, but that isn¡¯t because of exhaustion but instead due to a scary dip in the clarity attribute. The clarity attribute responds to particular emotions and sensations and it does so more dramatically in Chaos theory than it does in real life. It can be compared to stamina in some ways. This sort of attribute having such a large effect on a person can be scary, but at the same time it can be seen as something great. Increasing the clarity attribute will make a person more resilient. People can gain items or abilities that give them extra clarity, either by a certain percentage or incremental numeric values. The downsides of having items or abilities increasing a person¡¯s clarity is the dependency that can be formed. With limited number of equipments applicable to be worn at any given time, people will have to make choices that can be as dramatic as life and death. Speaking of life and death, what has been shown and talked about so far may not seem too bad but these things do become a great deterrent. At the moment, out of people entering Chaos theory from the real world, it is only the incompetent or destitute that suffer seriously from the death penalty. Later it will be those that advance in levels and jobs while the below average and the worst of the worst will simply pay the cost and brush it off. When Rak finally comes to, spread eagle on Alley¡¯s bed, he can¡¯t help but feel a bit embarrassed to end up like this. In Rak¡¯s mind it is the woman that should have been exhausted like this, not the man. Though his experience might not actually agree with him, that is still the prevailing thought at the moment. Walking out of the bedroom and into the larger living room area filled with various animal paraphernalia, everything from leather, fangs and claws. This sight isn¡¯t surprising but the relaxed, fully dressed Alley who is currently relaxing and waving her hand in the air is what Surprises Rak. Rak¡äs thoughts move towards thinking that what they did just did is just animal behaviour, a lot like his adventure with Arlina Medin, who also ¡®used¡¯ him for his body. His thoughts not are not along the line of feeling used but the casual nature of it all left him a but puzzled. Yes, in his life as a young, somewhat spoiled scion of a wealthy family, he did partake in quite a bit of depravity. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. But it was depravity, it wasn¡¯t innocent or casual. It was all hidden behind closed doors and sometimes in suspicious buildings. No matter how Rak tried to think it over, sex and everything surrounding it has always had an element of being forbidden or even wrong. When talking about depravity and the like, it is good to mention that while it does mean an act of moral corruption, what is considered corruption is key. The act of natural sexual intercourse has this element of corruption in many people¡¯s eyes and thus events including it has taken on the element of depravity. This is all very subjective but nonetheless, this how something can be called depraved and not be depraved at the same time, in short it is all semantics and perspective. ¡°You know.¡± Alley shifted her eyes towards Rak but her hands kept slowly moving in the air, navigating through something Rak can¡¯t see. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be a good hunter.¡± ¡°No kidding.¡± Rak hasn¡¯t responded to the offbeat statement. He half agrees with her but the other half feels challenged. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t be a hunter. You are too impatient, even if you are diligent.¡± ¡°Oh? How am I impatient?¡± For some reason or another Rak has immense respect for Alley, not only is she physically strong, her confident manner when dealing with both himself and Url and even her ability to concoct that Bear¡¯s blood. From strength to ability and general demeanor, Alley impressed Rak to no end. ¡°You should understand that yourself.¡± At this point Alley turned back to whatever she was fiddling with and ignored Rak. What she was saying is that Rak should understand his own personality. If Rak compared himself to an impatient person he would of course not seem impatient but if Rak compared himself to a hunter? Nine out of ten, if not ten out of ten times he would appear impatient. ¡°If your going to critique me, do it all the way.¡± While there is definite respect for Alley, Rak still holds onto some pride as a scion of a wealthy family, or even just as a man. Being impatient doesn¡¯t have to be a bad thing and be altered to being decisive instead. After giving it some thought Rak agreed with himself that yes he was decisive rather than impatient. But Alley¡¯s definition of patience is not something the average person will agree with. As an advanced hunter she can stand still for hours on end, and depending on some specific situations, a couple of days. No normal person will agree to be compared to this level of patience. In many ways, Alley is a peak athlete and Rak is an amateur enthusiast that only exercises two times a week, any comparison is going to be pointless for the most part. ¡°I will help you get ready for whatever job you want. You must be qualified for a quite a few already.¡± After their previous strenuous exercise, Alley has gotten a far better understanding of Rak¡¯s clarity attribute. Her saying that he is qualified can be considered a stamp of approval. ¡°But your not ready for the hunter job introduction quest.¡± Many jobs require certain level of skill in very specific things. Physically apt person walking to a place where hunter introduction quest is given may not receive the quest due their lacking archery history, their lacking basic hunting of any animal and so on. Not all hunters use bow but most at least have some level of skill in it. There are types of hunters that only hunt in deep waters with spears, for example. There are also quite a few situations where being in certain circumstances, extraordinary or mundane, that will directly allow a person to gain a job. Gaining a job through such circumstances can bypass the more direct job introduction quest. Introduction quests are hard to acquire if a person is already affiliated with a different job but that is a whole different ordeal and not too relevant to Rak¡¯s current affairs. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be a merchant anyway?¡± ¡°In what way am I a merchant?¡± Rak said the words but even he knew he was being a bit difficult. The words clearly came out with a tinge of frustration. Perhaps his ego being bruised caused his current mood or that he considered himself to be an entrepreneur, not a merchant. In his mind, he is a creator, the innovator, the direction to follow, and not someone that toiled away laboriously like a merchant. Merchant work being thought of as laborious is one issue, Rak¡¯s past few weeks have been the definition of labour and most of it has been manual labour at that. Rak way of thinking can be understood when taking a look at Rak¡¯s life and how he ¡®works for a living¡¯ which is a poor way to describe it but suitable in context, after all, what is ¡®work¡¯ for a scion of a wealthy family? ¡°You sell beer?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s right. I do sell beer but that¡¯s just me setting the business up, aside from some subtle tweaks, I won¡¯t be doing much. I¡¯m actually ninety nine percent finished with my brewery.¡± No matter how Rak tried to explain to Alley that he wasn¡¯t a merchant but an entrepreneur it was clear from her expression that she didn¡¯t believe him or didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Forget it. Think of me as a different kind of merchant, an advanced merchant.¡± ¡°You are definitely not an advanced merchant.¡± With a shake of her head Alley looked with some contempt, she was thinking boasting is fine but pretending to have an advanced job? That¡¯s a bit too much. ¡°Bad phrasing, let¡¯s say a different kind of merchant. Like two fighters but with different jobs.¡± ¡°Ah. I understand what you mean.¡± Alley really does understand. As an advanced hunter she has come across quite a few people with combat related jobs and while there a lot of people with similar jobs, quite a few are unique or rare. ¡°Well that¡¯s good then.¡± For some reason, even after finally convincing Alley that he wasn¡¯t some random merchant he wasn¡¯t satisfied. It might be that he feels a bit inadequate before Alley, but seeing as he knows quite a few people that are ¡®better¡¯ than him, namely his oldest siblings, his older siblings peers, his parents and their peers and so on. Understanding all this, it might not be so simple as a feeling of inadequacy, though that might seem like the obvious explanation. ¡°So if i¡¯m not fit to be a hunter, what should I be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t want to be a merchant?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but all the jobs I know about are combat related.¡± ¡°I should be fine with a random combat related job, right?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Rak¡¯s eye twitched, from Alley¡¯s tone it was clear that she didn¡¯t believe her own words. What Rak doesn¡¯t know is after their bout earlier, Alley was certain Rak didn¡¯t have any experience in fighting. Their ¡®wrestling¡¯ was more like tumbling about and could only meet the mark of playfulness. Rak¡¯s constitution was only decent in his stamina, strength and dexterity were too lacking. ¡°How about you talk to town hall about job clues? You can even go to a city and have a thorough test of your aptitude.¡± Rak¡¯s gloominess finally went away when he heard ¡®aptitude test¡¯ finally something official and tangible. In truth, most of Rak¡¯s hesitation and insecurities lies in the lack of information. Rak also felt like a light went of in his head. ¡°I¡¯m simply too ignorant of this world.¡± When this thought began running around his head he was more and more uplifted and convinced. Thinking further Rak decided he should go meet up with his parents so he said his goodbyes to Alley and began making his way back to hi house. Alley managed to take no note of Rak¡¯s change in mood and just casually waved goodbye. Alley had been satisfied with their morning rumble, it was nothing amazing for her, Rak was just different from what she has experienced in the past and her curiosity got the best of her. This is similar to Arlina¡¯s attitude only Alley is far more shameless and unattached, as even Arlina has some thoughts of her encounter with Rak, sometimes even tempted to reach out to Rak for another round. When Rak arrived back at his house he tied down the horses and summoned two large square wooden containers which he filled with numerous small green blocks. These blocks came from Rak inventory and if he had to carry them around they¡¯d weigh around a ton in total. Rak only took a small portion of it out and filled the containers to the brim and then quickly got into the house and into bed to log off. Back in the real world Rak directly went from his capsule and into the shower, the water came out in both vapors and direct streams. Not five minutes passed when Rak turned the water off and in its stead hot and cold air began drying him up directly. ¡°Good morning sir.¡± Rak¡¯s new assistant voice came from the surroundings. The woman¡¯s appearance faded into sight as if she was standing in front of Rak. Rak¡¯s naked appearance didn¡¯t cause the slightest reaction in her. ¡°You¡¯re Henri? Good.¡± The abhorrent arrogance of a spoiled rich person oozed out of Rak as he returned to reality and was again within the reach of his usual power. The personality shift would cause quite a few people to frown both in displeasure and confusion. ¡°I need you to set up a meeting with dad. If mom can be there, that¡¯s good too. Also I need you to contact a cartographer and have them sign a confidential agreement. Have them arrive at my mansion as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Of course sir. Anything else?¡± ¡°Let me know when mom and dad can meet me the instant you know, this is urgent.¡° ¡°Yes sir.¡± After the conversation was over Rak waved his hand and his assistant vanished. ¡°I should write it all down first.¡± Rak¡¯s plan is to have a cartographer create a rendition of his map in Chaos theory, seeing as he can¡¯t import it directly into reality he can only use a method like this to convey the information. ¡°Pen. Pen. Where is a goddamn Pen!?¡± There is no need for Rak to yell to have one his in house attendants come to him, but by the time they arrived with a physical pen Rak already realized he could summon a holographic pen and draw onto the table. It isn¡¯t rare for Rak to be flustered, he has always been a rather passionate person, only it is rare for this passion to be endearing. Perhaps only in Chaos theory will Rak be a person that evokes positive empathy. The map slowly comes together, it is as crude as can be. Numerous circles in three varying sizes, the smallest circle representing a village, the medium sized one a town and finally the largest a City. These circles are then connected with either a simple line or a jotted up one. The straight lean means it is a normal road while the jotted line means it is a rarely used road. ¡°Pretty good. Anyone looking at this ¡®map¡¯ would cringe. From a certain point of view it is possible to see the person making this map has some ideas on what they are doing but the execution of it fell apart after the first few circles. Alongside each circle is a capital letter, namely v, t and c. as expected, v means village, t represent a town and c a city. Next to these letters are names of villages or those that Rak managed to remember, he¡¯ll have to confirm it later but for now it is more important to get a prototype set up. These are some of Rak¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I doubt anyone in the family has travelled like this.¡± Rak¡¯s guess is entirely correct, noone with ideas of doing great things in Chaos theory has taken it upon themselves to wander between cities like the vagrant Rak met. Of course that vagrant¡¯s story and reasoning can¡¯t be simple as just wanting to travel. What he should worry about is whether someone in the family has managed to find someone on par with Hormby, the travelling vagrant and self proclaimed herbalist. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I have scheduled a meeting with your father¡¯s assistant, you can meet him in exactly five hours thirty six minutes and twenty five seconds. You have been alloted up to fifteen minutes, five minutes at minimum.¡± ¡°Five minutes that¡¯s a bit...¡± Rak¡¯s expression can be described as gloomy. Rak¡¯s relationship with his parentss is one of dismissal, lacking attention and lacking approval. In their own malformed way, they do hold love for all their children, but they also don¡¯t make much time for them. ¡°It¡¯s fine, they¡¯ll have to acknowledge the value of my map.¡± As these thoughts came to Rak his frown changed into a cunning grin and later into a twisted smile. ¡°I doubt any of those old bastards have been gathering map information. But they must know about job advancements.¡± It is expected that most of the Devion family members are attempting to generate wealth but not everyone of them are willing to bend like Rak has. Rak being the youngest by quite a few years his youth may have been to his advantage when adapting to Chaos theory. In addition to this, Rak is the only member of the family not working for the Devion family as a manager of some company or another. After mulling things over a bit Rak contacts his personal assistant again and asks for various things from new clothing to specific food he wants. ¡°And that cartographer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sending over two types of cartographers, one is a known hobbyist and the other is a fantasy concept artist and has a few maps in his portfolio. They have already been picked up and will arrive within the hour.¡± ¡°Humm. Good. Henri, right? Good. Maybe you should come with them and delegate for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make my way to your immediately.¡± Henri was under no delusion, she understands from Rak¡¯s tone and rather suspicious little smile that she¡¯s not just going to be delegating. ¡°I may have jump in and out of Chaos theory a few times to make sure I don¡¯t miss important details.¡± On the map Hormby transferred to Rak, multiple herb nodes were on full display and other valuable resources. These resources are the type that require some investment to fully capitalize on. For example the herb nodes need to be quarantined to a degree and the soil maintained. The herbs themselves do not require tending but the area can still be squandered away with mismanagement. These resource nodes and the like are not valuable to Hormby, he can sell the information to local villages, towns or even some city folk but that requires negotiation and he may even need to guard himself against people with malicious intent. It is enough for Hormby to pillage these areas and move to the next one, the value of the loot is well beyond the cost to continue his journey and the cost of his drinking hobby. Rak does not understand the value of these resource nodes as he has not touched a crafting profession job and only understands it as a miscellaneous specialization in certain hobbies. Just like Orlic practices his brewing, Url his taming, Arlina her gardening, a form of herbalism job and Alley¡¯s concoctions, which is not directly related to herbalism, despite what one might assume. Time slowly passed while Rak went back and forth from Chaos theory and jotted down details onto his virtual document. The weightless holographic pen made it so that Rak¡¯s already poor artistic abilities were highlighted. People can develop a sense for the holographic pen but the vast majority use various weighted physical pens, even when drawing digital art. The holographic drawing is most valued in free hand three dimensional art. ¡°This should be enough.¡± Not every place Hormby visited has a herb nodes but various seemingly useless markers are placed along the path from Alp and to the small village Farla. Hormby did not spend much time in Farla but it is the furthest most village on the map. ¡°Why are there only mountains near Alp?¡± After the cartographers arrived alongside Henri, Rak showed them his poorly made skeleton map and they immediately went to work. Rak wasn¡¯t expecting it but the time it takes to create a map can be incredibly time consuming but the two men worked tirelessly for three some hours before having a proper map set up. Rak had been watching the processes and even went back and forth to Chaos theory to double check things. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have time to break in the new assistant.¡± With great confidence Rak and Henri took off in a automated vehicle towards the Devion family mansion. ¡°Do you need anything on the way Rak?¡± Rak¡¯s eyes glimmered and a devious little smile crept forward but he shook his head, thinking it would be good get distracted before the big meeting. ¡°No. You did great today Henri. In a weeks time, if you haven¡¯t disappointed me we can increase your status by one.¡± An excited smile bloomed. There is a reason why people devotely work for the Devion family, and that¡¯s because the Devion family, like many really wealthy families have. Namely, things that money can¡¯t buy but influence can. Clearly Henri has some task that is out of her reach. Outside the Devion family is a large gate guarded by four men in rotation, each behind bullet proof glass. Most systems have automated security and Devion does as well but they still retain a layer of guards as well. ¡°Open the gate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have to check them?¡± ¡°That car has Rak Devion inside, there is no need, the automated system already confirmed it.¡± ¡°Captain said we are here because the automated system isn¡¯t infallible, we should check it either way.¡± After thinking for a moment the guard agreed. Henri dealt with the inspection and before long Rak entered the Devion family mansion after a long time away, a tinge of nostalgia emerging for his eyes. Chapter fourteen: Early roots of an empire. Considering the Devion family wealth, the family mansion should be a towering building. But the Devion family is instead multiple buildings spanning a large territory that can compare to a small village of a couple thousand people. The most plain buildings are considered to be small mansions. These small mansions are servant housing, often servants have families living there but many are individuals from all walks of life, as majority of menial tasks can be handled by few people. Many of the servants can also be considered talented individuals hired for their abilities. Most of these talented individuals are artists but there are also engineers and even martial artists. In short the Devion family estate can indeed be considered a small village. When entering the estate, first the more luxurious buildings are presented. These buildings have entertainment facilities inside, everything from olympic sized swimming pools, bowling halls, tennis courts to smoke lounges, numerous dining halls and even computer game centres. All these places also have their own dedicated staff who usually live a life of luxury when none of the Devions are visiting the buildings. ¡°I''m back.¡± After passing the various facilities the main family mansions are built in a large circle, a total of twelve buildings, of which three are entirely vacant and only maintained for future guests or other Devion family members, if they wish to return home. Rak¡¯s little mansion cannot compare to these buildings and can only be considered better than the servant mansions. There is a road to the each mansion, just wide enough that two small cars can drive side by side. At the end is a small circle with a fountain in the middle, and a large garage door leading into an underground garage. In each garage of every build there are at least ten vehicles, most of which do no have automated driving systems and are considered ¡®classics¡¯. ¡°We¡¯re here mister Rak.¡± ¡°Good. So my old house is still vacant?¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯ve already coordinated with the head land keeper and Mister Devion¡¯s secretaries. Mister Devion will be meeting you in twenty three minutes and thirty seconds in the head mansion on the fifth floor.¡± One of the reason why the Devion patriarch and matriarch are so revered by their children is in part due to their disposition and their diligence. It can be said that Rak inherited his parents diligence in some way, only Rak has almost no responsibility. No responsibilities means anything Rak does is of his own volition while most of his siblings work is ¡®required of them.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s review the information again.¡± ¡°Shall we use the general office?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll go into the kitchen, I need a light snack.¡± ¡°I could hav-.¡± ¡°I said we are going into the kitchen.¡± Rak¡¯s stone went from indifferent to a slight annoyance in a breath.¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Henri couldn¡¯t help but feel like a stone dropped into her stomach. She really can¡¯t be faulted for her attempt to give Rak options, but contradicting her boss can be considered outside of her responsibilities. Of course very few people would agree with Rak¡¯s actions and side with the pitiable assistant. ¡°I wonder if mother will be there.¡± It is difficult to empathize with a person like Rak, having not only wealth and power, but good looks and an enormous family as his backer. All these things aside, Rak¡äs personality is also not likeable. Some might call him arrogant but demanding would be more descriptive. ¡°Any news of mother?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± After setting up in the kitchen a holographic image of a map appears and on the side a document holding majority of relevant experiences Rak has had in the past two weeks. The first week being omitted as it can be considered trivial. Rak waves his finger down and the document responds appropriately and scrolls down. There isn¡¯t too much information, some of which are filler due to Rak feeling it was all bit straightforward and took an executive decision to flower things up. ¡°It looks good.¡± Rak can¡¯t help but let out a sigh, seeing the past two weeks boiled down into a few paragraphs he feels he didn¡¯t accomplish much and is feeling a bit embarrassed about presenting it to his father. There are many people with ¡®better¡¯ experiences in Chaos theory and some of who could perhaps fill a book and a half, but Rak¡¯s experiences are almost all like a filler episode from a long running television show. Henri stands by Rak¡¯s side and promptly nods. She herself, like every other person in this world, has been experiencing Chaos theory. Much like Rak, her Chaos theory alter ego is surprisingly different from her real life one. In Chaos theory she is carefree and has begun taking the steps towards becoming a herbalist. Few hours ago Henri helped Rak put together his notes and even listened to Rak narrate things, where she noted things of importance that Rak might have missed. At that time she was in complete disbelief and still can¡¯t imagine Rak doing menial tasks like helping a kid look for a lost toy or rid a garden of weeds. Even after learning how much Rak gained after selling the products of his brewery she still found the matter of Rak doing miscellaneous tasks the most unreasonable. Not only does Rak carry the haughtiness of a scion his reputation as a boss is volatile. ¡°We should move now, it¡äll take a few minutes to walk over to the main mansion.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Rak waves his hand and the map and documents vanish. ¡°Any updates?¡± ¡°Not at this point.¡± ¡°Keep checking, mother likes to act at the last moment.¡± Nodding in acknowledgement, Henri opened the door and let Rak walked out first, this isn¡¯t a part of her job but she is feeling anxious due to Rak¡¯s previous outburst. Her current state of mind is like a person promised a great reward and then presented with the looming threat of that reward being taken away and instead given a punishment. It takes them twelve minutes to slowly make their way to the other mansion and another two to reach the fifth floor. Inside, Abalon Devion is staring at holographic screen. In the recent years he has been letting go of control of more and more companies under the Devion corporation, and yet he still feels as busy as ever. ¡°Your meeting with Rak is in one minute.¡± ¡°Send him in now.¡± Outside the office Henri receives a notification. ¡°We can go in now.¡± ¡°You stay here.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Standing up Rak quickly makes his way towards the double doors. Inside Rak¡¯s father waves his hand and his screen vanishes and he stares down the young man walking towards his desk. Rak is wearing a oddly indifferent expression and Abalon Devion is frowning as if in deep thought. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Father!¡± The frown vanishes and a brilliant smile emerges from the older man. It is rare for him to have one on one meeting with his children, usually these things are done through assistants, secretaries or simple messages. Other meetings are usually coordinated events with many of the family in attendance. ¡°You look strong. I¡¯ve been told you have something to show me?¡± Rak is already smiling and he can¡¯t help but smile brighter hearing his father. ¡°I recently got a map from a traveling vagrant in Chaos theory. I¡¯ve had it made into a digital map.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve also written up my experiences.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± After transferring the information over, Abalon waves his hand about navigating to the received documents before making the display leap into the air. Rak moves his head to the left where the map has been revealed with the notes on the right hand side. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The room seethes with silence, Rak glances back and forth from the map and to his father, who has resumed his previous frown. Rak is the youngest in the Devion family and in Abalon¡¯s opinion, the child that most resembles himself in his youth. The reason Rak isn¡¯t involved with the Devion corporation is exactly because Rak has inherited his father¡¯s pioneering spirit. It can be considered being spoiled that Rak isn¡¯t a part of the family business in a way, to allow him to seek his own path. ¡°A travelling vagrant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And who drew this map?¡± ¡°Two artists Henri found.¡± Once again the room fell into silence. ¡°This.¡± Abalon points toward the notes on the right side, these are Rak¡¯s accumulated experiences, gains and losses over the past two weeks. ¡°All of this is true?¡± At this point Abalon finally turns his gaze away from the holographic screen and to Rak, peering into his eyes as if looking for something. ¡°All of it!¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After a short pause Abalon bursts into laughter. ¡°Really like your old man.¡± After skimming through the notes again and taking some time to review the map, Abalon and Rak chat back and forth about Chaos theory, especially things pertaining to job advancements. In the field of job advancements, Abalon is a whole lot more knowledgeable. While very few have achieved similar things as Rak, quite a few have already gotten a job, Abalon himself has already received a ¡®survivalist¡¯ job quest in Chaos theory which he is thinking about pursuing. ¡°Alright, this is about as much time I can give you today. Have Henri send the information on those cartographers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pondering for a moment Abalon continues. ¡°If you can, finding more of these maps would be helpful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep a lookout.¡± ¡°Good.¡± In Chaos theory, Abalon has been having a great time exploring the wilderness, even having encounters with wild beasts. Most of which he ran away from but one he managed to miraculously kill. Being an adventures spirit he gathered some herbs casually and cooked his prey with, this action eventually lead to his survivalist job advancement quest. After Rak left, he and Henri immediately went back into the car and left the Devion family estate. Abalon hinted that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to stay on the estate for a while but Rak has no intentions to return home. Abalon Devion issued some commands, of which Rak was informed about the time they were at the estate¡¯s gate. Abalon informed not only the family members but all employees to visit taverns and look for travelling vagrants. It was clear that Abalon was now more interested in gathering a more complete understanding of Chaos theory. However, Abalon underestimates the difficulty in getting a map like Rak got, as not many people will have tier one beer and stumble into alcohol loving vagrants. Nonetheless, the message was clear, the Devion family is building a map of Chaos theory. On the way back home, Rak can¡¯t wipe a smile off his face, Rak wasn¡¯t too confident about his visit as he didn¡¯t know how much his father values Chaos theory. This is in part because currently the only way generate wealth from Chaos theory in the real world, is through selling information. If Devion manages to create a map, they will be able to gather their forces and dominate a region. Being able to meet a person in Chaos theory means it will be possible to pay them to work for them in Chaos theory. It is already possible to hire employees in Chaos theory, like Rak has, but he has to pay them with copper, silver and gold. Devion can pay people in real life with both their immense wealth and influence rather than the far more limiting Chaos theory currency. In this way they could amass an army or set up multiple interconnected businesses. Just a Henri works for Rak to take advantage of the Devion family influence, so would she work for him in Chaos theory once she can meet up with him. Her pay as an employee will of course be increased depending on her value. It might be curious to see the two worlds collide and see how Rak¡¯s personality adjusts to regaining some of his real life power. After returning home, Rak immediately eats food prepared for him before returning to Chaos theory, and he does so with the most enthusiasm he has ever had. He is still not to sure of the value or purpose of Chaos theory, but in it, he seems to have found a greater meaning. It is already early evening when Rak wakes up in his bed in Alp town. Outside, the two horses stamp their hooves and occasionally nibble at their food. The heat outside has subsided and a few small white clouds have begun popping up. ¡°It¡¯s all real.¡± Clenching his fist Rak slowly gets out of the bed, for the first time in a long while he ignores his status window and directly exits the house after putting on appropriate clothing. ¡°What should I do now?¡± After his chat with Abalon Devion, his father, Rak feels that he should find a job. Alley already made it clear that a job can be life altering but she never really explained much aside from things pertaining to training to become a hunter. Alley did remember to put a clause in the initial contract that allows her an out even if Rak doesn¡¯t become a hunter.
Alley the Advanced hunter
I, Abstinence agree to Alley¡¯s training even if it leads to my death. Contract completes when Rak becomes a novice hunter or Alley decides Abstinence awful personality traits have been whittled down and reforged. Initial cost: 2g Maintenance cost: Up to 3g Final cost upon reaching the rank of hunter: 3g
The contract was whipped out half heartedly and the vagueness allows Alley a lot of leeway, especially considering that ¡°awful personality traits¡± are not properly defined and therefore all up to Alley herself to deem if they are ¡°whittled down and reforged¡±. Only Alley will not receive the final three gold if Rak doesn¡¯t become a hunter. When talking about jobs with Abalon Devion, Rak understands there are two types of jobs, one is a support job and a main job. Due to limited knowledge Abalon did not know that people can get two main jobs, but he does know that people will usually have two jobs. Henri, Rak¡¯s personal assistant is becoming a herbalist if everything proceeds as expected, but being a herbalist is a support job. It is possible to focus on herbalist related support job and make it into something similar to a main job but this can be a difficult thing to achieve in comparison to main jobs. A Rune mage is a main job that often supplements with herbalism, concoction, woodworking, leatherworking or enchantment support jobs, there are not exactly limits to the quantity of a support job. Gaining strength comparable to a Rune mage through woodworking is not impossible but the difficulty can¡¯t be compared. One of the difficulties when talking about jobs is the vast quantity of them. That is to say, if there are thousand different archetype jobs, there are ten thousand variations within each archetype. In addition to this, new archetypes and new variation with an archetype can be created at any moment. A job is also not a fixed thing. A Rune mage can transition into a Rune enchanter. And a an enchanter can transition into a Wind enchanter. A main job can become the support job and a support job can become the main job. The main difference lies in the function of the job. A main job almost always focuses on combat. It is entirely possible to advance a job without entering into combat, but that doesn''t change the job¡¯s function, if it is a main job it will enhance combat capabilities directly. The job holder will just lack combat experience and if fighting against a peer, they will likely lose. After Rak spoke to his father about various things, he understood that he could indeed become a hunter without much worry, or he could choose an entirely different route. In this case, Rak was attracted to the prospect of wielding magic in some form. While it can be said that all jobs are wielding ¡®magic¡¯ in some way or form, Rak¡¯s thinking is that he wants to conjure flames or ice and throw them at his target. Rak is conveniently ignorant of things that can be described as elemental warriors, who summon weaponry of various elements and enter into melee combat with them. An elemental warrior is not a job but a descriptor of a type of person and their abilities. All these sorts of thoughts are running rampant in Rak¡¯s mind as he heads towards Alp¡¯s Town hall. Rak is planning on asking about magic related jobs and where he could possibly find something related to it. According to Alley he already has the potential prerequisite for a job advancement quest, only he has yet to stumble onto one. This prerequisite being his clarity attribute, which is the main limiter of jobs at the earliest stages. Rak is also reluctantly easing up to the idea of getting a ¡®support¡¯ job as a merchant. His only requirement is that is first to get a ¡®main¡¯ job. From what Rak¡¯s father, Abalon, told him, finding job advancement quest is the hardest part, the rest should be easy. There are a few ways job advancement quests work. One is to meet specific requirements and in some cases, a person can have already met the requirements and can directly receive the respective job. In other cases the quest gives simple instructions and a person can choose to fulfill it and once they have they can directly acquire the job in question. The third type of quest will give very specific goal to do. Something like going into a specific area, like a cave, and in that cave kill a specific thing or collect a thing. This can even chain into another objective before finally the person earns the right to become something like a Hunter or a Rune mage. The reason these quests are as easy and lax is because any real power comes from subsequent advancements and these quests are usually greater in difficulty. Of course there may be cases where a person accidentally over performs and achieves qualification for advancement, in such cases the quest is often just a formality. In the end Chaos theory, the general artificial intelligence, is attempting to do something and it has no reason to stubbornly hold people back for arbitrary reasons, this can be seen in cases where people stumble into a job and can instantly acquire it. Rak¡¯s arrival with two horses sparks some glances but horses are not too rare in Alp town, even if less than ten percent of the population own one. What is rare is that Rak is riding one horse, while the other is following without a leash. In a word, people think it''s irresponsible. ¡°Alright be good, I have to go in for a few minutes.¡± The two horses neigh and look at Rak with disdain, be good? If they could speak they would tell Rak that they are the best of boys, absolute saints. ¡°Good.¡± Rak took their responses as acknowledgements and quickly turns around and makes his way inside. ¡°Should I ask to see the Town planner Ung? I don¡¯t have plans related to the town.¡± Rak has already entered Town hall and is now standing still in quiet contemplation. There aren¡¯t too many people about this late in the day, but there are enough that Rak¡¯s arrival is ignored. ¡°Can Ung be considered my friend? I should just offer to take him out for dinner?¡± Feeling his idea was great, Rak immediately asked for Ung. Unsurprisingly Ung is a bit busy and Rak ends up having to wait. The wait lasts over twenty minutes before Rak is called over to meet with Town planner Ung. ¡°Seems a Town planners day is long.¡± ¡°Abstinence! You came to see me.¡± Nodding Rak impolitely sat across from Ung. ¡°I have some business with Town hall so of course I came to visit you, my good friend. When you have time, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner and a few drinks.¡± ¡°Oh? I won¡¯t say no. In about an hours time I¡¯ll be heading out, but I can cut that short, why don¡¯t I meet you when I¡¯m finished?¡± ¡°Great, should we go to the Laughter¡¯s medicine then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± Standing up Rak nodded and left the room casually. ¡°Indeed, it seems we can be considered friends, though just barely.¡± A peculiar feeling wells up in Rak¡¯s heart, having someone he can call a friend can be considered rare for Rak. The generational gap between his siblings, the obvious distance and competitiveness from his peers, all of this leads to Rak having a lot acquaintances but very few, if any, friends. Outside the Town hall, Rak¡¯s two stallions have managed to untie themselves and are neighing at four tethered horses. They stamp their front legs before suddenly freezing. ¡°What are you doing? Who untied you?¡± Not knowing what to do, the two horses neigh and put on what they consider an innocent expression. Rak, however, is just happy they didn¡¯t run off once untied. ¡°Alright, forget it. We¡¯re going to the Laughter¡¯s Medicine, we¡¯ll be there a while so I can ask them to bring you something tasty.¡± Like hungry cats the two horses rush up to Rak and rub their heads and neck against Rak. This in turn makes Rak swing back and forth uncontrollably. ¡°Okay, okay! Stop it, let¡¯s get going.¡± Originally Rak was just messing about when talking to his horses but seeing them respond to everything, he is becoming suspicious. Just now he said they should get going and immediately one of the two horses moves his body in position, turns around and looks expectantly at Rak. Not willing to give this too much thought Rak heaves himself on top of the horse. Due to his fleeting thoughts she has forgotten to grab the other horse¡¯s leash again. Only after arriving at the Laughter¡¯s medicine does Rak notice the other horses casually strolled along without being led. ¡°I guess horses just chase after their horse friends.¡± Rak has little to no knowledge of horses and that is in spite of his family owning an entire stable, a horse track and full time horse tamers that take care of over dozen of their horses. ¡°You guys wait a moment, I¡¯ll get them to make something for you.¡± After entering the tavern Rak quickly turns around to make sure he properly tied the horses this time. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Frozen like a pair of caught thieves the two horses look down in an effort to feign innocence, but Rak clearly saw them nimbly undo Rak¡¯s knot. They had worked so fast that one of the horses was already free. ¡°They can untie my knots?¡± At this point one has to know that Rak¡¯s ¡®knots¡¯ are not something to be held in great esteem. But even considering the poor quality knots, horses should not be capable of randomly undoing them. Unwilling or perhaps woefully unprepared for this scenario and the line of thought that followed, Rak let out a sigh and turned back around. ¡°Be good, at least.¡± Rak was stepping side once again when he heard the two horses neigh in response. At some point Rak cast away his traditional understanding of the world, and while Chaos theory has been rather mundane for the most part, there are great oddities like Alley, the vagrant Hormby, that tall woman Delil and a few other strange things he has encountered. When Rak came out of his thoughts a pretty girl was standing and smiling towards him, Arlina¡¯s daughter, Savan. ¡°Good evening, Abstinence.¡± ¡°Ah, pretty little Savan. Nice to see you again.¡± With a flush face Rak was escorted to a table where he made the odd request to cook something up for the two horses. Savan has heard stranger requests and immediately gave Rak a few options to choose. In the end he choose ten bowls of a fruit salad and with a serving of ¡®medicine¡¯ grass. A fancy term for something used to supplement some medicine, medicinal paste being the most common. ¡°Is it busy today?¡± ¡°Not at all, you are just ahead of the evening rush.¡± ¡°Ah I see. Is your mother around?¡± Hearing Rak mention her mother she couldn¡¯t help but remember those noises from a few days ago, immediately her face went red but she had the presence of mind to shake her head. ¡°Too bad. How''s your little brother doing? Still planning on becoming an alchemist?¡± Savan nods her head, grabs one of the chairs and holds a menu up to her chest with the other. ¡°He heard someone say that there was no way he could become an alchemist so now he¡¯s obsessed with it and won¡¯t stop stealing materials to ¡®conjure potions.¡¯ It¡¯s a whole ordeal, mom has taken him to see an actual alchemist in Trove.¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone all the way to the city Trove? That¡¯s up north isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, up north. So I¡¯m managing the place until then. It¡¯s good I got a few helpers. She said she¡¯d be at least a week maybe two.¡± Traveling to Trove and back can indeed take five to seven days. ¡°This will be good experience for you then, running the place all by yourself.¡± At this point Savan smiles brightly, it is apparent she is very excited about the prospect. Soon more people began to arrive and Savan excuses herself. Rak goes back to waiting for Town planner, Ung. ¡°Maybe I should check on those horses.¡± Mulling things over, Rak was beginning to think that horses were special animals in Chaos theory, or that maybe all animals were special. The truth of the matter is that these horses in particular are third generation horses trained by Url. With each generation, the generation before it hands down its wisdom and strength. While this knowledge and strength isn¡¯t much, it does make them above their peers, namely other untiered stallions. It is still possible for them to reach tier one with some work and at that point their wisdom should increase once again. As of the intelligence of animals, it is difficult to say, but they certainly aren¡¯t dumb, they are only not used to accumulate knowledge like humans do. There is not necessarily anything preventing Chaos theory creatures from taking up a book and slowly learn to read. ¡°Maybe I should set out and travel a bit. If I move along the Endless mountain range, maybe I can set up a supply line alongside it.¡± One of the things that has caught Rak¡¯s interest is Endless mountain range, or to be more specific, the people that seem attracted to it. Unlike normal food and drinks, traveling into the mountain range requires a bit of supplies. ¡°If I set up a company that specializes in traveling between places I can also create the facilities that people need. I can slowly create smithies, medicinal and other survival item facilities.¡± The more Rak thought about it the safer it all sounded. With tens of ideas swirling about in his head, this idea was most prevalent. After his experience with the cartographers he can now imagine a crude map where his trade routes would be marked in. ¡°I should ask Ung about starting up a few facilities. Maybe I can get him to recommend someone to manage my places and negotiate new deals and renewing old ones.¡± Having some experience in creating businesses in real life, Rak has some ideas of what the long term ramification of creating many business can be. There are numerous ups and downs but there will always be a need to renegotiate and manage things on a personal level. Only Rak has little interest in doing such things in the long term. At the start it is fine, after things begin rolling Rak usually backs out and takes the position of a discrete owner. Outside the Laughter¡¯s medicine are two horses eating a lavish meal and occasional making noises and stamping their two front feet. This stamping and rowdy behaviour is to remind the other nearby horses, who are still tied to the large wooden stands outside the tavern, that these two grand horses are eating a meal fit for kings. The servant girl Savan sent to deliver the food has yet to return inside and is enjoying the sight of these two young bucks making noise and acting uppity. Only thing is, she is beginning to feel bad for the other horses who don¡¯t get any fruit salad and medicine grass. Just as she is about to steel her heart and go back inside a plump man with a wide grin makes his way towards the tavern. This is Town planner Ung. After the thoughts of a meal entered his mind he hurried along and finished all things that took any sort of priority before handing the rest to this secretaries or other people he can delegate work to. ¡°Ah, did Arlina send you out to welcome me?¡± Seeing the regular esteemed Town planner, the little servant girl was about to say something but Ung continued. ¡°Good! Good! I¡¯ll eat plenty to day, is my good friend, Abstinence inside already?¡± Having heard Savan and Arlina talk about the man she was also curious and took a few peaks earlier. She nodded and waited for the Town planner to enter before following inside. Ung glanced at the two horses eating what seemed like a fruit salad but he brushed it all off due to this rumbling stomach. ¡°Abstinence!¡± Roused from his thoughts Rak looked towards the call. ¡°Your early! Should we get something to drink or are we eating first?¡± ¡°Both!¡± Savan was prepared for Ung¡¯s arrival after talking to Rak earlier and without having to order a pair of glasses were delivered and they were informed that in just a few minutes some small snacks would be brought over while they waited. Chapter fifteen: Travelling to the city Trove Slowly Rak and Town planner Ung drank and ate. All along Savan and her little helpers were busy throughout the evening as more and more people arrived at peak dinner hours. Rak and Ung mainly talk about their lofty ambitions, but they similarly speak in vague terms that suggest they haven¡¯t decided what path to tread. Every other word is; should, could and want. But unlike most big talkers, these two have already established themselves as doers, as people who get things done. ¡°Ung. my friend. Ung.¡± The night continues the talk become more sloppy and looser as the pair ease into their drunken mood. They are yet to reach any obscene limits but nonetheless it is clear from their ruddy faces and occasional slurring that they are indeed inebriated. ¡°I¡¯ve been. Recently you see.¡± ¡°Just spit it out! Who am I? Your fourth generation aunt? Don¡¯t be polite with me.¡± Rak was somewhat surprised by Ung¡¯s candor and couldn¡¯t help but pause for a moment and digest the sentence. But it was only a moment, the moment passed and both Ung and Rak burst into laughter. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll be direct!¡± Ung nodded and turned his head to wave at one of the servant girls. Of course these girls are not actual servants but normal employees taking on the job of a server. As quickly as he waved the girl made her way over with two glasses. Ung complacently faced Rak again. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a job advancement quest. Alley says I should be qualified for some and I thought the great big Town planner would have some insider information for me.¡± Ung¡¯s pensive face slightly loosens after hearing ¡°great big Town planner¡±, not that he is a vain person looking for compliments, it is still nice to hear once in a while. ¡°A job advancement quest. Right. Suppose that¡¯s the right step.¡± Rak received the new glass Laughter¡¯s medicine more expensive alcoholic drinks. The taste isn¡¯t much to speak of but the benefits are instead the after effects of drinking are mitigated greatly. ¡°I know some things. It¡¯s not really a secret anyway. Easiest way to get an job quest is to seek out a the related guilds. What kind of job are you looking for?¡± ¡°This is a bit embarrassing but I want something like a mage, wizard or sorcerer. Secondly I will probably take a support job as a merchant.¡± ¡°I understand merchant. But a scholarly job? Do you like reading books and complicated texts?¡± ¡°Huh? Not really.¡± ¡°Well not every scholar job is about reading. What about chants? Actually how is your drawing skill?¡± Feeling the conversation got away from him Rak paled a bit and stared into his glass. ¡°Drawing skills?¡± ¡°Anyway if you really want to chase down a scholarly job I can send you to a place in TRove.¡± Taking a sip of his drink Ung realized Rak hadn¡¯t thought things through. It was expected, getting a job is a big decision. People from small towns and villages usually take up a support job and maybe later on supplement with something like becoming a hunter. For most people wanting to adventure it is the opposite, they¡¯ll look for a combat job and later on find a support job that is convenient. People often disregard the downtimes during adventures, long travels and sometimes weeks can pass while recovering from wounds or other ailments. This is ideal time to practice their support jobs, as even small benefits will accumulate over time. ¡°Scholarly job.¡± ¡°Ung. What does Scholarly job mean?¡± ¡°Eh? Well. I guess it¡¯s just what they call it?¡± ¡°So are they like teachers? Professors?¡± ¡°Sadly I¡¯m not too knowledgeable about these things. I do have that one friend that can be considered a scholar but spends most of his time practicing formations.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°This is why I asked you how your drawing skills are. All they do is draw, draw and draw.¡± At this point Ung laughed complacently. He is laughing by himself because he himself has spent quite a bit of time drawing. Ung has the support job of an architect, as is common amongst ambitious government employees. ¡°Actually, you shouldn¡¯t take my word for these things, I¡¯m only going by rumors. Who knows what these scholars do?¡± So called scholars are people who take up a certain type of magical pursuit. These are people more interested in the theoretical than the practical. All things can be slowly learned, in some ways learning to wield magic can be compared learning a complex instrument. In fact there are quite a few magical jobs that rely exactly on musical instruments to produce their magic. ¡°I¡¯ll have to bother you to introduce me to this friend of yours. I was planning on a trip to a city either way.¡± ¡°And what about your new facilities? Will they wait?¡± At this point in the conversation Rak and Ung have already spoken about various things and things are settling down a bit. Ung has found great interest in Rak¡¯s plan to build several production facilities in Alp town. One of the ways to increase the tier of a town is to slowly build it up. Once coin starts to flow into the town, Ung will have more authority to do more extravagant things that can then attract more people. Only the biggest problem is still there, he needs to ¡®devour¡ä the village Inte if he wants to become a city. Without becoming a city, Ung can still be ambitious and attempt to increase the tier of the town, which has multiple benefits as well. There are things that Rak will be able to to do if the tier of the town increases as well. Rak and Ung have talked about these things in circles and can be considered in agreement that they want to upgrade Alp town by a tier. Only this will take some time. ¡°Mm. I want to visit some villages and towns that are on the outskirts of the Endless mountain.¡± ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have noticed the difference between Inte village and the other villages?¡± ¡°They are certainly different.¡± ¡°Especially when comparing what sorts of things they lack. Inte needs a lot more than just common amenities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, afterall Alp does deliver quite a bit of their supplies. They almost consume as much as a town, only slightly below Alp town.¡± ¡°My thoughts are to target these villages. I¡¯ve heard Kante is similar but not as active as Inte. But what if there are other villages like Inte? Can¡¯t I specialize in producing supplies for them?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a bad idea. Is this why you¡¯ve been thinking so much about getting more carriage drivers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. These villages also produce quite a bit of raw materials used in various things, I should be able to make decent profits on simply ferrying them to cities on the way back to Alp.¡± The talks continue and the two barely touch their drinks but when they do they go down fast. Rak¡¯s ideas have given Ung more hope for the future. In Ung¡¯s mind, if Rak can find enough customers, the income Alp will receive from taxes alone will skyrocket. It has to be understood that Alp has to produce income outside of taxing at the moment and majority of its income comes from business dealings rather its citizens. ¡°Whatever happens you need to decide what your priority is as I can only allocate one more plot of land to you. Of course unless you want to build on the outskirts then I can give you three times the size.¡± ¡°Oh? Outskirts being where my brewery is?¡± ¡°No, no. I mean outskirts literally outside of town. You¡¯ve been to Url¡äs place right?¡± ¡°Ye..¡± ¡°Well outside of Urls rather sizeable lands, are the outskirts.¡± ¡°Would I even have a road to my place then?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯d have to create your own road or commission one from Town hall.¡± ¡°What about Alley¡¯s land, could I get her to sell me her land? Or buy it through her.¡± ¡°Oh? You even thought about this? Alley can sell a portion of her land to people, but even that has limits.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Technically the land is still property of Town Alp so any buying and selling has to be done through Town hall. So you will still be limited to a degree.¡± ¡°How much land do you reckon?¡± ¡°Considering its Alley, you can probably get about four lots worth.¡± ¡°So I could buy seven lots in total?¡± ¡°No. I mean that with Alley putting up the lands you can buy a bit more land with your current standing in Alp.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not following you Ung.¡± ¡°I can only allocate certain quota to you but your personal standing allows you five non-residence town lots.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. I guess I should talk to Alley, see if she can get me a better location.¡± ¡°Where were you thinking?¡± ¡°Seeing a its on the outskirts I''m thinking east towards Inte.¡± ¡°Hum.¡± ¡°I''m betting my good friend will change this town into a city, won¡¯t I be in the most ideal location then?¡± Giving Ung a knowing look the pondering Ung suddenly stopped eyeing his half filled glass to look at Rak and after a moment¡¯s pause he laughed complacently. They were surprisingly sobering up despite drinking steadily. This is due to the drinks medicinal properties. ¡°That and the river runs close enough to be useful.¡± ¡°Mm. This is a good choice. Not to mention I have grand designs for that river.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Ah. consider this a secret, and just an ambitious dream.¡± Letting out a deep sigh Ung¡¯s eyes glimmer with hope and ambition. ¡°Considering the location, you¡¯ll have to go through Town halla because Alley¡¯s land is far from the east outskirts and next to Url¡¯s.¡± ¡°Ah. I didn¡¯t think about this.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about this too much. I¡¯ll find somethings for you to raise your reputation in Alp¡¯s government system. You won¡¯t be able to get a land like Url¡¯s or Alley¡¯s but even setting up a horse farm should be possible.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Right, I might have to steal Url from you in that case. I can¡¯t think of a better tamer.¡± ¡°Steal, steal, steal!¡± At some point Ung and Rak realized they had been talking for three hours already but showed no signs of wanting to call it quits. In the end it wasn¡¯t until they had tasted practically everything Laughter¡¯s medicine had to offer before leaving somewhere after midnight. ¡°Sixty eight silver.¡± Even Ung was feeling a bit embarrassed they had continued to order snacks and drinks the entire evening all the way into the night. This sort of bill was something Town planner had only seen when Town hall held their employee events. ¡°Forget it. Consider it building a foundation.¡± After all their talks, the word foundation had repeatedly come up. Foundation for increase a tier of the town, foundation for a city, foundation for various buildings, foundations for job advancements, foundations businesses and so on. The more they repeated the words the more it snuck into the conversations. ¡°Indeed! A great foundation is needed!¡± Once outside Rak and Ung said their goodbyes and Rak was met with two disgruntled fellows. It has been more than an hour since the last horse left and it was just the two of them outside. If it wasn¡¯t for that sweet servant girl who came out occasionally with fruit bowls and medicinal grasss they might head out for an adventure. ¡°Good boys. Let¡¯s go home.¡± It takes Rak some effort to get onto the horse and once on top Rak lets his head lie on the horses long neck and closes his eyes. Due to this being a virtual reality, Rak is ¡®forbidden¡¯ from falling asleep on top of the horse but he can still fall into a relaxed state akin to sleeping. Rak is woken up by the neighing of two horses and the ¡®gentle¡¯ head butts. Looking around Rak laughs and somehow elegantly leaps down and casually walks inside his house in Alp town. ¡°A great harvest.¡± While Rak does not have many close companions in real life he has learned that expensive social events like todays are near essential to creating good rapport when negotiating and the sorts. Of course Rak wasn¡¯t trying to strike a deal with Ung but the results were far greater than he had expected. Ung¡¯s insights had really helped solidify his understanding of things and helped confirm his decisions. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll go to Trove.¡± In the morning Rak wakes up with a pale face, an unsettling feeling in his body and the looming threat of a headache. Memories of the night before begin flooding back and surprisingly Rak lets out a cheeky smile. ¡°This is the power of a virtual reality? I can drink this much and still feel only a light hangover?¡± Even the memory of the absurd sixty eight silver bill didn¡¯t seem to affect Rak¡¯s mood. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t casually go and buy painkillers.¡±
