[Appraisal] did not reveal much that he did not already know. However, it confirmed a few theories of his.
First, something as simple as naming a sculpture could have an impact once it turned into a Golem. He did not know what the exact effect of [Named Golem] was, but he figured that since it was displayed, it had to be significant.
Logically, if a name could have an impact, he reasoned that the quality and even the small design details of a sculpture could also play a part in how powerful a Golem would likely become - the process of turning a sculpture into a Golem seemed to amplify what was already there. If he wanted to progress, he'd have to secure higher-quality materials eventually - maybe in the future, he'd make a trip to an art store.
Second, the image he crafted the Golem's core around affected not only its overall design but also the Traits it would receive. He had no clue what [Red Carpet I] did, and [Appraisal] did not reveal any further information; he'd probably have to wait till it was a higher Level for that, but based on its name, he figured he could somehow evolve or upgrade it.
The next time he made a Golem, he’d try to be more intentional about what type of image he crafted.
Inside his soul space, the cat talisman wobbled, dangling from the slack string that held it. Clover closed out the blue screen [Appraisal] had summoned forth and turned his attention to learning how to control Mr. Cat.
Through some experimentation, he found that if he held the talisman in his attention, the Golem would follow his commands. Unlike [Stone Puppetry], he did not have to micromanage its every movement - a vague command was enough. He ordered it to leap out of his palm. It did so stylishly, then crashed clumsily to the ground.
Ah. Clover scratched his head; he hadn’t included landing in his order.
“How is that even possible?” Claire asked as she stared at Mr. Cat’s dapper new bowtie. “Where did the material even come from?”
Clover shrugged. “Magic. I guess.” If the System could create monsters, then, at least to him, it wasn’t such a stretch of the imagination to think that it could create stone. Besides, it wasn’t like the material had appeared out of thin air - the spell had turned mana to stone. It wasn’t a complete affront to the laws of physics.
Excited, Clover continued testing Mr. Cat’s capabilities, running it through a gamut of commands. Quickly, it became clear that the Golem did not possess any amount of intelligence. When met with abstract or overly complex commands, it did not respond.
However, it could follow basic commands such as "walk two times around my chair" and "attack the empty bag of potato chips". Though, even then, the Golem often did not follow the most efficient course of action. When asked to attack, Mr. Cat had head-butted the bag instead of using its claws. After several more attempts, he discovered that if he held a specific image or intent in mind when he commanded the Golem, he could align its actions more closely with his desires.
Using that technique, he once again commanded Mr. Cat to attack the empty bag of potato chips. This time, it used its claws.
Distracted by the sound of the bag being torn to shreds, Ron’s eyes blinked open - he had been so focused on silently activating [Power Strike] that he hadn’t noticed Mr. Cat’s actions till now.
“Did you get it,” Clover asked.
Ron threw a punch. The Skill did not activate, but he didn't seem upset. "No, it was harder than you made it sound, but I definitely made progress. Maybe if I had an hour to sit still and focus, I'd get it."
Clover shrugged again, fighting to keep a smile off his face. He had been doing that a lot lately. If he kept it up, he'd probably get a shoulder cramp, but nowadays, there was a lot to shrug at - too much he didn't understand.
"I guess I got lucky," Clover said diplomatically. Inwardly, he was ecstatic that he had won their unofficial race, but he knew it would be poor form to celebrate, so he settled for a mental fist pump.
Claire retrieved the torn-up chip bag and threw it into a trash bin.
"So," Ron said, pausing as he considered the best way to pitch his idea. "Do we still want to explore the museum? I know when we came up with the plan, we didn't account for meeting any opposition," he said, choosing the last word carefully.
To Clover, the word opposition sounded much less intimidating than the reality of the situation.
“It’s better this way,” Claire said, though she did not sound very confident in her assertion. “Even if we don’t find anything, at least we’ll get Experience Points.”
With the Safe Zone coming down in a week, gathering Levels quickly was the optimal course of action. Most smart people had realized that by now. However, that didn't mean it was easy to… Claire and Ron looked at him, waiting for his response. Clover snapped himself out of his daze. “Ya, I’m down. Now that I’m Level 5, it should be easier,” he said.
"Right. I'm not too far off either." Ron was Level 3, probably on the cusp of 4. "I'm ready to go whenever you two are," Ron said.
Claire nodded and picked back up her sword, moving with nervous energy.
