When I awoke the next morning, I immediately began to collect my things. Mom was due to arrive around lunch time and I wanted to be ready to go when she did. I had bits and bobs all over the house and garage that needed to go into my suitcase. I left my laptop for last so that I could do quests on it while waiting for Mom.
I went to the beach with my cousins and grandparents one last time. Grandma Rose went back to the house early to prepare lunch. We joined her an hour later when everything was almost ready. I heard a knock on the front door five minutes before noon. I excitedly opened it to see Mom standing there awkwardly. She smiled and came inside.
¡°I missed you, Eddy,¡± she said, grabbing me in a big hug.
¡°I missed you too,¡± I replied, gasping for breath.
¡°Had a good time?¡±
I nodded.
¡°Great! Smells like your grandmother has made something wonderful for lunch.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dear,¡± Grandma Rose called from the kitchen upon hearing the compliment.
We were all ushered to the table where Grandpa Milton and Uncle Dave had put all of the food. There were bowls of soup and a salad in front of each chair¡ªthe soup bowl sitting on top of a large plate. I sat down between Mom and Aunt Kat.
I ate through the soup and the salad quickly and was rewarded with more food. I got a large helping of mashed potatoes and pot roast with a bit of candied carrots on the side. By the time I finished eating, I was absolutely stuffed. I took a break to walk around between lunch and dessert to maybe find some room for the pie Grandma Rose had made. It took some doing, but I managed to inhale a slice before immediately regretting that decision.
After lunch, Mom helped clean up while I loaded the suitcase and backpack into her car. When everything was stowed for the trip home¡ªand the dishes were clean¡ªI went to give everyone a hug. Marcus refused the hug while Olivia hugged me back harder than I hugged her. She cried a little¡ªthough I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t admit to it.
¡°Have a safe trip home,¡± Grandpa Milton said when I gave him a hug.
Grandma Rose echoed that sentiment a moment later and lifted me up for a kiss on the forehead. Aunt Kat and Uncle Dave gave me a group hug and wished me well. I waved as Mom buckled me in. I kept waving until the car had turned onto the road and Mom shut the window.
On the ride home, I felt a mix of emotions. I was excited¡ªand nervous¡ªabout school while I knew that I would miss my family now that the vacation was over. Mom brought up college and how I needed to sign up for classes soon. She wasn¡¯t sure on the exact dates, but she reminded me that¡ªif I wanted the choice options for professors of the classes I needed to take in my first semester¡ªI needed to jump on them as soon as they became available. I agreed with her.
Mom gave me her phone to use on the drive home. I looked over the classes the finance program suggested by semester and noted all of the ones that were required as well as the free classes where I had the opportunity to choose my own¡ªfrom a curated list, of course. I then cross-referenced all of the professors teaching, when the classes were in session, and the reviews of the professors that I could find. I found a few pitfalls in the professor department that could be avoided by carefully selecting the class times to ensure I had the least worst options overall.
When I got to Mom¡¯s house that evening, we ate takeout and unpacked my suitcase. I double checked the schedule that I¡¯d come up with in the car and had Mom look it over as well just in case. There was some back-and-forth over why this class or why that time, but overall the schedule passed muster. In bed that night, I logged into the school portal for the first time¡ªsetting up the user and all of that fun stuff¡ªbecause I noticed that classes had been posted about a week earlier. I made my selections¡ªwith one change due to availability¡ªand submitted. As soon as the data packets shot out, I got a lovely chime.
I accepted the quest. I had no doubt in my mind that I would be able to do well in the courses I had chosen. I wasn¡¯t sure if the quest was one that paid out at the end of the semester or at the very end. Given how far into the future the expiration was, I suspected I was going to get a large chunk of experience in a few years¡¯ time and nothing before then¡ªfrom this quest at least.
Over the next month-and-a-half I focused on completing daily, weekly, and monthly quests. I didn¡¯t figure out any novel ways to gain experience than I had already found so I kept my nose to the grindstone. I ended up with about 10,000 more experience at the end. I was still at least a year away from the first upgrade I wanted to get.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The writing project had mostly stabilized. It wasn¡¯t failing like I feared it might, but it wasn¡¯t popping off either. I used some more money for advertising that helped somewhat for a time¡ªand I made more back from subscriptions, too. I hoped the effort would at least inspire better authors to give the ideas a chance. Getting the word out was the main goal, especially since the money wasn¡¯t good.
I was happy with the progress even if it felt glacially slow in the moment. Looking back on the three months I¡¯d spent thus far, I¡¯d accomplished a lot. It was enough to make me smile even if there were things I could have done better had I known more going into it. That¡¯s what future attempts would rectify.
I took a deep breath and opened the door of a small auditorium that served as the classroom for my first class of the day. Dad had dropped me off that morning and Grandpa Milton would pick me up later. There¡¯d been much discussion on the logistics of getting me to and from classes as well as figuring out the financial aspect of it. The funds I had stashed away in crypto were enough to cover two years at the community college, but I was going to need some more support or a scholarship at a larger university to complete my studies.
The auditorium was very steeply sloped with a handful of semicircular rows of chairs behind long bench desks. The room was about half-filled with students. Most of them were teenagers though there were a handful of older folks who started their education later. And then there was me¡ªa five-year-old child. I was out of place and I felt it.
I picked a random open seat about halfway up and near the center aisle. There was no one directly next to me, but the one person closest to me¡ªa man of about twenty¡ªgave me a confused look before shaking his head. I pulled out my laptop and the textbook for the class.
Over the next five minutes, the rest of the students wandered into the room and found their seats. The room filled completely. A man and a woman in their late teens ended up on either side of me. Their initial looks mirrored that of the man earlier.
¡°Do you think he¡¯s here with a parent?¡± the woman whispered to the woman next to her.
That person looked at me and shrugged.
¡°Dunno,¡± the second woman answered. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone.¡±
¡°Where¡¯s your parents?¡± the first woman asked me.
¡°At home,¡± I said.
The woman covered her mouth and gasped.
¡°You¡¯re here alone?¡±
¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here to learn, same as you.¡±
¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait¡ you¡¯re a student?!¡±
Her utterance caused several people nearby to glance in our direction.
¡°Yup.¡± I said, fishing my ID from my backpack.
She looked it over and passed it back.
¡°And you¡¯re how old?¡±
¡°Five.¡±
I could see that it took everything she had not to scream a response.
¡°Five?!¡± she whispered ¡°Seriously?¡±
¡°Mhm.¡±
The woman shook her head, took a deep breath, and then turned back to look at me.
¡°I¡¯m Kate,¡± she said.
¡°Eddy.¡±
¡°Well, Eddy, it was nice to meet you.¡±
¡°You too,¡± I said, feeling a bit odd from the attention.
All I wanted to do was come to the school to learn and not get entangled into anything. Before Kate could begin to pester me with the questions I could see on her face, the professor came in. She was dressed in a floral dress and spoke with a high-pitched voice.
¡°Can those in the back hear me alright?¡± she asked
There was some murmuring of assent from the back.
¡°Good,¡± she continued. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin¡¡±
The class ran about an hour. During that time, I took notes and did my best to learn from the professor. I was happy to discover that I gained Exploration Experience from the class. It wasn¡¯t much¡ªjust a single experience point¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t something I had expected. That was something I thought about between classes. If learning was counted as exploration for the purposes of the function, then I was set to gain a trickle of experience simply by going to college. The bonus at the end would dwarf the experience drips from the classes, but I wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The rest of the classes that day went much the same way. I got sometimes strange looks from those nearby but no one gave me any problems. That was, until the following day when I had my first lab. It was part of the required science course and I had it once a week. I¡¯d chosen chemistry because it was the easiest of the options available to me and I wanted to get the class out of the way sooner rather than later.
¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be in here!¡± the teacher¡¯s assistant called out when I entered.
I gave the man a quizzical look. Of course I was meant to be in the lab. Where else was I to do the work?
¡°This is a dangerous place. Where are your parents?¡± the assistant continued.
¡°I¡¯m a student,¡± I said while fumbling around in my backpack for my student ID.
¡°Please wait outside, it¡¯s not safe.¡±
The man attempted to grab my hand but I avoided it. Finally, I located the ID and showed it to him.
¡°I am registered for this class,¡± I reiterated, showing the ID.
The assistant took a look at it and took out his own. He spent a minute comparing both before giving mine back.
¡°Stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± he warned.
I watched as he exited the room for a few minutes. Other students filtered in while I stood there waiting. I saw several students gesture towards me while talking amongst their groups. Eventually, the professor came in with the assistant and looked me over. Then he looked down at his phone and scrolled. When he found what he was looking for, he nodded to the assistant and whispered something into his ear. The professor then left the room.
¡°Professor says you¡¯re in the class. I don¡¯t see how, but since you are, please find an open seat.¡±
I could feel the eyes of everyone on me. The room was full and I was¡ªagain¡ªthe center of attention. I hated the feeling.
I walked around the room before I came across an empty chair. It was one of those tall metal stools that are uncomfortably tall and a pain to get on. For me being a child it was even worse. I had to toss my backpack onto the lab table before climbing up onto the stool. There were two women and a man seated at the same lab table. I got out my things for the class while they stared uncomfortably at me. I was thankful when the assistant began by passing out instructions for the lab.
The lab was simple and introductory. It was a simple group task to measure and weigh various items in an attempt to calculate Avogadro¡¯s Number directly. I noted down these measurements in my lab notebook carefully. We had to plot the data and run a closest fit line using excel. With that done, I spent the rest of the time in the lab class to write up the experiment in the format outlined in the syllabus. When I finished, I handed it in to the assistant before exiting the lab and calling Grandpa Milton to pick me up as the lab had been the last class of the day for me.
Chapter 25
Two days later, Dad got a phone call. That in and of itself wasn¡¯t unusual¡ªhe got plenty of requests for work at all hours of the day. He excused himself from the breakfast table and answered it in another room. When he came back, I could see in his face that something had happened. He sat down and stared at me for an uncomfortably long time without saying anything.
¡°Eddy,¡± he finally said, ¡°do you have any idea who just called?¡±
¡°No?¡± I answered.
I could feel my nerves starting to fray.
¡°The local news called asking for an interview with you.¡±
¡°Why? What did you say?¡±
My heart was racing at this point. The news somehow figured out what was going on? Did they know about the time travel aspect? Surely not, otherwise they¡¯d have asked about that.
¡°I declined on your behalf. Then they asked for my comment on you going to the community college. I said that you were and answered a couple other basic questions. I also explained that you want to focus full time on school so an interview would be a distraction.¡±
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least it was only about me going to school.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t blow up too much.¡±
The story broke the next day. I didn¡¯t know where the local news had found out about me given all of the classes I¡¯d been in and all the other students there, but I assumed it was one of them or one of the professors. The story of the local boy who was going to college instead of first grade led to more requests for interviews from an ever expanding roster of news outlets. Mom and Dad had convened and decided to decline all of them with the same stock answer. My parents had to spread the same to their parents just in case they were contacted¡ªand they were.
Around campus, I felt like a circus monkey for everyone to stare at and think there goes the boy from the news. Several people came up and tried to talk to me. A handful were curious students, but most of them were an assortment of busybodies who wanted in on the attention I was getting. I did my best to ignore them and mind my own business, but it was hard.
After a week of classes¡ªand getting used to the workload¡ªI decided to find a hobby or club in college to join. If I wanted to learn skills for the future, I may as well start now. I took an hour between classes to go through the options. There were some standard ones like debate or engineering and well as some more specialized ones for people from a specific area or background. Once I had looked through them all, I was disappointed to see that there weren¡¯t any good options.
When I got home later that day, I looked for hobby groups nearby that I could join. There were tons of choices. So many, in fact, that my eyes glazed over just looking at them. It took time to narrow down the list to a few choices¡ªlike a week¡¯s worth of extra time¡ªbut finally I had a handful from which to make my decision. I knew I could change my mind later if I wished¡ªand I had enough time to do multiple before turning back the clock¡ªbut I needed to start somewhere.
Ultimately, it came down to three choices. The first option was woodworking. The group met up at a woodworking shop one town over from mine every Saturday afternoon. It looked like a good place to at least learn the fundamentals of making things with wood, which was something I wanted to cover for myself.
The second option was similar, but with the material being metal. Welding, grinding, lathes, and even smithing all wrapped into one. They didn¡¯t meet every week but instead twice a month. I definitely wanted to do this one eventually, but the strength requirements and the overall danger of it made this option the least likely to start out with.
Finally there was sewing. I had a vague idea of how to sew from Mom having taught me many years in my past. My knowledge of the craft was so poor that I might as well have been a novice. Sewing was the least dangerous but also the most expensive option. I had enough funds for it now, but that wouldn¡¯t last forever. This group met weekly on Monday nights.
I took the options to Mom that evening.
¡°Yeah¡ no,¡± she said of the metalworking one. ¡°Definitely not that one. Woodworking¡¯s a little dangerous, too, but not as much. What¡¯s the last one?¡±
¡°Sewing,¡± I answered.
¡°Hmm,¡± she nodded. ¡°Maybe sewing? You can always do one of the others later when you¡¯re bigger.¡±
I nodded.
¡°Sewing might be expensive because of the cloth,¡± I added.
¡°True. I¡¯ll see what I can do. It should be alright for now. Practice with scraps and then make something once you have learned more?¡±
¡°I can do that,¡± I agreed.
She nodded. I signed up for the group after dinner.
Dad went with me the first time. He agreed with Mom about the metalworking but thought that woodworking would have been a better choice. That was closer to his profession and he felt he might be able to teach me some of it. I reminded him that he could always do a project with me when I was older and done with school when I would have a lot more free time.
The group met in a fabric store about a mile outside of the downtown in a strip mall. The building looked like it had seen better days¡ªnot dangerous or in urgent need of repairs, just old. Dad parked his truck and held my hand. A bell tinkled when he opened the door for me.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The inside of the store smelled odd. It was a strange combination of dyes from the fabric, the fabric materials, and the ancient carpet on the floor. Visually, the store was stuffed with shelf after shelf of all sorts of fabrics. I saw a golden gossamer fabric that looked like it might drift away whenever someone walked by, a sturdy calico, an entire rainbow of felts. I¡¯d never seen so much fabric in my life!
¡°Do you folks need some help?¡± a woman asked.
She looked older than my grandparents.
¡°I heard there was a sewing meetup tonight?¡± Dad wondered.
¡°Yes,¡± the woman smiled before pointing to a gap in the bolts of cloth. ¡°They meet in the room over there.¡±
Dad nodded and led me through the narrow passage between shelves¡ªa definite fire hazard¡ªand into an open space beyond. The room in front of me had a handful of tables with sewing machines and several chairs scattered about. There were about as many people in the room as there were sewing machines¡ªthough only two were being actively used when I walked in. The rest of the people¡ªwho were mostly middle-aged and older women¡ªwere seated and chatting. Two of them looked up when we entered.
¡°Hello,¡± Dad greeted the woman closest to us.
¡°Hm?¡± she responded.
¡°Is this the, um¡¡± he began.
¡°The sewing club?¡± she finished. ¡°Yes, this is it. Will you be joining us?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t be,¡± he said, ¡°but my son, Eddy, will be. I¡¯m just here to observe and help him out if he needs it.¡±
¡°Oh! How wonderful!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s always so good to see the young ones join us¡ªand a boy no less! You look familiar, have we met before?¡±
She extended a hand for me to shake. I offered mine in return. The shake was¡ awkward¡ªmy hand too small and her grip like that of a princess.
¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve met, I think?¡± I said.
¡°Oh. I must have been mistaken. Have you sewn anything before?¡±
I shook my head. Though it wasn¡¯t fully true, it may as well have been.
¡°Let¡¯s start with something easy¡¡±
The woman¡ªElizabeth, I later found out¡ªhad me start by threading a needle and tying a knot at the end of a long piece of string. She gave me a thimble to keep my fingers safe from the point of the needle. Then she gave me a button and a scrap of cloth to work with. My first task was to attach the button. She showed me how to begin and what to do before undoing it all and letting me try.
It was tough going initially, but I got the hang of it after I completed the button for the second time. Then it was on to showing me how to pick stitches apart with a tool so that I could redo the button a few more times. After the fifth picking and restitching, it was time to go home. I thanked Elizabeth for the help and followed Dad back to the car.
¡°What did you think?¡± he asked.
¡°It was interesting,¡± I decided.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Yeah. I know I¡¯m just starting now¡ but in the future, knowing how to make clothes would probably be a good skill to have.¡±
¡°True.¡±
¡°And the projects I work on should give me some decent experience. I hope.¡±
¡°Did the buttons give you anything?¡±
¡°Just a handful together, but next time I should learn how to stitch two pieces of fabric together. Then maybe start a real project soon after!¡±
Dad smiled.
When Mom went with me the following week, she spent the hour or so chatting with the group members while Elizabeth helped me learn how to hand-stitch. There were several ways to do it¡ªand there were more steps to the process than I thought going into it.
The first thing I had to do was to measure in from the edge of the fabric and mark it with a white disk-shaped crayon in several spots. Then I had to run a line with a ruler along those measurements. When I did this to both pieces I was going to stitch together, I needed to decide what sort of stitch pattern would be best for the fabric I was joining together and the amount of stress it would be under during regular use. Elizabeth showed me a handful of the most common ones and made sure I did each of them several times before she let me move on to the next one.
By the end of September, I was judged sufficiently skilled that she suggested I begin a project. There were several options¡ªclothing for myself, clothing for a doll, a blanket, and a few other ideas. I chose the blanket in the end. If I made clothing for myself, I would grow out of it before I was even done making it; and if I made clothing for dolls¡ well, I¡¯d need a doll to put it on. A blanket was a useful item that would see me through many years¡ªand hopefully doing a good job on it would be worth a good amount of experience.
I purchased the fabric and filling material after consulting Elizabeth¡ªand my own wallet. She helped me design it and run the math. Once everything was in order, I noted down all the measurements and began to mark and cut the fabric to size. I knew the project would take a while even if I worked on it at home as well, but that was ok with me.
I didn¡¯t have too much time to pursue the blanket project. I was able to spend a couple hours a week on it; however, most of my time was still dedicated towards my studies and my quests. With midterms coming in only a couple of weeks, school held my attention above all else.
I walked into the first midterm two weeks later. The hubbub around my age and being in college had died down enough that I was able to go from one place to the next without getting stopped by someone. The other students were used to the fact that I was around and they were friendly¡ªin a that¡¯s a cute puppy sort of way.
It was being held in a much larger classroom than the usual one to give the test-takers enough space to limit cheating opportunities. I found an open seat and occupied it. The rest of the students wandered in right up until the time for the test to begin. The proctor handed out the test papers to each person before clearing his throat.
¡°You have ninety minutes to complete the exam in front of you,¡± he said. ¡°When you are done, you can raise your hand or come up to the front and hand your exam to me. Any questions?¡±
The proctor waited for several seconds then continued once he was sure everyone understood.
¡°Alright, you may begin.¡±
I started by reading the instructions just in case. There were no special bonuses for reading through them usually¡ªand that was true for this exam as well¡ªbut I¡¯d heard of them so it made sense to check just in case. I wrote my name on the top of each page as I went through question by question.
The exam wasn¡¯t too difficult¡ªI¡¯d studied enough and the material itself was more foundational¡ªso I was able to plow through the questions quickly. That some of the multiple choice questions answered other ones later in the test made me smile. Then I got to the more free-form part of the exam. These questions necessitated a couple of paragraphs each of calculations and written explanation.
When half of the allotted time had elapsed, I was done with the test. I spent another 10 minutes going over all of the questions again just in case I missed anything¡ªI had not¡ªbefore standing up and walking to the front. I wasn¡¯t the first to finish, but I was amongst the first. The proctor gave me an odd look but said nothing when he took the exam from me.
Test-taking was a skill I¡¯d always excelled at. The mix of pressure and focus always seemed to bring clarity for me for whatever reason. On the other hand, going back and fixing mistakes was something I was loath to do because that focus evaporated as soon as I did. This, of course, meant that, while I almost always did well on exams, I also never got a perfect score either.
When I left the room, I went to grab lunch and look over the material for the next exam. I had three more that day and another two the following day. I had faith that I would make it through the gauntlet but was annoyed that I¡¯d not been given any quests around doing well in the exams. Maybe whatever governed the system didn¡¯t see there was enough of a challenge in them to give it to me or maybe it was because I already had a quest for school and that would have doubled up. That was something I noted in the back of my mind to investigate in the future.
Chapter 26
The rest of the exams on the first day went well, as did the first of the exams on Tuesday. After a quick lunch between tests, I slowly walked to the exam hall. This one was the same auditorium I¡¯d had the first class in all those weeks ago. It was big enough to handle the smaller number of students taking the exam.
I was one of the first to enter the room. I found an open seat and placed my backpack on the floor next to me after taking out a couple mechanical pencils. When I looked up from my backpack, I saw the proctor¡ªa large, older man¡ªstaring down at me.
¡°What are you doing here?¡± he demanded.
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°What are you doing here?!¡± he said more loudly.
¡°Taking an exam?¡± I said with a no shit, Sherlock attitude.
¡°You¡¯re not a student,¡± he answered firmly.
¡°Yeah I am. There was a whole news thing about it a while ago.¡±
¡°Bullshit. Where¡¯s your ID?¡±
I bent down and rifled through my backpack to find it before showing it to him. He roughly grabbed it from my hand and carefully examined it.
¡°It¡¯s fake,¡± he determined.
Before I was able to say anything in my defense, he bent my ID and snapped it in half.
¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± I exclaimed.
¡°Your ID is fake, so I¡¯m confiscating it. Leave before campus security makes you leave.¡±
¡°Give me back my ID!¡±
The man ignored me. He walked away while I tried desperately to get his attention. When he got to the front of the room, he looked back at me and sneered before dropping the remains of the ID into a garbage can.
I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere with this asshole. I stood and shouldered my backpack. I stuffed the mechanical pencils into one pocket and turned toward the exit. Silent rage-filled tears streamed down my face as I carefully walked up the steps and out of the room. Several classmates entering as I left gave me confused looks, but I knew I was in no shape to say anything¡ªthat would just give the asshole his satisfaction.
Once outside, I sat on one of the steps leading to the front door of the building. I put my head down and screamed into my hands. Most of the students gave me a wide berth while I screamed and cried. Just as I was beginning to exhaust my shits-to-give, a woman came over. I recognized her as Kate from the one of my classes.
¡°Are you hurt?¡± she asked.
¡°N-no,¡± I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.
¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I choked out.
Kate sat next to me. She didn¡¯t say anything more but just kept me company until I felt calm enough to fish my phone from my backpack. I was mad¡ªvery mad¡ªbut I was determined to channel that rage productively. I considered who to call and eventually decided on Mom as Dad would have a harder time answering than she would. I stood up and walked away from the building for some privacy.
¡°Hey, Eddy,¡± Mom said when she picked up. ¡°Do you need something?¡±
I explained what had occurred. Mom was pissed. So pissed that she couldn¡¯t make a coherent sentence for several seconds. Eventually she had worked through it and came up with a plan.
¡°I¡¯m going to call Grandpa Joe,¡± she said. ¡°You need to see the Dean or whoever¡¯s in charge immediately. He will help you and support you. This whole situation is complete bullshit¡ªif you¡¯ll excuse my French. Make sure you¡¯ve got your phone on so you two can meet up. I¡¯d come myself, but work¡¯s too much right now.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said, hanging up after we said our goodbyes.
I ended up pacing back and forth for nearly an hour¡ªanxiety having replaced my anger. Finally, my phone buzzed when Grandpa Joe called to ask where I was. We agreed to meet outside the admin building.
By virtue of where I had gone to take the test, I had a farther walk to the admin building than Grandpa Joe. He waved as soon as he saw me. He was well dressed and carried himself with purpose.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°Hey Eddy,¡± he said, giving me a hug. ¡°Mom told me what happened, but I want to hear it from you.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said, recounting the story again.
¡°I see,¡± he replied, thoughtfully stroking the stubble on his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s go find the Dean.¡±
I followed Grandpa Joe into the admin building. After consulting the directory, we took the elevator up one floor. As we walked down the hallway towards the Dean¡¯s office, Grandpa Joe spoke to me.
¡°You did nothing wrong,¡± he said. ¡°It might take some time to get sorted, but you¡¯ve got the truth on your side.¡±
¡°And you, too,¡± I cracked a smile.
¡°And me,¡± he agreed.
We arrived at our destination. The office was more than just a door into a private office. There was an open space with two occupied desks in front of the a door to the Dean¡¯s private office. The eyes of the two workers locked onto Grandpa Joe as we entered. I followed him to the closest desk. The man behind it addressed Grandpa Joe.
¡°How can I help you?¡± he said in the most generic bored cashier style.
¡°My grandson here,¡± Grandpa said, waving his arm in my direction, ¡°was attempting to take an exam today when the proctor denied him access to the classroom, thus denying him the ability to take his exam.¡±
The man looked at me with a critical eye.
¡°May I see his ID?¡±
¡°The proctor snapped it and threw it away.¡±
I could see the flash of annoyance on the man¡¯s face before it went away. He questioned me of my name, birth date, address, etc and verified that they matched my profile¡ªand that my face matched the picture¡ªin the school¡¯s system.
¡°Alright,¡± he concluded, ¡°I see you are who you say you are. I will pass this along to the Dean. He will have to do some investigating, but expect him to reach out by the end of this week.¡±
Grandpa Joe pressed the man for assurances that the Dean would address it as soon as possible because the exam was worth a significant portion of my overall grade for the class. The man swore that he would and so the both of us left the office.
Friday morning, Grandpa Joe and I were back at the admin building. Thursday evening, I had received an email back from the Dean¡¯s office¡ªafter bothering them for an update, of course¡ªthat I was to meet the Dean the following morning. We took the elevator up and walked down the hall to the office. The man we had lodged our complaint with recognized the two of us and ushered us through the door.
The office was well decorated. There was a leather couch on our right as we entered as well as two chairs to our left. A trio of paintings hung on the walls while large windows let light in behind a solid wooden desk where the Dean sat waiting. The Dean was an older, tall man with a thick white beard. He wore glasses and a navy suit.
¡°Welcome,¡± he said. ¡°Sit, sit.¡±
When we did, he continued.
¡°I want to apologize on behalf of the school for what happened the other day. It took some time to verify your story. I have spoken with your professor and she gave me a copy of the exam you were supposed to take. If you are prepared, you can take the exam here today. Or, if that doesn¡¯t work, we can schedule a time that would be better.¡±
¡°Um¡ I¡¯m ready now,¡± I said after collecting my thoughts.
¡°Very good,¡± he said, clapping his hands together.
The Dean led me out of the room and into an office across the hall. Inside was an empty desk. He made sure I had everything I needed for the exam before setting a timer and letting me start.
The exam itself was rather easy. I had studied more than enough, and most of what I needed to do was to write a couple short essays and answer some reading comprehension questions. Writing was overall slower than answering a bunch of multiple choice questions, so I ended up using most of the allotted time.
When I was done, I stood up and walked the exam back across the hall to the Dean and handed it to him. We all sat down while the Dean read through my exam for about five minutes. He placed it on the desk in front of him and looked up at me.
¡°That was some mighty fine work there, young man,¡± he said. ¡°How old are you again?¡±
¡°Five.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re the one from the news story a while ago! You write better than most of the students we have. Why did you choose to go to community college when any university would welcome you?¡±
¡°A few reasons,¡± Grandpa Joe said. ¡°The first is that he needed something close by that he can get to and from with working parents. The second is that no university knows he exists. He hasn¡¯t taken any of the exams they look at, so a couple of years in community college would sort that out. Finally, it comes down to money. His parents barely have enough to get by, so without some kind of scholarship, it¡¯s practically impossible.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± the Dean said thoughtfully. ¡°I might be able to help with the second and third issues. A friend of mine is a department chair at one of the best schools in the country. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±
Grandpa Joe and the Dean talked some more about the details. I could have listened, but my mind was drained after taking the exam. I closed my eyes and almost dozed off while I waited. Finally, I felt Grandpa Joe shake my shoulder.
¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± he said.
I stood up and held his hand. We walked towards the door and out into the hallway.
¡°It was good to meet you,¡± the Dean said as we left.
I nodded and waved back to the Dean before disappearing down the hall with Grandpa Joe.
¡°I need a new ID,¡± I said when we got to the elevator.
Grandpa nodded.
The office where I¡¯d gotten my ID a couple months earlier looked much the same except there was only one person behind the counter. As the current week was primarily exams, this was the prime time for people to take off if they could.
¡°Can I help you?¡± the man behind the desk asked.
¡°I need a new ID,¡± I said.
He looked me over. I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes.
¡°What happened to the old one?¡±
I explained the situation. He picked up the phone on his desk and confirmed my story with the Dean¡¯s office before he busied himself creating my new ID. It took a handful of minutes, but eventually, I had a¡ªslightly warm¡ªshiny new ID that I put in my backpack¡¯s front pocket where the old one used to be.
I thanked the man for his help and left with Grandpa Joe. He dropped me off at Dad¡¯s house once he confirmed Dad was there to watch me. I gave him a big hug when he left.
That night, I checked my email before going to bed. I saw that I had an email from a professor I had never met before¡ªor so I thought until I opened it. The email was a written apology from the proctor¡ªKevin Brown¡ªexpressing just how sorry he was and how it wouldn¡¯t happen again and so on. I stopped reading halfway through and deleted the non-apology apology email.
Fucking Kevins.
Chapter 27
I was glad that I had a weekend to relax after the sheer stupidity I had dealt with during the week. Without any homework to do¡ªfor school at least, there were still quests¡ªI had more time to devote towards completing the blanket.
I had decided on a patchwork style with a winter theme so Elizabeth had assisted me in measuring and cutting all of the squares. I laid out the pattern on the floor and picked the squares up row-wise so that I would be able to continue the pattern without having everything laid out the whole time. Since then, I had been carefully stitching square after square together to form those rows.
I used the same techniques I had learned from Elizabeth to measure, mark, and then sew the seams. There were a few times where I had to pick a seam apart and redo it; but with consistent practice, this happened less and less. I made sure to use a strong stitch even though that took longer to do by hand¡ªI wanted the blanket to last a long time!
Over the weekend, I was able to complete another two rows before I had a thought. With it being early October, I considered making a simple costume for Halloween. I didn¡¯t have a good idea, so I started by going downstairs.
¡°Mom?¡± I began when I located her in the kitchen.
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°I was thinking of making a Halloween costume, but I don¡¯t have any good ideas. It¡¯ll have to be simple enough that I can do it myself.¡±
¡°You could always do a ghost with a bed sheet or maybe a cowboy? I think you have some boots somewhere and the rest of the costume we could get at a thrift store.¡±
¡°Maybe. I¡¯ll see what Dad comes up with before I decide. Those are good ideas though!¡±
Mom nodded.
I chatted with her for several more minutes before I excused myself and went back up to my room to work on the blanket and my quests.
Sunday evening, when I was back at Dad¡¯s, I asked him the same question I¡¯d asked Mom.
¡°How about a jellyfish or a rainy day?¡±
I laughed as I thought about them.
¡°Maybe,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it some thought before I decide.¡±
To do just that, I went up to my room. I used my laptop to consider my costume options but ended up getting distracted by an email from school. My exam results were up!
After signing in, I checked my classes one by one. The results were¡ good. Aside from the chemistry lab¡ªwhich didn¡¯t have an exam¡ªall of the results were at least in the B range and all but two were As.
Of course, instead of going back to my project of figuring out a good costume idea, I went straight into checking on how my writing income was doing¡ªpoorly¡ªas well as reading some of the not-so-nice-comments. They put me in a mood that only copious amounts of cat videos could fix.
Eventually¡ªin spite of my proclivity for procrastination¡ªI returned to the task at hand. I spent at least an hour looking at all types of costumes ranging from the incredibly simple¡ªa cardboard box¡ªto intricate cosplay. I was looking for something in between and ended up picking a box of popcorn.
The overall build didn¡¯t look too hard¡ªmostly cardboard with some paint and puffy colored balls. I shot off an email to Mom to hold onto some of her cardboard boxes for me as well as a link to the costume idea. With that done, I went to bed for the night.
The next day¡ªafter school¡ªI went to the sewing meetup with Dad. Mom met us there to drop off the cardboard for me. Instead of working on the blanket, I chose to work on the costume. As soon as I entered the room, Elizabeth came over.
¡°What did you bring?¡± she wondered aloud.
¡°I¡¯m going to make my Halloween costume,¡± I said.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to be a box of popcorn!¡±
¡°How cute! Do you need any help?¡±
¡°Mm-hmm,¡± I nodded.
Elizabeth and I laid out the cardboard and she helped me measure just how big each cardboard section needed to be. I cut them out while she warmed up the glue gun¡ªI wasn¡¯t allowed to use it, which was rather frustrating.
We worked alternating between gluing and fitting everything together around my body. Elizabeth left a seam in the back where she glued Velcro on both sides to seal the gap when the costume was on me.
When the general shape of the container was completed, I added straps to go over my shoulders that would hold the weight of everything. The final thing to add was an upper and lower section to help keep the costume rigid as well as to give me a place to attach all of the ¡®popcorn¡¯ around the top. At the end of the evening, I brought home the unfinished costume. All it needed was the popcorn and a coat of paint.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Over the next week, I gave the costume several coats of paint. That included a label of ¡®Popcorn¡¯ on the front. Keeping the lines straight was an exercise in patience¡ªmy coordination was still not amazing yet. Dad helped me with painter¡¯s tape to get the lines just so.
When I got to Mom¡¯s, I used some of the money I¡¯d gained from writing to buy the rest of the supplies from a local craft store. Mom helped me hot-glue the popcorn balls to the top of the costume. For the final touch, I repurposed an old hat of mine by hot-gluing more balls to it. With that, the costume was complete. For all of the effort I put in, I gained a decent amount of experience¡ª125 total¡ªbetween Crafting Experience and Economic Experience.
While I still had absolutely no clue how the amount of experience was calculated, it seemed to be more the larger the project and the more effort I put in¡ªto a point. I guessed that the experience was capped in some way by the size of the project moreso than the quality of the finished product.
¡°Can you put the whole costume on?¡± she asked. ¡°I want to make sure the balls won¡¯t bother you.¡±
I struggled to put it on but managed with her help.
¡°Oh my, you look so cute!¡± she exclaimed.
Mom pulled out her phone and took several pictures from every angle.
¡°How does it feel?¡± she asked while taking the pictures.
¡°Um, not bad,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe a bit itchy against my neck.¡±
¡°Ok. Maybe put on a turtleneck or a light scarf or something? That might help to keep the itching down.¡±
¡°That could work. Do you have a scarf I could use?¡±
Mom said that she did and returned a couple minutes later with one. I carefully wrapped it around my neck and tucked it into the costume. Although warm, it was enough to block any itch from forming.
¡°Thanks, Mom. That works.¡±
¡°Great!¡±
She helped me out of the costume then showed me the pictures. I didn¡¯t much care¡ªI actually disliked taking pictures in general¡ªbut knew it was much easier to just go with the flow most of the time and put my foot down when needed.
Finally, it was Halloween. I decided to wear the costume to school for the laughs because it was a school day. Grandpa Joe was the one to pick me up and drive me to school that day.
¡°Lookin¡¯ good,¡± he said when I hopped into his car for the ride over.
¡°Thanks,¡± I smiled.
¡°Looks like you worked hard on it¡ª¡°
I nodded.
¡°¡ªso just be careful not to ruin it while in class. I know you wouldn¡¯t want all your hard work to be ruined before you get to trick-or-treat later.¡±
I nodded again.
¡°Are you looking forward to that?¡±
¡°Definitely!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°I haven¡¯t done this in forever and it¡¯s a lot more fun to do as a kid than it is as an adult!¡±
¡°True,¡± Grandpa Joe chuckled.
He waved goodbye when we arrived at school. I waved back and made my way to my first class. The looks I got on my journey were awesome. Several people did double-takes while others just stared for a long time. I got a few people who came up to me and told me my costume looked awesome.
Each class that day went about the same. In one of them, the professor commented on how much of a distraction my attire was¡ªoops¡ªbut also said it was creative¡ªhooray. I did get a couple of picture requests along the way¡ªand many more pictures taken without asking¡ those people could burn in hell for all I cared.
When my classes were done for the day, Dad came and picked me up. Mom still had to work so it made actually trick-or-treating with her difficult. He was delighted to see me in the costume. We went home and had dinner before it was finally time to go out.
Dad gave me a pillowcase to collect the candy in and a couple of glow sticks to make bracelets from. Then we were off.
| A Night of Treats
Gather candy from houses
Success: Experience gained based on the amount of candy obtained
Failure: N/A
Expires: 5 hours, 22 minutes, 1 second |
I was surprised to see the quest appear. I happily accepted it and followed Dad up the driveway to another house. The light was on but no one was home. Instead, there was a bowl and a sign saying to take a couple¡ªso I did just that. Given the quest I had, I took more like a handful¡ªsomething I normally would not have done¡ªthen it was on to the next.
The sun was still up but it was cloudy and so felt more like dusk than daytime. The quest cut out at midnight but I would be in bed long before then. Realistically, I had about two hours before my feet would be screaming. I chose to go left at the end of the driveway towards the center of town. The home density that way was higher and my legs were short¡ªthere was only so far I was going to be able to walk before I was done. I wanted to get as much experience from the quest as I could, something I explained to Dad as we walked.
I was excited¡ªI loved Halloween¡ªbut also nervous because of the quest. The next house had a porch light on and a bunch of decorations in the yard. I walked up the driveway and carefully hopped from stone to stone on the path from the driveway to the door. A spooky cat meowed loudly as I approached the door. It wasn¡¯t a real one but it did make me jump.
¡°Trick or treat!¡± I said when the door opened.
¡°My, don¡¯t you look good! Popcorn!¡±
The man laughed and dropped a piece of candy into my pillowcase.
¡°Have another one for such a good costume!¡±
He dropped a second, larger candy bar into the pillowcase.
¡°Thank you!¡± I said before making my way carefully to the street.
I visited house after house. I only went for the ones that looked like they were participating in the holiday. There were some epic ones that had whole graveyards with fog machines and the whole nine yards. Others simply had their porch light on. I visited all of them.
Two blocks away from Dad¡¯s house, I crossed and took the side road up a hill. The hill was steep and flanked on both sides by houses. There was a lot of trick-or-treaters moving up and down the hill and going from house to house. I slipped in with one of the groups, which made getting candy easier as I no longer had to wait for the adults to come to the door after knocking or ringing the bell.
At the top of the hill, I walked along the street the side road ended on before going back down the hill at the next road. By the time I got to the bottom, I was exhausted and ready to call it quits. Because of the quest, I pushed on to hit the rest of the houses that I had skipped over because they were on the opposite side of the street from Dad¡¯s house.
Finally, we arrived home. Dad helped me out of my costume.
¡°Wow,¡± he said, hefting the bag with one hand. ¡°Not a bad haul.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I yawned.
¡°Maybe next year we can ride around in the car later in the night to get whatever¡¯s left out,¡± he said, ¡°But this year I think you¡¯re just a bit too tired to hang on.¡±
¡°Mmm,¡± I agreed, my eyes already closing.
Dad carried me up to my room and tucked me in for the night.
Chapter 28
I awoke the following morning to find that the quest reward had been 102 experience. This brought my total available experience to 43,746. Between the costume and the quest, that was an entire day¡¯s worth of experience as a bonus, so I felt satisfied. In the back of my mind, I wondered just how much more I could have gotten if I¡¯d driven around with Dad to scrounge up all of the leftover candy. As it stood¡ªthough I didn¡¯t know the correlation between amount I received and the experience gained¡ªI ended up with a little over five pounds of the sweet stuff.
I also realized upon waking up¡ªand collecting my thoughts¡ªthat I had a money problem. Not in the short-term¡ªthe crypto proceeds from Grandpa Joe would last a while¡ªbut in the long term. The income from writing was paltry and I doubted it would get much better than allowance levels. Now, I wasn¡¯t going to stop trying to get the word out, but I couldn¡¯t rely on that to cover my expenses. What I needed was a better way of earning money.
Dad suggested I rake leaves and mow lawns when I asked him over breakfast. He said I could borrow his tools for the jobs, but that I also had to reimburse him for gas and stuff on the mower if I decided to go that route.
While at school during the day, I considered those and came up with another one that had slipped my mind. Building up to it would take time, but I could get deals to write stories for people. I knew most of those stories would be adult themed¡ªa whole can of worms I wanted to avoid given my present¡ circumstances¡ªbut the ones that weren¡¯t might be worth the squeeze.
I was able to find some groups online that catered to buying and selling the written word and sent out feelers there using my other writing efforts to snag some potential clients. I didn¡¯t expect to hear anything, so instead I asked Dad in the evening to see if the landlord needed help raking their yard or if they knew anyone else who did.
It was the following morning when I got replies to both efforts. The landlord didn¡¯t need help, as they hired a company to do it, but they did know a couple of neighbors who could use the help. I made note of them for later in the day. I had a couple replies in the online group. One was promising but the other was a furry who didn¡¯t read the part where I wasn¡¯t going to do anything adult-oriented. I shot a message to the promising one.
After getting dressed and having breakfast with Dad, I grabbed the rake from under the back porch and let Dad know I was going to see if I could rake the neighbors¡¯ yards for some cash.
¡°Let me come with you,¡± he said, groaning as he rose to his feet.
I waited for him to get his coat on before we marched up the driveway. The houses in question were the first two houses when turning right out of the driveway and onto the sidewalk. We stopped outside the fence of the first house.
The house was an old Victorian painted pale blue. The yard in front of the house was leaf-strewn but not overly large¡ªmaybe a tenth of an acre. A wrought-iron fence separated the street from the lawn. There was a gate at the center with a flagstone path running to a porch that wrapped around the front of the house.
¡°Do you need me to go with you to the door?¡± he asked.
¡°I got this,¡± I said nervously.
¡°I¡¯ll watch from here, then.¡±
I opened the fence and walked to the door. I searched around for the doorbell and eventually found it slightly hidden off to the left of the door frame. I rang it and waited¡ and waited¡ and¡ª
¡°Hello?¡± an older man asked upon opening the door.
He saw me with the rake and smiled. He looked up behind me and then back down to me.
¡°Oh! You want to rake my yard?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes,¡± I nodded.
¡°Great! I see your old man is teaching you the value of hard work! Tell you what, I can give you¡ª¡°
He rifled through his wallet and counted what he had.
¡°¡ªfifty bucks if you will rake the front yard into my compost pile on the side.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± I said.
¡°Here, let me show you where the compost pile is.¡±
I followed the man down his front steps and across the front of his house to the side. The side area was littered with leaves and some twigs from a storm that had rolled through a few days earlier. At the far end was a section with several piles of leaves and grass clippings. The man pointed to it.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°If you can put all of the leaves on the left side by the fence, that would be perfect.¡±
¡°Covering the pile with the grass clippings?¡± I asked.
¡°That¡¯s the one!¡± he laughed and walked back into his house.
I walked to the corner of the front yard that was farthest from the compost pile. Before I began, I let Dad know what the deal was and he walked away to let me begin.
The leaves were still damp from the storm and the yard hadn¡¯t been touched all season. I struggled to loosen up and liberate the leaves from where they were stuck between the tufts of grass. That the grass was a bit long certainly didn¡¯t help¡ªit kept getting caught on the rake¡¯s tines and I had to clear them with my foot fairly often.
From the corner of the yard where I started, I went back and forth diagonally in lines, pushing the heavy mass of leaves forward and cleaning up behind as I went. Each trip up and down the line of leaves took longer and longer as both the amount of leaves and the distance I had to cover increased.
At some point, the width evened out and then began to shrink. When that happened, I ended up with two sides of the line of leaves that were growing more than the center. It was around that time that I ended up moving portions of the pile all the way to the compost pile that the old man had indicated before going back and moving the much-reduced leaf piles at a quicker pace.
I was exhausted by the end. It had taken me almost two hours to do the work. My arms felt like lead and shook from the effort. I climbed the stairs and rang the doorbell. The old man came out and walked the yard with me. Then we went back to the foot of the stairs.
¡°You did a great job, young man!¡± he said, putting a few bills into my hand. ¡°With work like that, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have plenty of people wanting your help!¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said, stuffing the money into my pocket after counting it.
I waved bye to the old man and exited the property through the front gate. I walked home slowly not because I didn¡¯t want to be home¡ªI did¡ªbut because that¡¯s just how tired I was. I placed the rake in its place under the back porch before climbing the back stairs to the porch slowly.
I found Dad sitting at the small table in the hallway. I plopped down on one of the chairs.
¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± he asked.
¡°Good,¡± I said, flashing the cash. ¡°Tired.¡±
¡°I bet!¡± Dad laughed before schooling his face to be more serious. ¡°Just so you know, I won¡¯t be able to afford this place on my own so I¡¯m going to have to move out when the lease is up in January. I¡¯m looking for a place now so I should hopefully have something soon.¡±
¡°Moving sucks,¡± I commiserated.
He glared at me for my word choice but said nothing about it before he continued.
¡°I let the landlord know this morning. I¡¯ll need your help packing and cleaning over the next month. As for moving, I¡¯ve got a couple friends that would probably help for a six-pack and some pizza.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said.
This wasn¡¯t unexpected. I remembered moving out of the house at the same time, but it was to move in with his then girlfriend¡ªand later my stepmother. This time around, he hadn¡¯t met her through my existence¡¯s interference. Those sorts of butterfly effects were something I had understood would happen¡ªin passing at least¡ªbut I had not thought about what changes I would be making with every choice. While resetting the time line would¡ªin a sense¡ªfix any mistakes I¡¯d make along the way. I¡¯d need to be more careful in the future.
Over the next several weeks, I helped Dad pack when I was with him. Alongside that, I made some good progress on the blanket¡ªeven though I had even less time with the whole moving thing. By the time it was early December, I was ready for Elizabeth to help me complete the blanket.
¡°Elizabeth,¡± I said when I arrived at the meetup with Mom.
¡°Oh, hello Eddy,¡± she said.
¡°I¡¯m done stitching all the rows and even the border. What do I do now?¡±
Elizabeth helped me lay out all of the completed parts.
¡°Now is the most fun part!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to stitch all around the outside and then secure the batting in the middle by stitching patterns¡ªquilting¡ªor by tying string at various locations.¡±
After all the stitching I had done to get the thing together, I strongly considered making the knots. Before I decided, I needed to do as she said and secure the back to the front with the batting in the middle.
I was thankful that the batting I had chosen was on the thinner side. This made it easy enough to position between the bottom¡ªwhich wrapped over the edge to form a small border around the top¡ªand the top. Elizabeth and I pinned the stack together. It was tricky to do because of the way the bottom and top joined together. Eventually, we got the seam ready for stitching and I started on it.
That seam took an entire week to complete. By the time the next meetup took place, I was putting the final few stitches on. Part of what took so long was my insistence on making the seam as strong as I could. I wanted the blanket to last until I returned.
The final step was to decide how I wanted to secure the center. I was just done with stitching so I opted with the tying option Elizabeth suggested. I chose a thick silvery thread and punctured the blanket every second or third junction where four patches came together. I staggered them with each row of ties so that the ties made a diagonal pattern to contrast the vertical and horizontal lines of the patches.
By the end of the meetup, I was done. I looked the blanket over one last time before folding it. It was full-sized with two-inch square patches sewn into a pixelated wintry scene. The silvery ties looked like icicles dangling from the blanket. Around the edge was a pale yellow that was¡ªin turn¡ªringed in a dark blue strip where the back met the front. I smiled. I felt proud of what I had created.
| Crafting Experience: Wintry Blanket
Exp Gained: 481 |
¡°You did a wonderful job!¡± Elizabeth gushed when she saw the final product.
We showed Mom and the two women folded it for me and chatted together. I yawned. It was time to go home.
Chapter 29
When everything was packed away at Dad¡¯s as much as could be done before actually moving, I used the extra time to rake a few more yards. I couldn¡¯t do too much with finals coming soon, but a few yards over a weekend was doable. I also was able to finish three writing commissions¡ªthe first one had such a glowing review that two more followed shortly after. All the work I¡¯d done netted me two more milestones.
| Milestone: Earned $100
Exp Gained: 4 |
| Milestone: Earned $1,000
Exp Gained: 8 |
Milestones barely counted for anything anymore when compared with all of the other experience I gained from quests or other activities. Even the experience from Economic Experience exceeded that of the milestones for the same amount of money I earned! I was glad that I¡¯d settled on the plan to sacrifice the Milestone chain to get to Achievements¡ªif I was able to find a way to afford that one, of course. That one was expensive.
With the weather changing, many of the outside activities I¡¯d been doing became more difficult. There was no more green knotweed¡ªit had gone dormant for the winter¡ªand what remained of the previous year¡¯s shoots were unusable. What was left from this year was in an in-between state¡ªnot quite dry and hard but also not quite living. I¡¯d tried to make things from this type of knotweed and it hadn¡¯t gone well.
Since all of my usual sources of Harvesting Experience were gone, I needed to rely more on making things¡ªwhen I had the time, of course. I postponed the next sewing project¡ªwhich included learning how to operate a sewing machine¡ªuntil after my finals were over. Although I wasn¡¯t due the experience for a few years, getting the best grades I could was my top priority.
The week before exams, I put everything else aside. All my focus went towards studying for each and every test I would have to take. The chemistry lab didn¡¯t have any final and my grade in it was good. For the rest of the classes, most were in line for an A¡ªthe material wasn¡¯t difficult and homework helped a lot¡ªbut there were two that had a chance of a B if the final went a little wrong. Those were the two I put the most effort towards.
Unlike the midterms, the finals were more spread out¡ªtaking place over a week-and-a-half. Even with a day or two off between some exams¡ªthough there were a couple days with two each¡ªI kept my eyes on the prize. Thankfully, this time were no issues getting refused entry into any of the tests.
I was nervous after finishing all of the finals. I was pretty sure I¡¯d done well¡ªI was pretty good at estimating my score on exams¡ªbut there was always that little voice in the back of my head that whispered doubts into my ears. I did my best to ignore them. Thankfully, I only had to wait three days before the scores posted to my student account.
My heart pounded when I clicked the link. I closed my eyes as it loaded then carefully cracked one eye. Immediately, the nerves fell away. Though not everything was an A¡ªthere were three A-minuses¡ªI was satisfied with the results of my work that semester. I went downstairs to where Mom was making pancakes.
¡°Mom!¡± I said excitedly.
¡°Yes, pumpkin?¡±
¡°Grades posted,¡± I smiled.
¡°Oh?¡± she cocked an eyebrow. ¡°How¡¯d you do?¡±
¡°Great!¡±
I showed Mom the results. Her face lit up in a smile.
¡°We have to celebrate!¡± she said.
¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom,¡± I tried to say.
¡°Nonsense! You did well in school and that should be rewarded. I know it¡¯s awkward with you being an adult in a way, but you¡¯re still my son so let me be a proud mother.¡±
¡°Sure, Mom, thanks.¡±
Mom offered me some pancakes and we sat down to eat together.
¡°So what do you think about going to the arcade?¡± she asked.
I thought about it. I didn¡¯t have any particular plans for the day outside of the usual¡ªcompleting quests¡ªso I decided to agree.
We ate and chatted. When we were done, I went upstairs to get ready while Mom cleaned up our plates¡ªshe was already dressed and ready to go. I climbed into Mom¡¯s car and she drove me to the arcade. It was in the next town. Even so, the trip was quick.
The arcade was a combination arcade, bowling alley, miniature golf, and go-karts. The facility was large¡ªwith a big building housing the arcade and the bowling alley and a larger outside area where the other two activities were. The outside was closed for the season. In spite of that, the place was swarming with families.
We parked and I followed Mom inside. The inside was dimly lit with flashing lights and many sounds ringing and clanging from all over. We went to one of the ticketing machines and Mom loaded a card with fifty dollars and handed it to me.
¡°See what you can get with this,¡± she said.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°What about you?¡± I asked.
¡°I got my own,¡± she said, showing it to me. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with you. Maybe when we¡¯re done we can get lunch and bowl?¡±
¡°Why not,¡± I shrugged.
I wandered around¡ªwith Mom in tow¡ªuntil I came across a game I remembered being decent at. It was based on the classic Frogger with a mobile games twist. It took two tries¡ªwith Mom doing one in the middle because she ¡®used to play this all the time¡¯¡ªbut I was able to beat the high score and snag the ticket jackpot.
We went from game to game. Most of them were ones that I picked but some of them were Mom¡¯s choice because they were multiplayer and she figured she¡¯d be able to beat me on them. She was wrong most of the time. Even though my coordination still wasn¡¯t quite as good as hers, I had been playing video games for a long time. Add to that the faster reactions from being a child and I had a distinct advantage in anything that didn¡¯t require strength. She won the basketball and skee ball matches.
It took almost two hours to use up the money on both cards¡ªI was picky about what games to play since I wanted the best return¡ªbut eventually, we had an absolute ton of virtual tickets stored on the cards. I followed Mom to the prize station and looked around.
The prize center had everything from game consoles behind the counter to humongous teddy bears hanging from the walls. There were a plethora of smaller prizes as well. The first thing we did was to combine all of the tickets together onto one card and see what the largest prize obtainable was. With a little over 5,000 tickets, I got one of the teddy bears from the wall and some candy with the rest.
Mom insisted I put the bear into the car before we went to eat and bowl. I thought putting the bear on a stool like it was another person would be hilarious, but I was out voted¡ªher votes counted twice.
Lunch was a hamburger and fries. We ate in a booth over by the bowling alley. When we finished, we got an open lane and rented bowling shoes. I put mine on and looked for a ball that I could use. While Mom waited for me, she got the lane set up with both of our names.
¡°Do you want guardrails?¡± she asked.
¡°No thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I think I can do without.¡±
¡°Alright. I¡¯m up first.¡±
Mom stood and bowled her ball¡ªa lime green one¡ªat the pins. She knocked most of them over before waiting for her ball to come back and the fallen pins to be swept away. Her second attempt secured a spare. Then it was my turn.
I had a feeling that bowling would be a challenge for me. The primary issue was the weight of the ball. Even the lightest one was a good fifteen percent of my body-weight. So as to not get knocked off balance rolling it, I used both hands to swing it between my legs and down the lane. The results were¡ poor. Although I didn¡¯t gutter it, I hadn¡¯t done much better. Just a single pin. The follow-up was better but not stellar¡ªfive more.
The rest of the game wasn¡¯t much better for me. I ended up with 63 points while Mom had 148. I didn¡¯t just lose. I was destroyed. Not that I had expected anything less. It was a physical game that required strength and coordination. I was doomed from the beginning.
After a second game¡ªwhich I also lost by an embarrassing amount¡ªwe went home. I got to snuggle with the teddy bear that was bigger than me the entire ride home, so that was a plus. It kept me warm, too, as even though winter was not officially the season yet, it was already cold with the nights dipping into the teens sometimes and the days hovering not much above freezing.
Now that finals were done, I had plenty of time to work on projects through the end of the year. The most important upcoming event before that was Christmas¡ªand my birthday. Six wasn¡¯t a big milestone or anything, but that was when the countdown ticked over from fourteen years to thirteen and change.
In the week-and-a-half before Christmas, I was able to do more commissions now that I had the time to focus on them. The experience I got from them was enough to offset the reduction due to not having classes every day anymore as well as the lost Crafting Experience and Harvesting Experience from the time of year.
Because my parents were separated, I had two Christmases on the same day. I started where I was¡ªat Mom¡¯s. That morning, I checked the stocking Mom had hung on the outside of my bedroom door overnight. There were a handful of small gifts that were mostly food. I contented myself with eating them while I waited for Mom to wake up. When she did, I followed her downstairs.
In the living room that adjoined the kitchen was a large faux Christmas tree. It was decorated with colored lights and ornaments. Beneath the tree were a small number of presents.
¡°Go on and open them,¡± Mom said.
I didn¡¯t need to be told twice! I tore into the wrapping around each gift. Most of the gifts were clothes and workbooks. The only one that wasn¡¯t was a small package that contained a single silver dollar. I looked up at Mom.
¡°I didn¡¯t know what to get you,¡± she shrugged.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said, rising and giving her a hug.
¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±
After opening gifts, we had breakfast together then it was time to go to Dad¡¯s.
Dad¡¯s place was a mess with the upcoming move. Still, Dad put a candle into a cupcake and Mom stuck around to sing Happy Birthday to me with Dad. When she left, Dad and I got into his truck and went to his parent¡¯s house for a second Christmas.
The house was decorated with wreaths, flowers, ribbons, and lights. Dad and I climbed the stairs to the front door. I rang the doorbell.
¡°Welcome! Welcome!¡± Grandma Rose said when she opened the door for us.
¡°Hi Ma,¡± Dad said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
I got a hug before going to explore. We weren¡¯t the first to arrive¡ªthat had been my uncle Ben with his newest girlfriend. I couldn¡¯t remember meeting her before¡ªbut that was likely on account of just how many women he¡¯d been with over the years. He was doing what I remembered him for: drinking. Didn¡¯t matter the occasion, they were all an excuse to get wasted.
In the living room, my grandparents had a real Christmas tree decorated with wooden and straw ornaments. Instead of the usual electric lights, the tree had many clip-on candles. I knew that was the traditional way, but it was also really dangerous. Why Grandma Rose insisted on doing it that way, I had no idea, but Grandpa Milton always kept a couple of buckets on hand in case anything got too far out of hand. Beneath the tree were many presents in all shapes, sizes, and colors of wrapping paper.
I ended up in the kitchen where Grandma Rose was finishing up Christmas dinner. Dad helped with the heavy things while I put out the silverware, napkins, and other such things. Grandpa Milton busied himself getting a fire going in the dining room¡¯s fireplace.
When the six of us sat to eat, the table was filled with trays of delicious food. Grandma Rose lit a couple candles and led us in saying grace. Then it was time to eat. I started with the deviled eggs. Some salad, carrots, ham, and mashed potatoes followed. In no time at all, I felt like a stuffed turkey.
After cleaning up from dinner, it was finally time to open gifts. Each person got to open a gift before the next person opened theirs. It went round in a circle until all gifts were opened. I didn¡¯t get anything special¡ªsome toys that six-year-old me would have loved but that my adult self would never use¡ªbut I pretended to be happy with them. There was no sense in making my grandparents sad. They didn¡¯t know my circumstances.
We had dessert and sang some carols before Dad and I excused ourselves and returned home. Moving day was only two days away and there were some last-minute preparations that needed doing.
Chapter 30
The next day, I sat down with Dad at the table in the hallway. We ate and chatted.
¡°I¡¯ll need your help today with taking apart some of the furniture for tomorrow,¡± Dad said. ¡°I talked with your mother and she said you helping with the move might trigger a quest or whatever. So you¡¯ll be here today and move with me tomorrow.¡±
I nodded. Figuring out what was a quest¡ªand what wasn¡¯t¡ªwas a craps shoot. It could be worth a decent amount of experience if it worked out or it could just be a waste of time. I had no idea going into it what the outcome would be.
The house felt both empty and full at the same time. The walls were bare and the curtains were packed away. The floor was stacked high with boxes. Dad had brought as many of them as he could onto the main floor by the front door. What didn¡¯t fit there spilled into other rooms on the first floor.
I took the morning to finish packing away the last of my things into a couple of boxes. I brought them carefully down the stairs and placed them with the rest of the boxes. Then in the afternoon, Dad wrangled me to help him disassemble some of the furniture.
The easiest ones were Dad¡¯s bed frame and several tables¡ªthe legs unscrewed from the top. The most time-consuming one was my dresser. Yes, it could be moved in one piece, but it was screwed together and easy to assemble so taking it apart to save on room was a good plan.
That night, we ate pizza on paper plates and used a couple boxes for chairs¡ªthe real chairs were wrapped and stacked for the morning.
¡°We¡¯re gonna be busy tomorrow,¡± Dad said, taking a bite of pizza.
¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed.
¡°My friends Justin and Steve are coming over to help out tomorrow. Don¡¯t know if you remember them or not¡ª¡°
I nodded.
¡°¡ªbut they¡¯ll take care of all of the heavy stuff before you and I drive to the new place. They¡¯ll follow and help unload, too.¡±
¡°When are you getting the truck?¡± I asked.
¡°In the morning when they get here.¡±
We talked more as we ate. When I was done, I tossed my plate into the garbage. I turned to go upstairs.
¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late,¡± Dad cautioned.
I blew him a kiss and went up to my room. I didn¡¯t need him to remind me that I was going to need my sleep. I went to sleep a couple hours later when I was done doing some quests on my laptop.
I woke with the first light of dawn¡ªthe lack of curtains a significant factor. I put on the same clothes I had worn the previous day and wandered downstairs to find Dad already sipping his coffee.
¡°Mornin¡¯¡± I yawned.
¡°Hey, kid,¡± he said.
¡°Breakfast?¡± I asked.
¡°Cold pizza¡¯s all that¡¯s left.¡±
I shrugged and walked down the stairs to the basement where the fridge was. I took the last slice of pizza and began to eat while walking back to where Dad was. I sat on a box next to him. The pizza was rather mid without a way to warm it.
Almost as soon as I finished my breakfast, Dad¡¯s two friends arrived. I said hi to both. They acted like I was meeting them for the first time¡ªeven if I remembered them and their kids from later in my past life. They rode in their work van behind Dad and I in Dad¡¯s truck to the truck rental place.
The lot had a handful of trucks of varying sizes. We parked in the customer lot and I sat in the car while Dad went in to handle the paperwork. Justin came and sat in the truck with me. He didn¡¯t say much but mostly kept an eye on me. I figured he was going to be the one to drive the pickup home while I rode with Dad in the big moving truck.
When Dad came out¡ªkeys in hand¡ªhe helped me down from the truck. The moving truck he¡¯d chosen was a medium-sized one. Dad had to lift me into the cab of it as the place to step up into it was at chest-level for me. The inside of the truck was much like Dad¡¯s pickup¡ªthere was a large bench seat with a stick-shift in the middle. Unlike dad¡¯s truck, the moving truck had a proper seat belt for me to wear.
¡°Buckle up,¡± Dad said when he jumped into his side of the truck.
I clicked the seat belt in place and he did the same. He turned the engine over. With a grinding gear¡ªand a curse¡ªwe were off. The truck was slow to get up to speed and I bounced against the seat belt with every bump and jolt. Without the seat belt, I might have received experience for being the youngest astronaut!Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The drive was a bumpy one because Dad was not used to driving a truck so large. He struggled to make the sharp turns on the smaller streets¡ªthe ride down the big hill and onto our street was especially precarious. He needed his friends¡¯ assistance to back the truck down the driveway. Once he parked, I hopped out and began helping to load the truck.
| Get a Move On
Help Milton Teller Jr move
Success: Experience gained based on the proportion of items moved
Failure: N/A
Expires: 14 hours, 32 minutes, 55 seconds |
I accepted the quest and let Dad know about it. I planned on helping anyway. Even so, I wasn¡¯t going to break my back lifting things I had no business lifting just for a handful more experience. I also didn¡¯t want to alert Justin or Steve that there was something strange going on with me.
Dad let me use a dolly to bring boxes out of the house and to the truck. From there, Justin or Steve would be waiting to bring them up the ramp and into the back of the truck. I started with the biggest boxes¡ªDad helping me to move them outside onto the dolly¡ªwhile Dad and his friends moved the furniture.
Most of the boxes were doable on my own with a bit of finagling, but there were a few that were heavy. Like ridiculously heavy. I guessed those were filled with books or similar items. Those ones I did not touch as I did not want to break any of their contents.
After two hours, we were done loading the truck. It was time to go. I got into the cab with Dad. Justin drove the van while Steve took Dad¡¯s pickup. Dad drove even slower now that the truck was filled and secured. We took a circuitous route out of town that minimized the steepness of the hill. It ended up still being a challenge for Dad to get going after a light turned green while he was at the top edge of the hill.
Dad¡¯s new place was in the same town as his parent¡¯s house. It was a large trailer home at the edge of town. He backed the truck in diagonally so he wouldn¡¯t block the gravel road that passed in front of the trailer.
The trailer was in a trailer park that had about fifty such trailers. Each section of the trailer park was connected with a gravel road to a central gravel road that¡ªin turn¡ªconnected to a paved main road. The trailer itself was in good shape and looked well maintained. A thin forest surrounded the trailer park and included space for small yards for each trailer. The same was true for Dad¡¯s trailer.
We began the process of moving but this time in reverse. Justin or Steve would help me bring the boxes down from the truck and I would put them on the dolly to move them up a shallower ramp and into the trailer. While that was happening, Dad and Steve or Justin would be moving the furniture into the correct room.
As we went, I noticed that Dad had more stuff than he would be able to keep in the trailer¡ªeven if it was a larger trailer. The plus side¡ªfor me at least¡ªwas that my room was actually large enough to house my bed and my dresser this time. It was downright spacious!
Break-time was called just after noon when the pizza arrived. The men cracked a beer each and ate a couple slices of pizza. They even tried offering me a can of my own, but I declined. Never was a fan of alcohol. I did, however, eat two slices of the pepperoni pizza before going back to what I had been doing. Dad and his friends chatted for a while longer before they joined me.
All in all, it took about two hours to unload everything and get them into the correct rooms of the trailer. Dad gave his friends a six-pack of beer each when they left¡ªand a hearty thanks. Once they left, the notification chime alerted me that the quest was complete.
| Get a Move On Complete
Reward: 48 Exp |
I smiled at the news.
¡°Why don¡¯t you unpack your room?¡± Dad suggested.
I shrugged and slowly trudged to my new room. The bookshelf, bed, night stand, and dresser were all placed in the room. I gave the room a critical eye before I went to get Dad.
¡°Yeah?¡± he said when I approached.
¡°Can you help me rearrange my room before I put things away?¡± I asked.
¡°Sure.¡±
Dad followed me into my room. We¡ªDad, really¡ªmoved the furniture around into a configuration that made more sense and which maximized the available usable space. When he left, I tore into the boxes. I placed the books where they belonged, plugged in the lamp, and organized the dresser with my clothes. I didn¡¯t yet have a fresh bed sheet¡ªwho knew where those ended up¡ªso I considered the room finished.
I wandered the trailer, helping Dad put away everything. It was a laborious task that took many hours and left me feeling wrung out. Though we didn¡¯t finish by dinner, we¡¯d completed enough that Dad was ok with calling it quits for the day. After dinner¡ªand after finding the bed sheets¡ªI lay down in my bed and worked on what mental quests I could until I was too tired to continue.
When I woke the next morning, I was confused by my surroundings. Not only were they unfamiliar¡ªDad had moved somewhere else originally¡ªbut it was also much darker out than it had any right to be at that point in the morning. I peeked through the curtains and saw that it was snowing. While we¡¯d gotten a dusting a week earlier, this was the first significant snowfall of the year that heralded a period of constant accumulation and large piles. I also smelled opportunity.
I remembered how much money I¡¯d been able to get from raking leaves. I wondered if shoveling driveways would net me some decent cash as well¡ªif Dad cleared it with the landlord, of course. I brought the idea to his attention and he told me he¡¯d ask. I figured that I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything for that snow fall, but maybe the next one if I were allowed to.
Instead of worrying about it, I got my snow gear on and went outside to play. One of the best things about being a child was just how light I was as compared to when I had been an adult. I could much more easily get on top of the deep snow and crawl through it instead of getting stuck like I would if I were bigger and heavier.
I was like an old band on its final tour playing all the hits¡ªI made snow angels, a snow man, and a snow fort from which to have a snowball fight. I even used a garbage can lid to sled down the shallow slope of the back yard. When I grew tired, I just lay on my back with my eyes closed and my mouth open. The snow gently fell on my face and melted on my tongue. I was happy.
Chapter 31
When the snow stopped later in the day, Dad dropped me off at Mom¡¯s. Part of the deal for the extra couple of days was that Mom would get me over New Year¡¯s. I wasn¡¯t sure why they cared so much about splitting the time perfectly, but I imagined it had something to do with the ongoing divorce between them. I was doing my best to ignore everything that was going on with that¡ªand I¡¯d been pretty successful thus far.
My parents¡ªat this point in their lives¡ªdidn¡¯t have much to fight over and the whole custody thing was a bit of a moot point given the whole time travel thing. I was hopeful that the process would be more smooth this time around. At the same time, that the two were rigidly sticking to the 50/50 agreement filled me with some doubts that I chose to bottle up. That was the easier thing to do.
They had their lives and I¡¯d reset it all again at some point in the future, so I found it hard to care. They were my parents but not the same ones that I¡¯d take into the apocalypse with me. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. I decided that I would much rather focus on the present¡ªfor the time being. That meant baking cookies with Mom.
¡°Can you measure out the oil?¡± Mom asked while she hunted for the mixer.
¡°Sure,¡± I agreed.
I found a measuring cup in a drawer. The oil I took from the pantry cabinet. I carefully poured the amount the boxed cookie mix called for into the measuring cup. I also retrieved the egg and cracked it into a ramekin.
Mom placed a bowl on the kitchen table and plugged in the mixer. Following the instructions on the side of the package, she dumped in the dry mix while I dumped in the rest of the ingredients. She started with the mixer before handing it to me. It was hard to hold and jumped around like an unbroken horse. Batter splattered the sides of the bowl and threatened to make a bigger mess. Thankfully, Mom stepped in and grabbed the mixer from me before that happened.
¡°Sorry, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°It got away from me there.¡±
¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty strong and you¡¯re still so little.¡±
I gave her a flat look.
¡°Ok, ok, you¡¯re not that little, but you¡¯re still my baby boy.¡±
Mom finished mixing the dough. We spooned out portions of the mix onto a greased tray¡ªand some into our mouths¡ªbefore putting the tray into the oven. I got to lick the bowl clean and it was as delicious as I remembered¡ªmaybe even moreso. My tastebuds were much more sensitive than they were when I¡¯d been an adult so the flavors were just more intense.
That made me stop and think. Since I had returned to my younger self, I¡¯d been changing. Not only because of the pressures of the end of the world¡ªgood job, past me¡ªbut because I was young again. Being six again was rubbing off on me a bit. It had taken me a while to realize it, but I was doing things that a child would do not just because they were fun¡ªand they were fun. Rather, I was doing them because I was in a child¡¯s body. At least, that was my running hypothesis.
I influenced my younger self and, in turn, my younger self influenced me. I was not sure what I thought about the implications of it. On the one hand, it made some sense. I was the body I was in. On the other, I was a bit scared of how going through puberty¡ªagain¡ªwould be. I was thankful that it was far away because I was definitely not looking forward to that. I still had my emotional maturity, and I hoped that would last. In case it didn¡¯t, I decided to keep track of these potential changes going forward.
When the timer dinged ten minutes later, I bounced on my feet while Mom carefully extracted the sheet pan from the oven. She let them cool where they were¡ªshe did not have a cooling rack. I tried to sneak a bite of the still-lava cookies, but she dissuaded me and convinced me to go do something else while the cookies cooled to temperatures that wouldn¡¯t singe my mouth.
I sighed and dramatically stomped off to work on some of the daily and weekly quests that remained. When I had done so, I reviewed the features I had discovered. As far as I could tell, getting Quests I¡ªand subsequently the ability to refresh quests¡ªwas my first target. For that, I needed 225,000 experience, or 175,000 experience if I decided for one free refresh instead of unlimited. If I had unlimited refreshes, I could get a lot more experience not only in the current loop but in subsequent loops, so that is what I decided on. I could always earn 50,000 experience back if I needed it for something else at a later date or if the unlimited didn¡¯t make that much of a difference over the one free time. I¡¯d need to try it to know.
As it stood, I had 58,511 experience. That felt quite far away from my goal. I was gaining around 7,000 per month¡ªmore if long-term quests were counted¡ªwhich meant that I would have enough in about two years if my math checked out. After buying those features, the math got too murky for me to reliably forecast. Even if activating them changed nothing, I would have around a million experience to play with¡ªincluding whatever I was going to spend on Restart I and its related features.Stolen story; please report.
A whiff of the cookies brought me back to reality. I wondered how long it had been and if they were finally ready to eat.
¡°Mom!¡± I called out.
¡°Yes Dear?¡± I heard her voice echo from below.
¡°Are the cookies ready?¡±
¡°Let me check,¡± came the reply.
I waited a minute and then heard the answer.
¡°Yes, and they¡¯re delicious!¡±
I cursed her and rushed downstairs and into the kitchen. Thankfully, Mom had only taken one of the cookies and left a large stack of them to be put away. I took two. One got stuffed into my mouth while the other I took upstairs all while feeling smug as if I had gotten away with something. I shook the feeling away and facepalmed.
Ugh, why am I acting like this? I thought I grew out of being a little shit a long time ago!
I took out my frustrations on my pillow. I punched it, screamed into it, and cried as well. I knew I should probably talk to Mom about it, but my own pride got in the way. I¡¯d been alive for nearly forty years and I was going to handle it on my own. Like the adult I was, damn it!
I settled on a form of meditation. It worked to calm me down and center me. I felt grounded and¡ªthough not at peace¡ªit was a step in that direction. An hour¡ªand a cookie¡ªlater, I felt much better.
By the time New Year¡¯s Eve rolled around, I felt like I had a handle on what was going on with me. While imperfect, I was in control of myself enough to counteract the majority of the childish impulses I was feeling. More importantly, it was New Year¡¯s Eve, and that meant I could hang with Mom until midnight.
I was excited. Even though I could have stayed up until the middle of the night at any time, this was the first time I would be doing so intentionally. The only other time had been when I was awoken by a notification at midnight. I shuddered at the memory.
Mom and I sat in chairs in the living room with the TV showing a livestream of Times Square while we waited for the ball to drop. There were entertainers of all stripes. None of it was particularly interesting¡ªespecially as I was reminded of some later scandals that involved some of the celebrities performing. They had been more on the evil side of the criminal spectrum than on the stupid side. I gossiped with Mom about what I remembered, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything more than vague dates¡ªwhich I explained and she accepted.
As the evening and then night wore on, the performers changed and my eyelids grew ever heavier. With about an hour to go, I woke with a start.
¡°You were falling asleep there,¡± Mom said with a hand on my shoulder.
¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± I yawned.
¡°Are you sure you want to stay up until midnight? You¡¯re having a har¡ª¡°
¡°Yeah,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
I yawned again.
I started employing every method I could think of to stay awake¡ªsplashing water on my face, having another cookie, rolling around on the floor, and even running outside into the cold air. They all helped. Still, by the time the ball began to fall, My eyes were barely open. I was laying across Mom¡¯s lap watching the TV.
¡®10!¡¯
¡®9!¡¯
The crowd on the TV began chanting as it got closer. I tried to count with them but I was too far gone. I closed one eye and kept the other half-open.
¡®3!¡¯
¡®2!¡¯
¡®1!¡¯
¡®HAPPY NEW YEAR!¡¯
¡°Happy New Year,¡± Mom said quietly.
¡°Happy¡ New¡ Year¡¡± I managed to get out.
¡°Alright,¡± she said while trying to get me onto my feet. ¡°Time for bed. I¡¯ll help you up to your room.¡±
I nodded, too tired to speak.
