They all turned their attention to Fluffy, who had been resting on Riseth's lap. Riseth, in turn, lazed on the couch with her head on Alistair's lap. She lifted her head to glance at the feathered serpent as if anticipating something to happen.
"Will she be able to use the polymorph skill now, or will she suddenly start talking?" James asked from his seat on the couch opposite them, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.
At first, it looked like the snake tried to reply, but she made a creepy yawning face, which was followed by a snap at the air before stopping and letting out a long, resigned hissing sound.
"I think she's trying, but her body is unable to," Riseth said, her excitement building.
"I don't think getting smarter makes you immediately figure out a skill. But with what we taught her, she should figure it out quicker now," Alistair added.
"Talk like me. Now that you are almost as smart as me, you should be able to master telepathy," Dexter eagerly transmitted telepathically, jumping off the couch next to James and walking over to the snake.
Alistair could sense the annoyance and stubbornness radiating from the snake, and he was quite sure she would refuse to use telepathy just to spite Dexter. Riseth felt it even more clearly and petted the snake on her lap. "Take your time and do it the way you want to," Riseth said encouragingly.
"Seems like a rather expensive treasure. She doesn't seem much different from before," James commented with some disappointment.
This seemed to annoy Fluffy, who turned to James and narrowed her eyes at him, letting out a low hiss. James defensively raised his hands.
"Should I recommend King to get the pill too?" Alistair asked. The snake turned and nodded in response.
Alistair reached out to give Fluffy a quick pet, then sent a message to King through his Summoner Skill, suggesting he acquire the pill. From their connection, Alistair sensed that King accepted the suggestion. Meanwhile, Dexter, feeling rejected by Fluffy, walked over to Nessyra and let out a whine. With a sigh, she picked him up and settled him on her lap.
Alistair received a message through the Akashic Link. "Summon me," it read. He had not known that his Summoner's skill would allow King to respond, but he complied. He expanded his room to make space for the large wyvern. As soon as King appeared, he looked around the soulscape, lingering at the window for a moment before fixing his gaze on Alistair. "I need clothing and one of those storage items," he requested in a deep, imperious voice, though slightly slurred.
"I take it back. That pill seems to be worth getting," James corrected himself.
Alistair was still a bit taken aback but quickly caught himself. "I don't think I have clothing that would fit you unless you know how to use the polymorph skill?" he probed.
King let out a low growl, and Alistair sensed mild frustration. "I can't transform yet, but I'd rather not be running around naked once I do," King replied. Fluffy, who was resting nearby, nodded in agreement. Alistair looked up at King, whose head was almost scraping the heightened ceiling. He was still surprised that a wyvern was capable of speech with his body, but he suspected that most wyverns could talk much like dragons did. Considering that parrots could imitate speech, it wasn't too far-fetched that a feathered wyvern like King could do the same, so he shrugged it off.
Alistair searched his storage for clothing and only found the set he had received from Nuk as an interim until he received his armor. He hadn't needed other clothing since then, but he planned to keep some spares in the future just in case. James searched his storage before tossing two empty storage rings to Alistair and Riseth, who stored their spare clothing within the rings before they gave them to their respective summons. Interestingly, both rings expanded in size. King was able to wear his on the claw of his right wing, while Fluffy put hers on the end of her tail.
There was a pause, and Alistair locked eyes with King. "Thank you. Please store me again. I want to practice," King said, his words noticeably growing less slurred. Alistair was already satisfied that King thanked him, as he had been worried he would have to try to teach the enlightened wyvern manners and stored King within his shard again.
"We should consider buying some of these pills with our funds just in case," Riseth suggested.
"I don't know about that. Beasts are supposedly able to reach enlightenment on their own with enough time. These funds are incredibly valuable." Nessyra interjected, but seeing the look her sister gave her, she offered, "Perhaps we should buy the recipe instead?"
This mollified Riseth, who immediately checked the price, and Alistair could hear Nessyra tsk as she presumably did the same. When he checked, he found it was 1 million contribution points for the recipe, but the bigger issue seemed to be the ingredients. It listed a few of the most crucial ones, and they owned none, leading them down a rabbit hole of herbal seeds and other ingredients.
"Some of these herbs have multiple uses, so I am not opposed to picking some of the rarer and more useful ones. We are bound to acquire the rest eventually," Alistair suggested.
They continued to discuss what to spend their points on, with Nessyra clearly hesitant to spend their points on the recipe or pills as she felt that waiting for beasts to reach the point of enlightenment on their own was a cheaper and perhaps better solution. Riseth countered by pointing out that while King and Fluffy would have figured it out soon, plenty of beasts would struggle or fail to reach enlightenment on their own. Alistair tended to agree with both of them, whereas James firmly believed that it was a worthwhile investment and sided with Riseth. Outvoted, they added the recipe and an assortment of herbs and growable treasures to their list of acquisitions.
