Safe Zone, The Emperor’s Ascent - 1:39 PM
We climbed a set of stairs into a large, circular room made of polished gray marble that was open to the night sky. Instead of the Aries constellation prominently taking up the sky, every one from the Zodiac was shown here, each hovering over an open doorway along the walls of the room. Unsurprisingly, the Emperor’s Ascent loomed over the safe zone like a constant reminder that we needed to keep climbing.
“Are we the first ones here?” Kayla asked, looking around. Her answer was almost immediately answered.
<<<>>>
[[Congratulations!]]
You are the first faction to emerge from the Aries Constellation!
Ophiuchus, your closest competitor, is currently on Floor 7, the Boss Room.
Cancer, your furthest competitor, is currently on Floor 3, the Gathering Room.
Taurus, the next constellation, will open when 10 of the factions have reached the Safe Zone.
Reward: Full rights to this version of the Emperor’s Ascent Safe Zone goes to the Guildmaster of Sol Ligatus, [Anthony Franklin].
<<<>>>
“Just in the nick of time, it seems,” Jeff stated. “Poor Cancer, though, getting called out like that.”
“Nah, it’s on purpose,” I said, putting aside the quest complete screen I received next. “Their leader, Callie, is a Monster Gourmand. She’s the only faction head that’s got a crafting class, so she’s probably making sure that she strips the floor clean of everything it has before moving on.”
“Smart, really. We should have done something like that,” Ash complained.
“If we did, then I wouldn’t be receiving a boatload of points from Sara for being first or the world’s most comfortable pair of socks,” I said.
She turned and narrowed her eyes at me. “Socks? Really?”
“And 40,000 points,” I added. “You know, a standard boatload.”
That made her pause before she shook her head and turned away. “Need to get me a Patron,” she muttered.
I smiled and opened the quest complete screen that Sara had sent me, giddy that it was finally here.
<<<>>>
[[Patron Quest Complete!]]
As expected from the Guildmaster of Sol Ligatus, you led your team of professionals through the Aries Constellation at breakneck speeds. Even the other most overpowered guy here couldn’t match your guild’s speed even after you stepped back.
Tried to step back and ended up helping more, at the very least.
But enough about that. You’ve earned your moment of peace. The Angel Express is ahead and to the right, opposite of Ophiuchus’ faction area to the left of the path back to the Emperor’s Ascent. Either get some rest or prepare the area; the Safe Zone is ready to be molded by you.
Excellent work, Ant. Feel free to bask in the glory for a bit.
Reward: 40,000 points, Curse-Resistant Wool Socks.
<<<>>>
“All right. Fantastic work out there, folks. Since we can’t move on until the other factions start catching up, why don’t you all go rest up in the Angel Express?” I offered, turning to gesture towards the doorway that would lead them to the train. “I’m sure Ash and Bethany are looking forward to taking a break before getting back to work. Everyone worked so hard, so it’s well deserved.”
As I spoke, I pulled out my newest reward. They appeared, one to a hand, as black ankle length socks. Nothing special, certainly.
<<<>>>
[[Item]]
Curse-Resistant Wool Socks
(+1 Dexterity, Comfort Plus passive acquired, Curse Protection passive acquired)
[[Passive]]
Comfort Plus
Any piece of clothing with this passive will remain completely clean and comfortable no matter the circumstances.
[[Passive]]
Curse Protection
When you are targeted by a curse, treat your stats as 1.5 times higher when calculating the curse’s efficacy.
<<<>>>
And there it was. Comfort Plus in all its ambiguously worded goodness. The socks that were never dirty, always dry, prevented Grim Reapers from tearing my feet apart with their bony fingers, and were always the right temperature were finally mine.
Ashley immediately tried to reach for one of them, and I snatched my hands back to my chest. “What are you trying to grab for?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
She arched an eyebrow at my reaction before holding her hand out. “Can I just fucking see them?”
I took a breath, clearly hesitant, but passed them off while the others stared at me. Ash took them and flipped them over in her hands. She was clearly using some kind of scanning ability on it, and the Monstersmith nodded when she finished.
“I can make it better with either the Devil Ram’s Blood Wool or the Golden Fleece,” she said, holding them up in both hands. “If you can stand parting with them for a bit, you damned weirdo.”
“They’ll keep Comfort Plus?” I asked hesitantly.
“I’ll make sure they do,” she answered.
I swallowed back a sigh. It was just a little longer, and they would be better. I could wait. Yeah. I could. “Alright. Go on, then. Just don’t fall in love with them and refuse to give them back.”
Ash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Don’t make it weird,” she said before she started walking towards the train. The Monstersmith bumped into Jamie on the way, jerking her head for her to follow, and the other woman did so with only a moment of hesitation.
“Man, I am ready for a nap or something after all that,” Mercury yawned, stretching so much his back popped. “I was kind of worried we’d be off to the next one right away.”
