"So the quieter state of the owls is bothering you guys, too?" Todd asks. "Dad and I weren't sure if something did that. You said that killing the stoneshot squirrel queen is what caused the squirrels to quiet down? Maybe someone killed the equivalent for the owls?"
Todd and I have been discussing our encounters with monsters and our discoveries as we walk to the System Shop, Trent and Grace walking with us. The latter two have packs on, carrying most of the goods we're transporting today. I do have the wagon since that's a bit more difficult to pull, especially since I didn't make a proper path so it's still being pulled on grass. Coyon is walking alongside us as well, just in case of a problem.
To the surprise of Trent and Grace, they were able to be ready to go within twenty minutes and both apologized for their initial attitude. I told them that I understand what they were thinking at the time.
Especially Grace, since she doesn't know me that well and probably did think I was just being a jerk. It's natural for people who don't know each other that well to not trust each other and while I trust Trent, it's not on the level where he can just vouch for someone to me.
The two of them have been quiet throughout the walk, mostly because they don't have much to add to the discussion between Todd and me. Most of their encounters with monsters involved hiding from them.
"Already checked that," I tell Todd. "According to the golems, the lullaby owl king is still alive. Their 'basic information' doesn't include much about behavior like this, though, so the owls becoming so quiet and passive is concerning."
There's little chance that it's a case of them sensing they don't stand a chance against us. In my group, I'm the only one they don't stand too much of a chance against. Even then, they'd still have a chance at taking me down.
Any of the others in the group would be easier for them to take down than me and yet they'll leave the rest alone even if I'm asleep. Trent and Grace are definitely vulnerable to being taken out by the owls, too.
"Damn," Todd says. "I hope it's nothing too bad."
"Same," I say. "Do you still want to try taking down a breezestep deer?"
"That one looks pretty big," he comments as Trent and Grace start looking around. "Don't make a sound louder than we are and don't make quick movements," Todd points in the direction of the deer. "It's over there."
He's not wrong about this one being pretty big, though he's not referring to the body itself. At most, I'd say it's probably only two inches taller than the tallest I've seen so far. No, what's bigger on this breezestep deer are its antlers, which are probably twenty percent wider than any other I've seen before.
"He's not the one you were chasing?" I ask.
"Nah," he says. "Doesn't look like he's spotted us yet, though. Mind if I try?"
"All yours," this will give me a chance to see his skill.
Todd appraises the deer for a few seconds, then reaches behind him and pulls an arrow out of his quiver. The arrow has a pale wooden shaft and a stone arrowhead that's fixed to the shaft using some sort of material I'm not sure of.
He nocks it and aims at the deer, then inhales deeply. As he exhales, a brownish-orange spell circle three inches in diameter forms in front of the arrow. A little less than five seconds after Todd begins casting, his spell completes. When that happens, the spell circle then begins to move backwards. Where it passes over the arrowhead, the stone begins to emit a faint, brownish-orange glow.
The spell circle vanishes after it finishes coating the arrowhead, then Todd releases the string of his bow. There's a small twang when the string is released and the deer jerks its head up to looks at us.
An impressive level of aim was in that shot as the arrow pierces straight into the deer's left eye even from seventy feet away. What makes it really impressive is the fact that Todd had to have aimed there before the deer looked at us.
"Not that hard when it's not running," Todd comments as the deer drops. "Surprised it was a one-hit kill."
"Did you gain a Level, or too strong?" I ask.
"No Level, so I guess I'm too strong."
"Thoughts on nocking a second arrow just in case?" I start casting a pair of earth spells.
"Why?"
"Because I don't think it dropped from dying."
Todd quickly readiers a second arrow and begins casting that same spell again. Just as it finishes, a large air spell begins to form in the air – the same one that breezestep deer cast to cloak themselves in an armor of blades made of compressed air.
"Oh, shit," Todd says as the deer begins to stand, the arrow fired into it broken close to the head. "It broke the arrow. And that spell will break-"
"I've got it," I thrust both hands forward and the pair of [Stone Bullet]s I prepared shoot toward the forming spell.
"That won't-" he cuts off as both bullets pass through the spell circle.
"Fire!"
Todd quickly aims and shoots, nailing the deer in the right eye. The beast shakes its head and slams itself into a tree, probably trying to snap the arrow now that it's blinded. Instead of drawing another arrow, Todd's casting a spell circle in front of his bow, which he's aiming at the deer but without having dawn the string.
