The castle’s surroundings were lively, even at night. Actually, I wasn’t sure how this place worked—maybe it was always night here, since the moon hadn’t moved from the position it was in since I’d first gotten here.
Well, I guess that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, what should I buy...actually, what’re they selling?
With that question in mind, I started going into nearby stores.
“Good evening. What do you sell?”
“What? Come on, figure that out before coming in here!” a brain, who was suspended in a jar full of liquid, shot back in exasperation.
There wasn’t anything that stood out in the store, and the brain jar had just been placed boldly on top of the counter.
“Fine. This place sells skills and plug-ins,” the vendor replied.
“Oohh! Then do you sell the one that tells me the time?”
“Of course. If you want something like that, you must be new.”
“Yeah. I’d like the plug-in. Here you go.”
I was told it was a hundred points, so I immediately installed it. Once I did, a small clock popped up on top of my status window.
10384/5/13 03:44:43
That was how it looked. One year was 365 days, which were split into twelve months. One day was twenty-four hours long, and an hour was sixty minutes long. I have no idea why it was split like that, though!
“Are there any other good plug-ins?” I asked.
“Hmm, I suppose these would be the most popular.”
I ended up buying whatever he recommended.
Targeting
Level Display (Appraisal skill required)
Scales
Class Change
Subtitles (Language skill required)
Item Shortcut
Calculator
Date and Time
Alarm
Timer
Counter
Map
Automap
Drawing Pad
Word Processor
Encryption
Camera
Sound Recorder
Video Recorder
Schedule
Route Wayfinder
File Transfer
File System
This should be enough. Honestly, I probably don’t need all of this, but I might as well.
All that cost me a hundred thousand points!
Huh...? That used up a lot, didn’t it? Am I being ripped off?
“Wow. I was expecting you to complain and say that you didn’t need all this at some point, but you went and bought all of them...” the brain replied.
“It’s fine, isn’t it? They might prove useful at some point, after all.”
“If you’re fine with it, then whatever. Anyway, want any skills?”
“Oh, right. I can buy skills too! Let’s see...do you have any Language skills? I’d like to talk to humans.”
The surface was ruled by humans, so if I was going to be traveling over land, then I figured I might need to know their language. With just the skills I had at the moment, I might’ve been able to understand what they were saying, but I wouldn’t be able to talk back.
Oh, by the way, a breakdown of how Language skills worked:
Base: The ability to understand the language when spoken to you.
+1: The ability to speak the language.
+2: The ability to use the language, even without the necessary body parts or organs. Your voice would just come out from somewhere.
That meant, in my case, I needed a +2.
“We have all kinds of languages, so of course we have Human. Getting a single species to +2 costs five thousand points.”
“I see, so that’s how it is. Then give me all of them!”
“All...wait, all?! How many points do you have?! That’ll be...three hundred thousand points.”
“Whoa, that’s a lot! Wait, does that mean there are actually sixty species’ worth of languages?”
“No. We only stock five—enough to cover all the major ones.”
“Then why? It should cost twenty-five thousand at most, right?”
“Well here’s the thing: stacking the same type of skill over and over makes the next one more expensive.”
“Why?!”
“The same types of skills all take up identical space in your storage. The more you try to pack in, the harder it is and the more it costs. Just call it a technical fee of sorts.”
“Fine. Gimme.”
“You’re still buying it?!”
Yeah, I’m pretty sure Language skills are important. There’s a lot of places to use them.
So I ended up buying all five Languages. My skill entry looked like this:
Languages (Inorganics +2, Human +2, Dead +2, Abhuman +2, Beast +2)
“Then next, I want—”
“Wait just a second!”
“What?”
“You’re buying way too much! It’s partially my fault for letting it slide, but...!”
“Really?”
Oh, he really was just letting it slide...
“Look.”
Something appeared in front of me.
Hm?
Would you like to accept a file from Brallin?
I tried accepting it, and a map of the town unfolded before me. There was a marker placed on it.
Wow, the file transfer and map plug-ins are coming in handy already.
“Go there. You’ll find an old biddy who’ll teach you a lot. She’ll get you what you need.”
I see. Then let’s go!