Wyatt sat down gingerly near the fire and dumped the results of the mornings scavenging onto the ground. Branches, leaves, tubers, and numerous stones tumbled to the rocky soil where they lay in a messy jumble. He turned towards the dancing flames and held out his hands to warm them.
As he did, he glanced at the others around him. Saeko sat next to him, chewing on her fingernail, while Augie and his daughter sat across from them. The big man leaned forward to place another log on the fire, while Mabel stared up at Jupiter filling the midday sky.
Wyatt reached down and carefully adjusted a few of the stones surrounding the fire—they should prevent it from spreading to nearby dry tinder. The last thing he wanted to deal with after the morning he’d had was a raging forest fire.
“What are you doing?” Saeko asked, eyeing him as he lifted a branch.
“I think I’m making an arrow.” He held the stick over the fire until he felt it was properly heated. He then pulled the wood back and carefully straightened the branch. Much to his surprise, it easily smoothed out. “It’s still strange just knowing things.”
Augie poked the fire with the toe of his boot. “That’s little robots for you. Always messing with your head.”
“Little robots?” Saeko asked.
“Nanites,” Wyatt said, explaining Augie’s comments. “The nanites are the ones that make changes to your neurons to help you learn new skills.”
“You sure know a lot about nanites,” Saeko replied, eyeing him. “And I don’t like anything messing with my brain. Who knows what they’re changing up there?”
“Nanites are completely safe,” Wyatt said, putting the narrow branch back over the dancing flames. “They’ve been used for decades without issue.”
“Maybe it was different where you came from,” Saeko said. “I don’t know a single person who ever used nanites on Ganymede.”
“But didn’t you say your brother was sick?” Wyatt asked. “Weren’t they using nanites as part of his treatment?”
Saeko was silent for a long moment before she replied. “All I could afford for him was traditional medicine. It’s…. it’s why I ended up here.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he replied. Sometimes, he forgot about the rampant poverty of the outer planets. He’d never wanted for anything on Titan, and he couldn’t imagine being stuck with only ineffective medicine for an illness. “Maybe once we win the trials, you can buy what your brother needs.”
“That would be a godsend,” she said in a low voice. “I haven’t been able to stop worrying about him since I woke up here. I’m all he has in the mining dome.”
“He’ll be well treated until the end of the trials,” Wyatt said. “The OSC always takes care of family members as a show of a benevolence until a contestant is eliminated.”
“Do you truly believe he’ll be alright?” Saeko sounded almost painfully hopeful.
“I’m positive,” he replied. “They’ll probably even pay for his medical treatments as long as you’re in the trials. They want your family there, smiling for the cameras, when you’re deemed worthy to re-enter corporate life after your rehabilitation.”
“All the more reason to survive, then.” Saeko pointed at the pile of stuff beside Wyatt. “Can I do anything to help you?”
“Maybe you could help me straighten some arrows?” he said. “I’d like to try out the bow before using it in combat.”
Saeko took one of the branches from him and held it over the fire. But when she tried to tug on it, the stick tumbled from her grasp. She cursed as she picked it up before almost immediately dropping it again. “What the hell is going on?”
“Try it one more time.” Wyatt watched her intently as she held it over the fire, but when the time came to smooth out the curved stick, it dropped from her hands. “I guess you can’t do any crafting if you don’t have the skill.”
“Are you serious?” She gripped the branch so tightly her knuckles turned with, but after a second, it sprang from her grasp. “So, if something happens to you, we’re really screwed?”
“Let’s try something else.” Wyatt placed the branch aside and walked over to the edge of the forest. Once there, he scanned it until he spotted an edible plant. He pointed at it and waited as Saeko tried to pick it up. But no matter how many times she tried to pluck it, her hands wouldn’t close around the narrow stem.
“This is bullshit,” she exclaimed. “Are you telling me I can’t even do gathering?”
“Not if it relates to food or crafting, it seems,” he replied, vaguely unsettled. “This is a bad sign, since there are going to be a lot of very hungry and desperate people out there. If they can’t feed themselves, we’re going to be in more danger than I thought. I think we should start building some defenses as soon as possible.”
They walked the short distance back to the camp, Saeko grumbling all the way. He sat down at the edge of the fire pit and pressed his lips together. What would he do if it came to defending himself against another contestant? He didn’t want to hurt anyone condemned to the trials.
Augie raised his head and peered at him quizzically. “What was all that about?”
“We just learned that people without survival skills won’t be able to feed themselves or do any sort of crafting in this world.”
Augie leaned back and exhaled. “That’s not good. I assume you have those skills? My daughter and I don’t have anything like that.”
Wyatt nodded. “My class is a survivalist.”
