NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4, Part 2 - Optimizing Your Isekai
The quick hop on, hop off journey from a horseless carriage had us there in no time.
Mostly Stannis talked about The Wandering Lotus and Alena's joke sounded more and more true. Why a guard was comfortable just walking around the city talking about some AAI or tablet show with people hooking up in pretty salacious detail I wasn't sure – and he did get a few mildly scandalized looks – but it was mostly background noise for me as I processed.
Okay, so we have a fighting style and most of what I'll buy picked out. Stannis said he'd reach out to Miklos about his brother and Velez so they would be aware I was coming at least and I'd hopefully have a contact when I arrived.
I'm feeling good about getting to Velez safely and with money to last me a bit while I get settled.
I hope there is a good training program there as Liene said was likely. I've got my AAI-assisted training module but following phantom forms in my vision and actual instruction are two very different things.
We entered the shop and Stannis, speaking at a very slow pace, started talking with the awkward shopkeeper again. This time a wizened woman was watching bemusedly beside him.
"Hello. We were in here previously. Earlier. This man," Stannis indicated towards me, "would like to purchase, to buy some things from you. Good deals. Low prices. Yes?"
"What the hell are you on about?" the old woman asked, laughing. Then she looked at me, her deep orange eyes seeming to burn into me. "Well, you're the supposed big spender – put out feelers about spatial storage items that might be in your price range and got three here – so get your cute butt – yes, you're cute; no, it probably won't impact your price if you flirt with me but feel free to give it a whirl. And by it, I mean only flirting – over here and take a look. You wanted weapons, armor, and supplies too, right?"
I was slightly taken aback. There was one older woman two clients ago who was slightly flirty but it had been some time since someone was that… overt. And she would have been 30 years older than me on Earth and my body here was even younger.
"Oh, I was only kidding. It's like it's your first day here. Oh wait," she looked to Stannis then guffawed so loud it triggered a hacking fit and I could swear I saw a small bit of flame shoot out of her mouth. Still trying to catch her breath, she wheezed out, "It probably literally is your first day on the planet. Well, get the <redacted> over here and negotiate new boy!"
Really, even the AAI translation software maker was a language prude?
I tried manually setting the translation software to just let the word through and surprisingly it complied. I wouldn't get the translation but at least the weird buzz from redacted words would go away.
I spoke slowly at first. "First, can you understand me?"
She looked confused and turned to Stannis. "Did he get hit on the head? Oh, the pretty ones are always so dumb. No good for pillow talk, you know?" She laughed again.
"He just had his AAI implanted. As in you are the first person other than me and the technician he has interacted with." Stannis was looking like he was barely holding on to the stern face and there were tears at the corners of his eyes.
"Traitor," I said and held up the tablet. All three looked at me with suddenly wary eyes. "Uh, that's a phrase for when a friend betrays someone, like in this situation Stannis. I didn't mean it literally." Everyone relaxed a bit but the tension was still ratcheted up far higher than I wanted. "Sorry," I finished.
Consultant survival tip #7: It can be great to relieve tension with a joke. But a boring joke is always better. Going way out on a limb might work every once-in-a-while but it isn't worth the risk. Keep jokes light and not sensitive. Don't go for calling someone something risky for instance.
Tip #7 is so damn boring. But it keeps being proven true.
"Terry, you should be getting a request from her momentarily. Think about accepting and it will happen," Stannis said with a bit of the previous mischievousness returning to his eye.
[Esmerelda, Empress of the Emporium of East Zalano's Excellent Exchanges, would like to initiate an AAI connection with you. Translation of verbal communication only. Status: temporary, <73 minutes>. Accept?]
The window in the corner of my eye was strange but at the same time almost exactly what I was expecting. I thought yes, expecting the window to close and my vision to return to normal but I immediately got another prompt.
[Ivan, Idiotic Intern of the Emporium of East Zalano's Excellent Exchanges, would like to initiate an AAI connection with you. Translation of verbal communication only. Status: temporary, <73 minutes>. Accept?]
I turned towards the man. "She gets to set my title if it's for official use of the shop." He shrugged and seemed to not care one whit.
Good for him. I think.
Accepting the second prompt, I stepped forward. "Yes, thank you for doing some prep work. I unfortunately realized I wasn't prepared to select my weapons and armor. I have gold to spend if you have the wares."
Heh, need to also get something to prevent arrows to the knee.
