Chapter 7
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Name: David Care Points: 0 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1) Energy Stored: 25.9 hours
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
About an hour later, they finished preparing and setting up camp. Leia had made her purchase and fallen unconscious, currently resting in the tent, as a pair of wings formed in her body. Shin was outside by the lake, practicing using his teleportation powers to dodge. Shin was determined to not be caught in the situation he was last time and was rapidly improving his control. Stacy was currently talking with May, trying to help organize logistics.
Upon learning of their point total, David had gone back to the System Shop, determined to see if there were any useful Physical Modifications or Abilities they could use that wouldn't cost too much. However, what he found had surprised him…
David had called up the System Shop, bringing down the menus.
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
Physical Modifications
…
Bionic Body Type – 1200 points (2000/2000)
Ice Body Type – 1800 points (1500/1500)
Flame Body Type – 1800 points (1500/1500)
Energy Body Type – 4800 points (31/100)
All Seeing Eye Type – 7800 (3/10)
Miasma Emission Body Type – 5000 (0/30)
Acid Body Type – 1000 (2400/2400)
Full Environmental Body Type – 800 (5000/5000)
Enhanced Strength Body Type – 1000 (50,000/50,000)
Enhanced Speed Body Type – 1200 (40,000/40,000)
Innate Combat Body Type – 2300 (387/500)
Immortality Body Type – 500 (189,220/Infinite)*This Type can be applied with other modifications
….(2/41 page)
There were an overwhelmingly large number of Physical Modifications. However, all of the ones that could be bought with a smaller amount of points had been purchased. David had noticed the numbers standing next to some of the powers and saw that a large majority of the powers were greyed out. Apparently, when a certain number of people had purchased a power, the power closed off, not allowing repurchase till some of its users died or returned their power. David scrolled through the screen in consternation, looking for a power they could buy.
In fact, in the entire list of powers, the only one that they could purchase was the Immortality Body Type for 500 points, which apparently had an infinite number of available purchases. However, David thought it would hardly help their situation and opted out of buying it, despite being tempted. Being immortal was an interesting idea, he thought, mentally noting it down to later check out. He concluded on buying an energy shield that would protect where they made their base, giving them a safe haven they could retreat to.
David checked out the Abilities section to see if there was a difference, and found the exact same situation, minus the Immortality purchase. He shrugged, reaffirming his decision to buy an Energy Shield.
David went over and joined May and Stacy in conversation, telling them about his discoveries. The girls quickly agreed with his reasoning, seconding his decisions. May bought the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield for 700 points, bringing their total down to less than 300.
Immediately, a small, circular metal plate inscribed with numbers appeared in May's hands. It gave off an alien feel, vibrating very lightly and glowing a light blue. David looked at it expectantly.
May's eyes had glossed over as the knowledge on how to use the energy shield flew into her mind. After a few moments, she snapped back to the present looking around in confusion. She focused, explaining the newfound information to David and Stacy.
Small Rechargeable Energy Shield
This is the Small Rechargeable version of an Energy Shield. The Small version can cover a surface area of roughly 10,000 sq ft. This Energy Shield is impenetrable till its source energy runs out. Energy can be recharged by leaving the shield off for 4 hours. After 4 hours, it will be fully recharged. Source energy will decrease when the shield is damaged by attacks.
David was pleasantly surprised by the size that the Energy Shield would cover. 10,000 square feet was, he mentally calculated, a little bit larger than a baseball diamond. It would easily cover their tents and more.
David called Shin over and explained the specifics of the shield, not wanting anyone to be left out. Leia was, unfortunately, still unconscious in the large tent. The students walked over to the tents, getting ready to activate the shield.
May stood about 10 feet (3M) in front of the large tent, holding the small, glowing steel circle in her hand. She carefully set it down and tapped several of the symbols. Immediately, a powerful beam of light shot up and formed into a massive bubble. The bubble sank halfway into the ground before spreading out, eventually setting a perimeter about 55 feet away from them.
They looked up at it in awe. It was a thin membrane of energy completely encircling their camp. It gave off a very faint, blue glow, but was mostly clear.
David went up next to it, pressing his fingers against the great globe. It felt like a solid, curving wall. He pressed harder, trying to force his way through, to no avail. Apparently, it allowed nothing in or out. He wondered about oxygen consumption, assuming the bubble had some way to deal with recycling air so people wouldn't asphyxiate.
