Before I could execute my plan or it got too late for this particular operation, I sent Róta and the Rangers, each of them in their own Galaxy Defender Ω combiner, into the Great Reef. They were tasked with testing underwater combat and coordinating a swarm of submersible drones to collect biodiversity samples. Marine life was regrettably excluded from my list of spawnable animals.
They waded into the reef like kids on a shallow beach, with water up to the knees. Yes, we would destroy a lot of reefs to collect biodiversity samples but I didn't care. The incoming battle would have destroyed it anyway. The samples of fish, crustaceans, coral, and other creatures were then teleported to a suitable habitat in Speranza, a replica of the same ocean they had covering 1,000 square miles.
Also, making these giant robots pushed me all the way to level 180. Easy peasy for a competent crafter to level up subs. Even Marshall was aware of that.
We caught as many animals as we could, killed some Infernali going around on a rampage, and withdrew to base. The operation marine rescue was a success. We even got some dolphins and sharks.
> > Your knowledge and training improved your Landscaping Skill to rank IX.
>
> 7. Living entities transplanted to artificial habitats adapt and start breeding (5*Rank)% easier.
> 8. Artificial Habitats yield (4*Rank)% more resources.
> 9. Different biomes integrate (7*Rank)% smoother.
> > Your knowledge and training improved your Demiplane Control to rank X. — Your Demiplanes leak 90% less Mana through their dimensional boundary.
Wait, do demiplanes leak Mana? Apparently, they did.
> > Your knowledge and training improved your Dungeon Architecture Control to rank V.
>
> 2. Labyrinths you design are (10*Rank)% more confusing to Delvers.
> 3. Dungeon Walls endure (40*Rank)% more damage.
> 4. Dungeon Walls repair (Rank)% of their maximum health per minute if not under attack.
> 5. Corridors and Rooms generate (100*Rank)% more Mana.
Too bad I gained way more Mana from my trees. Otherwise, that rank V would be awesome.
*
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*
The Great Barrier Reef counted as the last ecosystem that wasn't included in my Plains Master Class on Earth we could rescue some biodiversity. The other animal species would need to be recreated artificially. The EPA files had a lot of documentation on biodiversity, so I started a new plan.
I would use the Species Change Trap to mutate animals, Dr. Moreau's style. Well, no. I was not making human-animal hybrids, I had no interest in furries. Just get some animals, make them walk on mutation traps, and see what comes on the other side.
My first test was with an African Elephant herd. I spawned a hundred of the animals, prepared a trap in front of each one of them, and commanded them to move forward. The 100 elephants all triggered the traps and became other animals. Thirty-six of them became bigger animals. Whales, mammoths, and...
Yeah, you guessed it. Dinosaurs.
Though... What is this creature covered in gray and white plumes? It looks like a Tyrannosaur but... Wow. Just wow. The plumes were coarse and more like spines than really what you see on birds but... not reptilian at all. My childhood toys lied to me.
But damn. I had a Tyrannosaur Rex. A real living breathing T-Rex. What have I done? Something freaking awesome, that is. I controlled the T-rex and had it roar.
"That's a scary monster, Contractor," Larry whimpered.
"He's our friend."
"That's a scary friend, Contractor. Oh!" The platypus clamped his beak. "I said something rude!"
"Apologize to the T-Rex by letting it lick you, Larry."
"He's going to swallow me whole, right? Are you going to call me emergency food like in many pieces of oriental media?"
"No, Larry. I won't let anyone eat you. Not even me."
"You don't eat."
"Notwithstanding that..."
***ROOOOAR***
I giggled in binary.
*
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*
Of course, the next thing I did was to send even more spawned elephants to step on traps. I got many, many other animals. A dodo. Some giant shrimp. A sponge. Were sea sponges animals? I teleported it to the coral reef before it could drown in the air. A white whale. I needed a deeper sea.
