I had been severely neglecting skills. My perks had gone sky high and I had several powerful magical abilities at hand. My stats had skyrocketed. But, short life times, mental illness, the need to survive had prevented me from making any serious effort to boost my skills.

The benefits were pretty incremental. As my crafting skill increased I gained a steady rush of knowledge. Ideas and concepts filled my head as my skills increased, often unrelated to what I learnt. I picked a lock, and I got a better idea of how to pick locks, as well as how to make pipe bombs and fix a tv and a host of other things.

I also got the incremental bonuses. When I made an item it might come with some special property of value. Rushing the rank up was pretty useful. I was looking forward to getting boosted items with uncommon properties.

Exp seemed to be awarded slowest if I grinded on my own, faster if I fought, and fastest in traps. Surviving dangerous situations often gave rank ups as well. I had known all this.

What I hadn't known was that if you acted like a leader and ordered people around- scared, impressionable people who were looking for any way out- you got a portion of their exp! While I might not be inventing a new wheel here, my skills were climbing up.

I was making bank as well. Everything in this house was a trap! We had stripped this room bare, and got all the loot we could.

30 fragments of wood.

6 usable bricks.

1 tape recorder and tape.

1 pointed stick

1 syringe, empty

3 screws

1 crude rag

1 wooden board

1 segment of blinds.

1 string.

Scavenge levels up! Scavenge levels up! Scavenge levels up! Observation levels up!

I was currently working with the rags we had ripped from the windows and the wooden board we had ripped from a cabinet. Using some of the wood scrap we had found around the room as poles, the wood as a base, the string to help carry it all…

You have crafted a crude bag. This increases your carrying capacity, allowing you to carry more stuff. It has the properties durable, and convenient. 5/5 durability.

It had taken 12 fragments of wood, all of the ragged cloth we had found, our string, the three nails and the wooden board, but we had it. The wood made legs on the corners, with three held in with screws, one held in with hammering, and the rag wrapped around it prevented stuff falling out. The string was hooked between two of the legs, making it easier to carry.

I got a cool 20 exp from that. 41 exp in the bag. Almost ready to max out this skill.

We could carry more loot now. It was time to tackle the door.

Amanda was skulking around, wary after her punch. The rest were pulling their weight, stripping this room bare. It was time for phase two of my plan. Death of a thousand cuts.

"Daniel, could you help me with something? I think I might have an idea on how to get the door open. Could you look through the keyhole to check for no surprises whilst I do it?"

"Ok. What am I looking for?" Asked Daniel. The kid was keen.

"Addy, key?" I asked. She tossed it to me. I caught it easily, and brought it to the lock, as Daniel looked through the keyhole.

"I can hear a ticking."

Amanda stopped pacing and spoke. "Do not attempt to use this key on the door to this room! Those were the rules."

Xavier spoke. "Fuck the rules."

I nodded. "Yeah, fuck this."

"No, no-" She lunged forward, with almost inhuman speed, and knocked the key out of my hands. "No no, this is not a good idea!"

I glanced at the notification.

Lesser killing instinct Perk activated.

Yes. Victory. This game had been fucking with me hard. So many perks had cool downs longer than I'd ever get. I had just forced Amanda to burn one of hers to save Daniel. This whole challenge was about fucking with his daddy, Eric the cop. I remembered. She had to keep him alive. Even if it meant burning her perks up.

Xavier was not pleased. "You bitch, what are you doing?" He said, poking her with his sharp stick.

"We have to obey the rules! Or he'll punish us." She said, sobbing.

I waved Xavier back. "It's fine. I hadn't intended to use the key anyway. I went to pick it up again. "I looked in the lock before. There's pressure on parts of the inside. I'm pretty sure someone hooked up a nasty trap to it, shotgun to the face say. I was seeing if I could work out how the inside of the lock and the key matched up, maybe find a bypass. That said- no. We don't obey the rules. We are the macgyver party." I saw Amanda flinch. She remembered that. "We are gonna cheat in every way we can. But that doesn't mean being stupid. Jigsaw warned us, we need to be ready."