“Nah, not yet,” I said. “We’re taking it slow, remember? Go on and get some rest.”
With a nod, the ninja led Bethany and Corwin through the door to the train, leaving me alone with Kayla and Jeff.
“I get it,” the Double Agent said. “Comfort Plus is a hell of a drug, right?”
“Yeah, you got it,” I agreed with a light chuckle. She had pulled an item with the passive all the way back in Etson. I had been jealous then and I was jealous now, but it simply wasn’t in the cards. It’s not like I could have worn the Queen’s Brassiere, anyway. “I’m going to do some work out here. You guys go ahead with the others.”
Kayla gave Jeff a look, and he nodded. “I’ll go make sure they didn’t mess with our train,” he said, patting me on the back before heading towards the door. “Good work out there, Ant!”
“You, too, Jeff!” I called back, lifting my hand to wave at him. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I turned to Kayla. “Planning on sticking with me, then?”
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“Figured you could use your Deputy Guildmaster, yeah,” she replied as we started walking towards the center of the room. “Plus, I want to see what you’ll do with the place. I’m sure a lot of people want to know.”
“Oh, a little bit of everything,” I said as I looked upon my canvas.
Even though the Emperor’s Ascent loomed over the safe zone, there was no way to reach it. The large room was built into the ground with about 30 foot tall walls, but there was an invisible ceiling keeping us inside. There was a staircase next to Sol Ligatus’ doorway that would allow people to move on to the next room. On the complete opposite side of the arena was another one, but this one was for people returning from the mountain.
We stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. With a snap, I brought up my Safe Zone menu and started navigating it with excited movements.
“It costs points to make structures, of course, but we make it back through taxing the people and their transactions here. A modest tax, of course. Nothing outrageous,” I explained not only for Kayla but for the Patrons sticking around. “Given that this Safe Zone will be the primary one for a few constellations, it can be quite lucrative. Especially since whatever we build here will be the base for the next one.”
“Doesn’t that mean that, if you spend a bunch of points here, the person who makes it to the next one gets those additions for free?” Kayla asked.
“Yeah, but that won’t matter if we’re the ones who make it there first,” I answered, putting my hands on my hips as I surveyed the area. “Just consider it a little like base building, but for the good of the community as well as my wallet.”
“I suppose that’s fair,” she responded with a smirk. Then, she placed her hands on her hips and looked around. “So, what’s first?”
“A memorial,” I said, letting my words spoil the mood for a moment. “And then we’ll get to the fun stuff.”
Stopping near the stairs that people would be using to get back to the Emperor’s Ascent, I used the search function in the menu to find what I wanted and brought it up.
<<<>>>
[[Safe Zone Menu]]
You have selected the Memorial Obelisk for 2,000 points.
This structure will automatically update with the names, classes, guild (if applicable), and factions of those who have fallen in the Emperor’s Ascent in real time.
Would you like to buy this structure?
Yes
No
<<<>>>
I hit Yes without hesitation, and the gray marble in front of me darkened for a moment before twisting out of the ground. Kayla seemed surprised, but I stood there calmly as the twenty foot tall black stone obelisk was pulled up and molded by unseen hands. It was smooth on all four sides, but the one we were looking at started being carved by an invisible chisel.
Over the next few seconds, just over twenty names appeared on the obelisk. They were hard to make out until golden ink filled the holes and made it easier to read. I placed a hand over my heart and lowered my head.
“And already, people have fallen,” I whispered. “I want to make sure the people taking on the next set of rooms don’t forget how dangerous this place is. Hence, placing it in front of the stairs up, but enough about that. Next, my reason for staying here while the rest of you are adventuring.”
“You mean, aside from the fact that you’re suffering from an affliction that has literally shaved away your life and magic?” the Double Agent asked pointedly.
“Uh, yeah, aside from that,” I answered with an unrepentant grin before turning around and walking towards the center of the room. She rolled her eyes but followed anyway.
<<<>>>
[[Safe Zone Menu]]
You have selected the Training Arena for 10,000 points.
This structure can be used to host fights with at least 5 members per team without fear of death. As the owner of the Safe Zone, you can default to the same rules that the Training Car in your Guildhall uses. When entering the queue, each member of Sol Ligatus gets a fast pass once per Constellation.
Would you like to buy this structure?
Yes
No
<<<>>>
The floor shook as I accepted, and the stone in front of us started to sink. It segmented itself with concentric circles ending at different heights. Stairs formed downwards in front of us as the arena started to take shape at the very bottom. This was followed by rows of seats before the boundary for the fights was finally drawn in paint at the very bottom.
“So you’re going to train people while you’re stuck here,” Kayla guessed, not even bothering to phrase it like a question. “That’s very on brand.”
