Chapter 9

Jack looked at the prompt and thought more about what it would mean if he said yes to this one. It was a big step and a lot of responsibility if he was being honest. A community leader, ensuring their needs are met so that clan survive. In exchange they would be able to assist his dungeon to grow in all manner of ways he might not be aware of yet. It would be hard but it did fall in line with his goal of making a better world. Of course, he was only just getting started in making his dungeon and didn’t even have anything actually ready yet.

Is anyone ever truly ready? Jack asked himself as he re-read the prompt. Eh, I’m smart and pretty sure I can figure something out.

After focusing on yes, the prompt vanished as a new notification appeared.

Attention!

You have accepted a residency request!

You have been asked by Frizzy to accept her clan as residents within your dungeon. Each member of the [Grayroot Clan] will be granted special privileges that adventures will not be able to enjoy. All residents will be have a special mark to designate they are can enjoy these privileges.

Such privileges include:

1. Mob command: Residents will have a limited level of command over a nearby mob that hasn’t been given orders by the dungeon master.

2. Aura of Protection: While in the dungeon, residents who are attacked will be protected by the dungeon mobs and will sacrifice themselves in order to protect the resident.

3. Dungeon’s Favor: Residents of the dungeon can earn points overtime or completely tasks for the dungeon. These points are used to purchase special perks, such as temporary buffs, unique items, or summoning powerful mobs to aid them in battle. These favors represent the dungeon’s appreciation for the resident’s contributions.

4. Dungeon Map: The resident is provided a mental map of the dungeon, allowing them to navigate and locate resources within the dungeon.

5. Safe Passage: All people who are marked as a resident can travel in and out of the dungeon without fear of being attack by mobs.

6. Special Access: Resident can have special access to areas of the dungeon that is otherwise inaccessible, restricted, needs certain requirements met. This access is only limited by what the Dungeon Master grants to either all residents as a whole or specific residents.

Now that is cool! Jack thought as he read all of the notice.

It was after reading the notice that Jack saw that everyone had a distant look to their eyes. With Frizzy being the closest, he noticed that by her collar bone peaking from the neckline her shirt he saw a faint light glow. The light then grew brighter before it quickly faded to show she now had a symbol in place of the glow. Seeming like a tattoo, but instead of ink, it seemed as if it was made of silver. Jack noticed that every gremlin around him had similar glowing patches on various places on their bodies. Some had it shining through their cloths on their chest, shoulder, arms or legs. Others had it appear on their places like their foot or hand while a handful had it appear on their cheek, neck or some place else.

When Frizzy finished reading her own notice, she was smiling brightly up at him with all the excitement in the world.

“Everyone! The ancient one has taken us as residents and gave us safe haven!” Frizzy cheered loud enough for all to hear. “All hail our new patron! Jack The Ancient!”

Every gremlin in sight immediately started to jump and cheer as loud as their small forms will allow. Then the scariest thing Jack had seen since waking up happened. Every single gremlin that surrounded him came running at full sprint. All their arms wide open in preparation to give him a hug.

Before he knew it, he was swarmed and covered head to toe in gremlins who clung to him like sticky sap. His boney arm just emerging above the pile of gremlins that buried him. His hand searching a grasping at the air for freedom.

“Help!” Jack called out from the pile of gremlins. “Frizzy! This is your fault! Save me!”

“Sorry, can’t do that teacher.” Frizzy said, her voice coming from next to his head. “I’m kind of buried in here to.” she chuckled happily.

It was then that Jack got a notification.

Attention!

You have earned a title!

Titles are granted for great deeds or bestowed by a person of immense power or by a large group of people. Though no two titles are the same and they all give different benefits to the carrier, they all must be earned in one form or another.

Title Earned: Patron Saint of Gremlins

For providing the gremlins of the [Grayroot Clan] a home with far greater resources, accepted the responsibility of their patron, and given them hope of a brighter future. You have been given the title of Patron Saint of Gremlins. The Gremlins of the [Grayroot Clan] will spread word of your great kindness to other gremlins.

“You came in our time of need and gave us a home. We will never forget your kindness, will always be here for you.”

Patron Saint of Gremlins

As the Patron Saint of Gremlins, you gain the following benefits/effects.

Passive Effects

1. Gremlin Affinity: Gremlins encountered in the world are more likely to be friendly or cooperative. Some may even offer their services or provide information. The carrier of the title is also less likely to be subject to pranks from gremlins with the exception of those done in good nature.

2. Gremlin’s Luck: The Carrier of this title gain the benefits of a gremlin’s luck. This affect subtly changes the odds in the user’s favor. Slightly increasing the odds of finding treasures, make enemies more likely to trip on something. Be warned, the chaotic nature of their luck can lead to a chance of something going wrong.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

3.

