‘Well, my job is done. Everyone else is still busy, I haven’t had time to pay attention to my progress in a while, I guess it’s time for a check-in. Talents first I suppose. Let’s see where I’m standing.’

Talents:

Adept Alchemist (26/50) - Applicable stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Attunement, and Insight

Adept Anchorist (21/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Willpower

Fledgling Axeman (4/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Willpower

Adept Blacksmith (40/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight

Fledgling Bowman (4/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Insight

Fledgling Chef (7/50) - Applicable stats: Dexterity, Endurance, Charisma, and Insight

Adept Craftsman (1/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight

Adept Enchanter (20/50) - Applicable stats: Intelligence, Attunement, Willpower, Insight

Adept Mage (7/50) - Applicable stats: Intelligence, Attunement, Willpower, Insight

Fledgling Slime Rancher (9/50) - Applicable stats: Endurance, Dexterity, Charisma, Insight

Fledgling Spearman (4/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Willpower

Fledgling Swordsman (4/50) - Applicable stats: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Willpower

The axe, bow, and sword Talents are new. While practicing with Colt, I gained them from using those weapons while he practiced his rapier skills to level up his Fledgling Fencer Talent. All the weapons I used are being sold though, so I’ll have to make myself new ones later.

‘These are some nice improvements. It’d be nice if Colt let me cook more often though… Well, Perks next I suppose. Let’s organize them by Talent.’

Alchemist Perks:

Perfect Proportion

Description: Ingredients fall to your whims. With focus and application of mana, you can split ingredients into as many perfect proportions as you wish. This Perk allows you to break down materials used in crafting of any kind into the sizes you need. Dexterity and Insight increased by 2. +2 Dexterity and Insight per level up.

Blacksmith Perks:

Hemometallic Substitution

Description: The metal in your blood can be used to improve other metals. Convert your blood into the metal you work on to improve both the quality of the ingot and remove impurities from the source material. This Perk can only be acquired if the individual has the Perk: Metal Blood or any variant of it. Insight increased by 4. +4 Insight per level up.

Metallic Overflow

Description: Metal is in ample supply for you. When smelting metals of any kind, they will come out of the forge with more metal than they had previously. This process is not repeatable for the same piece of metal. Intelligence increased by 2 and Insight increased by 3. +2 Intelligence and +3 Insight per level up.

Craftsman Perks:

Analytic Eyes

Description: Look upon a creation and learn it for yourself. The longer you inspect a created object, the more clear of a blueprint you will generate for it. This Perk can only be acquired if the individual has the Perk: Schematic Mind. Insight increased by 3 and Intelligence increased by 1. +3 Insight and +1 Intelligence per level up.

Planar Edge

Description: You show unprecedented control. This Perk allows you to lock your body into angular motions to create perfect straights and angles when crafting as well as performing any other actions. Dexterity increased by 4. +4 Dexterity per level up.

Enchanter Perks:

Runic Overcharge

Description: Runes are vessels for your will. Empower enchantments with an influx of mana to overfill them, increasing their effects considerably. Enchantments that are overcharged will slowly burn up, potentially causing damage to the enchanted item. Intelligence increased by 4. +4 Intelligence per level up.

No new fusion Perks, but both the Blacksmith and Craftsman Talent have gone silent for the past two Perk-giving milestones each, making me worried that I’ll get a Perk that requires general Perk Points rather than Talent-specific ones.

Some of these Perks increase the speed I can craft at. Perfect Proportion has been critical in getting the shop ready in time as I don’t have to spend as long breaking down aspect crystals. With the wave of a hand, it’s a perfect, fine-grain powder.

Perfect Proportion is even quite helpful for smithing. While I could do the same actions with Hydromancy, it speeds up the process by letting me split ingots into the sizes I need quickly.

Past a certain size, this Perk doesn’t seem to work anymore, however, I couldn’t split a large rock in the yard in half when testing and it only seems to work on things I’m treating as ingredients, so I can’t just dice someone’s sword from their hand.

My guess is that the Perk works off of the system descriptions and won’t work on anything already treated as a complete item, just ingredient-type items like ingots, aspect crystals, or plants and they have to be small enough.

Hemometallic Substitution is an interesting Perk I need to explore further. It improves the quality of neutrite ingots, which allows me to improve their results further. Fortunately, it doesn’t display Palemetal in the description of the items as it actually seems to convert into the base material.

Metallic Overflow has saved me on input costs considerably, which improves our profit margins, but I’ve had to make larger ingot casts as a result of having more metal in each pour.

Analytic Eyes is one I haven’t experimented with much yet. It’s difficult to test as I have quite a few schematics already, though I learned a good bit about the construction of my own magical items. They require materials I simply don’t have if I want to make more though.