“Smart choice,” Augie replied. “When I saw all the new classes, I knew something was up with the Dissident Trials. It’s why we picked what we did instead of the usual popular ones. Mind you, I never thought we’d end up in a survival game. I’m guessing we need to keep you alive until we can buy new skills.”
“But where do we purchase new skills?” Wyatt lifted the branch he’d been working on and started to smooth it out again. After another round over the fire, he held it up to his eye to peer down the length—it was almost completely straight. “I haven’t seen anything resembling a merchant yet.”
“There’s got to be a neutral location around here somewhere,” Augie said. “All we have to do is find it.”
“What about the village?” Mabel said, quietly. “I bet that’s a neutral location.”
Wyatt thought back to the chaotic battle in the village. Maybe Mabel was right, and the village was the place to purchase new skills and items from a merchant. But was anything left after the orc attack? Would it be worth the risk to go back there? The memory of green-skinned monsters ripping the man in half like a wishbone was still fresh in his mind. “Once we have some weapons, we can go scout the village. But if there are still orcs there, then I don’t want to risk it.”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
“You saw those things, too?” Augie shuddered. “Thankfully, we landed on the outskirts, but not many of the other people in pods made it out. Pretty nasty stuff all around.”
Wyatt picked up a pair of rocks. Once they were firmly in his hand, he struck the stones together. Several pieces flaked off from the impact. He continued doing it until he had numerous sharp fragments on his lap.
Saeko leaned forward to examine his work. “How in the world do you know how to do that?”
Wyatt shrugged. “Probably the same way you know how to pilot a heavy mech. When I look at the rocks, I just know how to stone knap them.”
“Stone knapping?” Her face screwed up with confusion. “Is that what it’s called?”
“Apparently.” Wyatt laughed. “I’ve never heard the term before in my life.”
While he continued to break the stones apart, he looked at Augie. “I’ve been meaning to ask what class you chose.”
“I took the astral monk class,” Augie said, grinning broadly. “Mainly because I never found a problem I couldn’t punch my way out of.”
“Dad,” Mabel groaned, burying her face in her hands.
“Course my daughter has real spells,” Augie continued, puffing out his chest with pride. “She got to choose a really amazing class. What was it again? Rain Priesty or something?”
“Storm cleric,” Mabel said softly. “I can shoot lightning and heal people.”
“You… have spells?” Wyatt raised his brow. “I never saw any classes like that in my options.”
Augie rubbed a hand down his chin. “I thought it was pretty odd. But I’m guessing those nanite thingies let her do stuff that looks like magic.”
Everyone had different class options this time, Lars said, breaking his long silence. There are some dangerously overpowered classes out there, so I must advise caution when interacting with other contestants.
“How does the healing work?” Wyatt asked. As he spoke, he pointed at a gash on his shin. While it was already scabbed over from the fast healing of the nanites, it was still painful. “Is there any chance you could heal my wounds?”
“Try as we might, we couldn’t figure it out before,” Augie turned to this daughter. “Do you know how it works yet?”
Mabel shook her head slightly, and blond hair cascaded over her face.
“I think we should all work on unlocking our abilities before we face anything else in this world.” Wyatt used one of the sharp stone flakes to cut a notch in the top of the branch he’d been straightening. Once he’d finished, he worked the stone arrowhead into the space.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Augie replied. “I tried some stuff while we were running from that crab whale thing, but I didn’t work. And with that beastie on my ass, I didn’t exactly have time to sit around figuring out what went wrong.”
While the others watched, Wyatt lifted the stinging nettles and snapped the stalks in half. Once they were broken, he pulled out the fibres and started to lay them across his thigh. When he had enough, he used the strands to firmly fix the arrowhead in place.
Next, he tore several feathers in half that he’d found at the base of the cliff. He lined them up at the base of the arrow and then popped several plants bulbs in his mouth and began to chew. After a moment, he spit the gluey substance onto the wood of the shaft and fixed the feathers in place. Finally, he used the rest of his nettle fibers to anchor the feathers.
As he finished, a notification appeared in his vision.
Ancient Crafting skill increase: Rank 2
Are you really trying to craft stone age weapons to fight the monsters you’ve encountered in this world? Good luck—you’re going to need it.
New Title: Stoned Crafter (+3 Dexterity)
Congratulations, you’ve learned to work with rocks before anyone else in the game. Apparently, you’re nearly as smart as a neanderthal. But just remember, they went extinct, and you’re probably going to share the same fate when you bring a rock to a boss fight.
Reward: Common Loot Box
“Rank 2?” he muttered to himself. It was going to be a long road, raising his crafting skills.
“That’s a lot of work for one arrow,” Saeko said, taking it from him to examine it. “Do you think you’ll be able to make a weapon for me?”
