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File 159154521236.png - (26.58KB , 600x400 , C0FAD95A-9FD3-4337-B9B2-6BF6EF4B0629.png )
969126 No. 969126 ID: e7703b

https://questden.org/wiki/I_Am
—-

The guild test was simple, as all I did was provide answers from examples in the books reviewed yesterday. It was late morning when the result was released to me.

The guild lady, Cynthia, attaches a small tag to my id bracelet, it flashing brown before fading out.

“And with this, you’re registered as a rank F adventurer.
You are entitled to most of the F related missions on the board, and allowed to buy and sell materials to the guild. For now, you’ll be put under observation until it’s proven than you can be reliable enough to be on your own, or else we’ll provide you with alternatives, such as joining in a party, or shadowing a more experienced member.
The colors go from brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, according to your rank. There are a variety of criteria for someone to rank up, including peer reviews and achievements. You could also always refuse to rank up, whatever the reasons, but doing so would limit what you can do or benefits you can get. There are many reasons to do so, and the rank within a guild hold little relation to how powerful a person is, so please, don’t think you’re strong just because the person next to you have a lower rank.” She sighs, “There are a few people who have a sense of enjoyment grouping with lower ranking people, only to feel dismay as their party ranks up above them, or even worse, obstruct their achievements. That’s why we have strict guidelines and rules on how people conduct themselves.”
She reaches up to rub my head.
“Any questions?”
Expand all images
>>
No. 969127 ID: d63ea8

How do I prove myself to be reliable on my own?
>>
No. 969128 ID: 0fae41

Do those guidelines include a dress code?
>>
No. 969132 ID: 5877dc

Ask where can you learn how to kiss.
>>
No. 969133 ID: ba56e6

>>969128
This. Magical girls have to look good.
>>
No. 969135 ID: b1b4f3

>>969127
This is the most important question right now.

>>969126
Ask when you can start. You want to hunt.
>>
No. 969137 ID: ecd116

when i do buy and sell materials to the guild.

what do you recommend to buy to start with and what should i look for to sell that would be in high priority/demand that the guild and others supported by the guild themselves need more of at the moment?

also would you accept donations or at least information for where to find things, from useable currency/money, food/water/meds supplies, weapons and ammunition, samples from animals, plants, minerals and monsters, even if they are capture creatures that you sent to them alive and intact.
and if i am to far away from the main guild itself do you have traders/agents/shop buildings under the guild employment that i can buy/sell and drop off my donations with them?
>>
No. 969142 ID: d88d26

What does it mean to be put under observation? Does every mission or material acquisition have to be done in the company of an observer? Upon taking a mission do I have to wait for someone to be assigned to me or do I need to find an supervisor on my own? Doesn't that potentially reduce the amount of people doing simple missions simultaneously?
Shane and Daisy seem to be allowed to go on missions on their own. We should pester them about joying their party.
>>
No. 969145 ID: dce46f

>>969127

Make sure to put emphasis on this question.
>>
No. 969151 ID: b1b4f3

What kind of materials can you buy from the guild?
>>
No. 969154 ID: e24163

We shouldn't forget about picking up the dress for the party as well, either. Unless I'm misremembering.
>>
No. 969194 ID: 977456

Aha. The hair rub. An ancient and refined tradition to measure the worth of a subject. Ensure that yours is the softest and flowiest that you can manage. I hear that purring can also add to one's appeal.
>>
No. 969277 ID: 094652

'I want to take the examination for for rank E as soon as possible. What quests do I need to complete first?"
>>
No. 969404 ID: e96198

Any suggestions on what I can do to get a higher rank as soon as possible?
>>
No. 969644 ID: 3d4b7a
File 159203588452.png - (19.50KB , 600x400 , FFB074E1-629F-4747-B019-A5BBC5CF6492.png )
969644

“What would it take to be self reliant, and what do you mean by observations?”
“Ah, don’t worry, we will just be observing how well you’re doing and review your mission history in case there are signs of assistance. There has been times where people have been caught using illegal means, or forcing weaker people to surrender their missions. It’s a serious case in smaller towns or villages where the local teams would bully outsiders, or a stronger person would monopolize everything to control the area.”
She looks at me, “While the guilds try to be neutral, we can’t control who our members are associated with, and if people do bad stuff, it’ll reflect badly on us as a whole.
As for being self reliant, we only step in on extreme cases. We can’t fix every problem, but we are always open for questions and assistance. You are mostly free to do what you want within the rules, but many people prefer their freedom. It’s a compromise between safety and knowledge, and offering help to those who can’t take care of themselves.”

“What about a dress code, or what stuff can I buy and sell?”
“There’s no dress code, since many parties tend to have their own, but if asked, you can present your bracelet as a form of guild membership.” Cynthia explains as she shows off her own bracelet. Squeezing where the guild ID would be, her own glows red, indicating her rank, and some text appears. “This is your guild identification number.” She points to the inscription, “It represents your information inside the guild, which will let us know who you are and where your from. Any more information requires permission from the guild leaders, so you don’t have to tell anyone anything else.”

“As for buying and selling, that depends on location. The guild typically supports the local market, and merchants can do trades across towns and villages. The guild just proves your trustworthy and acts as a middleman to ensure a fair trade is done. You could also sell directly to the people, but you there are risks on that end.
Here in the city, we mostly buy provisions, exotic goods, and services, while we mainly offer the services of our people, repairs, enchantments, mana crystal refinement, and information. Other locations will offer other things depending on their local specialities or people. If you have any speciality or stuff you wish to sell, you can offer it at the counter and our people will handle buyers and form a fair contract, or offer a safe place to deposit items to pass on to others.
We also regularly keep in touch with other nearby branches, so what you can buy or sell could even be for or from somewhere else, but payment will take time depending on how far they are. Most people uses that to just sent letters however.”

“What about ranking up? What’s the quickest way to do that?”
She frowns, “That depends on your progress. Don’t be impatient, since rushing though things tends to get people hurt. It’s up to the guild to offer rank ups after reviewing a members progress. Unless you gain noticeable achievements, our neutrality means that even if you are a skilled warrior, you still have to climb the ranks.”

“If there’s nothing else, I would recommend repeatable missions. They’re usually put in wooden signs by the mission board since there’s no real reason to take them off, and there’s an unspoken agreement to leave those to kids, so there’s not as much competition on those here. The rewards are low, but it’s a safe and let’s you gather experience on how to do things here.”

I take a look at where the mission board are, and there are many paper tags indicating requests for goods, people, guards, and information on missing people. All in various colors to indicate the required rank and importance based on height. At the side are a few wooden signs requesting wild herbs, pest control, mana crystal collection, and scribing duties.
>>
No. 969648 ID: 5877dc

Check if there are any missions related to slimes.
>>
No. 969650 ID: 807a98

A huge mana crystal might be hrlpful to rank up faster
>>
No. 969652 ID: 0fae41

See if the missing persons missions have a minimum rank requirement, even if they do you can investigate these unofficially. It's free biomass!
>>
No. 969657 ID: d88d26

Since you can replicate plants the herb gathering are easy points. Do as many of those as you can. Capitalize on your advantage while your rank is low enough to justify doing so.
You will need to gather a sample and go to the area to pretend you picked all the herbs normally, so you can't take requests for herbs that are too far apart simultaneously. Find the area with the most amount of herbs quests to do and also pick all the pest control requests for that area.
>>
No. 969660 ID: adb916

>>969644
oooooo mana crystals!
>>
No. 969663 ID: b29a2c

>>969660
We eat mana crystals. We can't sell them.
It's like that proverb: You can't have a cake and eat it too.
>>
No. 969664 ID: ba56e6

>>969652
Seconded, except to rescue them instead.
Any kidnappers on the other hand...
>>
No. 969666 ID: b1b4f3

>>969644
Look at the mana crystal job to see where they recommend harvesting from, so that you know where to harvest your own for food. See if you can complete some other mission at the same time to advance in rank.
>>
No. 969676 ID: f5fa59

>>969664
Seconded.
>>
No. 969754 ID: d186fc

>>969664
Thirded

>>969666
If we do this, we need to be careful not to take too many and raise suspicion or even cause supply problems.
>>
No. 969930 ID: 0cb682

Are there any mentions of goblins?
>>
No. 969940 ID: d186fc

>>969930
We talking Slime Isekai-style goblins or Goblin Slayer-style goblins?
>>
No. 969993 ID: e24a67

... Actually, now that you are a slime monster with a regular human job, why not try splitting yourself into copies and taking out-of-city quests every day, all day, and then coming back at various times to make yourself look like you can do five times the work.

For reference, the 'original' will be whoever has the egg in their head.
>>
No. 970006 ID: d88d26

>>969993
Because core. Singular.
>>
No. 970127 ID: e7c7d3

Let's collect some mana crystals. At least we could learn how to do it on our own time if we get too hungry
>>
No. 970176 ID: e7703b
File 159270970412.png - (29.32KB , 600x400 , D039DA41-8B58-4390-ABC7-43D886D05793.png )
970176

> Missing people
While I could not care less for the lives of these creatures, I have no idea of ant patterns or relations between the random assortments of cases. They vary between ages, gender, and species. Time and location seem random, but mostly at the slums and outer rings of the city. It would be too much effort to consider looking for them in places I do not know about.

While splitting up might be a good idea on a search, it requires more bodies than I can provide or supply at my current state. Maybe if I get more cores under my control.