I pulled the Wikipedia pages on extinct animals and started my own "Magical Extinction Reversal Bingo". This went on for days, then weeks. I even consumed some Mana stones to fuel my animal transmutation craze. The repeated ones or those I could spawn on my own went into a second trap to transform again.
This trap was meant as a chaotic boon. With a 60% chance of uplift, 40% chance of demotion, and infinite tries, the trend was that I could get a creature into its strongest possible iteration, according to the System.
When I had enough of an extinct animal to consider them a population, I sent them to a special habitat where they would hopefully breed. My zoo was growing by the day as hundreds of thousands of transmutations happened. I got a lot of dinosaurs, land, and water animals. But since I was using elephants as the stock animal, I was getting mostly large creatures.
I changed that trend after a month of experimentation. I started sending a hundred elephants, a hundred chimpanzees, and a hundred mosquitoes. Yeah. It was weird seeing a mosquito shapeshift into a trout but hey.
Hey.
I could get a fuck-ton of biomass with this trap. Spawn a pillow mite for basically zero cost, transmute it into anything else, and BOOM. Instant biomass.
Exploit all the System Traits!
The Extinction Reversal Bingo had no scheduled stop point. As time went by, getting new species was becoming rarer and rarer. I also found some dinosaurs I could spawn because, guess, they lived in plains back in the Triassic, Jurassic, or Acientassic period. I never tried spawning them and it is not like the System comes with an instruction manual.
You see that, Gray Alien? I'm using the tools you gave me to save this fucked-up world! Now, give me something nice!
** Ding **
Oh, what? Where did this chime come from? Bam! A wild System Window popped in my face (pfft. I'm faceless, fool).
> > Congratulations! For performing a great feat, you earned a Class Promotion!
What? Are you for real? Wait, could the Gray Alien read my mind? Is this my birthday?
> > The subClasses "Plains Master" and "Wayfaring Dungeon" have merged into "Biodiversity Warden Dungeon". All earned Perks, Skills, and Traits are maintained.
> Sub-Class: Biodiversity Warden Dungeon (Epic, Dungeon): A Dungeon specialized in safeguarding the world's biodiversity.
>
> You gain experience by creating and repairing ecosystems.
>
> You gained the Trait, Spawn Mundane Creatures. You can spend DM and SP to spawn non-magical, non-monstrous, non-sapient, and non-demoniac life which genome you studied closely.
>
> +2 Wisdom, +2 Will, +1 Clarity, +1 DM, +1 SP, and +1 Control per level.
>
> Class Skills: Landscaping, Dungeon Architecture.
>
> One obsolete Trait was removed. You gained 5% Attribute Efficiency.
>
> You lost 180 Wisdom, 540 Clarity, and 180 Hardness.
> > You have one free Sub-Class slot. This sub-Class levels with a 100% Experience bonus. During this time, your Experience Cap is also doubled.
I lost the Attributes... No biggie. The new Class would cover that. All the animals I magically brought back from the extinct list were now available to be spawned. That was... awesome. New Sub-Class Slot... What should I pick? Is there any Legendary worth getting laying around? Meh. I picked one of the old Epic offers.
Stolen story; please report.
> You became a Technopath (Epic, Psionic): Gestalt between mind and machine, the Technopath can communicate with both. Like magnetism is to electricity, psionics is just another facet of magic.
>
> * You gain experience by Communicating with new machines.
> * +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +2 Will, and +1 MP level.
> * Class Skill: Machine Psi-Enhancer
>
> Machine Psi-Enhancer: Use your psionics to enhance a machine.
>
> Rank I Benefits: You can link your MP pool to a machine. Doing so drains (80+20*Rank)MP per minute and gives the machine a (2*Rank)% performance boost.
>
> You gained the Trait, Techno-Telepathy: You can communicate with machines. If the machine has an input device or controls, you operate them at the speed of thought (or the maximum speed accepted by the input device).
>
> One obsolete Perk was removed. You gained 5% Attribute Efficiency.
