A/N: A response to some of your reviews-

To the spanish guest who pointed out that Gaia is the only thing eroding servants, you are right and in my haste I overlooked that, but since it's been rendered null I'll be ignoring it for the time being.

To Loxxe, I can understand your concerns over balancing but to be honest I am ignoring balance in favor of the story, but to explain some of the perk buffs, they won't be like 1% increase per level, they'll be closer to skyrim's level ups where things can go from 40% to 60% and so on, with markers around 25/100 or such. Also, Bloody mess is going to be for comedy, not killing bosses. (probably)

To Guest-questioner, that's a lot of info about types of gamer fics but I find some aspects from both aren't to my satisfaction, so I'm going to just make my own version.

To Redgrave, I'll freely admit I have never played FGO, nor have I watched any of the FATE series. The entirety of my knowledge of the Nasuverse comes from fanfiction and reading wikis. Trying to string together how powerful servants were based off the ranking chart led me to what I wrote. As for her not knowing how to actually fight with a blade... that's probably right but I can't accept the idea that in all of Jeanne D'arc's life nobody attempted to teach her how to use her sword so I decided to make her versed in fighting.

For those asking about pairings- Undecided. I probably couldn't write one for shit though.

For those asking about kingdom building- I didn't really intend to place her in any position of ruling but I kind of backed myself into a corner with one of the main objectives for this world, so I have... a creative solution that will come into play in the future.

That all said, enjoy the chapter.


A nice ocean breeze, the sound of waves crashing against the shore, decent weather and shade from the cove... one might find this a peaceful place to relax. Now if only I could. Standing here doing nothing but waiting for my constructions was grating at my nerves. Normally it wouldn't be too hard for me to just pick a spot in the sand and just relax, but ever since I was reawakened I've felt that underlying restlessness to just... do things. To make progress. I putter around trying to find something to do, picking through the boxes left behind by the pirates before finding a stick to draw random things in the sand.

I'm midway through drawing Godzilla when the Operators finish building. The triangular/suitcase shaped robots beep and whir as they become suspended in the air under their own power before turning to the developing material harvester. I watch with surprised fascination as they shoot a blue beam out of their tools and the countdown starts speeding up.

So, having robots help with construction speeds up the time? Very useful to know. I think I'm going to start building a lot more for the future. While they do their work I start planning out how construction of the Intrepid is going to go. Something I hadn't really thought of before is the necessity of a dry dock for both building the ship and possible repairs. This cove base might become more than just temporary if I have to build permanent installations...

Now that I think on it, there is no reason not to make this a permanent base. It's in a secluded location, perfect access to the sea, and centralized between two kingdoms, what more could I want? Once the Harvester is up and running I can make enough operators to take care of the place, it's not like its going to truly cost me anything but time to make it into a proper base.

Hmm. Time... I really should've ventured into Re-Ulovale to at least get my bearings on the area before running off to get involved with a time consuming project like this. Now I can't exactly leave in the off chance this place needs to be defended, and gallivanting around the continent while this place isn't even secure is not something I'm going to risk. I'll need to at least make some kind of door to block the entrance before I can feel comfortable enough leaving it alone. Hiding it with a fake wall should be enough to keep any prying noses out, and without magic hiding it it should be even less detectable for anyone searching for something hidden.

Deciding to toy with the territory menu, I find a set of tools for designing and plotting things like concrete foundations and piers, buildings, and a list of basic furniture and prefabs that I can use to make a machine shop and living quarters. I spend roughly an hour fiddling with the system to start outlining the design for a dry dock within the cove, then I design a motorized door to be made for the entrance, covered in rock to match the cliff face outside.

All in all it turns out a little... basic for my tastes. The concrete foundation hosting a pair of living quarters and a machine shop looks good enough from the ghostly preview the system gives me, but all the same it feels like something is missing...

Oh. I need lighting fixtures and some kind of generator. The harvester works off some kind of sci-fi tech for power and I have a flashlight from the Gacha but this place is going to be very dark once that door gets built. I pull out the flashlight and disassemble it.

[Design Added- UV/Flashlight Combo]

Now to incorporate LEDs into a bunch of light fixtures and figure out a way to power everything...

}x{


}x{

The Material harvester, once it finished building, worked splendidly. A tall cylindrical metal column with four posts, suspending various half rings in floating harmony that rotated around inside the assembly, stabilizing a shifting white mass in the middle. Once it started up, a panel on the side of the machine lit up with a screen and ran a scan of the ground within 50 miles, taking note of all the materials it could find. A list of options for just about every kind of mineral to exist showed up within several minutes and I was able to select exactly what I wanted and how much of it I needed, and where I wanted it sent to. Harvesters like this were even able to hone in on specialized beacons to teleport taken materials as far as low orbit, a truly useful feature. I was even able to select my own inventory as a destination!

