Bab 22: 3
Arc 1 - Chapter 1
Tuesday 8th November 2010
There's something to be said for the purity of survival that comes with being dropped into a foreign country with nothing but the clothes on my back. Amplify this then with the fact that this isn't even my world and then you may start to understand the severity of the situation I find myself in.
Finding somewhere to rest my head in this shithole will not be easy when I lack an ID, speak with a foreign accent, and have no idea how to get around the damn place.
And let me reiterate.
Brockton Bay is a shithole.
I know shitholes; I grew up in one of England's biggest. Salford. The asshole of Manchester.
Brockton Bay, a city of underachievement, only manages to outdo itself in how big of a shithole it is.
Now, don't get me wrong, there are indeed 'nice' places here, the Boardwalk, the richer areas up in Captains Hill, anywhere with a good eyeline to the PRT HQ or the Rig.
But Brockton's shitholiness, were that even a word, is more than just the area you live in.
The people here are hard and yet feel almost… desensitized to the violence that is all around them. Regular people are mostly so beaten down and inured to the activities of the gangs that they seem to have lost the ability to feel sympathy on some days. When you read about this place in Worm, you kind of get an idea of how bad it is. But if anything, the source material understates how dangerous this place is.
Even in the daytime, you do not walk alleyways alone in this town. But at night the place is an entirely different beast. There hasn't been a day, not one day in the six I have been here, that I haven't been woken at night by a gunshot. Being from England, hearing a gunshot is a once in a lifetime experience for me.
Being in Brockton, you can almost use them as punctuation for your sentences if you pause for effect at just the right time.
Ok, I'm over-exaggerating a little, but let me be clear. This is not a town to take chances in. And is possibly one of the worst in the developed world to be a homeless extra dimensional immigrant in.
I've been subsisting by dumpster diving and sleeping in dumpsters, trash being a common theme for me these days. But I'm running out of time.
I can't continue to sleep rough, as November in this part of the US is apparently pretty damn cold. Trust me, you haven't lived until you've competed for a half day old pack of fries in 39-degree weather with a family of roaches. I'm pretty sure I would eat those too if they came close enough.
The daytime is somehow even worse as the boredom is getting to me. Stinking to high heaven in six-day-old unwashed clothes does not endear me to the local librarian, so hanging out in the library is out. And getting a shower at the local gym is also out. No change of clothes and charity is a concept that much of the bay believes exists in the way an atheist believes in God.
I'm being harsh, of course. For every asshole here, there's ten more people so beaten down by the system that is ingrained here that even if they wanted to be charitable, they couldn't afford to be. This is not a place you can afford to show weakness in. Plus, they likely literally couldn't afford it. Altruism is the privilege of the strong. And the well-resourced.
I need to find a place to live. Urgently.
The shelter is, of course, important, but I need it for an even bigger reason.
The Key.
When I was dropped here, I was dropped with two things.
A banging migraine that called itself the 'Celestial Forge', and a key to my personal reality. A key to an extra-dimensional space that belongs to me, a key I cannot lose, and a key whose door cannot be closed while I am inside the space.
I can use the key on any door, but using it outside of a place I control does not feel like a good idea.
And I wanted that space. I know from my 'induction' that the space contains a 5x5 meter entrance room, and a blacksmithing workshop.
Not that I even know how to smith things, but it comes with free resources! Maybe I can sell some of them and eat some non-dumpsterfied food. Thank God for Fugly Bob's, and the people who can't finish the Challenger.
The idea of joining the Protectorate has crossed my mind. I really have considered it. I'm not one for authority, but a free tinker who grows in power over time would be like instant viagra for the upper levels of the PRT, and I could probably get quite a sweet deal.
But therein lies the problem. I am an utterly shit liar; I certainly can't lie well enough to cover my abilities from their multitude of thinkers, not to mention Armsmaster's own lie-detector… And I absolutely cannot land on Cauldron's radar this early. There is a near zero chance they will leave me free on the board.
So, I need to build up, but I can't build up without something to build up with. The forge will grow over time as long as I remain "active and dynamic" whatever the fuck that means, but it won't grow on a corpse.
Damn, some fanfics make this seem so easy. Go steal a wad of cash from a gang, and then go forth and duplicate thine cash with the power of infinite vigilante justice.
…Maybe I'm going a little crazy from the boredom. The forge is not conducive to early combat with a clowder of angry kittens. Let alone taking on even the weakest and most cowardly of gang members.
I also need to come up with a good reason for me to be here in the bay. From what I managed to gather in my small foray to the library computers, on my first day, when I didn't smell like a dumpster diver.
Well.
Manchester no longer exists here, and a twenty-four-year-old of my status probably wouldn't have my accent given I would have been ten when it got wiped off the habitability map. I wish I could say it was an Endbringer. That would have at least been understandable. But no, a power interaction or a tinker snafu, and from what I can tell, no-one is actually sure.
In short, it led to there being so much exotic radiation dosing the city center that it's expected to take "longer than the planet's remaining lifespan" for it to be safe again.
Maybe I am overthinking things. Would it be viable for me to just go to the PRT and pass myself off as a stranded dimensional traveller, but with no powers? Will their thinkers be able to pick up my powers if they aren't shard based? I know I'm somewhat of an OCP, but I don't have blank, and I know blank is somewhere in the forge, but without it, would I just be making myself bait for thinkers?
I've also not found any sign of a homeless charity here in the bay, which is actually surprising given it would probably be a good way to reduce the rampant recruitment to the merchants. I got given the pitch. Not for me. I'm not a nice person, I'm an arrogant, self-obsessed and selfish jackass of a narcissist, but I'm no villain. I agreed to be dropped here to be a hero. And while I have no intention of becoming a jumped-up PR jockey, I will fight for the side of good. Well, "Chaotic good" is more accurate. And I'll be damn cool doing it.
As I am contemplating my options, I feel a buzzing sensation building up in my eyes. My ears ring, and I taste colours. And I see an almighty field of stars.
One star pulls close to me. I feel like I know this star.
Quality Appearance
A small exoplanet orbits towards me. I feel its name,
Artistic Architect
My power reaches out, teasing and testing the waters. It grabs hold of the planet and suffuses it with my power. And I feel its power draining into me as it crumbles into powder in front of me.
I can now make cool looking shit.
I mean, that's literally it. The forerunners from the Halo series. I can architect anything I make to look like they made it. It's…Not an uncool power, but without pairing it with an ability that gives me the ability to make functional things, it's not much use to me currently.
Maybe when I can safely get into my forge, I can make some cool artwork to sell down at the market?
