HC: Pacifist | Ch. 195 - Time Sand

Nakia’s work was lackluster compared to Godsfried’s fancy gemstones and silvery metal. All the items she had crafted looked simple and basic. Roth grabbed the earring to inspect the craftsmanship. Roth was surprised by how light it was when he picked it up. He could hardly feel its weight. As he ran his fingers on the material, it felt warm and grainy instead of cool and polished. “Is this wood?” he asked the jeweler.

“That is correct.”

He had assumed it was some sort of iron because of how black it was, but stood corrected. Roth spared a glance at Nakia’s table and found several shavings, perhaps the result of Nakia using a knife to sculpt these pieces of jewelry.

Both the necklace and the belt also had wooden spheres. He brought one of the items up into the light and saw that Nakia had carved animal figures on the surface of the spheres. He squinted to try to make out what the figures were.

“Elephants?”

“Yes.”

“Why elephants?” Roth asked.

“They are animals known for their intelligence,” she answered plainly.

Roth had come to associate intelligence with badgers on account of [Badger Form]. But he supposed there were other creatures out there known for being intelligent. Curious, Roth inspected the winning items.

Iron Wood Earring (Rare)

Item description: A hollow earring crafted from the wood of an extremely hard iron tree. It has been filled with time sand. It has been carved with symbols of knowledge and intellect.

Item effects:

+8 intelligence;

+2% cooldown reduction.

Time Berlock Necklace (Rare)

Item description: A necklace made with polished wooden hollow spheres filled with time sand, ran through with lotus silk.

Item effects:

+1 to all stats;

+5% cooldown reduction;

+5% status resistance;

+50 hp.

Time Berlock Belt (Rare)

Item description: A belt crafted from elastic tree wood. The fibers have been entwined with iron tree roots to provide extra safety to the wearer. Its berlocks are filled with time sand and carved with figures of elephants.

Item effects:

+4 intelligence;

+4 wisdom;

+4% damage reduction;

+2% cooldown reduction.

Iron Wood Globe Ring (Rare)

Item description: A hollow ring crafted from the wood of an extremely hard iron tree. It has been filled with time sand. It has been carved exquisitely.

Item effects:

+8 intelligence;

+2% cooldown reduction.

"What do you think, mister," asked Nakia cheekily.

"I never imagined making such awesome jewelry out of wood would be possible. And I guess that the prized crafting material Godsfried was talking about is this time sand?"

"That is correct."

"Is that what gives it so much cooldown reduction?”

Nakia just smirked. This material couldn't be cheap, but that didn’t take any merit from Nakia. After all, money and resources were part of an artisan’s strength. Nakia's commitment to make sure she won this competition also showed that she really wanted to be part of the union, and was a token of her sincerity.

“May I ask how much this time sand is?”

“I must have used 2k worth of it,” she answered matter of factly.

“Two thousand gold?!” he let out, stupefied.

Roth held his new jewelry with trembling hands. This jewelry set was potentially worth as much as he had spent in the auction house, yet he was receiving it for free. The decision to start the union had been the right one.

“On the sand alone,” Roth heard Godsfried add. He had approached them while Roth inspected the items and chose to comment on his opponent’s work. “Not to speak of the rest of the equipment she made. Iron wood isn’t cheap, either. But [Time Sand] is indeed the rarest. Even if you have the money, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can buy it. There is no way I could compete since your main requirement was cooldown reduction.”

“By the way, are the carvings how you decide what attribute a piece of jewelry gets.”

Nakia winked. “Maybe.”

Roth didn’t pry more. Everyone had their secrets. Roth wondered if he added elephants to clothes he made, whether that would increase how much intelligence they granted. What if he added foxes? Would that grant the piece of equipment charisma? Could it be that simple? He would have to try it later.

“Nakia, I will add you to the VIP roster as soon as possible, OK?” Roth said as he stuffed his new jewelry in his bag, afraid that Nakia would change her mind and decide to keep the items to herself instead. She stood unperturbed, though, letting him pick the items and put them in his inventory. She had to be very wealthy, to not even blink when parting with thousands of gold like this.

