Chapter 6
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David and Shin whirled through space, motes of light drifting past them. In an instant, they arrived back at the lake and campgrounds. David looked around, seeing a large tent set up near them. They had arrived back at the spot they left at. They were standing about 15 meters from the lake, on the south side. The lake was a large pool of water, easily a hundred meters across. Several trees stood near them; great oaks towering in the sky. The wind whistled by, a lonely breeze in a dying world.
A large tent had been set up about five meters away from them. It was a huge, green tent, able to hold five or six people easily. David looked around for May or her roommates, seeing no one.
A voice cried out from behind them,
"David? Shin? Is that you?" Stacy walked up behind them, carrying several logs of wood. Her eyes were shining as she walked forward, a newfound confidence filling her. She was carrying what looked like over a hundred pounds of weight with ease. She walked up them, talking excitedly.
"This is amazing! I'm so much stronger now!" Stacy twirled, still holding on to the large logs, "I can feel a core of energy in me that strengthens me!" She smiled, looking giddy. Stacy had been a tall but muscular girl to begin with, and with her new powers her body had filled out, giving her a solid feel.
David nodded, saying, "We ran into a 'Ki cultivator' at May's house and had a small scuffle. He was super strong too." David didn't mention his newfound knowledge of 'Ki.'
Stacy kept talking,
"May and Leia are in the tent resting. When I woke up, they had already set up a tent they found on the northside of the campgrounds. We are on the southside at the moment." She gestured towards the tent and then to the other side of the lake.
"We also found a small group of people that are making a camp over up there." David looked back at the other side of the lake, squinting. He could make out tiny figures moving around, with several tents set up. There appeared to be around 20 from what he could see.
"Did they say anything?" David asked, curious. Shin walked around in the background, checking out the new tent and dragging the supplies he gathered over. He grunted as he worked, moving the food and water.
"Not much, though May said a few gave her weird looks." Stacy shrugged, setting the load of wood down. Her body emanated a powerful aura with a very faint, Steelish hue. Stacy had also chosen the power of a Ki Cultivator, and from David's newfound knowledge he could tell she was at the 'Steel' level. He noted this in his head and continued asking her questions.
Soon, David found that the group on the other side of the lake had 25 members that they knew of, and was a group of local students from around the area. Stacy had spoken to a few of them in passing, very confident in her new strength. They had apparently attended a local high school, with a few of them enrolled in college.
They had all planned on going out to the lake for the night when chaos broke out. Only one of the students there had any sort of power, the rest of them having low base points. The strong student had chosen a Vampire Count upgrade and was a Lesser Vampire.
The Lesser Vampire's name was Reed, and he was the impromptu leader of the north side of the lake's group. Stacy said he had a dark aura about him, and seemed like he would slip away in the wind. When David asked if they seemed hostile, she shrugged, saying they seemed like a scared bunch of kids. However, when she offered to have them join us they quickly refused, stating they would rather be on their own.
As they talked, David noticed several, long trails of smoke coming from where the main city was located. He dreaded to think of what was happening on campus, remembering the massive explosion that occurred when he and Shin had left. He hoped the many other students there were still alive.
David made his way over to the tent, waking up Leia and May who had been napping. The inside of the tent they had found was quite spacious, with plenty of room for all five of them to sit in a circle and talk. It had apparently belonged to one of the workers here before they disappeared. Shin and Stacy quickly filed in and sat down. David called up his status, reviewing his points and abilities.
Name: David Care Points: 511 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1)
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
David looked around at the others and started talking,
"Alright everyone. Let's review again. How many points do you all have?"
May said, "I have 283!"
Stacy said, "I have 6 left."
Leia replied, "563 points here."
Shin responded as well, "Basically none, I spent all of mine." He shrugged, supremely unconcerned as usual.
David memorized their point scores, and pulled up the system's shop screen, looking through what they could buy with the points.
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
David looked in surprise at the new heading. It hadn't said System Shop the last time he had checked his screen. He wondered if it was because he had already purchased something.
David quickly clicked over supplies, thinking about how anything that could help them would be useful. Immediately, a massive list poured open.
----Supplies----
Food package 1 (Enough to feed 1 person for 30 days --- 15 points)
Food package 2 (Enough to feed 2 people for 30 days --- 30 points)
Food package 3 (Enough to feed 3 people for 30 days --- 45 points)
Food package 4…
David quickly skipped past the various Food Packages, noting down the one for 5 people. He quickly stepped into the realm of the exotic.