The materials are all displayed in question marks so I can’t even determine what I need to make more.

Planar Edge is a simple but effective Perk. Anything made of wood is far easier to work with using this Perk as I can keep my hand in straight lines when carving with absolutely no deviation.

A side benefit is that the more geometric runes for enchanting are also easier to draw.

Lastly, Runic Overcharge is… destructive. Testing it, I ruined a sword beyond repair. It did perform one incredibly powerful slice, however.

‘The Perk Points I got out of this aren’t bad either, still haven’t decided on how to spend some of them though… Oh well, let’s see about Skills next.’

Skills:

Batten Down - (Level 30) - Summon the visage of your vessel. Like battening down a ship in the storm, this skill will protect the user and those included inside from outside forces.

Cast Off - (Level 16) - Throw an anchor with improved power. It’s landing will cause a burst of high-pressure water. In addition, you will receive a speed bonus until the anchor has been retrieved.

Clean - (Level 20) - Using a mix of elemental runes and pure mana, cleanse yourself or an object of targeted impurities based on intent.

Crashing Wake - (Level 84) - Move with the force of a ship on the water. Leave a wake of water in your path. This water is magical and will fade minutes after use of the skill.

Cryomancy - (Level 4) - Control and manipulate the element of ice. Use the power of your mind to shape, control, and create ice.

Cryelectromancy - (Level 12) - Control and manipulate the fusion element of ice and electricity to shape, control, create, and intensify frozen lightning.

Devastating Impact - (Level 99) - Empower your blows with the force of mana. Dramatically increase the weight behind your attacks and improve crushing power.

Electromancy - (Level 45) - Control the element of lightning. Use the power of your mind to shape, control, create, and intensify lightning.

Circuit Jump - Dash between beacons and create lingering lightning trails behind you to impede the path of others. Lightning Cloak - Coat yourself in lightning, increasing your movement speed and reaction time. Thunderclap - Coat your feet in lightning to unleash a large burst of lightning with your kicks.

Finishing Blow - (Level 7) - Finish off your opponent with a final blow.

Geomancy - (Level 36) - Control the earth around you. With the power of one’s mind and will, the earth can be shaped.

Pebble Shot - Fires a scattering of pebbles at high speed. Earthen Wall - Summons a wall of earth to shield the user.

Hemomancy - (Level 5) - Control the lifegiving flows of blood. Use the power of your mind to shape, control, and create blood.

Hydromancy - (Level 84) - Control the element of water. Use the power of your mind to shape control, and create water.

Aquatic Scythes - Scything blades created from water. Able to be fired directly or applied to weapons to increase damage. Pressure Shot - A pressurized beam of water. Tide Shield - Waves of water that whirl around the user, blocking any attacks that come automatically.

Mana Manipulation - (Level 23) - The innate control of the mystical energy, Mana. With one’s mind and will, this energy can be shaped to any specific need. This skill governs all subskills under it in terms of control, growth, and strength.

Mana Bolt - A ball of mana with explosive power. Mana Bubble - An augmented form of Mana Shield that covers the entire body in a bubble of mana. Decreased overall protective force but grants full body coverage. Mana Bullet - A mana bolt condensed into a small area giving it higher stopping power. Mana Dart - A mana bolt condensed, thinned, and pointed at one end. Lowered impact damage but increased piercing. Mana Shield - Mana condensed into a flat disc. Able to be moved with force of will.

Marlinspike - (Level 20) - Send out condensed water in the form of a marlinspike to tear apart bindings.

Meditation - (Level 35) - Allows one to go into a state of serene calm that increases mana regeneration by 3.5/min. Cannot perform any other actions while meditating.

Metallomancy - (Level 57) - Control the element of metal. Use the power of your mind to shape, control, and create metal.

Mooring - (Level 34) - Causes an Anchorist’s anchor to form a rope of mana which will ensnare those it is thrown at. Can also be used for mobility.

Plot Course - (Level 98) - Allows the user to set beacons at set intervals, plotting their course to their destination. Moving towards a beacon grants a quick burst of speed. Only the user of this Skill may see the beacons.

Photomancy - (Level 3) - The element of light is the beacon of your strength. Enforce your will over and empower this element to produce and intensify its force.

Pyromancy - (Level 30) - The element of fire is at your command. Enforce your will over flames to shape and control them.

Candlelight - Produce a small flame on the fingertip. Flame Swathe - Unleash a stream of flames from your hand in a targeted direction. Fireball - Produce a ball of fire with explosive force.

Repair - (Level 4) - Using mana, cause an object to repair back to its original state. Runes within this Skill will supplement mass with mana if necessary for the repairs. This Skill cannot work on magical or enchanted items.

Scan Pulse - (Level 3) - Send a pulse of mana into or through any medium to receive feedback on the contents inside.

