by Dakota Krout
Effect: Convincing others to take dark, violent, or passionate actions now have a fixed 10% increased chance to succeed! All actions that lead to peaceful, non-violent, or purely logical actions have a fixed 10% increased chance to fail! Your methods of gaining charisma in the future have been altered.
As one of the first five hundred players to achieve a characteristic shift: Charisma +10.
Changing a main characteristic has dangerous repercussions to the body and mind. While this update is taking effect, you shall be rendered unconscious. Starting in 3… 2…
Joe’s eyes flew open, making Aten shout in surprise and jump away from him. Aten had been putting Joe into a bed in the Guild Hall. The space was usually reserved for people that had worked too many hours and would be starting their next shift shortly after sleeping. Joe sat up, raising a brow at the large warrior. “Aten, I know we’re close, but I don't think that we’re that close.”
“I thought you were dead, Joe.” Aten glared in an attempt to hide his shock and embarrassment.
“Hmm. If you were thinking I was dead, and you were getting that close to my face, what does that say about you?” Joe teased the flustered man.
“That’s not funny! I was checking to see if you were breathing!” Aten shook his head, puffing up to defend his own honor, when Joe started chuckling. “You think you’re so~o~o funny, but you're not!”
“Sorry, sorry; I was just testing out the new function of my charisma.” Joe waved off Aten’s retaliatory snort. “Seriously! I just had a characteristic shift. Apparently, it is now a lot easier for me to rile people up, to make them give in when logic is taken out of the equation.”
“You became a politician?” Aten took a step away from the bed. “Joe, that’s such a downgrade from what you had.”
“No, no.” Joe hesitated as he swung his feet over the edge of the bed. “It’s… really hard to describe. I can just feel what buttons to press when I want an emotional response from you. It's… hmm. Interesting, for certain.”
Aten considered the man in front of him for a long moment. “I will say, your words feel smoother. As in, when you were speaking… I don't know, you just seemed to really mean what you were saying in a way that I haven't seen from you before. You seemed more… sincere?”
“Probably because my charisma jumped by ten points right before I dropped.” Joe shrugged at the flabbergasted look Aten sent his way. “Apparently you need to use your characteristics in a specific way for a long period of time. I have no other information to share about this right now; if I find some, I’ll let you know. What was decided in the meeting?”
“The meet…? Right.” Aten shook himself out of his dreams of sudden stat increases. “We are going to push into getting the town to tier three. I have some people that have managed to get some building plans for three rare buildings, and one ‘Special’ building. These by themselves will probably be enough to get us to the next town rank.”
“You found a Special ranked building?” Joe’s eyebrows flew up, making it look like agitated caterpillars were skittering across his bald head. “What does it-”
“Don’t get too excited. The Rare buildings are more useful than the Special.” Aten shook his head. “It’s a luxury building. No strategic value, it's just a quality-of-life thing. It’ll help with morale and such, give a few non-combat players a job.”
“What actually is it? I need details, Aten! Do we have the needed materials to make it?” Joe was practically salivating over the thought of all that juicy class experience.
“I think we do. It's an open-air bathhouse, Japanese-style. It looks pretty cool, and it apparently gives a bonus to durability and characteristic training after using it. Minor things in the short term, really important in the long run.” Aten shrugged as he described the structure. “Honestly, I’d be really excited about it if we weren't caught up in a propaganda war right now.”
“I’m still pretty excited about it.” Joe admitted after thinking through the benefits. “We only know for sure that the other guilds are going to come after us; we don't know when. If there is a chance for us to raise our base characteristics by a large amount, we could take the others completely by surprise. Something that has been really drilled into my head during my time here: only intelligent planning and preparation are a match for absolute strength. If we have both strength and craftiness, we are going to be too hard of a nut to crack. Eventually, they will have to give up.”
“Interesting. You know, we won't even be trapped in here during a siege, thanks to the fast-travel system in the temple.” Aten scratched his chin and contemplated the ceiling. “I know that we have a lot to do, you especially, but please keep an eye toward the development of our town. We’re frantically bringing in as many supplies as we can so that we can get the buildings all set up, mainly because we think that there will be a huge reward when we get the town to the third rank.”
“What makes you think that?” Joe didn't want to miss out on whatever rewards might be offered, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. He had found that when he worked, and did his best, that had to be reward enough. Then, if there was a big reward, it was amazing. Otherwise, when he expected huge rewards, the best thing that could happen was that he would meet his own expectations. Most of the time, he wouldn't meet his own expectations, and that was crushing over time.
Aten knew what Joe was really asking, “Data. Pure data. There are records of the kingdom’s establishment and all of the outlying towns that it developed. Beyond that, our spies are keeping tabs on anyone else that is building up a town. All of them are also frantically building up their towns in an attempt to get to town level three, and they attacked us and demanded that we stop progressing. All of this matches up with our own research into the subject. With all of this combined, our guild is certain that something will happen at that town level three.”
