《Best Shop In The Multiverse》
CH1: Thats A T-Rex
The blind slammed home at the top of the window sill, revealing the yellow eye of Earth''s perfect killing machine, back from extinction to terrorize the world once again. All that separated him from certain doom was a thin sheet of glass and the nature of the shop. Oh, it wanted to get inside, but the beast couldn''t figure out how for some reason. It lumbered, shaking the ground, searching for some way in, but still hadn''t found one.
Red was trapped in a small room with nothing to eat or drink. His situation couldn''t possibly get any worse. Hours after seeing the predator, he had time to look out and admire his situation, which included piles of dino feces filled with human bones. The beast seemed to enjoy stomping around his shop and hunting anything that saw it.
He would like to say he was free to exit, but the monster would eat him when he left the shop''s safety. That left him stranded and bored out of his mind. He broke down and prayed to every deity he could think of, and something happened when he fell on the god emperor of humanity.
The flashing screen wasn''t helping his sanity either. Or there is a slight chance that the god emperor of Dune might be real.
Welcome to the shop!
Red was the owner. He woke up in the shop and nearly left to his doom. Then the message appeared when he didn''t leave.
The shop was small, around 100 square feet, with barely enough room to pace. The monster outside shook the shop with every step, and there was a second door he couldn''t open. He turned his attention to a wooden door on the wall he couldn''t open.
A sign above it clearly said "customer entrance." The flashing red exit sign above the glass door didn''t look ominous.
Whenever he thought the T-rex was gone, he opened a blind to see it waiting to flank him when he exited the shop. Red thought about leaving when it got dark but quickly realized that the dinosaur probably had better night vision than him. This situation worsened because he had no idea how he got into the shop. One moment, he was watching a meteor burn violet in the atmosphere. The next, he was in a small shop.
He listened to his boots echo off the wooden floor as he paced and looked at the second window. Red approached two chests that took up large portions of the shop with signs saying outbox and inbox. Did that mean he could send and receive mail?
Would you like to open the welcome kit?
Red peered out the door and saw the bottom half of someone''s shoe. Escape wasn''t viable. He had to play along if he wanted to get anywhere.
He gave his reflection in the glass door a look over. The nascent shop owner wasn''t much to look at. He was a man in his early 30s with a slight gut, male-patterned baldness, and a beard.
The guy in the window wasn''t getting any badass awards anytime soon.
Since he had no other choice, he might accept the call to action.
"Sure, give it to me."
He heard a rumble from the chest of inboxes and quickly opened them. Inside was a cardboard box with "welcome kit" written in red on the lid. Red had precisely one piece of furniture and placed the box on the counter.
There wasn''t a chair in sight. He would have to stand at the counter. That was depressing.
Quest
Acquire Merchandise
Trash Rank sword 0/1
Trash Rank shield 0/1
Trash Rank spear 0/1
Reward: 100SP (Shop Points), Shop Upgrade Menu (Trash)
A few questions: What was with the ranking system? What kind of customer would purchase something called trash rank? Was there information on the ranking system, and how was he supposed to receive merchandise? Did he have a balance?
Wallet: 0SP
Thankfully, the system was on its game. Who knows what would have happened if the system had not told him he was broke?
The new and very broke shop owner sucked in a breath and let it out. So, he had no seed money. Maybe the answer to his problems was in the box.
Red opened the box and found a helpful laminated card with his driver''s license photo. It was a multiverse merchant''s license. That was helpful, and maybe it would give him some credibility. Or maybe whoever did this to him was making fun of him. That seemed about as likely. There was another card. This one had color-coated tiers identifying the different ranks of items. It only gave the first five ranks.
Trash
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Epic
It was okay; he didn''t want to be overwhelmed by too much anyway. The information withheld wasn''t raising any red flags. Nope, none were raised, and he was going to act like this wasn''t freaking him out.
Red heard a grinding sound and turned to see the T-rex turn in his direction with a moose in its mouth. It bit down, and he could hear the monster''s teeth scrape against the moose''s bones. Then he felt the pop as the T-rex finally cut through them.
A shiver ran down his spine. He tore his eyes away and focused back on the Welcome Kit.
There was a single card inside ten bronze keys, and that was it.
He picked up the card first.
Spell Card: Activate this card to learn one random battle spell.
First-Time Activation: Gain the intelligence attribute and one random perk.
Under the card was a small felt bag. Was it what he thought it was?
Bag of Holding (Rare): Can store up to 100 cubic feet. Item drops automatically appear in the bag of holding when equipped.
Red hugged the shabby bag to his chest. He never wanted to let it go. It was precisely what he needed.
He picked up one of the bronze keys. This was the last puzzle piece, and he only hoped to get anywhere. It was his last hope unless he thought a single spell would save him from a T-rex.
Who knew what else was outside his shop?
Instant Dungeon Key (Uncommon) ¨C slide into the lock of your shop, declare a typing, and be transported to a dungeon to farm resources.
Warning: The dungeon lasts 24 hours. If caught outside, the user will appear outside a shop in the hub world. If the user does not return to the shop immediately, they will receive a penalty quest.
He held up the spell card, and it activated. Pain, raw and sharp, hit him, starting in his head, but it quickly crawled down his spine.
Rolling INT(intelligence) ¨C The attribute determining what tier of spells can be learned and how much MP a user has.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
INT 11
MP 11/11
MP recharges 1 per hour
Spell Rolling
Fireball lvl1: A spell that conjures an explosive fireball, casting it in a direction.
Cost: 3MP
Fire Damage 2D10 x lvl
Area 1D4 x
Range: 1D10 x 5ft
Knowledge of how to conjure and fire a fireball came to mind, along with the images he needed to picture before using the spell. Magic, as it turned out, wasn''t all dumping loads of mana into a problem until it disappeared.
It wasn''t very clear, but he thought he understood what the shop system was trying to tell him.
Red could use a fireball once every 3 hours, or if his mana were maxed out 3 times, he would have to wait 10 hours. At level one, the fire damage was dealt with randomly based on dice. It could be at its lowest two up to 20. HP wasn''t in the thousands, and like most RPGs, it seemed to be in much lower numbers. Or he could be dead wrong.
Did he want to risk it and fire off one outside?
He turned his head, and the T-rex''s pupil shrank. There were easier ways to lose an arm.
Red looked over his head and saw a die roll.
Perk Roll
3 Fourth''s Tax Return: After casting three spells in succession, cast a fourth of the same spell free.
It wasn''t great, but it also wasn''t horrible. Red had a way over his limit. Instead of only using three spells, he could use 4. It was a great perk, but he needed a percentage chance to restore mana after killing an enemy. An extra shot wasn''t significantly bad when spells ramped up their mana prices.
"How much to upgrade my Intelligence?" Red asked.
1200SP or 12 mana stones (Trash)
It was time to ask the real question. "How much to raise my mana?"
Unclear
He thought about it. "How much SP to increase my mana from 11 to 12?"
120SP
It''s a tenth of the price, but would he still get MP if he increased his intelligence? Were there ways to improve his INT without buying it from the system? Were there other attributes he could get? No more than that. What kind of dungeon should he open?
He was dealing with a system that didn''t seem keen on helping him. It wasn''t user-intuitive; he had to ask it questions, and getting the answers felt like pulling teeth. Did it want him to open a dungeon?
"What type of dungeons can I open with a bronze key?"
Would you like to purchase a Bronze Key Dungeon Guide for 1000SP?
So he could buy nearly anything he asked for. The sky was the limit, but nothing was free.
"No thanks. I think I''m nearly ready to go. There are just a few more questions I need to ask. Show me the shop Status."
Nameless Shop lvl1 100SP to next level
Owner: Red
Tier 1(Trash)
Income: 0
Attendants: 0
Rooms 1 (Trash)
Stories: 1 (Trash)
Fame: 0
Customers: 0
Sales: 0
Investors: 0
Artisans: 0
Well, seeing all those zeroes made him feel a little self-conscious. He would have to buckle down and shoot fireballs if he wanted to escape his current situation. The big question was what kind of place he wanted to go to. The key said to declare a type, which was probably the best choice if he had a fire.
The biggest thing he''s killed in a long time was a spider. He wasn''t feeling incredibly confident.
He approached the door, and the T-rex outside practically salivated. It braced itself to lung until he stuck the key into the door''s lock.
Choose a Type
Fire
Water
Wood
Earth
Metal
Dark
Light
Wood Has Been Chosen
The moment the world changes, he hears screaming. A woman with pointed ears, most likely an elf, slammed into his glass door. He sees seeds attached to her skin growing through her flesh. Parts of her body begin to glow as a large growth pushes against her shoulder. The whole time he''s watching her, she''s screaming, and he doesn''t know what to do. He has a single combat spell, and seeds are falling from the sky, hitting the window of his shop like rain; he''s left watching as more seeds hit the woman, and the moment they touch the skin, they sprout.
Red can feel his heart hammering in his chest as something emerges from the foliage. It''s a person completely covered in wooden growths and flowers. The shop owner doesn''t know what to do. He''s frozen, and she''s dying as he fails to act.
The raining seeds stopped, but she stood up. The woman''s still screaming, but her body isn''t obeying her. Red had just had his first taste of the multiverse and all its horrors. If he opened the door, then he would let those seeds inside. But if he didn''t kill anything, then he would fail.
Quest
Colonization
Slay natives 0/3
Collect Loot 0/3
Slay Monsters 0/3
Reward: 50SP, The Wood Working Skill, Wood Working Tools
Red held his head in his hands. He could still hear the screaming. The shop owner''s body moved mechanically as he grabbed a back and tied it to his side using the stings attached to the bag. He had eight fireballs if he used them carefully.
He felt that his limitations were worse than those of other gamers. There weren''t levels or skills, and he had to go out, find his loot, and carve it into something usable.
If this shop system thought he would give it, it was mistaken. Red would go out and kill everything he could.
He carefully inspected the foliage around his shop. There were faces in the trees. Rotten wood and leaves covered the ground, and tall trees choked out the smaller ones.
The pings of seeds against his glass door were constant until they stopped suddenly.
When Red looked into the eyes of one of the faces, he saw it was focusing on him.
Cursed Totem HP 10
Description: An elf taken over entirely by a wood spirit; the elf has become an organ in a larger organism body subject to unending torment colored with spots of relief. When they spot a target, their parasite will launch a volley of parasitic seeds. Once they latch the Cursed Totem, they briefly sense it and sedate their victim. This grove has used up all its seeds thanks to the phenomenon known as a glass window. When they run low on seeds, they will summon Cursed Runners.
Howls echoed from the trees as the elves screamed, and Red heard a rustling in the foliage. He read the descriptions for the others and found they were also out of seeds. Soon, they, too, started screaming. Red wouldn''t have much time to act.
He closed his eyes, formed the mental images, and materialized through mana the symbols over his hand. Red knew that so long as he kept the circle in front of his hand, he could continue to use fireball until his mana ran out or, in his case, until he used his 4thspell.
Each of the Cursed Totems had 10 to 15 HP. But he had a problem: The nearest grove was 40 feet away. His fireballs could travel a maximum of 50 feet. He had four chances to hit his target. If he failed, most likely, an army of the Cursed Runners would mob the exit, and he wouldn''t be able to fire again in 9 hours.
This was his only hope, or he would have to use his next bronze key in this dungeon. Red could feel his heart hammer in his chest. What if one of the groves had some seeds in reserve, and he just couldn''t see it to verify anything?
He didn''t want to become one of those things.
There was no time he had to take a chance.
"Fireball," Red said and launched them.
He could see the dice roll in his head as he struggled to keep the fireballs on target. It wasn''t so much of a dice roll as human error in focusing on the spell and his untrained mind struggling to focus on the images of what he suspected were demons.
The first one jammed his wrist before it fired, sailing 20 feet before exploding in a small shower of flames. He watched the second one explode 5 feet from the target. His arm nearly buckled when the 3rdone fired off. They exploded dealing 9 damage in a wide arc. Some of the leaves caught fire and started burning. Smoke rose up black as sin, and then the 4thfireball nearly broke his wrist when it fired. They hit and exploded with vastly more force.
Several trees exploded, and his bag filled with 20 verdant logs. From what he could tell, there were only 4 confirmed kills, so each tree gave him 5 logs. On the bright side, the fires were starting to spread.
His bag danced as items fell inside, and the flames started to catch on the rotten wood around the groves. Red withdrew his hand and closed the door. He had nine hours before he could do anything. The elves didn''t choke to death on the smoke; unfortunately, he watched them scream as the flames licked at them.
Then, the first of the Cursed Runners appeared. They threw themselves on the flames in an effort to put them out. It was too late, and smoke was filling the forest. Red was safe with the door closed and watched on as his bag of holding continued to fill until nothing more fell inside it.
Cursed runners pounded on his door, screaming and raging, but they couldn''t get inside any better than the T-Rex. He thought about using a fireball on them, but he didn''t see the point since he had completed the quest. In their attempts to put the fire out, three of the cursed runners died.
Quest Complete Rewards:
Wallet: 50SP
New Skill
Wood Working lvl1
Description: Carve, sand, and polish wood to make the best products possible. The more effort put into your craft, the better the product.
Durability: Roll 1D4 x lvl
Effect: 1D20 + (1 x lvl)
Wood Working Tools (Trash)
Description: A set of essential tools to work wood and create shop-quality merchandise.
The fire continued to rage, and he realized that if he could gain xp from kills, he would have become incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case. He took a Verdant Log (Trash) and felt his bag of holding move. Suddenly, there was another log.
It was good to know if a little late. At least the logs didn''t form into a condensed lump. That could have been deadly in such a small room. He looked at the effect and could only guess that there was a list of possible effects or a chance an item would gain one when it was complete, thanks to the dice roll.
When crafting, declare a crafting session and then declare it complete, and the system will remove all waste products. With only one room, no workshop bonuses apply.
He stared at the log in his hand and slowly cut a sliver off, feeling his new skill direct him. He needed to make wooden weapons to sell. Red didn''t know who or what would even enter through the customer door to purchase anything. He did, however, unload his bag of holding stacking logs to the ceiling so that the forest fire he caused would refill his bag. It wasn''t a huge exploit, but anything he could get over the system was good in his book.
Red''s steady hands cut into the wood as he guided the log to become a sword. With a good enough effect, even a wooden blade could be deadly, so all he had to do was make enough swords and hopefully sell the worst ones.
Next Time
Chapter 2: The Wors¡ First Customer
CH2: The First Customer
Piles of wood shavings covered the floor as his arm shook from the effort of cutting. His hands shook, and sweat poured down his face. Outside was an inferno as more of the cursed Totems burned. A great tree far in the distance revealed itself after the other trees finally fell. Long vines lashed out but ultimately failed to do anything against the inferno Red had caused. The wind blew in the direction of the tree and the monster ultimately failed to defend itself.
1SP had bought him a water bottle and a box lunch. Incidentally, both made excellent containers in which to relieve himself. So he tossed their remnants out of his shop onto the ash-covered ground. It wasn''t long before they caught fire from the proximity of the inferno in front of him. It couldn''t have happened to a nicer species of monster.
Red''s arms shook as he struggled to pull off his soaked shirt before throwing it wetly on the ground.
Splat!
Even with a knife built for woodworking and his new knowledge, working Verdant Logs wasn''t easy. Each log was roughly 10 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, so they could, in theory, make numerous spears and swords.
Wallet 24
He spent 15SP to increase the size of his shop by 2 feet in every direction. The first foot was only 5SP, but the next one was 10. Then, he purchased the new Lumber Chest. It could only stay in the shop, but it could hold 1000 logs of lumber and could be upgraded to hold more. Red smirked, and it was time to ask his next question.
"How much to link my bag of holding to the chest so my lumber automatically enters the lumber chest while I''m in the shop?"
While he was in the shop, it was essential.
1SP
Wallet 23
Red purchased it because it changed the entire paradigm of his situation. By framing things within the shop, he could make many things possible that weren''t before.
While he hadn''t unlocked the Trash Menu yet, that didn''t mean functions were completely unavailable. He was only limited by price; the shop could do anything he could think of if he could afford it. Now, it was time for his next idea.
"Can I use lumber instead of SP to expand the shop while in the shop?" Red asked.
Lumber must be in the Epic tier or above for expansion.
That sucked.
"How much SP should allow my woodworking skill to level naturally?"
SP is not required; a Work Shop Attachment is needed to upgrade one''s woodworking skills.
"How much SP for a Work Shop Attachment?"
Achievement Create 100 products will unlock the Work Shop Attachment.
Level Up Shop 1 time to unlock the Trash Tier achievement Menu.
So skills could be leveled by using them but only in facilities granted by the shop. Red couldn''t just buy a Work Shop. He had to play by the rules if he wanted to unlock it. Having extra rooms and more space would be a great thing.
If he could acquire more attributes, like strength and maybe dexterity, that would help him carve faster and produce better products to sell.
He felt his bag of holding wiggle when the giant tree stopped moving. He reached into his bag and pulled out a glowing green orb the size of a marble.
Tree Heart (Uncommon) ¨C The heart of an old monster tree that has terrorized a land for decades, spreading its mutation to its offspring and making war on civilized species. Attach to a wood nature creation to imbue it with a random, uncommon enchantment. A higher level of woodworking skills will boost the effects of this item. Place it in a log before processing.
That was great information to have. If he had a karmic system, he would get all the positive karma from his actions. If his achievement system wasn''t based on a shop, then he would probably at least get an elf friend or some charisma-based titles or perks. Instead, he had an uncommon item that could give an item a random uncommon enchantment.
Hours later, he completed the blade of his first sword and rubbed it with a sheet of sandpaper until it was smooth. He left the handle a block until he was finished with the blade. The kit contained several different grains of sandpaper, and he used one for the edge and another for smoothing it out.
He worked hard to ensure the handle was structurally sound. He cut a few ridges in the handle to help the grip and ensured the connection between the blade and handle was good. He had only used around an eighth of his current log and could easily make seven more swords with the same piece.
Red looked up to see Cursed Runners pounding on his door but could not enter. They groaned and drooled as flames licked at their legs while the vines running through their bodies shied away from them.
A part of him wanted to put them down. There was no gain-like experience or anything like that. He tried to help them. But the sword he was making was hardly suitable for killing. It was more of a toy than anything, and its edge would wear down quickly.
On the next one, he planned on rounding the guard more to give the handle more weight to counterbalance the sword.
Red picked up his sword, and it felt strong. He slashed it once, and it felt sturdy. It wasn''t finished; two parts of the process remained until he could consider it a finished product. He spent 1SP on a pack of microfiber rags and pulled free a sac of Common Cursed Totem oil, which was red in color.
Totem Oil (Common): An oily mixture of tree sap and elf blood mixed to create a nutrient-rich oil perfect for sealing wood to protect it from rain and bugs.
He had 10 Uncommon and 199 standard logs that his tools couldn''t cut. The trash logs were the only ones he could work with.
Excitement flowed through him as the sword''s grey wood turned a rich Mahagonny color from treating it with oil. By his 3rd round of rubbing the wood with oils, it finally stopped absorbing the oil, and he left it to dry.
It was about to happen. Red could feel it in his bones. A random enchantment was about to attach itself to his first weapon made by his own hands.
Wallet 22
This was going to make him so much money. He would buy a room to sleep in and a kitchen to cook.
He saw the dice roll.
Verdant Wood Sword (Trash)
Durability: E+
Damage: D-
Enchantment
Verdant Regrowth: If left out in sunlight for an hour, it regains a small portion of its durability.
Value: 30SP
Achievement Unlocked
Crafting Trash: Unlocks the dexterity attribute
Rolling Attribute 1D20
Red watched as a 20-sided die rolled, deciding how well he would be able to work with his hands in the future.
Rolling DEX(Dexterity): Dexterity determines delicate motor control and improves any craftsmanship that requires delicate work, from work working to forging. Higher dexterity is a benefit to any craftsman. I give +1 to any enchantment rolls for finished products at every point in Dexterity. A Natural 20 will require the user to roll 1D20 for a higher-tier enchantment. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
It was good that he could make gains with achievements, but they seemed only accessible within the shop. Or maybe there was something he wasn''t getting. If he stepped outside, could he gain achievements for the carnage he unleashed? Or were there other rules in play he didn''t yet understand?
DEX 4
That was, unfortunately, to be expected. He couldn''t expect every dice roll to be great. On the bright side, he could feel it already and knew it was an improvement to his current abilities, not a detriment. Attributes, it seemed, were added atop his base, not resetting it based on an arbitrary number.
As for the letters on his items, that was his fault; the change was within the scope of options. He could alter his attributes to reflect the same. Trash was the tier, but there was a lot within it. His wooden sword within the Trash tier had E+ Durability and D- Damage potential. Unfortunately, he had no baseline for what a standard wooden sword in the trash tier would have for its durability and damage.
So, all he could do was focus and hope his next creations were better than the last.
¡
He fled when his mother fell ill, and he saw the bites on her neck. When his sister vanished in the middle of the night, his father lost the focus in his eyes. When the priest told him that his family was cursed with an illness, he had a manic grin on his face. When the old mage was burned at the stake for charges against the master, he left with money stolen from the church''s coffers.
Darien Hawke had stolen the biggest, meanest stallion from Mr. Ashborne''s ranch, and the man with glazed eyes hadn''t seemed to notice as Darien took the nicest saddle he could find at early dawn. He wanted to get as much distance as he could from the village before nightfall. He knew that only an enchanted weapon made of wood could put down the vampires while they slept. With the mage dead, he only hoped to travel north along the Ao River to Basin City. If he rode hard, he could get within the torchlight of the city guards before nightfall.
If the city doesn''t have the weapon he seeks, he will be forced to go to the taboo forest of Eldrin Hollow. It''s said that a heartwood steak can kill any vampire, but anyone who takes a heartwood stake must return to that place.
¡
Red was looking rough. The dungeon had ended, and he had returned to his world. Rexy, his nickname for the t-rex that stalked outside his shop, seemed overjoyed with his return. The monster was busily chowing down on a pile of elk it had hunted and left in front of the exit door. Seven large deer were quickly crunched down and devoured while he cut, sanded, and oiled a spear.
Once it was complete, he looked on to see
The outbox was a way to gain revenue without customers. Unfortunately, anything placed within was sold for half the object''s value.
Wallet 37SP
He made seven more swords out of one log with slightly higher stats than his first work. Dexterity helped with crafting. He planned to increase it immediately and then raise his attribute. In his opinion, that was the best way to go about things. Before jumping into anything else, he needed to grind more money. He could make roughly four swords in a day, by his estimate. After the dexterity gain, they averaged 40SP apiece but could only be sold for 20, meaning in a day, if he worked hard, he could make 80SP.
"Shop how much to upgrade my dexterity attribute from 4 to 5?"
50SP
That wasn''t too bad. Oh, it was expensive, for sure, but it seemed expenses didn''t really pick up until after 10. Maybe ten or more was like going from trash to common, or he was utterly wrong. It could be that after 10, everything was multiplied by 100 for the next point.
"Is there a way to train attribute points?" Red asked.
By unlocking an attribute, gym attributes can be trained using various types of equipment. You need to complete an achievement to unlock the gym attribute for purchase.
"What''s the achievement?"
User must level up the shop to unlock the Achievement Menu (Trash)
There was no free lunch. Even after he unlocked the attribute gym, he would have to purchase it and any upgrades. It would be expensive, and he wasn''t getting anywhere without customers. For that, he needed a ton more SP.
Knowing what achievements were possible for his current tier would be great. For now, he needed to get his dexterity attribute to level 10 and improve his crafting abilities as much as possible. He added four wooden swords to the outbox and received 80SP in return.
Wallet 117SP
That was the most SP he''d ever had, and he was about to blow it.
DEX 6
Wallet 7SP
It hurt, but he needed to improve his equipment before he could get his first customer.
He focused on grinding and buying DEX upgrades with the materials on hand whenever he had enough SP. Every point seemed to increase the value of his items by 5SP until he reached DEX10, and then his crafted weapons seemed to undergo a qualitative change.
From 9 to 10, his gains increased from 45 to 60. His craft speed also increased; instead of making four swords and spears in a day, he could make 8 with his increased speed. This was incredible. On day 5 of owning the shop, he felt ready to finish the quest and get his first customer.
Red worked on the sheath for his best sword yet, a curved blade. He scored a NAT 20 on the enchantment roll.
His DEX gave him a bonus to a roll of 17, which allowed the sword to take on two everyday enchantments. It was the most potent wooden sword he''s ever crafted.
Verdant Wormwood Sword (Trash)
Durability: C-
Damage C
Enchantments
Splintering Sweep: Sweeping attacks hit an additional nearby target for half of the damage
Wormwood Resonance: The sword hums with Verdant power, occasionally healing the wielder for 10% of the damage dealt to the undead.
Value 300SP
While it was still trash, it was much better than what he initially made. He almost couldn''t believe what kind of weapon he built. Red was also very impressed with the hidden mechanic of dexterity, which the shop was utterly straightforward with. It only needed a sheath and a spear, and he would be ready to sell.
Verdant Sheath (Trash)
Durability D+
Enchantment
Grip Stabilizer: Improves grip strength when drawing a sword.
Value: 120SP
Spears were the easiest weapon to make. They were long poles with sharp tips. Each was 9 feet long; he could make around ten a day if he focused solely on them. While the Verdant sheath wasn''t his best work, he had plenty of spears to go through to find his display piece.
On one of the spears, he rolled a NAT 20 and then an 11 with his DEX, which gave him two choices. He could claim the 11 and 10 enchantments or the 20 and 1 enchantments.
He had a choice between minor frostbite and weighted strikes or polished tip and runic strikes. Option one would give the spear minor frost damage and add extra blunt damage to swings, while option two gave the spear shockwave, a sharper tip, and significantly increased damage potential. Since a spear was used to stab more than anything, he chose the second option.
Verdant Rune Wooden Spear (Trash)
Durability C
Damage C+
Enchantments
Runic Strike: At the tip, faint magical runes are inscribed.
Polished Tip: The spear''s tip is magically enhanced for extra sharpness.
Value: 400SP
Quest completed
Acquire Merchandise
Rewarded 100SP, Shop Menu (Trash)
He didn''t waste any time opening the menu. There was a lot he didn''t know that became clear.