There is one subjugation quest on slimes, but it seems to be above what my ranking allow.

> Counterfeiting herbs
I do not know how well my replication of fauna could affect things. If you’re insistent on doing so, it might be a risky way to grind out some points. I would need to find a proper place to gather them or risk explaining where I gathered them from.

> Gathering mana crystals
It appears this is the most relevant to my needs for the moment.

I return to the guild counter and meet up with Cynthia again.
“Oh, have you decided on what you would like to do?”
“Would it be possible for me to do multiple requests at the same time?”
“While not recommended, yes. You can, but you might not get the full reward compared to those who got the requests in the first place. That’s why the repeatable ones don’t have a formal request.”
“So I can go collect herbs and crystals at the same time?”
“Yes, that’s possible. Is that what you would like to do?”
“Yes please.”
“Very well,” she says as she leafs though some papers, “it seems like the Ortho herbs are coming into season this month.
I am handed a slip of paper with various herbs listed, “These are the current herbs that are in season, and what kind of places they grow in. You should try the west forest for most of them. As for crystals, there should be a mine nearby that needs some help.” She hands me map. “The mine is privately owned, and will buy the crystals on the spot. Do be careful about the area, since its about time for beasts to gather food for the coming winter.”



> Gather herbs
> Gather mana crystals
>>
No. 970177 ID: 0fae41

Let's go mining.
>>
No. 970178 ID: e7c7d3

What's yours is mine. Let's see what these caves have to offer
>>
No. 970179 ID: b1b4f3

>>970176
Didn't give any info on where to get the crystals though. The mine is the turn-in location... I guess we can try going there to ask where to get the crystals they need?
>>
No. 970181 ID: 0cb682

mine, sure.
>>
No. 970202 ID: 2e8173

mine sounds good
>>
No. 970209 ID: fa2754

>>970176
You can handle beasts. To the mines.
>>
No. 970217 ID: d88d26

>While not recommended, yes. You can, but you might not get the full reward compared to those who got the requests in the first place. That’s why the repeatable ones don’t have a formal request.

A bit confusing. At first that sound like we are allowed to take multiple requests but doing so will reduce the payment, but than the comparison to "those who got the requests" suggest that we wouldn't be taking multiple requests instead would be fulfilling a request without formally taking it therefor being payed less.
And repeatable ones don't count? If I'm understanding this correctly the two requests we are current attempting are both repeatable requests and we will receive full reward upon completion.
Are repeatable requests also excluded from penalties for failure?


>Ortho herbs

Do we have enough information to identify this plant just by looking? If not the best we can do is to sample every notable herb on the way to counterfeit latter.

Either way I'm loosing this vote. The mine sound more interesting.
>>
No. 970222 ID: adb916

mines. crystals. yes.
>>
No. 970223 ID: 6e6f32

Too the Mine! Though if you don't know what an Ortho herb is, do take a moment to ask so you can identify them. You can do that one on the way back.
>>
No. 970231 ID: 5877dc

How far are the herbs from the mine? Technically we only need to find one sample of the herb (altho a few different samples would be useful to make them look diverse) and then we can replicate as many as we need. So if we find a patch of herbs on our way to the mine, we should absorb a few. But other than that, we should head for the mine.
>>
No. 970796 ID: e7703b
File 159323972402.png - (56.69KB , 600x400 , 48240426-6D80-454E-B5ED-0BBBCEAEC137.png )
970796

Without looking, I have no idea where patches of herbs would be in this forest. However I make a straight pass to the mine.
It appears to be a small outpost around a mountainside, guarded by a wall.

“Hey!” A guard yells out as I approach the entrance, “what are you doing here?”
“I’m here for the mining job.”
The guard looks down at me and frowns, but after a pause, he sighs, “ID please.”
I bring up my bracelet and he takes a metal slate above it. I sense a bit of magic from it and it beeps.
“Alright,” he looks inside, “The foreman should be that guy over there.” He points to a dirty brown rabbold, dressed in a sleeveless shirt and rough pants. “Get your orders from him.” The guard says as he clips the slate to his belt and walks to a booth to the side of the gate.
>>
No. 970797 ID: e7703b
File 159323980662.png - (31.55KB , 400x600 , 2D616F8F-2AF1-4E4D-8C58-573CA1E5EBC0.png )
970797

I walk in, feeling a ward flow though me as I pass the gates. Instantly I can hear yelling, pinging, rumbling, and the smell of dust and powder in the air.
Waking to the foreman, I wait till he’s done yelling orders to some miners at the distance before introducing myself.

“Hello, I am Emils. I’m from the guild, here on for the mining job.”
He looks at me, scowling. “Another kid? I need skilled workers here.” He complains, running a hand though his scruffy hair.
“I’m Jason.” He points to a nearby hut by the gates, “drop off your shit there, there should be some lockers there. Sign your name and grab a tag by the wall, and report back here.”
He thinks, “By the way, do you know any dirt moving magic? It’s not part of the mining job, but we need desperately need dirt movers. It’s a lot more easier than working in the mines.”

(Answer may determine if you work inside or outside the mines)
>>
No. 970800 ID: c030a8

I have magic that allows me to store and release large amounts of material, and I am super-Rabboldly strong.
>>
No. 970801 ID: b1b4f3

>>970797
Tell her you have one earth type spell, but you want to see how they get mana crystals out of the mines first.
>>
No. 970802 ID: 7d9195

When we gained the Spire spell we also gained the Solid Material Manipulation skill. However, we traded that skill off, so it's questionable whether we'd be able to use that spell.

Tell him you can do earth magic, but that you're unsure which spells would be useful or how. Ask him if there's anyone else around here that could demonstrate the usage of such spells. Also ask what the difference in the work would be depending on your skills.
>>
No. 970803 ID: b1b4f3

>>970802
Spells are not tied to abilities. Abilities are learned differently. I'm actually not quite sure how they work, but anyway, Spire still does what it does.
>>
No. 970807 ID: 7d9195

>>970803
>Spells are not tied to abilities.

>>/questarch/788996
>{Solid:Heat; Target:Self; Scale:1% Initiate;}
>Thermoregulation (Heat) has been triggered.

>>/questarch/795560
>{Gas:Flow; Target:Coordinates:Vector; Scale:1%; Initiate;}
>nothing
>>
No. 970809 ID: 82ab4c

>>970797
You’re not sure you can help them with dirt-moving spells... at least not directly. You may need to experiment a little to see what you could do - and how to do it safely. If just moving dirt is all they need, though...

You can self-regulate your body temperature to prevent overheating and you’re pretty strong for your age thanks to your Body Affinity and, well, a training regimen. You will eventually tire, but you suspect you can excavate and haul earth manually fairly well. If they’re willing to let you have a few mana crystals for your own - for a personal project - in addition or instead of payment for the work done, you can give it a shot. If that’s no good you can certainly put your traits to use mining instead.

Why is hauling dirt such an issue here? You’d think an operation like theirs would be prepared for it.
>>
No. 970812 ID: e7c7d3

No, you don't know any dirt moving spells, and besides, you'd be more comfortable in the mines. Less watchful eyes... in case you mess up! It's your first mission after all.
>>
No. 970814 ID: 36784c

>>970797
>dirt moving magic?
Well, we do have that Spire spell. But the last time we tried to use it here: >>/questarch/876810 , it caused a large spire of flesh, bone, and slime to explode out of our chest.

We might not be able to help with moving dirt.
>>
No. 970816 ID: e19a40

Our spells may not be ideal for the task. If it's urgent we could try, otherwise it's better to leave the task for someone else.
>>
No. 970817 ID: e856a3

Since we can use the earth element I don't see why we couldn't help. We should try experimenting whith our magic anyway.
>>
No. 970822 ID: b1b4f3

>>970814
That's because we used it without a target, so it defaulted to Emils' body.
>>
No. 970828 ID: 6e6f32

So why do we need to worry about Emils' ACTUAL earth magic though?
The basic slime abilities come in super handy here.

Just claim it's magic and go to town. Yeah they'll be a little weirded out at first, but everyone has a job to do here. If it works they probably won't worry about it for long.
>>
No. 970830 ID: ba56e6

>>970797
I know an earth spire spell, but that is too violent and would likely cause a collapse.

I am extremely strong. I bet I can carry twice as much as you.
>>
No. 970942 ID: 0cb682

I can use earth magic. Demonstrate any spells you think may be useful and I'll see if I can copy them.
>>
No. 970949 ID: dce46f

Demonstrate the kind of spells you mean by "dirt magic", I'll tell you if I can do any of them.
>>
No. 971438 ID: e7703b
File 159385857731.png - (22.47KB , 600x400 , C396FFDE-4593-43C9-BF15-49CDA1C5DB2A.png )
971438

“I do have some dirt magic, but I am not sure how good it will be for you.”
Jason thinks, and then points to a dirt pile, “Show me.”
I walk up to the pile of dirt. I don’t know the full chant for [Spire], so I hum instead, putting the mana pattern for [Spire] onto the pile.
I walk back as the mana collects from the edges of the pattern to the center, dirt from the area of the spell is drawn to the center, erupting the dirt into a hard pillar.
“Huh... I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.” Jason says as he inspects the dirt pillar.
He hits it from different angles, and asks, “Is this the only spell you know?”
“No. What do you need ground magic for, if I may ask.”
“Taking care of waste, really. We have a few ground mages, but they’re overworked. A few extra hands would be great.”
“And how do you take care of the wastes?”
“We make them into bricks.” He points to the walls, “We double as a quarry, but we produce more dirt than stone for now.”
Jason grabs a chisel from one of his pouches, and tries to chip off a part of the spire.
“This could work... hey kid, I can’t really hire you to do this without the guilds approval, but would you like to help out? We can’t sell them, but I’ll give you 50 credits per brick if you can turn this pile of dirt into something usable.”
“How would it differ from going mining?”
Jason frowns, “Its 5 credits per days work in the mine for the guild, more if you bring in extra stuff, like ores or huge crystals. But you’ll have to compete with the other kids down there, and no one is going to have kids mining unexplored or dangerous areas. Unless you got some way to see though walls, you won’t earn as much down there. Even if you do, you’ll be sure you’ll be surrounded by those wanting to ride on your good luck.”
“Other than that, we could use some help cleaning tools. It’ll cost 1 credit per item, but anything broken will come out of your pay.”
> Bricks
> Mining
> Cleaning
>>
No. 971439 ID: 0fae41

Cleaning. Learn the tools of the trade.
>>
No. 971443 ID: e7c7d3

Bricks probably will bring in the most money and also be the most helpful, honestly. But I do want to see if these mana crystals from the mine is something substantial enough to consume. Plus, there's a decent chance that we could detect good crystals.

>Mining
>>
No. 971445 ID: e19a40

>... 50 credits per brick...
>... 5 credits per days work in the mine...
>... cost 1 credit per item...

Those are some really valuable bricks in relation to everything else. Tempting...

What standard must my bricks follow? Would it be enough to cut blocks out of the spire or do I need to chisel and cook them? What should the dimensions of each brick be?
>>
No. 971448 ID: 7d9195

Convert the whole mine into a self-sustained brick factory :B

Anyway, I don't think using thermoregulation on bricks would work because there's a good chance that the heat would break the crystalline structure that makes it hard. So I'd ask to see the ground mages at work, if possible, and learn the spells necessary to make bricks from them. If it's not possible, then I'd go with mining because we can see through walls~
>>
No. 971468 ID: b1b4f3

>>971438
>Unless you got some way to see though walls
Heh, we do. You can use Solid Material Perception.
>you’ll be sure you’ll be surrounded by those wanting to ride on your good luck.
We could try scaring them off. If that doesn't work, wander in to a "dangerous" area. Solid Material Perception should warn you of possible cave-ins. If one of them gets particularly annoying and has a good element in their core we could just eat 'em.

On the other hand, attempting to make bricks could get you some good experience with your earth element.
>>
No. 971470 ID: 094652

Do the brick job. You can also analyze the waste and see what potential materials they've overlooked.
>>
No. 971474 ID: fa2754

>>971438
We can pretty much cheese all of these tasks. I say go for the one that benefits us the most. Mines. We don't have much need for credits.
>>
No. 971475 ID: a9af05

>>971438
We don't need money. We came here for mana crystals, so let's get mining.
>>
No. 971477 ID: dce46f

Do we have enough mana to spire stuff into bricks all day? Its been awhile since we last snacked on someone. If we have enough though we totally should, at least for a little while. Maybe ask if we can check out the mines after a bit of time spent making the bricks?
>>
No. 971485 ID: f133dc

The way Emils can manipulate matter she could use the spell to make an appropriate sized brick, then use her matter shaping to make it clean and usable and shear it off at one end.

Could probably make a lot more bricks than they are expecting you to. I say go for it.
>>
No. 971489 ID: b1b4f3

>>971485
We can't. We have physical sensing, mana manipulation, and minor light manipulation. Any manipulation of matter needs to be done via spells. Emils would have to learn a new earth spell to shape earth better than the spire demonstration.
>>
No. 971492 ID: 53560f

Honestly we don’t get all that many chances to practice or refine our magic. Make the bricks and see if we can’t find a way to make [spire] form the dirt into bricks outright (maybe by making a cast for it to form into?), if not then we’re still getting paid well so it’s all good.
>>
No. 971495 ID: f133dc

>>971489

What are you talking about? Emils made an arm out of some rare magical metal and said she could make more using her own mass if she wanted too.

Should be a breeze to make something as simple as a square brick of earth, particularly when mixed with spire to get a vaguely correctly shaped rock.
>>
No. 971496 ID: 6e6f32

>>971495
It would be- With Solid Material Manipulation. Not a thing Slime currently has.

That's not to say Emils can't make bricks. She has super strength, [Spire], can absorb, and melt things. The job IS doable, but it will take some creativity and trial and error.

Which really would be the point of taking the brick job to be honest. Credits are nice, but the opportunity to hone our skills and magic to rise to a challenge is the real draw.
>>
No. 971498 ID: bf0653

We can ask (or eat) the resident ground mages for new spells and stuff,then we can practice making things out of dirt.
>>
No. 971500 ID: ba56e6

>>971438
Time to shit bricks.
>>
No. 971502 ID: e4abe1

>>971438
yeh, go look at heart mages, then start making briks
>>
No. 971515 ID: 0cb682

bricks
See if you can figure out how to make them square, a standard size (ask for a sample brick) sturdy, durable, and long lasting via the addition of thermoregulation.
>>
No. 971516 ID: f133dc

>>971496

Once again I'll ask, when did this change? We made that arm like, 4 or 5 scenes ago. The only change in abilities we have had was stealing ice magic from the detective.
>>
No. 971517 ID: 8fab7a

>>971516
>>/questarch/875985
Solid Material Manipulation was lost back in Chapter 4 when it got combined with Mana Perception into Mana Manipulation and Solid Material Perception by Lust.

>arm prosthetic
If I remember correctly, Emils used her slime mass to eat bits of the arm that were unusable, then modify her mass into properly arranged components for the remnants of the original arm. She could do this as her slime mass is material she can freely change and manipulate AND she knows how the biology of an arm works, cuz' of her own ability to mimic living things realistically.

Through her Mana Manipulation humming, Emils has probably learned to bypass using the native interface to cast magic, which is how she regained the use of [Spire] here. With practice she can probably learn all kinds of custom magics, including outright brick-making.

That said, let's go into the mine. We may not be able to see through walls, but we have Solid Material Perception which would allow us to explore the tunnels and identify veins and good areas to mine - and we're more interested in the phenomenon of mana crystals than earning credits, no?

Plus, using magic to solve large-scale problems is a leading cause of the kind of mana overuse that's plaguing this world. I'd say that needs to be fixed before Emils starts figuring out (and spreading) spells for industrial applications. Though earning a solid income isn't necessarily to be scoffed at either.
>>
No. 971518 ID: adb916

Wildly using mana will probably drain us faster. Lets try handling our innate need for mana crystals. Get sustainability first.
>>
No. 971521 ID: 6e6f32

>>971517
>Arm
That's how Slime deals with biological components it's absorbed. The prosthetic was made of a special mana reactive super metal. If we had told her to, Emils could have used it to make a perfect replica of the real thing (And it probably would have been better, no less).

Also Emils is a long way from "Spreading" her magic, lol. She would need to alter someones core to allow them to finely sense mana, first of all.

That said, there ARE shenanigans Emils can get up to in the mine that would make her super effective. Not only can she find ore and mine it easy, but she can collect it inside of her body, thus preventing nearby and passing rival miners from realizing shes striking. Also, if any caves or voids are found she can make a crack, slime on through, and mine in peace, or better yet, stack muscles and see if she can hulk mode mine.

Mining actually sound pretty dope. Though, we will need to tell him that we are deceptively no obscenely strong, and that we will require a tool that can handle it.
>>
No. 971522 ID: 36784c

>>971521
>Though, we will need to tell him that we are deceptively no obscenely strong, and that we will require a tool that can handle it.
They would require us to prove these claims and the looks on their faces will be hilarious!
>>
No. 972008 ID: e7703b
File 159452342045.png - (20.99KB , 600x400 , DCC9D36C-293A-4BE4-B5B9-FB6C0BC8D031.png )
972008

“I could try out making bricks first, but I would also like to go into the mines. I need to get some mana crystals.”
“Fine. Put away your items and come back.”
I head into the shed and find an empty locker to hold my inventory.
Pocketing the key and numbered tag, I follow Jason to a large masked rabbold.

“Simon, this is Emils, another mage. She’ll help you for today.”
Simons voice is heavily muffled behind the mask. I can’t understand him at all.
Jason and Simon are discussing, and hands him a piece of stone he removed from my spire, “think you can work with this?”
More muffling from Simon as he examines the stone.
He then points to a pile of rubble, and asks me something.
“He says to do your magic on that pile. He’ll then be able to cut them down later.”
Simon hands me an wooden block, and Jason explains, “We need it to be about this size. Just do as many as you can, and Simon will do the rest.”

Simon grabs a chunk of rubble and muffles out a spell. I can sense the mana run though his body and into the rock, splitting it into segments which slides off into bricks. He begins tossing the parts from the edges, and broken bricks into the rubble pile.

> Create a few spires
> Create a lot of spires
> Clear up all the rubble into spires
> Attempt to copy the spell
> Make bricks physically
>>
No. 972009 ID: 19fdd8

>>972008
> Clear up all the rubble into spires
>>
No. 972014 ID: 0fae41

Create a few spires, as a test.
>>
No. 972016 ID: d63ea8

Clear up all the rubble into spires.