Mom held put one arm around me and carefully guided me up the stairs. I nearly fell on the way up, but her arm saved me. Step by step I climbed. By the time I reached the top, both of my eyes had closed. It was only through her guidance that I made it into my bed. I pretty much fell asleep¡ªmy consciousness disappearing before my head touched my pillow.
I woke later in the morning than I was used to¡ªand I was feeling a bit groggy from the loss of sleep. I sat up, stretched, and yawned loudly. As I did every morning, I looked over the available quests. There were two interesting entries. I¡¯d seen a yearly quest before¡ªthere was one when I¡¯d unlocked Quests III, but it had been impossible to complete. One of the two was easy enough to complete. The other one looked like it should be possible as well even if it was a bit more difficult.
| Yearly Questing
Complete 365 quests: 0/365
Success: 1,250 Exp
Failure: N/A
Expires: 364 days 15 hours 22 minutes 43 seconds |
| Yearly Earning
Earn $10,000: 0/10,000
Success: 1,250 Exp
Failure: N/A
Expires: 364 days 15 hours 22 minutes 43 seconds |
I accepted both quests as well as the normal daily ones. The yearly quests were decent value but not quite worth as much as an equivalent number of daily quests¡ªaround a third. Still, one big quest was somewhat easier to work towards as there was no guarantee that I would be able to do every quest. I was looking forward to the ability to reroll quests that I couldn¡¯t do as well as accept a new one after I¡¯d finished one. That it was a couple years off irked me.
It was a frustrating grind that I would have to do. Burnout was an ever present issue just waiting in the wings for me to slip up. I knew I needed a break of some kind¡ªespecially with the next semester only a week away. I also had to consider what my next sewing project would be now that I had a bit more cash to work with. I¡¯d decide after consulting Elizabeth.
Chapter 32
Over the next week-and-a-half¡ªwhile waiting for the next semester to begin¡ªI used Search to poke around the system a bit. I didn¡¯t have any pressure on me to do work for school or anything else, so I figured that would be a good use of my free time.
I discovered several negative and positive options that did not have any requirements insofar as other features were concerned. Though some of them looked like things I would want to do, I ultimately held off of picking any of them. I¡¯m not sure if it was fear or just uncertainty, but I didn¡¯t want to make such a big decision without more consideration. I could always buy them¡ªbut once bought I couldn¡¯t undo that choice.
| Feature: Double Human Experience
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: 1,000,000 Exp
Description: Killing humans give twice as much experience |
| Feature: No Human Experience
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: -250,000 Exp
Description: Killing humans gives no experience |
| Feature: Monster Strength I
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: -124,100 Exp
Description: Increases the monster level by 1 |
| Feature: Dungeons I
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: 10,000,000 Exp
Description: Confines monsters to dungeons |
| Feature: Dungeon Breaks I
Prerequisites: Dungeons I
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: -5,000,000 Exp
Description: Allows monsters to break from dungeons |
| Feature: Apocalypse Countdown I
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: -1,000,000 Exp
Description: Permanently reduces the amount of time before the apocalypse by 1 year |
| Feature: Technological Ban I
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: -1,000,000 Exp
Description: Permanently disables all technology that relies upon electricity to function |
| Feature: Weapons Ban I
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: -1,000,000 Exp
Description: Permanently disables all weapons that rely on chemical reactions to function |
I did get a chance to talk to Elizabeth about the next project before school started up again. She suggested making stuffed toys to donate to charity. There were always small bits of fabric left over that couldn¡¯t be sold by the store or that were left over from other projects. I would be able to use those to make another child happy.
I started that same day. Elizabeth had me sew together a simple shape¡ªa triangle¡ªuntil both pieces were nearly sewn together. Then I had to turn the thing inside out before stuffing It with bits of cotton or polyester or whatever other puffy material was available. Finally, I had to carefully sew the final few stitches a special way so that the seam was hidden inside. What I had created was deemed passable by Elizabeth, so I planned on making something more difficult the next time the group met.
School started up again. This meant I had to go through the same rigmarole with the professors. There was one that was the same as the previous semester¡ªso that one went well¡ªand most of the others accepted me easily enough. There was always that one. A quick call to the office of the Dean sorted it out, but it was an annoyance that had me apprehensive every time I went to a new class for the first time. That it was the very first class I¡¯d walked into for the semester didn¡¯t help.
At the end of the first day of classes, I got an email from the Dean asking for me to meet him the next day. He said in the email that he¡¯d heard good news from one of his contacts at a university. I hoped he was right. Before I could meet him, I had another sewing meet up to attend.
While waiting for Grandpa Milton to pick me up from school at the end of the day¡ªthey did so whenever Dad had to work late during the week he had me¡ªI finally decided that I would take the No Human Experience feature. I had kept it in reserve in case I wanted to use a system of punishment for murderers but ultimately decided that the lack of incentive¡ªexperience¡ªto kill someone would be sufficient to dissuade someone for most reasons. The other reasons¡ªjilted lover, the thrill, fight for power¡ªwould never go away and messing with the experience gain wouldn¡¯t fix them.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
| Feature Unlocked: No Human Experience
Current Exp: 310,755 |
| Feature Unlocked: Quests I
Current Exp: 210,755 |
| Feature Unlocked: Quests Refresh I
Current Exp: 185,755 |
| Feature Unlocked: Free Quests Refresh I
Current Exp: 85,755 |
I played with my newfound questing powers. I was only able to refresh the quests governed by Quests I¡ªthe daily and weekly ones. I¡¯d finished a couple throughout the day and was able to refresh them to new choices. I couldn¡¯t reroll them once refreshed, but it would give me a good opportunity to run multiple quests a day. If I had a lot of time¡ªand I got lucky¡ªI could gain triple or more the usual amount of experience for that day.
Dad picked me up from his parents¡¯ place after dinner and brought me to the meet up. As he usually did, he went to a restaurant nearby to have dinner while I worked on my projects. Elizabeth jumped up to greet me when I walked into the room.
¡°So what shape am I going to make today?¡± I asked.
¡°You¡¯re going to make a bear!¡± she said excitedly.
¡°But won¡¯t that be kinda hard?¡±
¡°Well, yes¡ but that¡¯s what you¡¯ll be donating! Maybe when you finish, you can make some really tiny clothes for the bear?¡±
¡°Maybe? I¡¯ll just start with the bear. What do I need to do?¡±
¡°Well¡¡±
Elizabeth explained the process. It was basically the same as it had been for the triangle except for the more complicated shape.
I started by cutting out two identical bear shapes with a little extra fabric to account for the seams. Then I placed one atop the other with the inside facing out and pinned the two pieces together. I used wax to visualize where to put the seam. Then it was time to sew.
With the bear being stuffed eventually, I had to use a strong stitch. Each stitch was as small as I could make them within reason. It took time, but the final product would be better for it. When I made it back around to the head, I turned the bear right side out.
The stuffing process was a bit trickier with the bear than it had been with the triangle¡ªthere were a bunch of long and narrow bits that needed stuffing. Once I finished stuffing the bear, I sealed the last bit of the head with more stitching.
I thought I was done at that point, but Elizabeth suggested I make some tweaks. At each major joint¡ªlike where the legs met the torso¡ªI sewed a line to compress the stuffing and allow the bear a slight range of motion. I did the same to the hands but instead of for ease of bending, I did so to give the appearance of hands.
There were other small details as well¡ªlike the face¡ªthat I needed to complete before Elizabeth declared that the bear was done. I got a good amount of experience for the effort. I handed the bear to her when it was time to go home. There was a collection box in the corner for donating. Everyone made items to donate from time to time. The box would be closed up and donated as soon as it was filled. My first bear found its new home in the donation box.
Thursday afternoon, I walked into the Dean¡¯s office with Grandpa Joe. As much as Grandpa Milton would have been a good companion, I still wasn¡¯t sure of bringing him into the know. At least Grandpa Joe knew how to keep a secret¡ªwhich is why I trusted him to help me with these kinds of things.
After a brief wait, we were let in to see the Dean. He had a warm expression and shook my hand when I entered his office. Grandpa Joe and I sat down in front of the Dean¡¯s desk, I waited nervously for him to begin speaking.
¡°So, Eddy,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard back from my friend Connor. He said that there shouldn¡¯t be any issues with getting you into the university and getting you a full ride given your circumstances. Their endowment can certainly handle it.¡±
He laughed.
¡°So that¡¯s it then?¡± I asked.
¡°Well, mostly.¡±
I gave him a quizzical look.
¡°If it were just the acceptance,¡± he said putting his hands up, ¡°I would have sent the instructions to you by email. No, Connor wants to meet with you first. I know that¡¯s going to be difficult with how much work is involved day-to-day in school. That said, he would probably be available when you have your break after midterms.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said. ¡°That should be possible, right Grandpa Joe?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to ask your Mom¡ªand I might have to go with you¡ªbut I don¡¯t see why not.¡±
¡°Awesome.¡±
¡°There¡¯s one other thing,¡± the Dean coughed. ¡°You¡¯ll need to apply to the college as a transfer. That won¡¯t be too difficult on your part. I¡¯ll email you the forms you need. I have directed the office to send a copy of your transcript to me. When you¡¯re done with the forms, send them my way. I¡¯ll pass everything along to Connor.¡±
I nodded.
¡°Is there anything else?¡± I asked.
¡°That¡¯s all. Do you have any questions?¡±
¡°No,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I do want to thank you for this.¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± the Dean said. ¡°This is the sort of thing I took this job to do. I don¡¯t always get to help students as much as I want to, but you stand out even more than most.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
I shook the Dean¡¯s hand again on the way out. I sighed, the nerves exiting my body with each breath.
¡°That went well,¡± I said to Grandpa Joe.
¡°You did good, kid,¡± he said.
When I got home that night, I checked my email and saw the forms from the Dean. I called Mom and told her the news. She was over the moon and congratulated me. Dad¡¯s reaction was more subdued. He fist-bumped me and told me good job. I hadn¡¯t really expected more than that from him, but it did hurt a bit to not see him as excited as Mom was.
That weekend, it snowed a lot. It got going Friday afternoon and didn¡¯t let up until mid-day on Saturday. I struggled to clear Dad¡¯s driveway and walkway but managed eventually with Dad¡¯s help.
We went from trailer to trailer to help dig people¡ªand their cars¡ªout from under all the white stuff. It was a ton of tiring effort, but we got it done in the end. That the snow was fluffy was my only saving grace. That allowed me to move more of it without feeling like I might break something¡ªthe shovel or maybe even my arms!
We didn¡¯t always get paid for the work¡ªsomething Dad claimed built character. I called it bullshit. It was my money and I wanted it now! I did get some experience¡ªfrom the money we did get. Dad gave me half the money even though I¡¯d only done a quarter of the work. At least he got that part right.
Chapter 33
Sunday was a free day where I was able to do more practical testing of the new features. I accepted all of the quests for the day and started from the easiest ones. Once I had finished each quest, I refreshed it to see what popped up. I then accepted the new quest and followed the same process.
What I found with testing was important for understanding how to exploit it in the future. I was reasonably sure that if a particular requirement¡ªsuch as running¡ªwas included in one quest, it wouldn¡¯t appear in another. That meant I would be able to block quests I didn¡¯t want to do so that better ones would roll or at least choose not to complete some quests until after I had done as much as I could with the other available quests.
I also noticed that while I wouldn¡¯t always get the same quest as one I had finished, it was possible to get the same¡ªor a similar¡ªone. A quick quest that repeated a few times in a row could be a boon for me. Finally, I saw how sometimes daily or weekly quests would switch to weekly or daily respectively. I didn¡¯t much mind since many of the weekly ones were doable in a day or two¡ªprovided they were doable in the first place.
I concluded my testing Sunday night and figured that I would gain about 35 experience per day on average compared to how it was before I¡¯d purchased the features¡ªa little over fifteen percent more! That wasn¡¯t the massive gain I¡¯d hoped for. However, the ones for Quests II and Quests III were likely to provide more value overall as I had to wait a long time between refreshed otherwise in comparison to daily and weekly time frames.
I decided to talk with Mom Sunday evening. I explained what I¡¯d been up to with the new features and the results of testing.
¡°Mom,¡± I said, ¡°It feels like I¡¯m spinning my wheels. I know I¡¯m not, but it¡¯s frustratingly slow!¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to save the world overnight,¡± Mom said in a calming voice. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard on you to feel like it¡¯s all on you. And so what if it is? You¡¯ve been doing this for less than a year already and look at how much you¡¯ve accomplished!¡±
¡°But¡ª¡°
¡°No ¡®but¡¯s! You¡¯re doing a great job. Maybe you just need another break?¡±
¡°I would if I could, but¡ª¡°
¡°I said no ¡®but¡¯s!¡± Mom laughed. ¡°What you just said is exactly how you know you need a break.¡±
Mom paused to think before she continued.
¡°Maybe not a full break with school going on, but maybe pare back some of the more demanding quests for a while? Maybe focus on just one hobby at a time¡ªlike sewing instead of writing. At least for a month or two to get some of the stress to dissipate, you know?¡±
¡°I know,¡± I agreed.
Mom was right. I¡¯d been pushing pretty hard since I got back from the beach six months earlier.
¡°How about we go skiing this weekend?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged.
I turned to go but that was when I remembered what I needed to talk to Mom about.
¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Did Grandpa Joe talk to you about what the Dean said?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So¡ what should I do? I think it¡¯s the best way for me to finish school without having to go into debt I¡¯ll never be able to pay off.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± she said, ¡°but you¡¯ve got to be careful. The university¡¯s a place you¡¯ll need to live full time and I¡¯m not sure how they can arrange to keep you safe. I¡¯ll be going with you to the meeting instead of Grandpa Joe.¡±
¡°Are you sure? What about work?¡±
¡°Work can wait. Your safety matters much more. Plus, I already requested off for that day.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± I said.
I hoped it would work out. I really wanted to get the most out of the long term quest.
Saturday morning, Mom woke me early. I yawned as I got dressed. I didn¡¯t put on all of my layers, but I was dressed warmly and packed the top layers into the car to put on when we got there.
The closest ski area wasn¡¯t too far but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t that close, either. Mom and I listened to tunes in the car for a little over an hour before we got to our destination. With the recent snow, the sides of the roads still had large snow banks that were streakily painted brown and black by mud and soot.
Mom parked in the ski area¡¯s lot. The place wasn¡¯t full but it also wasn¡¯t empty either. I figured there would be enough room for us to ski without much waiting around in lines. I got out of the car while putting on the rest of my cold weather gear. Then I followed Mom towards the main area.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The main building was made to look like a Swiss chalet. Beyond that were several ski lifts and cleared trails of varying difficulty. I saw several snow machines higher up on the mountain spewing icy snow to increase the depth of the snow pack and to allow for contoured grading of the slope.
The inside of the main building was rather barren. There was a counter to purchase lift tickets and another to rent skis and boots. A bank of lockers ran the length of one of the walls. Other than that, the floor had a couple of benches and vending machines. Mom started by getting the lift tickets. She helped me attach mine to my jacket¡¯s zipper with a special metal hook that went through the eye of the zipper. A sticker covered the metal and displayed the date and duration of the ticket.
Then we walked over to get kitted out for the day. The man behind the counter helped size us both for skis and for boots. I took my boots, skis, and poles to one of the benches. The process of putting the boots on was just as much of a pain as I remembered. While I hadn¡¯t been skiing in forever, I did remember the boots. Once ratcheted down, I had no ankle movement, which made walking forward difficult.
Mom and I put our normal shoes into a locker and stuffed the key into Mom¡¯s pants. From there, we took the skis and poles outside. There were a couple rubber mats where people were expected to put on¡ªand later take off¡ªtheir skis. I grabbed a wooden rail for balance when I went to put the skis on. When both were secure, I followed Mom unsteadily.
¡°How comfortable are you skiing?¡± Mom asked.
I bent my head side to side.
¡°Ok I guess?¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s start with the bunny hill and move up to something harder later?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
The bunny hill was located on the far right of the mountain. I skied behind Mom past two lifts before we ended up at the bunny hill. The bunny hill had a conveyor belt to step on and a rope to hold that brought the skier to the top. The slope was very shallow so there wasn¡¯t much danger in actually crashing as long as I kept my balance.
¡°I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Mom said when we reached the top of the hill.
I wedged my skis into a pizza shape to get a feel for controlling them again. The first run down the hill was slow, but subsequent runs were faster as I gained confidence. After a handful of runs down the bunny hill, I felt like I was able to control myself well enough to go up the mountain, which I indicated to Mom.
The lift directly adjacent to the bunny hill went straight to the top of the mountain. There was a small line of skiers and snowboarders in front of us waiting for their turn to ride the chair. The chairs were wide enough for two people and had an automatic crossbar that dropped into place as soon as the chair began moving up the mountain. The chairs were made of wood and hung from moving wires.
Soon enough, it was our turn. I found it difficult to get onto the chair because I had to be quick to get on the chair before it moved up the hill and because the height of the chair was hard to reach given my height. Thankfully, one of the attendants assisted by lifting me onto the chair before the crossbar came down.
The ride up the mountain was bouncy. The skis on my feet were heavy without any real support that I could reach¡ªMom was able to rest hers against the support bar. The chair moved at a brisk walking pace and climbed high above the trees and the trails. I looked down some fifty feet to watch the little people whizzing down the mountain. I saw two people take a jump¡ªone landed a nice trick while the other crashed spectacularly, losing a ski that skidded away.
Five minutes later, we reached the top. As the chair came to the top, the safety bar rose away. Mom reminded me to lift my skis so they wouldn¡¯t dig into the snow. Then, when the ground came up to meet me, I slipped off the chair and rode down the small ramp to the top area.
I read a trail map at the top. It was a large wooden sign painted to show the difficulty of the trails. Next to that trail map sign was another sign that indicated the direction and distance of the trailheads for the trails. I found a lower difficulty trail that seemed to weave back and forth down the mountain.
¡°Let¡¯s do that one,¡± I said, showing it to Mom.
¡°I¡¯ll follow you,¡± she said.
The entrance to the trail was to our right at the far edge. I passed by a very steep hill that scared me just to peer down. I kept a bit farther away just in case. Slipping down one of those was the last thing I wanted. The trail I wanted was the one after the scary slope. I turned down it and began to weave back and forth across the steeper parts.
The trail flattened out some¡ªand even rose higher in places¡ªas it crossed the mountain. There were signs of caution every so often where our trail crossed with others. It went across the mountain and back several times. Sometimes I needed to gather enough speed to make it up and over a rise¡ªvery thrilling¡ªand other times I¡¯d need to ensure I didn¡¯t go too fast.
About halfway down the slope, another of the lifts terminated there to service many of the lower trails. In the same location was a lodge. Since it had been almost 2 hours by this point, I pointed it out to Mom.
¡°Can we stop for a bit?¡± I asked.
¡°Sure. Want some hot chocolate and something to eat?¡±
¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll take chicken strips or whatever else they¡¯ve got that looks good. Should I grab us a table?¡±
Mom nodded.
Outside of the lodge was one of those rubber mats like had been at the main building at the bottom. As soon as I slid onto the rubber, I unclipped my boots from the skis. I stuck them in the snow outside the door along with my polls and walked inside. The lodge was small inside. It had a handful of tables and a place to buy food. I sat down at one of the tables to wait for Mom.
The food took a little while to prepare. While we waited, I sipped on the hot chocolate. The first sip burnt my tongue¡ªas did the next sip¡ and the one after that. I drank some water to cool my tongue and to rehydrate. Eventually, the food arrived. It was bland and required lots of honey mustard to be edible. The now cooler hot chocolate tasted much better than it had any right to¡ªespecially as it tasted like it¡¯d come from powder.
I ate while talking with Mom. She¡¯d been right. I had needed a break. My only hope was that this break didn¡¯t introduce more things that could be options for quests since I was unlikely to ever be able to do them.
After eating¡ªand an all important bathroom break¡ªwe suited back up and finished going down the mountain. We went up and back down another two times before Mom was too tired to continue. I was beginning to feel exhaustion as well, but I figured I had another run in me. Sadly, she forbade me from going without her just in case.
I turned in my skis and poles and boots. I felt a strong sense of relief when I finally got the boots off. I¡¯d gotten used to the restrictions placed on me and yet, when it was removed, it felt so freeing. With my normal shoes on¡ªand my feel still a bit damp¡ªI hopped in the car for the ride home.
Chapter 34
Three weeks passed quickly. Though I spent much of my time studying for exams and doing class work, I was able to take advantage of my daily and weekly quest refreshes. I sat at 94,315 experience while Mom drove me to the university two hours away.
Mom packed enough stuff for us to go there, meet with Connor, and spend a couple of days getting to know the area. If all went well, she wanted me to be comfortable and know where things were¡ªespecially for when she came to visit.
I watched the barren trees whip by along the edge of the highway. The snow banks had melted a lot recently and were looking more like mud than snow. I heard on the radio that a cold snap was coming in the next few days, but that was much too late to save the now-patchy snow.
When we took the exit for the university, I was relieved. Besides needing to go to the bathroom, my legs were starting to tingle from lack of use. We drove over back roads and up a hill before entering the university from the back. Mom drove me through the university slowly so we could both get a good look at it.
It was small¡ªas far as universities go¡ªbut still took up an entire hillside. The buildings were primarily made of stone and brick in a Gothic style. There were newer designs sprinkled throughout that showed how much the university had grown over the years. Toward the bottom of the hill, the university and the town it was in blended together.
We passed the off-campus housing¡ªor that¡¯s what I assumed it to be given the proximity to the main campus¡ªon the way to the hotel that sat at the bottom of the hill nearby to the river that split the town in half. It was pretty small as far as hotels went, there to serve the university when parents came to visit. Mom parked and checked us in.
After putting all of the items into our room¡ªand using the restroom¡ªMom and I went out to wander around the town. The meeting with Connor wasn¡¯t until later in the day, so there was time to have a gander and some lunch. The main street that ran one block away from the university and along the river had several possible restaurants to choose from. Two bars, a tavern, a chain restaurant, three cafes, and a sandwich shop.
I ended up choosing the tavern if only because it had good reviews online. We were quickly seated in a booth. The booths were made of dark-stained wood, as were the walls. These elements¡ªand the general low amount of light¡ªgave the place a spooky and dark feeling.
The overly-chipper server¡ªwho looked like he was one of the students¡ªcame over to take our order long before we¡¯d had the opportunity to actually look at the menu properly. Mom had to send him away twice¡ªwith drink orders the first time¡ªbefore we were finally ready to order.
¡°I¡¯ll have the fish ¡®n chips,¡± Mom said.
¡°And how about the little man?¡± the server asked.
¡°Shepherd¡¯s pie,¡± I decided.
¡°I¡¯ll put those in for you. Do you need anything else?¡±
¡°We¡¯re good, thanks,¡± Mom insisted.
¡°Do you know anything about Connor?¡± she asked once the server was gone.
She was leaning over the table and talking quietly like we were planning some sort of conspiracy.
¡°No clue,¡± I said.
¡°Well, I looked him up,¡± she continued. ¡°He¡¯s the Dean of the engineering school. I know you¡¯re going for a business degree, so I¡¯m not sure how that¡¯s going to work out.¡±
I shrugged.
¡°What¡¯d you think of the school after driving through?¡±
¡°It looked nice, I guess. I¡¯ll have to see it closer to make a decision.¡±
Mom nodded.
¡°I thought it looked nice,¡± she said. ¡°This place looks like it¡¯s been around a while. It¡¯s like a castle or something!¡±
¡°I can see that,¡± I chuckled.
¡°So we¡¯re meeting Connor at the, um¡¡± Mom pulled her phone out to check her email. ¡°The Langford Building. You wouldn¡¯t happen to have an idea of where that is?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°Didn¡¯t think so,¡± she said with an air of superiority. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll stop by the main office and get a map or something.¡±
I hated when Mom got like this. She was usually a great parent, but every so often she needed to be the smartest person in the room and win a verbal joust of some kind. It was much easier to proverbially roll my eyes and move on than it was to bring it up. I¡¯d tried. It wasn¡¯t pretty nor fun.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The food came a few minutes later while she was busy trying to find a map of the campus. Mine was a small oval-shaped dish covered in mashed potatoes. When I stuck a spoon in, I found vegetables and meat underneath. I thoroughly mixed the two halves together before digging in. Mom¡¯s fish ¡®n chips looked pretty good. She stole some of mine and gave me a couple fries along with a bit of the fish as compensation.
We talked and ate until we were finished. The server came back and tried to upsell dessert, but we were stuffed. Mom paid the check instead. She had to practically roll me out of the place¡ªthat¡¯s how I felt at least.
I followed Mom towards the campus. The bottom streets near the river weren¡¯t too steep, but once we were on the campus, the hill¡¯s slope took over. The main admin building was in the lower third of the school, thankfully, so I didn¡¯t have to waddle that far to get to it. Some probing inquiries at the front desk got Mom a link to a map for the university and directions to the Langford Building located farther up the hill.
Even if I had nearly boundless energy, I needed a couple breaks on the way up the hill. I was glad to see there were plenty of benches along the footpaths to rest on. The university was surrounded by trees. There were few truly open spaces¡ªbut the biggest I saw connected the main admin building to the library nearly a football field away.
I climbed higher after Mom had a break. Finally we reached the correct level and only needed to walk along a mostly flat road to the other side of the school. The road was cobblestone. Instead of being just a uniform gray, it was pattered with light and dark stones to show the school¡¯s coat of arms, motto, and other such things.
The road terminated in a junction with a road that ran up and down the hill. The new road was steep¡ªso steep that one of the stairs coming off of it looked like a stairway to heaven. Thankfully, our destination was just across the street.
The Langford building was surprisingly long considering its position on the side of a mountain. It was three floors on the top part and five floors on the lower part. In the middle¡ªwhere it was four floors tall¡ªwas the main entrance. It had a solid, imposing feeling. Part of that was the stone it was built from, but the construction was built to last¡ªdown to the front doors that were made from two-inch thick slabs of wood.
Mom and I struggled to open the door when a gust of wind came whipping up and pushed the door open. I was almost tossed when Mom let go of the door! I was glad that some engineer had thought ahead enough to include a stop that prevented me from taking a tumble into some snow by the entrance. I followed Mom inside, my heart needing a minute to calm down.
I trod the well worn hallway towards one of the stairwells. There were classrooms, offices, and experimental laboratories everywhere. Our destination was on the third floor¡ªwhich, due to the way the building was constructed, meant climbing only one set of stairs. I shook my head. The building was just weird.
I knocked on the door to Connor¡¯s office when we arrived outside. The door was partially open which let me see inside. It wasn¡¯t large and was made even smaller by stacks of papers taller than me. The plate outside the door read Connor Jackson. He¡ªit seemed¡ªwas both the Dean and also one of the professors at the same time.
¡°Come in,¡± Connor said.
I pushed the door and entered. There was a small couch along the wall shared with the hallway we¡¯d come from.
¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡± Connor offered.
I sat down and Mom did the same to my left.
¡°Welcome!¡± He smiled. ¡°So you¡¯re the one my friend was talking about, huh.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± I nodded.
¡°Good. Good. I¡¯ve looked over your application and I¡¯ve seen your transcripts. All looks good there. You¡¯re doing pretty well¡ªdoubly so for someone so young. You¡¯re what, seven?¡±
¡°Six.¡±
¡°Wow! That¡¯s incredible!¡±
The man smiled at me.
¡°Every year, we¡ªthe university¡ªset aside some portion of the endowment to cover the cost of education for exceptional students. While your grades are good, there are many who do better¡ª¡°
My heart sank. I wondered if somehow the information I¡¯d been given was wrong.
¡°¡ªbut they are also thrice your age! You, Eddy, are an exceptional student. As such, I am willing to offer you a scholarship on behalf of the university. It will cover all classes but not the housing and educational materials. I know you¡¯ll have many questions, but that is the standard. That said, I know even those can be expensive. With you being so young, we are also going to cover room and board at no extra cost to you.¡±
I let out a breath. That was good news! I wanted to accept immediately, but Mom had some questions first.
¡°What is the housing situation like?¡± she asked. ¡°Will he be sharing the room with anyone or will he be on his own?¡±
¡°Eddy will be given a room of his own that will include his own private bathroom. It will be located in a housing area meant for families.¡±
¡°And security?¡±
¡°He¡¯ll have a key, as will housekeeping. Given his age, he will not be expected to care for the room, so we will provide weekly cleaning and laundry service. Meals will be available in any of the restaurants and cafeterias on campus.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Mom turned to me.
¡°What do you think, Eddy?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s awesome!¡± I said, excitedly. ¡°Would we be able to see the room or one like it?¡±
¡°They¡¯re all occupied right now,¡± Connor said with a frown. ¡°But I can show you where they are.¡±
¡°When would I need to sign up for classes?¡± I asked.
¡°Over the summer,¡± he answered. ¡°Late June, usually.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
¡°Speaking of classes, what do you intend to major in?¡±
¡°Some sort of business or finance, though I¡¯m not sure.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine. The majority of the classes in the first couple years are the same. It¡¯s the last two years that are different. You have time to think it over.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said, rising from the couch.
¡°It was great meeting you, Mr. Jackson,¡± Mom said.
¡°Same to the both of you! I look forward to seeing you around campus next year.¡±
We shook his hand in turns and left.
Mom and I wandered around the campus for another hour. We found the housing I¡¯d be in next year. They were of a more modern construction looking more like condos than traditional student housing. Across the street from them was one of the cafeterias, which made Mom happy.
¡°You won¡¯t have to go too far to eat,¡± she noted.
¡°Looks like it. I wonder if they¡¯ll allow takeout.¡±
Mom cocked an eyebrow at me but said nothing more than a hmm.
Chapter 35
After touring the campus, we returned to the hotel for the evening. Though Mom dragged me around to look at the sights in town and nearby, there was nothing for me to do aside from working on my quests as much as I could given the distraction. Finally, it was time to go home.
Now that the university was covering the vast majority of the costs associated with my education, the money from Grandpa Joe was now available for personal projects. The one at the forefront of my mind was testing how growing my own plants to harvest would do for experience when compared to wild plants.
I spoke with Dad about it the following week.
¡°Dad, any chance the landlord would let me install a small raised bed?¡±
¡°I can ask,¡± he shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s the plan if he says yes?¡±
I explained what I wanted to do with the funds and the plan for testing Harvesting Experience. He shot off a text to the landlord asking for permission. Though it took some back-and-forth negotiation, Dad secured the landlord¡¯s assent. The only thing he¡¯d wanted from us was a bulb of garlic or other fresh vegetable from the garden.
With winter still gripping the ground, I had to wait nearly a month before Dad and I could begin working on the project. Dad and I went to the local home improvement store to get everything I¡¯d need. It was my money so he¡¯d let me take the lead on it¡ªeven if he was going to be doing most of the work and I was there to learn a lot.
I picked out a couple large boards and some metal bits to tie the corners together. Dad picked out the screws. He also did the majority of the lifting¡ªespecially of the soil bags. Those things weighed more than I did! Dad¡¯s truck came in clutch. It was the perfect size to bring everything back so we didn¡¯t have to rent anything.
When Dad and I came back to his place, we¡ªhe¡ªunloaded all that I¡¯d purchased at the store. I had him drag everything to a sunny spot. He pulled some of his work tools out for the job. The plan¡ªat least in my head¡ªwas to make a rectangle out of the two boards then fill the center with new soil from the bags.
Dad started by cutting both boards in two. One part of each board was about three feet long while the other was around nine feet. Then he cut the ends at forty-five degrees so they would more easily fit together. He suggested doing a more complicated joint, but I figured some glue and some metal would be enough for that application. I expected it to rot before it failed in any other way.
Once all of the pieces were ready, Dad took a square to set the first corner. He glued and screwed them before moving on to the second corner, then the third, and finally the forth. He let me screw in some of the screws of the metal plates on each corner. Though the frame wasn¡¯t the sturdiest thing, it was good enough for what I wanted. I even got to check when I helped Dad move it over to one side so we could turn the grass under where it was going. The last thing either of us wanted was to pull grass for the next century.
Turning the grass by hand was hard work. Dad did what he could but even he needed a break after ten minutes. I tried my hand at it and barely made any progress. We traded back and forth for half-an-hour until the ground was turned dirt-side-up. Then it was time to move the frame back into position and fill it with the soil I bought at the store.
The soil took about as long as the turning had, but it was relatively easier work. Dad brought the bags over and I worked on emptying them into the raised bed. Even with the gloves I was wearing, the damp soil was cold. My fingers were tingling by the time we finished making the raised bed. It¡¯d taken most of the day and I was proud of it. I knew planting would come later when the ground warmed some and the risk of frost dropped away, but I was ready for when that happened.
Another month passed. I awoke one morning to see leaves starting to come out on the trees and the early flowers of spring beginning to wilt away. I checked the countdown timer. That¡¯s when it hit me¡ªit had been one year since I¡¯d returned to the past. I sat on my bed, holding my head in my hands.
Part of me still didn¡¯t believe what had happened¡ªif there was just some magic or supernatural something to prove that what was going on was real. Besides going back in time, I had nothing tangible to point to. Efficiency dictated that I needed to focus on getting the experience features first, but that didn¡¯t stop me from looking at all the options for what I could do with the system right now that would fulfill my desire.
| Feature: Leveling
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: 1,000
Unlock For Universal Use: 1,000,000 Exp
Description: Allows leveling by spending experience |
| Feature: Leveling Speed Slow
Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 500
Unlock For Universal Use: 500,000 Exp
Description: Four levels per tier |
| Feature: Leveling Speed Medium
Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 100
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Eight levels per tier |
| Feature: Leveling Speed Fast
Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 500
Unlock For Universal Use: 500,000 Exp
Description: Sixteen levels per tier |
| Feature: Leveling Speed Continuous
Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 1,000
Unlock For Universal Use: 1,000,000 Exp
Description: Strength increases directly with experience spent; experience limited by tier |
| Feature: Skills I
Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 1,000 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 1,000,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks learning basic skills |
| Feature: Skills II
Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 5,000 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 5,000,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks learning advanced skills |
| Feature: Skills III
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.Prerequisites: Leveling
Unlock Personal Use: 25,000 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 25,000,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks learning meta skills |
| Feature: Stats Screen
Prerequisites: N/A
Unlock Personal Use: 1,000 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 1,000,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the stats screen |
| Feature: Mana
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the mana stat |
| Feature: Stamina
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the stamina stat |
| Feature: Health
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the health stat |
| Feature: Strength
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the strength stat |
| Feature: Intelligence
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the intelligence stat |
| Feature: Physcial Agility
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the physical agility stat |
| Feature: Mental Agility
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the mental agility stat |
| Feature: Physical Fortitude
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the physical fortitude stat |
| Feature: Mental Fortitude
Prerequisites: Stats Screen
Unlock Personal Use: 100 Exp
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Unlocks the mental fortitude stat |
I almost picked a couple of the options for myself but stopped at the last minute. There was no way I could be so greedy as to purchase anything for myself and make the monsters worse when I should wait and get it for everyone instead. At least, that¡¯s what I told myself to feel better about my decision. It was like expecting a present on my birthday and then deciding to return it without opening it.
I knew I would be able to push away these feelings for a while but there was a very good chance they would return stronger at some point. I just hoped that when they did, I would be as strong as I was now so I could put my foot down. With at least 25 years ahead of me¡ªand likely closer to 60¡ªthat was a long time for something like this to grow and fester.
I pushed those thoughts from my mind. Today was also the day to plant my seeds. Though frost might happen over the next week¡ªat least traditionally¡ªthe seeds would be safe to plant now. My choices had been things that would be grown and harvested before I went off to school at the end of summer.
I made little holes in the soil with my fingers and dropped a couple seeds in each. Then I filled the holes in with soil. Each type of plant required different spacing and depth, so I read the packages before planting each section of the raised bed. All in all, I ended up with six types of plants. I watered them and marked the rows so I would know what was what when they started sprouting.
I watered them every day that did not call for rain. The raised bed drained well¡ªalmost too well. With the height over the rest of the ground, water had a difficult time staying in the soil which meant I needed to be extra mindful. Whenever I was at Mom¡¯s, Dad would have to water in my stead¡ªand that was something I had to remind him to do on occasion. He was forgetful sometimes.
A week later, most of the plants had sprouted and pushed their first leaves outward to catch the sun. I plucked the smaller sprouts in each location, leaving just the strongest and healthiest of the plants to continue growing. I also pulled any weeds that so much as thought about growing in my garden.
As the plants grew, I gave them everything they needed to grow¡ªwater, sunlight, climbing poles, and much more. It took until the end of my first year in college before there was anything to actually harvest. The first I picked were the peas and beans. I got some good experience from them, doubly so when I gave some to the landlord¡ªwhich counted as Economic Experience. I guessed this was because of the deal we¡¯d struck. More harvesting was to come, but that would have to wait for summer.
I did just as well in the second semester as I had in the first. Though the material wasn¡¯t difficult, it was more work than the first semester had been¡ªboth in actual work and the work for me to understand what I was learning. I knew that the upcoming three years would also be difficult, but I also knew that I would do well.
Mom pulled me aside the week after I was done with school.
¡°We need to talk,¡± she said.
I shuddered, Those were not the words I wanted to hear from anyone, least of at my mother.
¡°Yeah?¡± I said as calmly as I could.
¡°You¡¯re going to be off during the summer and I can¡¯t be home to watch you. Normally, that would mean hanging out with Grandpa Joe or your other grandparents, but that¡¯s not fair to them to mind you every day. So I talked with your father and he¡¯s agreed that sending you to day camp over the summer is the best option we¡¯ve got. I know you¡¯d rather stay home¡ and I¡¯d let you if I could¡ but the last thing I want is the government involved in our business, you know?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way to do anything else?¡±
Mom shook her head.
¡°Not that I could find, no. Day camp is less expensive than hiring someone to be around¡ªand with all that you¡¯re doing to save the world, bringing someone else here would jeopardize the secret.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t the day camp do the same thing?¡± I countered.
¡°It might,¡± she conceded. ¡°However, a lot of what you¡¯d do in day camp would give you experience, right? More hiding in plain sight than having to hide from someone.¡±
¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± I said. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡±
¡°Well, you¡¯ve got about a month before the first one starts. You¡¯ll go to two sessions. The first will get you through the end of July, while the other you¡¯ll only go to half of because you¡¯ll be heading off to college.¡±
¡°I see,¡± I nodded.
I didn¡¯t want to go, but I also understood the reason behind it. I¡¯d already had one news story and I didn¡¯t need another. As much as it was going to be like a vacuum¡ªand suck¡ªit was something I¡¯d have to put up with.
Chapter 36
In the month that passed before I would go to camp, I took the time to harvest more vegetables from the garden. The prickly cucumbers came next. I was surprised that I didn¡¯t bleed with just how much I hurt my fingers picking them! The lettuce was a lot easier to harvest, thankfully.
I also got a chance to compare the experience gained by harvesting similar plants that weren¡¯t grown by me at Grandpa Milton¡¯s house. What I discovered was intriguing. The amount of experience was about two-thirds as compared with the plants I¡¯d raised¡ªafter accounting for harvesting technique and quality.
In some ways, that meant I would be able to get a lot more by doing everything on my own. At the same time, was the extra fifty percent experience worth the extra effort expended? I wasn¡¯t sure. I¡¯d also have to see how much I had to put into growing my own materials for me to get more experience. Was it just a hard fifty percent or on a sliding scale? More investigation was required.
Then it was the first day of camp. Mom dropped me off in the morning. The camp was set on a large plot of wooded land. I had to assemble with the other campers on a large mostly shaded field that was surrounded by a pole fence. Each age group and gender had their own group¡ªsometimes more than one. I found my group after getting escorted there by one of the staff.
The group ended up being ten boys aged six and seven. I wasn¡¯t the smallest of the boys, but I wasn¡¯t far off. We had two counselors¡ªboth boys, one teen and one in his early twenties. The older one took attendance while the counter kept us in line.
¡°Alright,¡± the older counselor said. ¡°My name is Adam. My co-counselor is Brian¡ª¡°
Brian waved when his name was called.
¡°¡ªFirst thing we need to do is come up with a name. Any suggestions? Say your name and your idea so we can get to know each other.¡±
¡°Alex, ¡®The Fighting Dragons¡¯!¡± one of the taller boys¡ªAlex¡ªshouted.
¡°That¡¯s good. Any others?¡±
¡°Micah, ¡®Blue Stars¡¯!¡± added a pudgy boy.
¡°Mmmm.¡±
I decided to throw my own idea in the ring based upon the idea that we were all about six.
¡°Eddy, ¡®The Six Shooters¡¯!¡±
¡°Good one. Any more?¡±
A couple other names got shouted out but the response to them from the other boys was fairly weak. After not hearing any more ideas, the counselors put the name to a vote.
¡°Alright, raise your hands if you want ¡®The Fighting Dragons¡¯!¡±
Six hands went up, including mine. I thought it was a pretty good name.
¡°¡¯Blue Stars¡¯?¡±
Seven hands went up for that one¡ªthough mine did not. Micah shot a look at the handful of us that didn¡¯t vote for it. My suggestion only got five votes while none of the others after broke three votes. ¡®Blue Stars¡¯ was declared the winner.
Micah had a smug look on his face. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. He glared at me for an uncomfortably long time before returning to taking his proverbial victory lap. Several of the other boys nearby to him began chatting with him so I was able to ignore him. Thankfully, the first activity of the day came immediately after.
¡°Follow me, Blue Stars,¡± Adam said. ¡°We¡¯re going to soccer.¡±
I heard a couple of groans but most of the campers were excited to run around. The walk to the soccer field wasn¡¯t far. It was just across a small dirt track that ran along the other side of the pole fence from where we were. One of the boys tried to climb through the fence instead of going around once he figured out where we were going but only got a reprimand for his efforts.
When we arrived at the field, Brian disappeared to get a ball while Adam held our attention. We were split into two teams of five. Not being terribly fast, I chose defense. I knew I could park the bus and stifle the strikers from the other team¡ªat least at this level of competition.
My squad consisted of me and Alex on defense, Juan and Michael up front, and Mac as our goalie. This formation was mirrored on the other side. Juan got to kick off and passed to Michael after winning the coin flip. I watched the ball scoot down the field. Alex moved up to midfield and I followed but kept a bit farther behind just in case.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.The other team swarmed Juan and Michael. It was more effective than it should have been. Michael looked like he played some soccer, but Juan was struggling. Micah stole the ball from him and evaded Michael¡¯s attempt to get it back. He cruised onto our half of the field. I positioned myself between him and the goal.
Micah was quick, but I had years of experience on my side. Even if my body wasn¡¯t exactly what I had been used to before I returned, it had been over a year now. I was in tune with my body. I backpedaled, giving ground for time. I didn¡¯t dare block Mac¡¯s view of the ball, so when I got close to the box, I charged Micah. He sneered at me. I smiled back as I got close. His expression changed when he realized I wasn¡¯t going to stop or flail at the ball. Instead, I predicted where he would go based on his amateurish style and got a foot on the ball before he could shoot¡ªhe certainly didn¡¯t strike me as the kind of boy to pass. The ball scooted over to Alex who then passed it back up to Juan.
The ball went back and forth for a while. After several shots by both sides from entirely too far from the net, our team scored one. That was answered shortly thereafter by the other team. By the end of the sixty-minute game, the score was tied at 2-2.
¡°That was a good game,¡± Brian said to both teams after making us all high-five at the end.
¡°At the end of the camping season, we¡¯re going to have a competition,¡± Adam added. ¡°We¡¯ll be going up against other groups of campers. The Blue Stars will be the best, right?¡±
¡°Yeah!¡± came several voices.
It was half-hearted at best.
¡°I can¡¯t hear you!¡± Adam called back. "The Blue Stars will be the best, right?¡±
¡°YEAH!¡±
It took all my strength to not roll my eyes. It was just too cringy.
¡°Blue Stars, line up and follow me!¡± Adam announced.
I stood with Mac while we strolled to the next activity behind Juan.
¡°I really love racing games,¡± Mac told me excitedly. ¡°Especially the ones where you can crash and blow up other cars!¡±
I smiled and nodded.
¡°That does sound like fun,¡± I said.
¡°Yeah! You know, Mom just got me this game recently¡ª¡°
Mac told me all about the game and how much fun he was having with it. I couldn¡¯t say much. The boy was a ball of energy with a clear focus and love. I appreciated just how straightforward children were. I didn¡¯t have to guess how they felt when they wore their emotions on their sleeves. Just the simplicity of it was refreshing after a year in college.
¡°¡ªboom, crash! It was awesome!¡± Mac finished.
We arrived at a wooden shelter that only had walls on three of the sides. Inside were six picnic benches¡ªenough room for two groups at the same time. A sign on the outside of the shelter indicated that it was for arts and crafts. Already seated at their tables was a group of girls.
¡°Eww,¡± I heard Micah complain. ¡°Why are there girls here?¡±
¡°We¡¯re here first,¡± one of the girls retorted.
A handful of people on both sides started making rude remarks and gestures towards each other.
¡°Campers,¡± said an older woman from the far side of the shelter. ¡°There won¡¯t be any of that in my room.¡±
She stared at everyone with a withering look. That was enough to cow the rowdier campers.
I sat next to Mac and waited for the rest of the boys to settle in. The woman began passing out paper and popsicle sticks to each table. We also got a couple bottles of glue to share as well.
¡°Today, you can make whatever you like with the materials in front of you,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe you want to make a log cabin, or a fan to cool yourself with. There are many options! If you need anything, just raise your hand and I¡¯ll come over. After you¡¯re done today, I¡¯ll save what you¡¯ve made on the side to dry. Please make sure you write your name on your project somewhere.¡±
I took a piece of paper and made it into a square by making two diagonal folds and tearing off the excess strip. I turned the square of paper upside down. It was time to consider what to make.
The first thing would have been the easiest: a square stacked house. I rejected the idea simply because it was easy and boring. I wanted to try making something else¡ªeven if that something else was some kind of abstract art. I eventually settled on making a box.
I turned another piece of paper into a square before splitting both into four squares each. To each smaller square, I applied a thin layer of glue and a row of popsicle sticks on top to create a flat side. The paper was there to prevent the popsicle sticks from moving around too much so that the glue could dry properly.
From the excess strips of paper, I fashioned eight hinges. Each hinge was then glued to the dry sides of two walls. I carefully did this until I had assembled a cross pattern. Then I let the glue dry some before bending the paper such that the walls would be standing vertically. To reinforce these new corners, I glued more hinges on both the inside and outside of the box. The last wall¡ªthe lid¡ªis where I wrote my name.
While it wasn¡¯t anything special, I felt pleased with what I had created in the short amount of time I had. Since I was done early, I looked around at what they others were doing. Mac created a car out of popsicle sticks on the paper and was excitedly telling me how it could go off of ramps and into space. I nodded along.
¡°It feels weird!¡± Alex exclaimed while peeling bits of glue from his finger.
They were absolutely caked with glue. I could see that he had laid a couple sticks on the paper before dumping out a lot of glue and dusting it with some glitter. I guessed that the pleasure of peeling glue took over around that point.
When the time was up, I carefully moved my box to an open place and set it to dry. It looked like it was holding well enough, but only time would tell if it stayed upright the whole time.
The next hour was lunch. Definitely the best part of the day so far. Lunch was served in a large shelter with many tables in it. It had no walls but would probably be enough space to keep all the campers dry if it rained.
For lunch, I had a choice between chicken strips and a burger that looked a little suspect. I chose the chicken and piled on a few fries to go with it. Like I had In my youth, I filled a small paper cup with mayo, ketchup, and a dash of mustard for dipping.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mac asked when I sat down with him.
¡°For the fries and chicken,¡± I said while stirring the mixture together with one of the crispier fries.
¡°Is it good?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±
I told him. He jumped up and made the same mix as I had. I saw his face light up when he took a bite of a fry dipped in it.
¡°Yummy!¡± he exclaimed.
I smiled and began to eat my food. A couple of the other boys joined us to chat and eat. I finished quickly but stayed with the others until it was time for the next activity.
Chapter 37
I dumped my paper plate into the trash along with the others. Alex and Mac chatted about different types of video games.
¡°Scary games are really fun!¡± Alex said.
¡°No way!¡± Mac said with a shiver. ¡°Those scare me too much. I love to crash cars!¡±
¡°Maybe the cars should be monsters and crash. That would be fun!¡± Alex compromised.
¡°Yeah,¡± Mac agreed.
I walked with them through the camp to where the pools were located. The camp had two pools¡ªone for kids who had passed their swimming tests and one for those who still needed lessons. The two counselors brought us to the one where we¡¯d be able to swim if we passed the swimming tests.
¡°Alright Blue Stars,¡± Adam said once we¡¯d all changed into our swim trunks. ¡°You need to be tested to show what level you¡¯re at. If you don¡¯t know how to swim, raise your hand.¡±
Two of the campers raised their hands.
¡°The two of you don¡¯t need to get tested. The rest of you will be tested in pairs.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said a man in swim trunks that said ¡®lifeguard¡¯ on them. ¡°The first test is to see how far you can swim with your face in the water. You can use whichever stroke you prefer. After that¡ªif you can swim at least the length of the pool¡ªI want to see how long you can tread water. I will be observing each of you and keeping you safe. Now, who¡¯s up first?¡±
Not wanting to sit there waiting, I raised my hand. Micah did as well. I looked at him and he sneered back at me. We stepped to the end of the pool in different lanes.
¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you both jump into the water? When you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll blow my whistle.¡±
The water bit into me. It was still early summer and the water wasn¡¯t nearly as warm as it would be by the end of the swimming season. I put one hand on the top of the wall and my feet against the side. I drew myself in and looked at the lifeguard. He checked on Micah and then me. He raised the whistle to his lips and blew.
I let go of the wall with my hand and pushed hard with my legs. I went with the more efficient front crawl. Though I hadn¡¯t practiced it much in a long time, it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d forgotten how to do. The motions came easily enough. The only tricky part was breathing every few strokes. That part turned out alright and I slowed before I ran into the wall at the deep end.
I turned around and began the swim back. As I did, I saw Micah struggling about two thirds of the way to the end of the pool. I put my face back into the water and went back to work. Though I was beginning to tire, the amount of activity I did day in and day out left me with solid stamina. Finally, the shallow end¡¯s wall was in sight. I breathed heavily once my hand caught the edge of the wall.
I stood up and looked around. Micah was sitting on the edge of the pool glowering at me. The other boys were not really paying much attention¡ªbusying themselves chatting.
¡°Good job,¡± the lifeguard said. ¡°Are you ready to tread water?¡±
I nodded.
¡°Go to the deep end and tread water until I tell you to stop or you can¡¯t anymore. I¡¯ll blow the whistle when it¡¯s time to start.¡±
I used the side wall to pull myself to the deep end while using less energy than swimming there. It was faster, too. I pushed off the edge at the same moment the lifeguard¡¯s whistle shrieked.
The first few seconds were easy. Then my arms began to burn followed shortly after by my legs. I closed my eyes to focus on keeping my head above the water. I breathed steadily and found a motion that kept me up while allowing me to alternately rest my arms and legs. Eventually, the lifeguard blew his whistle again so I went back to the wall and climbed out.
¡°Congratulations,¡± he said. ¡°You pass fully. You don¡¯t have to take lessons if you don¡¯t want to and can come to this pool when you have swimming time with your group. You will need a swim buddy¡ªwhich might come from your group or one of the others who are testing at the other pool right now.¡±
I nodded then went back to the rest of the boys.
The testing ended up taking around half an hour. Of the boys in my group, I was the only one to pass the test fully. There were a couple who passed enough to be able to swim in just the shallow end of the free swim pool after their shorter lessons. If I wanted to swim before the lessons finished, I¡¯d need to be swim buddies with someone from another group. Thankfully, the different groups split up to go to the pools they would be swimming in, so I was able to be paired with a boy a couple years older than me who had passed the full test like I had.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
The time I had to swim after the testing was short. My buddy-for-the-day¡ªor Patrick as his parents named him¡ªtook turns diving for small toys on the bottom of the pool. A couple blasts of the lifeguard¡¯s whistle signaled the end of swimming and it was back into the changing room to dry off.
The last activity for the day was free play at the playground. I thought the playground itself was rather spartan¡ªconsisting of a single slide, some short pillars to jump between, and a jungle gym. Instead of queuing for the slide like everyone else, I built a wood chip castle. Mac came over after he went down the slide a couple of times.
¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.
¡°Making a castle,¡± I said, showing him the various features of it.
¡°Cool! I¡¯m going to make a racetrack.¡±
A couple other boys peeled off from the main contingent and joined us in building structures out of the splintered wood. It wasn¡¯t a terrible way to pass the time, but I wished it had been something better like archery or dodge ball or, well, nearly anything else.
I was glad when the end of the day came. We were marshaled back to the open area where we¡¯d been in the morning. Attendance was taken one more time and then each camper was checked off the list when their guardian arrived to take them away.
¡°How was your first day?¡± Grandpa Joe asked when he picked me up.
¡°Not bad,¡± I shrugged.
¡°Meet anyone you liked?¡±
¡°Eh, maybe. Definitely one of them¡¯s got some sort of grudge against me.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Kept giving me nasty looks all day when he thought no one else was looking. Pretty silly.¡±
¡°I remember those days,¡± Grandpa Joe said with a smile. ¡°Got into a few fights back then!¡±
¡°I doubt it¡¯ll get to that point,¡± I laughed.
¡°If it does, give ¡®im the what-for, yeah?¡±
¡°Rather deal with it diplomatically,¡± I shrugged. ¡°More experience that way¡ I think.¡±
¡°Always with the experience¡ sometimes you¡¯ve got to live a little. Do what needs doing instead of trying to be as efficient as you possibly can. You¡¯ll never be perfect the first time.¡±
¡°But I¡¯ll learn for the next time.¡±
¡°That you will. You have time to make your mistakes now. Better to learn from ¡®em while there¡¯s no real pressure.¡±
¡°True.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid the obvious pitfalls I can see a mile away than consciously walk into them to find out just how much they hurt.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a smart kid.¡±
¡°Took a long time to get there,¡± I chuckled.
Grandpa Joe laughed with me.
Two days later was a rainy day. Instead of meeting at the open field like we had the previous two days, the meeting place for our group was in the cafeteria. Mac pulled out a handheld gaming console to pass the time. There were activities for everyone to do, but they were frankly boring. Watching the rain fall in sheets from the roof of the cafeteria was more entertaining!
Since the rain showed no sign of slowing down, the counselors tried several tactics to grab our attention for more than a few moments. None of them worked on more than a couple of the campers. The rest ended up chatting amongst themselves. Alex, Mac, and I traded time on Mac¡¯s device. First one would play while the others watched. After a level or a death, the next person would take over.
¡°Where¡¯d you get that?¡± Micah asked when I was playing.
¡°It¡¯s Mac¡¯s,¡± I said with a quick glance his way.
¡°Can I have a turn?¡±
¡°Ask Mac,¡± I said, not bothering to look up again.
I put my focus back into not dying.
¡°Give him a turn next,¡± Mac decided after Micah asked him.
For the next five minutes, Micah hovered over my shoulder uncomfortably close. I was playing well, but had a hard time concentrating.
¡°Come on,¡± Micah complained.
He went to snatch it away from me. I expertly dodged both him and an on-screen enemy.
¡°I¡¯m almost done with the level. You can have it after,¡± I said with a quick glare his way.
True to my word, I finished the level less than a minute later. Mac cheered¡ªwe¡¯d all struggled to pass it for a while¡ªand I passed the console over to Micah. He died quickly and reluctantly gave it to Alex. While the console made its rounds, Micah complained the entire time. I wanted to tell him to shut up, but I bit my tongue.
You¡¯re better than that, Eddy, I told myself. You¡¯re almost 40 and he¡¯s a little kid.
We played for half of the day until the rain finally let up after lunch.
I got a chance to go swimming¡ªand finish the swimming quest I had for the day. The water was colder from the rain and lack of sun. I shivered through the swim session. I was paired with one of the older kids as usual, but that was fine. It was fun hanging out with different people each time.
The final program of the day was archery. I¡¯d been looking forward to it as soon as I¡¯d had a look over the weekly schedule. Archery was held at the far end of the soccer field¡ªpast the far goal and facing the trees. Five targets stood on stands backed by netting to catch any errant shots.
¡°Has anyone shot a bow before?¡± the archery instructor asked.
Only three of us raised our hands¡ªincluding me.
¡°Good. For the rest of you, the most important thing is safety¡ª¡°
The man talked for ten minutes. He showed us how to shoot the traditional bow and the compound bow. There were enough bows for ten campers at the same time, but most of the bows would be too hard to draw back. As I was one of the three who had archery experience, I got first crack at it along with the other two. Two newbies were also selected for the instructor to assist.
I got ten arrows to shoot. I chose a compound bow. While the traditional was easier to draw, it was harder to hold drawn in order to aim. I notched the first arrow and pulled the string back. Once past the hard part of the draw, I did my best to aim at my target. The targets were only about twenty feet away. I didn¡¯t know the strength of my bow well, so I guessed how much I needed to compensate for gravity. I loosed the first arrow and it scraped the top of the target. I adjusted. The next nine turned the target into a porcupine.
I waited until the instructor told us to put our bows down and retrieve the arrows. Pulling them from the target took a fair amount of strength, but it was doable. When I had them all, I dropped them into holder on the ground and went to watch the next batch try shooting for the first time.
¡°Since everyone¡¯s had a chance to shoot at least once,¡± the instructor said, ¡°let¡¯s see who¡¯s the better shot!¡±
Chapter 38
| A Real Robin Hood
Win the archery contest
Success: Experience gained based on placement
Failure: N/A
Expires: 21 minutes, 32 seconds |
I immediately accepted the quest while the instructor went over the rules.
¡°You will have ten arrows to shoot. The targets are marked with different color bands. The center part of the yellow is worth 10. The outer yellow is 8. Each band of color drops by two¡ªred is 6, blue is 4, black is 2. If you hit the white, you get no points.¡±
One of the boys raised his hand.
¡°Yes?¡± the instructor said.
¡°What if the arrow hits on the line?¡± the boy asked.
¡°If it¡¯s touching two colors, it will count for the higher value. So if you almost miss but nick the black just a little, that would still count for two points.¡±
The boy nodded and thanked the instructor. I thought the points system was fair¡ªand hopefully there wouldn¡¯t be any arguments or cheating. I didn¡¯t expect to win, but I figured I had a decent chance at it.
¡°The five of you who just shot, stay at your stations. You¡¯ll go first.¡±
I watched the five campers take careful aim at their target. Mac and Juan were among them. I wished Mac luck under my breath and watched. These five had only shot their bows for one bundle of arrows. I didn¡¯t expect much from them, but the distance was close enough that Mac and another of the boys¡ªLuke¡ªwere doing pretty well. All of their shots hit the target, though not all of them counted for points.
When the last of the five finished shooting their arrows, the instructor went out and counted the points for each of them while collecting the arrows for the rest of us. Luke scored 26 while Mac topped the group with 32.
¡°That was a good round,¡± the instructor said. ¡°It¡¯s time for the next five to step up and give their best shot.¡±
The instructor laughed at his own joke, which only made me roll my eyes even harder. I walked forward into my assigned lane and picked up my bow. With me were Alex and Micah. Alex looked nervous. He was one of the two in our group that hadn¡¯t shot a bow before. Micah, on the other hand, was one of the three that had. He had his trademark smug grin plastered on his face.
¡°I¡¯m going to win!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You don¡¯t stand a chance!¡±
I glared at him but didn¡¯t respond. There was no point. The best I could do was to answer with my bow and score more points than he did. A couple of the others tried talking shit back to him, but their efforts fell flat. That only made him grin more.
¡°Begin!¡± the instructor bellowed once we were all ready.
I nocked my first arrow and aimed. My arms were steady. My breathing was steady. I caught my breath and loosed. The arrow impacted in the red to the left of the middle and close to the blue. Six points wasn¡¯t bad for a first shot. I picked up the next arrow and shot it. To the right this time¡ªfour points. The next eight arrows went much the same as the first two. I did scrape the inner yellow with one of them¡ªI was very proud of that one¡ªbut otherwise had a decently inconsistent spread all over the target.
Like the first time, the instructor waited until everyone was done shooting before he went to check the targets. With each target, he counted the points and pulled the arrows before announcing the point totals.
¡°38 points,¡± he called out for the first person¡ªone of the veterans.
¡°18 points,¡± came the call out for Alex¡¯s target.
Mine was next at 52 points. The second to last scored closer to Alex with 20 points. Finally, it was Micah¡¯s turn. His grouping looked¡ªfrom my vantage point, at least¡ªto be very similar to my own. With my own arrows gone, it was much harder to compare like for like. I looked at Micah. The smile on his face was faltering but still there. I could see that he knew it was going to be close between us.
¡°54 points,¡± the instructor called out after what felt like forever.
¡°Yeah!¡± Micah yelled, raising his arms in the air. ¡°I told you so!¡±
His friends¡ªLuke and another boy¡ªwent up to him and congratulated him. He turned to me and stuck his tongue out.
¡°Micah,¡± Adam said sternly, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be a gracious winner.¡±
That only got a token concession from the boy. His smug face was oh so very punchable. It took all my strength to take a deep breath. Then another. And one more for good measure. After all of that, I brought my anger to the point where I only wanted to figuratively punch him in the face.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
| A Real Robin Hood Complete
Reward: 50 Exp |
The thing that really calmed me down was the experience I gained from the competition. Although I hadn¡¯t won, I¡¯d done well enough. 50 experience for maybe twenty minutes of effort was a great rate. I certainly wouldn¡¯t complain!
It was two weeks later¡ªon another rainy-interrupted day¡ªwhen Mac discovered that his console had been stolen! We¡ªMac, Alex, and I¡ªhad played with it while waiting for a thunderstorm to pass. After that, we¡¯d gone to swim and then to dodge ball. While waiting for the game to start, Mac went to play a game, only to find the console wasn¡¯t in his pack.
¡°Adam!¡± Mac called to the head counselor.
¡°What¡¯s up, Mac?¡±
¡°My console¡¯s gone!¡±
¡°When did you last have it?¡± the counselor asked.
Mac and Adam discussed the missing item.
¡°Brian,¡± I heard Adam say, ¡°I¡¯m going to take Mac to look around the locker room for a missing item. I¡¯ll be back in ten minutes. Can you handle the game while I¡¯m gone?¡±
¡°Yeah, I got this,¡± he said.
For dodge ball, we were paired up against the other boys group of our age range. They had one extra person¡ªas Mac was out with Adam¡ªso one of their number was chosen to sit on the sidelines at the start of the game. I lined up on the left side with my right hand against the wall. When everyone was ready, the other group¡¯s counselor blew a whistle.
I charged the center where the balls were, as did almost everyone else. There were a few who hung back. I didn¡¯t know if that was fear or maybe they didn¡¯t trust their ability to get to a ball before the other team did. It didn¡¯t bother me. All it meant was less competition to get a ball.
I picked up a ball and kicked one behind me, hoping someone would pick it up. I backed up and readied the ball to block or to throw. The arena wasn¡¯t very big, so even the smallest kids would be able to chuck it hard enough to hit the back from the middle. Just as I found my target and prepared to throw, a ball whizzed my direction. I bounced it up and threw my ball as hard as I could at someone who was turned the other direction.
The ball I¡¯d thrown drilled the person I¡¯d aimed for. The person I hit began to walk to the side. I immediately turned to catch the ball I¡¯d popped up, but it hit the ground right as I looked for it. Instead, I picked it up and threw another laser at a different boy, knocking him out of the game as well. That was when a ball hit me in the back right after.
I jogged to the side. The game went on as I watched. The campers on both sides seemed reluctant to risk going for a catch¡ªcontent to throw at each other. Attrition mounted as time wore on. Michael had been dodging and not really throwing much for most of the match. It was no surprise, then, that he was the last one left on our side. Facing him were three boys.
As I was watching the four of them playing a game of cat-and-mouse, I saw Mac return with Adam. There were tears in his eyes. He sat next to me and I put an arm around him.
¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± he muttered. ¡°It was in my bag. It was in my bag. It¡¯s gone. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s gone.¡±
He kept repeating some variation of those words for a while. Adam came over to sit with us.
¡°Mac,¡± Adam said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep looking for it. If you see anything, let me or Brian know. We¡¯ll be passing the news along to the other counselors. Someone will find it.¡±
Adam smiled and put his hand on Mac¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Sorry, kid,¡± he added before he stepped away.
By the time Adam left, the dodge ball game was over. Michael had been peppered by two balls at the same time. With the game over, there was enough time for another. I didn¡¯t have a choice to play¡ªneither did Mac¡ªbut my heart wasn¡¯t in it. I got knocked out early on purpose.
While seated on the sidelines, I wondered if the system had anything that would help me track down where the console had ended up. I had my suspicions¡ªof course¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t do anything with those. I¡¯d need hard evidence. The only way I found that I might be able to help involved getting the Skills feature first. That was the only way to unlock any skills for tracking or similar functions.
My mind flicked back to the promise I¡¯d made myself several months in the past. I didn¡¯t want to unnecessarily waste experience. At the same time, was this not the perfect opportunity to give the system a test run? Experiencing how the system might work would give me valuable feedback for what features I¡¯d want to add¡ªespecially those that modified how other features operated.
I didn¡¯t rush forward into purchasing anything. I wanted to be absolutely sure that it was the right course of action before I took that path. There wasn¡¯t a way to undo and get back the experience I would be spending. A reset would take away the choices I¡¯d made that weren¡¯t locked in stone, but that experience would be gone forever¡ªspent to fuel my curiosity and the monsters.
During the wait for Grandpa Joe after dodge ball, I thought I¡¯d gotten over the itch¡ªI really didn¡¯t want to waste experience, even if the test run data would be invaluable. However, I saw the glint of something in Micah¡¯s bag that looked suspiciously like Mac¡¯s console. I figured it had been stolen¡ªwhich is why bringing the console to camp was a bad idea in my opinion¡ªhowever, it being stolen by one of the boys in the same group was rather depressing. At the same time, it being right there would make it easier to recover. I was pissed and wanted to do something about it.
In the car ride home, I decided to see what Grandpa Joe thought about it.
¡°So one of the kids stole my friend¡¯s gaming console,¡± I said.
¡°Oh really? Why didn¡¯t you take it back?¡± Grandpa asked.
¡°I only found out who had taken it right when you got me¡ otherwise I would have.¡±
¡°So why not talk to one of the counselors?¡±
¡°I might,¡± I hedged. ¡°I¡¯ll need to confirm it¡¯s still there, first. But after that, definitely. But once that¡¯s dealt with, I still need to stick up for my friend, you know?¡±''
¡°I did tell you to give ¡®im the what-for, didn¡¯t I?¡± he laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if fighting is the best way to settle it, but he probably wouldn¡¯t do it again with you around.¡±
¡°Probably not,¡± I laughed, before corralling my expression into a more serious one. ¡°I was considering using this as an opportunity for a dry run of the leveling part of the system.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that cost a lot?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s part of why I want to do it. I want to see what the system is capable of¡ maybe prove to myself that all of this¡ is real. The system, magic. All of that.¡±
I waved my hands around expressively.
¡°Hmm. What about the monsters?¡± Grandpa Joe asked.
¡°Should be fine. The costs for this aren¡¯t great. I might be able to get some more experience by doing it this way. I won¡¯t know until I try, you know?¡±
¡°I see. I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s a good idea. There are just too many unknowns. And, because there are so many unknowns¡ that¡¯s a good idea for giving it a try. Maybe squish a few of them along the way.¡±
Chapter 39
I didn¡¯t unlock anything until I was alone in my room. That gave me time to think about what I wanted to get. The first thing I did was to test Milestones III. I wanted to see if unlocking system stuff would give me experience¡ªthough the negative with quests I couldn¡¯t do was a downside. I wanted to see what it counted and cared about.
| Feature Unlocked: Milestones III
Current Exp: 131,513 |
| Milestone: Gained 1 Exp
Exp Gained: 1 |
| Milestone: Gained 10 Exp
Exp Gained: 2 |
| Milestone: Gained 100 Exp
Exp Gained: 4 |
| Milestone: Gained 1,000 Exp
Exp Gained: 8 |
| Milestone: Gained 10,000 Exp
Exp Gained: 16 |
| Milestone: Gained 100,000 Exp
Exp Gained: 32 |
| Milestone: Unlocked 1 Feature
Exp Gained: 1 |
| Milestone: Unlocked 10 Features
Exp Gained: 2 |
| Milestone: Unlocked 1 Feature Permanently
Exp Gained: 1 |
| Feature Unlocked: Leveling
Current Exp: 130,580 |
| Feature Unlocked: Leveling Speed Medium
Current Exp: 130,480 |
| Feature Unlocked: Skills I
Current Exp: 129,480 |
| Feature Unlocked: Skills II
Current Exp: 124,480 |
| Feature Unlocked: Skills III
Current Exp: 99,480 |
| Feature Unlocked: Mana
Current Exp: 99,380 |
| Feature Unlocked: Stamina
Current Exp: 99,280 |
| Feature Unlocked: Health
Current Exp: 99,180 |
| Feature Unlocked: Strength
Current Exp: 99,080 |
| Feature Unlocked: Intelligence
Current Exp: 98,980 |
| Feature Unlocked: Physical Agility
Current Exp: 98,880 |
| Feature Unlocked: Mental Agility
Current Exp: 98,780 |
| Feature Unlocked: Physical Fortitude
Current Exp: 98,680 |
| Feature Unlocked: Mental Fortitude
Current Exp: 98,580 |
With that out of the way, I tried to take a look at my stats through the system, but realized I hadn¡¯t unlocked that ability yet. I chose to do so permanently.
| Feature Unlocked: Logging I
Current Exp: 88,580 |
| Feature Unlocked: Logging II
Current Exp: 38,580 |
| Feature Unlocked: Status Screen Manipulation
Current Exp: 38,480 |
| Milestone: Unlocked 10 Features Permanently
Exp Gained: 2 |
With that accomplished, I was able to pull up my stat sheet.
| Level: 1
|
Tier: 1 |
Exp Next Level: 100 |
| Health: 100/100 |
Stamina: 85/100 |
Mana: 100/100 |
| Strength: 10
|
P. Agility: 10
|
P. Fortitude: 10
|
| Intelligence: 10
|
M. Agility: 10
|
M. Fortitude: 10
|
Now that I could see the numbers, I was¡ not underwhelmed but also not overwhelmed. I was mostly confused. I didn¡¯t know what they translated to in the grand scheme of things. Was 10 what everyone got? Was 10 the same for a child as it was for an adult or was that a relative 10? I had many questions and no answers. What I did have was access to skills for the first time. I considered which ones to buy to help me now with my Micah problem and which ones might help me in the longer term.
| Skill Purchased: Additional Experience I
Current Exp: 28,482 |
That skill gave an additional experience every time I got any sort of experience. For low-returning activities¡ªespecially the repetitive ones¡ªI would be increasing my experience gains by up to double! It cost an extra 10,000 experience, but I felt that was worthwhile. I would definitely get more back from all the quests and such. I was looking at more than a decade still. The math worked.
The math didn¡¯t work when it came to the more expensive versions of the skill¡ªnot that I could afford them even if I wanted to. The price for them was just too high to warrant picking them up even when I would be able to afford them.
| Skill Purchased: Identify
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.Current Exp: 27,482 |
| Skill Purchased: Tracking
Current Exp: 26,482 |
| Skill Purchased: Stealth
Current Exp: 25,482 |
I figured that the classic¡ªIdentify¡ªwould be a good idea. Given the current situation with Micah, Tracking and Stealth were good options. I wanted to see the strength of the skills and what the weaknesses of the system would be if I went this route. At least when it came to leveling and the skills system. I had a suspicion that I¡¯d need to make many changes to how they operated before I was happy with the progression of both. For now, though, I was content to leave it as it was.
The final thing I did¡ªbefore going to sleep for the night¡ªwas to level up a few times.
| Level Purchased
Current Exp: 25,382 |
| Level Purchased
Current Exp: 25,182 |
| Level Purchased
Current Exp: 24,782 |
| Level: 4 |
Tier: 1 |
Exp Next Level: 800 |
| Health: 250/250 |
Stamina: 235/250 |
Mana: 250/250 |
| Strength: 25 |
P. Agility: 25 |
P. Fortitude: 25 |
| Intelligence: 25 |
M. Agility: 25 |
M. Fortitude: 25 |
That left the damage I¡¯d done to the monster strength to check.
|
Average Monster Level: 9
Monster Strength Tier: 2
Exp To Next Tier: 91,340
Cumulative Monster Strength Bonuses: Average Monster Level +8, Monster Strength Tier +1
Next Tier: Average Monster Level +1
|
I sucked in a breath. I didn¡¯t know how much of a difference the monsters going up a tier would bring, but I was hopeful my choices would mitigate that issue before I let the apocalypse arrive. Tomorrow, I would test out the new skills and see about getting Mac¡¯s console back.
When I woke the next morning, I looked around my room. I used Identify.
| Object: Bed Frame
Tier: 0 |
I was unsure if the information I was getting was what I already knew or if it was telling me the truth of what was there. Using the skill cost me some mana¡ªten per use. I needed to pay attention to the recovery rates for the different resource stats. I also wanted to check how much of a difference 25 strength was as compared with 10 strength.
I walked downstairs and Identified Mom when I walked into the kitchen.
| Creature: Human
Level: 0
Tier: 0 |
That made some sense. I¡¯d purchased the featured for just myself, so Mom not having any level or tier was to be expected.
¡°Morning, Mom,¡± I yawned.
¡°Late night?¡± she teased.
I cracked a smile.
¡°Nah. Just testing some system stuff.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I decided to do a dry run of the leveling and skills and stats stuff. Get a feel for it so that when the time comes, I can make the best choices I can.¡±
¡°Why would you do that?¡± Mom asked with concern. ¡°What about the monsters?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll probably have to do this more than once so I can make sure it is done right. There¡¯s just too much I don¡¯t know that I can¡¯t really figure out without trying it out for myself.¡±
¡°Can you please talk to me or your father before you rush off to do something like this again?¡±
¡°I¡ª¡°
¡°Please? We¡¯re here for you. Just check in for a sanity check just in case next time?¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said.
I hadn¡¯t considered anyone but myself in all of this. Not really. After all, things would go back to what they were when I reset in a decade. Having a second set of eyes just to look over anything I might miss was welcome. It just hadn¡¯t been on my mind.
¡°Sorry,¡± I added.
¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she said, grabbing me in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡±
I hugged Mom back.
When I got to camp an hour later, I considered my options. The best opportunity for me to get the console back was during swimming. That was only true if Micah kept it on him and hadn¡¯t left it at home. Given his braggadocious nature, I guessed he was likely to want to show off his prize. That meant he would probably have brought it back.
If nabbing it at swimming wasn¡¯t going to work, then lunch time was the next best option. Since lunch happened before swimming, I planned on trying there first and falling back on swimming if it failed. I could have gone to the counselors¡ªand maybe I should have¡ªbut Mac was my friend. I wanted to take care of the problem on my own. There was more experience that way.
