Windemere, Goddess' Sky Island, 10 years later
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Ten years passed, with nothing exciting to write home about. I didn’t get to make a living-thread adamantite item but I did work on my proficiencies as a hobby. Passive Exp income from tithing pushed me to the level cap, with {Exp Boost} restored to its ten thousand times multiplier.
The political landscape calmed down. Leondirac was the last local power to attempt something stupid against us. The only unknown left for a while was how could they fund their mercenary army when I knew they were very low on funds, especially after I raided them to get what Isengar owed me. The answer was easily unveiled a few years later. Windemere, or more precisely, our way of life was a threat to several established powers in the region. One, we didn’t condone slavery and forced everyone else to abandon this way of obtaining cheap labor. Two, we had an unfair advantage no other nation around had. Me and my 3x Exp multiplier I could grant to my sworn subjects via {Royal Exp Tithe}. They were Mirina’s subjects but since she was sworn to me, the System considered it to count. Windemere’s citizens were gaining levels too fast and that was seen as a threat by the other nations. Wyxnos even tried to nag about it but there was nothing they could do. It was a compound Perk and it’d become indelible.
Despite the two very solid arguments above, the real reason was our lack of a noble class. Windemere had nobles but these were honorary titles, without political or land power. They couldn’t even levy an army. The noble Houses of the nearby nations feared that could catch on as a threat to their continued existence and decided to bribe Leondirac into raising that mercenary army. They covered their tracks very well but eventually, they got found out as I gathered intelligence from stray ghosts that were brought to me by the angels.
Turning their mercenary army into my prisoner golem army made them abandon their plans to harm us. Or at least plot with more secrecy. I didn’t have to raise a hand against them so far. I just sent some messages along with my priests to the neighboring Kings warning them and let them deal with the fallout. I also offered an olive branch in the way of scholarship opportunities at Marlowe’s Academy for their talented youngsters. I had to show them that they should be afraid of Windemere but it was better to be in our good graces than otherwise.
Migration eventually ended as Windemere’s new districts of Leondirac and Saegalla became full. The population tripled in these few years and the opportunities dwindled. Crime rates increased as bad apples among the immigrants decided they didn’t want to work hard but these were easily caught. The Wolf [Guard], the Lamia [Knights] and Kazuyran’s elite [Assassin] secret service worked in tandem. Clearing honest citizens of any suspicion were as easy as making them don a subordinate Tabard. Of which we had around ten thousand as the main Tabard in Mirina’s possession created more copies using its own and her surplus MP. Criminals quickly confessed to avoid being killed by the cloth. The ones charged with major offenses quickly became Exp for the [Assassins], while the others were gang-pressed into a (low) paying job in the guard where they received indoctrination by the Unicorn Priests, the military arm of my church.
Speaking of church, it was out of my control. I was the Steve Jobs of my church, the name and face of the corporation but holding only one share and no voting power. That’s not true but it was how I felt. The clergy was still beholden to me but I now understood why the other Gods let their churches run by themselves. Even for them, it was a mind-boggling managerial nightmare, and I was an ordinary mortal with a familiar that granted me divinity. Without Pandora, I was no Goddess. That was the Matriarch’s one weakness. Steal Pandora (and somehow survive her {Aspect of the Void}) and I lose my divine abilities. But being Goddess by proxy meant I wasn’t beholden to the Pantheon.
Finally, on my, I mean, Haru’s family life, everything was fine. Rydell decided to marry Constance and settle down with his resurrected family. He now teaches {Bardic Magic} and music at the Academy for a living. I sometimes take him on adventures so he can get the peace of mind a wanderer like him needs to remain in one place but I think he learned his lesson. I’m training Constance Lilac so she has the skills to go with him on his travels once Mizette and Nolan are grown up. Helger didn't even groan anymore every time he sees the man-fox.
> Level 200
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> Strength*: 128+23 (151) / 130 - Dexterity*: 108+37 (145) / 130 - Endurance*: 130+24 (154)
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> Mind*: 118+36 (154) / 130 - Willpower*: 130+43 (173) - Charisma*: 130+24 (154)
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> Magic*: 130+69 (199) - Faith: 35+10 (45) / 130
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> Ego*: 130+38 (168) - Luck*: 112+34 (146) / 130 - Soul*: 127+42 (169) / 130
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> HP 296.457.630 (6.701.282 HP/s)
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> Energy 245.778.546 (430.818 E/min)
* Multidisciplinar Branching (very rare): When crafting parts required for a Proficiency you have, you replace the secondary Proficiency score with half of the main.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
* Sage’s Shadow Workshop (ultra-rare): Your Shadow Workshop grants an additional 10% Proficiency bonus and all conjured tools and machines are considered the best quality possible.
* Perfect Fitting (rare): When crafting a wearable or wielded item for a specific individual you inspected for at least 5 minutes, the item is a perfect fit.
* Force Helpers (ultra rare): You can summon double the amount of Force Tongs with twice the strength for the same cost. They can now perform fine manipulation and craft on their own with only a 25% Proficiency Penalty.
