CHAPTER 321 – ALTERNATIVE LOOT

Thor raised a hand. “If you want a solution. I can put it on the auction house. I have a trusted seller rating, which you need for something like this.”

“Are you kidding me? Are you telling me the auction house does bloody ratings like amazon?” Tom asked aghast. “The world ends and consumerism survives like a cockroach.”

Thor smiled at his outburst. “They have to. Not all tier one fire swords are the same. The description matters and some people lie through their teeth.”

“I know… it’s just… actually it doesn’t matter. Thanks for the offer. If I decide to sell, I’ll let you do it, but I’m hesitant to give away something so powerful. Maybe this is one of the tools we need to use to stop the dragon.”

“If you truly think that.” Keikain said. “Then the answer is obvious. Gift it to the giant. That’s who’ll get the most use out of it.”

“Fuck no.” Michael said immediately.

“Definitely not.” Tom stated at the same time. Then he turned, tilted his head and studied the earth mage. He appeared completely unapologetic. The idea of giving this to the giant was making the hair on the back of his neck rise. “Keikain, what the hell are you thinking? Unless the dreams smack my head with it, I’m not empowering a competitor. It’s a ridiculous concept. Especially one that is that strong.”

“I wasn’t being serious. Just demonstrating the issue. We’re not giving it to the giant which is the only one that it might help. A twenty percent boost of vitality to a human isn’t going to change a thing. It won’t even improve survivability because the power gap is so big.”

“If you’re not serious, then don’t suggest that type of crap.”

“Tom, I was illustrating a point and yours and Michael’s reaction proved it. If you’re not using it personally, then it belongs in the auction house. You might be able to recycle it into something better.”

“Definitely can.” Thor agreed.

Once more, Tom glanced over their combined group. He knew the capabilities of his own team and none of them even Clare, who was the other tank, would benefit materially. Then he studied Vidja’s group.

They had the same setup as his. Expert solo fighters who had been brought into a group. Not a single one of them had Legen’s build which was the type of setup that was needed to truly get the best out of the pill..

Usko was kind of a tank, but also not. He was more just a big body who focused on killing. For all of his ability, he lacked the type of skills needed to stop the body trait from being degraded during standard combat. Usko would lose limbs, probably not as often as Tom, but he would do so and the extra vitality was not going to boost any of his damage or defensive abilities.

It was just not how he was built.

Strength and agility were his dump stats and not vitality.

Ultimately, there wasn’t really a decision to be made. He casually tossed the million plus credit pill to Thor who caught it effortlessly.

“I’ll make sure the credits are given straight back to you and not put into the communal pot.” Thor told him with a huge grin.

Everlyn assessed the situation and then studied the surroundings. She had a thoughtful expression on her face. “We’ll break for lunch here. This place is defensible as any other.”.

Everyone exploded into activity as ward stones were placed to give them perimeter defence against the ghosts.

The treasure overall had been a letdown. Who cares if they got a million credits from the sale. They had been getting almost half a million for each zone they completed and even with buying the weapons to slaughter the ghosts they had a massive war chest to let them meet any unexpected issues in the future.

“Thor? Can you keep an eye out on the auction house and then… you know… let me know if something useful appears or if it’s a bargain, just buy it?”

Thor nodded, and the life vanished from his face as he entered the auction house.

“I’m sorry your prize was so crap.” Everlyn said standing next to him. “You deserved better.”

“Something might come up in the auction house.” He glanced at where Thor’s wax doll body sat and frowned. “Maybe.” He snorted at his own feelings of dejection. “Hopefully,” he corrected after a moment.

She smiled. “Hopefully. Are you going to cheat.”

“Nah. I’ve done too much of using fate to get fortunate on the auction house. I want to keep my powder dry in case we really need it.”

“You mean so you can buy a solution? To protect us if we reach a zone, we can’t defeat?”

Tom nodded.

“It’s not just you. We’re all doing the same. It’s been tempting to raid the Spectaculi but we’ve resisted. Of course, we don’t have as much fate to throw at the problem, as you and that just means we’re even more reluctant to waste it..”

Bao started cooking. The scents were mouth watering. Thor was still in the auction house, taking advantage of the break.

The food was served. A plate of fried meat, the Tom special, as Bao called it. The meal looked the same as everyone else’s even if it had taken her almost three times as long to prepare. He bit into it. It was so much better than what he had cooked for himself in the tutorial. Getting a cooking class as his fourth selection suddenly started to look more palatable.

A moment later, a portal appeared next to Thor as he reanimated and pulled a stone out of the small fire and tossed it to Tom.

It was not classed as ‘earth’ because his sensory ability did not pick up on it at all. He caught the stone instinctively. “What is it?” Then he opened his palm and looked at what seemed to be a crystal with familiar glittering swirls.

It was a trait stone.