Character
Status
Constitution: 83/100%
Fatigue: 73/100%
Hunger: 11/100%
Clarity: 43/100%
Stamina: 84/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°I¡¯m starving and the stamina looks off. My clarity is also really low, is this the hangover?¡± Almost every attribute seems to have affected by Rak¡¯s drinking last night. Surprisingly the least affected attribute is fatigue which is just two from reaching his soft cap of seventy five. This soft cap of course was exceeded when he slept in Alley¡¯s high quality bed. ¡°I need to make preparation for the next four weeks at least. And perhaps even longer.¡± Thinking about his journey to Trove and perhaps beyond, it makes sense to make sure his brewery business won¡¯t get stumped. Olric should be fine but he¡¯ll have to strike a deal with Town hall to hire transportation for him. ¡°I¡¯ll make it so that Olric can casually go to Town hall and give them relevant information and have them settle the rest.¡± Rak is being overly cautious as he could just as easily talk to the carriage drivers and set up contracts for one or two months of deliveries. But Rak suddenly had the idea that perhaps he won¡¯t have to hire managers for everything and borrow Town hall¡¯s hand for now. Town hall¡¯s government system is hard to exploit as breaching its contracts has real consequences. Not from Town hall but Chaos theory, the world, the General Artificial Intelligence. Feeling confident in this matter Rak drags himself to Town hall and writes up a general contract for Olric. Olric could possibly abuse his access to this contract but the damage he can do isn¡¯t too great. ¡°Will this be alright?¡± ¡°It appears to be in order. As for letting another person issue this contract in your place, you¡¯ll have to modify the contract¡¯s options to do so.¡± Nodding Rak began fiddling with the contract options. On it is something like a whitelist with degrees of access. One is general access, which is usually on by default, this allows anyone with the contract to view the contents. Another option is who is allowed to issue the contract, this option is my default set to the name of the contract¡¯s creator and no one else. This means the contract creator can issue the contract but also share it without people taking it issuing or accepting it wantonly. The third option is editorial rights. This option is by default only set to the contract¡¯s creator and only in special circumstances can it be shared with another person. In Rak''s current situation he cannot change the editorial option. He cannot even remove his own rights and he only has the right to delete the contract or edit it further. These the important options part of the government contracts in Chaos theory. There do exist less stricts contracts as well that Chaos theory does not set as strict requirements on. City hall generates quite a bit of wealth by creating government contracts, acting as a mediator between people as it¡¯s security well known. After setting the contract and once more reaffirm that Olric can come here to Town hall to issue the contract at any moment Rak pays his consultation fee for the contract and directly goes to the brewery. Olric is fortunately at the brewery fiddling with his brewing trying to discover a new recipe or just to mess about. Hearing Rak¡¯s horses arrive outside Olric directly goes outside to check on the situation, as these sounds usually mean there is delivery. ¡±Good morning Olric.¡± ¡°Morning Abstinence.¡± Rak saved no time on other formalities and told Olric his plans. Olric wasn¡¯t too happy with more responsibilities but he also took it as doing Rak a favor. Rak was going to talk about compensation but seeing Olric directly accepting this task he decided to just raise his wage after returning, it would leave a better impression. As a part of the contracts Rak created with various taverns, they can request a delivery at any time, and because of this, the brewery is stock full of tier one beer at any time. Olric¡¯s new type of tier one beer has yet to be properly advertised but there is also a stock of it. Most of the time Olric can relax four days out of seven. Rak and Olric said their goodbyes and Rak went to the bakers to buy a variety of food for the journey. Rak isn¡¯t planning on stopping long in the village Horst or the town Whor so he buys enough for a three days travel. After setting up the carriage, Rak and his two horse companions take the road north of Alp towards the village Horst. ¡°It¡¯s going to take at least three days. Probably four If I stop to sleep in Whor town.¡± Rak¡¯s map contains the three nearby cities, and the long path the vagrant travelled. On the map are also some ¡®guesses¡¯ which are rumored places Rak has heard of and yet to either explore or receive concrete information on. The Chaos theory map has several degrees of information. The most secure and absolute is the one that Rak has explored himself. A second is one transferred from the system and can be considered accurate nine times out of ten. The third layer is transferred information from other people. Ung has given Rak the information on the city Hampter, the city Trove and the city Long. The vagrant has given Rak a long list of villages, towns and cities as well. Finally there is third party information. If sentence is strung together appropriately it can induce this change on a person¡¯ map. This information is unreliable but also the way most map information is gathered. This third indirect information also comes from things like letters, books or other sources within Chaos theory. Of course with too many layers of information it is possible to filter through or directly remove unreliable or false information from a personal map. Issues can form when contradicting information is received as well. Going into a high level government site where a drawn map is on display is also considered third party information and such things can be manipulated to intentionally give people wrong information. Rak does not have too much third party data on his map but his ¡®secure¡¯ map is only a measly ten percent of his total map. Vagrant Hormby¡¯s map is ¡®secure¡¯ to a degree but various things jotted down on it can be false. But the villages, towns and cities cannot be false, otherwise they could be filtered away using the filter function within the map. It is nearing end of the fourth week since Rak entered Chaos theory and his only weapon in a bow but no arrows. But Chaos theory has still not given Rak and many other people, any incentive to ¡®become strong¡¯. Instead it might even be possible to argue that there are elements dissuading people from entering combat. One of the reasons people might be dissuaded to get into combat scenarios is very real pain that they can encounter. The probable risk of death and the costly effects of dying. And lastly the rewards are not glaringly obvious. A competent fight, perhaps one with a team, might be able to easily hunt, fight creatures, other humans or what have you for quests or for personal gain. Assuming they are indeed competent, they should be able to level fast, gain insight into their abilities faster and even gain considerable wealth through quests and selling materials in large quantities, and if they are lucky precious material. However, even if people assume this is the case, it is not guaranteed that they can see such results if they attempt to bravely fight creatures and explore dangerous areas. More than likely they¡¯ll only manage to slowly progress. This slow progress might be greater than the average person¡¯s but those that excelled in their secondary or practice relentlessly in their main profession, will still be competing with them without the risks of harm. One of the reasons most people take up a support job is of course because it supplements the main job, especially considering ample free time people might have. But there is also the financial part of it, most professions have some decent way to make their training produce excess wealth. It is possible to grow continuously, level continuously without stopping. But to do so at an acceptable pace often requires quite a few materials. Things that reduce stamina consumption or increase its recovery, it might be easier to say all things that can help reserve or recover any consumed resource. Then there is the part where items, consumable or not, that increase a person¡¯s abilities in some way. Increase a person¡¯s affinity for something like fire, this would allow them to train faster in this particular aspect or fight better. Abilities that can be bought through items or ¡®taught¡¯ by people also require spending on. The list goes on, in short, coin is power. In many cases the market doesn¡¯t allow a person to get the full benefit from their items through coin and they will instead look to trade it for what they consider an item of equal value. This can be a tedious process and can be a gamble. There is not static price on items and they can fluctuate wildly depending on numerous factors. To give an example. If a novice potion grants a person one percent experience increase, it might be popular in one region of Chaos theory but ignored in another. This is also an example of how the real world can influence the Chaos theory market. If a person advertises this particular potion in the real world, the potion¡¯s price might go up in Chaos theory on a grander scale. There are also factors such as supply of the base material used in the potion, if the area has a rich node of it or is just naturally occuring in great quantities the potions prices might still stay low. Especially if there is a great number of concoters making it. Rak has in many ways alleviate the problems many people will begin to encounter once they get their novice job. They¡¯ll need various supplies beyond the cheap food and drinks and if they want to do things efficiently it¡¯ll cost even more. This is true to both the main job and support job, as not every support job will have as wide a market as Rak¡¯s brewery tier one beer. Rak¡¯s journey to Trove city doesn¡¯t have to be a costly thing, but for normal people this sort of journey will come at the price of scheduling. In some villages or towns a person wanting to travel to a city won¡¯t get the chance to hitch a ride until a day or two later, in some ways this can be considered additional travel time. In some cases a carriage will only take a person to a village and from there they will have to find a new carriage and so on. It doesn¡¯t sound like much but it can accumulate into a rather unpleasant waiting period. It is not so apparent right now but going to a city is indeed far more beneficial to someone wanting to progress with Chaos theory. Most things are more expensive but the limitation of scarcity is removed. People don''t have to fear that a mainstream job or materials are going to be available. In Rak¡¯s case it might have been detrimental to go directly to a city, as his plans are a bit off the beaten path. Buying a residence in a city is already expensive, paying for land and then building something on that land is wildly more expensive. Rak might still be toiling away in a city right now just receive the right to even purchase land, ignoring that he might not even afford it when the time came. There is silver lining within this black storm, and that is the cost of living is near negligible, food and water come easy to the point a person can pick up some tricks within a days time and grow their own vegetables. Now these vegetable suffer from their lack of value and the time spend tending them becomes a literal waste of time, but it will fill a person¡¯s stomach. The danger of going to city is also where to sleep, if a person has money to rent a room for the night it isn¡¯t bad, but if they have to sleep on the streets they might be robbed, attacked or directly killed and looted. In general it shouldn¡¯t be too common to get attacked within a city, even in the poorer neighbourhoods because people have all the necessities to live without suffering. But there is the element of mentally unstable people and crime. Criminal aspect of a city isn¡¯t lacking and there is no reason why such an organization wouldn¡¯t put new recruits to the test, making them kill innocent people at a whim to prove themselves loyal. One of the fastest way to grow in a city is to enter into an existing criminal organization but within comes the risk of being brought to justice. The organization might set a person up with an unreasonable task where they either have to walk to their demise or leave the organization, not to mention that people within such an organization might backstab you for profit. Rak directly went passed the village Horst and continues to travel towards the Town whor. On the way Rak has actually let a traveller hitch a ride with him, unfortunately the person has no new map information. This person can be considered a little villager dreaming to make it big in the city. After chatting for a while Rak discovered that this person has an older sister that already left two years ago. They both come from Often, the reason his sister went to Trove is because Trove is somewhat known for their theatre shows. This little guy is going to attempt to become something of a stagehand, and has no ideals of becoming an actor himself. The company allows the travel to Whor town to pass by faster. The two horses are like sprites still glancing at every which thing and occasionally neighing to each other as if they are speaking to each other. Because Rak lacks experience as a carriage driver, the journey is slower than expected and it is already into the evening when they enter Whor town. Feeling it makes sense to stop for the night Rak finds one of Whor¡¯s inn. ¡°Should I try and set up a contract?¡± Thinking things through, Rak realizes he can really just set up a contract and Olric will directly receive notification of a new quest to create x amount of tier one beer. Now due to them already owning a considerable stockpile, they can directly send this new shipment as soon as they contract a carriage driver to send it over. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll do it then.¡± The young man traveling with Rak follows blindly as Rak is his ticket to Trove, even though he could easily find another ride, Rak hasn¡¯t charged him anything and has been pleasant to chat with. ¡°Little brother, I have to tend to some business, why don¡¯t you find a table and order something to eat.¡± ¡°Should I ask him to gather information on the other taverns?¡± In almost all cases, any Inn within a town is also a tavern, they are generally some of the largest buildings as well. ¡°Never mind, I can ask the tavern¡¯s manager.¡± Before long Rak manages to find the tavern¡¯s owner. Being experienced in making these simple deals, Rak is straightforward and offers a very reasonable price for a shipment of tier one beer and the option of continued renewal of a set shipment. The tavern¡¯s owner is unable to refuse Rak¡¯s offer, and after thinking things through he is sure that his supplier from Trove has been watering down anything he buys for a long time. There is some awkwardness due to him still having to buy strong alcohol from them but not buying beer should be fine if he cuts it down by a tenth. One of the reason¡¯s Rak hasn¡¯t met much competition when selling his cheap beer is because Majority of beer is sold in cities. Even if all the towns and villages surrounding a city are counted they can¡¯t compare to one twentieth of all the beer sold. It¡¯s also because of this that they are brazen enough to siphon a bit of very shipment for themselves. If Rak does visit all towns and converts them to loyal Abstinence brewery customers, he might have to deal with the big dogs in the cities. While these cities only have a few people with tier two jobs, they have plenty of advanced tier one jobs within their ranks. If an organization sets their sight on Rak¡¯s little business he might have to relent and completely give in. In the end Rak will have to set up a proper trading route to be able to sell his tier one beer as cheap as he does, this time his contract with this tavern in Horst isn¡¯t going to be of much profit as just the delivery cost will eat up most profits. ¡°I should set up warehouses to lower the frequency of deliveries.¡± Another reason Rak hasn¡¯t seen any pushback to his expanding brewery business is that is a very low end business. In general people do not rely on alcohol to increase their strength or leveling efficiency. Not that is impossible, only it very rare and as such not a profitable business model. ¡°At most I¡¯ll be getting twenty silver weekly.¡± Twenty silver was an optimistic view, in all likelihood getting ten silver for a shipment was going to tough, but considering he could make a deal with the other taverns, a potential of thirty silver was already good. Later on when Rak sets up better trade routes and maybe warehouses these profits can be increased. Rak spoke again to his young companion and they went around Whor Town to deal with the four taverns. The last Tavern turned out to be the largest customer, it was the one leading into Kante. Apparently the distance between the town and village allows Kante¡¯s villagers to often come to partake in some fun activities. Outside the tavern are tens of horses and the noise somewhat incredible, this amount of horses is related to the Village Kante. The building has obviously has addons built on it and even leads into a second building. This building rivals the size of the town¡¯s Town hall. Rak wasn¡¯t going stay at this place for the night and in the end the pair went to the Inn at the north most part of town, in the morning they would directly leave for Trove. ¡°Four contracts, in a a few days I might get a deposit of gold just from this town alone.¡± Thinking things through, Rak felt like he was underestimating towns, he should quickly find someone to make deals with the neighbouring towns. Doing it himself was going to be boring and time consuming. The night passed by in a flash and Rak and his new companion were already on the road before sunrise. Rak has decided to visit the village Kante on his way back, considering he might also continue beyond Trove to check the other Endless mountains villages and see if they resemble Inte¡¯s consumption. For some reason Rak is forgetting his biggest opportunities are within a city. They not only have a large population they also have dangerous areas where people to test their strength, search for valuable items and gain experience. In Hampter this a deep cave, and within Trove it is misty forest region that seems endless despite only being the size of about ten olympic sized swimming pools. Not only are these areas dangerous they also have different time dilation. Some are faster while others are slow, and they can even have regions within itself that are slower or faster. This is why on occasion a person will walk out of these areas and have a full beard, be completely unknown and yet be a the peak of a tier one job, making them one of the strongest people within the city. This sort of time dilation can be overbearing to the extent a real person will consume their fatigue at a rapid pace. There are ways to mitigate fatigue loss but all in all, losing fatigue is a type of training. Everyday a person consume their fatigue they also gain a little bit of it as well, making them more durable in the process. Currently every person that enters Chaos theory has to endure four times time dilation. Time goes faster in this case, and time can go faster than this. Normal people can endure a day at six times dilation and can manage a few days at the current four times dilation. It might sound a bit convoluted but this is one of Chaos theories core concepts. The further people delve into Chaos theory mechanism they will see time flow faster and faster, and they¡¯ll have to grow stronger alongside it to reside in such areas. The core of humanity in Chaos theory lives fifteen cities away from the endless mountain range, there are large empires of rather normal people living day to day lives. And these people live at a time dilation of two at the lowest. Two fold time dilation can be considered near negligible for people¡¯s growth. As they get closer to the endless mountain range this time dilation ramps up approximately four times. Inside the Endless mountain range this number only increases. Rak is already two days into his journey from Whor town to the city Trove and his fatigue is reaching twenty percent. This means his eyes are heavy, his clarity soft cap is lowering steadily and his stamina regenerates slower but remains at is peak. Constitution remains the same but also recovers slower. ¡°We¡¯ll camp here for the night and resume in a few hours when I wake up.¡± Fortunately Rak has his untiered carriage and won¡¯t have to sleep outdoors, unfortunately both will recover the same amount of fatigue, a maximum of fifty percent, just enough to gain a rested state which quickly goes away once waking up. This is why good resting items like beds are valued highly. Chapter sixteen: Expensive parking spaces and a Plate formationist. Rak and his travel companion are already on their third day, having slept out on the road at night they were fortunate enough to not encounter anything. There is always a risk of creatures curiously investigate things or perhaps a opportunistic person might turn into a thief and killer. The journey was incredibly taxing on Rak, doing nothing for hours on end can be a type of torture. Fortunately the weather has been phenomenal, hot at times but cool winds are always blowing. The two horses have gotten tired of the scenery and only occasionally find something new to get excited about, they still enjoy the long walks but three our four days of walking is a bit too much. On the fourth day, just as the light of the sun is about to switch with the moon¡¯s, Rak can see the silhouette of a city. The vision is blurry but from what Rak has been told about cities, they have large walls surrounding them. The outer part of a city is largely empty but further out are large fields used to grow crops or raise animals. At this point it is quiet and there are no other people on the road, it has already been a few hours since the last carriage past them. Presumably because people don¡¯t start traveling this late in the evening. Rak has already entered the area of large fields, the scenery from a green wildlife to a brown and green fields filled with vegetables or golden fields of wheat. These sorts of fields are not like typical fields where people go out and harvest. They are constructs commissioned by City Offices and they naturally produce certain amount daily. The maintenance of these fields include fending of various vermin, miscellaneous creatures that might stumble into the fields and insects. In addition to supply proper fertilizer and water. One field has a building associated with it where fertilizer and water are inputted in large containers. In some ways this is similar to Rak¡¯s brewery in that the liquid inside the brewing barrels can be extracted instantly into other containers within certain range. This type of field doesn¡¯t produce valuable products but just food for the masses, with these they can feed entire cities for very low cost. It is possible to nurture vegetables and various other plants to the point where they provide stamina recovery, temporarily increase clarity and so on, but these can¡¯t be done on a large scale and are far more precious. Such materials are also used to make other products that further increase potential benefits. Outside the city walls are numerous small makeshift huts, tents or just general bedrolls, they seem to stretch all the way around the city walls. There are quite a few people in this refugee like camp, their clothing doesn¡¯t seem too bad and they look relatively healthy. ¡°Why are there so many people out here?¡± Due to certain limitations and general cost, cities set laws against people sleeping on the streets. The punishment can be light but if a person can¡¯t pay the fine they will have to sit in jail for some time and once their time is up they get thrown outside the city and are ¡®banned¡¯ until their debts are paid. It is possible to rent rooms, buys apartments or houses within the city but such things are to expensive. As Rak gets closer and closer to the gate with his two horses and a carriage, people begin to walk towards it, all holding miscellaneous items. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The sudden swarm of people has put a little scare into Rak but soon this fear turns into surprise. Each and every person is attempting to sell things to Rak for exactly ten silver. No matter what the item is, ten silver is the price. As more people join in the prices drops to one silver. It is good that Rak¡¯s horses are curious as they are clever, their eyes darting about sniffing this and that. ¡°Do you know what is going on? Rak¡¯s little companion shakes his head, he is just as confused as Rak. When they get to the open city gates two men walk forward, one raises his hand in the air. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Evening, sirs.¡± ¡°Good evening.¡± While Rak doesn¡¯t look like a wealthy man he also doesn¡¯t look poor. Not to mention he is on a carriage lead by two fine looking horses. If he isn¡¯t wealthy he¡¯s at least working for someone of worth, those are the guards thoughts. The people hawking their wares have similar thoughts. ¡°Two silver for you and your companion, six for the two horses.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Having to pay to enter the city was a bit of a surprise but Rak quickly fished out eight silver from his inventory and handed it over to the guards. The guards inspected the coins for a brief moment before nodding and moving back to their positions. The entrance to the city can be considered and alright neighbourhood, if you move along the walls you¡¯ll enter worse and worse neighbourhoods and the closer you get to the center, the better they are and more expensive. The roads are all colossal stones, some can be described as megaliths. There are also smaller paths between residence streets that have small near bricklike stones. The horses hooves smack louder and the horses themselves find this curious. If it wasn¡¯t for the numerous new sights they would probably be stomping down with glee. ¡°Friend, where do you plan to get off?¡± ¡°Anywhere is fine. As you know I¡¯m heading to the theatre my sister went to.¡± From what this boy has told Rak, his sister hasn¡¯t been in much contact since she left for the city. ¡°Ah. Well you can stay within me, I¡¯m heading to Ravendus. This is a formation workshop within the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get off here then. Thank you for the ride.¡± ¡°No problems, I enjoyed your company.¡± Rak felt especially magnanimous at this moment, to the point he was swelling up with emotions of a ¡®giver¡¯. Soon Rak was slowly making his way through the city, taking in the sights. The city itself can¡¯t compare to the architecture of a modern city, but the smells, the types of people walking about and strange noises made it all a new experience. ¡°From what Ung told me I should head across the city and north-west district where this scholar is supposed to live and work.¡± Already Rak¡¯s map has been update with more detail, but only up to the point he has travelled within the city limits. Ung himself hasn¡¯t been in Trove and most of his information has come through travellers and even the Chaos theory government system. The traffic is a bit frightening in the city limits, on foot it wouldn¡¯t be an issue but Rak¡¯s carriage has to repeatedly stop for people walking on the streets or other stopped carriages. It is already late in the evening and the fatigue is setting in. ¡°Even if I get to the north-west of the city at this pace it¡¯ll be late in the night.¡± As the night arrives Rak continues to slowly shamble along, sometimes hitting a good stride but eventually coming to a crawl. At this point Rak is looking for a place to sleep for the night. There doesn''t seem to be less people on the streets as it passes midnight. ¡°Where can I stay with my horses? Should I ask someone?¡± Every building reaches ten to fifteen floors into the sky and some in the distance reach double if not triple that. These buildings all look like they are made from wood, steel and iron and yet reach such heights. Rak is closing in on ten percent fatigue, making him a bit muddled headed. After travelling for five hours in the city, it is already three o¡¯clock at night when Rak sees a building with what can only be described as an underground parking. ¡°What? Really?¡± Exactly as the sign says, below the building is a large area with large booths for horses or carriages. On the way here there were quite a few of these places but this is the first one Rak managed to notice. When Rak arrives he is greeted with guards in a similar outfit as those outside the city gates, they similarly ask Rak to pay. At this point Rak is a bit shocked after handing over fifteen silver for a day¡¯s ¡®parking¡¯. Included in this parking is food for his horses an area similar to a bed that helps animals recover. Rak himself could sleep in his carriage but he¡¯s thirst for a bed and so he directly goes to the upstair hotel. Fortunately he only has to pay five silver for the cheapest room. It at this point it dawns on Rak why all those people were outside the city. It is simply too expensive to stay within the city walls, even entering costs two silver coins. There isn¡¯t too great a chance to be caught on the streets sleeping but tens of people do get caught everyday, and that¡¯s exactly why there are so many people outside the city walls, most of which are ¡®banned¡¯ but have nowhere else to go. Immediately upon entering his small room Rak falls on the bed and goes to sleep, the cloudiness of sub ten fatigue making him feel like his thoughts were slow as if he was drunk without the loosened inhibitions. Falling to sleep and waking up happened in a flash. To Rak he felt he just landed on the bed and somehow he was now awake. ¡°Did I fall asleep?¡±
Character
Status
Constitution: 89/100%
Fatigue: 80/100%
Hunger: 4/100%
Clarity: 48/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
¡°Eighty percent fatigue.¡± After confirming that he did indeed fall asleep the hunger pangs knocked on his door, not willing to eat the same dry vegetables and questionable pastries, Rak stands up and leaves the room This hotel is one of thousands in Trove city and is considered mid quality. But even if it is above average hotel the hotel feels somewhat cramped. What Rak didn¡¯t notice when he entered and left his room was that the distance between doors was eerily close. So close that his room overlap the other rooms, which should be impossible. In a low quality hotel, the buildings are almost entirely doors with similar or smaller rooms than the one Rak slept in. These rooms are their own independent space. This is how such a large population can exist in cities and yet be still relatively ¡®small¡¯. Of course the city isn¡¯t small but in comparison to the population it is a bit baffling. In addition to this, there are many residence buildings with empty apartments and even premium houses that are empty.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°How can I help you, sir?¡± After getting down to the first floor Rak wandered a bit before finding the entrance to the dining hall. This time he noticed the anomaly, there was no way this huge dining hall fit inside this building. Not only was the ceiling higher than the ceiling outside clearly this dining hall was stretched to the point Rak had to question reality. ¡°I¡¯m looking for some food.¡± ¡°We have a buffet for all customers, you can also order from the menu.¡± ¡°How much is the buffet?¡± ¡°The buffet is free for all customers.¡± After filling himself to the brim rak couldn¡¯t help but to let out a deep sigh. His stomach was a little inflated and he felt a bit heavy. ¡°Even buffet food is this good. Four star restaurants barely compete.¡± Once again Rak couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the difference between the real world and Chaos theory. The smells, taste and touch. ¡°I should get going.¡± After going through his logs, Rak found that a delivery has been made to the four taverns in Whor town, giving him fourteen silver each for a total of fifty six silvers. In addition to this, there should be more requests within a few days giving him more income. Most taverns order the same amount each time but may do so at a different frequency. Going down to the underground ¡®parking lot¡¯ Rak once again noticed that it is abnormally large in comparison to the area it is supposed to occupy. Shaking his head, Rak decisively ignores this incongruency, putting in the category of things unexplained. The two horses are already awake when Rak arrives, they have both eaten to their hearts content are just relaxing. It is already late noon when Rak¡¯s carriage makes its appearance on the streets of Trove. In the light of day, the city has an entirely different atmosphere but the traffic is still constant. The noises seem more lively and a few people have set up small stalls from either blankets set on the ground or small two wheeled wheelbarrows. These wheelbarrows seem to be customized to act as a sales stall. These stalls are something commissioned from City Offices or ordered especially from something like a engineer or a specialized carpenter. The people roll out blankets are ¡®illegally¡¯ selling and can be randomly heaved to jail and get a similar penalty as those that are found sleeping in the streets at night, only steeper fines and longer jail time. The commissioned sales stalls record the items put on it and their price, it is due to this that price cannot be negotiated and they have to be sold if the customer provides the coin. The blankets allow for negotiation as it it¡¯s sales are not recorded and so they won''t have to pay tax. One thing people would expect in a large city is plenty of food vendors, but in Trove these are severely lacking and most restaurant are only there to add to existing service. The city sells vegetables, bread and gruel for very cheap. A person can fill their stomach for the day on something as cheap as two coppers, and of course in case they want to save that two copper they can randomly find a ¡®unowned¡¯ plot of dirt and plant vegetables or other plants. Meat served in restaurants are more expensive as it is a luxury due to it being far harder to provide millions with meat. This is to the point where meat in a town or a village is five times cheaper or equal to that of general vegetables and wheat. This is why the wares sold on the streets are almost all some sort of material known to be a part of a recipe in something that does give a person incremental benefit of some sort. There are also quite a few that are unknown by the general population but it still known to be valuable. Materials marked with a green tinge in their text description are always materials in recipes that provide some benefit. In comparison, the materials used in Rak¡¯s brewery are all grey, and is a part of why tier one beer can be crafted with such ease. There are tier one and even untiered beer that provide some benefit but they are of course rare in comparison and can¡¯t be mass produced for wholesale. Most of the items being sold by the street vendors are various tools, random mineral, large pieces of wood and herbs. There are also clothing of all types being sold, everything from generic metal armours to linen robes. Most of these are untiered but different from generic consumable, these provide at least some benefits and therefore their price is higher. Currently Rak is on his carriage and has not had the opportunity to randomly browse these items, but it certainly would be an eye opener. These items have attributes such as increased strength, intelligence, agility, health, energy. Then there is armour and resistances. The rares of items can have things like a boost to affinity or increased physique. These items that make sense in a game have yet to appear in front of Rak, but anyone casually strolling through a city would be introduced to them. The closest thing Rak has seen is the training bow he got from Alley, which he still has on his person. That bow introduced Rak to damage, attack speed, cooldowns and energy. The damage and attacks speed are localized on the weapon however. The energy is the only attribute he himself posses and he could barely use that bow at the time. Energy is a part of the stamina status, the more a person uses their energy the more it affects the stamina status. This is similar to how strength, dexterity and health the constitution status. As with the fatigue status, going below a certain thresholds causes an adverse effect. Intelligence and energy are tied to the clarity status in the same way. These are all ¡®hidden¡¯ attributes but large boost to any single attribute should be noticeable by the individual. The status that ties all these things together is fatigue, any change in any of the other status has an effect on fatigue. Increasing the constitution increases fatigue points, increasing intelligence increases clarity to a degree and in turn clarity affects fatigue. Decreases in any of these values similarly can have adverse effect on fatigue, but total fatigue values are never lost and are only the soft cap is applied. Unlike the normal soft cap, which is visible numerically, Rak for example slept in a decent bed granting him eighty percent fatigue soft cap, but behind this cap is another cap that related to all the other statuses combined. The closer to the center of the city Rak gets the taller the buildings become and the more they look more aesthetically pleasing. At some point these high rises dramatically fall until a huge area is revealed. There are still buildings but they are sparse and gardens surround an enormous fountain. In a giant circle around his oasis within the city all the buildings facing the scenery are more expensive than entire buildings in the worse off neighbourhoods. Currently Rak is on a road that goes in a circle around the ¡®Trove gardens¡¯. Which is a public area open to the public. Originally Rak entered the southern entrance to the city, one of four entrances. It has taken rak eleven hours to get to the middle, excluding the time he spent in the hotel. The reason why Rak hasn¡¯t asked for direction yet is exactly because he understands he has to cross the entire city before even entering the region where Ung¡¯s friend the ¡®formation scholar¡¯ is supposed to be.
Ung has given you a letter to deliver to his friend, Kartofel Rewards: nothing
The lack of descriptive information highlights that this is an open ended, optional quest given casually and made obvious by the lack of rewards. Nonetheless, all Rak wanted was a direction go walk towards, and Ung gave him one better. Looking at his map, Rak notices he¡¯s travelled a little more than half the circled road, and decided to take a right turn. This lands him in the North-west region of Trove city. Now he only has to find the small formation workshop Ravendus. While Town planner Ung hasn¡¯t visited the city Trove he has studied architecture and seen plans for a few cities. According to him, one of City Officess branches within the city should be alongside spread along the larger roads. On Rak¡¯s map there seems to be eight directions where the roads are of similar size and other eight smaller roads that he can exclude. ¡°If I keep my eyes open I should be able to find a branch somewhere along this road.¡± In a swarm of other carriages and various walking pedestrian Rak slowly makes his way, ever since he entered the city a subtle nervousness has been lingering in his heart. Even though he been in enormous cities and travelled all around the world, being alone in a foreign place can still be a bit overwhelming. An hour into travelling this road Rak¡¯s eyes are a bit red and somehow he¡¯s got the illusion of a headache looming over him. This is because he has been focusing his gaze in an attempt to locate a City Offices branch. Fortunately at this point a very distinct building appears, it is specially eye taching considering it has spacious area around it and a familiar underground area for carriages or other modes of travel. ¡°You need a space?¡± ¡°Ye¡± The guards in this underground area are wearing City Offices emblems on their right chest and light form fitting uniforms. ¡°This is your ticket, on it you¡¯ll find your space. You have four hours, any hour exceeding four hours incurs two silvers cost.¡± Unlike the hotel, City Offices does not charge for parking spots and offers it free for a limited duration. The underground area has a variety of animals in it, something Rak didn¡¯t take great notice of in the hotel¡¯s parking spot. Quite a few horses look more majestic than normal and his own steeds look to them with reverence. Most of the animals are horses but there is quite a variety of wild animals that have been tamed, only Rak has yet to see them. Soon Rak has arrived to the City Offices branch entrance area. The area itself is large with six receptionist, tens of people are at each desk waiting to be served. The lines go neither fast nor slow but it still takes Rak some forty minutes until his turn. ¡°Good day, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Good day, I¡¯m looking for some information on.¡± Feeling a bit embarrassed Rak let out a cough. ¡°Information on scholarly jobs and some directions.¡± ¡°Okay, If you want to research scholars I can recommend you go to Trove¡¯s library and talk to the librarians, teachers or professors there.¡± ¡°Oh, In that case can you help me with directions to that library and to a formation workshop called Ravendus?¡± ¡°Give me a moment.¡± A familiar scene appears in front of Rak, a person waving their hands about in the air before pushing and open palm towards him. ¡°After looking up the workshop I know where it is located but I can only give you directions to the street its on. As for the library that is no issue.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seeing his map has already updated with two icons, one a grey dot with a street name and the other an official symbol for libraries. ¡°Anything else you need help with?¡± ¡°If it''s not too much bother, how much would an apartment and an empty lot cost?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have that information but I can book an appointment with a government agent that deals with selling and buying real estate within the city.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°One moment then.¡± Leaving the City Offices branch Rak is ten silver lighter and has an appointment with a real estate agent in two days, originally he could meet with one today but he decided he should deal with his current affairs first. And so Rak is directly going to Ravendus which is located just on the border of a the poorer side of the city and yet in an alright area. ¡°How incredibly expensive.¡± From the moment Rak arrived in Trove he¡¯s been steadily spending his silver. Granted he did go to a medium quality hotel and has two horses and a carriage with thim, increasing costs, but a normal person with no income will struggle to stay too long within the city limits. The reasons for the ten silver cost this time around is directly because of his map information, five silver for each addition to his map. Getting a detailed map of the city can cost tens of gold as even the most trivial detail will add an additional five silver. There are of course better or cheaper ways do things but Rak has now knowledge of them, and as is a tourist fate, he¡¯s had to pay. If Rak buys an apartment, earns some reputation with the city and so on the costs of things well go down dramatically. Not to mention there are plenty of opportunities within the city, only one has to find them. It takes Rak another hour and twenty some minutes just to get to Vikter¡¯s street, where the Ravendus formation workshop is supposed to be. This street is straight and so it takes Rak no effort to find the fabled workshop. ¡°This is it.¡± After confirming he¡¯s found the right place Rak backtracks a few buildings back and pays fifty copper coins to store his carriage and let his horses rest for two hours. Not only is the place cheaper than the hotel before, Rak also doesn''t haphazardly pay for an entire day. Few minutes of fast walking Rak returns to the building in question. Most of the adjacent buildings seem to be workshops as well. Outside the building, one of seven signs reads ¡°Ravendus¡± in large letters and below it in considerably smaller letters, ¡°formation workshop¡±. There are six other workshop signs. ¡°This entire building has seven workshops?¡± Inside, the entrance is rather lackluster and there are three things inside. An empty reception desk, there are no items on the desk and there is no chair. Then there are two doors, one normal size door leading to a stairway and one enormous door that leads to heavy duty elevator. The elevator looks rather intimidating so Rak decides the stairs are good enough. ¡°Fourth floor.¡± On the fourth floor stairway is a simple door just like the one below. Hesitating for a moment Rak decides to knock on the door. A moment passes and just as Rak is about to open the door is swings open, making Rak stumble a step. ¡°Hello?¡± Looking up Rak is met with the face of a ink stained person. The ink has managed to hide the person¡¯s age but their eyes are shimmering with curiosity, not dissimilar to Rak¡¯s horses. ¡°Hi, there. I¡¯m here to deliver a letter to Kartofel.¡± ¡°Kartofel! You got a delivery!¡± Shortly another man arrives his face similarly covered in ink smudges only he is discernible in his later forties or early fifties. ¡°This is from Ung? Why is he sending me a letter?¡± ¡°I can answer that. I asked him about magic related jobs and he told me knew a scholar and I took his offer to introduce me. Nice to meet you, I am Abstinence Salvation, you can call be abstinence.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like this. Come in, come in. I am Kartofel Himd. I am a journeyman formation crafter I work here in the Ravendus workshop.¡± After sitting down Kartofel opens the envelope which goes through some pleasantries and asks him to help Rak learn about scholarly jobs. ¡°You haven¡¯t take up any job yet?¡± ¡°Not yet, no.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that makes it easier. There are a few scholarly professions, formation related jobs are mostly supportive jobs, my job is named plate formationist. I draw and engrave formations onto flat surfaces.¡± ¡°Hohhh.¡± Seeing the genuine interest in Rak¡¯s reaction Kartofel smiled and pushes his chest out a little bit, feel a little proud. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much but I do make some useful formations for the shop and we sell them to various stores in the city. This allows us to practice our job and at the same time make enough coin to get by.¡± Feeling fired up Kartofel suddenly feels motivated to show off. ¡°Look at this, this is a recovery formation. It has one use and is a bit of a hassle to activate but it can increase constitution recovery by twenty percent and a flat recovery rate of five.¡± ¡°Oh? How do you use it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy, you have to put it on the ground and then sit on it. After you¡¯ve gotten in position you channel energy into from here and here. After the energy reaches this and this point it activates automatically. It takes about fifteen seconds to activate and lasts for two minutes.¡± The formation has been draw in ink on a large scroll about the size of a poster. On it is a symbol with unknown meaning and then there are two circular points with lines leading into the symbol, these are where people channel energy into the formation. ¡°Are all formations like this?¡± ¡°No no. This is just a consumable formation, there are also reusable formations or smaller formations like talismans but those are far more detailed and difficult to create. There are also large scale formations like the ones all around Trove¡¯s mystic wood, but that is a natural formation and not something made my man.¡± With the subject of formations Kartofel has no issue chatting Rak¡¯s ear off. It''s not until Kartofel¡¯s coworker awkwardly arrives in the break room that he snaps out of it. There are already four different formations on the table, all something Kartofel quickly sketched out for Rak¡¯s benefit. Of course Raks can¡¯t make out how these formations are made but their effect has been curious. From what Kartofel says, most of their income comes from their recovery formations and explosive formation. The explosive formation is one time explosion that can used like dynamite or a even as a something like a landmine. There is also simpler formations that do things like heat or cool a room. In the end of the day formation crafting is one of the support occupations that can become a main profession rather easily. From becoming a spendthrift and wantomly throw out talisman as a form to attack to setting up meticulous formations to guard an area, these things are all possible. ¡°How about other scholarly jobs? Do you have a mage ob as well?¡± ¡°Mmm. I am an Interim mage. I have no specializations at the moment but in the future I¡¯m thinking about going towards nature or light affinity magic.¡± Kartofel has a serious expression as these things have great impact in the future and can¡¯t be taken lightly. It is not possible to directly walk to a light affinity mage and ask for a job advancement quest but practicing light affinity abilities and staying in light affinity areas might trigger a response. ¡°Where did you get your jobs?¡± ¡°I randomly received my formation job after reading a introduction to formations book. Later on when I was studying in the library I suddenly got my mage advancement quest. At that point i was already an Interim plate formationist.¡± ¡°You just received the quest?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t all that helpful but it does match what dad told me. People really do just receive these job quests at random.¡± Seeing Rak¡¯s pensive expression Kartofel sat back in his chair and patiently waited. ¡°Does that mean I should just head to the library and look for some magic books and hope for the best?¡± After a moment Rak came to and focused his gaze on Kartofel again. ¡°Thank you for all the help, Kartofel, I am in your debt.¡± With a cheerful laughter Kartofel shook his head. ¡°What debt? Isn¡¯t it just a conversation? Hows this, if you need any formations in the future you can come buy them from me.¡± ¡°Of course. These formations have opened up my eyes.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Kartofel is genuinely happy to educate people of the greatness of formations, like a nerd sharing his hobby, always happy to find someone to drown with their spit. After some pleasantries Rak is already out on the streets again heading to the library with the intent of searching for magic related books and perhaps browsing some support jobs like a merchant and what variations of the job there are. Chapter seventeen: Library research, a world of possibilities. The trip to the library turned out to not only be without much hassle but rather enjoyable. Unsurprisingly the library is located in the best part of Trove city, very close to the City office main branch, also called the Office. From certain positions it is possible to see the mystic forest, the unique tier one sub-instance in Trove city. ¡°There is money to be made in a city.¡± Being from an absurdly wealthy family, Rak has never worried about spending coin, and now this habit has begun to crumble. Rak¡¯s little complaints would cause people to faint, as Rak has been wantonly spending his coins. A few silver coins is already pretty good for the average person but Rak has spent this amount many times over just to travel a bit faster, sleeping at a random hotel, even if he chose the cheapest room, it wasn¡¯t the cheapest hotel. Not to mention the cost of ¡®storing¡¯ his carriage and horses safely. Now once again Rak is met the obstacle that only wealth, renowned or influence can solve. Promptly Rak is relieved of twenty silver coins for the privilege of a visitors pass. ¡°I can¡¯t take out any books and only allowed to view untiered and tier one books.¡± If Rak¡¯s wealth wasn¡¯t in the several hundred silvers he¡¯d have more of a reaction than just ruefully sigh to himself about what can be considered ¡®astronomical¡¯ amount to the general populace. ¡°And I can only stay til eleven.¡± Time has always been a very accurate thing in Chaos theory, every person can simply check their user interface and glance at the constantly changing number that represent the passing of time. Rak takes a few steps into the library, and just the tier one books are already a bit too many to randomly browse through and the untiered ones don¡¯t even have to mention. After glance back to the librarian whose gaze was filled with contempt for some unknowable reason Rak shook his head and focused on the task at hand. ¡°Worst case, I¡¯ll come back early in the morning.¡± A bit dazed Rak begins by going to the tier one collection of books, a small near indeticable shimmer of light separates the untiered and tier one sections. This is not some grand protection shield but a detection formation that ignores whoever has a the right tier pass, Rak¡¯s visitor pass for tier one and below is exactly that pass. Rak could have just bought the untiered pass as untiered information is very suitable for the the things he wants, after all he¡¯s a jobless person and in that sense untiered himself. After browsing through books at random Rak realizes he won¡¯t get far on his own The other people inside the library all wear tasteful clothing and are clearly of a rather noble disposition, they similarly see the same thing as the librarian at the entrance saw and look at Rak with unhidden disdain. This is the first time Rak meets ¡®wealthy¡¯ people in Chaos theory, or more specially, wealthy people with culture of being wealthy. This is also first time Rak has been on the receiving end of ridicule in terms of status. Outside of people''s attitude Rak takes note of people waving their hands at a floating screens. Unlike interfaces like the common status window, these floating screens are instead clear as daylight. Acting in accordance to his intuition, Rak begins casually walking towards a similar table with a similar apparatus but no screen. At the table is a symbol of a pass, Rak immediately connects the dots and takes out his guest pass and swipes it over the symbol. A small sound rings out and a screen flickers into existence, on are multiple options, most grayed out. But the options to select untired and tier one are white. Selecting both options Rak proceeds to press his finger on what should be the search input box. Upon clicking the box three icons appear, small icons but clear enough to convey their meaning. One is of a traditional keyboard, a microphone and lastly a small cog wheel indicating more options. ¡°What should I enter? Magic? Merchant? Jobs?¡± Even though Rak has show interest in ¡®magic¡¯, he is just as curious to find about other jobs that are out there. Ignoring curiosity, there is also the fear of picking the wrong job only to later find out that something better was available. Unwilling to hesitate for too long Rak shakes his head and types in ¡®job¡¯. The moment he pauses a small window pops up
You used a single letter search. You are searching using default filters and there is no exact match to your search but many partial matches. Alternatively would you like to search by tags? Yes, change the filter to a tag based one - No, continue using current filters.
