by Aleron Kong
Know This! The cost of items is set by the Bank closest to your position. An Elementum Ingot has been given the base cost (in standard coin) of 365 gold crowns, 9 silver marks, 5 copper shills and 2 iron bits.
In light of your Multichamber Treasure Vault’s tax rate of 10%, the payout to any Adventurer finding an elementum ingot would be 329 Gold Crowns, 3 Silver Marks, 5 Copper Shills, 6 Iron Bits and 8 Wooden Chits
Do you wish to make Elementum Ingots a Confiscated item?
Wooden chits? Only bankers would make wood into money. Richter thought for a second and realized that’s exactly what had happened on Earth. Putting that idle thought out of his head, he stared at the payout for an ingot of elementum. This shit wasn’t cheap. As expensive as it was though, the prompt raised a buttload of questions. Rather than parse them all out, he just read the notification aloud to Randolphus. The chamberlain immediately began to fill in all the gaps.
“In The Land there are six Banks. These are Core buildings that not only generate great wealth but also regulate, in both small and large ways, every economy upon the planet. It is the Banks that determine the value of each gold, silver and copper coin. They are also responsible for attaching the unmistakable feel of genuine currency and preventing counterfeits from being accepted as legal tender.”
Richter knew what he was talking about. Every coin he found had a “feel.” It was subtle, barely noticeable, but it was there. Even the silver kobold coins had it. “You’re telling me that they stop counterfeits coins from moving around. Why would they do that?”
Randolphus hedged, “The science of banking economics can be quite complex, my lord. I would be happy to explain it to you if you have a genuine interest, but it might be better to just state that controlling wealth offers great power. In the history of The Land, nations have waged war on Banks before. In each case, it was the nations that lost those battles. They were then often forced to borrow funds from the Banks to rebuild their infrastructure, at a significant interest rate.”
Don’t fuck with the money, Richter thought. Same in any world. “Why didn’t you suggest that we build a Bank with our last Magic Core if they’re so powerful?”
The chamberlain chuckled slightly, “The secret of Bank creation is one of the great mysteries of The Land, my lord. The exact combination of how they are created is either lost to time or jealously guarded by the greatest forces of this world. The only reference I ever found was in a parchment that was almost completely destroyed by age. Even then, it detailed only the best guess of a Scholar who lived twenty thousand years ago. Melancson the Astute stated he had it on good authority that it took no less than four Magic Cores to make a single Bank. He made no mention of the other requirements and did not state who this “good authority” was.”
“Well, I suppose as excuses go, that’s not bad,” Richter admitted. “Where is the closest Bank?”
“That is the Bank of Sound, my lord. It is located south of the River Peninsula and across the Beckoning Sea. You would then have to cross the coastal kingdoms and reach the War Lands, a brutal no man’s land dominated by warlord chieftains. In the center of those hundreds of armies and thousands of high level monsters lies a Core building. This is only by report, my lord. Neither I, nor any I have ever met, has actually laid eyes on the Bank.”
Not for the first time, Richter thought about how fortunate he was to have awakened in the Forest of Nadria. It definitely had its share of beasts and monsters, but it was nothing like what Randolphus had just described. He wondered for a moment how many chaos seeds had been spawned in such harsh places. What would that do to a person? What kind of person could even survive it?
He shook his head. Another worry for another time. “How are they able to decide the cost of items though? What about factoring in accessibility or supply and demand? A cup of water costs nothing here, but it might be worth quite a bit in a desert.”
“The Bank does not control everything. Neither it, nor the Bank administrators, are omnipotent. Traders can set their individual prices at whatever they wish, of course, and those with coin are willing to buy, barter or refuse to purchase as they have always been. In the case of magical contracts however, the Bank can exert some small influence. The cost determined by one Bank could also be very different from another. They do not always work together and, if reports are to be believed, often plot to harm and undercut one another. You can think of Banks as setting a standard in The Land’s economy, my lord, and yet any and all have the choice to ignore that standard.”
