~~~Lee~~~
Lee wasn't an idiot. He didn't put himself in the line of fire. Also, he saw Jeremy coming back with Bradley.
"You left the room. You said you wouldn't leave."
Lee rolled his eyes. "Chill, I saw you coming. So, Bradley, who's the guy with the car?"
"Says he's a merchant."
"Really... what does he sell? Wait, what does he use for money? Cores?"
"He said he has skills and enchanted items to trade. Guessing it's a barter system?"
Lee could see the cores tucked away in a lockbox under a seat—a lot of them—and knowing those were likely all skill cores had him very interested. What if he had soul skills? "Can you be my go between? I can't step outside, and I'm not sure if I want him coming in..."
The guy looked completely human, and it was unlikely he'd even know what the source was if he felt it... but maybe it was a good idea to be cautious? A little paranoia never hurts anyone. "Also, I need to talk with you about the wall."
Bradley shrugged. "I don't mind. Kind of curious myself to see what he's got." He glanced at Lee with a furtive look. "You said you wanted to improve my staff after I broke the last one?"
Lee winced. "I have an idea about that, but it might be unpleasant. I'll explain later."
"I don't need anything fancy. The last one was already great!"
A little crowd was already gathering around the merchant, who was definitely loving the attention. "Don't worry about it now. Go see if he has any soul skills."
"Okay..."
Lee didn't stay idle while he waited. The garage was full of crafters, many of them with newly created products they might want to trade. So he made the rounds to let everyone know what was happening. He also prepared some items of his own.
Specifically, a few sets of his air jumping rune plates and some bombs. Given his newly realized limits on the total rune capacity of his soul, he preferred to send out something that would run out of charges quickly. That way, he wouldn't have runes scattered across...
Holy shit. Lee turned his head toward a familiar yet very faint sensation. Jake?
It was the knife he'd given the man at their last meeting. Still enchanted after all this time, and very far away. Strangely, and also comfortingly, Lee knew he could still take the rune back if he wanted. Even from this distance.
He didn't want to. Jake had earned one rune in perpetuity for his help here. Lee had even gone out of his way to ensure that the rune would last forever. At least, it would if Jake used it sparingly enough. From what he knew of the man and his desire for challenging fights, the rune just might last.
The strangest part of feeling his rune so far away was that he thought he might be picking up Jake's emotions from Stanley's soul awareness skill and the bit of his soul in the rune... but he couldn't be sure. There'd been a flash of something, but with all the other surrounding souls and their links to his own, it was simply too hard to tell.
Bradley came back with the merchant, a man wearing a rather colorful suit and a ridiculous top hat. The car was driving itself behind them, and they stopped at the top of the ramp into Three. A small crowd came with them, and questions flew fast and thick.
Lee stayed inside and listened. He didn't really need to go out, and he simply levitated his plates out to Bradley.
The merchant glanced at the flying plates, and a small burst of mana shot from his eyes to the plates and back. He looked away immediately, but Lee felt his soul perk up as the man did a double take with another burst of mana from his eyes.
His gaze then roved across the gathered people before landing on Lee inside the garage. More mana shot out... and dispersed at Three's threshold.
For a single instant, the merchant's constant smile slipped, then he turned from the gathered crowd to approach Lee, his smile beaming once more.
Lee wasn't too worried; the man's soul seemed more curious than anything, but he was ready to stop him from entering the garage. His preparations were unnecessary because Jeremy got in his way before he could actually enter the building. "That's close enough."
"Of course!" the man exclaimed without taking his eyes from Lee.
Behind him, the chatter died down as the gathered people saw who he was looking at. It was gratifying and heartwarming when Lee felt the protectiveness rising among the crowd, with a few even moving to get between him and the merchant.
Bradley was among them as extra dirt swirled up and condensed into his now trademark stone armor.
The merchant man only smiled wider as he took in the scene, though he did back up a step. "I am Nicholas Alberton, the greatest merchant you will ever find on this side of the Mississippi, and it is wonderful to meet you, mister..."
