Starred Tower: System Misinterpret Book One - A Post Apocalyptic Cultivation LitRPG

by Ryan DeBruyn

  “Master, we’re your Artificial Intelligence Guide for the Training Room. Currently, we are unable to manifest ourselves without the holo-pucks due to the repairs and cleaning.” I scratch my head. It did call me Master. I look around the room in wonder. I’ve heard of AI before but the mercs said only the really rich owned them. Like the rankers. Do I own all of this? Really? Wait a second. . .

  “Are you the one who left the towels and soap?” I exclaim. Then I remember what I am wearing. “Hold on, did you take my clothes?” My brain reels as question after question pops into it. The sheer scope of my situation helps me and I ask the most important question. “Did you make the clothes? And can you make weapons and armor?” This could really fast-track my climb to ranker. Is this perhaps a fallen Elysium City?

  “Yes, Master, the Training Room provides soap, basic clothes and linens for the owner or any guests. Yes, we absorbed your old clothes to use as materials.” The head blurs for a split second and a string of numbers preceded by the word ‘law’ flashes on the table. “Unfortunately, under Creator Law: 914(a) the Training Room is prohibited from creating weapons or armor, sire,” the talking head responds, its featureless face moving but forming no hole where a mouth would be. Instead, it just elongates and oscillates like a blue blob. My head falls for a moment, as that avenue gets crushed mercilessly by ‘Creator Law: 914(a).’

  “Do you have a name?” I whisper, feeling uncomfortable with it calling me Master and not knowing how it should be addressed.

  “Yes, sire, the previous owner gave us a full name. First name: Crash. Last name: Dummy. We even have a middle name. It is Test. The old owner seemed to prefer shortening the name to Crash or Dummy based on his mood.”

  The blue head almost sounds proud. ‘Crash Test Dummy’ isn’t a name that I have heard before, but I recognize that neither Crash nor Dummy is very pleasant. I have a feeling that the full name probably meant something insulting or humorous to the old owner, but what? I can’t say.

  “All right then. Do you have any ability to produce Sun Pills or fly?” I ask, wondering if the repairs include a skyscraper and a True Silver Array.

  “Master, this is a Training Room, not an Elysium Construct,” Crash begins but then his voice changes. “You can produce your own tinctures, pills or tonics by buying a Home Alchemy Kit today!” I ignore the voice change, confused by it, but having too many questions right now about other things. It just confirmed I can make Sun Pills. My dreams of becoming a top ranker flood back. . .

  “Okay, Crash?” I say softly as I round the chair and put it back into an upright position before sitting on it. “If this isn’t an Elysium Array, please tell me where I am and what this place is.”

  “Sire, we cannot currently answer with a location as we would need to pull up the holo-map, and that is not available. We can tell you the function of this Spire Construct, however. This is called the Training Room, and it is a safe sub-space for you and any individuals you wish to bring in. Inside this room, you can use application add-ons and gain benefits. If you look in the E-ranked applications, there is a holo-screen projector. Please approach one for instructions on how that area functions.”

  Scratching my head, I consider what it means by sub-space. I only know the term to mean an object that can store many items inside its anchor point. Also, what does it mean by E-rank applications? I realize I only saw two other holo-pucks, maybe a third if I include the glowing mirror. Okay, the kitchen area seems like the closest. As I approach the holo-projector, a round black piece of metal protruding about three inches from the wall beside the fridge, the screen lights up.

  “Master, welcome to the kitchen,” Crash states. “This add-on offers daily cooking quests for the inhabitants. Currently, you have no ingredients or bitcoins, so you aren’t being offered any of the quests. The add-on will provide a written recipe, and we can try to demonstrate any action or process you don’t understand. Unfortunately, you must find some ingredients or acquire some bitcoins before a quest will appear.”

  I can’t help but blink at the screen as Crash gives a description.

  *Small Kitchen App [Green]*

  Please choose a recipe to initiate a daily quest.

  No ingredients or bitcoins found.