I cast another pair of [Stone Bullet]s as I wait. The deer manages to break the arrow against a tree and starts to cast another of its armor spells, though I disrupt that with my [Stone Bullet]s. That seems to enrage the beast and it lowers its head some, probably beginning to quadruple-cast [Air Jet].
The spell that Todd's casting completes and its circle begins to move back, an arrow of stone forming as it does. Once the arrow's completed, Todd pulls back the string and fires. He dashes to the side immediately after, and for the better – the deer charged forward right at that moment.
At the same time that Todd fires, I grab Trent and Grace and pull them out of the deer's path while observing the arrow. It only takes a moment for it to meet the deer head-on, piercing straight into its skull.
The breezestep deer continues forward, blood trailing through the air after it, and crashes into a tree. It shakes its head a few times before moving it around as if trying to spot us – not that it can, considering its wounded eyes.
A twang draws the deer's attention, only for another arrow of stone to strike it in the head a moment later. Spell circles for [Air Blast] begin to form in front of its antlers and Todd is already casting another of his arrow-summoning spells. They're too slow, however, so I send off a pair of [Stone Bullet]s I'd prepared, knocking its antlers hard enough to the side that the spells are directed away from Todd.
Todd lets loose his new arrow, which strikes into the deer's neck. That wound looks bloodier and seems to be more severe, as the deer finally drops to the ground in a way that doesn't look like it's trying to break something.
Another arrow-summon is cast, then Todd cautiously approaches the deer, so I walk forward as well. Its legs are kicking a little and the beast is letting out a pitiful sound, but that doesn't stop us. Todd slowly relaxes his bowstring, then sets the arrow down as he flips his bow around and fixes it onto something on his quiver.
"What are you doing?" Trent asks. "Shouldn't you-"
"No point in wasting more Mana," Todd pulls out a knife. "The deer's not doing anything else now."
Quickly and efficiently, Todd ends the monster deer's life with his knife, then he begins gutting it. Once the entrails are removed and buried, he lifts the deer up and shifts it onto his shoulders before looking at me.
"Should I carry this?" He asks as Trent whispers to Grace something about how those are some muscles. "Or can I put it on the wagon?"
"You can put it on the cooler, yeah," I answer. "Or you can carry it if you want. It's unlikely we'll come across a second of those and I can handle everything just fine."
Todd examines the cooler sitting on the wagon for a moment, then shakes his head a little.
"Might be too heavy for the wagon," he says. "And I've got the Strength for this."
"Alright," I say.
The rest of the trip to the System Shop is without event and as we arrive, so does a man I recognize. He's looks to be in his late fifties, his brown hair flecked with grey and his amber-colored eyes are filled with strength. On his back is a traveler's pack like the ones we can buy from the System Shop, hanging from which are several animals. Unlike us, he was doing a small jog to follow behind the breezewing magihawk Todd has tamed, though slows to join up with us.
This is Todd's dad? I know he looks to be in his late fifties, but Grandma told me that he's around eighty. Didn't expect the son he'd mentioned to be my age. I'm a bit more relaxed about Todd now – Grandma's vouched for his dad. I think I'm okay with Todd about as much as I am Grace.
"Hey there, Carter," the man says as the tamed monster flies up into the sky.
It looks like he remembers me as well as I remember him despite our only encounters being back when I moved out of Grandma's house.
"Wait," Todd looks between us. "You know each other?"
"He's the one who sold me my home," I explain. "Hey, Mr. Baxter. You didn't mention your son was my age."
"And I'm betting you didn't tell Todd that your great-grandma is Grandma Elm!" Mr. Baxter laughs.
"Wait, what?" Todd looks at me. "You're one of her grandsons?"
"Yeah," I answer. "Collin and Chance were at the high school with the group, too, but I guess you didn't come across them."
"We didn't stay very long," Mr. Baxter says. "I don't remember seeing them while we were there," he looks at the deer his son's holding. "Nice catch, son."
"Thanks," Todd says as I nudge Trent and Grace into the System Shop's space. "Carter helped me out with the kill."
"It was a bit stronger than others I've faced," I say. "The casting speed was greater, at least. So you know hunting stuff?"
"Yeah," Mr. Baxter responds. "Todd says you'll let us stay near you? We can handle butchering and tanning and I can make some stuff as well. If you're willing to let us."
