Running out of a collapsing tunnel can have a weird impact on your psyche. For some reason I skipped more than ran, jumping up and down as if I walked on hot coals, my hands held above my head as if in surrender.
Once again, I crouched behind my trusty defender, the rock standing just before the tunnel, feeling at a bump above my left ear. I pushed my head around the rock to examine the damage to the tunnel as plans of digging myself out of the cavern rushed through my head, holding back the panic.
It held. Debris littered the ground, but that seemed like the extent of the damage.
I walked up to the entrance and kicked at the wall like I would have a tire. Other than hurting my foot, I didn’t learn much.
A tunnel structural integrity expert, I am not. I once again channeled Yoda.
Walking in, two craters about a foot deep decorated the tunnel surface, a few feet apart. These must have resulted from of the first explosions that triggered the rest of the mayhem. Surprisingly, the rest of the tunnel floor remained relatively unscathed.
The tunnel walls told a different story, with nine holes on the right of the tunnel, and seven on the left. The trigger explosion must have pushed the tomato mines to the tunnel walls, and when they exploded, funneled the destructive force toward the middle of the tunnel and the Dumdums, creating a kill zone.
Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Basic Insight. Basic Insight has advanced to level 2.
Basic Insight (U): Basic insight is similar to Analyze, only it provides with understanding into the nature of what’s being observed, instead of information. Can also be used as a limited version of Basic Analyze if no insight can be gained. Basic Insight has advanced to level 2.
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Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Battle Engineer. Battle Engineer has advanced to level 2.
Battle Engineer (C): The basic skill set of a battle engineer, including the construction and dismantling of mines, erecting bridges, constructing battlements, and setting up camp.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
This whole game mechanics thing weirded me out, but I took it in stride. I mean, what else could I have done?
I left the tunnel and went back to my rock.
I name thee Castle Dumdum.
However these notifications worked, it was obvious the system they obeyed had power over me. I determined to not think too closely on the topic, and concentrated instead on how to use it to my advantage.
“Status,” I said aloud, at once gratified by the results.
Name: Kris Weatherford.
Level: 3.
Race: Human (Earth).
Class: N/A.
Health: 16/18 (regen, 1 per 10 min.)
Mana: 0.
Free stat points: 9.
Strength: 5.
Dexterity: 3.
Constitution: 9.
Vitality: 9.
Intelligence: 7.
Wisdom: 6.
Willpower: 8.
Focus: 3.
Luck: 9.
Charisma: 6.
Skills:
Dagger (3), Blunt Weapons (3), Battle Forensics (C, 2), Battle Engineer (C, 2)
Judgmental much?
It seems like the mechanism recognized me as a smart cookie, but it also knew I suffered from attention deficit disorder. Such low Focus compared to the rest of my mental stats left me uncomfortable. This Labyrinth kept informed.
A Constitution and Vitality of 9. All that running didn’t go to waste. Like in in most game systems, I had no idea what Luck did, but was sure it would serve the system’s needs more than mine.
I figured ‘C’ after my Battle Engineer Skill must stand for ‘Common’, and ‘U’ following Basic Insight for ‘Uncommon’. I didn’t understand why my first two skills, Dagger and Blunt Weapons had no letter signifying rarity next to them.
More Dumdums could have been on the way, but I decided on a strategic retreat. Surviving another explosive encounter with a Dumdum challenged my suspended disbelief in my chances of survival, especially knowing I only had eighteen health, and sixteen right now. I wanted to go back to the relative safety of basecamp, rest, and now that I had the Basic Insight Skill, to finally satisfy my curiosity about all the new loot I’ve gained.