9.7

Sacrifice for Power was easy, effective, and effortless. Take one corpse, throw upon runic circle, and then collect thy Slots. Eve loved the ease of use. Green flames burned the bodies of her stolen scorpion-men corpses into nothing. Each corpse gave a System message that stacked until the final corpse was burned to nothingness. She had already chosen Slots, so the resulting messages reflected Eve’s choice.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 25,713,204 Slots.

Gained 25,713,204 Slots.

Gained 25,713,204 Slots.

Eve didn’t enjoy the Slot Spam, but at least it was fast. A little over one hundred and seventeen million to work with was a respectable number. Pulling up her Status she saw the total number.

Level: 2,500

Race: Dust Witch

Class: Witch of the Dust Library

Profession: Dust-Talisman Librarian

Affinities (4): Paper, Ink, Space, Dust

Health: 127,000/127,000 (12,700 HPs regen)

Mana: 127,000/127,000 (127,000 MPs regen)

Stats: Str 12,700; Dex; 12,700; Con 12,700; Wis 12,700; Int 12,700; Charm 12,700

Free Stats: 41,800

Slots: 117,132,040

Item:

Talisman of Dust II

Witch’s Ink Athame

Witch’s Paper Candle

Zone:

Library of Dust II

Eve smiled, with Slots she could now access the List for Tier Four. Previous messages had demonstrated that the Class List at her current Tier refused to open without Slots to spend. It had been an annoying action that stopped any attempt to window shop. Her eyebrows rose as a new messages were delivered by the System.

Tier Four choice of Enhancement, Dust Affinity, has locked the Class Spell and Skill List.

Perk List has been opened instead.

Available Perk Categories:

Paper

Ink

Space

Eve did not fail to note that Dust was not available. She shrugged, power was power, and looking over the Paper Perks made her eyes light up. She greedily started scrolling through all the various categories.

Paper Perks:

Ritual Paper

Paper Transmutation

Paper Talisman

….

Ink Perks:

Blood Ink

Ink Transmutation

Ink Symbols

….

Space Perks:

Bigger is Better

Smaller is Better

Space Suction

….

Powerful.Eve thought as she scrolled through the different categories. Good thing I didn’t just power my way to Five, that would have been a major loss.

While the Ink and Paper Perks were named in a bland theme, the Space Perks clearly had been influenced by someone with a dirty mind. Eve recalled her current flight of silver sparrows, then added to her Map, and made multiple pro vs. con lists. Eventually going deep enough into each category of perks, she decided to get assistance from the other three.

“What do you think?” Eve asked Kudzu after explaining the problem. She was seated in the hibernation room at a paper table facing a vine and Felix at the same time. It was the first time everyone had been brought together for council since arriving in the Prison Plane. Eve made note to ensure it wasn’t the last either. There was always value in new points of view, even if she was the captain of her fate.

“Split the risk.” Kudzu said from the vine’s mouth before continuing, “Buy in sets of four. One perk for you, one for me, one for Felix, and one for the Hut. It is better to acquire more than go deep. You often mention Single Source Failure Points.”

“I concur.” Felix said before continuing, “Increasing the power of everyone multiplies success against the Matriarch.”

Eve gained a vague sense of assent from her Hut along with the image of waiting for her power leveling supplies to arrive first. “Ok. In that case, here is the total List for each category. Pick one from each.” Paper scrolls floated to each of Eve’s companions before being absorbed by all involved parties.

Eve relaxed back in her chair sinking into the hyper-focused speed state that allowed her thoughts to race. In time, she was certain that freezing a moment would be within reach, but for now she merely used the acceleration outside combat to come to a decision on the three Perks reserved for herself.

The Hut had admonished her to wait until the drow merchant arrived, and as Eve went through the possibilities it was a clear winning move. Choosing earlier for the other three wasn’t an issue, but waiting for her own options to possibly improve was a worthy goal. Finalizing her choice, Eve exited the split moment. Rising from her chair she shifted her clothing into something with a more desert look to it.

Her sparrows had located another group of raiders, and this time Eve had made certain a mana reader was attached to her bird. No unpleasant surprises would occur this time around. A few quick teleports to immobilize the sentries, then a splash of silver to paralyze the rest of the group yielded fifty pieces of goblin cordwood. Teleporting the goblins to the previous oasis, Eve sent a bird up for observation before returning to the Hut.

Without any famous sports networks, this form of entertainment was quickly turning into her de facto method of fun. Eve watched through her silver screen as the group of goblins clumsily scouted where they had been teleported. A bowl of salted popcorn allowed her to enjoy the antics of her current favorite team of misfit murder machines.

There were five teams of ten which Eve had artfully named A, B, C, D, and E. The original names had been booed down by a peanut gallery composed of Kudzu, Felix, and the Hut. Crumbling under peer pressure Eve had been forced to rename the goblin teams into something more nondescript. It was fine, she could still see the shining abilities that allowed each team to claim dominance.

Team A was currently in the middle of being slaughtered by two arachnid guards while the other four teams fled in separate directions. After the Goblin Hero fiasco, the guards had been reinforced traveling in packs of two. New watchtowers being constructed would soon ensure all guards were in sight at all times. For her purposes though, Eve was fine with increased guards. As long as the goblins baited out a decent squad or two when they fled it would be worth it. If one of the more amusing teams was about to die, she could always teleport them. Each goblin had a smidgen of Witch’s Dust attached allowing her to provide escape if she was entertained enough.

