SNAPCRAFT | Ch. 36 - Vicious Timing (Patreon)

“Hey, Ariel.” Kai didn’t miss how the girl tensed. Even though she had her back toward him, he could imagine how upset her facial expression was. He didn’t want to surprise her at the museum like this, but she left him no choice. She had been avoiding him for over a month.

He was done giving her space. Inspired by Sunny’s lesson today, he decided to stop trying to understand Ariel’s anger and just smash the puzzle.

“What do you want, traitor?” she spat.

“I just want to talk.”

“Now? Now, you want to talk? Now that my brother is gone?” She kept moving things around and looking everywhere but at him. “I don’t think so.”

“Your brother made me promise I wouldn’t say anything.”

She didn’t speak.

“I tried to help him. I tried reasoning with him. But his mind was made up. There was nothing anyone could say or do.”

“Just go away, Kai.”

“He was in love, Ariel.”

For the first time, Ariel stopped moving. She faced Kai, and he could look at her tiredness and how shiny her eyes were. She was making a titanic effort not to cry.

“He was in love. This was a battle neither of us could have won.”

“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have liked to try fighting it.” She turned away from him. “Leave, Kai.”

“I’m really sorry, Ariel.”

“LEAVE!” she roared as if she were a wounded lioness. After the outburst, came a barely audible whimper. “Just leave.”

Kai stood there for a few moments, not knowing if he should push it or just listen to Ariel. In the end, he turned and left. As he walked out of the door, he heard the sound of something breaking and Ariel crying.

*

Capture successful!

Tries left: 4 of 20

Affection (Uncommon)

Expression of tenderness and kindness.

1 of 4

Hp: 1

Vp: 3

Capture successful!

Tries left: 3 of 20

Affection (Uncommon)

Expression of tenderness and kindness.

2 of 4

Hp: 1

Vp: 3

“Yes! Maia, I did it! I got all the ingredients I needed!”

“That’s fantastic. Well done, Kai.”

“Turns out, all I needed was to find people enacting the concept I want to capture. Wait a minute…” As he looked at Maia, his eyes widened. “Stay still, Maia.”

“You, humans, are so confusing. You either tell me to stop doing something I’m not doing or to do something I’m already doing. Make up your mind.”

Kai pointed the camera at her and looked through the viewfinder, Maia wasn’t there. He sighed. It looked like Maia was in the same dimension as he was and out of sync with the arena. If he could have her enact the concepts of the ingredient cards, how much easier would this have been?

He tried something out, pulled the dimensional gloves from his inventory, and threw them at her. “Can you put these on, please?”

“Haha. That’s ingenious. I see what you’re trying to do. Very well.” She put on the gloves and posed for the camera with a hand on her hip and another drawing attention to her smile. He looked again through the viewfinder—still nothing.

“Never mind. It was just something I needed to try.”

“No problem.”

The time was running out, and it was time to wrap up and prepare for crafting. Kai took a photo of one of the many trees on the street.

Capture successful!

Tries left: 2 of 20

Elm Tree (Uncommon)

Tree prized for its shade and timber.

3 of 3

Hp: 3

Vp: 1

It looked like his opponent had already photographed two of these. That was OK. There was another card he wanted to get. Kai returned to the main street, where he’d seen a green neon cross. He framed it and took a photograph.

Capture successful!

Tries left: 1 of 20

Pharmacy (Uncommon)

Store where you can buy medicine.

3 of 3

Hp: 4

Vp: 0

As he suspected, [Pharmacy] could be photographed. He wanted something to heal [Child] since that card only had 1hp. With this, he was pretty much done. Only toward the very end of the round was he able to find signs of activity of his opponent. They, too, had been busy.

Kai only had one shot left in the camera. There weren’t any signs of lightning yet, but he wanted to make sure he kept one shot, just in case. If there weren’t any lightning, he would just take a picture of a shadow puppet at the last minute to use up all his tries. Since the desert, he hadn’t had the time to experiment further with it.

The point gap between them remained the same. What kind of opportunities had they stumbled upon? Kai looked at the system clock. 4 minutes.