But I digress, my headache is starting to ease a bit now I've made a roll on the forge. I hope the build-up of power isn't going to cause me an escalating migraine every time. That would really suck.
I see something more important than a forge roll, though. While passing a run-down old store on my way to find tonight's bed and meal on a piece of cardboard in the window.
"Brockton Services are hiring contract workers only, cash in hand, no full-time positions. "
Hell, can they even advertise that? This feels like immigrant bait to me. And what am I but the most ultimate immigrant on the planet?
Let's go get us a job. Where the fuck is Lord Street?
----
Turns out, Lord Street wasn't hugely far away from where I was. I managed to flag a random guy down who informed me it was roughly three blocks away.
I saw a few more of the signs as I passed other stores on my way, looks like they need cleaners, labourers, couriers etc. Seems perfect for me.
I'm not a fan of accosting strangers to ask for directions but the guy seemed alright about directing me to a small road just adjacent to the boardwalk in the northern part of downtown, close to where the boardwalk meets the warehouses that mark the transition to the docks.
As I finally reach the place, there's a crowd of my fellow vagrants intermixed with pockets of minority labourers.
I really hate crowds.
Sidling my way through the various groups and down and outs present, I manage to shuffle myself to somewhere near the front of the gathering. It's surprising to me that it's so busy. Not that I'm surprised people need to work of course, more so because there are so many of my fellow homeless people here.
I haven't seen many other homeless people in the bay. I'm not sure if that's because they don't last and end up in the gangs, or because they hang out elsewhere. I typically keep myself to the southern part of the Docks South district, where the low-cost housing transitions to the edge of the downtown area and the docks. I look out of place but there's good eating to be had.
However, after a few weeks of near solitude, there's a literal crowd of all vaguely vagrant looking guys much like myself. All milling around the yard on Earl Street that we had been called to by the signs.
A huge guy, fat huge, not muscle huge, with one of the worst comb overs I have ever seen, walks to the front of us all and starts speaking.
"Hello good 'people' of the bay," he says sarcastically with a smirk on his face. "Back again for your monthly job incursion, I see, and I see some familiar faces! Jerry, how's your leg? Still hurting from falling off that scaffold?"
An old guy with a cane winces. "Yea Ben, I'm all good now. Need to get back on the yards and make some more cash. "
The freshly named Ben's smirk if anything deepens.
"Are you sure Jerry? I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself again doing a complicated job like moving bricks from a to b."
"I need the cash, Mr Raines. Get me on anything you can, please."
"Hmm, we will see," Ben replies.
He turns to me, with a question in his eyes.
"So, who are you stranger?" he looks me up and down. "You seem to have fallen on hard times. "
I contemplate my response; now is the time I need to set the narrative of how I ended up in the bay. If I can't even mislead this guy, then I have no chance.
I reach out to shake his hand. He immediately steps back and looks at me like I just walked into his house on Christmas day and pissed on his kids.
"Please, don't touch me. I don't want to have to shower 3 times today. "
I wish I could get angry about this, but for a second, I forgot about my own current situation. I likely wouldn't want a handshake from me either.
"Sorry about that, I'm Thomas Hale."
He looks me up and down again.
"Interesting accent. Where are you from?"
It's now or never.
"I'm from England, little down on my luck, and just need a job to get back on my feet." There, keep it simple.
"You got papers?" he looks me in the eye and the smirk is back. God, this guy is a tool.
"They got stolen years ago." It sounds weak even to my ears.
"Interesting," he replies. "I suppose you are in the system anyway, then?"
Damn, this guy won't let up. Fuck it, I'll go with 'honesty'.
"My Visa expired a long time ago. I gambled away the money I had, including my ticket home. I've got no cash, family's dead, I have nothing to go back to, and even less keeping me here."
He looks satisfied.
"Well then, I suppose we can deal then." He hands me a sheet of paper. "Local construction company called Fortress needs labourers on a few apartment jobs downtown. Pay will be weekly, in cash. It's not much. But beggars can't be choosers. If you excel or make yourself useful elsewhere on site, there are bonuses available. "
"That's perfect, thank you," I reply quietly.
"Just get out of here and work starts at 6am tomorrow. Here's the address of our halfway house. You can grab a cot and a shower and breakfast. Every week you use any of the services there, we will deduct twenty percent of that week's pay. You can sleep there at the weekend, but you are expected to be out during the day," He snaps at me.
"Last question sorry Ben-" "Mr Raines to you!" he interrupts.
Damn, this guy is a real bellend. He's not much older than me!
"Sorry Mr Raines, one last question. Where do I pick my cash up from?"
"Pick it up from the construction office on site every Friday, and before you ask, pay is fourteen an hour, any bonuses or extras you'll be told about at the time."
"Ok thanks."
I take my packet and walk away. I know roughly where this halfway house is, ill have to use it as no way I'm going to work like this.
I need a damn shower.
Wait.
Hold on.
…
Did he say "Fortress Construction?"
Well, fuck.
…
I feel the buzzing in my eyes again and brace myself.
Huh, so red tastes like banana this time.
A star approaches
I know this star
Vehicles
A planet orbits towards me. It's huge. My power reaches out, but it's not strong enough to anchor.
The star orbits away
Another star approaches
Toolkit Mundane
A small exoplanet orbits towards me. My power reaches out, and the planet crumbles half to dust.
Huh, half crumbled, that's new.
Matter Manipulator – Starbound
Well then, that's a pretty cool power. The forge brings me back down to earth.
Not enough power to buy perk addendum. Current manipulator is solids only at a lower range. Perk returned to forge for the remainder to be rolled again.
Well, I got a swanky matter manipulator. Even with only solids, this is an excellent piece of gear.
Unfortunately, it's currently inside my personal reality. I may need to take some risks.
Scratch that, ill definitely be taking some risks. But first, let's get some sleep and then, finally, get some work done.
----
Turns out that "Halfway house" in Brockton Bay translates to "Concrete shack with barred windows". Set just inside the warehouse district, likely to keep us away from normal society.
I've been in more inviting jail cells. What was it Ben said? "Beggars can't be choosers"? Man is nothing if not the master of understatement.
The concrete building mostly comprises blank concrete rooms, each containing a single bunk bed and two metal lockers. To the right of the entrance was a concrete tomb filled with tables and chairs. "For breakfast," I'm informed. Set at the end of the hall were shower cubicles. "No hot water, soaps on the rack." Was the delightful interjection from the woman sat at the desk by the door as I look in on this mildew wonderland.
Call me picky, but I like to shower alone, and some of this mould looks like it might want to cuddle.
