YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → 10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 10 | Audiobook (SleepStudyGym)

10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 10 | Audiobook (SleepStudyGym) — Transcript

by 10HourNovels · 103,023 words · 15,241 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00Carl turned over the bracelet and the
0:02demon broke down into full-fledged
0:04tears. "How did you know it was my
0:06birthday tomorrow?" She sobbed. "Divine
0:10inspiration."
0:12Carl lied smoothly.
0:14Now that she was crying over it, he was
0:16not about to admit that he had intended
0:18to make it look like a childhood gift
0:20for the daughter of a noble family. Carl
0:23picked up a dozen rings from the table,
0:25all the green and violet royal rank mana
0:27jade, and quickly inscribed giant
0:30strength runes on them. Nothing else,
0:33just royal rank giant strength. Do you
0:36think that this will be enough for the
0:37shop? I heard that magical jewels were
0:40difficult to come by, and I didn't want
0:42to go overboard with the first sale," he
0:45asked gently while Loros washed her face
0:48in the sink. "Yes, that should be
0:50enough.
0:52with the shop cut and a small cut for
0:54me. That should be 85 gold pieces per
0:56ring for you at wholesale price. Don't
1:00accept less than 100 before deductions.
1:02They will sell them for at least 150,"
1:05she insisted, becoming determined when
1:07it came to money. "How far is it to the
1:10shop?" Carl asked. It's actually just
1:14around the corner on the street that
1:17faces the palace, so the lord can keep
1:19an eye on his wife when she goes out to
1:21inspect her shop. He's quite protective
1:24and even more now that she's just given
1:26birth," Loros explained.
1:29Carl looked down at the casual gray polo
1:32shirt with the spider on the pocket and
1:34the black pants he had chosen for the
1:35day. "That should do, but Loros was a
1:39mess of stone dust and tear streaks. Do
1:42you have something fancy or do they
1:45already know you? He asked. The demon
1:49laughed. Of course they know me. I live
1:52next door. They walk by and make fun of
1:55me every morning. You see, if my skill
1:59was higher, I could make magical items
2:01with my crafting as well. But until
2:04then, I'm just another poor street
2:06vendor. All right, follow my lead when
2:09we get there. I'm told that my aura is
2:12somewhat terrifying and it helps in
2:13negotiations.
2:15Loro stuck out her tongue at him. You
2:18know that almost all demons can see
2:20auras, right? It's not exactly a secret
2:23what your aura looks like. Well, that
2:26was embarrassing.
2:28But she had brought him into her home
2:30knowing that his aura was deep red and
2:32black. Perhaps the slender sculptor was
2:35braver than she looked, or more obsessed
2:38with getting recognition for her work.
2:40She led the way, and Carl noticed the
2:43disgusted looks when she entered the
2:44shop. But Loros quickly bowed her head
2:47and apologized. "Juler Mugos, forgive
2:50the intrusion, but I have brought you a
2:52business opportunity,"
2:54she whispered. The short forearmmed
2:57demon known as Mugos was an overlord and
3:00unnaturally bronze which he complimented
3:02with an all black suit. Mugos turned to
3:05Carl. I suppose that you're the business
3:08opportunity.
3:10Carl nodded and placed one of the rings
3:12on the counter between them without
3:13saying a word. The demon did a double
3:16take, then slowly smiled and reached out
3:19a lower arm to pat Loro<unk>'s head.
3:21Good work, little street vendor.
3:24Now, sir, how much were you hoping to
3:27get for this ring? Carl smiled, and one
3:29by one, he placed nine more on the
3:31counter, keeping the last two in
3:33reserve. Given the time and effort
3:36involved, I would ask for 150 gold coins
3:38for each. Carl insisted.
3:42The demon stared at the rings for a
3:44moment, then cast a spell to identify
3:46them. That told him instantly that they
3:49were all identical with only a few
3:51percentage points of difference to the
3:52strength buff.
3:54You made these? He asked. Loros made
3:58these. I upgraded them. Carl agreed.
4:03That brought a look of enlightenment to
4:05Mugo's face. Now he understood why she
4:08was brave enough to come into the shop
4:10while he was on duty. That is too much.
4:14I can offer you a thousand for all 10.
4:17That was the minimum that Loros had
4:19suggested he accept, and he hadn't even
4:21negotiated yet. Carl put the last two on
4:24the counter.
4:261300 for all 12. Mugos quickly swept the
4:30rings into a velvet lined box using deaf
4:32hand movements to drop them on the
4:34finger-shaped protrusions.
4:36You have a deal, sir. Please wait here
4:40while the accountant prepares your
4:41funds. Carl waited for someone to come
4:44out and then a system notice appeared.
4:47Trade offer. Royal Jewelers offers you
4:501300 gold coins.
4:53Carl accepted, then quickly transferred
4:55180 to Loros.
4:57Her face lit up with joy, and the
4:59jeweler bowed politely to Carl. It seems
5:03your skills are exceptional.
5:05Should your collaboration with this
5:07young lady lead to any other successful
5:09creations, please think of us first in
5:11the future. Carl nodded. Of course,
5:15jeweler Magos. I intend to have a few
5:18monarch rank items with more diverse
5:20abilities for you soon. I do hope that
5:23your shop will be able to assist me.
5:25Mugos looked down at the ring on Loros
5:28finger and his eyes lit up in
5:29excitement.
5:31Thank you, Lord Runsmith.
5:33They left the shop and Loros returned to
5:36her stall. She unlocked the boards on
5:39the side and flipped the sign to open.
5:42Such dedication,
5:44Carl joked, knowing that this was the
5:46most money she had likely ever had at
5:48one time. Oh, right. You intended to buy
5:52the entire stock, didn't you? She
5:55realized.
5:57Carl nodded, then stopped her from
5:59packing up. How about this? I will take
6:02the monarch ranked items you have today
6:04and all 10 of those green cloak
6:06brooches.
6:07Those are large enough for a proper
6:09upgrade. That's payment enough for today
6:12and then you can make me an equivalent
6:13number of items later. These all have
6:16similar engravings on them, but Mugos
6:19would be much happier if they were all
6:20distinctly different with one
6:22identifying mark on them so he could
6:23trace them back to his shop later. That
6:26worked out well for Loros.
6:29You're not worried about me running away
6:30with the money? She asked. I could tell
6:34Mugos that you ran off with the raw
6:36stock for the next batch and it wouldn't
6:38take long for someone to find you. Carl
6:41shrugged. The pale demon shuddered.
6:45Please don't. That man is a savage.
6:49There are rumors that he beat his cook
6:50to death for burning his dinner. Carl
6:53smiled.
6:55See, we have an understanding, but I'm
6:58at the laughing dragon with my friends.
7:01You can bring the items over when you
7:03finish. So, even if you want to move
7:06apartments now that you have a load of
7:07gold coins, it's not a problem and give
7:10up my spot. I'll wait for a bit before I
7:14move." She giggled.
7:17So, the rights to the spots out front
7:19were part of the rental deal. That made
7:22sense, as the shop behind her was a
7:24furniture store and not a competitor.
7:27Most likely, the furniture shop owner
7:29had the rest of the apartment on the
7:31second floor as well, and Loro simply
7:33rented the small suite in the corner
7:34with the outside entrance. It was a
7:37functional solution for a crowded city
7:39with so many street vendors who wouldn't
7:41want to live too far from their spot.
7:44After all, they could take the items
7:46home, but the stall had to stay to save
7:48their sales location. It was peace of
7:51mind to be able to see it from your
7:52home, so you knew it wasn't being
7:54vandalized.
7:55With Loro hard at work selling her
7:57existing stock, Carl returned to the
8:00dress shop where he had left the ladies.
8:02There was a large mound of dresses in
8:04five different stacks, presumably one
8:06for each of them. Then Remy came out in
8:10Naga Queen form and gave Rey a pleading
8:12look. The shopkeeper didn't see her
8:14appear, only after she had entered, and
8:17quickly held up a hand. Ma'am, my
8:20apologies, but the shop is closed for
8:22the moment for a private shopping group.
8:25she announced in a firm tone. "Oh, she's
8:28with us." "Hello, Remy," Rey replied,
8:33waving the Naga Queen over. "There are
8:35some dresses here that didn't look right
8:37on us, but might on you with the extra
8:39two arms here, but this on. It should be
8:44your size. You're pretty slender." Carl
8:47could practically see the cash register
8:49ringing up new sales in the woman's
8:50eyes, so he leaned in to quietly ask her
8:53the important questions as the
8:54assistants catered to Remy. What are
8:57they at so far? The shop owner double-ch
9:00checked the stack and then her math
9:02before shrugging.
9:04About 70 gold coins, but for this large
9:06of a purchase, I can offer a discount.
9:10Carl nodded. Not as bad as I had feared.
9:14Then he turned to Ry. Are all these
9:17items the ones to keep? Rey nodded.
9:20Yes, they're all different styles and
9:23all exquisite. I want them all for my
9:26art. The shopkeeper seemed to take that
9:29as Rey being a personal stylist whose
9:31art was her outfitting of her clients.
9:34So there was no hesitation as the
9:36shopkeeper began to carefully fold and
9:38bag the items. She had dealt with many
9:41wealthy clients in the past and that man
9:43had already said he had no problem with
9:45the total cost. Dana messaged Carl. Do
9:49you have enough local currency or can we
9:52convert gems? Carl smiled at her. I have
9:57enough. I found a buyer for rune crafted
10:00rings and made a few more with the help
10:02of the sculptor who made the bracelets.
10:05No need to mention that what he had made
10:07today was 10 times what they had managed
10:09to spend buying out half of a high-end
10:10clothing store. Hopefully, this level of
10:14spending didn't continue as the market
10:16for magical jewelry was bound to be
10:18somewhat limited. But for Rey's sake,
10:21they had to find local fashion. Remy's
10:24fashion choices were limited due to her
10:26extra arms, but there were options for
10:28multiple armed customers as well as ones
10:30with wings.
10:32In fact, there were countless options
10:34for customers with wings, to the point
10:36that backless dresses seemed to be the
10:38standard here. The shopkeeper smiled at
10:41Carl when Remy was done shopping and
10:43whispered to him so as not to disturb
10:45the ladies. How does 70 for the entire
10:48pile with your last friend added,
10:50"Sound?"
10:51Remy had added at least 10 more dresses
10:53to the pile. So Carl nodded and searched
10:56his interface for a moment until he
10:58found the way to initiate a trade for 70
11:00gold coins.
11:02He shook hands with the shopkeeper and
11:04the carefully bagged items were moved
11:06into Ray's space. These were all lovely,
11:09but she wanted them as samples to remake
11:11them in her own silk and innovate. She
11:14had even managed to get Oilia into a few
11:16dresses. Because of that success, Rey
11:19was in much better spirits as they
11:21headed to the inn again, and she now had
11:23at least two weeks worth of designs to
11:25study and work on. It was strange for
11:28everyone in Carl's group to be somewhat
11:30anonymous in the city, as a group of
11:32royal rank women led by a monarch was
11:34hardly anything out of the ordinary, and
11:36dozens of similar level groups entered
11:38the dungeons every day. But after a
11:40lifetime in the Golden Dragon Nation,
11:43they weren't mentally prepared to live a
11:44life of anonymity in a huge city full of
11:47demons. They could certainly make enough
11:49to survive, even without Carl and his
11:52rune crafting skills. But that didn't
11:54feel like enough for any of them. Dana
11:57was keenly aware that it was a spoiled
11:59and selfish notion that they should
12:01remain as a special person when they
12:02were on another continent where everyone
12:04had some sort of power on their side if
12:06they wanted to live a life better than
12:07cattle. It wasn't obvious here in the
12:10city as the weakest had been driven out
12:12of the city many years ago. The slums of
12:15the black shade, as the locals called
12:17it, were the residents of the species
12:19that couldn't exceed awakened rank in
12:22the city. Even janitors and housekeepers
12:24were normally required to be ascended
12:26rank or higher unless they were
12:28children. It appeared to be normal for
12:31apprentices to follow their parents to
12:32work before they were even teenagers.
12:34And the young faces in the shops that
12:36they passed only served to remind Dana
12:38that they really were in somewhere
12:39entirely different from anything she was
12:41familiar with. But the most notable fact
12:44about the city was its cleanliness.
12:47There were no rodents anywhere, no rot
12:49or filth in the alleys, other than
12:51around the garbage bins. Old Jared, the
12:54oneeyed sailor, waved and greeted them
12:57from a stool at the bar as they entered,
12:59looking much worse for wear than he had
13:00the other day. He hadn't been part of
13:03the fight at the tavern, but it was
13:05obvious that he had been in one sometime
13:07today. Old man, are you sure that it's
13:10wise to go picking fights in the middle
13:11of the day? Tessa joked. The sailor
13:15laughed and ran his fingers through his
13:17shaggy hair. Ye are a funny one,
13:20priestess.
13:22I was at the dungeon today, and our
13:24healer was worse than useless.
13:26Some null shaman, who seemed to forget
13:28that they were supposed to heal someone
13:30other than themselves.
13:32Tessa patted him on the shoulder and
13:34cast a healing spell to remove the
13:35bruises and cuts from his body. "Well,
13:38you'll be all right now." Old Jared
13:41laughed, then waved to Beth, who was in
13:43the back room. Bring my friends a drink.
13:47They fixed my face as good as new, and
13:50that lingering cough has cleared right
13:51up. Carl's group retreated to their room
13:54before dinner in order to make plans for
13:56the upcoming days. Do we have enough
13:59local money to get by? I know. Carl said
14:02he had made and sold some items today,
14:05Tessa asked. Ever the practical one?
14:08Carl nodded.
14:10Yeah, I've got about a thousand gold
14:12coins left. If we keep spending like
14:15this, I might have to make more rings
14:17soon. But now that Ry has cleared out a
14:19designer shop, our basic costs, even
14:22staying at the laughing dragon, would
14:23take years to go through that. But I
14:26suspect that sitting around all day is
14:28going to get boring quickly. We could
14:30also check out the dungeon and see if it
14:32helps our power levels grow. I have some
14:35hope that if we keep practicing, one or
14:37more of the beasts will be able to
14:39activate an overlord rank skill long
14:41before they have grown to advancement.
14:43The extra combat power or defensive
14:46abilities would put us in a good spot.
14:48All four women nodded and Tessa spoke
14:51for them. That's what we were thinking.
14:54The way that the locals speak of it,
14:56being in the dungeon helps you grow
14:58faster. It might only be true for
15:00demons, but the dungeons are system
15:02relics.
15:04So, logically, it should help everyone
15:06with a fully active system grow as well.
15:09I know that Thor loves his job, but we
15:12would rest easier if we didn't actually
15:13need his protection most of the time. We
15:16would still gladly accept it, but it
15:18would be best if it were just an extra
15:20layer of safety. Then, Lotus smirked.
15:24Plus, who knows what the dungeon might
15:26give us. It's like a random treasure
15:29box. Cara wholeheartedly approved of
15:32that idea. The smell of fresh bread
15:34wafted up to their room from the kitchen
15:36below them and they all headed down to
15:38get some additional information. Though
15:40they weren't particularly hungry after
15:42loading up on cake at lunch. There was a
15:45younger lot of sailors in the tavern
15:46tonight along with quite a few soldiers,
15:49but none of the old guards who had been
15:51cycled off duty. Carl took them to a
15:54table along the back wall, away from any
15:56chaos that might happen, but with
15:58sailors and soldiers all around them.
16:01Oh, it's the new arrivals.
16:03Have you ladies had a chance to see the
16:05city yet? One of the guards asked. We
16:09went to the boardwalk and did some
16:10shopping today. We were thinking about
16:13trying the dungeon tomorrow. Anything we
16:16should know? Oilia replied with a toothy
16:19grin. The burly demon smiled back at
16:22her. Well, it's a water realm dungeon,
16:25so everything is swampy. The dungeon is
16:28full of ogres, though. Kind of a strange
16:31setup, but at least the running water
16:33makes them smell a bit better than
16:35usual. There is a five gold coin per
16:38group exit fee. The last lot charged it
16:41on the way in, but we found that it's
16:43much easier to charge it on the way out.
16:46At least on the way out, they'll be
16:47guaranteed to have money, and nobody can
16:50accuse us of robbing a dead man. A tall
16:53blonde man that almost looked human,
16:55except for his eyes, whose eyelids
16:57operated in the wrong direction, nodded
16:59in agreement. It's a fivep person run,
17:02and you can go in every day if you're
17:04feeling spicy. I don't think anyone
17:06really does except that one group of
17:09adventurers from Jerk, and they're
17:10trying to save money to buy a farm. If
17:13you clear everything, it usually nets
17:15you about three gold a member plus loot.
17:18So, the fee is only a third of the
17:19average income. And even if you skip
17:21half the mobs to go for the boss drops,
17:24you'll still at least break even. Oilia
17:26nodded in understanding.
17:29Then it should be good for us. With two
17:32clerics and plenty of combat power, it
17:34should keep our bar tab funded. The
17:37guard laughed. Now you make it sound so
17:40easy. The bosses are all monarchs, and
17:44they're no pushovers.
17:46Not heavy on the magic, but ogre lords
17:48can be pretty nasty, even without the
17:50dungeon, making them unreasonably
17:51durable. Carl motioned for Beth to bring
17:54a round of drinks to the guards in
17:56exchange for the useful information
17:58right before one of the other guards
17:59chimed in with a bit of interesting
18:01information. We got a lot luckier than
18:04those poor bastards in Bar, the capital
18:06of Neabban. We stopped there on the way
18:09back from the northern island and they
18:11got themselves an overlord ranked
18:12dungeon that's nothing but bloody
18:14spiders and dark elves. The whole bloody
18:17place is cursed, I swear. One of the
18:20sailors began to laugh and nod in
18:22agreement. And in a city full of
18:25dwarves, no less. I swear they'd brick
18:28over the entrance if it wouldn't start a
18:30riot. They were sitting and drinking,
18:33waiting for dinner, when an overlord in
18:35a guard uniform strutdded in, looking
18:37excessively proud of himself. "Hey boys,
18:40look what I found at the royal jeweler."
18:43He called, holding out his hand with a
18:45very familiar looking ring on it. "Got
18:48yourself married? Congratulations.
18:51Was it old man Mugos or his sister?" One
18:55of the guardsmen teased. "I'm not
18:58married, you idiot."
19:00They got a whole batch of royal rank
19:02strength rings in today. And I got my
19:04hands on one before they sold out. Now,
19:07it took a fist fight and twice the
19:09asking price, but look at this 30%
19:12strength increase on top of my base. He
19:15boasted. All the ladies looked at the
19:18bracelets on their wrists, then turned
19:20to look at Carl, who was trying not to
19:22laugh. The guards whistled in
19:24appreciation.
19:26Now that's a good strength ring. Is it
19:29on your personal base or on the royal
19:31rank base? One asked. Mine personally. I
19:36checked it once I bought it. With the
19:39increased base strength warriors get,
19:41this thing is no joke by the time you
19:43get to overlord rank, the captain
19:45confirmed.
19:47The jeweler might require some sweet
19:49talking next time Carl came in to make a
19:51sale. After this round caused fist
19:54fights in his store between overlords,
19:56there was no telling how he would react
19:58to a monarch ranked item or two. The
20:00guards were highly entertaining and they
20:02had nearly as many tall tales as the
20:05sailors did after their recent
20:06deployment. Carl and the others only
20:09ended up heading to their room near
20:10midnight with plans to go to the dungeon
20:12after breakfast. Waking up late meant
20:15that the tavern was quiet as they ate,
20:17but the streets were still busy as they
20:19headed out to the dungeon to try their
20:21luck.
20:22Fortunately, it wasn't a long walk and
20:24there was no lineup to enter. All they
20:27had to do was let the guards check their
20:29ranks as they passed by so that nobody
20:31took on a stupid bet and got themselves
20:33killed or dragged someone unwilling and
20:36underrank into the dungeon to kill them
20:38and dispose of the body. Carl assumed
20:42Carl led them into the entrance, then
20:44called out the whole team, including the
20:46bodyguards and the guardian. Thor sighed
20:49as he could finally stretch his serero
20:50body and Hawk flapped up into the air.
20:54This is nice. Human bodies just aren't
20:57the same. Thor informed them. Sorry
21:01about that. I will try to come here as
21:03much as possible so everyone can be
21:06themselves for a while. Ry snorted in
21:09amusement.
21:10Speaking of being ourselves, Cara has
21:12pulled the first group of ogres. We
21:15should likely go save them from her.
21:18That was a good description of the
21:19situation.
21:21Cara wasn't even trying to kill them.
21:23She had disintegrated their feet and was
21:25in the process of turning their pockets
21:26inside out. Skill: Pilfer successful.
21:31Eight silver coins obtained.
21:34Skill: Pilfer successful.
21:37Fire opal obtained.
21:39Well, that was unexpected.
21:42You really could loot them while they
21:43were alive. The void badger had become a
21:46menace to ogre society. But more
21:49importantly, they still gave a reward of
21:51coins that was split between the group
21:53members when they died and a few common
21:55grade items dropped beside their bodies.
21:58They might be good for raw materials if
22:01Carl wanted to practice his rune work,
22:04but not much more than that. Carl
22:06realized a second later that the humans
22:08had been left behind. The beasts and the
22:11summons had all gone ahead to pick a
22:13fight with the second group, following
22:15Thor's exuberant charge. Oilia looked
22:18like she was going to chase them as Hawk
22:20began to bombard another group, pulling
22:22them to where Ry was watching the fun
22:24with her golems.
22:26Don't hurry. They've been cooped up in
22:28their space for days. Let them burn off
22:31some energy, Carl advised.
22:35Oilia snorted in amusement and gave Carl
22:37an and I haven't sort of look. She was a
22:41berserker and yet that insufferable
22:43spider had forced her to wear a dress.
22:46The fact that it actually looked good on
22:47her were bear form only made the
22:49indignity worse. Carl took out his bow
22:52and followed as Oilia headed in the
22:54other direction, transforming into dire
22:56bear form before raging and expanding to
22:58tower over the hapless ogres. Don't
23:01engage the bosses. We will clear out
23:04everything else first, then do them as a
23:06group. Carl warned, focusing on Cara and
23:10Ray, who were most likely to get curious
23:12and attack them. Once he had warned the
23:15excited beasts, a single smite upgraded
23:18shot with his bow sent a glowing golden
23:20arrow into the eye of a wounded ogre,
23:22and its head simply exploded in a flash
23:24of light. If Carl had realized that
23:27skill was so overpowered, he would have
23:29started using it as soon as he got it.
23:32But his bow was feeling a bit lackluster
23:34now that he had experience with his
23:35abilities to upgrade others. It was also
23:39limiting his attack power, and if he
23:41wasn't careful, he would break it. This
23:44was already a completed item. He
23:45couldn't mess with it any further, so he
23:47would have to purchase a highquality
23:49non-magical bow somewhere to upgrade or
23:52have Lotus make him a new one. However,
23:55that wasn't the only weapon he had. The
23:58mall might be falling behind a bit, but
24:00the skill stacking ability was as good
24:02as ever. As long as he didn't push it
24:05too hard either. He really was
24:07outgrowing his weapons. Carl realized
24:11the weapon was quickly reaching its
24:12limits as a commander rank weapon, and
24:14he had been pushing his luck using it
24:16with overlord ranked skills, even when a
24:18commander rank himself. However, it was
24:21the blade of champions that really stood
24:23out. It was overflowing with power from
24:26all the absorbed energy that it hadn't
24:28been able to transfer as Carl wasn't
24:30using it. And with the haint claw on his
24:32hand, it glowed with an eerie pale green
24:35light. Carl charged forward to join
24:38Oilia and used a disintegrate covered
24:41ren to attack the neck of one of the
24:43ogres. The head came cleanly away and
24:46Carl paused to look at his blade in
24:48shock. Blade of Champions.
24:52Grade artifact
24:54effects. Each kill cumulatively
24:56increases the user's strength and skill
24:58power. Harvests life energy to transfer
25:01to the champion. Life steal on hit. Carl
25:05didn't remember the description saying
25:07all that before, but the power that it
25:10had stored was beginning to flow into
25:11him even as he cut down the ogres at a
25:14walking pace. Of course, he couldn't go
25:17too overboard as Oilia was venting her
25:19frustrations beside him, and he didn't
25:21want to steal her kills, but the already
25:24exaggerated abilities from the
25:26packmaster class and the bestial
25:28champion skill that came with it were
25:30becoming ridiculously overpowered now.
25:33Overhead, even Dana was holding back,
25:35only using some basic blade attacks
25:38while practicing her form and letting
25:40the golems herd the monsters to Oilia.
25:42The Berserker needed the release more
25:44than anyone. By Carl's calculations, his
25:48fully buffed combat power was well into
25:50the overlord ranks now, but his base
25:52power was still lagging, and the beast
25:54spaces were still making their steady
25:56upwards climb. Whether it was Carl's
25:58side of the battle with Oilia, Dana, and
26:01Tessa, or the Beast side, which had been
26:03joined by Lotus, this dungeon was more
26:06of a massacre than a fight. If he was
26:08being honest, just the summoned
26:10creatures could likely clear the dungeon
26:12on their own. Maybe not the bosses, but
26:15that remained to be seen as the
26:17bodyguards had gained life leech when
26:19Carl had learned the skill. Lotus was
26:22mostly just a cheerleader at this point,
26:24and Remy didn't even have her healing
26:26totems out, just the poison fireball
26:29ones. But Tessa was only casting buffs
26:32on Carl and Oilia as they both had life
26:35steal as well and they were gaining much
26:37more than they were taking in damage.
26:40"Guys, come back this way. We need to do
26:43this boss before we can go to the other
26:45stuff." Lotus shouted from across the
26:48dungeon. "Well, I guess it's showtime."
26:52Carl informed the others. Oilia snorted
26:55in amusement, then huffed when she
26:57remembered that she couldn't actually
26:58voice her thoughts in dire bear form
27:00like she could in war were warbear form.
27:03This had been far more enjoyable than
27:05she had expected, and it was good to get
27:06to vent her rage on the ogres, even if
27:09they didn't put up much of a fight while
27:10she was stacked up with buffs from
27:12Carl's overpowered abilities.
27:15Carl and Oilia finished off the last few
27:17ogres on their side of the path while
27:19Dana relaxed on the shoulder of one of
27:20her golems, then headed to where the
27:22others were already waiting at the boss
27:24platform. The first boss was a simple
27:27ogre lord, a monarch rank boss, but
27:30twice the size of an average ogrelord
27:32standing 7 m tall. If it wasn't for that
27:35distinctively ugly face, Carl would have
27:38thought that it was a giant. How are we
27:40going to do this? Do you want to swarm
27:43it? Perhaps let the beast stretch their
27:46legs. Carl asked. Ry nodded her head
27:50happily in spider form and clicked her
27:52mandibles.
27:54She hadn't gotten to stab anything for
27:55most of a week now, and she wouldn't
27:57mind getting a boss monster all to
27:59herself. Plus, with the Leafa Golem
28:02active, as she had named Carl's epic
28:05guard, she had void body active for
28:07nearly instant regeneration.
28:10Oilia transformed back to a werebear and
28:12gestured to the waiting group of
28:14summons.
28:15Why don't you let Ry and the bodyguards
28:17go at it. They need practice working
28:19together in battle if we're going to
28:21travel the wilderness here anyhow. That
28:24was all the recommendation that Ry
28:26needed and she vanished from her spot
28:28with Night Haunter or perhaps Shadow
28:30Step as both allowed instant movement
28:33over that distance.
28:34She had activated vibrating blade on her
28:37limbs, a skill she had learned from
28:39overlord Neil and systematically began
28:41to butcher the ogrelord.
28:44Ray's golems were firing spears at its
28:46face for the first few seconds to
28:48distract until the bodyguards took over
28:50the distraction job.
28:52The guardian, equipped with the haint
28:54claw, leapt into battle, aiming for the
28:56backs of the knees and the insides of
28:57the elbows to the boss, which
29:00was already in a pathetic state as the
29:02three spiders brutalized its body. Remy
29:05laughed and held back her bodyguards.
29:08They weren't needed, and the boss was
29:09only going to last a few minutes anyhow.
29:12The ogre lord surged with power,
29:14activating some sort of skill, then
29:16suddenly stopped as the power vanished
29:18without a trace.
29:20Cara did her best to look innocent while
29:22Lotus laughed at the smug void badger.
29:26Nullifi was just ridiculously
29:28overpowered in a dungeon. One of the
29:30golems was caught and smashed on the
29:32ground, but a strike from Ray's forlam
29:34broke the ogre lord's grasp and the
29:36golem flitted away for the few seconds
29:38it took for void body to regenerate the
29:41damage. Tessa turned to Carl and shook
29:44her head. That skill sharing is just too
29:47overpowered.
29:49When you said that the epic guard shares
29:50its healing and regeneration abilities,
29:53I didn't think that it was something
29:54like that. When we saw it on Dana, it
29:57was a shock, but seeing it in effect on
29:59the already overpowered Ray, it's just
30:02unfair to the boss. Carl chuckled. It
30:06really is, isn't it? Plus, with Cara
30:09interrupting all his attempts to use
30:11larger skills, he really does look
30:13pathetic. He's getting some hits in, but
30:16this is closer to a massacre than a
30:18fight. It's surprising how much damage
30:21he can take, though. I would have
30:23expected Ray's blades to sink deeper
30:25with all the stacked damage from Rampage
30:28and her skills. Remy turned to Carl. Why
30:32are we waiting though? I just realized
30:36we can use an area ability to just bring
30:38everything to us so we can fight it all
30:40at once.
30:42She still spoke serpent, but for
30:43everyone else, the system was happy to
30:46translate.
30:47As much as that sounds like a terrible
30:49idea, I would kind of like to see what
30:51happens. Oilia agreed. Remy poked Lotus.
30:57We will need the lotus tree. Hawk and I
31:00will pull everything else in the dungeon
31:01to us. Lotus didn't really understand,
31:05but when she transformed, Hawk perched
31:07in her branches, and that felt like a
31:09new form of head massage.
31:11Both casting type beasts activated their
31:13area spells. For Remy, that was
31:17Apocalypse. While Hawk went from
31:19multiple castings of Hellstorm to gather
31:22groups on the pathways and keep them
31:23clustered in the fire, nearly a hundred
31:26ogres were rushing their way through the
31:28flaming blizzard while being pelted by
31:30meteors and scorched by hell storm
31:32vortexes.
31:34The swamp land was beginning to boil,
31:36and the air was thick with steam. Tessa
31:39shook her head in dismay as sweat rolled
31:41down her face. This might have been a
31:44bad idea just on principle. If they keep
31:47it up much longer, we're going to have
31:49to retreat. She reminded the group. Carl
31:53shook his head. Void body is being
31:56shared. You won't take damage from the
31:58steam. It will just be exceedingly
32:00uncomfortable.
32:02However, as the two beasts mana levels
32:04began to deplete, the dungeon monsters
32:07began to fall.
32:08One after another, they succumbed to the
32:10spells, leaving only two large ogres in
32:13heavy armor slowly charging across the
32:15dungeon. Carl began to fire arrows into
32:18them, using poison arrow to add stacks
32:21to rampage and whittle down the life of
32:24the bosses even further. The poison also
32:27had a slowing and paralytic effect on
32:29them, bringing the mighty charge to a
32:31stumbling gate. They were also now being
32:34directly targeted with meteors from
32:36Apocalypse as the only monsters in the
32:38targeted area. Skill activation. Skill
32:42master 4. Hawk has improved. Ghostfire
32:45body to overlord rank. Skill activation.
32:49Skill master 4. Hawk has improved.
32:52Hellstorm to overlord rank. Good work,
32:55buddy. Carl congratulated him, then
32:59realized that nobody else could see the
33:01notice. Hawk upgraded his ghost fire
33:04body and helltorm to overlord rank.
33:07First of the team to improve a skill to
33:09overlord with skill master. Now that we
33:12have a winner, I wonder who will be
33:13next. I get the feeling that some of
33:16them are close, Carl explained. The
33:20upgraded flames were tearing through the
33:22bosses while Hawk was treating flame
33:24bolt as a machine gun, firing multiple
33:27shots every second and letting the
33:29stacked damage caused by rampage turn
33:32the skill into something deadly. The
33:34first boss died with a pained roar and
33:37the summons along with Rey were
33:39instantly on the remaining two. This
33:42time, Remy let her bodyguards go play,
33:44and within seconds, the last two ogres
33:46were dead, and Rey was mentally
33:48complaining that the bodies couldn't be
33:50taken for her pile. Anything good by the
33:53bosses. Carl called. Rey shook her head
33:57as the bodies were already vanishing,
34:00but the epic guard came over with an
34:02armload of random items and one large
34:04shining shield. Shield of Indomitable
34:07Defense. Epic grade shield reduces
34:11damage taken by 12% of armor rating adds
34:14210 strength to the user. It was large,
34:18shiny, and while it was lacking in
34:20details, it was an epic grade item in
34:22monarch rank. That was the best possible
34:25item level you could get from the
34:27dungeon as far as Carl knew. Most of
34:30what came out was royal rank and
34:32certainly not epic. "Well, who wants
34:35it?" Carl asked already knowing the
34:38answer. Thor had a custom one made for
34:41decoration by Ry and he fought in Sarah
34:43form as much as possible.
34:46So the shield would go to Tessa who
34:48would normally fight with a long spear
34:50from his back. Now they were both tanky.
34:54It was a good day. Thor decided. They
34:57waited a while and made sure that
34:59everything worth taking had been
35:00collected, including any possible hidden
35:03treasures that might have been in the
35:04dungeon itself and not on the monsters.
35:07There was an unspoken agreement that
35:09they wouldn't leave immediately so that
35:11their actions didn't arouse the
35:12attention of the guards outside.
35:14Plus, the beasts were enjoying their
35:16time frolicking in their natural forms
35:18for a while.
35:20It would be a shame to make them rush
35:22back to their spaces just because they
35:23were too efficient at clearing the
35:25dungeon. Did we all get enough coin to
35:28cover our expenses?
35:30Carl asked once the beasts had gotten
35:32bored and returned to their spaces.
35:34Lotus did quick mental math and nodded.
35:38This should be enough for two weeks of
35:39afternoon cake and coffee. That mostly
35:42covered her priorities as she had a
35:44place to stay and could make her own
35:46food if necessary.
35:48Tessa nodded. It split the coins evenly.
35:52So, we all got about six gold coins.
35:55That's pretty impressive. Far more than
35:57the guard said that we would get, and it
35:59doesn't even include these mediocre
36:00magical items. I think that I saw a
36:03wholesale vendor for them just across
36:05the street, so we should be able to make
36:07at least a little bit more. Carl nodded
36:10in understanding.
36:12That works out perfectly. We will ask
36:14them about the trash items in case they
36:17want them for raw materials, but we
36:19won't bring them this time, just in case
36:21they don't want them at all. Then we can
36:24return here every day or two and let the
36:26team stretched their wings. The magical
36:29trash loot was transferred to Tessa as
36:31she had just nominated herself as their
36:33spokesperson to deal with the shopkeeper
36:35and then the war cleric led the group
36:37back out. That was a quick trip, just
36:41testing the waters. the guard outside
36:44the portal asked. "Quick,
36:47I suppose it's just due to our combat
36:49power with two summoners. We cleared all
36:52three bosses."
36:54Tessa informed the man, then handed him
36:56her gold coin fee. One after another,
37:00they handed over their portion of the
37:01fee while the guard stared at them in
37:03doubt. This group didn't look that
37:06tough, and they were much faster than
37:07expected for a full clear. Could they
37:10have really eliminated all three bosses?
37:13They were headed for the wholesaler for
37:15common magic weapons and trash drops in
37:17the dungeon, though, so they didn't miss
37:20out too badly. The guards would just
37:23have to ask the vendor once they
37:24finished their sale. Tessa smiled at the
37:27dainty lizard folk girl who was working
37:29the counter. The woman looked like a
37:31gecko in a dress, standing upright and
37:34even shorter than Lotus. But she had a
37:37professional smile. So she wasn't just
37:39someone's kid let loose in the shop.
37:42Telling the age of lizard folk women was
37:44very difficult for most humans as unlike
37:46the men, they were unlikely to amass
37:49combat scars.
37:51So every time they shed their skin, they
37:53looked as good as the day they reached
37:55full growth. She was only ascended rank,
37:58though not a high-ranking person in the
38:01city, which appeared to prioritize
38:03power, but well-dressed in what was
38:06likely a shop uniform. "Good morning.
38:09Did you finish the dungeon already?" she
38:12asked as Tessa took a seat on a high
38:14stool across from her. "Indeed, we did.
38:18I am informed that your shop buys the
38:20magical items we are willing to part
38:22with," Tessa replied.
38:25Exactly right. Everything that comes
38:28from the dungeon is a commodity. Magical
38:31items, trash items, magical plants if
38:33they happen to spawn. We will purchase
38:36it all and find buyers for a modest
38:38markup. Tessa laid out the stack of
38:41magical weapons of uncommon quality. All
38:44things they didn't want. "Oh wow, you
38:48really had good luck. Did you clean it
38:50out entirely or just these items?" she
38:54asked. Just these. We left the rest
38:58laying where it fell. If we couldn't
39:00find a buyer for common trash items, we
39:03didn't want to litter or have to barter
39:04with a smelter to get rid of them,"
39:07Tessa explained. "That's quite all
39:10right. Many teams go in specifically for
39:13the higher quality items and don't
39:14bother with the rest. The money goes
39:17straight to your inventory if your
39:19system is fully active. It looks like
39:21yours is. Anyhow, now we have a standard
39:25rate chart up on the wall, so you know
39:27that I'm not being arbitrary."
39:29Carl looked over and while the rates
39:31were not great, they offered three gold
39:34for a royal rank uncommon quality
39:35weapon, two for an armor piece, and
39:39progressively less for other items.
39:41There was a note that higher quality
39:43items or accessories would be
39:45individually appraised by the
39:47proprietor.
39:48So, it was a simple matter of counting
39:50the loot. 17 weapons.
39:54Well, I think that's a weapon. The four
39:56rings thing, then eight pieces of armor.
40:00The girl didn't appear to be too bright,
40:02or perhaps she was very young, Carl
40:04decided. It was hard to tell with her
40:07only vaguely bipedal form and petite
40:10stature. Her method of payment was to
40:12stack coins beside each item, then pick
40:15them up. It would have been much faster
40:17just to do the mental math and hand them
40:19all the money at once. As she finished
40:22and put the last of the items, a set of
40:24brass knuckles with a slight increase to
40:26stun effects into the bin of received
40:28items, Tessa shook her hand and rose to
40:31her feet. It was a pleasure doing
40:33business with you. The cleric informed
40:36her in a gentle tone. Thank you for the
40:39business. Please come back soon. Carl's
40:43group headed for the boardwalk for a
40:44little after breakfast treat and one of
40:46the guards went over to talk to the
40:48wholesaler.
40:49Hey Moira, is your dad still sleeping?
40:53The guard asked? The girl nodded
40:56happily. Yep. Passed out drunk from last
41:00night. Did you want to buy something?
41:03The guard shook his head and pulled a
41:05cookie out of his inventory.
41:07How many items did they trade to you?
41:10Moira stole the cookie with a rapid
41:12flick of her extendable tongue. 13 and
41:15eight. All the uncommon magic drops.
41:19Look at this one. It's pretty like
41:22rings. She pulled out the brass knuckles
41:25which had skulls engraved on them and
41:27slid it on her hand with a smile. Just
41:30don't hit your dad too hard with those.
41:33They'll put him right back to sleep. The
41:35guard laughed. Work is more fun when
41:38he's sleeping. Anyhow, look how clean it
41:41is. As they walked down the boardwalk,
41:44Carl analyzed the changes in Dana's
41:47aura. As a mage, it was easier to guess
41:50her power level than anyone else just by
41:52touch, and there was a noticeable change
41:54from this morning. The trip to the
41:56dungeon had done them all a lot of good.
41:58And if that sort of progress kept up, it
42:01might only be a few weeks or a month of
42:03regular visits for her to level up.
42:05Their trip down the boardwalk brought
42:07them to a small restaurant operated by
42:09nles, a form of beastkin that looked
42:11like hyenas, and tended to bark at each
42:13other to accentuate their shouted
42:15orders. This one was closer to the docks
42:18and seemed more popular with sailors
42:20than locals. But the smell of fried
42:23seafood had drawn Lotus in, and even if
42:25the wine was cheap, the food was
42:27excellent.
42:28Likely, they should have ordered a
42:30bottle of rum, as it was likely to be
42:32drinkable. At the other tables, the
42:35smell of the ale was somewhere between
42:37stagnant sea water and pickle juice. The
42:40wine had seemed like a better option at
42:42the time. They had a whole platter of
42:44fried food and a bowl of peeled prawns
42:46on the table along with the bowl of
42:48spicy mixed pretzels and nuts that was
42:50on every table. Maybe they were the
42:53secret to making that ale drinkable. As
42:55they were deciding whether to switch to
42:57rum or go looking for better beverages,
42:59a whole ship full of sailors stumbled
43:01through the door, still getting their
43:03land legs and cracking jokes with
43:05pouches of coin in their hands. Drink
43:08up, lads. We've got two days, and then
43:10we're out again before the copy fleet
43:12gets here. One of the men shouted to his
43:15fellows. Carl turned to one of the
43:18sailors. There's a copy fleet coming.
43:21The sailor picked up someone else's
43:23drink and drained it. Better believe it.
43:27After the beating that the gold regiment
43:28put on their shura port, they're out for
43:31blood. Had it coming to them, they did.
43:35What sort of fools try to blockade a
43:36demon fleet in port for ransom? But that
43:39doesn't matter one way or another if
43:41they show up here. The sailor replied.
43:45Carl threw a silver coin to the waitress
43:47and motioned to the man and his friends.
43:50She brought them a whole tray full of
43:52rum bottles and the sailors raised a
43:54toast to Carl. One of the other sailors
43:57in the restaurant laughed. It's just a
44:00copy fleet. The lizards will put on a
44:03good show out in the bay, then go away
44:05after they have proven to whoever hired
44:06them that they made some effort to
44:08attack the city. They're both the best
44:11and worst mercenaries in the world.
44:13Great fighters, but the laziest bunch of
44:16louts you'll ever meet. One of the men
44:18in the back spat on the floor and gave a
44:20bitter laugh. Perhaps they'll do us a
44:23favor and burn down the slums in the
44:25black shade. The captain put us at the
44:28north dock, and I can smell their filth
44:30from the mast watch. The man beside him
44:33gave him a disgusted look. And where do
44:35you think we'd get deck hands from if it
44:37wasn't for the black shade? Half the
44:40bloody crew comes from the slums. The
44:43sailor shrugged, clearly drunk and not
44:45noticing the other man's anger.
44:47At least get them from the sprawl.
44:50Closer to the river. They will at least
44:52know about bathing. The waitress
44:54laughed. Didn't you get the undead rot
44:57from the ladies of the sprawl last time
44:59you were in? The drunken sailor threw
45:01his mug at her. The other sailors burst
45:04into laughter and started to tease him
45:06about his poor judgment. Come now,
45:09you've got to tell us. How did you not
45:12notice it was a zombie? Or did you go
45:15for a plague demon?
45:17Carl was worried that there was going to
45:18be a fight. But the sailor at the next
45:20table shook his head when Carl tensed.
45:23Don't worry. Even drunk, he knows that
45:26he won't be let back in next trip if he
45:28starts a fight inside. They're just
45:31having a bit of fun with him. Most of
45:33these lads are from the worst slums of
45:35their hometowns.
45:37Wouldn't have ended up as deck hands on
45:39a trade vessel if they had any other
45:41choices at all.
45:42Sure enough, the drunk staggered
45:44outside, swearing at everyone and
45:46everything, including the sun in the
45:48sky. Lotus looked over at the sailor,
45:51then poked him in the side when she
45:53realized he was still looking at Carl
45:55over her head. How bad is it on the
45:57other side of the river? Redwood sprawl,
46:00they called it, right? Then the black
46:03shade. The sailor gave her a sad look.
46:07The sprawl isn't too bad all things
46:10considered. It's just the poor side of
46:13town. You know how that goes. Even
46:16cheaper taverns, brothel that the
46:18succubi won't accredit, and countless
46:19crowded apartments. The shade outside
46:23the north wall is one of the worst sorts
46:25of slums anywhere in the dragon isles.
46:28You see, the west side of the river is
46:30on a hill, and they seal the wall when
46:32the river floods to keep the city dry.
46:35So, the shade is always a swampy mass of
46:37clabbered shacks that survives mostly by
46:39day labor and scrging the scraps that
46:41fall from the docks. That question felt
46:44a lot like a mission question from her
46:46goddess, Carl thought. The determined
46:49look on the green dragon cleric's
46:51usually carefree face said the same.
46:54Lotus looked up at Carl. I think we
46:56should take a trip there this afternoon.
46:59Maybe not all of us, but me and you for
47:02sure. Oilia smiled. How about the three
47:06of us head to the inn after a bit of
47:08shopping? We will meet you there later.
47:11Bringing four young women to the slums
47:13was practically begging for trouble. But
47:16bringing one nature cleric with a strong
47:18bodyguard shouldn't make anyone feel too
47:20brave. The sailor seemed to understand
47:23what Lotus was planning and he patted
47:25her gently on the shoulder. I recommend
47:28that you go back toward the ocean, then
47:30take Dagger Wind Bridge across the
47:32river.
47:33That road leads straight to the only
47:34gate into the shade. You don't want to
47:37get lost in the maze of the sprawl. It
47:40wasn't planned when it was built, so
47:42there are many dead ends and no
47:43guarantee that even the guard patrols
47:45are safe from ambush if they've angered
47:47someone. The group split with Ry
47:50following the ladies on the off chance
47:52that someone would attack them and she
47:54would get to play within the city. She
47:56had been carefully observing, and as far
47:59as she could tell, the aggressor was
48:00always in the wrong. It was never some
48:03misguided soul-playing hero. At least
48:07not here. Carl led Lotus across the
48:10bridge and found that the front row of
48:12buildings was actually well-maintained,
48:14but immediately behind it were crude
48:15earth magic built apartments with poorly
48:17fitted wooden doors and bars over
48:19windows with no glass in them. There
48:22were people everywhere, crowded into the
48:24available space.
48:26Multiple children lounged on nearly
48:28every balcony, which made Carl wonder if
48:30this was an off day or whether there was
48:32no mandatory schooling here. But they
48:35were staying on the main street, which
48:37was busy but moving smoothly. The crowd
48:40gave them a fairly wide birth, or they
48:43gave Carl a fairly wide birth, while
48:45many people shouted out attempts to lure
48:47Lotus off into alleys or particularly
48:50dilapidated apartments.
48:52Lotus rolled her eyes and sighed at
48:54Carl.
48:55You know, I think that they don't
48:57understand about nature clerics.
48:59We're not just the greatest appreciators
49:01of fluffy things and cake. We also
49:04understand the dark side of human
49:06nature. Do they really think that I
49:08would follow them alone into a basement
49:10to help their friend? Morons.
49:14Carl chuckled. You know, cake is also a
49:17fluffy thing. Lotus laughed, the musical
49:21tone drawing the attention of everyone
49:22nearby. All of the adults eyes here
49:25looked either exhausted from long hours
49:27at work or malicious.
49:29They might normally prey on locals to a
49:32smaller extent, but a pair of moderately
49:34powerful obvious outsiders was a payday
49:36in the making for the local criminals.
49:39Then they stepped across a line of red
49:41paint on the street and the whole vibe
49:43of the sprawl changed. The streets were
49:46still full of the same exhausted
49:47workers, but the ones in the shadows
49:49were less slender and sinister and more
49:51muscular.
49:53Plus, they were better dressed. Not
49:56well-dressed, but Carl saw an orc in a
49:58cheap suit guarding the door to a
50:00brothel and a 3- m tall winged demon in
50:02a partially buttoned silk shirt at the
50:04door to what sounded like a casino. They
50:07must have moved between the territories
50:09of two gangs, and Carl could already see
50:11the outer wall from where he was
50:13standing. The whole sprawl was only
50:15maybe 500 m long, merely a short walk in
50:18the Golden Dragon Capital, but with the
50:20people packed so tightly, he guessed
50:22that close to a third of the city's
50:24200,000 official residents were crammed
50:26in here. They got to the gate to the
50:29Black Shade, which was open, but guarded
50:31by a pair of royal rank orcs in full
50:33armor. Given that this whole area was
50:36awakened and ascended rank, that was an
50:38impressive show of force. Carl nodded to
50:42the guards. The priestess deity calls
50:44her to the shade for the good of the
50:46people. The orc frowned at Carl. It's a
50:50silver piece each to come back in. He
50:53insisted.
50:54Carl nodded. We will see you soon. Lotus
50:58led the way into the slums and wrinkled
51:01her nose at the smell of rot and filth.
51:04Then she pointed at an open spot where
51:06an old stone building had crumbled, and
51:08whatever was built there afterwards had
51:09burned, leaving only some charcoal and
51:12ash on the pile of stone in a roughly
51:14square pattern. Lotus walked carefully,
51:17keeping her feet dry. Eternal lightning
51:20would protect them, but it was a force
51:22of habit for the priestesses who spent
51:24much of their time in the woods. "Can
51:26you get people for me?" she asked. Carl
51:30nodded. In this form, he could roar and
51:34his voice would carry quite a distance
51:36through the slums which were built in
51:37rose around the standing water. Carl
51:40raised his voice. Royal High Priestess
51:43Lotus, servant of the green dragon god,
51:46has arrived to provide free healing.
51:49Those with the ability bring those in
51:51need to the shade of her branches for
51:53treatment. The deep feline voice rumbled
51:56through the slums, and Carl saw a few
51:58heads poke out through the door into the
52:00city. It might cost them a couple of
52:02silvers for the trip. But even in the
52:04sprawl, there were those in need of
52:06healers. The city likely had free
52:09clinics, but even in the Golden Dragon
52:11Nation's capital, they were always
52:12packed, and the truly ill couldn't wait
52:14in line for hours to get treatment.
52:17Here, it was certainly worse, as he had
52:20still yet to see a cleric that was not
52:21part of his group, and even the shamans
52:23were uncommon. Lotus transformed into
52:26the tree of life, and a rich green glow
52:29began to emanate from her trunk,
52:30mingling with the golden dust of her
52:32healing spell. Quickly, the slum
52:35residents began to run, walk, or stumble
52:37over pox marks and various small
52:39injuries visibly fading from their
52:41bodies under the effect of a royal rank
52:43epic healing spell. From one of the
52:46hovels, an old demon woman was carried
52:48out on a litter by two younger lizard
52:50folk women who hadn't bothered to even
52:52put on clothes to cover their scaled
52:53bodies as they were so covered in filth.
52:56As they approached, the demon on the
52:58litter became visibly younger. The
53:01wrinkles on her face faded and vitality
53:03returned to her body. She was still
53:06filthy and exhausted, but no longer
53:08dying of whatever curse or disease had
53:10been afflicting her. Put out a large
53:13cloth. Lotus insisted in a message to
53:16Carl. Carl used a large piece of
53:19ascended rank silk, one of Ray's oldest
53:21blankets as the ground cloth. It was
53:25immediately covered by a mountain of dry
53:26rice and beans, which Carl motioned to.
53:30The gift of sustenance from the dragon
53:32gods. Take enough for your family. He
53:35told the desperate crowd. Many fell to
53:38their knees, bowing down to worship the
53:41tree of life and the nature goddess. In
53:44return, Lotus shook her branches,
53:46sending a shower of golden dust down
53:48over them and making the illusionary
53:50bird circle in the air. From the city
53:52gates, a massively injured and dying orc
53:55stumbled out. He held a bandage around
53:58himself to hold his insides in, and he
54:00was visibly bleeding from every limb
54:02with only one eye remaining. The guards
54:05didn't stop him, but they did sneer at
54:07the stumbling man who was struggling to
54:09cross the ground to Lotus. Carl was
54:12about to move, but Lotus stopped him.
54:15Don't. If the goddess wills it, he will
54:18make it to me. If she doesn't, he will
54:21die on the way. That was surprisingly
54:24brutal for the soft-hearted cleric, but
54:26the orc's soul was nearly as black as
54:28Carl's aura when viewed through soul
54:30sight. It might be a chance at
54:33redemption if he could make it under his
54:34own power. Carl knew it was better not
54:37to question the will of the gods. The
54:40questions without answers would just
54:41make his head hurt. The orc collapsed
54:44with a smile as he reached the golden
54:46dust and one of the blue illusionary
54:48birds dove into his body, giving him a
54:50burst of extra healing. The orc lay
54:53there on the ground for a few more
54:54minutes, absorbing the healing while the
54:57locals walked around his body. Then he
55:00pulled a small bag from his inventory
55:02and crawled over to fill it with rice
55:04and beans. But when he got to his feet,
55:07he didn't turn back to the city. He
55:09simply walked away north out of the
55:11slums. That was the Orish way. He would
55:15accept food and healing, but he wouldn't
55:17go back to the city and beg for charity,
55:19even if they would let him back in. He
55:22would go find his own way to rebuild his
55:24life. The crowd was only growing as the
55:27word that there was food spread. Lotus
55:30had already topped off the mountain of
55:32dry food once, and hundreds more people
55:34were still coming their way. We have 10
55:37minutes left before the spell wears off.
55:40I could refresh it, but I think that's
55:42enough for one day. Lotus informed Carl.
55:4610 minutes remain in our visit. If you
55:49wish for the blessing of the nature god,
55:51be here before then. Carl shouted over
55:54the noise of the crowd. That encouraged
55:57them to pack around the tree, and anyone
55:59who had already gotten food and healing
56:01was dragged away by the crowd. A few
56:04more severely ill people had come from
56:05the city, and Carl could hear running as
56:08those inside realized that the tree
56:09would only be up for a total of 1 hour.
56:12Still, 1 hour of free food and royal
56:15rank healing was far more than anyone
56:17else had done for the slums in years.
56:20There was a rumor that the dragon
56:21nations did this much more regularly.
56:24But the demon gods were not so
56:26altruistic.
56:27They believed much more strongly in the
56:29survival of the fittest. Once Lotus had
56:33transformed back, Carl lifted the
56:34corners of the blanket and poured out
56:36the last of the food onto a cloak that
56:38one of the residents had brought.
56:40"That's it for the day, everyone. If the
56:43gods will it, we will be back again,"
56:46Carl informed them. That was enough for
56:49them. Most of the residents of the slums
56:52had their diseases cured today. Now that
56:55they were healthier and had a few days
56:57worth of food, they had a fresh chance
56:59to change their fortunes.
57:01maybe even get a few tips at the docks
57:03doing day labor. They might not be able
57:06to put on a presentable front as they
57:08couldn't pay the gate fee and had to
57:09swim around the wall where it extended
57:11into the ocean. But once they made it to
57:14the docks, a healthy body would get them
57:16a bit more appreciation.
57:18Carl led Lotus back to the gate where
57:21the orcs waved them back in with a sly
57:23wink. No payment needed for the healing
57:26tree. Carl noticed that the streets felt
57:29much more friendly as they passed
57:30through the territory of the first group
57:32or gang, whatever they called
57:34themselves.
57:36But when he got to the territory of the
57:37demons between them and the river, there
57:40was an increased sense of hostility.
57:42The word had spread to them that Lotus
57:44had gone to the black shade to heal and
57:46feed the people, but had completely
57:48passed them by like they were invisible.
57:51The group closer to the wall had been
57:52able to send their seriously ill out for
57:54treatment, even if it caused them to get
57:56back in. But many in this zone couldn't
57:59pass through that territory thanks to
58:01their known allegiance.
58:03Carl saw a market square down a side
58:05street on their right and turned Lotus
58:07off the main road. The street wandered a
58:10bit, but it looked like the market was a
58:12neutral zone between the territories of
58:14five different factions,
58:16possibly more, but Carl was only going
58:18by the color of bandanas hung from
58:20pockets or tied around limbs. As they
58:23approached, a thug stepped from the
58:25shadows between two buildings. "This
58:28isn't a spot for outsiders.
58:30Flag up if you want to enter," he
58:33insisted.
58:35Carl shrugged and activated bestial
58:37armor which formed with his usual gold
58:39trimmed dark light host tabard. The
58:42demon took two steps backwards and
58:44raised his hands in surrender.
58:47Sorry, I misunderstood.
58:49Carl just nodded and led a confused
58:51lotus into the market. Put up the tree
58:54again and make some food. It will make
58:57you incredibly popular with all the
58:59baristas and ice cream stands in town.
59:02Carl knew all the magic words. Lotus
59:05moved to a grassy area in the middle of
59:07the square where a statue used to stand.
59:11She didn't know who or what it was
59:12dedicated to, but some of the nearby
59:14buildings showed signs of having used it
59:16as repair materials.
59:18Her tree of life formed again, and Carl
59:21laid out the blanket for her to make a
59:23mountain of rice and beans on. By the
59:25will of the green dragon goddess, free
59:28healing and basic nutrition will be
59:29provided for the next hour.
59:32Bring your ill and wounded. All are
59:34welcome under the light of the tree of
59:35life. Carl shouted, his words amplified
59:38by some unseen magic to echo through the
59:41market. The vendors nearest the green
59:44space inwardly celebrated. The light
59:46extended past the first three stalls
59:48around the green space so visitors could
59:51shop for their wares and still gain the
59:52benefit of the healing. Many would be
59:55too proud to openly approach for the
59:57arms from the dragon church, as even an
59:59impoverished demon still had their
1:00:01pride. But many noticed that the orcs,
1:00:04lizard folk, and beastkin had far fewer
1:00:06reservations about politely approaching
1:00:08with a bowl or pot to scoop up a measure
1:00:10of food. Many even left small gifts for
1:00:13Lotus. Handmade dolls, knitted socks,
1:00:17things that cost very little but time to
1:00:19make. All were perfect in the eyes of
1:00:22Lotus and the nature god. They could
1:00:25even be redistributed on a holiday if
1:00:27they were in passible or better
1:00:28condition. Half an hour in a large
1:00:31procession of people on stretchers
1:00:33escorted by a group of demons in white
1:00:35coats and nurses arrived around the
1:00:37tree. These were the ones that basic
1:00:40healing and medicine couldn't cure. The
1:00:43magical diseases and cursed wounds that
1:00:45were resistant to low-level healing
1:00:47magic. One after another, the birds
1:00:50flocked down to the patients. The
1:00:52diseases retreated from where the birds
1:00:54landed, and while a few needed a second
1:00:56bird, they were all beginning to
1:00:58recover. Carl's silent presence kept the
1:01:01locals under control, even when the
1:01:03number of seriously ill on the grass
1:01:05made it hard for others to get to the
1:01:06pile of food or to get through the outer
1:01:08rings of the stalls where the healing
1:01:10was active. It wasn't clear whether
1:01:12closer was better, but those with
1:01:14lingering illness and injury weren't
1:01:16taking any chances.
1:01:18There was only one group that was
1:01:20visibly upset about the situation. The
1:01:22plague demons couldn't approach. Lotus
1:01:26healing effect was an epic great damage
1:01:28spell when applied to them, and even
1:01:29walking down the street too close to the
1:01:31tree might kill them. When the hour was
1:01:34up, Carl did the same as last time and
1:01:37dumped the remaining food into the cloak
1:01:38of the closest person who had won, then
1:01:40bowed politely to the crowd as Lotus
1:01:42transformed back. That is all for today.
1:01:46Goddess willing, we will be back again,"
1:01:49he informed the crowd. With an entire
1:01:52hour of healing, almost all of the most
1:01:54seriously ill in the Redwood Sprawl had
1:01:56been treated, and even the clinic
1:01:58doctors had stopped bringing patients to
1:01:59them for treatment. Carl could see the
1:02:02river down one of the side streets, so
1:02:04that was the direction that he led Lotus
1:02:06after she picked up the donations from
1:02:08the ground. They ended up walking some
1:02:10distance west down the river to the
1:02:12nearest bridge, which conveniently put
1:02:14them in front of the bakery where they
1:02:16had stopped yesterday. "Go ahead, you've
1:02:19earned it. I won't even tell you not to
1:02:21get caffeine." Carl agreed after Lotus
1:02:24gave him a pleading look. They returned
1:02:27to the maid cafe and Lotus was instantly
1:02:29swarmed by the staff. She was passed
1:02:32around between the hugs of a halfozen
1:02:34workers. And Carl did his best not to
1:02:37laugh as he was completely forgotten.
1:02:39Again, even when he took the seat across
1:02:42from her, everyone was gushing about how
1:02:44she had helped all the people across the
1:02:46river as Carl sipped on a matcha latte
1:02:48that had been placed in front of Lotus.
1:02:51"What possessed you to go to the sprawl
1:02:53on your own to heal the masses? Weren't
1:02:55you worried that someone would try to
1:02:57abduct you as their personal healer?"
1:03:00one of the servers asked. Lotus laughed
1:03:03and gestured across the table. There
1:03:05aren't many people in the city that
1:03:07could take me away with Carl there, but
1:03:10everyone was so happy to have me show up
1:03:12and heal that they didn't even try to
1:03:13make trouble. The staff seemed to
1:03:16finally notice that Carl was sitting
1:03:17right across from her, then did a double
1:03:19take as they noticed his armor. "Wow,
1:03:22that's something. No wonder you're not
1:03:26afraid of being stolen." Carl chuckled.
1:03:29I take it that you've seen something
1:03:31like this before. The server nodded.
1:03:35Yeah, I don't know that pattern, but
1:03:37Guild War champions all have the same
1:03:39sort of design to their taberts.
1:03:41Silver for regular and gold for elites.
1:03:44But you're a monarch. Doesn't that mean
1:03:47that you defeated an overlord in battle?
1:03:50Many more than one, actually. But Carl
1:03:54just winked at the server and made a
1:03:55shushing gesture that made her laugh and
1:03:59turned the conversation back to Lotus
1:04:00healing skills. While everyone was
1:04:03distracted, Carl quietly changed back
1:04:05into regular day clothes, pants, and a
1:04:08buttoned shirt, but kept eternal
1:04:10lightning active on both himself and
1:04:12Lotus just in case someone from outside
1:04:14the cafe tried something stupid. I got a
1:04:18message from my mom earlier. Dad's leg
1:04:20grew back in only 15 minutes after he
1:04:23started sitting under your tree. Now
1:04:26he'll be able to go back to work and mom
1:04:28won't have to stay home to care for him.
1:04:31One of the girls mentioned Carl
1:04:33remembered the one as the man looked a
1:04:35lot like her. They had arrived just
1:04:38after the second location had been
1:04:40picked, so they must have lived nearby.
1:04:43Carl sipped the sweet beverage and
1:04:45watched as Lotus held up a cup to her
1:04:46hair before changing the hair color to
1:04:48match the pale shade of the iced coffee,
1:04:50but with green tips. "What are you
1:04:53doing?" he asked. "I've had the same for
1:04:57too long." "It's the pleasant appearance
1:05:00spell, one of the early ones that all
1:05:02nature cleric acolytes learn from the
1:05:04senior students. Mostly it's used to do
1:05:07our makeup as the sisters don't let the
1:05:09acolytes have such luxuries.
1:05:12she explained around a mouthful of cake.
1:05:15Carl slipped a few slices into the beast
1:05:18spaces for Cara and Remy, then nodded in
1:05:20understanding.
1:05:22I wondered why your hair color continues
1:05:24to change, but if it's a common spell
1:05:26for nature clerics, it makes sense.
1:05:29Lotus laughed. Oh, it's all priestesses
1:05:33and most of the priests as well. Even
1:05:35Tessa knows it, but she never uses it
1:05:38anymore. Once she picked the war
1:05:40goddess, she said that she didn't have
1:05:42to worry about it anymore and she just
1:05:44went for the same boring brown braid
1:05:46everyday with no makeup. Carl smiled at
1:05:49the thought of Tessa with actual makeup
1:05:51on. It would be completely out of
1:05:54character. Even Lotus rarely had visible
1:05:57makeup. She just randomly changed her
1:05:59hair color. Why not try to link the
1:06:01spell to your mood? You could have hair
1:06:04color that perfectly suited your day,
1:06:07Carl suggested.
1:06:09Lotus shook her head vigorously.
1:06:11That's been tried. Our hair just fades
1:06:14back and forth between forest green and
1:06:16bubblegum pink depending on what we're
1:06:19doing. The emotional link doesn't work
1:06:21at all. No, that sounded like it worked
1:06:25perfectly. It just didn't match any
1:06:27outfit that they would wear. Once Lotus
1:06:30was wired and too full to eat anymore,
1:06:33they got up to go and were escorted to
1:06:35the door by the servers who were
1:06:36insistent that they didn't need to pay
1:06:38today after helping so many people,
1:06:40including family members of the staff.
1:06:43So, they were in a great mood as they
1:06:45made their way back to the inn where
1:06:47everyone else would be waiting for them,
1:06:50including a number of the people that
1:06:51Lotus had healed. As they learned the
1:06:53moment, the crowd in the tavern began to
1:06:55cheer for her. The rest of the group
1:06:57came down when they heard the commotion
1:06:59and took a table in the back corner
1:07:01closest to the kitchen where they could
1:07:03chat with everyone at the same time. You
1:07:06know, you could get properly wealthy
1:07:07with a skill like that. One of the
1:07:10sailors pointed out. Lotus shook her
1:07:13head. I'm a priestess, remember? We take
1:07:17a vow of poverty. Plus, Carl is properly
1:07:20wealthy, and he's my security, so it all
1:07:23works out in the end. The sailor
1:07:26laughed. Properly wealthy, but staying
1:07:29at the laughing dragon and not at one of
1:07:30the royal inns in the stone chapel
1:07:32district. Lotus scrunched up her face
1:07:35into an overly dramatic, disgusted
1:07:37expression. You pretentious nobles and
1:07:40harp melodies about chased handholding
1:07:42under the moonlight. The whole room
1:07:45burst into laughter.
1:07:47There were certainly no songs about
1:07:48chased handholding in a bar full of
1:07:50sailors. That was for sure. The next
1:07:53morning, when they came down for
1:07:55breakfast, the city felt unnaturally
1:07:57silent and empty. Tense, as if it was
1:08:00waiting for something that Carl had
1:08:02missed the signal for. "What happened
1:08:04last night?" "The city feels different."
1:08:08Carl asked as an unfamiliar barmaid
1:08:11brought over their breakfast. A scramble
1:08:12of eggs, potatoes, and onion sprinkled
1:08:15with cheese.
1:08:16The fleet deployed 3 hours ago. They're
1:08:19going to engage in a sea battle against
1:08:21the incoming fleet. The governor decided
1:08:24that it was too much of a risk to let
1:08:26them storm the docks with the lord
1:08:28otherwise engaged.
1:08:30She explained.
1:08:31Carl looked around at the rough wooden
1:08:33walls of the tavern wellworn everywhere
1:08:35that saw regular contact after decades
1:08:38of use. Surely they wouldn't have sent
1:08:41someone at that level to the city by
1:08:42ship. Carl asked. The barmaid shrugged.
1:08:47Beth and the boss both took the morning
1:08:49off, and even old Jared is geared up and
1:08:52waiting at the docks, so this time might
1:08:54be something serious.
1:08:56I know you're travelers, but are you
1:08:58going to stay for the fight if the fleet
1:08:59lands, or are you going to head out of
1:09:01town? I'm that grumpy old bastard
1:09:04sister-in-law. I can check you out of
1:09:06your room if needed." Carl shook his
1:09:09head. We were originally going to take a
1:09:11short trip to the dungeon today, but we
1:09:13wouldn't want to come out to find a
1:09:15fight in the middle of the city, so we
1:09:16should likely hold off. Maybe we'll go
1:09:19visit Jared at the docks. If nothing
1:09:22else, I can stand on his blind side so
1:09:25nothing sneaks up on him. The
1:09:27replacement barmaid laughed at Carl and
1:09:29shook her head. I wouldn't worry too
1:09:32much about him. He can handle himself in
1:09:34a fight, but the militia bonus will
1:09:37cover his overdue tab. So, if you could
1:09:39keep him alive, I wouldn't complain.
1:09:42Tessa smiled at the woman, who obviously
1:09:45had some personal attachment to not only
1:09:47the regular staff, but to old Jared the
1:09:49sailor. Well, then that settles it.
1:09:53After breakfast, we will go wait by the
1:09:55docks and have a cookout. Keep
1:09:57everyone's spirits up while they wait.
1:10:00Carl decided. The barmaid smiled. There
1:10:04is a butcher three doors down the main
1:10:06street towards the docks.
1:10:08Tell them that the laughing dragon sent
1:10:10you to them and they'll get you a proper
1:10:12discount on meat for a cookout. The
1:10:15parties traditionally come after the
1:10:16battle, but we've had more than enough
1:10:18warning this time and they might not
1:10:20make it to shore. Anyhow, Carl stopped
1:10:23in at the butcher who was about to close
1:10:25up the shop for the day first thing in
1:10:27the morning in case the attack did make
1:10:29it into the city. They were on a main
1:10:31road from the gates to the docks and it
1:10:33would be a priority for an invasion
1:10:35force to take and hold so they could
1:10:37block the gates and prevent
1:10:38reinforcements.
1:10:40Butcher, can we get a 100 kilos of meat
1:10:42before you close? I want to have a
1:10:45cookout on the docks while we wait for
1:10:47the invasion fleet. A morale boost for
1:10:49the militia, Carl called, stopping him
1:10:53from locking the shop. That's not a bad
1:10:56plan. I will bring the barbecue wagon.
1:10:59It's made for special events. The
1:11:02butcher agreed, a joyous smile wrinkling
1:11:04his leathery face. Carl grabbed the
1:11:07wagon when the demon pulled it into the
1:11:09street. Then Thor came out in Sarah form
1:11:12with an expectant look. You're right. If
1:11:15there are wagons to be pulled, you
1:11:17definitely get first dibs. Carl agreed
1:11:20before hooking the massive scaled beast
1:11:22to the leads. That's quite the skill. He
1:11:26looks like he would be a brute in a dock
1:11:28charge as well.
1:11:30the butcher joked. Tessa smiled as she
1:11:33hopped up on Thor's back. Between the
1:11:35two of us, I doubt that any enemy could
1:11:38remain on the dock if we charged. Thor's
1:11:41initiative served as motivation for the
1:11:43others, and they all came out of their
1:11:44spaces in beast form. Though Rey was
1:11:47using Night Haunter to be invisible and
1:11:49incorporeal,
1:11:51if they got the people at the dock used
1:11:53to their presence early, there wouldn't
1:11:55be any misunderstandings if the fight
1:11:56really did reach land.
1:11:59The beasts got some strange looks when
1:12:01they arrived, but some of that had to do
1:12:03with the barbecue wagon that Thor set up
1:12:05in the cargo staging area by the Port
1:12:06Authority building. The wagon was 10 m
1:12:10long and had a large black barbecue drum
1:12:12on each side, making it an easily
1:12:14identifiable sight. Carl reached into
1:12:17the pits and rode a fire rune in the
1:12:19ashes of the charcoal that had been
1:12:21burnt for the last roast. There was more
1:12:23in the bottom of the wagon, but the
1:12:25magic brought the drums up to
1:12:26temperature immediately.
1:12:28Just adjust the spell power to set the
1:12:30temperature. It should last until you
1:12:33move the cart or mess with the ash, Carl
1:12:36explained. The butcher smiled and
1:12:39adjusted the temperature, then began to
1:12:41load the racks with meat. Someone is
1:12:44confident. An aging soldier with a
1:12:46cutless on either hip chuckled.
1:12:49Preparations for the victory roast need
1:12:51to be made in advance or we'll get
1:12:53hungry. Is there some sort of order
1:12:55here? I have a ghost firebird in the sky
1:12:59and I would like everyone to know he's
1:13:01friendly. Carl replied, "I'll see to it
1:13:05that the dock master understands.
1:13:07He's responsible for the defense of this
1:13:09section. Don't worry about the locals.
1:13:12They'll figure out that your friends
1:13:14didn't come off a boat quickly enough."
1:13:16A few of the locals, demons in partial
1:13:19armor over casual clothes, laughed at
1:13:21the assertion. It was hard to miss a
1:13:24massive Sarah in the crowd, but there
1:13:26also wasn't likely to be a Naga queen
1:13:28among the attackers, and they would
1:13:30probably all be in uniform anyhow. The
1:13:33morning wind blew the smell of roasting
1:13:35meat from the staging area across the
1:13:37docks, and the tension began to leave
1:13:39the militia on the docks. If someone was
1:13:42already preparing for victory, they must
1:13:44know something that the others didn't.
1:13:47Or so the common logic went. Hawk, what
1:13:50do you see offshore?
1:13:52Carl asked once the roasting was tuned
1:13:54for a late lunch. It might not be as
1:13:57tender as an all-day roast, but by the
1:13:59time that the ships could get back, it
1:14:02should be good. Besides, the butcher had
1:14:05brought sausages as well, and one of the
1:14:07bakers said he had plenty of buns. Those
1:14:10could be cooked quickly if the timing
1:14:12were off. The two fleets have engaged.
1:14:16The locals are outnumbered at 3:1, but
1:14:18they're stronger and the evil invaders
1:14:20can't break their barriers.
1:14:22Evil invaders?
1:14:24Carl asked. They use water cannons.
1:14:28Hawk replied as if that explained
1:14:31everything. It made sense. It was a
1:14:34naval fleet. Of course, it would use
1:14:36water magic at sea, where the water
1:14:38element was strongest.
1:14:41Hawk continued to circle far overhead,
1:14:43tracking the battle, where the two sides
1:14:45clashed with broadside magical attacks
1:14:47instead of technological weapons. With
1:14:50overlord rank barriers, technological
1:14:53weapons wouldn't do much. Anyhow, the
1:14:55first ship is down, one of theirs. Hawk
1:14:59updated. They were still so far over the
1:15:02horizon that even Hawk, thousands of
1:15:04meters above them, was out of sight. The
1:15:07battle was taking them straight south,
1:15:09parallel to the coast. So, the fleet was
1:15:11no longer approaching as a vicious naval
1:15:13battle took place out of sight of the
1:15:15waiting militia. Carl felt Hawk's
1:15:18motivation as he decided to intervene
1:15:20and bombard the invading ships with
1:15:21meteors of ghost fire. As an overlord
1:15:25ranked skill, the flames battered the
1:15:27already strained shields over the ships,
1:15:28even as they were engaged in a brutal
1:15:30battle with the draw defense fleet. As
1:15:33the stacks of rampage built up, the
1:15:36battle was rapidly swinging in Hawks
1:15:38favor with the flames of the demons
1:15:40forcing the invaders into a defensive
1:15:42position until their fleet turned and
1:15:43began to flee back north. They had only
1:15:46lost one vessel, but the others were in
1:15:48bad shape. The only real advantage they
1:15:51had left was stronger wind and water.
1:15:53magic, which let them flee while slowing
1:15:55the Droid fleet. But once they were a
1:15:58few dozen kilometers away, they stopped
1:16:00and began to regroup. With their faster
1:16:03vessels, they had a level of safety from
1:16:05the draw defensive fleet that let them
1:16:08engage and flee repeatedly with the hope
1:16:11of sinking some of the defender ships
1:16:13with a proportionately larger impact on
1:16:15their combat capability.
1:16:17There are more ships on the horizon. I
1:16:20don't think that the ships from our dock
1:16:22see them. They're close to land. Hawk
1:16:24updated.
1:16:26What do the sails and flags look like?
1:16:29Carl asked white sails. The flag is
1:16:32black with a diagonal white stripe with
1:16:34three red dots. Carl relayed the message
1:16:38to the dock master who was standing
1:16:40nearby waiting for updates as Hawk was
1:16:42furthest out of the flying scouts they
1:16:44had active. Many demons could fly, but
1:16:48not nearly as fast as Hawk, so they
1:16:50stayed closer to shore in case there was
1:16:52an attack. The demon ran up a set of
1:16:55stairs outside his office, then rang a
1:16:57bell in a staccato pattern, sending a
1:16:59message down the docks for whoever
1:17:01understood. It would ring through much
1:17:04of the city, and the word would spread
1:17:05quickly. But Carl wasn't sure what the
1:17:08issue was yet. It might be
1:17:10reinforcements, a foreign envoy that
1:17:12might be in danger from the situation,
1:17:14or even enemy reinforcements.
1:17:17That's the bombed in flag, the undead
1:17:19fleet. I don't know what they're doing
1:17:21here, but they're pirates, not known to
1:17:24be friendly to anyone, and they're a
1:17:25scourge in the straits between the
1:17:27southeast island and the northeast."
1:17:30Carl nodded in understanding. "Those new
1:17:33ships are fast. Far too fast for ships."
1:17:38Hawk updated.
1:17:39Only minutes later, the ships came over
1:17:42the horizon, and Carl could see what
1:17:44Hawk was talking about. The ships
1:17:46appeared to be ethereal, gliding through
1:17:48the water with no resistance at the sort
1:17:50of speeds that a bus on a smooth road
1:17:52could only hope for downhill. And the
1:17:55occupants really were undead. Carl could
1:17:58see the damaged souls on the ships. The
1:18:01lead ship had an immensely powerful
1:18:03being on the deck. Most likely a mythic
1:18:05ranked undead of some sort. But beside
1:18:07him was an overlord or totem ranked
1:18:09undead who looked like nothing more than
1:18:10a human mage if you didn't have soul
1:18:12sight. The mass of undead energy crowded
1:18:15into the vessels made it difficult to
1:18:17tell precise power levels from this
1:18:19distance. The dock master ran back up to
1:18:22his elevated platform and took out a
1:18:24sight glass to get a better view of the
1:18:26incoming fleet. Guards, get the lord.
1:18:30Lord Bongan is here with the fleet. Tell
1:18:33him that he's riding with Captain
1:18:34Kamalos, the lich lord. A team of three
1:18:37squires in castle guard livery ran off
1:18:40and the demon shook his head. This is
1:18:43guaranteed to get messy. The whites
1:18:45don't die easily and even if we
1:18:47eliminate them entirely, they'll just be
1:18:49born again in their home fortress.
1:18:52You're new here, but we have a process
1:18:54for this. They're linked to the ships.
1:18:57They can't go this far from their home
1:18:58without them. Teams will aim to destroy
1:19:01the ships while we hold them on the
1:19:03shore. If they break through, they'll
1:19:06loot the city and it will go back with
1:19:07them when they respawn. Bloody evil
1:19:10bastards.
1:19:12Carl focused more closely on the
1:19:14incoming undead and saw that the rank
1:19:16and file royal rank fighters on the deck
1:19:18all had the same placard over their
1:19:20names in the system interface.
1:19:22White royal rank, enslaved to the bombed
1:19:26fleet. Carl wasn't sure what the powers
1:19:28of a white were, but just the fact that
1:19:31they were undead and difficult to truly
1:19:32kill would give them a major advantage
1:19:34in most encounters.
1:19:36Like raiding a city, but the fleet was
1:19:39not small. Drod City had 20 dock spurs
1:19:43capable of accommodating nearly 80 ships
1:19:45for unloading, but the undead fleet
1:19:48would take up almost all of them.
1:19:51Compared to that, the attacking fleet
1:19:53offshore was a joke. Not only was it
1:19:56weaker per ship, it was also
1:19:57significantly smaller. The dock master
1:20:00came down from his perch with a grim
1:20:02look on his face. Regretting your choice
1:20:05to stay yet, traveler. He asked Carl.
1:20:09Carl shook his head and Oilia gave a
1:20:12toothy were warbear smile to the demon.
1:20:15Just wait until the fighting starts.
1:20:17The undead don't feel pain, so there is
1:20:20no such thing as too violent of a way to
1:20:22kill them. The nearby militia men
1:20:24laughed. That was certainly one way of
1:20:27looking at it. The Bongan fleet turned
1:20:30when they were 5 km offshore of the city
1:20:33and spread out in a wide line two rows
1:20:35deep. They're lining up on the docks.
1:20:39Carl noted. The demon beside him, who
1:20:42Carl was nearly certain was a prostitute
1:20:44with a baseball bat, nodded grimly. They
1:20:48do that because they're undead. They can
1:20:51just charge the docks. Water magic won't
1:20:54slow them down, and they don't rely on
1:20:56the wind. She took her ridiculously high
1:20:59heels off and carefully placed them on
1:21:01the porch of the Docm's warehouse.