We need to show that we can excel.
>>
No. 972017 ID: ae9bd9

>>972008
copy the spell of course
>>
No. 972019 ID: 094652

Slice the walls into hexagon-sided boulders, then cut the boulders individually into bricks. Or just jigsaw an entire brick wall.
>>
No. 972020 ID: b1b4f3

>>972008
Copy the spell, but uh, just ask him to teach it to you. You can't make out the chant from the mask.
This is not suspicious- that's how people learn spells normally!
>>
No. 972021 ID: e7848c

>>972008
Create a few but start a steadily increasing rhythm of creating more.
>>
No. 972023 ID: ba56e6

>>972021
This. If no one stops you or says they're not working, just do the whole pile. He said to do as much as you can.
>>
No. 972026 ID: e4abe1

>>972020
this
>>
No. 972028 ID: 864e49

>>972020
If he refuses to teach you the spell then just make a shit ton of bricks.
>>
No. 972031 ID: dce46f

Create a lot of spires but lets not go overboard and tip our hand. We want to look hyper-competent not super-human. Ask the man in the mask to teach you his spell when he finishes and use that as an excuse to copy it.
>>
No. 972035 ID: e78a3b

>I can’t understand him at all.
Universal Language do your job!

If we ask him to teach us, he might reject us on the grounds of not being a teacher. However, if we asked him to hear him chant, he might be more willing to do that. Perhaps if we said something like, that he had a soothing voice, and that we really wanted to hear him without his mask on at least once, that he would accept our request.

But even before that, we should demonstrate our own skills before asking him to demonstrate his.

>He’ll then be able to cut them down later
Since he used the word "later", we can assume that he expects us to waste a lot of time doing our work. In other words, if we go slow, he'll just leave us to do his own stuff and won't teach us anything. This is why I'd vote to clear up all the rubble into spires, so that he would have no choice but to stay here. After all, we would be waiting for him to do his stuff.
>>
No. 972038 ID: f2320a

>>972035
Why not try and clear it up into a single spire
>>
No. 972040 ID: e78a3b

>>972038
If possible, sure. Altho making such a large spire might have unforseen consequences (such as destabilizing the mine)
>>
No. 972041 ID: adb916

Start small and gradually make larger spires
>>
No. 972042 ID: 5b0071

>>972008
Make a few spires. Might look fishy if we can suddenly copy the mage's brick spell.
>>
No. 972043 ID: 6e6f32

Clear all the rubble into spires. See if you can adjust the shape of the things as you go. Maybe make something easier to work with.
>>
No. 972160 ID: f133dc

Only clear the entire pile into spires if you are SURE it's not going to hurt one of the people in the room with you, or collapse the room by mistake.

But yes, give them a show. Make it a big bunch of those spires.
>>
No. 972173 ID: 278f7f

>>972008
I'd say make lots of spires, not enough to clear all the rubble in one sitting but a solid chunk of it.
They'll probably take notice and maybe even ask for you to help out again in future.
>>
No. 972679 ID: fde50b
File 159510612345.png - (19.82KB , 600x400 , B9779DC3-AEFD-46EC-8388-35BB5AB0B550.png )
972679

[Universal language] seems to function if I can directly receive what is being conveyed probably. Otherwise Simon might not be really talking.

As I do not need to keep feeding the spell with mana, I quickly set up a few small [Spire]s around the rubble pile, and leave a trail of reformed rock behind me.
Simon comes up to the first spire, and makes quick work of a spire to produce a single brick for each one, and quickly catches up to me.

I observe the flow of mana each time he does so, and keep up the pace by increasing the size of the [spire] spell. It doesn’t seem to slow him down the slightest, as he adjusts his muffled chanting to makes more bricks each cast.
Each spire I create is larger than the last, and Simon is hit with his limit, and casts another spell to fit the rest of the remaining space of the spire to create more bricks.

Other people around us begin to take notice as Simon calls out to them, and they begin to shift the bricks off to a pile at one side.

Knowing Simons limits, I estimate how much he can create, and produce the largest spell I’ve casted, and surround the rubble pile to create a huge spire so Simon could work on it as I continue to observe his spell.
>>
No. 972680 ID: fde50b
File 159510616741.png - (16.89KB , 600x400 , 04009216-B97A-49EE-BC4D-F28C1C2BC2DC.png )
972680

I step aside to practice what I am seeing.
Grabbing a stone from the ground, I copy the way the mana flows, as my mana saturates the stone. Humming as I do, I can feel lines of mana along the natural grain of the stone, and let my mana straighten them out into units. It’s tiresome, and I need to touch what I am affecting, but I use the mana to part the stone into sections, and create a small rectangle. From what I understand, I’m creating planes of mana, and intersecting them with other planes of mana to form grids and sections. I then agitate the material to sheer it apart at the planes I select to make a brick.

If I want to do create more complex shapes, I would need to inject more mana, and need more time to create more planes. It’s a [mana barrier] in essence, but with its application, I would have to diffuse my mana into the surrounding to make a projected shield. Doable, but wasteful.

> What to do next.
>>
No. 972684 ID: e78a3b

Good. Let's finish whatever bricks we can make from these spires and then go mining.

The plan is to use Solid Material Perception to sense various kinds of materials through the ground and then dig them out. Perhaps the newly acquired skill can help us with that. We should get a small sample of each type so that we can learn what is what. So besides the mana crystals for the mission, we can also get paid for any rare ore that we find.
>>
No. 972685 ID: b1b4f3

>>972680
A shield from nothing is pretty handy, despite the cost. Can you use it as a weapon? Like, for instance, a single plane used as a knife? Or three planes angled together to produce a piercing point? How far away from your hands can you project the "barrier"? Can you launch the barrier?
People don't normally sense mana at all times. That means the barriers are mostly invisible, which is useful as well. You can raise your guard without anyone noticing, or attack in a completely unexpected way.

Probably shouldn't experiment with weaponizing it right in front of everyone though. If you've spired all the rubble then I suppose it's time to work in the mines.
>>
No. 972699 ID: e19a40

>>972685
>Can you use it as a weapon?

>I then agitate the material to sheer it apart at the planes I select to make a brick.

The presence of the barrier isn't enough to produce a cut, there is another step before the desired result. To me that sound like this process only cut hard materials that can be physically moved to break where the barrier is. If the material is flexible the process shouldn't result in a cut.
Assuming those barrier can manifest inside living beings they could be used break bones or squish organs. We should test when no one is looking.


> What to do next.

Talk to Jason about your payment than enter the mine.
>>
No. 972706 ID: b1b4f3

>>972699
Well, I dunno if cutting rock is a good example of how difficult it will be to cut flesh. Might be all we need is to make a barrier in the air with a sharp enough point or edge, and direct it against flesh.
>>
No. 972711 ID: e19a40

>>972706
I'm interpreting the affirmation that the barrier appear inside solid matter without instantly cutting the material as meaning it doesn't work like a material blade.
It can't have any volume because if it had the rock would separate immediately. If it's a bidimensional surface the edge should be a perfect blade that cuts with the minimum resistance possible, but the process described isn't moving the edge against the material it's agitate the material to cut where the barrier prevent motion.
If the barrier work like a blade the process used is very inefficient. The same result should be accomplished with far less mana if instead of creating multiple barrier we make only one and use it as a knife.
What I'm assuming is that instead of cutting the edge of the barrier phase through matter. The motion prevention property would be exclusive to movements perpendicular to the surface.
If my interpretation is correct we can still make a blade with this spell, but it would require two barriers in different angles.
>>
No. 972715 ID: 6e6f32

That's tiring?
For you?!?

Simon must be a fucking beast.

I guess all there's left to do is take the waste rubble from the spires and make one last one. Unless of course there is more rubble to spire up.
Once that's all done Inform the foreman and get mining!
>>
No. 972718 ID: 977456

How easy is it to move these barriers? If you can build a dart, and then activate the sheering force after throwing it, then it wouldn't need to be maintained for long. The same if you can get into the habit of maintaining layered arm-guards and briefly exciting the outer layer to disrupt things that come into contact with it.
>>
No. 972727 ID: fa2754

>>972680
Well let's get our money and go down to get our crystals
>>
No. 972794 ID: d186fc

>>972680
What if you used both hands and placed one on each side to make a circuit?

What are the odds that you are missing something in the spell?
>>
No. 973191 ID: fde50b
File 159575971567.png - (38.27KB , 600x400 , 75D4919C-68EA-4664-9368-222C4B8A832B.png )
973191

It’s tiresome since I am forcing the mana in the objects to align against their paths to form a plane. Raw stone is not a good mana conductor, and I have to push my influence into it to control it. It would be easier to form the barrier in or around materials that can handle mana better, like my slime or draconite.

As for ease, I can only assume it’s because Simon has more practice, and his natural ability is helping.

I make my way to Jason and tell him that I’m done with creating spires, and that Simon is busy making more bricks.
He’s surprised, but hands me a metal bucket with a small pickaxe and blue helmet.

