The echoes of the Corrupted Carnival lingered in Kaz's mind as the party gathered in The Restful Glade inn, the 4,000 gold from their latest triumph jingling in their pouches. The Developer Log, appraised by the glasses as "[Developer Log: Patch 5.0 Goals, Unstable, Requires Decryption]," sat on the table, its cryptic contents a puzzle for another day. The Amulet of Stability glowed faintly around Kaz's neck, its glitch resistance holding steady at 04:59 PM CET on October 26, 2025. The Cap of Mirth perched jauntily on Liora's head, boosting her charm, while the cracked Data Crystal and overclocked debug console—[Durability: 105/100]—rested beside him. The party had grown stronger, but the looming threat of upgraded Sentinels and Patch 5.0 pushed Kaz to a new goal: securing a permanent base.
"We can't keep crashing in inns," Kaz said, adjusting his appraisal glasses, which read "[Kazuto Hoshino, Male, Human Adventurer, Level 15, Trait: Adaptable]." "A house would give us a safe spot to plan, store loot, and repair gear. With 4,000 gold, plus what we've saved, we might afford something." The glasses scanned their funds—"[Party Funds: 5,200 Gold]"—a respectable sum, but housing in Aetherion was rumored to be pricey.
Liora nodded solemnly, her Glitchblade resting against her chair. "A FORTRESS OF OUR OWN! A BEACON OF HOPE FOR THE REALM!"—the glasses updating "[Liora Vayne, Female, Human Noble, Level 14, +15 Attack, Morale Boost: +5, Charm: +10]." Grumm, leaning on his Carnival Hammer, grunted, "As long as it's got a solid roof and no exploding furniture, I'm in," his durability at "[Durability: 70/100]." Pippa flitted excitedly, eyeing a decorative vase—"[Vase: Value 20 Copper]"—the glasses noting "[Pippa, Female, Fairy, Level 9, Trait: Kleptomaniac, Agility: +12]." Nutjob, now a fixture on Kaz's shoulder, chittered, his stats reading "[Nutjob, Male, Rabid Squirrel (Tamed), Level 6, Loyalty: High]."
Sys materialized, her hologram glitching with a smirk. "Buying property in a glitchy world? Bold move, user. Houses here come with… quirks. Good luck not spawning in a lava pit." Kaz ignored her, turning to the innkeeper, Hilda. "Know any places for sale?"
Hilda scratched her chin. "There's a fixer-upper on the edge of town—old mage's cottage. Been empty since he glitched into a toad. Asking 6,000 gold, but you could haggle. Check with Old Man Torm at the market."
The party set out, determined to save and earn the extra 800 gold. Kaz devised a plan: take on quick quests, sell excess loot, and cut expenses. They started with the market, where Kaz used the glasses to appraise goods. A merchant offered a rusty sword—"[Rusty Blade: Value 50 Gold, Durability 30/100]"—which Pippa stole, then sold back for 40 gold after Kaz's haggling. Liora performed a dramatic "heroic display" for tips, earning 100 gold, the glasses noting "[Charm Bonus: +50 Gold]." Grumm hauled crates for a blacksmith, grumbling, "Back-breaking work," but netting 150 gold, his durability holding at "[Durability: 70/100]."
Days turned into a grind. They took odd jobs—clearing a glitchy field of respawning chickens ("[Glitch Chicken, Level 5, Weakness: Stomp]"), delivering packages that teleported mid-route, and guarding a merchant from a rogue slime. Each quest added gold: 200 from the chickens, 300 from deliveries, 150 from guarding. Pippa's thefts boosted their haul—stealing a merchant's ring appraised as "[Gold Ring: Value 200 Gold]"—but Kaz enforced a "no stealing from allies" rule, returning half the value. Nutjob proved useful, scouting paths, earning a "[+20 Perception Bonus]."
Frugality was key. They skipped lavish meals, opting for cheap rations—"[Dried Meat: Restores 10 HP]"—and slept in shifts to avoid inn costs. Kaz repaired gear with the console, typing "repair_item: armor" to fix Liora's shield—"[Steel Shield: Durability 80/120]"—saving 100 gold. The glasses tracked their progress—"[Party Funds: 6,100 Gold]"—surpassing the target after a week of relentless effort.
With funds secured, they met Old Man Torm, a wiry figure with a patchy beard, at the cottage. The building was a ramshackle affair—crooked walls, a sagging roof, and a garden of glitching flowers. The glasses read "[Mage's Cottage: Durability 60/100, Price: 6,000 Gold, Quirks: Random Teleportation, Mana Leak]." Torm grinned. "Cheap for a mage's place. Might zap you to the moon now and then, but fixable."
Kaz haggled, leveraging the glasses' appraisal. "It's damaged and glitchy—5,500 gold, or we walk." Torm relented after some grumbling, and the deed was theirs. The party moved in, facing immediate quirks: the kitchen teleported Liora to the roof—"A MYSTICAL CHALLENGE!"—and a mana leak zapped Grumm, dropping his durability to "[Durability: 65/100]." Kaz used the console to stabilize the house—"stabilize_structure: cottage"—reducing quirks to minor flickers.
They transformed the space. Liora claimed a room for "strategy councils," decorating it with a shield rack. Grumm reinforced the walls with stones, muttering, "Better than sleeping on dirt." Pippa turned a corner into a "loot nook," stuffing it with trinkets, while Kaz set up a workshop for the console and crystal. Nutjob nested in a nut-filled drawer. The glasses appraised the setup—"[Base of Operations: Durability 75/100, Storage: 500 Units, Defense: +5]."
That night, a tremor signaled trouble. The glasses flashed "[System Alert: Patch 5.0 Proximity, Sentinel Upgrade Detected]." Sys appeared, laughing. "Congrats on the house, user. Too bad the Developers noticed. Upgraded Sentinels are inbound—enjoy your new base while it lasts!" Kaz gripped the console, the amulet steadying him. The glasses read "[Kazuto Hoshino, Level 15, Trait: Resourceful]." Their home was a victory, but the war with the Developers was far from over.