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Just As Planned (Catalog SI, Worm Start) by Throwaway1971
Books » Private Rated: M, English, Parody & Romance, Words: 154k+, Favs: 136, Follows: 154, Published: Aug 6, 2024 Updated: Dec 3, 2024
3Chapter 11: Worm 11
Riley had seemed a bit irritated in the morning, but after inspecting my injuries with great care she'd released me. I was still recovering, Saena's flesh still visible through gaps in my own...but even after eight hours of rest I could tell a difference. Riley's work really was something else; I owed her. Definitely. I had a few ideas about that, although I'd have to do some investigation before any of them were fully viable.
For now, I dipped into the catalog and spent some of my payout from Moord Nag. The battle with her had taught me that I'd need more experience and significantly more skill if I hoped to present the image I was aiming for in cape fights.
Fortunately, the catalog had just the ingredient for that. Something to help me catch up to those who had been doing this kind of thing for much longer than I did. Technically, it 'only' made me talented and helped me learn like a prodigy.
How fortunate for me that I have a force multiplier. I leaned backwards, allowing a construct in the shape of a car to pass over my head and 'shatter' against the wall of the training room. The cord that followed it, trying to trip me up, I cut in twain using a flash-forged blade of shadows, and the 'shards of glass' made from light that followed were deflected by a shield just before they would have scoured me of my outer layer.
Saena stared at me intensely through every move and near miss as her constructs rained down on me from all sides. She was sandbagging, even more than an Endbringer normally did, bringing herself down to a level just barely above what I could handle. Pushing my limits, over and over, forcing me to improve or 'die.'
I had yet to touch her with a weapon of any kind, limited almost entirely to defending. Every time I reached a point where I felt comfortable sparing attention to attack her...she punished me by ramping up her assault.
{Defense inadequate for projected enemies.}
That was an understatement. Even so, if I never learned how to attack, it would be difficult to win...but I trusted her and her training. Next time, I wouldn't screw up and get myself hurt.
{Construct speed improving :: multiple goals fulfilled. Focus on one aspect inefficient.}
At the last possible second, I formed a dark gauntlet around my hand and snatched a golden spear from the air before it would have pierced me. For a moment, I blinked in surprise. The last four times she'd used that move, it had been a mission kill.
I only barely recovered myself in time to deflect the rest of the storm of projectiles, and our dance continued.
I sat in the basement of the house, picking over the control center. The ability of the house to reconfigure itself was extremely powerful – I'd originally used it to build Riley's lab, once she'd been Stamped, but I hadn't messed with the house much more in the intervening time. But with her running low on materials, I wanted to make a point of taking stock, because the house was supposed to provide materials for whatever facilities existed.
The menu was open before me, and the problem became apparent quite quickly. I'd 'unlocked' a restocking supply of basic organic tissues simply by virtue of Binding Riley, the same way I'd unlocked the surgical lab. However, specific human organs and body parts were inaccessible because I lacked a source of them. Based on everything I could find...it seemed like, if I could unlock a viable source of material – one that could be used over a period of time – then the house would automatically facilitate the acquisition. Like...a game, simulating the parts of resource extraction that weren't interesting to observe or experience.
Which, given the Company's predilection towards entertainment, made sense.
I browsed through the resources – the list had already populated with even resources that didn't exist in the world of Worm. They were all ones I was familiar with, which led me to believe that the list generated itself based on my own knowledge. There were hidden resources, and I could only assume that they were ones I hadn't learned about, from universes I wasn't familiar with.
Still...I paused, looking at the list.
Surgical Lab (Active :: Riley)
Organic Tissues (Active) (Various)
Endbringer Crystal Lattice (Basic, Active) (Earth Bet)
Human Tissues (Locked) (Various)
Ellisburg Tissues (Locked) (Earth Bet)
Machine Army Components (Locked) (Earth Bet)
Endbringer Crystal Lattice (Advanced, Locked) (Earth Bet) (Missing Requirement: Spatial Folding)
. . .
Hmm. There's potential here.
Slowly, a plan began to swirl inside my head. It...amused me, a bit, the way it almost mirrored something that had happened in a future that no longer existed. The only question was; could I actually make it there? Well, of course. Can I get there subtly, without using Saena to brute force it?
I accessed the portal room's menu remotely, glancing through to see if I was that lucky. And...I was, in a way. There was a portal there – but inactive until we approached close enough to enable it, which didn't solve the problem of getting there in the first place. Then again – my understanding was that it wasn't a heavily guarded location, just a guarded one. There was a good chance that Saena could infiltrate us without immediate notice. And if people found out we'd been there?
Well, they were already panicking about us, most likely, if they knew about us at all. We wouldn't be changing our images without something drastic. So, for now...I'd do what I needed, and let the world worry about us.
After we'd finished dinner, I finally broached the subject. Riley had been subdued lately, and I felt a bit bad – I'd whisked her away from Jack and her 'family,' fucked up as they were, and basically sequestered her in a lab. With interesting projects, certainly, but even so...she must be getting bored.
"Riley. Would you like to go on a field operation tonight? If I understand how Tinkers work correctly...you might find yourself rather interested, and I could use your expertise."
She tilted her head to one side, lips pursed adorably. "My expertise? What exactly are you planning?"
I smiled, filled with a bit of joy at the audacity of my idea. "I was planning on making a diplomatic visit, to see if we could come to terms." When she looked at me, unimpressed, I chuckled and held my hands up. "I want to go to Ellisburg, and see if we can secure some samples for you."
Her eyes lit up instantly. "Samples of Nilbog's work!? That sounds amazing! What - what do I need to do?" The excitement in her voice was infectious, and my grin only grew.
"Disarm – don't carry anything obvious that could be a weapon. We're not going as conquerors, but as guests. I believe he'll entertain us and at least hear what we have to say."
She eyed me, slightly wary even as her excitement bled through. "Is this going to be like it was with Jack?"
"No, Nilbog doesn't have the kind of guile to need that kind of handling. Ah – there is one other thing, though. Nilbog has...a unique way of looking at the world. If we're going to negotiate with him, you're going to have to act...subservient to me. He won't interact with anyone he doesn't see as his own equal – a king or queen to match him."
"For the chance to see his work up close?" She eyed me for a moment, then smiled pleasantly and curtsied. "Of course, sir."
I ignored the feelings that sentence stirred in me.
Purchased Martial Talent (-5C)
Balance: 18C
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