Thor grinned. “Your reward. I decided to extend you a loan with the pill as collateral. This was available for immediate purchase and it’s perfect for you.”

“How much was it?”

The big man hesitated… “It doesn’t matter. Consider it a trade for the pill.”

Tom stared down the other man. “Are you playing loose and fast with our finances.” A body trait was substantially less valuable than an actual trait. This did not sound like a fair deal for everyone else.

“Not really. That was an absolute bargain. Even without the pill, I probably would have bought it for you and put it against your tab to be paid back over the next couple of months. But I have the pill to trade, so I did.”

Tom grimaced sceptically.

“No Tom. I’m not running a bank here and nor am I going to start keeping a ledger. If someone else wants to take over managing the auction house, then feel free.” No one wanted the job even if the big man was playing favourites at the margin. “We’re talking loose change, anyway. The new trait could end up being a couple hundred thousand more than the pill, but…” Thor shrugged. “It’s close enough to call it even and depending on demand for that body trait I might even make a profit. It’s possible because tank is the hardest role to fill by miles and any sensible team will prioritise them.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

No one disputed that statement. Ultimately, everyone could heal and most magic could be cast by anyone. Someone with the physical skills to stop a monster biting your face off was appreciated. “Now, Tom, tell me what you think?”

As requested, he took a moment to confirm what he held.

Trait Stone: Dodge Expertise. – Tier 2

When actively dodging this trait increases speed by twenty percent and doubles the amount of apparent time, the person has. This is to allow better strategizing during fights.

His throat caught. It was not as directly as powerful as the body trait. But it was simple enough to imagine how the vast majority of the population would prefer a vitality boost to slightly better dodging. That was even with the possibility of future trait degradation. Thor might not have been doing him a favour after all.. The niche nature of this trait stone was why Thor suspected they would get similar prices to the pill… but for him…

Tom tried to be rational.

He could put himself in a typical fighter’s place and understand how most people would class this trait as being near useless. A twenty percent improvement in speed was a huge bonus, but it didn’t apply to swinging a sword or plunging a dagger in a monster’s back or when you fled desperately from gnashing teeth and flashing claws. Even in battle, the benefit was still situational. It couldn’t help with desperate parries or to exploit an opening caused by a missed attack. .

It was useless when pressing an attack and it would fail when you really needed the extra quickness during a tactical retreat.

In order for it to have any effect, you had to be deliberately dodging, which was an ability most people never developed.. For the majority, the trait stone was a curiosity, something rich people might covet to give them a small advantage, but it was not an item that anyone seriously building their skills with limited resources would consider. Everyone was currently in the second category, but for Tom, with his unique build, the same limitations didn’t apply. The trait would act as a permanent twenty percent speed boost in combat and it was multiplicative with the bonus he got from his core dodge skill. Instead of getting a speed boost of five times he would get one of six.

That alone would have made it worthwhile, but the time dilation worked for him. Channelled Damage Mirror would benefit from the extra seconds to think not to mention what would happen if he ever got a domain. Time for him would eventually be equated with additional offensive output and probably mobility. He could see a future where lumps of earth would let him move his body mid combat.

Tom was back in the real world, staring at the item in his hand. There was no reason not to use it. This suited him and no one else. There was no concern about maxing out his trait allocation, as he doubted he would ever buy another one. There was already the quadrupling of price caused by the three traits he had just acquired and then he expected to gain at least fifty and maybe as many as a hundred levels over the next month. After that, the cost of shop bought traits would escalate to be beyond unaffordable.

What Thor had got him was beyond perfect. “I take it that you like it.”

He glanced up at Thor. “It’s incredible.” With hands that were definitely not trembling, he raised it to his forehead and absorbed it.

“Pretty good, right.” Thor said with a knowing smile. “And you can also see why it was cheap.”

“Thor, what was it?”

The big man glared at Vidja. “I’m not breaking anyone’s confidentiality. That question is beyond rude.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… My curiosity just got ahead of me.” Vidja apologised her face getting a slightly pink tinge. An outcome he hadn’t realised her dark skin was capable of.

“It’s a speed boost when dodging.” Tom answered.

The other team’s leader appeared confused. “And why’s that so great… it seems niche.”

“Tom’s a dodge tank.” Everlyn explained.

She still didn’t look impressed. “What is it? A hundred percent bonus.”

Tom burst into laughter at that suggestion. He couldn’t imagine the boost a trait that strong would give him. For a moment he imagined it… what would it feel like to be able to move ten times faster than anything his rank while avoiding their attacks. It would cause him to be untouchable and at that speed teleports could be used exclusively to protect himself from the more extreme downsides of black dodge.

Vidja did not look impressed with him laughing at her.

“Sorry, it’s just that a hundred percent would make me as evasive as a ghost. Even twenty percent will be significant.”