“This should fit you,” he said as he straps the helmet to my head, “the color of the helmet tells you who’s who. Red helmets are supervisors and safety. Always listen to them. Blue helmets are guild members like you, you are free to do whatever with them, but don’t get into fights. We aren’t responsible for fights in there. Green helmets are staff. Don’t bother them when they are working, and listen to them if they tell you not to go places.”
He brings me to a mine entrance and points to a glowing stick with colored string tied to it, anchored on the wall. “These are waypoint markers. Any path that goes deeper into the mine glows red, and on the opposite side of the marker is green to show you the way out. The strings indicate which places you’re allowed to go. You’re free to mine at the blue strings area. Keep out of red string areas, and green string areas are resting and safe spots. They all have different sizes so try to remember them in case there’s no lights. Try to keep safe in there.”
Jason quickly walks off, yelling at some workers.

How should I handle this.
> Focus on mining
- Grab whatever
- Use perception to grab mana crystals
- Fill your bucket with anything of value
> Look around
- Learn who’s around
- Check out the mine
> Consume everyone
>>
No. 973192 ID: fa2754

>>973191
Load up on crystals, but put some less valuable stuff on top of it so it doesn't look suspicious or like a prime theft target. Only consume if you can get away with it and put their tag back outside without notice
>>
No. 973193 ID: 8fab7a

>wotdo
Retrieve mana crystals - you're here to get some and figure out more about them. Figuring out more about them might also involve finding out why such things form/are here in the first place.

To that end, explore as you go and don't empty out every find you locate.

Remember the warning that others might see our successes and start following us around to exploit our luck. If you keep your bucket only semi-full or half-full and pick stuff clean on the way back, you might avoid too much undue attention.

If you can keep your bearings and a mental map, do so.
>>
No. 973194 ID: 62e4df

Focus on mana crystals. It's why you came here, isn't it?
>>
No. 973199 ID: a1b662

No consuming. We're trying to instill a "consume only aggressors" policy here.

Focus on mana crystals. And as >>973193 suggests, don't look *too* successful.
>>
No. 973211 ID: f133dc

Yeah, lets not consume anyone who doesn't actually deserve it. I think we should be looking at a better means to learn magic anyway, while it's been quite effective as we are aware so far, Lust made it pretty clear we'd be better at magic if we'd stop relying on the way natives use it. Emils can probably use song to figure out that nature of the universe one little piece at a time and make better spells.
>>
No. 973214 ID: 6931f1

Hmm, now I'm interested in finding out what's deeper in the mines...

Go look around.
>>
No. 973219 ID: e19a40

> Look around
Figure out the underground layout, how many people are in each chamber and the distribution of colored helmet.

The first thing to figure out is who is watching you and where. Acting unobserved should be to our advantage.

If any isolated individuals is located take notice of their surroundings. Those are potential targets for consumption.
>>
No. 973222 ID: e7c7d3

Check out the mine

I'm hopeful that mana crystals can offer some sustenance, but if not then this is still an opportunity to ward off hunger. There's sure to be at least one opportunity to consume someone and bury the evidence.
>>
No. 973265 ID: 0cb682

mana crystals
>>
No. 973266 ID: b1b4f3

Get the mana crystals. Eat a couple of the crystals out of view of anyone else, that'll satisfy your cravings.
>>
No. 973268 ID: 0fae41

Consume everyone, just like before. How many exits does this mine have?
>>
No. 973282 ID: dd42eb

Mmmm... some people sound tasty right about now. No We've come so far without murdering anyone(at least anyone who didn't have it coming)!

I think its time we got mining. Lets use mana perception to grab as many crystals as we can, and consume as many of them as we can get away with. Maybe observe how many crystals other people are leaving with and save approximately that many to turn in at the end of this trip.

Maybe keep an eye out for other adventurers who you might team up with while you go through the early ranks?
>>
No. 973307 ID: 864e49

>>973191
Lets go make friends! While exploring!
With our abilities finding mana crystals will be easy so there's no need to rush.

>>973282
And those 25 guards Emils ate.
>>
No. 973314 ID: 8fab7a

>>973307
>25 other guards
Yup. It's pretty obvious there's no sating Emils' desire to devour. It'll just keep hanging around as an impulse.

Re: eating all the people. Other people know we were in here. If we leave, having eaten everyone else, that'll definitely raise severe warning flags about Emils. One or more people going missing while we were in there might also raise flags if people later start correlating disappearances while Emils was around.

Unless pressed into a survival situation, do not do it.
>>
No. 973316 ID: 53560f

Before we consider hunting we should make sure people don’t question why we’re the only survivor, a “cave-in” would make sense as to why we lived and why some bodies couldn’t be found.

Before we consider that however lets collect mana crystals, get an idea of the layout, people of interest and peoples locations then strike when/if an ideal opportunity presents itself. An alibi should always be priority even if we don’t act on our plans.
>>
No. 973398 ID: f133dc

I'm pretty sure we are done eating people at random. Lust asked us to be the steward of these creatures, so no eating people unless you are planning on killing them for a good reason anyway.
>>
No. 973406 ID: b1b4f3

Also, the more we ingratiate ourselves to the rabbolds, the more spells we can learn. Elemental affinity is an issue, but we can get around that in the long term by merely stealing mana cores after the mages die. Or outright buying them. I'm sure there's a black market for rabbold mana crystals somewhere.

Slime should by now see the value in avoiding eating sapients or otherwise doing anything that would greatly upset the general populace or provoke those in charge. At the very least it means losing an identity. Guild membership isn't trivial to get, and the ID bracelet is also a pain to get; we'd also have to eat someone who is relatively unknown so that nobody realizes they're a different person now.
It's just more convenient to hold onto the Emils persona for the time being. Wouldn't hurt to develop a backup identity though...
>>
No. 973415 ID: 2378bd

Let’s fine some mana crystals. Keep tabs on people you find in each chamber. Act like you belong there.
>>
No. 973471 ID: ba56e6

>>973191
Grab mana crystals.
>>
No. 973473 ID: 2adab5

> It’s a [mana barrier] in essence, but with its application, I would have to diffuse my mana into the surrounding to make a projected shield.
>It would be easier to form the barrier in or around materials that can handle mana better, like my slime or draconite.
Does this mean that instead sending mana to the surroundings as a projected shield we could cut down on the mana cost by using it to make plating on or just under our skin as a sort of Iron Skin spell?
>>
No. 973509 ID: c0253a

Look around. There might be some inaccessible areas we can get in to
>>
No. 973681 ID: fde50b
File 159635781760.png - (39.02KB , 600x400 , 53E29174-C067-45D3-A6C4-909DB3DB5B62.png )
973681

The barrier could be used as a subdermal shield, but it will sheer off the surrounding materials if activated.

With the aid of [Solid material perception], I can easily find differences in solid density in the rocks around me. Without any confirmation, I can’t tell what is what however.
Walking deeper into the mine, I reach the first rest spot, with a ventilation hole, a water spout, and a mana lantern in the middle. There are some traces of people, but they have long since left, probably to go deeper.
I follow one of the exits of the room, tracing the green cables as I go. I pass by a few more identical rest spots with traces of people passing by, skipping past exits that only has red cables. Most people I’ve passed are too busy mining or working on their tools to pay any attention to me.
Keeping a mental map of where I’ve been is simple, considering I’ve never stopped from the start.

At last I’ve hit a place with a blue cable, meaning I’m free to mine in the area. Deeper in the tunnel, I can hear the sound of metal striking rock, but I don’t have to go as deep, stopping near the entrance of the mining area.
Placing a hand against a free wall, I use the mana barrier to mince the rock into squares, exposing a chunk of mana crystals.
I can feel it as a blockage of the natural path of mana. Shifts of the rocks, change of density, or overlapping of mana veins in the rocks seems to have caused the formation of mana crystals.

It tastes sweet, but not filling. I can freely convert it to basic mana. I would need a block to sustain a days worth of normal mana consumption however.
I shove a few inside me to hide them, and place some of the nearby ores into the bucket to carry them.

With that I easily filled half my bucket with various non-rock materials.
Chewing on a shard of mana, I can hear some people walking towards me.

> Walk away
> See who it is
> Consume
>>
No. 973682 ID: 0fae41

See who it is. Entrance of the mining area but not at the start of the tunnel system isn't the ideal place to start consuming, but if it becomes necessary it's pretty quiet here.
>>
No. 973684 ID: b1b4f3

>>973681
>sweet but not filling, would need a lot to sustain
Well... most of your mana usage is coming from how much mass you already have, isn't it? What if you lost some weight? Also, let's not forget you can hunt small animals to eat their mana. How much would that compensate?

