Chương 140: Chapter 216: It Gets Worse

Once upon a time, William Oh went to a wedding and emerged the sole survivor. Alex Jaidayal, level 52 Crystal Farmer The market was small and tired, especially compared to Akul and Bakton Keep. There was none of the energy of hawkers and elbow-nudging crunch of excited Climbers looking to buy their next Kit. Instead it was mostly rough men sitting on crates and consuming their drug of choice while waiting for their merchant to arrive and pick up the goods. Less of a market and more of a loading bay.

Still, there was fun to be had. For one, despite the grungy streets, wafting smoke and tinge of poison, there was beauty just underneath. Literally in this case. Every time someone walked, they exposed tiny patches of the crystal road beneath, creating new glittering surfaces for a moment before the sludge of the street crowded back in.

Above, the central column of crystal that served as the anchor for the island collected and reflected starlight down at them, giving the grungy dockworkers a ghostly, luminescent feel.

"What's that?" Will asked, pointing at the barrels full of crystal bone.

"Giant's bone," the merchant grunted as he lifted another barrel and set in his wagon.

"Whazzit do?" Will asked. The merchant, sensing a potential sale, and possibly needing a break, stopped loading and addressed Will directly, taking off his wool hat to wipe a sheen of sweat from his forehead.

"Tell you what, you load the barrels and I'll tell you what I know for as long as you keep going."

"Deal," Will said, lifting a barrel with Phantom Hand and loading it as he turned to face the merchant. The man whistled.

"Telekinesis, huh? Handy around these parts."

"The bones, old man." Will replied, loading another barrel.

"Alright, alright." Despite saying that the merchant spent three barrels lighting a pipe and getting it started.

"So giant's bone is a product of the 11 th floor. You see the miasma flickers in it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's essentially randomized Abilities in there, all pressed up against each other and eager to get out. One might create heat, the other might create motion, or water. or bugs or a bad smell. You put Charge into all of that at the same time, you get an explosion. I don't know the specifics, but a professional crafter can identify and tease apart helpful effects, like just motion, or just water. They do that, slap it into a sturdy frame and you've got a no-slot relic with a simple effect.

A portable stove, flying saddle, endless decanter. That sort of thing. Those are damn valuable, by the way.

"So how many Relics can you get out of a bone?"

"Depends on the skill of the crafter and the size of the bone, I suppose, but it ranges anywhere from zero to three. Usually zero."

"Better to trade in bulk, then." Will mused.

"Aye, this whole shipment is going to one crafter down in Akul."

"Any laws about prospecting for some myself?"

"Not really. There's thousands of islands floating around out there, moving around relatively to us, so I'm sure there's a few untapped places. If you bring it back, it's yours to do with as you please. This stuff came from one of the Lord's resource nodes, which you gotta pay to use, but it's miles safer and easier." Oh, I can lease the resource node. Then I don't have to actually tax the output. Way simpler. Then again, having a trickle of resources in the form of tax was nice, too.

Which one would be better, money or resources? Probably money, because my Stronghold doesn't have the right infrastructure to produce anything outstanding with flash glass and anchorite. Akul had the craftsmen and the materials to make the really cool stuff. Will turned his mind back to the bone stored in Phantom Hand. So the giant bone isn't a state secret or anything, just a modestly valuable resource, Will mused as Phantom Hand finished loading barrels.

"You wanna buy some, then, kid?" the merchant asked.

"Why, do you have more you haven't sold?" Will asked.

"My contract specified a range of quantities, and I haven't made the official receipt yet, sooo…" He gestured to about twelve barrels.

"You can make me a better offer on these."

"I'm flattered," Will said, consulting his map where he'd marked the island with the giant bones.

"But I'll get my own if I want it." And I do want it. Most people saw it as a way to create a handful of useful effects out of several tons of bone. Will saw it as a tremendous opportunity to expand his Miasmatic Structure vocabulary using fragments of miasmatic structures that had been frozen in place. Most miasmatic structures dissolved rapidly outside of the Ability that they were a part of. Will had used Uru Drake Eye to watch hundreds of Conflagrations cast by Nukers, from Mason to normal visitors.

They were especially difficult to study because the miasma was contained inside a bright glowing ball that exploded in a fraction of a second, scattering the miasmatic structure to bits. The only thing Will could use to study Miasma was his actual eyes, and the glare from Conflagration made it impossible to see what was inside it. But… if he found a miasmatic structure with an effect like Conflagration frozen in the giant's bone, then he might be able to piece it together himself. Not a bad idea.

"Well, suit yourself. Appreciate the help," The merchant clapped Will on the shoulder and climbed up into his wagon, setting his hand on a control rod before the wagon simply flew up into the sky.

"Huh," Will grunted, craning his neck to stare up at the dwindling wagon that vanished into the night sky. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Will, over here!" Brianna called Will towards a stall. That was a generous term, given that the stall owner didn't bother presenting his goods and simply scattered a few Relics on the table while leaving the rest unsorted in the barrel.

"Taking these down to Akul?" Will asked the man as he arrived beside Brianna.

"Un. Move the whole thing down once the wedding is over and the port unclogs." The man grunted before doing a double-take.

"You two got money? You look like a couple pencil-pushers that just got bussed up here. I can't trade in 'time on your indentured servitude.'""We got cash," Will replied, flashing a ten-piece.

"Mmm." The merchant grunted, giving them his undivided attention.

"What are you looking for?"

"Got any sacrifices that deal with the manipulation of Miasma or Terrain?" Will asked.

"I'm always looking for Relics for a Warrior archetype with low Focus to ward against Charm archetypes." Brianna answered.

"Nuker and Warrior?" he asked, pointing between the two of them.

"Scout, actually…It's a weird Build." Will said."'Long as your money's good," the merchant said with a dismissive wave as he pulled out a basket of amulets and circlets and handed them to Brianna to pore through.

"Terrain manipulation, huh? So you twisted a Scout archetype to function like an earth mage?" The merchant asked.

"Yeah, pretty close."

"A'ight." The merchant pulled out another basket and plucked a few rings and sacrifices from a few of the barrels around him before handing it to will to scour through. Will plucked a gold and emerald ring out, and studied it. Iron Earthworks +8 Resistance +4 Focus Stone and Earth created or manipulated by the user is reinforced. Scales with Resistance. If It said 'terrain', I probably would buy it, Will thought, moving on to the next.

"Got anything like this that says 'terrain'?" Will asked, handing it to the merchant as he read the next. Energetic Blade Ring +5 Acuity +8 focus The user may pay an extra 7 Charge while triggering an Ability to create a physical weapon with power relative to the destructive energy of the original Ability. Neat. Will didn't intend to buy it, but he was interested in how it worked, because it caused an Ability's Miasmatic Structure to drastically changed form.

Clink, clink, clink, the merchant filled a bowl with Kit while Will inspected the rest of the Relics in the basket. It was a fun time, and contrasted sharply with the bazaars of Akul where the merchant were so busy they couldn't be expected to directly assist every single potential customer, as they were usually helping three to five people at a time from sunup to sundown.

This man had been bored and lonely, and having actual customers was a rarity for him, so he bounced between the two of them with enthusiasm, recommending different Relics and Sacrifices. Will even walked away with a new bangle to replace the one that Caddock had destroyed. Bangle of Sure Terrain +4 Resistance +10 Focus Terrain within a certain distance of the user resists changes from forces other than the user. Potency Scales with Focus.

Will put on the bangle and everyone in the entire market stumbled at the exact same time as the ever-present muck on the ground firmed up in an instant, betraying their expectations of squishy mud. Interesting. Will was interested in it because it would give him an edge if he ever fought someone with a similar kit, and with a bit of practice, he might be able to make a cantrip that would allow him to selectively firm or soften an enemy's footing.

And most importantly 'resists change' is another way to say 'stronger'. It would stand to reason that any blades or protrusions he create with Aspect would be less likely to be resisted or broken. Brianna came away with some nice synergistic charm-reflecting effects that Will could combine with sourdough later to make her a nice new headband that could cause people who tried to mess with her head to explode. Wonder if I could sourdough this onto the Amulet of the Homeland Advantage?

Will thought as he inspected the simple wooden bangle that appeared to have a mountainside and lush green valley trapped in resin inside it. Will was also interested in how the miasmatic structures in the terrain around him might change if they had passive reinforcement. Will's thinking was interrupted as he could hear four men tromping through the market behind them, wearing expensive silks, based on the swish of their clothes, angling straight towards him.

