It took Kepler and Clare a few days to sketch out a plan for the dungeon. While they still had a few disagreements (Clare flat out refused some of Kepler’s suggestions for new statues), it was far enough along that they could return to the SP store.
Hopefully they would have some newer options since the last time.
Welcome to the SP Store.
Skills:
* Create Mining Node II: Mining Nodes automatically produce earth-based materials for mining. Nodes created with this skill will give high-tier materials. Materials must be designs the dungeon already possesses. Costs 15 SP.
* Create Respawn Point: Respawn Points significantly increase the speed of servant respawns, along with allowing the dungeon to control where the servant respawns to. Costs 15 SP.
* Create Magic Spring: make a spring of magical water. Properties based on surrounding influences. Costs 20 SP.
* Lure: Produces a mental compulsion to lure delvers into the dungeon. Ineffective on delvers more than 2 levels above the dungeon’s and is most effective on delvers under the dungeon’s level. Effect radius of 6 yards from the dungeon’s entrance. Costs 15 SP.
* Confuse: Produce a mental fog in delvers. Applicable only within dungeon. Ineffective on delvers more than 3 levels above the dungeon’s and is most effective on delvers under the dungeon’s level. Costs 20 SP.
* Bless (Rare): Gift a delver with an unheard-of bonus to their Status! Bonus’s grow with the level of the skill. Blessings are difficult to give to delvers with a higher level than the dungeon. Costs 40 SP [I’m currently bargaining with the system for a discount.]
* Create Decoy: Copy the dungeon’s core, respawn points, or other important weaknesses to deceive aggressive delvers. Costs 20 SP.
* Identify: Identify a delver’s levels, classes, and stats. Skill itself can be leveled. Costs 25 SP.
No further skills available, return when more are unlocked.
Designs:
* Design Roulette: Gain a random design. Costs 1 SP.
* Flagstone: Common flagstone. Costs 3 SP.
* Basalt: Common basalt. Costs 3 SP.
* Quartz: Common quartz. Costs 3 SP.
* Slate: Common slate. Costs 3 SP.
* Alabaster: A rare decorative kind of stone. Costs 5 SP.
* Jadeite: A rare decorative kind of stone. Costs 7 SP.
* Local Money: design for the local coinage. Costs 5 SP.
* The Flu: A virulent disease. Infects delvers and slows them for easier XP. Costs 7 SP.
* The Common Cold: A virulent disease. Infects delvers and slows them for easier XP. Costs 7 SP.
* Copper Ore: The basis for copper. Costs 7 SP.
* Aluminum Ore: The basis for aluminum. Costs 7 SP.
* Zinc Ore: The basis for zinc. Costs 7 SP.
* Deep Cave Algae: Red algae accustomed to low-light conditions. Costs 7 SP.
* Damp Moss: Moss that keeps the dungeon comfortably humid. Costs 7 SP.
* Cave Beetles: Colorless, blind beetles with elongated limbs. Costs 10 SP.
* Camel Crickets: Blind, nocturnal jumping bugs. Costs 10 SP.
* Cave Centipedes: Many-legged, carnivorous bugs. Also, blind and use a slight poison to stun their prey. Costs 10 SP.
* Spider-Web Worm: Wormlike blind gnat which uses webs and glowing lures to catch prey. Costs 15 SP.
* Lesser Cavefish: Small, blind fish which grow to no larger than ½ an inch. Costs 17 SP.
* Lesser Troglobitic Crayfish: Small, blind crayfish which grow no larger than 1 inch. Costs 17 SP.
* Musical Crayfish: Colorful, blind crayfish about ½ an inch in size. Specializes in percussion. Costs 17 SP.
* Lesser Cave Salamander: Small, orange salamander which grows no larger than 3 ½ inches. Costs 20 SP.
* Parasitic Worm: A ½ centimeter long worm which instinctually burrows into the skin of delvers, laying their eggs under the dermis. Secretes a numbing poison. Prefers murky water or other tepid environments. Costs 20 SP.
* Greater Slime: Bigger slime, bigger magic. Costs 25 SP.
* Musical Slime: A slime which draws on Mythic Connection to perform music. Possesses minor sound and light magic. Smaller than the average slime by a significant amount. Costs 25 SP.
* Greater Red Snake-Worm: 10 foot long Red-Snake Worm with 3 rows of teeth. Extremely aggressive. Possesses minor water-based magic. Costs 30 SP.
* Imp: 3-inch-tall, red humanoid with miniature bull horns and cat claws. Possesses minor fire magic. Known for their ability to make traps and coordinate attacks. While incredibly violent towards delvers, these servants bond tightly to their fellow dungeon-dwellers. They are also curious to a fault. Costs 40 SP.
* Greater Faerie: Larger, less eccentric faerie. Possess element-based powers. Known to be somewhat benevolent to delvers and fellow servants alike, although still somewhat capricious. Costs 50 SP.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
No further skills available, return when more are unlocked.
Clare could immediately see the value of the ‘Bless’ Skill for their plans; if Kepler really could get them a discount, she wasn’t going to stop him.
[I don’t see the problem.] He had immediately started after looking more closely at the store, offering MP in the place of SP.
The System gave some kind of nuanced response.
[So?] He tilted his head challengingly, [Are you saying that giving up MP isn’t a sacrifice? We won’t be able to do anything without it.]
Still, ‘Bless’ wasn’t the only useful thing they could purchase. Jadeite and Alabaster would be helpful for their decorating, which was a surprisingly important to their plan. ‘Create Magic Spring’ was also fascinating—Clare hoped they would have enough to afford it.
The System was still standing firm, so Kepler changed tactics.
[Look, we both know SP doesn’t have any real intrinsic value—it’s a currency. It’s your favor. Isn’t there any other way to gain your favor?]
Hemming and hawing, the System chewed on that idea for a moment.
Clare looked at the designs section longingly, a possible servant having caught her eye. Musical Crayfish. Percussion specialized. They didn’t fit with Kepler’s and her plans, and they didn’t have any spare SP.
She sighed deeply, imagining drums to her dipluran choir. They’d sang ‘Don’t Start Now’ last week, and it just hadn’t felt right without the bass.
The System finally came to a decision, offering a deal.
[Absolu--] Kepler paused, turning to Clare, [Are you good with letting the System look through our Mythic Connection? I think it can already sense bits and pieces, but it’s offering 10 SP a week for full, querying access.]
Clare’s mental jaw dropped. If they had a steady stream of SP income…
Make it 15.
The System responded quickly, with Kepler translating.
* 12. Final offer.
Deal!
Both Kepler and she felt the deal take.
He whooped, picking her up and spinning around.
Laughing, Clare cheered. We got it, Kepler! We’re rich!
[Hell yeah! Letsgooooo!]