The search has already returned a list of books that contain the word job in the title. These books can be pertaining to jobs but they might also be completely irrelevant. For example the many ¡®entertainment¡¯ books which are mostly hidden lore have names like ¡®A job for the poor¡¯. Which is an endearing tale, is not in any way related to Rak¡¯s search for a job advancement quest. ¡°I guess tags make sense.¡± Immediately the list filters through the database and returns a new list, many of which still remain. This time Rak is not prompted by a window as the tag ¡®job¡¯ exists and is properly returning a sizeable list. ¡°Over hundred matches.¡± Just going through the titles starting with the letter a is taking some time but not so much that Rak feels overwhelmed. With the intent of casually browsing through the list Rak slowly skims over the title names. ¡°Basic occupation requirements, Untiered job, Wilderness job. And Scholarly pursuits.¡± After selecting each book and pressing a button named ¡®find¡¯ Rak¡¯s map for the library is updated with four new dots, all relatively nearby. Predictably, each dot represents a book Rak just searched for. ¡°Not bad.¡± From Raks current position he is already in range of the book ¡®Untiered job¡¯. Which is the second book he highlighted when skimming through the selection. There are numerous other interesting books but considering time limitation Rak only picked the conservative number of four books. The book is marked on the library map and it glowing slightly, of course only Rak sees this glow but anyone using the search tool will have similar experiences. Touching the book, another message is prompted.
Borrow book: Book cannot be taken out of the library Copy book: Copied book lasts ten days, cannot be shared, cannot be transferred to another person and any attempt to replicate the book will result in an immediate fine and the copy is destroyed. Charged one silver directly. It is possible to retain the copied book for longer than ten days but each additional ten days increase the cost by one silver and must be paid before book is copied. Borrow book - Copy book
¡°Hum.¡± In the future, If Rak¡¯s prestige is high enough within Trove he might be able to buy the book outright. The benefit in this is that the book will no longer be a part of the library. This does not mean every book is unique, but many are. If Rak chances on a book that leads to a hidden job or a valuable quest line, he might want to buy it and sell its content himself over time. Of course books will not simply grant quests at random but also require the person to have fulfilled certain parameters. If Rak knew what the parameters were, through testing over a period of time, he might be able to gain some advantage out of the book. ¡°No point in copying the book right now, first I should gather the other three books and find a place to sit.¡± There are more private rooms within the library but these are restricted to tier one passes, Rak¡¯s pass is only a guest pass, and even though it is a tier one guest pass it still has limitations. Some things can be bought with coin and others require reputation, astounding person power or ample influence. After gathering the book Rak begins reading Scholarly pursuits. This is one of two tier one books, the other being Wilderness job. ¡°The name of the righteous man does not need echoing.¡± Scratching his Rak is trying to understand the first line in the book. It is seperate from the text on the page and it stands out in bolded letters. ¡°We all seek knowledge. A butcher seeks knowledge, a gardener seeks knowledge, the homeless man seeks knowledge, the thief and even the killer seeks knowledge.¡± As expected of a book on scholars it reeks of pretentiousness. Of course this pretentiousness might spark the flame of enlightenment with those that resonate with the scholarly arts. ¡°All knowledge has its place, and all knowledge can be used by the scholar with a righteous heart. Wielding wisdom of the butcher to tend the garden. To slay the beasts with the wisdom of the violinist. This is the way of the scholar.¡± As Rak continues to read he can¡¯t help but feel a bit disappointed, this wasn¡¯t at all what he was looking for. After over ten pages of what Rak would call failed poetry, he puts the book down and takes up the other tier one book, Wilderness job. ¡°Dad said he found a Survivalist job, maybe I can also become a survivalist?¡± In the end, Rak, and everyone else, know to little of the options available to them. It is not rare that people take on the first job they find and it is instead a very common thing. There are benefits to quickly finding a job, but there can also be benefits in slowly bettering yourself and finding a suitable or powerful job. Rak¡¯s current clarity amounts to a total of seven hundred fifty eight. In general, seven hundred is the threshold people reach naturally and that is exactly the threshold most generic jobs require. With the required clarity, seeing as it is traditionally slowest to grow, other attributes should have already met their marks and can be ignored in most cases. The last piece of the puzzle now comes up to blind luck, careful research or dedicated effort. For example, Rak has met the requirement to become a drunk. This occurred due to his alcohol poisoning event where he eventually succumbed and died. If Rak were to take up a brewer or perhaps stumble onto some brewing literature or similar lore, he might be able to get a quest for the hidden brewer job of a drunk. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. In the case of a drunk he¡¯d gain experience and nutrients through alcoholic drinks to mention a few. It would still be a support occupation of a brewer but one that had a special passive ability to slowly strengthen his attributes through drinking. Such jobs can also come with downsides but they can also come without perceived downsides. One downside of a drunk could be the exuberant cost, the effect of being inebriated often, not drinking might lead to deficits and so on. But it might also give the person immunity to such things and even a way to accumulate alcohol in a convenient way. ¡°Patience is said to be a virtue. But it can also be a sin. A veteran hunter may stalk his prey for days and never catch it. To survive in the wilderness, one needs to understand what surviving means.¡± Rak tapped his finger on the paper, it is course and not like the machine made paper he can be considered used to, ignoring that Rak hasn¡¯t been around paper a lot. The paper has a faded look to it and doesn¡¯t have one uniform color but a variation of a light, faded yellow. ¡°Can you sleep? Can you eat? Can you drink? These are the three core concepts of survival. In that exact order. The first part one has to understand about the wilderness, is that it is wild and will not bow demons, saints, beasts or man.¡± Again Rak feels that these stories share a similarity of being a bit heavy to digest. It''s not that the words are complex only that they seem to lack any proper purpose as its him listening on a conversation that¡¯s not directed at him. After flipping through the book and reading a few paragraphs here and there Rak puts the book down. ¡°Maybe I should have just picked up a merchant book, seems that¡¯s my destiny.¡± Rak¡¯s eyes rest on the two remaining books, Untired job and Basic occupation requirements. These books are considerably smaller and look like new in comparison to the other two books. Rak picks up Basic occupation requirements and flips through the pages, unlike the two other books there are a lot of numbers alongside paragraphs of text. Before reading Basic occupation requirements, Rak flips through Untired job. The book also strays from the other two books but rather than a bunch of numbers like Basic occupation requirements, it has a collections of names that is followed up by a few paragraphs. ¡°I wonder if dad knows about this.¡± Remembering his discussion with his father, Abalon Devion, Rak thought to the few job names he had heard of. It ranged from normal support jobs like tailoring, which is somewhat related to herbalism as it requires the gathering of certain plants to create the fibres for twin and so on. Then there are more combat centric jobs, which seem to be in the majority. Things like a generic warrior, a hunter, of course survivalist which Abalon himself discovered. There is also the case of a swordsman, who is supposedly a variation on the warrior class. In this case the person was already a sword practitioner and sought out to fight with swords in Chaos theory. The case of this swordsman is a good one, this person randomly killed things with his sword and trained incessantly. In chaos theory he only had to worry about fatigue, food and drink was not an issue since he sold his first hunt. At one point, Chaos theory either decided or the man himself had simply fulfilled the requirements for a swordsman job so he was granted it. This was to the point he only had to accept the quest and then the job. Once he accepted, his level was set back to zero. Comically he only gained one ability and the rest he¡¯ll have to train at a swordsman, find old scrolls or be directly awarded them through a Chaos theory quest as a reward. Usually the quest would be given and returned to an individual who would then train said person for a few days to until they learn all the ¡®beginner¡¯ skills the job comes with. Leaping over this step has its disadvantages. ¡°The most basic requirements to be eligible for an untired job.¡± Rak has already put down Untiered job book and is reading Basic occupation requirements, occupation being a popular synonym with the official title job. ¡°Is to have over five hundred accumulated levels in constitution, a fatigue level of four hundred, stamina level of four hundred and finally seven hundred clarity levels.¡± Here the term level is used to replace points. This is because the actual points are hidden behind the generic statuses. Clarity might seem like an entity of its own but is like stamina, constitutions, hunger and fatigue. They are a conglomeration of various hidden attributes and some overlap. Constitution and stamina is perhaps the easiest one to imagine having overlapping attributes, similarly stamina and constitution seem to be of the same vein. The points themselves are nearly arbitrary when comparing for example seven hundred points in clarity with five hundred in constitution and means practically nothing. ¡°There are however cases where having the ¡®general¡¯ requirements and still not being eligible for an occupation, this is a case where hidden attributes are unbalanced and do not reach the requirements.¡± As Rak flips through the book it goes on to explain that some jobs edge on the extreme, and more often than not this extreme is hidden. The less hidden cases are there ones where an untiered job requires up to seven hundred constitution and still only seven hundred clarity. In such cases it is still clear what the requirement is, but in cases where two people with the same attribute and yet only one of them is eligible is the difference in hidden attributes. This is assuming they meet other ¡®abrir early¡¯ achievements Chaos theory has set up. ¡°Seems pretty straight forward when you get a little understanding of it.¡± After reading the requirements for some generic jobs, hunter included, which incidentally is the generic archetype of the job survivalist, trapper, tracker. While an archer is the generic archetype for something like sharpshooter or more mysterious, elemental archers and so on. Reading the book also alleviated some feelings of ¡®fear of missing out¡¯ Rak has been having. While picking an archer might seem dull in comparison to a sharpshooter or whatever variations of the archer job there is, the book mentions that is common-place to ¡®evolve¡¯ into these jobs later. Evolve being the unofficial word for the official term Chaos theory uses, transitioning. ¡°It definitely seems targetable. Just analyzing the abilities of a job will probably allow me to guess some requirements.¡± At this point Rak already whipped out some rough looking paper and a pencil from his inventory, something he had picked up on Alp town when he had began to plan his brewery. ¡°A sharpshooter probably needs a person to take slow long ranged shots over some period of time.¡± Jotting down some of his thoughts Rak continually referred to the book and tried to extrapolate some general requirements for the ¡®variation¡¯ jobs. The generic jobs were easier than expected, some even mentioning the small tasks needed be eligible for a job quest. Things like shooting arrows as an archer, it was common sense things, but confirming them is still valuable. One of the more interesting variations Rak came across, as most were rather generic, is a Tamer variation that became a Rider. Unlike the generic ability, riding, a Rider heavily complements a warrior capable of attacking while on horseback. It doesn''t mention it in the book but there is indeed already a job variation of a warrior, a second tier job, that will also do this, only better. When transitioning into a Mounted knight, the person in question is recommended very straightforwardly to take up taming and then becoming a ¡®Rider¡¯ due to its compatibility. Higher tier jobs often have some dependencies on support occupations but they are never required, only lacking without them. This is exactly why they are called support jobs, as they are exactly that, support to the main job. When talking about a support job exceeding the main job, this is when the support job receives benefits from a support job. Some support jobs might become equivalent of a main job without a another job supporting it but in the eyes of normal people, this makes it a main job. Chaos theory itself has none of these classifications, and this is merely people trying to understand and explain such occurrences. ¡°A mage is actually just an affinity for an element. And that element can mundane things like swords.¡± After reading both books in their entirety Rak already understands that there is no ¡®mage class¡¯ and that any mage class is a job that excels in a type of energy manipulation. The book doesn¡¯t go into details but it does mention that any job requires energy that manipulates items. The mage class archetype is called Manipulator, its distinctive quality is focusing on transfering energy to something and then manipulating that item, thing or element. This manipulated thing is then controllable without the Manipulator directly being in contact with it. The differences in non-manipulation jobs, is that they directly come in contact with items, elements or objects and said thing remains in physical contact with them. This does not exclude these jobs from swininging a weapon and releasing burst of sword energies as a means to attack, only that this attack would not be manipulated further after being released. One of the reasons why Manipulator archetypes are rare as an untiered job is because it is counter intuitive to attempt to control an item with energy alone. Anyone swinging sword will naturally infuse the sword with energy, even if they don¡¯t know how to actually utilize it. Similarly, in case of various harvesting events, people naturally infused whatever they are harvesting with their energy, only it will most likely be neutral and do nothing. In the cases that they randomly exert this energy, they will probably do more harm than good. Only in a trained hand does it become a boon. The Manipulator job is also one the jobs that require five hundred levels in constitution but in an unbalanced way, making it even more rare than it does naturally. Constitution being the conglomeration of all physical attributes. One in this case being a higher number of energy points which are something similar to a person¡¯s blood. Just like a person¡¯s blood, energy can be enriched, increased in quantity and then concentrated to increase its quality. Blood and energy still differ in some ways, but in the earliest stages they are practically identical in growth. ¡°In the end I just have to practice energy manipulation.¡± Watching is hands solomely for a few moments Rak let out a sigh, he didn¡¯t feel any energy and none of this made any sense. All he felt was a bit of goosebumps and a chill run down his spine. ¡°I should just look for books on energy manipulation then.¡± While reading the Untiered job book Rak found out what a ¡®merchant¡¯ is. In general it a job that emphasizes charm. It uses speech and casual movements to conjure an impression in targets. Outside of this it, like all other jobs, has specific abilities created by the Chaos theory system that are ¡®additions¡¯ in some sense. It is only in a sense because not everyone can make a distinction between ¡®their¡¯ ability and the ¡®Chaos theory¡¯ ability. Some abilities are easy to make out, like a discounted sales tax within cities on large purchases, the ability to buy things only certain people and merchant-esqu jobs can. These are obviously not personal abilities. But there are also plenty of abilities that may seem like their own but is only partially theirs, the rest in Chaos theory supplementing. After thinking things through, Rak didn¡¯t feel that a merchant was below him anywhere, after all it was just a type of ¡®energy manipulation¡¯ like the books described. With this in mind Rak searched for both merchant books and then energy manipulation books. Not all support jobs have strong benefits to main jobs, and jobs like a merchant might seem like one of the most distinct ¡®not a good support job¡¯ for a combat profession. And that is only true if they ignore the monetary requirements for personal growth. A poor person will not become strong fast, unless their luck is astronomical and they randomly find items suitable for their growth. By the time Rak returned the four books and he found three more, it is already somewhat late and its is clear he¡¯ll not be able to read through even a few chapters before the library closes. So Rak decided to copy the books. He didn¡¯t want to return here tomorrow as he urgently wants to find a job advancement quest. This feeling of urgency is something Rak hasn¡¯t felt in years, a type of excitement that rivals creating his business. Thought it can¡¯t quite reach those lofty heights it does have the semblance to it. Once outside and thinking about tomorrow, Rak was hit the feeling of hunger. And as the sensation hit him, it hit him hard, hard enough that Rak couldn¡¯t help but check his status.
Character
Status
Constitution:67/100%
Fatigue: 68/100%
Hunger: 11/100%
Clarity: 49/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
The fatigue seemed relatively normal, perhaps a bit spent considering he started the day with eighty percent, but not unreasonable. It is however odd that Rak¡¯s constitution has hit sixty seven percent and his clarity hanging on at around forty nine. Hopefully food will remedy this situations, otherwise Rak might have caught some illness and that would require professional help. Rak fished up some dried snacks, their taste is still alright but they aren¡¯t filling. This type of snack is long lasting but only temporarily subdues the feeling of hunger and delays its decay. ¡°First I¡¯ll find a place to eat.¡± As Rak had already stored his carriage and horses away he casually walked about and glanced at the restaurants. This part of town is considered the next most expensive, rivaled only by the mansions owned by the top few people in the City. the high positioned officials and people who own larger businesses. Strolling about Rak noticed that the City office main branch was still open for business and after some thought he decided he should probably get some information about prominent Manipulator¡¯s in the city. If by chance he could get in touch with them, perhaps he could get them to train him like Alley did. When he thought to this point he suddenly remembered his deal with Alley, that shifty hunter. At the beginning of his journey to Trove he expected her to pop up out of nowhere and scold him for not training diligently. None of that happened and he slowly let it slip his mind. ¡°Where the hell did she go?¡± The advanced hunter Alley has her own aspirations and goals. Rak¡¯s gold infusion gave her the means to accomplish some minor things in preparation for something she had been planning for a long time. After her tussle with Rak in the bed she solidified her understanding of Rak, both physically and mentally and decided it would be for the best to guide Rak in a different direction. With Rak no having hunting experience, not really practicing archery or any of the optional requirements for a hunter job advancement quest, it became difficult for him to proceed alone. And like everyone his thoughts were fluid, slowly he lost interest in a hunter¡¯s occupation and the recent books he read cemented this mind set. ¡°If I don¡¯t become a hunter I save three gold. As for the other costs, I can only assume she¡¯ll take full advantage of it and I¡¯ll have to consider it forfeit.¡± Rak was right in this, Alley indeed allocated everything, except for the hunter completion part of her contract with Rak. People might look at Alley and see a helpful person but she entirely exploited Rak for a large sum of coin. In no world was all that gold worth her tutoring. Perhaps if Rak could keep her training bow, it might instead be Rak who made a profit. The bow itself contains invaluable training method for increasing constitution, clarity and even fatigue if viewed from a certain point of view. In addition to this, Rak was allowed sleep on a high end bedroom, and drink a valuable concoction Alley herself made. Of course Alley didn¡¯t put a price on the concoction but through inspecting the materials and the act of creating them, it is possible to estimate its value. ¡°How could I forget about Arlina. Isn¡¯t she here in Trove with her son? I should also try and find out about some alchemists.¡± After dealing with Trove¡¯s City office Rak bought information costing him twenty silver coins. Four new dots were littering his map. All of which in areas he hasn¡¯t travelled to yet. Thankfully all of them are in the north-western area. It is already dark outside but the streets are illuminated by either electricity or some magical constructs. These are far more impressive than the common products Rak encountered his first night in the city. Then he had little mind to pay attention to it, but now he can¡¯t help but to admire it a bit. Magical contraptions for mundane things are nothing new, only they are nondescript and commonplace. Lighting up a room is nothing magical and majority of people wouldn¡¯t flinch at the sight of streetlights. However it might change people perspective that electricity is considered a ¡®subpar¡¯ source of power. Just like people wouldn¡¯t imagine using a fire and a candle to light up a room, using electricity is similarly an absurd idea. Of course there is room for ¡®strange¡ä things in solemn affairs like religions ceremonies, but that is not the norm. In the Untiered book, Rak saw many jobs he couldn¡¯t conceptualize. Things like an Electrician seemed a bit strange. It was like seeing a plumber being a job. But an Electrician is a subset of a Witch, which in turn is a subset of a Manipulator and heavily relies of support jobs like formation crafting and the like. Rak¡¯s thoughts were mostly on the various jobs, it was all a bit overwhelming and the potential of it all left him very excited. It was to the point Rak wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to pursue anymore. Who knows, Rak might stumble onto some job prospect and just run with it. He might also slowly digest all the information at hand and make a well informed decision. But in the end, there is no harm in practicing untiered job methods without taking the job. Rak can stroll into the nearest specialty store and buy tools to practice woodworking, flower grafting, glass runes or traditional formation crafting just like he could go and train archery, swordsmanship or whatever springs to mind. One of the things that Interest Rak was the inverse of a Manipulator. A person that focuses on internal energy manipulation. This practice can evolve into things like shape shifting or druid like abilities that alter the body into that on animal. It is possible to practice both, but spreading focus in both directions will cause one to reach neither apex. There are always exceptions and it is important to understand that few things in life are absolute and so are there few absolutes in Chaos theory, in fact, it is possible to say that there are fewer absolutes. Chapter eighteen: Level 0 Manipulator ¡°Get the fuck out of the way.¡± Rak is currently daydreaming, staring blankly into the midnight carriage traffic. He was on his way to a random hotel for the night when the sudden shouting shook him out of his reverie. ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Four very well dressed men and three exquisite women were all staring at Rak with disdain, except for one person who is entirely disinterested but still paying attention to the situation. ¡°Get out of the way, you vagrant.¡± In his time, Rak has had to deal with numerous rich and arrogant people, especially since he wanted to strike out on his own. Certain things require personal attention and so Rak attended numerous social gatherings. Considering Rak¡¯s age, these gathering usually meant people were a few years older than him, making Rak look out of place. In addition to this, Rak did not make his Devion background obvious and instead tried to look like a ¡®nobody¡¯. In an atmosphere where people¡¯s worth, especially the younger generation, were tied to their family standing, Rak was mocked relentlessly and put down often. This gave Rak certain abilities to not only retaliate but also to endure, in some ways it made him more mature. As mature as a young man like him could be. ¡°Ah, to think even dogs are allowed out on a night like this.¡± Rak held his rather distant gaze, as if he were lost in the bustle of city. But his words caused the rather handsome man to fume in anger. Very few people can match up to the young master of the paper business. Paper is required in a lot of things and this young person¡¯s family has a light monopoly within three cities, hampter, Trove and Withering. They also have roots stretching further than that but they can only be said to be expanding outside these three cities. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Seething with anger, the previously mocking tone has become one of genuine anger. Who knows what gave Rak the courage to speak the words he did earlier. ¡°You can hear it still the howls of a mad dog.¡± Rak¡¯s words caused the three girls and even one of the guys to let out a small laugh. This small laugh of theirs caused the young master to flush red with humiliation and anger. If it wasn¡¯t for Rak¡¯s sudden atmosphere, this person might have directly attacked Rak. ¡°Who are you!?¡± Finally Rak¡¯s gaze moved away from the bustling streets, Rak glanced at the group of second, third or whatever generation rich people and then directly ignored them. What Rak learned over some conflicts in real time is that often ignoring these ¡®important¡¯ people gave the best results. Sure enough Rak¡¯s aloof attitude didn¡¯t only garner even more hate from the young paper empire heir but also the respect of the other little heirs. Rak¡äs air of mystery stayed with him as Rak slowly walked away. In truth, Rak wasn¡¯t really in the way, only that they were seven people and they were walking side by side. They took up most of the street and everyone would walk to the sides or even directly move into the road, and yet Rak had stood there in a daze, ¡®blocking¡¯ their way. ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°Who cares who it was!¡± The young paper heir let an indignant shout, but to his dismay his companions gave him an annoyed glance. This little paper heir could throw his status around other people but not them, if anything he was just average among them. Rak didn¡¯t look back and kept walking without looking back. It would be a lie to say that Rak didn¡¯t enjoy that moment, if anything Rak exclusively attended those high ranking social events to throw peoples faces. That being said, he only attended them when he was forced to, due to that he developed this hobby of throwing other people''s face. It might be hard to see this side of Rak knowing his exploits in Chaos theory, even just speaking to him in real life one wouldn¡¯t connect these things to him. But if one looked way back, back to Abalon Devions days, one would see a very spirited Abalon meticulously ¡®insulting¡¯ the high born. One has to know that during those days the Devion family was on a long sliding path and nearly becoming destitute. In those days Abalon had to endure quite a bit of abuse before finally returning the family to its former glory. This was another way which the two father and son were alike. Only one of Rak¡¯s sisters had a similar spirit and every other sibling leaned more to their administrative mother. Rak did some thinking as he slowly explored the beautiful city scenery, eventually casually finding a hotel. The price was twenty five silver for the night, if not for Rak¡¯s pride and knowing he¡¯d have to waste time finding a cheaper hotel, Rak wouldn''t have been willing to pay the price. The good thing was that Rak had eighty five percent fatigue value when he woke up and the breakfast food was even a step above the other middle tier hotel he slept in the first night in the city. Rak¡¯s first destination after eating at the hotel was the alchemist place city offices directed him to. In reality, the city office has over six alchemist workshop on its register, but only this workshop is low enough on the totem pole that a non-citizen like Rak can request information on them. There are still unregistered workshops that City offices don¡¯t know about. This time Rak was forced to once again to pay for his horse and carriage. This cost never seemed to end, fortunately Rak found a place cheaper than the hotel''s parking lot, not unsurprising since the quality of the neighbourhood was just below average, not even comparing to the hotel he stayed the first night. ¡°Clever dust.¡¯ Similar to the formation workshop Rak visited yesterday, this alchemist workshop was on a single floor of a multistorey building. The inside were also multitudes larger than the outside would have indicated. It was still not too large for a workshop but adequate. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Rak made his way to the seventh floor and was greeted by a very unnerved young man. Everything from the tips of his hair to his shoes was covered in various chemicals and dust. Like the formation workshop they had no secretary as they didn¡¯t really interface with customers and only supplied various specialty shops with products to sell. ¡°I was only stopping by, did a woman and boy come here recently for a apprenticeship? Family name Medin.¡± After a very nervous and uncertain response, Rak could only shrug his shoulders and move on. Rak didn¡¯t know which alchemist the Medin mother and son went to, and was only trying his luck. It is good that all of Rak¡¯s destinations except for one are in the north-west districts. They aren¡¯t too close together but still close enough that Rak can casually stroll to them, even if it takes a few hours, it is only comparable to a busy day in Alp town. The other two ¡®nearby¡¯ places were two manipulator places. These places are not workshops and more like combat training areas. Manipulators are recognized as ranged fighters just like archery and they take up mercenary type work. Most commonly these types of places act as personal guards or escort merchants. There is an organization that deals with these sorts of places, the one in Trove is called All or nothin¡¯ and they deal with miscellaneous fighting jobs. Similar to a tourist conglomerate they deal with many individual groups and set them up together. To put it plainly, they talk to manipulators, archers, warriors or whoever relevant to the quest and gather them for the clients. These are strictly middle men and also act as information hubs due to their pressing needs to be in contact with every relevant organization. Soon Rak is is outside a Manipulator training yard. Exactly like the workshop he has visited they are holed in a multistory building. This place is far smaller in comparison and a lot cleaner as well. ¡°A thought and motion.¡± Rak casually made his way up the third floor and walked into the training area. There are seven rooms in total but Rak entered from the stairway into the largest room. This room is empty aside from various items stacked on racks. There are four people fiddling with small items, one of which is making it float. The item is swirling in a circle. The other tree are sitting down with closed eyes, their items in the palm of one of their hands. ¡°Hello.¡± The four people are deeply concentrating and even the door opening and closing didn¡¯t distract them. Rak¡¯s voice similarly has no effect. ¡°So this is a Manipulator?¡± Due to Rak¡¯s being not only a non-citizen but having zero renown and even being without a job, he can only request information on unranked places like this. The people here are not strong and can only be considered novice Manipulators, save for their leader who is an Advance Manipulator. In truth these four people all heard Rak talking to them but they also all assumed that this was a test of their concentration, as such they all ignore Rak as he circles around them with a pensive gaze. Some of the item begin to hover in the air before abruptly falling down. Some manage to rotate slowly or move up and down. There are numerous targets on near the end of the wall but no one is actually using them to train at the moment. In the room are numerous wood circles hanging from the roof, all tied to a string. Each has a colored mark on them and a number. These are used to guide item through as to train their basic Manipulator ability. In the case of the hanging circles, it is a practice in maneuverability rather than precision or stamina, though it does benefit these two. After getting bored of what some would think was some sort of street magic, Rak turned his gaze towards the walls. The walls depict various images of a person shifting energy about wantonly. Their items range from chaotic fires, small knives, a large spear and even another person. Though this person might be an autonomous puppet or the like. The most eye catching, in Rak¡¯s mind is the person standing on a flat circle hovering slightly above a pond. ¡°It¡¯s possible to fly?¡± There are six doors in this open training area but without being invited, Rak refrains from exploring them and eventually goes to pick up one of the small training objects. These objects are on small shelves in one of the corners, there is also a table and twelve chairs surrounding it.
Stone
This normal stone has been alchemically enhanced by a novice alchemist
¡°Alchemically enhanced?¡± The description doesn¡¯t explain it, but these stones are used by novice alchemist to train their basic abilities and in turn they are sold to Manipulators. The stones have higher than normal durability and have been made decent receptors for energy. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Holding the stone in hand Rak can already feel a sensation similar to cold but still somehow unfamiliar and foreign. ¡°Strange.¡± On the table are numerous books, all copies of the same two books. They can be said to be pamphlets rather than books. One is Clever dust¡¯s rulebook and the other is beginners guide to transferring energy into an object and then exerting the energy from within the object. After picking up one and seeing is a rulebook Rak was about to open it up but then the words ¡®Manipulating: Novice¡¯, forced Rak to pick it up instead. ¡°Is this considered stealing?¡± Looking at the four people training monotonously Rak steels his mind and opens the thin book. Instead of paragraphs of text there are images, in the same style as those that are on the wall. The energy is depicted as something like wind or water. ¡°This doesn¡¯t explain much.¡± Just like breathing or moving your limbs, manipulating your own energy is an innate ability of all living beings. If one was pressed to explain how to move your legs, it would most likely be in a similar way as this picture book. ¡°From what this book shows, energy is everywhere in the body and is constantly but slowly moving.¡± The few words in the book explain that the beginning stages of manipulating energy is similar to practicing breathing. That energy can move in slow stream like a slow breath or like a burst, even going so far as to depict a person sneezing. As for how to actually manipulate an item once its been infused with energy, it recommends imaging their entire body move rather than moving the infused item. Supposedly this will trick yourself into moving the object and give you a better sense of it. The four people training out on the floor are all sitting still and are past this initial phase of connecting with external energy. Closing the book Rak picks up one of the smaller stones and attempts to channel his energy into it. The sensation similar to cold only not cold returns and only when it stops does Rak begin attempting to manipulate the stone. In the book this is exactly the process he should begin doing and is considered trivial to do. Only the next part can be like standing on clear ice and wondering why you aren¡¯t falling into the water below. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Few minutes passed and Rak felt impatient already. This type of impatience is exactly why Alley thought Rak wouldn¡¯t be a good fit as a hunter. Rak is experience a feeling similar to a paralyzed person attempting to move, all effort feeling futile. Rak peered his eyes open and looked at the group of four still training and let out a sigh. At this point Rak was sure he had infused the stone with ¡®his¡¯ energy and he could vaguely feel that indeed this little stone was like one of his fingers. In some ways using this energy is like moving a muscle that is usually not moved. Some people can wiggle their ears and noses. Some can elaborately move their eyebrows or move their pectoral muscles, all these things are something they are innately capable of doing but not everyone else can do them. Half an hour went by at a very slow pace, Rak attempted to get the four people¡¯s attention a every few minutes but never got a response. At this point Rak was certain he was doing something wrong or that he didn¡¯t have talent for manipulating energy. A very slow and painfully boring hour went past and Rak was bout to call it quits and visit the other Manipulator training facility to try his luck there instead. At that point Rak felt a movement, very subtle, so subtle he wasn¡¯t sure anything had actually happened. Rak¡¯s log illuminated the issue.
Unlocked Novice energy manipulation
Unlike Novice horse rider, Novice energy manipulation is something everyone innately possess and just requires a bit of effort to unveil.
Character
Status
Abilities
Active
Passive
Basic stamina
Novice horse rider
Novice horse carriage driver
Novice energy manipulation
Increases base energy by: 71 points Increases energy recovery by: 0.2%
Inventory
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Confirming the ability was there Rak begins trying again, this time the little stone immediately begins gently wiggling. The existence of the stone feels a lot clearer now, so clear he feels the energy being used up with every tiny wiggle. As the stone is directly in contact with Rak the feeling of foreign coldness returns, infusing the stone once again. The draining feeling is Rak¡¯s energy being used up, with every exertion on the stone¡¯s energy, both the stone¡¯s and Rak¡¯s energy dissipates slightly. This can now be viewed directly through the status window.
Character
Status
Constitution: 91/100%
Fatigue: 85/100%
Hunger: 70/100%
Clarity: 89/100%
Stamina: 99/100%
Energy: 99/100%
Abilities
Inventory
Just below stamina, energy has now appeared. This energy bar would similarly appear if Rak unlocked any ability that requires repeated or sustained use of energy. Currently energy is practically the twin of stamina and acts in the same way. Any use of energy drains the percentage and once not draining it immediately begins recharging. And Just like stamina, if Rak continually uses his energy it will begin draining it at a faster pace. Right now Rak cannot realistically waste all his energy as he cannot do the energy equivalent of jogging so the base energy regeneration covers the little he does use.
Energy increased by 3 points Novice energy manipulation increased slightly
After a few minutes Rak has already gotten a new log entries, however Rak has little knowledge of what they mean, but just seeing solid progress being made makes him feel like he¡¯s accomplishing something. ¡°With this I should just need to trigger an advancement quest.¡± Having already read up on a few job requirements, and already knowing that Manipulators are a base archetype, all of which follow a similar pattern, he should be qualified for the job. ¡°Do I have to go shake those guys awake?¡± Feeling bored and impatient again Rak turns his eyes towards the Clever dust rulebook. ¡°Ah. So it¡¯s training?¡± The mystery of the concentrated trainees has been lifted. As it turns out, these four are scheduled to train and according to the rules they cannot be distracted no matter who calls out for them. Glancing at the time Rak feels uplifted as their training should come to an end in less than ten minutes. ¡°Hmm.¡± Reading further Rak finds that this place charges twenty five silvers a month for membership. With so few members it cannot cover the cost of the rent but the owner already inherited this apartment from their family so he is only losing potential profits of renting the place out instead. The main reason to join a training facility like Clever dust isn¡¯t just to get access to guidance and training equipment but also to take up jobs Manipulators might do. The Clever dust Training facility is paid and they give their members payment, after taking their cut. This arrangement is common for most workshops or training facility like this one. Now the Manipulators in this training facility have about the combat prowess of a skilled archer but their range is shorter. This lacking range can be made up for with flexibility and attack rate. What they are currently training in is their baseline energy consumption. Just like running every day increases a person¡¯s stamina, they are similarly continuously using their energy through manipulating small objects. This means making it hover in addition to rotating it or making move up and down, all to increase their energy expenditure. At some point they will no longer lose energy as continued practice not only strengthens their total energy pool, their energy recovery rate but also lowers amount of energy the actions are costing them. Just like breathing isn¡¯t a cumbersome thing, later these sorts of small scale manipulating will become trivial and perhaps even unconscious. The work these Manipulators get are usually as guards for some gatherers, this is only possible because of the Mystic forest in Trove city. Manipulators are very good at defending people at their current levels as they can do so from afar. Many creatures, plants, beasts or humanoids often use ambushes to attack people and this is why Manipulators who are one of few jobs that can use a force-field like defensive barrier are popular. Of course strong fighters are always welcomed no matter what their abilities are. Seeing as the rulebook was only a few pages Rak finished reading it in less than three minutes so he picked up the small stone again and began wiggling it about. This time he didn¡¯t close his eyes and just watched it make these small tremor like movements. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to useful.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for that Rak already read up on some of Manipulator abilities he might have given up on this venture completely. The stone stopped moving and Rak looked up, he heard one of the doors open up. A man with hair down to his chin just stepped into a room and immediately noticed Rak. ¡°This must be the leader.¡± ¡°Oh? Whose this friend?¡± The four people training shook, the man glanced at them and let out a snort. According to the rules he¡¯d fine them a few silvers if they stopped training or punish them in some other way. ¡°Good to meet you, I am Abstinence, I came to visit your Clever dust studios.¡± ¡°Good to meet you, I''m the owner of this little place, Holden Fartherer.¡± Fartherer is Holden¡¯s family name and they are a little family that have always trained as Manipulators. Currently his father and mother are somewhere unknown within the Endless mountain range. Holden glances at the two books on the table before turning back to Rak. ¡°Are you planning to join our studio? Are you a Manipulator?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Manipulator I¡¯m interested in becoming one.¡± Taking on a pensive expression Holden notices that Rak is holding onto a small stone. ¡°Have you unlocked Novice energy manipulation?¡± Rak only nods and demonstrates the small stone shaking in his hand. ¡°Then this is easy, will you join the studio as well? You don¡¯t have any other job, right? What level are you?¡± At level ten Rak¡¯s experience seemed to come to a crawl, even if he got experience for simple things like eating better food, riding his carriage, exploring the city and so on. This is because level ten is a pivotal point and it is expected people take up a job of some sort. ¡°I don¡¯t mind joining the studio, I got no other job and I¡¯m level ten at the moment.¡± ¡°Good, good, good.¡± Suddenly Holden begins waving his hand in the air, presumably navigating some sort of system interface. When finally pushes his open palm towards Rak, Rak is prompted by a familiar looking holographic screen.
Holden Fartherer has invited Abstinence Absolution to join Clever dust. Cost: 25 silver. Accept | Decline
Rak immediately accepts and is prompted up by another window.
Abstinence Absolution has joined Clever dust Experience: 55
Before Rak became level ten, this amount of experience would have been alright but right it is a drop in the bucket. ¡°Alright, good. Welcome to Clever dust Abstinence.¡± ¡°You can call me Abs, and thank you.¡± Seeing Rak¡¯s expression Holden lets out a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll deal with your advancement quest issue in a few moments.¡± Feeling relieved Rak finally relaxed in the chair. The four people training finally stood up and were walking towards Holden and Rak. ¡°Teacher!¡± One of the members let out a low shout and nodded their head towards Holden. ¡°Good job everyone. Today we are lucky we have to quests. Darv and Olenia, you form a team. Forth and Keiming form the other.¡± Once again Holden begins waving his hands wantonly. Before long all the members are gazing into the middle distance inspecting their new quest. ¡°Alright, greet the newest member, Abstinence.¡± ¡°Hello everyone.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey¡± Soon all members have expressed their greeting and quickly excuse themselves into one of the rooms to prepare for the quest. ¡°Now your advancement quest. Just follow my movements and commands.¡± Holden has pulled out a chair and a fished out a small stone from his own inventory. ¡°I can see you¡¯ve already infused this stone but lets do it again. Here take this one.¡± Just as Rak reaches out and picks up the stone from Holden¡¯s hands, Rak is prompted by an alert.
