The Mines dark tune felt slightly different today, probably because I intended to delve to the boss if I could.
I'd concocted a masterwork plan this time that involved these simple steps.
1: They clear the 1st floor with whatever they please.
Golems are peculiar little cretins in that they only detect sound within their active area unless designed explicitly for that purpose. I failed to consider the simple fact Stalkers are not golems, and now armed with extra maces the crew would already be prepared for all I need them to be.
2: Have the beat squad locate the ladder and inform me when they do.
I didn't care to throwdown much with any more Mudteeth, I'm excited for the boss mostly. Stalkers have proven to be a much more annoying foe than I thought they'd be.
After we entered the final steps.
3: Loot all the good stuff.
4: take all their guns and distribute the maces.
5: head down to lv 2 and find the boss room.
With my perfect strategy that was different in exactly 2 ways, we were prepared. I made sure to purchase a few crimson vials before we descended.
I watched from atop the quarry as they descended the quarry while I pulled out a notebook. Isiah would come with me. It was true, the Mayor did force his Awakened to stay, and my desire for a potential new life would be over, it's a good thing I already considered this possibility.
We concocted the perfect plan while 100% sober. I clear the dungeon and we vanish taking all our wealth with us. I leave my beloved dagger to Olga for payment as promised, it's a shame that the deal we sorted out would be null since I definitely wouldn't be allowed back.
After that, we head deeper toward the center and find a place to set up shop. I act as a provider and Isiah begins a new brewery, we use our location to start a legitimate secret business as opposed to his "Illegal one" here. With a larger populace and no rules under any settlement, we hire people with our vastly increased profit which we then use to hire more people to work for us.
Then the whole thing blows up and I use all the gold I make to buy fancy gear for my skeletons and delve dungeons to provide the cores for Isiah's new workplace.
After that, we're not so sure, but it's not like we need to know right now. As to what he does with all his money, I have no idea, probably pay his new workforce or something. The only problem with our plan is that I have nowhere near enough skeletons to lend him. As for any other problems we've yet to consider, our intended manner to deal with raiders is I gut them with Bandit, its bones are comically strong and it could probably take gunfire from any weapon they have available without even a nick.
Other than that we could hire guards, or I pay some high lv Awakened to bring Mist Walker corpses to me and make even more unkillable abominations.
We'll import food from nearby settlements and I'll attempt to work out a deal to raid their dungeons. They get more and I get some for myself, we then use them to distribute our drinks so no one knows we are explicitly the producer and we stay in the shadows. It's simple truthfully, the only problem is the transportation of treasury loot can't be hidden entirely.
Whoever we end up working with will have to bring the materials we need to us, or more likely we give them a drop-off point and I collect it with skeletons so they don't know exactly where we are, but that only further exacerbates the need for skeletons.
Our idea was quite flawed, but we're just gonna send it and hope it works out.
I focussed on the book in my hand straightening and honing our plan further as I watched the notifications roll by.
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As I watched John exit followed swiftly by the others from the quarry I knew I knew step 2 had been completed.
Before they arrived I took a quick look at my Info Card.
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Name: Admatha Sullivan Marwood
Titles: Iron Will, Power Leveler, Idiot
Race: Homo Sapiens (Mutation x2)
Overall condition: Acceptable
lv 5, 165/200
Subclasses,
Locked (lv 15)
Locked (lv 25)
Locked (lv 35)
Main Class: Necromancer
Affinity: The Ancient
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stats
Body: 2.17, 2.17/30 x0%
Toughness: 6.94, 4.96/10 x40% (Mutation x2)
Endurance: 3.73, 3.11/10 x20%
Fortitude: 4.32, 4.32/10 x0%
Mind: 7, 5/10 x40%
Will: 12.34, 8.82/10 x40%
Tolerance: 2.1, 5.17/10 -60% (Mutation x2)
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Skills:
Inform, lv MAX: Activate to reveal an item's info card or yours if you so desire, items must not be currently be possessed by a living creature.
Animate Dead, lv 0: Animate a fallen humanoid corpse/complete skeleton as a minion, costs 35/15 mana, casts in 0.5 seconds.
Boneworks, lv 3: skeletal minions, remain till they fall, as knowledgable as you under most circumstances. Costs 35 mana, you've currently animated 3/4 skeletons.
Ossuary, lv 1: You may access a pocket dimension to store bones and skeletons, inserting things into the Ossuary takes 57 seconds, and withdrawing things takes 29 seconds. You may expend 10 mana to withdraw and insert 5x faster. you've currently stored 0/4 skeletons and 0/10 pounds of bone.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Fleshworks, lv 0: Fleshy minions, Rapidly decays after 24 hours, retains only the knowledge they had in life. Costs 15 mana, you've currently animated 0/3 zombies.
