“Why would my guards be punished for doing their jobs?!” He bellows.
He’s either wearing a padded coat or really fluffy robes. If everyone didn’t wear robes I’d think he’s wearing an armored jacket as part of this “guard” uniform. And who said anything about the guards being punished for doing their jobs?
-*They should be rewarded for doing their jobs well, but they were punished for interrupting my feeding,- I explain. I really hope this dude isn’t this bad at his job. -I’d probably have eaten everything in the store if they hadn’t thrown themselves in front of my mouth. I will not be held responsible for any injuries accrued during my interrupted feeding.*-
“You dare?!” Mr. Uniform bellows. He summons a corpse guard wielding a spiked club and a shield, wearing what looks like armor on his arms, legs, and across his chest.
The Soldier looks at me, narrows it’s eyes, bends its knees, and I think this one knows techniques.
Fack.
[Death Knell]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[-30 -Resentment]
[+30 Resentment]
[+10 Karma]
[Last Rites II Enhanced]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[+1000 +Resentment]
[+1000 Karma]
[Ghost Soldier Defeated]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[+20 +Resentment]
[+100 Karma]
[Ghost Pot +120/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-132476]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832140/24703259]
[Current Qi: 951390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 98813037/107275977]
[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]
My body resonates with the sound of a gong, my chest a drum and bell somehow, and I count as my own incense?! Wait. So I don’t just breathe, I drum and have to tone now? Um... Hmmm...
The Soldier lays down, going from charging to slumping onto the ground, and I think I just sent his soul on.
-Ding Dong, motherfucker!- I stand up and shriek, running in place with my fists raised to the sky in victory. -Little Corpse! Look! He’s got gear!-
-We can’t take his gear,- Little Corpse facepalms, sighing deeply as I transfer him out of my void and point to the corpse on the ground.
-But we won.- Or does it not count with higher ups? Pretty sure everyone else trades corpses like this, right?
“Did that bug just dismiss my Ghost Soldier?” the Guard Commander starts off with a breathy whisper of disbelief but finishes with a screech of indignant rage.
-Suck it!- I raise my fists again and get a ribful of Little Corpse elbow. -I’m a bank in a pay-to-win Sect and they keep dismissing me? Elbow him!-
“They’re not wrong...” Widow’s Sigh chuckles. He pulls out a handful of notes, counting them while walking over. “My Master has given me leeway to purchase 10 more orbs, if you’re willing to produce them. Either 10 more Death Orbs or 1 Soul Orb. The value is the same.”
My scales feel like they’re trying to burrow into me, and the ones on my shoulders are unfurling. Soul orbs are that valuable? Yeah, but the idea of giving some hidden rich monsters who handle the undead straight-up Soul materials feels dumber than anyone attacking me when I’m hungry and already injured. Epic levels of “bad idea”.
[Death Orb x10 Produced]
[-1000 x10 Qi]
[+100 x10 -Resentment]
[-100 x10 Karma]
[Ghost Pot: +120/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-153246]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832170/24711221]
[Current Qi: 911390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9579451]
[HP: 9579451]
[Current Karma: 98844887/107275977]
Command the Dead
Achievement +100
Ranking Advanced
Vengeful Ghost Sect
Initiate Rank 5
Grave Keeper
One of the girls grabs an intact chest from the shop, carrying it over to me while the other releases the poor bastard she’s pinned to the floor. The shopkeeper immediately runs to the counter, pulling up sheet after sheet along with a writing set with a determined glare that lets me know she blames me, and somehow still doesn’t consider me a threat. I hork the orbs into the chest, the girl counts them then heads to stand off to the side, Widow’s Sigh counts out bank notes and hands them over to the girl who I’m guessing was protecting the shopkeeper from getting too close, they verify, then the exchange is completed.
[1 x110 D.M.R.N]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,88R.Sh.,14 + 110 D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot: +120/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-153246]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832170/24711221]
[Current Qi: 911390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9579451]
[HP: 9579451]
[Current Karma: 98844887/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,88R.Sh.,124D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
Wait, did I see more negatives on Orb production? I check my Logs, and, yeah, I now lose Karma and gain -Resentment when I sell Death Orbs. That was a quick change!
-Oh, wait, what? Boo!- I thought something looked weird. I didn’t get more stuff, I lost stuff.
