“Hmph! You quadruple, no, quintuple, spoiled rotten, lucky human! Do you have any idea what that fruit costs! I have never even eaten one, so don’t ask me if they can be grown!” He shouted between muttering and scribbling on his scroll paper. “…localized mid-system transmutation demi-dragon ate unknown number of resources… And I’m not so sure about the Warlock, he likely let you get away, but I don’t know why if he knew you had this.” He waved at the pedestal. “A Pedestal of Dominion is top of the line. Unbroken at least. Fix it before the threats against your home begins!”
“Begins? You sound so sure of these threats.”
Gruffel looked at Alexander as if he were a child saying something foolish. “YOU ARE A WIZARD! It’s not something that will stay secret no matter how long you try to hide it. You will be targeted.”
Alexander slumped.
“But I have good news!” Gruffel said rolling up his scroll.
“Oh?” Alexander perked up.
“Yes! I have decided to come to your world.”
“Is that possible?”
“Oh yes, not sure how long it will take, but this place is a treasure trove of mysteries. You are bound to end up in a lot of trouble!”
“Will you help us? You aren’t planning on being part of that trouble right?” Alexander asked cautiously.
“Help you?” Gruffel made a so-so gesture with his hand. “I will be bound by the system to self-defense and can’t interfere directly. I can however, trade.” He said tapping his nose.
Alexander wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or wary of the literal old goat.
“Last things then. You may want to study the runes wielded by the barbarian girl you told me about. In some cases there is a slight chance of crossover with your glyph craft. Second, be wary, your world is not acting properly. The amount of resources you are receiving is wildly disproportionate to the activation length. Something is off, and that means danger for young chosen. Lastly, do you have a method for recording conversation?”
“Sure.” Alexander responded pulling out a cell phone.
“Alright. Record me as I say this last part.”
Alexander pointed the phone at Gruffel and nodded after he hit the record button.
“Well, so long for now Alexander, and goodbye Flick. It was a pleasure. I hope this helps!” Gruffel took a deep breath.
“Plncmbtprtctreedabulatoparinasidla…” Blip.
Gruffel disappeared like a balloon popping.
^
Meeting with Gruffel the Rift Nibbler was forcefully ended due to
breach of information exchange rules.
“Huh.” Alexander said looking down at his cell phone. He played it back but couldn’t make sense of it. “Something to look at later then."
He flipped out of the video screen and went to grab a cup of coffee from his meeting with his brother.
Gruffel had recommended he put points in all of his alchemy branches, something he planned to do save one thing. He did not have potion ingredients. He did however, have coffee. The pot was cold at this point but he poured a cup anyway. Using sign language he cast prestidigitation on it.
^
You have modified a common item.
Click to see stats.
Alexander had once noticed a surplus in his magic points, not knowing where it had come from he had ignored it for a time until he had recalled several notifications.
^
Be aware that casting magic outside of the system established principles may cause unusual and unexpected results.
This notification Alexander now hypothesized was an indication that his will could be more influential in his casting. Something he checked on now.
^
Enhanced House Blend Coffee
Add +1 temporary point to your mana pool
Alexander pulled out his phone and dialed his local coffee shop. “Yes, can I place an order for fifty house blend coffees please?”
Alexander went by the local super store to pick up some additional items. Canteens, to go boxes, a new first aid kit, chalk, and a small metal hair clip that had a feather on it. On the way back he picked up his 4 gallons of to-go coffee.
To start, Alexander set up a table next to his Pedestal of Dominion. poured out half a dozen cups of coffee and used prestidigitation through sign language on each one. Afterward he pulled up each cup on his pedestal’s list.
^
Enhanced House Blend Coffee
Craftsmanship: Average
Durability: 3/3
Size: 12oz
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
-Would you like to upgrade?
Alexander saw the cost was one unattributed resources per coffee upgrade. Which was unfortunate as he was just short of the 100 needed to upgrade his Encyclopedia.
“The sacrifices I must make to save the city are great… Upgrade.”
The coffee cups lit up one at a time before Alexander used his new ability.
“Essence Extraction.”
A glowing drop of liquid floated in the air above the coffee that he could bottle up if he chose.
“Essence Infusion.” The liquid settled into the second cup of coffee. He continued like this and placed his final product in two canteens.
^
You have made a new potion!
Mana Coffee
Craftsmanship: Exceptional
Durability: 20/20
Size: 24 oz
Effect: Drink to gain 82 temporary mana points
You have gained a level in the intermediate skill alchemy.
Alchemy level 3
You have 2 point to distribute to your Alchemy skill tree.
Alexander nodded with approval. Next he placed his Hat, staff, and Robe on the table
^
Item identified.
Novice Wizard’s Hat
When equipped:
5% decreased mana consumption to all spells you cast.
(10% when equipped with all items in the set)
+1 Intelligence
Other items in set:
Novice Wizard’s Cape
Novice Wizard’s Staff
Similar to his hat, the cape increased his spells control by 10% and endurance by 1 point. His Staff increased his spells power by 10% and wisdom by 1 point. When he went to upgrade these items the price was staggering. He did find attractive a new option available since he had all three items.
^
Combine Items in set?
“Yes… please combine as a staff.” Alexander pleaded with the pedestal. If it was a staff he could plausibly pass it off as a walking stick.
It would however, make things awkward having only one hand to work with.
He watched as all the items turned into light and fused together, resolving as the same purple Wizard hat. Alexander was annoyed, but he had already resolved himself to suffer the indignity. As he placed it back on his head he wondered if it had gotten larger.