1:21:04Then she equipped a patchwork set of
1:21:06stiffened leather armor and a
1:21:07wide-brimmed hat with a large purple
1:21:09feather in the hatband. Remy looked over
1:21:12at her. That's a pretty good hat. The
1:21:16demoness smiled at her. Thank you. I'm
1:21:20quite proud of this hat. I don't know
1:21:22what possessed me to volunteer for the
1:21:24militia instead of running, but if there
1:21:26is such a thing as a perfect time for a
1:21:28good hat, this is it. Ry gained a great
1:21:31insight from this odd demoness.
1:21:34She was right. Today was a great day for
1:21:36hats. Unfortunately, she hadn't made
1:21:40custom hats. She would have to fix that
1:21:43for next time. That was when Carl
1:21:45realized they might have an issue. Are
1:21:48there any plague demons in the crowd? My
1:21:51team uses a lot of area effects that are
1:21:53holy or healing based. Deadly lethal to
1:21:56the undead, but also to the plague
1:21:58demons.
1:22:00Carl asked the demoness.
1:22:02She shook her head. They won't come
1:22:05across the river, so they're all at the
1:22:07north docks. You can feel free to use
1:22:09your area effects. None of the rest of
1:22:12us should suffer from them. Well, some
1:22:14might if you cast a consecration spell,
1:22:17but that's just based on their
1:22:18personality.
1:22:20The ships weren't slowing at all as they
1:22:22approached the docks. And Carl realized
1:22:24that was part of the strategy.
1:22:26The front row was planning to run ground
1:22:29and use the momentum to throw an army of
1:22:31whites into the defenders. The other
1:22:33defenders had realized that as well, and
1:22:36they were backing up while raising a
1:22:37pike line to impale the first wave of
1:22:39bodies. The pikes glowed with golden
1:22:42energy as Tessa cast a holy weapon
1:22:45enchantment over the entire militia. It
1:22:48wouldn't last forever, but it would make
1:22:50a difference at the start of the battle
1:22:51when the odds were at their worst. The
1:22:54second rank of ships abruptly slowed as
1:22:56the first rammed into the shore, hurling
1:22:58agile undead into the air with blades at
1:23:01the ready. Dana stepped up into the air
1:23:03to engage the undead while they couldn't
1:23:05do anything but continue flying past,
1:23:08enabling her to slice them apart from
1:23:10above while they were mostly helpless.
1:23:12Carl looked left to see Tessa glowing
1:23:14with red light as she sat on Thor,
1:23:16marking the attention of the god of war
1:23:18on this conflict.
1:23:20If that was the case, this should be a
1:23:22serious battle and he might as well go
1:23:24all out. Carl took out the Sword of
1:23:27Champions, then quickly created a
1:23:29halfozen ghost fire imbued hell storm
1:23:32vortexes along the shore as the whites
1:23:34flew over. Then, when they managed to
1:23:37partially dissipate them, he cast six
1:23:39more and another six to cover all three
1:23:41docks in their section of the shore.
1:23:44Hundreds of other spells flew from the
1:23:46defenders while the whites hurled black
1:23:48balls and arcs of magical power in
1:23:50return. But the vortexes had the desired
1:23:53result, and the undead did not fly over
1:23:55the pike line, but landed on it or
1:23:57between it and the vortexes.
1:24:00The entire deck of the ships had been
1:24:02covered in undead when they hit the
1:24:03beach, and more were pouring out of the
1:24:05lower levels of the ships now along with
1:24:07the occupants of the second rank of
1:24:09vessels.
1:24:11One after another, the larger vortexes
1:24:13were destroyed by the more powerful
1:24:15undead on the ships. But the smaller
1:24:17ones lingered until they too were
1:24:18destroyed by skills from the undead
1:24:20horde. But massive damage had been done,
1:24:23and the epic guard was practically
1:24:25glowing with power. Or more correctly,
1:24:28the haint claw that it was equipped with
1:24:30was glowing with soul power siphoned
1:24:32from dozens of sacrificed undead in the
1:24:34immediate vicinity. Carl created
1:24:37repeated waves of the vortexes, forcing
1:24:39the enemy leaders to focus on getting
1:24:41rid of them before they duplicated.
1:24:43It also pulled the undead off balance
1:24:45with the suction of the vortex. And the
1:24:47front line of pikes pushed forward,
1:24:49driving the undead back into the wall of
1:24:51swirling flames. But the whites didn't
1:24:54care. They hacked and slashed at the
1:24:57pikes, cutting them to pieces as they
1:24:59pushed forward. The battle was quickly
1:25:02turning into a melee battle, and Carl
1:25:04could see dozens of golems, including
1:25:06Ray and Dana's, being ordered into the
1:25:08fight. The timing of this attack was
1:25:11immaculate.
1:25:12Even if the army won the battle offshore
1:25:14right now, they still wouldn't be able
1:25:16to make it back to the port for well
1:25:18over an hour, giving the undead fleet
1:25:20more than enough time to battle the
1:25:21defenders who have been left behind.
1:25:24Magic crackled and clashed all over the
1:25:26battlefield with demonic spellcasters
1:25:28and undead competing for superiority.
1:25:31Few spells were completely forming at
1:25:33this point. Only those by the strongest
1:25:36monarchs and overlords could force their
1:25:37way through before being collapsed by
1:25:39contact with a hostile spell effect.
1:25:42That too was part of the undead fleet
1:25:44battle strategy. If the target was not a
1:25:47group of physically powerful demons and
1:25:49monsters, but humans or another species,
1:25:52they would be largely defenseless
1:25:54without the ability to activate ranged
1:25:56attacks. The undead were beginning to
1:25:58push a breach on his right at the
1:26:00southern dock of their section. So Carl
1:26:03shifted to push into the surging mass of
1:26:05bodies with the blade of champions in
1:26:07his hands and his dark light host tabard
1:26:09glowing around the edges with golden
1:26:11light. Tessa and Thor were right behind
1:26:14him, as was the epic guard, while Rey
1:26:16had gone to the north edge by the river
1:26:18to hunt, and the others were holding
1:26:20position by the barbecue pit with Dana
1:26:22overhead among the flying demons with
1:26:24ranged magic. Carl's blade flashed with
1:26:27fire as it cleanly hacked through the
1:26:29armor and bodies of the undead, and then
1:26:31the souls were grabbed by the haint claw
1:26:33and forcibly ripped from their eternal
1:26:34prisons. From one of the rear boats, a
1:26:38massive roar of rage sounded and a
1:26:40demonic bellow replied from the castle
1:26:42as the city's governor took action along
1:26:44with the Lord of Drad. Hopefully, they
1:26:47could all fly because the city wouldn't
1:26:50farewell in a battle between the two
1:26:52groups leaders. As Carl hacked his way
1:26:55through the undead, the crowd in front
1:26:57of him parted and a group of black
1:26:59armored undead knights joined the fry.
1:27:02Thor's joy at getting to fight against
1:27:03real knights, even if they were undead
1:27:05knights, was infectious, and Carl found
1:27:08himself smiling behind the visor of his
1:27:10helmet. They were all strong monarchs,
1:27:13except the leader of the squad, who was
1:27:15clearly an overlord. Carl pointed his
1:27:18sword at the leader and saluted him with
1:27:20the hope to signal a duel and give them
1:27:22some space to fight. The gesture worked
1:27:25remarkably well, and the white simply
1:27:27ran away, creating a 20 m circle for
1:27:29their duel.
1:27:31The epic guard went to assist Thor, who
1:27:33had been blocked by the whites. With
1:27:35Tessa on his back, spearing the
1:27:37creatures, using her new shield to guard
1:27:39Thor's flank. The squad of undead
1:27:42knights fell in around Carl and their
1:27:43leader, waiting for the outcome with
1:27:45unnatural stillness, a pond of calm in
1:27:48the chaos of battle. The knight used a
1:27:50broadsword as well, and when Carl lunged
1:27:53forward, shattering the air with the
1:27:54speed of his attack, the knight managed
1:27:56to parry, knocking his attack up and
1:27:58away. Carl followed up with a knee and
1:28:01the knight spun to the right, then
1:28:03launched his own attack at Carl's neck.
1:28:06Flames met unholy light as the two
1:28:08blades met again, and the circle shifted
1:28:10so that they remained in the center.
1:28:13That appeared to be a tactical decision,
1:28:15as Carl noticed that the aftermath of
1:28:17their basic attacks was stopping half a
1:28:19meter from the encirclement.
1:28:21Those shock waves were nothing major to
1:28:23either of them, but if they hit the
1:28:25Royal Rank whites, there would be
1:28:26casualties.
1:28:28Both blades danced in a flurry of
1:28:30strikes, probing for weakness. And a
1:28:32sound like rapid fire thunder rolled
1:28:34over the battlefield as the two
1:28:36champions tested each other. Carl saw
1:28:39the trick to the undead knight's
1:28:40defense. It wasn't that he could keep up
1:28:43with Carl. He had a skill that let him
1:28:46automatically parry with a certain level
1:28:48of success. A few strikes made it
1:28:50through, and if Carl followed with a
1:28:52secondary attack, it almost always
1:28:54landed. But the knight's counterattacks
1:28:57were not nearly as fast as his parry.
1:29:00So when they engaged again, Carl coated
1:29:03his fist in nullify and ghostfire body.
1:29:06And the moment that the knight's blade
1:29:08was out of the way, he simply punched it
1:29:10in the face, collapsing its mask and
1:29:12causing the undead to collapse to the
1:29:14ground as a pile of inanimate armor.
1:29:17Then the others were on him, but Carl
1:29:19knew how to deal with them. Now, with
1:29:21the duel ended, Thor and Tessa moved
1:29:24back to Carl's side, letting the Epic
1:29:26Guard protect the other flank. Carl
1:29:28noticed that they had a system worked
1:29:30out, and Tessa was watching Thor's back,
1:29:33telling him when to swipe, when to
1:29:34smash, and when to use gravity slam with
1:29:38his tail to keep enemies off them. That
1:29:40let Thor fight violently with his front
1:29:42feet and horns, while Tessa's long spear
1:29:45defended his vulnerable areas. Carl
1:29:48dropped two of the monarch ranked
1:29:49knights and noticed that the undead were
1:29:52pulling away from the front line. Not in
1:29:54defeat, but because Lotus had
1:29:56transformed and the holy light of the
1:29:58tree of life was anathema to the undead.
1:30:01They could not stand within the light to
1:30:03hold this position any longer. So they
1:30:05shifted the lines out of her range. But
1:30:08that also made Lotus a target. Hundreds
1:30:11of attacks flew her way only to be shot
1:30:13down by the militia, Remy, and Dana.
1:30:16Demon fire, lightning, and waves of
1:30:19arcane energy met balls and arcs of
1:30:21black unholy energy, creating a
1:30:23crackling storm of energy overhead. The
1:30:26flying defenders were forced to either
1:30:28place themselves in between the Horde
1:30:29and Lotus or retreat further into the
1:30:31air, which made it harder for them to
1:30:33effectively block, as aiming down was at
1:30:35their own troops if they missed. For the
1:30:38troops on the ground, now that there was
1:30:40a safe spot to retreat and recover, the
1:30:42defenders began to cycle the wounded to
1:30:44the back. They moved into Lotus Light to
1:30:47recover for a minute or two, then traded
1:30:49with someone at the front and let them
1:30:51catch their breath and get healed. It
1:30:54made the whole battlefield fluid and
1:30:56constantly shifting, but casualties were
1:30:58very low, and the ones retreating were
1:31:00dragging the severely wounded with them
1:31:02for treatment. Carl held his position
1:31:05with Tessa and Thor, letting the
1:31:06defenders surge forward past him. That
1:31:09gave them a moment to recover and take
1:31:11stock of how the battle was going. The
1:31:14city governor and the undead mage, a
1:31:16lich lord named Kamalos, according to
1:31:18his system information, were fighting a
1:31:21few hundred meters out to sea, while the
1:31:23lord and the undead, known as Bombong,
1:31:25after whom the fleet appeared to be
1:31:26named, were holding a massive battle
1:31:28thousands of meters overhead. It was
1:31:31still shaking the city, and Carl
1:31:33wondered how the lower ranked residents
1:31:35were doing. That sort of magical
1:31:37backlash and shock waves could be
1:31:39incredibly dangerous to an average body.
1:31:42Carl could see that the Lord was trying
1:31:44to move the battle, but the undead
1:31:46leader was dead set on fighting directly
1:31:48over the city, likely so that he was
1:31:50close when it came time for the final
1:31:52strike. The battle overhead was getting
1:31:55more fierce by the second, but the
1:31:57undead horde on the shores did not
1:31:58appear to care at all. Watching the two
1:32:01sides fight at the docks, one thing was
1:32:04becoming abundantly clear. While the
1:32:06ranks of the militia and the undead were
1:32:08easy enough to sense, the species
1:32:10difference could make a massive
1:32:12difference, even with the same maximum
1:32:14energy output. For example, there was
1:32:17one huge demon over by Ray at the river.
1:32:20He was shirtless and simply shrugging
1:32:22off anything that hit him. He didn't
1:32:24have a barrier active that Carl could
1:32:26detect, but the blades of the whites
1:32:28didn't even penetrate his skin, and he
1:32:30was just smashing his way through the
1:32:32undead with a massive club.
1:32:34So while he was royal rank and the
1:32:36whites were royal rank, they were
1:32:38nowhere near his match in combat. It was
1:32:41an issue that was much more obvious here
1:32:43than it had been in the Golden Dragon
1:32:45Nation where the giants didn't really
1:32:47use much magic. When both sides were
1:32:50using similarly powerful magic and one
1:32:52side simply didn't take damage, the
1:32:54whole equation changed. That reminded
1:32:57him, "Where was Cara?" Cara,
1:33:01uninterested in the horde of undead, had
1:33:03made her way down the docks to the rear
1:33:05rank of ships which had not rammed into
1:33:07the shore. The whites had much greater
1:33:09concerns than some sort of furry
1:33:11creature wandering between their feet as
1:33:13they charged at the docks. And none of
1:33:15them even tried to stop her advance as
1:33:17the curious void badger hunted for
1:33:19something interesting to do. After
1:33:21entering through one of the open cannon
1:33:23flaps on the side, Cara found herself in
1:33:25the bowels of the ship where huge piles
1:33:27of shiny things had been stored for her
1:33:29to find. This was much better than
1:33:32fighting against the undead. Not
1:33:34everything here was good stuff. Someone
1:33:37had put large rocks in here for no
1:33:39reason that she could tell. But there
1:33:42were coins and gems and even fancy
1:33:44pillows.
1:33:45One after another, items were piled into
1:33:48her space. And then Cara hopped out the
1:33:50port and went to see what the other
1:33:51boats had. This second hold wasn't
1:33:54empty. There was a pair of guards
1:33:56standing at the ladder to the upper
1:33:57levels. Cara hit them with nullify to
1:34:01take down their barriers, then stared in
1:34:03confusion as the undead collapsed.
1:34:06That was strange, but it was also not
1:34:09too important unless the undead got back
1:34:11up again. There was a fancy coffin in
1:34:14here, covered in human bones, but made
1:34:17of solid silver with red velvet and
1:34:19pillows inside. Cara flipped the lid
1:34:22open and climbed in to test the
1:34:23experience.
1:34:25The pillows were comfortable, so Cara
1:34:27pulled it into her space and went about
1:34:29inspecting the rest of the free
1:34:30treasures. She found a bunch of cursed
1:34:33magic weapons soaked in void and death
1:34:36energy. Those went straight into her
1:34:38space. Once all the interesting things
1:34:41were gone from the ship's hold, Cara
1:34:43went over to inspect the bodies of the
1:34:45undead.
1:34:46Strangely, they were just piles of bones
1:34:49with equipment. This spell must have hit
1:34:51them hard enough that it dispelled the
1:34:53spell that was keeping them active. But
1:34:55that meant they weren't undead. Undead,
1:34:58right? They should be summoned undead.
1:35:01Sister Remy would know for sure. Cara
1:35:04moved on to the ships at the front, but
1:35:06there was nothing in them. So, she moved
1:35:10along to another dock. On shore, the
1:35:13battle near the warehouse was beginning
1:35:14to turn against the undead horde, and
1:35:16they were quickly being pushed back to
1:35:18the water. Carl couldn't tell if the
1:35:21other portions of the shore defense were
1:35:23doing as well. But in his portion, it
1:35:25was all but over. Dana's swarm of
1:35:28magical blades were shredding the undead
1:35:30who got too close to her section. While
1:35:32Rey and the big demon who may have
1:35:34limited invulnerability had pushed the
1:35:36northern edge of their section all the
1:35:38way from the river back to the first
1:35:39dock. The deciding factor of the battle
1:35:42would mostly be the other fronts and the
1:35:44battle over their heads, which the
1:35:46undead lord was pushing closer to the
1:35:48surface by the second. Carl vaguely
1:35:50noticed that something was changing in
1:35:52Cara's space, but he was busy firing
1:35:54arrows into the whites, keeping them
1:35:56pushed back from the lines as the
1:35:58militia worked to contain the attack. He
1:36:01took a short break, and Loros ran over
1:36:03with an armload of water bottles. "Here,
1:36:06grab a drink. I gave all the jewelry to
1:36:10your friend, the spider, just a minute
1:36:11ago. You know, in case something
1:36:14happens," the pale skinned little
1:36:17demoness announced.
1:36:19Thanks. No matter what, you can't be
1:36:22accused of not following through on your
1:36:24word. Carl agreed. It wasn't being
1:36:27killed she was too worried about, but
1:36:29the city was taking increasingly large
1:36:31amounts of damage, and the stone
1:36:33carvings were rather fragile before Carl
1:36:35enhanced them. Then, a blinding golden
1:36:38light changed everything. Thor and Tessa
1:36:41began to glow, and the undead began to
1:36:43disintegrate to ash, blowing away on the
1:36:46wind as their ships faded from sight. at
1:36:48the three central draw docks. Cara
1:36:51grumbled in annoyance as she nearly fell
1:36:53into the water when her final target
1:36:54vanished, but she made it to the dock
1:36:56without getting wet and carefully made
1:36:58her way across a drop line between the
1:37:00two docks to go see what Thor was doing
1:37:02that was so bright. Skill Circle of
1:37:05Protection has advanced one tier monarch
1:37:07rank skill consecrated ground has been
1:37:10learned. Consecrated ground epic grade
1:37:13holy defensive ability reduces damage
1:37:17taken by 30%.
1:37:19Increases all damage done by holy
1:37:21attacks by 30%.
1:37:24Deals constant holy damage to targets in
1:37:26range. The light faded after a few
1:37:29seconds and no undead within 50 m of
1:37:32Thor remained on the battlefield.
1:37:34Carl winked at Loros as the few
1:37:36remaining demons on the south end of
1:37:38their section of the battlefield began
1:37:40to flee in fear.
1:37:42Thor charged south at a full run, not
1:37:44even waiting to see if the undead he
1:37:46trampled were actually dead as he ran.
1:37:49Consecrated ground, was still active
1:37:51around him, and they would burn soon
1:37:53enough. The southern dock area had seven
1:37:56docks at it, and therefore many more
1:37:58attackers, but also more defenders,
1:38:00including almost all of the castle guard
1:38:02and city defenders who weren't deployed
1:38:04on the ships.
1:38:06Carl hopped down from his perch at top
1:38:08the warehouse to follow Thor, then leapt
1:38:10onto the back of one of Ray's golems as
1:38:12they rushed past. Standing on the spider
1:38:15golem, Carl could fire skill freely into
1:38:17the undead at the south docks. Carl had
1:38:21expected Ry to join them, but he could
1:38:22feel her headed north with Dana on her
1:38:24back, aiming to clear the other set of
1:38:26docks in the redwood sprawl. That left
1:38:29Lotus a bit confused.
1:38:31There were no more injured nearby now
1:38:34that the undead were dealt with in their
1:38:35immediate vicinity, but she was needed
1:38:37in two opposing directions at the same
1:38:39time. After a few seconds, she gestured
1:38:43north. Remy, let's go join Sister Ray.
1:38:47The sprawl is short on healers all the
1:38:49time. Remy picked up the healer and
1:38:52headed for the park. The streets here
1:38:55were narrow and winding, a maze that
1:38:57would make it nearly impossible to find
1:38:58them otherwise, and the battle was no
1:39:00longer on the shore. The undead had
1:39:03pushed at least a block or two into the
1:39:05city, but everyone who lived in a sprawl
1:39:07would know where the park was. Her
1:39:10bodyguards accompanied them, clearing
1:39:12the way as Remy raced over the ground
1:39:14faster than Lotus could run, thanks to
1:39:16her larger body. Healing tree is back in
1:39:19the market. Remy shouted as she
1:39:21deposited lotus on the grass where Carl
1:39:23had set them up last time. Lotus
1:39:26transformed and immediately a flood of
1:39:28wounded came their way from the alleys
1:39:30and rooftops, appearing from everywhere
1:39:33or sliding down fire escapes.
1:39:35Rey should have left the Dana mage with
1:39:37them. Remy thought she was going to have
1:39:40way too much fun chasing undead through
1:39:42buildings and alleys to be carrying a
1:39:44mage instead of going in corporeal. But
1:39:47Dana had thought the same thing, and she
1:39:49was already flying overhead just above
1:39:52the rooftops, so she didn't become too
1:39:54much of a target. That left Ry free to
1:39:57hunt now that her cargo had been
1:39:58delivered. Next to the barbecue pit,
1:40:01Oilia transformed back into her
1:40:03usual-sized werebear form. It looks like
1:40:06I get to watch the food while they're
1:40:08gone. She laughed. Someone had to make
1:40:12sure that nothing tried to circle their
1:40:14position from the other landing points.
1:40:16Overhead, the main battle was coming to
1:40:18a crescendo of violence, and the
1:40:20buildings of the Redwood Sprawl and the
1:40:22Fool's Walk district by the river, which
1:40:24were closest to the combatants, were
1:40:26beginning to crumble under the backlash
1:40:28of the massive attacks that were
1:40:29lighting up the sky halfway to the
1:40:31horizon. As the sprawl collapsed, the
1:40:34residents ran for the few open areas in
1:40:36the district, which was so heavily
1:40:38overbuilt that the market and a few
1:40:40collapsed buildings were the only places
1:40:41that were large enough not to have
1:40:43rubble land on them. Fortunately, that
1:40:46put many people in the range of lotus
1:40:48healing effects, which she was working
1:40:50to extend over the whole market at the
1:40:52expense of peak healing power. There
1:40:54were only a few higher ranking guards
1:40:56here anyhow, and most of them were still
1:40:58fighting the undead, which left a lot of
1:41:00wounded ascended rank workers who didn't
1:41:03need royal rank healing to deal with
1:41:04their injuries.
1:41:06Commander rank cast over twice as much
1:41:08area, would work just fine. With one
1:41:12final surge of power, many buildings in
1:41:14the sprawl collapsed, and the undead
1:41:16lord vanished along with the remnants of
1:41:18his fleet. Rey was greatly disappointed
1:41:21as she had just gotten into a rhythm,
1:41:23hunting them through buildings and
1:41:25alleys. But battles ended when they
1:41:27ended, and now it was time to check in
1:41:30and see how Thor had done at his end of
1:41:32the battlefield.
1:41:33That new area damage skill of his made
1:41:35him one of their better combatants,
1:41:38at least against the undead, who were
1:41:40extra vulnerable to holy magic. "Is
1:41:43everyone all right?" Carl asked as a
1:41:46system message as he couldn't see most
1:41:48of the team. The messages all came back
1:41:51in the affirmative, but both Remy and
1:41:53Dana detailed heavy damage to the
1:41:54Redwood Sprawl region, so Lotus would be
1:41:57staying in tree form for a while,
1:41:59treating non-combatants who were injured
1:42:00when their homes collapsed.
1:42:03The lord looking battered and weary
1:42:05returned to the castle without a word.
1:42:07While from the ocean the city governor
1:42:09returned after his battle also looking
1:42:11battle scarred but with a victorious
1:42:13smile. He landed near the barbecue pit
1:42:16where Thor was returning with Carl and
1:42:18Tessa and where the leaders of the dock
1:42:20district had gathered. Thank you all for
1:42:23the excellent work defending the city
1:42:24from invasion. As you may have already
1:42:27noticed, this time we did take some
1:42:29significant damage, but the emergency
1:42:31fund is substantial after years of
1:42:33successful defenses of the city, and we
1:42:35will be announcing projects to rebuild
1:42:37and repair the damaged buildings within
1:42:39the week. The worst of the damage is in
1:42:42the Redwood sprawl, which was closest to
1:42:44the battle overhead, and as such, many
1:42:46buildings there will need to be
1:42:48completely renovated.
1:42:50During that time, there will be a
1:42:51housing shortage, and we ask that
1:42:53everyone has patience with their
1:42:55temporarily unhomed neighbors and
1:42:56employees. If you can provide them with
1:42:59a place to stay until their home is
1:43:01repaired, we ask that you do. I will
1:43:04have additional information for you
1:43:05later, but I would like to assure you
1:43:07that the authorized agents of the city
1:43:09have made preparations for the militia
1:43:11reimbursement.
1:43:12The governor's speech earned a round of
1:43:14cheers and applause from the nearest of
1:43:16the combatants. And then the dock master
1:43:18cast a spell over the dock area which
1:43:20recorded names in a notebook in his
1:43:22hand. Presumably someone would be doing
1:43:24that at the other sections of the docks.
1:43:26And it now made much more sense why
1:43:28nobody immediately went home to rest and
1:43:30recover from the battle. They were all
1:43:33waiting for the spell to be cast to
1:43:35record their participation.
1:43:37Now that the important part was done,
1:43:39the people began to disperse. Those who
1:43:42had gathered at this part of the city
1:43:43either worked and lived close to here or
1:43:46had been otherwise unable to make it to
1:43:47the region closest to their homes, such
1:43:50as the ones who had only come after the
1:43:52calls that there was a second fleet
1:43:54incoming.
1:43:55Many of them had been at work, not
1:43:57intending to join the militia and stand
1:43:59around the docks all day if it wasn't
1:44:01actually necessary.
1:44:03So when the call came, they just went to
1:44:05wherever was closest to work. With the
1:44:08battle over in the city and the offshore
1:44:10fleet now in full retreat, Hawk also
1:44:12returned to the city. Fighting opponents
1:44:15that kept running away and dragging
1:44:17things out as a delaying tactic was just
1:44:19annoying, even if they were evil water
1:44:21magic people. The army fleet was on its
1:44:24way back, needing nearly 2 hours to make
1:44:26it to the city, while Hawk would be back
1:44:28in minutes. Once they were back, the
1:44:31real work of rebuilding the city could
1:44:33begin. Among the soldiers were many of
1:44:36the more powerful earth magic users, and
1:44:38they were all employed by the city, so
1:44:40there was no need to do a major
1:44:42recruitment project for the rebuilding.
1:44:44The displaced residents of the sprawl
1:44:46just had to wait for the soldiers to get
1:44:48around to their building. Carl knew that
1:44:51was unlikely to be the most efficient
1:44:52way, but when the alternative was paying
1:44:54other local craftsmen, it was best to
1:44:57wait and see if they could get to your
1:44:58home anytime soon. after you had
1:45:01recovered what salvageable valuables you
1:45:03could. Of course, already the Earth
1:45:06Element residents were hard at work all
1:45:08over the city, patching up the portions
1:45:10that they could and ensuring that no
1:45:12more buildings fell in the next few
1:45:13days. The rubble after the battle would
1:45:16be taken care of by the city. But trying
1:45:18to explain to a tired soldier that your
1:45:20building fell 3 days later due to
1:45:22structural damage would sound a lot like
1:45:24a scam to get a new house to them.
1:45:27Especially given how old most of the
1:45:28buildings in the Redwood Sprawl were.
1:45:31That moment of calm is when Carl finally
1:45:33took stock of their gains. Or more
1:45:36specifically, Cara's gains. What in the
1:45:40world did you do while we were fighting?
1:45:42Loot the National Treasury. Boat
1:45:45presents.
1:45:46Cara replied simply, as if that should
1:45:49explain everything. Carl led the group
1:45:51to where Lotus was set up, just in case
1:45:54Remy and her bodyguards weren't enough
1:45:56to quell the inevitable chaos around the
1:45:58healing tree. But on the way there, they
1:46:00encountered an odd sight. The boardwalk
1:46:03along the river had the food carts
1:46:05pushed against the buildings, and the
1:46:07street was filled with merchants
1:46:08frantically purchasing everything that
1:46:10they could. Carl's first thought was
1:46:12that this was a full city looting event,
1:46:15but the people lined up were mostly
1:46:16dusty civilians and there were guards
1:46:18every few steps. "What sort of event is
1:46:21this?" Carl asked one of the senior
1:46:24guards. "It's a yard sale." The guard
1:46:29looked confused as if there was no word
1:46:31for what was a tradition in the city.
1:46:34Whenever there is large damage to the
1:46:36city, the merchants buy up anything of
1:46:38value so that it can't be stolen in the
1:46:40aftermath. and the locals have some
1:46:42funds to live on. Then they head out and
1:46:45sell it for profit and donate to the
1:46:47city's rebuilding fund. The more that
1:46:49they make, the better the rebuilding
1:46:51process is. Most of this stuff wouldn't
1:46:54survive weeks out in the weather. And
1:46:56even if it would, the owners have no way
1:46:58to keep it safe until they have a new
1:47:00house. An inventory only holds so much.
1:47:05So they start over with a bit of cash to
1:47:07their names and nothing else.
1:47:10The guard finished doing his best to
1:47:12explain the situation to outsiders.
1:47:15Carl would have thought the logical
1:47:16thing would be to load it into crates in
1:47:18a warehouse, but these were keepsakes
1:47:20and valuables, and money would be needed
1:47:22to buy new furniture and whatever else
1:47:24was needed for the new houses. Carl
1:47:27nodded and headed for the east side of
1:47:29the river. If you've got anything to
1:47:31sell, the price might not be the best,
1:47:34but the profits come back to the city.
1:47:36The guard called as Carl began to walk
1:47:38away. When the undead bodies vanished,
1:47:42so did their weapons and other items, so
1:47:44there wasn't much to be gained from the
1:47:45battle. But Remy had found some things
1:47:48she didn't particularly want. Carl
1:47:51looked down the line to a man who was
1:47:53buying up weapons and stepped in line.
1:47:56The housewife in front of Carl pushed
1:47:58him forward, as did the locals in front
1:48:00of her. "You've got better stuff to sell
1:48:02than we do, I'm certain. Plus, you were
1:48:06with the healing tree during the first
1:48:07time she visited us. How long will she
1:48:10be there today? Some of my boys were
1:48:13still fighting when I left." The first
1:48:16old woman in line asked. Carl smiled at
1:48:19her, then placed the stack of ugly and
1:48:21oddly shaped cursed magical weapons on
1:48:24the table where the merchants men were
1:48:25sorting items. "Those are the merchant
1:48:29began.
1:48:31stolen magical weapons,
1:48:33royal rank with a few negative
1:48:35attributes,
1:48:36Carl explained.
1:48:38Well, I don't know how you did it, but
1:48:40that is impressive.
1:48:42They're all unbound, so they're fair
1:48:44game. I can give you a flat 20 gold a
1:48:47piece for them. All profit when I sell
1:48:50them goes straight to the city coffers.
1:48:53Carl nodded and shook his hand, then
1:48:55gave the 400 gold coins to Cara. We can
1:48:58spend those later.
1:49:00Carl informed her. Cara laughed and
1:49:03gestured to the literal hill of currency
1:49:05she had stolen, much of which was local.
1:49:08Good point. We can donate it to whoever
1:49:11you think has the best snacks or can
1:49:13make good stuff for the city if you'd
1:49:15like. Lotus is getting famous, and I'm
1:49:18sure it would help if we paid off
1:49:20someone with a furniture factory. Carl
1:49:22suggested instead, "Oh, that is good. We
1:49:27can make Sister Lotus really famous in
1:49:29the city. They already love her. Cara
1:49:33agreed. Thor and Remy suspected that she
1:49:36was up to something, but Cara wasn't
1:49:38elaborating, so they had to guess what
1:49:40her plan was in making Lotus famous.
1:49:43Carl suspected it was actually simple.
1:49:46Cara loved sweets. Lotus also loved
1:49:49sweets. If Lotus got famous, they got
1:49:53free sweets.
1:49:54No, but now that you mention it, Cara
1:49:57laughed. Great. Now he was the one
1:50:00giving her ideas. When they reached the
1:50:03tree, there was chaos everywhere, but
1:50:05not in a dangerous way. Local gangs were
1:50:08sorting out residents, passing out
1:50:10blankets and the relief supplies that
1:50:12the city had distributed via the guards
1:50:14and making sure that there were no
1:50:15fights in the market area. Outside of
1:50:18that, tensions were high and people were
1:50:20clearly staying away from the edges of
1:50:22the area if that was not the part of the
1:50:24district that they lived in, but it was
1:50:26functional at the very least. Many of
1:50:28the elderly were in rough shape with all
1:50:30the dust and the injuries that they had
1:50:32taken during the battle, both from the
1:50:34aftermath of the attacks and from the
1:50:36collapsing buildings.
1:50:38There were also many mournful faces, as
1:50:41the worst of the casualties had been at
1:50:43the start of the battle, and much more
1:50:44than the minimum time had passed to
1:50:46resurrect even the ones whose bodies
1:50:48could be found intact. The undead curse
1:50:51tended to raise those slain or seriously
1:50:53injured by whites as zombies, so it was
1:50:55a priority to get everyone who had been
1:50:57fighting to stand within Lotus Light for
1:50:59at least a few minutes until everyone
1:51:00was sure that they were not going to
1:51:02turn. Carl wasn't sure how the south
1:51:05side of town was dealing with that
1:51:06threat. He hadn't even considered it
1:51:09during the battle, but the locals had
1:51:11been pulling the severely wounded back
1:51:12to Lotus anyhow, so it wasn't really a
1:51:15concern on their portion of the docks.
1:51:17"Mister, did you need help?" a young
1:51:20girl asked as Carl approached with the
1:51:22others. Carl shook his head. "We're with
1:51:26the healing tree and the Naga Queen. We
1:51:29just came to make sure that they were
1:51:30all right." Tessa gestured towards a
1:51:33clear spot near the edge of the market
1:51:35closest to the grass. Let's set up
1:51:38there. Little miss, can you find us a
1:51:41huge pot, one from the restaurants? I'm
1:51:44a priestess and I can create food for
1:51:46everyone. She explained. The girl
1:51:50smiled.
1:51:51Oh, that's even better. The healing tree
1:51:55has food, too, but she can't cook. Well,
1:51:58not when she didn't have hands or arms.
1:52:01Once the locals found out what Tessa
1:52:03wanted, slightly damaged pots were
1:52:05quickly procured from a collapsed
1:52:07restaurant and the Naga bodyguards
1:52:09rinsed them out before filling them with
1:52:10water for Tessa to make stew. There
1:52:13wasn't any shortage of things to cook
1:52:15today. Not with so many buildings
1:52:18collapsed and their coolers inoperative.
1:52:21Much of the food had been moved to other
1:52:23locations, but partial packs or
1:52:25excessively damaged items hadn't been
1:52:27touched.
1:52:28Some of those were sorted through and
1:52:30the salvageable bits were brought to
1:52:32Tessa along with dozens more large pots.
1:52:35Carl quickly drew temporary runes on the
1:52:37ground to heat the pots and Tessa got to
1:52:40work making dinner for 10,000 or more.
1:52:43She had plenty of help, so Tessa's role
1:52:45was more of food creationist and
1:52:47executive chef who loaded the pots while
1:52:49Rey's bodyguards used the weakest
1:52:51possible casting of tsunami to fill them
1:52:54with clean water. Rice and beans were
1:52:57the staple of the clergy, but today she
1:52:59had added garlic and onions as well as a
1:53:02rich spice. Fortunately for everyone's
1:53:05stomach, the beans were fresh, not
1:53:07dried. Half an hour later, when the rice
1:53:10was ready, everything else would be as
1:53:12well. On a whim, Tessa made alternating
1:53:15pots in different flavors.
1:53:18That way, the people could pick from a
1:53:20spicy or mild dinner. Hopefully, it
1:53:23would suit the tastes of more people.
1:53:26One pot at the end was left as plain
1:53:28rice and beans, the blandest possible
1:53:30option for those with sensitive
1:53:31stomachs, but imbued with a touch of
1:53:33holy magic from their creation. On the
1:53:36other side of the market, near the
1:53:38collapsed buildings, grills were being
1:53:40set up to cook all the meat that
1:53:42wouldn't survive the night. It was cold
1:53:44now, but not for long. Cooked or smoked
1:53:48into jerky, it would last longer. With
1:53:51so many mouths to feed, there were bound
1:53:53to be long lines. But everyone was too
1:53:56exhausted or mentally weary to cause
1:53:58trouble today. Thousands of bowls had
1:54:01been brought for the vegetable biryani
1:54:03obtained from the same restaurants that
1:54:05the pots had been. For simplicity's
1:54:08sake, the workers just put one large
1:54:10scoop in each and handed them to the
1:54:12closest person, unless they pointed at a
1:54:14particular pot. Row upon row, the
1:54:17citizens of Drad were being fed, which
1:54:19brought everyone within the aura of
1:54:21lotus healing. The day was still a
1:54:23disaster for the residents of the
1:54:25Redwood Sprawl, but there was hope for
1:54:27the people to recover, and the locals
1:54:29were actually working together for the
1:54:30first time in decades.
1:54:32Lotus kept up her tree form all night
1:54:34long, and Tessa kept cooking until
1:54:37nearly midnight when the crowd was
1:54:38mostly dispersed.
1:54:40Then the pots were covered and the heat
1:54:43turned off so that they could be
1:54:44reheated in the morning. The locals
1:54:47would happily sort it out themselves
1:54:48once the sun came up. And by afternoon
1:54:51the next day, the city's governor should
1:54:53have plans in motion. It was nearly dawn
1:54:56when Lotus changed forms and the whole
1:54:58group headed back to the inn. The
1:55:00laughing dragon was already cooking
1:55:02breakfast as they stumbled in, but
1:55:04everyone was too tired to eat. Instead,
1:55:07they went straight to their room and
1:55:09collapsed to sleep. Late that afternoon,
1:55:12Carl was awakened by the sound of
1:55:14someone knocking at their door. "Sir,
1:55:17ladies, there is an envoy from the
1:55:20governor here to speak to you." Beth
1:55:23called, barely more than a whisper. Carl
1:55:26gently swatted Dana on the backside to
1:55:28get her to release him, and the mage
1:55:30gave him a sleepy squeeze. "Send Cara to
1:55:33replace you," she complained.
1:55:36Carla was asleep in her space, her nest
1:55:39of blankets sitting on top of a hill of
1:55:41treasure. So Carl moved her to the bed
1:55:43as he got up and Dana settled back to
1:55:45sleep. Carl got dressed and followed the
1:55:48barmaid down the stairs to a table in
1:55:50the corner where a man in a bright gold
1:55:52and red coat was sitting. He was most
1:55:54likely a demon, Carl decided, but it was
1:55:57honestly hard to tell him from a human,
1:55:59except for the aura of his magic. That
1:56:02and his eyes. Once Carl sat across from
1:56:05him, the eyes were a clear
1:56:07distinguishing mark. They had sideways
1:56:10slotted pupils like a goat, and the
1:56:12scara was entirely red, seeming to glow
1:56:14faintly. "War champion, thank you for
1:56:17coming so swiftly. After yesterday, I
1:56:21can see why you hold such a lofty
1:56:22position as a monarch. We just ran into
1:56:25a small issue with the distribution of
1:56:27rewards for the battle. It appears that
1:56:30you are from a foreign enough location
1:56:32that your guild bank does not have a
1:56:33branch with access here. Would you
1:56:36prefer to set up a branch account at the
1:56:38castle's guild bank access point or
1:56:40would you like the payment directly? The
1:56:43demon explained.
1:56:45Carl checked his name plate for a
1:56:46moment. Exchecker Mills. Carl knew that
1:56:50was a word and he might have heard it
1:56:52before, but by inference it most likely
1:56:55meant that this was the big boss in
1:56:57charge of money.
1:56:59Carl smiled. Guild functions have not
1:57:02properly activated in my homeland,
1:57:05so there is no official guild bank or
1:57:07other options for people like me. Only
1:57:10the approval of the gods that grants us
1:57:12titles and status. The demon paused,
1:57:16then nodded slowly.
1:57:18So, you're from another continent. That
1:57:21makes sense. Until 3 months ago, the
1:57:24guild function in the Dragon Isles was
1:57:26completely inactive, and only recently
1:57:28has it come back online, including the
1:57:30guild bank terminal in the castle, which
1:57:33has withstood the test of time. Carl
1:57:35thought about that for a second. If it's
1:57:38not too much of an imposition, do you
1:57:40think that you could bring me to the
1:57:41terminal? Perhaps it could activate the
1:57:44guild functions fully for me, and then I
1:57:46can make a proper decision. The exjecker
1:57:49nodded. That is acceptable.
1:57:52Your guild's team contributed greatly to
1:57:54the effort, and once this payment order
1:57:57is settled, the governor would like to
1:57:58speak to someone known as the healing
1:58:00tree about continued assistance during
1:58:02the next week until new apartments are
1:58:03built in the sprawl. Carl smiled. She's
1:58:08a royal high priestess of the green
1:58:09dragon. Her name is Lotus, and I'm sure
1:58:13that she would love to help. However, if
1:58:16it is possible, I would like to provide
1:58:18a few designs for the rebuilding.
1:58:20My home nation is known for its
1:58:22high-rise buildings, and they are much
1:58:24more durable than the ones which
1:58:25collapsed during the fighting. Or they
1:58:28could be. All the windows would have
1:58:31been blown out of his apartment tower
1:58:32during the battle, but the building
1:58:34itself would have been fine. The
1:58:37ex-jecker nodded happily. They were
1:58:39always happy to have plans to improve
1:58:41the lower income sides of town. The
1:58:44majority of the housing there belonged
1:58:46to the city, and it was rented to the
1:58:48residents, so there wasn't much to be
1:58:49done except rebuild. They were about to
1:58:52rise when Beth brought over juice with
1:58:54plates of fried eggs and potatoes. Eat
1:58:58before you go. I'm sure you'll both be
1:59:00busy all day. She insisted.
1:59:04Carl smiled at the demoness and she
1:59:06vanished back into the kitchen to finish
1:59:08helping prepare something. I think she's
1:59:11sweet on you. Normally she yells at
1:59:14people to pay before their food comes
1:59:16out. The demon across from Carl laughed.
1:59:20Meals are included in our room fee.
1:59:23They've been quite good to us here. They
1:59:26ate quickly and Carl left a few copper
1:59:28coins on the table to pay for the other
1:59:30man's meal. This one's on me. Let's go
1:59:34get some work done. It was a short trip
1:59:37to the castle with the sun high
1:59:39overhead, but the guards all smiled at
1:59:42Carl on the way in, and no questions
1:59:44were asked about his identity when they
1:59:45simply bypassed the line of visitors,
1:59:47which extended all the way to the docks
1:59:49from the southern main gate. Carl gave
1:59:52the ex-jecker a sympathetic smile. You,
1:59:56sir, have a very hard week ahead of you.
1:59:59The demon laughed. My subordinates even
2:00:02more than myself. I just need to sign
2:00:05off on the orders. They are responsible
2:00:07for the prioritization of complaints and
2:00:09the plans to rebuild the city. While we
2:00:12walk, how about you tell me more about
2:00:14the apartment buildings that you are
2:00:15planning to recommend?
2:00:17Carl gave a brief description of the
2:00:19steel frame construction with concrete
2:00:21floors and divider walls, which were not
2:00:23only massively stronger than the
2:00:25existing brick and shiplap floor
2:00:26construction of the apartments in the
2:00:28Redwood Sprawl. The demon called for an
2:00:31assistant, and a dwarven girl or young
2:00:33woman came down with a notepad to copy
2:00:36Carl's description, then alter it with
2:00:38his instructions.
2:00:39She instinctively understood what he
2:00:41meant, as the concept was the same as
2:00:43bracing a mine roof for a layer dig, and
2:00:46a dwarven architect knew all about that
2:00:48sort of thing. They just hadn't been
2:00:50involved in the last round of
2:00:52construction of the Redwood Sprawl. "So,
2:00:55how do people get up and down?" The
2:00:57demon asked as they happily chatted.
2:01:00There are stairs, but mostly via the
2:01:02lift. There are two options. Either a
2:01:05counterbalance and pulleys like an or
2:01:07lift from the mines or magic. I don't
2:01:11know which one your people are better
2:01:12with, but either one will let you move a
2:01:15whole group of people up dozens of
2:01:16floors with minimal effort. Well, much
2:01:19less effort than walking up 10 flights
2:01:21of stairs. Carl amended. The dwarf
2:01:25smiled.
2:01:27We have magical pulleys in the mines.
2:01:30Simple earth magic. We can make
2:01:33elevators with a counterbalance and
2:01:34pulley easily enough. Just put in a
2:01:37switch and it's on and off. All sorted.
2:01:41The safety standards would be a bit
2:01:43different from the Golden Dragon Nation,
2:01:45but with the retractable gate in the
2:01:47design, nobody should get squished. Carl
2:01:49assumed the demon was doing mental math
2:01:52as they explained the process,
2:01:54calculating costs.
2:01:56Then his eyes brightened. These
2:01:59buildings were expensive to make due to
2:02:00the labor of skilled artisans, but they
2:02:03would hold so many more people that the
2:02:04overcrowding issues would be solved for
2:02:06years. The dwarfs split off to go to the
2:02:09city planning department as they reached
2:02:11the vaults where the guild bank was
2:02:13likely to be. The door was opened by a
2:02:16pair of guards. Then another pair
2:02:18followed Carl and the ex-checker into
2:02:20the vault itself. There were two stone
2:02:22podiums in front of them and safety
2:02:24deposit boxes all along the sides of the
2:02:27massive vault. But it was the system
2:02:29notice that caught Carl's attention.
2:02:32City stone of Drad current governor Shin
2:02:36Kauaii. Actual leader Madame Shin Ellis
2:02:39Beth. Carl couldn't help laughing and
2:02:42the demon gave him a sheepish smile. I
2:02:45forgot that you would be able to see
2:02:47that. Kindly do not mention it to
2:02:49anyone. It appears to be a glitch in the
2:02:51city stone. He insisted.
2:02:55Carl shook his head. No, it's not a
2:02:58mistake. It appears that the governor
2:03:01values his wife's opinion very much now.
2:03:04On the right of it should be the guild
2:03:06stone, right? The demon nodded and Carl
2:03:09walked up to put his hand on the guild
2:03:11stone. Verifying
2:03:14dark light host membership confirmed.
2:03:17Guild branch not established.
2:03:20Please purchase a home location of at
2:03:22least 20 sleeping rooms or 300 open
2:03:25acres. Hidden class skill unlocked. A
2:03:28home one-time use skill. The packmaster
2:03:32may designate a target location as their
2:03:34permanent home, granting various bonuses
2:03:36as the location is improved. If the home
2:03:39is deemed unsuitable, a new location may
2:03:42be designated every 5 years. effect
2:03:45increases if the territorial skill is
2:03:48known. Territorial. All attacks by the
2:03:51packmaster have a chance to cause
2:03:53intimidation.
2:03:55Carl turned to the demon with a sheepish
2:03:57look. Well, I know the problem now. We
2:04:01don't have a guild home in the Dragon
2:04:02Isles. It requires that I purchase
2:04:05either a large portion of land or a
2:04:0720-bedroom house. The demon suddenly
2:04:10looked way too excited, and Carl began
2:04:13to wonder if he had just accidentally
2:04:14converted his reward into a house in
2:04:16Drad. Not that it was a bad thing, but
2:04:19he wasn't even sure that they were
2:04:21planning to stay in this country, much
2:04:23less in this city. Well, it was no loss.
2:04:27It wasn't like they were short on money
2:04:29and needed the reward. Plus, he could
2:04:32turn a portion of it into a dragon god
2:04:34temple, which didn't exist in this city.
2:04:37It would make both the green and red
2:04:38dragon gods happy. If that is the case,
2:04:42please accompany me to see Governor
2:04:43Shin. I believe that we have a solution
2:04:46for your group. The ex-jecker announced.
2:04:50They started the long walk to the
2:04:52governor's wing of the castle, and
2:04:53members of the city development
2:04:55department quickly joined them, asking
2:04:57Carl questions about their plans in case
2:04:59he knew of drawbacks.
2:05:01What they wanted to make were massive
2:05:03complexes twice the footprint of a
2:05:05regular high-rise building with dozens
2:05:07of small apartments on each floor,
2:05:09including ultra- lowcost inner units,
2:05:12which would have no external windows.
2:05:14Instead, they wanted to light the
2:05:16hallways with magic and windows at
2:05:18either end of the hallway. For a dwarf,
2:05:21for an earth element demon, it would be
2:05:23great. For everyone else, it would be a
2:05:26claustrophobic nightmare with interior
2:05:28units under 20 m.
2:05:31Carl explained his concerns and the
2:05:33group began to laugh. Most of the
2:05:35buildings now have been subdivided into
2:05:37units smaller than that. Units under 10
2:05:40square m for a family of three are quite
2:05:43common in order to save money. But going
2:05:46this way, we can reclaim some wasted
2:05:48space, and the extra height will allow
2:05:50us to house twice as many people while
2:05:53still allowing the new homes to provide
2:05:54twice as much space per person.
2:05:57Now, they'll likely still divide it into
2:05:59smaller units later, but that's not our
2:06:01problem after the building is
2:06:03constructed. The architect explained,
2:06:06"How is the earth magic of the
2:06:08construction team?" Carl asked the demon
2:06:12from the architectural team shrugged.
2:06:15"Mostly, Commander Rank. good enough
2:06:18that a magical building isn't going to
2:06:19collapse and the metallic support beams
2:06:22can be created from the ground up to the
2:06:23roof line to support the concrete slab
2:06:25that you recommended to prevent another
2:06:27incident like this. The windows and
2:06:30balconies will be the first to go, but
2:06:32those are easier to fix. Carl nodded in
2:06:35understanding.
2:06:37I have one more recommendation, not a
2:06:39necessity, but something that was quite
2:06:41popular at home. Building the base deep
2:06:44underground stabilizes the structure.
2:06:47But as those levels aren't really
2:06:48suitable for apartments, you can put in
2:06:50storage areas for shops on the main
2:06:52floor or even an entire shopping area on
2:06:55the ground floor and first basement with
2:06:57storage underneath. Then put common
2:07:00areas on the second floor and start the
2:07:02apartments from the third floor. At
2:07:05street level, everyone will see the
2:07:06shops with more hidden behind the ones
2:07:09on the street, and it won't feel like
2:07:11they have to go across the city to get
2:07:13essentials. The ex-eer snapped his
2:07:16fingers, like how I order everything to
2:07:19be delivered to the castle instead of
2:07:20walking to the market to get them. The
2:07:23architect face bombed at the bit of new
2:07:25information about the man's laziness
2:07:28or perhaps is shut in nature. Yes,
2:07:31exchecker.
2:07:33Just like that, but with only a few
2:07:35products available in each building, so
2:07:37they might have to go a few blocks. The
2:07:39demon shrugged. Good enough. We can try
2:07:43that project with the dozen buildings
2:07:45surrounding the market. Do those first,
2:07:48and if the people react well, we can
2:07:50make more of them after. The row behind
2:07:53them doesn't need all the fancy shops.
2:07:55They're already used to going to the
2:07:56market, and there's nothing wrong with
2:07:58putting the poor in underground
2:08:00apartments. The architect was clearly
2:08:02ignoring the money man's opinion, but he
2:08:05nodded along with the recommendations.
2:08:07We will add some decoration to the lower
2:08:09levels as well. City beautifification.
2:08:13The sprawl might be the residence for
2:08:15low-wage employees,
2:08:17but it doesn't have to be an isore. Carl
2:08:20resisted the urge to point out that it
2:08:22was overrun with gangs and that most of
2:08:24the basement levels would quickly be
2:08:26turned into brothel and casinos.
2:08:29The multiple level basements were
2:08:30actually perfect for the purpose. And
2:08:32with the basement entrances being
2:08:34internal, it would move the illicit
2:08:36business's guards off the street. That
2:08:38made it invisible to people walking by
2:08:41and should reduce problems between
2:08:42groups. The buildings themselves would
2:08:45likely turn into gang territories. But
2:08:47that also wasn't Carl's problem. The
2:08:50locals would have to sort that out on
2:08:52their own.
2:08:53Carl was led up to the governor's office
2:08:55with an increasingly large retinue of
2:08:57castle workers. Not just finance people
2:09:00and architects, they also now had castle
2:09:03guards and a few maids with food and
2:09:04drinks for what was promising to be an
2:09:06important meeting. The guards knocked
2:09:09and informed the governor of their
2:09:10presence before letting the important
2:09:12people into the large office. To
2:09:14everyone's shock, the governor actually
2:09:17stood to shake Carl's hand when he
2:09:18entered. Then he motioned for everyone
2:09:21to sit.
2:09:23War Champion, I see that you have once
2:09:25again proven your title. Thank you for
2:09:27your assistance. The battle at the
2:09:30central docks went flawlessly.
2:09:33Governor Shin greeted. Thank you,
2:09:35Governor. The ex-jecker passed over a
2:09:38note, and the governor smiled. It seems
2:09:41that your guild branch needs a local
2:09:43home in the Dragon Isles to activate the
2:09:45guild functions.
2:09:47Now, I know just the thing for you. It's
2:09:50not the most glamorous of locations, but
2:09:52I believe that it is perfect for a guild
2:09:54house. You see, there is a building at
2:09:57the western Frostfire Gate on the south
2:09:59side of the city. It was once a guard
2:10:02barracks, as its courtyard touches the
2:10:04city wall, but the barracks have been
2:10:07moved with a location outside the walls
2:10:09and one in the stone chapel district
2:10:11closer to the castle. It has more than
2:10:14enough sleeping quarters to be counted
2:10:16as a guild house. And the courtyard is
2:10:18large enough for your beasts to rest
2:10:20outdoors when you enter the city or for
2:10:22deliveries to the guild house to turn
2:10:23around a wagon train. The governor
2:10:26explained, "You would offer such a grand
2:10:29location as a war reward." Carl asked.
2:10:33The governor laughed. I don't know if
2:10:36you've not yet noticed or if you're just
2:10:38used to it, but your team are heroes to
2:10:41the people of the city. Doing something
2:10:43grand for you is good for publicity. I
2:10:46had thought about giving you a guild
2:10:48house in the Redwood Sprawl District,
2:10:50but the overcrowding on that side of the
2:10:51city is already too severe to make room
2:10:53for such a thing. And a guild house
2:10:55cannot be part of a shared
2:10:57accommodation, no matter how large it
2:10:59is. So, the Frostfire Gate would be
2:11:02perfect, even if it is a fair walk to
2:11:04the river and the major shopping areas.
2:11:07What do you think? Carl considered it
2:11:10for only a few seconds while Thor sung a
2:11:12nonsensical song about wagons in his
2:11:14head. Being a wagon merchant was a great
2:11:17time. Slowly, he nodded. Even if we
2:11:21happen to move on to take care of tasks
2:11:23outside the city, it would be nice to
2:11:25have a home to come back to. I will
2:11:28gladly accept this reward on behalf of
2:11:30my team." The governor clapped his hands
2:11:33and a man came forward with a folder.
2:11:35Governor Shinn signed off on the bottom
2:11:38of the page. Then the folder was passed
2:11:40to Carl. Your team can go check it out
2:11:43at your leisure, then come back to
2:11:44adjust your guild functions if
2:11:46necessary.
2:11:47Now, about those housing designs.
2:11:51Carl settled in for a long day of
2:11:52meetings while everyone else was
2:11:54beginning to get out of bed at the
2:11:56laughing dragon. The inn was incredibly
2:11:58busy today, mostly with soldiers who had
2:12:01come to greet the group. Some had fought
2:12:03in the streets, some had been at sea,
2:12:06and wanted to thank Hawk for softening
2:12:07the enemy fleet to make it easier to
2:12:09break their shields. That had saved them
2:12:12many lives during the battle. And while
2:12:14they had fallen into a trap and had been
2:12:16pulled away from the defense of the
2:12:17city, they had still managed to fend off
2:12:19one of the two fleets without any major
2:12:21losses. The group ate a quick lunch and
2:12:24headed back for the market square, where
2:12:26Tessa was planning to make lunch again,
2:12:28and Lotus would be a tree for the day.
2:12:31She only had one request. Keep the local
2:12:34dogs away from her roots. They had no
2:12:37respect at all. It was nearly dark when
2:12:40the construction crews showed up at the
2:12:42market, led by Carl, who had been
2:12:44nominated as the spokesperson for the
2:12:46construction teams as they cleared the
2:12:48area. Carl walked behind where Tessa was
2:12:51serving dinner, then lifted himself on a
2:12:53pillar of earth barrier stone. Everyone,
2:12:57your attention, please. Construction is
2:13:00to begin immediately at the order of the
2:13:02governor. The first areas to be rebuilt
2:13:05will be the ones surrounding the market.
2:13:08New high-rise multi-purpose buildings
2:13:10will be erected. There will be four in
2:13:12total, each of them encompassing a
2:13:14quarter of the circle around the market.
2:13:17As for the territories of the groups in
2:13:19the sprawl, the governor suggests you
2:13:21not cause trouble. There will be
2:13:23widescale rebuilding of the Redwood
2:13:25sprawl to a much higher standard and
2:13:27groups that seek to stop that progress
2:13:29will be eliminated from the city. These
2:13:32new buildings will have space designated
2:13:34for shops on the ground floor as well as
2:13:36the basement levels. There will be a
2:13:39total of 20 levels of apartments above
2:13:41the shops, including two floors with 6 m
2:13:44ceilings for larger species. The housing
2:13:47department will be present from tomorrow
2:13:48to help those who lost homes in the
2:13:50immediate vicinity get registered for
2:13:52new units. Now, some of the buildings in
2:13:55the area are still partially or mostly
2:13:57intact.
2:13:59Those will all be removed tonight.
2:14:01Please remove all property still inside
2:14:04and the city guard will provide security
2:14:06over your possessions until the
2:14:07buildings are completed. Carl didn't
2:14:10know that all of the surrounding
2:14:11buildings had already been emptied, as
2:14:13they were too heavily damaged for people
2:14:15or business to continue staying in them.
2:14:18Teams were sent from the construction
2:14:19crews to double-ch checkck all the
2:14:21surrounding buildings for personal
2:14:22belongings or residents. And then, when
2:14:24the allcle signal was given, a group of
2:14:27overlord rank earth mages began
2:14:28remodeling the area. When the dwarves
2:14:31had explained their vision for the
2:14:33buildings, it was too good to resist.
2:14:36So the strongest earth mages in the city
2:14:38had agreed to work with the architects
2:14:40and they would be able to create the
2:14:42bare structure of the buildings in a
2:14:43single night. There were eight in total
2:14:46working in pairs. All four of the
2:14:49buildings were to be identical except
2:14:51for the main floor which would make a
2:14:53history of the city in a circular
2:14:55pattern around the market. For the next
2:14:57hundred years or so, until they were
2:14:59destroyed or renovated, it would be a
2:15:01visible reminder of the city's rich
2:15:03history, ending with the battle against
2:15:05the undead that had prompted the
2:15:06building of the towers. As they worked,
2:15:09Carl explained their reward to the rest
2:15:11of his team. The former barracks at the
2:15:14southwest Frostfire District gate to the
2:15:16city. "They're really just giving us a
2:15:19huge house," Oilia asked. Carl nodded.
2:15:24Yeah, and once that is up, we will
2:15:27apparently be able to get guild
2:15:28functions active. I don't know what that
2:15:31entails, but there is a guild bank
2:15:33function, so storing and transferring
2:15:35funds and items should be easy, and all
2:15:37of you are already registered as
2:15:39members. We can probably also hire some
2:15:42workers to keep a steady stream of
2:15:44income, even when we move out to see the
2:15:46rest of the continent, assuming that we
2:15:49do keep pushing to improve our power
2:15:50levels at the fastest possible pace.
2:15:54That was a given to everyone present.
2:15:56The people here were much more powerful
2:15:58and royal rank was not as safe as they
2:16:00had once thought it to be. In fact, the
2:16:04royal rank was much more likely to get
2:16:06called store manager than princess in
2:16:08the city of Drad. It didn't take long
2:16:11before the rubble of the buildings was
2:16:13cleared and huge pits were dug with
2:16:15earth magic to form the basement levels.
2:16:18Carl could see the excitement of the
2:16:20local casino operators and other illicit
2:16:22businessmen when the basement walls were
2:16:24constructed, revealing multiple
2:16:26underground levels along with a sloped
2:16:28rear entry for deliveries.
2:16:30Not only could they work in a secure
2:16:32area, but they could bring large
2:16:34shipments right inside the building.
2:16:36Someone was really thinking of them. Not
2:16:39just their criminal enterprises, but
2:16:41their legitimate businesses on the
2:16:43ground level that provided a veneer of
2:16:44legitimacy.
2:16:46Layer by layer, the buildings were
2:16:48constructed around the enchanted central
2:16:50metal beams. The mages were going by the
2:16:53blueprints, focusing on the construction
2:16:55in parts so that nothing was missed or
2:16:57misplaced. While one formed the various
2:17:00spells, the other guided them. That way,
2:17:03the second mage wasn't overexerting
2:17:05themselves as they ensured that the new
2:17:07layer seamlessly integrated with the
2:17:09ones below and didn't introduce any sort
2:17:11of design issues. Every few layers they
2:17:14switched. That let them recover from the
2:17:17heavy workload part of the construction
2:17:19without cutting the pace. The scale of
2:17:21the rebuilding was shocking. But more
2:17:24than that, the buildings themselves were
2:17:26magnificent.
2:17:28Monarch Carl, are these buildings just
2:17:30for flying creatures?
2:17:32That's a long way up. One of the demons,
2:17:35a deep red man just under Carl's
2:17:37shoulder tall, asked, "No, there is a
2:17:41magical platform inside to lift
2:17:43residents to their floor without
2:17:44walking. We planned for the issues of
2:17:47getting things back to your home on
2:17:48upper levels, and the lift can hold a
2:17:50whole group of people or a few people
2:17:52and a lot of shopping or furniture as
2:17:54you move in."
2:17:56The word quickly spread through the
2:17:58crowd who mostly hadn't been paying
2:18:00attention to the first announcement
2:18:01other than the part where they needed to
2:18:03get out of the way for the magical
2:18:04construction teams. Technically, there
2:18:07were two elevator platforms.
2:18:10They were side by side in the building,
2:18:12each 2 m wide and 4 m deep. Some species
2:18:16were large and they would need the space
2:18:18to get personal possessions up to their
2:18:20units. once they had new belongings that
2:18:23was. The balconies appeared to be the
2:18:26most popular feature though. They
2:18:29weren't standard practice in the city.
2:18:31And while these had solid exterior doors
2:18:33and bars on all the windows, the
2:18:35majority of demons could fly. So half
2:18:38the residents could simply fly up to
2:18:40their apartment and enter from the
2:18:41outside for daily use. There were even
2:18:44exterior doors at the ends of the
2:18:45hallways on each floor for those in
2:18:48internal apartments without windows or
2:18:49balconies.
2:18:51Carl had objected to some of those floor
2:18:53plans. However, he was informed that
2:18:56some species liked that and it would
2:18:58keep building costs down as they
2:19:00wouldn't have to build a central
2:19:01courtyard to create internal windows.
2:19:04Away from the market, most of the
2:19:06designed buildings were tall and narrow
2:19:08with just one hallway and every unit
2:19:10would have exterior windows. It was
2:19:13closer to the existing design of the
2:19:15roads, so they didn't need to redesign
2:19:17the whole district to add more homes.
2:19:20But these centerpiece buildings around
2:19:21the market square would be the crown
2:19:23jewels of the Redwood sprawl when they
2:19:25were finished. They might not be as
2:19:27shiny and glamorous as the glass sighted
2:19:30highrises in the Golden Dragon Nation's
2:19:32capital, but they were still an
2:19:34architectural marvel. Carl's group went
2:19:36home before midnight as the buildings
2:19:38were getting close to complete. The
2:19:41locals could celebrate and fight about
2:19:42their new homes without their presence.
2:19:45They returned to the inn for the
2:19:47evening, then made their way to the new
2:19:48house right after breakfast.
2:19:51The first thing that Carl noticed when
2:19:53they got close was the dilapidated
2:19:54condition of the building. But a split
2:19:57second later, the recognition that the
2:19:59building was not empty slowed his
2:20:01approach. That could be problematic.
2:20:04If a group of homeless demons had made
2:20:06the abandoned building their home, he
2:20:08would ruin his hard-earned good
2:20:09reputation to just throw them on the
2:20:11streets. But if it was a criminal
2:20:13organization using this building as
2:20:15their base, it would be even more
2:20:17problematic.
2:20:19Perhaps this gift wasn't all that it
2:20:20seemed to be. Carl walked up to the
2:20:23simple stone wall around the courtyard,
2:20:25barely shoulder high, and more of a
2:20:27boundary marker than a serious
2:20:29deterrent. Then he waited a moment to
2:20:31see what the response from the people
2:20:33inside would be. They didn't seem to
2:20:36notice he was there, but Carl could
2:20:38clearly see with soul's sight that they
2:20:40were all smaller and mostly in the
2:20:41awakened realm. So, most likely it was
2:20:45children playing. After all, if you
2:20:48couldn't make it to ascended rank as an
2:20:49adult, you would be chased out of the
2:20:51city to the outlying regions or the
2:20:53black shade slums. Carl led the team
2:20:56into the courtyard and finally the
2:20:58occupants noticed them. But now that he
2:21:01had a clear view through the open door,
2:21:03Carl could tell what they were doing as
2:21:04well. It was some sort of martial arts
2:21:07class with tattered uniforms that didn't
2:21:10fit quite right and one small but
2:21:12elderly ascended rank female trainer.
2:21:15Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My
2:21:18name is Carl. He greeted them. A number
2:21:22of the kids nodded happily. We know you.
2:21:25You beat up the undead knight champion.
2:21:28a young boy insisted.
2:21:30That's right. And as a reward, the city
2:21:33governor transferred me the ownership of
2:21:35this building and its courtyard. It
2:21:38looks like you've been training hard to
2:21:39become guardsmen.
2:21:41Or were you hoping to become ship's
2:21:43guards? Carl asked. The boy raised his
2:21:47fists and shadow boxed the open air for
2:21:49a second as a demonstration of childish
2:21:51might. I'm going to be the next arena
2:21:54champion in Lard. He announced
2:21:57determined in his path to greatness.
2:21:59Lard was the capital of the nation to
2:22:01the south and a major trading partner of
2:22:03Drad just across the border. One of the
2:22:07girls laughed at his ambition. But
2:22:09aren't all the arena champions
2:22:11overlords?
2:22:12Your mom is a sadder, but my dad could
2:22:16be powerful. The boy insisted.
2:22:19Carl's team tactfully ignored the fact
2:22:21that the boy didn't actually know who
2:22:23his father was and let Carl continue
2:22:25with their introductions.
2:22:27So, how often do you all train your
2:22:30skills here in the main hall? Carl
2:22:32asked. Pretty much every day. We come
2:22:36down, mop the floors, and then we start
2:22:38training while teacher Joe goes to find
2:22:40breakfast, the boy explained.
2:22:44Carl turned to Tessa. They were firmly
2:22:47in her territory. If these kids were
2:22:49living here without parents, "How about
2:22:52you continue your training and we will
2:22:54borrow Teacher Joe for a moment?" Carl
2:22:57asked. The elderly demon waved her hand
2:23:00for them to get back to work. And Carl
2:23:02led her out into the courtyard where he
2:23:04could see a number of nosy neighbors
2:23:05watching intently. "I would do this
2:23:08inside, but I don't want to worry the
2:23:10kids unnecessarily.
2:23:12I take it you all live here." Carl
2:23:15began. The dimminionive demonist nodded.
2:23:19I was the housekeeper here when the
2:23:20guard left and I couldn't find other
2:23:22work, so I just stayed. Most of these
2:23:27kids have parents in the district
2:23:28outside the gate. Just not good ones.
2:23:32Once they finish their training in the
2:23:34morning to help them grow, they go
2:23:36looking for part-time jobs. It's not a
2:23:39permanent group. The boy you are talking
2:23:41to has been here 3 weeks and he will be
2:23:43starting as a baker's apprentice in a
2:23:45week. A few of the others have been here
2:23:48for months, but it's only myself living
2:23:50her long-term.
2:23:52Carl nodded in understanding,
2:23:54"So, it's something like a hostel. Cheap
2:23:58living for young workers who just
2:23:59arrived in the city without backing and
2:24:01right at the gate so they don't have to
2:24:03go outside and then find another silver
2:24:05coin to get back in." he asked. A
2:24:09silver? The fee is three silvers an
2:24:12entry. Teacher Joe replied, clearly
2:24:15confused.
2:24:17Odd. They only charged us one each at
2:24:20the forest gate, and that was the price
2:24:22they quoted to get back in from the
2:24:23black shade, though they didn't charge
2:24:25us. The elderly violet skinned demoness
2:24:28laughed, which made lightning crackle
2:24:30between the curved ram horns on her head
2:24:32and her hair stand on end.
2:24:35She smoothed it back down in annoyance
2:24:37and shook her head in dismay. It depends
2:24:39on who is entering. A war champion at
2:24:42the monarch rank and his friends. It
2:24:45might be a silver. If you were an
2:24:48overlord, they would likely wave it
2:24:50entirely. For children and ascended
2:24:52workers, it's three silvers. For
2:24:55awakened adults, it's five silver for a
2:24:58visitor's day pass with a tracking spell
2:25:00on it. she explained.
2:25:03That explained why the city was so
2:25:05crowded when there was a suburban area
2:25:07outside the walls. It wasn't danger, it
2:25:10was economics.
2:25:12By Carl's math, two or three silver was
2:25:14a day's wages for most workers. They
2:25:17simply couldn't go back and forth every
2:25:19day. Carl looked at Dana, who just
2:25:22shrugged. She didn't care about this
2:25:25place one way or another. Sure, they
2:25:28owned it, but this was the first time
2:25:31they had seen it. If Carl wanted to sell
2:25:34it, they would take the loss and
2:25:35consider it a goodwill gift. Remy had a
2:25:38better idea. The whole place is full of
2:25:41tiny workers, right? Why don't we make
2:25:44them our tiny workers? We can use the
2:25:47main floor as a shop for runic items and
2:25:49potions.
2:25:51Then people can come to us to buy them,
2:25:53and we don't need to pay someone to sell
2:25:54them. Well, other than the workers, but
2:25:58workers are cheaper than runic rings.
2:26:01Carl smiled at teacher Joe. I have a
2:26:05proposition for you. I am going to
2:26:07renovate this building as a branch guild
2:26:09house. I will hire you to stay on as the
2:26:12caretaker just as you have been, but now
2:26:15with funding to actually fix things.
2:26:18Then we will turn the main floor area
2:26:20into a shop where we sell the items that
2:26:22my teammates make. You see, we're all
2:26:25pushing to make it to overlord rank, but
2:26:27that is going to need money and
2:26:28opportunities, plus countless visits to
2:26:30the dungeon, unless there is a higher
2:26:32rank one nearby. The little demon
2:26:35smiled. Does that mean there's a budget
2:26:38for cleaning supplies? I can go get
2:26:41everything that we will need right away.
2:26:43I don't know what you're going to
2:26:44change, but I can make everything clean
2:26:46as can be by the end of the day. Her
2:26:49excitement level had shot through the
2:26:51roof when she found out that she was
2:26:52going to have an actual job again. But
2:26:54the ladies were giving her looks that
2:26:56said they were concerned with her mental
2:26:57health. "Sorry, I'm an obsession demon,
2:27:00and my obsession is cleanliness.
2:27:03You have no idea what hell it has been
2:27:05being unable to afford to properly
2:27:07clean," she rambled. Carl winked at
2:27:11Dana. "I guess that means no shoes in
2:27:14the house. Teacher Joe or caretaker Joe
2:27:18as she would be in her new role looked
2:27:20horrified at the concept of shoes
2:27:22outside the common areas of the house
2:27:24and Carl noticed that everyone inside
2:27:26had left their shoes by the door despite
2:27:28the poor condition of the floor. The
2:27:31city will be short on construction
2:27:33workers for a bit as they have to take
2:27:35care of the portions of the city that
2:27:36collapsed in the attacks. But do what
2:27:38you can and we will get started on the
2:27:40renovations as materials come available.
2:27:43Caretaker Joe smiled. I know people.
2:27:47They're outside the wall, so nobody will
2:27:50be likely to call on them for the
2:27:51repair, but we can hire them to do the
2:27:53renovation with Earth and Nature Magic.
2:27:56One of them is a dry, and they've got a
2:27:58great sense of style. You'll just need
2:28:01to pay their way into the city as part
2:28:03of the fee. Carl nodded. Just give me
2:28:06the name and location, and I will go get
2:28:09them. While I do that, you can lead the
2:28:11ladies on a walk through so they can see
2:28:14what we have to work with. Joe wrote him
2:28:16a note, including a rough map of the
2:28:18Frostfire Gate suburbs. The location was
2:28:22further east toward the ocean, but it
2:28:24shouldn't be too hard to find. Carl
2:28:27nodded to the guard on the way out, and
2:28:29the man held up a hand to talk to him.
2:28:31"Did you buy the old barracks?" he
2:28:34asked. The governor gave them to my team
2:28:37for our efforts during the battle. We're
2:28:40planning to make it a combination of our
2:28:41guild house and a shop. He explained,
2:28:45"Oh, not tearing it down to build
2:28:48something bigger and better." Carl shook
2:28:51his head. "That might break caretaker
2:28:53Joe's heart. We've hired her on to keep
2:28:56the place up. I'll have to hire a few
2:28:59more professionals as well, but I'm
2:29:01going to get a renovation team that she
2:29:03recommended." The guard nodded and
2:29:05smiled. If you get back within the next
2:29:083 hours, come through this gate. I lived
2:29:11in those barracks for most of my youth.
2:29:14It will be good to see them back in top
2:29:16condition again. But I have to warn you,
2:29:20when an obsession demon says she's
2:29:22obsessed with cleanliness, she's not
2:29:24joking. That tiny psychopath used to
2:29:27chase us with a whip if we didn't shower
2:29:29after morning training. Carl laughed.
2:29:33I'm sure that the ladies in my team will
2:29:34be on her side. The bubble bath stock
2:29:37goes almost as fast as clean socks. The
2:29:41guard laughed and waved farewell as Carl
2:29:43jogged off to go find the recommended
2:29:45workers. 30 minutes of brisk walking
2:29:48brought him to a beautifully decorated
2:29:50Gothic mansion with a carefully groomed
2:29:52hedge maze in the yard. That was what he
2:29:55was looking for, but there should have
2:29:56been a sign out front that marked it as
2:29:58a furniture maker. Hopefully, the place
2:30:01hadn't changed owners. Carl walked up to
2:30:04the front gate and knocked, not entering
2:30:06the yard. Half a second later, a dry
2:30:10simply appeared out of the bushes with a
2:30:11smile. "Hello, how might I help you?"
2:30:15she asked. "Ceter Joe recommended your
2:30:18services to renovate the old barracks
2:30:20building. I have just been awarded the
2:30:23location as a combat bonus and it needs
2:30:25some work to get it back to standards.
2:30:28Carl explained. The dry nodded and
2:30:31motioned for Carl to enter. Please come
2:30:34in and tell me your plans. My daughter
2:30:37runs the business now and the shop
2:30:39entrance was moved to the back last
2:30:41year, but for Joe, I can likely flex my
2:30:44magic a little bit. She agreed.
2:30:48Well, I don't object to hiring both of
2:30:50you and whoever else you think might be
2:30:52necessary.
2:30:54Carl shrugged. The dry gave him a
2:30:57curious look and Carl took out 10 gold
2:30:59coins, placing them on the table between
2:31:01them. She smiled. In that case, you can
2:31:06call me Misty and my daughter is Rain.
2:31:09Do you have any magic users on your team
2:31:11that might be helpful? Carl smiled. I
2:31:15have a royal rank green dragon cleric.
2:31:18She might be useful or she might not. It
2:31:22depends on how long she can focus for.
2:31:25Misty laughed, the branches of her hair
2:31:28shaking. All right, I will bring a stone
2:31:31smith with us as well. It won't take
2:31:34long, but the fee isn't cheap, though. I
2:31:38can see that's not going to be a problem
2:31:39on this job. What are you going to be
2:31:42selling? she asked. Alchemical potions
2:31:46for healing and progression. Runic
2:31:49jewelry and once I can find a source for
2:31:51weapon blanks, runic weapons as well.
2:31:54The dry paused. I don't think that I
2:31:57follow. What is a runic jewelry? She
2:32:01asked. Carl saw the problem. If she was
2:32:05going to make display cases, she needed
2:32:07to know what he sold. Carl took out one
2:32:10of the royal rank rings that he had
2:32:12inscribed for giant strength and placed
2:32:14it on the table. That sort of thing, but
2:32:17also amulets, necklaces, bracelets,
2:32:21whatever I can get from my supplier.
2:32:24Mostly royal and monarch rank, but I
2:32:26might eventually make some lower grade
2:32:28budget items, he explained. The dry was
2:32:32stunned into silence.
2:32:34She might need a minute. Hawk laughed.
2:32:38positively shookth,
2:32:40flabbergasted,
2:32:42discombobilated,
2:32:44Remy agreed. Then Remy dropped a monarch
2:32:48ranked healing potion on the table
2:32:49between them to see what happened. Misty
2:32:52sighed. I am going to have to hire a
2:32:55security expert as well. I know a mage
2:32:58who specializes in barriers.
2:33:01You should have enough magic to help
2:33:02him. And he's already in the city. That
2:33:05sort of inventory can't just be left in
2:33:07the open. That was understandable,
2:33:11though. Carl suspected that this
2:33:13renovation project was going to get
2:33:14extremely expensive.
2:33:16Just a barrier that could keep away the
2:33:18threats of local thieves would be
2:33:20costly. Unfortunately, while Carl could
2:33:23make runic barriers, he had limited
2:33:25experience, and Dana only knew a few
2:33:28basic barrier spells. Neither was up to
2:33:31the task of erecting permanent barriers
2:33:33over an entire property. With the
2:33:35decision made, Misty led Carl into the
2:33:38back of the property, where the sounds
2:33:39of singing were coming from what looked
2:33:41like a carriage house with the sides
2:33:42boarded up by living vines.
2:33:45Rain, come out and say, "Hello, we have
2:33:47a VIP customer." She announced, and the
2:33:51singing stopped. A young dryad poked her
2:33:54head out of the vines, and Carl knew
2:33:56immediately that Lotus would not be
2:33:58getting anything productive done.
2:34:00Perhaps Cara could keep her under
2:34:02control, but this little creature was
2:34:04adorable. "What's up, Mom? I just
2:34:07finished that project for the Davidson
2:34:09family." She answered, "This lovely
2:34:13young demon is going to renovate the old
2:34:15barracks, and he wants a full makeover
2:34:17for the main floor to turn it into a
2:34:19high-end magical goods and jewelry
2:34:21shop." Misty explained.
2:34:24Seriously,
2:34:26where will he even get the goods for
2:34:27that? The young dry asked, rolling her
2:34:30eyes. I make them. And if you can make
2:34:34me pretty enough wooden items, I will
2:34:36buy them and enchant them, too. Carl
2:34:39replied with a smirk. Rain giggled. Oh,
2:34:43he's good. Dryads aren't even magical
2:34:46beasts, and I almost got sucked in by
2:34:49that charm. Then she stepped through the
2:34:51vines, revealing a green floral dress,
2:34:54but bare feet. All right, we're good to
2:34:57go. I will lead the way so we can get
2:35:00Stone Smith Jones on the way. Rain
2:35:03skipped happily along beside them as her
2:35:05mother led the way through the winding
2:35:06streets of the outer Frostfire Gate
2:35:08District. They stopped at an unassuming
2:35:11fieldstone house that appeared centuries
2:35:13old, and in stark contrast to the newer
2:35:15construction all around it, which was
2:35:17mostly wood or brick. Jones, we've got a
2:35:22stonework job for you. The old barracks
2:35:25is getting a full renovation.
