"Alright, Aidan, I'm ready for the to-do list. Hit me!" Flora exclaimed cheerfully. "We will prioritize the issues first and then work through them from lowest to highest."

"Yes, Milady! 1. Reclaim Flora's workshop."

"Done! Delete it!"

"2. Find a way to hurt Flora."

"We made progress, but we can do better. Priority C."

"3. Find a way to train while doing other stuff."

"The same as 2."

"4. Shopping- and Wishlist for the meeting with the lawyers."

"Priority A!"

"5. Bully Robby into letting Flora have a spin in a toaster."

"D, unfortunately."

"6. Experios: experiencing activities from the perspective of experts."

"Oh, right. I forgot about these. Make it a B."

"7.Research the standard HUD settings."

"B"

"8. The price of stamina potions."

"E"

"9. Build a toxic item."

"That was on the list? Oh, wow, delete it."

"10. The advantage of having a pet and figure out if you can have machines like toasters as pets."

"And is it possible to have toasters as pets?"

"Yes, Milady."

"A++++++++++++++! No! I will never get anything done if I start building a toaster pet. Make it A+++++. No! Make it A. Oh dear. B? You don't get me any lower than B!"

"Yes, Milady. Other pets are worth a look as well. For some pets, you have to build a relationship with them and train them. So it is advantageous to get one as soon as possible. Many guides recommend pets for inexperienced gamers, because they act, even if the player is unable to cope."

"Very good. Next."

"11. Figure out a way to do magic in the training-coffin."

"Hmm. We have a rudimentary way to do magic, but we can expand it. D."

"12. Build a generator."

"Another big project... Make it C."

"We reached the end of the list, Milady."

"Add with a B priority: research beginner tips, especially recommendations on what you should do shortly after you enter the Metaworld and before you enter the Cradle. Let's start processing the issues. Always start with the highest priority."

"A - Shopping- and Wishlist for the meeting with the lawyers."

Flora smiled and opened up the Cetviwos-Shop.

"Lair-Extension! Yes, are 300 square meter enough? Let's say 500 square meter. Oh, they have factory halls! I want them! Let's make it three stories with a flat roof. I definitely want a roof garden. First floor 500 m2 factory hall. How tall should the ceiling be, Aidan? Is there a typical size for mega-robots?" Flora happily rambled while piling items on her wishlist.

She skipped home decoration, except the fountain she designed a few years ago, a pool, a jacuzzi, and a gym, but dove deep into the home utility part:

four generator models (two of each) a couple of signal extensions for AIs a robot specialized for transporting goods, one for gardening and one for cooking a carriage system the greatest stat boosts for regeneration

After the lair, she selected all the upgrade-packages for AI's. 'That was Aidan's fault. He shouldn't have said I should pick whatever I think is best for him.' Flora got the impression she was going overboard but was unable to stop yet.

Next were the upgrades for the workshop. Of course, Flora selected everything as well: specialized work areas for all crafts, simulation options, stat boots, and many more extensions.

"I need a printer, the best printer. Let's make it five printers. They made all the printers 4x4x4 m just big enough not to fit in the inventory.'

"Aidan, remind me to test if it is really impossible to modify items from the shop, priority C. I want a portable printer!"

The list grew longer and longer. Four more AIs found their place on it, a portable mailbox, portal beacons, and only one teleportation circle because it was unreasonably expensive with 30 installments of 1000 VirDias.

"Alright, dear, hit me with the price!"

"2 330 035 VirDias, Milady. But only if I downgrade the AIs and printer from S to A rating."

"Save the list under unreasonably high."

Flora proceeded with cutting most of the duplicates, everything she could produce herself, and reduced the space of her workshop, shop, and lair.

"530 321 VirDias, Milady."

Under a stream of expletives, Flora managed to reduce it to 399 999 VirDias but couldn't bring herself to go further down.

"I need the jacuzzi now!" Flora exclaimed, exhausted. "How much time left until the free-running workshop will start?"

"1h 12m, Milady."

"I bet I can build a jacuzzi in under 15 minutes! Give me as much mana as possible, Aidan!"

