[ Countdown: 1d 11h 41m 05s ]

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Whether you believe it or not, building a sled is easier than one might think! All you need is rope and wood. You can get rope by combining weed and vines, maybe with a bit of mud added to the mix for extra stickiness. Carving wood is also very easy, you just need a sharp stone! That is, of course, if you want to make it small. Large sleds don’t require too much, just a few tree trunks placed next to one another, connected via ropes.

Such sleds helped Tanuki transport materials to the Gaia Core. Thanks to the fresh wood he gathered, he could easily reinforce the sharp fence and also make it cover an even larger area!

Behind the Core, Tanuki raised his first official base of operation. It was a tent made out of large tree trunks and a bunch of leaves that worked as a cheap wall. It was just tall enough so he could stand up inside.

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.” He said, scratching his sleepy head. “And I make breakfast.”

It was the first time he slept after days of continuous fighting for his life. Saying that last night he went to sleep exhausted would be an understatement, as he slept for almost 12 hours! Worst of all, after all that sleep, he woke up feeling even more tired.

“Nothing a good mix of unidentified berries can’t solve!” He said, crushing the juice out of berries. It wasn’t the most satisfying breakfast, but it was enough to clench both his hunger and thirst for now. “Kahh, so refreshing! Much needed before a long day of preparing! Let’s see, what do I have to do today…”

He turned and met the gaze of a white plague doctor’s mask. Two small glasses hid the eye part, and the person behind the mask wore a large blue turban. Windy clothes and rugs crowded the figure’s body, and desert equipment hung from his side. A large beige backpack was on his back, from which various maps peeked out.

“Good day to you, Mister Hachiro!” The man greeted Tanuki with a harsh nasal voice. It sounded like he was trying to jump octaves with every third word.

Tanuki gazed at the mask for a few seconds. Then, he calmly put down his wooden cup, walked to his tent, grabbed a sharp spear, and returned to the figure, pointing his weapon towards him.

The masked figure quickly jerked his head to face the weapon. He moved as if he was a real bird that just noticed something fascinating.

“May I suppose that is for me?”

“Who are you?” Tanuki yawned.

The figure straightened his back, and as he did, his equipment loudly clattered.

“I am the Professor Cartographer of Mirages.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Mirages? Do you mean those weird illusions created by the reflection of hot surfaces? I saw enough of those during last summer, they were pretty common on asphalt roads.”

“I can assure you, Mister Hachiro, mirages are far more complex than what you’ve just described.”

Tanuki looked away to hide how uncomfortable he felt.

“When did this crazy weirdo show up?” He thought to himself before he raised his spear again and addressed the figure aloud. “Alright, Professor! I don’t know what you want, but I think it’d be best if you could leave! My mom told me not to talk to any strangers.”

“Hm, perhaps your father taught you to listen to your elders?”

“Hah, the only thing he taught me was how to pirate movies from the web!”

“Interesting.” The masked figure looked at the sky.

It was mostly empty, besides the large yellow ball occupying the sky. Light emanated from it, but Tanuki still couldn’t bring himself to accept it as the ‘Sun’ from his previous life.

“What if,” The figure approached the Gaia Core. “I was to include you on a secret, that is not to be unraveled yet? Would that earn thy respect?”

Tanuki cocked his head slightly to one side.

“What are you talking about?”

“It may or may not have been true, but a little bird flew into my window and told me that you can expand this world with the help of this majestic stone.” He pulled his hand across the Gaia Core.

While he seemed to be unarmed, Tanuki couldn’t help the bad vibes the stranger was giving him. At first, he was sure this one was an enemy just like the goblins, but the way he kept himself and the mannerism in which he talked showed signs of real, civilized intelligence. That too put Tanuki at unease.

“Pretty smart bird friends you’ve got!” Tanuki said sarcastically. “I’ll give you one sentence to explain yourself. If you cannot, I’m going to stab you!”

“If you were to erect a hill down the road, you’d fulfill the requirements of a secret task.”

The figure didn’t even flinch as Tanuki aimed his spear towards him. Instead, Tanuki was the one to recoil upon hearing his words.

“Excuse me?”

A hill? It is true, that Tanuki had one expansion point left to spend, and he hasn’t placed any hills as of yet. That was for a reason, though.

For what a hill entails could be many things. While at first a medium-sized lump of dirty might come to mind, it could very well mean an elevated block of dirt, too steep to pass by any normal means.

“I could put a hill next to the forest and test what it really is, but…” He looked at the tiny glasses covering the figure’s eyes. “He wants me to place one directly in front of the road?”

He knew that doing so would mean extending the road, as it infects every new tile placed where it connects into the abyss. What if doing so would directly hurt him? What if there were secret mechanics involving the road’s length?

Still, his curiosity got the better of him. He decided to listen to the figure.

“Tsh!” Tanuki bit down on his tongue. “I hope your PhD is legit, old man!”

“My skills are utmost trustworthy.”

Tanuki approached the Gaia Core and the main interface appeared before him. The figure seemed blind to it, as he continued to eye Tanuki with the same unnatural head movements, not once glancing at the menu.

[ – – – Menu – – – ]

[ -> Expansion ]

[ -> Waves ]

“It’s been a while since I used this, so please excuse me.” Tanuki chose ‘Expansion’.

“Worry not, Mister Hachiro! I’m sure the future holds plenty more for you in this regard.”

“Sure, dude.” He threw out a half-hearted answer and chose the second grid north to the Core, just where the road would continue.

[ Choose a tile! ]

[ Expansion Points: 1 ]

[ Available options: Field, Forest, Hill ]

“Alright. Let’s place a hill there.”

As his finger touched the corresponding option, the bubble closed and Tanuki saw from the corner of his eye as green blocks of grass and dirt fell from the sky. The masked figure turned and observed the astonishing sight. It was truly magical.

Tanuki raised an eyebrow as he saw the figure’s reaction to the whole phenomenon.

“You can see that?”

“Indeed! My decades of expertise bestowed such gift upon me.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

Tanuki wanted to join him and gaze at the falling blocks, but something unordinary caught his attention. On the interface before him, a message appeared. It was unlike anything he’s ever seen before.

Once he read what it was, his eyes widened in surprise. The figure was right. Placing a hill triggered an event.

[ Congratulations! ]

[ Conditions Met: ‘Place 3 different Tiles’ ]

[ Unlocks: ]

[ Your World now has functional Weather! ]

[ You’ve got 100 World Points! ]

[ You’ve got 50 Tile Points! ]

[ The skies roar above… ]