Chapter 113: Commission Complete (Patreon)

Coop claimed a set of armor along with a weapon to keep for himself. He couldn't really imagine a situation where his active abilities were disabled and his spatial storage ability continued to be available, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some security. It wasn’t like he didn’t already have massive quantities of other items occupying the seemingly unlimited space, including weapons he looted from various Chosen, but the matching gear was too nice to pass up.

“Alright, Champion. Now that you’ve helped yourself to my hard work, what is it that you actually came here for?” Garod jested. “Something about a mana well? If you’re here about a special order to aid you in a delve, I’m ‘fraid I lack even the basic resources to improve upon your summons.”

Coop hadn’t really been interested in replacing his ethereal equipment anyway, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to find something to do with upgraded gear. “Well, first, I’d like you to tell me what to keep an eye out for inside the well. As I understand it, there should be treasures to find.”

“That’s right.” Garod emphatically agreed. “Mana wells produce the best jewels for arrays. You remember the garbage dagger you had the first time you visited?” Coop nodded in response, pulling the Empire’s assassin weapon out of his storage once again.

Garod pointed at the hilt where decorative bead-like stones were arranged in a simple geometric pattern, in this case, a diamond. “The tiny stones from that thing should be all over the place, even in a basic well. They just pop up wherever free mana collects. A mana well is exactly the type of place to have such pockets. The more mana the greater the jewel.”

Coop wondered if he would be doing more foraging than fighting, like the mana well would be a magical egg hunt instead of a grinding zone. Coop stared intently at the hilt of the jeweled dagger and frowned. The tiny beads would be hard to find without paying special attention for them, but he didn’t intend for his trip to be a scavenger hunt.

Garod dispelled Coop’s minor concern, “Ah, but you can ignore those little ones. It would take a master Artisan to make them even remotely useful beyond decoration. Not that there isn't a market for them, I just get the impression you’re lookin’ for somethin’ more utilitarian and those are the lowest quality. Keep an eye out for any that are actually glowing with their own light, those can have real power, and of course bigger ones.” Garod spread his hands like he was holding a basketball. “If you find somethin’ this big, feel free to retire!”

“If only.” Coop laughed, thinking retirement would be a good excuse to vacation on the beach. Coop would keep an eye out for the pearl-like jewels and hedge his bets. He moved on to his next question, pulling out a [Rage Core (Rare)], one of the crafting materials that dropped during the siege event. These came from the Enraged Defenders.

Before he could ask his question, Garod interrupted him. “Well, I’ll be damned!” Garod hopped into the air and snatched the golf ball sized metallic sphere out of Coop’s hand and stared directly at it with an intensity that went beyond admiration. “Master Champion, this is a fine treasure.”

Coop’s sly grin gave away the extent of his stash and Garod looked up at him with a combination of fear and astonishment. “Don’t tell me...” Garod backed away, still holding the Rage Core. “But I won’t be able to produce anything of better quality without matching materials. If I used this on the standard issue armor, it wouldn’t improve, it would merely save on material efficiency.”

“What else would you need?” Coop asked, noting that even though the equipment was Rare, it had only used the Uncommon materials that he had left with the crafters, even if they were masters and had been generous with the quantity of materials.

“To keep it simple, these materials are reagents for preparing the metal to be further reinforced by mana. Shaping metal and magically reinforcing it is the absolute basic process. The next level would require a magic catalyst, but they are Legendary materials, the sort of thing a hero would have to adventure for. And at that point, not having a high-quality array as well would be an insult to the final product.” Garod looked annoyed at not being able to effectively use the materials that were becoming available to him. “Your stonemason has a full set of armor with a greathammer of that level.”

“Is that the top of the line?” Coop wondered. It seemed like they weren’t really that far off when he considered the materials in his storage.

“To go beyond even that, you also have to add an affinity material, which will typically make equipment that would have been Legendary evolve into a Unique during the crafting process. These materials are usually relics, artifacts, or other items that already have an aura of mana, but they tend to be specific to the intended user, and really quite difficult to ascertain.” Garod trailed off, still thinking about catalysts.

“I see. First, I need the Legendary materials.” Coop confirmed to Garod’s agreement. Coop pulled out a [Voidstone (Legendary)] that he scavenged from the defeated Icon of Mana Siege Boss. “Something like this?”

Garod looked at it with a confused look. “Maybe? I’ve never seen something like this before, so I wouldn’t risk applying it incorrectly. The rarity alone makes it far too valuable to experiment with.”

