“What’s ‘Ar & Ar?’” I asked.
“Oh, it’s an abbreviation for Armor and Armament,” he said casually. “The finest gremlin-made. I am sure you’ll find something to your liking.”
“What the hell is that?” I pointed at a breastplate. Metal gears were visible between the plate links and chains were strewn all around it.
“Oh!” He brightened. “I call this ‘Grappler’s Bane.’ See the pressure plates?” he pointed at some darker spots scattered about the armor. “If those are touched, the armor activates and the gears rotate those chains around the torso at high speed, making whoever is holding you let go and possibly injuring them in the process.”
That was … unconventional.
“How much?”
There was a glint in his eye. “A bargain! Especially for you! 350 gold!”
I scowled. That was a fifth of my savings. I could not use his products to equip my soldiers if that price was an indicator. “What about this sword?” I looked at a strangely designed longsword. It appeared to be made of multiple sections that didn’t align properly, giving it a twisted look.
“Another masterpiece of gremlin ingenuity,” the shopkeeper positively gushed. “There is a button on the hilt, see? When you press it, the sections separate. They are hollow and strung through with a mithril cord, which keeps them connected. It works perfectly well as any normal sword, but swinging and pressing the button turns it into a bladed whip. It’s guaranteed to catch the enemy off guard, while tripling the reach of the sword, and can be used to trip opponents.
That was fairly esoteric.
“How much?”
There was a slight hitch in his jubilance. “Six hundred gold. I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s mostly due to the cost of the mithril used in it. You see, any other metal isn’t flexible or strong enough to –”
“I get it.” I stopped his barrage.
The shop certainly had interesting items. But the price range was not feasible for equipping my army, and what they had was more suitable for individual adventurers. Being ‘monster only,’ these gremlin-made inventions were unknown to players. Seeing a player equipped with some of these gadgets would be interesting.
I left and entered the next store. The sign above this one showed ‘GGG.’
A young gremlin female greeted me. She was slightly smaller than the males, had long hair and distinctly feminine features. A golden hoop earring dangled from one of her ears. I couldn’t tell, but she was probably considered pretty by gremlin standards.
Shut it, Vic.
“Greetings, Dread Totem.” The gremlin girl curtsied. “Welcome to Three G.”
“Three G?” I raised a brow at her.
She nodded. “General Gremlin Goods.”
“Oh.”
Vic chuckled.
Or Ar & Ar, for that matter. I grinned. Not hearing our banter, the maybe-cute gremlin girl smiled back at me.
Vic giggled at my joke.
The shelves were full of equipment; ropes, vials, trap kits, lockpicks, assorted tools, camping paraphernalia, and many other such things. In short, everything an adventurer might need.
“Do you sell food?” I asked the gremlin lady.
“Of course! We have travel rations, jerky, dried food, and even flasks of purified water.”
That wouldn’t do. “What about exquisite food?”
The smile vanished from her face. “I am afraid not, Dread Totem. My shop is rather humble.”
I shrugged and turned to leave.
“Ooh, please wait – I do have something that might interest you.”
I turned back to her.
She dug through one of the many boxes behind her. With a yip of success, she came back around, holding a small open sack for me to look into. It held a coarse purple powder.
“What is it?” I asked curiously. It looked like an alchemical compound and the smell reminded me of the ocean.
“Purple salt!” she declared. “Harvested from the underground sea near Zemitpozes. I believe it can be used to make excellent food!”
Purple Salt
Description: Collected from an area rich in minerals that enhance the flavoring properties of the salt.
Type: Ingredient
“I don’t suppose you have a recipe that it’s used in?” I asked.
She hesitated. “I’m … unsure. I recently acquired a stack of recipes in bulk and haven’t had the chance yet to catalog them.”
“May I look at the recipes then?”
She nodded and pulled a stack of parchments from a leather case. “Here you go.”
I leafed through the stack with growing disappointment.
‘Food Recipe: Simple Steaks.’ No.
‘Food Recipe: Grilled Fish.’ Already have that or better, so no.
‘Food Recipe: Simple Bread.’ We don’t have flour, wheat, or decent farmland, no thank you.
The last recipe was written on high-quality paper with golden edges. What’s this …?
Food Recipe: Crispy Double Hot-Bits and Chilled Worms [Exquisite Food]
Description: Flavored earthworms, served chilled with spicy hot-bits. Must be eaten within seven minutes, while the components are still cold and hot.
Instructions: For 3 portions: 1 worm serving, 1 magmashroom, 1 pinch of purple salt, 1 Fire Resist potion.
Effect I: +10 morale
Effect II: +20% cold & fire resistance (1 hour)
That was some wacky-sounding recipe. Still, I couldn’t believe my luck.
Lucky Bastard skill level increased to 26.
On second thought, I could. “How much for the salt and this recipe?”
She looked bemused for a moment, but it was replaced with a look of greed. “Fifty for the salt. One thousand for the recipe.”
Thanks, Vic, I kinda picked up on that already.
