Sitting in a coach wagon, we were transported to Halk. While the money is high for a transport like this, it is not over the top. Two Gold for the transport, as the Coachman needs to travel back again. If it would be only a short visit, we could even use him to go back.
Halk has those Coachmen too, but we never thought about using them, as we could run the distance in about the same time… and the Horses are afraid of Snow. While shivering, those Horses right now are rather disciplined to not buck out. Just what are they seeing normal Sentients cannot?
Whatever, we are close to Halk and have to talk to Rendlar about the new Contract. Connections to Magus directly are definitely the best business for him. This gives him direct access to the Market there without meddlesome middlemen.
…
“That works splendidly. With this I have a transport direct into the middle of Telk always going anyways. The Word about the Vegetables coming from us will be strewn across the large City in no time. But are you sure you will not hide anymore?”
“I am sure. The time I needed was to fortify the place. Now it is and my Domain is secure. Nothing but an outright war can make me lose that place.”
“Could you PLEASE not say such ominous things, as I really do not want to lose this lucrative business.”
“You will not. If there is a blockade they would cut only in their own flesh, as I have another route to other people for my Products.”
“...You have?”
He is rather flustered, maybe he should know where it goes to, before I throw him right into a heart attack.
“Yes, to the Grasslands on the other side. The Beastmen love my Products, as they have so much Mana without the hassle to eat Monster. Many are having a close to meatless diet, but still need Mana.”
“Oh! The far West! I thought… never mind, please just never make me so scared again, I thought you would jump ship.”
“Nah, I would not want to lose you. You are honest and are one of the few Merchants I can trust to not cut my throat for a Gold coin.”
“While I appreciate the compliment, I do not really think… Oh, no you mean Claire. Yeah, that checks out.”
He and Claire work together but have completely different views of being a Merchant. I bet they were put together to make the honest one more ruthless and the ruthless one more honest. No, they just despise their different tactics even more.
…
“Hello little one!”
~hello~
Snow is delighted about the little Ice sprites showing up now. They are small and were scared and confused, but now that I am able to notice them, they have their own small place. A Freezer under the Freezer. The trapdoor gives access and the grate over it is way too heavy for the children to pry open, so they have their own little domicile.
The more they are talked to, the better they can communicate. Still they just chime, but you can make out words now in their chiming. The earth ones hum rather deeply and the water sprites are sounding like a singing baby whale. So many Sprites to give bodies, but they do not keep the made bodies, but start to form their own ‘best’ form.
Ugh, the Earth sprites became fat gnomes. And I mean fat… They are wider than tall and look like someone hit them with a cartoon hammer. The Water Sprites are… Mermaids… Sadly the wrong parts to be really mermaids. Fish torso and legs with webbed feet.
They are made out of what they have available. The Ice Sprite out of crystals, Gnome made out of mud and reverse mermaid out of water. They have coloration, but as ice and water are transparent, they are mostly see through.
I am thankful for them showing up, I really am! They showed me something I can try with the Homunculus body, that might finally make them more… Human.
…
“Haau doou Aaii looog?”
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“Um, Null? You still can not really talk with that body, but it resembles already… human? Why are you in that thing anyways?”
Letting the Homunculus flop down on the earth I go back to BB.
“Ah, better. Bones are the best! I was trying to see if I can control him like I want to.”
“...and?”
“It was a success. I can work him like a normal Body, now I just need to find a way to make him a bit better looking. Oh, and Bones are a must too.”
“So you might someday have the Body you wish for, right?”
“Oh yeah! I love to have a body like yours, that can change form into something I can use my whole mental power for, but for the project I need a good human start. Do not misunderstand me, I like to be human as somehow I love the nostalgic feeling, but in Battle, there is nothing better than having all your options right at your tendrils.”
“Oh, I understand clearly. I like being human like you do, as they are strange and funny, but for battle my true form is more appealing.”