Go see who it is. Try not to kill them unless they try to kill you first.
I thought it would be harder to find mana crystals... wouldn't some people have mana sense and have scoured all the easy spots? Oh well, not complaining.
>>
No. 973685 ID: e19a40

> Walk away
The chances of receiving help from others around here are slim. Whoever is approaching is either indifferent or threatening.
Avoid contact and go dig somewhere else.
>>
No. 973686 ID: e4abe1

>>973681
see who it is
>>
No. 973687 ID: e7c7d3

See who it is. Maybe ask if they have an idea of the worth of the crystals you've mined so far.
>>
No. 973740 ID: 864e49

>>973681
>Dab Hard
Who isss iiit?
>>
No. 973746 ID: c8edab

See who it is. Also, try to ask them about the kinds of minerals down here.
>>
No. 973779 ID: ba56e6

>>973681
See who it is.
>>
No. 973950 ID: bf0653

Are you feeling hungry, Emils?
>>
No. 974208 ID: fde50b
File 159694187596.png - (36.75KB , 400x600 , 15451A14-A30F-4BA4-B69D-14F5A2446D4E.png )
974208

I continue to try to sort in more chunks of ore into my bucket as the sounds comes closer.
Two rabbolds walks into view, I recognize the smaller one as Nick Saleos, accompanied by a taller girl, both in blue helmets. She’s holding a lantern while Nick is holding a set of pickaxes and buckets.
“Ah! ...You!” He points to me in shock and slight horror, almost dropping his cargo.
“Oh.” The girl “You know her?”
“No!, I mean, yes.” He nervously stammers, eyeing the passage behind me.
The girl meanwhile eyes my bucket, and whistles though a gap in her teeth, “wow, you sure hit the mother load. Say, are you in any group? How about joining us?”
“Us?” I ask.
“No, don-“
“Hush, Nick.” She waves him off, “Yeah, a bunch of us kids are here together, and we pool up what we got and divvie up the loot in the end of the day.”
“But-“
“Not now. Anyway, we’re fair and stuff, and more hands means more loot. What say ya?”
>>
No. 974209 ID: e7848c

>>974208
You are actually just leaving. Tell them where you got your stuff and promptly exit
>>
No. 974211 ID: b1b4f3

>>974208
This isn't a good deal for you. Ask what they can give you other than valuables, since you can find those much easier than they can. Perhaps they would be willing to exchange ore for mana crystals? You are more interested in the mana crystals than the ore.

...also try to talk to Nick in private. Ask how he's doing. Did any thugs come after him?
>>
No. 974212 ID: f133dc

Who's nick?

Is that the guy we murdered some random criminal protecting?

He's strapped for cash so helping him make some cash couldn't hurt, but there's no doubt helping them would cut into what you are going to get.
>>
No. 974213 ID: e19a40

"Still alive Nick? I see you found a way to make money that doesn't involve stealing."

Child miners? This is the tip of something.
Accept the unfavorable cooperation offer in exchange for a future favor.
Ask about her and this group.
>>
No. 974225 ID: c8edab

This is a good deal for us so I'd accept. We can learn a lot from these kids.
How they work, what to look for, what else is in these mines. Also, general questions, such as why each of them is working here and what do their parents do. And Nick, it would be good to know what he's up to.
>>
No. 974226 ID: 53560f

At present I have little reason to join you as I appear to be doing well enough on my own, however I do have time to spare, so I suppose I will join you for now.
You appear underfed, do miners not earn enough to feed themselves?
Also hello Nick.
>>
No. 974227 ID: f133dc

Blithely ask Nick if he's still in trouble with those dangerous looking folks.

But yes, sometimes getting to know people is worth losing a little a bit of money so we'll take the poor deal.
>>
No. 974228 ID: 0fae41

Well, if it isn't the one who got away. Decline. You work best when you're not being watched.
>>
No. 974233 ID: 2b7d20

Alright, but only because I'm good buddies with Nick and I owe him a favor.
>>
No. 974234 ID: 6e6f32

Begin to accept only to get interrupted by your own thoughts as you realize you can make candy you can actually taste by using mana crystal as sugar.
>>
No. 974248 ID: 0cb682

"I'll help you. I keep all the mana crystals, you keep the ore."

Become a god to these kids.
>>
No. 974253 ID: ba56e6

>>974248
>>974233
This.

Playfully wink in Nick's direction to get him flustered and give her entirely the wrong idea.
>>
No. 974265 ID: 977456

Nick appears to be fearful. Our own fear-responses could be made more credible. Accept and attempt to reciprocate Nick's fearfulness.
>>
No. 974313 ID: bf0653

>>974253
Let's not, we look like his dead sister, who we also killed, so just no.
>>
No. 974536 ID: fde50b
File 159749088674.png - (67.20KB , 600x400 , 61B2E766-C303-4C3A-B431-E3965FA43DA5.png )
974536

“What I’m interested is in mana crystals.” I say, holding up a chunk of mana crystal from my bucket.
Her eyes widen, “Woah, that’s a huge one.” She reaches for it, but I put it back.
“Right.” She scratches the back of her head. “Tell ya what, if you join us, we could offer you an exchange on what you got there.” She points to my bucket.
“This isn’t a good idea.” Nick tries to pipe up, but he got shot down.
“Nick shut up. You don’t order me around.”
“Ah right, my name is Chako.” She holds out her hand.
“I am Emils.” I say, returning the handshake.
She grips my hand and twirls me under her shoulder.
“Great, it’s a deal, glad to have you on board!” She grins as she wildly shakes my hand.
She pulls the bucket free from my hand and hands it to Nick, who grimaces as he holds on to it.
“Let me show you to the others!”
>>
No. 974538 ID: e7c7d3

Remind her that you haven't actually agreed to anything, and that you won't be ignored like she's doing with Nick.
>>
No. 974539 ID: adb916

That handshake was of meeting, not deal acceptance. Take that bucket back.
>>
No. 974541 ID: 38719a

Pick them up and tell them that we would need to work out the terms to make sure that this relationship is MUTUALLY beneficial before we actually agree to anything.
>>
No. 974542 ID: e19a40

The more she speak the more this seem like a scam. For now, don't question anything, just go with the flow.

"I'm begging to see what is making you so nervous about meeting me here, Nick."
>>
No. 974543 ID: ba56e6

>>974536
Even if it is a scam, you can just take the mana crystals they have and leave if they attempt to subvert the deal. They don't have the power to stop you.

Ask Nick how he's been. Is he still having trouble?
>>
No. 974547 ID: 094652

Ask Nick if he wants that make-out you owe him now or next week, because the offer expires once you graduate to mob boss.
>>
No. 974553 ID: b1b4f3

>>974536
It doesn't matter if this is a scam. It's literally impossible for them to force you to do anything.
Ask Nick how he's been.
>>
No. 974554 ID: 0fae41

Reclaim bucket. These crystals are outside of any deal you have yet to settle upon.
>>
No. 974555 ID: a9af05

>>974536
"Remove your arm from me before I remove it from your shoulder."

Gotta show Chako that you won't let yourself be pushed around.
>>
No. 974557 ID: c8edab

It doesn't matter even if they take this bucket, because you could easily fill another one and all of theirs without a problem. This really isn't a problem for us.

Just trust them and go with the flow for now. Act "friendly" as you always do. Ask Nick what happened to him since the last time you two saw each other. Also, promise him that while you're here, you will help him.
>>
No. 974562 ID: 6e6f32

You don't fear me. Strange.
Take me to the rest, then.
>>
No. 974568 ID: bf0653

Let's talk with Nick, it's been a while since we last saw him.
>>
No. 974571 ID: fd5772

>>974536
reclaim that bucket
>>
No. 974572 ID: e96198

Reclaim our stuff. Simply state that you're keeping what you've found before they came along. However anything you find now while cooperating you're willing to part with for an equal exchange.
>>
No. 974617 ID: 7d5b55

>>974572
if we state our stance beforehand they can't fault us for our actions later if they try to use us.
>>974571
>>974554
>>974539
yes
>>974568
say hi and start a conversation (maybe we can find out why people are constantly afraid of us)
>>974543
>>974555
if we are trying to blend in and doing anything to them may blow our cover.
>>974557
we may be constantly pestered afterward blocking us from further mining if we let them have control over our mining and mining too much, too good may blow our cover.
>>
No. 974620 ID: 4286b4

>>974617
>blocking us from further mining
How could they stop us from mining? It's not like we can't mine and talk to them at the same time. Also, I doubt we're coming back to this mine after our mission is done.

>if we let them have control over our mining
You mean, let them have control over the distribution of minerals. As they stated, they offer equal exchange. But even if it's not equal, we can easily mine so much (for all of them) that they wouldn't be able to carry it. Shouldn't we help these kids out a little bit?

>our cover
We already demonstrated to Nick that we're strong and that we can melt metal with our hands, so showing him that we're able to deal with inanimate rocks in an efficient manner wouldn't be anything particularly revealing.
>>
No. 974630 ID: e19a40

>>974620
We showed Nick that we are a powerful autistic sociopath. He must be afraid we will start killing people once they commit a crime.
>>
No. 974651 ID: f133dc

Emils is already building a bit of a reputation as a rabbold demigod, I think we should let the rather obvious exploitation slide and help fill many buckets just to help out and win a little goodwill from some random people.

I feel like once bureaucrats and aristocrats become aware of and get their hands on Emils that having any support from normal folks is going to be useful.
>>
No. 974669 ID: 6c9030

>>974536
Reclaim your stuff.
"I have not agreed to anything. In truth, I do not believe you have anything I would want, and I do not like your dismissive treatment of my friend.
Nick, has this one been bothering you?"
>>
No. 974748 ID: 9c48ac

>>974669
This. Gaining a reputation for being helpful is one thing, but we don't want to get walked over. Also, you can't always help everyone, and I'd rather we help the underdog than the bully.
>>
No. 974751 ID: e19a40

>>974748
Nick already refused our help. We shouldn't take risks for his sake.
>>
No. 974801 ID: 0cb682

Take bucket back, ask what proposed deal is.

Your bargaining position is you want mana crystals, you can find stuff in the earth. Make it 100% clear you don't need them, and they have to offer up a lot in return.
>>
No. 974868 ID: fde50b
File 159807767066.png - (63.23KB , 400x600 , 1013679E-C52F-480F-B3EF-40B363E58BAE.png )
974868

I pull free from Chako, “I did not agree to anything.” I say as I walk to back to Nick, holding my hand out to him.
He quickly hands me my bucket, looking scared.

