Weeks quickly turned in to months as Liam digested the vast amount of material in the library. He found that his previous rapid success with languages and reading had been down to his tutor’s ability. Now that Lady Tatania was no longer here, however, things slowed considerably.

It took Liam two weeks to decipher the Hebrew text enough that he could begin reading the works, although he still had to check back to the reference material from time to time. Eventually, he only used the books to find a word whose meaning he had difficulty in inferring from the rest of the text.

Next, he moved on to the Egyptian. This took him nearly a month to comprehend, but the hieroglyphs eventually gave up their secrets to his persistent intent. He found that even when inferring this language; he needed to look up significant amounts of information to confirm the meaning of entire sentences.

Finally, he got to the Greek and found he had a much easier time. Many of the words in Latin seemed connected to the Greek, and within a week he was reading fluently.

The constant light of dusk made time difficult to calculate for Liam, who turned to a reliance on his natural sleep cycle. Morning was whenever he awoke, while afternoon began when he ate his second meal. Night became whenever he returned to the tower to study, eat supper and sleep.

Each night before he slept, he would read from the stoics, Zeno, Epictetus and Seneca, as well as re-reading Marcus Aurelius. He found the words comforted his mind, allowing him to build a wall of certainty based on intense self-reflection.

His conversations with David also gave him many insights into the wider world. The man seemed to have travelled a good deal in his Kingdom and knew much of how the world’s interconnected systems could provide for significant benefits or greater evils.

Every action had a consequence, no matter how small. The more Liam learnt, the more he could predict those consequences to himself.

He entered a routine of work, chores, and studies. Each day he would wake, ensuring that he made and cleaned his bedding. He would then go down to the river and bathe. His face was beginning to grow the light fuzz of a boy becoming a man, and since no one could judge the sparse growth, he left it to lengthen.

Other changes to his body presented… confusing problems, too.

Liam turned to his only ready source of advice and soon learned a great deal from an unexpectedly embarrassed King David, not only about himself but about natural philosophy as well.

While at the river, he would wash his clothes as best he could, fish and meditate. Eventually, carrying his clothes and whatever he caught back to the tower.

There, he placed the wet clothes out to dry on a line he’d hung near the entrance of the tower and scaled the fish. After eating a brief meal of whatever meats he’d gathered in the previous days, he would sit for hours, reading yet another manual or crafting guide.

The reading would continue until he grew bored.

Often, he would head down to the workshops and attempt to put into practice the lessons he’d absorbed. These attempts were mostly failures, but slow skill increases kept him going. Each new point he gained filling him with renewed purpose.

Liam also sourced foods from the forest, hunting small game, gathering roots and berries. As he did, he meditated upon the nature of magic and his intent. He’d started to feel a connection to the magic surrounding him and even channelled a small amount into his nexus whenever he found time.

He regularly used his heritage ability too, finding those books and hunting grounds that would allow him to achieve the growth he sought. The animals he found were all far below his level, however, and his experience gains were miniscule. He did, however, gain a significant number of Tribulation credits.

Despite his growth, Liam felt he wasn’t progressing quickly enough, worrying constantly he might waste these four years. He knew his progress was slow, especially compared to his early successes with languages when taught by Lady Tatania.

His enhanced memory helped, but it was only when he began repeating the process Lady Tatania had used to teach him Latin that he quickly absorbed an understanding of each system of grammar and diction.

As his ability to comprehend text grew, so did his understanding of his crafting classes and their related skills, but it was while he was Fishing that he made a true breakthrough in his understanding of the Tribulation system.

Liam was sitting upon a large flat rock on the river bank, having grown bored with the lack of bites he was getting. He decided to spend his time waiting by inspecting each of his skills in turn. He stopped at Fishing.

Skill: Fishing.

Level 3

Fishing is understood to be the process of removing fish from the water for consumption or sport.

He could see he had a low level in the skill, but surely it was enough to get a bite. A nibble. Something!

Confused as to why he only sometimes attracted a fish to the line, Liam had tried tapping the rod, shaking the line as though the small shrimp he used as bait were struggling.

Sure enough, the slight movement attracted a large salmon and Liam struggled to pull it to land.

Ha! Moving bait attracts more fish! He realised.

When he looked back at his statistics, he found his fishing skill had increased by two!

