It was 11:47 when I woke up. I've decided to keep the clock on my HUD rather than call it up when I need it. There are times you can get lost in your own thoughts and training in the dungeon. Rivira can help maintain the normal 24 hour cycle, but usually I'm on the more stagnant floors for days at a time so it's not that useful.
Smarter people and familias have residences in hidden and well secured places. The town is mainly a show of strength. There are certain unwritten rules about the 18th floor. Not that I gave a shit about them. But one must know exactly what rule and law they are going to break. Makes the lawsuit so much easier if you know how to dispel the charges against you on a technicality. Well that's what my wife told me anyway.
I wake up but just lay in bed thinking about the discussion last night, and the deals it led to.
1. I would provide a suppressed M92 for Hermes. I still need to figure out how to execute that part of the deal. Do I buy blue prints and make one, or buy from the SHOP, THis runs the risk of exposing the enchantments as not mine. Blue prints and magic it is. There is also a clause for training and ammo. I only charge him for parts and he keeps his mouth shut.
2. A grenade launcher for Asfi, I told her about other options. She just need a reliable method to deploy several different types of grenades for the desired effect. I charge for parts, she keeps her mouth shut.
3. If I want to tame monsters I needed to find my own place. Keeping monsters and adventurers in close proximity is going to lead to disasters.
4. I can make my own covert unit if I want. They will be inducted into the familia, but the training and upkeep is the units meaning my responsibility. I'm not planning to anytime soon, but it's nice to have the paperwork handy.
5. I can go after other familia members and familias. Basically keep employing the current tactics but let Hermes know what's going down. He either helps run interference with the Ganesha familia or stays out of the way, and I don't bring any attention back to the familia.
I got out of bed, showered and got ready in a black shirt, trousers and shoes. I had a hooded cloak made from the Goliath skin dyed black and was in the process of enchanting it to allow the wearer to hide and move in the shadows and darkness. The protection, self cleaning, self repairing, and lightweight enchantments were already in place. The protection enchantment lasts against sustained 7.62 machinegun fire for an hour. I fired my M14 at it for 4 hours and it still worked as intended. I also spent 500,000 in cores repairing and strengthening it after the test. Xiphos and bayonet on my belt I headed out. I would get lunch at a small café close by.
I was still quite a ways from buying the first proper enchanted armor. Another $150,000,000 or so should do it. I can wait though. There is a lot I have to do.
1. Enchant the cloak with the runes allowing wearer to blend in with and travel through shadows and darkness undetected.
2. Enchant the Goliath Mauls, don't know with what yet, just need them enchanted.
3. Practice runes and increase proficiency in the Runemaster skill.
4. Enchant machete to be able to cut anything.
5. Find out the enchantments on the Xiphos.
6. Beat the Goliath left-handed.
7. Tame cool monsters. Honestly I was very excited about this. Imagine a tamed silverback with a minigun. Or a ligerfang large enough to ride into battle. A pack of hellhounds attacking everything around you. A dragon providing aerial support, CAS and MEDEVAC.
8. Update my status. I'll do that in a few days after the Denatus.
9. Rob people and free the slaves whenever possible. Build up select familias. Me, Asfi and Hermes have a plan to do it quietly, it involves the rest of the familia as well.
10. Start whittling down the Ishtar and Apollo familias. Freya and Loki is fair game as long they are the ones stirring shit. Hermes will greenlight them when the opportunity come.
11. Check rewards. Well I'll do that soon enough.
After a hearty lunch, I paid with a nice tip, and made my way to the warehouse behind the training grounds. It was owned by a merchant company. After I robbed the owner the company debts were called in and the entire supply inside and the warehouse was liquidated to cover the outstanding debts. The warehouse was for sale as the loaner didn't have a use for it. And based on the area no one else did either. The dead merchant was aging the wine inside a city, I'm no sommelier but even I know that's a shit idea. I contacted the guild to take a look inside. The entire 25,000 sqft warehouse was listed for $100,000. The material used to build it cost more! I paid and completed the paperwork. I gave the guild employee $10,000 and told him too keep it quiet. To which he happily complied.
There was a rule in the darker parts of society. Never fuck with the guild. Keep them happy and away from whatever you're doing. I was only more than happy to use $10,000 the keep the guild off my back for a few years. By that time it won't matter. I also kept the original signed documents. The guild employee took the signed copies. Fucker thought I wouldn't want to keep a paper trail. I told him to not worry and complete the transfer of the warehouse. The contract went in the LIBRARY.
I used runic spells to clean up and repair the place. I made sure no one was nearby using the MAP. I still cast a privacy barrier around me in a 25 metre radius.
