Chapter 61: Housekeeping (Patreon)

Jonah the waiter approached the table looking sheepish.

“...Sorry, I’m new here. I’d only ever seen her respond the way she did to him.” He gestured toward Derek. “Y’know, like trash.” Derek cleared his throat, like he was hoping to reclaim some of his long lost dignity.

“Don’t worry about it, Jonah, we’re all friends here.” Coop tried to make the guy comfortable and didn’t bother shielding Derek from catching stray shots. “Where’d you come from anyway?”

“I was visiting my grandparents when everything started. They were invited to join a settlement by that man,” He pointed out Emmanuel, “and I came with them. I hope that’s okay.”

Coop was surprised to hear that he was from the group of neighbors. “And you’re already working? That was fast.”

“I believe that was the deal, we could come if we would work, and my folks are too old to work.” Coop accepted Jonah’s explanation, but found a new thing to add to his to-do list. Some kind of program to make sure that all of the residents were able to get started on levels. The elderly would probably benefit the most from adding some attribute points. He remembered how Jones seemed to shave off a few decades with his initial progress.

“Well, no worries, Jonah. You can let me know if you need anything. I’ll see what we can do.” Coop let Jonah get back to taking orders from the rest of the table.

He enjoyed his meal while the rest chatted and received theirs. They talked about their professions. He was curious about what they had been offered almost as much as what they had taken.

“I can’t help but feel a bit insulted at only being offered ‘Basic’ options.” Madison explained when he asked. The one thing all of their offers had in common was that they were Basic level, no matter what kind of pre-mana experience everyone had. Even Madison, who had a wealth of experience in the medical profession, had ended up with a profession called Basic Mender. Coop thought it was a smart choice, despite a few at the table disagreeing. She would probably have synergy between her profession and her class. If it didn’t help directly, she would definitely benefit from the attribute point gains.

Matching his profession to his class was an optimization Coop hadn’t been able to do when he picked his, but he was happy with how everything had worked out. Scavenging benefited a lot from grinding, and his class had been selected for its potential to grind. He had linked the two with his primary focus.

“It works for me. It should be easy to level up given our previous experience. We can still benefit from the attribute bonus from the free beginner levels.” Camila pointed out, revealing herself to be on the same wavelength as Coop.

“You guys didn’t even pick yours right.” Derek argued. “The world changed, but you still chose based on how it was before.”

Coop didn’t really agree with Derek, but he thought Camila had the most confusing profession of all of them. She had become a Basic Advocate. Coop was worried it was far too specific to be useful to her, like she would end up being a lawyer without a legal system to work within. He had trouble imagining how to level such a profession. At least Basic Scavenging had been crystal clear about what he needed to do, even if it hadn’t come with instructions. ‘Loot X number of monsters’ was as straightforward as it got.

Camila dismissed Derek with a flick of the wrist. “You’re just jealous you didn’t get offered anything based on your lived experience, Mr. Basic Forager.”

“Yea? You’ll regret not having something that makes sense when I’m climbing up the profession leaderboards.” Derek persisted. For a second, Coop was worried he had missed some leaderboards to be on, but he realized Derek was just talking nonsense. None of them had professions previously, so they were even more in the dark than Coop was. It was a flip when compared to the knowledge Chosen were gifted while Coop tried to figure things out on his own.

Camila smirked, “We can make a bet.” She pulled Charlie closer to her. “I bet Charlie will reach level 10 in her profession before you.”

“Huh?” Charlie looked around. “How’d I get involved in this?”

“Just doing my job, sweetie. I’m your number one advocate.” Camila joked with a wink.

Charlie had selected the Basic Scribe profession. It made sense knowing that it aligned with interests and also her experience, though it didn’t have anything to do with her class. She described her job from before as a sort of internet scribe for the parks.

While they went back and forth, Shane and Arthur entered the tavern. Coop had to wave the pair over as Shane didn’t seem sure if he should approach the group. The tall, skinny guy looked sort of stressed, but Arthur was the picture of dignity. Coop suspected that he would never see the older man appear disheveled.

