"So, I would like to apologize for taking a bit longer for us to meet. I was too, entertained by Laurel and Demarite. I'm the High Spiritweaver, Jule. I'm akin to your dimension's 'Mother Nature'. I would like to make you quite the offer."
"Go on. I'm listening."
"This, waste management you speak of. I would like to personally oversee the process and do a better job at keeping the planet of Kinore, clean of filth. Peering into your life, you were quite the janitor. Some called you, 'Super Janitor'. I would like to see what you're capable of."
"What's the tasks you require, the perks and benefits for the tasks ahead and finally, the base of operations for this to be conducted?"
"All I require is that you keep the lands clean in anyway possible, no matter how small. Seeing that you're a human from your dimension, you would be, feared and targeted by different races and natives of Kinore as humans are, a bit of a cancer since Laurel and Demarite have claimed residency here. I will offer you a chance to become the dominate race where you have your base of operations.
As for that, I have three places in mind:
- Hightale, Land of the Rabbit-born
- Druger Peak, Mountain of the Stone Dwarves
- Faebound, Forest of the Fae Elven
These are the three I can offer you right now."
As Jule presented the opportunities and I began to peer into the history of each territory (via a communal link) and the landscape for each.
- Faebound: They are a prideful and rather annoying set of elves (but that's to be very expected of their kind from what was depicted of them in my world) that have the very notion of, "communal benefit". They seem to be on and on about praising the work on the collective rather than the achievement of the individual. Something like that would help in the collection process, but would hinder me if I had to rely on them for small tasks.
It also didn't help that they really, really look down on the achievements and accomplishments from anyone other than themselves in addition to being openly racist to many, if not all of the other races in the land. As the "superior" race, they believe that it's their fucking god giving right to be treated with the highest of respect without showing an ounce of even courtesy in return.
My Rating: 2.6/10, I can only see them being useful once, maybe twice if a favor is owed to them. I can't rely on them to further my efforts and I would be further hindered by the fact that they really don't like to get physical for anything, particularly...
- Druger Peak: The dwarves of Druger Peak are a hardy yet ignorant lot that hone the skills of smithing to it's highest order. Each dwarf is in service to themselves with a communal effort when the territory is in need of the services of the collective. With alcohol is involved though, you get to see that they're a toned down version the Fae Elves of Faebound. They're more, vengeful to those who wrong them and have a misconception about cultural norms in other territories in Kinore.
They don't mind the labor. Hell, I failed to see them as lazy when work is needing to be done. So long as there is work or smithing to be had, they will be working diligently, a trait I find admirable. The only issue is Druger Peak itself. The mountain is not really a mountain as it is a contained semi-active volcano that periodically erupts, causing massive damage to neighboring kingdoms at the base of the peak. The dwarves have lava-proof homes and they themselves are highly heat resistant. It's safe to assume that they can continue to work while the eruption is going on. A disturbing fact I rather not experience first-hand.
My Rating: 7.2/10, A great opening for anyone that is in need of a start, but not a keen first choice. Though, I will have to require their services in the upcoming future.
- Hightale: Hightale is a place where the tired can't rest and the lazy continue to be as such. The rabbit-born in the area are a byproduct and a result of a war that they wanted no part of. They were enslaved by their former retainers to become tireless "citizens" upon new management (aka the winner of the war). The kingdom now holding the leash of these people, the Kingdom of Mot. The kingdom at first glance seems ok and fair, but that facade wouldn't be hidden by the grim reality that, while the kingdom itself prospered from a recent war won, it came with the added suffering of the rabbit-born in the area.
All the rabbit-born in Hightale live in fear and in a jittered state. The men are forced into the Rugu Caves to mine iron and bronze while the women and children are subjected to menial tasks and the occasional exploitive beating and "lustful" servicing (which is nothing more than sexual abuse and assault). The elder of the people suffers the most as he is tortured in a dungeon for his outspoken ways. If I can free them from servitude from such a kingdom, I would have a starting worker base that would thrive in my conditions rather than suffer under theirs.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
My Rating: 8.7/10, I feel that this would be an excellent starting point and it would allow me to do some psychological damage to their kingdom. This is my choice for my base of operations.
"So, I take it you've found a suitable place to start."
"Hightale."
"Ah, I believe your kind call this kind of start, a 'Hard Mode' start. Is that not correct?"
"That's very correct. Also, because of the pelt color of the rabbit-born, I would like to have an ashen black pelt color."
"Going to be the hero of legend, I see? This plays into Laurel's plan."
"No it doesn't."
"Explain."
"Laurel is looking for heroes for her "holy" legion. What better way to give her the ethereal middle finger than to cut down the low level chosen, the weak guards and the rather corruptible slave traders."
"I see. Doing this would look like an act of heroism in Demarite's eyes while an act of defiance in Laurel's."
"Correct."
"Well then, picked a name to identify yourself as, considering that your old name would be useless?"
"Boa. Gender, Male."
"Oh, keeping the gender and even the pelt color. A sense of pride or a mark of oppression?"
