Chapter 60: Tentacles and Tomes

The second floor of the department store was quiet, the celebration from the previous day having faded, replaced by the hum of work on the floors below.

Reidar found Keth’moran in his usual spot, the Thalassari vendor’s tentacles swaying every time he moved. The obsidian eyes fixed on the human survivor as he got closer.

“Reidar Miller,” Keth’moran said. “The Behemoth is dead. A profitable venture, I assume.”

“It had its moments,” Reidar said, stopping before the alien merchant. “I’m leaving Three Lakes. I need gear for the road. Better gear. And a way to navigate the place without losing myself in the forest.”

“An investment in survival is the wisest expenditure,” the vendor said. A flicker of amusement crossed his lipless mouth. “I’m at your service. What can I do for you first?”

Keth’Moran opened the shop’s interface.

The holographic, or whatever that thing was, interface shimmered into existence, and then a catalog of alien and arcane goods appeared.

Reidar glanced at it. The sheer number of choices was overwhelming. There was basically no end to all of them, and it would take too much time for Reidar to check even 1% of them. There were weapons forged from starlight, armor woven from shadow, skill books granting power he couldn’t even comprehend.

Reidar could do nothing but sigh.

“I don’t have time to browse,” he said. “Just… help me. I need a full armor set. Level twenty-five. Something for a summoner.”

Keth’moran’s tentacles stilled. “A summoner’s path has many branches. Do you want to increase your creations’ durability? Or perhaps you seek to extend their time in this plane, making their conjuration last longer? Or do you simply wish to amplify their destructive power?”

<Power. I need more power.>

The Primal Pack was strong, but it was just three creatures. What Reidar needed was a strong army, and to get that he would need to rely on the bone militia and the Rift-Sprites.

“I need something that make them stronger,” Reidar said. “I want a set that increases their damage.”

“An excellent choice. Aggression is often the surest path to victory. I have just the thing.”

The interface shifted, displaying a five-piece armor set. Reidar focused on the details, his eyes tracing the glowing text.

—[«SHOP»]—

« Summoner’s Cowl »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Head

Type: Light

Resistances: Physical +2.9%, Arcane +4.5%

Core Attributes: +0.7 A.C.U.M.E.N., 0.2 F.L.I.P.

Special Properties:

Summoner’s Sight: Increases the attack range of summoned creatures by 10%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Mantle »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Chest

Type: Light

Resistances: Physical +4.3%, Toxin +3%

Core Attributes: +0.7 A.C.U.M.E.N., +0.4 S.H.I.E.L.D.

Special Properties:

Conduit’s Core: Increases the health of all summoned creatures by 5%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Leggings »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Legs

Type: Light

Resistances: Physical +3.6%, Shock +4%

Core Attributes: +0.5 A.C.U.M.E.N., +0.3 S.H.I.E.L.D.

Special Properties:

Earthen Bond: Increases the damage resistance of summoned creatures by 3%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Handwraps »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Hands

Type: Light

Resistances: Physical +2.9%, Cold +3%

Core Attributes: +0.5 A.C.U.M.E.N., +0.5 F.L.A.I.R.

Special Properties:

Feral Command: Increases the attack speed of summoned creatures by 3%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Treads »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Feet

Type: Light

Resistances: Physical +2.9%, Shock +3%

Core Attributes: +0.8 F.L.A.I.R., +0.3 F.L.I.P.

Combat/Utility Stats:

Movement Speed: +5%

Special Properties:

Boundless Step: Increases the movement speed of summoned creatures by 5%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Bracers »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Arms

Type: Light

Resistances: Physical +3.2%, Heat +2.5%

Core Attributes: +0.3 S.H.I.E.L.D., +0.2 F.L.A.I.R., +1 A.C.U.M.E.N.

Special Properties:

Empowered Strikes: Increases the base damage of summoned creatures by 3%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Cloak »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Accessory (Back)

Type: Light

Resistances: Arcane +5%, Cold +2%

Core Attributes: +0.6 A.C.U.M.E.N., +0.1 F.L.I.P.

Special Properties:

Mystic Ward: Reduces the mana cost of summoning skills by 3%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

« Summoner’s Sash »

Rarity: Uncommon

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Slot: Accessory (Belt)

Type: Light

Resistances: Toxin +3%, Heat +3%

Core Attributes: +1 to all attributes

Special Properties:

Master’s Link: Increases the duration of all summoned creatures by 10%.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, S.H.I.E.L.D. ≥ 1

Set Bonus: Summoner’s Command

(2) Pieces: Reduces the mana cost of summoning skills by an additional 5%.

