The Town Core acts as the conduit that allows me to access The System Store, albeit in a limited way. It seems most Cores that act as a control core if sorts work that way. So, currently just planning to get one familiar building. Lo and behold, another Mana Tower! So maybe another Rank 5 this time?
Inappropriate location
Huh, never seen that before. I attempted the purchase on several locations around this bone hollow and was always given the exact same prompt. Maybe a Rank 3? Also Inappropriate… Rank 1? Still nope! So I browsed for a Territory Core thinking it's something to do with the Core's access to The Store or something—but instead happened to notice a small expandable section labeled as; more details, and well, I'll be damned! Guess what I found!? Requirements! Among other things
I backtrack to Mana Tower, expand the section and voila; 5 meters of available space below and above the ground. My Mana Sense spreads further beyond these Bortuary Bone that encompasses the hollow and they are definitely less than two meters thick. And as I am sure these walls need to be left alone, that means I need to bring in a tiny hill somehow. I've come full circle; Mana Tower needs elevated floors > these floors need materials > materials needs easy access between QuadPeak and this Town > making the easy access needs a Mana Tower… Such dilemma.
Eventually, between my extra large Repository, a second Mark of Returning and a bit of backtracking. As well as some rinse and repeating; I managed to take a large piece of boulder with me into the hollow, then two, then five and much more. While I was at it, I also decided to grab a few trucks full of dirt to plant Bambreezes on. Oxygen will be an important commodity down here.
We're definitely gonna need a gate to keep all the air in, but first of all the Mana Tower. My eyes roam about the area I had assumed to be 100 meters in diameter. Meteran tells me it is 20% wider, and has a slight oval shape; so about 100 meters and 120 meters across the Y and X axis when seen from a bird's eye view. Its width being the larger of the two. With the available rocks and on the space between the Hollow's entrance and the Town Core, I create an up-raised platform about 10 meters in diameter and a little above 5 meters tall with stairs along its sides. Upon this platform, I finally managed to purchase a Mana Tower. Just a Rank 4, for a little less than 3.7 billion Creds. As I figured purchasing the 5th Rank would cost about 80% of my current wealth and that is too much investment all at once, especially if we're going by the theory that there will be more Town Hollows ahead.
Though it's been awhile since I claimed my System Store sales. But maybe later… So a Rank 4 Mana Tower contains 11 rooms, 16,500 mana, can memorize 9 spells and have 50% of my offense and defense. It boosts mana regeneration for all that is within an 18 kilometers radius by 170%, a range I minimize to only cover the tiny Hollow.
Next, I bought some Room of Horticultures; this changes the center area of a Tower's rooms into small gardens. The earth within this room is magically moist at an ideal level and a registered spell of your choice may be routinely applied. The room's Rank resembles the upper Rank limit of flora plantable within the room and the expanded space within. I believe this room is made available so all Tower owners may plant any treasured herbs for repeat harvests.
Ground floor, 2nd floor and 2nd basement are also turned into such rooms. While the first is a Rank 4 room with 19 meters diameter of plantable space, the latter two are Rank 3s with 11 meters diameter of plantable space. These rooms alone cost more than 1.3 billion Creds, most of which is spent on the Rank 4 room. Bambreezes are only Rank 1, but more space matters too... I planted what little I have on the ground floor and also bought a LeyLink Gate, Rank 3 for about 88.5 million Creds.
Double checking that I have placed a Mark of Returning somewhere around here, that the Warden is deployed, and that the Tower gate is secured. I trigger the Mark I had placed above ground, gonna need more Bambreezes and professionals to help plan the Town… and rocks, and dirt, and water.
"What, pray tell, are you up to?" Jennifer yelled the moment I step out of the spatial tunnel.
"Gardening and terraforming, why?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Gardening where?" She asks me with a serious face. "Reports are you've been re-appearing here multiple times within the span of a few minutes, each time running out to who knows where with a suspicious childish glee on your face."
"Don't believe in hearsay Jen!" I deflect the accusation. "Is Dianty still taking care of her garden? I need Bambreezes and a few Spellcasters that know Shape Stone… and someone that knows how to manage or build a town!"
"What is happening here?!" I was then made to sit down and explain like a child in trouble. Humans are such slow creatures both mentally and physically, but I cannot deny that I want them to still be around millions of years to come. So yeah~, patience... I wonder how long it would take the Bambreezes I planted below to produce enough oxygens?
Soon, we had a team put together; Dianty and another flora specialist, two earth mages and finally, two combatants. They will be the first team to join me down below, all 6 are equipped with my full ranged Mark of Returning and will be capable of warping back here the moment they feel events are going downhill. Lack of oxygen for example. They also have with them a lot of Bambreezes and various earthen materials.
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The gate was activated and I volunteered to be the first person to step through, so I take a step through said Gate and come face to face with a pale sphere of—Quagxyte?! I instantly tried to terminate the LeyLine Gate's connection but was prevented from doing so, due to the presence of a passenger.
