-Ah, ‘cause they only do “stone bigger”,- I nod, wanting to call the whole thing off because I don’t want to go to another fackin’ shop to find where the bank is when all of this was just supposed to be a way to dump my Resentment.
-Everything’s in order,- one of the girls says, the other taking the Receipt from me to set on the counter before grabbing my hand, pricking my thumb, and pressing my thumbprint on the Receipt as a signature.
-I don’t know how many people you’ve just doomed by putting my ichor and scales on that paper,- I point out before she does it again on another copy, apparently my copy. -You’re not even listening to me. And why does this shop have such high notes in the first place? If anything’s that expensive, why not just go to a specialty shop?-
“Because sometimes the specialty shops don’t want it because they’ve got contracts with suppliers or they items to sell, not purchase,” the shopkeeper says, quickly pulling out three sheets of paper that the girls and Silent Howl reassure me are bank notes of some fashion.
I continue watching as the shopkeeper pulls out more notes from his own pouch, counting out quite a few before setting them down, writing himself receipts, and then picking up the silk.
-What are you doing?- He paid me 30k from the shop and then paid 9 Notes to the shop before grabbing up the silk I just sold.
“Usually the old monsters have reservations for Death imbued items. It’s almost impossible to get your hands on anything Soul or Death. How could I pass on this opportunity?”
How come he looks so country with that much Resentment on hand? Shouldn’t he be higher Ranked? Well, I guess I don’t know his Rank. Does he own this shop, not just work here? Where’s he get all of that money from?
“How does a lowly Disciple have that much Resentment?” one of the girls snaps, instantly suspicious. Good girl. “Don’t you ‘good girl’ me!” she snaps at me, not even putting me in her sight.
“Mostly payment for favors,” the man says, excitedly touching the silk like it’s not dangerous raw as it is. “It goes without saying that you shouldn’t tell anyone about this, hmm?”
He did say that such things were reserved.
-Um...- Tch! This sucks. -You should know that Widow’s Sigh kinda follows me around to make sure I don’t kill anyone...-
“Hmm?” the shopkeeper looks up at me, and we both look towards the door before looking back down since the old bastard is standing slightly off to the side of us, not way the hells outside.
Widow’s Sigh’s hand darts out even as the shopkeeper’s mouth flaps. He doesn’t get to make a sound, to begin his apology before the old bastard kills him, his head flying free.
-You killed him!- How’s this fair?!
“Did you want to?” Widow’s Sigh tips his head in curiosity, banking the corpse before it hits the ground, and snatching up the thread to set on the counter.
-Why would I kill him?! Was he being honest with me?- I point out, because I want to believe he was.
“Yes, Death imbued items are sought out for several simple rituals,” he admits with a slow nod.
-Then why would I kill him?! He was the most honest, straightforward person I’ve met so far! And he paid for it, didn’t he?- I point out the receipt left on the counter. -Bring him back!-
“While there are those capable of bringing back some semblance of life to the dead, I am not among their number,” he says, and I swear he’s looking at the girls.
-Tch!- I don’t even know if the girls are alive alive or just keeping the bodies going as a weird flex. I tense, holding my hand out to him, palm up. -Then spit him out! I’ll add him to my Ghost Pot!-
“‘Spit him out’...?” Widow’s Sigh says slowly, and I nod and shake my empty hand for him to put the shopkeeper’s soul in.
-Yes! I want you to spit him out! You punished him for no reason, and you can’t undo it, so hand him over! Spit him out! Right now!-
Silent Howl:
You forgot Ghost Pots are physical objects, didn’t you?
-He didn’t take the shopkeeper’s spirit. Only the corpse,- one of the girls admonishes me, the other hiding her face behind her raised hand. Oh, am I embarrassing them?
-Transfer me,- Little Corpse sighs, bowing wearily as he appears. “Apologies elder, but if you have no use for the shopkeeper’s soul, would you take offense if we were to take it?”
-And you better not try to fine me for you killing him for no reason!- I snap. The dude just did his job, very efficiently, and he got killed? -Why didn’t you just fine him?-
“You don’t cross the old monsters,” Widow’s Sigh says, and I swear I hear fear in his voice. “If you take his soul, know that they may ask for it back. To make an example of it.”
-Back? You say back like they own it already!- I snap waiting for the girls and Little Corpse to wrangle the wayward spirit. I’m not sure why they can see it and I can’t. -Gimme his body back!-
-You won’t need it,- one of the girls whispers.