…
Interspatial ring 4 (100 cubic meters of space) – 900 points
Small Interspatial Home (1 bed/1bath/1kitchen Home) – 2100 points
Medium Interspatial Home (2 bed/2bath/1kitchen Home) – 3700 points
Large Interspatial Home (4bed/4bath/2kitchen Home) – 5100 points
Interspatial Castle (35+ rooms) – 8100 points
Small Earth Car – 400 points (selection available)
Medium Earth Car – 700 points (selection available)
Large Earth Car – 1200 points (selection available)
Small Energy Shield – 100 Points
Small Rechargeable Energy Shield – 700 points
Medium Energy Shield – 250 points
Medium Rechargeable Energy Shield – 2300 points
Large Energy Shield – 500 Points
Large Rechargeable Energy Shield – 7700 points
City Rechargeable Energy Shield – 13100 points
…
The list went on and on, continuing for several pages. David couldn't help but continue reading, looking at all the interesting and powerful tools available for purchase. After another minute of reading, he finally tore his eyes away, looking back at the group.
He said,
"Alright guys. I think we should pool our remaining points together, and focus on getting things that can help us survive for long periods of time. I have 511 points, if we add all of our's together we have…" David mentally added them together.
"We have about 1364 points!" His eyes lit up, happy to have at least a somewhat decent amount of points.
Leia spoke up then, her petite figure waving back and forth,
"I, uh, I actually want to use some of my points." She looked down, blushing cutely, "I won't use all of them, but there is a Physical Modification that I'm going to get. You guys can have the rest of my points." Determination colored her tone, belying her embarrassed look.
The others looked at her inquiringly. Leia had barely 500 points, and very few things were that cheap.
"I-ever since I was young, I've always wanted to be able to fly." She began, looking back and forth at May and Stacy. She was ignoring the boys for some reason.
"I'm going to get the Flying – Physical Wings Modification for 400 points. You can have the rest of my points."
David looked at her for a moment before nodding.
"That's fine! They are your points after all! We're grateful for you sharing any at all." He said warmly, smiling. May gave him a sidelong glance.
"So with that, our official total of points between us all is 964 points!" David clapped his hands together happily. It was still a very large number of points; they would be able to last quite a while with them.
"I think our main goal should be to make ourselves a safe base first of all, and from there, we can go in search of our parents." David began, nodding to the others. He gestured at Shin abruptly,
"Thanks to Shin, we won't need to leave the camp. We can conduct searches, and return here every evening to rest before beginning anew." Shin nodded, agreeing.
Stacy spoke up then, looking at some of the orbs that floated near David's head.
"That's all good, I agree, David," She began, "But I have a question. What are those small balls floating around you?" The other girls stared at them as well, watching them float around in circular patterns. May reached up, poking one.
"Ah, these are a side effect of my power as a Life Orb Master. These are called Life Orbs, and they can take my place if I should have otherwise died." 9 orbs circled David's head, moving randomly. Stacy gasped, immediately recognizing the usefulness of such an item. Suddenly, Shin brought out his two remaining orbs, setting them to circle as well.
"Shin has them too?!" Stacy cried, looking at Shin jealously. Shin smirked.
"Yes, I can make up to 3 Unbound Orbs, which I can give to other people, a day. I've already maxed out what I can make today, but we can split those up between ya'll starting tomorrow." David thought it would be a good plan; a way to protect his friends when he wasn't even there. His ability certainly was useful, he reflected.
May looked at him inquisitively, "Why does he only have 2 orbs? Do you have one left?"
David shook his head, recalling the green haired punk and the subsequent fight that occurred. David quickly explained what happened, placing emphasis on the danger of the outside world. Leia and May's eyes grew wide, looking scared. Stacy, on the other hand, looked eager, as if she had fallen into a fantasy dream.
"It's no longer safe in large cities. We need to protect ourselves in order to survive." David began outlining his plan to create a safe home. "May and Leia, you two are primarily going to be on defense, holding this area and keeping the safe house safe. With the 900 or so points we have remaining, I think it would be a wise choice to buy the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield for 700 points. We can stake it around our tents to help protect our area. I figure it's a good plan to stay by this lake. We have a constant source of water and if needed, we can hunt for food. As well, with our remaining points, we can save those up to buy various large food packages to keep us and any survivors we rescue well fed."
David continued outlining his plan while everyone nodded. Everyone began nodding, agreeing with him. David was quite persuasive, using his experience as a former Debate Team leader to his advantage.