The door clicked and unlocked. Gun on the other side, screwed in tight. I'd used up all my good fragments on the camera.

You have opened the door without being shot! +1 int and +1 wisdom awarded. Rewards come to those who wait.

"Oh, good timing."

Jonas helped Amanda up. "How did you know? You seem to know a lot."

Amanda started to speak. "Because-"

I waved my hand. "Shut up, we don't have time to hear your backstory. You were orphaned by a trap and have dedicated your life to vengeance against traps or something dumb. Stop messing with us, and follow me."

She started again, like the annoying NPC that she was. "The tape said-" Hah I knew the bitch was faking being out. "We need to figure out what we have in common."

I responded. "What we have in common is that we're all gonna get out of here alive. Come on. Let's get out of here."

Leadership challenge succeeded! Leadership levels up! Leadership levels up! You impart a positive condition on your followers for half an hour- inspired. 10% reduction in stamina used, and 10% less effect of negative debuffs.

Oh neat, my upgraded diplomacy skill had advanced. I glanced at it.

Leadership. Advanced apprentice. Level 3. Your will to command, to control, to seize is limitless. You can earn an income of 102,000 a year as a manager, and have a 3% chance of imparting an uncommon buff when leading a group.

Neat. Xavier was already going to the door.

"Hold a sec. Everyone, grab a brick. If an enemy appears pelt them. Daniel, could you carry the loot?

"Why me?"

"Because we're physically stronger than you and bigger, and can throw rocks better. It's important to be in the frontlines, and to support people."

"Ok fine." He sighed. Teenagers. He picked up the string on the makeshift bag, and picked it up, and everyone armed themselves with rocks.

"We need a cure. That means we don't have time for an extended search. Look for a screw driver, a coin, or anything like that- gun is too screwed in to get it off without one. Look for any open doors. If you find one, tell me. Addison, Gus, you're on overwatch duty." Rangers. "You check for any danger, look around corners. Xavier- well, I think you know what to do. Obi, help them out and smash any threats" Barbarian. "I'll support you if there's a serious threat." Artificer. He seemed pacified, now he had been cured, but I wasn't gonna push my authority with him yet. "Jonas, Gus you're our looters. Grab anything useful you see, toss it in the bag." Rogues. "Amanda… I don't know. Look pretty. As hard as that is for you. You're kinda surplus. Don't get left behind."

"Fuck you." She said. She was losing some of her fake, survivor attitude. Good.

We were getting close to the first poison notification. I wanted to get more people cured before that.

We advanced outwards, Addison and Gus leading. Xavier found a spiked bat outside, and upgraded his weapon.

"Obi, pick up the spiked stick. We need your ready to stab." He did so. He looked- surprised. I'd have to do more to win him over. I checked my reputation counter.

Amanda. Hated. 0/10

Daniel. Neutral. 30/100

Xavier. Trusted. 26/100

Gus. Neutral. 34/100

Addison. Neutral. 59/100

Obi. Disliked. 99/100

Jonas. Trusted. 64/100

Most were no real surprises- Xavier liked me, since I let him punch people and cured people. Obi disliked me, since he was a psycho. Amanda hated me. Jonas though…

I moved to the loot train.

"Is it an act?" Asked Jonas.

I blinked. "Is what an act?"

"The tough guy thing. Threatening people, being all-"

Ah. "Yeah. This group just needed some discipline. We were ready to fall apart."

He nodded. "My manager is like that. He shouts at us, threatens to rip out our entrails. But he's a good guy."

"What do you do?"

"I make the best pizzas in New York." He said, proud.

"I'll have to come by sometime. When we get out of there.

I looked to check on why we had time for a full conversation. Amanda. She was scowling, and tapping the walls. Bitch, you knew exactly where everything hidden was. I didn't remember her finding any more hidden wall stuff after the start.

"Stop fucking around Amanda. We don't have all day."

"I'm trying to find hidden-"

"Yeah, after we get some cures. Don't slow the group or split the party."

She glared at me, and reluctantly started following faster.