“Well, congratulations on your work, and thank you. You two are very talented.”

“It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot from watching Godsfried work.”

“I’ll be coming back for revenge!” he said jokingly.

They chatted a little more but soon parted ways. Roth watched as the smaller crowd gathered around the next competition that was going to be held by the two carpenters. Some of the artisans, seeing that the carpenters competing weren’t so famous, decided to leave and go on to do their own thing.

Removing himself from the crowd, Roth equipped the new jewelry. The wood accessories went well with the green tones of his [Forest Lambswool] set, making him look like not only the king of a mountain but of a forest, too. He checked his stats.

CHARACTER INFORMATION

Name: Pax

Class: Pacifist

Race: Zoomorph (Human Form)

Profession(s): Broker, Lvl. 21 | Ecotailor, lvl. 10

Level: 31

Affinity: Light (169/300); Nature (97/100)

Alignment: Meek (394/1000)

Positive relationships:

Badgers (1723/2000); Boars (1712/2000); Corvids (1803/2000); Cyborg Union (1118/2000); Dogs (207/300); Dwarf Exiles (214/300); Flock (242/300); Foxes (1788/2000); Snakes (3169/8000); Golden Mountain Inc. (1248/2000); Greenleaf Inc. (617/1000); Hilsford Garrison Soldiers (103/300); Oli, the Cat Burglar (101/300); Peace Corps (100/300); Ratans (3695/8000); Silkworms (10/100); The Table (10/100); Treeants (1260/2000)

Negative Relationships:

Bears (-10/-100); Blue Caterpillars (-100/-300); Gazpachos (-1400/-3000); Grassland Wolves (-45/-100); Thadeus (-10/-100); Timberwolves (-90/-100);

Titles: [Adored]; [Alpinist]; [Art Enthusiast]; [All-Nighter]; [Creature of the Night]; [Darksbane]; [Discoverer of Species]; [Entitled]; [Grand Explorer]; [Hero of Ages]; [First of a Kind]; [Jumper]; [Marathonist]; [Martyr]; [Microman]; [Mindfulness]; [Novice]; [Overachiever]; [Pioneer]; [Polyglot]; [Richling]; [Single Minded Craftsman]; [Stat Prodigy]; [Sweatshop Worker]; [Swimmer]; [Triathlete]

STATS (5 Free Stat Points)

Hp: 395

Energy: 475

Damage Reduction: 49.9%

Status Resistance: 16.6%

Cooldown Reduction: 16%

Running Speed: 153.4%

Weight: [Light] - (146.7/196.5 Kg)

STATS

Strength: 75

Dexterity: 99

Intelligence: 158 (+11%)

Wisdom: 179

Endurance: 245 (+10%)

Charisma: 136 (+5%)

Resilience: 25

Insight: 31

Subterfuge: 59

Perception: 20

EQUIPMENT

Right Hand: [Plumber's Torch] | +5 intelligence

Left Hand: [Flag of the Rat Cave] | +10 wisdom; +6 dexterity; +10% speed; [Ratan Stride]; [Ratan Dash]

Shoes: [Forest Lambswool Runner Shoes] | +15% running speed; +5 dexterity

Bottom: [Forest Lambswool Slacks] | +10 intelligence; +4 wisdom; +1% damage reduction

Top: [Forest Lambswool Robes] | +1% cooldown reduction; +11 intelligence; +100 hp; +6% damage reduction; +4% status resistance

Gloves: [Forest Lambswool Mittens] | +1% cooldown reduction; +4 intelligence; +3 wisdom; +4% status resistance

Head: [Forest Lambswool Cap] | +1% cooldown reduction; +8 intelligence; +2 wisdom; +5 hp regeneration; +5 ep regeneration

Cape: [Forest Lambswool Cape] | +1% cooldown reduction; +10 intelligence; +5 charisma; +3% running speed

ACCESSORIES

[Iron Wood Earring] | +8 intelligence; +2% cooldown reduction

[Blue Caterpillar Earring] | +5 subterfuge; +10 wisdom

[Witness Protection Mask]