Everlyn whistled in appreciation. “Twenty percent, really? Thor that’s an amazing find.”

The big man grinned at the praise.

“I don’t get it.” Vidja repeated.

The scout looked at her in exasperation. “When you see him in action, it’ll make sense.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Tom has a tier five dodge skill,” Michael said, taking pity on her. Her eyes widened, and that was sufficient to end her doubts.

They continued on, with Everlyn picking a meandering route to allow them all to satisfy the quest requirements. Tom wondered if he would get an opportunity in the next zone to test his new trait. On one hand, he was looking forward to the feeling of power it would give, but on the other using his dodge would result him getting hurt. Maybe it would be best if they got another enemy like the ghosts.

He laughed at himself.

It was pointless to think about it. The zone would be what it was and if the monsters were dangerous, he would be tanking to save the lives of everyone else.

Ruthlessly, they proceeded through the strange landscape and eliminated the ghosts that got in their way. All too soon, they were pitching their tents once more.

“One more day and we’ll be out of here.” Everlyn promised. They had pushed harder and longer than usual to complete the zone in two days. Tom had even been able to function the entire time thanks to the buffs that Bao had been imbuing into his food. For once, everyone was as exhausted as he was. Apart from those assigned to watch, they all settled down to sleep.

It had been two nights since Selena had signed the contract with the wador and while he had a true dream each night there had been nothing noteworthy about them. One was another spear launcher, and the second had allowed him to keep tabs on the inventor. They were still on track to meet on the sixth layer.

For tonight, he figured he was rested enough to do a directed True Dream. He wanted to know what had occurred with the wador ceremony and whether there were any discussions that he needed to be aware of.

Tom once more found himself sharing the mind of the artefact creator Mahar.

The man was bored by the ceremony. They had waited for over half a day for the wador to appear. Then, even when they had turned up there had been little change to the situation. Yes, he had been honoured by the opportunity to chew and swallow some raw meat. However, straight after that, while Selena had commenced the negotiation, he had followed the wador tradition and laid on the ground once more. That secondary period, even though it had only lasted an hour, had been particularly trying . Only now could he look up because a twelve hour truce had been enacted. Selena and Jenny stood opposite three wador and they were as terrifying as the notes Thor had sent had implied.

“So we have to cooperate to defeat the dragon?” The lead wador said.

“That’s correct,” Selena said smoothly. “Our oracle is still working out the details but cooperation between all five of the non terror races is vital.”

“Indeed,” Jenny interrupted in her usual self serving fashion. “But there’s room on either side for alternative actions.”

Mahar felt like smacking her. She was obsessed with these silly display of dominance. Even if they could get away with it they shouldn’t. Couldn’t Jenny see that Tom had saved their lives by giving them the knowledge of this ceremony? Yet she persisted with her little games.

“What do you mean?” the wador asked.

“I mentioned one of the humans in the other group had a powerful precognition skill didn’t I.”

She smiled sweetly and Mahar rolled his eyes as if the cat like people could recognise that.

“Ah, I understand.” There was a sense of amusement from the wador.

Everything abruptly went white.

He couldn’t see or hear anything. The True Dream had not ended. He was still in Mahar but only the physical sensation of the body moving was available to him. Sight, sound, even the artefactors thoughts were no longer accessible. His mind raced, linking Jenny’s actions to the current conditions.

The headache inducing ability which Selena’s team had used to attempt to block him wasn’t occurring just white static. It was a block the wador had put in place and was apparently stronger than the previous situation.

He was completely blind.

They could be planning his death and he wouldn’t be able to tell.

Fury flashed through him. Mahar was right in that he had saved their lives and this was how they responded.

Minutes passed while he was unable to do anything.

Then vision and clarity flooded back. The emotions of Mahar’s blazing anger overwhelmed him briefly, but he was used to wading through sensory overload. He forced himself to observe the wider scene. Jenny had her silly, superior expression on her face. Selena looked like a storm cloud that was about to burst. One of the wador had collapsed on the ground from exhaustion.

“Our privacy is finished.” The wador told them. “Your Oracle’s skill is powerful. I would have expected the shielding to last hours not minutes.”

“We have said everything needed.” Selena said flatly. “I believe…”

Tom could suddenly no longer hear her and when he concentrated on her lips it was like they were blurred which prevented him from lip reading. He tried to test Mahar’s thoughts to see if that could bypass the interference, but white static was all that he received and a vague emotion of approval radiating from the artefactor. It was clear to Tom that they were talking about the previous discussion and a residual from the ability they had using was blocking him.

Apparently, not only had been a full block when it also stopped future thoughts and conversation based on this start point from being revealed by his skill. That was powerful. Tom wondered if he directed more True Dreams to this moment whether he could break the lock with sufficient attempts. Around him the dream broke up.

He screamed in his mind as he drifted into sleep. He had to do something about this.