Zac nodded , a better picture of forming in his head . Remembering the 3-month deadline in his quests he realized that what Abby described would happen in roughly 3 months . Still , there were some things he was unsure about .
But do I really need to care about creating an outpost? My goal is to find my family , I can just leave before the demons arrive . -
That question managed to elicit a full-body eye-roll from the eyeball .
And go where? Couldn’t go to the tutorial town so you can’t learn skills or choose classes , making you quite weak compared to what you should be . There are monsters everywhere so you aren’t safe anywhere . An outpost can help you get stronger through its facilities , and having a town would be the most effective way to look for your family , compared to manually looking everywhere like a vagabond . Besides , being the first to create a town has amazing benefits , just like with the titles . The system likes the people in the forefront . - Abby one more went into lecturing mode .
And if that’s not enough , I can also tell you that the system hates cowards . You only get one shot at creating your outpost , if you fail the system deems you unworthy to be a Lord in the future . If you not just fail , but even abandon the mission , the system will also punish you . It would range from crippling you to outright killing you depending on how bad it judges your performance . -
WHAT? - Zac shouted aghast . - You mean I must complete this quest and kill all the other boss demons or the system might kill me? - The little goodwill Zac had been building towards the system during Abby’s explanations were thoroughly erased .
Well yes . So I suggest you improve your outpost as much as possible in order to have a chance at survival . - Abby nonchalantly explained , as if risking life and limb fighting demons was completely normal .
Well shit . So what do you suggest I build? - Zac hoped to get some guidance in order to create a good foundation for the outpost .
I’m sorry I am not allowed to guide your choices of buildings , building a proper base properly is also a test from the system . I am only allowed to provide information . The system doesn’t want to give too much direction or tips to newly initiated civilizations , as it wants to test their ingenuity . -
Yeah , the system is a real asshole , isn’t he? - Zac muttered . Abby’s pupil enlarged and looked around nervously . Apparently speaking ill of the system seemed like some sort of blasphemy , which Zac guessed made sense as the system essentially was a god . Maybe speaking ill of a being that could spawn portals which puked out demons was a bad idea after all he reflected and vowed to try to keep a lid on his mouth .
Err . . . Anyway . If you imagine the words - Outpost base’ a menu will appear with your options . Most of the options are unavailable at the start , but more and more gets unlocked as your outpost grows into a town and further . You use the Nexus coins you have to buy the upgrades , and you can get more coins from various sources . Nexus coins are the official currency of the multi-verse , and the only one used when trading with the system . - Abby said , seemingly eager to change the subject .
This answered the question Zac had about the coins in his status screen . He still wasn’t sure why he had 5100 of them though .
Wait , is there some connection between Nexus Coins and Nexus Crystals? - Zac asked , remembering the rewards from his quests .
Not really . Nexus Crystals are a cultivation resource in the multi-verse . Both cultivators and mortals can absorb cosmic energy from them . The higher grade the more energy it contains , and the faster you can absorb it . -
Well at this time I would normally have time to answer some specific questions about the different buildings , but we’re out of time . Good luck Zac . If you somehow survive this remember me when you create your town! - It seemed the time for the outpost tutorial was coming to an end . Abby seemed to hesitate a bit but then apparently came to a decision .
You… You should really try to complete the quests within a month , or at least within two months . That would… - She didn’t get any further before a heavy pressure suddenly bore down on the camp . Abby’s pupil dilated and red squirming veins appeared all over the eye . And suddenly she was gone .
Zac wasn’t sure , but it didn’t feel like this was how she was supposed to disappear , as she appeared completely without him noticing . He had been able to sense something that could almost be anger in the pressure that descended . Had Abby been punished for what she said at the end?
Complete the quests within a month… - he mumbled , trying to glean any hidden meaning . Something obviously happened because of those sentences . If the system punished her for lying it could only mean Abby wanted him to run to his death like an idiot . But if it was for unduly helping it might be an important clue to help him stay alive . That meant something likely happened to the world or the incursion after a month had progressed . Something that was bad for him .
He just couldn’t figure out why the Stargazer would just help him like that , even risking the wrath of the system , as she had already explained it didn’t like her giving undue guidance . Zac couldn’t figure out any real reason for that yet , and could only put it aside for now . Instead , he followed her instructions and mentally thought - Outpost base’ .
Suddenly a new window popped up in front of him . But while it still had the blue background and white borders , it rather reminded him of a web store than an old school RPG game . There were multiple categories of buildings and add-ons to choose from to the left and a seemingly unending number of products in the main window .
Zac took a bottle of now tepid water from the cooler the demonling had been rummaging through earlier and retreated to the camper . The suns were starting to set , which was a relief to Zac , as it proved that at least the daily cycles remained in the world , giving some normalcy .
Unheeding of the bloody mess inside , he cracked open a tin of beans from the cupboard . Luckily they had stocked the camper well before the trip , as they had planned to spend a week on the road , and most of it was non-perishables . He still had food and water for at least two weeks unless he gorged himself .
He sat down at the small dinner-area , and while slowly eating his beans he started mentally browsing through the shop . Zac noticed that the prices were denominated in Nexus coins , which he had 10100 of now . He had gained 5000 coins during the day , likely from creating the outpost .
If he was going to survive in this new world , it seemed the first step was getting the most out of this outpost of his .
Chapter 10 - Preparation
Zac woke up the next morning feeling sore , but his wounds had obviously healed even further . It no longer pained him overly to put weight on his wounded leg , and he could actually turn his midriff without a blazing pain erupting .
The smell in the camper was getting pretty bad though , and he knew he had to do something about it if this was going to be his base for the foreseeable future . He gathered the bloody bed sheets he had fallen asleep on when he passed out from his wounds and put them in a garbage bag . He didn’t dare throw it outside yet though , afraid the smell of blood would attract beasts . With some detergent he spent another 30 minutes cleaning most of the blood away , making the trailer go from looking like the site of a vampire orgy to a serial killer hideout . The blood had badly stained multiple places , especially around the dining area , and it wasn’t something he’d be able to fix in the short run . At least it smelled a lot better now .