[Time Berlock Necklace] | +1 to all stats; +5% cooldown reduction; +5% status resistance; +50 hp

[Iron Wood Belt] | +4 intelligence; +4 wisdom; +4% damage reduction; +2% cooldown reduction

[Blue Caterpillar Ring] | +8 subterfuge; 5 intelligence

[Iron Wood Globe Ring] | +8 intelligence; +2% cooldown reduction

SKILLS:

Stat Bonuses: [Charm]; [Copper Skin]; [Fast Hands]; [Good Character]; [Healthy Bones]; [Horse’s Gallop]; [Inner Awareness]; [Inner Light]; [Sharp Mind]; [Slower Heart Rate]; [Strategic Thinking]; [Timely]

Profession Related: [Cart Pulling]; [Increased Discount]; [Exasperate]; [Novice Hiring]; [Plenty of Fiber]; [Supplier's Loyalty]; [Tailors Bag]; [Wool’s Will]

Passive: [Farsight]; [Flag Bearer]; [Forest Lambswool Set II]; [Horrific Glow]; [Ratan Stride]; [Snake Slither]; [Taunting Bellow]

Active: [Blink Blink]; [Camouflage]; [Inspiration]; [Miniaturize]; [Peace Decree]; [Peace Treaty]; [Ratan Dash]; [Screeching Terror]; [Search]

Roth looked pleased at how much he had progressed. His stats had sure come a long way. Stat bonuses he only used to get when in one of his zoomorph forms were now always active naturally, such as the stat bonuses for subterfuge and intelligence.

His new equipment had helped him grow much, much stronger. His equipment alone granted him a 15% cooldown reduction, which was a big deal. Instead of waiting 24 hours to change forms, he could now do it every 20 hours.

His light affinity was still a long way from moving on to the next tier, but he was really close to unlocking the first bonus for nature affinity. He wondered what that would do for his character. Would it also be an overall increase to his stats like [Inner Light]? Or would it be more specific?

As he studied his character window, Drake appeared and slapped him in the back hard enough to almost make him lose balance.

“Hey?!” protested Roth.

“Look at you, you look like a new man. All clad in fancy new clothes you didn't have to pay a cent for,” taunted Drake.

“I’m not mooching off anyone! I paid them in stats.”

“True, true, it's a fair deal. There's something I needed to talk to you about.”

“What is it? Another surprise?”

“No. Not really. Here.”

Would you like to join the Union Collective Guild? [Y/N]

“Is this the dummy guild we created to give stats to members who don't have a guild?”

“That is correct.”

Roth looked at the invitation to join the guild in front of him. He couldn’t help but think of the last guild he’d been a part of: IronIre. Memories of him and his former friends rampaging through battlefields came to him, leaving a bittersweet taste in his mouth, the bitterness overwhelming his taste.

“What is it? Why aren’t you accepting the invitation?” asked Drake, confused.

“It’s just that, the last time I entered a guild was when me and my friends created IronIre.”

“I see.”

“I can’t help but think that if it weren’t for the merc guild I created, I wouldn’t be stuck here,” explained Roth.

“Being a rageaholic, you would’ve ruined your life anyway, Roth. It’s got nothing to do with being in a team. Your problem started much earlier on.”

Roth nodded. “I know. It’s just hard not to blend everything in my mind.” Roth thought of the 14th and the rest of the team. They already had something much stronger than a guild, they had a friendship. “This time, it will be different.”

“This time will be different,” echoed Drake, smiling.

You are now a member of the Union Collective Guild.

You've been promoted to management in the Union Collective Guild.

As soon as Roth accepted, he also received some new buffs.

The strength of the [Boar’s Great Tusk] runs in you.

+2 strength;

+5 hp.

The strength of the [White Wolf Fang] runs in you.

+2 dexterity;

+1% running speed.

The strength of [Owl Duke’s Lens] runs in you.

+2 wisdom;

+5 ep.

The strength of the [Alpaca Talisman] runs in you.