It was hours before Jack was eventually freed from the clingy mob. When he was free, Jack was sitting next to his new apprentice and three of the elders from her clan. Each one was wizened and dressed in slightly thicker clothing then most of the other clan members. From what he could see of the clothes, they were made more for keeping them warm then it was to designate a status. It was actually endearing to see that their culture looked after the elderly. What was surprising was how they reacted to him. The elders of the clan treated him with the same level of respect that many of the other gremlins would pay them. When he asked the about it, he learned that gremlins see age and experience as those of highest standing. Especially since their lives were so chaotic and dangerous that the odds of seeing old age were slim. When they heard how he had technically been alive for over nine hundred years by Frizzy, Jack had bene considered an elder among elders. He tried to explain that he technically died and is considered dead, they just bushed it aside. Telling him he can talk, he can think, act and he had a soul. All of which they considered things only a living person can do. The talks they had after a while was mostly about resources, what everyone needed to get stated to state making homes.

Jack managed to get the housing situation taken care of by telling them they can take and fix up three mansions at the inner district of the town around his tower. It made the most sense after all. Technically they were his people and they would need to talk with him something came up. Plus those mansions were big and made to have live in staff of dozens. The elders agreed to managed the housing situation to get everyone moved in. with that done, Jack decided to have a few rows of each kind of crop plant he had absorbed into the dungeon in the gardens of the mansions. It would help them in the long run and would help ease some food problems until they can start producing their own food. Feeing some mana into the crop plants, they ended becoming fully grown in seconds. With that done and after making sure there was nothing the gremlin clans needed at the moment, he walked back with his first apprentice back to his towner. Both of them stepping inside at the base to come on top of the platform.

With the platform activated rose high up until they came to the main chamber at the top. It was there that Frizzy got her first look at what was essentially Jack’s personal home. The moment she saw it, she started running around to examine anything and everything. She desperately wanted to touch every tool as well as open every draw and cabinet he had. But she kept herself restrained though it was clear she was in physical pain from forcing herself from not touch everything in sight. Instead, she hopped excitedly from foot to foot with anticipation to get started on anything and everything.

“Teacher! What do we do first? What do we do first?” she asked practically vibrating with anticipation. Eager to begin and become a fabricator.

She’s going to be pissed was she going to be when I tell her what the first step was going to be. Jack thought.

“Alright, first thing’s first. Can you read common?” Jack asked Frizzy who nodded vigorously.

“Yes!” she replied excitedly, “I can read and write the common language and also two trade languages.”

“Perfect. In that case you have some tasks for you to write out. After that, once you post them on the base of the tower, we’ll get to work in helping your clan get set up.” He said as he interlocked his fingers before pushing out his palms to make his fingers joints crack and pop. “Cool. I can still do that.”

“We are starting with that?” Frizzy asked as she came scampering back. “What is it that you need that you can’t already make?”

“A lot more then you think.” Jack said unabashed while walking to the carpentry section of the work bench. “Different kinds of wood have different kinds of uses. For example, soft woods are used for woodworking and carpentry while others are best making paper.”

“That makes sense.” Frizzy said while scampering after him to stand at his side. “We need wood then. What kinds do we need?”

“We’ll mostly be working with hard woods. Most importantly we need the kind to make paper.” Jack said as he looked over his tools. “I have a type of wood already but the more options we have the things we can make later. I’d also like to do a few experiments I want to test so if we can get a blank book the would be a big step. If the experiment works then our lives will be smoooooth sailing.”

“What are we going to do with a boat?” Frizzy asked with her head tilted.

“There is a lot we can do with a boat. But that is a later talk. First, we need to make that board notice. Make some tools for our budding community. After that see about what we can trade and what is valuable. After that I have a few questions I have to ask you-“ Jack said then turned to find that Frizzy was no longer standing next to him but was inspecting Jack’s golem project.

“What in the name of the gods is this?” Frizzy called out while her eyes scanned every inch of the golem in progress. “The magic coming off it is so strong it’s making my nose tingle.”

Jack walked closer so he wouldn’t have to yell. Cuious as to what she meant when she said her nose tingled. He didn’t remember activating any of the golem’s parts so there should be any residual mana.

“Frizzy?” Jack asked as the small gremlin didn’t look away from the golem. “Frizzzzzzy?”

Frizzy still continued to watch the golem with hunger. Her fingers twitching with a desire to look it over and have Jack explain every little thing to her. Yet she restrained herself since she didn’t want to touch anything.

Reaching out, Jack flicked Frizzy’s ear tip and the little gremlin yipes before rubbing the offending spot.

“What was that for?” Frizzy whine as she rubbed the sore spot on her ear.

“You weren’t listening and I thought you were going to start drooling if I didn’t wake you up.” Jack lectured with his arms crossed. “That is a new work station and I want to give it a week before we start getting stains on it.”

“Sorry.” She said as her ears drooped. “I got overly excited.”