...Huh, our discussion is somehow sounding quite unnerving from the point of human standards. Not my problem though, as I have to put Prototype Two back to the Incubator. Well all of them are Prototype Two, technically. In front of me are sixteen tanks with floating bodies inside, in different states of growth. Some have a few defects like a second left arm or more eyes than necessary.
I need to work out the right frame for them to grow, so it is better to see what they become, if left alone before reaching their target mass. Some have even benefits I could first find after they were finished, like the maw on the stomach being invisible while… I start rambling again. Next topic.
The Castle increased with a rather deep pool. In the middle is a small Island with a nice fruit tree with vibrant flowers. Also there are a swing, a nice place to sit and a nicely trimmed grass field. The Island is just decoration on the tower going deep under the water.
Right now there are six floors to the Tower spiraling down. The walls around are also housings for the Fishmen. While they like the dark, the lake is for them ideal, as the water is covered with water lilies in a nice way. The lilies are been taken care of by the Fishmen, as they can regulate themselves how much Light they want.
This is right behind the Labyrinth, while behind the Greenhouse is now a Workshop. I work in there on my special robotic body Tinhead. He is still in the workings and horribly unresponsive. I need more insights in the Robot I have captured.
What is been build between them is something that can only be described as an Arena. Multistory building to house different Monster in different Forms, while I pump Copy Miasma inside to make them multiply.
As they are only out of Miasma they just decompose after they die, but if a copy eats the flesh of another different copy they get stronger and get to the threshold of their Original. But there is a caveat. The more different Miasma inside the more they rage out of confusion and pain.
The anger abates after they have digested all of it, but most of them do not come to that time, because the Claws and the Grays train their mettle in cleaning the place up regularly. It was their wish for better training, so I created it.
On top of the Arena I have created the Miasmic Laboratory. The dissipating Miasma gets filtered there to be studied and refined. By the way, I was right with Mana dew becoming slimes through Miasma. If Miasma from dead Monsters get too strong, the Miasma invades the Mana dew and starts creating a core without blood.
I was so thrilled at first, but disappointed as the slimes are not really that strong. They can jump, suffocate and digest nearly everything but only if they are large enough. Their weak point is so obviously the core, that it is not even funny and except for the perfect garbage disposal they are only useful at an ambush.
No great abilities like absorbing the powers of what they ate or limitless evolution. It is just a giant synthetic life form shaped as an amoeba. Tests are still ongoing, but I have no great hopes.
…
“What are you writing Null?”
“Huh? Oh, my Army size.”
“Your Army?”
“Yeah, I experiment on so many Monsters right now, it is better to keep a list and their capabilities. They will be a great help, when I get back to where those bastards live.”
“And you can take them all with you?”
“Well… Yeah? Maybe not all… It might be not possible for every Monster, but it would be good for an overall list, if I can take them.”
“Null… What I am scared of is… Can you take me with you? Or do I have to be here without you?”
“This big Castle would be yours to rule. All the Children are here and you have so many Rat girls at your side. Are you not happy with that?”
“It is nice, but without you I would not want any of them. I want you!”
That is a surprise. And I thought of making her a small Kingdom for herself to rule while I renovate a whole World of my own design while squashing a few bugs… She wants to come with me?
“Are you sure? To travel to another World is not only dangerous it changes you irreparably. I was dragged through the Void twice. Once quickly, the other time way too dangerously long.”
“Don’t care! I wanna be with you!”
How sweet. Maybe I should ask the others too. While I work on another large room, it is not even close to finished. The Transporter. While I thought, I would be the only one to traverse, there might be more. That will make a change of plan.
…
A Month is already over. The Root started to trade again with us as they noticed the open Tunnel. They were in desperate need of my Mana dew, as it dissipated way quicker with so many Monsters around, but except reading it out of their demeanor, there was not much they said about it.
Today Mordred came again. With him are way too many people to be just the normal Peddlers, and I was rather right as two separate Envoys were seen. The sign of Malek is on one and on the other is… A spiral Tower? Maybe someone high up, as Elane is with them and she is rather courteous to almost kissing their feet. This might be trouble…