When Crystal awoke once again, she was no longer in the dark s.p.a.ce with Scree and Sorrow, but once again in the brig, her form having reverted to that of a dungeon core."Ugh..." she grumbled as she felt a stinging sensation steadily pulsing throughout her core, "I feel like I spent the night sleeping on a bed made of rabid honey badgers."
Her condition feeling less then optimal, Crystal quickly summoned her menu to see if anything was extensively damaged, as well as to see all the things that she could not view while in the void.
"Open menu," she commanded, feeling both eager and anxious about what she might see.
[~Name: DC 928
~Race: Dungeon core
DP: 2,422,607 -999/Hr (Recoil: -1000/hour)(Removal condition: ???)
TP: 19
~Age: 30 days
~Level: 22
Xp: 3,982/4,194,304
~Durability: 100/100
~MP: 100/100
~Affinity: N/A
~Attributes:
WIL: A
INT: B
DUR: G
~Skills: Inventory
~Abilities: Manage core, Manage dungeon, Manage minions,
~Traits: Dungeon consultant, Spatial manipulation, True avatar form(Lesser imp), Avatar form
~t.i.tles: Otherworlder, Reincarnator, Champion of whimsy, Wolf"s stigma
~Blessings: Blessing of the G.o.d of whimsy, The crab"s blessing(Minor)(Temp)]
"Well... that"s rather odd, ain"t it," said Crystal in disbelief upon seeing all of the new information, "that beam must have hit more than just that one monster, eh?"
This question prompted a reaction from the consultant.
"Correct," she said, sounding utterly unperturbed by the changes in the menu, "the "beam," as you call it, killed not only the skeletal golem, but several tens of thousands other individual creatures as well, mostly insects... would you like me to list them all?"
"Please don"t," replied Crystal immediately, genuinely horrified by the idea of having to sit through such a long list of things.
She then once again began looking over her surroundings, this time giving it more than just a brief glance...
"Wait a sec," Crystal began, realizing something about the room"s current occupant count, "where"s everybody else at?"
Crystal"s core was seemingly totally alone in the brig, her core resting once again atop a soft fabric, except this time it was a rather expensive looking red silk blanket rather than a coat.
The consultant took a moment to think before answering, "your minions, the lesser lich included, are all currently guarding the brig"s door from the outside. The lesser lich, who has been sulking for the last thirty days, felt unworthy of guarding you too closely."
"And the skeletons?" Inquired Crystal, despite already being somewhat confused by what she had been told so far.
"...The lesser lich felt worried that one of the skeletons may stumble into your core and shatter it, so she made them wait outside with her," the consultant replied.
Crystal felt that that made sense, especially given how her durability had suddenly taken a nosedive.
"Wait, didn"t we win?" Wondered Crystal, "...so what is she Sulking about?"
The consultant immediately began explaining further on the topic, "upon being saved by you, she decided to be your sword, the one who fights on you behalf... yet you are the one who killed the beast in the end, while she merely stalled it, and as a minion, she is required to be your shield, protecting you from all harm, yet you ended up mostly dead, and in a coma, while she is generally unharmed."
The consultant then gave a brief pause before concluding, "...so she is now sulking about her failure to properly serve you."
The consultant went on to explain that the lich had actually been standing guard for the entire thirty days with only a single break, and it was a couple minute period which was spent finding the blanket on which Crystal now rested her core.
Crystal had mixed feelings about suddenly receiving such unwavering loyalty from the lich.
On one hand, she felt grat.i.tude and comfort in the knowledge that a betrayal from her was unlikely, even though she wasn"t currently able to do such a thing.
On the other hand however, the lich"s loyalty, as the consultant described it, was beginning to feel kind of... heavy.
"Well, Whatever," Crystal said, as too much loyalty wasn"t really a bad problem to have, "am I able to claim the rest of the ship now?"
To which the consultant replied simply, "Affirmative, the entire rear portion of the ship can now be easily claimed as your territory."
Upon first hearing that, Crystal was relieved, but something about the way she put it drew her attention.
"What about the front half of the ship?" Crystal questioned.
To which the consultant immediately replied, "such a thing no longer exists."
This, of course, was due to the unnecessarily over powered attack made by Crystal thirty days prior, which even Crystal would agree, was perhaps a bit excessive.
