Everyone Thinks of That Nickname – Chapter 85

Akhier

Back in the dungeon Doyle turns to Ally, ‘So I forgot to make my other monsters drop coins. Also, do I need to make the kobolds on my third-floor drop ore or will they automatically?’

Ally laughs, ‘Well, it isn’t too late. You could technically make every monster drop coins, the lower value one’s cost hardly anything after all. My advice is to keep the first floor like it is though. That way people who don’t want to actually challenge the dungeon and are just in it for food aren’t rewarded too much. As for the kobold miners, do you have them actually mining?’

Doyle nods his core, ‘Yeah, I wanted it so that as the day progressed, there would be less ore for adventurers to mine. After all, the map changes every night so I wanted to reward those who explored the floor instead of just following a map someone else made.’

Ally gives a thumbs up, ‘Good plan and it works out even better because that means the kobolds and the goats will have a chance to drop ore. Don’t worry, there is a cap on it so they can’t just let the kobolds do all the mining for them.’

Doyle sighs in relief, ‘Well, that makes things easier. Now let me just go and throw on some coins so the settlement can actually become a town. I assume that will have some benefits for me?’

Ally shrugs, ‘I actually don’t know the answer to that. My guess is there will be paths opened up because of it. We will just have to wait and see. After all, there has to be something that you get for a town being built around you.’

Doyle focuses on Ally, ‘Normally you have more to say on this kind of thing. Why the lack of info?’

Ally shrugs again, ‘Meh, there wasn’t any tutorial text for it.’

Doyle shakes his core, ‘The tutorial stuff won’t be around forever.’

Ally laughs, ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’

Doyle accepts this and focuses on his second floor. ‘I don’t want to add coins to the animals quite yet so that leaves the kobolds. The two sneaky kobolds in the boulder room can have a copper each as loot. Those goatherds can have up to five because they are strong, independent kobolds with their own jobs. That can include the goatherd in the forest room.’

‘Now for most of the rest let’s say two coins each. Copper coins only cost ten energy as loot anyway, so spreading the wealth isn’t a bad thing. The only other kobolds I want to change up are the magic users. They are special so let’s give them ten copper and a silver. A little pricey at 200 a pop but they shouldn’t be dropping it all at once anyway.’

‘The third floor already has metal ores, so I don’t want to turn it into a coin farm as well. The earth mages can have a silver coin each, while the rest can have the same two coppers of the last floor. Still a bit much, what with four silver pieces as loot. Hopefully earth mages in a mine will be enough to make the risk be worth the potential reward.’

‘Also I don’t think I actually set any other loot on the floor. There are only the four saddlebags of holding. The pseudo picks can be dropped, though I hope someone brings in a real pick and loses it soon. Besides, that let’s make the wands loot in every group except the one with the saddlebag loot. Oh, and throw non-loot armor on them all as well. Just gear each of them with a tunic, helmet, gauntlets, and greaves. Outside of that the other monsters already drop what I would want them to drop, so I guess for what is it? The third time? Yeah, something like that. For the third time the third floor is complete. Maybe for real this time.’

Doyle settles back to relax, he isn’t expecting anyone for the rest of the day. Susan Barrai has other plans, though. With the single packet of spores used up, she goes to Ace. “So I need more spores.”

Ace looks up from the pile of books he had been sorting through. “Do you at least have something to test? I’ve had some of the strength types raiding the two towns of all the books, and I really need to get them sorted. Even the fantasy books could have real world use now.”

Susan laughs, “That would be nice. Sadly there is more to this more magic based medicine than I was ready for. Some of those fantasy books might actually be helpful for me right now and I wouldn’t mind assisting you. Though what I really need is just practice material, in other words, those spores.”

“Now while I would like to have you along the people I really need are my husband, Kelly, and Doctor. We’ve all looked at the spores and should be able to all deal with anyone that gets paralyzed. Plus me and my husband are partly resistant to the things which will allow us to be the front line. With that in mind I think the other two in our party should be ranged fighters as well.”

Ace rests his chin on his fist while he goes over all the people in the settlement. “You don’t get any other founders, that’s for sure. In fact if it wasn’t for Doctor needing the combat for experience and to train some of his skills I wouldn’t let you take him with you either. With that in mind go ask if Zachariah Treeman and Sarah Bell would like to go with you. Zachariah is a mage of some flavor and Sarah full on archer, though I think she uses some form of power. They make an excellent team because Zachariah can make arrows for Sarah to use.”

