Being in a cave full of rocks helped Aiko concentrate more easily on making high-quality stone daggers without the need for distraction and fear of being run out of materials.
Aiko doesn't know how many times she recharged her battery or threw away a broken stone knife. Right now, she was solely focusing on one goal of making a high-grade knife.
Now she is holding another stone knife that has already taken good shape.
"Hnn?"
After breaking off the seemingly the last brittle part from her knife. Aiko again began to inspect the stone knife by gently knocking around its body using her tool [just another rock].
She was searching for a kind of sound that sounds like a very dull click, a kind of sound made when that part of the rock is brittle or unconsolidated.
If ignored, it becomes a problem of that part breaking off when some force applies to that specific part in some time. It would be fine if she uses it as an accessory or places it on display, but it would be a bad idea to use that kind of weapon in combat.
*Clink!*
*Clink!*
*Clink!*
With each tap, satisfying clicking sounds ringed in Aiko's non-existing ears signaling its stability. Feeling satisfied after finishing inspecting the edges, she moved to the centerpiece.
At first, it sounded nice but then...
*CLUNK!*
It sounded from a part that few millimeters away from the center. Of course, no matter what. Aiko is still using stone, so she can't remove every brittle part.
Like an old saying that, blinding one's eyes while trying to remove the gunk.
There is a high chance that she would break the entire thing if she would try it.
But thankfully, that was the only bad part. Then Aiko closely scanned her knife by raising it towards her eyes.
All around the edges looked alright with an overall shape is complete with some turtle backs on both sides. But it will smooth down in the process.
With all fractures and brittle parts taken care of, she only needs to peel off and sharpen the edges on smooth rock. The edges need not be too thin that could break off with some force applied or too wide that gets snag on things.
After another two hours of work. Aiko, now observing her newly finished stone knife.
Compared to her previous ones, this one had a more smooth and balanced body, but the real contrast was how are the edge is done.
The edges look very refined and consistent with a mix of some serrations compared to the previous one's rough and jagged edge.
Aiko walked towards the cube. Before placing her work on the scanner, she didn't forget to establish a connection.
-Scanning the complete.-
-The creation was added to the recipe tab.
-High-Grade Stone Knife price: 2 Essence-
"Good."
Seeing a 'High' grade evaluation, Aiko gave herself a small compliment and waited for her battery to charge fully.
***
It didn't take Aiko long before she receive a notification saying her battery recharged to its fullest.
'Time for round two.'
Aiko bought another three knives in addition to her current one and walked towards the cave's entrance.
Peeking out behind the rock, Aiko saw usual large tunnels full of those things crawling on the floor covered with ash and dust, completely oblivious to the disappearance of one of their kind.
From the condition of her body, she understood her body couldn't handle the same fight like the last time.
She must pick a small and weaker one.
Aiko calmly observed those things moving around the tunnel, searching for a suitable target.
She saw something.
A specific part of the ground began to transform.
Like a droplet fell on calm water, the part of the ground contorted and twisted before converging into its center. Then as if an invisible hand shapes it like clay, the assembled part has begun to take its shape.
After just a few minutes, it took a shape of the thing and began to crawl.
"What the?"
Aiko just witnessed the ground giving birth to those things. Then she checked her status.
Worker Bot Mk.1
Exp: 0/100
Battery: 3 hours 28minutes.
It only took a half-hour for the entire process to finish. And there is no way that this is the only place that spawns those things.
Aiko felt like wanna massage her temple in frustration just by thinking about its numbers.
"Less talking, more moving!"
Putting a halt to worrying about the future problem, she decided to focus on the present one.
Aiko held her knife and aimed at the closest thing that had just been spawned. Collecting all of her strength, she threw her knife.
With a good arc, a thrown knife stuck on the upper white shell of the newborn.
As if the cat got its tail got stepped on the thing immediately jumped from its pain or from a feeling of a foreign substance entering its body. Then it dashed towards figure disappeared behind the rock in a similar manner blind rage of the beast.
While waiting for her prey, Aiko noticed something about those things. It that they don't produce any sound at all, just from its appearance.
It is clear that this newborn is very furious, but even at this stage. Unlike other animals or monsters, it didn't produce any sort of sound as if it doesn't have the ability in the first place.
She will definitely check it later.
A few seconds later, Aiko began to hear a familiar crawling sound.
The sound gets clear as the thing gets closer to her position. Like last time Aiko waited while preparing her body to strike at any moment.
But this time, something different happened.
"What!"
Aiko couldn't help but let out an exclamation in surprise as she saw a thing jumping over her head.
Meanwhile, Aiko's body responded before her mind by thrusting the stone knife towards the first thing that entered her vision. With almost no resistance, the knife pierced the under part of the thing, but due to its force, it yanked the knife out of her hand.
