First Base #5

Having finished yet another task that involved gathering branches and rocks to get wood and stones automatically deposited into my inventory, I found myself standing face to face with a strange creature. It had the stature of a child, but its form was that of a pink bipedal cat, standing akimbo and staring at me with an air of smug confidence. It seemed to challenge me to make any sudden move.

Vito's laughter rang out beside me, uproarious and mocking. "Fearsome indeed! I could easily see myself dying of laughter just looking at it..." He continued to laugh, clutching his sides. "Can you imagine though? Just the shame of dying to such a silly little thing would be enough to make me rise from death just so I can die again..."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Shut up and let me focus on the next task, will you?" I said, exasperated.

Turning to my wristwatch, I navigated to the building tab. It didn't have many options yet, just a simple Primitive Workbench. I sighed, realizing this was going to be a slow process of survival and adaptation.

The pink cat creature continued to watch me, its eyes following every movement I made. I couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by its unwavering gaze. It was as if it was waiting for me to make a mistake.

Ignoring Vito and the strange cat creature, I began to search for a suitable place to set up the workbench. The spot needed to be defensible and practical, but before I could settle on one, Vito appeared behind me, looking over my shoulder.

"I've been going through your memories," he said, his tone casual yet probing. "This place, or world, whatever it is, resembles those survival games you used to play."

I gave him a blank look. "How the hell did you do that?"

Vito responded with a blank look of his own, as if the answer were obvious.

I sighed, exasperated. "Right, because you're in my head." I shook my head and asked, "What's your point anyway?"

Vito pointed to the workbench. "Wherever you place that might become your base, or at least your first base. Are you sure you want to go with this spot?"

I shrugged, considering the options. "The place is quite scenic," I said, gesturing to the relatively spacious clearing. "It has enough flat ground to work around."

I looked around, taking in the natural defenses. "It's well-fortified with the cliff blocking off a big part of it." My gaze turned to the lake, where a waterfall poured into the clear water. "And it has running water."

Vito studied the surroundings, nodding thoughtfully. "Not a bad choice, but scenic doesn't mean safe. Make sure you can defend it."

"I'm more concerned with making a shelter before it gets dark and cold," I said, glancing at the horizon. The sun was still in the middle of the sky, and though the weather had been warm so far, you never knew what the night might bring. "We... I need some basic protection."

"Suit yourself," Vito replied with a shrug.

I found a suitable spot at the foot of the cliff and placed the workbench blueprint there. As I approached, a hologram appeared, projecting the outline of a simple workbench. The wood I had gathered began to materialize from the wristwatch, flying toward the hologram and transforming into the actual workbench.

It wasn't much to look at—a shoddily made table with a few tools on top: a saw, a hammer, and an assortment of other useful items. Vito leaned over the table, giving it an inspecting look. "How do two pieces of wood turn into all of that?"

"Hell if I know," I admitted, running my hand over the rough surface. "But these are items that could come in handy."

Vito smirked, his usual mocking tone returning. "What are you, a survival expert now?"

Ignoring his sarcasm, I focused on the wristwatch. My next task was to open the technology menu and unlock the Pal Sphere blueprint.

Navigating to the technology tab, I found rows upon rows of blueprints, most of them greyed out except for two rows. The first row, where I had found the Primitive Workbench, also included an assortment of basic tools: a stone axe, pickaxe, handheld torch, and wooden club. All of these were already unlocked, probably standard fare for anyone starting out in this strange place.

The second row contained different items, more focused on establishing a base. There were blueprints for wooden structures, a wooden chest, a campfire, and a repair bench. My attention was drawn to two specific items: the Pal Spheres, which I was tasked with unlocking, and a Pal Box, which looked like a foundation piece for a base.

Ignoring everything else for the moment, I prioritized unlocking the essentials. First, the wooden structures and the campfire, then the Pal Spheres. Each click cost me a technology point, and by the time I finished, I had used three points, leaving me with three remaining.

Vito watched over my shoulder, surprisingly quiet for once. When I finally looked up from the wristwatch, he raised an eyebrow. "What's the plan now, survival expert?"

I gave him a sidelong glance, then focused on the newly unlocked blueprints. "I need to set up a proper camp. The shelter is a start, but we need more than that. I'm thinking a campfire and a few basic structures to store our supplies and keep me safe."

He nodded, a rare moment of agreement. "Sounds sensible. Just make sure that pink cat thing doesn't come back with friends."

I smirked, remembering the odd creature. "I'll keep an eye out."

...

I stood over the recently built campfire, a sense of satisfaction warming me almost as much as the flickering flames. The campfire was more than just a source of light and heat; it was the heart of my makeshift home. I glanced around at what I had accomplished. The four-by-four wooden house with a single window and a slanted roof stood proudly nearby.

It had taken me less than half an hour to complete, thanks to the wristwatch and its miraculous building system. Crafting a stone axe to gather the needed wood had been a bit of a detour, but necessary once I realized I didn't have enough material.

Vito appeared beside me, his expression a mix of curiosity and impatience. "So, what's the next step now that you have a shelter? There's still some daylight left."

I nodded, feeling a surge of determination. "I think I can get back to doing the tasks now," I replied, heading towards the workbench.

Standing at the workbench, I noticed several options appear on the wristwatch display.

Simple tools like the axe and pickaxe were listed, but I ignored them, focusing instead on the Pal Sphere. It was a crystalline, egg-shaped contraption with golden inscriptions all over it, clearly more advanced than the basic tools.

Unlike the other crafting options that required only wood and stone, the Pal Sphere was greyed out. I clicked on it to see what materials were needed. Baldium Fragments, in addition to wood and stone, were required to craft it.

"Baldium Fragments," I muttered, frowning. "What the hell are those and where do I get some?"

Before I could start overthinking, a loud whistle pierced the air, jolting me out of my thoughts. I turned to the source of the sound and saw Vito standing at the other end of the small, shoddy bridge that spanned the lake. He was waving his arms enthusiastically, beckoning me over.

"Come take a look at this!" Vito shouted, pointing down at something near the water's edge.

Curious, I crossed the rickety bridge, my footsteps echoing off the wooden planks. As I approached, I saw what had caught Vito's attention—a small rock embedded in the earth, covered in blue residue that emitted a faint blue glow.

"That," Vito said, pointing dramatically at the stone, "looks interesting."

I peered down at the rock, a sense of curiosity mixing with frustration. "Great. Just what I need. A shiny rock I can't even collect."

Vito laughed, the sound carrying across the water. "You'll need that pickaxe for this one, pal."

I grimaced, already knowing he was right. "Yeah, I figured as much," I muttered, turning back towards the workbench.

The idea of spending another ten minutes staring at the workbench to craft yet another tool wasn't exactly thrilling, but if that blue rock was what I thought it might be—Baldium Fragments—then it should be worth the effort.

...

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