CWD: OE ~ Eighteen!

Nacho paused in hesitant contemplation under the blue sunshine of this other world as rivers of orange pollen, sweet and fragrant, filled the air. He didn’t know how he was going to get himself and his friends through the huge portcullis of the CruxTerran castle. There was clearly a welcome sign above the gate, but so far, nothing about this place looked very welcoming.

Surprisingly, as the party approached, the bars of the portcullis lifted with the sound of chiming steel chains and stone grinding on stone. The moment they were inside the courtyard, the gate *slammed* down behind them, cutting off most of the light that had been filtering into the area. Their eyes adjusted rapidly, and soon they were able to make out stairs descending into the deeper darkness.

“Thoughts?” Brie called softly to the others.

“Either this is a new Welcome Dungeon, just for us, or it’ll connect us to the existing Welcome Dungeon.” Reuben had an answer on his lips the same moment that she asked the question. “We might’ve managed to find a secret way to get to the Breakfast Club, if the Welcome dungeon back on Earth is anything like this one.”

“Good. Good.” Brie took a deep breath and motioned at a side door. “Reuben, mind coming with me for a moment? I need something from your storage.”

They vanished into the darkness without another word, opting not to enter into the dungeon, but instead taking advantage of what appeared to be a rest area. At least as far as Nacho could tell. He watched their departure quizzically but made no move to follow them. Jennifer turned to him a few minutes after the couple had left, once it was clear they might not be right back. “Hey, Nacho… so I know I’m the new girl here, but is Brie… okay?”

The cook knew there was only one answer to that question, and his brow furrowed as he tried to decipher what she could be getting at. “Without a doubt. She’s the toughest of us, mentally. I’m completely unstable and far too dedicated to whatever I’m trying to be good at, and Reuben is too lackadaisical to really take anything into serious consideration. He’s sharp, though. More than me, at far too many things.”

“You think they’re just blowing off steam?” Jennifer questioned knowingly as she peered into the darkness.

“Probably something like that.” Now that he thought about it, Nacho realized that Brie had been more volcanic than normal. Even at the best of times, she ran hot, and she had really been leaning into the ‘berserk’ part of her Berserker class. “She’s been getting into character and treating this more like a full-blown role play with every passing day. It helps her get through the tough parts, especially since she has to deal with the two of us guys constantly making jokes.”

“I’ve seen it before,” Jennifer quietly stated, a tinge of sadness creeping into her tone. “It’s amazing that more people haven’t completely lost it. In the end, the Juxtaposition is more mental than anything else. Sure, it’s physically demanding, and there’s the whole Hunger and Thirst aspect, but ultimately, it’s your mental attitude that makes the difference.”

She spoke with an unexpected air of authority on the subject.

“Nope, you’re wrong. Sorry if it goes against your therapist instincts.” Nacho selected a solid chunk of wall, leaned back, crossed his arms, and stretched his legs out in front of him. “This place is the opposite of mental-strength-required. In fact, it’s all too easy to get lost in the physicality of the environment. As soon as you hit fifteen points in Mind or Fitness, your brain is automatically protected against sudden wild mood swings. The Mana inside of you will give you all the drive you need in order to survive, and it acts as a safeguard against most mental issues that would normally come with the danger and loss of adjusting to the Juxtaposition. The real issue is that if you hit those numbers while you’re in a bad place, it’ll take even longer than usual to get out of it. Luckily, most people that level up and reach those points are riding the high of survival when they do. It’s a nice buffer.”

“Interesting. How do you know that?” Jennifer threw him some side-eye and laughed with only a tiny hint at her underlying fear of this trio, slipping off her enormous pack and joining him on the floor after a brief pause. “Also, um, why did you talk about eating people?”

“Right, that.” Nacho winced as he ordered his thoughts. “I was granted a boon from a Patron that allowed me to experience three years in this world before coming here. I’m not a serial killer, or a cannibal… anymore. Technically, I never was. I just got to experience it.”

“That’s an interesting boon.” Jennifer studied him with a slight frown on her lips. “Is that why you chose to class as a cook? How you earned enough points to buy it? Why you could kill those guards and not even realize that we were upset that you did it?”