"I can't bet with you, Milady. All I have to offer is my undying devotion, and you already have it. But the System takes bets occasionally."

"Oh, you are such a sweet-talker! Therefore I won't reprimand you for either telling me this so late or telling it to me at all." She said, smiling. "Hey, System. Wanna bet?"

Quest: Bet - Speed-Building - Jacuzzi

Description: Build a functional jacuzzi in under 15 minutes.

Reward: + 1 level mechanics

Penalty: - 1 level mechanics

Difficulty: S

After she bought the blueprint, she started to work. It looked more like a time-lapse than human speed. Parts and materials flew from different directions and fitted perfectly in the center. In essence, the pool didn't get built but grew in the corner of the workshop.

"11 m and 43 s, Milady. Congratulations, you won the bet."

Flora smiled. "The + 1 mechanics is nice but even better: I won a nice hot bath."

Soon, she settled in the pool and was ready for the next issue on her to-do list, 'Research beginner tips'.

Aidan had compiled a comprehensive list, and with Flora's guidance, they clustered the topics:

ASAP tips Scenarios with interesting rewards Easy to get operative bonuses Useful equipment

"There are some classes you can acquire in the Metaworld. The class 'Pupil' raises the effect of all mana-skill, but even better, it increases the training efficacy for mana-skills, affinities, and abilities. I don't believe the talent mod can exceed SSS. Therefore, your mana-skills might not profit from it."

"Sounds good; how do I pick up the class?"

"The Cetviwos-Academy offers a quest for it. I deduced the regular starter inventory has a brochure of the academy, and new players are advised to visit the academy for beginner information."

"Yes, I do feel thrown into the deep end of the cold water. Some beginner information would help. Do we have enough time to pick up the class before free-running?" Flora started to get out of the tub.

"No, Milady. The quest demands you to attend lessons on three subjects by registered trainers. The Seven Masters Dojo and Ricky's Runner are both registered. You need to complete the Beginner-I course, though. Additionally, you have to attend one more course or workshop on a different subject."

Flora settled back and nodded. "My attention is split too far as it is. We'll see how the meeting with the lawyers tomorrow will play out and decide afterward on the next steps."

The only other explicitly time-sensitive advice on the list was to get an animal companion as soon as possible — of the pets of the companion system of the Cetviwos only animals needed to be tamed. You could catch an animal in the wild or buy one. To maintain the bond with any pet, you have to give it 5 OV mana-regeneration, at least. For toasters and other robot-pets the same rule applied, which quenched Flora's enthusiasm.

Aidan showed her a picture of a thin blue adder, which gave back the mana-reg plus 1 OV more. It had been a popular pet with mages in the past because it returned double the amount of mana you gave to it, but System nerfed it.

The other recommendations were more straightforward. Flora marked down a few scenarios and ordered all the equipment, things like rope, a lighter, knives, flashlights, a sleeping bag, and, most importantly, duct tape.

One of the achievements for an OV mana-regen and Magical Vigor bonus she could reach in the tub: Chi Circulation. Flora concentrated on the mana pool beneath her navel and separated a strand of mana. Then she carefully guided the mana through her meridians. Just as she thought 'this is working well', her concentration slipped, and the mana crepitated. 'Again!' After failing a few times, she finally got a whole revolution.

You gained an Achievement: Chi Circulation: You successfully circulated your mana.

- + 1 OV Magical Regeneration

- + 1 OV Magical Vigor

Do you want to form the ability specialization 'Mana Cultivation'?

Flora read the description of the ability.

Mana Cultivation - Meditation - Spiritual: Train and regenerate your mana by circulating it through your mana channels.

"I'll take it. You can do skills while doing abilities, right, Aidan? Like casting spells while running. This might be a better ability to do while sleeping than balancing."

"Yes, Milady! Although you can only multitask when the ability-level is above 100."

"But it worked fine with balancing last night, didn't it?"

"No, Milady. Balancing paused every time you cast a spell. Because the vibrations were going on, the automatic-mode reactivated itself afterward."

"So mana cultivation wouldn't reactivate because there is no external trigger, and I'm asleep, so I can't trigger it manually. How unfortunate." Flora mulled it over. "You using the built-in skills of the training coffin shouldn't interrupt the ability, right?"