This made him wonder what kind of techniques a practised fisherman might know. It was clear to him that the skills were not just a reflection of his capacity, but of his wider knowledge and comprehension of the processes and systems relating to the skill.

He cast another line, this time slowly drawing the bait back towards his position. He wanted to emulate a shrimp swimming by his slow movement.

The yank on the line confirmed his suspicion that the fish were attracted to live bait.

He looked back at his Fishing skill. Another two points! He grinned, realizing that the skill was an automatic application of his ability, but rather dependent on his understanding of the processes involved.

Skills were not some magical number defining his ability, but rather something which defined his understanding within that field. The more he learned about each skill, the higher it would rise, but only if he absorbed the lessons and applied them would he see the results. Simply repeating a task would not improve his skill!

When he checked his statistics once more, a new skill had appeared.

You have gained the Skill:

System Lore Level 1

He supposed that this was due to his figuring out how the system worked. If he could improve that, perhaps he could gain more insights into how to fight whatever Tribulations were coming.

Liam returned to the tower with his catch, having more questions than he had before.

Soon he found his experience was growing. Even by reading, he could gain experience as he fully understood new concepts.

Every time he would enter the tower, he would read the carving above the fireplace.

A gem cannot be refined without friction.

A man cannot be refined without a Trial.

He knew now that it was a reminder that if he wished to improve himself, he would need to test himself constantly.

His next step was to learn how to smith. His early attempts had been dismal failures, resulting more from his cocky attitude towards the craft rather than lack of ability. He found himself taking more and more books down to the forge, practicing different techniques each day. Smelting, forging, grinding, and bending a variety of different ores and metals.

As he did so he gained his first two levels in Magismithing. The books spoke of different ways of manipulating flame and force spells to heat, grip and shape the metal, but Liam was aware as soon as he read the segment in which the writer described it as an advanced technique. Possibly something at the highest levels of the Senior Apprentice tier of his class.

Liam applied all of his points into intelligence, wisdom and will, seeking to increase his capacity to use magic as rapidly as he could. He no longer considered physical strength to be as necessary as he once had, especially since magic could also enhance the body.

At least to a certain point.

After three months of working the forge, he had a collection of spikes, tapered rods, wires and sheets of a variety of different metals. Whenever he exhausted the supply of ingots from the bag, he climbed back down into the cave with a pick and began extracting more, creating new caverns. When he resurfaced, he would begin by smelting the ore into a bloom of metal, which he’d shape into a rough ingot to use later.

The process continued day after day until he felt ready to create his own tools. The hammer he used was far too fine for his rough hands, and when he’d inspected the item, much of the information was not available at his level.

It was still useable, however, despite not giving him any of the bonuses he expected to find. He began creating his own hammer, forge welding layered steel ingots he had drilled and held in place with steel drifts. Failures began to occur, grating at him each time a weld split, or the metal showed cracks.

After a week of trying, Liam found the right balance, and the forging went smoothly. Soon, he had a rectangular block of forge welded steel that refused to split as he shaped it. Using a dowel, he hammered out a hammerhead on either end, taking his time to ensure one side remained flat. The other he rounded, tapping with gentle blows to ensure the grinding would not be an arduous process.

Finally, he pulled out the largest of the spikes he’d created and hardened it into a punch drift. This he placed carefully on the centre of the heated project and hammed as hard as he could. Rapidly, the drift punched through the hot metal.

Liam widened the space to ensure the handle of his hammer would fit through the opening, and then allowed it to cool. He would heat-treat it after he ground, as the books suggested, lest the grind take too long.

First, he needed to cut the haft to size. He selected a wrist-thick pole from the carpentry and began shaving the sides down with a rasp from the crafting bag. He was still reluctant to use the carpenters’ tools, but those in the crafting bag he thought of as his own - even if it was only a temporary loan.

He smoothed the haft into an oval cross-section and then flattened the sides to provide a more stable grip for indexing the hammer as he struck. Then he worked the shoulder of the haft to size, ensuring that it protruded an inch or two from the head of the hammer.

Walking to the grindstone, Liam smoothed the edges, and gradually formed the clean finish he sought. He also spent some time to ensure that the back face of the hammer, or the pein, had a round face like that of the hammer from the crafting bag. He found that the flat and rounded surfaces allowed him to move the hot metal in a variety of directions that would otherwise require multiple tools.

