Chapter 20: 18 – Foot Piercer

[Current Object Templates

Furniture (4)
Plants (5)

Create new object template]

[Here are, of course, your current object templates! Wow, it sure does look all bleak with nothing in it, huh?]

mhmm. totally empty. not a single thing inside.

[Ohoho! Don't be so upset, little core! You'll get to create a new item in just a second!

But wait! Have you noticed that creating a new object template doesn't have a fee? This is because the system believes every core should be free to design items to their hearts content! Creating templates is a great way to pass the downtime when things start getting a bit dreary.

Creating something new and fun helps spice up a core's dungeon! Don't you agree?]

totally. can we cut the chit-chat and get on with it, though?

[Impatient, are we? Well, if you insist: let's hop to it!

First on the list is creating a trap! Traps make a dungeon extra lively! Any adventurer can take down a pack of goblins or particularly cuddly slimes, but only those with fine senses can avoid the most cleverly placed traps!

You, little core, don't have access to anything that can make anything truly spectacular just yet, but don't worry! Soon you'll grow and absorb the most wondrous things that will cause so much death and injury!]

some sadistic prick has got to be typing those words out. no way something was programmed to be this...wrong.

well, whoever it was probably had to deal with cores not as bright as me so it made sense that they'd go a little stir crazy.

the tutorial's next message appeared slowly, a little bit faded at the edges. it's normal egregiously bright neon color toned down a bit. was it being less annoying because I showed it sympathy?

the screen flashed bright yellow, permanently searing my mental eyeballs for at least 40 chapters to come.

of course, this thing did not know of the concept of sympathy!

[You need to get moving, core! Try making a trap that has wooden spikes!]

trying to blink away the yellow—and failing miserably at it—I thought about the prompt. spike traps were pretty basic, all in all. I could probably rig something up easy.

selecting [Create New Template], I got to work.

first, the materials. I'd absorbed stone way earlier in my run and I'm betting normal cores had, too. given that the tutorial wanted wooden spikes, it served that it probably wanted everything made out of wood...

no message this time. I rolled my eyes. it better not get fussy once I pressed save...

a long block of the E-grade wood plopped onto the blueprint. it looked like the dark oak wood from the game DigbuildYOU TRY COMING UP WITH A GOOD ALTERNATIVE.. 

alright, time to come up with a design. spike traps weren't too big. they needed to be small and hidden really well if they were out the open. it probably didn't matter as much if they were in a spike pit but I'd worry about that later.

for now, something about the size of the average human's foot would be good enough. maybe slightly smaller. it could also probably...be shaped like a human foot? that sounded cool.

the block shrunk. it formed a shoddy imitation of a right foot about 8 inches long. it was uneven and lumpy in places. the toe sizes were all mismatched—the pinky was the largest toe by far. there were also only 4, spaced out awkwardly on the front of the monstrosity.

it looked ugly, to say the least, but I wasn't going to bother making it nice and pretty. I'm not a carpenter. plus it was a basic spike trap; they weren't supposed to look good.

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those excuses made me feel better about my mind not mentally carving a foot well.

now that the base was done, it was time for the main event: the spikes!

the base was rather small, only about 3 inches wide. I'd have to be smart with placement.

I created a little spike about an inch tall. the thing was...okay. it was probably about as sharp as a lightly used pencil. it'd take a bit of force to do some real damage.

I  placed it just under the big...well, now small toe on the upper left corner. a second one went closer to the right side, a few inches from the big-pinky toe. a third back to the left and down, forming a cool zig-zag pattern. a fourth finished it off at the base of the legless foot.

all in all it wasn't the prettiest, but I was proud of what I'd created.

I'd call it...Foot Piercer 101. eventually, I'd come up with some better versions. not now though. the tutorial would probably sic its task force on me if I deviated again, no matter how cheery it sounded about traps.

[New trap template 'Foot Piercer 101' created!]

[...Interesting. Time to move on, core! Now that you've created an item, go back to your Object Template Menu to check it out!]

I know it's not the best, but you can show a little appreciation can't you?

[I'm not your father.]

that...hurt more than I thought it would. I cleared my throat, blinking away the tears forming at my mental eyes.

okay, fine. I didn't need you anyway...

huffing, I opened up the template menu.

[Current Object Templates

Furniture (4)
Plants (5)
Traps (1)

(Create new template?)]

ooh, it got it's own category. selecting [Traps], I found the template for my super, duper awesome first trap and pulled it up.

[Object (Trap) Template: Foot Piercer 101

This amateur spike trap was inexpertly carved from low grade wood. It takes the shape of a misshapen human foot, bearing small, just barely sharp wooden spikes on its top. It's not deadly enough to pierce through even a worn leather shoe, but it'll deal some light damage to unguarded feet.

Special Features: None
Damage: 1-4 HP per spike.
Threat: F]

okay it sucked, I get it. do you have control over what the templates say, too?

the tutorial screen buzzed cheerfully but didn't answer the question.

...I'd make a better one later.

[Onto the next step, core!]

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