“But I’m guessing very few, if any, ever do,” Richter stated.
Randolphus just shrugged as if to say, ‘this is the way of the world.’
Yet another powerful entity that Richter was just now finding out about. He shook his head for the umpteenth time. Focusing on the prompt hanging in his vision, he chose “Yes” and moved on to the second and more important item: chaotic particles. Another prompt appeared, but with a crucial difference this time.
Know This! The cost of items is set by the Bank closest to your position.
A Chaotic Particle is an Unknown Item!
The Banking Alliance have been made aware of a new high-value item appearing in The Land.
No Bank in The Land has set a cost for this item.
Until a Bank can fully evaluate this item you may set the price at whatever you wish.
Know This! A Bank representative will be dispatched to your position.
Know This! Your Necklace of Scry Defense has shielded your position and you cannot be found by the Banking Alliance.
Know This! The 6 Banks of The Land have issued a Global Quest.
You have received a Global Quest: Attainable Assets I
A new item, a Chaotic Particle, has been discovered and brought to the attention of the Banks of The Land. This high-value item must be brought to a Bank.
Success Conditions: Bring a Chaotic Particle to one of the 6 Banks of The Land
Optional Success Conditions:
Identify the person who first brought the existence of Chaotic Particles to the attention of the Banks
Deliver the person who first brought the existence of Chaotic Particles to the attention of the Banks to 1 of the 6 Banks for questioning
Unique Success Condition for Unknown Agency who triggered this Quest: Merely remove your Divination Protection within the next seven minutes and the Global Quest will be cancelled. You will gain the full reward. A Bank representative will be dispatched to your position for parlay.
Rewards:
50,000 gold crowns
+25,000 Relationship Points with the specific Bank the Chaotic Particle is delivered to
+10,000 Relationship Points with the remaining 5 Banks
Further rewards available if the Optional Success Conditions are met
Penalty for Failure or Refusal: This is a Global Quest. Though it can be refused, it will remain open to be accepted again until the primary Success Condition is fulfilled.
Do you accept? Yes or No?
Richter, Randolphus, and every other ruler, guild leader, noble and administrator in The Land received the quest at the same time. The chamberlain looked at Richter with shock and disbelief in his eyes. “My lord?” he said, dragging the word out.
Richter just looked back at him wide-eyed, “Uhhhhhhh…”
CHAPTER 91 – Day 149 – Kuborn 39, 0 AoC
“Refuse the quest!” Randolphus whispered urgently, darting a glance at Roswan. Thankfully the man had stepped away from the table to get a fourth helping of eggs.
“Refuse it!” the chamberlain repeated louder this time. The panic in his voice was evident.
Richter had already been leaning that way. He just didn’t like the sound of being delivered to a Bank for “questioning.” So, despite the offer of fifty thousand gold, the equivalent of five million bucks, he still chose “No” and the prompt disappeared.
“What the fuck was that?” he exclaimed.
“Please explain what just
happened, my lord,” Randolphus said, breathing a bit easier now that the quest had been refused. Richter gave him the breakdown of what had occurred. The cascade of windows that had appeared after he’d made the chaotic particles a confiscatable item, the fact that the Banks now knew there was a new high-value item in The Land, and all ending in the quest that both he and Randolphus had seen somehow.
When Richter finished talking, the chamberlain just had to wonder if his liege would ever stop surprising him. Rubbing his forehead, he said, “I believe the danger has passed, my lord. I would not remove your necklace for the next several days, but as I said, the Banks are not omnipotent. They will not be able to invest resources into finding you forever. The more time that elapses, the more likely that any magical signature you left behind will dissipate.” He sighed heavily. “We are safe, for now.” It seemed like he was reassuring himself as much as Richter.
“How bad could that have been?” Richter asked.
“Do you remember when we looked at your Traveler’s Map and you asked me why the entire northern half of the River Peninsula is simply called The Wilds?”
