“I have to admit, Ingrid, I didn’t even consider the possibility of multiple contracts at once. I’m not sure how that would even work…” I started to say as a system prompt kicked in and some new class information appeared. While I was happy to see the new information, I was a bit annoyed that the system hadn’t revealed it earlier.
You have unlocked the class ability to secure and maintain multiple contracts at the same time. Your current contract is considered the primary contract and will take priority over all your other contract options. Additional contract opportunities will be limited to those employers that are willing to accept a secondary position in summoning priority and have a task with a very short duration. It should also be noted that many of the secondary contracts may offer limited rewards based on the restrictions placed upon you.
To acquire additional contracts, you may either negotiate directly with the party requesting your assistance or respond to postings placed in Somhagen or through appropriate representatives and brokers. At your current Tier, Rank, and Reputation, you are limited to a maximum of 2 additional contracts active at one time. The number of additional contract offerings may change as your Tier and Rank increase, but the number, and quality, of the offerings will also be affected by your Reputation score.
Should your reputation score diminish, some contracts may be cancelled early by the issuer, and any advance compensation you have received may be rescinded. Since you unlocked the option for multiple contracts after accepting your current contract, you must obtain permission from the designated representative, the being known as Headmaster Glorine, before accepting any additional contract options.
“I can tell by that look, the system just finished explaining things to you,” Ingrid said as I finished reading.
“Yes, there’s a lot of information there, but it looks like I’ll need some permission before I can take on any other contracts. Once I get that permission, do you have any contracts to offer here?” I asked.
“We have some access to some of the contract request listings, but only those who sent requests directly through the Summoned Market. Other listings, perhaps the bulk of them, can be found through the various brokers at each tier of the city itself. I suspect, should you be granted permission by your current employer, that you may be given a chance for a visit to the city,” Ingrid said.
“Thanks, Ingrid, the information you’ve given me might just save my life. Since I can’t look at any new contracts at the moment, can you suggest some gear or consumables that I might fit well with my new class?” I asked, excited about the opportunities that I might have if I could convince Headmaster Glorine to cut me loose on my downtime.
“Give me a moment Rico, I’ll take a look at our current inventory,” Ingrid said, leaving to head back behind the main sales counter where I suppose some kind of interface for the shop’s inventory was kept.
I tried to plan out my next day while she looked. I’d have to meet with Melody in the morning, as classes were about to begin. Hopefully, Melody will be able to get me a meeting with Glorine. While I didn’t think that Glorine would prevent me from taking additional contracts, there was always the chance that he wouldn’t want to risk my service being cut short by a dangerous contract.
“Rico, here’s what I think might interest you. There wasn’t much that integrated well with your class, and if you don’t see anything you want, I can still offer plenty of standard consumables such as potions and the like,” Melody offered while placing two items and a handful of figurines on the countertop.
The first item was the largest of the bunch, a heavy crossbow with a crude box magazine attached to the top. As I picked up the crossbow, I felt the tingle of mana in the weapon and a system explanation appeared.
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Ghost Archer’s Crossbow. This heavy crossbow is imbued with mana, and infused with the spirit of an ancient archer who, at the time of his death, didn’t wish to give up his craft and pass into the afterlife. The crossbow takes 25 mana to activate and once activated, will float near the wielder and operate independently as it seeks out, and engages any hostile targets within range.
The crossbow will prioritize targets with the same skill that the spirit that imbues it possessed in life, but it will also answer your commands if you wish it to focus on a specific threat. Its magazine contains a total of 5 ethereal bolts that ignore any physical armor. Once the last bolt is fired, the crossbow will become inert and drop to the ground beside you.
This item can be activated only 1/hour.
It was a nice addition to my firepower. Having a ranged weapon that could do its thing without my direct attention was exactly what I needed. Though it only had five shots before it ran out of ammo, it could be activated every hour, which would make it more useful in longer combat operations.
The final item, other than the figurines, was a pair of plain, iron bracelets that hummed with power. When I picked them up, I was surprised to see that this was an item that interacted with one of my minions, and was something specifically designed for summoners.
Summoner’s Bands of Immediate Recall. When attached and attuned to a summoning minion, this band may be activated to immediately recall the minion to your side. Activation requires 10 mana, and the bands can only be used once every 24 hours.
It was another survival item. If I was in a position where undetected enemies appeared, I could call back one of my minions to assist me. Like most survival items, I wanted it, though it would be tough to decide which minion to equip it with. Other than the crossbow and bands, Ingrid had four figurines which I knew that I’d want. These were things I pretty much never turned down unless I was almost out of funds.
Summoning Figurines.
- Crawling Spines. Tier 1, Rank 6.
- Pixie Archer. Tier 1, Rank 7.
- War Hound Pack. Tier 2, Rank 2.
- Goblin Mortar Team. Tier 3, Rank 0.
“Great picks, Ingrid, thanks for finding these. How much would it set me back to pick up everything you’ve found?” I asked.
“Allow me a moment, it appears you still have a credit balance to your account. You must have had at least some of your summoning points converted into store credit when your class evolved,” Ingrid said, her eyes darting around as she looked at system information that was invisible to me.
“Well, it seems that if you wish to keep the entire offering, your account balance is more than sufficient to pay for it. In addition, after purchasing everything, you’d be left with a credit of 23 gold, 14 silver, and 12 copper,” Ingrid advised.
“Thank you, Ingrid, and thank you, system,” I said. I had thought that my summoning points had all been converted into my new class options somehow, but the added bonus of some store credit was more than appreciated, especially now that I knew the Summoned Market was something I could still access.
I took a moment before leaving to organize my new items. The crossbow had a strap that allowed me to sling it over my shoulder, which I did. When I needed it, I wouldn’t have time to dig through my pack for the weapon. For the bands, I debated which minion to pair with them.
In the end, I decided to pair the bands with Elida. If there was an emergency that required me to call for help, a healer might be the best option. It didn’t hurt that she was also a powerful fighter with her upgraded class. The four figurines went into the belt pouch that was starting to get a bit crowded.
The four figurines were a nice variety. Crawling spines were something I hadn’t encountered before, and Ingrid was kind enough to inform me of their details. They were small creatures that resembled sharpened wood stakes that had been driven into the ground. When an enemy neared, they would launch themselves at the foe, hitting as hard as a crossbow bolt. There was a total of five spines on the figurine.
The pixie archer was a single unit that fired arrows with a paralytic toxin on them. Rather fragile, the pixie wouldn’t last long if an enemy caught it, but its flying ability should keep it in the fight for a while. The war hounds were a pack of three huge dogs, complete with studded leather barding to protect them.
My final figurine was a goblin mortar team. There were two goblins on the figurine base, and between them was a close approximation of the mortars I’d see used during my time training with the military. The weapon would have four shots, then the goblins could be ordered into melee, if needed, though they were rather weak and only armed with daggers.
Ingrid warned me to not get too close to the mortar, as goblin tech was known to have occasional catastrophic failures. I didn’t need the reminder, given my last experience at the goblin amusement park. With a productive day behind me, and some critical discussions tomorrow, it was time to head back to my room for some sleep.