The World Which Is

Chapter 19

I do my best to hide the limp. That last landing wasn't my greatest and now I have to deal with a sprained ankle debuff. That marked the end of my almost four hours of practicing running up the wall. That last stumble I can attribute to being tired; there's only so much the occasional break can do to recharge my stamina. Fortunately, that tumble was only a few meters up, so nothing that severe.

Base will give me a healing bar when I ask, but I figure this is a good reminder not to overexert myself.

"You sure no one's going to walk in on me?" I ask as the command center comes into view.

"You don't have to do that there. I can make a terminal anywhere you need. If you're that worried, I can make you a room no one will be able to enter."

"That wouldn't be right."

"That...wouldn't actually matter."

"I'd still prefer doing it there." I don't know how to explain it to him. I figure he just doesn't think like we do, being a structure instead of a living person. Skills are bought at a shop or at a settlement node. I'm not going to risk the general store by the gate because anyone there will know about me and being grounded and report to my dad anything they think is suspicious, like where did I get the money to afford buying skills?

"But yes. The commander's busy with the mayor, and no one else is scheduled to make use of my node until Josie's ceremony."

I'm curious what specific class she'll take. Being a guard doesn't mean we all take the exact same class.

This time, the control room is semi-circular, with a lot of screens and panels. There are even pairs of disks things on the face of some spinning in unison. Not all of it 'works'. Unlike with the machines that let Base make stuff, when it comes to managerial work, it's all within him. He just likes sprucing up the room with things he knows. If I ask, he'll tell me what everything is, or at least was, back when they worked for real.

I sit in front of the console and bring up the skill shop.

At the top is my money. Ten thousand two hundred and thirty-seven dollars.

I should be able to get four skills with that, maybe five.

I bring up tumbling.

Tumbling

The ability to use not landing on your legs to minimize the damage taken from a fall.

You do not have the skill, do you wish to purchase it? You do not have skill points available.

Do you wish to spend $2197 to buy it? Yes/No

Yes

You have gained the skill Tumbling, You are level 1

You have $8040 available

Raising my climbing would be the next best thing, but just like spending skill points on raising a skill, spending money doesn't make sense, except in the most dire of circumstances.

Next is learning archery.

I never considered it before, but running up the wall made me realize that I have an easy way to gain range on the enemy. There might be a thrill and bragging that comes with facing the monsters and taking them up close, but the goal is to end the attack wave, not make myself famous.

And there's something to be said about having shot down more monsters and anyone else.

Archery

The ability to use a bow and arrow to take down your opponents at a distance

You do not have the skill, do you wish to purchase it? You do not have skill points available.