Oh well, better than a dumpster. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Showering after so long without has raised my mood immensely. There are no clothing cleaning facilities here. "It's not the Ritz English boy," the lady at the desk laughs when I ask her. Apparently, her name is "Barb" and she seems like a good laugh when she isn't laughing at me. Barb informs me that the locker and bed are mine for a week after I stay there once. "The twenty percent is taken off for the week, anyway. May as well get your use out of it. It's a set fee. If you stay here next Tuesday, then another 20% will be taken from next week's pay."
I thank her and return to the shower room.
I reduce myself to showering my clothes separately and using the dubious soap as my surfactant of choice. It will have to do. I wring out my ratty boxers and wear them damp. I don't have much choice otherwise.
After hanging my clothes up and getting into my bunk bed wrapped in what is actually a surprisingly nice blanket, I take stock of my situation. I don't have a roommate today, apparently most of the workers for the fortress job come in from other areas, so there are a few spare slots in the house.
I need to decide how I am going to handle work. I'm going to be working for Fortress Construction, otherwise known as the company Coil owns. As far as I knew though, that was fanon, so ill have to take things as they come. This could just be a coincidence. I definitely won't be using any sign of my powers in this building or anywhere close to a 'Fortress Construction', however. I have to keep myself protected.
As I attempt to drift off to sleep, the buzz returns.
The star approaches and a large planet orbits my way.
Magical Small Scale
Failure
Another star swings by
Knowledge future tech
This planet is huge, and I know it will fail before it does.
A final star swings my way,
Quality Resources
Then another large planet. Looks like no powers this time.
Failure.
Power banked.
I fell asleep and dreamt of stars
----
I'm woken rudely at 4am by the most irritating alarm in the history of alarms. And Barb is shouting down the corridor.
"Get ready for work ya bunch a wasters, breakfast is up in 15 minutes and the truck is here in an hour!"
I don't think I thought this job through. What kind of psychopath wakes up at 4am?
I throw my now thankfully dry-ish clothes back on, and make my way to the 'canteen.'
Breakfast is warm porridge, some dubious sausages and almost stale bread.
But to me it's a Michelin star meal. It's the first cooked meal I've had since I died, and it failed to stick.
After eating, myself and four other guys all wait outside for our ride. It arrives in the form of a beat-up truck with benches in the bed. The driver doesn't look at us, simply says, "You five, in the back. No talking." We oblige. None of the other guys seem that interested in talking anyway.
The ride to work is surprisingly uneventful. No-one chats. Everyone keeps their eyes down and we drive through an area with a lot of Nazi graffiti. I don't recognise the area, haven't ranged this far into the other side of downtown. We are almost in the commercial district when we pull up at a large building site.
We're in the far south of the downtown area, which I am thankful for as a vaguely remember that Coil's base was in the northern commercial district which would be much further to the northwest if I have my bearings right. I feel silly that I'm so paranoid, but I strongly believe in hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It isn't paranoia if they are out to get people like you.
I could regale you with a tale about how I was the best damn construction site labourer Bet has ever seen, and that I saved the project through sheer wit and wizardry. But I won't. Mostly because I moved bricks and bags from point to point, did a bit of pointing, and barely managed to avoid falling into a pit. I worked from six in the morning til four in the evening, and as I finished, to my pleasant surprise, I was handed a surprise envelope with 126 dollars inside. Then after being laughed at in my confusion by a foreman, I was told, "We pay you temp fucks daily now, easier to do small cash amounts and easier for you guys to buy your necessities. We took ten percent to pay for the halfway house," snorting at me and taking a contemptuous look at my clothes. "If you miss a day, it's fine, but your bed fees will be taken from the next day. "
I sometimes feel bad about writing the people of this city off so early.
It was a pretty standard workday, but with decent cash in my pocket, I was ready to take on the world.
Or rather, I was ready to buy some cheap food truck food for lunch and go buy some clothes. World's worst tinker? I believe so, but needs come first.
After eating, I make my way down to the downtown shopping area. I've got my eyes on some necessities, a razor, a knife, some charity shop clothes. And I need to enquire about how one goes about selling on the market.
I thought I would be much more likely to find reasonable prices away from the boardwalk. And I am happy to be proven correct. I've managed to pick up a pack of straight razors, some soap, and three entire new sets of clothing for just shy of $40. Sure, they fit poorly, and I still have only one ratty pair of shoes, but I'm no longer completely bereft of worldly possessions anymore.
Now with a full belly, a shaved face and some fresh, well, at least fresh in the eighties clothes, it is time to strategize.
My first priority is to secure private housing of any sort. I'm probably looking at a ratty apartment in the Northside docks. Close to merchant territory, but cheap for that reason. Bus fare in this town is negligible. It's one of the few things they do subsidise after the ferry was cancelled.
Work will bring me $126 per day 5 days a week if I keep to 10 hours, $140 if I don't use the halfway house bed, that means as long as I don't use the halfway house I'll be pulling $700 a week. The flexibility is thankfully good. As long as I don't use the bed provided, I can work any number of days I want. The jobs short term regardless until I can access another source of money. The artwork idea has merit for bonus cash, but wouldn't be stable or long term without risk of outing myself. From what I've seen in the listings in the paper, I can pick up a pretty shitty shoebox apartment for around $1200 a month if I stick to the edges of merchant territory. This is all temporary anyway, but I need a safe space to get into the forge.
Once I get in, I can get the matter manipulator which thankfully is actually quite stealthy when not in use folding to a wrist bracer that I can keep under my jacket if my inbuilt power instinct is correct.
But where do I go from "relative stability". I don't want to be destitute tinker scrambling for scraps. I want to make bank; I want to be a hero. I want to create. I need to work on my Scion strategy, and ultimately, what I'm going to do to get in the way of the winged bitches' plans. All while subsisting and keeping myself off the fedora bitch's radar.
As I lament my lack of a stable plan, my ear starts to buzz again.
A star and a colossal planet are approaching. I can't afford this one, but I see the star's name as it passes.
Knowledge Reverse Engineering
It passes by my power, doesn't even make the attempt.
Another star approaches, the planet orbiting towards me only slightly smaller.
Magical Small Scale
Failed.
My final attempt of 3
The star moves towards me, a small planet orbits towards me
Skills Enchanting
Weapon Absorption
YES! My power grabs the planet and absorbs it entirely. The knowledge of this power flows into my head.
I can now modify weapons to grow as they are used, gaining power over time. As the weapon is used more in combat, and gains more experience, other weapons can be absorbed by the weapon. Improving the quality and abilities of the base weapon.
This is a very cool skill, and one I can definitely use. When I can safely open the workshop and possibly even before.
Time to stop dicking around with the basics. First step of the plan. Save up cash. Source apartment. Stay safe.