When he pulled up the stats for his hat they remained the same as when he wore the whole set previously. With the exception of a name change.
^
Superior Novice Wizard’s Hat
Alexander was satisfied with the results. He would need to come back and experiment with the pedestal for crafting an item he had in mind.
“But first, time to make three dozen grilled cheese sandwiches.”
^
You have eaten a Fruit of Impartation
Consuming the fruit has given you +2 to dexterity
Alexander was impressed by the odd blue fruit, it had been sweeter than most pears and tasted more like a peach. He looked at the seed now sitting in his hand and wondered if it would propagate and fruit by itself if he planted it. He knew pears normally needed some sort of cross pollination in order to produce fruit. It might be foolish to compare it to a pear seed however.
“We shall try for the sake of science.” He said looking at Flick whom had almost stolen the fruit out of his hand when he retrieved it from his refrigerator this morning. The refrigerator he had recently installed a glyph trap on as the little dragon was insatiable.
He decided to plant it in the vivarium and look up ideal soils for fruit trees to add later.
Seeing his stat increase notification he decided to place the rest of his stats from leveling up.
^
Alexander Brewton - Human - Wizard (apprentice)- Level 6
Level progression: 23%
HP: 61/61
MP: 77/74
Stat bonus available: 4
Strength: 11
Endurance: 13 (+1)
Dexterity: 10
Intelligence: 17 (+1)
Wisdom: 12 (+1)
Charisma: 9 (locked)
Luck: 10
Seeing that his exercise regimen had improved his Strength and Endurance by one point Alexander decided he would find ways to train his dexterity in the future. He decided to split his available points between intelligence and wisdom placing two points in each.
A knock at the door made him snap out of his musing. He jogged down the steps and to his front door. Opening it revealed a middle aged woman with a pixie cut and pink highlights.
“Property Manager Daina, thank you for taking the time to see me.”
“Alexander, I am busy preparing for the potential hail storms that are showing up out of nowhere tonight so if we could make this quick.”
“Of course, of course. It’s just right this way.” Alexander said guiding her to his room.
“As clean as you record Alexander, normally my annoying residents are the pack rats not the obsessive clean freaks.” She said exasperated.
“Well, cleanliness is next to godliness is a favorite blasphemous phrase of mine.” He open the door. “Behold my shame.” Alexander exclaimed gesturing to the ceiling.
“What? I don’t see anything.”
“The smoke detectors. I moved them. They were too close to a corner with poor circulation so I moved them to a better location in my room.”
“And?”
“It’s against the tenant agreement to move smoke detectors!”
Daina looked at Alexander.
“What part of that could you not explain on the phone? No. Nevermind… You’re going to insist I fine you aren’t you?”
“Of course. I need to right this wrong.”
“Oh my gosh Alexander.” She said putting her hands over her eyes. “Just look for a fine in your mailbox then.” She said muttering as she walked back to the front door.
“Many thanks.” He said with an unusually happy bounce in his step.
“Try not to bother me too much or I’m going to insist you quit your job and take over mine, ok?”
“I’ll do my best to follow my tenant agreement to the letter.”
“That is not what I said!” She said loudly as she walked down the steps.
Alexander sighed with relief after his first practical test for the apartment illusion array upgrade he found on the pedestal options.
Looking out from the open air hallway he saw what Daina had mentioned about unexpected weather. Clouds were rolling unnervingly in from the east. An unusual storm front direction this time of year. He estimated it would hit Congo in a few hours.
- Ridley the Troublemaker -
Ridley had left Alexander's apartment and grabbed an uber straight to Congo. When she looked for someone Alexander specifically asked her not to get involved with. Heading to receiving she saw him filling the individual bags marked with different airport codes. It was one of the worst work posts in her opinion as you were constantly pulling and replacing bags, unjamming boxes and resetting. Tedious was the word that came to mind.
As he stepped back from clearing a jam she approached.
“Hello Ralph.”
His beady eyes swiveled in Ridley’s direction.
“What do you need?”
“What do I need? What do we all need? Justice…”
“Excuse me? Are you on something?”
“No cell phones, walking to the break rooms takes seven minutes, not to mention the bathroom conditions… I think it’s time.”
“Time?”
“Time to strike! Time to unionize!”
“Oh? And you have a plan to make yourself the head of our union do you?” He said puffing himself up.
“Of course not! Word on the street says you’ve been collecting the disgruntled for some time.” She whispered loudly to be heard over the machinery.
“That is true. I have a good handful just about ready to blow up at this place.”
“Well, let's see what we can do. If you have enough the rest of the teams will go home. Nobody wants to work these posts by themselves.”
“That’s a brilliant idea! Signs! There are plenty of sharpies around here, you could just cut some cardboard boxes and write on them!” Ridley was working the small crowd up at Congo.
“STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!” Ridley shouted pumping her fist in the air.
The group started chanting with her.
“Now get out of here! Go to the street in front of the building! Not a single person should be in the building or near the airport runway! Let them feel the unproductive silence of this distribution center!”
“But wouldn’t it be more disruptive if we blocked the entryway?” Ralph asked.
“Shut up! You are demoted to water boy!” Ridley shouted pointing menacingly.
Just like that Ridley had the crowd firmly in her control, doing her best to get them out of the way of her glorious battle to come. She checked her phone, but Louis hadn’t answered her calls or responded to her text messages. It seemed like she was going to have to drag him out of school to the battle.