"We can talk more about that in a bit," I say. "Trent and Grace haven't been to a shop yet and need more healing stuff. Guys, just talk to the golems and tell them you want to complete your Quest for visiting a System Shop. You'll receive a selection menu. Don't worry about needing to take time to make your picks on some of the stuff – but make sure that whatever you pick for your basic tool and your Skill Scroll, they're things you plan on doing a lot and are comfortable with doing a lot."
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"A way to set us up for work in the new world," Grace nods. "You said you and Lucas both picked [Lesser Heal]?"
"Lucas picked that," I say. "I picked [Ice Bullet]. My [Lesser Heal] came from a [Starter Pack] I received from a Quest. The tool I picked from the first one was a gardening pruner, and that came in a pair."
"Probably in case one broke," Todd says. "I picked the spell to enhance my arrows with the element of fire for my Skill Scroll and a bow for the tool or weapon choice. The one I've got on me now. According to the golems, the purpose of the System Shop is to help people get used to the new world."
"If you're uncertain about what to choose," Mr. Baxter tells Trent and Grace. "Just look through the selections and think about what seems interesting to you. Make a mental list of the ones that do, then compare between the tools and weapons and the Skill Scrolls on your lists. Think about which ones sound most appealing to you – then the ones that seem like you'd be okay with doing for awhile."
"Yeah," I say. "Don't think about what you think I want. You're only required to help out with my stuff if you want my help back. If you spot something which sounds interesting to you and which you can do, go for it."
Trent and Grace nod, then approach the golems. Todd sets down his kill on a bench, and all three of us approach golems to do our own business. I approach one to ask some questions.
"How may I help you today, Carter Elm?" The golem asks.
"I've learned that some System Shops have vanished," I say. "What's the cause of that? I thought you guys told me the System Shops would be around for awhile? At least a year, I believe it was?"
"System Shops are intended to assist the residents of the world which they're on," the golem responds. "In order for them to perform this purpose, residents must be nearby or visiting them. Any which do not have residents nearby or which do not receive enough traffic are dissolved back into the magical energy they were formed from to be recycled for other purposes. All items sold to them are also converted into Mana, while the resident-issued Quests are sent to the nearest System Shop still active."
Todd and his dad must not have been visiting the one near them often enough to keep it active, then. The one by the high school probably disappeared because no one was around it who couldn't go to another that was active. I honestly don't even know if someone is up that way since we haven't gone there, but it wouldn't surprise me. Not after encountering four more people in two days.
"Alright," I say. "Well, that's information you didn't provide when I was asking about the System Shops."
"You were asking about the purpose and what services we offer," the golem states. "You did not ask about how long we will remain in service for or if there is something which can cause one to shut down."
He's got a point. He also mentioned something interesting there, and I can't help but wonder if it was intended on prompting a question from me.
"Since there's a requirement for people and visiting," I say. "Is there a limit on how long you'll remain in service for?"
"No," he answers. "However, what default goods the shop holds will change over time based on the production of the area, population level, and other similar factors. An example of this is food production: this area does not have a variety of food being grown and harvested. To supplement the diet of the few residents here, a wide variety of food is offered, as are packaged meals. If the population grows enough, then there will be more people who can grow crops and raise animals. Packaged meals will be removed from the shop at that point. At a higher population level, the majority of food options will be removed as well as the area should have enough people to perform the work of farmers."
That falls in line with the shops being here to help us out, not provide everything for us. They probably base the non-food products on similar factors – like recovery potions based on the production ability of the area for it. Though considering that we can produce potions well enough right now, maybe there's some other factor as well?
"Are you able to tell me the thresholds?" I ask.
"Based on various factors, the thresholds can vary."
"Is there one you can give for here?" I ask.
"At the moment," he says. "Meal crates will cease to be provided once the population of the clan exceeds twenty-five members when considering the current food production of the residents and estimated ability to support the clan at that population level. The plant and animal products will cease after around fifty to one hundred, depending on the estimated ability to support the clan at that population level and what goods they are producing."
"How quickly after reaching those thresholds does it take before you stop selling them?"
"It depends on the production level," the golem answers. "However, there is a maximum of two cycles of growth and harvest. For crops, that is estimated to be six months and for animals, a maximum of two years."
So even if we reach those levels, we don't lose access to food from the System Shop right away unless we're already outproducing the estimated amount needed for us.
