Chapter 16 Intermission 5

Item Name: A Hasty Repair

Skill Card Element: Active Skill, Permanent Use

Skill Type: Workmans.h.i.+p

Effect: Raise a machine-type product from trash or poor quality to normal quality for three minutes.

Consumption: One hundred Stamina Points

Learning Requirement: Workmans.h.i.+p Mastery F

Remark: As known by most, the founder of the 'Rotten Apple' company—referred to as the pioneer of the field, the goblin inventor, and entrepreneur—Mr. Smith Jacque, was once a repairman when he was young. The advice that he left on his tombstone for the future generation was 'Only a dummy would try to fully fix something'. To share the lesson within this message to all, he even etched the company's logo, an apple with a bite taken out of it, on his tombstone.

———

Feng Bujue's luck in-game had always been bad, so drawing a Skill Card was an anomaly. When the players were low level, skills like Explosive Punch that had both low learning requirements and consumption while limited in use were of great help to the players. This Hasty Repair was the kind that… even after the player was level twenty, and even if the skill bar was not full, they would hesitate to equip it.

The effect was practically non-existent, and the consumption was disproportionately heavy. What made it worse was that the effect was limited to machine products. If this skill could be used on any equipment, it would be of some value. For example, should the player pick up a rusted pipe with poor quality, and the player had enough Stamina Points, then they could use the skill to turn the pipe into a normal quality one to increase its power.

But reality was cruel; this skill was limited to machinery. Feng Bujue was coming up with scenarios where this skill could prove useful… scenarios where he picked up a broken electric saw. In that case, spending one hundred Stamina Points to allow it to run for three minutes was a worthwhile investment.

Theoretically speaking, this skill would be able to fix a broken vehicle. If Feng Bujue found a broken car at his optimum condition, with an accurate calculation of the time, s.p.a.cing the skill activation as close to each instance as possible, then the car could run normally for almost fifteen minutes.

But that was the best possible scenario. It was still unclear whether this skill would work on vehicles or not. After all, in the scenario, large objects like vehicles were not counted as items since the players could not check their attributes.

In any case, even if he kept this card until the open beta, it would not fetch much money at the Trading Post, so Feng Bujue decided to learn the skill. Thus, the skill appeared in his Skill Bar. He then walked up to the second gla.s.s tube, and the system arrived with its notification.

"Please select your additional reward. One, a randomized piece of equipment that matches your level. Two, five thousand Game Coins; Three, two hundred EXP"

Feng Bujue chose the equipment without hesitation. First, he had no use for the other two choices at his current stage. Secondly, he did not believe that, other than the useless Skill Card, the system would not provide him with something that could increase his combat ability. It was not like he would draw another rock.

The white light gathered, and the item materialized in the gla.s.s tube. Before it took on its shape, Feng Bujue knew that it would work this time. Based on the shape, it was definitely a weapon.

———

Item Name: Mario's Wrench

Item Type: Weapon

Quality: Excellent

Offense Points: Medium

Element: Fire

Special Effect: High chance to yield critical strikes when you aim this weapon at a humanoid character's head.

Remark: The owner of this wrench is very popular. He calls himself a plumber, but he never fixes pipes. All he does is crawl in and out of pipes and jump all over the place. He busies himself fighting against evil, saving the kingdom, looking for the princess, and so on. Occasionally, he masquerades as a frog, a racc.o.o.n, and even a paper version of himself. Sometimes, he shoots out fireb.a.l.l.s or throws hammers. But he never ever uses this tool that is necessary for a dedicated plumber. Therefore, the wrench has become angered from abandonment, and the fury has materialized as fire. It wants to prove that even a wrench can be useful in combat!

———

"Just when you think things cannot get stranger…"

Even though Feng Bujue grumbled after reading the item's attributes, he was actually quite happy. The strange remark of the weapon aside, the item itself had quite a good set of attributes.

Walking back to the elevator, w.a.n.g Tanzhi's communication request appeared on-screen. After Feng Bujue accepted, the team request came soon after. "Well, have you reached level five yet?"

"Oh, the EXP gained was just enough to reach level five," w.a.n.g Tanzhi answered. "What about you, Brother Jue?"

Only the IGN and current status were viewable in the friend list; the level was not shown. When w.a.n.g Tanzhi asked that question, since he had accepted the team request, the team member status showed up on screen, and with that, Feng Bujue managed to see his teammate's level information.

"I knew you would reach level five as well. Brother Jue, did you get any new equipment?" w.a.n.g Tanzhi asked. "I used the last Explosive Punch that I had in the scenario, and other than the fruit knife that I already had, I also picked up some defensive equipment."

"Wait, before that… I have to ask you something… In your scenario, when you're close to the end, did you need or use a key?" Feng Bujue asked.

"Huh? Yes, I did use a key," w.a.n.g Tanzhi answered. "How did you know?"

"How did you get the key?"

w.a.n.g Tanzhi paused when he heard the question but quickly answered, "Near the end of the scenario, I spotted a key just sitting right next to the exit door. Until now, I have no idea what has really happened. By then, I was almost dying; both my Life Points and Stamina Points were close to empty, and there was something chasing me. It came as a surprise that I could find a key that would open the door, and once the door was open, the scenario ended.

"Hmm? Brother Jue, do you know why? Did you also come across a similar situation in your scenario?"

"How is that possible?" Feng Bujue replied. "My scenario was very difficult, and your set up… The system probably thought that with your intelligence, picking up the key to open the lock can be already considered a type of puzzle-solving."

"That kind of set-up is for a chimpanzee!" w.a.n.g Tanzhi groaned.

Feng Bujue laughed. He made this joke because he wanted to change the subject. "Well, are you ready or not? Is there anything else you want to do before we start the Team Survival Mode?"

"I'm ready. Start the queue," w.a.n.g Tanzhi responded.

Feng Bujue controlled the touch screen to find the team menu. After they both reached level five, the modes that they could enter changed. Now the menu showed Solo Survival Mode (Normal) and Team Survival Mode (Normal). The Training Modes had been grayed out, as had the Solo Survival Mode.

"Feng Bujue, Level 5.

"w.a.n.g Tanzhi, Level 5.

"Please select the game mode that your team wants to join.

"You have selected the Team Survival Mode (Normal), please confirm.

"Confirming. The team size has been randomized: A team of five.

"Your team has joined the team queue. Currently searching for other readied players or teams.

"Search completed. Team full.

"Adjusting nerve connectivity. Generating the scenario.

"Please wait a moment. Downloading."