"Shin and I will go on patrol, looking for clues of where our families went. Stacy, using her prowess as a Ki Cultivator, will accompany us as well. I think it will be safest if you two stayed behind, keeping the Energy Shield working and everything here in order." David gestured at the girls.
Leia immediately nodded, relief flooding into her eyes. She was eager to gain her physical wings, and didn't want to go into a world full of danger. May looked unsure. May wanted to help, but didn't think she would be of use out in the field. She looked at David cutely, stuck with indecision. David smiled back at her confidently. She decided to agree and nodded back.
Stacy looked overjoyed and was practically bouncing up and down in her eagerness to try out her newfound martial prowess. She looked like she was ready to start beating down evildoers at a moment's notice. Her eyes gleamed in the tent, and a faint, steel aura emanated from her.
Shin, in his ever present nonchalance, laughed and nodded. As long as he was with his best friend, he was fine doing whatever.
"Alright!" David said, clapping his hands together.
"It's a plan! Now, first off, let's get that energy shield, and Leia can get her wings!"
The others all smiled for a moment, before breaking into confusion.
"Wait? How do we share points?!" They looked at David expectantly. He looked back, clueless for a moment. He quickly pulled up his screen, looking at what it said.
Name: David Care Points: 511 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1)
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
He said out loud,
"Points! Trade!"
…
Nothing happened.
He tried tapping where his points were on the blue screen, wondering if anything would happen. Immediately, a small blue screen popped up.
Points Interface – Points can be traded by naming your trading partner out loud and bringing up a mental image of them. You will then go into a private chat room, where you can work out a trade.
Accept?
Y/N
David quickly tapped yes, the screen disappearing. He looked at Shin for a moment before saying,
"Trade with Shin!" He mentally pictured Shin in his head, the blonde haired punk standing before him.
Immediately another blue screen popped up with a message:
Trade with user: Shin has been accepted.
Points Added: 0
Shin's Points Added: 0
Accept?
Y/N
David stared at it quietly, reading the small screen. Suddenly, it changed slightly.
Trade with user: Shin has been accepted.
Points Added: 0
Shin's Points Added: 3
Accept?
Y/N
David looked up as Shin added a few points to the screen. Shin smiled in a relaxed manner,
"You just have to think how many points you want to add and the screen adds it for you!"
David nodded and clicked accept, waiting to see what would happen. Immediately, he received a small message.
You have accepted a trade from user: Shin.
Your Trade: 0 Points
Shin's Trade: 3 points
David brought up his status again, noting the number of points he had.
Name: David Care Points: 514 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1)
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
David looked around at the others smiling.
"It worked! Awesome! Alright guys, let's get to work. Leia, buy your wings, and the rest of you trade May the remainder of your points! We will get the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield and food supplies!" David decided to delegate the responsibility to May to give her something to do. May was the only one without a special modification, so he felt like he should give her something. She looked at David gratefully, leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
David smiled back, quickly trading his points to her. He noted that he still had a lottery slot, but he decided to worry about that later.
"Alright! Let's go!"
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David and Shin whirled through space, motes of light drifting past them. In an instant, they arrived back at the lake and campgrounds. David looked around, seeing a large tent set up near them. They had arrived back at the spot they left at. They were standing about 15 meters from the lake, on the south side. The lake was a large pool of water, easily a hundred meters across. Several trees stood near them; great oaks towering in the sky. The wind whistled by, a lonely breeze in a dying world.
A large tent had been set up about five meters away from them. It was a huge, green tent, able to hold five or six people easily. David looked around for May or her roommates, seeing no one.
A voice cried out from behind them,
"David? Shin? Is that you?" Stacy walked up behind them, carrying several logs of wood. Her eyes were shining as she walked forward, a newfound confidence filling her. She was carrying what looked like over a hundred pounds of weight with ease. She walked up them, talking excitedly.
"This is amazing! I'm so much stronger now!" Stacy twirled, still holding on to the large logs, "I can feel a core of energy in me that strengthens me!" She smiled, looking giddy. Stacy had been a tall but muscular girl to begin with, and with her new powers her body had filled out, giving her a solid feel.
David nodded, saying, "We ran into a 'Ki cultivator' at May's house and had a small scuffle. He was super strong too." David didn't mention his newfound knowledge of 'Ki.'
Stacy kept talking,
"May and Leia are in the tent resting. When I woke up, they had already set up a tent they found on the northside of the campgrounds. We are on the southside at the moment." She gestured towards the tent and then to the other side of the lake.