The first activity of the day was soccer. Unlike on Mondays, the game on Thursday morning had another group of boys as our opponents. Teams were set as seven on a side. Though I preferred to play on the defense, I was assigned as a midfielder instead. I grumbled at the extra running I would have to do.
The coin flip went our way. I jogged forward as Michael passed the ball my way. For some reason, the ball felt slow. It was also tailing behind me instead of meeting me where I was headed. I turned to call out to Michael¡ªthinking it was his fault. That¡¯s when it hit me. I was the problem!
The stats I¡¯d gained from leveling had made my jog faster than my run had been just a day ago! I slowed to a walk. It was hard to consciously regulate my speed let along do so instinctively. I jogged backwards a little to meet up with the ball. I tried to dribble forward. Every light tap was much stronger than I thought it would be. I gave up at that point and gave the ball a good punt in the direction of the goal. If I had way too much strength, maybe I would be able to sco¡ªit sailed over the goal by a good ten feet.
I shook my head in disgust. While I was unable to score, I was an absolute menace on defense. With my speed and agility, none of the boys on the other team could get past me. I was a wall. I tried to gently pass the ball to a teammate every time I stole it from the other team. I got better at controlling my newfound strength as the game wore on. I was sad when I was benched to give someone else time to play. We won, but the other team scored when I wasn¡¯t there to stop them.
When lunch came, I ate with Mac and the others. I glanced at Micah a few times. He stuck by his bag the whole time, even taking it with him to the bathroom. I guessed it took a thief to know how a thief might act. That made lunch a bust.
Next was swimming¡ªmy real chance. I changed into my swim trunks and took note of where Micah stashed his bag. I¡¯d either need an excuse or I¡¯d have to be really sneaky to get back without anyone noticing me.
I heard the gate to the big pool close behind me. I knew that sneaking out with Stealth was out of the question. I¡¯d have to try a different tactic. That¡¯s when I had the idea of asking one of the counselors at my pool to take me to the changing room so that I could get something I forgot. Mac had told me a few times that he had an extra pair of swim goggles. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d mind if I borrowed them for an hour if that meant he had his console back.
¡°Excuse me,¡± I said to a woman in her late teens.
She was one of the counselors for the eight-year-old girls.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked.
¡°I left my goggles in the changing room, can I go get them real quick?¡±
¡°Uh, hold on.¡±
The counselor went and talked with one of the others before coming back to me.
¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡±
I led the way out of the pool area and to the changing rooms.
¡°I¡¯ll be right out here,¡± she said.
¡°Thanks.¡±
I went inside and beelined for Micah¡¯s bag. I opened it and dug through it. Though it took a little bit of effort¡ªTracking helping me a lot¡ªI found what I was after. I plucked it from the back and put everything back the way it was. Then I found Mac¡¯s bag next to my stuff. I fished the extra pair of goggles out and put his console in its place before rushing outside.
¡°Got it,¡± I said, showing the counselor Mac¡¯s goggles.
We walked back to the pool with her being none the wiser as to what I had done¡ªat least, I hoped so.
The rest of the my time in the pool went swimmingly. I had the chance to break the good news to Mac when I gave him back his goggles on the way to our next activity.
¡°Mac,¡± I said quietly.
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°I borrowed your goggles,¡± I said, handing them back to him.
He looked surprised.
¡°Please don¡¯t jump or yell,¡± I continued, ¡°but I got your console back from Micah. I had to use your goggles as an excuse to get it back for you. Sorry.¡±
¡°Wh¡ªThank you!¡± Mac exclaimed way too loudly.
¡°Please don¡¯t yell,¡± I said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want him knowing you have it back. I¡¯d leave it at home next time, just in case.¡±
¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± he said. ¡°I¡ªmy parents punished me for losing it. Thanks.¡±
¡°No problem, Mac.¡±
I smiled. I hadn¡¯t gotten Micah back for what he¡¯d done, but at least everything was as it should be. The experience wasn¡¯t half bad either.
Chapter 40
The rest of the summer slipped by. I enjoyed the second session of the summer camp more than the first. Mac returned, as did Micah¡ªthough he ended up in the other group. My increased stats allowed me to excel in the physical activities. The ones that needed finer control¡ªlike art¡ªsuffered. It was a struggle to use as the right amount of force to do what I wanted. I was happy to note that I didn¡¯t break anything at least. By the time I went to school, I was finally used to my increased stats.
I signed up for classes between the two sessions of camp. I didn¡¯t have as good luck with getting the best professors¡ªthere was just too much competition and I didn¡¯t get to pick until hours after everyone else¡ªbut I thought I did decently well. The early morning classes wouldn¡¯t be super fun. However, I was young and could handle waking up early if I needed to.
Dad and I drove to the school. He helped me set up my private dorm with everything I would need for the year. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be moving out until I graduated, but Dad insisted I treat the place like I would move out after the year was up. I was oh so thankful that the dorm had air conditioning¡ªthe heat of the late summer was unbearable otherwise.
¡°Thanks for coming to move me in,¡± I said to Dad when we were done.
¡°Not a problem, kiddo,¡± he smiled. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already going away to college!¡±
¡°I hope there¡¯s less of a fuss about me here than there was at the last place,¡± I laughed.
¡°Eh, I wouldn¡¯t put it past the journalists to try running a story about you again. Just be careful, ok?¡±
¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Dad said, searching through one of the bags. ¡°Your mother and I got you a cell phone. I know you¡¯ll probably be busy studying, but don¡¯t be a stranger.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll call,¡± I promised.
¡°Good,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Do you want to grab something to eat with your old man before I go?¡±
¡°Sure. I think I¡¯m covered but not sure if you¡¯re counted in that or not.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll pay if I need to,¡± he shrugged.
We exited the dorm together and crossed the street. His large hand held mine snugly and warmly as we walked. The cafeteria was a flat modern building that extended out onto stilts where the mountain dropped away. Glass windows wrapped most of the building, giving wonderful views of the campus below.
Immediately upon entering the building, we were stopped by the person running the payment booth. Dad was prepared to pay to cover himself, but it turned out that the plan Connor had set up for me covered a handful of extra meals for family or friends¡ªor me if I found myself hungry in-between meals for whatever reason. Once I¡¯d swiped my student ID twice¡ªwhich garnered an odd look from the person at the payment booth¡ªwe entered the cafeteria proper.
The area to get food was broken up into two section. The first section was where we got our trays and plates along with all of the main course options. The second held most of the sides, the drinks, utensils, and other such items. The selection of the food looked amazing¡ªbut the quality left something to be desired. I went with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some veggies. Dad chose to test the roast but otherwise we had similar sides.
When we had what we wanted, Dad led me into the next room to find an open table. The room had diner-style booths running a ring around the room. In the middle were many tables that sat anywhere from two to ten people. I suggested we take one of the booths at the far end that had a good view. I sat down and looked out the window.
The sun had just set so the sky was brimming with a rainbow of colors¡ªfrom bright golds and reds fading into dark blues and purples where night held sway. The illuminated lamps of the campus gave the place a quaint village feel. It was quite homey.
¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it,¡± Dad commented.
¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed.
We ate in silence for a while.
¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± he said. ¡°I know this is all probably old hat to you, but I¡¯m proud of you for going to college. I want you to know that.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± I said with a smile.
¡°You know, I tried to go to college when I was your age,¡± he began.
¡°But you got in trouble with the law and dropped out.¡±
¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want to see you make the same mistakes I did. I regret not finishing, even now.¡±
¡°You could always go back and finish,¡± I suggested.
¡°Maybe¡ There¡¯s just no money for it, even if I thought it would work out.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Dad shook his head.
¡°Maybe I could help you out next reset.¡±
¡°Oh, are you planning on memorizing the stock market?¡±
¡°Yeah. And sports betting, too. The lack of money has forced me down this path¡ªgoing to college and getting all the attention I don¡¯t really want.¡±
He nodded.
We talked more while we ate. When I was done, I opted to have a single scoop of ice cream¡ªDad had to get it for me since I couldn¡¯t reach. Then it was back to the dorm and time to say good bye.
My stomach¡ªnow full¡ªwas twisting itself in knots. I was excited to be on my own. To not have anyone looking over my shoulder while I did whatever quests popped up. At the same time, I loved my parents and would miss them both. When I thought about the resets I¡¯d have to do, I felt a sense of dread. I knew I¡¯d have to make some tough decisions regarding them that would hurt me a lot. I had considered pushing them away emotionally for that eventuality, but I just couldn¡¯t.
I cried into Dad¡¯s stomach. He held me tightly and rubbed my head.
¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve got a phone and can call me anytime.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I sniffled.
Though he didn¡¯t understand what I was actually crying about¡ªand I wasn¡¯t going to educate him about it¡ªI was glad that he had my back. I knew Mom did as well. He waved to me as I shut the door behind him. I twisted the deadbolt closed. Just in case.
The dorm was fairly quiet. The sounds I could hear came from students loudly chatting as they came to and from the cafeteria. I could hear nothing through the shared walls on either side. In my bedroom at the back of the dorm, I couldn¡¯t hear the loud students anymore. In that peace, I broke out my laptop to work on some quests and check out what else I needed to complete before I was ready for classes on Monday.
I needed the textbooks from the book store, but otherwise I was good to go. And even then, those textbooks were covered by the stipend Connor had extended to me. It was run off of my student ID like nearly everything else. The only issue I was going to have was hauling them back up to the dorm. The book store was at the bottom of the hill near to where the admin building was.
The next morning¡ªSunday¡ªI woke up just after dawn. I took a shower and got dressed before my stomach decided it needed breakfast. Now.
I exited the dorm, stuffing the key into my shorts. I turned left then right in preparation of crossing the street. As I turned right, I saw a young girl who appeared to be of a similar age standing with a man and a woman who I figured were her parents in front of the dorm next to mine. She waved when she saw me. I waved back. That got the attention of the dad, who pointed me out to the mom. The three of them walked towards me.
¡°Hello,¡± the mom said when they approached.
¡°Hi,¡± I said nervously.
¡°Are you our neighbor?¡± the girl asked.
¡°I think so?¡± I said, unsure.
¡°Well, I think you are,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Julia, what¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°Eddy,¡± I said.
¡°Are you waiting for your parents?¡± the mom asked.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Are they already in the cafeteria?¡±
¡°No. I¡ª¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out on your own,¡± she cautioned.
¡°I¡¯m a student,¡± I managed to get out.
¡°Are you now?¡± she said with a raised eyebrow.
¡°Yup. Got an ID and everything.¡±
I pulled it from my pocket and showed her.
¡°Well I¡¯ll be!¡± she exclaimed.
¡°Can he come eat with us?¡± Julia asked.
¡°But you just met him?¡± the dad questioned.
She shrugged off the question.
¡°Please?¡± she asked.
The dad looked at the mom, who nodded.
¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°I guess we could look out for him while his parents are away.¡±
I gave the woman a questioning look. I mean, my parents weren¡¯t coming back except for holidays and stuff. They weren¡¯t the ones going to college. I was. Still, I didn¡¯t mind the company. Making a temporary friend in college was a good idea so I wouldn¡¯t be lonely¡ªand so I wouldn¡¯t be as reliant on my parents¡¯ presence in my life. The resets. I shivered just thinking about them.
I paid for my breakfast with my ID. The four of us reconvened at a larger booth near where I¡¯d sat with Dad the previous night.
¡°So which one of you is the student?¡± I asked when everyone was seated.
¡°We both are,¡± the mom said.
I raised an eyebrow.
¡°Yeah,¡± the dad agreed. ¡°I¡¯m finishing my undergrad in electrical engineering while she¡¯s working on her masters in chemistry.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m studying business administration. I think. I haven¡¯t chosen a focus yet, but I¡¯m leaning that way. I still have a year left to decide.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have two years?¡± the mom asked.
¡°I¡¯m a sophomore,¡± I corrected, ¡°so only one year left for me.¡±
¡°Wow!¡± she said.
¡°Eddy¡¯s smart, right?¡± Julia asked.
¡°Seems like it, Julie,¡± the dad said.
I blushed from the attention. Then I got an idea to make a little money on the side while also giving me someone my age to talk to sometimes.
¡°Do you need someone to keep Julia company while you¡¯re both in classes?¡± I asked.
¡°We do,¡± the mom said. ¡°Are you offering?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Aww, that¡¯s so kind,¡± she said. ¡°Unfortunately we don¡¯t know you well enough yet. And you¡¯re pretty young, too. Let me and my husband talk about it first, ok?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
¡°Can I still play with him, mommy?¡± Julia asked.
¡°Of course. Just while we¡¯re around to watch.¡±
Julia smiled. We all chatted while eating breakfast. I learned that Julia really wanted a dog but that family circumstances¡ªthem all being in the family dorms¡ªprevented them from having one. I also learned the names of the parents: Allison¡ªAly for short¡ªand Greg. Just Greg.
Aly had been worried for me being all alone and apologized for how strongly she¡¯d reacted. She just wanted to make sure I was safe.
¡°I lost my younger brother when he was about your age,¡± she told me. ¡°He was run over by a car.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°That must had been hard.¡±
¡°Thanks. Yeah. I miss him even if it¡¯s hard to remember his face. It was a long time ago.¡±
When breakfast was over, Greg asked what I was up to for the rest of the day. When they learned I was going to the book store, they decided to tag along. Well, Julia decided to drag her parents and follow me.
While I wasn¡¯t totally sure why she had attached herself to me, I could guess. She was young and didn¡¯t really have anyone to hang with that was her age. I learned she would be going to school¡ªfirst grade¡ªin a few weeks. I hoped that she¡¯d find some more friends there.
The hike down the hill to the book store wasn¡¯t bad. It was a cramped and dusty place filled with books and all sorts of items emblazoned with the school name and colors. I found the books I needed¡ªsix in total¡ªand paid for them at the front of the store. I mentally thanked Connor for the stipend. Fifteen-hundred bucks for six books was an absolute robbery. I was oh so glad I wasn¡¯t going to be on the hook for it.
Chapter 41
After a week of classes, I considered my situation. The university had almost everything I needed to get my quests done every day. From a pool and a gym to solid wifi for puzzles and arithmetic, I was well equipped. The classes weren¡¯t too bad¡ªafter explaining who I was to the professors that is. I was getting solid experience from the classes¡ªmore than I had at the community college. I had a hunch that it was from just how much I was learning and relearning.
Like with the community college, the main problem I faced was being a news story. Unlike back then, I didn¡¯t have any parental figured to run interference for me. Thankfully, the campus itself gave some protection from the bigger news organizations. The only one that was intent on getting an interview with me was the school newspaper. I weighed the positives and negatives of actually granting their request before giving in with some stipulations. I forbade them from publishing my name or likeness. That would do a lot to prevent other outlets from latching on and running their own stories¡ªand bothering me again.
We agreed to meet at the cafeteria across from my dorm between classes at a time when there would be fewer other students around. An hour before lunch was what we came to after some back-and-forth. I picked one of the booths out of the way and sent a text to my newspaper contact.
While I waited for them to arrive, I started eating my lunch. There were two reasons I ultimately decided to do the interview for. The first¡ªand most obvious¡ªwas to get the story out of the way. Get the local fame done and over with so I could focus on studying. The other reason was to use the newspaper to promote my writing. Even if it didn¡¯t move the needle much, I hoped to get the message out there with a well-crafted interview.
I considered practicing for it and even tried talking to myself a bit. However, I gave that up quickly. I trusted myself enough to think quickly when the time came. Plus, I was supposed to be six years old. They¡¯d cut me some slack¡ªI hoped they would, anyways.
I saw two students looking around the room, looking lost. I waved to them, guessing they were the ones I was going to talk to. They both came over and sat across from me. They were both women¡ªone taller and pudgier while the other was shorter and skinnier.
¡°Hello,¡± the taller woman said. ¡°Are you Eddy?¡±
¡°I am,¡± I answered.
¡°It¡¯s good to meet you face to face,¡± she said. ¡°My name is Laura. My partner here is Jess.¡±
Laura extended her hand to shake, so that¡¯s what I did. I shook Jess¡¯ hand next.
¡°So we¡¯re here to interview you,¡± Jess began. ¡°You¡¯re the youngest student this university has ever had¡ªand it¡¯s not even close. We¡¯re excited to have you here!¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said.
¡°I understand that you¡¯re in your second year this year. Where did you transfer from?¡± Laura asked.
¡°I went to my local community college last year. It was affordable and close to home.¡±
¡°I see,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°And what are you studying?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure which track yet, but I¡¯m leaning towards business administration.¡±
¡°Why that major in particular?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been considering what I can do as a child when I graduate. It¡¯s going to be hard to get a job until I¡¯m much older, so I thought I¡¯d start my own business while I have the safety of my parents to fall back on.¡±
While Laura and I were talking, Jess was furiously tapping notes down on her phone.
¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°Why did you choose our university over the many others?¡±
¡°Again, money,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The dean of the community college knew one of the deans here. That got me in the door. My, uhhh, novelty got me a full ride scholarship offer. Because of that, I chose to study here.¡±
¡°Jess, you want to ask a couple while I grab us some water?¡± Laura asked.
¡°Sure.¡±
Laura stood up and left Jess and I alone.
¡°Outside of studying, what do you do for fun? Have any hobbies?¡±
¡°I write stories,¡± I said. ¡°I also grow things with my Dad and grandfather. He¡¯s got a large plot of land set aside as a garden, so I help him.¡±
¡°He?¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. My grandfather.¡±
¡°That¡¯s ok,¡± she smiled. ¡°Anything else?¡±
¡°I am very active¡ªrunning, walking, playing. Those kinds of things.¡±
She nodded.
Laura returned. She placed a full cup of ice water in front of each of us. I thanked her, as did Jess.
¡°What¡¯d I miss?¡± Laura asked.
¡°Hobbies,¡± Jess said before whispering into Laura¡¯s ear.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
I saw Laura¡¯s face light up.
¡°So you write too!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s really cool.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I was hoping the school newspaper might feature some of it from time to time, if you¡¯ll let me.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± she answered. ¡°Just need to submit it to the editor, right Jess?¡±
¡°Yeah. Include a note saying it¡¯s from you¡ªas in your name and age and stuff. That¡¯ll make it stand out more.¡±
¡°Nothing too long,¡± Laura added with a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re not printing books here!¡±
¡°Good to know,¡± I smiled.
The questions continued. The two women asked about my background¡ªwhere I was from, what my parents did, when I started reading, when I learned math, etc¡ªand anything else they could think of. The interview went on for half an hour. By the time it concluded, the first students were trickling in for their noon-time meal.
¡°Thank-you for your time,¡± Jess said, offering her hand.
¡°Likewise,¡± I said shaking it.
I shook Laura¡¯s hand next. Then they left me alone. I had another hour-and-a-half before my next class. In that time, I nibbled on the rest of my lunch and got some studying done.
The fallout from the article wasn¡¯t as bad as I feared it might have been. It made me a minor celebrity on campus for a few weeks before it died down. Withholding my name and image had done a lot to keep the vultures away¡ªor so Jess told me after I¡¯d sent my first piece for her to look at for publication in the paper.
The two short stories I¡¯d written¡ªcomplete with links to some of my other work¡ªdrummed up readers for the apocalypse story. While not a huge number, it helped to spread the ideas. Or so I hoped. There still weren¡¯t any other stories like it, but I thought they might be coming with more time and exposure.
After a handful of weeks playing with Julia and hanging out with her parents, I got a side-gig watching her after school during the week. The pay was pretty bad, but I accepted as a way to spend time with someone my age. Activities like tag and video games were our go-tos. That time every day was a fun mental break and I felt it helped me stay on track with my studies.
The school work wasn¡¯t difficult, but it was voluminous. I spent several hours every week for all six classes I was taking. That left me with little free time to work on quests. Even so, I still managed to finish most of my quests every day. The ease of access to all sorts of facilities helped tremendously. As did the skill that gave me an extra experience for each thing I did. Every class I attended? One more experience. Every quest completed? One more experience. It added up. All told, it gave me another 10% more experience¡ªeven when accounting for the dead-end quests I sometimes got courtesy of Milestones III.
Julia¡¯s parents offered to take all of us to a corn maze. Without any transportation of my own¡ªpublic transit excluded since I couldn¡¯t go alone¡ªI was stuck to where I could walk. The campus was the safest place for me, too. Going off the campus would be a risk without having a companion, so I didn¡¯t. This was my first real opportunity to get away. I accepted.
I sat with Julia in their minivan. The farm was close to the campus¡ªin the valley on the other side of the mountain. It didn¡¯t look like a real working farm to me. No, it was the kind of place that made its money from tourism instead of selling produce. It was expansive insofar as tourist-focused farms went. The farm had far more than just a corn maze. There were places to pick pumpkins, slides, carnival games, and a hayride.
I jumped out of the minivan as soon as we were parked. Julia followed me. Her parents took up the rear. Parking was free but the tickets were not. The entrance fee¡ªwhich they insisted on paying for¡ªwasn¡¯t terrible. It covered almost everything inside the farm.
¡°Where do you want to go first?¡± Greg asked me and Julia.
¡°Hayride!¡± Julia exclaimed.
I shrugged. I had no preference.
¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go! LET¡¯S GO!!¡± Julia bounced.
She ran off. I jogged to keep up. Her parents were out of breath just trying to stay with us. There was a line waiting for the next ride, so we queued in it and waited.
The tractor pulling the hayride came five minutes later. It was stuffed with people holding pumpkins. I waited for them to get off and for the people in front of us to climb onto the trailer. When it was my turn, I hopped up the steps and found an open seat on one of the hay bales. Julia sat with her parents across from me. The attendant came up the steps to chain the gap closed.
¡°Keep your arms inside at all times,¡± he said. ¡°Enjoy the ride.¡±
The attendant walked up to the tractor and signaled that it was time to go. The engine revved. The trailer lurched forward. Julia¡¯s arms flailed and Aly caught her before she could tip over into the person next to her. Aly gave her daughter a hug and a kiss before Julia waved her off.
The tractor pulled us along a narrow path through the woods. There were small fields on the other side of the trees separated by a large pond. On the other side¡ªa little ahead of us¡ªwas a wooden shack that looked like it wasn¡¯t in good shape. As we approached the shack, a metal bar swung out with bats and spiders on it.
Julia screamed while I laughed¡ªI¡¯d seen it coming. She glared at me when she calmed down only for the next creepy crawly scare to jump out from behind one of the trees. There were two more jump scares on the way to the pumpkin patch. I thought it was great. Julia and many of the other children were not impressed.
When we got to the pumpkin patch, another attendant let us off the trailer. We searched around for a while before selecting the best pumpkins we could. A quick ride back on the hayride¡ªno scares this time¡ªand a jaunt to the minivan to drop the pumpkins off, we were ready for the next activity.
¡°Let¡¯s do the corn maze,¡± I suggested.
It was the reason we¡¯d originally come, after all.
¡°Sure!¡± Julia agreed.
Like before, she led the way. The corn maze was on the other side of the farm from where the hayride had been. It was a well-worn trail with many twists and turns through row after row of corn. In the center of the maze was a large pile of dirt with a slide on it. A tall flagpole in the same clearing made the goal visible from the outside.
Julia entered first with me walking behind her. She took random routes and got lost very quickly. I could sense her growing frustration.
¡°Pick a direction and keep turning that way,¡± I suggested. ¡°Left or right at every turn. We¡¯ll eventually get there that way.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked.
¡°Definitely.¡±
She nodded and picked left as that was the direction we had generally been going. That way, we would be less likely to retrod the same paths. Turn after turn, she kept to the plan. Even so, I thought she might not fully believe me. Her parents were talking amongst themselves, oblivious to everything else. Sure, they looked our direction from time to time and generally followed us, but they were much more interested in each other.
¡°Look!¡± Julia exclaimed, pointing at the hill with the slide in front of us. ¡°I found it!¡±
¡°Good job,¡± I said.
I raced her up to the top slide. I won handily¡ªthose stats were useful when I needed them. The two of us slid down and raced up for at least an hour before she grew tired of the slide. It was time to move on to the next thing.
We made it back to the campus an hour before dinner.
¡°Thanks for having me,¡± I said to Julia¡¯s parents.
¡°Oh, it was no trouble,¡± Aly smiled. ¡°You kept Julia busy for us¡ª¡±
¡°¡ªand that was worth every penny!¡± Greg finished.
They both laughed.
Julia was still napping in her seat. I waved goodbye to them and returned to my dorm.
Chapter 42
My first semester went well. I went home for winter break and returned after the new year for the start of the spring semester. I marked my second year back in the past with an extra scoop of ice cream.
It was around that time where I noticed a few stories being written that looked like they¡¯d taken inspiration from mine. That didn¡¯t mean I was going to stop my own story, but it meant that there was at least some interest in the ideas I¡¯d brought up. That they would one day be real was besides the point. It was a test¡ªor so I told myself after it became clear that it was a commercial flop¡ªand I wanted to see how much that would be able to influence the eventual outcome.
At the end of my second semester at the university, two things happened. The first was that I had to choose my concentration officially. I went with business administration since I was leaning that way. That I would have to create a business with some engineering students as a long-term project solidified my choice.
The second was that Julia and her family were graduating and moving out. I cried and hugged them all the day they left. Though it had been a short time, they were good people. It had been fun to have people I could somewhat relate to nearby to hang with.
Unlike them, I was allowed to stay in the same dorm over the summer and into the next year. I went home for a while to spend time with my parents and grandparents. Instead of going to a day camp, I spent a handful of weeks split between everyone.
I returned to the university two weeks before everyone else. That gave me enough time to get all of my textbooks and other items for classes in a relaxed fashion. Without the mass of students yet to come, the campus was surprisingly quiet and relaxing. It felt great to let loose when there weren¡¯t people around to watch me. The big negative were the closed cafeterias. Mom and Dad helped me go shopping for enough prepared and frozen meals to get me through the couple weeks until classes started.
In the first week of the semester, I got an email from the professors in charge of the interdepartmental project. Attached was a list of everyone participating, their major, and contact information. Along with that was a document containing the assigned groups. I looked through them for my name and found the two people I would be working with were Martin¡ªa computer scientist¡ªand Dinesh¡ªan electrical engineer. I shot off an email to both of them requesting a time and place to meet.
After some back-and-forth¡ªduring which Martin tried to get us to meet at one of the local bars¡ªwe agreed to meet at the library after classes. I arrived early. Though I¡¯d been to the library a few times, I¡¯d never really looked at it. It was of the same sort of Gothic architecture as the rest of the campus¡¯ oldest buildings. It was¡ªin the simplest sense¡ªa temple of learning complete with stained glass windows running from top to bottom along the sides of the building. The bulk of the building was cut stone left in its naturally gray state.
I went inside though the heavy wooden doors. The library had two floors with a grand staircase in the middle. The wood of the bookshelves, railings, and other fixtures inside looked positively ancient. They were all nearly polished in a way that gave the place a warm and homey feeling. I secured one of the private booths to wait for my partners. I sent them a text with where I was.
While I waited, I used the time as best I could. That meant completing what homework I could. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to wait too long before I heard the door open. I looked up and saw a man with a dark mustache and tanned skin enter. His face twisted in confusion upon seeing me. I waved.
¡°Dinesh?¡± I guessed.
¡°Yes?¡± he said hesitantly.
¡°Hi. I¡¯m Milton, but I go by my middle name: Eddy.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± he said, still confused.
¡°We¡¯re partners in the project with¡ Martin?¡±
I had to look the name up to be sure.
¡°But you¡¯re¡¡± he began.
¡°A child? Yeah, I know. The school paper ran a story about me last year¡ not sure if you read it.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t. But I do remember hearing a rumor about a really young student. I guess that was you?¡±
¡°Probably?¡±
Dinesh shrugged and sat down across from me. We talked about the classes we were taking and joked about some of the professors. I learned that we¡¯d actually taken some of the same courses together but with different professors.
Martin wandered in ten minutes later. I¡¯d considered getting started without him, but Dinesh said we should wait a bit longer. The man was clean shaven with blond hair. He stood at the doorway looking at the two of us.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± he said. ¡°Who¡¯s the kid?¡±
¡°Our partner,¡± Dinesh said.
¡°What the hell, man! Can¡¯t go to a bar because of a kid.¡±
I heard him grumble some more under his breath. What he said was not nice. I don¡¯t think he understood that I could hear him. Elevated stats were usually a good thing, but I didn¡¯t need them to tell me that he was an asshole.
¡°I can hear you,¡± I said.
¡°Well good for you!¡±
¡°Are you going to be our partner or do we need to kick you out before the project even begins?¡± I asked while rolling my eyes.
This¡ªwhile more overt¡ªwas exactly why I disliked group projects. There was always that person. The person who didn¡¯t pull their weight or somehow screwed up everything to the detriment of the group as a whole. I was thankful that I¡¯d done IT for a living in my past. Though I didn¡¯t know how to program particularly well, I was sure I could figure it out if we had to kick him out and couldn¡¯t get a replacement.
¡°I¡¯m going to transfer or do the project next year if I can¡¯t,¡± he declared and left.
I looked at Dinesh, stunned.
¡°Well, that happened,¡± I said.
¡°Mhm,¡± he agreed.
With nothing better to do besides start planning for the project to be the two of us, we got to work. We both threw out ideas of what we could do. Eventually, we settled on making a water recirculator for salt water aquariums. Dinesh had one back home.
¡°The challenge with salt water is that it corrodes electronics,¡± he said. ¡°I have to replace those things every year or two because they keep failing. What if we could make something better? I think it would sell pretty well, right?¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± I cautioned. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ll have to figure out¡ªthe logistics, business plan, and all of that stuff. While I do that, you¡¯ll have to make it work and we can do the testing to find out if it¡¯s better than what¡¯s already out there¡ and also make sure there aren¡¯t any patents we¡¯d be stepping on by doing this.¡±
¡°True. I¡¯m going to do some research. I¡¯ll email you when I have an idea so we can meet up again.¡±
¡°Sure. I¡¯ll start on the market analysis.¡±
Dinesh nodded and left.
Over the next two weeks, I threw together a basic business plan and did a quick survey of the competition, pricing, and qualities of the products available. I sent that over in an email to Dinesh who replied that he had an idea of what to do but needed another week to do some testing before meeting with me again in person.
During that time, I also received an email from one of the professors in charge that Martin had dropped out and wouldn¡¯t be helping us. Because of the requirements of the project, that meant his portion would need to be divided between me and Dinesh. There were other dropouts but not enough to move groups around without leaving someone all alone.
I was somewhat surprised that the System hadn¡¯t given me a quest for the project. It usually did with bigger things. The only reason I could guess that it hadn¡¯t was because the project was required for me to complete my studies and was graded. That grade was already reflected in another quest and doubling that up might be against the way the System worked¡ªand something I had no control over. I¡¯d checked several times.
Classes were more intense in my third year of college. Correspondingly, so too was the reward of experience for every class I went to. It wasn¡¯t a big increase¡ªjust a couple of experience per class¡ªbut it added up. I was nearing 200,000 experience saved up. While not quite enough to purchase anything I really wanted¡ªand not before I talked it out with my parents¡ªI was glad to see it pile up nonetheless.
Dinesh and I met at one of the other cafeterias on campus. He¡ªa junior like me¡ªwas living off-campus with friends. Since I couldn¡¯t really leave campus to meet him there, we met just before the dinner rush. It was the least used cafeteria on campus, which meant a lot more freedom for us to talk without being bothered by others.
¡°So,¡± Dinesh said showing me stacks of paper, ¡°my idea was to use magnets to get around the corrosion problem.¡±
He showed me a diagram of having the motor outside of the tank with magnets to turn something inside the tank. The parts inside would be inert with respect to the salt water, which meant anything sensitive¡ªthe motor and electronics¡ªwould be safely on the other side of the glass.
¡°That¡¯s a pretty good idea,¡± I said. ¡°What about the programming requirements?¡±
Dinesh shrugged.
¡°I figure we can throw in an oh-two sensor or something like that to turn the motor on and off as needed.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad to do,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe a salinity or temperature probe would be good additions?¡±
¡°Why not. Who¡¯ll handle the programming?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I said. ¡°You focus on making the thing work physically and I¡¯ll do the programming and the research portion.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll send updates by email. I hope we can have everything ready by the end of this semester¡ then use next semester for the paper and data collecting.¡±
I shrugged. It didn¡¯t bother me either way. His portion would be more time consuming than mine¡ªat least it would have taken me more time to do his.
Working with Dinesh was honestly great. Without Martin to cause problems, we worked pretty well together. I did my patent research and finished the business plan insofar as the initial design was concerned. I¡¯d have to do a few edits when it was actually a working prototype.
Between school work, the project, and the quests, I was always on the go. It was beginning to wear me down. Even the week off after midterms wasn¡¯t nearly enough time to decompress before the pressure started back up again. I understood why many people found college difficult to complete when working a job at the same time. To me, the daily quests were another job.
Junior year was also the time many people looked for internships for summer break. I was not one of them. Not only would I not have the time, but I really needed a break from the grind. I called my parents one after the other to get ideas for what to do in the summer. Dad suggested working with him¡ªwhich got shot down right away. Then Mom pointed out that it might be fun to go hiking with Grandpa Joe for a week. I decided that sounded like a good idea. It would be fun to learn more from him before he kicked the bucket in a few years.
Chapter 43
I met up with Dinesh a week before finals to see where we were for the project and what still needed to be done. I was done with my business plan and with the logistics around sourcing materials or outsourcing manufacturing. The numbers weren¡¯t amazing¡ªwhich really meant that while the whole thing was a fun exercise, it wasn¡¯t an actually strong plan long-term.
¡°I have the prototype working,¡± Dinesh said, showing me video of it working.
The thing was a mess of wires and clamps. The inside of the tank was filled with water and the impeller inside was being turned by a motor on the outside. He used dye to show the motion of the water.
¡°So the next would be the probes, right?¡± I asked.
¡°Yes. I ordered them but they haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡±
¡°How long ago was that?¡±
¡°A month, maybe?¡± he shrugged.
¡°That¡¯s a problem,¡± I pointed out. ¡°We¡¯re going to face issues if those don¡¯t come in soon.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± he declared.
I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to step in, but it was on my radar. I¡¯d been part of enough team projects to know that this was something that happened more often than not. I¡¯d give it another month before I ordered the part myself sine I was the one who would have to do the programming.
¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°What about making a nicer stand for it? Like 3D-print something for the impeller and another bit for the motor outside?¡±
Dinesh shrugged.
¡°I¡¯ll try to make something.¡±
After we said bye and went our separate ways, I sent him the files of what I¡¯d been working on. Aside from some minor changes like pictures and such, I was effectively done with the business portion of the project. I was very nervous about the programming part. That was somewhat mitigated by the fact that I could always ask one of the professors or maybe some students for help with it.
My fears were well founded. After the finals¡ªwhich I did well in¡ªand winter break, I came back to learn that the sensors had still not arrived. I didn¡¯t blame Dinesh outwardly, but I knew he dropped the ball somewhere along the line¡ªwhether that was due to his incompetence, shipping delays, or poor choice of manufacturer. Regardless of the reason, I ordered some sensors from a reputable domestic shop that would arrive in two weeks.
Despite the problems with the sensors, he had created a well-designed stand to hold all of the components both inside the tank and outside it. He thought ahead and made everything adjustable to allow for little changes without having to remake the parts.
When the sensors arrived two weeks later, Dinesh helped me connect all the parts together so I could begin my final portion of the work. While I did so, I asked that he make a first draft of our report.
The programming¡ªwhile difficult to get started¡ªturned out to not be too much of a problem. With some free weekends and lots of testing, I got all of the sensors functioning with the controller. That also allowed me to program in settings for the motor depending on what the sensors picked up. Using the sensors, I was able to grab a bunch of data. Everything from the efficiency of the magnetically-driven impeller to how much the speed of the impeller affects¡ªor didn¡¯t affect¡ªthe other variables.
I sent all that information to Dinesh when I had finished. He suggested we meet in the lab to go over what had been done and what still needed doing. I agreed.
¡°Show me what you did,¡± Dinesh said when we were seated in front of the aquarium tank.
I used my laptop to connect to the controller and went through all of the functions and data outputs.
¡°Wow,¡± he said, impressed. ¡°You did a lot there. Any idea what we might do for a routine to show it off when we have to present?¡±
¡°We have to present?¡± I asked, my heart leaping into my throat.
¡°Yeah. Ten minutes per person.¡±
¡°I have¡ no idea,¡± I admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it because I didn¡¯t realize.¡±
¡°Yeah, so there¡¯s the presentation, the joint paper, and our own personal parts.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°What if the paper has all of the data we collected, the code, the business plan¡ all of that. Then we go in, show off the tank and how it works and present our parts of it. You do your design stuff. I¡¯ll go into the business part. We can share the data and the coding part of it? It¡¯ll be hard to show off stuff working in such a short presentation, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Dinesh said thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll send you what I¡¯ve done with the paper. You can add the stuff you did or make changes and send it back to me. Then, I guess I¡¯ll work on my part of the presentation?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I nodded. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be the one to carry the tank. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯ll be able to lift it.¡±
I struck a strong pose with my arms.
¡°All noodle.¡±
Dinesh laughed and poked my arm. I didn¡¯t really feel anything but I did act like he pushed me over. I exaggeratedly flailed my arms while laughing.
¡°Yeah, I got the aquarium tank,¡± he said.
¡°Awesome.¡±
I edited the paper and put together my part of the presentation over the next month-and-a-half. Classes remained difficult¡ªif manageable. I had less time to devote to the project than I wanted to, but I think it had turned out alright. Dinesh and I met in my dorm to practice our presentation the week before we were scheduled to give it.
¡°Look what finally turned up,¡± he said.
He showed me a beat-up package with tape all over it. Inside were the sensors he¡¯d ordered. Half of them were obviously broken. The others remained in questionable condition.
¡°That took a long time,¡± I said. ¡°Wow!¡±
¡°I know, right?¡±
We talked through our parts of the presentation and the joint part as well. I gave criticism and pointed out things he missed. He did the same for me. By the end of the evening, I felt we were as prepared as we were going to be.
I had a hard time falling asleep the two days before the scheduled presentation. I even had coffee for the first time in this new life¡ªand nearly gagged on it. The caffeine did help to get me going, though. It was what I needed to get through all my normal classes and to the presentation without falling asleep.
I brought my laptop and all of the files with me to the presentation room. I saw Dinesh seated on the floor outside. The aquarium tank was half-filled on a push cart next to him. The kind of cart that schools used to roll the TVs around on a long time ago. The impeller, sensors, and stand were all integrated together on the cart. The electronics were attached to a battery since we couldn¡¯t be sure there would be easy access to an outlet in the room.
¡°Ready?¡± I asked Dinesh nervously.
He nodded.
¡°Good,¡± I agreed. ¡°Me too.¡±
As the minutes ticked by, my body stewed in the nerves. I was tingly and antsy. I was cold and nauseous. Eventually, the door opened to reveal three students with different expressions on their faces. Two looked pleased and were excitedly chatting. The third looked more subdued and was minding her own business. I stood up. It was time.
I helped Dinesh push the cart into the room. Inside were three professors¡ªone from each department. I saw their surprised expressions upon my entrance. I did my best to ignore them while plugging in the laptop and pulling up the presentation. I felt the eyes on me the whole time. It made me feel like a zoo animal and did nothing for my nerves.
¡°Before we begin,¡± said one of the professors¡ªan older man with pale skin and white hair that grew like a bush on his head. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of you? Do you have a third member of your team?¡±
¡°We do not,¡± Dinesh answered.
¡°I see. Thank you.¡±
I made the presentation fullscreen and introduced myself before ceding the floor to Dinesh to begin his portion. He went over his design philosophy, the problem we were trying to solve, and the process by which he created the prototype. He covered the data and gave a demonstration of how it worked.
All the while, I stood there nervously awaiting my turn. Ten minutes is a long time to just stand there. The nerves made me bouncy. I struggled to not move too much nor distract Dinesh from what he was explaining to the professors. When the slide with my name on it popped up on the projector, I knew it was my turn. I cleared my throat and began to speak.
¡°I handled the business plan,¡± I said. ¡°I started by researching¡ª¡°
I went into detail about the cost of manufacturing the product, the patent situation, and potential profitability. I included everything from the market size to several cases for investment returns. In the end, I concluded that while it might work, it wasn¡¯t very profitable as it currently stood. Maybe with improvements or manufacturing overseas would it become profitable¡ªand even that brought its own issues.
Then Dinesh and I went over the programming. Though it had been me doing that part, we shared the responsibility insofar as there was no third person. I explained the rational behind the programming decisions while he covered what capabilities the sensors gave to the controller and how it could respond. Then it was time for questions.
¡°Dinesh,¡± asked one of the other professors¡ªa middle-aged woman with short black hair, ¡°why did you choose this project in particular?¡±
¡°I have saltwater fish at home and have run into these problems,¡± he said.
¡°Eddy,¡± she said, ¡°You did a wonderful job for being so young. Did you run into any problems because of your age?¡±
¡°It¡¯s why we have only two members,¡± I said. ¡°I also struggled to get answers over the phone when asking for pricing and manufacturing details. They either thought I was a woman¡ªwhere they would at least give me what I was after¡ªor though I was a child playing a prank. When that happened, email usually got better results.¡±
¡°I see, thank you,¡± she said.
The professors shot question after question at the both of us for another ten minutes before they thanked us for our time. I followed Dinesh out of the room.
¡°How do you think we did?¡± I asked.
¡°Pretty good,¡± he said. ¡°You saw how many questions they asked about all of the details. It was things we covered pretty well, I think.¡±
I nodded.
¡°So what now?¡± I asked.
¡°Let¡¯s put this away and go celebrate!¡± Dinesh exclaimed.
I barely made it back to my dorm that night before I fell asleep on my feet. I¡¯d gone with Dinesh to the cafeteria to eat and then back to his off-campus house¡ªI trusted him enough by that point. There, we played video games and hung with the rest of his friends. He even introduced me to his girlfriend, who seemed nice enough.
We played games until well after sunset. He started drinking beer with his roommates and girlfriend. That was fine at first, but soon everyone started getting loose. Then they got too loose¡ªhis girlfriend was beginning to get handsy with Dinesh, and the others started making crude jokes about it. That was when I knew it was my cue to leave.
Chapter 44
I ended up with an A for the project and good feedback from the professors who had both graded the written and witnessed the presentation. I was happy with the results and sent a thank-you note to Dinesh for the hard work he did in getting the project done on time. He responded in kind and offered to hang out again sometime¡ªhowever I was already home for the summer. I had plans with Grandpa Joe.
¡°What¡¯s the plan with Grandpa Joe?¡± Dad asked me the morning after I returned home from college.
¡°He said he¡¯d have everything ready to go and that he¡¯ll pick me up Monday morning early.¡±
¡°Do you know what you¡¯ll be doing?¡±
I shrugged.
¡°Well, I know he¡¯s got your back,¡± Dad said. ¡°Just¡ be careful. It¡¯s dangerous out there.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad. I will.¡±
I got up early on Monday so I could be awake and ready to go before Grandpa Joe arrived. I was eating breakfast just as the sun began to peek over the horizon. As I was putting the spoon in my mouth, the doorbell rang. A bleary-eyed Dad went to open it. Outside¡ªdressed in what looked like surplus army gear¡ªwas Grandpa Joe.
¡°You ready, kid?¡± he asked.
¡°Om mmmt!¡± I called back, my mouth still full.
¡°What was that?¡± he asked, walking inside.
I chewed quickly and swallowed.
¡°One moment. Almost done with breakfast.¡±
¡°Take your time,¡± he laughed.
While I ate, Grandpa Joe and Dad talked quietly. Dad was still half awake so I don¡¯t think there was much of importance said between the two of them¡ªjust the pleasantries. When I was done eating, Dad gave me a hug.
¡°Stay safe,¡± he said with a yawn.
¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯ll miss you.¡±
Dad waved when I left the trailer with Grandpa Joe. I climbed into the back of Grandpa Joe¡¯s car. Next to me in the back of the car were two fully-loaded backpacks. The big one¡ªGrandpa Joe¡¯s, I assumed¡ªhad a tent attached to it along with many items on the outside. The smaller one looked just as stuffed with items. There were a few things hanging from it but not nearly as many as the bigger backpack.
¡°So what¡¯ll we be doing?¡± I asked when we were on the highway.
¡°There¡¯s a nice trail to hike about an hour from here,¡± he said. ¡°Figured I could teach you a few things about surviving if you¡¯d like.¡±
¡°Definitely! That was on my list.¡±
Grandpa Joe chuckled.
The car came to a stop. The parking lot¡ªif it could be called as such¡ªwas tiny. It was gravel with enough room for eight vehicles. I saw two others in the lot when I climbed out of the car. Grandpa Joe pulled both packs from the car.
¡°Let¡¯s get yours on first so I can help you,¡± he said.
¡°I got it,¡± I waved him off.
The backpack was heavy but not too heavy. The stats from leveling made it feel half as heavy as it would have been otherwise. He grunted as he hefted his large backpack and secured it around his waist and over his shoulders. A final buckle across his chest snapped shut before he looked at me.
¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Grandpa Joe led the way. The trail was well marked just past the edge of the parking lot. It was thickly wooded on both sides of the trail interspersed with brambles and shrubs. The forest appeared to be somewhat managed, so fallen trees were uncommon and I saw signs that controlled burns were used to clear the excess underbrush.
¡°When you¡¯re out in the wild,¡± he said once the sound of the road had faded away, ¡°always use your ears and your eyes. Keep your head on a swivel¡ªkeep looking around¡ªand have your ears open to anything that sounds out of place. That includes quiet. If things are too quiet, that is also a sign something may be amiss.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said.
I did my best to keep my eyes and ears working, but it was difficult. I didn¡¯t have the experience I needed to know what to look and listen for. The only way to get that experience was to practice and encounter situations to learn from.
We kept walking. The trail went up and down but primarily up away from the parking lot. I noticed subtle changes to the leaves on the ground and the types of trees around the trail. There were muddy sections¡ªa consequence of recent rain¡ªand little streams still running with water that might otherwise be dry. I regretted my choice of footwear as soon as my socks got wet. Grandpa Joe stopped at one of the medium-sized streams for a short break and to teach me something.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.¡°Getting water is important,¡± he said. ¡°The problem are all the little creatures in it. You¡¯ll need to boil the water or use water purification tablets before the water is safe to consume. The last thing you want is to get the runs out here. It¡¯ll sap your energy and then you¡¯re toast. Mother Nature is unforgiving.¡±
I nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll show you how to filter and collect water safely when one of us needs a refill of their bottle.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said.
I followed him up the next hill. The trail became rocky. To one side was a steep drop and on the other a short cliff. The trail wound its way through a narrow flattened strip, climbing ever higher. Around the next corner, the trees were replaced by shorter shrubs. The trail was now solid rock that ran the ridge that marked the top of what we¡¯d been climbing.
There was a shelter¡ªa wooden lean-to with a fire pit¡ªat the summit where we stopped to have lunch. Grandpa Joe had packed both freeze-dried and dense foods to eat for the week. For the first day, though, he packed more perishable items like fresh fruit and sandwiches.
¡°How¡¯s the hike treating you?¡± he asked.
¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± I shrugged.
¡°Oh? And here I thought you¡¯d struggle a little.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the stats.¡±
¡°Stats? Like math?¡± he wondered.
¡°Like gaming numbers,¡± I explained.
I went over what I¡¯d done and how that made it easier for me to lift the heavy pack.
¡°You mentioned skills. What did you take?¡±
¡°Identify, Stealth, and Tracking,¡± I said.
¡°How do they work?¡±
¡°Well, Identify shows me what things are. Stealth makes me harder to see¡ªI think¡ªand Tracking should let me follow or find things better.¡±
¡°You think? Should? Sounds to me like we need to do some testing!¡±
Grandpa Joe took two items off of his backpack¡ªa hatchet and a small pouch.
¡°What does the skill say about these two items?¡± he asked.
I used Identify.
I read what Identify told me.
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°So it¡¯s only giving you really basic information. For the hatchet, it¡¯s not telling you that it¡¯s made of steel or that it was manufactured by a friend of mine. The pouch holds the fire-starter and some tinder. You weren¡¯t able to see that with the skill. Can you try the skill again now that I¡¯ve told you more about them?¡±
I nodded and Identified both objects again.
¡°They¡¯re the same,¡± I told him.
¡°So it¡¯s not based on your knowledge. At least not beyond the basics. Let me find something else that I don¡¯t think you¡¯d recognize.¡±
Grandpa Joe rooted around in his backpack before showing me a small metallic object. He was right, I didn¡¯t know what it was. I Identified it.
¡°It¡¯s a primer?¡± I said questioningly. ¡°What¡¯s a primer?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a part that makes a spark to set off the gunpowder when shooting a gun,¡± he answered. ¡°I bring them with me just in case. They are useful little buggers.¡±
I guess he¡¯d seen my confusion as to why he had them while camping.
¡°Oh?¡± I wondered aloud.
¡°It never hurts to be overprepared out here. There¡¯s a reason I brought a gun with me for the trip.¡±
Grandpa Joe shifted his belt to reveal a holstered pistol on his hip that I hadn¡¯t noticed before¡ªhis shirt hang over it loosely. I wasn¡¯t sure how to react to it. There were times long past where I¡¯d shot rifles at a range, but this was the first time I¡¯d really seen a handgun up close.
¡°Bears,¡± he said, snapping my attention away from the gun. ¡°I have the gun in case of bears or large cats. Usually, the sound of us walking and talking is enough to dissuade the bears from coming near, but they can be aggressive sometimes. The big cats will stalk you. You¡¯ll feel it, too. You¡¯ll feel like you¡¯re being watched but you don¡¯t know by what. That¡¯s almost always a big cat. I¡¯ve got this gun because both of those animals are more powerful than us. I respect them, but I¡¯ll kill them if they don¡¯t respect me.¡±
¡°That sounds scary,¡± I said with a shiver.
¡°It is,¡± he smiled and ruffled my hair, ¡°but I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, right?¡± I laughed.
Grandpa Joe nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s not let that distract from what we were doing. Why don¡¯t you walk behind the shelter and sneak up on me using Stealth?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged.
When I was behind the shelter, I stopped. I activated Stealth mentally. Then I crept as quietly as I could. Instead of going back the way I¡¯d come or completing my circuit around the shelter, I went away from the shelter. That way, when I circled around, I could come at him from the front¡ªa direction he was least likely to expect me.
As I made my way around, I saw Grandpa Joe looking around for me. He didn¡¯t see me¡ªmaybe because I was far away. Once I was in front of the shelter, I walked slowly and quietly towards him. I got about twenty feet from him before his head snapped in my direction and he waved.
¡°I see you,¡± he said. ¡°You look a little strange¡ªlike a walking shadow that blends in a little with what¡¯s around you.¡±
¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± I said, turning Stealth off. ¡°Was there anything that gave me away?¡±
¡°Not in particular. You didn¡¯t make any sound and you looked subtly out of place. It¡¯s hard to describe if you haven¡¯t seen it. Glad to see you looking like you again.¡±
He laughed.
¡°There was one more, right?¡±
¡°Tracking.¡±
¡°Right. Why don¡¯t you try it out and tell me what happens. There have to be some tracks around here.¡±
I dutifully followed his instructions. Tracking didn¡¯t just show me tracks all color-coded and all the information about what went each way, how long ago, or any of that. No, it basically told me nothing at all. At least, until I looked closely and saw a partial boot-print in the mud. It wasn¡¯t mine or Grandpa Joe¡¯s.
What the skill did was show me a shadowy indication of where the person might have been and where they were heading. It was a short distance. I followed the shadowy representation to both ends. At the forward end, I just saw it stop with no further clues. On the other end, I found a broken twig that added another short distance to the visual representation from the skill.
¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Grandpa Joe said when I explained what had happened. ¡°Could be useful, but hard to say without more testing.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡±
¡°Are there any other skills you could get?¡±
¡°Tons. Everything from throwing fireballs to flying to sleeping better. Too much to cover without a need. I don¡¯t want to spend the experience on them without reason, you know?¡±
He nodded.
¡°Well then, shall we continue?¡±
Chapter 45
I hoisted my backpack and stomped off after Grandpa Joe. The rocky trail continued across the increasingly windy peak. Then it went down before rising to the top of the next hill. As soon as my head was shielded by the rock behind me and shrubs to either side, the wind was attenuated significantly.
We stopped for a couple more breaks before reaching the campsite in the middle of the afternoon. I kept Grandpa Joe¡¯s instructions on my mind. I kept my eyes and ears open for anything. I still didn¡¯t really know what to look or listen for, but I was trying. Having him there to back me up made me feel better. I didn¡¯t think it would be too dangerous, but who could tell the future. I chuckled. I probably could with the right skill.
The campsite was a small clearing by the side of the trail. It had easy access to fresh water down a short side trail to a spring at the bottom of a depression. Unlike the area with the shelter, there was no permanent fire pit. There were rocks that looked like they had been used to keep a fire in, but they were strewn haphazardly around the clearing.
¡°Eddy, can you find some good sized rocks?¡± Grandpa Joe asked.
¡°The ones all over the place?¡± I asked.
¡°Yeah. Those.¡±
I set about doing as he asked. The ones I picked out were about the size of my head. It took fifteen to make a solid circle. I filled in most of the gaps with smaller ones. Not every gap though. That would choke the fire, or so Grandpa Joe told me. While I did, he busied himself putting the tent together.
¡°Let¡¯s gather wood,¡± he said when we were both done with our tasks. ¡°Leave your backpack inside the tent for now.¡±
He took his hatchet and beckoned me to follow him. He took the trail down towards the water source. I went to pick up some dry wood I saw, but he stopped me.
¡°Get it on the way back up,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t want to carry that wood down the hill just to bring it back up with you later.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I said.
It made sense enough. I tossed the piece of wood in my hand up the hill and followed Grandpa Joe down the hill. At the bottom, he found a small dead tree still standing. He used his hatchet to chop away the wood near the base.
¡°Watch carefully,¡± he told me. ¡°You want to cut away in the direction you want the tree to fall. Then you come back to the other side and a little higher to cut through. The tree will then fall towards the initial cut. This one isn¡¯t that big, but I don¡¯t want it landing in the creek. Wet wood isn¡¯t good for a fire.¡±
¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°Can I have a go?¡±
¡°Let me knock it over first. You can help me chop it into pieces.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
He finished cutting through the tree. At about fifteen feet tall, it was pretty small. I could probably have dragged it up the hill by myself, but Grandpa Joe insisted that the log be portioned out first. After he demonstrated how to cut a piece from the tree with the hatchet, he handed it to me and indicated where to begin chopping.
¡°Show me what you got, kid,¡± he said.
I raised my hand to start but he stopped me.
¡°Look at your other hand. Do you want to lose it?¡±
I looked down. My left hand was dangerously close to where I was about to strike. My heart leapt in my chest. My face burned as I moved my hand over enough to be out of the firing line.
I raised my arm again. This time, he didn¡¯t stop me. I swung down with my stat-boosted strength. The hatchet dug deeply into the wood. The vibrations of the impact shook not just my hand but my whole arm. I checked my progress and noticed that I¡¯d cut almost halfway through. Getting the head of the hatchet out proved difficult. I rocked it back and forth to get it out. I looked up at Grandpa Joe who motioned for me to continue. He didn¡¯t need to say anything for me to know what I did wrong¡ªand how to correct it.
I brought the hatchet up again. This time I made a less-forceful angled cut that liberated a handful of wood chips. I repeated this¡ªvarying the angle each time¡ªuntil I was far enough through the tree to break the section off. He patted me on the back and took back the hatchet.
¡°Why don¡¯t you collect smaller dead branches while I finish breaking the tree apart?¡±
¡°How small?¡± I asked.
¡°Get a variety. Most of it should be about as thick as your thumb.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
I looked at my thumbs. They were about a third of an inch thick, so that¡¯s what I looked for. I gathered some that were larger and some that were smaller, but after twenty minutes, I had a double armful of kindling.
¡°Can you bring that up and put it next to the rocks?¡± Grandpa Joe asked. ¡°Then come back and help me bring the big stuff up.¡±
I struggled up the hill with the wood. It wasn¡¯t heavy, but¡ªwithout my arms free to balance¡ªI struggled not to fall over while climbing. Step by step, I carefully made my way to the top. When I reached the campsite, I dropped the wood next to the fire pit. Then I scrambled down the trail again to assist Grandpa Joe.
The tree was broken into about ten parts. The top was no good¡ªtoo small and rotten¡ªbut the rest was perfect for our campfire. He loaded my arms with the smaller diameter logs before taking the biggest ones himself. We managed to bring everything up in one trip. There was a scary moment when he slipped. He managed to catch himself just in time to keep the logs from rolling down the hill. I raced up the hill to drop mine off and help him. When I turned back to go help, I saw him cresting the hill with a smile on his face.
¡°You made it!¡± I exclaimed.
¡°A slipper situation back there,¡± he laughed.
Grandpa Joe dropped the wood where I had dropped mine. He began stacking the wood next to the circle of rocks so there would be fuel readily available to stoke the fire with. I tried to help but he shooed me away. I hovered around to watch but got bored quickly. Thankfully, he finished after only a couple minutes.
¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°it¡¯s time for me to show you how to make a fire.¡±
¡°Am I going to rub two sticks together?¡± I asked with a grin.
¡°Eh, you could,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s much easier to use a modern fire-starter. You probably have a few skills in your back pocket that could light a fire, right?¡±
I checked through the list with Search and saw a few promising results. There was one specifically for the task as well as a couple that looked like they¡¯d be able to set fire to something even if that wasn¡¯t their primary purpose.
¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed.
¡°Well, let me show you how to do it.¡±
Grandpa Joe built a miniature log cabin with some of the smaller logs. Inside of that, he made a tee-pee out of the kindling. Each layer got progressively smaller. There was a small gap to light it. In that section, he put a fluffed bit of something combustible.
¡°The only thing left to do is to generate the spark,¡± he told me.
With the fire-starter in one hand and his knife in the other, he dragged the back of the knife down the fire-starter. Sparks shot forward as he did. Then he handed them to me.
¡°Try doing what I did but into the cotton,¡± he directed.
¡°Ok,¡± I said. ¡°Do I need to blow on it or anything?¡±
¡°You will, but not until I say so.¡±
I nodded.
I crouched over the fire pit. I placed the fire-starter against the cotton. I gripped the knife and slid it down the fire-starter. It bit into the material and scattered sparks downward into the cotton. I repeated the stroke twice before Grandpa Joe tapped me on the shoulder.
¡°Blow on it,¡± he said.
I removed the knife and fire-starter before carefully blowing onto the sparks in the cotton. They glowed red hot. The fluffed cotton started smoking. Then it caught. Flames licked the twigs above while I kept blowing to get the fire going. Every breath chased the flames away and made the sparks glow brighter before the flames returned. The way that Grandpa Joe had constructed the wood in the fire pit proved its worth. The little fire ate at the wood around it, growing in size with each bite. In only a couple of minutes, the fire was burning strongly.
¡°Good job,¡± he said with a smile.
¡°Thanks,¡± I smiled back. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±
¡°Dinner!¡± he laughed.
¡°What¡¯re the options?¡± I asked.
¡°Prepackaged freeze-dried food. Just add hot water!¡±
Grandpa Joe pulled a small kettle from his backpack. He dumped in most of the water from his water bottle before nestling the kettle between the rocks and the fire. Then he gave me two options for dinner. The first was beef mac and cheese. The second¡ªand the one I ultimately picked¡ªwas pot roast.
The water took a long time to boil¡ªthe fire still growing. When it was hot enough, he cut open both of our food bags with his knife. I poured a measured amount of water into mine and he did the same into his. I folded up the top of my food bag and left it leaning against a rock for several minutes.
Grandpa Joe had helpfully included a tableware set in my backpack. I stirred the goop with a spoon¡ªand it was goopy. I blew the steam away and took a careful bite. It was¡ edible. The taste was rather bland. Still, I was hungry and so I ate it quickly. A granola bar for dessert was a definite plus.
By the time we finished dinner, the sun was beginning to set.
¡°Let¡¯s clean up quickly,¡± he told me.
We walked down to the spring. I filled my water bottle¡ªas did Grandpa Joe¡ªadding a water purification tablet. He cut a few small slivers from a soap bar to clean our tableware with. He made it clear that using the soap directly would get it wet and make it hard to pack away afterwards. I scrubbed my bowl and spoon until it sparkled. Then it was time to go back up to the campsite.
I yawned and made for the tent. Grandpa Joe stopped me.
¡°We have one more thing to do before we sleep,¡± he said.
¡°We do?¡±
He nodded.
He uncoiled a long rope and chucked it over a high branch of a nearby tree. It took a couple tries to get right. When he was satisfied, he looped one end through each of our backpacks before hoisting them up about twenty feet. He secured the other end of the rope around the tree with a knot.
¡°Why do we need to do that?¡± I asked.
¡°Bears, mostly,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯ll tear into the backpacks to eat our food if we let them. Suspending it in the air means it¡¯s out of reach. They¡¯ll be less likely to bother us that way.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
¡°Speaking of bears, there¡¯s a rhyme you should always remember. If it¡¯s black, fight back. If it¡¯s brown, lay down. If it¡¯s white, say goodnight.¡±
¡°Goodnight?¡± I asked.
¡°Because you¡¯re probably dead. Polar bears are no joke. They do not fuck around. Thankfully, we¡¯re dealing with black bears here. Being loud is usually enough to scare them off. If that fails, making yourself big and aggressive while making lots of noise will usually dissuade them. For brown bears, playing dead is the way to go. You might get injured, but you¡¯ll survive. Never ever run from a bear. They are faster and stronger than you. And they can climb trees.¡±
¡°Yikes,¡± I shivered at the thought.
As I crawled into the tent to sleep, I hoped we wouldn¡¯t have to deal with anything like that.
Chapter 46
That night, I learned Grandpa Joe snored. Like intermittent rumbles of thunder¡ªonly far less calming. The heat kept me awake for a while, too. Eventually, though, I was able to ignore both and sleep until just before dawn.
He was still sleeping when I snuck out of the tent to piss. I used a nearby tree to relieve myself. I didn¡¯t want to be too far away. Not after what Grandpa Joe had warned me about. On the way back, I checked out the fire pit. The fire had burned down to ash overnight. It still felt hot when my hand hovered over the remains. I guessed there were probably coals in there somewhere from which to light a new fire for breakfast.
I sat by the fire pit in the pale morning light. The sun wasn¡¯t due up for another few minutes. Everything around felt calm. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds waking from their sleep to sing, to the cool breeze rustling the leaves. I smelled the scents of flowers on that breeze. I took a deep breath and smiled.
¡°Good morning,¡± I heard Grandpa Joe say moments after the sun had fully risen. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡±
¡°Oh, hey,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah. I got up about thirty minutes ago. Nature called.¡±
He grunted his understanding.
¡°What do I do about the fire?¡± I asked.
¡°Gather some kindling from nearby. I¡¯ll clear off the ashes. The coals from the fire should last half a day when buried like that.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
I went off and picked up an armful of small sticks and twigs. I dumped them on the ground by the fire pit. There were still some logs from the tree Grandpa Joe had cut down yesterday.
¡°It¡¯s the same process as yesterday,¡± he said. ¡°Only it¡¯s easier because there are many coals and they¡¯re all still really hot.¡±
To demonstrate what he meant, he piled a handful of small twigs where he had concentrated the coals. Then he blew on them. The ash disappeared. Below the ash were coals that glowed red against his breath. The heat from them was enough to ignite the first of the twigs. It was only a short time before we had a roaring fire to make our food with.
The food options were pretty poor. I ate my breakfast under protest. Turns out that freeze-dried eggs are awful. It wasn¡¯t just the taste¡ªthat was pretty revolting¡ªbut the texture is what sent the unpleasantness to a whole other level. If my body wasn¡¯t begging for the calories like I was Seymour feeding it human flesh, I would have categorically refused to eat it.
When we were full, it was time to break down the camp and pack for the day¡¯s hike. Grandpa Joe took care of the tent while he sent me down to get water from the spring. When everything was packed and strapped to us, the final thing to do was to snuff the fire. The last thing either of us wanted was to cause a forest fire and ruin the forest for others to enjoy.
Two days passed in much the same way. We¡¯d walk all day, make camp, sleep, then break camp in the morning. Each day we walked about twenty miles. The weather had been good the whole time¡ªuntil this morning, at least. It started with a light rain and only worsened as the day wore on. By lunch, the trail was mud and the sky so clouded that it felt like dusk.
¡°What are we going to do?¡± I asked while we ate our lunch under a small rocky overhang.
¡°There¡¯s a nearby campsite on the trail,¡± Grandpa Joe said. ¡°We¡¯ll stop there and wait for the rain to pass. Hopefully it¡¯s gone by tomorrow.¡±
So that¡¯s exactly what we did. The campsite was a mile away. That meant it felt like it was ten miles with all of the mud and water everywhere. We set up camp and did out best to dry everything with a fire. Getting that first started was difficult. Grandpa Joe used all of his skill in fire-making to get it going. Sitting in the tent was wonderful¡ªeven if it was just as damp as everything else.
The rain let up around mid-morning the next day. Because of the time wasted waiting for the rain, Grandpa Joe decided it would be better to start the trip back to the car. We packed up the camp and started walking on the muddy trail. Although everything was damp, the sun being out made everything better. It didn¡¯t do anything for my feet, but the rest of me welcomed the warmth.
We trudged on hour after hour before making camp at the same place we had two days before. The following morning was more of the same. Thankfully, the trail had dried a little more¡ªthat or it was rockier and had better drainage to begin with.
In the late afternoon¡ªwhen we were still a couple miles from the next campsite¡ªI had a strange feeling. My heart rate jumped. I felt nervous. Even though I looked around as Grandpa Joe had taught me, I didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. Still, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone¡ªor something¡ªwas watching me.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, kid?¡± he asked me upon seeing my change in demeanor.
¡°I-I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m being watched.¡±
¡°Shit,¡± he spat. ¡°I¡¯d rather it have been a bear.¡±
He took a deep breath and drew his handgun.
¡°Keep close and keep alert. If you see the fucker, say something. They¡¯re less likely to attack humans in a group¡ªbut less likely doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t. It¡¯s rained recently so they¡¯re going out to hunt now that it¡¯s not pouring. They¡¯re slippery and they blend in with the forest, so they¡¯ll be hard to spot.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
I nodded.
It was slower to walk to the campsite now that we had to stick extra close together. I was probably the main target¡ªwhich is why I felt its eyes on me¡ªso I needed Grandpa Joe close for protection. One mile passed. Then two. That¡¯s when I caught a glimpse of a shadow that seemed to move.
¡°I see it, Grandpa Joe,¡± I said.
¡°Where?¡±
I pointed to where the shadow had been, except it was gone!
¡°It moved!¡± I exclaimed.
¡°Damn it,¡± he curse. ¡°Let me know if you see it. Keep your eyes on it as soon as you do.¡±
¡°Ok. I¡¯ll¡ª¡°
I heard a twig snap behind me. I whipped my head around.
¡°¡ªGrandpa!¡±
| Stalked and Hunted
Survive
Success: Continued existence
Failure: Death
Expires: N/A |
The quest popped in my vision right as I alerted him to the danger behind me. I accepted the quest without actually reading it. I needed my vision clear to be able to handle the danger in front of me. Grandpa Joe roughly shoved me to the side. I tumbled and hit my head against a tree. The pain lanced through my body, making my brain foggy.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
¡°Fuck!¡±
Crack!
I took several moments to come back to my senses. I saw Grandpa Joe with blood coming down from his arms. The panther¡ªso intent on hunting us¡ªlay dead on the trail in front of him. I went to stand up. I couldn¡¯t without feeling dizzy. So instead I sat with my back to the tree that had knocked me around.
¡°Are you ok?¡± he asked, wincing when his arms moved.
I could see deep scratches in his left arm. I knew I should have felt something¡ªworry, concern, relief¡ªbut instead I just felt numb.
¡°Eddy?¡± he asked with more concern on his face. ¡°Eddy!¡±
¡°Ya, m fnne,¡± I said.
Everything felt strange and distant.
¡°Eddy! Listen to me carefully. Quickly buy Heal and use it on yourself!¡±
¡°Mmm,¡± I said.
It took a lot of effort and focus to navigate the menus. I was slow¡ªthinking about as well as molasses flowed. Eventually, I found what Grandpa Joe had asked me for and purchased it.
| Skill Purchased: Heal
Current Exp: 270,002 |
I used it on myself. That single action exhausted all the willpower I had left. A tingling sensation spread outward from my heart to my fingertips. The first casting eased the fog a little. I knew how deeply screwed I was if I didn¡¯t keep using the skill. I Healed and Healed three, four, five times. I Healed until I ran out of mana. Only then did I stop to check my stats.
| Level: 4 |
Tier: 1 |
Exp Next Level: 800 |
| Health: 181/250 |
Stamina: 95/250 |
Mana: 1/250 |
| Strength: 25 |
P. Agility: 25 |
P. Fortitude: 25 |
| Intelligence: 25 |
M. Agility: 25 |
M. Fortitude: 25 |
I didn¡¯t know how much I had Healed, but I knew I had been very close to death before I had started. I owed my life to Grandpa Joe¡¯s actions. He¡¯d killed the beast hunting me¡ªand even though his pushing me is what nearly ended my life, I survived.
¡°Eddy, are you ok?¡± he asked again.
¡°Yeah. I¡¯m mostly better now. Your arm looks bad. Are you ok?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll live¡ªwhich is more than I could have said about you only moments ago. Worry about yourself first, alright?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded.
Moving my head was a poor choice. It was painful to move. Thankfully, my health wasn¡¯t going down so I was stable. That¡¯s when the quest I¡¯d not had a chance to read popped back up as having been completed.
| Stalked and Hunted Complete
Reward: 2,500 Exp |
Seeing the reward drilled into me just how dangerous the situation had been. I usually gained small amounts of experience for quests that lasted an hour or two. This one wasn¡¯t just a little more¡ªit was a lot more. I sat by the tree to watch my mana tick up.
My health remained constant. My mana went up slowly at around 1 mana per minute. I was able to get one more Heal off on myself before Grandpa Joe insisted we start walking towards the campsite.
¡°Even if you¡¯re going to walk slowly, we need to get everything set up before dark,¡± he explained.
He wasn¡¯t wrong. I could feel like darkness was only an hour away at most. I hoisted my backpack back onto me and let him help me to me feet. We trudged forward along the trail for thirty minutes before a familiar resting spot appeared to one side of the trail. In the intervening time, I cast another Heal on myself¡ªbringing me close to full. I felt much better after that¡ªnot perfect but definitely on the mend.
I had to help Grandpa Joe put the tent together. His arm looked messed up¡ªand that was putting it lightly. I thought I saw bone peeking through the blood. He¡¯d wrapped it while we were waiting for me to Heal myself more and those bandaged were now soaked in his blood. As soon as I had enough mana to cast it again, I did so on his arm in spite of his protests.
¡°I¡¯m basically good to go now,¡± I said. ¡°Your arm being injured is doing us no good. I¡¯ll be able to heal you up and me up by tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± he said, giving in.
It took three more Heals before his arm was in tip-top shape. Another two for me to max my health out as well. It was a couple hours past dark by the time we got to bed feeling as well as we had when we¡¯d woken up in the morning.
Two days later, we exited the trail where the car was. Grandpa Joe¡¯s clothing was tattered¡ªmine just dirty. We stuffed the equipment into the back of the car and buckled up. The trip had been one hell of an adventure. One I wasn¡¯t too keen on repeating. At least, not without a lot more preparation.
¡°Eddy,¡± he said when we were on the highway, ¡°you should look into learning how to shoot. That gun saved both our lives, and I think it¡¯s a skill you¡¯ll need eventually. Maybe not right away but definitely something to look into.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I said, thinking.
Knowing how to shoot was a good goal. As was learning how to fight in other ways¡ªhand-to-hand, swords, spears, maybe something else? All of those thoughts flowed through my head on the ride home. I¡¯d have to talk to my parents first.
The whole incident with the panther had brought something else to the fore: most of humanity had no idea how to fight. As the years had gone on, we¡¯d become less and less warlike as a species¡ªinstead preferring cooperation and diplomacy to outright war. I was going to need to find some way to ensure everyone knew enough to survive combat with monsters. If that panther was a tier zero, I shuddered to think how dangerous a tier 2 monster would be.
Chapter 47
Mom had words for us when we returned from the trip. That meant I was on a short leash for a while. The rest of the summer passed without incident, as did my final year in school. I turned nine over the winter and celebrated my fourth year after returning. Though I was unhappy about it, Mom and Dad insisted that I actually attend my graduation. Finishing my last classes did give me something that had been years in the making.
| Excel in School Complete
Reward: 311,000 Exp |
I had done well over the years. I could probably figure out exactly where the score came from precisely, but decided against it. I wasn¡¯t sure I would return to college in future resets. The amount of experience was pretty good, but the time expenditure and notoriety it brought was something I¡¯d rather avoid in the future. With more money, skating by through homeschooling would be preferable.
After graduation, I would have enough time to pack my things and return home. There was no need to live out of a hotel for a week¡ªand I imagined that would have been a nightmare with students from all over the world. In my previous life, I¡¯d just gone home and moved on with my life after college. I held no particular attachment to the school then¡ªand that was true now. However, my parents wants to see me take the stage and celebrate the culmination of my education.
Mom came the night before to rent a room locally while Dad drove in the day of. Because of the festivities, I was required to wear a cap and gown. The only problem was finding one that remotely fit me. Even the smallest size available made me look like a three goblins in a trench coat. The sleeves hung way past my hands, the hem of the gown kept tripping me whenever I walked, and the cap was held on with hopes and prayers.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mom said early in the morning.
I followed her and Dad out of the dorm. I lifted my gown to keep from falling onto my face on the walk over. There was a bus to bring us to the stadium on the other side of the mountain. While we could have driven, it was much more convenient to take the bus and not have to walk from the parking lot to the stadium proper.
In the bus were many other students decked out in the required garb. Most had family and friends with them for the ceremony. I sat in an open seat while Mom and Dad stood in front of me. The bus lurched forward.
The stadium¡ªwhich was usually used for football games¡ªwas set in a natural bowl-shaped depression between two smaller hills. The stands were built into the hills¡ªand that is where my parents had to sit. In the middle of the field were hundreds of folding chairs. Students were already beginning to fill them. I picked out an open seat in the section meant for business students at the baccalaureate level.
In front of the folding chairs was a raised platform. Some professors or guests¡ªI couldn¡¯t actually see that far¡ªwere milling about on it. The commencement schedule indicated that there would be a few speakers before we¡¯d get a chance to walk. I sat there until ten minutes past nine when the first of the speakers began her speech.
¡°I stand here and see several thousand faces looking back at me,¡± she said. ¡°I remember a time when I was your age¡ªready to graduate and take on the world. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen how¡¡±
She talked for nearly twenty minutes before passing the microphone to the next person. By the time it was ten, I was thoroughly bored. I hated sitting around. I hated listening to speeches. Combining the two made me contemplate whether or not it was worth going through this hell just to make my parents happy.