"Lee. What was the mana coming from your eyes?" Lee had suspicions, but he wanted to confirm. He also wondered if the man might sense the legendary class... though with the way Three was blocking things, it should be fine. Probably. Trak hadn't said specifically that Three was blocking the class aura...
"My apologies. It was merely an appraisal skill. A necessity for a merchant, as I'm sure you can understand." His eyes roamed over Lee and the building he was being prevented from entering, but he didn't try the skill again. "Am I right in assuming you are the creator responsible for those... runes?"
Lee frowned. If the guy knew they were runes... did he know about the runic class? Was that what he was after? A legendary class shard had to be rather valuable... It was hard to tell; the man's soul just felt... not hostile, only greedy? But then he'd felt that way since Lee first saw him.
He had to be at least somewhat powerful if he was willing to wander into a base where anyone might murder and rob him... Lee suspected the car. It had plenty of mana-dense... devices in there. He couldn't tell what they did, but whatever it was, the car had a lot more mana than the man.
Despite the unknown threat from the car, Lee was more than willing to bet on Three over that car if Nicholas started shit. "I'm Lee... and yes, I am the creator."
"Excellent!" He glanced around at the silent crowd. "Would I be right in assuming these fine, upstanding folks are merely acting in your defense and not in any way seeking to keep you... confined?"
Bradley burst out laughing for a moment, then choked, coughed, and flushed with embarrassment.
"I'm not a prisoner," Lee said, smiling while patting Bradley on the back. "Did you like the runes? I can make more... if you have something worth trading. Like, say, another copy of that appraisal skill?"
Nicholas spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Afraid not." Then he plucked a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and held it out. "A list of all the skills I have available, as well as some enchanted equipment."
Bradley took the paper and handed it back across the threshold.
Malefic Touch, Fire Hand, Crushing Grip... Lee read down the list of skills, each one with a small description on the side. Minor Acid Ball, Digitalis, Near Sight... The description for that one was that it would grant an increased field of view nearby but make it harder to see far away. Niche.
It was a long list, with mostly combat related skills, though there were a few crafting looking ones at the end. After that came the equipment descriptions. Boots that made your feet move ten percent faster. Gloves that strengthened your fingers by the same percentage. An amulet that increased mana capacity by fifteen percent... among other actually useful-sounding things.
While perusing the menu, Lee also watched and listened to the others, asking questions or making deals for things they wanted. He found no skills or gear on the list that mentioned souls. "Nicholas, you have anything not on this list? You know, the special stuff?"
Nicholas smiled wider as he met Lee's gaze. "Perhaps. What are you looking for?"
Lee frowned at the man but couldn't see the harm in mentioning what he really wanted. "Soul magic. Or anything related to souls."
Nicholas's eyes flicked to the rune plates and back so fast that Lee only knew it had happened because of Mana Mind. "I may have a few... choice items that might interest you. Assuming you have something worth trading, of course."
"Like?"
"Your ears only," Nicholas said while glancing furtively at the crowd. His nervousness was all an act that didn't match what his soul was saying...
It was suspicious. The guy was definitely hiding something... but was it nefarious or just some kind of sales tactic? Lee didn't invite him inside, but he dropped the same repeating rune that surrounded May onto the cement ramp, including himself and Nicholas within the perimeter. Also, Bradley and Jeremy, since they were standing almost directly in front of him.
Silence fell over them as the noise of the crowd vanished. "How's that?"
"Very interesting." Now the merchant's soul was really excited... Was it because he saw the rune get made? Did he sense anything from it?
He pulled another piece of paper from a different pocket and passed the folded sheet through Bradley again. So he didn't actually need to say anything aloud, did he?
Lee completely failed to hide his reaction when he saw what was on the page.
(Legendary Skill) Temporal Shift: Creates a localized bubble of either slowed or sped up time.
(Legendary Skill) Arcane Veil: Defensive skill that protects against physical and magical attacks. Also obscures the user from visual and magical sight.
(Legendary Skill) Beastmaster Bond: Attempt to form a magical bond with any beast. If a bond is successful, the beast will become a loyal companion and will link telepathically with the user. Power may be shared between user and beast.