Storm’s Rage - (Level 72) - An aura skill of the Anchorist class. This aura allows the user to attack with their Will directly. This particular skill will also create a raging storm of water and wind around the user.

Telekinesis - (Level 18) - Control various objects with the power of your mind.

Thermomancy - (Level 23) - The power of molecular vibration is at your command. Enforce your will over heat to control and generate it.

Transfusion - (Level 3) - Transfuse your prana into a wound using blood as a conduit.

Undertow - (Level 40) - Create a rush of high-speed water that pulls toward you.

Watery Grave - (Level 38) - Trap the opponent in a field of water before striking them down.

‘Too many Skills to work on… At least a lot of my elemental control magics have improved. Colt was so insistent on practicing, I just wanted to smith more stuff for the shop. I wonder if anything special will happen when Devastating Impact or Plot Course reaches level 100… Alright, let’s see the grand totals. Stats.’

Lucas Creo

Age: 22

Race: Human

Status:

Level: 25

Exp: 4112/10720

HP: 9055/9055 (82.70 HP/min regeneration)

MP: 9645/9645 (121.90 MP/min regeneration)

Strength: 426

Endurance: 593

Dexterity: 308

Intelligence: 442

Attunement: 573

Willpower: 348

Charisma: 77

Insight: 352

Stat points: 15

Perk Points: 2 (Alchemist), 4 (Blacksmith)

Colt and I fought a few things to help the city, so my experience is a bit higher than I’d like it to be. It was all more basic enemies, simple spawn coming from the dungeon most likely, so the most exciting loot was meat and pelts as well as a little more money.

With so many new Perk Points gained over the past few weeks, I decided to keep all of them except the Adept Mage Point I had, which went into Aetheric Supremacy.

The conversion rates for Gift of Prosperity are good already so I don’t feel I need more levels in it currently and I don’t have any fusion Perks from Adept Blacksmith so I want to keep them. It might help to save the Perk Points for a new Perk later down the line.

Like normal, I’m keeping unspent stat points in case I see improvements in a singular Talent that I want.

Taking one more glance at my status, I sigh. ‘Jeez, I’ve made some crazy improvements. I haven’t even tested how strong 426 Strength makes me. I’m just glad I have Perks that help me control my Strength.’

“What’s with the big sigh?” Colt walks up to me, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close.

Returning his embrace, I step away just slightly and meet his eyes. “Just… looking at my stats and stuff. I don’t know, this is all such a jarring change from how life was going before The Construct. I’m about to be a co-owner of a fucking magical store. Somehow, I miss college and all of the homework and projects.”

Colt frowns slightly and looks off through the window at the crowd building outside. “That’s… completely fair. I think we all feel the same, but at least the shop is giving us some kind of… purpose, I guess? Things felt fairly directionless before that.” He shrugs.

“True. Well, whatever. We’re opening a magic item shop today and it’s gonna be incredible. Wait, what’s the name of our shop again?” Smiling at him, he grins back, then his expression turns confused.

“Uh. I’m… not sure. Hey, Cassandra! What’s our shop name going to be?” Colt calls over to Cassandra who turns around.

“Oh it’s- oh god.” She places both hands over her mouth in shock. “We forgot to come up with a name!”

“What?” Adreanell looks up from her jewelry stands.

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Becky is just finishing hanging up her pair of flaming pants on metal wires using a pair of tongs and turns around to give Cassandra a quirked eyebrow.

“I just- uh- there were so many other things I was organizing! I guess naming this place just kinda… slipped by. None of you remembered either.” She pouts slightly.

“Okay everyone, let’s calm down, we all forgot a name clearly.” Mary’s motherly tone comes in, settling everyone down. She brushes her hands off and stands up from where she was arranging magical plants in baskets. “Let’s all take a deep breath in…” She takes a slow breath.

“And out…” She exhales slowly once more with all of us following her. “Much better. So, let’s discuss. What will we name this shop?”

Congratulations, Lucas Creo, you are about to open a store, please select a name with your co-owners.

“You all get this too?” Pointing at my message, allowing it to be visible to everyone, they nod too.

“Well, let’s decide on a name then I suppose…” Cassandra adjusts her witch’s cap slightly, still looking a little embarrassed.

We spend far too long discussing back and forth with everyone throwing names left and right such as “The Tree of Stuff” and “Supply House of Portland, S.H.O.P. for short” but none seem to fit the bill just right. Eventually, Becky speaks up for the first time.

“...What about ‘The Barket’?” She looks slightly sheepish about the suggestion but maintains most of the placid expression she always wears.

-1

Level up! Pun resistance has reached (3/100)!

“Well, aside from the pun damage and that I just gained another level of pun resistance, I kinda like the name. What about you guys?”