Richter nodded. Randy had said the entire area, an expanse about half the size of the United States, was a savage place filled with large monsters that had sounded suspiciously like dinosaurs.
“It was not always merely jungle. It was once a great empire, until it went to war with the Banking Alliance.”
“Jesus,” Richter muttered, rubbing his own face. “How did the hell did some all-powerful global,” he searched for the word, “cabal just find out about me?” He tried not to sound like he was whining, but seriously! Why did this shit keep happening to him?
“The Labyrinth, and by extension every Dungeon that gives entrance to it, spans the entirety of The Land. Some say it even extends to other worlds and dimensions. It is not surprising that the Banks might have magical detections for anyone setting prices in a Dungeon. As dangerous as this could have been, my lord, let it be a warning that you take to heart. The powerful magics you are gathering cannot help but invite challenge. The very existence of this village will make others fear and hate you, if for no other reason than, if they had the same power, they would misuse it. The question is not if you will need to defend our home against powerful enemies, my lord. It is when.”
The chamberlain’s statement was like a bucket of cold water on Richter. He had only been in The Land for five months, but he had been there long enough to learn that “human” nature was ubiquitous across races and planets. There were those who embraced peace and beauty, but also those who wanted nothing more than to control or destroy. When he had founded the village, he had done so with the ideal of protecting the former against the latter. Randolphus’s message didn’t dissuade him from that, it just reaffirmed his will to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Richter turned his gaze back to the prompt and set the cost of a chaotic particle. One copper for every Chaos Point they provided. At least something good came out of that iris-clenching moment. After that was done, he didn’t waste any time creating the next Room. He had to cycle through several options before the image that he wanted came to mind.
First, he thought of a fort, and a square stone building appeared in his mind. It wasn’t quite right. Next, he envisioned exactly what he wanted: a fortified building that was flush with the portal that led from the Entrance Chamber into the Dungeon proper. Then he imagined a second section that was just an open courtyard surrounded by walls wide enough to walk upon. A gate led into the main fort and a second on the other side of the courtyard led into the Dungeon. It was perfect!
Congratulations! You have created a new Room: Barbican
Barbican (Level 1)
+10% Bonus Attack and Defense for Defenders assigned to this Room.
Anyone assigned to this Room is exempt from the five-person limit of Dungeon occupancy. Anyone assigned to this Room cannot gain Loot or harvest Resources.
Maximum Defenders: 50
The entire contingent of Defenders can be mobilized without penalty if the Dungeon Master is called upon to defend the Dungeon from outside threats.
Exceeding the Maximum Number of Defenders for more than seven minutes negates bonuses offered by this Room and will cause the gate and doors to open. Defenders will be notified if the maximum number is surpassed.
The first Rooms were done and he couldn’t wait to see them, but they were only phase one. He decided to save the third free Room for later seeing as how there was no time limit on the epic bonus. He turned to the other two R’s at the table. “Gentlemen, I’m going into the Dungeon. You might want to join me because I have a feeling this will be worth seeing,” Richter said with a smile.
Roswan looked at him, then back at his plate. The elf deliberately took the last piece of bacon, then piled the eggs on top of it in a long line. With what had to be practiced skill, he picked it up without spilling a morsel and, three bites later, had consumed bacon and eggs bobsled-style. After that, he stood to the respectful gaze of his liege and handed the plate to one of the serving women. A wide smile appeared under his mustache, “That was delicious,” he told her. “I will be back later. Please give my compliments to the chef. Please and thank you.”
Then he gave a nod to Richter, apparently ready.
The chaos seed shook his head in bemusement. Randolphus was already standing and Alma jumped onto her master’s shoulders. The chaos seed began to cast. Mist rose from the ground, surrounding the four of them. A Node network appeared in Richter’s gaze again, overlaying the Dungeon. This time there were new additions. Five golden dots showed him where he could travel. A series of glowing lines connected each Node, showing his established Node Road.
