No skills, lotsa problems

https://abload.de/img/09.05.23_22-27-23ekdvh.png

Finally Fred had amassed the full sum of 400,000$. He almost couldn’t believe it, when he stood ankle-deep in soil that was wet and treacherous from the snowmelt. That’s why his knees were shaking, right? Just the ground not being as solid as it could have been…

At one point Fred received 18,000$ interest from the completed Fabulously wealthy aspiration, what shaved off two days (what would be more significant with aging on).

https://abload.de/img/09.05.23_22-27-24ylfyo.png

Despite his love being music, Fred’s first new skill point should be Gardening, because that activity had carried him through the scenario.

https://abload.de/img/09.05.23_22-28-31shium.png

However, nothing happened.

Fred had clear memories of having finished his financial goal, phoning Rika, her driving him to the hospital and then all kinds of colorful fluids getting injected into his brain, while he also had to drink that same stuff in a defined order for several weeks, for his muscles to align again. That hadn’t been some party trick! The doctors had explained what exactly each layered drink would do to his body.

https://abload.de/img/09.05.23_22-30-46bleb2.png

Apparently good intentions could only go so far… The therapy hadn’t worked. Everything Fred and his friends had done, all their efforts and sacrifices, had been in vain.

Sure, Fred was doing well in his career, had a family and a means of reliably making money. But he would never again be able to sing really well, let alone scale Mt. Komorebi, what had always been a secret dream of his.

I saved at this point and left the game, rather disappointed by such a downer ending.

https://abload.de/img/09.05.23_22-31-41ywigh.png

Fred: “…and to add insult to injury, the brain scans DO show change. So I not just squandered the money, but potentially messed up my brain even worse...”

Morgyn: “Have you entertained the idea of expecting Science to achieve too much in too short a time frame? If there was a breakthrough, as the graphs suggest, even though not the hoped for one, you should explore what ability exactly you have gained.
Gradual learning maybe still too hard for your brain, so why don’t you see if maybe spells stick? They are simple 0 or 1 packages of information, -you either know a spell or you don’t know it.”

https://abload.de/img/09.05.23_22-32-11adefb.png

And so Fred purchased a new want from the rest of his money and started training in magic again.

It soon turned out that Morgyn had been correct.

https://abload.de/img/10.05.23_14-04-18bed8v.png

The first spell Fred was able to commit to memory was Inferniate. Roasted mushrooms wouldn’t be such a huge change in his diet…

https://abload.de/img/10.05.23_14-04-195pej1.png

Low on fun Fred picked up his violin. He’d never be any good at playing it, but it was still fun.

And then the miracle happened: Fred could always visualize a skill progress bar gloating over his head, that tracked his progress in mastering the instrument!

That was a happy surprise! Exit game and reload did the trick.

https://abload.de/img/10.05.23_14-33-38xwcsr.png

Soon after Fred was cured, Rika and Michael moved in with him. Rika had bought herself free for some time already, but had wanted to wait for Mike to finish his therapy before uniting the family in the same home.

https://abload.de/img/10.05.23_15-08-57ngfuv.png

Although they had start over almost broke after paying for therapy and the new wand, money came in steadily. Soon the couple could expand the house and move the lilies from their improvised shelter to a greenhouse, where they also planted herbs and veggies.

https://abload.de/img/10.05.23_15-11-08ghi9z.png

Especially the chickens loved the new greenhouse. They didn’t share Fred’s outdoorsy lifestyle!

https://abload.de/img/10.05.23_15-09-268sim0.png

The inside – still only the basics, but gradually improving from here on.