The next day was spend mostly leaving the AIs to learn how the language in the book worked, while Penny was writing the script for the game she was planning. She wanted to put a lot of realism and actual real world skills into the gameplay mechanics. It was true she was just starting to learn how the magic system of earth functioned, but by the time she had to program the game, she was confident she would have solid understanding and could include it in. She planned for every player to start with a tutorial and a test at the same time. They would be army recruits learning how to shoot weapons, fight hand to hand, repair military equipment and ride vehicles and fly helicopters and planes. That could work as their starting classes and they wouldn’t be able to start the game until they scored a passing grade at the final test. Then they would be transported through a magic portal into a fantasy world with advanced magic and technology, where they could evolve their classes to fighters, crafters, magicians, mech pilots and more. She even planned to include every product the company was selling, and some she had invented, but was hiding, to be used in the game. There would be hover boards and scooters and their technology could be used for a technological shield, robot pets used as companions or summoned beasts, the safety equipment as mech suits, the avatar technology as long range travel option or as a super hero alter ego and much more. She was planning on making a magic pill that was used to activate a person’s magic power, genetic treatments that cleaned your DNA and could gift realistic super powers. And all of that would be kept on a server of a supercomputer that could simulate the real world as perfectly as in the Matrix and the players could do whatever was possible in the real world, including magic. If she could do all that, she could possibly create the best game in the world or the worst, because people went in games to escape the real world, including its physic laws. Better make a full replica of the planet, so the people who failed to pass their tests had something to do. Maybe even replicate all the endangered and extinct animals from the last 100 years, so people would have a reason to visit the wilderness. She definitely had to use the developmental packages from Ready Player One to create the two planets.

When Penny was done outlining what the game would be like, she used a satellite with a view to the planet to see if her fog machine was doing its job properly. In the middle of the ocean, at least 20 miles from any other land mass, a white mass was forming. She couldn’t make out from space if it was cloud, fog or something else, but it was at the right place, so she pretty sure it was her fog. Now that she had hidden what was happening behind the fog, the real work at that place could begin to take place. She would finish construction and finish preparing her prank, then a few weeks later maybe lift the fog and let the whole world see what she has created. There was something just so satisfying about plotting and scheming, she just couldn’t explain.

After making sure her fog was in place, Penny made a few calls to make sure the people in the company had everything under control, even without Jenny there. She was glad that after only 3 more days she would be discharged and could go home. And that was when a thought stuck her out of the blue. Jenny’s home was not ideal for someone with two legs in a cast to move around in. She would need a little help, so she immediately went to the metaphorical drawing board and more real machine drawing program on her computer and started working on plans for a hovering chair. She was going to take Jenny home in it, then tie ropes around so she could move up and down stair with its help. She didn’t want to make Jenny do everything in the chair, because that would hinder her physical therapy and make her muscles atrophy more than needed.

After finishing her sketches of the chair, Penny went to the hospital to visit Jenny, again bringing a basket with goodies and a flower bouquet. They talked about their day, about work and who has visited her in the hospital and when the visiting hours were over, Penny went to her flying lessons. There was just one more week until she finished and would officially be allowed to fly small aircrafts. She just needed to wait for her car to finish its inspection for safety and experimental aircraft license. Later that night, when going to sleep she tried to visualize what she would do tomorrow and a big smile appeared on her face. Closing her eyes, she nodded off to the world of dreams. Just before sleep took her, she had another random thought. “When should I try visiting the world of dreams?”

The next day, Penny got some crafting materials from the fantasy worlds and decided to again try and make a magic katana, but this time, she had a lot more spells, runes and schemes she could engrave and enchant it with. The first part of the process was very similar to her previous attempt, but this time before she enclosed the core with the harder metal meant for the blade, she engraved a scheme for a flame spell, then enclosed it with the rest of the metal and started forming the blade. She was very careful not to disrupt the form of the engraving, but couldn’t be sure it would succeed, before it was done and tested. And when it was done, she didn’t bother fashioning a handle or anything other, before giving it to Elena to test.

The result of the test was a total blast. Yes, seriously, the blade exploded in Elena’s hands and shrapnel flew everywhere. Good thing Penny was safe behind a safety screen, because she was prepared for some energetic failures. She collected the pieces and tried again with slightly changed spell, which also exploded, then another change, which cracked the blade in two, then another change, which melted the metal. After a lot more changes of the spell and trial and error, she finally had her first success, a sword covered in flames, which didn’t explode, melt or set the user on fire. Now it was time to test how effective it was compared to the last magic blade she made, so she send Elena to the dimension of Diablo 2 and waited for the test results. They weren’t very encouraging. According to the data Elena gathered, the flaming sword was harder to stab and slash with, because it cauterized the wound while it was inflicting it, which made the metal stick to the flesh, instead of sliding smoothly. Then there was the cauterizing, which prevented bleeding and the smell of burned flesh and hair that accompanied the death of the target. It didn’t have many advantages over the previous magic sword, so it was better if Penny changed the element she imbued in the sword.

Next, Penny tried making air, water and earth swords with varying ranges of success. Sure she managed to imbue the element without it destroying the sword, but not every single one had a positive effect on the blade. Sure the air spell made the blade sharper with a wind blade like effect and she had ideas for a way to shoot it, but the water blade just made it drip and maybe improve the stabbing a little. And the earth spell just made almost unbreakable sword stronger. Maybe she should work on ice instead of water and develop some other variants of earth spells. If she was persistent enough, maybe she could make a katana that freezes and shatters her opponents. She let M.A.L.A. record the latest results and work on more variations of the spells for them to try next time.

The next fantasy weapon she wanted to make required her to actually go outside and buy a few things and to use it she needed to learn a new skill and practice long and hard. She visited a music shop a few blocks over and after a lot of questions, scanning of components and measuring dimensions, she walked away with a brand new electric guitar, amplifiers and a few other essentials that The Author knew about, but didn’t know their names. She threw everything into the pocket dimension and then teleported back to the lab.

Penny experimented for the next 2-3 days, entered the Learning Machine for technique lessons on guitar playing, researched components and how they worked and when she was done with all that, she disassembled the guitar to its components and started working. First she made a new body made of metal, instead of wood or something synthetic, then molded it into the form of a one sided battle axe. She based the form on a picture she found online named ‘Gladiator Battle-Axe Style Electric Guitar’. The edges were even sharpened extra well, so it could kill monsters easier. She made the neck of the guitar from Tolkien mithril for durability and lightness, then installed the other components back to their places. During the last few days she experimented to see what metals were suitable to use so they didn’t interfere with the sound of the guitar and now that she was done with the construction, it was time to see if her research was right. She connected the guitar, tuned the strings, made sure she was holding it so she wouldn’t cut herself and started strumming a melody. At first she had to be careful where she put her fingers, because she had the knowledge, but not the muscle memory or the flow of a seasoned guitar player. She gradually found her rhythm and using more of a technique than feeling, she played songs to test the guitar. It played like it should and it wasn’t much heavier than it should be. She tested her creation by quickly changing her grip and holding it like an axe, ready to chop some heads. It felt good in her hands, no discomfort or strings cutting her skin. She just needed to enchant the axe-guitar to be water, blood and filth proof, then design a powerful portable speaker with a powerful battery and she would be ready to play B.A.R.D. or Battle Axe Reaping Destruction. And to think that until recently she thought that was something else. Can you believe that Penny thought it meant a medieval musician, going peacefully from town to town, spreading music and fables and other peaceful activities? Now she knew better, they were a weapon wielding class, spreading rock and metal and other music while swinging axes and other medieval weapons.