Well, technically I did get more stuff, but I’m getting more bad stuff out of the Sect for producing for the Sect. Luckily this bad stuff is good for inside the Sect. So... Winning.
-Apologies, but I’m going to have to charge more. It’s costing me more to produce the orbs now, so congrats on getting them while they’re cheaper,- I sigh out loud before focusing on my little group.
Eclipsed Rainbow:
Quick!
Wait, why not Sandy?
Doesn’t matter!
Or even Kisandera...
Focus, brain!
How much should I charge?
I’m losing Karma now!
Silent Howl:
Tack on a 5000 -Regard charge, or 50 +Regard charge
Or make them wait a month.
I mean that as “you only produce once a month.”
“Little Corpse”:
I vote all the above.
Stop powering these assholes!
Sweet Pea Blossom and Chrysanthemum Petal:
We agree with Little Corpse.
-*So that you bastards don’t try to join the others on my shit list, I’ll only produce once a month, first come, first served unless you can make it worth my while, and it’s still my decision, not yours!- I say, moving back to the table and continuing my meal. Feeling peckish, which isn’t good, and let those bastards figure out the cost of my convenience fee! -How much is this going to cost me?*- I ask the shopkeeper while waving my chopsticks around to indicate the destroyed space.
“Yeah, no, you are buying everything,” she snaps, leafing through several pages while messing with an abacus. “You are not making me come in on my day off, interrupting my meal, then wrecking this place! You are buying everything! And you better take it all out today!”
-I’m starting to like her,- I admit, turning back to the girls. -Good job on keeping her away from my mouth.-
-See?- one girl says to the other, the other huffing, arms crossed, turning her head away and putting her out of her sight.
-What’s that about?- I ask Little Corpse who is busy Depositing things into my bank and cleaning up the place.
-Save the guard or save the shopkeeper. They had different ideas on who would be more valuable,- he mumbles, probably doing inventory while he cleans up.
-Did the girls give you their presents?- I ask, ignoring the loud arguing coming from outside.
When Widow’s Sigh had left with his purchase, -- pretty sure he said something about a good investment, -- the other Masks started demanding that I produce things for them. Don’t know what happened, but they stopped yelling at me and started threatening one another. Pretty sure it wasn’t just because I was ignoring them.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“You really are a Little Lord, aren’t you?” Widow’s Sigh chuckles, moving forward and holding what looks like a small badge similar to the one the triplets got from the other.
Chunky metal shield, this one has a warped face embossed on it, tassle hanging off the bottom? Yep.
Halls of the Dead
Achievement +100
Ranking Advanced
Vengeful Ghost Sect
Acolyte Rank 1
Grave Lord
I accept the badge and get an achievement.
-Hmm?- I check my Logs to make sure this isn’t one of those “hahaha, Dumbass! Die to a trap!” achievements. -Oh...-
Command the Dead is for having a Ghost Soldier that isn’t a useless log, which advanced me to Grave Keeper, which I thought I was, but Grave Filler is different, I guess. Which doesn’t make sense.
-Didn’t you guys say I needed to capture Servants to Rank up?- I ask, noticing that the others are frowning as they go about their duties.
-Your advancement requirements keep changing. Most people only need 10 Ghost Soldiers to be Grave Fillers, but you needed 100,- one of the girls murmurs while sweeping into a dustpan.
-*And instead of needing to “defeat” a Ghost Soldier, you had to control 10!*- the other girl snaps, growling while she holds the dustpan the other is sweeping into.
Silent Howl:
They’re making it difficult.
-They’re cheating!- huffs one girl.
-They’re trying to balance out your banking abilities,- Little Corpse reassures me.
-That’s unfair!- the other girl pouts.
-So they’re cheating?- I ask at nearly the same time as the others say something along the same lines.
-You have to find a Patron now,- one girl sighs, no longer holding the dustpan still, so the other has to stop sweeping else she sweep debris onto her. -Or that’s what the manual says.-
-When have I had time to read the manual?- I snort, refilling my table and getting new dishes I haven’t tried before. -Ooh! Stinky tofu and fermented beans!- I dig in, surprised by the strange textures and the fact that everything’s got a bit of a kick to it, then realize I’ve got some questions for Widow’s Sigh.
-He’s gone. He was your sponsor until you reached the Inner Halls, which the badge will give you access to. Now you can hole up in the Citadel in the Graveyards, which in turn is one of the Hells or Earthly Realms of Mortality.- Little Corpse says, pausing to do a quick survey of what work is left to do before going back to cleaning.