“So, Maia, will you also come to the crafting room?”

“I’m afraid not, Kai. But I’ll wait for you here at the next snapping round if you make it through.”

“Very well.” Kai bit his lips. He looked at the android and smiled. “Thanks!”

“For what?”

“You know… For keeping me company.”

A powerful rumble echoed throughout the city. A series of thoughts rushed through Kai. He remembered all that he had learned about lightning and how the difference between the sound of the thunder and the appearance of lightning could be used to calculate its distance. He then remembered going up to the building that was the treasure trove and how he had gotten the [Lightning Rod] card.

Everything converged to one conclusion. Lightning was about to hit the top of the building in the city. If Kai could catch it at the right moment, he was looking at a possible legendary card. He got the camera ready, prepared to spend his last shot securing this card, but before he could, a notification appeared in front of him.

Your opponent has used a stun bomb. You can’t move for 30 seconds.

Oh no! This opponent had also bought the bomb upgrades! Unlike previous trial runners who spent their bombs at the very beginning, this one had chosen a far more devious timing to target him.The last minutes in a round were crucial! To hinder someone at the very end was a vicious move.

Kai watched in horror as a bolt of lightning struck the building. He had missed a golden chance. His hopes were soon brought up again when he heard another rumble. Kai would still make it. Just as Kai regained his movement. He was hit with another bomb.

Your opponent has used a stun bomb. You can’t move for 30 seconds.

Oh great! They have two stun bombs! Kai wished he could scream, but his mouth was frozen shut. Maybe he should get some of these bombs to quiet Maia down next time she began blabbering. Anyway, it looked like there was an upgrade that enabled trial runners to carry two bombs on them! After the second bomb’s effect passed, Kai was hit with yet another attack.

Your opponent has used a flash bomb. You can’t see for 30 seconds.

“Oh great! I’m running a trial against a bombardier!”

Your opponent has used a neglect bomb. Two of your cards lose 1hp.

[Fire] has been shielded from [Neglect Bomb] by [Card Fridge].

Spider Web (Rare)

Delicate, intricate structure woven by spiders using silk threads to serve as a trap for catching prey or as a shelter.

Hp: 2→1

Vp: 4

What an aggressive opponent! Good thing he had bought [Card Fridge]. If he hadn’t, he would have to kiss his [Fire] card bye-bye. Kai was hit with one more flash bomb just as he was about to regain his vision. There was no way he could photograph lightning blind. After the onslaught of bombs, and before Kai could get a picture of lightning, the timer finally hit zero, and he was transported back to the white crafting room.

As Kai’s figure materialized in the white space, he put down both his fists on the crafting table. The effect wasn’t as dramatic as he had hoped. The sound was a dry thud that didn’t echo. Additionally, the lack of pain did not allow him to vent his frustration.

His opponent had timed his attack precisely. Had they set up a trap? Could it be that they had climbed the tower, seen the lightning rod, and chosen not to photograph it? They could have deduced that Kai might be looking for lightning to strike. Then, they waited for Kai to get two pictures of the lightning rod, and once he was gone, took the last one. Based on what he knew of Snap Craft, there could be several upgrades that would enable the enemy trial runner to do this. If so, that was brilliant. What a keen mind his opponent had! This round was not going to be easy.

Thankfully, they couldn’t meddle with his performance anymore. He shook his head. There was no way he could be sure of that! What if they got an upgrade that could hit him while he crafted? Just because it hadn’t happened yet didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen now.

Assuming that his opponent had a disruptive tool that would affect his crafting, he didn’t want to leave anything important to the end of the round. He’d better get started soon. Kai got all his cards from his inventory and spread them on the table.

2x Sadness (Common)

Feeling of loss and sorrow.

Hp: 1

Vp: 2

2x Child (Common)

Young human being in the early stages of life, characterized by growth and curiosity.

Hp: 1

Vp: 0

Steam (Uncommon)

The gaseous form of water.

Hp: 1

Vp: 3

Power Outlet (Uncommon)

Connection point for electrical devices to access the electrical supply.