"Uh, of course we have the wares. That's why you're here. Anyway, you want to start by looking at the spatial storage items?" Ivan asked, pointing to two rings and a cloth bag.
Without waiting, he plowed forward. "Okay, if all you buy are these, you won't get nearly as good of a deal. We are selling these on consignment and there are some weird formulae that go into it. We use this software that lets me play with the margin but—" he suddenly stopped as the old woman walloped him upside the head. "Ow, what was that for?"
"No one wants to hear about what we actually use for our bookkeeping and price setting you nincompoop!"
Pretty cool nincompoop was actually translated. Not as a swear word but that's an edge-case insult for sure.
"Actually, I would be interested but let's focus on the transaction and maybe exchange contact details after? I would love to help procure amazing artifacts and radiant relics for you in my adventures," I said, trying a wink. I'd always been bad at them in my old body but this one felt good.
"That sounds great," he said as if to a toddler who proclaimed he was going to punch the moon.
"As I was saying, this first ring is going to run you 62 gold on its own. It has a stability rating of high B grade, a capacity of <800 cubic feet>, a toughness rating of high B, and it has an item isolation enchantment for up to 50 goods. Beyond that, all isolations fail though. Maximum capacity per item that you apply isolation to is <17.5 cubic feet> but you can probably fit something over <250 cubic feet> in there with no isolation. We didn't have something that big to test specifically.
"It also has a minor stasis enchantment that will help with transporting goods that might spoil." Ivan was trying to do some hand flourishes over a rather lovely looking ring of probably platinum with a large purple gemstone.
Sensing that was probably too rich for my blood after a few second pause, he silently moved on to the bag. "Now this is great for hunters, bringing those monster parts back to sell or really anything that deals in volume. Stability is low C grade, capacity is an astounding <1200 cubic feet> of storage, up to eight moderately resizable isolation chambers but no item isolation, toughness of mid C grade. No enchantments. That will run you 35 gold all on its own but it's actually owned by family of the owner so you will get a better discount on it the more you spend. I could see it going down to close to 20 gold if you spend over 50 total, depending on some other factors. "
Consultant survival tip #18: If someone is on a roll and giving out good information, DO NOT INTERRUPT. People like to fill silences and if that is with good information, all the better. Play it one of two ways and decide in the moment. First is to keep an interested face, give good but silent encouragement. The second is to look bored and like you expect them to re-engage you in the conversation. Both can work and are relatively low risk.
Seeing I was neither biting on his pitch nor asking questions, he gestured at the last ring, an utterly plain metal band that actually looked like it had rust spots. "Honestly, I feel like this one is a bit of a dud. Weird enchantments. The stasis enchantment was done incorrectly so it actually increases the rate of decay. Its stability is mid D grade and the toughness is low C grade – so it will take a good hit from most low Tier 1 monsters with no issues – and has an extremely weak autorepair function. Like anything that damages it could take weeks to heal.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
"It can also charge small electronics like your tablet there. The capacity is strange because it fluctuates. We got 49 items into it before it failed but it didn't want to take more than <250 cubic feet> in total and nothing more than <64 cubic feet> per item, though shape didn't matter. The item isolation is weird because it grouped like with like in the same isolation bubble. Very strange.
"It might be able to accept essence and Tier Up but I highly doubt it – the others are going to stay at Tier 1 but this one resisted the identification spells we cast on it. The guy selling it called it sentimental so while I'd say it's worth 12-15 gold, he wants 25. It's a spatial storage item but frankly, it sucks."
"Can you explain what stability and toughness mean? I am guessing toughness is its ability to take a hit. Is stability how stable it is over time, meaning items might get damaged or the storage item itself might start to fail?" I asked.
"Yes and no. Correct to the toughness. For Tier 1, any of these should be safe from anything in the 1.0-1.4 range for monsters unless you have many attacking it at once. After that, you start to see Tier 1 items potentially taking a hit that leaves lasting damage. A lot of people actually wear spatial rings in special padded pouches when in rifts and dungeons to prevent damage. It makes it slower to access the storage but then you just keep things you might need extremely quickly on you.
"Regarding stability, you are close. Simply put, items degrade. Most spatial storage items actually start out pretty high in B grade and then degrade over various lengths of time. A C grade will last you at least a few years, by which time most delvers can Tier Up a few times and get something better than these. And we are equipping you to be a delver. If you're just doing regular work, it will probably be hard to afford a replacement but high-danger delving means high rewards for those who are successful.
