With no hesitation, I clicked on the Shield Generator and chose the option to unlock that construct. In the drop-down list beside the entry on the Shield Generator, it listed a construction cost: 40 Starsteel. I was unsure of what constituted one unit of Starsteel, but I hoped that the large steel coffin contained enough of the material for me to craft what I wanted.
While the [Crafting] page was already open, I looked through the other items available for me to unlock, and I decided to take the pistol and the knife.
Laser Pistol (40 Starsteel): This is the Tier I MD pistol. Each battery pack contains thirty shots. Firing this pistol counts as a ranged weapon attack, and this weapon deals 1-6 MD upon contact. Battery packs can be recharged with any source of electricity and require 100 megajoules (MJ) to recharge. Additional battery packs can be constructed at the [Workshop] for 10 Starsteel.
Utility Knife (20 Starsteel): This is a basic knife used by Alchemists to cleave MDC objects. When used in combat, the utility knife counts as a melee weapon and deals 1-4 MD upon contact. When dulled or otherwise damaged, the utility knife can be repaired at the [Workshop] for 1-5 Starsteel.
Once these three items were unlocked, their silhouettes were replaced with fully-revealed images. The Shield Generator and Laser Pistol each had a sci-fi aesthetic that I would expect to see in a TV show with space travel and oddly-humanoid aliens, though the Utility Knife resembled a normal knife you’d see in any toolshed.
The Laser Pistol looked like, well, a laser pistol. It looked like a normal handgun but with a sleeker barrel and sweeping filigree designs that seemed to serve no mechanical function.
The Shield Generator resembled a large, clunky watch. Where a watch face would typically be, however, it had a small computer screen. The image displayed a “20/20,” so I figured the screen would automatically inform the wearer of the shield’s status. There were buttons on the outside of the watch screen, so I assumed the computer function of the Shield Generator was navigable.
“System. If I were within my [Workshop], could I deconstruct the ship into raw material?”
[AFFIRMATIVE]
“How does the deconstruction function of the [Creation] skill work?”
[YOU CAN INSTANTANEOUSLY DECONSTRUCT ANY OBJECT MADE ENTIRELY OF MDC MATERIAL]
[EXAMPLE: STARSTEEL]
“So not anything,” I muttered, slightly disappointed. I couldn’t deconstruct objects like wood or normal steel, even if the [Workshop] requirement was met.
“Okay, I need to work fast to get everything done within a single minute,” I whispered to myself, not expecting the System to respond.
“System. Activate my [Bypass Limitation] skill. Remove the [Workshop] requirement from [Creation] for sixty seconds.”
[BYPASS LIMITATION IS NOW ACTIVE]
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
[WELCOME TO YOUR WORKSHOP, UNNAMED USER!]
“Wires crossed, eh?” I said with a smile. I took a step toward the smoldering ship that brought Epsilon to my planet and lightly touched it with the pad of my finger. Though the ship seemed completely undamaged, it was incredibly hot to the touch, so I only made contact for half a second. “Deconstruct.”
Instantaneously, a spider-web of perfectly-spaced cracks formed in the hull of Epsilon’s ship, and it collapsed into a neat pile of square blocks. At a glance, I would say that the cubes were a bit less than an inch on each side. I suspected that, if I were to measure each side of each cube, I would find that they all have a length of exactly one centimeter.
[STARSTEEL ACQUIRED: 121]
That was a good amount. I could make the Laser Pistol, the Shield Generator, the Utility Knife, and two extra battery packs.
I navigated to the Laser Pistol in the [Creation] page and found two options available: [Create] and [Upgrade]. Curious, I highlighted the [Upgrade] icon, and an explanation appeared.
Upgrade: If you have a template item one Tier lower than the created item, you can overwrite the template item and use 20% less raw material.
Right next to the [Upgrade] icon, an image of my pistol appeared next to a symbol that said Tier 0. Interesting. The System seemed to recognize my gun as a “Tier 0 Pistol,” so it could be upgraded to Tier I.
I quickly decided that upgrading my pistol would be the best move. Against MDC monsters, my handgun would be less than useless. My index finger moved swiftly as I selected the button to upgrade my handgun. I felt as the grip on my gun shifted as it was replaced with a Laser Pistol, but I did not bother looking down to examine the gun. There was still more that had to be done, and I only had a few seconds.
[-32 STARSTEEL]
I navigated to the Shield Generator and saw as the [Create] and [Upgrade] functions appeared. An image of my watch appeared next to the [Upgrade] button.
It was absolutely imperative that I create a Shield Generator before my next fight. Even the weakest monster or user of the Revelation System could kill me instantly if I didn’t have it. I clicked the [Upgrade] button, and my watch suddenly became a little bit heavier.
[-32 STARSTEEL]
My eyes quickly flicked over to the pile of cubed steel, and I saw that about half of it was gone. I only had 57 Starsteel and twenty seconds left to work with. I opened a sub-menu in the Laser Pistol entry and mashed the [Create] button three times.
[-10 STARSTEEL]
[-10 STARSTEEL]
[-10 STARSTEEL]
With only a few seconds left, I navigated over to the Utility Knife entry and clicked the [Create] button.
[-20 STARSTEEL]
[YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR WORKSHOP, UNNAMED USER]
Looking around at the fruits of my labor, I saw the strange futuristic pistol gripped in my hand and the clunky cyberwatch on my wrist. By my feet, a sheathed knife and three battery packs that looked eerily similar to handgun magazines laid.
I picked the items up from the ground and absentmindedly tried to place the Laser Pistol in the holster at my hip. Much to my shock, the pistol fit perfectly despite its changed shape. I wondered if the [Creation] process changed the shape of the holster as well.
I stuffed the battery packs and Utility Knife into my pocket before turning my mind toward other thoughts. Now that I was sufficiently armed and protected from stray MD attacks, how would I regroup with Liz and Carlos?