Finally, the call came over the speakers that we were to line up. I followed the person to my right into the aisle. The line was hundreds long. Each person spoke their name into the microphone and said a couple of words before getting their diploma and handing it off to the next person. I knew this whole process was going to take forever.
The line inched forward more slowly than the line for a rollercoaster. My gown got stepped on more times than I could count by the people around me all jockeying for position so they could get their diploma and skedaddle. I did my best to fend for myself in the crowd. My small size worked against me. However, my increased stats balanced that out. I was able to keep my position in line and slowly make my way to the stage.
When I got to the steps leading to the top of the stage, I began to feel nervous. What¡ªif anything¡ªshould I say? I knew all eyes would be on me. More attention than the usual graduate because of my age. I would have bet money on the fact that there was at least one reporter waiting in the crowd to get my name and picture for their story about the nine-year-old graduate.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
I felt the microphone get thrust into my face. I didn¡¯t feel ready. I hesitated before taking it¡ªthe man in front of me giving me a look as if to tell me to get a move on. I still hadn¡¯t figured out what to say, so I went with the simplest thing I could to get it over with: my government name.
¡°Milton Teller the third,¡± I said into the microphone.
My high-pitched voice echoed through the stadium. I could see Mom and Dad cheering me on. I passed the mic to the next graduate in line behind me. I was relieved that it was over with.
Getting my diploma was a whole other hassle. The line after me split into several shorter lines leading to five tables. Each table was split out so that there was an even split of last names between each. I found the table that had the ¡®M¡¯s. Behind were four workers finding and crossing off the names of the people who picked up their diploma tubes. Two sat at each table while two others went back to find the correct tube for the newly graduated student.
I was thoroughly done with standing by the time I made it to the front of my line.
¡°Name?¡± asked the attendant.
¡°Milton Edward Teller the third,¡± I said.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s you,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I remember reading the story about you in the school paper. Has it been four years already?¡±
¡°Three, actually,¡± I said.
¡°Even better! You must have been such a great student to be done so quickly.¡±
I grunted. I didn¡¯t want to continue the pointless conversation. The helper for the man went to the back while he found my name on the list and crossed it off. The helper returned a minute later with a brown paper tube capped on both ends by white plastic and tape. Hanging from one end was a laminated miniature version of the diploma inside.
¡°Congrats on graduating,¡± the attendant said when he handed me my tube.
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°Next!¡± he called as soon as I turned to walk away.
My parents were waiting for me by the exit. I approached them with a smile. As much as I might have wanted to stick around for the party afterwards¡ªif only to check it out¡ªI was glad that we would be going home as soon as a bus came to take us back to the main campus.
¡°Great job up there!¡± Mom said, giving me a hug.
¡°So what¡¯ll you do now that you¡¯ve graduated?¡± Dad asked after he gave me a hug as well.
¡°Dunno,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it too much. Just do questing and learn some skills I guess.¡±
¡°Think about it more,¡± Mom pushed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide today, but you should give it real thought. Maybe have a plan by next week or some ideas to discuss?¡±
¡°Let the kid have some more time,¡± Dad said. ¡°He just graduated college at nine years old! He deserves some time to unwind before the next thing.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Mom said. ¡°Two weeks then.¡±
I hated being pushed to figure things out on an immediate timeline. I¡¯d dumped one previous girlfriend for doing that all the time while being oblivious as to how stressful that kind of thing was. I preferred to ruminate over my choices for a while. Solutions tended to come out of nowhere while I was living life which made me glad that Dad stuck up for me.
¡°Please don¡¯t argue,¡± I said, standing between them.
I knew from past experience that they would use any opportunity to trade barbs if given the chance. They were so much more alike than they wanted to admit.
¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡° Mom began.
¡°We weren¡¯t¡ª¡° Dad said at the same time.
They glared at each other.
¡°Now that we¡¯ve settled that, let¡¯s wait for the bus in peace,¡± I concluded.
Mom and Dad stood with me in the middle. Two filled buses left before a third came with room for us. We sat together with me again separating them by sitting in between. When we arrived back at the main campus, Dad hopped in his truck and left. Mom was staying another day to help me move back home.
She left me at my dorm to begin packing up. Though I could have stayed for another couple of weeks, I was anxious to return home. I didn¡¯t have too many things to pack¡ªmostly clothes, a couple lamps, and my laptop. The dorm had been well furnished by the school which kept me from picking up too many unnecessary things that I would now have to pack up and somehow fit in Mom¡¯s car.
I was done after only an hour or so. I used the rest of the time that day to work on quests and otherwise kick back and relax. While I sat there, I thought about what I wanted to do now that school wasn¡¯t holding me back anymore. I remembered what Grandpa Joe had suggested almost a year ago. The situation with Mom had cooled down enough that getting out to the range with him would be possible. She¡¯d also probably ok me learning some martial arts. Those were a priority and something that I¡¯d already put off for a year. I figured it would be fine to mention it in the car on the way home.
So that¡¯s what I did the next day.
¡°Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I know you said two weeks, but I know what I want to do next. I haven¡¯t considered how to make money yet, but I know that I need to learn how to fight after what happened last year when I was out hiking with Grandpa Joe.¡±
¡°When you say fighting do you mean martial arts?¡± She asked.
¡°Yeah. And how to shoot.¡±
¡°Why guns?¡± she asked with a disgusted look. ¡°You know I hate those things. And they¡¯re so dangerous!¡±
¡°Because that¡¯s another way to fight. When the apocalypse comes, don¡¯t you think I should be prepared?¡±
¡°But it¡¯s so far away! Why put yourself through that now?¡±
¡°Why would I wait until the last moment? The longer I train, the better I¡¯ll be when the time comes!¡±
¡°Let me think about it,¡± she said.
While that might mean ¡®no¡¯ in most circumstances, I understood that she was really telling me that it would take time for her to accept it. She would say yes but not for a few days¡ªI would be proved true the day after I returned home from school.
¡°You can learn how to shoot,¡± she told me. ¡°But only if Grandpa Joe is watching you. I don¡¯t trust anyone else.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said.
I shot him an email that night to set something up. I also considered which martial arts to learn. The main thing was learning how to fight with weapons moreso than hand-to-hand. Knowing how to fight other humans was worth knowing but not really the point. Monsters would be the true enemy so being able to fight off a bear with a spear was probably the closest thing I would be able to do before then.
Chapter 48
Two days later, Grandpa Joe picked me up from Dad¡¯s trailer. He was beginning to look older. I didn¡¯t think one year had been a long time. His face looked like it had aged five years in that time. If my memory was right, he was nearing the end of his life. He¡¯d live another four or five years but then that would be that. I wanted to learn as much as I could from him before that happened.
¡°Hey kid,¡± he said. ¡°You ready to go shooting?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I said with a forced smile.
Just thinking about him beginning to slow down was dampening the mood a bit. It cause my smile to crack. I hoped he didn¡¯t notice but I knew he had. Thankfully, he said nothing about it.
The shooting range lay on the outskirts of the town. It looked like an old grocery store that had been converted at some point a long time ago. The parking lot was gravel with no lines marked. There were some customers but not too many. Grandpa Joe parked and helped me out of the car. He pulled two guns from the trunk. Both were in traveling cases. I gave him a questioning look.
¡°They don¡¯t lend guns here,¡± he explained. ¡°These are mine. One¡¯s a small caliber rifle and the other is the handgun I brought with us while hiking.¡±
¡°Which will I shoot?¡± I asked as we walked to the door.
¡°Both eventually. Today, though, just the rifle.¡±
A bell tinkled when we entered the shop portion of the shooting range. I saw racks of ammunition and gun accessories in neat rows with narrow aisles between them. The main counter had a large variety of guns behind it¡ªeverything from handguns to shotguns to large caliber rifles that looked like something used in the military. Grandpa Joe walked me to the counter where a younger man stood looking bored.
¡°Welcome to Lots-o-Shots,¡± he said. ¡°How can I help you today?¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to buy a couple boxes of twenty-two for the rifle and some time on the line with my grandson, here.¡± Grandpa Joe stated.
¡°Any preference for brand of the ammo?¡± the man asked.
¡°Whatever¡¯s decent but not too expensive.¡±
The man scurried around and showed Grandpa where the ammo he was looking for was located. He then helped ring them up along with the range time.
¡°It¡¯s gotten more expensive than it used to be,¡± he whistled while paying for us.
Grandpa Joe handed me ear protection. The young man led us to a steel door behind which I could hear the faint thuds and cracks of gunfire. I put the ear protection on and went through into the gun range beyond.
The range itself had about ten stations to fire from¡ªof which three were occupied. The stations were separated by some sort of thick barrier that I hoped was bulletproof for the calibers being used. Behind the stations were shelves containing an assortment of targets. Grandpa Joe took a couple of them with him on the way to one of the open stations. He had to hook it into the clips and reel it out to a spot he thought was far enough for a first try. The shooting range extended about fifty yards but he put the target much closer¡ªmaybe ten yards away.
¡°Ok,¡± he said in a muffled voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you something very important before we begin.¡±
I looked at him intently.
¡°Just like a falling knife has no handle, a gun is always loaded. Never¡ªand I mean never¡ªpoint a gun at something you don¡¯t intend to shoot. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ve checked it a hundred times and could swear to God that there¡¯s no rounds in it¡ªtreat it like there are. Don¡¯t look down the barrel, don¡¯t point it at anyone, always keep it aimed towards the ground when not in use. Do I make myself clear?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± I said with an exaggerated nod in case he couldn¡¯t actually hear me.
¡°Good. Now let me show you how to load the gun.¡±
Grandpa Joe opened one of the boxes he¡¯d purchased and pulled out a couple rounds.
¡°The first option is to shoot one at a time,¡± he said.
He loaded one round into the rifle before sliding the bolt shut. He lifted it to his shoulder, aimed, and fired. He unlatched the bolt and let the spent cartridge fall to the ground.
¡°Careful,¡± he warned. ¡°Those things are mighty warm when they are freshly fired. Got many a burn that way.¡±
He laughed.
¡°The next way¡ªand the way I want you to load this gun¡ªis to fill the internal magazine. That way you can cycle the action and fire a handful before having to reload. It¡¯ll help you get a feel for how to aim.¡±
Grandpa Joe handed the rifle to me.
¡°Pull the bolt back like you saw me do when loading just the one round.¡±
I pulled it back. I found that it took some finagling to get it to pull back all the way like the action was just a little sticky or rough or something like that.
¡°Alright, now take one and press it through the opening,¡± he said, pointing to a slot that the retracted bolt had exposed.
The slot was just wide enough to fit a single cartridge at a time. I pressed one in and then another. In total, I fit seven in the internal magazine before I felt like it was full. I rested the rifle against the opening, with it facing down range and looked up at Grandpa Joe.
¡°I think I¡¯ve filled it,¡± I said.
¡°Let me check,¡± he decided.
He peered in and pressed the top round with his fingers before nodding.
¡°Good. Next, close the bolt and shoulder the weapon.¡±
I did as he asked. The bolt went closed better than it opened. I felt it catch securely¡ªwhich Grandpa Joe checked¡ªbefore I pulled the rifle up and put the stock against my shoulder like I¡¯d seen him do. He checked my posture and made any necessary corrections.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
¡°Alright, kid,¡± he said. ¡°You want to aim using the iron sights. You see the little raised bit at the end?¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a notch closer to you. Line those two up with the center of the target and pull the trigger.¡±
I rested my finger against the trigger. Lining the sights up was difficult¡ªthe rifle was unwieldy and my line of sight was a bit off. I took the time to adjust where my head rested so I could get a good picture. When I felt like I was as aimed as I could be, I carefully pulled the trigger.
The act of pulling the trigger¡ªand thus firing the weapon¡ªpulled me off target a little. Even so, I was able to hit pretty close to the center of the target. The crack of the gun was not nearly as loud as I had feared it might be. The earmuffs did a lot of the heavy lifting, but the caliber was a lot smaller than the handgun Grandpa Joe had shot the panther with.
¡°Good shot,¡± he said. ¡°Now cycle the bolt while keeping the rifle shouldered.¡±
I did as he said. That proved more annoying than aiming the thing. Then he asked me to fire. Cycle. Fire. Cycle. Fire. I got the hang of it by the end of the first load of shots. Grandpa Joe pulled the target back when the rifle exhausted its store of rounds.
¡°Not bad for a first timer,¡± he said, pointing to where I¡¯d hit the paper target. ¡°Want to go again?¡±
¡°Yeah, that was fun,¡± I nodded.
¡°Good. When you get the hang of this, you can try something a bit spicier. The rifle you¡¯re using doesn¡¯t really have a kick to it. It¡¯s used for hunting small game¡ªrabbits, squirrels, what sort of thing.¡±
He replaced the target with a new one. I loaded the gun with fresh ammunition. He watched over me while I shot the entire box. Each reload, he moved the target farther away so that by the time I was shooting the final bullets, I was aiming down the full length of the range. That was¡ªaccording to him¡ªstill short range as far as rifles went. I was happy enough having hit a tight and accurate grouping with the rifle at that distance.
¡°So what did you think?¡± he asked me when we were back in the car.
¡°Pretty fun,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll need a lot more practice before I can aim quickly and hit the target.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he agreed. ¡°Maybe we should shoot together once a week?¡±
¡°Sounds good to me. I¡¯ll let Mom know. And thanks, Grandpa Joe.¡±
¡°You got it, kid.¡±
I spoke to mom about the weekly range time with Grandpa Joe and she allowed it as nothing bad had happened. While she oversaw the shooting, martial arts ended up being Dad¡¯s domain.
¡°So you¡¯re thinking karate or something like that?¡± he asked.
¡°Ideally it would be spears, swords, that sort of thing,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, hand-to-hand is important, but it¡¯s not what I¡¯ll need to learn and practice.¡±
¡°I hear you. That being said, I can¡¯t recommend anything but the hand-to-hand stuff. Not because I don¡¯t agree with you¡ rather because that¡¯s what is available nearby without spending a fortune, you know?¡±
¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I get it.¡±
¡°Thanks, kid,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s around and check them out. Maybe you¡¯ll find one that you like more than the others.¡±
So that is what we did. There were around ten places within easy driving distance of Mom¡¯s and Dad¡¯s places. The majority were the same. Sure, their styles differed, but they were not the sort of place I needed. Ultimately there were three standouts. One taught judo, another tae-kwon-do, and the final was karate. What set the three apart from the rest was the atmosphere of competition and no-nonsense learning.
I went with the karate school over the other two for one simple reason: it offered kendo. Fencing and other swordplay was generally pretty expensive. Kendo offered an way for me to learn how to use a weapon not just in forms but in actual combat against others. Sure there was armor and the swords were bamboo, but that was the closest I¡¯d get this time. Without having a lot of money to work with, I was at the mercy of what was available nearby. This was my best opportunity.
¡°Are you sure about this one?¡± Dad asked after I¡¯d made my decision.
¡°Yeah,¡± I said.
I went on to explain the reasons why.
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll get you scheduled. How many times a week? Three?¡±
¡°Yeah, three. I need time for other things, too¡ like making money and quests and stuff.¡±
¡°Got it. I¡¯ll get you set up and coordinate with your mother and grandparents to get you where you need to be.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad.¡±
He kissed me on the forehead.
The first lesson was the next day. The karate school¡ªMaster Chang¡¯s Tiger Academy¡ªwas a small studio located in one of the many strip malls that made up the county I lived in. It didn¡¯t look like much from the outside¡ªor the inside. It had just a single room large enough for twenty people and not-quite-soft mats so that no one would get too hurt when they fell.
The class I ended up going to was a mixed-age class featuring people from five to seventy, though the majority were teens or young adults. I was the only person in street clothes for the lesson¡ªI would get my uniform and belt after the first class if I chose to continue there.
Master Chang was an older man in his fifties who appeared to be built like a tank. He exuded confidence and passion for his craft. He waited for everyone to line up. The higher their rank, the closer to the front they were. I found an open spot in the back. He looked at me and nodded.
¡°We have someone new joining us,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone welcome Eddy.¡±
I watched as the other students turned their heads to look at me. I waved and they returned to facing forward.
¡°Alright, we¡¯ll start with a warm-up¡¡±
We started with punches and kicks and some light jogging around the mats. When he was satisfied, he took each group aside for instruction. He started with the more advanced students and made his way to the back to work with me and the other white belts. There were three of us¡ªthe other young kid, a middle-aged man, and me.
¡°Can you show me how to make a fist?¡± he asked us.
I balled both hands in a way that came naturally. He looked at the man¡¯s hands.
¡°Good,¡± he said.
Then he looked at the younger kid¡¯s hands.
¡°Loosen your grip a little,¡± he explained, ¡°I¡¯m going to move your thumb around a little so you don¡¯t get hurt.¡±
I watched what he did with the child and tried to copy the result with my own fists.
¡°Just wait until I help you,¡± he said with his back turned to me.
I wasn¡¯t sure how he figured I¡¯d made changes, but he had. When he was done assisting the others, he turned his attention my way.
¡°You see how your thumb is pointing out?¡± he asked.
I nodded.
¡°Well, if you punch someone like that, you¡¯ll break your thumb. You¡¯ve got to hide your thumb under the rest of your fist like this.¡±
He showed me his fist and pointed to his thumb, which was bent to keep the tip away from the front of the fist. I copied what he showed me.
¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Now I want you to get into your horse stance.¡±
He demonstrated by spreading his legs a little and squatting down until his thighs were nearly parallel to the ground. I tried to emulate what he did but found it hard to do.
¡°Don¡¯t worry so much about getting it perfect just yet. Try going half way for now.¡±
I did as he asked, as did the other two. The youngest boy struggled with even that, but Master Chang gave him a pass. The boy was five after all. After a several minutes¡ªduring which he went around to the others for more instructions¡ªhe let us stand up.
¡°Now that you know your horse stance and how to make a proper fist, it¡¯s time to learn how to punch properly as well. The most important thing when punching is to use your whole body and not just your arm.¡±
He stood with his left leg a step in front of his right. He raised his arms and demonstrated how to throw a punch. The main power came from his lower body. He took a step forward, his hips rotated, and his arm took all of that momentum and concentrated it into a crisp punch.
¡°Now I want each of you to try that. One punch at a time.¡±
Master Chang corrected us as we learned. The rest of the class was focused on the small groups and learning the basics. I felt like it was a good introduction to martial arts. I definitely learned something.
¡°What did you think, Eddy?¡± he asked me at the end of the class.
¡°It was good,¡± I said.
¡°Glad to hear that. I would recommend you come back for the lower-level classes. The mixed classes are fine but you¡¯ll do better when everyone is learning the same things. That¡¯s where we do sparring as well.¡±
¡°Thanks Master Chang,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll try that next time.¡±
He patted me on the back and handed me a uniform and belt.
¡°I¡¯ll see you next time,¡± he said.
Chapter 49
I ended up skipping the next beginner class. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to do that after just starting to learn martial arts, but I had a good reason. It was Dad¡¯s 30th birthday. His side of the family came over to celebrate¡ªGrandpa Milton and Grandma Rose, Aunt Kat and my cousins, and even Uncle Ben with yet another different girlfriend. Uncle Dave couldn¡¯t make it but otherwise the family was all together.
While Dad and Uncle Ben were outside working the grill, I showed my grandparents around. Out of everyone near to me, I still hadn¡¯t told them about my circumstances. I felt like it was too late this time around, but I would give it a chance next time. They were good people and¡ªthough I didn¡¯t want word to get around¡ªit would be easier for me to accumulate experience if they were aware of it. For now, though, I gave them a tour of what I¡¯d been working on.
¡°You made this?¡± Grandma Rose asked of my blanket.
¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I made that three or four years ago.¡±
She looked at it with a keen eye.
¡°By hand, too,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s really something.¡±
¡°I joined a local group and had a good teacher.¡±
¡°I can see that! Did you just learn how to sew or also how to weave or knit?¡±
¡°Just sewing,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know the others?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± she beamed. ¡°I could take you to a workshop sometime.¡±
¡°She¡¯s very good,¡± Grandpa Milton interjected.
¡°Thank-you, Dear,¡± she smiled.
She said it in such a way as to thank him for the compliment and also to remind him that he¡¯d interrupted her. He didn¡¯t say anything more and instead smiled as well¡ªthe nonverbal communication between the two having been polished to perfection over nearly forty years of marriage.
After looking at the other rooms of the trailer, we went outside. Grandpa Milton grew very interested in the raised bed garden Dad and I had built several years earlier. It was late spring and the early plants were nearing harvest while the sprouts of longer-growing fruits and vegetables were just getting started.
¡°Your father told me about this,¡± he said. ¡°Have you been the one tending this?¡±
I shifted my head side to side.
¡°Yes and no,¡± I said. ¡°Dad¡¯s been keeping up with it while I¡¯ve been in school. During the summer, though, I¡¯ve been the one taking care of the plants and weeding and stuff. Now that school¡¯s over, I want to learn more and do more with the garden.¡±
¡°Why not come over and help me?¡± Grandpa Milton suggested. ¡°I have a large space and could use the extra help. Plus there are plenty of delicious things to grow and eat.¡±
¡°He does grow some pretty good corn,¡± Grandma Rose added.
¡°Definitely!¡± he agreed, giving the same ¡®thanks-but-be-quiet¡¯ look back to his wife as she¡¯d given him.
I did my best to stifle a laugh. Their looks at me confirmed that I hadn¡¯t been very successful. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t say anything and we moved on to the next part of the tour¡ªand my personal favorite¡ªtrying all of the food.
I spent time with everyone that afternoon. My two cousins were now four cousins. There was a four year gap between the oldest pair¡ªnow nine and seven¡ªand the youngest pair who were three and one. Uncle Ben swore that this girlfriend was the one for him and that it was going to last. I had my doubts. Dad was happy that everyone had come to celebrate with him in spite of his claims that he would have been fine if no one had made it a big deal.
The next day, Dad dropped me off at Grandpa Milton and Grandma Rose¡¯s house for the day. He needed to work and I needed to get experience and learn from both of them. The plan¡ªafter talking it over with Dad and Mom¡ªwas to spend my free days with them for the summer to learn what I could. This would obviously need to extend into the fall harvest and again into the spring for all of the plantings, but while there was still work to do, I would be welcomed as an extra hand.
¡°Dad¡ªyour grandfather¡ªhad all of us working in his garden after school,¡± Dad had told me. ¡°I learned a good amount from that, but I think you¡¯ll get more from the hands-on experience than me trying to tell you second hand.¡±
So it was that I found myself inside the garden with Grandpa Milton, hoe in hand.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°I¡¯ve already broken the ground and amended the soil with compost,¡± he explained. ¡°Today, I need your help to get the rows built for the corn. Take the hoe and pull the soil up into a long mound. Normally, I¡¯d do this with a machine, but you¡¯re young and have lots of energy. You¡¯ll learn better doing it by hand than you will watching me do it with the machine!¡±
He laughed when I groaned.
¡°Buck up,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll build character¡ªand muscle. The ladies like that kind of thing!¡±
I shook my head and rolled my eyes.
¡°Boys then?¡± he laughed. ¡°Well, whichever it is, they¡¯ll enjoy a strapping young lad like yourself when you get a bit older. You know, when I was your age¡¡±
He let the potential story wither on the vine. I knew he was trying to tease me thinking I was nine and not forty. It didn¡¯t bother me. I¡¯d been around the bush more than once.
I took the hoe and pulled the earth backwards. Soon the pile began to look more like a long raised section than just a pile. When I reached the end of the row, I turned around and pulled dirt from the other side to complete the row. Back and forth I went. After the third row, I was tired. By the fifth, I was exhausted. Even with the stats backing me up¡ªand all of the exercise I did daily¡ªfarming was hard work.
¡°Great job,¡± he told me. ¡°You did more than I expected. I¡¯ll fire up the machine and finish off the other half. Your rows aren¡¯t the straightest but they¡¯ll work.¡±
I looked over the five rows and they curved this way and that. I¡¯d tried to keep them straight but didn¡¯t succeed very well. Calling them not the straightest was putting it mildly. Well, if Grandpa Milton thought they were good enough, I supposed they were. There was a raised area to plant in and troughs between for the water to run and drain without swamping the corn.
After cleaning off inside, I went back out to watch him finish preparing the rows. The machine was a small tractor that he walked behind. It plowed one row at a time. He followed the contours of the rows I¡¯d made. In the time it had taken me to finish half of one row, he completed the other five.
¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll plant the corn,¡± he said.
¡°Why not today?¡± I asked.
¡°I have to get the corn kernels soaked overnight first. I¡¯ll do that tonight so they¡¯ll be ready to plant in the morning. I didn¡¯t know how much time we¡¯d have today and I figure you¡¯re probably exhausted. I know I am after watching you!¡±
He laughed and I smiled. We walked inside after putting the machine away.
Dad picked me up after work and took me to Master Chang¡¯s Tiger Academy. The beginner class ran three nights a week and covered the first three belt levels¡ªwhite, yellow, and orange. That there were nine belt levels made splitting everything pretty easy. The intermediate class was for the green, blue, and purple belts while the advance class had the rest¡ªred, brown, and black. Master Chang ran special black-belt-only classes as well, but I wouldn¡¯t be attending those anytime soon.
The class started off like the mixed class had by warming up with a jog and some punching. Next we worked on our forms. Each belt level had a specific sequence they had to memorize and perform at a sufficient proficiency before they would be allowed to test into the next belt level. The white belt form came first¡ªwhich was done by all three belts. Just because a student graduated to the next level did not mean they had to stop doing the old forms. Rather, they had to do the old ones and the new ones.
I followed along with the form. It was alien to me but rather simple. It was a choreographed sequence of punches, blocks, and kicks that traced out a T shape across the mat. I was thankful to have others in front of me that I could watch and copy from. The orange belts were at the front, the yellows in the middle, and the white belts¡ªlike myself¡ªin the back. After the white belt form was done, I was instructed to sit down while the rest completed the yellow forms. This continued until the oranges had finished their more complicated forms.
¡°We¡¯re going to do sparring next,¡± Master Chang informed us. ¡°Seniors grab the gear and help your juniors get set up. If you¡¯re in either of the outside columns, turn towards the center. If you¡¯re in either of the inner columns, turn towards the outside. The person in front of you is your partner for today.¡±
I turned as he said. I was face-to-face with a man in his forties. He was a large man¡ªboth tall and chunky¡ªwith a long beard. I sized him up while a couple of the orange belts helped us get into the padded gear. We were given gloves, a head protector, and a check protector that covered the groin.
¡°First to ten points wins,¡± Master Chang said. ¡°For those who are new here, you get two points for a clean hit to the chest, one point for a partially-blocked strike, and no points for anything else. You automatically lose if you strike the head or the groin, so please be careful.¡±
I glanced around and saw that he was watching the room carefully. Most of the other students began their bouts immediately. I turned back to the man in front of me.
¡°Hey, I¡¯m Mark,¡± the man¡ªMark¡ªsaid. ¡°You¡¯re new?¡±
¡°Yeah, I started this week,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Eddy.¡±
¡°Welcome,¡± he said. ¡°I started about a month ago. Are you ready?¡±
¡°Mhm.¡±
I put my hands up and got ready. The man threw a punch towards my exposed side. Although I didn¡¯t have any fighting experience¡ªbeyond getting tossed and nearly dying to a head wound¡ªmy stats were doing some heavy lifting. Without the panic of fear clouding my mind, the punch looked slow. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was because he was taking it easy on me due to the size difference or because it was just slow. Regardless, I used my left arm to deflect the punch while countering the one of my own.
The man¡¯s face lit up in surprise. He flailed trying to block my attack and ended up overextending. I got two clean hits off after the partially blocked one. He scored two partial hits on me before the end of the match.
¡°Wow,¡± he said. ¡°Have you fought before?¡±
¡°No?¡± I said. ¡°This was my first time.¡±
¡°You¡¯re pretty good!¡±
¡°Thanks. What do we do now?¡±
¡°Well, usually¡ª¡° he began.
¡°You¡¯ll change partners once everyone is done,¡± Master Chang said, making me jump a little.
I hadn¡¯t heard him approaching.
¡°You fought well,¡± he said and walked away.
The rest of the class was spent sparring with other white belts. I did pretty well¡ªalmost entirely off the back of my stats. I never lost a fight even if there was one that came close. What was important to me was that I learned from my mistakes and those of the people I fought against. By the end of the class, I was able to notice some of the most obvious openings and take advantage of them. Instead of just running on adrenaline, I was able to focus on the hows and whys of fighting¡ªwhich is exactly what I wanted.
Chapter 50
The next day, I arrived at my grandparents¡¯ house early in the morning. Grandpa Milton had specifically requested that I get there as early as I could. Planting ten rows of corn was going to take a while. When I arrived, he was waiting for me by the gate to the garden wearing overalls and carrying a couple buckets.
¡°Good morning!¡± he beamed.
¡°Hey,¡± I said with a yawn.
¡°Is for horses,¡± he laughed. ¡°Ready to grow some corn?¡±
¡°Sure. What do I need to do?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to poke holes in the ground with my finger,¡± he said. ¡°I want you to come behind me and drop a single kernel into the hole and close the hole. The buckets are heavy so take a handful with you. I¡¯ll put the buckets near the muddle so you don¡¯t have to travel too far.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± I said.
Grandpa Milton placed one bucket to the side of the middle of the ten rows. The other bucket went on the other side. I took a large handful of the soaked corn and followed him to the start of the first row. The corn kernels were cold in my hands. Even in the late spring warmth, it felt like holding ice. I shivered.
He bent over and systematically make little holes in the soil with his finger. I waited until he was a few feet away and began my task. I dropped one kernel into each hole with one hand. With the other, I brushed the soil to fill the holes I¡¯d put the kernels in. Every minute or two, I would have to jump up and get another handful from the closest bucket.
I got dizzy bending over and standing up repeatedly. After three rows, I took a short break. Grandpa Milton joined me after be finished poking holes in the fourth row.
¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± he asked.
¡°Feeling dizzy,¡± I said.
¡°Have you been drinking enough water?¡± he questioned.
¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded.
¡°Well, then it¡¯s probably from standing up too quickly. Try clenching your butt and thighs when you feel dizzy. It helps.¡±
I nodded.
I went back to work after taking a long drink of water. His advice turned out to help. Another thing that helped was that the bucket was now light enough for me to drag it with me as I moved. While that slowed my movement a bit, I didn¡¯t need to get up anymore. That along allowed me to plow through another two rows quickly. After that, I had to start using the other bucket after emptying the first.
Two hours later, we went inside to clean up and have something to eat with Grandma Rose. Then it was back outside to weed. The peas Grandpa Milton had planted was prolifically producing, so he showed me how to pluck the ripe ones.
¡°You can pick them early when they look like snow peas,¡± he told me. ¡°That way, you can eat the entire pod and the small unripe peas inside. They¡¯re very sweet. If you wait longer for the peas to mature, the pod gets less sweet and eventually inedible. However, that¡¯s the stage of pea needed to keep the seeds to plant in the future. Always save your seeds.¡±
He paused and held up a hand as if to stop himself.
¡°Well, save the seeds of most things. If there¡¯s a chance of cross breeding, some plants are either not true to seed¡ªthat is, they don¡¯t have the same characteristics as their parents¡ªor they have a high chance of making something poisonous. Most fruit trees and bushes are not true to seed but not in the dangerous way. Melons and squashes are the ones to watch out for. Tomatoes are fun to breed and you might end up with a whole new variety and have a chance of naming it!¡±
¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± I said. ¡°Have you named any?¡±
He shook his head.
¡°I haven¡¯t intentionally made anything new, but I have by accident. The problem is that you have to be able to propagate the new variety to get it to be accepted. I wasn¡¯t able to.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Nothing to be sorry about. It¡¯s a fun hobby of mine.¡±
I helped collect the ripe vegetables. I ate a few while we picked them. I ended up with a nice haul¡ªboth of the vegetables and of experience. The bonus experience in every instance I gained experience made a huge difference.
Picking quality vegetables and cleaning the stems off¡ªor whatever they needed in order to be considered ready to be used¡ªalmost always gained me one or two Harvesting Experience. On top of that, I¡¯d get another. That was a doubling of my efforts! I got even more experience from helping Grandma Rose turn those picked vegetables into other things.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
The small cucumbers got turned into pickles¡ªalong with onions and cabbage. The snow peas were used in the lunch¡¯s stir fry. The bigger peas were pulled from their pods and left to dry for storage. She told me she would use them for split pea soup or keep them for planting more in the late summer for the fall harvest. All of those activities gained me more experience by the time Grandpa Joe picked me up from their house in the afternoon to go shooting.
Over the next two weeks, I helped Grandpa Milton finish planting his garden. I assisted with the weeding and harvesting as well as helping Grandma Rose with preserving the harvest. At the same time, I spent a couple days with Grandpa Joe shooting the .22 rifle at the range. He¡¯d begun to show me how to take it apart for cleaning.
¡°If you shoot a gun, you¡¯ve got to clean it,¡± he told me. ¡°When it gets dirty, it won¡¯t work right and might even fail when you need it most!¡±
With Master Chang, I continued the same training in the beginner classes. Not every class had sparring, but it was something I did at least once a week. The other classes were about teaching proper form for punching, kicking, and blocking. Learning that in a slow and methodical manner allowed me to practice them while sparring. The goal was to write these actions into muscle memory so that they would be automatic if I ever needed them. Though I was improving, I was still at least a few months away from moving up to the next belt rank.
¡°Are you ready?¡± Grandma Rose asked me.
¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Today was the day of the workshop she¡¯d told me about. It was something run by the local historical society in collaboration with the community college. Naturally, it was held at the community college. I felt strange returning there after several years away. As I was with my grandmother¡ªand it had been long enough¡ªno one seemed to recognize me. If they did, they didn¡¯t bother me as we walked into the building that held the workshop.
I entered the building with Grandma Rose. The workshop was on the first floor. We found our way there easily enough. The room was large with several machines to handle every part of the process¡ªfrom processing the fibers into yarn and then weaving the yarn into cloth. I saw five people inside besides the two of us. There was an older woman¡ªperhaps a few years younger than Grandma Rose¡ªwho looked to be the person in charge of running the workshop.
¡°Welcome,¡± she said to us. ¡°We¡¯ll begin shortly. I want to leave enough time for the last stragglers to arrive.¡±
We waited for ten minutes. Another four people entered the workshop in that time. When the woman was satisfied that she¡¯d waited long enough, she got our collective attention.
¡°Alright,¡± she said, ¡°we¡¯re going to start the workshop now. As some of you may know, long before machines automated the creation of fabric, it was made by hand. The fiber of choice in those days was flax. While most modern clothing is made from cotton, that fiber was traditionally more expensive and difficult to work with than flax. So, today, we¡¯ll be going through the process of turning a plant into cloth. You¡¯ll each have the opportunity to try the machines for yourself after my presentation. Sound good?¡±
I saw people nod or mumble some form of assent. The woman then grabbed a handful of what looked like grass to my eyes.
¡°This,¡± she said, ¡°is flax. It¡¯s been dried so that it¡¯s easier to work with. The first thing that would be done is to break the stems¡ª¡°
She put the flax onto a jagged wooden paddle before crushing the similarly-shaped other side of the device. The flax cracked and crunched but remained held together by the fibers. She moved the broken flax stems and smashed them again and again.
¡°¡ªso that the fibers in the middle can be liberated. This was back breaking work as I¡¯m sure you can imagine. In ancient history, the little bits of straw would be plucked out by hand. Thankfully, there are tools for this task. This comb here is meant to take out all the undesirable bits and leave clean flax fibers.¡±
The woman pulled the broken flax stems through a device that had a wooden base and many rows of iron spikes sticking up out of it. The fibers slid between the spikes while the little bits of straw got caught in between and popped off. Some of the fibers were left behind by this, but the remaining ones looked clean and fluffy after several passes. She left the partially-processed fibers where they were and moved over to the next station.
¡°Once the fibers have been separated, the next step is to weave them together. A skilled spinner could spin all of the fibers in front of me in under an hour. That was what women and girls would do during the winter to help make clothes or to sell to bring in extra income for the family.¡±
She sat down at the spinning wheel. She wet her fingers in a little cup of water while her foot pressed a peddle that made the wheel begin to spin. Rhythmically, she pulled the fibers in and let the wheel twist them together. Periodically, she added more fibers to keep the string a consistent thickness. After a minute of spinning, she stopped and moved to the next station.
¡°After spinning, the next step would be dyeing. The string would be colored one of many colors¡ªyellow, red, orange, brown, black, white, and many others. The past was full of color and not brown sacks for clothing. After dying¡ªand washing¡ªwas weaving.¡±
The woman moved to the loom. She narrated along with her actions. She passed the dyed string through a gap between the vertical strings that she created by pressing a pedal. Once it was through to the other side, she pressed another pedal and moved the string back to the side it had started on. With each pass, she tamped the weave so that it would be tight.
¡°This woven cloth is something you¡¯ll be familiar with: linen. It could be rough and made into sacks or canvas. Or it could be very fine and made into very comfortable clothing or even turned into lace by a skilled craftsman. Different weaves and different qualities of linen were used for different purposes.
¡°Now, who is ready to try their hand at the process?¡±
Several people raised their hands¡ªmyself included. We were each given an opportunity to go through the steps. She¡¯d been right that breaking the flax was a lot of effort. I managed to get a bit of the straw under one of my nails. Thankfully, a Heal took care of that before it started bleeding. We went station by station until we¡¯d each had an chance to do everything. Of the stations, I enjoyed the weaving the most. It made the most sense to the way my mind worked. I wondered how much experience I would get if I grew the flax and turned it into cloth and then into clothing or something like that with the sewing skills I¡¯d gained.
Chapter 51
I sat at the dinner table with Mom about three months later. I¡¯d just returned home from the the shooting range. Grandpa Joe had finally let me graduate to handguns and rifles of a larger caliber. As I ate, I got a notification I wasn¡¯t expecting.
| Harvesting Experience: Pick Corn
Exp Gained: 1 |
¡°Is something wrong?¡± Mom asked, seeing the look on my face.
¡°Nothing bad,¡± I said. ¡°I got a notification and it¡¯s strange.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°I just gained experience for picking corn but I didn¡¯t pick any corn today.¡±
Mom sat there with a confused expression on her face. Although I couldn¡¯t see the gears turning in her head¡ªor the steam escaping from her ears as her brain worked hard¡ªI knew she was trying to figure it out just like I was. I could smell it. That¡¯s when I had a thought.
¡°I planted corn with Grandpa Milton a few months ago,¡± I said. ¡°Could it be that he picked some and it counted?¡±
Mom¡¯s face lit up.
¡°You could be right,¡± she said. ¡°Give me one minute¡ do you know their number?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°Ok, maybe more than just a moment,¡± she laughed.
Mom called Dad and got their phone number from him. She dialed it on her cell phone and put it on speaker. It rang a couple of times before Grandma Rose picked up.
¡°Hello?¡± she asked.
¡°Hey, it¡¯s Ashley¡ªEddy¡¯s Mom,¡± Mom said.
¡°Oh, how are you?¡±
I could hear Grandma Rose doing something in the background.
¡°Good, good. Am I calling at a bad time?¡± Mom asked.
¡°I¡¯m making dinner,¡± Grandma Rose said.
¡°Ah, sorry. We¡¯re just sitting down to some mac and cheese.¡±
¡°That sounds wonderful. Listen, I¡¯ll have to call you another time, the water¡¯s boiling for the corn and Milton just came in with the ears.¡±
Mom hung up and looked at me. She didn¡¯t need to say anything¡ªwe both knew what that meant. I knew that this revelation changed everything. While I would get more for actually doing the growing and harvesting myself, simply being involved allowed me to gain some experience.
¡°I think this means I should talk to them about what¡¯s going on,¡± I said.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mom said.
Her face looked at me with apprehension.
¡°You should talk to your father about it. He knows his parents better than either of us.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll see what he says.¡±
I had to wait until the following week to talk with Dad about it. It was the kind of conversation that needed to happen face to face. Talking over the phone or video chat just wasn¡¯t going to cut it.
¡°Hey Dad,¡± I began.
¡°What¡¯s up, kid?¡± he asked with eyes that drilled into me.
¡°So something happened the other day¡¡±
I explained what happened at Mom¡¯s with the corn and its implications.
¡°¡so I think telling Grandpa Milton and Grandma Rose about the loops and stuff would make sense. If they know, then we can plan on getting me to plant everything so that I get a good amount of experience come harvest time¡ªeven if I¡¯m not the one harvesting.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Dad said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Grandpa Milton will care one way or the other. It¡¯s Grandma Rose who is the sticking point. She¡¯s a rather spiritual woman full of superstitions. I could see her being completely fine with it and seeing the magic you can do as a gift from God or spirits or something. On the other hand, she could see you as tainted by the Devil and make a big fuss¡ªone that would bring unwanted attention onto your situation.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
¡°So find a way to tell Grandpa Milton alone?¡±
Dad nodded.
¡°Yeah, that would be the best way. He¡¯s good with keeping secrets.¡±
¡°Makes sense. Maybe I should tell Grandma Rose right before I reset. Gaging her reaction would be important knowledge for the future.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good plan,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe you can explain it to him tomorrow. He asked for you to go and help him gather more of the crops before the first frost hits in a few weeks.¡±
¡°Hopefully a good opportunity arises,¡± I concluded.
An opportunity presented itself while I was helping Grandpa Milton with gathering the rest of the corn. The corn had been left to dry so that it could be saved for the next year and used to make corn flour for tortillas and corn bread. While breaking off the ears of corn, he¡¯d managed to trip and bang his knee on a sharp rock.
¡°Damn it!¡± he swore.
He wasn¡¯t the type to swear much or make a fuss¡ªeven when in considerable pain. This clued me into the fact that he¡¯d hurt himself more than I thought from a simple fall.
¡°Are you ok?¡± I asked.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he winced. ¡°Just give me a minute. I might have to go inside for a bandage.¡±
His pants were cut where the rock had been and I could see a line of blood beginning to form.
¡°Before you go, I think I can help,¡± I said.
¡°Did you learn first aid?¡±
¡°Something even better.¡±
I mentally used Heal on him. Immediately, the blood stopped flowing. I Healed once more to be sure. I looked at his face. It went from gritting through the pain to shocked at feeling no pain at all.
¡°What just happened?¡± he asked.
¡°Your knee is better, right?¡±
¡°I think so? It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±
He paused, looked at his knee, then looked back at me.
¡°That doesn¡¯t answer the question, though. What just happened?¡±
¡°Magic,¡± I said.
He looked at me like I was pulling his leg. But I didn¡¯t laugh. I said it with a straight face.
¡°Magic?¡± he repeated.
¡°Yeah. Magic. I healed your knee with magic. Twice, in fact. I wasn¡¯t sure if one would be enough.¡±
¡°Magic,¡± he repeated to himself quietly.
I could tell that what I said was difficult for him to understand and process. However, I also knew that trying to explain fantasy terms to him was going to be a no-go. Using the more traditional magic was going to be a better way to handle it. Time travel also wouldn¡¯t be a foreign concept to him¡ªprobably¡ªso explaining the time loops wouldn¡¯t be too big of a challenge. At least I had been able to give him a practical demonstration of the magic. That should make things easier.
¡°Did you ever wonder how I went from kindergarten to college?¡± I asked.
¡°I always thought you were smart,¡± he shrugged.
¡°Why thank-you,¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good head on my shoulders, yes, but I also have a huge advantage: time travel. I returned from the future. In so doing, I still have my memories and education from the first time I lived through this¡ªso college wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±
¡°Magic and time travel,¡± Grandpa Milton said while shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Well, I do¡ you¡¯re right here in front of me and used magic and everything¡ but I can¡¯t believe it. Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡±
¡°Would you have believed me if I had?¡±
¡°Eh, probably not. I¡¯d have thought you had a very active imagination or something.¡±
¡°Exactly. And when the magic is right in front of you, then it¡¯s incontrovertible evidence of what I¡¯m telling you. Oh, and please keep this a secret from Grandma Rose.¡±
¡°Why?¡± he asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know how she¡¯ll react to it,¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her eventually, but not for another ten years or so. Just in case. If she is amicable to the idea, then I¡¯ll come forward and tell her right away next time.¡±
¡°Wait, there¡¯s going to be a next time?!¡±
¡°Yeah. I have a problem that I need to fix, and for that there¡¯s a lot I need to do. When I do things¡ªlike picking corn with you¡ªI get points that I can spend on magic that will help me fix the problem. I discovered the other day¡ªwhen you picked corn for dinner¡ªthat I got points because I was the one who planted and helped care for the plants. That¡¯s what made me think of talking to you about it.¡±
¡°Why hadn¡¯t you sooner?¡± he asked, looking hurt.
¡°How do you think people would react if they knew?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Not well, that¡¯s how. I¡¯ve kept it to as few people as I can. You know, Mom and Dad know, and Grandpa Joe knows. That¡¯s it. The fewer people know, the less the chance there is of it leaking out and becoming a problem.¡±
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°That makes some sense. So! Are you ready to get back to work? This corn¡ªand those points of yours¡ªwon¡¯t harvest themselves!¡±
I laughed and helped him up onto his feet. We collected the rest of the produce over the remaining hours of the day. It turned out that Heal was a great way to relieve the stress of the work on muscles. The aches and pains went away immediately. It didn¡¯t do anything for our stamina, but the lack of pain kept us working far longer than we otherwise would have. By the time the sun was setting, we¡¯d finished gathering everything that Grandpa Milton had said needed to be harvested as soon as possible.
¡°Milt, dear,¡± Grandma Rose said when we came in with smiles on our faces. ¡°Why do you work so hard? You¡¯re going to feel it tomorrow if you¡¯re not careful!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, Dear,¡± he replied. ¡°Eddy here¡¯s a strong young lad and he helped me get everything done today. Isn¡¯t that right, Eddy?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I nodded with a smile. ¡°We got everything done together.¡±
¡°Hmph, well I hope so,¡± she said. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready and I¡¯m hungry. Please don¡¯t take so long next time, ok?¡±
¡°We won¡¯t,¡± both of us said at the same time.
Over the next week, I helped Grandpa Milton put away all of what we had collected. We grabbed some more things that weren¡¯t as pressing to gather¡ªlike the potatoes¡ªand put those away in the cellar as well. That was when he showed me how to properly store things over winter.
¡°The most important thing is to keep everything in a cool, dry, and dark place,¡± he told me. ¡°A cellar is a great location¡ªbut not every part of the world can support cellars. Here, though, they¡¯ve been built for centuries. Before refrigeration, this was the best you could do if you didn¡¯t have access to ice houses.¡±
¡°What are ice houses?¡± I wondered.
¡°A long time ago, people used to harvest ice from lakes. Then they¡¯d cover them in straw for insulation. The ice would be able to keep a small room cold¡ªlike a fridge¡ªfor a whole year. The next winter, they¡¯d repeat the exercise.¡±
¡°That¡¯s pretty cool!¡±
¡°Definitely ice cold,¡± Grandpa Milton laughed.
I shot him a glare for the bad joke.
¡°So in our cellar, I put all of the vegetables¡ªand the seeds for next year once they¡¯ve dried. You¡¯ll lose a little to animals or to time, but it¡¯s a good option for long-term storage.¡±
¡°Thanks for showing me,¡± I said.
¡°Any time! Did you get a lot of points?¡±
¡°Quite a few, thanks to you,¡± I smiled.
Chapter 52
The next week, Mom and Dad both came with me to Master Chang¡¯s Tiger Academy. It was finally time for my promotion to yellow belt. The place was filled with parents, families, and other loved ones. Though most of the promotions were in the lower belt levels, the night had students from every belt.
¡°Please be seated,¡± Master Chang addressed the audience. ¡°Tonight, several students will be graduating to the next rank. We will start with the newest students and progress up the ranks from there.¡±
He turned his attention towards us and away from the audience.
¡°Students, please sit in the back,¡± he commanded.
All of the students found an open spot to sit on our knees. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable thing¡ªand that was probably the point of it. Even so, we sat in rows to each side, leaving a narrow aisle down the middle for students to file down when it was their turn to demonstrate their skills.
¡°White belts to the front,¡± he ordered.
I stood up with the three others at my level. We walked single file through the aisle and lined up in front of the other students.
¡°We¡¯ll start with your forms,¡± he said. ¡°Eddy, you go first. Come up to where I am standing and face the audience. I want you to show them what you have learned.¡±
¡°Yes, Master Chang,¡± I said.
I walked with as much confidence as I could muster. Inside, I was very nervous. I hated having people watching me. The standard advice of imagining everyone naked or whatever did nothing for me. By the time I finished my musings, I had reached Master Chang. I turned on my feet and bowed to the audience.
¡°Begin,¡± he said softly.
I walked forward and punched as well as I could. Then came a block, a kick, and another punch. Then I turned left and repeated the motions. Each step was carefully choreographed to show off how much I had learned so far. When I was done with the form, I bowed to the audience again.
¡°You may sit,¡± he said. ¡°Next we have Nick¡¡±
The other three completed their forms one after the other. When the last of us finished, Master Chang turned to face us¡ªand the audience behind.
¡°You have one final task before you move on: you must punch through a board,¡± he said to us.
He raised his head to the audience to explain further.
¡°Here at my school,¡± he said, ¡°we don¡¯t use thin boards than anyone can snap just by bending them. No, we use ones that are an inch thick¡ªyes, even for the little ones. I want to make sure they all understand how much responsibility they have now that they know how to fight properly. I don¡¯t want any of my students starting fights. I want them ending fights only after diplomacy has failed.¡±
He picked up a board. I was fairly sure I could snap it by bending it. While it wasn¡¯t super thin, the grain ran horizontally¡ªa good, solid punch would go right through it. It would probably hurt a bit, but I wasn¡¯t too worried. He handed the board to one of the higher belts before doing the same with three more boards.
¡°Please line up facing the wall,¡± he said. ¡°I want good clean punched from each of you.¡±
He waited for us to get set in front of one of the students with a board. Mine was held by a teenage boy. He crouched and braced the board, waiting for the signal and the punch.
¡°Punch when you are ready,¡± Master Chang told us.
I got set. I pulled my arm to my hip. I stepped forward and launched a strike at the center of the board. I remembered what he had told me about punching through the target instead of at the target. My fist flashed forward and broke through the board. I could immediately feel my knuckles burning from the impact. I ignored the pain and smiled. I bowed to the teen and he back at me.
¡°Good work,¡± Master Chang said when everyone had finished snapping the boards. ¡°You four are officially yellow belts. I want you to go back to where you were seated and watch what the next rank does. That is what you will be learning from your next class onwards.¡±
¡°Thank you, Master Chang,¡± we said in unison with a bow.
I walked back down the aisle with the others. I saw Mom and Dad wave and smile. I nodded in their direction but otherwise heeded Master Chang¡¯s instructions. I kneeled at the back with the other former white belts. I watched the yellows, the oranges, and the other belt ranks do their ever increasingly complex forms. They were required to show not just their level but their mastery of the previous forms as well. When they showed their mastery, they were given a stripe on their belt. After getting enough stripes for every form at their level and lower, they would be given the opportunity to gain the next belt. I figured I would be going to these promotions fairly often if I was going to get up to a black belt before the reset happened.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Mom and Dad mobbed me when I received my new belt from Master Chang following the end of the ceremony. I hugged the both of them. I was just glad to be on my feet again¡ªmy legs were cramping after kneeling on the mat for almost an hour.
¡°Great job, kid,¡± Dad said.
¡°Look at you!¡± Mom exclaimed. ¡°Already a yellow belt!¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said to both of them.
I was a little bummed that there hadn¡¯t been a quest for ranking up. I missed getting those for the easy experience.
Two years passed in similar fashion. I kept up a rigorous schedule of martial arts, growing plants, shooting guns, and completing quests. I was about halfway through being a red belt and would soon be on to brown in a few months. I¡¯d learned a lot about fighting strategically and I¡¯d gained some pretty good reflexes as well.
Grandpa Milton and I had gone through two cycles of planting and harvesting. Although our plans didn¡¯t increase my day-to-day experience gain, I made a significant amount more from the yearly harvests. The bonus from the skill I¡¯d purchased made everything so much better. One experience extra thousands of times added up to a huge surplus. I had almost a million experience!
Grandpa Joe had moved to an outdoor range with a lot more open space to shoot in. This gave me plenty of opportunity to get good at aiming down iron sights out more than 200 yards. With a scope, I was accurate as far as the rifle was effective¡ªwhich depended on the weapon, the caliber, and a few other things. I was proud of my accomplishments and felt like I had a healthy respect for guns. I knew my way around them¡ªhow to clean them, how to shoot them, how to handle problems¡ªand figured they¡¯d be a solid asset when the monsters came.
Mom and Dad found new love in that time¡ªor at least the seeds of what might become love, at least. They each found a boyfriend and girlfriend respectively. To me, the two newcomers seemed nice enough. They weren¡¯t the same as the ones I¡¯d known the first time through my life, and having them around led to complications with my secret. Mom and Dad promised not to tell¡ªwhich was fine¡ªbut didn¡¯t say the new lovers wouldn¡¯t move in at some point¡ªwhich was decidedly not fine. They were yet another obstacle that I would have to tiptoe around to keep the circle of people who knew as tight as possible.
It was around this time that I finally got another quest. While not super long-term like the school one had been, nor as lucrative as surviving the attack had been, I was excited to finally have a good goal and reward.
| There Can Be Only One
Rank in the martial arts tournament
Success: Experience depending on placement
Failure: N/A
Expires: 1 month, 8 days, 1 hour, 43 minutes, 50 seconds |
I¡¯d found out from Master Chang a while ago that there was a yearly tournament held in winter. The first two times, he said I wasn¡¯t ready.
¡°The tournament is for advanced students,¡± he explained. ¡°When you are in the advanced class, I¡¯ll be watching you to see if you should go. You¡¯re young and so you will face students from other schools who are roughly your age. When you are ready, you will have your opportunity.¡±
This year was my first chance to prove myself in a tournament. I talked it over with my parents and they agreed that at least one of them would be able to go with me. That I got a quest for it sealed the deal. I also asked them about purchasing a skill or two in order to do better in the tournament. Options included Wrestling, Punching, and Fighting.
¡°I think you should try to do this on your own without the skills,¡± Mom said. ¡°They might help you, but I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll get the value back.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Dad said, echoing Mom¡¯s words on another day.
I took their counsel to heart and decided not to get any skills for the tournament. With my stats and years of practice, I was already the best at sparring at Master Chang¡¯s¡ªother than the master himself. Without the stats, I figured I¡¯d be average at fighting¡ªthe increased reflexes and power made a huge difference.
Two weeks before the tournament was my twelfth birthday¡ªand Christmas. Unlike in the past, my parents weren¡¯t acting like two-year-olds lobbing shit at each other when they thought no one was looking. They were able to come together and celebrate my birthday together. This year, we had both Christmas and my birthday at Mom¡¯s place.
I woke up early and peered out the window. For the first time in years, it was a white Christmas. I saw the eerie glow of the freshly fallen snow in the predawn light. I always enjoyed the peaceful¡ªyet creepy¡ªfeeling that came with new snow at night. The way it reflected light made the world seem brighter than it otherwise should have been.
Mom had left my stocking hanging from my door. I went through the gifts there and used them to occupy my time until dawn broke and everyone woke up. I ate some candy and read one of the small books stuffed in there. The rest of the time I spent on the now-ancient laptop tending to my writing commissions and completing some quests. Finally, when the sun had been up for more than an hour, I heard Mom and her boyfriend¡ªKen¡ªstirring. That was my cue to get up and go downstairs.
¡°Good morning,¡± I said on the way down.
¡°¡¯Mornin¡¯,¡± came the sleepy reply from Ken.
Mom was downstairs in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
¡°Morning, Eddy,¡± she said. ¡°And happy birthday!¡±
¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°¡¯Morning to you too. Whatcha cookin¡¯?¡±
¡°Birds nests,¡± she replied.
A birds nest was made by taking a slice of bread and cutting out the middle using a water glass. Then both the part with the hole and the small disk that had been cut off were pan fried in butter. The hole got filled in with an egg¡ªwhose yolk I always managed to break. I loved them even if I was terrible at making them.
¡°Awesome!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Presents after breakfast?¡±
¡°Yup.¡±
I sat and ate with Mom and Ken. Dad, his girlfriend, his parents, and Grandpa Joe weren¡¯t due to come until around lunch time. I was looking forward to seeing everyone get together for the first time in a while. Mom and Dad¡¯s new lovers had met each other and seemed to be on friendly enough terms¡ªeven if I was the only real connection between them.
Chapter 53
I sat with Mom and Ken in the living room after breakfast. The Christmas tree had both white and colored lights strung around it. Dozens of ornaments and candy canes hung from the branches. Beneath the tree were a multitude of presents. Some were meant for my birthday while others were reserved for Christmas.
I had a giant smile plastered on my face. It was time to open presents! The first that Mom handed me came with some explanation from her.
¡°Grandpa Joe used to give me one of these every year for the holidays,¡± she said. ¡°I feel like I should continue the tradition and start giving you one as well.¡±
I tore the paper from to reveal a silver dollar coin. It was packaged in a blue velvet-lined box and protected with a shell of clear plastic around it. I pulled it out and looked it over on both sides. I tried Identifying it.
| Object: Dollar Coin
Tier: 0 |
I didn¡¯t get anything out of the mana I spent. In fact, I got nothing. ¡®Dollar coin¡¯ was the most basic identification of it that could be imagined. This exemplified the problem I had with skills. They were basically useless! Not actually useless, but that wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. The next time I tested skills¡ªafter the restart¡ªI was going to include a way to level skills so that they could grow in power. Identify needed to be able to tell me that it was a silver coin, how pure the silver was, the weight, the approximate value, etc. Otherwise I might as well just use my eyes for all the good it did me.
The next gift¡ªanother small one¡ªcame from Ken. It was incredibly light for its size.
¡°I know I¡¯m new in your life,¡± he said, ¡°but I hope to be your step-dad one day.¡±
This comment got a glare from Mom and an eye roll from me. I opened the gift and found a balsa wood airplane inside. It was bound in a lose plastic film with instructions of how to put it together. I hadn¡¯t played with one of those in years!
¡°Thanks, Ken,¡± I said, putting it down next to the silver dollar.
Mom and Ken exchanged gifts while I was given a bigger one, which was my last Christmas gift.
¡°You¡¯ll open your birthday gifts after everyone leaves later,¡± she told me when I asked.
The bigger box contained a small hobby telescope. With the resolution it gave, I would only be able to see the moon with any real detail¡ªmaybe get a glimpse of the other planets if I was lucky enough. And even then, they¡¯d just appear as stars even with that magnification.
Mom cleaned up the wrapping paper while Ken helped me set the telescope up for the next time the sky was clear.
A couple hours later, I heard a knock on the door.
¡°Eddy, can you get the door?¡± Mom called from the kitchen.
I tore my focus away from the airplane that I had been launching around the living room to walk to the front door. I unlocked the deadbolt. I twisted the knob and pulled the door open. On the other side was Dad with his girlfriend¡ªJessica. His parents were slipping and sliding their way from their car towards the door.
¡°Hey Dad,¡± I said, giving him a hug.
¡°Hey, kid,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Gonna let us in before we freeze?¡±
I rolled my eyes. I gave him space to enter Mom¡¯s house. Jessica gave me a quick hug after she¡¯d hung her coat on a peg by the door.
¡°Merry Christmas,¡± I said to them and to my grandparents as they stomped through the door right after.
¡°The same to you,¡± Grandpa Milton said.
¡°And a happy birthday!¡± Grandma Rose added.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said.
I led them to the living room where they placed their gifts by the tree. Mom left the kitchen with Ken long enough to greet everyone and open the next round of gifts. I got food and clothing from Dad and Jessica, and a stack of books about farming from Grandpa Milton and Grandma Rose.
Grandma Rose joined Mom and Ken in the kitchen afterwards to help with the cooking. Aside from presents, Dad, Jessica, and my grandparents had brought sides and desserts for Christmas dinner. I helped bring those items into the kitchen but then left again afterwards. There was only so much room in there and getting involved would be a recipe for disaster!If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Forty minutes later, Mom said that Christmas dinner was ready.
¡°Come and eat,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Grandpa Joe is, but we should start before everything goes cold. Grab a plate and take what you like.¡±
I did what she said and got a little bit of everything onto my plate. I sat in the dining room next to Dad and Grandpa Milton. The food was really good. I couldn¡¯t help but go back for seconds before everyone else had been seated with food. That was when Mom came into the dining room with a worried expression on her face. She whispered something to Ken that I couldn¡¯t hear. Ken immediately got up and excused himself from the table before dashing out the door. I heard a car¡¯s engine turn over before it rumbled away down the road.
We finished eating food¡ªand dessert¡ªover the next hour. I could tell that Mom was getting increasingly worried. She was pacing back and forth and not really eating much of what was in front of her.
After dessert, Mom, Dad, Jessica, and my grandparents got together to sing me happy birthday. The cake was small¡ªwe¡¯d just eaten dessert after all¡ªwith twelve candles on it. Mom¡¯s hand shook as she lit them.
¡°Make a wish,¡± Jessica said once they¡¯d finished the song.
A wish was the last thing I wanted to do. After all, that¡¯s how I ended up in this monster apocalypse time looping mess in the first place! I made no wish and blew out the candles. The door slammed open just as everyone was clapping. I turned my head to see Ken¡¯s face looking at Mom with a grim expression.
¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Mom asked Ken.
Ken shook his head. He walked close to her and whispered into her ear. I could see her face drop when he did which made my heart sink.
¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Mom cried out.
That made me realize that something bad had happened to Grandpa Joe! He was supposed to live another two more years, so I didn¡¯t think whatever it was happened to be fatal. At the same time, I didn¡¯t remember him getting seriously injured either.
¡°Milton, can you watch Eddy?¡± she asked. ¡°Something¡¯s happened to my father.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Dad said.
With that, Mom raced out the door with Ken. Tears streaming down her face as she did.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Dad once she had left.
¡°I don¡¯t like to guess,¡± he said, ¡°but I think your grandfather¡¯s in a bad way. The roads are a bit icy so maybe he was in an accident. I don¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t bring you, though.¡±
We finished eating the cake together. Dad helped me pack up my unopened gifts before taking me with him back to his apartment¡ªhe¡¯d moved to something nicer a year ago when he was able to afford it¡ Jessica probably had something to do with that decision.
I didn¡¯t hear anything from Mom for two days. I¡¯d tried to call her phone¡ªit was dead. I tried calling Ken, but he never picked up. Eventually, she called me back.
¡°Sorry for not answering your calls,¡± she said with a ragged breath.
¡°What happened?¡± I asked.
¡°Dad¡ªGrandpa Joe¡ªpassed away on Christmas,¡± she said before bursting into tears. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s hard to talk about it still. He¡ªhe was driving to see us but hit a patch of ice. The car crossed the double yellow and straight into a semi. He stood no chance. I-I didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye!¡±
Mom cried into the phone for several minutes while I tried to console her. Eventually she was able to choke out the rest of it.
¡°I¡¯m trying to arrange the funeral right now. Please give me some time to get everything in order. I¡¯ll see you next week, I promise.¡±
¡°Alright, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I love you. Stay safe.¡±
¡°Love you too. And sorry again¡¡±
¡°I understand.¡±
Grandpa Joe¡¯s early death was my fault. Maybe not directly. I hadn¡¯t laid the ice there nor had I driven the semi into his car. At the same time, my returning to the past made him drive to Mom¡¯s place for my birthday and Christmas where he otherwise would have stayed home.
He¡¯d been such an awesome grandfather for the years we¡¯d spent together. I¡¯d gotten to know him a lot more than I had the first time around. I knew that I would need to rely on him again in the future, and it hurt to know that our time together had been cut short. It was my own damned fault!
I didn¡¯t need to tell Mom or Dad how I felt. I knew¡ªdeep down¡ªthat I was to blame. Next time, I¡¯d have to let him know to be careful. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t even matter. After all, I planned on having a lot more money to throw around. Mom and Dad wouldn¡¯t be living where they were today, and who knew what would happen. It was a sobering reminder that every action I took had consequences¡ªeven ones I didn¡¯t foresee.
The funeral was held about an hour away from where Grandpa Joe used to live. The cemetery there held his parents and my grandmother. There was a vacant plot next to her for him when he passed.
I went with Mom. We were both dressed in black. The funeral was a small and somber affair, though I did notice several people who I did not recognize. They had an air to them that I just couldn¡¯t place¡ªregimented in some kind of way.
The church where the cemetery was attached was a small one. Mom and some of his friends gave short eulogies. I walked by the casket to say goodbye to his face. It was ashen and vibrant at the same time¡ªmakeup, I assumed. When the service was over, we left out the side to the cemetery carrying the coffin.
The plot where he was supposed to be buried had been dug out by a tractor. The dirt was placed on a tarp to one side. A priest was there to say his piece. Then it was time to lower the casket. It was heavy, even for me. Mom and I held one of the ropes while a stronger man held each of the other three ends. It dropped down inch by inch until it came to a rest on the bottom.
Ritually, it was time to toss a shovel full of dirt into the grave. Mom went first. She cried and her hands shook the whole time. The dirt drummed on the casket below. Then I went next. I took the shovel and stuck it into the pile of dirt. I got a good scoop. I brought it over the the grave and sprinkled it down.
Sorry, Grandpa Joe, I thought. I should have been more aware of what I was changing.
When I was done, I gave the shovel to the next person. The procession of grave-buriers went on for several minutes before the last person stuck the shovel into the pile and left it in there. The machine would come back later to fill the hole in and set the headstone.
Before we left to go home, I hugged Mom while she cried by the grave.
¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± she whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s gone.¡±
I made a promise to myself right then not to let the same thing happen in the future. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to save him from death completely¡ªhe¡¯d died when I was fourteen, after all¡ªbut I wanted him to at least live that long next time.
Chapter 54
Grandpa Joe¡¯s death brought to the fore everything I¡¯d been working on¡ªand everything I¡¯d put off for too long. It lit a fire under me. After all, I was also on the clock. While I knew the amount of time I still had left before the apocalypse hit, it was an inevitability. I knew that I would struggle to gather enough experience to build a truly well-functioning system. It was going to be a lot closer to the edge and involve a lot of compromises to make it work.
I estimated that I would end up with around two million experience by the time the I went back in time again. That didn¡¯t leave me with many options for what I would be able to afford. That problem was only going to get worse in future lives¡ªthere was always something more to buy and not nearly enough experience to get all of it without taking some penalties as well.
Though I would run any ideas past my parents, I had a backup plan if nothing came together. I would pick up the Experience Vault feature along with Restart I to save all of the experience I¡¯d picked up. That way, I would have more options to start on the right foot instead of having to save up a ton of experience over three or four months to purchase everything I¡¯d need. That might not sound like a long time¡ªand it wasn¡¯t that long¡ªbut it represented a loss of at least 50,000 experience. Even if I did get some permanent upgrades, I thought that saving enough on the side to get started would be a good idea.
At the same time as I pondered what I should get, I started to memorize a lot of data relating to the market, to sports, and even a few lotteries. I had paid better attention this time around, so I was aware of the general trends and could place them by year. However, I didn¡¯t remember the details well enough. I¡¯d been in this life for six-and-a-half years, and that was plenty of time to forget more than I had learned.
I needed to start early so that I would be able to have a plan of action going into the reset. I would take a long time to drill these ideas into my head so that I wouldn¡¯t forget them when the time came to use them. And I wanted to save the 100,000 experience it¡¯d cost to bring items back in time with me. That meant first finding a good path to get money and what to invest in at what times, then memorizing that path until I knew it like the back of my hand.
After the calendar flipped over, I learned more about the martial arts tournament from Master Chang.
¡°The tournament will have several events,¡± he told us during one of the advanced classes. ¡°There¡¯s sparring¡ªwhich most of you are doing¡ªweapons, forms, and team competitions as well. If you¡¯re sparring, you¡¯ll be paired with other students in your age and weight brackets. It¡¯s going to be an all-day thing with some special training after from the other masters who will be there. Expect to be there for three days.¡±
I let my parents know and Dad volunteered to take me to the event since his work was still more piecemeal than Mom¡¯s so he could more easily afford to take the time off and not get fired. Being one¡¯s own boss had its perks! Jessica declined to come¡ªlike Mom, she worked a steady nine-to-five. Plus, I thought it was better that only Dad came. Jessica was just a temporary acquaintance who would disappear when I turned the clock back in a few years.
Time passed in a flash. I was sitting in Dad¡¯s beater of a truck¡ªhe¡¯d upgraded to a new one when the old one slipped off the highway and into a snowbank. We were on our way.
¡°Nervous?¡± Dad asked when he noticed I was sitting quietly.
¡°A little,¡± I said. ¡°Mostly enjoying the music, though.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he nodded. ¡°You should do pretty well, right?¡±
¡°I should,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Having more than twice the strength and speed of everyone my size does have its advantages.¡±
¡°I thought it would be the years of training?¡± Dad laughed.
¡°Those helped, too,¡± I laughed with him.
We chatted a bit more but fell into silence again. The trip was too long to be considered just a quick jaunt and too short to be a proper road trip. The convention center that held the competition was three hours away. We took our time. Stopping a handful of times to check out whatever caught our fancy. The first was the largest legs in the world¡ªa pair of enormous painted concrete¡ legs. The quality of the attractions after weren¡¯t much better than that.
Eventually, Dad parked the truck outside of the hotel we were staying in. It was the cheapest option that wasn¡¯t complete crap. The room we had looked like it hadn¡¯t been updated in a long time. At least there weren¡¯t any bed bugs. I¡¯d checked. The rest of the hotel was bare bones¡ªno bar, no exercise room, no pool. What the hotel did have was a good view of the city we were in.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
It was a medium-sized city where land was not a major obstruction. This meant there weren¡¯t many large buildings. In their stead was a sprawl that extended miles in every direction. The dividing line between city and suburb was blurry enough that I was confident there wasn¡¯t one. Rather it was by town and city boundaries than anything inherent to the city itself.
At night, the city lights stretched in neat columns and rows up and down the hills. The roads looked like strips of lighted nothingness in a sea of black. Dad joined me in looking out of the windows at the city.
¡°Looks nice at night,¡± he commented.
I turned to answer but he¡¯d already walked off to put away our luggage. I went after him to help out. Then it was time to sleep. It took a while to drift off¡ªI was excited about the contest the next day. It didn¡¯t help that I needed to be up early to get to the place by eight in the morning.
Dad woke me at six. He jumped in the shower and I did the same when he was done. We went down to the front of the hotel. They were serving a terrible breakfast. I took a bagel that was too dry even with copious amounts of cream cheese. I immediately missed the much better ones we had back home.
After breakfast, Dad and I piled into the car. He drove us to the convention center. There was a parking garage next to the convention center so finding parking wasn¡¯t a problem. A short walk later, I was inside. It was huge inside. Calling it spacious was vastly underselling just how much space there was. I saw so many mats for sparring along with some larger areas that I assumed were used for the other events.
Near the entrance I saw a large congregation of martial artists in their uniforms. There was a rainbow of belt colors represented¡ªthough most of them were red, brown, and black. I walked over to see what was going on. On the other side of the mass of people was a large table that had a handful of attendants.
¡°Are you here to sign in?¡± one of them asked me when we made it to the front of the line.
¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m with Master Chang¡¯s Tiger Academy.¡±
¡°Great! Your school is¡ª¡°
The attendant drew out the word while looking through a binder.
¡°¡ªin Section B. If you look behind me, you should be able to see banners around marking out the sections. Section B is to your left and about halfway back.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said.
I left to give room for the next person while I looked for the correct banner. Like the person had said, it was near the middle of the left side. Dad and I walked over to it. On the way, I saw several other schools gathering. Not to mention the vendors hawking their wares¡ªmostly athletic or martial arts gear of some kind. When we arrived in Section B, I cast my eyes side to side before finding a smaller banner with my school¡¯s logo on it. Sitting next to the banner was Master Chang.
¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Dad said, pulling me aside. ¡°I know you have stuff to do before competing, so I won¡¯t bother you. I¡¯ll figure out where you¡¯ll be fighting and make sure to support you!¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± I said with a smile.
Just the thought of performing in front of people made my stomach do flips. Sure, I did it from time to time whenever I moved up a belt level, but this time, it would be even more people. Especially if I made it to the finals. Dad watching didn¡¯t bother me. It was when there were tens of people or more that I crumpled under the pressure and nerves.
I sat near Mast Chang with the other students. I was the only one in my age and weight bracket, so I wouldn¡¯t have to fight others from my school. Aside from me, there were around ten others who had made it. I thought there were supposed to be closer to twenty, but I couldn¡¯t remember for sure.
While waiting for the last few people to trickle in, I looked around the room at the other schools. I saw small groups with matching uniforms in most of the schools. I assumed those people were competing in one or more of the group contests. Then there were the masses of fighters. Even after filtering that down to people roughly my age and size, there were many. I had no idea how many rounds there would be, but it looked like a lot from where I was sitting.
¡°Now that you¡¯re all here,¡± Master Chang said when the last person arrived, ¡°we will be walking in the opening ceremony in another ten minutes. Please line up and follow me when I tell you to.¡±
¡°Yes Master Chang,¡± came everyone¡¯s response.
Around five minutes later, I saw other schools stand up and get in formation. Master Chang ordered us to do the same. Someone named Grandmaster Li spoke over the loudspeakers introducing the event.
¡°Welcome to the twenty-second annual White Dragon martial arts competition,¡± he said. ¡°Joining us here today are the students from Mr. Wilson¡¯s Karate of Middletown!¡±
The named school gave a short step forward and punch. Then Grandmaster Li moved to the next school. It went on like that for a little more than half an hour before all of them were named. Then we spent another twenty minutes parading around the convention center and back to where we started.
¡°Teachers,¡± Grandmaster Li said, ¡°please have your students go to their events. The first matches are scheduled in twenty minutes. I wish each and every one of you will do your best!¡±
Master Chang immediately began to give each person or group of people directions.
¡°Eddy, you¡¯ll be going to Section F,¡± he told me when he got to me. ¡°Your tournament looks like it¡¯ll have around eight rounds. Good luck. Show ¡®em what you can do!¡±
¡°Thanks, Master Chang,¡± I bowed.
I had a smile plastered on my face while I walked towards the entrance of the convention center. Section F was located on the other side. The masses of other students going this way and that felt like swimming in a river of humanity. I eventually reached my destination. There, I found at least a couple hundred other children around my age.
The tournament organizers had seen fit to give us a collective ten mats to fight on. Each mat had an official standing by it. At the end of the row of mats¡ªon the wall¡ªwere lists of who was fighting who, when, and which mat. I felt the butterflies as I stepped forward to check the list. I scanned the list and quickly found my mat¡ªnumber three. I was thankful I wasn¡¯t the first bout. I was, however, the second.
Chapter 55
Time ticked by. Each student found their designated mat. I sat just off the edge of mine. I figured it would be fun to watch the match before mine to get a feeling of the skill level of the others that I would be going up against. Two girls stepped into the ring with protective gear on¡ªone in red and the other in blue. They met in the middle to bow before returning to their starting point. The official asked if they both were ready before giving them a countdown.
The girl in blue made the first move. She quickly stepped forward and kicked at the girl-in-red¡¯s side. The girl in red stepped back to avoid it before stepping forward to punch her opponent in the stomach. The caution of the first handful of moves went by the wayside soon thereafter. Both girls instead focused on gathering points by rapidly striking their opponent¡¯s scoring areas.
After two minutes, the official called the match¡ªthe girl in red was declared the winner. Both were winded but the different expressions of the fighters¡ªone of victory, the other of defeat¡ªcould not be farther apart. I assessed that the two girls were fairly evenly matched but neither would prove to be a challenge for me.
I stood up and stepped into the ring. A boy a little taller than me stood on the other side. For this match, I was wearing the blue protective gear.
¡°Eddy Teller. Michael Robinson. Are you both ready?¡± the official asked.
I nodded, as did my opponent.
¡°Ok. Then on the count of three. One. Two. Three!¡±
I decided to take a cautious approach to start with. There was going to be a lot of fighting and I wanted to be as fresh as possible come the final fights. I could always Heal my muscles into perfect condition, but I wanted to avoid drawing any undue attention to myself. I didn¡¯t think anyone could actually see the magic, but I wasn¡¯t going to take any chances.
My opponent¡ªupon seeing me not moving too much¡ªtook the initiative. He launched forward. At least, that¡¯s what it would have looked like from the outside. To me, it was slow. I casually moved out of his way when he tried to punch me in the chest. I lashed out with a kick to the side as I did. I made sure it wasn¡¯t a full kick. I didn¡¯t want to accidentally break his ribs¡ªit was a spar, not a fight to the death!
Michael staggered back from the strike. I thought even at half-power that I might have overdone it. I gave him a couple seconds to forfeit if that was the path he wanted to take. When he didn¡¯t surrender, I launched a flurry of attacks his way that was overwhelming. I took a couple strikes that I could have avoided. I wanted to win quickly now that I had sized the boy up and found him lacking.
¡°Stop!¡± the official yelled.
I jumped back to give my opponent space.
¡°Eddy Teller is the winner. 20 points to 3. Please vacate the mat.¡±
I bowed to Michael. I walked off the mat and took off my gear. There was no point in wearing it for another hour before my next match. Instead, I found Dad hanging off to the side with the other spectators¡ªmost of which were parents.
¡°Good fight,¡± he said.
I nodded.
¡°How many rounds?¡± he asked.
¡°Master Chang said eight,¡± I said, ¡°so I think this will go on for a while.¡±
¡°How much time until your next one?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe an hour? I want to say it¡¯s double elimination, too. There¡¯ll be a losers'' bracket meaning the rounds won¡¯t actually go faster until the third round. Even then, I¡¯ll be doing a lot of sitting.¡±
¡°Do you need anything? Water, food¡?¡±
¡°I¡¯m good for now,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll probably hit the bathroom after the next round.¡±
¡°Hopefully not too hard,¡± he laughed.
I gave him a glare in response.
We watched other matches for a while before Dad excused himself to go to the bathroom. I sat and waited for a while. Eventually, he wandered back around.
¡°What took so long?¡± I asked.
¡°Oh, I thought I¡¯d check out some of the other competitions,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re pretty cool.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll probably go have a look after the next round. I think this one¡¯s just about finished.¡±
The next round was posted on the wall a little over ten minutes later. I was going to have to wait a while for my match. I was second to last on mat number five. Seeing that I had at least half an hour before I was due to fight, I took that opportunity to visit the rest room and return.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Along the way back, I checked out the other competitions. I didn¡¯t have enough time to really watch them, but the sword fighting looked like a lot of fun. Both contestants stood in full gear whaling on each other with bamboo swords. The matches also lasted longer than the sparring ones I was doing. At the same time, there were fewer people participating. I tore my eyes away from the spectacle and returned to my assigned mat.
The next three matches for me were as easy as the first had been. I was average in terms of fighting skill, but my stats meant I was just that much faster than everyone else I came against. It really was unfair. I wasn¡¯t going to complain, though. I needed as many experience points as I could get so that I could maybe save the world. I¡¯d come to terms with the fact that it was my fault. Even so, I was obligated to do something about it. Winning this tournament was but a step on that journey.
The tournament broke for an hour for lunch after the fourth match. Dad and I scouted out the options before settling on getting each of us a premade sandwich, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water. There wasn¡¯t nearly enough seating available for everyone at the same time, so we ate standing against one of the side walls.
¡°Halfway there,¡± Dad said between bites.
¡°Mhm,¡± I agreed.
¡°Didn¡¯t look like you¡¯re having any trouble so far,¡± he pointed out.
¡°I don¡¯t think I will, either. I¡¯m as strong as most adults while being half the size. Throw in a modicum of skill and I don¡¯t think anyone will be able to come close.¡±
¡°Even if they¡¯re really skilled?¡± he asked.
¡°Eh, maybe then,¡± I said. ¡°Did you notice anyone like that?¡±
¡°Not from where I was standing, but you never know who else is out there.¡±
¡°True,¡± I nodded.
¡°Well, I¡¯m done eating. I¡¯m going outside for a smoke. I¡¯ll meet you back at the mat when I¡¯m done.¡±
¡°Those are going to kill you some day,¡± I scolded him.
¡°I don¡¯t want to know the future,¡± he teased back.
I rolled my eyes as he left. This wasn¡¯t the life to be too bothered with making him quit. After all, I was just going to reset any progress he made. I knew he had it in him to quit, too. He¡¯d almost managed when I was fifteen before making the mistake of thinking cigars wouldn¡¯t bring the cravings back. I was thirty when he finally kicked it after a health scare.
I threw out my trash and wandered back to the tournament area. I checked to see where my mat would be and sat near it. I still had time before the next round, giving me some time to look around. I saw that there was definitely fewer people now. Some of the people eliminated stuck around to watch the matches, but most wandered off to do other things.
Three more matches ended in victory. They were firing more quickly now that the amount of other fighters had dwindled to just a handful. I watched the loser bracket¡¯s semi final before what would hopefully be my final match. Then I mentally facepalmed when I remembered that even if I won the match, I¡¯d have to face the winner of the losers'' bracket¡ªwhether the same person or the other¡ªone final time.
A crowd gathered around the finals ring. Both myself and the other winner¡ªa tall girl¡ªfaced each other on the mat. The winner of the losers'' bracket stood nearby to face the loser of this match. I felt confident. There hadn¡¯t been any real challenge thus far, and I didn¡¯t really expect this spar to be any different.
¡°Mia Oliver. Eddy Teller. Are you both ready?¡± the official asked.
¡°Yes,¡± we said together before bowing to each other.
¡°On my count. One. Two. Three!¡±
As with every match, I took my time getting to know the style of my opponent. I also wanted to gauge her skill level. To make it to the finals, she had to be the best of the best. I started with probing strikes while I kept my feet moving.
She used strong kicks and quick, fast punches. With my stats, I was able to avoid or deflect them easily enough. When I thought I had a handle on her style, I went in more strongly. I counterattacked her next kick by stepping into it. I punched towards her chest with a bit more than half of my strength. The girl was definitely more skilled than the others had been.
In an instant, her hands reached out. One blocked my attack and the other hit me in my chest! I staggered back and gave her some room. I reevaluated my approach. My opponent was much better than I had thought. I was going to need to use all my strength if I had a chance of winning.
I leaped back into the fight. With all of my stats, I wasn¡¯t pulling punches anymore. She was quick, yes, but I was quicker. In the first minute, she was ahead on points¡ªblocking only reduced the points gained rather than negating them entirely. I punched, kicked, blocked, and dodged to the best of my ability. She was more skillful, but I was quicker. We traded blows. She hit me a fair number of times. In so doing, she was hit twice as much. In the end, the match was called after a grueling five minutes.
¡°Eddy Teller is the winner,¡± the official announced. ¡°21 points to 18.¡±
I bowed to my opponent before sitting on the sidelines with Dad. Even after years of endurance training by running daily from quests, five minutes in the ring was exhausting. The stats helped but only so much. I wanted desperately to Heal my aches away. Instead I watched and waited.
The girl faced off against a tall boy for the chance to face me again. The loser of the fight would be in third place while the winner of the fight with me would be in first place¡ªthough they¡¯d have to beat me twice while I only had to win once. The two opponents fought relentlessly. Like me, the boy struggled to fight her on even terms. Unlike me, he didn¡¯t have an advantage he was hiding to get him across the finish line. He lost decisively after only three minutes.
The official called a ten minute break before the finals. I took that opportunity to run¡ªyes, run¡ªto the bathroom in that time. There was a short line, but I was able to make it back to the mat before the finals started. And then only just. As I came sprinting back, the girl was on the mat waiting for me.
The finals drew a sizable crowd. Dad was there, as was Master Chang. After the ceremonial bow, we started the spar. Unlike the first time around, I had a much better measure of my opponent. I used what I knew¡ªand my stats¡ªto bring the match to a close much faster than it had been the first time around.
¡°Good matches,¡± she said, extending a hand.
¡°You were good,¡± I smiled while shaking it.
She didn¡¯t say anything more. I left the mat at the same time she did.
¡°Great job!¡± Dad said, grabbing me in a big hug. ¡°Proud of you.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡±
¡°You did very well, Eddy,¡± Master Chang commented. ¡°You¡¯ve done me and our school a great service with that performance.¡±
¡°So what do I do now?¡± I asked.
¡°Why don¡¯t you have a good look at the other competitions?¡± Master Chang said. ¡°They¡¯re almost over. Come to Section B where we were this morning when you¡¯re done. Awards will be handed out when the last competition finishes.¡±
Chapter 56
At the moment I made for the closest crowd of people, I heard the sound of a notification as it popped in front of my eyes.
| There Can Be Only One Complete
Reward: 512 Exp |
While not the greatest reward ever in terms of time or amount, I was still glad to have gained something for my efforts. I usually struggled to figure out how much experience I got for something. This time, however, I had a guess to go off of. One experience doubled for each match I¡¯d won. Given that the finals were essentially two rounds, that would explain the extra doubling. I couldn¡¯t be sure¡ªit was random at the best of times¡ªbut it felt right to me.
I had a bounce in my step as I walked over to what turned out to be one of the team performances. The team on the mat giving their demonstration was dressed in matching black uniforms with golden accents. There were five of them going through a choreographed routine. It looked like the tall man at the center was having a fight with the other four. The five traded ¡®blows¡¯ until the man at the center won the faux fight. He helped up the other four that had fallen to the mat and they bowed to applause from the audience.
After they were done, another group went onto the mat to do their performance. I decided to move on to the next area. While what they were doing was pretty cool and somewhat interesting, I didn¡¯t feel connected to it after all the sparring I¡¯d experienced today. I wanted an event with more on the line. I found what I was looking for after coming across another performance¡ªa single person with a staff doing forms.
Instead of yet another fake fight or display of technical prowess, I saw a higher level of what I had won. I wormed my way into the crowd to get a better look. In front of me were two men beating the shit out of each other. At that level, there were different brackets for men and for women. There had to be. Based on the sheer violence I was watching, I didn¡¯t see how a woman without enhanced stats would have a chance.
The physical differences between men and women were things I hadn¡¯t considered when it came to the system I was building. I knew that everyone was going to be in danger from the monsters. While war was traditionally a man¡¯s occupation, women were going to need the same strength and resilience else they would die. And if the women died, so did the human race.
While the men¡¯s tournament continued in the background, I poked around with Search to see if I could find anything that would help. I tried several search terms. Eventually, I did come across a few things.
| Feature: Balanced Strength
Prerequisites: Strength
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: 100,000 Exp
Description: Enhances the Strength stat for anyone who is weaker than the average. Reduces the Strength stat for anyone stronger than the average. |
| Feature: Boosted Strength
Prerequisites: Strength
Unlock Personal Use: N/A
Unlock For Universal Use: 250,000 Exp
Description: Boosts the Strength stat for anyone who is weaker than average to the average. |
These options were mirrored for all the stats. There was the cheaper option that made everyone the same and the more expensive option that brought everyone to a base-level. That second option was definitely the preferred one¡ªif I could afford it. Doing nothing wasn¡¯t an option, but I really hoped I didn¡¯t have to go with the former option. People were who they were because of their differences, not what they shared with everyone. I didn¡¯t want to take that away from them.
There were other gripes I had with what I¡¯d tried out. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d chosen the right stats to work with. They were basic¡ªwhich was fine¡ªbut there were things they couldn¡¯t do; which was not fine. I knew I might end up going with them if that¡¯s all I could afford, but that needed improvement. Skills needed to be fixed and expanded as well.
And then there was the idea of classes. I wanted to test how they worked and see if they would be a good option for the final build or if they were a distraction. The main payoff¡ªfor me at least¡ªof getting classes was extra experience to spend elsewhere. The way they worked ultimately constrained the available skills, which was considered a detriment as far as experience was concerned.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Then, of course, there were the other¡ªarguably more important¡ªthings like what to purchase to get experience. I knew I¡¯d have to get the full suite every reset, so any amount I didn¡¯t have to spend on myself, the better. At the moment, I was partial towards getting Quests II, Milestones II, Hidden Milestones II, and then one of the experience types. Experience Vault was also on that list so that I could start each life off the right way. I estimated that I wouldn¡¯t have much extra after getting all of those¡ªand Restart I. I planned to talk with Mom and Dad about my thoughts in the near future.
I brought myself back to reality after the champion of the men¡¯s tournament was declared. Though there were a couple of events still ongoing, I decided to return to Section B to wait for the awards ceremony to start. Around half of my fellow students were there when I arrived. Master Chang was still wandering around. I didn¡¯t have to wait too long before he returned.
¡°Tigers,¡± he said, ¡°I want to thank you for how well you¡¯ve all done today.¡±
Several people cheered, which brought a smile to his face.
¡°For those of you who have placed in any of the events, there¡¯ll be an awards ceremony in around an hour. For those who didn¡¯t, you can stick around to watch or you can go out and relax. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll all be training, so make sure to be back here on time, ok?¡±
¡°Yes, Master Chang,¡± came the reply.
¡°Good,¡± he nodded.
Most of the students cleared out. Though Master Chang had suggested they stay to watch, it wasn¡¯t required. Many of them were teens who had come with family whose parents wanted to share a meal with them rather than wait around another hour or two. I didn¡¯t mind. It just meant fewer eyes on me when I took to whatever stage was prepared for me and the others who had placed.
An hour later, the announcement came over the speakers.
¡°Anyone who placed in a tournament today, please go to Section D.¡±
Master Chang led the way. I¡ªand the handful of students who¡¯d stuck around¡ªfollowed him to Section D. The crowd¡ªthough sizable¡ªwas barely a tenth as large as had been buzzing around from event to event throughout the day. Near the back wall in Section D was a small stage. On the sides of the stage were several differently sized trophies. In the middle was an old man standing by a microphone. He had two younger men¡ªone on each side of him¡ªstanding guard.
¡°Hello,¡± said the old man. ¡°Those of you coming, please leave room for people to move around. We¡¯ll get started in a moment.¡±
He coughed and put his hand over the microphone to say something to the man on his left. The man nodded and picked out a few trophies from the side of the stage to bring to the front. When people stopped arriving, he continued to speak.
¡°For those who I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of meeting before, I am Grandmaster Li,¡± he said. ¡°Many years ago, my own master taught me that competition was what brought out the best in a warrior. Each and everyone who participated this year is just that: a warrior. I believe¡ªjust as my master did¡ªin rewarding the best of the best. To that end, I will begin handing out trophies to the top three in each tournament.¡±
Grandmaster Li bent down and picked up the smallest trophy near him.
¡°For third place in the under tens, we have Madison!¡±
There was light clapping from the crowd as a small girl walked confidently to the stage. Grandmaster Li said a few words to her before handing her the trophy.
¡°In second place is James!¡±
A small freckled boy ran up to collect his prize.
¡°And the winner of the under tens tournament¡ªplease give a warm welcome to Leon!¡±
A slightly larger boy collected his trophy. Then it was on to my tournament. The tall boy got his third place trophy while Mia took her second place prize.
¡°And the winner for the under thirteens, Eddy!¡±
I smiled as I walked to the stage. Grandmaster Li had a presence on the stage in spite of his somewhat frail appearance.
¡°I heard about your match from the officials,¡± he told me with a grin. ¡°You did very well. Master Chang must be proud of you.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± I said.
I took the trophy and returned to where I had been. I thought it was probably rude to take my trophy and run. I wanted to eat dinner, but I could wait until everyone else got their prizes.
While I waited, I looked at what I¡¯d won. The trophy wasn¡¯t a small thing. It had multiple tiers to it. Each had its own decoration of little statues of people fighting with different styles. At the base of it was a small plaque with my name, the event I won, and the year it took place. I put it down next to me for the rest of the event.
I was exhausted by the time the awards ceremony was over. I barely had the energy to eat dinner¡ªthough that didn¡¯t stop me from absolutely gorging myself. Given my age, I was just beginning to hit my growth spurt. It wouldn¡¯t finish for another few years. Even so, I needed a ton of energy to get there. Dad was more than happy setting me loose in a buffet for that reason.
The next day, Dad and I got up early again for the second day of the convention. Rather than tournaments, today was the day for me to learn skills from masters other than Master Chang. I¡¯d been looking forward to this, as it was going to be my first real chance to learn how to use martial arts weapons.
Sure, Master Chang did some of it, but I needed to be a black belt in his school first. Here, though, I would be able to try out staves, swords, nunchucks, and many more. Master Chang insisted that we all join one of the mindfulness¡ªmeditation¡ªsessions as well, regardless of what else we wanted to do. I wasn¡¯t interested in that. However, what he said was law at this event for me.
Chapter 57
The convention center had been rearranged. Instead of being broken down into places for tournaments to take place, it was set up for each school to have their own location. Dad left me in the care of Master Chang.
¡°Today you can do what you like,¡± he said. ¡°Check out the other schools and get a lesson from one of the other masters. Don¡¯t forget to join one of the meditation sessions.¡±
Master Chang looked at us with conviction. It felt like he¡¯d be able to know if we didn¡¯t do what he asked. I didn¡¯t want any issues, so I made a note in my mind to do that.
¡°Why are you still here?¡± he asked. ¡°Get going and have fun!¡±
I walked away from him. There were so many options and opportunities. I wandered around for nearly an hour just trying to get a lay of the land. There were several meditation sessions available, so I had my choice there when I decided to do it¡ªprobably after lunch. The choice of masters to learn from was vast. I saw a ton of styles for various weapons and even more for hand-to-hand. Given that I¡¯d yet to do any weapons training, I decided to start there. The first stop was at a school that was offering basic lessons on the staff.
¡°Can I join?¡± I asked the person who looked like the school¡¯s master.
¡°If you can wait ten minutes, I¡¯ll be starting the next short lesson,¡± he said.
I nodded before sitting down to wait.
The wait wasn¡¯t too long. Before I knew it, I was standing on the mat with five others, staff in hand. The staff was a little too big for me¡ªthey didn¡¯t have any in my size¡ªbut that didn¡¯t really matter. Though a little unwieldy, it was sufficient for learning the basics¡ªor so the master said.
¡°The first thing I want you to do,¡± the master said, ¡°is to do a basic strike.¡±
He demonstrated stepping forward with his right foot and bringing the staff down in front of him at the same time. It reminded me a lot of the basic punch¡ªonly using a long stick to extend my reach. I did my best to copy him and found that it was rather easy.
After ensuring we knew that strike, he added first one more and then finally a third. The second was a strike from below on the left side. It was a good way to go for the unprotected bits to help win a fight.
¡°You don¡¯t fight fair,¡± he reminded us. ¡°In a real fight, you fight to win.¡±
The third was a devastating overhand strike with both hands. Strong, but left the attacker vulnerable.
The last thing he showed us was how to block with a staff. Each strike type had its corresponding blocking motion. There wasn¡¯t nearly enough time to get any real skill with the weapon. Instead, it was a good taste of what was out there. I considered learning more in the future.
After trying out the staff, I moved on to swords, nunchucks, and finally sticks¡ªwhich were the short cousins of the staff. Of those, I liked the staff and the sword. I didn¡¯t have a chance to use a spear, but I assumed it would be similar enough to the staff that I would want to try it in a future restart.
I bought lunch in the cafeteria with a couple of the other students from my school. It wasn¡¯t great¡ªa pre-made sandwich¡ªbut it was filling enough that I didn¡¯t complain. Well, I didn¡¯t complain too much. Afterwards, I decided to try the whole meditation thing.
The master¡ªor sensei, as he preferred to be called¡ªin charge of the meditation group walked us through how to meditate. I found it incredibly difficult to clear my mind of stray thoughts. Giving myself something to focus on¡ªlike the chakras or whatever weird, esoteric thing the sensei prattled on about¡ªhelped. It didn¡¯t help much, but it did help. With that focus, the time passed more quickly than I had feared. Even so, I was glad then the half-hour was up.
For the rest of the day, I wandered around. I tried out some of the different hand-to-hand styles. Aikido and judo were interesting. The rest I could take or leave. They were generally similar enough to the style I was used to from Master Chang.
An hour before dinner¡ªand the close of the event¡ªGrandmaster Li ordered everyone back to their school for the closing ceremony. It was basically the same as the opening one, except in reverse. Finally, I was released to go home with Dad. It had been an eventful few days and I was ready to move on to the next thing.
The next several years passed. In that time, I made black belt and competed in more tournaments. I did well¡ªthough not always as the winner. Every year in the spring, I planted with Grandpa Milton. And every year, I harvested what I could in the fall. The amount of experience I gained was good.
I decided to put off metalworking and woodworking for when I had more money and could dedicate real time and effort to them. I could get the basics out of the way, but that didn¡¯t feel right to me. I wanted to learn both as well as I could, rather than just dabbling in them. I needed more than just surface knowledge.
Mom and Dad eventually got remarried. Though I attended the weddings, my heart wasn¡¯t in it. After all, I was unlikely to see any of these people again. When I restarted, things would go back to how they were before they¡¯d met¡ªto before the divorce was finalized. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care¡ªwhich I knew was just an excuse to avoid emotional pain.
Even if it wasn¡¯t true that everyone was going to die, going back to how they used to be was equivalent in my mind. I was going to murder billions in order to save as many people as I could. I wasn¡¯t going to do this once. Nope. I was going to do it as many times as I had to. The more I numbed myself to the reality, the better off I¡¯d be mentally. Giving up was not an option¡ªeven if I wanted to, from time to time.
As the years went by, I noticed that it took longer for puberty to take its course. I grew as tall as I had the first time around, but I didn¡¯t hit my peak height until I was sixteen. I remembered that I stopped growing taller around the time I¡¯d turned fifteen the first time. I had a few guesses as to why¡ªmost revolving around the system¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t place a reason on anything in particular. It was a mystery I hoped to solve eventually.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
It was when I was seventeen that I set up a small get together with Mom and Dad alone. This turned out to be a hassle. Both of their spouses demanded they be involved. While we trusted them to some degree, I decided it was too much of a risk. Instead, we met over the computer when we were alone. Sneaky¡ªyes¡ªbut also necessary.
¡°So, how much will you have to work with?¡± Mom asked after pleasantries had concluded.
¡°Around two million,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s a rough estimation, but it should be pretty close.¡±
¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± Dad asked.
¡°Well, I need Restart I for sure,¡± I said. ¡°Then get Milestones II and Hidden Milestones II. That makes Milestones II half price at the cost of not being able to give experience directly.¡±
¡°So, how would it help?¡± Mom inquired.
¡°I¡¯ve found that the Milestones family gives experience when completing certain tasks. This¡ªin turn¡ªunlocks the ability for the Quests family to give quests related to those milestones.¡±
¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°That makes some sense, right Milton?¡±
¡°Mhm,¡± Dad agreed.
¡°And then¡ªbecause of how intertwined they are¡ªI am thinking of Quests II as the next option.¡±
I could see Dad¡¯s head nodding.
¡°How much does that leave you?¡± Mom asked.
¡°1.2 million, give or take,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m rounding.¡±
¡°What about the experience ones?¡± Dad asked.
¡°Good question,¡± I said. ¡°I want all of them¡ªwell, I need all of them, eventually. Which one I pick is debatable.¡±
¡°Well, you have done a lot of farming with Grandpa Milton,¡± Dad said. ¡°So maybe Harvesting?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good option,¡± Mom said. ¡°But what about Economic? I know you plan on making a ton of money early on, so that would be good experience, right?¡±
¡°Both of you are right,¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what makes this decision difficult. I might have a solution, though.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Mom said.
¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have enough for one or two of the ones that come with Restart I. There¡¯s one to bring experience with me, one to bring items with me, and one to bring people with me when I go back. I was considering Experience Vault¡ªthe experience one. I could also see taking the one for people at least once to bring one of you back with me.¡±
¡°Definitely not,¡± Mom said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have a hole in my heart where Ken used to be.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Dad said.
¡°Alright, that¡¯s out then. What about Experience Vault?¡±
¡°With that, you¡¯d be able to use experience right away,¡± he pointed out. ¡°You¡¯ll have access to all the personal versions of whatever you don¡¯t pick up from the start instead of having to save up, which takes time.¡±
¡°Good call,¡± Mom agreed. ¡°I think you should do that. If you¡¯re taking that route, I¡¯m not sure that the choice of which experience one to go with actually matters. Might as well roll the dice at that point.¡±
I laughed.
¡°So, what¡¯s the plan in general?¡± Dad wondered. ¡°Other than the unlocks, I mean. What do you plan on doing next time, once you have all the money?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been getting a lot of experience from farming with Grandpa Joe, right?¡± she asked.
¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±
¡°Why not scale that up? You¡¯ll get Harvesting and Economic experience all over the place that way. After you found out that you planting and doing some of the work allowed you at least a portion of the experience when it was harvested, I don¡¯t see why you wouldn¡¯t want to make the most of that discovery.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± I said. ¡°That makes sense, I guess. I¡¯ll do some research on the historical yields and costs and stuff like that. Foresight being 20/20 and all.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Dad chuckled. ¡°I think your mother¡¯s got a good idea there. Too bad you didn¡¯t study agriculture when you went to college.¡±
¡°How was I supposed to know?¡± I asked.
¡°I know, I know. Just a shame. Your foresight might be 20/20 now, but it wasn¡¯t back then!¡±
Dad had to mute himself after laughing so hard he coughed.
After we talked for a while longer, I went through with the dice roll. It chose Crafting Experience and so that is what I would pick when the time came. I floated the idea of not picking anything until after I went back, but that idea was shot down.
¡°It¡¯s better to have something secured now than bet it on the unknowns,¡± Mom pointed out.
Two months before my 20th birthday, I was sitting at 1,958,880 experience. Crafting Experience, Quests II, Milestones II, Hidden Milestones II, Experience Vault, and Restart I came out to 1,950,000 experience. I had just enough. With two more months, I¡¯d have enough extra on the side to get at least the main features taken care of. The skills and stats and stuff would have to wait a bit, more than likely.
I took the opportunity to talk to Grandma Rose before I purchased everything. I was nervous about it after everything Grandpa Milton had told me. At the same time, I had an out by returning to the past¡ªjust in case.
¡°Grandma Rose,¡± I said to get her attention.
She was baking Christmas cookies¡ªwhich smelled great. I noticed her hand had a bandage on it.
¡°Yes, dear?¡± she said.
¡°What happened to your hand?¡±
¡°Oh, the doctors had to remove something. Nothing to worry about.¡±
¡°Mind if I take a look?¡±
She humored me by putting her hand out towards me. I Healed her hand. As soon as I had, she recoiled like I¡¯d hit her.
¡°What did you do?¡± she demanded.
¡°I healed you,¡± I said.
¡°Get out of my house, you devil worshiper! You¡¯re a witch! How many babies did you kill for this?!¡±
Grandma Rose threw things at me. I took that as my cue to leave. I knew it would be hard¡ªbut I didn¡¯t expect it to be like that! Grandpa Milton called me later to tell me that she had kicked him out because he knew and didn¡¯t tell her. Thankfully, it never went beyond some murmuring from an old woman that others tended to ignore. I didn¡¯t think the time travel bit would go over well either.
All in all, it was a good lesson about people. I couldn¡¯t be sure how everyone would take the coming apocalypse. I guessed most people would manage somehow, but there would definitely be people like Grandma Rose who would react in a horrible way. Most of them would die, I figured. It¡¯d be hard to survive if they didn¡¯t take advantage of the system.
After dinner on Christmas Eve, I retired to my room. I added all of my purchases together. I took a deep breath and hesitated. This was it. I hit the button.
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Milestones II
Current Exp: 1,475,141 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Hidden Milestones II
Current Exp: 1,725,141 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Quests II
Current Exp: 1,225,141 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Crafting Experience
Current Exp: 225,141 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Restart I
Current Exp: 125,141 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Experience Vault
Current Exp: 25,141 |
Chapter 58
Light enveloped me. A strong feeling of vertigo gripped me. Then there was blackness so deep it felt like the void between galaxies¡ªno light at all. Then suddenly, a box appeared in my face.
| You have finished your first life. Congratulations are in order! Before evaluating your performance, let¡¯s take a look at what might have happened if you had decided not to restart for more experience points¡ |
Paul awoke with a start. There were strange noises coming from outside, near the front door. He glanced at his phone¡ª3 in the morning. He crept quietly past his kids¡¯ rooms and down to the first floor. Now that he was closer to the noises, he was even more perplexed. They sounded like nothing he¡¯d heard before in his life. It was like a cross between wild dogs and little children¡ªeach screech sending a shiver up his spine.
Paul grabbed his shotgun and cautiously approached the front door. As soon as he did, the sounds outside began to concentrate on the other side of the door, as if whatever was there could sense him. He flicked the porch light on and nearly shat his pants at what he saw.
Grouped on his front porch were five humanoid creatures with angular heads and thin but muscular limbs. ¡®Goblin¡¯ was the only thing that came to mind matching what he saw, and that just didn¡¯t make any sense. Goblins were from stories!
Paul gripped the shotgun tightly and cocked it. He was thankful that these creatures weren¡¯t overly smart. When one got the bright idea to break the narrow glass next to the front door as another potential way to get inside, he leveled the shotgun and blasted the thing to kingdom come.
The earsplitting sound of the gun gave the creatures pause¡ªespecially when one of their number slumped over¡ªbut within seconds, they were even more frantically attempting to enter Paul¡¯s house. He pumped the shotgun and fired again. Pump and fire. Pump and fire. Again and again. Finally, the last creature was dead and Paul sat down¡ªthe adrenaline leaving his body.
Thump thump thump came the steps of his children racing down the stairs. His oldest, Madelaine, came to make sure he was ok. The other two raced back upstairs, screaming after glimpsing the bloody mess outside the front door. Paul stood up and hugged his daughter. He needed a plan. He needed to¡ª
A growl tore his attention away. As he turned his head, the door splintered from a substantial force. As the remains of the door slammed into him and his daughter, he saw golden eyes reflecting the light behind him. His world went black before he could comprehend the monster in front of him.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Across the world, encounters like that played out. There were a few lucky survivors¡ªthough maybe they weren¡¯t all that lucky in the end. Though they survived the initial onslaught of the monsters, the invasion that happened soon after was the end of human domination of Earth.
Most of those survivors died as slaves. Some managed to live on as curiosities in alien zoos, bred together simply to keep an endangered species alive for study¡ªand as an example of a failed integration. Humans were not alone in that classification. Most species and most civilizations did not endure once mana arrived.
I flinched at the violence and the cruelty of it all. I figured this show was put on by whatever deity had granted my original wish. It was gut-wrenching to be sure, seeing most of my species get wrecked by monsters and then have the survivors exploited by aliens. I looked back at the message in front of me.
|
Now let¡¯s move on to see how you did. You unlocked the following features permanently:
Quests I
Quests Refresh I
Free Quests Refresh I
Quests II
Hidden Milestones I
Milestones II
Hidden Milestones II
Status Screen Manipulation
Combined Purchases
Logging I
Logging II
|
|
And here¡¯s what you selfishly unlocked for yourself:
Quests I
Quests II
Quests III
Milestones I
Milestones II
System Help
Notifications I
Notifications II
Combat Experience
Crafting Experience
Exploration Experience
Economic Experience
Social Experience
Misc. Experience
Search
Restart I
Experience Vault
Leveling
Leveling Speed Medium
Skills I
Skills II
Skills III
Mana
Stamina
Health
Strength
Intelligence
Physical Agility
Mental Agility
Physical Fortitude
Mental Fortitude
Additional Experience I
Identify
Tracking
Stealth
Heal
|
|
In so doing, the monsters are now:
Average Monster Level: 12
Monster Strength Tier: 2
Exp To Next Tier: 139,390
|
| Your actions led to 20,451 people surviving integration, giving you an overall score of 53. As a result, you are awarded a bonus of 1,318,256 experience. |
| Restarting from save point¡ |
Chapter 59
My head was killing me. It hurt badly enough that I wanted to scream! I didn¡¯t. Somehow, I managed to keep it together even as the tears streamed down my cheeks. The first time I¡¯d returned to the past had felt like a terrible hangover. This time, it was more like an awful migraine.
Like last time, there were words illuminated in front of my face. Unlike last time, the contents had changed. Thankfully, I had Logging, so when I dismissed the words without reading them¡ªmy head just couldn¡¯t take the light¡ªI could look at them anytime I wanted.
Sleep was fitful. Even as I tried to sleep away the pain, it appeared in my dreams. It clawed and choked me as only a pain-fueled nightmare could. The pain was still there when I awoke in the morning.
¡°Dad!¡± I called as loudly as I could bear.
I called several more times before he finally came into my room.
¡°Milton,¡± he said with worry on his face, ¡°is everything ok?¡±
¡°My head¡¯s killing me,¡± I said. ¡°You have anything I could take?¡±
¡°That bad?¡±
¡°Ugh.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go see what we have.¡±
He returned a few minutes later with a small plastic cup filled with a viscous pink liquid. He handed it to me.
¡°That should help with the pain,¡± he explained.
I downed it and winced. The flavor was terrible!
¡°Yuck!¡± I exclaimed.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not the nicest tasting thing¡ but it¡¯ll work.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad.¡±
¡°You got it.¡±
He left me in my bed. The medicine took a while to kick in. While I waited, I pulled the screen up with the message that I had ignored earlier. Even though it hurt to read, I knew I needed to.
| Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the trip. You have a little under fifteen years before you must either return to now or let the monsters come. I expect great things from you. |
The original message¡ªnow long gone¡ªhad been much more hands off compared to this one. It felt to me like the sender of the message was making things a lot more personal. Bile rose in my throat as I reread the message. What kind of trickster had I made the wish to?!
I lay in bed for another hour before getting up. The medicine did wonders for pushing away the pain. I wandered downstairs to have breakfast with Dad. Halfway down the stairs, I paused. I needed a plan to convince him of what had happened. While I could have gone back upstairs to plan, I had breakfast with him first.
¡°How¡¯s your head?¡± he asked as soon as he saw me.
¡°Better. Can I have something to eat?¡±
¡°Sure. Have a seat.¡±
¡°So it¡¯s my seat now. Cool!¡± I laughed.
Dad gave me a funny look before shaking his head.
When he came back with breakfast¡ªa bowl of delightful sand¡ªI was already thinking about what to do next. The extra experience from the evaluation gave me many more options than I thought I¡¯d have. First on that list? Buying another of the experience features. I chose this one randomly, just like the last one.
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Social Experience
Current Exp: 343,397 |
After that, it was up in the air. I knew there were several features I needed, no matter what. So I got those.
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Combat Experience
Current Exp: 342,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Crafting Experience
Current Exp: 341,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Exploration Experience
Current Exp: 340,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Economic Experience
Current Exp: 339,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Misc. Experience
Current Exp: 334,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Notifications I
Current Exp: 334,297 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Notifications II
Current Exp: 333,797 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: System Help
Current Exp: 333,697 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Search
Current Exp: 333,597 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Quests III
Current Exp: 331,097 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Search
Current Exp: 330,997 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Daily Bonus Experience
Current Exp: 330,897 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Leveling
Current Exp: 329,897 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Skills I
Current Exp: 328,897 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Skills II
Current Exp: 323,897 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Skills III
Current Exp: 298,897 |
| Skill Purchased: Additional Experience I
Current Exp: 288,897 |
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
I held off on picking up Milestones III or any of the Leveling-related options. I needed to think first. I remembered the issues I¡¯d had with skills not leveling. I also wanted to try out a different style of stats. Knowing how each worked was important. How else could I make an informed decision when the time came?
After breakfast, I picked up any available quests that I could do. There weren¡¯t many options. Though I had the features, none of the ones I¡¯d bought factored at all. There was one involving reading¡ªbut no writing. I saw another about walking¡ªbut no running. I remembered why. I couldn¡¯t get a quest for something unless I did it first! This was a good thing. It limited the pool of options to things I could easily do. It was rather boring.
I worked on the quests outside while also adding to the pool of quests. I focused on things I¡¯d want to do day in and day out. Things like running, crafting, and harvesting.
As I worked, I went back to thinking about what to do this time around. If I wasn¡¯t going to use a mana-based system, then my only option was a chi-based one. The descriptions of both were similar. Mana mentioned it was stored near the heart, whereas chi¡¯s power center was located more centrally. Both had their own flavor of circulatory system. They were also exclusive¡ªI could have one or the other, but not both.
With that settled, I moved on to the rest of the stats. My first idea had been to split the stats¡ªmentally and physically¡ªbetween strength, speed, and toughness. This time, I wanted to do something new. I eventually landed on something simple. Body, mind, and spirit. They cost more to buy than the old versions had, but they encompassed them and then some.
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Stats Screen
Current Exp: 287,897 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Body
Current Exp: 287,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Mind
Current Exp: 286,897 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Spirit
Current Exp: 286,397 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Life
Current Exp: 286,297 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Willpower
Current Exp: 286,197 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Chi
Current Exp: 286,097 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Leveling Speed Continuous
Current Exp: 285,097 |
Though more costly, I wanted to test out a different leveling speed. The comparison between it and the old one would be illuminating. The last thing I needed to do was decide on how skills would grow. Ultimately, it boiled down to the same choices as Leveling. I picked the basic options since this was my first opportunity to test them.
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Skill Leveling
Current Exp: 284,097 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Skill Leveling Speed Medium
Current Exp: 283,997 |
Though basic, my choices were the best I could do. I found a handful of modifications I could pick, but those all required that I unlock the features permanently, first. I was looking forward to the time when I could do that. It would make my life so much easier when it came to skills.
That brought me to the skills themselves. After what I¡¯d seen with Grandpa Milton, showing off a little bit of magic was a great shortcut towards getting people to believe me. I wanted something that I could show to Dad to get him on my side quickly. It couldn¡¯t be anything too dangerous. That made most of the flashy things off limits. Since fire was out, I settled on a way to generate light. I also picked up Identify because I wanted to see how it upgraded.
| Skill Unlocked: Floating Light
Current Exp: 283,897 |
| Skill Unlocked: Identify
Current Exp: 283,897 |
Getting any other skills would come later. I only wanted to get enough to test and compare with how things went the first time. If I needed more power, I could always pick up others later. For now, those two should be enough.
I wandered back inside after an hour. That was enough time for me to complete the quests I could. I didn¡¯t dump any experience into the skills or into my levels yet¡ªI wanted to talk to Dad first. Dad was the person I needed to convince so that I could get the ball rolling. I needed the money from Grandpa Joe as soon as possible, which meant I needed to meet Mom and get the laptop. I couldn¡¯t do that without Dad.
He was sitting in the living room watching TV when I came in. I waited for a break to get his attention.
¡°Hey, Dad,¡± I started.
¡°Oh, what¡¯s up?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re sitting down for this one.¡±
I smiled while he raised an eyebrow.
¡°I¡¯m a time traveler,¡± I told him. ¡°Now, before you ask a whole bunch of questions¡ªthat¡¯s what you did last time¡ªI¡¯ll make it much easier for you.¡±
I cast Floating Light using a small amount of chi. It felt similar to casting with mana but also slightly different. It was like the difference between varieties of apples. They had similar flavors but different undertones.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Dad asked, aghast.
¡°Magic.¡±
¡°I can see that,¡± he said. ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a ball of light. I wanted to show you something that wouldn¡¯t be dangerous inside.¡±
He nodded.
¡°Ok then. So you can do magic, I guess. What¡¯s this whole ¡®time travel¡¯ thing you mentioned? And how does this magic fit in with that?¡±
¡°So¡¡±
I told Dad the story of how I had made a wish and how I¡¯d already lived through it. I explained the system, quests, magic, and everything else. He had plenty of questions that I answered the best I could.
¡°The system you¡¯re building¡ how far along are you?¡± he wondered.
¡°Just starting. I have a long way to go and several more attempts before I get there.¡±
¡°I see. And I hope you know about the stock market and sports. Gotta take advantage of that knowledge!¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°The first time, I didn¡¯t think about that¡ªmostly because I didn¡¯t expect to be going back in time. Now, though? I have plans! Speaking of plans, can I talk to mom or maybe send an email from your phone? Either works.¡±
¡°Uh, sure. Who are you emailing?¡±
¡°Grandpa Joe,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s got access to some money I need.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Dad said, handing me his phone.
¡°Thanks.¡±
I unlocked the phone and looked it over for where the email app was. I was about to start the email before I remembered something.
¡°Before I forget, your favorite hockey team¡¯s going to lose 4-1 tonight. Might be able to make something out of that.¡±
I shrugged and went back to the phone. I composed an email to Grandpa Joe, making sure to include the phrases from the codebook that I had discovered the first time. I specifically asked for his laptop and the crypto in the thumb drive. Closing the email out with a thanks for all he¡¯d helped me with, I sent it and passed the phone back to Dad.
¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± I said. ¡°Let me know when you hear back. Might be from Mom rather than Grandpa Joe, but who knows? This is new to me.¡±
¡°Will do, kid. So what now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m done with stuff for today, so I think I¡¯ll head to my room for a while. Can we go to the library sometime this week?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
I nodded my thanks before heading upstairs.
When I was in my room, I looked at the monster strength and at my stats screen. I also pulled up Identify to see how that worked from a leveling perspective.
| Average Monster Level: 12
Monster Strength Tier: 2
Exp To Next Tier: 78,090
Time Until Apocalypse: 14 years, 7 months, 12 days, 13 hours, 18 minutes, 41 seconds |
| Name: Eddy Teller |
Tier: 1.00 |
Exp Next Tier: 12,700 |
| Life: 100/100 |
Willpower: 100/100 |
Chi: 100/100 |
| Body: 10 |
Mind: 10 |
Soul: 10 |
| Skill: Identify Lv 1
Shows basic information about the target
Costs 10 chi to use
100 exp for next level |
The first thing I noticed was that the simple stuff I needed to buy just to get started put a huge dent in the monster level calculation. I would need to be careful and try to get as many of them as permanent options. It would be bad for my starts to contribute an inordinate amount towards humanity¡¯s destruction.
The next thing I noticed was that the whole tier thing made no sense. There was no level anymore, just tier. I assumed this was a consequence of having chosen the continuous option. I tested it out by putting 100 exp¡ªthe amount for one level the first time. I found the tier went to 1.1 with that much experience. My stats doubled as a result. I tossed in another 100 exp. This time, the tier went to 1.15, giving me 5 more stats in each category. That¡¯s where I stopped.
Then I looked at Identify. I put in 700 experience¡ªthree levels. I tried using it before and after the upgrade to level 4.
| Object: Bed Frame
Tier: 0 |
| Object: Bed Frame
Tier: 0
Material: Wood
Age: 6 years |
I got more information out of it for the same cost in chi to cast. The details weren¡¯t where I wanted them to be, but they were much closer than the fuck all they had been prior to the level ups. I contemplated spending more to see if skills tiered up, but decided against that. There was no rush.
Chapter 60
¡°Mil¡ªuh¡ªEddy! Grandpa Joe replied!¡± Dad called, an hour after lunch.
I ran down the stairs. Dad was still in the living room by the TV.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.
¡°Your grandfather sent an email back,¡± he answered. ¡°He said he hears you loud and clear. He mentioned sending a laptop to you. I¡¯m setting up a time for the two of you to meet in person¡ªhe specifically said he wanted to talk to you.¡±
¡°Makes sense. I hope Mom gets the laptop to me sooner than later.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Money. The laptop should give a way for me to access a fair amount of money to start the investment train rolling. I¡¯ll give you a few bucks to buy a lotto ticket for me as well.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a lot of money!¡± he exclaimed.
¡°Yes and no,¡± I cautioned. ¡°I¡¯m aiming for the second or third prize. It¡¯ll give enough money for living expenses for the next year while the money from Grandpa Joe gets going. And it won¡¯t make the news¡ªwhich is important, I think.¡±
¡°Because you never know who might come knocking, right?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°Well, alright,¡± Dad nodded.
¡°Thanks for letting me know. I¡¯m going to play around outside for a while, I guess.¡±
The next day, Dad took me to the library for a thick stack of books. I made sure to get him some light reading as well about monsters, given his lack of knowledge about the subject. I went outside for most of the day to work on quests. With more variety, I could get a lot done¡ªwithout boring myself to death.
On the way home, he stopped to get us ice cream. It was Dad¡¯s way of paying me back for the tip I¡¯d given him. He made good money when betting on the final score. Even though the team wasn¡¯t favored to win, betting on a blowout gave him relatively good odds to work with.
That evening, Mom came over after work. She gave Dad a distrustful look before bending down to give me a hug and kiss. She placed a heavy bag by the front door.
¡°So Grandpa Joe tells me you needed this,¡± she started. ¡°He made it sound serious, too. What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Magic and time travel,¡± I stated.
¡°You¡¯re joking, right? What¡¯s really going on? Are you ok? Is your father doing anything he shouldn¡¯t?¡±
¡°Mom, I¡¯m serious. Magic and time travel. Look¡ª¡±
I cast Floating Light and moved it around with my finger. Though hard to do, that trick was something I had discovered after practicing it for a few hours. It was a neat trick that I felt helped sell the magic even more. The light lit Mom¡¯s aghast face.
¡°What is¡ªI¡¡±
¡°Magic, Mom. It¡¯s magic. This also isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve lived my life¡ªhence the time travel.¡±
¡°I find that hard to believe,¡± she said.
¡°As did I the first time. Let me tell you a story.¡±
I gave mom the run-down about the system, quests, and the coming apocalypse. I also gave a very brief overview of the last loop for context. I chose not to answer any of the questions about relationships or deaths for several reasons. The first was that knowing when someone died wouldn¡¯t make it any easier. Then there was the fact that relationships changed because of me. Saying who each of them ended up with wasn¡¯t helpful¡ªespecially before the divorce happened. Mom got frustrated with me for not answering them, but I stood my ground.
¡°Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I understand your concerns, but I will not tell you what happened in too much detail. I can¡ªand will¡ªgive you tips about the future that I know about, but that¡¯s it. Here¡¯s your first tip: Dad¡¯s favorite hockey team¡¯s going to win 2-0 tomorrow night. I told him about last night¡¯s game, so now you both can make some cash. I¡¯ll also let both of you know some lotto numbers for next week because I know you¡¯ll need money. Hell, I need money.¡±
¡°Ok, ok,¡± she said, putting her hands up. ¡°I get it. And thanks, I guess. What did Grandpa Joe give you?¡±
¡°A laptop and some money. I know how the stock market¡¯s going to move over the next couple of years, so I want to take advantage of that. Get a bunch of money together before I have enough capital to influence the market. I need that money for several projects centered on earning as much experience as I can.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°I get it,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°And please don¡¯t forget that I still love you.¡±
She gave me a tight hug that sent tears down my face. Although everything was fresh to her, it wasn¡¯t to me. In a way, she¡¯d died twice. Skiing with her and saying goodbye only a week ago meant the pain was still fresh. It was hard for me to see her as the same person to who she had been only a few days ago. I was thankful she didn¡¯t bring up the tears. Maybe she understood what I was going through.
Eventually, Mom left, and I went back up to my room. But not before talking to Dad about getting internet installed as soon as possible. I couldn¡¯t do everything I needed with his phone. I needed a dedicated connection.
I opened the laptop as soon as I sat on my bed. The book of Grandpa Joe¡¯s that contained the flash drive the first time around had been included in the gift. I booted it up with the laptop. Like the first time, there was a message with it and some crypto. Though subtly different, the core message was the same. He hoped I was doing well; he understood the code words, and to be careful with the money.
Without an internet connection, I couldn¡¯t do any searches about how to invest at my age. I figured I¡¯d need Mom and or Dad¡¯s help with that. I considered what to do about spreading the word about the coming apocalypse. I¡¯d tried writing stories the first time. It had been marginally successful, but that wasn¡¯t really the best way to go about it. I knew there had to be a better way. Maybe with money I could just pay some people to write the stories instead of me? I shrugged and put the idea away for another time.
What I could do while I waited was get all of my plans down. I didn¡¯t want the pressure of keeping it all in my mind. Getting the ability to bring a flash drive with all the information into the next loop was going to be crucial. I remembered most of what I wanted to, but the headache at the start of this loop was brutal. If each time was as bad or worse, I¡¯d probably forget as much as I remembered. That wasn¡¯t a chance I could afford to take!
I felt a strong sense of relief when I was done. It was just a small bump to my peace of mind, but that was exactly what I needed. Being in the loop again was a strange feeling¡ªone that I struggled to place. It felt like looking up at a mountain I had to climb¡ªa look behind me showing all the hills I¡¯d already climbed. It also felt like it wasn¡¯t quite real¡ªlike everything was off just a little. I did my best to push the feeling away. I had a lot to look forward to!
Two days later, the internet was turned on. I used the opportunity to research how I was going to invest my money. Why I hadn¡¯t done that before going back in time, I¡¯ll never know. After much wrangling of search terms, I had a solution. I would need a custodial account through one of my parents or grandparents.
Mom would be fine, as would Dad. Still, my preference wasn¡¯t one of them. I thought that Grandpa Joe would be a better option. It was his money, after all. That gave some separation between my parents and the money¡ªjust in case. I didn¡¯t think anything would happen with it, but Grandpa Joe didn¡¯t need any financial help. That made him the safest pick.
That afternoon, I met with Grandpa Joe for ice cream. He picked me up from Dad¡¯s house and brought me to the same ice cream place Dad had a few days earlier. I loved the place¡ªthey had some fantastic ice cream¡ªso I didn¡¯t mind at all. I was in tears from the moment I laid eyes on him. After all the years since his death, I¡¯d missed him so much. Now that he was in front of me again, it was hard not to let the emotions run free. He tried to console me while he drove, but it was difficult. I settled down just in time for him to park the car in the lot one street over.
¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.
¡°I really missed you,¡± I sniffled. ¡°You died so unexpectedly and it broke my heart. Now you¡¯re back and it¡¯s hard, you know?¡±
¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be here for you as long as I can.¡±
I reached forward and hugged him around the chair. I felt relief at his warmth but also sadness with what I¡¯d lost the last loop. He broke me out of my thoughts when he spoke again.
¡°I saw what you sent me by email the other day,¡± he said. ¡°Are the codes correct?¡±
¡°Yup. That¡¯s what I found last time.¡±
¡°How many times has it been?¡±
¡°If you count the time I lived before the accident? This would be the third.¡±
¡°I see. And the aliens?¡±
¡°Monsters or similar. I¡¯m not exactly sure. They may be some aliens as well, but I haven¡¯t been able to confirm that for sure.¡±
¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± He asked.
I explained the system I was building and how long I had. I included the part about my accident. That one got a raised eyebrow.
¡°So fantasy monsters come to life, aliens coming to steal our stuff, and an almighty system meant to make us all strong enough to come out the other end alive? I think we can work with that.¡±
¡°Magic, too,¡± I added.
¡°And magic,¡± he agreed.
¡°I can show you a quick bit of magic while we¡¯re in the car and no one¡¯s watching¡ if you want.¡±
¡°Anything dangerous?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°Alright, go ahead then.¡±
I cast Floating Light and moved it around the car for a few seconds before extinguishing it.
¡°Neat. Any other options?¡±
¡°Nothing I¡¯ve taken. The penalties for buying stuff for me means I only want to buy stuff I need. That one¡¯s for demonstration.¡±
He nodded.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go out and get some ice cream!¡±
¡°Yeah!¡±
I followed him out of the car. We got to the shop and purchased a cone each. I chose butter pecan while Grandpa Joe picked pistachio. We sat at a table outside by the store.
¡°Grandpa?¡±
¡°Hm?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to use my knowledge to make a bunch of money,¡± I said. ¡°The crypto you gave me should come in handy for that. I didn¡¯t pay attention enough the first time. I¡¯ve fixed that. With what I know, I should be able to get enough money for everything I want to accomplish over the next fifteen years.¡±
¡°Did I give you the warning about the lottery?¡±
¡°You did.¡±
¡°Good. Then I think you¡¯ll be alright.¡±
¡°I do need one thing from you,¡± I said.
¡°Do you now?¡± he asked with a mischievous smile.
¡°I don¡¯t think any of the trading firms would let a 5-year-old manage their own money, right?¡±
He nodded.
¡°Well, what about a custodial account through you? As long as I have access to it, I can make the trades I need to over the next year or two. That should give me plenty of cash.¡±
¡°I do love the smell of fraud in the morning,¡± he laughed. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. But I have to ask, why me and not one of your parents?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need the money,¡± I stated plainly.
¡°Makes sense,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll email you what you need after I get the info from your parents to set it up. Expect it to be ready sometime next week.¡±
¡°Thanks, Grandpa!¡±
We ate and chatted for another half hour before he dropped me back off at Dad¡¯s.
Chapter 61
The next day was Sunday. Easter. Unlike the previous time, I had the full Quests series unlocked. That meant a quest for finding all the eggs! The rewards were mediocre¡ªjust twenty experience¡ªbut I was happy to see some improvement. I went with Dad to see Grandpa Milton and Grandma Rose for a family lunch. I kept the loops to myself. I hadn¡¯t forgotten how she¡¯d reacted to the truth. That was a mistake I would not repeat.
When I got home that night, I checked the only skill I had yet to upgrade. I was disappointed to find that I could not improve it. There was no way for me to get even more experience every time I did something! I cursed the stupidity of the system not letting me break it.
Monday brought the most dreaded thing: school. It had been mind-numbingly boring the last time. It was even more boring now. There was nothing for me to get out of the pain, either. After the day was over, I spoke with Dad about getting out of school as soon as I could.
¡°Dad,¡± I said while he was driving me home. ¡°I just can¡¯t do this. I promised you a lottery win to have enough money for the year. When you win, can you take me out of school, please?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, kid,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to your mother first. There might be legal stuff I¡¯m not thinking about, you know? I don¡¯t want to get in trouble by accident. So give me a week. Can you do that?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± I said, defeated. ¡°I¡¯ll let Mom know, too. I¡¯m giving her lotto numbers as well.¡±
¡°Gotcha,¡± he nodded.
When we got home, I emailed Mom with the lotto numbers¡ªdistinct from Dad¡¯s¡ªalong with a message about dropping out of school. I made a point to have Mom and Dad play different lotteries and have each win a smaller prize than the main one. With Grandpa Joe¡¯s warning about the lotteries, I wanted to play it to draw less scrutiny. I hoped it would work out the way I envisioned. Mom replied later that night, saying she would look into my options. She also thanked me for the numbers.
Thursday morning, I got an email from Grandpa Joe with the account details. After school, I found a way to send the crypto into the account. There were several intermediary steps¡ªvery much money laundering¡ªjust to get the money where it needed to go. With the trading day over, there was nothing I could do until the next day.
Dad took me out to eat that night with a huge smile on my face. The restaurant was a fancy one. Not one that had any dress code¡ªone step down from that. It had amazing food and was probably expensive.
¡°I wanted to thank you,¡± he told me when we sat down at the table. ¡°I sent in the winning ticket this morning. $250,000 is a lot of money. Even after taxes, it¡¯ll last several years!¡±
¡°That was my hope,¡± I smiled. ¡°What about the schooling situation?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I called your mother about it, but she said she was still looking into your options. Sorry, dude. It might be longer than you wanted.¡±
¡°Ugh,¡± was all I could say.
¡°I hear ya, kid. I hope we¡ªyour mother and I¡ªcan find a solution that works. I will have plenty of time to watch you. That won¡¯t be the issue. The truancy laws would be.¡±
Friday brought good news. I still had to go to school. After school, Mom called Dad¡¯s phone and spoke to us over the speaker.
¡°Thanks for the tip, Eddy. That money should last me a while.¡±
¡°No problem, Mom. That was the point.¡±
¡°That leads me neatly into why I called,¡± she said. ¡°So I¡¯ve been doing research, and it looks like there are two possibilities. The first is to go to college. That¡¯ll see you done in four years with no more education requirements. The second is to homeschool. You¡¯d have to take occasional tests, but otherwise would be free to do whatever you want. As long as someone¡¯s home with you, of course.¡±
¡°I did the whole college thing last time,¡± I told her. ¡°I think the homeschooling option is better. I need to be home and focused on making money for the next while. I can¡¯t do that while in school.¡±
¡°I see. With the lottery money, that should be plenty for a few years, right?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Dad said.
¡°Good. I could stay home with Eddy, too. Just let me know what you want to do. We¡¯ll work something out.¡±
¡°Sounds good.¡±
¡°Are you ok with that, Eddy?¡±
¡°Yeah, Mom. I¡¯m fine with whatever. I¡¯ve got a plan in mind already.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to buy a farm to literally farm experience. I found this out after helping Grandpa Milton a lot last time. It worked well. Sadly, I didn¡¯t have enough money to make it work then. This time, I do¡ªor will.¡±
¡°Can you explain how that works?¡± Mom began.
¡°Maybe you can do that next time you¡¯re together?¡± Dad suggested, cutting the conversation short.
¡°Alright,¡± she conceded.
The two of them talked more. It was a painful conversation to listen to. Neither of them trusted the other very much. I could feel the tension between them, and was relieved when they agreed on a split similar to the last time. One week at each parent¡¯s place until I was ready for the farming. At that point, they¡¯d talk it out again.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
I gave Dad a supportive hug when Mom hung up the phone. I knew this whole divorce thing was tough on the both of them¡ªeven if, in many ways, it was an own goal. My parents needed to be stable to be as much help as they could be. Though they felt distant, I still needed their support.
The weekend passed without incident. Monday morning, Dad called me in as ¡®sick¡¯ so that I could stay home. He told me Mom was handling withdrawing me from school and it would take some time to go through. I would finally have the free time to make money!
I booted up the laptop and logged into the trading website. There were several things I wasn¡¯t able to do¡ªno margin or options trading. That wasn¡¯t ideal, but the plans I had didn¡¯t necessarily need those. They were nice to haves but not strictly necessary. I bought the stock¡ªa small mining company¡ªand set a price to sell at. It would take half a week to get there, but I would make a pretty penny.
While making money was my primary goal, that did not mean I could neglect quests. Every day, I took what quests I could complete. Then I would complete them, only to select new quests by refreshing. The cycle would repeat as long as I had the time¡ªand patience¡ªto keep doing more quests. The experience rewards were decent. They exceeded my gains from the previous life because I did not have Milestones III unlocked.
As the weeks went by, the money poured in. Since I started with less money that I might have wanted, my goal felt far away. Each week, I increased my money by about a quarter. There would be taxes I¡¯d need to pay on all the trading activity, but that was a small price given the wealth I¡¯d end up with. I knew it would take me the rest of the year. I¡¯d have to stop around then because the sheer number of trades I¡¯d need to do in order to not influence the market too much would be overwhelming.
I went on the summer vacation the same as I had last time. It was enjoyable, but felt like a distraction. I¡¯d already done it once before and that was enough for me. I was mentally checked out. That I couldn¡¯t abuse the system to entertain myself¡ªor at least work on getting more experience¡ªwas a downer for sure.
Late in the summer was when my plan hit its first snag. Though I had the money in the account growing at an acceptable rate, I didn¡¯t have a good way to actually use any of it. Searching the internet could only do so much. I thought about asking my family for help.
¡°What can I do to use the money?¡± I asked Grandpa Joe when we were hanging out.
¡°Hmm,¡± he thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think you¡¯ll need my permission, but beyond that, well¡¡±
He shrugged.
I asked the same thing to Mom later the same day.
¡°I think you¡¯ll have to make a company,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t sign a contract until you¡¯re an adult. Well, you can, but it¡¯s not enforceable¡ªmeaning it¡¯s worthless. To get around that issue, you¡¯ll need something that can sign a valid contract. The only thing I can think of is a company. I don¡¯t know more than that. I would talk with an attorney, though.¡±
¡°How could I afford to hire one?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll pay for it. You¡¯ve given me plenty of money, so it¡¯s the least I could do.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±
I asked Dad, too. He knew about as much as Grandpa Joe did. Since Mom had the only solution, that¡¯s what I went with. I asked her to set some time up with an attorney that specialized in setting companies up. Thankfully, I only had to wait a week.
Mom took me to a set of office suites that looked like a strip mall for professionals. The building we stopped in front of felt soulless. It was as boring and utilitarian as could be. It had no flare to set it apart from the rest.
Mom and I got out of the car. She struggled to pull open the door. Still, she held it for me until I¡¯d walked inside before quickly letting go and joining me. The inside of the place was just as soulless as the outside had been. Everything was gray or brown and minimalist. Clean, yes¡ªbut without life.
The office we needed to go to was for a Mr. Gregoire. Mom and I entered the office. The receptionist took down her name, and we waited in the chairs provided. They were rather comfortable. After a handful of minutes, the receptionist ushered us into a small conference room and closed the door. The lawyer came in a few moments later.
¡°What brings you here today?¡± he asked when he was seated across from us.
¡°I need to start a company,¡± I said.
¡°Do you now?¡± he asked, with a raised eyebrow. ¡°My! You are a precocious little man.¡±
I gave the man a stare. He coughed.
¡°So, what kind of business are you looking to form?¡±
¡°I intend to purchase land and farm it,¡± I stated. ¡°I don¡¯t have any location in mind, but it¡¯ll happen sometime in the next few months.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re both aware,¡± he said, ¡°an adult will have to sign for things. You¡¯ll own the company, but you will have to nominate someone else as your agent. Are you with me so far?¡±
I nodded.
¡°Would that agent be the woman sitting beside you?¡±
¡°My mother?¡±
¡°Mhm.¡±
¡°Probably? I might have to ask Dad to sign stuff as well. Would that work?¡±
¡°Not a problem,¡± he said. ¡°The next question is where the money will be coming from. A bank account, an inheritance, or maybe something else?¡±
¡°I have a custodial account with my grandfather that I¡¯ll be using.¡±
¡°Makes sense. He¡¯ll need to sign some things to transfer the money. Not until you have a company bank account, though. There¡¯s time to arrange the business first.¡±
I nodded to show I understood.
¡°The last thing I¡¯ll need to ask: what do you want to call the business?¡±
I sat and thought. I had a few ideas in mind, but decided to keep the name boring and to the point.
¡°Teller Farming,¡± I said.
¡°Using your name, I see. Good choice. Alright, I¡¯ll start working on the documents you¡¯ll need. Expect to be back here in about a week. I¡¯ll email you when everything¡¯s ready, as we can schedule a time for everyone to come in and sign.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said.
Mom thanked him as well.
He ushered us from the office and back into the lobby. We said goodbye. It was time to go home.
I talked with Dad about it on the way back to Mom¡¯s house. I let him know I would need him to join us in signing the documents to get the business started. The business bank account came up, too. He had a local bank he used for his handyman work that he suggested I use. I had no reason not to check them out. A bank was just a bank, right?
Wrong, apparently. Their fees were terrible! The way they operated was by charging a fee, depending on how much income the business had. I thought that practice was silly. I would bring in a lot of money. Shouldn¡¯t I make something on it instead? Well, I looked at other banks before settling on a¡ªmostly¡ªreputable national bank. I couldn¡¯t do anything until the documents were signed and filed, so I put that plan aside.
A little over a week later, I walked into the lawyer¡¯s office with my parents. The money both now had went a long way towards smoothing over their relationship. It wasn¡¯t good, but at least they could play nice for an hour or two if they had to. And they had to.
Signing the paperwork took forever. It was easy enough¡ªbut my god there were so many places to initial and sign. And with three signatories, that just made everything take longer! Eventually, though, we got out of there. I was the proud founder of a company and my parents were legally allowed to sign on my behalf if I needed them to. In order to make it all binding, I had agreed to pay them a small fee to have them as my agents while also laying down the law as far as what they could sign for.
With that all accomplished, I was proud of myself. I needed to get the bank account still, but I was now a business owner!
On the way home with Dad, I emailed Grandpa Joe. I needed to get him and one of my parents together to handle the new bank account. I still had a couple of months before I ended the money-making scheme. Even so, I wanted everything in place and ready to go. I couldn¡¯t afford any delays.
Chapter 62
Grandpa Joe, it turned out, had a life outside of helping me from time to time. He was traveling for a week to hang with some friends of his. We set a date to meet three weeks later¡ªhe had other plans he couldn¡¯t move¡ªto meet at the bank.
All the while, I made money hand over fist. What had once been around $50,000 was now in the tens of millions. My goal¡ªand stopping point¡ªwas to have a hundred million after taxes were paid. It meant I needed around double that amount. When we were going to meet, I would only need a few more weeks to get there. I was excited!
The money I¡¯d gained came with something even more important: experience. The two hundred million¡ªwhen I finally got that amount¡ªwas worth 200,000 experience! I wished it was more, but it was exponential. I got a small amount of experience when I earned a small amount of money. At bigger numbers, I only got a fraction of that. It still wasn¡¯t enough, even if that was all I did every day. I hoped farming would be better.
Three weeks later, Mom and Grandpa Joe picked me up from Dad¡¯s house. The added experience from all the quests and money making let me purchase something I¡¯d been wanting for a while.
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Quests Refresh II
Current Exp: 502,912 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Free Quests Refresh II
Current Exp: 2,912 |
With these two features, I could finally refresh medium-term quests. For a lot of those quests, I could get them done in half the time or less. This meant even more experience. They weren¡¯t as important as the ones tied to Quests I had been, but I felt they were worth the experience expenditure.
The purchases left me with very little in the way of experience, but that was ok. Anything I truly needed in terms of skills or levels I still have enough for. And that was before I earned a bunch over the next couple of years. I wasn¡¯t worried.
I was pulled from my thoughts when we arrived at the bank. It was a modern building, but otherwise looked like all the other banks I¡¯d seen in my life. Mom led me through the two layers of doors with Grandpa Joe taking up the rear. The inside of the bank smelled slightly musty, with a hint of whatever cleaning products they used. Mom got the attention of a man in a suit who wasn¡¯t a teller.
¡°How can I help?¡± he asked after walking over to us.
¡°Eddy, here, needs to open up a bank account,¡± Mom said, gesturing towards me.
¡°Alright,¡± the man said. ¡°Follow me and we¡¯ll get started.¡±
He led us into a small conference room on the side of the main floor. We sat down across from him. He placed a folder on the table and opened it.
¡°So what kind of account are you looking for?¡± He asked. ¡°A savings account with you as the custodian?¡±
¡°He actually needs a business checking account for his company,¡± Mom corrected the man.
¡°What sort of business is that?¡±
¡°Farming,¡± I answered.
¡°I see. And where will the funding for this account come from?¡±
¡°A custodial account with me,¡± Grandpa Joe said.
¡°Then from selling what I grow,¡± I added.
¡°Give me a moment,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
The man stepped out of the conference room and closed the door behind him. I sat at the table, fidgeting and growing increasingly bored by the second. Eventually, the man returned. With him was an older man in a slightly fancier suit.
¡°Hello,¡± the older man said. ¡°I¡¯m Jeff, the bank manager here. I hear you¡¯re looking to open a business checking account for the young man here?¡±
¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± I said.
¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to say, but we won¡¯t be moving forward with that.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± I asked.
¡°That¡¯s my call,¡± he said. ¡°Please leave and do not come back.¡±
¡°What the hell, man!¡± I snapped.
¡°Please leave. You are no longer welcome here.¡±
¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take the money to a bank that won¡¯t treat me like shit!¡±
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.I stood up and left with Mom and Grandpa Joe.
I was bewildered. Why had the guy reacted like that? It wasn¡¯t like I was hiding anything or doing anything wrong. Beyond the confusion, I was also pissed. There was no good reason for them to kick us out like that!
¡°The fuck was that about?¡± I grumbled when we were outside.
Grandpa Joe shrugged.
¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to use that bank,¡± Mom proclaimed. ¡°Let¡¯s see what the bank across the street thinks.¡±
We piled in the car for the quick jaunt. A minute later, we fell out again and walked into the other bank. It looked similar to the first one¡ªexcept maybe a little older. I got the attention of someone. It was time to go through the same process again¡ªbut hopefully without issue this time.
¡°So you want to open a checking account for your business?¡± the person¡ªa woman this time¡ªasked.
¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°I have a bunch of money in an account with Grandpa Joe that I want to use to buy farmland with.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± she said. ¡°I can take care of that for you.¡±
She turned to Grandpa Joe.
¡°I¡¯ll need your signature to transfer the money,¡± she told him.
He nodded in reply.
¡°And, Mom?¡± she asked my mother.
¡°Hmm?¡± Mom replied.
¡°I¡¯ll need the agent¡¯s signature for the account. I¡¯m assume that¡¯s you, yes?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Good. And from you, young man, I¡¯ll need the company information.¡±
I handed her a small folder with the relevant details.
¡°Great! Let me go start the paperwork. I¡¯ll be back when it¡¯s printed out.¡±
She stood up and exited the room.
¡°Well, that went better,¡± I said.
¡°Definitely,¡± Mom agreed.
¡°Still have no idea why that happened at the other place,¡± I shrugged.
I was over my anger by now. I was still a little confused, but found it harder and harder to keep caring. That this bank¡¯s fees for a business checking account were similar to the other bank¡¯s was the icing on the cake.
The woman returned ten minutes later with a stack of paper. It had already been filled out with the information we¡¯d given her. She handed copies to me and Mom. Each copy had several clear red stickers on them.
¡°I¡¯ll need you to sign where each of those stickers are,¡± she said. ¡°Before you sign, look it over to make sure everything is correct.¡±
I read the documents in front of me before signing. The names of myself, Mom, and the business were correct¡ªas was the type of account and everything else. Assured that it was correct, I signed my copies and handed them back to the woman. Mom finished moments after I did.
¡°Awesome!¡± the woman said, before handing me a folder stuffed with paper. ¡°This is everything you¡¯ll need for your account. It has what you¡¯ll need to create a login. There is a booklet of ten checks. You can order more online if you run out. Finally, we need to set the pin for your bank card before you leave.¡±
She handed me a small machine with a number pad on it. I punched in the digits I wanted. She swiped the card through and had me enter them again. Satisfied, she handed the card to me.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said.
¡°You¡¯re most welcome. I hope you succeed in your venture.¡±
I nodded and got up. Mom and Grandpa Joe followed me out of the bank. I looked through the folder before we got in the car to go home. Everything was where it should be.
¡°I¡¯ll move the money over in a few weeks,¡± I said while Mom was driving. ¡°I should probably move a couple thousand over this week, just in case, but the majority won¡¯t go over until I get the money where I want it to be.¡±
¡°Makes sense,¡± Grandpa Joe said.
¡°Thanks for taking me to do this,¡± I added.
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡± Mom said with a smile.
Grandpa Joe grunted, and I chuckled.
A month later, I moved all the money from the custodial account and into the business account. I left enough in the custodial account to cover taxes¡ªwhich was still a lot. Trading in the last few days before the cutoff was stressful. There were a lot of trades I needed to make. That left me with little time to actually prepare for the next part of my plan: buying land.
Once the money had been sent, I began trawling through the land listings. I knew the rough area I wanted to be in¡ªthe casual searches I¡¯d done before the reset had narrowed that down. The specific plot of land was a little more difficult. I would¡ªideally¡ªneed several plots. I needed as much as I could conceivably plant on my own. Extra wouldn¡¯t do me any good¡ªbut I also didn¡¯t know exactly how much I¡¯d need. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like any of the plots of land gave me something in the ballpark. I needed at least a few of them.
In the area I was looking, there were four different towns. To me, they looked the same. To get a better idea of what I¡¯d prefer, I would need to go see them in person. Before I could do that, though, I needed to get an agent to help me navigate buying the land.
Finding an agent shone a spotlight on other things I¡¯d neglected. Now that I had a business with real money, I needed a dedicated lawyer and an accountant. That was just the basics, too. I could do with an assistant and maybe some other help. Bringing other people into the enterprise felt like a dangerous thing. But it was something I had no choice in. If I wanted to farm experience, I would have to pay for the support team that allowed me to do it.
I brought this up to Dad after showing him the land listings.
¡°I need to hire some people,¡± I said.
¡°Why do you say that?¡± he asked.
¡°I can¡¯t do everything on my own. At least not if I want to get the most from farming.¡±
¡°What sort of people, then?¡±
¡°Someone to handle legal stuff. Another for money. Then I¡¯ll probably need at least an assistant¡ªif not other, more general laborers.¡±
¡°Starting an entire industry, huh?¡±
¡°I guess. I mean, my goal is to plant everything I can and harvest it all. If I can¡¯t harvest it all myself, then I¡¯ll have to hire help. If I need to be out planting all day, I¡¯ll need someone else handling the other stuff around the farm while I do.¡±
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it from that side of things. I¡¯ve never hired or fired anyone before¡ only been hired and fired.¡±
He laughed at his own joke.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll add ¡®recruiting¡¯ to the list of things I need help with.¡±
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
¡°Well, bud, I think you¡¯ll figure it out.¡±
And figure it out, I did. After copious amounts of research, I had a plan. The legal and financial stuff could be done by any number of firms. I¡¯d get a recommendation from some other business folks and go from there. The recruiting was similar. For a fee, I could have someone find candidates that met my requirements. Prime among those ensured that person¡¯s silence.
To that end, I poked around the Search function. There were a few options. One of them stood out to me and so I picked it up.
| Personal Feature Unlocked: System Contract
Current Exp: 41,190 |
It wasn¡¯t too expensive¡ªjust a thousand experience. It was powerful and exactly what I needed. Per the description, its terms were absolute. The penalties associated with breaking the contract would be enforced by the system itself. I hoped it would work. I was bound by the system, but I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen when the other signer wasn¡¯t part of the system yet.
Chapter 63
I had no choice but to test the new feature. While I could have chosen Mom or Grandpa Joe, I ended up picking Dad. He was the closest. Before I went to him, I thought about a small contract to test things. I needed conditions that were visible when enforced but also not an inconvenience.
I settled on paying Dad ten dollars for a pen. The conditions were that if he gave me something other than a pen, he would have to give me twenty dollars in addition to the promised pen. If it worked, it wouldn¡¯t be onerous. And if it failed, I was only out the fifty experience it took to make the contract a binding one.
If the contracts worked, I had other things I wanted to test with them. Things I would need to confirm or deny before adding the feature to the system. I had to know if tricking someone into the contract or forcing them to sign without reading would also work. If those were possible, I would need to pick up the features to prevent them from happening.