"You are a bit hard on Amanda."

I looked at him, and spoke quietly. "Have you read Adam's book of the original Jigsaw trap?"

He shook his head. Daniel spoke up. "I have. This is- that Amanda?" I nodded. Police kids.

"He accused her of working with Jig-"

We had entered the main foyer.

Downstairs, there was the safe room. In front of that was a locked room. To the left of the safe room was locked doors that led upstairs, and to the right was a large stair room.

There were a bunch of sofas, stairs.

I clapped my hands together. "Time to break out. Amanda, Daniel, Addison, search this place for hidden doors and loot." Women and children. "Obi, Xav, Jonas, Gus, help me. We're gonna try and break out of this place."

Xavier clapped his hands. "Now you're talking. What's the plan?"

I gestured at the sofa. "Door is reinforced, I bet. Maybe the front area too. Steel planks across it all. Walls though…

Xavier tapped on the walls. "Wood. Plaster. It's not a fortress."

I nodded. "Yeah. This is an old house. They used lath and plaster, which means narrow strips of wood lathered in plaster, nailed to the wall studs and ceiling joists. So long as you avoid the studs you can stick your fist through it pretty easily. Together, I bet we can stick a sofa through it. Then we dash to a hospital and get treatment. If that doesn't work, we can try to lift the safe together. We know the entrance is there." I gestured to the door with exit painted across it. "Let's try and bust the wall next to it."

We all picked up the sofa together- some ugly ass green thing- and took it away.

Now, if I had max ranked fists and gamer's body, I could probably smash my way out of here. I'd just punch, regenerate, punch, regen, till the wall collapsed. This wasn't a game, walls would give in eventually.

In this gaming system though, my arm had a durability. 3, currently. If I tried to break something with it, my arm would break first. That's why we use objects.

"One two three- charge!" We rammed the sofa into the wall. It ripped straight through it, and broke apart in our hands.

Inside the wall were thick steel plates and planks, blocking our way out. Jigsaw, that motherfucker, had replaced the insulation with steel.

"Fuck."

Xavier looked at me. "This is a fortress?" I nodded. "Yeah. We're gonna need a bigger sofa."

We sat there for a while, and Gus coughed up some blood.

"You ok?" Asked Jonas.

"I'm not ok. I'm trapped in here just like that movie-"

I cut him off with my hand. "Stop trying to talk about the movie. Is it scary?"

"Yeah. In it the guy-"

"No! Please, no!" I said. "Never tell that story, and you're on the antidote list."

He blinked. "Really?" I nodded. "Sick get it first."

We headed back into the main stair room. I glared at the door. Just as the pipe hadn't stopped me, that door would not stop me.

Ooh, sweet exp. I now had a flashlight, a bag, rope, and Addison had done most of it.

"I found a door!" Said Addison. "If you're done with your macho bullshit." I laughed, though Xavier looked offended. "The only door-" I spoke quickly, interrupting him before he made some sexist comment. "That's fair. Women win this round. Macho bullshit will be back though. Yeah." Xavier and Jonas joined me. Obi and Gus did not. Spoilsports.

"Walls are steel lined. Jigsaw did some crazy prep for this place. We're special. He's not gonna win. Not with this team. Lead the way, Addison."

Behind me, as we went down, I heard Jonas and Xavier speaking. "That ink on your arm. It's Joilete." Prison?

Xavier went tough man. "Yeah, so?"

"I got locked in there myself."

"Yeah, you proud?"

Xavier looked at me. "You're well prepared for all this. Where did you serve time."

I shook my head. "I'm pretty sure I'm not meant to be here. I got snatched by the wrong person. I was wearing a blonde wig while going to get some snacks for my gaming group, pretty sure it was Laura who was meant to get snatched. She did some time, I know."

Amanda looked my way, and her frown deepened.

Jonas continued. "The tape said-"

"If it matters- pause everyone."

Everyone paused. "Hey, tape issue. It said we need to reveal our feelings. I don't really care. I work as a survivalist, selling camping gear. I play dnd. I like camping trips and guns. I don't care if any of you share. If it's necessary for the mission we will, like if there's a lock which unlocks by what cell block we were in- but otherwise, I don't care what you did before. I care about what you do now. Onwards!"