The grind complete, Liam prepared a bucket of water, poured from a barrel he’d found in the smithy. He’d be using a water quench, as it would transfer the heat away from the metal faster than an oil quench, something that should create a harder head.

He placed the hammer head into the coals, casting a flame to apply a more direct heat to each of the faces.

Slowly, metal glowed a cherry red. The books all described this colour in detail, as it was the perfect temperature to quench harden the steel. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought this was the temperature described, and so he picked up a lodestone and checked.

Satisfied, Liam picked up the hammer-head with his tongs and pushed it deep into the bucket of water, easing it back and forth to cool. He held it for a few moments before withdrawing the work as he saw it return to its natural colour.

Next, he set the head near to the coals, so that it would slowly re-heat, but not enough to glow. He monitored the steel for a few hours, ensuring it was heating properly, and then withdrew it, leaving it to cool. He repeated the cycle throughout the day three times, as his books instructed to ensure a proper temper for the steel.

Confident with the process now, he used the time to begin work on other tools.

When the temper was finally complete, Liam let the hammer head cool a while before he picked up the haft and once more checked it fit snugly within the eye of the hammer.

Seeing that it made a snug fit, he used a knife to cut a groove into the shoulder of the haft, and once he deemed it deep enough, placed it into the now cold hammer head. Liam then took a thin wedge of wood, pushing it into the cut and tapping gently to secure it. Once it sank deeply enough that the tang lay flush with the Liam cut off the protruding section of the shoulder and wedge, pinned in place by the wedge, he received a vision.

Congratulations:

You have crafted 1x Smithing hammer.

Rename?

[YES] [NO]

You may now assign attributes and functions.

Attribute Cost: 50 magic per physical attribute. 75 magic per mental attribute. 100 magic per system attribute.

Unique Functions:

The system has determined that based on level, class and design, this hammer has the following sets of crafting boosts:

5% increase in speed, and; 5% increase in chance to make rare items from uncommon work.

20% increase in speed, and; 10% increase in chance to make uncommon items from common work.

10% increase in speed, and; 10% reduction in magic cost for attribute assignment on creation.

Choose one set of crafting boost.

Liam decided the name was adequate for its purpose, but he wasn’t sure how he’d go about assigning the attributes and functions.

He brought up his Statistics, to check how much magic he currently had available.

Titles: Page, Primus, Guest of Glitnir.

Name: Liam Lamberton

Levels:

Total: 14

Human: 10

Harbinger: 1

Magismith: 2

Archimancy: 1

Genetic Heritage: Davidic Scion

Class: Harbinger Page (Davidic Order)

Age: 13

Crafting Classes: Magismithing, Archimancy

Tribulation Experience:

Harbinger Page: 94 / 931

Magismithing: 183/244

Archimancy: 28/158

Health: 220

Magic: 340

Stamina: 100

Attributes:

Strength: 21

Agility: 19

Vitality: 22

Intelligence: 33

Wisdom: 33

Charisma: 19

Luck: 29

Faith: 20

Will: 34

Skills:

Sword: 8

Swimming: 3

Manners: 15

Tactics: 6

Animal Husbandry: 10

Light Armor: 8

Riding: 10

Carpentry: 20

Chivalry: 7

Reading: 27

Stealth: 4

Wood Chopping: 19

Writing: 6

Housekeeping: 18

Languages: 37

Maintenance: 19

Athletics: 19

Mathematics: 6

Harp: 7

Music: 8

Heavy Armor: 4

Climbing: 3

Fishing: 7

Cooking: 5

Design: 3

Smithing: 5

Mining: 6

System Lore: 1

Spells:

Ward: Level 2

Healing Song: Level 2

Flame: Level 3

Abilities

Feinting Slash: Level 1

Covered Strike: Level 1

Shield Parry: Level 1

He was content with his growth. While it wasn’t enough to tackle the Trolls just yet, he knew that the increases in skills, Spells and attributes were steadily improving, and given that only a few months had passed, he knew that the next few years would almost certainly see him moving beyond the Trolls level.

Seeing that he now had 340 magic available, Liam spent 300 on imbuing the hammer with four intelligence points of attributes.

This done, he selected the 20% speed boost. He couldn’t see much difference between an uncommon and rare item, nor did he particularly care right now. Speed of creation meant he could spend more time learning and experimenting.