The shop is starting to look like a fresh space that just finished construction. It’s a dusty mess, but they got rid of most of the larger bits of debris. Good work.
-Wait, so the Graveyards isn’t a dungeon, it’s the Realm of the Dead?- I ask in horrified awe.
-One of them, and it’s more a physical one, but yes,- Little Corpse looks back at me with his eyebrows knit and a light frown. -It’s supposed to be a testament to your strength to be able to endure the plane for long periods of time.-
-*The manual says you’re only supposed to last four hours, but you had to get servants!*-
-Wait, so what about needing to learn skills?- I ask, confused about something that has a flower on it, but when I eat it, it’s not a cake or dessert, it’s another savory mush pressed into a brick.
-If you don’t learn some way to manipulate Resentment you’ll probably die there,- one of the girls says, frowning at me like I’m being an idiot.
“Well, ‘Bank in a pay for Rank Sect’,” the shopkeeper charges towards me before stopping.
I drink broth and eat tofu and greens while waiting for her to finish. She huffs at me, moving to the girls before holding out her hand. The one with the dustpan ignores her, staying squatted, while the one sweeping puts aside the broom, dusts her hands off, then holds her hand. The woman nods, quickly dragging her over before handing her the papers. The woman makes a throwing motion, the girl perks up, and then one of my spirits runs up to my table slamming down the papers like I owe her money while looking incredibly proud of herself.
“That is a quick account of everything that was supposed to be in the shop at the time of your fit!” the woman snaps, hands on her hips as she glares down her nose at me with a smug smirk. “Can you afford to be so rude?”
I blink at her, look at the paper, then turn to the girl who’s still standing before my table. She sighs, rolls her eyes, and picks the paper back up to read it. Tch! I am a Little Lord, but what use is spending all this money if it doesn’t come with benefits?
-*Tch! You owe 800,000 Resentment or 8,000 Regard or 2 Emperors or 4 Spirit Stones,*- the girl says, but her constant conversions have me sitting back and waiting for her to finish.
-Wait, the whole shop was only 4 spirit stones? But I paid 1 Stone just to get teleported to the Graveyards!- Dude! How badly did I get ripped off?
-Buying the things with money is easy, but it’s better to spend Resentment, even if Resentment is harder to do. Not everyone who joins a Sect is a rich lord,- the girl says, throwing the paper into the air and watching it drift for a second before wandering off.
[Ghost Pot: +120/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-153246]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832170/24711221]
[Current Qi: 911390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9579451]
[HP: 9579451]
[Current Karma: 98844887/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,88R.Sh.,124D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
I check to see if I do have almost 1 mil, then brain fart as I try to do the math. 80 Shards is 800 thousand, right? I make a purse, the default being a spatial storage for some reason, and sigh. I’m sure this purse is worth a goodly amount with my void and bank abilities. Little Corpse stands up, dusting themselves off as they wander over taking my purse, emptying their stuff into it, then giving me a purse that smells faintly of spatial storage versus feeling like a void.
[-1 x81 Tear of Resentment]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,88 - 81R.Sh.,124D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-222441]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832275/24739965]
[Current Qi: 806390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9579451]
[HP: 9579451]
[Current Karma: 98959862/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 0C.St.,7R.Sh.,124D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-Ah! Thank you,- I nod to them before emptying 81 shards into the pouch.
I need to get the Notes converted so I don’t have to do that receipt and personal mark bullshit. Probably also need to get my own personal mark. Why didn’t Widow’s Sigh do the receipt thing? Tch! He better not try to scam me! Pyas me with no proof then says he paid too much and demand a refund of the extra? No. I’ve got Logs.
-Take the cost out of this, and then keep the rest for your prompt work,- I tell the shopkeeper, the other girl dropping her dustpan, annoying the sweeper, before dusting off and running over to hand off the bag.
-This should be 81 Shards of Resentment,- the girl says to the shopkeeper, handing over the purse while the shopkeeper looks over at me with her mouth hanging open.
What? She thought I’d pay in Notes and Stones? Tch! Little Corpse grunts and then gets back to work.
