Today, architect Shadyna will find the answer to the greatest question of mankind!
How many lightbulbs does it take to change a sun?
…Or something along those lines. I have a vague feeling that it was a little off though…
Anyway, after running away from Mera and
Why did I use skill scroll if it is so straightforward? It appears that hitting a live target gives you more skill experience than blasting the ground or air. Offensive skills were probably balanced around that, and became a pain to grind without cannon fodders. There's no way this true pacifist me can put others in the firing line for such a selfish (and bothersome) reason!
As for how I am going to use [Elemental Barrage]… It is going to replace [Fire Bolt] in my perpetual fire shooter, simple as that. Sure, it costs more MP than [Fire Bolt], being a skill in higher tier, but my [Creation] level and attributes should be more than enough to compensate.
My own MP is in the tens of thousands, so I suppose this is the only time I need to worry about spells' costs huh…
That's also why I didn't bother with rarer skills. While they may be flashier, the material cost required to craft one is much higher, which in turn reduces the amount of items I can craft in total. Damage? What's that? Is it edible? The cute pacifist was only looking for a skill with the highest rate of fire for a reasonable MP cost~
[Barrage] skills fire multiple [Bolt]-like projectiles in succession. Because their individual damage is below [Bolt] spells, they should only be used on lightly-armored targets. One can say that they are in-game equivalent of a submachine gun in real life, while the slow-but-powerful [Spear] spells are sniper rifles, and [Bolt] are basic pistols.
Since we are already at it, the other common attack spells are the AoE rocket launchers, [Blast], and good old close-range shotguns, [Burst] skills. The hardcore roleplayers would not be caught dead saying something so barbaric that is "gun" in this fantasy world, but the application is all the same. The only thing missing is an autocannon that has both rate of fire and power, but I suppose that is a bit too imbalanced.
…Hessy's [Dark Bolt] is disturbingly close to one though. Had she picked [Dark Barrage] as her main skill instead… Uhm, no, let's not think about that. Pin cushioning is only fun if it happens to other people.
Now that I have the spell with the best rate of fire, let's try crafting a shooter. Those two will most likely take some time anyway.
_ Shadyna: [Creation]~!
---
[
- Creator:
- Quality:
- Type:
- Enhancement: 13
- Enchantment:
- MEN: 10
- MP: 1600
- Alchemy: Elemental Barrage Lv.0
- Furniture: Blueprint Lv.0
---
Nice and simple, just as I like it. A white flat disc-shaped lamp with the ability to spit out colorful magical arrows for an eternity. When activated, it shines brightly and pricks anything in front with its next-to-harmless projectiles, which also glow as if they were fireballs.
In other words, this thing radiates a lot of light, with a rapid mass-ejection-like visual effect.
[Blueprint] is the only new addition to the recipe, as I am going to craft a ton of these and can't afford to replace them one by one should I lose some by accident. That would be a royal pain in my cute butt! I also used bare minimum materials to apply [Blueprint]. The shorter respawn time at high levels is rarely needed outside of sieges after all.
Now then, time to scout for a place to put this thing on.
_ Shadyna: [Teleport]!
…
I'm currently watching the landscapes from the literal top of the world, the gigantic stone tower.
At this height, I can only see the general features of the fields. No matter how hard I try, I cannot see any movements down there. My headset will burn from the hardware overload if it tries to render all of the players, creatures and whatnot I suppose, since we are talking about half of the game world being in my vision here.
Well, not that I am trying to spy on the player base or anything. I'm just looking for a field above which I can build my countermeasure to the (assumed) inevitable explosion of the celestial body above Tyrel:
My very own artificial sun.
I mean, when you believe that the only lightbulb in your house is going to explode violently and unleash a horde of man-eating monsters in your bedroom, you would naturally want to buy another one from the convenience store to prevent such scenario, would you not? I'm simply applying the same logic to the sun over there.
You would not? Seriously, youngsters these days and their non-exploding lightbulbs~
Back to the prospecting, while I doubt the location matters much, I prefer having it somewhere not too out of place, because putting a sun above the coldest place in the world is not immersive.
On that note, the coldest field in the game at the moment is probably the Haunted Tundra to the north of Tyrel and Forest field, featuring a plain with decorated with snow patches and way too many ghost-like creatures for comfort. It's the best place to farm high-grade magical materials nowadays, although not all have the courage to face it…
To be fair, Snow Mountain used to be the coldest. It is no longer the case, however, considering that the place is no longer snowing, or even a mountain for that matter.
