Chương 10: Say that when your X-wing gets stuck in a swamp…

New Achievement: Level Ten +2 Gold +1 Skill Point Would you like to buy anything in the store? Yes or No? George mentally selected yes, and the store menu appeared. >>At the risk of being callously ignored again…don't buy a memory. Let's get past this trial and then celebrate with a trip down your sad, lonely, post-apocalyptic memory lane. Mmmk?

"Yeah, OK," George said. >>Is that "Yeah, OK…I'm going to do whatever I want because I'm the boss here and I know best" or "Yeah, OK. I've been persuaded by your trenchant arguments, my dear brain spider"?

"No, I'm on board. I need time to process the last one—and everything else you dumped on me." >>It isn't my fault reality is terrible. Don't shoot the messenger.

"I think it is food pellet time. So that leaves ten gold," George said.

"Maybe one of those amenities can help me build a better clicker. I can't afford to waste this." >>Might I recommend upgrading your familiar. He is very useful.

"Fair is fair," George said.

"Six left. I wish there was enough for the Basic Store Upgrade." >>So save it for next time. You'll have another level soon.

"All right." >>Seriously? You made your stand last time and now it's all "tell me what to do, Nod"? George shrugged and mentally selected Food Pellet, Amenity, and Upgrade Familiar. Would you like to assign any skill points to Crafting? >>Yes.

Crafting Menu Level One Draw 2 - 6 skill points • Increase distance of draw • Increase strength of draw • Increase speed of draw Push - 3 skill points Bind 2 - 6 skill points • Bind across distance • Increase strength of bind • Increase duration of bind Separate - 3 skill points Reduce - 3 skill points Expand - 3 skill points Spin - 3 skill points Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Bore - 3 skill points Raise - 3 skill points Lower - 3 skill points Unlock Crafting Menu Stage Two - 20 skill points >>There's your skill tree. Choose wisely. >>What's it gonna be? I bet bore is for holes. Separate will let you cut things. Probably.

"Nod, will I be able to use these skills to defend myself?" George asked. >>Yes and no. You can and should think about using them to make weapons because that is just the sort of game this is. But crafting skills can't be used directly on living organisms. That is a different skill path. >>That skill path is in the "good choices George DIDN'T make" category.

"So which of these will help me win this game? What does winning this game even involve?" >>Why don't you set your sights more on "survive the next 12 hours"? I think you are right to be thinking about building some kind of weapon though. >>Too bad you didn't get that door. Maybe you could have used one of these to make it into some kind of club.

"The tricycle did let me increase my click speed. We've got to pursue that path too since that'll get us more levels and delay the trial." >>The jury is decidedly still out on the Trike-o-Matic.

"And yet the point remains," George said. >>Sure. If one of these will let you make a better clicker, that'd be great too. But that depends on a lot of factors out of your control, such as, what amenities you get. I don't see a carrot, a tube of toothpaste, and a roll of toilet paper helping you achieve your clicking dreams.

"So which of these will get me where I want to go? Raise and lower seem sort of pointless." >>Say that when your X-wing gets stuck in a swamp…

"Spin could be handy." >>Especially if one of the amenities is a circular saw.

"I could see needing to break things apart again," George said.

"Not everything will come apart as easily as a child's tricycle. So separate could be a good one." >>If bore puts holes in things, you could just put a bunch of holes in anything you want to separate instead…two skills for the price of one.

"What is the 'Crafting Menu Stage Two?'" >>Probably opens up more advanced skills. Duh.

"Is it worth saving for?" George said. >>I think so. Eventually. >>But that trial is coming soon. You need an edge now.

"How am I supposed to know what is useful when I don't know what I have to work with?" >>Beats me. I didn't make the game. I just look good playing it. George hesitated. Then he mentally selected expand. Skill Selected: expand. >>Didn't see that coming.

"I think it could be useful. Especially with reduce. Shrink things, grow things—space wouldn't matter" George said. >>I think you'll find you have a long way to go before your pocket dimension becomes a reality. >>And you have no pockets. >>Anyway, meal time. Purchased: Food Pellet A brown cube slightly smaller than a die fell down onto the floor in front of George.

"It looks like compressed fish food," George said. >>Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. That's high-quality tech. Down the hatch.

"What do you think it tastes like?" >> Ashtray by the looks of it. George tentatively put it in his mouth and bit down on it. As soon as it hit his tongue, the pellet melted into warm liquid that tasted slightly metallic, like licking a battery. He swallowed and tried to ignore the subtle motion in the pellet, as if it was trying to swim down his throat. Purchased: Amenity >>Get ready for another inane grab bag of futile and impotent items. Choose your amenity.

• Sharpie • Ten AAA batteries • Washcloth • Shampoo (hotel size) • Child's scarf • Potted daffodil • Bic lighter • Spiral phone cord • Milk carton (empty)"Thoughts?" George asked. >>Dunno. Lighter?

"Potted plant would be nice." >>Werewolves, George.

"Ok. I have an idea." George mentally selected "Ten AAA batteries" and they dropped from the ceiling and clattered on the floor in front of him. >>I'm tentatively intrigued. Purchased: Familiar Upgrade As soon as the notification appeared, a searing pain blossomed in his left hand that felt like it was being raked by tiny blades. George reflexively clutched it to his body and shouted.

He looked down and saw thin black lines crawled beneath the skin on the back of his hand It felt like needles growing inside his hand, and he could only rub his hand and wait for it to pass. The lines extended themselves into each of his five fingers, and stopped at the base of each fingernail.

"Damn it! That hurts!" George counted the black lines. Each finger now had a black line running from wrist to fingertip, tracing across the back of his hand. His thumb, index, and middle finger had two black lines apiece. Eight. Like spider legs.

"Nod?" >>Um. Yes?

"Is that your hand?" A pause. >>OK. This is awkward.