"We also found a small group of people that are making a camp over up there." David looked back at the other side of the lake, squinting. He could make out tiny figures moving around, with several tents set up. There appeared to be around 20 from what he could see.
"Did they say anything?" David asked, curious. Shin walked around in the background, checking out the new tent and dragging the supplies he gathered over. He grunted as he worked, moving the food and water.
"Not much, though May said a few gave her weird looks." Stacy shrugged, setting the load of wood down. Her body emanated a powerful aura with a very faint, Steelish hue. Stacy had also chosen the power of a Ki Cultivator, and from David's newfound knowledge he could tell she was at the 'Steel' level. He noted this in his head and continued asking her questions.
Soon, David found that the group on the other side of the lake had 25 members that they knew of, and was a group of local students from around the area. Stacy had spoken to a few of them in passing, very confident in her new strength. They had apparently attended a local high school, with a few of them enrolled in college.
They had all planned on going out to the lake for the night when chaos broke out. Only one of the students there had any sort of power, the rest of them having low base points. The strong student had chosen a Vampire Count upgrade and was a Lesser Vampire.
The Lesser Vampire's name was Reed, and he was the impromptu leader of the north side of the lake's group. Stacy said he had a dark aura about him, and seemed like he would slip away in the wind. When David asked if they seemed hostile, she shrugged, saying they seemed like a scared bunch of kids. However, when she offered to have them join us they quickly refused, stating they would rather be on their own.
As they talked, David noticed several, long trails of smoke coming from where the main city was located. He dreaded to think of what was happening on campus, remembering the massive explosion that occurred when he and Shin had left. He hoped the many other students there were still alive.
David made his way over to the tent, waking up Leia and May who had been napping. The inside of the tent they had found was quite spacious, with plenty of room for all five of them to sit in a circle and talk. It had apparently belonged to one of the workers here before they disappeared. Shin and Stacy quickly filed in and sat down. David called up his status, reviewing his points and abilities.
Name: David Care Points: 511 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1)
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
David looked around at the others and started talking,
"Alright everyone. Let's review again. How many points do you all have?"
May said, "I have 283!"
Stacy said, "I have 6 left."
Leia replied, "563 points here."
Shin responded as well, "Basically none, I spent all of mine." He shrugged, supremely unconcerned as usual.
David memorized their point scores, and pulled up the system's shop screen, looking through what they could buy with the points.
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
David looked in surprise at the new heading. It hadn't said System Shop the last time he had checked his screen. He wondered if it was because he had already purchased something.
David quickly clicked over supplies, thinking about how anything that could help them would be useful. Immediately, a massive list poured open.
----Supplies----
Food package 1 (Enough to feed 1 person for 30 days --- 15 points)
Food package 2 (Enough to feed 2 people for 30 days --- 30 points)
Food package 3 (Enough to feed 3 people for 30 days --- 45 points)
Food package 4…
David quickly skipped past the various Food Packages, noting down the one for 5 people. He quickly stepped into the realm of the exotic.
…
Interspatial ring 4 (100 cubic meters of space) – 900 points
Small Interspatial Home (1 bed/1bath/1kitchen Home) – 2100 points
Medium Interspatial Home (2 bed/2bath/1kitchen Home) – 3700 points
Large Interspatial Home (4bed/4bath/2kitchen Home) – 5100 points
Interspatial Castle (35+ rooms) – 8100 points
Small Earth Car – 400 points (selection available)
Medium Earth Car – 700 points (selection available)
Large Earth Car – 1200 points (selection available)
Small Energy Shield – 100 Points
Small Rechargeable Energy Shield – 700 points
Medium Energy Shield – 250 points
Medium Rechargeable Energy Shield – 2300 points
Large Energy Shield – 500 Points
Large Rechargeable Energy Shield – 7700 points
City Rechargeable Energy Shield – 13100 points
…
The list went on and on, continuing for several pages. David couldn't help but continue reading, looking at all the interesting and powerful tools available for purchase. After another minute of reading, he finally tore his eyes away, looking back at the group.
He said,
"Alright guys. I think we should pool our remaining points together, and focus on getting things that can help us survive for long periods of time. I have 511 points, if we add all of our's together we have…" David mentally added them together.
"We have about 1364 points!" His eyes lit up, happy to have at least a somewhat decent amount of points.