Notes:
Perks gained this chapter.
Artistic Architect - Halo - Forerunner structures are not simple. Even in the worst of times, there is a beauty to their layout. Patterns woven into walls, shining pillars reaching to the sky, and shimmering glass panes adjourning corridors. Forerunners don't just build big. They build artfully. Like so many other Builders, you have an eye, and a hand, for beauty in construction. From the most simple of floors, to the most terrifying of weapons, you can spruce them up so that they are breathtaking to behold.
Matter Manipulator - Starbound - Manipulates anything that matters. Well,solids, at least. It basically allows for the collection and placement of any and all materials. For an extra 100 CP, it can collect liquid, and also mines 4 times faster, 4 times as much at once and twice as far away. It can also paint stuff as wire things. If you don't purchase this, you'll have to get the upgrades yourself with manipulator modules.
Weapon Absorption – Dark Cloud - Were the Moon People the ones who developed weapons as they exist in the world today? Perhaps, with their technological expertise, they tampered with such things - but we may well never know. Your weapons modified with this will adapt the concept of "experience", allowing them to grow as more enemies are defeated with them. As more enemies are defeated, you can absorb other weapons into the base template - improving the qualities of the original weapon.
Tuesday 15th November, 2010
An entire week of drudgery has passed, and nothing of special importance has happened at all. If you think I seem disappointed, let me tell you I am. I feel myself sinking into a rut, but progress is slowly picking up. I just want to get into my damn personal reality and start the real work.
Thanks to a lot of overtime, and two stepping up bonuses, I've managed to gather $1200 of legitimate cash. I've got a good lead on a studio right on the edge of merchant territory from Jerry, top floor, shit roof and full of mould but $1000 a month, electric and water included, but no heating. No furniture, but I've slept in worse and not like I'll be sleeping in the apartment itself if I have my way.
Seems too good to be true, but the place is a real dump. Half the apartments in the building don't even have doors or windows. This one has a nice sturdy door and two strong looking deadbolts and that's all I need.
I'm taking it. Thankfully managed to get to the end of the week without having to take another week in the halfway house.
Barb was disappointed when I told her.
"Ok, see ya, don't let the door hit you."
You can feel the love.
I've started carrying a baton and knife, already had to threaten one would be mugger with the knife. Did you know forcing someone to retreat counts as a victory? I didn't. My knife has "experience" now.
Not a lot of it, but still! Powers right! Just call me "Dollar Store Dauntless!"
Moving in today will be quite simple. I'm on my way to collect the keys with everything I own in a bag on my back (3 pairs of shower washed clothes, 1 spare pair of shoes and some razors of varying bluntness. Soap got stolen.)
Easiest moving day ever.
The guy with the keys is… shifty, bald as a cue-ball, covered in nonsensical writing tattoos and his skin is grey and pallid. He is on something, but 'what' is the question.
"You the guy wanting the 'partment?" he slurs at me,
"Yes please," I nod curtly, I just want this transaction to go as quickly as possible.
"Fancy accent, Where you from?"
"England."
"K, deres another English guy in about the area. I'll introduce ya if he shows up. "
"Uh, thanks I guess!"
He seems satisfied, hands over a key with a rusty old keychain and holds his hands out for the cash.
Cringing, I hand over a thousand dollars that I counted out before I arrived.
"Thanks English," he spits. "Names Dave, Rents due every 13th. A grand in my hand on the ground floor. Missing rent by a day or two will be forgiven. Three? I'll take a kneecap. If you don't want to live here no more, you gotta tell me 2 weeks before rents due, or I'll take it anyway."
"Noted," I respond. "You'll have it on time."
"They all say that," he winks at me and smiles with yellow, broken teeth.
"I don't have a phone, and I can't afford one. How do I contact you without?"
"I live in the ground-floor apartment of the building opposite. I'm home most'o day. Knock on."
I nodded back at him. "Got it!"
He walks out the door and I make my way upstairs to my new apartment.
Opening the door, I take a good look around; it looks worse than the pictures I saw. Black mould, water-stained carpets, trash in the corners. I can't complain though as it has the only two things I need from an apartment right now. A functional toilet and shower, and an internal door to a utility cupboard.
I push my key into the door handle. The door doesn't have a lock, but that doesn't matter to the key.
I turn my key in the 'lock', and the door opens towards me. I look inside and, as expected, see a 5 x 5 white cube. There is a door in the left-hand wall which when opened leads to a blacksmiths workshop, anvils, tools, workbenches, and self-refilling basic resources for smithing, nothing incredible, some decent tool steel in small amounts among with other common smithing metals. The forge tells me that these will refill weekly, and they cannot be taken out of the reality without first being crafted into something.
But what I am really here for is the matter manipulator. It is currently sitting on a pedestal up against one of the walls in the entrance hall. Construction yellow top and bottom plates with black handles between. The forge tells me this particular model can be stored as a gauntlet to emulate its unique storage slot. I pick up the manipulator and put it in gauntlet mode. It surrounds my left arm, wrist to elbow in a construction vehicle yellow and black gauntlet.
This is a little more conspicuous than I expected. However, I think I can make it work with a baggy jacket.
Because I have plans for this baby.
The matter manipulator can be used to breakdown and recreate blocks of material. I can break down wrecked things and then manipulate the raw resources to craft things.
And there's a big target full of wrecked things with my name on it. Everyone's favourite power testing arena and tinker junkyard.
The ship graveya- pfft.
I'm not a fucking idiot. Big open place on the edge of two gang territories full of old machinery.
May as well shine a spotlight on myself. "New tinker in ramp-up phase here! Come abduct me for your gang at will!"
Instead, for initial resources, I'm going back to my old standby. I'm going dumpster diving again. This city empties those damn things as little as possible. They are literally everywhere, are by design out of sight, and they are full of broken electronics, old building materials and junk. Believe me, I know personally.
And if a few burned-out cars happen to go missing on the way, who is going to complain?
As I finish up my coming night-time plan for gathering materials, the buzzing returns. The galaxy lights up around me as the forge attempts to reach out for another perk.
Quality Durability – Failed
Quality Efficiency – Failed
Magical large scale – Failed.
100CP Banked – Current C,P 100
Oh well, no new perk this time, that's fine as I haven't managed to use any of the ones I gained up to now anyway. Slow and steady wins the race!
However, first I'm going to try to make use of my first earned perk.
Time to try to leverage Artistic Artifact to replace some of my day job.
My mental understanding from Artistic Artifact is that I can leverage it to add a "Forerunner" type of artistic beauty to anything I build, from floors to weapons I can make them look elegant, and breath-taking.