"Items in spatial storage can get damaged or lost, especially fragile or, more worryingly, highly magical items that are more susceptible to being pulled into the void. You'd need a legendary void mage to pull something back from that but they are just made up! Ha!" Ivan seemed tickled at his 'joke' but no one else reacted so I felt fine basically ignoring it beyond a small smile.
"Great, thanks for the information. Let's look at what else you have and we can get down to business," I said. Then I held up the tablet and Stannis gave me a thumbs up.
All in, I had 59 gold I could use, having spent around ten gold so far and keeping six gold for living costs – 60 days at ten silver a day. I wasn't willing to put myself at risk for desires instead of needs but two months should be enough to get myself going.
As we went through the armor, I found a rather fetching set of chain coif and shirt that came to my elbows with vambraces and gauntlets. They were lightly enchanted with autocleaning and a mild autorepair function.
There really wasn't much that was good when it came to protecting my legs. We went with some leather pants that were enchanted with durability and flexibility in mind and threw some light greaves overtop.
I was truly out of my depth at this point and just listened to the experts. I usually just threw armor on in video games and my three session journey into the world of LARP ended when someone threw a 'spell' directly at my face, breaking my glasses. The girl I was dating who was into said live action role playing seemed to think it was my own fault for not wearing prescription rec specs.
I am from Chicago. I grew up wanting to be Michael Jordan, NOT Horace Grant!
"Now boy, you need a close-range backup for when things really get bad. Let's get you a dagger," Stannis said, looking wistfully at a small, intricate blade with gems of green and brown glowing softly in the hilt.
"We've got throwing and regular, which do you want?" Ivan gestured his head in two different directions.
Knowing I needed a ranged option, I chose throwing. I can pull off a bandolier! …I hope. I headed towards the area with a few throwing knives and pretended to look like I knew what I was doing, bending over the display to inspect closely.
A hand rested gently on my shoulder as Stannis leaned down to whisper in my ear. "You want to look at quantity over quality. You're gonna start out throwing like sodus so it's best to not have to rebuy every few delves. And to always have them around for when you need 'em if you get disarmed."
The old woman laughed. "You realize this place is heavily enchanted right? I can hear everything in here with ease. That said, I have an option that just came in that I think will help with that. And it will train you to watch where you throw too!" She looked like she might let out a cackle but it was actually a belch. "Huh, that soup was delicious but isn't agreeing with me. Ivan, you sell the poor boy on why the 'Found Yet Never Lost' daggers are the right option."
"Uh, so the reason they are right, first and foremost, is you get 10 and they are cheap. They are actually good quality and have a slight repair enchantment on the bandolier. When you get within 10 feet (3m) of a knife that is outside the bandolier, it will alert you. That way, you can more easily recover them. It's only one and a half gold because it's an unusual enchantment and most either want auto-returning daggers or go for pure quantity." Without even waiting for an answer, Ivan swept it into my pile for final review.
Looking to Stannis and seeing him giving an interested look, I figured at worst, I could just say no later.
Consultant survival tip #117: If someone knows better on a topic and is likely working in your best interests, let them cook, don't get in their way. You don't have to be the expert on everything. Take precautions to make sure it doesn't fall apart, don't go for big swings that leave you exposed, but for small things, it's often best to rely on others if you can.
I moved to the spatial items. The fancy ring was always going to be way out of my price range. The bag was just that, a burlap sack. Yes, it was enchanted but it was really ugly. And it felt impractical for some reason.
Possibly that was simply because the second I touched the rusted ring, it felt like it belonged to me. Belonged in a way I'd never really felt before; or at least in a very long time. The feeling made me remember being a toddler and someone at daycare taking away the toy I was playing with – one I brought from home – and the intense feeling of disgust at the idea of not having it.
No one else seemed to notice but I was pretty sure I just Gollum'd in the store.
I absolutely need this. I must have it.
With the supplies, my morningstar and a warhammer as a backup weapon, my mid-sized shield, and the armor, it all came to 39 gold – after all my previous bargaining and wheedling.
I only have 59 gold total to use. They aren't coming down on the ring…
Putting on my best puppy dog eyes, something I hadn't even been close to pulling off in my old body, I pleaded, "I will take this very ugly ring off your hands. It sullies your store to even have it displayed where someone could see. With everything together, that will be 59 gold and 17 silver. That's plenty! It's a steal at that!"