Wallet 376SP
Worlds Opened 0
Open Shop 50SP
Rooms 1
Add Room: 100SP
Floor 1
Add Floor: 500SP
Attributes 2
Purchase STR: 150SP
Purchase WIS: 150SP
Purchase CON: 150SP
Purchase CHA: 150SP
Purchase LUK: 150SP
Markets 0
Unlock Market: 50SP
Shop Owner Abilities
Appraise: 50SP
Gacha Token (Trash): 100SP
Summon token (Trash): 1000SP
Skill Token (Trash): 1000SP
Weapon Token (Trash): 1000SP
Armor Token (Trash): 1000SP
Vehicle Token (Trash): 1000SP
If he was going to survive, he needed customers and markets to invest in, so his first order of business was to purchase CHA, and then he opened his shop.
Rolling CHA (Charisma): Charisma is the attribute that governs interactions with people and, in the case of the shop, how likely a customer is to pay exorbitant prices for whatever items the user cobbles together. While luck can bring in customers with deep pockets and low expectations, charisma will have someone entering a shop looking for a steel sword and then spending all their money on a hunk of wood. Remember, all transactions are final; the shop can turn any currency into SP.
CHA 8
Red didn''t feel changed. It was more like he had become more than he was. That wasn''t important; he purchased the appraisal skill and checked his wallet.
Wallet: 126SP
He felt like he was finally getting somewhere. Red purchased some signs, listed the enchantments of his weapons on plaques, and placed them in front of each one.
The customer door opened for the first time, and a scrawny boy hefting a sack of coins entered Red''s shop. He stared at the very wooden weapons, and a tear fell from his face. Then his face hardened, and a gleam appeared in his eyes.
"You''re the only shop that sells wooden weapons. Are they enchanted or toys?"
"You''re right. I''m the only shop that sells wooden weapons. Do you read, boy? If so, then you can clearly see that these are enchanted weapons."
"They don''t look like heartwood. Did you carve them from Mahogony, which won''t do much against vampires?"
Red blinked at that. It was like saying a steel sword wouldn''t do jack against a dragon. Well, guess what? It worked fine for knights when they needed to cut down peasants in their fields. Maybe his sword wouldn''t do much against a vampire, but against normal undead, it would be a great weapon. Ten percent of damage dealt as personal healing and a slight AOE effect. It was a great weapon. The shop owner tried to calm down. He was dealing with a kid who didn''t know any better.
"In the right hands, these weapons will turn the tide of battle. They aren''t steel, but that isn''t what you''re after. You need wood, and these are the best wooden weapons around. This sheath will make any grip on your weapon unbreakable." Red said.
"How much for the spear? It couldn''t be worth more than 50 silver."
That was 500SP, far more than the weapon was worth, but it seemed his customer had more silver than sense.
"A custom-made weapon like it is sealed with a mix of elven blood and sap. No sir, it is worth more than 200 silver, but I could part with it for 190."
The boy''s eyes seemed to glow momentarily, and he took up the weapon. He spun it almost like a master. "It''s well balanced but still only made of wood, perhaps if it was made from a monster. I couldn''t possibly purchase it for more than 100 silver coins.
That translated to a 1000SP, a massive windfall. He could gain more attributes and upgrade them, increasing his work speed and increasing his gains even further. But should he push for more?
He would have to do something that disturbed him more than anything. Red would have to get to know the boy and find out why he wanted a wooden weapon.
CH3: Vampire Politics
The kid spun the spear around but made no other motions. His stance didn''t change; it was more like the kid knew how to spin the weapon and nothing else.
"So why do you need wooden weapons?" The kid gave Red an eye roll and returned to messing with the spear. "Wood isn''t exactly the best material for fighting people or monsters. That spear is quality, don''t get me wrong, but it won''t hold up as well as a steel spear."
"No one believes me, so why would you? Do you know something, old man?"
Red felt a vein in his head throb at that, but he tried to be friendly. This was a sale that he needed, and the customer was always right until there were no other options. He wanted to hurry up the sale and get the kid out so he could buy the rest of the attributes.
That would unlock the purchase of a Skill Gym and let him train his attributes. He could increase his intelligence, which would improve his mana and the skills he could learn. Or that''s what he got from the descriptions. Wisdom would problem affect how quickly he improved his skills. He desperately needed the strength attribute to improve upon his production rate. Then there was good old dexterity, which improved the items he made or luck that would most likely improve his rolls. There were also perks he could purchase.
"Wooden weapons are only good when you fight something magically weak against wood. There are some demons with a weakness to particular types of trees." Red said.
The diarrhea that just spewed from his lips was from a TV show he half-remembered.
"Demons, well, believe it or not, there are vampires in Briar Hollow. No one believes me, not the guards, the smiths, or any shopkeeper." The boy said.
"What''s your name kid?"
"I''m Darien Hawke, and I''m going to use this spear to save my sister and my town."
Red was willing to believe that Darien, his best customer with the deepest pockets, believed there were vampires in his town. He couldn''t refute it as the only person from Darien''s world that Red had had contact with, so why not help the kid out?
"Shop what can I purchase to allow Darien to return to the shop?"
An endless selection appeared at vastly different prices.
"Shop, what can I purchase for 100SP that will allow Darient to return to the shop once?"
Return Key (Trash): This key can be placed in any door on a world the shop has an established position within. Turn the key in the keyhole of a closed door, then turn the handle to open a one-way portal to the shop. Upon exiting the shop, the user will return to where they had been.
Price: 100SP
"Well, Darien, I''m Red, the shopkeeper, and if you say there are vampires in Briar Hollow, I''m willing to believe you. I doubt you would pay so much silver for an enchanted wooden spear if that weren''t the case. How about I give you a key to my shop free of charge? If you ever have the money for a new weapon, put my key into any door''s keyhole and turn it. Then open the door and you''ll be back here in my shop. I''m willing to go as low as 150 silver coins and you''ll have a permanent 20% discount from now on. You can even bring me materials you might find and I''ll do custom work for you." Red said.
Red purchased a shop summoning key for 100SP. It would work once, but he saw this as an investment. By putting the thought of bringing new materials in the kid''s mind, he''ll bring them to Red instead of letting some other woodworkers get their hands on them.
"Fine, if the key will really let me come back here for new weapons, can I sell you things I find? For example, if I found a vampire lord''s coffin, could I sell it to you?
Red hesitated for a moment before nodding. He asked the shop if he could convert 10 SP into silver. Red planned to start keeping 1000SP on hand for buybacks. If he could buy back the spear for a tenth of its worth, he could sell it through the outbox and get paid on the backend.
Darien took a heavy leather bag from inside his cloak and counted the coins. Once they were on his counter, he converted them into SP immediately.
1st Sale
Rolling Perk
Roll: 16
Price Magnet: Increase Sales of Mid-tier inventory by 15%
As someone with low-tier inventory, that was a useless perk. But he had another 1500SP.
Wallet: 1526
"Thank you for your business. I hope to see you again."
The poor kid was probably going to get eaten by a vampire. That wasn''t his problem. No, he had attributes to get and skills to grind.
He spent 550SP on the attributes he didn''t lack.
Rolling CON(Constitution): The size of the user''s health pool before it is depleted and the user suffers bodily damage. Certain skills use CON to determine how they affect the body.
CON 17
Rolling STR(Strength): The physical force the user employs in tasks from running to chopping wood. This attribute is essential for crafting all macro work. Hammering steel requires high strength.
STR 4
Rolling WIS(Wisdom): Wisdom helps the user gain the most benefits for the least effort. Wisdom is the attribute of efficiency and progress.
WIS 3
Rolling LUK(Luck): Luck allows for an extra die to come into effect in critical moments to create greater enchantments, increase damage, or expand areas of damage. Higher luck increases the impact of events, such as selling items to heroes in ways that benefit the shop.
LUK 16
Red
Shop lvl1
HP 17/17
MP 11/11
Attributes
CON 17
STR 4
DEX 10
INT 11
WIS 3
CHA 8
LUK 16
Wallet: 976
¡
Wallet 525
The Attribute Gym appeared to have another door, a hallway, and a room at the end with a gym painted in red in big blocky letters. The light on the sign flashed slowly like it was old and hadn''t been renovated in years.
Even with the gym, Red still purchased the attribute points to increase his STR from 4 to 10. The reason was simple: it would increase his work speed. Every wooden weapon he made was a waste because he didn''t gain any skill experience for it.
Red opened the door to the gym and was somewhat surprised. The air felt different in the gym. Maybe it was the old dusty fans spinning, but he felt different. He nearly tripped on a dip on the tiled floor where there were signs of fluid gathering to settle for an unknown period of time. On a random desk, a series of puzzles like a Rubix cube, a Jenga tower, and various other puzzles. On another desk, there was a choose your own adventure, and for some reason, there was a stage with a microphone that he was sure was for charisma. A bench press and squat station were present, as well as a bowl of fruit with a scalpel next to them and a small instruction pamphlet.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
There was also a bathtub full of ice water that he was sure was for constitution training.
The shopkeeper wasn''t sure what he expected from a Trash Rank training gym. The book on a desk that was a choose-your-own-adventure was interesting; maybe it was for Wisdom training. He found a calendar with different training plans listed. There were several training plans, all with an end goal of all his attributes reaching 50, which seemed to be the limit of the trash rank. After that, he would have to purchase a common attribute gym.
Before he threw himself into training, Red wanted to test whether he could cross the limit of trash with his new attributes. He felt much stronger, almost like he was in his early 20s again. It was an interesting feeling.
To be sure, he wasn''t going to challenge the T-rex outside, and that wasn''t happening. No, he needed a plan. The shop didn''t seem to be overtly controlling it, so maybe it was possible to control it or bribe it somehow. It was a wild animal, for sure, but predators only ate when they were hungry or gathering food to raise young.
"Shop, is there a skill to tame a T-rex?"
Would you like to purchase a standard skill catalog for 20,000SP?
So yes, and it was common that the shop gave him a better answer than he expected. Was that because he made a sale with a real customer? No, that didn''t feel like it was correct. Maybe it was because he had all his attributes. Did attributes also affect the shop''s interactive system?
Red would like a yes or no, but the shop didn''t seem very forthcoming with information. It wanted him to use SP to purchase things. What value did SP have to the shop? Was there an outstanding debt, or maybe it was some kind of fuel? He needed to open more dungeons and acquire the skills to work all the materials within. That meant he needed a room for storage.
"How much for a common skill token?"
If he knew the skill existed, then why pay for the catalog?
Skill Token (Common) 5000SP
"System, is there an inherent advantage to using ten tokens of the same kind at once."
Would you like to purchase a token pamphlet for 50SP?
Red didn''t like the change in the shop''s way it answered him. There was no yes or no. Would you like to purchase this or that? It wasn''t very pleasant, but he somewhat expected it. Time was money, and he wasn''t getting anything if he wasn''t paying. He drank the last of his water. Water, electricity, and plumbing were other things he needed to get installed in his shop.
Wallet 475
When tokens are used in batches of 10, the LUK attribute is automatically put into play, ensuring that the best possible choices are selected to benefit the shop. That didn''t
Heating and cooling might also be a problem. He didn''t know how much the Constitution would help or if he would need skills to cover those problems. The shopkeeper was at the tip of the iceberg, the edge of all the things he could turn his shop into. He had a long, prosperous life ahead of him if he was careful. If not, he would die a brutal death, and someone else would take his shop.
He needed to turn the T-Rex from a death sentence to a guard dog.
Red sat down on the floor because he still hadn''t bought furniture. He went to work and concentrated on the easiest thing to make. Why make swords and sheaths when he gained nothing from them? Spears were the quickest and easiest to make.
Ten strength was a big difference. Wood cut away with no effort and he slowly worked on the spears. With more strength and probably wisdom, he could make better use of the wood and make 10 spears from a single log of Verdant Wood.
It took him only 2 hours to make ten spears, even oiling them with totem oil. Every two hours, he took a 15-minute break and then went right back to work. After 12 hours of work, he went to train his attributes and struggled to peel an orange with a scalpel. The instruction pamphlet gave him a quick stick-figure picture.
Red pictured the bin he made. It was more of a bucket, with numerous spears and enchantments. They were all merely trash rank. Some were better than others, but they all had limitations due to their skill level.
At most, he could give a spear a durability of 4, which had hidden mechanics. Each enchantment multiplied the durability by 2, meaning some of his spears had 16 durabilities, which read as durability C, the highest possible durability for a trash-rank verdant spear without levels in Woodworking.
Red felt like someone was dancing on his grave and understood that meant a customer was about to enter his shop. He needed someone to work the front desk if he would get any training. For that, he probably needed a summoning token. So, 1000SP, and since he was hiring an employee through that route, they would need to be paid.
¡
Darien Hawke had made it back to his village. He expected to see Mr. Sawyer pulling his hogs to the slaughter and Ricky Creed herding his sheep over the rolling grassy hills to fatten them for winter. Instead, he found wolves digging into the guts of a sheep and Little Ann''s, the sheep dog''s legs. Something had eaten the rest of her.
He tightened his grip on the spear. It wasn''t Heartwood, but it was said that any enchanted weapon would do the deed. While his spear wasn''t the most powerful, it had piercing power.
The church was his first visit. Priest Marcus was supposed to be a champion of the people. His worship of Lady Solari was supposed to protect them from Lunethra''s children so long as he honored the twin goddesses with Solari rituals and Lunethra''s offerings. Priest Marcus was supposed to do a great balancing act, but clearly, he failed his duties. Why else would his sister have been taken?
He entered the church and found the statue of Solari. Her wings remained, but her face and halo were destroyed. Without the statue, their lady couldn''t protect them from the vampire''s spells and abilities.
If they were to reestablish that protection, they needed to build a new statue. Perhaps he should have been more careful with his silver. Darien found a trapdoor behind the defaced statue and knew he would discover Priest Marcus if he descended. Maybe his sister would also be there.
Vampires lost 80% of their powers during the day, which didn''t make them weak. But maybe an enchanted spear would be enough.
He grabbed a lamp and descended. The white face of helper Dan looked at him in confusion. Darien hesitated momentarily before committing. He plunged his spear into Dan''s chest, and it was easy. The spear cut through cloth, flesh, and bone through the vampire''s back. He felt the spear in his hand vibrate and saw more white faces surrounding him. Dan exploded as a shockwave blasted the vampires away from him.
Dan was in pieces, and Darien struggled not to retch at the sight of his friend, who gave him extra bread after their fast. There was no time. The hunter turned, copying the movements he saw guards in practice do as best as he could, and stabbed a vampire on the ground.
There was no shockwave, only the vampire screaming in agony as it died. Magical wood was a hard counter to Lunethra''s magic. One vampire rose from the ground, almost floating as it overcame the shockwave. It pulled an ax free from its ratty brown robes and chopped down.
He saw the metal blade of the axe chip and roll as the spear stabbed into the vampire''s lung. The creature hissed and bled but wouldn''t die from such a wound. If it fed enough, it would surely survive. Unfortunately, it has also overextended. A problem he learned about from watching the guards train. Darien stabbed and slew another vampire.
Darien took out his money chest, an object enchanted by the mage so that the church could hold many tithes. He slowly collected silver, jewelry, and the occasional gold coin from the dead vampires before storing the small chest into his cloak. He realized that this would be his life.
As he climbed back up the stairs, it felt like hours had passed, but it wasn''t even midday yet. Darien could hit one more home before riding hard out of the village. Solari still blessed an old cave that he could hide in.
A voice whispered to him. "You aren''t going to leave without a blessing, are you?"
Darien slowly turned and saw the holy waters flowing off the statue into the basin below. On rare occasions, people renowned in the community could drink from the waters and receive a blessing. Blood mixed with the holy waters tainted them.
"Tell me what you want in detail, please. These waters are tainted. How can I use them?"
Scraps of clothing and shoes were all that remained of the priest. "The priest made a mistake. We are twins. Our blood is the same, but our powers oppose each other. He wanted to regain his priestly powers along with my sister''s. I have no love for bullies or those who sully my temple and pollute my waters. No vampire can handle the sun''s power, so he turned to ash. You are not a vampire drink, and you will gain my blessing and the strength to fight vampires at night."
"What about life after death won''t this damn my soul away from your holy palace?"
"Without this power, you will not defeat Lord Dainak. It is up to you. Do you want to win or lose gracefully?"
He drank and dipped his weapon in.
"You are such a bad boy," Darien screamed as fire tore through his veins.
¡
A girl with long blonde hair and a button nose entered through the door. She had eyes like sapphires, skin as white as snow, and lips as red as freshly spilled blood. The fan stopped spinning, and the air stilled. A chill filled the room, and he felt this woman wasn''t here to buy.
"So vampires can enter without an invitation. Does that mean the rumors were all about the polite ones, and you''re rude?" Red asked.
The woman pinched the bridge of her nose. She sucked in a breath and let it out. "Hello, my name is Mary Noctvalen. Can I see your license to sell?"
He withdrew the one the shop gave him and showed it off. "Is there a problem?"
She bit her lip and handed him his license back. "Everything seems to be in order." Her head snapped to the bucket full of enchanted spears. Those enchanted wooden weapons, are you trying to make my family nervous? Have we done something to you or your family? If another clan attacks our citizens, we want to hear about it."
Red nodded. "I''m a simple shop owner and wood craftsman." At her no-nonsense expression, he sobered up. "Some kid came in and wanted an enchanted spear because some vampires moved into his town, Briar Hollow. Since I managed one sale, I assumed I needed to make more," Red shook his head. "Why are you worried? Just wear some steel plate, and you have nothing to worry about?"
Mary opened her mouth and closed it. "I see these spears aren''t heartwood. That is a relief. So you have what amounts to wooden toys with enchantments." She seemed to deflate.
"We''ll send some Solari Warrior Monks to investigate. Vampires who give in to their beastly nature won''t be tolerated so close to our city." She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Don''t make any weapons from heartwood from Eldren Hollow. I will return and inspect your wears when you least expect it." The woman turned around and left, followed by two guards he hadn''t noticed.
Red decided to try something. He made a wooden arrow, which counted toward the 100 wooden weapons needed to unlock the shop. He sold the spear and purchased the Workshop, adding another room to the hallway leading to the gym.
He quickly finished, and the shop opened to him. It was a rundown, rusty wood shop, but it was his, and there were table saws, electric sanders, and everything he could need.
Red made a spear and immediately gained two levels. He went to work on a repeating crossbow. It would surely help Darien with his vampire problem the next time he entered the shop. Bolts were even easier to make than arrows; they each had at least one enchantment, and the crossbow enchantments. He was going to make something monstrous. He only needed some cordage.
Before he did anything, he checked his bag of holding and found something extraordinary. A whole spool of Totem Spider Silk was in his bag of holding. It was a common item, so it should have improved his crossbow.
CH4: The Goddess Solari
As it turns out, woodworking doesn''t translate to working with cordage, especially silk. It snapped, stuck to things, and was a nightmare the first few days he used it. Red watched the wheels he made spin to relieve some of the lifting strength needed to pull back the crossbow''s drawstring. More complications were needed early on; it was just the proof of concept. He planned to make a repeating crossbow. The neck the wheel sat on snapped, and he had to start over completely. Hours of work, planning, and opportunity went down the drain, but he anticipated it.
Perhaps the vampire in the room watching him work was making him nervous.
Maybe the compound bow wasn''t the right move for the crossbow, but pullies were needed to make the pump action work. He thought about building a simple track with a lever attached to it for a repeating feature. Lever actions took the sights too far from the target, taking more time to turn a lever than to pump a slide.
It added more weight, and he could use a cartridge filled with five spring-loaded bolts. Wooden springs were another nightmare to make, but it was possible thanks to a happy accident. When Verdant Wood was oversaturated in Totem Oil, it became springy. That would work, but it wasn''t the turn crank crossbow on a gravity feeder or the Diablo 3 demon hunter''s auto duel hand crossbows.
He needed more crafting skills, and to get them, he needed more SP. 10,000 SP would earn him ten skill token pulls and allow him to acquire the necessary skills to make better weapons. Smithing was something he could get and then use to make metal weapons.
Once his repeating crossbow hit the battlefield, it would spark demand. Most medieval societies would be interested in repeating crossbows when their knights die like flies. He only wished the local leaders weren''t so blatant in their spying.
Even when he looked directly at her, she didn''t look away. She was utterly blatant in her spying, and it was annoying.
¡
Darien had a quest from the goddess Solari that was more important than casting the vampire menace. He needed to acquire heartwood from Eldren Hollow and have a statue made from it in her image. After he freed his sister, which would be his primary goal, he found a half-turned-tanner willing to help him. Together, they were heading for the vampire base of operations, the ancient half-broken castle on the river.
The key was heavy in his pocket. He was having trouble with the vampires at night. Their bat familiars flew at incredible speeds and were almost impossible to put down with his spear alone. He needed long-range crowd control to have a chance.
Despite how well his spear turned out, he felt nothing but resentment for the shopkeeper. Solari whispered in his ear as he slept that he paid nearly 3 times the worth of his spear. That greedy shopkeeper needed to be taught a lesson.
¡
Mary watched the human take exactly 15 minutes for his break and then return to work. His enchanted workshop was impressive. She had seen similar mage workshops when she toured the academy in town, but his shop seemed built more for an artisan than a mage. The enchantments were those of a mage. So why was he so pitiful?
She had returned to the central room where the dreaded enchanted wooden weapons waited. How did he get a permit? It must have been a mistake that no one bothered correcting. The only enchanted wood capable of harming her kind was the heartwood, or that''s what she thought. After being near the spears, she was disabused of that opinion.
Fortunately, her obfuscation ability kept the human blind to her presence. He worked as if she wasn''t there.
She even allowed dawn to occur and found he hadn''t noticed her still. Mary could remain awake if she had to.
¡
Wallet 4800
Red sold anything he couldn''t use, and the value of what he made increased with every level he gained in woodworking. He managed to bring the skill up to level 5.
At five rolls, every product had tons of durability. Every level increased what he could do, and he even got a feel for the enchantments. Until he gains the enchanting skill, he can''t control what kind of enchantments appear on the armor. But once he did achieve it, it would be a matter of levels for the enchantment''s power instead of a random chance to determine what appears on it.
"What rank is the enchantment skill?" Red asked.
Would you like to purchase the Trash Tier skill Catalog for 1000SP
So he at least knew it was trash tier, and maybe rolling ten skill tokens would give it to him. He didn''t know how many trash-tier skills there were. Supposedly, rolling ten would ensure he would get what the shop needed. Predictable enchantments seemed right up that alley. Having weapons people wanted to buy would be far more profitable than weapons with random enchantments. Better than that, why not a bunch of repeating crossbows with armor piercing, expanding clip, and who knew what else?
If whatever country Mary and Darien went to war, that would be great for him. As a weapon shopkeeper, that would be best.
He wiped his sweating forehead with a microfiber rag and tossed it in a bin he had bought for the rags. When he had time, he planned to buy a washing machine for the rags. There was no sense in wasting them when he could wash them. 1SP was a full meal, after all. He could leave and take one of the return keys with him, but what if it was lost or stolen or someone took his bag of holding?
No, he wasn''t in any shape to leave yet. At least not until he could grow stronger and outfit himself with the best tools possible. Maybe that would compensate for his severe lack of social skills and foreign nature.
He sold another crossbow. It was a simple five-repeater with a set of piercing bolts. It wasn''t that he had figured out the enchantments. Red could make a batch of 30 bolts at a time, five of which had multiple enchantments, including piercing.
Wallet 10500SP
Red
Shop lvl1
HP 19/19
MP 13/13
CON 19
STR 13
DEX 15
INT 13
WIS 7
CHA 10
LUK 17
Before he purchased the 10 Skill Tokens, he decided to upgrade the shop''s level to see what would happen.
Shop lvl2
1 Perk Roll
+1 Bed Room
+1 Event Token
Rooms expanded
Before anything, Red read over the event token to see what it did. Somehow, something wakes up, returns, is summoned, or revived, creating a change that could be economically beneficial depending on what Red sold in his shop and the world it was used upon. He didn''t have to take care of it himself; he could sit back and sell it to his customers. If he rolled ten event tokens, he would have a good chance of making a profit.
From what he could tell, he had been the shop owner for around eight days. Oh, he had a bedroom. Red made a beeline to it. He couldn''t believe he hadn''t leveled up before. He''d been sleeping on the floor because a bedroom cost 500SP, and he was saving up for the tokens.
He opened the door, and it wasn''t terrible. It was a bed fit for a summer camp, with a hard-looking mattress and no sheets. There were shelves and a dresser to keep clothes he didn''t know. He would need to get into spinning cloth or summon something that could. Being in the company of one person was exhausting. Red hoped somewhere in the multiverse, someone was enjoying his weapons.
¡
Mary felt ashamed of herself for sleeping in the human''s bed on the third day of her investigation. She admittedly had nothing going on at home except denying suitors from neighboring cities. The cold-blooded males didn''t interest her as much as this human and his never-ending attempts to make ever more deadly wooden weapons. There wasn''t a scrap of metal in use, and she felt a cold shiver crawl up her spine when he wasn''t watched for even a moment. She had finally exhausted herself and took the bed since he didn''t use it.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡
Red found the vampire in his bed, sighed, and returned to his workshop to sleep on the floor. He felt like he was in his teens again, but not in a good way.
He was in his gym when he used the tokens. Fortunately, when he chose ten skill tokens to roll at once, the shop allowed him to choose a skill with a guarantee of getting it. Of course, it didn''t tell him what he could choose, but when he decided on enchantment, it seemed to select just fine.
Magic Trap Infusion(Trash) lvl1
Cost 1MP
Select 1 of 20 enchantments
Area 1d4 + (INT x lvl)
Damage 1D4 + (INT x lvl)
Weak Rune Etcher lvl1
Roll (1d20 + (DEX x lvl)) / 20 for the number of enchantments per rune etched.
Enchantment lvl1
Roll (1d20 + (WIS x lvl)) / 20 for each selected enchantment.
Silent Boots Crafter lvl1
Cost 1MP upon crafting boots.