I have a smith's workshop and a free, weekly refilling quantity of smithing materials, so if I make some jewellery charms from steel, and copper, and bronze, solid necklace pendants and bracelet charms, can I leverage the perk to make them beautiful?
The answer is "kind of."
They aren't something you would see in an art gallery; it seems that some part of the process counts as "building" and comes out looking incredible, but there must be another part of the process that counts as crafting but not technically as building.
I make 5 more attempts and it seems to be based on my own perception of if I am "building" the charms or not. I can't quite leverage the perk fully, but I definitely have something sellable. And the resources to make them are free so even if I price relatively low, I am still making pure profit.
The process of selling on the market is actually quite simple. Turn up with your goods. If there's a free pitch, you can go to the market office and pay a $100 deposit to use the pitch. Half of the deposit is non-refundable, and the other half is given back to you if you free up the pitch by midday. Otherwise, the other half is non-refundable to pay for the afternoon.
Now I must make the ultimate decision. Am I selling as a normal, or as a cape? I haven't even really sat down and decided if I want to "Cape" at all.
Am I working on the frontline, making tech to empower myself to fight against injustice directly, or am I the artificer behind the scenes? Empowering other people to save the world.
Even asking myself the question is ludicrous. It isn't even a choice.
The answer is both.
I might want to fight for good, to be an avatar of hope, to uplift earth bet beyond the fate I know approaches. But I also want the fame, the glory, the monument to the skies with my name on it. Tony Stark showed the blueprint for being a narcissistic asshole and a hero at the same time. I want to emulate that while maybe not making his mistakes.
I will eventually build a team, be they parahumans, or uplifted normals or both, I won't be able to do this on my own forever.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I will sell on the market in my own persona. Without a way to make a good costume, selling as a cape will not work wonders for my reputation. I can attempt to build a costume using forerunner aesthetics, but I don't think I currently have the resources to finish it, nor the funds. And wasting my days working ten to twelve-hour shifts in order to eat and live until I can ramp up the forge is not going to work forever. I will eventually burn out or become uninteresting enough that the forge will stop growing. And then I will be in real trouble.
As it turns out, selling on the market was as easy I thought, making sales however was slightly more difficult. I made ten necklace pendants and twenty bracelet charms to sell, silly little figures that look great, even managed to get a nice Damascus on a few of them (Accidentally, I'm pretty sure my aesthetic power did it).
When I showed up at the Market office, the guy in charge took my $100 and shooed me out to a pitch in a back corner of the area. It took a few hours until I saw my first customer, and I was getting worried that I wouldn't even make my deposit back and considering if leaving at Lunch would be a good idea, when a group of women walked past. One of them happened to glance over at my table and looked very interested.
"Oh my god guys look at these!"
"Oh, wow these look amazing!"
"Dani you just have to buy this owl pendant for your chain, it looks amazing!"
One of the girls turned to me
"How much for this owl pendant please?"
It was one of my better pieces, a bronze owl shined to perfection with a blued steel inlay reflecting the light.
"It should be $100, but if you tell your friends about my stall, I'll let you take it for $80."
"Omg are you serious? That's so cheap! Deal!"
…Cheap?
Am I undervaluing my goods?
The next girl comes over with another one of my good pieces, but she just heard the price I gave for the owl so with (mentally) gritted teeth I tell her it's the same price.
She buys it, as do the next 2.
$320 for 3 hours work and some forge backed resources I didn't even need to pay for.
Goodbye manual labour hopefully!
I tell the girls I will be here every Tuesday and they leave happy with their purchases.
A steady trickle of people come by during the day and it seems like the girls DID send some of their friends so well spent discount indeed! I didn't give any more major discounts but none of my pieces were quite as good as the ones already sold. Regardless I cleared out all my stock and counted my cash at the end of the day.
I made $1100. In one day.
I could technically quit at the construction yard now, but I think I will still attend a few days a week. The pay isn't incredible, but the hours are completely flexible, and I still have the potential connection to Coil to tease out.
While I'm clearing up my stall the forge buzzes me again. Two planets swing by and miss, then a third planet swings towards me, being small enough that my built-up energy is enough to fully absorb it.
Crafting Metallurgy – failed!
Quality Design – failed!
Quality Resources – Success!
Perk Gained – Backyard Handywork, Phineas and Pherb
100cp remain, re-rolling.
The same swing happens again, two failures, one success.
Skills Magic – failed!
Quality Efficiency – failed!
Skills Alchemy – Success!
Perk Gained – Alchemic Prodigy, Elder Scrolls Online
No CP remain.
Those are INCREDIBLE PERKS!
Damn forge has been edging me, constantly on the edge of greatness and then it throws two amazing crafting perks at me!
Alchemic Prodigy allows me to make gods honest potions! I can make healing potions; I can make buff potions! Poisons! It dumps a massive exposition about herbology into my head, specifically about how to identify alchemy viable plants, including substitutions. I can even make compound potions with multiple effects!
But even this pales in comparison to the next perk.
Backyard Handywork allows me to bypass the need for specially crafted equipment or machine tools and no matter how complex or intricate the project I am working on it, I can trade speed in order to use tools of any level of sophistication to finish the project! Additionally, it dumps a significant amount of engineering, architecture and material science knowledge directly into my head! This is incredible synergy with Artistic Architect too! A proper crafting perk that gives me actual knowledge!
And just like that my plans change.
With the engineering and architecture knowledge from backyard handywork I can kludge together a decent-looking costume, now I need to go and find materials.
I need to be significantly more frugal with the cash I earned today because I will be cutting down my construction work to no more than twice a week. Thankfully they are completely flexible because I have a new plan.
I'll continue selling charms at the market on Tuesdays, but most of the next week will be dedicated to filling my matter manipulator at nights. I'll be making a costume, and a better weapon, probably a baton or club of some sort.
I'll also be making a trip out to the garden centre, the woods, and a few local chemists and hardware shops to check for potential Alchemy ingredients once I have personal protection solved.
Time to head back home and see what I can cook up for my material gathering incursions.
Making my way back home initially went without much incident, moving from the market to the docks via the boardwalk was one of the safer routes through the city, even if I was making my way to the edge of what technically counted as merchant territory near the trainyard.
As I was leaving the boardwalk to move into the docks however my quiet trip was interrupted.
A jewellery store's front window exploded outward in front of the bus I was riding, as 2 giant monsters jumped out, each being ridden by two costumed figures. A cloud of impenetrable darkness followed them as they dove into the alleyways and climbed the walls. A klaxon of a burglar alarm started to whine as screaming started.
Heh, I honestly didn't expect to see the Undersiders this early. And seeing them made me start to contemplate any voluntary interference in canon I was going to take.