A mixture of push and pain from the knife piercing its body made the newborn fail to stick its landing before slamming its body on the ground with its side breaking its leg in the process.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Seeing the newborn thing struggling to stand up from an injury made by itself, Aiko doesn't know wherever she should be laughing or pity the poor thing's luck.
Eventually, Aiko ended its misery when the newborn ran out of strength from struggling so long. After delivering the finishing blow, she bought it under the light to get a more clear look.
"What is this feeling of disappointment?"
While dragging the thing's body, Aiko couldn't help but mutter. She should be happy about a free exp and essence, but why does she feel so bummed out?
Is she disappointed that thing, died without even putting a fight, or she couldn't get a chance to try her knife in combat?
Aiko studied the newborn body under the light. It was only about half the size as the previous one. The tendrils were shorter but more numerous and resembled hair.
The end of the body was a large see-through fleshy sack that connected to the thing's tendrils through a weird-shaped organ. Seeing unknown near-transparent liquid flowing inside the sack, Aiko decided not to touch any of those things while noting herself about never standing in front of them. It was obvious that it was something that sprayed through its hair-like tendrils like snake venom.
As for the shell...
While from a quick glance, the armor shell looked no different than the previous one except for its small size. But after removing it, Aiko noticed how soft it was. It felt like she was holding a thick sheet of foam rather than hard natural armor. She could easily cut off its parts using her stone knife.
But while it's weak to cut, the shell was extremely resilient to rip and tear. After some test, Aiko found out despite its soft, elastic property. It can't reshape in any way or form as it returns into its original shape in a span of just one minute.
"Is this some kind of a natural-made version of memory alloy?"
She heard of memory alloy that returns to its remembered shape when heated thanks to its unique structure. But it still has many limitations.
But this kind of shell was something on whole another level.
With her bad mood blown away by her new discovery. Aiko placed the shell on the scanner along with other parts while leaving behind some for tests for something in her mind.
-Collected 90 essence. Due discovery of a new type of sample. The project 'Foreign Material' is advanced by 50% and renamed to 'Lesser Foreign Material'-
-New project unlocked 'Fligreium' 0/100 exp conversation rate 1/500-
-Not enough HQ level to unlock other projects.-
-Headquarter: Lv.0
Exp: 0/1000
Research Project: None
Essence: 268
Reserve Exp: 40-
The newborn thing was worth measly 15 exp, but it was something, and it was a sign for Aiko that she took a step forward.
* * *
Argentina, 24km away from Catamarca province.
A single person, moving across the grassy plain on his mana powered car.
The young man was dressed in a unique-looking light armor made of separate parts like a breastplate and arm guards.
He was in his early twenty, and his handsome face looked sharp and healthy. From his neat and trimmed black hair and brown eyes. It was easy to tell the young man's Asian heritage.
Players lived simple lives compared to how its portrayed in mass media. They entered the dungeons, killed monsters, and collected various resources from floors and monsters themselves. When it reaches the established quota or fills their inventory bag, they went to the closest city or headquarters and exchange it for money or something it needs or just blow off steam.
Chen Sangwook was the same. It had been several years since he had entered this industry. He had made a name for himself to a certain extent, but his life didn’t differ too much from other normal Players compared to his monster-like siblings.
After hunting in his personal dungeon, he returned to the closest city. He parked his Mana Crystal Vehicle in the large parking lot located on the side of the city. Normally, his vehicle would be full of inventory bags that filled to brim, but he had left his dungeon only by filling a required weekly quota. Therefore, he hadn’t come back with much profit.
‘I have good friends.’
Right now was supposed to be the best time to earn a profit, yet Sangwook had to take a rest. His party members had said that it was ok, but he knew. Unlike him, who was born with a silver spoon, they need money. So he felt bad for doing this.
‘There is no hurting when I pull my name from a share of next raid.’
Sangwook got off his car and took deliberate steps toward the street that headquarters was located. Eventually, he reached a large plaza brimming with life.
A lot of people were walking around the plaza, and the stores were trying very hard to tout their business. However, the eye-catching part of the plaza was the large statues in the middle.
Sangwook's eyes landed on the statue placed in front. The statue's face was familiar, and it resembled Sangwook's face.
These were the statues of the heroes who had saved humanity and Earth from a great stampede. The one in the front represented this group.
It was Lei Chen. The statue had a solemn and earnest face. Sangwook laughed because he could see his father looking awkward when his mothers and grandparents teased him. After glancing at the statue for a moment, he resumed walking along the main street and entered a building.
“Welcome…! Ah! You're here, Mr. Chen Sangwook.”
A middle-aged man with a plump face greeted Sangwook.
“I was waiting for you. Your party just left after depositing their share. Are you, gonna take a break? ”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“Please dispose of this for me.”
Sangwook took out an inventory bag containing his cut.
