Excise: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Ether Collapse Book 2)
Page 15
He looked over at Sela, who nodded. She had seen it too, which at least confirmed he wasn’t imagining things. Sela stated in a whisper, “I assume they are looking for humans that enter. Considering that they were probably meeting with Corsair or one of his goons most days. Now suddenly, no humans from Corsair’s contingent have entered in almost a week.”
Rocky nodded his head and moved off, hoping to get away from the place where most Bazaar visitors phased into. It would be much harder to find them in the Bazaar itself. Not that the ‘Mechano-Lords’ could do anything to them in the shop, but after their late-night meeting, Rocky was on edge. Add in all the trouble the Mechano-Lords had caused in Ottawa, and they made his blood boil.
As planned, they headed first to Garnell, who specialized in construction materials, building blueprints, and special orders. Rocky really enjoyed the straightforwardness of the man, who reminded him of a blue-collar working man. Approaching the Karacy, or what could be called a Dwarf by Earthen standards, Rocky smiled, and Garnell matched it.
“Rocky! Great to see ye again. How are all ye tools and materials working out?”
Rocky tried to pat Garnell on the shoulder and unbalanced for a moment as his hand slid through the projection of the merchant. Muttering as he righted himself, he grimaced. “Hey bu– Damnit! I am going to get used to that! Sorry, Garnell.” The Dwarf was giving him a bit of a worried look. Rocky continued, “The tools, materials, and forge are working very well, thank you for asking. Can we make this conversation private by chance?”
Garnell raised an eyebrow, then fiddled with invisible screens in front of him.
Garnell BoulderCad has offered you to use a Private Sales Room.
Cost is one Crystallized Ether; would you like to be transported along with Garnell and Selaphelia to the room?
Yes |
*If you spend over 20 Crystallized Ether, the room is automatically compensated by the shop.
Rocky looked at Garnell, then queried both Sela and the man, “If we use this room, can we invite other merchants into it after Garnell?” Sela shook her head and began fiddling with her screens. Suddenly, one of his corners began blinking yellow, and he ground his teeth, still disliking notifications that appeared on his interface in this way. He minimized Garnell’s and opened the new yellow notice.
One day I am going to figure out all of these stupid notifications that cause blinking corners and phase them out!
Selaphelia Ardensai has opened a Private Meeting Room.
Cost is five Crystallized Ether; would you like to be transported along with Selaphelia and Garnell to the room?
*If you spend over 100 Crystallized Ether the room is automatically compensated by the shop.
Rocky shrugged and rejected the first offer to accept the second, assuming that this was Sela’s answer to his question. As soon as he mentally selected yes, the world around him shifted, and the three of them were in an indoor, opulent space. The round room was dominated by a massive mahogany meeting table. The furniture was so lush and posh, Rocky’s eyes widened unbiddenly. The table itself was made out of a single tree that, on closer inspection, he didn’t actually recognize, despite the mahogany he had associated with it. He could see numerous rings that denoted the tree’s age, and it was so dark and glossy he couldn’t quite tell what sort of varnish had been used.
The carpet under his feet was deep, earthy colors and seemed so opulently fluffy that he wanted to lie down and go to sleep on it. The walls were all adorned with paintings that depicted magnificent landscapes that either were pure fantasy or the worlds they came from were beyond human understanding. Shaking his head, Rocky pulled out a massive leather chair and sat down. Garnell did likewise, lowering himself slowly as he looked around. “Been a while since I’ve been in one of these! Usually, a settlement owner books one of these when they come in to stock up for the year!” Rocky tried to show no response as he turned to look at Sela who tapped her fingers on the table twice.
That was the symbol she told me before entering. One tap for yes and two for no. I am guessing that Settlements and Territories are the same thing, but Sela doesn’t want to reveal ours just yet.
“Well, we have some spare cash and plan to purchase quite a bit today if the prices are right,” Rocky interjected to cover the momentary lull in the conversation. Then he placed his Regulated Knowledge Tablet on the table and began diving through the Dwarf’s wares with occasional comments from Garnell.
“That kitchen is good for feeding approximately a hundred people an hour, and yeah, that’s the larger version for a thousand. If you’re going to get the next size up for ten thousand, you need to order it and have it ported into location. It’s too large to have a compact version that can fit into the shop.”
“That sawmill needs to be loaded for each log individually and can plank an entire tree in thirty minutes… That more expensive one is the top of the line model, and if felled trees are in the vicinity, it will automatically load them into the mechanism. In addition, the unused portions of the trees are chipped and turned into plywood.”
After looking through the items they were deciding between, Rocky stumbled upon a wide array of tents of all sizes. The options they could provide for his population were extremely beneficial. In fact, one, in particular, made him change his plans slightly because it spoke directly to something Sela had been adamant about.
