I need to farm 165 OP, ideally by the end of today. Options?
The criteria are simple: fast, cheap, functional. No extra bells and whistles or long preparations—only what actually brings points and doesn't rely on rare materials.
My brain, overclocked by the Intellect Potion and working at 110% of its capacity, immediately started throwing out ideas—from undeveloped spheres of craftsmanship like clay modeling and advanced carpentry to creating more complex electronics and mechanisms, for which there are plenty of detailed guides on the internet. However, I immediately discarded most of the options: somewhere there was a lack of funding, somewhere expensive equipment or rare consumables were required, and some things came down to lengthy debugging for which I have neither the time nor the energy now. Plus, I deliberately focused on applied and functional items: my limited experience has already confirmed—the system gives noticeably more OP for clear utility than for "beautiful but useless."
Naturally, in parallel with thinking through ideas, I scoured the internet: on DIY forums, in communities of fans of homemade weapons and upgrades, among mechanics, electricians, and even among chemists in profile threads. I looked for inspiration and technological solutions from everywhere; all I needed was one, at most two items that I could assemble quickly and cheaply, and the system would evaluate as "oh how expensive," that is, at least 50+ OP, as in the case of that same Potato Cannon. It, by the way, ideally met all my current criteria, except for one annoying fact: it had already been crafted and wouldn't impress the system for 50+ OP a second time.
I even considered complicated versions of the Potato Cannon: a pneumatic version with a compressor, a multi-barrel modification, and even a Gauss Potato Cannon (yes, I found detailed instructions for this monster on the internet—I'm shocked myself!). But everything came down to the same problem. I'm not sure how the system would evaluate this—not cheating, of course, rather a clever repeat. Formally, even a Potato Cannon of legendary rarity and complexity conceptually remains a Potato Cannon, which means there's a risk of getting a reduced multiplier. Plus, the question remains about buying and finding materials, especially for the Gauss version: some of the components are both rare and expensive. In general, for now, we're dismissing the Potato Cannon option. Especially since I found what I was looking for, and it's again PVC pipes, which turned out to be a much more versatile and interesting tool for crafting than I previously thought.
On one of the DIY forum threads, I came across an enthusiast who step-by-step described and showed the process of creating various kinds of "weapons"—if it's even appropriate to call these essentially harmless shooting crafts that. Given that I have five Potato Cannons on hand, which I can disassemble for fittings and fasteners if necessary, and I'll buy the missing pipes—two hundred dollars will be more than enough, they're inexpensive—I was interested in several of his constructions at once. For each of them, I think the system will generously shell out OP: simple mechanics, clear functionality, neat result.
The first option is a PVC crossbow. A light crossbow where the PVC pipe serves as the base for both the bow and the body, and the shot is provided by an elastic cord. Material-wise, everything is simple: pipes (some are already on my shelf), an elastic cord, a wooden or plastic handle, a couple of metal brackets, screws, washers—and other trifles for rigid fixation of the units. I'll make bolts or arrows from ordinary wooden dowels: slightly correct the geometry, glue in light tips or just sharpen them—and it's done. The entire process fits into a few hours, and the result is quite functional. In general, the crossbow is fixed!
The second option—it would be logical to say "PVC bow," but it's too simple to assemble: there's a high probability that the system will evaluate it at a symbolic 10 OP. And I'm currently saving materials and don't want to burn them on a guaranteed "thin" result. Therefore, ignoring the bow, I settle on a PVC water cannon. Essentially—a water "pump-action shotgun," only more powerful than a typical pistol. For crafting, you need a pipe (naturally), a pump—manual or bicycle, a check valve, a nozzle (one from a garden hose will do), and sealant or PVC glue so that everything holds pressure. The whole set is cheap, it's assembled quickly, and the system likes that: a clear mechanism with obvious functionality. I fix it in my mind as the second mandatory item.
Initially, I wanted a third, final, and most complex option, but after looking at the guide, I dismissed it almost immediately. To hell with it—making a PVC pneumatic turret. Servos, a microcontroller for automation, electromagnetic valves, compressors with compressed air, wiring, debugging—a beautiful project, but not my level right now in terms of time and risks. Watching a half-hour video where everything turned out so smooth and beautiful for the guy, I soberly realized: it could be repeated, but the price of error and resource expenditure are high. Theoretically, if you really wanted to, as with the same Intellect Potion for which I assembled a goddamn Marx Generator, it could be managed, but it would take God knows how much time and effort. At this stage, I'll stick with the Crossbow and Water Cannon; if necessary, I'll assemble two or three copies of each and get the missing points. 165 OP in a day is achievable.