"Um, well... sorry about that," she apologized, for no other reason then she felt that she should.
She received no reply.
"Ahem... well then, lets just claim whats left then, shall we," she said, not wanting to wait for more mutant skeleton monsters to show up.
In response, her influence promptly began to expand outwards across the remaining portion of the ship, and in a matter of seconds said ship had become entirely hers.
[Congratulations! Attempt to claim "Fluyt type pirate ship" "The Ashen Lady" "Rear portion" has succeeded!
"Observation deck(Floor)" acquired!
Unlocked: Floor boss.
"Sterncastle deck(Floor)" acquired!
Unlocked: Floor boss, Captain(Unique position), Map room(Room).
"Main deck(Floor)" acquired!
Unlocked: Floor boss, Great cabin(Room), Officer quarters(Room).
"Bisected orlop deck(Floor)" acquired!
Unlocked: Floor boss, Gunner(Position), Magic cannon(Weapon).
"Bisected cargo deck(Floor)" acquired!
Unlocked: Floor boss.
"Great cabin(Room)" acquired!
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Unlocked: Nautical decorations(Misc).
"Cargo storage(Room)" acquired!
Unlocked: Quarter master(Unique position), a.s.sorted cargo(Misc).
"Map room" acquired!
Unlocked: Navigator(Unique position), Navigation Equipment(Tools).]
"Awesome," she thought, somewhat proud of herself for not s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g it up.
Moments later the brig"s door was suddenly swung open, a familiar lich quickly dashing through it.
"Master!" She yelled, then immediately taking a knee in front of Crystal"s core, "I"m sorry for failing you!"
She had sensed the spreading influence of her mistress, thus learning of Crystal"s awakening.
"Her speaking has gotten a bit better over the past month, hasn"t it," thought Crystal, not wanting to deal with the current situation, "I guess she must have been practising."
She then reluctantly switched to her regular avatar form, appearing in front of the kneeling lich, standing right next to her own core.
"...Um, it"s okay, I don"t really blame you for anything, you know," Crystal said awkwardly to the lich, not comfortable with the current atmosphere.
"No mistress, it"s my fault you were injured to such an extent!" The lich yelled in reply, "please give me any punishment you deem necessary!"
"No, really, I mean it," Crystal said earnestly, "I honestly don"t think you did anything wrong since the moment I met you."
The lich however, though flattered, did not feel the same way.
"If only I had been strong enough to defeat the beast on my own!" Yelled the lich, "if I wasn"t so weak you wouldn"t have had to-!"
"Oi, if your weak, what does that make me?" Interrupted Crystal, "Your probably stronger then both me and the rest of my minions combined, so don"t call yourself weak."
The lich went silent at the unexpected comment.
"Right now your like a five star chef complaining about how disgusting your own food is," Crystal continued, while pointing at the lich, "so how do you think I, with my fast food level skills, will feel upon hearing that?"
The lich then looked up, now even more worried.
"I-I didn"t mean to insult you mistress, I just-" the lich stammered.
A flick to her bony forehead soon interrupted her words however, prompting the appearance of a notification box in front of the lich.
[Notice! "Nameless lesser lich" has been granted the position of "Navigator"!
Changes: "Navigator" t.i.tle acquired, +300% Perception, Mapping(Skill), Navigation(Skill), Foresight(Unique skill).
Notice! "Nameless lesser lich" has been granted the position of "Captain"!
Changes: "Captain" t.i.tle acquired, +100% to all stats, complete control over cannons and ship functions.
Notice! "Nameless lesser lich" has been granted the position of "Sterncastle deck" floor boss!
Changes: +100% to all stats.
Notice! "Nameless lesser lich" has been granted the position of "Dungeon boss"!
Changes: "Dungeon boss" t.i.tle acquired, +200% to all stats.]
As the Lich stared at the screen, completely stunned, Crystal walked past her, in the direction of the room"s entrance.
"Keep up the good work captain," she said with a smile, "I"ve got a ship to rebuild at the moment so let"s have a proper chat later, okay?"
She then left the room, though she was still able to see and hear the lich through her core which had remained behind.
"...Yes mistress," the lich whispered, polishing the core with the silk blanket as she did so.
"However, no matter what you say, I know that I"ve already failed you twice," she said quietly, yet in a very determined voice, "There won"t be a third time... I swear."