“What is the experience focus?” Ruwen asked.
“Each dungeon level will contain far more creatures that are all easier to kill. This encourages area of attack spells and generates experience quickly. These types of dungeons are very popular with adventurers.”
“But if the risk is low, fewer die,” Ruwen said.
“Yes,” Blapy said. “Not only that, but reviving all those creatures is expensive for the dungeon. Most area of effect spells waste a lot of Mana, which the dungeon Harvests for free, and this offsets some of the costs. But for the dungeon, the experience focus has the thinnest margins.”
“But it’s great for the city isn’t it,” Ruwen said as he thought it through. “And not only for taxes. If I want to level my own people, that would be quickest.”
Blapy nodded. “The area around the portal will be filled with inns, taverns, and merchants, all catering to the massive groups of visitors there to grind out levels. Tax revenue for the city will be the highest of the three, although again, the added need for city guards and judges offsets these profits a little.”
“What about the third one, loot?” Ruwen asked.
“These are also popular,” Blapy said. “But with a different crowd. Loot seekers are usually higher in level and more careful, which means they die less often. Dungeon levels will have fewer creatures, and that makes them more cost-efficient.”
“Since there are fewer high-level groups, my guess is there are fewer inns, shops, and taverns,” Ruwen said.
“Yes, but offset some by the higher quality of the establishments,” Blapy said. “
Ruwen rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t think a Dungeon Master needed so much business knowledge. I should have picked the Worker’s Steward path.”
Blapy gave him a sympathetic look. “You have no idea what’s coming, do you?”
“What? The invasion? I know about it,” Ruwen said.
Blapy shook her head. “No, I meant the difficult part. Managing your city.”
Ruwen shook his head. That would be easy. He planned on reviving the old city leaders so they could guide him. “So if I have this right, the options are resource, which benefits Fractal the most, has the lowest initial tax revenue, but eventually might be the most profitable. Or experience, which I could use to level my own people and has the highest tax revenue, but benefits Fractal the least. Lastly, there is loot, which fits between the other two.”
“That’s the basics,” Blapy said.
Ruwen looked at Fractal, who had listened quietly. “Do you have a preference?”
Fractal didn’t have a neck but moved from side to side. “Fractal not know.”
Ruwen remembered the prairie dog looking creatures called Stone Diggers that he’d fought here with his camping trip group, and the main cavern had contained some sort of grass. “Do you like making Stone Diggers or grass.”
“Grass,” Fractal said.
Assuming Ruwen and the other Champions successfully repelled the invasion, New Eiru would grow, and would benefit significantly from the tax revenue associated with an experience focused dungeon. It would help the city even before that, since Ruwen could train his own people in the dungeon, quickly leveling them.
An experience focus also posed the most risk to Fractal, which Ruwen wanted to avoid. The loot focus seemed like a good compromise, and Ruwen would have immediately chosen it if Fractal had answered with Stone Digger. But he had preferred the grass.
Ruwen thought of Fractal as a sentient crystal. It made sense that it liked simple living creatures or inanimate things like crystals, gems, and rocks. The resource focus would be the least beneficial to the city, at least in the beginning, but Ruwen didn’t care about that. As Dungeon Master, his obligation was to Fractal.
Ruwen looked at Blapy. “What if we want to change our mind later?”
“It’s possible,” Blapy said. “Dungeons evolve over time, and the longest living ones are a mixture of all three. But initially, it’s harder to change, because levels are constructed to support the focus, and changing them is difficult and resource consuming.”
Ruwen faced Fractal. “I think we should focus on resources. It benefits you the most, and I like the idea of crafters surrounding your portal.”
“Agree you,” Fractal said.
“I do, too,” Blapy said. “Now that we know the focus, I’ll create a proper entrance for Fractal’s portal, and a mechanism for you to provide items to Fractal there. It is much easier to reproduce something than for Fractal to research it on his own. So the more things you feed him, the better.”
Ruwen opened his Void Band, removed the three Dimensional Bladed Blue Iris plants he’d taken from the Spirit Realm, and handed them to Blapy. “How about these?”
Blapy looked up at Ruwen. “You had time to pick flowers as you escaped the Spirit Realm?”
Ruwen shrugged. “Seemed like an opportunity.” He removed the five clumps of Divine Sweetgrass and placed them on top of the flowers. “Those might be useful too.”
A basket appeared, and Blapy placed the items in it. She shook her head at him. “Do you steal from every realm you enter?”
Ruwen’s cheeks warmed. He hadn’t ever considered himself a thief. “Well, lately, I have spent time with some questionable people.”
Blapy narrowed her eyes, and Ruwen concentrated on not smiling.
“I’ll admit, those are both extremely rare plants. It’s a good start,” Blapy said. “Anything else?”
“Actually, yes,” Ruwen said. He reached into his Void Band and dropped one of each item into Blapy’s basket.
Flash Seed
Burning Wheat
Blind Nightmare Tear
Vial of Purified Rod Spider Blood
Rod Spider Webbing
The Burning Wheat Ruwen had gathered after killing the goblins in the Black Pyramid was still alive, and he realized it answered an important question. Before he’d killed himself in Uru’s temple, he’d removed all the living things from his Void Band. Or he thought he had. He realized now that the Burning Wheat, because its Energy consumption was insignificant, had remained in his Inventory.
That meant living things in Ruwen’s Void Band survived his death. Bliz had told Ruwen the opposite on his Ascension Day. He’d have to ask Bliz