Susan shrugs, “That will work. Do you know where they might be at the moment?”

Ace points towards where new houses are being made. “They are both working on construction, last I heard. Now get out of here so we can focus on the books again. I’ve only gathered three others to help me on this task, and I feel the knowledge will be important for us in the long term.”

Susan rolls her eyes and walks off while Ace gets back to sorting through multiple libraries worth of books. She heads over to the construction site and finds Zachariah easily enough. His last name was his actual family name but fate likes to play tricks so of course he would be talented at wood magic. So there he is, taking freshly cut trees and magically curing them before turning them into planks. Even the knottiest scraggle trees are straightened out under his care.

This almost makes Susan change her mind on inviting him. Sort of an important job, but then she looks to the side. He had apparently been at this for a while, as the giant pile of treated planks will attest to.

Freed of her worries, she approaches him, “Hey, Zachariah! I could use your help in the dungeon. You want to come?”

Zachariah finishes the tree he is on before turning towards her. “I wouldn’t mind a trip into the dungeon but why? Don’t you founders usually go in together? Also, call me Zach, everyone else does.”

Susan raises her eyebrows, “A little nonchalant of you. Most of the others like to stand at attention when we call out to them.”

Zach shrugs, “Meh, you founders are just the people with either the right training or the right chances that managed to get on top early. No matter how much I hate the pun my last name has become, I believe that my power will grow like a tree. Slow at the start, but later on I will tower over everyone. You guys are on top now but who knows if any of us are doing it right. Out there”, and he gestures towards the sky, “are people who have lived in this system for generations.”

“There will be people who have had their skills planned out since before they were born. Lucky chances manufactured to provide the strongest foundation so they can rise above the rest in ways we can’t even imagine. Beyond that? Well, the system isn’t the end all be all. Our dimension is a tiny little tide pool that accidently got connected up to the greater sea of magic.”

“I don’t have the best plan for my skills. I don’t know if one path will be better long term than another. However, I have been planning for the long term. Now once again, why do you want me along for your dungeon dive? I do need to get in there as I can feel the system straining against how many skill levels I have gotten and need to level.”

Susan just sits back for his mini rant and as he finishes she whistles. “Well now. Respect. Most people are just trying to gain power anyway possible. Of course for everyone that is left here that isn’t as much of a problem, but still. Anyway, I already plan to bring my husband, Kelly, and Doctor so Ace isn’t letting me take any other founders with me. Have you heard of the third floor?”

“I’m sure most have but just in case you haven’t there are myconids down there with paralysis spores. We got a pack of spores as a drop and I was trying to make some antidote out of it, but we need more. Can’t really open up the third floor for people to explore if one breathe at the wrong time can freeze a person near instantly.”

“As for wanting you specifically, you can thank Ace for that. Me and my husband will be the front lines so we needed a couple more back line fighters. After Ace thought about it for a little he chose you and Sarah. You are a caster so make an excellent choice in general and you can whip up arrows for Sarah to use if she runs out.”

Zach nods, “If Ace suggested it then I’m in. Of everyone here, I trust his plans the most. Let me get Sarah over here.” He turns toward the work site and yells, “Sarah! We got a founder over here that wants help in the dungeon.”

Most of the construction noise continues, but the loudest hammering stops. Then out from behind one of the more complete buildings comes a short lady with a sledgehammer over her shoulder. She meanders over to the two of them and sets the hammer down. “So what sort of help do you want? I’m all up for a real dungeon dive, but if you’re just wanting to quick clear the first floor for food, you can find someone else.”

Susan shakes her head, “No we want to head to the third floor and play with some mushroom me. I know Ace suggested you, but can you handle an enemy that isn’t too affected by arrows?”

Sarah puts her fists on her hips and lets out a loud series of laughs. “Ho boy, I don’t have to worry about nonsense like something being resistant to arrows. Really, the last thing on my list of worries at the moment. Do you play many role playing games? Cause I did and I went for one of my favorite builds, the soul bow!”

“So many things have become real and I felt I needed to give it a shot. Guess what? It worked! I didn’t even have to play around with the soul knife, just skipped right to the bow. The only downside at the moment is I can’t just form an arrow wholesale yet. Still have to use wooden ones, in fact I can only use wooden arrows. More specifically, the arrow has to be made of something that was once living. Though I guess that would be why you’re over here with Mr. Zach Attack!”

Zach cringes at the nickname everyone seems to come up with at some point, but nods that her guess was correct.

Akhier

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