I set the destination to my inventory and decided to select fifty pounds of iron to test, and watched with fascination as the rings sped up. The white mass fluctuated before ingots of iron seemed to just materialize out of it. Several ingots were created, floating around in the harvester before disappearing into my inventory. I watched the white mass settle down and came to the realization of just how this machine worked, a truly ingenious use of tech. In the Titanfall universe there is a technology called Phase Shift, which as the name implies allows users to literally phase/shift into another dimension, granting brief intangibility while leaving only a ghostly white residue. I was never sure if Phase shift allowed someone to drop into a dimension lower or parallel to their current one but it could regardless be seen as a form of teleportation, which is exactly what the harvester did. It used Phase shifting to locate, target, and forcefully rip materials from the ground without ever having to worry about breaking ground and all the other costs of mining, an invaluable accomplishment.

The harvester even found some of the rare metals not native to earth like Adamantite and Mythril, which I had to use [observe] on to figure out what they were. Having these metals also reminded me of something I need to do sooner rather than later- Make Jeanne Alter's armor and sword. I would need to find a blacksmith to teach me the craft, then maybe enlist Dell's help in making some strong alloys from these exotic metals, might even need to figure out enchanting... Wait, I would need to max out my Engineer class first before I could take the enchanting class. Haah, the list grows, but one step at a time is all it takes.

In other news, power for the base was still an issue, but after three hours (and a lot of trial and error) I wind up scienceing the shit out of the engine from the lawn mower design and some of those beer kegs to make a generator that runs off of alcohol. Its crude, inefficient, probably destroying itself with use, and smells weird but its enough to support the new lighting fixtures at least. It won't be enough power to even move the new door, and I'll need to make some kind of ventilation for the exhaust, but it works at least. And, best of all, with the new door that's now sitting closed over the entrance I can actually feel secure enough to do the instant dungeons again for more Gacha tokens and potential supplies!

I que up another eight engineering operators to be made to help finish the basic construction of the base before once again stepping into the ID.

}x{

Hours later-

[Level Up!]

Stats-

Jeanne D'Altera

Level 18

Class- Battlemage, lvl 18/100 (75%)

Legendary class- Avenger lvl 18/100 (23%)

Production class- Engineer lvl 6/100 (46%)

Race- Heroic Spirit

Alignment- Chaotic Neutral

HP- 1060 (212 per minute)

MP- 2310 (442 per 30 seconds)

SP- 1060 (212 per 30 seconds)

STR- 258

DEX- 173

END- 106

INT- 231

WIS- 221

CHA- 40

LUK- 75

Stat points (20)

Due to Wisdom reaching 200, you gain a new perk!

[Memory Partition]

Your mind is well organized, you can now recall things with perfect clarity, and you take less time to remember things.

That skill was a bit of an eye-opener once I got it. There was an old saying- "Everyone has photographic memory, most just don't have film." Well, if photographic memory was like having a mental camera, getting Eidetic memory was like the ability to relive the moment! All of your emotions, your thoughts, and senses, everything was preserved in perfect clarity for my recollection at any time. It was honestly a bit overwhelming. I had to take a few minutes to adapt to it just so I could remember something in passing and not become immersed in all those associated feelings and senses.

Loot Obtained!-

22x Rusty Swords

28x Rusty Spears

14x Old Swords

13x Old Spears

6x Fine swords

3x Fine spears

3x Wooden bows

9x Gacha tokens (common)

5x Gacha tokens (rare)

2x Gacha tokens (epic)

Some good drops this time, though I'm starting to want more variations of dungeons, which I think I start unlocking in not too long. It is taking longer and longer to level up however, which is to be expected. I used the Galdur Blackblade for a while to get used to it and found out that instead of soul gems to power its enchantment, it siphons a small bit of magic from the user each use, no more than ten points of mana at a time. Especially useful since you can cut the feed to the sword, preventing the drain if you don't want or need health absorbed.

Half of my runs I actually spent skulking around the dungeons to level up my sneak, practicing the art of stealth in preparation for my eventual heist of the Slane Theocracy. I'm mostly worried about the treasure room's guard, Zesshi Zetsumei. That half elf is the strongest one of their nation, around a level 80 or 90 Yggdrasil player, and while she isn't truly loyal to them, she'll be looking for a fight, looking from someone strong... Hmm. I'm not exactly a master at manipulation but now I'm curious to see if I can win Zesshi's loyalty if I help her fight her father, the elf king. The only reason the Theocracy is even fighting the elves is because they are scared of losing their ace in the hole and that was her only demand.

An interesting thought, and something that merits exploration at a later date. For now though-

9x Gacha tokens (common) used!

2x Design packs

1x Never ending ink pen

1x Eureka Effect (Team Fortress 2)(rare)

1x Memory of Cayde cloak (Destiny 2)(rare)

1x Snapshot grenade (Cod MW 2019)

1x Butterbeer (Harry Potter)

1x Lump of coal

1x Nuka Cola (Fallout)

Pretty good, I think Dell is going to be happy with having one of his wrenches back, and I am happy with the cloak. I pull it out of my inventory, admiring the futuristic white and black fabric with a spade emblem. This will do well to help me blend in until I can get some proper clothing or build my armor. I take my jacket off and put the cloak on, snuggling into the comfortable hood. This is actually pretty nice! I might even work this into my future armor!