Hp: 3

Vp: 1

2x Fuel Dispenser (Uncommon)

A device utilized to dispense fuel into vehicles.

Hp: 4

Vp: 0

2x Knowledge (Uncommon)

Acquisition and understanding of information.

Hp: 1

Vp: 3

Anger (Uncommon)

Powerful response to provocation or frustration.

Hp: 0

Vp: 4

2x Affection (Uncommon)

Expression of tenderness and kindness.

Hp: 1

Vp: 3

Elm Tree (Uncommon)

Tree prized for its shade and timber.

Hp: 3

Vp: 1

Pharmacy (Uncommon)

Store where you can buy medicine.

Hp: 4

Vp: 0

2x Loyalty (Rare)

Unwavering commitment and attachment.

Hp: 1

Vp: 6

2x Lightning Rod (Rare)

Hp: 1

Vp: 6

Unfortunately, he hadn’t secured a legendary card in the snapping round. Having said that, he had four rare cards and two recipes, which made up for it.

He picked up the cards he had stored in his fridge.

Fire (Rare)

Useful for creating and destroying.

Hp: 1

Vp: 1

Unicorn (Legendary)

The mythical one-horned horse. Legend has it that its horn can pierce through anything.

Hp: 3

Vp: 15

Then he grabbed all the cards that were left from previous rounds.

Arabian Oryx (Rare)

A creature known as the desert’s unicorn.

Hp: 4

Vp: 2

Arabian Oryx (Rare)

A creature known as the desert’s unicorn.

Hp: 2

Vp: 2

Fire Axe (Uncommon)

Cutting tool designed for emergencies.

Hp: 3

Vp: 0

Flintstone (Uncommon)

Hard rock, suitable for various applications.

Hp: 0

Vp: 1

Light (Legendary)

A form of electromagnetic radiation that stimulates the sense of vision

Hp:+∞

Vp: 2

Mega Scrapdroid (Mythic)

A scrapdroid that has fed on so much technology that it has transcended into the realm of sentience.

Hp:+∞

Vp: 40 (Max)

Oryx Lumberjack (Rare)

Hp: 5

Vp: 1

Spider Web (Rare)

Delicate, intricate structure woven by spiders using silk threads to serve as a trap for catching prey or as a shelter.

Hp: 3

Vp: 4

Spider Web (Rare)

Delicate, intricate structure woven by spiders using silk threads to serve as a trap for catching prey or as a shelter.

Hp: 2

Vp: 4

Unicorn (Legendary)

The mythical one-horned horse. Legend has it that its horn can pierce through anything.

Hp: 3

Vp: 15

Water (Uncommon)

Transparent, tasteless, and odorless substance essential for life.

Hp: 0

Vp: 1

Water (Uncommon)

Transparent, tasteless, and odorless substance essential for life.

Hp: 2

Vp: 1

He had wondered if there would be a flashy animation, signaling the production of cards by the sawmill upgrades he had purchased the day before. Instead, they just discreetly appeared in his inventory after he landed on the crafting stage.

Pine Tree (Common)

Coniferous green that produces needles and pinecones.

Hp: 2

Vp: 1

Acacia Tree (Uncommon)

Acacias are known for their resilience and beautiful, fragrant flowers.

Hp: 3

Vp: 1

Altogether he had 125 points. Kai clenched his teeth as he realized that his opponent had 25 more. His guess was that his opponent managed to get a hold of whatever card was granted by capturing lightning in a photo. It had to be at least a rare card. And the combination of that with [Lightning Rod]... Well, all his anger came back in full. Anyway, it was time to start crafting.

The first step of his crafting process was to chop down the trees, and offer what he got from them as a sacrifice to [Fire].

[Pine Tree] + [Oryx Lumberjack]

Pine Tree | Hp: 2→1

Oryx Lumberjack | Hp: 5→4

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pine Trunk].

New recipe added to your recipe book.

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pinecone].

Pinecone (Uncommon)

Seed-bearing structure composed of overlapping scales that protect and disperse the tree's seeds as they mature.

