After getting captured Goto and Makko thought for certain they would be to be worked to death in the mines under the mountain. This was the fate most criminal slaves faced. Having resigned themselves to a brief life filled with hard labor they were shocked to find themselves bought by some unknown person. Their anxiety only grew when they were dropped off that morning in front of a warehouse and ordered to wait for their new owner.

The two criminals shivered as they stood in front of a warehouse on the third level of the western district. Their thin rags did little to keep out the chill. Their chains and shackles clattered as the shivered in the cold. Heavy save collars circled their necks ready to sever their life at a moment’s notice.

There in the outskirts of the city runoff from the farms above trickled down and watered the stables and ranches. The stench of animal excrement scratched and seeped into the walls. Common folk came and went. A few gave curious glances at the pair. Sunlight finally started to trickle in and the criminals were happy for the reprieve. But a shadow appeared to block their warmth. His face hidden by the eastern sun slowly revealed itself to the horror of the criminals.

“Hello again,” Tim greeted them with a wicked smile.

Goto and Makko fell to the ground and groveled in the dirt before Tim.

“Sorry ‘bout before, has mercy on us kind master.”

“Get up you two. Let’s go look at your new home.”

Tim unlocked the door and stepped inside. Two confused slave criminals followed. The first was small but had double doors that opened to an expansive two-story warehouse. Light streamed in from small windows near the ceiling. In the back they a climbed a staircase to a large loft. The loft had several rooms and a deck that overlooked the area below. Tim poked around and kicked at the dust on the floor.

“Well, I guess this will do. Although I was hoping for some furnishings. But now we know where to start. Before we get to details lets go over a few ground rules. Your first order is to never discuss our prior meeting, under penalty of death. Your second order is to keep secret everything that happens within this building. You may never tell any unauthorized person. I am of course authorized. My friend Hoban, whom you will meet later, is also authorized. Now with that clear, I there are a lot of jobs for you to do. If you perform well, you will be rewarded. If you piss me off you’ll be punished. Do you understand?

The two nodded their empty heads furiously.

“Good.” With that Tim caused their shackles to open and fall to the floor. From the metal, he formed two door keys and handed one to each. “Keep these safe until we can put in extra security measures.”

“But, but how’d you do that Boss?” mumbled Makko.

“Secret. Now gentleman, which of you is better with money?”

“Gentleman? No ones called us dat before.”

“Uh, Boss, that would be me. Goto don’t know how to read or write.”

“Shaddap Makko, don’t embarrass me, we be gentleman now.”

“Your first job is to go out shopping. Get yourself some presentable clothes; I won’t have my workers looking like beggars. Then grab some daily supplies and food. Just be prudent, don’t spend more than you normally would. I brought a water source, magic light and a camp stove from the guild to help. After lunch start getting the stuff on this list. Can you read it all right?”

“Let me see. Yessum Boss I can. But that’s a lot of stuff.”

“It is. And you’ll be carrying it all by hand. Don’t get it delivered unless they provide the service for free. I hope you can get it all here by next week. Goto, this is thirty gold coins, take only what you need with you. Keep the rest hidden. I expect an invoice of all your expenses.”

“After dinner get to work cleaning. And Makko, unless it’s unavoidable, spend two hours before bed teaching Goto how to read.”

“If you finish getting everything on the list before I get back next week you may spend the time as you please. However, there are two rules to this, first no getting drunk. Second one person must be here to secure the building. You can even help yourself to one copper a day as a reward. Now get moving.”

“Yes Boss,” the two sang out in a chorus.

Never before had Goto or Makko seen so much money. They weren’t sure what Master was up to and were pretty sure they couldn’t understand even told. All things considered, they happened upon a string of luck. They couldn’t help but skip their feet under the morning sun as they headed for the third level markets.

A little before noon the two arrived back in their new clothes. Makko had never had worn new clothes and was feeling particularly prideful. However, he nearly dropped his sack of food when he entered the main warehouse. A short railing had appeared around a large hole in the floor. Stairs cut into the bedrock lead down to unknown depths. They climbed stairs to find another shock. The wood from the floor had disappeared and in its place, two beds, desks and tables now occupied space in their loft.

“Jus’ what is Boss?” mumbled Goto.

While the two never had the intention of doing so, they vowed to never piss him off.

Tim spent the next week in an anxious blur. At work crafted rings of protection by the thousand. He got belittled by his manager despite the Emperor’s order nearing completion. His nights were spent on a research paper, how to increase the capacitors in enchanting to enhance the effect. On Saturday he submitted the paper and took Aerith to dinner at a nice restaurant. He figured with the bonus he’d get he could afford to spoil her a little.

On Sunday he awoke giddy with excitement. After a quick breakfast at the mess hall, he went to get Hoban, who was still hung over. Several carriage stops later they neared the warehouse. The distance from the guild was the one thing that annoyed Tim. Even if he took a carriage it was still an hour long trip each way. Several more if he went on foot. This meant he only had one day a week he could be there. But if everything went well he’d soon be able to buy something close on the first level.