How did that happen, I wonder~?
If I am choosing hot biomes, I suppose the southern Lava Rift is the best candidate. At the same time, the Sand Circles zone to the west also has plenty of that hot, dry feeling by being near the sun. It is closer to Tyrel to boot.
Thinking about a compromise, I look at the space between the two fields. There lies the Sandy Beach, formerly known as the Crystal Valley, the very location where I built my secret base…
Fate or not, I have already made up my mind. Let's build a sun above the beach resort! The virtual tourists are not going to tan themselves.
Jumping off the tower, I launch myself towards the building site using [Friendship Engine].
…
Building an artificial sun, or any floating structure really, has a really big hurdle which architects have to overcome first. That is…
Gravity.
To be more specific, it's the fact that most building materials cannot float in a gravity well. Unlike real life, the sun in this world is deep in the atmosphere. Any replica with the intention of replacing it will have to raise to similar height, and will be subjected to gravity's mercy.
Fortunately, unlike real life, I have these things called "skills" to help me treat physics like an afterthought~
[Creation]~
---
[
- Creator:
- Quality:
- Type:
- Enhancement: 13
- Enchantment:
- MEN: 10
- MP: 1600
- Alchemy: Air Cushion Lv.0
- Furniture: Blueprint Lv.0
---
…Maybe I should craft furniture stuff without [Ancient] from now on. Having it in the [Inspect] result really lowers the perceived value of my construction works.
If I go on a tour and the guide tells me we will be staying at a hotel called something like "Ancient Modern Fancy Suites", I will at least consider checking for nearby hotels just in case, but I digress.
[
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
_ Shadyna: [
In front of me floats a reflective dark cylinder that is about a dozen meters in length. Even if I let go, it won't drop to the ground thanks to the activated [Air Cushion].
Un, looking good. Let's go all out!
…
A few minutes later, a dark metallic sphere as big as a house has been formed. I created it using a few support column as the main frame, then cover them using curved plates, all of which can float on their own. That costed me more materials to craft, considering I only need one part with [Air Cushion] and the whole thing will stay afloat as long as they remain connected to each other. However, adding a bit of redundancy gives me a bit of peace in my mind. The artificial sun is planned to use most of my material stockpile, spending a little extra to prevent its destruction due to a lucky penetrating attack should be a no-brainer.
I'll keep this in mind and craft a few more of these "floating cores" as I continue building. The rest will be low-grade framing with only [Blueprint] to keep the whole thing together. It's nice not having to worry about weight and size affecting structural integrity in this game~
Then again, all laws of physics are out of the window the moment floating building is possible through the use of skills. Is it unintended? Highly likely. Will I abuse the heck out of it to build a gigantic artificial star? Absolutely~
Oh, let's have Gelly and Lutena help out too. This is going to be my biggest construction project ever since I started playing, and I definitely want as many helpers as I can get.
…
I'm not sure what happened, but apparently Mera and
By the way, they bought a lot more than anticipated. I barely had enough storage room after spending a good chunk of materials on the "star" above us, thankfully.
_ Helen: By the way,
This amount is AFTER you embezzled the fund?!
_ Shadyna: I don't mind, but please send me the invoice next time~
_ Helen: Roger that~
Thanks to my accountant, I can quickly calculate the number of [
It will have to do though. I am only a single person. Even if I am a li~ttle stronger than the average player, there's a limit to what I can do in a short amount of time. Let's just hope that the artificial sun is enough to protect Tyrel should the worst scenario happen.
_ Shadyna: Okay then, begin crafting session~
_ Mera & Helen: Oh~!
Thanks to Mera's [Devotion], my attributes can reduce the material cost to squeeze a few items more out of the stockpile. What are we, tax collectors?
As I will most likely sit here and craft for the whole day, I inform them of the plan so they can do something else if they want to. Not that they need to babysit this independent me in the first place…
_ Helen: Putting aside the absurdity of the plan, should we help with building your sun's frame while you craft the discs?
My plan is not absurd! It's a logical conclusion based on the lore and Sateri's sadistic tendencies!
