Cutting our way through the grass goes smoothly without the surge of ranbi. In the entire hour or so we're clearing the way to the obelisk, never run into a single ranbi. In fact, I only get two pop-ups from the killings back at the Dungeon's top.
Bomber looks disappointed by the lack of any fights but I'm finding it very refreshing. During the height of those ranbi sieges, I had been getting so many notifications that I shut them out. That sort of mistake is the only reason Bomber almost died. If I hadn't tried ignoring them, then I'd have got every notification and had at least some idea of what was happening.
But saying that, I now know that I have some influence over the system. My thoughts and mindset affect how the system interacts with me.
If things get that bad again... maybe I'll toy with setting up some sort of mental ruleset for it to override me ignoring it.
... I wonder if everyone in Brogdar deals with this.
I'll think more on it later. For now, I see that stone pillar.
Bomber, you keep clearing the way toward it. I'm going ahead.
I slip into the taller grass without any issues, heading straight ahead with the sound of grass yanking and chewing behind me.
There's nothing to stop me, so it's not like I feel very threatened.
That changes when I reach the rock.
I found it strange that it was tall enough to stand out among the grass. Now that I'm up-close, it's more than strange; the rock juts out of the ground naturally, yet the curvature of it is clearly man-made.
It's a statue. Probably a big one, too, since the part above ground looks like a finger.
Construct: Landmarker.
Compared to the pond, the area around the finger is far more overrun. While the Landmarker deploys and sets-up, I'll just handle the most direct grasses.
[Notification] Landmark activated.
Resource detected.
Randomly designatin- important location detected.
Designating Landmark as Great Statue of Kave.
Great Statue sounds about right.
I wonder if it's named because of the plains or if the plains are named because of it. If the finger is proportional, it must have sunk for centuries at least.
[Warning] Landmark cost Calculated.
Increasing Upkeep by 2 Mana per day.
Oof. I need to try and find ways to increase my mana income soon.
[Notification] New Landmark Great Statue of Kave grants the following:
+ 2 Stone per day
+ 2 Favor per day
+ Simple House Construction (Dungeon Town)
Stone and Favor? The latter might not have been that nice but now that the Omega is dead, there's no guarantee I'll receive enough ranbi to keep funding construction. Even two points alone are a lot when it's free and given to me every day.
More importantly, I received a simple house. I guess that means it's time to finally do something nice for my summons.
Bomber finally reaches me just as I've cleared a small ring around the finger.
He also nearly plucks the leaves off my branches. I'll forgive him for it since I'm a plant.
Now that we're united, there's not a whole ton of reason to set-up defenses here. Using DCT to protect a stone statue would just be a waste since the only things strong enough to break stone would easily break through the DCT I've made.
Alright Bomber, this should be enough. What do you think?
A single squeak is all I'm given but he does set his club down for a moment so he can pat the statue.
I take it that he finds it pretty nice. Or at least, I hope that's the case.
Right. Let's head on back.
...
Dungeon Town: Construct.
[Dungeon Town] Name Summary & Effect Costs Water Tank
[Select] Unlike a dungeon, a town needs water. For those unlucky enough for an immediate water-source, this is the beginning step.
Increases Population Limit by 1.
Unlocks Water-based Traps and Defensive structures. 50 Favor
10 Stone Simple House
[Select] With the dungeon's reach, its town can become complete. Erects a one-room home made of stone from the earth.
If first house, enables Migration system.
Suitable for a couple at most; best for single residents.
Modified by Infrastructure & Dungeon Town-related levels. 25 Favor [Back] | [Confirm]
Simple House: Select. Confirm.
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[Notification] House placement randomized.
So, as you might have guessed, the first thing I wanted to do when I got back was to make this house.
And as you might also have realized, that would have meant I had 25 Favor.
The answer to how that happened is also simple: I didn't make the paths above ground. Getting to use packed dirt instead of the sandy and low-quality ground of the grasslands would have certainly been nice... but it'd be a bit silly to make paths when right now, I have no need currently to go toward the two landmarks nor the Creeper Thorn.
Not to mention that the Path itself wouldn't reach any of them save the Creeper Thorn. And even then, I'd need all 20 ft of the double-purchase to actually reach it.
So instead, I decided to make the house. While the description is clearly aimed at single residents, I currently only have two summons who might enjoy being out of the rain whenever it comes. Whether or not it rains, though, both of them earned this; Ivy's strangling talents only blossomed with her evolution but she has put in a lot of work to give Bomber time to rest.