2:35:27Misty called. A demon with black skin
2:35:30that showed glowing red from various
2:35:32cracks in the leathery surface stuck his
2:35:34head out. No, not a demon, Carl
2:35:37realized.
2:35:39That was a transformed magma dragon. His
2:35:42soul was definitely that of a dragon.
2:35:45Stonework, you say? All right. I think
2:35:49that I can take a job today. Do you have
2:35:52something interesting for me? He asked.
2:35:56Carl took out a royal rank earth element
2:35:58stone. That was worth significantly more
2:36:01than he had paid for the rest of the
2:36:02job, but this was an overlord ranked
2:36:04dragon, and bribing him was probably the
2:36:06best way to get his attention. Oh, now
2:36:10that is pretty. All right, I will come
2:36:12over and make those barracks the single
2:36:14best guild house in the city. And just
2:36:17like that, Carl had obtained all of the
2:36:19team members that they needed, except
2:36:21for the mage who would make the
2:36:22barriers.
2:36:24Jones and Rain were singing together as
2:36:26they made it back to the gate beside the
2:36:27old barracks, and the guard smiled at
2:36:29them. War champion, it looks like you
2:36:32found quite the assortment of workers
2:36:34today. I'm sure the lovely ladies of
2:36:37your team will be pleased. The guard
2:36:40greeted them. Carl wasn't sure how he
2:36:42knew that the team was lovely ladies at
2:36:44first. Then he realized that the kids
2:36:47had all been chased into the yard so
2:36:49that Joe could clean the place before
2:36:51the renovation team arrived. That meant
2:36:54Tessa followed them out. Lotus came to
2:36:56play and Dana had joined Ailia on the
2:36:58porch for a drink. Jones cleared his
2:37:01throat, a rumbling noise like boulders
2:37:04rolling downhill.
2:37:06Ladies, if you would kindly find the
2:37:07caretaker and clear the building, I will
2:37:09get to work on the stone structures, he
2:37:12announced.
2:37:14Caretaker Joe came out as soon as she
2:37:16heard his voice and waved to him. Oh,
2:37:19you brought over all the big guns. "How
2:37:22did you get this one to come help fix
2:37:23the building?" I asked him dozens of
2:37:26times when he passed by, but he never
2:37:28agreed," she asked. The stonesmith
2:37:32snorted, sending out a small puff of
2:37:34soot. "You never had good stuff to
2:37:37offer." There was something admirable
2:37:39about that strictly mercenary dedication
2:37:41to his ideals. Carl thought even though
2:37:45they knew each other, if you couldn't
2:37:46pay for his services, you weren't
2:37:48getting his services.
2:37:50Carl could likely learn something from
2:37:52him before he went into business. But he
2:37:54didn't have the level of self-awareness
2:37:56necessary to realize that he had an
2:37:57issue in that department.
2:37:59Fortunately, Dana did. The entire
2:38:02property was covered in an overlord
2:38:04ranked flood of earth and fire magic.
2:38:06that unique combination that constituted
2:38:08a magma dragon's racial powers. As it
2:38:12settled in, the barracks building
2:38:13shifted a little until it was perfectly
2:38:15squared at the corners again, with no
2:38:17more bulging or leaning where the mortar
2:38:19had crumbled. Then the outer courtyard
2:38:22wall began to grow, returning to 3 m
2:38:24tall, and the exterior doors crumbled to
2:38:27ash before being replaced with thick
2:38:29bronze replacements, including a black
2:38:31cast iron gate separating the wall from
2:38:33the street. The roof tiles shifted into
2:38:36thick black slate over the pale gray and
2:38:38white fieldstone walls, and even the
2:38:40well in the yard was brought back to
2:38:42pristine condition. How good the water
2:38:45was would be questionable this close to
2:38:46the ocean. But they were a little
2:38:49uphill, and the well was shallow, so it
2:38:51might have some groundwater flow. Or
2:38:54perhaps not, as Carl realized a few
2:38:57seconds later when he felt the spell on
2:38:59the well collapse. It didn't need
2:39:02groundwater as it had been enchanted
2:39:03with water magic. The well was actually
2:39:06just an outdoor system. Once the dragon
2:39:10was done and staring smuggly at his
2:39:12creation, the Dryads went inside with
2:39:14papers in their hands. They went
2:39:16straight to the second and third floor
2:39:18to begin their work on the secondary
2:39:20kitchen, bedrooms, and common areas.
2:39:23Carl could feel the nature magic soaking
2:39:25into the structure of the building as
2:39:26they rapidly moved through the house,
2:39:28using the wood as a medium to move
2:39:30between rooms and floors freely. For 15
2:39:34minutes, the magic continued. Then they
2:39:37opened the main door and bowed politely
2:39:39to Carl. According to our contract, the
2:39:42work is done. All the wooden furniture
2:39:45has been replaced. The floors and joists
2:39:47have been renewed. And the roof trusses
2:39:49are fresh. Your home is ready for
2:39:52another century of occupation.
2:39:54Misty announced. That's all it takes.
2:39:58And here I thought that it would take
2:40:00days. Carl noted. Rain giggled.
2:40:05We're<unk> still drys, aren't we? Or
2:40:07have you never seen a dry work before?
2:40:10Carl turned to Lotus and Misty began to
2:40:13laugh. While both of us have similar
2:40:16nature magic, the priestess leans more
2:40:18to healing. While our most powerful
2:40:20abilities are the regrowth of
2:40:21vegetation,
2:40:23we can regrow dozens of acres of forest
2:40:25in a full day. Fixing the structure of
2:40:28one large house is nothing at all. Most
2:40:31of the wood is already there. The
2:40:34unexpected attention on her stopped
2:40:35Lotus from subtly sneaking over to the
2:40:37younger Dry, but Rain grabbed her hands
2:40:39and dragged her inside. Kick off your
2:40:42shoes at the door and follow me. Let me
2:40:45show you the new rooms. She laughed,
2:40:48running through the house with Lotus in
2:40:50tow. That went much more smoothly than
2:40:53Carl had expected. And if his senses
2:40:55were right, then the overlord ranked
2:40:57mage headed their way might be the final
2:40:59contractor to fix their house. If not,
2:41:02it was likely someone from the castle
2:41:04wondering what they were doing. Sure
2:41:07enough, the mage swung the gate open and
2:41:09stared around the compound with an
2:41:11impressed look. Oh, Jones, it's you. How
2:41:15are you doing today? He asked. Jones
2:41:19Jr., are you here to cast the barriers?
2:41:22The stonesmith replied. The slender
2:41:25dragon kin mage smiled. Assuming that I
2:41:29can get paid, he agreed. Remy handed
2:41:33Carl a mana jade ring engraved with
2:41:35spell power and mana storage runes. Carl
2:41:38quickly poured mana into it as the mage
2:41:41watched in shock. Then when it got to
2:41:43the royal rank limit of the item, he
2:41:45handed it to the dragon king. I don't
2:41:47suppose that will get us a proper
2:41:49barrier for the house. He asked. I think
2:41:53that it might. I don't suppose that you
2:41:56were looking for an apprentice. I've got
2:41:58one just about to start looking for
2:42:00training in a career, and her mother's a
2:42:02magic demon. Quite the skilled young
2:42:04prodigy, the mage, who looked almost
2:42:08human with whatever disguise spell he
2:42:09had activated, replied.
2:42:12Carl shook his head. I'm not sure that
2:42:15I'll be here enough to provide proper
2:42:16training for an apprentice.
2:42:19But I do need someone who can identify
2:42:20and appraise items brought for trade, so
2:42:23perhaps we should talk. If the student
2:42:26is self-motivated, the teacher doesn't
2:42:28need to be around every day. Rain looked
2:42:31down from a third floor window with a
2:42:33curious frown. Why is he Jones Jr., but
2:42:36you're not related? She called loud
2:42:39enough for Jones to hear. Both the
2:42:42stonesmith and the mage began to laugh.
2:42:45It was the mage that answered her
2:42:46question. You see, my name is Jacob
2:42:50Jones, but he also goes by Jones as
2:42:53nobody can pronounce his full name and
2:42:55he is much older than I am. So, he is
2:42:58the senior Jones and I am Jones Jr. or
2:43:00Mage Jones. That was less interesting
2:43:03than the young Dry had hoped, and she
2:43:06pulled her head back in the window to
2:43:07continue showing Lotus around. Mage
2:43:10Jones walked inside the main room,
2:43:12followed by Carl, so he could explain
2:43:14the situation. The others waited
2:43:17outside, wanting to be surprised once it
2:43:19was all done. Oh, this will work
2:43:22wonderfully.
2:43:24They even built railings to define the
2:43:26edges of the barriers. I will give you
2:43:28an access stone so you can add employees
2:43:31to the list as necessary. I specialize
2:43:34in this, so I will make you proper
2:43:36jewelry cases," the mage explained, then
2:43:39tied his long black hair back and out of
2:43:41his face. The room looked like one of
2:43:44the Elven residences Carl had seen on
2:43:46the other continent when he was sent to
2:43:48the past. It was all organic curves, not
2:43:51plain flat, except on the inside of the
2:43:54display cases, but the walls were white
2:43:57stone, polished smooth, and the floors
2:44:00were hardwood and similarly well-fitted.
2:44:03In the back, hidden behind a door that
2:44:05looked like the back storage room, was a
2:44:07large kitchen complete with a freezer
2:44:08that the mage enchanted and the actual
2:44:11storage room, which was accessed through
2:44:13the kitchen. It was an odd setup, but
2:44:16Carl suspected that it was meant for
2:44:17dried goods storage for the guards. So,
2:44:19the location actually made more sense,
2:44:22as it was opposite the freezer, allowing
2:44:24a group of cooks to work efficiently
2:44:25during meal prep. Once the display cases
2:44:28and the kitchen were finished, Jones Jr.
2:44:31put an overlord ranked barrier over the
2:44:33whole house. And then Carl followed him
2:44:35to the second floor where he saw a large
2:44:37central room surrounded by small rooms.
2:44:40They must have been guard dorms in the
2:44:42past, barely 2 m wide. The doors were
2:44:46currently all open, revealing single
2:44:48beds, a desk, and a dresser inside.
2:44:51There was one large restroom at the back
2:44:53of the building, and two shower rooms,
2:44:56so the layout hadn't been changed since
2:44:58it was a dorm for the guards.
2:45:00But that did give them far more than the
2:45:0220 required bedrooms for the guild house
2:45:05standard. The mage cast a soundproofing
2:45:08spell over the rooms, but not completely
2:45:10deadening the sound if Carl guessed the
2:45:12details correctly. It would make regular
2:45:15noises inaudible, but those in the
2:45:17common area would still be able to hear
2:45:19if someone shouted for help. The third
2:45:22floor was much more fancy with six large
2:45:24bedrooms and one slightly smaller one,
2:45:26plus a smaller common area with a
2:45:28kitchenet.
2:45:30The smallest of the rooms on this floor
2:45:32was piled high with neatly organized
2:45:34stuff that had to be caretaker Joe's
2:45:36maintained as her own room since she was
2:45:38actually employed here. But the others
2:45:40were all immaculately clean. Her stuff
2:45:43would be arranged soon enough. It was
2:45:45just that the room had been renovated
2:45:47and she needed to put it all away again.
2:45:50On this floor, he cast a temperature
2:45:52control spell, the usual soundproofing
2:45:55spells, and a ventilation spell that
2:45:57drew air from the lower floors up and
2:45:58out through the chimney of the fireplace
2:46:00column that ran through all three floors
2:46:02in both kitchen areas. There was no such
2:46:05thing as a modern stove here, but the
2:46:07fireplaces were fire magic and had an
2:46:10oven above them, as well as a magic
2:46:12burning stone stove top that was
2:46:13definitely not childsafe by the Golden
2:46:15Dragon Nation standards.
2:46:18There we go. I will put a perimeter
2:46:20spell around the property as well, and
2:46:22that should be enough to keep unwanted
2:46:24visitors out when you're closed without
2:46:26confining your members to the house.
2:46:28Jones Jr. explained.
2:46:31Wonderful. Thank you. This is perfect.
2:46:35Carl agreed. Ry stepped out of her space
2:46:38with an armload of cloth and a serrated
2:46:40smile. The mage gave her a confused look
2:46:44as he hadn't seen anyone by that
2:46:46description earlier, but she was putting
2:46:48new silk sheets on all the beds, so she
2:46:51must belong here. Rey also hung new
2:46:54curtains and arranged a number of rugs
2:46:56on the floor, which were made from the
2:46:58fur cloaks pilered from the frost
2:47:00giants. The oversized cloaks were
2:47:02perfect for throw rugs to dampen sound
2:47:04in the rooms, though the white color
2:47:06would be a nightmare to keep clean. She
2:47:09hoped that caretaker Joe was not only
2:47:11passionate but competent about her
2:47:13obsession. Before long, she had all
2:47:16fresh bedding and pillows on all the
2:47:18beds that the Dryads had made. They
2:47:20weren't a solid mattress, more like an
2:47:22extra fluffy cushion, but they looked
2:47:24comfortable to sleep on, as both Rain
2:47:27and Lotus had flopped down on one the
2:47:29moment Ry had put the bedding on. Ry
2:47:31gave a thumbs up from the front window
2:47:33when she was done. And the others came
2:47:35inside to see the contents of the house
2:47:37after the renovation.
2:47:39Unlike Carl, they knew what it looked
2:47:41like before, so their sense of awe was
2:47:43much higher after the hours worth of
2:47:45work. So, you will be selling all your
2:47:48goods here? Mage Jones asked. Carl shook
2:47:52his head. I intend to make some lower
2:47:55grade items to sell at the royal
2:47:56jewelers. the sort of items that can be
2:47:59spread on the mass market instead of
2:48:01one-off and exclusive items for sale
2:48:03here. But the potions and other items
2:48:06will be exclusive to our shop unless
2:48:08someone is going to resell them
2:48:09elsewhere for a higher price. When Carl
2:48:13went back outside, there was some
2:48:14confusion among the children about what
2:48:16was happening. L the building had a new
2:48:19owner and they had fully renovated it,
2:48:21so it wasn't suitable for their morning
2:48:23martial arts training anymore and it
2:48:25certainly wasn't going to remain an
2:48:27ultra- lowcost hostel. Carl smiled at
2:48:30them. The goal is to get you all
2:48:32gainfully employed.
2:48:35Until then, caretaker Joe will continue
2:48:37your early morning practice either on
2:48:39the second floor or in the yard. There
2:48:42are enough rooms for now and with our
2:48:44help, I think that we can get you good
2:48:46placements.
2:48:47Many things in life were not about what
2:48:49you know, but who you know. Now that
2:48:52they knew Carl, he could ask around for
2:48:54people who needed apprentices in jobs
2:48:56suitable for their young residents.
2:48:58Joe had a hard time of it as she was not
2:49:01powerful and not respected.
2:49:03But still, she had managed to maintain a
2:49:06steady flow of apprentices through the
2:49:07hostel. Carl was standing in the yard
2:49:10when a familiar face entered through the
2:49:12open gate and smiled at him. Monarch,
2:49:16thank goodness you're here. This is
2:49:18nice. You did a beautiful job
2:49:20renovating.
2:49:22I know that we're just business
2:49:23associates, but I was hoping to ask you
2:49:25a favor. Loros asked, her usually
2:49:29vibrant white skin looking pale and
2:49:31dirty. You look like you've had a rough
2:49:33day. What happened? Carl asked. The
2:49:38landlord, the guy who runs the furniture
2:49:40shop beneath me, offended someone he
2:49:42shouldn't have, and they trashed the
2:49:44place. I managed to save my materials,
2:49:47but my apartment is completely
2:49:49destroyed, and there are no hotel rooms
2:49:51anywhere in town. Before deciding to
2:49:54sleep on the street until I can rebuild
2:49:56my cart, I thought that I might come and
2:49:58see if you had some spare rooms in your
2:49:59new house. I think that half the town
2:50:02already knows that your team got the old
2:50:04barracks as a reward. They're making
2:50:07jokes about it because the place totally
2:50:09isn't worth as much as your reward would
2:50:10be. Loros explained.
2:50:14Carl chuckled.
2:50:16Well, we have it now and it's all
2:50:18renovated with the help of all these
2:50:19good people. I think that we might be
2:50:22able to work something out more
2:50:23long-term. I want to turn this place
2:50:26into a shop for the goods that my
2:50:27friends make. So, if you would like to
2:50:30stay here and make your jewelry, I can
2:50:32sell it downstairs after it is upgraded.
2:50:35We will hire a few more staff as well,
2:50:38but we've got a caretaker already. Loros
2:50:41eyes lit up in joy. This place was nice.
2:50:44Definitely in better condition than her
2:50:46old apartment, even before the debt
2:50:48collectors had smashed down the divider
2:50:50wall, thinking that her space was a
2:50:52hidden room where the furniture store
2:50:53owner was hiding what he owed them. I
2:50:56will take you up on that. I'm carrying
2:50:59everything I own already. She replied
2:51:02with a sad smile and turned toward the
2:51:04door.
2:51:05Caretaker Joe ran outside with her arms
2:51:07wide and a look of panic. Loros was
2:51:11covered in plaster dust, stone dust,
2:51:13dirt, and alley grime from her day, and
2:51:15the cleanliness obsessed demon was not
2:51:17ready to let her into the freshly
2:51:19renovated building. She can't get clean
2:51:22if you don't let her in. Carl reminded
2:51:25Joe. For a few seconds, caretaker Joe
2:51:28hesitated. Then she pointed at the well.
2:51:31There is a place to wash. She realized
2:51:35the upgrade used fire magic and broke
2:51:38the water spell. I will have to fix it
2:51:41later. Lotus laughed and pointed at the
2:51:44back of the house. The emergency exit
2:51:47leads to the bathroom window. Or we can
2:51:49just have Remy carry her through the
2:51:51house. She suggested.
2:51:54Remy appeared in the main room and
2:51:56leaned out to grab the sculptor. I will
2:51:59make sure that she's clean before she
2:52:01comes back out.
2:52:03Ry put towels and bathroes in the
2:52:05showers. Then she can pick a room and
2:52:08get settled in. Carl looked around the
2:52:10yard and noticed a small building
2:52:12against the city walls. "What is that?"
2:52:16he asked. "The old stables.
2:52:20It's been converted into a storage room.
2:52:23Did you want something done with it?"
2:52:25Jones asked. "I was thinking that it
2:52:28would make a good stone sculpting
2:52:30workshop. I can see already that Joe
2:52:32will cry if we let Loros carve mana jade
2:52:35in the house. Carl joked. The
2:52:38transformed magma dragon renovated the
2:52:41building in a matter of seconds and then
2:52:43Misty went in to add workbenches and
2:52:45tables to the space for various
2:52:46crafting. It would be easy enough to
2:52:49store bulk stone on one side and there
2:52:51would be room for a halfozen artisans to
2:52:53work in comfort. Rain stuck her head in
2:52:56the crafting space and nodded in
2:52:58satisfaction.
2:53:00That was a good space. Not as good as
2:53:03her own workshop, but good. I will let
2:53:06Loros know when she's out of her shower,
2:53:08so she doesn't set up right away. Remy
2:53:11informed Carl happily. Carl wasn't sure
2:53:14why she was in such a good mood until he
2:53:16realized that the second floor had a
2:53:18communal bath for the guards as well as
2:53:20the rows of showers. It was huge, and
2:53:24even in Naga Queen form, she would have
2:53:26room to soak. Normally, she took baths
2:53:29with Cara in snake form. But while that
2:53:32form was great for bathing, it did rely
2:53:35on Cara to scrub her down thanks to the
2:53:37lack of arms and the mediocre scrubbing
2:53:39that minor water control gave her. So,
2:53:43things were all but settled for the day
2:53:45before lunch. All that was left was
2:53:48finding salespeople who could appraise
2:53:49trade items, which meant old enough to
2:53:51have a system interface and some skills
2:53:54in either appraisal or training in
2:53:55magical item valuation.
2:53:58Usually that sort of ability was related
2:54:00to a chosen trade skill and it took time
2:54:02to master which was the point of an
2:54:04apprenticeship.
2:54:06Oh, and a cook. They would need someone
2:54:09in the kitchen to take care of this
2:54:10group as well. He couldn't expect the
2:54:13clerics to be cooking for everyone every
2:54:15day when they were at home. They might
2:54:17still be asked to make most of the
2:54:19ingredients, though. The gossip mill
2:54:22turned out to be their strongest ally in
2:54:24the search for employees.
2:54:26Out of curiosity, Mage Jones daughter
2:54:29came to see what they were up to. And
2:54:31before she had even finished talking to
2:54:32her father, a small group of people
2:54:34arrived together with hopeful
2:54:36expressions.
2:54:37How can I help you today? Carl asked,
2:54:40motioning them to come in off the
2:54:42street. We heard that you might be
2:54:44looking for workers. The man who led the
2:54:47group into the compound explained,
2:54:49bowing slightly and flaring his large
2:54:51black feathered wings that perfectly
2:54:53matched his long hair. That was fast.
2:54:57How did words spread already? Carl
2:54:59asked. You're talking in the yard next
2:55:02to a guard station. The man replied
2:55:05simply. He had an excellent point. They
2:55:09weren't being secretive about their
2:55:10activities. And Carl had openly told the
2:55:13guard what they were planning, so he
2:55:15should have expected them to pass the
2:55:16word on, especially with so many people
2:55:19out of work until their employer
2:55:21rebuilt. assuming the previous employers
2:55:24did rebuild instead of trying for
2:55:26something that they thought might be
2:55:27more successful. What position are you
2:55:30looking for? Carl asked. I have the
2:55:33merchant class which is good for all
2:55:36sorts of trade and sales jobs, but I was
2:55:39hoping that you might have a managerial
2:55:41position available. I have references
2:55:43that can be verified and a stable
2:55:45history in the city. Carl looked at the
2:55:48boring beige color of the man's name in
2:55:50the system interface.
2:55:52All right, Davis.
2:55:54I think that we can have an interview.
2:55:57Carl agreed, then took out the sword of
2:55:59champions and three green mana jade
2:56:01rings. Only two of which were activated,
2:56:04though all three were carved with runes.
2:56:07Please give me a valuation for all of
2:56:09these items. The merchant laughed. We
2:56:13have 200 gold coins, 200 gold coins, 15
2:56:17gold coins.
2:56:19Why is that? Oh, that one isn't active.
2:56:22It's just carved. And then that's not a
2:56:26number. That can't be a valuation.
2:56:30I have no idea how to value that blade.
2:56:33It appears to be worth more than my
2:56:35skills are capable of determining.
2:56:38However, if I were purchasing it, I
2:56:40would value it as a monarch rank epic
2:56:42blade, which is,00 gold wholesale
2:56:44purchase and 1,900 gold for resale.
2:56:48Carl smiled and put all the items back
2:56:50in storage.
2:56:52So, you have a system skill that tells
2:56:54you the real value. That is very
2:56:57convenient.
2:56:58Davis smiled.
2:57:00Yes and no. It only works with system
2:57:03linked items. For common items, it's a
2:57:07separate skill for valuation and it just
2:57:09gives me a condition and quality. I
2:57:12referenced that against recent sales
2:57:13prices in the city to come up with a
2:57:15number that can be a bit unreliable in a
2:57:18hot market, but I have a lot of
2:57:20experience.
2:57:21Please wait for the rest of the team to
2:57:23come out. They will give me their
2:57:25opinion before a final decision is made.
2:57:28Then Carl turned to the others waiting
2:57:30behind him. They were all similarly
2:57:33violet skinned with curled horns and
2:57:35short tails extending from their skirts.
2:57:38The outfits looked like they were
2:57:39uniforms from some shop, so they must
2:57:42have worked together. "And who might you
2:57:44all be?" "I can see that you all worked
2:57:47together," Carl asked. The tallest of
2:57:51the young women stepped forward. We were
2:57:54the kitchen staff at the abalone grill.
2:57:56It was next to the market in the sprawl.
2:57:59The boss got a new spot in the towers,
2:58:01but he decided that he's not going for a
2:58:03restaurant this time, but a seafood wet
2:58:06market. So, we're all out of work. But
2:58:10we have practice with a full menu,
2:58:12including baked goods. Carl whistled,
2:58:15and Lotus stuck her head out a window,
2:58:17unable to resist knowing what was going
2:58:19on. Hey, Lotus, come down here and talk
2:58:22to these chefs. If they're good, they
2:58:25can work in our kitchen. Lotus quickly
2:58:28grabbed the applicants and pulled them
2:58:30around the back of the house where she
2:58:32could make ingredients for them in the
2:58:33kitchen to test their skills. Hopefully,
2:58:36a practical test was part of the usual
2:58:38hiring process for cooks and they
2:58:40wouldn't be offended. From the sounds in
2:58:43the kitchen, Lotus didn't have any major
2:58:45problems with their applicants.
2:58:48So, Carl began preparing for the
2:58:50evening. The others were still busy
2:58:52inside, but Carl decided to just go
2:58:54ahead and give the appraiser the job. If
2:58:57things didn't work out, they could
2:58:59always fire him later, but he appeared
2:59:02to be quite competent at his job. Davis,
2:59:05do you have somewhere to stay tonight or
2:59:07will you be moving into the house? Carl
2:59:10asked. Davis smiled. My grandmother
2:59:14lives at the castle and I am currently
2:59:16caring for her in the evenings as her
2:59:18age is catching up to her. Thank you for
2:59:21your consideration and I may wish to
2:59:23stay here if business is especially
2:59:25hectic some days, but I do not require
2:59:27full-time lodging. Carl nodded. Let us
2:59:31know if anything we have can help your
2:59:33grandmother. You will find that we can
2:59:35offer generous employee discounts.
2:59:38If you can be back by 9 tomorrow
2:59:40morning, we will be starting to stock
2:59:42the shop. Davis bowed and flared his
2:59:45wings for balance, an act that made Cara
2:59:47want to know what they felt like. Hawk
2:59:50was sure that feathers felt like
2:59:51feathers, but the motions were the part
2:59:53he was interested in. Being humanoid was
2:59:56hard, but the appraiser was good at
2:59:58being a human with wings.
3:00:00Davis left for the castle with a
3:00:02powerful flap of his wings. And a few
3:00:04minutes later, Carl turned to the mage
3:00:06and his daughter. "So, Miss Jones, I
3:00:10hear that you're interested in becoming
3:00:12a runsmith or similar form of artisan."
3:00:15Carl began. The girl nodded happily.
3:00:19"Yes, sir. I've always loved working
3:00:22with magic. I'm already a commander
3:00:25ranked mage, but I haven't taken an
3:00:27official trade skill yet. I have been
3:00:30looking for one that was just right. But
3:00:32you can enhance jewelry and weapons like
3:00:35an inscriptionist can do paper scrolls
3:00:37and books. That is wonderful. I love
3:00:41magic and I really love new magic.
3:00:44Nobody else I know can do what you do. I
3:00:47even bought one of your rings from Royal
3:00:49Jewelers and tried to replicate it, but
3:00:51no matter how I write it, it simply
3:00:53doesn't work. Carl laughed as her face
3:00:56turned bitter and sad at the end. That's
3:00:59because you need the appropriate skill
3:01:00for the ability to work. It's the
3:01:03difference between copying the pages of
3:01:05a skill book and actually making a skill
3:01:07book. Carl explained. You can make skill
3:01:11books. She asked startled.
3:01:15Well, yes, but that's a whole different
3:01:18topic. I have a skill to let me make
3:01:21them of skills I can use. But that's not
3:01:24new magic, is it? I can teach you that
3:01:27if you would like, but I don't need an
3:01:28apprentice skill book maker. Well, not
3:01:32full-time, but I would happily sell
3:01:34skill books if you made them. Mage
3:01:36Jones, the girl's father, laughed
3:01:38quietly. The governor would box your
3:01:41ears. All skill books have to be sold
3:01:44through the city library. It's a
3:01:47security measure to keep people from
3:01:48selling forbidden dark magic in the
3:01:50city.
3:01:52Senior Jones, the Magma Dragon, winked
3:01:54at Carl. If you happen to have an
3:01:57interesting one, I might be willing to
3:01:59purchase it outside the city. Carl
3:02:01smiled. I will keep you in mind if I
3:02:04happen to have a good one. There is a
3:02:07ghost fire Thunderbird among my friends,
3:02:09and he knows some lovely fire skills. I
3:02:12am a bit short on earth element skills,
3:02:15though. The magma dragon shrugged. Come
3:02:19talk to me after you're settled.
3:02:21I'm sure we can work something out.
3:02:24Jones Jr. thought about the future for
3:02:26his daughter, then patted her on the
3:02:27head. Why don't you see if he can get
3:02:30you started on an appropriate trade? If
3:02:32the apprenticeship doesn't work out,
3:02:34then we can find you another job. But I
3:02:37think that you might be happy here, he
3:02:40suggested.
3:02:41Wendy Jones nodded happily and extended
3:02:44her hand to Carl, her red eyes sparkling
3:02:46with excitement.
3:02:48Like her father, she could almost pass
3:02:50for human if it wasn't for her eyes. But
3:02:53Carl could see that she did have a tail
3:02:55as it swished under her skirt when she
3:02:57was excited. Her father had said that
3:03:00her mother was a magic demon, so Carl
3:03:02had expected feathers or wings. However,
3:03:06it was possible that she had a feathered
3:03:08tail. That might be a bit impolite to
3:03:10ask about if she kept it tucked.
3:03:13Besides, if he really wanted to know,
3:03:15Lotus would find out soon enough. There
3:03:18wasn't much that the green dragon cleric
3:03:20was shy about asking, and finding out if
3:03:22a new friend had a feathered tail was
3:03:24well down the list of things that might
3:03:26cause her to hesitate. Carl smiled at
3:03:29her as he shook her hand, then
3:03:31activated, "Follow me, little one."
3:03:34Wendy got an odd look on her face as he
3:03:36transferred the apprentice runsmith
3:03:38skill to her, then threw herself into
3:03:40Carl's arms and began planting kisses on
3:03:42his cheek, much to her father's dismay.
3:03:45And Dana's annoyance as well, Carl
3:03:48realized as he gently removed the young
3:03:50demoness and placed her back on her
3:03:52feet. I taught her the apprentice level
3:03:54of the necessary trade skill. It's one
3:03:57of my talents. She just got a bit
3:04:00excited. He apologized sincerely looking
3:04:04towards Dana. She sighed and nodded
3:04:07while Mage Jones looked confused. "You
3:04:10granted a skill with a touch?" he asked.
3:04:14Carl nodded. As I said, it's a unique
3:04:17skill for my class. She is my apprentice
3:04:20now, so she got the necessary skills.
3:04:24Starting tomorrow, I will begin teaching
3:04:26her the basics of rune crafting, and the
3:04:28other crafts people here will help her
3:04:30with her sculpting skills. I should
3:04:32likely build a forge as well, but that's
3:04:35not a big deal. I can do that myself
3:04:37when we need it." The mage nodded
3:04:40politely, accepting the arrangement.
3:04:43Carl might be an outsider, but those
3:04:45rings he sold were an untapped market.
3:04:48Now that his daughter was going to learn
3:04:50the art of making them, her future was
3:04:52nearly guaranteed.
3:04:54I should get everyone settled in before
3:04:55we lose the whole day. "Thank you all
3:04:58for coming on such short notice to
3:05:00upgrade our new home," Carl announced
3:05:03with a slight bow towards the two
3:05:05remaining craftsmen.
3:05:07Mage Jones hugged his daughter, then
3:05:09waved goodbye on his way out. The magma
3:05:12dragon simply nodded to Carl and walked
3:05:14out the gates beside the compound. The
3:05:17house was close enough to the wall that
3:05:19he wouldn't even need to pay an entry
3:05:20fee to get Carl's attention if the beast
3:05:23master forgot about bringing him books,
3:05:25but he had young Welps in his extended
3:05:27family as well. Perhaps one of them
3:05:30might be a good fit. If nothing else, he
3:05:33could send one of the oddballs to the
3:05:35beast master. If he could tame a
3:05:37bloodbath spider, he could deal with an
3:05:39unruly crossbreed dragon. You can really
3:05:42do many wonderful things.
3:05:45What sort of class is Beastmaster?
3:05:48Wendy asked once they were alone in the
3:05:50courtyard with Dana. Dana wrapped her
3:05:52arm around the new apprentice. He can
3:05:55bond with magical beasts and most of his
3:05:58skills are based on training them. Tell
3:06:00me, what did the system message say to
3:06:02you when he granted you a skill? Wendy
3:06:05blushed and whispered in Dana's ear, but
3:06:07not quietly enough that Carl couldn't
3:06:09hear her. It said that he was offering
3:06:12me the apprentice runsmithing skill and
3:06:14then it called me a fragile Wendy doll.
3:06:17Or fragile doll, Wendy. Dana frowned.
3:06:21That's an odd one. Tell me, what is your
3:06:24family like? Wendy shrugged. Pretty
3:06:28good. I have four older brothers who
3:06:31live at home. They're all training to be
3:06:33mages with our father. They buy me gifts
3:06:36at random. The maids are all very nice
3:06:39to me when they bring my food and pick
3:06:40my clothes. Sometimes father even has
3:06:44them take me for sweets in the city.
3:06:46Dana resisted the urge to face pal. The
3:06:50new apprentice likely never had a chance
3:06:52to have her own opinions.
3:06:54She had become Carl's apprentice simply
3:06:56because she was told that she would like
3:06:57it and never questioned her father's
3:06:59wisdom. If she was going to be a
3:07:02creative crafter, someone would have to
3:07:04teach her to have a backbone and that
3:07:06someone couldn't be Carl. He would just
3:07:09pat her head and tell her she was doing
3:07:11a fantastic job on her work. Carl could
3:07:14see that Dana was planning something,
3:07:16but he didn't know what. So, he went
3:07:19with relevant questions. Do you like
3:07:22painting and sculpting? He asked. Wendy
3:07:26nodded rapidly. I love to carve things.
3:07:30I make wooden toys with wind magic all
3:07:32the time. Here, look. She took out a
3:07:36small wooden carving of a dragon, which
3:07:38was detailed down to the scratches on
3:07:40the creature's scales. Her eyes were
3:07:43begging for acceptance, and Dana patted
3:07:45her head. That is beautiful. You have a
3:07:49natural talent for sculpting. I think
3:07:52that you will get along well with Loros,
3:07:54our jeweler. But first, I should ask,
3:07:57what did the system classify you as? I
3:08:00know that obsession demons have some
3:08:02peculiarities.
3:08:04Wendy shook her head at Dana. It
3:08:07actually calls me a magic demon. My
3:08:10father is part and my mother is
3:08:11full-blooded, so I'm a magic demon by
3:08:14default. Dana led Wendy inside and Carl
3:08:17followed them after taking a few seconds
3:08:19to carve a water creation rune inside
3:08:21the well and then charge it so it would
3:08:23fill the open system to the level of the
3:08:25rune. That way they would have plenty
3:08:28available for washing if someone should
3:08:30get excessively dirty while working or
3:08:33for thirsty trainees who would likely
3:08:35end up doing their morning workouts in
3:08:37the courtyard. Once inside, he looked
3:08:40around the main room and began planning
3:08:42where to put everything. He had a whole
3:08:44stack of items to finish from Loros, but
3:08:47mana jade was only one option. Many
3:08:50creatures preferred wood or other
3:08:52materials instead of stone thanks to
3:08:54their nature. Lotus, how is the cooking
3:08:57coming? He called to the back room.
3:09:00Lunch is almost ready. Did you need
3:09:03something? She called back. After lunch,
3:09:07I would like you to make some wood with
3:09:09good mana transferability for our two
3:09:11sculptors to work on.
3:09:13You can make a few rough weapon blanks
3:09:15as well. I will put out an ad for weapon
3:09:18makers later, Carl explained.
3:09:21Oh, like you were doing in the lab with
3:09:23the blue dragon clerics.
3:09:25That should be fun. We can make all
3:09:28sorts of wild things with two sculptors.
3:09:31Lotus agreed, then returned to her
3:09:33kitchen work. Things were coming
3:09:36together well for this new branch of the
3:09:37dark light host. Once they had a base
3:09:40stock and a few more people, they could
3:09:42finally start making daily visits to the
3:09:44dungeon to get everyone up to the
3:09:46monarch rank. Lunch was sent up to the
3:09:49second floor with a dumb waiter lift,
3:09:51and Tessa set all the dishes out on the
3:09:53table for examination before they
3:09:55started to eat. This was the employment
3:09:57test for their new team of four chefs,
3:10:00and none of them had been to the
3:10:01restaurant where they formerly worked.
3:10:04Sure, they had experience,
3:10:06but what if the food there was terrible?
3:10:09It actually smelled wonderful and Lotus
3:10:11surely would have stopped them if they
3:10:13were making mistakes. So Carl wasn't too
3:10:15concerned as he took his seat and waited
3:10:17for everyone. What is the order? Wendy
3:10:20whispered as she noticed there were no
3:10:22assigned seats. Everyone just sits
3:10:25wherever they want. If you're speaking
3:10:28with someone when a meal starts, it
3:10:30makes sense to sit together. Or if you
3:10:33want to spend more time around someone,
3:10:34move to be near them. Carl replied with
3:10:38a shrug.
3:10:39That was how he ended up with Dana on
3:10:41one side of him and Wendy on the other
3:10:43with Cara taking the chair beside Wendy
3:10:45much to the young demon's confusion.
3:10:48Once everyone was seated, Wendy turned
3:10:50to Cara and introduced herself.
3:10:53Hello, my name is Wendy Jones. It's a
3:10:56pleasure to meet you. Cara replied with
3:10:59a bow and motioned for Carl to respond.
3:11:03That is Cara, our resident winged void
3:11:05badger. She can be a bit of a prankster,
3:11:08but she's really a sweet person.
3:11:11Unfortunately, she cannot speak any of
3:11:13the common languages due to her form.
3:11:16Carl explained.
3:11:18Cara nodded in satisfaction.
3:11:21That was a good description. Wendy
3:11:23smiled and slid her hands up the side of
3:11:26her head. Then she removed the black wig
3:11:29that she was wearing, revealing a pair
3:11:31of short flesh-toned horns on her bald
3:11:33head as her skin tone changed slightly
3:11:35and her features became more demonic.
3:11:38Only demon Carl realized
3:11:41that was what her father was and likely
3:11:44hiding his horns with a spell the same
3:11:46as Wendy had been. Wendy put the wig on
3:11:49Cara's head and the void badger shifted
3:11:51to a humanoid form similar to Wendy's.
3:11:55there. Now you can speak at dinner." The
3:11:58young mage announced proudly. Cara
3:12:00giggled and carefully picked up the
3:12:02utensils, something that she had never
3:12:04tried before. Her first attempt was a
3:12:07failure, and all the food fell off
3:12:09before she could eat it. The second went
3:12:12slightly better, but Cara was already
3:12:14out of patience and carefully rearranged
3:12:16the wig on Wendy's head before digging
3:12:18into her meal face first with her front
3:12:20paws on the table. I guess she's not big
3:12:23on talking.
3:12:24Wendy giggled. I think she just got
3:12:27frustrated with the fork. I will work
3:12:30with her to learn a humanoid
3:12:31transformation ability later if she
3:12:33wants it. Carl suggested.
3:12:36Carl waved off his concern. Badgers were
3:12:40much better than humans. The kids who
3:12:42had been boarding at the house under
3:12:44caretaker Joe's supervision were
3:12:46completely stunned by the quality of the
3:12:48meal. They had taken turns cooking
3:12:50before, and it was rarely what anyone
3:12:52would consider good. and often
3:12:54considering it edible was questionable.
3:12:57But this meal, it had all the richness
3:12:59of a highclass restaurant meal. Carl
3:13:02watched them wolfing down the meal with
3:13:04satisfaction.
3:13:05With a proper reference, they should be
3:13:07able to find work quickly, and staying
3:13:09here would no longer be a stain on their
3:13:11applications.
3:13:13But in the aftermath of the attack,
3:13:15there would be countless people shifting
3:13:17homes and looking for work. So, it
3:13:19really was a great opportunity for them
3:13:20in the middle of a disaster. It would be
3:13:23hard to judge people on the neighborhood
3:13:25that they were staying in when a large
3:13:26portion of the city was destroyed after
3:13:29all. After lunch, caretaker Joe took out
3:13:32a piece of paper, then shook her head
3:13:34and ran out to the guard station to go
3:13:36get something. While the guards have
3:13:38been rather disdainful to her the first
3:13:40time that they had spoken about the
3:13:42caretaker, this time they seemed much
3:13:44more accommodating.
3:13:45They handed her a new piece of paper and
3:13:48the caretaker came back in with it in
3:13:49her hands. I have the day's new job
3:13:52listings. I know we're a bit late, but
3:13:55this one just updated for tomorrow's
3:13:57jobs, she explained.
3:14:01She began drawing circles around various
3:14:03jobs and then writing notes for
3:14:05different residents.
3:14:07Here, take this. I know that they have
3:14:10been looking for workers for a while,
3:14:12and they lost three during the battle.
3:14:14then for you and you. One after another,
3:14:18she made job notes for all her charges
3:14:20and sent them out into the city with
3:14:22their referrals to go apply for work.
3:14:24Carl noticed that the letters had his
3:14:26name and the Dark Light host guild on
3:14:28them as a home reference as they were
3:14:30staying with him while the work history
3:14:32was individualized to the residents.
3:14:34That left the house somewhat empty with
3:14:36just six new people in addition to
3:14:38Carl's team while the house was designed
3:14:40for close to 60, an entire guard unit.
3:14:44What do you think the chances that they
3:14:45find permanent employment are? Carl
3:14:48asked the caretaker.
3:14:50I would say pretty good. I have a skill
3:14:53that tells me what the best way to take
3:14:55care of people and keep my place clean
3:14:57are. Finding them work does both. Joe
3:15:01explained.
3:15:02Carl laughed quietly. That was a rather
3:15:05unique way to use an obsession magic
3:15:07skill. Well, I suppose that we will find
3:15:10out soon enough whether they have found
3:15:12work.
3:15:13Then we will have to find them a place
3:15:15to live. Carl agreed. Caretaker Joe
3:15:19shook her head. If they find work at
3:15:22these places, they should be given rooms
3:15:24in the new towers and the buildings that
3:15:26will be going up behind them today. The
3:15:28towers are empty concrete, but they all
3:15:31have systems, so they've got their
3:15:32bedding and other essentials with them
3:15:34until they can get their first pay and
3:15:36get settled in. It would be strange
3:15:38having the house so empty already, but
3:15:40once they started hiring crafters and
3:15:42sales staff, they would have a decent
3:15:44portion of the second floor full. Well,
3:15:47if they don't, we might be able to hire
3:15:50one or two as general salespeople with
3:15:52Davis as the appraiser.
3:15:54Carl agreed. Thor nodded in
3:15:57satisfaction.
3:15:59A larger pack was better. Over the
3:16:01course of the next 3 hours, messengers
3:16:04came one after another, each of them
3:16:05informing either Carl or Lotus
3:16:07personally that their border had been
3:16:09hired. Obviously, they were mostly hired
3:16:12out of respect for one of the two, and
3:16:14even the ones for Carl mentioned Lotus
3:16:16in some way. Mostly a message requesting
3:16:19that she return occasionally to the park
3:16:21as a healing tree. Lotus had no problem
3:16:24with that, and she would happily go be a
3:16:26tree there every so often just to keep
3:16:28the people in good health. If she
3:16:31didn't, they would start looking for her
3:16:32at home, and that would be even more
3:16:34time-consuming than spending a day a
3:16:36week as a tree of life. During that
3:16:39time, Carl had begun to enchant rings
3:16:41with various simple runes, focusing on
3:16:43the royal rank items. But there was one
3:16:46effect conspicuously missing. No giant
3:16:49strength rings? Loros asked, knowing
3:16:53that was what Carl put on the ones that
3:16:54he had sold to jeweler Mugos.
3:16:57Carl shook his head. If I only sell them
3:17:00to the royal jeweler, then the majority
3:17:02of the buyers, the warrior classes, will
3:17:05have to go to them. And we can keep a
3:17:06flow of money coming in our business
3:17:08relationship strong. You see, if
3:17:11something happens and our personal
3:17:13reputation takes a hit, selling specific
3:17:15items to other vendors will maintain our
3:17:17funding even during times of hardship.
3:17:20If they take a hit and have to close, we
3:17:22can simply nominate a replacement and
3:17:24elevate them with the sale of the rings.
3:17:27Wendy laughed at his analysis.
3:17:30You have a rather cruel outlook on
3:17:31business. Trade wars within the city are
3:17:35all but unheard of. Most businesses here
3:17:38last for entire generations,
3:17:41she explained.
3:17:42While they talked, Lotus took a number
3:17:44of items out of her inventory and placed
3:17:46them on top of the new cabinets. You can
3:17:49enchant these as well. I think that the
3:17:52police and the debt collectors will love
3:17:54them, she insisted.
3:17:57Carl looked at the assortment of clubs,
3:17:59batons, and baseball bats, plus a few
3:18:02gnarled mage staves for Carl to upgrade.
3:18:05Carl quickly carved runes for stunning
3:18:07on the clubs and bats, making them a
3:18:09non-lethal weapon with exceptional
3:18:11durability.
3:18:12Then Carl decided what to do with the
3:18:14staves.
3:18:16Something simple would be best.
3:18:18Fireball.
3:18:20Fireball solves everything. Hawk
3:18:23insisted.
3:18:24He even had a whole pile of lower grade
3:18:26fire element stones that could be carved
3:18:28with the spell. Carl carved the stones,
3:18:32then made the staves royal rank magical
3:18:34items with extra spell power and mana
3:18:36storage. The wood that Lotus made was
3:18:39exceptionally well suited to such mana
3:18:41storage, and dozens of fireballs could
3:18:43be cast at commander rank before it was
3:18:45depleted. That should make them a
3:18:47valuable item on the market. Carl set
3:18:50one on the top shelf of a display case
3:18:53and locked the others underneath. At the
3:18:56moment, Davis and Carl were the only
3:18:58ones who could operate the barriers, so
3:19:00there was no chance that they would be
3:19:01stolen without breaking the overlord
3:19:03rank barriers. With the bats and batons
3:19:06put on display, the cases were still
3:19:08sparse, but looked somewhat complete,
3:19:11except for the one closest to the
3:19:12kitchen wall. However, Remy had plans
3:19:15for that one. She had all sorts of
3:19:18potions, and if she put one of each on
3:19:20display, then loaded the bottom of the
3:19:22case with extras, they would have a
3:19:24diverse selection of potion effects
3:19:26available. Most of them were actually
3:19:28failed attempts to make something else,
3:19:30but some of them were truly miraculous,
3:19:33like the anti-aging cream that actually
3:19:36reversed aging. If you used it as a full
3:19:39body lotion, the skin and muscles of the
3:19:41user, even the hair, would revert to a
3:19:44youthful state. However, if it was
3:19:46overused, you could accidentally weaken
3:19:49someone's body back down an entire rank
3:19:51until it naturally recovered. For an
3:19:54elderly monster, demon, or magical
3:19:56beast, regular use could theoretically
3:19:58stop aging and keep them in their prime
3:20:00indefinitely.
3:20:02That hadn't been tested yet, but Remy
3:20:04had been doing it on plants to keep them
3:20:06in their sprouting state indefinitely,
3:20:08increasing the number of sprouts she
3:20:09could harvest for materials.
3:20:12Compared to Remy's fully stocked swamp,
3:20:14the selection of materials for their
3:20:16future sculpting work was not great, but
3:20:18Lotus had created dozens more pieces of
3:20:20wood for the crafters.
3:20:22All right, Loros, can you show Wendy
3:20:24around the workshop? You will have to
3:20:27share tools until I can get a new set
3:20:29made, but the two of you can make some
3:20:30base items this afternoon, and then I
3:20:33will work to teach Wendy more about rune
3:20:34crafting tomorrow, Carl explained.
3:20:38Los gave Carl a wounded look. You know,
3:20:42my carving isn't actually a trade skill,
3:20:44just an obsession. She spoke softly.
3:20:48Carl smiled.
3:20:50So, you would like to become a rune
3:20:52crafter as well. I don't see why not. We
3:20:56will all sign a proper work contract so
3:20:58that you don't both run off with the
3:21:00knowledge and then we can get started in
3:21:02the morning using the items that you
3:21:03have made today. No matter what it was
3:21:06that you made, we can find a runic
3:21:08inscription that will go well with it.
3:21:10but use the magical wood first as it's
3:21:13less expensive and Sister Lotus can make
3:21:15more if you run out. The actual carving
3:21:18was the fun part for them both and it
3:21:20gave them something to do for the day
3:21:22while Carl and the team made sure that
3:21:24they had everything that they needed.
3:21:26Rey was hanging curtains over the
3:21:28windows on the main floor as she had
3:21:30finished the upper levels already. All
3:21:33the beds had new linens, pillows, and
3:21:35blankets. The top floor rooms had new
3:21:38rugs, and she had even distributed some
3:21:40of Remy's soaps to the common showers on
3:21:42the second floor. Tessa looked around
3:21:45their new residence in satisfaction.
3:21:47I will go get a few more necessities
3:21:49from the city. Oilia, come with me for a
3:21:53bit. Oilia nodded, sure that the war
3:21:56cleric had something secret in mind, and
3:21:58the pair left the house headed for the
3:22:00city corps. Lotus headed back to the
3:22:03kitchen and loaded up supplies. Then
3:22:05called in Carl to stock the freezer with
3:22:07some meat so they had options for meals.
3:22:10Now all that was left to do was wait to
3:22:12remember all of the small details that
3:22:14they had inevitably forgotten. Later
3:22:17that night, Tessa and Oilia returned
3:22:19with ice cream and cake. They had gone
3:22:22out to collect sweets and other goods to
3:22:24celebrate the establishment of their
3:22:26group as a proper guild. They were now
3:22:28officially and somewhat permanently
3:22:31united as a force in a way that anyone
3:22:33who cared to look could see. But more
3:22:35than that, the house belonged to the
3:22:37guild as a whole. They weren't sharing
3:22:40someone's private residence or sleeping
3:22:42in a military assigned dorm. This was
3:22:45their home. And as soon as they could
3:22:47create an official guild stone, they
3:22:49should even be able to activate a few
3:22:51more restricted system functions
3:22:52available only to official guilds. They
3:22:56might not be able to have a movie night
3:22:57here in the city of Dro, but they could
3:22:59still hold a proper party with good rum,
3:23:02better snacks, and piles of soft pillows
3:23:04on the floor. With Tessa's
3:23:07encouragement, Ry placed a large soft
3:23:09rug and masses of pillows around one of
3:23:11the unused rooms on the third floor,
3:23:13then draped the walls with colorful
3:23:15bolts of silk. There were bookshelves,
3:23:18which were currently empty, but once it
3:23:20was fully stocked, it would be a great
3:23:22spot for quiet relaxation.
3:23:25For tonight, it would be the sight of
3:23:26their housewarming party. Loros was much
3:23:29more introverted in a large group, when
3:23:32she had been quite eager to tell Carl
3:23:33about her sculpting while they were
3:23:35alone. But Wendy only got more energetic
3:23:38when there were more people around. And
3:23:40Carl got the feeling that she hadn't
3:23:41been allowed to do many interesting
3:23:43things or meet many new people at home.
3:23:45Her father must have had strong rules
3:23:48for her because for the first time in
3:23:50her life, she was getting to try many of
3:23:52the snacks that they had brought back to
3:23:54the house. But she was still young, and
3:23:57not long after dark, she was beginning
3:23:59to nod off. The little demon had been
3:24:02unofficially adopted for the evening by
3:24:04Cara, who was happy remaining on the
3:24:06pillows for the night instead of going
3:24:08to a proper bed, the way that Carl did
3:24:10with Dana, who also fell asleep early.
3:24:13The rest of the group split along fairly
3:24:15predictable lines. Oilia took Lotus,
3:24:19Thor went to bed with Tessa, and Loros
3:24:21locked herself in one of the second
3:24:23floor rooms, mumbling about statues as
3:24:25she fell asleep. The next morning, Carl
3:24:28was up early and enjoying a few morning
3:24:30moments with Dana before everyone got up
3:24:32and they had to start the day. But other
3:24:35than Loros, who was in the workshop at
3:24:37the crack of dawn carving something, the
3:24:39rest were in no hurry to wake up. None
3:24:42of the borders had come back. They had
3:24:44all found full-time employment on the
3:24:46first day after they had a proper
3:24:48reference letter. That would hopefully
3:24:50be good for their future. But it did
3:24:52present a small problem for Carl. They
3:24:55had hired Davis, the fallen angel, to be
3:24:57their appraiser. But they had not hired
3:25:00anyone to actually work in the shop,
3:25:02clean the floors, greet customers, and
3:25:04all the other tasks that would be
3:25:06needed. Not that the shop was large, but
3:25:09they could use a second person so that
3:25:11Davis wasn't fully responsible for
3:25:13everything. The Blackwing demon came in
3:25:16promptly at 9:00 in the morning just as
3:25:18everyone was beginning to eat breakfast.
3:25:21Come on up to the second floor after you
3:25:23look around. We won't be opening so
3:25:26early. Nobody even knows it's a shop
3:25:29yet. Carl called down to their new
3:25:31employee. Then he sent Wendy down with
3:25:34breakfast for Loros, who would likely
3:25:36forget to eat if she wasn't reminded.
3:25:39During their conversations last night,
3:25:41she had mentioned it was a common
3:25:43problem for obsession demons. If they
3:25:45weren't so poor that they couldn't
3:25:47afford to do their task continually,
3:25:49they would hyperfixate to the point that
3:25:51they would only eat when they became
3:25:52painfully hungry. Davis came up with a
3:25:55sheet of paper in his hands and a smile
3:25:57on his face. Sir, I have valued the
3:26:01items in the shop and I must say that
3:26:03some of them are extraordinary.
3:26:05Are you certain that they are all for
3:26:06sale and not part of the store display?
3:26:10He asked. Which one struck you as
3:26:12especially valuable? Carl asked already
3:26:16having a good idea of the answer. The
3:26:19staves for one. Those are worth nearly a
3:26:22thousand gold pieces each and wouldn't
3:26:24normally go on the market openly. They
3:26:27would be auctioned individually.
3:26:29But that anti-aging cream. He paused as
3:26:32the ladies began to laugh. It's an
3:26:35accidental windfall.
3:26:37You see, Remy, our naga queen alchemist,
3:26:40was trying to make a new form of healing
3:26:42potion with substitute ingredients.
3:26:45That was the result. Davis sighed. Might
3:26:49I make a recommendation?
3:26:51Repackage it in 50 ml containers.
3:26:55At that point, my skills would value it
3:26:57at five gold a container. Right now,
3:27:00it's in one liter potion flasks, and
3:27:03that is just excessive. I know that
3:27:05ladies pay a lot for skin care, but
3:27:07paying more than a new house and
3:27:09domestic staff for a single bottle of it
3:27:11is extreme. Carl was going to point out
3:27:14that the staff was worth far more than
3:27:16the skin care lotion, but that was a
3:27:18once-in-a-lifetime sort of purchase that
3:27:20could be passed down in the family, not
3:27:22a regular use consumable.
3:27:25Remy nodded in understanding and gave
3:27:26him a thumbs up gesture, unsure whether
3:27:29he understood serpent. Almost everyone
3:27:32on this continent had an active system
3:27:34and they would get translation
3:27:35functions.
3:27:37So Remy tried her luck after her next
3:27:39bite of breakfast. Davis gave her a
3:27:42strange look as the naga queen simply
3:27:44placed a fried egg in her mouth and
3:27:46tilted her head back to swallow it, but
3:27:48it was not the worst form of table
3:27:49manners he had seen. Just a species
3:27:52quirk. What about my healing potions?
3:27:56Are they fine? Remy asked. Davis nodded.
3:28:01Yes. Not many will need such a
3:28:04high-grade potion, but we are on the
3:28:06more expensive side of town, and some of
3:28:08the more powerful species need at least
3:28:10one such potion as a backup for severe
3:28:12injuries. The question is how you wish
3:28:15to price them. The official price is
3:28:18high, but there are numerous alchemists
3:28:20in town, so the price of ascended and
3:28:22commander rank healing potions has been
3:28:24driven down. Remy considered it. How
3:28:28much have they been driven down? As I
3:28:30recall, the guard said we could each get
3:28:33like four gold from the dungeon every
3:28:34day. Davis nodded. Commander rank super
3:28:39healing potions sell at two for a gold
3:28:41coin, but monarch rank potions of any
3:28:44sort are rarely on the market, and royal
3:28:46rank potions are usually custom-made.
3:28:49I see that you do have a number of
3:28:51commander rank healing potions and mana
3:28:53recovery potions available, which are
3:28:55the main stay of an alchemist's shop
3:28:57anywhere. Remy smiled.
3:29:00Yes, I thought so. We can put the really
3:29:03good ones away, sell the others, and
3:29:06when someone makes a big order or an
3:29:08important someone comes in, we can give
3:29:10the monarch ones as a gift." Davis
3:29:13smiled. That Naga really knew how to
3:29:16bribe an official. With her in charge of
3:29:19making the potions for the shop, they
3:29:21might not even need to worry about the
3:29:22magical item stock. They would get rich
3:29:25just off the potions.
3:29:27Carl looked over the price list, and it
3:29:29all looked good to him. So he headed
3:29:32down to the workshop to start his
3:29:34training with Wendy and Loros.
3:29:36They could make a shop open sign as well
3:29:39and then he would see who came into the
3:29:40shop. Being right at the gate had
3:29:43advantages. The word of their operation
3:29:45would spread through town on its own
3:29:47without any advertisement needed. Loros
3:29:50was way ahead of him. And not only did
3:29:52she have a sign made, she had already
3:29:54varnished it and it was mostly dry. The
3:29:57sign simply said, "Dark light host guild
3:29:59house, but it had hanging placards
3:30:01beneath it with a ring, a sword and
3:30:04staff, and a potion bottle." Carl
3:30:06carefully took the nearly dry sign and
3:30:08hung it on the outside of the wall to
3:30:10finish drying in the sun. That should be
3:30:13clear enough for everyone, and while he
3:30:15would have picked a different name, it
3:30:16looked like he didn't have an option
3:30:18about what guild he was in. Carl looked
3:30:20at his system interface again as he
3:30:22returned to the workshop. Name: Carl.
3:30:26Class, Beastmaster, Packmaster.
3:30:30Rank: Monarch.
3:30:32Constitution: Void, Iron Body,
3:30:34Experience, Tales at Bonded Beasts,
3:30:37Five. Guild, Dark Light Host. Titles:
3:30:42Hidden. Skill points: 64.
3:30:46Class skills. The packmaster gains an
3:30:50increased percentage of base stats from
3:30:51bonded beasts. Pack tactics. Damage and
3:30:55healing done by bonded beasts and the
3:30:57packmaster increased by 10% per rank.
3:31:00Bestial champion. The packmaster gains a
3:31:03bonus to speed, strength, and luck stats
3:31:05when his pack is threatened. Follow me,
3:31:08little one. Directly teach a known skill
3:31:10to a compatible target. Home. One-time
3:31:14use skill. The packmaster may designate
3:31:17a target location as their permanent
3:31:19home, granting various bonuses as the
3:31:21location is improved.
3:31:23Home location may be periodically moved
3:31:26but never deactivated.
3:31:28Available skills
3:31:3050 points pack first removes the usage
3:31:33and targeting limits on evolution but
3:31:36adds an increasing materials cost every
3:31:38time it is used on a bonded beast. 50
3:31:41points territorial. All attacks by the
3:31:44packmaster have a chance to cause
3:31:46intimidation.
3:31:4720 points pack affinity. The packmaster
3:31:50has an affinity for all skills that any
3:31:52of his bonded beasts have an affinity
3:31:54for and may learn them as normal. 50
3:31:57points dominating power. The
3:31:59packmaster's aura gains a mental
3:32:02domination effect at will, requiring
3:32:04weaker minds to submit to his will.
3:32:07Hypnosis type ability. Previous class
3:32:10skills expand to view. Carl focused on
3:32:14the last two skills which had appeared
3:32:16up the skill tree past. Follow me,
3:32:18little one.
3:32:19Pack affinity would definitely help him
3:32:21in the future as it would let him use
3:32:23every skill that any of his beasts knew.
3:32:26But the last dominating power was a pure
3:32:29pack leader type ability. Like the
3:32:31largest member of a pack of predators,
3:32:34they could simply force the weaker
3:32:35members to back down. Carl had gotten
3:32:38fairly good at doing that in normal
3:32:40situations, but having a hypnosis
3:32:42ability that would force others to back
3:32:44down would be incredibly broken in
3:32:45combat. Could you even call it combat at
3:32:48that point? He wasn't clear what the
3:32:51difference between that and the
3:32:52intimidation effect of territorial was,
3:32:56but territorial sounded more like it was
3:32:58a fear skill instead of a paralysis
3:33:00ability. He was a few points short on
3:33:03being able to get both pack affinity and
3:33:05one more skill. But Carl wasn't in a
3:33:07hurry for any of the others. Only pack
3:33:10affinity would be a change outside of
3:33:13combat as well as in battle. It was
3:33:16awfully cheap for a packmaster skill,
3:33:18though. There had to be a catch, as he
3:33:22already had the skills to simply teach
3:33:23himself anything his beasts knew. Or
3:33:26perhaps that was too easy of a standard,
3:33:29and he should have been looking at
3:33:30becoming a walking skill library. For
3:33:33now, Carl selected pack affinity and
3:33:36made a mental note to check his points
3:33:38again soon to pick another skill. Pack
3:33:41affinity learned. Then a flood of
3:33:43knowledge hit him like a physical force,
3:33:46making him stagger as he walked across
3:33:47the yard. "Mr. Carl, are you all right?"
3:33:51Loros asked, running out of the
3:33:53workshop. She had been waiting for him
3:33:56to come back and teach her the runsmith
3:33:58skill, so she had noticed the moment
3:34:00that he staggered and the trickle of
3:34:01black blood that briefly flowed from his
3:34:03nose before vanishing. I am all right.
3:34:07Just an information overload when I
3:34:09changed one of my skills.
3:34:11Now, let's get to work, shall we?" Carl
3:34:15replied before placing a hand on her
3:34:17head and transferring the apprentice
3:34:19runsmith skill. She dragged Carl into
3:34:23the workshop with surprising strength
3:34:24for someone so small, and began to show
3:34:27off her morning work. She had made some
3:34:30truly beautiful items out of the wood
3:34:32that Lotus had left for them. A few
3:34:34rings with nature scenes, a bracelet
3:34:36with carvings of a naval battle, and
3:34:38then an eye cover, which was currently
3:34:40missing the string to attach it. An eye
3:34:43cover. Healing magic is a thing that
3:34:46exists. You can grow them back, Carl
3:34:49asked curiously.
3:34:51Loros laughed. They're not for missing
3:34:54eyes. They're for night watch. You see,
3:34:58you keep one eye in the dark all the
3:35:00time, and it gets more sensitive.
3:35:03So, when the sun goes down, you swap the
3:35:05patch to the other side and you look out
3:35:08from the eye that wasn't dimmed by
3:35:09daylight. It's an old sailor trick that
3:35:12works on dozens of species.
3:35:15That was actually pretty fascinating.
3:35:17Many people in the mines would complain
3:35:19of headaches from the brightness when
3:35:21they were outside during the day on
3:35:22their day off. So, it might be the same
3:35:24in that situation. He had just never
3:35:27realized it. Wendy looked excited about
3:35:30the new information.
3:35:32What do you do for night watch instead,
3:35:34Master Carl? She asked. Carl shrugged. I
3:35:39have echolocation and thermal vision. I
3:35:42just ignore the light input from my eyes
3:35:44and focus on the other optical inputs
3:35:46when it's dark. Loro sighed. That's
3:35:50cheating. But Wendy shrugged. I have
3:35:54excellent night vision, but not that
3:35:56good. I still need at least a little
3:35:59light. Carl began the lesson. Now that
3:36:03you both have the crafting skill, I will
3:36:05go over the basics with you. We are
3:36:08going to make rings that can store mana
3:36:10and increase skill power. Those will be
3:36:13the staple of our shop. So, I want you
3:36:15both to learn how to make them right
3:36:16away. He wrote the rune on the
3:36:18chalkboard on the wall, including notes
3:36:21about stroke order and direction with
3:36:22depth changes, then gestured to the pile
3:36:25of wooden rings. As Miss Loros got an
3:36:28early start, "I will demonstrate one
3:36:30before you both make plain rings to
3:36:32practice on." He added, "Loros gestured
3:36:36to the side of the table where dozens of
3:36:38ring blanks in various sizes were
3:36:40already made. They had only been roughly
3:36:42shaped into circles, and Carl realized
3:36:45that she had cred the same stick to make
3:36:47two different ring sizes from the same
3:36:49disc. Very efficient use of materials."
3:36:53Carl carefully carved the inside of the
3:36:55ring with the runes for mana storage and
3:36:57increased skill power, then placed it
3:36:59between them. See how the string of
3:37:02runes is placed? Evenly spacing them
3:37:05around the ring creates a more even
3:37:06activation with less chance of
3:37:08overloading a material that is being
3:37:10enchanted to near its magical limits.
3:37:13Now, this wood is capable of taking a
3:37:15royal rank charge, and neither of you
3:37:17can manage that, so slight errors in
3:37:19spacing won't be a major issue. For the
3:37:22first attempt, you will do them on the
3:37:24outside, not the inside of the ring.
3:37:27Trust me, it's much easier to carve the
3:37:29outside perfectly.
3:37:31Just draw them on with a pencil first,
3:37:33then carve the runes. After a few
3:37:36minutes of examination, both apprentices
3:37:38were satisfied with their understanding
3:37:40of the process, and they began working
3:37:42on the runes. It was slow, even on the
3:37:46outside of the simple ring blanks, but
3:37:48speed would come with practice, and they
3:37:50needed to get the runes perfect in both
3:37:52shape and depth. Surprisingly, they both
3:37:55got it right on their first tries.
3:37:57Perhaps that was the advantage of having
3:37:59skilled sculptor as apprentices.
3:38:02Now, focus on your skill and begin
3:38:04enchanting the rings. Wendy, you're more
3:38:07powerful, so you can go all the way to
3:38:09commander rank. The practice will help
3:38:12you both grow your magical strength,
3:38:15Carl instructed.
3:38:17Loros didn't seem upset about the
3:38:19difference. Even though Wendy was still
3:38:20a child, she had long since accepted
3:38:23that her bloodline had limitations, and
3:38:26unless she could break them, she would
3:38:28never be moving past ascended rank.
3:38:30Slowly, the color of the runes changed
3:38:33as they upgraded the rings. Silver
3:38:36ascended rank from Loros and golden
3:38:38commander rank runes from Wendy.
3:38:41Perfect.
3:38:42Now give them a light buffing and put
3:38:44them to let them bond with you. The
3:38:47first item you officially make as an
3:38:48apprentice should be for your own
3:38:50advancement.
3:38:51Carl insisted.
3:38:53A second later, both of them were
3:38:55wearing a simple wooden ring on their
3:38:57hand and staring at it with great pride.
3:39:00Perfect. Now you understand the basic
3:39:03concept. So, we will up the difficulty a
3:39:06little. I want you to take one of the
3:39:08ring blanks, polish it, then carve a
3:39:10design that will go around the runes
3:39:12before you enchant it. That is the
3:39:14standard that others will want for even
3:39:16a basic purchase. It can be scroll work
3:39:19on the edges, a full design with the
3:39:21runes carved into the back, or you can
3:39:23even cut and polish some of these flakes
3:39:25of mana jade from yesterday's work as
3:39:27semi-precious stones and make it a
3:39:29decorative ring for those who prefer not
3:39:30to wear metal bands. that would keep
3:39:33them busy for an hour or two, Carl
3:39:35decided as he went back into the house.
3:39:38The shelves had been slightly
3:39:40rearranged, and a small selection of
3:39:42items obtained from the giant wars had
3:39:44been added to a cabinet on the right as
3:39:46you came in the door. It was a bit of a
3:39:48grab bag of randomness as opposed to the
3:39:51more uniform crafted items, and it would
3:39:53catch the attention of customers on
3:39:54their way in or out.
3:39:57Most of the team was inspecting the new
3:39:58shop, while Davis created a basic
3:40:00pricing guide for the items that were in
3:40:02the shop by quality and rank. That way,
3:40:06if someone else was making a sale, they
3:40:08didn't have to go to him to get a price
3:40:09to tell the customers. The rear area of
3:40:12the shop by the kitchen entrance was
3:40:15separated by a divider wall the same
3:40:17height as the cabinets, giving them
3:40:19somewhere to work and a place for the
3:40:20shop safe. That was an item that Carl
3:40:23hadn't thought of, and the place marked
3:40:25for it was empty. But after a moment's
3:40:28thought, he realized that this issue had
3:40:30already been solved when Mage Jones had
3:40:32enchanted the building. The safe was
3:40:35just tucked under one of the cabinets,
3:40:37and when Carl focused on it, he could
3:40:39see that it was linked to the the dark
3:40:41light host guild bank branch. The safe
3:40:44is over here. I will add you all as
3:40:47users so you can use it for
3:40:49transactions,
3:40:51Carl explained when he realized that
3:40:53nobody else knew where it was. Oh, all
3:40:56right. That works as well. Now, were you
3:41:00going to designate this location as an
3:41:02official store belonging to the guild
3:41:04branch? Davis asked. Carl focused on his
3:41:08system interface.
3:41:10Sure enough, there were guild options
3:41:12there, and one of them was the guild
3:41:14house. Carl chose his current location
3:41:17and a message came up in his interface.
3:41:20Guild branch location selected. Please
3:41:23add guild members to the branch. Carl
3:41:26frowned and looked through the guild
3:41:28members menu. Grand war champion Carl.
3:41:32That was the only name registered to
3:41:34this branch of the Dark Light host. The
3:41:37rest of his core group were members of
3:41:38the guild, but not assigned to a guild
3:41:41house or location.
3:41:43Carl chose the rest of the group. then
3:41:45sent guild invites to Davis, Loros, and
3:41:47Wendy. The appraiser looked startled.
3:41:51"Sir, are you certain? Guild slots are
3:41:54limited. You don't need to add a mere
3:41:57employee such as myself."
3:41:59Carl smiled at Davis's expression. "I am
3:42:03certain the manager and chief appraiser
3:42:06is a trusted position, and even if the
3:42:08branch doesn't hold much clout in the
3:42:10city, you deserve the status." Guild
3:42:13skill inactive.
3:42:15Guild bonus inactive.
3:42:18Guild perks 50 luck for all members. It
3:42:21wasn't much, but Carl assumed that it
3:42:24would grow. As soon as he was formally
3:42:26inducted, Davis changed his visible
3:42:28title. Davis, the chief appraiser of the
3:42:31Dark Light host, draw branch, dark host.
3:42:36That was a pretty cool option. The
3:42:39others had accepted his invitation and
3:42:41changed their titles as well. And now
3:42:43Carl could see that all of their names
3:42:44had a faint gold outline marking them as
3:42:47guild members, though none of them
3:42:48showed a secondary title with their
3:42:50names, only Dark Light host as a guild
3:42:53tag. No, there was one who had rejected
3:42:56the application.
3:42:58Caretaker Joe did not join. Her name
3:43:01looked the same as always, and when Carl
3:43:04gave her a curious look, she just shook
3:43:06her head. It seemed she was happy as an
3:43:09employee of the house. Then it occurred
3:43:12to Carl that there were actual drawbacks
3:43:14to being a guild member. He was a war
3:43:17champion. But how had he gotten that
3:43:18title during a guild on guild war for
3:43:21control of a city? The membership would
3:43:24also paint a target on their backs if
3:43:26the guild members were out and about in
3:43:28the city where someone might have a
3:43:29grudge against them as a group. They
3:43:32also didn't currently have an overlord
3:43:34rank leader as most powerful groups in
3:43:36Drad City would. There were hundreds or
3:43:39possibly over a thousand overlords in
3:43:41the city. With Carl only being a
3:43:44monarch, they were the most minor of
3:43:46minor powers in the city. But with a
3:43:49whole house full of valuables,
3:43:51they did have the advantage of being
3:43:53right next to a guard station, but that
3:43:55didn't mean much if the guards didn't
3:43:57intervene in guild battles. In Banga,
3:44:00the guards had sheltered in place,
3:44:02protecting civilians while the battle
3:44:04raged. The city of Drad appeared to be
3:44:07mostly stable, as far as Carl could
3:44:09tell. There were some issues between the
3:44:12various factions, but no widescale
3:44:14battles between them, thanks to the
3:44:16presence of the governor and his forces.
3:44:18Carl was thinking about the
3:44:20repercussions of his actions when a soft
3:44:22chime sounded, notifying them that
3:44:24someone had entered the yard. A pair of
3:44:27elderly demons, both overlords with
3:44:29powerful builds and near 3 m tall, came
3:44:32down the stone path and through the open
3:44:34front doors of the shop. Oh, now this is
3:44:37interesting. It appears that the sign
3:44:40wasn't overstating their inventory.
3:44:43One of the old men chuckled. Davis
3:44:45smiled and made a welcoming gesture.
3:44:48Please do come in and take a look
3:44:50around. We've just finished setting up
3:44:53for our first day, he explained. The
3:44:57ladies retreated to the kitchen, leaving
3:44:59only Carl and Davis to deal with
3:45:00customers. They looked briefly at the
3:45:03assorted items in the case by the door.
3:45:05Then one of the two froze in place as he
3:45:07looked at the staff in the long case on
3:45:09the right of the door. That is
3:45:12magnificent.
3:45:13It's everything that a fire mage could
3:45:15wish for in one spot and royal rank as
3:45:17well. But that's a bit more than I was
3:45:20planning to spend this year. That made
3:45:23both Carl and the demon's friend laugh.
3:45:26That's more than you were planning to
3:45:27spend this decade. You miser. But look
3:45:30at these. There are mana jade rings for
3:45:33mages, very similar to the ones that
3:45:36royal jeweler is selling for warriors.
3:45:39The other man joked. They came over and
3:45:42looked at the small selection of green
3:45:43jade rings. Then the one who had been
3:45:45called a miser by his friend clicked his
3:45:47tongue.
3:45:48If they were a bit higher quality,
3:45:50perhaps,"
3:45:52he sighed. "Sir, on your left, we have a
3:45:55selection of Monarch ranked items of
3:45:57similar enchantments,"
3:45:59Davis offered. Both rushed over and let
3:46:03out a longing sigh as they saw the white
3:46:05and red mana jade accessories, including
3:46:07a matching pair of bracelets with mana
3:46:09storage and skill power on them. Then
3:46:12above that were matching rings with
3:46:14agility and skill damage on them. The
3:46:16combat half of the set. Skill damage was
3:46:19specific but stronger while skill power
3:46:22was comprehensive but a much smaller
3:46:24percentage.
3:46:25When do these go to auction? The demon
3:46:28asked. They're not being auctioned. Good
3:46:31sir. They are available for direct
3:46:34purchase here. If you would like them,
3:46:37we can offer a discount on the matched
3:46:39pair. only 2400 gold coins.
3:46:43That was a generous 20% above what Davis
3:46:45had put on the sheet, but this was part
3:46:47of the negotiation process as well. The
3:46:50elderly demon gave him a shrewd look,
3:46:53then returned a longing gaze to the
3:46:54jewelry. Are there more items like this?
3:46:58He asked. Davis nodded and took out one
3:47:02of the more interesting items Carl had
3:47:04made. It was similar in function, but it
3:47:07had an inscription for mana
3:47:08regeneration, skill activation speed,
3:47:10and skill damage instead. It was a
3:47:13purely combat oriented piece of jewelry,
3:47:16and the mage simply stared at it for a
3:47:18full minute without speaking. These were
3:47:20all created by the same person, carved
3:47:23by one, imbued with power by another.
3:47:27That means you should know who the
3:47:28creator is, right? The shrewd demon
3:47:31asked Davis.
3:47:33That is confidential, sir, but if you
3:47:36would like to place a custom order, we
3:47:38should be able to obtain it within a
3:47:39month's time if the crafter is able to
3:47:42fill your request. The appraiser agreed.
3:47:46The demon shook his head. No, this
3:47:49should be more than sufficient. I will
3:47:51give you 5,000 gold for all five pieces.
3:47:55Davis winced as if the offer caused him
3:47:57actual pain. Sir, that is very near our
3:48:01wholesale price. Perhaps a little leeway
3:48:04could be found. The demon sighed, then
3:48:07reluctantly nodded. And 200 for the
3:48:10House Commission. Davis smiled and shook
3:48:13the man's hand, then took the five
3:48:15pieces of jade jewelry out of the case.
3:48:18"Thank you very much for your
3:48:19patronage." The demon beamed in pride
3:48:22while his more miserly partner frowned
3:48:24at him. A little hesitation, and he just
3:48:27snaps up everything in the shop. The
3:48:30demon grumbled, then paused when Davis
3:48:32put another ring and bracelet pair in
3:48:34the display case identical to the last
3:48:36one. There were more. Davis nodded. Yes,
3:48:42sir. They simply didn't fit in the
3:48:44display. More like he didn't want to
3:48:47crowd the display and give an appearance
3:48:49of abundance which would drive down the
3:48:51price. I will take the pair, he
3:48:54insisted, then placed a bag of coins on
3:48:57the counter. Thank you for your
3:48:59patronage.
3:49:00Should you have any custom orders,
3:49:02please do return. Davis stared at the
3:49:05sacks of gold coins on the counter in
3:49:07all. This is absolutely insane. We're
3:49:11not even fully open yet, and the shop is
3:49:14already rolling in cash. He stammered.
3:49:18Tessa looked at the bags. You don't need
3:49:20to verify and count that. Davis shook
3:49:23his head and smiled. I awakened the
3:49:26merchant class.
3:49:28I can tell how much money is in a bag
3:49:30with a glance. And whether any of the
3:49:32coins are forgeries at a level lower
3:49:34than my own, but those two are from the
3:49:37castle. I've seen them around dozens of
3:49:39times, and I know where they live. That
3:49:41was good enough for Tessa. A few minutes
3:49:44later, a curious guardsman came in the
3:49:46front gate and waved as he stepped in to
3:49:49look around the new shop next to his
3:49:50duty station. He looked around at the
3:49:53expensive magical jewelry, then stopped
3:49:55at the box of random stuff as Cara was
3:49:58calling the loot drop case and inspected
3:50:00a few items. I don't suppose that you
3:50:03have any loose gems, "Do you?" My
3:50:06wedding band lost its stone, and I would
3:50:08like to have a jeweler fix it before my
3:50:10wife notices,"
3:50:12he asked. None of the items had a
3:50:15suitable stone in them, and there was no
3:50:17obvious junk in the shop. Carl nodded.
3:50:21Indeed, I do. They're not part of the
3:50:24usual stock, but I can have our team
3:50:26repair your ring as well and get it back
3:50:27to you before your shift ends if you're
3:50:29just starting. The guard smiled. It used
3:50:33to have a small emerald in it. Well, a
3:50:36fake emerald, an earth stone. If you've
3:50:40got something that shade and perfectly
3:50:42round, I would appreciate it. Loros,
3:50:45please come to the shop for a repair
3:50:47request. Carl sent a system message. She
3:50:51came running and the guard relayed the
3:50:53information. Then Carl held out a
3:50:56selection of the smallest green earth
3:50:58stones that he could find. The giants
3:51:01didn't usually keep bits of stone that
3:51:03small. That color is perfect. How much?