The guy had three legendary skills... or claimed he did. It was understandable that he wouldn't let people touch them to see for themselves, at least not until they had a deal struck. Lee wasn't sure how the actual trade was supposed to work.
"I want them all." Lee knew he'd betrayed his interest already; he might as well go big. "What do you want?"
It wasn't even that he wanted them for himself. Any of these skills could be game changers for the entire fort, and they needed every edge they could get with the increased threat from Lee's presence. He even briefly considered blasting the guy with Mana Beam... What was one life versus all the ones he needed to protect?
"Well," Nicholas said with a wicked grin, likely guessing Lee's thoughts, because who wouldn't consider murder in this situation? Oddly, his soul wasn't at all worried...
The guy had to have some serious defenses if he went around telling people he was carrying legendary skills.
"I want runes. A lot of them, and considering how much power you're dumping into each one, I'm betting you can make something special."
Then he rattled off a list of effects he wanted, including fire, ice, lighting, attribute boosts, shields, mana sight, elemental shields, and ethereal shift... Whatever that meant? "Oh, and I want a different version of those air stepping runes."
Lee took a moment to process what he'd heard and seen so far. "I can do some of those... but you should know that my runes are not enchants. They won't last forever. Some, like the air stepping, won't last beyond a handful of uses."
It was a gamble to mention the one downside of his runes, but the guy had a skill that told him god knows what about things he looked at. He might already know...
"I am aware, though I'd hoped you might have a way to remedy that for the more minor effects?"
Lee shrugged. "The material I have to work with is the largest limit on what's possible. If you have a specific item you want... runed, I'll need to see it before I can promise anything."
Nicholas glanced around at the crowd beyond the bubble of silence. "Let me finish with the riff raff first. We can sit down for a more in-depth discussion at that point. Yes?"
Lee nodded and waved him off, then waited until he'd left the bubble before turning to Bradley. "Don't let him inside. If he tries to force the issue, then he dies."
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Bradley flinched but nodded. "O... okay."
"I doubt it will come to that," Lee added. "I also doubt we can actually kill him if it does... There is no way he runs around like this without a solid backup plan."
Especially since he was selling legendary skills rather than using them himself. The guy was E-grade, so if he was selling rather than using the skills... he might already have six legendary skills ready to go. Nevermind whatever class skills he had...
While he waited, Lee got to work on what he could from Nicholas' wishlist. He summoned plates repeatedly, not necessarily to use them, but because his own mention of material requirements had reminded him that leveling the skill might very well solve that issue. As for the runes, he did it all inside his soul storage.
Deals went down outside, only observed passively through Mana Mind. Alejandro came back from his lair hunt, and he spent a while with the merchant before heading inside. Lee wasn't sure what he'd bought... but it looked like some paper had changed hands.
Trak talked briefly with the merchant, then traded a pile of potions for a handful of herbs, which he immediately took to Saira's garden.
Other crafters made deals for their creations, but not only with Nicholas. A lot of stuff changed hands among the gathered crowd...
Lee finally met with Nicholas again, and this time he did it in a doorway rather than the garage ramp. Not only was it a smaller and more private gap, but Three could slam the door if necessary. He also traded Jeremy for Alejandro and Amy, while Bradley stayed outside with Mar lurking nearby.
"First off," Nicholas said, waving a rune plate. "I believe you could increase efficiency on the air step by turning it into a small blast rather than whatever you were trying to do here."
Lee didn't take offense. Well, just a little. "It would blast a hole in someone's shoe..."
"Don't worry about the shoe. I just want the plates, and..." He pulled a small piece of metal from his pocket. "How many charges can you fit into this material?"
Lee went into his soul storage for a bit and redesigned the rune. It was a little tricky... since he wanted the ability to increase or decrease charges depending on the material... Then he opened his eyes and took the metal Bradley handed inside to Alejandro.
He didn't know what kind of metal it was, but going from mana-density alone, it was stronger than the stuff they were getting from the iron lair. "Where did you get this?"
"Everything is for sale," Nicholas said, smiling. "Unfortunately, my current stock in that regard remains limited. However, I have already traded a few to a delightful woman by the name of May. She is likely testing the properties as we speak. I expect she will request many more for when I return."