Holden¡¯s guidance Follow Holden¡¯s instructions Rewards: Qualification to become a Manipulator. Experience: 150
¡°Have you gotten a quest?¡± Seeing Rak¡¯s expression Holden assumes his actions have resulted in a quest. As a Manipulator himself and an instructor it is not strange that he knows the processes inside and out. Seeing Rak nod, Holden continues. ¡°Alright slowly, as slow as you can, let your energy flow into the stone.¡± Rak¡¯s are staring at the small stone in his hand and as it fills up Holden speaks up again. ¡°Alright, now try to lift up the stone as if was the tip of your finger.¡± No movement can be seen, it doesn¡¯t even tremble lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this takes a bit of time.¡± As the words stop the stone hovers a centimeter above Rak¡¯s palm. ¡°Huh?¡± Feeling a bit shocked, Holden wasn¡¯t expecting Rak to so quickly lift up the stone. ¡°Seems you¡¯ve got some talent for this. Alright that¡¯s enough let it fall back down.¡± Just as Rak lifts the stone up he also has to ¡®let go¡¯ off it. It is something like relaxing a muscle or letting your hand drop down after raising it.
Holden¡¯s guidance guidance completed You receive: 150 experience You receive: Manipulator qualifications.
¡°If you got the qualifications already go ahead and use it.¡±
Manipulator qualifications Use: become a Manipulator.
Rak immediately uses it.
Are you sure you want to become a Manipulator? Yes | No
You have become a Manipulator You are no longer an untiered level 10 and have now become level 0 Manipulator.
Holden has a interface up and on his Clever dust register Rak¡¯s name appears as ¡°Abstinence Absolution: Level 0 Manipulator [Novice]¡± There are also a few other Manipulators all of which have support occupations as well. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Would you like to learn your novice abilities?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be ten silver for each ability. A total of thirty silver.¡± Rak has no hesitation and hands over the silver. Holden fishes out three pamphlets, each two to five pages. All images and one or two sentences below. ¡°Read these until you¡¯ve grasped the abilities and then return them to me.¡± Holden rises from his seat and walks back to the room he came from earlier. Rak is already reading the book with great interest. The first one is called Novice Manipulator: Basic circulation. It depicts a way to move energy in the body. After copying the book Rak is prompted by a familiar alert.
Basic energy circulation
Passively recover 13 energy Can increase base energy by 3 Can increase base energy regeneration by 0.2%
Rak¡¯s connection with his energy has increased and he can now feel it slowly move according to the images in the book. If Rak doesn¡¯t actively stop it from flowing it will continue its cycle. If Rak concentrated on circulation his energy he can increases its speed slightly. Rak¡¯s previous energy regeneration was at thirty nine and has now risen to fifty two, and can be increased further if he actively speeds up the energy circulation. This sort of ability will gain experience and level up by itself, becoming stronger with every level. Rak put down the book and looked at the two remaining skills with hunger in his eyes. Chapter nineteen: Abilities, offensive and defensive. There are incredible things people can do by infusing their energy into them, Majority of these incredible things are based on Chaos theory providing the medium to do so. Rak infused a stone and can exert some control over it, all of this is considered under Rak¡¯s control and not the system, as the system created or used an existing entity called energy and then using this energy it allows people to perform miraculous things. Until now Rak has never seen or been able to do anything wonderous within Chaos theory, ignoring things like buildings being commissioned and building themselves, namely Rak¡¯s brewery. The closest has been Rak¡¯s new experience with this alchemically enhanced stone. When it began moving it was like learning to walk for the first time and when it hovered slightly above his palms he felt the sensation that a part of him was flying, a very esoteric feeling. But all these things have amped Rak¡¯s expectation for not only the two skill books in his possession but also the future abilities, especially after seeing the wall art in the Clever dust studio. Opening the second book it is named Novice Manipulator: basic energy shield. The image depicts an item, not too unsimilar to one of the stones but clearly more valuable. The stone is shown to be filled to the brim with energy and it floats in front of the Manipulator. In the next frame the energy within the energy infused object is shown to expand before finally forming a thin shield twice the size of a person. To show the abilities use a spear is shown to strike the shield only to be rebuffed and the energy shield has no discernable damage done to it. The last page shows three other shields, all very similar only they are using various elements, one is clearly fire, one is more transparent and a light yellow color. the final one is a corroded metal like red. Having red the book Rak follows the actions in the book. Rak who could only slightly make a stone hover now makes a stone shoot two meters ahead and then the energy expands into a transparent film, half the size like the shield in the book but still considered successfully cast. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Unlike the small wiggles or the light hovering casting the basic energy shield has caused Rak to expand nearly half his energy reserves, giving him the feeling of loss without know what he lost. ¡°I can even move it.¡± The small stone pebble acts as a core and when Rak makes it more forward, backwards or to either sides, so does the shield follow. But like a bicycle without a break Rak doesn¡¯t know how to stop the expenditure of energy and is eventually drained completely, making the shield disperse and the stone fall to the ground. This ability gives one the obvious sense of being defensive. The concept of the ability however is only form a shape and retain that shape. If this shape is instead like a pointed spike or a sharp edge, it can be used offensively. To do this, one needs specialized items that create a different static form than of the shield or the more advanced method, infusing an element and directly influencing the form yourself. As this is a basic energy shield, it is very limited in its flexibility and wanting to alter it will most likely be very costly for now. It would be better to learn offensive abilities that don¡¯t require so much workaround. Before looking at the abilities hard numbers, it might be good to compare them to Url and Alley¡¯s items with static ability.
Url¡¯s spare spear
Damage 15 23
Attack speed 1 1
Durability 25 22
Url¡¯s hunting thrust
Cooldown 10s
Energy 5
Damage 115%
¡°Url¡¯s hunting thrust is a simple maneuver that has a piercing effect and is adequate to tackle low level creatures.¡±
Alley¡¯s beginners bow of training.
Damage 8 13
Attack speed 1.6 1.6
Durability 12 12
Steady hand
Cooldown 60s
Duration 20s
Energy 15e
¡°Steady hand is an ability all hunters rely on, despite the name¡¯s suggestion it doesn¡¯t steady the hand but the mind, a cool refreshing feeling washes over the person using it.¡±
First thing to note is that these two are physical weapons and their abilities depend on the weapon¡¯s and user¡¯s attributes to deal their damage. Alley¡¯s bow¡¯s |Steady hand| is not an offensive ability but a utility one but can see its energy cost and cooldown is higher.
Basic energy shield [Novice]
Cooldown -
Duration -
Energy 45e
Damage 2
¡°Basic energy shield expends large upfront energy cost to create a static shield with a single core. The shield can be moved at the expensive of energy. If the shield is impacted in anyway, its own energy disperses and its radius or width will be lowered.¡±
As one of Manipulators very basic skills it has no cooldown, no set duration and only a basic energy cost set to the minimum amount possible. Rak used a very small stone that can only very small amounts of energy and barely met the requirement to cast the spell. With larger containers for energy, the energy cost will similarly increase. This ability is also why Manipulators are often hired to protect people with lacking combat experience, mainly those that gather materials in places like the Mystic forest. These people often go in groups and it would be more expensive to hire multiple people when they can hire an experience Manipulator to create a protective shield for all of them. The shields damage in nearly irrelevant in its current shape but if a dedicated Manipulator trained his ability he could use it to smash things similar to a warriors shield smash. At that point it would depend on various factors, like its speed, whether its block or where it hits a person but that is true for most abilities. Abilities have hidden ways to amplify the damage dealt. Like a person with certain affinity or perhaps someone that has an alchemist support job. Adding the affinity into the spell can be a passive ability or an ability unto itself. The alchemist might create a ¡®core¡¯ for the ability to expand the use of the ability, damage being one such feature. Rak has taken to closing his eyes and visually imagining the basic energy circulation ability. Even though it is passively active, Rak can also push it that extra step.
Base energy increased by 3
As Rak continues to recover the spent energy, these messages come at interval of few seconds. Soon the tide stops and it only occurs every minute. It takes Rak approximately five minutes to fully recover, during that time he gained thirty three base energy in the first two minutes and then additional sixteen in the later three minutes. Rak ignores the log notifications and he has not set up any sort of general user interface for his energy values. The energy regeneration never increased, which is not unsurprising as high energy regeneration is what makes a Manipulator powerful. ¡°Novice Manipulator: Basic energy projectile.¡± This last ability is low on energy cost but can be considered expensive in use. In the case of |Basic energy shield| the ¡®cores¡¯ can often be reused but |Basic energy projectile| will render the ¡®cores¡¯ damaged. The material might be recycled but that¡¯s assuming it can even be retrieved. The ability is far simpler than any of Rak¡¯s other abilities, or at least he feels to be simple in comparison. Rak is reusing the stone he used for the shield and infused it with his energy once again. Rak lifts up his open palm and the little stone lets out a small transparent film around itself, very similar to the shield, only its hue is far brighter. The little stone has turned into a small lightbulb, only it doesn¡¯t illuminate further then a few centimeters, making it look like an eye in the night rather than a source of light. The stone suddenly shoots out towards the end of the room, where a few targets are set up. The stone hits a target at the very edge and lets out a sound similar to a pebble falling into a pool of water. Moment later the little stone falls to the ground harmlessly. This training yard is clearly attempting to save on training materials by softening the impact or projectiles. ¡°Looks like this needs a bit of practice.¡± Chaos theory assists people in most things but only to a degree. To understand this we can take Rak¡¯s cast of |Basic energy projectile|, he had aimed at one of the targets and did indeed hit, it wasn¡¯t exactly where he wanted but relatively close. Rak will probably hit a target that¡¯s thirty meters away, eight out of ten times, if it''s of such a large size. Assuming the target isn¡¯t actively dodding or moving, which may lower to about five out of ten hits. This means that Chaos theory will correct up to the minimum of fifty percent for an moving target and eighty percent for a stationary one. Using Chaos theory assistance, the average person can become a somewhat proficient fighter even if they have no training or skill. ¡°Hmm.¡± Throwing these stone stones out take a surprisingly small amount of effort, Rak is already on his twentieth stone and only now is he feeling like half his energy is gone. If Rak checks on his status he¡¯d see that he¡¯s only used forty percent of his total energy reserves.
Basic energy projectile[Novice]
Cooldown -
Duration -
Energy 5e
Damage 11x(e/2)
¡°Basic energy shot creates a kinetic projectiles around a core and shoots it out with force dependant on user¡¯s input.¡±
Like |Basic energy shield|, |Basic energy projectile| has no set cooldown or duration and is only dependant on a person¡¯s proficients with the ability. A veteran might shoot multiple at once but he¡¯ll have to recast the ability to shoot a second volley, limited only by the time it takes to retrieve more cores, assuming they are already infused with energy.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Basic energy projectile proficiency increased by 1 Basic energy projectile proficiency increased by 1 Basic energy projectile proficiency increased by 1
Continuously the proficiency of the ability increased and reached up to twelve points before Rak was out of energy again. ¡°With this I should be able to easily kill those vermins and things, right?¡± The damage of the ability is dependant on the targets defences, the position of the hit, Rak¡¯s energy input and Rak¡¯s buffs or equipment. In addition the core itself plays a large role in increasing the energy contained. Meaning the better the core, the more energy can be inserted for an additional damage. Assuming the core is of the lowest quality and can only take five energy the damage will be five energy divided by two and then multiplied by the base damage. The total being twenty seven point five. The proficiency is hidden but can be revealed through advanced general user interface settings. Majority of people only need to know that their ability is growing, this includes Rak. ¡°Should I go check out the last place?¡± After experiencing the dependency on cores Rak was seriously contemplating taking up something like alchemy. This isn¡¯t rare for Manipulators to be alchemist with these exact thoughts, but Rak is ignoring that he can just buy the cores as a wealthy merchant. These cores are not exactly expensive, but any archer will tell you that cost of arrows and bow strings will begin to sting. For the absolute basic cores, no job is needed but without a job to assist with making cores the Chaos theory correction system won¡¯t be as generous. The day is still early and Rak doesn¡¯t exactly have any reason to randomly train all day, feeling a bit restless Rak walks to the room Holden went into and knocks on the door. ¡°Come in, its unlocked¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned the three abilities.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± ¡°Is there anything I should be doing as a Manipulator?¡± Most of Chaos theory is still a bit of a mystery and everyone has been slowly exploring, trying to find reasons why they are here or just randomly busying themselves. ¡°At the novice level your not of much use.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°When you can summon five energy shields without feeling too pressure I can teach you some tricks and put you up for some missions. Right now we are an unranked studio so we don¡¯t get too many contracts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°You can go explore the outer rim of the mystic forest, maybe hunt some creatures of collect materials. You can also just train here in the studio, if you have any questions I can always guide you.¡± Understanding the situation Rak nodded, left the room and began thinking. ¡°Seems I really am just a novice.¡± Rak didn¡¯t remain in the Clever dust studios to train and instead decided to check out the unranked merchant organization that City offices pointed him towards. According to what Rak read, merchant archetype job is about persuasion and some system benefits. In actuality, a merchant and any archetype similar to it are almost entirely based around physical gestures and voice manipulation. The gestures influence people in certain ways while the voice is more direct and can almost be considered an attack. A few high level leaders of cities have originated from merchant archetype jobs due to exactly this reason. Most leaders do possess some ability to alter people''s perception of them. A Manipulator might cause the area around him to become volatile and force people to feel a ¡®pressure¡¯. The leaders that practice internal energy methods might cause their smell to induce fear or admiration in others. Of course this isn¡¯t limited to leaders of cities and not limited to affect humanoids either. Due to the distance Rak is forced to either pay for a driver to move into towards the unranked merchant organization or go get his carriage and horses out of storage. Most cost of storing something is in the initial pay. Paying for one day storage ten times can¡¯t be compared to paying for ten day storage once. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hi, where do you need to go?¡± ¡°These here are the coordinates how much will it cost?¡± Rak pushed his open palm forward and the carriage driver immediately looked at them, stared into space of about a second before answering. ¡°Two silvers approximately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still not bad, and I won''t have to spend an hour walking back to the parking lot.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Immediately a contract came up that stated the cost per minute which Rak accepted without thought. This contract might have been abusive but as a veteran carriage driver the man held some principals. Two silvers for a half hour ride is already pretty good. Of course it is only half an hour because the man knows to take the less busy streets, avoiding unnecessary traffic. On arrival Rak hands over two silver and twenty coppers. ¡°Thank you, do you usually work in these parts of town?¡± ¡°Most, yes.¡± ¡°Is there a way I can contact you if I need ride?¡± ¡°Of course, its fifteen silver for my Trove calvary transmitter, it can send requests and coordinates.¡± For some reason Chaos theory has made long distance communication difficult, this is to the extent that two cities cannot efficiently share news. They have to send comprehensive letters or other methods to record information. This can take well over a week to go from one city to another. ¡°Here.¡± Being straightforward person and used to spending money wantonly Rak immediately purchased this transmitter. The carriage driver enthusiastically handed Rak a small square paper like item just large enough to cover Rak¡¯s palm. After saying their goodbyes Rak looked that the building in front of him. Instead of the usual entrance and a stairway to the higher floors the first floor is a store. ¡°I guess it makes sense a merchant organization would have a store.¡± The store itself already has people walking in and out of it frequently, whether it is selling something is another matter entirely. Entering the store Rak is met with a pleasant smell and soothing subtle music that one almost doesn¡¯t notice. ¡°This place isn¡¯t half bad.¡± There are a lot of stores in Trove city but most them aren¡¯t considered a merchant organization. This store*s popularity compared to the footraffic being only decent is an indicator of their profession. What Rak doesn¡¯t know is that this store¡¯s owner is a trader, not a merchant. Traders are more likely to dedicate themselves to a single or multiple locations and build up reputation over time. Merchant are more likely to buy large quantities of one or two local specialties and sell them in other cities. It''s hard to say which is more profitable as stores can be opened in many cities and merchants can increase the capacity trade in. In Rak¡¯s case he is only considered a businessman, as he only sells wholesale and has no store to speak of. His brewery doesn¡¯t even have a stable resource production and buys everything from an external source, and his transportation is also managed through external sources, losing him quite a bit over time. Inside the store are various items, some of which Rak can identify. Easiest things to identify are things like various weapons and armours. There are also familiar alchemical stones, going for a few copper each, surprising Rak. ¡°They are this cheap?¡± The production cost one stone is negligible to the transportation cost as these are stones found anywhere and only enhanced by an alchemist, and usually by a novice training their craft. But this being a store in a decent neighbourhood they only sell them in packs of hundred, priced at two silvers a pack, meaning two copper a piece. Rak conveniently pointed at two of the packs and they vanish into the stores temporary space for late purchase. ¡°So it really works like that.¡± Instructions on how to shop were at the entrance and were indeed a feature Chaos theory allow store owners to implement. Two Hundred stone pieces are not enough to train in |Basic energy projectile| but they are plenty to train in the signature |Basic energy shield| for quite some time. ¡°I need to visit these sorts of stores more often, there is a lot of interesting things in here.¡± By randomly browsing Rak selected three sets of clothing with actual attributes that give percentage increase in energy, these are similarly cheap products made by budding tailor archetype jobs. From the looks of things this store has items from most jobs and not much else, but is indeed the largest market. There are some high end products around, hidden between the normal items, as if they were set as little treasures. One has to take into account that this shop is a registered unranked merchant organization and therefore has to abide by some Chaos theory regulations. Just like the Clever dust studios, and as a Chaos theory organization, Holden, its registered owner, has some degree of responsibility to give out the Manipulator advancement quest, given that they have the qualifications. It can be called a responsibility, and pretty easy to deal with at that but it can also be considered a beneficial tool. Holden¡¯s small studio is how he makes a very smooth living by collecting interested Manipulators he guides, just as he did with Rak. Almost like planting self sufficient plants and slowly harvesting fruits in great leisure. Alley is actually one of few individuals in Alp town that could have registered her personal hunting lodge as an unranked organization. If she did she could have directly given Rak an advancement quest once he met the requirements. Sadly, Alley¡¯s plans are and have always been far away from Alp town. ¡°Is that all?¡± At some point Rak wandered to a lively store employee who solely takes care of finalizing all sales. The other two employees have a sharp eye for those individuals confused and in clear search of something, clearly they marked as someone just curiously browsing. That and Rak made no attempt to get their attention. Sometimes it is better to leave people to their own device than push ¡®help¡¯ on them. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all. Also I was wondering if I could meet the store owner of the Uprising trader group?¡± ¡°Are you Trader?¡± ¡°No, but I''m interested in perhaps becoming one.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have someone guide you.¡± Rak¡¯s funds have been steadily dropping for a while now, leaving him with only a few measly gold coins to his name. Of course this can still be considered a towering sum to many. Later people will learn to generate wealth and they too will consider a few golds to be small number of coins. After stowing the items in his inventory Rak notices that the stones have taken up a single slot and numbered up to two hundred out a possible one thousand. ¡°I should get another eight hundred before I leave.¡± It is common for people stock up on consumables in the hundred and thousands, especially when going into places like Trove cities Mystic forest. ¡°Leader Gou has already been informed of your visit.¡± Due to the store being a registered Chaos theory organization, Rak¡¯s request automatically alerted Gou Jovel, the store¡¯s owner and the only advanced Trader the merchant organization has. Just like when Rak¡¯s questions alerted Holden, the advanced Manipulator in the Clever dust studios. ¡°Just take a seat and someone will alert you when he¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Once Rak was left alone to wait he immediately summoned a shield to kill time. The shield itself very slowly drains energy but the real problem is that it stops the passive regeneration. Later when the abilities proficiency is high enough, Rak will be able to rid himself of the small energy drain and retain his ability to recover energy while maintaining the basic energy shield. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe I can do this.¡± The shield feels like an extension of his body but the feeling is still foreign causing an imbalance when attempting to do elaborate or ¡®smooth¡¯ actions. Somewhat like the difference between being able to solve a math problem slowly by using a formula and instinctively knowing the answer with a glance.
Basic energy shield proficiency increased by 1
Base energy increases by 1
The alerts occasional pop up, confirming that Rak is progressing in his abilities. The prompt of gaining one base energy has occurred a few times with a long interval between them. This one energy increase is due to the general expenditure and recovery of energy, something like a hidden passive ability very similar to |Basic energy circulation| is capable of only to a lesser extent. A few minutes pass and Rak is still locked into maneuvering his shield, still curious of this new toy when he¡¯s called into meet with Gou Jovel, leader and owner of the Uprising trader merchant group. ¡°Ah. Just sit down.¡± Despite being ¡®ready¡¯ to meet with Rak, Gou is still working, overlooking some paperwork and jotting things down constantly. A full minutes passes before he looks up again with an apologetic gaze. Rak can¡¯t help but admire the man. What Rak doesn¡¯t know is that this look of being extremely busy is a tactic Gou uses on new arrivals like Rak to give them exactly the expression is giving. At its core, a Trader is about a good impression and often that means putting up an act. ¡°Sorry to bother you at such a busy time mister Gou.¡± ¡°No, no forget it. Who isn¡¯t busy?¡± Rak¡¯s impression is further amplified seeing Gou¡¯s accommodating words. ¡°So you are interested in being a Trader?¡± ¡°Merchant or Trader, both are interesting.¡± ¡°Of course. A merchants are our brothers and are formidable.¡± Gou¡¯s expression almost fell when he heard the words ¡®merchant¡¯ but being as experienced as he is he rolled with it. Merchants and Traders styles are different but they are often compared, leaving behind a competitive atmosphere. No Trader would admit that Merchant are more profitable and likewise no Merchant would acknowledge Traders being superior. ¡°Of course Merchant have to constantly travel, even if they get some gains they can¡¯t really avoid all that downtime while travelling.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Being the picture of innocence Rak only nods his head, not knowing how to continue. ¡°We Traders build a strong foundation. Like a great mountain.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Not to mention Traders have a good reputation in the community, we provide people with all the necessities of life in a comfortable environment.¡± At this point Rak¡¯s expression turns from attentive to confusion. Noticing this Gou immediately picks up on it and changes the subject. ¡°Are you looking for work? You want to join the Uprising traders family? Of course we have strict requirements for our members but we are willing to polish the rough diamonds.¡± Gou speaks fast but also with clarity and a harm, but even so Rak feels a bit out of sorts and is still unsure how to respond outside of just being very forward. ¡°I am not looking for work. But I am a businessman and I¡¯m think about expanding my productions and possibly creating a transportation business. I thought becoming a Trader or Merchant might help me in this.¡± At this point Gou dispelled any Trader and merchant rivalries. ¡°Hoh. Expanding production?¡± ¡°Yes. I already have a small brewery operation and I am supplying nearby villages and towns but transporting into the city will be a challenge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This a common problem Merchant have, tax on products when arriving into cities are not to be ignored. One of their many flaws,¡± Again Gou manages to drag Merchants through the mud as if it is a natural instinct. This tendency is not as aggressive amongst others but Gou has a rivalry with one of his family member who happens to be a Merchant. Rak continued to lay out some of his rough plans and some ideas. He was in no way afraid that this man would steal his ideas. The world is large and there will always be competition, often rival companies didn¡¯t even need to make cheaper and better products to win the larger market share. ¡°You have some interesting ideas. This can¡¯t be said to be a Trader or a Merchant.¡± Gou taps his finger on the table in thought. Rak holds up a cup of mild tea and sips, not afraid to relax a bit. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t join my Uprising Traders? I can give you division to develop some of your plans.¡± This offer might seem hard to reject. Rak has some start up income and stone roots in Alp town but that can¡¯t compare to a group that has multiple stores in various cities. Rak¡äs monthly income can¡¯t compare to their daily revenue. ¡°I¡¯m not unwilling to work in cooperation but I relish my freedom. I doubt you¡¯d be happy if I one day decided to pursue another project, leaving you and your men to pick the slack.¡± Gou digests Rak¡äs words before answering. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯d be willing to give you that amount of freedom. A business isn¡¯t a casual affair to me.¡± ¡°We really have fundamentally different views on business. To me it''s a challenge sure, but not a marathon.¡± Rak¡¯s young looks didn¡¯t stop him from having a mature atmosphere as he spoke out his thoughts. Gou picked up on Rak¡¯s natural and relaxed motions and couldn¡¯t help but praise him in his mind. ¡°A challenge.¡± Gou felt melancholy think about his past. Those days he also didn¡¯t intend to busy himself like this but he certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of the work. Rak really managed to spark a bit of his old adventurous spirit. Gou and his cousin are born to a business family but they both decided to set out to make it on their own rather than take a position in the family business. They still can¡¯t compare to their family foundations but they certainly haven¡¯t made fools out of themselves. ¡°Would you like to join me on a trip? You said you still intended to travel to expand your views. It has been a long time since I last visited my family, how about you join me? I can introduce you to some tier two business related jobs and variants we have in the family.¡± This time around Rak couldn¡¯t reject the favour, he didn¡¯t care if Gou was trying to rope him in or whatever his intentions are. After the two spoke some more Rak began feeling a bit excited, especially after learning that his family stayed in mid tier empire. The further you goes west, away from the Endless mountain range and towards the turmoulus impassable sea, villages, towns and cities become larger in scope. The lands near the Endless mountain range can be said to be humanities tree tops, the frontier, while on the other end are the firm roots. ¡°I can leave at any moment, I¡¯d just have to send some letters to the employees and friends in Alp town.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I still have to make arrangements on my side.¡± Rak nodded at Gou¡¯s words. Indeed a larger company might suffer it its leader suddenly up and left without proper people in managing positions. Gou and Rak said their goodbyes for now, in a two days they would begin travelling the distance of over ten cities, further than even the vagrant had travelled. Only Rak would travel in relative luxury in comparison. The villages, towns and cities hold similar pattern as before but there are also natural dangerous areas that originate from mysterious backgrounds. These areas are similar to the city¡¯s strange zones like Trove¡¯s Mystic forest or Hampter¡¯s underground caverns. Most of these areas are their own separate space and time doesn''t flow at the same rate. With no other plans for now, Rak visited the library over the next two days and randomly searched for things. Aside from that Rak tried to find out what sorts of wants the city people wanted and mainly focused on those that would venture into the Mystic forest. Even the day they began their journey, Rak didn¡¯t set a foot into the Mystic forest. It was a curious thing but he also understood he wouldn¡¯t get much. Of course an experienced adventurer would tell him just the experience of exploring the outer rims of the forest would bea great foundation for the future. ¡°It will take us two months to travel with some stops along the way.¡± Rak nodded at Gou¡¯s words. A travel that takes two months is something Rak has never experienced. In real life he can jump into a private jet and be anywhere in the world with two days, assuming helicopter access is unavailable. ¡°I look forward to it.¡± On top of the luxurious tier two carriage is a seat meant for viewing the surroundings or for archers and the like to stand guard. Even though the roads aren¡¯t too good, Rak can barely feel it inside the carriage. ¡°This is how you should travel.¡± Rak¡¯s untiered carriage has been left with the Uprising traders to store, while his two horses are untethered and walking alongside the train of five carriages. The horses coat is shining brilliantly and they often detour from the caravan to explore every plant or small critters along the way. The view only causes Rak to shake his head and laugh. Chapter twenty: Kalloway city Two months of travel, through ten cities, eight villages and eighteen towns. ¡°That¡¯s the mid tier empire, Kalloway. My home.¡± Outside, the city wall stretches high into the air, and as they get closer it''s hard to see where they end. ¡°It¡¯s huge. Why would anyone build such a giant wall?¡± Inside the city are eight strange zones, in comparison the average city has one. These zones are the reason the place is becomes an empire, the endless source of materials that flow from it sustain the city¡¯s wealth. After travelling for two months, aside from chatting with Gou, Rak has been slowly practicing his Manipulator abilities, mainly the energy shield. He has reached the goal of five concurrent shields floating in the air. Even maneuvering all at once doesn¡¯t cause a deficit in Rak¡¯s energy reserves. Before arriving at the city, Rak had looked at his map. Although Rak¡¯s map already had a long path leading back to a mid tier empire as well, only the villages, cities and towns were ¡®confirmed¡¯ as real things and everything else could still be false. Rak¡¯s path to Kalloway was entirely ¡®confirmed¡¯ and within a certain period of time, it can be sold as ¡®authentic¡¯ map data. Along the way to Kalloway, Rak made sure to check the quality of day to day necessities. Everything from the socks people wore were subpar and anyone wearing better paid excessively for it. In short, people wear and use base grade items for some reason. Taking everything into consideration Rak thought about setting up a crafting organization that would employ every type of crafter and then deal with either Merchants or Traders to sell the. According to his thoughts he could spread such an organization like wildfire across various towns and eventually break into the city markets. According to Gou, to fight for a share in a cities market, one would need more than just quality products at cheap prices, one would need some form of protection. If Rak tried to push his tier one beer and other products his brewery produces, he¡¯d be faced with wealthy people who wouldn¡¯t mind directly dismantling Rak¡¯s enterprise through any means. Rak¡¯s brewery is fortunately in a town at the outer rim of the Endless mountain range so large businesses do not have firm roots there, allowing him to carelessly expand as he did. The same attempt near a mid tier empire is already tantamount to suicide. Even in a small tier empire it wouldn¡¯t go without some troubles. Kalloway, the mid tier empire city is one of the closests empire class cities to the Endless mountain range, and is so mostly due to its large Strange zones which fuels its growth to this point. If the city officials employ some extravagant means, in the future they might become a large tier empire, making them an overlord. For the most part, this trip has already satisfied Rak. He wanted to get a better understanding of the average towns and villages. Originally, he had the intention of breaking into cities as well but after talking to Gou he put it off. If he could find an untapped market with no existing competition, he might attempt it but until then it is on indefinite pause. From what Gou said, the Endless mountain range border towns are filled with adventurers and hunters because the area is ¡°lawless¡± as it doesn¡¯t have Chaos theory government system in place. Gou mentioned in the future he expected the government system to expand into it, and he was planning on investing in it, if it did indeed expand. Surprisingly Rak doesn¡¯t have too much interest in exploring and adventuring, though the romance of it isn¡¯t entirely lost on him, it¡¯s not high on his interest list. Perhaps understanding various things about the world is more his cup of tea. Understanding is required to set up successful businesses after all. Gou and Rak don¡¯t talk much lately as they¡¯ve spoken too much in these two months of travel, instead Gou settles Rak¡¯s housing within the Falli family, Gou Jovel Falli being Gou¡¯s full name, Falli being the family name. ¡°I¡¯ll get an updated city map by tomorrow.¡± Gou¡¯s status in the family isn¡¯t simple, but he¡¯s still considered young and his responsibilities are limited. His father, mother, grandmother and grandfather from both sides are all still spritely people and command the Falli businesses. Due to certain limitations they cannot reach tier three jobs, only a select few in the high tier empire cities have managed to bypass the limitations but they are still stuck at novice level of their respective tier three jobs. As to why this is, It is an experience issue. Very few things in the vast empires allows them to practice their abilities to the point where they gain proficiency or even just simple experience. Without these two things, they cannot progress. To understand why, one has to understand how personal growth works within Chaos theory. On the second day in Kalloway city, Rak and Gou are eating an extravagant meal alongside some of Gou¡¯s family members, mostly cousins but his younger sister and oldest grandfather are here as well. His mother¡¯s sister and his father¡¯s sister as also here. This small reunion can be considered to be a welcome back party Gou but it can also be said a common thing for them to eat as a family, even though most of them are too busy to be staying on the Falli family grounds. ¡°Looks like Gou wasn¡¯t exaggerating. The Falli family has the culture of wealthy aristocrats.¡± Having experienced quite a few prestigious events and casual dinner affairs of the wealthy side of society Rak can easily see from people¡¯s mannerism how their upbringing must have been. ¡°Only it is a bit casual.¡± Gou is happily chatting about his ¡®small¡¯ venture outside by the Endless mountain range. He doesn¡¯t mention his profits but cites quite a few cities and sometimes talks about local delicacies that are hard to come by. Some of which he brought as gifts while others he let out a sigh and explained they wouldn¡¯t last a week on the road, making them an exclusive product from Strange zones within certain cities. Most delicacies come from Strange zones and they often have the auxiliary function of permanently increasing some attribute of the consumer. The items that won¡¯t last long are usually the easiest to attain while those that last long periods are either rare or weak in their enhancement of attributes. There are exceptions of course, and those items are generally well regulated and can cause small scale wars. War of the political kind, not at all a physical war though some violent methods can be used. ¡°In the end wealth is wealth and family is family.¡± Understanding greed Rak has seen many things cause rifts within a family, but from the looks of it Gou Jovel isn¡¯t contending for family power and so he¡¯s very well received. To the point where they can talk casually like this. ¡°I¡¯ve already introduced you to my new friend Abstinence, but I didn¡¯t tell you about his innovations. A truly interesting mind.¡± Rak waved his hand and shook his head slightly as if to brush of any compliment or attention on him. Having the spotlight can be useful but Rak has no standing in Chaos theory to rely on currently, so he can only remain humble. ¡°Even more innovative than our great Trader?¡± ¡°Bah! Don¡¯t make fun, Dill. I¡¯m just messing around, not worrying about things.¡± Rak had the attention of the crowd for only a moment before it shifted back to Gou who very happily chatted away. Although Rak has the position of being Gou¡¯s guest, his family saw Rak¡¯s age and became dismissive, even to the point of labeling him things like a leech or someone lusting after a piece of the Falli family pie. After all, these things are all too common. Rak¡¯s bad impression of the family is exactly because of this attitude but if he knew their thoughts he¡¯d probably feel the urge to spit on the ground and leave immediately. Arrogance in his bones wouldn¡¯t allow people he considered ¡®peers¡¯ or something aching to it, to look down on him. He can dismiss any random person but this is different. In the end the little gathering came to an end and Rak was left to his own devices. Gou and Rak have some friendship but it is shallow. Yes Gou admired some of Rak¡¯s ideas but Gou has met quite a few ¡®dreamers¡¯ who saw big things but did nothing or only had small success. To put it plainly, Gou used Rak to kill some time while travelling. It might be a bit difficult to understand Gou¡¯s mindset as he gives off the impression of a very casual or friendly person. This indeed his personality, only his world views are morphed by his upbringing. A friendly noble and a friendly commoner are entirely different things. ¡°This city is just bigger.¡± After slowly inspecting the detailed map Gou gave him, Rak compared it to other cities along the way. Even though Kalloway has multiple times the population, its size is only about twice as big as the biggest city he visited. To accommodate this population, Kalloway has tunnels that defy common thinking. Even if Kalloway is twice the size of a large city, it takes half the time to travel twice the distance here. All this is due to Chaos theory¡¯s governmental system that allows for the creation of these tunnels. Or in other words, due to this being Chaos theory¡¯s world. These tunnels are similar to the houses commissioned. The houses squeeze into the city but the space within these houses are multiplied, allowing an enormous population. But this issue cannot prevent the high amount of human traffic. Every popular street is filled to the brim with people. This is regulated to a degree but there is no manpower enough to regulate millions of people just walking on the streets. If Kalloway doesn¡¯t expand its city within a few years, this population will stop bringing in profits and become a drain on the economy. If any sort of large scale riots occur, no one will be able to stop it. Even wantonly killing civilians will be like trying to shoot stars out of the sky. The issue Kalloway city faces are issues most cities face. Periodically, a mediocre event will occur and prices of things will increase, this causes a wave of instability. Sometimes things stabilize but they can also go awry, causing mass panic and riots. A rioting city is doomed. The Chaos theory system does not protect humans from themselves. If humans want to destroy the city, then humans are welcome to it. If humans want to imprison humans, they are welcome to it. In this way, cities can revert to towns very suddenly. The largest difference is the Strange zones, a town with a strange zone is still miles ahead of a town without it. If Kalloway city descends into chaos, a few of its Strange zones might be snatched away by ambitious people, sometimes ¡®enemy¡¯ cities. As the saying goes. In a time of peace, fear your neighbour. If it reverts to a town, it would cause a towering wave of refugees that would travel to nearby villages, towns and cities. This can be beneficial or detrimental to nearby areas, depending on their own situation. Because Chaos theory builds structures easily, a city could rise in a weeks time, drastically changing the landscape. A town still needs a Strange zone and adequate land to form, but around Kallow, the nearest town is already very far away. Nearer to the Endless mountain range, things are more compact, even just taking a two or three days to travel to the nearest town.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. A strange zone can appear naturally and then be built around and eventually becoming a city. But most cities use Strange zone tokens delivered to them by the Chaos theory quest system. Town and city quests that takes months or even years can reward them. Affluent cities can also buy them if they appear on the market. ¡°This might not be good.¡± After repeatedly confirming the time difference Rak¡¯s thoughts began to wander. The time difference caused his income to increase. He already has eighty seven gold rotting away in his inventory. At first he was happy about it but now his knowledge of Chaos theory has increased he realized something. After talking to his father, Abalon Devion, they came to the conclusion that Chaos theory''s General Artificial Intelligence wants people to venture into the Endless mountain range. There are a few clues as to why they came to this conclusion. The most obvious being the increasing amount of quests given that push people closer to the Endless mountain range and never away from it. Sources being people from the real world sharing it on the internet. Another large clue is that everyone that has reported their position has reported themselves to be close to the Endless mountain range. No matter where they are, the mountain range looms over them. If chaos theory just wanted to split people up, why would it not put them in the larger empires? Why is everyone in some nothing village or town near to the Endless mountain range? Third clue is the time dilation and its relationship with fatigue. This is the hardest to understand, people have to travel a decent distance into the Endless mountain range or towards humanities largest empires within Chaos theory to experience it. Rak already has done this, one of the few people to do so. Fourth clue is that Chaos theory must have a purpose. It might be possible that Chaos theory purpose would be a rather insignificant one, but who would accept that? Instead amongst those that search for the purpose, that this purpose must be grand and perhaps even beyond their reach. With some assumptions, the Devion family has begun planning for some time now, they intend to gamble that the Endless mountain range is the future goal. Abalon has ordered quite a few of the more ¡®trusted¡¯ members of the family to replicate Rak¡¯s early business model. Not only brewery but other general crafting products that may come in use. Some losses are unavoidable but they can be seen as setting foundations. After serious discussion, Abalon, as the head of the family, alongside his wife, has decided to err on the side of caution and build up funds for large scale expeditions into the Endless mountain range. The ultimate goal is to eventually find other family members and pool their resources under one flag. The Devion flag. In addition to this, being a more experienced person, Abalon has begun mounting political ventures within various villages and towns. Ignoring cities as the system is difficult to enter. From his understanding, building camps or settlements requires help of the Chaos theory government system. This last idea of Abalon is not bad, as it is indeed useful. But there are ways to create settlements without having any previous engagement as a government official. There are benefits to already understanding the system however, as such it is good to have a few fingers in this matter. All this aside, Rak has had very little contact with Gou ever since he arrived in Kalloway, even to the point of sending some irrelevant employee giving Rak a detailed map of Kalloway. If it wasn¡¯t for Rak¡¯s understanding of ¡®wealthy¡¯ generation people he might have been distressed. In the end Rak was really just some interesting way to waste time for Gou. ¡°Even with up to a hundred gold capital, getting a footing in a city is hard.¡± After spending a few days familiarizing himself with the city, Rak discovered it seemed to be without any end. Currently he has settled in a hotel near a Strange zone called the Bazaar tower. This Strange zone is the least popular of all the zones, but it still sees more traffic in a day than a small town sees people in a year. The main reason this Bazaar tower is less popular by a large margin is because it doesn¡¯t have many local resources. Its redeeming feature is that on every ¡®level¡¯ there is a bazaar of Chaos theory controlled people that act as the merchants of the floor¡¯s bazaar. Bazaar being a trading area, a collective of merchants. The items bought from these merchants can be very exotic to the point of being unusable due to no one knowing what they are used for. It is possible to move items to the local city library and attempt to have Chaos theory library system analyze it. This requires people to invest in the item. Investing in an item like this can backfire because the bazaar¡¯s vendors may not restock it often, may rotate their inventory in long interval and only sell it at certain times a year or even specific time a day. And yet in spite of all this people still enter the Bazaar tower and fight to get to these vendors, their purpose to buy cheap goods and resell in the city. No one has cleared the Bazaar and claimed the title of a champion and thus it¡¯s still within Kalloway city government officials to manage it. Mainly charging for entrance, which amounts to a monstrous wealth and a small percentage of any coin generated in the city. Bazaar tower¡¯s lack in natural materials is made up for in coin dropping from each level¡¯s challenges. Sometimes the enemies, ranging from animals, primordials and humanoids, drop coins or alternatively the Bazaar tower directly rewards people. The intention is to give people a chance to accumulate coin to purchase from the vendors. The Bazaar tower is not too unique when it comes to Strange zones as many of them have various Chaos theory controlled people acting as vendors but the Bazaar can be classified as a vendor Strange zone. For comparison, the Mystic forest is classified as a herbalism or wild Strange zone. These are descriptive terms but they can deviate within the classification. Rak slowly learned these things without entering the zones themselves. It¡¯s okay to say that you want to go explore, but will you? It¡¯s okay to say you want to go fight with supernatural abilities, but will you go fight? Rak is currently in this predicament. In truth, a lot of people are and have experienced what Rak is feeling. He wants to go out bravely and adventure but every step forward is followed by two backwards. This is why he¡¯s attracted to the Strange zones and why he on a whim went with Gou to this faraway place. ¡°Tomorrow I should go explore the Bazaar.¡± Rak can choose an easier target than the Bazaar tower, as the Bazaar is a pure challenge Strange zone where conflict is entirely impossible to avoid. In places like the Mystic forest it is still possible to wander around without meeting dangers and if there are dangers it is still possible to escape. The bazaar is a live or die challenge at every stage, which is why it has the least progressed Strange zone in Kalloway. Rak¡¯s days in Kalloway are mostly spent on learning about various items people use. When Rak discovered the more expensive consumables that can temporarily or permanently strengthen a person that became his main focus. ¡°Even if I want to buy physique enhancing items I need to sign very restrictive contracts. It¡¯s better to spend a bit and hire a team to take me to the Bazaar. I¡¯m also interested in seeing these things for myself.¡± In the end Rak wasn¡¯t even going to bravely venture into the Strange zone but use his other strengths to conquer the challenge, coins. Bronze, silver and gold rule this world in the end. If you ever find a person with immense power that is unswayed by wealth, you¡¯ll find a person not worth worrying about. Or so the saying goes. The more Rak learns about the Chaos theory world the more it becomes apparent that personal strength is important. As it is strong people that can gather expensive items, the common people will attempt to become strong and they will take risks to do so. Becoming strong to become wealthy is a path many common people take. Risks come in many forms but risking your life is the heaviest of risks especially when your healthy and lively status is tied to your family. A dead parent can¡¯t support their kids. While Chaos theory doesn¡¯t include permanent death the following debt can cripple a person''s way of life. Given that Rak has plans to enter the Strange zone he has arranged a meeting with people known as Strange zone mercenaries and in this case, Bazaar¡¯s nine. They are unofficially ranked as three star mercenaries in the context of the Bazaar tower. This means they have a good reputation regarding the first three floors of the bazaar. This particular group will not go beyond nine members but they do have a second auxiliary team with another nine members that are considered two star. They go in teams of nine to guide a single person through the bazaar levels. This can be considered a way to bypass Chaos theory system with the assistance of others. Any person that enters the Bazaar tower will automatically be fighting on the assumption that they are in a group of five, if they are alone they will have to make up for those four people. In general it is easier to fight as five but it is easier to ferry a person through levels with nine people, making the ninth person half as valuable in the respective floor¡¯s challenge. Initially Rak was planning on just experiencing the Strange zone but after learning that the minimum requirement was four to five people he opted for this mercenary group instead. Either way, the five gold price was almost like a drop in the bucket for Rak. Being experienced in wantonly spending wealth, Rak had no issue with this at all. Spending when you have little is painful but a pleasure when you have a lot. This is how Rak has been acting. ¡°Did I make a mistake?¡± Rak¡¯s first impression of the three star mercenary group is poor. This person is not only a woman but she is a good twenty centimeters smaller than Rak. Her arms look as brittle as twigs and her shining skin appear to have never endured the harsh burning of the sun¡¯s rays. ¡°You are Abstinence?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Surprisingly Rak wasn¡¯t the only one being scrutinized and underestimated. Cle. Cle Velio thoroughly looked Rak over. In her experience a person like Rak is a son of a wealthy family and can¡¯t be trusted to do anything, in fact he should be guarded against. Who knows what these arrogant little second or whatever generation rich boys will decide to do while they fight hard battles? ¡°What is your Offensive job?¡± In general Main jobs are referred to as offensive jobs because some people focus entirely on things like alchemy but have little offensive capabilities in that regard. Cle¡¯s question is meant as an easy way for Rak to explain that his offensive capabilities are low, allowing her to advise him to just stay out of the way. She wouldn¡¯t do this if she didn''t have bad experiences in the past. ¡°I''m a Novice Manipulator.¡± Hearing Rak¡¯s response, Cle¡¯s expression turned from pensive to a very straight forward frown, she is clearly not happy about this response. But this is not her first time managing these wealthy little boys who want to adventure. ¡°Oh? A Manipulator?¡± ¡°Just a novice.¡± Rak is attempting to be humble as if to tell her to not depend on him, but Cle has taken Rak ?s rather calm demeanor for arrogance. It is true that Rak has mountains worth of arrogance but not in this particular aspect. Having never actually engaged in adequate combat, Rak is erring on the side of caution. ¡°I hope you can spar with one of my men before we enter the Bazaar. Just to get a feel for things.