3:51:08He asked. Carl looked to Davis who sent
3:51:11him a subtle message. That's an awakened
3:51:14grade stone and it's flawed. Even if you
3:51:17had Loros cut it, a silver coin would be
3:51:20all it's worth for the effort. Carl
3:51:22patted the guard on the shoulder with
3:51:24his empty hand. Don't worry about it.
3:51:28This one's on the house. Wedding rings
3:51:30are important, and it's not a powerful
3:51:32magic stone. Building goodwill with
3:51:35their neighbors in the city guard was
3:51:37never the wrong answer. Loros had the
3:51:40stone polished out to the right size and
3:51:42mounted with the ring repaired and
3:51:44returned to its owner half an hour
3:51:45later. Just in time for them to get
3:51:48another customer, an elegantly dressed
3:51:50overlord ranked demoness with a kind
3:51:52smile and an aura that shouted, "I come
3:51:54from money." Davis had just stepped to
3:51:56the back to grab a drink, so Carl bowed
3:51:59to the customer and smiled. "Good
3:52:01morning. Is there anything in particular
3:52:04that you are looking for?" The woman
3:52:06gave him a genuine smile in return and
3:52:08looked around the shop. I have heard
3:52:11from a little bird that you do not just
3:52:13sell magical items, but you can custom
3:52:15craft them.
3:52:16she began.
3:52:18Well, that narrowed down the suspects.
3:52:21Then Davis stepped out of the back and
3:52:23bowed deeply. "Madame Shinn, it is an
3:52:26honor to have you in our shop. Thank you
3:52:29for your kindness to my mother. She's
3:52:32the governor's wife." Davis informed the
3:52:35others using the guild exclusive
3:52:37function of the messages.
3:52:39Madame Shin turned her smile on the
3:52:41black-winged fallen angel. Little Davis,
3:52:44I didn't know that you were working
3:52:45here. I was having tea with midwife Musa
3:52:49yesterday, and she told me that the man
3:52:51who took over this place was the one
3:52:52that made her a custom fertility charm.
3:52:55I was hoping to have something made for
3:52:57my anniversary.
3:52:59Davis bowed. She is quite right. This is
3:53:03Carl, and he is the one with the skill
3:53:05you are looking for. She turned back to
3:53:08Carl with a smile.
3:53:10How powerful of an item can you make? My
3:53:13husband and I are known to be somewhat
3:53:15extravagant in our gifts. Carl smirked
3:53:18as he realized that she was fully
3:53:19intending to one up whatever the
3:53:21governor managed to come up with as an
3:53:23anniversary gift. I cannot make items
3:53:26above my own rank. But with sufficient
3:53:29materials and a bit of time, our team
3:53:31should be able to craft you most types
3:53:32of gifts up to the monarch rank. We have
3:53:35sculptors and a nature priestess on
3:53:37staff, but unfortunately no blacksmith
3:53:40at this time. The demonis clapped
3:53:42happily. Oh, I know what I want. The
3:53:46droid clan traditionally made all their
3:53:48armor from enchanted wood over a padded
3:53:50cloth base. I have pictures if you are
3:53:53unfamiliar.
3:53:55My anniversary is in 2 weeks. Would it
3:53:57be possible to rush through a set of
3:53:59replica armor at the monarch rank by
3:54:01then? The ceremonial armor should be all
3:54:04black, but with either red or gold
3:54:06details.
3:54:07Carl nodded. Monarch ranked runes were
3:54:11red, so that would work perfectly.
3:54:13Loros crept into the room with a curtsy
3:54:15to the governor's wife, who hadn't
3:54:17noticed her yet. "I know the design very
3:54:20well. I think that we can do it if Lady
3:54:23Ray helps," she whispered. Madame Shin
3:54:27looked down at the shorter demonness.
3:54:30Who is Lady Ray? I don't recognize the
3:54:33name, but I may be able to influence her
3:54:35to assist if she is local. Carl
3:54:38chuckled. Lady Ray is a monarch ranked
3:54:41bloodbath spider and a member of my
3:54:43group. I am certain that she will gladly
3:54:46assist with this project. Carl took the
3:54:49stack of pictures for the armor, then
3:54:51realized he had a small issue. I don't
3:54:54suppose that you have your husband's
3:54:55measurements, do you? especially if it
3:54:58is a ceremonial piece and he is
3:55:00intending to put it on display without
3:55:02bonding the item. It would be best if we
3:55:04made it to his dimensions.
3:55:06He explained he had met the man once so
3:55:09they could get it close but not perfect.
3:55:12I will leave you seven for the next few
3:55:14hours. They are often used as my
3:55:17husband's body double. She snapped her
3:55:20fingers and a large demon who looked a
3:55:22lot like her husband but who was only a
3:55:24royal ranked demon stepped inside
3:55:26wearing a butler suit. Rey came down the
3:55:30stairs.
3:55:31Yes, that is perfect. We will have the
3:55:34armor perfectly fitted. It will be
3:55:37beautiful.
3:55:38Madame Shin nodded her head at Rey. You
3:55:42are a magnificent example of your
3:55:43species, are you not? I have never met
3:55:46one who chose to appear in humanoid form
3:55:49before. Rey was startled. You have met
3:55:53one of my people before. Madame Shin
3:55:56laughed. Oh yes. When I was young, I
3:56:00traveled here by carriage from Shatarb
3:56:02city, a two-month ceremonial journey
3:56:04across three nations for my wedding
3:56:06ceremony. In the wilderness of Lard
3:56:09territory, we were attacked by a
3:56:11bloodbath spider who was displeased with
3:56:13our presence in her territory while she
3:56:15was mating. Though only royal rank, she
3:56:18took down four overlord ranked guards
3:56:20and almost all of my ladies maids before
3:56:22she managed to escape. Rey was shocked.
3:56:26Someone had managed to put on a greater
3:56:28show than she had. How much experience
3:56:31did you need to amass before you could
3:56:32kill overlords as a royal? She sounds
3:56:35like an example for all young ladies.
3:56:38After all, if we allow a mating ritual
3:56:41to be interrupted, the men folk might
3:56:43start getting rebellious ideas.
3:56:45Rey agreed. Madame Shin nodded in
3:56:48agreement. Precisely.
3:56:51A well-trained husband is essential to a
3:56:54peaceful life. You can't have him
3:56:56thinking that your authority is
3:56:58something that can be challenged. Davis
3:57:00did his best not to choke as he
3:57:02refrained from responding to that. But
3:57:04Carl just laughed. It seems that you two
3:57:07have very similar opinions on dating.
3:57:10There is fresh tea if you would like to
3:57:12watch while Lady Ray fits the base
3:57:14layer. That got enthusiastic approval
3:57:17from Madame Shin and Ray led the lady
3:57:19plus her guards to the second floor
3:57:21while Lotus made tea for everyone. Royal
3:57:24rank nature priestess calming tea should
3:57:26be enough to impress even the most picky
3:57:28of guests. Of course, they would likely
3:57:31need to start stocking it after this,
3:57:33but Lotus didn't mind, even if she had
3:57:35to make a 100 kilos of it for resale.
3:57:38She was going to stock the pantry with a
3:57:40few dozen varieties. Anyhow, the base
3:57:43layer of the armor was just quilted
3:57:45cloth padding, in this case, monarch
3:57:47rank silk, that had dozens of ties all
3:57:49over it to attach the enchanted wooden
3:57:51armor plates. Once they were layered,
3:57:54they would make a nearly complete
3:57:56defensive barrier that maintained
3:57:57extreme flexibility.
3:58:00This style of armor was originally an
3:58:01orish invention, so the plates should
3:58:03have been enchanted by a shaman, but
3:58:06rune crafting would be close enough for
3:58:08the purpose. Not authentic, but close
3:58:11enough, especially if he gave the armor
3:58:14some sort of spell effect. Loros was
3:58:17already designing all the plates for the
3:58:19armor while measuring the body double.
3:58:22Once she had the design drawn, Lotus
3:58:24created the rough piece thicker than
3:58:26necessary so that it could be carved
3:58:28properly. Then they tied them on the
3:58:30base layer as Rey and the
3:58:32governor<unk>'s wife chatted quietly
3:58:33about the wilderness of this dragon
3:58:35isle. She was surprisingly welltraveled
3:58:38for what amounted to a princess from a
3:58:40noble house. Now Ry knew a bit about the
3:58:43wilderness in the area and that there
3:58:45really were overlord and totem rank wild
3:58:47monsters roaming the wild areas of the
3:58:49continent. Further away, there were
3:58:52supposed to be much worse things. But
3:58:55generations of dedicated hunting had
3:58:57reduced the threat level in Drad and
3:58:59Lard, the nation to their south. In
3:59:02Madame Shin's homeland of Unzathurb,
3:59:04there were wild monsters at the mythic
3:59:06rank as well. But they had an immortal
3:59:08guard to keep them under control. After
3:59:11a few questions, Rey realized that
3:59:13referred to their rank, one above totem,
3:59:16and it wasn't simply a title. Immortal
3:59:18Guard sounds like a good job to have.
3:59:21Oilia joked as she carried lunch up for
3:59:24everyone working on the second floor.
3:59:26Madame Shin laughed. Well, it's job
3:59:30security for certain. They only take in
3:59:33new immortals when one is permanently
3:59:35killed, and the librarian elder of the
3:59:37guard has been with them for over a
3:59:38100,000 years since the last full
3:59:41activation of the system and through
3:59:42multiple small resurgences.
3:59:45Cara wondered what his power would taste
3:59:47like.
3:59:48probably musty books. It took hours, but
3:59:52the shop was quiet as Madame Shin had
3:59:54the armor fitted for her husband. Ry
3:59:56stood up as they finished and shook the
3:59:58woman's hand. Give us one week and we
4:00:01will have it all prepared. Black with
4:00:04red runes just as we discussed. Don't
4:00:07worry, I know what you're after. With
4:00:10that, the customers left and Ray dragged
4:00:13Loros out the window to get to work on
4:00:15the project. Much to the demon's dismay,
4:00:19second floor windows were not
4:00:20appropriate exits for demons without
4:00:22wings. But Ry just shadowstepped as they
4:00:26passed through the window frame and
4:00:27straight to the workshop with Loros
4:00:29tucked under her arm. You learned a new
4:00:32trick, Carl noted. Yeah, if I put her
4:00:36under my robes, I can just carry her in
4:00:38my shadow. Very convenient.
4:00:42Rey agreed. Once Madame Shin left, the
4:00:45flow of customers became much more
4:00:47steady. If she was shopping here, it had
4:00:50to be a good place. It was also newly
4:00:53opened and freshly renovated with
4:00:55overlord rank barriers, which said that
4:00:57the new owner had significant amounts of
4:00:59spending money or very deep connections.
4:01:02Davis greeted their customers, all from
4:01:04the wealthier stone chapel district
4:01:06between them and the castle. A few of
4:01:09the trinkets from the case by the door
4:01:10were chosen and a selection of potions.
4:01:14Only a few of the rings were sold as
4:01:16that was far from being an impulse
4:01:18purchase. But 2 hours after Madame Shin
4:01:21had left, a group of uniformed men came
4:01:23in and bought every single bat, batten,
4:01:26and club that they had in stock with a
4:01:27stun effect on it. The amount of money
4:01:30transferred during their first day was
4:01:32astronomical by the standards of a
4:01:34regular business, and Lotus was already
4:01:36hard at work on the second floor
4:01:37replacing the wooden weapons that had
4:01:39been purchased. How long would it take
4:01:41to get a custom piece made? A
4:01:44transformed mage asked later in the
4:01:46afternoon. Carl couldn't figure out what
4:01:49species he was by smell. It was muddled
4:01:51by a cologne or potion. But his humanoid
4:01:54form was a very averagel looking
4:01:56obsession demon. As Carl had learned,
4:01:58the ones with purplish skin tones were
4:02:00usually designated.
4:02:02That depends on the piece. Rings,
4:02:05bracelets, and other accessories can be
4:02:07created by our apprentice in the next
4:02:09day or two. Our journeyman sculptor and
4:02:12our clothing maker are both currently
4:02:14occupied with a custom order placed this
4:02:16morning, Davis explained. The man took
4:02:20out a massive sword and placed it on the
4:02:22counter. My smith just made this and I
4:02:25want it upgraded. The wielder is a fury
4:02:28warrior, a form of berserker.
4:02:31Davis messaged Carl, who came down to
4:02:33see what the commotion was. Oh, that is
4:02:36magnificent.
4:02:38I can make runes at the monarch rank,
4:02:40but it appears that weapon is already
4:02:42beyond my level, so I would only be
4:02:44adding secondary effects, he explained
4:02:47while trying to understand what level
4:02:49that blade could be at. It radiated
4:02:52immense power, but raw and unrefined, as
4:02:54if it only just finished forging and
4:02:56hadn't been used yet. The customer
4:02:59smiled, an expression that was
4:03:00completely unnatural on their fake face.
4:03:04That is fine. I have a skill to remedy
4:03:07that. Carl nodded in understanding.
4:03:10The advanced classes on this continent
4:03:12should have all sorts of unfathomable
4:03:14powers available to them after the totem
4:03:16rank. The fact that this man could carry
4:03:19that blade to set it on the counter, but
4:03:21didn't give any indication of his rank
4:03:23was enough to tell both Carl and Davis
4:03:25that he was far too powerful for them to
4:03:27question his skills. "Did you have a
4:03:30budget or particular element in mind?"
4:03:32"I have a selection of monarch ranked
4:03:34elemental gems for the enchantment,"
4:03:37Carl offered. "Fire." "It must be fire,"
4:03:42the man insisted quickly. "A customer
4:03:45with good taste.
4:03:47Hawk cheered from his perch. Carl could
4:03:50have sworn the man's mouth turned up in
4:03:52amusement, but there was no way that he
4:03:54could have heard Hawk, who was perched
4:03:56on the roof of the workshop. Unless he
4:03:58read minds, that was. Carl thought about
4:04:02what he would add to the weapon. All
4:04:04right, I have an idea. I can give the
4:04:07weapon a collection of enchantments
4:04:09suitable for a fire element berserker.
4:04:12If you could leave your contact
4:04:13information, I will send a runner when
4:04:15the weapon is ready.
4:04:17Carl agreed. The man nodded. I will know
4:04:21when it is complete. Then he set a bag
4:04:24on the counter and vanished using a
4:04:26teleportation ability that left behind
4:04:28flickering red flames. Davis turned to
4:04:31Carl. It seems that we are being tested
4:04:34by all the powers of the region. Drod
4:04:37City is known for its demonic fleet and
4:04:39their combination of unholy and water
4:04:41magic. But that sort of flame should be
4:04:44Phoenix flames.
4:04:46Not only that, but I have no idea what
4:04:48is in the bag. It's enchanted to a level
4:04:51that I can't see through with my
4:04:53appraisal skills. An anti- theft
4:04:56container. Carl picked up the bag and
4:04:58looked inside. It was full of fire
4:05:01element gems, bits of stone, and a small
4:05:04branch that radiated intense heat.
4:05:07Yoink. Cara cheered as the branch
4:05:10vanished from the bag. She juggled it
4:05:13between her hands for a moment as it
4:05:15really was hot and then carefully
4:05:16planted it in the center of an open area
4:05:18in her space. The plant immediately took
4:05:22root, becoming more vibrant, and a
4:05:24second leaf began to form on the small
4:05:26sprig. Cara lay on her side, letting the
4:05:29radiated heat warm her belly fur. Oh
4:05:32yeah, that's the good stuff. Outside,
4:05:36Hawk simply stared at his shameless
4:05:37sister in amazement. Should he not have
4:05:40first dibs on fire element treasures?
4:05:43Was he not a giant flaming bird while
4:05:45she was a void element badger? Whatever.
4:05:49Once it grew out a bit, he would shame
4:05:51her into cutting a sprig for him to
4:05:53plant. But the gems in the bag were
4:05:56immeasurably valuable on their own. They
4:05:59were all totem and overlord rank fire
4:06:01element treasures worth thousands of
4:06:03times more than the work that the
4:06:04strange flame lover had requested. Carl
4:06:07considered what he would put on this
4:06:09work. He had planned something simple
4:06:11for the man to upgrade on his own. But
4:06:14if he was paying this much, how could
4:06:16Carl give him a couple of strength
4:06:18enchantments and call it a day? Plus,
4:06:20the weapon was huge. There was a lot of
4:06:24room for runes to be added, and it would
4:06:26certainly be able to handle the power.
4:06:28Call me if someone needs me. I will be
4:06:31on the second floor writing a plan. Carl
4:06:34informed Davis, then grunted a little as
4:06:37he picked up the sword. The blade
4:06:39weighed close to two tons, far more than
4:06:41it looked like it should, even at that
4:06:43size. But if the user was intended to be
4:06:46able to swing this blade, Carl had a
4:06:49great idea. If he combined runes for
4:06:51damage increase with inertia increase
4:06:54and inertia transfer in the form of
4:06:56shatter, it would be equivalent to
4:06:58hitting someone with a bus. a
4:07:00sharp-edged bus. Whatever was swinging
4:07:03this had to be huge already to be using
4:07:06a 5 m long blade. So, brutality was out.
4:07:10It would make them too large to fight
4:07:12conveniently.
4:07:14However, terrorize would be great.
4:07:17Terrorize improves damage done by the
4:07:20target by 10% per rank of the user.
4:07:23Add the runes for increased speed and
4:07:25agility to that. And he had a long
4:07:27string of runes that all merged smoothly
4:07:29into a single compound rune. That was
4:07:32the most efficient form of enchantment.
4:07:34But he could get a bit more in this rune
4:07:36if he tried without breaking the
4:07:38coherency.
4:07:40A short poem about overwhelming power
4:07:42ensuring victory and a legendary legacy
4:07:44stretched out the runic string even
4:07:46further. The overall effect was
4:07:48beautiful and matched the space in the
4:07:51center of the blade perfectly. Carl
4:07:53would duplicate that on both sides. Then
4:07:55on the hilt under the grip guard, he
4:07:58would add runes to link a spell gem to
4:07:59the blade inscription and to strengthen
4:08:01the weapon itself as the blade
4:08:03transferred mana. It should help
4:08:05whatever skill that man had to improve
4:08:07runes as the inscription wouldn't be
4:08:09fighting against him. It would already
4:08:11have that type of growth in its nature.
4:08:14Then Carl carefully removed the totem
4:08:16rank fire gem from the hilt and carved
4:08:18it with ghost fire body. If that wasn't
4:08:21sufficient for a fire user, Carl didn't
4:08:24know what would be. It wasn't like he
4:08:26had a stronger fire element skill
4:08:28available to him. That made three
4:08:31separate strings of runes. It would be a
4:08:34bit of a mess as far as actual use went.
4:08:36So Carl modified the strings that would
4:08:38go on the weapon itself until they
4:08:40flowed smoothly. Mostly that meant
4:08:42moving the string of poetry in between
4:08:44the two, placing it at the base of the
4:08:46blade. But now it looked much better and
4:08:49the activation of ghost fire body would
4:08:51flow through the intention to strengthen
4:08:53the blade itself and the poem about
4:08:55legendary deeds. Then finish with the
4:08:57actual damage increasing effects that
4:08:59would accomplish the task. Carl coated
4:09:02one of the claws of his bestial form
4:09:04with disintegrate and shivered at the
4:09:06flow of power. As his snowy white fur
4:09:08brushed against the blade, he went over
4:09:11the runes one last time, making a few
4:09:13alterations to the depth of the carving
4:09:15based on what rune crafting was telling
4:09:17him to do with this particular
4:09:19formation. Then Carl began to focus on
4:09:22mana recovery as he felt his energy
4:09:24draining faster than he could regenerate
4:09:26it. Every single rune was drawing more
4:09:29power from him than it should, and the
4:09:31draw was increasing as he worked his way
4:09:33down the blade. An increase in draw as
4:09:36you made a more powerful runic
4:09:37inscription was normal, but he had
4:09:39already reached the mana flow of a full
4:09:41output monarch ranked skill, and he
4:09:43hadn't even started to upgrade the runes
4:09:45yet. By the time he reached the end of
4:09:47the inscription, Carl was panting with
4:09:50exertion and struggling not to let his
4:09:52claw shake, which would destroy all his
4:09:54hard work. The blade was vibrating with
4:09:57power and the runes were glowing gold
4:09:59even before being given any additional
4:10:01power or being activated by Carl.
4:10:04Everyone, can you transfer me power? I'm
4:10:07going to need it for this. I'm not sure
4:10:10what is up with this blade, but it's
4:10:12requiring entirely too much input for
4:10:14even the grand inscription I made, Carl
4:10:17requested.
4:10:18With a bit of concentration, all the
4:10:20power stored in the beast spaces began
4:10:22to flow to Carl's body, then to the
4:10:24blade as he pushed it from Commander
4:10:26through Royal to the peak of Monarch.
4:10:29Then the runes began to glow with an
4:10:31ethereal blue flame like Hawks feathers,
4:10:33and the flame gem lit up in the same
4:10:35color, flickering internally. The draw
4:10:38of power finally ended, and Carl let out
4:10:41a sigh of relief. This was a bit
4:10:44different than he had expected, and he
4:10:45wondered if it was something to do with
4:10:47the ghost fire body ability. He hadn't
4:10:50tried to use that one before, and it was
4:10:52not a simple skill. All he needed now
4:10:55was to have a shower and a nap after
4:10:57dinner. Tomorrow, he would hope that the
4:11:00owner showed up to get his blade, which
4:11:02was radiating power like a shining
4:11:03beacon on the tables in the second floor
4:11:05workshop.
4:11:07As soon as Carl thought that he should
4:11:09step away from the table, flames
4:11:10flickered in the air above the blade and
4:11:12the customer appeared in the room with a
4:11:14shocked look. "You did it! You did?" he
4:11:19announced, clearly shocked to his core.
4:11:22The amount of power needed for that was
4:11:24immense. But it is done. What do you
4:11:27think? The man casually picked up the
4:11:30massive blade in one hand. Internal
4:11:33damage, inertia increase, and transfer.
4:11:35An impressive damage increase, speed
4:11:38increase, user agility. A lovely poem.
4:11:41Then what is this? A soul bonded growing
4:11:44blade and the ghost fire body. Monarch,
4:11:48you have really outdone yourself. If I
4:11:51had known that you could create a true
4:11:52artifact of this level, I would have
4:11:54brought you a better blade to work with.
4:11:57Carl stared at him, unable to form a
4:11:59proper response. A better blade? What
4:12:03did he mean by that? Was it even
4:12:05possible to find a blade of higher
4:12:07quality than this that hadn't already
4:12:09been enhanced? A portal opened and
4:12:12through it stepped a small dragon with
4:12:14an aura so oppressive that it drove
4:12:15everyone in the room but Carl and the
4:12:17customer to their knees. He transformed
4:12:20into a large dragon kin, his head nearly
4:12:22reaching the ceiling of the room. Then
4:12:24the customer handed him the blade. What
4:12:27do you think, your majesty? Is it
4:12:30suitable for your challenge? I told you
4:12:32that I found a real runcfter,
4:12:35the customer asked. The dragon hummed
4:12:38happily, a noise that shook the building
4:12:40and activated the barriers.
4:12:43Yes, this is beautiful.
4:12:45Excellent work, Butler.
4:12:48Now I must return to my studies. The
4:12:51dragon agreed before stepping back
4:12:53through the portal. The customer,
4:12:56apparently that dragon's butler, placed
4:12:58another bag on the table before bowing
4:13:00politely and vanishing.
4:13:02Carl summoned the epic guard to grant
4:13:04healing to everyone, and Tessa struggled
4:13:06to her knees with a trickle of blood
4:13:08flowing from her nose. "Divine dragon,"
4:13:12she muttered. Lotus didn't bother
4:13:14getting up. She just rolled over and
4:13:16looked at the ceiling. "Little Green
4:13:19says that he's a juvenile divine fire
4:13:21dragon, fully grown. He will be a
4:13:24demagod without needing to evolve. She
4:13:27informed them. Little green had to be
4:13:30her nickname for the young green dragon
4:13:31that linked to her. Hawk, is everyone
4:13:35out there all right? Carl asked. All
4:13:38good. The effect didn't leave the house.
4:13:42Lotus had a curious look on her face. I
4:13:46wonder what sort of challenge it was
4:13:47for. Is he using it in combat? Or did we
4:13:51just help someone cheat on their
4:13:53crafting homework? She pondered. The
4:13:56group was just pulling themselves up off
4:13:58the floor when the sound of running feet
4:14:00downstairs and a powerful aura caught
4:14:02Carl's attention. Carl made his way
4:14:05downstairs, stretching sore muscles from
4:14:07the effort of remaining standing under
4:14:09the aura of that dragon. Governor Shinn,
4:14:12along with a squad of his personal guard
4:14:13and his wife, were in the main room
4:14:15looking around with great concern. Oh,
4:14:18crafter Carl, it's good to see that you
4:14:21are all right. We had an intruder alarm
4:14:24from the city wards at your location and
4:14:26rushed here as fast as we could.
4:14:28Governor Shin announced.
4:14:31Carl raised a hand in greeting. It's all
4:14:34fine, Governor. Well, it is now. There
4:14:38were some inadvertent injuries when the
4:14:40dragon appeared, but he wasn't openly
4:14:42hostile. The demon sighed in relief. If
4:14:46you have a moment, we need all the
4:14:48details. Entering the city is prohibited
4:14:51to all creatures over totem rank unless
4:14:53they have a pass from the Lord. Carl
4:14:55gave the governor the details of the
4:14:57strange customer and the divine fire
4:14:59dragon that had entered through the
4:15:00portal when he came to collect his
4:15:02order, though he didn't actually say
4:15:04what the man had ordered. The governor
4:15:06was already aware of Carl's rune
4:15:08crafting, so he could infer that the
4:15:10custom order was something along those
4:15:12lines without knowing exactly what was
4:15:14made. especially as it appeared that the
4:15:16weapon had left the country. The way
4:15:19that the guards in the retinue had
4:15:20breathed a sigh of relief when Carl had
4:15:22mentioned that it was a juvenile divine
4:15:24fire dragon suggested that they were
4:15:26unlikely to see it again. Anyhow,
4:15:28Governor Shin finished taking notes,
4:15:30then gave Carl an apologetic look. I do
4:15:34hope that there were no serious
4:15:35injuries, but there isn't much we can do
4:15:37when the royal dragons decide on a whim
4:15:39to drop in somewhere. Just their
4:15:42presence is enough to cause massive
4:15:44issues for a city like ours. It is
4:15:46fortunate that your barriers held the
4:15:48phenomenon within your compound. If
4:15:50there was no structural damage, then I
4:15:52will return to my duties." Carl shook
4:15:55his head. It didn't break the barriers,
4:15:58so the house should be fine. Thank you
4:16:01for your concern. He turned and left
4:16:03with his guards, and Carl saw that Ry
4:16:06gave Madame Shin a thumbs up gesture as
4:16:08the demon turned to look at the
4:16:09workshop. They had been working hard all
4:16:12day, and with the speed of the three of
4:16:14them, they were already nearly done with
4:16:16the engraving of the armor plates. Then
4:16:19Carl would have to add runes before they
4:16:21could be delivered. But if they weren't
4:16:23flooded with customers or subject to any
4:16:25other surprise visitors that delayed
4:16:27things, it should only be another day or
4:16:29two, and they would have the armor set
4:16:31ready to be delivered to the governor.
4:16:33Having the anniversary present in hand
4:16:36well in advance would be a relief for
4:16:37anyone, and Carl was certain that was
4:16:39extra true for people in prominent
4:16:41political positions.
4:16:43Remy restocked the potions that they had
4:16:45sold that day, while Davis rearranged
4:16:47the stock in the other cases to show off
4:16:49what they had available. They still had
4:16:52plenty, but Carl needed to get to work
4:16:54making more jewelry from the stock of
4:16:56blanks that Loros had provided during
4:16:58the battle at the docks. They were
4:17:00selling more quickly than expected, and
4:17:02he had only provided a few of them for
4:17:04the first few days business. Their
4:17:07reputation as a quality magical goods
4:17:09supplier seemed to have spread quickly
4:17:10through the city. And while Carl was
4:17:12busy working to make replacements for
4:17:14the items which had been purchased that
4:17:16day, Wendy was busily making commander
4:17:18rank wooden rings with mana storage and
4:17:20skill power. She brought them in towards
4:17:23the end of the day and Carl made a space
4:17:25in one of the taller display cases near
4:17:27the back of the room where the potions
4:17:29were. That was the unofficial spot for
4:17:32items with extremely high sales volumes.
4:17:35Directly in front of customers when they
4:17:37entered, but at the far end of the room,
4:17:39so they had to pass everything else. The
4:17:42next customer in one of the guardsmen
4:17:44saw them setting up the wooden rings and
4:17:46stopped to wait for them to finish
4:17:47working. Oh, you sell lower grade items
4:17:51as well. I was afraid that anything I
4:17:54found might be overkill. While the rings
4:17:56are incredibly tempting, and I will ask
4:17:58about them later, I would like to ask if
4:18:00you have any scar reduction creams. I
4:18:03heard that there is a nature cleric in
4:18:05your group and they are known to have
4:18:07skills in the healing arts that can help
4:18:08with cursed scars. He asked. Carl
4:18:12frowned. Is that for you or as a gift?
4:18:16the guard motion towards his back. It's
4:18:19for me. I've got a cursed scar all down
4:18:22my back that limits my range of
4:18:24movement, and I'm worried I'll fail the
4:18:26standard aptitude tests next time. I got
4:18:29it on the last deployment, and even our
4:18:31shamans couldn't deal with it. Carl
4:18:34called Cara out of her space and sent a
4:18:36message for Remy and Lotus to come to
4:18:38the main room. Can you take your shirt
4:18:41off? Once the specialists see what
4:18:43they're working with, they can make a
4:18:45better recommendation.
4:18:47The guard wasn't sure who the specialist
4:18:49was supposed to be here, but he pulled
4:18:51his shirt off unquestioningly, revealing
4:18:53a scar from his upper shoulder to his
4:18:55belt. It was still faintly glowing with
4:18:58power and an angry red of damaged flesh,
4:19:00which was fighting the continual damage
4:19:02with his regenerative speed. Carl tried
4:19:05the obvious first and placed his hand on
4:19:08the guard's shoulder to extend trollish
4:19:10regeneration over the man's body. That
4:19:13helped, and the wound mostly closed in
4:19:15seconds, but the curse remained as
4:19:17strong as ever, and an angry red line
4:19:20remained, waiting for its chance to
4:19:21expand again. Remy poured a healing
4:19:24potion over it, and the curse began to
4:19:26dim for a moment, then returned to full
4:19:29strength. "What exactly gave you that
4:19:31wound?" Carl asked as the angry line
4:19:34began to overcome monarch rank trollish
4:19:36regeneration.
4:19:38I was attacked by a totem rank
4:19:40netherbeast.
4:19:42Well, I was hit by an attack of one.
4:19:45Fortunately, it wasn't targeting me
4:19:47alone or I would not be here. The wounds
4:19:50it inflicts are cursed, and even at the
4:19:52same rank, they're considered quite
4:19:54difficult to purge. I am receiving
4:19:57treatment from the shamans in the unit,
4:19:58but they aren't sure how long it will
4:20:00take to completely eliminate it.
4:20:02Cara watched in fascination as all the
4:20:04healing methods were tried and failed.
4:20:07Then she went for old faithful. Nullify.
4:20:12The red line instantly vanished, leaving
4:20:14a ball of curse energy in the air that
4:20:16aimed back at the guard's body. Nullify.
4:20:20Stick it in a jar and put it in Sister
4:20:22Ray's space. Problem solved.
4:20:26Carl wasn't completely convinced that
4:20:28stuffing a damaged curse in a jar and
4:20:30tossing it in a mental space, especially
4:20:32one linked to his own mind, was a great
4:20:34idea. However, once the curse was in the
4:20:37space, it seemed to vanish, dissipated
4:20:40by something related to the power of the
4:20:42spaces. That was unexpected,
4:20:45at least to Carl. But the wound on the
4:20:48guard's back was completely gone. And
4:20:50even after Carl deactivated trollish
4:20:53regeneration, it showed no signs of
4:20:55returning. It looks like that is gone.
4:20:59It was a pretty nasty curse, and you
4:21:01were lucky this time. Cara's ability to
4:21:04remove curses doesn't extend to the
4:21:05totem rank yet. So, if this one was full
4:21:08and complete, you could have been in
4:21:09real trouble. Carl warned. The guard
4:21:13gave him a knowing smile. Oh, I
4:21:16remember. The shamans have been
4:21:19reminding me every day how lucky I am to
4:21:21be alive. But if the curse is gone, like
4:21:24truly gone, I am finally free of trips
4:21:27to the infirmary every afternoon. Carl
4:21:30inspected the wound, as did Cara. The
4:21:33joint decision was that there was
4:21:35nothing left to see, so the guardsmen
4:21:37should be good to go. With their
4:21:39decision, the guard turned to the rack
4:21:41of wooden rings. "Are these made in
4:21:44house?" he asked, admiring the carvings.
4:21:48Yes, those are made by one of our
4:21:51apprentice runsmith.
4:21:53They're new to the art, but an
4:21:54exceptional sculptor. The simplicity
4:21:57helps them focus the design on the
4:21:59desired effects, Carl explained.
4:22:03Actually, it just saved time so they
4:22:05could make more of them to practice on,
4:22:07but it wasn't really a lie. How much
4:22:10mana does this ring store? the guard
4:22:12asked, mentally calculating if the
4:22:14posted 55 gold coin price was worth it.
4:22:18That was well under half of what it cost
4:22:20to buy a royal rank ring with a similar
4:22:22effect, but a commander rank ring would
4:22:24not necessarily be even half the effect.
4:22:28Carl thought about it. There wasn't
4:22:30really an accepted standard for
4:22:32measuring mana storage. Use sure, but
4:22:36storage was a gray area. 6 seconds at
4:22:40peak commander rank spell power Carl
4:22:43offered. So 12 cleave attacks at peak
4:22:47commander. That's about two at overlord
4:22:50or six at monarch I would guess. Not a
4:22:53huge amount of storage but if I reserve
4:22:56that for my defensive abilities.
4:22:58The guard trailed off. I will take the
4:23:01ring. Please commend your apprentice on
4:23:04their fine craftsmanship.
4:23:06He decided a few seconds later. Wendy
4:23:09had made her first sale, and Carl
4:23:11watched as the guard went out and showed
4:23:13it off to all his friends at the gate.
4:23:16They might not all be willing to buy
4:23:17such an expensive ring. But for an
4:23:19overlord, the extra skill power would be
4:23:21worth the cost, even if the mana storage
4:23:24was more of a life-saving effect than a
4:23:26regular use mana pool. As the sun
4:23:29reached the horizon, Carl went out and
4:23:31closed the gate, marking the business
4:23:33closed for the evening. If there was
4:23:35some emergency, someone might shout and
4:23:37rattle the gate. But they weren't really
4:23:39the sort of shop that people went
4:23:41rushing to in the late hours of the
4:23:43evening. Now that they were getting
4:23:45settled into their new home, Carl had a
4:23:47few ideas to prepare for their next trip
4:23:49to the dungeon. For one, Pack Affinity
4:23:52had given him a much wider array of
4:23:54skills to work with. But that also meant
4:23:57that he had a much wider array of skills
4:23:59to teach. Dana, come here a second. I
4:24:02want to try to teach you a new skill, he
4:24:05called, bringing her down from the
4:24:07second floor where she had been studying
4:24:09with Remy. Oh, what would you like to
4:24:12teach? She asked before leaning back
4:24:15against him to let Carl wrap his arms
4:24:17around her. Now that he was huge and
4:24:20furry, he was quite comfortable to rest
4:24:22on. Hackmaster Carl offers knowledge,
4:24:25skill, bestial form will be transferred
4:24:28to his beloved Dana mage. Dana smiled as
4:24:31she accepted the knowledge, then
4:24:33activated the skill and found that she
4:24:35was not getting any taller. Unlike Carl,
4:24:38whose transformation had made him huge,
4:24:40she appeared to be the same size, but
4:24:42furry. White fur with black stripes, she
4:24:46realized as she pushed up the sleeve of
4:24:48her robes. You match. Lotus cheered as
4:24:52she ran over to hug Dana and bury her
4:24:54face in the fur of the mage's neck. Carl
4:24:57poked Lotus on the head and activated,
4:24:59"Follow me, little one," again, teaching
4:25:02the skill to Lotus, then included Tessa
4:25:04in the spell knowledge as well. Tessa
4:25:07smiled as the spell transferred and then
4:25:09transformed, gaining a draconic muzzle
4:25:12as her head reshaped and scales covered
4:25:14her visible body. Thor whistled in
4:25:17appreciation from his space as Tessa
4:25:19checked the transformation, her long red
4:25:21scaled tail swishing gently. Then Lotus
4:25:24proudly activated her skill and promptly
4:25:26vanished.
4:25:28No, not vanished. She was under a pile
4:25:30of cloth that was her robes. The cloth
4:25:33began to wrigle, then vanished as Lotus
4:25:36remembered she could unequip it, and a
4:25:38meter long green dragon emerged, then
4:25:40giggled and took flight, zooming around
4:25:42the room as Cara gave chase. Davis
4:25:45looked horrified. "What did you do? Why
4:25:49are there dragons in the shop?" He
4:25:51stuttered.
4:25:53It's a spell called bestial form. Carl
4:25:56laughed as Lotus and Cara flew up the
4:25:58stairs to the third floor before he
4:26:00heard them flop down on the pillows.
4:26:03"So, they're not dragons?"
4:26:06the demon asked, confused. "Well,
4:26:09they're dragon clerics." "But no,
4:26:12they're not full-blooded dragons, no
4:26:14matter what they look like." The
4:26:16appraiser sighed in relief. After the
4:26:19mage transformed to look just like you,
4:26:22I thought it was something that
4:26:23nullified your disguises.
4:26:25He finished checking inventory against
4:26:27his sales sheet, then put the notebook
4:26:29in the safe for the evening. If that is
4:26:32everything, I will be headed home,"
4:26:34Davis announced. "Have a good evening.
4:26:38We will see you tomorrow." Davis placed
4:26:41his hand on the lock of the gate to
4:26:43activate the security spell on his way
4:26:44out, and the two sculptors came in from
4:26:47the workshop. We're closing at sunset.
4:26:50Los asked. That's long enough for the
4:26:54day. We made a lot of sales and everyone
4:26:57needs sleep. Carl agreed. Wonderful.
4:27:02And who are these guests? That made Dana
4:27:05and Tessa laugh. That is Tessa and this
4:27:08is Dana. They learned a new
4:27:10transformation skill. Don't they look
4:27:12lovely? Los nodded in agreement while
4:27:15Wendy simply looked stunned.
4:27:18That doesn't even seem to be an
4:27:19illusion. I know that you're more
4:27:22powerful than I am, but I should be able
4:27:24to see through illusions, she announced.
4:27:28Tessa walked over and hugged her, which
4:27:30brought a startled squeak from the young
4:27:31demon as she was nearly crushed by
4:27:33Tessa's enhanced strength. Sorry, I
4:27:36didn't realize I was stronger in this
4:27:38form. I thought I had just changed
4:27:40appearance.
4:27:41Somewhere around here is a very small
4:27:43green dragon. That is Lotus.
4:27:47She's upstairs playing with Cara right
4:27:49now. Tessa explained.
4:27:52Loros giggled. First, Aroshasa shows up,
4:27:56then he reveals his friend, the
4:27:57bloodbath spider, and now he's turning
4:27:59people into dragons. It's like
4:28:02speedrunning the things lesser demons
4:28:04are terrified of checklist.
4:28:07Tessa laughed and changed back, noting
4:28:09that she retained a few more scales than
4:28:11she remembered. Well, we're not trying
4:28:14to terrify our neighbors, just fit in a
4:28:16bit better. After all, four of us aren't
4:28:19demons, and the fifth one is
4:28:21questionable,
4:28:23she joked. That could be taken a number
4:28:25of different ways, but both Loros and
4:28:28Wendy appeared to agree with the
4:28:29sentiment. Loros realized the double
4:28:32speak immediately and winked at Carl.
4:28:35Don't worry, despite your aura, we all
4:28:37know that you're actually a good guy.
4:28:40That made Carl chuckle. I keep telling
4:28:43people it's a mistake, but nobody
4:28:45believes me. But it wasn't really an
4:28:47issue until I was around demons who
4:28:49could all see it all the time. Los waved
4:28:52her hand dismissively.
4:28:54I wouldn't say all the time. It takes
4:28:57effort for most of us to focus on the
4:28:59aura. And who wants to know all that
4:29:01about strangers? Besides, most demons
4:29:04have a naturally black aura anyhow, so
4:29:07it's almost useless in a city full of
4:29:09demons, which is ironic as it's one of
4:29:12our most common racial traits. Wendy
4:29:15stretched with her arms up over her
4:29:16head, wiggled her stiff fingers, then
4:29:19yawned. Is there dinner soon? She asked.
4:29:24Carl looked toward the kitchen door
4:29:26where the head chef was nodding in
4:29:27agreement. It looks like it's ready. We
4:29:31likely could have fed Davis before he
4:29:33ran away, but I think the baby dragon
4:29:35scared him. Carl joked. Wendy giggled.
4:29:40His species is instinctively afraid of
4:29:42green dragons. According to legends,
4:29:45once upon a time, they had a more
4:29:47malevolent nature, and all forms of
4:29:50healing and holy spells would cause them
4:29:51massive damage. It doesn't anymore, but
4:29:54the fear of the innately healing species
4:29:57remains.
4:29:58The kitchen staff retired to their rooms
4:30:00once their workspace had been cleaned
4:30:02up. Still feeling off after the
4:30:04encounter with the strange customer
4:30:06earlier in the day. A good night's sleep
4:30:08sounded like just what they needed to
4:30:10feel normal again and the rest of the
4:30:12team wasn't far behind them. Though Carl
4:30:15noticed that Wendy didn't make it to her
4:30:17room and ended up with Oilia. With
4:30:20everyone in their rooms, Carl checked
4:30:22that the door was locked and walked up
4:30:24behind Dana to slide her dress up over
4:30:26her head. She purrred, literally purrred
4:30:29as his hands slid up her sides, then
4:30:31unequipped the dress and turned to face
4:30:33him. "Really? You're flirting even now?"
4:30:37she asked. Carl bumped his nose against
4:30:40hers, then licked the rim of her feline
4:30:42ear, which made Dana moan. "I don't see
4:30:46why not. Besides, you're so soft in this
4:30:49form." Unfortunately, she also had
4:30:52claws, as Carl realized moments later as
4:30:55they shredded his back. Collateral
4:30:58damage. The room was a disaster zone by
4:31:01morning when Carl woke up on the bed
4:31:03with Dana in his arms and the blankets
4:31:05missing in action. Dana shifted and
4:31:08locked her legs around him when Carl
4:31:10tried to get up, then purrred
4:31:11contentedly as she fell asleep again.
4:31:14While Carl was in a similarly feline
4:31:16form, it seemed that Dana had truly
4:31:18embraced the way of the cat after she
4:31:20had transformed.
4:31:22She even needed biscuits with her hands
4:31:24when she was relaxed and sleepy.
4:31:2615 more minutes wouldn't hurt. Carl got
4:31:30up and got dressed when he heard Davis
4:31:32come in for the morning. Most of the
4:31:34rest of the group was already at
4:31:36breakfast, but the appraiser was hard at
4:31:38work getting everything ready for the
4:31:39day. Carl took a plate from the cooks
4:31:42and pretended that he couldn't hear the
4:31:44mournful sounds that caretaker Joe was
4:31:46making upon discovering the disaster
4:31:47that was his room. Dana looked
4:31:50incredibly embarrassed and Carl realized
4:31:52that for the first time she could
4:31:54actually hear all the background noise
4:31:56and low conversations on the second
4:31:57floor. The hearing of her beast form was
4:32:01much more sensitive than her human body.
4:32:04This morning the shop was much more busy
4:32:06than yesterday and Carl was upgrading
4:32:08the armor for Madame Shin all morning.
4:32:11Remy was making potions while the
4:32:13apprentice runsmiths worked so hard
4:32:15their fingers were cramping. But they
4:32:17were still barely keeping up with
4:32:18demand, and the wooden rings that Wendy
4:32:20had made last night were almost gone by
4:32:22noon when she came in to restock them.
4:32:25But she wasn't the only one finished
4:32:27with a project. Once Carl was finished
4:32:30with the last few pieces of rune work,
4:32:32Rey and Loros had finished assembling
4:32:34the armor for the governor's wife. All
4:32:37they had to do was send a runner to let
4:32:38her know that someone could pick it up.
4:32:41or send someone to deliver it to her. I
4:32:44am a great delivery person. The best you
4:32:48could say. Nobody can stop me from
4:32:50making my delivery. Rey agreed. Take
4:32:54Loros with you so you don't get in
4:32:56trouble. She knows how things are done
4:32:59here. Carl knew that he was killing all
4:33:02of Ray's funds sneaking through the
4:33:03palace, but he didn't know how badly
4:33:05they would take it if she was found in a
4:33:07restricted area. She was going to see
4:33:10the city governor's wife, so it wasn't
4:33:12like they were going to try to stop her
4:33:13from making her delivery. Loros hardly
4:33:16had time to process the news before they
4:33:18were gone. Rey had grabbed her and used
4:33:22Shadow Step to bounce between buildings
4:33:24until she reached the castle gates. A
4:33:27quick sniff of the air let her know that
4:33:29her target wasn't in the line outside
4:33:31the gates. So Rey moved behind the
4:33:33waiting employees with the confused
4:33:34sculptor. Lady Ray, are we really in
4:33:38such a hurry? She asked, still dizzy
4:33:41from the rapid movement skill
4:33:42deployment. Don't you want to see what
4:33:45the inside of the castle is like? We've
4:33:48got the perfect chance, and we get to be
4:33:50praised for our skills when we get
4:33:51there, Ry explained with pride. Loro saw
4:33:56the guards trying not to laugh as they
4:33:57heard her talking in the otherwise
4:33:59silent line. She hadn't been lowering
4:34:02her voice. She wasn't worried to have
4:34:04them know that she wanted to see the
4:34:05place while she was visiting. As she
4:34:08remembered, they were going to give her
4:34:09an escort anyhow. Sure enough, when they
4:34:13got to the gate, an overlord ranked
4:34:15guard officer was assigned to accompany
4:34:16them even before she had a chance to
4:34:18speak. Delivery? The guard at the gate
4:34:22asked. Los bowed politely.
4:34:26Yes, sir. A customordered anniversary
4:34:29gift for the governor's wife. The guard
4:34:32nodded. Ordered by Madame Shin. Or for
4:34:36her. Ordered by her. The guard motioned
4:34:39for the waiting overlord to guide them,
4:34:41and Rey noticed the moment that he
4:34:43activated a small green crystal. A
4:34:46second later, it flashed green again,
4:34:48and he led them into the building. Rey
4:34:51leaned over to get a better look at it.
4:34:54Is that a communication crystal? To let
4:34:57you know if she's taking visitors or
4:34:58about to bite someone's head off. The
4:35:01overlord chuckled at the curious monster
4:35:03woman. Indeed, it is linked to one that
4:35:07the servants carry. You just choose
4:35:10which one you want to message, and they
4:35:11will reply with a green or red flash of
4:35:14light. We also use them for guard patrol
4:35:17check-in. You're with the war champion,
4:35:20right? What brings a foreign guild
4:35:22champion here to Drad? I see that you've
4:35:25set up a branch house here in the city.
4:35:28It wasn't hard to tell that this was a
4:35:30more official question, something that
4:35:31they had been instructed to find out
4:35:33about if they happened to hear gossip on
4:35:35the topic. Politics.
4:35:38The war champion was advancing too
4:35:40quickly for local leaders, and they were
4:35:42worried that we were going to get ideas
4:35:43about who should really be in charge.
4:35:46Rey replied with a wink. The castle
4:35:49guard laughed. So, they kicked you out
4:35:52and told you to be someone else's
4:35:53problem. I don't suppose that you can
4:35:56tell us what the matriarch ordered for
4:35:57the governor, can you? Ry frowned. He's
4:36:02not allowed to know. She says that it's
4:36:04a surprise. The guard laughed, which
4:36:07made the nearby servants look at them in
4:36:09shock. Oh, I won't tell him, and neither
4:36:12will the servants in this wing, but we
4:36:15do have a running bet on whether Madame
4:36:17Shin will manage to outdo herself this
4:36:19year. She went pretty wild last year
4:36:22with a full renovation of the governor's
4:36:24office. Loros smiled at him and Ray
4:36:27nodded her permission to share. It's a
4:36:30monarch ranked set of traditional armor
4:36:32fully enhanced by a runcfter.
4:36:35She whispered, "Seriously?"
4:36:38The guard whispered back. Loros and Ry
4:36:41both nodded while the guard whistled in
4:36:44appreciation.
4:36:45"This I've got to see. Don't mind the
4:36:48intrusion."
4:36:49assuming they let me in. Then he stopped
4:36:52at a door and politely knocked. Ah, my
4:36:56delivery. I got word that it was on the
4:36:59way. Please do bring them in. Madame
4:37:02Shin called from the other side, but the
4:37:04guard didn't open the door. He waited
4:37:06for the maid inside to open it. Madam
4:37:09Shin grabbed Ray by the hands as soon as
4:37:11they were in. Did you really get it done
4:37:14that fast? You didn't cut corners, did
4:37:17you? I want this to be the most
4:37:19memorable present he will ever get. It's
4:37:22our 20th wedding anniversary.
4:37:25She made a motion and the maid brought
4:37:27in the body double from a side room. The
4:37:30big demon sighed in resignation as he
4:37:32realized that he was to serve as a
4:37:33mannequin again. Ry took out the armor
4:37:36and set it on the table then began her
4:37:39prepared speech. As you know the base
4:37:42layer is quilted monarch rank bloodbath
4:37:44spider silk. Then over that we have
4:37:46created a thematic scene where the
4:37:48panels of the armor depict the battle
4:37:50against the undead horde. We thought it
4:37:53might be the most memorable event of the
4:37:54year that would relate to armor. If you
4:37:57look here, we have recreated the
4:37:59governor's battle against the captain
4:38:00over the ocean on the chest panel. Down
4:38:03the legs, we have the defense of the
4:38:05sprawl, finishing on the shins with the
4:38:07reconstruction efforts and the new
4:38:09market towers. The right arm is a
4:38:12detailed battle scene featuring the
4:38:13governor, while the left arm features
4:38:15the pair of you visiting the city in the
4:38:17aftermath. The back panel of the armor
4:38:20is the defense at the central docks, and
4:38:22that should cover the outward theme. As
4:38:25for the actual enhancement, we have
4:38:27started with a base of natural regrowth,
4:38:29so the wooden panels will repair
4:38:30themselves along with extreme durability
4:38:33at the monarch rank. Added to that, we
4:38:36have the user buffs.
4:38:38First, we have enhancements to
4:38:40comprehensive attack damage. We also
4:38:43have a significant boost to the user's
4:38:45strength, but those aren't the primary
4:38:47benefits. As this is armor, we designed
4:38:50it for survivability.
4:38:52This set of armor has had a trollish
4:38:54regeneration buff permanently added to
4:38:57it, which will activate whenever it is
4:38:59worn. And finally, for a bit of
4:39:01over-the-top flamboyant capability, the
4:39:04armor has a truly prodigious amount of
4:39:06mana storage and an earth shield barrier
4:39:08ability added for emergency defense. Ray
4:39:11fit the armor on the body double as she
4:39:13worked, showing off his ancient and
4:39:15dignified fashion. That is beautiful.
4:39:19What did you do to make the runes glow
4:39:21like that? Madame Shin asked. It's a
4:39:25side effect of the process. Unless we
4:39:28attempt to hide them, they will
4:39:29naturally glow red at monarch rank. So,
4:39:33he will be flashy wherever he goes. If
4:39:36you look closely, runes have been
4:39:38deliberately carved into the windows of
4:39:39the houses, so it looks like the windows
4:39:41are lit from the inside. The panels are
4:39:44also carved around the edges for
4:39:46decorative effect. If we turn the lights
4:39:49down, you will get the full visual
4:39:51effect. But even in bright light, it is
4:39:53still magnificent. If I may shamelessly
4:39:55praise my own design, Rey explained.
4:39:59All of the servants were staring at the
4:40:01body double in all, and a tear slowly
4:40:04slid down Madame Shin's face. "You
4:40:07really did it. It's magnificent.
4:40:10I can even tell which panels feature me
4:40:12and my husband together. You got the
4:40:14faces that welldetailed.
4:40:16I didn't know that this level of
4:40:18artistry was possible even without the
4:40:20enchantments.
4:40:22I know that it's decorative, but this is
4:40:24a mighty set of battle armor in its own
4:40:26right. And I think that he will even
4:40:27wear it to public engagements.
4:40:30In fact, I want him to wear it to our
4:40:32engagement party next week. Someone go
4:40:35fetch my husband so he can bond this
4:40:37armor and show it off for me. She
4:40:39demanded. A maid ran out and came back a
4:40:43minute later with a very concerned
4:40:44looking city governor as well as two
4:40:46people who appeared to be his personal
4:40:48assistants. The armor was laid out on
4:40:51the table again and he skid it to a stop
4:40:53as he noticed it. This how? Where did
4:40:57this come from? He stammered. Happy
4:41:01anniversary, darling. I had it made for
4:41:04you by the dark light host. Now bond the
4:41:07item and put it on. I need to make sure
4:41:09it looks right on you.
4:41:11she demanded. The governor reverently
4:41:14ran his fingers over the carvings,
4:41:16staring at the battle scenes. Then he
4:41:19focused for a moment and the item
4:41:20vanished before appearing on his body.
4:41:23It worked. She gave it to him early and
4:41:26it bonded. Rey informed Carl happily.
4:41:31People were so happy with her art that
4:41:32they were crying. The last time that
4:41:35happened was when she made that Edin
4:41:37statue for the battlefield outside the
4:41:39capital. The governor activated the
4:41:41buffs and his power level surged while
4:41:44the lines of weariness vanished from his
4:41:46face. Then he raised a hand and
4:41:48activated an earth shield in front of
4:41:50him for a second. That is beautiful. I
4:41:54can use the shield at my own rank and
4:41:56there is enough mana storage to take
4:41:58multiple hits. Ellis Beth, my beloved,
4:42:02this is too much. How am I supposed to
4:42:05compete with a priceless treasure? the
4:42:08governor whispered while his wife beamed
4:42:10in pride. Everything has a price. Not a
4:42:14cheap one, as this one is a culmination
4:42:17of two decades of affection. I am glad
4:42:20that you like it, darling. As lovely as
4:42:23it is, one day when we retire, we can
4:42:26pass it down to our oldest warrior.
4:42:28Madame Shin replied before being pulled
4:42:31into a tearful hug. Loros was caught up
4:42:34in the emotions, while Ry admired the
4:42:36way that the runes worked with her
4:42:38carvings as the armor moved. Nobody else
4:42:41had noticed yet, but she had designed
4:42:43the overlapping panels of the layered
4:42:44shoulder pads to look like the warriors
4:42:46on different layers were fighting each
4:42:48other when the arms were moved. Ry bowed
4:42:51to the governor and his family as they
4:42:53finished celebrating the gift. Now, I
4:42:56should return to my duties. Happy
4:42:58anniversary, madam and governor. The
4:43:01dark light host appreciates your
4:43:03business. Then she grabbed Loros and
4:43:06vanished from the castle with shadow
4:43:08step. Loros sighed at Ry as they reached
4:43:11the guild house. You do know that
4:43:14they're all freaking out about a
4:43:15teleporting bloodbath spider being loose
4:43:17in the castle right now, don't you? Rey
4:43:20stood up a bit straighter. Apprentice,
4:43:23you have no sense for the dramatic. Can
4:43:26you imagine how boring it would be to
4:43:28simply walk out while everyone else
4:43:30gossiped?
4:43:31No, that's why I waved at the guards as
4:43:33we entered. They know that we're back
4:43:36home already, and they can call off the
4:43:38search. The shop was packed as they
4:43:41arrived, and Carl was busy on the top
4:43:43floor making new royal rank and a
4:43:45handful of custom monarch rank items
4:43:47based on the people who were looking
4:43:48around the shop. Davis had informed them
4:43:51that a fresh set of items was coming out
4:43:53soon as inventory would change daily.
4:43:57So they were milling about and looking
4:43:58more closely at all the ones that were
4:44:00still on display. The vast majority of
4:44:03people in the city were warriors, so it
4:44:05only made sense to make more items that
4:44:07warriors would appreciate.
4:44:09Even among the common workers, most had
4:44:12a warrior class and not a specific
4:44:14crafting class. That seemed odd to Carl,
4:44:17but perhaps they didn't get to choose
4:44:19any more than those awakened by the
4:44:20divine serum did. The topic of how
4:44:23system interfaces were awakened wasn't
4:44:25something that he could easily bring up
4:44:27without having to explain why he didn't
4:44:29know, and it was better not to spread
4:44:31around too much about the group's
4:44:32background. When Carl came downstairs
4:44:35with the next group of items for the
4:44:36display cases, he noticed that there was
4:44:38one girl waiting in the corner who was
4:44:40clearly not a customer, but who was
4:44:42giving him a hopeful look. So, Carl let
4:44:45Davis place the items to introduce them
4:44:47to the customers who had been waiting
4:44:49for similar items. May I help you? Carl
4:44:53asked the girl. Are you hiring? I have
4:44:57the appraisal skill and I'm free to
4:44:59start anytime.
4:45:00She asked. She looked fairly young, so
4:45:04this might be her first attempt at
4:45:05employment, but Carl decided to ask
4:45:08anyhow. Do you have a letter of
4:45:10reference from your previous employer or
4:45:12instructor? He asked. The girl shook her
4:45:16head. I came from cool looking for work.
4:45:20I haven't had a previous employer. The
4:45:23first part looked like she was saying
4:45:24the truth, but the second was clearly a
4:45:27lie as she couldn't look him in the eye.
4:45:30All right, how about this? I will start
4:45:33you as an assistant under Davis for a
4:45:353-day trial. Follow me upstairs and we
4:45:38will get you ready for work." Carl
4:45:41offered. Her face brightened and Davis
4:45:44gave Carl a confused look. The girl was
4:45:47freshly showered. He could smell that
4:45:49much, and the shop didn't have a dress
4:45:51code. At least not one he had been
4:45:54informed of. But Rey had other ideas.
4:45:58She had made the cutest store clerk
4:46:00dress in black and white, like the guild
4:46:02tabard, and she wanted someone to wear
4:46:04it. Having the crafters do it would be
4:46:07impractical.
4:46:08Nobody wanted sawdust up their skirts.
4:46:12Carl brought the girl upstairs where Rey
4:46:14was rapidly setting out items as she
4:46:16created or found them in her space. One
4:46:19after another was held between her and
4:46:21the new employee until she decided on
4:46:23her first dress idea. Yes, perfect. Pick
4:46:27a room without a name tag. That will be
4:46:30yours and you can change for work. The
4:46:33dress should bond so you can just equip
4:46:36it clean before work every day. Rey
4:46:39explained.
4:46:40She changed quickly and Carl led her
4:46:42back down so he could help take care of
4:46:44the backlog of customers.
4:46:47Seriously,
4:46:48she is adorable.
4:46:50Davis sent as a guild message which
4:46:52brought Lotus and Dana out from the
4:46:54kitchen area. With the change of
4:46:57clothes, it was obvious how pale her
4:46:59skin was and how red her eyes were. Carl
4:47:03didn't recognize the scent, but Lotus
4:47:05did. She's a vampire.
4:47:08That's weird. How did she get here? The
4:47:11nature priestess asked. Vampires
4:47:14wouldn't usually catch fire in sunlight
4:47:16unless they were common rank. But Lotus
4:47:19knew that it was supposed to be
4:47:21incredibly painful and the girl had come
4:47:23in the middle of the day. Maybe that was
4:47:26why she was hiding in the corner of the
4:47:27room where the light from the opening
4:47:29door wouldn't touch her. At least the
4:47:32second floor rooms didn't have windows.
4:47:34a comfort measure for guards on night
4:47:36shift or possibly for security when it
4:47:40was still a barracks. The young vampire
4:47:43smiled at the customers. Good afternoon
4:47:46everyone. You can call me Mick. Please
4:47:48bear with me as I am new here, but I
4:47:51assure you that my appraisal skills are
4:47:53perfectly accurate. Davis nodded in
4:47:56satisfaction.
4:47:58It was best to mention that you were
4:48:00appraising with a skill, not a judgment
4:48:02call or a store sheet. It bred trust.
4:48:06Carl had already memorized what
4:48:08everything was supposed to sell for. So
4:48:10he watched as she worked with the
4:48:11customers in the potion area, leaving
4:48:13Davis to work with the high-v valueue
4:48:15customers as the manager. That left Carl
4:48:18standing by the wooden staves and the
4:48:20miscellaneous items. And it didn't take
4:48:22long before someone came in looking. You
4:48:25do have the ability to make more of
4:48:27them. Oh, thank you, demon gods, for
4:48:30small mercies. A young mage breathed a
4:48:33sigh of relief as he saw Carl standing
4:48:35at the counter. Sir, my master would
4:48:38like to inquire as to whether you would
4:48:40offer a bulk discount on multiple custom
4:48:42items. He wishes to commission combat
4:48:45wands for his graduating class at the
4:48:47Lard Academy of Magic. The young man
4:48:50asked. That depends on the requirement
4:48:53and the volume. Carl asked. The
4:48:57graduating class is 50 mages at the
4:48:59commander rank. He would like 49
4:49:02commander rank ones of fireball and one
4:49:04royal rank stave. The one on display
4:49:07would be perfect for that purpose, the
4:49:10mage explained.
4:49:12For the validictorian, I would assume.
4:49:15Carl asked. The mage nodded and his hood
4:49:19shifted a little to reveal curled ram
4:49:21horns nestled in his curly black hair.
4:49:24Read new adventures at well the staff I
4:49:28obviously have in stock. The wands will
4:49:30take a few days to make. How much is he
4:49:33prepared to pay? The mage set two to the
4:49:37counter. Skill book of recall creates a
4:49:40stone with a marked location. Allows the
4:49:43user to return to the marked location.
4:49:4624-hour cooldown.
4:49:48Skill book of teleport allows the user
4:49:51to travel rank x 100 m instantly.
4:49:55totem rank and higher may travel rank
4:49:57x1,000 m per activation.
4:50:01600 m was a pretty decent travel
4:50:03distance, but that increase at totem
4:50:06rank was so much better. Instead of 800
4:50:09m, they could go 8 km with a simple
4:50:12teleport.
4:50:14the recall skill though that was
4:50:17incredibly useful though Carl suspected
4:50:20that it was a standard training spell
4:50:21for academy students on this continent
4:50:24as neither was an epic grade skill book.
4:50:27Carl tapped the two books learning the
4:50:29skills and extended his hand to shake
4:50:31the mages. "Return here tomorrow morning
4:50:34and I will have your order ready. You
4:50:36may take the staff with you today," Carl
4:50:40explained. He took a copy of the item
4:50:42from under the counter and the mage
4:50:44looked startled. "You have more than one
4:50:47of them?" he asked. Carl nodded. I made
4:50:52a few in advance.
4:50:54Fireball is such a wonderful skill that
4:50:56it is worth keeping in stock. And those
4:50:59staves have all the basic powers that a
4:51:01mage would want. The mage took the staff
4:51:04and retreated from the counter to let
4:51:05someone else come forward while he sent
4:51:07a message home. It was close to 300 km
4:51:11by road to lard and his teacher would
4:51:13want to know right away that the deal
4:51:14had been made and not in 4 days from now
4:51:17when he returned to the academy by trade
4:51:19ship. While the mage talked, Carl sold a
4:51:22number of the assorted commander rank
4:51:24rings, which posed a small dilemma for
4:51:26his team. They needed the apprentices,
4:51:29or at least Wendy, to keep making wooden
4:51:31jewelry, while Loros made the more
4:51:33detailed stone items for Carl's work.
4:51:36But he had just taken a rather large
4:51:38order for wands. He really should have
4:51:41thought that one through. Lotus, can you
4:51:44make me 49 wands with at least commander
4:51:46rank potential? I need to inscribe them
4:51:49with fireball and a basic combat buff.
4:51:52So, either make them long or leave room
4:51:54for a small stone. Carl requested via
4:51:57guild message. All right, I can make 50
4:52:00branches in a matter of minutes. It just
4:52:03takes energy. Carl chuckled. Knowing
4:52:06that she really meant motivation and not
4:52:08actual magical energy was the lacking
4:52:10factor. Carl used follow me little one
4:52:14to teach recall and teleport to Dana so
4:52:18she would keep the nature cleric on
4:52:20track. He would teach the others recall
4:52:23at the end of the day when Lotus
4:52:25wouldn't get sidetracked.
4:52:27She still hadn't changed back from her
4:52:29tiger form quite comfortable in her new
4:52:31fur. That should help motivate Lotus.
4:52:35When do you think that business will
4:52:36calm down? If we're overrun with
4:52:39customers every day, we're not going to
4:52:41get any progression done on our own.
4:52:44Tessa noted, "Give it a few days and I
4:52:47think the initial rush of people who
4:52:48have been looking for items will make
4:52:50their way through our doors. Then we
4:52:52should be able to spare time to actually
4:52:54work on ourselves,"
4:52:56Carl replied, though he wasn't sure he
4:52:58believed it himself. As the crowd was
4:53:01thinning, thanks to having three people
4:53:03on the floor working, Carl decided he
4:53:05could retreat and go work on the wands
4:53:07that Lotus had already made. She had
4:53:10made the wands out of some sort of black
4:53:12wood, roughly 40 cm long and as thick as
4:53:15one of Lotus fingers. That was more than
4:53:18enough for a basic fireball and skill
4:53:20damage with a rune for mana
4:53:21regeneration.
4:53:23These didn't need mana storage. They
4:53:25were just combat weapons of a ranged
4:53:27sort. Carl quickly began to inscribe the
4:53:30wands to get through them. It would only
4:53:33take a few hours and then he could get
4:53:35to the rest of the items that were
4:53:36waiting for him. Dana sat on his left
4:53:39reading a book and purring idly as Carl
4:53:41petted her head. She didn't even seem to
4:53:44notice that she was doing it, but it was
4:53:46taking all of Oilia's willpower not to
4:53:48say anything about it when she passed by
4:53:50the second floor.
4:53:52Carl managed to get the wands finished
4:53:54without incident and noticed on his way
4:53:56out to the workshop to check on the
4:53:57sculptors that the mage was still nearby
4:54:00at the bakery a few doors down the
4:54:01street. Carl waved to get his attention,
4:54:04then walked over. I had some one stock
4:54:08that I customized for your purpose.
4:54:10Fireball with skilled damage and mana
4:54:12recovery is fine, right? At the
4:54:15commander rank, of course. They're all
4:54:18identical in effect, but not in
4:54:20appearance.
4:54:22Carl explained. "That fast?" the mage
4:54:26asked, shocked. "When I only need to
4:54:29tweak them a little, it doesn't take
4:54:31long. Fireballs are popular," Carl
4:54:35offered, covering for the fact that
4:54:36fireball was one of the easiest effects
4:54:38to replicate with runes. The only one he
4:54:42could think of that was easier was a
4:54:43lightning bolt. Once the mage finished
4:54:46his snack, he followed Carl back to the
4:54:48house and straight to the second floor
4:54:50where 49 wands were laid out in two
4:54:52rows. What do you think? Is this
4:54:56suitable for your graduates?
4:54:58You did say a combat wand was what you
4:55:00desired, and this will help them with
4:55:02combat. The mage examined them each
4:55:05closely and noticed that while the
4:55:07appearance changed, the actual effects
4:55:09were uniform. This is perfect. Exactly
4:55:13what the dean had requested and much
4:55:15faster than any other wand maker we
4:55:17contacted had quoted. Most wanted a year
4:55:20or more to acquire the materials and
4:55:22make that many. He explained.
4:55:25Carl chuckled. That was their loss then.
4:55:30We just happened to have the materials
4:55:31on hand as we were opening a new shop.
4:55:35I appreciate your business and I am
4:55:37certain those spells will prove to be a
4:55:39great benefit to the guild. The mage
4:55:41smiled. If you are interested in
4:55:44additional skill books, we have a trade
4:55:46envoy in the city once a month. Or you
4:55:49can take the trip down to see us. It's
4:55:51only a few days by ship. Carl chuckled
4:55:55and gestured toward the door. I have a
4:55:57Ghostfire Thunderbird at my disposal. I
4:56:01am certain he can make a few hundred km
4:56:03in less than that.
4:56:04That made the mage laugh. I would say
4:56:08so. How did you convince him to let you
4:56:10ride without burning you to ash? Trade
4:56:13secret. The mage bowed politely and
4:56:16turned to leave. Perhaps we will meet
4:56:19again soon. I am certain that my mentor
4:56:22will be overjoyed with the success of
4:56:23this mission. Only 3 months remain until
4:56:27graduation, and we feared that we would
4:56:29have to wait until next year to begin
4:56:30granting the rewards. Once he was gone,
4:56:34nearly skipping with joy on his way out,
4:56:36the house fell silent for the first time
4:56:38all day, and the kitchen staff prepared
4:56:40to serve lunch. Mick, their new vampire
4:56:43clerk, looked at the meal being served
4:56:45with regret. Then she turned her head in
4:56:48shock as the staff brought out a wine
4:56:50bottle of what was definitely warm
4:56:52blood. We know that you need both for
4:56:54survival, but we didn't know the
4:56:56proportions.
4:56:58Lady Ray generously donated a sample of
4:57:00her reserve stock for your meals.
4:57:03If you can inform us of your dietary
4:57:04needs later, we will make preparations,"
4:57:08the chef explained.
4:57:10Mick poured a small sample of the blood
4:57:12into a wine glass inside with pleasure
4:57:14as the scent hit her nose. "Earthy and
4:57:17lovely. Such a powerful vitality.
4:57:21I won't need more than a glass or two of
4:57:23this a week. The bottle will last me
4:57:25roughly a month with just regular
4:57:27meals." Ry patted the vampire on the
4:57:30head. It's not bad, right? Royal Rankill
4:57:35giant. Mick nearly choked on her drink
4:57:37as she turned to look at Rey. This is
4:57:40from a sensient being. I shouldn't drink
4:57:43that. Drinking from the intelligent
4:57:45species is widely considered barbaric.
4:57:48Rey shrugged. He's already dead anyhow.
4:57:52It's not like using a bit of his blood
4:57:54for your survival will hurt anything. As
4:57:57long as it's not addictive or toxic.
4:58:00The vampire shook her head, making her
4:58:02long black hair ripple and flow over her
4:58:04face. No, drinking from live targets is
4:58:09though. It's also very intimate. And why
4:58:12am I telling you that? So embarrassing.
4:58:16Ry giggled. Don't worry, you'll find the
4:58:19one you really want to bite one of these
4:58:21days. From his space, Thor snorted in
4:58:24amusement as he ate. That phrase just
4:58:27sounded odd coming from Rey. What do you
4:58:30usually drink? Carl asked so the chef
4:58:34could keep some for emergencies.
4:58:36I usually drink blood wine. The vampires
4:58:40make it and there are some batches in
4:58:41stock at the local butchers made from
4:58:43the awakened and ascended rank sea
4:58:45beasts that the fishermen bring in. It's
4:58:48a bit fishy, but not in a bad way, like
4:58:51eating sushi. Ry made a mental note to
4:58:54try that. Blood wine sounded like a
4:58:57truly refined lady's beverage.
4:59:00Carl worked late into the night making
4:59:02dozens of jewelry pieces of different
4:59:04sorts. A few more fireball staves, a
4:59:07dozen more fireball wands like the ones
4:59:08for the academy. That should be enough
4:59:11to take the shop through the next day as
4:59:13the collection was now larger than what
4:59:15they had sold during the previous shift.
4:59:18With the shop closing at dusk, they were
4:59:20able to work a few extra hours after and
4:59:22get ahead of their anticipated sales.
4:59:25When the next morning arrived, Carl
4:59:27realized that Remy had been up all
4:59:29night, and she had made a massive supply
4:59:31of potions, enough that she likely
4:59:33wouldn't need to do it again for a
4:59:34month. She had cleared large patches of
4:59:37her space for materials, but that would
4:59:39grow back quickly enough. The important
4:59:42part was that she hadn't used up any of
4:59:44her resources,
4:59:46so she didn't lose anything other than
4:59:48some time. Everyone gathered on the
4:59:51second floor, and Carl outlined his plan
4:59:53for the day. We made more than enough
4:59:56items for the shop last night, so
4:59:58everyone should be free until at least
4:59:59noon today, other than Davis and Mick.
5:00:02Carl stopped to give Mick an apologetic
5:00:04look as Davis wouldn't be in for another
5:00:072 hours.
5:00:09So, I have a plan. What I would like to
5:00:12know is if having some of my beasts go
5:00:13in first will block me from going into
5:00:15the dungeon separately. If they can go
5:00:18on their own and we can go as well, then
5:00:20we can build up a huge amount of loot as
5:00:23long as we take the time to gather the
5:00:25junk and raw materials.
5:00:27What I'm thinking is that we send Rey,
5:00:29Cara, and Hawk. Now then, once they're
5:00:32done, the rest of us will go in a couple
5:00:34of hours. If it doesn't let me in, then
5:00:37Remy and Thor will do my share of the
5:00:39grunt work, and we will know what to do
5:00:41for next time. If it does let me in,
5:00:44even after they have cleared the
5:00:46dungeon, then we can get two shares of
5:00:48the loot, and nobody has to sit out.
5:00:50That sounded like a good plan to
5:00:52everyone involved.
5:00:54Well, everyone involved in the first
5:00:56trip, as Rey was already carrying Cara
5:00:58out the door as Hawk circled overhead,
5:01:00waiting for them. Tessa pondered the
5:01:03potential issues with this plan and then
5:01:05decided that it should be all right.
5:01:08Dana had golems and her epic guard. Remy
5:01:10had her bodyguards and they would have
5:01:12Thor. If something went wrong with that
5:01:15plan, then they could just leave and
5:01:17take the gold coin loss. It would be a
5:01:20massive understatement to say that the
5:01:21guards were startled when a strange
5:01:23woman appeared between them and the
5:01:24dungeon portal carrying a winged void
5:01:26badger while a massive Thunderbird
5:01:28swooped in from above and only barely
5:01:30tucked its wings to fit in the portal.
5:01:33In fact, they were still talking about
5:01:35it an hour later when Cara had finished
5:01:37looting the place dry to the point that
5:01:39they had even taken some of the likely
5:01:40looking plants just in case Remy might
5:01:42want them for decoration.
5:01:45The shop was fairly quiet today, and
5:01:47they had only sold a few rings and a
5:01:49dozen jars of ridiculously expensive
5:01:51beauty products Remy had made.
5:01:53Interestingly, they had even sold a
5:01:55small jar of shadow branch paste, which
5:01:58was used to turn Thor black as a
5:02:00disguise. It wasn't exactly useful
5:02:03unless you were sneaking around in the
5:02:04dark and didn't want it to wear off. So,
5:02:06neither Davis nor Mick really understood
5:02:08why the customer in question had
5:02:10purchased it after understanding what it
5:02:12did. Now that team one was back and
5:02:15sorting through loot in their spaces,
5:02:16trying to come up with a plan for what
5:02:18to do with all the trash they collected,
5:02:20it was time for group two. Once they got
5:02:23close to the dungeon, Carl realized that
5:02:26there was a second issue that they had
5:02:27not considered. Guild cooldown. 1 hour
5:02:3158 minutes remaining. It appeared that a
5:02:34guild could only send one team in every
5:02:363 hours. Well, how about we taste test
5:02:39some local beverages and then head back
5:02:41to the house.
5:02:43We can go back in later, Carl suggested.
5:02:47Not much else that we can do. Oilia
5:02:50agreed. Guild coordination would be an
5:02:53important aspect of management if they
5:02:55had more people. But at least at this
5:02:57point, Carl knew that they should be
5:02:58able to enter, just not right away. He
5:03:01was about to lead them all to the coffee
5:03:03shop where he had found the mage when an
5:03:05oddly pained aura caught his attention.
5:03:08Carl couldn't locate the source of the
5:03:10distress, but there was something
5:03:11wounded nearby, and he was almost
5:03:13certain that it was a beast. "One
5:03:16moment, I want to find something before
5:03:18we stop. I can feel something's
5:03:20distress, and I might be able to help,"
5:03:23he explained quietly, not wanting to
5:03:25alarm the others walking down the
5:03:27street, as they wouldn't understand that
5:03:29he was likely talking about an injured
5:03:31pet, not a person in need. Carl turned
5:03:34left until the sensation of distress
5:03:36felt like it was in front of him. Then
5:03:37he walked down a side street and between
5:03:39a pair of large manor houses. They were
5:03:42headed for the shore and that was where
5:03:44Carl got the feeling that the distress
5:03:46was coming from. They were well past the
5:03:49docks close to the wall when they
5:03:51reached the shore in the wealthy
5:03:52district of Stone Chapel. Now even Lotus
5:03:56could sense it and she was looking for
5:03:58the distressed animal. Neither of them
5:04:00could see it. So Carl started searching
5:04:03with other forms of vision. Right at the
5:04:05wall, when they were ready to double
5:04:07back and try again, Carl spotted it with
5:04:09soul sight. There was a crystallin
5:04:12cocoon on the shore, and it gave off a
5:04:14powerful aura as well as the sense of
5:04:16distress.
5:04:18Carl reached down and picked up the
5:04:20chrysalis.
5:04:21It was heavily damaged, but hard and
5:04:23smooth as steel. He still couldn't see
5:04:26it, but with it in his hand, he could
5:04:28feel the magic. Whatever was evolving
5:04:31must have cast invisibility on itself.
5:04:34What did you find? Lotus asked. A
5:04:38crystal of some sort. I think it might
5:04:41be a cocoon. It's definitely the
5:04:44distressed creature though, and there
5:04:46are bite marks in the hard shell, Carl
5:04:49explained. The creature was still in
5:04:51agony, but Carl didn't know what to do.
5:04:54Lotus had some ideas, though. First, she
5:04:58cast a healing spell on it. then
5:05:00transferred it some mana. That gave Carl
5:05:03an idea. He took out one of Rey's mana
5:05:06and stamina potions and dropped the
5:05:08crystal in it. The crystal became
5:05:10visible and began to glow with power as
5:05:12it absorbed the potion at a rate that
5:05:14defied everything Carl knew about how
5:05:16volume and physics worked. Then the
5:05:19whole potion bottle vanished and Carl
5:05:21felt a new presence in his mind. A tiny,
5:05:24terrified presence. Did we get a new
5:05:27brother or a new sister?
5:05:29Thor asked.
5:05:31I honestly have no idea. It's not
5:05:34hatched yet. Everyone watched the newly
5:05:37occupied mental space as it began to
5:05:39transform.
5:05:41An entire stone city with an ethereal
5:05:43beauty began to form in the space and
5:05:45the crystal in a bottle was lifted off
5:05:47the ground with a small stone altar.
5:05:50Moments later, the bottle shattered as
5:05:52the crystal began to melt and then
5:05:53reform itself into a new form. a
5:05:56butterfly with transparent wings a meter
5:05:58wide and an impossibly blue body shaped
5:06:01like a crystal. The creature was curious
5:06:04about where it found itself and why
5:06:06there were others in spaces like the one
5:06:07it was in staring at it. The green one
5:06:11seemed friendly, so the butterfly made
5:06:13it a flower and sent it through the
5:06:14barrier between the spaces.
5:06:17Oh, it's an illusion. A solid illusion.
5:06:21Beautiful. Thank you. Thor thanked the
5:06:24butterfly.
5:06:25Carl examined the creature's stats.
5:06:28Glasswing illusionary butterfly.
5:06:31Evolved stage newly hatched. Rank
5:06:35overlord.
5:06:36Innate talent. Illusionary domain. Known
5:06:40spells. Invisibility.
5:06:42Illusionary domain creates a solid
5:06:45illusion near the caster or in a
5:06:46separate space no larger than 20 m in
5:06:49diameter per rank of the caster. Damage
5:06:52to the illusion. and destabilizes the
5:06:54effect. Lotus was staring impatiently at
5:06:57Carl, waiting for an explanation.