Back to the Simple House, though. The idea of placing it had been a nice thought but its random placement also seems to rely on what is or isn't present.
There's not nearly enough room in our kill-circle of traps, so it spawns outside of it with its back to the grassy ring.
And by spawn, I mean it's rising up out of the ground right now.
The smooth walls are almost identical to my dungeon's walls, yet oddly enough it it has a sloped back. That slope lifts the grass and sand with it over its top, forming an obvious partial-buried look to the home.
And it was... actually pretty tall. If I had to say, I'd roughly estimate it around six feet high. It might be a bit cramped for humans as far as height and its width and length are similar, however, I think the building is just perfect for our sizes.
Inside, of course, is the even bigger surprise: the room is completely empty.
[Notification] Building #1 is currently unoccupied.
Would you like to assign resident(s)?
[Yes] | [No]
A quick glance back lets me see a confused and uncertain pair of ranbli looking at the building while Ropert continues his corpse wrangling.
They probably won't think to ask me for it, even if they could.
Yes.
[Resident List] Selected Resident Current Residence ▨ Kaden (Dungeon Master) INAPPLICABLE ▀ Bomber (Summon #1) None ▀ Ivy (Summon #2) None ▢ Ropert (Summon #3) None [Confirm] | [Cancel]
Compared to the other menus, this one is actually pretty straight forward. I figure I'm probably inapplicable because the entire Dungeon is technically mine. Either way, selecting is a bit tricky. I had to really focus on the box and it eventually filled in.
Confirm.
[Notification] Home assigned residents.
Conditions met for Dungeon Edge...
Beginner Hamlet - Dungeon Edge #00002 Establishing homes isn't easy. Whether done by those with abilities to support it or those without them, they all walk the same path of creating something bigger than them. You just have it easier than most, since you have a dungeon.
+ 5 Max Storage for all resources
+ 1 Mana Generation per day
A second Dungeon Edge? This one was way easier to acquire. The Mana income is already nice but increased storage? That's far better, especially since it gives me a bigger amount of mana to buffer with and use for emergency summons like Ropert.
Summons aren't meant to be cannon-fodder but if I get another slot, I have to be practical and avoid situations where I might have to deal with them adding up within my Upkeep. Even a weak Creeper Thorn has its uses in a battle with an Omega, whilst the mana could also let me create traps on the fly to replace broken ones.
The storage should also help deal with stockpiling things higher. Even if I had the Favor, I can't even store enough Mana and Stone currently to build the teleporter. Acquiring the Teleportation Chamber is vital to exposing myself to more of what Brogdar has to offer...
So going forward, my plan is a simple two-step plan: amass Favor and spend it on upgrades.
It's very likely that the fastest solution is to build more houses... but the next biggest form of residence that I can think of would be a village, which is rather sizable comparing to a hamlet.
So the other option is to try and find ways to improve the infrastructure and unlock additional construction options. Based on the Great Statue's stone income, I'll have enough Stone for the Dungeon Toolroom in five days. The Favor set aside for it in my budgeting from earlier is still there since I cut out the paths to do the house.
By the time I have the stone, I should have enough extra Favor to actually do some pathing, too.
Man, Kaden, where was this sort of organization in my prior life? Just how much could I have changed if I had pulled myself together instead of wasting my efforts all to feel better?
Ever since getting here, I've felt so in control and in my element that it's scary imagining my old life and the spiraling I went through.
I can't let that sense of control ever get away from me again. This life... this world, even if it is full of killer plants and mischievous ranbi suiciding on my defensive wall for some big asshole behind the scenes?
I won't give it up.
Now, while Bomber and Ivy make their way inside the empty room, I-
Wait, why is the house shaking?
... Huh?
There's furniture in there now!?
Unlike my dungeon, this room generated furniture in an instant to suit their needs! Small stone seats, pillows, and even a stone basket!? And is that a bathing pool in the corner? There's a stone stove nestled in the corner and they can't even cook food!
Why the hell am I supposed to curry Favor for my dungeon but they get their things for free!? THIS ISN'T FAIR TO ISEKAI PROTAGONISTS, GREY MAN!
[Notification] Ability detected...
Tracking progress...
NOT NOW, NOTIFICATIONS! Let me release my rage!
Screw this! I'm going downstairs! They're not the only ones with a cool bathing area! And I have an entire room for it!
You two have fun! Ropert, keep up the good work! If any of you three need me, I will be retiring for the day!