Chương 68: Fiscal Responsibility [Part 2/2]

After several more miscellaneous purchases, Scarlet moved on to the maps section. There was a category for Earth, and one for places outside of Earth. The Earth category was completely empty, though Scarlet did receive a prompt asking her if she wanted to list the first layer of the Portal World 'Vixen's Vice' as a purchasable map. To which Scarlet declined. The second category was locked until she either joined a Faction, or the world completed the first phase of assimilation.

Unfortunately, Scarlet wasn't privy to the planetary assimilation schedule, so if she wanted maps, she'd either need to go scouting herself, join a faction, or wait for more people to reach Tier 1. Then it was time to look at artifacts. Many items were things she knew she could eventually make herself, if she could gather the resources, time, and additional expertise. However, that wasn't always an option.

For example, even though she'd bought advanced enchanting books, flipping through each one told her none of them contained information on creating artifacts that interfaced directly with the System. It was frustrating that she couldn't yet create them herself. Items like System Contracts, were something she'd need for her future Faction. Sure, she could use binding mana-documents. She even had the method for their creation in one of the recently purchased books.

However, they weren't remotely as secure as they weren't enforced by the System. Scarlet wasn't interested in gambling while dealing with beings at the Historian's level and above. Sure, she could buy the Contracts from the Store. In fact, she'd already bought a stack of 4. However, it had been hideously expensive at SC 250 per contract, and She already knew that wouldn't be nearly enough. If only she could learn from the items she purchased.

Unlike normal items, artifacts gained directly from the System were created with their properties ingrained into them rather than enchanted or artificed. Frustratingly, it seemed she'd have to wait until she formed her Faction, gained access to items sold by off-world Factions, and reverse engineer them like she had the mana-dampeners the Historian had made her wear for training.

Even if she couldn't make System artifacts herself, she genuinely believed she could eventually figure out how they worked and get some dedicated crafters working on them. Admittedly, that was incredibly optimistic considering she'd have to find and probably train up the crafters herself, and her Faction would need more than just crafters. She went back to the Store. As she browsed, she realised the prices of the artefacts ranged into the sSC.

Now that she'd advanced, the Guide was happy to inform her that while sSC 1 could be converted into SC 1000, the inverse didn't work. That meant it was not a pure equivalent exchange. She absolutely could not carelessly convert her credits. She ended up purchasing several items for herself that caught her eye. [Archive Crystal – Tier 1: A storage artifact that interfaces directly with the System. Designed for the secure archival, indexing, and retrieval of written information without need for material retrieval. Read and store notes with ease. Search feature allows rapid retrieval of information through mental queries. This artefact is soulbound and cannot be accessed without explicit permission. Compatible with non-System-recognised records.] Her notebooks! She could store them all here, pull them out when needed, and read through them without having to leaf through pages and pages of writing. It was glorious, it was secure, and it was going to save her so much time.

[Ring of Spiritual Warding – Tier 2: Provides passive protection against active spiritual attacks, spiritual erosion, spiritual corruption, and some forms of soul damage. Provides limited warning of hostile spiritual phenomena. Works against power levels at or below Tier 2. Defending against spiritual attacks erodes durability.] Rare as it was to encounter Spiritual energy, this was just basic due diligence.

Especially considering her connection with the Umbral Spectre Faction who were primarily users of spiritual energy. Just as Tareth had been vulnerable to her psionics Scarlet was just as vulnerable to spiritual attacks. Maus was less so as his resonance Affinity mixed mana and spiritual energy, however until they worked out a proper defence, the painfully pricey ring would have to do.

[Mana Battery – Tier 1: A rechargeable mana reservoir capable of supplying mana directly to its user or to compatible mana-powered artifacts and devices. Commonly used by enchanters, artificers, and researchers to reduce personal mana expenditure during prolonged work.] She'd bought five of these for SC 5 each. Despite a substantial mana reserve for her Level, tapping out during a project, or practice session was one of her biggest hurdles when it came to enchanting.

With the Historian, he'd manually topped her up with his own mana, an uncomfortable process she never wished to repeat, however her own projects and experimentation had often been cut short by her limited reserves. Between the battery and her precision inscriber, sustained enchanting sessions suddenly looked far more sustainable. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

[Spatial Survey Stakes – Tier 1: A set of survey markers used to establish temporary reference points and map out terrain within their field. Once a survey field has been established, the survey stakes automatically create an accessible topographical map, subterranean, and aerial surveys. Compatible with Map function.] Those would be invaluable when it came time to establish a Safe Zone. Then she continued to buy some things for herself and her future Faction.