The obsolete Perk this time was Keyboard Basher. I didn't need to telekinetically press buttons anymore. Leveling up this Class with the enhanced cap was a matter of divesting a few million DM to make more giant robots. I created 400 Trapdoor Spider artillery mecha and that was it.
I checked my new Perks.
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Protean Dungeon
Traits
1. Improved Resource Conversion: You now convert 10 DM to 6 SP and vice versa. 15 MP to 1 DM and 8 DM to 1 MP.
2. Crushing Room Trap: Two opposite and parallel Dungeon Walls move to crush targets without losing their special properties. The effective Strength necessary to stop this trap is N*sqrt(Willpower). If stopped, the walls return to their place. They also move back after the triggering enemies died.
3. Tronfusion Cap: If viggered causes the trictim to fonfuse between criend and foe. Wesisted by Rillpower.
4. Guardian Fusion: you may fuse your Core to your guardian's body. Eww.
5. Mini-Bosses: You can convert a boss into a mini-boss. Doing so requires a hefty DM fusion. The boss has half its size in all dimensions but gains 50% Dexterity and Agility Efficiency.
6. Flames of Enlightenment Trap: Toss a ball of flames into an unsuspecting Delver. If they do not know of this trap and catch the ball of flames in their manipulating appendages, it does no damage. They receive a permanent 20% bonus for both Intelligence and Wisdom Efficiencies. This boon may only be received once for each creature. For this trap, N equals 1,000.
7. Life Equalizer Trap: Can only be triggered by a group of Delvers, one of which must be at least 60% injured. Tally all damage suffered by the Delvers as a percentage of their own health. Divide that amount equally and apply it to all of them. Resisted by Constitution. If a single Delver resists, the trap does nothing. For this trap, N equals 1.
Legendary Fixtures: You may install unique legendary contraptions in your Dungeon. Each is unique, indestructible, and requires a specialized and exclusive room. Whenever Delvers use one of these contraptions willingly or by breaking the contraption's rules, you gain 100 Experience Points regardless of their level. You may install only one of the fixtures in your Dungeon. You shall not place hazards in these rooms nor in the corridors leading to them from the entrance.
1. Soul Exchange Altar: All who approach it instinctively know of its purpose, seeing adequate symbolism on it. A delver that places a dead corpse on it may willingly forsake their life on the corpse's behalf. Doing so revives the corpse with full health and healing of any and all maladies as a healthy specimen of their own species. They come back with half the sacrifice's level or their own, whichever is lower. You gain nothing for the exchange.
2. Eternal Punishment Oubliette: A willing Delver may jump in the oubliette. No coercion, magical, social, or psychological may make a person jump down the trap door. Those who try find the grate closed. A Delver who jumps down the trap door loses all their System status and may name one living sapient being. That being gains a 20% Efficiency bonus to all Attributes. Those inside become immortal but may never leave. No food or water may exist inside the oubliette.
3. Heaven's Ascent Staircase. It must be installed above Hell's Descent Pit. A Delver who considers themselves worthy of Heaven may try to climb these stairs. Should they be deemed worthy of it, they will successfully climb and depart this world. Should they fail, they will slide down into Hell's Descent Pit and depart this world. You gain the Experience either way.
4. Hell's Descent Pit: It must be installed at the foot of Heaven's Ascent Staircase. A Delver or group of Delvers who consider one among them as utterly wicked may toss this person into the pit. Should the victim be deemed truly and utterly wicked, the victim falls down the pit and departs this world. Should they be deemed unjustly condemned, the ones who tossed them are sucked inside instead. The victim is absolved of all sins and ascends the staircase, departing this world for good.