Suddenly, a fist whipped past where David was standing, smashing directly into the giant globe. Immediately, small ripples spread at the point of impact, slowly fading into nothingness.
Stacy had, using her cultivation energy, attacked the globe to see how tough it was. She had thrown a full power punch to see if she could break through, concentrating on drawing energy from her new cultivation Core. However, she found that the shield somehow absorbed her punch, spreading it out along the curving wall before dissipating it. She looked at her fist as if it had betrayed her.
It must be said that a punch from Stacy, who was at the Steel level of Cultivation as well as a Karate practitioner, could easily blast through bulletproof walls or concrete. With her new massive level of strength, lifting and throwing a car was something she could do with somewhat ease. For her to be unable to even leave a scratch on their shield meant that it was very powerful.
Stacy turned to May, asking whether her punch had impacted the energy left in the shield.
May responded,
"It did! Your punch had a relatively small effect. If you punched about 10,000 more times, the shield would collapse." May looked down at the small circle, calculating how powerful the shield would be.
Stacy turned around to look at David, nodding satisfactorily.
"This is a good piece of equipment. It can protect our base while we are out, keeping Leia and May safe. If they're attacked by powerful people, however, they need to have some way to contact us so we can have Shin teleport us back and assist them." Stacy focused on the strategic side of the issue, trying to find a way to solve security issues.
David thought about it as well, acknowledging the situation she brought up. He said,
"I think by now it's safe to assume that a large majority of cell phone towers have been knocked out. I don't have any service, and we can't count on phones to work. I don't think we have any options at this point."
Inspiration suddenly struck him, and David quickly pulled up the System Shop,
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
He mentally selected supplies, scrolling through till he found what he wanted
Taoist Instant Sending Scroll(10) – 25 points
David clicked on it, careful to tap the name, instead of the points, to avoid buying it straight away. It read:
Taoist Instant Sending Scroll(10)
These sending papers can convey a mental message to anyone within the same dimension instantly. Message is limited to 25 words. 10 Sending Scrolls in this package.
David walked over to May asking,
"May, how many points do we have again?" They had purchased the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield as well as two of the packages of food for 5. They now had enough food to last 2 months. The food packages that had popped up appeared as two very large crates. When opened, several small packages came pouring out. They had gathered up the packages, finding bread, pasta, and various other foodstuffs.
When they went back to the crate, however, it was still as full as it had been before they emptied it. David assumed that it must have some sort of interspatial property and probably stored more than was normally possible. He couldn't think of any other way to have a month's worth of food for 5 people in just a large crate.
They moved the crates over to the side, setting them up against the tent Leia was sleeping in.
Shin had gone off to practice his teleportation, finding that he could teleport outside and inside the bubble. Upon seeing this, David saw the obvious flaw in their defense but couldn't think of a countermeasure. He shrugged and decided to deal with it if it came to it. He made a mental note to not aggravate anyone that could teleport.
David looked at May, waiting for her to respond. She took a moment, apparently calling up her screen before responding,
"114 points left." She looked up at David with a worried look. She realized that these points would be very important to their future survival. However, they had yet to see a way to gain points, and as of now, points were a finite resource. Eventually, they would run out.
David thought for a moment, trying to plan how to best conserve their remaining points.
First of all, he thought, we need weapons. Guns, preferably. David called up the shop screen, opening the weapons interface. He scrolled to the first page.
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
Weapons Shop ---------
Basic Earth handgun – 25 points (selection available)
Basic Earth rifle – 35 points (selection available)
Earth Automatic Weapon – 55 points (selection available)
Earth Sniper rifle – 60 points (selection available)
Earth Heavy rifle – 65 points (selection available)
Earth Hand Rocket – 85 points (selection available)
Basic Energy handgun – 120 points (selection available)
Basic Energy rifle – 135 points (selection available)
Plasma sword – 110 points
Plasma rifle – 145 points (selection available)
… (page 1/13)
The page went on and on. He clicked for info on some of the cheaper weapons, noting that ammo came included with the weapon. It also said that one could purchase more ammo directly from the System Shop when they purchase a weapon from the shop.
He looked at May and Stacy, deciding that it would be safer if everyone had a weapon. However, with only 114 points, even if they all purchased the cheapest weapons, someone would have to go without. David told them this, discussing their options.
Stacy suddenly spoke up,
"I don't need a gun. With my cultivation energy I can put up a protective shield of energy around my body, making bullets have a lot less impact on me. In the time it would take me to shoot, I could already cross a great deal of distance and attack. I'd rather be a short range attacker than a long." She nodded at David. David nodded back, understanding.
For Stacy, gaining the powerup, Intermediate Ki Cultivator, was a dream come true. She had always been a martial arts fanatic, practicing Karate ever since she was young. She desperately wanted to use her newfound powers in the changed world for good, and didn't want to have to rely on a gun.
Shin broke into the conversation saying,
"Well, that's all good and fine for Stacy, I gladly volunteer to take a gun in her place." He said shamelessly, giving an innocent smile. Stacy looked back at him, unsure how to respond.
David shook his head, adjusting his shirt. When David and Shin had returned and met up with the group, they hadn't immediately focused on purchasing food and a shield. David had gone to take a shower in the campground showers, relaxing in the warm streams of water.
Shin and David had teleported back into town, sneaking into a Men's Warehouse to grab some clothes. Shin had wanted to go to a Target or some mall store like J C Penny or Macy's. David, however, had insisted on the formal store, claiming that places like malls or large grocery stores would have been one of the highest priority targets to be taken over in the ongoing chaos. Mostly, however, David really enjoyed wearing suits and ties. He looked quite good in one, in his opinion, the black coat and tie making him look like some type of secret service guard.
When David and Shin had teleported in front of the Men's Warehouse, they had landed directly on top of a burnt out car. Several small fires smoldered in the streets around them, giving off a small amount of heat. David instantly looked around, his eyes trying to discern if anyone was near them.
There were a few groups fighting about a mile from them, rocking out with large explosions and gun fire. David could feel the bullets smash through the air into the ground, sending off small vibrations. Besides those groups, however, the location they had ported to was deserted. The front of the store had been smashed in, glass shattered everywhere. Many of the suits and ties in the place had been ruined, burnt badly, damaged by fire. However, David and Shin found several outfits stored in the back and grabbed them before leaving in a hurry, noticing that the sounds of gunfire had drawn progressively closer.
David smiled at Shin, shaking his head. He turned back to Stacy, agreeing with her.
"Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll get 3 handguns from the System Shop, equipping May, Shin, and myself." David said, gesturing with his hands. The others, minus Leia, who had yet to wake up from her wing modification, all agreed, and May quickly purchased the weapons. "The last batch of points we will spend on the Sending Scrolls. You can use those to send us a message, letting us know if you're in danger." May nodded, quickly purchasing them.
Soon, David was looking down at the Glock 17 Gen 4 handgun. It was fully loaded with several 9mm bullets, locked in and ready to be used. It felt oddly heavy in his hands, heavier than he had expected a gun to weigh.
Shin, on the other hand, was juggling the weapon in the air like a pro, practicing his aim and moving it naturally. He smiled at Shin, twirling the gun in a fancy movement before slamming it down, sticking it in his pant leg pockets.
Suddenly, from the side, they heard the sound of someone knocking on the great bubble energy shield they had put up, calling for their attention…
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Name: David Care Points: 0 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1
Class: Life Orb Master (1/1) Energy Stored: 25.9 hours
Abilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand Energy
About an hour later, they finished preparing and setting up camp. Leia had made her purchase and fallen unconscious, currently resting in the tent, as a pair of wings formed in her body. Shin was outside by the lake, practicing using his teleportation powers to dodge. Shin was determined to not be caught in the situation he was last time and was rapidly improving his control. Stacy was currently talking with May, trying to help organize logistics.
Upon learning of their point total, David had gone back to the System Shop, determined to see if there were any useful Physical Modifications or Abilities they could use that wouldn't cost too much. However, what he found had surprised him…
David had called up the System Shop, bringing down the menus.
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
Physical Modifications
…
Bionic Body Type – 1200 points (2000/2000)
Ice Body Type – 1800 points (1500/1500)
Flame Body Type – 1800 points (1500/1500)
Energy Body Type – 4800 points (31/100)
All Seeing Eye Type – 7800 (3/10)
Miasma Emission Body Type – 5000 (0/30)
Acid Body Type – 1000 (2400/2400)
Full Environmental Body Type – 800 (5000/5000)
Enhanced Strength Body Type – 1000 (50,000/50,000)
Enhanced Speed Body Type – 1200 (40,000/40,000)
Innate Combat Body Type – 2300 (387/500)
Immortality Body Type – 500 (189,220/Infinite)*This Type can be applied with other modifications
….(2/41 page)
There were an overwhelmingly large number of Physical Modifications. However, all of the ones that could be bought with a smaller amount of points had been purchased. David had noticed the numbers standing next to some of the powers and saw that a large majority of the powers were greyed out. Apparently, when a certain number of people had purchased a power, the power closed off, not allowing repurchase till some of its users died or returned their power. David scrolled through the screen in consternation, looking for a power they could buy.
In fact, in the entire list of powers, the only one that they could purchase was the Immortality Body Type for 500 points, which apparently had an infinite number of available purchases. However, David thought it would hardly help their situation and opted out of buying it, despite being tempted. Being immortal was an interesting idea, he thought, mentally noting it down to later check out. He concluded on buying an energy shield that would protect where they made their base, giving them a safe haven they could retreat to.
David checked out the Abilities section to see if there was a difference, and found the exact same situation, minus the Immortality purchase. He shrugged, reaffirming his decision to buy an Energy Shield.
David went over and joined May and Stacy in conversation, telling them about his discoveries. The girls quickly agreed with his reasoning, seconding his decisions. May bought the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield for 700 points, bringing their total down to less than 300.
Immediately, a small, circular metal plate inscribed with numbers appeared in May's hands. It gave off an alien feel, vibrating very lightly and glowing a light blue. David looked at it expectantly.
May's eyes had glossed over as the knowledge on how to use the energy shield flew into her mind. After a few moments, she snapped back to the present looking around in confusion. She focused, explaining the newfound information to David and Stacy.
Small Rechargeable Energy Shield
This is the Small Rechargeable version of an Energy Shield. The Small version can cover a surface area of roughly 10,000 sq ft. This Energy Shield is impenetrable till its source energy runs out. Energy can be recharged by leaving the shield off for 4 hours. After 4 hours, it will be fully recharged. Source energy will decrease when the shield is damaged by attacks.
David was pleasantly surprised by the size that the Energy Shield would cover. 10,000 square feet was, he mentally calculated, a little bit larger than a baseball diamond. It would easily cover their tents and more.
David called Shin over and explained the specifics of the shield, not wanting anyone to be left out. Leia was, unfortunately, still unconscious in the large tent. The students walked over to the tents, getting ready to activate the shield.
May stood about 10 feet (3M) in front of the large tent, holding the small, glowing steel circle in her hand. She carefully set it down and tapped several of the symbols. Immediately, a powerful beam of light shot up and formed into a massive bubble. The bubble sank halfway into the ground before spreading out, eventually setting a perimeter about 55 feet away from them.
They looked up at it in awe. It was a thin membrane of energy completely encircling their camp. It gave off a very faint, blue glow, but was mostly clear.
David went up next to it, pressing his fingers against the great globe. It felt like a solid, curving wall. He pressed harder, trying to force his way through, to no avail. Apparently, it allowed nothing in or out. He wondered about oxygen consumption, assuming the bubble had some way to deal with recycling air so people wouldn't asphyxiate.
Suddenly, a fist whipped past where David was standing, smashing directly into the giant globe. Immediately, small ripples spread at the point of impact, slowly fading into nothingness.
Stacy had, using her cultivation energy, attacked the globe to see how tough it was. She had thrown a full power punch to see if she could break through, concentrating on drawing energy from her new cultivation Core. However, she found that the shield somehow absorbed her punch, spreading it out along the curving wall before dissipating it. She looked at her fist as if it had betrayed her.
It must be said that a punch from Stacy, who was at the Steel level of Cultivation as well as a Karate practitioner, could easily blast through bulletproof walls or concrete. With her new massive level of strength, lifting and throwing a car was something she could do with somewhat ease. For her to be unable to even leave a scratch on their shield meant that it was very powerful.
Stacy turned to May, asking whether her punch had impacted the energy left in the shield.
May responded,
"It did! Your punch had a relatively small effect. If you punched about 10,000 more times, the shield would collapse." May looked down at the small circle, calculating how powerful the shield would be.
Stacy turned around to look at David, nodding satisfactorily.
"This is a good piece of equipment. It can protect our base while we are out, keeping Leia and May safe. If they're attacked by powerful people, however, they need to have some way to contact us so we can have Shin teleport us back and assist them." Stacy focused on the strategic side of the issue, trying to find a way to solve security issues.
David thought about it as well, acknowledging the situation she brought up. He said,
"I think by now it's safe to assume that a large majority of cell phone towers have been knocked out. I don't have any service, and we can't count on phones to work. I don't think we have any options at this point."
Inspiration suddenly struck him, and David quickly pulled up the System Shop,
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
He mentally selected supplies, scrolling through till he found what he wanted
Taoist Instant Sending Scroll(10) – 25 points
David clicked on it, careful to tap the name, instead of the points, to avoid buying it straight away. It read:
Taoist Instant Sending Scroll(10)
These sending papers can convey a mental message to anyone within the same dimension instantly. Message is limited to 25 words. 10 Sending Scrolls in this package.
David walked over to May asking,
"May, how many points do we have again?" They had purchased the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield as well as two of the packages of food for 5. They now had enough food to last 2 months. The food packages that had popped up appeared as two very large crates. When opened, several small packages came pouring out. They had gathered up the packages, finding bread, pasta, and various other foodstuffs.
When they went back to the crate, however, it was still as full as it had been before they emptied it. David assumed that it must have some sort of interspatial property and probably stored more than was normally possible. He couldn't think of any other way to have a month's worth of food for 5 people in just a large crate.
They moved the crates over to the side, setting them up against the tent Leia was sleeping in.
Shin had gone off to practice his teleportation, finding that he could teleport outside and inside the bubble. Upon seeing this, David saw the obvious flaw in their defense but couldn't think of a countermeasure. He shrugged and decided to deal with it if it came to it. He made a mental note to not aggravate anyone that could teleport.
David looked at May, waiting for her to respond. She took a moment, apparently calling up her screen before responding,
"114 points left." She looked up at David with a worried look. She realized that these points would be very important to their future survival. However, they had yet to see a way to gain points, and as of now, points were a finite resource. Eventually, they would run out.
David thought for a moment, trying to plan how to best conserve their remaining points.
First of all, he thought, we need weapons. Guns, preferably. David called up the shop screen, opening the weapons interface. He scrolled to the first page.
System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.
Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | Armor
Weapons Shop ---------
Basic Earth handgun – 25 points (selection available)
Basic Earth rifle – 35 points (selection available)
Earth Automatic Weapon – 55 points (selection available)
Earth Sniper rifle – 60 points (selection available)
Earth Heavy rifle – 65 points (selection available)
Earth Hand Rocket – 85 points (selection available)
Basic Energy handgun – 120 points (selection available)
Basic Energy rifle – 135 points (selection available)
Plasma sword – 110 points
Plasma rifle – 145 points (selection available)
… (page 1/13)
The page went on and on. He clicked for info on some of the cheaper weapons, noting that ammo came included with the weapon. It also said that one could purchase more ammo directly from the System Shop when they purchase a weapon from the shop.
He looked at May and Stacy, deciding that it would be safer if everyone had a weapon. However, with only 114 points, even if they all purchased the cheapest weapons, someone would have to go without. David told them this, discussing their options.
Stacy suddenly spoke up,
"I don't need a gun. With my cultivation energy I can put up a protective shield of energy around my body, making bullets have a lot less impact on me. In the time it would take me to shoot, I could already cross a great deal of distance and attack. I'd rather be a short range attacker than a long." She nodded at David. David nodded back, understanding.
For Stacy, gaining the powerup, Intermediate Ki Cultivator, was a dream come true. She had always been a martial arts fanatic, practicing Karate ever since she was young. She desperately wanted to use her newfound powers in the changed world for good, and didn't want to have to rely on a gun.
Shin broke into the conversation saying,
"Well, that's all good and fine for Stacy, I gladly volunteer to take a gun in her place." He said shamelessly, giving an innocent smile. Stacy looked back at him, unsure how to respond.
David shook his head, adjusting his shirt. When David and Shin had returned and met up with the group, they hadn't immediately focused on purchasing food and a shield. David had gone to take a shower in the campground showers, relaxing in the warm streams of water.
Shin and David had teleported back into town, sneaking into a Men's Warehouse to grab some clothes. Shin had wanted to go to a Target or some mall store like J C Penny or Macy's. David, however, had insisted on the formal store, claiming that places like malls or large grocery stores would have been one of the highest priority targets to be taken over in the ongoing chaos. Mostly, however, David really enjoyed wearing suits and ties. He looked quite good in one, in his opinion, the black coat and tie making him look like some type of secret service guard.
When David and Shin had teleported in front of the Men's Warehouse, they had landed directly on top of a burnt out car. Several small fires smoldered in the streets around them, giving off a small amount of heat. David instantly looked around, his eyes trying to discern if anyone was near them.
There were a few groups fighting about a mile from them, rocking out with large explosions and gun fire. David could feel the bullets smash through the air into the ground, sending off small vibrations. Besides those groups, however, the location they had ported to was deserted. The front of the store had been smashed in, glass shattered everywhere. Many of the suits and ties in the place had been ruined, burnt badly, damaged by fire. However, David and Shin found several outfits stored in the back and grabbed them before leaving in a hurry, noticing that the sounds of gunfire had drawn progressively closer.
David smiled at Shin, shaking his head. He turned back to Stacy, agreeing with her.
"Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll get 3 handguns from the System Shop, equipping May, Shin, and myself." David said, gesturing with his hands. The others, minus Leia, who had yet to wake up from her wing modification, all agreed, and May quickly purchased the weapons. "The last batch of points we will spend on the Sending Scrolls. You can use those to send us a message, letting us know if you're in danger." May nodded, quickly purchasing them.
Soon, David was looking down at the Glock 17 Gen 4 handgun. It was fully loaded with several 9mm bullets, locked in and ready to be used. It felt oddly heavy in his hands, heavier than he had expected a gun to weigh.
Shin, on the other hand, was juggling the weapon in the air like a pro, practicing his aim and moving it naturally. He smiled at Shin, twirling the gun in a fancy movement before slamming it down, sticking it in his pant leg pockets.
Suddenly, from the side, they heard the sound of someone knocking on the great bubble energy shield they had put up, calling for their attention…
Name: David Care Points: 0 Race: Human Lottery Slots: 1Class: Life Orb Master 1/1 Energy Stored: 25.9 hoursAbilities: Life Orb Form, Life Orb Designate, Life Orb Create, Life Orb Store, Store/Expand EnergyAbout an hour later, they finished preparing and setting up camp. Leia had made her purchase and fallen unconscious, currently resting in the tent, as a pair of wings formed in her body. Shin was outside by the lake, practicing using his teleportation powers to dodge. Shin was determined to not be caught in the situation he was last time and was rapidly improving his control. Stacy was currently talking with May, trying to help organize logistics.Upon learning of their point total, David had gone back to the System Shop, determined to see if there were any useful Physical Modifications or Abilities they could use that wouldn't cost too much. However, what he found had surprised himDavid had called up the System Shop, bringing down the menus.System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | ArmorPhysical ModificationsBionic Body Type 1200 points 2000/2000Ice Body Type 1800 points 1500/1500Flame Body Type 1800 points 1500/1500Energy Body Type 4800 points 31/100All Seeing Eye Type 7800 3/10Miasma Emission Body Type 5000 0/30Acid Body Type 1000 2400/2400Full Environmental Body Type 800 5000/5000Enhanced Strength Body Type 1000 50,000/50,000Enhanced Speed Body Type 1200 40,000/40,000Innate Combat Body Type 2300 387/500Immortality Body Type 500 189,220/Infinite*This Type can be applied with other modifications.2/41 pageThere were an overwhelmingly large number of Physical Modifications. However, all of the ones that could be bought with a smaller amount of points had been purchased. David had noticed the numbers standing next to some of the powers and saw that a large majority of the powers were greyed out. Apparently, when a certain number of people had purchased a power, the power closed off, not allowing repurchase till some of its users died or returned their power. David scrolled through the screen in consternation, looking for a power they could buy.In fact, in the entire list of powers, the only one that they could purchase was the Immortality Body Type for 500 points, which apparently had an infinite number of available purchases. However, David thought it would hardly help their situation and opted out of buying it, despite being tempted. Being immortal was an interesting idea, he thought, mentally noting it down to later check out. He concluded on buying an energy shield that would protect where they made their base, giving them a safe haven they could retreat to.David checked out the Abilities section to see if there was a difference, and found the exact same situation, minus the Immortality purchase. He shrugged, reaffirming his decision to buy an Energy Shield.David went over and joined May and Stacy in conversation, telling them about his discoveries. The girls quickly agreed with his reasoning, seconding his decisions. May bought the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield for 700 points, bringing their total down to less than 300.Immediately, a small, circular metal plate inscribed with numbers appeared in May's hands. It gave off an alien feel, vibrating very lightly and glowing a light blue. David looked at it expectantly.May's eyes had glossed over as the knowledge on how to use the energy shield flew into her mind. After a few moments, she snapped back to the present looking around in confusion. She focused, explaining the newfound information to David and Stacy.Small Rechargeable Energy ShieldThis is the Small Rechargeable version of an Energy Shield. The Small version can cover a surface area of roughly 10,000 sq ft. This Energy Shield is impenetrable till its source energy runs out. Energy can be recharged by leaving the shield off for 4 hours. After 4 hours, it will be fully recharged. Source energy will decrease when the shield is damaged by attacks.David was pleasantly surprised by the size that the Energy Shield would cover. 10,000 square feet was, he mentally calculated, a little bit larger than a baseball diamond. It would easily cover their tents and more.David called Shin over and explained the specifics of the shield, not wanting anyone to be left out. Leia was, unfortunately, still unconscious in the large tent. The students walked over to the tents, getting ready to activate the shield.May stood about 10 feet 3M in front of the large tent, holding the small, glowing steel circle in her hand. She carefully set it down and tapped several of the symbols. Immediately, a powerful beam of light shot up and formed into a massive bubble. The bubble sank halfway into the ground before spreading out, eventually setting a perimeter about 55 feet away from them.They looked up at it in awe. It was a thin membrane of energy completely encircling their camp. It gave off a very faint, blue glow, but was mostly clear.David went up next to it, pressing his fingers against the great globe. It felt like a solid, curving wall. He pressed harder, trying to force his way through, to no avail. Apparently, it allowed nothing in or out. He wondered about oxygen consumption, assuming the bubble had some way to deal with recycling air so people wouldn't asphyxiate.Suddenly, a fist whipped past where David was standing, smashing directly into the giant globe. Immediately, small ripples spread at the point of impact, slowly fading into nothingness.Stacy had, using her cultivation energy, attacked the globe to see how tough it was. She had thrown a full power punch to see if she could break through, concentrating on drawing energy from her new cultivation Core. However, she found that the shield somehow absorbed her punch, spreading it out along the curving wall before dissipating it. She looked at her fist as if it had betrayed her.It must be said that a punch from Stacy, who was at the Steel level of Cultivation as well as a Karate practitioner, could easily blast through bulletproof walls or concrete. With her new massive level of strength, lifting and throwing a car was something she could do with somewhat ease. For her to be unable to even leave a scratch on their shield meant that it was very powerful.Stacy turned to May, asking whether her punch had impacted the energy left in the shield.May responded,"It did! Your punch had a relatively small effect. If you punched about 10,000 more times, the shield would collapse." May looked down at the small circle, calculating how powerful the shield would be.Stacy turned around to look at David, nodding satisfactorily."This is a good piece of equipment. It can protect our base while we are out, keeping Leia and May safe. If they're attacked by powerful people, however, they need to have some way to contact us so we can have Shin teleport us back and assist them." Stacy focused on the strategic side of the issue, trying to find a way to solve security issues.David thought about it as well, acknowledging the situation she brought up. He said,"I think by now it's safe to assume that a large majority of cell phone towers have been knocked out. I don't have any service, and we can't count on phones to work. I don't think we have any options at this point."Inspiration suddenly struck him, and David quickly pulled up the System Shop,System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | ArmorHe mentally selected supplies, scrolling through till he found what he wantedTaoist Instant Sending Scroll10 25 pointsDavid clicked on it, careful to tap the name, instead of the points, to avoid buying it straight away. It read:Taoist Instant Sending Scroll10These sending papers can convey a mental message to anyone within the same dimension instantly. Message is limited to 25 words. 10 Sending Scrolls in this package.David walked over to May asking,"May, how many points do we have again?" They had purchased the Small Rechargeable Energy Shield as well as two of the packages of food for 5. They now had enough food to last 2 months. The food packages that had popped up appeared as two very large crates. When opened, several small packages came pouring out. They had gathered up the packages, finding bread, pasta, and various other foodstuffs.When they went back to the crate, however, it was still as full as it had been before they emptied it. David assumed that it must have some sort of interspatial property and probably stored more than was normally possible. He couldn't think of any other way to have a month's worth of food for 5 people in just a large crate.They moved the crates over to the side, setting them up against the tent Leia was sleeping in.Shin had gone off to practice his teleportation, finding that he could teleport outside and inside the bubble. Upon seeing this, David saw the obvious flaw in their defense but couldn't think of a countermeasure. He shrugged and decided to deal with it if it came to it. He made a mental note to not aggravate anyone that could teleport.David looked at May, waiting for her to respond. She took a moment, apparently