Dimension System - Chapter 82

After the disturbance at the gate was resolved everyone was released from the spatial world. Due to the sudden nature of the attack everyone had been ushered inside for safety reasons, having barely enough time to pack the tents and some essentials.

Xander observed with a marked surprise as more and more people kept pouring out of the ‘portal’. Slowly that surprise morphed into incredulity, due in large part, to the sheer number of people. The effect was similar to clown car.

As the exodus of Dragon’s Den employees continued, they made their way inside the Rangers headquarters to join up with the others, who had stayed inside during the altercation. It was time for them to pack up all of the various things that they had purchased with their salaries.

Zanir, his guards, and Xander all made their way back to the warehouses while discussing the current progress and timetable. Everything seemed to be going well, as the area looked entirely different now. There was no longer an unsightly overflow of various goods strewn about.

What remained in their stead was neat, orderly piles of very high quality materials. Being a ‘function over form’ type of group, the Rangers had passed over decorative materials like jade or marble, opting instead for things like iron, wood, and stone.

Checking the various warehouses, they saw neatly stacked piles of ingots, wood sorted into varying cuts and shapes, and quality stone that was sturdy enough for construction. Xander was getting bombarded with shock after shock.

‘What quality iron!’

‘What quality stone!’

Spatial mages traveled extensively. They had a much broader world-view than most people. Being so well-traveled and knowledgeable, he knew right away about the inherent quality, and subsequent value, of such products. Xander could hardly contain his excitement.

Like any good businessman, Zanir checked with the craftsman who would be using these materials, so that he could make sure they were satisfied. No matter what the trade, they all sang countless praises. Such high quality materials reignited the passion in these craftsman.

Knowing that they had many questions, he did his best to answer what he could about the techniques used, without revealing any trade secrets. Once again, he had to thank the almighty system for helping him provide these answers, as he did not have the technical skills himself.

Besides, even if they had the techniques, they wouldn’t be able to match the quality, though they could get close. The manufacture of goods in a controlled environment wasn’t something that could be easily reproduced.

With the progress on schedule and the trades winding down the motley crew of magicians and guards proceed to the dungeon and obstacle course. Cheers and screams rang out from the audience even louder than normal. From the nearby conversations, it seemed like someone was giving a record breaking performance.

“I’ve never seen anything like this! One hit one kill!”

“Go grandpa, go!”

“I’ve never seen such dominating staff skills.”

Making their way through the crowd, they finally saw who was causing such a commotion. It was Reed! There he was, on the dungeon stage, twirling his staff around like a martial artist and bashing monsters in the head.

Once struck, they would fall back slightly for a few seconds, before having their heads explode. Overall, it was a very violent and frenetic scene, as every monster struck down was replaced by two more crawling in from the edge of the stage.

The civilians in the crowd were horrified, yet they couldn’t look away. Whereas the soldiers and military personnel were shocked and awed by the raw strength and technical combat prowess. Those who trained warrior techniques watched even closer, hoping to glean even the slightest bit of enlightenment.

Finally the monsters reached the tipping point, an unknown number that had crossed the threshold that a single person could conceivably fight concurrently. Overwhelmed but not outdone, Reed removed the pine-cone hanging from his belt. He then proceeded to swiftly lob it into the incoming horde using an underhand toss.

Making sure to duck and roll away, he scrambled behind what little cover was available, as a beautiful explosion bloomed in complementary red and green colors. Smoke filled the entire chamber as the audience went quiet, unsure whether the mysterious old man was blown to bits or not.

Thankfully the system barrier held, protecting the audience from any harm. As the stunned crowd watched the smoke clear, a single silhouette emerged, upright and triumphant. Cheers went out as people lauded such a skilled and disciplined warrior.

Clearing out even further, the smoke dissipated, to fully reveal Reed. Voraciously drinking from a wine-skin, he was the very picture of class and discipline. Such candid behavior made the audience chuckle and snicker.

Taking a bow to the audience, he made his was way over to Zanir and Xander.

“Now this is one hell of toy ya got kiddo, how the hell you been?”

“Pretty good, except for the hand I guess.”

Holding up his ghost dragon hand, he waved it around slightly for emphasis.

“Blessed shit! It’s only been a few weeks what the hell happened?”

“It’s kind of a long story, let’s get ready for a block party and we can catch up.”

“What kinda party is that? Never heard of it before?”

“Well Reed, it’s similar to a feast. Let me show you how we do things at Dragon’s Den.”

With those simple words, an epic party was ushered in. That night marked a bacchanalian bash that would be remembered fondly for years to come. Barbecue pits were dug out that were large enough to be considered construction projects in some areas. Copious amounts of food and drink were brought out throughout the night.

Musicians played with fervor and passion, as the crowds sang and dance. They say that rivals even agreed to set aside ongoing feuds for the night, such was the magnitude of the celebration. Stories were swapped back and forth, as each tale grew taller than the last, alas such is the effect of quality alcohol.

Sadly, all great things must come to an end, and so the party eventually wound down in the wee hours of the early morning. Naturally, an end leads to another beginning. In this case it was the beginning of a reality-shattering hangover.