Grand Game 254: Planning for the Future (Patreon)

You have acquired 5 x rank 4 disease protection crystals.

You have lost 100 gold.

After I’d rattled off my list, Kesh laid the protection crystals I requested on the table—but nothing else.

I looked at her questioningly.

The old merchant sighed. “As much as it pains me to say this, but if you’re going to visit the brotherhood, you should get your stygian equipment from them too.”

I nodded slowly. I’d asked Kesh for gear tailored to rift diving. Considering the time I planned on spending in the nether, specialized equipment would be advantageous, but she was right; it made sense to get such gear from the brotherhood.

“Do you need anything else?” Kesh asked.

My gaze turned downward, inspecting my current kit. Was it time for some new equipment? I thought so, but I didn’t want to spend further coin until I knew what the nether resistance skillbook and stygian gear would cost me. “How much do I have left?”

“Seven thousand, one hundred and eighty gold in your personal account,” Kesh replied. “And another seven thousand, three hundred and fifty in the tavern’s.”

That’s enough for a few upgrades at least, I thought happily, but before I could open my mouth, Kesh spoke up.

“You should know I’ve found someone willing to part with a pair of wayfarer’s gloves.” She paused. “Purchasing them will make a sizable dent in your funds, though.”

Despite Kesh’s warning, I could not contain my eagerness. “Tell me,” I demanded.

“The seller is a long-time customer and, as a favor to me, has refrained from putting the item on the open market. If you want the gloves, you can acquire them for twelve thousand gold.”

I groaned. “Twelve thousand? Really?”

“Legendary items are not cheap,” Kesh pointed out. “And the gloves are amongst the least expensive in the wayfarer set. For the remaining items, you can expect to pay more. Much more.”

I sighed.

“What should I tell him?” she asked.

I hesitated. I could afford the gloves, if barely, but acquiring them would leave me low on funds again. For a second, I considered returning the upgrade gems but then dismissed the notion. I needed better abilities more than I needed any item—even a legendary one. “Can you ask him to hold them for one more week? I will have an answer for you by then.”

Kesh eyed me for a moment. “A week,” she agreed eventually. “But no longer.”

I nodded.

“Now, if that concludes all your purchases, can we discuss the matter of sector 12,560?”

I nodded again.

“When do you plan on leaving Nexus?”

I rubbed the side of my face, thinking. The day was late, and I felt drained; the conversations with Loken and Tartar had been taxing in more ways than one. Better to start the venture in the valley fresh, I thought.

“Tomorrow morning,” I answered.

“Perfect,” Kesh said. “Then I’ll have one of my agents ready to accompany you at first light tomorrow. Will that be acceptable?”

“Of course.” I paused. “Out of interest, where do you plan on setting up your outlet in the sector?”

Kesh snorted. “That’s a good question. It will have to be in the safe zone—everywhere else in the valley is too dangerous—but thus far, I’ve had no luck finding a premise. Given the sector’s growing popularity, no one is willing to sell property there. It’s hard to negotiate remotely, though, and my agent should have better luck once she reaches the sector.”

I stroked my chin. “Hmm. What about using the tavern?”

Kesh grimaced. “I’d prefer my own premises. The emporium prides itself on providing a premium service, after all. But if no other opportunities present themselves, I may just take you up on your offer.”

“You would be welcome.” I smile slyly. “But, of course, renting space in the tavern will cost you a percentage of the profits.”

“Of course,” Kesh murmured. “How does ten percent sound?”

“I was thinking more like twenty.”

“Fifteen,” Kesh countered.

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”

The merchant snorted. “You are not very good at this, are you? Most players would’ve driven a harder bargain.”

I shrugged. It better served my interests to keep Kesh happy than to squeeze her for every percent of profit.

Something else occurred to me. “You should send Cara.”

Kesh blinked. “Who?”

I slapped my forehead. I had forgotten Cara was not the agent’s real name, just what I called her.

“Your agent in the plague quarter,” I clarified. “I’m used to dealing with her already.”

Kesh stared at me owlishly. “Careful, Michael. There is a good reason my agents’ identities are cloaked behind veils of secrecy. Don’t get too close to the girl, or you will jeopardize her—and me.”

I inclined my head, accepting the rebuke. “Understood.”

“Anyway, I don’t think it’s wise to send that agent,” Kesh continued. “The girl is nearing the end of her term and already has a well-established relationship with the knights.”

I was curious about what Kesh meant by ‘term,’ but I didn’t think she would take kindly to me probing further into the nature of her agents. “But I trust Ca—” I began.

Spotting Kesh’s incipient frown, I corrected myself—“the agent. Sending her will serve both our interests, especially since we don’t know the state of things in the valley.”

Kesh’s frown deepened, but she didn’t object further. “Very well, but make sure you heed my warning.”

I nodded.

“But if you wish the citadel agent—” Kesh glanced at me— “or as you would have it, Cara, to accompany you, then I will need a day more to transfer her out of her current posting.” She looked at me. “Are you prepared to wait?”

I hesitated. I was reluctant to delay my return to the valley, but Saya had waited a month and the wolves even longer to hear from me; another day would not matter much. “Alright.”

