Even with the help of magic, it took a long time to get a building down. Once other people realized what Logan was working on, they quickly flocked around and asked if they could help. There were certainly things to carry and move and hold still and so on. With some Numa, sweat and elbow grease, they finally got the roof to rest on the building. It almost clicked into place, snuggly embedded between the walls to rest on the support beams. Tumor’s measurements made things a lot smoother than they had any right to be.
By sunset they had a complete building. It was not a thing of beauty. The ash and clay mortar was clumped here and there and the wood Logan hadn’t used magic on was bendy and uneven. A mismatched wall of sticks and chopped up trunks of young trees held the [Transmuted] plywood in place. Freya was on the roof spreading clumps of tall reeds they had found near the river.
Even Malcolm Specter had peeled his sleeves and helped Simmons cut them wood once he was done with his walking and talking. He never once gave Logan a glance long enough for his son to catch his eyes.
The sun was setting. It was already growing dark, but there was an orange moment that was slowly turning into a shade of dark purple. The forest around them was casting long shadows to the opening they had. Bugs were chirping somewhere nearby and sometimes a curious monkey or two peeked from behind a tree branch at them.
[Skill Level Up!]
[Funnel level 5]
Logan let the heat-enchanted rock suck up an [F-grade Numa Crystal]. He had to admit, it was somewhat expedient. But not even his father objected, and Logan sure knew why.
The [Fisherman], a balding, chunky man in his forties, called Daniel, had caught and prepared seven fish from the pond below. They were stuck on sharp sticks and would be roasted on the fire, as soon as Balmer would get it going. And yes, it had totally been Logan’s machination to get the young agent on firemaking duty.
Despite the jungle growing darker around them, they soon had a fire going and the smell of cooked fish was not missed by a single growling stomach. Logan looked at the faces around him. He didn’t know half of them, and had never liked any of the ones he had known, apart from Freya’s. But now he felt connected. The tired smiles, the satisfied sighs, the idle chatting. It was beautiful. There was a peace to the whole group that had not been there before. Before it had been survival and fear. Now each and every one of these people knew they didn't have to sleep outside at the mercy of the elements tonight. And that was something.
It wasn’t lost on Logan that it was largely his doing. His father hadn’t said a word to him after giving him a compliment for the first time in over ten years. That didn’t stop Logan from grinning. Freya, who was sitting next to him, gave him a quizzical look. Logan only pulled her closer and kissed her gently, to which she reciprocated immediately. Logan didn’t remember the last time he had been this content.
*
Logan woke up to aggressive snoring in a smelly room under a bundle of arms and legs.
Best night of sleep ever.
Logan was used to being the first one up. It was a genetic gift from his father. Right now his father was snoring and a trickle of drool was running down his cheek. Logan really wished he had a camera. He couldn’t blame the old guy. Logan had gotten decent sleep in the dungeon or whatever. Sleeping on the grass, getting eaten by bugs and seeping in that moisture and dew made for awful rest.
Yes, Logan enjoyed this feeling of being the first one up. He was used to it during morning-afters of the countless house parties he’d attended and thrown. Brewing coffee at people and smirking at their states of groggy despair was one of Logan’s great joys in life. Well, had been.
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No such leisures today. Logan got up and went towards the river. He was groggy too, but nothing he couldn’t overcome with the help of some cold water. After making sure there were no piranhas waiting to eat his toes, Logan washed himself and drank as much as he could. After that he sat down on a smooth white rock and watched the forest wake up around him as the sun rose higher in the sky.
It’s going to be a hot day.
Logan sat down and thought. Idly wondering if this was what his father had spent a lot of his time yesterday. Malcolm Specter had to keep twenty people alive in the wilderness. Logan supposed that warranted some thinking.
Being the reckless son that he was, his scope was going to be smaller. He needed to gear up for another adventure. He would make the necessary preparations and properly delve into one of the dungeons within this jungle. There he would maybe find more about the secrets of Numa.
Could I create these crystals myself? Or are these just the leftover batteries of some civilization long gone?
He’d hate to think it was the latter, because it would make his father’s views on being frugal with the energy that much more compelling. Logan didn’t like it when his father had command of a compelling argument. That man would bite into it like a bulldog with rabies.
“Tumor, help me prepare for eventualities. I obviously need food. Water would be nice, but I doubt we can whip up a flask. What else do I need? Rope? Would be nice. Flashlight? Yeah, maybe for Christmas… Wait I can just give any stick or rock a light [Enchantment] can’t I? Sheesh… Why am I doing your job for you? Tumor. Anyway, make a list of items I might need.”
[Reconfiguring Neural Matrix… 27% Completion]
[Compiling a dataset…]
[Running simulations…]
[...]
[The list of items you might need on such an exploration could get quite large. Would you like this one to re-examine all of the 136 items that might be useful, and compile a smaller list?]
Logan sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “Yes, Tumor. I would like it if you didn’t go over all of the 136 items right now…”
[Reconfiguring Neural Matrix… 28% Completion]
[This one senses it should have given you a contracted list to begin with and asked whether you need an expanded list, and not the other way around. This one will adjust responses henceforth.]
“Thank you, Tumor…”
[A light source is required. Rations for sustenance are required. Simulations suggest that 72% of scenarios without rope will lead to death. Simulations suggest that 89% of scenarios without a water container will lead to death. Containers for carrying the Numa crystals are required items. Additional suggestions: firemaking tools, an axe for firewood, gloves and bandages for first aid.]
“Seems reasonable,” Logan thought aloud. “Gloves are not possible right now. Rope.. How the hell am I going to make rope? I’m sure as hell Janice won't have the levels or expertise for a while… Water container is going to be a bastard, isn’t it..? Wait! I can use the leftover snakeskin! That will also make father mad as an added bonus.”
Logan got to work. He’d ask Janice to make pouches out of the group's leftover ragged clothes to carry the Numa crystal haul. She could also take care of the bandages.
The snakeskin water flask he’d have to transmute. That worried Logan a bit. While his Control was the highest attribute he had, he feared this design would stretch him thin. The seams would have to be… well water-tight. He’d also need a cork. Yeah, this was going to take a while…
*
Logan bent the motley snakeskin resembling the red hologram-hallucination Tumor produced and cast an incantation, focusing on the image in front of him and the measurements Tumor had told him to ask for.
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Control: 10]
The result was an ugly black and blue pouch of coarse leather. But it seemed like Logan had done enough. To test it, he immediately went to the river and filled the pouch. It held the liquid. There was exactly half a gallon there, according to Tumor’s calculations. Logan seeing the bulging pouch jiggle as he waved it around.
Sheesh… I was so worried.
Logan tried drinking from it, but it proved not so simple. The mouth was too flexible and he spilled a good deal of the water on his chest.
That’s going to make the cork business harder too.
He took his last [F-grade Numa Crystal] and hardened the mouth of the flask. Half of the Numa was spent, and as Logan felt around the mouth of the flask, he felt satisfied at the result. Now he’d just need Janice to produce a cinch and a cork for the flask, and he was all but ready to go. It was time to search for more Numa.
Oh crap, I still need the rope, don’t I?