¡± Cle has a sense of business and leadership, it is exactly due to her subtle way of dealing with people that she has managed to remain the leader of a three star mercenary group. Her strength is perhaps not the highest out all the other mercenary groups, but she can easily defeat her own people. ¡°Spar?¡± Never in his life has Rak ¡®sparred¡¯ before. In fact just the words alone seem alien and it takes him some time to even put them in place. ¡°She wants me to fight someone? Why?¡± From Rak¡¯s perspective, he is paying these people to get him to the first, second and third floor of the Bazaar tower. His understanding is that he shouldn¡¯t have to do anything and Cle asking him to fight with someone is out of his expectation. ¡°Just a friendly spar of course. Since you are a Manipulator, you should be alright with a basic energy shield. We¡¯ll just do some simple exercises with that in mind.¡± In the end Rak thoughts went from his original assumption that he wouldn¡¯t have to do anything to him being a valued asset. If Cle heard Rak thought she¡¯d feel light headed. Rak is thinking that yes, yes he is pretty good already. In fact, he was probably pretty good. ¡°With my five shields I can probably make things a lot easier. Hell, If the shields don¡¯t have to move to much I can place ten shields up.¡± With every thought, with every moment Rak¡¯s ego was growing. This was exactly what Cle wanted to deter but she managed to instead incite it. ¡°No problem. Get a few of your guys to attack my shields.¡± Having no idea what thoughts Rak had, Cle assumed that her guess was correct. This person was indeed too confident in his abilities, even requesting ¡®a few of your guys to attack my shields¡¯ as if a single person wasn¡¯t enough to topple this inexperienced prince. Rak had noticed Cle was acting a bit strange but couldn¡¯t place the reason for it, in the end he could only go with the flow of things. Cle wasted no time in setting up the fight, being a three star mercenary group they already have their own training areas. Within half an hour Rak, Cle and a third person have gathered in a room the size of an olympic pool. Again Rak was amazed by how building have this enormous size inside them. The only thing Rak found odd was Cle only had a single person come over to fight him. ¡°How is this going to work?¡± Rak¡¯s opponent is a woman nicknamed Featherfall. The meaning is that she is fast and lithe like a feather in the wind. Her name is Heilia Wir and is actually Cle¡¯s blood relative only very far removed. If these two hadn¡¯t grown up together they could be almost considered strangers rather than relatives. ¡°This is my sister, Featherfall. She will be testing your shields.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Featherfall.¡± Unlike Cle, Featherfall is not as apt with people and is interested in putting another newbie in his place. Hence she only smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°Featherfall will attack three of your passive shields.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°She will also attack from random directions so you¡¯ll need to keep a fourth or fifth shield near you to defend.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rak¡¯s mind was spinning fast, in truth he is very excited about this fight. After practicing mindlessly for more than two months Rak felt like he was finally tasting the fruit of his labour. With this in mind it is easy to understand why Rak expression is a mix of excitement and seriousness. None of Rak¡¯s expression get passed Cle but this still within her realm of expectations. If she knew Rak had never actually experienced combat with his Manipulator abilities her liver might rip open in anger. ¡°Will these be alright?¡± Rak¡¯s shields whirred into action, their shape circular and slightly caved in rather than caved out. In terms of physical prevention this shape is detrimental but if the attacks are filled with energy it can at times reflect a portion of an attack. This chance is almost entirely based on luck, something that Chaos theory calculates and randomizes. Rak did not choose this caved in shield shape it is just the shape Rak slowly settled into by coincidence, it is not impossible or difficult to alter it back to the more pyramid or outward bugle that the shield naturally forms. ¡°Those are fine.¡± For the first time Featherfall spoke, her voice soft, fitting with her appearance. Even a bit smaller than Cle. ¡°Then I¡¯m ready.¡± Two other shields appear around Rak slowly rotate slowly, each on the opposite side, one guarding Rak¡¯s left the other his right. ¡°He isn¡¯t half bad, but this is only enough for the first floor.¡± No matter how Cle looked at it, five shields are the bare minimum of a qualified novice Manipulator, she herself isn¡¯t one but she has three in her group. Two of which specialize especially in group defence while the third excels in mid range offensive combat. And then there is Featherfall. Featherfall is not just a simple Manipulator but she has an affinity for wind and has advanced to a Gust Manipulator. One of tier one Manipulator variations. This ¡®affinity¡¯ is actually very shallow and can only be said that the person has some ideas or feelings for it, rather than an innate connecting with the wind element. This is why almost anyone can randomly take up a tier one job with some sort of affinity and be said to have affinity for the respective thing. ¡°Careful!¡± WIth a rather mischievous but brilliant smile Featherfall shouted and she began moving. Her steps were in a type of asynchronous rhythm while her hands appeared to be in perfect harmony. Rak noticed none of these things and only focused on incoming attacks, only superficially watching Featherfall. While Rak has no combat experience outside of some very rudimentary swinging of a weapon, he does understand from his readings that attacks can manifest in a radius around the user. Featherfall radius might be a small one meter or extreme like ten meters. An attack appearing ten meters away from the user can be terrifying to say the least. Rak¡¯s thinking is exactly on point, Featherfall wind based Manipulator abilities form about two meters around here. Her attacks being that of wind they can remain nearly invisible and hard to notice with eyes alone. Her attacks can form in her hands and swirl in a large arc, appearing for any direction. The combat room is very controlled so the random wind shooting in this and that direction is easily caught. Featherfall does not depend on the element of surprise but that of distraction. Her attacks began hitting Rak ?s three shields, just barely above his expenditure limit. Going above Rak¡¯s expenditure limit means Rak¡¯s regeneration is in a deficit, if she just continues her bombardment she¡¯ll force Rak into a state where he¡¯ll run out of energy and become useless. Cle and Featherfall are not trying to win a war of attrition however, as such Rak has more to worry about than just sustaining his three passive shields. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± Chapter twenty one: Analyzing mysterious items. Featherfall¡¯s attacks look random but the attack speed is constant. Some attacks come from behind, the side or even slip between the three passive shields. Surprising both Featherfall and Cle, Rak is seemingly casually blocking every attack. ¡°I should already be at half my energy reserve.¡± Rak¡¯s confidence is dropping like a rock in water, and the deeper the stone sinks the more pressure he feels. ¡°Damnit!¡± Many people are okay with losing, Rak is not one of those people. Feeling that he¡¯s going to lose Rak can only grit his teeth and spend the last of energy to defend against the more devious attacks. At thirty percent energy Rak can only attempt to physically dodge some attacks, eventually being hit by a few. In no way is Rak apt at dodging. The attacks that manage to hit Rak are mitigated by their positioning and his evasive maneuvers but the pain is already too much for him. If it wasn¡¯t for Featherfall not wanting to cause anything but superficial harm, Rak would already be on the ground or worse. As much as he wants to persevere his passive shields are already losing their shape and are diminishing at a visible rate. Losing control means losing the battle. If it wasn¡¯t for manipulators innate energy shields he¡¯d be cut open by now. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± No matter how much Cle wanted to prove that Rak wasn¡¯t qualified, he has already proven himself to be useful to a one star group. Even in a two star group he could probably hold his own and guard one or two people. On the third floor he¡¯d probably just be fodder but that is expected. Being stopped when things were getting to the fun part Featherfall could only stomp her feet causing a large wave of wind to burst beneath her feet. Her actions caused Cle to frown, this little sister of hers is talented but too emotional, like a little berserker. Her personality more like a hot blooded man than a delicate young woman. After the attacks stopped Rak fell to the floor, his breathing erratic almost as if he ran multiple miles without training. ¡°Damnit!¡± Being inexperienced means Rak can¡¯t gauge his own abilities or his enemies and from his perspective he failed miserably. He couldn¡¯t even defend a few attacks for more than a minute. Only about a minute passed since the fight began and he was already on the floor fighting for breath. ¡°Turns out he¡¯s a little reliable.¡± Completely unlike Rak¡¯s thoughts Cle was praising Rak in her heart. She wouldn¡¯t do anything to inflate Rak¡¯s ego but she also wouldn¡¯t try to dissuade him for ¡®helping¡¯ in the first two floors. Of course on the third, Rak can only be an observer or at best and most likely having to be guarded. ¡°It¡¯s already late and tomorrow we need to prepare. In two days we¡¯ll enter the Bazaar tower.¡± Just like their clients used their services to engage the merchants, so does the mercenary group. They might not have the connection of their clients but they can still make great profits buying obviously profitable things. Often when buying things, the members of the mercenary have to consume mysterious items to observe the item¡¯s effects. If the effect is good they buy up the stock and advertise it before selling them. Their real issue is that they don¡¯t have a store and can¡¯t afford to hold onto these items for long, lowering their prices and therefore their profits. A large merchant can afford spending a few hundred gold and hold onto the items for months without sweating, eventually selling for high profits. Over the months or years the group has very rarely met with familiar product as such most of their casualties have been for consuming poisonous consumable items. The real winners in the Bazaar tower are those that have abilities or relations to certain items. A job related to poison will have an easier time to either identify poison or mitigate a poison¡¯s effects. The next day Rak still didn¡¯t have any plans, he hadn¡¯t expected the one day delay but he casually spent his time reading up on mysterious things that interested him. From Rak¡¯s perspective and experience from travelling, the world so far was rather unified and similar with slight exceptions. His current favorite book is one of the ¡®wisdom¡¯ books which are experiences of famous people. This mindset of Rak¡¯s isn¡¯t bad. The various cities, small or large are usually very similar. Some cities have their specialties but in reality they can all be boiled down to the same thing. Spending a year exploring humanities cities will result in a very bland experiencing. The culture and the people can however can''t be measured in the same way. ¡°In the end I might as well pick up some variation of a trader or merchant. The real power comes from wealth.¡± Rak isn¡¯t exactly interested in power, fame or wealth but that doesn¡¯t make these things not worth pursuing. It can be challenging to achieve one of these things and challenges are worth facing. Every new business is a new challenge, it is the thought ¡®will this work?¡¯. Rak ?s first venture is exactly his brewery and that was a challenge to see if he could indeed create a small business. Not only did Rak ?s business work, it flourished to the point of allowing him to retire within Chaos theory and spend his days faffing about. This is exactly why Rak just wantonly went on this venture with the Trader Gou. Gou is indeed someone with a profound background but that doesn¡¯t mean it attracted Rak. Currently Rak is like a leaf in the wind, not caring where he floats off to. ¡°That Cle is not actually bad.¡± Rak¡¯s thoughts began wandering. In the eyes of most people Fetherfall would be their pick out of Cle and Featherfall but Rak enjoyed Cle¡¯s way of doing things. This is of course because Rak assumed a lot of things and didn¡¯t know that Cle was looking down on him and attempting to put him in his place. Who knows how his thoughts would be if he knew? The world is strange sometimes, Rather than Cle, it is Featherfall that has become interested in Rak. Rak carries himself with a certain charm and confidence which is hard to ignore. Perhaps if Rak wasn¡¯t so extravagantly weak, Featherfall might have even pursued Rak romantically. But in the mercenary world, personal strength is king. As time goes on, people find new interests, Rak didn¡¯t plan on going much further travelling wise but now he felt a bit of interest towards the ¡®capital¡¯. There are a few capital cities but the distance between them is so long only a select few know how far it is. With current methods of travel it would take at least a few years to travel one way. After prying out some information at the cost of a few silver coins Rak decisively abandoned any plans on travelling to the capital. The information he got made his head spin, the image of him travelling for years like some sort of nomad appeared before he shook his head to rid himself of the image. ¡°It should be as we guessed. Chaos theory doesn¡¯t want us to travel within the human cities but into the Endless mountain range.¡± Rak spent most of the day reading and researching and wantonly spending his silver on information when he couldn¡¯t dig it out from the library¡¯s books. It is already late and according to his deal with Cle¡¯s mercery group, the incursion into the Bazaar tower should start tomorrow. Before going to sleep in the usual hotel room, Rak glanced at his map once again with a more determined mindset. He¡¯d have to bite the bullet and return at some point, even if it takes him two months of travel. Maybe shorter or longer depend on the method of travel. After all the last time he travelled with an experienced caravan. But they were a caravan and that should be slower than a single person with no baggage. The next day Rak''s heart is in a bit of a disarray. Today he¡¯s going into a dangerous environment intentionally. It can be seen from Rak¡¯s hesitation to join any Strange zone that he lacks some courage in physical combat. ¡°This is the client?¡± ¡°Looks can be deceiving.¡± At a glance the group, aside from Cle and Featherfall, they judged Rak¡¯s outer appearance. Rak¡¯s clothing isn¡¯t in poor shape but local Kalloway culture would have the wealthy wearing looser clothing and if going into combat, battle robes. Rak¡¯s form fitting clothing is something he had personally had tailored for him. This is fashion from the real world. Rak would usually wear expensive custom made suites or he¡¯d wear form fitting clothing that didn¡¯t hinder movements. Of course the local battle robe doesn¡¯t hinder movements but it really wasn¡¯t to Rak¡¯s taste. ¡°Looks like we got another dead stone.¡± ¡°When do the clients ever assist? Forget it, even if it is just Mistress Cle or Featherfall, they alone are enough to drag eight people along.¡± One of the larger men had just spoken up and his eyes filled with respect and infatuation. Featherfall and Cle are simply to charming, having leadership talents, strength and rather beautiful on top of it all. Only two out of six men in the group weren¡¯t in love with these two beauties. ¡°I heard he could hold his own against Featherfall.¡± The third woman in the group felt these guys were a bit disgusting, not to mention she was always in the shadow of Cle and Featherfall. It isn¡¯t that she was ugly or unattractive, she could in some ways be described as more beautiful. But her flaw is her dainty personality, she acts vulnerable and her strength is nearing the bottom three. In a normal environment she¡¯d charm me eight of ten times but in a mercenary group she was only third and even overshadowed. She can¡¯t be blamed that the men treat her like floating clouds and openly praise the other two women in the group. But in the end she also respects Cle and Featherfall, only a bit of jealousy can¡¯t be completely removed. ¡°What? Impossible don¡¯t bullshit.¡± ¡°How could that skinny shit compare to Featherfall?¡± ¡°Where did you hear this Fallow?¡± Fallow let out an indignant huff and pouted her lips. Her habit of stamping her feet in anger has already been removed by her but she still let it slip this time. It really made her look like a little girl. ¡°What do you know? Who do you think told me? It was Featherfall herself!¡± At this point the group got silenced. The only person to socialize with Cle and Featherfall is Fallow. While they weren¡¯t too close they could still be considered decent friends. They all wanted to refute Fallow¡¯s words but in the end they could only stare down Rak with gazes ranging from pensive to outright anger. Fallow felt the rushing feeling of victory wash over her. She let out a brilliant smile and took a good look at Rak, feeling that he was really cute at the moment. She wanted to go over and give him a little hug and pinch his cheeks, what a good boy, letting her win like this. ¡°Cle and Featherfall are here.¡± Having already met and discussed things Cle just nodded at Rak and then proceeded to register the group. Everyone in the group got the same message.
Cle Velio has invited you to join the Bazaar Tower¡¯s first floorA case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Accept | Decline
After accepting Rak got no more notifications but his logs showed that the group rose to the ten. In the system settings it is possible to display some of the team¡¯s information more elegantly but currently Rak can only rely on the logs. When Cle requested to enter the first floor the group immediately vanished from sight. Rak had already seen a few people vanish like this but experiencing it himself was a whole different thing. He felt no disorentiation but it was like blinking and seeing mountains when previously the ocean was in front of you. He hadn¡¯t felt any sense of movement at all. The logs updated, saying the instance is set to ten people difficulty. The highest the instance goes to is in the hundred thousands. But more people doesn¡¯t mean the fights are easier, and in some ways it can make things more difficult. ¡°Abstinence, You stay behind Gothe and Vilter. Using your shields try to relieve some stress from the range attacks, they should be able to deal with any close combat targets themselves.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Outside of telling Rak what to do, Cle just waved her hands in a unique way. The team immediately began walking towards the enemies. The fight is very straightforward and there is no tension in the group. Only Rak is feeling tense. Range projectiles began shooting over once about thirty meters away from the enemy. Rak¡¯s eyes squint a bit before his shields begin shooting out. The group acts as if Rak¡¯s defenses aren¡¯t there and prepare to defend themselves from the hail. Only three people began their own counter attack. Featherfall being one of them and her attacks already cutting into the enemies when the first mossy stone projectile arrives. As the projectiles come in, some slip past Rak ?s shields. Just as expected he couldn¡¯t be depended on. Seeing this causes Rak to burn with embarrassment. Quickly he summons three more shields and employees a new tactic he read up on. His shields become entirely stationary and only shoot forward with regular intervals. With this tactic he can have more shields and they won¡¯t drain his energy reserves as fast. Rak¡¯s eight shields manage to block the second volley. Maybe due to his three additional shields or the team¡¯s range attacks having already caused some chaos within the enemy camp. The enemies are small humanoid vine creatures. They throw stones and pointed sticks with great accuracy. Their number is at fifty, ten for each member of the team. Some of the vine creatures have large bark like hands and defend against the ranged attacks but they still receive some damage and sometimes an attack slips by, directly killing or severely injuring a vine humanoid. These vine¡¯s strong suit is flexibility and recovery. Any injured vine creature slithers to the back and can fully heal in two minutes or less. An inexperienced group of people fighting these vine creatures might make the mistake of not finishing of crippled vines, causing a vicious cycle of recycled vine humanoids. When the third volley arrives Rak still manages to guard against all the projectiles, making him feel exceptionally accomplished. The mercenary group is surprised but they don¡¯t put down their guard. One or two more volleys and they¡¯ll be in close range. The mid ranged attacker has already began showing his prowess causing even more chaos and injured vines slither in a wave to the back, healing in the meanwhile. When the last volley comes through, Rak¡¯s tactic shows its weakness, three projectiles get through. Fortunately the team never put their guard down and easily defended themselves. Rak felt confused, there were less projectiles but he still let some through. Rak¡¯s passive shield strategy has a great weakness in close range, while it can still be used it requires the people being defended to make use of it, rather than the shield user to proactively make judgments and move the shield to defend. The mercenary group doesn ?t depend on Manipulator shields and every one of the mercenary members have their own means to dodge, block or parry the projectiles. It can be said they are more offensive oriented rather than defensive. Since the beginning of the fight until now, no one in the group has said a word. This was never a fight to them, and could barely fit as a warm up. Once the group gets in close range, Rak ?s shields lose their value entirely, seeing this he lets them dissipate. The stones fall to the ground, they still useful but being cheap enough that he doesn¡¯t bother picking them up. Almost without any suspense the stronger close combat fighters swerve past the larger defense oriented vine humanoids and start a massacre. Rak attempts to attack with his projectiles but even if they hit the vine humanoid is swiftly killed by one of the mercenary team members. Rak felt incredibly inadequate at this moment, he felt he needed a lot more experience. With these thoughts the group vanished again and were all prompted with an alert, this alert can be ignored and it¡¯ll fade into the logs.
Bazaar tower¡¯s first floor has been cleared. Grade: 10 ¡°All vendor items unlocked.¡± Experience: 150 Reward: 1 silver coins and 50 copper coins
As expected of a three start group they had no issue dragging along a newbie and still receive a perfect grade. The grade is calculated by energy expenditure, time, damage taken, damage deflected, blocked or prevented. Not all floor challenges have the same grading scale, some might only grade by damage taken or purely on time. When the group appeared they are just outside a large bazaar. This large bazaar can be considered another challenge inside the Bazaar tower but also the reward. With its large size it can be an issue to just inspect the various items for sale. Not to mention the items sold can routinely change even something short like five minutes might cause an item to vanish or another item to be added. ¡°Here we will split up, we can assign a person to you. Otherwise we¡¯ll meet back here in twenty four hours.¡± Within this bazaar are hotels and it is even possible to talk resident vendors to let you stay in their place for the night. It is possible to stay up to three days in the first bazaar level. It is not unusual for experts to directly challenge level two after defeating level one and even challenging the third level challenge after that. Rak has request a day in the Bazaar. Mainly to familiarize himself with the vendors. Even after reading plenty of information on the bazaar¡¯s, experiencing them yourself is a different thing. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡± Cle just nodded casually and her team of nine left together with a clear purpose. They have their own tricks to gain small benefits from every level. ¡°It really does seem like a flea market.¡± Rak has already begun walking around the Bazaar, casually glancing at items sometimes reading their descriptions or hearing the vendor¡¯s promises. The vendors can be honest or dishonest. They can promise that their items can regrow an arm or help you sprout third arm. Most of the time the vendors won¡¯t tell you anything. Knowing this Rak who is only here for almost tourist like reasons only smiles and nods at the various hollering of these bazaar vendors. ¡°It really is difficult to gauge what is valuable. I doubt Merchants or Traders have a better time without proper research.¡± Rak isn¡¯t incorrect, most people arriving in the Bazaar are left to the elements. An experienced Bazaar goer might have advantage but a random Merchant won¡¯t have much to rely one. There are ways to glean some information on items but these methods are all from variants of jobs, some of which are variants of Traders and Merchants. After waddling about for an hour Rak begins casually buying consumable items and noting down where he bought them and how much they cost. After spending three gold coins he finally finds a small ¡®mansion¡¯ and rents it out for the day for next to nothing. With it comes two servants who provide food and other services, even morally questionable activities are included. ¡°It is expensive but it is possible to test for negative effects of consumable items with these paper puppets.¡± One popular product around the Bazaar tower district are small hand sized puppets crafted from a sensitive wood and then further enhanced with an overlay of two formations. The puppets themselves have almost no other use other than detecting malignant elements in low tier products and limited scouting. These puppets cannot be used on high grade products and are not too reliable when it comes to mid grade consumables. In the case of high grade products, they will provide a false negative as they cannot take the consumable high energy, no matter if they are negative or positive. Mid grade can provide false negative for items that are not harmful but if they give positive results the item can be safely consumed. In front of Rak are tens of these puppets, they all lay lifeless on the ground. The main problem is that Rak has bought over fifty consumable items and their documentation has already reached twenty pages. The paper puppets themselves can be destroyed after consuming one or two consumables even if they are not harmful, making reusability an issue but they are still worth using in case they provide a positive result. Rak picks up a small puppet, numbers it zero and then slowly takes out a consumable item, a small finger sized misformed ball. The vendor called it finger bone medicine. The effects are supposed to strengthen the tips of a person¡¯s finger, giving them the ability to train in strange fighting methods. ¡°Alright experiment number zero, finger medicine.¡± After infusing the small puppet with his energy it slowly uses its small paper limbs to stand up, with Rak¡¯s thoughts guiding it, it begins walking unstably towards small finger bone medicine. After arriving next to it, it opens its mouth and takes out a bite that is one twentieth of the medicine. ¡°Even if it eats this bit, the medicine is still intact.¡± Most medicine, especially low grade medicine, can still be used even after being shattered into dust. Some of its effects might be lowered but not to an unsatisfying degree. Before a moment passes the small puppet lets out the smallest of yelps, almost like a small wind blowing through and the edges of its paper limbs explodes in a small puff. Both of its two ¡®hands¡¯ exploded but the puppet survived. ¡°So this medicine can¡¯t be taken casually? Either way I''ll mark it as dangerous.¡± All consumables can be used to provide a benefit, but those that are considered malignant, volatile or poisonous are ones that require a mediator item to use. In the case of the finger bone medicine, a type of fish organs can be used to take it safely and even boosts the medicine¡¯s effects. A strong person with ability to temporarily enhance their bones can take it without any issues. As the test went on Rak couldn¡¯t help but frown. Only one consumable was registered as safe so far while twenty two were all considered dangerous. If Rak had a better puppet that can guarantee results with mid grade consumables he¡¯d find that at least one eighth is safe for consumption. As for high grade medicine, that is even more expensive to test. ¡°It seems too hard to gain any profits from this sort of business. It is more like gambling than anything else.¡± Tapping his finger on a table Rak fell into thought. The original plan was to find a few items, after determining they are safe, he would directly consume them and buy them in bulk. He would then resell them for a high price. One of the issues with Rak¡¯s testing is that he has no idea what grade the consumables are. They can all be considered tier one or below. Within those tiers are low, mid and high grades. Testing low grade materials is still passable but even that takes some effort. If Rak spends one gold to test fifty materials and only two or three return as safe, then they can be consumed to test their effects. If the effects are passable and the product is cheap, it is possible to buy out the vendor¡¯s supply and resell for profit. The issue comes from the value of the consumable and it¡¯s supply. Buying a thousand finger bone medicine and selling them with a profit of one silver or less for each piece might not cover the initial testing costs. Currently Rak efforts are a failure. His expenditure will be next to impossible to recoup at this point. This sort of failure can be prevented by researching various medicines and crafted items, which would be the goal of an organization, not something a single person can do. Such organization will prevent large losses and over time establish a reliable trade. ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand why this Strange zone isn¡¯t as popular as the others.¡± Not only do people have to fight a challenge that is a life and death challenge. Some of this cost is time to recuperate, some of it the cost of removing the death ailment. There is also the morale part of it, the psychological pressure from the pain. It is not something addicting. Lastly there is reputation that can be lost, which often more valuable than coins. ¡°Three out of fifty. Can it be these consumables are medium grade or high grade? Medium grade paper puppets cost sixty silver each and high tier one and a half gold.¡± Rak hadn¡¯t bought any medium grade paper puppets due to their excessive price, he had assumed that low grade were enough to deal with the first level of the Bazaar tower. Reality is often more cruel than expected. They are expensive not due to their lowe supply and high demand but the materials used. Unfortunately the materials used are also used elsewhere and that¡¯s were the supply issue comes from. ¡°I still found three safe consumables.¡± It might seem unlucky but it can only be considered just below average to find three out of fifty using low tier paper puppets as a method to check their viability. Some of the more reckless people will directly consume items after ¡®deducing¡¯ that they are safe to eat. On the first level it can be somewhat viable strategy to randomly consume consumables, there is still a chance that the item might be deadly or render the user a cripple for a duration. The worst case would be to end up in a state where they can¡¯t even seek a doctor for help, forcing them to slowly die of agonizing starvation. ¡°Three consumables and I¡¯m already over five gold spent.¡± Majority of the cost comes from the paper puppets, they aren¡¯t like small alchemists stones that are mass produced by novice¡¯s. The Paper puppets are still considered ¡®easy¡¯ to make but it requires a certain type of wood. This wood needs to be refined into a malleable state before a handicraft profession with dextrous hand abilities forms the paper template. The paper template is given to formationist of any kind and two simple formations are overlaid on the paper, one to give it rudimentary motor skills and second to filter energy from consumable items. In fact, mid grade paper puppets are just a notch better filter formations. The materials are of course the expensive part. When the formation is being crafted a low grade puppet has very low chance of failure so its cost is low, a medium grade has some chance to fail and this carves into the product costs, not to mention it waste the formationists time. Lastly high grade has a high chance of failure and that can only be mitigated by using superior materials which in turn increases the cost even further, rather then lowering it. ¡°These three are all sold by different vendors.¡± Almost all materials sold by vendors in the first level are cheap but they still range from low to high grade. This is exactly like the paper puppets. They are still in the same tier but the materials or methods used to create the items vary in quality. A novice potion crafter might craft ten potions and by chance one of them would be medium grade or even high grade, but they themselves might not know. It is due to these sorts of things that crafters often take time to learn analyzing methods and there is even a job specifically aimed at analyzing both raw materials and crafted items. This sort of job is similar to scholarly pursuits like formationist, it requires a large amount of studying to become proficient. The warrior trains and the scholar reads. ¡°Depending on how much supply these have I should be able to recoup my losses but my profits will probably be low.¡± Rak finally grabs one of the three safe consumable items. This one is called Tone pill and is a small square tablet that resembles a small biscuit. The taste is dry and the texture like a crumbling old piece of paper, it makes Rak frown in displeasure. ¡°Can¡¯t they at least add some flavour to this?¡± Immediately upon swallowing Rak is prompted with an alert, similar to the one he received upon completing the first floor¡¯s challenge.
You have gained rudimentary auditory defence. Your Hearing increased slightly. Sound related attacks have less effect on you.
Eating one piece already shows the items effects and Rak dutifully writes them down and proceeds to eating the next consumable item. This item is in a small tube thinner than a pencil and looks rather shady. Similar alert pops up when Rak consumes it. The item is called Minor power and like the Tone pill has no further description.
Your Strength increased slightly.
Rak isn¡¯t surprised by the two items effects as this is in line with what he has read about some low tier consumables. And even if these only provide small benefits there is still a possibility that large or cumulative doses can create greater benefits. Perhaps eating many Tone pills can grant the user a special hearing ability, maybe the Minor power tonic can grant the person a short term strengthening ability, these things aren¡¯t too uncommon. The last item on the menu is transparent pill with liquid inside of it. Both the liquid and the pill¡¯s shell seem to be completely clear. This pill is called Small water pill. As with the other items it has no other descriptors.
Your Fatigue has been slightly replenished. Your Clarity has increased slightly. Your Clarity has been slightly replenished.
This last pill has definite market value. Anything related to fatigue is valued highly by many crafting professions and even some jobs like fishermen, hunters and the like require it to maintain themselves for long periods. As for clarity, it is obviously valuable but underrated. Even though the Small water pill doesn¡¯t permanently increase a person¡¯s fatigue and only repenishes it, it can be a life saving tonic if used in dire situations. People can be out of energy or lacking clarity but low levels of fatigue are more troublesome to recover. This becomes more relevant the more people delve into Strange zones and into the Endless mountain range. In some cases people will need to prepare large amount of fatigue replenishing items just to explore an area. Fatigue is already an issue for some people, and delving into wild Strange zones, the fatigue drain can catch people off guard. Without proper fatigue foundations, some places cannot be explored. They might become a person who sleeps twenty hours and be awake for four, making them vulnerable to endless dangerous situations. ¡°Best I can do is buy up these three potions, I¡¯ll probably still suffer a loss but I can recoup some of the losses.¡± Chapter twenty two: Non-consumable items. Rak quickly made his way around the bazaar visiting the vendors he did before and was fortunate enough to be able to still buy up their stock. This action was observed by the mercenary group and reported to Cle. ¡°He bought large stock of pills? Three different types?¡± ¡°One was in liquid form but the other two were pills.¡± ¡°Alright you can leave. We¡¯ll set out early tomorrow, get some rest.¡± After receiving the reports and ordering the man out, Cle was left alone with Featherfall. Cle has let down her indifferent expression and is in deep thought frowning. ¡°What is it sister Cle?¡± ¡°You should know this Abstinence has only been in the city for a few days, and this should be his first interaction with a trading Strange zone like the Bazaar tower.¡± ¡°So?.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already found three viable items to stock up on.¡± ¡°So? Anyone can buy a few pills.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t looking at the whole picture. He bought very specific pills, meaning he tested around seventy to a hundred different items. Maybe more depending on his luck¡± At this point Feathefall picked up Cle¡¯s meaning. ¡°Your saying he¡¯s richer than expected?¡± ¡°That or newly rich and is wantonly spending coin.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Manipulator but pretty weak, so he might be one of those book types.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡± Cle didn¡¯t believe Rak was a scholar, he certainly didn¡¯t look it. Rak hired them to delve into this Bazaar tower, he didn¡¯t put up a too polite front, making his natural aristocratic aura sneak out. It wasn¡¯t much but Cle has mingled amongst the more ¡®cultured¡¯ and Rak certainly had some of their bearings. ¡°Forget it, even if he tested hundred items, it''s just a few gold coins.¡± ¡°Are you interested in him?¡± From Featherfall¡¯s perspective, what Rak did was nothing special. But Rak is young, handsome, somewhat skilled and apparently wealthy. If this doesn¡¯t attract a woman, the rest of humanity is going to have a hard time. Though to be clear, Rak¡¯s abilities in combat are still very much lacking. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Featherfall felt she hit the mark but Cle¡¯s expression remained the same and showed no signs of being flustered. ¡®Why is sister so curious about this man?¡¯ Even though Cle denied any interest she was already putting a few things together. Her mercenary group didn¡¯t get to where it is today by being ill informed. Rak¡¯s history has already been roughly dug up. But none of Gou¡¯s men know about Rak¡¯s brewery, hence Rak¡¯s wealth is still a mystery. ¡°His relationship with the Falli family is shallow, but any relationship with the Falli has to be taken seriously.¡± It can be exceedingly difficult to gain information in Chaos theory, especially when the target is from another city. If Rak was from Kalloway, this wouldn¡¯t have been an issue. ¡°Speaking of the Falli family, Gou Jovel returning means there might be internal conflict.¡± ¡°You know we don¡¯t take up those sorts of jobs, Featherfall. Our Bazaar mercenary group is already showing promise. We have seventeen products identified already and in the future it will only rise.¡± Cle has great aspirations and the groups current ¡®work¡¯ in escorting people into the bazaar is a veil to disguise their recent wealth. As a group specializing in the Bazaar tower and ignoring other Strange zones, they have accumulated an extensive list of valuable items. Their total wealth even rivialing Rak¡¯s. It would be even more impressive if they didn¡¯t take great precautions. Once people find out their lucrative business, they¡¯ll have to share it or meet with a very miserable end. Even though death isn¡¯t permanent, that doesn¡¯t mean that they can¡¯t be held captive, extorted or even tortured. They do have certain precautions in place in the case of being captured by people with ill intent, one of which is suicide. The death penalty would be welcomed if they can escape from old wealthy families. This is common practice in large cities, not to mention a medium empire city like Kalloway. ¡°I guess I miss the old days.¡± Unlike most people, Featherfall is something of a fighting addict. A few years back they had to fight often, in underground arenas, deadly Strange zones or even upright battle arenas. Living in a large city can cost a lot of coin, living safely is even more expensive. Danger makes heroes and Cle and Featherfall are certainly that. But with this dangerous life came strength. As Cle and Featherfall became strong enough, their earnings skyrocketed. Now they are even engaging in investing their wealth and getting high returns. In a few years, if they can scale up their operation and perhaps monopolize the Bazaar tower through wealth, political power and personal strength. Then they might become an aristocratic family worth fearing. ¡°I haven¡¯t stepped foot in an arena for over a year.¡± Featherfall continued to reminisce. It has to be understood that Cle and Featherfall might carry some vicissitudes of life but they are still young. Cle stopped thinking and looked at Featherfall who is staring into the middle distance. ¡°Don¡¯t we spar regularly? The fifth floor challenge is also deadly.¡± As Cle said, the group is a three star mercenary group. This is their official status but in reality they have managed to reach the fifth floor. Only on the fifth floor are peak tier one items that are considered failed tier two items. These peak tier one items are a lot more hassle to test. Even just their spending on the fourth floor causes them to feel a heavy weight when they carry the items out of the tower and prepare to sell them through various means. It isn¡¯t until the items are sold and they¡¯ve recouped losses that they can breathe a sigh of relief. And this is with them only buying small quantities. The Bazaar tower has been a constant drain on their coins but in recent months the mercury group has been making incredible profits reaching tens of gold. This sort of profits is like turning a beggar into a king. ¡°Sparring isn¡¯t a life and death fight. And what¡¯s there to worry about on the fifth floor? It¡¯s just the other people that can¡¯t hold their ground. And we still haven¡¯t even tried the sixth floor.¡± ¡°If we challenge the sixth floor and fail we¡¯ll be exposed. We can hide our success but we can¡¯t hide our failures. If people know we reach the fifth floor they¡¯ll quickly tie those high level items to us and in less than a year we¡¯ll be exposed.¡± At this moment Cle has been speaking like they are villains. In some eyes they are indeed villains, having coin can be a crime in the eyes of the established rich or the desperate poor. This sort of income has to be properly managed. The team¡¯s current income isn¡¯t much in the grand scheme of things but if manpower is poured into it and it¡¯s managed well, the income will similarly scale to enormous proportions. Cle and Featherfall continue to discuss various things while Rak attempts to analyze his ¡®failed¡¯ items. According to what Rak has read about these sorts of unidentified items, as they can also be found in other Strange zones through other means. What he read is that most of them should be mid grade or high grade. This is true whether they are malignant and poisonous or beneficial like the Small water pill. The Small water pill is a mid grade item and its very gentle nature is the reason why a simple low tier paper puppet was able to survive ingesting it. The Small power potion is a low grade and is just weak enough for the paper puppet to survive the more volatile energy from it. ¡°It seems the cheapest option is a combination of healers, some potion concoters, alchemist specializing in consumables and some sturdy people would be the most cost efficient.¡± No matter how Rak tries to think of ways to increase profits, in the end it is best to rely on specialized skills rather than these puppets. Even if the puppets promise certain success rate, whose to say there aren¡¯t many exceptions? The items might be just a bit too volatile for a low grade or the paper puppets quality could be compromised. ¡°Only by consuming the items can you be certain of their effects. Even if I can determine that the item is harmful, there might still be value in it, only I won¡¯t risk consuming to find out.¡± After sorting the forty seven items into five categories of solid pills, soft pills, powder, liquid and finally what seems like organic materials. The last category are things like a piece of leaf, which should not be something crafted but grown and nurtured, either naturally or by a person. Of course the liquids and powders could be natural products as well, but they cannot be differentiated into organics reliably. ¡°With long term investments it is possible to record viable items slowly. But the real profits would be to bring a large group specializes in testing at low cost.¡± Rak is rolling a small pill between his fingers and tapping the table with his other hand. The candle flickers slightly with every tap. ¡°If it is possible to create reusable test puppets that could also an option. Maybe it is possible to lower the cost of these puppets as well.¡± With the paper puppets being fairly popular their prices have slowly risen, especially since Cle¡¯s mercenary group has been stealthily buying large supply of them. In the future they plan to create their own workshops with the sole purpose of fabricating paper puppets and other materials. Setting up a workshop can be a risky thing, without Chaos theory support and becoming a part of the system, their income will be dependant entirely on the Bazaar tower. Presumably they¡¯ll have to produce some amount of products to sell on the market as well, until they have established themselves and no longer fear being swallowed by larger businesses. After analyzing the consumables five additional piles have emerged. These are Rak ?s guesses as to which are just volilate low grade consumables or higher grades. The other pile is what he suspects to be harmful products. Without proper foundations Rak¡¯s guesses are almost at random. The analyzing can be considered practice, even if the results are lackluster.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. In Cle¡¯s mercenary group they have already begun researching various unranked crafting jobs and use their knowledge to identify valuable items. Their profits are already impressive and should continue to grow as they continue to nurture their support jobs. When one thinks about all these things, it brings out the thought, why has no one systematically researched the Bazaar tower like this before? Almost entirely because the investment cost is huge, and comparing to similar investments in other Strange zone it pales in comparison. There are still some people that routinely make profits but few are consistent. The real reason as to why there isn¡¯t too big of a market for the Bazaar tower¡¯s items is that reaching higher levels gets harder and harder. In other Strange zones, sometimes just staying in one location and knowing it well, can be very bountiful. The risks are far lower, and it is possible to retreat from battle, unlike the Bazaar tower¡¯s challenges. This means over time less and less new fighters challenge the tower in favour of other easier Strange zones. Vast majority of people engaging in the Bazaar tower are those that have already invested time it. Even though a few tens silvers per trip isn¡¯t much, for some it is entirely adequate. This is especially true if they can master the first or second floor challenges. The risk becomes purely in what items to buy and then resell in the Kalloway market. Over time people find niche items that just rotate within the vendors and are only annoying to find but they always end up finding. Even though they do this often, the market never lacks more items to consume. ¡°When I return to Alp town I won¡¯t be able to enter a Strange zone at all. But if our guess is correct about the Endless mountain range, it won¡¯t matter.¡± Another way to check for item¡¯s value is to give them to animals. Frail small animals will directly die under too much energy but they are still better than paper puppets, being able to endure mid grade energy, only high volatility might still cause complications. If a person has tamed the beast they can directly see the effects of the consumables. There goes some effort into taming a beast and not many are heartless enough to endanger their tamed beasts. It isn¡¯t impossible for people to buy tamed beast however, just as Rak did with his two horses. Survivalist and other adventurer type jobs will buy a tamed beast exactly to test foreign plants, meat of beasts or even random consumables found in wild Strange zones. ¡°Father should have already made some preparations but its still very early.¡± Rak¡¯s current location in Kalloway causes his time to crawl to only two times that of reality. This also means that those living at the Endless mountain are living in a time dilation that is two times faster than Rak¡¯s. Two months here will be four months by the Endless mountain range but only one month in reality. This worries Rak, but this is also why his income has increased so much. The time in the Bazaar tower is approximately the same as the outskirts of the Endless mountain range. After spending a day in the Bazaar tower, only half a day passes in Kalloway city. Time related things quickly become convoluted and tedious to ponder. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll deal with it when I return. As for these items, I¡¯ll have to continue researching these items in the future and slowly learn.¡± Understanding that his knowledge is shallow and that reading isn¡¯t the same as experiencing Rak decided he¡¯d use some of his time to learn about items that strengthen people. He¡¯s looking for items that strengthen his Manipulator abilities but anything that can show long term profits is worth his interests. Rak scrambled the items into five piles again, wanting to attempt the same task tomorrow morning. Tomorrow they¡¯ll challenge the second floor and the day after that the third. In the morning Rak returned to his pile of items. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t confirm it, I think there is a good chance that Chaos theory will acknowledge my act. With enough practice I might gain an ability.¡± Having read a few books on jobs, abilities and ways to improve oneself Rak found that often simple repetition can cause abilities to appear. While his Manipulator abilities seem to be tied directly to his job as a Manipulator and everything surrounding it, his passive stamina ability, Basic stamina, originated from him just walking around. Along with some literature subtle pointing towards it but never directly saying, Rak¡¯s is fairly certain it works. ¡°I can¡¯t regain passive stamina and this is the next best thing I could think of.¡± With limited knowledge it is hard to make good guesses. Practicing physical activities that increase strength like lifting weights or simply doing pushups can induce an ability called Basic strength. There is also a Basic dexterity, Basic agility, Basic thought, Basic rest and even far abstract ones like Basic breath. Some can be stumbled upon but many require dedicated effort. Just stretching casually won¡¯t produce Basic agility, occasionally crafting won¡¯t give you Basic Dexterity and just thinking about complex things through won¡¯t award you with Basic thought. A person that tackles complex issues daily will certainly gain Basic thought, the key being consistency. Even if it is just playing a game like chess for a half an hour a day. Everytime Rak returns to the real world he will relax for a time, review some reports, eat, maybe play around a bit and then search for things like passive abilities, new unknown jobs and more. In the end quite a bit of information makes its way into the real world but a whole lot of it is censored. Chaos theory is not something that is directly running governments but it certainly has the ability to do whatever it wants. If people attempt to spread key information through digital media, they will be stopped. It is still possible to meet with people and speak frankly, this sort of information sharing is slow and can¡¯t cause too much harm. Spreading to the entire world with a finger press is different. There are hundreds of jobs claimed, a lot of variant evolutions of the jobs but there is no way to know how they got their jobs. The best they can do is tell people directly what their abilities do. Knowing what abilities they have is half the battle as it can be somewhat deduced what skills are prerequisite for them to get a job advancement quest. It is also possible to say something like, ¡®I went to an unranked Manipulator workshop and I am now a Manipulator. ¡°I should sweep the Bazaar once before the appointed meeting time.¡± While the words sweep were used, Rak just casually inspected various items, occasionally buying an item he ¡®expertly¡¯ guessed to be good. Of course he didn¡¯t test the new items and only hoarded them away, putting it into his inventory with his other collection. None of the items stacked and looking through it in the inventory is an eyesore, but Rak doesn¡¯t let that affect him as he continues to incrementally increase the pile. ¡°I should go meet up with the team.¡± When Rak arrived just outside the bazaar, nine people were already gathered, six are having a lively discussion and laughing while the seventh person is talking to Cle and Featherfall. ¡°Oh, your already here?¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d be here a little early, to think I was the last one to arrive.¡± It is exactly this way of talking accompanied by casual expression that lets you know that it''s all just flattery. There is an art to flatter someone without saying something about them and at the same time let them understand that you are indeed intentionally flattering them. This sort of tactic works most of the time but Featherfall has a disdainful expression and lets out a whiff of air through her nose. Cle glances as Featherfall but ignores her otherwise. ¡°With you here, we shouldn¡¯t waste time. We will challenge the second floor immediately. This time I¡¯ll have to ask you to stay back behind Heave.¡± Heave is the long range attacker of the team but in general the tactics are make sure he can attack from afar while also being protected. This makes it so that he¡¯s always the furthest back. ¡°You don¡¯t need me to set up a few shields?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trouble you to protect yourself in this round.¡± Unlike the first round, there is less room to let a newbie like Rak play around. The Bazaar tower is a lot less forgiving than other Strange zones. With more risk there is a need to make sure no one gets injured due to negligence, and because they can¡¯t depend on Rak, it is better to just not include him in their plans. A popular saying is, fear not a competent enemy but a foolish friend. Or something along those lines. ¡°Okay.¡± In the end Rak has no power within this group, in their contract it very clearly showed that Rak could not order any of them and Rak would have to listen to their arrangements or they would relinquish any responsibility for his safety. This contract has plenty of room for exploitation but in the worst case, Rak would just die and lose the items he¡¯s bought along with a public announcement within the tower that lets people know that Rak died during the second challenge. Which wouldn''t faze Rak but for some people this sort of thing can be humiliating. ¡°We¡¯ll begin into the challenge then.¡± Just like before everyone in the group is prompted with a familiar notification.