It was time for a little haggling session, and I wasn’t above taking advantage of my special skillset. Reaching out with my mind, I used my Dark Mana’s Sense Emotion ability on the shopkeeper. Her aura was positively overrun with greed.
“You do know that I am the only person within hundreds of kilometers who could even use this recipe, right?” I asked, pulling a magmashroom from my inventory, still warm to the touch. “No one around has access to these. So I doubt you’ll find anyone else willing to buy this recipe. How about cutting me a deal, say 500 gold?”
Her aura wavered, and streaks of gray uncertainty appeared through it, but then greed blazed through again. “So you do have the necessary ingredients to use this recipe. That makes it quite valuable for you.” Her smile was shrewd and bigger than ever. “Especially since I’m the only person within hundreds of kilometers who can sell it to you.”
Shadow-crap. I didn’t expect my tactic to backfire. She was a sharp one.
The young woman’s aura oozed confidence. “But you do make a good point, how about I take ten gold off the top?”
That was still too much. I could afford that price, but it was more than half my gold. And her aura told me she was entirely too pleased with herself.
“You realize that I’m the leader of this clan? You operate here on my approval. A reasonable discount now would be an easy way into my good graces.”
Her aura became tinted with black wisps of apprehension. I pressed on.
“I can tell you’re a sharp one. Don’t you think ripping me off might not
be the best long-term strategy?”
She looked uncertain. “You are the chief, but our presence here is for your benefit as well as ours. If you had a proper gremlin market, that would be a different matter … But you do have a point.” She paused, thinking. “Very well, I will agree for a thousand gold for both items.”
That was not much better, but I knew when I was beaten. The game mechanics limited the outcome of our bargaining. I handed her the gold. Construction of the marketplace had just been bumped up the priority list.
As I watched her retie the bag of purple salt, its chemical appearance reminded me of something. “Hey, do you have a chemist’s set?”
“Hmm? Oh, no.”
Damn.
“But Anikosem probably has them,” she added as an afterthought.
I brightened, then held out my two new purchases to Vic. “Please take these to Gandork.”
My purple cloak flowed out, reaching and wrapping around the items I held. The rest of Vic billowed away from my shoulders to form his purple goblin body. The gremlin girl froze, her eyes comically wide as Vic made his presence known.
“Pfft, you have a creepy new bug-mouth assistant and you still make me run these stupid errands?” he grumbled, though I could tell he was just making a show of it.
“Yes. Run along now, purple minion.”
He gave me an insulted look but took the items and walked toward the mess hall.
I entered the last shop. The sign above the entrance read, ‘Gadgets & Magic.’
An elderly gremlin sat behind a small counter. His brown fur was speckled with white, and wire-rimmed glasses with coke-bottle lenses covered half his face. I analyzed him.
Anikosem, Gremlin Tinker
Level: 15 (12%)
HP: 72, MP: 134
Attributes: P: 2, M: 12, S: 1
Skills: Artificer 22, Barter 11, Chemist 11
Background: Anikosem was once a famed artificer, known especially for inventing a reloading acid trap. As he was never able to outdo his famed creation, Anikosem decided to focus on the business aspect of his trade and become a full-time trader.
His skills are all maxed out! I was impressed. This gremlin’s Chemist, Trade, and Artificer skills were at the highest possible; the former was capped by his Mental attribute and the last two by his Social attribute.
“Greetings, Totem,” he said informally. “How may I help you?”
I looked around his shop. There were shelves stocked with potions, glass counters displaying wands, and mechanical devices of unknown purpose.
“Do you have fire resistance potions? And I was told you have a chemistry set.”
He nodded, “I have both items. The low-quality potions I have cost 20 gold each. The chemistry set goes for 250.”
“How about a first-time buyer’s discount?” I asked with a smile, though not much hope.
He shook his head, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Totem.”
That figures. Gremlins didn’t like missing out on a profit.
I looked at the items on display and a certain symbol caught my eye. “Do you Runecraft?” I knew from Yeshlimashu that the gremlins’ Artificer skill granted them a limited ability to work with magic runes.
He nodded slowly. “I dabbled in my youth, but it was never my passion. Why do you ask?”
“I know a few runes myself. I was wondering if you’d be willing to exchange knowledge.”
He shook his head. “I only know two runes: Te, the basic connector rune, which I’m sure you’re already familiar with, and Zu, the rune of motion. But that one is rare and forbidden to share with non-gremlins, so an exchange of knowledge would not be possible.”
I want that rune! My avarice flared, but I maintained my composure. I pulled a magmashroom out of my inventory. Anikosem’s eyes widened when he saw the rare fungus. “Would you reconsider for this?” I asked.
He scratched his chin. “Well, well … those are rare, and they are vital components in several potions.” He looked around as if checking for spies or eavesdroppers. “I will trade the rune knowledge for a hundred magmashrooms.”
“What!” I exclaimed. “That’s outrageous. I’ll give you ten.”
“I’ll accept no less than 90.”