I knew roughly when Taylor's trigger was, in the coming January about 2 months away. I know she joins the Undersiders roughly 3 months after that, some point in April around about the same time Bakuda is putting bombs in people's heads.
I'm considering interfering with Lung recruiting Bakuda, which probably seems like a very bad idea, squishy tinker annoys local dragon is not the headline I'm aiming for. Princess in this case is definitely in another castle. However, if I can cut off Bakuda from Lung, It will be the number one way for me to improve the bay in the coming year. I know he recruits her in mid to late march but I'm not quite sure exactly when.
I'm quite set on this being my first major interference in Canon, I should likely prevent Taylor's trigger, and I will keep this at the back of my mind. The heroic part of me says I should be preventing it. But the pragmatic part of me says that having a backup for saving the world in case I fail in doing it better can only be a good thing. Two flavours of heroism compete here and while I don't always agree with "the greater good" if there's ever a time for it to be relevant, the lives of trillions is it.
I will make my choice and live with it in January. It's irrelevant unless I can meaningfully grow my power by then. The locker incident is on the first day of the new term so I have a set date for making my decision.
The Undersiders cloud of darkness is gone, and the bus finally starts moving again as the forge makes my eyes itch. The system of planets lights up in front of my eyes in a riot of colour, as the Celestial Forge attempts to grow once more.
Skills Magic – Failed
Crafting Magitech – Failed
Crafting Biotech – Failed
Banked 100CP
No perk this time, I've been hoping for a weaponry or attack perk, I'm currently capable of making a good set of alloyed steel armour and if I get better resources can go even further but I have no perk nor skill for good weaponry.
I have powers enough to push me up to "A mook without a gun isn't much threat" but guns and parahumans are still beyond me at this point.
Oh well, the curse of a tinker, let's keep ramping up.
I finally arrive at my stop and walk toward my apartment, when I hear someone shouting me.
Oh joy. Its Dave.
"Hey T!" he slurs.
"Hi Dave, it's Thomas by the way," I answer him back.
"Oh, I know, but I shortened it to Tom and then realised that's still too long so now you are T."
I don't mind Tom so much. T isn't something I like but I'm not arguing with my landlord over it.
" 'member I told you I had a brit friend in the area? He's come round to my place today, come say hi, you guys can chat about the homeland." He starts to nudge me over towards the yard of his apartment block.
"Dave mate, I'm really fuckin tired today is this something that can wait till tomorrow," I tell him wearily.
"5 mins T, he wants to meet a fellow brit, and he's a big deal in the district over.
"Fine ok Dave, 5 minutes though I really need to get some sleep."
Dave drags me over to his yard, "yard" is a misnomer. "National school for drug dealing" is probably closer to the truth.
When we get over to the apartment block, there's a dark-skinned guy with dreadlocks sat in an armchair by the door, he looks over at me and makes eye contact. There's suspicion and a dark intelligence in his eyes.
"Oi, you Dave's fucking English mate?" he shouts as he stands up.
This guy is from London. His accent is kinda cockney but not, with a mix of the local accent. I can't place it. He's relatively tall, but incredibly thin.
"Hi, I'm Thomas." I shake his hand.
"Fucking hell mate you're a fucking Manc!" he laughs "Not got three eyes or three balls av ya after coming from that fucking place?"
"No, we left before the incident, most of my accents from Mum."
"Ah shit, well nice to see someone from that scum sucking island for once, yanks round here don't get sarcasm," he makes eye contact again and winks slowly.
"Names Adam," he smiles through ruined teeth. "If you want any gear, you get Dave to contact us!"
"Not really into drugs, prefer alcohol myself but to each their own." I reply back. I have a suspicion as to who this is, and I do not want to insult him.
"Well, you're a bit of a fucking straight laced cunt living on the edge of the territory aint ya?" he laughs. "Well, more for us then," he laughs like a hyena.
"Dave, I'll see ya later mate, gotta get off, go see Sherrell, and get off," he laughs at his own joke again.
"No worries, Adam, see ya soon." Dave replies back while laughing himself.
Dave walks back over to my apartment building with me still chuckling.
"You made a good impression; he doesn't like people who don't take usually,"
I stop and look over at Dave.
"He isn't someone I want to get on the wrong side of is he?" I ask.
He just laughs and walks back to his apartment.
Am I renting an apartment under the table from a friend of Skidmark?
Fuck this, I need sleep. I need to be up early to go scavenging.
Notes:
Perks gained this chapter.
Backyard Handywork - Who needs a massive machine shop or specially-crafted equipment when you have some plywood and a toolbox? No matter how complex or intricate of a project you might be making, you'll find that you can easily figure out how to substitute commonly available tools and resources for more complex equipment, and still have the final project come out fine. Also comes with a decent understanding of engineering, architecture, and a few other material science fields to help you get started on whatever projects you might want to work on.
Alchemic Prodigy - One of the most profitable and respected professions in Tamriel, a good alchemist can find lucrative work just about anywhere on Nirn, from Necrom to Stros M'Kai. Aside from a good bit of experience in identifying herbs that can be used for medicinal(or malign)creations, you have enough experience to work with up to Rank Five solvents and oils(Purified Water and Pitch Vile respectively) , with a whole decade to learn even more. Healing potions, potions to bolster physical attributes, or even debilitating poisons can not only be produced, but with adequate testing you can even begin to mix and match their effects by combining the right ingredients.
First post chapter Personal Reality roll. 100 personal reality CP banked.
Failed
Wednesday 16th November, 2010
I wake with a smile on my face, even though it's three in the morning. How could I not? The forge is finally working with me, I have cash in my pocket including next month's rent already and I have a source of free cash, even if it is only minor. It feels like things are finally coming together.
I've stored the majority of my cash in the entrance hall, sure it won't be easily available but I won't lose it if someone breaks in or if I get mugged.
This morning's mission is resource gathering. The matter manipulator is an incredible tool not just for gathering materials, but also for storing them in its internal buffer. No walking round with a backpack full of scrap for me!
I'm going to wander downtown early and hit up as many dumpsters in the retail zones as I can. There's a ton of fly tipping in the adjacent areas too so I can hit up those spots for an easy source of materials. Heading out this early but as the sky starts getting light means the areas are mostly abandoned and putting on my worst clothes with my torn puffer jacket open with a broken zip lets me play the homeless guy card again. Jacket covers the matter manipulator on my arm, and I'm golden.
I pack my baton and knife too. Can never be too safe. Plus, always a chance I can level up my budget Dauntless cosplay. Finally, I take an old domino mask, scarf and beanie combo in my pocket. If I feel like I'm being followed by the authorities, I put them on and speak with them as a cape.