“Another thing: there is a reason we want you to build up our town as fast as possible. The threats came only after we reached town level two and we were showing no signs of slowing down. Our intelligence says that if we sprint at the next town level, they are certain we can force our enemies to play their hand before they are ready.” Aten was staring into the distance, and he heaved a great sigh before turning back to Joe. “The longer we wait, the more time they will have to prepare for us. If there is anything. Anything… that we can do in order to make you more productive, know that you have the full might of the guild behind you.”
Joe knew that Aten was being extremely serious, but he still couldn't help himself. “Aten, I already told you, I know we’re close, but I don't think that we’re that close.”
Aten started tapping his foot impatiently. “Joe, I will put you through that wall, then make you repair it.”
“Oh, look at all the work I need to do.” Joe planted his feet on the floor and rushed out of the room, pretending to be afraid. When he reached the hallway, he started sprinting, shouting over his shoulder, “Aten, I don't like you like that! You’re just going to have to find someone else!”
“Joe! Get back here!” Aten barreled out of the room, playing right into Joe’s trap, but Joe was already sending mana to his feet with every step; he was long gone.
Chapter Forty-Two
With public opinion turning against them, the Wanderer’s Guild started having a rough time. At four in the morning the day after the battle, hunting parties were sent to respawn in the woods near Towny McTownface. By seven in the morning, it was discovered that player-run shops in and around Ardania had started increasing their prices for guild members, and the cost of living for most members of The Wanderer’s Guild started to climb.
These changes forced the guild members to begin frequenting non-player-character shops more frequently, which sold a much smaller variety of items, and at a lower quality. In retaliation, the guild instantly announced that they had plans to create their own general goods trading firm. The decisive reaction shocked the collective guild, but it also lit a flam
e in their hearts to know that their guild leaders had their long-term success in mind.
Just as Joe was finishing his morning coffee and puzzle cube training session, Mike appeared at his table. “Good morning, Joe!”
“Hello, Mike,” Joe muttered as he stared at the puzzle cube. He had been working on this for weeks, and it looked… it looked as though he had nearly completed it. There were just a few more…
Mike cheerfully handed over a large tube. “Here is the first of the blueprints that we were able to secure. This is a Rare building; a three-story trading house with a deep basement. The basement serves as a warehouse, the ground floor is for general goods, the second floor is hard-to-obtain items, and the third floor is an auction house!”
Joe looked at the silvery blueprint in awe. “I don't think I’ve actually seen a blueprint where each level serves a different purpose like this! I mean, I’ve built large buildings and such, but there is almost always a uniform purpose to them. This should be interesting… do we have everything we are going to need to build this guy? Ouch; I just realized that we need at least a Rare Core to make this…”
“Ah.” Mike’s face fell at Joe’s words. “That could be an issue. I thought you could make things cheaper when you built them?”
Joe shook his head at Mike’s hopeful tone. “Yes, but not to the extent you are thinking. I’ve tried that before. Though I won’t need an entire Core to build the building, it needs to be the correct rarity. Core rarity determines the density of the power they hold.”
Pulling out the perfectly square Uncommon Core he had taken from the elite Neigh-Bear, he set it next to a Common one. They were the same size, thanks to the new benefit of his spell, but the Uncommon one was so bright that it left retinal afterimages if they stared too long. “Think of them like batteries: no matter how many watch batteries you use, you could never start a car. Conversely, if you have a car battery, even if it has a low charge, it can get the engine running.”
“Oh. Well, that actually made it pretty clear.” Mike rubbed at his bristly chin. Clearly, he had not had a chance to shave this morning. Joe realized that was an unexpected benefit of his Baldy title: it was easy to get going in the morning. “I’ll see what I can do, but it might be a while before we can make that happen. I don't know if you heard, but we just found out that our guild members are getting overcharged at shops. The backlash for wiping out all those players has already started.”
“Ah, that's the reason for the shop, then?”
“Exactly.” Mike sunk a little closer to Joe as he spoke. “We were going to do this eventually anyway, since we need a proper place where people can buy things with guild contribution points. The Guild Hall really isn't set up for it, though this was intended as more of a… long term plan than anything else. However, if our hand is going to be forced, we are ready to make that move.”
“Gotcha. I’ll get this made into a ritual, but it’ll be a side project until you tell me that we are getting close to having everything we need. Also, if we need a merchant or anything, go to the Odds and Ends shop. My mother runs it.” Joe knew that the conversation was over, so he didn't mind when Mike started walking away without saying another word. The next task he wanted to complete was his strength and constitution training, so Joe spent the next fifty-four minutes on the training field as vindictive trainers dumped coals on him.
When that was done, Joe returned to the mess area, already sparklingly clean thanks to his Neutrality Aura, and drank a cup of coffee provided by Mate. Joe got the attention of one of the food vendors, and asked him to make sure that Joe moved after half an hour had passed. Seeing as Joe was sitting in a prime area to access the roasted venison, the vendor was only too happy to have an excuse to tell him to leave in a certain timeframe.
“Okay… gotta get a handle on this ability.” Joe took a deep breath and centered himself. “Essence Cycle!”