Alright, we've dealt with the crafting. What's next on our agenda? A budget to get out of Hell's Kitchen (still have to figure out where exactly) and a scheme to convert ores from the "cheaty" box into real money. With the first, it's more or less clear: I need a private house with a garage-extension and a large, ideally shielded from neighbors, backyard. By district, the obvious priorities are Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island: that's where houses meeting my criteria are most common. Having studied the city map and estimated prices, I eventually settled on Brooklyn and Queens. Yes, the monthly rent there is a bit higher than on Staten Island, but the proximity to Manhattan is enticing, and the districts themselves feel more... noble, I guess. And the logistics are simpler.
What about prices? Here I was unpleasantly surprised. Renting this studio in Hell's Kitchen for 500 bucks, I expected that a private house with a garage and a yard in a decent neighborhood would be a couple of times more expensive, but not six to eight! A two-story townhouse in Brooklyn for 4500 bucks a month... Fuck, and that's putting it mildly. Additionally—a broker's commission of 10-15% of the annual rent, so that's another few thousand gone; utilities, which are often not included in the price; insurance; and a deposit—from a few thousand up to ten. In the end, it turns out that I'll need MINIMUM 20,000 dollars on hand to painlessly rent a house for quiet crafting for at least three months, and ideally—six months at once. I'm fixing the lower threshold: twenty thousand.
Alright, we've settled on the target amount. Now—how to legalize the ores from my future miracle box. Quickly running through the prices of precious metals, I settled on gold and platinum (roughly 38,000 and 32,000 dollars per kilogram). I think something of this will be found in the box. What are my sales options? Essentially—there's only one working one right now: pawnshops. For an amount up to 10,000 dollars, they usually don't require documents or detailed proof of origin. Another matter is that they will accept pure unrefined ore there without much enthusiasm and will most likely heavily undervalue it. This means that I'll first have to go to a smelter (given the absence of my own workshop) and for a couple of hundred bucks melt down ingots or granules. Those can then be pushed to pawnshops all over the city.
Risky? Definitely. What other options are there? Online auctions, selling to private collectors or metal dealers, an attempt to go directly to industrialists and offer them something of the rare earths. But each of these paths is even more risky at the start than going through pawnshops: a higher entry threshold, more paperwork, and attentive gazes. So, for now, I'm sticking with pawnshops—and specifically in the plural, receiving payment in cash. Basic precautions are mandatory: coming to different points on different days, at different times, changing clothes and route, not creating a repeating pattern. Even though I'm not a super-spy, I want to believe I'm not a total fool. Although... I've already left a trail with the Ghost Orchid—so I am a fool. Alright, let's move on without self-flagellation, just more carefully.
Now that the primary task of analyzing the most important things was resolved, an analysis of a different kind was on the agenda. A deep, meticulous analysis of the hole I've been thrown into. This, theoretically, any proper transmigrator should have taken care of in the first few hours. But, alas, the system turned out to be too fascinating a toy, and the first days were spent in a tactical race for resources, not in strategic planning. Now, when not just survival but future development is at stake, ignoring this question would be equivalent to suicide.
So, let's start with the card file in my head. Key characters, factions, events. From what I know and remember, of course.
Global level: Gods and Monsters. The top of the Earth's food chain and New York's in particular. Tony Stark, aka Iron Man; Steve Rogers, aka Captain America; Bruce Banner, aka the Indestructible Super-Strong Green Mountain of Rage, aka Hulk; Thor, aka the Asgardian and Real God of Thunder and Lightning. And the rest of the Avengers in descending order of their importance to the global plot. These are titans whose clash is capable of wiping a city off the map. Now they are disparate, and some even non-existent figures, but I know that their union is only a matter of time and the right threat.
Ideological level: Mutants. Two main, perpetually clashing forces. Magneto with his idea of mutant superiority and Professor X with his dream of peaceful coexistence. The School for Gifted Youngsters named after Charles Xavier, judging by fragmentary information on the net, successfully exists but masks itself as an elite private educational institution. The very fact that mutants are hidden from the public is concerning. This is not a world where they are part of society; this is a world where they are a ticking bomb. There's no mention of Magneto, and that's even worse. It means he's either lying low or hasn't started his war yet. There's of course a microscopic chance that he doesn't exist at all in this reality, but in any case, getting into their squabbles is madness.