I took the chest labeled "MISSION REWARD' out of the INVENTORY and it landed with a 'thud.' It was a lot larger and heavier than expected. It was the size of a small shipping container. I opened the doors and saw a dark grey set of armor at the end of it, like some sci-fi armor shit. The armour looked like a futuristic set of Greek armour. It was intimidating to look at. The walls and roof were lined with weapons sized for the armor. There was a very comfortable recliner in a bubble, a pod I think it's called. There was another case that had 'OPEN' printed on it. Inside were dozens of vials with a book labeled 'INSTRUCTIONS', a Skill Ticket, and a smoking pipe with a leather pouch full of something worth smoking.
I noticed a blinking notification on my HUD.
{Congratulations on completing your assigned mission. The rewards are listed below.
1. Emissary Armour (Wrath/Patience): Armor worn by the the emissaries of God. In this case the emissary of the Lords' wrath, while being blessed with the virtue of Patience. Used in conjunction with the weapon/s of choice of the emissary. Forged by the will and power of God. The armor will grow with the emissary. Can take the form of different armours and clothes. Impossible to damage the armor, the emissary is still the weak link.
2. Warcage: The shipping container. Repairs and cleans all weapons and items stored inside immediately. Stored not thrown.
3. Emissary Gene Pod: Turns the selected from whatever they are into the perfect being to carry out the Lords' will.
3a. Emissary Gene Serum: Plug into the Gene Pod as per instructions.
4. Skill Ticket
5. A personal gift from Admin: Mahogany and Oak Churchwarden Pipe and a replenishing pouch of cured Yggdrasil Leaves. The Yggdrasil Leaves permanently increase the mental faculties by 2%. Replenish health and magic energy, while ridding the body of poisons and harmful substances. Has a relaxing effect on the soul.}
Damn! That's insane, I wouldn't of thought to even look for things like that. I searched for the emissary armor in the SHOP and the closest thing I found was something called:
Imperial Armor: Armor worn by the Emperor of Mankind at his prime. - 20 worlds/planets for the material, 10 worlds/planets for the manufacturing. 5 worlds/planets to make wearer eligible to wear the armour.
Allarus Armor: Worn by distinguished Custodian in the service of the Emperor. - 15 worlds/planets
...
Space Marine Scout Armour: 'something about fighting for the emperor and needing a Gene Seed.' - $20,000,000,000,000
The first thing that I could sort of afford was 20 billion. What the actual fuck? I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but that depends on the kind of gifts you're getting. My experience in the Marines has taught me to be wary when new kit is being issued out. Usually means everyone's about to have a shit time.
What did this 'Admin' have in mind?
Unlike every man ever, I picked up the instruction manual and put it in the LIBRARY. I'll have to read that later. I closed up the case and Warcage, then stored them in my INVENTORY. It was a surprise to see the Warcage become a submenu under INVENTORY and a small icon appear on my HUD. To try things out I mentally selected the icon, it showed all the weapons available for immediate use and the state of the weapons. I focused on the M249 Maximi and it just appeared in my hands. I focused on the M82 .416 and the M249 disappeared and I had a M82 in my hands. This is faster then the INVENTORY. But it only shows the weapons and the set of armour. I thought about equipping the armour but I got and error message.
{ERROR: You are currently incompatible with this piece of equipment.}
Ok so I'll read and reread the instructions before doing anything. Training young recruits for a time showed me how thorough and meticulous one needs to be in order to have a chance of coming home alive.
There was also the To-Do list which would need to be reevaluated. The Skill ticket would be used but not anytime soon. I needed to sort some things out before I used it. If it could give me a skill to help with the Runemaster skill or work with it, that would be great. I also needed to purge a few cunts. There was a lot of people getting uppity in my town and that would not stand.
Then there was the issue of renovating and warding my new warehouse. The materials were there for the taking. Knossos is basically hoarding all the adamantium, orichalcum and mithril.
The Denatus would also discuss my involvement with the decimation of the monster horde and murder of adventurers. More than likely the offending familia would come after me. So there's that to look forward to.
Great.
My new To-Do list looks like this:
1-10 the same as before.
11. Buy information from the SHOP about all plots targeting me. Eliminate all threats to me.
12. Read the instructions for the Gene Pod. I am not getting into anything involved with manipulations of genes without knowing how it works and the possible side effects.
13. Find out more about the armour itself. How it works and what it can do. I mean it isn't even available in the SHOP. Also none of the worlds the other members are on even come close to what is at the top of the price list. 35 WORLDS for a set of armour! The fuck kinda price is that!
14. Renovate and ward the warehouse.
15. Get some God blood. Need it for a few rituals. So I'll need a few gallons. Maybe kidnap and extract blood whenever needed. But which god/s or goddess/es?
That's it for now. More shit will pop up eventually. It always does.
Looking at the time I decided I would first map out the warehouse and surroundings. Any engineer will tell you that you need the site plan and soil samples before you start building.
16. Learn basic engineering principles.
Oh, I almost forgot.
17. Buy Chat-Group upgrades.
With the warehouse mapped out I began heading back to my room.