System Query: Kinetic Generator Compatibility

The Kinetic Generator is compatible with any motion transfer component, as well as mana accumulation device.

System Query: Motion Transfer Component Compatibility

Motion transfer components are compatible with any applied motion components and motion generator devices.

I turn the dodecahedron in my hand. It might not use the name, but that’s a motor. Motion transfer makes those drive shafts and axles. Applied motion, those are wheels. This and the related parts will solve the transportation problem.

How do I get components to work with the generator?

System Query: Component availability

Any component can be purchased from the system store [error: system store not currently accessible] as well as within dungeons that are in the periphery of settlement nodes.

Can they be made?

System Query: Component manufacturing

Components are made by [error: information not available, searching—error: system database not accessible] and can be purchased through the system store [error: system store not currently accessible] and found as dungeon drops.

Can they be made here?

System Query: Component Manufacturing, Local

Local area designated as: Earth does not contain the needed resources to manufacture kinetic related components.

Then how does a dungeon make them?

System Query: Dungeon Drops

Dungeons drops are from a generated-by-system list tailored to the dungeon type, the dungeon location, and the dungeon age. Dungeons which have achieved sentience have the capability of altering the list as well as adding items that it is capable of creating.

How can a dungeon make something if the world doesn’t have what’s needed to make it?

That, I don’t get an answer to. It doesn’t matter, it’s just one more thing in this new world that makes no sense. I send the generator to my inventory. I’m sure someone will figure out something to do with it. Probably Terry.

The tunnel leading away from the room still angles down and has a bend to it. I think it’s laid out in a slow corkscrew, slowly turning left and down. How far down does it go?

The next room comes into view, another widening of the tunnel until it’s a cavern. This one has two exits, with a large lump of dirt between them. I’m not falling for this. That’s going to be the creature I have to fight.

What happens to the corkscrew when there’s two tunnels? Does this start a new corkscrew? Do something else? Maybe it’s a side room, and I just lucked out on picking the one that keeps going down the previous times.

“What do you—”

Silver isn’t at my side. He’s a meter behind me, looking like he’s trying to convince himself to get closer.

“Silver?”

He takes a forced step forward, whines, backs up, looks at me, scared.

I look at the cavern again. What is he seeing I’m not? Things have been getting tougher with each cavern, so the next creatures will be hard, but I know what to expect, more or less.

A look around doesn’t show anything else. The rough walls barely have shadows with the ring on. If something is hiding in them, it’s going to be small, more a nuisance to distract me from the main creature than a threat. I start to turn back to Silver when I realize I’m forgetting a detail.

I look around the room again, this time focusing, looking for the smallest detail that I might have missed.

Perception Check Failed

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That doesn’t help. That means anything can hide somewhere, and it’s going to—

Stop.

Breath.

I check. The paranoia debuff isn’t there, so maybe I caught myself early enough. If that cost me willpower, it’s not a noticeable amount. Failing the check doesn’t mean there is something there. Just that I can’t confirm if there is or isn’t. I have a habit of jumping to the worse conclusion—

It’s a survival trait.

—let’s not do that this time.

Right, let’s just walk into the cavern that the smart animal wants nothing to do with.

I’m not just walking in. I’m going to be careful.

I go to Silver.

“It’s okay.” I hesitate, and when he doesn’t shy away, I place a hand on his head. He’s trembling. “You stay here. I’ll deal with this.”

I summon my bar, get back to the entrance, and step in.

Nothing happens. Okay, that means nothing. The previous one waited until I was in the middle before unleashing everything. I take another step, ready for anything.

My father snorts.

When nothing happens, I take another, then another. The closer I am to the middle, the more worried I get that nothing’s happening. I reach what feels like the center of the cavern, and as expected, the mound stirs. Well, shudders.

It moves and multi-faceted eyes look in my direction. Six of them, two large ones and four half their size. I shudder as an image of a giant metallic spider pops in my head, followed by a swarm of flies twice its size. No idea what nightmare those are from, but the spider was far too real.

I slow my breathing. We defeated that spider. And this one’s smaller and not made of metal. I keep myself from thinking it’s going to be child’s play, but I can do this.

It raises. Its body is bulbous, like a bunch of small insects stuck together.

And that’s an image I wish I hadn’t given myself. If that thing explodes in a swarm, I am going to be pissed.

No, you’re going to be dead. Exit’s back there. Dumbass.

It arches its back, and it’s nearly twice my height. And its legs aren’t visible. Still folded under it? So short they get lost in its bulk? Hopefully, that means it’s not going to be jumping or running.

I spin my bar, trying to figure out how it’s going to move.

When it does, it’s not how I expect. It shakes itself and stone flies off the walls as tentacles pull away.

You are so dead.

I turn for the exit, but they reach around the cavern and block it.

One plunges in my direction, and I swat it away with my bar. Another and another. They don’t like being swatted, so that’s going to be—

I’m on the ground from the impact against my shoulder. Only a sliver of health missing, but I’ve got a stun debuff.