It wouldn’t do to let the goblins with humor genes die out, after all.

Eve watched as Team B, C, D, and E fled into various warehouses. Her big screen split like a shooter game, showing all four teams at once. Team B found themselves in the cheese supply room. Eve didn’t question why scorpions would stockpile so much cheese. For all she knew it was tribute to a tribe of desert rats that arrived once every decade. What interested her more, was how the goblins immediately dove into the piled wheels and cubes. Each one in Team B devoured at least eight times their weight in cheese. After stuffing themselves they all appeared to have epileptic seizures collectively. Eve raised an eyebrow when Team B evolved at the same time.

Food as the evolution trigger? Eve thought. It would make sense when considering the plains at large. Would kidnapping and force feeding them produce the same effect? The mana reader on the silver sparrow watching showed a jump from Tier Two to Four for Team B’s goblin crew. The implications were fascinating. From being barely worthless, they now had value to Sacrifice for Power.

Teams C, D, and E seemed to debunk the theory that any food would be acceptable. Team C ate their fill of a strange tuber reminiscent of potatoes. Team D devoured a copious amount of clearly alcoholic beverage. Team E managed to be the luckiest stumbling upon a large quantity of dried meat hanging before crunching it with gusto.

Eve witnessed the massacre of Teams C, D, and E without batting an eye. Without the Tier evolution that Team B lucked into, they were simply green meat on the chopping block. Once only a single Team was left, her silver screen zeroed in on the survivors. In the intervening time she had been watching, Team B had managed to counterattack the guards they fought. It was a messy win that cost two hobgoblins, but the remaining eight salvaged the dead guards gear. Goblins in chainmail with swords or spears wasn’t the greatest threat. Human-sized hobgoblins in half-plate with swords, spears, and bows were far more dangerous.

Rather than watch her precious test subjects be slaughtered by disadvantageous numbers, Eve intervened. The eight goblins were moved halfway between the oasis and the plains. She was even kind enough to dump food and water with them. The two Tier Four corpses were taken as payment, good deeds were nice, but Slots were better. Eve wrapped up by leaving a bloody trail to the goblin teleport spot before rising to dispel her chair, table, and fake big screen TV.

Without teleportation, the goblins will likely make it out to the edge of the grasslands before interception. Eve thought as she exited the Hut. That won’t save them, but it will make things easier since the goblins will be able to summon aid. I still haven’t seen the Tier Six at all, which suggests the title the Goblin Hero used, Hidden Ones, is intriguing.

Eve wrapped the two corpses in paper before floating them over to her Sacrifice for Power ritual circle. Two green flashes lit up as the corpses melted to nothing one after the other.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

Gained 5,713,204 Slots.

The numbers didn’t change, which made Eve nod in understanding. Tiers were a set amount of Slots with no wiggle room. It also meant she would clearly need to acquire a stockpile of cheeses to test her theory. If cheese could create Tier Four goblins, then finding the exact amount to use was vital. Eve said a short prayer for those who would be experimented on in the name of cheese boosting. She wrote a quick message to Jeffery T. Wellington requesting various cheeses, with a focus on those made by the desert oasis near where she lived. With that matter taken care of, Eve’s attention was immediately taken by the sensation of Nota succeeding.

Tome of Dust requests to complete soul connection. Y/N

As one of the few things that had a Soul connection before Eve changed, Nota was able to slip past the Talisman of Dust. Without hesitation, she agreed and a feeling of completeness enveloped Eve. The three things all witches required, a Book, a Candle, and a Knife were finally over. The sensation was akin to a group hug, only a bazillion times better. Eve pulled through space to summon Nota to her side so she could examine the new Tome.

Nota, Tome of Dust (Unique):

Soulbound.

A mystical sentient Tome exposed to the Primordial Dust. Mystical runes scroll across the surface, their power known only to the owner of the Book. Arcane, common, and eldritch knowledge are bound within the pages.

The Item is unaffected by anything lower than a Higher Power.

Grants Eternal Memory.

Grants Eat Inferior.

Grants Magic Noose.

Grants Witch’s Knowledge Knack.

Grants Clockwork Queen’s Blessing.

Grants Witch’s Eye of News.

Knowledge is one of the ultimate powers!

Eve grinned before reading the specifics.

Eternal Memory

Tome of Dust remembers everything.

Eat Inferior

Tome of Dust will eat inferior books upon request.

Magic Noose

Hang spells in extra-dimensional space before using.

Witch’s Knowledge Knack

You remember information, before it is critical. Mostly.

Clockwork Queen’s Blessing

Gears make more sense, sooner.

Witch’s Eye of News

Undetectable identification!

Eve’s grin turned manic and she let out a diabolical cackle for several long seconds. Finally, she stopped cackling, although giggles continued to bubble to the surface. Straightening Eve flipped Nota open watching as the pages turned at blurring speed before stopping.

The section was labeled Rituals in bold gold ink.

Ready?Eve sent to Nota.

Let’s cook! Nota replied.