E book 8: Chapter 15: A Want for Funds

As he eagerly defined his decisions to Lam, Victor’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. He glanced over his shoulder on the line of individuals ready, his annoyance on the rush fading into the background. This was a second of significance for him, and he noticed no cause to really feel responsible about using a service town offered. He reasoned that town should profit from the transaction, and if it took him a couple of minutes, that was simply the way in which it needed to be.

“I’ve heard you say that you simply want you had a weapon to make use of when Lifedrinker isn’t helpful,” Lam stated, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “The power to manage flames is good, however what if there aren’t any?”

“I assume I may make some,” Victor chuckled, thumping his chest.

“Ah! That’s a great level. Nonetheless, a lash that may stretch to hit ‘distant’ targets could be simply the factor you want. I’ve seen you battle. You’re a terror up shut, however you do need to get shut.”

Victor nodded, smiling at her slightly sheepishly. “I wished the whip, so I’m glad you’re not convincing me in any other case. One time, I channeled one in every of my ancestor’s powers, and he or she gave me a magical whip to make use of. God, it was unimaginable. I’m not saying this would be the identical, however the concept that I would recapture that feeling even just a bit . . .” He shrugged, trailing off, as Lam reached as much as squeeze the meaty a part of his shoulder.

“Do it then!”

Victor turned to the stone and chosen the second choice, selecting to place the ability of the magma attunement gem into the gauntlet. Abruptly, a brand new message appeared:

Imbuing objects with chosen treasures in 5 seconds. To cancel, choose the choice now.

Victor didn’t cancel it, and he watched the objects mendacity at his toes, questioning what the method would appear to be. As he mentally counted out 5 seconds, a shimmering cloud of grey and yellow fog erupted across the objects. He heard crackles and pops and felt a wash of potent System Power, after which the cloud dissipated, and he noticed the objects had modified drastically.

“Roots!” Lam breathed, suitably impressed. Victor grinned, finding out the set. The gauntlet and helmet had modified probably the most; they weren’t leather-based any longer however appeared to be constructed from a lustrous, deep pink, virtually black steel. Was that as a result of they’d gotten the complete “resilience of the Lava King?” Greater than their materials, they’d modified in kind. The helmet seemed like a scowling monstrous reptile’s head.

“It’s virtually like a dragon’s head. Much more than a wyrm.” He may solely say that with any authority as a result of he’d seen Tes’s draconic kind. It seemed like his face would peer out between the metallic fangs that stood out from the draconic snout. The beast’s indignant eyes could be on his brow, and the lengthy, black horns would sweep again from there. It was an intimidating countenance. The gauntlet was comparable in model, fabricated from the identical darkish pink steel, and would sheath his whole arm as much as the elbow in reticulated scale plates. Spikes protruded from the knuckles, and he may see it was, just like the helmet, lined with supple, pink leather-based.

The pants, belt, and boots retained their authentic leather-based materials however underwent a metamorphosis in look, mirroring the deep red-black hue of the steel parts. The leather-based now appeared smooth and supple, as if infused with the essence of the lava king’s disguise. Every bit was meticulously tooled with intricate patterns and adorned with small, gleaming studs that caught the sunshine with a faint, fiery shimmer.

“Fancy,” Lam stated and not using a trace of sarcasm.

“It’s not executed,” Victor stated, finding out the System show:

Treasure imbuement full. Sojourn five-piece set enchantments can be found. Notice: This set could also be imbued with as much as three Class A enchantments, two Class B enchantments, one Class C Enchantment, and one Class D Enchantment. Costs are based mostly on materials imbuement and enchantment worth. Choices are depending on materials imbuement. Set bonuses should not have to be bought at the moment and will be bought individually at totally different occasions. Set bonuses can’t be eliminated or modified.

Class A:

Resizing Enchantment – 5,000 commonplace Power beadsSelf-cleaning & Repairing Enchantment – 5,000 commonplace Power beadsEnchantment Toggle: Disguise Armor as Clothes – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsFeather Fall Enchantment – 40,000 commonplace Power beadsWater Respiration Enchantment – 55,000 commonplace Power beads

Class B:

Ten-P.c Bonus to a Bodily Attribute. Select one:Energy – 50,000 commonplace Power beadsVitality – 75,000 commonplace Power beadsDexterity – 50,000 commonplace Power beadsAgility – 50,000 commonplace Power beadsFifteen-P.c Resistance to a Injury Kind. Select one:Fireplace – 5,000 commonplace Power beadsCold – 500,000 commonplace Power beadsElectricity – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsPoison – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsAcid – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsSlashing – 10,000 commonplace Power beadsPiercing – 15,000 commonplace Power beadsCrushing – 20,000 commonplace Power beadsTen-P.c Enhanced Injury Kind. Select one:Fireplace – 5,000 commonplace Power beadsCold – 500,000 commonplace Power beadsElectricity – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsPoison – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsAcid – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsPhysical – 25,000 commonplace Power beadsEnchantment Toggle: Reflective Shielding – 90,000 commonplace Power beadsEnchantment Toggle: Fireplace Aura – 125,000 commonplace Power beadsMinor Regeneration Enchantment – 150,000 commonplace Power beads

Class C:

Enhanced Mass Enchantment – 150,000 commonplace Power beadsLava Blast Enchantment – 250,000 commonplace Power beads

Class D:

Lava Area Enchantment Toggle – 1,000,000 commonplace Power beadsRoar of the Lava King Enchantment – 1,250,000 commonplace Power beadsFlight of the Lava King Enchantment Toggle – 1,500,000 commonplace Power beads

“Shit,” Victor sighed, trying on the overwhelming checklist. He glanced over his shoulder on the queue of residents ready for him to complete and shrugged, providing a fast, apologetic wave. He pulled out a pocket book and pen, and, as rapidly as he may, he scribbled down all the choices. “I’m going to wish to consider this and doubtless increase some funds to get what I need. As typical, the System doesn’t give sufficient particulars for me to really feel assured, however possibly Dar can have an opinion.”