Cle Velio has invited you to join the Bazaar Tower¡¯s second floor Accept | Decline
If five people accept then the challenge is set to five people difficulty but once six people accept it, it is set to ten people difficulty. On the second floor¡¯s challenge area the entire group suddenly appears. Cle waves her hands and her team immediately moves in a coordinated fashion towards the enemy location. As before the enemy are plant related humanoids, this time around vines can be seen wiggling on the ground or even swaying into the air. They all come out of the ground and originate from two vine variant plant humanoids. The difficulty of this level is now compounded as these vine queens will create up to three vines, one of which acts independently and the other two in coordination with the vine queens commands. Here the biggest threat is the independant vine as it can be unpredictable. This new difficulty is still of little challenge to the experienced mercenary group. Everytime a vine digs out of the ground it is struck down mercilessly and the vine queen has no choice but to regenerate the vine at the cost of energy and time. Other than this the challenge is exactly the same as on the first floor. The projectiles are easily blocked, deflected or dodged. The vines are expertly taken care of and when they enter melee range, which is the teams strong suit, they massacre the plant humanoids. Clear viscous liquid spreads on the ground with plant material, everything from soft green stems to hard bark are scattered everywhere. Rak¡¯s current role is that of an observer. He has three shields rotating slowly around him, he has not made a single move so far other than preparing for one of those vines to pop up. In the end the entire affair was uneventful but Rak still thoroughly enjoyed watching the fight. ¡°It''s hard to see how difficult the fights are but I still remember how difficult it was to just block the projectiles on the first floor. From the looks of it, I would really just be in the way.¡± The last enemy died and immediately the team got a new alert in their logs. They were then teleported to the second floor¡¯s bazaar. Without much fanfare Rak was again on his own while the mercury team went on with their secretive business. They wouldn¡¯t let Rak or any of their customers see what they buy, and if they did it would be for the purpose of misdirection. ¡°The items on the second floor are still very similar to the first floor but they are supposed to be more likely to be of medium or high quality. From what I¡¯ve read it is still mostly guesses and its difficult to confirm.¡± The Bazaar vendors do sometimes sell information but it is exceedingly rare. This information is almost never shared. Even selling it can be dangerous unless you deal with the government, in which case you get more reputation with the government than actual coin. Your safety is however guaranteed. Rak rents out another mansion to use. The cost is just not that high, the bazaar isn¡¯t a city and there is no valuable land. With the mansion dealt with, Rak begins slowly inspecting various vendors wares. The bazaar is already thirty percent larger than on the first floor, making it even more difficult to inspect everything in a short time. This time around Rak has decided on a new strategy, he wants to see if items really do change depending on the time. With no other methods Rak can only write down a few vendor¡¯s items. He can only see their name, quantity of the item and how much they cost. After taking down the entire stock of ten vendors Rak stops recording everything and just casually browses for the rest of the day. He eats when he¡¯s hungry and buys items at random acting according to what he believes to be good items. Of course his gusses are still almost entirely at random, but that¡¯s to be expected. ¡°Still no ability.¡± When evening arrives Rak returns to his mansion and sorts his items. ¡°Hundred sixty four consumables. Excluding the three items I stocked up on.¡± The price of items has already gone up a degree but with Raks pocket money of tens of gold, he could practically one of each item. Actually this tactic isn¡¯t something people haven¡¯t thought of, but whose brave enough to try it? The more excessive costs come from identifying good from bad later on. ¡°This might be my mind playing tricks but I feel like I¡¯m becoming better at differentiating aspects of these items.¡± Finding differences between items is not the same as knowing which are beneficial and which are harmful. In Rak¡¯s case it is more the case of understanding that out of ten specific pills, five are maybe good for the body while three are for the mind and two are still ambiguous. All this is still random and very inaccurate but the intention is to ¡®practice¡¯. Rak ?s goal is to gain some ability related to the identifying or analyzing items. ¡°Level two Manipulator.¡± With the combination of defeating two Bazaar levels and prolonged practice of his Manipulator abilities over two months, Rak has reached level two Manipulator. This level has far higher rewards than Rak ?s previous ten levels as an unranked.
Base energy increase by 36 Base energy regeneration increased by 0.2% Physical attributes have increased slightly. All attributes have been replenished.
A feeling of refreshing spring wind washes over Rak, small imperceptible wounds heal and even old scars appear to be lighter. This sort of feeling is like waking up from a short nap with and all fatigue has been washed away. ¡°It really is an amazing feeling. I can understand becoming addicted to this¡± In the real world, quite a few people have described the sensation of leveling up their jobs and some swear that it gets more enjoyable with every level. The main source of experience comes from either crafting, quests and killing various enemies. There are others like explorations and various discoveries but these last two are almost inconsequential in comparison due to their frequency, the amount of experience is still good hower. Check out my other stories: My fiction page: Nevatrue! Experience is now infinite however, already the mercenary group gets next to no experience for killing familiar enemies. This holds true even if they are still ¡®challenging¡¯. Variety is just as important as a challenge is. Which is one of the reasons that multiple Strange zones are so important. If Rak took it upon himself to fight alone versus some of the easier Strange zone enemies, he would easily regain his status of level ten and only then would his leveling slow down. To give a comparison, Cle and Featherfall are only around level thirty four and thirty three. This is because of lacking challenges. Their teammates closer to twenty five to thirty but not too far behind. On average the highest level people are usually dedicated crafters, those that seek to improve their craft rather than those that chase wealth. But even this has limitations as materials for more higher tier crafting will not be available. But crafting has limitations and this is why highest levels are almost exclusive to fierce fighters as well as dedicated crafters. At the current state of the world, levels are not apparent when it comes to personal strength but as levels grow they continue to have incremental differences to the point that a level thirty person should have some advantage of a level twenty. Much of this advantage can be explained away by their own combat experience but there is also the case of attributes making a difference. It is when people gain their tier two jobs that significant distance can be seen, one which it becomes very hard for a tier one job to defeat a person with a tier two jobs, even if they are at the peak of tier one. When it comes to these sorts of things there are no absolutes but there are undeniable differences between a tier one job¡¯s abilities and a tier two¡¯s. This can perhaps be bridged if a person has very good synergy with their supportive job, perhaps two supportive jobs that align with each other and in turn align with the combat focused job. Individual ability in combat can be significant as well, and then there are special cases where some job¡¯s strengths directly strikes at the weaknesses of another job. ¡°The benefits to leveling seem high.¡± Rak had been practicing his basic Manipulator abilities when he leveled. His previous sense of tiredness and loss of energy vanished. He was filled with vigour to the point he began messing about with his various consumables. The vendors outside mostly sell mysterious consumable items but some vendors also have miscellaneous items with no descriptions. In the case of colored pencils and a set of painting tools, Rak was not bothered about their lacking descriptions. It is these items that are coming in handy now. Outside of documenting various consumables prices, names, vendor locations and general description for their appearance, Rak has begun drawing them with greater enthusiasm and detail. Only now has begun attempting to color or give them shading. This activity is one of leisure but can also be considered practical. ¡°These aren¡¯t half bad.¡± Rak has little experience in drawing or coloring but there is really no need for a picture perfect sample in this case. At first Rak didn¡¯t notice but eventually he saw his logs and in them each pencil was slowly draining Rak¡¯s energy. At that point Rak realized that the pencils hadn¡¯t lost their sharpness and still looked near pristine. ¡°So there are things like this exists as well?¡± Chapter twenty three: Leaving the tower. After experiencing a few things and reading on a whole lot, Rak sense of wonder was fading and even though this set of colored pencils weren¡¯t much he couldn''t help but marvel at it. ¡°I should take note of the other miscellaneous items as well. I''d like to find more items like the pencil set and the paint brushes. Having these thoughts Rak summoned out his painting set and inspected it. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything proper to paint on.¡± All of Rak¡¯s notebooks were about the size of two hands but after some thinking Rak directly ripped out a single page to test on. ¡°I have too much time on my hands.¡± In the excitement Rak ?s various items were sprawled all over the table, his initially organized pile of pills a little scattered, two pencils fell to the floor and now there were two notebooks taking up space. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself, he was indeed a little bored these days. Good thing that during the two months of travel, Rak learned to relax by himself and even enjoyed training a bit. Through his life, Rak has always had servants but now he was slowly getting used to taking care of himself. It was made easier because he can simply store food in his inventory and other necessities, but he still had to be conscientious about a lot of things he could ignore before. Even simple things like the passing of time was often something assistants had to notify Rak of. Rak took up the smallest of three painting brushes. The body looks like it has been roughly polished and not given any finish, this is made clear by its rough feel. The other brushes have the same shape only longer and thicker. ¡°Is this a half finished product?¡± The tip of the brush looks almost indistinguishable from a bundle of dried out pale yellow grass. Rak dips the tip into black paint smeared on a small painting pallet. After his previous surprise with the pencil, Rak is observing his logs carefully. ¡°Just like the pencils these tools also drain my energy.¡± The paint slowly covers the entire brush only then does it stop draining energy. ¡°Isn¡¯t this draining a bit too much energy?¡± Feeling the loss of energy Rak is surprised. Considering his foundation as a Manipulator his energy is something he¡¯s familiar with. Actually all people have some sort of innate sense of their energy, like being out of breath after exercising. This understanding can grow or fade depending on whether people continue their training. ¡°This should be about a quarter or more of my entire energy pool. What a terrifying painting brush.¡± With the black paint covering the brush Rak begins slowly covering the torn out notebook paper, intending to see much he can paint at once. Soon the entire page is full and only a small amount of black paint has receded from the base of the brush with the tip of the brush still having black paint without any sign of being used. ¡°The energy the brush uses is negligible. But the paint seems to be plentiful.¡± Feeling a bit helpless Rak quietly stares at the painting brush. ¡°I guess the other pencils will work the same way. Hmm?¡± After looking at the painting pallet again, Rak notices one of the dents has no color in it. This empty dent inspires Rak to tap the pencil in. Immediately the colors begins draining from the brush at an even faster pace than it absorbed paint earlier. ¡°So it¡¯s like this. The energy drain is similar but faster. Not bad.¡± After making these discoveries Rak feels like he accomplished something and happily begins putting his tools and pills away. Even though Rak has just replenished his fatigue by leveling, it is still late at night and there is no need to stay awake through the night. ¡°The items are still unidentified.¡± Before going to sleep Rak looked at his pencil and paintbrush, they still didn¡¯t have a description. The only thing are the names of the items and below that the words ¡®Unidentified¡¯. In spite of the items being unidentified, they can still be used. One of the methods to identify an item is exactly to use it often, this can be considered the most tedious method but also straightforward. The biggest problem with identifying items by using them is that there might be a downside from using them. One day the item might snap and break for no apparent reason. The user might experience a sudden backlash from the item, if that happens in a crucial situation it might even lead to death. The last issue is that on some items only a portion will be identified at a time, mainly because the hidden option or attribute on the item hasn¡¯t been used or isn¡¯t used regularly. ¡°Sleeping for eight hours should be fine, I can walk through the Bazaar again tomorrow before we go to the third floor.¡± The third floor is the last stop, the mercenary group will not risk the death of a client by attempting to go through the fourth floor. On the fourth floor, people have to be able to defend themselves or have a person capable of defending both themselves and another person. This isn¡¯t too difficult but the risks are not worth it for the mercenary group. Selecting to sleep Rak immediately loses consciousness and returns to the real world. With approximately two hours before he¡¯ll have to return or his physical body will remain sleeping and eventually he¡¯ll be booted out of the tower. ¡°Ah.¡± Stretching his legs Rak feels nothing wrong with his body, in fact it feels somewhat more comfortable than usual. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell but it does look like the nano machines are improving my body. Leveling is supposedly increased my physical attributes so I should be feeling the effects now.¡± With a weak body, improvements are more drastic, Rak ?s physical state can still be considered alright but most of his exercise lately has been within Chaos theory and it has clearly followed into reality. The main reason why Rak can feel the increase in physical prowess is because of his incubating chamber which has the effect of amplifying nano machines efficiency and in addition to greater source of nutrients it elevates it by a few notches. For others it would take longer to take effect. ¡°Sir.¡± Rak¡¯s assistant is already approaching Rak with an amibiable expression. Rak glances at her and continues to move his body before nodding at her. Seeing this, she quickly waves her hand and pushes towards Rak. In recent days, Rak has become very routine in real life, no longer going out for morally questionable activities. ¡°Hm?¡± Two of Rak¡¯s siblings have contacted Rak. It is very rare for Rak to talk to his siblings outside of official family events and even there their contact is superficial. Rak¡¯s siblings can be considered his cousins rather than sisters and brothers as they are like relatives he only sees on rare occasions. ¡°Is this because of the new Chaos theory businesses?¡± Even though Rak did tell his father the majority of his experiences, his father didn¡¯t mention everything to his siblings. The family has begun a great project of setting up various businesses within Chaos theory and everyone within the family is being pressured to meet certain goals. And due to Rak¡¯s progress he¡¯s been made the bar to reach. ¡°Reject all invitations for my siblings.¡± Without answering Rak¡¯s assistant only nods and begins tapping into the air, noting down a few things. ¡°This could affect my companies.¡± While Rak has little interaction with his siblings that doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t know what sort of people they are. ¡°If they think I¡¯m in competition with them, they¡¯ll be sure to slither my way. If they can¡¯t get in touch with me, they¡¯ll strike at my companies.¡± Rak struck out on his own and has no direct responsibilities within the family but that doesn¡¯t mean his siblings believe he¡¯s not competing with them. In fact they¡¯ll look at the family history and see that Rak is acting very like their father when he was younger. When they see this they¡¯ll consider Rak a very real threat. ¡°God damnit.¡± After pacing around the room for a bit Rak let out a breath. He had just gotten off the high of leveling up only to be struck down by these annoyances. ¡°Forget it, even if they burn down my companies that doesn¡¯t mean its my failure.¡± Rak set up quite a few businesses, they didn¡¯t all succeed but none of them have failed. Some are still accumulating foundation and will emerge successful in the future. But toppling these budding companies would not be difficult for one of Rak¡¯s viciously competitive siblings. After settling down and rationalizing any potential failures, Rak began reading through the updates his assistant gave him earlier. ¡°So this is why. Mother and father are really ambitious.¡± A whole lot of promises have been made towards people achieving good results in Chaos theory. Of course these results are all things Rak has done already and he¡¯s being used as the poster boy for it. The only thing Rak hasn¡¯t done is reach tier two or found a variant job. Tens of businesses have been set up already by the family but none of them measures up to Rak¡¯s success. A few are showing promise once they expand. Quite a few people were ambitious and attempted in setting up a business within a city and still stuck at that stage. Those that were successful were those that took the information at hand and set up in a town. Using Rak as model. ¡°Some of these things were things I was going to do.¡± Quite a few of Raks ideas were being used, someone created a small smithy and began creating basic tools for adventures that want to travel into the Endless mountain range. There are some that directly copied the brewery business as well, with some success. It can be a bit convoluted to tie together the difference in time but approximately three months in Chaos theory time has passed in the area around the Endless mountain range since Rak left. This is ample time to set down some foundations for businesses. Some people already had some reputation with a town but the competitive people in the family almost all left for local cities. There are plenty of people that didn¡¯t have grand ambitions in Chaos theory so they meandered around, some even didn¡¯t leave their beginning village. ¡°At least the operation is going alright. The map is getting filled in quite a bit. Which makes this a lot stranger.¡± There are hundreds of maps available for Rak to inspect, very few were are expansive as the one Rak has in Chaos theory but some must have gotten lucky or were from avid travellers. One thing that caused some worry, and is what Rak was wondering about is that none of these maps could be placed properly. Only a few pieces were tied together to form a total of twelve cities going from left to right.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. This twelve city map that went along the Endless mountain range is from the very few people that just so happen to be closer to each other. They had still been six cities away from each other but after the maps were being collected and inspected some areas actually fit together. With this they could tie together these few map pieces. ¡°Why split everyone so far apart?¡± Rak had already sat down and was eating delicious fresh fruit while reading the updates. This type of news from the family was the most interesting to him, his companies rarely had any big changes that needed his attention. ¡°Someone is actually trying to create a caravan company.¡± After learning a few things from Gou, Rak knew how hard it would be to make a profit from being a travelling Merchant. Not all Merchant travelled far but those that did gained more with proper setup. Some Merchant set up small Bazaar for a period of time before moving on from village to town and eventually to cities. Some never entered cities as it cuts into profits and could even be dangerous. But not many people know about these difficulties beforehand. ¡°There isn¡¯t much on this caravan company.¡± Rak has always been interested in the process of starting up businesses. He already had an outline for a caravan company and now he had the urge to directly return to the Alp to set things up. ¡°Maybe it was a mistake travelling here with Gou.¡± Rak hadn¡¯t been too hurried in returning to Alp town but now he felt a sense of urgency. He didn¡¯t compete with his family members because they all worked within the family corporations. But now they were infringing on Rak¡¯s field, at least from his perspective this was the case. A fiery competitive spirit has already begun kindling. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ve already gained plenty from this journey to Kalloway. When I get back I¡¯ll go through the Bazaar again, focusing on tools similar to the pencil set.¡± Gou isn¡¯t going back any time soon so Rak already made plans to begin travelling back with his two horses. He¡¯s already made use of Gou¡¯s family to buy a used tier one carriage. With a tier one carriage and his two horses, travelling back should not take longer than one and a half months. Not travelling in a huge caravan will speed things up considerably. ¡°According to ¡®Wildon¡¯s misclenious wisdom¡¯ I can increase how fast I learn things by reading relevant material. I¡¯ve already confirmed that listening to people that already have talents and abilities increases learning speed as well.¡± When Url taught Rak how to drive a caravan Rak didn¡¯t realize how he had done it but after reading up on various things to learn about abilities, he found that direct teachings from an already established carriage driver is just about the most efficient way to learn. Rak put down the updates and began habitually tapping his fingers on the table, each tap made the freshly washed fruits shake a little. ¡°It¡¯s best not to underestimate my siblings.¡± For the longest time Rak has looked down on his family members aside from his mother and father, because they slave away in the family businesses. I didn¡¯t matter to him that they were all working in cutthroat high pressure environment. ¡°Being related to me they have to have some capabilities.¡± Recently in Chaos theory Rak had begun reading books recommended to him by one of the Kalloway librarians. Unlike in Trove where only the rich can freely enter the library, Kalloway has all types and a huge population. This large population means that people like Rak, who have no foundations are often seen researching. ¡°It¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll buy a collection of carriage driving and horse riding books. I can donate them to Alp town¡¯s library. Hmm?¡± Rak shot to his feet and two servants immediately ran up close to Rak. ¡°Of course! Why didn¡¯t I think of it sooner? Where did Url learn his brewing?¡± As his thought came to this point he couldn¡¯t help but smile and when he finally snapped out of it he saw the two beautiful women standing by his side. He waved his hand, not willing to explain himself. The pair moved back to their previous positions, both still a bit flustered. ¡°In this way I might be able to pull it all off. There might be some issues but if I¡¯m right it can all be slowly figured out.¡± There are still at least an hour before Rak plans to log back into Chaos theory but a heavy feeling of impatience was smothering him. Unable to think of anything else Rak forced himself browsing global news, focusing on things related to Chaos theory. In the news there are still some people who died in ¡®unpredictable¡¯ ways after logging into Chaos theory. Chaos theory never issued an apology but instead quietly created plans to prevent such cases from repeating. Outside of this, the number of people being transferred by Chaos theory to safe facilities grew even larger. The number already being higher than any one city¡¯s population. And random violent crime lowered once again, coming to an all time low. With people being housed and fed by Chaos theory there is a lot less of unstable people on the streets. The degree of technology Chaos theory possess is a constant part of the news cycle, especially when talking about how it feeds the world. Even more terrifying it does it through a combination of liquid nutrients and nano machines, which should have been more expensive than just feeding people adequate gruel. Eventually Rak waved his hand and the holographic screen in front of him collapsed. His eyes turned to his two servants. ¡°Hopefully these two can help me kill some time.¡± Before Rak logged back into Chaos theory he made sure to advise his assistant that any messages or invitations from his brothers and sisters would be directly rejected. While he didn¡¯t have much interaction with them he knew their competitive nature and knowing that he was ¡®well of wisdom¡¯ to them, they wouldn¡¯t stop trying to reach him. ¡°Already back. I was so eager to get back I forgot my hands are still tied.¡± Sometimes being held back doesn¡¯t mean external factors are at play. Rak¡¯s curiosity towards the world of Chaos theory has been burning for a while now. ¡°I¡¯ll spend a day on the third floor but I won¡¯t sleep there and directly exit instead.¡± Rak arrived half an hour earlier than the appointed meeting place and was pleasantly surprised that he wasn¡¯t the last one to arrive. He never liked the feeling of being late or forcing people to wait for him, which could have been admirable if he didn¡¯t have multiple assistants serving his every need. ¡°Did you have a good night, Abstinence?¡± Rak turned to the man speaking to him, without Featherfall and Cle the team is a lot more relaxed. These people are all capable of holding their own and usually disdain the clients but Rak had shown some ability. He might not be enough to clear the fourth floor, but he might be able to make himself useful in a lesser team tackling the second floor. ¡°Good, good. And you?¡± Rak felt a bit embarrassed as he only knows the name of Featherfall and Cle. Forced into this situation Rak could only fumble and use a causal ¡®you¡¯ to respond. ¡°Great! We already made great profits.¡± The man¡¯s laugh suddenly stopped when he felt an elbow poke him. He had thought Rak¡¯s way of speaking was intiatemate rather than awkward. This is due to cultural differences. This lead to him speaking candidly. It¡¯s not a secret that the mercenary group makes profits of their trips into the Bazaar tower but they try not to broadcast it. ¡°As expected of a top rated mercenary group. I¡¯m still fumbling about and just testing things.¡± This particular group of people have slowly been unveiling mysteries surrounding the Bazaar tower and so hearing Rak was testing things they became interested. Even those that still didn¡¯t feel Rak was worth talking to perked their ears. ¡°Oh? What sort of testing?¡± This sort of question should be a whole lot more taboo and if it was Rak asking them he would be given a cold shoulder or even reprimanded for it. On the other hand f Rak wanted to make a future business out of the Bazaar tower he would have to decline to answer. ¡°I started with basic paper puppets. From what I understand they aren¡¯t too reliable.¡± ¡°Oof, if you just use basic paper puppets then your profits are a gamble.¡± Rak¡¯s eyes lit up hearing this. ¡°Oh? You have another method?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Why are you talking about the leader¡¯s secrets, Harlat?¡± Wanting to defend himself Harlat was about to speak when he saw two figures walking over. Not willing to create misunderstandings so he just give his friend a knowing look. Cle only glanced at the group when she arrived. ¡°Everyone is here. Let¡¯s go.¡± Soon everyone was in a familiar battlefield. ¡°There is more of them. About twice as many as before.¡± Rak slightly squinted his eyes trying to see the main differences between the floors. From Rak¡¯s point of view so far the difficulty didn¡¯t seem too high. ¡°Hmm? That almost looks like a person.¡± One of the vine humanoids deviated enough from a plant form to that of a shapely woman. The creature has the silhouette that can easily pass as a woman from afar. ¡°Rak, we need you to stay close to Iota. He will make sure you don¡¯t have any accidents.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Rak understood that Cle no longer considered him capable enough to defend himself. Best case scenario he wouldn¡¯t be actively dragging them down. Worst case they¡¯d have to allocate another person to defend Rak. Even if a few of them die, Rak cannot. This is their business after all and their reputation can¡¯t be besmirched. ¡°So the difficulty is from that new plant person. Even Cle has to take it seriously.¡± Previous two rounds Featherfall and Cle didn¡¯t act until the end to speed things up but now they actively help defend against the barrage of ranged attacks. There are numerous vines popping out from the ground attempting to whip any nearby mercenary. Some of these vines bloom pods or flowers that explode or scatter. The explosion cause small seedlings to penetrate people and bore beneath the skin. The flowers scatter various poisons. Being a complete bystander Rak can only watch on. Cold sweat running down his back. At this point he understands why he wasn¡¯t trusted with defending himself. There are simply to many directions the attacks are coming from. As they get closer to the vine humanoids the attacks become stronger and increase in quantity. ¡°That plant person must be controlling the rest or commanding them.¡± The fight has more tension to it but the mercenary group has cleared this floor multiple times and with Cle and Featherfall acting the last fight quickly enters its apex. Vines constantly pop up around Cle and as quickly as they come out they are cleaved in half. ¡°How is she doing this? Is she attacking that fast or is it an ability her job has?¡± At this point Rak realizes he really doesn¡¯t understand the power of abilities hold in Chaos theory. He had read quite a few books and felt he held a decent grasp on things but now he¡¯s doubting his knowledge. ¡°Even the other members seem to be on a whole different level.¡± On the second floor, the group simply didn¡¯t have the ability to show off like they are now. The attacks were weaker, in less quantity, less accurate and not at all as fast. The main difference being the vine humanoid leader that is unifying the vine humanoids. In addition to it attacking with its own abilities. ¡°This whole time I was comparing myself to these people but turns out there is this much of a difference.¡± Rak let his thoughts wander while he was being protected constantly. Occasionally poisonous mist drifted over or seedling shrapnel flew towards him. There were many he didn¡¯t even see before they were already rebounding off of the team¡¯s protective measures. When Cle finally fought her way to the vine humanoid leader and hacked it in two pieces the rest of the vine creatures became chaotic. With them being unorganized they died faster. The vine humanoid was resilient and regrew quickly, multiple vines growing from its body all lashing at Cle. ¡°This is impossible.¡± The vines attacking in such a frenzy and with such attack speed that they blurred, making it difficult for Rak to see what was happening. Every vine was however being deflected in someway as they only managed to reach about a meter of Cle. After some of the larger vine creatures died Featherfall joined Cle and all suspense vanished. With a single attack from Featherfall the vine humanoid leader¡¯s offensive slowed down for a moment and Cle used it to repeatedly hack it into pieces. Unlike the vine humanoid, Cle couldn¡¯t easily recover from a dangerous wound so she acted defensively. In truth she could have taken some risks and dealt with the humanoid herself with ease. Only, as a leader, she couldn¡¯t be too reckless. ¡°Good job.¡± Simple words made everyone in the group flustered. Usually she only said the words if she felt the group had improved in some way. This time around she noticed how well the group had suppressed the enemy vine creatures, allowing her to focus almost entirely on the vine leader. They had already been teleported to the third floor bazaar. From one end of town to another would take a normal person half an hour to walk through. Seeing the sight made Rak¡¯s eyebrow twitch. ¡°I knew it was large but this too large. Is this still a bazaar or a village composed entirely of merchants?¡± ¡°Abstinence. Our job is officially over.¡± ¡°Thank you for the hard work everyone.¡± Rak got a notification and five gold was deducted from Rak¡¯s inventory. At the same time Cle saw she received her payment causing her to smile slightly making her beauty shine. If Rak wasn¡¯t already accustomed to beautiful women he¡¯d have at least felt a bit flustered as most of the mercenary group members were. Because they were not really friends and their business relationship was over, Rak and the mercenary company split up. Rak didn¡¯t intend to stay the night so he immediately went on to browse the vendors. This time around his goal was to find some curious tools rather than consumables. ¡°It¡¯s still the same. Only the number of vendors has skyrocketed. I still can¡¯t discern what is good or bad. Forget trying to see if items are of low or high grade.¡± After seeing the size of the Bazaar Rak gave up any ideas about investigating it in its entirety. The second floor already pushed Rak to walk around for hours and he wasn¡¯t sure if he had discovered everything there. ¡°I was hoping to discover an ability that helps me inspect all these items. I guess the best I can do is slowly test these things out. In the end it took me weeks to get basic stamina while It only took a few minutes to pick up my Manipulator abilities.¡± Knowing he had no chance to explore every vendor Rak felt all pressure wash away and he just enjoyed his time. In this atmosphere he began recalling his experiences since entering Chaos theory. ¡°No matter how you look at it, I need to learn how abilities are gained. Jobs. Jobs seem like shortcuts. Supposedly I should be able to learn Manipulator abilities on my own but after taking up the job it became easy.¡± The vendors all have various looks on them and many of them even shoo Rak away, saying they are busy. Some vendors look like inanimate objects and only begin moving after Rak talks to them while some are arguing with other vendors. ¡°I have to assume I can learn any ability that a job can learn. At least things like cooking, brewing, horse riding and whatnot might not seem like job related abilities, but what if they are?¡± Over the past few months Rak has read a lot of books but they were all limited to unranked and tier one books. Even advanced questions at the local City office would be denied. Some things simply cannot be bought so directly. Of course asking other people to do so for you if they have the qualifications is an option. Even reading books has its limits as some concepts can be hard to understand without either dumbing it down to a degree or directly experiencing it. This sort of thing is called esoteric knowledge, meaning you have to experience it yourself to understand it. Like certain emotions, love in particular. No explanation with suffice. ¡°It¡¯s a tiresome thing but If I use my travel back to Alp to continuously inspect items, I might be able to forcefully gain an ability. If it doesn¡¯t work at worst I ?ll have wasted time I could have used to train something else.¡± Rak thought about his journey from Alp town and all the way to Kalloway. There is a lot of dead time where he has to just wait. Once his thoughts went there he remembered his daily Manipulator training and felt slightly repulsed. It was not the worst in the world as he could feel himself improve, but it could not be considered a fun activity. ¡°Forget it, I ?ll use an hour a day to inspect the items, an hour on Manipulator abilities and the rest can be used to read various books. So I need to stock up on even more reading material.¡± After gaining considerable wealth Rak had been wantonly copying books from libraries. Without internet and franky lacking any hobbies Rak has been heavily relying on books to pass the time. At first Rak was pragmatic and read various informational books but eventually he began reading historical, local mythos, miscellaneous stories and even a few biographies. Reading books has given Rak multiple ambiguous quests, especially local mythos. Such stories often depict dangerous items or beasts. Second comes historical books as they can contain valuable forgotten information, similarly about valuable items or rare beasts. Sadly on his way to Kalloway had no way to do these quests and could only continue travelling with the caravan. Not only was the issue of travelling with the caravan an obstacle but by the time Rak read these books he had been travelling for at least a day and at worst a week. But not doing quests was nothing Rak really felt sad about, even now he still has some ambiguous quest from his first village and a few from Alp town. These things are not always worth doing, considering other more important things take priority. ¡°This looks like some sort of science apparatus. I don¡¯t know how to use it but I think I''ll still buy it. Then there is this pot. Why would this pot cost fifteen silver coins?¡± Non consumable items are already rare but this vendor is selling two. Rak goes through the same song and dance every time he stumbles onto an item, he acts as if he¡¯s unsure if he¡¯s going to buy them but in the end always buys them. After spending the majority of the day shopping he has bought over ten non-consumable items. ¡°Forget it. I can slowly find out what these two can do.¡± Even after spending hours walking around Rak doesn¡¯t feel even a little tired. His fatigue only at fifty eight, meaning he¡¯s still under the affects of a rested status. The real issue is the number of coins thrown into this shopping trip. Already Rak has spent twenty four gold on this floor and his inventory nearly full to the brim. ¡°I guess I need to stop here.¡± Looking at his inventory and the colored number representing how much weight he can carry in it he has no choice but to stop. Hundreds of items fill up his inventory but their individual weight is very low. A single barrel of tier one beer already exceeds his weight limit but he has managed to stuff these hundreds of items into his inventory. ¡°Since I¡¯m not staying here, I should just directly leave. I¡¯ll make one last trip to the library, then go get the carriage Gou sold me, get my two horses and start my journey back to Alp.¡± After standing still for a few moments Rak began waving his hands about and without any indication Rak vanished into thin air. Chapter twenty four: Returning home. Either this is a stroke of brilliance or a catastrophic waste of money.¡± After the hustle of getting ready to leave was over and Rak looked back at the Kalloway enormous city walls Rak couldn¡¯t help but let his thoughts wander. ¡°All I need is people now. I have to assume Town planner Ung will help me with my plan. With his ambitions he should be tempted. Worst case I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± Rak tightened the reins of the carriage a bit and his two joyful horses increased their speed. ¡°Sure enough. With just me moving out of the city my riding skill has already improved dramatically. This should be from reading riding books.¡± Without a teacher or a job that involves riding horses or a horse drawn carriage, Rak¡¯s next best option is to learn indirectly through books. It is only now that Chaos theory¡¯s system is showing the effect. ¡°The question is how long will the effect last. If its a buff that expires over time it should only tick down as long as I¡¯m horse riding or driving the carriage.¡± With his hands tied, Rak can only learn to enjoy solitude. With so much time on his hands he¡¯s begun directing his mind towards the Chaos theory world. In particular the skill system. ¡°It might be like a glass of water, once I drink in all the skill proficiency in the glass I¡¯ll be back at a normal training pace.¡± Every now and then Rak¡¯s log is updated. This is his general log, one that contains the most miscellaneous information. His horse riding and carriage driving ability is rising steadily. With enough luck he should rise from unranked to a tier one within a few days. Rak ties the reins to the carriage and summons a book from his inventory, an inventory that previously was filled to the brim. Now the carriage has taken on most of that weight. Making Rak feel lighter. ¡°Homrod¡¯s words of wisdom.¡± The wisdom books are something Rak forced himself to read. These books are both stories and sometimes rants. They are not easy to read but they do provide some unconventional information and wisdom. ¡°There isn¡¯t much information on using the Chaos theory user interface but any clue I have found have all come from these wisdom books.¡± Homrod lived over three hundred years ago. He was a hermit and rarely entered cities, opting to stay temporarily in small villages. He wouldn¡¯t be worth talking about aside from the fact that he was at the peak of tier two. Meaning he was one of the strongest people in his era. Homrod¡¯s words of wisdom is a collective of his personal diary and notes. Homrod held heavy prejudices and was not at all a kind man. A man of his strength could have caused disasters wherever he went but he kept to himself. Most of his notes were him cursing people for one reason or another. ¡°At least its not another Mythos book.¡± The real reason Rak was reading these strung together books was that he had been reading historical and mythos books for entertainment. Excluding informational books, which he studied for the purpose of learning about the world. Rak¡¯s father had taught him a few things in his life, one of which was to keep expanding his mind. Now expanding the mind is easier said than done. For some it''s like trying to remember a forgotten memory, you know its there but you just can''t seem to find it. ¡°Oof, the quality of this book is even worse than Wildon¡¯s misclenious wisdom.¡± Rak let his eyes rise, the long road only had a carriages few tens meters ahead and nothing else. He contemplated opening a different book instead but eventually opted to keep reading it. ¡°Worst case scenario I¡¯ll drop by one of the cities along the way and stock up on a different type of book.¡± He wasn¡¯t willing to even think about it, but he was feeling that maybe he had been to narrow minded with his choice of books to read. He had bought a tremendous amount in the Kalloway library, enough to allow him to upgrade his status from an unranked guest to a tier one guest. Soon Rak finished reading the book and another book was picked at random. The book should have been anything but immersive but he still read it in one sitting and it wasn¡¯t even dark yet. ¡°According the sleeping merchant story, there exists an ability to sleep while driving a carriage.¡± One of the cities along the way had a myth about a sleeping traveller that was something like a ghost story. Without going into the details, the traveller had a pair of ghostly mounts that pulled the carriage along. ¡°Even if I could learn the ability, my horses need to rest occasionally.¡± Rak didn¡¯t have much to carry, not compared to the capacity of a tier one carriage at least. So his speed was fast and maintainable. The largest factor is that his two horses trotted along without a care and their stamina is robust for unranked horses. ¡°If these two guys can reach tier one I might be able to shave off two weeks of travelling.¡± Rak¡¯s logs updated frequently with his attributes decreasing, fatigue ticked on like clockwork but the rest were less frequent. For the most part he ignored his attributes and focused on his abilities increasing. From time to time the two horses would gain slight experience, but he has no idea when they will reach tier two. ¡°Homrod¡¯s words of wisdom mentioned something about seeing percentages of abilities but it didn¡¯t talk about how its done. If I get the chance I should log out and check if there is any information on the internet about this.¡± One of the most hindering factors in Chaos theory is the lack of information. Rak has been reading books almost without stopping for two months and yet this is the first time he hears about percentages of skill proficiency. In Homrod¡¯s worst of wisdom there was a small paragraph that mentioned that one of his abilities increased from forty six percent to forty seven. It doesn¡¯t seem like much but the implications are that he could see the progression of his skill proficiency and perhaps other things as well. On the road Rak began losing track of time and only slept when his horses need to sleep. Unlike Rak who slept in the carriage the horses slept by the side of the road. Sometimes other carriages would meet with them almost always being a small caravan. Very few would travel alone like Rak. Previously Rak had travelled with Gou and the caravan staff took care of any troubles along the way, everything was planned but they had to stop in the middle of nowhere as well just like Rak has to now. Any beasts have mostly been driven into different territories and those that won''t leave are at the level of pests that any person with a weapon can deal with. Encountering such creatures Rak rebuffed them with his shields or directly killed them. On one such occasion Rak had a thought. ¡°If I just rely on the job¡¯s abilities I won¡¯t learn any new abilities right?¡± It seemed to come out of nowhere but looking back Rak had read multiple times about people developing their abilities. It never said how they did it. Myths about people with specialized abilities were in every city. At least in their books. ¡°If I wanted to learn Manipulator abilities without having the Manipulator job, how would I do it?¡± Having read up on quite a few beginner books Rak knows that his little trinkets are almost like crutches. In a way they are like premium arrows, if the arrows helped you pull the bow back and aim. ¡°Featherfall didn¡¯t use anything to cast her abilities. Actually none of them did. Did they?¡± Thinking back to those chaotic fights Rak could only recall blurry memory but he couldn¡¯t remember any of the Manipulators using the same stones as him. ¡°Maybe I just missed it or they are using something else. But if they weren¡¯t, doesn¡¯t that mean that I should be able to use all of my abilities without the help of these stones?¡± Rak¡¯s train of thought is not wrong but he¡¯s wrong about them not using anything to cast their abilities. They simply used different things, not the rudimentary stones a novice alchemist refined while practicing. Featherfall uses a type of ground up feathers that have a trace of wind element in them, using this to create the effect of near invisible wind. These of course are expensive and can be damaged in combat. ¡°When I use my energy to create a film of energy around myself, what am I using then?¡± Rak held onto the rains of the carriage and his gaze went along the long seemingly never ending road, only his mind was somewhere else entirely. ¡°I should be using my body, right?¡± Rak took the reins into one hand and opened his free hand. ¡°Can I let the energy just float away?¡± A small bubble of energy formed at the tip of Rak¡¯s finger. The energy slowly rises and breaks off from his hand. ¡°Huh. It works.¡± A small ball of energy hovered in the air but the momentum of the carriage made bump into the carriage and disperse. ¡°I have so little control over it?¡± It was just a sliver of energy and yet Rak couldn¡¯t assert even the slightest control over it. It couldn¡¯t even keep up with the carriage. ¡°If it''s like this. Was my guess wrong?¡± Soon Rak got lost in his thoughts and eventually he picked up another book, leaving the matter for a later date. In the end, it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. One week and three days passed when Rak leveled up his carriage driving.