He glowed with the light of a level and as he did, a smile crossed his lips. Creating this item was new to him, even though Liam achieved it by using a combination of assorted skills he’d already gained.

He was now level three in Magismithing!

He assigned the two points of available attributes into intelligence. Immediately he could feel the difference, although it was far less than when he’d first assigned points into it. This time, too, there was no discomfort or pain!

If he needed the chance to create higher tier items, he’d create a new hammer later.

Liam inspected the hammer.

Smithing Hammer (Common)

An Apprentice Magismith created this item.

It grants:

+4 Intelligence

20% increase in crafting speed.

10% increased chance to create uncommon items from common work.

He looked at his Statistics again, seeing that his craft-based skill had increased by 2. Liam saw that he’d gained over another Level of his Flame spell too.

He brought up the vision for the spell to check what difference the level increase made.

Flame: Level 3

Flame is a sung spell. It creates a flame the spell wielder can throw, which burns for 3 flame damage per second for as long as there is a source of fuel. Damage can stack.

Magic cost: 10

This effect can be dispelled.

Each level increased the damage dealt by one per second. With his increased Will, he could now cast 34 Flame spells for over 100 damage per second. The problem was no longer the amount of damage the spell could output, but how long it would take Liam to cast it!

He realized he would need to find some way to practise all of his skills, but for now, he would create other tools to use in the workshop.

For the next three weeks, Liam build himself an arsenal of tools, slowly levelling his Magismithing to Level 5. He quickly found that as the experience requirements grew, so too the experience received decreased. Even so, he’d built himself enough tools to grant himself significant boosts to intelligence in whatever task he set about.

**************************

Nearly two months later, Liam rose early and headed to the smithy to finish the final tool he needed. His skills had improved significantly, and forging the cross-pein hammer took him less than half the time it had when he began learning the craft.

All his tools now gave increases to Will, Intelligence or Wisdom, and the improvements allowed him to work rapidly and accurately.

Once the work was complete, Liam took up his fishing rod and walked towards the river. Today was his birthday. He had just turned fourteen.

Liam wanted to take full advantage of it by catching a fresh salmon to break his fast.

David appeared as usual after he cast the first line, and the two talked about David’s experiences with fishing, hunting and life. David seemed content to chat, rather than to force the conversation to grow. Liam was working hard and needed to manage his time to refresh his mind and soul.

Eventually, though, their discussion turned to crafting. A subject with which David was oddly familiar.

“Why didn’t you use a design you created?” He asked when Liam told him about forging his first hammer.

Liam’s brow furrowed. “I haven’t created any designs!” He said. “I’ve been focussing on gaining enough skill in the forge to build tools that will increase my abilities.”

“Well, stop!” David laughed. “You’re not Magismithing if you’re swinging the hammer with your hand!”

Liam looked at him in confusion. “How else would I?”

“Magic!”

David then proceeded to explain to Liam how to create from a design. All he had to do was inspect the design to enter the design space. From there, he could allocate magic throughout the forge and begin working multiple tools at the same time to the specifications of the design.

Liam’s mouth dropped open at that.

“You can learn how to Magismith through traditional forging, but it takes far longer than learning it from designs and you will never improve your spells. This is why Archimancy and Magismithing are so powerful when used together!”

Liam nodded, “So I’m wasting time hand-forging?” He asked.

“No, you’re still learning important processes. A Magismith has to understand how to move metal if they wish for the tools to function properly. You can still learn those functions from a design, but it takes more time. That you have already crafted your tools shows you are ready to move onto real Magismithing! I had thought you beyond that already!”

Liam frowned, taking it as a criticism of his work. But quickly realized that it was a simple statement of understanding, which humbled him.

“If I were to judge, I’d likely say that I can craft simple tools, but complex or fine work is still beyond me!” He judged himself honestly, trying to report his level of growth.

“I've improved my skills in Smithing and Design to seven and three respectively, although both were truly a result of my readings rather than any practical understanding of the Classes. The one level I gained in Archimancy resulted from designing a hammer, but I never tried crafting it.”

The ancient King sighed. “I remember when I was where you stand, long ago, and made many of the same mistakes. Focus on Archimancy first, then learn to use Magic in your smithing.”

He disappeared before Liam could even think of questioning him further.