The key word today is safety.
The Forge takes that thought as a great idea and promptly makes my teeth vibrate. The planets move into alignment as the giant solar system inside my brain churns.
Facilities Mundane – Failed!
Crafting Technological – Failed!
Toolkit Magical – Success!
Magic Cooking Pot – Zelda: Breath of the Wild
100cp remains… Restarting rolls
Crafting Magical Items – Failed!
Skills Magic – Failed!
Protection – Success!
SUPERHUMAN DESIRE! – Medaka box abnormal.
No CP Remains
I need to sit down.
Magic cooking pot is… well its decent, it gives me an iron pan that can light a magic fire under itself when set up and even when not on a heat source will heat any items placed inside it to the desired temperature. Any meal or elixir cooked on it will gain a boost in quality and possibly beneficial effects. It also acts as a heat source so even with no heating in the workshop I'll never be uncomfortable again. It probably synergises extremely well with Alchemic Prodigy.
However, SUPERHUMAN DESIRE changes everything.
I can no longer fail at self enhancement via technology. Any procedure, regardless of how risky. As long as it carries beneficial enhancement or improvement to me or my body, is now guaranteed to succeed. Regardless of its original success chance.
This is a game changing perk. I'm not a full-on transhumanist by any means but if I gained the ability to enhance my body technologically, I was definitely going to do it. This perk now guarantees my success.
But I can't do anything with it right now so back to the job at hand.
From my apartment in the northern docks, I take a southern route through the active warehouse areas of the docks proper, the streetlights in this area are functional and it's easier to move as if heading somewhere.
As I pass various companies still operating in the area, I check through their external dumpsters, finding various amounts of wood, cloth, plastic, copper, tin, and iron waste which all gets converted into the matter manipulator.
Work is slow due to my paranoia of being seen, and I do the majority of my manipulator work from within the dumpster itself to give me full coverage. Even though I'm moving slowly, I'm moving with purpose, and the resources I am gathering will be a huge help.
Three hours later the sun is peeking over the bay and I'm finally in the southern docks area, from industrial waste, multiple abandoned or burned-out cars, and various carefully cleared out fly tipping spots I have gathered up quite large quantities of iron, steel, plastic, varying cloth types from tarp to silk, copper, bronze and tin and glass. I also have found decent a decent quantity of aluminium along with smaller quantities of gold, silver and platinum, and tiny quantities of rare metals mostly from various catalytic converters on the abandoned/burned-out cars.
This is enough manipulator gathering for now. I have more than enough resources from this run for a basic set of armour and even weapons too when combined with the resources I already have.
I decide to use a convenient public toilet to put the manipulator back into the personal reality, I drop off my "cape gear" at the same time, no need to have it on me if I get searched for any reason.
My next job is to head for the local garden centres and hobby shops in the commercial district, the bordering woodland will also be on the schedule for alchemy checking.
After checking various garden centres, florists and hobby shops and even the herb section at the local supermarket I come to a sad realisation. None of this can be used for my current form of alchemy. This prompts me to skip the trip to the outskirts too, I'll head out there another day when I have more perks that could benefit from it. I can only think that I must need another perk to provide me with the alchemy ingredients for Genius Alchemist or another perk to allow me to grow them myself somehow. I picked up some raw food ingredients from the supermarket regardless, at least I can test out the Zelda pot.
Time to head back home and work on some gear with my gathered resources, I have some ideas for some basic protective gear using only what I currently have.
The bus ride back home was thankfully uneventful this time, no Undersider provoked delays, and walking to my apartment from the bus stop no Dave interruptions either. It's almost eight by the time I arrive home, five hours since I left. I think some tinkering is just what the doctor ordered.
I have two ideas for basic gear.
The first is using the plastics, steel and aluminium I gathered to make some "riot team" inspired armoured gear. The second is to absolutely max out the materials science knowledge I gained from Backyard Handywork and make some taser gloves. Induction powered taser gloves. I can make some basic solid-state batteries from what I gather from the celestial mass squatting in my skull. I have some side ideas for an injector mechanism for them for when I get alchemy poisons up and running, but for now, light but heavily armoured protection and electric goodness. Backyard Handywork is about to pay for itself.
Working way ahead of my tool curve is… slow, multiple times I'm replacing the usage of cnc and milling machines and even at one point an industrial weaving loom with just basic blacksmithing tools. Backyard Handywork is incredible.
What feels like many hours later and one of the downsides/upsides of me only having a smithing workshop to work with shows itself. Everything looks vaguely knight-esque. It isn't intentional, and there's probably an intent-based reason for it, my brain biasing Artistic Architect because of my personal bias towards smithing and medieval aesthetic. But my armour which is supposed to be riot inspired instead looks like someone crossed a really overdone forerunner skin cosplay with something you wouldn't find out of place in World of Warcraft. It looks cool and all, but it implies a level of escalation I cannot fulfil. It writes checks that my ass cannot cash.
The armour is made from alternating layers of carefully folded aluminium, finely ringed steel chain-mail, and a mightily finicky carbon infused plastic and glass fiber weave. It's bullet resistant for sure although up to what caliber I have no idea. Knives aren't getting through though. I tested. A lot.
The fiber weave was a work of demented genius, but it took over four hours to make enough just to cover my vitals. Chest, back, neck. I won't be getting full coverage without better tools. Leveraging the perk this heavily carries a hefty time penalty and I will definitely have to look into some heavier duty tools for speed reasons, even if I don't technically need them.
The armour looks shockingly competent. So much so that I'm genuinely worried about the level of escalation that will be leveraged against me if I wear it to a fight. I don't think I can use this without a hefty improvement in my weaponry. It looks like it protects far more than it does, which is not a good thing with cape rules of engagement.
Speaking of weaponry, the gloves came off a treat. I'll call them my tesla gloves. They'll only work with the armour for now, in future I'll need to make a charging rig or better battery for them but basically, I build up charge in the batteries stored throughout my armour by moving. I can then choose to discharge the batteries through my hands, knuckle or palm. I managed to get 3 modes. The first is "The security guard just tazed me" level. It won't stop 99% of brutes but anyone with base level human durability is going on the floor. The second level is "did I just stick my tongue in a plug socket" and is reserved for minor brutes. The third level is a full discharge of all batteries. My armour grounds me by design but I don't even want to be around someone when I hit them with this. I call this level "Did Thor just brutalise that guy?" mode.
Each of the modes use up various levels of battery capacity. First level can be used maybe ten times on a full charge, second level a max of five times and the last level once by design. The batteries however are incredibly inefficient being solid state batteries made with forge backed tinker bullshit wizardry I barely even understand myself; they discharge rapidly over time if I'm not moving. I also have to lug this all around myself, it's not powered armour it relies on my own strength. I'll be working on my body a lot more going forward.
