blueprints #21

I watched in confusion as Elena took the leather gloves from the crafting bench and slipped them on. She smiled at me, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and then walked over to the Tocotoco, picking it up with ease. "Come on," she said, her tone full of anticipation. "I'll show you something very interesting."

Still confused, I nodded and followed her to the edge of the base. The morning sun cast long shadows across the landscape, highlighting the rugged terrain. Elena adjusted her grip on the Tocotoco, holding one hand on its stomach and the other hovering over its back, pointing its rear towards the distance.

Her grin widened as she looked back at me. "Watch this," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She gave the Tocotoco's back a gentle slap, squeezing it between her hands. The Tocotoco let out a strange cluck, and to my astonishment, it shot a large egg from its rear.

I frowned, utterly baffled. "What the hell kind of joke is this—"

Before I could finish my sentence, a loud explosion erupted, accompanied by a bright flash of light and a shockwave that ruffled my hair. I turned back to see that a cluster of rocks in the distance had suddenly vanished, leaving behind a cloud of dust and debris.

Elena laughed loudly, clearly enjoying my stunned reaction. "Isn't it amazing?" she said, her voice brimming with excitement. Without waiting for a response, she gave the Tocotoco another squeeze.

The creature let out another cluck and shot another egg, this time hitting a towering tree in the distance. The tree exploded into countless pieces of wood shrapnel upon impact, leaving a small crater where it once stood.

I stared at the destruction in disbelief. "That's... so fucking weird," I managed to say, still trying to wrap my head around what I'd just witnessed. "How does that even work...?"

Elena grinned mischievously, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Welcome to Palbagos Islands, pal," she said, her tone light and teasing.

I shook my head, my mind still grappling with the sheer absurdity of it all. "No, seriously," I persisted, "scientifically, how the hell does that work?"

The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. I had encountered strange, unexplainable events since arriving in this world, but witnessing a bird shoot explosive eggs from its rear like some kind of grenade launcher was beyond anything I could have imagined.

Elena sighed, her expression turning thoughtful. "No one really knows," she admitted. "Maybe only the people of the ancient civilizations who first harnessed the power of pals would know. They've coexisted with them for so long that they've invented countless ways to utilize their abilities."

She glanced at the Tocotoco fondly, giving it a reassuring pat. "Some of their methods... are a bit weirder than others though..."

Just then, Vito appeared beside me, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Don't be such a stickler for details," he teased. "Just give the damned bird a whirl already."

I shot him a look of mock indignation, but deep down, I knew he was right. Sometimes, in a world full of mysteries and wonders, it was better to embrace the extraordinary rather than question every bizarre occurrence.

With a sigh, I turned back to Elena, a newfound resolve in my voice. "Let me try next," I said firmly.

Elena chuckled, setting down the Tocotoco gently and removing the gloves. She handed them to me with a playful glint in her eye. "Alright," she said, her voice tinged with amusement. "But don't have too much fun with it. The Tocotoco can only produce six or seven explosive eggs a day."

I nodded, slipping the gloves on. They fit snugly, the leather warm against my skin. I flexed my fingers experimentally, feeling the power they contained. With a deep breath, I approached the Tocotoco, which regarded me with curious blinking eyes.

"Alright, buddy," I murmured, addressing the bird. "Let's see what you've got."

I positioned myself carefully, taking aim at a distant rock formation. Remembering Elena's demonstration, I gave the Tocotoco's back a gentle squeeze. It let out a low cluck, and to my amazement, an egg shot out with surprising force.

The egg soared through the air, landing squarely on a large boulder. There was a brief pause, and then... BOOM! The rock exploded into a shower of fragments, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.

I couldn't help but grin in exhilaration. "That's... so weirdly incredible," I breathed, marveling at the sheer power at my fingertips.

Elena clapped her hands in approval, her laughter ringing out in the morning air. "Nice shot!" she exclaimed. "Looks like you've got the hang of it."

Vito smirked, nodding in approval. "Not bad, John" he admitted with a toothy grin.

Feeling a surge of confidence, I turned to Elena. "So, what else can these gloves do?" I asked eagerly, already envisioning the possibilities.

"Not much else..." Elena replied casually. "You'll need to unlock more blueprints for each Pal to properly make use of them..."

The world around me seemed to expand with every revelation, yet I couldn't shake the nagging thought of all the missed opportunities and risks I had taken unnecessarily.

"What?" I interjected incredulously, trying to process everything she had just said. "You mean to tell me there's more weird technology like these gloves??"

Elena chuckled, her tone amused yet understanding. "Oh, there's plenty more to discover," she confirmed with a nod.

"Every Pal here on Palbagos Islands has its own unique abilities. Some, like the Tocotoco, require specialized equipment to activate their powers effectively. Others, like the Lamball... you can just grab them in a bind and use them as a shield... their wool absorbs most hits..." she added with a chuckle, watching the Lamball basking in the sun within the barn.

My surprise must have shown on my face, because Elena raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I asked, my tone a mix of curiosity and frustration.

Elena shook her head with a sigh. "You really don't know anything, do you?" she teased me about my ignorance for what felt like the hundredth time. "You've been focused on surviving, which is understandable. But now that you have a moment, maybe it's time to thoroughly explore the databse on wristwatch."

Vito, standing nearby, chimed in with a nod of agreement. "Yup, definitly should've looked into the wristwatch's functions more thoroughly," he remarked casually.

I bristled slightly at their admonishments. "I've been a bit preoccupied trying not to get blown up or eaten by weird creatures," I defended myself, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

Elena laughed softly, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Fair enough," she conceded. "Take a deep breath. It's never too late to learn."

I just rubbed my forehead in frustration. "Alright," I said, gathering myself. "What else might I have missed?"

Elena shrugged nonchalantly. "I only have some limited information about the wristwatch," she admitted. "But I do know of a couple of blueprints you might have overlooked or simply neglected."

Curious, I followed Elena back towards the base, where the Pals continued their work, seemingly unfazed by the explosions in the distance. She pointed towards a Foxparks tending the campfire in the middle of the base.

"There's a harness you can create to use the Foxparks as a flamethrower," Elena explained, gesturing towards the creatures. "Their natural ability to produce and control fire can be harnessed with the right equipment."

I blinked in surprise at the thought of using an adorable creature like the Foxparks as a living flamethrower. It was both fascinating and slightly intimidating.

"And over there," Elena continued, pointing towards a majestic Nitehawk perched atop a nearby log cabin, "you can craft specialized saddles to use certain Pals as mounts, like the Nitewing or the Chillet."

I winced inwardly, feeling a pang of regret. "I feel like an idiot," I admitted ruefully. "If I had known that Pals could be utilized like this, I wouldn't have taken the risk to buy those guns."

"Speaking of guns..." Elena said, suddenly remembering something as she retrieved a small electronic chip from her pocket. "I found this inside one of the rifles while cleaning them," she said casually, holding up the chip between her fingers.

Looking at the chip blinking red light, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I recognized it instantly—a tracking device, similar to the ones I had found hidden in the crates of weapons purchased from Hammerhead.

My mind raced as I realized I had neglected to check inside the rifles themselves before leaving a good number of them in the warehouse.

My expression must have betrayed my panic because Elena furrowed her brow in concern. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Her words snapped me out of my daze, but I couldn't afford to linger. "I need to go," I muttered hurriedly, my thoughts racing as I turned and bolted towards the Pal Box.

Elena called after me, her voice filled with confusion and concern, but I didn't stop to explain. I activated the fast travel function on the Pal Box without hesitation, the familiar sensation of energy enveloping me as I vanished from Elena's sight in an instant.

...

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