Liam frowned. David usually disappeared just as Liam caught a…

The insistent tugging on the fishing pole caught his attention, and he hauled the fish from the water. He wondered how many more there would be to catch as he smacked his hand over the fish’s head to stun it.

After he ate, Liam returned to the forge, ensuring the tools were secure and that no embers of coal would start a fire. Then he returned to the library and, settling in, studied the finer details of Archimancy.

He quickly discovered that his lack of mathematical knowledge was the smallest concern. This art was an entirely unique magic. Thinking that by playing his harp, he might better understand the magic behind this class, Liam retrieved it from where it lay by his bed.

He’d been playing each night before sleep, just to add some life to the silence that pervaded the dungeon. He’d seen a few birds flying overhead, but they seemed content to keep their own counsel rather than singing cheerfully.

As he read now, he played the harp without thinking. Liam found the melodies helped him concentrate. For hours he sat, absorbing the information on the pages, before he came across a curiosity.

”While design is the art of planning a creation, Archimancy is the act of creation put to paper. By investing the design with magic, it becomes possible to create with ambient magic at any workshop. From there the skills of the smith are applied directly to their tools, and magic, not muscle wields them.”

“To imbue a design, imbue the ink, the paper and your intent into the design you wish to create. Once you take this to the forge, you can access the ambient magic simply by inspecting the design, but to use it you must learn the music of the forge.”

Having exhausted his interest for the day in the principles of design, Liam headed to the Archimancy workshop. He had since taken the time to repair the damage to the building but had left it mostly untouched since he arrived except to source supplies.

Now he sat at the workbench, and withdrew an inkwell, parchment and a quill. The long-dried ink took a moment to re-form as he added a small amount of water to the pigments, but soon he had a usable ink.

Grasping a quill, he carefully drew the design he wished to forge, recalling as he did the sounds of the smithy. While he worked, Liam tried to reach out to the magic around him, finding that it was now something he could imbue into the ink.

Letters and images flared with magic as he worked, and soon he had created a design for a simple knife. In his mind, the percussive beat of the hammer rang out, creating a harmony with the sound of the forge flame and the scraping of the grindstone.

Liam looked over the design as he finished the work, deciding to take it to the Smithy in order to experiment with forging from a plan. As he inspected the design on the workbench near the forge, he noticed a magical resonance pulsing within the smithy. He reached out with his magic perception. The tools, furnace, forge and anvil all responding.

He was aware of the entire workshop and could feel a need echoing through the magic. Liam could feel the workshop as if it were a part of his body and he was aware of everything within it.

The smithy wanted to be worked!

He closed his eyes and saw the forge in his mind’s eye, clearing distractions from around him. He tried lifting an ingot of steel from the stockpile he kept next to the forge.

A vision appeared before him.

You have gained the ability: Telekinesis (Level 1)

Telekinesis is the magic of remote movement. You can now sense objects through your magical perception and move them at will.

You are limited to 10 lb of weight.

Range: 30 feet.

Cost: 10 magic per minute.

Liam lifted the ingot easily, its weight far less than the maximum he could handle. He cast Flame and ignited the forge.

This is odd, Liam thought. It’s almost as if I can feel the flame!

He reached out and pushed the flame towards the ingot, heating it rapidly. He was so surprised that the metal grew too hot and began throwing sparks.

Liam levitated the ruined ingot and put it to one side to cool. He retrieved another three ingots and inspected the materials he’d estimated the work needed to form the knife. He included a calculation for losing scale as he worked the metal.

Placing all three ingots within the forge, he allowed them to grow a bright yellow. Satisfied they had reached the necessary temperature, Liam used telekinesis to remove them from the forge, placing them one atop the other on the anvil.

He used the magic to lift the hammer in his mind's eye. Bringing it to the Anvil and bringing it down repeatedly to forge weld the metals. He didn’t need to clamp or secure the ingots, his telekinesis being enough to ensure they stayed together as blow after blow rang out.

After re-heating the iron twice more, he had formed the welds he sought. Slowly, he drew out the stock, using the hammer and the edge of the anvil in tandem to push metal in the direction he desired, the magic giving him fine control over the hammer.

He continued to forge the metal until it was a thick rod about three quarters of an inch wide. Heating it, he trapped it in the air and twisted the metal upon itself, wrapping metal from the forged ingots into each-other through multiple revolutions to blend the metals. This would provide elasticity and strength throughout the blade in equal measure.