As I put the finishing touches on the glove to armour connection, the forge makes my earlobes buzz. The swinging orbit of the planets, as they pass by without pause.
Skills Alchemy – Failed
Quality Durability – Failed
Magical Large Scale – Failed.
No luck this time, bigger reach next time though!
Time to put all this armour on and test my weapons!
---
Ok there's a problem.
See, I've gone all out in making this amazing looking suit of armour. It looks incredible. The weapons are buzzing in my hand, the movement I've done up to now enough to get me a single level 1 charge.
But that movement is hand and arm movement.
I can't move in the damn thing long term.
Oh, I can carry the weight, for a short while. But carrying this thing around as a permanent costume with my current level of fitness is going to be impossible. Knights must have been ripped back in the day.
So, what can I do with it?
Well, I've made some temporary adjustments, I've stripped most of the extraneous for now, I've stripped it down to chest and abdomen plate, neck cover, bracers, everything covering an area not immediately lethal if penetrated is left off. I've stripped one tesla glove out of the interface, right arm for shocking, left arm for breaking down and building. I've also blued and painted the matter manipulator so I can match it with the steel and dulled aluminium colour of the armour. I've used some of the cloth I gathered with the manipulator to make a costume to go with the armour, which I have painted white and blue with the manipulator. I forgot that the matter manipulator is capable of short-range matter telekinesis and I'm quite sure I can make use of that in combat.
Most of this gear is thankfully, forge backed. The armour and glove will self-repair after 48 hours if damaged or destroyed due to being made in my blacksmith workshop, and the matter manipulator will return to the forge if it's away from me for too long. I've made an integrated facemask for my helmet, almost full face leaving only my mouth uncovered.
It didn't quite feel real before. But now looking at myself, and what I have created over the course of a day. Sure, by most tinker standards this is extremely primitive. All fur coat and no knickers. Talks the talk but doesn't really walk the walk but damn. Looking at this it finally hits me. After weeks of homelessness and just trying to subsist, I'm not at home anymore. I died.
And in exchange I now make things I don't understand, to entertain a being I don't know, and save a world I don't belong to.
At least I'll look damn hot doing it though.
I was never a very good cook.
Testing out this magic pan really brings that home; I mean I can't really over or undercook things with this thing, but I can mess up the recipe. Until I get some crazy forge backed cooking skill I am going to concentrate on a few basics. These are the recipes I can pull out of the perk with the ingredients I bought. They can't be mixed; the new buff will override the old.
Poultry + Mushrooms cooked on the pan = Three-minute stamina boost. A significant one too it makes me last twice as long. The urge to wink is overpowering right now but I will power through.
Red meat + Radish + Truffle. = Minor defensive brute rating, I can take a few more hits than usual. Needs testing.
Red meat + mushroom + chilli pepper = Almost immune to cold effects for four minutes. Useful with this area's climate.
Any meat + expensive shiitake mushroom = Mover rating, probably a 1 on the scale, triples my movement speed. Duration seems to be based on the size of the meal. A small ravioli sized wrap gave me about fifteen seconds.
I will need to test future recipes and do more tests when I have more ingredients in future. Suffice to say I made a few "mover wraps", Name pending, and keep them up my sleeve for if quick getaways are needed.
Quite literally, one of them is in my sleeve right now.
The big deal recipe here is radish, radish and more radish. My power tells me that the radishes I have now won't all work, but if I have a big plump radish and combine it with four of these smaller ones in the pan, I can make healing food.
Yes, you read that right, I can make a radish salad with a side of radish that will heal wounds. It will also induce a temporary defensive brute rating beyond anything else I've seen up to now.
Yes, I agree the forge is bullshit sometimes.
And on that note, the forge decides to tickle my nose. Revenge? I hope not. However this time, a small planet on the periphery of the orbit of one of the smaller stars in the condensed celestial tech tree slams into my head, after a bigger planet pulls a drive by on me.
Crafting Metallurgy – Failed!
Quality Durability – Success!
Reliable Invention – Kim Possible.
0CP remains.
This is a VERY interesting perk.
Anything I make can no longer break from being used properly.
Things I construct or create can only be broken if they are used improperly, or if they are purposefully targeted by an enemy. They can no longer degrade, nor malfunction from regular usage.
This makes me genuinely the anti-tinker. No maintenance requirements, no repairs needed except for combat or dumb-fuck juice induced breakage.
Armsmaster would sell me his kid for this perk. If he had one that is.
The urge to evil laugh is rising. But I will hold off. Laughing to yourself in an isolated room seems a bit weird.
Back to the cooking, I can't find any combination that would give me an offensive brute rating, lots of defensive buffs though it seems like this one is focused more on protection through defence rather than my preferred protection through proactive defence. Don't need to block a punch if the other guy's arms don't work anymore.
I need to get some sleep. I just spent an entire day moving and working and I am beyond exhausted. Tomorrow I am going to look in to getting a cheap prepay phone. And I think I'll do a construction day tomorrow; I'll need funds for the phone.
Notes:
Perks gained this chapter.
Magic Cooking Pot - A simple iron pan, that can magically light a fire underneath itself when set up. Even when off of a fire, it will heat items placed in it to the desired temperature. All meals and elixirs cooked on it will receive a boost in quality, and can provide a variety of beneficial effects, depending on the ingredients used. Magically provides a comfortable temperature nearby when in use.
SUPERHUMAN DESIRE - You always wanted to be special and that want was itself so strong that you really did become so. Whenever you are subjected to a procedure that will improve or beneficially alter you with a chance of injury to you, death or even just the procedure failing outright, it will instead have a guaranteed chance of success. Risky operations will always go off without a hitch, shoving an energy source into your own body will have it combine with you successfully if there was even the smallest chance of you not dying.
Reliable Invention - Anything you construct is only broken when used improperly or purposefully targeted with attacks. The items you create do not malfunction and are completely resistant to damage caused by regular usage.
Second post chapter Personal Reality roll. 150 personal reality CP banked.
Succeeded! – Access Key|Key Link
Key Link (Personal Reality) 50: With this Access Key Upgrade, you can now close the door while you are in the Personal Reality and use your key in a special podium in the entryway to link your Personal Reality Door to any door in your current Host Reality that you've previously used your Access Key on. If you have extra keys, any door opened by any of them can be accessed. You may also use a recall function to bring up a list of all the doors that have been accessed by any key, thus allowing you to follow a Companion should you so desire.
100 personal reality cp remain
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone