by R. A. Mejia
The next most difficult were the Moleikin and the Trap Spiders. They were both sensitive to movements in the earth, so my dig-and-hide technique didn't work. Instead, I had to chase them down and trap them in place while I scanned them. Thankfully, both monster types couldn't do much damage against my armor and the trap spider's poison had no effect on me.
After getting the last scans of the Squirrel Knights and Scaledons, I left the dungeon to purchase iron to repair my damaged armor plating. After making the repairs, I sat and considered all the scans and which would work best as a mechanical companion.
The Razorback Badger, with the right upgrades, could do decent damage and tank. Eventually, I could even upgrade it enough so that rolling ball ability would make up for it's very slow starting speed.
The mudman, while technically a medium creature, was so costly to make that it would be cheaper to hire twenty-four-hour mercenary help.
There were several small creatures whose scans produced interesting options, but for one reason or another, they didn't work for me. The various birds would add aerial support, but they all had such low armor and health they'd die too quickly. The Squirrel Scouts were fast and agile and would make great scouts, but they had too few health points. The Squirrel Knight variation was a bit tougher, but it would take many upgrades to make him a tank.
None of the plant monster scans from the third level would work. The Cactucus had almost no armor having traded that in for increased speed and a boost to damage. There was a potential for a dodge tank build there, but it would take many upgrades. The Puffler was immobile and shot a variety of upgradable needles, and while it would make a great turret trap, it wasn’t a companion that I could expect to hunt over varied terrain. Although, it did tickle my brain to think about crafting a turret.
The Moleikin was an interesting choice. They could dig pits and holes as soon as I crafted it, and with a few upgrades, it even got an ability that cut through armor. But they were small creatures and had barely any more health than the Squirrels Scouts. I'd never seen another Mutated Moleikin like the one I'd fought in the poison mine, and I suddenly wished that I’d had the ability to scan it when I fought it. The Salamander from the third level was quick but had virtually no armor, although it could get an upgrade for a fire breath attack. The Poisonous Snake from the second level was a small creature and didn't have much health, but it was quick and could be upgraded to add poison attacks and even a ranged poison spit attack. The Trap Spider from the same level was the most diverse depending on how it was upgraded. It could dig, or gain venomous bite, or even spin a web and climb walls. It was agile, yet it could have its armor upgraded to make it survive longer. The only downside was its low initial health. Though it was a medium creature, it had a starting health only slightly larger than a small creature.
The Shadow Wolf scan was a real contender too. It had a fast running speed, decent health, and did decent damage with fang and claw. There were even upgrade options to increase that damage and add a knockdown skill.
In the end, it came down to instinct and compatibility. I knew it was odd to think about a Metalman, an artificial being, having instinct, but part of me just knew that the Trap Spider would fit me best. Part of it was the fact that the diverse skills and upgrades fit the way I fought alone. My most powerful weapon was the Flintlock Rifle, and I dominated an enemy as long as they stayed at range. Whether it dug pit traps or used its web to delay an enemy, the possible skills of an upgraded Trap Spider would fit perfectly with that style of attack. The other part of my decision came down to who I scanned for the schematic.
I had scanned the one special Trap Spider on the second level that had taken up residence in an old spiked pit that Greebo and I had made there and then refused to attack us when we returned. Instead, it had started leaving us small gifts of some type of animal bone from its kill. The gesture had always stuck with me as showing a weird loyalty and intelligence--two things I wanted in a mechanical companion.
So, I decided to go with the Trap Spider. According to the schematic, it would take a long list of parts and materials which I would have to have collected before the Metalman OS could make it.
Chapter 24 - The Divas
The days spent fighting on the sixth level of the dungeon flew by, especially so after I also started spending part of that time collecting monster scans. By the 15th day of the challenge, with only eighteen days left, I’d managed to make some progress to my next level but was behind schedule.
Name: Repair
Race: Metalman
Class: Artificer (Inventor) Level 6
XP to Next Level: 14,982
Weight: 140 lbs
Carrying Capacity: 165/180 lbs
Stat point Available: 0
Class point Available: 6
Money: 35 silver 63 copper
AC: 15 + 2 Shield
HP: 40/40
Mana: 46/46
Str: 12
Dex: 13
Con: 10
Int: 16
Wis: 10
Cha: 10
I tapped the back of my right hand to my faceplate, frustrated, as I looked at my character sheet and did the math. Since I reached level 6, I calculated that I’d averaged a bit over 1,400 XP a day. It wasn’t a bad amount of XP, especially considering I’d spent some of those days increasing my crafting skills and making and testing my rifle. But it wasn’t good enough for me. It would take me a month and a half to get to level 8 at that rate. I knew something had to change if I was going to make my goal.
Hoping to brainstorm a solution, I turned to Greebo, who’d been power leveling our miners. It was my hope that working with the group of goblins would increase the amount of XP I earned in the dungeon.
As I walked through the door, I saw that the place was empty except for the bartender and a few bar bums. One of the bums shouted a slurred “Norm!” as the door closed behind me.
“That’s not Norm; he doesn’t come in till after work,” another bum shouted back. The first bum squinted at me then shrugged and went back to nursing his mug of beer.
I nodded politely at the two tippling gentlemen and scanned the room until I saw a grinning Greebo waving at me from the bar. “Nuts n’ Bolts! It’s good to see you,” Greebo called out as I walked over to him. “Don’t you mind Sam over there. He’s pretty harmless, but this early, he thinks everyone is his drinking buddy Norm.” Greebo held up a mug of ale and took a swig then jumped down from the barstool he’d been sitting on. A little alcohol sloshed over and hit the floor, and the tired-looking bartender frowned at Greebo as he rubbed the bar top with a dirty white rag. Greebo looked up at him and mouthed the word ‘sorry.’ Then he turned toward me and used his ale to gesture towards a booth in the back. I followed him and sat across a table from him, the wooden bench creaking from my iron-plated weight.
“So, how have you been Greebo?” I asked.
He took another drink, shrugged, and said, “Fair, I suppose. I’ve been running Manny, Frik, and Frak through the dungeon almost non-stop. They’re resting at the apartment for another hour before we get back to work. They just hit level four, which is pretty good considering they only got their classes a few days ago.”
“That’s great. That means we can start our mining operations back up. I bet the team will be glad to get back to work.”
“Yeah, they’ve been getting pretty antsy. But they understand that they need better protection if they’re going to go after better ore.”
I nodded, understanding the desire to improve all too well. “It’ll also be good for us. I mean, we can start making money again. I’ve actually got a new project that I’m working on that I could use some help with.” I explained my class specialization’s mechanical companion option and laid out the list of parts and materials which included Tier 5 monster cores, steel wire, pulleys, nuts, bolts, good quality wood, specific steel framing, pistons, gears, and more steel, copper, and a bit of ochrium.
Greebo carefully considered
the list as I continued. “I could either manufacture or purchase most of the parts and then fabricate any copies that I needed, but the only problem would be finding or purchasing the monster cores and the ochrium. They’re both rare and expensive, and if you had some contacts that could help me out, it would reduce the overall cost of making this thing a great deal.”
Greebo nodded and said, “I know a few guys that can help find what you need. The ochrium is going to be tough. If you buy it at the market, it’ll cost you gold just for the small amount that you’re asking for. There is a rare chance that you can find a mining node on the eighth level though near the floor boss. It’s a coveted spot, though, with plenty of mining teams looking for the chance to mine the rare ore.”
“Yeah, I knew from the prices at the Merchant’s Guild that buying the ochrium would be expensive. Just getting all the other materials is going to take all of my funds.”
I tapped my fingers on the table and thought about how I could get more gold together so that I could get all the materials I needed. I knew that my limited carrying capacity was a barrier to how much loot I could collect from the dungeon, and even then, it might take me weeks to gather and sell enough to make that much coin. I considered going back to my buy, repair, and resell scheme, but then I remembered that Neal Nailspitter and his Repairman Guild had already shut us down on that front, even going so far as to threaten any shopkeeper that sold us low durability or broken items. I sighed and hesitantly asked Greebo, “I don’t suppose you could lend me the money for the ochrium? I would pay you back plus interest now that our miners can get back to work.”
Before I’d even finished my last sentence, Greebo was shaking his head. “Sorry, Repair. I’m broke too. I invested most of my saved coin in the Tipsy Minotaur.”
I looked up and around at the bar, then back to Greebo. “You bought this place?”
He nodded proudly. “Not in full, but I had enough for a down payment. The previous owner heard that I’d come into some money and offered to sell it to me at a discount. He plans to retire to a nice bit of swampland to the south. It’s a popular place for older goblins to go, so he’ll have plenty of company. That’s why the place was open this early. Or didn’t you wonder?”
“I had wondered but just thought the bartender had done you a favor or something.”
“Well, he did. Sort of. He’s usually scheduled to come in much later in the day, but I wanted to show off my investment to you. I think I should be able to clear five or six silver a week,” he said, raising his ale and taking another drink. “Plus, all the free beer and food you can handle!”
“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t drink or eat,” I said wryly.
He smiled wide and shrugged. “It’s the thought that counts.”
I shook my head at the goblin, gave him two thumbs up and laughed. It had been a running joke between us that I was incapable of eating as a Metalman, yet I still craved food and drink and often found solace in just watching him eat.
It seemed like I'd have to raise the money myself. "Well, we can amp up the mining if we bring the team to the sixth level then. There's loads of resource nodes there."
Greebo scratched his head and said, "That seems like a bit of a risk, doesn't it?"
"It'll be fine. I've been hunting there by myself and run into very few problems. With Manny and the twins with us, we should be able to handle any of the monsters."