“This Guild Tent, what is the difference between it and the regular military tent?” Rocky asked, not really needing to know the answer but trying to hide the fact that he wanted it for a Territory. Based on the fact he had just perused through a kitchen for a thousand people an hour and a second kitchen for one hundred people an hour might have already given it away. Not to mention the top of the line sawmill. Those three items were extremely expensive, and he didn’t know how he could keep the fact hidden if they kept going.
He somewhat trusted Garnell, but Rocky needed a way to hide who he was from the next merchants they met with. As he internalized these problems, he listened with half an ear to Garnell. “Yes, the military tent will allow you to sleep under cover, conveys a full eight hours of sleep in seven hours, and sets up a perimeter spell at a fifty kilometers radius out from itself. I can open up their properties for you. Honestly, not a lot of people consider these items… unless they have an army in the field.” Suddenly, the screen that he was looking at gave quite a bit more information, and Rocky raised an eyebrow at Garnell before reading it.
Guild Tent
This tent will act as a guild headquarters, and if placed in the field or a settlement, it will allow a guild to be founded or act as a mobile guild headquarters for expansion. This is not a true building however, so all guild benefits are halved until a more permanent structure is completed. This building is more of a stop-gap to allow the guild to begin growing on new planets or in new Territories before the Territory has access to the construction blueprints and materials to construct a true guild house.
Cost 100 Crystallized Ether
“Why did you keep the information hidden?” Rocky asked, confusion written plainly across his face.
Garnell shrugged, seeing Rocky’s look. “Most people come to see what the exact quality of the items are, and then try to replicate them and sell them at a discount. Most merchants will keep some parts of the crafted gear held back for serious buyers only.”
Immediately after his last word, Garnell paused and looked sharply at both of them. He then leaned forward, growing serious, “Listen, let’s talk honestly, you two! Do you have an army ten thousand strong and are preparing to march, at which point I cannot in good faith sell to you under the merchant laws of neutrality, or…?”
He let the final comment hang in the air, and Rocky looked at Sela, who was looking back and waiting for his decision. Rocky sighed and looked at Garnell. “Are there any laws that would stop you from revealing information shared with you?” Garnell’s stoic demeanor didn’t change much, b
ut his mustache and beard twitched, which indicated to Rocky he had shocked the man.
Garnell fiddled with some unseen windows, and suddenly, a black screen appeared in front of Rocky, which had white letters adorning it.
Garnell BoulderCad has suggested a mutual Ether Binding about any information shared in the last thirty minutes and for the remainder of your meeting. If any of the parties involved share information that is spoken about in this meeting and was deemed confidential, then the other party will be informed.
To mark information as confidential, speak the words, “This is in confidence,” before speaking or simply state all information shared is in confidence. Everything before this contract is signed is deemed confidential if not otherwise specified.
Accept Ether Bound contract?
Sela’s eyes had widened slowly as she read to the end of the message and then read it again. After a few quick blinks she nodded to herself then focused her eyes back to him when the screens closed. When Sela nodded to him, Rocky smiled and accepted as well. Then he opened his mouth, “I notice this doesn’t stop you from sharing the information outright? I assume that this means that it is more of a reputation loss with me if you do break it?”
Garnell’s beard twitched, and Rocky heard a smile in his next words, “That is correct. A Duangar who breaks his word loses his clan and hearth not long after.” Rocky blinked. He had obviously never heard that particular idiom, but he could easily figure out the meaning behind the words, so he nodded once.
“Okay, before we get into the discussion, is there a way for me to hide my identity better from future merchants that I meet?” Garnell just shrugged and pulled two fox masks out of thin air and followed them up with something that looked similar to a Japanese kimono.
Garnell shrugged. “I have seen people use something similar to this, and it works relatively well. In conjunction with the Ether Binding we just signed, usually individuals get an idea of who is to be trusted and who to be wary of.”
Rocky inspected the items which had instantly gained a bubble that indicated they were not his but were currently accessible and Analyzable by him. He Analyzed one of the masks.
Ceremonial Fox Mask & Ceremonial Kee-chu of the Fox
These are expertly crafted items that are often used by the Children of Chaos of Kareet during ceremonial festivals to honor deities.
Price 1 Gem per set
Purchase 2 sets?
It was next to nothing per set of clothing that should help keep them slightly safer moving forward. Rocky accepted, and both Sela and he wrapped the Kee-Chu around themselves with a few directions from Garnell about sashes and buckles. Once they were finished donning the kimono-like garment, they resumed discussions with Garnell.
They told him their current situation and all about being a brand new ‘Settlement’ just starting out. They made sure to begin discussions with “This is all in confidence,” and completely avoided telling him what their planet’s name was. Garnell, for his part, nodded along as if he had expected something like this.
Once Rocky finished explaining everything, Garnell nodded once. “This is in confidence, but if you are looking to start a Settlement, then I do have a reserve list of items that I can show you. Keep in mind, some things from this list will have to be brought to the seed shop on my end. So you have to order them. Then on your next visit, you will pay and receive the items. Also, the first item on the list is something of a necessity for larger purchases. It keeps its location entirely shielded from merchants but allows us to port purchases directly to them.”