5:07:00It moved itself to my mental space. Or
5:07:03perhaps I did it subconsciously.
5:07:05Either way, it's there now. The system
5:07:09says that it's a glasswing illusionary
5:07:10butterfly,
5:07:12he explained.
5:07:14Lotus stared at him for a moment. You
5:07:17now have a butterfly, an overlord rank
5:07:20one that can use illusions.
5:07:22Carl agreed.
5:07:24Skill skill master 4 activated.
5:07:28Skill invisibility has improved by one
5:07:31rank. Ray smirked as she saw that
5:07:34message. I think that me and this little
5:07:37butterfly are going to be good friends.
5:07:39Thor wasn't sure about that. I think
5:07:42it's absolutely terrified of the outside
5:07:44world. It also didn't have any combat
5:07:47abilities.
5:07:49No attack spells, no venom, no limbs. It
5:07:53didn't even eat meat. It was eyeing
5:07:55Thor's plants with a growing sense of
5:07:57hunger. Thor passed the butterfly a few
5:08:00long grass blades it had been staring
5:08:02at, and the butterfly slowly began to
5:08:04nibble. Well, in a way, the plant seemed
5:08:08to just soak into the crystallin body,
5:08:10which had no visible mouth parts. Lotus
5:08:13frowned. There is only one problem. Have
5:08:17you considered the lifespan of a
5:08:18glass-wing illusionary butterfly? What
5:08:21do you mean? Lotus frowned. Well,
5:08:25they're immensely powerful, but 12 hours
5:08:28after they evolve, they run out of
5:08:30energy and die. They breed as
5:08:32caterpillars.
5:08:34That was inconvenient.
5:08:37Carl had no idea what happened if a
5:08:39beast in one of the spaces died of old
5:08:41age. But for now, the butterfly was
5:08:44happily eating, and the fake city in its
5:08:46space was beautiful. Carl couldn't see
5:08:49any reason that the butterfly should be
5:08:50dying so fast. It looked healthy and
5:08:53happy, eating in its space, soaking in
5:08:56the power of the space, and it was
5:08:58practically brimming with vitality.
5:09:00Nothing about it screamed, "12 hours to
5:09:03live."
5:09:04Carl got a mental image of the black elf
5:09:06grass that the butterfly was eating and
5:09:08wondered if that was just an expression
5:09:10of happiness or an explanation.
5:09:12Was it possible that the only food it
5:09:14could digest as an adult was extinct?
5:09:17Thor had brought this back from a
5:09:19dungeon instance that was set in the
5:09:20distant past. Not long after, the
5:09:23butterfly fell asleep on the long blade
5:09:25of grass, and the illusionary realm of
5:09:27its new home began to get a bit unreal.
5:09:30There were two copies of Thor wandering
5:09:32around. An illusionary Remy was making
5:09:35potions while reading a book. And a
5:09:36winged void badger flew the skies, which
5:09:39were now full of multicolor swirling
5:09:41smoke. "Hey, this is private property."
5:09:45Someone shouted from behind Carl, who
5:09:47was fully distracted by the events in
5:09:49the spaces.
5:09:51Suddenly, the world in the space was all
5:09:53around them, and the terrified butterfly
5:09:55had created two hawks and a ray for
5:09:57defense.
5:09:58Little butterfly, calm down. He's not
5:10:01going to hurt anyone. You can bring your
5:10:04illusion back inside your safe space.
5:10:07Carl whispered. The illusion quickly
5:10:10faded and the butterfly fell asleep
5:10:12again, dreaming of its illusionary city.
5:10:15Sorry about that. Illusion element pet
5:10:18got away from me. We will get off your
5:10:21beach right away. Carl apologized.
5:10:25Then he cast invisibility over the
5:10:27group, leaving the homeowner to stare at
5:10:29nothing. That skill was going to be a
5:10:32lot of fun in the future. As it turned
5:10:35out, invisible targets could see each
5:10:37other, but nobody else could see them.
5:10:40Carl led the group back into the city
5:10:42before the iate demon who owned that
5:10:44portion of land could stop
5:10:45hyperventilating.
5:10:47For a few seconds there, he thought that
5:10:49he had been sent instantly to the
5:10:51afterlife as the world changed and
5:10:52monsters appeared. By the time that he
5:10:55recovered, they were gone. And he
5:10:57realized that he hadn't gotten a good
5:10:59look at the group. If he knew who they
5:11:01were, he would go have words with them
5:11:03for scaring years off his life. After he
5:11:06found backup, they walked to the busier
5:11:09streets and Carl hastily released the
5:11:11spell before someone got run over by a
5:11:13pedestrian five times their size. The
5:11:16dungeon could wait. They had things to
5:11:18do now. Davis was startled to see them
5:11:21back at the house so quickly after
5:11:23leaving.
5:11:24That wasn't long enough for a full clear
5:11:26of the dungeon at all. There is a guild
5:11:29cool down timer and the beasts trigger
5:11:31it as well. So, we had to wait. But we
5:11:35made a little detour and found an
5:11:37interesting thing. Carl explained, not
5:11:41going into detail, as there was a
5:11:42customer in the shop, a young warrior
5:11:44with some sort of badge on his shirt.
5:11:47Carl guessed that it was an employer tag
5:11:49marking employees of the company. The
5:11:52boy didn't have a guild tag, but he did
5:11:54have the look of someone who had seen
5:11:56things that most teens didn't. That was
5:11:59a look that Carl was familiar with. He
5:12:02was doing mental calculations, so it was
5:12:04likely to afford one of the cheaper
5:12:06rings. Carl noticed that there were now
5:12:09ascended rank wooden rings in the case
5:12:11as well as commander. But Loros had gone
5:12:14in a very different direction than what
5:12:16Carl had been teaching them yesterday.
5:12:18Instead of combat runes, she had made
5:12:21functional inscriptions that had
5:12:22translated surprisingly well to system
5:12:24stats. Ring of cleaning creates a vortex
5:12:28around the ring that draws in loose
5:12:29debris and dust from up to 5 m away. All
5:12:33right, maybe she had just gotten
5:12:35frustrated after dropping a small piece
5:12:37or constantly cleaning her space. But
5:12:40there were other functional ones after
5:12:41that. Ring of refill fills a container
5:12:45under one liter in size with water.
5:12:48Ring of Cleanliness rinses the user with
5:12:50a veil of water from head to toe. They
5:12:53were expensive for people who made
5:12:55ascended rank wages. But for an
5:12:57adventurer or caravan guard, some of
5:13:00those would be fantastically useful. She
5:13:03wasn't a powerful demon, and nobody in
5:13:05the city really needed combat skills at
5:13:07ascended rank. However, those useful
5:13:11items would make life so much better
5:13:12that keeping a few of them for employees
5:13:14or on a trip was worth it. A young mage
5:13:17came in in academy robes and ran over to
5:13:20the case where the young warrior was
5:13:22standing. Then he smiled and pointed at
5:13:25the ring of refill. "Good sir, how much
5:13:28for that ring?" he asked. "The ascended
5:13:32rank functional items are two gold coins
5:13:35each," Davis explained. "That really was
5:13:39a lot for an ordinary worker." But the
5:13:42student smiled and nodded. If you would,
5:13:45please, I will take that ring. The boy
5:13:49placed out stacks of silver coins on the
5:13:51counter, and Davis slid two back to him.
5:13:54You miscounted, dear customer. Thank you
5:13:57for your patronage.
5:13:59The boy noticed Carl looking at him and
5:14:01smirked. I'm an earth elemental mage,
5:14:04and we're not allowed to carry anything
5:14:06with us around the academy wand.
5:14:09I can't cast water magic, but now I can
5:14:12make myself a drink while studying. Carl
5:14:15smiled. You will be popular very soon.
5:14:19The boy looked confused until Carl
5:14:21elaborated.
5:14:22You're not the only one who can't use
5:14:24water magic, right? But you can make
5:14:27cups and fill them now. The student
5:14:30smiled and ran out of the shop, headed
5:14:32back for his school to show off his new
5:14:34item. Presumably, the restriction on
5:14:37items was intended to make the students
5:14:39work together, but self-sufficiency was
5:14:41always an option if you had enough
5:14:43resources or skills. Carl headed up the
5:14:46stairs with the ladies and settled on
5:14:48one of the many large cushions in the
5:14:50third floor's lounging room. Rey had
5:14:52made so many that they didn't even try
5:14:54to decorate in here. All that fit was
5:14:57the cushions, pillows, and the bookcases
5:14:59along the walls, which were still
5:15:01distressingly empty. He would have to
5:15:04order a shipment of books for the house.
5:15:07Well, you said that there is a
5:15:08butterfly.
5:15:10Since they don't last long, can you show
5:15:12us the glass-wing illusionary butterfly?
5:15:15Lotus asked hopefully. A fluttering
5:15:18creature appeared before her and darted
5:15:20around the room, then settled on Lotus
5:15:22outstretched hands. Carl could see by
5:15:25the lack of soul energy that it was an
5:15:28illusion. But by thermal imaging and
5:15:30every other standard, it truly did
5:15:32appear to be real as Lotus gently
5:15:34stroked its crystallin body. "So
5:15:37beautiful," she whispered. The
5:15:40illusionary butterfly sprinkled a
5:15:42sparkling dust over Lotus, which its
5:15:44wings spread around the room, and Carl
5:15:46sensed the real glass-wing butterflyy's
5:15:48annoyance as the energy level in its
5:15:50space dropped, but everyone else's
5:15:51energy level increased. "Indeed, your
5:15:55evolution is troublesome for you." Carl
5:15:58consoled the beast as it calmed down
5:16:00again. Not only was it hard to find
5:16:02food, but when it got excited, it leaked
5:16:05its limited energy away. If it hadn't
5:16:08been in his space, able to regenerate
5:16:10itself. Just that dump of energy would
5:16:12have left it crippled at this early
5:16:13stage after evolution.
5:16:16As such, Carl was beginning to suspect
5:16:18that it was not that the butterfly had
5:16:20an innately short lifespan, but that it
5:16:22had evolved in a strange way, and it
5:16:24simply wasn't suited to life in the
5:16:25outside world.
5:16:27It needed a huge amount of mana input
5:16:29and specific foods to survive after
5:16:31emerging from its crystallin shell. It
5:16:34could feel the contact with its clone,
5:16:36though. Having the priestess stroke its
5:16:39back was very comforting, and soon the
5:16:41butterfly was sleeping again while the
5:16:43clone wandered around the room, letting
5:16:45out a small waft of mana infused dust
5:16:47every time it found something exciting.
5:16:50But the mana dust wasn't entirely a
5:16:52negative aspect. The mana level in the
5:16:55room was rapidly rising as the dust
5:16:56dissipated and it wasn't dispersing into
5:16:59the atmosphere.
5:17:00Instead, it was making a perfect resting
5:17:03room for the growth of magical creatures
5:17:05and system users who could absorb magic
5:17:07from their surroundings.
5:17:09For example, Carl, whose beast spaces
5:17:13were rapidly increasing in quality now
5:17:15that the newest member had joined them.
5:17:17Dana and the others were also growing
5:17:19rapidly, infused with mana far more
5:17:22powerful than their own. Most likely,
5:17:25this ability had been intended to create
5:17:27a nest, a safe spot where the glass-wing
5:17:29illusionary butterfly could rest without
5:17:31deactivating its illusionary domain
5:17:34ability.
5:17:35Carl watched the illusionary domain in
5:17:37the butterflyy's space as it slept, and
5:17:39the others whispered encouragement to it
5:17:41so it would grow up big and strong and
5:17:43not have a short life as Lotus Studies
5:17:45said it would. Well, most of them. Ry
5:17:49was whispering fun ideas to it because
5:17:51they influenced the dream world.
5:17:54Currently, the Ray clones in the
5:17:55butterflies world had a crystal attached
5:17:57to their back from which giant butterfly
5:18:00wings sprouted, allowing the spiders to
5:18:02fly. The glasswing illusion butterfly
5:18:05could create solid illusions. But Carl
5:18:07wasn't certain that something as large
5:18:09as Ray could fly in the nimble manner
5:18:11that she did in the dream world. He was
5:18:13100% sure that it would give children
5:18:16nightmares. Though intermittently, the
5:18:19room would flicker with illusions as the
5:18:21butterfly dreamed of strange and
5:18:22fantastical things based on the limited
5:18:24amount of the world that it had seen.
5:18:27Then, an hour into its nap, just as
5:18:29Lotus was certain that she would finally
5:18:31catch the bright pink car, which had
5:18:33been created in the small library, the
5:18:35small room transformed into a sprawling
5:18:37cityscape with their mound of pillows in
5:18:39what looked like the tower of a castle.
5:18:42There were windows all around them, and
5:18:44Carl could feel the breeze on his face.
5:18:47The mana level in the room was nearly
5:18:49stifling for the others, and Carl could
5:18:51sense their unease, though Lotus was
5:18:53still happily chasing illusions around
5:18:55the altered room. So, he thought he
5:18:58would explore a little and see what the
5:19:00illusion domain could do. There was only
5:19:02one door to the room they were in, but
5:19:04when Carl swung it open, he found the
5:19:07hallway to the guild house outside.
5:19:09Davis was speaking with a customer. The
5:19:11apprentices could be heard working in
5:19:13the shop, and the guards were chatting
5:19:15idly at their station outside.
5:19:17Nothing about the situation said that
5:19:19anyone was aware of the changes that had
5:19:21been taking place in this room, and none
5:19:23of them even seemed to sense the immense
5:19:25amount of overlord rank power that was
5:19:27in use. Location significantly upgraded.
5:19:31Use class skill. Home: Yes or no. Home,
5:19:35one-time use skill. The packmaster may
5:19:38designate a target location as their
5:19:40permanent home, granting various bonuses
5:19:43as the location is improved.
5:19:45The home location may be periodically
5:19:48changed, but never deactivated.
5:19:51Carl stared at the message for a few
5:19:53seconds before making a decision. They
5:19:56were here now, and while they planned to
5:19:58travel, this place did belong to them.
5:20:00It was home, at least for the
5:20:02foreseeable future. Home location
5:20:05selected.
5:20:07Upgrade made expanded illusionary space.
5:20:11Upgrade made registered guild shop with
5:20:13guild bank access.
5:20:15Upgrade made basic security system.
5:20:19Bonuses applied. One, improved recall.
5:20:23Recall spell will activate with a
5:20:24shorter delay when returning to the home
5:20:26location. Two, recreation. The addition
5:20:30of an illusionary space for recreation
5:20:32improves mana recovery within the home
5:20:34location by 20%.
5:20:37Carl felt the changes take effect, most
5:20:39noticeably the mana recovery, which made
5:20:41all the beasts sigh in pleasure at the
5:20:43influx into their spaces. The spaces
5:20:46improved slowly as the beasts used the
5:20:48majority of the mana that was provided
5:20:50to refine their own power. But with an
5:20:53extra 20%, the space itself was
5:20:55receiving a significant boost.
5:20:58Carl stepped downstairs and realized
5:21:00that he couldn't sense the illusionary
5:21:02realm at all, except for the fact that
5:21:05he could feel the butterflyy's unique
5:21:07magic signature. He watched quietly as
5:21:10the two in the store finished with their
5:21:11customers. Then Mick took a broom and
5:21:14began to clean the floor, though it was
5:21:15already nearly spotless.
5:21:18Caretaker Joe would be proud. Speaking
5:21:21of which, where was she? Carl extended
5:21:24his senses and found the cleanliness
5:21:26obsessed demon hanging from a rope,
5:21:28polishing the outside of the windows
5:21:29clean. The ones at the east end of the
5:21:32house facing the castle did not open, so
5:21:35she had taken it upon herself to polish
5:21:37them by hand instead of asking Remy or
5:21:39someone with better water magic to clean
5:21:41them for her. Hey, there is room to fly.
5:21:45Cara cheered in Carl's mind. That didn't
5:21:48sound right. Carl jogged back upstairs
5:21:52and found that the void badger had flown
5:21:54out the window of the illusionary room
5:21:56and out into the fake city. Lotus was
5:21:59right behind her and she had climbed out
5:22:01the window of the tower to slide down a
5:22:03vine ladder she had created. There was a
5:22:05whole magical city to explore and Lotus
5:22:08wanted to know what every magical plant
5:22:10was. The fact that it was all an
5:22:13illusion and none of it was real didn't
5:22:14matter to Lotus. It was all new things.
5:22:18But Cara had discovered a limitation to
5:22:20the spell. They couldn't be more than 70
5:22:23m apart or you would hit an invisible
5:22:25barrier past which you couldn't proceed.
5:22:28That was the maximum radius of the
5:22:30spell. And while it appeared that you
5:22:32could explore the whole city, only a
5:22:34small portion of it could be active at
5:22:36one time. That was a disappointment to
5:22:39Hawk, as his body was already considered
5:22:41huge.
5:22:4370 meters around himself would be fine
5:22:45if he was flying alone. But with others
5:22:47in the space, it wasn't enough room to
5:22:49really even take flight. However, with
5:22:52everyone else distracted by the
5:22:54illusion, it was a perfect excuse to
5:22:56sneak out for a little flight. Hawk knew
5:22:58that the farmers hated rodents nearly as
5:23:00much as Hawk liked eating them, and he
5:23:02had yet to sample the delicacies of this
5:23:04continent. Maybe once he flew out of the
5:23:07city a few dozen kilome, he would be
5:23:09able to find something tasty. Carl
5:23:12sensed him leaving, but the guards
5:23:14wouldn't hassle Hawk. He had been
5:23:16sitting on the roof right next to their
5:23:18station for the last few days. He wasn't
5:23:20a stranger. They should also know that
5:23:23he wasn't an invasive threat either, as
5:23:25he hadn't bothered anyone in that time.
5:23:28Stepping back into the room reminded
5:23:30Carl that he had things to do to finish
5:23:31the project, and he immediately turned
5:23:33to go back downstairs.
5:23:36Davis, do you know where we can find
5:23:38books? just regular books to fill the
5:23:40library space upstairs.
5:23:43We've been upgrading it and it's feeling
5:23:44a bit empty. Davis nodded, then turned
5:23:48to Mick. Go fetch a runner from the gate
5:23:51and give them three gold for a mass book
5:23:53purchase from Grimmoire's bookstore.
5:23:55Tell them that we don't mind if they're
5:23:57used and we don't mind some duplicates.
5:23:59We're stocking a full library in a new
5:24:01guild house. He handed the assistant the
5:24:04coins from the store vault, and the
5:24:06vampire ran outside with a fancy silk
5:24:08and lace umbrella, created by Ry to
5:24:10match her work uniform, and to protect
5:24:12her from the afternoon sun. The uniform
5:24:15dress that Ry had made her, black on one
5:24:18side and white on the other with long
5:24:19sleeves and frilly skirts, was cute, but
5:24:22the sleeves were loose, so her arms
5:24:24might have been exposed, and it didn't
5:24:26protect her face.
5:24:28The response from the bookstore was
5:24:29incredibly fast, even given that it was
5:24:32only up the street a few blocks. Within
5:24:34the hour, workers were showing up with
5:24:36wheelbarrows full of books and being
5:24:38ushered through the shop past confused
5:24:41customers.
5:24:42Right in here, "This room is the
5:24:45library. Pardon the chaos. We were just
5:24:47tweaking the illusions," Carl
5:24:50instructed.
5:24:52All the curtains had been drawn and Cara
5:24:54had returned to her space when the
5:24:55guests arrived. So there was no
5:24:57indication that the room wasn't actually
5:24:59shaped this way, though it would be a
5:25:01waste of interior space as the
5:25:03illusionary space was round. It was also
5:25:06two stories tall, and Carl noticed that
5:25:08there were bookshelves all over the
5:25:10floor, which was only accessible with a
5:25:12small spiral staircase.
5:25:14That had to be a nightmare for the
5:25:16workers, but they didn't appear to mind.
5:25:19Carl was concerned that he might have to
5:25:21restrain Remy. Though the Naga Queen was
5:25:24interested in every title that entered
5:25:26the house, even though there were
5:25:28thousands of them for the workers to
5:25:29place, the problem was only solved when
5:25:32Remy found an alchemy textbook among the
5:25:34titles and settled in on a cushion along
5:25:36the far wall to read. "Where did all
5:25:39these come from? It's quite the wide
5:25:41range of books that you found for us."
5:25:44Carl asked as a worker loaded the shelf
5:25:46beside Remy. Oh, everything here is a
5:25:49return. They're all used novels from the
5:25:52castle, the academy, or the lending
5:25:54library that were retired and repaired.
5:25:57The shop has a whole basement full of
5:25:59boxes of books that were fixed and never
5:26:01made it back for sorting and resale.
5:26:04Now, they have a bit of space in the
5:26:06basement again, as we will have
5:26:08delivered nearly 10,000 titles to you by
5:26:10the time that we're finished with these
5:26:11last shelves. A lot of them are fantasy
5:26:14and romance titles from the Ladies of
5:26:16the Castle.
5:26:18They tend to be voracious readers, and
5:26:20the noble ladies like variety, so we
5:26:22have a contract to replace their
5:26:23selections once a year. Most of those
5:26:26books end up in the basement and now
5:26:28here. We went all along one wall,
5:26:31though, so you don't just have recent
5:26:34arrivals. Some of the books that made it
5:26:36to your shelves have been in that
5:26:37basement for nearly a hundred years,
5:26:39preserved by the shop's magic. the
5:26:42worker explained.
5:26:44That was great news as they would have
5:26:46the chance to get some forgotten
5:26:47knowledge in the mix with their random
5:26:49selection. Remy had noticed there were
5:26:52an awful lot of educational toss as
5:26:54well, so they actually had a rather
5:26:55large training library now. Were they
5:26:58sorted in any way? Carl asked as the
5:27:01workers finished the shelf and began
5:27:03loading another. Yes, as well as we
5:27:06could. There are four sections upstairs.
5:27:10Educational historical skill knowledge
5:27:13and magical knowledge. On the lower
5:27:16floor, we have fiction, romantic
5:27:18fiction, modern affairs, and that final
5:27:20shelf will be full of introductory
5:27:22training to the schools. We have found
5:27:25that acolytes and assistants from the
5:27:27guilds like to sneak into the library
5:27:29and they make a smaller mess if they
5:27:30think that they got lucky and found the
5:27:32introductory toss that they were
5:27:34searching for on the first few shelves.
5:27:36The worker loading that bookshelf smiled
5:27:38and winked at Carl as he put a
5:27:40leatherbound tome labeled introduction
5:27:42to water magic on the very bottom shelf
5:27:44against the edge where it would escape
5:27:46sight from the door. Someone looking for
5:27:49it would notice it quickly, but it would
5:27:51appear to have been forgotten at the
5:27:52bottom of the shelf where dust would
5:27:54normally accumulate more quickly. Not
5:27:57that caretaker Joe would tolerate dust.
5:28:00Hopefully, her magic was suited to
5:28:02gently cleaning the ancient tomes and
5:28:04well-worn school books. The book dealers
5:28:07workers finished, then looked around the
5:28:09room. I know that you said there were
5:28:11illusions in play, but this room is
5:28:13spectacular.
5:28:15I think that most noble homes would be
5:28:17envious of the library that you have
5:28:18amassed now. Enjoy your space, sir. We
5:28:23have been informed that the bill was
5:28:24settled in advance.
5:28:26Then they were all gone and Remy began
5:28:29to pull the curtains open again to
5:28:30reveal the view of the city. Carl heard
5:28:33a commotion downstairs just after they
5:28:35left and the sound of someone drawing a
5:28:37sword. He raced down to the shop, Oilia
5:28:41and Tessa right behind him and found a
5:28:43man in the black and white tabard that
5:28:45he had seen the first day he entered the
5:28:46city standing with his sword tipped down
5:28:48lodged in the floor. The tabard wasn't
5:28:51hald. It was 2/3 white, but other than
5:28:54that, it looked very similar to Carl's.
5:28:57Who is in charge here? The man demanded.
5:29:01I am. What seems to be the issue? Carl
5:29:05asked, noting that the man was an
5:29:07overlord rank warrior. Our true light
5:29:10host challenges your impostor guild for
5:29:12possession of this guild house and
5:29:14rights to remain in the city. The loser
5:29:17will be expelled from the city or
5:29:18exterminated,
5:29:20the man announced.
5:29:22Guild War activated. The man's name
5:29:25immediately turned red in Carl's sight
5:29:27and an alarm sounded at the guard
5:29:29station. Did you wish to settle this by
5:29:32champion or by a full guild war? Carl
5:29:35asked with a smirk slowly spreading on
5:29:37his face? The man whistled and six more
5:29:40warriors in matching tabards marched
5:29:42into the yard. All overlords.
5:29:45Carl activated his armor. The gold trim
5:29:47of the guild war champion tabard shining
5:29:49in the light. The man's glare faltered
5:29:52for half a second, but he continued,
5:29:55"War
5:29:57Carl activated invisibility and the full
5:30:00suite of buffs at the same time that he
5:30:01drew his sword with the haint claw on
5:30:03his other hand. Then he moved two steps
5:30:06left with silent movement and attacked."
5:30:10The warrior hadn't even located him yet
5:30:12when a sonic boom shook the walls of the
5:30:14shop and Carl's blade pierced through
5:30:16the challenger's armor while a shoulder
5:30:18slam carried them both out to the yard.
5:30:21Carl reappeared so that the others could
5:30:23see the soul being torn from the
5:30:24overlord's body. Rey and Cara were out
5:30:28ready for battle when Carl called his
5:30:30summons out with Remy's.
5:30:32Hey, I can see glowing red people in the
5:30:35city. Hawk noted. Avoid collateral
5:30:38damage.
5:30:40Carl warned. "No problem. I can see
5:30:44their house." The warrior in front of
5:30:47Carl spun to face behind his position
5:30:49and lashed out with a skill that tore
5:30:50half the roof of the workshop off as it
5:30:52passed through, raising corporeal and
5:30:54invisible body. She only solidified her
5:30:57limbs as she tore into the warrior,
5:30:59targeting the weak spots in his armor.
5:31:02Unfortunately for him, his first
5:31:04instinct had been to use slash, which
5:31:07was fast activating, but a physical
5:31:09damage skill. Physical skills did
5:31:12nothing to the night haunter in
5:31:14corporeal form. And before he could
5:31:16recover, it was too late. Carl went
5:31:19after the man closest to the building,
5:31:21distracting him for an instant before
5:31:23Cara ran between his legs and cast
5:31:25disintegrate straight up. The groin of
5:31:28most armor sets was the weakest spot as
5:31:31the warrior needed to move his legs
5:31:32freely. But that meant that attacking
5:31:35from below was especially brutal. It
5:31:38didn't cause the sort of deadly damage
5:31:40Cara had expected, but by the pained
5:31:42howl the man made, it had gotten through
5:31:44his armor. Carl didn't let up, driving
5:31:47him backward and onto his back, where he
5:31:49was struck by a massive bolt of
5:31:50lightning that left him twitching until
5:31:52Thor's massive foot came down on his
5:31:54skull. Tessa was on the SOS back and
5:31:57Lotus was in tree form behind the house
5:31:59where she couldn't be seen by enemies
5:32:01approaching from the street. Whistles
5:32:04were sounding all over the city and Carl
5:32:06turned to face the gate as a squad of
5:32:08guardsmen ran inside.
5:32:10Halt. Public guild wars are prohibited
5:32:13in the city. They had been fast, but not
5:32:16fast enough. In the minute it had taken
5:32:19them to realize that this was more than
5:32:21just a fight in the yard and organize a
5:32:23full squad, three of the seven overlords
5:32:25were dead, and Hawk had begun the mass
5:32:27bombardment of the enemy guild house, as
5:32:30well as their members in the streets.
5:32:32Carl didn't relax his guarded position,
5:32:34though the surviving warriors of the
5:32:36True Light host guild were lowering
5:32:38their blades. They came and challenged,
5:32:41then refused a duel by champions,
5:32:43insisting on a full-scale guild war to
5:32:45annihilation.
5:32:47Carl insisted. "And who called for
5:32:50reinforcements?"
5:32:51The guard captain demanded. "I don't
5:32:54know what you mean. We've all been here
5:32:57since the start of the fight." Carl
5:32:59replied, and the four overlords nodded
5:33:02in agreement. None of them had called
5:33:04reinforcements, and the fight was on
5:33:06guild house property, not in public.
5:33:09"Hawk, stop the bombardment. I think we
5:33:12broke a rule." Carl warned. Hawk
5:33:16mentally shrugged and flew close enough
5:33:17to return to his space. The guard didn't
5:33:20reply for a few seconds as he used a
5:33:23communication spell. A group of True
5:33:25Light hosts junior members was ambushed
5:33:28by an unknown asalant in the Fool's Walk
5:33:30boardwalk area. They were incinerated by
5:33:33an overlord rank ability and heavy
5:33:35damage was done to the surrounding area.
5:33:38Then a group of them was seen firing
5:33:40spells in the forest gate district
5:33:42upward toward the ghostfire Thunderbird
5:33:44who is often perched here at the Dark
5:33:45Light host guild house. Both are
5:33:48violations of the city code on guild
5:33:50wars which restricts battles to guild
5:33:52properties. The captain explained.
5:33:56So the attack on their guild house was
5:33:58fine, right? Carl confirmed as Hawk had
5:34:02done heavy damage to that building. The
5:34:05closest of the four surviving true light
5:34:07host overlords took off their helmet,
5:34:09revealing a vibrant red demoness with
5:34:11her horns filed to nubs. "What do you
5:34:14mean the attack on our guild house?" she
5:34:17asked. "I had one of my bonded beasts
5:34:20bombard your guild house with ghost
5:34:22fire. It's gone along with everyone in
5:34:25it." "Well, most likely everyone. The
5:34:29house is still on fire, but ghost fire
5:34:31isn't easy to put out." The demoness
5:34:34went so pale her face faded to pink and
5:34:36she collapsed to her knees. No, there is
5:34:40no way that they could know where our
5:34:41guild house is. One of the others
5:34:44muttered. The one with 30 of your people
5:34:46in it to the west of Forest Gate. Carl
5:34:50asked. The guard verified something with
5:34:53a communication gem, then shook his head
5:34:55inside. The guild war is over. The guild
5:34:59master of the true light host is dead.
5:35:02he announced.
5:35:04With that, the red highlight on their
5:35:06names faded, and the four overlords
5:35:08faces morphed to expressions of horror,
5:35:10visible only as widened eyes under their
5:35:12helmets. Except for the one with her
5:35:14helmet off, who was openly weeping. How
5:35:17could the guild leader die?" she mumbled
5:35:20with a hopeful look at the guard,
5:35:22begging for it to be a lie. Some sort of
5:35:25overlord rank flaming tornado. He tried
5:35:28to rescue the wounded from the flames
5:35:30and ended up trapped in the spell. That
5:35:33made sense. It wasn't easy to escape,
5:35:36helltorm. The guard captain patted her
5:35:39on the shoulder. He was a bastard, but
5:35:42he was your bastard. We will allow you
5:35:4524 hours to gather the guilds belongings
5:35:47before you are escorted out of the
5:35:49cities as the defeated party. Tessa
5:35:52raised a hand to stop the guard before
5:35:54anyone left. As a high priestess of the
5:35:57war god, I have to know why. What
5:36:01possessed you to start this guild war
5:36:02that took so many lives in minutes? One
5:36:05of the warriors took off his helmet,
5:36:07letting it vanish into his storage. The
5:36:10tabards.
5:36:12The guild leader was upset that your
5:36:13colors were so similar to ours, and he
5:36:16demanded that we run you out of town.
5:36:18Ormouth should have accepted the
5:36:20challenge where the guards would have
5:36:21supervised and stopped him from being
5:36:23ambushed, but he was always prideful.
5:36:26Ormth must have been the first one to
5:36:28die. Tessa shook her head. Foolishness.
5:36:33Pure foolishness.
5:36:35There are few things that the red dragon
5:36:37goddess despises more than senseless
5:36:39wars. The other two warriors picked up
5:36:42their traumatized member, then moved the
5:36:44bodies to their inventories.
5:36:46much to raise dismay. The man with his
5:36:49helmet off turned to the guard captain.
5:36:52We will be out of the city within the
5:36:54day. Where were the wounded taken? Into
5:36:57the care of the guard's healing
5:36:59department. If they are too injured to
5:37:01move, they will remain in our care until
5:37:04they are discharged. So, don't plan to
5:37:06move too quickly. The four left and the
5:37:09guard captain turned on Carl, the only
5:37:12suspect for the damage to the boardwalk.
5:37:14If you're Ghostfire, Thunderbird, do you
5:37:17require a payment plan for restitution?
5:37:20He insisted.
5:37:22Sorry. Hawk apologized as he realized
5:37:25they were being made to pay for the
5:37:27damage to the ground around the red
5:37:28targets.
5:37:30How much is it? I will pay in gold. The
5:37:34guard captain nodded and a soldier
5:37:36behind him handed him a sheet. These are
5:37:39the itemized damages.
5:37:41The guard will distribute payments to
5:37:43ensure they are made. Carl passed it to
5:37:46Davis, who nodded and brought out a
5:37:48small bag of gold from the store's
5:37:49vault. Restitution with the collection
5:37:52fee and city levies added, he declared.
5:37:56The guard smiled. He liked it when they
5:37:59came across smart people. A little
5:38:02lubrication kept the wheels of
5:38:04bureaucracy moving smoothly. Carl
5:38:07sighed. We might need to reconsider our
5:38:10magical item selling operation if it's
5:38:12going to put non-commodants in danger.
5:38:14Davis chuckled. I think you
5:38:17misunderstand.
5:38:19This fight will be the talk of the city
5:38:20for months. One major guild war a year
5:38:24is already a lot, but targeting the same
5:38:27guild multiple times is unheard of. They
5:38:30lost four overlords today, and it's our
5:38:32word against speculation by the
5:38:34shopkeepers down the street on which
5:38:36side rejected the offer of a duel. I
5:38:38don't think that anyone will be eager to
5:38:40challenge the dark light host during the
5:38:42next decade. And now that we've been
5:38:44challenged, the guild house will have
5:38:46the option to recall a champion if we
5:38:48are challenged again. So, there is no
5:38:50need to keep a powerful member on call
5:38:52at all times. At least someone knew how
5:38:55the system worked. Within the hour, word
5:38:58of the guild battle had spread through
5:39:00the city, and the timeline had already
5:39:02gotten blurred by gossip. The rumor
5:39:04going around the city was that someone
5:39:06had attacked the Thunderbird while he
5:39:08was scouting, and the beast had
5:39:09retaliated by wiping out a group of
5:39:11initiates while they were shopping. The
5:39:14thought was horrifying to the people,
5:39:15but not as horrific as the storm of
5:39:17swirling flames that had eaten the True
5:39:19Light host guild house.
5:39:21There was so little chance for them to
5:39:23defend themselves, even when the attack
5:39:25had come so long after the alarm
5:39:27signaling a guild conflict had been
5:39:29sounded. That had to mean that the
5:39:31attack had started at the Dark Light
5:39:33host shop, and they hadn't been given
5:39:35the chance for a challenge. Under normal
5:39:38circumstances, you would not openly
5:39:40attack and try to take over a shop if
5:39:42you didn't have overwhelming strength.
5:39:44Not only did you need to win the
5:39:46property, you needed to convince the
5:39:47city governor that you should be allowed
5:39:49to keep it. The full activation of the
5:39:52system was relatively new, even here,
5:39:54and the old rules were still in place.
5:39:57Those rules said that whoever the owner
5:39:59had designated as the inheritor got the
5:40:01property, and if they were permanently
5:40:03dead with no heir, it went back to the
5:40:05city. The rule of law did not support
5:40:08taking over shops by force. However, the
5:40:11guild function allowed the victor of a
5:40:13guild battle to force the other guilds
5:40:15members out of the city. It would remove
5:40:18their guild house designation from the
5:40:19property and make the members physically
5:40:21unable to enter it after 24 hours.
5:40:25So the city generally took over the
5:40:27losers property and gave them the net
5:40:29proceeds after it was sold. Already
5:40:32guild alliances were forming so that
5:40:34entire regions would be pulled into a
5:40:36larger battle which essentially
5:40:37prevented wars from starting. But both
5:40:39parties involved this time were
5:40:41independent of such alliances.
5:40:43The guards were still waiting in the
5:40:45yard. So, the kitchen staff brought them
5:40:47out tea and snacks while they waited.
5:40:50The guards had called over a repair man
5:40:51for the roof of the workshop, but Carl
5:40:54suspected that just fixing the roof
5:40:55tiles would not be enough to calm the
5:40:57two unfortunate sculptors who came
5:40:59meters from being biseected.
5:41:01Somehow, the whole thing felt like a
5:41:03loss, even though it was objectively a
5:41:05crushing victory for their side. Davis,
5:41:08if you can get a hold of the mage who
5:41:10did the barriers. Some of them were
5:41:12damaged during the battle, and we will
5:41:14need stronger ones for the workshop
5:41:15maid. I know it was an afterthought, so
5:41:18we didn't put much of a barrier on it
5:41:20last time, but now it appears that we
5:41:22need to prepare for a much more violent
5:41:24future for the property, Carl
5:41:26instructed.
5:41:28Of course, sir. The guard captain turned
5:41:31to Carl. Were there any casualties on
5:41:34your side? We can bring over shamans to
5:41:37resurrect.
5:41:38Carl shook his head. There were no
5:41:41casualties on our side, but we have
5:41:43Lotus.
5:41:45She can resurrect. The guard blinked
5:41:48slowly as he realized that the fallen
5:41:50overlords could have been resurrected
5:41:51right where they were. Well, in theory,
5:41:54as the priestess was unlikely to bring
5:41:56enemies back to life, even if her
5:41:58goddess agreed to it, Los and Wendy
5:42:01finally came out of the ruined workshop,
5:42:03allowing Tessa to check them over. We're
5:42:06all right, really. The barrier on us
5:42:09never broke, even though the workshop
5:42:11did. Who creates that, by the way? It's
5:42:15a really comfortable barrier, Loros
5:42:18explained. Thor stomped his feet to get
5:42:21her attention and lowered his head to
5:42:23accept her praise. Oh, it's Thor, right?
5:42:28Thank you so much. I thought that we
5:42:30were in real trouble, but when the roof
5:42:32tiles collapsed, they hit the personal
5:42:34barrier, and nothing hurt us at all. She
5:42:37was loving on Thor, leaning against his
5:42:40head to rub the good spot between his
5:42:41upper horns. The Sarah was having a
5:42:44great day. Thor settled on his belly so
5:42:47his scales could be more effectively
5:42:49rubbed and decided to ignore the
5:42:51commotion outside the gates where
5:42:53someone was shouting. The city guard had
5:42:56stopped someone from approaching. But
5:42:57the shouting caught Carl's attention. An
5:43:00unfamiliar woman was screaming at the
5:43:02guards and threatening to kill someone.
5:43:04So Carl went out the gate to see what
5:43:06was going on. You, the war champion, I
5:43:11demand satisfaction.
5:43:13You killed my husband. The woman
5:43:16screamed.
5:43:18Carl and the guard captain stared at
5:43:19each other in confusion.
5:43:22Of course, he had. That was how Guild
5:43:24Wars worked. But the woman wasn't done.
5:43:28The shaman can't bring him back. His
5:43:30soul is damaged. You bastard. What did
5:43:33you do to him? She screamed as the
5:43:36neighbors came out of their shops to
5:43:38watch the shows. It's divine punishment
5:43:41for stupidity.
5:43:42He refused to accept a challenge and
5:43:44demanded annihilation.
5:43:46That's what he got. Carl explained
5:43:49calmly. The gods have nothing to do with
5:43:52anything, you murderer. Carl didn't even
5:43:55know how to argue with that. He had used
5:43:58the haint claw for extra damage, knowing
5:44:01what would happen. But did he regret it?
5:44:04Surprisingly, no. Not even a little bit.
5:44:09Now everyone on the street understood
5:44:11what had happened.
5:44:12The losing side hadn't been able to
5:44:14resurrect all their overlords.
5:44:17That was a tragedy for the family, but
5:44:19the demons generally didn't get too
5:44:20worked up about such things. If you
5:44:23tried your luck and ended up becoming
5:44:25the year's find out champion, you
5:44:27deserved it in the minds of the majority
5:44:28here. The major concern that they had
5:44:31was what that dark light host war
5:44:33champion had done to him. Carl's tabard
5:44:36now had two golden rings around it,
5:44:38marking two above ranked offensive
5:44:40victories. So, this was not a new feat
5:44:42for him. Whatever hidden skill he had
5:44:45must amount to an instant kill
5:44:46assassination technique. But Carl was
5:44:49also getting incredibly close to the
5:44:51overlord rank, they could all feel it in
5:44:53his aura. So, while this one did count,
5:44:57he was just generally a monster in
5:44:58combat by any standard below totem rank.
5:45:02It was probably best to make friends
5:45:03with his people, as they had the secret
5:45:05to crushing a numerically superior force
5:45:07in less time than it took to drink a
5:45:09coffee.
5:45:10Carl shook his head in dismay. I'm sorry
5:45:14for your loss, but he refused the
5:45:16challenge.
5:45:17Safety isn't assured during a guild war,
5:45:19and it was his choice. Then he walked
5:45:22back in the gate and motioned for
5:45:24everyone to head in the house. Once they
5:45:27were back inside, the change that had
5:45:29overcome his beast spaces with the
5:45:30addition of the little butterfly was
5:45:32much more obvious to Carl. It hadn't
5:45:35spoken yet, so he had no idea if it was
5:45:37a brother or sister, but it was curious
5:45:40about everything. And the influx of
5:45:42power that it brought to the previously
5:45:43empty space made a huge difference to
5:45:45the power flow in the spaces as a whole.
5:45:48Some of that would be because the new
5:45:50addition was an overlord, but it wasn't
5:45:52putting any pressure on his mind the way
5:45:54that Carl had expected from a beast
5:45:55above his own rank. That might be
5:45:58because he was already close. But the
5:46:00amount of power flowing in and out of
5:46:02the butterflyy's space was at least
5:46:03twice what anyone else's did. It was
5:46:06also aggressively increasing. The
5:46:09sparkling dust that the butterfly gave
5:46:11off coated the surface of the space like
5:46:13glittering snowfall, and as it
5:46:14dissipated, it was absorbed into the
5:46:16space without being able to escape,
5:46:18which forced the power level and mana
5:46:20density even higher. Davis looked up as
5:46:23he felt Carl surge with power and
5:46:25smiled. It seems that our large demonic
5:46:28friend is going to break the overlord
5:46:30rank bottleneck in one go. He noted.
5:46:34Seriously?
5:46:35Tessa asked. Can't you feel it? Just a
5:46:39bit more of a push and he will soar past
5:46:41the break point. I don't think that he
5:46:44will get stuck at all with the way that
5:46:46his aura is surging. His weapons absorb
5:46:49soul energy and he just killed an
5:46:51overlord. That alone might be enough to
5:46:54push him through. That's how most of the
5:46:56carnage demons do it and some of the
5:46:58obsession demons as well. But his
5:47:01magical power is increasing as well. And
5:47:03that's how the magic demons do it. They
5:47:06build up power in either their bodies or
5:47:08a storage item, then let it flood them
5:47:10to force all of the old mana out and
5:47:12break the bottleneck. Dana blinked
5:47:15slowly as she realized that was an
5:47:17option. She was close to monarch rank,
5:47:20as were the others. If she concentrated
5:47:23mana in a few items in her body, then
5:47:25released the pressure, she could
5:47:27definitely break the bottleneck. It was
5:47:29a bit annoying to realize that every
5:47:31demon in Drad City knew such things
5:47:33while the Golden Dragon Nation was still
5:47:35in the dark. But that also gave her a
5:47:38brilliant idea. Tutor Amad, I don't know
5:47:42if you can receive messages from this
5:47:44far away. I learned something new from
5:47:47the demons today. If you concentrate
5:47:50high-grade mana in an item or your body,
5:47:52then release it as a flood, you can
5:47:54force all the existing mana out of your
5:47:56body and break a rank bottleneck.
5:47:59Instead of trying to upgrade the
5:48:00existing mana, let the foreign mana
5:48:02strip every bit of the essence of your
5:48:04magic away and replace it. Hold that
5:48:07mana until your body adapts. Then use it
5:48:09up and let your body replace it with new
5:48:11mana at the increased rank. She sent. 30
5:48:15seconds later, a response came.
5:48:18I didn't think that anyone of lower rank
5:48:20could send or receive a message across
5:48:22continents. It is very faint and I had
5:48:25to use magic to recover it. It is good
5:48:28that you are not in trouble. I will try
5:48:31the technique with other mages who are
5:48:33stuck. If it doesn't kill them, we will
5:48:36owe you a huge debt of gratitude.
5:48:38That was something that Dana hadn't
5:48:40considered. The reason you didn't strip
5:48:43away all your mana to replace it with
5:48:45outside mana was because it was
5:48:46equivalent to a massive magical attack
5:48:48on the body by trying to bathe your
5:48:50insides in an arcane missile spell.
5:48:53Perhaps demons were better suited to it.
5:48:56But if she was really in danger, she
5:48:58could always let the influx of mana flow
5:49:00through her. Plus, she could do the
5:49:03whole process with void body active. As
5:49:06Carl had never deactivated the epic
5:49:08guard after the battle, hers was still
5:49:11active as well, and it had taken a
5:49:13liking to Loros, who looked very similar
5:49:15to the pale violet construct, though
5:49:17Loros was a rich ivory color with only a
5:49:20hint of purple undertones.
5:49:22Carl, can I get you to make something
5:49:24for me? She asked. Of course. What do
5:49:29you need? I need the largest mana
5:49:31storage item that we can feasibly
5:49:33create.
5:49:34I'm almost at the monarch rank
5:49:36bottleneck and that should help me break
5:49:38through. She explained.
5:49:41Lotus perked up as she said those words.
5:49:44Oh, that is a great idea. I know just
5:49:48the thing. I will make it in the yard
5:49:50and then Carl can put runes for mana
5:49:52storage on it and make it a blessed
5:49:54item. She insisted before running back
5:49:57into the yard through the kitchen. Carl
5:50:00wasn't sure what she planned to make in
5:50:02the backyard, but he could feel Lotus
5:50:04going all out with her magic. Remy
5:50:06transformed from Naga Queen to spirit
5:50:09serpent form and raced through the house
5:50:10to go see, then sent back a mental
5:50:12message. Oh, she's making a lotus tree.
5:50:17I know just the thing. Under the Ledian
5:50:20alchemy tome on the altar, there is a
5:50:22loose piece of paper. That should be the
5:50:24runes to create a healing totem effect
5:50:27with rune crafting. If you put that and
5:50:30blessed item along with tons of mana
5:50:33storage on the tree, wouldn't we have a
5:50:34real lotus tree statue? Carl wasn't sure
5:50:38how well that would work. But now that
5:50:40he had activated pack affinity, he could
5:50:43use the totems.
5:50:45Pack affinity. The packmaster has an
5:50:47affinity for all skills that any of his
5:50:49bonded beasts have an affinity for and
5:50:51may learn them as normal. In theory, it
5:50:54should be possible to inscribe that
5:50:56spell like any other. So Carl dug out a
5:51:00monarch ranked nature stone from Hawk
5:51:02space, a green stone the size of his
5:51:04fist, and began to carve the spell.
5:51:07Carving the totem spell was easier than
5:51:09Carl had expected. Unlike other spells,
5:51:12which were a complex set of system
5:51:14designed mana flows, the totems were
5:51:16pure elemental force given direction.
5:51:19When carved on a nature stone, getting
5:51:21the healing effect felt natural, and the
5:51:24process was finished even before Lotus
5:51:26called to announce that she had grown
5:51:27her tree statue. Or perhaps it was an
5:51:30altar to the nature gods. When Carl
5:51:33walked out back, he realized that it was
5:51:35definitely an altar. A face had been
5:51:38carved in the tree, and a small platform
5:51:40for offerings had been grown near ground
5:51:42level. But that was perfect.
5:51:46Lotus, open the mouth a little. I need
5:51:48to put this inside, he instructed.
5:51:52She complied without question, and Carl
5:51:54placed the carved stone in the tree
5:51:56statue's mouth. The face looked clearly
5:51:59draconic, partially emerged from the
5:52:01statue's surface, but there was no spot
5:52:03there for runes. Instead, Carl went to
5:52:06the back of the tree and began his work.
5:52:09He hid the activation runes in a long
5:52:11poem about the green dragon that
5:52:13appeared in his mind as he scratched the
5:52:15runes into the wood. Most of the focus
5:52:18was on the ability to store mana and the
5:52:20blessed item spell that was added to the
5:52:22main runes. The totem stone was linked
5:52:25to the trees magic and then Carl began
5:52:28to upgrade it. Bronze, silver, gold,
5:52:31amethyst, then ruby red. The runes
5:52:35progressed smoothly, and Carl kept
5:52:37going, intending to create them to the
5:52:39maximum of either the trees or his own
5:52:41personal capacity.
5:52:43Then his aura soared and he felt a sense
5:52:46of joy from the little butterfly. The
5:52:48runes turned from rich red to a ghostly
5:52:51green, shifting from monarch to overlord
5:52:53along with their creator. The leaves on
5:52:56the statue turned from wooden carvings
5:52:57to vibrant green ones that looked
5:52:59absolutely real except for the fact they
5:53:01didn't flutter in the wind. While both
5:53:03the eyes of the face on the tree and the
5:53:05interior of its mouth glowed with a soft
5:53:07green light as Carl loaded the tree with
5:53:09mana, Carl could hear the guards running
5:53:12into their compound for the second time
5:53:14today, having jumped over the walls as
5:53:16the gate was closed. But he wasn't
5:53:19concerned.
5:53:20Nothing about this statue would harm
5:53:22anyone. Quite the opposite, actually.
5:53:26As Carl finished the work, the statue
5:53:28pulsed with healing power and a wave of
5:53:31healing energy spread from the tree
5:53:32through the courtyard, stopping at the
5:53:34walls and not spreading through the
5:53:36streets. Monarch,
5:53:38someone called. Then the voice
5:53:40hesitated.
5:53:42Overlord Carl, congratulations.
5:53:46We sensed the power and thought your
5:53:47guild might have been attacked again.
5:53:50But what is this? The weariness is gone
5:53:53from my bones and I'm feeling like a
5:53:55young demon again. The guard captain
5:53:58greeted them. A new addition to our
5:54:00home. A healing totem altar courtesy of
5:54:04the green dragon goddess.
5:54:06Carl explained. The group of demons
5:54:09stared at the tree statue in shock. That
5:54:12was clearly an overlord rank healing
5:54:14spell, though it was a minor healing
5:54:16spell with a healing overtime effect.
5:54:19One of the guards came forward and
5:54:21dropped to one knee in front of the
5:54:22tree, then smiled and placed a sandwich
5:54:25on the altar before standing. As soon as
5:54:28he did, the sandwich vanished, and the
5:54:30guards chuckled. The green dragon was
5:54:33easy to please. Your offering just had
5:54:35to be appropriate and heartfelt.
5:54:37Offering her your lunch was better than
5:54:39gold and jewels. But even as they
5:54:42celebrated, the guard captain had a
5:54:44conflicted look on his face.
5:54:46This isn't to become a temple to the
5:54:48dragon gods, is it? He asked carefully.
5:54:52Lotus shook her head. No, it's just the
5:54:56home of dragon clerics.
5:54:58Naturally, we would have an altar at our
5:55:00own home. The captain breathed a sigh of
5:55:03relief. Thank the dark gods. Dro is a
5:55:08demon city. After all, temples, except
5:55:11to the demon gods, are prohibited.
5:55:14However, everyone is free to worship as
5:55:16they will. The demon gods like the
5:55:19conflict. The tree pulsed again, and
5:55:22Carl heard Loros laugh from the second
5:55:24floor. Someone must have injured
5:55:27themselves with the carving tools and
5:55:29triggered the totem. Carl saw a
5:55:32notification in his sight, hidden at the
5:55:34bottom corner where he had moved all the
5:55:36other notifications so they didn't
5:55:37distract him in combat. Requirements for
5:55:40next class advancement.
5:55:42Reach totem rank. Fill all beast slots
5:55:46or combine spaces to remove redundant
5:55:48areas. Visit any dungeon, instance, or
5:55:52relic with system integration.
5:55:54Carl considered that for a second.
5:55:57Shouldn't the class advancement come at
5:55:59overlord rank? He was quite certain that
5:56:02was the case. Was it something with his
5:56:04class that he had to advance later than
5:56:06others by a rank? Perhaps because his
5:56:09class was more advanced from the start.
5:56:12But there was one more notification
5:56:13appearing in his messages. Home upgrade
5:56:16made healing altar. Bonus applied.
5:56:20Pacifism.
5:56:22Pacifism causes holy damage to hostile
5:56:24targets within the home and calms their
5:56:26minds. That should help Davis deal with
5:56:29the worst customers.
5:56:31Carl didn't think that anyone other than
5:56:33the attacking guild had dared to get
5:56:35physical with the staff so far, but the
5:56:37new effect should prevent any such
5:56:38incidents in the future. or at least
5:56:41mitigate them. Carl also noticed that he
5:56:44was now back over 50 skill points again.
5:56:47Thanks to the successful defense of the
5:56:49guild house, he was at 68 points and
5:56:52would be able to choose a new skill from
5:56:54among those in his skill tree. The
5:56:56obvious choice was pack first, which
5:56:59would remove the usage and targeting
5:57:01restrictions on evolution at the cost of
5:57:03increasing materials cost every time
5:57:05that it was used on a bonded beast. He
5:57:08was also interested to see what skills
5:57:10might be hidden behind that one. The
5:57:13second tier was directly related to the
5:57:15skill chosen before it. So once he
5:57:18improved evolution, what skills would
5:57:20reveal themselves?
5:57:22It certainly wouldn't be anything weak,
5:57:24even if it wasn't the most urgent of
5:57:25skills. Carl considered using up his
5:57:28skill points and quickly gave in to
5:57:31temptation.
5:57:32Skill learned. Hack first removes the
5:57:35usage and targeting limits on evolution,
5:57:37but adds an increasing materials cost
5:57:40every time it is used on a bonded beast.
5:57:43Remaining points 18.
5:57:45New skills available.
5:57:48100 points. Benevolent Elder and bonded
5:57:51beasts evolved by the packmaster gain
5:57:53the ability to form a contract with
5:57:55eligible targets before the targets
5:57:57initial class selection.
5:57:5920 points. Limitless passive skill.
5:58:03Beasts evolved by the packmaster have an
5:58:05increased chance of surpassing
5:58:07milestones in development.
5:58:09Carl stared at the options in shock. The
5:58:12second one was in line with what he had
5:58:14expected from evolution. Evolved beasts
5:58:17having an easier time growing was
5:58:19precisely the sort of skill that you
5:58:20would expect. But that benevolent elder
5:58:24skill that was wild. It was like gaining
5:58:28the power to just directly select an
5:58:30advanced class for someone else. Not
5:58:33only that, but they would be forming a
5:58:35contract with an evolved beast with
5:58:36immense potential. Everyone else noticed
5:58:39the faint smile on Carl's face and
5:58:41waited for him to finish whatever he was
5:58:43doing and explained to them. It took him
5:58:46a few minutes to come back to reality
5:58:48and realized that he had become the
5:58:49center of attention.
5:58:51Ah, sorry about that. I selected a new
5:58:55skill after advancement.
5:58:57But it unlocked the path to two new
5:58:59skills, and one of them is incredibly
5:59:01interesting.
5:59:03Not at all what I expected, he
5:59:05explained. But Lotus and Dana were not
5:59:08going to let it go that easily. The
5:59:10skill I unlocked is one that helps me
5:59:12allow my beasts to evolve and grow
5:59:14stronger.
5:59:15However, the skill that it unlocked
5:59:17targets beasts that I have evolved but
5:59:19not bonded to. It allows them to pick a
5:59:22partner like the system quest tokens
5:59:24that helped create the beast rangers.
5:59:27Carl elaborated.
5:59:29Lotus giggled.
5:59:31So, it lets you evolve magical beasts,
5:59:33then let them pick a pet partner. That
5:59:36sounds like fun. Carl could see that she
5:59:39had grand plans for this ability
5:59:41already. Only ones that don't have their
5:59:44class active yet. Sorry, Lotus. The
5:59:48nature cleric seemed to deflate.
5:59:51First it's a shy butterfly, now a skill
5:59:53that won't let me pick my own fluffy
5:59:55friend. Your skills are no fun at all
5:59:58today. Carl shrugged. Well, I guess they
6:00:02just didn't make it with green dragon
6:00:04clerics in mind. Or they might have
6:00:07thought that you would get too focused
6:00:08on your new friend and forget that you
6:00:10were supposed to be doing priestess type
6:00:12things. Tessa laughed. That second part.
6:00:17Definitely the second part. Life is full
6:00:20of disappointments for the green dragon
6:00:21clerics simply because all they really
6:00:24want to do is spend more time with
6:00:25animals and they would never leave their
6:00:27rooms if more beasts kept coming to
6:00:29them. Lotus sighed in longing. That
6:00:33sounded like the perfect life. Just
6:00:35sitting in a room full of pillows with
6:00:38new friends visiting everyday. If she
6:00:41had the glass-wing illusionary butterfly
6:00:43as her bonded partner, it would be even
6:00:45better because they could use that solid
6:00:46illusion skill to make different scenery
6:00:48every day. Why don't we stay closed for
6:00:51the rest of the day and relax? No need
6:00:54to tempt fate while the angry families
6:00:56of the defeated guild are still in the
6:00:58city. Carl suggested.
6:01:01Lotus smiled at him. Definitely. We can
6:01:05also make some fun new stuff for the
6:01:07shelves. We've got plenty of the basic
6:01:10items because we closed early. But I bet
6:01:13if we made some orbs with mana storage,
6:01:15the mages would love us. Or we could
6:01:18make weapons for the warriors. Hulk
6:01:21could make a nice forge in the workshop
6:01:22once we get the roof fixed. Davis
6:01:25nodded. I will speak to the mage when he
6:01:28arrives to repair the workshop. It
6:01:31shouldn't be difficult to get a basic
6:01:32forge made in the corner of the room.
6:01:35Then Hawk would upgrade it. It would
6:01:38also give them a place to get rid of the
6:01:40trash items from the dungeon, which were
6:01:42mostly commander and royal rank, but
6:01:44contained very little innate magic. The
6:01:47materials should still be good for
6:01:48crafting other items, though.
6:01:51Unfortunately, that meant hiring another
6:01:53employee if anyone was still willing to
6:01:55come work for them. They didn't have a
6:01:58blacksmith among the team. It would have
6:02:00to be a fairly powerful one as well. The
6:02:03base stock of the weapon relied upon the
6:02:05rank of the artisan creating it. Davis
6:02:08nodded. If that is the case, I will
6:02:11return to my home. Mother will surely be
6:02:14happy to have me around for a bit more
6:02:16of the day than usual. Carl patted him
6:02:19on the shoulder. Take good care of her.
6:02:23Family is important. And if you know of
6:02:26a royal or monarch ranked blacksmith in
6:02:28need of work, send them our way
6:02:30tomorrow. We will start gathering
6:02:32materials for them and cut them a good
6:02:34deal on the profit sharing. The fallen
6:02:37angel bowed slightly, emotion that
6:02:39always caused his wings to spread, and
6:02:41then headed out into the streets under
6:02:43the watchful eyes of the city guard.
6:02:46They had seen enough trouble for one day
6:02:48they didn't want anymore.
6:02:50Plus, who knew what sorts of dangerous
6:02:52weapons an employee of a magical items
6:02:54shop might be carrying? The butterflies
6:02:57seemed to be all in on the idea of a
6:02:59relaxation day. Carl realized when
6:03:01everyone sat down for an early meal so
6:03:04the kitchen staff could clean up and
6:03:05call it a day. It was enthusiastically
6:03:08showing him images of scenes from a book
6:03:10that Remy was reading played by actors
6:03:12on a stage. The book was wildly
6:03:15inappropriate for public consumption,
6:03:17but there should have been a number of
6:03:19proper plays and story books in the
6:03:20collection that could replace Remy's
6:03:22beloved romance novels.
6:03:24However, in a city full of demons, there
6:03:27might actually be a market for such
6:03:29scandalous performances.
6:03:31If they were traveling in the future,
6:03:33Little Butterfly could put on a very
6:03:34convincing minstal show for them,
6:03:36telling folk tales and acting as a bard
6:03:38to retell recent events in a fanciful
6:03:40way. Carl could feel the butterfly
6:03:43considering that. Then the scene in its
6:03:45space changed and the romance was
6:03:47replaced with a flamboyant rendition of
6:03:49the battle at the south docks near where
6:03:51it had been washed up on the beach.
6:03:53"Yes, that would work perfectly," Carl
6:03:56agreed. "The realism level was
6:03:58incredible."
6:04:00"So, with the assistance of the
6:04:02butterfly, a new evening hobby was born.
6:04:05In the theater of the illusionary city,
6:04:07just below the window of the library
6:04:09tower, everyone gathered to watch a
6:04:11liveaction play based on one of the many
6:04:13books that had been brought into the
6:04:15illusionary space. The butterfly turned
6:04:18out to be just as voracious of a reader
6:04:20as Remy was, but it had a distinct
6:04:22advantage. It was aware of what happened
6:04:24in its illusion. So when it made an
6:04:26illusionary clone of a person, it could
6:04:28have that illusion read various books to
6:04:30prepare for the evening show or even
6:04:32just teach the butterfly a bit more
6:04:34about the world in general. The lead
6:04:37actor of the show looked out at the
6:04:38crowd and bowed. For tonight's
6:04:41presentation, we have a classic saga,
6:04:43Hans and Greta. The man's deep voice
6:04:46boomed through the space, and Carl had
6:04:49to do his best not to laugh. He had
6:04:52noticed that book earlier when the
6:04:53workers were bringing it in, and it was
6:04:55most definitely a children's story book,
6:04:57complete with pictures.
6:04:59Perhaps that was why the butterfly chose
6:05:01it first, because it had an idea what
6:05:04the cast should look like. The backdrop
6:05:07of the auditorium changed to a dark and
6:05:09misty forest where two young demon
6:05:11children were being led along a path by
6:05:13their parents. The couple ditched the
6:05:16kids in the woods, then went home to a
6:05:17swinger's party, and Carl began to
6:05:20suspect that the butterflyy's mind had
6:05:21been corrupted by age inappropriate
6:05:23reading material. But Remy disagreed.
6:05:27She had already read this one, and the
6:05:29demonic version of children's tales were
6:05:31much different than human children's
6:05:33stories. The children were discovered by
6:05:35a benevolent witch with a grudge against
6:05:37their parents who trained them to be
6:05:39assassins and take vengeance on the
6:05:41couple who abandoned them. parents who
6:05:43were brutally murdered at the end of the
6:05:45show. The morals seemed to be to guide
6:05:48your children well or someone else will
6:05:50raise them to their own ends. The demons
6:05:52in the room were all cheering as the
6:05:54final scene of Greta throwing her
6:05:56parents' corpses into a pool of magical
6:05:58magma ended and the actors came out to
6:06:00take a bow. That was absolutely
6:06:03incredible.
6:06:04I've never seen a show that good before.
6:06:07How does this place do that? One of the
6:06:10cooks asked and Carl realized that he
6:06:12didn't know any of their names. They
6:06:15were 1, two, and three. That couldn't be
6:06:20right. Do you mind if I ask about your
6:06:22names? Carl replied curiously.
6:06:26The head chef, conveniently named one,
6:06:29sighed and shrugged. We were sold by our
6:06:32parents to the owner of the abalone
6:06:34casino as children to pay off a debt.
6:06:36The owner renamed us and when the system
6:06:39granted us classes, they stuck. At
6:06:42Ascended, we petitioned the city to have
6:06:44the debt discharged, and the city
6:06:46governor agreed that we had paid long
6:06:48enough. But the names won't change no
6:06:50matter how we try to give each other
6:06:52nicknames.
6:06:54The demon known as two smooth, the white
6:06:56hair between her curled horns. It's
6:06:59convenient sometimes, though. People
6:07:02think that it's a disguise skill and
6:07:04nobody wants to anger a potential
6:07:05assassin.
6:07:07Carl smiled as he remembered that when
6:07:09his system was only partially activated
6:07:11when he disabled the display, it would
6:07:13turn off the visibility of his name to
6:07:15others as well. That had caused a lot of
6:07:18suspicion that he was an infiltration
6:07:20type class. What would you like me to
6:07:22call you instead? He asked. Abby. They
6:07:27replied in unison.
6:07:29All of you. They nodded. All determined
6:07:32that they wanted the same name. Carl
6:07:35suspected that the reason that they
6:07:37couldn't get the system to change their
6:07:38tag was because they couldn't agree on
6:07:40unique names. But it was also possible
6:07:43that you couldn't change it at all. Mix
6:07:46name tag still said Michelle even though
6:07:48the vampire never used her full name. A
6:07:51few minutes after Hans and Greta ended,
6:07:53a new group of actors appeared on the
6:07:55stage. Please join us for our rendition
6:07:58of the defense of Aur River crossing by
6:08:00the leg regiment during the Dradlerian
6:08:02war. The man dressed as a noble cordier
6:08:06announced. That sounded like it could be
6:08:08interesting. Carl decided it was local
6:08:12history, a war between Drod and their
6:08:14neighbor to the south, and the leg
6:08:16regiment was well known within the city.
6:08:18They were stationed up the river a few
6:08:20hundred km and often escorted riverboats
6:08:23to the docks with crops. This one was a
6:08:26military docky drama, and the special
6:08:28effects that could be made by a
6:08:30glass-wing illusionary butterfly were
6:08:31better than anything Carl had seen on
6:08:33television at home. You could even feel
6:08:36the thumping of spell explosions as the
6:08:38battle was replayed, ending with the
6:08:40dramatic duel between the two regimental
6:08:42champions, both mythic ranked demons.
6:08:45Nearly 10,000 acres of forest and crop
6:08:48land were completely obliterated during
6:08:49the fight, which ended with the leg
6:08:51regiment commander victorious, but his
6:08:53regiment almost annihilated.
6:08:56Fewer than a thousand of his 50,000 men
6:08:58survived the siege. Dana fell asleep in
6:09:01Carl's arms during the second show, and
6:09:04most of the others were rousing
6:09:05themselves to go to bed once they
6:09:07realized it was over. Thank you for the
6:09:09shows, little butterfly.
6:09:12You did an incredible job.
6:09:14Carl congratulated the newest team
6:09:16member. One of the actors reappeared on
6:09:19the stage and bowed to Carl in response,
6:09:22then vanished again. Perhaps that was
6:09:24how the butterfly preferred to
6:09:26communicate.
6:09:27Not directly or through a verbal mental
6:09:29link, but with their illusions
6:09:31representing them. That might actually
6:09:33be easier to interact with than some of
6:09:35the others. At least you knew when the
6:09:38butterfly was paying attention. Cara
6:09:41could be staring right at you and still
6:09:43not listening. The next morning, Carl
6:09:46woke up to a tail in his face as Dana
6:09:48got ready for the morning. You seem to
6:09:50enjoy cat form quite a bit. He joked.
6:09:55It's actually quite convenient.
6:09:57People don't look at me strangely in
6:09:59this shape, at least not here in Drad.
6:10:02But more importantly, this form is
6:10:04significantly stronger than my actual
6:10:06body. that's useful not only in combat
6:10:09but just doing daily tasks.
6:10:12Besides, now I have a tail. She laughed.
6:10:16Carl couldn't really complain as he
6:10:18rarely changed back from a transformed
6:10:20state. That was likely putting a damper
6:10:23on their intimate moments in the past,
6:10:25but now that she was also transformed,
6:10:27Dana seemed much less concerned about
6:10:29keeping her emotions hidden. That could
6:10:32be because she had far too many tails in
6:10:34this form, from the ears and the tail to
6:10:36the purring. But it was a refreshing
6:10:38change. Big plans for the day? He asked
6:10:42as Dana shimmyied into a pair of soft
6:10:44silk pants and tied the back above her
6:10:46tail. We're going to steal Thor and go
6:10:49to the dungeon today. You've got things
6:10:51to do and people will definitely be
6:10:54coming to kiss ass today. None of us
6:10:56wanted to hang around for it, but the
6:10:58dungeon is a fivep person instance. Dana
6:11:02explained.
6:11:03Stop at the tree in the backyard and see
6:11:05if you can push yourself to monarch rank
6:11:07first. If you can, the dungeon will go
6:11:10even more smoothly and you'll get a
6:11:12chance to get used to a new power level,
6:11:15Carl suggested.
6:11:17Oh, that is a great idea. How is the
6:11:20butterfly doing? Dana asked hesitantly.
6:11:24Thriving. I can sense that the
6:11:27butterflyy's illusions are playing tag
6:11:29with Cara in the library room or rather
6:11:31the city outside the library room.
6:11:34Energy levels, both mana and stamina are
6:11:37up, and the power level is beginning to
6:11:39stabilize now after a rapid growth
6:11:41spurt. I think that the species is just
6:11:44really poorly adapted to living in the
6:11:46modern world, and it needed some special
6:11:48conditions to make it past emergence,
6:11:50Carl explained.
6:11:52That is wonderful.
6:11:54So, we're not going to lose our library.
6:11:58Carl laughed. No, we're not going to
6:12:01lose our library.
6:12:03At least not anytime soon. Dana headed
6:12:06down the stairs to give the great news
6:12:08to Lotus, who was certain to be
6:12:10stressing out about the fate of the
6:12:11butterfly by now, as well as the
6:12:13illusions that came with it. She didn't
6:12:16need to worry so much.
6:12:18Lotus was already in the library, buried
6:12:20in a pile of super fluffy white puppies
6:12:22that constantly licked her face and
6:12:24begged for her attention. Dragging her
6:12:27away to do a dungeon run might be
6:12:29difficult. Maybe they should take Rey
6:12:31and Thor with them and let Lotus play.
6:12:34Before they left, Dana went to the altar
6:12:36and pulled a huge amount of mana from
6:12:38the tree, flushing the energy from her
6:12:40body and integrating the new power. The
6:12:44effect was akin to dousing herself in
6:12:46acid. Every part of her body burned as
6:12:48the mana was forcefully integrated
6:12:51despite not matching what her body was
6:12:52used to and her maximum power cap
6:12:55soared. But not far enough. When the
6:12:58mana was fully integrated into her body,
6:13:01she had only managed to retain it near
6:13:02the peak of royal rank, and the majority
6:13:05of the quality had been lost in
6:13:06conversion.
6:13:08She wasn't quite close enough to the
6:13:09peak of royal rank. So, she went to the
6:13:11dungeon with a renewed determination.
6:13:14Carl saw Davis coming down the street
6:13:16from the yard when he went to check on
6:13:18the damaged workshop and then noticed
6:13:20that there was already a lineup of
6:13:21people outside. One of whom was the
6:13:24overlord ranked mage who did the
6:13:25barriers.
6:13:27Oh, Mage Jones, please come in.
6:13:30Everyone, the shop will be open in the
6:13:32next few minutes. Please be patient as
6:13:34we repair the damage from yesterday's
6:13:36excitement.
6:13:38Carl announced. The mage came in and
6:13:41clasped Carl's hand with a huge smile.
6:13:44Congratulations, Overlord.
6:13:47I will fix up the workshop right away,
6:13:49but Davis mentioned that you would like
6:13:51a forge, added. He asked.
6:13:54Yes, please. We would like to start
6:13:57adding metal accessories and items to
6:13:59our selection, and that needs a forge.
6:14:02We can do the forge fire enchantments
6:14:04ourselves. But the stone structure of
6:14:06the forge needs a better trained hand,
6:14:09Carl explained.
6:14:11With a wave of his hand, Davis repaired
6:14:13the roof of the workshop. Then the
6:14:16building began to slowly grow towards
6:14:18the road, stretching out another 4 m.
6:14:21There you go. I didn't enchant the forge
6:14:24itself, but all the essential parts are
6:14:26there. I put a more robust barrier over
6:14:29the building as well, so that if there
6:14:31are any crafting mishaps or another
6:14:33battle, it will not be damaged again. At
6:14:36least not by a single strike. Carl
6:14:39noticed as the tree altar in the back
6:14:41pulsed, and the mage stood up a bit
6:14:43straighter. Well, that is fascinating.
6:14:47You have activated some sort of
6:14:48automated healing ward for the property?
6:14:51Mage Jones asked, looking around for the
6:14:54source in the backyard. It automatically
6:14:58activates when someone injured enters
6:14:59the property, but it's just a
6:15:01shamanistic healing totem spell at the
6:15:03overlord rank imbued into a nature
6:15:05dragon altar. The mage smiled and nodded
6:15:08in understanding.
6:15:10Still, it will make you a tourist hot
6:15:12spot. You should start selling basic
6:15:15cures and potions at a stall in the
6:15:17yard. Carl laughed. We already need a
6:15:21blacksmith, unless Davis found one. Now,
6:15:24I guess we need an alchemist as well.
6:15:27This house is slowly filling with
6:15:28apprentices.
6:15:30The mage shrugged. That's just the
6:15:33nature of a guild house. You could
6:15:35always make some gargoyles to keep them
6:15:37under control. Carl wasn't quite sure
6:15:40what he meant until the mage took out a
6:15:42skill book with a sly smile. Oh, I do
6:15:46believe that we have a trade to make.
6:15:48Was there something in particular that
6:15:50you were interested in? Carl asked. The
6:15:54mage nodded. In fact, I had something
6:15:57very specific in mind. You see, I am
6:16:00best with earth and barrier spells. The
6:16:03gargoyle spell is earth magic and quite
6:16:06handy for home defense, but it can't
6:16:08leave the property. It is limited in
6:16:10distance from the spot where it is
6:16:12created. What I could use is a versatile
6:16:15spell of similar output. Carl nodded. Do
6:16:19you know the golem spell? Jones shook
6:16:22his head. It's been difficult to get my
6:16:24hands on. Do you happen to have a copy?
6:16:28In a manner of speaking, Carl took out a
6:16:31small stone from Remy's swamp. Not a
6:16:34magical stone, just a stone, and held it
6:16:37out to the mage. Swallow that and it
6:16:40should activate the skill if you're
6:16:42compatible. The demonic mage was highly
6:16:45suspicious about this method. But once
6:16:47he swallowed the stone and Carl
6:16:49activated, "Follow me, little one." His
6:16:51eyes lit up in joy. Then a single sand
6:16:55golem for me tall and overlord rank
6:16:58appeared in front of him. Jones handed
6:17:00over the gargoyle skill book and walked
6:17:03in circles around his new summon. "That
6:17:06is a wonderful ability that you have,
6:17:08even if your method tastes like swamp
6:17:10water." Carl laughed. It's an acquired
6:17:14taste, I would assume. Congratulations
6:17:17on your new assistant.
6:17:20Carl focused on the gargoyle spell and
6:17:23did his best to understand how it worked
6:17:24before he cast it for the first time in
6:17:27case it was like the golem spell and the
6:17:29appearance would be fixed in future
6:17:30castings.
6:17:32What he found was that you had to target
6:17:34a specific spot to form the gargoyle and
6:17:36it would appear as a statue in that
6:17:38position until activated.
6:17:40Carl decided that the obvious choice
6:17:42would be two either on the wall by the
6:17:44gate or near the stairs to the porch and
6:17:46four smaller ones on the corners of the
6:17:48roof. That was where the Golden Dragon
6:17:51Nation's buildings often had gargoyless,
6:17:53though those were just decorative, and
6:17:55the ones on the roof were primarily
6:17:57water outlets.
6:17:59Carl focused and realized that he could
6:18:01actually make many more of them than
6:18:03just those few. So, he put them at all
6:18:06four corners of the property as well,
6:18:08standing on the wall.
6:18:1010 gargoyles should be enough to handle
6:18:12most problems that the property might
6:18:14face, and they could see everything with
6:18:15their placement. With the placement
6:18:18decided, Carl focused on creating the
6:18:20statues, using the images of gargoyles
6:18:23that he had seen on buildings before as
6:18:24a reference, but making them as lifelike
6:18:26as possible, so they wouldn't be
6:18:28hampered by poor design if they should
6:18:30activate. Tiger bodies, feathered wings,
6:18:33long front claws, and a furry head with
6:18:36a draconic muzzle. Carl formed them with
6:18:39an immense surge of power that nearly
6:18:40dropped him to his knees and drained a
6:18:42significant amount of mana from the team
6:18:44once they realized they were needed to
6:18:46assist. Perhaps 10 was too many to
6:18:49create all at once. Mage Jones gasped
6:18:52and Carl straightened his back before
6:18:54opening his eyes again. That is, did you
6:18:58make them actual gargoyles as in a
6:19:01species? I swear that one just blinked
6:19:04at me. The demon muttered. Carl frowned.
6:19:08Was that not the point of the spell? To
6:19:10make gargoyless to protect the property?
6:19:13Mage Jones stared at Carl in mutual
6:19:15confusion. Then Carl noticed that the
6:19:17statue at the gate had just lost
6:19:19interest in them and looked away to
6:19:21supervise the road. So, they weren't
6:19:24statues. They were stone golems of a
6:19:26sort. It is supposed to make stone
6:19:29statues that fill the purpose of
6:19:30property guardians. It's only called the
6:19:33gargoyle spell because that is what the
6:19:35actual species lives to do. The mage
6:19:38finally explained.
6:19:40I think they're quite handsome, though.
6:19:43Carl noted. They were definitely not
6:19:46statues, Jones decided. They were mostly
6:19:49stationary, but they shifted subtly,
6:19:52turned their heads to watch pedestrians,
6:19:54and periodically blinked. The demon
6:19:57walked up to one of the golems and
6:19:58leaned forward to inspect it closely.
6:20:01For those few moments, it appeared to be
6:20:03a statue. But as soon as he turned away,
6:20:06Carl saw that the statue rolled its eyes
6:20:08at the demon. Quite a few people
6:20:11entering from the western Frostfire gate
6:20:13turned to look at the golems that were
6:20:14stationed all around the property. An
6:20:16unintentional show of force by Carl, who
6:20:19viewed them as a defensive spell, not as
6:20:2110 overlord ranked combatants on guard
6:20:23as everyone else saw them. Home upgrade
6:20:26made defensive garrison.
6:20:28Mage Jones turned to the line of people
6:20:30at the gate who were all now staring
6:20:32raply at the gargoyless and sighed. I
6:20:36should get going. Good luck with your
6:20:38business ventures. I will see you again.
6:20:42Let me know if you need a custom order.
6:20:44I will help you out. Mage Jones took
6:20:47flight to leave the property and Carl
6:20:49nodded to the golems who opened the
6:20:51gates for him. Seconds after they
6:20:53entered, the healing effect pulsed,
6:20:56causing confusion in the crowd.
6:20:58Don't let it hold up your business. It's
6:21:01said to aid those who have injuries or
6:21:03illnesses. A little customer service,
6:21:07Carl explained. Then he went into the
6:21:10expanded workshop and began carving the
6:21:12runes to activate the forge with ghost
6:21:14fire. So he didn't notice the most
6:21:17important fact about the lineup of
6:21:18guests that Davis immediately did. None
6:21:21of these people were locals. They were
6:21:24all merchants and ship captains. The
6:21:27word had spread about this shop full of
6:21:29treasures and even in the dragon isles
6:21:31where magic was at its strongest. There
6:21:34were precious few sources of royal and
6:21:36monarch rank magical items. The number
6:21:39of people who could and would create
6:21:40them for sale in any given nation could
6:21:42normally be counted on the fingers of
6:21:44one hand. Yet this Roxasa had opened a
6:21:46shop full of magical items instead of
6:21:48putting them up for auction. Which
6:21:51begged the question, what was he holding
6:21:53in reserve for after his workmanship had
6:21:55a better reputation?