Sneak 1D20 + (DEX x lvl)
Fire Dampaner: Infuses armor with decent fire resistance
Resist 1D4 + (CON x LVL)
Spell Link Crafter lvl1
Cost 1MP x items enchanted
Weapon Damage 1D4 + (INT x lvl)
Armor Durability 1D4 + (CON x lvl)
Crude Battle Enchanter lvl1
Weapon Damage 1D4 + (INT x lvl)
Cracked Focus Engraver lvl1
Spell Range (1D4 + (INT x lvl)) x 1ft
Spell Damage (1D4 + (INT x lvl)) x 1ft
Spell Area (1D4 + (INT x lvl)) x 1ft
Wooden Rune Crafter
Roll (1d20 + (DEX x lvl)) / 20 for the number of enchantments per rune etched.
Bolt Charger lvl1
Weapon Damage 1D4 + (DEX x lvl)
Red went from having two skills to having a bunch that did the same thing in more specialized ways. His head ached from the sudden influx of information, and he was excited. Wooden bolts with no metal tips could be considered wand foci. He could fire off a crossbow bolt that cast a fireball thanks to magical trap.
He was good at making crossbows, and that was it. Fortunately, all crafting skills should increase in the shop, so he can make an expanded clip once he raises them. Thanks to spell link crafter, he could make individual parts enchant them and then combine them with their effects, combining them into a single weapon.
The shopkeeper took a break and sat at the screen door where Rexy waited. He purchased a 72oz steak still bloody for 1SP, opened the screen door, and tossed it out. The T-rex caught the steak in her mouth as quickly as a snake. That, more than anything, proved to him he wasn''t escaping unless he got on her good side. A skill for bonding with the big killing machine would go a long way.
He returned to his workshop and built a big crazy crossbow and managed to add an enchantment that altered space a little. As a result, he ended up with a crossbow that could fire 35 bolts enchanted with magical traps to use fireball upon striking their target. He could use it in batches of 100 because the magical trap spell worked on areas even when it was individual items. He was able to link an enchantment to impact, so a little jumping around wouldn''t make them go off.
Bolts Magazine x 70 (Trash++)
Durability B+
Damage B+
Enchantments
Light ArmorPiercing (Trash)
Splintering (Trash)
Minor Homing (Trash+)
Magical Trap (Trash+)
Fireball (Trash+)
Wand Foci (Trash)+
Value: 10,000SP
Verdant Pump Action Dragon Crossbow (Trash +++)
Durability A-
Damage A-
Enchantments
Weak Etched Wooden Runes+
Spell Linked
Bolt Charger
Lesser Silenced
Lesser Sniper
Value: 50,000SP
Red loaded the bolt and pumped the string back before pulling the grip forward for it to lock into place. His pump-action crossbow was, in his opinion, badass. He fired it at a tree before Rexy, and she snatched it out of the air. It didn''t even explode until she bit down on it. The T-rex seemed surprised but not as much as himself at the fact she was undamaged.
He happily added the price tag of 3500 silver coins to one of the fat stacks or explosive ordinance. Red was confident in his enchantments. He threw them outside, and Rexy caught one in her mouth. It did explode, but she seemed to like it. After getting over his shock, he threw them at her to snatch them out of the air. Rexy wasn''t a normal T-rex.
Oh, she would absolutely eat him if given the opportunity, but while he was here and not on the menu, she seemed to enjoy playing with her food. Maybe he should get a Frisbee the size of a swimming pool or something to play with her.
Red shook off the insanity as Mary, the vampire stalker, entered the room. He had to wonder if she was using some magic to hide herself and, if so, did not work in the shop. Did the shop have protections? He stared at Rexy and then looked back at Mary. The shop had protections. Well, what were they?
"Would anyone pay 15,000 ounces of silver for a crossbow? I didn''t see him use anything but wood and string. Even the screws were made of wood, and it looks seamless." Mary said.
¡
Darien felt that something was waiting for him at the shop. He felt it in his changed blood. That''s why he worked hard to rip the silver buttons off the coats of the well-dressed vampires after he put the head of his spear through their eyes. Or he took the whole coat when it was intact. He had helpers. People from the church were a good help in selling off or redistributing the supplies of the vampire army camped out.
A war was on, but Darien Hawke seemed the only man willing to fight it. Blasphemous vampires weren''t bad enough; a vampire lord wasn''t bad enough; no, he found a silver tablet with ancient writing about the revival of a vampire king that once challenged Umbrenna, the twin to the light goddess Faevalis of the three twin goddesses'' pantheon. Solari was the sun goddess, while Lunethra was her sister and goddess of the moon. None of the goddesses wanted one of their counterparts replaced, so the goddesses took a more hands-on approach.
He ground his fangs together, and it was almost time to feed. One of the warrior priests had a hog ready for him. When dawn came, he planned to glut himself before going to the next village and handling their vampire problem.
While he waited by the firelight, a girl stepped out of the shadows. Her skin was black as night, and her eyes were silver like the moon above.
"My sister is a fool, but you are handsome enough for our tastes." The goddess licked her fangs as she scanned him. "If you are to be my champion, then you''ll need more power than you have."
"If you can descend, then why not put Hermes down yourself."
"Descend is the correct word. We must descend or risk destroying everything our followers include to fight on this mortal plane. We are still stronger than the beast, but not by as much as we would like. Even together, it isn''t a good match. Combat is where he has the advantage. It''s his crude little stage, and he knows all the tricks. So I''ve come to offer some of my blood and a bag of gold. Spend it on yourself or your allies, whichever way you think will help the most."
"Thank you for your trust." The goddess smirked.
She held out her arm, and he sank his fangs into her flesh. Calm, silvery light entered him through blood like white lilies and moonlight. He pulled away when he could stand it no more.
"Only a drop, at least you know, when you''re at your limit. Search out the giant bats in the cave depths near Elden Hollow. They will bind to you as familiars and collect blood for you. It has to be better than feeding on pigs." Lunethra said.
She winked at him and vanished after leaving behind a heavy sack of gold. With the gold, he had a war fund capable of arming a thousand men in the best steal, or he could see the shopkeeper. Darien had done more damage to the vampires than a thousand knights with the best armor and weapons on the market. With his spear, Darien cut a bloody trail through the battlefield.
His war chest was mostly filled with the silver buttons of wealthy vampires he''d slain. It had only been weeks, but he was sure the shopkeeper would have something.
¡
Lord Dainak was furious with his officers. They should have already laid siege to Basin City, but the foul spearmen had torn holes through his lines, targeting camp after camp, slaying officers, and stealing the buttons from their coats. He hadn''t attacked during the day. It spoke of some bandit being turned by mistake and was a disaster.
He glanced back at the row of cute blonde vampire girls he collected from the villages. Lyra Hawke, an adorable young girl with an ironic hawkish nose, fought valiantly against her nature. He let her struggle. The longer she resisted, the more powerful she became when she finally turned. Most were unaware that a strong will played an important part in what kind of vampire someone became. Those turned without resistance or thought were weak often throw away foot soldiers at best. A girl like Lyra would make a terrifying creature with her strong will. Their children would be phenomenal. If only the Hermes in his veins hadn''t awoken, if only this age weren''t the time of his ancestor''s return. If was the word. Blood was needed in vast amounts for the revival; for that, he would need to sack entire cities.
Dainak wasn''t the only lord. If he failed in his duty, others would succeed. Their ancestors would rise; it was a matter of time, not if.
"Did he say anything about my brother?" Lyra asked.
Her bravery touched him. He hoped she would handle the news well. If she grew to hate him, he may need to dispose of her, which would be a waste.
"We believe he fled for Basin City."
"I see."
¡
The door opened, and Darien Hawke stepped onto his clean floor, tracking gore in. The boy looked like something out of a nightmare. His face was encrusted with dried blood, there were visibly regenerating wounds all over his body, and his spear glowed with innumerable red and golden lines running through it.
Solari Verdant Spear (Common++) lvl8
Damage: S+
Durability SS
Enchantments
Lesser Heavenly Piercing
Vampire Killer
Blessed By Sun
Value 250,000SP
That spear he sold him had undergone a few changes, including gaining a leveling system and numerous blessings. It was also on the verge of evolving into an uncommon or tier 3 weapon. He checked the Verdant Pump Action Crossbow, and yeah, after all his sweat and tears crafting it, the item was only a fifth of the value of the spear Red sold the guy.
The door opened again before it could close, and a woman with paper-white skin, a toga, and eyes like the sun strode in. Her eyes zeroed in on Red''s crossbow. Then she saw the magazines of bolts. "Yes, this is exactly what we need." Her voice echoed and rattled his brain.
She had flowing blonde hair like spun gold, a flowing dress ancient, no bra, perky breasts, and a figure carved from marble. She seemed like any other beautiful girl, but just seeing her made his heart race and his tongue tie itself into knots. He chose to look away. When he did, his mind began to clear.
If he wasn''t mistaken, he had just seen a goddess. It hadn''t even been a month since he owned his shop, and he was already dealing with the divine. Red felt more annoyed than anything.
"Mr. Red, I was going to ask you to commission something for me, but my patron must have already sent you a revelation of what I would need." The goddess in question smiled and shook her head.
"I can''t agree with the price; it''s three times what it''s worth." Red felt himself sweat, and the goddess smiled, revealing her fangs. She tapped her arm. "The enemy may influence this shopkeeper; perhaps you should bless him by turning him into your first disciple."
Darien shook his head and smirked. "I would rather not. Look at him. He''s fat, and he''s just a money-hungry shopkeeper. But I will tell you now that I''m only paying a third of what you charge from now on. Oh, and I get my 20% off, too."
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CH5: A New Deal
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Red didn''t know what his current feeling could be called. It was beyond rage, the corners of his visions turning black, and his focus narrowed in on the goddess. He turned his attention to Rexy, a begin well beyond him, and he thought about how good it would feel to feed her to his guard T-rex. Never had he gone into planning someone''s downfall until that moment.
It wasn''t because she bullied him or played at offering him vampirism only to say he wasn''t good enough for it. No, the demand for his product was through the roof, and she fixed his prices. And Darien, the boy he helped, dared to use his discount after such a declaration.
"No, if you don''t pay my prices, go to someone else."
The goddess glared at him. "You dare," flames erupted around her hands, but the floors didn''t catch fire.
"Yes, this is my shop. I gave Darien a 20% discount on my prices no more. He can pay that, or he can le," A boot kicked him in the chest, cracking his ribs. His back hit his counter.
Red groaned as he saw a drained red bar flash at the edge of his vision. Cold fury filled his veins, and it took every ounce of willpower to put a lid on it. He also kept his mouth shut. He wouldn''t give them the information they could use.
HP 0/17
Red had just taken enough damage to kill him.
"I still need you for armor. I like the color of the wood, so keep that up, but I need it to have some illustrations of my goddesses. Can you manage that?" Red''s head throbbed as he stared at the cocky blonde bastard standing over him. "Aye, I''m sure you can. I cracked your ribs, not your hands, and I won''t break them, but you were too greedy. There is a debt between us. I spared your miserable life. You''re a shopkeeper. You can''t say no to the goddess Solari, and you can''t say no to me, her champion. Do you understand?"
Red''s vision slowly came into focus. "I do."
"That''s Good. Since you were so disgruntled about my discount, I''m only going to pay you material costs," Darien said.
Red''s eyes bulged nearly from his sockets when he heard that, and the goddess cackled. "It''s all you deserve, you mortals; you shouldn''t be so prideful."
Darien took the crossbow off its pedestal along with several bolt mags. Then he counted one silver coin for each item and placed them on Red''s counter.
The boy he helped needed to die, and his goddesses also needed to go.
The boy held the goddess''s hand and smiled before looking down at Red with disdain. "Next time when your betters are talking, hold your tongue. If you''ve changed your ways, I will pay you the value of the items you sell with my discount subtracted."
Red would need to design armor for Darien''s enemies and make better crossbows for them. The common barrier was his issue. There was an achievement to unlock a common woodworking kit but to unlock it; Red would first need to create a common item with trash materials.
"Oh, and since you''ve met my patroness in person, I have a task for you. Carve a statue of her for me." He turned to the vampire-playing goddess. "Will that make up for his transgressions?"
"Yes, if it is of the same quality as the crossbow, it will do nicely."
Darien squatted in front of Red, reaching out a hand and patting his face. Red''s eyes widened, and darkness swallowed the edges of his vision. He concentrated only on the two before him as he plotted his revenge.
He had expected this to happen eventually. Without a show of force, customers wouldn''t pay him. Red had hoped for a few more paydays before he had to plant traps in his shop.
"We should leave. I can''t remain on this plane for much longer." The vampire stared at him before smirking. "Look down. I don''t want you watching my ass while I walk out," Solari said.
Darien crossed the room in nearly an instant and forced Red''s head down. "Didn''t you hear my patroness say, '' Don''t look at her if you want to live? Others can make armor for me. I only needed you in the beginning. Now that my goddess''s blood runs through my veins, I don''t have to obey your rules."
He stared at the ground until he heard the door shut and sucked in a deep, ragged breath through his cracked ribs.
¡
Darien nearly forgot to grab the key when he shut the door. It wouldn''t have been possible not to have a method to remind the shopkeeper in charge. Darien searched for the lock, but the key was missing. He opened the door to see a supply closet in the abbey he was staying in.
What''s wrong?" Solari asked.
"Nothing," Darien looked away. "Was I too harsh on the shopkeeper? I had the money, and his weapons are worth it."
"No, you were right, and he was wrong to question me. I was only giving him advice, but he denied me like the fool he was. Your intervention saved him, and he should thank you. I would not have been so kind as you." Solari cubbed his cheek.
When he reached for more, the goddess stepped away. "I''m sorry, but remember, my sister and I are virgin goddesses. We can''t lay with a man by our very natures. Do you understand?" Solari asked.
Darien nodded solemnly. He needed to work harder and prove he was worthy of the gift of her blood.
¡
Red sucked on his teeth as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling. First, he needed information; knowledge would be key to his vengeance. Then, he needed to set aside a fund to carry out that vengeance. Taking down one goddess would be considered a blaspheme, so most likely, after he knocked out one, he would have to take out the entire pantheon.
Trash rank wasn''t going to cut it. He needed to rank up not only himself but also his shop. To do that, he needed to take on a dungeon. Adding steel to his possible crafting items wouldn''t be enough, and he needed a way to break the game.
"System, can I make it where skill tokens appear as solid objects instead of automatically using them?" Red asked.
100SP to facilitate the change.
Wallet 450SP
He stared at the 11 silver coins on his counter. Red decided to do a little calculation. Darien and his family owed him 119,890.
"System note that Darien and his family owe the shop a debt of 119,890SP and an interest of 11% after stealing shop property."
Debt and interest have been noted, and a quest based on the user''s subconscious desires has been issued.
Quest
Debt Collector
Collect the payments owed with interest down to the last point of SP.
Reward
+1 Perk Roll (Uncommon)
+1 Skill Token (Uncommon) The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Owed SP
If he could force Darien Hawke or his family to pay the debt, he would gain a tier 3 perk and a tier 3 token. Both seemed like just what he needed. But how would he get a return on his money, cause the most pain and suffering, and ensure Darien Hawke suffered?
They wanted him to build for them, right? Maybe he could make some nice stockades that limited their motion and powers. Then he could charge a bunch of men 11 silver coins apiece to have their way with them. It would take some time, but Red felt it would be well worth it. Vampires didn''t age; as long as they were fed, their bodies would heal from wear or tear.
He held the mental image of the mortals that woman despised having their way with her for only 11 silver each hole to be what he needed. Red wouldn''t let his dreams remain dreams. Revenge was sweet and savory; the anticipation would make it even better.
It wasn''t much, but it was the kind of image that kept him going in his darker moments.
Mary opened his door and stared at him from behind the doorway.
"Are you even using your stealth ability?" Red asked.
"I have something to tell you that may raise your spirits."
He didn''t like being ignored. "How do you do it? How do you live with yourself after feeding on people? Do the lives mean anything to you?" Red asked.
Mary lowered her head. "You want to talk about my feeding habits." She turned her head away. "That''s a little personal, don''t you think."
Red felt like they were speaking in code, but why not start where she wanted? "After you saw me at my worst, I thought we were close," Red said.
"I won''t bring a victim, but you can come watch if you want to. I haven''t been fed for a while, and I am thirsty. For a man to watch over a lady as she feeds is a sign of deep trust."
They were two people who were terrible at communicating.
"Shop. Can I leave through the customer entrance?"
Yes, and the user can teleport back to the shop when a customer is present
"Before we go on an adventure together, what did you want to tell me."
"In exchange for a contract with my family to build 300 repeating crossbows and three custom-ordered versions, I will give you information that isn''t public. We could even be friends if that''s what you need," Mary said.
"What''s the catch?" Red asked.
"Your crossbows will be sold to us at a 10th of their price, with the rest being issued as a bond and due to be paid back in five years. This bond will collect interest and be paid out from our treasury."
There was no noncompete clause tacked on. He didn''t feel like she was trying to throw him over the coals.
"I accept," Red said before he was interrupted.
"You will also come with me with an example of your finished product to sell the usefulness of this crossbow to my father."
"Won''t the goddesses object?"
"Oh, goddesses aren''t real. They are vampires who can trace their lineage to an ancestor-level existence. Nothing truly is divine about them unless you wish to worship their bloodlines. To us, they are referred to as royals. Solari is a princess of the Sol bloodline." Mary said.
"Aren''t they still an issue?" Mary giggled.
"No, we are the ruling family of a city in Solunara''s domain. Solari''s mother allows her to play games, but going after our people is too far. She would be punished." Mary said.
That was good information that he would keep in his back pocket. The moment he left, he wasn''t going anywhere. He would be without the shop system and in the power of others.
No, he had a goal but no customers.
"There is Heartwood in Eldren Hollow. If you were to gather some, you could make a weapon. Even Solari would need to fear. But I must warn you, the heartwood comes with a curse." Mary said.
"You seemed scared of it before."
"The way that woman and her spawn treated you broke the very laws of Basin City, but we can''t enforce our laws against a royal lady of the land. Laws should be universal. They are the only thing that can be fair. Unfortunately, power will always remain in the hands of those who will do as they please. The other royals wouldn''t stand with us, not with the Hermes Clan on the warpath."
He had a location of a type of wood that even the so-called royal vampires feared. That was the wood he would use to make his stockade.
"So if there was no longer a common enemy, what would happen."
"The royals would bicker and compete against each other as is their nature. Even if you slew one with heartwood, royals would only need to reform in their coffins for a few decades."
"The Noctvalen family would be happy to rule without paying lip service to Solari and Lunera''s vanity project over the last few centuries." Mary rolled her sky-blue eyes.
¡
Wood Working lvl10 (Trash)
Would you like to upgrade the tier?
Y/N
Wood Crafting lvl1 (Common)
New information entered his mind, and he became certain he was on the cusp of making a common-tier weapon. He took out a Verdant Log (Common), but the tool he used couldn''t be cut. There was a fundamental difference between the tools he used and the material. That didn''t stop him from nearing the limit of what his crossbows could become.
Verdant Pump Action Crossbow (Trash+++)
Durability: SS
Damage: SS
Enchantments
Weak Etched Wooden Runes+
Spell Linked
Bolt Charger
Muffled
Quiet
Value: 65,000SP
Eight crossbows in two hours was insane, but he wanted to do it faster. Ten in one hour would be best. He only needed to take some time to carve out the pieces he needed, and then all he had to do was assemble them. That made the colossal 300 crossbow order feasible. Then, there was the sheer amount of bolts he would need to come up with.
On the bright side, he was looking at a massive payday. Bolts exploded, meaning the archers would need to be supplied with new bolts with every shot. Maybe they would need some mags with bolts that could be retrieved and marked with exploding bolts.
He stopped working and looked over the eight completed crossbows. They were sleeker and more curved to allow a more comfortable grip. He had also cut back on the size without lowering the weapon''s durability. Red picked up a small wooden mallet and smacked the sides of the crossbows, and he saw not a scratch on them. The Totem sap gave them a dark cherry-red wood color that looked fierce in low light.
If he could make something impressive to impress a family of ruling vampires.
He was going to be out of the protection of his shop. Red didn''t know how vulnerable he would feel, but it would be rough.
Nearly a day after his initial beating from Darien, he returned to 17HP. That meant he could take a blow from a vampire before all his HP was gone. He needed something to protect against powerful enemies.
The question was how he didn''t want to make armor only for it to be stolen by Darien. Red felt a little lost. Mary had left to talk with her family. She had told him not to work on the order yet, but he couldn''t help himself.
He sold off four crossbows using the outbox.
Wallet 130,450SP
Room Added 100SP
Storage Chests (Trash) Added 1000SP
Level Up 200SP
Shop lvl3
+1 Floor
+1 Storage Chest (Uncommon)
Smithing Skill (Trash) Unlocked
Work Shop Expanded
Smithy Added to the workshop
That''s right. The better he became at crafting, the more valuable the Outbox became. But there was also an inbox, meaning he could receive things. Where did the things he sent go?
¡
Marcus didn''t know what to expect when he used the trash weapon token. He was alone in his apartment during a zombie apocalypse, and somehow, he was supposed to become some kind of shelter manager. He never felt so weak with ammo running low and more enormous hordes of zombies gathering.
From the token, a sleek, beautifully crafted crossbow appeared along with magazines of bolts. Each object had mysterious runes etched into the wood, and he could practically feel the magic radiating off the weapon. He loaded the weapon and pulled back, expecting a hard pull, but it took little strength to load the weapon. A wooden bolt shop and a little trapdoor kept it in position.
He stepped off his balcony and saw one of the flying zeds leap off a rooftop. "Come and get some, you rotten bastards," Marcus said.
Marcus pulled the trigger and watched the bolt curve to hit the flying target before exploding violently. His eyes widened in shock at the amazing pull. He hadn''t apraised the weapon before. He had only wanted something to use and earn experience. He checked it out.
It was like unique gear or legendary equipment in a video game. Despite the low level, they had enchantments stacked atop each other, with one in particular forcing all the others to work together. For someone down on their luck, it was a godsend.
Pump Action Verdant Crossbow (Trash+++)
Creation of Red the Shopkeeper
Marcus decided he would remember that name. The guy was probably offloading some crafted equipment for some quick SP from the system, and it was the luckiest drop he could imagine for Marcus.
"Shelter, can I contact Red."
Would you like to send a request?
Marcus was going to need bolts and plenty of them. He was on a quest to complete something he thought was impossible. Maybe he had a loud weapon, but it was the equivalent of a rocket launcher.
¡
Red was in his workshop when he got the order. From his inbox, he received an order from Marcus 100,000SP for as many crossbow bolts as that would get him. From the letter, he learned that Marcus was a system user like him and in trouble with some undead, just like Red, but in a different way.
While Red didn''t have a craftsman system, he felt he might as well have one. He shook his head that the deal he might have with the Noctvalen clan would pay him back with interest. Bonds in Basin City matured after only 5 years of collecting interest while they weren''t paid. He was looking at a massive sum but didn''t have the wood for the order. He ran low on supply after all his practice, sales, and bolts. So, he planned to open another wood-type instant dungeon.
Sure, smithing was a craft he could look into, but he had a second-tier skill that also promised to help his other skills reach that tier. He was going to use them to death on his orders.
Red''s thoughts circled back on Marcus. He felt both vindictive and a sense of comradery.
He tossed Rexy a stack of 72-ounce steaks one after the other. The T-rex seemed happy to almost take food out of Red''s hands.
"What do you think, girl? Should I sell him a bunch of bolts on the cheap? Ten mags won''t get him very far. But what about a hundred that could help him out, and it would be good practice." Rexy licked her lips, lowered her head, and sniffed him. Red nodded his head. "Marcus isn''t Darien; he''s a guy in a tough situation like me. If I''m going to get my vengeance, then I need friends. Thanks, Rexy, you''re the best."
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CH6: Wood Dungeon 2
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People looked at him strangely. A few pointed and raised fans to their faces to hide their laughs. The lack of smell impacted Red more than the embarrassment or feelings of isolation from being ridiculed on sight. For some reason, he expected a medieval city to smell like horse feces and rot. There was a trace of horse feces in the air, but it was faint. No, most of the city, or at least the area surrounding his shop, smelled fragrant, like roses and spices. He noticed a few lamps burning a sweet-smelling mixture and somewhat understood.
Red spotted a man with a mask on with a long nose, almost like a raven''s beak. The man wore black and light blue with scraps of armor and some chainmail that peeked out from a poorly tied sash. People shied away from the man as he passed, heading toward his purpose.
He looked up at the sky and found a smoke stack, reasoning that this was the location of both the bakery ovens and smithies. It made some sense to centralize so much heat in a singular location that people could keep an eye on.
Red, the humblest and poorest shopkeeper, followed the street, noticing a small minimap in his mind''s eye. People didn''t pay him much attention as the sun hung lazily overhead. Red was after a tailor or armorer who could fit him with a gambeson coat.
Gambeson was a thick-coat man who wore under armor to prevent pinching. Even if Red planned to make chainmail and armor out of wood, which would be a nightmare, he could already tell. Gambeson was the logical first step if he didn''t want to take a different approach.
He wouldn''t even think of another approach unless this one failed outright.
When Red stepped into a smithy, it was more like the waiting room of a warehouse than a shed behind someone''s house, as Red had pictured a smithy before. Sometimes, he thought about them more as shops in a rugged man''s driveway.
Knowledge of his skill made the sound of ringing steel feel somewhat familiar, and his shoulders ached from the need to try it out. He wanted to make the new knowledge his own, and the only way to do that was to work with it, make mistakes, and learn along the way. Pleasure would have to wait.
A young girl, maybe eleven, was missing a few baby teeth. Oh, she was an adorable little brunette with a black bow in her tied-up hair.
"Are you here to pick up an order?"
Red smiled. "Does this smithy do gambeson?"
"No, but we do chainmail from cast iron to rare Sol steel. Can you supply that last material? We can even smelt it if you have some Sol ore."
"I would be willing to pay a few silver if you could point me in the right direction. I''m still saving my coin for chainmail." Red said.
She spat on the ground. "You would be better off getting both. If not, you''ll spend more on thinning your gambeson to fit the mail or add extra links to your chainmail, making it heavier and costing even more coins. Sir," the young girl said.
Red smiled. "I didn''t think about that. You have a good head on your shoulders. Still, I want to go and at least get my measurements. Is there a shop that works with your smithy?" The girl smirked as she had just robbed him blind.