+2 intelligence;

+1% damage reduction.

Roth looked happily at all the buffs he had received. The increase of two in dexterity even helped him unlock a new dexterity stat bonus.

“Wow! How do you have buffs already?”

“Come, let me show you.”

Roth followed Drake through a curtain of cloth separating the main space of the tent from an enclosed, more reserved location. A few gas lamps cast a brilliant golden light on a few glass cases with items in them. It strangely reminded Roth of Oli’s hideout and his collection. He now wondered if that was the secret to Oli’s ridiculous strength. Did all those items grant him stat bonuses, too? There were five cases in total, and only one was empty.

“Is this…”

“That's right, this is the Guild Museum. Right now, we only have four items that we purchased. But we're going to make it so that there's more.”

“How does it work?”

“Very simple. You just put the artifacts inside the case, and everyone in the guild receives the bonus. Level one guilds start with three cases, and once you spend 100 gold, you can upgrade your guild to level two, and you add two cases to the museum.”

Roth studied each of the items. He recognized the thick, ivory, cracked tusk. It was the wild boar king's tusk, an item that could be secured from the Green Woods. The other one he’d seen in person when badgers clipped Brawny’s claws wasn’t here. “And I guess you didn't put the badger one because we don't really care about damage in the guild.”

“That is correct. We're only going to focus on items that provide bonuses to crafting.”

Roth remembered BlueFire’s invitation to join the guild and wondered about how many stats Ogre players got. What kind of items did they have in their museum? Up to how many cases could guilds have?

Drake’s comment interrupted Roth’s thoughts.

“Did you know that some guilds do this, too? They have one main guild to bolster the stats of damage-dealing classes and then create a secondary branch guild to provide bonuses to their craftsmen. Some guilds even have a different museum section dedicated to each main class. For example, the Gorgons have several branch guilds designed to bolster specifically the stats and skill effects of each of the main classes.”

“And they can afford it?”

“Well, they can afford to have multiple guilds with multiple museums, but what they can't afford usually is to have good flags in each of the tents. Flags are really expensive.”

“Can we already hoist a flag in our guild’s tent?”

“We can. If you give me one, I'll be happy to fly it. Do you want to spare the rat flag?”

“Come on. You know I need this one. But as I unlock more flags, maybe I can leave my older ones here.”

“Now you're talking. Just so you know, multiple people have been offering artifacts to the museum and saying that they'll exchange them for a seat at the table.”

“Bring them on! I can still add a few more people, even after factoring in Nakia, Rhapsody, and Leanne. I think if the items are valuable enough, we should accept them,” Roth said, thinking about how good it would be to have a few more bonuses. He didn't really care about filling the seats in the union. All he cared about was improving his strength to get to the top 10 in the game sooner and escape the prison Loki put him in.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t rush it. Let’s take it easy, shall we? We still don't know who else is going to come along and what kind of benefits they can promise. But I'll watch for any offers on flags and artifacts. Deal?”

“Deal.” Maybe this could be another way for him to get better flags, too. He studied each of the cases and admired the items in them. Even though they were ordinary, being encased inside the glass under the gaslight made them feel mysterious and valuable.

“Well, I'm going to get ready. It's time to go.”

“So, are you off to take the guilds to hunt the Hive King?”

“Yeah,” Roth said, “It looks like it.”

“Are you just going to take the guilds to hunt the Hive King, or will you participate in the hunt?”

Roth again looked at Drake, befuddled, “I haven't considered that.”

“I suggest you do that now; otherwise, you'll just get there and freeze or worse, go in one of your crazed rampages and get in everyone's way. You have to figure this out before you go,” chastised Drake.

Roth paused. Drake was right. How hadn’t he thought of that? “I'll have to think about it.”

“Please, do. Remember how much you hurt after throwing that grenade?”

Roth recoiled at the memory, and a twinge of guilt surfaced.

“Make peace with whatever you do out there before you go. Otherwise, you’re just going to end up regretting it."

Ch. 194 - Purl Stitch

INDEX

Ch. 196 - Forage