5x Gacha token (rare) used!

1x Speed cola (Cod Zombies) (rare)

1x Steampunk Skin pack (epic)

1x Companion Cube (Portal) (rare)

1x Remote control car (rare)

1x Uno card deck (rare)

Steampunk skin pack? What does that do?

[Skin packs are like customized outfits you can apply to yourself or companions, even your equipment and vehicles. For example, you can use it on any gun or vehicle you own and they will change appearance to reflect the style of whatever skin you chose.]

That's pretty cool, I actually like the idea of hiding my technology with a sense of sci-fi and weird science, gives it an air of fantasy and mystery.

2x Gacha tokens (epic) used!

1x Mystic Eyes serum (Legendary)

1x NanoThorn Dagger (Worm) (Legendary)

Hoooly shit! Mystic eyes! Essentially superpowers for your eyeballs! I take the serum without hesitation.

[Perk gained! Heated Stare- Active (1/100)]

Have you ever stared at something so hard you thought it would burst into flames? Well now it will!

[Now you can quite literally burn a hole in someone with your gaze. Thankfully, the system allows you to toggle the ability so you don't have to wear glasses all the time to suppress them.]

Wow. That means I can fry an ant on the sidewalk without a magnifying glass! Whenever I want!

[Were you ever tested?]

No idea, don't care! You already knew I was crazy when I made a gunpowder barrel into a grenade so don't start complaining. Now, I don't quite remember what the NanoThorn dagger is, care to enlighten me?

[The NanoThorn daggers were tinker tech weapons designed to kill Endbringers in the series Worm, they work like high frequency blades.]

Oh! So these are more or less designed to be able to cut everything like butter? That will be useful for assassinations, guaranteed. The ability to bypass any and all armor... but can it bypass magic? Another experiment for the future! I need to make a list of experiments at this rate.

[Construction has finished at (Pirate's Cove)!]

Ahh, right. I look around the cove, taking in the fresh concrete, dry dock, and the new buildings. The living quarters and machine shop are a little barren at the moment since the management menu only allowed me some of the most basic tools and furniture, but it shouldn't be too hard to find some better stuff on the Gamer shop. But first!

Design pack x2 used!

1x Bofors cannon design

1x B-25 Mitchel design

1x Manticore Hwacha design (Guns of Icarus)

1x Metal lathe design

1x Cluster charge design (Rainbow six siege)

1x Remote drone design (Watchdogs 2)

Finally an aircraft to go on the Intrepid, but if I remember right only the USS Hornet was known to carry them, and they had to fly back to a friendly airstrip to land since carriers were too hard to land on... damn. At least now I have some defensive guns for the ship and the cove, and a new tool for the machine shop I can use to make ammo casings. I send the idle engineering operators to build a pair of defensive Bofors guns aimed at the entrance and put the lathe for the machine shop into the construction que. I've spent too long cooped up in this base, I need to go back to Re-Ulovale and start doing things.

}x{

I stride into town sometime around 5pm, wreathed in my new cloak with the Blackblade holstered on my left hip. Thankfully the system gave me basic knowledge when I got dropped here, so I can read and write the common language. Knowing how to speak it is actually entirely unnecessary, as remnants of a wild magic spell from thousands of years ago enables universal translation between all sentient creatures. It gets a little weird when lips and mouth movements don't always match up to spoken word, but you get used to it.

The city of Re-Ulovale is actually a bit messy now that I'm here. There aren't many stone roads, and constant traffic from the docks has made some streets muddy and uneven. From overhearing conversations around town I've gathered that a largely disliked noble rules most of this area, taking money and not putting any towards the town itself. The reminder of corrupt and unjust nobility causes me to crinkle my nose in disgust. I think some of Jeanne Alter's feelings have carried over onto me but I can't find it in myself to dismiss them, they were valid after all. I'll actually be pretty glad once Ainz starts taking places over. For an undead with extremely evil beings under his command he is surprisingly humane in his rule.

I'm getting sidetracked. I'm actually here to be an adventurer. If I remember things right, a 'strong' human worthy of a gold plate is around level 20, with some of the strongest of humanity like Gazef reaching about level 40, maybe 50 with specialized gear. I'm a level 18 right now, but probably capable of higher with my perks and abilities. I would go as a spell caster just to shake things up, but since I don't use the tier system of magic that would just set off too many red flags to ever be worth it. So, I am going as a swords-woman. My hope is to work my way up to a gold plate and then loiter around either that or platinum ranking to avoid drawing too much attention, as any higher than platinum brings too much fame and I don't want to be put on any radars yet.