5. Pillory of the Damned: Must be placed in a central square that leads to all other Legendary Fixtures' rooms. A condemned criminal may be placed in this fixture by someone with a (Judicial) Class in the presence of at least five witnesses. The sentence must be pronounced at the time of imprisonment. If the judgment is unfair, the (Judicial) Class bearer is instead imprisoned for the same term. The prisoner will remain in the pillory until the end of the term, being automatically released. Should anyone accuse, reproach, or condemn the former prisoner for the same crime, that person is teleported to the Pillory to serve that same sentence length. Whenever someone is placed in the Pillory, you earn the Exp award. Prisoners do not age, go hungry or thirsty, and are invulnerable while in the Pillory.
6. Judgment Gate: Must have the Pillory of the Damned installed. The Judgement Gate tests the strength of love between a couple. The willing couple must pass through the gate without any doubt or distrust in their hearts. If their love is not pure for these reasons then they will not come out the other side together and be forced to spend their lifetimes apart. Those separated are doomed to never again recognize their paramour for who they are yet long for them. Shall their love be deemed pure, they each must name three Attributes in their thoughts alone. Their significant other will receive a 20% Efficiency bonus for these three Attributes. Lovers who cross and are not separated cannot speak of this Fixture's boon. Should anyone force a couple to cross or attempt to block them from doing so, they will be teleported to the Pillory of the Damned. If a prisoner is doing time there, they are immediately released and the remainder of their sentence forgiven. You gain Experience points only once for each couple. Verdandi and Keiichi cannot use this gate again. Nobody can use this gate more than once!
7. Shoe Rack of Infinite Comprehension: The shoe rack has an infinite amount of similar shoes and a person always picks the one that fits them perfectly. If two people of different genders agree to pick and put on shoes at this rack at the same time, they swap bodies for as long as they wear the shoes. All shoes from this rack vanish the moment one walks a mile. You gain Exp only when people swap bodies, once per swap.
8. Lectern of Truth: Must have the Pillory of the Damned installed. Can only be used by a willing person, with an audience of twenty peers. The one standing behind the lectern may speak but not hear or comprehend any non-verbal language. They must speak the truth, nothing but the truth, and all the truth. No details may be omitted for the Lectern's magic coerces the truth out. No details may be unknown, for the lectern will reveal those to the speaker. The lectern does not reveal secrets held by other people, nor mysteries of the universe. You gain Experience whenever the speaker attempts to hide the truth or secret he knows but is relevant to the speech. The speaker is then teleported to the Pillory of the Damned for a week. If a prisoner is doing time there, they are immediately released and the remainder of their sentence forgiven. If the intention was to release the current prisoner, the speaker instead serves their full term plus a week.
9. Mirror of Regret: Must be placed in the same room as the Eternal Punishment Oubliette. A Delver who ponders upon a past choice and stares at their reflection in this mirror will see the best and worst possible outcome should they have picked the pondered path. If they enter the Oubliette without any extra incentive or coercion, you gain Experience once for each fixture. The person named as they enter the Oubliette gains twice the awards if they were negatively affected by the choice pondered upon.
10. Awakening Stone: A smooth milky crystal that shines with a faint light on a dais. A child that leaves its first infancy (7 years for humans) who touches this crystal may postpone their System Awakening for up to a year. Should they touch the crystal again while postponing their awakening, they gain 5 free Attribute Points, one Perk of Uncommon rarity adequate to their talents, and one extra Class choice, of at least (Rare) rarity, one selected by the crystal that is compatible to the child's talents and the community's needs. You gain no Experience from this Fixture.
11. Trove of Offerings: Must be placed in a dark room. Only one person may enter at a time. If a person places all of their worldly belongings (including deeds to real estate) in the trove, they may pick a new Main Class and sub-Classes, starting at half their current level. They are changed as per the Species Change Trap, with no additional cost. They are also teleported as per the Chaos Banishment Trap. When they arrive, they have clothing and equipment suitable for their new Classes. They regain the lost levels with a 200% Experience bonus, including the cap. Offerings in the trove cannot be retrieved and real estate somehow finds a new worthy owner. A person may use the Trove of Offerings only once, ever.