"Alright," I say. "So it sounds like we'll probably continue to have food here for awhile."
"That is correct."
"What-"
"Carter," Grace looks over at me. "I just got a Quest."
"You accepted one?" I ask.
I didn't hear her discuss Quests with the golem she's talking to, but it's possible I missed it.
"No," she says. "It popped up in my vision while I was looking at the Skill Scroll lists."
"Do your best to do it," Todd, Mr. Baxter, and I say in unison.
That startles both Grace and Trent, who look at the three of us. Todd and Mr. Baxter were doing sales to the golems of various products on my other side, though they've now stopped to look at Trent and Grace.
"It's a Divine Quest," I say. "Those are issued by gods and meant to nudge people they like into doing things that would benefit that person and make them happy. Generally issued when said person is on the fence between two choices and one will make them happier than the other."
"And… how do you know this?" Grace frowns.
"Have you told them about the magic-blooded?" Mr. Baxter asks.
"No," I tell him, then look at Grace. "The fact that you and Trent are alive after three weeks in this area means that you're both probably magic-blooded – the term used to refer to people with ancestors who came to Earth from another world. I think Grandma said it was two hundred or so years ago? We already have magic in our bloodlines, which gives us better resistance to Mana Burn than normies. Not a massive boost, but definitely enough to enable survival for longer."
"It also provides us better growth in things our ancestors did," Todd says. "Dad and I are descended of magic archers who were damn good at it. Enough that it embedded itself into their bloodlines and enhanced their descendants' ability to hunt with a bow and archery-related magics."
"My talent for magic comes from the same thing," I add. "My ancestors were probably mages and alchemists, and maybe enchanters, based on what my brothers and I are good at. The twins say that Grandma was pretty evasive about answering when they asked."
"Some of the knowledge we hold is because of the ones who came to this world from another," Mr. Baxter says. "It's custom to start teaching your own child or grandchild when they turn twenty-one here as long as you trust them to keep the secret. There was some concern that someone might trigger the Mana Flood-"
"That was Grandma, and she says it was an accident."
"Of course it was," Mr. Baxter snorts. "Crazy old lady does all sorts of weird magic experiments and probably did something a little bit bigger than she intended. We weren't at risk of waking up Earth's own magic as long as we didn't do anything too big.
"Back to the question, though," he says. "What we know about gods comes from those ancestors from another world. My own grandpa told me about the System and the gods' Quests, and he's one of those who came from the other world."
"Grandma told me and the twins," I say. "And I trust her a lot, so I trust the information."
"What was the Quest?" Trent asks. "If they're right, then you were torn between two choices?"
"No," Grace says. "It was… actually right after I passed by a Skill I didn't understand. The Quest is for learning that Skill – and I'll get a [Class Starter Pack] if I do. Well, that and 'Varies', so I'm not sure what else will be in there."
A guaranteed reward regardless? I suppose because this one relates to something in the moment, so it's easy to ensure it's something she could use as she is now.
"What Skill?" I ask.
"[Magic Crystal Extraction]," she answers. "The description just says that it's for extracting magic crystals out of ore."
Magic crystals out of ore? That sounds like something which might benefit me due to the magic crystal ore stones harvested from the Dungeon. Something we discovered was that unless the crystal is something we can just break off, we can't extract it from the stones they're in. I did know that Skill was available in the shop, but it costs 100,000 syscre to buy the tome for.
Not the Skill Scroll – the tome. Which is the cheaper option, and only teaches one how to extract the ore and nothing else.
However, I'm trusting Grandma that Quests from gods are meant to make the people issued them happy. That means that Grace would probably actually like to do that as a job. At least, for starting out with things here.
"You'd have work if you accepted that," I tell her. "We've got a lot of magic crystal ore that needs refining. Though make sure to think on if that's what you want to do – as we said before, don't just take it on because it's useful to others."
Grace nods and returns her attention to her selection screen. Trent does the same thing and frowns almost immediately after.
"Something wrong?" I ask.
"No," he looks at me. "But I just got a Quest, too. I like doing pottery and stuff but it seems like you guys use a lot of glass for your potions so was trying to decide between the two. The Quest is for taking on something for pottery and I'll get a [Class Starter Kit]."
"I'm pretty sure that helps prove the point," I snort. "Take on what you think you'll be good with doing for awhile. We're just buying the bottles from the shop here, anyway. It's easier than making our own glass whether through magic or not. If you do want to do glass stuff as well, then do it as a side thing, yeah?"