  “How do I acquire bitcoins or ingredients?” I ask, knowing that monster meat is clearly one option but wanting to know if there might be others.

  “Sire, butchering monster corpses, finding useful fauna or flora, and growing your own ingredients with another application in the Training Room are all options. To acquire bitcoins, you can sell items to the shop application if you have any, or you can earn them from other daily quests.”

  My teeth and fists clench as I momentarily wonder if this is one of those loop de loop situations and someone is playing a prank. You need bitcoins to complete the quest but can only get bitcoins from finishing the quests. Before I vent my frustrations, I should check some of the other areas, or applications, as Crash calls them.

  I approach the gym next and find the little holo-puck on a wall between a metal cage with a racked barbell inside and a bench.

  *Home Gym App [Green]*

  Strengthening your Body (Daily)

  Complete the following menu to receive your reward.

  Plyometric Day – Perform each exercise 3 times. Finish the entire day within 55 minutes.

  Exercise – Reps

  Lateral + Shuffle + Sprint – 3 per direction, 10-meter sprint

  Power Jumps – 5 jumps

  Goblet Squats – 8

  Stability Ball Hamstring Curls – 10

  Frog Jumps – 10

  Reverse Sit-ups – 10

  Finish with ten minutes of intervals on the Assault Bike – 15 second sprints – 45 second recovery pace

  F-Rank Reward(s): Choose one

  1) 10 Bitcoin(s)

  2) +2 Free Physical Points

  3) Small box

  Do you accept this quest?

  Yes | No

  “Master, this is the Home Gym App,” Crash begins. “This quest must be completed within a time limit to receive a reward. We can demonstrate any exercise you don’t understand to help you with the proper movement.”

  I understand what Crash is saying I need to do. But the idea of moving around heavy weights is such a foreign concept. I do remember that some mercenaries told stories about rankers performing ‘exercises’ on a daily basis. Is this a step on that journey then? Could this make me a ranker? To be able to gain strength in a safe environment like this seems like a dream I never knew to wish for.

  Right, this can also gain me bitcoins and, by extension, food. I smile. How hard could ‘exercising’ be?

  “Master, in the future you don’t need to put weights on any of the exercises,” Crash informs me as I lie panting on the ground. Right now, my lungs can’t seem to hold air in them for any reasonable length of time. I feel like every time I manage a quick inhale, something punches me in the gut. I cough violently, and my esophagus feels chafed raw. I almost swear I can taste the irony tang of blood in the back of my throat.

  I feel like a puddle. In fact, I may be more waterlogged now than I was after the shower because the shower only wet my skin. The sweat has soaked through this black suit of skin-tight fabric and leaves body prints of water wherever I lie. I don’t think I could respond to Crash even if I tried, but I am starting to understand why the old owner might have given the damn thing a derogatory name.

  Maybe that’s unfair, but right now my brain can’t help but feel some bitterness about the late information from Crash Test Dummy. I mean, I only finished a single rotation of the list of exercises and need to get through three according to the instructions—plus ten minutes more afterwards. There had only been two exercises that used weights. So, I doubt removing them was the trump card I need. This can only be considered a complete failure, and I wonder if I should circulate some liquid to help recover and complete the quest.

  I choose not to; the liquid is too
precious right now, even though I know I have fourteen drops and I am only going to be down here approximately eight days. In theory, that leaves me six drops to spare. The real problem is that a single drop of liquid can only really raise the muscle strength of a muscle group for about ten minutes. Using those six drops will not gain me much. Additionally, I don’t specifically know where this room is or how hard it will be to find food or sunshine once I get out.

  The likelihood of finding monsters that I have any chance of killing isn’t zero, but it also isn’t high. Being constantly held back from cultivation or any form of training to increase my fighting skill definitely isn’t helpful for those odds. I wasn’t even allowed to hold one of the mercenaries’ weapons until Alrick arrived. I cough violently and consider if I can get off the floor yet.

