Day 14

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The meeting with Kaelor had taken a while, but again almost no time passed in the real world while I was in the store. Full night was falling, and it would get really dark really fast with the constant rain pounding on the town's shield. Torrents of water flowed down the domed barrier in constant rivers.

The air was noticeably chillier than down on stage 2. Might be due to all the rain and clouds, or something else. With my high Constitution, the cold didn't affect me. Looked like it didn't bother anyone else much either. Repairs and building was still progressing, and the narrow streets teemed with people. There might only be 300 of us left, but the smaller area made it feel like more.

Before returning to my castle, I headed for Sam's tavern. Inside, the main room was twice as long as before and the rough tables and benches had been upgraded to finished wood. The ceiling glowed with an illusion of a clear night sky, complete with stars and the 2 moons.

I paused to stare up at the black moon, visible from its silver outline that still looked like a ring of teeth. It was such a strange moon, and even in that illusory sky, it looked like the gaping maw of a gigantic monster.

I forced myself to look away. Still not something I wanted to think about. Instead I took a deep breath, savoring the smell of fresh-baked pastries, weak ale, and grilling steaks. The kitchen area had expanded a lot too, and big new menu boards boasted a wide array of food.

The crowd wasn't too bad, with about a third of the tables occupied. Folks seemed more subdued than usual. Small groups, and even solo individuals sat brooding over their cups. Most had levels in the high 20s. They'd made it to the third stage, but they seemed to understand they were in trouble.

Many of those would be the target audience for Elizabeth's scheme. No doubt they'd flock to her promise of easy VIP points and ways to level quicker without the danger of fighting monsters. How many would actually see the benefits, though?

It sounded like we'd get the most VIP points for doing exciting or entertaining things. My VIP points kept pouring in because folks could watch my many insane battles and probably experience them in full living color, as if they were there. That must be a rush. Elizabeth and those who knew how to put on a show could probably rack up a lot of VIP points with their adult-themed activities, but what about the depressed crowd I was looking at?

No one would pay good money to watch half-hearted revelry. Was Elizabeth's plan even a benefit for the majority of them? If not, what else could we do to help?

My thoughts were interrupted by Sam. The portly tavern keeper exclaimed, "Lucas, my friend!" and rushed over to pump my hands.

He'd already gained another level. "I see business continues to be good."

His grin widened. "I think I got the best class and path to progression of everyone."

"I don't know what the town would do without you."

"Or without your liquor, ketchup, and mushrooms. I need more of all of the above, by the way."

I willed 1000 bottles of liquor directly to Sam's inventory, along with 25 more Tasty Cake mushrooms. "That should keep you running for a few days. Send someone to check in with Jeeves for the ketchup."

Sam laughed with delight when he checked his inventory. "How long can you keep supplying us with the good stuff?"

"Should be able to maintain this pace until we defeat the evil queen."

"Good. Running out early might just destroy morale."

The windfall of 5000 bottles of hard liquor had been a random part of that divine ruby loot box I got for surviving the collapse of stage 1. Barely a week later, and I'd already distributed nearly 40% of them. I never would have imagined we could potentially run out within 2 weeks, but some people definitely had a drinking problem.

"Come try my latest brew," Sam said, pulling me toward a new back room behind the bar. "And I want you to meet someone."

Steve, or one of his clones, was mixing drinks behind the bar. He waved as I passed. The entire left wall of the back room was filled with floor-to-ceiling racks of huge kegs. On the right was the entrance to the new kitchen where several chefs were busy grilling and cooking up their masterpieces.

I recognized Charles, the burly French cook who had been under that psycho Abbie's mind control way down on stage 1. It was good to see him still working with Sam.

Much of the center of the big room was filled with prep tables and sacks of staples like flour and salt, Above them racks filled with hanging steins hung from the ceiling. That reminded me.

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"Hey, check this out."

I pulled out the epic steins I'd picked up in my vault. Some were tall and thin, shaped like fancy vessels one might expect elves like Kaelor to use. Most of the others were a mixed bunch, with the highlights being 4 matte black metal steins that gave off a truly epic vibe.

Sam whistled softly as he picked up one of the big, black ones. "These are magnificent. Where'd you get them?"

"Monster loot. Figured you might want to feature some for specialty drinks, or something."

"Absolutely! I know exactly what do to with these. In fact, they're perfect for your first taste of my new stage-3 flagship brew."

He grabbed one of the fancy elven ones in his other hand and headed for the wall of kegs. As he went, he called out loudly, "Nellie! Have you got a minute? Come meet Lucas."

"Of course I always have time for you! You big, sexy man of drinking magic." Came an enthusiastic shout from the kitchen. The accent was eastern European, maybe Slovakian. How I knew that, I wasn't sure.

I turned to see a very large woman rushing toward us. A couple inches taller than me, with broad shoulders and a big-boned frame that could handle her generous proportions. Her chubby face was beaming, her brown hair pulled back in a bun. Her dress was made from a bunch of different colors, all bright, all mixing in chaotic but pleasant ways. The white apron vainly trying to cover everything was coated in flour.

"Nellie Vargova. Baby human level 41. Team Star Wars. Class: Cage match Glacier. Nellie has maintained a laser focus on her passions for cooking, baking, and wielding dough as an elemental power. Her class boosts her confectionery prowess to the extreme, and her dough in turn protects and enriches her life."