“No worries, just keep focus for like a few minutes and I’ll give you some stuff to start learning.”

“Yes teacher!” Frizzy immediately perked up. “Can I ask a question though?”

Unable to help himself, Jack answered. “Just did.”

Tilting her head, not understanding the Joke. Jack shook his head.

“What’s your question?”

“Why are you making that statue?” she asked with a more critical eye while she stated at the golem in progress again. “I can’t really think of anything that you might need something like that for. Can’t you make one appear?”

Jack focused outside of the tower for a second and tried to will a statue to form from the ground to make it look like bear doing a hand. The next second the statue began to materialize from the ground, building itself up from the ground up. A tiny trickle of mana being siphoned away to form the stone.

“Yep.” Jack said once his consciousness was back inside his body. “But it’s not a statue. It’s a helper.”

“YOU’RE REPLACING ME ALREADY?!” Frizzy wailed, making Jack jump from the unexpected yell.

“No!” Jack yelled back from being startled. After a second to collect himself, Jack explained. “I’m literally a bunch of bones. Not muscle, tendon, or skin. Fuck, I’m surprised a stiff breeze hasn’t made me topple over. I got to have a bodyguard and some muscle to move really heavy things. And maybe open certain containers that are feeling a little naughty.” Jack chuckled.

I’ll show that vault door for being made so well. He snickered.

“Teacher I’m confused…” Frizzy said with a thoughtful expression. “When we were accepted at residents. The notice said we were accepted as residents of your dungeon.”

“Yep, that’s right.” Jack said, curious was to where Frizzy was going with this.

“If you control the dungeon, can’t you have the container you’re trying to open absorbed?” She asked making Jack freeze in place. “Everyone knows that a dungeon can absorb something left in its domain then the dungeon can recreate it.”

Jack… you can’t get mad at your apprentice. Jack said to himself slowly. She is only trying to help. You can’t be mad at her even if the question makes you feel really stupid.

Quickly, Jack sent his consciousness towards his workshop. Sent it towards the false stairs only find he was only able to sink a few feet into the ground. He tried a few times to sink deeper only to keep meeting that same invisible barrier. With the test done, Jack quickly brought his consciousness back to his body and forced himself not to sigh with relief.

“Under normal circumstances, yeah. I would do that. But my kind of dungeon is made to mostly work above ground.” Jack said with a shrug. “But that is part of what being a fabricator is. Finding and making solutions for problems.”

“Understood.” Frizzy nodded in understanding. “But what are we going to make first?”

Jack focused on a section of the floor where a thin sheet of white marble appeared. Jack then searched the gremlin’s camping spot then absorbed a junk of charcoal before making a charcoal still appear next to the marble slate.

“Use that to write this down.” Jack said. Making Frizzy jump into action and picked up the slate and got ready to write. “First we need samples of different kinds of wood. Then we need samples of metals, tin, zinc, and bronze. We also need oak, cedar, redwood, ebony wood, and pine. We’ll worry about the more exotic options at a later time. Right now we need the basics, so we’ll also need ink, and a blank book.”

Frizzy was frantically scribbling down what Jack said. Nodding vigorously as she tried to fit as much as she could on the slate. By the time she was done, her charcoal stick broke twice but persisted until the list was done. Looking up she wiped her brow only to leave a black streak on her face.

“Ok, I got it all written. But how are we going to pay for these things?” Frizzy asked.

“Easy, we’ll pay with these.” Jack said before summoning five tacks of coper coins, three stacks of ten silver coins, and one stack of ten gold coins. “That should be more than enough for what we need. Should also be enough to buy some farming tools and other tools we might need. Should try buying the stuff we need from the dwarves.” He said while he checked his mental inventory for some items.

Frizzy was momentarily surprised by the sudden appearance of so much wealth but quickly collected herself.

“Yes teacher. We’ll see who can make the journey after we get settled. We’ll also have to see about catching some boar so we can travel there and back faster.” Frizzy said while adding some extra tasks on the list.

“Didn’t even think about that. Good catch Frizzy.” Jack said, his voice full of praise since he couldn’t show it his face. “Now there is just one task I have for you specifically. This will be a good start point for you to becoming a fabricator.”

Jack held out his hand as a nonmagical pocket watch materialized just above his palm. One it was made he held it out to the now wide eyed and very excited Frizzy.

“For your first step, you have to take this apart then put it back together.” Jack said as he placed the simple watch into her hands. “No time limit, and if you break it or lose it, I’ll give you a new one. When you can do the deed, I’ll teach you something more fun.”

“Wait, this isn’t fun?” Frizzy asked as she held the new treasure.

Jack’s only response was to burst out laugh since Frizzy had no clue to the amount of frustration she was about to face.

Oh, if only she knew. Jack snickered while Frizzy looked over the watch