-Nevermind!- I tell Widow’s Sigh, turning back to her to wait for an explanation. -Why won’t I need it?-
-His soul should remember,- the other girl says.
-We weren’t done shopping,- I realize. Turning to pout at Widow’s Sigh. -Are you going to run the shop? How are we supposed to buy things? Didn’t you tell me to spend Resentment?-
“There are systems in place,” Widow’s Sigh dismisses my whining.
-Fat Cod wants to talk to you,- Little Corpse says and I sigh before moving myself and the girls into my void, hoping the name is a joke.
“-- immortal...”
I shift to Little Corpse to see him standing, swaying, and the shopkeeper, in the flesh, standing with his hands raised in claws as he keeps looking at his palms with a very creepy, wide-eyed grin.
-I can put you back in the shop, but I don’t know how death works for you,- I admit. -You could stay here and work --.-
“Why would I go back?” he laughs, his hands falling to his sides, still grinning wildly. “I could become a god! I could take a Ghost Soldier’s body, and use all the resources here to become even more powerful!” he says, reaching to Little Corpse who opens his eyes enough to glare at Fat Cod as the shopkeeper begins cackling. “You!” I point to myself as he points at me. “I can use your impossible resource storage and production to train a new body! I could reinforce my soul! You’ll need to consume more to provide me with more resources, but in a few years I might be strong enough to move straight to become a Master of Hell,” he sighs, finally falling quiet.
-I don’t work for you,- I remind him, since he seems to have forgotten in his grand plans for world domination.
“Hmph! Only a matter of time. A test of Wills shouldn’t be too difficult,” he murmurs to himself. He is not ignoring me in my void.
-Tch! And what makes you think they’ll take you back into the Sect? You’re dead!- I snap, unamused by his bullshit. Ungrateful bastard, I give you a new body, and you want to take over my void?
-And you’re a bug!- he says, widening his eyes long enough to mock me before putting me out of his sight again.
This bish.
-Yeah, no. My void. My Ghost Pot. You work for me, dumbass. Not the other way around,- I remind him, again, in case he thinks I’m playing. I’m not.
“Tch!” the shopkeeper looks down his nose at me. “You think a bug has a stronger Will than a hunan cultivator?” he scoffs, rolling his eyes like I’m being unreasonable.
[New Skill Learned]
[Pyre Successful]
[-100 Resentment]
[-10 Con. Qi]
[-100 Karma]
[Ghost Pot +120/-2]
[Resentment: +759840/-438712]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1831949/24663911]
[Current Qi: 1093395/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98655647/107275977]
A quick flick of the wrist, an overwhelming resentment towards people who just want to use me, and Fat Cod turns into a bright candle for a moment. A very brief moment as his entire being is engulfed in a blue-edged white flame before there’s not even ash to show he’d been standing there.
-*This bug has a stronger Will than you,- I tell the air. -Tch! Dumbass gonna come into my void and tell me how he’s gonna use my shit, and then insult me?- I grumble, turning away from the sight, waving Little Corpse back to his meditations, and taking me and the girls back to the shop. -Sorry about that. If anyone wants his soul I burned it because he was a dick. If anyone complains, tell them he thought he’d hide in my void using my resources to become an undead god.*-
“He said Master of Hell,” one of the girls pipes up, raising her hand and everything. I’m not even mad, that was adorable.
“This is the new shopkeeper,” the other girl politely indicates an irritated looking woman with a fabric square tucked into her robes.
-What were you eating?- I ask, ‘cause it’s the only reason I can think of someone putting on a bib.
The woman frowns, follows my eyes to her bib, snatches it off, then glares at me. What’d I do? I try to turn to the girls, but they’re hiding behind their hands, heads turned away from me.
“I wasn’t supposed to work until tomorrow, but I’m here because you didn’t want to pay for your purchase?” she snaps at me, and I turn to glare at Widow’s Sigh who raises his hands and shakes his head at me.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
-He killed the last shopkeeper for buying some Death Silk I sold,- I say, jutting a thumb at Widow’s Sigh, the girl looking from me to Widow’s sigh like I just slapped him or I’m actively pissing myself.
She looks surprised with growing disbelief, like I’m piddling on the carpet and she wants to stop me, but I’m someone’s pet so they should be stopping me. He definitely won’t clean up after me.