(4) Pieces: Increases the duration of summoned creatures by an additional 15%.

(6) Pieces: Increases the base damage of all summoned creatures by an additional 8%.

(8) Pieces: Allows the summoner to have +1 active summoned creature above their normal limit per skill.

« Shepherd’s Crook of the Wild »

Rarity: Rare

Item Level (ILVL): 25 → Tier: 2

Type: Magical

Subtype: Summoning Wand

Handedness: One-Handed

Damage: 20-59 (Pure mana)

Attack Speed: +10%

Range: 25m

Resource Cost: Mana: 15 per attack

Attribute Scaling: A.C.U.M.E.N. and F.L.I.P.

Tiered Bonus: +4% status effect duration

Special Effects:

Pack Alpha: All summoned creatures deal an additional 5 Arcane damage on each hit.

Call to the Hunt: Upon killing an enemy, there is a chance based on the user’s F.L.I.P. score to reduce the cooldown of summoning skills.

Sockets: 1

Requirements: Level 25, A.C.U.M.E.N. ≥ 5

Lore: It is said to have been carved from the branch of an ancient, sentient tree and first used by a simple shepherd to protect their flock.

—[«END»]—

“I’ll take it,” Reidar said without hesitation. The cost was exorbitant, but the set bonuses were a massive improvement compared to his Rift-Sprite Set.

[32,500 Survival Points deducted.]

The pieces of armor and the wand materialized on a display stand before him. He unequipped his Sprite-themed set and put on the new one.

The gear settled onto him with a reassuring heft. It was crafted from dark, hardened leather stitched with sinew, reinforced with plates of polished bone and obsidian.

“Now, I would like you to sell me a map of the region.”

“Velia’s Regional Map,” Keth’moran said, pulling up a new item. “A wise purchase.”

—[«SHOP»]—

« Velia Regional Map »

Rarity: [Rare]

Type: Consumable (Permanent Upgrade)

Stack Size: [1 / 1]

Description / Effect:

Absorbing this map integrates the complete geographical data of the Velia region into your System’s mapping function. Unlocks advanced cartographical features that improve with exploration.

Proficiency Milestones:

0%: Displays major geographical features, known settlements, and primary roads.

25%: Reveals minor pathways, hidden locations, and monster nest markers.

50%: Enables real-time tracking of large creature movements (Elite and above).

75%: Reveals locations of rare resource nodes.

100%: Provides a complete, real-time omniscience of the entire region, tracking all creatures, persons, and resource fluctuations.

—[«END»]—

“Proficiency is gained by traversing the region,” Keth’moran explained. “The more ground you physically cover, the more data the System assimilates, and the more detailed your map gets. At its peak, it is less a map and a more second set of eyes for the entire territory.”

“And the price?”

“Ten thousand Survival Points.”

“Done.” Reidar bought it. “Anything else you’d recommend for a long journey?”

Keth’moran’s tentacles twitched, a gesture Reidar was beginning to interpret as thoughtful consideration. “If you are investing in the map, you should pair it with its sibling codex: Velia’s Regional Monster Compendium. One tells you where your enemies are; the other tells you how to kill them.”

—[«SHOP»]—

« Velia’s Monster Compendium »

Rarity: [Rare]

Type: Consumable (Permanent Upgrade)

Stack Size: [1 / 1]

Description / Effect:

Integrates a bestiary framework into your System. The codex populates with data as you encounter and defeat creatures native to the Velia region.

Proficiency Milestones:

0%: Records basic creature names and levels.

25%: Reveals creature resistances, weaknesses, and common abilities.

50%: Details specific attack patterns and behavioral traits.

75%: Lists potential loot drops and material harvest yields.

100%: Unlocks Regional Predator passive bonus: Gain +5% damage to and -5% damage from all creatures native to the Velia’s region.

—[«END»]—

“Proficiency for the Compendium is gained through combat,” the vendor said. “The more of a specific creature you hunt, the more you learn. Observe them, fight them, dissect them. The System will record everything. Full mastery grants a… combat advantage within this territory.”

<A permanent five percent damage buff and damage reduction across the entire region. This is fucking great!>

“Ten thousand for that as well, I assume.”

“A standard price for such foundational knowledge,” Keth’moran said.

Reidar’s remaining points took another hit. Two glowing tomes appeared, one depicting a compass rose, the other a monstrous claw. He absorbed them both. The world didn’t change, but he felt a subtle shift within his mind.

[10,000 Survival Points deducted.]

[10,000 Survival Points deducted.]

[Total SP: 25.569]

<I have enough to buy some other skills.>

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep