Chapter 67: Book 1: Chapter 24 (Part 3 of 3)

I also couldn’t help but notice I was getting a repeated flashing prompt trying to encourage me to level up.

“Quixbix, can you shut this levelling prompt off? I’m going to do it, but I want to check a few things first before I do,” I said.

<No problem, Torin. Where are we going first?> he asked me.

“The shield generator. I want to activate that before we do anything else,” I told the group, and started walking in the direction of the domed structure.

The rest of the team followed me, but the forlorn looks Anastasia and Shana gave the Palace indicated where they would rather be exploring.

“Don’t worry ladies, we shall check out my rather ostentatious new abode in due course, but safety first.” I chuckled.

<Good plan>” Quixbix remarked. <The current circumference of the town’s limits will have been ringed by Shield Pylons made from crystal. The use of the shield can be quite mana intensive. If you leave it set at the current maximum level of thirty it will use thirty thousand mana a day. The Shattered Goddess has kindly filled the Mana Pool of all the buildings but that will only last a month before it is depleted.

<However, you can adjust the shield strength to something lower. I would recommend a level ten field, costing ten thousand mana a day. That will give you one hundred days before it is exhausted and that will be strong enough to keep any tier two mobs out completely and severely harm any tier three creatures that force their way through.>

“I presume there is a way to refill the building’s Mana Pool,” I nudged the imp.

<Of course. All the buildings have a charging stone within them. People can pour their mana into it directly by touching it. Alternatively, you can purchase portable charge crystals from the podium and people can fill those and then they can be slotted into the building’s charging stone to transfer the stored mana. This will be the best course of action, in the long run, you don’t want to let everyone and anyone have access to the charging stone.

<In fact, it shan’t be long before people start selling pre-charged Mana Crystals. It’s something those that don’t have much use for their mana do to raise funds.>

I nodded and while we walked, I checked my inventory for my new gear items.

 

Cuirass of the Bound

Leather Armour (M)

Damage Mitigation: Low

HP +55 (50)

Stat: +2 Dex +2 Con, Skill +5 (Archery), +5 Hit Points

May only be worn by someone soulbound to Torin Carter. All bonuses bar the damage mitigation are increased by Torin Carter’s applicable levels and only utilises one armour slot. Stat and skill bonuses are contingent on the bearer’s aptitudes. Stat: 2 + level/5 Skill: 5+ level/3 HP: +5 per level

Durability: 100/100 (Can always be repaired even if reduced to 0 durability)

 

The Cuirass was similar to the other ‘of the Bound’ items I’d procured, though a touch more Hit Points and two +2 stat bonuses. When I levelled up this would significantly boost Shana with all the other similar gear drops she already had on.

The boost to her natural Archery skill was getting incredibly high, she’d be a regular Hawkeye before long. Having Shana capable of reliably taking headshots would be a huge help for us.

 

Drainer’s Whip

Melee Weapon

Damage: 5 + Agi

Skill: Whip +5,

A mystical whip that can extend up to fifty metres. When a target is struck the holder may have it wrap around a victim instead of inflicting damage. If they have any ability that allows them to drain something from a victim, they may channel this ability through the whip.

Additionally, those struck or wrapped by the whip may be afflicted by the intimidated status.

Special: In the hands of a Lifeforce Enchantress the whip doubles her personal Drain Pool.

Durability: 100/100

 

This was a tasty morsel obviously tailored to my feisty Dungeon avatar. This would be a nice gift for her as part of the reward for her stellar work today.

 

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Shattered Gauntlets

Chaos Dragonscale Armour (H) (Set 1 of 5)

Damage Mitigation: Very High

HP +300

Stat: +20 Str, between +1 and +20 to the skill for the currently wielded weapon. (randomly changes each combat)

Set Bonus: ???

Drawback: All Notoriety losses are doubled. (If this armour is removed the drawback remains in place for three months.)

This armour is forged from the discarded scales of Chaos Dragons in the demesne of the Shattered Goddess. When worn, the scales of these gauntlets enlarge and encapsulate the whole of the wearer’s arms offering its damage mitigation to all areas covered. Other pieces of armour such as bracers can be worn over this extended coverage for their Mana infused abilities, but the damage mitigation does not stack. (Can only be worn by adherents of the Shattered Goddess)

Durability: 10,000/10,000

 

“Fucking Nora,” I whispered in awe, and stopped suddenly in the street.

I wordlessly answered the cluck of questions from my companions by pulling off my leather gloves and bracers and donning my new black scaled gauntlets instead.

The drawback didn’t bother me, I had no intention of dropping any Notoriety, it was far too useful.

The gauntlets fit snugly over my hands and then the scales stretched and multiplied as they rippled across my arms moulding themselves to my musculature.

The whole process only took a second until both arms were fully covered by the armour, it even extended to cover the ball joint between my arm and shoulder.

The gauntlets pulsed once and then the edges of each of the overlapping black scales were frosted with the same ice blue of my eyes, hair tips, and body markings. The armour felt almost weightless, and I twisted and swirled my arms about in the air. There was no restriction on my mobility at all, the scales seemingly shifting in size to accommodate any movement.

“Those look fucking awesome,” Jackson summed up for the group.

“They have some killer stats too,” I grinned.

Further discussion would have to wait, and we virtually marched to the dome’s shield generator.

The domed building wasn’t very large in comparison to what else I had been gifted with today, not much larger than a four-bed house, but still bigger than almost any of the remaining buildings, barring the hotels. I confirmed the buildings all belonged to me as we walked along. I really did own the whole town.

The generator had a single way in, a large shutter-style gate that lifted out of the way as I touched my palm on a square at the side. Inside was illuminated by a series of glowing balls similar to what lit up the inside of my ship. The back half of the room was sealed off and contained the generator mechanisms.

Quixbix let me know that as the owner I could access this area if I wanted, but it would be best to keep it sealed tight. The Mana-based machinery shouldn’t break down unless directly damaged and then you would either need to ‘pay’ the Framework to fix it or find yourself a rare and gifted technician who knew how to repair it.

The rest of the accessible half of the room was dominated by the charging crystal in the centre. It looked like something from Superman’s fortress of solitude but made from pulsing crystal that was dark rather than white. The diameter had to be close to five metres and it had a dozen metre wide semi-circular alcoves carved around the edges. This was where people could stand and transfer their mana or insert filled Mana Crystals.

There was a separate control office that I had to open with my palm print and inside a plinth with a control tablet that let me access the shields settings. Taking Quixbix advice I dialled down the shield from level thirty to ten and then activated it.

Not much changed except there was an almost imperceptible hum coming from the sealed machinery section.

While I was here, I changed the security settings. Only Anastasia, Shana and I would have permission to enter this control room, but I set Jackson’s permissions to allow him into the domed building to infuse any spare mana he had.

When we left the shield generator I sighed theatrically.

There were no more reasonable excuses to avoid my meeting with Dean.

I had examined the level up prompt already and because I had decisions to make about my character’s growth an audience with a Framework representative was mandatory. And Dean was my representative.

We could investigate the other buildings first, but that would just be a delaying tactic and the safest play was to level-up in case something else lurked on the periphery.

I took hold of Shana’s hand as I didn’t see any reason not to bring her along too. At the last second, before I confirmed I wanted to level-up, I took hold of Anastasia’s hand as well.

There was a look of surprise in the blonde spitfire’s eyes, but she squeezed my firm grip welcomingly regardless.

Blink.

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