“So, you know each other?” Chako asks.
“Yes. He tried to steal something from me a while ago.”
“Oh ho.” Chako smiles.
“My offer still stands.” I look at Chako, “are they part of the issue?”
“No!” Nick exclaims, “L-look, I’m sorry” Nick says as he steps back from me. “This isn’t something you need to but into. I’ll handle my issues on my own.”
“Now this is getting interesting.” Chako grins, “Sounds like a story here. Would you like to share?”
She steps besides Nick, “See, Nick here seems like a nice kid. But he’s just too focused on making money. It’s hard to trust someone who doesn’t share why.”
“Please, don’t get involved with her.” He says, “She’s dangerous.”

“Pfft.” Chako dismisses Nick, “Whatever. Follow us if you want to.” She says to me, “It’ll be good for you.”
Chako leaves for the nearby resting point, with Nick following behind her.
>>
No. 974869 ID: b1b4f3

>>974868
So they're not mistreating Nick, this is just how he's making money. I wonder how much money he needs? You can ask him if you can get a private word with him.

Also, follow them. See how their operation is going and if you can benefit from the arrangement as you thought, without being pressured into it.
>>
No. 974870 ID: e4abe1

>>974869
this
>>
No. 974879 ID: 0fae41

Go deposit your crystals somewhere for safekeeping before you do anything else.
>>
No. 974881 ID: e7c7d3

Follow. They probably have multiple stashes of mana crystals. Surely they won't notice if one goes missing. Keep out of Nick's business.

Ask Chako what she's doing here if not to make money?
>>
No. 974883 ID: fa2754

>>974868
We'll follow at our own pace. Which would be at a distance. There's no harm in tossing them a bit of ore and building up some rapport. But nothing more than that.
>>
No. 974884 ID: bf0653

Let's see if we can help Nick and the others get a big haul, it's not much of a bother for us and it'll help Nick a little bit.
>>
No. 974885 ID: b1b4f3

>>974884
Yeah, I agree, so long as they keep to the deal.
>>
No. 974886 ID: ba56e6

>>974884
Agreed.
>>
No. 974887 ID: e19a40

Cooperate with her. Ignore Nick's problems.
>>
No. 974911 ID: 977456

Ask how valuable Chako is. It would be good to have an evaluation of her abilities if she is going to be available.
>>
No. 974924 ID: 0cb682

Offer them a sample of your services. Ask what they can give to you.
>>
No. 974927 ID: d2da5a

Doesn't hurt to make friends, so long as we're keeping crystals I don't see why we wouldn't help.

"Sorry Nick, you're stuck with me for today."
>>
No. 974932 ID: 6c9030

>>974885
That's reasonable. We keep the mana crystals, she can take the ore.
If she tries to break the deal, then we can break one of her arms like a twig and say the new terms are that she can keep whatever ore she can manage to carry out on her own, and we're keeping the mana crystals and whatever she can't carry.
>>
No. 975162 ID: 4286b4

While following Chako, ask Nick how working with her benefits him. Also, tell him that you're here for a guild mission so it's not like you're getting particularly involved or anything.
>>
No. 975306 ID: fde50b
File 159878699551.png - (60.23KB , 600x400 , FC750AA4-BBE8-4784-A969-6083F8EB9341.png )
975306

“You sure you don’t wanna join? There’s a bunch of us so you don’t have to be too concerned over money.” Chako suggests.
“I will reserve my judgement for later.” I respond, walking behind her. Nick stands as far away from me as possible, making talking to him privately difficult.
“So what do you do here?” I ask her, “other than mining.”
“Eh.” She scratches her head, “I mostly keep an eye on people. I ain’t got the strength to be a miner, but I can navigate these tunnels like the back of my hand.” Chako says as she lifts the back of her right hand into view. I can see small scar marks on her hand, less rougher than the other scars on her body. “I mostly help the others carry news across the tunnels, and Nick here is shadowing me as a porter so he don’t get lost again. Even with the markers, it gets disorienting where to go sometimes.”

We enter a rest area with a sleeping man inside. Nick walks to a corner and sets down the stuff he’s carrying while Chako puts down her lamp and hard hat aside before walking to the sleeping man.

“Uncle.” She nudges him awake.
The man stirs awake, “Ah. Chako, you’re back. How are things?”
“Tunnels 3f and 4c are closed down. The kids are in 3h and 4a, so there probably won’t be much on their end. Albert went to 5d to try his luck, and Eliza to 4b.”
The man frowns at the news of “Albert,” sighing. “That boy would probably miss lunch again. Please do remind him. And tell Eliza to focus more on the others. She needs to keep the others in line.”
He then spots me.
“Oh, hello.” The scruffy man smiles, “I’m Allan, a boss of sorts to these kids. Who might you be?”
“I’m Emils.” I grab an ore chunk from my bucket. “I heard I can exchange these for mana crystals.”
The man grabs the cube from my hand, and inspects it. “Azurite. Copper to exact. Rich in mana too. It’s a common ore here, but mostly from the lower regions. With cuts like these, it doesn’t seemed mined. Where did you get it?”
“From 1g.” Chako says, “Found her digging it out of the walls there.”
Allen scratches his beard. “Huh. Wess said the tunnels were clear...”
He shrugs. “Well, something this size could certainly be worth trading for, but you’d have to wait for the rest to come back. We need to wait for the others to come back to see what they got if you want to exchange with them for anything.” He hands me back the ore.
“In the meanwhile, what do you need crystals for? A word of warning, it’s better to declare if you’re carrying out any goods from the mines than it is to smuggle stuff out of here. Less legal troubles that way.”
>>
No. 975310 ID: 4c882c

>>975306
Mined it with the basic amount of magic I know.
but it's also draining, which is why I need a steady supply of mana crystals.
>>
No. 975313 ID: b5d7a5

Thank you for your discretion.
I need them for bait. It's been a while since I killed something with my own two hands.
>>
No. 975327 ID: 8fab7a

>What do you want crystals for?
1 - Tap your blue helmet. You've taken on a mana crystal collection task. You want it fulfilled properly.

2 - You have an avid interest in magic, mana and things related to both. You want your own mana crystal collection. Enough to experiment with, maybe even start to stockpile for later use. For example, could one, with enough processed crystals, enable safe expeditions into mana-dead zones? Could they be used to distract Mana Beasts from attacking people in a pinch? ((or actually, trade with them)) Would it be useful to keep a reserve in case more Towers other than the Drac Kingdom's fail?

While they're processing that, ask Allen - with animated engagement - if there are different types of mana crystals. Do more 'transportable' high-density crystals exist? Has he ever seen mana crystals somehow different from the 'normal'? ((i.e. artificial mana crystals vs 'real' mana crystals)) Does he know how mana crystals are typically refined? Are there any long-term effects to removing mana crystals from an area that he's noticed?

>Wot next
Lean into how unusual it was that you mined something from a supposedly tapped section (and ignore comments or questions on the weirdness of how you mined it) and propose a deal. You have a trick that might help point Allen's kids at an untapped vein or two, assuming it's better than whatever this 'Willis' was doing. So, if you find them any, you get a reasonable cut from the daily profit of these areas until tapped. You will want those credits turned around to buy the mana crystals recovered straight from the mining company, and have them reserve for you to pick up or sent to town.

This way everyone can contribute and profit, and you get a potentially ongoing supply of what you want without having to visit the mine every day. Your only requirement is that they not tell anyone what the trick is - because only you can do it and you don't want every miner or manager trying to get you to quit being an adventurer and start being a surveyor. You have bigger dreams.

You're Emils, by the way.

(sketch an introductory bow)

Ward of Sir Victor. Foundling. Adventurer. Magical girl. 'Dangerous.'

Glance at Nick at that last one, and then shrug.

"According to some. I prefer 'Talented'."
>>
No. 975329 ID: 0cb682

I'm a magical girl who is interested in magical things. I mine the same way I fight. I have several talents which aid me in magic and want to learn more.
>>
No. 975331 ID: 8fab7a

>>975327
Gah missed that she’d already introduced herself.
>>
No. 975332 ID: ba56e6

>>975310
This.
>>
No. 975335 ID: e7c7d3

>>975327
Yeah, our quest is to gather crystals. Seems like it'd be more expedient to trade for more with ores we don't need.

Ask if they have much trouble with people smuggling things out.
>>
No. 975337 ID: e7848c

>>975306
Learning, mostly.
>>
No. 975346 ID: b1b4f3

>>975306
Tell them you use mana crystals as fuel, and you need a lot of fuel. Let them assume you mean you have magical devices at home.
Is there a fee for keeping materials rather than handing them over to the foreman? If so you're going to have to keep some ore to sell to the foreman in order to make up for the fee.

Ask them what kind of exchange rate they'll give you, and also where they'd like you to help mine. Maybe you can help Albert, since he'll be having trouble?
>>
No. 975655 ID: 6aa114

Tell them that you're here for a guild mission. Hmm, are we waiting here then? I suppose we have some time to ask questions then. For instance:
A) How they work, tips on efficient mining?
B) Dangers of mining, how often do injuries occur?
C) What to look for, mineral types?
D) What else is in these mines, only ore/crystals?
E) What's up with Albert? And who's Eliza?
F) What do these tunnel numbers mean?
G) What is the highest tunnel number and how to get there?
H) Can you reach a special place called "Hell" through these tunnels?
I) Do they know of any other guild missions that can/had to be accomplished in these mines? (if so, we could pre-emptively bring back stuff for those missions as well)
>>
No. 975675 ID: 735fa3

Hmm, he just told us we aren't allowed to take mana crystals and will be expected to turn them in.