Was it more likely that he could pay for all the additions to the fitting or save up and hold off buying his gambeson to purchase both? Most likely, the tailor who sold the gambeson also had a deal with the smithy to recommend them.
"You want Chester Needle on the patchwork road. They do good work and can measure you, so your gambeson is made to work with our armor." She gave him more instructions, and he left for the patchwork road.
The road in question was a mix of cracked concrete and cobblestone. Buggies passing through the middle bounced the whole way. It seemed using metal for shock absorption wasn''t a thing. Or at least a hydraulic suspension hadn''t been invented yet.
He found an old wooden building that had been renovated over the years. Two floors were obviously added decades apart. At least there wasn''t a line. The tailor looked like it was going to be expensive. Maybe he should look into hiring his own.
New Quest
Hire A weaver, tailor, or tanner for your shop.
Rewards
Skill: Tailoring (Trash)
20,000SP
Feature Unlocked: Employee Management
For some reason, when he thought of a weaver instead of an old woman, he pictured some giant spider with dripping venomous fangs and a fine work ethic.
He didn''t want it to come from his current world. Red didn''t have a name for the world, but with the overabundance of vampires, he was ready to call it Nocturne and leave it at that.
Red hadn''t been in a good mood since he was kicked in the chest. The old man took his measurements as he stood still inside the shop. It was a slow day, so Chester Needle saw him immediately.
Mannequins with feathered caps and rugged gambeson jackets of multiple colors stood as stalwart guardians of the tailor''s shop. The coat of arms of men of power stood out as a warning to anyone wanting to cause trouble. Noctvalin''s feathered bat stood out alongside the patch with an owl on a silver field. They were silent statements and soft power that Red wished he had.
He closed his eyes, thinking about purchasing security. The shopkeeper knew he had to protect his shop, or else his problems would only get worse.
"If I may ask, what do you do for a living." The man with salt and pepper hair asked.
Red felt a needle jab him, and his HP took the hit. Despite how little harm the needle did, he still lost a single point of HP. That was something he also needed more of. Another sharp point stole a single point, and he realized the old man wanted him to answer.
"I sell weapons at the moment, such as crossbows."
He disliked volunteering information, but it would eventually get out.
"I see you recognize our city lord''s coat of arms. My family has been serving the Noctvalin family for generations. We are quite protective of them." Strangely, the needles stopped jabbing him in the side.
"They seem to be a good family and fair rulers," Red said.
This guy felt like a spy. A needle didn''t jab him, so he must have said the right thing.
Red had picked out a grey coat¡ªnothing fancy or enchanted. He paid 80 silver coins for it, or 800SP, nothing in the grand scheme of things. The tailoring cost him another 30 Silver coins, so he wasn''t hurting financially after making a good decision and buying a jacket for armor.
"I thank you for your patronage." The old man said.
Red rubbed the spots he had been stuck. Maybe he should build a needle of his own. There was that anime he saw with a needle weapon, and it should be easy in theory. He would need first to see what the next instant dungeon looked like.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
He returned and went to work. Red figured he had a week or more before he was called to the city lord''s mansion to prove his worth. That was a lot of time. He could use it to make something awesome.
¡
He purchased a mannequin that duplicated his body''s dimensions. Red got the idea from the tailor shop. After dressing the mannequin in his workshop, he got to work making enchanted wood links for chainmail. Red quickly realized that while he could do it, the work was inefficient. He needed a way forward, but Woodcraft wasn''t offering it.
At 1SP, a 72-oz steak appeared medium rare, just the way he liked it. He had long horn steak house rolls, a side of broccoli, and a tub of KFC mashed potatoes. Red ate well because he was going to work every bit of it off. Yes, the rings were hard to make, and he had to etch runes into the log before starting, knowing full well that the log could only be used as rings because of it.
The log made a great canvas for etching runes. Although he could only fit three, he still made the log into rings.
Lesser Resist Projectile
Lesser Resist Projectile
Lesser Resist Projectile
Red was working on the hypothesis that the seed projectiles weren''t a one-off. If that was the case, he wanted to be able to step into an instant dungeon and ignore fast-moving objects. At the same time, he wanted to dominate, so he used a crossbow that used explosive bolts.
Speaking of bolts,, it took him a few hours, more like 8, but he turned the last of his Verdant Logs (Trash) into explosive and normal bolts. He had enough, so he completed the order and sent 20 magazines full of cross bolts.
The idea was to completely dominate the next instant dungeon and collect all the materials he could.
"Shop; how much does it cost to connect my bag to the storage chests in the storage room?"
100SP
The storage room automatically allowed him to exchange anything in the chests with the other storage chests while in the room. However, further customization would require further upgrades to the chests and the room itself.
Wood Craft (Common) lvl2
New knowledge and better ways to make wooden rings and something bordering on magic. Red touched the log he had been working on, and it shifted and creaked. He wasn''t trying to crush it or anything. When he pushed his will against it, the wood moved.
Some of the other skills were leveling, but he knew what they were. His other crafting skills were pieces of greater skills. As they leveled, eventually, they would merge into a more robust common skill.
For woodcraft to become uncommon, he would need other crafts and wood-related skills at the standard tier to combine into a new uncommon skill.
Red finished the Wooden Chainmail and draped it over the mannequin''s Gambeson jacket. He then purchased an upgrade to his appraisal, which allowed him to see the tier of enchantments.
Verdant Chainmail (Trash+++)
Durability A
Enchantments
Anti Arrow (Common)
Resist Slash (Trash++)
Resist Pierce (Trash+++)
On the bright side, once his enchantment skill reached the common tier, he could apply Anti Arrow (Common) to anything. Of course, he wouldn''t make a common item before going into the next instant dungeon. That would have been too good to be true. On the bright side, the chainmail was lighter than steel and fell to his ankles. With a few belts to adjust the fit, he was able to make it look a little better. The wooden rings glowed a slight green thanks to the enchantments.
Red dressed himself and was fully kitted out, with the magazines in his belt and his crossbow strapped to his shoulder. He kept a wooden knife on his hip with trash sharpness and anti-dulling enchantments.
He placed a key in the door to the outside, turned the key, and chose wood.
A winter wonderland appeared before his eyes with massive trees walking on multiple spindly roots like octopi, catching small animals and bringing them to the center of their trunks. He felt his eyes bulge nearly out of their sockets when a casual whip from one of the trees split a flying blue wasp in two. He realized then that he was in for a hard time.
¡
He stood in front of the glass door, crossbow in hand, while giant trees flicked their roots and turned giant insects into bloody paste. Red stared at the snow¡ªdeep, hard-to-walk-in snow¡ªand how the big trees raced across the ground. The cold air, fast-moving monsters, and terrifying atmosphere really killed his desire to step outside the safe shop.
Red decided then was the right time to look into security.
"What is the cost of a security system to protect from theft?"
Would you like to purchase a Metal Slime Shop Guardian for 200,000SP?
The shopkeeper could afford it but decided to wait until the instant dungeon was done.
He could sell a few more crossbows and pay for it. But it was a distraction. Nothing was on his shelves to steal, and he locked the rooms. His shop was made of epic-grade material, at least. There wasn''t much that could damage his shop. Red quickly discovered he had no excuses to stop himself from entering the winter hellscape.
Past the initial snow, he could see a carpet of green and pale pink flowers.
Red went to his workshop and made some snow shoes using the remaining rings. Then he paid 35,000SP to expand his storage twice. His bag of holding could fit a brick the size of two football fields stacked beside each other. The chests in his storage held even more space.
He had enough room to make a trip back to store everything. With that out of the way, Red needed information.
"Shop how much for a summary about this instant dungeon?"
500SP
With his current wallet, what was 500SP?
Glacial Glade of Seasons
From ravenous insectoids to cunning organ-thieving fairies, this dungeon has everything. Mind the trees. They attack anything with a pulse. Make your way through the four seasonal zones to the court of Winter and battle the Winter queen for a chance at one of this dungeon''s three premier skills. Glacial Fortress, Thornfield Awakening, and Winter Sprite bond all are rare tiers with numerous uses.
Right, he needed some firepower, and after each level-up, he gained a perk roll without tier limits, from what he could tell. Only he couldn''t see what the possible rolls were.
Red made the roll. What else would he do while he snapped his snow shoes on?
Perk Roll 11
Eagle Eyes: Telescopic vision allows users to zoom in on targets, particularly from high vantage points.
Red felt his eyes itch, then burn, followed by an uncomfortable squeezing sensation. Sure, if it just changed how he saw the world, that would be great. When the pain and discomfort faded, he was fine.
Red opened the door and left the warmth and safety of his shop. When the door shut, he felt completely separated from any defenses. It was the worst feeling he''s ever had. Even being beaten in his shop couldn''t compare to being out in the cold away from cover.
The nearest of the octopi trees was a few hundred yards away, but he could tell the thing had changed direction. It lumbered through the snow, but it was positioning itself. Red could tell it would position itself at just the right angle before charging like a 200-foot-tall octopus made of wood with a bad attitude.
He focused on it and held up his weapon as his eyes zoomed in and out on the target. Red could see weird squirrel-like creatures made of moss with tiny bony protrusions.
Spring Brownies (Trash): Fairies of the absent spring court who wait on the predatory trees of their court to scavenge the scraps left behind.
Spring Cherry Blossom (Common): Its pink petals sway beautifully in the chilly winds, and its flowers give off a sweet scent that attracts prey. Don''t be fooled by its attempts to appear immobile; it can move suddenly and strike like a viper. The pink coloring lasts all year round, thanks to the incredible amounts of live prey this monster consumes.
When Red raised his weapon, he had no idea how far it fired. That was a factor he hadn''t considered. The cordage was strong, and his weapon fired true. He used unenchanted bolts to test accuracy, but that only mattered at close range.
He sucked in a breath and let it out. What was he doing outside his shop? He was a shopkeeper. That thought entered his head while his finger pulled the trigger. He immediately pumped the weapon, felt the new bolt slam into place and pulled again. The bolts he chose to use weren''t explosive.
While they weighed the same, Red wasn''t ready to use them. Explosive bolts required extra steps to manufacture, and he wouldn''t waste them when he could make so many more normal wooden bolts.
His first bolt flew wide, and the animals on the body of the tree chittered and chirped. The tree altered its position faster as Red adjusted the sights on his crossbow. With his improved eyes, it wasn''t hard to see where the bolts flew. His eyes could see a mouse running around from across a few football fields. Seeing the flight path of his bolt wasn''t hard.
Red watched his bolt thunk into the side of the trunk. The tree hardly hurried its advance; in fact, it took its time, as if assessing that he wasn''t a threat after all. He pumped another bolt into place and fired as the wind blew, adjusting his aim until it hit dead center in the tree. Then he aimed and fired again.
One of the spring brownies took a bolt in the eye. The bolt pinned its head to the bark, and the other brownies struck, tearing it apart and devouring it.
The shopkeeper didn''t pump another arrow. He instead hit a button that let the magazine slide free. He shoved a fireball mag inside and aimed. The tree had already adjusted its stance and shot after Red over the snow at a blistering speed.
He wanted to turn around and run for the shop. Instead, he pictured Darien and pulled the trigger. His bolt impacted the monster and exploded. An explosion of flames showered the creature as Red shot again and again. Bark exploded and burned vines lashed out and were blasted away from the tree.
Red felt his heart hammer in his chest as he backed away closer to the door of his shop and shot again. The monster had stopped its flailing when its trunk split apart on his second shot. He counted ten magazines with a fireball, meaning he had 350 shots, and used five from his 11th mag. 380 shots and he would turn around. That''s what he promised himself. This wasn''t about the rare skills or pretending to be a hero. It wasn''t even about revenge this was a venture to collect resources. He promised that to himself.
As Spring Logs (Common) entered his bag of holding, he kept his racing heart. With his eyes, he saw 11 different trees. At 2 bolts a tree, his gains could be monumental. All he had to do was not overreach. He stepped forward, and a vine lashed out. From the ground, a sapling shook the snow off its body and lumbered 20 feet in the air.
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CH7: The Banquet
Shout Out To My New Patrons
Evil_Bob
Red had only a split second to make a decision. Someone faster and more experienced might have tried to cut the limb before it pulled. Someone faster would have tried to dodge and been caught. Someone strong could have pulled the tree to him and turned it into firewood. A magically inclined person would have led with a barrage of fireballs. Red was a craftsman, or to be more precise, the shop turned him into one. So he did the only thing he could think would give him a chance, and he tightened the grip on his crossbow''s strap to prevent it from falling off.
White limbs perfectly camouflaged with the snow move, popping even as small veins appear to stand out. He sees what looks like blood flowing through the tree''s limbs, and the root around his ankle feels warm even as it lifts him off his feet to dangle. Up close, he can see thousands of tiny hair-like growths around the tree''s limbs sensitive to changing wind, and he suspected temperature changes. It rose high on a web of spindly roots and pulled him forward until he saw what lay within. A beak like an octopus made of harder wood than he suspected anywhere else on the tree. It lashed out with more limbs wrapping them around his body like the coils of a snake as it brought him closer to doom. The beak opened, and he aimed.
Albino Cherry Tree (Trash+++): A spring tree raised in winter from the blood of powerful, warm-blooded creatures, it doesn''t know the warmth of the summer sun or the joy of an evening shower in spring. All it can do to survive is aggressively attack sources of heat.
Blood rushed to his head. One hand was bound, so he wasn''t getting a second shot. He fired and prayed. The beak shut just as the bolt impacted it and exploded. Flames shot out in all directions as the monster threw itself to the side to evade something it didn''t understand. He dropped his crossbow and held out his hand. A fireball formed and he fired into the section of roots that held him.
MP 4/13
When the first one flew, he fired the other three to use his perk. Two of the fireballs winked out before they hit their target, and one exploded with too small an area to matter. His last one exploded larger and more violently. He fell with the roots as the creature threw itself into the snow and tried to bury itself.
Red scrambled to get his crossbow. He pumped in a new bolt when the monster erupted from the snow, turning with its remaining roots facing Red and reaching out with its remaining roots.
His heart raced, and his eyes were wide as saucers. He mechanically pumped a new bolt and fired as the monster exploded. A swipe hit his knee from a stray root.
HP 2/17
Red gripped his knee. If not for his HP, he would have lost the leg. That was a fact he couldn''t get away from. There was a hole in his chainmail where the root slapped him. He gripped his knee as the monster finally stopped squirming.
Blood Logs (Trash+++) x 5
White Cherry Petals (Trash+++): An ingredient that reverses one effect of another ingredient in an alchemic potion of the same tier. It mildly boosts the effects of a Spring Wood-based potion out of season.
White Cherry Charcoal (Trash+++): Burned and treated charcoal made from an albino cherry tree imparts the memories of a tree yearning for spring when burned in a forge. It improves all Growth effects.
He received a whole bushel of petals, which was around 8 gallons of fresh alchemic ingredients. For the charcoal, he received around a log''s worth, and he could tell it would be a great ingredient. By the way he received drops, he would only get a greater variety of drops for crafting.
With the improved ingredients, it was possible he could make his first common item and, get the achievement and earn more crafting tools. Or he could begin making his own that could wait.
Red walked past the burning albino cherry tree and used his Eagle Eyes perk to look around the snow. Leaves were there, with only the edges peeking out long roots with the same feelers. He could magnify his vision with his eyes and see the tiny color differences between the roots and snow.
Red fired and pumped his crossbow. Long, spindly limbs lifted out and smacked the ground. Snow banks rose and fell, blanketing the ground as bolts exploded. His bag of holding was filled with equipment as he did his work. Mobs fell, and he reaped the benefits. One after the other, he slew them until the way forward was clear.
In the distance, green rolling hills filled his vision, leaving the wintry climate behind. Dotting pixies fluttered on the wind with pink, red, and golden wings as tiny rain showers spontaneously soaked the ground and trees remained rooted. After a few hours, Red felt he was about to cross into the first layer of the dungeon.
¡
Marcus slammed a mag in his crossbow and fired. He had common machine guns that couldn''t do close to as much damage as the trash-tier crossbow. The people he let into his shelter were gunsmiths and survivors who knew how to pack ammunition, but they couldn''t compete. The zombie apocalypse survivor imagined he was dealing with a pure craftsman instead of an apartment owner or a pure merchant like many in his friend group.
"I don''t see why you''re still using that trash when you have this," Nami said.
She tried to force a 9ft long katana into his hand. While it looked sick as hell it needed lots of dexterity to use right. Even if he had enough strength, which he surely did he wouldn''t be able to handle it.
His Japanese companion partied with him and quickly became a blacksmith. She made many of the armor and weapons he enjoyed.
As a pure strength build, he enjoyed heavy armor and even heavier weapons, but he enjoyed the crossbow the most. It looked small, strapped to his bulky side.
It is a mere trash-tier weapon, but it could do so much. He could clear out mobs in the hundreds, and his friend sent him 20 magazines, each with 35 bolts. Seven hundred high explosive rounds that hit like a low-level mage build were incredible to see.
"I think being cheap is the point. Look at it. This thing is just wood and string, no metal at all."
"I will make you something better. You''ll throw away that piece of trash and never look back, mark my words."
¡
"Hello there," Red stopped as a fairy flitted before his face, clutching two spears in her hands. He noticed they were falling apart rotten in places, each barely helpful. There was even a rot debuff on them. "I know a mortal isn''t sticking his fat nose in my territory and stepping on my nectar." The fairy said.
Red glanced down to see he had stepped on a few golden bulbed flowers. He was in a good mood and didn''t immediately swat the fairy from the sky. Maybe this was an opportunity in disguise. He was a shop owner, so surely he could turn this around.
She raised one of her spears, and it broke in the haft. The fairy kept the break disguised with her hand. Her little face scrunched up in concentration. A small vine around the tiny fairy''s wrist wiggled down and tied around the break. Many ties had turned brown, and the more he inspected the spears, the more they looked like a cast keeping rotten wood bunched together.
The way he saw things made him feel more like a craftsman than a merchant.Stolen story; please report.
"How about I do something to compensate you? I''m a craftsman of some skill, and those spears look well used. How about I make a new set of spears just for you." Red said.
"Humans are poor craftsmen. Everyone knows that. What could you make better than a fairy craftsman like Lady Viviane?" The fairy asked.
"Oh, I never said my spears were better, but they are free," Red said.
"Free, alright, if they meet my standards, I won''t curse you. Lady Viviane hasn''t felt like making anything lately and my sisters don''t have any better weapons than me. Make them for me."
Red pulled a Cherry Log (Common) from his inventory and decided to try and use another facet of the Wood Craft skill. Instead of using a tool, he planned to pull a spear free with will alone. He had moved wood before, so he knew it was possible. This was the perfect time to practice.
Red looked around the field of golden flowers and spotted a few smaller fairies flitting around the bulbs, drinking nectar and bees flying from bulb to bulb. The bees were as large as his hand but didn''t bother the fairies. They also kept their distance from him. Despite the soft dew that covered the flowers, Red was confident he could burn the field down with a few bolts.
He closed his eyes and focused. The wood came into his mind''s eye as his hand glided over the rough surface. There were no tools, only his will and his hands. At level 2, he had more information to go on, but the phenomenon was still more of a parlor trick than true magic or a weapon of battle. Red pushed his will against the wood, and out of the log, a single tube of wood grew large enough to carve two spears from.
When the tube was fully ejected, Red caught it and looked the fairy up and down. Her vibrant hair, green wings, and yellow clothes cut quite the figure, and then there was the way her hips swayed as she walked across the log. He sat aside, careful to avoid any flowers. One mistake was forgivable, but an immediate second one wasn''t.
He checked the time he was 2 hours in and doing well enough. Symbols were etched into the wood as he curved it slightly for a throw that would slice through the air. Runes appeared on the surface for common maintenance that we couldn''t add with tools. He stacked more symbols, including fairy wings, in the spear''s tip.
Sweat poured down his face as he squeezed his Eagle Eyes for all they were worth. Shooting vast distances was great, but working on difficult projects was his bread and butter. Practicing these new skills would help him make far more SP.
The fairy started clapping in earnest. "Amazing. I''ve never seen anyone do this besides Lady Viviane. Are you a craftsman who has come here to learn under our Lady? Will you be the one who cures her melancholy?"
Red gave the spear a look over.
Cherry Fairy Spear (Common)
Durability: E+
Damage D-
Enchantments
Repair (Common)
Pierce (Common)
Critical Up (Common)
Fairy Flight (Common)
Value: 100,000SP
The numbers were getting crazy. He could probably make a weapon with far more enchantments, but his current set was the limit. He could try other categories, like adding mana to a firearm while forging. It was a far more advanced form of magic crafting that Red wasn''t ready for. He needed to upgrade his intelligence to 20, the limit of trash, to have a chance. As it turned out, each point was worth more than the last, and each tier jump was huge. There were also many ways for a weapon to reach every day.
Red made a common weapon by stacking common enchantments while working on common material. A common weapon would be made of common materials by someone who could turn trash into a common weapon. That difference was important.
Someone who could turn trash into divine could turn a divine material into something truly incredible. That''s the vibe he was getting. What Red had done was a cheap shortcut on the path of a craftsman. His fairy acquaintance with her inexperienced eyes was impressed because she didn''t know what she was looking at. If she were who Red thought she was, Lady Viviane wouldn''t be so impressed.
No, he suspected she would be angry at him professionally. But if there was one thing to snap someone out of depression, it was anger and a cause. Red also needed a craftsman teacher or possible employee for his shop.
¡
"The night prevails," Lord Vrynos said.
Mary stood with her siblings before it was time to be seated. She was wearing a soft blue dress paired with tiny crystals and diamonds. Her siblings stood beside her near the head of the table with her lady mother and father, Lord Vrynos.
Together, they echoed the family words that had kept their people strong for generations. "The night prevails," Mary said.
Further down the table were her cousins, some here to be fostered by their father while others had come to visit away from their lands while the forces of Hermez preyed upon the populous. Wealthy merchant patriarchs turned when the Noctvalin family was weaker and were seated further down the table but still enjoyed the height of hospitality.
"You can stop looking. Your human isn''t here." Kailith said.
Her brother''s knowledge of Red''s existence was a bad thing. Her brother''s blue eyes twinkled before her father coughed lightly.
Mary stared at her sister''s ruby earrings. "We know you offered him a contract and practically raked him over the coals, but it was an exciting conversation," Lyrena said.
"How did either of you find out."
"You filed it with clerk Tarkus. He bragged about it to Father, and Father told Mother, who told the rest of us. Well done, by the way. I didn''t think you had it in you. Weren''t you the one who always said we should treat our subjects fairly and the sign of a powerful ruler was a happy populace?" Kailith said.
"Well, it wasn''t because I wanted to cheat him. Not after that royal toyed with him and robbed in our city no less."
"They did what?" Kailith said.
"She had her pawn nearly kill him with a kick to the chest and then stole an enchanted crossbow and several magazines," Mary said.
"I''m lost on what a magazine is."
It is the name of the bolt quiver Red invented. After loading it, it automatically reloads the weapon." Kailith nodded. "It isn''t like having a servant place an arrow before a shot," Mary said.
"Well, that was my contribution to this conversation. Will you turn him and force the Father to pay for your wedding to this craftsman?" Lyrena said.
"Don''t tease our dear sister. To call a mage a mere craftsman is a disservice. I''ve heard tales of a weapon that has decimated the Hermes faction''s vanguard. That''s right, 1 in 10 of all the forces in the area have met their end from a single weapon in a single night." Kailith said.
"You''re playing with me." Mary said.
"Isn''t this the kind of conversation you wanted to have? Look at my new interesting human. He made a weapon that can kill vampires. Isn''t he the coolest? I want to lock him down with a massive contract and prevent him from leaving while I stalk him in his shop for fun. Guards, you are to stay outside. He''s only a mortal. I don''t need you to protect my virtue." Lyrena said.
A horn blew, alerting them of a new arrival. They turned to see a dark-skinned girl with eyes the same white silver as the moon. She was dressed in a blue dress that almost matched Mary''s own in color, shape, and fit. It was almost like she was making a statement.
Lunethra was Solari''s sister and beyond powerful. She walked toward the front of the table with her attendants on her heels. Glasses misted over as the blood within them froze in her presence. This was another show of power, stating clearly that she was superior.
She heard people talking in whispers that were too low for human ears to hear and impossible for her vampiric ears to pick out over vast distances.
Lunethra stopped in front of her. "You have a lot of nerve-stealing one of our pawns. Interfering with our game has its consequences."
The torch lights faded, and the air thinned as Lunethra focused on Mary.
"You do not have your mother''s support or the king''s support." The discussion froze as the eyes around her froze. "We''ve all heard the rumors; worse, we have the eyes to see the truth."
Lunethra bore her fangs, and it was a frightening sight as glasses across the table exploded as the blood within them erupted into spikes of blood ice.
The lights faded utterly, and she heard clapping. Her father''s white smirking face appeared out of the dark as Lunethra stiffened.
"Thank you, princess, for the show, but your performance has come to an end. Go and mingle with your peers or drink from my table, as is your right."
"Your daughter, a lady of the realm, just slandered a princess in public."
"You''re playing with darkness. As it happens, I heard no slander." The darkness around them swallowed the frozen blood and broken glass, leaving the tablecloth pristine. "My lady wife and I were discussing the gross attack on one of our shopkeepers by another princess of the realm. We were far too distracted by a known infraction reported by both our guards and lady daughter. As a tax-paying lord of the realm, you understand that I must keep my people happy and business flowing so royal princesses can play at being gods. Misinformed priests can turn into rogue vampires, and whole towns can be slaughtered. Your attempts to experiment with turning a mortal are known as the product of your experiments assaulting a shopkeeper. After my daughter attempted to soothe ruffled feathers and ease bruised egos, you came to what intimidated a family member into backing out of a contract."
Lunethra went quiet. Even her attendants were silent. "If you believe that I would sit here and let you insult my daughter because of your bloodline, then your education was a waste." Lunethra opened her mouth. "I did not give you leave to speak. You came unannounced and late to disrupt an event. Don''t make this worse for yourself." Her father let the silence drag on. "Now you may speak."
"There will be consequences for this."
"Yes, there will be. I would like to announce that we have decided to sponsor a young mortal shopkeeper with a phenomenal talent for crafting and enchantment. He will arm our soldiers with cutting-edge equipment to take on the beasts of Hermez and even put this royal''s heretical progeny down for good. Thank you for coming, Princess Lunethra. It was difficult to make a decision on my stance before."
