Chapter 206. A Place for the Night.

“There are a variety of options, is there anything in particular that you’re looking for?” Cambre asked.

“I’d like to see what you have in my price range that’s a good match for my class. Any consumable summoning figurines would also be great. My class has some specific items called minion experience, ability, equipment, and veterancy tokens which would be a priority for me if you have any. Other than that, some of the new notices of cessation things for tier two. As for anything else you might suggest, I’d like to focus on items that I can’t buy for coins out in the city itself,” I said.

“I have the notice of cessation scrolls in stock. For this tier they are 20 summoning points each. I can give you credit for your old ones, reducing the price of the new to 15 summoning points. In addition, I must point out that other than some consumables, I can only offer items that are appropriate for your tier and rank. We typically don’t carry items for higher or lower tiers, as those are sold in the appropriate summoned market locations,” Cambre offered.

With the credit, the cost for the notice of cessation was the same as the previous ones. I wanted to have at least three on hand, it might be some time before I make it to rank five of this tier and have a chance to purchase more. I cashed in 45 summoning points and Cambre located three of the scrolls in a nearby kiosk. It would have been nice to see some items of higher rank, and hopefully plan and save up for them, but the summoned market operated under strange system rules.

She stared off into space a bit, which I now recognized as Cambre searching through the stores inventory in her interface. After a few moments she excused herself to gather up what she’d found. I didn’t know how the inventory was arranged in the shop, and I could make out the top of Cambre’s head as she flitted between different parts of the store, gathering up her finds.

“I think these items may be of interest to you. I’m sorry there weren’t any of the class specific items you requested, but we do have a small collection of summoning figurines available. All the figurines in this shop are tier two and above. While I included some figurines that you cannot use yet, I’ll let you decide if you want to stock up on them for the future. Please take a look,” Cambre said. In response, the system organized the figurines, and the three other items she’d found for me.

1. Wand of Finality, Tier 2, Rank 0. Unlike most wands, the Wand of Finality holds only a single charge. When activated, the wand will explode with the destructive force of a fireball spell of same tier and rank as the wand.

Centered on the caster, the fireball will engulf an area 15-feet in diameter, damaging everything in the radius of the blast, including the caster and any allies. The cost for this item is 5 summoning points.

2. Ring of Spell Storage, Tier 2, Rank 0. This ring allows you to cast and store a single spell up to the Tier and Rank of the item. The spell stored inside the ring can be cast at will, and without mana. The cost for this item is 35 summoning points.

3. Minor Ring of Presence. This ring grants you a +1 bonus to your Presence stat. The cost for this item is 25 summoning points.

Consumable Figurines.

Tier 2, Rank 0. Cost for each figurine of this Tier and Rank is 5 summoning points unless otherwise noted.

1. Wolf pack.

2. Angry maw.

Tier 2, Rank 1. The cost for each figurine of this Tier and Rank is 6 summoning points unless otherwise noted.

1. Rot grub swarm.

Teir 2, Rank 2. The cost for each figurine of this Tier and Rank is 7 summoning points unless otherwise noted.

1. Ghast, Veteran. Summoning point cost, 10.

It was a nice collection of items, but my funds were way too low to afford everything. Of the items offered, I really wanted the Ring of Spell Storage. It was like free mana in a fight, where I could store my most powerful spell, Entangle, and leave my entire mana pool open for other things. At 35 summoning points it was also the most expensive.

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The ring of Presence wasn’t that much of a boost, so I could safely pass on it, and the wand seemed a little suicidal to use. It would probably be good for a last ditch effort on a summoning, but I’d rather have the spell storage ring, which I pushed over to the keep pile.

Only 14 points left, and while it would be good to have both tier two rank zero consumables, I couldn’t pass up a veteran figurine. They were much more powerful and perfect for protecting me back home. I’d have to wait a couple ranks before I could use it, but I considered it an investment for the future.

There was no promise that I’d run across another veteran figurine in town, so I didn’t want to miss out. The figurines weren’t exclusive to the summoned market, but I was fine with Cambre including them in her selections. When spending coins, I had found the selection of figurines limited in the last tier of the city. Maybe I’d have better luck here in the shops, but there was also the chance that other summoned beings had snatched up everything available.

“I’ll take these, and thank you for all of your help,” I said to Cambre as I indicated the items I wanted to purchase.

“It was a pleasure to work with you today. When you visit us again at tier two, rank five, I think you’ll find that we have much more to offer. The day after tomorrow, I’ll have your other gear ready for you to pick up,” Cambre said.

“I’ll see you in couple days then,” I said as I left the shop. It was dark as I stepped out of the market, but the night was early still, with the taverns and restaurants doing a booming business.

I still needed to track down the information broker on this tier, some guy named Rhett. His shop was probably closed, and I had no idea where to find it. For now, I’d look for a place to stay. After my last encounter with the leech creature, I wanted to make sure I was in a nicer inn, and that I didn’t leave my windows open.

Walking around the city, I made notes of the various stores as I went. Most that offered something other than food and libations were closed for the night, but I did manage to find the apothecary, which I wanted to hit up for new and, hopefully, more powerful potions. Like on the previous tier of the city, the majority of stores weren’t ones I was interested in, catering mainly to the permanent residents. Despite that, more than a few looked like they might offer something I could use based on the stuff displayed in the front windows.

I passed by a few inns and taverns, avoiding the rowdier ones. The last thing I needed was to be goaded into drinking too much or run into a violent drunk that was looking for a fight. I felt more than confident in my skills, but I needed to save them for the arena, which I decided I wanted to try if the entry cost wasn’t too steep.

The perfect inn was finally spotted. Its lower floor had a restaurant that my mom would have called cute, and the patrons seemed to be a bit older and less boisterous than the other places I’d passed. Flower boxes hung from each window, adding a splash of color to the otherwise drab white plaster and wooden beam construction of the building. The firelight and lamps inside gave the place a warm glow.

“Sir, may I find you a table, or were you interested in a room? We still have a few available,” the young lady, who looked to be around my age, asked as I stepped inside. She wore a simple tunic and long skirt, with an apron over the outfit. Her auburn hair was cut short, and she had a slight scar on her right cheek that reminded me the city of Somhagen could be a dangerous place to live.

“Thank you, I was hoping for both, actually. I could use a good meal, and a room for two nights,” I replied.

“A standard room will cost you 25 silver per night, and if you’re staying for two nights, dinner will be on us,” she said, leading me toward a small, two-person table set against the far wall. She didn’t take my order for dinner, so I figured the complementary meal was going to be whatever they wanted to serve. Spying on a few other patrons, the food looked, and smelled pretty good.

“Here you are, sir, your room is number four at the top of the stairs and to the right. There’s a washroom in the back if you wish to bathe or relieve yourself. If you need any clothing mended or washed, just let one of us know and we’ll take care of it for a reasonable charge,” the young woman said as she brought me my dinner and dropped off a room key.

My dinner didn’t disappoint, and I was happy to see that chicken pot pie was a thing here in Somhagen. The crust on the pie was flakey and the thick, rich sauce inside the pie was the perfect completement to the large chunks of chicken, carrots, and other random vegetables.

A mug of pale ale was included and tasted better than anything I’d had back home. After finishing dinner, I left a small tip on the table, not quite sure if that was a thing or not here and found my room. Opening the door, I was greeted by a cozy little space with a full bed, a dresser, a small writing table, and even a nightstand with a bunch of fresh flowers in a vase.

The window was secure, and I tried to decide between exploring this tier of the city a bit more or turning in for the night. Unlike my personal space, I’d get tired, hungry, and have other bodily functions here like normal. I had almost convinced myself to head out to explore a bit more when the door suddenly opened. My hand went to my blade, as I spun around and prepared to summon one of my minions.

“Heya, Rico, is this where we’re staying? It’s not exactly my style, but the bed looks comfortable,” Gary said as he stormed into the room and jumped on the bed a couple of times to test it out.