Back to the topic, that suggestion is not a bad idea, to be honest. I can give them the general design and they can work with my pets to build most of the inner parts except for the floating cores, which require my [Arcane Maestro Origin] title. However…
_ Shadyna: It's fine, really. The environmental damage there is high enough to harm me. I don't want to put you in danger just to get ahead of schedule.
_ Helen: Such a good girl~
Excessive skinship and flattering? Yup, this person is definitely a dangerous womanizer~
_ Mera: You can depend on us a bit more you know~ As the worthless gold digging trash around me would often say, "We are friends, right~?", while asking for money, favors, or~… my body~
Aren't you mixing it up with something entirely different there?! Are you a princess surrounded by typical otome games' idiotic nobility while waiting for the main romance option? Actually, please don't answer that. I'm pretty sure I would not like the answer.
And don't think I didn't notice that wink when you said "my body"! Yes, officer, that voluptuous lady over there!
_ Shadyna: *Sighs* I can't really refuse if both of you insist, can I…? Very well, I will take you up on your offer.
Also partly because I may or may not suffocate from hopes and dreams soon at this rate. I won't say that out loud though.
_ Mera: Really~?
Why are you acting like a child who was allowed to have some candies before dinner…
_ Shadyna: Yes, really.
_ Mera (Guild): Everyone~ I convinced guildmaster to upgrade our equipment~
_ Shadyna (Guild): Eh?
_ Falyn (Guild): Nice job, Mera!
_ Linny (Guild): You did well.
_ Mera (Guild): Everyone must work hard for her in exchange, okay~?
_ Su (Guild): Of course! *Coughs*
_ Thelia (Guild): I don't remember having it easy, ever.
I have been had!!!
_ Hessy (Guild): She got you good huh,
_ Elri (Guild): Not that our current gear is outdated, but I won't refuse stronger ones.
_ Fensen (Guild): Thank you very much,
_ Poltea (Guild): U-uhm, thank you very much!
The cheering and praises keep on coming in the guild chat. There's no way I can correct them without upsetting everyone anymore.
The cute little devil has been tricked into signing a weird contract. Uuu…
_ Helen: There there~ Let us work hard together, okay?
Darn it, fine! If you girls want to do labor work, I'll work you to the bones! Don't you dare complain and call it slavery afterwards!
_ Shadyna: [Creation].
On the wall which definitely never contained any suspicious cultish magic circles in the past, I draw the rough design for the sun, mainly focusing on the general shape of the framings inside as well as the positions of the floating cores. Being a capable leader who trusts their employees, I will let them have the freedom to work on it as they see fit.
Or to put it in simpler terms, I have no concrete idea and was just going with the flow. Good luck~
_ Shadyna: This is what I have in mind. Except for these spherical parts, you can build however you like, as long as they are attached to form a single structure.
_ Helen: Leave it to me~
_ Shadyna: As for the environmental damage… Mera.
_ Mera: Don't worry~ I will keep our guild members alive… They can't suffer if they are dead after all~
Why do I have the feeling that this is her real motivation…
_ Shadyna: Not that. I know how to negate the environmental damage.
_ Mera: Eh~?
_ Shadyna: Use this [Recall] orb and you'll get the title for damage negation, [Void Conqueror]. Please craft more for everyone after that. Sateri has not finished that area so return right after you are done, okay?
I'm already bringing them into space, there's no point in hiding the top of the tower any longer. On a completely unrelated note that in no way influenced my decision, I don't want to spend more money buying potions to keep my guild alive in unsafe working conditions~
_ Mera (Guild): Once again, I was SO close to becoming a heroic sacrifice!
_ Nerin (Guild): What the heck are you rambling about…?
As if I would become indebted by letting her die after what she just pulled on me! She might have won the war, but that does not mean I will let her win the remaining battles easily. Muahahaha~
She still won though. Damn it~
Well, I don't have to build the whole mini-sun on my own now, so there's that at least.
____________
The mistress of the tavern is in a good mood today.
Whatever happened, she is putting on a smile unintentionally, even when she glares at the troublemakers. Rather than looking at the patrons as if they are trash, the waitress is probably seeing them as tiny bugs that are completely at her mercy.
Whether that's actually what is going on in her head, the degenerates are definitely having the time of their virtual lives enjoying such delusion!
Then, some random player just had to walk in and ruin everyone's day.
_ Swordsman: Uh, guys, do you know what the heck just appeared in the sky?