6:21:56Most of these people didn't know that he
6:21:58had been a monarch yesterday, only that
6:22:00he had been selling royal and monarch
6:22:02ranked items. The facts about the
6:22:05shopkeeper were vague, except for the
6:22:07fact that he was a war champion with a
6:22:08golden trimmed tabard and the power to
6:22:10wipe out an enemy guild in minutes. Carl
6:22:14was putting the finishing touches on the
6:22:15new forge when he felt eyes on his back.
6:22:18Not hostile, just curious and intent on
6:22:21him. How can I help? The crafters are
6:22:25working inside today, so there is nobody
6:22:27here to take requests unless you need me
6:22:29directly," Carl asked. The slender demon
6:22:33with flaming hair gestured at the forge.
6:22:36"The forge fire is pretty." His voice
6:22:39was soft, enraptured by the blue flames.
6:22:42In his space, Hawk was just as
6:22:44fascinated by the demon as it was by the
6:22:46forge. This was the first creature he
6:22:49had met that was also on fire and it was
6:22:53an overlord. Overlord rank fire was on
6:22:56par with hawks in some ways, though
6:22:58ghost fire was a grade above regular
6:23:00flames. I don't suppose that you're
6:23:03looking for work, are you? We are in
6:23:05need of a smith for magical metal items.
6:23:09Carl asked to work this forge. The demon
6:23:13asked. Carl nodded and it smiled. I
6:23:17think that we could work something out.
6:23:20I wasn't intending to stay here and
6:23:22work. I was going to go inland to the
6:23:23volcanic mountains, but this forge, I
6:23:27like it. Carl looked at the demon's name
6:23:30tag. Ashbrer, Grandmaster, Elemental
6:23:33Smith, Fire Element. Carl smiled and
6:23:37Hawk cheered. This one was just right.
6:23:41If you want to work here, we can offer
6:23:43you half the profit on all items you
6:23:45make that I upgrade and 80% on what you
6:23:47make with the house taking the other 20
6:23:49for operations.
6:23:51Carl offered, "What is it that you do
6:23:54that you think you could upgrade a
6:23:55grandmaster's weapons?" The demon asked
6:23:58slightly offended. "I am a rune master."
6:24:02Carl replied simply. The demon looked at
6:24:05the carvings on the wall around the
6:24:07forge and understanding turned its
6:24:09expression to a smile.
6:24:11So, you can do that to weapons. That is
6:24:14a powerful skill. Not just that, I can
6:24:18add skills to the item, stat buffs, and
6:24:21even mana storage. Carl elaborated.
6:24:25Do you have materials?
6:24:27Ashbrer asked. My team is in the dungeon
6:24:31now collecting as much as they can to
6:24:33smelt for raw materials.
6:24:35That was good enough for Ashbringer, who
6:24:37gestured to the forge. May I test it
6:24:40first? Carl nodded. Go ahead. Let me
6:24:45know if you need anything and I will
6:24:47have it added to the workstation.
6:24:49But the smith simply began taking out
6:24:51items from its inventory and set up a
6:24:53workstation complete with tables,
6:24:55benches, and a leather padded stool.
6:24:58Carl stepped back and let him work as
6:25:00the demon put a chunk of glowing green
6:25:02metal in the forge and whistled happily
6:25:04as he activated the runes to bring up
6:25:05the heat. It took seconds before the
6:25:08metal bar was turning red with heat, and
6:25:10the smith brought it out to hammer it
6:25:12into shape on his own anvil, ignoring
6:25:14the one that had been made along with
6:25:15the forge. The magic of the demonic
6:25:18grandmaster seemed to make the blade
6:25:20shape itself, smoothly, turning into a
6:25:22sailor's cutless in a matter of minutes.
6:25:25Then Ashbrer held it up to Carl. Let me
6:25:28see what you can do, and then I will
6:25:30decide if this is a worthy partnership.
6:25:33Carl nodded and etched runes for
6:25:35increased skill damage, sharpness,
6:25:37lethal poison, and flaming body to the
6:25:40weapon, then brought them all the way to
6:25:42the overlord rank, where they turned
6:25:44ghostly blue against the rapidly cooling
6:25:46green metal. That was different. When he
6:25:49had done it to the tree, it had turned
6:25:51the runes bright green. Could it be a
6:25:54difference in element that was making
6:25:55them change? Or perhaps the nature of
6:25:58the shrine would only accept green
6:26:00runes. The effect was almost like ghost
6:26:03fire leaking from inside the blade,
6:26:05though Carl hadn't used the ghost fire
6:26:07skill. Ashbrer cast appraisal on the
6:26:11blade and stared at it in silence for a
6:26:14moment. Blade of Searing agony adds 35%
6:26:18skill damage. Ignores 45% of target
6:26:21armor value. Deals 20% weapon damage as
6:26:24poison damage per second until cured.
6:26:26Adds 200% of skill damage as fire
6:26:29damage. applies agony effect to target.
6:26:34200% of skill damage was significantly
6:26:37more than the poison damage, but the
6:26:39combination of being poison and agony
6:26:41would reduce the enemy's ability to
6:26:42fight back. That is a thing of beauty,
6:26:46Ashbrer whispered while staring at the
6:26:48blade like a lover. I am glad that you
6:26:51like it. I don't think we would sell
6:26:54something like that in the shop. custom
6:26:56order or auction only. But we do sell
6:27:00royal and some monarch ranked items
6:27:02directly," Carl explained.
6:27:05Ashbrer winked at Carl. Never sell an
6:27:08item that you can't counter. Wise plan.
6:27:12Besides, every crafter knows that
6:27:14selling masterpieces is idiocy. You only
6:27:17make enough of them for yourself and
6:27:19those with life bonds to you. Did you
6:27:22want to keep working or meet the rest of
6:27:24the crafting team? It's just the
6:27:26shopkeepers and a pair of sculptors here
6:27:28right now. My travel companions are at
6:27:31the dungeon. The sword was reluctantly
6:27:34put in the demon's inventory, and Carl
6:27:36let him in to face the chaos. Only the
6:27:40chaos he found was much worse than
6:27:42expected. The gargoyless from the front
6:27:44door were inside, glaring at the
6:27:46customers. The customers were arguing
6:27:49with each other over prices at rates far
6:27:51higher than posted. And Mick was hiding
6:27:53behind Davis, who looked lost as he
6:27:55shouted at the customers to calm down or
6:27:58he would kick them all out. The entrance
6:28:00of two more overlords calmed the crowd,
6:28:03especially as one was the rumored
6:28:04shopkeeper.
6:28:06"Sir, might you have any more stock?"
6:28:09"The appraiser has told us there are
6:28:10only 50 pieces in inventory."
6:28:13One of the merchants pleaded. Carl
6:28:16blinked slowly. 50 pieces. There should
6:28:20be hundreds. Davis sent a system
6:28:23message. I sold all the commander rank
6:28:26stock and a good portion of the royal
6:28:27rank stock in bulk before I realized
6:28:29that they were all looking to buy it for
6:28:31export.
6:28:33Now we have a supply shortage.
6:28:35Carl side. There is a bit more upstairs.
6:28:40In fairness, what is on the shelves will
6:28:42be first come, first served. Then I will
6:28:45split the remainder between you evenly
6:28:47so nobody has to leave empty-handed.
6:28:50Ashbringer nodded in satisfaction.
6:28:53He liked how this man did business. One
6:28:56wealthy merchant was gloating as he was
6:28:58the next in line when the gate opened,
6:29:00and he didn't even bat an eye when Davis
6:29:02rang up the sales total to a whopping
6:29:0484,000 gold pieces. He bought everything
6:29:07that was left. Not a single ring was
6:29:10left for the others when he exited the
6:29:12shop. Carl led their new smith upstairs
6:29:15to see what the others had made so far.
6:29:18We've got 30 of the monarch rank rings
6:29:20ready for runes with simple carvings.
6:29:24Then Wendy has got a 100 more commander
6:29:26rank rings made and inscribed.
6:29:28Who might this gentleman be? Loros
6:29:31asked. This is Ashbrer, potentially our
6:29:34new smith, should he decide to join the
6:29:37team? They all shook hands and Ashbrer
6:29:40sat down to admire the handiwork of the
6:29:42two sculptors.
6:29:44This is beautiful.
6:29:46Obsession demons really do have the
6:29:48advantage when it comes to artistry. I
6:29:51am half fire elemental and half wrath
6:29:53demon. A grandmaster smith, but such
6:29:57artistry is beyond my expertise.
6:30:00Loros shrugged. If you make the base
6:30:03items, we will happily carve them. But
6:30:06if you're making mostly weapons, they
6:30:08don't need all the pretty, just the
6:30:09functional runes. I am still behind as
6:30:13you can't make runic items above your
6:30:15own rank. But my sculpting skills are
6:30:18topnotch.
6:30:19Carl sat down and quickly inscribed
6:30:21dozens of different abilities onto the
6:30:23monarch rank rings, which was a much
6:30:25easier task now that the quality of his
6:30:27mana flow had changed. Rings weren't
6:30:30their only offerings for the remaining
6:30:32shoppers.
6:30:33Remy had two massive cauldrons of
6:30:35potions going and was stirring both at
6:30:37the same time with her lower pair of
6:30:39arms while chopping and measuring
6:30:41ingredients with her upper arms. It was
6:30:44quite the sight, and the Naga Queen was
6:30:46utterly focused on her work. She
6:30:49finished the vats just as Carl finished
6:30:51the rings and began pouring them into
6:30:53small vials instead of full-sized potion
6:30:55bottles. Minor healing and recovery
6:30:58potions.
6:31:00They have a quarter the effect, but take
6:31:02a tenth the volume. Ah, that made sense.
6:31:06With time and volume limited, she was
6:31:08making as many as possible to use up the
6:31:10small mountain of bottles that she had
6:31:12made with Hawk's help. As she finished,
6:31:15she loaded them into crates, then came
6:31:17out to carry them downstairs.
6:31:19Let's watch the chaos from the
6:31:21stairwell. Ashbrer whispered, then
6:31:24ushered the two sculptors forward. This
6:31:27should be fun. Carl set the rings in the
6:31:30display cases while Remy placed the
6:31:32crates of potions behind the counter. We
6:31:35have 100 commander rank rings with giant
6:31:37strength and skill damage buffs, 30
6:31:39monarch ranked rings with mana storage,
6:31:42skill power, and mana regeneration, and
6:31:44500 each of the lesser healing and
6:31:46recovery potions, both at monarch rank.
6:31:49He announced as everything was placed.
6:31:52Those potions were the mainstay of every
6:31:54adventuring group, the emergency
6:31:56assistance needed to prevail in a
6:31:58hard-fought battle. So all the merchants
6:32:01assumed that Carl had gone so far as to
6:32:03clear out their guild bank storage to
6:32:05provide the items for them today. The
6:32:08lesser potions weren't expensive, two
6:32:10silver coins each, even at the monarch
6:32:12rank. But that was still 200 more gold
6:32:16and a sense of satisfaction for the
6:32:18merchants who would get a whole box full
6:32:19of potion vials. The ingredients also
6:32:22all grew in Remy's swamp at a rapid
6:32:24rate, so she could do this every day and
6:32:27not run out of them. It would just keep
6:32:29the weeds down. There were still some
6:32:32arguments, but after a bit of back and
6:32:34forth, the deal was struck, and the
6:32:36items split between the 10 merchants in
6:32:38the shop, who didn't back down from the
6:32:40threats of their peers. A few more were
6:32:43still present, but had decided it was
6:32:44best not to compete today, and let the
6:32:47others have the win. They could try
6:32:49again next trip.
6:32:51As they left, the gargoyless informed
6:32:53Carl that they were putting on a show of
6:32:55being sad and defeated so that anyone
6:32:57watching along the road would know that
6:32:58they weren't the ones who had gotten the
6:33:00valuable loot. It was a cunning plan.
6:33:04Leave, put on a show, but also let the
6:33:06spies who might be gathering
6:33:08intelligence to sell to pirate groups
6:33:10know that the others would have
6:33:11something good on board their ship this
6:33:12trip. That would keep them away from the
6:33:15ships of the unsuccessful merchants who
6:33:17would still have an entire boatload of
6:33:19goods from other shops. aboard to sell.
6:33:22As the last of the customers left, Davis
6:33:24went out and placed a closed for restock
6:33:27sign on the gate, but only closed one
6:33:29side in case someone with a custom order
6:33:31or other request wanted to enter. Who is
6:33:34the other overlord that I sense?"
6:33:37Ashbringer asked curiously. "Oh, my
6:33:40class is beastmaster. I have a number of
6:33:43bonded magical beasts. One of them
6:33:46created a magical library area with an
6:33:48illusion domain spell. That's the other
6:33:50overlord. Then there is a monarch ranked
6:33:53void badger around here somewhere. Plus
6:33:55a divine thunder sparrow and a bloodbath
6:33:57spider with the dungeon team. Plus Hawk,
6:34:00the ghost fire Thunderbird who is
6:34:02currently on the roof. There is one
6:34:05other non-beast member of the group
6:34:06upstairs in the library. Would you like
6:34:08to meet her? Carl replied. The demonic
6:34:12smith smiled and nodded, then followed
6:34:15Carl up to the third floor.
6:34:17Lotus was in the middle of the room,
6:34:19buried in puppies create by the
6:34:20butterflyy's illusions. She didn't even
6:34:23look up until Ashbrer began to laugh. A
6:34:27green dragon cleric.
6:34:29Oh, this will be a fun place. Hello,
6:34:32high priestess.
6:34:34He greeted Lotus.
6:34:36Hello, strange man with his head on
6:34:38fire. Would you like to have a seat?
6:34:42There are puppies. Ashbringer sat on a
6:34:45cushion and a few of the fluffy
6:34:47creatures climbed onto his legs. His joy
6:34:50was immense, but he looked somewhat
6:34:52shocked.
6:34:53So, this is what it's like. Real ones
6:34:56are terrified of me because of the fire.
6:35:00It never got better, even now that I'm
6:35:02no longer a child who can't control his
6:35:04flames. And these pups are not afraid at
6:35:06all, he muttered. Just avoid squishing
6:35:10them. Little butterfly didn't put much
6:35:13magic in them, so they're very fragile.
6:35:16Lotus warned. Ashbrer nodded. If you
6:35:20damage an illusion too much, it breaks.
6:35:23I understand,
6:35:25but they feel so real. It's incredible.
6:35:28The power of a domain ability can't be
6:35:31underestimated.
6:35:32The others came upstairs while the new
6:35:34Smith was playing with puppies, and Carl
6:35:37did the introductions, then remembered
6:35:39to remind Davis that they didn't need a
6:35:40Smith anymore, unless Ashbrer wanted an
6:35:42apprentice. As happy as he was, Carl
6:35:46couldn't see him turning down the job.
6:35:48"Is there anything else before I head
6:35:50home for the day? The shop is closed,
6:35:53and now that the ladies are back, I can
6:35:55close the gate on my way out." The
6:35:58fallen angel asked politely. Ashbrer
6:36:01brought out the sword he had made
6:36:02earlier. Bring this to the auction on
6:36:05behalf of the dark light host. Standard
6:36:08registry for the next sale. Davis put
6:36:11the sword in his inventory and bowed. Of
6:36:14course, Overlord, the auction is next
6:36:18week, the day before Matriarch's Day.
6:36:21Ashbrer nodded and Carl frowned. You
6:36:24know, I have no idea what day it is. I
6:36:28haven't seen a calendar in ages. Ashbrer
6:36:31shrugged and brought one out. Most
6:36:34nations use their own, which is a
6:36:36nightmare. I don't have a local calendar
6:36:39either, but I have a dragon calendar,
6:36:41which the priestesses should know. He
6:36:44had been marking off days, and Carl
6:36:46rapidly flipped through the pages when
6:36:48he realized what one they were on. Every
6:36:51single one of us missed our birthdays.
6:36:53he realized.
6:36:55Tessa looked at the current date on the
6:36:57calendar and nodded. You're right. We
6:37:01got so caught up in other stuff that we
6:37:03forgot. However, I'm not claiming that
6:37:06one, so it doesn't count. Los giggled.
6:37:11You know, you don't actually avoid
6:37:13getting older if you just pretend your
6:37:15birthday never happened. But it's a big
6:37:17one. I've just turned 20, Tessa
6:37:21explained, which made Ashbringer laugh.
6:37:24I remember my 100th birthday. I didn't
6:37:26want to acknowledge it at all. I was
6:37:29still a young demon. How could I be more
6:37:31than a century old? Now I only feel
6:37:34young when I am near the forge. But at
6:37:37least I still look the part, he joked.
6:37:41Lotus nodded. That is true. You don't
6:37:45look any older than I am. Ashbringer
6:37:48frowned at the comment. Aren't you like
6:37:5112? Hey, I'm 19. I'm just short with a
6:37:57baby face. The demon shrugged. I'm bad
6:38:02with dragon king ages. I thought that
6:38:04you were at least a few years younger
6:38:06than the cat demons.
6:38:08Carl smiled. I should likely warn you
6:38:11now that you're one of us. These forms
6:38:14are a transformation spell, not our
6:38:17actual appearance. Ashbringer looked
6:38:20intrigued. So both Carl and Dana changed
6:38:22forms while Oilia chose to remain as a
6:38:25were the bear was her and she was the
6:38:28bear. The human form had become
6:38:31secondary in her mind when it was a
6:38:34permanent passive activation. What was
6:38:36the difference? Ashbrer nodded when he
6:38:39saw Dana's form, then looked confused as
6:38:41he sniffed at Carl. You look mostly
6:38:44human, I think. But you don't smell like
6:38:48one. Not at all. I have a special
6:38:52constitution.
6:38:53I don't know if that counts as a change
6:38:55of species, but my bones are void iron
6:38:58and my blood is metallic,
6:39:00Carl explained.
6:39:02That doesn't sound very human to me. But
6:39:05I don't have a name for the species
6:39:07either, so I guess you're just a Carl.
6:39:10Ashbringer was surprisingly casual about
6:39:12the revelation, but Loros was poking at
6:39:14Carl's arm, reminding him that he hadn't
6:39:16told any of the others. Interesting.
6:39:20It's like a hybrid demon. No special
6:39:23name, just a unique existence.
6:39:26If I had to guess, I would say you're
6:39:28more elemental than human. Your whole
6:39:31presence feels like void iron. She
6:39:34agreed. That's settled. Then I'm a Carl
6:39:39and I will be in mostly cat demon form.
6:39:42Then Carl shifted back a half second
6:39:44before Dana did the same and settled
6:39:46down on his crossed legs to occupy his
6:39:48lap before stealing a puppy. For the
6:39:51next 3 days, the shop remained closed
6:39:54and all of the crafters worked on
6:39:55building a new stock for the store. A
6:39:58few times a day, locals would come to
6:40:00sit on the benches along the wall,
6:40:02letting the magic of the altar in the
6:40:04backyard heal them of whatever illness
6:40:06they had contracted. As the shop was
6:40:08closed, it would be rude for them to
6:40:10simply walk around the back of the house
6:40:12to find the source of the magic. But it
6:40:14was commonly known that if you were
6:40:15unwell and went to sit in the yard, you
6:40:17would be healed. On the second
6:40:20afternoon, Lotus went to the market
6:40:22square in the Redwood Sprawl and spent
6:40:24the afternoon as a healing tree, while
6:40:26Tessa cooked a free meal for the needy,
6:40:28and a group of city guards watched over
6:40:30them. The guards had learned that
6:40:32anywhere in the dark ligh host property
6:40:34was just as good for the healing effect.
6:40:37So, if they stepped inside the gate and
6:40:39out of sight during the lunch break of
6:40:40their shift, it would eliminate all the
6:40:42sore and stiff muscles that they had
6:40:44accumulated.
6:40:46Soon, the guard commanders would stop
6:40:48them from doing it while on duty. But
6:40:51for now, they could at least get a
6:40:52refreshing break while they were
6:40:54stationed at the gate. Lotus had even
6:40:56grown a picnic bench out of wood for
6:40:58them to sit at, right in the corner by
6:41:00the gate, where their boss wouldn't be
6:41:02able to see them, but they would only be
6:41:04two steps from their station. Warriors
6:41:07at monarch and overlord rank could
6:41:08easily hop the wall, and the wards
6:41:10wouldn't keep them from leaving, even in
6:41:12the event of an emergency.
6:41:14Each day, Dana, Tessa, and Oilia went to
6:41:18the dungeon with Ray and Thor, bringing
6:41:20back loot for the smithy. On the fourth
6:41:23morning, the ache in Dana's body had
6:41:25subsided enough that she was willing to
6:41:26try the altar again. She could feel the
6:41:29restrained pressure of having hit the
6:41:31bottleneck now, a different sensation
6:41:33than the feeling of being at the peak,
6:41:35which she had mistaken for it before.
6:41:38The overlord rank mana from the altar
6:41:40flooded her body, pushing the royal rank
6:41:42energy out, the same as last time. But
6:41:45this time, when she began trying to
6:41:47integrate it with her body, she felt
6:41:49something change. A subtle shift that
6:41:52made it easier to integrate the energy
6:41:54and the relief that came with not
6:41:56needing to reduce the density and
6:41:57quality nearly as much as she had to the
6:41:59first time. Her rank broke through to
6:42:02Monarch and her mana capacity soared,
6:42:04refilled and refreshed by the healing
6:42:06magic emitted by the totem even as she
6:42:08depleted its stored mana. Tessa pulled
6:42:11her into a hug and Thor gave her an
6:42:13envious look. He still couldn't feel the
6:42:16bottleneck to the overlord rank, but he
6:42:18was hoping to get ahead again and be the
6:42:20first of his siblings to advance.
6:42:23Well, the second. But little butterfly
6:42:26didn't count. The butterfly started at
6:42:29Overlord.
6:42:30That change had immensely improved the
6:42:32quality of life in the spaces with the
6:42:34higher quality of mana, which was even
6:42:36recharging Thor's pond. Previously, the
6:42:40holy stones were of too low quality to
6:42:42do more than just make the water
6:42:43comfortable.
6:42:45But now, they were actively glowing with
6:42:47holy power again, and the golden stones
6:42:49were beginning to turn to a pure white.
6:42:52Thor liked the color change. It
6:42:54contrasted well with his scales. Sister
6:42:57Remy was getting incredibly close to
6:42:59advancing with her alchemy work
6:43:01improving her mana quality faster than
6:43:03even escorting the herd through the
6:43:04dungeon improved Thor's own power. It
6:43:07was possible that she might be the next
6:43:09one to advance, but Sister Ray hit her
6:43:11power as easily as she hit her body, so
6:43:13it might not be so easy. The only one he
6:43:17was sure about was Cara, who spent most
6:43:19of her days playing in the illusionary
6:43:20city. She was still growing larger, but
6:43:23her power wasn't growing as fast as the
6:43:26others.
6:43:27Carl wasn't too concerned.
6:43:30Soon enough, they would either hit the
6:43:31bottleneck or be forced to advance.
6:43:34Simply being on the dragon isles was
6:43:36increasing the mana density of his
6:43:38spaces at a rapid rate. And now that
6:43:40both Carl and the butterfly were
6:43:42overlords, the quality change was
6:43:44immense. A new space was beginning to
6:43:46form, but Carl was deliberately keeping
6:43:48it fairly small as he could force the
6:43:51majority of the energy into the other
6:43:52spaces for now. Once they advanced, he
6:43:56would have to even them. But a tiny
6:43:57overlord space was still considered to
6:43:59be the superior state by the system. So
6:44:03it was no mental strain to leave it the
6:44:05way that it was. He just hoped that
6:44:07everyone would progress smoothly. With
6:44:10their bloodlines changed so much or
6:44:12being so unknown, it was impossible to
6:44:15tell. That day, the group was back much
6:44:18earlier than usual and in a great mood.
6:44:21The Dana's golems are very strong now
6:44:23and her guardian got a new attack skill,
6:44:26Ry explained.
6:44:28Oh, that is wonderful. More monarchs
6:44:32definitely makes the fight easier. Ry
6:44:35piled the trash loot in the corner of
6:44:36the forge where Ashbrer was working with
6:44:39Carl's guardian. The guardian was
6:44:41smelting all the common grade magical
6:44:43items into blocks of metal alloy while
6:44:45the demon was using his magic to make an
6:44:47ever growing pile of identical blades
6:44:49from them.
6:44:50He made three styles,
6:44:53short sword, broadsword, and cutless.
6:44:56Then when he took a break, he brought
6:44:58them all up to the second floor where
6:45:00someone would upgrade them. Usually, it
6:45:03was Carl, but the alloy was only good to
6:45:05the royal rank, so upgrading them to the
6:45:08commander rank to sell in bulk to the
6:45:10trade caravans was a viable option as
6:45:12well.
6:45:13So far, they had nearly 200 such weapons
6:45:16made by Wendy along with a huge pile of
6:45:18rings, bracelets, and wooden earrings.
6:45:22Loros worked mostly with the mana jade
6:45:24for Carl to upgrade, but her stock was
6:45:26running low, and the material wasn't
6:45:28always available in town as it was
6:45:30imported. Carl's writing speed had
6:45:33immensely increased since he started
6:45:35doing rune crafting. Unfortunately, not
6:45:38in common, but he could scribe a runic
6:45:41power passage on both sides of a sword
6:45:43in under 15 seconds. Now, as the weapons
6:45:46were stopping two full ranks below him,
6:45:48he didn't even need to put effort in to
6:45:50complete them. But the shining silver
6:45:53mixed alloy with the glowing purple
6:45:55runes would quickly become a trademark
6:45:57of their shop. Especially with Ashbrer
6:46:00putting the dark light host mismatched
6:46:01wing symbol, one demonic and one
6:46:04feathered on the root of each blade. I
6:46:06think that we've got enough of the bulk
6:46:08merchandise.
6:46:10I am going to switch to higher grade
6:46:11alloys.
6:46:13The demon suddenly announced.
6:46:16All right, I am fine with that. Do you
6:46:19need me to send someone to get you more
6:46:21ore? Carl asked. Ashbrer shook his head.
6:46:26The various alloys of the uncommon and
6:46:28rare items that were discarded are good
6:46:30enough for my work, but you should make
6:46:33a full set of accessories for everyone,
6:46:35including the staff. It would impress
6:46:38the customers." Carl looked at the
6:46:40monarch ranked Mana Jade and nodded. "I
6:46:44can do that. It will only take a few
6:46:46minutes to tailor an existing themed set
6:46:48to everyone's skills. Is there anything
6:46:51in particular you would like?"
6:46:53Ashbringer considered it for a few
6:46:55seconds.
6:46:57Skill, power, and strength should be
6:46:58good enough for most of them, but if you
6:47:00can add agility to the larger pieces,
6:47:02that would help my speed. Carl made an
6:47:05approving gesture, then looked at the
6:47:07items that had been created. There was a
6:47:10thick golden chain that the smith had
6:47:11made last night, and that would work out
6:47:13very well with a fire gem in it
6:47:15inscribed with a skill. He wasn't a
6:47:18mage, but surely Carl could grant him an
6:47:21ability that he would be able to use. He
6:47:23had quite an affinity with the forge. So
6:47:26Carl decided that giving him a ghost
6:47:28fire body spell that would be perfect.
6:47:32That night, Carl stared at the pile of
6:47:35jewelry in his storage as everyone
6:47:36gathered for dinner. The kitchen staff
6:47:39set out the meals, then joined them at
6:47:41the table. That was Carl's cue to start
6:47:44his presentation.
6:47:46I have made a set of jewels for everyone
6:47:48on the team. I would say matching, but
6:47:51all they have in common is their
6:47:53materials.
6:47:54Starting at the end on my left, we have
6:47:56all three Abbies
6:47:58for you. I opted not to make rings as
6:48:01you would have to take them off to work
6:48:03anyhow.
6:48:04Instead, I made bracelets that you can
6:48:06tuck under your clothes, earrings, and
6:48:08an amulet. All of them have skill power,
6:48:11reduced energy cost, and stamina
6:48:13regeneration on them. He passed over the
6:48:16bags, then moved to Mick and Davis.
6:48:20For the front of the house, I made two
6:48:22rings, two bracelets, and an amulet. I
6:48:25know how Davis feels about earrings.
6:48:28The fallen angel laughed. He always kept
6:48:31his hair pulled back because he hated
6:48:33the feeling of anything touching his
6:48:35ears. Similar to the others, they have
6:48:38skill power and reduced energy cost, but
6:48:40they also have increased strength on
6:48:42them, which will help you both while
6:48:44moving goods at work and if you are
6:48:45attacked. You're both capable enough of
6:48:48defending yourselves.
6:48:50Then Loros and Wendy, this set is
6:48:53identical to the set for the kitchen
6:48:54staff. I know that you like to work far
6:48:57too many hours a day. So the stamina
6:49:00regeneration in place of strength seemed
6:49:02like the best option. Now Ashbringer, I
6:49:05have a different item for you as your
6:49:07powers are at the point where a little
6:49:09more skill power won't make a huge
6:49:10difference in your work.
6:49:12So I have made you similar rings with
6:49:15this necklace. The fire elemental gem is
6:49:18inscribed with the ghost fire body
6:49:20skill. The big demon actually teared up
6:49:23a little as he took the bag and put the
6:49:25necklace on. His hair went from red to
6:49:28blue flames and his eyes flickered to a
6:49:30striking azure, the color of tropical
6:49:33seas. Before Carl continued, he
6:49:36transferred the recall skill to everyone
6:49:38in the room, then gave teleport to Dana
6:49:42and Rey, who were the only ones that
6:49:44could use it. For the ladies, we have
6:49:46more practical items.
6:49:49Lotus, all of your items have lowered
6:49:51energy cost, increased healing, and
6:49:53increased agility with mana storage. I
6:49:56heard how you keep trying to catch the
6:49:58wild Nikcoma in town and failing. Lotus
6:50:01giggled as she took the bag and winked
6:50:03at him. I will catch one soon. Oilia, I
6:50:08have put skill damage, strength, and
6:50:10life on hit on all of these items for
6:50:12you. And you have no idea how hard it
6:50:15was to get life on hit to work on a
6:50:16ring. The berserker chuckled and put on
6:50:19the items, which vanished under the fur
6:50:21of her warbear form. Apparently, the
6:50:24transformation hit equipped accessories,
6:50:26so they weren't damaged. Tessa, I
6:50:29thought about going with a layout
6:50:31similar to Lotus, but instead of
6:50:33increased healing, I went with increased
6:50:35skill power. Not as effective as a
6:50:38targeted buff, but more versatile, like
6:50:40the assistance of a red dragon cleric.
6:50:43Tessa equipped the white and red items
6:50:45proudly while Dana waited impatiently.
6:50:48For Dana, I chose reduced energy cost,
6:50:51increased skill damage, increased skill
6:50:54power, and mana storage. But I made a
6:50:56special amulet. Carl passed it over and
6:51:00Dana laughed as she realized that
6:51:01someone had carved her cat form in mage
6:51:03robes on the large flat wind stone. The
6:51:07necklace didn't have any skill buffs at
6:51:09all on it. But what it did have was an
6:51:12immense amount of mana storage and
6:51:13regeneration.
6:51:15Just hanging it around her neck made her
6:51:17skin tingle with the amount of incoming
6:51:19mana. With this item on, she could spam
6:51:22full power skills through an entire
6:51:24battle. The mood in the house was
6:51:26considerably improved that evening, and
6:51:28everyone went to the auditorium for
6:51:30Little Butterfly to put on a play for
6:51:32them. Cara and the Butterfly had been
6:51:34carefully picking out the next show
6:51:36options over the last few days. They had
6:51:38settled on a grand comedy. Beasts of the
6:51:41Dragon Isles by High Priest Gregory
6:51:44Stormchaser.
6:51:46Ashbrer looked over at Carl as everyone
6:51:48arranged their cushions for the show. Is
6:51:51there a reason that we're watching an
6:51:52illusionary nature documentary?
6:51:54he whispered. It is 1,200 pages and
6:51:58fully illustrated. Plus, I think that
6:52:01guy got attacked by nearly every known
6:52:03species.
6:52:04I swear he has the worst luck I've ever
6:52:07seen on a nature cleric. They only
6:52:10played the first two hours before
6:52:11everyone was ready to head to bed. But
6:52:13Carl could sense the butterflyy's
6:52:15satisfaction.
6:52:17That show was fun to put on. It still
6:52:20didn't talk at all except through its
6:52:22illusions and Carl couldn't sense clear
6:52:24thoughts from it. At least not in the
6:52:27conventional sense. It was almost like
6:52:29the butterfly was always asleep and the
6:52:32illusionary world was its dream reality.
6:52:35Much different from the other beasts.
6:52:36But Carl had realized that there was
6:52:38potential to the illusionary domain
6:52:41spell beyond making a hidden city for
6:52:43them to relax in. He could use it to
6:52:45make solid illusionary tools, mockup
6:52:48dress plans for Rey, or even just create
6:52:50a mannequin for her to work with that
6:52:52was identical to the real person. But
6:52:54their peaceful days ended rapidly the
6:52:56next morning when Carl had the
6:52:58gargoyless open the gates and changed
6:53:00the sign to open. Within minutes, a
6:53:03flood of merchants had descended upon
6:53:04the shop again, looking for anything
6:53:06that they could get. Today, they had a
6:53:09plan for them. Bulk sales of royal and
6:53:12monarch rank items other than weapons
6:53:14will be limited today unless you have
6:53:16made prior arrangements,
6:53:18no more than five per customer. However,
6:53:22we have a large selection of commander
6:53:24ranked jewelry available.
6:53:26Plus, we have a large assortment of
6:53:28potions, medicinal products, and the
6:53:30next auction will have a few of our
6:53:32ranking items available, Davis
6:53:34announced.
6:53:36Isn't that tomorrow? One of the merchant
6:53:38vessel captains asked.
6:53:41Indeed, it is. You will know our pieces
6:53:44when you see them. Davis agreed.
6:53:47Now, who would like a selection of royal
6:53:50rank blades? All crafted by a
6:53:52grandmaster and artfully upgraded by a
6:53:55true runmaster,
6:53:57Davis announced.
6:53:59Not particularly powerful, but good for
6:54:01city guards and mercenary guards.
6:54:04Once the store had sold out again and a
6:54:06new limited stock sign had been made,
6:54:09indicating that they only had whatever
6:54:11leftover jewelry hadn't been chosen by
6:54:13the morning rush and what the team had
6:54:14made that morning. Things began to calm
6:54:16down in the shop and Davis prepared to
6:54:18go home early. He would be off the next
6:54:21day as Matriarch's Day was a city
6:54:24holiday and most shops that weren't food
6:54:26or present related would not operate at
6:54:28all. Carl planned to open the shop for a
6:54:31while, but not stock more than the
6:54:33basics, just in case someone needed a
6:54:35lastminute, please get me out of the
6:54:37doghouse gift. From what Carl
6:54:40understood, the day was mostly an
6:54:42exchange of chocolates from the women to
6:54:43their desired men and then a date night
6:54:45where they would take the lead. Mick
6:54:48could watch the shop for the rest of the
6:54:50day as most of the items were not high
6:54:52ticket items and Davis needed to drop
6:54:54off the latest Overlord rank creation by
6:54:56Carl and Ashbringer at the auction which
6:54:58started early the next morning. Remy had
6:55:01reserved a few boxes of potions for
6:55:03regular sales and the girls had put out
6:55:05a dozen wooden rings for both mage and
6:55:07warrior types, but that was about all
6:55:09that was left in the shop for the rest
6:55:11of the day. Those were going quickly to
6:55:14the steady stream of regular customers
6:55:15from the city, especially the potions.
6:55:19Everyone wanted to be at their best for
6:55:20the holiday, so an emergency healing
6:55:22potion as well as a recovery potion were
6:55:24a great insurance measure. Just having
6:55:27them with you could turn a minor
6:55:28disaster into a touching memory. Then,
6:55:32just before Carl was going to have the
6:55:33gargoyles close the gate, a middle-aged
6:55:36mage in the same uniform as the academy
6:55:38man who had customordered ones entered
6:55:40the shop. Good sir, might you know where
6:55:43to find the Dark Light host guild house?
6:55:46He asked. You're standing in it. What
6:55:49can we help you with? Carl replied with
6:55:52a smile that must have shown too much
6:55:54tooth as the man looked concerned and he
6:55:56was some sort of partially skeletal
6:55:58monster species, not a demon as far as
6:56:00Carl could tell. Upon closer look, Carl
6:56:04realized that it was actually just a
6:56:06bone protrusion that covered half his
6:56:08face like a mask with a horn at the top.
6:56:11He wasn't undead. The governor of Lard
6:56:14City would like to invite you to the
6:56:15academy to give lessons on rune
6:56:17crafting. You see, we have it as a
6:56:20course, but nobody actually has the
6:56:22skill. So, what we can teach students is
6:56:26limited. The mage asked. Carl frowned.
6:56:31My time is rather limited, and I have a
6:56:33lot to do here. Attending an academy
6:56:36hundreds of kilometers from home for an
6:56:38extended period of time simply isn't
6:56:40feasible. The mage sighed. I was afraid
6:56:43that you would say that. I don't suppose
6:56:46that you would have a skill book to
6:56:48teach the art, would you? Carl shook his
6:56:51head. But I can make one for apprentice
6:56:54runsmithing.
6:56:55That's a primer to the art and far more
6:56:58people can use it. However, it will take
6:57:01a significant amount of time to create.
6:57:04But Remy had other ideas as she appeared
6:57:06beside him. Didn't your school year just
6:57:09end? Does that mean you're on a break?
6:57:12Why don't you send the teacher here and
6:57:14we can teach them the skill? Then they
6:57:16can teach others. Even if it's just
6:57:19introductory, it would be something.
6:57:21They would be able to at least make the
6:57:23items work. She offered. The mage
6:57:27considered that for a few seconds, his
6:57:29eyes flickering left and right as he
6:57:31paid attention to something else,
6:57:32possibly reading system messages.
6:57:35All right, if you can provide
6:57:37introductory skills to our instructors,
6:57:40it would be appreciated.
6:57:42Two juniors, one for armor and one for
6:57:44practical applications, will be here in
6:57:46just a moment, he explained.
6:57:50Carl shrugged.
6:57:52All right. Can you explain the courses?
6:57:55If they're too similar, it would be the
6:57:57same subset skill. You see, the subset
6:58:01skill which I taught my apprentices is
6:58:03runsmithing.
6:58:04That's not the same as a rune priest, a
6:58:07runic alchemist, or a runic architect.
6:58:10Remy did her best not to laugh as Carl
6:58:12started making up classes. Then she
6:58:15realized that if he mixed skills, he
6:58:17probably could make those different
6:58:19specialties with the runes and the
6:58:21students would be somewhat limited by
6:58:22their initial path. Remy personally
6:58:25tended towards runic alchemist as she
6:58:27was short on books to discover all the
6:58:29recipes she wanted. So she just imbued
6:58:32something close to what she actually
6:58:33wanted to create with runes using Carl's
6:58:36rune crafter skill. Just as the beasts
6:58:39could share skills that Carl was
6:58:41compatible with, the opposite was also
6:58:43true.
6:58:44And once he learned that pack affinity
6:58:47skill, it became much easier to share
6:58:49skills from Carl back to herself. Carl
6:58:52just didn't know many skills and spells
6:58:54that didn't come from them. She should
6:58:56tell someone that Ry now knew how to
6:58:58teleport.
6:59:00That was probably important information
6:59:02for them to have, but she could remind
6:59:04them of that new function later. They
6:59:06were doing a thing now. You know, runic
6:59:09alchemy. I thought that you were just a
6:59:12rune maker. the man asked. Technically,
6:59:16Remy here has mastered runic alchemy. I
6:59:19have no alchemical skills. I am purely a
6:59:22rune master, but she has become quite
6:59:25adept with alchemy and creates the
6:59:27potions for our shop, Carl explained.
6:59:31Remy handed the man a potion, and he
6:59:33stared at it in confusion, then cast a
6:59:35spell on it to examine it more closely.
6:59:38Indeed, it does have clusters of
6:59:40empowered runes in the solution.
6:59:43That is incredible.
6:59:45What is the potion for? Reversing
6:59:47receding hairlines.
6:59:50Remy replied happily. The mage looked
6:59:53offended, then intrigued.
6:59:55Really? It can reverse receding
6:59:58hairlines.
6:59:59How powerful is it? He asked. Remy
7:00:03shrugged. Monarch rank. It's not fully
7:00:08tested, though. How much is this potion?
7:00:12he asked curiously.
7:00:14The materials cost six silver, so it
7:00:16sells for a gold coin. Remy explained.
7:00:20The man nodded and handed her a coin,
7:00:23then down the potion. Slowly, hair grew
7:00:26on the top of his head and all over the
7:00:28side of his face, not covered by a bone
7:00:30plate, then down his arms. Wait, was
7:00:34that supposed to happen? I swear it
7:00:37wasn't supposed to add hair in new
7:00:39places. But I don't have any hair to
7:00:41test it on. Remy mused. The mage looked
7:00:45confused, then understanding lit his
7:00:47eyes, and he smiled. He took out a small
7:00:50mirror and began to examine himself,
7:00:52lowering his hood and opening his robes
7:00:54to show that he was almost completely
7:00:56furred. That is magnificent.
7:00:59My species starts out completely furry,
7:01:02except our mask bone. But as we age, we
7:01:06lose it until we're completely hairless.
7:01:08I look like a young bone bear again.
7:01:11Carl would have never guessed that the
7:01:13man's species was called bone bear,
7:01:15given the hairless state that he arrived
7:01:17in. Remy was pleased with her work,
7:01:20though. Just don't do anything unethical
7:01:22in dating groups. The mage was still
7:01:25admiring his fur in the mirror when a
7:01:27portal opened on the street, and a small
7:01:29group of mages entered the courtyard
7:01:31with cautious glances at the gargoyles.
7:01:34They had tried to travel straight into
7:01:35the yard, but the deterrent force of the
7:01:37gargoyle spell had forced them to
7:01:39relocate. And now all of the statues
7:01:41were glaring at them. The ones from the
7:01:44back of the house had even come to the
7:01:45front to see who the audacious intruders
7:01:47were. Once they were assured that these
7:01:50people were just rude enough to want to
7:01:52show up in the middle of someone's lawn,
7:01:54the gargoyless returned to their posts.
7:01:56that let the mages relax a little, but
7:01:59left them with profound questions about
7:02:00who had done the enchantments on this
7:02:02guild house, and their level of
7:02:03paranoia. A dozen gargoyles for such a
7:02:07small property was overkill. Even the
7:02:09most contested of noble houses would
7:02:11either have two at the gate or four on
7:02:13the corners of the roof so they could
7:02:15watch the whole perimeter. Department
7:02:17head, who are you? Where is department
7:02:20head N? One of the new arrivals asked. I
7:02:25am Nale, you idiot. Look at my name with
7:02:28your interface. The Naga queen here
7:02:31produced a new hair regrowth formula so
7:02:33powerful that it works even for a bone
7:02:35bear. But that's not the important part.
7:02:39The rune master here is unwilling to
7:02:41travel, but was willing to take teachers
7:02:43as apprentices for the break so that he
7:02:45could teach them the basics of one of
7:02:46the runic arts. Mle insisted.
7:02:50The four new arrivals took down their
7:02:52hoods, revealing long blonde hair and
7:02:54extended pointy ears that could only be
7:02:56elven or a similar face species. They
7:03:00didn't have the beauty that Carl
7:03:01associated with the elves. But it seemed
7:03:03rude to mention that, especially if they
7:03:05were actually another species that
7:03:07regularly got slandered as ugly elves. I
7:03:10am Moira and this is my partner Mash.
7:03:14That is Dala and her guardian Derek.
7:03:17What arts might you be able to teach?
7:03:20We were chosen because we don't yet have
7:03:22a trade skill. The self-appointed leader
7:03:25of the new arrivals asked. I can offer
7:03:28runesmithing, runic alchemy, or if
7:03:30you're compatible, rune priest. Runic
7:03:33architecture is also an option, but more
7:03:36strongly attuned to dwarven
7:03:37construction. The four all gave
7:03:40identical disgusted looks, and Carl
7:03:42became quite certain they were at least
7:03:44part elf. Then he realized that all his
7:03:47elven knowledge came from one trip to an
7:03:49elven village and the children's stories
7:03:51of the golden dragon nation which had
7:03:53neither elves nor dwarves living there
7:03:55in the modern era. So it might just be a
7:03:58regional issue. Moira and Dala nodded to
7:04:01each other. The Moira spoke again. I
7:04:04will choose runesmithing while Dala will
7:04:06take runic alchemy. Carl nodded. And the
7:04:10other two Mash and Derek was it. Dala
7:04:15frowned. They will do what we tell them
7:04:17to do. Oilia smirked and Tessa turned
7:04:21away to laugh. That was quite the
7:04:24relationship they had. Or perhaps they
7:04:26had all misunderstood and it wasn't four
7:04:29teachers, but two and their assistants.
7:04:32The phrasing of the introduction sounded
7:04:34like they might be married. Mash smiled
7:04:37at Carl and shrugged. I have been
7:04:39instructor Moira's research partner for
7:04:41over a century now. The same is true for
7:04:44Derek, though he is officially Lady
7:04:46Dala's guardian, appointed by her
7:04:48family. Dala sighed and chose to
7:04:51elaborate.
7:04:53We teach in the lady's academy. There
7:04:56are no male teachers in our faculty.
7:04:59N is the department head in charge of
7:05:01runic studies, but he primarily works on
7:05:03the male side of the academy. Will that
7:05:06be an issue? Carl shook his head. Both
7:05:10of my existing apprentices are female,
7:05:12but I don't discriminate.
7:05:14If you're all here to learn, I will
7:05:16ensure that you learn. Now, I suppose
7:05:19that I should make an employment and
7:05:20non-compete contract. The five
7:05:23instructors immediately began to panic,
7:05:25and Nale took out a stack of papers.
7:05:28Overlord, if you would not mind, we do
7:05:31have a standardized employment contract
7:05:33with us. It seemed that the cat demons
7:05:36had a reputation in the neighboring
7:05:37nations as well.
7:05:39Carl set the contract out on the table
7:05:41and memories of doing paperwork at the
7:05:43mines came rushing back to him. He might
7:05:46not know many fancy things, but he was
7:05:48pretty good at reading legal ease when
7:05:50it came to contracts.
7:05:52Carl read through the contract and took
7:05:54out a pen to strike a few clauses that
7:05:56were blatantly in favor of the academy,
7:05:59including a seemingly unlimited
7:06:00requirement for him to make
7:06:02demonstration materials for their future
7:06:04students.
7:06:05He also struck out their attempt to
7:06:07claim a portion of his profits after he
7:06:09had taken them as employees.
7:06:11No way was he going to pay continual
7:06:13royalties in perpetuity to a couple of
7:06:15mages who would only work for him for a
7:06:17month or two. Then he struck out the
7:06:20requirement that he teach them the full
7:06:22extent of his skills. That simply wasn't
7:06:25going to happen. Finally, as a cheeky
7:06:28little addendum, they added a clause
7:06:30that the mine had loved to put in
7:06:32employment clauses.
7:06:34their personal non-compete clause.
7:06:36Should the contracted use knowledge,
7:06:38tools, or materials provided by the
7:06:40contractor to act against the contractor
7:06:42in the future, the contractor reserves
7:06:44the right to take any and all
7:06:46appropriate punitive or legal actions to
7:06:48nullify the threat to their operations
7:06:50or mitigate losses in profit. In
7:06:53practice, the mine operators use the
7:06:55clause to disappear troublemakers
7:06:57without legal repercussions.
7:06:59But Carl could use it to keep them from
7:07:01trying to set up rune crafted item shops
7:07:03to compete with him or to remove their
7:07:06heads to take back the knowledge. Rey
7:07:09added, "Carl turned over the edited
7:07:11contract so that the mages could look it
7:07:13over. They looked moderately annoyed at
7:07:16the clauses he had removed, but not
7:07:18surprised.
7:07:20Eventually, Dala made a single stroke of
7:07:22her pen and held up the contract for
7:07:24Carl to inspect. she had removed or from
7:07:28between punitive and legal actions.
7:07:30That greatly changed the meaning of the
7:07:32phrase, but Carl smiled and nodded in
7:07:35agreement. The contract still didn't
7:07:38state what nations laws the actions
7:07:39would be taken under, and he was certain
7:07:41that he could find one who approved of
7:07:43any definition he wanted to assign to
7:07:45the words legal action if there were
7:07:47issues in the future. The four teachers
7:07:50signed the document. Then Carl put his
7:07:52signature on the pages and the paper
7:07:54altered, removing the struck clauses and
7:07:57adding his own in the same writing as
7:07:58the magical contract took effect. Nch
7:08:02patted them on the shoulder, then turned
7:08:04to the door. I will open a portal to
7:08:06bring you back two days before classes
7:08:08start. Now I will let you all get to
7:08:11work. Carl examined the mages who were
7:08:15all monarchs.
7:08:16The academy really went all out this
7:08:18time. I will admit that you're a bit old
7:08:21to be proper apprentices and you've
7:08:23already spent a lot of time researching
7:08:25your chosen subject. Or at least I hope
7:08:28that you have. Carl began. Derek laughed
7:08:32quietly and Dala glared at Carl. I
7:08:36honestly don't know how much they expect
7:08:38you to be able to teach me. Carl focused
7:08:41on Rey's alchemy skill and rune
7:08:44crafting, merging them to create a runic
7:08:46alchemy skill. Then he transferred the
7:08:50apprentice runic alchemy skill to the
7:08:52two half- elves. They were shocked into
7:08:55silence. So Carl took the opportunity to
7:08:57transfer apprentice runsmithing to the
7:09:00other two. If everyone was shocked
7:09:03silent at once, he shouldn't have to
7:09:05repeat himself. Remind me again why I
7:09:08thought it was a good idea to agree to
7:09:09this. Carl whispered to Dana, who
7:09:12laughed at him. I have no idea. Maybe
7:09:16you thought they would send you cute
7:09:18young apprentices.
7:09:20Remy nodded in agreement. Cute
7:09:22apprentices are best. All right, now
7:09:25that you have the basic skills, we can
7:09:27get started on your training. Lady Remy
7:09:30will be teaching the runic alchemy
7:09:32introduction.
7:09:33Please let me know if you have issues
7:09:35with the system translation of her
7:09:37lessons as she only speaks serpent. I
7:09:40will take care of the runesmithing
7:09:41lessons for the day as Overlord Ashbrer
7:09:44has created a wealth of blades for them
7:09:46to learn the basics on. The dungeon
7:09:48trash is good to royal rank. So, not to
7:09:51the maximum of your powers, but we can
7:09:53ease you into that as you learn the
7:09:55principles. A huge portion of what Carl
7:09:58knew about enchanting weapons actually
7:10:00came from the dwarven rune crafting book
7:10:02and not the skill.
7:10:04So while runes smithing would teach them
7:10:06the language and how the skill worked,
7:10:08the intricacies of compound runes were
7:10:11not included. As researchers, they
7:10:14should understand some of that already.
7:10:16They would have seen it on relics.
7:10:19Ashbringer brought a whole bundle of
7:10:20weapons up to the second floor and Carl
7:10:23created a floor to ceiling chalkboard
7:10:25with earth barrier.
7:10:27All right, we will start with the six
7:10:29most common runic strings that are used
7:10:31and then we will start on the lesson of
7:10:33compounding.
7:10:34Carl began. Moira sighed and took out a
7:10:38piece of chalk. She wrote a set of runes
7:10:41on the board while Carl watched. See, I
7:10:44know all this. She insisted.
7:10:48You got the stroke order wrong here,
7:10:50here, here, here, and here. These two
7:10:53runes are missing a stroke. And this one
7:10:55is at the wrong angle. It means a
7:10:58powerful erection, not a powerful skill.
7:11:02Now, while that is a fun rune, it's not
7:11:04what we're hoping for in a weapon, Carl
7:11:07explained.
7:11:08Moira stared at him in shock, and Carl
7:11:10gestured to a blade. If you think I'm
7:11:13lying, go ahead and try. But if you mess
7:11:16it up, you have to help Ashbrer hammer
7:11:19the incorrect inscriptions back out of
7:11:20the blade. That too is part of the art
7:11:23of runsmithing.
7:11:25The proud instructor began the work
7:11:27doing them exactly as she had written
7:11:29them on the board while Mash watched
7:11:31over her shoulder. Moira smiled smugly
7:11:34as she inserted power into the runes,
7:11:36then gasped in horror as she realized
7:11:38there was an ever growing bulge in the
7:11:40pants of the man beside her. Carl
7:11:43smirked as he began to speak. Wonderful.
7:11:46You now have a sharp-edged reproductive
7:11:49assistant toy. If you had gotten the
7:11:51runes a bit more correct, it would have
7:11:53a range longer than contact.
7:11:56Mash, if you could move back a step, the
7:11:58effect should fade. Now, are you ready
7:12:01to listen to me and to the knowledge of
7:12:03the language that the skill inserted
7:12:04into your brain? You should know how to
7:12:07do this correctly. Just think about the
7:12:09skill. Mash came forward and paused for
7:12:12a moment with a look of intense
7:12:14concentration on his face. Then he wrote
7:12:17the basic runes on the board, very
7:12:19nearly correct. Close.
7:12:22Only a few errors here and here.
7:12:25Practice those on the board and then we
7:12:27can move on to compounding them together
7:12:29with basic modifiers for distance,
7:12:31strength, and duration. Once you have
7:12:34mastered that, we will start on the
7:12:36effects of varying engraving depths on
7:12:38the outcome. Loros and Wendy tried their
7:12:41hardest not to laugh as they worked.
7:12:43They had known nothing coming in, so
7:12:45they didn't have to unlearn decades of
7:12:47bad habits and incorrect knowledge to
7:12:49understand what Carl was teaching them.
7:12:52Compared to that, these newbies were
7:12:54going to have a very hard time.
7:12:56Meanwhile, in the illusionary city,
7:12:58where Remy had taken her students to
7:13:00work, things were going much more
7:13:02smoothly. They weren't trying to unlearn
7:13:04bad habits. They were treating the art
7:13:06as new alchemy recipes that used runes
7:13:09as an ingredient. It had only taken Remy
7:13:12one demonstration potion for Dala to
7:13:14understand her skill. And now the
7:13:15alchemy teacher was fully engrossed in
7:13:17the lessons on adding runes to a
7:13:19simplified potion mixture to make
7:13:21functional replacements for missing
7:13:22ingredients.
7:13:24The advantage of the city was that there
7:13:26was no sun. It was always the same
7:13:28twilight no matter the hour of the day.
7:13:32So the students would never notice when
7:13:34night came and she could simply work
7:13:36them until they dropped. If potions
7:13:38filled every bit of their brain, they
7:13:40should begin to learn at something
7:13:42resembling a reasonable pace. She just
7:13:45had to keep them from distractions.
7:13:47It was a brilliant plan. Well, almost
7:13:51brilliant. Remy realized once she
7:13:53started to get hungry, she would still
7:13:55have to take breaks to let them eat, and
7:13:57that would give them back their sense of
7:13:59time. While the teaching did slow down
7:14:02progress, Carl still had enough time to
7:14:04do some work before the end of the
7:14:06shift, and then everyone would be free
7:14:07to do as they liked the next day.
7:14:10Matriarch's Day was one of the biggest
7:14:12holidays in the city of Drad, and
7:14:14everyone slept in, knowing that the shop
7:14:16would be closed for the day. The
7:14:18teachers from Lard Academy were the
7:14:20first to get motivated and started right
7:14:22into working on what they had learned
7:14:24the day before, ensuring that it was
7:14:25memorized and that their previous wealth
7:14:27of slightly incorrect knowledge wasn't
7:14:29hindering their future progress. The
7:14:32next was Lotus. And once Lotus was up,
7:14:34everyone was up. Mostly because she went
7:14:37knocking on their doors to see who
7:14:39wanted to come with her to get
7:14:40chocolate. Dana had informed Carl that
7:14:43they had already chosen chocolate gifts
7:14:45for Matriarch's Day during their trips
7:14:47to the dungeon. But now that the day was
7:14:49upon them, the chocolates would be on
7:14:51sale and the city was decorated for a
7:14:54festival. Give us 10 minutes. Carl
7:14:57called when he heard Lotus coming to his
7:14:59door. No, it's time to go, she
7:15:03complained.
7:15:05We really aren't suitable for going
7:15:07outside right now. Let us shower and we
7:15:10will join you.
7:15:11Carl retorted while Dana laughed quietly
7:15:14and turned on the shower in the insuit.
7:15:17Once the shower was over, they both
7:15:19transformed back into bestial form and
7:15:21Dana picked out a powder blue hanfu
7:15:23dress that Ry had made while Carl went
7:15:26for a black silk shirt unbuttoned
7:15:27halfway down the chest the way that the
7:15:29casino guards had been. With white pants
7:15:32and pocket square to contrast with his
7:15:34fur, Carl thought that it looked quite
7:15:36stylish until Dana took one look at it
7:15:39and laughed.
7:15:41I keep expecting you to use a sleazy
7:15:43pickup line on me when I see that
7:15:44outfit. She giggled. Oh, perhaps you
7:15:49would change your mind after a few
7:15:51drinks. You and me back in my bedroom,
7:15:55Carl replied in a rumbling draw that
7:15:57triggered every amorous instinct in
7:15:58Dana's transformed body. That's
7:16:01cheating. No abusing species triggers.
7:16:05Plus, we're already in your bedroom and
7:16:08Lotus is waiting for us to get dressed.
7:16:10Dana retorted. You sound like you're
7:16:13already dressed. I am waiting for you to
7:16:16stop flirting. Lotus shouted through the
7:16:19door. Carl left his outfit unchanged and
7:16:23stepped out to the main room. Lotus took
7:16:25one look at him and looped a large gold
7:16:27chain around his neck. Then another one
7:16:30before she nodded in satisfaction.
7:16:33Now the look is complete.
7:16:35Tessa smirked when she saw Carl with
7:16:37Dana on his arm, but Oilia gave them an
7:16:40enthusiastic thumbs up. Thor came out of
7:16:43his space in a fancy black and gold suit
7:16:45that Ry had tailored for him, complete
7:16:47with a gold embroidered cape, which was
7:16:49a bit overkill for a city was warm as
7:16:51Dro, but he did look very noble. They
7:16:55headed out into the street, and Lotus
7:16:57looked down at their feet. "Hey, why
7:17:00aren't you wearing shoes?" she asked.
7:17:04Carl shrugged. "They're not comfortable
7:17:06with these feet, but I have eternal
7:17:09lightning active anyhow, so I'm not
7:17:11going to pick up a nail or anything."
7:17:14Carl smirked at Ashbrer, who was also
7:17:16not wearing shoes, as he had hooves.
7:17:19"Well, he might have shoes, the
7:17:21horseshoe type, but Carl didn't see
7:17:24them, and it didn't sound like metal on
7:17:26cobblestone streets when he walked." The
7:17:28smith had Loros on one arm and Wendy on
7:17:31the other, while Mick was opposite Lotus
7:17:33on Oilia's arms. The guards shook their
7:17:36heads in dismay as they saw the dark
7:17:38light host leaving the house. That guild
7:17:41was a source of envy for the entire
7:17:43guard detachment
7:17:44with powerful overlords, skilled
7:17:47crafters, rare skills, and all the
7:17:49beauties they could want. In fact, they
7:17:52had so many that the werebear was
7:17:54claiming some, and she was one of the
7:17:55beauties herself.
7:17:57They might be demons, but everyone knew
7:17:59bears gave the best hugs. The coffee
7:18:02shop on the next block had hot chocolate
7:18:04and chocolate corissants on special for
7:18:06the holiday, so that was their first
7:18:08stop of the day. Each table had a list
7:18:11of the day's events on it in case
7:18:13customers weren't aware. Noon address by
7:18:16the Lord. 12:30 Castle Gates open for
7:18:20public tours.
7:18:221400 Fools Walk Debbuton Parade. 1,600
7:18:27VIP garden party at castle. 2,100
7:18:32fireworks show begins.
7:18:34Carl gestured to the sheet. Are so many
7:18:37people invited that the VIP garden party
7:18:39is noteworthy? The server laughed. Most
7:18:43of us like to go to watch all the
7:18:45celebrities enter. One of her co-workers
7:18:48giggled. She means the guard captains in
7:18:51their formal best. Anyone overlord
7:18:54ranked and higher is invited with a plus
7:18:56one. So if you gentlemen would like to
7:18:59choose a date, you could attend and
7:19:00enjoy the castle life for a night. Carl
7:19:03shook his head. I believe that we have
7:19:06plans for the evening, but we will go
7:19:09watch the fireworks.
7:19:11Is there a best spot or just fly up and
7:19:14pick a good angle? The server looked at
7:19:17them curiously.
7:19:19Carl definitely did not have wings, but
7:19:22if the overlord said he could fly, she
7:19:24would accept it as truth. Oh, should we
7:19:27have someone enter the parade? We've got
7:19:30young ones. Lotus suggested. The staff
7:19:34began to laugh. Priestess, you
7:19:37misunderstand.
7:19:39There are more women than men in the
7:19:40city. The debutant parade is for single
7:19:43young men to show off in an attempt to
7:19:45find a mate. I don't think that you have
7:19:48anyone qualified.
7:19:50Loros nodded happily. It sounds like it
7:19:53will be great eye candy. We should get
7:19:56some drinks and go watch after we tour
7:19:58past the castle. There will be a big
7:20:00party on the docks as well with roast
7:20:02meat and rum. Carl had a summon
7:20:05premonition of a drunk healing tree,
7:20:07then decided that maybe the docks were a
7:20:09great idea. We should at least listen to
7:20:12the Lord's address as most of us haven't
7:20:14heard it before. The holiday is for his
7:20:17wife, so he has to have something
7:20:19touching to say. He suggested, "See you
7:20:23on the way back, coffee lady." Lotus
7:20:26cheered as they got ready to leave. "See
7:20:29you soon, priestess.
7:20:31Next time you should try the peppermint
7:20:33hot chocolate with whipped cream. It's a
7:20:36holiday favorite." Carl's procession
7:20:39blended in well with the crowd. today.
7:20:42Many of the guilds were out in large
7:20:43groups, shopping, dining, or gathering
7:20:46around the castle in preparation for the
7:20:48Lord's speech. They had 10 minutes until
7:20:51it was scheduled to start, but already
7:20:53many of the ranking city officials were
7:20:55gathered on a large balcony facing the
7:20:57main south gate to the castle. Why they
7:21:00had chosen to have the main gates facing
7:21:02the ocean, the most likely invasion
7:21:04point, was a mystery to Carl. But it did
7:21:07make things convenient. was there was a
7:21:09large square with a statue of the
7:21:11founder of the city, a grizzled Ors
7:21:13shaman whose name had long since been
7:21:15erased from the placard by time. Carl
7:21:18felt the flood of power as the lord
7:21:20joined the others on the balcony, and he
7:21:22realized that he had greatly
7:21:23underestimated the true might of that
7:21:25demon when he was fighting above the
7:21:26city. Now that he was standing next to
7:21:29the totem ranked governor and district
7:21:31officials, it was clear that he was more
7:21:33than one rank above them. However,
7:21:36trying to gauge his power was a bit like
7:21:38staring at the sun. Blinding to the
7:21:40point that details were impossible to
7:21:42discern from the lowly viewpoint of an
7:21:44overlord. The Lord cleared his throat
7:21:47and began his speech. Thank you all for
7:21:50gathering to celebrate the 407th
7:21:52anniversary of my wedding. It has been
7:21:55quite the eventful year with the birth
7:21:56of triplets to my family and the
7:21:58resultant baby boom that has left the
7:22:00midwives of the city scrambling. But it
7:22:03has also been a year of innovation, of
7:22:05growth, and of valiant battles. I
7:22:08recognize many faces here from the
7:22:10defense of the city against the Bongan
7:22:12fleet. A battle that saw the least
7:22:15damage done by any full invasion in the
7:22:17last century. There were heroes made
7:22:19that day, and many managed to break
7:22:21through their limits and raise to a new
7:22:23rank. Unfortunately, not all has been
7:22:26positive. For the first time in 3 years,
7:22:30we had a guild war that spread to the
7:22:32city.
7:22:33I have been informed that the aftermath
7:22:34of the battle of the two hosts has
7:22:36already been repaired, but I do expect
7:22:38everyone in the city to be better
7:22:40behaved in the future." He paused, and
7:22:43Carl felt the Lord's eyes on him. He
7:22:46bowed slightly, and the Lord relented,
7:22:48then continued his speech. "Our most
7:22:51glorious draw nation has celebrated 10%
7:22:54more weddings this year than last year,
7:22:56a noteworthy accomplishment, not only in
7:22:58the capital, but through the entire
7:22:59land.
7:23:01Now I will return to my blushing bride
7:23:03and let the city minister speak. Carl
7:23:06got the feeling that it was an
7:23:08exceptionally short speech for the Lord.
7:23:10The governor looked shocked and then
7:23:12annoyed as someone passed him a whole
7:23:14stack of prepared notes as the lord sat
7:23:16down to bounce a small black demon baby
7:23:18on his knee. The child was tiny like a
7:23:22human newborn despite the size of the
7:23:24parents. It was also winged, though they
7:23:27flapped feebly, not yet strong enough to
7:23:29take flight. Childproofing a house had
7:23:32to be a whole other type of challenge
7:23:34when your toddler could fly. The crowd
7:23:36was doing their best not to laugh as the
7:23:38governor went through the lord's
7:23:40heartfelt speech, while Madame Shinn,
7:23:42the governor<unk>'s wife, tried not to
7:23:44laugh at the saccharine sweet, gushing
7:23:46love expressed in the speech that was
7:23:47intended for someone else entirely.
7:23:50But that woman loved to see her husband
7:23:52squirm in his new armor, and she was
7:23:54enjoying all the praise as if he had
7:23:56intended to say that all to her. The
7:23:58governor switched speeches and began his
7:24:00own address, going over a number of
7:24:02things about the city, along with a few
7:24:04more sweet words for his wife and thanks
7:24:06for the new armor that he was wearing.
7:24:09Most of the city already seemed to know
7:24:11that Carl had made it. As the crowd
7:24:13turned to look at his group when the
7:24:14mention of having received a newly
7:24:16commissioned armor set was made, Carl's
7:24:18sensitive ears picked up a lot of
7:24:20speculation about just what that would
7:24:22have cost. And then a few more were
7:24:24wondering if it was now possible to
7:24:25commission something similar in overlord
7:24:27rank as Carl had advanced. The thought
7:24:30was ridiculous to them. Customordered
7:24:33epic grade overlord rank armor was worth
7:24:36more than most minor noble families
7:24:38generational wealth. You either
7:24:40inherited it or you never got it. Simply
7:24:43buying a set was preposterous unless
7:24:45your family had a totem or many
7:24:47overlords.
7:24:48There were vendors moving through the
7:24:50crowd selling sweets and the ladies were
7:24:52openly feeding chocolates to their
7:24:54partners. Carl couldn't help but laugh
7:24:56when Oilia started feeding chocolates to
7:24:59Lotus and Mick. It was the exact
7:25:01opposite of the other situations in the
7:25:03crowd with physically larger,
7:25:05embarrassed demons reluctantly taking
7:25:07bites. Lotus had no shame about her love
7:25:10of sweets. She was even happily licking
7:25:13the chocolate off Oilia's furred
7:25:15fingers, which was making the demons
7:25:17around them blush and giggle. Mick was a
7:25:20bit more restrained and blushing
7:25:22furiously as Oilia fed her chocolates.
7:25:25But they hadn't bought too many as they
7:25:27had more plans, and they were off to the
7:25:29boardwalk to watch the debutant shows.
7:25:32If the flamboyant and festive air at the
7:25:34castle was anything to go by, then they
7:25:36were in for a treat. The demons were
7:25:39going all out for the event, and the
7:25:41streets looked like a fashion show.
7:25:44Making their way across the business
7:25:45district was no easy feat, so Carl led
7:25:48them south to the docks instead. They
7:25:50had a barbecue going, and his group
7:25:52could stop in there and visit some of
7:25:54the sailors before he took the ladies to
7:25:56check out their fresh new demonic eye
7:25:58candy at the boardwalk. But as it turned
7:26:01out, they didn't need to go that far.
7:26:04The sailors had their own version, and
7:26:06all the young dock hands were in their
7:26:07very best, with skin oiled and scales
7:26:10polished as they strutdded around the
7:26:11docks to whistles and cheers of
7:26:13appreciation from what Carl strongly
7:26:15suspected were the working girls of the
7:26:16sprawl. The ladies of Carl's group
7:26:19quickly joined in on the fun, and bought
7:26:21up long strings of cheap glass beads to
7:26:23toss around the necks of the young men.
7:26:26There was plentiful rum flowing from
7:26:28kegs at every corner, and Carl led them
7:26:30to a corner where the same smoke pit as
7:26:32during the battle was set up. Butcher,
7:26:35good to see you again. I'll take
7:26:37whatever you're serving for the whole
7:26:39guild group. Carl greeted the portly
7:26:42demon. Oh, congratulations on making
7:26:45overlord.
7:26:47It's good to see you again, war
7:26:48champion. Are you sure that you don't
7:26:51want to join them? You're still a young
7:26:54man. the demon joked. Carl laughed and
7:26:58tilted his head towards where a young
7:26:59man was being escorted into the back
7:27:01room of a shop by two young ladies in
7:27:03questionable outfits. I think that I
7:27:06would insult someone when I had to turn
7:27:08down the most festive of festivities.
7:27:10The butcher laughed. Well, youngsters
7:27:13will be youngsters.
7:27:15You can go to the boardwalk if you like,
7:27:17but really the ladies will likely have
7:27:19more fun here on the docks. That was
7:27:22definitely true. It was only a little
7:27:25afternoon and already the demons were
7:27:27playing a drinking game where you
7:27:28flipped a full shot glass from your horn
7:27:30to your mouth without spilling it. In
7:27:33theory, whoever drank the most of the
7:27:36shot won and took another shot. There
7:27:39was also music playing as whatever bards
7:27:42and musically talented demons the ships
7:27:44had on board had set up an impromptu jam
7:27:46session that had the people dancing and
7:27:49generally going wild. Before long, Lotus
7:27:52had dragged Mick up on one of the pure
7:27:54pillars to sing with her, a drinking
7:27:56tune that seemed to be primarily the
7:27:58word shots that every sailor knew. The
7:28:01combination of rhythmic foot thumping
7:28:03and trumpets made a steady beat as the
7:28:05crowd sang along and thousands of
7:28:07sailors drink from bottles of rum. Carl
7:28:10could see people closer to the boardwalk
7:28:12giving the crowd at the dock's disgusted
7:28:13looks at the LWD lyrics, then confused
7:28:16stairs as they realized that it was a
7:28:17green dragon priestess and a vampire in
7:28:19a lolita dress with a parasol leading
7:28:21the chant. Something wasn't right with
7:28:24the sailors. They were certain. Many of
7:28:27the noble young ladies were tempted to
7:28:29come over and check out the scene, but
7:28:31the rowdy party was causing their
7:28:32parents to glare at them every time that
7:28:34they turned in a vaguely southerntherly
7:28:35direction.
7:28:37The song changed and the stomping
7:28:39changed to a new rhythm that was slower
7:28:40and somehow more sensual, but still
7:28:43accompanied by trumpets and a saxophone,
7:28:45which made for a very strange experience
7:28:47to Carl's foreign musical tastes. But
7:28:50soon enough, he found himself dancing
7:28:52with Dana in his arms, dragged into the
7:28:54crowd and drinking rum from the bottle
7:28:56as they laughed and spun in the crowd.
7:28:59They were pleasantly drunk and making
7:29:00new friends among the sailors when a
7:29:02rather horrified looking official in a
7:29:04castle uniform made his way to the dock
7:29:06and caught Carl's attention. Overlord
7:29:09Carl, do you think that I could pull you
7:29:11away from your realry for a few moments?
7:29:14The demon asked. Carl nodded and moved
7:29:18to the edge of the crowd where Dana was
7:29:20handed a kebab and a fresh bottle of
7:29:22rum. The official cleared his throat.
7:29:26You have been formally invited along
7:29:27with your plus one to the Lord's private
7:29:30garden party. Can we expect your
7:29:32attendance?
7:29:34How long do we have? Carl asked, already
7:29:37feeling his constitution burning the
7:29:39alcohol from his system. 1 hour before
7:29:42the first guests begin to arrive. 2
7:29:45hours before the party starts, the
7:29:47official explained, looking a bit
7:29:49embarrassed.
7:29:51He had likely intended to find Carl much
7:29:53earlier, but hadn't expected him to be
7:29:55on the docks with his whole guild. What
7:29:57is the dress code? Carl asked. They were
7:30:01already dressed up pretty fancily as it
7:30:04was a party day. Your current attire
7:30:06will do. It's a semi-casual event, but
7:30:10most dressed to impress, the official
7:30:13explained, hoping that Carl would
7:30:15understand the meaning behind his words.
7:30:17The Lord had invited him directly, which
7:30:20was a huge honor, but the demon was a
7:30:22bit worried that Carl was already drunk
7:30:24enough that he might not appreciate the
7:30:26nuance.
7:30:28Fortunately, Rey had them covered, and
7:30:30she had prepared extra fancy matching
7:30:32outfits in black and white silk to match
7:30:34the fur of their transformed bodies.
7:30:37Dana was certain that she was going to
7:30:38hate whatever idea Rey had come up with,
7:30:41but the flowing dress was beautiful
7:30:42black silk with white embroidery all
7:30:44over it, creating a vine pattern. It fit
7:30:47like a glove and it highlighted the
7:30:49white and red jewelry with elbow length
7:30:51sleeves. Carl was forced to change from
7:30:54his casino goon look into a white suit
7:30:56over a black base layer. He had minimal
7:30:59black embroidery on his suit, just a
7:31:02spiderweb pattern at the collar and
7:31:03cuffs. But she had made up for it with
7:31:06all the spiderweb pattern woven into the
7:31:08tie. Carl briefly explained the
7:31:11situation to the others, then summoned
7:31:13the Lameia bodyguards to watch over the
7:31:15group and ensure that Lotus didn't get
7:31:16abducted by strangers with candy before
7:31:19he led Dana off for some last minute
7:31:20grooming. There was a butician not far
7:31:23from the docks and on their way to the
7:31:25castle gates. They had been partying for
7:31:28hours. A little perfume and a change of
7:31:31clothes might make them smell better,
7:31:33but their fur could use a little brush
7:31:35and polish before meeting new people.
7:31:38Fortunately, the staff at the salon
7:31:40understood immediately that they were
7:31:41going to a formal event and not just
7:31:43looking for the sort of festive
7:31:45decorations that many of the partygoers
7:31:47were getting. By the time that they were
7:31:49fully brushed with some sort of pleasant
7:31:51smelling fur conditioner and redressed,
7:31:53it was time that the guests should have
7:31:55been arriving at the castle. Time to see
7:31:58how many of the local celebrity chasers
7:32:00knew who they were. There was a short
7:32:02line of VIP guests waiting to get into
7:32:04the castle for the garden party. When
7:32:06Carl and Dana arrived, the staff wanted
7:32:09each of them to walk the red carpet as a
7:32:11couple so that the crowd had time to get
7:32:13a good look at them. That slowed
7:32:16progress, but the cheers of the crowd
7:32:18when they recognized someone were
7:32:19deafening. They were all turning on
7:32:22their titles and guild tags. So Carl did
7:32:24the same and quietly warned Dana to do
7:32:26the same if she could. Former Lord of
7:32:29Banga City, Carl, Grand War Champion of
7:32:32the Dark Light host. Dana, battle mage
7:32:36of the dark light host. Having names and
7:32:39titles active would make it much easier
7:32:41to meet new people inside the party as
7:32:43well. Everyone there was an overlord or
7:32:45the guest of one, which meant that most
7:32:47of them operated businesses or owned
7:32:49large amounts of property. But not only
7:32:52that, some of the people in front of him
7:32:55were visiting nobles, city lords from
7:32:57other cities in Drad, and even a few
7:32:59ship captains going by their titles.
7:33:02Carl's turn came and he looped his arm
7:33:04for Dana to take as they casually
7:33:06strolled down the red carpet. Dana was
7:33:09recognized by very few as she had not
7:33:12been transformed for the battle at the
7:33:13docks, but many recognized Carl and they
7:33:16were telling the others. Having the
7:33:18titles active gave them a good idea who
7:33:20Dana was, so the crowd just assumed that
7:33:23she was active on a different side of
7:33:25the battlefield than where they had
7:33:26been. As they got closer to the front,
7:33:29they reached the most devoted visitors,
7:33:31the ones who hadn't left after the
7:33:33speeches. It's the healing trees guard.
7:33:37Someone called and a massive roar of
7:33:39approval spread through the demons,
7:33:41drowning out the other noise in the
7:33:42crowd. The residents on the west side of
7:33:45the river weren't aware, but Lotus was a
7:33:47huge celebrity in the slums and the
7:33:49sprawl. in the stone chapel district
7:33:52near the guild house. It was the shop
7:33:54that the dark light host was better
7:33:55known for. Carl reached the gates with
7:33:58Dana and the guard bowed politely. There
7:34:01was a green mana jade ring on his hand
7:34:04and a smile on his face. But Carl
7:34:07noticed that the other guard had red and
7:34:09white mana jade earrings hanging from
7:34:10her ears and her shockingly white hair
7:34:13pulled back to show them off. Someone
7:34:15had gone all out to impress her, and she
7:34:18was very proud of the gift.
7:34:20Thank you. Enjoy your afternoon,
7:34:24Carl replied as they ushered him through
7:34:26the door. Certainly, overlord.
7:34:29The Lord will be looking for you soon if
7:34:32it is possible for you to be somewhere
7:34:33visible. The female guard replied. Carl
7:34:37led Dana into the gardens, following the
7:34:40line of guards toward the open space on
7:34:42the north side of the grounds. Hundreds
7:34:44of overlords and totems were already
7:34:46gathered, and the aura of power was
7:34:48oppressive. nearing overwhelming.
7:34:51Now he could understand why they made it
7:34:53an overlord rank event. With all the
7:34:56political posturing and business deals
7:34:58in progress, tensions were high under
7:35:00the smiles and the demons were leaking
7:35:02power constantly.
7:35:04Carl noticed as a naga man smirked and
7:35:06shifted to highlight his hip with his
7:35:08hand on a sword. For a split second,
7:35:11Carl thought that it might be an
7:35:12aggressive act, brazen as that might be.
7:35:16Then he recognized the blade. It was one
7:35:19of the two Overlord ranked weapons that
7:35:21the Dark Light host had put up at
7:35:22auction and must have sold this morning
7:35:24before the day's festivities started.
7:35:27Carl quickly checked the man's titles.
7:35:30Looking quite fashionable, Prince
7:35:32Gabble. You seem to have had a great
7:35:35victory at this morning's auction. The
7:35:37poison effect on that blade turned out
7:35:39to be particularly potent. He greeted
7:35:42the Naga Prince. Oh, might you have been
7:35:45one of my competitors for this
7:35:47masterpiece?
7:35:48Prince Gabble asked. Carl shook his
7:35:51head. Quite the opposite. It was my
7:35:54guild that put it up for sale. It is
7:35:57most excellent to see that it has found
7:35:58a good home with a proud owner. That
7:36:01attracted a number of the other
7:36:02overlords over branch leader. I don't
7:36:06suppose that your artisans will be
7:36:07putting other similar articles up for
7:36:09sale next month, will they? One of the
7:36:12ladies, a live but athletic orc, asked
7:36:15excitedly.
7:36:16Carl shrugged. I can't say for certain.
7:36:20Overlord ranked items only get created
7:36:22when the artisan is feeling inspired.
7:36:25So, while it is likely that we will have
7:36:27items at the auction, I can't say what
7:36:30they will be. The orc nodded in
7:36:32understanding.
7:36:34That makes sense. I work for a merchant
7:36:37group as head of security, and my boss
7:36:39is somewhat upset that he lost out on
7:36:41all the best items today. From the smug
7:36:44looks of the others, Carl suspected that
7:36:46was no accident. At the very least, they
7:36:49were not upset that her boss had been
7:36:51shut out of the prize treasures of the
7:36:53auction house. They were not given much
7:36:56time to speak before an immensely
7:36:57powerful aura approached, and the group
7:36:59spread to allow the lord to approach
7:37:01Carl directly. The war champion of the
7:37:04dark light host. What a fascinating
7:37:07thing to have been granted such a title
7:37:09and a legendary guild name by the
7:37:11system. the Lord declared, speaking
7:37:14slowly. Carl bowed to the Lord while
7:37:17Dana dipped into a curtsy.
7:37:20Indeed, it is. Though many of the
7:37:23advantages were not apparent until I had
7:37:25a proper guild house. Truly, I have been
7:37:28blessed by the world dragon. Carl
7:37:31agreed. The lord frowned.
7:37:34I see. So, you were truly granted this
7:37:37guild title by the gods. Carl nodded.
7:37:42The first time I fought a city defense,
7:37:44I was granted the status of war champion
7:37:46of the dark light host. That took
7:37:48everyone by surprise.
7:37:51It wasn't just someone who had found a
7:37:52workaround in the naming restrictions.
7:37:55He really was a member of the legendary
7:37:57guild. Please remain after the party. I
7:38:00will send for you. We have much to speak
7:38:03about. The lord insisted. Then he was
7:38:06off to chat with other guests. Having
7:38:09been directly addressed by the Lord made
7:38:11Carl and Dana immensely popular at the
7:38:13party, and within minutes they had met
7:38:15dozens of new people from all over the
7:38:17Dragon Isles. The locals seemed to have
7:38:20mostly retreated, as they could meet him
7:38:22again later. Nobody wanted to make some
7:38:24foreign prince or princess wait to meet
7:38:26the celebrity of the hour, and Carl's
7:38:28popularity also dragged the most
7:38:30obnoxious away from them. But the effect
7:38:33soon faded as the Lord was still making
7:38:35his rounds, meeting new people who had
7:38:38done something noteworthy during the
7:38:39last year while he was distracted.
7:38:41Butlers wandered the gardens, and once
7:38:44the crowd had dispersed a little, a
7:38:46second group of well-wishers gathered
7:38:47around Carl. Lord Carl, I don't believe
7:38:51that we have met. But midwife Musa
7:38:53informed us that you were the source of
7:38:55the fertility charm that has been so
7:38:57effective for the local nobility. We
7:39:00have to thank you. An oni demon woman
7:39:02greeted Carl with a reverent look that
7:39:04put Dana on edge. No need to thank me. I
7:39:08was paid quite well for my services.
7:39:11Congratulations on the upcoming arrivals
7:39:13to your family. Carl replied with a
7:39:16faint smile. The demonist smiled.
7:39:20Yes, it will be good to have children
7:39:22around the house again. I'm afraid all
7:39:24of my others are long since grown and
7:39:26moved out. The downsides of excessive
7:39:29longevity.
7:39:31The man beside her chuckled. "It will be
7:39:34somewhat awkward at family gatherings
7:39:35for the next few years, I suspect. Our
7:39:39daughter-in-law and granddaughter are
7:39:40also customers of the midwife."
7:39:43Dana couldn't help but laugh a little at
7:39:45the thought, and the handsome demon
7:39:47smirked at her. "Yes, I am certain that
7:39:50it will only get worse once they are
7:39:51teens and getting closer to the triplet
7:39:53prince's choosing year. But that is
7:39:56still a few years in the future, and
7:39:58it's not the first time we've been
7:39:59through this in the last h 100red years.
7:40:02The Lord and his wife are quite amorous,
7:40:04even after four centuries.
7:40:07That made most of the nearby demons
7:40:08laugh. Every 20 or 30 years, the Lord's
7:40:12wife would begin demanding more
7:40:14children, as she had gone too long
7:40:16without any in her home. Most men would
7:40:18suggest that she volunteer at an
7:40:20orphanage or other place that works with
7:40:22children, but the Lord has preferred to
7:40:25simply give her more of her own. During
7:40:28the first century, they had dozens. Then
7:40:31it began to slow down, and many had
7:40:33assumed that would be the end of things.
7:40:35But since then, it has become a reliable
7:40:37event for new royals to be born to every
7:40:40generation. The garden party began to
7:40:42wind down late into the evening, though
7:40:44many couples had left early to enjoy a
7:40:47romantic dinner together, either in the
7:40:48castle or elsewhere. Dana had opted to
7:40:51eat on one of the patios overlooking the
7:40:53garden, where she could see so much of
7:40:55the crowd's social interaction. The
7:40:58dynamics between factions fascinated
7:41:00her, as many of them clearly despised
7:41:02each other, but none of them would dare
7:41:04to start trouble here. The lord's butler
7:41:07came as they were finishing dessert and
7:41:09waited to escort them inside for
7:41:11whatever meeting the lord had required.
7:41:13Carl suspected that it had something to
7:41:15do with the guild war as Hawk had
7:41:17damaged the city's public property. But
7:41:20that seemed like a small matter as
7:41:22restitution had been paid and the damage
7:41:24repaired the same day. They were led
7:41:27directly to the lord's home wing, not to
7:41:29an office, which Carl hoped was a good
7:41:31sign. Nobody wanted to get blood on
7:41:34their carpets with kids in the house. It
7:41:37would end up everywhere. Before the
7:41:39butler could even introduce them, the
7:41:41lord was motioning for them to take a
7:41:43seat across from him and his wife.
7:41:46Welcome, Overlord Carl. And you must be
7:41:49the one known as the Dana Mage. He
7:41:52greeted them. Dana stared at him in
7:41:54confusion while Carl laughed quietly to
7:41:57himself. Is that not right? I listened
7:42:00in on the thoughts of the Thunderbird
7:42:02called Hawk, and that was how he
7:42:04referred to you. Never mind. Your name
7:42:08is Dana anyhow, so it's close enough.
7:42:11Haha. They probably think we're all
7:42:13clerics because they got their
7:42:14intelligence from Hawk, and he calls
7:42:16everyone brother and sister except for
7:42:18you, Dana, and Oilia.
7:42:21Cara laughed in Carl's mind as the Lord
7:42:23continued. Shortly after you arrived in
7:42:26Drad, I was made aware that you would be
7:42:28coming to my territory and warned that
7:42:30you were exiled for becoming quite the
7:42:32troublemaker.
7:42:33But it appears that my old friend from
7:42:35the dragon church misunderstood your
7:42:37nature. Now it would have been courteous
7:42:40if they had asked or perhaps not dropped
7:42:42you in my capital city. But that is an
7:42:45issue between me and the totems of your
7:42:47home continent. I actually called you
7:42:49here today for a much more mundane
7:42:51matter, namely to inform you that I will
7:42:54not tolerate a disruption of trade
7:42:56agreements between draw and foreign
7:42:58powers. The guards did not stop you
7:43:01because there is no law about selling
7:43:03powerful magical items. However, there
7:43:06are agreements in place about exporting
7:43:08said items that the merchants have been
7:43:09conveniently overlooking.
7:43:11Now, a war over trade would be a
7:43:13significant drain on resources. So, I am
7:43:16hoping that we can come to a peaceful
7:43:17agreement that doesn't involve shutting
7:43:19down the most lovely shop near the
7:43:21gates. You have been the talk of the
7:43:23city guard for weeks now. After all,
7:43:26Carl nodded in understanding.
7:43:29The merchants that have been coming once
7:43:30a week to buy out my entire stock. I can
7:43:34understand the concern. If you wish, I
7:43:37would be happy to put a purchase limit
7:43:39on everything unless there is an
7:43:40approved domestic vendor token I can
7:43:42check. The lord considered that for a
7:43:45moment. That sounds like a hassle. It is
7:43:49far too easy to forge, steal, or sell
7:43:52such a token. Instead, I propose that
7:43:55the city will bulk purchase everything
7:43:57royal rank and above that you wish to
7:43:58sell apart from non-combat potions and
7:44:01items which are not regulated as
7:44:03military goods. I will order them to
7:44:06give a fair market price for them, and
7:44:08in exchange, I expect to hear of no more
7:44:10problems from the dark light host guild
7:44:12house.
7:44:13No loading ships up with magical rings
7:44:15and calling pirates to ambush them. No
7:44:18having overlord ranked fire skills used
7:44:20to raise civilian residences to the
7:44:21ground. And if possible, prevent the
7:44:24guards from purchasing mind-altering
7:44:25drugs from the nature cleric while they
7:44:27are on duty. Carl chuckled at that last
7:44:30bit, and Dana looked horrified. The
7:44:33lord's wife thumped him on the shoulder.
7:44:36We haven't heard that they were, but
7:44:37it's best to put it out there in
7:44:39advance. I am well aware of how the
7:44:42green dragon and her disciples are. Carl
7:44:45thought about any possible issues that
7:44:47might arise from this arrangement before
7:44:49asking questions. The overlord ranked
7:44:52masterpieces that we produce. Would you
7:44:55like them as well or should they still
7:44:56be sent to the auction? And we currently
7:44:59have some apprentices from Lard Academy
7:45:01learning runic arts during the semester
7:45:03break. That doesn't violate any
7:45:06agreements, does it? He asked carefully.
7:45:10The lord waved his hand. They're fine.
7:45:14Even if you teach them the basics of
7:45:15runesmithing, the Duke of Lard won't let
7:45:18them mass-produce weapons. It's part of
7:45:20our arrangement.
7:45:22But the overlord ranked weapons are a
7:45:24unique challenge, I do admit. While
7:45:27they're not a strategic national
7:45:28treasure like a totem ranked staff or
7:45:30blade would be, they're still very high
7:45:32on the danger scale. Both of the items
7:45:35that sold at the auction today are going
7:45:37to other islands well away from us. But
7:45:41the only way to ensure a fair market
7:45:42value is to auction them. So I am
7:45:46willing to compromise.
7:45:48If I do not want the item making it to
7:45:50the open market, I will purchase it from
7:45:52the auction house before it reaches the
7:45:53auction block. No need to get your own
7:45:56hands dirty. However, that does lead me
7:46:00to an important question.
7:46:02Will you be producing large quantities
7:46:04of overlord ranked items? Carl shook his
7:46:07head. One or two a month was the plan so
7:46:11that our master craftsman doesn't feel
7:46:13that the employment agreement is a
7:46:14financial loss to him when he was
7:46:16planning to go inland and set up his own
7:46:18shop. The apprentices can turn out
7:46:21enough ascended and commander rank items
7:46:22to keep the shop running at a profit.
7:46:25Well, for now, not having inventory of
7:46:29the same standard at the shop for sale
7:46:30will put a significant damper on
7:46:32business. That made the Lady of Drad
7:46:35laugh. A single commander rank ring
7:46:38would pay an average shop's employees
7:46:40for the month. The lord looked
7:46:42contemplative.
7:46:44I see how that could be an issue. Custom
7:46:47orders, not more than two sets of
7:46:49accessories or one set of weapons and
7:46:51armor per customer per month, would be
7:46:53acceptable to the kingdom. Even if they
7:46:56are overlord ranked, it is fine. Carl
7:46:59nodded in acceptance.
7:47:01That would be a bit of a pain, but they
7:47:03could work with it. It wasn't like he
7:47:05could win a fight with the lord of draw
7:47:07or otherwise force him to change his
7:47:09mind. Wonderful. I will have the butler
7:47:13draw up the agreement. The lord decided.
7:47:17While the men seemed content to wait,
7:47:19the lady of draw had different ideas. As
7:47:22you are here, would you be averse to
7:47:24doing a small favor for me? You see, I
7:47:27could use a few little upgrades made to
7:47:29the nursery, she asked, knowing that
7:47:32Carl was a rune master. Not at all. What
7:47:36did you have in mind? Carl asked. Young
7:47:40demons grow best in an extremely high
7:47:42mana environment.
7:47:44I am told that your items are capable of
7:47:46storing mana and self-recharging. Would
7:47:49it be possible to put that sort of
7:47:51enchantment on a nursery? She asked.
7:47:55Turn a nursery into a training room with
7:47:57dense mana condensing on every surface.
7:48:00I would think it should be possible.
7:48:02Even if it's not everything you might
7:48:04have hoped, I should be able to raise
7:48:06the mana level to two or three times
7:48:08what it is in the rest of the city. Carl
7:48:10cautiously agreed. Oh, that would be
7:48:14wonderful.
7:48:15You know, mana is essential to the
7:48:17childhood development of demons, but
7:48:19it's so hard to find a nanny who has the
7:48:21rare skills and the gentle touch to
7:48:23maximize their potential. Without that
7:48:26early start, it can take centuries to
7:48:28catch up. The lady dragged Carl out by
7:48:31his hands, leaving Dana facing the Lord
7:48:33of Drad. The unintentional pressure of
7:48:36his aura had sobered her up instantly
7:48:38after they entered. But unlike Carl, who
7:48:41Dana was certain was missing whatever
7:48:42portion of his brain was responsible for
7:48:44determining threat levels, she was
7:48:46keenly aware of how dangerous this demon
7:48:48was. But the Lord was smiling and
7:48:51ordered another tray brought out. Fruit
7:48:54juice and finger sandwiches.
7:48:57They will take some time. My wife
7:48:59doesn't stop until she gets what she
7:49:00wants. Now, I'm sure that you have a fun
7:49:04background story as well. How did you
7:49:06end up leaving your home continent with
7:49:08a dragon-cursed man like that? Dana was
7:49:11confused by the phrase dragon cursed.
7:49:15The lord smiled at her. It's a phrase we
7:49:18use for other species who have a bit too
7:49:20much favor of the old gods. They tend to
7:49:24die of stupidity at a very young age.
7:49:26And if my aura sight isn't lying, you
7:49:28should both be coming up on your 17th
7:49:29birthdays. Yet you are a monarch ranked
7:49:32human. That sort of thing doesn't happen
7:49:34accidentally.
7:49:36More likely it happened by proximity to
7:49:38him. Dana smirked at him. You know, Carl
7:49:43is a human as well. Or at least I'm
7:49:45reasonably sure he was at one point. The
7:49:48draw lord shrugged. I never knew him
7:49:51then, but I can say for certain that he
7:49:53isn't now. At this point, I would wager
7:49:56that both the Naga Queen and the Void
7:49:58Badger have a stronger genetic
7:50:00relationship with humanity. With those
7:50:03words, Cara came out to sit on Dana's
7:50:05lap. If they were talking about her, she
7:50:08was certainly allowed to have juice. She
7:50:11gestured with her nose, and Dana poured
7:50:13her a small glass. The lord cocked his
7:50:16head to the side with a curious look.
7:50:19That void badger has wings. Cara
7:50:22extended them as she finished her drink,
7:50:24and Dana nodded. Yes, she is a winged
7:50:28void badger. Is there another kind here?
7:50:32Lord Drod nodded. Yes. In fact, the
7:50:36wingless kind is much more common. I've
7:50:39never personally seen a void badger with
7:50:41wings. Even without them, they're
7:50:44already a menace to society. Tell me,
7:50:47does this one have void shift as part of
7:50:50her skills to escape confinement?
7:50:53Dana shook her head while Cara looked
7:50:55intrigued. She hadn't known that was an
7:50:58option.
7:50:59Why didn't she get that option? Carl was
7:51:02slacking.
7:51:04No, her specialties are disintegration
7:51:07and nullification.
7:51:09Dana explained.
7:51:11The lord looked shocked. Anti-magic.
7:51:15That is just insidious.
7:51:17Cara nodded happily and the old demon
7:51:20smiled. It seems that she is well aware
7:51:23of the fact. Once she reaches overlord
7:51:26rank, she would most likely be able to
7:51:28shut down entire armies and naval fleets
7:51:30with a thought. Overlord ranked
7:51:33nullification would leave them dead in
7:51:34the water. Perhaps I need to find one
7:51:37for my darling wife. She hates it when
7:51:40the boys play pranks on her, and this
7:51:42one appears to be quite well socialized.
7:51:45Cara gave Dana a warning look, daring
7:51:48her to say otherwise.
7:51:50Yes, definitely well socialized.
7:51:53You should see how gently she cuddles
7:51:55our nature priestess.
7:51:57Cara nodded. The Dana mage knew what
7:52:00answers to give. Carl looked around the
7:52:03nursery, which was decorated all in
7:52:05pastel blues and grays, and examined the
7:52:07current layout to determine how and
7:52:09where he was going to place the runework
7:52:10that the Lady of Drad wanted. Watching
7:52:13over his shoulder, with her aura
7:52:15completely restrained, the lady of Drad
7:52:17gave off the image of the perfect gentle
7:52:19and sweet wife. But Carl knew that she
7:52:21was a mythic rank or higher ancient
7:52:23demon. Still, the way that she could
7:52:26hide her aura made her feel completely
7:52:28motherly. Or perhaps it was the other
7:52:31way around. Perhaps she could hide her
7:52:34aura because she was already motherly.
7:52:36She clearly loved being one. How often
7:52:40does this room get renovated? I could
7:52:42paint the runes on or I could carve
7:52:44them. The answer depends on how much you
7:52:47value aesthetics and how often you paint
7:52:49the walls. Painting over the runes
7:52:52either way could cause them to
7:52:53deactivate,
7:52:55though that's much less likely to happen
7:52:56with carved runes, Carl explained. The
7:53:01lady frowned. I like to change it twice
7:53:04a year, but some parts of the room tend
7:53:07to remain the same. The ceiling is
7:53:09rarely touched, and those crown moldings
7:53:11are relics from before my time. Please
7:53:14don't damage those. If they were from
7:53:17before her time, that meant they were
7:53:19over 400 years old. She had been married
7:53:22longer than that, and presumably this
7:53:24castle had been their home since then.
7:53:27Carl would have to look into the history
7:53:29of draw more deeply than Little
7:53:30Butterflies plays. Or get Remy some
7:53:33books on it. She would read through them
7:53:36all soon enough. Carl nodded. Why don't
7:53:40I make you a custom item instead? It
7:53:43will take a bit of time, but it will be
7:53:45much more likely to survive a renovation
7:53:47and last until the boy's foundation is
7:53:49established.
7:53:50The lady shook her head. The nobles
7:53:53watched too closely at our every move.
7:53:56If you're seen coming and going again
7:53:58after the party, or we receive a gift
7:54:00from you that they don't know about,
7:54:01they will question every milestone the
7:54:03boys make, and my babies will never have
7:54:05any peace." Carl nodded in
7:54:08understanding.
7:54:10Then he got a great idea.
7:54:12Do you have a painting easel? He asked.
7:54:16The lady looked confused but led Carl to
7:54:18another room. It was filled with inks,
7:54:21papers, and assorted artistic supplies.
7:54:24This will do wonderfully,
7:54:27Carl explained, then took a bit of
7:54:29monarch ranked silk from Ray's space and
7:54:31cut it to size for one of the blank
7:54:32canvas. He tested the size, then lay it
7:54:36on the table and picked up an ink brush.
7:54:39The actual runes for the spell were not
7:54:41complex.
7:54:42Just defining the space to increase mana
7:54:45absorption in and increasing the mana
7:54:47density with a modification to specify
7:54:49it should gather the mana externally and
7:54:51not need to be refilled.
7:54:53First, he wrote the runes for the effect
7:54:55in four spots around what would be the
7:54:57edges of the painting. Then turned the
7:54:59silk sheet over and wrote the rune for
7:55:01good fortune in love in a fanciful
7:55:03calligraphic style that wouldn't
7:55:05activate as a spell. Ray's silk would
7:55:08take Monarch ranked effects without any
7:55:10issues and possibly more. But Monarch
7:55:13rank was more than enough for this as he
7:55:15wasn't trying to drown them in mana,
7:55:17just increase the level in the room
7:55:19enough that they would grow to their
7:55:20peak. What does that large rune on the
7:55:23front mean? The lady asked as Carl began
7:55:26to empower the ones around the edge. It
7:55:29means lucky in love. I figured that with
7:55:32as strong as your relationship is, you
7:55:34would want the same for your boys. Carl
7:55:37explained.
7:55:39Oh, a secondary effect. Carl shook his
7:55:42head. Technically, no. But if they're
7:55:46powerful, they've got a good shot at
7:55:48love anyhow. I can add it to a token or
7:55:51something if you'd like, but luck is a
7:55:53fickle thing. Lady Dro shook her head.
7:55:57No, I think that will make a wonderful
7:55:59cover for your magical painting.
7:56:01Nobody will question why I would want a
7:56:03luck and love item for their room, and
7:56:05the maids are unlikely to notice that
7:56:07the mana density in that one room is
7:56:09higher than the rest of the house. The
7:56:12auras of multiple children will muddle
7:56:14the feeling. Carl finished the work and
7:56:16then mounted the silk, hiding the actual
7:56:19active runes. Unless someone stole the
7:56:22painting and dismounted it, they would
7:56:24never know that there was more to it.
7:56:26Presuming that they couldn't see the
7:56:28magic of the runes anyhow. Some demons
7:56:31were sure to have the ability. The lady
7:56:34smoothed back her long black hair and
7:56:36nodded in satisfaction.
7:56:38Then she went to the far side of the
7:56:40room and got a picture frame for that
7:56:42particular size of painting. Mounted in
7:56:44a gold frame, the black ink on white
7:56:47silk looked immensely classy, worthy of
7:56:49an exhibition piece if you were the sort
7:56:51to enjoy calligraphy,
7:56:53which she was. And so the painting was
7:56:55whisked away the moment that it was
7:56:57securely mounted. She put it above the
7:57:00lone window in the room up out of reach
7:57:02of childish hands or close scrutiny. As
7:57:05soon as it was placed, the mana in the
7:57:07room began to increase. It only took a
7:57:10few seconds to change, but when it was
7:57:12finished, the mana in the nursery where
7:57:14the boys were sleeping was definitely
7:57:16higher, and he could feel not only their
7:57:18bodies, but his own absorbing more mana
7:57:20than usual. It was like a passive mana
7:57:23regeneration buff, but it was also
7:57:25refilling the mana in his beast spaces,
7:57:27which were close to reaching their
7:57:28limits until the beasts broke through to
7:57:30Overlord. Carl could feel Hawk's quiet
7:57:33determination to take back his spot as
7:57:35the first on the team to advance to
7:57:37Overlord and decided that he would have
7:57:39to make something like this for the
7:57:40guild house as well. Even if it only
7:57:43worked on beasts and demons who could
7:57:45naturally advance, that was still half
7:57:47the residence of the house.
7:57:49Carl returned to the main room where he
7:57:51found that Dana and the city lord were
7:57:53sipping juice and eating sandwiches
7:57:55while discussing the details of wind
7:57:57magic theory. They had moved past their
7:58:00initial awkwardness and once they
7:58:02realized that they both shared a passion
7:58:04for magic, they had become completely
7:58:06engrossed.
7:58:08So Carl and the lady of draw did not
7:58:10disturb them and the lady decided to
7:58:12take him to another room for an
7:58:13additional surprise.
7:58:15You have extensive knowledge of runes.
7:58:18Is that correct? Can you create a ward
7:58:20that will tell me who keeps breaking in
7:58:22to ruin my surprises?
7:58:24This is where I keep my presence for
7:58:26future events and someone keeps letting
7:58:28the knowledge reach my husband, she
7:58:31whispered. Are you certain that he isn't
7:58:33just reading the minds of the servants
7:58:35to find out in advance? Carl asked. No,
7:58:40I tested that. I deliberately let a few
7:58:43of them know, then had an enchantment
7:58:45placed on them to see if they were
7:58:46contacting my husband. It's not my
7:58:49closest confidence,
7:58:51so he has to be finding out some other
7:58:53way. She insisted.
7:58:56She would notice if he was reading her
7:58:58mind, given her rank, but after 400
7:59:01years, he might just know her so well
7:59:03that he could guess her next move every
7:59:05time. That said, it was not hard to
7:59:08create a ward. Carl took out a copper
7:59:11coin and pressed it flat with his
7:59:13fingers. Then he rolled the edges smooth
7:59:16and stuck a claw through it to make a
7:59:17hole for hanging the ward. The simple
7:59:20rune for detecting presence was added
7:59:22and intentionally left at the awakened
7:59:24rank with the bronze runes closely
7:59:26matching the copper of the coin. Then he
7:59:29took out a piece of metal from a damaged
7:59:31giant's ring that Hawk had tossed aside
7:59:33as hopeless and rolled it into a ball.
7:59:36With the magic faded, the soft metal was
7:59:38easy to work, and the metal in Carl's
7:59:40veins was harder than the ring. This one
7:59:43he brought all the way up to commander
7:59:45rank and engraved it to turn red and
7:59:47buzz when it detected a magical effect
7:59:49on the target area. All right, we have
7:59:53two steps to this one. The first is the
7:59:56alarm. It's not loud, but if your
7:59:59hearing is good, you'll be able to
8:00:01detect it from the sitting room. It's at
8:00:03commander rank, so anyone who uses a
8:00:06spell to search the room will find it.
8:00:08The copper disc is the actual detection
8:00:10charm, and when you activate it, the
8:00:12disc will tell you the next person to
8:00:14enter this room. Once it is used, you
8:00:17will have to recharge it again. Just a
8:00:19trickle of power will do," Carl
8:00:22explained.
8:00:23Lady Drod clapped happily as she
8:00:25activated the spell and placed it in an
8:00:27unused drawer. "That will do perfectly.
8:00:31Nobody will suspect that I added two new
8:00:34layers to the defenses of the gift room.
8:00:36Now, I suppose that we should likely go
8:00:38rescue your friend. My husband has been
8:00:41studying the more obscure arcane arts
8:00:43for nearly 5 centuries now, and once you
8:00:46get him started, he will never stop."
8:00:49Carl smiled, more concerned that he
8:00:51would somehow get roped into their
8:00:52conversation.
8:00:54Dana knew that he could make spell books
8:00:56or transfer skills. So if they were
8:00:58really into their conversation, it was
8:01:00bound to be revealed that he could
8:01:01demonstrate the intricacies of many of
8:01:03the spells she was describing. And sure
8:01:06enough, when they got back, the Lord of
8:01:08Dro had an expectant look on his face. I
8:01:11am told that you have a wide area
8:01:13strategic level attack spell known as
8:01:15annihilation
8:01:16or apocalypse or something. What sort of
8:01:19bribe would it take to get you to teach
8:01:21me that spell? It's so rare that I come
8:01:24across a spell that I don't know. I am
8:01:27skilled with a water element version of
8:01:28your duplicating tornadoes. So that's
8:01:30not entirely new. But such a rare
8:01:33combined spell is like nothing I have
8:01:35ever encountered, apart from a few
8:01:37divine beasts innate skills.
8:01:40Technically, it was a racial skill of
8:01:42Remy, but there was no harm in trying.
8:01:45All right, open your mind and let me
8:01:48show you. Carl agreed. Packmaster Carl
8:01:52offers knowledge. His skill, Apocalypse,
8:01:55will be transferred to the disobedient
8:01:56brat, Nicholas. The Lord of Drad stared
8:02:00at the system message for nearly a
8:02:01minute, trying to determine what it was
8:02:03insinuating.
8:02:05Then he recalled a day during his youth.
8:02:08His first trip into a system relic when
8:02:10he had grabbed both prize options at the
8:02:12same time and refused to let go until
8:02:14the instance punished him and kicked him
8:02:16out. Why he recalled it now over six
8:02:19centuries later when the memory was long
8:02:21buried had to be related to the system
8:02:24and he knew that the current message was
8:02:25as well. Fine, he would always be a
8:02:28disobedient brat in the minds of the
8:02:30gods. But there were two wands and he
8:02:33had two hands. Even now he fought with
8:02:37two magical weapons. It had become his
8:02:40signature style. The Lord of Drod sat
8:02:43silent as he contemplated all the ways
8:02:45that the spell could be used, altered,
8:02:47and upgraded. Then he briefly pondered
8:02:50the implications of an attack spell with
8:02:52a range that was absolutely enormous at
8:02:54his current rank. As Dana had said, if
8:02:58he used a spell like this with portal,
8:03:00it was a mutually assured destruction
8:03:02tactic and one that he hoped none of the
8:03:04other leaders ever thought up on their
8:03:05own. Whoever had come up with this
8:03:08tactic was an insidious genius. But the
8:03:10Lord was glad that they hadn't
8:03:12publicized the idea. So until someone
8:03:15actually used it, Apocalypse Portal
8:03:18would be a secret weapon. Now Dana had
8:03:21meant Meteor Storm when she was
8:03:23describing the effect, but he had
8:03:25forgotten the name, and Carl just
8:03:27happened to know a spell by the one he
8:03:28mentioned. So it all worked out in the
8:03:32end, but in a much grander fashion than
8:03:34anyone had intended. The Lord was so
8:03:37pleased with the new knowledge that it
8:03:38never even occurred to him to question
8:03:40how Carl had transferred the knowledge.
8:03:43That seemed to end their meeting with
8:03:44the Lord, as the man was already
8:03:46beginning to sketch magical circles and
8:03:48notes in a small book before his wife
8:03:50even called for the butler to escort
8:03:52Carl and Dana back to the garden party.
8:03:55Few would notice that they had
8:03:56disappeared for so long, as there were
8:03:58many other important people to meet, and
8:04:00going off to a private meeting room
8:04:02wasn't uncommon when there were business
8:04:03deals to finalize.
8:04:06Soon it was becoming dark and a quiet
8:04:08announcement was made by the serving
8:04:10staff that the fireworks would start
8:04:11soon. Everyone, the fireworks are going
8:04:14to start soon. Get yourself into a good
8:04:17position with a clear view of the
8:04:18castle. The staff say they're launched
8:04:21from the tower. Carl warned. You're not
8:04:25coming. Lotus replied. We're still at
8:04:29the garden party. I don't think that we
8:04:31can make it to you in time. The staff
8:04:34began to bring out reclined chairs for
8:04:36the guests to lay on and look up at the
8:04:38fireworks without straining their necks.
8:04:41They were immediately popular with the
8:04:42younger couples and some of the older
8:04:44ones who chose to share a seat for the
8:04:47show. Carl did the same, pulling Dana
8:04:50back so that she was lying halfway on
8:04:52top of him and looking up at the night
8:04:53sky, which was rapidly fading to black
8:04:56as the city of Drad turned off all
8:04:57unnecessary lights for the evening. that
8:05:00would make it a pain for some to get
8:05:02back home tonight, but they would
8:05:03certainly get the best view of the
8:05:05fireworks. The Lord went all out on the
8:05:08show as well. The first set of
8:05:10explosions lit the air exactly on the
8:05:12hour as promised, and Carl noticed that
8:05:15while there were conventional fireworks
8:05:17in the mix, about half of the show was
8:05:19actually magical lights creating a
8:05:21backdrop for the setting. The reason for
8:05:23that was actually quite obvious.
8:05:26The explosions of the fireworks could be
8:05:28felt from the ground, and the sound was
8:05:30part of the whole experience.
8:05:32The magical lights didn't have that, so
8:05:35casting them in time with the actual
8:05:37fireworks didn't detract from the
8:05:38overall experience.
8:05:40The show went on for half an hour, and
8:05:42then the sky went dark and silent as the
8:05:44magical lamps that lined the streets of
8:05:46Drod came back on, marking the end of
8:05:48the festivities.
8:05:50Carl led Dana out of the castle and out
8:05:52into the city streets which were filled
8:05:54with revelers and drunks. Carl was
8:05:57briefly concerned about the ladies, then
8:05:59realized that Thor was with them. If
8:06:02something had happened, he would have
8:06:04already known. So Carl was not surprised
8:06:07when he arrived back at the house to the
8:06:09smell of popcorn and caramel. The
8:06:12kitchen staff was mixing up a batch of
8:06:14snack mix for the night. Popcorn,
8:06:17caramel, and peanuts all mixed in a huge
8:06:19bowl. "What do we have as a show
8:06:22tonight?" Carl asked as he paused at the
8:06:25base of the staircase. "I don't know
8:06:27yet." Little Butterfly won't tell Thor,
8:06:30but there are actors on the stage
8:06:32waiting for us.
8:06:34Carl followed Dana up the stairs,
8:06:36playfully batting at her tail, and then
8:06:38walked down the ramp that had been added
8:06:40outside the tower window by the
8:06:42butterfly, making it easier to get to
8:06:44the city below without wings. When Carl
8:06:47got down to their chosen seat for the
8:06:49night, a pile of cushions with a large
8:06:51blue blanket, he looked down at the
8:06:53stage and frowned in confusion. He knew
8:06:56all these people. They were the group
8:06:57that had accompanied him on the first
8:06:59outing he had taken from the academy.
8:07:02But there was no way that the butterfly
8:07:03could know about that. He hadn't thought
8:07:06about it in ages. And the butterfly
8:07:08certainly hadn't been there. Nor did it
8:07:11have any time element skills that Carl
8:07:13was aware of. But there was one
8:07:15possibility.
8:07:17It might not be that the butterfly
8:07:18wouldn't tell Thor about the play, but
8:07:20that Thor and the butterfly had been
8:07:22working together to prepare this one,
8:07:24and Thor was making excuses not to tell
8:07:26the others. It didn't take Dana long to
8:07:29recognize them as well.
8:07:31She couldn't help but laugh at how young
8:07:33and nervous they all looked. They had
8:07:36all been somewhat terrified on their
8:07:38first trip out of the academy. A
8:07:40floating cart delivered the vats of
8:07:42caramel peanut popcorn to every group
8:07:44seating area parade in a semicircle so
8:07:46they could all still talk to each other
8:07:48if they wished. "Do you know what we're
8:07:50going to watch?" Tessa asked once she
8:07:53noticed that Thor was doing a terrible
8:07:55job of hiding his excitement. At that
8:07:58point, the kitchen staff entered with
8:08:00their own popcorn mix, and the actors
8:08:02began to move. "Welcome to the first
8:08:05episode in our new series of plays. Here
8:08:08begins the saga of Thor, the Honorable,
8:08:10and his good friend Carl." "Hey," Thor
8:08:14called to the stage, only to have an
8:08:16image of a much smaller Thor appear and
8:08:18stick out its tongue at him. "Oh, this
8:08:21should be fun. Lord Thor was so adorable
8:08:24when he was little. Is this his first
8:08:27group outing? Did you have a cute little
8:08:29sword then? Or did you stay in Sero
8:08:32form? Loros asked. Lotus giggled. Sero
8:08:38is his natural form. He only learned a
8:08:41humanoid transformation much later when
8:08:43he was already at monarch rank. Carl had
8:08:46forgotten how excited and adorable Thor
8:08:48was when he was little. The play started
8:08:51with them getting off the train, and
8:08:53Thor was crashing through the
8:08:54underbrush, running back and forth
8:08:56between Carl and somewhere in the
8:08:58distance. At the time, he was only a bit
8:09:01taller than a large dog, not even chest
8:09:03high on Carl, who looked exceedingly
8:09:05young to the gathered viewers. "Oh, Dana
8:09:09is there, too. So cute." Dana leaned
8:09:13over to whisper to Carl. I swear that we
8:09:16didn't look that young when we arrived
8:09:17at the academy. Carl shrugged. Let's
8:09:21call it creative liberty. But they did a
8:09:24pretty good job on Thor. I wonder if
8:09:27they will have Ry in the show. Indeed,
8:09:30they did. The show ran through their
8:09:33entire journey in the course of 3 hours,
8:09:35ending with the epic battle against the
8:09:37Drakes, which brought thunderous
8:09:39applause from the watchers. Thank you
8:09:41for watching us through to the end. Soon
8:09:44we will have a second episode ready for
8:09:46your viewing pleasure. The image of
8:09:49young Carl declared. Then the stage went
8:09:51dark. Carl got up and showered the next
8:09:54morning, then went to the front yard to
8:09:56watch the sun come up. But just as he
8:09:59was about to sit on the porch swing, he
8:10:01noticed that there was someone in the
8:10:02blanket on it. He knew this person. Carl
8:10:06was certain of it. It was the little
8:10:08girl from the trash weapons wholesaler
8:10:10by the dungeon. Carl picked the tiny
8:10:13lizard folk girl up and carried her
8:10:15inside, shushing the curious Mick, who
8:10:17was setting up for the day in the front
8:10:19room. He put her in a bed on the second
8:10:22floor and left her asleep. When she woke
8:10:25up, someone could ask her what brought
8:10:27her to the dark light host guild house
8:10:28in the middle of the night. They hadn't
8:10:31come back until after the fireworks, and
8:10:33there was no way that he would have
8:10:34missed her presence in the dark when
8:10:36soul sight was so much more active.
8:10:39Moira and Dala, the two female teachers
8:10:42from the Lard Capital Academy, were
8:10:44waiting outside the room when Carl had
8:10:46finished tucking her in. "A friend of
8:10:48yours?" Moira asked. Carl shook his
8:10:52head. She's a shop attendant at a
8:10:55wholesaler by the dungeon. I'm not sure
8:10:58what she's doing here at such an early
8:11:00hour, but she didn't appear to be
8:11:01injured when I brought her in. Well, I
8:11:04suppose that's a given as there is a
8:11:06healing totem effect on the yard and she
8:11:08had likely been there for hours. But we
8:11:11can find out what she needed when she's
8:11:13awake. The teachers nodded and Dala
8:11:16looked around the room. Is Miss Remy
8:11:19awake? I would like to get started on
8:11:21the alchemy lessons early today. Carl
8:11:24mentally searched for her and found her
8:11:26in the illusionary space. She's already
8:11:30in her lab. You can go meet her there
8:11:32now. I will meet Moira and Mash back
8:11:35right here after breakfast. We will
8:11:38start the day with theory and then there
8:11:40are some changes to how we will be doing
8:11:42business that I need to go over with
8:11:43everyone. But Davis isn't here yet and
8:11:46we're nearly out of stock anyhow. Davis
8:11:50came in only minutes later as Carl was
8:11:52getting settled in at the table to eat.
8:11:55You're early, Carl noted. Mother is
8:11:59being insufferable this morning. The
8:12:01holiday got her all worked up about
8:12:03grandchildren, and now she's pushing me
8:12:05to get married. She even set up a date
8:12:08for me with the daughter of her friend
8:12:09last night. A Saraphim, if you can
8:12:12believe it. I can't imagine how she
8:12:15thought that was going to end well. The
8:12:17appraiser muttered. Well, if your
8:12:20mothers can be friends, I don't see why
8:12:22it can't work. three suggested,
8:12:25gesturing with the spatula she was using
8:12:27to stir eggs. "My mother isn't a fallen
8:12:30angel. My father is." "My mother is a
8:12:34fox demon," Davis explained.
8:12:37Lotus looked up from her food. "What's
8:12:40the problem? Have you seen our tabards
8:12:43with the black and white wings? Maybe
8:12:45you'll get a cute kid with one of each
8:12:47color." All of the demons stopped to
8:12:50stare at her. What did I say? something
8:12:54strange. It would be adorable.
8:12:57Davis smiled at the oblivious cleric.
8:13:00There are larger issues than aesthetics.
8:13:03You see, our species are literally
8:13:05eternal enemies. We have been at war
8:13:08since time started, and even now, it's
8:13:11only a ceasefire between Saraphim and
8:13:13the dark angels. Even touching each
8:13:16other causes our magic to react,
8:13:18preparing us for battle. In extreme
8:13:21cases, it can even cause physical pain.
8:13:24Lotus frowned. Well, that's just sucky.
8:13:28What fun is a girlfriend with big,
8:13:30fluffy wings you can't even bury your
8:13:32face in when you hug her? Davis laughed
8:13:35softly.
8:13:37Oh, that doesn't stop them. You see, the
8:13:40seraraphim are all warped in the mind.
8:13:43Even if the contact is physically
8:13:45painful, they like it. They actually
8:13:48enjoy causing and enduring pain. That's
8:13:51just creepy. Mick set down her
8:13:54suspiciously red juice and smirked at
8:13:56him. Oh, I hear that it's a pretty
8:13:59common thing among demons.
8:14:02Davis actually blushed when she said
8:14:03that, and the vampire doubled down on
8:14:05the teasing of her workplace mentor. Or
8:14:08is that the problem? Maybe you like it a
8:14:11bit too much, or you like watching it.
8:14:14Davis thumped her on the head, and the
8:14:16vampires teasing turned to full-blown
8:14:18laughter. I get it. No more teasing
8:14:21about your love life. Everyone knows
8:14:24that the Saraphim are weird, but you
8:14:27still have to deal with them when they
8:14:28come in. They like stealthily blessing
8:14:31themselves so that it burns vampires
8:14:33when they shake hands. Soft footsteps
8:14:36alerted them all that their guest was
8:14:38awake. And seconds later, a very
8:14:40embarrassed young gecko type lizard girl
8:14:42came down to the shop.
8:14:44I'm so sorry. I fell asleep on your
8:14:46porch. I came for some healing and there
8:14:49was a blanket just sitting there. She
8:14:52mumbled.
8:14:54Oh, are you all right now? We can have
8:14:57the cleric look you over. Carl
8:14:59suggested.
8:15:01The girl smiled at him. I'm good now.
8:15:04Thank you. But I have a thing. I forgot
8:15:08the word. She paused a moment, rummaging
8:15:11through a small bag at her side. Then
8:15:14she pulled out a piece of paper with
8:15:16very rough handwriting on it. Mara
8:15:20shopisa susta helper wholesale weapons
8:15:23and armor. Carl paused to smile as he
8:15:26realized that the shop name was the
8:15:28first thing she spelled right other than
8:15:29her own name. Then he continued reading
8:15:33for years working. Then the rest was
8:15:36just pictures of how she counted the
8:15:38price of items, exchanging them one by
8:15:40one for coins. Oh, a job application.
8:15:45Did something happen to your shop? I
8:15:47thought the area by the dungeon survived
8:15:49the attack. Carl asked. Mara nodded. It
8:15:55did. Dad lost at gambling yesterday and
8:15:58now I don't know where he went, but I
8:16:01heard that your guild house only has two
8:16:03people in the shop and I have
8:16:04experience.
8:16:06I can count to eight and I never forget
8:16:08an item price. Carl pretended to
8:16:11consider it, then smiled.
8:16:14Well, do you mind doing a different job
8:16:15for us? Caretaker Joe needs an
8:16:18assistant. There is only one of her.
8:16:21Mara nodded her head happily. I can do
8:16:24that, but I want a hand print paper. A
8:16:28contract? We can sign a work contract.
8:16:32Come sit at the table and I will write
8:16:34one up. Carl agreed. Mara took a seat
8:16:38and one put a plate of pancakes in front
8:16:40of her. The girl froze and stared at the
8:16:43food, drooling at the smell. There for
8:16:46you. Eat breakfast. You've got lots of
8:16:49work to do today. Carl wrote the
8:16:52contract while Mara grabbed a pancake
8:16:54and stuffed it in her mouth as if afraid
8:16:56someone would steal it, then promptly
8:16:59began to choke. Tessa took the rest of
8:17:02the pancake away and thumped her on the
8:17:03back, then gave Mara a glass of water
8:17:06while she cut the pancake into
8:17:07bite-sized bits. Eat slowly. Work
8:17:11doesn't start for another hour. Tessa
8:17:13chided her, then put a bit of syrup on
8:17:16the diced pile of pancake.
8:17:18Carl finished writing and Tessa took the
8:17:20short contract to show their new hire.
8:17:23All right, here are the terms Carl
8:17:25offers. A room at the guild house with
8:17:28three meals a day plus snacks.
8:17:31Three silver coins a week in wages and a
8:17:34new uniform. Mara looked shocked. Did
8:17:38you really mean to say silver coins
8:17:40every week, not copper? Tessa nodded.
8:17:44It's right here. Three silver coins a
8:17:47week. That's what new apprentice
8:17:49cleaners get in most of the city.
8:17:52Tomorrow, that was huge. A silver coin
8:17:55at a time was as much as her dad gave
8:17:57her, and he wouldn't even pay that every
8:17:59month if he had been drinking. I will
8:18:02take it. I can't wait to have a uniform.
8:18:06Will it be cute? Caretaker Joe chuckled
8:18:09quietly.
8:18:10Naturally, it would be a simple black
8:18:12dress with a white apron like hers. But
8:18:14the lizard girl would be cute in
8:18:16anything. Now that everyone was
8:18:19gathered, plus one new addition, Carl
8:18:21began to explain the situation to the
8:18:23rest of the guild. All right, I will
8:18:26start with the core of the issue, then
8:18:28we can find solutions.
8:18:30The Lord of Dro has decided that letting
8:18:32us bulk sell royal and monarch ranked
8:18:34items with combat buffs is encouraging
8:18:36merchants to violate trade agreements
8:18:38and weapons embargos.
8:18:40So he is going to buy all the ones that
8:18:42we want to sell directly. The overlord
8:18:45ranked items we don't sell in bulk and
8:18:47he has agreed to allow them to continue
8:18:49going to auction. We can keep selling
8:18:52commander rank items, non-combat items
8:18:54and potions. We can also do custom
8:18:57orders, one per customer per month. That
8:19:01didn't violate the agreements.
8:19:03So the question is, what are we going to
8:19:06make? Carl paused to let everyone maul
8:19:09over this new information. They had been
8:19:12making combat enhancements for so long
8:19:14that they hadn't even considered doing
8:19:16something else unless the demand
8:19:17dropped. But the advanced combat
8:19:20enchantments were the entire reason that
8:19:21two of the teachers from Lard Capital
8:19:23Academy were here. If they stopped
8:19:26making them entirely, it would stunt
8:19:28their growth in the field of runic
8:19:29weaponry. Davis, ever the professional
8:19:32store manager, frowned.
8:19:35So, you're thinking of changing the
8:19:37lineup of items in the shop completely?
8:19:40Carl shook his head. The case with
8:19:42weapons will have to change, but we can
8:19:45keep the accessories case the same if we
8:19:47change the enchantments to be non-combat
8:19:49buffs. Then, we put up a sign that we
8:19:52take custom orders and refer them to the
8:19:54castle for purchase of the rest. Davis
8:19:58nodded. At least there is a guard
8:20:00station right outside. They'll be able
8:20:03to tell customers where to find the rest
8:20:05of the items, but this is quite the hit
8:20:07to our business. Who demanded this? Carl
8:20:11sighed. The Lord himself.
8:20:14I wasn't really in a position to tell
8:20:16him to pound sand. That made the fallen
8:20:19angel smile. But I would have paid good
8:20:22money to see you try. All right, we can
8:20:25work with this.
8:20:27We will inform them that the combat
8:20:28items have been made part of the
8:20:30strategic reserve and will be at the
8:20:31auction or available through the castle
8:20:33store rooms. Then we can fill the
8:20:36shelves with day-to-day sort of magical
8:20:38items to show off the workers
8:20:39creativity.
8:20:41But what about the apprentice works?
8:20:44Carl shrugged. He said that commander
8:20:46rank and under is no big deal. We can
8:20:49sell what we like at that power level.
8:20:52But the first thing that I am going to
8:20:54do is upgrade the workshop a bit for
8:20:56higher mana density. It might allow
8:20:58Loros to break through soon and it will
8:21:01make items easier to enchant for
8:21:02everyone. That got everyone's attention,
8:21:05but nobody followed. As Carl headed to
8:21:07the workshop, they were all busy
8:21:09planning their next projects now that
8:21:11there had been a change in the way that
8:21:13they had to do business. The runic
8:21:15alchemy team made up of Dala, Derek, and
8:21:18Remy had it easy. They would just keep
8:21:21making whatever seemed interesting for
8:21:23the day as potions weren't a combat item
8:21:25unless it was a poison or explosive.
8:21:28Ashbrer also wasn't concerned. He didn't
8:21:31really care about selling the items he
8:21:33made. He just enjoyed making them. Even
8:21:36if they sat in a box at the edge of the
8:21:38workshop for a year, it wouldn't bother
8:21:40him. The income from selling two
8:21:43Overlord rank blades this month was
8:21:45enough for him to buy materials for his
8:21:47personal projects and keep working the
8:21:48forge through the rest of the year.
8:21:51Plus, this workspace came with the
8:21:53protection of the gargoyles, so nobody
8:21:55would dare to interrupt him or make
8:21:56demands on his time the way that they
8:21:58would be doing at a smaller personal
8:22:00workshop. Carl only took a moment to
8:22:02inscribe the runes on the inside of the
8:22:04wall above the door, and nodded in
8:22:06satisfaction as he felt the mana
8:22:08gathering in the workshop. That should
8:22:11be more than enough for their needs. And
8:22:12then he would do the same on the second
8:22:14floor so that the workspace there had
8:22:16plenty of mana available for rune
8:22:18crafting. He didn't want to put it over
8:22:20the whole house, though, at least not on
8:22:24the first floor where people would
8:22:25notice it more easily. This was a
8:22:28present for his guild members and their
8:22:30guests. Well, Carl said his guild
8:22:33members, but he wasn't actually a guild
8:22:35leader. In fact, it was unclear if the
8:22:38dark light host did or even could have a
8:22:41leader. He was a war champion and
8:22:44nominally in charge of this branch as he
8:22:46had a branch administrator authority in
8:22:48his list of guild titles. But he was not
8:22:51a guild leader. They were still
8:22:54discussing the possibilities when Carl
8:22:56came back inside to add rooms to the
8:22:58second floor. This time the rooms were
8:23:01set to encompass the whole second and
8:23:03third floor of the house so that even
8:23:05while asleep, the members would benefit
8:23:07from the extra energy gains. Carl
8:23:10returned to the kitchen and grabbed a
8:23:11freshly baked croissant while he waited
8:23:13for the others to finish discussing the
8:23:15day's plan. Eventually, Davis finished
8:23:18taking notes and nodded. We have a plan
8:23:21for the next week. Instead of combat
8:23:24items, we intend to have you teach the
8:23:26others the sort of compound runes that
8:23:28will lead to increased skill aptitude.
8:23:31Compared to pure combat power, I believe
8:23:33that everyone here agrees that not only
8:23:35is that knowledge more valuable, but it
8:23:37will also be highly profitable. We won't
8:23:40put the higher ranked items on sale
8:23:42until we have cleared it with the
8:23:43castle's personnel. But everyone does
8:23:46want to know the answers, he explained
8:23:49on behalf of the group. All right. and
8:23:52that will let us sell items made by
8:23:54Loros as well. Even ascended rank
8:23:57crafting accessories will be valuable
8:23:59within the community. Every bit counts.
8:24:03Remy was furiously making notes and
8:24:05throwing them in her space for Carl as
8:24:07she had many ideas on this topic but
8:24:09hadn't expected it to come up so soon.
8:24:11So, she hadn't prepared. Thanks Remy. I
8:24:15will work these into the lesson plans.
8:24:18You know, once I have actually made one.
8:24:21Remy laughed knowing that Carl had no
8:24:24actual plan and likely wouldn't even
8:24:26when he was teaching the lesson.
8:24:28Everyone spread out for their daily
8:24:30plans with most of the team headed for
8:24:32the dungeon while the crafting
8:24:33apprentices all gathered on the second
8:24:35floor or Remy's lab in the illusionary
8:24:37library city. All right, let's start
8:24:40with the most obvious runes for
8:24:42crafters.
8:24:43These are the base. Carl trailed off as
8:24:46the sound of explosions from outside
8:24:48caught everyone's attention. Hawk flew
8:24:51out of his space to see what was going
8:24:53on and found that they were facing a
8:24:55type of threat that he had never
8:24:56expected to see before. There are huge
8:24:59flying fishes. They smell so good. Hawk
8:25:04immediately reported. I'm going to need
8:25:06more detail than that, buddy. How are
8:25:09fish making that level of explosion?
8:25:12Carl asked, realizing that Hawk had
8:25:14gotten distracted by the possibility of
8:25:16a new food source. Then an overlord
8:25:19ranked whale appeared in Hawk's space,
8:25:21nearly a hundred meters long and showing
8:25:24signs of hundreds of magical attacks on
8:25:26its body. Well, that looked like
8:25:28something that could cause some damage.
8:25:31There are flying whales outside.
8:25:34I don't know what they're attacking or
8:25:35why, but it sounds serious.
8:25:38Moira sighed as she realized her
8:25:40training would be interrupted, but Carl
8:25:43motioned for her to sit. All the
8:25:45crafters can stay here. Take these notes
8:25:48from Lady Remy and go over them. There
8:25:51are 50 pages of compound runes to help
8:25:54you with successful creation there.
8:25:56First, make a copy for everyone and then
8:25:59practice what you learned. I will be
8:26:01back later for a practical
8:26:03demonstration.
8:26:05Carl stepped out of the house and looked
8:26:07out to see where thousands of whales
8:26:09like the one that Hawk was currently
8:26:10bombarding were approaching the city.
8:26:13They were attacking ships, demons, and
8:26:16anything else that got in their way. At
8:26:18the moment, why was less important than
8:26:20the fact that they were almost certainly
8:26:22going to reach the city. The guard was
8:26:25scrambling, headed for the walls, but
8:26:28Drod didn't have a wall on the ocean
8:26:30side, and the fleet was already in
8:26:32shambles. Perhaps they were counting on
8:26:34one of the city's powerhouses to prevent
8:26:36the approach into the city. Ry appeared
8:26:39beside Carl in spider form, then began
8:26:42to sprout large opolescent wings that
8:26:44glowed with runes.
8:26:46That's new. Sister butterfly helped me.
8:26:50Aren't they pretty? The runes mean
8:26:52flying. Carl sent a mental nudge to the
8:26:56butterfly, and a pair of massive white
8:26:58feathered wings appeared on his back.
8:27:00They were solid illusions, but the runes
8:27:03were real and effective. If Carl had
8:27:06thought of this in advance, he could
8:27:07have made himself a flying item ages
8:27:09ago. Learning to use the wings, on the
8:27:12other hand, was not easy. He had a
8:27:15general idea and some magical
8:27:17assistance, but he was slow and awkward
8:27:19as he tried to gain altitude to engage
8:27:21the incoming whales with ranged skills.
8:27:25First day with your wings. A guard
8:27:27laughed as he flew past. As a matter of
8:27:30fact, yes, there is skill and I'm not
8:27:34good at it. Then Carl realized that
8:27:37there was a skill to help him. One of
8:27:39Cara's basic racial abilities was rapid
8:27:42flight, which was supposed to make her
8:27:44an agile flyer regardless of size. Carl
8:27:48activated the skill, and a hint of
8:27:49knowledge entered his mind, helping him
8:27:51use his wings properly.
8:27:54So, he shared it with Rey, who was
8:27:56already doing much better than he was.
8:27:59Even before she gave up on actually
8:28:01flying to the battle and just used
8:28:03shadow step to get below one of the
8:28:05whales for a brutal attack. It was a day
8:28:08of new experiences for Rey. Never before
8:28:11had she managed to obtain fish sauce for
8:28:13her snacks. And now they were treating
8:28:15her to an entire sushi feast. The city
8:28:19would probably want a lot of this as the
8:28:21guards were out here fighting in full
8:28:22force, but they hadn't called on the
8:28:24militia. However, one or two shouldn't
8:28:27be a big problem. What would be an issue
8:28:30was getting some of the blood from that
8:28:32totem ranked one that the district
8:28:33leaders were fighting. Maybe if she just
8:28:36teleported over there with a bucket.
8:28:39Hulk was much more devoted to the battle
8:28:41aspect of the situation as the whales
8:28:43all used water magic barriers and the
8:28:46blasts of the water jets that they shot
8:28:47out every few seconds were colliding
8:28:49with the barriers the city guard had
8:28:51erected. That was the noise they had
8:28:53heard. And with so many of the flying
8:28:55whales in range now, the blasts would be
8:28:58shaking the southwest side of the city,
8:29:01whatever strategy the guards had come up
8:29:03with to deal with this massive pot of
8:29:04flying ocean beasts appeared to be
8:29:06working. Dozens have been called by the
8:29:09soldiers, their bodies mostly now
8:29:11floating in the ocean below, and the
8:29:13whole group was turning south, headed
8:29:15along the coast instead of inland past
8:29:17the city.
8:29:18Carl Idley thought that city maintenance
8:29:20costs had to be absolutely insane with
8:29:22the frequency of attacks that he had
8:29:24seen since his arrival and the loss of
8:29:26ships that they had suffered today. But
8:29:29behind him, the citizens appeared to be
8:29:31in the mood to celebrate as a totem
8:29:33ranked whale was dropped and the pod
8:29:35completed its turn away from shore. Ry
8:29:38discreetly cut a massive portion of the
8:29:40whale's corpse away as she finished
8:29:41draining the blood she wanted and then
8:29:43returned to her space. If they couldn't
8:29:46prove she was at the corpse, they were
8:29:48unable to prove that she stole their
8:29:50favorite snacks. And this definitely
8:29:53seemed like a favorite snack. Hawk, who
8:29:56had been assisting the guard in their
8:29:57focused efforts to take down more of the
8:29:59monarch ranked targets, was overjoyed
8:30:02with his sister's thoughtfulness.
8:30:04A bit of extra nutrition might be all it
8:30:06took him to break through to Overlord.
8:30:09Thor had a very different approach to
8:30:10advancing. He had gained a profound
8:30:13understanding of holy magic when his
8:30:15circle of protection advanced to
8:30:18consecrated ground. So instead of
8:30:21relying upon luck to obtain a stronger
8:30:23resource, Thor intended to push the
8:30:25quality of his magic until he broke
8:30:27through or hit a bottleneck. In the
8:30:29worst case scenario, he would just be
8:30:32the first to ask Carl for a forced
8:30:33evolution.
8:30:35Thor's idea gave Cara a great idea. If
8:30:38she made it to overlord and then forced
8:30:40an evolution to a form one rank higher,
8:30:43wouldn't she be an instant totem? She
8:30:46would win everything all at once. You
8:30:48know that getting that far ahead would
8:30:50be problematic for everyone. I am just
8:30:53entering overlord rank. We can't have
8:30:55someone shooting ahead to totem rank
8:30:57right away. Not only that, but there are
8:31:00material costs to evolution and I don't
8:31:02know what they are yet. We might have to
8:31:05go hunt for treasures.
8:31:07Carl reminded her. That sounded pretty
8:31:10good to Cara. There were bound to be new
8:31:13things to see and test now that she was
8:31:15on a new continent. She still wanted to
8:31:18be a totem, though. She never did get to
8:31:21book the totem dragon. While the beasts
8:31:24were contemplating their next
8:31:25advancement, a massive recovery effort
8:31:27was being launched to bring the slain
8:31:29whales to land. Demons with water and
8:31:32gravity magic were working together to
8:31:34pull corpses in. But Rey had a better
8:31:37method. She simply grabbed a dozen of
8:31:40the monarch ranked beasts into her space
8:31:42and then directly dumped them on the
8:31:44dock, shocking the workers who had
8:31:46gathered in preparation for the work of
8:31:48cleaning and portioning such a massive
8:31:49amount of meat. Carl landed along the
8:31:52shore near the dock master's warehouse
8:31:54where they had set up the grill during
8:31:56the last attack and looked for someone
8:31:57with answers. "Does this happen often?"
8:32:01he asked with a gesture towards the
8:32:03shore. The dock worker laughed.
8:32:07Thankfully, no. Most of the time, we
8:32:10lose at least one or two overlords and
8:32:12dozens of monarchs whose bodies can't be
8:32:14recovered. This time, we got off easily,
8:32:17and they didn't try to bombard the city
8:32:19before leaving. Normally, the sky whales
8:32:22get super aggressive during mating
8:32:24season, so anything that happens to be
8:32:26nearby, whether it's a city or an
8:32:28unfortunate merchant caravan, gets
8:32:30pummeled into submission. This pod was
8:32:33much smaller than the one we encountered
8:32:35last year. The lord had to intervene
8:32:37himself to chase them off when they
8:32:39showed up with a mythic rank bull. One
8:32:42of the other workers gestured to the
8:32:43whales Ray had dumped on shore. These
8:32:46are in great shape this year, too. We're
8:32:49going to have meat to export for months,
8:32:51even after the warehouses are filled.
8:32:54We're unfortunately short on cold
8:32:56storage in the city as demons don't
8:32:58really specialize in ice element magic,
8:33:00even the ones that can use water magic.
8:33:03Carl nodded in understanding.
8:33:06I have a spatial element treasure that
8:33:08will allow me to be stored for some time
8:33:10without spoiling. If you don't mind, I
8:33:12would like to collect some of the
8:33:14bodies. The lord or whoever is in charge
8:33:17can get them back for me when it's time
8:33:19to sell them. The dock worker winked at
8:33:22him. Do you honestly think anyone is
8:33:25keeping count? If you dive and grab one
8:33:27of the bodies that sunk, you can likely
8:33:30keep it for yourself, unless it's a
8:33:31totem. Those ones they will care about.
8:33:35That was good enough for Hawk, and he
8:33:37coated himself in a wind barrier to keep
8:33:40his flames dry as he plummeted down from
8:33:42the sky to scour the bottom for bodies
8:33:44he knew would be down there. Even one or
8:33:47two more of these massive beasts would
8:33:49be more than enough to make an entire
8:33:50seafood department in his space.
8:33:53Fortunately for him, there were more
8:33:55than one or two at the bottom where they
8:33:57would be nearly impossible for the
8:33:58demons to recover before other sea
8:34:00monsters got to them. So Hawk grabbed
8:34:03them all and set the first few overlord
8:34:05rank ones to the side, then paused as he
8:34:08grabbed another one in his claws,
8:34:09checking it for unwanted passengers.
8:34:12He wasn't making that mistake again.
8:34:15That's when he noticed it. An egg within
8:34:18the belly of the creature. He had almost
8:34:20been hoodwinkedked by the insidious oval
8:34:22orbs of infancy again. Instead of
8:34:25falling for that trick again, he
8:34:27double-ch checked the corpse for more
8:34:28eggs and then moved on with the lone egg
8:34:31in his claws. It felt like powerful
8:34:34magic and he didn't want to leave it
8:34:35behind. The monarch ranked bodies at the
8:34:38bottom of the ocean were quickly
8:34:40gathered as Hawk already knew where they
8:34:42should be and he deposited them on the
8:34:44dock next to Sister Ray's offerings. How
8:34:47did they get them back here so fast?
8:34:50One of the workers grumbled. He was
8:34:53still in the middle of a smoke break,
8:34:54not expecting an 800 ton beast to be
8:34:57hauled to shore so fast. Honestly, even
8:35:00for Hawk and Ray space, this had been
8:35:02pushing it. There didn't appear to be a
8:35:05weight limit, but the spaces were not
8:35:07unlimited in size, and even a few of
8:35:09these behemoths nearly filled them. That
8:35:12posed an interesting question in Carl's
8:35:14mind. If he obtained such a massive
8:35:17beast, would the space expand to be more
8:35:19comfortable for it? Or would its growth
8:35:22be stunted by its environment? If you
8:35:24kept fish in a small bowl, they never
8:35:27grew as large as ones in the wild or in
8:35:29a pond. Hawk examined the trio of
8:35:32overlord ranked bodies in his space.
8:35:34Then made an important realization.
8:35:37I didn't need to go down there. Remy is
8:35:39a water creature and she can swim. Remy
8:35:43laughed at her brother.
8:35:45True, but I'm all the way over here.
8:35:48Though as slow as you are in the water,
8:35:50I might have made it down to the bodies
8:35:51faster. Annoyed, Hawk tossed the
8:35:54enormous egg he was carrying at her, and
8:35:57Remy deafly caught it in all four arms.
8:36:00"This is a fascinating egg. Is it one of
8:36:03theirs? It smells tasty and magical,"
8:36:07she asked. Hawk circled overhead and
8:36:10examined it. It's magic, but not alive.
8:36:15I don't know what it is. Carl also
8:36:18examined it with soul sight and found
8:36:20that it was not an egg at all. It was
8:36:23eggshaped, but not an egg. Carl felt a
8:36:26powerful person appear behind him and
8:36:28found that the six district overseers,
8:36:30the totem ranked leaders under the city
8:36:32governor, had arrived. "Did you find
8:36:35that in one of the corpses?" One of the
8:36:38demons asked. Carl shook his head.
8:36:42It was on the seafloor when my beast
8:36:44went down to recover bodies. I'm not
8:36:46sure what it is, though. That, my young
8:36:50friend, is a heart of the ocean, an
8:36:52extremely rare water element treasure.
8:36:55The guard's eyes had a faint longing
8:36:57look as he stared at the heart of the
8:36:58ocean in Remy's arms. They say that if a
8:37:01water element, beast, monster, or demon
8:37:04can absorb the powers of the heart in
8:37:06its entirety, they will undergo an
8:37:08evolution surpassing the limits of their
8:37:10species.
8:37:11This one is one of the weaker ones, I
8:37:14believe. The hearts are usually a
8:37:16mythical treasure that kings use to help
8:37:18their offspring advance. I remember 300
8:37:22years ago, the lord got one for his
8:37:24oldest son, who was born with the water
8:37:26attribute. The boy wasn't even 20 at the
8:37:29time, and the mythical great heart took
8:37:31him straight from monarch rank to totem.
8:37:34The whole city watched the show.
8:37:36If you happen to get to the castle
8:37:38library or one of the larger bookstores,
8:37:40there are a number of volumes written
8:37:42about the spectacle it made, the guard
8:37:44explained.
8:37:46Fortunately for Remy, the demon speaking
8:37:48was not of the water element, and he was
8:37:50already a totem. Though perhaps he had
8:37:54some hope that it would let one of the
8:37:55other district overseers advanced to
8:37:57mythic rank. That would certainly lead
8:37:59them to a huge promotion within the
8:38:01nation and perhaps even a major city to
8:38:04rule over. absorbed the power in its
8:38:06entirety.
8:38:08I think that I can do that. Remy
8:38:11announced. The totem smiled at her and
8:38:14the one who had been speaking patted her
8:38:16on the head. You are an ambitious one,
8:38:18little Naga queen. But Naga are water
8:38:22monsters just as much as the flying
8:38:23whales are. Perhaps you really could
8:38:26absorb it on your own without the Lord
8:38:28and hundreds of special potions.
8:38:31Remy nodded happily as she cradled the
8:38:33large stone in all four arms and tilted
8:38:35her head as if considering simply eating
8:38:37the thing. But she didn't want to do
8:38:40that in front of so many people in case
8:38:42the attempt didn't work and she had to
8:38:44spit it back out. That would just be
8:38:46embarrassing.
8:38:48Instead, she returned to her altar and
8:38:50wrapped herself around the small statue
8:38:52of the shaman god. The divine shaman
8:38:55statue should be good luck. And the
8:38:57heart of the ocean was an elemental
8:38:59treasure, perfectly suited for a shaman
8:39:01of the water element. She added power to
8:39:04the statue for luck and then carefully
8:39:06cleaned the heart of the ocean before
8:39:08wrapping her mouth around it and
8:39:10swallowing the halfmeter egg-shaped
8:39:11stone hole. It moved slowly past her
8:39:14throat and chest cavity, then stopped at
8:39:17the first chamber of her long stomach,
8:39:19which made Remy giggle at the
8:39:20appearance. She looked like a pregnant
8:39:23human from the waist up. Not a pregnant
8:39:26naga. Their eggs grew in a row further
8:39:28down the body, but the heart of the
8:39:30ocean made a distinct round bump under
8:39:32her rib cage. A food baby. Cara giggled
8:39:36as Remy moaned in pleasure at the flow
8:39:38of power. The heart of the ocean was
8:39:41flooding her body with water element
8:39:42magic, and she could feel the very cells
8:39:45of her body beginning to change. Then
8:39:47knowledge began to flood her mind. The
8:39:50stone wasn't just a repository of water
8:39:53magic, Remy discovered. It was an
8:39:56inheritance of sorts from a higher level
8:39:58sea monster. Legendary skill learned.
8:40:02Thousand-year flood legendary water
8:40:04element skill creates a massive flood. 1
8:40:08million L per user rank over the course
8:40:10of 1 minute, expanding in any or all
8:40:13directions.
8:40:14This water may remain after the skill is
8:40:16deactivated.
8:40:18Carl saw the information appear in his
8:40:20mind as Remy learned the new skill. That
8:40:23was absolutely insane. It would be like
8:40:26a dam had opened its floodgates all
8:40:28around Remy when she activated the
8:40:30skill. But more terrifying, it was
8:40:33actual water. It would remain after the
8:40:35skill was ended, unless Remy willed it
8:40:38to vanish. Like the mightiest of raging
8:40:41rivers, huge areas could be flooded with
8:40:43that much additional water volume. But
8:40:46on its own, it was neither an attack nor
8:40:48defensive skill. What would you call it
8:40:51then? An environmental skill, a terrain
8:40:55advantage buff. However, the heart of
8:40:58the ocean's power was still rising along
8:41:00with Remy's aura. Skill learned. Naga
8:41:04swamp epic grade area effect creates a
8:41:08swamp 10 m in radius per rank around the
8:41:10caster. The air and water are toxic to
8:41:14enemies, dealing constant poison damage,
8:41:16but beneficial to allies, increasing
8:41:19skill damage and reducing mana costs.
8:41:22Skill upgraded.
8:41:24Naga Swamp 2. Increased damage to
8:41:26enemies.
8:41:28Increased benefits to allies.
8:41:31Remy was actually glowing with power
8:41:33now, radiating blue light that was
8:41:35fascinating the little butterfly. It had
8:41:38been carefully memorizing everything
8:41:39that it could observe from around Carl
8:41:41in case it would make a good show later,
8:41:43but this was a new experience that it
8:41:45had no understanding of. From what it
8:41:48could understand, the Naga Queen was
8:41:50undergoing an evolution of some sort, as
8:41:52well as breaking through to the overlord
8:41:54rank. Remy's vision was blocked by the
8:41:57intense blue light emanating from her
8:41:59body. But after a few minutes, she felt
8:42:01that begin to fade as the heart of the
8:42:02ocean was shrinking inside her. Its
8:42:05power was used up and its legacy was
8:42:07imparted, leaving only the shell to be
8:42:09absorbed as nutrients by Remy's body.
8:42:13Soon, even that was finished, and Remy
8:42:15looked down at herself in shock. "I
8:42:18shrunk." Rey nodded in agreement. "Yes,
8:42:22you did. You're cute, though. I like the
8:42:26new color scheme." Her underside,
8:42:29including the humanoid upper body bits,
8:42:32including the front of her hood and her
8:42:33serpentine head, had faded to cream
8:42:35white with a rich brown back and bronze
8:42:38diamond patterns on her scales. She was
8:42:41exquisitly smooth, the scales supple as
8:42:43raised silk. But when Remy dragged a
8:42:46claw down one, she found that they were
8:42:48surprisingly durable.
8:42:50So she checked her own status with the
8:42:52system interface.
8:42:54Name Remy.
8:42:56Status: bonded partner of Beast Master
8:42:59Packmaster Carl. Age two. Juvenile.
8:43:04Species: An Naga Shaman Queen.
8:43:07Constitution: Epic grade. Rank:
8:43:10Overlord.
8:43:12Once Remy had finished admiring her
8:43:14scales, she transformed back into spirit
8:43:16snake form to see if they had changed to
8:43:19match. Much to her shock, her spirit
8:43:22snake form had undergone an even more
8:43:24massive change than her naga body had.
8:43:27Gone was the small snake with its dull
8:43:30blue scales. In its place was a massive
8:43:33sea serpent, easily 50 m long with
8:43:35scales that seemed to shimmer like ocean
8:43:37waves in the sunlight. Effortlessly, she
8:43:41glided through her space, leaving the
8:43:43ground behind her to swim through the
8:43:44air. Remy is cheating. No flying without
8:43:48wings.
8:43:50Rey complained.
8:43:52It seemed so simple to Remy now, though.
8:43:55Swimming was swimming, and with even a
8:43:57bit of moisture in the air, it was no
8:43:59problem to swim through it. If it was
8:44:02raining, she might even be fast. Hawk
8:44:05was unsure how to react. On one hand, it
8:44:09was good to have another flying sister.
8:44:12On the other, she was an openly,
8:44:14completely, absolutely, magnificently,
8:44:17irredeemably evil water creature.
8:44:20What sort of sister could get a skill
8:44:21like thousand-year flood if she was not
8:44:24evil? He was proud of her in this world
8:44:28where strength was the primary measure
8:44:29of how much respect you could earn from
8:44:31others. The ones who would do anything
8:44:33to get ahead were the ones who got the
8:44:35strongest. If his sister was willing to
8:44:38embrace evil magic and let it reshape
8:44:40her body for an instant upgrade to such
8:44:42a powerful overlord ranked being, she
8:44:44was on the right path. Hawk's body was
8:44:47already on the brink of advancing to
8:44:48overlord rank. He could feel the change
8:44:50in his mana quality beginning, but it
8:44:52would take days or perhaps weeks for him
8:44:54to finish the process. That would give
8:44:57Remy a solid head start on the rest of
8:44:59them, unless one of the others advanced
8:45:01before Hawk could finish his own
8:45:02advancement process. The totem stared at
8:45:05Carl with curious expressions.
8:45:08Something about you changed. I don't
8:45:11know what it is, but it feels like there
8:45:13is more depth to your power than there
8:45:15was before. Did your partner advance?
8:45:18The actual advancement shouldn't have
8:45:20given away anything, as the spaces were
8:45:22very well hidden, but Carl did gain some
8:45:25benefits from the beasts, so his own
8:45:26power level and strength would change
8:45:28when the beasts grew more powerful. And
8:45:30it seemed that Remy's advancement had
8:45:32been significant.
8:45:34So, Carl smiled at them. The heart of
8:45:37the ocean caused an evolution. She
8:45:40gained an epic grade constitution and a
8:45:42powerful new water skill. The district
8:45:45guardian smiled. Perhaps we have our
8:45:48next comrade on the way. She certainly
8:45:50must have the potential to become a
8:45:52totem now with a fresh start at overlord
8:45:54rank. Who knows? Given the power of the
8:45:58heart of the ocean, she might even make
8:46:00mythic rank eventually. Remy felt that
8:46:02she should have the potential for even
8:46:04more than that. The transformation had
8:46:07made her an overlord ranked juvenile.
8:46:10Like the butterfly who had just
8:46:11transformed at overlord or Cara who was
8:46:13a juvenile at royal rank and would make
8:46:15overlord without any real effort. Two
8:46:18ranks shouldn't be beyond her species
8:46:19now. Though her species still said the
8:46:22same thing, just with an epic grade
8:46:24constitution,
8:46:26whatever that meant, Remy decided to
8:46:29come back out and show off, which made
8:46:31all the totems pause to stare in wonder.
8:46:34That was fast. Such an incredible level
8:46:37of compatibility
8:46:39plus a return to youth. That's an
8:46:42excellent sign. Tell me, Miss Remy, do
8:46:45you still have the Naga Queen spirit
8:46:47snake transformation?
8:46:49That is the true sign of a queen's
8:46:51potential? The chatty totem asked. My
8:46:55snake form indicates my potential. Remy
8:46:58asked. The demon nodded. I'm not the
8:47:02foremost expert on the small details,
8:47:04but the more impressive the spirit
8:47:06snake, the more powerful the naga queen
8:47:08will become. It's said that the queen of
8:47:11Scaden has a thousand m long spirit
8:47:13snake. But she's an immortal old monster
8:47:16from the times before the dragon isles
8:47:18were civilized and nobody knows her
8:47:20origins, so she might be part dragon.
8:47:23Remy transformed and lazily glided
8:47:25around the dock area, attracting wrapped
8:47:27attention from the city's dragon kin and
8:47:30other lovers of scales.
8:47:32She stopped overhead and the totem
8:47:34smiled, his teeth shining white against
8:47:36blood red skin. The spirit snake form is
8:47:39young as well, but certainly not a
8:47:41simple snake. You have a bright future
8:47:44ahead of you, Miss Remy. If you run into
8:47:47any trouble, you can find me at the
8:47:49castle. My name is Domesk and I am the
8:47:52district overseer for the stone chapel
8:47:54district where your guild house is. Remy
8:47:58changed back to Naga queen form and fell
8:48:00to the ground with a thump as she
8:48:02misjudged where she would appear. Thank
8:48:05you. The city of Dro has been very good
8:48:08to us so far. Overseer Dome had no idea
8:48:11just how true that was. Rey had gathered
8:48:15literal tons of totem ranked meat for
8:48:16them. Hawk had multiple overlord rank
8:48:19whale bodies. Remy had evolved with a
8:48:21treasure that Hawk feared might have
8:48:22been an egg trying to trick him into
8:48:24activating a new sister. And they had an
8:48:26actual home of their own with people
8:48:28working for them and respect from nearly
8:48:30everyone. The city of Drod had been far
8:48:33better to them than an exile location
8:48:35had any right to be. One of the other
8:48:38overseers turned to Carl. The beasts are
8:48:41bonded to you, correct? Does that mean
8:48:44that the hawk and spider will be
8:48:45advancing soon as well? Oh, and is that
8:48:48Sarah one of yours or part of the dragon
8:48:51church? Carl smiled. They're with me. I
8:48:56believe that the bloodbath spider will
8:48:58be advancing very soon, but the holy
8:49:00thunderrow is struggling a bit. He might
8:49:03be bloodline limited, but I have a
8:49:04treasure that I was saving until he
8:49:06reached a bottleneck he had issues with.
8:49:09The totem nodded. That was the right way
8:49:12to do it. Let the young grow under their
8:49:14own power and then give them help only
8:49:17after they had done their best. If you
8:49:19didn't make them work for it, you ended
8:49:21up with spoiled brats. And there were
8:49:23far too many of them in the city
8:49:25already. Ry agreed she would advance
8:49:28soon, and if this totem rank flying
8:49:30whale blood didn't let her fly, someone
8:49:32was getting stabbed. Of course, she
8:49:35didn't want to use too much of that.
8:49:38She wanted powerful blood, but she had
8:49:40managed to get a drop of iicor from the
8:49:42undead lord and a few drops of the
8:49:44lord's blood during the last battle when
8:49:46they nearly fell and were wasted on the
8:49:47sprawl. She also had an assortment of
8:49:50overlord ranked demon blood. Getting the
8:49:53mix right with so many types and
8:49:55secondary elements among the demons took
8:49:57her hours of sampling, but eventually
8:50:00she was happy with her advancement bath
8:50:02and began to carefully scrub and prein
8:50:04herself in preparation.
8:50:06She had only used a tenth of the totem
8:50:08ranked flying whales blood, so she had
8:50:10lots left for next time, and far more
8:50:12blood at two ranks above herself than
8:50:14she had ever used before. Her normal
8:50:17base was of the rank that she was hoping
8:50:18to advance to, and it had always
8:50:20smoothly pushed her through the
8:50:22bottleneck without issues. Rey was
8:50:25hoping that she might get lucky this
8:50:26time and gain an extra cool ability from
8:50:29the blood samples, the way that she had
8:50:31gotten earth magic from the hill giants.
8:50:34Hulk was naturally skeptical. What if
8:50:37Sister Ray ended up with water magic as
8:50:39well, using so much powerful water beast
8:50:41blood? The meat was fine. It sizzled so
8:50:45nicely when he roasted it with a deep
8:50:47and rich flavor from the well- marbled
8:50:48fat. But Ry took on aspects of her
8:50:52advancements bath blood. Thor was doing
8:50:54his best to absorb energy as they
8:50:56waited. He was the only one who wasn't
8:50:59at the peak of Monarch rank yet. Stuck
8:51:01just a short way from the bottleneck and
8:51:03seemingly unable to push himself over
8:51:05that last little barrier to reach the
8:51:07actual bottleneck. If he could get
8:51:09there, he would advance, he was certain.
8:51:13But he was going to need some sort of
8:51:14treasure or assistance. And even the
8:51:16upgraded holy stones and the improved
8:51:18energy in his space weren't enough to
8:51:20push him any further. Carl suspected
8:51:23that Thor might just need time. They had
8:51:26all been advancing so fast, and without
8:51:28an overwhelmingly powerful evolution
8:51:30like Hawk had undergone, it was simply
8:51:32unreasonable to think that even a holy
8:51:34thunder evolved Sel could grow so fast.
8:51:37The whales were all up on the shore now.