"Both. Pride as a man of color while still in my world, but that comes with the scorn of being oppressed by those in power, such as the rabbit-born before us."
"Well then, I will place you in the Triwell Woods, near a cabin specifically hidden from the sight of all. There, I've placed an anvil, a tome and a few commodities needed for you to get started. Scout the lands and be ready to fight when necessary."
As Jule got me set for first contact in Triwell Woods, I saw a butterfly fly near me.
"This butterfly is your current power. Right now, it's white. As you develop yourself, more butterflies will gather and different species of butterflies will be attracted by you and your power. This butterfly species is a Blue Morpho."
"Ah, a Blue Morpho. A symbol of survival at the most basic level.
"I see you're adapting to this well. What will you pick as your starting combat perk and your first tool for the process?"
The skills Jule presented to me was as follows:
- Stealth Arts
- Dagger Proficiency
- Rabbit Fencing
While having {Rabbit Fencing} would help with direct combat with the guard and trash heroes, it would make me a pariah and a savior that would have my work, compromised at every corner. {Dagger Proficiency} would be a great help for ambushing and assassinations, but then I would be feared and the guard would increase their efforts. Not looking to have that done at all without some other skills and a viable weapon. {Stealth Arts} would benefit me the most because it's not just limited to combat. I can manipulate it for espionage for valuable materials and locations of corpses and other byproducts not found in nature.
"Stealth Arts would be fine."
"A lurker within the light. I like that. Now, for the tools..."
She wavered her hand with three instruments needed for my success
- A Shovel
- An Empty Bottle
- A Broom
All three would be of great help, but the empty bottle would be the least important right now. I can make a container with leather and glass, so I will wait a bit before pursuing containers for various forms of visceral materials. The shovel would be the middle because, digging holes is fine, but I'm not a huge fan of robbing a grave unless it is needed and uprooting the land is unnecessary when Jule is merely at my beck and call. The shovel can wait. The broom, now that has multiple uses from sweeping materials and things into piles to using it to blend in nicely with the locals.
"I'll take the broom."
A perplexed look befell on Jule. More often than now, Jule was excited on my choices, but this would be the first time they expressed, disinterest.
"I see. Why the broom?"
"You may see it as a tool used by servants. In the eyes of a janitor, that very same broom can sweep evidence away neatly and swiftly, be a prop to fit into society and even be a better prop for infiltration into places that most can't get access to. While the shovel is nice and all, it restricts me in places to access and the bottle does nothing because if the material filled inside is acidic or highly corrosive, that's a waste of a tool."
Jule's eyes widen a bit. Likely from being a bit too narrow, they now understood the further applications of the broom.
"Perhaps I was a bit too hasty on judgement. That would be the best choice. The Blue Morpho will store the skill and you'll get your broom. Remember, each butterfly is different and the Blue Morpho can only have three skills before it's at it's limit. Learn what you can very closely and only accept what you wish to handle."
"Understood. Let us begin."
"Lets."
As Jule doused me with an anesthetic to make the journey smooth, I began to fall into a deep sleep. No dreams, no nightmares, no thought, no visions. Just emptiness and color. When I awoke, I woke up being at the front door of my base of operations and essentially, my home. As I walked into the hut, the hut didn't look too bad at all. It had a bed, three different tables, the anvil outside with plenty of space for expansion, an outhouse for me to use the little rabbit's room, a pond for washing myself (though that is technically unsanitary if the water was contaminated) and finally, a desk to start my work.
I looked on one of the tables to find a few plates, wooden utensils and some cups. Near the fireplace was a cast-iron cauldron that I decided to put into instant use. Using one of the five cups available, I went to the pond and gathered enough water to boil and test the purity of said water. After fifteen minutes of gathering water, I started a fire and placed the cool cauldron into the fire. A little while passed and while it boiled, I did some push-ups and some sit-ups which changed the Blue Morpho's color from white to an orbital blue color.
Once the steam appeared, I gathered the water in an iron ladle and poured it into a cup. I allowed it to cool and then I drunk the water. No initial response. After ten more minutes, an alert appeared in the form of a scroll.
(Must be how I get alerted about a change made...)
Water Results- Potable (after boiling)
A tell-tale sign that the water after boiling was safe to drink. I retested the water, now without the heating control. I grabbed a cup, poured the water straight from the pond and took a sip.
A Negative Response!!!
The pain was similar to moderate food poisoning. The system alerted me once again.
Water Results- Contaminated (Unknown Man-Made Toxin present)
(A toxin, produce by human hands... This could be a problem because this pond is being supplied the water from a creek nearby. This will require an initial scout and investigation to begin to deduce the problem and the responsible party Well then, my first day will be spent in stealth. Joy.)
I was already getting a headache (whether from the contamination or from the irritation of having no time to scout the lands proper and in peace) and it didn't help that screams of agony and despair filled the air on this morning. The sun, barely arisen and already the fuckers began their work. Looks like I'll have to start mine.