The next thing they looked up were things that would help them fight against the Blackmarket syndicates. While they did not find much that would help them with their ambush within a reasonable price range, the System recommended an anti-divination array that would shield the clan and their followers from divination attempts. Despite its 2 million contribution points cost and energy requirements, they all agreed it was a necessary acquisition. There were more defensive arrays, even some that would hide a whole star system, though with a cost of almost 20 million contribution points; they were completely unable to obtain such an array but purchased manuals containing information on more basic defensive arrays. They also decided against using the offered teleportations of their members as they had so many standing plans, and changing them was not worth the multi-million point investment.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
They reviewed the modules James had found, noting the wide variety of options available. After browsing for a while, they decided on an AI upgrade module that combined multiple functions into a single unit, which was more cost-effective than purchasing several individual upgrade modules separately. During their search, they found a selection of terraforming tools, one of which particularly caught Alistair's eye.
"Should we get an atmospheric regulator? I know we won't need to breathe next grade, but with this, we could perhaps colonize a planet we would otherwise have to skip," Alistair suggested.
"No," Riseth replied. "With the introduction of magic, a compatible atmosphere is the least of our worries since ours is the most common type. That tool is more suited for species with a very specific physiology, which is why it's so cheap. Any planet requiring us to terraform it to that degree is unsuitable for what we need and won't be worth the effort."
They eventually settled on a selection of seeds for various herbs and treasures, along with a set of alchemical recipes and propagation instructions, primarily purchased by Riseth. They also acquired adamantine root and dragonstalk, a type of bamboo with a vibrant red coloration that had qualities similar to mithril and grew incredibly fast, using up all of Nessyra's funds. James obtained the recommended Magitech Manual and the AI Upgrade module. Riseth also bought a weapon spirit to enhance her bone blades.
Alistair's points were mostly spent on the Dragonheart manual and the array plate, as he was the expert on arrays, even though he still felt that, if compared to true experts, he was a dabbler at best. The rest of their points went towards manuals, smaller treasures, and herbs they could propagate along with one more Pill of Enlightenment, which he saved just in case Viv wished to have it or another opportunity presented itself. They were particularly pleased to find the Spirit Orchid available, which meant they could now produce their own wine. They half-suspected Barton might also be buying it as well, but they didn't want to risk missing out and purchased the seeds anyway. They even bought a manual detailing the distilling and propagation process for the Spirit Orchid specifically.
Once they made their purchases, Alistair double-checked the descriptions of the most expensive items they had bought to ensure everything was in order.
Item: Tier: Name: Qualities: Description: [Legendary] Dragonheart Manual
[Magic Manual]
[Self Repair]
A manual detailing the steps required to emulate a True Dragon's heart through body cultivation/body enchantment. The heart in question belonged to Zudoonvas, who was slain by the Dragon Slayer Dexnera, the author of this manual.
[Legendary] Planetary AI Upgrade Module
[AI Core Upgrade Module]
[Planetary Admin]
[Planetary Defense]
[Biosphere Regulator]
An upgrade module for a compatible AI Core, designed to enhance its functionality and add preprogrammed features that would typically exceed the capabilities of a standard AI Core. This module includes a Planetary Admin function, which extends the range and power efficiency of the AI Core to manage an entire planet and its satellites. It also enables compatibility with a global defense grid, drastically improving software security. The biosphere regulator allows the AI to monitor and control both flora and fauna. This helps prevent ecological imbalance and the spread of invasive species when introducing new plants and animals.
Note: The AI Core will require external tools, such as drones, to fulfill its duties effectively.
[Epic] Bloodline Anti-Divination Array Plate
[Single Use]
[Anti-Divination]
A commonly used yet incredibly powerful defensive array that prevents all divination attempts targeted against a bloodline and its members.
Note: The array must be continuously powered and is not infallible. Divination specialists of Grade 4 and above can penetrate the array's defenses, but any breach will trigger a warning to bloodline members.
The Alpha AI Core was already an above-standard version, and with the upgrade module, they were well-equipped. Although the Biosphere Regulator wasn't initially part of their plan, it was affordable enough that they decided to choose the module variant containing it. This module would enable them to better control and maintain ecological balance, preventing certain species from overgrowing or becoming extinct. James reassured them that, given enough time, he would be able to provide the AI Core with all the necessary external tools in the form of automata and drones. This would also save them time in building greenhouses and implementing other measures. Nessyra initially thought it was a bit of a waste, as they could easily maintain the plants they wished to keep. However, she eventually relented when Alistair pointed out the potential for irreversible damage to a planet if they were sabotaged or got unlucky.
Alistair spent the remainder of his points on a stone slab containing the concept of kinetics, anticipating its value once they found a home where he could recreate the gathering array. He had been tempted to buy some stat-boosting potions, as they were quite affordable, but ultimately decided against it. He reasoned that his cultivation would passively increase his stats and, unlike potions, he wouldn't have to worry about the diminishing returns that came from consuming too many potions until he reached the next grade. He preferred to have a perfectly aligned treasure to his kinetic affinity, knowing it would serve him better in the long run.
Satisfied with their purchases, Alistair reflected on their strategic planning. They had prepared for numerous eventualities, and their latest acquisitions would allow them to exceed their previous expectations, laying a solid foundation for their clan's future. He eagerly anticipated watching the clan prosper and grow.