Everyone nods along and Becky lets out a rare, genuine smile.

“It’s agreed then. We’re living in a house-tree-shop, so what makes more sense than calling it The Barket?” Cassandra types it on on her message and we all receive a notification.

Name your shop: The Barket? Yes/No

Selecting yes, my vote adds to the total displayed. As all answers are yes, it confirms the name and we receive more messages.

Congratulations, you are now one of six co-owners of The Barket! As a shop owner, you now have access to information screens on your shop’s stock, current prices, requests and suggestions by customers, and statistics.

Congratulations, Lucas Creo! Due to opening a shop as one of the co-owners, you have obtained the Talent: Fledgling Shopkeeper (1/50)! As a bonus for gaining the Talent, applicable stat points have been applied to Intelligence, Willpower, Charisma, and Insight.

“Oh wow, we’re all Fledgling Shopkeepers now!” Adreanell pumps a fist in the air in excitement.

“Wow, these charts are detailed. There’s even a place here for custom requests. I’m a little jealous that this is better set up than my own notes.” Cassandra crosses her arms, glaring at the menu jokingly.

Looking at the menu myself, it’s filled with a bunch of charts that I should probably understand from my college statistics class, but it’s all long-forgotten by now. There’s a display of each item in the shop as well with the associated price we set on cards as well as number totals for each one.

“Damn, this is organized.” Closing the menu before I get overwhelmed, I turn to Cassandra. “You’ll uh, handle most of this, right?”

“Correct. Adreanell is in charge of our funds though, but I can help handle the business side too. We split profits evenly. How is our… coverage… for the duration we’re at the dungeon coming along, Colt?”

“Actually, he should be here any minute now.” Colt looks slightly nervous about it, rubbing his arm and look around the room.

With a small flash of purple and yellow light, Pasivier appears. “Ah, hello everyone.” He’s in some fancy uniform with several layers of jackets and shirts, all styled in his signature purple and yellow.

“Wait. Pasivier is minding the shop while we’re gone?” Staring wide-eyed at him, he looks at me.

“Unfortunately.” He glares slightly. “Colt asked me to. I’m inclined to help the success of the sole living Fae aside from myself.”

“Okay, how do we set you up to be able to run the shop?”

“Just think about it. Like with all these menus they respond to thought.”

Doing just that, he taps on some kind of menu and selects the options.

You have hired your first employee: Pasivier Heliothyst! Please set a weekly, biweekly, or monthly payment system.

“You may set it at zero. I have ample funds of my own.” It seems to me that he simply doesn’t want to see what kind of pay we would offer him. “...Besides, Colt said he would make me some of your Earth cuisines as payment when you all return.”

Pay has been set to: Food.

“Huh. Well, whatever. We all ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Colt walks over to all his plant saplings and seeds which are near the potions, Adreanell sets herself up at the front counter with her jewelry, which is set up next to the downstairs bathroom and in front of the stairs upstairs as well as the door to the kitchen.

Cassandra walks over to the baskets and glass displays filled with her candies. Becky stands in the area all of her clothes racks are set up towards the back of the shop, and Mary positions herself with all of her fresh magical plants from the farm she’s been maintaining.

Glancing back at Becky quickly, I note that even towards the back of the room there’s somehow a slight… glow to her appearance.

“Uh, before we open. Becky, why are you… radiant?”

She smiles ear to ear, clearly waiting for that question. “You’re not the only one with a special metal-based Perk anymore. I put sunlight gold dust into my skin with a boiling healing potion and gained the Perk: Sunlight Golden Complexion with my next Fashionista level up.” She places a hand on her chest while referring to herself, looking incredibly smug.

“...Becky, you’re actually fucking insane, you know that, right?”

“Oh my god.” Adreanell puts her hands over my mouth.

“Jesus Christ.” Colt looks at her in shock.

Mary just shakes her head and Cassandra is speechless.

“I like to think I come up with creative solutions to problems.” Her smugness only grows.

“Interesting Perk acquisition method, Becky. We must discuss this later today, I’d like to hear more of your ideas.” Pasivier nods to her, moving over to work in her station with her for the day.

“...Whatever, you damn masochist. Pasivier, don’t encourage her. Let’s just open this shop.”

Stepping over to the door, I send a pulse of mana in, temporarily disabling the locking enchantment I recently added.

I cup my hands around my mouth. “Hey everyone! We’re open!”

Moving out of the doorway, the crowd begins to spill in, forming a line outside for those that can’t fit. To keep him out of trouble, I store Argo away in earring form and put his body in my hold.

Karie is already out of the shop for the day assisting in house construction. The walls are finished already, so just more houses need to be built for the city improvement quest to be complete.

Looking at the group of people approaching, I whisper some confidence into myself.

“It’s go time.”