Coop tried a Soul Destruction Gem and a Sharp Guardian Crystal, retrieving them both from his spatial storage and displaying them to the blacksmith. Both had come from Field Bosses and were rated Legendary. The first came from Felrog, the Ruin Excavator Field Boss and the second came from Gromokan, the Ancient Devourer Field Boss.

“Yes! These are perfect catalysts!” Garod finally put the Rage Core down on his work table, discarding it like its existence was suddenly irrelevant, and reached to take the Legendary material’s from Coop, like a child ready to unwrap a present.

“Hang on, what about this?” Coop retrieved the [Splinter of Ashen Legacy (Unique)] to show Garod. It seemed like a simple piece of burned wood, as if Coop had pulled it out of a still warm campfire. The splinter glowed as if it was ready to ignite. Smoke gently drifted off its surface.

“Ohhh! That’s certainly an artifact!” Garod pulled his hands away as if he was afraid to get burned. “Something with a fire adjacent affinity… How did you get this?”

“From an Undead Captain. He wielded a surprisingly powerful fire staff. I’m assuming it came from that.” Coop explained, remembering how much firepower the zombie Captain displayed at such an early point in the assimilation. He hadn’t understood enough about power levels to realize he had been unusually strong despite Coop’s early investment into magic defenses, and of course he’d only just found out exactly how powerful his armor had been the entire time.

Garod interrupted Coop’s reminiscing with his excitement. “Want me to make a Unique Fire Staff? I’m sure I can convince your Viceroy to get the necessary services with something like that ready to go. I can only make the core as a smith…” Garod pinched his ears with his dual-thumbed hand. “Or maybe a wand? A focus?” He eagerly offered.

“Does the affinity of the weapon need to match the user?” Coop double-checked.

“Not match exactly, but be under the same umbrella at least.” Garod stated. “Otherwise the benefits won’t be fully realized.”

“What about armor?” Coop wondered if he could make some fire immune gear for someone instead.

“The same rule applies from weapons to armor…” Garod continued to disappoint and his ears drooped as he recognized he wasn’t making a good case for using the materials right away.

Coop put the splinter back into his storage as he considered his options. He wasn’t sure if any of his companions would specifically benefit from a fire staff, so he didn’t want to jump the gun until he asked around.

“I’ll hang onto it for now, but could you prepare to make Unique items in the future? I’ll be putting you to work as soon as I get more materials.” Coop decided. Garod looked a bit down, but not completely discouraged. If Coop had already come across Legendary and Unique materials in such a short time, the smith seemed to believe more would be possible and he was enthusiastic about crafting high quality items. Presumably, it would be the best way for him to continue leveling his profession.

Coop felt like he had been given a new quest, but this one wasn’t system related and was much more open ended. He confirmed it with Garod, “Just to make sure I understand, I need reagent materials from regular monsters, catalyst materials from bosses, an affinity material to make it unique, and jewels for an array.”

“Don’t forget a master crafter to coordinate the assembly!” Garod reminded him, not wanting to diminish his own importance.

“Well, I’m not gonna do it myself…” Coop pointed out as he turned to leave. “I’m sure I’ll be back.” Coop left the shop with an encouraging wave as Garod stayed in the work area to get back to work.

Coop strode across the bridge, leaving the crafters in the north behind, and entering the southern town circle. Caisalya’s gardeners had already finished landscaping the completed roads and the canal was lined with medium sized trees that shaded the edges of the market stalls.

Balor’s gazebo citadel was nearly complete and it already looked fantastic. If Coop didn’t know better, he would never have guessed that it was primarily a defensive feature, like the inner keep of a fortified castle. Instead, it would easily be mistaken for a recreational area designed to entertain parties or even host weddings.

Tall pillars of carved stone held slightly angled, tile roofs that spiraled from above the civilization shard to each of the extended rest areas, leaving a gap directly above the crystal. Benches lined the edges of elevated wings, in the shade, while sunlight filtered to the inner sanctum through cleverly designed angles and gaps that left the shard highlighted in the center.

Stone steps coiled past the rest areas from each cardinal direction, and beneath the elevated bench platforms, troughs full of flowers had already been planted. There were spaces for larger trees to grow in between each wing and their adjacent entrances.

Coop walked up one of the curling stairways and around the shard, admiring the intricately laid mosaic that distinguished the inner sanctum from the rest. It was just a generic pattern, but the tiles were each only the size of a fingernail, so the detail was absurd. Against the low outer walls, a handful of residents were already relaxing on benches sipping coffees as they observed the shard itself, since it was the central feature. Behind them, the low stone wall had wide gaps between pillars that looked over the curving stairs and future gardens, like a bunker looking down a trench.