Leia spoke up then, her petite figure waving back and forth,
"I, uh, I actually want to use some of my points." She looked down, blushing cutely, "I won't use all of them, but there is a Physical Modification that I'm going to get. You guys can have the rest of my points." Determination colored her tone, belying her embarrassed look.
The others looked at her inquiringly. Leia had barely 500 points, and very few things were that cheap.
"I-ever since I was young, I've always wanted to be able to fly." She began, looking back and forth at May and Stacy. She was ignoring the boys for some reason.
"I'm going to get the Flying – Physical Wings Modification for 400 points. You can have the rest of my points."
David looked at her for a moment before nodding.
"That's fine! They are your points after all! We're grateful for you sharing any at all." He said warmly, smiling. May gave him a sidelong glance.
"So with that, our official total of points between us all is 964 points!" David clapped his hands together happily. It was still a very large number of points; they would be able to last quite a while with them.
"I think our main goal should be to make ourselves a safe base first of all, and from there, we can go in search of our parents." David began, nodding to the others. He gestured at Shin abruptly,
"Thanks to Shin, we won't need to leave the camp. We can conduct searches, and return here every evening to rest before beginning anew." Shin nodded, agreeing.
Stacy spoke up then, looking at some of the orbs that floated near David's head.
"That's all good, I agree, David," She began, "But I have a question. What are those small balls floating around you?" The other girls stared at them as well, watching them float around in circular patterns. May reached up, poking one.
"Ah, these are a side effect of my power as a Life Orb Master. These are called Life Orbs, and they can take my place if I should have otherwise died." 9 orbs circled David's head, moving randomly. Stacy gasped, immediately recognizing the usefulness of such an item. Suddenly, Shin brought out his two remaining orbs, setting them to circle as well.
"Shin has them too?!" Stacy cried, looking at Shin jealously. Shin smirked.
"Yes, I can make up to 3 Unbound Orbs, which I can give to other people, a day. I've already maxed out what I can make today, but we can split those up between ya'll starting tomorrow." David thought it would be a good plan; a way to protect his friends when he wasn't even there. His ability certainly was useful, he reflected.
May looked at him inquisitively, "Why does he only have 2 orbs? Do you have one left?"
David shook his head, recalling the green haired punk and the subsequent fight that occurred. David quickly explained what happened, placing emphasis on the danger of the outside world. Leia and May's eyes grew wide, looking scared. Stacy, on the other hand, looked eager, as if she had fallen into a fantasy dream.
"It's no longer safe in large cities. We need to protect ourselves in order to survive." David began outlining his plan to create a safe home. "May and Leia, you two are primarily going to be on defense, holding this area and keeping the safe house safe. With the 900 or so points we have remaining, I think it would be a wise choice to buy the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield for 700 points. We can stake it around our tents to help protect our area. I figure it's a good plan to stay by this lake. We have a constant source of water and if needed, we can hunt for food. As well, with our remaining points, we can save those up to buy various large food packages to keep us and any survivors we rescue well fed."
David continued outlining his plan while everyone nodded. Everyone began nodding, agreeing with him. David was quite persuasive, using his experience as a former Debate Team leader to his advantage.
"Shin and I will go on patrol, looking for clues of where our families went. Stacy, using her prowess as a Ki Cultivator, will accompany us as well. I think it will be safest if you two stayed behind, keeping the Energy Shield working and everything here in order." David gestured at the girls.
Leia immediately nodded, relief flooding into her eyes. She was eager to gain her physical wings, and didn't want to go into a world full of danger. May looked unsure. May wanted to help, but didn't think she would be of use out in the field. She looked at David cutely, stuck with indecision. David smiled back at her confidently. She decided to agree and nodded back.
Stacy looked overjoyed and was practically bouncing up and down in her eagerness to try out her newfound martial prowess. She looked like she was ready to start beating down evildoers at a moment's notice. Her eyes gleamed in the tent, and a faint, steel aura emanated from her.
Shin, in his ever present nonchalance, laughed and nodded. As long as he was with his best friend, he was fine doing whatever.
"Alright!" David said, clapping his hands together.
"It's a plan! Now, first off, let's get that energy shield, and Leia can get her wings!"
The others all smiled for a moment, before breaking into confusion.
"Wait? How do we share points?!" They looked at David expectantly. He looked back, clueless for a moment. He quickly pulled up his screen, looking at what it said.
Name: David Care Points: 511 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1)
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
He said out loud,
"Points! Trade!"
…
Nothing happened.
He tried tapping where his points were on the blue screen, wondering if anything would happen. Immediately, a small blue screen popped up.