  “Is there any other way . . . for me to gain bitcoins?” I ask Crash between pants as I force myself to sit up.

  “There are two other quests available that offer bitcoins, Master. Unfortunately, both of them are quests that require access to the Spire, Tower or dungeons to complete. Otherwise, there are no quests currently available in the Locker Room or the Sleeping Cot App.”

  “Can I try this once again? Even though I failed?” I plead.

  “Master, that is an option, but may we suggest you stretch and get some rest before attempting it again? We believe that you will fail again if you rush it.”

  “What time is it, Crash?” I viciously rub my temples, trying to banish the exhaustion headache I feel coming on.

  “Master, it is currently 11:11 p.m. The quest will change to another version at midnight.”

  “Is there any way you can estimate how many drops of liquid I would get from a cooked meal worth ten bitcoins?” I start stretching, as suggested, hoping it relieves some of the painful tightness that is creeping in. My breathing is starting to even out, but I’m still gulping in air fitfully.

  “Master, that is impossible to answer as the amount of liquid food delivers depends on the quality of the chef and the food. Food has a grading system once prepared: bad, poor, mediocre, fair, fine, good, great, excellent, and finally phenomenal.”

  “Wait—what is considered a passing grade then for the cooking quest?” I ask, reading the deeper meaning in his words.

  “Master, you must achieve at least fair to pass the cooking—”

  Three chimes ring through the room. The tone of the chimes makes my heart soar, and I can’t help but feel something good has occurred. I look around the room and suddenly begin violently coughing again. I realize I held my breath in anticipation after the noise and clearly am still in desperate need of oxygen.

  “Congratulations, Master, you have unlocked a secret quest. Please move to the Home Gym holo-puck to accept it,” Crash states over my wracking coughs.

  I try to glare at the talking blue head through the tears in my eyes, but I am sure it is ineffective. It’s hard to look angry or tough when you can’t catch your breath or straighten up. It’s rather embarrassing to say, but I crawl over to the holo-puck and glance at the quest that pops up.

  *Home Gym App [Green]*

  Cooling Down (Secret Daily)

  Complete the following menu to receive your reward(s).

  Dynamic stretches list. Perform the designated number of each stretch to complete the quest.

  Banded Hamstring Contract and Relax – 45 seconds per leg

  Banded Hip Flexor Mobilization – 45 seconds per hip

  Supine Leg Twist Thoracic Stretch – 45-second hold each direction

  Pigeon Pose – 45 seconds per side

  Foam Roller Angels – 45 Seconds

  TRX Lat Stretch – 45 Seconds

  Reward(s):

  1) +1 Bitcoin

  Do you accept this quest?

  Yes | No

  Chapter 6

  August 23rd, 151 AR

  Jeff Smith

  “Master, you have received over eight hours of sleep, including the recommended amount of non-REM, otherwise known as ‘deep’ sleep,” Crash booms from somewhere in the concrete box. Last night, after cooling down, I fell directly into one of the cots despite my intention to take another shower.

  His interruption forces me to turn over and groan as I try to sink back into my pleasant dream of being a powerful ranker. I was enjoying destroying monsters from the safety of my cot with a cocoon of warmth around me. This is my first time sleeping in a room that has heating, in a bed that isn’t rotten or broken, and under brand-new blankets. I honestly think I could sleep for the entire day, but Crash persists.

  “Master, you wanted to try the daily quest in the gym, and you can purchase a breakfast with the bitcoin you received from the secret quest yesterday.” Crash sounds like he is speaking from the round table, and I’m glad he isn’t in the room—maybe I can tune him out.

  I try to cover my head with the pillow. Oh right, and this place has a pillow! Not a bundled-up ball of clothes or a packed knapsack, but a real, feathery-soft pillow. I can’t help but feel a tingle run over my shoulders when I recall that little miracle. I had seen pillows, and many mercs in Leah’s group had a pillow—I wonder if the group is still alive. Even more so, I wonder if Alrick is okay. Leah’s stern face, usually worn when she was fresh from sleep and wanting breakfast, flashes into my mind, and I am suddenly awake.