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CH8: Lady Of The Lake
Shout out to my new patron.
Kymani Gwinn
There were consequences to his actions. As a lord of the realm and guardian of Basin City, he faced few threats to his rule. Few wanted the privilege of keeping the ancient beasts within Basin City''s catacombs contained and paying the price of a breach. Such an enviable position as Basin City''s Lord gave him many opportunities to push himself against adversity.
The City''s Lord grabbed a lantern covered in mystical symbols.
"Are you going to check on the seals again? There have been no reports of strange sights or nightmares in the city. Our dream keepers have yet to send us any alarming reports." His Lady said.
Her high cheekbones and luscious blonde hair were the envy of the realm. His sickly princess, cast out by her family for weak blood, had become a great lady. This city had changed her from a bratty princess to a responsible noble lady.
"You should feed before you go. If there is no time to take a servant, then my blood is yours." His wife offered her neck, but he abstained. Rarely did he need to drink any longer.
Some spoke in the dark, believing his ears couldn''t hear them about his lack of hunger. They believed he was a changed vampire who no longer hungered for blood.
Once, he controlled blood and used many whips and aerial maneuvers. Before he was a city lord, he was an acrobatic combatant. But speed wasn''t needed in the cold damp catacombs where skulls were stacked into pillars to hold up the city above. Where there were creatures who moved like wandering fog in tight spaces speed was a poor shield. So the acrobat died and the scholar was born. In a time when Basin was the name of the outpost where he was stationed, he was forced to learn and rework his entire way of fighting.
From the creatures below, he learned to wield shadows and cold darkness. Light became his food, as not even the sun could burn his body at the height of his power and foolishness.
The lord leaped into a dark crevasse in his own mansion, which once was a well, and fell hundreds of feet. He landed on a floor of scattered bones. Beyond the lantern, there was nothing, no ground, sensation, or continuity. Without the lantern, he would surely be lost in the royal tomb. But with it, reality was forced upon the world, and all things equalized.
The green light of the lantern flashed upon a mummified creature with too many arms, eyes, or mouths, depending on when the lantern touched her. It was dead, but for how long, he couldn''t know.
"Welcome," A jarring sensation like a pianist playing his nerves like keys in the grandest ballads swept through him. Once, he thought he was the master of darkness, but he had only been a puppet then.
"Have you made a deal with the royal?"
"To what end?"
Pain like few things he''s ever felt ripped at his soul as sensations betrayed him. He opened his fanged mouth and sucked in and let the spores of long-dead but soon-to-live things into him. The pain lessened as he glutted himself on the darkness freely flowing from the evil within the catacombs. Every time he fed, he grew more powerful but less whole. The thing that spoke was the true master of the darkness he wielded.
"No, you haven''t escaped this place. I haven''t lost yet." Lord Vrynos Noctvalen said.
It was what wasn''t said that spoke volumes.
"Yes, you are correct." Pain spread through the ancient vampire with every word. The power that made him so feared by others also made him vulnerable to its source. If only he could get rid of it.
¡
Red basked in the gentle rain and kept an eye on the still trees, which were such a problem in the cold. They swayed in the breeze. Their roots drank up the rain. The fairy rested on his shoulder and was little help against the army of brownies Red was forced to fight.
An ax slammed into his back and stopped on the chainmail. Red turned around and drove a knife through a brownie''s eye. Explosive bolts were out because they might make the trees go wild, and they already surrounded him. His fairy friend couldn''t do a thing to help because the rain had already made her wings too wet to fly. Then there were his mud-soaked boots; with every step, the muddy ground sucked at his feet, rooting him in place at the worst times.
The bark-skinned little goblins only came up to Red''s chest, armed with bone axes and clubs. Red had his normal bolts but only a magazine and a half left. So, he worked with his knife, an 8-inch blade that clearly needed a tune-up if he was going to keep killing. Arrows whizzed around him, blow darts curved over his head, and slung stones seemed to veer wide.
The shopkeeper couldn''t use his long-range weapon, but his armor made all other long-range weapons below the uncommon rank useless against him.
Red put the last brownie down and picked up one of their axes. It had changed after it landed in a pool of blood. The pool was gone. Red thought it was just the ground absorbing it or the rain diluting it, but the runes were shining.
"That''s a vampire and its brother tyrant. Haven''t you ever studied runes before?"
"Mine are a little less complicated." He turned the weapon over. "What''s this one," Red asked.
"That''s a lake. It stores things. If you link vampires, tyrants, and lakes, it can store the blood of enemies, and if you have something that uses blood, you can use the stored blood. I''m somewhat worried about my spear. You''re supposed to be the master craftsman who made my spear, and you don''t seem to know the basics." His fairy friend said.
"Hey, I''m mostly self-taught." He thought about it. "So if I had something like mage or anything that used mana instead of vampire, I could make a weapon that stores mana for me," Red said.
"Now you''re getting it, but that''s more complicated than you think. Lady Vivian would know more, but mana is in the air, so theoretically, depending on what you''re thinking while you make it, you could make a weapon that absorbed mana until its reservoir was full and then use it yourself."
"How do I determine the size of a reservoir?" Red asked.
"I can answer that one. All you have to do is slowly invest your mana while carving the lake rune. Some masters like Lady Viviane will use fractals to make the rune and empty their reserves daily to make the weapon''s truly huge."
"What about a blood reservoir?" Red asked.
"Oh, you would need blood to pour into it initially. So get a bunch, dive into it, and carve the rune within the blood. Red shook his head.
"That wouldn''t work." Maybe if he had a blood control skill, but no, it wasn''t feasible the way she described it. No, he was sure it required mana instead of blood to make a reservoir like that.
He saw a shift in the forest just before he heard a battle cry.
A brownie charged out of the cover, and others joined it. Red raised his crossbow and fired, hitting each one before lowering his weapon. He scanned the forest again, seeing the occasional mouse scurry or the centipede crawl up a tree from dozens of yards away.
Eagle Eyes was a game-changer. Without it, he would have died already.
They left the forest and entered the beach of a vast lake with pristine waters currently being rained on. He could see massive fish make dark forms in the water. It was tempting to raise his crossbow as he left the dangerous forest behind. Beyond the lake, a path led further into the dungeon. At 5 hours in, he knew he wouldn''t make it and return in time. Making it to the winter court had been a pipe dream.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
That was, of course, unless he managed to grab a teacher.
He spotted a small beach house near the lake and approached it. With all the fairies and bone weapons, he expected to see a straw hut.
He watched the door open, and a blue-haired fairy strode out. She looked up and down. Then her eyes widened when she spotted the fairy on his shoulder.
"Momma," his traveling companion said and zoomed off his shoulder.
If he was being honest with himself, as far as surprises go, finding out the little fairy he bribed was the daughter of Lady Viviane, the lady of the lake, was nice. That must have been his luck attribute coming into play. He hadn''t even attacked any fairies if the brownies weren''t counted. Maybe if he was lucky, he could get some pointers from Lady Viviane.
No scratch that Red had a much better idea.
Red looked at the fairy woman up and down. Her green, almost black hair was silky smooth like it had just been taken out of a waterfall. Her slender chest was covered in a leather bra under a shirt spun from an unknown material. Then there were her long, elvish ears and large pink wings. The woman looked like she belonged in a painting or the dankest Doujin. She had cute pink lips that pressed together as she watched him. She moved as if she weighed nothing and almost danced off the ground.
There were calluses on her fingers and an air about her that Red couldn''t quite place. Was she the one who forged King Arthur''s sword? It was said to have come from a fairy smith, but who forged it wasn''t known. In some myths, it was Merlin; in others, it was Lady Viviane of the lake.
Red only knew that he had to have her as a teacher and, more importantly, as an employee. Lady Viviane would attract heroes like flies to shit and bankroll his shop. There was also credibility. Only her name held that couldn''t be replicated. He had every reason to try and get her to join him and none to back down.
"Oh, I''m so happy you returned. Who is this a friend of yours?"
"This is Red. He stepped on my nectar farm and made me a new spear. Look at it." The fairy proceeded to show off her new spear a little too close to Lady Viviane''s eyes.
"Oh, did you scare him into making it for you?"
"No, he made it to repay me. Red''s a good guy. You should teach him. He didn''t know what rune links were. He''s a total idiot."
"Vicky, that''s so rude of you. Apologize to your new friend this instant."
"So that was her name he hadn''t asked her. That made him feel a little bad."
"I apologize, but my daughter can be a handful. She''s in her early years, and it could be centuries yet before she learns to hide her true nature."
"Momma, what are you saying."
Red smirked but kept his hand near the handle of his weapon.
"So you''re a craftsman." Red smiled lightly.
Lady Viviane placed a hand on her daughter and put the fairy to sleep. "I''m certain you didn''t bring my daughter to me out of the goodness of your heart or brave the brownies for nothing. What did you come to me for?"
Was this because he thought he might have a little more time? Well, this was it: he was going to give his pitch and roll the dice.
He thought about it carefully before risking. "I want to hire you and your daughter to work in my shop. You as a blacksmith and your daughter as a clerk. If it''s not too much trouble, could you also become my teacher? There is so much I don''t know that I don''t have the questions to ask to fill in what I don''t know. Oh, and if you could also point me in the right direction, I need to go to the next fairy realm to take down this winter court." Red said.
"You don''t ask for much, just my time, skills, and daughter as your servant."
"You would be paid for your time and have access to any materials I find or new worlds I discover," Red said.
"Oh, so there are boons we can receive in exchange for our eternal servitude that does sweeten the deal."
Red smirked. He liked this woman more and more. "I can also offer you off-days. As my shop''s master blacksmith, you set your own hours and decide what customers you see. If you don''t want to do something, don''t just have a master blacksmith like you would give my shop a ton of prestige."
"How did you know I''m a master blacksmith? My daughter wouldn''t have told you."
"You''re famous," Red said as if that answered everything.
"Was it that blasted sword Excalibur?" Red nodded his head woodenly. "I expect you want me to make you a sword equal to it, too."
"No, I would prefer it if you didn''t. Having a weapon like that seems like it would draw too much attention. The idea is that we use your fame to get more commissions. Making weapons of mass destruction like that sword isn''t what I want."
"Why are your words working on me? Did my foolish daughter use her magic to make you more charismatic?"
"She drooled on me through most of the fights." Red leaned forward and gently wiped the drool from Vicky''s face. He had a soft spot for children. "She''s a good kid."
"Vicky is probably older than your great-grandfather."
"The first thing she did when she met you was show off her new shiny to her mother," Red said.
Lady Viviane sighed dramatically. "That girl could use a little more purpose in her life, and it has been a long time since I''ve taught anyone. You don''t seem interested in conquering any lands or sleeping with your sister."
Red raised an eyebrow. "Don''t ask. Morgana had too many issues." Lady Viviane said.
"Very well, I and my daughter will be in your care."
His eyes widened. And he raised his arms in the air and cheered. "I''m so glad I didn''t have to make Vicky an orphan."
In a flash of light, an employee designation appeared over both Vicky and Lady Viviane. Red could feel he was moving up in the world. Two employees. He put their salaries at 10,000SP a month for now and saw they had growth statistics based on how much he paid them monthly.
Lady Viviane was an Epic Grade Blacksmith and enchanter. His head hammered in his chest at seeing that. Even if he couldn''t get her to make him anything, having her in his shop would be fantastic. Vicky was an uncommon Gardener, enchanter, and a rare alchemist. He didn''t just hit the jackpot. He hit two. He needed to invest in rooms for them and get ready to learn everything he could understand.
For some reason, he pictured himself with a straw sucking the knowledge out of them. Red shook that out of his mind.
"I have a boat that will assist your journey. There is a dock on the other side of the lake. So long as you use my boat with my permission, none of the monsters within my lake will target you," Lady Viviane said.
She pulled a beautiful sword with a gleaming blue scabbard from under her daughter''s bed and placed the girl in a pouch at her side. "The map in the corner of my vision will show my way home. I look forward to your return after the winter court is put in their place."
"You''re not going to tell me it''s too dangerous," Red said.
"I''m aware of more than you think. Fairy magic can be both subtle and extravagant. Perhaps you will learn in time under my tutelage. But I know what your crossbow is capable of."
"I have extras. Do you want one for added protection?"
"You are a generous boss, but I couldn''t use something so primitive." Red felt the blow directly to his pride, and it hurt. But what hurt worse was that he couldn''t refute it to one of the original craftsmen. The fairy smiled gently. "Don''t take my words too harshly. I''m going to teach all the bad habits out of you." Lady Viviane said.
¡
The boat glided over the water like a dream and could be controlled with a thought. Lady Viviane was a genius, and he never felt so bitter about it. The enchantments were also completely invisible, mixed in with an abstract design of fractals in an incomprehensible blend. Dark shapes shied away from the boat as he passed. Before he knew it, he was at the other shoreline, and the next leg of his journey awaited him.
Red turned his attention to the dark shapes and raised his crossbow. The trees were too far to do anything, and Lady Viviane had already left.
He pulled the trigger and watched the water explode. One shot after the other, he watched the water bubble and erupt. The dark shapes rose, and suddenly, they blended together until he realized there weren''t a bunch of shapes in the water. No, there had only ever been one shape. Its fins had brushed up enough for him to see their shadow, and he believed they were fish.
Red targeted the gaps between scales and fired.
He pulled his empty mag out and slammed another in. As he moved, the monster struck.
Explosions wracked the monster''s body, and one of its milky white eyes popped, and gallons of blood poured out. Red felt his feet dig into the sand as the creature lashed out with its open jaws. He fired three times and strafed the monster. He jumped a swiping tail and ran over it using the same gaps in the scales he targeted as footholds.
It flung its tail, and Red went tumbling ass over the tea kettle into a bank of sand and shells. An explosion lit up the monster''s insides, and Red finally hit something vital. Loot filled his bag.
Lake Serpent Scales (Uncommon++): This is the nearly impenetrable scale of a deep lake serpent. It can only be seen when the sun reflects on it; look at how it shimmers in the sunlight.
Lake Serpent Meat (Uncommon++): This is the delicious meat of a once proud and powerful beast. It has grown fat from the mana radiating from Lady Viviane''s drowned forge. When cooked properly, the user gains a 400% boost in STR training.
Lake Serpent Bones (Uncommon++): This material is sturdy enough to handle the weight of a truly massive serpent outside of water. Any weapon used to forge will have increased effectiveness in water-based enchantments.
Lake Serpent Heart (Uncommon+++): The most valuable possession of Lake Serpent is its crystalized power, which it has absorbed throughout its lifetime. This heart can be used in numerous potions, or when burned in a forge, it can give an object a water affinity.
¡
Red made a run for it through the summer lands. He was both strong and fast enough to get far. Rolling fields of wheat and roaming packs of brownies obstructed him. What trees he saw stalked after the massive hornet nests while others were too weighed down by their hives to move. There was a war between plants and insects going on. Red would have loved to explore it, but he didn''t have time. He was already 7 hours in, and there wasn''t much time left. As far as he managed to run, he still had to turn around and return.
He found his next destination at the end of the golden fields. He claimed the stuff over a bushel and hoped to plant it somewhere. Wasps the size of hogs flew through the air as he approached a massive hive wrapped around a struggling half-rotten tree. The air was growing cooler, and Red knew he was on the right track. There were signs of quests, but he couldn''t be bothered. Red was in it to win.
Chapter 9 is on patreon for only $1 Link or if you want to go even further chapter 10 is out for $5. Link
CH9: Wendigo
A deer poked its head up from rolling lines of golden wheat just long enough for Red to fire a bolt. His eyes focused so deeply on the deer''s eye he could see the sun''s reflection blinding it for a moment. Wheat brushed against his face as he ducked below and pushed a hand into the soil just as he heard a thunk.
Red felt his bag of holding spasms fill. He pumped a new bolt in place and raised himself back up to see a deer''s skull resting on a tall man''s shoulders. Something gripped his heart, and he froze as the thing slowly turned its head and saw Red in its empty eye sockets. The thought moved fast and jerked, forcing him to pay attention.
His hands weren''t idle. He ejected the current mag and slid an explosive mag in place. There was no telling what it was going to do. Red watched it move and understood it was made of wood and so much more.
He ran.
It wasn''t his proudest moment or a story for the ages, but when Red saw it, he couldn''t do anything but run as his heart pounded. Somehow, he knew it would follow him. Somewhere in his mind, he knew running would only make it want to chase him more, but he couldn''t stop as he made tracks away from his position.
There were no sounds of footprints, but that didn''t tell him he didn''t have a pursuer. It told him he couldn''t hear his pursuer. The creature that undoubtedly hunted him could move soundlessly in this environment.
The sun bore down on him. The summer section of the dungeon was brutal.
Maybe this was a sign to return. He needed to figure out how he was going to do it. He crossed a log across a big river.
Red made his way to one of the bigger hills and climbed it. He saw the river he had crossed and its fast current from his new vantage point. Even with his strength, it could pull him off his feet and send him miles away in a few minutes. Wading through the river was a losing bargain, so it was a shock when he saw the creature standing on the log he had crossed. Maybe he was terrified or going mad.
He wished that was the case. If he was dealing with sun madness or something similar, recovering his HP would be the cure. Red could get a drink of nice cool water and be ok. But no, a predator was hunting him, and he couldn''t shoot it. An explosion would destroy the log and make crossing impossible.
Red knew that it was smart then. What other reason could a creature have to cut off his escape other than a malignant intelligence? The monster knew Red knew he couldn''t get across, so what could he do?
Forward seemed to be his only option. If turning back forced him to fight the creature, what other choice did he have? He saw a few pits from his vantage point and roots covered in amber reaching down them. That activated his inner loot goblin very well.
There were mushrooms in those pits. Red knew it to be true. If he could get them, Vicky could make something from them. He looked back and saw the creature wasn''t where it had been. In his focus on loot, the beast moved. Was that an ability it had or something else? Red decided to pursue loot rather than be consumed by fear.
¡
Vicky woke up groggily and watched her mother move about an unfamiliar place. She was shocked to see lights with no flame and what looked like furniture not made by any hands. When she searched for the strange human, he was absent. She thought they were friends.
"Did you tell him about the Wendigo?" Vicky asked.
"That wasn''t what he wanted. I could hardly gift him another boon after he asked so much for merely walking you to me. He won out on our trade too much for me to give him more."
"Oh, that''s too bad. Where are we, and what did he request?"
"Our service, my tutelage, and companionship."
"I didn''t think a human would be interested in my body. I''m less than 10 inches tall." Vicky said.
"He''s lonely, and you know how humans are?"
"Will we see him again?"
Her mother closed her eyes and used her power as a former fairy queen. The wind shifted even in the shop, and her mother''s lips thinned. "One had found him but more stalk him than he realizes. Even if he had retreated, it would have been too late. Instead, he''s chosen to go the path of the bold."
In other words, he''s moving forward to battle them in a place of his choosing rather than fighting them in an ambush. Oh, who was she kidding? They would only attack him in ambush.
"This is quite the nice place, and I hope he returns."
She remembered his fight against the hordes of brownies. "He''s strong," Vicky said.
¡
Golden Yang Shroom (Common): A fungus that grows in areas with a high concentration of rot. This is said to be a significant ingredient in many male enhancement formulas.
It wasn''t like he felt the need for it, but back on Earth, the fake penis enlargement pill industry was a multimillion-dollar industry. With a fairy that was also an alchemist, could he pass up an opportunity? He kicked a rotten log and watched it break into pieces of dirt. Under the bark were more of the various types of mushrooms. He carefully cut them free so as not to disturb them.
Sweat beaded down his face under the bright yellow summer sun. He ran through wheat fields and over rolling hills where massive trees stood like silent sentinels soaking in the solar rays. The trees were even less active and firm than in the spring. Each was uncommon+, and it took 20 shots to take one down.
The summer area stretched the furthest until he found a hole in the ground.
He found the broken remains of the massive mobile trees there. They rotted away in the hole, growing vast numbers of various mushrooms. He had gathered more than a few before he felt ready to continue. Red turned and saw a bony creature with a deer skull for a head.
Red threw himself away as the size of the creature hit him. It reached out, and Red raised his crossbow and fired. It caught the bolt out of the air, and Red felt its hand reach his neck. Wooden, clawed hands reached out to rip Red''s throat out.
He raised his knife and slashed out using his system-improved strength. As Red saw a deer rune on the monster''s hand, sparks flashed off the strike. It launched itself with both hands ready to latch around his forearm.
Red had seen enough UFC to know it was going for some kind of arm bar. He pulled his hand aside and ducked under the grapple. It was Red''s eyes doing the heavy lifting. He could see micro-movements when the creature prepared to move shortly before it committed. He slashed out with his knife and felt something hard smash into his wrist. The knife fell from his grip. He threw himself away as the monster caught the knife. Red pumped his crossbow and fired.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The thing seemed to move like smoke dodging his crossbow bolt. The wall behind it exploded. Flames raged out, and the monster shifted its body and charged.
Red felt his blood run cold and dropped his crossbow to throw himself out of the way of a full-body thrust that would have taken him in the chest.
How was he having more trouble from a mob in a pit than the lake serpent? It didn''t make any sense to him.
He had to get away, and the monster was on him again.
Red''s feet dug into the powdered wood, and he turned just enough to avoid having his guts ripped out. He felt his joints cry out as he pushed himself harder than ever. The blade of the knife sliced for his neck, and he turned, knowing that the monster was prepared to turn the knife to slip between his ribs or if he bent low enough, he would take a knee injury.
Red bent and rammed the butt of his crossbow into the wrist of the monster. The beast twisted as Red raised the weapon and smashed it against the monster''s skull. He heard a crack. The monster stumbled backward, but its skill was fine. Red''s crossbow suffered a crack down the butt.
He raised his hand as the creature adjusted. Four fireballs smashed into it and exploded one after the other, scattering rotten logs and dust through the pit''s floor.
Flames quickly caught on the rotten wood, catching the dust in the air and flashing across the walls. The monster stepped out of the flames; its body had already erupted. It shot forward, slashing with its claws and throwing kicks. Red could only escape it as the rotten logs and valuable mushrooms caught fire. He glanced toward the tunnel that led out of the pit.
He would be home free if he could get out and get away from it. He ducked his head before a high kick could take his head off at his nose. The creature shrieked as flames erupted from its eyes, and it charged as Red ducked and threw himself away from it. He coughed from the smoke inhalation, and his watery eyes made it harder to dodge.
A kick connected, and his HP hit 0 instantly. He rolled over a burning log, and only his fire-resistant armor saved him from catching like everything else. The heat climbed as the wind entered the hole into the pit, acting like a forge. The heat continued to climb.
Red screamed as the hot ground burned him, and he ran for the exit. The monster was hot on his heels. He jumped over a flaming log, and the creature blasted under him, its arms ripping through the rotten log. Red planed a foot between the antlers and felt the heat on his heel before he pushed down, digging the monster''s head in the dirt, and shot forward.
It shrieked like the devil as he climbed up and sprained out of the burning pit, and a powerful breeze blasted down into the depths.
Red returned his crossbow to his storage bag and pulled out his spare. He had only three more, but he felt it was worth it. Vicky could turn many different mushrooms into products that would earn a ton of revenue.
He took the road on the other side of the burning pit toward the direction of the cold wind. If he moved fast, maybe he could make it. There were only two more areas before he made it to the court. All he had to do was push himself a little further.
¡
Handhold after handhold, he dragged himself up the amber out of the burning pit. He had been careful climbing down but rushed up with all his might. He was already growing tired and had run out of handholds. There was no longer a choice; he had to make his own.
With no knife to help or any of his tools, he pushed with the only thing he had left of his will. The wood shifted, and his hand made grooves within it. Sweat was already pouring down his face, and his vision was blurry.
He tried to climb up, but his foot caught on the slick amber, and he nearly fell. Red snarled and pressed a foot against the amber-covered wood. Because of the resin coating, it was harder to move than regular wood. The lack of a line of sight made matters worse.
A flat surface slowly sloped until his foot gained leverage, and then he pushed up and jabbed his fingers against the wall. The wood took too long, and it didn''t care about his will or his urgency. All he could do was push against it.
As the smoke hit his face, his eyes felt itchy, and he couldn''t breathe fresh air.
The next handhold was thinner. He barely had any leverage and nearly lost his hold because of sweat. Smoke filled his vision. He couldn''t find where he had made the handholds before. If only he had his knife, he could stab it into the amber and cut his need for handholds by a fourth.
Making a new knife from the wood he had wasn''t viable. His crossbow was heavy. The strap weighed him down, and he refused to drop it even as his muscles screamed at him. Up in the smoke, there were shapes.
He refused to accept them and continued his climb. More handholds appeared as he slowly grew accustomed to the horrible pain, splitting his head open with every handhold he made. The smoke made breathing almost impossible, but all he could do was climb as his eyes stung the sun-exposed shadows that looked like the monsters he had just fought.
Red coughed, but it didn''t do him any good. He couldn''t get any oxygen. His lungs were burning, but all he could do was climb. He should have already passed out from smoke inhalation, but he hadn''t. He continued to climb and make handholds as he climbed his way toward hell in front of him and hell behind him.
Wood molded easier, but he didn''t level up or gain new knowledge; it was something else. That didn''t mean much; Red had to make it. He made a new handhold, and the monsters were much closer. A hand lashed out and grabbed his arm. He was yanked up out of the smoke, and the hands wrapped around his neck.
Not even poisonous air entered his lungs as the monster choked him. Through bloodshot eyes, Red looked into the creature''s soulless, empty gaze. Drool leaked out of a grotesque mouth that merged with the deer skull. Red gripped one of the monster''s arms and tried to fight, but he continued fighting until the end.
HP 2/17
Red wanted to scream at the monster and tell it he wouldn''t lose. He had just hired new employees, and things were looking up. He wanted to rip its arms off.
The other monsters stared on as the creature opened its grotesque mouth wide. Rotten black teeth dripping with foul yellow fluid greeted him.
HP 1/17
It wasn''t just the smoke. The choking was slowly wearing away at Red''s last lifeline. When his HP ran out, it was for him. The creature was toying with him.