“Fifteen!”
“You expect me to break the rules of my people for a mere pittance? I can agree to 80.”
I shook my head. “I’ll be honest with you. I only have 42 of the mushrooms, and I need them to make exquisite food. Twenty is the best I can offer.”
He shook his head as well. “That simply won’t do. For the sake of goodwill, I can go as low as 50. But no less.”
Barter skill level increased to 11.
New rank reached: Apprentice: Base price of items is now displayed (actual price might differ depending on demand)
The new rank appeared right on time. I analyzed the magmashroom.
Magmashroom
Description: A rare type of magical mushroom that only grows in close proximity to flowing lava.
Type: Ingredient, crafting component
Base Price: 40 gold
So the gremlin was asking for the equivalent of 2,000 gold in trade for the rune, the sly old bastard!
That was too much. I didn’t have anything else of value I was willing to offer in trade. Getting the rune would have to be an issue for another time.
“How about I teach you a rune in exchange for a discount?” I suggested instead.
He knitted his brows, thinking. “Runes aren’t really my passion, but they are tradable … very well. Tell me what runes you know.”
I did, and the old gremlin snorted. “Those are all common runes. Well, except the binding; that one is advanced.” He mulled it over for a moment. “I will give you a discount of ten gold for every common rune, and 50 for the rune of binding.”
That sounded awfully cheap for a rune I’d gained by having it carved on my flesh. “Hundred gold for the binding rune?” I tried my luck.
“Sixty.”
“Eighty?”
“Very well.”
That was something, at least. There was no reason to hold out on him. I taught him all my seven runes, then handed him 130 gold for the potion and chemistry set. That left me with about 700 gold.
With these prices, I really needed that marketplace built as soon as possible.
There was nothing else of interest to me in his shop. Everything was either too weak compared to my own magic, or too expensive.
Yeshlimashu was busy organizing some crates outside. I went over to him.
“You must be hungry from your long trip. I invite you all to come dine in our mess hall. I think you’ll find Gandork’s cooking to your liking.”
Yeshlimashu grinned. “That is a generous offer. It will be a nice change from travel rations.”
+50 reputation with Zemitpozes’ gremlins.
Current rank: Neutral.
Points to next rank: 950
Maybe they’ll offer a more significant discount once I hit Friendly reputation with them, I mused as I led the four hungry-looking gremlins through the village.
As we got close to the mess hall, I heard angry voices coming from inside the building. Something was up. The voices got louder and more contentious, and as I hurried forward, the four gremlins followed close behind.
As we neared the entrance, there was a final terrified shriek that was cut off as a goblin came crashing through a window to land on the ground at our feet.
I looked down at the mangled, twisted body of our clan cook.
Gandork was dead.
Interlude: Company Meeting
The conference room was full.
The director looked at the holographic presentation displaying various numbers and charts.
A nervous-looking man stood by the display. He spoke in a halting voice. “As you can see, sir, our two test subjects have acclimated to the extreme mental strain without any discernible side effects.”
The director nodded.
> The man continued. “The preliminary findings are promising; though they started playing only two days ago, both have passed level 20 and solved a number of complex mathematical problems.”
The director tapped his fingers on the table. ”Good. So, there are no problems that would prevent us from moving on to the next phase?”
The man, the head of one of the company’s R&D centers, nodded anxiously. He didn’t like to be put on the spot like this. “I feel obligated to mention … a slight discrepancy was observed in the alpha and delta waves of both subjects. Though it is not a significant cause for alarm, I would like to have more time to study it.”
The director frowned. “Explain.”
The man swallowed. “As you know, the FIVR technology puts the user in a semi-dreamlike state, while maintaining the player’s higher brain function. This keeps them aware and in control. It is achieved by regulating the users’ alpha and delta brain waves. The two candidates have both displayed gaps in the waves synchronicity, some reaching up to 12 percent. It is well within the allowed threshold, but it is significantly higher than in their previous, ‘normal’ game sessions.”
“How much time do you need to investigate this further?”
“A few weeks should suffice.”
The director shook his head. “That’s too long. We don’t have a few weeks. That damn goblin-player appearance accelerated our timetable. The military expects results, soon.” He thrummed his fingers on his desk. “Continue monitoring the twins’ condition along with the next phase recruits. Mr. Emery, anything to add?”
The sharply dressed lawyer sitting to the director’s right leaned forward in his armchair. “Everything is ready from the legal standpoint, sir. The reworded NDA and User Agreement contracts have been drafted. I went through each of them personally. As far as I’m concerned, we may proceed.”
The director nodded. “Very well. Proceed to the next phase.”
08 – Monster vs. Monster
“What the hell is going on!” I roared. I took out my staff and gathered my mana for a fight.
Are we under attack? Who would want to harm Gandork?
Vic chuckled.
I didn’t have to wait long for the answer. An angry roar came from the mess hall. My heart sank as I recognized the sound.
Life Reset_EvP_Environment vs. Player Page 10