Hp: 3

Vp: 1

New recipe added to your recipe book.

What a lucky break! He had gotten two cards with one swing of the oryxes’ axe and even a card he hadn’t seen before. He didn’t know what [Pinecone] could be used for, but he was sure he could burn it. He’d used pinecones many times to start the bonfire. He pressed on.

[Pine Tree] + [Oryx Lumberjack]

Pine Tree | Hp: 1→0

Oryx Lumberjack | Hp: 4→3

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pine Branch].

Pine Branch (Common)

A branch torn from a pine tree.

Hp: 2

Vp: 1

New recipe added to your recipe book.

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pinecone].

He used the [Oryx Lumberjacks] to chop the trunk and hopefully get some pine logs.

[Pine Trunk] + [Oryx Lumberjack]

Pine Tree | Hp: 3→2

Oryx Lumberjack | Hp: 3→2

Pine Log (Common)

A piece of pinewood suited for construction.

Hp: 2

Vp: 1

New recipe added to your recipe book.

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pine Log].

[Pine Trunk] + [Oryx Lumberjack]

Pine Trunk| Hp: 2→1

Oryx Lumberjack | Hp: 2→1

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pine Log].

[Pine Trunk] + [Oryx Lumberjack]

Pine Trunk | Hp: 1→0

Oryx Lumberjack | Hp: 1→0

Crafting successful! You've crafted [Pine Log].

Although he had new cards that could be harvested from [Pine Tree], such as [Pinecone] and [Pine Branch], he didn’t feel a need to set them aside. After all, he already had trees that offered better timber. If he needed wood to craft, he would rather use acacia or elm.

Now, with a handful of cards that Kai could throw into [Fire], Kai decided to try something. He would waste a lot of time if he had to place all the cards individually. Maybe he could just stack them all. He put all the pine cards in a neat pile and placed it over one engraving on the crafting table.

Then, Kai picked the [Fire] card. It had once been at 19 victory points strong, but now it was just a feeble flame that could be easily snuffed away. Had it not been for the [Card Fridge] upgrade, he would have lost it at the end of the snapping round. He put it on the other side.

Unfortunately, the cards didn’t all just merge together. The merges still happened one by one. It was still an improvement, though. At least, this way, Kai didn’t have to waste time placing one card at a time and could use the time to think of the next moves and recipes he would try.

One after the other, the cards on the stack burst with light and then became dull. At the same time, [Fire] devoured their hit points and became stronger.

[Fire] + [Pinecone]

Fire | Hp: 1→3

Pinecone | Hp: 3→0

[Fire] + [Pinecone]

Fire | Hp: 3→5

Pinecone | Hp: 3→0

[Fire] + [Pine Log]

Fire | Hp: 5→6

Pinecone | Hp: 2→0

Crafting successful. You've crafted [Ash].

[Fire] + [Pine Log]

Fire | Hp: 6→7

Pinecone | Hp: 2→0

Crafting successful. You've crafted [Ash].

[Fire] + [Pine Log]

Fire | Hp: 7→8

Pinecone | Hp: 2→0

Crafting successful. You've crafted [Ash].

[Fire] + [Pine Branch]

Fire | Hp: 8→9

Pine Branch | Hp: 2→0

It took a minute for [Fire] to suck all the cards’ hp dry. If Kai had placed the cards one by one, it would have taken twice as long. He looked at the results. With only the resources of one [Pine Tree] card, Kai had managed to bring up [Fire] from 1 victory point to nine. He had even crafted new cards that increased his point count for the round. The three ash cards gave him 6 more points, and the [Pine Branch] and the [Pine Logs] gave him 4 more points. All in all, he had 18 more points after this.

Another benefit was that now, Kai had lots of common and uncommon fodder to use in the printer to make trees and more trees. If he wanted to copy any valuable common cards, he could offer any of the spent resources of the pine tree to make it so.

It was time to use the [Acacia Tree] he’d gotten from the sawmill. But first, he needed one more crew of lumberjacks.

Ch. 35 - An Engineer’s Approach

INDEX

Ch. 37 - Flame Feeding