Trees of rit:
[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System.
12 Unused rit Points.
"I've struck a deal with the Guardian; I must create a Forum," Priam declared.
Alain nodded. "Then let's start there. We'll figure things out as we learn more about this Forum."
Refusing to dwell on what he could have purchased with that rit point, Priam confird the Land Owner selection.
[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. ACQUIRED
[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System's Local Network.
11 Unused rit Points.
Frowning at the second rit, Priam realized that the Local Network was likely a form of internet. If so, he'd have to invest in it later. History had proven that it was impossible to thrive without this revolution.
But there was sothing more intriguing. In the recesses of his mind, Priam sensed a new option. He clicked on it.
Land Owner:
Buildings:
Log-a-rhythm (Tier 0)
nhir of Secrets (No. 37,458 - Tier 6)
One Free building (Tier 1):
Donjon (Silver)
Portals (set of two, 30 km)
Baron Manor (200 m - Comfort)
Underground Base (100 m - Fortified)
Tower (30 m - Gold - Self-defense)
Protective Enclosure (2000m - Reinforced)
Training Room (200m - Reinforced)
Temple (200 m - Priest presence required)
Ziggurat (200 m - Decay)
Tribulations Chamber (Reinforced)
Aether Pillar (Silver - Abundance)
Aether Well (Silver - Conduction)
Power Station (choose one energy form)
Forum (600m - Attraction)
Fountain (50 m - Attraction)
Inventory (100 m - Ti Freeze)
Marketplace (200 m - rchant Presence Required)
Workshop (200 m - Choose Profession)
Guild Hall (200 m - Representative Required)
Library (400m - Material/Digital/ntal Interface)
Theater (400m - Comfort)
Bathhouse (200m - Relaxation)
Sewer (3 000m - Purification)
Laundry (60 m - Purification)
Road (10 000m - Reinforced)
School (400 m - Silver)
Hospital (200 m - Abundance of Life)
Stable (200 m - Abundance of Life)
Fields (400 m - Abundance of Life)
Sphinx Throne (5m - Shiny)
The list extended, but Priam couldn't identify the other words. In a universe with an infinite array of races, many buildings likely served purposes unknown to him.
Priam read the list to his father before sharing his conclusions. "Aside from the Forum, I'm interested in the Donjon, the Aether Pillar, and the Aether Well. I don't know what they do, but they seem cool."
Alain chuckled. "We could ask the Guardian, but it would cost us. Personally, I find it intriguing that the System offers a Tribulation Chamber. We'll need to build one ourselves. The other buildings are only useful in a town of at least a thousand people, and I could build most of them myself."
Priam wasn't sure their camp would exceed twenty people. Elysium was too perilous to accommodate a large group. "Yeah, summoning sewers might not be useful."
"Easy to say when you're not the one digging dry toilets," comnted Alain.
Without hesitation, Priam confird the Forum. He had no desire to be involved in constructing facilities that would be useless to him. Thanks to [He Who Eludes Death], he no longer had this kind of problem.
The System asked where he wanted to place the building, and Priam turned to his father. Alain had selected a location on the forest edge, about twenty ters from Log-a-rhythm.
Without fanfare, as if not to alert nearby monsters, the Forum materialized. The grass was replaced by a rectangular space, thirty by twenty ters, just big enough for a small market. On the ground, the forum consisted of a mosaic of ochre and white stones. Sweeping his eyes over the place, Priam instantly grasped that the pavent ford a giant rune.
"Attraction," revealed the Guardian of Secrets, approaching. "It's a potent rune that draws people and wandering rchants."
"Is that why you wanted it?" Priam asked.
"Of course. I have quotas to et, you know? Spending millennia answering to stupid animals, bloodthirsty beasts, and Skulc tribes is bad for my career."
"I can imagine. Do you want to attract my rivals here?"
The Guardian hesitated for a mont. "Not just them."
Priam narrowed his eyes at the evasive response. "If this thing is going to attract people here, I'd prefer to know. Otherwise, I might have to destroy this rune. My family's safety cos first."
An attack from rivals could be devastating, but Priam was confident he could repel most of them. However, if a local or monster beca aggressive, it would undoubtedly lead to a massacre.
"You promised to build a forum," the Guardian pointed out.
"That's what I did. Now I can destroy it."
"... I love clever people as much as I hate them," sighed the Guardian. "Fine, just this once, free information. This rune only attracts neutral or friendly people here. rchants, adventurers, pilgrims,... I'll leave the rest to your imagination."
"So, if a rival cos here, they won't be hostile?"
"Not if the rune drew them here."
Priam nodded, reassured. He had more questions, but decided to keep quiet. The Guardian would demand paynt for the rest, and Priam didn't want to waste his Coins. One thing was certain, though. If the dwarf is expecting visitors, then visitors would co. During the Necromoon event?
"One last thing: can you move my nhir to the center of the forum?" the Guardian asked.
Priam turned to the dwarf. "A Tier 6 like you making a poor Tier 0 like work?"
"I can't move on my own. Or rather, it would break the protection the System grants . So, if you don't want an Immortal showing up to collect your poor Guardian, be kind and move ."
"It's"
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"Later," the Guardian interrupted.
Without further discussion, Priam got to work. After several seconds of effort, the ground trembled when he released the heavy stone into the center of the forum. Fortunately, it had no consequences for the mosaic.