“Wait. Before we go, we should come up with a team name,” Clover said, the words coming out of his mouth before he had a chance to realize what he was saying. The right half of his face twitched upward and contracted in confusion. Why had he said that? It was so stupid.
“Why would we need a team name?” Claire asked, not entirely taken by surprise. By this point, she was somewhat used to Clover saying weird things at random times.
It was too late to back out now without sounding like a total loser, so he decided to commit to the bit. “Because all successful teams have a cool name. It’s practically a rule!”
Inwardly, Clover knew he was just stalling because he was afraid. Not that he would tell anyone that.
Ron nodded sagely. “Steve Jobs said branding is more important than the product. We need a cool name.”
“Did he say that?” Clover asked. He wasn’t an expert on the business leaders of the twenty-first century, but that quote sounded mildly out of character from what he knew of the guy. Though, maybe there was a kernel of truth to it.
"No, I'm paraphrasing," he said, waving his hands about. Clover began noticing that Ron was a bit of a hand talker, not to the degree of an old eccentric Italian man, but above the average.
“Ok, how about the A-Team. My grandpa always used to watch that show,” Claire said.
Ron shook his head. “No, that’s setting the bar too high. If we set our expectations low, we can never be disappointed.”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Good point. How about the B-Team?” Clover added.
"I like it." Ron and Clover high-fived.
"That's the same thing!" Claire grumbled. After a moment, she sighed. "Fine. We'll go with it." She waved her sword, enjoying swinging it around a bit too much to be healthy. "Let's go."
On that note, the B Team departed; they knew that their destination was dangerous, but each, for their own reasons, couldn't stop themselves from venturing deeper into the museum.
Clover wondered if they would find treasure or if their journey would only lead them to more monsters. As it quickly turned out, their adventure led them to another Two-tailed Squirrel. Two sections past where their previous encounter had taken place, in an empty area between exhibits, the lone monster dug into a trash can, rattling the metal as it stuck the entire upper half of its body into the bin. It had yet to notice them.
Clover nodded. "I'll start it off, then you guys finish it while it is distracted." It was essentially the same plan they had arrived on before, but it had worked well, so he didn't see any point in changing it.
“Alright,” Ron whispered back, quietly shaking out his leg.
Clover focused upon his magic and activated [Unstable Mana Bolt]. With the monster distracted, he decided to activate [Minor Alteration] - its description had stated that he could raise the odds of specific effects occurring by changing the spell’s appearance. There was no reason not to try.
Remembering what he had done in the fight against the Old Golem, Clover gathered his will and imagined the bolt changing color. A pressure - a wall of force emanated from the Skill's crystalline structure, attempting to block his efforts, but he pushed through it. It was weaker than before, and he was much stronger than he had been yesterday. Plus, [Minor Alteration] aided in the process.
He envisioned white sparks floating through the otherwise blue bolt - a recreation of the bone effect he had accidentally used in Walmart. With a cold pulse of power, [Unstable Mana Bolt] shifted and began to form in his hand.
Ultimately, the spell looked different from how he had imagined it would. The white sparks looked more like flakes as they floated through the sphere like a shaken snow globe. A cold sensation crept up his arm. He released the spell before it could spread further.
Still unaware, the [Unstable Mana Bolt] smashed into the Two-tailed Squirrel, exploding in a light burst of snow. The elemental effect didn’t seem to do any extra damage, but it added to the monster’s confusion as it heavily slammed into the side of the can, knocking it over.
Congratulations! Unstable Mana Bolt has reached Level 23. +1 Skill Point.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 1.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 2. +1 Skill Point.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 3.
By the time the disorientated monster had dug itself out of the trash, Ron and Mr. Cat were already charging forward. Darting into range, Ron kicked the beast, snapping its head back, then shuffled back as it tried to retaliate. Acting on the opening, Mr. Cat, under Clover's tight control, slashed at the squirrel's ankle or whatever the animal equivalent of one was, tearing tendons and flesh with its claws.
With its back leg unable to support itself, the beast stumbled. Off balance, it couldn’t avoid Claire’s blade. After three slashes, the monster stilled - utterly dead.
Congratulations! You have significantly contributed to the defeat of a Two-tailed Squirrel - Lvl 1. +100 Exp.
They had obliterated the beast. It hadn’t even been close to a fair fight.