I proffered the contract to Dad. He looked up at me with a modicum of confusion.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.
¡°Testing system stuff,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a contract. Says you gotta give me a pen for ten bucks. If you give me anything else, you give me twenty and a pen. I¡¯ll give it back after testing.¡±
¡°Alright?¡± he questioned.
Dad shook his head and signed the paper. In an instant, fifty experience disappeared from my stash. I handed him a ten-dollar bill.
¡°You want the pen?¡± he wondered.
¡°I¡¯d prefer if you gave me something else. I want to see if the contract forces you to do the other bits or not.¡±
He nodded and handed me the pillow next to him. As soon as I took it, I saw a wisp of magic rise from the contract. Dad¡¯s eyes went blank. His body relaxed. He stood up and rifled through his wallet. I took the twenty dollars and the pen he held out for me. When they were in my possession, another puff of magic came from the contract, releasing Dad from his stupor.
¡°The hell?!¡± he exclaimed.
¡°Well, now I know it works,¡± I said with an awkward chuckle. ¡°What happened to you?¡±
¡°I felt like I was in a daze. Just had to give you the money and the pen, no matter what. Horrible feeling to not be in control like that!¡±
¡°Sorry, Dad,¡± I apologized. ¡°I¡¯d say that was all I needed to test, but I¡¯ve got one more to do. This one will be similar, but I won¡¯t tell you the details.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t really think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said.
¡°Please, Dad? I¡¯ve gotta figure out the limits to this before I add it to the system.¡±
¡°Ugh. Fine. Give it to me.¡±
I handed him another piece of paper, along with the pen and the money he¡¯d given me before. I watched as he signed the paper. Experience was sucked up by the contract¡ªmore than the last one had taken. I wasn¡¯t sure why, exactly. Maybe the clauses of the contract made a difference. Or maybe it was because it was done blindly¡ªthe simple act of knowing the details might make the contract cheaper rather than something making it more expensive. I could only speculate.
When the contract was signed, I put my hand out.
¡°The pen, please,¡± I said.
As soon as he gave it to me, the same puff of magic came from the contract. His whole body relaxed, and he stood up. Like a puppet, he walked into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a sandwich. When he placed it on the table, the spell broke and he stared at me.
¡°Thanks, Dad!¡± I laughed.
¡°That wasn¡¯t funny,¡± he smiled. ¡°I hope that was the last one.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s enough. I was getting a little peckish. Might as well have lunch.¡±
Dad rolled his eyes before returning to his chair in the living room.
I enjoyed my overpriced sandwich with a smile on my face. I was glad I had tested farther. That these system contracts could be abused so easily was a problem. Now that I knew about it, I could fix the issue. Well, future me could. I wasn¡¯t planning on picking up the feature permanently anytime soon.
The system contract idea for the current life was a good one. I would need it to force the people I hired to keep my secrets. I felt dirty using the word force, but that was an apt description of what I was doing. Though not nice or friendly, it was absolutely necessary to avoid issues with people like Grandma Rose.
The first person I wanted to hire was a lawyer. I knew I wouldn¡¯t get their full time, but I needed someone on my side to draft the documents I¡¯d use for the system contracts. I would have to reveal more to them, but as long as I had an effective contract with them to buy their silence, they¡¯d have my back. Or so I hoped.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
A query to the local bar association yielded results. There were a handful of firms that could do what I wanted. I researched each of them and submitted emails asking for rates from the ones that I liked, along with a rough explanation of what I was interested in. After receiving answers from all but one, I made my decision and made an appointment for the following week.
Mom took me. I needed her there to act as my agent to sign anything I couldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t super happy at having to do that every time, but it was what I needed to do. There were few things more dangerous to play with than the law!
The office for this firm was nicer than the one I¡¯d been to for founding the company. It was simple, but gave a feeling of strength and dependability. The glass doors at the front said Michaelson and Franks. I pushed them open and entered the building with Mom. After letting the receptionist know we were there, we sat on a couch and waited. Thankfully, we didn¡¯t have to wait long.
A man around Mom¡¯s age came to greet us. He was dressed in a dark blue suit. He shook her hand and then mine.
¡°Al Michaelson,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you both. If you¡¯ll follow me?¡±
I followed the man into a conference room. What was it with all these people having conference rooms, anyway? I picked a chair and sat in it. Mom sat next to me. The attorney sat across from us.
¡°From your emails, it sounded like you need someone for contracts and general legal work, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said.
¡°I can do that for you,¡± he continued. ¡°I have several documents that you¡¯ll need to sign. This firm needs a contract in place before any work can begin. Before you sign anything, please read it over and ask any questions¡ªor ask to change anything that isn¡¯t quite right. This is a negotiation, not a mandate.¡±
He pushed several documents across the table to Mom and me. Mom opened hers and began to read. Before I opened my copy, I took a folded paper from my pocket and slid it across the table to him.
¡°Before I sign anything, there¡¯s something I¡¯ll need from you,¡± I said. ¡°I know about the whole attorney-client privilege thing. However, there are some things I won¡¯t be able to say without the added protection of a contract.¡±
Al looked at the paper. Then at me. And back to the paper. He raised an eyebrow as he read. It was something I¡¯d thrown together with the knowledge I¡¯d gained from pranking Dad.
¡°I don¡¯t think this would be enforcible,¡± he said. ¡°Preventing me from talking? How would that even work? Fifteen years? At least it¡¯s got an end date. For a contract to be valid, it needs to have consideration. What that means is, each party¡ªor person¡ªneeds to give something as part of the contract.¡±
I thought for a moment.
¡°I will hire you, no questions asked, if you sign this,¡± I said. ¡°I need a good lawyer¡ªand all the reviews I¡¯ve seen have indicated that you are. But equally as important, I need someone who won¡¯t spill my secrets to anyone without my say. There are things I can¡¯t talk about over the phone or via email. I can only do that in person, and I need to be able to trust the people I am working with. That¡¯s why I gave you the contract. We can make some changes, but the basics need to be what they are. If that makes sense.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t, really,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, attorney-client privilege means I can¡¯t disclose anything we talk about with anyone else¡ª¡±
¡°Unless there¡¯s something illegal, right?¡±
¡°Right. This isn¡¯t anything illegal, is it?¡±
¡°Not at all. Mom¡¯s here to sign everything on my behalf. Well, everything except this one, that is.¡±
Al wrote several lines into the contract and passed it back to me. I read it over and saw that he¡¯d added the consideration portion but otherwise had left the other parts alone. If I wasn¡¯t wrong, he thought what I¡¯d written was nonsense, and he was humoring me. That was fine in my book. I signed my half and passed it back to him. He did the same.
Unlike with Dad, this contract took a lot of experience. I wasn¡¯t sure of the exact numbers before, but I¡¯d spent almost ten thousand! Before I thought anymore, I opened the packet and began to sign my portion. I had said I would hire him with no questions asked. I would much rather sign it myself than have the contract force me to.
¡°Just like that?¡± he asked while I signed.
¡°Yup.¡±
When I was finished, I passed my copy back to him.
¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Mom asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you review the contract first?¡±
¡°I can explain¡ªnow that the both contracts are signed by me,¡± I said. ¡°The first one I gave you, Al, was a system contract. Now, I don¡¯t expect you to know what that is. That¡¯s ok. That¡¯s the big secret, basically. Mom knows, of course. Please try telling that to Mom¡ªbut I don¡¯t give you permission to tell her.¡±
Al nodded and opened his mouth. The wisps of magic came out of the contract and his eyes glazed over. His mouth shut, and he stared into space for a couple of seconds before he came to again.
¡°You can talk about it with me and Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I give you permission.¡±
¡°That was weird,¡± he said. ¡°So that¡¯s enforcible¡ somehow?¡±
¡°The system enforces it,¡± I said. ¡°So this system¡¡±
I explained the system I was building and the general plan for what I had aimed to accomplish. I also explained why fifteen years and what that actually meant.
¡°I can understand why you¡¯d want another layer of security,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to, but I understand. You don¡¯t get a good reputation as a lawyer without knowing how to keep your mouth shut. That said, thank you for hiring me. What¡¯s next?¡±
¡°For now? I¡¯m looking for someone to handle my taxes. This year will be crazy¡ªI did a lot of securities trading. Made a fortune doing it. Knowing the future really helps with that!¡±
I laughed.
¡°This person needs to be trustworthy. They can¡¯t ask too many questions¡ªI don¡¯t really want the world knowing what I¡¯m doing, you know? If you know anyone like that, I¡¯m all ears. Then, after I hire the tax person and maybe an assistant, I¡¯m going to purchase land using the company. There¡¯ll be plenty of work to do with the hiring contracts and the real estate stuff. And in the future, I¡¯m sure there will be other things.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°That sounds good to me. If that is all, it was a pleasure meeting the both of you.¡±
He stood up and shook both of our hands before ushering us out. I followed Mom back to the car.
¡°What made you get the system contract?¡± she asked. ¡°From what I can see, those seem really dangerous.¡±
¡°Security,¡± I answered. ¡°I can see how exploitable they are, and that¡¯s on my list of things to fix when I get the full version. This is just the baseline. There are features I can add to it¡ªbut only with the full version¡ªthat would make it fair. This is not fair, but it¡¯s the best option I have to protect myself.¡±
¡°Did anything happen last time to make you want to do this?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°I¡¯d rather be safe than sorry. Last time, I had fifty thousand dollars to last me fifteen years. Even with working some, I didn¡¯t really have the resources to do anything. This time, I have millions and I need to be reasonably sure no one¡¯s going to hurt me, you, or Dad because of it. Saving the world depends on not fucking up.¡±
Mom shook her head but said nothing more.
Chapter 64
Two days later, I was in contact with a real estate agent. She was local to the area I was looking in and would be an excellent resource to help me find the land I needed. Through the real estate agent, I had leads to follow. That meant a trip to see the land for myself. I hadn¡¯t heard from Al about someone to handle the finances, but I wasn¡¯t worried. There was plenty of time to find one¡ªwell, maybe not plenty, but definitely enough.
Dad took me. The drive took three hours just to get to the general area. The villages¡ªwhich were relatively close as the crow flies¡ªwere difficult to navigate between. It wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d understood from looking at a map of the area. Now that I was here, I saw how I would want to have my fields all in one town.
We booked a hotel room in one of the towns. Two of the towns didn¡¯t have a place to stay¡ªand staying farther away than that would just add a lot of travel time to the trip¡ªso we picked the only option. I could tell that their service quality wasn¡¯t good¡ªmaybe because it was the only game in town, or maybe because no one visited and they needed to keep expenses low. Still, it wasn¡¯t terrible.
After checking in, we met up with the real estate agent outside the hotel. The agent¡ªVanessa¡ªwas a middle-aged woman with bleached hair and gaudy nails. That was all I could see, aside from her overly large winter jacket.
¡°Eddy?¡± she asked Dad.
¡°That¡¯s my son,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m Milton.¡±
¡°Good to meet you both!¡±
I nodded in lieu of saying anything.
¡°We¡¯re standing in downtown Perryville,¡± she said. ¡°Of the three towns in the area, it¡¯s the largest. The other two¡ªWaterford and Katamie¡ªare about the same size. Today, we¡¯re going to look at two tracts of land near Katamie. The rest, we¡¯ll see tomorrow. I want to make sure there¡¯s enough time for you to walk the land.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± I said.
Vanessa raised an eyebrow for just a moment.
¡°I¡¯ll see you at the first property. You can follow me, if you¡¯d like.¡±
Dad and I piled into his truck and followed her car. It was a thirty-minute drive along narrow, winding country roads. There was a small amount of snow on the side of the road. The fields we drove by were mostly barren, but there were small patches of snow where the sun didn¡¯t quite reach.
I got out of the truck when we arrived. This field looked large from the side of the road. I checked the listing on Dad¡¯s phone. It was about twenty acres¡ªa quarter of what I would need.
¡°This property has been actively farmed for decades,¡± Vanessa informed us. ¡°At a little over 21 acres, it¡¯s a good size for a cooperative¡ªor so I am told.¡±
¡°What sorts of crops has this land been used for?¡± I asked.
¡°Corn, I think,¡± she answered.
I could see the severed corn stalks poking up from the ground and through the patches of snow. There were windbreaks every few acres¡ªbreaking the plot into smaller fields that could accommodate different crops.
¡°Why are they selling the land?¡± Dad asked while we walked.
I kept an ear out for their conversation. It was as important as walking the land.
¡°The owner wants to retire. He¡¯s got no children that would take over for him when he¡¯s gone.¡±
¡°Better to have the money and remove any squabbling?¡±
¡°Sounds like it to me.¡±
¡°Probably a good call,¡± Dad commented.
The ground was mostly smooth. It followed the contours of the surrounding land without too many rocks that I could see. I scooped up a small amount of the dirt into a plastic container for testing. While I didn¡¯t need to know the quality everywhere, having a general idea of what to expect was worthwhile. A single data point would give e a ballpark estimate, and that was good enough.
After walking the land¡ªit took a while just to see the basics¡ªwe hopped in the truck and went to the next plot. It was similar, though smaller. The owner was the same. Combined, both added up to around 35 acres. It was too small for what I wanted to do. Small enough to test with, but not more than that. I told Dad as much when we got in the truck to head back to Perryville.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.¡°What did you think?¡± he asked.
¡°Too small,¡± I said. ¡°The land looks fine from what I see¡ªnot that I know too much about land¡ªbut the main issue is that I need around 100 acres.¡±
¡°Huh. Didn¡¯t know that. Any way you could combine fields together in the area?¡±
¡°I¡¯d have to drive between the fields. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll want to do that all the time.¡±
I laughed, imagining Dad driving me around in my own personal taxi.
¡°Yeah,¡± he smiled. ¡°Hopefully, tomorrow¡¯s options are better.¡±
¡°Hopefully.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see what the food is like in Perryville,¡± he said after a moment.
The sun was setting. My stomach agreed with his thoughts.
¡°Sure.¡±
It turned out there weren¡¯t many options for food. There was a pizza joint, a cafe, and a Chinese place. The cafe was closed¡ªbreakfast and lunch only¡ªso we flipped a coin. Pizza won out, so that¡¯s where we went.
The pizza restaurant was in the downtown. The downtown was small¡ªa church, the hotel, the restaurant, the cafe, and a couple small shops. We parked in front of the restaurant and walked in. Inside, it had two areas¡ªa bar that was about half filled, and the restaurant proper, which was empty. Dad got us a table.
I observed the people. None of them were younger than 30. Most of them were men, and most of them were on the older side. They looked rough¡ªnot in a dangerous sort of way, but from a hard life. They were people of the land. Just who I hoped to become. Well, for around fifteen years, that was.
None of them paid us any mind. I was ok with that. I was just some stranger¡ªa person from out of town who would probably move on in a day. That¡¯s what I imagined they¡¯d think if they glanced over.
The server dropped off the pizza. It was¡ bad. While not the worst pizza I¡¯d ever had¡ªthat went to one of those gluten-free pizzas an ex girlfriend had insisted was amazing¡ªit was the worst I¡¯d had at a restaurant. Bad pizza was still better than a lot of foods, so I didn¡¯t outwardly complain. Maybe in another life, I would have taken on the challenge of bringing good food to the town. Now¡ªthough¡ªthe priority was farming as much experience as I could.
Dad and I ate in peace before going back to the hotel. I slept ok. Dad complained his back hurt while we ate something at the cafe. The cafe was markedly better than the pizza restaurant had been. Maybe the town wasn¡¯t a complete failure for food.
Vanessa met us at some property nearby. It was a larger plot¡ªaround 50 acres. It took a while to walk it. I noticed there was a sizable stream that ran through¡ªroughly¡ªthe middle of the land. I figured it would provide decent irrigation opportunities. As long as it remained at a high volume throughout the hotter months.
After asking a bunch of questions, that parcel was a top contender. It didn¡¯t have quite enough land for what I wanted, but maybe the other nearby ones could supplement it. To top it off, the price was a better deal than the ones I¡¯d seen yesterday. While the price didn¡¯t matter too much, it still mattered. A hundred million was a lot of money, but frivolously spending it would make it go away quickly.
We were shown two more fields in Parryville. Together, they added up to 30 acres. That would mean 80 acres in total if I went that route. It was the lower end of what I wanted, and I might be able to purchase more later. For now, though, it would be enough to get started.
After Perryville, we jumped into our vehicles and looked at the properties in Waterford. Like Katamie yesterday, there wasn¡¯t enough land on sale to make it worthwhile. The land available also looked to be of a lesser quality than the other two towns. That left me with a single choice.
¡°Did any of what you¡¯ve seen the past two days catch your interest?¡± Vanessa asked Dad.
All of her questions had been directed towards Dad. I knew why she did that. Even so, it bothered me at a fundamental level. I might be young, but it was my company!
¡°The three in Perryville,¡± I said.
¡°I agree,¡± Dad said.
¡°So what do you want to put in as the offer for those? I will talk to their agent with whatever numbers you tell me.¡±
¡°What do you think?¡± Dad whispered to me.
¡°$300,000 for the 50 acre one, $425,000 for the 20 acre one that has the house on it, and $75,000 for the 10 acre one.¡±
Dad passed those numbers along to Vanessa.
¡°I¡¯ll contact the seller¡¯s agent and let you know what they say. Were there any other places you wanted to see or other questions you had?¡±
Dad looked at me.
¡°I think we¡¯re good,¡± he said when he saw me shake my head.
¡°Alright! It was good to meet the both of you. Call me or email me if you need anything.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Dad said.
We waved goodbye and got back in his truck for the ride home.
A week later¡ªafter much negotiation¡ªI secured all three. I would need to complete the transactions at a later date, but they had been agreed to. Instead of the $800,000 I originally offered, it had climbed another $15,000. It wasn¡¯t terrible. The renovations I wanted to do to the house and the fields would take a good amount of money. As would the purchasing of machinery, seeds, equipment, and whatever else I needed. I was glad to have such a large pile of cash to work with.
In order to close on the land, I needed Al to handle the documents¡ªor at least recommend an attorney in the area who could handle it better. I emailed him with that request and a reminder about the tax person. The end of the year was fast approaching and I would need that person before tax season started next year.
An hour later, I had my reply. He apologized for taking a long time to answer my question about the tax person, so he gave me a couple of recommendations. He also confirmed that he would be the one handling the real estate transaction. Mom or Dad would have to go with me to sign the paperwork, but otherwise it would be a painless¡ªif boring¡ªcouple of hours.
I shot an email to Vanessa asking about a closing date. I passed her reply on to Al. Then I researched the accountants he¡¯d suggested. Of the two, Katherine Jacobs looked the most promising. I emailed her with Al¡¯s referral and got a reply soon thereafter. We scheduled a phone call for later that very day.
I had Mom handle the phone call in my stead. She agreed to handle the taxes of both myself and my business. She suggested I get someone internally to do the day-to-day accounts payable stuff. I wasn¡¯t familiar with how any of that worked, so it was probably a good idea. I also needed to get someone to be my assistant. If they did both jobs, that would be for the best. While I pondered exactly what I needed, I let Al know of Katherine¡¯s selection and thanked him.
Chapter 65
Next on the agenda was finding an assistant. I reached out to some recruiters to start that process. Because of the time of year, I wasn¡¯t expecting any results for at least a month. The replies I got confirmed my assumptions. Though I could discuss what I needed in a prospective candidate, they wouldn¡¯t talk to candidates until after the new year started.
¡°Put your shoes and coat on,¡± Mom said the week before my birthday.
¡°Why?¡± I asked.
¡°You¡¯ve been working so hard and it¡¯s the Christmas season. Let¡¯s go out and do something fun.¡±
¡°Fine.¡±
I tossed my coat on and followed Mom outside. It was dark outside¡ªabout an hour after sunset¡ªand I was very confused. Where could she possibly be taking me this late that made sense? While I thought, she buckled me snugly in her car before sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. Just like that, we were off.
She drove to the next town over. As soon as we got into town, there was immediate traffic. Not the usual kind from people going to or from work. It was the kind of snarl that could only be caused by a large event. I was still in the dark about what the event was, but I was now sure that it was an event.
After sitting in traffic for entirely too long, Mom pulled the car into a parking lot. She had to pay a parking attendant because¡ªof course¡ªshe did. People would monetize anything they could. At least it wasn¡¯t something I had to pay for.
She parked in the next available space and we both got out of the car. Mom took my hand. She led me under the lights and along a path marked out by cones. There were plenty of other families in front of us, all walking the same direction.
At the end of the path was an area that opened up. There were a couple of ticket booths on either side of a central pathway leading into a sea of lights. I was beginning to understand what Mom had taken me to. It was a Christmas light display!
She pulled out her phone. We waited in line for a couple minutes until an attendant scanned the tickets. I followed her inside. The first thing we came to was a long tunnel of lights. Above me were strings of lights hanging from an arched wire structure.
¡°What do you think?¡± Mom asked.
¡°Its pretty,¡± I said.
I did enjoy the lights. They were magical. It took me back to when I was a child¡ªwell, the first time I was a child. I loved Christmas lights back then. As I got older, I appreciated them, but not in the same was as I had. Seeing the magical lights through the eyes of an innocent child was an experience that only time could steal.
I felt a nostalgia towards the surrounding brilliance, but that could not be said for Mom. I could tell she was trying to connect with me as she always had. Though I could respect that, I did not feel the same connection with her as I had before resetting. And that hurt. I felt like a terrible son. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t help how I felt.
Things were different this time than they had been to a year ago. I¡¯d said goodbye to my parents, and these versions felt like fakes, somehow. That was a feeling I simply could not shake. I would soldier on regardless, and I hoped I would warm up to them. In the back of my mind, I was afraid that I couldn¡¯t do that. I would be resetting the world at least a few more times, so everything had an air of impermanence and falsity to it. I shook the feelings away to focus on the lights around me. The thoughts didn¡¯t disappear. Rather, I felt them settle in the back of my mind.
Mom led me around the event. After the tunnel of lights, I saw a sleigh that was animated by turning lights on and off in sequence. The Santa sitting in the sleigh looked like he was waving his hand at me. Next to the display was a place to write a letter to Santa asking for gifts.
¡°You want to write a letter?¡± Mom asked.
¡°Nah,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. Plus, I need to focus on¡ that¡ rather than what Santa might give me.¡±
Mom¡¯s face fell. She shook her head.
¡°You don¡¯t have to shoulder all the responsibility.¡±
¡°But I do. You know I do. There¡¯s no one else to do it but me.¡±
I sighed. What had once started out as a stressful and draining grind was now a fact of life. I was used to it. It no longer bothered me like it used to. It was my job¡ªmy life.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be. You need to take care of yourself, too.¡±
¡°Sorry to say, Mom, but I¡¯ve got limited time to get this done. Even with the resets.¡±
She hugged me. I figured it was an attempt to comfort me, but I didn¡¯t feel that way. Instead, I mostly felt annoyance. I was used to the way things had become. This was my mistake and only I could fix it. I had my goal, and I would see it through¡ªone way or another.
We went from display to display. I marveled at the intricate shapes and colors of the lights. I stood in line to swing on the colorful swings. Other children ran around like maniacs while I swung. I moved on to shooting bubbles from a bubble cannon when my time on the swing was up. We wondered around for another hour before Mom decided it was too late and time to go home.
As I sat in the car on the way home, I reflected on the experience. I¡¯d had fun, but I also found that there was a hole in my heart. There was something that had been irrevocably broken inside, and that saddened me. I did what I could to push those thoughts away.
My birthday came and went. Then it was the new year. I emailed the recruiters to get to know them better before deciding on the one to use. I had several options. Ultimately, it came down to whether I believed the largest firm¡¯s reach or one of the smaller ones had a better strategy. I went with a medium-sized firm that specialized in recruiting the people I needed. They were more agile and willing to work with me than the large one had been, but they also had more reach then the smaller ones. It was a suitable compromise.
After signing the contract and confirming my requirements, it was time to close on the land. Technically, it was three closings, rather than one. But from my perspective, everything was done at Al¡¯s office at the same time.
¡°Hey, Al,¡± I said when Dad and I were seated across from him.
I could see that he had given me an involuntary look that lasted but a fraction of a second. It wasn¡¯t anything horrible, but rather a slight dislike. I imagined it was because of the contract he had signed, but couldn¡¯t be sure without asking him. And I wasn¡¯t going to ask him. Maybe I could pay him better and he wouldn¡¯t resent me?
¡°This is my Dad, Milton,¡± I continued. ¡°He¡¯s come with me to do the signing on my behalf.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good to meet you,¡± Al said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Al, Eddy¡¯s attorney.¡±
He shook Dad¡¯s hand before passing three stacks of papers our way.
¡°I¡¯ll need your ID, Milton, before you start signing.¡±
Dad fished it out of his wallet and gave it to Al.
¡°I¡¯ll go through each of the documents to explain what they are and what they mean. The first stack is for the larger property at 1821 State Route 27 in Perryville. The company¡ªTeller Farming¡ªwill be the owner of it as soon as the papers are signed¡¡±
Al droned on while explaining what each bit was for. There was stuff about an inspection, not suing the owners because they¡¯d disclosed everything, and more.
The signing took well over an hour to complete¡ªdoing everything multiple times will do that. I handed over a check for the full amount for the three properties to Al. He would handle giving the money from an escrow account to the sellers. Just like that, I was a homeowner for the first time in my life.
With the land in my possession, I had a list of things I needed to accomplish before I could move in and start working the land. The first thing I needed to do was get the farmhouse up to snuff. At the moment, it was ancient. Everything inside it ran on hopes and dreams or elbow grease. I needed a place with modern amenities if I was to keep sane over the next decade and a half. Farming was hard enough. I wanted my cool summer slumbers!
To that end, I hired a general contractor to tear the place down to the studs and rebuild it. The project would be expensive and take a while¡ªhalf a million and half a year. It would be worth it, though.
I drove out with Mom to look everything over and see where I could put the equipment. I was fairly sure the first year was going to be a loss. There was little chance everything would be ready in time to start as soon as the last frost passed. I might be up and running by the middle of the summer¡ªwhich would be just enough time for some of the more quickly growing crops. I would lose out on the prolific crops I wanted to plant¡ªthis year, that was.
When I discovered a suitable location, I hired a different contractor to handle the construction of it. It wouldn¡¯t be anything too elaborate¡ªa very large metal building to house the equipment and allow me to repair the farm equipment.
It was around then that I found the time to sift through all the resumes. There were a lot of them. The economy was good, yes, but that translated to higher wages and job hopping instead of anything truly steady. After a few days of work, I had it narrowed down to a handful of candidates that I might want to talk to. I let the recruiter know so they could have the introductory conversation and reduce the numbers. A week later, it was down to three.
The first option was a young man named Jack Lewes. He was working as a personal assistant for a CEO of a large company. While he enjoyed the job, he was looking for more money now that he had several years of experience doing the work. I liked the work experience and the drive, but I was hesitant that he would want to jump ship in a few years to greener pastures. I didn¡¯t blame him for that, but I needed one person to rely on for a long time. Still, I felt it was worth talking to him.
The second choice was a middle-aged woman named Gloria Jones. Like Jack, she had plenty of experience doing the work. She was coming off of a stint as a stay-at-home mother. Most importantly, she had some experience with the farming industry. I didn¡¯t mind the family. In fact¡ªas long as she got done with whatever she needed to do¡ªI had no qualms about her working remotely if she needed. That was something I would need to find out, though.
The final candidate was a young-woman named Daisy Johnson. She was nearing graduation, with the same degree I¡¯d finished in my last life. Additionally, she¡¯d completed a couple of internships doing similar work to what I needed. Of the candidates, she was the weakest. Not only could she not really start until the summer, but she had less experience. The lack of experience could be mitigated by drive, and the timing could be handled by her working remotely until she graduated. I would only know for sure by calling her.
I scheduled the interviews through the recruiter. It was time to see who would be by my side until it was time to reset again.
Chapter 66
Daisy was the first interview I¡¯d ever conducted. Even in my past life, where I¡¯d been an adult, I¡¯d never run a business or been a manager. I¡¯d been on the other side of the table many times, but never actually asking the questions. And it had been a couple of decades since the last one. I was going to be rusty.
Without a phone, I had to borrow Mom¡¯s. I nervously punched in Daisy¡¯s phone number. It rang once. Twice. Thrice. Then I heard the click on the other side as it connected.
¡°Hello?¡± I heard a voice say.
¡°Hello, Daisy?¡± I asked.
¡°Yes, this is she.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Eddy. Is this still a good time for you?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°So I¡¯ll start with what this role is about¡¡±
I told Daisy about what I needed¡ªthe accounts payable stuff, the research, manning the phones when needed, and dealing with suppliers. All the stuff I didn¡¯t want to¡ªor wouldn¡¯t have the time to¡ªhandle.
¡°Is that something you¡¯d be interested in?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a good way to start my career,¡± she answered.
That was something worth remembering. I needed someone long-term, not for just a few years. I didn¡¯t come out and say this, though. What I wanted to know was both what she said and how she said it. Everything I¡¯d done from research said these things were key.
We talked about her studies, her internships, and other activities that might apply to the job or that were interesting. She was a well-rounded young woman and yet I wasn¡¯t sold on her, either. The potential lack of commitment was the biggest issue. The biggest plus was that she hadn¡¯t mentioned my voice as being that of a child. I thought she was driven and maybe that was why she hadn¡¯t commented on it.
Next up was Jack.
¡°Hello, Jack speaking,¡± he answered confidently when I called.
¡°Hi, I¡¯m Eddy. This time still good for the interview?¡±
¡°Yeah. And if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡ you sound young?¡±
¡°I am,¡± I answered. ¡°Though I am a child, I am the owner of the company. Would that be an issue for you?¡±
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±
I thought that was a worrying answer. I went into detail about what I needed from him.
¡°I don¡¯t know farming well, but it¡¯s something I can learn,¡± he declared. ¡°I have several years of experience working for company leadership, so whatever you need, I can do.¡±
¡°Is there a particular reason you¡¯re looking for work now?¡±
¡°I have a feeling my current boss is about to be voted out of his position, so I¡¯ll need something new.¡±
I smelled bullshit from a mile away. It sounded to me as if he was either searching for a better paycheck or was on the chopping block for something else. Between that answer and the earlier one about my age, I wrote him off. The rest of the interview passed painfully. I kept up appearances, but my heart wasn¡¯t in it. I needed to talk to Gloria right after he was done. I hoped she would be better than he had been.
¡°Hello, Gloria?¡± I asked.
¡°Oh, hi!¡± came the reply. ¡°Yes, this is Gloria. Are you Eddy?¡±
¡°That¡¯s me.¡±
I went over the role and responsibilities.
¡°That sounds perfect,¡± she said when I was done. ¡°I do have a couple younger kids that I have to watch sometimes. Is there any way I can work from home now and then?¡±
¡°As long as the work gets done, I¡¯m fine with that.¡±
¡°And are there any benefits?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll cover your health insurance and you¡¯ll get 3 weeks off a year,¡± I said.
I wasn¡¯t sure of the specifics since whoever I hired would need to handle all of that. Making sure they had time off was a priority. Even if I was harsh towards my own time, I would never do that to someone else. I remembered the hardships I faced back when I was a lowly peon working for the man.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.¡°That¡¯s great!¡± She said.
I could hear the tone shift in a way that let me know she was truly pleased.
¡°I¡¯m rather young,¡± I said. ¡°I hope that won¡¯t be an issue for you.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± she said.
I nodded, even though there was no way she could see me do that. That made me stifle a laugh, which she questioned. So I told her and she laughed with me.
We talked more, and before we were done, I had decided. I wanted her as my assistant. The only part that made me hesitate was her age. I needed her to last until I reset. I thanked her for her time and hung up the phone.
¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Mom asked when I gave her back the phone.
¡°Well,¡± I answered. ¡°I think I have a good person for the job. I¡¯ll need to have Al¡ªthe lawyer¡ªwrite up a contract between us. And yeah, it¡¯ll be a system contract. I can¡¯t be too careful. Plus, I need the person to be there until the reset happens.¡±
¡°Ok. Do you plan on hiring this person right away?¡±
¡°Yeah. I need them to help me deal with equipment purchases and suppliers and stuff. Big headache. Who knew farming was such hard work, anyway?¡±
I laughed and Mom cracked a smile.
I went back to my room and opened the laptop. A quick email to the recruiter to let them know my final decision and another to Al requesting an employment contract with the extra clauses around my secrets. I sent him a bit more cash than I needed to because I knew it bothered him on some level. Hell, it bothered me, but it was a necessary evil.
Al came back with a contract the next morning. I read it over¡ªjust in case¡ªbefore sending it over to Gloria. I paid the recruitment fees when I did. I was finally ready to focus on the farm!
Even though I didn¡¯t need to, I took trips every few weeks to check on the progress of the construction. Because of the time of year, the place for the equipment was not being worked on. I was told by the contractor that they would start once the ground was thawed in April. In the meantime, they got the approvals from the town and county to get started on the work when the time came.
The house project was crawling. They were approved to begin, but the materials were slow to arrive. This was partly because I insisted on getting the best quality out there. I had the money and wanted a solid and safe place to live. The most important thing I told the general contractor was that I wanted things done right, even if it cost more money or time. I¡¯d rather wait an extra week or two than have to deal with minor headaches that could have been caught much earlier.
For three months, I focused on my quests. I couldn¡¯t get equipment or seeds until I had a place to store them. As April approached, I had Gloria reach out to the equipment and seed firms to give me options.
For equipment, I went for a foreign brand that didn¡¯t have the same repair issues as the domestic ones did. It would take an extra month to arrive, but that was ok. I would be ready for it when it arrived.
As for seeds, I went with the cheapest option. Unlike with the equipment, I could choose a different seed supplier year to year if I wanted. I was interested in planting things I could harvest by machine. That meant cereal grains. It was a boring option, but I felt it would be the best return on my time in general¡ªeven if this first year I would plant things like beets, carrots, and other late-summer root vegetables.
Two weeks after the contractor broke ground on the equipment shed, I got a call from them. It was to my phone¡ªsomething Gloria insisted I get because of the business.
¡°Hello, Eddy?¡± the voice on the other side asked.
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a problem at the site,¡± the contractor said. ¡°Someone drove over the pad that was poured yesterday. We¡¯ll need to tear it up and pour it again.¡±
¡°Damn,¡± I swore. ¡°Any idea who it was?¡±
¡°No, sir.¡±
¡°Well, shit. How much would it take to have a couple of guys camp out there overnight to watch it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the guys. Shouldn¡¯t be a problem, though.¡±
¡°Great. So what¡¯s the delay?¡±
¡°A week.¡±
¡°Thanks for letting me know. It could have been worse. Email me with the names of guys who volunteer. I¡¯ll do something nice for them.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
I cursed again before letting Gloria know what happened. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to be a problem with the timeline. I¡¯d built in enough of a buffer just in case, but it would be a lot tighter than I was comfortable with.
Because of the issues with the equipment shed, I asked Mom to take me there. I would not check on it specifically, but rather to see the house. I wanted to know how far along it was and add in a requirement for a security system.
What had happened to the equipment shed was purposeful. I didn¡¯t know of any enemies I had, so it was a mystery why someone would want to do that. I wondered if it was someone who hated the old owners or something like that. The property with the house had been owned by a different family than the one where I was building the equipment shed. Even so, I felt it was better to have an extra layer of security.
Mom and I arrived at the house. She parked the car in the driveway, leaving enough room for the construction vehicles to pass if they needed to. The house had a small lawn surrounding it with fallow fields behind. The outside of the house looked like it had when I bought it several months back¡ªother than the construction equipment everywhere.
I got out of the car and walked towards the front door. The house itself was a small ranch. Enough room for me and a parent, but that was it. I envisioned a high-tech hideout with an unassuming exterior. It was still a few months away from that.
As I stepped inside to find the man in charge, I could see the changes. Everything had been torn down to the studs. Some rooms had been shifted from where they were and into a more open layout. The inside was between a roughed-out state and having the sheetrock put in place. A few people were working in one room¡ªthe sounds were deafening!
I eventually found the contractor. I beckoned for him to come outside. He was a tall man with muscles built by years of physical labor.
¡°What¡¯s going on, kid?¡± he asked.
¡°I need you to stick a good security system on the house as soon as you can,¡± I told him.
¡°Sure. Do you have a preference?¡±
¡°Whatever¡¯s good. I hope I don¡¯t need it, but there¡¯s a mess over on another property that looked intentional. Please keep an eye out just in case you see anything off.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± he nodded before pivoting. ¡°What do you think of the work so far?¡±
¡°Looks good, I think. I¡¯m not sure about the construction process, but it looks like it¡¯s coming together.¡±
¡°That it is. Things have been pretty smooth so,¡± he rapped his knuckles against the wooden railing by the stairs up to the front door, ¡°we¡¯re ahead of time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great!¡±
I thanked him and promised to send over the money for the security system. Mom and I stayed at the hotel in town before returning home the next day.
Chapter 67
The orders for equipment and seeds were in place, so there wasn¡¯t much else to steal my attention. I had a lot of time to wait before anything interesting happened. That meant I focused on quests and planned for the future.
While I did not know how much experience I would get from the crops, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be getting any from quests¡ªor nearly none. I simply wouldn¡¯t have the time. In a way, the whole farming idea was a gamble. I knew it could do well from the tests I¡¯d done with Grandpa Milton, but I¡¯d need to execute on those ideas to get the rewards I needed.
Because quests would not be the focus this time, it meant that I would not purchase any features permanently until I was ready to restart. And speaking of the restarting, Restart II cost 500,000 exp. Thankfully, the ability to retain experience when restarting remained in effect. I was glad I wouldn¡¯t need to repurchase that.
With the last moments of free time for the foreseeable future, I put another of my plans into motion. Last time, I tried to spread the coming apocalypse through writing. It had been mildly successful¡ªknocking a few years off the introduction to the public¡¯s consciousness. This time around, I had the ultimate superpower: money. Where before I was just one person, I now could get tens of writers doing what I had done.
I went to the same places I¡¯d been in selling my services to instead get as many people as I could to be on board. It took a few months, but I ended up paying around thirty authors to write for me. Importantly, I directed their stories towards the kind of system I was creating. I didn¡¯t think it would matter too much, but this was the best was for me to affect the end-of-life vision.
I assumed¡ªhoped, really¡ªthat I¡¯d have another one after I restarted. Expecting the rules I was working within to be consistent was the only way I could reliably plan. If things turned out to be arbitrary, I¡ªand the rest of humanity¡ªwas totally fucked. That was the kind of thought I had to banish. It was simply incompatible with any vision of the future where anyone survived.
In late May, the house was reconstructed enough to live in. While the rest of the improvements wouldn¡¯t be done for another couple months, I needed to be on site if I had any chance of planting for the year. And since I couldn¡¯t be there alone, someone had to go with me. Dad volunteered, and Mom didn¡¯t make a fuss. He was handy and the sort of person I needed to support me.
Moving was a lot less painful than I remembered. Maybe that was because we hired people to move us instead of doing it ourselves. Or maybe it was because most of the furniture I purchased was shipped directly there with no need for it to be moved in the first place.
The house looked like I remembered it from the outside. The lawn was overgrown and the trees had leaves, but otherwise it was the same. The inside was still a construction site. One of the three bedrooms was finished¡ªwhich is where we would stay until another opened up for me or Dad to move into. One bathroom was usable, and the kitchen was workable¡ªif still incomplete.
A worker helped Dad get our stuff into the bedroom. It was a tight fit with two small beds. I claimed the one farthest from the door because it was next to a window I could open for fresh air. The dust from construction couldn¡¯t have been good for my lungs!
¡°I still think it¡¯s too early to be here,¡± Dad said.
¡°I don¡¯t have a choice,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I can¡¯t lose out on any more time on the farm.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not safe or healthy,¡± he sighed. ¡°But I understand.¡±
After settling in, Dad took me to the equipment shed. It was made from sheet metal and covered a considerable area. I approached it and unlocked the doors. Inside the large sliding barn doors were the farming tools Gloria had ordered on my behalf. The centerpiece was¡ªof course¡ªthe tractor. It was enormous. Next to it was a smaller one¡ªto pull wagons during harvest. The wagons and processing equipment were in the back. Dumped haphazardly on one side were the bags of seed.
¡°Wow,¡± Dad said.
I couldn¡¯t help but agree with him. It was overwhelming now that I saw it in person.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°So, what now?¡±
¡°Learn how all of this stuff works,¡± I said.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.The main reason I¡¯d wanted to come out was so I could learn how to operate everything and be comfortable doing so. I couldn¡¯t drive on the roads, which meant Dad needed to know how to drive the tractors, too.
The first order of business was to read the manuals. They were terribly dry. After getting through half of the first one, I gave up and decided to figure things out as I went. I had a little over a month before I would need to plant the seeds if I was going to have a fall harvest. That¡ªI felt¡ªwas enough time to learn the ropes the hard way. The manual would be a good reference, but it wasn¡¯t the best way to learn. No, the best way to learn was by doing.
Simply turning it on was a pain in the ass. There was an entire checklist to go through first. But we soldiered on. Together, Dad and I were able to figure out how to get it started. That¡¯s when I hit my next hurdle: driving. It had been around sixteen years since I last drove. I was incredibly rusty. Thankfully, the tractor was a slow beast. That gave me a lot of time and room for error before it would be catastrophic.
Dad sat with me in the tractor¡¯s cab. I was on a booster seat and used the secondary controls to make it move. There were the usual pedals, but there was a way to set it up to be used by hand¡ªintended for farmers with disabilities. Well, my short stature prevented me from reaching the pedals. I figured that was close enough to a disability that I¡¯d eventually grow out of.
The alternate controls had me freaked out while driving the tractor. It was overwhelming to keep all the different functions, levers, and buttons straight in my head while also trying to keep the tractor going in the direction I wanted. I was glad no one was watching from the outside. If they were, it would have looked like a drunk trying to walk home from the pub!
¡°Whoa there!¡± Dad called out while I was fumbling for one of the control levers.
I looked up and pulled the wheel hard to the right to avoid a large rock in front of me. My heart raced, and I began sweating.
¡°Sorry,¡± I said.
¡°Keep your eyes in front of you.¡±
For the rest of the day, I took the tractor up and down the field. I wasn¡¯t doing any work towards preparing the fields, but I was getting more sure of myself with the machine. Dad hopped off around lunch to try out the smaller one while I kept practicing. By the end of the day, I wasn¡¯t an expert. I also wasn¡¯t flailing about, either.
I parked the tractor in the equipment shed and replenished the fuel. Then Dad and I returned to the house for dinner. It was nothing special¡ªsoup from a can¡ªbut it was filling.
¡°You¡¯re getting better with the machine,¡± he commented. ¡°At least no more close calls with rocks or trees!¡±
He laughed.
¡°Ugh,¡± I complained. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. That was embarrassing!¡±
¡°We all go through that,¡± he said, slapping me on the back.
¡°Well, hopefully not anything as crazy as that next time. I don¡¯t think I can handle any more excitement like that!¡±
That made him laugh even harder.
¡°Kid, that¡¯s just how things are sometimes. Not much you can do about it.¡±
¡°Doh. Won¡¯t stop me from complaining about it, though.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±
I snorted and rolled my eyes.
¡°So, more practice tomorrow?¡± he asked.
¡°Nah,¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get something done. I feel like I have enough of an understanding of how to drive the tractor now. It¡¯s time to be a farmer.¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
We chatted before retiring to the bedroom.
Sleep came slowly. It was a new place I didn¡¯t feel fully comfortable in yet. The dust and smells in the air didn¡¯t help much¡ªthough cracking the window next to my bed worked some. I was thankful Dad wasn¡¯t a snorer. Still, it was awkward sleeping in the same room after so many lifetimes.
The next morning, I awoke to the sounds of the construction crew getting an early start to the day. We had breakfast, then drove out to the equipment shed. He helped me attach the tiller to the back of the tractor. It had several long blades to cut deep into the ground and turn it over. I read that I would have to let the soil dry some before I planted, so mixing it up and getting it into clean rows was my priority.
Dad stood by the doors so I wouldn¡¯t bump into them on the way out. There wasn¡¯t much clearance with the tiller attached, so I appreciated it. Once out, I turned the tractor around and drove to the end of the nearest field. That was partly so that if I had any issues, Dad would be on hand to help, and partly because I didn¡¯t want to travel too far.
I turned the tractor so that it aligned with the edge of the field. I looked around at the controls before finding the one to lower the tiller into the ground. Then I dragged it along the edge of the field. When I reached the other side, I pulled the tiller from the ground and turned the tractor around. Then it was back towards the start.
I went up and down that field for what felt like an eternity¡ªbut it was closer to two hours. I parked it by the building and hopped out for a quick break.
¡°I watched you out there,¡± Dad told me. ¡°You were pretty wonky in the beginning, but it looks like you figured it out in the end.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said, before taking a long drink of water from a bottle.
¡°So what¡¯s next?¡±
¡°The next field?¡±
¡°I see. Do you need me to watch you, or do you think you have it now?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got it. I have my phone charged and with me. I¡¯ll call you if I need anything, ok?¡±
¡°Sure. I¡¯ll leave lunch for you inside. Call me when you¡¯re done for the day?¡±
I nodded.
I waved goodbye to Dad. Then it was time for the rest of the fields. Well, as many as I had time for during the day. I hopped in the tractor¡¯s cab and trundled towards the next field.
Tilling the second field went more smoothly than the first. Up and down, back and forth. Even if I was getting better at it, the entire process was boring. I mean, just sitting in one place while trying to keep the machine going in the same direction wasn¡¯t a hard task. It took some focus¡ªwhich was becoming less and less now that I had the hang of it¡ªbut just sitting was the worst. I promised myself to at least put some music or books on in the background while I did the work next time.
After stopping for lunch¡ªa sandwich with iced tea¡ªI went back out and did two more fields. The four for the day was barely a dent in the total number I owned. Tilling was going to take a few weeks before I could move on to planting. And to plant, I would need to decide which field would get which crop. That meant more reading and research¡ªand possibly some soil testing as well!
Chapter 68
Over the next two weeks, I completed the prep work on all the fields. Getting Dad to bring the tractor down the road for the smaller properties was a colossal pain. The tractor was slow¡ªeven with the higher road gear¡ªand so finishing those fields took a lot longer than the bigger property had.
During that time, I did my research into planting. I had the attachment for the tractor, but I wasn¡¯t sure quite how to use it. That¡¯s when I discovered the tractor¡¯s GPS capabilities. It was a rabbit hole to be sure, but a necessary one. I messed around with the tractor to set it up¡ªwhich took most of a day before I felt comfortable. It worked by bounding the field with GPS coordinates plugged into a map or by driving to where the edge of the field lay. Then I could designate the width of the rows and the tractor would do the math for me.
The first day, I seeded three fields with carrots. The GPS guidance made my life even easier¡ªif more boring. Dad and I found a portable radio at a thrift store, which I could use for tunes. Though I disliked country music with a passion, it was still better than silence. A more modern alternative with internet access was high on my list of things to get.
The next morning, Dad and I returned to the field to continue seeding. As we turned off the main road, my heart sank. There was a mess of tire tracks all over the field, originating from the road that marked the property¡¯s edge.
¡°Dad,¡± I said. ¡°Look at the field.¡±
Dad slowed and turned his head.
¡°Oh, no!¡±
My heart raced and my mind churned. Why had someone done that? Was it stupid school kids racing or something more sinister? I hoped the cameras had caught something.
¡°Let¡¯s check the cameras,¡± I told him when the truck pulled to a stop.
I ran out of the truck. The doors to the equipment shed looked the same as I had left them the previous night. I unlocked them. The room that held the monitors for the cameras and the files for the past month was in the rear. I raced back to it, being careful not to fall over the mess of stuff between me and my destination.
I plopped down on a chair in the room and began going over the recordings. There were two cameras pointed toward the destruction. I put both up on the screen and watched for anything. Back and back I went until just before midnight the previous day. I saw a vehicle zooming around¡ªthe playback was on a fast speed. I rewound until just when the incident started.
From off-screen, a truck came driving over the field. I couldn¡¯t see much other than the headlights. The darkness sapped any chance I had to notice what color it was. I could tell the shape, but that was really it. The truck drove around for about fifteen minutes before it sped off the way it had come.
¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Dad after he had seen the recordings.
¡°I think you should report it to the police.¡±
¡°You mean you should.¡±
He looked at me quizzically.
¡°Do you think they¡¯ll take a statement from me and not just blow it off?¡± I clarified.
¡°True. So, uh, what will you do while I talk to them?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got more fields to plant. This one¡¯s a writeoff, I guess.¡±
Then I had an idea.
¡°This is the second time this has happened, right?¡±
Dad nodded.
¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking of calling the construction crew back out to put up a fence. One that looks like a normal fence but with absolutely fuck up a repeat offender. Might have to set it back from the road a bit so as not to be a hazard or whatever.¡±
¡°That could work,¡± he laughed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go make the call. I¡¯ll see you later?¡±
¡°You know it.¡±
I waved and hopped into the tractor. I backed the tractor out and drove it to the next field to plant. This time, I was planting beets. The process was the same as with the carrots. Only the parameters I had to punch into the tractor¡¯s guidance system had changed. I finished two fields before returning to the shed for lunch.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Dad was gone, but he left me a note with my sandwich letting me know the police had come and taken copies of the footage for their report. I didn¡¯t exactly trust the police to do their jobs. I mean, with all the stories of how they bungle even the simplest things, I had little hope that they¡¯d apprehend a suspect¡ªlet alone the right person.
My plan with the fence was a better option should whoever was doing this return. I emailed the crew before I went back to planting. At the end of the day, I checked my email and saw they were happy to help. I let them know what I wanted, and that it was going to be a bit of a rush job, but that I would pay extra for it. I would not play around!
Planting the crops took about as long as preparing the fields had. A little less thanks to the GPS guidance and the wider attachment. In that time, the crew upgraded the fence to handle any errant trucks.
Because of how long it took to plant, the first fields had already sprouted. The field that had been driven on wasn¡¯t a complete loss. Most of the seeds in the driven-over-area had sprouted, but they were no longer in neat rows. There were large gaps and clusters everywhere. I hoped I could harvest them, even if I had to do those sections by hand.
The rains were a blessing and a curse. It turned everything to mud, but it also ensured all the plants were watered. I had neglected to consider how I was going to water my crops¡ªoops! While I sat inside, I attempted to source the equipment I needed. It was something I had to have in a short time, which meant talking to a bunch of suppliers who either had them¡ªbut it¡¯d be awhile¡ªor didn¡¯t have any at all. I ordered what I could get that would arrive as soon as possible. I hoped I hadn¡¯t messed up too badly and that the rains would continue to bail me out.
My luck held. At least, the luck around keeping the crops watered. I got the pipes and other stuff in after a couple of weeks. It wasn¡¯t too hard to install¡ªthough I needed Dad¡¯s help with them. The problems I had were of the pest and weed variety. As with the watering, I had forgotten about dealing with weeds and pests. Queue yet another few hours on hold to get the amount of pesticides and herbicides I needed.
Every field I sprayed was one where I had to remove the watering equipment first. Only then could I spray. The chemicals had to be given time to work before I could reinstall the sprinklers and keep the plants from dying in the summer heat.
Juggling the watering, the weeds, and the pests was how I spent the next few months. By late September, it was finally time to harvest everything I¡¯d been working on. Gloria had been wonderful. She got me contracts for the produce so I could focus on the harvest.
On harvest day, the trucks for the processing plant came one after the other. Dad pulled the trailers next to me as I used the tractor to pull up the carrots, beets, and other vegetables. I sat in the tractor¡¯s cab cackling like I was possessed. Experience dinged near continuously with each pass across a field. I lamented when I had to stop for Dad to get another trailer. The experience was that good!
After a week of harvesting, the fields were finally empty. All told, I had gained a little more than a million experience. A million! Last time, I had been lucky to get over a tenth of that in a year¡ªand that took a lot more work. This was easy money by comparison. Sure, I did some quests now and then still, but only if they wouldn¡¯t get in my way while I worked.
For as much as I felt elated, I also felt lonely. Sure, Dad was around to hang with after a hard day at work. But I didn¡¯t feel the same connection as I once had. The fakeness of everything impeded me living in the moment. The experience was good, and that was the only thing keeping me going.
Though the harvest was completed for the year, I still had some things to do. The first was to plant a winter crop. It wasn¡¯t something I would harvest, but it would help return some of the nitrogen back to the soil for next year. It was a way to reduce the amount of fertilizer I would need, as well as to prevent the soil from blowing away in the wind. I chose a variety of winter wheat and spent two weeks sowing it.
The second thing I needed to do was long overdue maintenance to the tractor and the rest of the equipment. The problem was, I did not know how to do that. I knew it needed to be done¡ªas even though everything was new, that only gave a short grace period before maintenance was needed. That left me with a conundrum. How was I going to learn how to fix everything?
¡°Hey Dad, know anything about how to fix the tractor?¡± I asked one evening.
¡°I could probably do some,¡± he said. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s been a full season, so it¡¯s time to do whatever yearly stuff I¡¯ve got to do. I¡¯m a bit lost, really.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ maybe you could ask my brother¡ªyour Uncle Ben. He¡¯s always had a knack for mechanical things. He could teach you.¡±
¡°That sounds like a great idea! Well, a decent idea. There are no ladies here for him to proclaim as the one!¡±
Dad doubled over in laughter.
¡°That¡¯s him alright!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give him a call tomorrow and see if he¡¯ll be up to it.¡± He said after calming down. ¡°You may have to pay him, though.¡±
¡°Not a problem. I was planning on it. I¡¯ve got plenty of money, so that isn¡¯t the issue.¡±
¡°How well did the crops sell?¡± he wondered.
¡°Not great, not terrible. I lost a little on the endeavor, but that was kind of to be expected. I¡¯m not doing this for the money, after all.¡±
He nodded.
The next day, Dad let me know that Uncle Ben had agreed to it. That meant I needed another contract¡ªjust in case. I let Al know.
While I waited for Uncle Ben to come, I worked on the smaller projects that had been put away while I had been busy. That meant checking in with the writers to see how their efforts were doing. A couple had dropped out¡ªmaybe because of a lack of interest or a lack of money, I couldn¡¯t say. The rest had persevered. They gave me a good product that I could throw online for free to garner interest. Well, Gloria did the posting for me.
The result of all that money spent was a noticeable uptick in the amount of stories¡ªexcluding the ones I¡¯d funded¡ªaround the idea of a system apocalypse. That was good news, as far as I was concerned. It was exactly the reaction I had been hoping for. I funded a new round of stories with the same themes but unique twists. The genre needed to grow¡ªand quickly.
Chapter 69
Uncle Ben arrived a week later to stay with us at the house. I was surprised that he didn¡¯t have a woman with him. He did have a case of beer, though. Some things never changed.
¡°Hey little dude,¡± he said to me. ¡°Milt said you needed help with the tractor?¡±
¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know where to begin and Dad said you were the guy to ask.¡±
¡°Right on.¡±
I handed him the contract from Al. It was like the one Al had signed, while also including the fact that I was going to pay him for his time. I knew I would end up divulging my secrets if we spent time together. There were just too many strange things to explain away. That I owned a company with millions of dollars was the most immediate of them.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.
¡°I¡¯m paying you, so the lawyer drew something up to make it legitimate.¡±
¡°When did you learn how to talk like that?¡±
I said nothing, but instead gave him a steady gaze.
¡°Well, whatever.¡±
Uncle Ben read it over and ended up signing. He gave it back to me¡ªeven though that was unnecessary. The system contract had activated the instant he signed, taking with it some of my experience. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.
¡°So, where¡¯s this tractor?¡± he asked.
¡°Down the road. You¡¯ll forgive me if I ask you to drive there. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m missing the requisite number of years to do it myself.¡±
¡°Really?¡± he gave me a look, before shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s how you phrase it?¡±
¡°Wanted to mess with you,¡± I smiled. ¡°Being the oldest person in this house has its perks.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡±
I ignored his protests. We had work to do, so I walked out the front door.
¡°Come on,¡± I said with a laugh.
Uncle Ben shook his head, but followed, nonetheless. We got in his car and drove to the equipment shed. I unlocked it and let him in. It was frosty inside, so I put the heat on and closed the door behind us.
¡°Well,¡± he said with a clap of his hands. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of stuff here. While this place warms up some, why don¡¯t you tell me more about them?¡±
I spent an hour going over everything. I started with the tractor and its attachments before moving on to Dad¡¯s tractor and the trailers. There were other things there that I hadn¡¯t used¡ªthreshing and processing equipment, mostly.
¡°First thing we¡¯ve got to do is clean everything,¡± he told me. ¡°With all this mud around, there¡¯s no way to properly assess anything. Where¡¯s the soap and the hose?¡±
¡°The hose is in the corner,¡± I said, pointing to it. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any soap.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a shame. You should get some. Rinsing everything off will be the bare minimum. Dirt and grime can not only hide problems but also cause them. You know how sand on a beach gets everywhere? Dirt¡¯s the same way, and mechanical things don¡¯t do well when dirt gets added in places it shouldn¡¯t be.¡±
Uncle Ben and I scrubbed all the machines. While they weren¡¯t caked with mud, they certainly hadn¡¯t been clean. With several hours of work, we got them sparkling. At least, they felt sparkling in my mind.
¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s much better. Now, let¡¯s see what we can do with these tractors.¡±
He opened up my tractor.
¡°Did you change the oil at all this year?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°Ok. We¡¯ll start there. Here¡¯s how you check the oil¡¡±
Uncle Ben explained how the dip stick worked. He showed me how the oil looked¡ªdirty to my eyes¡ªand compared it to fresh oil. He went on and on about the oil. I understood what he was trying to convey, even if he struggled to say it. It wasn¡¯t just the maintenance¡ªwhich was important¡ªbut going over the vehicles regularly would help to catch things before they became actual issues.
¡°Before we do the oil change, you got the manual anywhere?¡±
I looked around for it and gave it to him.
¡°Alright. Let me make sure we have everything first.¡±
I sat and looked around. I even paced back and forth. Eventually, he was done.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°I see you have the oil. What about the filter and the tools?¡±
I shrugged. I didn¡¯t think I had them, even though I¡¯d gotten most things.
¡°We¡¯ll have to order them, then. Should also pick up a code scanner to check any codes that might pop up on the tractor¡¯s computer.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked.
¡°There might be errors that won¡¯t show up with an indicator,¡± he clarified. ¡°Always pays to check, just in case. It¡¯s new, so everything¡¯ll be fine. Probably.¡±
Uncle Ben and I followed the same procedure with the other tractor and the other equipment. He said it was best to get a full list of what we needed before making any orders. It was quite the list! Although I had picked up the basics¡ªlike tools, oil, and fuel¡ªI had missed all the specialized parts I actually would need. All together, it was thousands of dollars. Expensive to most people¡ªbut not to me.
The parts arrived a week later. He started with the code reader for my tractor and Dad¡¯s. Thankfully, there were no codes. What was important, though, was that he showed me how they worked and what to look out for.
¡°If the code you find doesn¡¯t have a good explanation on the reader, you can look it up. There¡¯s a website for these sorts of things¡ªwell, a few, actually. I¡¯ll send you the one I trust the most, so you have it.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
Then he moved on to showing me how to change the oil. The tractor was tall enough that we didn¡¯t need to use any jacks on it. He stressed the importance of blocks to prevent the tractor from rolling. Just in case. The procedure began with him directing me on how to drain the old oil out of the tractor. This included pulling the old oil filter as well.
¡°Dip your finger in the oil you drained and rub it on the gasket of the new oil filter. It¡¯ll help get a good seal without over-tightening it.¡±
I did as he said before screwing the new filter into its location.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s fill ¡®er up,¡± he said. ¡°The manual says she¡¯ll take eight quarts¡ªthat¡¯s two gallons, or four of these bottles.¡±
He held up a half-gallon bottle of oil. I took it from him. He showed me where to dump the oil with the help of a funnel. It was fun¡ªin a messy sort of way. When the oil was in, I twisted the cap on until it clicked. He had me check the level with the dipstick before he was satisfied.
¡°Good job, kid,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re way ahead of where I was at your age.¡±
I bit my tongue. While I was sure the truth would come out eventually, I was old enough¡ªand wise enough; I hoped¡ªto avoid unnecessary confusion by cracking a joke about my actual age.
Over the next few days, Uncle Ben and I went over each machine and performed whatever maintenance it required. Thankfully, they were all new and there wasn¡¯t much they needed. He helped me clean up properly and store the parts for when I would need them.
¡°With the money you have, it¡¯s better to have the spares on hand than to wait a week when it matters most.¡±
That was a good philosophy to follow. The experience I gained by farming far outweighed the money I made. I didn¡¯t need the money¡ªI needed the experience to continue building the system. That was why I had made a point of gathering a pile of money, so I wouldn¡¯t need to worry or even really think about it. I could just do whatever I needed to do.
That night, Uncle Ben had the last dinner with Dad and me. Now that I was¡ªif not confident, then¡ªprepared to handle any maintenance issues. I knew where to look up the codes and I knew where to order the parts. The internet held the instructions on how to actually replace the parts, so I was as ready as I could be.
¡°I think Eddy, here, learned a lot,¡± Uncle Ben said.
¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡±
¡°Anytime,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, with what you¡¯re paying me, I¡¯ll be set for a while!¡±
I smiled. I would rather overpay a little to get endless loyalty from someone. That didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t use other methods¡ªlike system contracts¡ªbut those felt scummy. I knew I¡¯d have to use them to protect myself. Money just smoothed over any feathers I ruffled along the way.
The next morning, I said goodbye to my uncle. It had been nice to be around another person who wasn¡¯t Dad. Still, it was nice to go back to the quiet I had grown used to. The only problem I faced now was what to do with myself for three months before the growing season began. There were always quests to do, but that was just the base level. Maybe I could work on woodworking or metalworking as I¡¯d planned on.
It turned out the town I was in¡ªand the two others nearby¡ªdid not have places to learn those crafts. I¡¯d need to learn on my own or wait for the future where I¡¯d have the time to learn. It just wouldn¡¯t be now.
A month after Uncle Ben left, I saw a moving truck across the road. The old neighbor¡ªan old lady¡ªhad kept to herself until she passed away in the fall. Her children or grandchildren sold the house and a new family was moving in. That house was the closest to mine. There were others, but they were far enough away that I didn¡¯t bother getting to know the people who lived there.
These new folks presented an opportunity to diversify my social circle some. I was used to my family. I was also feeling disconnected, too. Having someone new to talk to might help. Or so I hoped. I baked cookies and wandered over the day after they moved in¡ªI didn¡¯t want to get in the way while they were busy.
Their house was a two-story farmhouse with a wide porch that wrapped around it. The lawn and flower gardens that appeared too beautiful in the sprint lay buried by the snow. I climbed two stairs to get onto the porch and ring the doorbell.
A middle-aged woman came to the door, looking frazzled. Maybe the day after moving in was too soon?
¡°Hello,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m your neighbor from across the street. Name¡¯s Eddy. Thought you guys might enjoy some cookies.¡±
I offered the place of chocolate chip cookies.
¡°Why thank you,¡± she beamed.
The stress visibly melted away from her face.
¡°My name¡¯s Mable,¡± she said before turning around and calling into the house ¡°Hey George! Henry! Mila!¡±
I heard stomping coming from the stairs and a couple of ¡®what¡¯s from what sounded like children.
¡°Come here!¡± she shouted. ¡°Sorry about that. They aren¡¯t the best listeners.¡±
I shrugged and smiled.
A minute later, a man about the same age as Mable appeared. Seconds behind him were two children around ten years old. They hid behind who I assumed was their father.
¡°This is my husband, George. The two you can barely see behind him are our kids. They¡¯re twins. The boy¡¯s Henry and the girl¡¯s Mila.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Eddy. I live across the street. I¡¯d wave but, well, cookies.¡±
I laughed and offered them the plate.
George took one. That got a look from Mable. Two small arms snaked their way around George and snagged a cookie each. Mable cleared her throat.
¡°Thanks,¡± came the response from the kids¡ªtheir mouths already full of cookie.
¡°And George, take the plate please, not just a cookie.¡±
¡°Sorry, dear,¡± he said, giving her a kiss. ¡°Nice to meet you, Eddy, and thanks for the cookies.¡±
¡°Good to meet you, too.¡±
I waved as I left.
Chapter 70
Not a week later, I was awoken by knocking on the front door. I blinked to get the tears out of my eyes and threw on some clothes. I yawned as I opened the door. On the other side was a cop with a flashlight.
¡°Hey kid,¡± he said. ¡°Your parents home?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I yawned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? They in trouble or something?¡±
He shook his head.
¡°Nothing like that. Can you get one of them, please?¡±
I shrugged, then trudged to the bedroom to rouse Dad.
¡°Dad, police at the door,¡± I told him when he was lucid enough to understand me.
¡°Shit,¡± he spat.
He got dressed, and we walked back to the door.
¡°Mr. Teller?¡± the policeman asked.
¡°Yeah?¡± Dad said.
¡°You own farmland on the other side of town, right?¡±
¡°Mhm.¡±
¡°There¡¯s been a fire in the barn over there. Firefighters put it out already.¡±
¡°Any idea how it started?¡± I asked.
¡°Not sure,¡± he said.
¡°We¡¯ve got cameras,¡± Dad pointed out. ¡°If they survived the flames, the recordings could shed some light on what happened.¡±
He yawned loudly.
¡°Mind giving us a ride over? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fit to drive right now.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± the policeman said with a nod.
Dad and I climbed into the back of the patrol car. I enjoyed the ride. There weren¡¯t any seatbelts that fit me, so I was sliding around every corner. The only negative were the bars that filled the windows. They prevented me from sticking my arm out to fly a hand-airplane in the wind.
When we arrived, there was a firetruck and two police cars in addition to the one we came in. As soon as I got out of the police car, I could smell the acrid smoke of burned oil and rubber. The spotlights from the police cars illuminated a grim picture. The front of the equipment shed was rather toasty. I hoped the back had survived better.
¡°These the owners?¡± the person leading the firemen asked.
¡°Yep,¡± the policeman said. ¡°Here are Mr. Teller, the older, and Mr. Teller, the younger. They indicated there might be a recording of what happened for your investigation.¡±
¡°Great!¡±
He turned to Dad and me and extended a hand.
¡°I¡¯m Mike, the fire chief.¡±
Dad shook his hand.
¡°Follow me,¡± he told us. ¡°And be careful. There might be broken and sharp bits of metal you wouldn¡¯t want to step on.¡±
I went to follow him and Dad, but he held an arm out.
¡°Not you, kid. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±
¡°Let him come,¡± Dad said. ¡°He¡¯s the one who knows how to work the cameras and recordings.¡±
Mike looked at me with suspicion, but relented.
¡°Alright. Follow close by and be careful, please.¡±
I nodded and walked behind the two men.
The inside of the equipment shed was as wrecked as the outside had been. The tractors and other equipment that Uncle Ben and I had worked on were destroyed. Well, most of it was. There were some things that looked to be ok from where I was walking. The back area was mostly spared the flames¡¯ destruction.
¡°So, where are the cameras and recordings?¡± Mike asked.
I pointed to a door in the back that was partially blackened by the flames. We walked to it and tried to open it. It was locked. Dad produced the key from his pocked. The lock clicked and Mike pulled it open. The room inside looked like it had been spared. There was the ever-present smell of smoke, but otherwise everything looked alright¡ªif unpowered.
¡°Any way to move the recordings?¡± Mike asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way to check here without electricity.¡±
¡°Give me a minute to pull the drives,¡± I said.
I walked over to the console and kneeled down. Under it were several portable flash drives in two rows that held the last 30 days of recordings¡ªup until the power went down. I removed all the ones on one side of the console. The ones on the other side were duplicates that served a backup function.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°These drives have the recordings on them,¡± I said, handing them to Mike.
¡°Thanks,¡± he replied. ¡°We¡¯ll look these over and have a report in a couple of days. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±
¡°One second,¡± I said.
I kneeled down and grabbed the backup drives. Even if they were doing their investigation, I wanted to see for myself. My laptop could handle pulling the footage from the drives, and I was¡ªby this time¡ªwide awake. Might as well use the early morning hours to get to the bottom of what happened¡ªif I could.
¡°Backups,¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯m sure Dad will want to see for himself.¡±
Mike nodded.
¡°Ready?¡± he asked.
Dad looked at me and I nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
The trip back out was a sad one for me. While I¡¯d had a goal going in, there was nothing stopping me from mourning the loss of everything I¡¯d worked for in the last year. The building and most of the equipment would need to be replaced. That would take time and delay my planting¡ªagain. I needed experience, and this was a setback I couldn¡¯t afford!
Fire rose in me. I hoped that this hadn¡¯t been an accident. If it was done by someone, I was going to find them and put an end to whatever bullshit they were doing. I thought back to the time when the field was torn up by a truck and wondered if the two incidents were connected.
The policeman¡ªMarc, I later learned¡ªdrove us home. The mood in the patrol car was not good. Dad and I said nothing, even when Marc tried to lighten the mood with gallows humor. I had a new goal, and that was to find out what¡ªor who¡ªwas responsible. I hoped that the recordings would have a definite answer.
When we got home, I rushed inside to plug the drives into the laptop. Each drive contained about a week¡¯s worth of footage. I didn¡¯t need all the drives, only the one that had the most recent recordings. Finding it meant looking through all the drives to see which one had what I needed. It ended up being the last one I looked at¡ªbecause searching any more would have been a waste of time.
The motion lights on the outside of the equipment shed came in clutch. After searching through the recording of the last day, I saw them come on just after midnight. Right in the middle of the frame was a man in a blue jacket holding a jerry can. He smashed a window in the left front door and dumped what I guessed was gasoline inside. He threw the mostly empty container through the window, then tossed a lit rag into the window and ran. The fire started quickly.
While it sucked to see the arson happen and not be able to do anything to stop it, I was glad that I had the guy¡¯s face in enough detail to identify the guy if I ever saw him. I hoped the police or firefighters would know who the arsonist was. Just in case the police didn¡¯t have the footage, I emailed them the important section of the recording. I also emailed Gloria about the issue and what I¡¯d need¡ªthe building rebuilt and new equipment as soon as she could. Planting season was on the horizon.
It took a week to hear back from the police and fire department. Which really meant I had to bug them several times to get any response at all. The result was less than I had hoped for. Sure, there was a narrative based on the footage, but there was no identification of who the guy was.
I felt the fury return. Who was this asshole to get in my way? I was trying to save the world! Didn¡¯t he understand the delays would cost him his life? I took a deep breath. Since this was probably the same person who had ripped up my fields last year, I was going to have to educate him. The police weren¡¯t likely to do anything without a good lead, and I didn¡¯t have time to sit around, hoping no more sabotage would take place.
What I needed was a plan. My mind immediately turned to the system and what skills I could unlock. Depending on what method of education I went with¡ªreprisal or something more permanent¡ªI would need a way of remaining undetected. Stealth had been a good option and one I hoped would improve when I leveled it up a bit. Tracking was another candidate. I needed to find the person who did it. Finally, I would need a skill to do the deed. Magic would be much harder to trace.
When I considered whether to stick with hurting the guy or his stuff or outright killing him, I started with the lesser option first. To that end, I Searched through the available skills before selecting something that looked good. That it fit the crime I needed to avenge was even better.
| Skill Purchased: Stealth
Current Exp: 1,201,102 |
| Skill Purchased: Tracking
Current Exp: 1,200,102 |
| Skill Purchased: Fireball
Current Exp: 1,199,102 |
I put 51,100 experience into Tracking and Stealth to bring both up to level 9. I wanted to test the skills when they were in the second tier to see if that made a big difference. For a point of comparison, I improved Identify to level 9 as well.
In a flash of inspiration, I attempted to Identify the man in the video recording. Sadly, all it did was give me a breakdown of the materials in the laptop instead. That, of course, would be a boon if I ever went treasure hunting. It was much less useful now, though.
The next thing I tried was Stealth. It would be important for me to not show up on video just in case. I activated it and walked around in front of my house, where I knew there were cameras. I returned to the house after almost running out of chi to power the skill.
Pulling up the camera footage on the laptop, I scrolled through the past hour of footage. I watched myself exit the house before walking to the side and out of view of the road. I carefully looked for any sign of my return to the front. There was a little shimmer in the air¡ªlike a smudge¡ªthat moved back and forth. While not ideal, it should be good enough for use at night.
For Tracking, I needed to go to the scene of the crime. Thankfully, the construction crew wasn¡¯t set to begin work for a few days, so the site was mostly undisturbed. I activated the skill and looked around. There were so many tracks showing that I was overwhelmed! I recognized some of them¡ªlike the route Dad, the firefighter, and I took into the equipment shed.
There were many I couldn¡¯t place. I traced each back to its source as best I could. Some were policemen. Some were tracks from the firefighters. Then there were the cars and trucks that ran up and down the gravel driveway. Eventually, I found what I was looking for¡ªan unexplained set of footprints that lined up with what I remembered the man had done.
I walked the footprints back to a set of tire tracks. Those tire tracks ran all the way to the road before turning left. Barely fifty feet down the road, the tracks were lost amongst the others. The road wasn¡¯t overly busy, but it was busy enough and it had been long enough that the tracks were effectively erased by newer traffic.
I cursed inwardly. Why hadn¡¯t I thought to check myself on that night? With the system and skills, I might have been able to nab the guy then and there! Then I remembered it wasn¡¯t Dad who drove me, but the police. How could I explain magic to the police and not have them either laugh at me or report it to someone who would put me in a tiny room? I was angry and had nothing to direct it towards. I stomped back towards Dad to get a ride home.
Chapter 71
It took six weeks to rebuild the building and get the equipment delivered. That there had been a building on the same site made the approval process much faster than it had been the first time around. It came together just in time for me to begin the process of preparing the fields.
Like last year, the fields needed to be overturned, dragging the winter wheat with it. I amended the soil with extra fertilizer as I did. The ground needed time to dry from the melted snow before I could actually plant, so this was as good a time as any to make the soil as good as it could be. I¡¯d skipped the step last year for the sake of time, but this year, I was going to do it right.
The warming climate meant I could plant over two weeks earlier than farmers a hundred years ago. It was a boon I wouldn¡¯t ignore. Though the plants took the same time to grow, planting sooner let me harvest sooner. Being first to market was an advantage I couldn¡¯t turn down. Plus, I knew the weather already¡ªin broad strokes. Foreknowledge had its plusses.
Seeding wheat was much easier than carrots had been. Instead of planting it in specific rows, I spread it over the ground to let it grow. It was a grass, as grasses were dead simple. It also required less maintenance. I had to water it if the weather got too dry, but that wasn¡¯t something I needed to worry about for several months. The wet spring meant I had more time to myself away from farming¡ªoutside of the need to spray pesticides now and again. With wheat, that meant by airplane rather than doing it through watering.
¡°Eddy,¡± Dad said in mid April after I was done with planting. ¡°Want to come with me to the flea market?¡±
I almost said no without thinking. Then I remembered how much I¡¯d upgraded Identify. It would be an excellent test to see it in action¡ªand make up for the fact that I¡¯d spent so much experience rashly. Yes, I needed to test skills, but I¡¯d also let my anger get the best of me. It was those mistakes which would jeopardize everything I was working towards. Those purchases had increased the monster level yet again. I couldn¡¯t afford to do that again, and hoped I could at least make up for it.
¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°Where is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s about forty minutes away, over the mountain.¡±
¡°Alright. When are we going?¡±
¡°Now?¡±
I shrugged and got dressed to leave.
¡°Oh, do we have enough cash?¡± I wondered.
¡°Plenty,¡± he said with a smile.
I nodded.
The flea market was held in and around a long, open building. Inside the building were more permanent shops, while outside there were tables covered by canopies and tents. Each stall offered a variety of items for sale. Anything from fresh fruits and veggies to things that would have looked at home in a garage sale.
I followed Dad as he walked around. While I walked, I carefully looked at the tables I passed. When I saw something interesting, I tossed out an Identify to learn a bit more about it. Identify showed a lot more now that it had been leveled up. Where before, I might have seen¡
| Object: Coin
Tier: 0
Material: Metal
Age: 81 years |
¡I now saw¡
| Object: Silver Quarter
Tier: 0
Material: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Estimated Value: $30
Age: 81 years |
¡or¡
| Object: Imitation Silver Quarter
Tier: 0
Material: 90% Copper, 10% Silver
Estimated Value: $2
Age: 12 years |
That I could see what was fake at a glance was perfect. That would let me find something labeled as junk that held real value. I wouldn¡¯t fall for a scam, either. Buying coins wasn¡¯t what I was after. Those were more likely to be listed correctly¡ªor if wrong, then it would not be in my favor. What I wanted to come across was art or jewelry. That sort of thing had a higher chance of being misidentified.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Dad stopped at a table with a bunch of tools. I watched as he looked through them before picking up a drill. It looked rusty to my eyes, but Identify said it was worth a fair amount.
¡°How much?¡± Dad asked the man working the table.
¡°Twenty,¡± was the reply.
¡°Can you do fifteen?¡±
¡°Eighteen.¡±
¡°Eighteen,¡± Dad said with a nod, paying the man.
I wasn¡¯t sure if the slight difference was really worth the hassle. After all, the thing was worth closer to forty dollars.
While he continued to browse that table, I looked through the table next to where Dad was. It had what I was looking for. That didn¡¯t mean I was guaranteed to find a good deal, but it meant I had a chance. It was a jewelry stall shaped like a horseshoe, with the vendor occupying the middle and the items for sale along the edge. The jewelry was grouped by type¡ªcostume, silver, gold, and more. My best chance was to look in the costume section.
I didn¡¯t have enough chi to Identify each item. I would have to be more choosy with what I spent my resources on. Leveling up for more chi was not something I wanted to do, as I¡¯d already gone too far without thinking. Better to save the experience and minimize the penalties if I could.
My first target was a ring that looked a little too good. Well, it was the stone on it that looked better to my eye¡ªa deep green that called to me. I couldn¡¯t tell anything about the metal surrounding the stone other than it was supposed to be silvery. The price tag on it was five dollars.
| Object: Emerald Ring
Tier: 0
Material: 40% Copper, 20% Molybdenum, 15% Lead, 10% Emerald, 5% Tin, 5% Silver
Estimated Value: $41
Age: 33 years |
I was correct about the metal being an imitation of silver and that the stone was of better quality. It wasn¡¯t a huge win, to be fair. At best, I might triple my money¡ªand that was only if I took it to the right person. Didn¡¯t seem worth the effort, so I moved on to the next one.
I checked several rings, pendants, necklaces, and more. There were a couple of mislabeled ones like the ring, but they didn¡¯t seem worth it. We moved on when Dad was done haggling for more tools.
After dropping off what Dad had bought, we returned to the flea market to keep looking around. Although I was getting bored, I didn¡¯t mind too much. Being out and away from the farm for a day was what I had needed more than I cared to admit. So, for another hour, Dad and I wandered around.
¡°Dad, can we get lunch?¡± I asked after I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.
I hoped eating something would be the end of the day out. There were quests I needed to complete. Plus, I was really bored.
¡°Uh, sure,¡± he said. ¡°I think there¡¯s a really good ramen place here that¡¯s only open weekends, like the flea market.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I heard about it from the same person who told me about the flea market.¡±
I nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go have some then!¡± I said enthusiastically.
Dad laughed and let me into the building. Inside¡ªamongst the more permanent stores¡ªwas a small ramen shop that had two tables and four chairs in it. Maybe it was the time of year¡ªor maybe we just got lucky¡ªbut there was an open table waiting for us there. I sat in one of the chairs and looked up at Dad.
¡°Whatcha want?¡± he asked.
¡°Tonkotsu, if they have it. Otherwise shoyu.¡±
¡°Uhhh, I might forget what those are, sorry. English, please?¡±
¡°Pork broth or soy sauce, basically,¡± I said.
¡°Alright,¡± he said awkwardly before walking to the counter.
I tuned out his conversation with the chef¡ªit was just a one-man operation. I hadn¡¯t had good ramen in a long time, so I was looking forward to having it. It smelled great, but it still came down to taste. My mouth was watering by the time Dad came back with two large bowls of ramen.
¡°Here you go,¡± he said. ¡°They had the kind you asked for that started with a ¡®t¡¯. I got one, too.¡±
¡°Awesome! I can¡¯t wait to¡ª¡±
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blue jacket that reminded me of the arsonist. I stood up and raced to the door. The coat looked the same, and the man wearing it looked similar enough that it might well be the same person. I couldn¡¯t be sure without investigating, so I frantically looked for a skill that would let me find where the guy lived.
| Skill Unlocked: Tracker
Current Exp: 1,061,105 |
I immediately leveled it up to level 5¡ªthat would give it enough range¡ªand cast it on the man. The last thing I did before returning to Dad was to Identify the man. His name was Jacob Weaver.
¡°What was that?¡± Dad asked when I sat back down.
¡°Thought I saw the arsonist,¡± I said.
¡°Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡±
I shrugged.
¡°I see. Well, let¡¯s enjoy the ramen before it gets cold, yeah?¡±
¡°Yup!¡± I smiled.
I was excited to be having ramen. The momentary chase of the suspected arsonist did nothing to diminish that. I split the chopsticks and dug in. The noodles had just enough resistance to be interesting, and the silky broth filled my mouth with great flavor. And that was before I even tried the pork! That was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
¡°Whatcha think?¡± I asked.
¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Dad said. ¡°Better than the package, for sure!¡±
I laughed.
¡°It¡¯s pretty good,¡± I agreed. ¡°Hard to make the packaged stuff when you know what ramen should be like!¡±
Dad and I slurped our food down quickly. As good as it was, there was no way in hell I could finish it. There was only so much room in my little stomach. Try as I might, I just couldn¡¯t put any more of the food down. I pushed the bowl away and groaned.
¡°Eyes bigger than your stomach?¡± he teased.
I groaned again. He laughed.
¡°Well, it was delicious,¡± he continued. ¡°Let¡¯s go see more of the flea market before we go.¡±
I grunted and got up to follow him. Waddling around with a full stomach was not pleasant. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t continue shopping for too much longer. I was wrong, of course. It ended up being another two whole hours before he finally relented and let us return home for the day.
I checked the tracker on Jacob. There was still some time before it would disappear, so I would need to figure out where he lived and pay it a visit. I hoped I would find out that he was the one who did it so I could get my revenge. The whole incident angered me to no end.
Chapter 72
I waited until night. I turned invisible and took my phone with me. Using a mapping app and the tracker on Jacob, I checked the direction from several locations. I then made the lines extend until they met. While not perfect, they all crossed over the same house about twenty miles away. I returned to bed and considered my options.
My first instinct was to run all the way there to investigate. The problem was that twenty miles was a long distance¡ªeven after leveling up. Without another skill, there was no way to get there and back without raising suspicion by my absence. That meant I needed to spend yet more experience on this lead.
Or I could do something else. Like hiring a private investigator to track down everything for me. That was a better plan. I could spend my time focusing on more important things. I had money now even if I wasn¡¯t used to it. And one of the perks of having money was being able to spend it making things easier. There was no reason for me to do everything myself¡ªthough I wanted to.
The next day, I researched private investigators local to my area¡ªor at least those who could visit. There weren¡¯t many options¡ªjust one, really. I emailed the man with the rundown on what I was looking for¡ªevidence on whether Jacob was the arsonist¡ªand what information I had.
It didn¡¯t take long to receive a reply and negotiate rates. I let Gloria know so she could pay him. With that, I wiped my hands of the affair. For now. I still wanted my revenge, but it would have to wait until I had evidence.
Two months later, George invited Dad and me to their house for a barbecue. Dad accepted and dragged me there. I would much rather have stayed home to work on quests or anything else than deal with people. Still, I went anyway.
When we arrived, there were more people there than I had expected. Instead of just Dad and me, it appeared that they had invited the other neighbors. I¡¯d met them once upon a time, but kept to myself since, so I didn¡¯t really know anyone there.
¡°Welcome!¡± Mable said as soon as she saw us. ¡°George is in the back manning the grill. The kids are running around somewhere. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find you!¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Dad said.
I took the opportunity Dad opened up by answering Mable to scram. I didn¡¯t really want to hang with anyone, but children were easier to deal with¡ªgenerally¡ªthan adults. Adults always wanted something and were never straightforward. Kids¡ªon the other hand¡ªwore their intentions on their sleeves. That I could handle.
I wandered towards the backyard. Instead of going through the house like Dad, I hopped the fence that separated the two. Sure, there was a gate I could have opened, but that wasn¡¯t any fun!
The backyard was really nice. There was a carpet of emerald grass covering everything. Closer to the house was a patio made of cream-colored blocks¡ªthat¡¯s where the grill, and George, were.
The children¡ªHenry and Mila¡ªwere playing some sort of lawn game with some other kids I didn¡¯t recognize. I walked to them and watched what they were doing so that I could join. As soon as I arrived, whatever they had been playing devolved into screaming and running around. With a mental shrug, I joined the chase.
I felt the thrill of running with others wash over me. I had to limit my speed or else I might have sped past all of them. That wouldn¡¯t have been too much fun. I went just fast enough to give them a chance¡ªlike parent would for their own child. I was old enough to know how to share. Or I hoped I was.
After the other kids tired of running around, I checked on Dad and George. I admit that it was just an excuse to see how close the food was to being ready. I was getting hungry! At any rate, Dad was chatting with George and two other neighbors I only vaguely remembered meeting.
¡°Ah, here he is,¡± Dad said. ¡°This is my son, Eddy.¡±
¡°Hi,¡± I said.
¡°Hello!¡± George bellowed. ¡°And welcome, if Mable didn¡¯t say so already.¡±
¡°When¡¯ll food be ready?¡± I asked.
¡°Soon,¡± he laughed. ¡°Hungry already?¡±
I nodded.
¡°There should be some snacks on the table.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
That was about as much mingling as I wanted to do. Food held me by the nose and dragged me to the table. I filled a plate with chips, dip and anything else that looked appetizing. There were plenty of vegetables that I turned my nose at. Sure, they weren¡¯t bad, but there were just so many better¡ªtastier¡ªoptions.
I sat down at the edge of the patio to eat. The adults and children moved this way and that¡ªavoiding the obstacle that was me. While I ate my snack, I kept an open ear to what was going on around me. The improved stats from leveling up meant I could hear better than I could before. That was something I usually tuned out, but now I focused on it.
¡°¡opening up a store in town,¡± George was saying.
¡°Oh, really?¡± a man next to him asked.
¡°Yeah. The closest hardware store is an hour away. And with all the farming here, I figured it could do pretty well.¡±
¡°So why not do it?¡± Dad asked.
¡°I can¡¯t afford it. We just bought this house, so we¡¯re pretty broke right now.¡±
¡°Sorry to hear that¡¡±
The conversation continued, but I let the idea run through my head. I knew I could get experience from planting crops and having someone else harvest. Would the same principle apply to funding someone else¡¯s business? If I gave George money, would I get economic experience when his business made money? Would I have to be a partner for that to work or would simply lending the money be enough? I decided that was something worth investigating.
¡°Food¡¯s ready!¡± Mable called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I stood up and took a hotdog. I topped it with relish, ketchup, and mustard. The delicious juices coated my mouth when I bit into it. It brought a huge smile to my face. Before I went too deep into my hotdog, I walked over to George.
¡°Hey, George,¡± I said.
¡°Oh, hey¡ Eddy, right?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°What can I do you for?¡± he asked with a laugh.
¡°I heard earlier about you wanting to open a store in town.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a sad look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not realistic, though.¡±
¡°I could fund it,¡± I said earnestly.
¡°How? You¡¯re just a kid?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of money,¡± I said. ¡°The farm and house and all of that are owned by me.¡±
¡°Really?¡± he wondered.
I nodded.
¡°Well, how would this all work?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to Dad¡ªand my lawyer. But I have plenty to fund what you want to do. How much do you think it¡¯ll be?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°Talk to who you need to. I¡¯ll figure out how much¡ªand I need to talk to Mable as well.¡±
I gave him my email address for when he decided what he wanted to do. To me, it made sense. Even if it lost money, it would be a success if it generated experience for me. That was the most important thing. The farming project was going well, but it wasn¡¯t making enough experience for me to make the system what I wanted it to be. I hoped funding businesses could fill the gaps.
I left the man to think about the proposition while I enjoyed the rest of the barbecue. Dad would be the face of the interaction, even if I was ultimately the one funding it. It was easier that way. I hoped George wasn¡¯t one of those people who got all weird when they had to report to someone younger than them. He didn¡¯t seem like that on the surface, but one could never be too sure.
A month passed before George went through with the idea. I felt some reluctance on his end, but the contract from Al seemed to ease his mind. Making it official was the best way to go about things. I paid for everything in exchange for 40% ownership of the business. I didn¡¯t want to actually run anything, but rather see if the transactions of the business would bring me experience.
The contract was signed, and the money was handed over. I went with George to the storefront he¡¯d picked out downtown. It was roomy, but in need of modernizing. As far as I could tell, it had been vacant for a while, still looking like the last store that had stood there. Time had not been kind to the interior. Still, I believed he was up to the task.
¡°Do you need any help?¡± I asked George.
¡°Thanks, but no,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a crew coming to do the renovations, so I don¡¯t want either of us getting in the way.¡±
¡°Makes sense. Well, I¡¯m heaving back to the farm. Get in touch if you need anything.¡±
George waved as I walked out. Dad was waiting for me by the sidewalk and drove me back to the farm.
The crops were growing well. Still, there was work to be done. I needed to maintain the machines, make sure the crops were well irrigated, repair any broken fences, that sort of thing. As usual, I threw myself into the work.
Work was beginning to feel like a crutch. A way for me to isolate myself from feeling that the world wasn¡¯t exactly real. On a fundamental level, I knew it was, but it didn¡¯t feel that way to me anymore. I could just start over at the drop of a hat. So who really cared if I just did as I pleased and undid everything if it went terribly wrong? Gaining experience was all I had going for me. The Dad I lived with was not the same as the one who I would see upon waking up in the past again. Similar, yes, but not the same.
Being on the farm was isolating, too, which did not help temper these thoughts. Yes, there was George and his family nearby, and there were people in town, too. But even so, I felt like I was floating through this life just doing whatever I needed to do to meet my end goal. And that all brought me back to working.
Every day, I worked. The tasks might be different. Most of the time, it was working on the farm in some way. Other times, it was quests. I avoided downtime like the plague. I couldn¡¯t afford it. Calculating how things were going now, I was going to fall well short of how much experience I needed. And with all the testing I¡¯d already done, the amount I would need to spend kept increasing!
The system I needed to create was one that would see humanity not only survive but also thrive. Seeing how System Contract could be bent and abused led me to wonder just how many other features out there I would need to modify so that people wouldn¡¯t be incentivized to do evil things. I didn¡¯t give a shit if they were used against monsters or anything like that, but against fellow humans? That was a problem!
I sighed and pushed the ideas away for now. The most important thing to do was just to keep going. The entire process was a giant slog and all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I would not get there any other way, so it was better to suck it up and keep moving.
Chapter 73
Not a week after signing the contract with George, I found out that Jacob was not the arsonist. I learned this not because of the private investigator, but because of the truck lodged in my gate. Like the time the equipment shed had been torched, Dad and I were awoken early in the morning by a knock at the door.
¡°Good morning, Mr. Teller,¡± said the officer¡ªthe same one that had driven me and Dad to and from the farm when the equipment shed burned down.
I yawned loudly and called for Dad, who stumbled to the door.
¡°Mornin¡¯ officer,¡± he said. ¡°What happened this time? Another fire?¡±
¡°Thankfully not,¡± the man chuckled. ¡°A truck crashed into the gate. We think this may have been the same individual who set the fire. He had a large amount of fuel in the back and some explosives. He¡¯s been arrested, but I was hoping you could get me a copy of the security cam footage from tonight.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Dad said. ¡°Do you need it right away, or can we get it to you during the day?¡±
¡°The soonest you can, please.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Dad sighed. ¡°Eddy, we¡¯re going there in a couple of minutes. Officer, I¡¯m going to wake up and head over. Should I have Eddy send them by email or drop them off directly at your office?¡±
¡°Email is fine,¡± he smiled and turned to go before turning back again. ¡°And thanks.¡±
The officer left. Dad yawned loudly and complained. He was absolutely not a morning person. I wasn¡¯t in much better shape. Maybe it was my youth¡ªor maybe it was my improved stats. Either way, I found it easier to shake the sleep from my eyes. It took ten minutes before Dad fired up his truck. I climbed in and we were off.
The scene we came to was a mess. The truck was wedged into the fence like it had tried to ram its way through. Even at its weakest point¡ªthe gate¡ªthat fence had been reinforced. I had not been pleased by all the damage done to my fields and equipment. Was it overkill? Maybe. But I was proud of what I¡¯d built. Seeing the results¡ªa busted truck¡ªmeant it has been well worth it.
Before going into the shed for the footage, I snapped a few pictures of the wrecked truck. Particularly, I wanted to grab the license plate. The private investigator had been struggling with Jacob, but he¡¯d also done a decent job. Maybe this person would be a better target.
I grabbed the copies and went back home with Dad. Before trying to sleep again, I sent the relevant recordings to the officer like he¡¯d asked. The cameras had caught the man trying to break into the gate with tools before giving up and ramming it a few times with the truck. Minutes later, the police arrived to the man stumbling from his truck. A brief investigation followed that ended with the man being put in handcuffs and being taken away in a squad car.
I sent the pictures of the truck to the private investigator to see what he could make of them. As with the fire, I did not trust the police to do a good job of investigating. Once the private investigator figured out the owner, I was hopeful he could track down a motive for all the vandalism. I was absolutely done with the bullshit.
Sleep was slow in coming. Ever more elaborate scenarios for revenge filled my head. Eventually, I succumbed to a void-like slumber.
Over the next week, the private investigator proved his worth. He found the name of the person¡ªDaniel Robeson¡ªand the most likely connection between us. The field where the equipment shed stood had been his grandparent¡¯s farm before I bought it. The sale was through the estate with a different last name.
Apparently, this Daniel fellow had been ranting online about how the farm was supposed to have gone to him. The private investigator thought it had something to do with not getting a windfall when his grandparents died¡ªsomething he¡¯d been counting on. When he didn¡¯t get it, well, he decided to get back at the new owners who had stolen it from him.
The whole scenario was bonkers to me, but I knew how some people were when it came to money. At least he was off the street for now. The police were charging him with a few things, but none of them were for the fire¡ªwhich the private investigator had showed was him from social media posts. And that was why I did not trust the police very much. I could hire much better people than that.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Since the events had been fully revealed, I considered going to get my revenge. And boy did I want to. But I chose not to because he was likely to go to jail for a while. I also knew who to watch out for in the future. It would be very easy for me to take care of the issue in a way that the police could never solve. For now, though, that wasn¡¯t something I intended to do.
My focus throughout spring and summer was on the farm. I tended the crops and maintained the equipment. I mended fences and handled irrigation. Come late August, I was ready to harvest the grain. It had ripened nicely over the summer.
I fired up the tractor. Attached was a large machine to harvest the heads of the wheat. A conveyor moved it up and over into a wagon that Dad pulled with his tractor. We started by the equipment shed before moving from field to field. As long as it wasn¡¯t wet, we were working. It took over two weeks to pull everything in and get it stored. The customers wanted wheat that had been dried to a certain level, so after threshing the wheat from the chaff, the grains were left to dry before being sold.
I was happy to be done with major work for the year. The harvest had been nice, but it was the experience that had been even sweeter. A little over a million and a half! That brought my total to 2,862,811.
Since the harvest was over, I paid a visit to George at his store. It irked me so much that Dad had to deliver me anywhere I needed to go. I missed being the captain of my own ship. There were magical solutions to the problem, but those would just create other mundane problems. No, I was stuck riding in Dad¡¯s truck whenever I wanted to go anywhere.
George¡¯s store looked a hell of a lot better than it had when I walked through it with him the first time. Instead of the ancient debris everywhere, it now had a sleek modern look¡ªwell, as sleek and modern as a hardware store could conceivably be. There were rows of shelving with a multitude of products. Everything from nails to pipe fittings to paint and even pest control was packed neatly in its own place.
¡°Hey, George,¡± I said upon seeing him loading a can of paint into a shaker.
¡°One moment, please,¡± he said.
He turned the machine before facing me. A smile lit up his face.
¡°Eddy!¡±
He thrust a hand forward. I shook it.
¡°How have you been?¡± I asked.
¡°Good. Good! The business is starting to pick up.¡±
The smile on his face faltered as he continued.
¡°I think the place will be profitable by the end of the year, but that¡¯s hard to say.¡±
¡°It¡¯s all good. No pressure. And I mean that truthfully. I couldn¡¯t care less if you need a bit more money to get it going. That¡¯s not why I¡¯m doing it.¡±
I could see the smile return to his face as I said that. I also guessed he took my words differently to how I really meant them. After all, he didn¡¯t know my secret¡ªnor would I be divulging it if I could avoid it. To him, it was charity. To me, it was an experiment.
Truth be told, the project was only a minor success. I got a portion of the experience I would have if I¡¯d been the owner of the place and handling every transaction. It paled in comparison to the experience I gained through farming, but that was fine by me. All it had cost was half a million. I had plenty of money, but not enough time. It was the kind of thing I should do more of¡ªif only I could find people to invest in.
¡°The loss last month was only about five thousand,¡± George said. ¡°Compare that with the previous month when it was almost double that.¡±
¡°George,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine. Like I said, the money isn¡¯t an issue. I have more than I know what to do with. Follow your dream.¡±
¡°Right.¡±
We fell into silence for a few seconds. Then his face lit up again as he recalled something.
¡°I just remembered what my wife¡ªMable¡ªsaid last week. Would you and your father like to come with us to the State Fair? I know you¡¯re done with the harvest, so we figured that you¡¯d have some time to come check it out¡ªif you want to.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I said.
I hadn¡¯t been to any fair that large¡ ever. It meant time away from the farm¡ªand from quests¡ªbut that was alright. I¡¯d learned that I needed to decompress from time to time. At least it was a novel experience this time, so I figured I would see what all the fuss was about with these kinds of events. I mean, any time I heard about the State Fair, it was always seen as this great, awesome event. I¡¯d have to see if that was really true.
¡°When is it?¡± I asked.
¡°It opens two weeks from now and will be open for about a month. We should plan to go on a Monday when I can close the store early. There will hopefully be less people around then. It can get mighty crowded!¡±
I nodded.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let Dad know. And it was good seeing you.¡±
¡°Likewise. Have a good day.¡±
I waved and left the store. Dad was waiting for me by his truck. He has a large ice cream cone in hand. I didn¡¯t see one for me-not that I expected one.
¡°You didn¡¯t get me one!¡± I mockingly complained. ¡°After all, I do for this family, and this is the thanks I get?¡±
¡°Well, sir, then you¡¯ll simply have to starve!¡± Dad replied in a faux accent, an exaggerated look of superiority plastered on his face.
I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and broke into a fit of laughter. I hopped into the truck and Dad started the trek home.
¡°George invited us to the State Fair,¡± I told him.
¡°Did he now? Well, that was nice. Did he say when?¡±
¡°No,¡± I shook my head. ¡°Said that a Monday would be best, but otherwise not. I¡¯ll let the two of you work it out since you¡¯re my ride. I¡¯ll be ready for whenever you figure it out.¡±
¡°Sure. I¡¯ll let you know.¡±
Chapter 74
I promptly forgot all about the State Fair for three weeks. It wasn¡¯t until Dad told me we were going in two days that I remembered the conversation. What that said about my excitement level towards the fair¡ well, it wasn¡¯t great. I was looking forward to it somewhat, but I didn¡¯t expect to be impressed by the sights and sounds. I¡¯d been to big events before all the time shenanigans, and they¡¯d never really done it for me. Maybe I would be surprised by the fair, but I wasn¡¯t going to hold my breath.
When the time came, I climbed into Dad¡¯s truck. We followed George, Mable, and their children riding in a minivan. The fairgrounds were farther away than I hoped¡ªnearly two hours. The weather was pleasant, but the trip wore on me¡ªmostly because there was nothing to do but wait. Waiting sucked.
As soon as we got near to the State Fair, we encountered traffic. George called Dad on the phone to direct us to the parking lot. I tuned it out and looked around. Aside from the snarl of cars looking for parking¡ªor a way around the mess¡ªI could see the top of a Ferris wheel and some other carnival attractions.
The fairgrounds looked absolutely enormous, even from where I was sitting. After parking, that assessment was confirmed. The place even had a pair of cable car lines to bring people from one end of the fairgrounds to the other!
I jumped from the car and waited for George and his family to get out. A mass of people walked to the end of the row we¡¯d parked on. Waiting for us there was a motor-train¡ªlike a train that drove on the road. I got in next to Dad with George and his family taking up the rest of the compartment.
¡°Excited?¡± George asked his kids.
¡°Yeah!¡± exclaimed Mila¡ªthe youngest.
Henry gave a non-committal grunt. He was at that age.
¡°And you, Eddy?¡±
I shrugged.
¡°I¡¯ll wait and see how it is before I decide,¡± I said.
¡°Fair,¡± he said before laughing at his own joke.
¡°Dad!¡± Mila complained, which only made him laugh even harder.
Before George could say anything more, the motor-train began moving. It took a long, circuitous route through the parking lot. It stopped twice more to pick up more people before finally getting underway for good. Soon, it left the parking lot and drove along a service road. To one side was a fence, while the other had a small stream running along it. Across the stream was the main fairground.
Now that I was closer, I had a much better view. The State Fair was more than just a carnival in disguise. There was that part, of course, but I could also see a myriad of vendors hawking everything from the usual stuff¡ªhotdogs, fried, and funnel cakes¡ªto the unique: fried candy bars, fried ice cream, and anything else that could be battered and fried. It wasn¡¯t just food. There were booths for face painting, booths for carnival games, booths selling crafts, and so much more.
Finally, the motor-train stopped at the entrance to the State Fair. We got out. George beckoned us forward towards the shorter of the lines. A sign at the start of that line said it was for people who already had tickets. I hadn¡¯t remembered buying any, so I looked at Dad.
¡°Do we have tickets already?¡± I asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he replied. ¡°Hey, George, I don¡¯t think we have tickets yet.¡±
¡°Sure you do,¡± he smiled. ¡°I got a couple more for the two of you!¡±
¡°Oh, thanks!¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go before more people get on line.¡±
I hurried to join them on the line. It was fairly short¡ªat least when compared to the other one. Still, it took a while to make our way through it. There was a bag check and a policeman with a metal detecting wand to get past. The ticket checker was the last hurdle. Then we were home free.
Beyond the gates of the fairground, I smelled the multitudes of different foods all mixed together in the air. It made my mouth water. Before going any farther, we all stopped on the other side of the entrance, away from the main path of fair-goers.
¡°Where to?¡± George asked.
¡°The haunted house,¡± Henry and Mila said at the same time.
¡°I want to see the animals,¡± Mable added.
¡°What about you, Eddy?¡± Dad asked.
¡°Not sure. I¡¯ll follow everyone around.¡±
¡°Well, we¡¯re going to split up. I¡¯ll go with Henry and Mila. Why don¡¯t you go with Mable? We can meet back up for the next thing?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Where and when should we meet?¡±
¡°Mable can call me or I¡¯ll call her when we¡¯re done and go to the other.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± I said.
George gave his wife a hug and kiss before leaving with the kids. Dad and I followed Mable.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Why did you want to see the animals?¡± I asked.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve always loved them,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯ll be an auction before long, so I¡¯d like to see them before they go.¡±
¡°Are there contests?¡± I wondered.
¡°Yeah. The auction is how they judge the best animals. They¡¯re sold, and the money goes to the folks who raised them. A small portion¡ªwhat would have been the tax¡ªgoes to charity.¡±
¡°That¡¯s cool.¡±
¡°They also do contests for other things, like the biggest pumpkin and stuff like that.¡±
¡°Oh, that sounds like fun. Can we see that, too?¡±
¡°Sure. It¡¯s in the same building as the animals. Or the next one over. I forget.¡±
Dad and I followed Mable towards a low, round building. There was a steady flow of people in the doors on one side and out the doors on the opposite side. We went through the entrance after a brief wait.
Inside were animal pens. The smell of manure was strong. It was a strong, slightly unpleasant smell. Thankfully, all the animals inside were primarily herbivores. That kept the smell less pungent than it might have been otherwise.
Mable stopped to look at the cow pens before moving on to the goats and the pigpens. Each set of pens had a different type of animal. I couldn¡¯t tell much difference between them¡ªthough Identify could. I didn¡¯t use it more than a couple times out of curiosity so that I would save my chi in case I needed it.
I was thankful to exit out the other side into fresh air. I said as much to Mable and Dad, who both laughed.
¡°Next stop, the pumpkins!¡± Mable announced.
The pumpkins were in the building next to the animals. Inside, I saw it wasn¡¯t just pumpkins. There were other enormous fruits and vegetables. The pumpkins were the stars of the show. The largest¡ªwith a blue ribbon¡ªwas as tall as Dad and just as wide! It was a pale cream-color. Next to it was a small paragraph about the grower and their far, as well as pictures from past years.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked Mable regarding a strange photograph I noticed.
¡°At the end of every year, they¡¯ll carve the pumpkins into boats and race them on the river! It¡¯s a whole lot of fun. Is that something you¡¯d want to do?¡±
I thought about it for a moment. Then I got a system pop-up that decided it for me.
| The Biggest, Baddest Pumpkin Of Them All
Grow the largest pumpkin at the State Fair
Success: Experience depending on placement
Failure: N/A
Expires: 1 year, 12 days, 6 hours, 14 minutes, 2 seconds |
¡°I think that would be fun,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never grown a pumpkin before, but I don¡¯t see why I couldn¡¯t make a huge one!¡±
¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Mable chuckled.
¡°You can do it, kid,¡± Dad agreed.
After looking at the plants for a bit, Mable got a call on her phone from George. They were done with the haunted house and wanted to meet up in the center where the food vendors were. I was hoping to use that opportunity to try some of the tasty treats!
I wanted to run to the meeting spot, but kept myself restrained along the way. There were many people, and I didn¡¯t fancy getting lost in it¡ªor someone snatching me. Not that they would get very far with that. I let my imagination run free, only for it to wither and die as soon as we reached our destination.
¡°How was the haunted house?¡± I asked.
¡°Fun,¡± Henry said.
¡°And scary,¡± Mila added.
¡°They had a good time,¡± George laughed. ¡°How were the animals?¡±
¡°Stinky,¡± I said, waving my hand in front of my nose. ¡°The pumpkins were pretty cool, though. Huge!¡±
¡°He said he might enter the contest next year,¡± Mable explained.
¡°Good luck with that,¡± George said with a smile. ¡°So¡ who¡¯s hungry?¡±
I raised my hand and shouted ¡®me!¡¯ along with the other kids.
¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s see what they have.¡±
I followed George to the closest stall. There was a small line. From the end, I could see the offerings. I didn¡¯t want a hotdog or burger. While nice, I wanted to try something more exotic. Fried pickles sounded mediocre at best. Then something caught my eye. The fried candy bars. They had all sorts of candy bar options, so I went for the one that I liked the best un-fried. I let Dad know.
Dad ordered for me and gave me my prize as soon as it was ready. With the fried candy bar in hand, I dove in. It was hot! Not that I should have expected any different. The crunchy outside contrasted with the sweet and lava-like interior. It was wondrous!
¡°Damn, this is good!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Dad, want to try a bite?¡±
¡°Too rich for me,¡± he said with a shake of his head.
¡°More for me then!¡±
He snorted.
The same reaction was had by Henry and Mila as well. The joy on their faces told more of a story than their excited ramblings. No sooner had the food been gained, than it was no more.
¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± I asked.
¡°We could do rides or carnival games,¡± George suggested.
I thought about it and leaned towards the games. Those were the kinds of things I might have a chance at winning¡ªno matter how rigged they actually were. I knew there was skill to each, even if that skill was counter-intuitive. Maybe the skills I¡¯d gained over years of practice would help?
The first game we tried was a shooting one. It was one of those where the aim was to shoot out a star using an amount of BBs. I was the youngest, so they let me try first.
¡°Are you ready?¡± asked the man behind the counter.
I nodded.
¡°Alright. Good luck.¡± He dropped a load of BBs into the gun.
I took aim at the edge of the star and squeezed the trigger. The gun was¡ not very accurate. Still, I quickly corrected. I tried to shoot a circle¡ªwhich was harder than it seemed. I did well, but not well enough to knock the star clean off like I¡¯d hoped for.
¡°Ah, better luck next time,¡± said the man. ¡°For trying, you get one of the small prizes.¡±
I looked up at the wall and selected a little fluffy monster while Dad took his turn. He didn¡¯t do any better than I had. That meant I now had two little fluffy monsters. George and his kids declined to try that one and instead we moved on to a different game.
All the games were rigged, of course. Or if not rigged, then deceptively difficult. We tried a fish catching game, ring toss, popping balloons, and anything else we could find. The results were the same: we lost. Sure, we got the consolation prize, but it felt bad. I probably could have found skills to help me wreck the games, but I didn¡¯t want to waste experience on what was supposed to be a fun experience.
With the games¡ªand our wallets¡ªexhausted, we moved on to the rides. There were bumper cars, small rollercoasters, and the Ferris wheel. Of those, the Ferris wheel drew me the most. Mostly because the others had longer lines, and I didn¡¯t want to sit around waiting.
We waited for about half an hour before it was our turn. The gondolas weren¡¯t big¡ªenough for four people. Dad and I sat with two strangers¡ªa young couple¡ªwhile George and his family took their own gondola. The Ferris wheel steadily rose as the gondolas were filled. Then we got to experience a few rotations before disembarking.
From the top of the Ferris wheel, I could see clear across the fairgrounds. I was higher than the cable cars! I could see the parking lot on one end and the masses of people moving between the booths and stalls. The cool wind at the top was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day. I was sad when the ride ended.
We wandered around for another hour before getting on the motor-train back to the parking lot. I napped in Dad¡¯s truck on the way home with all the new stuffed animals keeping me company.
Chapter 75
The wheels of justice turned slowly. But they did turn. Over the winter, Daniel was convicted of his crimes. The sentence was light¡ªhe was a first time offender¡ªbut he would be in jail for about a year. Less when considering the time he¡¯d already spent there.
Just in case he got any bright ideas, I beefed up security around both the house and the farm fields as best I could. I made sure to keep the aesthetic consistent. It wouldn¡¯t do to have a crash barrier of a fence look like a crash barrier. That it would act like one was important. My safety was very important. After all, if I perished, so did humanity.
Before spring came, I maintained the equipment and sold off most of the grain. I kept some in storage to plant in the new year¡ªa much cheaper option than purchasing new seed. The downside was that I needed to pay a company a hefty sum for using their patented seed. It was still cheaper than buying all new seed, though. That company had a racket going for sure.
The most important thing I did before I had to prepare the fields was to research how to grow a giant pumpkin. Part of it was getting the right variety, which I was able to do through tough wrangling and negotiation¡ªI bought it off the internet from a reputable, if obscure, source.
The instructions were pretty straight forward. It involved forcing the plant to grow just one pumpkin. That way it would focus all its efforts and turn the pumpkin into the enormous oddity I needed to win a prize at the state fair. There were other bits and pieces¡ªlike putting the pumpkin on a pallet so it would be easier to move once it was grown. I noted them all down before checking out the one advantage I had over everyone else: the system.
In Searching through the available skills, I happened across several that looked like they might be helpful. While I wasn¡¯t willing to spend experience on vanity projects, I was willing to use it to complete quests. Quests had a return on investment, so any small edge I could get would be helpful in attaining the top prize.
I ended up picking three skills to help me. I leveled each a few times¡ªbut not to tier two. A small investment was warranted, but not hundreds of thousands. The first choice was Plant Vision, which was an extension to Identify that allowed me to see the status of plants. The second was similar¡ªSoil Vision¡ªwhich did the same for soil. Together, they allowed me to see what the plant needed and the soil provided. That way, I could amend to soil as needed to ensure the pumpkin would grow as perfectly as it could.
The last skill I picked up was simply titled Grow. It did exactly what it said on the tin. While not just for plants¡ªit would grow anything living¡ªI had a plan for it. It would need testing to make sure I wouldn¡¯t be breaking anything by using it a lot on the plant¡ªlike draining to soil of all its minerals.
To power all of this, I leveled up to tier two. As I did, I felt a dramatic change wash over me. It wasn¡¯t the most pleasant thing ever¡ªit felt like I was being scrubbed inside and out with a stiff brush¡ªbut it was over quickly. At tier two, I felt a lot stronger than I would have just a few experience before. There was some sort of qualitative difference between tier one and tier two that I didn¡¯t understand.
That was something I would need to investigate. Not only because of how strong the monsters would become. I needed to know what the tiers truly meant and why there was this manifest difference in quality at that particular breakpoint. I figured I¡¯d need to get to tier three at some point to see if that was something that would continue¡ªsomething I would only feel comfortable doing if I had enough experience free and if it wouldn¡¯t cause the monsters to level up more in the process.
After turning the soil over and planting in April, I began working on a location for the pumpkin. I needed a place with a lot of sun and good soil. The extra chi from leveling up helped tremendously. It allowed me to use Soil Vision to find a suitable spot. It was near to the stream that ran through the fields behind the equipment shed.
Before I could plant, I had to prepare the ground. I leveled the soil as best I could and installed trellises for the vines to grow on. I left space enough for a pallet. I also made sure to arrange the trellis in such a way as to give the pumpkin the most sun it could get. Then¡ªbefore putting any seeds in the ground¡ªI used Soil Vision to correct the nutrient and mineral levels in the soil.
It took about a week for the pumpkin to sprout. In that time¡ªand a little ways down the stream¡ªI planted some others to test my skills with. While I let the first plant sprout without any intervention, I tried using Grow on the newly planted seeds. They sprouted and grew faster than the one I hadn¡¯t used the skill on.
The problems came soon after. Of the plants I used Grow on, they started looking weaker in spite of growing bigger in a short time. With Soil Vision and Plant Vision I was able to see that the soil was dangerously low on some of the nutrients. The plants perked up after I fertilized them. If I wanted to use Grow on the big pumpkin, that was something I¡¯d have to keep in mind.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Now that I knew what to look out for, I used the skill liberally. I still had to be careful, though. After every use, I checked the soil and the plant before fixing it as necessary. There was also another limit I came across. The plant needed enough energy to grow for the skill to do what I wanted and not actively harm the pumpkin.
I fell into the routine of checking the plant daily, hitting it with Grow until it was depleted, and fixing the soil while giving it time to collect more energy. The main thing the plant needed was time. While I could speed it up some, it was only around a doubling of growth speed. I hoped that meant I would be rewarded with the mother of all pumpkins in the fall, but I would have to wait until then to know for sure.
I invited Mom to shave dinner with me in early summer. Farming meant I was mostly tethered to the farm. The house wasn¡¯t big enough for two families¡ªsince Mom and Dad were officially divorced. Mom didn¡¯t live too far away. She¡¯d moved closer than she used to be since I paid her a reasonable salary so she wouldn¡¯t have to work if she didn¡¯t want to.
Because she lived closer, we could have dinner together every week or two¡ªdepending on how much work I had. All of my attention was on farming experience. That was something she didn¡¯t appreciate. I could tell that she missed me and wanted a connection. A connection that I was having a hard time feeling.
Mom picked me up from my house in the evening.
¡°Where do you want to go?¡± I asked.
¡°Anywhere but the places in this town,¡± she laughed.
I didn¡¯t blame her. The restaurants weren¡¯t very good. They only stayed around because people couldn¡¯t be bothered to travel an hour for something better¡ªwhich is exactly what we did.
¡°How¡¯s the pumpkin?¡± Mom asked while she drove.
¡°I¡¯ve been pruning the buds so that the one I want to grow is the only one left.¡±
¡°Has that been successful?¡±
¡°Too early to say,¡± I said with a shrug.
¡°I see. Oh, what about that Daniel guy? He should be getting out soon. Are you worried he¡¯ll do something?¡±
¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve done what I can short of hiring security everywhere.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, that seems like a rather extreme step to take.¡±
¡°He seems like an extreme guy,¡± she pointed out.
¡°I will escalate it if he does. For now, I¡¯m watching and waiting.¡±
¡°I¡¯m worried about you. I don¡¯t want to wake up to the news saying you were killed!¡±
¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be ok. I mean it. I have it under control.¡±
¡°I hope so! You¡¯re my baby and a mother¡¯s supposed to die first, you know?¡±
¡°Yeah, Mom. I know.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good that you know.¡±
I hated putting on a false front, but it was the best way to deflect from the truth. I didn¡¯t really care. The experience I¡¯d sunk into myself made me feel strong. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how strong, but certainly stronger than the average adult. It wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d actually tested.
Mom stopped outside the Italian restaurant she was taking me to. It was fancier than I was used to¡ªmy age was the only thing preventing anyone from making a fuss about how I dressed. We were seated promptly and ordered soon after.
¡°Bread¡¯s good,¡± I said with food in my mouth.
¡°Eddy, don¡¯t talk with your mouth full,¡± she admonished.
I swallowed quickly.
¡°The bread¡¯s good.¡±
¡°It is,¡± she nodded.
¡°So what have you been up to?¡± I asked.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve been tinkering. I recently rebuilt my bicycle to have an electric engine on it.¡±
¡°Oh really?¡±
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s nice to be able to ride around on the bike. Hills are a challenge, so I thought it would be nice to have a boost.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so handy!¡±
¡°Neither did I,¡± she laughed. ¡°I discovered it now that I have so much free time¡ªsomething I should thank you for. So thanks.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what family¡¯s for, right?¡±
¡°Right.¡±
Our food came soon after. We chatted while eating. I had a good time talking, though it was mostly because I was getting away from the farm for a few hours. Mom and I ordered dessert to cap off the evening.
Before it could arrive, I turned too quickly to glance at a sound I heard. In so doing, I knocked my water glass from the table. I went to grab it. It slipped through my fingers and smashed on the floor. Shards of glass ripped into my outstretched had. I recoiled reflexively.
¡°Oh my God, are you ok?¡± Mom asked.
That¡¯s when I looked at my hand. It was fine? That surprised me. I had felt the impact and the sharpness. I should have been cut by it but somehow I had been lucky. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t luck?
¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. Look.¡±
I showed her my uninjured hand.
¡°Thank God,¡± she said, putting her hand over her chest. ¡°That was dangerous!¡±
¡°Mom, it¡¯s ok. I¡¯m not bleeding or anything.¡±
The server came over to check on us. He cleaned up the mess while Mom apologized for the accident. After paying, Mom and I went back to her car. We talked some on the ride back to my house, but I spent a lot of time thinking.
Had the tier up been the cause of the physical resistance I experienced? Plus, how far did that extend? Those were things I would have to test. Things I didn¡¯t really want to test. I mean, who wants to hurt themselves on purpose? Not me! Still, it was something I would have to do in order to understand just how much of a difference tiers made. With that in mind, I purchased Heal. I didn¡¯t level it any, as I figured it would be enough to handle the cuts and scrapes I was likely to encounter during testing.
After Mom dropped me off, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a sharp knife from the wooden block on the counter. I hesitated for a long time. The act of hurting myself went against every fiber of my being. I took a deep breath and forced myself to act.
The pressure of the knife increased the more I pressed it into the skin on my hand. It became painful quickly. I pressed harder. Long passed the point where I should have punctured my skin, I felt a sharp pain. Upon pulling the knife back, there was a small cut with blood beading around it. If I had used that same force on my hand before I leveled, the knife would have gone right through.
To have only this level of damage confirmed that there had been a qualitative different physically when going up a tier. I would need to test again in the future to compare my results. I Healed my injury and washed my hands before retiring for the night. Thankfully, no one saw my tests. I don¡¯t think either of my parents would have approved!
Chapter 76
Thanks to laws where I lived, the police let me know when Daniel was released from jail a month later. I was apprehensive in case he made trouble. And he did. But it wasn¡¯t the sort I had feared.
I woke up early one morning to a knock on the door. I yawned as I went to answer it with clothes I threw on quickly. The person behind the door was insistently pounding on it and ringing the doorbell. I opened the door to see a man in business casual. He looked like one of those Mormon doorknockers, so I was prepared for soapbox preaching far too early in the morning. What I got instead was a folder thrust into my hands.
¡°Mr. Teller, you have been served,¡± the man said.
¡°Me? Not my father?¡± I asked, realizing what I¡¯d been handed.
¡°Your business, specifically. So yes, you.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
¡°Sorry for waking you,¡± he said. ¡°Have a good day.¡±
Like that, he was gone.
¡°Who was that?¡± Dad asked when he finally woke enough to join me.
¡°Process server,¡± I said. ¡°I¡ªor the business, I think¡ªgot sued.¡±
¡°Oh, no!¡±
¡°Eh,¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. That¡¯s why I hired Al. Even if he won¡¯t be handling it, he¡¯ll know the right person. Let¡¯s see what this is all about.¡±
I sat down with Dad at the kitchen table. The manila folder was easy to open. Inside was a stack of papers written in legalese. While I wasn¡¯t fluent in that language, I had a passable understanding of it.
I read from start to finish. After a couple of pages, I had the gist of it. Daniel was suing me for causing the crash and wrecking his car. The fence¡ªaccording to the lawsuit¡ªhas been a trap, which was illegal. Well, it was illegal according to the suit. I didn¡¯t know the law, so I had no idea if that was true or not.
For the injuries he got plus pain and suffering and whatever else he threw in there, he was seeking $500,000. While a lot of money, that was a pittance to me. Really, I just wanted to guy to leave me alone. That, and the whole thing just stunk of a money grab, so I would fight it on the principle of the matter.
I told Dad what it was about.
¡°That¡¯s dumb,¡± he said.
¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll call Al in a couple of hours when he¡¯s in his office.¡±
¡°Sounds good. Do you need any help or support or anything?¡±
¡°Nah. I¡¯ve got this.¡±
¡°A¡¯ight kid.¡±
I snorted before packing the papers back inside the envelope they¡¯d come in.
Three hours later, I called Al on my phone.
¡°Hello, Al speaking,¡± he said.
¡°Hey Al, it¡¯s Eddy.¡±
¡°Oh, Eddy, how are you?¡±
¡°Good enough, I guess. Anyway, I got sued. Got served this morning.¡±
¡°That¡¯s troubling. What for?¡±
I explained the suit. He asked for the docket number so he could look it up without me having to scan everything over to him.
¡°Alright,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. What¡¯s the outcome you¡¯re hoping for?¡±
¡°I really just want him to go away. This is the guy that burned my shed down a while back. Rammed into my fence to do something else¡ªwhich is how he got caught.¡±
¡°Do you have any evidence for the arson?¡±
¡°Yeah. I had a private investigator look at it. He found some pretty good stuff online about it. Social media stuff.¡±
¡°Gotcha. So here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll file a countersuit for the damages from the arson and contest what they¡¯ve filed against you. The most likely thing that will happen is that it¡¯ll settle for a small amount one way or the other¡ªprovided the evidence is solid on both sides.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not interested in the money. I really just want to make sure this guy doesn¡¯t interfere with my business, property, family, or anything like that. The peace of mind is what I was more than anything.¡±
¡°I hear you. I¡¯ll see what I can do about that in the negotiation.¡±
¡°What if I use one of those contracts? Would you be able to write a good one?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Hmm,¡± he said. ¡°That could work. You might have to pay a bit of money for them to accept it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s alright. I have plenty. I could pay what they¡¯re asking for without even thinking about it, but the whole thing pisses me off. It¡¯s not a good deal for me, you know?¡±
¡°Right. Please send over the evidence you have from the private investigator along with their name and contact information. I¡¯ll need them as a witness if it goes to trial.¡±
¡°Alright. Thanks, Al.¡±
¡°You got it, Eddy.¡±
I hung up the phone and sighed. Even though it wasn¡¯t a big issue, this whole thing was going to hang over me until it got resolved. I wanted to scream! Why couldn¡¯t I just be left alone to farm experience? That was how I was going to save the world. The idiots getting in my way were cutting off their nose to spite their face¡ªeven if they weren¡¯t aware of it! I shook my head. Those thoughts weren¡¯t going to do me any good. I had more important things to worry about. Like the pumpkin I was growing.
The pumpkin was getting large. I¡¯d been diligent in cutting all of the flowers away except for the one that had been growing. I got it onto the pallet in time. It would be off the ground so it wouldn¡¯t rot. At the same time, hitting it with Grow every day had been helping. Except now it was even more difficult to maintain balance. The pumpkin had a voracious appetite when it came to nutrients. Even more so when it came to water. If I had too much water, I risked splitting the pumpkin. Too little and it wouldn¡¯t grow much and would increase the risk of splitting when it rained or I watered it. The thing was temperamental!
Beyond all of that, I did have one more issue: pests. While pumpkins¡ªthanks to their relatively thick skin¡ªwere fairly resistant to pests, there was something attacking the leaves. Using Grow was only making the problem worse. What I needed was a heavy dose of whatever ¡®cide would knock it out. That meant figuring out what the culprit was and ordering the right chemicals to combat the menace.
Extensive searching determined that I had a couple problems. The first were the aphids. Those little shits were always a problem at the best of times, but this year they had zeroed in on the pumpkin for their meal ticket. The second was a type of beetle that was eating the leaves. For each I needed a different type of pesticide. I ordered both types.
When they arrived a week later, I read through the instructions. I mixed up a batch of both¡ªwith a little more than it suggested. I mean, the infestations of both were pretty bad. The spray bottle¡ªthe kind with a big hand pump¡ªwasn¡¯t too heavy. It carried up to a gallon of the pesticide at a time, which turned out to be more than I needed for one application.
The slow trickle of combat experience for killing the bugs told me it was working. That didn¡¯t stop me from spraying daily for a week. I sprayed a couple more times even after the notifications stopped. I wasn¡¯t playing around¡ªthat pumpkin needed to win first prize after all!
Through the remains of the summer, there was radio silence from Al. I didn¡¯t feel the need to bother him¡ªhe was doing his job. Instead, I focused on the crops and the pumpkin.
The pumpkin was simply enormous. It was as wide as Dad was tall! In height, it was about as tall as me. The typical orange color of the pumpkin was faint. After all, the plant was putting its efforts into growing the pumpkin in size. It wasn¡¯t meant to be a beauty.
I left the pumpkin to grow as long as I could. Around the time I harvested the grain for the year, I had to snip the pumpkin and get it shipped off to the state fair. Even if I wasn¡¯t going to visit until the prizes were handed out¡ªand the pumpkins were raced¡ªit needed to be there for the duration of the event.
I was so thankful that I¡¯d put it on a pallet to start with. Despite being on the pallet, the pumpkin was so big that it was spilling over the sides! Using both tractors, Dad and I managed to get the thing into the back of his truck and drive it¡ªslowly¡ªto the state fair.
¡°Wow!¡± said the man who signed us in. ¡°That¡¯s a mighty fine pumpkin you have there.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°Been working on it all year!¡±
He laughed.
¡°Alright, bring it up to the first building on your left. The boys there will help you get it off the truck.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Dad said. ¡°Thanks for the directions.¡±
The man nodded, and we drove forward.
The drop off was scarier than getting it into the truck had been. The people working at the state fair needed to use two forklifts to get it safely on the ground. Every inch it lowered made my heart race more. When it was in its position¡ªon a large wagon¡ªthey let us know we could leave.
¡°I think you¡¯ve got a good chance,¡± Dad told me. ¡°Compared to the other pumpkins, yours was by far the largest. What did you do?¡±
¡°Magic,¡± I shrugged.
¡°Of course. How¡¯s the money for the magic going?¡±
¡°The experience?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°I seem to get about a million and a half every harvest.¡±
¡°Is that good?¡±
¡°It is, but it¡¯s not going to be enough.¡±
¡°How much do you need?¡±
¡°At least a hundred million, probably more. It keeps growing every time I test something out and learn more. Kinda frustrating.¡±
¡°Hmm. Anything else you can do?¡±
¡°No idea. The pumpkin quest might give something good, but who really knows. Those quests have been pretty rare or not worth the effort. With enough resets, I¡¯m hopeful I¡¯ll get enough, but it¡¯s hard to say.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m here for you, kiddo.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
We fell into silence while he drove us home. I stared out the window and watched the trees fly past. I let my mind wander. Images of happier times and dreams for the future flitted through my head. I grabbed at them to pass the time¡ªsome attempts more successful than other. Then, out of nowhere, I got a notification that changed everything.
| Combat Experience: Killed Rainbow Trout
Exp Gained: 6 |
Seeing as I was in Dad¡¯s truck, there was no way to have killed a fish. Unless¡
I thought back to the excessive application of pesticides. I wondered if that was the cause. Just like I got a portion of the experience when George did anything at his business, maybe I got a reduced amount of experience when something dies that was¡ªat least partially¡ªbecause of something I did. If that was the case, I had another way to get more experience. And it might be enough experience to fulfill my goals sooner than I had feared.
The truth was that I would need to test it more to confirm. I¡¯d neglected Combat Experience, generally. Mostly because I wasn¡¯t a killer. I was much more comfortable toiling for my experience than doing something dangerous. It was unexplored territory, though.
Maybe a day fishing with Dad would be helpful? That might ease me into the mindset I would need to kill something. Fish felt less like me than a cow. So that was an easier place to start¡ªmentally. I made a note to hold off on my testing of the pesticides until after I went fishing with Dad. I had no desire to eat pesticide-laced fish. Dad probably didn¡¯t, either.
¡°Hey, Dad,¡± I said after getting out of my thoughts.
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°Want to go fishing?¡±
¡°Why not? Where were you thinking?¡±
¡°There¡¯s the stream that goes through the fields. I think there are trout there.¡±
He raised an eyebrow.
¡°We can try,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll need some equipment though, so next week, whenever it¡¯s nice out?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± I smiled.
Chapter 77
A week-and-a-half later, Dad woke me early in the morning. I yawned as he roused me.
¡°Ready to go fishing?¡± he asked.
¡°Hmmm,¡± I grunted.
I yawned again.
¡°We¡¯ll get going in twenty minutes, so take the time you need to wake up.¡±
I nodded, then yawned a third time. It was far too early in the morning to do anything like this.
I struggled to get dressed¡ªthe sleep refused to leave my eyes. I tried washing them, which only made my eyes more watery than they already were. When I stumbled out of my bedroom minutes later, my shirt was on inside out, and I was sporting two different colors of sock¡ªa fashion statement, to be sure. As soon as I noticed, I turned around and went back in to fix it. Today was starting poorly.
¡°Ready?¡± Dad asked.
¡°I guess.¡±
¡°Good. Let¡¯s get in the truck ¡®n go.¡±
I nodded and trudged after him.
The stream was located about halfway across the property with the equipment shed. It served as the boundary between two fields. A small bridge sat across it, allowing me to drive my tractor from one side to the other.
Dad parked before the bridge and we got out. The largest part of the stream was at the extreme right side of the property when viewing it from the street and passed the shed. With the road on the left side, it meant a short hike along the stream.
¡°Take your rod,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ll take the rest.¡±
I accepted the fishing rod, and we began our walk.
In the early fall weather, the grass was still green¡ªas were most of the trees. There were insects and birds in abundance¡ªthe birds were just beginning their morning calls. The bubbling stream flowed steadily onward like a comforting companion. The sun had yet to peek over the horizon, but the predawn light was more than sufficient to light our path.
At the far end of the property, we stopped. The stream widened and slowed into a large pool. It was not much bigger than a hot tub, really, but that was our best opportunity to catch a fish¡ªand not a rock.
¡°Have you fished before?¡± Dad asked.
¡°A long time ago,¡± I said.
¡°Alright, here¡¯s what you do¡¡±
He explained how to bait and use the rod. The bait¡ªin this case¡ªwas a reusable lure. My first cast nearly caught me! Subsequent casts were better. With a small float to keep the lure from snagging on the bottom, we would occasionally reel the line in some¡ªin bursts to make the lure look like the real thing to the fish.
¡°It¡¯s good to get out and do something like this,¡± Dad said, while casting his line again. ¡°I remember doing this was your Grandpa Milton when I was a kid¡¡±
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s nice.¡±
I smiled. It was nice.
¡°I¡¯m not catching anything,¡± I said ten minutes later.
¡°Give it time. The fish just aren¡¯t biting yet. Maybe we can try a different lure in a little while?¡±
I shrugged. I didn¡¯t know much about that.
¡°Sure, I guess.¡±
I sat down on a nearby rock, letting my fishing rod rest against the log in a way that I could grab it quickly if anything happened. I watched as Dad flicked the rod one way, then the other. He sighed when he caught nothing before tossing it back into the pool and sitting down next to me.
¡°You¡¯ve seemed distant since the whole¡ thing¡ happened.¡±
¡°The going back in time?¡±
¡°Yeah. That. I¡¯m worried about you, son, and I don¡¯t want to see you shut yourself off.¡±
¡°It¡¯s hard,¡± I sighed. ¡°I mean, who you are today isn¡¯t who you were a few years ago, nor who you¡¯ll be the next time. I¡¯ll be the only one who remembers, because each time, you¡¯ll start fresh. That¡¯s why I¡¯m keeping my distance from everyone.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not healthy to do that. Sure, I¡¯m not the same dad you remember, but I¡¯m still your dad now. And I will be for¡ a while. How much longer?¡±
¡°About ten more years,¡± I clarified.
¡°So for ten years, I¡¯ll still be your Dad. That¡¯s gotta count for something, right?¡±
¡°I guess.¡±
¡°Well, I think it does. It¡¯s not the kind of relationship I imagined five years ago, but it is what it is. I¡¯m here for you, kid. Just remember that. Your mother as well.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it.¡±
As much as I wanted to push him away, I just couldn¡¯t. Yes, I felt isolated still, but he was right. It wasn¡¯t healthy. Having someone on my side was a good idea, even if all I wanted to do was go it alone.
I stood up and wrapped my arms around him. The simple act of hugging him brought a smile to both our faces. Then his face changed.
¡°Look at your bobber!¡± he exclaimed.
I turned to see the float getting pulled under the water. There was a fish on the hook! I grabbed the fishing rod and yanked to make sure the hook was truly set. Then I began reeling it in. I didn¡¯t face any issues¡ªthe fish didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. Eventually, I pulled it from the water.
The fish was minuscule. I was honestly shocked that it had managed to fit the hook in its mouth! It flapped about at the end of the line. I grabbed it in one hand and the hook in another.
¡°Look at me and smile!¡± Dad yelled before I had the chance to throw the fish back in the water.
I turned to see him with his phone out to take a picture. I smiled as I held the tiny fish. He gave me a thumbs-up when he was done, and that was my signal to release the fish back into the water. Gently.
¡°Nice catch,¡± he said.
¡°It was a tiny thing.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. You caught it and that¡¯s what matters!¡±
He was right. The experience I gained was proof of that fact.
¡°Let¡¯s see if your old man can catch something now,¡± he laughed.
¡°Probably the same unfortunate fellow,¡± I said with a teasing smile.
He laughed even harder.
For the rest of the morning, we fished and chatted. That same small fish must have been caught a handful of times, because it began looking pretty ragged after our time in the pool. That¡¯s when Dad decided it was better to leave it be and pack up. It was time to go back home and do something else for the day¡ªprobably do some maintenance on the tractor and check on the grain.
A few days later, I took the rest of the pesticides I had and lugged them to the stream. I felt sick to my stomach with what I was about to do. I truly enjoyed nature¡ªthe fish, the trees, and, yes, even the insects. That I was about to wreck it for experience was depressing enough. It wasn¡¯t the sort of action I took lightly, but I had done the math. This is what I would have to do in order to save the world. Well, a future-past version of it, at least.
With a heavy heart, I dumped the pesticides into the stream. There was no immediate reaction. I took the empty canisters¡ªcomplete with their skull-and-crossbones warnings¡ªto the trash. The town I was in didn¡¯t recycle. Those containers struck me as rather unrecyclable, given their former contents. I wouldn¡¯t trust them to be handled correctly, that was for sure. Honestly, burning them was probably the safest option, but I didn¡¯t feel the need to do that. Maybe they¡¯d kill some bugs in the landfill or something. That was more of what I needed, anyway.
The most important thing about this whole affair was that I didn¡¯t tell a soul. While I was reasonably sure Dad would understand, I wasn¡¯t going to take that chance. The fewer people who knew, the less likely it would get back to me. I didn¡¯t want to kill any people. Animals, though? Those were on my hit list. As long as no one ate them, it would be alright.
I made a note to order more pesticides now and then to dump into the stream. I knew that¡ªlong term¡ªI would run out of things to kill that way. The pesticides would dilute too much and everything else¡ well, I couldn¡¯t kill what was already dead. I shook my head. I had other things to worry about.
That weekend, it was time for Dad and me to go to the state fair. This time, we went without our neighbors. While they were decent people¡ªand fun to hang with in short bursts¡ªtheir children were in the throes of puberty and taking out their suffering on the world around them. Where I had been able to play with them, they now wanted to be on their own with people their age.
I still saw George at his store from time to time. He had been close to needing another injection of cash, but ultimately pulled through into profitability. I¡ªin turn¡ªwas pleased by the return on investment experience wise. I didn¡¯t care about the money, though that was profitable as well.
The main reason Dad and I went to the fair was to see if I¡¯d won an award for the pumpkin. Secondarily, I was looking forward to carving it into a boat so that I could join the race. That there were other things to do¡ªlike eating deep fried whatevers¡ªwas simply the cherry on top.
¡°Ready?¡± Dad asked after parking.
¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Unlike last time, we got to park closer to the fair now that I was a participant. No matter what place I ended up with, I¡¯d need the truck close to put the pumpkin in the back to bring it to the river. That alone afforded me the better parking. And that was something I was grateful for.
Dad and I walked through the gate after our guest pass was confirmed by the security guard. The inside of the fairground was similar to last year¡¯s, but not the same. There were many of the same sights and smells. However, many of the rides and vendors had changed. There were newly invented fried foods, a small rollercoaster in place of the Ferris wheel, and a newly added stage for local folk music acts to play at throughout the day.
¡°Where do we need to go?¡± Dad asked.
¡°I think it¡¯s the building where we dropped off the pumpkin.¡±
He nodded.
¡°We can always ask someone if it¡¯s not,¡± he mused.
¡°Mhm.¡±
We walked towards our destination, all the while letting our senses wander. The smell of cinnamon-sugar one way, the sight of colorful stuffed animal prizes the other way. The distance was short, but with all the people around, it took a long time. There was even a line to get into the building with the pumpkins!
¡°Wow,¡± I said, when we stopped at the back of the line. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this.¡±
¡°Maybe your pumpkin was just that awesome, eh?¡± Dad laughed.
I blushed and shook my head.
¡°I doubt it,¡± I said.
¡°Well, we¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we!¡±
¡°I suppose so.¡±
The line moved relatively quickly. We were inside in under ten minutes. The room was felt large in spite of the amount of people inside. They weren¡¯t packed together as I had expected, but rather there was a limit to how many people could be inside from a safety perspective. There was someone at the door counting how many folks left so that many more could come in.
¡°I think you¡¯ve got this in the bag,¡± Dad pointed out.
¡°I do?¡±
¡°Look at the sizes of the pumpkins. There are some big ones, and then there¡¯s yours.¡±
I looked. He was right. There were around ten pumpkins varying in size from three to four feet across. And then there was mine. Compared to the others, it was around twice the size!
To the side of the pumpkins was a large board with names, pictures, and numbers. All the pumpkins had numbers except one: mine. When I got closer to read, it looked like they were weights. Behind my pumpkin were two forklifts and a bunch of straps. A tall man was animatedly organizing the effort of moving the giant pumpkin to the scale in front of the pumpkin lineup.
¡°I hope they don¡¯t drop it,¡± Dad said.
¡°Don¡¯t jinx it like that!¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°It better be. I¡¯ve been looking forward to paddling that thing. It might be big enough for both of us to fit inside.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
I watched as the forklifts slowly lifted my pumpkin. Instead of moving it in tandem, a handful of men pushed the scale under so that it could be lowered gently down. Inch by inch, it came down until it was fully supported by the scale.
The tall man walked over and checked the numbers before pressing some buttons and checking again. He did this three or four times before he was satisfied. That¡¯s when he went over to the board on the side and wrote the weight in the open space: 2,218 pounds.
Chapter 78
¡°Is the owner of this pumpkin in the building?¡± the tall man asked, using a microphone.
I raised my hands and waved.
¡°Good, good. Can you come here? We¡¯d like to get your picture with the pumpkin.¡±
Dad and I walked over. The crowd was now looking at us. I hated having the spotlight on me. That was definitely not my style. I preferred to stay away from that sort of thing. Here, though, I had a quest to fulfill, so there was no way around it.
¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you stand on one side?¡± the tall man said. ¡°And you can stand on the other.¡±
We did as he said. He and the other workers¡ªand what looked like some more organizers¡ªstood nearby. A woman from the local news took a handful of pictures.
¡°Great job,¡± the tall man said afterwards. ¡°Are you going to the event on the river tomorrow?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded. ¡°Looking forward to that.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll see you there,¡± he said. ¡°And again, congrats on winning. I¡¯ll mail you the prize, so expect it.¡±
He offered his hand, and I shook it. That was when I looked at the results of the quest.
| The Biggest, Baddest Pumpkin Of Them All Complete
Reward: 22,180 exp |
I was elated by the amount of experience. It was so much more than most of the quests I had done in the past! Then I remembered how much I had spent in order to win. The smile fell from my face. I had lost a fair chunk of experience. I¡¯d learned valuable things¡ªlike the bit about the pesticides, which were giving me notifications now and then when something died¡ªbut, at the same time, I¡¯d spent so much to get that.
I wasn¡¯t sure it had been worthwhile. I mentally shook my head. What was done was done. There wasn¡¯t anything I could do except take the lessons learned to heart and not repeat the same mistakes in the future.
Dad and I wandered through the fair for a few hours while it wound down. Since the pumpkins had been weighed and prizes handed out¡ªor put in the mail, in my case¡ªwe didn¡¯t have to wait too long before loading the pumpkin into the truck and driving it the few miles to where the event would be.
¡°What do we need to do?¡± Dad asked when we parked the truck where the event would be.
¡°Besides unload it?¡±
He nodded.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to cut the top off and get a paddle to use for the race.¡±
¡°I think that¡¯s doable. We¡¯ll figure out the logistics of getting it out later. For now, let¡¯s get what you¡¯ll need.¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
We got back in the truck and went to the closest outdoorsy store. There, we bought a kayak paddle, a hatchet, and a stack of metal buckets¡ªboth for the scraping and to hold everything that was removed from the pumpkin. Then we retired for the night at a local hotel.
The next morning¡ªafter breakfast¡ªDad and I went back to the river where the event would be. There were other people there when we arrived. Thankfully, someone¡ªthe organizers, perhaps¡ªhad thought to bring a small crane to move the pumpkins with.
As I cast my eyes around, I saw I wasn¡¯t the only one who had yet to carve the pumpkin into a boat. In fact, that was true for most of the participants. The pumpkins were in various stages of being worked on. Some just starting while others were nearing completion.
¡°Can you help me get my pumpkin out of the truck?¡± I asked the closest person to the crane.
¡°Oh, hey,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not the owner of the crane. I think you¡¯ll want to ask the lady behind the table over there.¡±
He pointed to a foldable plastic and metal table in the middle of the event. There were two people behind it¡ªone woman and one man.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°And good luck later.¡±
¡°You too.¡±
I walked over to the table. There was a small line that cleared quickly. When it was my turn, the woman looked at me.
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¡°How can I help?¡± she asked.
¡°I need help getting my pumpkin off Dad¡¯s truck,¡± I said.
¡°Alright. One moment.¡±
She turned to the side and cupped her hands around her mouth to make a megaphone.
¡°Eric!¡± she yelled. ¡°The boy needs his pumpkin off a truck!¡±
The person she was yelling for turned and walked towards me.
¡°You the kid who needs the pumpkin moved?¡± he asked.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Lead the way.¡±
He followed me back to Dad¡¯s truck.
¡°That¡¯s a huge one,¡± he commented when he saw it.
¡°Just got it back from the fair.¡±
¡°Oh, did you, now? And how¡¯d you do?¡±
¡°I won!¡± I exclaimed with a huge grin.
¡°Wow! Now let¡¯s see if we can get that thing off the truck. I¡¯ll go get the crane.¡±
The man left and came back with the promised crane. It took some doing on our part to get the straps around the pumpkin, but eventually he could lift it and place it a few feet into the river¡ªnot enough that it would float, but enough that I wouldn¡¯t need the crane again to launch it into the water for the race.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said when we got the straps off of it.
¡°No problem.¡±
Dad wandered over with the tools as soon as Eric left.
¡°So how do you want to do this?¡± he asked.
¡°I think I¡¯ll start with the hatchet.¡±
He handed it to me.
¡°Do you need me?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡± I shook my head. ¡°When I¡¯m done getting the top off, I might need help scraping the inside.¡±
¡°Alright. I¡¯ll watch you. Yell if you need me.¡±
I took the hatchet and began by marking out where I was going to cut. Then, with short hacks, I dug the hatched in along the marks. I had to do three passes before I could force the top from the rest. I say top, but it was really a part of the side as the pumpkin had grown in such a way that the stem was effectively the front of the soon-to-be boat.
The part I had cut away was heavy. Even for me¡ªwith all of my extra strength. It took both arms working overtime to push it off the giant pumpkin and onto the nearby shore.
I looked inside. The pumpkin strings and seeds were a tangled mess inside. I hopped off the pumpkin to put the hatchet away for the moment. When I did, I pulled the cut section fully onto the shore. Pulling it out of the water was far easier than getting it out of the pumpkin had been.
¡°Ned help?¡± Dad asked when he saw me struggling with it.
¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I said.
With one final heave, it was fully on the shore. I was breathing hard from the exertion.
¡°I could use some help with cleaning the inside now that I¡¯ve got the top off.¡±
¡°Sure. What do you need me to do?¡±
¡°Can you pass me buckets? I¡¯ll give you the full ones to empty wherever they have a place for that.¡±
¡°One bucket coming right up!¡±
Dad went back to the truck and came back with the stack of buckets. He handed me one.
¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯ll see where the trash goes, so fill that up while I¡¯m gone.¡±
I waved before climbing up onto the pumpkin. With the bucket in hand, I cleaned from the top down. There was no way the process was going to be anything by a mess. At some point, I was going to have to jump down into that slippery mess to get the stuff at the bottom. For now, though, I used my hands and the bucket to scrape away the strings and attached seeds I could easily reach. I was being purposefully slow as I was awaiting Dad¡¯s return before diving into the mess.
Dad came back around the same time I finished with the first bucket.
¡°Can you get me another bucket?¡± I asked.
¡°Sure,¡± he said, picking one up. ¡°They¡¯ve got a dumpster on the other side. I¡¯ll empty out the buckets when we start to run out.¡±
¡°Sounds good.¡±
I accepted the bucket and went back to cleaning the inside of the pumpkin. With only one bucket, I hadn¡¯t gotten very far into the mess. A second barely made another dent. That¡¯s when I called Dad over to help.
Now that there were two people with buckets working, the process was faster. Starting from the top, we cleared out everything we could reach. I brought out the hatchet to clean up the cutout at the top. It was helpful to also thin out the walls of the pumpkin to save on weight. The pumpkin was going to be difficult to paddle around, even without the extra weight. Keeping it on? Unconscionable!
For the next two hours, we got as much of the goop, seeds, and excess pumpkin out as we could. In the end, the pumpkin was large enough for me to stand in and paddle. It could probably fit Dad, but the two of us might be too much weight for the pumpkin to remain buoyant.
¡°You might want to toss a few rocks into the pumpkin,¡± Dad told me.
¡°Why?¡± I wondered.
¡°Ballast. It¡¯ll make the thing more stable. Looking at it, it¡¯s round and you¡¯ll be standing up. That¡¯s a bad combination for staying upright. Throwing maybe a hundred pounds at the bottom will ensure you don¡¯t go swimming when you don¡¯t want to.¡±
¡°But won¡¯t it sink?¡±
¡°Nah. That thing¡¯s huge. Tipping over¡¯s the main issue.¡±
¡°Alright, so where does the rock come from?¡±
¡°Look down?¡±
I did and then wanted to smack my forehead. The riverbank was full of smooth rocks!
¡°Well, would you look at that,¡± I said.
Dad chuckled.
After dumping the rest of the pumpkin guts into the dumpster, Dad helped me load the bottom of the pumpkin with river rock. From the inside of the pumpkin, this made the base I stood on flatter and less slick. It was like walking in sand, though, so while the catastrophic slip risk was gone, there was still substantial danger to slide around if I wasn¡¯t careful about it.
¡°What do you want to do before it starts?¡± Dad asked.
¡°How long do we have?¡±
¡°It starts in about two hours.¡±
¡°Grab some lunch, get the pumpkin to the other side, and see if I can win?¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± he laughed.
We returned an hour later after eating at a local cafe. The pumpkin was where I left it. I went to get in it but was stopped by one of the organizers.
¡°You¡¯ll need a life jacket,¡± he said.
¡°Do you have any extras? I didn¡¯t think about that.¡±
¡°Thankfully, we do. I¡¯ll get one for you. Might be a bit big.¡±
I shrugged and thanked the man. He dutifully returned a few minutes later. I tossed it over my clothes and climbed into the S.S. Gourdiana¡ªyes; I named the pumpkin, even going as far as to cut the skin off in such a way as to spell its name. Dad handed me the paddle and helped push me into the river.
¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side,¡± he told me. ¡°Paddle safe.¡±
I rolled my eyes and got to paddling. The pumpkin was¡ well, it was anything but controllable. Every paddle turned the pumpkin a lot. It was heavy, but I was strong. I went forward, yes, but it was in a very serpentine path. One stroke turned me one way, and the next turned me back. I practiced turning around by paddling on one side more than the other. When I felt I had the hang of it, I completed my crossing of the river.