The first gold spheres were familiar. One was outside of the Dungeon at the snake mouth, the next was in the Entrance Chamber and the third was in the Egg Genesis Chamber. A fourth now appeared deep underground. It was only connected to the Entrance Chamber Node. He knew it was the Multichamber Vault without checking, though the name of the Room appeared next to the gold sphere as well. The fifth was physically situated between the egg Room and the Entrance Chamber.
It was the Barbican, and Richter’s destination, but it was also slightly different than the rest. The golden dot in his mental map was only a quarter the size of the Nodes and there were actually a small cluster of them. That was because when he’d been cycling through the permutations for defensible Rooms, he’d found a fun option. It was a transport sphere that only worked within his particular Dungeon, something he’d come to think of as a mini-Node.
The benefit of having them was that they would only work for people that the Room’s owner considered “friendly.” The Dungeon had provided a neat and tidy solution to the problem of enemies being able to teleport right into a fortified Room and thereby bypass the defenses. Any of his people would be able to transport to the Barbican instantly, but even if a stealthed Rogue snuck in before a battle, the Professional wouldn’t be able to jump back behind enemy lines later.
Richter had more questions about the mini-Nodes, but not even Randolphus had heard of them before. That had surprised the chaos seed, but not the Spy. Randy had reminded him that the Labyrinth was almost a Universe in and of itself. There might literally be no limit to what it contained and no one could know it completely. So, Richter didn’t know if the mini-Nodes were just a function of the Barbican specifically or if they could be applied on a larger scale, but for now, the Mist Village had its own private teleport network.
There was also a sixth Node that wasn’t only golden, it was twice as large as the other. Not only was it bigger, but it also shone with an inner light. It was off to the side, and not in the Dungeon itself. Richter had to assume it was the epic gift he’d been given, the Master Node. He couldn’t access that one, because the line connecting it to the Dungeon, specifically to the Entrance Node, was grey and lifeless. Hopefully it would come alive once the Dungeon hit level ten and connected to the Labyrinth!
&
nbsp; Richter chose his destination. Eight seconds after he had started casting Dungeon Transport, the three men appeared in the Barbican. Looking around, he was pleased to see that the fortified Room was just as he had envisioned it in his mind. The air was neither warm or cool, just a pleasant neutral temperature. The Room was made of perfectly fitted marbled quartz, gleaming white with blood red veins running through it, just like the Well of Offering. Wall sconces were placed around the room and he was delighted to see that they also were just as advertised. At a touch, the light they emitted could be increased to an almost blinding level of illumination or extinguished completely. Powered by the Dungeon itself, they would work until the sun burned out, and maybe even afterward, if the Dungeon survived.
Empty weapons racks lined the walls and there was more than enough space for tables, chairs and a few other amenities to be brought in. The room was rectangular and each side had an exit. Set into the left and right walls were two fortified doors. They were wood, banded with metal and were narrow enough that only one person could pass through at a time.
Richter opened the one on the right and confirmed that it locked on the inside. Any defenders that were being too heavily pressed could lock them against invaders or monsters. Past the door was a windowless room whose walls were comprised entirely of marbled quartz. The room was large enough that it could serve as a small barracks for those assigned to the Barbican. It even had a small bathroom with both a toilet and a sink with running water. The Dungeon magically supplied the agua and then drained it away. Richter had no idea where the sink or toilet water went, and he really didn’t care. If the Dungeon could consume bodies whole, it had already eaten its share of feces.
The bathroom was just a nice little addition that he’d been able to tack on make his soldiers’ lives a bit easier. It was always a good idea to take care of one’s employees. As his granddaddy had told him once, a man could put up with almost anything if he could shit and piss in peace. In the center of the room was a black spike with a small golden ball atop it. It was a mini-Node, yet another security measure that would let trapped defenders leave the Dungeon. Richter checked the door to the left next. As he’d expected, it was a carbon copy of the room on the right, complete with a mini-Node of its own.