I turn the corner to one of the main streets and spot my target. The adventurers guild of Ulovale is a squat looking two story building with a balcony on the second floor and a porch on the outside, a bit drab in color but solid looking for its age. I make my way to the front and push open the saloon style doors, taking in the sights. A lounge area with several wooden tables spans the left half of the building, with the receptionist area built to the right resembling a bank teller's station beneath a proudly mounted skull of some kind of sea creature. Stairs to a small seating area on the second floor are accessible from the middle of the room, with the right half of the second floor splitting into several rooms for administrative offices.

The few people still seated around the tables in the main area raise their heads to look at the newest entrant. A few looks are appraising, a few lecherous, but all end up holding their stare. I return the stare at a few of the strongest ones before brushing them off to move to the receptionist. The young lady at the teller station seems pleasant enough, if a little unnerved by me. Maybe it's my eyes?

"I'm here to register as an adventurer." I state. She nods before retrieving a few forms with well practiced movements, laying them on the counter.

"That's great to hear! For new adventurers we have an entry fee of five silvers, and a literacy test for 5 copper." I retrieve said items from my inventory, disguising it as a pocket in my cloak. Thankfully, my money was instantly converted to any currency in existence, so it made purchases a cinch.

Taking a nearby ink quill, I fill out the forms asking for basic information like age, height, and name before pausing at the date of birth. The receptionist notices my hesitation. "Is something the matter?"

"Ah, no, it's just that I don't actually know my own birthday." I state. She seems to look at me with pity, and I feel a spike of irritation before it mellows into annoyance. I don't need to be pitied!

"I see. Well, every once in a while we do get people like that. You can just put down 'Unknown' there until you decide to pick a birthday or find yours out!" I nod along and follow her instructions, letting my annoyance simmer under my skin. The literacy test is rather simple, just reading a paragraph from a book, and before I know it I receive my copper plate.

I tie it around my neck before making my way to the request board along the back wall. There seem to be a fair few silver and gold requests on the board with the rare few platinum, but the iron and copper ones are surprisingly sparse. Perhaps it's just because they were taken this morning? I inwardly shrug before looking over the remaining jobs.

Exterminate a rat infestation? Pass. Assist the dock workers? Possible, but I'd prefer not to be surrounded by sweaty and unwashed men. Hmm. Hunt down the wolves attacking a farmer's livestock? That works. I rip the notice off the board and return to the receptionist.

"I'm taking this. Do you have a map to point me in the right direction?" I ask. She studies the flier before nodding, pulling out a map from under the desk. We spend a few minutes discussing directions and the job before I'm satisfied enough to head off.

Quest Obtained!

[A helping hand]

Objective 1- Assist Farmer Krume

Objective 2- Kill or drive off the wolves attacking the livestock

Rewards- 15 silvers, 1,000 xp, random skill book.

I leave the counter with a thanks before turning to leave, only to find a group of thugs have left their table to block the entrance, cocky grins on their face. The rest of the hall does nothing but watch, awaiting whatever entertainment this may bring.

[Observe]

Makrel lvl 12

Tommy lvl 13

Hurst lvl 12

Lagoth lvl 11

Thoughts- lust, confidence, "She's hot!"

All iron plates, probably weak enough for me to beat barehanded. I stop before the group, a low growl ready to build in my throat. "Move."

The lead idiot of the group steps forward, a hand brushing his greasy hair back in a 'suave' way. "Easy there, sweetheart! We're just a couple of friendly guys greeting the new blood, right fellas?" A chorus of agreements and nods follow. "It can be awfully dangerous out there for new adventurers so we just wanted to offer you the chance to join our party!" He said, trying his best charming smile. Ugh.

"Ten seconds, then I split a table in two with your head. Move, now." I dial back the restraint on my hatred, letting loose some intent which seems to give the idiots pause. 9, 8, 7

"Woah, relax! We just want to help you out some is all." One says. I level my gaze at him.

"I don't need any help. Five seconds." I call. Two of the idiots finally seem to start getting the memo and start inching away, but the lead idiot must be especially dense as he just takes a step forward. 4, 3, 2

"Listen kitten, youUU-!" Whatever he wanted to say next gets interrupted as I take the hand that was reaching for mine and use it to throw him over my shoulder into the closest table, splitting it in half. I dust my hands and turn back to the group.

"Take your friend to a healer, and pay for the table. I'm not spending a dime for your mistakes." I state, brushing past the stunned group and out into the street proper. I hear a portion of the adventurers left in the building break out in laughter at the guy who just got his ass handed to him before tuning it out in favor of following the directions I was given by the receptionist.

}x{

It took me about two hours of walking through dusty trails but I eventually made it to the Krume family farm. The sun is starting to set and I can see a lamp burning in the window of the dining room. I walk up the old wooden steps and knock on the door, hearing some movement before an older man with more white than black hair answers the door.

[Observe]

Buford T Krume level 17

Thoughts- curious, wary. "Who is this?"