-Are you capable of processing purchases?- She wants to be bitchy at me for no reason after the last dude went from awesome shopkeeper to douche outside of work? Although, to be fair, if he was making personal purchases on the clock in front of customers the way he had...
“Can you afford to make purchases?” she snaps, making a point to look at my robes.
Ah... My scales are tearing through my robes and the hems are fraying. Well, that’s why I’m selling silk.
-What other silk types do people need?- I ask Widow’s Sigh.
“Excuse me, miss, but what kind of imbued silks will the shop purchase?” one of the girls asks the shopkeeper while Widow’s Sigh subtly indicates the girl who’d asked.
“Depending on the Essence, we buy silk by the meter or the yiddit,” the woman pointedly turns her back on me to speak to the girls. “Please note that, even if you sell imbued items, some Essence imbuements are put on reserve by higher ranked disciples, so make sure that you truly are willing to part with the items.”
“Thank you,” the girls give delicate bows, bending their knees and their heads in a slow, shallow dip.
“But you really should sell silk at the clothing shops. Most will accept quality silk,” she quickly explains.
-It’s not good for robes, but it is imbued,- I inform the woman who side-eyes me with such an intense distaste I really want to know what she was eating. It had to be some really loved comfort food for her to get this pissed for this long.
“The shop sells Death Essence Orbs for about 90,000 Resentment,” Widow’s Sigh says as he starts counting out bank notes. “If you could produce one, my master would be grateful,” he says, holding out the Notes to me.
-Take the money!- one of the girls hisses at me as I slowly slide my eyes away from the Notes.
-Don’t want to,- I huff. Everyone treating me like I’m the problem, but look how they try to get me to work for them.
“Tch!”
“A panel of Death Silk will work as well...” Widow’s Sigh says, and I’m annoyed when my eyebrow quirks up. Traitor.
-How much for simple robes?- I need to get production up. Help me while I’m helping you.
“May I see the robes?”
-Tch, I should probably stick with silk,- I grumble...
Now... How much Death Essence in a yiddit versus an orb. Takes 10,000 Essence to make an orb, but how much silk is that?
[Death Orb Produced]
[-1000 Qi]
[100 Karma]
[Ghost Pot +120/-2]
[Resentment: +759840/-448597]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1831964/24668043]
[Current Qi: 1077395/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98672172/107275977]
-Ugh... Too much work,- I wave the idea off, and just make an orb, I hork up an orb. -Gib,- I hold the orb in one hand and hold out my empty free hand, opening and closing my hand in the universal “gimme” gesture.
The girls come over, one taking the orb from me, one taking the Notes from Widow’s Sigh. They examine what’s in their hands, I guess making sure that we’re not trying to cheat one another, although I’m not sure how it works when they’re my contracted spirits.
[10k Resentment x11 Banknote]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,58R.Sh.,3D.M.R.N. +11]
[Ghost Pot +120/-2]
[Resentment: +759840/-448597]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1831964/24668043]
[Current Qi: 1077395/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98672172/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,58R.Sh.,14D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-Oy, this is 11 notes,- I point out. Impartial my ass.
“110,000 Resentment. A markup for continued trade,” he says with a light nod as the shopkeeper starts picking at her nails, her hands clasped just under her ribs.
-I got enough money for you now?- I frown at the girl before turning back to Widow’s Sigh. -Where’s the bank?- I ask Widow’s Sigh, but he just disappears since the decorative lamps near the shop’s entrance are markers, because of course they are...
-Little Corpse would love this!-
I turn to see one of the girls holding up a bag that looks like his harvest and scrap sack. I sniff it and it’s spatial storage, and I don’t know if I can spatial storage not jade... I made purses, and they have... Do I just automatically do shit and fail when I try to manually control things?
-This is bullshit...- I grumble, my head hurting. How the fack did I set Small Cod on fire? -Ugh!-
-Now you know how we feel!- one of the girls says as they take turns loading up the counter.
-I’m eating any makeup!- I snap when I see one of the girls sniffing at a small pot of something.
-What’s something you don’t produce? Soap!- she mentally shrieks at me.
-... Grab some foods,- I grumble, noticing that there are actually foods. Dried foods, pickled eggs, dried herbs, and more.
-Make more shards!- one of the girls cheers as she puts some questionable dried items on the counter.