Lam watched him writing, nodding. “Numerous choices. I guess the enchantment ‘toggles’ require a specific amount of Power to activate. In any other case, I guess low-tier wealthy people would load up these units with the costliest choices.”

“Yeah,” Victor muttered, ending his work. “Although numerous these are clearly tuned to the disguise of the lava king I put in there. I’m wondering how uncommon that shit was? What the hell even is a lava king? Judging by the helmet, it’s associated to dragons.” He chuckled, amused and slightly chagrined by his impulsive determination to place the disguise into the combination. He picked up all of the objects, stowed them away, then turned away from the stone. “I’ll come again.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Highway, this story ought to be reported if seen on Amazon.

He and Lam walked down the steps, and Victor winked on the woman who’d been ready to go subsequent as he handed. “You’re up.” To his shock, she smiled pleasantly, reaching as much as preen her black, feathery plume of “hair,” blinking her overlarge, avian eyes at him whereas smiling coyly. She clearly wasn’t a full avian; she didn’t have a beak or wings, and Victor idly puzzled if she was some mixture of species or a distinct sort of particular person totally. It appeared like he noticed a brand new sort of particular person all over the place he seemed, and he despaired on the thought of ever getting all of them straight. He’d struggled in Coloss with solely a handful of various species.

She made her unusual trilling, cooing pleasure sound and stated, “Whats up, sir! Welcome again. I’m fairly effectively, thanks.”

Victor grinned as he approached the counter. “You forgot my identify, didn’t you?” It felt great to be on the opposite facet of that drawback for a change.

“I . . .” she sputtered, tilting her head to the facet. “I apologize, however your identify escapes me! It is one thing distinctly violent-sounding, if I’m not mistaken. That’s proper! It begins with a ‘vvvv’ sound.” She drew out the consonant like she was revving a motor. “I ought to understand it! I noticed you battling within the Iron Problem! One other patron purchased me a spherical once I stated I knew you. Oh, drat! Put me out of my distress! What’s it?”

“His identify’s Victor, and I’m Lam. I’m happy to fulfill you, ma’am.” Lam grinned and took the avian girl’s softly feathered hand.

“Too simple, Lam,” Victor sighed. “I may have tortured her a bit longer, don’t you suppose?” He chuckled and leaned on the counter, inflicting it to creak ominously. “Anyway, I promised I’d deliver you extra enterprise, and right here I’m. Have you learnt something concerning the Sojourn merchandise units?”

“Bah! In fact! They’re stealing numerous my enterprise with these rattling issues.”

“Actually?” Lam requested, elevating an eyebrow.

Tria clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Oh, probably not. All of us Artificers wish to complain, however not sufficient persons are finishing these units for it to affect us a lot. What’s your query, huge fellow?”

“Effectively, one of many enchantments you should purchase for these objects is to have the armor ‘disguised’ as clothes. Have you learnt something about that?”

“In fact! It’s not a lot a disguise as it’s a sort of altered state. Every armor piece is imbued with a dimensional house. The house may be very restricted, and it may solely comprise the merchandise in query or the alternate model of the merchandise, which, on this case, is a chunk of clothes. If you happen to had a breastplate, for example, it would share a dimensional house with a high-quality shirt. As you toggle the enchantment, they may swap locations.”

“So, I received’t truly be armored except the armor is displaying?”

“Right.”

“However it’s immediate? The change?”

“Sure, fast as a thought.”

“Have you learnt how to try this enchantment?” Victor introduced out his wyrm-scale vest and laid it on the counter. The scales rasped towards one another, and the load of the vest was palpable in the way in which it thunked onto the wooden. “I imply, to one thing like this?”

Tria sucked in her breath, inflicting it to whistle by means of her beak as she leaned shut, gently tracing her fingers over the wyrm scales. “So high-quality! So completely cured, minimize, handled, and imbued! A real grasp crafted this! What great scales! A really historic wyrm, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yeah. He was a giant son of a . . .” Victor trailed off, for as soon as recognizing his cursing won’t be applicable.

“These scales are imbued with one thing exceedingly potent! It hurts my Artificer’s sight to look at them! The blood of one thing mighty, one thing effectively into the lustrous veil. Was it given freely? Did you slay such a creature?”

“It was a present,” Victor stated, smiling. Some bittersweet recollections of Tes ran by means of his thoughts on the reminiscence. Did she know the place he was? She had his blood, in any case. What would he say to her now? How a lot had he modified since he’d final seen her? Would she be proud? Dissatisfied?

“This armor is past me. I may add the enchantment you requested about, nevertheless. The supplies received’t thoughts the additional weight of such a easy working.” She seemed up from her research of the armor and blinked her huge, spherical eyes at him. “You’ll want to supply the alternate clothes merchandise, and it’ll take me a couple of hours.”

“And the worth?”

“A couple of thousand beads. Nothing a lot. It’s principally the identical as crafting a easy dimensional container. Oh!” She held up a finger. “If I have been you, I’d purchase an enchanted shirt! One that may change its color and style. Then, whenever you change to it, you can also make it suit your outfit!”

Lam laughed and elbowed Victor within the ribs. “She’s good. You understand, I’ve been wanting to purchase some new garments.” She turned to Tria, “Is there a tailor with such objects close by?”