They also purchased a Coinlink Augment and fixed it to each gauntlet, then quickly tested out the functionality of the communications system. It worked intuitively and included Nero in the chat so that any member of the party could speak to the whole group or narrow down communications to a subgroup or an individual.
The process of applying said augment was far less spectacular than what Pete had expected. Instead of the bow and quiver magically transforming in size, he simply applied the Race Card in his inventory, and when he pulled out the weapon, it had expanded to suitable dimensions to fit his size and strength.
Pete was itching to use the weapon so that he could get a feel for it, but he waited for Sam to finish at the kiosk. He was considering her options, looking at the Woe Binder class and mulling over how she could afford it.
“I’m still 600 short,” she said. “And that’s if I don’t buy my remaining Core Attributes.”
Pete shook his head. “If you don’t pick those up, you won’t be able to start increasing proficiencies.”
“Yeah, but without a class I’ve got a huge disadvantage. I don’t have a primary weapon anymore, and these axes and machetes are too big for me, too heavy.”
“What about the daggers?”
“I already sold them. No, I need to get this class. It’s the only way. Maybe we could head out and find some goblins or something else we can kill to make up the difference?”
“What about all the trash?” Cooper asked. “All the garbage Pete had me collect.”
“Shit! I completely forgot,” Pete admitted. “Yeah, come on, I’ll be able to trade those in with one of my class abilities. I’m not sure it will get us the full way, but... Hang on, what about the loot box? We haven’t opened it yet.”
Sam’s eyes lit up as she summoned the box to her hand. “Good call. Here’s hoping there’s something in here we can shift for a buttload of cash.”
She stared at the box, still grinning. A few seconds passed, and her expression shifted to one of confusion and then frustration. She jabbed at the box with a finger but ended up just prodding the object.
“How the hell do I open it?”
[Nero] You’ll need to purchase a Loot Box key, of course. This is a green rarity loot box, so you will need a green key to open it.
Coop chuckled.
“God damn it!” Sam barked. “You bastards make us pay for EVERYTHING in this damned contest!”
[Nero] As I have said several times now, the Dominion Ultrimax Contest is built around the acquisition and spending of money. The Mammon System itself prizes wealth above all other factors and has woven commercial exchange into every aspect of the competition.
“I know, I know, but this is just getting stupid now,” Sam complained. “And let me guess, keys cost a thousand bucks?”
Without waiting for an answer, she headed back to the machine and searched for green loot box keys.
[Nero] In fact, they are quite reasonably priced. One key for 50 Belch Bucks, or 10 keys for 200 Belch Bucks.
“Well,” Sam said, “I guess I’m buying 10 keys then.”
She made the purchase, and the confirmation message showed up as 10 green rarity loot keys were added to her inventory. She turned away from the kiosk, summoned the Loot Box again, and used one of the keys to open it.
The box shimmered with bright green light, twisting around at speed before it settled into place, shuddering as the individual sides of the cube opened out and vanished in a flurry of shimmering light and the accompanying sound of a fanfare made by an unseen horn section.
>> LOOT BOX REWARD [Green Rarity]: Lucky Lender’s Locket
A tarnished silver locket shaped like a coin purse, hanging from a chain that never seems to knot no matter how it is twisted. The locket itself refuses to open, but when worn, it triggers a peculiar enchantment: every 37th coin you spend mysteriously returns to your pocket within the hour. The returned coin is often bent, stained, or inexplicably sticky, but still valid currency.
EFFECT:
>> Passive: Every 37th coin spent purchasing items refunds 1 coin.
>> Side Effect: The coin always bears faint teeth marks, as if chewed.
CURRENT EXCHANGE VALUE: 950 Belch Bucks
“Shit!” Sam blurted, turning to Pete. “Now I really want this.”
“Could be valuable in the early part of the contest,” he agreed. “Getting a little money back is always good, and we’ll probably be buying a ton of stuff.”
Coop snorted. “Little is right. You only get every thirty-seventh coin back. What the hell is that going to add up to?”
[Nero] In practical terms, if Sam were to purchase the Woe Binder class for 8000 Belch Bucks, she would receive 216 Belch Bucks in return, resulting in 2.7% savings.
Sam shook her head. “I still can’t afford it, though, so that’s academic. I need to sell this damned thing to get the extra cash so I can buy the Woe Binder class in the first place.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Okay,” Pete said, stepping away from the group. “Let’s see how much I get for the trash loot first. Maybe you’ll have enough there to snag the class, and we can keep the purse?”
He triggered his Pawn Shop Portal ability, expecting some kind of miniature portal leading to a vending machine-type device to appear. Instead, reality split ahead of him, a large triangular rip appearing and bleeding strange purple light at the edges. Inside the portal stood a large, circular tent with vibrant red fabric patterned with dozens of golden symbols. The symbols ranged in type from a coin purse to something that looked like a two-headed cow, and everything in between.
The tent itself featured a stretch of fabric at the entrance which extended like a patio, beneath which was a triangular shadow that looked like the entry point. There were various wooden and metal chimes dangling down from the ceiling and a number of wooden barrels out front that were overflowing with various fruits and vegetables as well as wooden and metal objects Pete couldn’t quite make out.
Behind the tent, Pete could see a sweeping desert vista with mountainous ranges in the distance. The sun beat down from above, twinned by a second heavenly orb that glowed dark crimson like an angry eye.
“That’s… not what I expected,” Pete said, stepping forward. “Nero, where the hell is this?”
[Nero] It appears this is the abode of Orin Tithebreaker, a renowned black-market trader. Curious. I had no idea your Pawn Broker Portal ability would lead to this particular individual. That raises some intriguing possibilities… troubling possibilities if I’m being honest.
“Troubling how?” Pete asked.