* Granary’s Steward (very rare): Halve the cost to conjure plant matter. Vegetable produce in your immediate vicinity does not rot or spoil.
* Key to the Orchard (ultra-rare): You can now conjure fruit as well as seeds.
* Kitsune Possession (very rare): You can possess a creature. Unwilling hosts resist with [Magic+Ego] against your Magic score. While possessing, you do not recover any resources and the unwilling host can attempt to eject you with a cumulative +2 bonus every half hour. Attempting to kill the host automatically ejects you and stuns you for 1 minute.
* Sanctuary Gates (ultra-rare): You can summon one red Torii gate that leads to a pocket dimension only creatures you allow can enter. In that dimension, you can determine any environmental aspects but they can’t be harmful to the creatures you invited in. Creatures in the pocket dimension (but not you) recover resources and recover from ailments at four times the normal speed. Hostile action by a guest automatically ejects them before the action finishes. There can only be one pocket dimension at a single time.
(A/N): I didn't update the Proficiencies. Ugh.
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I was surprised when Marisol showed up at my sky island one day with Raleigh of all people. I had written off the [Rogue] as a lost asset, willing to leave the guy live his life until the day he inevitably died and the ring brought his soul and body back to Windemere. He was my fire-and-forget agent and I did the latter to the letter.
Standing before the gateway tree, I stared at the couple, yes, couple because I could smell them on one another. The dashing scoundrel and nymphomaniac [Priestess] were a match made in heaven. I was absolutely certain they’d fucked for the last time not a half-hour ago.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Is my divine glow too much for you? Or have you forgotten your childhood friend?” The blonde half-Eleon teased with her arms akimbo.
I wanted to rebut that we were anything but friends growing up but it would be petty of centuries-old me to admit. Instead, I just smiled and waved my tails, making my fox ears point straight at her.
“I was surprised by your choice of company,” I replied. “How are you doing, Mr. Whisper?”
He tipped his hat, “I’m fine, boss. Got your Cores here with me.”
I chuckled, “I’m sure you did. How’s Marisol treating you?” The blonde bimbo had the audacity to blush. Raleigh stuttered. I shifted my gaze to the woman, “Is Raleigh performing to satisfaction? I can increase the Endurance bonus on his magic ring if he isn’t.”
Marisol glanced at her partner in crime with a faux-sheepish grin. Then she handwaved at him and giggled, “Nah, he’s fine. I can boost his Endurance all night long with Zacheia’s magic.”
Raleigh let out a slight sigh. He was a player and as much of a wanderer as my biological father. I bet he wasn’t very happy with being Marisol’s flesh toy for this long. He reminded me of some friends back in New York who gloated about how many girls they could get in a single week. What the [Rogue] needed was a confidence boost.
“Anyway, I’m glad you got my Cores, Raleigh. I have a reward for you, here.” I took out of storage the {Dead Adamantite Thinblade} I crafted and handed the sheathed weapon to him. “This is one of my personal creations, a failed experiment with a metal exclusive to me. It cannot be enchanted but you’ll find it is deadly to mages and magical constructs. You can even parry some projectile spells with it.”
Dead Adamantite Thinblade
Price: 127 kingmetal coins.
Damage: 13d10 +27
Durability: 40,000 / Hardness: 200
Ignores 40% of the target's physical defenses.
A failed attempt at creating a living Adamantite weapon, the blade contains a mesh of living silk that was starved by the metal and burned by the heat inside its core. It is still a deadly weapon, though difficult to master.
He probably {Appraised} it and whistled. “One hundred and twenty-seven Kingmetal coins?”
“Got something for me too, baby?” Marisol purred at me.
I crossed my arms and tapped my finger against my arm as I deadpanned back, “I’m sure I can forge an adamantite chastity belt that no mortal can break into. Give me a couple hours, I can estimate your measurements from here.”
“At least put some jewels on it,” she pouted.
We laughed but I couldn’t miss the opportunity. “Deal. I’m off to my workshop, feel free to use one of the bedrooms in the palace. I recommend Mirina’s father’s.”
I left them to their own devices and did well on my promise. I crafted the best and most extravagant chastity belt this world has ever seen. Spoiler alert, I never gave her the key but she never put it on anyway.
> Jeweled Adamantite Chastity Belt
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> Price: 263 kingmetal coins
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> Durability: 350,000 / Hardness: 3,000
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> Lowers wearer’s Magic Attribute to 10 if it’s higher than that.
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> Grants 75% resistance to all magical damage and reduces effects by the same amount.
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> Has a mastercrafted machined Disk Detainer Lock.
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> An adamantite chastity belt that is virtually impossible to destroy. It has a lock made of pure Adamantite that is impossible to open without either the key or “The Pick Bosnian Bill and I Made [1]”, which does not exist in Yznarian.
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[1] If you recognized it, great! If you don’t, I ain’t explaining it. Google search for it and then subscribe to the LPL.