He grabbed the wooden arm and demanded it move, but it remained stubbornly in place. That wasn''t right. The amber was so hard to move, but the wooden arm of some random mob was harder. That didn''t seem right. Red was better at moving wood.
One of the monsters, charred black but otherwise fine, crawled out of the pit after him.
HP 0/17
Everything happened so quickly that he was in these creatures'' hands the entire time. Red refused, and he wouldn''t let them win. He pushed at the wall, the barrier holding him back. He clawed and bit at it like a rabid dog. And then he felt it crack.
Red pulled and took the creature''s arms off when he felt the weakness. The creature lunged with its jaws open, and Red shoved a piece of its arm into its mouth. He lunged and slapped the creature''s chest and watched it ripple before the thing fell apart.
The others moved until Red touched their very wooden bodies. He could feel something dripping from his eyes, ears, and nose before it ran down his chin. Their wooden bodies rippled as he shifted them, finding delicate inner workings and sticking them together.
Each creature moved like a mechanical wooden puppet. They relied on henges, springs, and pullies to move. All Red had to do was fuse the joints, and the puppets were useless no matter how much the pilots wanted them to move. Red tapped the burnt one, and it fell over as Red retrieved his knife from its hand.
"Oh, how the tables have turned." He stabbed the first one under the jaws and felt the creature inside the puppet screech as it died. One by one, he stabbed all five of them.
Red sheathed his blade, feeling better after restoring his tool kit.
Retreat was an option. That was the case. He coughed out his lungs and struggled to get all the smoke out of them. Somehow, his HP had insulated him from smoke damage; it had been a lucky break. Maybe Constitution was at work. He turned his attention to the gate leading into the fall. He was approaching the 12-hour mark. Would anyone blame him if he turned around and headed back?
The fall would be just as hard to deal with as summer. He glanced at a wasp nest in a tree and read to pour arm-sized wasps down on an unsuspecting traveler. The fall lands would be even more dangerous.
Red placed a hand on a tree, and manipulating it was much easier. Something had changed with him, not in levels but fundamentally. He could feel the wood struggle and resist him; it didn''t make any difference. The shopkeeper pulled bolt after bolt from the very living tree, taking from its mass to make each one.
He made them into wands wholesale at the cost of 1MP since they all came from the same source, and then he added a magic trap. Red saw something in the distance separating summer from fall. There was a monster with a moose skull on the body of a colossal wyrm made of wood guarding the entrance of the next section. Red would kill it, and every mob he found had a deer skull for a head.
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CH10: Explosions In The Night
Explosions lit the broken walls of Castle High Point. Vampires fled like cowards, burning as they leaped down to the moat below where the spikes impaled them or the beast desecrated their bodies. He felt a breeze, the only sign his giant bat passed him, finding a perch with its prey held firm in its talons. Up high, the sniper blinds were empty. Solari loved the sound of their screams before they died in the wind. Darien watched through the eyes of his familiars as the vampires in charge of sending messages fell one by one. He heard a loud crack. Pieces of the castle crumbled from the structure, taking a powerful tool from an enemy and losing it forever for the Basin Lord. The vampire hunter relished striking at an enemy and weakening a rival in one move.
Darien had expected help from the Basin Lord. Any moment, he imagined a horn blow, the cavalry would charge, and his part in this war would be over. His sister would be saved as the land''s chivalry would do its duty.
He only heard of castles tightening their garrison within their walls leaving villages to rot on the vine.
It felt like he was the only one fighting to free these lands from tyranny. If not for the priesthood, he would have fought the war alone.
Men screamed, and chaos reigned. The king refused to pressure Lord Vrynos Noctvalen.
His target was absent.
This no longer felt like justice; it was only butchery. Pulling the trigger on his crossbow and watching the world explode was too easy. What he held in his hands was a truly evil weapon made by a greedy man. The shopkeeper had a lot to answer for.
The vampire who rebelled against the gods was still at large, turning entire towns in the name of his demon, the sun and moon damned Beast Hermes. The monstrous rebel could revive any day, but the lord of Basin City refused to lend aid. The goddess, Lunethra, descended to the mortal plane to rally the people.
She told him the Hermes spies had poisoned the Basin Lord''s mind to her divine words.
Darien fired his crossbow, spending precious ammunition before returning to Basin City. That was a walk he wasn''t going to like. He may need to apologize to the shopkeeper before bestowing his blood to maintain the man''s loyalty. Then, he would command the man to stop selling crossbows.
Anyone could have purchased the crossbow. Red had built an evil weapon, and no one could keep someone from stealing the next one.
The shopkeeper wasn''t solely to blame for his prices. According to Solari, taxes placed on the shops burdened the people. He could have given the man his blood and freed him from the Basin Lord''s yoke. Darien could have been the man''s conscience and kept him on the divine path.
Instead, Darien burned a bridge he had not needed to. It was going to be a rough apology and a rougher blood bestowal. Solari and Lunethra agreed he should do it for the good of their cause. If needed, he would see it done to save his sister and the people.
So he watched Castle High Point crumble under the might of seven explosive bolts as the sun''s light kissed the night and had its way aggressively with the old castle''s crumbling towers. He moved in the commotion; there were more towers to the castle, but it would take months to fix the damage he had done to the structure.
A bat flew down with his prize, and he risked his life to damage the castle. A trunk fell, and Lunethra stepped behind him. The goddesses were something else. They seemed to be able to come and go as they pleased from the earth and the higher realms where they lived.
He turned his head away as the goddess bent low, and her skirt rose as she yanked the lock off the trunk and opened it. Under the moonlight, she read through numerous documents until she found one that interested her.
"So this is why the old man is so confident in his position." The goddess snorted, and he felt like he was hearing something he wasn''t supposed to. "No wonder no one wanted to make war upon Basin for his seat." The goddess shook her silver curls. "I''m sure he''s let every rival know and even allowed them full access to his city''s nether regions."
The documents in her hand froze before crumbling into ice chips. She looked him up and down, assessing him with her silver eyes.
He coughed lightly and clutched his spear more firmly. "Did you find the location of where they are keeping my sister?"
She looked up at him sadly, and Darien Wolfe felt his undead heart freeze in his chest. "It''s shameful to say I can''t find her. Not even a goddess has the resources when the sitting lord refuses to cooperate."
"Please, there has to be a way to find her. I''ve destroyed so many of their camps. Someone has to know you''ve taken so many souls into their bosom. Some must have known."
"Sadly, not even my children know after you give them their final rest. But maybe, no, it''s too dangerous. Maybe you should give up on seeing your sister. Lord Dainak has taken her as his bride. She will only be forced to bear his bastard children. It isn''t a terrible life."
Darien felt his heartbreak at the thought of some pale-skinned fiend forcing himself on his sister.
"It doesn''t matter how dangerous I''ll do it."
Lunethra held up her hands, and moonlight sparkled off her skin."Then you must insight a rebellion and take the lord''s seat from City Lord Vrynos Noctvalen. If you become the new lord and take responsibility for the city, then you can set the forces of this state against this rebellion. I know just where to strike first." Lunethra said.
¡
Maybe he hit a dead end. Red stared up at a towering tree on a hill. It was as good a place as any to sit and watch the gatekeeper to the next area. Small rocky paths with numerous monsters made it clear he wasn''t getting through easily. Well, where would be the fun in an easy victory?
Wendigon Puppet (Uncommon++): A puppet piloted by a wingless fairy broken and embraced by dead wood. It has battled many of its kind and devoured their bodies, mutating and growing, adding its wooden puppets, and becoming a gestalt puppet. It retains all the speed and deadly grace of the Wendigo with the aggressive territorial nature of a dragon. Fight this creature at your peril.
He wasn''t in the common or even uncommon tier attribute-wise, so why bother going a step further? Red ached all over from his earlier fight, and his throat and lungs were still burned from the smoke. So why take that next step that would lead him over the edge? It didn''t make any sense to him. The skills at the end would be nice, but he wasn''t out fighting the Wendion Puppet.
Red focused on it and got a look at its HP.
HP 1050/1050
He looked at his crossbow and changed the settings to see what kind of damage it could do.
Verdant Pump Crossbow (Trash+++)
Damage 50 + 1D20
Fire Damage 20 + 1D10
Durability: 20 + 1D8
Red could potentially deal 100 damage from a single bolt. That was a nice amount of damage for a trash-tier weapon. But he couldn''t reliably hit one of the Wendigo. He was sure he could hit the Wendigon once, but could he do it more than 10 times with the way those monsters seemed to vanish from his senses? Then he had to ask himself whether his will was strong enough to outpower the Wendigon''s territorial rage and lock all the monster''s wooden joints. He would be doomed if he couldn''t manage that before it caved his chest in.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
So, was it time to pack it up? Knowing when to turn his back on something was important. This wasn''t going to be his only uncommon instant dungeon. There would be many others. This had been a rousing success compared to before when he hadn''t even stepped outside his shop.
So why did he feel defeated? Was his greed too great, or was it something else?
Red looked up at the tree he sat under and down at his work, the many runes he collected from brownies and those he copied from the wendigos. He was sure the Wendigon had even better runes he could copy. He glanced up at the towering tree waiting for it to make a move, and at a butterfly landing and fluttering its wings on the orange bark. The insect popped and fell down the tree that was radiating solar energy.
He touched it with his skill, and it didn''t fight him or freak out, but he wasn''t making changes; he only pushed his will into the tree. Red''s fight with the Wendigos had done something to him. He had crossed some threshold, and it felt incredible to use the skill. The expected resistance from using it was gone, which left him wondering if he could push it even further. What were the limits of the skill?
Red had roughly 10 hours left until the instant dungeon faded, and he started feeling tired. He should already be on his last legs; there were breaks in his wooden chainmail and so much worse, but he didn''t feel like he was running on fumes.
So that left him with a quandary: What should he do? His hand still touched the tree, and he felt its content. With all the sunlight it was soaking up, it wasn''t desperate for resources¡ªmaybe it was a little thirsty, but not enough to want to move. It was happy lazing about soaking up sunlight. Trees, after all, could turn sunlight into energy, and uncommon trees capable of driving themselves were no exception.
With bark like steel and hardly any problems except a body that needs lots of energy, the tree had nothing to worry about. It didn''t care if Red touched it or even pushed some of its will inside of it. The tree was unbothered.
He scratched them in the dirt at first. He learned this dungeon''s reservoir, star, and many other runes from weapons and the Wendigos'' bodies. He learned that the runes like to be linked through circles, but Red could link things regardless so long as they were part of a whole object and didn''t stray far from the image of that object.
Ultimately, those skills fell under Enchantment''s broad umbrella, just as etching fell under wood crafting, and wood crafting would eventually fall under crafting.
Red looked up at the tree and the fairies battling the wasps in the canopy. Did the fairies have access to the skills Red had in wood crafting, and if they did, was there a reason they weren''t using it? He was looking for a reason besides the obvious danger, but he was confident he could move before the tree could react.
He kept his back to the tree before touching it again and getting a feel for what made it feel good and what made it feel bad. Trees were really simple, even the ones that fed on warm-blooded creatures. They had all the tools they needed to be predators. The massive orange tree had been aware of his presence since he stepped over its many roots that stretched through the hill.
Why take a risk? It could be his biggest mistake or what he needed to turn the tide. Enchanting a tree and then manipulating it through those same runes sounded like a terrible idea. Maybe he should try something smaller.
The tree seemed docile, with the fairies and wasps dying in its branches in a never-ending turf war. He felt he was about to do something stupid that could make him incredibly powerful.
Red was a shop owner, not a summoner. This was a bad idea; maybe he should go instead. The option was there: He could leave, abandon his only chance to move further, and take the instant dungeon by the balls. There would be others; he didn''t have to do something crazy. No one would blame him if he didn''t enchant the living tree and use Pavlovian techniques to tame it like a dog.
For three hours, he dedicated himself to determining whether his plan was viable, working out the runes he wanted, and considering how it could go wrong. Such a large tree could instantly kill him, but it felt so docile. That could be his epitaph. Red smirked and shook his head.
Would it work? Some runes increased the tree''s natural absorption of solar energy. Store what the tree couldn''t absorb automatically using runes, then use it when needed. There were reservoirs for blood and water, too. Some runes would allow the tree to use its resources to heal itself or grow when required. He also found a set designed to help with communication among the Wendigos.
Runes had tiers. From what he could tell, he even had a few uncommon runes mixed in with what he had learned. He looked up at the great tree and couldn''t help but wonder again if he was about to make a stupid, needless mistake.
Maybe he wouldn''t think this if Darien hadn''t kicked him in the chest and his trouble with the Wendigos. Before, he might have returned, but he didn''t want to live in fear. Red wanted to be the badass laying his dick on the table for once in his life. And the giant tree was a lot of wood.
He acted quickly, and it was done just as quickly.
"What?" The tree''s question was weird. The rune used energy from the filling reservoir that the tree''s consciousness watched intently. It then reached in and pulled a little. "That''s tasty."
"Yeah, you can thank me for that."
"What?"
He was dealing with a tree and didn''t think they would be very smart.
"Rude." He didn''t expect it to be able to read him when he wasn''t focused on communication. Maybe he would have made it optional to toggle the communication off. "You aren''t nice."
"I''m the nicest person you ever met."
"You''re a sac of delicious blood that I would suck dry if this bigger heat weren''t tastier."
"I''m the one who made it tastier," Red said.
"Liar," to think his biggest problem wasn''t that the tree would be angry with him but that it wouldn''t believe he was the one who helped it. All he wanted was some help with a few problems in exchange. "What is this?"
"That would be the third eye I added so you can see the world and interact easier."
The tree shifted, bending back and forth, moving the etched eye runes around. "Are you the big fairy without wings?"
"You could say that."
One of the branches raised and splattered a giant wasp into a meaty paste that blocked one of its new eyes. The energy it took from that action was less than it gained from the sun. Since it had an avenue of storing energy more effectively than its own body, it already seemed to move more quickly. Roots rose, and he watched them dab up the wasp''s remains. It was the freakiest thing he''s seen.
"I''m not a dumb tree, so take that back."
"Ok, you''re a smart tree that knows I helped you."
"But not for free. You aren''t like the birds who make nests in my limbs and send my seeds far away or the bees that carry my pollen. Oh wait, you''re exactly like those things." More branches whipped and casually wiped out the wasps and fairies one by one. "It feels like I''m saving the blood I can''t use for later. You aren''t like the others, but you are more. The warmth gives, but we don''t give back, so you are not like it."
Communication was difficult even with a rune that streamlined it. "I want your help, and by helping me, you will naturally gather more nutrients to help yourself grow. Helping me is in your best interest."
"Interest, yes."
"Well, my friend, I can also make your branches even deadlier," Red said.
"Friends, is that what we are?" The tree said.
For some reason, he pictured himself sitting on a mobile throne while the tree stabbed, slashed, and eviscerated untold legions of enemies, growing larger from its blood thirst.
"Yes, we are friends, and friends help each other with problems. There is the winter court, and they hate the sweet rains of spring and warm rays of summer." Red said.
"They are cold things who sit in the cold and want us all to feel cold." The tree said.
"Yes," Red said.
"Then, friend, I have only one question: what are we waiting for?" The tree said.
¡
Viviane knew she wasn''t the original. After leaving the place she knew to be a copy of what was once the wilds where fairy courts competed, she became aware of her fragility. She would cease to exist if she remained in the false world. By agreeing to the shopkeeper''s request for a teacher and aide in his shop, she had gained permanence, something she only became aware of after she left the instant dungeon.
She stepped into the workshop and flipped a switch. For a moment, she marveled at the shop''s use of lightning. Her daughter still zipped around, marveling at everything in their new home, and that was fine. Viviane, as the shopkeeper''s master, needed to hold herself to a higher standard and maintain a certain amount of dignity.
A customer entered, so she would need to see him soon. It wouldn''t do to lose business while the owner was out gathering materials, so she didn''t feel bad for her lack of warning. The young man needed to know when to pull back and when to charge. Viviane thought he might get slapped around but would ultimately retreat. Her magic gave her certain advantages that others lacked.
Viviane placed a minor blessing upon the human that would scare off most denizens and give him friendly interactions with the more agreeable types. It would help with any nature-related abilities he possessed as well.
She should have been at the front, but her daughter was likely already there. And she was close enough to sense the customer''s intentions. The child was curious and almost as hyper as her daughter. There was no need to interfere.
The tools were well used but organized in a mess that was too inefficient for her taste. Prototypes lay in pieces that she happily put together until they formed a duplicate of Red''s favored weapon. There was no steel, only wood, even the screws and henges, and there was a small rope made of tightly bound wood fibers instead of the silk of the weapon she saw. He was like the opposite of herself. She was a fairy naturally allergic to iron and obsessed with using it. At the same time, he was a human who should naturally be inclined toward iron and steel and focused on woodworking.
Viviane rolled her eyes at the wooden screws and their tiny etched enchantments. She picked one up and placed it on a wooden board. The screw turned quickly under her control and drilled through the same wood it was made of with little effort. It gave her ideas for her craft. Due to his limitations, he was forced to solve problems creatively. Perhaps she should learn from his example. Just because a hammer was built to deal with nails didn''t mean it couldn''t do so many other things.
Hey guys I hope you''re enjoying the chapters I have more on my patreon. There are 3 up and I might get 4 up tomorrow. But 1 ahead is only $1 and 3 ahead is $5. Don''t feel pressured I have a day job this just helps and its a little something for ya''ll. Link
CH11: Common Tier
?Shout out to my new patron in the Respected Reader Tier
Code_Verendus
Red felt like a shaken can about to blow his top. Trees didn''t have shock absorbers or hydraulics, for that matter. He knew that was a well-known fact, practically a scientific fact with endless testing by burly men who enjoyed pancakes. What other reason could there be to chop down perfectly good trees other than to investigate their internal workings and prove that these vehicles of travel did not, in fact, have built-in hydraulics and shock absorbers to prevent him from nearly shaking his bones into powder?
"You don''t have to be sarcastic about it, and what was that about cutting down trees to see if they had mechanical parts? That''s rude."
They were backtracking toward the lake for one reason and one reason only. The lake was full of fresh water, and he added a reservoir rune to hold water. With sunlight, blood, and water stored in the golden tree, he didn''t expect it to have trouble in cold areas.
Reservoir runes worked with resource points. A well-crafted rune could store 1000 points of a resource, and of course, the larger the surface, the more runes that could be placed. A tree could have an array filled with reservoir runes.
Why would he risk backtracking? Didn''t he have a limited amount of time? There was a difference between his walking and running speed and the walking speed of a massive tree. Giving the tree eyes significantly changed how it moved. While other trees moved jerky like undead on crack, his tree tracked movement and had gained a measure of fluidity.
"Awe shucks, thanks for the compliment."
Of course, the issue was that while he connected to the tree, it was connected to him. His thoughts flowed to it, giving it an easy view of his intentions. Well, that wasn''t a problem. It was a tree, and trees didn''t precisely have complicated motivations.
"I want to grow until my leaves reach the great heat. Then, I''ll wrap around it and choke out all the other trees."
"Let''s handle my problem first," Red said
He hid his true feelings in the deepest pit of his mind. The tree was disturbing.
"Ok," They arrived at the lake where the remnants of the Lake Serpent lay still exploded.
The tree''s roots rose up and struck out like ravenous snakes. They dug deep in the river bed, and Red could feel it drink the contents.
Red held onto the trunk tightly for his part, and he was blown back and forth as the tree moved. The monster was unstable at the best of times, and he wasn''t having a great time.
Then, the tree dipped its roots into the water, and enchantments activated. Water levels depleted as Red watched thousands of gallons of water vanish. The tree seemed to glow after that as its reservoirs filled completely. He heard bark crack as the tree''s golden sheen brightened further. It had a vast amount of resources to use, which was good. They would need them.
He watched the tree wind its roots into an approximation of legs as it watched a deer jump through the wheat fields as they traveled through the summer area.
A Wendigo jumped on a leg, rapidly climbed it, reached the tree''s new knee, and jumped. A limb swatted it out of the air. Red watched the creature''s two halves spin before it bounced off a hill.
Red stared at the limbs wrapped around each other and coil-like muscles. Primitive hands and fingers stretched out as the tree adapted.
"Make my claws strong. I need them to rend and cut to spill the blood I enjoy, " the tree said.
He hadn''t given the creature a name. Red tried to block off his thoughts from the tree even while he gave it what it wanted. Fingers became deadly spears of uncommon tier through material and runes alone. He even gave it fire resistance to cover one of its weaknesses, allowing it to channel its solar reservoir better.
Its leaves had changed color as they marched toward the canyon where summer became fall toward the Wendigon.
The moose-skulled creature noticed immediately that it stood tall even as the shadow of the golden tree fell upon it. Massive hooved feet crushed stone beneath it as the golden tree shifted with every step as it prepared. Red tightened up his enchanting, adding runes to the legs to further strengthen them.
Red hadn''t thought about what would happen when the two clashed. He felt like a squirrel as the tree bent back, limbs cracked, and the reservoirs depleted to feed the changes the tree made to itself. A piece of bark shot off the tree, and sap gushed out before closing as the tree trunk shifted, shrinking in on itself and widening.
It seemed the tree was learning more from him than he thought. With a strong set of shoulders and hips, if he wasn''t mistaken, the tree reared back and punched. What were once fingers have become knuckles, turning the spears. Red had made the tree''s fingers into brass knuckles.
The Wendigon moved slowly compared to the fast, stealthy Wendigos. In exchange for speed and stealth, the Wendigon seemed to gain superior bulk and physical power. Unfortunately, few things were as large and bulky as a summer golden cherry tree.
He heard a crunch and felt his bag grow heavier.
Sap rained like blood from cracks running up the tree''s arm from the impact. It had thrown its punch so hard and powerfully that it had destroyed a large part of its body upon impact. Red felt the tree scream in agony, and its mind retreated from the pain.
It retreated so much that Red could feel where it had been in his head. He gripped it then.
"What are you doing? I''m hurt?"
"You agreed," Red said.
Red added more enchantments, like a circle containing the tree in its mind so it couldn''t read his thoughts. A few fire-channeling runes told the solar energy where to go for weapons that used those enchantments. He found the tree''s mind contained in its heartwood so Red could direct the solar energy to suddenly explode there with little effort. He placed a rune of breaking normally used to allow armor to break, but instead, he placed it in key places where sap ran through the tree. When activated, the tree dumps all its stored liquids and dries out in moments. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust the tree, but he wasn''t the type to make investments without receiving a return. The tree had been a little too happy to read his mind.
Red adjusted the trunk, making a seat for himself, and let the tree back in so it knew what Red had done.
"Why do this?"
He let the scene play out through his mind of someone he helped before. Darian had taught Red a lesson he wouldn''t forget.
The tree twisted around and stepped mechanically back toward spring. Fall, Winter, and then the Winter court was still too much for Red to handle. Fighting with such a dangerous creature like The Summer Golden Cherry Tree wouldn''t end well for him. So he was pulling out before he got himself killed. He gained far more than he thought he would, but moving further wouldn''t work.
He still needed to acquire a weaver, but it wouldn''t be from the current world. Fall or Winter probably had the monsters he wanted to invite to his shop. Red wasn''t strong enough and lacked the skill to communicate with them. He could come up with something to help with that in the future, but that would have to wait until he was a little better.
¡
After 2 hours, Red arrived at the door to his shop. The glass door looked like heaven''s gates. He could just see where Saint Peter was to act as a bouncer. That''s right, his T-rex was in another dimension while he used the key.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
He climbed down from the tree and ran for the door. The shopkeeper ducked as a massive hand swept over where his head had been, and he heard a mighty crack. Boiling sap slashed the ground, rose like high tide, and splashed the glass door before him.
Red turned around.
The tree screeched, the bark ripped open, and flames erupted. It was just a tree. Even if it had a mind, it was no different than the other trees Red had harvested. Without the ability to commune with it, the tree would be no different than the others hunting down anything with warm blood in the cold.
Other trees climbed out from their ambush positions and stalked toward the tree. It was twisted to face them as they struck out with myriads of roots. Red stepped inside and felt his bag of holding empty. Vicky fluttered over to his side and watched the trees battle one another as Red''s tree burned from the inside out. Every tree it destroyed added more wood to Red''s bag of holding and was immediately transferred to storage.
Red had gained much from this venture and would gain much more in time. He had seeds from these unique trees in his bag that he was dying to try. He would raise his octopus tree once his wood crafting was in the epic or higher tier.
"So don''t be mad."
In man''s history, those words have never been uttered in a good situation.
"What did you do?" Red asked.
"I loaned money to some people. But don''t worry, I also cursed them, so if they don''t pay, they''ll be sorry." Vicky said.
Right, that couldn''t go wrong in any way possible.
As employees, Red hadn''t given them a limit on how much of the store''s SP they could use, which could have been a problem. Later, he decided.
With his improved control over wood, he needed to get some quick wood crafting levels if possible. And he was a little sick of making crossbows. It wasn''t until he stood in his shop that the feeling of revulsion settled in. Sure, he would return to them eventually, but he wanted a break from crossbows, or he would burn out.
He was also staring down the barrel of an order and needed to meet with Mary''s parents.
Red looked back at the simple, instant dungeon and instantly missed the simple survival setting for what it was.
"Vicky, just make sure they pay us back alright." He checked his wallet.
Wallet: 50,000SP
He needed to do inventory before he did anything else and purchase aquaponics or something similar. Red imagined that would work better than just a greenhouse.
The shop didn''t really care about the space surrounding it. Red suspected that the shop existed in its own dimension and didn''t care much about silly things like natural laws.
Using another perk was an option. His Eagle Eyes Perk improved, but he didn''t want to push too much on himself. Doing too much too quickly was bound to have some consequences.
"I wanted you to have a nice even number. Don''t worry, I made a sign to attract customers. We need more money to loan out. If we put enough silver on the market, we can crash its value and open a world where silver is more valuable. We can buy things there that are more valuable and sell them here for even more silver, rinse, and repeat." Vicky said.
That could too easily be abused. "Vicky, if we did that, an angry mob would come in and kill us," Red said.
"Oh, that''s too bad. I thought it was a good plan." Vicky said.
"How did you know we can open a new front?" Red asked.
"Oh, we can access the menu but can''t buy anything from it. Mom tried strength training in the attribute gym, but she says it''s too easy." Vicky said.