Points Interface – Points can be traded by naming your trading partner out loud and bringing up a mental image of them. You will then go into a private chat room, where you can work out a trade.
Accept?
Y/N
David quickly tapped yes, the screen disappearing. He looked at Shin for a moment before saying,
"Trade with Shin!" He mentally pictured Shin in his head, the blonde haired punk standing before him.
Immediately another blue screen popped up with a message:
Trade with user: Shin has been accepted.
Points Added: 0
Shin's Points Added: 0
Accept?
Y/N
David stared at it quietly, reading the small screen. Suddenly, it changed slightly.
Trade with user: Shin has been accepted.
Points Added: 0
Shin's Points Added: 3
Accept?
Y/N
David looked up as Shin added a few points to the screen. Shin smiled in a relaxed manner,
"You just have to think how many points you want to add and the screen adds it for you!"
David nodded and clicked accept, waiting to see what would happen. Immediately, he received a small message.
You have accepted a trade from user: Shin.
Your Trade: 0 Points
Shin's Trade: 3 points
David brought up his status again, noting the number of points he had.
Name: David Care Points: 514 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1)
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
David looked around at the others smiling.
"It worked! Awesome! Alright guys, let's get to work. Leia, buy your wings, and the rest of you trade May the remainder of your points! We will get the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield and food supplies!" David decided to delegate the responsibility to May to give her something to do. May was the only one without a special modification, so he felt like he should give her something. She looked at David gratefully, leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
David smiled back, quickly trading his points to her. He noted that he still had a lottery slot, but he decided to worry about that later.
"Alright! Let's go!"
David and Shin whirled through space, motes of light drifting past them. In an instant, they arrived back at the lake and campgrounds. David looked around, seeing a large tent set up near them. They had arrived back at the spot they left at. They were standing about 15 meters from the lake, on the south side. The lake was a large pool of water, easily a hundred meters across. Several trees stood near them; great oaks towering in the sky. The wind whistled by, a lonely breeze in a dying world.A large tent had been set up about five meters away from them. It was a huge, green tent, able to hold five or six people easily. David looked around for May or her roommates, seeing no one.A voice cried out from behind them,"David? Shin? Is that you?" Stacy walked up behind them, carrying several logs of wood. Her eyes were shining as she walked forward, a newfound confidence filling her. She was carrying what looked like over a hundred pounds of weight with ease. She walked up them, talking excitedly."This is amazing! I'm so much stronger now!" Stacy twirled, still holding on to the large logs, "I can feel a core of energy in me that strengthens me!" She smiled, looking giddy. Stacy had been a tall but muscular girl to begin with, and with her new powers her body had filled out, giving her a solid feel.David nodded, saying, "We ran into a 'Ki cultivator' at May's house and had a small scuffle. He was super strong too." David didn't mention his newfound knowledge of 'Ki.'Stacy kept talking,"May and Leia are in the tent resting. When I woke up, they had already set up a tent they found on the northside of the campgrounds. We are on the southside at the moment." She gestured towards the tent and then to the other side of the lake."We also found a small group of people that are making a camp over up there." David looked back at the other side of the lake, squinting. He could make out tiny figures moving around, with several tents set up. There appeared to be around 20 from what he could see."Did they say anything?" David asked, curious. Shin walked around in the background, checking out the new tent and dragging the supplies he gathered over. He grunted as he worked, moving the food and water."Not much, though May said a few gave her weird looks." Stacy shrugged, setting the load of wood down. Her body emanated a powerful aura with a very faint, Steelish hue. Stacy had also chosen the power of a Ki Cultivator, and from David's newfound knowledge he could tell she was at the 'Steel' level. He noted this in his head and continued asking her questions.Soon, David found that the group on the other side of the lake had 25 members that they knew of, and was a group of local students from around the area. Stacy had spoken to a few of them in passing, very confident in her new strength. They had apparently attended a local high school, with a few of them enrolled in college.They had all planned on going out to the lake for the night when chaos broke out. Only one of the students there had any sort of power, the rest of them having low base points. The strong student had chosen a Vampire Count upgrade and was a Lesser Vampire.The Lesser Vampire's name was Reed, and he was the impromptu leader of the north side of the lake's group. Stacy said he had a dark aura about him, and seemed like he would slip away in the wind. When David asked if they seemed hostile, she shrugged, saying they seemed like a scared bunch of kids. However, when she offered to have them join us they quickly refused, stating they would rather be on their own.As they talked, David noticed several, long trails of smoke coming from where the main city was located. He dreaded to think of what was happening on campus, remembering the massive explosion that occurred when he and Shin had left. He hoped the many other students there were still alive.David made his way over to the tent, waking up Leia and May who had been napping. The inside of the tent they had found was quite spacious, with plenty of room for all five of them to sit in a circle and talk. It had apparently belonged to one of the workers here before they disappeared. Shin and Stacy quickly filed in and sat down. David called up his status, reviewing his points and abilities.Name: David Care Points: 511 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1Class: Life Orb Master 1/1Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand EnergyDavid looked around at the others and started talking,"Alright everyone. Let's review again. How many points do you all have?"May said, "I have 283!"Stacy said, "I have 6 left."Leia replied, "563 points here."Shin responded as well, "Basically none, I spent all of mine." He shrugged, supremely unconcerned as usual.David memorized their point scores, and pulled up the system's shop screen, looking through what they could buy with the points.System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | ArmorDavid looked in surprise at the new heading. It hadn't said System Shop the last time he had checked his screen. He wondered if it was because he had already purchased something.David quickly clicked over supplies, thinking about how anything that could help them would be useful. Immediately, a massive list poured open.----Supplies----Food package 1 Enough to feed 1 person for 30 days --- 15 pointsFood package 2 Enough to feed 2 people for 30 days --- 30 pointsFood package 3 Enough to feed 3 people for 30 days --- 45 pointsFood package 4David quickly skipped past the various Food Packages, noting down the one for 5 people. He quickly stepped into the realm of the exotic.Interspatial ring 4 100 cubic meters of space 900 pointsSmall Interspatial Home 1 bed/1bath/1kitchen Home 2100 pointsMedium Interspatial Home 2 bed/2bath/1kitchen Home 3700 pointsLarge Interspatial Home 4bed/4bath/2kitchen Home 5100 pointsInterspatial Castle 35+ rooms 8100 pointsSmall Earth Car 400 points selection availableMedium Earth Car 700 points selection availableLarge Earth Car 1200 points selection availableSmall Energy Shield 100 PointsSmall Rechargeable Energy Shield 700 pointsMedium Energy Shield 250 pointsMedium Rechargeable Energy Shield 2300 pointsLarge Energy Shield 500 PointsLarge Rechargeable Energy Shield 7700 pointsCity Rechargeable Energy Shield 13100 pointsThe list went on and on, continuing for several pages. David couldn't help but continue reading, looking at all the interesting and powerful tools available for purchase. After another minute of reading, he finally tore his eyes away, looking back at the group.He said,"Alright guys. I think we should pool our remaining points together, and focus on getting things that can help us survive for long periods of time. I have 511 points, if we add all of our's together we have" David mentally added them together."We have about 1364 points!" His eyes lit up, happy to have at least a somewhat decent amount of points.Leia spoke up then, her petite figure waving back and forth,"I, uh, I actually want to use some of my points." She looked down, blushing cutely, "I won't use all of them, but there is a Physical Modification that I'm going to get. You guys can have the rest of my points." Determination colored her tone, belying her embarrassed look.The others looked at her inquiringly. Leia had barely 500 points, and very few things were that cheap."I-ever since I was young, I've always wanted to be able to fly." She began, looking back and forth at May and Stacy. She was ignoring the boys for some reason."I'm going to get the Flying Physical Wings Modification for 400 points. You can have the rest of my points."David looked at her for a moment before nodding."That's fine! They are your points after all! We're grateful for you sharing any at all." He said warmly, smiling. May gave him a sidelong glance."So with that, our official total of points between us all is 964 points!" David clapped his hands together happily. It was still a very large number of points; they would be able to last quite a while with them."I think our main goal should be to make ourselves a safe base first of all, and from there, we can go in search of our parents." David began, nodding to the others. He gestured at Shin abruptly,"Thanks to Shin, we won't need to leave the camp. We can conduct searches, and return here every evening to rest before beginning anew." Shin nodded, agreeing.Stacy spoke up then, looking at some of the orbs that floated near David's head."That's all good, I agree, David," She began, "But I have a question. What are those small balls floating around you?" The other girls stared at them as well, watching them float around in circular patterns. May reached up, poking one."Ah, these are a side effect of my power as a Life Orb Master. These are called Life Orbs, and they can take my place if I should have otherwise died." 9 orbs circled David's head, moving randomly. Stacy gasped, immediately recognizing the usefulness of such an item. Suddenly, Shin brought out his two remaining orbs, setting them to circle as well."Shin has them