CHAPTER 70: THIS LOOKS MORE AND MORE LIKE A SET UP

They found the vendor behind a low counter stacked with rows of glinting glass vials and wrapped bundles back at his shop in the Ranger station.

Lena had shown her the room earlier, but Reidar didn’t go there first thing since he wanted to get accustomed to the town first and find out what the situation was in order to then buy the most fitting item.

The vendor was a surprise, if one could say that. He was finely dressed, it likely wasn’t because he was rich, but because he liked extravagant things.

Reidar’s eyes widened slightly. The Thalassari vendor wore robes of shimmering, iridescent silk made of what looked like water that constantly shifted color each time he moved.

Intricate patterns were stitched with threads that seemed spun from moonlight, and tiny, blinking crystals dotted his collar and cuffs.

His tentacles were wrapped in what looked like silver rings and carved bone charms. They represented things and symbols Reidar had never seen, probably something related to the thalassari culture.

"Your thoughts are louder than your footsteps, surface-walker," the vendor said without looking up, his layered voice echoing as if multiple people were speaking just out of sync.

"How are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This voice?" the vendor said.

The thalassari vendor gave Reidar a smile.

"Just a skill..."

One of the vendor’s tentacles drifted toward a softly glowing crystal on the counter. "See something you like? Or just admiring the view?"

Keth’Moran looks like a beggar in comparison. He looked at the vendor, then at the surroundings. I guess the survivors made a shop for him. I wonder if Malcolm did the same for Keth’Moran.

The Thalassari moved with the same calm solemnity Reidar had seen in the three lakes’ vendor. Webbed fingers tapped a tablet of pearl, and black eyes considered him like a merchant considering coin.

"Morv’axil Xenth," Martin said by way of introduction. "Morv’axil, this is Reidar Miller. He helped us during the last attack."

The Thalassari’s head tilted, assessing Reidar with an unnerving lack of emotion. "Reidar Miller," he said. "Your help was... appreciated. Welcome to my shop. How may I ease your survival?"

Reidar nodded. "I need food, bandages, oil, a torch, and some wire. Anything for repairing gear."

Morv’axil reached under the counter and produced packs with soft padding. He could have shown the shop’s interface to Reidar, but he was already accustomed to vendors, and he knew the best thing would have been to ask the merchant for whatever he needed. It was faster than browsing around.

He handed Reidar a coil of braided wire that smelled faintly of salt, a compact toolkit wrapped in oilcloth, and various other things.

He set a small, palm-sized globe on the counter. It glowed with a slow blue pulse, mana lamp. "Three nights of light without recharging," Morv’axil said. "And these."

He tapped a crate, and the lid swung open to reveal jars and pouches. Those things must have had some kind of extensive spell in them, because the label said they contained kilograms of concentrated broth, preserved fruit, and dried meat. In fact, Reidar paid a hefty price for all those things, most likely not because of what the containers had but because of the containers themselves.

Reidar counted the survival points he would need and gave them to the vendor, who accepted the survival points, and a soft chime confirmed the purchase.

The items disappeared from the counter and reappeared in Reidar’s inventory. The man gave a nod of thanks.

Martin watched him while they packed the last of the parcels into a satchel. "No skills? No weapons? A man with your power should surely have enough survival points to buy new gear or a stronger skill." He gave Reidar a curious look.

Reidar zipped the bag. "I’m saving for some pricey skill books. Besides, I had to restock. You never know how long a journey can get."

Martin shrugged. "You could have left with more edge."

"I’m close to mastering some of my current skills. I’ve nearly reached one hundred percent proficiency with a few of them, and I want to see what happens when I do. I prefer to experiment with what I already have before buying new toys that I can’t master."

Martin nodded. "Anyway, I already made the quests if you are interested."

"Already?" Reidar asked.

"It would have been pointless to keep you waiting."

Reidar smiled, but inside he was thinking that things were going too fast for his liking. He then asked the thalassari vendor to show him the two quests Martin was talking about.

—[QUEST: Bedrock of Havenwood]—

Goal: Clear the Gray-Vein Quarry.

Progress: 0/40 Shard-Tooth Skitterers, 0/10 Crystalline Rock-Hide Brawlers, and 0/1 Alpha Geode-Back Mauler defeated.

Reward: 20000 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 8000 Survival Points, Earth-Warden’s Pauldrons (Equipment).

Description: Havenwood requires a stable source of high-density stone to permanently reinforce the Greenwater Dam. The nearby Gray-Vein Quarry is the only viable source, but it has become a nest for aggressive, territorial creatures. Eliminate the threats, focusing on the Alpha, to secure the location for Martin’s engineering teams. The primary threats are the swarming

Shard-Tooth Skitterers, the heavily armored Crystalline Rock-Hide Brawlers, and the pack-leading Alpha Geode-Back Mauler.

Warning: The Alpha’s presence strengthens all earth-elemental creatures in the quarry. Failure to eliminate it will cause a protracted and costly engagement.

—

—[QUEST: The Sunken Turbine]—

Goal: Retrieve the Turbine Component Casing from the submerged military convoy.

Reward: 30000 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 12000 Survival Points, [Skill Book: Summon Murk-Fin School], Title: "Abyssal Caller".

Special Conditions: Underwater combat required. Standard respiration may be impaired.

Description: A military convoy carrying turbine components was submerged in the newly formed lake during the cataclysm. Martin believes these parts can be adapted to restore power to the dam. The wreckage is guarded by hostile aquatic life, including the stealthy Murk-Fin Ambushers, the entangling Grave-Kelp Grapplers, and a powerful Elite Abyss Lurker that has made the primary transport its lair.

Warning: The convoy’s wreckage is unstable. Excessive collateral damage may cause a collapse, rendering the components irretrievable.

—[«END»]—

The quests were incredible. They gave not only a lot of C.L.A.S.P. points but also survival points.

"Care to explain?" he said to Martin.

"The survival and C.L.A.S.P. points are from me. I pooled a lot of resources to increase the quest rewards. The rest is from the system.

"Yes, I get that. The rewards are enough to make me level up many times."

Reidar suspected that was the way he had been able to make Lena’s level be that high already. He must have created ad hoc quests for her and her team.