"I imagine it would be for her. Do you have written down the names of who you loaned money to?" Red asked.
"Nope, it doesn''t matter. I put a curse on them." Vicky said.
Somehow, he kept the grimace from his face. Red counted the SP as lost then and there. He would make his SP back in his next crafting section. Losses were unavoidable, but he had other advantages. For one, he had a teacher; for two, he had a herbalist and alchemist. It was worth it if all he lost was a hundred thousand SP in exchange for that.
He pulled a golden mushroom out of storage and placed it on the desk. The fungus''s many long roots kept it upright and stable. This thing would be the key to ultimate power.
"Is that a golden yang mushroom? I know what it''s for and can''t make it permanent. I need a lot more practice and more ingredients for research." Vicky said.
"Can you grow it and make pills with it that will last, let''s say, an hour?" Red asked.
Vicky crossed her arms and turned her nose up. "Who do you think you''re talking to? I can make it last a day. I''m the daughter of Viviane, not some fairy playing at alchemy."
She flew around his head, and he took a deep breath and let it out. He was about to make SP hand over fist, and it was a pill that could be sold in any front. It almost didn''t matter where he opened the shop. A pill that increases the size and makes a man hard would sell.
"How quickly can you make them, and how many can you make in a batch?"
"Is this that important? I don''t know why you would want me to make pills intentionally worse."
He didn''t know why she was being difficult or acting like she had a conscience; maybe her professional nature caused it.
"Oh, Vicky, you sweet, gentle fairy. An hour is more than enough. If they need more time, then they can buy more pills. We''ll sell it for a low price too. How about one silver per pill? How many can you make in a batch, and how long will it take you to grow more mushrooms?" Red asked.
She poked at the shroom and flew around it. Vicky pulled on her striped stockings while folding her wings. "You harvested it almost perfectly; it''s big. You can open an alchemy room and fungi farm for me." She tapped her chin and tugged on one of the fungi''s lips. "Maybe 100 pills per mushroom at about 25 mushrooms a batch, so 2500 pills," Vicky said.
He had dollar signs in his eyes. 25,000SP a batch. It would take some investment, but the return would be practically passive on his end. That was also from a single product. He could buy anything, including factory equipment, with SP to hasten production.
"What do you normally use to make a batch of a potion?" Red asked.
"Um, a cauldron?" Vicky said.
He pictured an iron cauldron used by witches. Then again, fairies and iron didn''t exactly mix. But he could make wood fire-resistant thanks to one of his skills. It was just enchantment, which was broad. When he gained the enchantment skill, all his other enchantments became a part of it. They were more or less parts of the primary skill, like specializations. In the short term, could he make a cauldron that would work best for Vicky?
"Vicky, how well do fairies handle iron?" Red asked.
Vicky gave him a look before sighing. "Touching it burns; it can cause hives when it''s near, and seeing it can make our eyes swell," Vicky said.
"But you use a cauldron."
"Alchemy is my passion, and Mom has been dealing with iron longer than humans have used tools," Vicky said.
That sounded about right. "How would you like a wooden cauldron?"
"I would rather something dangerous that works over something safe that doesn''t."
"Give me a few days, and I''ll get you something safe that works," Red said.
Vicky smirked. "I''ll believe it when I see it."
¡
Viviane watched Red enter his workshop and place a log on two sawhorses. He touched the log, and it shifted like liquid. She was privy to more information than a mere guest as an employee. She saw a screen appear, and she read it easily.
Wood Crafting (Common) lvl8
Further text was invisible to her, but she knew his skills were undoubtedly less than hers by at least two tiers. With that information, she knew that Red was weaker than nearly everything in her version of the wilds, but he managed to reach the lands of summer. He would have dealt with numerous windigos and maimed fairies piloting wooden puppets. They were the humans superior in speed, strength, and cunning, but he beat them.
Maybe she would give being a teacher a shot.
¡
What he wanted was something simple. He slowly pulled the finished product free as he manipulated the Blood Log(Trash++). It was a solid piece of a needle with a handle. Nothing more than a stake a vampire killer. He added runes etched in like a vampire reversed for the vampire killer effect, Solar and Blood reservoir with a circled triangle with another circle in the middle for transmutation. It was his first attempt at a vampire killing weapon, and he focused on a weapon that drained their very blood and transformed it into solar energy to be used by the gun further. It was simple and effective.
Transient Blood Needle (Common)
Damage 40 + 1D20
Solar Damage 20 + 1D10
Blood 0/1000
Solar 0/1000
Enchantments
Vampire Killer(Common)
Reservoir (Common)
Transmute (Uncommon)
Star Pierce (Common)
Value: 50,000SP
Achievement
From Trash To Common
Craft a common item from trash resources
Reward
+1CON
+2 DEX
+1 INT
Wood Working Tools (Common)
Red (Shopkeeper)
Shop lvl3
HP 40/40
MP 14/14
CON 20 (Common)
STR 13
DEX 17
INT 14
WIS 7
CHA 10
LUK 17
He wanted to scream as it felt like his body burst into flames for a few heartbeats. Each slow beat felt like an eternity as his body slowly embraced the change. Common doubled his HP and doubled his body''s durability. Who knew how stronger an uncommon or rare entity would be if the next tier doubled it again?
He saw an uncommon creature with over 1000HP. Maybe some perks and achievements had some effect on HP or the multiplier.
"System, can I open another location for the shop on this planet."
Would you like to purchase a catalog of opening options?
"How much SP can open another location on this planet?"
150SP
"How much to close a shop location?"
1200SP
If he could close his current location and open another one, it would give him better odds of settling his debts. Except Vicky loaned money to some locals. It was all a balancing act to him.
Hey guys I hope you''re enjoying the chapters I have more on my patreon. There are 3 up and I might get 4 up tomorrow. But 1 ahead is only $1 and 3 ahead is $5. Don''t feel pressured I have a day job this just helps and its a little something for ya''ll. Link
CH12: Dirty Dancing
Shoutout to my new patrons.
Respected Readers
Mario Nunez, Tassadorius
Multiversal
DNAjester
CH12
It was early. The T-rex was lounging next to the glass screen, and Viviane stopped him before he reached the counter. He wanted to open another location, but Viviane had other plans. The lady of the lake had blocked his path. Her pale blue skin and high cheekbones made her smile seem almost demonic.
"We''re training today," Viviane said.
She held her hands behind her back. Red imagined she held a blacksmith''s hammer. This was his chance to finally learn blacksmithing from a master.
The lady of the lake tossed him a sword. One of two she made the previous day.
Red would meet with the Noctvalen family about the ridiculous amount of crossbows he would make them at dusk.
"I thought you were going to train me in blacksmithing, not swordsmanship," Red said.
"I''m your teacher, and Vicky can handle the front desk. There is more to being a craftsman than making a weapon; it''s also important to know how to use them." They entered the attribute gym. "I''ve had Vicky perform her stances here, and she received many gains. This proves that the equipment here is not the only means for growth. It''s the room itself. But its tier is too low, and I need you to upgrade it for this next part of your training."
That at least confirmed that certain system functions were only accessible to him.
Red stared at the price tag.
Attribute Gym Upgrade (Common) 50,000SP
Wallet 350,000SP
He could afford it. Red would still have enough for the metal slime as well. He had made a lot by selling things through the outbox. His needle was coming along fine, and he sold the failures for profit.
The weapon was meant to become a close-quarters stabbing weapon, and it would do the job. Adding a light burst upon impact only improved things further.
Before they made the purchase, he had to ask. "Why the sword?"
"It is the enemy of the spear. The knight slays unarmored spearmen in the hundreds. It is a weapon that has proliferated in the psyche of humanity across time and space. If your foe wields a spear, then you should wield a sword and preferably a shield."
That sounded like she was making things up. Judging by the sinister smile on her face, she must have guessed his thoughts.
"Trust me, fairy''s can''t lie," Viviane said.
Red tried to rationalize things. Her reasons made sense if he didn''t count things like range, but maybe even that could be overcome. Who was he kidding? Red wanted to wield a sword. Who didn''t? There were better weapons, but the sword was iconic for a reason. Maybe it would be fun.
He made the purchase.
Attribute Gym (Common)
Time Dilation 2/1
That was a gift that would keep on giving.
Wallet 300,000SP
Could he increase it further?
Time Dilation 3/1 Upgrade 300,000SP
Anything could be bought. His system had few limits.
"How much to upgrade the time dilation to 4/1?" Red asked.
700,000SP
A linear cost for an exponential increase was well worth the money.
They were outside the gym. Viviane looked it over with her employee access. On the other hand, Red was starting to feel the heaviness of the wooden weapon in his hand. Viviane had made it extra heavy for training purposes and could get heavier.
Red felt like he was vibrating in anticipation for the awesome lesson he was about to learn.
Fairy Queen''s Training Sword (Epic)
Damage 1
Durability 250 + 4D20
Enchantments
To A Thousand (Epic): Every swing of this weapon becomes heavier up to its thousandth consecutive swing.
Photosynthesis (Rare)
Safety (Uncommon)
Heavy (Common)
Value: 2,950,000SP
He was just a simple shopkeeper. That mantra played through his head to help lower his expectations. Red definitely didn''t have awesome epic-tier loot in his hand or a powerful fairy queen to teach him.
What would Viviane teach him on his Shonen character''s training arc? And the value he could sell it and buy a rare weapon gotcha or summon. Of course, he wasn''t going to. This was his chance to become strong organically.
They entered the gym, which looked like it belonged to a high-dollar gym chain. Gone was the rust, the primitive tools, and the easy puzzles; a high-end laptop replaced the desk where the CYOA book had lain with the word quest on it. The ice baths were traded for entire isolation tanks dedicated to forcing the body to suffer, and the weights had an upgrade. Instead of free weights, he received an industrial-style Bowflex machine. Floating over a chair was a single puzzle folding around a tiny blue gem. His attribute gym had upgraded completely.
Red took a peak at the next purchase.
Attribute Gym Upgrade (Uncommon) 500,000SP
It was a 10x expense beyond the current price.
Achievement
Upgrade Attribute Gym
Rewards
Attribute Steroid (Common)
Description: A syringe containing an elixir designed to increase the gain rate of physical attributes after injection for 4 hours.
Side effect: Possible joint inflammation up to 48 hours after use.
Doses: 5/5
The syringe fell in his hand, and he stared at it numbly.
"Student, I have numerous analysis spells and the ability to analyze as an employee. I would advise you not to use it until I''ve shown you the forms."
"Nothing gets past you," Red said.
"It''s called being a mother. If you think normal children are a handful, fairies can fly," Viviane said.
Red winced in sympathy. Vicky seemed like she was always in a sugar rush, too.
She showed him the stances, and he tried to copy her as best he could. "You must purchase a dojo to improve this skill after I show you. Humans aren''t equipped to master fairy skills, but I hope this place compensates for anything you lack."
Viviane was practically handing him the keys to the kingdom.
The air vibrated between each slash, and he could taste muddy river water on his tongue. Every light in the room zoomed further away as wet, warm, muddy darkness crept up his vision. He sucked in a breath, and water filled his lungs, throwing him into a coughing fit.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He felt a heavy hand smacking his back. "You saw too much before your mind was ready."
"I''m sorry for being human," Red said.
"It''s to your benefit. Humans are very adaptable and lack the senses to view the kinds of creatures my skills will put you in contact with. Your humanity is to your benefit. My daughter won''t learn these skills until she''s much older."
"This is a sword technique." Viviane held his hands and danced with him. They were gentle initially, then seemingly more violent as she led him through a dance. His arm was already aching from the effort. "It doesn''t seem that complicated?"
While it must have looked like they were trying to slash each other apart, it was a dance. Viviane was a great partner, and watching her move was a treat. He was having a blast, and it felt like he could keep dancing all day.
"This isn''t the complete skill. You nearly have the foundation." After ten movements, she let him lead, and Red felt her training sword growing heavier with each swing. Viviane grinned at him while they moved and playfully parried his strikes. Sweat poured off of him, but all he could see were her eyes as his body went through the movements. "I hope you aren''t tired of dancing with me already."
"Never," Red said.
Viviane giggled. "Good, but we can only dance for a few more hours. Then you must wash yourself for your interview."
He didn''t want to stop, but the sword was getting heavier in his hands. "Can we do this again?" Red asked.
"Ask me again after you''ve finished popping the blisters on your hand. For a woodworker, you were quite the attentive partner. This will strengthen your hands so we can dance longer next time." Viviane said.
Red moved and felt her thigh brush up against him. Sparks flew from their blades as he blocked her swing high with the bottom edge of his blade. They pressed hard against each other with their weapons, and their movements'' slow friction caused the wood to smoke where their weapons met. "Move your feet this way. Let me show you how you lead in this dance." It seemed Lady Viviane had already become comfortable in her role.
Red''s eyes were wide open as he absorbed every lesson from her in their dance.
The shopkeeper swung, feeling his muscles flex, and stopped abruptly. Viviane slipped through his guard and pressed her butt against his crotch.
"What can this dance do?" Red asked.
Viviane leaned against his chest. "It will build your foundation for any bladed weapon, straight or curved. Once you master the basics, it will be even more fun. Maybe I won''t be able to do this to you."
The fairy queen rubbed her butt up and down, driving him to thrust with another blade. "How unfortunate?"
At some point, she pulled away, and he fell into the rhythm of the dance. Every swing made the weapon heavier, and he had to stop and let it reset occasionally. He tried to go on as long as possible between resting as sparks flew from their weapons.
Why was he learning to fight?
It didn''t feel like fighting. A fight never made Red feel so happy and focused.
What would he want in a fight? He slashed forward and took a thrust to his ribs, so he adjusted to dance better.
The weapon fell out of his hand and was too hard to grip.
A group of notifications appeared.
Strength 21 (Common)
Dexterity 24 (Common)
Constitution 22 (Common)
When he saw them and clicked accept, he ground its teeth as pain swept through his body. He realized then that he had forgotten to take the Attribute Steroid. So his gains weren''t maximized, and he wouldn''t have to deal with joint pain. It was just as well. Why should he inject himself with something to enjoy a dance?
¡
The edges of reality rippled and stilled like the slow tide on a large lake. Viviane struggled to keep the smile on her face and the giggles in her heart from overflowing. His progress was beyond her wildest expectations and could be attributed to the room and shop. Skills between staff were easier to teach.
She closed out the screen in her employee handbook, something she had purchased from the shop after selling a few trinkets she had crafted.
It would break her decorum completely to fly around the room, cheering about having a dance partner.
Humans were, by their nature, incapable of learning the skills of the fairy. It was never supposed to happen, and in the outside world, it would be impossible. But here, her human student clumsily did it step by step, swinging a blade that grew heavier to get him used to the skill. He was growing stronger in real-time but lacked the other attributes to utilize it fully.
Attributes weren''t limited to the ones he had unlocked. Still, the lady of the lake hoped to steer him away from any that could reveal the hidden layers of reality before he mastered the skill.
The simplified version of her skill was Water Dance, a set of sword techniques anyone could learn. She had memories of teaching it to Arthur the King of the Britains and Artus, a Germanic barbarian who declared himself king after the fall of Rome. Those memories clashed along with others in a myriad with no end.
She demonstrated Lake Bed Dance for Red, which is the true form of her style. She wanted him to learn it as his first style and let it become a foundation.
Learning it was like being born with a fairy queen''s abilities. She didn''t plan on telling him how broken it was.
She wasn''t aware of the discrepancies until she entered the shop. Once inside, she realized that no human could learn her style. Upon that realization, she felt a loss like nothing else, and already, she was filling that void. Viviane smiled; the future looked bright.
¡
Mary didn''t stare like a slack-jawed peasant at the fairy manning the desk of Red''s shop. She observed it and glanced at the sign where the shop''s name should be. It was as blank as it was last time. How could such a successful craftsman not even name his shop? She shook her head and focused back on the fairy sitting on a cushion to push her little body over the counter line. The creature that was practically made of sunshine, her antithesis, gave the fakest smile Mary had ever seen. It was perfect for any courtier. She glanced to the side to see a door open and Red to walk through.
He looked sturdier than before, like if she grabbed his shoulder, he wouldn''t break apart like wet paper. That didn''t sound right. Maybe she needed to feed soon or risk an embarrassing incident. A quick mental review of criminals destined for the gallows allowed her to find a target. People died in their cells all the time. She would choose a less talked about killer and rapist.
"You''re here early," Red said.
"You''ve bathed good; that will go a long way in helping your prospects. Oh, and who is your fairy friend?"
Red blinked at her, and she surmised that perhaps the creature had a different name and wasn''t a fairy. That was possible. Red opened his mouth and closed it, obviously struggling to correct someone of her importance on the topic. That would be an excellent survival tactic for other courts, but not for her.
"You may correct me. What is the name of her race?" Mary asked.
"I''m a spring fairy. Are you a vampire? How much blood do you drink? Do you sleep in a coffin? Does sunlight burn you, or are you like a bat, and it makes you drowsy? Do you have fangs? Can I see them? Your dress is pretty. I love the blue. Red, can I have a blue dress?"
"Ask your mother?" Red said.
While she hadn''t hidden it, she hadn''t exactly gone out and said it either. While he had made his suspicions known, she planned to pretend that her nature was uncertain. It would have been so scandalous to declare herself outright a predator out for his blood. A Noctvalen making an up-and-coming craftsman anxious like a lost lamb surrounded by circling wolves wouldn''t do. Her family had a reputation to uphold. They were the lords and ladies of Basin City, one of the wealthiest cities in their nation. Others ruled with fear. They ruled with the more eloquent carrot and stick. While their punishments were harsh, their rewards were just as sweet.
Still, she hesitated to answer the first and most damning question. To declare herself a vampire was to breech the polite fiction Basin City relied upon. The people suspected that they fed upon the worst prisoners, those destined for death. And with low taxes, plentiful food, and sound leadership, they had no uprisings. Her city was the jewel of the Crimson Kingdom.
From the red wastes to the east to the luscious jungles to the west, few could claim to hold the loyalty of their citizens.
Red was firmly in the reward camp for his willingness to work with her family; some fairy may have ruined it.
"Vicky, it''s rude to ask clients so many questions. What are you trying to do?"
"I want to build rapport to make her feel more comfortable. Isn''t that what I''m supposed to do?"
Mary coughed before the fairy could deflect things further. "Well, you never made it a secret you knew, but please pretend obliviousness. It is a polite fiction our city lives under, and it helps keep the people happy."
With the fairy''s distractions out of the way, she focused on him and his appearance. He wore a suit in a fashion she had never seen before, with stitches incredibly straight. Clothing had natural imperfections she could never look away from, which helped her recognize who fashioned it at a glance. Every vampire could do it with practice, and it helped distinguish those who had an eye for detail.
She continued scanning for any hint of a flaw in his clothing that could be a sign it was made from mortal hands. Even Red''s crossbows had the subtle signs of true human craftsmanship. Magic alone didn''t make something valuable. After all, purely magical weapons decayed quickly from their power.
What if Red had made the suit with his magic and planned to throw it away when he no longer needed it? She got it and raised her fan to cover her face. She laughed.
¡
Red watched the vampire lady laugh behind her fan and had no idea what she was laughing about. Did something funny pop into her head? When someone''s bored enough, that can happen. Well, he wasn''t being a good host.
Wasn''t she the girl who said she would let him watch her feed? It felt like a strange gesture. Was it a vulnerability thing? There was also the offer of friendship that Red wasn''t sure about. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of her fangs. She hid them by closing her lips tight when she smiled. She seemed different compared to their last interaction.
He was sore from his earlier training. The gains didn''t take away the strain from training in the first place. Maybe he needed a healing room. There was a whole second floor he could use. Red glanced at the stairs leading to the mostly empty second floor. There was so much left to do that he didn''t want to meet with more vampires and take more time away from the shop.
He tried to smile and be friendly as they left his shop. It was night on the streets of Basin City, and 10 well-armored guards fell into step, leading him to a carriage that would take him deeper into the city. He nearly stumbled on a cracked cobblestone before one of the guards held him steady. By the ice cold, he could feel, even through the man''s gloved hands, Red suspected that he, too, was a vampire.
¡
Darien Hawke made his way through an ancient vampire tomb. There were plenty scattered throughout the Crimson Kingdom. Still, thanks to Lunethra''s followers, the one he found housed a vial of an ancient vampire''s blood. It was said to contain the power to merge familiars into larger, more powerful creations.
He dashed aside a spiked tail from a gargoyle towering over him. It howled and slashed with its claws, sending sparks everywhere as Darien blocked with his spear. He gave into the force and used its momentum to get to the side of the beast. It took a precious moment to change the alignment of its feet while Darien thrust. His spear sank in deep, puncturing the beast''s heart.
Blood oozed from its wound as it fell, filling the scale that would reveal the treasure. He stabbed mutated bats and rats using skills honed from many battles.
To bring down the Lord of Basin City, the people had to turn against their Lord. The easiest way to do that was to create a chimera that he could ride and shoot the craftsman district of Basin City. Lunethra helped him with the plan. He would deal a devastating blow to the city with his remaining crossbow bolts. The people would lose confidence in their Cit Lord and rebel. Then, all Darien would need to do was challenge the City Lord to a duel for the Lordship.
It was the perfect plan. There were rumors that the shopkeeper Red was making repeating crossbows for the Lord''s guards. Once that contract had neared completion, Darien would swoop over the city at night. Then, he would reveal the true face of the city''s rulers to the people. No human would see him even if the vampires knew it was him.
Hey guys I hope you''re enjoying the chapters I have more on my patreon. There are 5 up and I might get 4 up tomorrow. But 1 ahead is only $1, 3 ahead is $5, and 5 ahead is $10. Don''t feel pressured I have a day job this just helps and its a little something for ya''ll. Link
CH13: Art Of The Deal
The carriage smoothly passed people happily walking at night with vampires roaming among them. Some child dropped something from her bag, and a vampire quickly retrieved it and returned it to the child. He raised his hat to the child, who blushed and thanked him. A blood moon shined through Alchemy Street''s light pollution and smoke. Industrialized in scale, there was always a high demand for healing and disease-cure potions. Vampire workers seemed content to take a shift. He saw the blue-tinted glass from empty vials overfilling carts pulled by children knocking on doors asking for collections.
Eagle Eyes allowed him to view the city, which he hadn''t seen before. All it took was time to pay attention; he learned so much. Like there was a building project in the distance, a massive tower with gears on the inside. If he wasn''t mistaken, Basin City was about to have its own clock tower.
He relaxed his eyes, letting his vision return to normal. Seeing in the dark wasn''t any easier, but the distance and scale he could see were life-changing.
Attributes had an effect on his perk. He could see a little further and with better detail with each point of dexterity.
He turned back to Mary, dressed to the nines. In his opinion, her lacy black dress made her look even more beautiful. She tossed back her raven locks and smiled. Her black lipstick only made her skin seem paler. Her dark brown eyes were mesmerizing, like the edge of an event horizon. She was sucking him into her family, politics, and, most troublesome of all, their drama.
Street lights dimmed as they approached the wealthy section of the city.
It felt like there should be music warning him of the darkness that awaited him. All he had was his crossbow, which he kept in its case with a few magazines. That didn''t count the stakes in his bag of holding. He didn''t like his odds fighting the undead at night with a two-foot stick, no matter how pointy they were.
His stakes weren''t something to underestimate. One stab, and they could put down nearly any undead. They drained the lifeblood of opponents and converted it into solar energy for the next strike.
The fact that they were a short two-foot spike of wood connected to a handle made them less than ideal without supernatural speed or at least his own reaction time. The trouble was he had no way to measure a vampire''s attributes.
They crossed a small waterway and entered the wealthy side of the city. 4 and 5-story mansions on massive estates with acres of land separating them from each other lined the street. Massive gardens filled with blooming flowers stretched out around the properties almost to the point of consuming the buildings themselves.
"That''s my cousin''s home. We can visit sometime if you wish. Their wine is impressive. Do you like wine? We try to keep the water clean, and the minister of alchemy swears he''s nearly figured it out, but our people are mistrustful of it." Mary said.
"I think I need to be sober," Red said.
He had tried to focus on the outside on getting back home. The outside was where the most unpredictable things could happen. Sure, there was plenty of opportunity to make SP, but there was also plenty of opportunity for danger.
Red wanted to master the stances Viviane taught him before testing the outside world again. He wasn''t ready. Jumping into danger without anything to fall back on will only get him killed.
"So I''m sure you hear this a lot, but how much stronger is a vampire than a normal human?" Red asked.
Mary looked overjoyed to have something she could talk to him about. "You don''t ask easy questions. It depends on the bloodline. I was a natural birth, my mother was a natural royal birth, but my father was turned by a royal. So his blood should be noble like that fool who attacked you. A noble freshly turned should be at least 10 times stronger than the average man at night and only twice as strong during the day. But with age, that increases, and they will develop powers as they gain experience in their new life."
That was a lot to take in. "Powers," Red said.
"Let me ask a question." Red raised an eyebrow and nodded. "The fairy, where did she come from?"
"I found her and her mother when I went out to get supplies. She was being bullied by brownies, and I saved her. Then I offered her and her mother a place in my shop. Fairies are known for being crafty deal makers, so I thought she would do well manning the front desk." Red said.
It was all technically true, and by the look on Mary''s face, she didn''t want to call him out.
"So you wanted to know about our powers." Mary looked out the window. "We have time. So let''s see, there are many disciplines, but they fall into five categories, well six if you include bloodlines. Anything that doesn''t fall into the first five categories normally is a bloodline. There is Blood Craft, shadowmancy, mindviel, Fleshweaving, and Deathbloom. They cover most vampire abilities in one way or another. I''ll give you a book about them. I have a few in my bedroom for day reading." Mary said.
Asking for details must have been too much for a carriage ride. He said to tell me everything about you.
"So I noticed you don''t have many customers. Have you thought of making things besides weapons to kill immortals?" Red raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you could make some chairs and a dining room set or two," Mary said.
"I was getting sick of making crossbows," Red said.
"I''m sorry, but we need the order," Mary said.
¡
A meeting that required no pomp or grand display was something to feel comfortable in. The lord of Basin City wore his black regalia, a sword gifted to him by the king, and a symbol of his position. He wore his worn riding boots and had his groomsmen saddle saddle the horses. His wife wouldn''t attend. She was busy with a book club, and he didn''t need her advice for this meeting. Commissioning weapons for his guards was well under his authority as a city lord.