-Hmm?- I blink sleepily. My head really was hurting, and I’m pretty sure I need to eat soon. -Shards? Ah. What’m’I at?-
[Ghost Pot +120/-2]
[Resentment: +759840/-468367]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1831994/24676255]
[Current Qi: 1047395/957945100]
[Current Karma: 98705022/107275977]
-Tch!- I shake my head. -I’m getting tired of this...-
[Resentment Shard x40 Produced]
[-10,000 x40 -Resentment]
[+1 x40 Con. Qi]
[-1000 x40 Qi]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,58R.Sh. +40,14D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot +120/-2]
[Resentment: +759840/-68367]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1831994/24676255]
[Current Qi: 1047395/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98705022/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,98R.Sh.,14D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-*What?- I blink my eyes tiredly, trying to make sense of the alphabet soup. -DMN? Hold on...*-
Century Stone? Resentment Shard? DecaMillenium Resentment Note? Oh! One of these things is not like the other, one of these things was made by me! And~ I fucked up the naming convention. Whoops. Wait. I wanted to name them Tears! Who overrode my name for my creation?
No... No wait. I think I thought of them as a shard of quartz, then noticed the tear shape. Tch! Missed opportunity, me...
[-1 Tear of Resentment x10]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,98R.Sh. -10,14D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot +120/-2]
[Resentment: +759840/-68367]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1831994/24676255]
[Current Qi: 1047395/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98705022/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,88R.Sh.,14D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-I’m gonna go eat,- I grumble, holding out my hand, the girls running over as one cups her hands to accept the Tears. Weird how my notifications make sense to me on some parts, then auto-correct later, and I’m just noticing this, but I’m sure it’s been doing it for a while... -Probably going to sleep,- I mumble, trying not to bolt before making sure that Little Corpse and the girls can transfer, but not bring friends.
I wake up chattering to myself and cackling at something funny I said while asserting dominance on a partially eaten dragon eel. I feel cheeky? Hmmm.
-Did I get possessed by Aunty?- I sigh before inhaling, damn near swallowing whole one partially eaten roasted dragon eel. -Did I make this?-
-They’re awake, and, no, Little Corpse did,- one girl says, pinning a sobbing, pony-tailed figure face-down on the ground.
-I got hungry, and then what?- I stand up, shifting from less dog-sized bug, -- didn’t know I could chibi, and I have the overwhelming urge to burrow into someone... -- and get dressed.
When I look around I can see the store is trashed and there are a lot of people unconscious or cowering. Unconscious? Or dead?
[Ghost Pot +120/-0]
[Resentment: +759870/-127647]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832091/24701070][Current Qi: 957396/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98804272/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,88R.Sh.,14D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-*So... That doesn’t look too bad...*-
-You didn’t gather any more souls,- Little Corpse says with a grimace. It sounds like he’s trying to tell me I shit myself in public, but we cleaned it up, so it’s not too bad.
-You sound a lot better,- I say as I move off to the side, quickly setting up a little table in the wrecked store and eating. -Did we at least finish the purchase before I probably tried to eat everything?-
-The fact that you’re self-aware and still do this...?- one of the girls says, looking around with her arms wrapped around the shopkeeper’s.
-I told you I was getting hungry!- I snap. Pretty sure I kept trying to go home, but they wanted to keep shopping. -*First it was light snacks, then I said, yeah, I need food, and then this happened! Blame your greed!*-
“Ah, you’re awake.” Widow’s Sigh walks over to me with a few masked elders, including the hunched bastard I’m sure has hated me since “go”.
“Since Widow’s Sigh is your Sponsor, not to be confused with a Patron,” the hunchback says, -- not sure why, and his mask is angled at Widow’s sigh, not me, -- before he turns back to me. “He’ll take responsibility for this latest debacle as well.”
-Yeah, but what’d I do?- What’s he taking responsibility for? And I’m blaming the girls for this one.
“Luckily you just damaged the items in the shop. They were closer and convenient. I would like to point out that any loss of life was caused by people attacking you while you ate,” Widow’s Sigh says while pointedly turning slightly away from another masked elder.
“He injured several of the Disciples on guard duty, and I expect there to be a suitable punishment!” A tall, solid feeling man snaps, and I wonder how he’s going to punish the guards.
-I’ve recovered fairly quickly, so I’m assuming whatever I did to them might be punishment enough. At least a warning for them to not interfere with my feeding unless they want to be food,- I point out, ‘cause I’m pretty sure that’s what happens. If I’m eating one thing, trying to stop me just means you’re volunteering to get et.