8:51:40At least the ones that the demons
8:51:42thought they could recover. If they had
8:51:44sunk to the ocean floor before anyone
8:51:46got a rope around them, it was a lost
8:51:48cause trying to get them moved. None of
8:51:51them knew that the vast majority of
8:51:53those bodies had been snatched up by
8:51:55Hawk, and there were only the weakest or
8:51:57most damaged left down below for marine
8:51:59life to gorge themselves on. After an
8:52:02event like this, the fishing in the bay
8:52:04would be incredible for the next few
8:52:05months, with entire schools of sea fish
8:52:08coming closer to shore to feast upon the
8:52:10fallen whales. A single whale fall was a
8:52:13major event for water element sea
8:52:15monsters when it was at such a high
8:52:16rank. But when it happened in only a few
8:52:19hundred meters of water within a
8:52:21kilometer of shore, it was paradise for
8:52:23the fishermen as well. More and more
8:52:26people were coming to the docks either
8:52:28to purchase materials or to work. So
8:52:30Carl bid farewell to the district
8:52:32overseers and brought everyone back to
8:52:34the guild house. The ladies were still
8:52:36in the dungeon with Thor as they no
8:52:38longer needed a second beast companion
8:52:40to assist now that Dana had reached
8:52:42monarch rank and could have her golems
8:52:44plus her epic guard help out. How much
8:52:47they knew about current events was
8:52:48unknown. But Carl was hoping that he
8:52:50could surprise them with an overlord
8:52:52Remy by the time that they got back.
8:52:55That might be difficult, though. They
8:52:57had to cross a large portion of the city
8:52:58to get back to the house, and someone
8:53:00was likely to spill the news about Ry
8:53:02and Hawk being at the flying whale
8:53:04event. A flying ray was a daytime
8:53:07nightmare for many people, and they
8:53:09wouldn't forget that anytime soon. Rey
8:53:12was overjoyed that being Ray was still
8:53:14so impressive.
8:53:16But right now, she was more focused on
8:53:18getting her advancement bath ready. She
8:53:21had just finished her preparations and
8:53:22began her soaking procedure when the
8:53:24others returned to the guild house, all
8:53:26eager to see Remy, especially Lotus.
8:53:30They said that she's a blue ocean spirit
8:53:32snake now. A huge one. I have to see it.
8:53:38The little cleric demanded with her
8:53:39hands on her hips. Remy giggled, then
8:53:42appeared in the yard in spirit snake
8:53:44form and waited for Lotus to notice her.
8:53:47The nature cleric sensed the presence
8:53:49behind her and then saw Remy's enormous
8:53:51eye looking in the door. A form this
8:53:54large really was inconvenient, but Remy
8:53:56was happy to take Lotus for a ride.
8:53:59Lotus nimblely climbed up the spirit
8:54:01snake's head and sat down. Then realized
8:54:03that Remy was very slippery and didn't
8:54:05have protrusions to hold onto, but that
8:54:08could be fixed with a vine growth spell.
8:54:10And now she had a crude harness to hold
8:54:12on to. They slowly floated over the
8:54:15wall, and Remy waved to the people on
8:54:17the ground in the outer Frostfire Gate
8:54:19suburbs. As they passed by, the demons
8:54:22below them laughed as they saw what most
8:54:24mistook as a dragon king child riding a
8:54:26giant spirit snake like a mount. They
8:54:29had to be pretty close friends for the
8:54:31powerful beast to allow itself to be
8:54:33ridden. But it looked like a lot of fun
8:54:35to the wingless demons who had never
8:54:37experienced flight on their own. The
8:54:39guards waved to them as Remy dipped
8:54:41below the wall to go through the gate,
8:54:43though she simply flew over the short
8:54:45line of people coming into the city for
8:54:47butcher work or to buy flying whale
8:54:49meat. That was wonderful. Thank you,
8:54:53Remy. Then Remy changed back and Lotus
8:54:56found out that she had all new scales
8:54:58and she looked much younger again. A
8:55:01fellow small person, at least for a rank
8:55:04or two. The kitchen staff was making a
8:55:07celebratory dinner for everyone, and
8:55:09Ray's advancement was well underway,
8:55:11with over a third of the blood in her
8:55:13bath already absorbed as her power
8:55:14surged. This time, there were noticeable
8:55:18changes to her body, not just a small
8:55:20change in size or coloration.
8:55:22Her fuzz was vanishing, scrubbed away in
8:55:25the bath, revealing hard armored kitan
8:55:27plates over most of her body with deep
8:55:29black leathery flesh at the joints. Her
8:55:32legs gleamed with a metallic luster
8:55:34under their coating of blood, and her
8:55:36formerly black eyes glowed a malevolent
8:55:38red. She was growing as well, though not
8:55:41to an extreme extent. Her body was
8:55:44getting slightly longer, more elongated,
8:55:46and less bulbous. It was only when the
8:55:49bath water was gone, and Ry had finished
8:55:51polishing herself that Carl realized she
8:55:53wasn't actually wet from the bath. Her
8:55:55carropase was slightly translucent at
8:55:57the surface and appeared to be dripping
8:55:59with blood at all times, though it was
8:56:01smooth and dry on the surface and the
8:56:03bloody effect was underneath.
8:56:05New skills gained. Racial skill, blood
8:56:09destruction, blood elemental magic,
8:56:12rapidly increases or decreases the
8:56:14temperature of targets bodily fluids.
8:56:17Once the temperature change is complete,
8:56:19the target explodes, dealing 50% target
8:56:22rank X casterbased damage to everything
8:56:24within a 10 m radius. Demonic oppression
8:56:28passive skill. Targets with a bloodline
8:56:31potential lower than the blood
8:56:32destruction demonic spider suffer from
8:56:35oppression, reducing speed and damage by
8:56:3730% within a user rank X 10 m radius.
8:56:42Evolution completed. Blood destruction
8:56:44demonic spider. Remy pulled Lotus back
8:56:48into the house as she felt Ray's process
8:56:50completing and waited for Carl to inform
8:56:52everyone. That was not what happened as
8:56:55Rey had too strong of a sense for the
8:56:57dramatic to allow that. Instead, she
8:57:00appeared incorporeal in night haunter
8:57:02form and let the lingering effect that
8:57:04her new passive skill had on allies
8:57:06alert everyone to her presence. Only
8:57:08when they were starting to look around
8:57:10for the sense of danger did Rey appear
8:57:12in the middle of the shop.
8:57:14Screams rang through the room and Ray
8:57:16giggled, a haunting rumble that seemed
8:57:18to echo through the room from some
8:57:19distant space. Then she changed back to
8:57:22her humanoid form and did a spin. I did
8:57:26it. Not just an overlord, but a new kind
8:57:29of overlord.
8:57:31She explained.
8:57:32Carl cleared his throat. Everyone, meet
8:57:36Ray Bloodbath, our guild's newest
8:57:38overlord and now a blood destruction
8:57:40demonic spider. Two advancements in one
8:57:43day. That is incredible.
8:57:46Loros gasped as she examined Ray's
8:57:48humanoid form to see if there were
8:57:50differences. It was a transformation
8:57:53spell, not a natural transformation, so
8:57:55it hadn't changed. But examining her
8:57:58spider form was just a bit too
8:58:00terrifying for most of the demons.
8:58:03So now there are two combat forces at
8:58:05Overlord.
8:58:07Well, three if we count Carl. Wendy
8:58:10asked with an excited note in her voice.
8:58:13Carl nodded. That's right. The others
8:58:17shouldn't be too far behind. If we give
8:58:20it a few more weeks or a month, I think
8:58:22that everyone should be able to make an
8:58:24advancement.
8:58:25At the back of the room, Loro sighed and
8:58:28Carl smiled at her. Even you. You're not
8:58:32far from becoming a commander now with
8:58:34all the crafting work that you have
8:58:35done. It builds up your mana quality
8:58:38with every success. Give it a bit more
8:58:41time and you will be able to join Wendy
8:58:43in making the most profitable mass
8:58:44production items in the shop. Well, now
8:58:47that the city wants us to give them the
8:58:49higher grade stuff. Davis cleared his
8:58:52throat. Why don't we mess with the city
8:58:55just a little bit? I found a large piece
8:58:58of spirit jade, the overlord quality
8:59:00version of mana jade. Technically, it's
8:59:03a countertop that was being removed, but
8:59:05as nobody else knows how to turn it into
8:59:07a magical item, the cost was reasonable.
8:59:10I put that on the guild store account,
8:59:12by the way. Carl smiled.
8:59:16So, you're saying that we can make a
8:59:18bunch of Overlord ranked accessories?
8:59:21Davis smirked in response.
8:59:23Exactly.
8:59:25And just not sell them. The agreement
8:59:28only said that we couldn't sell the ones
8:59:29that we made without going through the
8:59:31city.
8:59:32They didn't say anything about equipping
8:59:34our own with ridiculously overpowered
8:59:36gear. Just the aura from a few pieces
8:59:39like that would be enough to make most
8:59:40of the city officials cry at the thought
8:59:42of what price it might fetch. Carl
8:59:45nodded. I will have to do some research
8:59:48into the runes. If we're going to go all
8:59:51out, it should be something so insanely
8:59:53overpowered or ridiculous that nobody
8:59:55would believe it if they hadn't seen it
8:59:56themselves.
8:59:58Carl thought about the answer. All of
9:00:01the ladies were casters except for
9:00:03Oilia. So if it was a non-combat sort of
9:00:05item or a buff, he would only need to
9:00:08come up with two types or perhaps even
9:00:11one. If he made it something that nobody
9:00:13would willingly turn down, they could
9:00:15all wear the same item, like a signature
9:00:17piece from the guild. The question was,
9:00:20what sort of inscription would he need
9:00:22to make for it to apply to everyone? He
9:00:25had already done the basics with skill
9:00:27power increase, and that would likely
9:00:29stay.
9:00:30but he needed something that would put
9:00:31it over the top. An overlord ranked item
9:00:34should be somewhat epic, even if it
9:00:36wasn't epic grade. As everyone dispersed
9:00:39to their tasks, Carl took a seat on the
9:00:42second floor and began flipping through
9:00:43the dwarven rune crafting tome, looking
9:00:46for ideas. The dwarves were
9:00:48exceptionally practical when it came to
9:00:50their rune work. So Carl was certain
9:00:52that he would find something that would
9:00:54help, even if it was a passing reference
9:00:56or a combination of simple concepts to
9:00:58make something that would be worth
9:00:59bringing to the overlord rank. Carl
9:01:02flipped through the pages and then he
9:01:04realized that the dwarves had the
9:01:06perfect non-combat buff for this type of
9:01:08item. He could start it with mana
9:01:10storage as the base along with skill
9:01:12power, but then it could be expanded to
9:01:15create a complex rune for increased
9:01:17potential, faster growth, and divine
9:01:19favor. The blessing was one that the
9:01:22dwarves used frequently, according to
9:01:24the book, but with overlord ranked
9:01:26runes, it should make for an item that
9:01:28added luck and increased the growth rate
9:01:30of the user. That was what they all
9:01:32needed the most. Carl showed his plan to
9:01:35the teachers who had come to study under
9:01:37him.
9:01:38This is a bit more complex. I have four
9:01:41concepts all linked in a compound rune,
9:01:44then a detached string of modifiers to
9:01:46clarify the effects, but each of the
9:01:49strings has to be both complete as a
9:01:50concept and grammatically separate from
9:01:52all the others so that the effect does
9:01:54not bleed over. Because of this, the
9:01:58wording is very particular when you try
9:01:59to combine effects. Moira frowned. Is
9:02:04there a way around that where you might
9:02:06generate powerful effects without the
9:02:08need for an enormous item to hold so
9:02:10many characters worth of runes in such a
9:02:12particular format? Carl thought about it
9:02:15for a second. Then an insidious thought
9:02:17came to his mind. Yes, there is a divine
9:02:21phrase that can help you accomplish
9:02:23that. Carl wrote out three seemingly
9:02:26nonsensical runes which were actually
9:02:28just ancient slang from the knowledge he
9:02:30had gained from rune crafting. Blind box
9:02:33full send yol O. If you inscribe that on
9:02:37your item, there is a chance to get a
9:02:39magnificently powerful item or you might
9:02:42get nothing. It really is up to your
9:02:45favor with the gods. Moira and Mash both
9:02:48stared at the runes, then shrugged and
9:02:50carefully inscribed them into a pair of
9:02:52wooden rings and began to empower them.
9:02:55The process finished, and one set of
9:02:57runes changed, while the other glowed
9:02:59faintly gold, signifying a success.
9:03:02What does that say? Mash asked as his
9:03:06ring had worked. Moira wrote the runes,
9:03:09then mentally translated them. Thank
9:03:12you. Please try again. She replied,
9:03:15phrasing it almost as a question. Mash
9:03:18laughed, then used the identify skill on
9:03:21his creation and wailed with agony.
9:03:24Evil, I summoned evil into the world. He
9:03:28moaned. Carl looked at the ring, his
9:03:30curiosity growing. Ring of the
9:03:33narcissist. Any target of the wearer's
9:03:35lust or affection will appear to the
9:03:37wearer as a mirror image of themselves.
9:03:40Carl and Moira stared at the ring for a
9:03:42second. Then Moira burst into laughter.
9:03:45I'm like 90% sure that the system just
9:03:48told you to go yourself. She
9:03:50wheezed with tears rolling down her
9:03:52face. Mash frowned as he realized that
9:03:56was also a valid interpretation.
9:03:58What did I ever do to deserve that? Or
9:04:01are the runes intended to troll
9:04:03creators?
9:04:04He asked. Carl shrugged and wrote the
9:04:07runes inside a wooden ring. He brought
9:04:10them up to commander rank with a thought
9:04:12and waited to see what happened. Ring of
9:04:14affection. Gently stroking a target
9:04:16until they make a noise of approval
9:04:18improves their combat power and mental
9:04:20fortitude by 5%.
9:04:23Dibs.
9:04:24No, wait. Someone has to use it on me.
9:04:29Dibs for Lotus. She always has time for
9:04:32head pats. Thor insisted.
9:04:36Mash frowned. It's another prank item.
9:04:39Carl shook his head. No, it's a class
9:04:43targeted item. If you pat Thor's head or
9:04:46massage Car's wings, you can guarantee
9:04:49happy noises. And that's extra combat
9:04:52power and mental fortitude.
9:04:54It's actually a very effective item for
9:04:56a beast linked class. At home, we have a
9:05:00class known as Beast Rangers, an
9:05:02advanced ranger class whose pet can be a
9:05:04magical beast. For them, this would be
9:05:07perfect. They just need to hype up their
9:05:09pet before battle and they get a buff.
9:05:12Not the biggest one that I've ever seen,
9:05:14but not every item randomly created will
9:05:16be a legendary treasure. Loros
9:05:19interrupted their chat with a request.
9:05:22Can I get some silk from Ray to make a
9:05:24backing plate for these bracers? They're
9:05:26made of flat plates because the material
9:05:28was cut as a countertop and I need to
9:05:31maximize my usage. Carl nodded and a
9:05:34second later, Ry sent out a small stack
9:05:36of overlord rank silk cloth and a needle
9:05:39made with earth barrier. Without that,
9:05:42Loros wouldn't be able to sew the cloth
9:05:44at all. The sculpting obsessed demonis
9:05:47got right to work making a quilted
9:05:48backing out of silk and cotton, then
9:05:50riveted the plates on with golden pins.
9:05:53The gold looked wonderful against the
9:05:55blue and white stone with the white
9:05:57backing cloth, and Loros had carved the
9:05:59flat plates to make one large image of
9:06:01Remy in spirit snake form around the top
9:06:04and bottom with the middle left flat for
9:06:06runes.
9:06:07Carl added durability to the set of
9:06:09runes so that the bracers would serve as
9:06:11actual armor and not as simple jewelry.
9:06:14Then he carved the concept into the
9:06:16stone, outlining his plan first with a
9:06:18pencil, so he knew he had the spacing
9:06:20correct. Mana storage, skill power,
9:06:24increased potential, faster growth, and
9:06:27divine favor with subtext for durability
9:06:30and earth barrier sending function so it
9:06:34wouldn't get broken during regular use.
9:06:36By the time that he had them all
9:06:38sketched, the runes were even smaller
9:06:40than the typed characters in an official
9:06:42document. But Carl said about carving
9:06:45them with his claw. It took him until
9:06:47dinner to finish, but it was well worth
9:06:49it. The completed item was beautiful
9:06:52with the delicate script and the carving
9:06:54of Remy around the edges, especially as
9:06:57he added mana to it until the runes
9:06:59turned ghostly blue and began to glow.
9:07:02Bracer of faded encounters. Artifact
9:07:05grade armor stores 10 times the standard
9:07:08amount of mana. Increases user growth
9:07:11rates in all aspects with an increased
9:07:13chance to surpass bottlenecks to growth.
9:07:16Increases skill power by 30% and luck by
9:07:19100. That that it can't be. No, it's
9:07:25simply not possible to make something
9:07:27like that. Moira stammered. Dana came in
9:07:31to see what the fuss was about and Carl
9:07:33winked at her. I think you should get
9:07:36the first of these. Carl announced, then
9:07:39distracted her with a kiss as he
9:07:41fastened the bracer around her wrist.
9:07:43The armor piece duplicated the moment
9:07:45that it equipped, creating a matched set
9:07:47for both wrists.
9:07:49Normally, armored bracers were enchanted
9:07:52as part of the whole arm piece and
9:07:53equipped as a pair, but this was the
9:07:55first time that Carl had seen an item
9:07:57that cloned itself and didn't need a
9:07:59second half made. What is it supposed to
9:08:02do? I get skill power, but the rest is
9:08:05all so vague. Dana asked. It will help
9:08:09you grow more powerful and not get stuck
9:08:11at rank bottlenecks.
9:08:13I suggest wearing it all the time, just
9:08:15in case. Carl suggested.
9:08:19Dana nodded slowly, then summoned her
9:08:21golems to see what sort of changes that
9:08:23much more skill power would make to her
9:08:25newly monarch power level. They appeared
9:08:28for half a second. Then Carl saw a
9:08:30notification.
9:08:32Skill Master 4 activation by target
9:08:34Dana. Golem has been upgraded to greater
9:08:38golem. She must have gotten a
9:08:40notification as well because she frowned
9:08:43and then walked to the window to summon
9:08:45her new golem in the yard. What appeared
9:08:48looked like the demonic cross between a
9:08:49wolf and a wingless stone dragon. The 3
9:08:53m tall creature was all black with a
9:08:55long scaled dragon tail. The tail's
9:08:58draconic appearance extended to black
9:09:00scales over the creature's belly to its
9:09:02muscular chest and sharp stone
9:09:04protrusions in place of fur all the way
9:09:06up its spine as well as on its lower
9:09:08front limbs. The head was shaped halfway
9:09:11between a dragon's muzzle and a wolf's
9:09:14and flames glowed within its mouth. Its
9:09:17eyes looked like burning pits, as if the
9:09:19skull was hollow of anything but flames,
9:09:21reminding everyone that this was no
9:09:23simple creature. The whole body appeared
9:09:26to be made of stone, but it shifted and
9:09:28rippled like muscle as the creature
9:09:30turned to look up at Dana. Then its ears
9:09:32perked up, and a small puff of smoke
9:09:35came from its mouth as it huffed happily
9:09:37upon finding its summoner. It was
9:09:39somehow terrifying and adorable at the
9:09:41same time. If it had a tongue, Carl was
9:09:44certain it would be lolling out happily
9:09:46right now. Then it shrunk down to just
9:09:49over a meter tall and made its way
9:09:51inside to come bump up against Dana's
9:09:53leg, begging to have its ears rubbed.
9:09:56It's a canine Thor. Rey laughed.
9:10:00Definitely.
9:10:02Not as big, though. At least it won't be
9:10:05trying to pull the wagon. Remy agreed.
9:10:09Well, that might depend on the size of
9:10:11the wagon. Golems had stamina that never
9:10:14ran out. And with a three-meter tall
9:10:16four-legged body, a monarch ranked Golem
9:10:18would be no slouch.
9:10:20Once she had finished greeting her new
9:10:22friend, Dana cast another spell, and the
9:10:25original two golems returned in all
9:10:27their statues glory. That made four
9:10:30summoned helpers for Dana now, including
9:10:32her spellblade, Demonist type, epic
9:10:34guard. Not many mages at any rank could
9:10:37claim to have that much additional
9:10:39firepower. And this new greater golem
9:10:41looked like it would be a reliable
9:10:42damage dealer in combat.
9:10:44Moira and Mash were staring at the
9:10:46greater golem with increasing suspicion.
9:10:49There was no way that simply gaining an
9:10:51item had given her a new skill, unless
9:10:54it was actually part of the runes, and
9:10:56Carl had been holding out on them. But
9:10:59they had read them as he wrote them,
9:11:01memorizing the pattern for their own
9:11:02attempts later. They hadn't seen
9:11:05anything about a greater golem spell in
9:11:08there. It's an opportune timing of
9:11:10another skills activation, not directly
9:11:13from the bracelet. Though the extra
9:11:15stacks of luck might have helped. Don't
9:11:18think too much about it. The process
9:11:20will just make your head hurt. It's my
9:11:23skill and I don't even know how it
9:11:24determines that it's going to upgrade a
9:11:26skill for a group member. Carl
9:11:29explained. Moira,
9:11:32that's just unfair.
9:11:34I know that support classes are a thing,
9:11:36but a support class that lets others
9:11:38upgrade a skill by a grade. Completely
9:11:41overpowered.
9:11:43Coupled with your rune crafting, you're
9:11:45basically the best friend that a newbie
9:11:46adventurer could hope to make. Dana
9:11:49winked at the half- elvin woman. Don't I
9:11:52know it. I've been working with him
9:11:54since we were both in school, and my
9:11:56power has grown incredibly fast. Are you
9:11:59from the same pack, then? Moira asked,
9:12:03not realizing that Dana and Carl were
9:12:05using a transformation spell. No, but we
9:12:08went to the same school until we were
9:12:10sent out into the world with this lovely
9:12:12group of ladies. I suppose technically
9:12:15we might still be enrolled, but at this
9:12:17point, I don't think that there is much
9:12:19they're going to be willing and able to
9:12:21teach us there. Dana laughed. That was a
9:12:25concept that they could understand. They
9:12:27were teachers at a rather prestigious
9:12:29academy, but there were only so many
9:12:31secrets and powerful skills that they
9:12:33would teach to a random student who
9:12:34didn't have strong ties of loyalty both
9:12:36to the school and the nation. There was
9:12:39a commotion outside, and Carl moved to
9:12:41the window to see what it could be.
9:12:44Certainly, nobody would be brave enough
9:12:46to attack them again. Not with the
9:12:48gargoyles in place and an overlord in
9:12:51charge. But the answer was much less
9:12:53concerning.
9:12:55Little butterfly had made five tiny
9:12:57versions of Dana's new golem, and they
9:12:59were running around the yard barking
9:13:01balls of fire and playing with lotus.
9:13:04That doesn't look safe, Mash noted. Deep
9:13:07concern apparent in his black eyes. It's
9:13:10an illusion skill. While it can cause
9:13:13damage, it doesn't seem likely that the
9:13:15caster would want to harm Lotus. But a
9:13:18cleric of the green dragon loves all
9:13:20forms of creatures, and these ones are
9:13:22new to her. While Carl had replied
9:13:25absently, the words coming out of his
9:13:27mouth actually gave him a great idea.
9:13:30Little Butterfly only knew two skills:
9:13:33invisibility and illusionary domain. If
9:13:36she could learn more skills, wouldn't
9:13:38she be able to create even more
9:13:40convincing illusions, or ones that
9:13:42caused significant damage to enemies?
9:13:45The illusions were already solid, but
9:13:47any sort of damage would disperse them.
9:13:49Teaching Little Butterfly a barrier
9:13:51skill might make them more durable.
9:13:54But as soon as Carl thought of the idea,
9:13:56he sensed the negative response from
9:13:58little butterfly. It was certain that
9:14:00wouldn't work. We will take a trip to
9:14:03the library then, and I will see what
9:14:05you can learn to enhance your skills.
9:14:08Don't worry, we have lots of money now.
9:14:11That sounded wonderful to both the
9:14:12butterfly and to Remy, who had
9:14:14voraciously devoured the knowledge
9:14:16contained in almost all of the technical
9:14:18tomes in her swamp before moving on to
9:14:20the ones in the library illusion. What
9:14:23is the book that you were studying from?
9:14:25Mash asked, drawing Carl's attention
9:14:27from the chaos in the yard. Oh, that's a
9:14:30book of dwarven rune crafting. A bit
9:14:33different from the runesmithing skill
9:14:35and written in dwarven, but some of the
9:14:38concepts that they use in their
9:14:39sculpting translate well to other
9:14:41styles. So, I was looking for ideas on
9:14:43how to string together the concepts that
9:14:45I wanted to use for the bracelets.
9:14:47I'm going to make matched ones for the
9:14:49guild members. So, I wanted them to be
9:14:51something that would be universally
9:14:52useful, no matter what the specialty of
9:14:54the wearer was. The teacher sighed as
9:14:57she heard that it was a guild exclusive
9:14:59item that he was making. But she had the
9:15:02pattern. There was nothing stopping her
9:15:04from making one herself. It might not be
9:15:07overlord ranked, but if she had one of
9:15:08the royal rank wooden pieces carved to
9:15:10shape, it would work just as well as a
9:15:12base at lower quality. It took so long,
9:15:16though. Just making them for herself and
9:15:18her husband would be a long day's work,
9:15:20and that was assuming that it was
9:15:22successful the first time. Just making a
9:15:25copy of the runes would be enough for
9:15:26now, and then they could work on it at
9:15:28their leisure after the school year
9:15:30started. Their time with Carl was quite
9:15:32limited as the break was only 2 months
9:15:35in total, but there was so much to learn
9:15:37with a new trade skill and all the
9:15:38little tricks that came with it, but
9:15:40which weren't included in the basic
9:15:42linguistic knowledge. That was most
9:15:44likely because the skill transferred at
9:15:46an introductory apprentice level and
9:15:48they were expected to study and practice
9:15:50the rest on their own. But with a master
9:15:53present, who wouldn't dream of gaining
9:15:55all that knowledge in one huge transfer?
9:15:58The fame, the recognition, the
9:16:00department funding. Oh, the things they
9:16:03could gain with just a bit more
9:16:04knowledge.
9:16:05Over the course of the next week,
9:16:07thousands of merchant caravans rolled
9:16:09into town from nearby cities, and the
9:16:11cold storage warehouses were slowly
9:16:13emptying while other buildings were
9:16:15repurposed as massive smokeouses to cure
9:16:17the whale meat for longerterm storage.
9:16:20It would be some time before the price
9:16:22of whale meat recovered. But Carl
9:16:24thought that within the next few weeks,
9:16:25the demand for other meats would begin
9:16:27to increase. Even if it was cheap and
9:16:30incredibly high energy, people would
9:16:32only want to eat the same thing for so
9:16:34long. The teachers were getting much
9:16:36better with basic rune crafting and
9:16:38alchemy, but more in the alchemy realm.
9:16:41Runic alchemy class under Remy had
9:16:43yielded incredible results, and the
9:16:45store was well stocked with potions and
9:16:47tinctures of all sorts along with the
9:16:49apprentice made commander rank items.
9:16:52Ashbringer had made three pairs of war
9:16:54axes for Carl to upgrade to overlord
9:16:57rank. And today the representative from
9:16:59the castle was coming to pick up their
9:17:00first shipment of powerful items. The
9:17:03whole guild was looking forward to his
9:17:05arrival as Carl and Ashbringer had gone
9:17:07all out to troll him this time. All of
9:17:10the items that they had produced for the
9:17:12city this time were overlord ranked, but
9:17:14there were only 10 rings and the six
9:17:16axes. The gargoyle at the gate whistled
9:17:19to let them know that someone had
9:17:21entered. And Carl moved to the door to
9:17:23greet their guest. "Overlord Carl, it's
9:17:27a pleasure to meet you in person. I am
9:17:30Rock, Lord General of the Droid City
9:17:32Guard." The burly bronze demon announced
9:17:35as soon as he saw Carl standing in the
9:17:37doorway, "Lord General Rock, it's a
9:17:40pleasure to meet you as well. We have
9:17:43created a small number of items this
9:17:45month, but I believe that the city
9:17:46governor will be pleased with them. The
9:17:49general looked amused.
9:17:51The intent here was to resell them at
9:17:53auction if they were suitable, not for
9:17:55the governor to profit off them other
9:17:57than the small handling fee. But when
9:17:59Davis placed the items on a counter,
9:18:02General Rock couldn't contain his eager
9:18:03smile. Are those Overlord ranked epic
9:18:06grade weapons? He asked, moving close to
9:18:10inspect them. indeed.
9:18:13And all six are identical. They have
9:18:16life leech, skill damage increase,
9:18:19sharpness, and a rather sizable damage
9:18:21increase. Davis explained with vague
9:18:24gestures to different portions of the
9:18:25runes as he didn't know what they
9:18:27actually meant. Then the rings? General
9:18:31Rock asked. The rings are all combat
9:18:34oriented. Titanic strength, injury
9:18:38negation, and agonizing blows. I'm told
9:18:41that it is quite effective. The agony
9:18:44effect should turn even a slap to the
9:18:46face into the equivalent of a stun
9:18:48spell. Davis's smile had a somewhat evil
9:18:51tone to it. He had gotten Carl to
9:18:54inscribe that into a pair of gloves for
9:18:55him to wear at work so that problematic
9:18:58customers could be disabled without
9:18:59serious injury. He had inadvertently
9:19:02learned a valuable fact during testing.
9:19:05You could not torture a vampire with
9:19:07pain spells. Their venom converted pain
9:19:10to pleasure in their victims, so they
9:19:12didn't scream when being drained. But it
9:19:15made the vampires entirely immune to
9:19:17pain. Mick thought it was hilarious that
9:19:20the ultimate method for disabling
9:19:21problematic customers didn't work on her
9:19:23at all, despite it being four ranks
9:19:25above her. "You're saying that you have
9:19:28three matched sets of weapons and 10
9:19:30overlord ranked rings, all of which are
9:19:32combat oriented with an innate control
9:19:35ability?" the general asked. Carl
9:19:38nodded. That is right. The materials we
9:19:42found this month were particularly good.
9:19:45I will try for more variety next month,
9:19:48but I don't think that we will be able
9:19:49to make totem ranked items for some
9:19:51time. The general looked like he was
9:19:54going to choke on his tongue. What totem
9:19:56ranked items? That wasn't something that
9:19:59you simply sold at the auction. Plus,
9:20:02who would even buy it? You would have to
9:20:05gather the leaders of half the cities in
9:20:06Drad just to get enough people for
9:20:08proper bidding. No. Totem ranked items
9:20:11were the sort of thing that were given
9:20:13to heroes and national guardians for
9:20:15great deeds in war, single-handed
9:20:17defense of a nation's border, or other
9:20:19similarly insane deeds. From what he
9:20:22knew, there were currently no totem
9:20:24ranked dungeons in the Dragon Isles or
9:20:26anywhere else on the planet. Only a few
9:20:29overlord ranked dungeons had opened
9:20:30during the wave of upheaval, and that
9:20:32was already problematic enough. Once he
9:20:35recovered from his shock, the general
9:20:37began to mentally calculate the likely
9:20:39selling price, but came up short of a
9:20:42solid answer. There was no way to tell
9:20:44how high the price might be run up on
9:20:46items so rare within Drad. Not only
9:20:49that, but there were instructors from
9:20:51lard here for some reason, and they
9:20:53would have certainly informed their
9:20:54superiors at home about the items being
9:20:56created here. If foreign biders started
9:20:59to show up to the auction, the prices
9:21:01might get completely out of hand. "Did
9:21:04you have a target price for these
9:21:05items?" The general asked carefully.
9:21:09Carl shook his head. "Not particularly.
9:21:13What they sell for, they sell for. It's
9:21:16more of a test of the market to
9:21:18determine what we should make next month
9:21:19to keep the funding for the artisans of
9:21:21the Dark Light host at a suitable level.
9:21:24The general side, that was what he was
9:21:27afraid of. Materials for such
9:21:29highquality items had to be insanely
9:21:32expensive.
9:21:33But they might also be part of the
9:21:35auction as many rare materials for
9:21:37advancement were. If he knew that they
9:21:40were actually making countertops out of
9:21:41material capable of being turned into
9:21:43overlord rank items, he might die of
9:21:45outrage.
9:21:47All right, I will take these to the
9:21:49castle and they will sort them for sale.
9:21:52However, I would be prepared for the
9:21:53governor or his representative to come
9:21:56to you with a procurement request for
9:21:58custom items after seeing these. Carl
9:22:01nodded. We are always happy to accept
9:22:04custom orders.
9:22:06The next morning, Dana led the ladies to
9:22:08the dungeon first thing in the morning,
9:22:10clearing the monsters to collect loot
9:22:11for the blacksmith.
9:22:13So, it was the guild notification that
9:22:15told Carl something big was happening.
9:22:18Guild member Oilia has reached Monarch
9:22:20rank. Guild member Lotus has reached
9:22:23Monarch rank. Guild member Tessa has
9:22:27reached Monarch rank. Three advancements
9:22:30in one dungeon run. That was cause for
9:22:33celebration.
9:22:34Carl was about to notify someone, then
9:22:37realized that everyone in the compound,
9:22:39other than the caretaker, was part of
9:22:41the guild. They had all seen the
9:22:43notification, and the kitchen staff had
9:22:45started to prepare a feast in their
9:22:47honor. Hardly a week with the new
9:22:49bracers, and they were all advancing to
9:22:51the monarch rank. But there was limited
9:22:54time before they got back. Abby, I'm
9:22:58going to run and get fancy baked goods.
9:23:00You do the essentials and the dinner.
9:23:03Carl called before heading out of the
9:23:05house. Got it, boss. Pick the things
9:23:08that take the longest to make. At a
9:23:11walking pace, it was a bit over 10
9:23:13minutes to get back from the dungeon.
9:23:16They might not be leaving immediately,
9:23:18but even Carl would have to hurry to the
9:23:20bakery if he was going to get back
9:23:21before the earliest part of their
9:23:22possible arrival window. They also
9:23:25started to prepare the tea. Well, if you
9:23:28could still call it tea the way that
9:23:30Lotus liked it. She added a heavy dose
9:23:33of match cha and spices to milk tea to
9:23:35the point that you could only vaguely
9:23:37tell that there was tea in the beverage,
9:23:39but it was low caffeine and Tessa had
9:23:42approved it. So, they always had it on
9:23:44hand unless Lotus forgot to refill the
9:23:46jars when they got low. Carl was back
9:23:49quickly and began setting out cakes,
9:23:51each decorated with an individual name,
9:23:53then a fourth cake with the words
9:23:55emergency cake for accidents, written in
9:23:58icing. That made the kitchen staff laugh
9:24:00just as much as the staff at the bakery
9:24:02had laughed while writing it. They said
9:24:05to keep them in the cold storage because
9:24:07the cakes were still a bit warm. Carl
9:24:10warned. Got it, boss. Did you get the
9:24:13other stuff? Carl nodded. I got the
9:24:17fancy cupcakes, an entire tray of
9:24:19baklava, and a box of aclair's.
9:24:22That will do. We made a huge bag of
9:24:25caramel peanut popcorn this morning for
9:24:28movie nights. We've also got buns
9:24:31baking. We already had a roast going and
9:24:33now we're starting on the sides. It will
9:24:36be ready for lunch as planned, but
9:24:38they'll be back before then, so we could
9:24:40maybe start with the cakes. The demon
9:24:42officially called one, the leader of the
9:24:44trio of abbies that worked the kitchen,
9:24:46explained.
9:24:48Carl smiled and patted her curled horns.
9:24:51Good work. I knew that I could count on
9:24:54you in an emergency.
9:24:56Now, we just have to wait for them to
9:24:58get back from their dungeon run, and we
9:25:00will be good to go. Carl walked into the
9:25:03front room where a customer purchasing
9:25:05anti-aging cream was giving him a
9:25:07curious look. The kitchen wasn't
9:25:09soundproof, and Carl had left the door
9:25:11open in his hurry to get everything
9:25:13sorted, so they had likely heard the
9:25:16last half of his conversation.
9:25:19Three of our members made monarch rank
9:25:21today, Carl explained, and the elderly
9:25:24Demonist smiled. Oh, that is a wonderful
9:25:27bit of luck. All on the same day. Are
9:25:31they all guild members or will they be
9:25:33registering at the castle? She asked.
9:25:37Register. Davis realized that Carl
9:25:40didn't know a moment after the lady
9:25:42realized that Carl wasn't local. Oh, I
9:25:45forgot that you were new here. Everyone
9:25:48who makes monarch rank is supposed to
9:25:49register with the castle so they can be
9:25:51properly accounted for if the militia is
9:25:53called to duty. You were here for the
9:25:56attack on the dock. So you know that it
9:25:58doesn't happen often. It's more
9:25:59unofficial.
9:26:01But that's the rule and it gives them an
9:26:03excuse to meet the noble ladies or
9:26:05gentlemen of the castle and the inner
9:26:07district. She explained.
9:26:10Davis chuckled.
9:26:12Well, they are all guild members so they
9:26:15don't have to go in person. We can send
9:26:17a runner, but two are priestesses of the
9:26:20dragon gods. I don't know what their
9:26:22rules are about fratonizing with demons.
9:26:25Carl wasn't sure about that either.
9:26:27However, he suspected that most of the
9:26:30rules were more like guidelines unless
9:26:32they directly contravened their patrons
9:26:34principles. The old woman laughed. The
9:26:38rules are flexible.
9:26:40You know, old Iron Jaw from Coo is
9:26:42married to a war cleric. Carl had no
9:26:45idea where that was at first, then
9:26:47realized that it was a coastal city to
9:26:49the south of them by about a 100 km.
9:26:52It was marginally smaller than Drad, but
9:26:55still a massive city by Golden Dragon
9:26:57Nation standards with over a 100,000
9:26:59people. Davis smiled. I had forgotten
9:27:03about that. The woman is so scary that
9:27:06she seems more like a wrath demon than
9:27:08he does. Only because you rejected her
9:27:11daughter's proposal. The old woman
9:27:14joked. Carl chuckled and Davis glared at
9:27:17him. Don't mock my pain. That girl is
9:27:21even more terrifying than her mother.
9:27:24She killed four suitors during the
9:27:26competition for her betroal.
9:27:28No way could I have beaten her in a
9:27:30fight. The old woman scoffed. You still
9:27:34don't understand Wrath Demons, do you?
9:27:37She would have let you win after you put
9:27:39up a good enough fight. After all, she
9:27:42wanted you to win. Carl smiled. It
9:27:46sounds like the wrath demons here and
9:27:47the orcs from my homeland have a lot in
9:27:49common. Any good or woman would be
9:27:52insulted if her intended wasn't even
9:27:54strong enough to put up a challenge in a
9:27:56fight. Carl heard the kitchen staff
9:27:58snickering, and Davis stood up
9:28:00straighter. Easy for you to say. You
9:28:04have limited invulnerability, and I am a
9:28:06merchant. But she's a paladin of the red
9:28:09dragon god and a 4 m tall wrath demon.
9:28:13Even if I won the challenge, what about
9:28:15every day after that? Carl shrugged. Ask
9:28:19the sailors. They seem to have some plan
9:28:22the way that they keep hitting on Oilia.
9:28:25The old lady paid Davis for her
9:28:27purchase. I think that the plan in that
9:28:30case is to die happy. Not one that a
9:28:33young fellow of a wealthy family
9:28:34considers.
9:28:36The ladies returned to the house a half
9:28:38hour later, carrying large bags from the
9:28:40same bakery that Carl had gone to for
9:28:42cupcakes.
9:28:44Tessa walked in to place them in the
9:28:45kitchen, then began to laugh as she saw
9:28:47the massive spread already set out. It
9:28:50looks like we all had the same idea. But
9:28:53how did you know? She asked. The
9:28:57advancement sent a guild message.
9:28:59So, everyone in the house knew that you
9:29:01would be in the celebration mood when
9:29:03you got home. We have cakes. Abby
9:29:07giggled, then gestured to the cold
9:29:09storage room. Tessa stuck her head in
9:29:12and began to laugh. Even a spare just in
9:29:15case one of them got damaged. You really
9:29:18did hurry today. Carl stepped behind the
9:29:21war cleric and hugged her. Actually, we
9:29:24cheated. The crepe cake that you like
9:29:27with all the layers and the custard
9:29:29takes too long to make, so I bought it
9:29:31from the store. They're actually all
9:29:34different flavors.
9:29:35I got the crepe cake for you, double
9:29:38chocolate with chocolate mousse and
9:29:39chocolate chips for Lotus, and a
9:29:41tiramisu for Oilia.
9:29:43Oilia stuck her head around him to see.
9:29:46And Carl gave her a congratulatory hug
9:29:48as well. How did you know? She asked.
9:29:53It's your usual order when we stopped
9:29:54there for a snack. I got a full
9:29:57assortment of the fancy cupcakes as
9:29:59well. The feast won't be ready until
9:30:01lunch. So, I thought we might need
9:30:03something extra. Plus, the lovely ladies
9:30:06of the kitchen suggested that a
9:30:08particular someone might enjoy being
9:30:09allowed to eat her cake before her meal
9:30:11for once. Carl replied with a wink.
9:30:15Oilia smirked. You think you're talking
9:30:18about Lotus, but cake before lunch
9:30:21sounds like a pretty good idea to me as
9:30:22well. Clearing the dungeon is hard work,
9:30:25though tomorrow should be easier. as we
9:30:28advanced during the last boss fight. Now
9:30:30that we're all monarchs, it will be much
9:30:33easier to clear it out for loot, even if
9:30:35the gains that we're making won't be
9:30:36quite as impressive as before. Carl
9:30:39shrugged. We can always go hunting. If
9:30:43we, as the guards, I'm certain that they
9:30:45can recommend a good hunting ground for
9:30:47us that is monarch ranked wild beasts.
9:30:50If we're lucky, it might even be
9:30:52something tasty. Hawk perked up at the
9:30:55thought. There might be overlord ranked
9:30:57mice on this continent. Or perhaps they
9:31:00would be giant mice more than a
9:31:02mouthful. That would be good. While Hawk
9:31:06daydreamed of mice in his space, Remy
9:31:08came out to set the table on the second
9:31:10floor for a party. Someone, likely Mick,
9:31:13had already strung streamers around the
9:31:15room, giving it a festive atmosphere,
9:31:17and then lowered the curtains so it
9:31:19wasn't as bright inside. Is there a song
9:31:22for advancement parties like there is
9:31:24for birthdays?
9:31:26Mick asked as the cakes and snacks were
9:31:28brought up to the second floor. That was
9:31:30an excellent question. If there was,
9:31:33nobody in the room knew it, but they
9:31:35were all intrigued by the possibility
9:31:37that there could be one. While they all
9:31:39sat down to snack, Carl got a brilliant
9:31:42idea. He already had intelligent
9:31:44summons, and there was no particular
9:31:46reason not to keep them active all the
9:31:48time. The epic guard was already active
9:31:51so that the whole group would gain the
9:31:53benefit of void body in case of attack.
9:31:57But he could also keep the bodyguards
9:31:59active around the house to help out with
9:32:01the daily tasks.
9:32:03Actually, if he tried, couldn't he
9:32:05activate bodyguards on an inscribed
9:32:07stone? The spell was immensely complex,
9:32:11but it should theoretically be possible.
9:32:13Or maybe he could set it as one of the
9:32:15guild house functions that were
9:32:16currently inactive.
9:32:18War champion rank officers lack
9:32:20authority to set guild skills. Well,
9:32:23that settled that. But not all hope was
9:32:26lost. Carl focused on the pattern that
9:32:29he would have to inscribe to create
9:32:31bodyguards as a spell that could be
9:32:32added to an item and quickly realized
9:32:35that it was simply impossible.
9:32:37Nearly every part of the spell book
9:32:39would need to be written on the stone,
9:32:414,000 pages worth. That was not going to
9:32:44work unless he inscribed a small
9:32:46mountain. Well, not every plan was
9:32:49destined to succeed, Carl decided as he
9:32:52looked over the plate full of thin cake
9:32:54slices. The kitchen staff had made tiny
9:32:57slices of all three cakes so that you
9:32:59could get all the flavors plus ice cream
9:33:02without ruining your dinner. It was a
9:33:04brilliant plan in theory, but they had
9:33:08left the cakes on the table, and Carl
9:33:10knew for certain that those cakes would
9:33:11not last more than an hour or two. Oilia
9:33:15was the first to speak as everyone was
9:33:17engrossed in their snacks. Now that
9:33:19we're getting up to the accepted power
9:33:21level of a common adventuring group in
9:33:23Drad, why don't we take some time
9:33:25outside the city? The dungeon is all
9:33:27right, but we've been through it so many
9:33:29times now, and it's always the same.
9:33:32Fighting in a situation that you've
9:33:34memorized dulls the senses, and we could
9:33:36use a new challenge. I know that there
9:33:39is a chance that we run into totem
9:33:41ranked beasts and monsters outside the
9:33:43city, but those odds should be fairly
9:33:45low with the army out in force taking
9:33:47care of that manticor pack. They will
9:33:49have run off most of the strongest
9:33:51beasts just so that they're not attacked
9:33:53from the back, but the reduction is
9:33:56supposed to be 90%.
9:33:58If there is just one totem and it cannot
9:34:00heal itself, the odds aren't dismal for
9:34:03us to take it down. Loros and Wendy
9:34:06looked at her like she was crazy.
9:34:08taking out totem rank monsters while she
9:34:10was still a monarch. Even if they had
9:34:13five overlords with them, the odds
9:34:15wouldn't be great. But at least there
9:34:17shouldn't be any mythic rank beasts left
9:34:19on this side of the nation. The damage
9:34:22reduction stacked, and they took 90%
9:34:25less damage than a totem. At that point,
9:34:28an overlord really only had two choices:
9:34:31run or die. Carl considered Oilia's
9:34:34suggestion. He had been thinking the
9:34:37same thing and Hawk was also eager to
9:34:39get out of the city limits for some
9:34:40time. Does everyone have their home
9:34:43location for recall set to the guild
9:34:46house? That would make it much easier to
9:34:48go on overnight hunting trips. We could
9:34:51go out, hunt, and then just recall home
9:34:54so that we don't have to waste days
9:34:55walking back. Carl suggested.
9:34:59Hawk had a better idea. He was large and
9:35:02flying. He could just carry them to
9:35:05where a good fight was. Then they could
9:35:07play all day and come back in the
9:35:09evening. No need to sleep anywhere
9:35:12uncomfortable unless there was nothing
9:35:13good nearby.
9:35:15One after another, the group members
9:35:17nodded. They had all set their recall
9:35:20location here as soon as they had
9:35:22received the spell. And now that they
9:35:24were going out of the city, they even
9:35:26had a reason to use it. Tessa smiled.
9:35:30That sounds like a good idea. Give it a
9:35:32day or two of rest and recovery and then
9:35:35we can head out for a trip. You should
9:35:37make enough items to keep the shop
9:35:39stocked while we are away as well. We
9:35:42wouldn't want to run out and have Davis
9:35:44be forced to make excuses like that we
9:35:46were out gathering materials.
9:35:48Ashbringer laughed at the thought. That
9:35:51might actually be true. Many beast
9:35:54materials are great for crafting and
9:35:56there will be many swords that we don't
9:35:57have in stock right now. If you talk to
9:36:00the guard captain at the gates, he
9:36:02should have a target map for sale that
9:36:03will point out recent complaints from
9:36:05town leaders about what types of
9:36:07monsters and magical beasts they have
9:36:08encountered. There is standard
9:36:10intelligence gathering stop for
9:36:12adventurers on their way out of town and
9:36:14the price is reasonable since the Lord
9:36:16wants the problems controlled as
9:36:18inexpensively as possible. If that means
9:36:21encouraging those not in his employee to
9:36:23do it, then that's what he will do. You
9:36:26could make quite a bit selling the
9:36:27monster materials as well, but I suspect
9:36:29that you have no real reason to need to
9:36:31do that when you could keep all the
9:36:33valuable bits for yourselves or the
9:36:35guild." Carl smiled at the demon.
9:36:38Ashbrer was an overlord ranked master
9:36:41smith, so there were certainly some
9:36:42wonderful creations that he could
9:36:44produce if he had the right materials.
9:36:47Most of what he was making now was
9:36:48limited to the royal rank quality by the
9:36:50materials that came from the dungeon
9:36:52with a few items a month made of special
9:36:54ordered overlord rank materials. If they
9:36:57went out hunting, they could gather many
9:36:59beast materials. But Carl wasn't certain
9:37:02how many of them would actually be
9:37:03relevant to the forge unless they could
9:37:05be used to make alloys. That sort of
9:37:08material was usually better suited to a
9:37:10leather worker than a smith. Maybe they
9:37:13should hire one of those as well. But
9:37:16that was a concern for later as he was
9:37:18already settled enough for a long day of
9:37:20doing nothing at all. The sign was still
9:37:23showing open and the gates were never
9:37:25locked. But Carl wasn't expecting too
9:37:27much business today. Certainly nothing
9:37:30that Davis couldn't handle. But within 2
9:37:33hours, just after they had finished the
9:37:35first round of lunchtime feasting, Carl
9:37:37realized that he had greatly
9:37:39underestimated the draw gossip mill.
9:37:42Mid-after afternoon was when most people
9:37:43were finished with their daily tasks at
9:37:45the castle and at most of the wealthier
9:37:47households.
9:37:49And that was when well-wishers started
9:37:50to arrive to congratulate the ladies on
9:37:52making it to monarch rank. Many of the
9:37:55wealthier residents of the city saw this
9:37:57as a chance to meet the dark light host
9:37:59guild members without inconveniencing
9:38:01the shop and the main room was slowly
9:38:03turning into a social gathering. There
9:38:06were a few purchases being made, but
9:38:08mostly it was just a social event. And
9:38:10after a few minutes, Carl set up benches
9:38:13outside made with earth barrier so that
9:38:16people could sit and talk without all
9:38:18being crowded into the limited space of
9:38:19the store. The staff was busy making
9:38:22snacks and Carl sent his pair of Lameia
9:38:25bodyguards to work as servers. That was
9:38:28a bit of a challenge as their longer
9:38:30bodies were a tripping hazard in a
9:38:31crowded area, but the demons were
9:38:33already used to watching for long bodies
9:38:35and tails on the ground. Nothing would
9:38:38ruin a social mood faster than having
9:38:40someone step on your tail or smack it
9:38:42with a sharp object. As Carl had learned
9:38:45the hard way, as the day moved to
9:38:48evening, the flow of guests continued
9:38:50with as many coming in as were leaving
9:38:52to attend to their daily duties. But
9:38:55they all seemed extremely impressed with
9:38:57the competence of the staff at the Dark
9:38:58Light Host Guild House. Not only had
9:39:01Davis managed to take a few custom
9:39:03orders, but he had also sold many stock
9:39:06items. The food and drink were a
9:39:08constant flow with nobody going thirsty,
9:39:11even if the servers were somewhat
9:39:12unconventional, being a pair of Lameia
9:39:15girls and a pair of large Naga warriors,
9:39:17all at the overlord rank. Many didn't
9:39:20realize that they were conjurations and
9:39:22not high-ranking guild members pressed
9:39:23into service, but the fact that not once
9:39:26did they complain about their duties was
9:39:27deeply impressive. Even the war champion
9:39:30had brought out trays of food for the
9:39:32outdoor tables so that the guests of
9:39:34honor would not be disturbed as they
9:39:36socialized.
9:39:37It was a unique guild experience for
9:39:39many who had expected them to be based
9:39:41on the strict hierarchies of the old
9:39:43noble houses that had existed for
9:39:45thousands of years before the guild
9:39:47functions had recently come back online.
9:39:50Only when it started to get dark and a
9:39:52garden party was no longer polite and
9:39:54proper to continue attending without
9:39:56stated evening plans and invitations did
9:39:58the crowd finally disperse, leaving
9:40:00everyone exhausted.
9:40:02Even Lotus was barely moving. Though
9:40:04that could have been the crash after a
9:40:06dayong sugar rush. The next morning
9:40:09before breakfast, Carl headed to the
9:40:11gate to get a map of the hot spots that
9:40:13the Lord of Drad was requesting
9:40:14adventurers to take care of. Lord Carl,
9:40:18always a pleasure to see you. What can
9:40:20we help you with? The guard on duty
9:40:23asked. We were thinking of going out on
9:40:26a little hunting trip now that all of
9:40:28the ladies have reached monarch rank.
9:40:30Was there anywhere in particular that
9:40:32might be a good location for us? I was
9:40:35told that you have a full map of the
9:40:37target locations,
9:40:39Carl explained.
9:40:41Oh, I know just the right one for you.
9:40:44There is an overpopulation of magical
9:40:46beasts by Kiddrech. It's about 250 km
9:40:50from here in a straight line, but the
9:40:52road runs west to Nelbuk first and then
9:40:54north. East of the town, you'll find a
9:40:57huge number of pygmy stone crushers.
9:41:00They're a form of earth element boore
9:41:02and they're a proper nuisance.
9:41:04Overlord rank, but their attack power is
9:41:07limited. If you can get through their
9:41:09defenses, you should be able to wipe out
9:41:11a few packs and collect a handy reward,
9:41:13plus some fresh food for that
9:41:15Thunderbird of yours. He looks like the
9:41:17sort that appreciates a well-roasted
9:41:19boar. Carl nodded. How many are we
9:41:23talking about? A day or two to clear
9:41:26them out? The guard laughed. They're
9:41:29everywhere in the west, but they don't
9:41:32usually come into the populated areas.
9:41:35The report on the map says there are
9:41:37close to a thousand in the region.
9:41:39Normally, the leg regiment would be sent
9:41:41to deal with them, but they're dealing
9:41:43with an undead horde along the Bosed
9:41:45River right now. They're split up into
9:41:48dozens of units and scattered through
9:41:49the grasslands, in no position to change
9:41:52positions to deal with the boores, no
9:41:54matter how good they taste. Carl winked
9:41:58at the guard. "So, you're saying the
9:42:00guard wouldn't mind if I happened to
9:42:02drop one off here on the way back?" "No,
9:42:05I don't imagine we would mind at all.
9:42:08The Frostfire gate guard detachment
9:42:10would gladly help you dispose of any
9:42:11extra stone crushers you might bring
9:42:13back. Ask about mice," Hawk insisted.
9:42:18"Are there any mouse or rat type species
9:42:21that might be a menace in need of our
9:42:22assistance?"
9:42:24Hawk the ghostfire Thunderbird has a
9:42:26particular thing for rat type species.
9:42:29Carl asked as he took the map of
9:42:31hotspots from the guard. Not close.
9:42:35There was a report of rat men by the
9:42:37orcs up in Kuduji,
9:42:39but I don't know if those count. They're
9:42:42not a properly sentient species, so
9:42:44they're mostly treated like any other
9:42:45forms of vermin. Hawk didn't know
9:42:48either. While they were called ratman,
9:42:51there was no guarantee of flavor.
9:42:54For all he knew, they might actually
9:42:56taste like monkey. All the way to the
9:42:58northern border of the nation for a
9:43:00hunting expedition seemed a little
9:43:02excessive. Anyhow, though, they could
9:43:04likely use the portal, couldn't they? If
9:43:07they could come in at the portal altar,
9:43:09they should be able to go to other
9:43:11places with one as well, or even leave
9:43:14from that one if there was a mage on
9:43:16duty. You need to get the Dana mage a
9:43:18portal spell. Hawk realized.
9:43:22As soon as we find one, I will make sure
9:43:24that she gets a copy. Carl agreed. All
9:43:28of the students and apprentices had
9:43:30their tasks for the day already. In the
9:43:33case of the teachers from Lard, a simple
9:43:35task assigned by Carl that would take
9:43:37them all day to optimize and test. He
9:43:40wanted them to make a non-combat
9:43:41enhancement using runes that would
9:43:43improve a given trade skill by more than
9:43:4530%.
9:43:47It didn't matter which one, but Carl
9:43:49knew that it was not easy to make a
9:43:50trade skill improve with a runic item.
9:43:52So, they would be at it for some time
9:43:54trying to create an epic ranked
9:43:56combination.
9:43:57All right, we have a target, Earth
9:44:00Element Bors. There are about a thousand
9:44:03overlord rank and weaker monsters
9:44:05terrorizing the wilderness and some
9:44:07kilometers from here. So, we will take a
9:44:10day trip and go wipe them out, or at
9:44:12least a lot of them, and then fly back.
9:44:15Carl explained as everyone gathered for
9:44:17dinner. Moira looked concerned. Are you
9:44:21really going to challenge an overlord
9:44:23ranked monster pack? There is a reason
9:44:26that they can get so close to major
9:44:27cities. Carl shrugged. That's really the
9:44:32difference between scattered homesteads
9:44:33and an organized guild raid on the herd.
9:44:36Though we're not defending property or
9:44:38family, so we're not afraid to cause
9:44:40extensive terrain redecoration.
9:44:43If there is one thing that our guild is
9:44:45good at, it's mass destruction.
9:44:47Tessa thought about it a second and then
9:44:50nodded. Even Thor now had a wide area
9:44:53damage spell, even if it was primarily
9:44:55defensive in nature. But with the boores
9:44:58having limited attack power and everyone
9:45:00sharing void body in combat, this battle
9:45:03was going to be a brutal one. Hawk
9:45:06stepped out of his space to lay down in
9:45:08the yard, and Ray set up a full harness
9:45:10for him so the entire group could sit
9:45:12and not rely on his abilities to keep
9:45:14them from falling off. Not that Hawk
9:45:17would have a problem doing it, but it
9:45:19was a reassuring feeling to be secured.
9:45:22Hawk knew the destination, and this was
9:45:24overlord ranked bore meat. Boores were
9:45:26his second favorite, right behind mice.
9:45:30So, as soon as they were all in place,
9:45:32he was racing into the sky, holding
9:45:34nothing back to get to the target as
9:45:36fast as possible. All that the people of
9:45:39the suburbs saw was a blue streak of
9:45:41fire leave the city and disappear over
9:45:43the horizon. Those with higher power
9:45:46levels could identify it as an overlord
9:45:48rank flame, but none of them could do
9:45:50more than guess what the purpose was.
9:45:52Some suspected that it was actually that
9:45:54ghost fire Thunderbird in a hurry, but
9:45:56it had been moving so fast that they
9:45:58couldn't tell. The experience was
9:46:01therapeutic for Hawk, who hadn't had a
9:46:03good excuse to really stretch his wings
9:46:05over a long distance in ages. He was so
9:46:08fast that if he hurried, most of the
9:46:10places they went were only a few minutes
9:46:12away. Flying straight towards the goal,
9:46:15Hawk spotted the herd only 20 minutes
9:46:17into his flight. But they weren't alone.
9:46:21Some impertinent demons were already
9:46:23there, stealing his bore meat. It's only
9:46:27yours if you got there first and killed
9:46:29it. Let them have their hunt. There is
9:46:32plenty left for us. Carl reminded the
9:46:35easily distracted bird. Hawk circled to
9:46:38the ground at the eastern edge of the
9:46:39herd and let everyone down as all of the
9:46:42summons were brought out. But he wasn't
9:46:44the first to act. That was Rey.
9:46:48Suddenly, one of the bores began to
9:46:50spasm and twitch. Then it suddenly
9:46:52exploded, wounding the nearby beasts and
9:46:54covering an area dozens of meters across
9:46:56in a deluge of blood. "Really?"
9:47:00Carl asked as the proud spider went over
9:47:02to inspect her kill. "I like it. I never
9:47:06got to do that before." Rey replied,
9:47:09then got busy with her golems,
9:47:11butchering one of the wounded boores.
9:47:14Well, it looks like we're starting now,
9:47:17Remy. They're heavy. If you want to try
9:47:20out your new Naga swamp spell, this is a
9:47:23good time for it, Carl instructed. The
9:47:27boores were on alert now, and they
9:47:29immediately covered themselves in a
9:47:30thick earthn shield, then began firing
9:47:33Overlord rank stone spikes at the group
9:47:35of invaders.
9:47:37Surprisingly, the boores were not so
9:47:39large.
9:47:40Carl had forgotten that they were
9:47:42designated as pygmy stone crushers and
9:47:45they were only a meter and a half tall.
9:47:47Hawk didn't mind. He grabbed one in his
9:47:50beak and roasted it with his flames
9:47:52until it stopped wriggling, then gulped
9:47:54it down in a single bite. Pork flavored
9:47:57big mice. This isn't half bad. Tessa
9:48:01mounted Thor and Oilia raged, expanding
9:48:04to the full extent of her dire bare
9:48:06form, towering over everyone else and
9:48:08some of the smaller trees. Carl moved
9:48:11forward with the bodyguards by his
9:48:13shoulder, while the epic guard remained
9:48:15back with Dana and Lotus, protecting the
9:48:17healer. Meteors were falling from the
9:48:20sky as a flaming storm began to form
9:48:22along with dozens of hellstorm tornadoes
9:48:25as Remy activated apocalypse.
9:48:28Hawk wouldn't mind if the meat was a bit
9:48:30pre-roasted, and this was the fastest
9:48:32way to deal with the pack of boores, who
9:48:34were already beginning to panic at the
9:48:36presence of Rey with her new demonic
9:48:38oppression, Aura. They were overlords,
9:48:41but they were also a prey species, and
9:48:44their instincts were screaming at them
9:48:45that they were under attack by a
9:48:47predator of the most dangerous sort. If
9:48:49they couldn't win, they would have to
9:48:51run. So, Remy put fire behind them while
9:48:55Rey put stone walls to their sides.
9:48:58Now that they were unable to run, they
9:49:00would naturally choose to fight. When
9:49:03driven into a corner, even the most
9:49:05timid animal will fight, and the stone
9:49:07crushers were not timid animals. Carl
9:49:10hacked them apart as they charged
9:49:11towards the only open side, and noticed
9:49:14that while the overlord ranked soul
9:49:15energy was coming into the hint claw, it
9:49:18was nowhere near as intense or dense as
9:49:19the life energy that was going to the
9:49:21blade of champions.
9:49:23That was the opposite of when they were
9:49:25fighting intelligent beings and vastly
9:49:27different from when they were fighting
9:49:28the undead who had no life energy but
9:49:31strong soul energy. The curious change
9:49:34in the flows of energy into his body
9:49:36kept Carl occupied as he tried not to
9:49:38focus on the continual gore of a battle
9:49:40against angry boores with extremely
9:49:42durable earth armor hides. Freezing them
9:49:45works much better. They break into nice
9:49:48storage sized pieces. Ry informed Carl,
9:49:52impressed with her new skill. Carl could
9:49:55sense Hawk's annoyance, so he knew that
9:49:57her version of storage sized pieces and
9:49:59the birds were not the same. Is the
9:50:02damage so good that you are still
9:50:03blowing up the bores? He asked instead,
9:50:07"Not really, but I'm learning many
9:50:09things about blood magic from this
9:50:11skill, and I can't do that without
9:50:12blowing things up. Give me maybe 200
9:50:15more, and I think I've got another skill
9:50:17coming."
9:50:19Well, if that was the case, they could
9:50:21certainly keep fighting. However,
9:50:24hacking through an overlord ranked
9:50:25barrier on an earth element beast was
9:50:27not an easy feat. They were being
9:50:30bombarded with skills and taking area
9:50:32damage before they made it to the
9:50:33defenders. But still, the boores had
9:50:36their shields up and Carl had to put a
9:50:38significant amount of energy into
9:50:39cutting through it. Even with the
9:50:42stacked damage from Rampage,
9:50:44Carl was focused on keeping the tide
9:50:46back when suddenly there was a living
9:50:48thing falling from the sky at him. He
9:50:51was just about to activate Ren when he
9:50:53realized that Hawk had dropped a living
9:50:55demon on the ground beside him. Dude,
9:50:59sorry. Forgot to warn you. They were in
9:51:02the way over where I wanted to put my
9:51:04hellstorm.
9:51:06The rest of their group scattered, but
9:51:08this one was too scared to run. Carl
9:51:11looked down at the terrified little
9:51:12demon, still holding a dagger in its
9:51:14hand, but with both arms over its head.
9:51:18Was it afraid of the boores or the 25 m
9:51:21bird that had just snatched it out of
9:51:23the ruins of a merchant caravan? Both
9:51:25seemed like reasonable answers. The
9:51:28demon shouldn't be injured anymore. It
9:51:30was within range of Lotus area healing
9:51:32effects, but it wasn't getting up. Even
9:51:34when Carl and the bodyguards pushed
9:51:36forward, leaving the cowering creature
9:51:38at the back with Lotus and Dana. Then
9:51:41there was suddenly nothing for Carl to
9:51:43fight. Every boar within a 100 meters
9:51:46was simply gone. Dozens of boores had
9:51:49vanished without a trace, and nobody
9:51:51seemed to know where they went, except
9:51:54one very smug Cara. Ha, advancements are
9:51:58fun. I should do this more often. New
9:52:02shared skill learned. Avoid blast totem
9:52:04rank. Advanced form of disintegration.
9:52:09Creates an area of destructive void
9:52:11energy up to a spherical area of the
9:52:13caster's rank X 10 m in diameter. Hawk
9:52:16screeched in rage. But where are the
9:52:19bodies? Who needs bodies? When you blow
9:52:23them up, they leave the loot. We have
9:52:26plenty of bodies.
9:52:28Carl wasn't sure what Cara meant by they
9:52:30leave the loot when she had apparently
9:52:32used an area disintegration effect on
9:52:34the boores. Logically, there would be
9:52:37nothing left of them at all. But when
9:52:40Carl looked over the grass in front of
9:52:41him, he found that there were actually
9:52:43treasures left over. There were hundreds
9:52:46of gems, small items, and bits of
9:52:48precious metals on the ground where the
9:52:50boores had been. "What is all that?"
9:52:54Carl wondered out loud. A squeaky voice
9:52:57behind them made a hopeful noise. Then
9:52:59the demon cleared his throat and began
9:53:01to talk. The stone crushers refined
9:53:04rocks and metals to precious materials
9:53:06in their stomachs. That makes them
9:53:08excellent hunting targets.
9:53:11You know, if you can actually kill them.
9:53:13My team brought two overlord rank
9:53:15warriors with us, but the intel was
9:53:17wrong. They said a small pack, and there
9:53:20are thousands of them here. We were
9:53:23overrun. Hawk used a claw to open one of
9:53:26the bores in his space. And sure enough,
9:53:28there were rough gems and metals, many
9:53:31of them strange alloys, as they weren't
9:53:33finished converting yet. The beast
9:53:35started throwing anything that looked
9:53:37like good stuff into their spaces to be
9:53:39sorted later or given to Ashbrer.
9:53:42He seemed like the sort of guy who would
9:53:44appreciate a small mountain of assorted
9:53:45ore. Carl leaned down and picked up a
9:53:48pale blue or lump at his feet, only
9:53:51slightly larger than a marble. Well,
9:53:53it's better than nothing. But Cara, be
9:53:56nice to Brother Hawk and don't
9:53:58disintegrate all his snacks.
9:54:01Snacks that Hawk was now reconsidering.
9:54:04He didn't know that they were full of
9:54:05stones when he was swallowing them
9:54:07whole. Rey looked at Cara with new
9:54:10appreciation.
9:54:11Everyone knew that she got one advanced
9:54:13skill when she reached a new rank, but
9:54:15that new version of disintegrate was far
9:54:18too good.
9:54:20Fortunately for Hawk's bore pile, Cara
9:54:22restrained herself with her next round
9:54:24of attacks, using void blast to blow up
9:54:27the heads, which weren't all that tasty.
9:54:29Anyhow, Carl had almost forgotten about
9:54:32the demon behind him when he noticed
9:54:34that the adventurer was picking up the
9:54:35loose or impartially formed gems that
9:54:37the beasts had passed over when they
9:54:39cleaned the battlefield behind them. If
9:54:42it didn't all match or give off a
9:54:44powerful magical feeling, they just
9:54:46ignored it. But their guest had just
9:54:48lost his whole team and their gear, and
9:54:50he wasn't ashamed to load up his
9:54:52inventory with or to try to at least
9:54:54make up for his monetary losses.
9:54:56Carl switched his attacks to use void
9:54:59blast layered over ren and found that it
9:55:02cut through the defensive barriers of
9:55:04the boores with much less effort. That
9:55:06skill really was ridiculously powerful,
9:55:09and there wasn't any elemental
9:55:10resistance to it the way that earth
9:55:12barriers were strong against fire and
9:55:14lightning. The boores didn't understand
9:55:16what had happened to the rest of the
9:55:18pack as they had simply vanished.
9:55:21So they charged at Carl again as soon as
9:55:23they had recovered, only to be met with
9:55:26arcs of energy that tore through their
9:55:27barriers and an advancing swamp that
9:55:30mired their legs and corroded their
9:55:31skin. The matching bracers on all the
9:55:34ladies, well, all of them whose gear was
9:55:37visible in their combat form, were
9:55:38glowing with power as they drew mana to
9:55:41continue the assault. That bracer of
9:55:44faded encounters was putting in work
9:55:46with both Dana and Tessa alternating
9:55:48casts between their own mana and the
9:55:50bracers so that both would have time
9:55:52regenerate between uses. It was a
9:55:55brilliant idea, not one that Carl
9:55:58actually needed. With the mana
9:56:00regeneration he got shared from the
9:56:02team, he struggled to even use as much
9:56:04as he recovered. The limiting factor was
9:56:07his stamina, not his mana. Even now that
9:56:10they were beginning to close the trap
9:56:11around the herd of pygmy stone crushers,
9:56:14his mana was still nearly full. Maybe he
9:56:17should start going a bit harder and not
9:56:18just hurting the beasts into a tighter
9:56:20cluster. No, it was a good working
9:56:23experience for the golems and the
9:56:25bodyguards.
9:56:26They were creating a moving wall of
9:56:28attacks, pushing the stone crushers back
9:56:30toward the flames. Except for the
9:56:33greater golem, who was running ahead,
9:56:35happily shaking them by their necks and
9:56:37tossing them in the air for Cara to
9:56:39vaporize the skull. For a giant dragon
9:56:42hound, it was quite reminiscent of a
9:56:44young Thor. More interested in playing
9:56:47than anything else. Now Thor was the
9:56:50responsible one, holding position with
9:56:52Tessa. There are more people coming. I
9:56:56think we caused a scene. Hawk informed
9:56:59them from his artillery position in the
9:57:00sky. Remy, you can let the storm end
9:57:04once the current coverage area is clear.
9:57:07Carl decided, "That's almost all of
9:57:10them. Are we leaving something for the
9:57:12locals?" She asked. "As long as it's the
9:57:16local guard and not some poachers. If
9:57:19they're trying to cause trouble, we will
9:57:21just reset the trap with them inside as
9:57:23well." Ry chuckled and activated night
9:57:26haunter to become incorporeal.
9:57:29If these new arrivals wanted to play,
9:57:32she would happily play with them. Carl
9:57:34waited patiently as the newcomers
9:57:36advanced and found that it was not a
9:57:38group of locals or town guards from
9:57:40Kiddrech. It was a unit from the first
9:57:43leg regiment, 50 overlord strong.
9:57:46Gentlemen, we weren't expecting to see
9:57:48you here. Did you need supplies?
9:57:52Carl called with a gesture toward the
9:57:54rest of the stone crushers. How are your
9:57:57casualties?
9:57:58We have a shaman who can resurrect. The
9:58:01flag bearer of the unit called back.
9:58:04Zero casualties on our team, but we have
9:58:07a survivor of another group with us and
9:58:09they were overrun. The unit came to a
9:58:12stop in front of Carl and the man hopped
9:58:14down from his two-legged mount. It
9:58:16almost looked like the ones they used in
9:58:18Nubon, but somehow more demonic and
9:58:20serpentine.
9:58:22A member of their team found us as well.
9:58:25He asked that we rescue his friends. You
9:58:28said that you have one. Carl gestured to
9:58:31the demon behind him who was trying to
9:58:33hide behind Lotus. A pointless effort.
9:58:37He would have done better trying to hide
9:58:39behind Dana, but they were both smaller
9:58:41than he was.
9:58:42Dana pushed him forward and the flag
9:58:45bearer laughed. Oh, isn't this a prize?
9:58:49The survivor is a deserter. That
9:58:52explained why he was trying to hide. If
9:58:55someone from his team hadn't informed
9:58:56the army and begged them to come look
9:58:58for survivors of the adventuring team,
9:59:00he likely would have never been caught.
9:59:03He looked to Carl for help, but Carl
9:59:05just shrugged. "Sorry, man. We're not
9:59:09law enforcement.
9:59:11If you're wanted for desertion, that's a
9:59:13matter between you and the army. The
9:59:16leader of the unit came over with
9:59:17handcuffs in one hand and held them out
9:59:19for the demon to put on himself. It was
9:59:22a fairly direct threat. Either put them
9:59:25on or have them put on you, and the
9:59:27second option will not be fun. While
9:59:30they were occupied, the rest of the
9:59:32squad was spreading out to eliminate the
9:59:34remains of the Pygmy Stone Crushers. Was
9:59:37this the whole pack or did you scoop off
9:59:39a section for yourselves? The soldier
9:59:42asked. Carl shrugged. We killed all the
9:59:46ones that were with this group other
9:59:48than what is here. I don't know if there
9:59:50were more. We are just taking a day trip
9:59:53from Dro to hunt. The ladies recently
9:59:55made monarch rank and the dungeon in the
9:59:58city wasn't giving them the sort of
9:59:59workout that they needed anymore. That
10:00:02made the guard laugh. Then look over at
10:00:04Oilia's massive bear form with concern.
10:00:07That is a person, right? You didn't just
10:00:10tame a monarch ranked dire bear with
10:00:12gigantism?
10:00:14He asked. Carl shook his head. No, she
10:00:19is a titanic berserker.
10:00:21One of her skills makes her bigger,
10:00:23another makes her huge, and a third
10:00:25turns her from a werebear into a dire
10:00:27bear. She's a force of nature in combat,
10:00:30and she gets the item bonuses from her
10:00:32equipped weapons, even when she's in
10:00:34that form. The guard nodded in
10:00:37understanding.
10:00:38She was larger than anyone on his squad,
10:00:41but some of the classes got large size
10:00:43increases now that the system was fully
10:00:45activated again, and many people were
10:00:47gaining access to the skill tree. "It
10:00:50looks like your team is set up to fight
10:00:51nearly anything." "But is that a winged
10:00:54void badger?" the soldier asked as he
10:00:57watched Cara flying behind the greatly
10:00:59reduced pack of stone crushers to drive
10:01:01them into the military unit. Indeed, she
10:01:04is. She's had a big day today. She just
10:01:07made it to Overlord.
10:01:09Carl agreed. The soldier made a sign of
10:01:13protection at the mansion, then shook
10:01:14his head. Well, if you think that you
10:01:17can survive that friendship, more power
10:01:19to you. Cara was mildly insulted.
10:01:23Sure, she loved pranks, but she was
10:01:26never malicious.
10:01:28It wasn't like she was Sister Ray, who
10:01:30liked to make things explode for fun.
10:01:32"Did you not just make a hundred boores
10:01:34disintegrate to see if they dropped
10:01:36loot?" Ry countered. "Well," she had a
10:01:40point, "But it didn't count. They were
10:01:43just boa
10:01:46and the soldiers. The rest of the boores
10:01:48were quickly being rounded up, but the
10:01:50merchant who had come with the leg
10:01:51regiment unit was greatly concerned that
10:01:53there were still more of them out in the
10:01:55wilderness somewhere. He was hoping to
10:01:57recover the remains of his convoy to at
10:01:59least make an attempt at repairing a
10:02:01wagon enough to get him to his
10:02:02destination with some goods. But if the
10:02:05herd had split up between when he had
10:02:07seen them and now, it might not be safe
10:02:09to continue. Overhead, the ghostly blue
10:02:12flames of Hawk flared like a second sun
10:02:14in the sky, and when they faded, he was
10:02:16visibly larger than before, but
10:02:18otherwise identical. That made five out
10:02:21of six at the Overlord rank. Little
10:02:24Butterfly wasn't taking part in the
10:02:26battle, but Carl could feel that the
10:02:28creature was intrigued by the scene.
10:02:30Whether it wanted to fight or if it was
10:02:32just recording everything from its space
10:02:34for a reenactment later was a mystery.
10:02:37The thoughts of the glass-wing
10:02:39illusionary butterfly were always
10:02:40secretive, and it was hard to tell if it
10:02:42was fully sensient or simply mimicked
10:02:44what was going on around it, most of the
10:02:46time based on instinct. The choices of
10:02:49plays and the illusionary space
10:02:51suggested that little butterfly was
10:02:52sensient. It just seemed to lack a
10:02:54mental voice. However, one of the demons
10:02:57from the squad that had come to clear
10:02:59the beasts had caught her attention, and
10:03:01Carl could sense the butterfly trying to
10:03:03learn a skill. So he focused on
10:03:06skillmaster linking the two of them with
10:03:09a better chance at learning. Carl
10:03:11couldn't see what the demon was doing,
10:03:13but the viewpoint from inside the space
10:03:15wasn't strictly limited by his location.
10:03:18They could see from above his head or
10:03:20slightly off to one side, giving them a
10:03:22much wider field of view. As the battle
10:03:25ended, he could sense the butterflyy's
10:03:27satisfaction with the results, but he
10:03:29didn't get any messages about new skills
10:03:31or advancements.
10:03:33Perhaps it was a better understanding of
10:03:35its own skills that was the goal.
10:03:38Illusionary Domain 2 might have been too
10:03:40much to ask for, as the skill was
10:03:42already incredibly powerful as a
10:03:44distraction and containment skill. Then
10:03:47three dozen demon warriors, slender
10:03:49obsession demons similar to Dana's epic
10:03:51guard, but wearing maid dresses and
10:03:53carrying spears instead of the epic
10:03:55guard's leather armor and a sword,
10:03:57appeared in front of Carl. It was
10:03:59obvious that they were an illusion as
10:04:01they were faintly translucent in the
10:04:03light. They were also waiting for
10:04:05something, but Carl wasn't sure what.
10:04:08No, he knew what they were waiting for.
10:04:11Butterfly didn't know any skills but
10:04:13illusions and invisibility.
10:04:16Thor, Tessa, we need some spells. Carl
10:04:20called. Thor gave the illusions a layer
10:04:23of eternal lightning while Tessa gave
10:04:25them holy weapon which made the
10:04:27illusionary spears solid. That many
10:04:31eternal lightning barriers severely
10:04:32depleted Thor's mana pool, but he
10:04:35regenerated quickly and he didn't need
10:04:37to keep it active and sustained like he
10:04:38did for the actual group members. Carl
10:04:42put disintegrate on the spearheads and
10:04:44felt an immense mental and magical draw
10:04:46as the illusions moved into combat. That
10:04:50was a single strike skill, and it needed
10:04:52to be refreshed every time that they
10:04:53attacked if he wanted it to remain
10:04:55active. Fortunately, the skills that
10:04:58Thor and Tessa put on them were enough
10:05:00that the illusions could hurt the Stone
10:05:01Crushers, even if they were doing almost
10:05:03no damage to them compared to active
10:05:05attack skills. Without powerful overlord
10:05:09ranked skills, it would take all of them
10:05:11to break through the defensive abilities
10:05:12of the Stone Crushers. But the holy
10:05:15weapon spell did some damage and they
10:05:18were solid enough that the illusions
10:05:19could gang up on the monsters if they
10:05:21tried to charge. The soldier beside Carl
10:05:24gave him a strange look. Did you just
10:05:27put barriers on illusions and send them
10:05:29to battle? Carl nodded. It's an odd
10:05:33tactic, I admit. But your team is doing
10:05:36enough damage and we mostly needed
10:05:38someone to keep the stone crushers from
10:05:40running away. Keeping that barrier up
10:05:43would be hard on Thor, and Carl was
10:05:45prepared to step up with a stronger
10:05:46version of Eternal Lightning. But the
10:05:49Sarah was so happy with the arrangement
10:05:50that he didn't want to steal his moment
10:05:52of glory. Sister Butterfly, we should
10:05:55make them redrobe soldiers next time. A
10:05:58Tessa army, Thor suggested.
10:06:02That would be quite thematic, but there
10:06:04was something incredibly amusing about
10:06:06the looks the soldiers were giving the
10:06:07demons in maid outfits.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of 10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 10 | Audiobook (SleepStudyGym) by 10HourNovels, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 103,023 words across 15,241 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.