Tim strolled merrily along the streets of the third level. Hoban shuffled behind sipping tea. They entered the warehouse and were greeted with a resounding “Welcome home boss!”

“Ack, keep it down!” Hoban clutched his head.” Tim, who are these morons?”

“Just some workers I picked up. The bald one is Goto and the other is Makko. This is Hoban, he is an authorized individual.”

“Pleased to meet the master’s friend.” They bowed politely. Tim wondered where they picked up this behavior. In fact, the slave duo looked surprisingly refreshed. Neither had experienced such comfortable and secure living before. Not wanting to ever give up their steady supply of meals they smashed their feeble minds together to better themselves as best they could.

“Yeah yeah. So what’s with all the boxes?” Hoban waved a dismissive hand.

“We’ve gott’n everythin’ the master asks. Dat over there is silica, metals in these boxes and this small one gots the quicksilver.”

Hoban sobered up violently. “You aren’t planning on doing what I think you are.”

“I absolutely am.”

“And what’s with the hole?”

“Renovations.”

A few minutes later they were up in the loft with samples of the materials. Hoban sat beside Tim with the recipe while the reformed stood behind. Laid out on the table were several different kinds of metal and a single gold coin.

“First you take nine parts lead and add a strong magical current.”

“Ok.” Tim used Shape to slice off nine small pieces of lead, each about the size of the gold coin. He then molded them together and wove a strong current through the metal.

“Next add two parts liquid iron with a medium magical current.”

Shape rendered the iron into a fluid at Tim’s will.

“Add seven parts liquid copper with strong magical current. OK. Then add one part liquid gold with a weak magical current. And the last step is to let two parts solid quicksilver with extreme magical current dissolve into the liquid slowly.”

Tim willed the liquid quicksilver into a hardened cube and emptied his vast reserves of mana into it. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he focused on keeping it solid and the rest liquid. The quicksilver started to glow and light filled the room as it dissolved. Tim relaxed his control and the metals solidified. A lump of orichalcum shimmered on the table.

Hoban fainted.

When the elf opened his eyes Tim was drinking a mana recovery potion while playing with the shimmering orange metal.

“You really did it. I mean, of course, you did. Only you would find a way of making orichalcum without a forge.”

“Oh, is that how it’s done?”

“Well duh, how else do you mix two metals together?”

“You have a point.”

“But seriously, this is amazing. Revolutionary.”

“I know, right? When I use Shape it’s like this stuff reads my mind!”

“That’s not what I meant,” rebuked Hoban. “Do you realize that there’s probably not that much orichalcum in the entire city? Do you not understand its value?

“Nope.” Tim formed a piece into a ring. “And just for today, I don’t care. May I have the scroll now?”

“Oh gods, please don’t kill us all.”

Hoban took the scroll from the case and laid it on the table before Tim. The internal structure was similar to Shape, but the three outer circle networks surrounded the spell. Tim figured it was the outer circle network that interpreted the will of the user. So he tripled the design if a little was good a lot must be better.

Tim wound perfect conduits into the orichalcum ring. The metal, already partially existing on the metaphysical plain greedily accepted the alterations. Then the spell was read into it. The parchment blackened and crumbled away as the spell transferred. In the orichalcum, the sigils no longer just glowed but burned brilliantly and flawlessly. Tim duplicated the sigil circuit and doubled it again. He took a deep breath and dove down into the either to link the spells together.

On his walk home from his first run-in with the wonder-goons Tim noticed he had gained a level. With a few extra AP to spare he splurged on unlocking the ‘Network Administrator’ subskill. Now that he was inside the either he could feel its effects. Although he still couldn’t quite breathe, was no longer drowning like before. This time Tim joined the spells into a network with time to spare.

As he admired the spell network Tim felt that he could do more before his breath ran out. Tim tried duplicating a sigil circuit but stumbled upon a eureka moment. Instead of a single instance, he pulled the fully formed network and copied it over. Surprised by his luck Tim bridged the two networks with a conduit and repeated the process until his breath ran out.

When Tim opened his eyes the orichalcum ring seemed to vibrate and twitch waiting to go to work. He bit his lip and activated ‘Analysis’.

“Form – By the Will of the Gods.”

Without pause, Tim slid on the ring. The silent voice of the ring, the will to change became an extension of his hand. At his thought, the wooden table deformed and spun into a sculpture. An immaculate copy of Hoban rose from the floor. The statue was perfect, from every hair to every pore it was without flaw. With another thought, the sculpture condensed down to a billiard ball and fell to the floor with a heavy thunk. When released the wood decompressed with a pop and returned to being a table.

Tim’s eyes brimmed with an unnatural glow as he held out his hand to admire the ring. But the light flickered as a frown crept across his face. Orichalcum was much too noticeable. With a heavy sigh, wind carried droplets of copper from the scraps on the floor and plated the ring. As the voice diminished Tim looked around the room. Hoban had fainted again and the convicts were huddled together against the wall.

“Wake up; it’s time to go to work.”