We can smuggle some of them out since Emils can absorb them into her body, but they'll be expecting some mana crystlas if you are pulling out big buckets of ore from the wall and making lots of money.

Really, it strikes me that since they thought that area was tapped and a short while cutting ore out of the wall filled the bucket, Emils will probably be better of going somewhere in the wilderness, finding a cave, and doing the same thing.

But we are trying to get guild promoted here so it only makes sense to change our mind, work with these kids, and impress the hell out of everyone here. Not just for the general reputation boost, but also because the point of this is to get merits with the guild.
>>
No. 975757 ID: fde50b
File 159939819475.png - (29.17KB , 600x400 , FD3FF2B6-B105-4BF8-B838-1DBACF5C09A3.png )
975757

“I am in need for large amounts of mana for energy.” I state, pulling out a cube of mana crystals, polishing off the stone fused into it. “I have a deep interest in mana and am looking for all kinds, as well as ways to use them. Plus, I’m here to do the collection mission.” I tap my helmet.
Albert scratches his chin, “Well, we only low quality crystals thus far. Maybe there’ll be richer yields lower down, but we haven’t hit any yet.”
“Do you know how to tell the difference?”
“Oh yeah.” He grabs a lamp, unscrewing the cover and sliding out a mass of dark blue refined crystals shards and dust pressed into the shape of a cylinder. Dark, near black dust falls off as he shakes it.

“This here is a low quality crystal battery. How much power in it is determined by how bright it is, and by running a bit of your own mana though it. It should be a slight feedback depending on how strong it is.”
He hands me the crystal to test and I try pushing some of my mana though it.
I can feel the energy in the battery, not quite full but still capable of running. I can inject my own mana into it to refill it, or drain it, but Albert pulls the battery away, sliding it back into the lamp.

“How do you number the tunnels? And how do you know each other?”
Albert smiles, setting down the lantern. “Well, we start off with the main hubs, lettered. Clockwise from the entrance, each tunnel is numbered with 1 leading back.
As for us, I knew Chako’s dad. He was a miner too, but he passed s long time ago. Been taking care of his family since. The other kids are orphans from the war a few years ago. No one to take care of them, so the new owner of the mines looked into providing an offer to the guild to sponsor an orphanage in exchange for labor. When Foreman Jason was put in charge, he set about improving the place so it’s a lot safer for everyone, including putting me in charge of the kids. I invited Chako to help, since I’m growing old and she can keep up with them.”
Chako is with Nick, preparing a few bags to haul.

“So,” I say focusing on Albert. “What if I can provide you with a way to detect where to mine? I can point you where to dig for ores and in exchange, I would like to be paid in mana crystals.
Albert scratches the back of his head. “Unfortunately, I can’t decide for that. If you really need mana crystals, you’d have to ask Jason or the owner. They have final say in here. Besides, not only are you a kid, you’re also from the guild. You will need to discuss such offers with the guild since this mine is owned tangentially by the kingdom.”
He shrugs, “Politics.”
Leaning forwards, whispering, “However, we can’t really stop you if you work with the orphanage instead. It’s outside our business who they bring in to help, and is part of the guilds.”
“I see.”

“Anyways,” he sits upright and winks at me, “if you’re interested in mana crystals, I suggest looking for Malcos in Warren street, crafting district. He’s the best crystal refiner I know. As for enchanters,” he scratches his chin, “I don’t know. Most of them fled when the old king was in rule. He had some weird project he wanted done and got rid of people who didn’t live up to his expectations. Bad news all around.”
Leaning back, he sighs, “Lots of people tried to leave but many more had nowhere to go. Real glad things are better now.”
“Anyway, if you’d like to keep those crystals, I’d suggest getting more ores. Jason would probably let you do a proper exchange with our stores, but it would be cheaper to get it on your own. Do an exchange with ores you mined with crystals you mined. You’re not the first one around to do so, and you won’t be the last.”
>>
No. 975764 ID: e961a7

>>975757
Inquire as to whether there’s any way to tell different forms of ore apart through differences in density; You don’t know the differences between them yourself, but it seems likely that the limiting factor is knowledge here, and not a lack of ability.
>>
No. 975765 ID: 0fae41

An orphanage?! It's like Christmas morning.
Eat all the ores to learn them by taste. Perhaps you'll be able to produce them in liquid form, like iron. Then to 4b!
>>
No. 975768 ID: bf0653

Let's mine some ores then.
>>
No. 975769 ID: b1b4f3

>>975757
Looks like D is real deep. Why don't we go down there and see what Albert is up to. Grab some ore out of the walls when nobody's around, take some liquid samples.
>>
No. 975810 ID: ba56e6

>>975769
Got to go [D]eep.
>>
No. 975888 ID: bf0653

Can we join the kids?
We can show them where to mine with our mana sense.
>>
No. 975889 ID: 094652

Find a dark hole, then slime yourself and crawl into the cracks, feeding on the mana until you have the strength to pull a large chunk out.

Pretend it fell out naturally.
>>
No. 975906 ID: 4286b4

Eat all the orphans!

>>975888
This.
>>
No. 975929 ID: 8fab7a

>>975888
Sounds like the done-est deal.
>>
No. 976050 ID: 0cb682

Ask for an example of what they want most and you'll look for it.
>>
No. 976813 ID: f2320a

>>975764
Support
>>
No. 979523 ID: fde50b
File 160365619416.png - (45.53KB , 600x400 , 656A0C8B-4E9A-4030-AEE0-E53071C7E8C3.png )
979523

Making my way deeper, I’ve decided not to rely too much on a bunch of children. If they are unable to take care of themselves then they can’t be of much use to me. I can privately smuggle out higher quantities of mana on my own, for my own use without having it noticed by others.
Seeking deeper depths does sound like a good idea however, as I feel a stronger source mana deeper.

Following Chakos directions, it takes me to a place where I can feel the ground shaking and I can already feel a strong source of mana already... and it’s moving. Fast.
>>
No. 979524 ID: fde50b
File 160365622649.png - (54.38KB , 600x400 , E43C44E3-B415-451E-A096-BC6B0B9D1558.png )
979524

I enter the deeper cavern to find a mana beast fused to a beast. It reminds me of the corpse in Strixs lab.

[INTRUDER/IDENTIFY/NEUTRALIZE]

Well that’s interesting.

[SCAN/IDENTIFY/DETECT]

I can see a few bodies in front of the beast, and more bodies scattering deeper into the mine.
>>
No. 979525 ID: 0fae41

If you're quick, maybe you can absorb those bodies before the creature does.
>>
No. 979528 ID: 8fab7a

Step 1: Say hi. You are Emils. Ask it to identify itself back, and ask what it's doing here.

Step 2: If it determines you to be hostile and attacks, determine whether anything you can do can harm or subsume it by testing out various abilities on it. Do not exceed max outputs of the current shape.

Step 3: Failing having an ability to easily harm it without sacrificing your current form, pick up one of the shapes if they're not dead, and run away with it.

Alternatively, see if you can take cores from any of the dead people in front of the Mana Beast and run away.
>>
No. 979531 ID: e7848c

>>979524
Hi Gaping Dragon. Be ready to step back into the tunnel where it won't be able to reach you should it choose to attack
>>
No. 979534 ID: b1b4f3

>>979524
Uh, I'm having a hard time making out the scale, how big is it compared to you?
Ask it whose territory this is.
>>
No. 979553 ID: 1bf5fd

Time for a boss fight!
Are any of the bodies in the cave still alive?
>>
No. 979568 ID: 6e6f32

Greetings.
My primary designation is [Primordial Slime], with secondary designations Emils and The Hybrid.
Current long-term directives are study natives and expand capabilities.
Current short-term directive is collect mana-crystal.

What is your designation? What are your directives?
>>
No. 979615 ID: ba56e6

>>979524
Identify self and association to LUST core.
>>
No. 979618 ID: 094652

>>979528
Yeah this
>>
No. 979676 ID: 83ff48

[WARNING!] [Large/Aggressive/Intruder detected approaching along your previous course.] [Advise immediate reorientation towards rearward-facing.]
[Absorb] when its back is turned.

Normally I would be against absorbing first and asking questions later, but this poor fellow seems to be warped and confused by mad science. I am not convinced that there is a peaceful solution without extensive surgery.

>I'm having a hard time making out the scale
I think that we are in the top-left corner of the image, and that the little grey splats around its feet are corpses. Which would make its eyes about as tall as a full-grown adult.
>>
No. 979877 ID: f2320a

>>979534
You see that tiny opening with the cone with a spere that is us
>>
No. 979880 ID: a9af05

>>979524
You know what? This seems like something that one of the miners should've warned us about. So I'm guessing that they don't know about this and they don't know how dangerously close to it they are.
>>
No. 979944 ID: 57bd40

>>979524
[AUTHORIZED/LUST CORE/NEUTRAL]
[QUERY: IDENTIFY/FUNCTION/TASK]
>>
No. 979963 ID: 0cb682

Say hello and identify yourself. If it gets uppity, walk away and tell someone about it.
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