“Good, that’s settled then,” Kesh said. "I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”

Rising to my feet, I bid farewell to Kesh and left the compound.

✵ ✵ ✵

A little later, I was back in my room in the Wanderer’s Delight. Night had fallen, and my body craved rest, but I had another task to complete before I could sleep.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I glanced down at the four upgrade gems spread out before me. They were for what I’d come to think of as my scion Mind abilities: astral blade, chi heal, mind shield, and shadow blink.

Shadow blink was at tier two and the others at tier one, and while all four scion abilities could be upgraded to expert rank, I only had enough upgrade gems to get two there. I could still buy more gems, but the cost was exorbitant, and for now, I had to choose which of the abilities to upgrade.

Shadow blink first, I think.

It was one of my most-used abilities, and upgrading it to its full potential was essential. Touching a hand to the gem, I willed my choice to the Game.

Ability gem activated.

Creating ability tome…

…

There are 2 expert variants available of the ability, shadow blink.

Variant 1: long shadow blink. This variant increases the range of shadow blink to 50 yards.

Variant 2: shadow bounce. This variant modifies the base ability, allowing you to perform 2 consecutive short shadow blinks in a single cast, stunning each target for 2 seconds in passing.

Choose your tier 3 shadow blink ability tome now.

“More variants,” I murmured. I’d anticipated an upgrade along the lines of long shadow blink, but the shadow bounce variant was unexpected.

It was interesting…

…but ultimately less enticing than long shadow blink.

While a mini stun and double jump were great, they didn’t improve the ability in a manner I liked. I mostly used shadow blink to catch my enemies off-guard, and even if long shadow blink limited me to a single target, striking—instantly and suddenly—from much farther away was a lot more appealing.

My decision made, I willed my choice to the Adjudicator.

You have acquired a long shadow blink ability tome.

The ability gem vanished, leaving a small leatherbound book in its stead. Picking up the book, I absorbed its knowledge.

You have upgraded your shadow blink ability to long shadow blink. This mind spell allows you to teleport to any living entity within 50 yards, taking your shadows with you.

Perfect, I thought.

My gaze slid to the remaining three gems. My next decision was harder. Mind shield, chi heal, and astral blade were all at tier one, and while I had an inkling of how they would advance, I couldn’t be certain. On top of that, I needed six gems to upgrade all three fully.

Let’s prioritize by use, I decided and activated the next two gems.

You have acquired a moderate chi heal ability tome.

You have acquired a lesser astral blades ability tome.

Upgrading mind shield would have to wait—I didn’t use it much, anyway. Picking up the spellbooks that had appeared, I read them one after the other.

You have upgraded your chi heal ability to lesser chi heal. This spell allows you to restore 20% of your lost health with psi.

You have upgraded your astral blade ability to twin astral blades. This spell manifests two psi daggers in your hands. Note, both your hands must be empty.

Hmm.

The chi heal upgrade was expected, the astral blade one… less so. I’d been hoping for a longer-lasting spell or a bigger blade. Still, the ability would be useful when attacking from range.

My gaze skipped to the last gem.

Which of the two abilities did I take to tier three? If their upgrade paths followed the same pattern as shadow blink, then I was likely to be given an option between two variants. There was no way to anticipate what they would be, though.

So, I went with the ability I considered more crucial: chi heal.

Ability gem activated.

Creating ability tome…

…

There are 2 expert variants available of the ability, chi heal.

Variant 1: moderate chi heal. This variant increases the restorative effects provided by chi heal to 30%.

Variant 2: quick mend. This variant modifies the base ability, allowing you to trigger-cast a lesser chi heal.

Choose your tier 3 chi heal ability tome now.

“Well, well,” I exclaimed, rubbing my hands in glee. “This is more like it.” The second variant suited me perfectly, and despite its lower healing benefit, I had no hesitation in acquiring the ability.

You have acquired a quick mend ability tome.

You have upgraded your chi heal ability to quick mend, transforming it into a trigger-cast spell.

Trigger-cast abilities are pre-cast and automatically invoked under specific conditions. They are an essential part of any caster’s arsenal and, most notably, are used by mages to activate their shields and other defenses. Beware, though, that trigger-cast spells are not infallible. If you incur high burst damage or take a critical hit, the ability may fail to trigger before death claims you.

Quick mend allows you to automatically invoke a lesser chi heal when your health falls below a predefined percentage. It may also be used normally and without trigger-casting. Note, this ability’s weaves will dissipate after 1 hour if unused.

You have 14 of 71 Mind ability slots remaining.

My task complete, I lay down flat on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. My head felt too full, with the knowledge of all my new abilities swimming in it. Once more, my combat effectiveness had undergone a step change, and I was eager to test out my new spells.

But that would have to wait for tomorrow. I stifled a yawn. For now, sleep beckoned. Folding my hands behind my head, I let my thoughts drift.

There was one aspect of my player profile I’d not seen to: upgrading slaysight. That was not an oversight, though, but a deliberate choice. I’d decided to forgo advancing the ability until after my Classes melded. There was a chance—if only a minimal one—that I would lose the ability in a future meld. And if that happened, there was no reason to waste a Class point unnecessarily. Better if I—

I broke off, interrupted by another yawn.

That’s enough thinking, I thought tiredly and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.