He gives me an appraising look before noticing the copper plate around my neck. "Ah, you must be from the adventurers guild. Are you here to take on my request?" He asks. His voice is low and worn, yet firm against his age. I nod.

"My name is Jeanne, and yes. Your request also asked for some help around your farm?" I question. His eyes brighten and a smile appears on his face.

"Yes, yes it did. Gotta say, not many are willing to get their hands dirty around here. You got any experience?"

"A little, I helped around my grandfather's farm when I was growing up. It's been many years though, so you may need to teach me some things." He nods easily.

"Must've been more than a few years, you're as pale as a ghost! Ahh, it don't matter. I'll be glad to have another pair of hands around here, I'm getting too old for this." He ran a hand through his greying hair. "We'll start at the crack of dawn tomorrow, so be prepared to get up early. Here, I've got a spare room you can rest in for the night." He lets me inside and I follow him to the guest room. I like his house, it's a simplistic log cabin but it has the atmosphere of being well lived in, homey. It reminds me of my own tastes of the country life before I died- nice and secluded with honest folk used to living a life of hard work, unafraid to dirty their hands to get things done.

I thank Buford for his hospitality before setting my sword against the wall, using my cloak as a blanket as I lie there. I don't actually need to sleep, so I take this time to relax. Huh. This is the first time I've actually slowed down since I died. I've been running non stop with dungeons and building up that new base for a couple days, not taking time for myself. Maybe I should do this more often? I lose myself in thoughts of the future as the sun falls past the horizon.

}x{

It's around 5 or 6 in the morning when Buford wakes up. He doesn't move to get me immediately, instead moving to make some breakfast by the sounds of things, how thoughtful of him. I save him the trouble and get out of bed once the smell of cooking reaches my nose, finding him in the common room cooking meat of some kind in a pot over the fireplace. Right, old ways of doing things. I should introduce the concept of a furnace. Do they even have cast iron for things like skillets? Questions for the future.

"Morning," I greet, moving to take a chair at the dining table.

"Mornin, you must be an early riser like me eh?" He says, sparing a glance my way before returning to the food. "I tell ya, some people just can't deal with mornings. I've hired help from around town many times and most of them just get upset with me when I wake them up. Ain't none of them that stick around longer than a few weeks, they get a bit of money then run off." He ranted. I listened with a smile, a bit of nostalgia hitting me as I remember my grandad had much the same complaints.

"An unfortunate truth, most people would rather complain than get their hands dirty to fix things." I comment. Buford grins at me before preparing some plates for the food.

Breakfast is a rustic affair, not much silverware so most of it is finger food, not many spices either, but it's good for what it is. Good company makes for good food and Buford was an old soul with many stories to tell about the town and the misadventures of his youth. I was surprised to find myself a little disappointed when he stopped to start on the actual work.

We began shortly after the sun rose by tending to the chickens and the livestock, giving them feed and cleaning their pens. I don't think the animals quite liked me though, most of them tended to shy away and I couldn't actually get close to a cow without them running off so Buford had to milk them while I did something else. I think he became a bit envious around halfway through the day he finally realized I hadn't even broke a sweat, probably mistaking it as a sign of youth. After the livestock came the garden where weeds were pulled and soil was tended. All in all it was a pleasantly simple routine, barely strenuous for me. I ended up getting a bit caught up in the atmosphere and started humming a Johnny Cash song while we worked. Buford became curious enough to ask what I was humming and I explained a modified version of the song "A boy named sue" that he found pretty amusing.

Ahh, good weather, hard work, and a bright and sunny day. It really did bring me back.

[Luck event triggered!]

Dammit, can't have anything be simple. The squeals of panicked animals dragged us from our work. "Must be the wolves! You go after them, I'll grab my bow!" Buford shouted. I nod before taking off towards the noise, drawing my blade in preparation. As I get close enough to see what is going on I spot a pack of about five grey wolves going after some of the pigs. One of the younger piglets had already been killed, a wolf trying to drag its corpse back through the fence. Charging the pack, they take notice and attempt to defend their kill, barking at me with bristled fur and bared fangs. I bare my own fangs as a deep growl escapes me in challenge. The bravest wolf leaps for my throat and I cut it down, slicing through its neck and pushing it to the side with my blade. The remaining three eye me while the fourth is escaping with their prey, getting past the fence. I growl again before moving forward, breaking the standoff. Two of them leap at once and I roll underneath them, cutting open one's stomach before finishing in a crouch. The second wolf recovers as the last one tries a swipe at my undefended back. I leap out of the way before returning with a lunging strike, skewering its side and probably its lungs. The second wolf decided to cut its losses and try to run, making it over the fence before an arrow strikes its back, piercing right between its ribs.

It takes a few steps before falling down, and I turn to see Buford a small distance away with his bow and a quiver slung over his back. "Good shot!" I call out. He nods but his eyes are on the forest where the fourth wolf escaped.

"We got 'em this time, but they'll be back." He said. I make a noise.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." I say, flicking my blade to rid the blood before cleaning it on a dead wolf's fur. Buford looks to me questioningly. "They took one of the piglets. Something like that isn't a proper meal for a pack, but for the pups?" I inspect the blade, admiring its fine edge before sheathing it. "It would be perfect, which means they are taking it back to their den." My eyes drift to the grass. "And leaving a nice red trail for me to follow."

His eyes follow mine to the blood trail left by the dead pig before understanding crosses his face. "Well I'll be... If this pans out, take an ear from them as proof. But!" He tacks on. "Don't take any unneeded risks, you hear me? I can deal with waiting for another try, no need to take on more than you can handle." I give him a confident grin as I start heading into the forest.

"Your concern is appreciated, but unneeded. After all..." The canopy of leaves starts to block out the light, making my cloak blend in with the shadows. "I don't need to worry about collateral out there." I'm sure I have a positively evil smirk on my face as I trudge into the forest.

}x{

The wolves den was actually about an hours walk away, and I almost lost track of the wolf's trail twice if it wasn't for the heightened sense of smell I seemed to have gained as a servant. I wonder if that's part of my draconic likeness? Either way, it led me to a small cave in a hill where a pack of maybe thirteen wolves were living, with a few pups now feasting on the corpse of the piglet. Others might've just killed the adults and spared the pups, perhaps even try to raise them themselves but I held no compunctions. A job was a job, and they were part of the problem. I did find something interesting in the back of the cave, however. An old wooden chest, with a lock easily broken by a kick.

[Loot chest found!]

30,000

3x Gacha tokens (common)

1x Gacha token (epic)

1x Design pack

Nice. Lets roll the dice.

3x Gacha tokens (common) used!

1x Skull pattern Biker helmet

1x Chinese finger trap

1x Nintendo DS Lite (rare)

A DS! I used to stay up late at night playing pokemon under the covers with one of these! Then I lost all my games for getting in trouble with it and never quite built that collection back up. Perhaps I should make that a goal in the future? Heck, why not make my own Pokemon collection if I find myself on that world? Gotta happen, I'm totally doing that.

1x Gacha token (epic) used!

1x Not My Problem (Perk) (Legendary)

What is that?

[That is a perk, which the regular Gacha can give out on very rare occasions. This one in particular causes people to overlook absurd happenings or unexplained events around you as 'not their problem'. You could waltz into a king's throne room for conversation and nobody would bat an eye!]

Wow... Best. Perk. Ever. Now I don't have to worry about hiding my weapons or abilities! I could wreathe myself in flame and nobody would make a fuss!

Now, what is in the design pack?

1x Design pack used!

1x Diesel engine design

1x Chemical Synthesis book

1x Smelter design

Useful, very useful. The Diesel will be a nice fit for a generator in the Cove, and I can figure out how to make fuel for it by reading that book on chemical synthesis. The smelter is a gold mine in its own way since I need to build a forge in the future so that I can start blacksmithing, and I can use the smelter to make alloys for my experimentation. Things are coming together finally. Maybe Buford knows a good blacksmith he can refer me to?

}x{

Time skip

It's noon the next day when I get back to town. Buford treated me to dinner the night before as a thank you before convincing me to stay another day. He didn't want me wandering through the dark back to town despite my assurances. We did get to talking again and I got information about an old friend of his in the Blacksmithing business named Ellis, apparently one of the best smiths to go to if you wanted something built to last. He would be next on my list to visit after the guild.

I return to the squat looking adventurer's building to hand in my request, ignoring some of the stares and murmurs of present guild members, quietly taking my reward and leaving. I would come back in a few days for a new job but I wanted to finally get my Cove up and running before then.

After some wandering and asking for directions I managed to find Ellis's smithy just after noon, taking in the smell of burning coals and the striking of hammer on metal as I entered the shop. Various armors and rigging for horses and carriages lined the walls, with barrels of various weapons and other tools on display. Behind a counter at the far end was a glass display case of more valuable works with precious metals or gems, and a doorway to the smithy itself where I could hear the clanging coming from. A young blonde woman behind the counter perks up at my entrance, greeting me with a smile. "Hello! Welcome to the Ellis Smithy, are you looking for anything in particular today?"

I blink at her cheery demeanor before responding. "I suppose so, I was actually wondering if I could be instructed in this craft. I can pay for lessons, of course." The girl tilts her head to the side before sticking her head through the curtain that separates the shop from the smithy.

"Hey, Gramps! This weird lady out here wants to be a smith!" She shouts. The ringing of metal on metal slows down before I assume whatever was being worked on was put back in the forge. Shortly after, an older man around Buford's age comes out of the back of the shop, wiping sweat away with a rag. His arms are scarred and well built from a lifetime of forging, and I notice one of his eyes is a glass fake.

