Chapter 156: The Price of Progress

She didn’t have to build every settlement herself. She didn’t have to travel to every corner of this world. She just needed to teach enough beasts well enough that they could teach others, and those others could teach more, and the network would grow and grow and generate rewards for her at every step.

Even if she would still have to be checking in, her job wasn’t just construction anymore.

It was education.

’This... this changes EVERYTHING.’

[This system is aware]

[(..◜ᴗ◝..)]

She would be even closer to getting rid of this system!

[This system is pleased to see Host excited by his development]

And then Tera could enjoy the rest of her life without the system’s pesky attitude constantly butting in.

’Okay. Okay. The points buy boosts. Are they actual boosts, like they could help me during construction?’

[Legacy Points purchase permanent boosts and enhancers that improve how effectively Host’s future projects operate]

Tera frowned, about to ask it an important question when the system beat her to it.

[Unlike the System Shop, these boosts are not gated by tiers]

[Everything is unlocked and visible right now]

[Host’s only limitation is how many points she has to spend]

’Show me everything.’

[Displaying full Legacy Boost menu!]

Tera was shocked at everything spread out in front of her, and her eyes widened as she surveyed as much as she could.

These were what she needed!

There were boosts that helped anyone immediately understand how to use the tools they were given, boosts to speed up the workers, to increase stamina, to fortify finished projects, to reduce waste, to increase speed, to read the environment to make smarter decisions regarding constructed projects, and so many more.

They grew increasingly more useful as the list went on and on.

"Holy shit," Tera whispered as she skimmed through the list of all 60 boosts.

All of these would save her days of work!

It would even speed up her tasks for her!

[Host currently has 500 Legacy Points from Feron’s construction of a shelter]

’FIVE HUNDRED?!’

[Along with 1 construction and influence stat]

[◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜]

[Future earnings will come from the passive trickle of disciple achievements]

Tera was so excited. Five hundred points were more than enough for her to make several impactful purchases right now.

Her mind was already racing through the list and calculating priorities. A few were obvious first buys, and some were long-term investments.

’Urgh.... What can I pickkkk?’

[(O_O)!]

[Eh?]

But Tera had already made her choice.

She opened the boost she wanted most. The one that would allow structures in her network to resist environmental corruption. It was invaluable for the wolf pack territory, and she had been mentally earmarking it since she had set eyes on it.

Tera tapped it open with a victorious smile.

[#Corruption Wear Resistance]

[- Structures in Host’s network resist environmental degradation as long as they are inhabited. Does not protect against direct monster attacks, but prevents the slow decay that erodes buildings over time]

[Cost: 26,000 LP]

Tera’s smile froze on her face.

The blood drained from her cheeks so fast that if anyone had been looking at her, they would have thought she had died and been immediately reanimated with bad news.

Her mouth opened to let out a sharp scream before she slammed her hand over her mouth.

She stared at the screen with the wide, unblinking horror of a woman who had just watched her entire financial future burn to the ground before her eyes.

Twenty-six THOUSAND?!

When she only had FIVE HUNDRED points?!

What was this tomfoolery?!

[(꒪⌓꒪)]

[Why does Host look like she has seen a ghost?]

Tera didn’t respond. Her hand was still pressed against her mouth.

She closed the boost.

Then opened it again.

26,000 legacy points stared her dead in the face.

When she closed and opened it again, the digits still remained unchanged.

[Host is opening and closing the same boost repeatedly]

[(·•᷄_•᷅ )]

[The price will not change]

Tera’s hand dropped from her mouth, and she opened the next boost down the list with the frantic energy of someone checking their bank account after a night they couldn’t remember.

[Cost: 14,000 LP]

She gasped.

[Cost: 18,500 LP]

Another gasp, this one higher-pitched.

[Cost: 54,000 LP]

Tera made a sound like a tea kettle that had been left on the stove for six hours. It came out thin, strained, and barely human.

Fifty-four THOUSAND?

She scrolled back up to the cheapest options with the desperation of a drowning woman reaching for anything that floated.

[Tool Instinct]

[Cost: 5,000 LP]

FIVE THOUSAND FOR THE CHEAPEST ONE?!

The most basic, entry-level, bottom-of-the-barrel boost cost TEN TIMES what she currently had.

A strangled, wheezing laugh escaped Tera, and soon enough, tears were leaking out of her eyes as she started to laugh like a mad person.

[(꒪ᗜ꒪;)]

[Why is Host laughing?]

Tera didn’t answer. She pressed both hands over her face and wheezed into them, her body curling forward as another wave of laughter shook through her.

[Host appears to be crying]

[(ó﹏ò｡)]

[But Host’s emotional readings indicate she is not sad?]

[This system is confused]

[Is Host broken?]

"F-fifty-four thousand," Tera managed between wheezes.

[Yes! That is the price for Auto-Correction!]

[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]

[Did Host expect permanent, world-altering boosts to be cheap?]

’So, this system is capable of extortion.’

Tera’s laughter faded.

[( ˶°ㅁ°) !!]

[What is Host saying?!]

Tera closed the list. It was giving her bad vibes.

’I thought... I genuinely thought... Aren’t the points supposed to be like the nipples?’

Tera could not believe she had been so excited by the fact that she had gotten 500 points, only to discover they were nearly useless.

[Legacy Points are not nipples]

[ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ]

[Nipples are for personal purchases]

[Legacy Points are for civilisation-scale enhancements]

Tera started to laugh again.

[(ᵕ ó ᴗ ò)]

[Please, don’t panic!]

[Host will earn more Legacy Points over time!]

[Tasks generate them!]

[Disciples generate them!]

[The more clans Host influences, the faster the points accumulate!]

Tera smiled, accepting her fate.

’Just when I thought things were getting easier for me.’