That sounded like a very unique class. Ignoring me, Nellie rushed right up to Sam and for a second I worried she'd run him right over. Instead, she swept him off his feet in a bear hug that looked like it had the power to crush solid rocks. She kissed him soundly before releasing him.

Sam laughed, looking surprisingly boyish under the onslaught. Despite looking like he needed a moment to heal, he wrapped an arm around the big woman and said, "Nellie, may I introduce my friend and business partner, Lucas."

"Pleased to meet you." I extended a hand.

Nellie seized it and yanked me into an embrace that engulfed me in her powerful arms. "No handshakes. You are family now." She exclaimed.

When I finally extricated myself, my armor coated in flour, I couldn't help grinning. Her overwhelming good cheer seemed to fill the room. How had I never met Nellie before?

Sam said, "Stole her away from the Expanse. They kept her closeted away cooking all the time."

"Barely got a taste of fresh air," she agreed. "Then one night I go out for walk, looking for inspiration. And I found it!" She slapped Sam on the backside.

"Elizabeth threatened to shut me down to get her back," Sam chuckled.

"I told her if she do that, I tear down her shack and beat her with the rubble," Nellie said, throwing out her other hand. A huge mixing bowl on a nearby table rattled as a line of dough snaked into the air like a serpent. Dough mancer indeed.

"Nellie's the best baker on this planet," Sam said.

"We make perfect team. Together we make feast like no other," she said, winking at Sam. I got the distinct impression she wasn't talking about baking any more.

"I'm glad you two found each other." Sam looked giddy with happiness. It was a good look for him.

"She's my inspiration. Come. You have to try this." Sam turned back to the racks of kegs. Each was labeled with interesting names like Titan's Stout, Mystic Hops Elixir, and Stormbringer Pale Ale.

"What are all these?" I hadn't heard about any of those drinks, and I thought I knew his menu by heart. At least, I had a couple days ago.

"My class evolution at level 50 unlocked new abilities to imbue different effects into different batches, and to fast-brew them in time-dilated kegs to improve alcohol content and taste. This is my latest and it's going to make us so much profit."

He stopped in front of a row of kegs all labeled Dewdancer Lager. Identify kicked in as soon as I focused on the keg.

"Dewdancer Lager. Uncommon. A specialty brew from a master brewster. Drinking this mildly intoxicating beverage surrounds the drinker with a pleasant cloud of fumes that repels water like an invisible raincoat. While affected by the Dewdancer buff, drinker will remain dry and warm for 1 hour."

"That sounds amazing." Few people had won specialty rain protection gear like my shingle pins, and I hadn't seen anyone with the mana control to use their mana to create barriers.

Actually, with that last influx of rune knowledge from that last tome, I bet I could craft items with rain protection runes that would work like the shingle pins. I'd have to test that out. Still, getting an hour of rain protection just from drinking was a sweet deal.

Sam poured the pale, silvery ale into the 2 steins he'd carried over. I produced another of the delicate elf ones for Nellie.

She hefted it and laughed with delight. "I feel like elf princess, yes? Big and beautiful!"

"It works for you," I said with a grin, then clinked cups with them and tasted the ale. It was light and crisp, with hints of citrus and an earthy aftertaste that reminded me of fresh rain in the woods.

"This is really good!"

"Isn't it?" Sam declared after draining his entire stein. "Just about to roll it out with the new menu Nellie's been working on."

"Sounds like things are well in hand. Keep up the good work."

"You are most welcome to come any time," Nellie said, then produced a double chocolate muffin the size of my head and presented it with a flourish.

"You're a woman of rare talents."

She giggled like a much younger woman, then slapped Sam on the backside again. He did not seem to mind in the least.

I left them to their work and headed for my castle, munching on the muffin. It was light and moist, with chunks of dark chocolate that melted in my mouth. Pure delight to rival Paul's Death By Chocolate cake.

Back at my castle, everyone was lounging in the living room, finishing some actual ice cream that Jeeves had produced. The whole team was there, including Susan, who sat on Steve's lap, and Andy and Lana.

Even Nigel was licking a bowl of ice cream on the carpet near the fireplace. I got a quart of Cookies & Cream and relaxed on a couch next to Ruby, who wore the fantasy equivalent to sweats and a t-shirt, with delicate little sandals on her feet.

"How did negotiations go?" she asked.

"Excellent."

"So you traded away the vault without even looking inside?" Tomas asked.

"Can we go next time you visit your other vault?" Andy asked eagerly. "Wish we'd been there for the grand opening."

"Sure. You're welcome to come. It's quite a sight."

"Too bad we can't access all the best stuff yet," Steve said with a sigh.

"Why not?" Susan asked.

He explained how Cyrus had blocked off the higher-tiered items for now. That led back to the discussion of the elf clan offer, so I told them about my meeting with Kaelor.

My description of the elf patriarch generated a ton of questions, and we ended up chatting for half an hour. I explained the little I knew of the clan and some of the factions on those tier-3 and tier-4 worlds. Andy and Lana asked tons of questions, while Susan couldn't seem to let go of the idea of a giant elf lord. She kept asking me to arrange a meeting.

"Not sure that's possible, but I did get some cool loot."

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