Before shopping for the outrageously expensive materials Grotto needed to start his new Delve, I spent the next morning buying a house.

The long and short of my house-hunting efforts was that I could hire a Delver specializing in physical magic to excavate a new residence inside the mountain in short order. New residences were cheaper than old ones, since most were reluctant to part with their fine Formation estates, and there was still plenty of stone to cut houses into.

In regards to the ‘amenities’, there were a variety of magically-enhanced devices that could make the space more comfortable. Such items were created through a process called mana weaving, and the cost of those was astronomical compared to what was used by more humble households.

All-in, if I wanted a permanent residence in Formation finished in the quickest time frame available with running water, environmental controls, and a comprehensive set of heating elements for food preparation, I was looking at a cost of around four-hundred golden notes. It was a pretty penny, but I could buy it with a single emerald chip.

I had six of those.

I’d even have a hundred notes left over for furnishing and decorating. Having my own space was important to me, and it would also allow me to get up to more trouble with Grotto without worrying about things like prying eyes and ears, or property damage.

I pulled the trigger, and the entire process could be finished within a week. I was well on my way to having my very own underground lair, where I could cackle madly while wringing my hands and inventing ethically problematic devices and gizmos.

I decided against going for that theme, however, when consulting with an interior decorator immediately afterward. I wasn’t really into decorating, so I was happy to pawn that off on someone who could ensure I wasn’t violating any unspoken cultural norms, while still finding an aesthetic that suited me. I was a big fan of dark wood and metal, with pops of color on the walls.

I then spent the rest of the day dutifully collecting a diverse array of construction materials that I delivered to Grotto via my inventory screen, which he accepted with many promises about how our enemies would break upon the bulwark that was soon to serve as the bedrock of our burgeoning dynasty.

I also didn’t feel any eyes on my back as I went around the city this time.

I spent the evening watching Grotto work, and idly checked the Bag of Refreshments to see if I’d missed any snacks, the way I used to open the fridge five times a night after procrastinating grocery shopping in the hopes that some hitherto unknown food would magically present itself. However, rather than sad disappointment, I found the bag once again filled with a stout charcuterie’s worth of snacks.

I now knew why this was a spatial item. Somewhere in the universe, there was a charcuterie dimension, and it delivered food-stuffs of modest quality to this little bag of endless goodies. Or maybe elves filled it up while I slept. Or maybe there was a chef somewhere enslaved for all eternity, forced to prepare and teleport whole foods to bags like this across the world. However it worked, I now had a ready source of presumably endless chow.

I munched on some of the Trail Mix of Refreshments and watched as Grotto began carving complex runes and symbols along an eight-foot length of metal called dark iron. He did it with his mind somehow, though he also held several delicate crafting tools in his tentacles, using them to make slight adjustments to his work on occasion. I wondered if he used tools telepathically while in orb form, or if this were something new for him.

[Is that mana weaving?] I thought to Grotto, taking clues from my discussions with the suppliers earlier in the day.

[It is, though nothing so crude as what I have seen wielded by many Delvers.]

[Doesn’t that take refined chips and essences?]

[It does.]

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[Are you going to use my chips and essences?]

[You mean the ones you pilfered from my Delve? I am.]

[How many?]

[One emerald chip will be sufficient to serve as the seed mana for these inscriptions. The poison essences are not ideal for the process, but I can break them down into more fundamental components to get what I need. It may take two dozen or so.]

[I see.] On top of the cost of materials earlier in the day, the startup capital for this project was ballooning pretty quickly. [Any other materials of staggering value you’ll need to get this thing going?]

[This will suffice for now. Once the obelisk is constructed, the Delve will begin providing its own resources, although the process can always be enhanced by procuring more materials.]

[Maybe I should have started an LLC to offset some of these costs. I wonder if Delve Obelisk is something I can depreciate and claim on my taxes.]

[Your words are nonsensical.]

[See, this is why they need to teach business fundamentals in public schools. Our education system has failed you, Grotto.]

Grotto paused his work and glanced at me with his dark eyes.

[Are you done?] he asked.

[I guess so. Is there anything I can help with? Maybe you should teach me some mana weaving. Is it hard to learn?]

[I came into existence possessing all the knowledge required to perform the necessary weaves. I am unable to pontificate on the relative difficulty an organism such as yourself might have when learning the art. I also doubt that I would be a suitable instructor for the same reason, and such instruction would be an impediment to completing this obelisk.]

[Well, shit. I should have bought some books or something. Library is on the agenda for tomorrow, but if I’d known I’d be sitting here staring at a fluffy octopus all night I would have grabbed something to make use of the time.]

[If you wish to maximize your utility in this endeavor, then you may meditate and dedicate your mana regeneration to expanding the space.]

[Oh yeah. I guess instead of staring at you I can stare into the void.]

[You have an aura, do you not?]

[I do.]

[Then if expanding this domain is insufficient to motivate you to apply yourself, you can advance your aura while meditating as well.]

[I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. Just getting myself mentally prepared. Meditation has never been my strong suit. How does advancing my aura work, though?]

[It continues to astound me the amount of knowledge that you lack, but I do not fault you for it.] He spun back to me. [I suppose your Earth education system has failed you.]

[Was that a- a joke? Grotto?]

[Merely an observation.]

[To be fair, there are no auras on Earth. I mean, none that work like this. Then again, it’s not like I was too plugged into the new-age lifestyle. So, maybe?]

[Simply meditate as you would normally. Focus on the world around you that falls within the embrace of your aura, and attempt to bring it into focus. And don’t forget to dedicate your mana regeneration! This space is too small to accomplish anything meaningful.]

[At four cubic yards per hour, it’s going to take a lot of meditation to make a substantial increase in total volume.]

[I can further augment the process once the obelisk is online, and the obelisk’s functions will be improved in a larger space.]

[Ok, I get it. We need the obelisk to do a bunch of ambiguous shit, so leave you alone to finish the obelisk.]

[That would be ideal.]