"Greetings, W-" Will slipped out of the way of the arm before it touched him, taking Brianna with him.

"-illiam…Oh?" the man who tried to clasp Will's shoulder from behind said, gaze tracking Will as he stumbled forward.

"Apologies I took up too much space." Will said with his words, while his tone and posture said 'The Abyss do you want?'.

"You…Um, Greetings!" The man said, recovering.

"We are the 'New Lords'! Soon to be the most powerful faction within the Tower." The four postured. Will's eyes narrowed for a moment, glancing around the anemic marketplace. There had been plenty of space to go around him, and there were only a handful of witnesses who looked…less than impressed. …Who is this…for? There's almost nobody here. Is this farce for me? The dark-skinned, skinny fellow at the front put his hand on his chest.

"I'm Lord Danso, I've recently established a Stronghold on the third Floor." Taking the gap left behind by the massacre of the Oiltons by the Wyrds. A safe choice, if uninventive.

"I'm Lord Corwin, I won the tournament in Akul last year, and I've established a Stronghold on the fourth Floor. The young man right behind him said, resting a hand on his pommel. In the swamp? That's ballsy. I wonder what they produce? Maybe they sell safe passage, or…what grows in a swamp?

"Cranberries?" Will asked. Corwin blinked, but the next Lord was already introducing himself.

"Lord Chesmu," A rather large specimen said, tapping his chest with his knuckles.

"I'm making a Stronghold on the sixth Floor."

"that's impressive." Will said, wondering if he'd accomplished it with help from the Flotilla or simply by conquering it. In any case, he probably wouldn't be alive much longer. The ocean was mercurial and it seemed like trying to build any kind of organized government on top of it was… ill advised. Not to mention, he would have to deal with the existing faction of the symbiotic head-crabs who lived on the Sixth Floor.

The crabs used human brains to mature from mindless creatures to fully developed individuals through a blending of consciousness. Their 'victims' mostly turned out better in the long run, and they inherited human propensity for cooperation and law. So they weren't that dangerous... Will looked up at the top of Chesmu's head to make sure he wasn't wearing a hat. Nope, no hat. Will glanced past them and spotted a familiar face. Carrie Envar, runner-up of the newcomers tournament that Will had won.

"Lord Envar. Fourteenth Floor." Carrie said, her eyes twinkling with amusement as the inky black parasite waved at Will from inside her loose-fitting robes.

"Lyle Smith, milords. This humble Climber is out of his depth, and will cede the road to his betters," Will said, bowing deeply and shuffling backwards, tugging Brianna along with him. Presented with their plan not going the way they expected, the other three new Lords glanced at Carrie, giving away who their leader was. Carrie smiled and shrugged, willing to play along with Will's game…or at least give her fellow young Lords some shit for messing up already. Give them a chance to reassert themselves.

"We heard that William Oh was here for the Zodiac wedding, and his companion was a young woman in a green dress." Danso said, staring at Will with unblinking brown eyes.

"That's…not unusual." Will said.

"This high up in The Tower it is."

"There's maybe half a dozen women our age on this entire Floor." Carrie said.

"Hi Brianna." She waved at Brianna.

"Haven't seen you since the third Floor." Brianna sheepishly waved back.

"…Hi." Oh right, she knows Brianna too.

"She's actually Jean, I'm Lyle," Will said.

"Sorry for the confusion."

"Damnit, Will, we already know it's you." Carrie said, crossing her arms and scowling.

"Well, I wish you didn't because the last time you knew it was me you tried to attack me immediately!"

"It was a spaaar!" Carrie said, waving him off.

"And your fingers grew back that other time, too. Besides, Lord Zodiac already threatened death to anybody who starts anything." She held up a hand.

"Therefore: I promise my faction won't attack you until either the wedding is over or we catch you in a place with no witnesses."

"HAH!" Will guffawed, waggling a finger at Carrie.

"You're never gonna get me in a place with no witnesses because a copy of Brianna is standing right next to Lord Zodiac right now, relaying everything you say and do, word-for-word." She wasn't actually, but she could be, and after this little outing, she probably would be.

"Oh, come on, Will. I like you. Regardless of how recruiting you pans out, I'm not gonna try to kill you. We just want to confirm whose side you're on. Old blood or new." Carrie studied his face for a moment before clutching a temple and heaving a sigh.

"…You didn't know there were sides, did you?"