  I reach up and finger my ear, and then force the hand back to my side. Touching my mutated ears is something that I began because I saw it bother Leah. Because of the frequency of my need to bother Leah, it’s now a nervous tick I can’t seem to get rid of, despite Alrick trying to help break me of it. I learned to hide most of my emotions because they gave away too much that Leah could read and interpret. Alrick was helping me break myself of this final ‘tell,’ as he called it.

  I take a step out of the bed, and my body decides that it isn’t ready to work today. Pain radiates from the bottoms of my feet, up my calves, and rattles around in my knees. Luckily, that is the only section of my body that pressure was applied to. I can feel my upper body sending mild signals of distress to my brain as I breathe.

  “Why am I so sore?” I ask the world in general.

  “Sire, when muscles are required to work harder than they’re used to or in a different way, it’s believed to cause microscopic damage to the muscle fibers, resulting in muscle soreness or stiffness.” Crash begins an explanation to my complaint, and my eyebrows rise. Is he always listening? Crash continues, “Even with the boost to your recovery from the Training Room, your recuperation has progressed as if only twenty-seven hours have elapsed. What you’re experiencing is a phenomenon called Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness. Research does indicate that the pain is at its peak after forty-eight hours, and is likely to have faded after ninety-six hours.”

  “Why would anyone do this to themselves?” I groan and attempt to stand fully. My body screams at me like it has been beaten with quarterstaffs. One good thing does come from it though: at least, when I am in this kind of pain, I can’t think of much else. Despite my brain wanting to remind me of Alrick, Leah, and the mercenaries—each step squashes the thoughts mercilessly.

  “Sire, cultivators and sapient lifeforms in general gain many benefits from exercise.” Crash begins answering another one of my rhetorical questions but chooses to change topics when a misstep causes me to cry out in pain. “Master, may we ask why you don’t circulate your qi?” I limp over to the table to better hear Crash. Any conversation about cultivating is of particular interest to me.

  Qi is a term I haven’t heard used often. I know it can substitute for liquid or energy but to hear Crash say it is strange. In the Northern Territory, it’s almost considered to go against the gospel of the Church to use the Eastern term. How Dantian, another Eastern term, replaced God Organ is anyone’s guess, but it is certainly easier to say.

  I dismiss the thought with a shrug as I clench my jaw tight and continue to hobble away from my cot. The only people I have seen move this way are permanently injured or di
sabled fighters. Old Worlders claim that the elderly used to shuffle around in this manner, but nowadays with the Dantian, the effects of aging can be reversed. Only destroyed meridians or severe injuries cause that level of permanent pain since The Rise.

  “I can’t afford to use the liquid I have, Crash. If I run out down here and have no way to replenish it, I could become wasted.”

  “What is ‘wasted,’ Master?”

  “Wasted is when you have an empty Dantian, and your body begins consuming itself.”

  “Master, this is known as Energy Atrophy and is very rare. We assume Dantian refers to your Sea of Qi. The Sea only attempts to pull qi from other parts of your body once it’s entirely empty.” Crash pauses before continuing. “I can’t help but notice that you have a damaged Sea. What circulation technique do you use?”

  I try to catalogue the names Crash uses as he speaks, marking them as other cultivation terms. But I stop instantly as Crash destroys my world with a single word.

  “My Dantian is broken?” I whisper, feeling a knot forming in my throat. My hand goes to my chest, where I can still feel a soreness. Had Leah known that my organ was damaged and was preventing me from increasing it for my own good? My mind doesn’t want to believe it, and Alrick had claimed he ran every test. . .

  “Yes, your Sea of Qi is injured, Master. It appears that you brute-forced a blockage and have caused something akin to a strained muscle. Luckily, it is only a first-degree injury and should heal in three to five days. Is this why Master isn’t circulating qi? Circulating qi will likely speed recovery.”