Chapter 79
The other side had floating docks where the pumpkin boats would line up for the race. On the shore was a gathering crowd. I was able to pick Dad out from amongst the faces. I gave him a wave before looking at my fellow competitors.
Unlike my plain S.S. Gourdiana, theirs were either painted or their captains wore costumes. Or both. I hadn¡¯t considered that part of the festivities, so I felt left out. In the end, though, what mattered was that I came out on top. I didn¡¯t know if the system would grace me with a quest to win the contest, but it had given me a good amount of experience for building the pumpkin boat.
There was still time before the race started. I contemplated getting out to stretch my legs, but decided against it. There really wasn¡¯t a way to tie the pumpkin boat to the dock. So there I sat while more competitors paddled over to the dock.
When there were ten minutes to go, one of the organizers came over to explain the rules. He said that, when the signal was given, we were to paddle to where a square floating dock was. We were to then round the dock and return to where we started. The first person to touch the starting dock would be declared the winner. To differentiate the different pumpkins, we were each given a unique waterproof tag to attach to the back of our pumpkin boat. Mine was number 22.
When the man finished handing out the tags, and ensuring they were secured to the pumpkin boats, it was time to race. Another of the organizers¡ªthe woman who had helped me get the crane earlier¡ªused a megaphone for the countdown. I held onto the dock with one arm and had the paddle ready in the other.
¡°Everybody ready?¡± she yelled before waiting a few seconds while the crowd cheered. ¡°On three! One. Two. Three!¡±
And we were off. I pushed as hard as I could off of the dock. That barely did anything. The pumpkin was that heavy. I dug deep into the water with each stroke of the paddle. For as strong as I had become by leveling, that much exertion was tough. Still, I kept it up as long as I could. I hungered to win.
My focus was entirely on the floating dock ahead of me, and not on any of the competition. I paddled as hard as I could. There were distressing signs coming from the kayak paddle as I did so, warning me that I was pushing too hard. The last thing I wanted was for the paddle to break. Then I¡¯d be stranded and in last place! So I eased up just enough that I wasn¡¯t hearing anything bad.
The cold water of the river splashed into the pumpkin with each stroke. It was just a little each time, but when I was rounding the dock for the return trip, I was already drenched. Still, I soldiered on. A little water wasn¡¯t going to stop me!
In the home stretch, my arms were on fire. If I let up, there was no way I would get going again. I looked around to see where the others were. I was in the thick of the pack. In spite of being stronger, my pumpkin was heavier. That balanced out any advantage I had, so I went back to pushing the paddle to the limit. It was do or die. Either I would get to the dock first or the paddle would give out first. I hoped for the former and feared the latter.
Sadly, my hopes were dashed, and my fears realized. With a sickening crunch, half of the kayak paddle snapped off. I lurched forward and nearly lost control of the remaining half! It took precious moments to orient myself. I was left with an extra long oar, as it only had a paddle on one side.
Thinking as quickly as I could, I began to paddle twice on one side before switching to paddle on the other. It was much slower. I watched my chances of winning float away with the shards of the shattered paddle. The other pumpkin boats steadily pulled ahead of me. I weighed the risk of breaking my remaining paddle to have a slim chance of victory against keeping the paddle and not having to be rescued¡ªsomething that would be super embarrassing! I decided it would be much better to at least finish the race.
The crowd cheered as the first couple of pumpkin boats neared the finish line. I looked on. Two of them were neck and neck. While I couldn¡¯t see which reached the dock first, the person who won¡ªdressed in a yellow bird costume¡ªraised their paddle in triumph.
From there, the pumpkin boats finished one after the other. Despite my issue of being down to only one paddle, I managed to not finish last. My placement was terrible¡ª25th out of 27 participants¡ªbut I was proud that I had finished. Exhaustion overtook me now that I was still. My arms positively ached. I was breathing hard when someone came to help me out of the pumpkin boat. It was Dad.
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¡°You alright there?¡± he asked upon seeing my condition.
¡°Winded,¡± was all I could say.
¡°I see that. Well, good race!¡±
I shook my head.
¡°Broke the paddle.¡±
¡°Ah, but you still finished, right?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good in my book. You raced a pumpkin boat for the first time and didn¡¯t embarrass yourself in the process. That¡¯s totally a win.¡±
¡°I guess.¡±
Dad struggled to lift me out of the pumpkin boat. I did what I could to help him. Once on the dock, I could move easier¡ªmy arms were tired, not my legs. We walked to where the dock met the shore. That¡¯s where the other competitors were laughing and chatting. The winner was given a small trophy and everyone gathered for a group photo. I smiled despite how tired I was.
The cleanup after the event took time. I had to paddle the boat across the river one more time so that the crane could lift it from the water and place it back on Dad¡¯s truck so we could go home. I would have been too tired to do this, but Heal came in to save the day. It relieved all the stress of my aching muscles and allowed me to do what I had to do.
It was around a month later that Al called to update me about the suit.
¡°So, I¡¯ve finally got them to the negotiating table,¡± he told me. ¡°They were trying to play hardball, but your case is solid. After seeing the evidence during discovery, his lawyer contacted me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°And how are those negotiations going?¡±
¡°Just fine. I made a point to include what you asked me to after getting the amount to something reasonable. We¡¯ve come to an understanding where you will pay $50,000 and drop your suit for damages to your property. In exchange, he will drop his suit and sign the contract you want him to. His lawyer seems to be under the impression that, because it has no penalties, it has no teeth. That made him agree to it pretty quickly as a formality.¡±
¡°Great! Can you send that over to me? I have to sign it first and it has to be the same one he signs, not a copy.¡±
¡°Right. Sure. I¡¯ll send it over to you. Are you ok with the terms?¡± he asked.
¡°They¡¯re fine. I would have been ok with the half million, too, if the guy signs the contract. I just can¡¯t deal with someone causing problems like that. It¡¯s better than him being in prison or something, right?¡±
¡°Right.¡±
¡°Thanks for calling, Al. And thanks for the update.¡±
I hung up the phone.
Al¡¯s contract came soon after. I read through it carefully to make sure it said what I wanted it to. When I was satisfied, I emailed him back to let him know I was happy with it. He told me he would be over with the real version for me to sign later in the day¡ªhe needed to be there to ensure I was the one signing it and not someone else. That was important, apparently.
When he arrived, I read through it again to make sure it was the same one as the email. After confirming that to be the case, I activated System Contract on it and signed. I handed it back to Al and thanked him for his help. It was what I paid him for, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be nice about it.
Within a week, I noticed a sizeable chunk of experience disappear. The contract had been signed. I let out a large sigh. It felt like a weight was finally lifted from my shoulders. I no longer had to worry about that guy stopping me from earning as much experience as I could. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate the man, but more than anything, I was glad that chapter was done.
Over winter, I turned nine. It wasn¡¯t a large milestone, but it reminded me that Grandpa Joe only had a few more years left. He had been such a great help in both this life and the last. The seed money had some in clutch both times, and his knowledge of the outdoors and of firearms had been important for me to learn. I didn¡¯t have the same sort of connection this time around. I still emailed him from time to time, but it wasn¡¯t the same. Maybe next time around.
Grandpa Joe¡¯s death had been impactful to me¡ªand to Mom. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it. At the same time, I knew I would see him again in the future. And speaking of that future, I thought about what I would spend my experience on. There was plenty of time still, true, but that it was always a good idea to be prepared sooner rather than later.
I had 4,410,627 experience saved up thus far. With around eleven years to go, I could expect to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000,000 more experience, bringing the total to just shy of twenty million.
The first things I wanted to purchase were the rest of the bits I needed at the start of each life. The experience generators. The notifications. Stuff like that. There were many things I couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t purchase yet. Because I couldn¡¯t afford it or because buying it would be detrimental in the short term. With just under twenty million, that would be plenty to get the basics out of the way. After that, though, I needed to consider what to buy next carefully.
The first time I had gone back in time on purpose, there had been a kind of after action report that gave me a substantial amount of experience. Whatever I bought with what I had left should be helpful to the people whose survival would secure me more experience. The amount I¡¯d have to spend on them would be limited, and I didn¡¯t want to set in stone how the leveling or the stats would work. That presented me with a problem. How in the world could I help them while also leaving my options as open as I could?
As I thought about it, I realized that, no, I couldn¡¯t just wait on the leveling. If I had the experience to get the features, I would need to pick up leveling. That would allow me to get skills as well. I could then hold off on the stats until later, but at least have a way to give them a power boost and a fighting chance. It was a selfish choice, but that¡¯s how it would have to be. I needed time to figure out the system better, and that meant I needed flexibility, too. They would just have to suck it up and deal with a broken system while I worked on it.
Chapter 80
Every month, I would go to the stream and dump a container of pesticide. Six months into the experiment, I was beginning to see a drop in experience. And it wasn¡¯t just a small drop, either. It was precipitous. My solution was to change the pesticides I was using and to get then in greater quantities. That led to a surge in experience, but it, too, dropped off after a couple of applications of the poison.
At that point, it had become a sort of habit. I would dose the stream monthly with whatever extra I had. It didn¡¯t matter that the amount of experience was negligible. It was an experiment, after all. It had been moderately successful, at that. A couple hundred thousand experience for very little effort on my part. The only issue was that I had effectively sterilized the stream and whatever it flowed into.
Now that nothing grew there, there was nothing to kill and this no experience to gain. That was a problem. But not one I cared too much about solving. The farm I was working would be the main source of experience for the remainder of this life. Anything I got via my experimentation was simply a bonus, and maybe something I could chase next time.
Two years passed the same as the previous two had. I farmed grain during the summer, gaining a good amount of experience at harvest time. My investment into George¡¯s hardware store continued to pay dividends both monetarily and experiential. The pesticide project was basically dead¡ªI still got a handful of kills a week, but it was such a low number it almost didn¡¯t matter anymore.
It was in the spring after I turned eleven when Grandpa Joe died. It had been on my radar for a while, so I had been communicating with him as much as I could to learn whatever valuable lessons I could. Most of them centered around survival, which had me wondering about what else I could do for humanity.
Just like he had trained me, I knew that humanity needed its training as well. And yet, there was no way for me to afford the tutorial I had in mind with the amount of experience I estimated I would get. Not if I also wanted to fix some of the skills and features¡ªlike System Contract. No, it just wasn¡¯t feasible.
Well, there was a way, but I was hesitant to go through with it. The experiments with the pesticide had taught me that there was a way to get a lot of experience quickly. After all, there were trillions of creatures. All I had to do was kill them all. And therein lay the problem. Killing everything was both a monumental task and stupendously risky¡ªnot just for humanity as a whole but also for myself.
I would be writing off an entire life for experience. Maybe that was what I had to do. But it was oh so risky. The wars that would start were likely to be catastrophic at best and apocalyptic at worst. I would have to not only survive that, but also complete my aim at getting enough experience so I could turn back time again before the demon of my own creation ate me up as well.
That wasn¡¯t the way I wanted to go. The slow and steady of the farming like I was doing now was a good base. I could supplement that by buying businesses¡ªor at least investing in them. Like with George, that was a good use of my money and had a decent return of experience that didn¡¯t require me to actually do anything.
I snorted as I realized something. I finally understood why those rich bastards did what they did. Power was nice and all¡ªthough not something I cared for, personally. No, it was the ability to do what I wanted to do without even lifting a finger. That was the route I knew I would need to take.
I needed to prepare people for what was coming, and placing depots of supplies around the world would be important. That meant dealing with politics. And there was one tried and true method that worked: money. It was the grease that lubricated every bureaucracy even if they claimed otherwise. That corruption would be my ticket to helping humanity one day. Machiavelli was onto something, as much as I hated to admit it.
I went with Mom to Grandpa Joe¡¯s funeral. She was even more down than she had been last time¡ªif such a thing were possible. I did what I could to cheer her up, like taking her out to dinner after to spend time with her.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± I said.
She was crying and smiling at the same time.
¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she sniffled. ¡°It¡¯s just so hard. It was so sudden.¡±
¡°I¡¯m here for you. Tell me what you need.¡±
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¡°Spend some time with me. Let¡¯s go somewhere for a week?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t, Mom,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯ve got to plant the fields now, which means I don¡¯t have time until after the harvest in the fall.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t delay it a week?¡± she asked.
¡°Sadly not. What I can do is go out with you every week, if you¡¯d like.¡±
¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she replied with a smile.
Mom wiped her tears.
¡°I¡¯ll also give you some money. Buy something nice, go on a trip, have some fun. It¡¯ll take your mind off of things, ok? And maybe talk to someone¡ªand I don¡¯t just mean me.¡±
¡°Alright. You¡¯re growing up to be a wonderful son, you know that?¡±
¡°Thanks? I mean, I¡¯ve been at this for¡ a long time.¡±
I laughed and she smiled.
¡°I¡¯ll always be your mother.¡±
¡°I know that, Mom. I know.¡±
¡°And don¡¯t you ever forget it!¡±
She was laughing with me now.
We ate and enjoyed our night together.
Farming took my attention and my efforts. I had promised to spend time with her¡ªand give her some cash¡ªso that is what I did. Every week, I took her out somewhere and left her with money for herself. I intended it to be a temporary measure so that she could get through the feeling of her father¡¯s passing, but I also had a lot of money, so giving her some every week wasn¡¯t a big deal to me. I just sort of kept doing it.
Then in the fall¡ªafter the harvest¡ªI saw two people poking about on my farm. Though both men, one was older while the other looked to be around Dad¡¯s age. I wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d gotten into the farm field as I didn¡¯t see a car nor signs of forced entry, so I went to confront them. Were they lost or were they up to no good?
I approached from the equipment shed where I had been working. The two men didn¡¯t see me until I got much closer. The younger one turned his head then poked the older man to get his attention. I waved at them.
¡°Are you lost?¡± I asked when I was close enough for them to hear me in a talking voice.
¡°No,¡± the older man said.
¡°Then why are you on my farm?¡± I questioned them.
¡°Government business,¡± he stated.
¡°And what does the government want on my farm?¡±
¡°Your farm?¡±
¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the owner and farmer. Me. The child. Dad helps from time to time.¡±
¡°Well then.¡± The older man laughed. ¡°We need to take water samples from the stream.¡±
¡°And where is your warrant or permission to be here to do that?¡±
¡°Brad, you¡¯ve got it on you, right?¡± the older man asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± said the younger man¡ªBrad.
Brad fished something from his coat and handed it to me. I opened it and read it over. It had the air of being official, but I called Al to confirm that it was what it said it was. I trusted his opinion more than I trusted these strangers.
¡°Looks like you¡¯re good to go,¡± I said after getting confirmation.
I handed the papers back to Brad and returned to what I had been doing. Namely, cleaning my equipment so I could do the preventative maintenance they needed.
My heart raced on the way back to the equipment shed. Now, the inspectors could be there because of routine monitoring, but I doubted it. I¡¯d dumped plenty of chemicals into the stream over the last couple years. There was a large chance they were there because of me and what I¡¯d been doing.
Fears of spending time in jail bubbled to the surface. That was my worst fear. If I was behind bars, there was no way for me to actually earn an appreciable amount of experience. That in and of itself would doom humanity. Why had I been so stupid as to think what I was doing was ok? Was it just greed or something else? I didn¡¯t know. Instead, I was just a ball of fears.
My mind went back to Al. I knew his specialization was different, but would he be able to help me out of this? After thinking about it for a while¡ªand letting all my fears swirl for far too long, I picked up my cell phone and called Al.
¡°Hello, Eddy,¡± he said when he picked up. ¡°How can I help you?¡±
¡°I think those two men with the paper are here ¡®cause of what I¡¯ve been doing,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m almost a hundred percent certain.¡±
¡°And what have you been doing to bring environmental inspectors out to your farm?¡±
¡°Dumping pesticides in the stream.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡± Al said, with a significant amount of distaste in his voice.
¡°It was a test to see if it would help with the situation we can¡¯t talk about over the phone.¡±
¡°Mhm¡ and now the government is aware of what you¡¯re doing.¡±
¡°Right.¡±
¡°Well, look, kid,¡± he began. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting up with you because you pay well and hadn¡¯t¡ªuntil this point¡ªdone anything too morally questionable. That contract? I get why you did it, but that put a sour taste in my mouth. Now you¡¯ve gone and done this¡ªpurposefully no less. I¡¯m sorry to tell you, but I will be terminating my representation of you as of now.¡±
¡°Wait, why so suddenly?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not getting involved with the feds,¡± he replied. ¡°Not my expertise. That, and what you¡¯ve done really pissed me off. As a professional, I will recommend another lawyer you can speak to regarding this issue. Even without the contract, whatever you told me would have been kept confidential. That¡¯s what it means to be a lawyer. Have a good day.¡±
With that, Al hung up. I was astonished. Was what I had been doing so wrong as to elicit that kind of response? I hadn¡¯t murdered anyone. What was so bad about temporarily killing some animals that would come back to life when it turned back time in a few years? Some people¡
I wanted to throw my phone across the room. Thankfully, I was smart enough not to. But still, the nerve of Al to quit when I needed him most! At least he gave me someone I could talk to to defend me against whatever was coming. I had a face too handsome for prison, so I was going to do whatever it took to delay it and negotiate it down to something else.
A fine was, well, fine with me. I had the money for that. What I didn¡¯t have was time to waste. As soon as Al¡¯s email detailing the end of representation along with the referral to the other person¡ªMelissa Rodrigues¡ªI reached out to this new lawyer.
From now on, I wasn¡¯t going to dump any more chemicals in the stream. Not only was there little point¡ªI wasn¡¯t getting much in the way of experience anymore¡ªbut now there were inspectors. Keeping that up would probably make whatever issues I was going to have much, much worse. I was going to avoid that since I could see it a mile away.
Chapter 81
It took a week to schedule a meeting with the new lawyer. She was in court for a case the week I contacted her. The inspectors had done their bit and left. The die was cast. Whatever was going to happen, would happen. I needed to be as prepared as I could be. She called me while I was in the equipment shed changing the oil in Dad¡¯s tractor.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Is this Eddy?¡± she asked.
¡°This is.¡±
¡°This is Melissa, I was told to call this number. Is your father around?¡±
¡°I was the one who reached out to you,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m the one in need of legal services, not my father. It¡¯s my company and my actions in question, not his.¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but you sound pretty young.¡±
¡°I am eleven.¡±
I heard a sigh on the other end.
¡°Alright. What do you need help with?¡±
¡°Well, I got your information from Al, who said he wasn¡¯t willing or able to handle it.¡±
¡°He can be like that sometimes,¡± she said. ¡°Please, continue.¡±
¡°Well, it involves dumping chemicals into a stream on my property. There were government inspectors buzzing around last week. Not sure what the timeline on this sort of thing would be, but I¡¯m pretty sure they didn¡¯t come around for shits and giggles.¡±
¡°You¡¯d be right,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°That being said, there are steps we can take when they reach out to you, your father, or anyone else. Until they do, however, there isn¡¯t much we can do besides prepare.¡±
¡°What are the usual penalties for this kind of thing? I¡¯m not going to prison or anything, right?¡±
¡°Unlikely. You¡¯re a first time offender, and the penalties are usually fines more than anything else. You might have a large debt, but otherwise you should be free.¡±
¡°Thank God,¡± I said. ¡°That was my biggest worry. I have plenty of money, so I should be able to pay for the fines. Is there any way to reduce them as much as possible? Or at least delay the proceedings as much as possible?¡±
I heard her muttering in the background something about how I was way too smart for my own age. Without my enhanced body¡ªand the senses that came with that¡ªI wouldn¡¯t have picked up on it through the background static.
¡°That depends on how they attack the problems, but yes, there should be ways we can do that. They¡¯ll be expensive, though, since that¡¯ll take a lot of my time¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m more than willing to pay for it,¡± I said over the end of her sentence.
The way I did so wasn¡¯t nice, but I felt the urge to set expectations and a pecking order. It wasn¡¯t a feeling I¡¯d had before. And yet, it was something I needed to do. Especially after Al¡¯s sudden betrayal.
¡°Ok then,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the one paying me. Let me handle whatever comes up. If you get served any papers or contacted by anyone, let me know first before you respond in any way.¡±
¡°Will do.¡±
¡°Good. That all being said, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll hear much about it for a while. These things take time¡ªespecially on the government side. So don¡¯t think about it too much. We¡¯ll get through this.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± I said.
And I meant it. I felt like she knew what she was doing¡ªor at least that was my hope. Al hadn¡¯t been a bad lawyer, so his recommendation was likely a good one for what I actually needed.
The next two years went by like the last few years had. I focused on the farm and getting as much experience as I could. I was just shy of ten million by the time I turned thirteen. It was around then that I discovered something else: I was aging more slowly.
I¡¯d gone to the doctor for a routine checkup. Although everything was good, I was beginning to fall behind on the growth charts significantly. It was as if I wasn¡¯t growing much anymore at a time when my body should¡ªand had previously¡ªgrown much more quickly. While the doctor was mildly concerned, I suspected it was system-related.
In my original life, my growth happened around thirteen to fourteen. The last time it had been closer to fifteen. I was trailing behind that significantly, now. My best guess was that it had something to do with leveling and tiers, but I couldn¡¯t be certain. At least not without a lot more testing. Was it just the growth in power or a specific segment of it that mattered?
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That was for next time. For now, though, that future Melissa had said would take a while was now here. On a Tuesday morning, I was ambushed on the way out of my house.
¡°Milton Edward Teller the third?¡± a man in a police uniform asked.
¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I said.
¡°Here,¡± he said, handing me a thick envelope. ¡°You¡¯ve been subpoenaed.¡±
With the papers in my hand, he spun on his heel and left.
I went back inside and pulled the papers from the envelope. There were a lot of them in there, and it took some time to do reading. It boiled down to two requests. The first was for records I had about chemical purchases over the last five years. The second was a request for my appearance at a grand jury in two months¡¯ time.
I immediately contacted Melissa.
¡°So what does it say?¡± she asked.
I proceeded to read the document to her.
¡°Based on that, you¡¯ll have to supply what is being asked for. As for the request to appear, I believe we can challenge than on account of your age. Additionally, you don¡¯t have to say anything even if that motion fails. So hang tight. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
¡°Oh, and please send me a picture of the request so I can challenge it.¡±
¡°Will do.¡±
After hanging up, I sent her the pictures. There was a deadline on getting the documents to the people requesting them, but it was a month out. I would have time to gather them. I kept receipts¡ªor should I say, Gloria had them. While she didn¡¯t do my end of year taxes, she kept many of the files for day-to-day things like receipts, so she could enter them into the program she used.
I composed an email to Gloria, asking for the records. I made sure to ask her to be as thorough as she could be. The government wanted records? Well, I was going to bury them in everything I had. Maybe that would delay things some. That was shy I asked for every receipt and invoice I had for the period they were requesting.
Now that I knew prison wasn¡¯t in the cards, the fear I¡¯d had now became petty obstinance. They¡¯d scared me with all of this legal stuff, and I wanted to be a petulant child about it. I was still a kid, so what else did they expect? Well, I was a kid with lots of money, so I could get away with it¡ªand I was going to take full advantage of being a little shit. It seemed appropriate for something that¡ªultimately¡ªdidn¡¯t matter. I would just wipe the slate clean later.
I told Dad about the legal troubled, but not Mom. Since it was just a fine¡ªand a few years off, probably¡ªthere was no need to let her worry over nothing. Dad was generally more stoic about things. What was, was. What would be, would be. That¡¯s how he was, and that made it easier to talk to him about those sorts of things.
¡°I got served, too,¡± he told me a few days after I¡¯d talked to Melissa.
¡°Would you like to talk to my lawyer?¡± I asked.
¡°Probably a good idea. Can you pass me the number?¡±
¡°Sure. She¡¯s pretty good, I think.¡±
¡°She? I thought you had that other guy¡ Arlo or something?¡±
¡°Al you mean?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°He dropped me over this whole thing. But this other lady was his recommendation.¡±
I shrugged.
¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give her a call then.¡±
He picked up his phone to call her. At the same time, I got a notification that Gloria had finished what I¡¯d asked her to do. I forwarded them to Melissa so she could send the package along to the investigators.
Dad returned after his phone call to tell me that while we couldn¡¯t coordinate our answers¡ªthat would be illegal¡ªwe could talk about the investigation and what they wanted from us. From him, they wanted the same stuff they¡¯d asked me for. They also wanted to talk to him in person. His proposed date was much sooner than mine was, and he didn¡¯t have potential grounds to contest the appearance like I had.
Speaking of contesting my in-person interview, Melissa told me¡ªthrough Dad, of course¡ªthat she¡¯d filed the motion and it would go in front of the judge soon. All I needed to do was to sit tight.
¡°I hate sitting in limbo,¡± I complained when Dad told me what she said.
¡°Eh, it¡¯s alright, kid. I mean, I get why you did what you did. The world won¡¯t see it that way, but I get it. If you ever do something like that again, maybe think of the consequences before you do it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on doing something like that, but I¡¯ll keep what you said in mind.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± he grunted, then slapped me on the back.
¡°It¡¯ll work out. I¡¯m going out for a smoke.¡±
¡°Wish you¡¯d quit that awful habit.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t much matter, right?¡± he shrugged.
I just shook my head as he walked towards the door.
Melissa called me early in the morning two days later. I had been up for a while, so I was glad it wasn¡¯t my alarm clock for the day.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Good morning, Eddy,¡± she said. ¡°I finished speaking with the judge last evening. Sorry I couldn¡¯t talk to you sooner.¡±
¡°And what did he say.¡±
¡°He said that you are still compelled to appear, but you can have a parent, guardian, or lawyer with you in the room.¡±
¡°So you¡¯ll be with me?¡± I asked.
¡°That would be the best option,¡± she confirmed.
¡°Better than Dad?¡±
¡°I know their tricks. They¡¯ll try to twist your words into something you didn¡¯t actually mean to say. Well, they would if you were going to say anything. I would recommend you exercise your right to remain silent on anything that could incriminate you¡ªwhich is pretty much anything they might ask beyond your name.¡±
¡°So how do I go about that?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have to clearly say so for any question they ask you where an answer might look bad for you. Again, I would be cautious and say that for everything they ask.¡±
¡°Alright, and when is this going to happen?¡±
¡°The first week of next month¡ªso about two weeks. You¡¯re scheduled for that Tuesday, but it could change. I¡¯ll confirm with you at the end of the week beforehand and keep you up to date on any changes that happen. Just in case. Oh, and you should get a suit or other formal wear for that day.¡±
¡°Do I have to?¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt for you to look like you¡¯re taking it seriously.¡±
¡°Ugh. That sucks.¡±
¡°It does,¡± she chuckled.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll see what Dad and I can scrounge up. Oh, and where is this all taking place?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have to go to the state capitol. I¡¯ll give you the rest of the details the week before.¡±
¡°Thanks, I guess. No way to delay it more?¡±
¡°Not at this stage, sorry.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± I said.
I hung up and let Dad know about the clothing I¡¯d need.
Chapter 82
¡°So you need a suit?¡± Dad asked.
¡°Yeah. Or something formal. Suits suck.¡±
¡°I know kid, I know. But it¡¯s just one day. You can suck it up for a little while, yeah?¡±
¡°I guess.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s go see what we can find.¡±
So into the truck we went. Dad had to drive out of the small three town area we were in just to get to a store that sold formal wear in my size. It was a store filled with cheap suits that would give the appearance I needed, but had none of the frills¡ªor comfort¡ªof something made bespoke. I didn¡¯t have time for that kind of thing. I needed it in the next week¡ªwhich really meant today.
The store was empty aside from us and a salesman who sat behind the checkout counter. I guessed suits weren¡¯t the most popular things in the morning on a weekday. The salesman had on a cheap and gaudy suit to match the ones he was selling. Overall, he seemed like a sleazy guy.
¡°How can I help you gentlemen?¡± asked the sleazy salesman.
¡°Kid needs a suit,¡± Dad said.
¡°Wedding? Funeral? Confirmation?¡±
¡°Formal event, but none of those.¡±
¡°Ok. So classic black? Maybe a pinstripe? Or do you think a dark blue would be better?¡±
¡°Black, I think,¡± Dad said.
¡°Alright. Let me measure the young man and we¡¯ll try some on.¡±
He took a tape measure from a pocket inside his suit jacket and proceeded to measure everything. It was not the sort of measuring a man would want¡ªcertainly not from a salesman. Still, I stood there and suffered as the man¡¯s hands and tape went about their work.
When he finished measuring me, he left to get some to try on. He returned a minute later with three suits. One was solid black, another was a shade lighter with medium gray pinstripes, and the final option was the same as the first but looked to be cut differently¡ªa thinner collar being the biggest difference.
¡°Let¡¯s start with this one,¡± he said, taking the jacket off the first suit.
I sighed and looked at Dad. His face held no sympathy. The salesman helped me put the jacket on. It was a little itchy but overall not terrible. The same couldn¡¯t be said of the fit. I could barely raise my arms to be even with my shoulders without running the risk of ripping the jacket. I pointed this out to the salesman.
¡°This is the closest to your size we have in stock,¡± he explained. ¡°We can do alterations, but those take time. I¡¯m not sure when the event you have coming up is, but it would take about two weeks to make the jacket fit better.¡±
¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± Dad confirmed.
¡°There¡¯s the other style, which might fit better,¡± he suggested, taking the jacket from me.
The next one I tried was the differently-styled black suit. I put it on¡ªwith help¡ªonly to be disappointed. It pinched in weird places that made it far less comfortable than the first one had been.
¡°Not this one,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s worse.¡±
¡°Alright. Dad, do you want him to try the pinstriped black one?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Dad said.
It fit about the same as the original black suit had. The cut of both was the same, so it came down to looks as to which we would get.
¡°I like it,¡± Dad told me.
¡°Better than the solid black one?¡± the salesman asked.
¡°Definitely,¡± he confirmed before turning to me. ¡°How does this one feel?¡±
¡°About the same as the first one,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Not super comfortable, but at least it isn¡¯t pinching me all over.¡±
¡°Great!¡± the salesman said. ¡°Let¡¯s try on the pants now.¡±
He led me to the changing room in the back of the store. I walked inside, where I was able to put on the pants he¡¯d hung from a hook in the back. I nearly tripped over the pants walking out of the changing room for Dad to have a look.
¡°Too long,¡± I said.
¡°Looks good, but yeah. Too long.¡±
¡°Try these on next,¡± the salesman said. ¡°I took them from another size of suit. They should fit better.¡±
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I went back inside the changing room and switched one pair of pants for the other. This one was slightly tight on me. Not horribly so, but just enough to be marginally uncomfortable. The length¡ªat least¡ªwas better.
¡°Length looks good,¡± Dad said. ¡°How does it feel?¡±
¡°A little tight.¡±
¡°Do you have something in between the two?¡± he asked.
¡°I¡¯ll be back with that one,¡± the salesman said.
He returned a minute later with yet another pair of pants. I did the changing room switcheroo. The length was maybe a little long, but not so long it would be much of a problem. The biggest thing was that the size around my waist was much, much better.
¡°How does it feel?¡± Dad asked.
¡°Better.¡±
¡°Length¡¯s not too bad,¡± he muttered.
¡°Everything good?¡± the salesman asked.
¡°I think so. We¡¯ll take these pants and the jacket. He¡¯ll need a shirt for underneath and a tie, too.¡±
¡°A tie?¡± I complained.
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not a suit without a tie.¡±
¡°Ugh. I hate ties.¡±
¡°Who doesn¡¯t,¡± Dad laughed.
The salesman looked away so as not to get involved. I distinctly got the impression that he liked ties. He wasn¡¯t just sleazy but a traitor to men, too!
I went through the same song and dance with the shirt. What color? Light blue. Pinstripes? No¡ªthe suit already had them. The tie? Red with navy stripes. The only thing we hadn¡¯t picked up were the shoes.
That¡ªit turned out¡ªwas next on the list. While ties were terrible¡ªthey should be burnt¡ªshoes were worse. Well, formal shoes were worse. They never fit right. They rubbed everywhere or else my foot slipped through their grasp. At the end of the day, they were simply leather torture devices!
Dad tried to tell me it was because they weren¡¯t made for my foot. I countered with the truth that sneakers were the far superior option. Tastes needed to change what was formal so that it was what people actually wanted to wear. What good was tradition when everyone hated it?
I was oh so glad when the shopping excursion was completed. I knew I would have to wear them in a couple weeks, but that would¡ªhopefully¡ªjust be a single day of torture. There was no way I was going to put up with multiple days of something like that.
Two weeks later, I put on my suit before dawn. Dad had to help me put the tie on. The devil insisted that it needed to be tightened down so it looked right. All it really meant was that I was getting choked while my feet were imprisoned by the shoes. It was already not looking like a fun day.
Melissa pulled into the driveway just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. I sighed and trudged to her car. Due to my small size, I was banished to the back seat where¡ªin addition to the choking and foot-imprisonment¡ªI would also get car sick if I wasn¡¯t careful.
En route to the courthouse building where the interview would take place, Melissa went over everything I needed to be aware of. And what to expect.
¡°The most important thing is to say that you aren¡¯t going to answer the question,¡± she tole me. ¡°Your right to remain silent is important. Don¡¯t let the other lawyer intimidate you. I¡¯ll be right by your side the entire time.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
¡°So when we get there, we¡¯ll go through security then up to the fifth floor. We¡¯ll sit in the waiting area for a while until they call us. The room we¡¯ll go in will have a couple of chairs and a microphone. There will be about twenty people on the other side, not including the state¡¯s lawyer. The lawyer will introduce you, ask some baseline questions¡ªwhich you can answer¡ªthen move onto the other things¡ªwhich you should not. Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Alright, let¡¯s practice¡¡±
For the rest of the car ride, she forced me to practice how to answer the questions. Namely, don¡¯t. Well, how to say no in a legally rigorous manner. A bit of a pain, if you ask me. Eventually, she parked the car in a lot three blocks away from the courthouse.
¡°Follow me,¡± she said. ¡°And remember what we talked about. First, is security. Oh, and please leave your phone in the car. They¡¯re strict about that.¡±
She led the way and I walked a step behind. The city was in the midst of its morning rush hour, so the streets were filled with commuters trying to get to where they were going. As we were waiting for the little light-man to tell us to walk across the road, I began to feel the pressure of what was coming. Each crossing made my heart beat faster as nervousness finally set in.
¡°It¡¯ll be ok,¡± she said with a light pat of my back. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this and back home as quickly as we can.¡±
I said nothing but continued to follow her to the courthouse. The building looked to be around ten stories tall. I could tell that it had been built a long time ago from the brutalist architecture of its design. The glass front doors looked tiny against the massive concrete building. Melissa opened the door and ushered me inside.
The inside had little room to maneuver. Immediately upon entering, I was met with a guard station that had an x-ray machine and a metal detector. Melissa handled signing us in and getting us through security. We were handed visitor badges with clips on the back. I attached mine to the breast of my suit jacket upon her insistence.
Then came the elevator to the fifth floor. The elevators were smaller than I thought they should be. Maybe that came with the age of the building, or maybe the government was sadistic like that. Either way, we spilled out onto the fifth floor moments later.
Melissa led me down the narrow halls, past a court room, and through a closed, heavy door. On the other side, I got a look at the state¡¯s attorney. He was a thin, older man who looked like he would make a terrible basketball player¡ªeven before age had shrunk him some. He directed us to a small room with chairs where we were to wait until he called us.
I figured that call would come quickly, but it didn¡¯t. Without my phone there to distract me, I was very bored. There wasn¡¯t a good place to lie down¡ªnot that I would have gotten any rest. The suit was very much a cocoon. No, all I could do was sit there and wait. And wait. And wait some more.
By the time I was so sick of waiting that I was sure the world had already come to an end, the state¡¯s attorney came in to get us. I stood up and shuffled after him. Melissa followed close behind me. My heart was racing as I marched down the hallway. Sure, she¡¯d told me what to expect, but that wasn¡¯t real experience. I didn¡¯t trust it until I saw it for myself.
At the end of the hall was a door that I was ushered through. Inside was a large screen with a chair in front of it. In front of the chair was a table with a microphone. To the side of the table was another chair. Then, in front of the table was a gap before a sloped seating area with rows that reminded me of a college classroom.
Looking at me from those rows were around twenty faces. They were of all ages, genders, and occupations. Most were dressed nicely, but there were others who clearly were there against their will. I didn¡¯t blame them. I had no love for serving on a jury either¡ªhaving done it once before all of the time travel stuff happened.
¡°Please have a seat, Mr. Teller,¡± the state¡¯s attorney said.
I sat down on the seat behind the microphone. Melissa sat on the chair to the side of the table.
Chapter 83
¡°Would you like some water?¡± he asked.
I shook my head.
¡°Ok. Please state your name for the record,¡± he told me. ¡°And please speak into the microphone so everyone in the back can hear you.¡±
¡°Milton Edward Teller the third,¡± I said.
¡°Do you go by Milton or something else?¡±
¡°Eddy.¡±
¡°Alright, Eddy. I¡¯m going to start with some background information. You were brought here today to answer some questions about possible violations of the law. You have the right to refuse to answer a question if it would incriminate you. As you are a minor, you are allowed counsel in here with you¡ªwhich is not something an adult would be allowed. She id not allowed to answer questions for you, but you can consult with her if you need to¡ªeither in here or outside in the hallway.
¡°Do you understand what I said?¡±
I nodded.
¡°You have to say yes or no, otherwise the court reporter can¡¯t write it down.¡±
¡°Uh, yes. I understand,¡± I said nervously.
¡°Ok. So Eddy, where are you from?¡±
The man asked several questions about my life until then, which Melissa said I should answer. They were the boring things like what school I went to¡ªI was home-schooled¡ªwhat I did¡ªfarm¡ªthat sort of thing. All the while, the people sitting in the rows looking at me were taking notes¡ªor taking a nap. There was definitely one guy in the back who was snoozing.
¡°With the background out of the way, how much pesticide do you normally use?¡±
Now that he had moved onto the main line of questioning, it was my turn to stone wall him. That was the plan Melissa had come up with and the one we had practiced in the car.
¡°I respectfully decline to answer that,¡± I said. ¡°I will be asserting my right to remain silent.¡±
¡°How much pesticide does a farmer usually use on a farm of your size?¡± he asked.
¡°I respectfully decline to answer that,¡± I repeated. ¡°I will be asserting my right to remain silent.¡±
No matter the question, I gave the same answer. The state¡¯s attorney was visibly getting frustrated after several attempts at getting me to answer.
¡°Is that all you¡¯re going to say today?¡± he asked in a harsh voice.
¡°Yes,¡± I replied.
¡°Alright then. You are dismissed.¡±
I stood up, as did Melissa. The state¡¯s attorney opened the door to let us by before shutting it more forcefully than necessary. I turned towards my attorney to say something, but she shook her head.
¡°We can talk when we get outside,¡± she said.
We went down in the elevator and turned in the visitor badges before walking back to the car. When we were buckled into the car and leaving the parking garage, she finally began to talk.
¡°You did a good job there,¡± she told me. ¡°I mean, did you see his face?¡±
¡°I think I made him mad,¡± I laughed.
¡°You did exactly what I asked of you. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be in touch about any charges they might file or fines they might issue. I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way.¡±
I ripped the tie off now that I was done with the whole thing. The least I could do was return home in a modicum of comfort.
A year passed before I heard back about the testimony I had given¡ªor not given, as the case had been. It started the same way as the testimony had: by being served with papers early in the morning. It was even by the same officer!
I read through what was inside the folder. Only to have a heart attack. I was being charged with a crime! That I hadn¡¯t been arrested for it was a miracle. I picked up my phone and called Melissa right away.
¡°It¡¯s very early,¡± she said with a yawn. ¡°How can I help you, Eddy?¡±
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¡°I¡¯m being charged over the stuff that happened a few years ago.¡±
¡°Oh? They finally got around to it?¡±
¡°Looks like it. Should I be worried?¡±
¡°Send me the docket number and I¡¯ll read it over,¡± she told me. ¡°Given what we talked about in the past¡ªno, I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much. I¡¯ll talk with the prosecutor and work something out. After coffee.¡±
I heard her grumble about why it had to happen so early in the morning. She likely thought I couldn¡¯t hear her, but my enhanced hearing caught everything.
¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°And sorry for waking you.¡±
¡°I was going to get up early anyway,¡± she sighed. ¡°My alarm was just about¡ª¡±
I heard a loud series of beeps in the background.
¡°¡ªgo off. Aaaaand there it is.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you wake up and read it. Please let me know as soon as you can.¡±
I hung up the phone and began to nervously pace in my room. An hour¡ªand a few miles¡ªlater, Melissa called back. That prompted Dad to poke his head into my room.
¡°Everything ok?¡± he asked after I answered the phone.
¡°I think so,¡± I said.
His face had a look that was asking me to clarify.
¡°Got charged over the stuff we went to a year ago,¡± I explained. ¡°On the phone with Melissa, the lawyer.¡±
He nodded and closed the door behind him on the way out.
¡°Sorry, Dad was checking up on me,¡± I told her. ¡°What did you find out?¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright. So, the charges aren¡¯t too bad. As a first time offender, you¡¯d be very unlikely to actually get time in prison. Even if it went to trial. I¡¯m going to talk with the prosecutor and work out a deal. You should be able to get off with probation and a fine, most likely. I¡¯ll call you back when I know more.¡±
¡°How long would this take?¡± I wondered.
¡°A few weeks to hammer out the details, then it¡¯ll be off to court to get it all approved by the judge.¡±
¡°Alright. Thanks.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what you pay me for,¡± she chuckled.
I hung the phone up again. My heart was pounding. As much as she said it would all be alright, that did nothing to calm me down. It only served to make me more nervous than I had been. On top of that, she wouldn¡¯t get back to me for several weeks? Simply torture!
While I had work to do out in the fields, I didn¡¯t want to. The whole being charged with a crime thing was weighing on me. Especially because there was radio silence from Melissa day after day. Week after week. Every hour crawled by as the pace pitch drips. Finally, after a month, I jumped when my phone rang.
¡°Hello?¡± I said into the microphone.
¡°Hello, Eddy,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I have good news.¡±
¡°You do?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± she laughed. ¡°I have secured a deal where you will be free on probation. You¡¯ll have to pay a rather hefty fine¡ªor, rather, your company will.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the fine?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Several million, I believe. It¡¯s the main reason you¡¯re staying free.¡±
¡°So money really does thumb the scales of justice,¡± I mused.
¡°That it does. Have you been reading stuff like that? That¡¯s rather cynical for someone your age.¡±
¡°No. But I¡¯ve seen enough to know that¡¯s true. Thanks for letting me know. When do I need to go to court?¡±
¡°Undetermined yet, but likely in the next two months. We¡¯re waiting on the judge to approve the deal so we can go through with the formalities.¡±
¡°Understood. Again, thanks.¡±
I hung up the phone after saying goodbye to Melissa. I wrote an email to Gloria so she could be ready with the funds when I would need to pay the fine. A few million shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I still had almost all of the money I¡¯d made early on. The farming venture was shedding money, but not much in the grand scheme of things. A few grand a month, that sort of thing. With its purpose being to literally farm experience, losing some money was totally fine by me.
Five weeks passed before I needed to get dressed in my suit. Due to my distinct lack of puberty, it still mostly fit. It was a little tight, but tolerable for a day. Melissa picked me up like she had the first time. Dad offered to go, but it was going to be a few minutes with the judge before returning home.
¡°So here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen,¡± Melissa told me while we were driving on the way to the courthouse¡ªthe same one the grand jury had been in. ¡°The prosecutor will read the charges and the judge will ask how you plead. Because of the deal, you will plead guilty and the prosecutor will have the judge sign off on the deal. He¡¯s already cleared it with the judge ahead of time, so we¡¯re good to go on that front.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± I said.
¡°And just follow my directions when we¡¯re there. It should only be a few minutes and we¡¯ll be back in the car and on the way home before you know it.¡±
¡°I hope so.¡± I smiled.
True to her word, we made it through security and up to the courtroom on the third floor. The bailiff ushered us inside. I sat next to Melissa on the defendant¡¯s side. The prosecutor was sitting there, waiting for us. The judge, however, was not there. The rest of the courtroom was devoid of people where normally there would be observers or people waiting for other cases.
¡°All rise!¡± announced the bailiff as the judge walked in from behind his seat.
I stood up at Melissa¡¯s urging.
¡°Be seated,¡± came the next order.
We sat down.
The judge read out the indictment against me and my company. I zoned out as he did so, namely because it didn¡¯t really matter at the end of the day. This was simply performative.
¡°How do you plead?¡± the judge asked after getting through all of the pages.
I stood up.
¡°Guilty,¡± I said in a calm and loud voice.
¡°The defendant has plead guilty. Does the prosecution have anything to say?¡±
¡°Yes, your honor,¡± said the prosecutor. ¡°This guilty please was part of a deal that I believe you have seen. The only part remaining is to determine the fine.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± said the judge. ¡°Based on the facts of the case, you will pay five million as a fine and a further twenty million into a fund that will seek to restore the streams and rivers in your area. That is twenty-five million in total. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± I said.
¡°Very well.¡±
¡°All rise!¡± came the call from the bailiff as the judge made his exit.
Then we took our leave as well.
¡°Twenty million¡¯s a lot,¡± I complained in the car on the way home.
¡°But you can pay it, right?¡± Melissa asked.
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Then there¡¯s no problem! The most important thing is that you¡¯re free.¡±
¡°True,¡± I admitted.
When I got home, I let Gloria know how much she needed to send the government¡ªand the details of where to send it exactly. When she was done with that, I asked for a statement of how much I still had remaining. What I received a week later¡ªafter the funds had cleared on their way to pay the fines¡ªshocked me. Instead of the fifty million or so that I had expected, I saw that I was down to a little more than ten million!
Where had all that money gone?
Chapter 84
This needed investigating. I picked up my cell phone and called Gloria. While I usually communicated over email with her, this time I needed more information and much more quickly.
¡°Good afternoon, Eddy,¡± she said. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±
¡°Can you see where all the money went?¡± I asked. ¡°I expected to have closer to fifty million left, not the small amount in the report you sent.¡±
¡°Let me see¡ This might take a minute, forgive me.¡±
¡°Take your time. I want to know everything.¡±
¡°Alright. Well, there¡¯s the money sent to the government for taxes and for those fines recently. The expenses for the farm have been higher than expected, but not too much¡ªa few million in total over the last five years. Then there are the salaries to me, your parents, and the money spent on legal expenses.¡±
¡°Are any of those significantly more than the others?¡± I wondered.
¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°The salaries to both your parents are the same as they have been since the beginning. My salary you already know. The legal expenses weren¡¯t cheap, but they don¡¯t make up the difference.¡±
¡°Anything that might?¡±
¡°Hmm¡ Ah! I think I¡¯ve found it. Let me do some quick math¡ Yeah, that¡¯s the reason.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Your mother¡¯s been taking a few thousand here and there. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s often and adds up quickly over many years.¡±
¡°Shit!¡± I exclaimed.
¡°Sorry,¡± she told me. ¡°I should have realized sooner and let you know.¡±
¡°Well, thanks for figuring it out. Can you send me the logs? I¡¯ll handle this.¡±
I bid her goodbye and read through the logs. I was pissed. While I¡¯d given her some leeway after Grandpa Joe died, this was¡ extreme. This was not what I wanted. Every day she¡¯d taken a thousand or more. Every. Single. Day. What she did with it, I had no idea. All I knew was that she¡¯d been pissing my money away for years.
I took a deep breath and called her.
¡°Hey Eddy!¡± Mom said when she picked up. ¡°How are you?¡±
¡°Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I checked the bank account and talked with Gloria. What have you been doing?¡±
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±
¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been stealing money from me. I haven¡¯t kept as much of an eye on¡ª¡±
¡°It was that bitch! Gloria! She¡ª!¡±
¡°No, Mom,¡± I snapped, cutting her off. ¡°I saw the bank logs. The money was taken out by you.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª,¡± Mom began before bursting into tears. ¡°It¡¯s been hard since Dad died. I was only making myself feel better. You would want your mother to be happy right?¡±
¡°Mom, listen to yourself. What you did is unforgivable! And you¡¯re trying to defend yourself and guilt me? Fuck this.¡±
I hung up the phone and called Melissa. Without Al, she was the only lawyer I could rely on to do what I needed.
¡°Good afternoon, Eddy,¡± she said. ¡°Everything alright?¡±
¡°Hey, Melissa. I paid the fines, so all good there. I called because I just found out my own mother¡¯s been stealing from me for years. I need to remove her from the company because of it so she can¡¯t take anything more.¡±
¡°Alright. First things first, lock her access to the bank account. The next thing would be to file something with the state to get her removed. If you have evidence, this will be an easy thing to do.¡±
¡°I do. I have the bank logs and the original company documents.¡±
¡°Good. Send me over a copy of them and I¡¯ll get started.¡±
¡°Thanks. You¡¯re a life saver.¡±
¡°Not a problem. Again, restrict access to the bank to preserve the money. Just in case.¡±
She hung up. I called Gloria to ask her to lock Mom out of the bank and kill any transactions she didn¡¯t recognize. Mom had tried to move a significant portion of the money from the account, but thankfully, we were able to catch it in time and reverse it at the same time Gloria locked Mom¡¯s access.
I sat down on my bed when the whole thing was over. My own mother had betrayed me! Although I hadn¡¯t been the best son over the years, that was uncalled for. I wouldn¡¯t be able to trust her in future lives. At least Dad had been reliable¡ªif distant. I was just done with people.
The goal of saving the human race was a noble one. It was also one I was determined to complete more out of spite than anything else. I¡¯d been chewed up and spit out by the whole process plenty, and giving the proverbial finger to the universe was the best I could manage. Giving up so that everyone died wasn¡¯t an option. That was the easy way out. I wasn¡¯t that kind of man.
I had about five-and-a-half years left before I had to go back in time again. In that time, I needed to decide on what I was going to spend my accumulated experience on. The most obvious things were the baseline features I was buying in each cycle. I had enough for all¡ªor at least the vast majority¡ªof those. Beyond that was anything that would help humanity live through the simulation. That would get me more bonus experience when I hit the proverbial button.
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Through the remaining years, I kept farming. I steadily withdrew from friends and family. By the end, I was well and truly on my own. Even Dad left when I turned 19 so he could do something other than farming for a while. I didn¡¯t blame him. Doing the same thing year in and year out was exhausting mentally. I was at the point where I simply no longer cared. The days were counting down until I bought all the features I wanted and went back to the beginning.
It was around the time that Dad left where I finally hit the height of puberty. Without my driver¡¯s license to back me up, I would have been refused service in many places. That I was finally growing wasn¡¯t a huge shock¡ªthat was instead just how much it had been delayed. Would it be even moreso if I put the levels on even earlier? I planned on finding out.
I thought over the life I¡¯d lived the past fifteen years. It had accomplished a lot more than the first go around had. At the same time, it had been a disaster when it came to my on family. I resolved to do everything on my own in the next life. Whether that was by faking an identity or manipulating the humans around me¡ªI refused to call them people as whatever I did would just revert when I went back in time.
Farming had been good experience, and I could steadily reach my goals while testing the system more and more along the way. But was that what I really wanted? I didn¡¯t think so. Maybe the idea of buying a bunch of businesses would be a better plan. That way I could focus more on testing the system and less on actually earning the absolute metric shit-ton of experience the proper system would need in order to function. Maybe I could get all of that done in one more life? I certainly hoped so. Spite would only keep me going for so long.
When Christmas Eve came, I was alone in my house. The house was now in need of repairs that I just didn¡¯t care enough to do. It would be back in pristine condition in only a few hours, so what did I care? No, it was time to purchase the features. With 19,411,090 experience to spend, I had a lot of wiggle room.
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Combat Experience
Current Exp: 18,411,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Crafting Experience
Current Exp: 17,411,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Exploration Experience
Current Exp: 16,411,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Economic Experience
Current Exp: 15,411,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Misc. Experience
Current Exp: 10,411,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Notifications I
Current Exp: 10,311,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Notifications II
Current Exp: 9,811,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: System Help
Current Exp: 9,711,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Search
Current Exp: 9,611,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Quests III
Current Exp: 7,111,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Quests Refresh III
Current Exp: 6,585,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Leveling
Current Exp: 5,585,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Leveling Speed Medium
Current Exp: 5,485,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Skills I
Current Exp: 4,485,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Skills Leveling
Current Exp: 3,485,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Skills Leveling Speed Medium
Current Exp: 3,385,090 |
| Universal Feature Unlocked: Stats Screen
Current Exp: 2,385,090 |
While I had debated not buying the leveling and leveling speed features in general, I determined that they were what I was likely to pick, so waiting wouldn¡¯t help. It would have been detrimental to humanity not to pick them up¡ªif just for the bonus experience. That wasn¡¯t true of the stats, however. There were still at least two stat options I wanted to test before ultimately deciding on the final version. Since there was no undo, that was why I held off from purchasing those features.
I looked at the time on my phone. There wasn¡¯t enough experience to get the free refresh version of Quests III, but I had picked up almost everything I wanted. With only a couple hours until midnight, I bought the last feature I needed.
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Restart II
Current Exp: 1,885,090 |
Chapter 85
| You have finished your second life. Did you enjoy this one more than the last? Before evaluating your performance, let¡¯s take a look at what might have happened if you had decided not to restart for more experience points¡ |
Louise awake to the smell of smoke. Her nose had always been sensitive. She could smell if someone had certain illnesses. It was a superpower of a sort, and one that was important the day she woke up. Smoke was not normal in her area¡ªforest fires were a feature of drier areas, and where she lived was much wetter than that.
She leaped out of bed and over to the nearest window. The street outside her apartment looked calm and sleepy as she might have expected early on Christmas morning. A dusting of snow covered the ground making it a rare white Christmas! Louise peered from either side of the window hoping to see farther away and discover what was causing the smoke she smelled.
There! In the distance to her left, she saw a building on fire. It was a large apartment building like the one she occupied. It was far enough away that she couldn¡¯t resolve the details well. What she could see was rather what she didn¡¯t see. No police. No firemen. She thought she could pick out people standing around the building watching it burn.
Louise looked at her phone to check the time. It was technically not Christmas yet. There were only a few minutes to go before midnight. With the fire raging and the flashing-light brigade soon to arrive, she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d get much more sleep that night¡ªat least not for a while.
She grumbled. She¡¯d have to get ready for work in only six hours. It was going to be a long fucking day. There wasn¡¯t nearly enough coffee in the world to make up for the pounding headache she knew would come by midafternoon.
Seeing as she wasn¡¯t going to sleep for a while, she contented herself by watching the blaze burn brightly. It was mesmerizing to watch the flames dance from the windows, licking the brick exterior. As she watched, the police cars and firetrucks arrived moments later.
When the people inside piled out, she was distracted by a chime that echoed everywhere and nowhere at the same time. In front of her face were words. She brushed a hand through it, but it was intangible! Louise had never seen something like that in her life, and yet she¡¯d read about it in books and in comics. Why was it happening for real?
| The Goblins Are Coming!
Survive
Success: Experience depending on performance
Failure: Death
Expires: 23 hours, 59 minutes, 41 seconds |
Louise felt her heart begin to race. There were monsters coming! She looked around for something to fight with if it came to that¡ªand if those stories were anything to go by, there would be a lot of fighting. From the kitchen, she took the stoutest knife she had. With twine, glue, and duck tape, she attached it to the end of a broom handle. If she was going to fight, it was going to be as far away from those monsters as she possibly could.
There wasn¡¯t much she could do for armor. A heavy jacket was the best she had available. The jeans¡ªstiff enough to walk away on their own¡ªwould have to suffice to protect her legs. The next concern was food and water. She had enough for a week at most¡ªless if the city cut off services.
A scream and gunshots brought her attention back to the window. Her door was well sealed. Unless there was a fire, she was safe in her apartment for the time being. That couldn¡¯t be said of the people on the street trying to fight the fire. Where before, there had just been the police and firefighters working the scene, now the ground looked to be crawling with beasts.
Louise watched with morbid curiosity as one policeman shot at the beasts approaching him, only for another to jump on him from behind. His end was as swift as it was brutal. Even from her window, she could see the beasts tearing apart the policeman. He¡¯d shot and killed four of them, but now his corpse was being eaten. The beasts were fighting over the meal, causing another two of them to die¡ªand become food for the survivors. It was incredibly brutal.
The remaining policemen and firefighters formed a group. Some of the firefighters worked on the fire, but the rest had to fend off the monsters. Inside the ring of police and firemen were the few residents who had survived the initial onslaught. She was thankful for my apartment keeping me relatively safe.
Louise had food, warmth, and light¡ªwell, she had light and warmth. The power had just gone out. Then the fire alarm went off. That was when the screaming truly started. She grabbed her spear and donned her jacket. She stuffed a water bottle in one pocket and some snacks in the other. Then she made for the fire escape.
The fire escape was as old as the building itself, and was worryingly rusty. The owner had obviously painted it to keep the rust at bay, but those efforts hadn¡¯t gone particularly well. Louise climbed down carefully while other tenants joined her. When she got to the bottom, the final ladder was chained to the last landing. Without the key, the best she could hope for was a ten foot drop at the end of the ladder.
With no better option, she began to climb down. The others had given her a strange look about the spear she had, but no one said anything. If only they¡¯d seen the monsters tearing people apart, they¡¯d be more inclined to have one of their own!
Louise dropped from the final rung of the ladder and landed in a crouch. The makeshift spear almost nicked her leg as she did. She stood up and kept the spear at the ready. Now that she was outside, she had a call to make about what to do now. Did she stay where she was or move somewhere else?
The policemen and firefighters had been holding their own fairly well, but there was no way she could fight her way through the mass of monsters to get there. Staying put presented its own challenged. With the building presumably on fire, she would need to evacuate somewhere else. Unless, of course, it had been a false alarm. Her apartment was still the safest place¡ªif it remained intact. Staying out in the open, however, was decidedly not.
Louise knew her life hung in the balance. That¡¯s when she decided to make her way to the nearest subway station. That would have some shelter and at least limit the directions those beasts could come from. To do so, she would need to sneak past the fire down the street and all of the monsters drawn to it¡ªbecause it looked like they were as much attracted by the people as they were by the fire itself. Her own apartment building possibly being on fire was no longer a safe place to be near.
Ever so carefully, Louise crept along in the shadows. She kept to the far side of the street from where the blazing apartment building was, hoping that the distance and darkness would keep her safer. She knew it was just wishful thinking, but wishful thinking was all she had¡ªother than the makeshift spear.
As she moved, she kept an eye out for the monsters. Her spear always at the ready¡ªnot that she had any idea how to actually use it. A pointy and sharp stick was better than hands with no claws. She could feel the heat from the fire across the street, a warm reminder of the dangers she faced in making the crossing. Louise let out a small sigh when she passed the fire. From there, it was a straight shot to the subway across the next street. She was home free! Until she wasn¡¯t.
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In her path was a long beast. Now that she was closer, she could see its features better in the dim light of the moon¡ªand the flickering light of the fire behind her. It was about the size of a five-year-old human with fur covering its arms and legs. It wore rags and carried a small knife. Its fingers had sharp claws on the ends. That wasn¡¯t the sort of goblin that the term conjured in her mind, but it must be what they quest had been referencing.
She readied her spear and pointed it at the monster in front of her. As silently as she could, she stepped towards it. The silence was as much for surprise as it was to not get ambushed by anything from behind. The moment she was within range, she stabbed forward as hard as she could!
The spear was less effective than she¡¯d hoped¡ªnot that her hopes had been terribly high. It was a makeshift spear, after all. Still, that didn¡¯t mean the spear didn¡¯t do anything. It had a kitchen knife at the end, and those things were wicked sharp. The main issue was that the monster moved slightly after it heard her approach, so the blade at the end pushed into its arm, drawing blood. The fur had done some to slow her attack.
The beast was now fully aware of her presence. It snarled and leaped at her. Louise took a step back in surprise¡ªand not an unreasonable amount of fear¡ªonly to bring her arms up to defend herself. As she did, the butt of the spear swung around and impacted the monster with a solid thwack.
Not much damage was done, but it was enough to throw the goblin off of its game. That was enough time for Louise to line up another thrust. This time, the knife slipped into its chest. It let out a gurgle before dropping to the ground.
Her heart raced. She looked around to see if anyone or anything was nearby before continuing on to her destination. She was surprised to have found it in herself to kill. Maybe it was the adrenaline¡ªfight or flight was a hell of a drug. Maybe she had a killer within her all these years and never knew it. At the end of the day, it didn¡¯t matter. She had survived the fight and gained something in return.
In front of her was a message just like the quest.
| Combat Experience: Killed Level 14 Goblin
Exp gained: 29 |
Because of what she had done, she had gained experience. What that meant, she didn¡¯t know. There wasn¡¯t an instruction manual. She decided to try to figure it out when she got to the subway station.
The subway station was dark without electricity. Still, by going down into it a little ways, she only had to watch and listen for monsters coming from two directions instead of everywhere. That would give her a fighting chance, if it came to that.
She sat down on the steps and leaned back against the concrete wall. Tears fell as the smells of piss and garbage filled her nose. She didn¡¯t know how long she cried, but the first rays of light caught her attention. She stood up and stretched. Sitting for so long on the hard stairs had been hell on her body.
Louise waited for the sun to come up fully before peeking over the edge of the stairs. Here and there, she could see monsters roaming about. More goblins. There were corpses of humans and goblins¡ªmostly humans¡ªstrewn here and there where they had fallen. Some were partially eaten, others were still being nibbled on.
She felt bile rise in her throat, but pushed it back down. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be sentimental. She first had to survive if she wanted to mourn the dead. That brought her mind back to figuring out what was going on. She tried the basics from the books she had read before stumbling on the method of bringing up her status sheet. It was then that she discovered that she was level 0 and it would cost 100 experience to get to the next level, whatever that meant. There were skills too, each costing 1,000 experience¡ªand there were so many that she was quickly overwhelmed.
Louise closed the windows and considered what to do next. She figured that if her building somehow hadn¡¯t burned down, that was where she¡¯d have food and a safe place to stay for a few days at least. The canned soup and ramen she¡¯d stocked her pantry with were unlikely to go bad before she ate them.
From her vantage point, there was no way to beyond the still-smoking apartment building between where she was and her home. In the way were at least a dozen goblins. She debated staying put, but a grumbling belly spurred her to action. The snacks and water were long gone. To live, she needed more.
Sighing, Louise rose from the subway station and plodded her way home. She did her best to hide from the monsters as she did so, but she wasn¡¯t wholly successful. The one fight she had went about as well as the first one¡ªshe lucked into killing it by reflex more than skill. The amount of experience she¡¯d gained wasn¡¯t consistent, even though the monster description was the same. This time she gained 32 experience.
In the daylight, the destruction where the fire had been the previous night was evident. There were piles of corpses¡ªprimarily of the goblin variety. The water from the hoses and the bullets from the guns had done a number on them. The humans didn¡¯t come out unscathed, either. Of the ten of so people on scene¡ªnot counting the residents¡ªat least six of them had perished.
Louise sent a small prayer to God when she saw her apartment building intact. She used her key to get in and climbed the stairs. On her floor, it looked like someone had tried to enter her apartment, but had¡ªthankfully¡ªbeen unsuccessful. Safely inside¡ªwith all the locks sealed¡ªshe lay down on her bed to sleep. The exhaustion of the day finally catching up to her.
Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. Weeks to months. Months became years. Louise managed to eek out an existence. She tried to level up using experience, only to find that while the number went up, nothing actually changed. That wasn¡¯t entirely true for skills, but most of them were unusable without some kind of energy. They simply gave errors when anyone tried to use them.
No, the most important thing were the passive skills. Those usually worked. Things like resistance to types of damage or proficiency with a weapon. Those could be leveled, and they turned out to be the key to survival. Monsters were always the main killer, but starvation and disease were always waiting in the wings to pick off the rest.
Humanity survived marginally better than it had after my first life, but it was not as much of a win as I had hoped for. With the vision over, I was finally treated to the calculation I wanted to see¡ªthe recap.
|
Now let¡¯s move on to see how you did. You unlocked the following features permanently:
Social Experience
Combat Experience
Crafting Experience
Exploration Experience
Economic Experience
Misc. Experience
Notifications I
Notifications II
System Help
Search
Quests III
Quests Refresh III
Leveling
Leveling Speed Medium
Skills I
Skills Leveling
Skills Leveling Speed Medium
Stats Screen
|
|
And here¡¯s what you selfishly unlocked for yourself:
Crafting Experience
Combat Experience
Exploration Experience
Economic Experience
Misc. Experience
Notifications I
Notifications II
System Help
Search
Quests III
Daily Bonus Experience
Leveling
Skills I
Skills II
Skills III
Additional Experience
Stats Screen
Body
Mind
Spirit
Life
Will
Chi
Leveling Speed Continuous
Skill Leveling
Skill Leveling Speed Medium
Identify
Floating Light
Stealth
Tracking
Fireball
Tracker
Plant Vision
Soil Vision
Grow
Heal
Restart II
|
|
In so doing, the monsters are now:
Average Monster Level: 14
Monster Strength Tier: 2
Exp To Next Tier: 587,890
|
| Your actions led to 9,828,354 people surviving integration, giving you an overall score of 79. As a result, you are awarded a bonus of 14,454,397 experience. |
| Restarting from save point¡ |
Chapter 86
I woke with a headache so powerful it brought tears to my eyes. I sat up in bed and screamed. There was simply no holding it back¡ªit hurt too much! My hands clutched my head when I heard stomps in the distance. It was Dad, rushing from the room next door. In his hands was a baseball bat. Upon seeing me, he dropped it and rushed to my side.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Milton?¡± he asked, rubbing his hand against my back.
¡°Head,¡± I choked out between the tears.
¡°Did you fall?¡±
I went to shake my head, but the pain was too much. Instead, I gave a thumbs-down gesture.
¡°Let me get some medicine.¡±
He left my bedroom and returned with a small cup of liquid pain-relief medicine. I carefully downed it before giving it back. It tasted pretty terrible, but it would¡ªhopefully¡ªreduce the pain some¡ in an hour. Dad sat with me the whole time. As the medicine began to kick in twenty minutes later, I finally stopped crying.
¡°Are you ok now?¡± he asked.
¡°Still hurts but not as bad,¡± I told him.
¡°Need me to stay with you?¡±
¡°No. I think I¡¯m ok now.¡±
He nodded and left me alone, taking the baseball bat with him. If it had been Mom, I would have been at the hospital already¡ªand maybe she was right to be worried like that. Yet, for this, I knew what was going on. The mass of memories had been shoved back into my head¡ªanother fifteen years was not doing my brain any favors.
With the lessened pain, I could think long enough to realize what I needed to do.
| Skill Purchased: Heal
Current Exp: 16,338,487 |
I tried to Heal myself but ran into an error immediately.
| Skill Heal cannot be used without having a form of energy. |
Right. There was that. I remembered my plan and purchased the stats I wanted to test.
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Body
Current Exp: 16,337,987 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Mind
Current Exp: 16,337,487 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Spirit
Current Exp: 16,336,987 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Blood
Current Exp: 16,336,487 |
| Personal Feature Unlocked: Faith
Current Exp: 16,336,387 |
After buying what I wanted, I Healed myself until doing so made my headache worse instead of better. Blood¡ªit turned out¡ªwas a combination of health and magic. Using a small amount didn¡¯t have much of an effect, on how I felt¡ªlike there was a sort of buffer there¡ªbut overdrawing it would have adverse effects on my body. It was the sort of thing I now had an intuitive understanding of after unlocking it.
I sighed now that my headache was mostly gone¡ªnotwithstanding the overdrawn blood. I debated going back to sleep, but decided to at least read over the note I¡¯d shoved to the side of my vision before I did.
| Back for another go? Well, last time was certainly better than the first time around. Your fifteen years are on the clock. Will you return to the present or will this be the final run? Whichever you choose, I¡¯ll be watching! |
I shuddered after reading the note. I didn¡¯t like the idea someone¡ªor something¡ªwatching me at all times. I couldn¡¯t imagine being intimate with someone¡ªor even myself¡ªknowing that some deity was recording the whole thing like some kind of pervert. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. It would have been better to be blissfully unaware.
As I thought about it more, it did make sense. How else would the system know when to give me experience for what I did? Quests seemed to come from what I was doing or what I was about to do. The only way that would be possible was if it¡ªthe system or the deity, it didn¡¯t matter which¡ªwas able to read my mind and actions at all times. Ugh!
At the end of the day, I knew it didn¡¯t really matter. I was being spied on and there wasn¡¯t anything I could do about it¡ªnot really. Anything capable of making the system and turning back time was more than capable of snapping me out of existence. I knew it would take note of my grumblings, but what else was I to do? Nothing! That¡¯s what.
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I closed my eyes. It took far longer than it needed to, but I fell into a fitful sleep. Dreams of being turned to paste by some sort of eldritch being or another haunted me.
I awoke late in the morning to the smell of food wafting up from below. I dressed and walked downstairs. My head still hurt, but it was muted now. Even though the medicine had worn off, the healing I¡¯d done on myself had been enough to ease my suffering enough to be functional.
As I walked down the stairs, I considered the best way to convince Dad that I was a time traveler¡ again. It was already the third time I was doing this and this whole song and dance was getting old. A floating light was just boring. If I was going to wow him, I would do it right. A floating me, on the other hand¡ now that would be something. The problem was that I didn¡¯t have any practice flying around. That was something I would need to try, but for now, I needed something flashy that I had some skill doing. A quick Search found the perfect candidate.
| Skill Purchased: Spark
Current Exp: 16,335,387 |
The skill allowed me to cast a series of sparks from my hand. After testing it, I guessed I could light a fire with them if I tried, but they would suit my purposes. Flashy was what I wanted and the skill had that in spades.
¡°Good morning,¡± Dad said when he saw me walk through the kitchen and into the hallway where we ate out meals. ¡°How¡¯s the head?¡±
¡°Better,¡± I said.
¡°Good. Good. Hungry?¡±
¡°Mhm.¡±
¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll bring you something.¡±
I did as he said and he returned with my least favorite sweetened-sand in milk. Still, I was too hungry to complain. Didn¡¯t mean I was happy about the breakfast offering.
I stood up after finishing my cereal, which caused Dad to look up from his phone. I waved to get his attention.
¡°Dad, I have to show you something,¡± I said.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll want to sit down for this one, and probably put the phone down. I don¡¯t want you to break it by accident.¡±
Dad dutifully put his phone down and gave me his attention.
¡°There¡¯s a famous movie line¡ we¡¯re not in Kansas anymore. Well, look at this.¡±
I put my hand out, palm up. I cast Spark twice to make a small shower of sparks. It was like a sparkler that shot upwards. Thanks to my testing, I knew they would burn out long before they reached the floor below. Dad didn¡¯t know that and jumped up.
¡°What?!¡± He exclaimed.
¡°Magic, Dad.¡±
¡°Again. What?!¡±
¡°You¡¯d best start believing in ghost stories, ¡®cause you¡¯re in one? Yer a wizard, Milton?¡±
¡°B-Wh-Can you just not do that inside?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t burn the house down, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re saying. Time travel¡¯s a weird thing, you know?¡±
¡°Oh, time travel as well? What are you going to tell me next¡ the world¡¯s ending?¡±
¡°Well, there¡¯s that, too, I suppose.¡±
¡°Aaaah!¡± Dad yelled.
¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly more of a reaction than me spinning a ball of light around like I did last time,¡± I grumbled.
¡°Well at least that wouldn¡¯t have potentially burned the house down!¡±
¡°I did say you should sit down for this,¡± I chuckled. ¡°So can you please? I¡¯d like to hit the ground running and do better than I did last time.¡±
¡°Well, mister time traveler, what did you do last time?¡± Dad asked, sitting down in his chair.
¡°Farming, mostly. Some magic, too. Helped a bit, but a bit isn¡¯t enough to save humanity, so here I am to try again.¡±
¡°Well that¡¯s a letdown. And here I thought you¡¯d win the lottery and take over the world.¡±
¡°Might help, but no. I do know the lottery numbers for this week and next week. But those aren¡¯t important, you know? Didn¡¯t help enough.¡±
¡°Fine! I get it, just tell me, ok?¡± Dad pleaded.
¡°Can you at least call me Eddy? Milton is too old fashioned.¡±
¡°Alright, Eddy, I¡¯ll do that. Please tell me the lotto numbers.¡±
¡°I will, I will. First things first, though. I need to talk to Grandpa Joe. He¡¯s got some seed money that¡¯ll get me going. Can I borrow your phone?¡±
Dad picked his phone up and handed it to me. I input his code and sent the email to Grandpa Joe. I included the code words and some other notes. I stressed the need for the laptop and the crypto. Without those, I was pretty much dead in the water. When I was done, I locked the phone and handed it back to Dad.
¡°So what now?¡± he asked.
¡°Your lotto numbers and then off to the back yard to mess around and wait for Grandpa Joe to come over. Also, can you please get some internet for the house? I could really use that¡ and a way to drop out of school, too. That would be nice.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have money for an internet connection right now. After the lottery?¡±
¡°Fine. The drawing¡¯s in two days. I need it by Monday next week at the latest.¡±
¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll do that, provided I win.¡±
I gave Dad the lotto numbers before going to the backyard. I originally planned on doing more of the same¡ªfarming¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t so sure. With how much strain the time travel was putting on my body¡ªspecifically my brain¡ªI didn¡¯t think I could handle more than one more restart. And even that was going to be rough!
Even if I included investing in businesses, I didn¡¯t think I would come close to what I really needed. No, whatever I did, this was going to be the last real chance I would have to get big chunks of experience. When I went back the next time, that was it. Anything I wanted¡ªor needed¡ªto test would have to happen now. I couldn¡¯t put it off until later.
As for earning that experience? Well, the pesticide dumping project had given me some ideas. I was caught because I didn¡¯t take precautions. I wasn¡¯t going to be so foolish this time around. With some planning¡ªand abusing the system¡ªI would be able to do as I pleased.
I knew that¡ªby going this route¡ªthere would be some negative consequences to what I was going to do. That said, everything would return to how it was supposed to be as soon as I restarted again. It was a comfort to know that everything¡ªand everyone¡ªwas essentially fake. I was glad they wouldn¡¯t remember. It would be better that way.
Before I went back inside, I thought over the vision I had been granted. It revealed issues I hadn¡¯t really thought about that much. There were the obvious ones¡ªlike how skills needed an energy source¡ªbut there were more obscure ones. There was too much variety in terms of skills available. Without some kind of limiter to direct people towards what they needed, it was a free-for-all and the outcomes weren¡¯t good.
The solution¡ªin my eyes¡ªwas classes. A class was a way of tilting the distribution of points in whichever stats I ended up going with. It would also allow me to narrow down the amount of skills available to pick from. Maybe there were ways I could have the classes give free skills in the same theme¡ªlike gun skills for a duelist. Then there was the other side of things: the professions. Was that something worth including as a class or as a separate choice? I added these to my list of things I needed to try.
I headed back inside and up to my room to think. Dad gave me some paper and a pen to write down my notes. By the end of the day, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to accomplish. I had a lot of experience that was simply burning a hole in my pocket. I would keep enough to restart in an emergency, but the rest would go towards forwarding my plans.