The world shifted into grayscale, then darkened further and further. Soon, Joe was once more mesmerized by the titanic currents of power that invisibly surrounded all of them. His goal had been learning how to break out of the cycle on his own, but the fact of the matter was… it was too easy to get trapped. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye for Joe, and he was soon being shaken by a man smelling of woodsmoke and meat. “‘Scuse me, sir. Ya asked me to tell you to leave?”
“Ah, sure did.” Joe stood on unsteady legs, having a difficult time adjusting back to reality. It was now about nine-thirty in the morning, and Joe was absolutely starving, even though he had eaten breakfast only three hours previously. “Can I say, you smell amazing? Please tell me that is from the food you serve, because I really don’t want to believe anyone naturally smells like this.”
“Ha!” The man chuckled as he switched to sales mode. “Come on over and try for yourself! Best breakfast is one that started out wild!”
Joe bought a large plate of meat, then looked at his stat sheet as he munched.
Name: Joe ‘Tatum’s Chosen Legend’ Class: Mage (Actual: Rituarchitect)
Profession I: Tenured Scholar (Actual: Arcanologist)
Profession II: Ritualistic Alchemist
Character Level: 17 Exp: 167,220 Exp to next level: 3,780
Rituarchitect Level: 7 Exp: 25,286 Exp to next level: 2,714
Hit Points: 633/633
Mana: 1,087/1,887 (679 Reserved)
Mana regen: 39.86/sec
Stamina: 627/627
Stamina regen: 5.89/sec
Characteristic: Raw score (Modifier)
Strength: 62 (2.12)
Dexterity: 75 (2.25)
Constitution: 63 (2.13)
Intelligence: 121 (3.21)
Wisdom: 95 (2.46)
Charisma (Dark): 70 (2.2)
Perception: 73 (2.23)
Luck: 45 (1.45)
Karmic Luck: +27
Joe saw some serious improvements, but had to pause a moment when he saw the increase to his class experience. “Where did that extra fifteen hundred…? Oh! The other apartment buildings. Right… I can't build anything right now. I haven't seen Daniella in days, and the Master Enchanter is busy until next week. Jake the Alchemist?”
Leaving the mess area behind, Joe soon arrived in Ardania, thanks to his fast-travel options. He walked over to the alchemist’s shop and waited for a short while as the customers browsed. When Jake was finally free, Joe struck up a conversation. “Hi, Jake! How are you?”
“Oh, fine. Just fine. Lots of people buying poisons for their weapons these days.” Jake looked Joe up and down. “Pretty sure that’s all thanks to you; they all seemed to have a grudge against the ‘tyrant guild’. Good money in it, if you are interested in helping me make poisons that they can use against you. Thoughts?”
“I’d… rather not?” Joe held up his hand as if to say ‘duh’. “I don’t want to be responsible for members of my guild dying?”
“Hmm. Shame. I suppose you are here for your next training session? It's been long enough that you should have absorbed the lessons from last time, so shall we have a test before we get started?” A puff of red powder rose from a tube that had been hidden in the wall and settled across Joe’s face. “What was the first rule of working with poisons and powders?”
Joe screamed as his health started to plummet. His face felt like it was on fire. He had been sprayed with mace back in his army days so that he could experience it for himself, but this was a dozen times worse. His hands slapped at his face, and he just barely managed to keep from touching his skin. “Gah… pah… don’t! Don’t touch your face when working with components!”
“Close enough.” Jake sprayed something on Joe’s face, and it foamed into a bubble around Joe’s head before vanishing entirely, along with the pain. “Always remember, you are going to get something on your hands or gloves. If you touch your face, it’ll get into your system, and you will die. This will happen to you at some point, I can almost guarantee it, since you have not trained for this profession since you were a chi
ld. Still, at least you can come back after you mess up. It might even raise your skill level. Actually, let’s give it a-”
“I was here for something specific.” Joe spat out a mouthful of blood as he healed himself. “How did that get through my Exquisite Shell?”
“How does air get through it? Same concept.” Jake waved his hand nonchalantly. “When you have been in the alchemy business as long as I have, you have to develop a few methods for killing grumpy Mages. If you do it in a spectacular enough fashion, the others tend to leave you alone.”
“Abyss, that’s dark, Jake.” Joe swallowed at the careless way Jake talked about permanently murdering someone. “I was here today because I was hoping that you could help me with something. I found a cauldron, and I can't identify it.”
“You found a cauldron?” Jake smiled faintly. “How cute. Let’s see the overexaggerated cooking pot someone tricked you into taking, then.”
Joe pulled the waist-height cauldron that he had gained in the Hallowed Lands out of his codpiece, smiling at the burnished-gold glow it let off. Jake’s own smile vanished, and he leapt over the counter to look it over more closely. The silence stretched, and Joe was starting to think that Jake didn't know what it was. “Anything?”
Jake looked over at Joe, and it was clear that he was slowly putting away various bottles that he had pulled from the insides of his robes. “Joe, the only reason I haven’t killed you so that I could claim this as mine is that I know you would only come back and take revenge when I was less prepared. So… instead, I’ll buy this from you for one hundred and thirty thousand gold.”
“What?”
“Fine, fine. Two hundred thousand.”
“What?”