Wyatt nodded. “After I’m done making a few more arrows, I’ll make a dagger for you.” He turned to face Augie. “What weapon skills do you have?”
Augie scrolled his finger through the air and frowned. “I only have blunt and missile weapons. Maybe you could make me a stone hammer or something?”
“I think I could probably handle that.” As he spoke, he wondered about the prompt the system had given him upon completion of the arrow. What did he hope to accomplish with stone weapons? Everything they’d faced so far would probably shrug off anything he could craft. Should he be focusing on more advanced weaponry?
“I don’t suppose you have any food in that pile?” Saeko asked. “I’m starving.”
Wyatt placed all his crafting stuff aside before squatting in front if the fire. He used a branch to move some of the embers away from the roaring flames and then stuck a few narrow branches into the ground. On each stick, he placed tubers, and then handed everyone some green leaves. They accepted the food, and soon they were all grimacing as they munched on the bitter leaves. While they had a huge pile of crab meat lying nearby, no one felt confident eating it with the warning.
“Are you sure this is edible?” Augie said, his face twisted with disgust. “It tastes worse than the protein bars back home. And we all know what those are made from.”
Wyatt tore off a piece of a leaf and popped it into his mouth. He chewed quickly and swallowed, trying to minimize the taste. “I don’t know the name, but the prompts tell me it's edible. Hopefully the tubers will be tastier. After I’m done crafting, I’m going to set some traps in the forest. Maybe I can catch some game for dinner.”
The scent of the roasting tubers quickly wafted over the campsite, and his stomach grumbled at the delicious smell. He pulled the sticks away from the fire and handed one to each of his companions. There were no complaints this time, and Wyatt tore into his portion with vigour.
After they had finished, no one spoke for a long time. Finally, Augie leaned forward and burped. “You seem like a stand-up guy. I mean, you put your life on the line to save total strangers. If anything happens to me, would you mind looking after my daughter?”
“Nothing is going to happen to you,” Mabel said. “We’re both getting out of here together, dad—”
“If we don’t,” Augie continued, speaking over his daughter. “I’d appreciate it if you could look after her.”
I find this situation quite humorous, Lars said directly in his mind. He believes you are a stand-up guy. If he knew the truth about your deeds, he would probably engage in some fisticuffs with you.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” he whispered under his breath. “No one told me about what was really happening.”
Human self deception is always so fascinating, Lars said. My employer often wondered how you slept at night.
He looked up and realized everyone was staring at him. They must have heard him mumbling to himself. Clearing his throat, he said, “Nothing is going to happen to you. I’ll make sure both of you reach The Spire.”
At the mention of Mabel, he glanced over at the girl. Something had been bothering him since he first met her. She looked young—far too young for the trials. “How old is she? I thought you had to be 18 to enter the trials?”
Augie gestured at his daughter, “She’s fourteen in August—”
“July dad,” Mabel interrupted.
“Right. That’s what I said. Darn girl doesn’t listen to a word I say. Anyway, you still haven’t answered my question. Will you look after my daughter if something happens to me?”
“We’re all going to make it to the end together,” he repeated. But his thoughts were still on Mabel’s age. They’d never put anyone so young into the trials before. If the Terran Federation got wind of it, they were liable to get involved.
“That’s a nice thought,” Augie said. “But we have to be realistic—”
“You’re not going to die, dad,” Mabel said fiercely.
Augie shook his head. “You think those bastards at the OSC are going to let more than a handful of us out of here alive? I need to take precautions. If anything happens to me, I want to make sure that you’re looked after.”
I believe the odds of you emerging from the trials are extremely low, Lars added. If my calculations are correct, the OSC will probably target you for elimination immediately.
Wyatt ignored the AI—or whatever the voice was in his head—and started to work on crafting another arrow. No matter what, he needed to make it to the final challenge to end this madness. And he didn’t have time to dwell on any negativity.
When he finished his next arrow, his thoughts turned to the loot boxes he’d been granted. Apparently, he had a bronze and common loot box somewhere. But how did he access them? He pulled up his character screen and scrolled through it until he saw the prompt for loot. When he opened it, he saw the following message:
Receive Loot Boxes? (Yes/No?)
Without hesitation, he clicked ‘Yes’. Nothing happened for a minute, and he glanced around the small clearing in front of the cave. Did the boxes just appear somehow?
Then the piercing whistle of a descending drop pod filled the still afternoon air. “Take cover!” he shouted as he lurched to his feet. When he looked up, he saw a drop pod hurtling straight down toward their camp.
There was no time to get everyone out of the way, and he knew if he didn’t think of something fast, at least one of them was going to end up splattered across the ground just the like the orcs from the village.