“How’s it going Shane?” Coop asked, while pulling over a few more chairs. The rest of the table continued talking about their professions, though Emmanuel was definitely the quiet doting type and Marcus didn’t seem ready to open up just yet.

Shane began with a report. “We’ve done our best to fulfill your requests with the new residents. None resisted leaving the Endless Empire, but we don’t have the ability to detect any fakers.” Shane began.

“I’ll keep an eye out.” Coop promised. “How’s the housing situation? Do we need more?”

“Oh, no, there's plenty of room. The new residents were almost entirely grouped into families that wished to stay with each other and when they saw the size of the units, several groups opted to share. Also three couples opted to stay in the tavern and treat it as a bed and breakfast.” Shane glanced at Arthur to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. Arthur tilted his head in confirmation.

“What about the phantoms?” Coop asked.

“Only about 100 have moved into barracks within the fort, the rest are still enjoying not having to sleep, and spend their free time socializing or visiting services in the fort. The library has been particularly popular. Gideon suggested this should be allowed, for now, to ease the pressure on the Carpenter.” Shane looked nervous to continue.

Coop tried prompting him, “How’s the training going?”

Arthur took over answering. “The first group training sessions are to begin in the morning. The bridge was only completed this evening and it was necessary to establish a program based on human needs first. It seems alien training regimes are quite gentle.”

Arthur continued, “We’ve already discovered some limitations, including their inability to leave the settlement’s territory at this time. They are bound to Ghost Reef and to you, but Gideon has some ideas about pushing those boundaries.” Coop remembered having to escort Balor to repair the lighthouse before the territory had expanded across the island and wondered if it was a similar situation.

“The pirates didn’t seem to have any problem.” Coop pointed out.

“Perhaps it has something to do with the ships, or just the nature of their return as members of a navy.” Arthur offered some theories.

Coop nodded. “I guess we’ll need to test things out.”

Arthur bowed his head slightly in atonement before he continued. “However, there have also been a few problems.”

Coop shrugged, still trying to get the pair to relax. “A few isn’t so bad.”

“First, the stonemason has urgent news for you. He was a bit panicked, and didn’t want to share what was bothering him with anyone else to avoid spreading rumors.” Coop nodded, not overly concerned, remembering how excitable Balor was when he first examined human construction. “The second is that we have had 7 casualties.”

That caught Coop by surprise. “How? Who?”

“A group of four phantom soldiers were seen challenging the Ancient Prowlers and losing. A group of three entered the mangrove forest, but only one returned after encountering what he called an alien anaconda. A single soldier was exploring the reef when witnesses from the wall say he stepped on a sea urchin and began convulsing. He was dead before help arrived.” Arthur listed them without wavering.

“A sea urchin? Really?” Coop was at a loss.

“Some species are venomous.” Arthur explained a bit too matter-of-factly. “We’ve already implemented policies that you had briefly mentioned before you left. Level restricted zones, even during the day, with patrols enforcing the rules to prevent anyone else from overestimating themselves. The natural dangers have also spread among the residents, they’ll be more careful in the future.”

Coop hadn’t really thought through his idea of leveling zones beyond the idea of having them and expanding them to optimize their hunting experience. He had assumed he would eventually find a system service that would provide that feature. Having the soldiers mark the areas as a temporary stop gap was a good idea to guide the new residents for now.

Coop sighed. “That’s a shame. How are the other soldiers taking it? Should we have a memorial?”

Shane and Arthur exchanged a complicated look before Arthur continued. “It seems as though the phantoms have a different relationship with death than the rest of us. They’ve mostly been treating the situation as an amusing joke.”

“Why, though?” Coop wondered, confused.

“They already died once, but the essence of their ‘self’ seemed to have been saved somehow, so they question what death even is.”

Coop frowned. “I guess that works out then, but I’m kinda worried about what that means for how they’ll perform in combat.” Arthur nodded while Shane looked on.

They all sat for a moment, considering various existential ideas. Coop wondered about what made him the person that he was. He wasn’t spiritual in any way, but he considered if the system had a way of saving some equivalent of their souls.

Coop broke the silence and continued. “I have something I need your help with.” He already had Arthur’s undivided attention, but Shane perked up. “The settlement has an open advisor position that I was saving for Jones, but with the influx of soldiers and new residents I need someone that can handle some of the micromanagement on my behalf. Are either of you interested, or do you have any other suggestions?”