The Hermes Cult had done too much damage for his comfort, and a new weapon that could shake up the battlefield and drive them back was welcome. He admired his daughter for the find.
When he saw the man, he had been expecting a dashing youth, but instead, what he got was a middle-aged mortal built like an ox. He moved like a sword novice who had only picked up on martial training. His clothing was perfect as a method was used to create it that had no flaws. Perhaps there was some new textile machine he was unaware of. If so, that was something else to discuss if a conversation over exploding crossbow bolts turned dull.
He smiled carefully to avoid revealing his fangs because humans always find it uncomfortable. Fangs were only revealed to criminals or those trusted to the point where facades could be dropped. It was human nature to fear the vampire.
Lord Vrynos decided to forgo courtly requirements such as bowing for the meeting. For his daughter''s new friend, they would meet not as equals but as fellow citizens of the kingdom. "Greetings, Red. On behalf of Basin City, thank you for agreeing to take up this contract. I understand you''ve met my daughter but few others of noble birth. Let me introduce my son, Kailith. He will be responsible for selecting the guards who will use your weapons against the cultists."
"We''ve seen fireball staves before, among other tools of war. Can you tell us how your crossbow is different?" Kailith asked.
Prove you aren''t wasting our time.
That was the bottom line and the reason for this test.
The human stared in the direction of the range they set up. It was roughly 800 yards away. He wouldn''t embarrass the boy and call him out for being unable to see in the dark. The city lord felt it wasn''t his place to note his human limitations.
It was far enough to excuse using horses for the short ride. The fact it was so he could ride once more with his daughter was left unsaid.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
He had some torches lit so the human wouldn''t be completely blind.
Red took his crossbow out of its case, which was a bulky thing clearly made to keep the weapon and show where it was. There would be no accidents while he kept it there. The man glanced down range again. "There are five targets set up. I can perform the test here."
He thought he had misheard the human. No human could hit a target from 800 yards away at night. He enjoyed this type of challenge theoretically and would have gladly bet with his wealthier guests about it.
This was a business deal with a new craftsman he hoped to raise. He didn''t want to insult the boy, but he had to learn his limits. The city lord decided to give him a test.
"There are five targets prepared very well. For each one you hit from here, I''ll add a 10% bonus to the initial sum." The city lord had more gold than he knew what to do with. 300 crossbows traded for their weight in gold wouldn''t dent his treasury.
Regardless, the human wouldn''t hit a target. It was too far away and at night. He doubted the weapon could even send a bolt 800yrds.
"What if he fails to hit one?" Mary asked.
"Then he gets nothing upfront, and it will be five years before he''s paid. Do you still want to go down this road?" It was essential to offer an out and allow mortals to prove their character by accepting it.
Red slammed a square into the crossbow with a click. He pumped the handle, the string pulled back, and a bolt loaded. The lord marveled at the ingenuity of the weapon. Even as he internally sighed at the creator''s pride.
The lesson would only make the man better.
That alone was worth the price, by his estimation. Red aimed down the rows of torches, possibly the only reason this challenge was possible for the human craftsman. The targets should be nearly invisible, even for a far-sighted human, but it has been a long time since he was mortal. There was also the chance the mortal used a non-verbal sight-enhancing spell.
The shopkeeper pulled the trigger, pumped another, and fired, followed by an explosion. Orange flowers bloomed in the distance, and his vampiric eyes barely caught the latest flying bolt, which impaled a dummy''s chest before erupting in a fiery explosion. The last two shots were spot on, and the box should still have 30 bolts left before it was empty. He listened to each pump and heard the pulleys inside lowering the weight of the draw. It was an incredible weapon, a true feat of engineering.
The city lord slowly picked his jaw off the ground.
Three hundred men mounted with these weapons could wipe out any other force in the field. 60 teams mounted in groups of five could sweep the Hermes cult from his lands.
His son patted the human on the back good-naturedly. "How much silver is needed for a custom one for myself?" Kailith said.
"This will make our neighbors nervous." Minister Smith said.
The normally reserved man stared at the still-burning dummies in the distance.
"At 50% of a 300 crossbow order, with each crossbow going for 300 ounces of silver, that should be around 45000 silver ounces." He would have it paid out in gold, but 450 gold ounces was cheap for the weapon offered. It wasn''t even a rounding error to his treasury.
His daughter smiled as they mounted up to approach the scene themselves.
¡
Horses were fascinating animals. He had only ridden twice and never had free reign to go where he wanted, but he always wanted one. Riding was fun; his horse carried 450 ounces of gold in its saddlebag. She was a gift from the city lord. He also had two vampire guards riding to ensure the gold made it to his shop.
He was expected to finish all 300 crossbows in six months. That was a lot of time, and it left him a little worried about the state of the towns around the city. Every day, merchants still seemed to bring fresh food into the city. While some hamlets were hit, others had protections enough to repel undead attacks.
There was a lot he didn''t understand.
So maybe he shouldn''t worry about geopolitics.
Red led his new horse through the door to his shop, much to the confused expressions of the vampires.
Wallet 4.5m
A liquid metal slime wasn''t much of an option for fairies allergic to metal. So, Red decided to buy something else for security. A slime queen appeared in all her pink glory in the corner of the room next to the bin filled with stakes. She had the silhouette of a woman, but her body was entirely pink, almost like an abstract drawing of a woman. Her flesh rippled as she shifted on her hip, and occasionally, her slime core shifted across her body.
Red issued her a salary allowing her to purchase any food she might need and full access to use any weapon he''d created to defend the shop.
She was a slime queen, but her attributes were low, and those could be trained in the gym. He only had to spend 200,000SP to get her.
He then purchased the Dojo and connected it to the attribute gym. Then, he bought a healing room and an alchemic recovery pod. Before his new horse could use the bathroom on his clean floor, he purchased pasture land in the kingdom. A door appeared, and he was the proud owner of 5 acres of land suitable for raising horses. When he opened the door, he found a greenhouse in the shop. He wasn''t outside. There was a sunroof to help grow grass and stables for his new horse.
Red upgraded Vicky''s alchemy room to uncommon at the cost of 550,000SP. He upgraded her greenhouse to common for 50,000. Then, he upgraded his workshop to common.
He upgraded his shop level.
Shop lvl4
Room Expansion+
+1 Location
+1 Perk Roll
Red watched the room stretch and checked his mental map of the shop, which showed that every room grew larger, including the upstairs kitchen, bathroom, and indoor pasture.
Wallet 2.6m
Everything was coming together. The shop was bigger than ever, and Red had tons of space to live in with no threat of some little shit kicking his ribs in. He planned to buy more slime queens later and have them grow stronger in his attribute gym. He purchased them with Uncommon abilities but trash attributes. With a gym, they should easily grow stronger.
He took a break and did what he wanted for a few days before throwing himself to the grindstone.
¡
Five blessed days had passed with no interruptions. Red''s occasional stop at the common-tier workshop was enough to build a few crossbows daily. He could make them in his sleep. Most of his time was spent practicing his new sword technique, so he went to the Dojo and immediately gained the skill.
Lake Bed Dance (Epic) lvl3/150
Red altered the way his skills appeared on screen to lower their clutter. He glanced at his complete skill list.
Lake Bed Dance (Epic) lvl3/250
Wood Crafting (Common) lvl9/20
Enchanting (Common) lvl1/20
Blacksmithing (Trash) lvl1/10
Marksmanship (Trash) lvl4/10
Fireball (Trash) lvl5/10
Lake bed dance was a complex skill to master. Swinging a sword in the Dojo made him choke and gasp for air. The skill was trying to drown him when he used it. But every level filled his mind with knowledge about the skill like little breadcrumbs leading to something incredible. Reaching level 3 had been a trial, so he used it more in the gym to improve his attributes. It seemed his body took to training easier through full body training.
He was preparing himself for the next instant dungeon. A water dungeon seemed the next prominent stage in searching for resources.
Red''s strength hit 26, and he wanted to test his strength between points to see the difference. He checked his chart. Between 24 and 25, he gained 15 pounds of lifting strength. Red added 15lbs to the rack and felt giddy. He slipped under the bar and lifted; it was heavy but not his max. He felt the difference. He still needed to test it, but he was hopeful. After adding one pound to each side, he felt his limit at 17lbs 2lbs increased from strength level 25. He added it to the chart.
It seemed that every point counted more than the one before, and breaking through a tier increased lifting strength by double or more depending on the tier.
Red continued to hold off leveling his shop because of the location issue. He hadn''t seen a new customer yet, but that door would open with all new problems.
He left his gym and visited Vicky in her alchemy lab. Viviane was taking over the desk. His slime queen was in the gym lifting weights and slowly increasing its attributes. It would be a while before it went from trash to common.
The little fairy was zooming around, messing with a controller. She noticed him enter and pointed to a vial. "It''s done," Vicky said.
"Sweet, thank you."
"Are you sure it''s a good idea?"
"Well, buying the skill I need outright is 100m, so I think this might be the cheaper option," Red said.
"Are you sure you don''t want me to add a few potions to increase suggestion?"
"No, I don''t want to build a relationship on a weak foundation," Red said.
He purchased 10 72oz steaks and marinaded them with the potion. It was an intelligence-increasing potion for reptile pets. Red hoped that by slowly increasing Rexy''s intelligence and showing that he was a friend, he could build rapport with her and become friends.
Viviane watched him open the screen door. Rexy happily opened her mouth and extended her tongue to accept his offer. A wall of dagger-like teeth curtained his view as he tossed her juicy steak after steak. She pulled her tongue back and swallowed them down. Her jaws shut, and the 30-tall, perfect killing machine stood to her full height and whistled at him.
"She''s saying she appreciates the treat," Viviane said.
"You can understand her." Before Viviane could respond, the door opened, and a teen wearing Daoist robes stepped into his shop.
Two men stepped in behind the young man and took up defensive positions. A third, much older man stepped inside and smiled gently.
"Greetings to you, humble shopkeeper. My young master, Archeron Pluto, wants to offer your shop patronage." One of the guards reached into a bin and frowned. "I am a servant of the Pluto family Gan of the fourth stage foundation realm."
Old Lycandros (Uncommon)
Description: A servant of the Pluto clan who has dedicated himself to excellent service in exchange for learning the least of their clan techniques. He no longer has aspirations for his own cultivation and only wishes to further the path of his young master. It is empowered by the qi attribute.
"What do you have that will impress a young master of the Pluto Clan?"
Hey guys I hope you''re enjoying the chapters I have more on my patreon. There are 6 up and I might get 4 up tomorrow. But 1 ahead is only $1, 3 ahead is $5, and 6 ahead is $10. Don''t feel pressured I have a day job this just helps and its a little something for ya''ll. Link
CH14: Talking With A T-Rex
Shout out to my new patron
Multiversal
Quin Chinen
?
It felt like a challenge had been issued, and Red couldn''t let it go. The young master was a teen with bad teeth, big ears, and shaggy black hair. His olive skin put him squarely in the Mediterranean ethnicity, which made him fit for a world of cultivation with Greek influences. The Daoist robes were easily explained away by better trade routes than back on earth. He felt the guy in front of him came from a low-tech, magic world, so definitely Xianxia with a Western theme. So, the new location was in a world with ridiculous power levels, and his first customer felt like a problematic young master type.
Viviane smiled, but he had no desire to use her as a shield. She would be poor compared to the monsters that most likely ruled the boy''s clan. A servant was tier 3, and the guards were high tier 3, meaning the clan master was likely high tier 4 or tier 5.
Cultivators had different means of applying their power and would all have steel swords.
He decided on a name as well.
"Welcome to Adventurers General, where we offer solutions to problems."
"Are you an assassination firm?" The young master asked.
Red tried to smile through the looks the young master''s guards gave him. "When you look at something, a screen should appear to give you a description of our merchandise." Red looked the guy up and down, thinking he had him pegged. So he handed him a pill case full of little golden pills.
The young master stared at them for a long time. "It doesn''t say anything about impurities."
"They are not spiritual pills. They work strictly through natural means and a little fairy magic."
"Is there a brothel connected to this establishment? What about your daughter?"
Viviane seemed to move across the room so swiftly and quietly that none of the guards noticed until she was behind the young master.
"Apologies, my young master did not mean to cause insult."
Red placed a hand on the counter and raised it to Vicky''s height.
The young master winced. "I only meant if she was willing and of a similar maturity to myself."
"These weapons are good against undead young master." A guard said.
Viviane calmly returned to her position behind the counter after the guard broke the tension. She smiled pleasantly. "Yes, they were made for a particular type of undead, but they should be effective against most.
The young master picked up one of the stakes. "It''s short, and I don''t want to get so close to one of the hopping corpses. Do you have them in 9ft spears?"
"I can do custom orders, but what is the spear for? Is there a secret realm or something opening up?"
"As if you haven''t heard the news. The miasma around the Valley of Emperors is weakening. Any cultivator below the foundation realm may enter for a chance at gaining the inheritance of an emperor."
"So you want a spear against a tomb full of undead. Well, how long before it opens?" Red asked.
"A year, but everyone in the province is preparing. Some sect elders have even destroyed their own cultivation to get a chance to claim the treasures. The strongest of the qi gathering realm will compete for the treasures." The servant said.
Red nodded. There was plenty of time to make something properly. He didn''t even think about competing himself. There were easier ways to get himself killed.
The young master ended up buying 30 pills at 5 silver ounces a pill, 5 needles for 300 silver ounces each, and a crossbow for 10 gold coins. Even the guards made some purchases of a needle each and some pills. He would have to increase the price of the pills again if they continued selling so well.
Red only relaxed when the door closed.
"You certainly upcharged them, but they didn''t seem to care one bit," Viviane said.
"Were you really angry about that young master''s words about your daughter?"
"A bit, but not enough to make an enemy you can''t afford."
Red grabbed another crossbow from storage and placed it on the display. He added more needles to the bin while Viviane watched the counter. He retrieved more pills and restocked the display before arranging the shelves for spears. Upon seeing the weapon''s description, it wasn''t an hour before someone else entered and bought a crossbow.
He was running out of trash-tier crossbows. "Go and make more stock. I think there are some rules about entry into the hidden realm. They didn''t touch the common tier equipment." Viviane said.
Red hadn''t noticed that. But his common tier stock was untouched. It was better equipment, but none of his customers wanted it. That put a hard limit on how much SP he would make from selling in town. He must make trash equipment as effective as common-tier to make it worthwhile.
Making trash materials into common equipment wouldn''t help him. He needed to make trash-tier equipment that overshadowed his competition if he was right.
It was a wall he didn''t think he would face. Red needed enchantments to make an even more overpowered trash-tier weapon.
¡
The workshop smelled of Octopi Tree Sap, an uncommon ingredient that didn''t elevate a trash-tier wooden weapon to common or higher. Red used the sweet-smelling sap as a varnish to weatherproof equipment. It gave his finished product a pale coloring. He listened to the electric sander''s motor run as he slowly smoothed out his latest project''s rough edges. He ran a hand over the smooth wood, checking for any cracks he might have missed. He felt out the resin-filled runic array he spread around the weapon.
He stacked effect after effect in small circular orbits with common runes that never quite sent the weapon over the line into common-tier. A single tier was the difference between making a sale where he made 15 gold ounces on a single crossbow. Or that was the price several hours ago. He was trying not to look at his wallet until the end of the day when sales were looking up. He purchased another slime queen and had her wheel the cart of new crossbows to the display floor.
He moved with practiced ease, making the complicated parts first, then the solid piece, and finally, he put together 20 crossbows. It was a process that he was perfecting while researching new runic arrays, which ended up being more homing, bigger fireballs, and harder impacts. The magazines had a little upgrade at the cost of smaller, denser bolts. Trash+++ equipment was still counted, and it was heavier than the standard.
Magazines for the new crossbows could store 50 bolts. The bolts needed to be submerged in sap for several hours and then rinsed with alcohol. Once Red finished that process, they gained a crisp, almost metallic, feel that was enjoyable. He also went heavily into anti-undead runes, which turned out well.
Red watched his slime queen bring more crossbows to the floor, and people were already picking them off the cart and rushing to the counter with several magazines in their hands. More gold coins entered his shop, and he could feel his SP rise.
He returned to his workshop and didn''t think twice about working on another batch of crossbows. It was what his customers wanted, and who was he to disagree with them.
Red returned to the floor after his latest batch to see Viviane with a pleased expression on her face. "The attribute gym needs 5m to reach uncommon-tier, 5b for rare, and 5q for epic-tier. If we don''t find buyers for your higher-tier equipment, you won''t ever reach the epic-tier yourself. That is my assessment from working the desk." Viviane said.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
So he needed buyers, investments, or possibly to focus more on the outbox. A buyer could pay a product''s value multiple times if the demand was high enough. A quirk of the description was that he could alter the value of a product customers saw. Viviane, as an employee, could do the same. If she said they still couldn''t reach the income they needed, a change had to happen.
He checked his wallet and found 8m was enough to upgrade the attribute gym to uncommon. That wouldn''t get him too rare. He needed to develop further into himself. That meant training his wood crafting skill further along with his fireball spell.
Red worked as he had the first day after opening a shop in the cultivation world for the following week while keeping up with a steady demand for crossbows and fulfilling the Basin City order. He trained in the attribute gym with his sword technique for 4 hours daily, slowly increasing his familiarity with the skill.
Wallet 45m
A few weeks after waking up with the shop, he had millions of SP.
He tapped a wooden log, pulled out fully formed crossbows, and purchased string for them. He sipped a cup of coffee and marveled at how much easier his work had become over a week of consistent work.
Mary hadn''t come by for the first shipment. It made him feel like she only wanted to hang out for his product. After getting a handle on his orders, he thought it fitting to finally start designs on the stockades to hold the fake goddesses. That sounded like a worthwhile use for his time.
To Red, his workshop was more of a personal place than his bedroom. It''s where he spends his time more often than not.
He started with a nice piece of uncommon wood. He carved out pieces with artistic references to the goddess he remembered. It was built to hold her body back and contain the vampire. There were multiple runic arrays to both weaken and sustain her. He couldn''t have his target pass out during their punishment.
Red remembered what it felt like to be helpless, to have a belligerent foot crack his ribs while some woman watched. From the thought, his blood felt like it was boiling in his veins.
Maybe it was petty, but he couldn''t let it go.
Red finished two stockades and chopped them into firewood. They just weren''t right. "If you keep scraping them instead of finishing, you''ll never complete them," Vicky said.
The fairy landed on his shoulder. "What would you have me do?"
"Get stronger. Don''t just half-ass do what you can to gain power."
"Do you think I should cultivate?" Red asked.
"Nope, you should do what they do in those games and pay to win. Buy the qi attribute and level it like a whale." Well, he was making enough SP for it.
"Maybe I''m not using my shop to my advantage. Thanks, Vicky, I needed that." He had been too passive.
"Shop how much for a list of skills I can learn in the crimson kingdom with synergy with the qi attribute."
Buying shop Gacha tokens was a scam, so it was better to find a teacher.
50,000SP
He paid it without a second thought.
Skills and Teachers
Blood Deity Tempering (Uncommon) Vampire Sage Ares
Sage Arts (Uncommon) Green Hood the wandering sage
Blood Bone Armament (Uncommon) Vampire Sage Hermes
Cosmic Blut (Uncommon) The Twisted Knowledge Seeker
The shop''s power was never in doubt, but he was unwilling to truly utilize it. Maybe he thought he could live a quiet life as a humble shopkeeper. He couldn''t remain weak as someone who disrupted the status quo by selling powerful weapons.
For 150,000SP, he purchased a map of the crimson kingdom with Green Hood''s location. He could see the guy moving on the map.
Before leaving his shop''s safety, he did the obvious and checked the price of Sage Arts (Uncommon).
200b
He was even in spitting distance. The location of the Green Hood, on the other hand, was in Eldren Hollow.
Red made a door and bought a few return keys. The idea was that he could return to the shop at any time. He put in a little time and made a common-tier sword from common-tier materials. Holding something that wouldn''t get heavier felt strange as he swung it. The common-tier crossbow strapped to his shoulder had 50 bolts in its magazine.
His weapon had an attribute modifier on a weapon''s description for the first time since crafting.
¡
The guards let him leave, and he managed to ride for a few hours before stopping. A high constitution wasn''t a match for saddle sores. Red opened a door back to his shop and retreated. He finished the latest shipment of crossbows before nightfall and turned them into the vampire waiting outside the shop.
Red added potions to his horse''s feed to increase her strength, dexterity, and intelligence. Maybe if she moved faster, he could have gotten to Eldren forest before he had saddle sores. On the bright side, he put another key through the door and opened it where he left his makeshift door.
For a cheap 80,000SP, he linked the location of his doors to his map and discovered why he could return to them. Vicky added a return rune. So he spent a few hours riding toward his destination during the day before hopping back to the shop. He burned keys but knew his door network would come in handy.
When Vicky flew into his face, Red bought a rag to wipe his sweat away. "I want to go with you."
"It''s too dangerous. We ride hard."
"Red, let me tell you, if I have to stay cooped up here much longer, I''m going to steal your kidneys while you sleep," Vicky said.
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "Both of them, I''m not joking here."
Red patted the fairy''s head and sighed. "Yeah, ok, just be careful.
He looked at the map, and there was a clear line toward Eldren Hollow.
Red opened the door again and rode out fully mounted in time for a limb to smash him in the chest. He fell off his horse, which galloped for a while before turning around.
"Did you think you were an untouchable mage?" A man wrapped in bandages wearing a blood-soaked hood stepped out from under a tree. A large man covered in long open lacerations heft a branch over his shoulder.
Red glanced at his HP.
HP 59/60
4 men stepped out from behind other trees armed with crossbows. "What are you going to do now? Come on, cast a spell. We want to spill mage blood." Blood dripped on the ground from the speaker.
"I think these people are infected and failed to turn," Vicky said.
"All I need is the right blood." The man said.
He choked and vomited blood on the ground. Red turned his eyes from the bandit to the dripping blood from the corpse hung up. He turned his head slowly.
"Keep your eyes on me." There was a family above each cut and bled. The man made a motion, and someone loosed an arrow. Red felt something slam into his chest and stick to his gambeson. There wasn''t any pain, and his HP showed no sign of damage. "Look at me," Red''s eyes focused on the man who smiled with bloody teeth. "This is your fault. Waiting out here in the sun made me thirsty."
The man locked eyes with Vicky''s position. "Maybe what we need is fairy blood. Robin, try and shoot her down."
Red practiced certain movements a thousand times. He drew the wooden sword from his bag of holding, crossed the distance, and slashed horizontally and upward. The man''s head flew off his body as arrows fired. Red lifted his crossbow and fired.
One of the archers took an arrow in the chest before exploding in a ball of fire. The others turned and ran. Red threw his sword at one and hit him in the back of the head with the handle of his weapon. He pumped a new bolt and fired, killing the other runner.
"What the hell is this?" Vicky asked.
Red turned to see the torso of the decapitated man crawl after its head. "Do you think it will manage it?" Red asked.
"No way, it''s just a human with some vampire blood. It''s during the day this shouldn''t be possible."
"Solari," Red said.
"Isn''t that the name of the one you don''t like?"
"She''s represented by the sun. Isn''t that weird for a vampire? I think her power might grow stronger under sunlight." Red said.
"We need more data points," Vicky said.
Red sighed and kicked the head away just before the body''s hand could grab it. Blood poured out of the stump, and it stopped moving.
¡
Red continued his journey, making stops and hiding doors so he could leave and return when needed. Bandit attacks happened twice more with similar results. They sat in his room while a slime queen picked up the scattered drink cans. Vicky was busy playing an old handheld while Red rubbed at his jaw from his latest injury. A club to the face hurt no matter how tough he became.
"Once is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern. Solari is giving her blood to bandits, or her church is, and they''re targeting me." Red said.
"I think they are targeting anyone going to Eldren Hollow. We just happen to have gotten the furthest." Vicky said.
Red snorted. "We''re going to use Heartwood for the stockades."
He adjusted the map, allowing him to track Solari and Lunethra. They weren''t near Eldren Hollow, so their boy toy, Darien Hawke, shouldn''t be there either.
Red managed to get his Lake Bed Dance skill up to level 15, and he was growing more confident in his abilities.
"Vicky, how would I compare myself to a vampire?"
"Don''t fight them. They have blood skills that you can''t even touch yet."
"If that Darien guy had no trouble, I should be fine."
"During the day, maybe, but if you fought a vampire at night, you''ll lose," Vicky said.
He didn''t like her confidence.
"Mom made this for you." Vicky pulled a cloth sheet off a book she had been hiding from him.
Dragon Taming for Dummies.
¡
Rexy watched her pet approach through the barrier. At first, he had been a snack that fed her other snacks, but the more he fed her, the more she realized he was something she liked. He was like her own personal snack machine. Her desire to eat him hadn''t gone away, but she wouldn''t eat him on the spot.
She watched him approach her from the safety of the barrier. She drooled a little at the thought of more meat. Then he did something out of order. He opened the barrier and stepped out from behind it.
She called with a few trills to check and ensure he was certain about his decision. It wasn''t too late. He could still hide, and she wouldn''t entertain his existence. She waited for a slow heartbeat before giving him her undivided attention.
He looked confident, but that would break soon. Rexy stepped in his direction, shaking the ground and letting him know she meant business.
The man didn''t flee. Her memories had become easier to view. She could remember other humans who ran and called upon her huntress instincts. He approached her, and it was not prey-like.
"Don''t run, face the dragon fully, but don''t look it in the eyes because that''s a challenge." Rexy could admit those were good instructions, but what if she was hungry and wanted to eat him anyway. Well, she wasn''t, but still.
He approached, and she lowered her head and breathed in his very human scent. "Look at the dragon in the snout and say something brave." The human raised his head and faced her without looking into her eyes in challenge. She would admit to enjoying it so far. "I''m going to fuck you."
"Wut,"
Hey guys I hope you''re enjoying the chapters I have more on my patreon. There are 7 up and I might get 4 up tomorrow. But 1 ahead is only $1, 3 ahead is $5, and 7 ahead is $10. Don''t feel pressured I have a day job this just helps and its a little something for ya''ll. Link