Fuck that.

I will it away and get to my feet in time to strike at the tentacle heading for me. I put strength behind the blow and rip the end off. Gray ooze flies out and I dodge that too. No telling what it’ll do. Another tentacle, coming low. Jump over, strike down in the process, and crush it. Land and block another one.

I look to the exit. This isn’t going to be easy. I can’t tell how many are between me and it with the way they are moving around. They blend together, turning into one visual mass until—I swat the striking tentacles.

It’s impossible to focus on any of them specifically, for all of them are moving and—

Distracting me.

Now he gets it.

“You could help, you know? Instead of just bitching.” I turn and head for the body.

Let’s see, I tell you this is a bad idea; you ignore me. That pet of yours—

Silver isn’t a pet. I strike the tentacles attempting to block my way and I can’t avoid getting ooze on me. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t do anything.

Right, let’s see how long that lasts. Anyway, it shows common sense and won’t go in, and you ignore it. I point out how this is going to kill you and you still ignore me. How exactly do you expect me to help you more?

I score a solid hit on the creature’s body.

Go you, accomplishing the impossible to miss.

The sound it makes isn’t a scream, ast parts of its hide explodes into pieces in the air. It’s more like a… I can’t work out what it is, and it doesn’t stop once I pull the bar to ready another attack.

This is me helping you. Look down.

A quick glance as I strike makes me wish I could stop the momentum. That sound isn’t a scream, because it’s the skittering of the cockroach-like things my blow sents flying, skittering on the floor toward me. More end up on the floor from this blow.

I let out a string of curses as I kick at them, trying to clear a space, only to end up with them climbing my legs. Reaching to pull them off doesn’t work as a tentacle strikes my shoulder, sending me off balance, and another hits my knee.

I’m on the floor, with those cockroach-like things running for my face.

I’m on my feet and running for the exit. I’m fucking done with this.

My bar slices the tentacles blocking the way apart to reveal a wall.

What? Did the exit move?

I spin and stop a foot, dislodging most of the things on my leg and leaving holes where they’ve been chewing on my pants. I’m to the left of the exit. I stomp my other foot as I head for it. The tentacles dance around my strikes, then counter attack as one, and I’m on my back again, getting up before I can see what else is on the ground.

They’re crawling up my legs and pain in my hand tells me they got elsewhere too. A shake and that one falls off, but there’s a wave of them coming at me. I don’t have my bar up, then a tentacle hits me, before I even hit the ground another strikes, and then another. They’re keeping me from hitting the ground to be swarmed by the cockroaches, but that’s the only good thing, as I can’t get a solid footing. Each strike takes away some of my health.

I swing wildly, hit a few of them and have breathing room. A foot down to keep from falling and the ground shifts out from under me. I’m on my back, scream as I get to my feet, swatting the cockroaches off my face, out of my hair. Then I’m off balance again as a tentacle hits. I see the other one coming for my head, can’t move out of the—

Silver fur latches onto it, and it misses me.

I slam a foot down to keep from falling and the cockroaches from making me lose my balance again. Where’s my bar? I can’t see it among everything crawling over the floor.

Silver yelps and is slammed on the ground a second time, losing his grip on the tentacle. I make out the mass of cockroaches climbing over him as he struggles to shake them off.

Fuck. Why’s he come to my rescue? He’s supposed to be the smart one.

The exit’s over there, but I can’t reach him.

Well, I can’t run to him.

Fuck, I hope this works. I hope I get the angles right.

I pick a cockroach behind Silver. There’s so many of them I can probably line this up to the half degree. I put shockwave on the switch, dump all the mana into that, and—

“Tag, you bitch.”

I appear, and everything around me is sent away. Silver slides out of the room and into the dark tunnel. He already lost enough momentum by the time he vanishes, he shouldn’t hit anything too hard, and hopefully, nothing will chase him.

In the cleared space, I see my bar; I jump on it, get to my feet, and run for the body. I kill that, and everything else dies, too.

I hope.

Its body is no longer covered with those bulbous things, since they’re all on the ground, skittering in my direction. Its body is wet and slick, and now that I’m closer, I see it doesn’t have legs, it’s embedded in the floor.

I’m hit before I bring the bar down, manage to not lose hold of it, and not fall down. I’m hit again, and I don’t fall, but the bar goes flying. I’m hit a third time, and the stun debuff appears.

I will it away, but it’s back when I take another hit.

I’m not even worried about falling since they’re not going to let that happen. Each hit keeps me up as it takes away more of my health and adds stun debuffs. Down half; under it. Then less. It drops faster when I feel things taking chunks out of my legs.

Under a quarter.

New sounds I can’t identify. Great, more things to take bites out of me.

It’s under one eighth when there’s a flash of light, heat, and I’m sent flying against the wall.

Somehow, that isn’t how I envisioned that light at the end of the tunnel looking like when it’s your time.