Arthur briefly looked puzzled before he spoke up. “Isn’t that why you brought him?” He signaled to Marcus. Coop realized the man was paying attention to their conversation instead of talking with the rest about their professions.

“Uh, no? He just kind of tagged along. Should I know who he is?” Coop felt like he was supposed to know.

Marcus looked nonplussed. “I’m Marcus Rollins.” He waited for Coop to react.

Coop wasn’t sure if he should be surprised, in awe, or something else. He looked at Arthur. “Who is he?” He heard Marcus sigh.

“Like he said, he’s Marcus Rollins, former representative of district 26.” Arthur explained. Something finally clicked in Coop’s head.

“Oh, yea! The socialist, right?” He proudly remembered.

Marcus seemed exasperated. “I’m not a socialist, those were unfair smears. I can’t believe you remembered that, but not the ads that had my face… What a waste of money.”

Coop shrugged. “Sorry, dude. But to be fair, I was living in a lighthouse on a remote tropical island during the last campaign season.”

Marcus didn’t seem to feel any better. “Still in my district.” He muttered.

Coop ignored him and returned his focus on Arthur. “I was thinking more like a mayor instead of a rep.”

“I believe he is worth a look. His platform was based on many of the same principles that you outlined when you recruited us.” Arthur explained his evaluation.

“I’m right here. You can ask me.” Marcus spoke up.

“So you’re interested?” Coop asked.

“I won’t prop up a tyrant.” Marcus stated firmly, suggesting he’d prevent Coop from doing what he wanted. Coop didn’t think he could.

“Well, I already killed one Puppeteer. I’ll do it again if I need to. You might want to reconsider if you think I’ll let someone pull my strings.” Coop suggested.

Arthur cleared his throat. “Why don’t you let us do the interview. I believe Mr. Rollins will be amenable to your vision for Ghost Reef once he has heard it.”

“Alright.” Coop nodded his assent.

He scanned the table and found everyone was done eating. He tapped his finger on the table and paid for the meals before he stood up. Sunny copied his movement from underneath his chair. Coop was surprised to find an empty bowl down there as well. It seemed like the dog was another VIP in the making, just like Jett.

“Do you mind getting them set up with apartments as well?” Coop asked Shane.

“I’ll make sure everyone is comfortable.” Shane agreed.

Coop got the table’s attention to let them know he was heading back for the night and that Shane would show them to the apartments. It was well after midnight by that point, but he was going to stop by the stonemason to see what was bothering Balor before he headed to the lighthouse.

He left the tavern with only Sunny following him, and headed down the repaired main street toward Balor’s stoop. The cloudless night was dark and the air was crisp, hinting at a winter that wouldn’t reach the islands. He was glad they wouldn’t need to test how much mana insulated them against the cold.

When he reached the stonemason, he knocked twice and waited while he listened to the heavy footsteps move across the building.

“What?” A gruff voice began. “Oh, it’s you, lad.” Balor noted by way of greeting. He was wearing a long, striped night cap. Coop wondered if he had woken him up. Did the aliens even sleep?

“Huh. Were you asleep?” Coop asked.

“Of course not.” Balor responded without offering an explanation for his pajama getup. Balor dropped to one knee and bowed his head, “Greetings to you, Young Prince.”

At first Coop thought Balor was bowing to him, but he remembered his introduction to Jett, and he realized the stonemason was speaking to Sunny. “What are you doing?” He thought such reverence would be limited to overleveled cats.

Balor rose to his feet before he addressed Coop again. “Listen, lad, you’d do well to stay in the good graces of accepted brothers of the Pack. Some factions are just more influential than others. It’s best to pay tribute to their members when you come across them.”

Coop glanced at Sunny, who looked up at him with his tongue hanging out of his open mouth, tail wagging, looking carefree like only a dog could. “You’re still getting a bath.” Coop warned him. Sunny closed his mouth and sat down.

“I assume you’re here because of what I found, right?” Balor got them back on track. Coop just nodded, assuming if it was urgent, Balor would have jumped right to telling him what he needed to know.