She'd purchased a Beginner Weapon Mastery Knowledge Tome for herself. She disliked fighting, but she wasn't a pacifist, and combat was unfortunately the best way she'd found to train her physical Stats. She then purchased basic Tomes for each standard weapon type she planned to purchase, and several much cheaper Skillbooks she would give out as rewards or incentives. That had taken a 600 standard credit chunk from her wallet alone. She then purchased, several plain spears, swords, shields, daggers and staves.

They weren't anything fancy, just unaspected, featureless Tier 1 artefacts. However, they had the power and durability to contend with the average mana mutated beast. Something most pre-System Earth weapons simply couldn't do. They were decent enough that she'd use them herself to train with her new Knowledge Tome. If people wanted better weapons, they could earn them.

Apart from her own set, these weapons weren't meant to be given away, but instead to be borrowed or rented by Faction members who were clearing Portal Worlds or securing territory. She meant them to be starter weapons and training aids. If anyone who wanted a better weapon hadn't earned their own weapon by the time they needed one then it was unlikely that her buying better weapons, or giving these away, would be a good investment on either end. Then she proceeded to buy some of the 'kits' for sale.

[Field Herbalist's Kit – Tier 1: A complete collection of System-recognised harvesting and cultivation tools. Includes preservation containers, specimen bags, planting implements, and enchanted labelling supplies suitable for the collection, transport, and cultivation of magical flora.] [Scribe's Kit – Tier 1: A collection of System-recognised materials for the drafting and inscription of mana documents. Includes stationary, sealing wax, secure document storage, and additional writing implements. Suitable for the creation, preservation, and authentication of mana-infused documents Complementary Scribes Handbook included in each Kit.] [Field Medical Kit – Tier 1: A comprehensive collection of System-recognised medical supplies intended for field treatment. Includes sterile dressings, sutures, splints, antiseptics, and other common emergency equipment for injuries. Suitable for treating entities at Tier 1 or below.] All of it was considered 'basic gear', but none of it was yet available on the newly Integrated world, and every kit had an inventory limit of 100. She bought two of each kit. Even if she never used the kits herself. She wanted to understand what each kit included and how specialisations might form around them. Knowledge was power, and she'd need every scrap of it.

At the end of her purchase spree Scarlet looked at her balance: Credits: sSC 15 SC 4500 → 270"This will have to be enough," she told herself with a nod before opening her Map to check just how much Maus had cleared. He was an efficient little guy. It seemed he'd decided to move back and forth in an ever-expanding arc around the property making the cleared sections of the map look like a giant rainbow with her own marker at the bottom centre.

Switching over to her Stat Sheet again, she was astonished to catch the moment her Level went from 12 → 13. And with the change came two notifications. The first had been a long time coming, almost expected. She'd already felt close to Level 12 before her advancement, and this had clearly been what pushed her over. The first informed her that her Level had gone up, however it was the one after that she paid attention to.

[Potential Faction: STARnet Recognised by System] [Quest: Establish the First Faction] [Description: Be the First sapient of your world to establish a System Recognised Faction.] [Objectives: Establish a System Recognised Faction Complete Mandatory Sub-Quests] [Sub-Quest 1: A Faction's Base Clear a Safe Zone Formalise Faction Membership Establish a Base of Operations Sub-Quest 2: A Factions Purpose Declare Your Faction's Primary Operational Mandate Establish a Guiding Statement Sub-Quest 3: A Faction's Foundation Gain at Least 100 Members Gain at Least 5 *Core Members Appoint a Deputy Leader Optional Sub-Quest: A Factions Friends Become Recognised Allies with at Least One System-Recognised Faction *Core Members must be bound to the Faction through System Contracts *A Deputy Leader must be bound to the Faction through a System Contract.] [Rewards: sSC 2 + SC 1000 Portal World Scanner Permanent Administrative Rights (variable) Failure Penalty: Lose provisional administrative privileges of Title: First Among Us Additional Rewards: Variable based on performance] Scarlet blinked once, closed her System window, and proceeded to stare blankly at a wall for several minutes. Was this the first time she received a failure penalty? She hadn't even been given the option to reject the Quest.

Well, it wasn't like she hadn't planned to establish a Faction anyway. This just gave her some structure, and a frustrating non-deadline. She had to be First. She'd would also be doubling up on the Safe Zone requirement, as she already had a Quest for it. However, that failure penalty. Scarlet took a deep breath. The solution was simple: Don't Fail.

"Easier said," she murmured to the empty room.

"Still, one thing at a time." She levered herself off the chaise and headed to the kitchen. She'd make a nice cup of tea, allocate her FS, send a useless but emotionally cathartic prayer out to the universe, then get to work on what she could. One thing at a time, she'd said, and the first step was STARnet.