There's a reason the sales team handled negotiation.
"Ha young man, maybe if you were to owe me a few… favors… we might call that a deal," the old woman gave me a lascivious look.
Then she burst into another wheezing cackle.
"YOUR FACE! YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACE! Boy, I know who you aren't and even if it were him, he ain't worth 5 gold for a tumble. Good gravy, you really are new, aren't ya. Tell ya what, put some of that armor back and we'll have a deal provided you owe me a favor in the future. Stannis here will make sure it's all fair, nothing too crazy but you'll still owe old Esmeralda here. That, or you can have the perfectly good bag."
Knowing it was probably a dumb idea, I put the coif back – I have a presumably glorious head of hair, despite the current cut, so why not show it off?
Yes, it was a dumb justification.
Consultant survival tip [error, not found]: Sometimes you just need to do the thing you want despite all signs pointing to it being a dumb move.
Bet on your instincts. They haven't proven you wrong. Today.
Isekonsultant survival tip #1: When a magic ring calls to you, answer.
Stannis cuffed me on the shoulder as I put the last of my things into my new ring. Ivan was helpful enough to crate up most of the supplies so it would only count as a few items in the wacky way the magic worked.
They hadn't really tested the weight limit so I was glad it seemed to not care in the slightest about the heavier crates. Esmeralda even included an enormous water jug with a very weak automatically refilling enchantment because no one Tier 1 or lower wanted to lug it around and anyone with a spatial item typically could afford much better.
"Well boy, it's time to kick you out of town. I've already gotten five messages asking me when it will be done. I'll walk you to the east gate. Gabor, Miklos' brother, is already aware of you coming his way." Stannis was trying to keep a positive face going and failing spectacularly.
I waved goodbye to Esmeralda and Ivan and tried to connect to them via AAI for a more permanent contact. Ivan accepted, Esmeralda rejected it and told me to go through Ivan and she'd find me when she wanted that favor.
On the quiet ride over to the east gate, Stannis looked pensive. It seemed he was finally talked out.
As I turned to him just inside the gate, he gave me a large smile that seemed painted on, not reaching his eyes. I tried a connection request just to see and his smile turned rueful. "Sorry lad, can't happen. At least not yet."
I nodded in understanding, shook his hand, and walked through the gates, turning back to look in his direction and wave. Apparently I still hadn't mastered their version because he gave me an odd look. I turned and headed in the direction my AAI said the village of Velez was.
Then, I was suddenly on the ground, someone in a hooded robe hanging over top of me, reaching for a knife on their belt.
Well, sodus.
***
NOTES APP
End of Day 1 Needs and Goals
Current wealth:
[~0 gold to spend, 6 gold reserved]
Immediate Needs – INs:
1) leave Zalano before welcome is worn out
2) safe travel to Velez to the east and a safe place to sleep
Short-term Goals – STGs:
1) get contact info for Axe, Liene, Esmeralda, Ivan, Stannis, Miklos, and Miklos' brother (Gabor) – Ivan succeeded, Esmeralda and Stannis failed
2) begin training to be able to reach at least Tier 2 in the next year – good pace is said to be two thirds of a year and doubling every Tier after that
3) discover Innate Capability
4) decide on Tier 1 essence splits
5) do NOT hurt long-term cultivation; play it safe rather than do irreversible damage
6) figure out this Cornelius BS
7) healing potion?
Long-term Goals – LTGs:
0) get to a safe level of power to not be squishable at all times
1) understand spells and why everyone seems to say they are dangerous
2) begin finding market inefficiencies, start Galactic Trade Federation Empire 2.0?
3) decide on long-term fighting style or find ways to cultivate that exclude fighting
4) find a girlfriend/partner. Whatever they call them here.
5) start to design a new sigil or house insignia?
Previous needs and goals accomplished:
INs:
1) get information to be able to survive next month – social and safety from monsters – (mostly accomplished)
2) keep enough money to be safe for one month, hopefully two – 6 gold reserved – 10 silver per day for 60 days
3) acquire equipment and supplies to survive trip from city to one of the surrounding villages
4) choose direction – likely east – and village to aim for; get introduction or letter giving safe passage?
STGs:
0) bag of holding!
1) get equipped well enough to get to village and begin actually cultivating
LTGs:
1) fighting style decided (for short-term at least)