[Observe]

Ellis A Brown- Level 23

Thoughts- Irritation, curiosity, "A woman wants to learn how to forge?"

Ellis eyes me with his sole good eye, the other fake just slightly askew giving the impression of a lazy eye. Whatever it is he's looking for I'm not sure before he snorts.

"Why would a scrawny lass like you want to learn how to forge?" He asks. His voice is deep and loud, dripping irritation. I suppose it's intended to be intimidating, but I am no simple waif that gets blown over by the wind.

"A few months ago my armor was lost to me, and I lack the skills to make another set. As it is intensely personal of value to me, I want to make it myself, not just hire someone. Teach me how to forge and I will pay you ten silver per lesson." Ellis raises an eyebrow while his granddaughter's eyes widen. Ten silver is enough money to pay for food and lodgings for around two weeks for most citizens.

Ellis and I have a staring contest for about thirty seconds before he breaks off, grunting with what I guess is approval. "This must mean a lot to you, you're actually serious about this. Five silver per lesson, but you don't get to complain at anything I teach you." He laid out. I nod in acceptance before flipping him a gold coin.

"Call that advanced payment, and to cover materials costs. I'll come back tomorrow morning." I step out of the store before they get a chance to express their shock, chuckling at the look on their faces.

}x{

It's night once again at the cove and the rumble of the new diesel generator fills the base. I ended up buying a few gas cans of diesel from the gamer store since I couldn't actually synthesize the fuel without the proper tools and machines. I also ended up spending a good deal of money on regular tools and specialized equipment to fill the workshop, enough to at least give Dell the basics and what he needs to make his own.

And now, with most things settled, I could finally summon the Engineer. I hold the companion gem between my fingers before breaking it like cheap candy. A wind blows through the area before a ripple in space appears before me, spitting out a man in overalls with a blue shirt and a hard hat. He stumbles for a second before straightening and looking around in confusion.

"Dell Conagher, nice to finally meet you." I say, bringing his attention to me.

"Ah... Pardon me, Miss, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage." He says, adjusting his grip on the toolbox he was carrying.

"Right, my name is Jeanne, and I am a dimensional traveler of sorts. I've called you here for a job offer." Dell looks at me warily. I guess working with the Administrator and Mann co has left him leery of contracts. "It's nothing so binding as what you're used to, I assure you, more of an arrangement actually." I explain. "I provide you with anything and everything you want materials wise so you can build to your heart's content, with the opportunity to explore and visit worlds from the multiverse. All that I ask in return is some of your help regarding technical items and researching materials." I lay out. He seems interested, finally taking a look around the cove, spotting the Material harvester. He takes a few steps forward to get a better look, his face lighting up in fascination.

"Did you build this?" He asks, pointing to it. I make a so-so gesture.

"I built it, yes, but it's a piece of tech I managed to find from another universe. I have no idea how it works in technical detail, and that's part of why I want your help. I often find designs and materials from other worlds, things like weapons and vehicles. I can build them but I have no understanding of how they work, at least not yet. I want to change that so I can build and modify my own. Some of the worlds, like this one, also have metals and materials that don't exist on earth." I pull out a turquoise metal ingot and hand it to him. "This is Mythril, a naturally enchanted metal and tougher than steel, and yes, magic exists here. I want to know if some of these metals can be made into alloys or what their best uses are."

Dell tosses the ingot over in his hand before rapping his glove on it. The metal of his hidden robotic hand gives a muffled 'thump' before he hands it back. "Well, I reckon you got yourself an interested party. Where would I be working?" I gesture for him to follow before walking to the machine shop.

"I've been able to set up a workshop here, though I have yet to give it much use. This base still needs some work but it should have enough basic tools and amenities for you. The living quarters are in that building there, and the generator is behind that. If you want to explore this world there is a port town about twenty miles to the west of here, though I would advise against it for the moment. This world is a largely medieval/early colonial setting so swords and magic are common, with the most advanced firearms being flintlocks and cannons. Obviously we aren't so restricted but I don't want to attract too much attention yet. There are a few powerful nations in this world who wouldn't hesitate to kill for an edge over others, and magic can be a powerful weapon in its own right." I explained.

"So that's why you're all set up with your own bunker. You got any plans for the huge dry dock? Transportation?" Dell asks. I nod, pulling some blueprints from my inventory.

"Presenting the Essex class Aircraft carrier CV-11, the USS Intrepid." I spread the design out for him to see. "The design is a bit dated from what I'm used to but I want to retrofit and redesign it into a mobile base for operations around the continent. There are a number of powerful items I need to relieve from the hands of some untrustworthy individuals, and I need a way to have a fast exit to ensure nobody can stop me. This cove will be more of a hideaway for repairs or downtime between operations." I pull out another blueprint. "I eventually plan on better aircraft, but at the moment all I have is designs for a medium bomber, the B25. Problem is, the Intrepid might be able to launch them but it's not suitable enough to land on."