"Done! You ntioned Immortals?" Priam asked. The question had been burning on his lips since he heard the na.
"The soul becos immortal upon reaching Tier 7. It's still destructible but impervious to ti. In theory."
"In theory?"
The Guardian shrugged. "It's my personal opinion, but half of the Immortals aren't made for immortality. They go completely insane after a few million or billion years."
Priam remained silent. Living for so long that you saw everyone you loved die wasn't for everyone. I wonder if the Guardian...
Lifting his eyes, he found the dwarf had disappeared.
"I can understand them."
Priam turned to his father. "What?"
"The Immortals. Before the Tutorial, I was tired, sick, and you and your sister were the only reasons I dragged myself out of bed. I was eighty years old and had no plans to beco a centenarian."
"... And now?"
Alain smiled. "Now I feel fit, young, and I have goals. Don't worry about ."
Priam felt lighter hearing his father so upbeat.
"Speaking of goals," Alain continued. "Except for Blueberry, everyone has co to see at least once to discuss the direction to take."
"Oh? Is there a problem?" Priam had secured a safe base with Log-a-rhythm and hadn't really worried about the rest.
"None," Alain smiled. "We've been here for five days, and we're all starting to get used to life here. Everyone is working hard; we eat a bit of fish and so berries, and so far, aside from the Necromoon giving nightmares, everything is fine."
Priam grimaced. His father looked tired, and with his vitality, that ant he was really sleeping poorly. The old man continued.
"But we're going to be here for another six months. It's ti to organize ourselves."
"aning?"
"Improve our living conditions, defend our base, optimize our training," summarized Alain.
"Well, I dont know about you, but I'm training hard. Really hard."
"I never said otherwise, and I'm proud of you, son. But currently, you're like Rocky Balboa training with tires and makeshift equipnt. It works because we're in Elysium, but it's far from perfect."
"Do you want to build a training room?" Priam joked.
"Yes." Seeing his son's surprised look, Alain continued. "I'm serious. You have [Gymnastics] and [Fitness], right? I don't think doing push-ups will help you upgrade them to rare or epic levels."
"I'm not lacking in attributes, Dad," Priam grimaced. "I have enough Tribulations on my plate as it is."
"You must be the only one with this problem Okay, let's take another example. Do you have any skills you want to level up right now that are causing you trouble?"
"Yeah, [Star Iron Body]. It's maxed out, but I need a feat to get a truly exceptional epic skill. My two current proposals are... disappointing."
"Is it your resistance to crushing?" Alain asked.
"And contusions. It's the evolution of [Blunt Resistance]."
Alain took a few seconds to think before smiling. "We could build a sort of hydraulic press! Rose would engrave resistance runes on the plates, and Sphinx would increase gravity locally. Now, should I go with oil or water? I suppose that..."
Priam smiled, watching his father speak faster and faster. The artisan was excited about his ideas and wanted to implent them.
"Dad?" Priam interrupted.
The question woke Alain up. "Yes, son?"
"Do you want to crush with a hydraulic press? Am I such a bad son?" he laughed.
Alain plunged his green gaze into his son's misty eyes. "As a little boy, you were always crawling toward the waves on the beach. Each one had the power to kill you, but you didn't care. You haven't changed a bit."
Priam remained silent as his father found his words. "I can't stop you from jumping into the waves, but I can help you beco stronger than them. All I want is for you to survive in the end. If I have to build you a hydraulic press for that, I'll do it."
Alain's voice had lowered, and Priam felt his stomach knot.
"... Sorry for worrying you, Dad."
Alain forced a smile before placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Dont be, I'm proud of you."
The two n stood like that for a few monts before Priam cleared his throat, feeling awkward.
"Where was I?" asked Alain.
"You were trying to tell it would be interesting to stop living like savages and build a permanent camp with facilities to optimize our training."
"Yeah, right. Moreover, building is also training; you'll discover other facets of your powers."
Priam imdiately thought of the Phoenix's flas. The bird was a symbol of resurrection and abundance. Maybe the best way to ta his flas wasn't to force himself but to use them differently?
"Where do we start?" Priam smiled.
"By building two tree houses for your friends."
Neither Jasmine nor Myuri were really his friends, but Priam didn't correct his father. The two young won didn't need to be ostracized.
"I'm going to fetch so wood."
Hyshana swore upon receiving a priority notification. The Hoplite Champion was enjoying a warm bath for the first ti since the Tutorial.
Annoyed, she validated the communication using her ocular implant. Sound only.
Ishaka's image appeared in front of her. Only the head of the Supre Hoplite General erged from his ch. A new armor, Hyshana noted.
"What brings this displeasure?"
Ishaka rolled his eyes. "We're allies for now, Hyshana, so let's at least be polite."
Before Hyshana could tell him to go milk pigjahbs, the general continued. "Our scientists have just finalized the bomb. The chs will be ready the day after tomorrow. Your soldiers?"
"Ready as well," Hyshana replied, clenching her fists. They were nearing the goal. "The day after tomorrow, are you sure?"
"Sure. The chs are almost good, we are just reinforcing electromagnetic protections. Kazuki ntioned three suns, and that increases the risk of EMP. In thirty hours, you'll have the green light."
"Perfect."
"When do you plan to leave?"
"In thirty hours."
With those words, Hyshana cut the signal and stepped out of her bath. She still had a few hours to train.
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