We all went down into the spooky basement. "Shine the light over there." I pointed, using movie memory. She shined it at a person! I rushed down. "It's ok. It's just a mannequin." I tugged out the knife and pocketed the tape and the note saying Obi's name.

Daniel turned on the light.

There was so much stuff here. The walls were covered in stuff. This was… my dream. My utopia. I felt my eyes water with happiness. And there, was the furnace.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to look away from this treasure haul, and glanced inside. There, on the inside, was an obvious pulley system, which would lock the furnace when you tugged on a chain. Inside, was a shut off valve that would turn off the flames.

+1 wisdom for detecting a trap!

I walked over to Obi, as we looked around. Amanda was looking at the mannequin, trying to find the missing tape. She kept shooting looks at me.

"I found this, and this." I said to Obi.

He got an instant fearful look in his face. "Are you?"

I shook my head. "Jigsaw is trying to play us against each other. He doesn't respect your killer spirit. I do. Work with me. We can stick him in a trap for this."

He looked at me a long time. Judging me. I think he could tell I was sincere. I was someone who had killed, like him, and would really put Jigsaw in a trap.

"I like you." He said.

I checked reps. Wow. His reputation had shot up. He saw me as a friend. Yay friendship with psychos!

It was time to trigger that trap.

"Hey Daniel!" I called. He wandered over, Amanda following, suspiciously. "Do you think you could reach those syringes? They're cures, I think. It's pretty narrow in the furnace."

"Why are you always volunteering the kid!" Said Amanda, incredulous. "He's young. He shouldn't be in this danger." I clapped my hands.

"It looks like we have a volunteer. Obi, Xav- would you do the honors?" They both stepped up.

"No, you can't" said Amanda, as they picked her up, and tossed her in the furnace, as I sliced the rope and the door slammed shut. Flames started to rise from inside.

"Oh no." I said, in a flat tone as I walked around the back where there was a glass opening, and slammed my elbow through the glass, as Amanda screamed inside, and everyone ran over. I yanked out both vials of cure. "What a mistake."

Death by a thousand cuts.

In Resident Evil 7 wooden planks locked him into the house. I had them just climb out of the ladder out of the house, but really, Mia and Ethan should have been able to escape in a lot of ways. That's why I had them escape, load up, and blast their way out. Jigsaw at least always makes sure it's hard to escape.

One thing does bother me though. They talked about how the wall was just plaster, but never tried to, you know, blast through it. Like, I can punch through an old American wall with my fist. I'm sure Xavier could. If you're gonna say how thin the walls are, why not test them?

Also poor Amanda, the defender of kids, taking the brunt of all the damage. This is definitely not how she expected this house to go- but really, what did Jigsaw expect? Obi is the only one who got his intended trap. 1/6 is not great. We didn't even see Laura, Jonas, and Addison's traps. Jigsaw could have definitely tried harder.

Sanas22. It only gets worse for Mandy from here.

Sylphi. That will generally be true- but these were 8 people with no knowledge of each other and no real connections, and Laura had very few lines or backstory, so there's not a lot to do with them. That said, this is a story dedicated to the brave red shirts who are there to die to show how big a threat someone is, so Laura's story will be coming back. Physically, he has Laura's stats and body and skills.

Dragonbornthesam. Thanks for those. They shall be added to the poll, and the perk list.

Watermelonninja. Accidents are so sad. So sad.

Revelash. He doesn't know exactly what people would see, because perk descriptions aren't that informative- but I gave you his best guess.

Zackman2k12. Tomorrow is here. Glad to see you.

Dirk1229. Yep, one focused on resource gathering, social interaction, and survival against harsh odds. Not just raising numbers till you can punch your way out. And thanks, yeah. Adam wasn't very good at leading, and so the only way to karmically survive was to rely on Gordon.

So, what will happen to Amanda? Tune in next time, on Say Yes to the Incinerator.