Lee started small. Then he increased the charges on his new rune when the metal proved up to each subsequent challenge. He pushed it right to the limit, at Nicholas' insistence. "Twenty-six charges," he said finally. "Any higher, and I think it might explode..."
Nicholas took two of them with a pulse of mana from his eyes, then pulled a pair of shoes from a pouch... a too small pouch that definitely had held nothing a moment earlier.
Bigger on the inside? "Any more of those bags for sale?"
"Class skill, I'm afraid."
"That's so cool!" Bradley exclaimed. "What's your class?"
"That, my dear boy, is very expensive information indeed."
Bradley frowned. "Why would knowing your class be expensive? Why would any knowledge be expensive?"
"Because knowledge is power!" Nicholas finished messing with the shoes and tying them on. Then he jumped into the air with a burst of mana from his feet... and jumped again and again. He stopped ascending near the limits of Lee's Mana Mind and fell toward the earth. A final blast of mana from his feet halted his descent a foot above the ground, and he landed lightly. "Perfect! I'll take thirty pairs."
Lee obliged as he examined the shoes. They had holes in the bottom to accommodate the rune... Why hadn't he thought of that?
He didn't need to get each plate physically in his hand to place the runes, but he did so anyway. Information was power, right?
Then came the weapons, each one made from different materials, and Lee wasn't even sure if most of them were metal or not. Whatever it was, they were good. He stuck a stronger version of what he'd given Jake on each one, along with a warning about how slow the recharge would actually be. There was only so much he could do with turning ambient mana into liquid mana.
Arrows came after the blades. Those got single use runes of various elemental effects. Lee didn't make them with elemental mana, which would have made the effects much stronger, but Nicholas didn't complain. His new rune creation skill really helped with getting the tiny runes on there...
Next was the armor, and Lee found himself challenged by the various requests from Nicholas as to what effects he wanted on each piece. It was a good challenge and even gave him new ideas about what he could make for his own people.
He enchanted a pair of metal boots to increase the wearer's movement speed by messing with inertia. It would recharge like the others and could be triggered on and off with a bit of normal mana. Lee wasn't sure how useful it would be, since it would be hard as hell to walk or run with them, but Nicholas was happy. So whatever.
Gauntlets that could store kinetic energy and release it with a punch. Though the charging process would take a while to build any serious power.
Shields that would flash with blinding light every time something struck them. Not a request from Nicholas, but something Lee suggested. They wouldn't be ideal for group battles, but they should work well for solo fighters.
A few other shields that, on activation, would attract mana with violent force. They'd be good for catching spells, but they also pulled at anything with mana in front of the shield. People and weapons included.
Nicholas brought out rings next, all in various sizes, and Lee absolutely failed at making any attribute boosting runes.
Which sucked because Three gave attributes... though he wasn't sure if that was from the building or just the fort buff alone. He also couldn't figure out a healing rune... but suspected that one might come to him once he got the stamina rune, or vice versa.
Nicholas settled for turning all the rings into little mana batteries. That was after his second idea proved to be a bust. Or at least not ideal. A ring of invisibility.
The rune wasn't the problem. Lee absolutely made a rune of invisibility.
It only happened thanks to his new Light rune and the fact that he had studied Mar's skill extensively. Especially after his Mana Mind improved and he could see through her shell.
The rune came out as a mix of the light rune and what he was calling an anti-light rune. It wasn't as good as Mar's ability, since it didn't hug the person's body and only projected a field out from the rune. It worked well enough, but left a weird distortion under the person's feet...
As a projected bubble, it meant the rune needed to be on something more stable than a potentially flailing limb. Like a chest plate or belt. So no rings of invisibility.
Lee made a dozen of them, each one going on either a different piece of metal or the pieces of armor that Nicholas pulled from his car's trunk. Another magical container that turned out to be much larger on the inside once opened. It reminded Lee of that creepy mouth lair... I should really find out if anyone has destroyed that place yet.