calling up her screen before responding,"114 points left." She looked up at David with a worried look. She realized that these points would be very important to their future survival. However, they had yet to see a way to gain points, and as of now, points were a finite resource. Eventually, they would run out.David thought for a moment, trying to plan how to best conserve their remaining points.First of all, he thought, we need weapons. Guns, preferably. David called up the shop screen, opening the weapons interface. He scrolled to the first page.System Shop -------- Please make your purchase.Abilities | Physical Modifications | Supplies | Weapons | ArmorWeapons Shop ---------Basic Earth handgun 25 points selection availableBasic Earth rifle 35 points selection availableEarth Automatic Weapon 55 points selection availableEarth Sniper rifle 60 points selection availableEarth Heavy rifle 65 points selection availableEarth Hand Rocket 85 points selection availableBasic Energy handgun 120 points selection availableBasic Energy rifle 135 points selection availablePlasma sword 110 pointsPlasma rifle 145 points selection available page 1/13The page went on and on. He clicked for info on some of the cheaper weapons, noting that ammo came included with the weapon. It also said that one could purchase more ammo directly from the System Shop when they purchase a weapon from the shop.He looked at May and Stacy, deciding that it would be safer if everyone had a weapon. However, with only 114 points, even if they all purchased the cheapest weapons, someone would have to go without. David told them this, discussing their options.Stacy suddenly spoke up,"I don't need a gun. With my cultivation energy I can put up a protective shield of energy around my body, making bullets have a lot less impact on me. In the time it would take me to shoot, I could already cross a great deal of distance and attack. I'd rather be a short range attacker than a long." She nodded at David. David nodded back, understanding.For Stacy, gaining the powerup, Intermediate Ki Cultivator, was a dream come true. She had always been a martial arts fanatic, practicing Karate ever since she was young. She desperately wanted to use her newfound powers in the changed world for good, and didn't want to have to rely on a gun.Shin broke into the conversation saying,"Well, that's all good and fine for Stacy, I gladly volunteer to take a gun in her place." He said shamelessly, giving an innocent smile. Stacy looked back at him, unsure how to respond.David shook his head, adjusting his shirt. When David and Shin had returned and met up with the group, they hadn't immediately focused on purchasing food and a shield. David had gone to take a shower in the campground showers, relaxing in the warm streams of water.Shin and David had teleported back into town, sneaking into a Men's Warehouse to grab some clothes. Shin had wanted to go to a Target or some mall store like J C Penny or Macy's. David, however, had insisted on the formal store, claiming that places like malls or large grocery stores would have been one of the highest priority targets to be taken over in the ongoing chaos. Mostly, however, David really enjoyed wearing suits and ties. He looked quite good in one, in his opinion, the black coat and tie making him look like some type of secret service guard.When David and Shin had teleported in front of the Men's Warehouse, they had landed directly on top of a burnt out car. Several small fires smoldered in the streets around them, giving off a small amount of heat. David instantly looked around, his eyes trying to discern if anyone was near them.There were a few groups fighting about a mile from them, rocking out with large explosions and gun fire. David could feel the bullets smash through the air into the ground, sending off small vibrations. Besides those groups, however, the location they had ported to was deserted. The front of the store had been smashed in, glass shattered everywhere. Many of the suits and ties in the place had been ruined, burnt badly, damaged by fire. However, David and Shin found several outfits stored in the back and grabbed them before leaving in a hurry, noticing that the sounds of gunfire had drawn progressively closer.David smiled at Shin, shaking his head. He turned back to Stacy, agreeing with her."Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll get 3 handguns from the System Shop, equipping May, Shin, and myself." David said, gesturing with his hands. The others, minus Leia, who had yet to wake up from her wing modification, all agreed, and May quickly purchased the weapons. "The last batch of points we will spend on the Sending Scrolls. You can use those to send us a message, letting us know if you're in danger." May nodded, quickly purchasing them.Soon, David was looking down at the Glock 17 Gen 4 handgun. It was fully loaded with several 9mm bullets, locked in and ready to be used. It felt oddly heavy in his hands, heavier than he had expected a gun to weigh.Shin, on the other hand, was juggling the weapon in the air like a pro, practicing his aim and moving it naturally. He smiled at Shin, twirling the gun in a fancy movement before slamming it down, sticking it in his pant leg pockets.Suddenly, from the side, they heard the sound of someone knocking on the great bubble energy shield they had put up, calling for their attention