Balor “I’m afraid the fortress has an infestation.” Coop immediately thought of termites, but that couldn’t be the problem. Coop’s eyes widened when he remembered the zombie infestation. Could he have inadvertently brought something back?

A thin layer of mist emerged from the air around Coop, solidifying into his ethereal armor. “Where?” He asked while his spear was still forming.

“Whoa! Relax, little Champion. You don’t need to head into battle right now. I just mean, we will not be able to access the underlayer any time soon and the reinforcement of the fort will be delayed until the infestation has been defeated.” Balor glanced at Sunny who was just happy to be there. Then he leaned towards Coop as if he didn’t want the dog to overhear him. “The Lady Feline has been culling the invaders on this half of the fort, but the other half was able to establish a proper hive before she had access. It is competing with the settlement for influence.”

Coop just looked at Balor, confused. “First of all, what’s the underlayer?”

“Oh, in the name of the Great Golem, gift me with patience!” Balor yelled to the sky. “Isn’t that why you wanted to get to the other side? To establish the first gateway?”

“I don’t even know what you’re saying. I wanted to get to the other side because the population was growing and I wanted you to start reinforcing the walls. I’m worried about the settlement events.” Coop explained feeling a bit like a chicken looking across a road.

Balor started tugging on his beard. “Alright, I’ll explain this like I’m speaking to a pebble. You know your planet got bigger right?” Coop nodded, not feeling insulted in the slightest. “That was only the outer layer. The interior stayed the same, for reasons that would need a comprehension of impossibly advanced concepts like gravity to understand.”

“I know what gravity is.” Coop interrupted him, trying to help Balor in his lesson. He could skip Newton and the apple falling from the tree to get to the point.

His comment had the opposite impact. Balor pulled his beard tight. “How would you know what gravity is? That’s a sophisticated field of study that only the most scholarly Karak ever learns.”

“I dunno, they introduce it in elementary school science classes. Just tell me what the underlayer is already.” Coop urged the stonemason.

“Damned humans make no sense.” Balor mumbled before he got to it. “The underlayer is the hollow that formed between the expanded surface and the interior of the planet. A gateway is an access point from the surface to the underlayer. It’s valuable for a variety of reasons. It can be used for shortening travel distances and it’s where the leylines flow, so there’s lots of pure mana preventing direct invader spawns.”

“And you’re saying we have an access point inside the fort?” Coop was getting the picture.

“Yes! How did you not notice? Did you not discover the territory map in the shard?”

Coop used the top down view a lot, especially when constructing the buildings. “Sure, I’ve seen it, and how the territory expanded outwards after every upgrade.” Coop answered.

“It’s not a ring you windbrain, it’s a sphere! The territory expands in a sphere! It’s been expanding underground as well. There’s a perfect gateway on the other side of the bridge that mirrors your civilization shard’s location, right in the center of the opposite circle. You must have planned that!” Balor was having a rough time again. He tugged on his bear and mumbled, “It must have been Jones that planned it.”

Coop shrugged. “I didn’t even notice. But what’s the problem?”

“I can’t start the gateway until the hive is defeated, they are underground and inside the basement of the fort.” Balor slumped, exhausted from his explanations.

“Alright, I get the picture. I need to do some hunting in our backyard.” Coop confirmed and Balor nodded. “I want to prioritize reinforcement of the fort’s walls and construction in the settlement. I don’t think we need to expand down just yet, but it’s good to know we have that option and we can plan for it.” Balor nodded again. “Just focus on the walls while I work on this hive.” Coop smiled encouragingly at the stonemason. “There should be some other construction projects starting soon that you might like.”

Now that they had more people available, Coop was going to try to save some credits by constructing things the old fashioned way instead of buying from the system. He thought Balor would enjoy helping humans build stuff.

Coop patted the stonemason on the shoulder. “Thanks for letting me know. The bridge already looks great.” Balor brightened up at the mention of his bridge. “I’ll get started tomorrow.”

He headed out of the fort toward the lighthouse. He added a few tasks to his mental to-do list, but he had also crossed a few things off. Tomorrow, he’d do a little more.