10.9

Eve looked at the note from Susan as she scrolled through her Class Skill and Spell List. She quickly copy and pasted everything available before sending a response back. According to her demonic advisor, she was top-tier based on Stats alone, before Balance added ten percent more to the equation. With her physical and mental numbers alone, Eve could contest heaven blessed geniuses like Legacy Royals. People who were gifted with a platinum spoon from birth, fed on the mild milk of draconic cows, the meat of phoenix chickens, and the vegetables of Kraken-manured ginseng.

Talisman of Dust II and Library of Dust II turned a blessed advantage into a diabolical deathtrap against enemies according to her demon advisor.

Witch’s Dust, Tome of Dust (Ritual), Witch’s Ink Athame (Ritual), and Witch’s Paper Candle (Ritual) turned the diabolical deathtrap into an unsolved ritual suicide. Tactics were not even required against most equal level enemies, barring outliers such as the previous Matriarch.

Still, she never gave up the opportunity to push her advantageous position to another tier. The Deeps certainly had their own top-tier Class combinations. Eve wouldn’t dare make the mistake of assuming she was untouchable. Down that path lay nothing but ruin and the failure of intelligence. Susan’s return note after learning the full list available to choose from provided three possible Paths forward.

The first option the note presented was stacking passive bonuses to Stats, much like the body cultivation Matt had babble incessantly about years ago. It would gradually turn her body into a weapon capable of physically crushing her enemies. Skills would focus on enhancing the body, while Spells would be more utility such as Clean or Detect Enemy. As a well-known branch on the path of power, the benefits were both clear and easily tracked. The weakness of the path was ranged combat, anything that could keep her away would slowly be able to chip away at her body. Like water driving a canyon through the desolate wastelands, Eve could find herself gradually worn down to death. The image alone made her leery of taking such a road.

The second possibility was doubling down the Race aspect of being a Witch. Rituals, Curses, Talismans, and so forth would turn her into the quintessential quadratic female mage archetype. She would disassemble her enemies from range through a variety of methods. Keeping herself safe would depend greatly on increasing her mastery of Space past the current level of using it merely for teleporting around. The weakness of the path was sudden ambushes, anything that could make it to her without being spotted could strike a lethally fatal blow.

The third choice was combining the power of Stats with her current Race to produce a hybrid. Eve took one look at the possibility and denoted it as the wild fancy of those who didn’t understand the true cost involved in the math of becoming powerful. She would need to stumble on a few hundred more sleeping Dragon with bountiful Hoards to afford option three. Sadly, the universe wasn’t kind enough to provide such things, and she didn’t rate the possibility of achieving it high enough to make the effort. Dragons like that would be Tier Six, and thus untouchable the moment she crossed the Tier barrier. The likelihood that she would run into masses of Dragons with convenient Hoards available for looting before hitting Tier six herself was minimal. With a shrug, she picked the second option. The note shifted like a tablet displaying the optimum allocation choices to purchase from the Class Skill and Spell List.

Honestly, was anything except option two really ever on the table? Eve thought. Ranged combat has always reigned supreme in my heart. There’s no suspense as to what I chose here.

Potions were better left to Kudzu, while resource acquisition and storage was Felix’s essential forte, now. The Hut was only concerned with providing the best comfort and defense to those of her family. As such, Eve needed to be the sharp ritual Jian that carved open the future with exacting finesse. That meant power, both to destroy and to deter. Without experiencing the Deeps herself, any information she had needed to be taken with a grain of salt. It was entirely possible, though not logical, that lifelong grudges and bitter enmity hamstrung the Deeps. Unlikely with something like the Adventurer’s Guild or anything equivalent around, but still possible.

Politics was evil no matter what dimension you got thrown in.

Either way, Eve felt power was the best communication tool. With greater power, more options became available, and more options granted a better lifestyle. If she didn’t even have the power to dissuade annoying flies, then opening the hibernation chambers would only result in tragedy. Even though she wanted to break open each capsule and snuggle with her furry allies, that time was quite distant. Eve planned to amass a reputation that would deter opportunistic flotsam. There wasn’t anything she could do to stop sheer stupidity, unfortunately.

Scanning through the Class Skill and Spell List, Eve started to cherry-pick her build. Susan’s recommendations were basic, but not all-encompassing. They were like foundational building blocks which could be used to pave the Path forward in multiple methods. After choosing the recommended Skill puzzle pieces for the second Path, she took a look at each.

Runic Cryptography (50M SS)

You can decipher any Rune Language known.

There is no lock without a key.

Ritual Rune Ciphering (100M SS)

You can write in any Rune Language learned.

Skeletons keys are not supreme.

Runic Skeleton Key (200M SS)

You can break any Rune Lock with time.

Unlock the potential of eternity.

Ritual Rune V (Flesh) (500M SS)

You can carve Runes into your flesh for Rituals.

Only a single Rune can be active per ten thousand Intelligence Stat.

A true Rune Master is never unarmed.

Rune of Ink (1B SS)

You have learned the Primordial Rune of Ink.

The pen is mightier.

Rune of Paper (1B SS)

You have learned the Primordial Rune of Paper.

Record to remember.

