NOVEL NEXT chapter 66
I went and found my apprentices because I wanted to do the next project together. I wanted them to help finish making metal stuff for the sauna. The biggest thing to cast will be the cauldron. For that, we started by making a version of it from wood but for that, we needed to steam the wood pieces so we can bend them into the correct shape.
During that time, I fill them in on what I learned from the adventurers and my thoughts on it and why I wanted some time alone to think about them.
They seem quite understanding. During our time harvesting and other tasks, we all have gotten quite close joking around and talking about everything really brings people together.
Arthur of course wanted to go into the dungeon with me especially when he learned he could get the adventuring class without having to pay for it.
I was quite certain that the adventuring orb from the village has been taken by the adventurers, but I will have to confirm it when I finally clear the village. For the mold, we made it a mixture of brown clay, white clay and sand so it would be a smooth casting, but the clay would not ignite.
Hopefully, the brown clay will keep the thermal shock to a minimum and keep it from cracking. We made door moulds for the furnace so it would not be open all the time and I can close it and a few pieces to make it a truly useful fireplace that’s easy to clean.
We also made a lot of crucibles because no way were we going to be able to dry them during winter, so I wanted to prepare a lot of them for that.
Skill increases basic ceramist level 10 is upgraded to ceramist level 1
Choose one of the following abilities
moist hands
shaped edge
clay sense
Ahem, moist hands is it now. Let’s skip this one. Clay sense sounds powerful if you want to make a lot of clay things, but I do not. The shaped edge looks promising. After choosing it I did some tests and it turned out to be very useful allowing me to for example make my sword's straight edge into a jagged one.
After that, we started to make arrows again but this time it was fletching them, I also brought Freya and her children out so I could teach them some commands. Mostly it was just so when they started to wander off, they will learn the commands to come back. That way I can bring them further away from the farm.
The next day we continued but thanks to the wolf pups being a lot better at coming back I was able to concentrate a lot of time on making arrows. That helped me get my fletching to level 9.
I was able to just keep doing one task for as long as it was needed but my apprentices were not yet so disciplined. So, I let them do shafts sometimes as well to break up the monotony for them.
The next day I gave them free because I needed to go and mine some iron ore. I did not feel that it was safe for them to be so close to the edge of my territory without better combat instincts.
Unfortunately, I did not have a pickaxe to bring but with my abilities, the shovel and the axe will do the job just fine. Although I might still want to make a pickaxe later on when the anvil is finally done.
Speaking of the anvil, the clay stopped glowing yesterday and it's starting to cool down quickly so most likely tomorrow or the next day the mould will crumble to pieces.
This time going to the iron vein I run into a feline predator similar to a normal house cat but bigger. He kept hiding in his spot in the tree not poking his head out so I could not see what colour fur it has.
As I suspected with my abilities, the shovel and the axe were enough for me to start extracting iron ore. Getting me a mining skill quite quickly. When the cart was full, I got another level in basic mining and now it was time to head back. When I made it back, I took some time using the hammer to crush the ore pieces into smaller ones.
After that, I get all my apprentices together because it was time to see if I can help them push their energy control and hopefully gain the energy storage stat. With their abilities, they’re now able to better understand my teachings and start to manipulate their abilities.
It was a slow process, and it will take them a while to get their energy manipulation to a good enough point to get the stat. Arthur turned out to be the best in this aspect displaying the biggest gains in this session.
The next day we did some more fletching, and we also took apart the moulds and smoothed the inside where it was needed. Then put them back together without the wood piece ready for casting.
I also got a level in animal training and care as well as a level in taming with all the work I’ve been doing with the wolves.
The anvil mould started to crumble and by tomorrow it will most likely be completely crumbled. That turned out to be the case. I start to clean off the dust and it revealed a magnificent anvil. While it was still somewhat hot, we were able to move it from the forge so we can start melting iron ore and casting.
I most likely got less XP because we were all doing the casting, but I still got basic metal casting to level 4 and smithing to level 2. By the end of the day, they had gained new skills and more levels in them. Fitting all the pieces into the sauna felt great. It was now fully functional.
The next day came and I still wanted to let the anvil rest so I set up my old anvil and two of the crucible steel bars so all three apprentices can try their hand at making arrowheads.
My mentoring skill has gone up by three levels with all the hands-on teaching I’ve been doing and most likely also the life lessons I’ve been teaching when we are just talking. I wonder what kind of an ideology this would be that I’m teaching them. Because it's a mix of modern and old beliefs and the ones that I resonate the most with.
Sometimes I wonder how much longer I can keep this up. When will there be a herd of monsters or a dragon or people that come and destroy everything I have built? But then again that's no reason not to do it. I just hope my 3 apprentices could escape that fate if it ever comes to that.
But those were just momentary things I could put behind me. I have long ago learned not to dwell on what ifs because usually they just distract and scare for no reason.
Only a few arrowheads I made to show how to make them got me a level in fletching giving me a tier up in it.
Skill increases basic fletching level 10 is upgraded to fletching level 1
Choose one of the following abilities
splitting arrow
fletching glue
arrow sharpening
Both fletching glue and arrow sharpening sound useful, the glue one a lot more but sharpening does take a lot of time. I think the fletching glue is the best choice but how can I not take splitting arrow? There is no way I can skip it.
You have gained a new ability splitting arrow level 1
Before I started to test out my new ability, we cleaned everything up from our smithing as it was already evening. At that moment my taming skill buzzed in a weird way, luckily the excited clucking of the chickens clued me in as to why.
I rushed to the chicken coop and found that the egg actually hatched, and I got 3 levels in taming as I got close and touched the newborn bird.
I quickly picked it up and it looked so fragile, but I also felt there was a connection with it. That was thanks to me constantly using my energy on the egg. I looked at my stats and noticed that there was a new section for bonded animals but there was no name yet and I needed to think of one.
My apprentices were all around and as I looked at them and the chicken coop it gave me an idea. As I started to walk out with my new bonded animal, I gave them a task.
“This chicken coop is not suitable for winter. I want solutions for that tomorrow. You can work on it together or alone, and I want multiple solutions and the way to implement them.”
Arthur, “We don’t know how to do that. Rich wait. Hey, Rich wait.”
Rich, “Figure it out. I believe in you all.”
George, “Well shit.”