Sela blinked at this information, which told Rocky that she wasn’t aware of Garnell’s reveal. A flick of some invisible option and the screens Rocky was looking at changed.
Garnell BoulderCad’s Wares
Each item on this list is specific for Territories (Settlements).
Shop Add-ons
Untraceable Shop Warehouse
Populace Accessible Shop and Accompanying Assistant
Purchased Item Tracker
Shop Tax Storage Vault
Merchant Room
Territory Blueprints and Temp Buildings
Housing Tent
Guild Tent
Townhall Tent
Food Hall Tent
Blueprint – Two-Sided Meal Hall
Blueprint – Crafters Pavilion
Blueprint – Training Hall
Blueprint – Barracks
Blueprint – Hunters Hall
Blueprint – Research Library
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Rocky needed to understand what the Shop-Add-ons did. So, he mentally selected them in turn.
Untraceable Shop Warehouse
This shop-addon building folds down into a box six-feet by six-feet and will unfold next to the shop if equipped.
Allows merchants to port in larger wares to Settlement Owners that normally will not fit into the seed shop proper.
Building hides its location from all merchants and shop owners.
This item is prohibitively expensive due to its small amount of Arbuckle but grants the owner anonymity.
Cost 300 Crystallized Ether
—
Populace Accessible Shop and Accompanying Assistant
This shop-addon building folds down into a box three-feet by three-feet and will unfold next to the shop if equipped.
Allows Settlement owners to grant access to the entire populace for selling and purchasing items without granting access to the shop proper. The assistant that runs the ‘Population Shop’ will be granted access to a running list of purchasable items the shop has access to through current merchants. It will then allow sales or purchases by individuals. It has minimal negotiation abilities.
Artificial intelligence will not reveal anything about the customer to a merchant.
Cost 100 Crystallized Ether
—
Purchased Item Tracker
This AI add-on will keep track of all purchases made and allow individuals to peruse them at leisure.
Only useable if Populace Accessible Shop and Accompanying Assistant is purchased.
Cost 10 Crystallized Ether
—
Shop Tax Storage Vault
This shop add-on will keep a certain percentage of purchases and sales as taxes inside the vault. This allows specified individuals to access the vault at any time.
This item can be used in conjunction with AI from Populace Accessible Shop and Accompanying Assistant. If stored here, the taxes will be counted, and a running total of what’s available will be presentable by the AI.
Cost 30 Crystallized Ether
—
Merchant Room
This shop add-on is a necessity for storing larger merchant wares. This building will store and allow the shop access to items that have been sold, transferring out said items into designated seed shops of the main shop.
This item is prohibitively expensive due to its moderate amount of Arbuckle and Accompanying Smart Storage System.
Cost 1000 Crystallized Ether
Rocky was stunned first by the items and then further by the prices. It would seem that, in time, he would need to have all of these add-ons. However, at current, he really needed one or two. Stroking his chin, he looked over at Sela, who was also looking through the lists. He let her finish and look up before he asked, “Did you go through everything or just the shop add-ons?”
She glanced at him and then Garnell before she responded, “Garnell, I assume these prices are set by your guild or planetary alliance? At least for the shop add-ons.” Garnell nodded, and Sela nodded in confirmation. “I figured. One does not simply come by Arbuckle easily. As for your question, Rocky, I went through everything briefly and think we could use a few items if the price is right.”
Warning:
Five sapient creatures have entered your Territory
.
They have marked themselves as non-hostile and have requested a meeting with the leader.
Would you like to mark them as enemies?
Yes |
Rocky blinked rapidly and looked at Sela whose eyes had widened, and she had half stood from her chair. Rocky placed a hand on her shoulder and stood himself. “I think one of us should stay here and continue this discussion. Since you are the more knowledgeable, I think that should be you. I will go take a look at what has entered our Territory. Azoth should be able to contact you if needed, or I’ll simply mark them as hostile.”
Sela first shook her head and looked ready to protest, but when she looked at his hard-cold eyes, she saw a dark, swirling cloud that made her shiver. She saw in them the man she had glimpsed that fateful night they lost two young men, the man she had seen a few times on their journey back to the Territory, and she smiled before nodding. A moment later, Rocky ported out of the shop, leaving her and Garnell to continue.
Chapter Twelve
As soon as Rocky found himself in the room inside the seed shop, he looked over to his guide and friend, Sela. She was statue still, serene, but still somehow commanded respect. Chagrined, he shook his head to clear it of the momentary, albeit beautiful distraction. A moment later, he exited the room by placing his hand on the inside wall, which opened a door.
Once he was outside, he mentally called Azoth, who surprised him by chuffing right behind him. Rocky jumped before laughing and patting the giant Chimera, who had been resting near the shop, probably waiting for Sela or himself. Rocky touched his ear and sent to Joe, “Joe, there’s something that entered our Territory to our southwest. They have somehow signaled they’re friendly, but just in case, rally the army and march in that direction.”