Rune of Space (1B SS)

You have learned the Primordial Rune of Space.

Infinite.

Rune of Dust (1B SS)

You have learned the Primordial Rune of Dust.

Bigger isn’t always better.

Runes were the easiest form of creating Rituals. Previously, Eve had been using dead languages from Earth. They were effective, as the old Isa Rune proved, yet they were not natural. For the best effect, Runes needed to be from the same dimension. That way their effects were multiple times superior for the same or lower cost. Choosing the Runes associated with her affinities was the best bang for her draconic Slot bucks. With the Skills purchased, Eve moved on to selecting the Spells. Once all the Spells were finished being bought, she took a good look at each one to ensure there were no lemons.

Siren’s Voice (1B SS)

Your voice is pleasing to all.

Your voice can be altered at will.

This effect is maintained indefinitely with Mana.

You cannot be Intimidating while using this Spell.

Dryad’s Scent (1B SS)

Your scent is pleasing to all.

Your scent can be altered at will.

This effect is maintained indefinitely with Mana.

You cannot be Unclean while using this Spell.

Continuous Prestidigitation (1B SS)

You are always under the effect of Clean V.

Your clothing is always under the effect of Clean V.

This effect is maintained indefinitely with Mana.

You cannot be Stained while using this Spell.

Summon Food (2B SS)

You can summon any food you have eaten before.

You cannot Poison any food you have Summoned.

You cannot Disease any food you have Summoned.

You cannot Enchant any food you have Summoned.

You cannot Sustain from any food you have Summoned.

This effect has a variable cost in Mana.

Summon Drink (2B SS)

You can summon any drink you have drunk before.

You cannot Poison any drink you have Summoned.

You cannot Disease any drink you have Summoned.

You cannot Enchant any drink you have Summoned.

You cannot Sustain from any drink you have Summoned.

This effect has a variable cost in Mana.

The cost in Mana for alcoholic drinks is double the normal cost.

Thousand Ghostly Hands (2B SS)

You have a thousand ghostly hands that touch the mortal world.

Each hand has equivalent Strength to your mortal hands.

You cannot use these hands while fighting.

You can use these hands for theft only under the Silence effect.

The number on hand depends on the amount of Mana allocated.

Eve nodded pleased with her choices. While the Rituals she had were more biased towards combat her Skills and Spells were chosen for utility. They had many uses, which was why the extremely expensive cost in Slots for each made her wealth vanish rapidly. She kept a portion of the System currency in reserve as it had the highest trade value within the Deeps.

A hovering paper plate was created, upon which she placed a plate. Taking a deep breath, Eve used Summon Food barely even noticing the mana cost. On the table in front of her, a smooth brown bar of milk chocolate appeared. There was a long silence before Thousand Ghostly Hands moved the chocolate to Eve’s mouth in a blur. A few soft crunching noises later, and she gave a satisfied moan.

Just over half a decade and I can satisfy my junk food cravings without gaining weight. Eve thought. No legendary beast ever died for a better cause than my stomach!

Eve stuffed several more chocolate candy bars into her mouth before she was interrupted by the arrival of Jeffery’s airship. With a grin at the effect of Continuous Prestidigitation, she moved out of the Hut. After the airship landed at the outer edge of the swamp, Eve teleported over to the extended ramp to meet Susan and the drow merchant.

“Success?” Jeffery asked as he strode down the ramp in desert clothing.

“Indeed.” Eve said before continuing, “Would you like to buy a secret hideout? Drug creating plants and extensive defenses are already in place.”

Jeffery raised one eyebrow before saying, “How much?”

“Seven percent of gross until I die of natural causes,” Eve said.

Jeffery didn’t hesitate to agree, although Eve suspected it was more to do a favor than for the actual need of the property. Since the goblin cheese experiments were rather pointless now, for her at least, she didn’t mind passing them to Jeffery. It would provide a safe and effective tool for her merchant ally to gain Tier Six. Eve didn’t mind extending the hand of alliance to a long-lived ally. Worst case he was only available for a few thousand years, best case proper management created a Drow Clan that would be deeply indebted to her.

Win-win. Eve thought as she quickly hashed out the contract. A few signatures later, and she teleported back to the Hut. Kudzu’s primary Seed Core was already within the new mini-Garden area within the Hut’s walls. There was no reason to stay any further, and every reason to depart.

Eve wasn’t foolish enough to think that her contracted merchant ally didn’t have thoughts of acquiring a recently deceased Dragon’s Hoard. While the use of force was out of the picture, as long as Eve wasn’t near a competitive market, prices would always favor Jeffery T. Wellington. Rather than be shamelessly taken advantage of, she would be traveling immediately.

She knew the direction to go based on her silver sparrow flights. With a Rune of Space, teleporting was even more efficient than previously. She wouldn’t be teleporting though, since the Hut was finally ready to stretch her legs. Eve grinned as thousands of chicken feet extended from the bottom of her home. There were plans to be made, and plots to be hatched in the future, but that was fine.

For now, Eve enjoyed the pleasure of finally departing the location she had been stranded in upon arrival!

Now for the most important choice. Eve thought turning her mind to dinner’s approach. Pizza or chocolate?