Even though the majority are too busy indulging in their impure fantasies to bother, there are always a few diligent or curious players answering the call.
_ Priest: What are you talking about?
_ Swordsman: There's this… thing that wasn't there yesterday. Look.
As the players look through the clean glass windows of the building, they spot a manmade structure to the south-west of Tyrel. Considering its altitude and visibility from the town, it must be quite massive. Only a fraction of the sun admittedly, but massive nevertheless.
_ Warrior: Is that… a space station?
_ Priest: Dude, this is a fantasy game!
_ Swordsman: That's certainly no moon though.
The whole thing looks like someone is using zinc wires to make a spherical cage. Those "wires" are most likely much bigger when seen up close, but from this distance, that's the impression they got.
_ Mage: Maybe it's for an event?
_ Warrior: …[Goddess's Chosen] does not have anything on it. Unless…
_ Mage: Say it quickly before something appears to kill you!
Not that the warrior dying would stop him from talking per se. Some players are simply savvy out of habit.
_ Warrior: Well, everyone's talking about the mass boss fights these days, yet Black Mantis is not participating for some reason. There's a rumor going around that she was preparing for another event which is hidden even from players with [Goddess's Chosen].
_ Swordsman: Now that you mention it, didn't we have the inexplicably buffed mobs until recently? No one knows why it happened either!
_ Mage: So that thing is part of the hidden event? And is it me or is it growing?
Some players are noticing the new parts that weren't there when they first saw it. The "sphere" is most likely expanding, even as they speak.
Thing is, no one knows what would happen once it is completed, or if it will be completed at all. As with all new features in the game, it will become the topic of the day for players to gossip, make wild guesses and spam the board with doomsday prophecies, the usual stuff.
Meanwhile, the lead waitress has decided not to provide any comment, since it would ruin the (accidentally) mysterious event
Totally not because she finds it troublesome to answer the questions that would come her way. Honest.
--- Topic: Town wall recipe ---
## Big Hammer
I bought the recipe for the indestructible town wall recently and tried to craft it. The resulting wall was… subpar, to say put it mildly. Did I get scammed?
##
## Curious big boobs elf
You did, but not in the way you think it is.
The recipe is most likely correct. You just don't have enough attributes and titles to give it the ridiculous invincibility by overinflating the hidden statuses.
You were scammed because you shouldn't need to buy that recipe. It's public knowledge.
##
## Big Hammer
Welp. There goes my money. Q.Q
##
## Teabag Master
Rules of thumb: Go to our cafeteria or one of our branches (maid café, butler café, bar) first. You can get opinions of many players and be guided to the right place.
Disclaimer: I work at the cafeteria. (^_-)-☆
##
## GoldBar9999
Mind PM-ing me the name of the merchant? My guild would not want to trade with or have that guy among our ranks.
If you main Construction and want some quick income, go to the Space Station thread. We need all the builders we can get to prepare for the new event.
##
## Big Hammer
Thanks! Will check that out. ＼(^o^)／
Wait, SPACE STATION?!?! (°_°>)
##
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--- Topic: Sateri-chan's orientation ---
## Bountiful Hunter
Our party has made a very interesting discovery by accident.
Sateri-chan's statue in the marketplace always faces the player, no matter which direction we come from.
Only realized this after partying with someone who walked to her from the opposite side of Tyrel. Details are best left unknown. (^_^;)
##
## Fire mage of Justice
Whew (￣□￣;) Thought you were talking about something else there.
Isn't it strange how no one seems to have noticed it? Brb, checking it real quick.
EDIT: Confirmed. [Pics]
##
## CuteIsJustice
Had me in the first half, not gonna lie. (*´▽｀*)
It's not surprising for most of us to use the same route every day to save time. The place is packed like an idol's concert anyway.
More importantly, how are we going to get her measurements if she never turns around?
(´；ω；`)
##
## Curious big boobs elf
If I were a goddess, I wouldn't want one-fourths of my worshippers praying to my behind every day either, no matter how perfect it is. (－‸ლ)
##
## Heaven Piercer
Another theory: There's something so embarrassing that she doesn't want us to see! (*°∀°)=3
Heck, her behind may actually be shaped like pyramids!
##
## Fire mage of Justice
Incoming ban in 3… (^.^)/~
Now I'm dying to know. Curse you guys!!! (>_<)
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