-*Someone managed to make a shard. They said the effort wasn’t worth it, and there’s a 500 Resentment markup on shards. So each shard is worth ten-thousand five-hundred Resentment.*-
-Oh, cool,- I perk up and go back to eating. There’s a cold spicy soup with a light jelly texture and cold, but crunchy roasted nuts in it. -Doesn’t cost me extra to make it, so that’s another avenue for profit. Maybe the bank will pay me.-
-We do need to get to a bank,- Little Corpse says, frowning as he surveys what’s left. -Hey!-
-Hmm?- I look up from my dessert to see him frowning thoughtfully, fists on his hips.
-Clean this up so we can move on,- he says, jutting his chin at me while moving towards the door.
I bank everything except the counter. She can clean that herself. Shelves, broken or otherwise, display bins, broken or otherwise, tables, broken or otherwise. I clean up my table and meal. She said I bought everything, and I’m taking everything but the thing that helps run the store.
-You know where the bank is?- I ask Little Corpse who just pats the air and waits. -But I don’t want to be carried!-
“Wait. You could have cleaned up everything at one time?” the shopkeeper looks around in disbelief before screeching at me, face red, eyes wide, teeth grit, and fists clenched.
-What part of massive storage bank are you confused about?- I snark as Little Corpse just picks me up anyway. I sigh, annoyed as I sit on his arm, my arm draped over his shoulders. -What’s the point of this?-
-Easier to keep you out of trouble this way,- he rumbles. -You were feeding on me before you snapped. It’s why I got so tired. If I get tired again we know it’s time to leave.-
-Oh. Sorry. Need a top up?- I ask and he shakes his head.
-You funnel energy to maintain the body when you do your Resentment collection. We need to take time for you to Toll so that you can raise your Regard.-
-Why don’t we start this procession off proper, then?- I snark before turning back to the shopkeeper. -Do you guys buy elemental silk? Ice, wind, fire, so on?-
“... I want to say we’re closed for renovations, but what do you have?” she asks through grit teeth. I think her nails are drawing blood as hard as she’s clenching her fist.
[1 yds x10 Fire Silk Produced]
[-100 x10 Qi]
[+50 x10 Karma]
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-232326]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832290/24744196]
[Current Qi: 790390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9579451]
[HP: 9579451]
[Current Karma: 98976787/107275977]
I produce another handful of silk and she backpedals as I hold it out. She grabs a larger tray, dons some gloves, comes over, then holds out the tray. I stare at her, -- ‘cause what the fuck? It’s silk. -- place the silk on the tray, then watch as she slowly, cautiously, walks back to the counter while berating herself for not grabbing “the cover”.
The girls follow her, watching over her shoulder as she does some hand swiping, with the glove on, reaching under the counter to grab what looks like a glass tray cover, covers the tray, then more hand waving with the gloves off. She takes notes while she does her hand waving, and I get to watch as the girls wave over Little Corpse, -- and me, what with him carrying me, -- to the counter. Behind the shopkeeper who is too focused to snap at me.
When I look down from behind her I can see that she’s looking at what appears to be a fucking digital screen, with information about the item on the tray, along with a few numbers and symbols that I’m not sure indicate what.
-What is that?!- This bish has a computer?! A touchscreen style projection? Since when is this a thing?
-Tch!-
-Idiot!-
The Shopkeeper is startled into noticing us, yelling at us to get from behind the counter, that she won’t go down without a fight, and how I made her lose count, because of course I did. I ignore the girls as they chastise me for ruining everthing before I snap to tell them to go back and keep learning how that works, because what the fuck was that interface? What was she doing, and why could I see it?
-Backwoods bug finally gets to see real cultivators, and learns it’s not special says what?- one of the girls says, the other giggling, in the most backhanded way of letting me know that my windows aren’t special here.
-Wait, can everyone see when I bring up my windows?- I ask, because I bring those bishes up a lot. And my Logs!
-Your windows aren’t in a hunan language,- one of the girls huffs, looking away with her arms crossed, quickly putting me out of her sight.
-We don’t know all hunan languages,- the other girl mocks her while Little Corpse shrugs when I look at him.
-I’m learning how to read still,- he admits.
Dude learning everything all at once and nailing it? He was definitely an unfound genius. Whoever killed him struck gold! And wasted it!
-Screw gold! You’re diamonds! You’re... You’re something valuable! They had very good taste,- I reassure him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. I need to find out how they found him so I can start looking for other discarded treasures they left behind!