"You ever wonder why all these squirrels are stuck at Level 1?" Ron asked as he poked around the monster's corpse, searching for a Skill Stone - he had hit Level four in the aftermath of the battle.
Clover shrugged, possibly setting the record for the number of shrugs in a single day. "They probably haven't had a chance to Level. We're probably the first people who have come out here," he said as a fresh surge of adrenaline faded from his system.
So far, Clover knew of two ways monsters could increase their Level: by killing people or by eating people, a grim combination. Places with a lower population density would naturally have monsters with lower Levels.
“Then why aren’t they Level 0?” Claire asked.
To be honest, Clover didn’t have an answer. He had never seen a Level 0 monster - he was missing something.
They continued deeper into the museum, its walls painted an eerie red by the backup lights. Before long, they encountered another duo of Two-tailed Squirrels in a hallway with tall ceilings that led to a branching selection of exhibits. Both were Level 1.
This time, they did not catch the monsters by surprise. Without any hesitation, the mutated squirrels ravenously charged at them, their tails flicking aggressively as they ran.
Clover split his attention, juggling the preparation of an altered mana bolt and commanding Mr. Cat into action. Mr. Cat was fast - possibly even faster than the squirrels, so before they managed to cross even half the intervening distance, the Golem was upon them, slashing wildly.
As he forced the [Unstable Mana Bolt] to mutate, he did not have the attention or the brain power required to micro-manage the golem, so he left it alone, with the clear command to continue its attack. The bolt clicked into place, and the change locked in.
A recreation of his previous modified mana bolt formed in his hand. Immediately, he could tell that it lacked the raw elemental power the other had possessed. Focused, he launched forth the uneven sphere of magic. As Ron and Claire battled the other monster squirrel, his attack landed with an audible crack - it had broken bone.
Congratulations! Unstable Mana Bolt has reached Level 24. +1 Skill Point.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 4. +1 Skill Point.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 5.
Unlike his previous battles, he was not forced to desperately wheel away, for with his Golem, he could distract the beast. Using its small size to its advantage, Clover commanded the Golem to zig-zag between the monster's legs and slash at it, further enraging it.
Attacking blindly, most of the monster’s attacks missed, but on rare occasions, perhaps a third of the time, the Two-tailed Squirrel’s claws or tails would connect, scraping against Mr. Cat. Each strike only dealt a minor amount of damage to its hardened clay exterior.
Off cooldown, Clover blasted it with another altered mana bolt - the same design as last time. Though again, the modification didn't yield any additional effects; its raw power was enough to bowl the beast over as the bolt harshly crashed into its ribs.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 6. +1 Skill Point.
On its last legs, the monster fought desperately, eventually managing to catch the small cat Golem in its jaw due to Clover's inexperience. It chomped down, gnashing its teeth, but the Golem resisted the damage.
He struck it again with another [Unstable Mana Bolt] - another failed attempt at modification. The bolt of magic landed with such force that it knocked the Golem free from the monster’s maw.
Congratulations! Unstable Mana Bolt has reached Level 25. +1 Skill Point.
Congratulations! Minor Alteration has reached Level 7.
Shocked that Mr. Cat was still in working condition, Clover commanded it to continue the attack. In short order, it had torn the monster’s throat out.
Around the same time, to his left, Ron and Claire finished whittling down their opponent as well.
Congratulations! You have significantly contributed to the defeat of a Two-tailed Squirrel - Lvl 1. +100 Exp.
Without any new orders to follow, Mr. Cat sat still as a stone next to the monster covered in blood and minor cracks and scratches. The little sculpture had exceeded his every expectation. It was, without a doubt, his most powerful creation.
“You know, I haven’t thought about it till now, but how are we supposed to tell if something is a magical item or not. For all we know, we could have passed one already,” Ron said, catching his breath.
Both Ron and Claire had managed to once again avoid injury. Against such low-Level opponents, if they were careful and not overwhelmed by sheer numbers, it was the expected outcome.
"We'll know it when we see it," Clover said as he thought back to the magical staff the woman had found at the bottom of a sinkhole in Walmart. "Plus, I think a blue screen will appear if you touch it."
He looked ahead, past the dead monsters. Marked by a gaudy sign, directly in front of them was the entrance to an exhibit that showcased a rare collection of gems and jewels.
After a short discussion on where to go next, they entered the section. If they were going to find a magical item, it was likely that it would be here - a magical jewel was a trope as old as time.