"I don't think there's much market for pottery here," Trent points out.
"Maybe," I shrug. "But-"
"Upon reaching a population greater than ten," the golem I'm standing beside says. "It will be possible to upgrade some features of the System Shop. One such upgrade allows for the sales of goods between shops within fifty miles of this one sooner than the three-month point. Purchasing a product from a different shop than it was sold to will result in a small fee being charged for the transfer. On a further upgrade, it will be possible to select the specific shops you wish to sell them to, with a higher fee."
All five of us stare at the golem. This is brand-new information to me – every time I asked if it was possible to increase the features of the shop, the golems told me "no". What's different this time?
"We asked about that at the shop which used to be by where we were living," Mr. Baxter says. "We were told it wasn't possible to upgrade the shop."
"It is not possible to upgrade a System Shop without meeting population thresholds in an area covered by that System Shop," the golem states.
Todd, Mr. Baxter, and I all throw our hands up. These damn things. One would think the gods would have designed them to at least let us know that we could perform upgrades after reaching population thresholds rather than giving them some weird-ass requirement before they tell us. It probably required us having closer to ten people in the shop's range before it would inform us.
"How does doing upgrades work?" Trent asks. "If we can expand the range, then I'll be fine with making pottery to sell."
He doesn't even need to worry about that, as I was going to say before the golem interrupted. Letting him know can wait until after questions about this are asked, though.
"Once a population threshold has been reached," the golem responds. "Anyone visiting that System Shop can access the related shop's upgrades menu. If someone is able to provide the full cost up-front, then they can purchase the upgrade. The person appointed the role of Manager can also set a focus, allowing anyone to donate materials toward its completion. In that case, the full cost does not need to be provided up-front and the donations are stored within our stasis until all cost requirements are met."
I don't need to be able to access that menu to know that the requirements for upgrades are probably steep. There is no way we would be able to upgrade something like the System Shop for cheap.
"Are there upgrades with negative effects?" Mr. Baxter asks.
"Any and all upgrades provide benefits without consequences," the golem answers. "For a Level 1 System Shop, there are five: the aforementioned expanded sales range, a passive bonus to one's healing rate, a passive bonus to one's recovery of Aura, a passive bonus to one's recovery of Mana, and Level 2 for the shop."
"What determines who's the Manager?" I ask. "If there's an area without a leader?"
"The leader is not necessarily the Manager," the golem answers. "It is determined by various factors. For this Carelm Forest System Shop," oh, no. "The leader is you, Carter Leif Elm."
"Your middle name's Leif?" Trent asks.
"Hush," I say. "Can I see the upgrades menu?"
"The local population is currently too low," the golem answers.
That's the first time I've been able to get an answer about the population levels here, and it's not a direct statement other than "less than ten". There's me, the twins, my friends, Trent and his girlfriend, and then Todd and his dad. That's nine, or one short of the requirement. If anyone else was living within range of this System Shop, we'd be at the threshold.
"Okay," I look at Trent and Grace. "Even with the Quests nudging you towards things, make sure to think about your choices. Trent, you can still sell things to the shop even if no one's buying. I was going to say that before the golem interrupted me. Also, there are basic Quests which require specific items or item sets but will earn you more money than just selling them to the shop."
"Oh," he says. "That's not so bad, then."
"Yeah," I say. "If you don't want to help out with our stuff, you can still earn money from the shop and then buy from us or the shop. Same with you, Grace."
"I'm not sure about the crystal extraction thing," she says.
"It's not required," I tell her. "And I know that we at least will pay a fair value based on what the System Shop buys the crystals for, and factoring in the time and Mana required to do the job, as well as the price of the Skill Scroll."
"How expensive is the scroll?"
"They're five times as much as the tomes that teach you the Skill," I tell her. "And the tome costs 100,000 syscre."
"So it costs-damn, that's a lot."
"Yup," I say. "And we have a lot of ore," I hold up my right hand to show the storage ring. "This had a much bigger space inside of it for my first trip into the Dungeon and we packed it full of supplies. That's where some of the wood you saw in our storage areas came from. So you'll be able to earn decent coin from it – and we aren't going to rush you."
"Okay," she says.
"Take your time to make your choices," I tell both of them. "I've got other business to do here, and I think Todd and Mr. Baxter do as well. Once we're all done, we can head back home for breakfast."