Gained tier: 1 - novice horse rider Gained tier: 1 - novice horse carriage driver
Character
Status
Abilities
Active
Passive
Basic stamina
Tier: 1 - novice horse rider
While riding horses, Maneuverability is increased by 95% While riding horses, Movement speed is increased by 65% While riding, horses Stamina generation is increased by 30% While riding, horses are capable of carrying additional 10% weight. While riding, weapon attack damage is increased by 25%
Tier: 1 - novice horse carriage driver
While driving a horse carriage, maneuverability is increased by 65%The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. While driving a horse carriage, movement speed is increased by 45% While driving a horse carriage, carry weight is increased by 20%
Inventory
Tier one horse carriage driver and horse rider are still entirely passive abilities. Without guidance, deticated effort or dumb luck, Rak will not get an active ability for the two. Even Url doesn¡¯t have active abilities for his carriage driving. Though Url¡¯s is not exclusive to horses. As this is jumping tiers there is a qualitative change, previously there had only been log updates but now the notification log was updated as well. ¡°Finally. The buff clearly declined two days ago but it still kept slowly climbing.¡± Unlike Manipulator abilities, abilities like horse riding are highly dependant on two things to be capable of leveling. One is the horse in question, a low tier one horse will not give experience towards a tier two horse riding. And currently Rak only has unranked horses. Only because Rak¡¯s carriage is tier one is he still slowly getting experience. ¡°I can ignore the log now, it will take years to level up again at this rate. And my item analyzing might be a complete waste of time.¡± And indeed, this setup will take far too long but in some cases this is the only way to gain experience. In this case it isn¡¯t impossible to fix but in higher tiers perhaps a similar case will the only option available. As for the items Rak was analyzing, he is simply to impatient. Passive abilities can be considered hard and easy to attain but nothing is gained without dedication. ¡°Let¡¯s see how fast these boys can go.¡± A crack of the reins was accompanied by a sudden force. The two horses let out a surprised neigh, first they glanced at each other and then at Rak. They both felt a mysterious strength in their bodies as if the wind was at their backs. ¡°It¡¯s alright! Just run! Run!¡± Rak¡¯s current speed is at about seventy some percentage of what the horses are capable but his novice status and frankly lacking talent throttles the speed. Being tier one doesn¡¯t change that. Previously Rak had reached about nearly ninety percent of maximum speed he could achieve while carriage driving and only sixty some percent of maximum maneuverability. After a few moments the carriage slowed down a bit but overall the pace had increased by at least thirty percent with no difference in stamina or fatigue consumption. The increase in speed is well over thirty percent but this is the limits of Rak¡¯s current proficiency. In simple terms it is a hard cap on abilities with a possibility to slowly train up the proficiency. Without dedication it¡¯s impossible to reach high proficiency. But that doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be slowly trained over time, as long as it is maintained the proficiency won''t decay either. One month into the journey Rak is sitting in a village center in the village Opalmea. A large meal is in front of him and the town¡¯s most expensive alcohol, a type of brandy. The meal costs just about eighty coppers and yet that is considered an expensive meal. Hundred and twenty such means add up to a single gold coin. ¡°I can¡¯t stand these information books.¡± Over the past month Rak has been constantly reading a variety of books to the point he gained Basic reading. Making his reading even faster and giving him a more comprehensive understanding of what he reads. The downside is that the fast reading caused him to read more books, if that can be considered a downside. ¡°This is what I get for not stopping and refreshing my stock. Ah, I can¡¯t be blamed for this, who expected the Basic reading passive?¡± A very plain book lies on the table. This is a book copied from a library¡¯s database. It can be generated with a more appealing look but Rak didn¡¯t want to spend coin on something so frivolous despite his wealthy status. ¡°I guess it¡¯s good to expand my viewpoint.¡± Some lessons are learned through difficulty and some you¡¯ll never even know were they came from. ¡°¡±To talk about tailoring you should begin at the roots. The twin and needle.¡± My god, I feel like I¡¯ve read something like this a hundred times.¡± A lot of the wisdom books have these types of random lines as they are trying to hit the crux of something. Such a line once in a while can be inspiring but when they are on every other page they can induce irritation rather than inspiration. ¡°With the speed i''m travelling it should only take me a week or two to get back to Alp. For my sanity¡¯s sake I should find more entertaining reading material.¡± Rak finally shook his head and put down the book. Instead he focused on the meal in front of him. ¡°I can¡¯t get over how delicious food is.¡± Rak isn¡¯t the only one experiencing the heightened senses within Chaos theory. The whole world is being baffled by the delicacies that can be bought for a few coppers. Rak has also personally experienced the euphoric feeling of physical intimacy. What people have also experienced is pain. Pain and pleasure haven¡¯t been increased only people are sensing a more in depth feeling. Pain is not more painful but there certainly is more depth to it. This is an impossibly esoteric feeling. On Rak¡¯s map there is a small uncleared path on the way to Alp as Rak took a slight detour intentionally to cover more ground. In hindsight it might be somewhat useless if his ideas about the Endless mountain range are true. After eating his meal Rak slept in a village hotel. The travelling continued the next day, Rak directly went past the town Yiels towards the city Borking. In the city Rak paid expensive entrance fee for his two horses and carriage. In the city Rak stopped at two places, one a miscellaneous items store. In these sorts of stores Rak found most of his non library books. These sorts of stores do not depend on particular stock but rather buying items low and selling them high. They have variety and rarity. In the end Rak parted with a small sum of approximately two gold before leaving the city and continuing his journey. With updated stock of books the time flew by. Even after getting sick of certain stories and their tropes, after he began reading he always got immersed. This partly due to the passive ability Basic reading. ¡°Alp town.¡± Rak has arrived from the west side of Alp town, coming from the village Often, he had passed the town Yr and before that the city Long. ¡°First I should check on Olric. He must be confused by how long I¡¯ve been away.¡± For Rak approximately four months have passed since he left town but for the people in Alp it is somewhere around six months. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem very different but is definitely more lively than other towns.¡± Having experienced quite a few towns by now Rak¡¯s understanding is greater. Alp town can be considered a small town. In fact all the towns near the Endless mountain range can be considered small. The oddity is the villages on the edge of the mountain range who sometimes have greater population than nearby towns. ¡°After I¡¯ve settled in I¡¯ll go see Town planner Ung about buying up that land.¡± Previously Rak had spoken to Ung about what sort of land and how much Rak could buy. Long story short, it depends on the location. Increasing his reputation with the Chaos theory government system in Alp town will allow him to purchase more land and open up other options. With Rak¡¯s speed he quickly made it to his brewery. The neighbourhood is as quiet as he remembered, it being located in the cheapest part of town. Cheaper still would be the land that is not actually within the town. Things like hunting lodges or farms are examples of this. ¡°Olric! You here?¡± The sound of something falling to the ground responded to Rak¡¯s call and shortly after a familiar man stumbled out of the brewery. ¡°Rak! You are finally back!¡± ¡°I just rode in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been more than six months since you left. I thought you¡¯d only be a few weeks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story, why don¡¯t I buy you launch?¡± ¡°Sure sure.¡± These days Olric is living quite well, after six months of work he has more than enough coin to wantonly spend within Alp town to the point he has become a regular at Laughter¡¯s medicine. He¡¯s already begun rubbing shoulders with some of Town hall¡¯s staff as well. ¡°Hop onto my carriage, I¡¯ll drive us.¡± Four to six months can be considered quite some time but the town¡¯s folk haven''t changed at all compared to Rak¡¯s transformation. The biggest change is either other people from real life or Olric who has been dutifully honing his brewing skills. Inside the Laughter¡¯s medicine Rak has a small reunion with the owner, one Arlina Medin. ¡°How cruel. I haven¡¯t seen you in half a year.¡± ¡°Ah. It''s a long story.¡± ¡°I got time.¡± Olric felt a bit awkward having the very demanding woman looking down on them. Even if she wasn¡¯t scolding him, he still felt like he was complicit in some great crime. ¡°Fine, fine. Olric you don¡¯t mind right?¡± ¡°By all means.¡± ¡°Have a seat Lina.¡± Hearing Rak call her Lina, Arlina¡¯s gaze softened by a tiny degree. She grabbed a seat and called her daughter over. After ordering drinks and food she gave Rak another intense stare. ¡°It started with my trip to Trove.¡± ¡°I already know all that. And you were only supposed to be a few weeks at most.¡± Rak felt a bit dazed. He hadn¡¯t informed everyone that he was leaving but now it seems she already knew. Arlina saw Rak¡¯s confusion and decided to clear things up. ¡°I spoke to Ung. Had to nearly pry it out of him.¡± ¡°Ah. I see.¡± Rak¡¯s disappearance had become quite the topic a few months back and Laughter¡¯s medicine being a hot spot for Town hall Arlina was often on top of the town¡¯s gossip. Seeing as Arlina already knew the basics Rak jumped to the part where he met Gou and how he spontaneously decided to go an a journey with him. ¡°You eloped with some stranger?¡± ¡°Eloped?¡± Rak rubbed his temple, he wasn¡¯t used to this sort of situation. He felt anything he said was going to be scrutinized. ¡°Oh, right. You took your son to Trove around that time as well. How did it go?¡± Arlina only now remembered that Rak didn¡¯t visit her while he was in Trove. And after scolding him for it she went back on topic. ¡°That little boy has become a novice alchemist. Only fourteen this year and he¡¯s already has this much ambition.¡± Once Arlina began talking about her son she become like a sun and a brilliant smile warmed up the room. Eventually Arlina excused herself and Rak was left alone with Olric. ¡°So how have the past six months been?¡± ¡°It was a bit strange at first but after the first two weeks it all fell into place. The orders kept coming in and every month the quantity ordered increased slightly.¡± ¡°So it did increases after all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I was confused and eventually I spoke to Arlina about it. Turns out that my higher quality tier one beer is popular.¡± Over time the beer¡¯s low price and high quality has caused an increase in regular drinkers. With more regulars the taverns have been increasing the stocks slowly. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°Seems I was paranoid thinking that maybe Olric increased the price. Luckily it seems he really is an honest person.¡± ¡°I created two new tier one alchol drinks. A red wine and another beer.¡± ¡°Hoh? We should sell them as well. I need to hire someone to market them for me.¡± ¡°Market?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh. To advertise your two new drinks. I can¡¯t be travelling everywhere myself. Actually I should go see Town planner Ung soon.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Olric felt he was losing track of where the conversation was going. ¡°We¡¯ll make plans about your two new drinks later. For now I have to do some foundation work.¡± Rak felt antsy to get to work so he quickly said his goodbyes to Olric after giving him a few books on brewing and some of the alcoholic drinks he bought on his travels. Similarly he gave Arlina books on herbalism and even alchemist books for her son. ¡°First things first I¡¯ll go see Town planner Ung.¡± With his own tier one carriage and trained horses Rak doesn¡¯t take as long to travel through town. Even if his maneuverability needs some work with the qualitative upgrade to tier one horse carriage driver his standards are good enough to travel around town without any issues. ¡°Everything about Town hall seems the same. Even the smell is the same. The amount of people here seems a bit too much though.¡± There are numerous things people need either Town management to help them with or give them access to Chaos theory government system. There is no issue in letting people free access to Chaos theory¡¯s system as the system regulates itself. One such regulation is by restricting options to people. Rak can for example buy land, though it is best done in tandem with Town hall, simply because the interface is hard to navigate unless they want to do something simpler than buying land. ¡°Hello sir. Oh? Aren¡¯t you mister Abstinence?¡± ¡°Yes I am, hi.¡± On the way here Rak hadn¡¯t been greeted by a single person. Before he left for his trip Rak had some reputation within town but after six months it had diminished considerably. This a different kind of reputation than the one he has with the Chaos theory government system in Alp town. ¡°Hold on a minute. Town planner Ung wanted me to let him know if you came in.¡± ¡°I see. I came to see him anyway.¡± Rak felt a bit guilty at this point. He hadn¡¯t expected people would care if he left town but considering Orlic¡¯s and Arlina¡¯s reactions couldn¡¯t help but feel strange about it. ¡°Town planner Ung will see you now.¡± The woman had shot out of her seat towards Ung¡¯s office and was back within a minute, true to her word. Rak walked down the familiar hallway towards Ung¡¯s office. Upon entering he couldn¡¯t help but note that the place has been furnished a bit. ¡°So you¡¯re finally back from your trip? Six months. That¡¯s one hell of a trip.¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯ll explain.¡± Seeing Ung¡¯s expression and his way of speaking he knew Ung was still on friendly terms with him. Rak immediately showed an unwilling expression and raised his hands in the air before sitting down. His tongue felt a bit dry just thinking he had to walk through this story once again. ¡°Kalloway, huh.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the size of the city. I mean I¡¯ve seen large cities but the walls alone make you shrink back.¡± ¡°Aie. I should really find the time to travel.¡± ¡°Travelling isn¡¯t all it''s made out to be. Believe me.¡± ¡°So why did you come in here today?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t come see an old friend?¡± Ung gave Rak a suspicious look before laughing. ¡°Spit it out. Did you finally settle on the land you want? Or did you think of something else?¡± ¡°Before we talk about that, let me ask you, what''s your library policy? And what do you think about expanding it?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expected this question.¡± Ung fiddled with a small pen in his hand, his eyes indicating he was trying to recall something. ¡°Well it''s pretty straight forward. You pay for a guest pass or buy a permanent pass. If you want to buy the books you need to find a way to copy them. You should be familiar with tiered restrictions as well, right?¡± ¡°You need certain tiers of passes to access higher tier books.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course we don''t have too many tier two books and no tier three but that¡¯s expected. So why do you ask?¡± ¡°I want to create an artisan school.¡± ¡°Hoh?¡± ¡°For now It won¡¯t have teachers and for all intents and purposes it is a glorified library but later on I¡¯ll try to hire teachers.¡± ¡°So this is you plan?¡± Ung and Rak had already talked about their ambitions before and Ung understands Rak¡¯s intent. ¡°You want to train your own workers. Using the town¡¯s folk?¡± ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve already invested in books from all supportive occupations I could find. Some are a little short but quite a few have ten books on a single subject. Smithing, animal rearing, tailoring, various herbalism books and so on.¡± ¡°You want to create the materials as well?¡± ¡°Only what is feasible. Alp town has plenty of land to grow what is needed and everything else can be imported in. If I can I¡¯ll purchase a mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll purchase a mine.¡± Ung couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It is possible to buy fertile lands and even things like mines. Rak would have to have adequate reputation within Alp town to place the mine or give it to Ung to use. However buying a mine is easier said than done. ¡°Forget the mine. That¡¯s in the future. Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll upgrade Alp into a city before I get my hands on one.¡± ¡°I would think so. Only peak tier two people can delve deep into Strange zones to get something like it.¡± Rak only smiled and nodded. Through these past months Rak had a far better understanding of the world. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t even know that a single person could buy a mine and even place it down. ¡°I¡¯d like to set up a building with all my books and hire personnel to manage them. I want people to be able to enter it freely and learn. In the end I can hire talented people to work for me.¡± ¡°I can relocate the library to a different building. This isn¡¯t too hard. As for entering freely, this a bit difficult. Even if I wanted to, I can¡¯t bypass the price. Best I can do is set it to a single copper.¡± ¡°How about this then. You relocate the library, I¡¯ll donate my books to it and I¡¯ll pay all entrance fees that don¡¯t exceed a single copper.¡± At this point Ung finally understood Rak¡¯s ambition wasn¡¯t just talk. He couldn¡¯t imagine other people paying for others to read books. His eyes widened at the realization. ¡°That could work! I can set up a simple contract, all people would have to do is accept letting you pay for their guest pass.¡± Before Rak could continue Ung had already brought out a holographic screen in front of him. ¡°I have been wanting to do some upgrading. I had some plans but they other difficulties I can¡¯t resolve for a period of time.¡± Rak noticed Ung wasn¡¯t really talking to him but to himself. He sat back in the chair and let Ung think out loud. ¡°With this I can finally remove that redundant building. All its been doing is acting as a storage space for the past two years. Yes, this¡¯ll work.¡± With a bright smile Ung twisted his hands about and pushed his hand toward Rak. ¡°How about here?¡± Ung had and incredibly smug smile and it only became deeper when he saw Rak¡¯s expression. ¡°This is perfect. Its near midtown, near a restaurant, the Laughter¡¯s medicine and even on the main road. How can this building be free?¡± ¡°Its Alp town¡¯s property and can¡¯t be sold. It has been sitting there gathering dust. Finally I have something worthwhile to put there.¡± With these things out of the way Rak and Ung began to settle the finer details, including the contract where Rak promises to pay all guest passes that cost less than one copper. Ung took the lead on dealing with most things and Rak handed over his books. Unsurprisingly he got a sizeable chunk of reputation with the town. Enough to buy twice the land he had previously been able to. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, Ung. Is it possible to see percentage of skill proficiency or experience towards the next level?¡± ¡°Hmm. Not that I know of. I have heard that higher tier people have discovered fantastical things in Strange zones. It could be some rare item, after all you never know what comes from those places.¡± Even though Ung is the highest on the political ladder in Alp town, that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s too worldly. Rak had only gleamed out some things from obscure wisdom books before discovering some clues. In the end Rak and Ung chatted for a long while before Rak promised Ung to take him out for dinner tomorrow. At that point Rak finally left Town hall. He had purchased land on the eastern outskirts of Alp¡¯s territory, the one closest to the village Inte. There are still some things to be done before he commissions a building from Town hall. Until then Rak is preparing other matters, one in particular that includes the tamer Url. Chapter twenty five: Public library. ¡°With my carriage, horses, books on driving a carriage and my tier one ability. With all of these it shouldn¡¯t be an issue to teach someone to drive a carriage. I can have them take over for Url. And hopefully I can use Url in a more meaningful way.¡± So far within Chaos theory, the cost of living has been very low. This is because Chaos theory allows everyone to easily learn to farm unranked plants, vegetables and fruits. With the chaos theory system increasing crop yields it is easy to sustain oneself without even a single copper coin. Not to mention local government sells cheap food because of Chaos theory¡¯s requirements. With very mild climate a surprisingly high number of people will be content with living with just the bare necessities. What changes this is usually being exposed to the greater world. Perhaps it''s a taste of something delicious that makes mundane vegetables or small critter meat feel like ashes in their mouths. Or it may be a display of fantastical abilities evokes their imagination and a thirst for more. Whatever the case may be, it isn¡¯t a difficult task to convince a commoner to improve their life. Only question is, who would have incentive to convince them? ¡°I should go check in on Url, see if we can set up some plans. It might be difficult to convince him to rear and tame beasts for me. Even if it''s what he enjoys doing that doesn¡¯t mean he needs me to do it.¡± On the way to Url Rak takes the chance to summon his Manipulator abilities, even if it''s only a few minutes of travel time. ¡°I need to consider Url¡¯s weaknesses. First of all, he needs to feed his animals. Not all of his animals are only unranked. Tier one animals need more specialized food, and that is more expensive.¡± Having been feeding his two unranked horses for these past months, Rak understood they ate a good deal. But what they ate is rather cheap. It''s only expensive if you have tens of them. And Url certainly has many animals running around his land. ¡°Secondly, Url has an obsession for capturing and taming animals. Perhaps he only holds back because he knows he can¡¯t afford to feed an endless number of animals. How else would he take up low paying carriage jobs?¡± The more Rak thought about it the more confident he got. Url and him should have some degree of friendship as well. Though the carriage fees paid were not cheap relative to other jobs only Rak considered it low. ¡°I don¡¯t even need him to specifically train horses. There should be value in anything he trains and especially if I can get him to teach someone else. That would be best as I ?m not sure how attached he gets.¡± Url is not a weak individual but his strength is in capturing beasts and taming them. A herd of trained animals should be a powerful force. But in a one on one combat he can¡¯t handle someone that focuses on their own strength. ¡°I should just keep to the original plan.¡± Upon arriving at Url¡¯s lands on the outer rim of town Rak followed the same actions as before and shouted out for Url. ¡°Do I need to set up a postal service or something? No, it would be too complex and I¡¯d need to charge exorbitant fees for it to be worthwhile.¡± After living in Chaos theory for many months most people have smoothly adjusted. One of the hardest things to get used to is the lack of methods of communications. Not only is there no internet but not even a letter service. After calling out to Url the animals on the land gave Rak a glance. Only the horses nearby took a better look, especially at Rak¡¯s two horses. A moment passed and the boys neighed loudly at the horses staring them down, as if acknowledging that they do indeed know each other. When Url came out he was welcomed by the sight of a few horses rushing to the edge of the property, where Rak and his horses stood patiently. ¡°Url!¡± Rak felt genuine fright upon seen a herd of horses rush him, he hadn¡¯t noticed Url step out of the house but he still called for him again. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Url felt a bit worried as well, it is not normal for any of his animals to act like this. A loud whistle broke through the rampaging noise of ten horses. Immediately they slowed down and came to a stop. ¡°What are you guys doing!?¡± The eight horses looked at Url and a few of them neighed loudly. ¡°Alright, alright. Just calm down.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°Sorry Abstinence, they were excited to see these two fellows and rushed over.¡± Seeing Url¡¯s genuinely apologetic expression Rak just waved his hand and shook his head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it makes sense they miss each other.¡± Over the past months, Rak¡¯s only long term companions have been these boys. Though he could not understand them he did recognize their intelligence was not low. Rak still treated them like pets rather than animals of burden. ¡°So you¡¯ve finally returned? Ung told me you were missing in action. I knew you were alive since the contract quests kept coming.¡± Rak was a bit blown away by how much Url was speaking. Perhaps Url had gotten a shot of adrenaline from seeing his usually tame animals turn rabid. Of course that wasn ?t the truth but it was Url¡¯s perception at the time. Or perhaps he changed over the past few months. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, I can tell you later.¡± ¡°No, no. We all have our stories.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Rak felt this was more like Url, dismissive of any invitation to speak. Even not responding would have been expected. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point then. I¡¯m planning a rather ambitious plan and I need to capture and tame a lot of animals.¡± Url¡¯s expression is still as dull as always aside from his eyes who seem to have watered a bit. ¡°Hmm? Is he not interested in this?¡± ¡°And I was hoping I could hire you to do some of that capture or taming. And perhaps some training in the future. And. Ah, that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll convince him to teach later if I can¡¯t find any person that¡¯s naturally talented tamer.¡± Url still remained unmoved. Of course that was only on the outside, but nonetheless from Rak¡¯s point of view Url was entirely unmoved. ¡°Was I mistaken about him?¡± ¡°The job comes with great perks. I plan on buying and setting up facilities to create food for animals among other products. If everything goes right I ?ll have alchemists, chefs and more for tier one animals.¡± Rak felt he couldn''t fail before he arrived but now everything was crumbling before him. ¡°Damnit. Without Url things will take a lot more effort. Even if I can get an unranked tamer within a couple of months It won¡¯t compare at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Rak¡¯s thoughts were working fast but everything came to a stop suddenly. ¡°You will?¡± ¡°Show me the contract.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t drafted one. I¡¯ll get it to you sometime this week. By that time I should have a place to work from as well.¡± Url nodded and looked at horses before moving onto the unranked horses he sold to Rak. The memory still pained him. But looking at physical state he instantly saw how far they had come, from his estimates it wouldn¡¯t be long until they reached tier one. ¡°Do you know how to feed tier one horses?¡± ¡°I already have plans for it, but if you have any instructions please say.¡± ¡°There are many ways to enrich food for tier one animals, I learned a bit of alchemy just for this reason.¡± ¡°If it takes an alchemist I have some things in place, with you around I¡¯m relieved.¡± Url nodded again and stood there quietly. Rak said everything he had wanted to and knowing Url wouldn¡¯t even be flustered if he just walked away without saying a word Rak just let out a slight cough. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in touch¡± ¡°You know where to find me.¡± Url¡¯s thoughts were on the two horses he had sold to Rak. After some time he finally came to the conclusion that Rak could be a person worthy enough to deem as a friend. He came to this conclusion not only because the horses growth but their intimate action of rubbing their heads against Rak said more than any words could. ¡°With this I just have to find a way to advertise the library and perhaps think of some additional incentives. And I also need to promise to hire people to work for me if they can learn something useful.¡± It might sound off as the world¡¯s low cost of living might provide low incentives to work but this is flawed thinking. In reality people with wealth will find things to work towards. Instead of wealth people will seek power, fulfilment and in Chaos theory they can seek strength or pursue higher levels of of their craft. ¡°Spreading fliers around should be good enough. Should I have some sent to local villages as well? What about other towns? I might need to talk to Ung again.¡± Thousand thoughts swirl around Rak¡¯s mind. With no immediate tasks at hand Rak plans on heading out to his newly bought land. There is no road so Rak cannot take his carriage, so he leaves his carriage at home and takes his two horses with him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°This isn¡¯t half bad.¡± Rak has spent almost the entirety of his travelling on the carriage so riding the horse is a relatively new experience. ¡°Is this the power of abilities?¡± Despite lacking proper training in horse riding Rak has a tier one horse riding ability. This ability makes Rak a natural horse rider, only lacking in proficiency. ¡°Let¡¯s pick up a little speed boys.¡± Alp town¡¯s outskirts are entirely unbuilt and can only be considered as a part of the town because Chaos theory says it does. ¡°It¡¯s already so far along.¡± It took a good while to get to the deserted outskirts of town, the town at Rak¡¯s back is already blurred due to the distance and light fog. A small house appears to be completed already but the larger building a few tens meters away from the house is still only one fortieth of the way there. ¡°Looks like it won¡¯t be ready until tomorrow or the day after that at the latest.¡± ¡°Alright, you two go explore a bit, I¡¯ll be staying here for now.¡± The two horses immediately take off without as much as cursory neigh. ¡°I still haven¡¯t sorted through the consumables today. After that I should draft up a contract and solidify my plans.¡± After looking at his two horses rush out Rak walks towards his second house in Alp town. This house is supposed to double up as an office and later Rak plans to use it as a house for a potential manager. These are rough plans and may not pan out. ¡°I¡¯ve already memorized every piece so I''m not sure this is actually effective.¡± If Rak wasn¡¯t convinced that there is an ability to identify items. Like other abilities mentioned, they do not come with an instruction manual. Fortunately their names are a rather big clue. Basic stamina for example or Basic strength. Both of which are gained through repeated exercise. As to why Chaos theory chooses to be cryptic is beyond anyone''s guess. Even the people with a job like Rak¡¯s Manipulator, Url¡¯s Hunter and Tamer, these people have mostly stumbled into it. Though over the past months a lot of people have sought out jobs after the information becomes more common in the real world¡¯s internet. ¡°I wonder what Url¡¯s stance on capturing and taming animals to test consumables on.¡± The last piece of consumable item is placed into its own group and Rak sits back. The inside of the house has a lot more room, but in Rak¡¯s view it is not even fitting to house his servants in real life. ¡°I can¡¯t really know how long it takes to gain an ability but if I can estimate how long Basic stamina and Basic reading took I can probably make an informed guess.¡± Rak habitually taps his fingers on the table, each tap causes the consumables to shake slightly, the ones close enough together make a rattling sound. He hasn¡¯t redrawn the consumables for a long time so his notebooks are still in his inventory. ¡°I read daily for how long? From what I read in wisdom books people need to ¡®live it¡¯ to gain an ability but that probably just translates to regular exercise or practice.¡± Soon the consumable items are returned to the inventory and Rak is left alone with his thoughts. Some things require time to accomplish and currently Rak has to wait for the building to complete and then wait even longer for other plans to come together. ¡°I¡¯ll have to discuss Url¡¯s compensation with the man himself but the general work will have to be ambiguous as my knowledge about wildlife in general isn¡¯t too solid. Getting a few horses is obvious but depending on efficiency, loyal animals that can fight with people should be a lucrative business.¡± Setting up a business for Rak isn¡¯t really about profit but success, profit is only the end result. Success is about it thriving by itself. This is why Rak has a few budding businesses in real life that are only doing alright but he still considers them a success. ¡°From what the family has reported, weapons and armours are a worthwhile business. Then there is the food consumer market. Surprisingly dad hasn¡¯t set up anything himself and claims to be ¡®enjoying youth¡¯ whatever that means.¡± Rak¡¯s exhaustion is catching up with him, he has yet to properly rest since he began his journey back to Alp from Kalloway. He has been barely hitting fifty percent fatigue, meaning rested state only retains for a few hours. ¡°How is surviving on nature in the forest ¡®enjoying youth¡¯? I guess old age spares no one. There is also no word about what mom has been doing. But I do know that some of my siblings have cracked the key to buying property in towns. Those that set up in cities have almost all chosen to move to a town as well.¡± Rhythmic tapping reverberated through the room as Rak delves deeper into his thoughts. ¡°Majority of my siblings have already sent messages, invitations and even people over to my house. If I report my actual income I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take the time to come visit me in person. According to family etiquette I won¡¯t be able to ignore them.¡± Not only does Rak have a large mansion with servents, so does everyone of the Devion family members. They all also have at least a two guest mansions on their property. Lastly, they all have to follow family rules, Rak is no exception. It might seem like Rak is disconnected from the family affairs but the truth is he never walked away from the family. This can be seen when Rak reported honestly his actions within Chaos theory, before that he had always kept his father and mother up to date with his companies. ¡°If father chooses to advertise my deeds they will definitely swarm me. At least I don¡¯t have to tell them my plans for now.¡± Even though Rak has his obligations, he can choose not to report his plans but if he doesn¡¯t disclose his recent land purchase and the family gets wind of it Rak will have to suffer family punishment. These punishments are of course light but no one wants to spend six months attending etiquette courses, which is one of the punishments. Furthermore, most of Rak ?s siblings and close relatives have good reason to brag about their achievements if at all possible, to impress their parents and show off to their rivals. This is Rak¡¯s biggest motivator to report his progress as well. This is also why Rak can easily read up on his relatives recent actions. ¡°In the end I have to focus on my own plans, there is isn¡¯t much value in worrying about my brothers and sisters.¡± In general, the Devion siblings are in rivalry with each other and some exemplary cousins as well. But younger generations are usually not considered a part of the older generations conflicts. At times the generation gap is blurry and at others it is distinct. Rak has nieces and nephews but they are still too young to even enter Chaos theory. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll go see Ung about finalizing the library and commission some fliers to spread around town.¡± Rak¡¯s most lacking field is people. There simply are not many learned people around, in a city it isn¡¯t too difficult to poach a member of a workshop but in towns there are none. Poaching a workshop member from a city when your operation is in a town is difficult. ¡°Hold on. How could I forget Arlina¡¯s son? He just took up an alchemist job. I¡¯ll have to check in on Laughter¡¯s medicine tomorrow.¡± As Rak racked his brain to fit things together he heard a knock at his door. ¡°What? Why is someone here?¡± Even though it felt strange Rak had no fear within Chaos theory so he directly went and opened the door without hesitation. Not too naive when still within a safe area like a town. ¡°You return but don¡¯t come visit your lover?¡± Rak felt something shrink within him. ¡°Alley?¡± ¡°Oh. So you do remember.¡± Alley walked inside the house, sniffing the air before taking a seat in a comfortable couch in the living room. ¡°So.¡± It has to be said, ever since Rak entered Chaos theory he has been meeting a lot of fierce women. Rak¡¯s thoughts were not on this issue but on the beautiful woman staring him down. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So tell me what you have been doing for the last six months. I see you have become a lot stronger. You seem more dignified.¡± One of the side effects of Basic reading is a more scholarly air around a person. Just as Basic strength will give one the impression of a strong man. The feeling of a lion¡¯s strength, you can¡¯t exactly speak to what the feeling is but you feel it. Curiously Alley seems like a normal person without any demeanor of a peak tier one person. Despite feeling a bit irritated Rak diligently retold his grand travelling story, even showing off for some reason. When he spoke about books he took out tens, when he spoke about consumables he took out his entire stash. Outside perspective would tell you that he¡¯s trying to impress Alley. ¡°Let¡¯s see your abilities then. Come outside.¡± Unsurprisingly, the only thing that Alley was interested in was Rak¡¯s Manipulator job. ¡°Throw them up.¡± It is common knowledge among those that enter Strange zones that Manipulators, especially low tier ones, that they specialize in their shields. And it would seem Alley is one of the people who know this. Soon ten shields materialize almost simultaneously. Rak has a solemn look but his eyes can¡¯t hide the pride in his ability. ¡°Can you maintain these ten shields?¡± ¡°Yes my energy recovery is higher than the consumption rate.¡± ¡°Okay, now attack me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised, what use are you if you can¡¯t attack and defend at the same time?¡± A slight tinge of red crept up on Rak¡¯s face but he dispelled two shields and began throwing Basic energy projectiles at Alley. She stood there entirely still and seemed to casually swat them away. ¡°What the hell.¡± Two more shields vanished, leaving just six all of which are covering Rak from every direction. With four shields gone he begins throwing out more attacks and even making some swing behind Alley. Sadly Alley still casually swats them down. Each time the refined stones used to anchor the energy is destroyed. ¡°Okay that¡¯s enough. Surprisingly you have advanced this fast. You should already be above a novice.¡± Even though Alley is speaking to Rak there is a feeling that she is speaking to herself. Her thoughtful expression and compliment at least leave Rak feeling like he accomplished something. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I try to train a bit everyday.¡± If any of Rak¡¯s servants, low character ¡®friends¡¯, siblings or anyone that knows Rak in general would see him right now they¡¯d be shocked. Perhaps Rak only acts in this way around his parents and his father especially. ¡°Let¡¯s get back inside.¡± ¡°What are we doing?¡± ¡°A different kind of exercise.¡± Before where Rak was taken a bit by surprise, this time he understood immediately but he didn¡¯t flush red with excitement. Instead Rak felt a deep competitive spirit, last time he felt he was only along for the ride. ¡°This time will be different.¡± No matter what, Rak has some pride of a man. Unfortunately he has been living in an environment where he¡¯s very much catered to. Whatever techniques he thinks he has mastered, they might only be superficial. After all, his servants play along with his wishes. Rak felt strong right now. Sure he hasn¡¯t gone out on a grand adventure or face life and death situations but constant training has given him confidence. Alley however, was never attracted to his strength. True to his thoughts Rak fought Alley in the bed with fervor he has never shown before. By the end of the night he was drained of fatigue. His clarity dramatically low making it hard to gather his thoughts. ¡°I still lost?¡± Alley stood up and put on her clothes, she was a lot more flustered than their previous encounter and yet only seemed like she had a light exercise. ¡°I¡¯m going into the Endless mountain range.¡± Rak focused his gaze on Alley but he didn¡¯t speak. ¡°You¡¯ll understand why when you receive your promotion quest to tier two.¡± ¡°Is our guess about the Endless mountain range right?¡± Previously Rak and his father had agreed that Chaos theory would advance the world into the Endless mountain range. It wasn¡¯t entirely an empty guess but it also wasn¡¯t very reliable. ¡°Are strange zones not enough to advance?¡± Alley had already turned away when she heard Rak¡¯s question. ¡°They can be.¡± She gave Rak a glance before turning back around. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll meet each other there. If you get bored of your brewery.¡± From Alley¡¯s perspective Rak was never going to go out and explore the Endless mountain range. He might have the discipline to train his abilities and a way to accumulate wealth. But she felt his personality wasn¡¯t suited for it. She had thought this months ago and she still felt it to be true. After testing Rak she had understood Rak hadn¡¯t been in real combat scenarios yet and that it was most likely because he didn¡¯t actively seek them out. Six months of travelling from city to city and he only visited one Strange zone. It said a lot about who he is.. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Alley left the room and Rak was still in his thoughts. It''s not known whether he was thinking about Alley or the Endless mountain range. ¡°I need to reach tier two. At tier two I can gain access to tier two books in libraries.¡± It is possible to buy tier two books from private collectors or even find them in miscellaneous shops but they are extremely rare. The best method is to reach tier two and directly browse city libraries. The cost will be many factors higher than tier one books. ¡°Alley is completing a quest to reach tier two. I¡¯m not sure how strong a peak tier one person is. I¡¯m also not how long it will take to be qualified. Do I need to go beyond just training?¡° Comparatively speaking, A strange zone has limited difficulty. There are differences in difficulty between each one. If a person buys information about the zone before entering it, Chaos theory considers the difficulty lowered as well. If a person repeatedly challenges a Strange zone, eventually the challenge lowers as well. And it is due to these Chaos theory made limitations that Strange zones are not optimal to advance to tier two. As to why the Endless mountain range is better, currently the majority of people don¡¯t know. Those that do won¡¯t be in much contact with weaker people. Alley can be considered an anomaly. Perhaps because of her lonely lifestyle as a Hunter. In the end, Chaos theory has a lot of secretive aspects to it. It might be the case that even Alley herself doesn¡¯t know. Early next morning, Rak inspects the house next door. From the outside it is becoming clear this is a large farm house and there is a fenced in area that stretches a good distance behind the house and beyond. The area is large enough that Rak can¡¯t see the end of it. ¡°When this building is done I need to prepare for the next one. If I can get Arlina¡¯s son to work for me, I should be able to begin building a Refinery. Either way I¡¯ll seen an Alchemist to refine tier one food at some point.¡± Rak¡¯s current goal is to become independent from Town hall in all the ways he can. Most of his horses food is bought in bulk from Chaos theory government as it distributes cheap food to the people. It is good enough for the horses but there is little benefit gained from this type of food. ¡°With my own carriages and horses I can invest in them properly. Initial cost will be dramatic but my profit margins will benefit. If I include future business it is even greater.¡± Aside from setting up a taming, breeding and training area for animals. Rak has been gathering information on what people need to explore the Endless mountain range. Incidentally most of Rak¡¯s information has come from his father. His father has variant Hunter job, a Survivalist and has been spending his time in the Endless mountain range. The information the Devion patriarch hasn¡¯t disclosed is that he has died three times. If he didn¡¯t complete a few quests and sold some valuables items he found, he would have been crippled with the death penalty until he scraped together the fee to cure it. What Rak ?s father has begun doing is honing is offensive Hunter skills. Previously he had been hunting small critters and even eating random flora to advance his Survivalist ability. One of his death is directly related to this dangerous practice. ¡°A person that can grow crops and herbs is as important if not more important than an alchemist. I have to ask Url about different ways to create tier one food. Right now an alchemist or a chef should be sufficient with materials I have access to, but later on I can¡¯t be sure tier one wheat, vegetables or fruit will be available.¡± From reading numerous books Rak has come to the understanding that unranked and tier one things are considered common tiers. Anyone is supposedly capable of reaching tier one but beyond that stage everything becomes harder and more expensive. Everything from daily food consumption to items consumed while training aren¡¯t found naturally around the town and only in Strange zones or the Endless mountain range can they be found. The best choice is to have someone craft the required supplies for you. Or better yet, doing it yourself. Wandering around the Endless mountain range people can find materials that can be used to craft tier one items. This isn¡¯t too difficult but the supply cannot keep up with the demand, hence there is a need to secure a steady supply. Especially for things like large businesses. ¡°Without enough resources I won''t be able to cultivate a businesses beyond low grade tier one products like Olric¡¯s beer. Even his new recipes are not too difficult to mass produce. But if he discovers a recipe reaching the peak of tier one, perhaps the product can only be sold as a luxury.¡± The more he thought about the more Rak felt it was necessary to set up strong foundations. Everything from harvesting to putting up on shelves had to be accounted for. ¡°If it can¡¯t be farmed then I might need to set up gathering group. If I borrow the Strange zone harvesting formation I might be able to secure a steady supply of peak tier one materials or even tier two materials later on.¡± Rak has read a lot but there are too many things he can¡¯t know at this stage. He can only guess that tier two items won¡¯t be easily farmed like common wheat. As to what the reality is, this is something he can only discover slowly. ¡°I still need to find a capable manager to deal with these things for me. Until then I ?ll have manage things myself.¡± Most of Rak¡¯s companies in real life were created through Rak¡¯s assistants. He never met his employees. But now in Chaos theory he has to step down to a personal level and convince people to join his cause. The biggest problem Rak is facing in current times is a lack of people to hire. People are for lack of a better word, uneducated. This is the issue the comes up again and again. Who knows what Rak would have done if he hadn¡¯t met Olric who happened to have a brewery as a hobby. ¡°I¡¯ll go deal with advertising the new open library. There is also a need to build a Refinery workshop. If I can get a chef I''d still need to build a cookhouse as well. Ung should already be down at Town hall.¡± Chapter twenty six: Animals of war At noon in Alp town Rak is sitting on a chair watching people gather at various hung up papers advertising the towns new upgraded library. On it is an addition that one Abstinence will pay the lowest entry price of one copper indefinitely. One copper isn¡¯t much of a price, it is the lowest price anything is sold for, and is only so low because Town planner Ung has the authority to manage such details. On the very bottom on the paper is a recruitment for any production related skill. Simply stating ¡°Abstinence is looking for production inclined individuals that are willing to learn.¡± ¡°With this I can only hope to see some returns. In the worst case I¡¯ll have to set up empty production workshops and fill them later. And if it comes to it, I¡¯ll go to Trove or Hampter and recruit novices.¡± Beside Rak is Town planner Ung. Both are enjoy ¡®expensive¡¯ drinks. ¡°To Alp town.¡± Rak is woken from his thoughts and turns toward Ung. ¡°To Alp town.¡± It can be difficult to identify people from the real world but sometimes it''s obvious. Outside of excluding people like Ung, who is clearly native to Chaos theory¡¯s world. Real world people have a different attitude towards things, which is hard for Chaos theory to replicate. With the uproar Rak¡¯s new advertisement is causing the library is getting swarmed. Fortunately it is a large house, large enough to serve as a warehouse previously. But even then there are too many people gathering. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to manage the library?¡± ¡°No, without guest passes they can¡¯t touch the books inside.¡± Rak took another sip of his drink before speaking again. ¡°It would be nice to have a search system like the ones in cities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not impossible. But I¡¯d have commissioned a specialized library building. Never saw any reason to do so.¡± ¡°Right. And there still aren¡¯t that many books inside. But they will be limited as they can¡¯t copy them.¡± ¡°If things work out I might be able to commission a library. There are some restrictions to it.¡± ¡°Oh? Tell me.¡± This time around Ung looked at Rak with a small smirk. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be interested in this.¡± Ung enjoyed that Rak had an interest in how the Chaos theory government system worked. Only there are numerous facet to managing a village, not to mention a town. Speaking about one thing might take a day. The explanations around things could be simple however. Managing the library cost for example sounds simple but it is more convoluted than expected. In short, as there is no library, the guest library pass is not actually a library pass but a pass to be allowed to interact with government property. Similarly the towns carriage drivers use the towns carriage and have a pass for it. With an official library building however, things change slightly but things work the same. ¡°First there is the reading quota.¡± Ung intentionally pauses to savour the moment of having someone hanging on their every word. ¡°Quota?¡± ¡°Over a hundred thousand books have to be read from the beginning to end.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± ¡°No. We already have forty two thousand read. Of course not many people visit the town¡¯s library. But that should change now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the other conditions?¡± ¡°This is a difficult part. A person has to gain inspiration from reading. A total of ten thousand.¡± Ung waited for Rak to ask but to his surprise Rak was in deep thought. ¡°Inspiration must be what I got from reading those horse riding and carriage driving books. Calling it inspiration makes it seem mysterious but if I look at it from a game¡¯s perspective it is probably a boost in ¡®experience¡¯ and ¡®proficiency¡¯.¡± Only when Ung coughed very deliberately does Rak return his attention to Ung. ¡°Like I was saying. Inspiration is a very strange thing but we already have two thousand and sixty seven inspirations counted out of ten thousand.¡± ¡°How do you know when someone has been inspired?¡± ¡°You can''t know. But Chaos theory knows.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Last condition is trivial. Coin.¡± ¡°Ah. How much?¡± ¡°Only five hundred gold. Nothing to worry about.¡± It can¡¯t be forgotten that Chaos theory government takes a percentage of every purchase within town. Not only that, but anyone within town that completes a quest and is rewarded coin, a portion of it is given to Alp town. Only by completing quests outside for protected Chaos theory areas can one escape these taxes. ¡°Then it¡¯s only a matter of time before we complete it. Speaking of completing things. My basic farmhouse is completed. I¡¯m planning on building a workshop for alchemists, a refinery to be specific.