The sunlight shone directly onto the shard and Coop suspected that no matter the time of day, the inside would be lit by the sun. It was an inviting effect, and Coop found himself approaching the shard, just to access the menus, as he absently took in the ambience.

He wasn’t looking for anything in particular with the shard, but he did find additional options thanks to the upgrades Marcus had purchased. The Armory, which Garod had mentioned, was accessible through the shard and it included an automatic inventory. There was also a Storage Depot, which could store material items that would be accessible to each of the services for a fee. Basically, the settlement could sell directly to the various buildings within the territory, and Coop was able to place items into the inventory from his own.

Coop went ahead and filled the shelves, so to speak. He added 10,000 Soul Dredgers, the Uncommon crafting material from Ruin Excavators, to join the leftover materials he had dumped onto Garod. The surplus Uncommon materials were the only items within the depot.

Coop expanded the inventory by adding 90,000 total Rare materials from the various Siege enemies. There were Rage Cores from the Enraged Defenders, Stealth Scales from the Marauding Prowlers, Hysteria Barbs from the Frenzied Excavators, Polaric Scales from the Tormenting Kites, Tainted Blades from the Crazed Serpents, Rough Cable from the Foul Floggers, Solid Shell Fragments from the Rabid Carriers, and Contaminated Spikes from the Brutal Piercers.

Coop chuckled at the quantity of items. He was even keeping thousands of each material for himself, and didn’t bother adding anything that he didn’t have in excess, but the settlement’s Storage Depot was indicating that it couldn’t take any more. If any of his residents wanted to have special order gear crafted, or upgrades made, they would have the opportunity, and the settlement would make some credits. A win-win for everyone involved.

He quickly tabbed over to the army menus. The army reinforcements were still only a quarter of the way there, meaning they had a ways to go. It was disappointing, and he was hoping they would be back in time for the settlement upgrade. Marcus thought they would make it, but Coop didn’t think it looked particularly good. There were about 10 days left, but that would only put the progress at 75% if the rate stayed the same. It should be faster now that Marcus purchased some of the upgrades, so Coop conceded that the advisor had a more informed prediction than he did.

On the bright side, the reconstruction of the destroyed ships as well as the recruitment of the rest of the Tempest Fleet was much closer to being available. He’d let Marcus handle it, but he suspected the ships would be back sooner than the crews would be respawned.

Coop went to the Clothier next, for what he hoped would be a quick stop. As the glass door glided to a close, Erasimus Doomthread rushed from behind a counter, excited for a customer. Coop had to admit that it was still incredibly intimidating having the fanged minotaur give him so much attention while moving like a predator attacking prey.

“Welcome!” The clothier greeted with the enthusiasm of an aggressive salesman. “Ah! It is you! I am so glad you stopped by!”

“Hello, Erasimus.” Coop responded cordially. “I heard you were looking for me, so here I am.”

“I have to admit, I did not expect your settlement to develop so quickly, or even survive this long. I have had so much work, crafting parts for your soldiers. I guarantee the Ghost Reef Standard Issue Armor will be twice as comfortable as anything else they could wear!” Erasimus declared confidently.

“I just finished checking out the armors myself, they seemed very nice.” Coop politely confirmed. “So, what was it you needed?”

The clothier nodded. “Straight to business.” Erasimus grinned a wide toothy smile. “I approve. I just finished your commission. The Mana Mill is usually a niche upgrade, but because it’s already here, I was able to complete your under armor.” Erasimus waved his arms with a flourish and produced a light gray wristband, like something Coop would have expected to wear in a gym.

“Go ahead. Try it on.” The clothier encouraged as he handed Coop the thin piece of woven cloth.

Coop shrugged and slid it onto his wrist. He immediately felt like he had leveled up multiple times and he raised his eyebrows. “Does this have stats?” Coop wondered.

“Indeed!” Erasimus exclaimed. “The information on your preferences was accurate then. Most would not have noticed a change, only those who value attributes to a high degree would feel the improvement immediately. Especially after the first few points in each attribute have been assigned and the physical effects have passed.”

“Do you have one of the scanner things?” Coop asked, curious about the wristband.

“I do not, but I am happy to give you the details myself. That is a Spectral-Infused Under Armor of Legendary quality, crafted by yours truly.” Erasimus stated proudly, standing up straight as if he was basking in praise.

“You can make Legendary items too?” Coop was in awe, having been under the impression that Garod was the only one in the settlement who could.