too?!" Stacy cried, looking at Shin jealously. Shin smirked."Yes, I can make up to 3 Unbound Orbs, which I can give to other people, a day. I've already maxed out what I can make today, but we can split those up between ya'll starting tomorrow." David thought it would be a good plan; a way to protect his friends when he wasn't even there. His ability certainly was useful, he reflected.May looked at him inquisitively, "Why does he only have 2 orbs? Do you have one left?"David shook his head, recalling the green haired punk and the subsequent fight that occurred. David quickly explained what happened, placing emphasis on the danger of the outside world. Leia and May's eyes grew wide, looking scared. Stacy, on the other hand, looked eager, as if she had fallen into a fantasy dream."It's no longer safe in large cities. We need to protect ourselves in order to survive." David began outlining his plan to create a safe home. "May and Leia, you two are primarily going to be on defense, holding this area and keeping the safe house safe. With the 900 or so points we have remaining, I think it would be a wise choice to buy the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield for 700 points. We can stake it around our tents to help protect our area. I figure it's a good plan to stay by this lake. We have a constant source of water and if needed, we can hunt for food. As well, with our remaining points, we can save those up to buy various large food packages to keep us and any survivors we rescue well fed."David continued outlining his plan while everyone nodded. Everyone began nodding, agreeing with him. David was quite persuasive, using his experience as a former Debate Team leader to his advantage."Shin and I will go on patrol, looking for clues of where our families went. Stacy, using her prowess as a Ki Cultivator, will accompany us as well. I think it will be safest if you two stayed behind, keeping the Energy Shield working and everything here in order." David gestured at the girls.Leia immediately nodded, relief flooding into her eyes. She was eager to gain her physical wings, and didn't want to go into a world full of danger. May looked unsure. May wanted to help, but didn't think she would be of use out in the field. She looked at David cutely, stuck with indecision. David smiled back at her confidently. She decided to agree and nodded back.Stacy looked overjoyed and was practically bouncing up and down in her eagerness to try out her newfound martial prowess. She looked like she was ready to start beating down evildoers at a moment's notice. Her eyes gleamed in the tent, and a faint, steel aura emanated from her.Shin, in his ever present nonchalance, laughed and nodded. As long as he was with his best friend, he was fine doing whatever."Alright!" David said, clapping his hands together."It's a plan! Now, first off, let's get that energy shield, and Leia can get her wings!"The others all smiled for a moment, before breaking into confusion."Wait? How do we share points?!" They looked at David expectantly. He looked back, clueless for a moment. He quickly pulled up his screen, looking at what it said.Name: David Care Points: 511 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1Class: Life Orb Master 1/1Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand EnergyHe said out loud,"Points! Trade!"Nothing happened.He tried tapping where his points were on the blue screen, wondering if anything would happen. Immediately, a small blue screen popped up.Points Interface Points can be traded by naming your trading partner out loud and bringing up a mental image of them. You will then go into a private chat room, where you can work out a trade.Accept?Y/NDavid quickly tapped yes, the screen disappearing. He looked at Shin for a moment before saying,"Trade with Shin!" He mentally pictured Shin in his head, the blonde haired punk standing before him.Immediately another blue screen popped up with a message:Trade with user: Shin has been accepted.Points Added: 0Shin's Points Added: 0Accept?Y/NDavid stared at it quietly, reading the small screen. Suddenly, it changed slightly.Trade with user: Shin has been accepted.Points Added: 0Shin's Points Added: 3Accept?Y/NDavid looked up as Shin added a few points to the screen. Shin smiled in a relaxed manner,"You just have to think how many points you want to add and the screen adds it for you!"David nodded and clicked accept, waiting to see what would happen. Immediately, he received a small message.You have accepted a trade from user: Shin.Your Trade: 0 PointsShin's Trade: 3 pointsDavid brought up his status again, noting the number of points he had.Name: David Care Points: 514 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1Class: Life Orb Master 1/1Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand EnergyDavid looked around at the others smiling."It worked! Awesome! Alright guys, let's get to work. Leia, buy your wings, and the rest of you trade May the remainder of your points! We will get the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield and food supplies!" David decided to delegate the responsibility to May to give her something to do. May was the only one without a special modification, so he felt like he should give her something. She looked at David gratefully, leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.David smiled back, quickly trading his points to her. He noted that he still had a lottery slot, but he decided to worry about that later."Alright! Let's go!"