¡± ¡°You found an alchemist already?¡± ¡°Arlina¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Little Sevon?¡± ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t talked to them yet but I¡¯m planning on offering to support the boy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Every since that boys father died he hasn¡¯t been seen since.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t been seen? What do you mean? He isn¡¯t dead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know. There are people that vanish after dying but we can¡¯t say for sure if they are dead. After all, Chaos theory is unpredictable.¡± This is the first time Rak heard about people dying out of something other than old age in Chaos theory, and that was all from books he read. But when he thought about it, he didn¡¯t know if people died of old age here as well. ¡°So there is such a thing? Will people be locked out of Chaos theory at some point?¡± ¡°There are plenty of stories about it. There are a few religious factions branches in the cities that revolve around the whole thing.¡± Ung waved his hand and laughed before taking another sip of his drink. ¡°I was never into the whole thing but before I took over Alp town I learned architecture near one of these places. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m impressed with them. But people believe what they believe.¡± ¡°Right. There are at least tens of them. I never paid them any attention when I was travelling.¡± ¡°See? Tens of them! And they all think their the one true faith. Heh! They probably all from the same tree, only roots twist and turn in all directions.¡± Ung and Rak slowly drank their drinks and chatted before finally going back to work. Rak of course didn¡¯t have work but he still had plans to talk to Arlina about her son Sevon. By the time Rak Found Arlina the lunch rush was over. Usually Ung and Rak would go to the Laughter medicine to have a bite to eat but this time they found a small family owned shop that sells miscellaneous things and services food. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ll go get the boy and you can ask him yourself. He¡¯s very stubborn about doing things his own way. So bear that in mind.¡± Arlina didn¡¯t flinch when Rak said he wanted her boy to come work for him. Not only had the boy been on a rebellious streak, if he found out Rak had invited him to come work and his mother said no, there would be no knowing how he¡¯d react. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Even if I wanted him to create something for me, I¡¯d have to wait for him to develop his job.¡± ¡°Your words, not mine.¡± For some reason Arlina liked that Rak wanted her boy to come for him, she felt it was like Rak would be taking him under his wing. And she was tired of that defiant expression Sevon gave her when anything around the business came up. Sevon entered the room with his mother, his hands and face both dirtied with dirt. While he had become an alchemist a good deal of his time still went into tending the gardens. And unlike wildflowers and herbs these plants sometimes needed daily care. ¡°Hello there mister Sevon.¡± ¡°Good day mister Abstinence.¡± Sevon stands as tall as he can as he greets Rak. ¡°Please sit.¡± Arlina steps backs, moves to the bar and begins to clean some already clean dishware. Her eyes and perked ears betray her facade but no one is paying her any attention. ¡°Have you read the books I gave you?¡± ¡°Yes. They were very informative. I still haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you.¡± Sevon is extremely polite and proper, if it wasn¡¯t for his young appearance and dirty face he¡¯d pass for a young adult. ¡°Great to hear. I have you heard about the new library?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What library?¡± After explaining the situation Sevon just nodded. It didn''t mean much to him that this library was free or if it had changed locations. Sevon¡¯s mind had already been widened by his visit to Trove and he no longer had any mind on Alp¡¯s affairs. Not to mention Laughter medicine is one of the most lucrative businesses in Alp. ¡°I would like you to become my private alchemist. Of course I¡¯d make it so you have access to an herb garden and I would supply everything you need to progress your abilities.¡± Rak felt a bit off to offer a small kid like this a job. And the more he said the more he felt it was a bit off. Nonetheless he was already here and he had already said the words. ¡°What would I be doing?¡± ¡°At first I just need you to train for at least four hours a day. I¡¯ll pay you for the time and in return you¡¯ll work for me in the future. Of course, your pay will increase as you become more adept at your job. It might still be some weeks or months away before I require your help.¡± Even though Sevon was in a somewhat rebellious phase he still looked at his mother when he had to make a decision. Unfortunately for him his mother fiercely looked away as she wasn¡¯t intently listening. ¡°Where is it?¡± Rak didn¡¯t respond immediately but instead summoned his user interface. A holographic window appeared before him and he began using his hands to navigate it. When he had cut out Alp down from his map he waved his hands and pushed it towards Sevon. ¡°I¡¯ve marked on the map. It is outside of the town, on the outskirts of Alp¡¯s territory.¡± Sevon mimicked Rak¡¯s actions and opened up his map. Soon he frowned. ¡°This is so far away. How do I travel back and forth? I have to maintain our garden.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can come up with something. Do you know how to ride a horse?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°We can try and get you a horse in the future. In the beginning you can work from home. How is that?¡± ¡°I agree to your offer then.¡± Between the two there was little else to talk about so Rak created a temporary contract where it stated that Sevon would train his alchemy four hours a day for fifty copper coins an hour. That would be fifty six silver a month. This is an extravagant pay for just training the boy but Rak honestly didn¡¯t feel the sting. Even if it was two gold a month he¡¯d laugh it off. Rak understood the need for investmenting when it came to creating long lasting businesses. ¡°What smart young man.¡± Once Sevon went back to his tend the Laughter medicine herb garden Arlina took a seat. ¡°So you stole my little boy, what about my daughter?¡± ¡°If she finds a job I just might.¡± After dealing with Arlina for some time, Rak was immune to her jokes. But he wasn¡¯t immune to her leg rubbing up against his under the table. ¡°Oh? A merchant and a thief. Would you like to talk about business upstairs?¡± ¡°After you.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t as passionate as before Arlina kept to her merchant roleplay throughout, feeling it was very exciting. Biggest difference was the volume, Rak didn¡¯t lose control and neither did Arlina. ¡°Good merchant!¡± Even though Rak didn¡¯t play along with Arlina she was still enthusiastic about it. When the affair was finally over Rak and Arlina layed in bed before getting dressed again. ¡°That sure was quick.¡± Rak paused for a moment before continuing dressing. ¡°How does it keep increasing in intensity. Last time wasn¡¯t this intense.¡± Even though he had played around with Alley only yesterday and had a similar experience, the memory of his and Arlina¡¯s time a few months ago was still vivid in his mind. With the comparison he felt the difference in more clarity. ¡°Every sensation is increasing in sensitivity. Do you know anything about it Lina?¡± Arlina smiled when she heard the question. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know.¡± In the end it isn¡¯t just Rak living in this world. Everyone feels the increase in their sensations. They can¡¯t smell things further away or but they certainly could smell things in more depth. As the change was gradual it is mostly things like pain and pleasure that are easily noticeable. Perhaps its only vision that seems to be lacking. For now. When Rak slinked away from the Laughter¡¯s medicine he had the feeling he was doing something underhanded or shady. The activities were fine but after understanding that Arlina¡¯s husband ¡®died¡¯ and it wasn¡¯t really confirmed. Who knows if the man returns? Rak felt he was acting like a homewrecker. ¡°Forget it. Even if he returns it can¡¯t be blamed on me.¡± In part Rak is dealing with his conscious, which shouldn¡¯t be an issue. And in part with the implications if he lost Laughter¡¯s medicine business. And then there is the chance that he could lose some of his established reputation if things went further. Few people understand the value of a reputation within Chaos theory. When people know you they can become like Town planner, a valuable asset and friend. What Rak doesn¡¯t know is that a nefarious reputation will simply attract different kinds of people. People he hasn¡¯t had much contact with. The biggest issue with Chaos theory was exactly the lacking structure to guide people. There are all these tools in place but they are left for them to stumble across. As to why Chaos theory takes this approach rather than guiding with dedication is Chaos theory to know and everyone else to guess. ¡°With the library set up I can only wait for people to seek out Town hall to respond to my recruitment.¡± Ung took the initiative to act as a middle man between Rak and people with production abilities. In reality it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to discover and learn an ability after using tools like books. With the right books they¡¯ll easily learn an ability. The trouble is getting the related job. Just as Manipulators specialize specifically in assimilating their energy into items, often referred to as anchors. So can a person learn to manipulate their energy into an appropriate item and shape it from there. Only the latter is slow and difficult. When looking at abilities it is best to recognize the time relative to practice. Learning tens of abilities is very much possible, and can be considered easy with the right tools. But training these abilities will take arduous work. Some of which can be alleviated by tools but time is still required. ¡°I¡¯ll invite Url over to inspect the farmhouse and try to put down some plans for the future.¡± The more Rak set up infrastructure the better he felt. If it was the real world he could get these things done in a few days at the latest but in Chaos theory things weren¡¯t simple. Even just getting the right to buy land to build on was a struggle. Not to mention Rak only has access to what Alp town government lets him build. If he wants higher quality buildings he¡¯ll have to get an architect and woodworkers specialized in house construction. The farmhouse recently builds is actually more a storage place and only has a few other uses like tools to tend animals. The animals themselves live outside within the fenced area. Or if they are loyal like Rak¡¯s two horses they can roam freely. Speaking of the two, they are both accompanying Rak around town entirely untethered. ¡°As always the animals around Url¡¯s land are numerous.¡± Without counting it is easy to see there are over thirty animals roaming around Url¡¯s house and hunting lodge. Majority of these are unranked and the smaller ones know how to sustain themselves on the pastures. But sustaining does not mean its beneficial to their growth, only enough to state them. ¡°Url should move near to the Endless mountain range and have these animals hunt with him. He already has an army.¡± Rak let his thoughts wander a bit before calling for Url in the usual fashion. Soon Rak and Url were riding on Rak ?s two horses. Url¡äs attention was entirely on the horses. Rak didn''t mind, he has long since gotten used to quietude. ¡°This is the place.¡± Despite travelling in silence the trip went by quickly. ¡°A farmhouse?¡± Url leapt off the horse with ease and began inquisitively inspect the property. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d help investigate ways to increase animals growth to tier one and beyond. Of course I don¡¯t expect tier two animals but perhaps advanced tier one animals should be the current goal.¡± Url went from touching the fencing to knocking on the farm house walls to lifting and inspecting every tool within the farmhouse. A farmhouse and a hunting lodge contain similar items but in the end a farmhouse is strictly a production building while a hunting lodge aimed towards surviving and hunting. ¡°Tier one animals isn¡¯t difficult.¡± Url knelt on one knee and swiped a grassblade from the fields. ¡°Advanced to peak tier one will need both training and adequate food stuffs.¡± ¡°I expected as much.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to get your hands on quality unranked materials and then have a tier one alchemist refine them. There are other methods but this is the most common.¡± ¡°What other methods are there?¡± ¡°Enhancing items is not an uncommon ability. A cook can even produce great results. Not just for humans but animals as well.¡± Rak walked with Url and only listened. ¡°It is also possible to learn simple infusing abilities. If the ability symbiotic with the food in question even a Manipulator like you could do it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Your two boys have eaten well but you must have bought their food in cities, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I stock up on quality food in cities.¡± ¡°With above average quality they have achieved some growth but mostly they have been exercising often.¡± ¡°They are restless and never stop running around. Even when they are exhausted they still want to roam around.¡± ¡°They¡¯re good boys.¡± When it comes to his passion even Url speaks more. ¡°If you give them higher grade food they¡¯ll soon break through to tier one. After they do you¡¯ll need to arrange higher tier food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of this. I read a few books on the matter. If I hadn¡¯t come to you I would have gone into the city and have an alchemist refine large quantities of food for me.¡± Speaking of things like refining, at this stage it is simple as infusing items with energy. Majority of the energy dissipated but a small percentage remains within the items. This energy is expanded when the item is used or consumed. Alchemists deal especially with infusing their energy into items and therefore are known to do things like increasing an item¡¯s grade by a degree or even increasing its tier. This isn¡¯t too rare as most production related abilities use unranked materials in tier one items. Olrics brewing is an example of this. Of course the quality suffers and can only reach a novice level. All manners of abilities use energy, most can be seen as a form of infusing energy into an item only the degree of which it is done is vastly different. When Rak infuses an alchemist refined stone, he does so carelessly but effectively. If an alchemist¡¯s methods were used to infuse the same stone they might be able to sell it and others could use Manipulator¡¯s shields or other abilities by proxy. This is how items work in general. ¡°What kind of animals are you thinking of keeping?¡± ¡°Horses first and foremost.¡± There are numerous types of mounts capable or even better at transporting items over long distances than horses but horses are the most common. This can be seen when Rak was looking for riding instruction books. ¡°I also wanted to get your stance on something that could be questionable.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°How do you feel about training beasts of war?¡± Url paused his steps, following which Rak also stopped. ¡°Can you explain further?¡± ¡°I want to capture various animals, train them to be fighters and sell them. They would act as companions, protectors and attackers.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t impossible. But it is time consuming.¡± ¡°Even if it is, I think it¡¯s worth it.¡± Surprisingly Url had no notion of protecting all animals. He himself is a hunter and has hunted numerous animals. ¡°Capturing is one thing, training is another.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If I ride out today, it might take me a few days to find particular animal to capture.¡± ¡°Ah, I see what you mean. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m in this for the long haul. If in the end we have to sell the animals for several gold, then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll sell them for.¡± Rak had no issue catering to a niche market if that was the case. ¡°What about breeding animals? Is that possible?¡± Rak hadn¡¯t thought about it but he didn¡¯t realise there were no person younger than thirteen years old within Chaos theory¡¯s world.. And even those were about to become fourteen within six months. So when talking about breeding animals, it could be an odd situation. ¡°We could breed animals, it''s not something I¡¯m well versed in but I know some things.¡± Url kept walking, they were still far off reaching the end of the fenced off land. ¡°As for training the animals. This is easier but also time consuming. The two horses I sold to you were trained not just by me but their herd as well.¡± ¡°They train themselves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you train a couple of strong senior members of the herd, these senior horses will instill their wisdom to the herd¡¯s younger generation.¡± Rak¡¯s eyes gleamed hearing this. ¡°How many horses. No, how many animal groups do you think you could manage at once?¡± ¡°Hard to say. If its horses I could maintain a herd of a thousand easily. As for other animals? I would have to look at each animal individually. If there is strong herd mentality, it is easy.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Wild field lions only set up in certain number of groups. A single male lion and ten to twenty lionesses. They won¡¯t create a larger group. Any more than that you¡¯ll need to set up a new group. This makes future training more difficult but not impossible.¡± At this point Url had stopped again, his mind was working through the logistics and as he went on his mental image got larger. He saw hundreds of field lions all in different groups. ¡°For these lions I reckon you would have to build specialized areas for them. When they learn to cohabitate with other prides they can be dealt with like the herd of horses.¡± ¡°Amazing.¡± ¡°Some animals I have little experience in dealing with, in particular fowl. But with some time I should be able to learn.¡± ¡°How long does it take to breed a horse?¡± ¡°About four months. That''s early adulthood. Your horses I found wild but they were just reaching their early adulthood then.¡± ¡°Only four months?¡± ¡°Six accounting for the mare gestation period. But I am not an expert in these matters, like I said.¡° Rak fell into thought. ¡°Six months is nothing. This is definitely the way to go.¡± Even if Rak could send Url out to capture animals constantly it was much more feasible to breed them. Url still had other things to do than just capturing and taming new animals. Though newborns would have to be tamed it was far away from the difficulty of taming a wild animal. Url and Rak continue to talk about various things. Rak modifies his previous contract with Url to state he is now paying him three gold a month and that he is now under Rak¡¯s general employment. The contract is ambiguous and Url can deny to do anything Rak asks him to but Url can now work more independently. Using the brewery¡¯s delivery trips Url will capture beasts he thinks could be valuable. They have also decided to use Url¡¯s horses to breed a new generation and move a portion of the pride to Rak¡¯s land temporarily. Wild horses would also be introduced if the opportunity appeared. Url explained that horses would travel fast and far and rarely stayed in one location for long periods at a time. Eventually Url felt the urge to go get started. Rak reminded Url that if he could breed any other animal as well that would be great. As to whether Url took note of it is unknown. ¡°So far things are going alright. There are some mishaps but in short six or seven months I¡¯ll have a working taming facility. Raising animals won¡¯t bear fruit for a long while.¡± After sending Url off and being left alone Rak began walking back to the house with the intention of training his Manipulator abilities and continuing his analyzes of his many consumable items. ¡°To remove excess costs over long periods I need to make sure I can generate my own supply of food. That means I need a farmer on top of people with abilities to refine food to a higher standard.¡± Rak hasn¡¯t tried his hand at various job related abilities he has casually read up on. Mostly Rak read for entertainment but a few books like horse riding books were picked specifically. Rak has also read a book on formations but went nowhere with it. ¡°Farming should be a common ability. I should have Town hall set up a quest for one. Even if they specialize in a particular crop, switching them up shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± After discussing with Url, Rak realized that jobs are not as cut and dry. At this stage a tier one or unranked ability can only go so far. But the benefit is that they can easily be molded. Olric, Rak ?s brewer can easily pivot to other drinks, though there will be lacking proficiency, it won¡¯t be too glaring. ¡°I no longer feel like I¡¯m progressing with my Manipulator abilities. If I understand this system correctly, only my proficiency with the abilities is increasing but the numerical attributes associated with the abilities aren¡¯t increasing.¡± Through numerous wisdom books Rak had gathered that abilities were indeed split into level, increased with experience. And proficiency, increased through repeated practice. ¡°There must be a limit of some sort on how much experience my abilities and Manipulator job can receive through training alone. Perhaps they are interlinked as well, that isn¡¯t out of the question.¡± Rak opened his door and casually sat down by the large dining table, items poured into a large pile. These were the items bought in the Bazaar tower. ¡°If it comes to it, I¡¯ll have to either mimic father and go into the Endless mountain range or travel to a city and enter their Strange zone.¡± It isn¡¯t obvious why Rak is aiming to reach tier two Manipulator or why he¡¯s training at all. Perhaps its the innate feeling of not wanting to be left behind. There is also the feeling Alley gave him. It might be just to feel empowered. The reason why Rak persist in his seemingly pointless analyzing of items is to prove something. Not to himself or others but see if his guess is true. He read book after book and made the educated guess that abilities can be deterministically learned. A part is proving that there are no useless actions as well. Even if in the end he doesn¡¯t receive the ability he expects, he should receive something. As for his Basic stamping or Basic reading, those can still be attributed to the number of steps he took or number of books he read. It might not be that read continuously, though we know that is indeed the case. These are some of his thoughts on these matters at least. ¡°I¡¯m getting faster at this. I can¡¯t be sure if it requires certain period of time or if the quantity I¡¯m going through is enough. If I want to be safe I should start again but I don¡¯t believe Chaos theory, if is as expansive as it is, won¡¯t recognize my efforts.¡± In Chaos theory, the Chaos theory General Artificial Intelligence is literally god. But even gods might have limitations to their ability. Perhaps Rak¡¯s thoughts and actions are futile and Chaos theory isn¡¯t as detail oriented as he is guessing. Chapter twenty seven: Family etiquette. A lot of Rak¡¯s plans need time now. He could try and micro manage Url or look over Arlina¡¯s son Sevon, his new alchemist, but that isn¡¯t who Rak is. ¡°The only thing that doesn¡¯t seem to have a limit right now is my level. I¡¯ve already reached level nine from practicing and travelling alone.¡± Discovering new areas or practicing abilities can all return experience. Namely when an increment of progress occurs, the person will gain experience equivalent to the achievement. In chaos theory a person¡¯s level is bound to their job. Initially they start with a clean slate and can only reach level ten. After level ten experience required to level becomes absurd, not theoretically impossible, but worthless. This creates a lot of unranked level ten people in the world over time. Rak¡¯s current threshold should be beyond level ten but the harsh reality is that to level Rak will have to break through into tier two. There are also other limitations within each job respectively. Experience, proficiency, tiers and job advancements. Experience can be seen as a type of wisdom while proficiency as trained muscle memory. To be proficient in something you need to practice relentlessly. Knowing how to ride a bike is wisdom. To ride a bike expertly is proficiency. ¡°Once, no. If I find some prospects from the library endeavour, I can begin commissioning more buildings. The cost in the beginning was cheap but it increases with every building I commission. At this point I should try to find someone to build the buildings for me instead.¡± Rak¡¯s first house and brewery was something he built after scraping together quest rewards over a period of approximately a month. Now his farmhouse and second house cost multiple times more to build. ¡°The problem is most people seem to have no discernible skills and if they do its centered around fighting. Either people like Url are rare or they are hiding themselves.¡± The more he thought about it the more he felt it was unlikely that people would do nothing all day. Somehow people made a living. Of course, making a living is as simple as completing small tasks and be awarded a few copper coins. Those copper coins would easily buy them a weeks ration of cheap Government dispersed foodstuffs. Rak should know this much, at one point he had completed a quest to help an elderly man harvest his crops. In general it is possible to mass reap crops but that¡¯s costly investment to make. Mostly Government official set up such operations to meet Chaos theory¡¯s demand for cheap crops. This a part of logistic management of a government worker. Normal people can easily put down their own unranked vegetables, wheat and fruits. They will have to manage the farming themselves, which is relatively easy, and then harvest. These are trivial things but labour is still labour. ¡°It''s too bad Town hall doesn¡¯t require people to register their abilities. Perhaps I can pay people to register with me?¡± Rhythmic tapping of a finger sounds out in Rak¡¯s house. ¡°Contests, recruitment. What will make people divulge personal information? Will they be suspicious if I offer to pay for it? There are few tens of thousands people residents in Alp town. And Inte village probably has just as many.¡± There is a taboo in asking people what their abilities are. But there are also organizations that require it upon joining them. The problem is Rak doesn¡¯t have such an organization. ¡°Should I set up a school? For every person of every age. No, I¡¯d still need to find teachers.¡± Alp¡¯s school is only a few weeks duration twice a year and is held by Town hall. They teach people to read, write, basic arithmetic and finally a short explanation about town life. After that they are on their own. As reading and writing are hidden skills, learning them once is enough to last a lifetime. Basic reading is an extension of the hidden skill reading for example. This helps not only the town''s folk but also people from the real world that previously could not do these things. Those situations might be rare but they do exist. ¡°At this point, am I even creating a business? I feel like I need to create an entire industry.¡± In the real world Rak has no fingers in generating base materials. There are always production facilities in place already selling materials wholesale with low margins. But in Chaos theory there seems to be a lack, perhaps only in cities can you find a reliable supplier of quality materials. One example is the paper Rak owns and the notebooks he¡¯s bought. They are all low grade materials and are really not valued. Higher grades of paper are used by alchemists, architects, formationists and others. If Rak wanted a steady supply of quality paper he¡¯d have either create his own workshop or go buy it from a supplier in the city. There is no doubt that the upfront cost of the paper and then the delivery cost would sting. ¡°That might not be a bad idea. With Chaos theory¡¯s growth rate it shouldn¡¯t be too far fetched. If a horse can reach early adulthood within six months of conception. Any other material should be farmable.¡± Rak is not incorrect in his assumption. If unranked materials are the thing he¡¯s after. Tier one and above might require certain environments to thrive. Difficulty does not mean its an impossible task. ¡°If it''s just simple farming there should be people in town that know how.¡± Rak never intended to create products he couldn¡¯t sell in bulk. His animal training endeavour is for the sake of utility, not profit. In a sense Rak is setting up his own network of transport. The other animal companions or animals of war are a side project. ¡°For now I can spend my days relaxing. If in two months I see poor recruitment results, I¡¯ll have to convince people from cities to join me, or collaborate with unranked workshops.¡± Over the next week Rak really did relax. Url came and went, barely speaking to Rak, only mentioning some beasts he could grab on a trip. Rak of course didn¡¯t reject the idea and only reminded him to try and bring a male and female. Rak would often lounge around town, spending time in the library or drinking ¡®expensive alcohol¡¯. It can only be considered expensive to normal people. And there is little other Rak can spend his tens of gold on. Only in cities is it possible. The alchemy refinery got built after Rak failed to find people capable of building a better building than what can be commissioned from Alp town. Granted he didn¡¯t look far, only put in some words with Town planner Ung, who despite being an architect surprisingly has no connection to house builders. This doesn¡¯t come as a surprise as there has been very small demand for house building abilities within Chaos theory. Beyond from the super wealthy, and they¡¯d most likely nurture their own or have sufficient connections to find one. Sevon had visited the refinery twice since it was built. Rak asked him to try and refine superior food for his two horses. Not exactly a glamorous job for an alchemist but the boy was very excited about it nonetheless. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. I should go meet Ung.¡± Aside from Town planner Ung, Url and Arlina, Rak barely interacted with other people. Of course he spoke to servers in restaurants and taverns but that was the extent of it. Ung and Rak have been meeting for lunch for the past five days, making it a daily affair. ¡°You¡¯re already here? They let you out early?¡± By the time Rak and his two horses strolled by the Laughter¡¯s medicine Ung was already leaning against the back of a wall with a drink in his hand. ¡°Who is going to stop me?¡± Rak leapt down from his horse and they immediately began walking away, a small pouch around their necks with ten silver coins each. Surprisingly they have been ¡®tricking¡¯ people to give them food or even deviously stealing it. The first few times he just scolded them and eventually tried a new method. As it turned out the pair of horses enjoyed spending coins as much as they enjoyed messing with people. Rak still got complaints but there were far less of them now. ¡°Look at them. What a pair of devils.¡± ¡°Those horses of yours are too smart for their own good. At least they haven¡¯t harmed anyone.¡± ¡°I talked to Url about it and he didn¡¯t see it as a problem.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he working for you now?¡± ¡°If anything I feel like I¡¯m just enabling his hobby. He¡¯s finally going to capture a new animal. Something east of Jurne town. I didn¡¯t even know there was anything there but apparently there is a new settlement near there.¡± ¡°Jurne? Really? I haven¡¯t heard anything about this. How would Url know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. If it isn¡¯t about animals he won¡¯t respond.¡± ¡°A new settlement huh. That¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting? Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to sit first.¡± Inside the Laughter¡¯s medicine are a few regulars Savan is diligently preparing for the incoming noon traffic. Arlina in back in the kitchen preparing as well. ¡°So, why is a new settlement so interesting?¡± ¡°Because of how they are created. Either someone cleared a high grade Strange zone and got lucky, a city completed a long term quest or Chaos theory created it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Considering the location it would be Hampter who created it. But I have heard some strange things have been happening recently. You know Inte¡¯s population has surpassed Alp town.¡± ¡°Right. It is my best client to date. Each week we have to send tons of beer to them.¡± ¡°Kante¡¯s population has been increasing as well.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gone to Kante yet. I should find time to expand my network. The travelling cost is cutting into how cheap I can offer my beers but as long as I don¡¯t have to travel to or beyond a city it should be fine.¡± ¡°My guess is that Chaos theory set up this new settlement to spread the population. Hampter is too young of a city to be expanding on its own.¡± ¡°What if someone cleared a Strange zone?¡± ¡°Not impossible but it is the most unlikely event. Of course I¡¯m just guessing.¡± Rak nodded and sipped his drink, their food still on the way. ¡°So still no person showed up from the library recruitment?¡± ¡°Not yet, but there are still hundreds of visitors a day in the library.¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯ve noticed.¡± Every time someone enters the library and invokes Rak¡¯s contract a single copper is removed from Rak¡¯s inventory. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask you to set up additional fliers to advertise my recruitment. I need to offer people more incentives.¡± ¡°Alright, send me a draft of the flyer and I¡¯ll see it done.¡± The pair finally calmed down and just relaxed without talking much. They chatted when they wanted to do and relaxed in silence when they felt like it. In the silence Rak began letting his mind wander. ¡°I can¡¯t offer people a place to live but I can offer to provide meals, coins, freedom to experiment and items to work with. Later on I can properly utilize them.¡± From copper to gold there is quite a bit of difference but to Rak these things were almost meaningless. If Rak has to spend ten gold a week then that¡¯s what he¡¯ll do. ¡°I¡¯ve never had to deal with these issues before so I can only take it one step at a time.¡± Rak¡¯s reputation among the town¡¯s people has been increasing, this sort of reputation is very similar to real life. It can slowly fade away or rise to a level of ¡®celebrity¡¯. Rak¡¯s reputation with Alp town government has similarly continuously grown, this reputation is permanent and can be considered an ¡®town level¡¯ the same way Rak has Manipulator levels. These things will not decay over time. ¡°I¡¯ve got confirmation from Inte. They aren¡¯t against being absorbed. The recent influx of people has caused a bureaucratic nightmare. They have lines to their village centre, and it''s not even half the size of our Town hall.¡± Ung was still staring out a window when he spoke. ¡°You seem very tired these days, Ung.¡± ¡°It¡¯s finally happening. I might be the first town in over a hundred years to make this sort of progress.¡± ¡°Congratulations are in order then.¡± ¡°Wait til its all be finalized. I actually need your help with a few things.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Inte has a need for many things, food included. I can deal with the food but they also need armors and weapons.¡± ¡°Armors and weapons?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not rare for people to sustain damage when they travel into the Endless mountain range so they can need a new set of armor every week or even every few days.¡± ¡°You want me to set up workshops?¡± ¡°That or set up a caravan to Trove, Hampter and Long. Whatever way we can get more armors and weapons.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll commission a forge then. What kind of armor are we talking about?¡± ¡°Any kind. Mostly leather.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll add some incentives to my recruitment then.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯d offer to help with those if I could.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Even though Ung has the authority to spend the town¡¯s ample treasury he can¡¯t use it for himself. ¡°Has your brewery leveled yet?¡± ¡°It should sometime next week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news.¡± Rak nodded. ¡°My profit margins will increase I suspect. Of course the happiest is Olric. He¡¯s been spending more and more time in the brewery. He has three kinds of beer and two spirits.¡± ¡°He¡¯s become a popular man recently.¡± Olric has accumulated wealth from his work with Rak over the past few months and his reputation in the nearby towns and villages have skyrocketed. And especially within Alp town where he can¡¯t walk down the street without being greeted several times. ¡°Do they have any other conditions?¡± ¡°This a bit embarrassing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about, aren''t we friends?¡± Ung gave Rak a side eyed glance and then resumed staring out the window. ¡°They want cheaper beer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Ung turned towards Rak waved his hands in the air dramatically. ¡°What could I do? They are all surprisingly drunks! They wouldn¡¯t budge on this.¡± Hearing Ung, Rak remembered his visit to the village Inte and how developed their drinking culture was. To the point of having a few permanent regulars. ¡°It¡¯s fine. With the brewery leveling up I can afford the discount. How much?¡± ¡°They wanted fifty percent discount.¡± ¡°On top of my forty five?¡± ¡°I negotiated it down to thirty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. If that what it takes then that¡¯s what it takes.¡± ¡°Good. then I''ll officially put up a public town quests when I get back later. Come see me sometime today or tomorrow to receive them.¡± Aside from managing Alp town, Town planner Ung can also issue quests on the town¡¯s behalf. The town will also generate quests on its own periodically. For example it can request additional food stuffs or extermination of pests. ¡°A tannery is something that specializes in working with leather but I can also get as more generic building that also works with cloth and have Sevon refine leather for me.¡± Aside from metal and leather armour, it is possible to wear lightweight armour similar to cloth. This type of armour has lesser innate physical defensive attributes but for people who excel in energy related abilities will synergise with it to a point it becomes just as defensive as metal armors. The defect of armours that aren¡¯t metal based is their low durability. A dramatic fight might ruin a piece of cloth armour while metal armour could still endure a few similar situations. Same of course applies to leather armours, which are considered ¡®living¡¯ and as such it easier to amplify them to the same level of defence as metal armours. This is why leather armour is usually the most sought after. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough information to go on. If I assume that a refinery won¡¯t last me in the long term I still think it¡¯s worth it for now. Especially considering that I already have a refinery up and running. Originally it was to support my animal food requirements but this is good as well.¡± After speaking to Sevon a few times and reading up on some of his alchemist books Rak¡¯s understanding of Alchemy has improved. In particular it seems that alchemy is a middle point, a sort of jack of all trades and it is hard to say what they really do. Alley, the advanced hunter, is also an alchemist at her core. She later went on to become potion centric. In simple terms she uses misclenious materials and refines them into a digestible form. She could easily have gone down the route of pure refining as well. This sort variety within a job is common amongst the different jobs. It is to the point where a ranger can begin focusing on melee combat. They divorce their ranger roots and transition into a warrior variant job. ¡°If I want to really prepare for the future I should spread my roots further. I can set up similar situations as I have with Sevon. If I only look for people once I need them it¡¯ll take weeks or months to prepare.¡± It is not odd that Rak¡¯s thoughts have lead him to this point as the future is unpredictable. Or better yet, Chaos theory is unpredictable. ¡°I need to buy more land If I can.¡± ¡°Ung. Will the land rise in cost if we absorge Inte into Alp?¡± ¡°Hmm. Yes. With population doubling Chaos theory will probably adjust it¡¯s over all costs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to buy as much land as I can before we merge then.¡± ¡°Before we merge, you¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°Great. When do you expect the merger to start?¡± Ung gave Rak another of his looks. ¡°That depends when we can promise them those armors and weapons.¡± ¡°So you''re putting this all on me?¡± ¡°Who else is so ambitious? You know I was almost content in just managing Alp before you came around.¡± Rak downed his drink and laughed with Ung. They had talked about expanding and later making Alp into a fully fledged city. Of course a city required more than just ample space to occupy but absorbing Inte is the first big step. ¡°Will I be able to buy more land after the merger?¡± ¡°Most definitely, but like I said, it becomes expensive. I can¡¯t say by how much but i¡¯m certain it¡¯ll increase in cost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. My farmhouse already takes up majority of the land I recently bought. I need more land to set up some high quality farms. Without proper materials my new animals won''t reach peak tier two according to Url.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll depend on your Alp government reputation but you should be able to do it.¡± Having Ung giving him information that only someone intimate with the Chaos theory governments system gave Rak a real advantage over other people. And yet Chaos theory didn¡¯t prevent this sort of situation. Chaos theory might allow people to directly occupy a town by force. If people gather enough strong people they might do exactly that and Chaos theory would look on without a shred of emotion. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. If my armory, refinery and weapon crafting facilities take off, I¡¯m sure I''ll get enough reputation with those alone.¡± Everytime Rak pays tax to Alp town he gains reputation. Also when people who work for Rak pay tax, so does he gain a bit of reputation. There is also the case where people use his goods to better the town or garner it more wealth, Rak will also gain more reputation. Rak ?s brewery has done more for him reputation wise than his ¡®free¡¯ public library exactly because of tax. ¡°If I want to sell armors and weapons I need to know who sells them.¡± ¡°Ung, I¡¯m thinking of taking another trip to Inte.¡± ¡°A trip? You can leave now and come back by nightfall if you want.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still a trip.¡± After Rak¡¯s horses reached peak of unranked and his horse riding skill reached tier his speed increased considerably. Even going to all surrounding towns in a day might be possible. ¡°I hadn¡¯t given it that much thought but I have a lot more freedom to travel with how fast my boys are.¡± As Rak let these thoughts wander a bit he realised he should make time to reach all towns and villages that don¡¯t require him to enter or pass a city. ¡°Who sells weapons and armors down in Inte?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t check on it but the village centre sells majority of them as they come through Alp¡¯s supplies. There is also some level of production going on down there.¡± ¡°Is that why they sell their surplus materials rather than crafting them there? It''s a wasted opportunity if you ask me.¡± ¡°I don''t actually deal in the selling of those materials but they are indeed sold in bulk and sold in one of the three nearby cities. This is also where we get our weapons and armour to sell to them.¡± ¡°So its a government thing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are very few trade routes that go through here so we have to commission our own supplies through government contracts. These are unpublic public quests.¡± ¡°Unpublic public quests? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Anyone can complete them but usually we just talk to people like Url who are willing to drive a carriage with supplies back and forth.¡± ¡°He really does enjoy is solitude.¡± ¡°If this were a proper business we wouldn''t be wasting these trips. We rarely manage to fill half the carriage inventory slots.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of wasted potential. But this is good for me.¡± ¡°Indeed. Indeed it is Abs.¡± ¡°Sometimes the key to a successful business is efficiency above everything else. Quality can wait.¡± ¡°Wise words, I¡¯ll have them printed in the Town hall.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seeing Rak¡¯s surprised expression Ung laughed heartily. ¡°Joking, I¡¯m just joking.¡± Over the next few days there was little to no changes so Rak decided to bite the bullet and travel to the nearest connected towns and villages. There are specifically six places Rak has to travel to. From Kante village to the north and west of Torp town. From there to the villages connected to Tyr and lastly the village vest of Jurne town. Even with Rak¡¯s horses he spent a couple of days travelling. And only returned on the third day. The profit margins lowered considering the transportation distance to these places and added onto that Rak can¡¯t be too efficiency in his deliveries, having to travel to one village and return to a neighbouring one after a few days. Later on Rak will have to adjust his contracts to only deliver on specific days once a week so he doesn¡¯t waste his driver¡¯s time. With that he¡¯ll be able to lower the price again, which will most likely go well over with everyone involved. On the second day of the third week since Rak and Ung set up the new public library three people responded to Rak¡¯s recruitment. One young man with shifty eyes and and forty something woman and an elderly man. ¡°I had been expecting someone young like Sevon. But this is fine as well.¡± The young man is called Perlid and developed an interest in food. Surprisingly he did not want to become a cook but a farmer. Or to be specific, he wanted to collect higher quality materials so as to create better food with. According to Perlid his mother is a great cook and she always told him the most important part of cooking is good materials. This is why they have their own garden where they grow various vegetables. The woman, Nurin, has a keen interest in creating clothing, perhaps not unusual for women in general. Rak welcomed her. He had a plan to move her from using just cloth to leather as well. As to how, he still doesn¡¯t have a scheme hatched. The last one is an elderly man, who like Url, enjoys working with animals. He has picked up generic taming abilities from reading Rak¡¯s donated books and practicing by himself. He goes by the name Old Wit, a nickname of some sort. Each of them were given a loose contract for now, similar to Sevon they are all asked to hone their abilities. For now Rak doesn¡¯t have the steady supply of materials or customers to have them mass produce something for the public market. One and a half month in, Three horses are pregnant and two different species of four legged animals have been set up within the farmhouse perimeter. Similarly Url and the new hire, Old Wit are attempting to breed them as well. While many things happen, Rak has little to do other than reiligate work. Most of Rak¡¯s time goes into training and reading. And loitering around with Ung. The two have become somewhat notorious for day drinking. Rak¡¯s brewery brings in a sizeable sum every week, enough that Rak cannot spend his coin quick enough. Reaching over one hundred and sixty gold coins. The biggest issue Rak is facing is the four siblings that have recently arrived and are staying within his guest mansion. Rak delayed meeting with them for two days already and today he¡¯s finally resigned to march on in accordance to Devion family etiquette. ¡°There is no honor in hiding. I reported my progress because I am confident.¡± Although there are things Rak tried to downplay, the other family members have been playing this internal family game for longer and with far more attentiveness than Rak. They immediately saw through Rak attempts to downplay his progress. Even though a few family members have managed to set up a successful business within Chaos theory they still land in the same issues Rak does, lacking human resources. Some have taken desperate actions and personally taken up production job to facilitate their business growth. All in all, no job is bad but there are certainly jobs more suited with a person¡¯s personality than others. Not only that, some later higher tier jobs depend on other jobs to reach their potential. Wanting to become a ranged archer with heavy emphasis on energy manipulation like a Manipulator will be difficult without proper job alignments. Of course some people will just go with the flow. Without researching in depth it is difficult to measure the pros and cons of individual jobs. ¡°Alright send them in.¡± Even though Rak is obligated to meet with his siblings since they came in person Rak does not need to be happy about it. ¡°Eyr, Vor, Sumr and Kiul. three of my sisters and Kiul.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± With an emotionless nod Rak indicates Kiul to sit. Following behind Kiul are three absurdly beautiful women. Of course from Rak¡¯s perspective they are all wretched and scheming hags. ¡°Sisters, sit.¡± Unlike Kiul who has attempted to seem nonchalant, the three sisters give Rak a glaring look. ¡°So, to what do I owe the pleasure of the company of my dear beloved siblings?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play coy, brother.¡± ¡°What do you mean Sumr? I take father as my role model and only speak straightforwardly without deceptions.¡± ¡°How has this become about father, little brother? Are you implying that mother deceptive?¡± Rak already felt a wave of ache course through him. Indeed they twisted his words as he expected. If Rak talked down to people in public events, his siblings were his fiercest rivals with venomous tongues. ¡°Don¡¯t project your ideas of mother onto me, Eyr. Get to the point, why are you four here.¡± ¡°Aren''t we here to support our little brother?¡± By this point Rak realised this wouldn¡¯t be over without at least a half hour of veiled nonsense. ¡°Is that so? Then I welcome you. Bring in the dishes and drinks. I can¡¯t have my dear siblings starve and die of thirst in my own home.¡± An hour passed before Vor got impatient enough. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you and father have some great conspiracy. Are the news true little brother?¡± ¡°What conspiracy?¡± With a nonchalant look Rak gave Vor a glance before reaching for his winecup. ¡°The whole family know that you and father have been colluding these past few weeks. Don¡¯t deny it. You think our intelligence methods are a joke?¡± ¡°Ho oh. Vor is right. Little brother why not speak frankly with your older siblings? THere are even rumors that father values your Chaos theory exploits as if they were the real world!¡± ¡°It¡¯s absurd! Father and you know something about Chaos theory. How else can a game cause such a ruckus. Kiul, you agree with us, right?¡± ¡°How would I agree with you three? I¡¯m here to celebrate my little brothers success. If he deigns to speak of his experiences with me, then so be it.¡± ¡°Hypocrite.¡± Once again the room went into an uproar and all sorts of veiled insults, some less veiled than others, got used wantonly. ¡°Alright Enough!¡± The four finally sat back in their chairs. Their servants jolted slightly at Raks boisterous shout. Even Rak¡¯s own servants couldn¡¯t help but stiff up for a moment. ¡°I have entertained you long enough. I have followed family etiquette. Agreed? ¡° Reluctantly his siblings nodded. ¡°I¡¯m willing to share with you anything you want to know. You can read it in the family updates. Outside of that? Why don¡¯t you go talk to father?¡± From their expression it is clear that none of them intended to take this up with their father. The reason they were in the first place is because Rak had been in contact with their father a lot as of late. It is unclear what the final objective these four had but Rak couldn¡¯t figure it out exactly. Perhaps they came just to test his resolve. As Rak spends the least amount with the families social circles and events. Knowing your enemy is crucial. Of course Rak didn¡¯t think he was in competition with them but he certainly understood now that they thought so. And if they thought so then that means he is. ¡°If they want to fight, they¡¯ll have their fight.¡± Rak felt a bit exhausted and a small degree of helplessness. The competitive nature of his siblings bordered on unhealthy and often went beyond healthy. This is why almost no two siblings can be considered on good or neutral terms. After his siblings finally went away Rak went on to reading recent Devion family updates and other intelligence he had been trying to gather, almost exclusively about Chaos theory. From his servants extensive research they found that quite a few things were censored by the overarching shadow of Chaos theory. A terrifying reality, a dystopian reality dawned on them then.