"Yes, Milady."

"Great, we can dump all the mana in built-in skills. But I won't raise my skills this way because it counts as your XP right?"

"Yes, Milady."

Flora opened her abilities-screen; only one ability was over 50, modeling and design, and it rose slowly.

"Write 'mana cultivation on auto-mode - Prio B' on the to-do list, but only remind me of it when I'm level 25 and above. Come to think of my level, why haven't I leveled up? Is it that hard?"

"No, Milady. You can level up any time you wish. You have it on manual-mode. Therefore you can decide for yourself when the best time to level up, but the Riverstones Clan-rules strongly recommend training up the stats first in the friends and family division. Practicing one week before leveling up is obligatory in the staff division."

"We adhere to the rules, of course." Flora paused. "At least, when they aren't a brain fart of Hub."

On Flora's way to the free-running workshop, she hopped to the 3D-Printer and printed three sets of the two free-running skins.

Name: "Rainbow Intensity-Meter - Torso"

Type: skin - torso

Rating: A

Price: 1 VirDo

Name: "Rainbow Intensity-Meter - Legs"

Type: skin - legs

Rating: A

Price: 1 VirDo

Immediately she stuck one set on her mech-suit. The second set she reserved for Randy, and the third was back up.

Daily Quest: We like our Land flat

Description: Do some tricks on flat planes without obstacles. Bonus: Combo five tricks.

Rewards: Reputation with Tricky City

Penalties: none

Difficulty: E

After picking up the daily quest, Flora noticed her free-running skills had regressed, and her old-age-perception made a come-back overnight. The day before, she had no problem performing diving rolls, but now she had mental issues committing to a simple safety roll. She had to start from the beginning again, slowly getting used to more dynamic rolls and vaults.

The workshop today taught easy flips. Flora admired how Randy structured the lesson to make all these impossible-looking maneuvers accessible to her. At the end of the session, she performed cartwheels, handsprings, and macacos, landing every other backflip but needing help with the frontflip.

Randy loved the skin she gifted him and directly put it to test. His body blurred when he took off, bouncing and flipping around the gym. From violet, the animation changed to blue then green, then back to blue when Randy ran a longer stretch and mounted a bar. He muscled up and swung around and spun off. The trick brought the skin back to a greenish-blue, but the transition to the next obstacle was not the cleanest one, and the animation reverted to blue again. Now, Randy reached a part of the gym with a couple of walls lined up where he vaulted in quick succession. At the end of the hall, he tic-taced on a wall and ran the same way back, jumping and flipping over the obstacles. That was enough to reach yellow, but he lost rainbow-points when it took him a bit longer to climb up a wall.

'I might have overdone the difficulty!'

Under visible exertion, Randy brought the intensity up to orange, but his gas tank finally bottomed, and he flopped to the ground.

"Auntie Flow! This is the grooviest!" Randy exclaimed while lying spread-eagled and breathing hard on the floor while the animation rapidly changed from orange to the default violet.

A small crowd had gathered, and people questioned Randy about the skin. Flora smirked. 'Customers!'

Flora to Aidan: "Make an announcement, dear."

"Ladies and Gentleman, the skin Rainbow Intensity-Meter is up for sale and can be printed on every printer in the Metaworld. In honor of the fantastic performance of my esteemed owner's trainer RanDie RoseAgain 100 skins will be ready for your purchase at 15 o'clock at the marketplace."

"And at the Ricky's Runners shop when my negotiation with this lady goes well!" a tall skinny dude with olive skin and, of course, a pink Ricky's Runner vest droned, and the crowd laughed.

The guy invited Flora to a broom closet, which he claimed was his office, and they agreed on the terms of distribution. Flora insisted on a non-exclusive contract, and she would get 0.6 VirDos for every skin Ricky sold. Additionally, Ricky promised to include a link to her future shop.

0.6 VirDos was less than the 0.8 VirDos (the sticker cost 0.2 VirDos) she got when people printed the skin. Still, the most challenging step was letting people know your design existed and to cooperate with distributors like Ricky's or Huffgrin was the easiest way to do this.