The invisibility runes would recharge, and the drain during use wasn't actually that intense. The main issue he saw with it was that he couldn't combine it with any protection runes, so if the wearer took a hit in the wrong spot, that would be the end of the rune.
All in all, he wasn't sure if he made anywhere near enough or powerful enough items to be worth a legendary skill in trade. He was just waiting to hear the bad news when it was over... As for handing over the runes first, well, he could take them back at any time.
Part of the limit on what he could trade was the materials Nicholas had to work with, but the rest was on the rune limit of his soul. Which he was now pushing up against...
Nicholas put everything away, and it was a real trip for Lee when he stuck rune plates into the magic pouch. He could still feel the bits of his soul and knew they were somewhere nearby to Nicholas, but he couldn't actually pinpoint them.
It didn't feel like it would affect his ability to take them back, and that was all that mattered. Not that it stopped him from trying to figure out what the mana in that bag was doing—even going so far as using Mana Mind to copy down everything he could see onto a piece of paper upstairs.
Then the merchant pulled out another sheet of paper and handed it over. "Here is the deal I am willing to make. Look it over."
Bradley flinched and frowned when he took the paper. Lee understood once he'd touched it himself.
[System Soul Contract]
The party; Lee Cascade, hereto referred to as Party One, will provide the stipulated demands per Section 1:a; Obligations of Party One.
The party; Nicholas Alberton, hereto referred to as Party Two, will provide the stipulated demands per Section 2; Obligations of Party Two.
...
Lee eyed Nicholas. "What's this?"
"A simple contract to keep us both honest. Basically, I need assurances you will not rescind your runes the moment you have what you want, as well as a few other things."
He hadn't been planning to screw the guy over, but it was a fair point. It also left him even more curious about the so-called appraisal skill...
"Okay. And what are a few other things?"
"In plain terms, you can't give me enough here to trade even one of those skills you wanted." Lee opened his mouth. "But," Nicholas continued before he could say anything. "You can pay for it, eventually."
"A layaway skill?"
"Not as such, no. You would receive the skill today, but would be obligated to provide more runes at a later date."
"I told you I'm maxed out. I can't promise..."
"Ah, but you will not be once the current runes fail. I already have customers in mind for every one of the items I received from you today, and I am certain they will be satisfied with the product. I am also certain at least half of them will ignore my warnings and drain your runes to destruction."
Nicholas smiled so widely that Lee was surprised his hands weren't rubbing together like a cartoon villain. "By then, it will be too late. They will have tasted the power and will most definitely return for more. I do so enjoy a repeat customer!"
Lee nodded slowly. He remembered the early days when Alejandro raved about his simple sword runes... "I get it, but I don't like your contract. I'll need to find a lawyer before agreeing to this thing."
"I can work with simpler language," Nicholas said, taking back the contract and vanishing it. Then he did rub his hands together, and it wasn't at all disturbing alongside his smile...
A new paper manifested between his hands, and Lee wondered briefly what rarity that skill was... until Bradley passed it over.
[System Soul Contract]
Lee Cascade will provide 400 runes to and chosen by Nicholas Alberton. Runes will be due upon request by Nicholas Alberton...
"It can't just be due on request. What if I'm at my cap still?" He had another thought about recent events and added, "Or unconscious? I'll deal in good faith, but I need some wiggle room."
Lee thought of another potential issue. "Also, I need to be able to take those runes back in an emergency. Like if my life is on the line. Otherwise, it's not worth the risk."
"Fair enough." Nicholas snapped his fingers, and a jolt of mana shot toward the contract... It never crossed the threshold into the building.
Lee passed the contract to Alejandro, who passed it to Bradley, who held it outside for another finger snap, and then took back the presumably altered document.
[System Soul Contract]
(Section 1.a: Lee Cascade will provide 400 runes to Nicholas Alberton per Section 1.b,c,d.
1.b: Specific runes will be chosen by Nicholas Alberton and placed upon an item of his choosing and in his possession.
1.c: Runes will be due within 15 local days upon verbal request by Nicholas Alberton, barring incapacitation or other effects that would reasonably prevent Lee Cascade from completing the request.
1.d: Requests will be limited to a total of 100 per local month.
1.e: Any runes currently within Nicholas Alberton's personal possession or any runes granted to him upon request will be added to the total owed if they are intentionally removed by Lee Cascade. Runes added to the total in this way will not be subject to the stipulation in Section 1.d)
(Section 2.a: In exchange for the stipulations in Section 1. Nicholas Alberton will provide one legendary skill shard to Lee Cascade.
2.b: Specific skill shard will be chosen by Lee Cascade.
2.c: Stipulations in Section 1. will only take effect once the chosen skill shard is in the possession of Lee Cascade.)
Violation of this contract by either Lee Cascade or Nicholas Alberton will apply the Trait: [Contract Violation] to the offending party and notify the other party of the violation.
[Contract Violation]
Halves All Base Attributes (Including Effective Bonuses)
Accept? Y/N
Lee read and reread the contract. It looked fine to him. Except for one thing. He handed it to Bradley. "What do you think?"
Bradley looked terrified, and his soul said he wanted nothing to do with this responsibility, but he started reading. Meanwhile, Lee spoke to Nicholas and said, "There's no end date on this. You could come back in ten years if you wanted, or never. I don't want to be bound by this thing forever. Also, it needs a definition for what counts as one of these owed runes."
Nicholas beamed, but his soul frowned. It was almost enough to make Lee call the entire deal off. What if the guy came back and asked for the Three rune? Technically, it was a rune. At least Lee thought it was...
"I assure you, my intentions were in no way malicious."
"You're lying."
The smile finally vanished as Nicholas leaned forward. "Greedy? Opportunistic? Perhaps. But not malicious." He leaned back in his chair. Another thing he'd pulled from the car's trunk.
"You are suspicious... which is only wise." He watched Lee for a long moment before sighing. "Very well. Let me speak plainly. The truth of the matter is that I am not making this deal for the pittance you can give me now. It is an investment into what you will become in the future."
His soul agreed with his words. It agreed with a disturbing, almost religious fervor... "I will agree to limits on the runes I may request, but not on the timeline. If my gamble here pays off—if you reach the heights I hope you do—then this contract will be worth... far more. That is what I am betting on. Not a mere handful of sharp swords and a few trinkets! I'm trading real power now for the prospect of greater power in the future."
Lee felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he listened to the man's words and, more so, his soul. Nicholas believed Lee would do great things... he believed it with everything he was. Nicholas really, really wanted this deal...
Three hummed along quietly in Lee's Mana Mind as he stared back at the merchant... Just what did you see with that skill?
But... if the guy was talking like this... "I want all three skill shards."
Nicholas' smile returned and grew slowly as he studied Lee in silence. Finally, he spoke. "Was I too convincing? Fine, I am willing to gamble two of them on you... for another hundred runes. All three is too much. I'd like to have something in reserve... just in case."
It was Lee's turn to study the man, and he detected nothing nefarious... in his soul, at least. He had no delusions about his ability to read people's expressions... Thanks for getting us that soul skill, Stanley. I just hope I'm not using it wrong.
He looked around at the others, all of whom had gotten a look at the contract. "Thoughts?"
Amy nodded, Bradley stared nervously back and forth, and only Alejandro spoke, but he was useless. "It's your call, Lee. I trust your judgment."
Looking at Nicholas, Lee knew his decision here would follow him for a long time, probably the rest of his life if the guy's soul was anything to go by. The deal looked fine. He'd gain two legendary skills that could drastically help in keeping this place standing, and he'd have to provide runes somewhat on demand for the foreseeable future.
Of course, if it went on that long, then he wouldn't be making runes for Nicholas very often...
"Deal."
The revised contract came back, and Lee went over it again, checking to make sure the agreed changes were in place. He'd owe five-hundred runes now... get two legendary skills... and there was a new stipulation.
The runes requested from Lee Cascade by Nicholas Alberton must be provided commensurate in scope of power, difficulty, and ability of the runes provided by Lee Cascade at the time of contract signing.
It looked good. If only it didn't feel like he was signing a deal with the devil...
"I agree."