10 Minute Tales, Part 2

Nov 4 - Regaea, Pt. 3

He was back before he knew it. The goop, the wood and his tools were somewhere. He wasn't sure where exactly, but he knew it was there. Marty waved in greeting as he returned.

"I hope you got as much as you need?"

"Yeah, I got some, but... there was this green blob thing that attacked me."

"Oh? You must be talking about a slime." Marty grinned slightly. "They attack when you hit them first in the day time, so you might have just caught one with your axe."

"Yeah, that was it." he nodded. "When it split into smaller bits, it didn't move any more. I've got some here..." he brought it into being, holding it in his hand.

"Yes, that's gel. It's flammable and useful for torches, but you can mix some of the mushrooms in to make simple healing potions."

"Right." he brought some wood out and put the two together. They formed a set of torches. "How do I light these?"

"As long as you aren't in water, they'll burn indefinitely. You can support them on the floor and walls, too."

"Really?" he blinked, curious. "That... actually sounds pretty useful."

"Indeed. You'll need it to build a house."

"Oh, right, we need somewhere to live..."

"Most denizens of this village only need somewhere to rest, a flat surface and lights. All of that, within an enclosed area, will be enough to attract others to our village."

"Okay..." he nodded, turning to an empty space of ground. "Just build a room, huh?"

"In essence." Marty nodded. The traveller went to start, but Marty interrupted. "Oh, wait! You should build a workbench first."

"Oh, right... wait, why?"

"You will be able to use it to craft all sorts of stuff, including weapons, simple armour, simple furniture and more. It uses more wood than a simple table, but I feel as though the exchange is worthwhile."

"Yeah, that definitely sounds useful..." he nodded. He could feel the wood reforming, gaining utility. He made a wooden floor, big enough to support the two of them, and placed the workbench on this floor. He suddenly felt a surge of knowledge overwhelm him! He wobbled for balance but failed, falling onto the ground. Marty rushed over, helping the traveller back to his feet. "What... what the hell was that?"

"You know everything you can use the workbench for." Marty replied, holding him steady. "Since you can make lots of things with the wood, it overwhelmed you."

"That's putting it lightly..." he sighed, catching his breath. "Okay, so... can I keep building?"

"Indeed, there shouldn't be any more surprises." Marty nodded. The traveller nodded in relief, resuming construction. He didn't plan for a large building, just enough to be a home.