"Why not just take one of my teleporters? Easy enough to set them up as a one time use, and it self destructs pretty thoroughly afterwards." Dell asked. I shook my head.

"Magic that can repair things exists, it might be paranoid of me but I don't want to give anyone else the opportunity to even study your tech. We might be in a world based around swords and horses but there are some truly dangerous and cunning people out there." I roll up the blueprint and return it to my inventory. "Either way, that's mostly in the future, we can start on that later. I'm mainly interested in toying with these metals to create some stronger alloys. I want to rebuild my predecessor's armor, both to help me blend in and for protection."

Dell sets his toolbox onto a workbench, looking around the place with a practiced eye. "So... " He asks. "Where do I start?" I grin and call an Engineering operator to me, which he looks over with a fascinated eye.

"These are Engineering operators, another design I found. They are linked to the harvester you saw earlier so if you have any material needs they can give you raw metals and assist you in your work. The rare magical metals like adamantine, mythril, and orchialum are hard to come by so we only have a few ingots of them but don't worry about using all of it, we can mine more. Hmm, let's see. What else... Oh, right! Before I forget, I found something of yours." I pull out the Eureka effect and offer it to him.

He looks at me, then to the silver wrench with an antenna, then back at me with amusement. "I think you're in a better position to use it than me, boss. After all, doesn't it solve one of your problems?" I blink. What could he mean? It's not like I can use it to build his stuff, and it's only other function is to teleport the user to... Ooohhhhhh. I smack myself in the face. Now that Dell is here to built teleporters, I can use it to return to one of his exits! No need to leave any tech behind that could be repaired and studied!

"Good point..." I heft the wrench, looking at it in a new light before returning it to my inventory. I look around the room before clapping my hands. "Well, that's about all I had. If you need any tools or equipment that I've missed, just let me know and I'll make a mission to get it for you."

Dell looked around the workshop before shrugging. "Don't see anything else I need yet, but it might be nice to have some textbooks to refer to. I might have eleven PHDs but I can't keep everything in here." He raps his hard hat.

"Makes sense, I'll make a list of textbooks I can get my hands on and you can pick out what you want tomorrow. It's actually rather late right now so you may want to settle in, or start tinkering, I'm not going to tell you how to live your life." I shrug. "Oh! Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like you to teach me about engineering and other fields in the future. I made a big speech about redesigning the Intrepid but at the moment I'm still feeling like an amateur in over her head."

Dell mulled it over but nodded. "We can do that, don't got any pressing responsibilities here to interrupt. How 'bout we make your aircraft carrier into a joint project for a learning experience? I'll walk you through its design and explain things, then we can get into the math and the 'why' of its design choices. Once you've got a good grasp on those we can start modifying it. Sound good?" I nod. That's a pretty good deal, the better I understand it the better I can improve it. It also gives me time to find newer designs, and hopefully something to replace the antiquated boiler systems like a nuclear reactor.

"Sounds like a plan!"

}x{

Elsewhere-

Click.

Click.

"Hmm..."

Flip. Flip. Click. Flip.

"Ahh, two sides!" Black and white eyes looked over the object in question, celebrating the minor win. The white and red sides of the cube had been matched, but the others remained a jumble of colors. Now if only I could get a third side...

Click. Flip. Flip. Flip. Click.

Mmmm, no. That ruined it. ARGH! A huff of frustrated air left the mouth of the puzzle's solver. Ever since she had gained the cube she had spent months, if not years trying to figure it out, only to be met with failure. It was almost a bad joke. She, the strongest in the world, could be beaten by a mere puzzle. The fact that it was an old treasure of the Six meant little to her. If only it were a man, our children would be beautiful! She thought. A small smile painted her lips as she imagined having powerful offspring.

Her daydreams ceased and her smile faded into a look of indifference as a group of scripture members walked past her hallway, headed to a meeting with the Cardinals. Something about a threat the astrologer had found, probably. She didn't care. Why should she? They never involved her anyways. She was a weapon, pure and simple. She didn't need to know, just stand here and guard the treasury while the Theocracy took on the damned Elves. Zesshi felt her ears twitch in irritation, and then felt annoyance over her ears. Her pointed ears, a reminder of that bastard of a father she was cursed with.

Feeling her anger rise, she took a breath and centered herself, just like the old Cardinals taught her. "Emotion needs to be controlled to fight effectively," She could almost hear them repeating. It didn't matter. She would get her revenge, in time. Nothing on this continent posed a threat to her after all, although she longed for that to change. Eventually, she was sure she would meet someone stronger. Hopefully a man, who she would bed and then have the most powerful children with, and then live happily in a quiet cottage where she could have a proper... a proper... She frowned. A proper what? What was this sense of longing when she thought of having kids? Of raising them?

She didn't know.

In truth, she couldn't know, because she never had experience with it.

}x{


Thats it for now, chapter 3 will probably be a ways off since I haven't begun it yet but soon we will get into more fun things and more adventures around the kingdoms.