Smash! My punch, under my careful control, pushed the sphere away rather than doing any actual smashing. A brief scan of my Mana Sense tells me that the whole Tower is under attack and has incurred multiple breaches, while the Warden is busy defending my Town Core. Blink! I had to push away several more enemies from the Gate's vicinity before Rumah's team of 6 arrived.
"What is happening?" The two combatants arrived together, one was quick to notice the commotion.
"I can't breathe." The other said and they each took out a small pre-prepared potted Bambreeze and followed instructions by stuffing said pot into an opening on their stomach-armor.
"Guard the gate. When the others arrive, trigger your Marks." Not that they can do any good guarding against Quagxytes who copied my physical attributes, but I can manage for now and they'll be gone within a few seconds. While I continue to Blink around the Tower's ground floor and keep the enemies at bay. Soon, I Sensed the next 4 arriving, then all 6 were gone within the span of four seconds. Feels great working with elites.
With them gone, and the Warden being immune to physical attack. And my effort of slaying these creatures; they were soon eliminated… The Mana Tower started feeding on ambient mana to repair itself while I think of how we can best protect the place.
Henry: What happened?
Zen: Well…
I explained and we agreed that I should stay to guard the area for now. My Gate will be reusable in another 30 hours or so and by then, we will have people here to guard the place. We would also need a way to do that with the least amount of personnel. And so, Henry and I came up with a plan that makes use of Siege Spells and numerous Mana Towers—yes, we have proof that Mana Towers may count as participants to a Siege Spell, though always only as a participant. But first of all, I had to make use of my Mark of Returnings to grab a bunch of Bambreezes for replanting as every single one I had previously planted was destroyed. I only got done replanting by late afternoon; it has been a long day indeed… and this is not the end.
It may be interesting to know that these Bortuary Bones are almost indestructible; even with my previous method of breaking the Tailbones through forceful use of mana-material fusing, I had not been capable of leaving behind a single scratch. Instead, the Cantrip Soften happens to be the only Spell within my arsenal capable of altering these bones. There may be more to them than meets the eye in regards to these Cantrips. While Softened, I would create multiple thick hook-like bumps where I can securely attach metallic anchors. These serve as the support that keeps the layers of ceiling-stones attached securely.
Henry was delegated the task of finding one or more appropriate Siege Spell to register in the numerous Mana Towers that now occupy the Hollow's ceilings while I had been busy terraforming our overhead area; transporting rocks, metals and purchasing Rank 2 Towers to serve as participant casters during a Siege Spell cast; Rank 2s have 7 rooms, 3400 mana, 5 slots for spell memorization and 30% of my abilities. Now knowing that the Tower floor orients upwards, I fill the ground floor with a Rank 2 Room of Horticulture and a LeyLink Gate of a similar Rank, while the other 6 I fill with 3; Rank 1 Room of Amplifications, and also 3; Rank 1 Room of Fortitudes. Thats about 2300 MAtk power… It'll suffice—no idea about its defenses though.
Henry: You done? I found a few that might work
Henry: Come above when you're available.
Zen: Ok, be there soon
I finished up filling all 12 auxilary Towers as well as the one main Tower with VLoS and Magico Disk for their self defense. Then set the Tail Warden to defense mode before taking one of these auxiliary Rank 2 Tower Gates to another auxiliary Tower on QuadPeak.
Everyone is gathered in the outdoor kitchen… Guess it's about time for dinner, huh? Micro Flight. I mini-controlled crash land on the counter, enough to cause an audible crash and cause a bit of a rattle and yelled. "FREE CAKES!!"
Followed by quickly jumping off the table before I outgrow its width, or break anything while I expand. The moment I return to my original mass, I approach Renita who is the sole daughter of these cooks-couple and offer her a transfer of 500 Creds. "Here you are."
"Wait, Zen we don't have enough made for even half of this." She said, I like how she has gone past using honorifics to address me—as me's kinda too young to be identified as sir!
"That's fine, keep the change." I had to quietly explain that I can gather that amount within a few hours of traversing the Torterrene caves and massacring all incoming Quagxytes before she reluctantly accepts.
Slain Quagxyte lv 1 x 587
587 syscred and 81 exp awarded
Skill level up, Inspect 43 > 45
Skill level up, Sneaking 55 > 56
Skill level up, Mana Manipulation 57 > 58
Skill level up, Taunt 47 > 51
Skill level up, Slash Smash Stab 58 > 60
Skill level up, Unarmed Combat Proficiency 50 > 51
Skill level up, Flowing Art 61 > 63
Skill level up, All-Weapons Proficiency 49 > 50
Yes!! I always feel giddy inside at the sight of numbers going up! Maybe it is about time I give several Skills that are currently stuck on their Threshold some well deserved attention; Fire Resistance and Souls Sense for example I might be able to do something about, maybe Artificial Infusion too. Fear Resistance as well! Though I have not a bit of idea about the how to's in regards to grinding my Fears.
"Zen, we're done. Here are the spells I have selected." Henry interrupted my thoughts and did an air flick in my direction. A small System prompt inquires if I would like to view the newly received note.
"Hey, how did you do that!?" I yell.