Chương 92: Chapter 89: Tactical Retreat

The moment George reappeared in the cradle, the nodlings froze, then scuttled toward him. The cradle had changed, and so had the nodlings. The one with the expand skill had clearly used it on itself. Repeatedly. It was now the size of a bowling ball, its legs each nearly a meter long. All four crowded his feet like dogs greeting their master. The enlarged one bumped him hard enough to stagger him back. It wrapped all eight legs around his calf and settled onto his boot.

George tried to shake it loose, but it had become much heavier and wouldn't budge. >>Down, boy! Release! At Nod's command the nodling immediately let go. It rolled away from George and hugged itself with all eight legs, somehow managing to look both sullen and resentful as it rolled sideways on the floor. Writher climbed down from George's back, and the nodlings immediately repeated the same welcome ritual with their upgraded sibling. The five spiders tangled into a chaotic knot until Writher forced itself free.

It climbed up onto what remained of the wooden bedframe. >>George, I couldn't help but notice that Neco was really giving you the stink eye there at the end of the last voting round. >>That does not bode well.

"I did what he told me to do," George said.

"He couldn't have known—" >>I don't know, man. You were putting out some strong "I'm the leader of this anti-Neco team" vibes back there. >>Our whole team—which was literally assembled behind you—all voted against him.

"And yet it didn't work. I thought we had him when Top used his orbs," George said. >>Well, you know what they say… >>If at first you don't succeed… >>Brainwash more hapless patsies and try again. >>At least the team will be together every round for the second half of the trial. I say we just rove around in a pack and kill anything we see. George took a longer look at the button-clicking contraption the nodlings had built. >>Isn't it great?

>>It looks like Salvador Dali hired a horde of gremlins to build him a Rube Goldberg machine. But, hey! Whatever works. It looked like a tiny carnival ride built from bent metal struts and scraps of the bedframe. At the center sat a car battery wired into a salvaged tricycle axle, wrapped in a crude copper coil—a makeshift motor. Around it, a bicycle rim formed a circular track.

George judged that when it spun, the long arm with the button on the end would whip around the inside of the wheel, producing clicks as it went. Identify called the whole contraption an "Improvised Rotational Click Assembly." Then labels for the various mechanisms the nodlings had built started popping into George's vision. <Composite scrap chassis> <Radial actuation frame> <Electromagnetic spin core> <Incremental impact ridges> Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author.

Report any sightings. Then another label appeared. <Moa Synaptic Recovery Ampoule> >>Hold on… What was that last one? Moa what? On the floor among the litter of wood shavings, bent metal scraps, and assorted amenity debris, George spotted an injector that reminded him of the insight potion Johnny had given him—only this one was smaller, sleeker, and filled with a faint silver gleam of nanites. George was just about to walk over and inspect it when someone cleared their throat behind him. Ability Notification!

Threat Level 1 Knickknack Savant: Level 1 He spun just as Writher launched at the intruder. Even though the spider mech was fast, Murdo only had to raise his palm to his attacker. A flash of force burst from his hand and Writher was hurled backward, rebounding off the ceiling of the cradle before crashing to the floor. It hit the ground in a crumpled heap and didn't move. George took a step toward Murdo and the Rook raised that same open palm at George and said, "Don't, George.

Let's not make this messier than it has to be." George froze. Murdo's profile reappeared in George's vision. <Name: Murdo Race: Human Level: 344, C-Grade Profession: Avant Courier, Fifth Tier Abilities: Rune Scrye, Construct Sigil, Snap Portal, Boneharrow Gaze, etc. House: The Rook House Rank: Five Metadata—Encyclopedia Esoterica: Blocked>"Mr. Brandiss… you disappoint me," Murdo said.

"We tried to help you and all we asked for in exchange was a little bit of loyalty—even if it was coerced. But some people do not know how to do what is in their own best interest." Murdo was short and thick through the middle, dressed in the same tight-fitting black suit he had worn the last time George saw him. Round dark glasses hid most of his eyes. His head was bare— even his eyebrows were gone—leaving only shallow folds across his forehead.

One hand rested calmly at his side while the other was covered by a black sleeve that encased each finger like a stiff, pointed stylus. George took a step backward. Murdo didn't seem to notice.

"I will admit that I am somewhat impressed, Mr. Brandiss. You were a bit of a long shot, but you somehow managed to obtain a Faraday exosuit that appears to be empowered by a named shard." He chuckled softly.

"I expect there is quite a story there. I will have to ask my lord the prince for the details of the trial."

"However, you will not be returning to compete. The prince has dispatched me to activate the failsafe on your helmet." Murdo tapped lightly at the side of his own head and arranged his face into an expression of polite regret.

"I'm afraid this unfortunate task cannot be delayed. Goodbye, Mr. Brandiss." He raised his black-clad fingers and snapped. Two things happened at once. Murdo teleported away and George felt three sharp pinpricks stab into the side of his neck. He tried to lunge for the Moa injector—but his jaw and neck locked instantly and a spasm seized his upper body, sending him tumbling to the ground. Ability Notification!

Threat Level 9 Knickknack Savant - Level 89 Time Dilation Maximum: x 3200% George tried to lift his body but he could not move. >>Taking over! >>Store interface! The store menu snapped into view and the Personal tab dropped down. Store ▶ Upgrade Cradle ▶ Upgrade Button ▶ Upgrade User Interface ▶ Upgrade Familiar ▶ Upgrade Minions Personal • Food Pellet — 2 gold. • Maximum Heal — 100 gold. • Locate Kit — 20 gold.

• Pepperoni pizza with pepper jack cheese and beer (IPA) — 5 gold • Connect Cradle to the True World - 100, 000 gold • Clean self — 1 gold • Dispose of waste — 1 gold • Sweat pants and t-shirt — 2 gold • Refresh Selected Option — 1 gold • Random Memory — 5 gold Select Amenity Pain for gold Nod used their surplus gold to buy an option that once seemed extravagantly expensive. Purchased: Maximum Heal George felt a cool wave pass over his body from head to toe.

Nod swung George's arm toward the Moa ampule and cast draw. It was only a few feet away but it rose sluggishly into the air. As the toxin warred with the effects of the maximum heal upgrade, George felt waves of pain wash over him. He exhaled and realized he couldn't draw the next breath. The store options continued to hover in front of his vision. And then he saw it. It had been there the whole time. Locate Kit—20 gold.

He thought it was some kind of mapping ability, but that was only because the last time he saw the store options, he hadn't known his son's name. The AI had put it there to taunt him. And now it was too late. Nod extended his spider fingers from the tips of George's fingers and was able to touch the slow-moving Moa injector. It entered their timestream and Nod jabbed the needle tip into George's neck and George felt the nanites surge into his body. Suddenly, the pain stopped. His heart stopped.

A feeling of exhaustion swept over him. Either his eyes had closed or he had gone blind because everything had become dark. Then, George died. But perhaps Nod would have called it a tactical retreat into unconsciousness.