“Yeah… look. I have lots of experience surviving, and even more experience in killing. I was an Assassin in my initial vision, boon, whatever. Spent years in the game and learned exactly how Hunger and Thirst Points become critical. As for the mental stuff, I had access to a lot of information packs that other people bought, even if I had to take them off their bodies. You have to hone your survival instinct down to a fine point, and the Mana in our bodies makes that… not easy, but it takes the edge off.”

“Thank you for sharing.” A mischievous smile played across the Brewer’s face, all traces of concern melting away. “Also, no therapist instincts here, I was a bartender before the Juxtaposition, which is like being a therapist, except pretzels are more important, and you get paid a lot less per hour.”

“You think you know about apocalyptic stress from bartending?” Nacho chuckled at the comparison.

Jennifer gave him a strange look. “Uh, yeah. Staff calls in sick, it’s Mardi Gras, and your bar is hosting the Kappa Epsilon Gamma fraternity. Anyway, yes. Stress. Bartending is only one of the many hats I’d worn in my life before the Juxtaposition. I’ve done plenty of other things that were stressful.”

Nacho attempted to ask her what those things were, but she cut him off. Perhaps she wasn’t too happy about his smirking, but he couldn’t even pretend to care.

She nudged him. “I want to know more about your boon.”

“I don’t mind; it’s not a big secret, even if I don’t usually start conversations with that information.” Nacho launched into the whole story of his Probability Vision, though he kept the murder talk down to around fifteen percent, and he included only about two percent of the cannibalism. Too late, he realized that if he’d wanted to make a good impression, he should’ve included zero talk of cannibalism.

Jennifer didn’t seem particularly shocked. “You did what you had to do. I can see how losing Reuben and Brie would’ve torn you up. Yet, you survived… because of the boon. Of course, everything is different now. You’ve helped so many people, and according to the Patrons, you have the most powerful guild in the world. That’s nothing to laugh at. It was why me and my people… oh… right. Why we came south. It’s unfortunate that we came across the distasteful alliance of the Midnight Fists and Walking Freds first. I lost everyone, and now I have some… survivor guilt. At least, thanks to you, I know that I’m not a monster. It’s the Mana in my head that is protecting me from spiraling like a Christmas ham into despair.”

He let the silence stretch for a moment, but eventually Nacho tried to put some of the mystery together. “You did some brewing and you bartended. That explains why you decided to be a Brewer, but it doesn’t tell me how you could survive so well in the Evaluation World.”

“That is an aspect of my mysterious past. Suffice to say, I did really well in League of Legends.”

Nacho perked up at the admission and tried to draw the connection from one to the other. He failed. After a long moment, all he could say was, “…Really?”

“No! How would that help me? With my past, becoming a Brewer was a no-brainer, and I’m passionate about soup.” Jennifer scoffed at him, though a smile was clearly trying to fight its way out. He waited patiently, and after an extended pause, she made a decision. “You know, since I’m part of the Dinner Party, and since I just know that you’re dying to talk about soup recipes… I could show you my character sheet.”

“Are you sure? That’s very personal.” Nacho didn’t even try to hide his surprise. “I didn’t want to be pushy.”

“You’ve been a perfect gentleman,” Jennifer informed him agreeably. In a blink, the Brewer sent the information over.

Jennifer Ales

Class: Vat Attacker

Level: 11

Experience Points: 23,300 to Level 11!

Current Credits: 27,345 (106,975 total Dinner Party pool)

Build Type: Balanced, Instant

Body:

• Fitness: 19
• Metabolic efficiency: 18

Mind:

• Mental energy: 18
• Circuit: 18

Satiation:

• Hunger: 100
• Thirst: 100

Total Health Points: 48

Bonus Physical Damage: 9.5%

Health Regen: 18% Health Regen/minute

Total Mana Pool: 37

Bonus Spell Damage: 9%

Mana Pool Regen: 18% Mana Regen/minute

Skill Slots (4/4)