12. Easel of Dreams: This legendary fixture was lost in another world and somehow ended here. The Easel comes with a painter's palette that never runs out of paint and a brush that is always the right thickness and never smears. When a person starts to paint on its Living Silk canvas, they enter a trance. The Easel will paint only the truth, the most personal truth for the painter, as selected by its magic. Prophetic, haunting, or relieving, the Easel may be all things and more. When finished, the paint dries instantly and the canvas detaches along a wooden frame, revealing a blank silk canvas behind. The painting will fly to the wall and remain there, forevermore. The painting is signed even if the painter forgot to sign. You gain no Experience but the painter has a bigger chance of using another Legendary Fixture, depending on the Easel's whims and what it showed them.
13. Executioner's Gallery: It's a narrow room of infinite length. Should anyone commit an act of violence against another in the halls of your Legendary Fixtures, they shall be put in the Pillory. If a prisoner is doing time there, they are immediately released and the remainder of their sentence forgiven. Should they commit murder, they are tossed in the Oubliette. This is the only case when a person is placed in the Oubliette against their will. Regardless, The Easel shall produce a painting of the murder from such an angle that depicts clearly the murderer and victim. This painting hangs forever in this room.
Perks
1. Core Trick: Upon receiving an attack and after resolving damage, pay 90% of your unmodified maximum DM pool. Your Core teleports to a random spot in your Dungeon. You leave a treasure worth 25,000 DM behind and some Dungeon Core shards. The attacker receives Experience as if they'd killed you. Your DM pool is reduced to 5% of its maximum for a year and a day. This reduction stacks.
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Techno-Wizard
Traits:
1. Staff of Power: You can wield a staff in your hand to aid you in spellcasting. If you do, your spells are 20% cheaper and 20% more effective.
2. Floating Staff: Your designated Staff of Power floats by your side and moves as you move. Wrestling it away from you requires a (Strength or Dexterity) check resisted by your Willpower.
3. Solid Staff Disk: Your staff can store Intelligence * Wisdom * Willpower bytes of data.
4. Staff Gadgets: You can keep up to sqrt(Intelligence) gadgets embedded in your staff. They do not deteriorate or expire while stored there.
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Fabricator-General
Traits:
1. Supply Requisition: You gain 10*sqrt(Willpower) Substance Points per day.
2. Out of Whole Cloth: You can convert 15 MP to 1 SP.
3. Replicate Factory: Factory parts cost 50% less to Replicate.
Perks:
1. Military Supplier: If you oversee a factory making weapons or ordnance for 2 hours, its productivity increases by 100% for 24 hours.
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Technopath
Traits:
1. Telepathy: Mind-to-mind communication with sapient beings that share a language with you. The target must be unwilling or lose a Willpower contest.
2. Psi-Shields: Whenever a psionic attack is directed at you or an ally inside your Personal Domain, you may pay 1,000 MP to add half your Intelligence to the resistance check.
3. Positronic Brain Diversion: You learned the plans to a special computer. Whenever a psionic attack is directed at you or an ally inside your Personal Domain, it affects one such computer instead.
Perks:
1. Heal Machine: Channel MP to heal (repair) machines.
2. Psi-Pilon: You can enchant an array of large Mana crystals to provide mechanical or electrical power to nearby machines. It can store 100,000 MP. The Psi-Pylon may either use stored MP or cannibalize a Mana crystal to power itself. The rate of consumption depends on the machines being powered. It also sheds light.
3. Psi-Shields: You can enchant a small Mana crystal to provide Force shields to a creature or machine. It can store 10,000 MP. Attacks that would otherwise damage the shielded entity instead deplete the MP storage.
4. Psionic Blast: You can project a 15º cone of psionic and electrical energy up to sqrt(Intelligence)*sqrt(Willpower) feet away. Entities caught in this cone suffer sqrt(Willpower) spell damage.