Street level: Heroes and Spiders. My current world, what's happening outside the window. Spidey—and in my case, Spider-Woman. I'll call her Gwen-Spider, for convenience and to stroke my ego. She's already active, but a quick analysis of the news confirmed: for now, it's a fight against ordinary crime. However, her personal gallery of enemies is a classic of the spider folk: Kingpin, ruling the criminal world; the Lizard—and here a chill goes through me, as in most realities with Gwen-Spider, this performance is executed by Peter Parker; Morlun, an energy vampire hunting spider totems; Jackal, Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, and of course, Venom. Since Octavius is holding a presentation of his manipulators on October 14, just a month away, I suspect he will become her first serious opponent. And this event will become the starting point for the appearance of a whole pleiad of meta-criminals in New York.
But Gwen isn't the only one at this level. Hell's Kitchen, my district... is the territory of the Devil. Daredevil. Blind lawyer Matt Murdock by day, vigilante by night. His war with the Kingpin and the Japanese ninja clan the Hand is the shadow side of the city, invisible to the common person. To some extent, without wanting it, I live in the epicenter of this war. Another incentive to leave this district...
Science and Space level: Pioneers. Fantastic Four. Their space expedition starts on September 22, literally in a few days. How long they will stay in orbit is unknown, but their return will be a sensation. And with them, two threats of completely different scales will enter the world. The first—Victor von Doom. Genius, billionaire, King of Latveria, powerful mage—his version and level of threat could be anything, but he will always be one of the most dangerous people on the planet. The second threat... absolute. Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. He and his herald, the Silver Surfer, for some reason are closely connected specifically with the Four. And if the appearance of Doom is a political and technological crisis, then the arrival of Galactus is the end of the world. And I have no idea what I'll be able to counter this with and if it's even worth it...
Point of reference: Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist. Tony Stark, of course. It is with his arc of becoming Iron Man that the whole epic with the Avengers, the Chitauri invasion, and the Mad Titans who like to snap their fingers should begin. When will he fly to Afghanistan? Unknown. There's no mention of "Jericho" missiles on the net. This could be a top-secret project. But following the news concerning Stark Industries is my highest priority. His kidnapping will be the gong announcing the beginning of a new era.
Hidden forces: Shadows and Conspiracies. S.H.I.E.L.D. with Nick Fury and HYDRA, which has metastasized into its structure. They are the gray eminences leading their war. Magic. Doctor Stephen Strange—a brilliant neurosurgeon—is still saving lives in the operating room, and his hands are fine. His coming car crash will be a portal to a world where the laws of physics are merely a recommendation; additionally, he plays an important role in global events and seemingly even saved the world a couple of times. He needs to be watched too. The Ancient One is somewhere in Kamar-Taj training acolytes.
And all this is just the tip of the iceberg. Blade and the vampire clans leading their thousand-year war in the night. Captain Marvel and the eternal conflict of the Kree and Skrulls somewhere in the depths of space. The Celestials who created life. Guardians of the Galaxy. Shang-Chi, the Ten Rings, and the mystical forces of Kun-Lun. The Hellfire Club, a secret society of the richest and most influential people. And dozens of other hidden organizations, ancient cults, and alien races.
This world is a mad, multi-layered cake of threats. Trying to grasp everything means going insane. I don't need to know everything. I need to know enough to survive and become stronger. All I want for now is to be given time for a build-up. My power is in constant, albeit relatively slow, strengthening. But that's for now. My progression is not arithmetic, but geometric. And who knows what skill, blueprint, or item of Legendary difficulty will finally allow me to step out of the shadows and become a figure on this mad chessboard myself. Until then—silence, development, and information gathering.
***
Closing the incognito browser with a protected tunnel encryption, I leaned back in my chair, exhaling all the accumulated stress and fatigue from a job well done. The effect of the Intellect Potion had worn off, and I suddenly felt stupid and heavy, as if after a sleepless night. But looking at the notes I'd kept over the last few hours, recording the most important and useful thoughts, I realized it wasn't all that bad. Pseudo-NZT-48 fulfilled its mission: I got answers to the questions that plagued me and simplified my upcoming decisions. And even despite the encroaching headache—a small fallback from the effect of the Potion—I am ready to start creating and earning OP. I vitally need this miracle ore box—too much depends on it right now.
Slapping my cheeks and gathering my spirit, I opened an ordinary browser—at the tab with the step-by-step process of creating a PVC crossbow. I'll wait out the headache for half an hour or an hour: during this time I can just go to the hardware store and buy the missing things for the Crossbow and Water Cannon—cord, a couple of fittings, glue, small fasteners, and so on. I'll come back—and start the farm. Today I'm closing 165 OP. And tomorrow I'll deal with earning money. Then—everything else, according to the plan and on the rise.