• Boot Camp Brewmeister (Passive) Level 19: Can use any Satiation Player item as a weapon to generate 10 HP per strike. Bonus damage: one point per skill level (currently 19 HP of damage).
  • Tier 1 Enhancement: Hurl any Satiation Player Item at your enemies!
    • 0% Mana, Hydration, and Metabolic Cost
• Purify (Active) Level 19: Remove Putrid Mana from all sources of water everywhere! Make one gallon of delicious and nutritious water per level (currently 19 gallons).
  • Tier 1 Enhancement: Process water from 15 feet away!
    • Mana Cost = 5%
    • Hydration Cost = 5%
    • Metabolic Cost = 5%
• Mana Pop (Active) Level 19: Create a soda in a Juxtaposition bottle that restores 38 Thirst Points and 95 Mana Points!
  • Tier 1 Enhancement: Brew Soda from 15 feet away!
    • Mana Cost = 10%
    • Hydration Cost = 10%
    • Metabolic Cost = 10%
• Stone Soup Mistress (Active) Level 19: Increase any food source by 38% by dropping a stone (along with actual food) into your deliciously purified water. Note: Soups/Stews increase both Hunger Points and Thirst Points.
  • Tier 1 Enhancement: Soup it up from 15 feet away!
    • Mana Cost = 5%
    • Hydration Cost = 5%
    • Metabolic Cost = 5%

Nacho had to take a moment for all of the information to sink in. “Let me get this straight… when you hit someone with your big spoon, it does sword-like damage. Then, since you have the skill at level nineteen, you’re doing twenty-nine points of damage? Per strike? You can literally kill a man with a spoon.”

“Right,” the Brewer agreed with an evil smile. “Or I can use my paddle, or both. I can also throw them, but I don’t want to lose my spoon. I really like it.”

Nacho let out a low whistle of appreciation as he continued down the list. “Purify takes the Putrid Mana out of water. That makes sense. You don’t have to pay for the bottled water, which gets exponentially more expensive as we go. Gotcha. Mana Pop looks really useful; also tasty.”

Jennifer furrowed her brow and shrugged. “I mostly traveled with Mind Players. It might have gone better if we’d had more brawn when we got hit by the zombies, but I didn’t really have a way to help them much.”

Nacho tried to find some silver lining. “You did have soup for your people. That must’ve helped to stave off the starvation.”

“Yeah, with even a little bread, I can basically turn a quarter portion into a half portion. It helped with Hunger and Thirst Points, but… not enough.”

He gently elbowed her to pull her from her reminiscent sadness. “I can’t wait to try some. I haven’t even tried tackling soups or stews. I did make bug gyros, but… it didn’t go well. People just don’t like the idea of eating insects.”

“I’m sure that’s the issue.” Jennifer smiled and locked eyes with him. “Or maybe they just haven’t gotten hungry enough. Or, maybe—just maybe—your friends are correct, and you don’t know how to make things taste the way they should. I can help, I’ll make a sauce that you can add to your food that makes it edible for anyone.”

“Wait. That’s a thing? What kind-”

“It’s ketchup, Nacho.” She laughed at the dumbfounded expression on his face. “Seriously? You make enough food at a time to feed thousands, and you never thought to offer condiments?”

“It didn’t seem important?” was the only excuse that he could offer. Nacho felt gratitude fill him up completely. “That’ll help a lot. Also, you should join the Chips Guild. You do have to pay a tax, and there is this oath of loyalty, which sounds pretty hardcore, but we’re a reasonable lot. No pressure.”

“Let me try your cooking first.” Jennifer tried to laugh, but found that she was too somber after their heavier conversation. “You’ll have to try my fresh water and potent drinks. I’m pretty good, but… I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about you trying my soup, since you are a master chef.”

“Yeah, no. Common Cook here, extra emphasis on ‘common’.” He stood up and offered her a hand. “You’re probably going to try out my donuts first. Just… the bug gyros were so much better. I have never tried to use this type of flour, so don’t judge me too harshly.”

“Never!” she mockingly promised as she settled her pack back on her shoulders and walked with him toward the dungeon entrance at the center of the courtyard. As if the couple had been waiting for them to finish their conversation, Brie and Reuben came out of the room where they’d been talking, holding hands.

“Ready to continue on?” Reuben questioned, a bright smile on his face. “I know we are. Nothing quite like getting a co-op bathroom break to make a couple truly close.”

“Well, don’t hoard the toilet paper in your Storage Slots, and you won’t need to come with me,” Brie scoffed at him without a hint of shame.

Nacho stared at Reuben, and the silence stretched until he was finally able to get his question out. “You’re using an entire Storage Slot for toilet paper? That’s the reason we were forced to leave my mobile kitchen behind?”

“Well… I mean, if life on Earth right before the Juxtaposition taught me anything, it was that you could never go wrong stocking up on ultra-soft.” Reuben dove out of the way as one of Nacho’s knives whistled through the air at him.