"If you're sure, I'll go and gather everyone. I know that I have a few more class quests to finish." He furtively looked to the right at the bartender and lowered his voice. "Plus, I could use the coin to cover wages for the staff here. I got so excited about buying the bar that I forgot about that part."
"Wait, you didn't save for that? What about taking stock of the inventory? Or the food and liquor costs? Building maintenance? Fuel and lighting?" The blank stare on Greebo's face told me he hadn't thought of those things either. "Ok, we need to get our mining team working right away. We both have expenses and goals to meet."
Greebo drank the last of his ale, and we left the Tipsy Minotaur. He went to collect our goblin team, and I went to the marketplace to buy supplies for more ammunition. I used some of my dwindling funds to purchase gunpowder ingredients, lead, paper, iron for my personal repairs, and sphagrium to cast infusions of Minor Regeneration. It took me about an hour to gather everything and fabricate my ammunition, but I knew I'd have multiple hats on with the group and wanted to be prepared.
By the time Greebo returned with the others, my shopping was finished, and I had the fabricated ammunition in my internal inventory and the rest of my supplies packed away in my backpack.
Greebo was wearing his leather armor, which had started to look a little worn out, and his short sword at his side. Frik and Frak, the twin goblins, followed closely behind with similar armor and weapons but with a second short sword at their waists. Manny was wearing his splint mail and followed along a few steps behind the rest of the group, which made sense considering he was wearing heavier armor, a shield, and a mace. They were followed by the four goblin’s we’d gotten trained as miners: Innie, Meanie, Minnie, and Moe.
"Hello, Mr. Repair," Frik and Frak said almost in unison. Manny, ever a goblin of few words, only nodded at me, and I recalled that I’d promised to make him platemail at some point to increase his armor. It would be a big project, but would also help me raise my Metalworking skill.
“Hey, guys. You don’t have to call me Mr. Repair. It’s just Repair,” I said.
The twins smiled, and Greebo shook his head and said, “They know. They’re just doing it to rib you.” Even Manny chuckled at the statement and gave two thumbs up. I was surprised that Manny had picked up on one of my non-verbal gestures and gave him two thumbs up back.
I told the group about the supplies I’d bought, and Greebo took the iron from me since he had the highest carrying capacity of anyone in the group. His carrying capacity was the backbone of our ability to make money. Despite his size, Greebo could carry three-hundred and thirty pounds, which was more than double what I could. It was a benefit of his Scavenger class and some specially chosen skills.
“Anyone else want to drop anything in my pack? I still have room,” Greebo asked.
No one took him up on the offer, but I knew we'd be giving him all the loot and processed ore we gathered in the dungeon. The eight of us went down into the dungeon, past the guards for the first five levels, and down the tunnels for the sixth. The miners looked nervous, which was understandable since they were only level 3, but I was confident that the five fighters would be able to protect the three of them.
I tried to calm the miners by describing the monsters we'd face and how we'd beat them with good tactics and our balanced skills. Thankfully, they seemed to calm just in time for us to reach the forest floor of the sixth level of the dungeon.
The group was silent as they looked out at the vast forest before them, and I could appreciate their awe. The level was the largest I'd come across both in size and in quantity of life. Trees grew tall and green, and there was the constant sound of birds chirping, the wind blowing through leaves, and battle. Monsters fought constantly with the adventures and miners that came through here.
We climbed down the stone pathway that led into the thick forest with the miners' eyes constantly searching for danger. With them positioned between the goblin fighters and Greebo and with me taking the lead, I couldn’t imagine that they had very much to worry about.
I had several hunting locations that I would normally frequent, but the goal for today was to get the miners to a place to dig for ore. I looked at Greebo and asked, "How did you find resource nodes before?"
"Innie has an ore finding ability that tells him which direction to go," Greebo answered. He turned to talk to Innie, who was clutching his iron pick in his hands and looking around for danger. "Innie, which way do we go?"
The goblin started at the call of his name but quickly composed himself and mumbled something while closi
ng his eyes. He held out his left hand, glowing index finger extended, and the goblin turned first left then right. The glow around his finger brightened as he turned right until he stopped and opened his eyes. "There. That's where the closest ore is," Innie said, his finger pointing northeast toward a small hill that just peaked above the forest canopy. I recognized the place as where I'd found the two mining dwarves.
"Well, then let's go," I said. I led the way through the forest with my Flintlock Rifle at the ready. We couldn’t go directly to the hill or we'd risk going through the Shadow Wolf territory, and I didn't think the goblins were ready for that. So, instead, we traveled north following the stream.
A shadow passing over us was the only warning we got before a giant Lightning Condor swooped down from the sky. I'd scanned one of the monsters before, but this one was twice the size with purple feathers, an eight-foot wingspan, and blood-red talons. The goblin miner Moe’s face twisted in pain, and he screamed in panic as the monster grabbed him with its sharp talons and lifted him off the ground with a flap of its powerful wings. The other miners scattered, yelling in fear.