Finn was in a very good mood. He really made a lot of money with these lease deals. Although the deals with Leez would also be very lucrative, they took time. Now that he had received his next injection of funds, he was definitely upgrading the core functions.
After leveling up the barrier, his new Defense Points had increased from 1000 to 10000 points. Further, there were new barrier upgrades that could be purchased.
[Improved Defenses]
[Information: Barriers’ durability will be significantly enhanced, increasing resistance to physical and magical damage.
Cost: 10,000 Hearth Points]
According to Pang, the defense was about 50% stronger now, which was massive considering his new number of defense points too.
Basically, even if a fortified level mob barreled against his barrier, he wouldn’t receive the [-1 Defense Point] notification every one second anymore. That alone was reassuring enough!
[Purchased! Improved Defenses! -10,000 Hearth Points]
Then, he also activated the other one. He was not lacking in points anymore, and anything that he could afford and would add to the inn’s comprehensive strength, he would buy them.
[Automatic Repairs]
[Information: Activates a self-repairing mechanism. Any damage sustained by the shield after a set threshold will automatically be repaired by consuming hearth points. Repairs will stop when the maximum threshold has been reached.
Cost: 10,000 Hearth Points]
[Purchased! Automatica Repairs! -10,000 Hearth Points]
[Please set the automatic minimum and maximum repair threshold]
For this one, he set it to 30% repair and would stop at 50%. This way, he could rest assured and not be too stressed out whenever they got a big mob, having to check the barrier status every so often.
All he had to do was to make sure he had an ample amount of hearth points—to be so rich that losing thousands in a span of minutes would only feel like losing trickles.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t be surprised by his fast hearth points reduced during a major attack. Anyway, for now, he just had to make sure he had ample stocks of it.
—and with the partnership with three guilds, he doubted he’d ever lack hearth points again.
...
To celebrate, he invited the leaders of each guild (and their right-hand personnel) for a buffet-style dinner with a one-time payment. As for the others, he placed a 50% discount on the canteen food.
As for why he still charged, this was essence food! Although it wasn’t that difficult for Finn, the value of this in this world was really high!
His capitalistic self cannot bear to do it for free. Anyway, his pricing for tonight was just about the price of typical essence food in town, but his was better quality and, for the leaders, unlimited!
For the buffet, the food was displayed on the island counter and ready to be filled up once they were gone.
Of course, they put the starches and the other heavy foods on the stomach in front and looked particularly palatable so as to control the cost somehow.
For example, the mashed potato was right next to the delicious-smelling gravy, and it was decorated with various herbs and aromatics found in the forest.
The idea was for each person to create a mountain of these starches first. This would fill up the customers more quickly.
They also put a lot of simple cooked meat right next to it because meat in this place was the food that had a huge surplus and was therefore cheap.
Buffet Rule 101: Always place the bloating, cheaper dishes up front.
The higher the level, the larger the appetite, and who knows how many plates those fortified-level and above could eat!
Not to mention, one of the elders here was even apex-level!
Anyway, the plating for each meal was gorgeous and the aroma mouth-watering. The guests sparkled at the sight of it, and they practically showered him with cores and silvers (and maybe a handful of gold).
Ka-ching, ka-ching!
They filled up their plates and went to different places to eat. Some groups took the dining table, some took the quadrangle tables, while the rest went outside to eat on the ground.
Their eyes sparkled at the deliciousness of the food, swearing to the heavens that this was the best food they ever had! Even Leiah, a rich half-elf, and Leez, a choosy nouveau riche woman, were very impressed.
Not to mention, most of these people did not realize that every single dish was essence food! They thought it’d be one or two at most!
When they realized, a few people gasped. "All of this?! I suddenly felt like I took too much advantage!"
Regardless of whether they felt they took advantage, the lasting impression of the Inn’s food was imprinted in these people’s minds and hearts.
They had lived for longer than others and had seen a lot more than their juniors. Not many things shocked and excited them anymore. Some felt a bit greedy and wanted more advantages, but they were old people who had been tempered with time.
They could still feel that to gain the most advantage, they had too cooperate.
They couldn’t help but look at Finn, and the structure where they ate in.
They must protect this place at all costs!
...
The night was filled with celebration and noise, but obviously not everyone had the energy to stay up all night. For one, the introverted Syl had already excused herself relatively early, giving Finn a goodnight kiss on the cheek before coming up.
The two kids followed after her, like they were her own children (she definitely looked like their mother whenever she was training them with magic), and his heart warmed.
In the end, he only stayed for an extra hour with a few cups of booze, socializing a bit more, finalizing a few more details about the branches, before finally heading up.
Instead of going to his own room, however, he went to Syl’s, and he saw her sleeping next to his sister, who was quite fond of her softness.
His heart felt warm.
Finn, wanting that softness too, crawled to the bed and hugged them both.
He very easily drifted off, a soft smile gracing his face as he fell into slumber.