“Yup. And every Patron that doesn’t mind the fact that I’m part Angel is going to want a Sol Ligatus trained avatar,” I said. “Which will continue to make me a hot commodity. Baltastasia’s going to have a hard time dealing with them all if she makes another attempt on my life like that.”
Then, smirking, I looked up towards the sky. “Yeah, I’m here for your entertainment, Patrons, but I’m still a glitch. She wants to get rid of me, but I’m still going to help any of you who throws an avatar my way. Baltastasia showed you all just how tough I really am, and those of you who stuck around saw how the youngest fighter in my guild stood up to one of the strongest guys here. So, you scratch my back by making sure she gets an earful any time she even thinks of assassinating me, and I scratch yours by training up your avatars. I’m ready to fight for the sake of New York.”
“Is that wise to say out loud?” Kayla almost whispered, leaning in.
My smirk lightened into a smile and I shrugged. “Who knows? Baltastasia’s not here to witness it, so she has no clue what I’m saying. That’s part of being a glitch. Either way, let’s move on.”
<<<>>>
[[Patron Message]]
You’re down to 17% Patron viewership, but that’s still really good for someone who’s done fighting for the day. The Patrons who are sticking around are probably going to be gone once you’re done building the safe zone.
That said, there are a few that are taking umbrage with you talking to them directly like that, but your supporters are far more vocal than they are. At the very least, the prospect of having a Sol Ligatus trained avatar is very, very enticing. I don’t need to tell you that, though; that’s why you offered it.
Gemini has actually reached out to me in the hopes that you could spar with Trevor for your first match. They both felt like your fight with the Rust Wolf Father was fun, so there’s that, at least. A couple more have at least sent a message congratulating you on surviving the Soul Shearer, so it might not just be them that come to you.
Either way, keep it up. You’re doing great.
<<<>>>
“Thanks, Sara,” I said as we walked around the arena towards the Sol Ligatus and Cancer doors. “My Patron says it’s fine, so it’s fine.”
I stopped in front of Cancer first and pulled up the menu.
<<<>>>
[[Safe Zone Menu]]
You have selected a High End Restaurant for 3,000 points.
This structure comes fully equipped with everything you’d find in a five star kitchen. Anything cooked here by someone with a chef or food adjacent class will see their buffs increased by 10%.
Would you like to buy this structure?
Yes
No
<<<>>>
After I accepted this latest one, a stone building rose from the ground. It was rather plain, but that was by design. I would be able to give it to someone later and they’d spend points rearranging and decorating as needed. This one was going to go to Callie Webber, Cancer’s Monster Gourmand, once she arrived.
While it was a little presumptuous of me to make this before she finished the first Constellation, I knew she would take it. Mama Callie didn’t like it when people went hungry, and she especially didn’t like hearing that people didn’t make it back from missions because they weren’t prepared with buffs.
“And now for Bethany,” I said as I moved in front of Sol Ligatus and went through my menu.
<<<>>>
[[Safe Zone Menu]]
You have selected a Coffee House for 2,000 points.
This structure comes fully equipped with everything you’d find in a well stocked coffee house. Anything brewed here by someone with a chef or food adjacent class will see their buffs increased by 10%.
Would you like to buy this structure?
Yes
No
<<<>>>
“She wants to sell tea?” Kayla asked, confused as I hit Yes. “Bethany never told any of us that.”
Just like the restaurant, a rather plain stone building rose from the ground. This one wasn’t as large but had a fenced area where a few tables and chairs could be placed. Even though it was technically a coffee house, it would serve our purposes just as well.
“We discussed it on the first floor,” I informed my second in command. “She wasn’t sure at first because she thought everyone would be the enemy, but once I mentioned they were rivals and not bad guys, she wanted to give it a shot. I’m certainly not going to keep her from sharing our excess stock with people who need it, and she’ll get paid for it. It’ll be good for her to get out of the train and socialize, too.”
“And I assume you’ll watch her from the arena?” the Double Agent asked, arching an eyebrow. “She’s not exactly going to be great at customer service when she can’t talk to customers.”
“We’ll figure that out,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “Once she has control of the building, she can set up ordering kiosks and all that fancy stuff. Then she won’t have to do any actual talking. Not to mention, she could hire some help if she wanted. Bethany might be the only Tea Witch here, probably, but there’ll be alchemists and potioneers as well. All depends on what she wants to do.”
“All right, so long as you guide her properly, then,” she sighed. “Remember, she’s only ten. It’s a lot to put on her.”
“It’s a lot to put on all of us,” I corrected. “She’s one of us, and that puts her in a class of her own. If it’s too much for her then I’ll lease it out to someone who can handle it, but she still gets a chance. Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Kayla agreed with a nod. She looked around the Safe Zone once the teahouse was done forming. There was still plenty of space all around the arena. “You’re going to be spending a lot of points, aren’t you?”
I turned and surveyed the area with her, mentally putting together my vision for the area with a grin. “Yup. And it’s all going to be worth it.”