“Understood. I’ll immediately take care of it for you.”
Sangwook was standing inside a section of the building belonging to a specialized company with an exclusive contract with his mother’s company, so Sangwook always brought his hunt here.
“So, Mr. Chen Sangwook. Where are you planning on doing in your vacation ?”
The man asked Sangwook while putting away his inventory bag.
"A family gathering."
Sangwook said with a warm smile.
* * *
-Collected 110 essence.-
-Headquarter: Lv.0
Exp: 0/1000
Research Project: None
Essence: 700
Reserve Exp: 100-
Aiko checked the menu after turning the fourth one into the essence. Noticing the reserve experiences, she immediately opened the project tab.
-Improved Battery: 0/100% exp rate 1/10
-Improved Transmission: 0/100% exp rate 1/1
-Lesser Foreign Material 50/100% exp rate 1/2
-Fligreium 0/100% exp rate 1/500
Now she has enough experience to complete one of two projects. But which one to choose?
Aiko read two projects info if she had a choice.
Improved Transmission was straightforward like its name. Upon completion, it will improve how her core transmits its power through her whole body. Enhancing her strength and explosive power as result. Of course, it is a multi-stage project.
As for the Lesser Foreign Material project. Upon completion, it will add new material in the cube's menu that can be exchanged with essence. At the same time, it will unlock more branching projects.
Both of them are good in the long term.
While in the middle of her thinking, Aiko looked at her makeshift spear in her hand.
The spear was made by binding a stone knife on the end of the newborn thing's leg using its own dried hair-like tendril as the tread. This weapon was the best she can do using every knowledge and material she posses.
Pole weapons were one of the best weapons humankind invented after gunpowder and sling. It is easy to use and learn, but most importantly it lessened fear by giving space between user and prey. Also works well as a good ambush weapon.
Aiko wanted to obtain at least a good spear as she can't get any gunpowder for gun or leather to make a sling, but additional power was also a good choice since strength is needed for everything.
But while in her deep thought, Aiko failed to notice a figure stalking behind her.
Suddenly the hearing familiar sound of something dragged along the ground. Aiko immediately looks behind her while preparing her weapon.
'What!'
The doll and the thing's nonexistent eyes met, at that moment, Aiko felt like time has stopped as both of them were stuck on is a place staring at each other.
Then both took action at the same time.
The thing dashed towards preparing to rip off its prey using its tendrils. Meanwhile, Aiko made a thrust with her makeshift spear, aiming under the body of the thing.
She knows when the thing is flipped its combat ability will be dropped by almost half.
Thanks to its simple mindset the thing dashed right into Aiko's spear placing its body in a perfect position to flip. Aiko herself also didn't miss the moment, using all of her power she used her spear as leverage and pushed it.
But at that moment, Aiko discovered the strength limit of her body as she failed to muster any more to overpower force that combination of the weight and dash of the thing.
'Shit!'
Aiko cursed inwardly as she saw the thing pushing her down on the ground with its body. At that moment she was surprised that she still hold a clear mind for some reason when the thing trying to rip off her face using its creepy tendrils.
While in the middle of the struggle Aiko was able to block the thing's tendrils with her left arm at the same time she took another stone knife with the right one.
She immediately thrust the stone knife into the thing's soft fleshy underpart. Now it became a game of chicken race. Is the thing is able to destroy her left arm first and kill her or she able to dig deep into a thing's body first and take end its life?
'What? GOD DAMN IT!'
But then, at the corner of her vision. Aiko saw something approaching her that made her curse again.
It was a newborn thing. Right now, It's standing only a meter away from Aiko with its hair-like tendrils standing up like needles. Ready to shoot its liquid in its sack.
Soon, a transparent liquid shoots out from the tendrils, forming rather a lovely shape in the air and covering Aiko's body.
At moment the transparent liquid made contact with her body, Aiko immediately prepared herself for the worst then...
A nothing happened.
Aiko saw the liquid sliding down her body's exterior without making any change.
'It was nothing ?'
Aiko thought.
One of her worries proved to be nothing to worry about. Aiko changed her focus back to the thing in front of her face.
But then, in mid of Aiko struggle, the liquid continues to trickle down on her body before reaching the inner part through a small cavity on her body's surface. And continue its adventure through the inner part of her body.
Then finally, reaching a small packet connected to a container holding a small crystal.
Suddenly, Aiko saw her vision turn dark and return in just a few moments. Dumbfounded, Aiko found herself is standing in front of the cube.
Confused with a sudden change of scenery, Aiko looked around her surroundings and found the thing or what was left of it as she saw the thing being blown into bits by something.
Then she found a corpse of a newborn thing about a meter away with a whole arm, and a small black box pierced deeply into its body through the head.
By touching the black box, Aiko received a message.
-Would you like to retrieve the black box? Acquire 40 exp.-