Unseen Whispers, lv MAX: No words need be spoken to command the damned.
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They led me all through the mines before taking me to the treasure room. Which decided
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Cyan Vial x2
Loose Ammunition, 9x18 Makarov x14
Cheese Danish x6
Rusty Dagger
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I took all but the dagger, I'd be lying if I wasn't excited about the Danish though, this is the kind of food you only ever see in books from before the descent.
With that said I did the usual, downed a Cyan, and raised a new friend by the name of George. And we headed down to the deeper section.
Once we hit the bottom we began exploring, and by exploring I mean we spent 30 minutes walking around and killed maybe 9 Stalkers, so I got another lv which I used to add another point to Boneworks hitting lv 5.
I was never in any danger since I kept John and George behind me with Bandit and Joe in front. We turned another corner and there it was, a wall of barbed wire stood ahead.
I reached for it and felt it wrap around my hand which manifested an Info Card in blood red rather than the normal blue color for all to see containing little bits of info about what was beyond the wire.
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Name: Greater Mudtooth
Race: Greater Mudtooth
Titles: Boss Monster, Magical Entity
Overall Condition: Perfect
lv: 6
Subclasses,
Locked (lv 15)
Locked (lv 25)
Locked (lv 35)
Main Class: Greater Mud Golem
Affinity: The Weave
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stats
Body: 12.36
Toughness: 13.42
Endurance: ∞ (Golem, can't tire)
Fortitude: ∞ (Golem, no emotions)
Mind: 15
Will: 33.64
Tolerance: ∞ (Golem, is not alive)
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Skills
Mud Spike, lv ?:
Spawn Golem, lv ?:
Mud Slide, lv ?:
----------
Well at least it gave me a slight amount of info to go off of, I pushed my hand in deeper and felt it give way before the wire pulled away revealing an empty room with a massive beast staring down at us. My pulse quickened as we prepared to charge it, we flew forward, and it ran towards us sending spikes our way, I dived to the ground to avoid them. It and Bandit met and Bandit struck with every limb he had, then the, the uh, uhh. Bandit had nearly blown half its damn face off then he beat it to death
"Huh. Ok?"
Was I supposed to be happy or sad? Positive, that things dead, negative, that things dead. So much for the cool epic showdown.
----------
+76 xp!
----------
Thanks for the single extra xp Power Leveler.
At the Middle of the arena, a specter appeared who bowed to me and left a chest in his awake.
----------
Quest Complete!: Dying Wish
+50 xp!
Chest gifted.
----------
That was exactly enough xp to place me at lv 7, how convenient. I put the skill point into Ossuary
Well. It's looting time.
Walking up to the chest I got a fun little surprise
Treasure Chest
Contents:
Spirit blessing
Crimson Vial x2
Cyan Vial x2
Loose Ammunition, 9x18 Makarov x42 9x19 Parabellum x37
Passage Of The 3
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Name: Spirit blessing
Affinity: The Cycle
Condition: Perfect
Description
An unnaturally durable necklace that holds a green teardrop-shaped gem.
Bound Effect:
Rejuvenating Crystal: This crystal has a very slight constant restorative effect, as such it increases the longevity and health of those who wear it.
----------
Name: Passage Of The 3
Description
A few pages held together by the pillaged spine of a notebook detailing information about the 3
----------
I took it all and looted the chest standing out in the open at the back of the arena
----------
Name: Treasure Chest
Contents:
Jacky Mcrunkles (Rum)
Loose Ammunition: 9x18 Makarov x11
Mudtooth Quarry
----------
I took it all but the lore tome, I already know the story here, it's like I live here, or is lived here more appropriate now?
The Black Orb appeared in the center, so I accepted the embrace of the multitude of limbs.
After appearing in our world again I sold most of my cores and quickly took my leave, I'd be lying if seeing the people flood into the treasury I made didn't give me a little twinge in my heart, that was pretty strange, I'd never considered myself a good person in the slightest, those are very few. Not a thing is wrong with being entirely self-centered nowadays, as a matter of fact, if you aren't you're already an outlier.
After making our way back to the Orphanage Isiah was already inside.
On his back, according to the sound, I was hearing a literal bag full of coins.
"You ready?"
"Mhmm, I even got a better gift for her."
I left the necklace on my desk with the note and we headed out the back door
Soon we reached the border.
And we disappeared into the mist.
"I'll do your books, I'm good at that, but I don't care a lick for managing your thing bro you're hands on the reigns Isiah."
He gave me a wide grin
"Oh, so you like it when I'm in charge huh?"
"Shut up dude."