“Hah!” Erasimus guffawed. “It is no small feat, but you must understand, by recruiting the factionless you have stumbled onto a rarely tapped pool of talent and experience. A faction would never spare an expert or master artisan for a fledgling settlement on an assimilating planet, but in Ghost Reef, there are at least three masters, and who knows about the rest.” Erasimus clicked his claws as he leaned forward conspiratorially. “Our dear Vronk is a Worldbeater, and I am even aware that our lovely Herbalist has a 333 billion basic credit bounty on her head.”

Coop looked at him confused, not immediately comprehending the number and Erasimus cleared his throat and clarified. “Ah, forgive me, I forgot that you wouldn’t know about the faction economy yet. Of course, factions deal with greater sums than individuals.”

Coop’s eyes bugged out as he finally caught up. He had honestly convinced himself that he was rolling in money with his profession, but he had to readjust his perspective. He realized how little value there actually was for full investment into assimilating planets if it was only about money. It was about getting their foot in the door, or leveling up their professions, like how a faction event worked for class levels, an opportunity to craft for the newbies and get some experience. 333 billion, though?

“What did she do?”

Erasimus waved his question away like it was a gnat. “It doesn’t matter. We factionless would never be awarded a bounty from a faction, so we are all on the same side. I bet you hadn’t noticed that your town clerk never leaves his roost.” The clothier chuckled. “It’s because he recognizes the arrangement and isn’t exactly factionless even if the service he provides is truly independent.”

“What about the Merciless?” Coop worried that he had inadvertently set the stage for conflict between his contracted residents by consistently selecting the factionless. They all seemed to get along, and quite a few had even become friends, but he couldn’t have known about galactic politics ahead of time.

“They are completely obsessed with their calling, which is to heal. They are one of the most recognizable selfless factions. No, what I meant to draw to your attention is the incredible skill of yours truly, one of the masters in your settlement!” The clothier bowed and waited for an applause. He stood back up, satisfied with his own imagination. “Touch your wrist.”

Coop touched it and the wristband morphed and slid across his skin until he was suddenly wearing a crop top that didn’t cover his chest at all. “What the…”

Erasimus gave a throaty laugh. “Camila suggested this configuration. My favorite customer, that one; she left you a message when she helped me with the specifications. This is her design preference, but Charlie would probably prefer a thin stringer.” He paused with another chuckle. “Tap it again.”

Coop followed the instruction, and the under armor molded itself as it climbed down his torso and into his pants. “What the heck?” He pulled the waistband of his shorts to find the under armor had become a pair of cheeky swim briefs.

Erasimus just laughed again. “I was told you needed a new bathing suit! You can adjust it yourself by tapping it and concentrating on what you desire. It might take some practice, so these were pre designed for you.”

Coop tried to turn it into a long sleeve t-shirt and it immediately molded itself, though it continued to be perfectly skin tight. “Oh! That was fast!” Erasimus admitted with some surprise. “Poor Camila’s prank was foiled so easily.” He chuckled deviously.

It actually worked the same way as Coop’s ethereal weapons, so he had plenty of practice adjusting items to his intent, but that also gave him an idea. He summoned his ethereal gladiator armor and it fit smoothly, completely unimpeded by the under armor, while the under armor seemed to fade away as if it was absorbed by the solidifying mists.

Coop experimented with his idea, trying medieval knight armor, but nothing happened. He thought that he wasn’t able to change his armor when he first summoned it, back in the first week, because he hadn’t practiced enough, like Erasimus suggested, but that didn’t seem to be the case after all. Recalling the purpose of mana, to put a ceiling on technological advancement, he tried one more time, this time thinking of a more primitive layered leather armor. Surprisingly, it worked. He had reequipped himself in some very basic hunting gear that was intensely ugly.

This whole time, he thought he had no choice with his gladiator armor, but the real problem was that he didn’t actually know any other types of armor besides what he had seen depicted in movies. His image of a knight was gothic plate armor, which came at the tail end of the middle ages, and was apparently too advanced for mana to allow. Admittedly, he was too attached to the ancient Greek armor to switch at this point, and he returned it to its usual ghostly gladiator appearance. It wasn’t like a different style would yield different stats anyway and the gladiator set felt right.

“So, do you want to know the stats?” Erasimus prompted, a bit too eagerly, with all his teeth showing.

Coop nodded, “Of course, tell me.” He prompted almost as eagerly.

“There is only one. +10% Mind.” The clothier declared with another flourish of his claws.