[Nero] Well, Tithebreaker is well known for his opposition to the Tongsly Belch Corporation and the Dominion more broadly. He has been an outspoken critic of Baron Belch’s policy of continual expansionism and acquisition. Curious then that your Penny Pincher class would connect in any way to this individual. It makes me suspect that whoever constructed this unique class must have harbored some animosity towards our glorious Baron.
“Wait,” Sam butted in. “The class was constructed? I figured it would have just been some random thing created by the System.”
[Nero] In some cases, unique classes are indeed generated by the Mammon System; you are correct. But for players who achieve a high enough level within the contest, there are certain powerful perks and abilities that are made available. In some rare instances, gladiators who have reached the very apex of the competition can win the ability to craft a bespoke class to their own design.
“You think my Penny Pincher class was designed by one of those gladiators? Someone who won the competition and then built this class as part of some kind of reward?”
[Nero] Perhaps so. Given the peculiar nature of your class, it seems likely. But the process is very secretive. Unless the contestant chooses to reveal the details of the new class, it can be ingested into the Mammon System without anyone knowing anything about the class. In your case, I think perhaps this Penny Pincher class just so happened to become available when you became integrated into the System.
“That’s a hell of a coincidence,” Sam mused, eyes narrowing as she looked at Pete.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Suspiciously so.”
[Nero] If it is indeed the case, the player would have had to reach at least Paragon level in order to be granted such a potent reward.
Pete shook his head, turning to Sam. “I just realized I don’t even know how many levels there are to this thing.”
She shrugged. “Me neither.”
“Me neither,” Coop added, crawling up Pete’s left side and settling onto his shoulder. “Also, what’s a level and why should I care about it?”
[Nero] My apologies. I should have introduced you to the leveling process sooner. In truth, I was uncertain whether you would survive the opening few hours as a contestant, so I decided to wait.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Pete said.
[Nero] I mean no disrespect, of course. It’s just that the human race is not well known throughout the cosmos, and you appear quite fleshy and weak when compared to other races who have taken part in the Dominion Ultrimax competition. Regardless, now seems like a good time to outline the details.
>> MAMMON SYSTEM LEVELING GUIDE
In order to progress from one level to the next, a contestant must first attain and assign 100 Core Attribute points. They will also need to successfully complete the relevant arena. If both conditions are met, a player will be given the opportunity to level up, provided the leveling cost is met.
AMATEUR LEAGUE LEVELS:
>> Novice – Cost to advance: 1,000 Belch Bucks
>> Initiate – Cost to advance: 5,000 Belch Bucks
>> Gladiator – Cost to advance: 20,000 Belch Bucks
>> Veteran – Cost to advance: 50,000 Belch Bucks
PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE
>> Apex – Cost to advance: 500,000 Belch Bucks
>> Paragon – Cost to advance: 5 million Belch Bucks
>> Godslayer – Cost to advance: 1 billion Belch Bucks
“Damn,” Pete blurted as he scanned the details of the leveling guide. “How many people make it to Godslayer?”
[Nero] Given your earlier statement about not wanting to know the odds against you, I’d suggest that you don’t ask that particular question. Suffice it to say, the percentage is very low indeed.
“But we basically have to be a billionaire to reach that level?” Sam asked.
[Nero] Indeed. Though, in truth, the money is by far the easiest requirement to meet. Once you reach the professional league, the difficulty of the game climbs exponentially.
“Okay, but what about Earth,” Pete said. “Everyone who’s not part of the game is some kind of slave, working for the corporation, right? And if we don’t win this contest, remind me what happens to the rest of humanity.”
[Nero] Some few will be kept alive and sent to The Dominion Menagerie, where they will be kept alive as exhibits to be visited and admired by citizens of the Dominion. The rest will be worked until they have nothing left to give, until they have paid off their debt to the Tongsly Belch Corporation. Once the contest is done, Earth will be stripped of any valuable resources and then eradicated, with a fitting memorial established in its place.
“And if we win?” Coop asked.
[Nero] Afraid winning is out of the question. In the long history that the game has been running, no single contestant has won outright. Some have made it to the professional league, of course, and in that case, their home worlds have been saved from obliteration. If you wish to save Earth and humanity, you need to reach the professional league. By reaching apex level or above, you will secure a place for humanity within the dominion. Humankind will be made full citizens of the dominion and will be granted all of the privileges that come with such a status.
“So, if no one’s won this competition,” Pete asked, “what happens to players that make it all the way into the professional league? Do they all get killed?”
[Nero] It is possible, once you have reached the professional league, to retire. Several of the most successful contestants have done just this. However, having spent so long fighting in the contest and developing one's skills and abilities becomes quite addictive. Of those who make it to the professional circuit, the vast majority keep on fighting, preferring the heightened risk of death to retirement.
It was a sobering thing to hear, both because the apex level seemed so far away from where they currently were and the chances of reaching that point were so slim that Nero didn’t even want to offer a percentage. But Pete knew that he had no choice in the matter. Humanity’s survival was at stake, as was his mother’s existence, his best friend, anyone that he had known throughout his life.
They had to reach the professional league. It was that or annihilation.
“This pawn broker,” he said, motioning to the portal which led to Orin Tithebreaker’s tent. “Are there any time limits on how long we can spend in there? Is there a chance we get stuck if we don’t come back in time?”
[Nero] As far as I can tell, the portal will stay open as long as you are inside. You can spend as long as you wish trading with Tithebreaker, but time will pass in this realm while you are dealing with the trader. Remember, you have just under 47 hours to reach the novice arena. If you are unable to reach the arena within that time, you will be eradicated.
Pete took a deep breath and walked towards the triangular rip in reality that led to the trader’s tent. Coop clung to his shoulder as he walked, and Sam moved up beside him.
“Alright then,” he said. “Let’s go sell some crap.”