Next, he re-heated and forged the shape of the blade and tang, each blow perfectly directed to achieve the desired result. Soon, he formed the basic shape he desired, allowing the blade to cool so he could begin grinding away excess material.

Liam had an idea now and lifted some of the coarse sand up from the floor of the smithy. He formed it into a semi-solid band and began running it rapidly along the blade. Faster and faster, Liam’s magic swept the sand against the blade, grinding the excess steel to powder and leaving a sharp, polished blade.

Next, he reheated the blade, quenching it in oil as soon as it reached the required temperature.

Liam opened his eyes. His breathing stopped as he looked in wonder at the result.

Upon the anvil rested a dirk, the likes of which Liam had never seen before. The oil of the quench raised the pattern of the blended steel, making it seem as if thin leaves of metal lay within the gleaming dagger. Looking at the design, he could see that most of the work was complete, as large sections of the parchment curled black as the magic burned the paper.

He looked to the next step of the design.

Liam withdrew a block of walnut from beside the forge he’d set aside for the handle. Using the same telekinetic sanding method he’d used upon the knife, he ground out the shape and tested the grip. When it suited his hand’s dimensions, he checked its fit on the tang and cut away the wood to make for a snug fit.

Liam moved on to crafting the pommel. He chose a block of silver and heated it, cutting away unneeded sections with a chisel. Then he gave it the same sanding treatment as the other pieces. He chose a rounded pommel, knowing he could work in any artistic flair later.

Finished, he fit the handle and set the pommel, directing his flame towards the small area of tang protruding from the hilt. When it heated sufficiently, he once more commanded the hammer to rise and brought it down to tap the rivet in.

As he finished, a vision sprang to life before him.

You have created: Pattern-welded Steel Dirk. (Rare)

Rename?

[YES] [NO]

You may now assign attributes and functions.

Attribute Cost: 50 magic per physical attribute. 75 magic per mental attribute. 100 magic per system attribute.

Unique Functions:

The system has determined that based on level, class and design, this Dirk has the following Abilities:

Puncture: 10% chance to ignore armour on hit.

Bleed: 30% chance to inflict ongoing bleeding effect.

Backstab: 50% increase in damage when attacking from behind the target.

Lifesteal: 5% of damage dealt heals the user of the dagger on hit.

Shadow: Allows the wielder to hide within shadows for 30 seconds.

Brightblade: When drawn will illuminate an area of 30 feet around the user for 30 seconds.

Choose two functions.

Liam added physical attributes to the dirk, hoping to discover if he could regenerate magic and continue to add points.

He found he could, but only up to a maximum of 15 attributes.

Liam assigned them evenly amongst strength, agility, and vitality. He then selected the two most effective Abilities as he saw them. Both the Bleed and Puncture abilities were a chance to hit, meaning that he could not rely them upon to fulfill their function.

Lifesteal sounded evil. Almost like necromancy, and so Liam avoided it. He had a way to heal himself already, so there wasn’t much point in that ability.

Brightblade would be useful, but only in very specific circumstances, while the additive effect of Shadow and Backstab would almost always guarantee a successful ambush of an enemy.

He selected Shadow and Backstab, and then focussed on [YES], Liam chose to rename the weapon. He recalled the tale Princess Margaret had told of King Arthur and his dagger, which allowed him to hide from view.

A new vision appeared, and Liam spelt the word: “Camwennan”.

Liam had no sheath for the blade yet, and so he carved two pieces of wood from an off-cut and ground out space for the blade between them. He then used telekinesis once more to lift sand from the workshop floor and removed excess wood, leaving him with two smoothed wooden halves of a hilt.

Using some of the fish skin he’d stored, he mixed it with water and heated, skimming off the glue liquor and allowing it to dry. He then applied heat with a small Flame spell and ran the glue across each surface of the open scabbard. He used Telekinesis to close the scabbard and clamp it together until the glue set.

Once the glue was dry, Liam sheathed the dirk, placing it on his belt. A sense of pride filled him, and he checked his Statistics to see how much experience the process gave.

He grinned as he saw that both his Archimancy and Magismithing had nearly levelled.

He began the walk back to the Archimancy workshop, knowing that his work in the Dungeon had only just begun.

Three and a half years to go! He thought.