At the very least, I shouldn't ignore Leatherworking, because I spent the money on the set, and I need to reap the benefits. And the Potion of Intellect is definitely worth crafting. If it awards OP, and for some reason I'm absolutely certain it will, the cost will probably be in the hundreds. It also depends on what I get from the second spin, and how smart I am to process and utilize it.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost reached the hardware store before I knew it. There, having purchased everything I needed to craft five bulbas—alas, I couldn't carry more, and revealing the existence of the inventory over such a trifle would be a shame—I headed back to my humble abode. Along the way, at one point, I noticed an overly bright commotion among the passersby. People stopped, looked up, pointed. I raised my head, too. And there it was. On a thin, almost invisible thread of web, slicing through the space between buildings, a black-and-white figure darted. Spiderwoman. Hated by one mustachioed journalist, but generally favorably received by New Yorkers.
She was close. She banked gracefully between the buildings, and for a brief, frozen moment our gazes almost met. I caught a glimpse of the details of her costume: the stark black-and-white design, clinging to her figure, the hood lending a mysterious air, the large white lenses of her mask, concealing her face but somehow seeming expressive. She moved with an inhuman, fluid grace, as if she were a drop of mercury, yet at the same time, powerful as a bowstring pulled to its limit. Webs shot from her web shooters with a quiet but distinct "fwwww," and she soared above the street, defying gravity in a daring manner. Then she disappeared around the corner, leaving behind only stunned passersby, their mouths agape, and me, standing in the middle of the sidewalk with a ridiculous bag of PVC pipes. And suddenly all my pride in creating Bulbamet seemed so pathetic, so naive and childish.
There, in the sky, was real power, real technology, or mutation—it didn't matter. Something that elevates its wielder to a whole new plane of existence. And I... built a cannon that shoots potatoes. A cold, sticky sweat broke out across me. It's one thing to read comics and watch movies, and quite another to see it with my own eyes, in three dimensions, with the real sound and feel of the wind as it flies. The threats in this world weren't abstract. They were just as real, fast, and deadly. And my primary goal—not to die—suddenly ceased to be just an item on the list. It became an obsessive, physical need throbbing in my temples. I needed more. Much, immeasurably more than just shooting potatoes.
And also, regarding the Spider-brothers... If there's no Spider-Man here, neither Peter nor Miles, then the former, a brilliant but insecure guy, could do terrible things trying to follow in the heroic footsteps of his brave friend (if he and Gwen are even friends). And the latter... It seems he could become the successor to Prowler, his uncle, but he's a relatively harmless threat compared to Peter the Lizard, or Peter the Goblin, or Venom... In short, the Universe is unlikely to let go of this tasty morsel in the form of a wounded genius; the only question is what path is in store for him here. And is it even worth me getting involved?
Okay... Obviously, I shouldn't interfere; I've already sort of considered and accepted that point. But some threats... They could come to my house themselves, and that's not just a figure of speech. That is, sooner or later I'll have to intervene in all sorts of events, because I have absolutely no idea which of the infinitely many variations of the Marvel Universe I've ended up in, and there's a non-zero chance of global catastrophe for all of humanity. And I want to live; that's actually the SUPER step of all my steps in this world!
Having arrived at nothing concrete, only having become convinced that I needed to continue as I was doing now—quietly and peacefully staying home, keeping a low profile, and building up my power—I finally made it back to my apartment. Along the way, I didn't forget to stop by the supermarket and buy more potatoes, now not just food, but strategic ammunition.
[Created a simple weapon design, the "Potato Cannon." Difficulty: Low. Gained +40 OP!]
[Created a simple weapon design, the "Potato Cannon." Difficulty: Low. Gained +30 OP!]
[Created a simple weapon design, the "Potato Cannon." Difficulty: Low. Gained +20 OP!]
Wow, system, calm down; cutting the OP for each successfully crafted Bulbathrower so drastically! I understand this is a defense against mindless grinding. I suspect that starting with the next one, I'll be getting 10 OP, maybe even less. And I, a naive fool, thought I'd craft a dozen Bulbathrowers and get 500 OP in total—yeah, just in my wet dreams... Anyway, I currently have 155 OP, and, sitting comfortably on the couch and crossing my fingers, I mentally pressed the glowing "Forge the Universe! 150 OP" button.
[Information Packet (Normal) Received – Risk of Showdown (Mouse Hunt). (Unlocking the information pack costs 100 OP)]
When creating a trap, it's important to consider how often a hunter moves from region to region, as well as the wide variety of mice capable of completely destroying the trap. Since designing an unbreakable trap would likely make it unwieldy, an alternative approach is to design it to break intelligently. This philosophy, applied to your crafting endeavors, allows you to create items that are designed to disassemble safely under any circumstances—sure, you'll have to reassemble the item after it breaks, but the risk of it completely shattering under the force of a dragon mouse's fire is eliminated.
You can craft items that disintegrate without losing their components when destroyed. Traps, weapons, and tools can be easily disassembled and reassembled anywhere, making them resistant to attacks from powerful enemies.
I slowly reread the description several times, and my brain began to feverishly calculate the options. This isn't just a "repair skill." It's an entire engineering philosophy. "Break smart." This means I can pre-engineer any design with controlled weak points that, under critical stress, will act as fuses, preventing the entire device from disintegrating into atoms. I imagined creating some kind of power knuckle duster. An enemy strikes it with inhuman force. A regular knuckle duster would either withstand the impact or crack and shatter into useless fragments. Mine, designed with "Risk of Disassembly" in mind, would simply disintegrate into several large, complete modules: the power source, the field projector, the handle. The components are intact. All I need to do is hide, spend a minute reassembling it, and I'm back in the fight. This changes everything dramatically! Durability and repairability become not passive characteristics, but active, dynamic defenses.
But what if we applied this not to defense, but to offense? Could we create a projectile that "disassembles intelligently" upon impact, releasing its internal components, like shrapnel or a chemical reagent, for maximum lethal effect? Or a trap that, after detonation, doesn't disintegrate, but simply "unfolds," ready for quick re-deployment? Thoughts swarmed in my head like a frenzied beehive. This seemingly simple, "ordinary" information package is a true treasure for an engineer. It offers not a new recipe, but a new way of thinking.
At first glance, this skill will be very useful to me, at least in the future. For example, I might build a complex contraption that will quickly become obsolete, and I can easily disassemble it into useful components for a new project! I won't spend 100 OP on this skill right now, as my current plan is to unlock the Muscle Stimulator, but that's after I craft the Potion of Intellect. Damn, that means I have to go shopping again to buy everything I need for it... And then I have to wait for a thunderstorm to "excite" the quartz crystal lattice with lightning. Although, okay, if I think about it, I can probably do without a thunderstorm... The only paradox is that I need the Potion of Intellect to think about it properly. I'll have to scour the internet for an alternative to charging the crystal.
After a brief recharge, I shook off the sudden obsession. It's time to focus on creating my first truly amazing thing! By creating the Potion of Intellect, I'll have directly confirmed that I'm capable of creating non-trivial things that can change the outcome of events. This will give me additional confidence, and the ton of OP I'll receive as a reward is definitely worth considering! So, now, while it's still daylight, I'll buy a crystal.