When Rick woke up he drove to the college after his normal routine of weight training on the home gym in the spare room. He met up with his friends for lunch after class and found out Lily had stayed home today waiting on the delivery of her new [Gate Gear] capsule. Ryan and Luke still had a few days still before they would get theirs, and were a little jealous of Lily beating them to it. Their friend Joel seemed to be in the same situation his family didn't have a lot of money and with the purchase of his car his funds were tapped. Joel didn't work while attending school so his loan was just enough to cover his school payments and living costs. Though Joel might never end up with a Gate Gear he did not express any worry over not joining his friends in the new VR game and chose to concentrate on his studies.

When Rick went home after Lunch he took a hot shower to help loosen up and changed into shorts and a muscle shirt and checked on his video. While he was on the Prodigy Wave Corp website he checked his private messages and found another message from the company. They thanked him for allowing them to use his video and informed him that they would have the money for using the video deposited it the account number he used when buying his Gate Gear. The message also stated that the patch on his runes had been already implemented and he would now be able to use quartz to store mana to power them.

Rick wrote back thanking them again and verified that the account number they had would be fine for the transfer. While he was online Rick did a little research into carriage designs and other old world inventions that might work well in the game. When he had enough of surfing for new ideas he shut off his computer and climbed into the Gate Gear VR capsule and connected to Kingdoms Online. Throwing off the blanket he rose up and made the bed.

Equip Battle Gear!

Rick used the outfit preset to dress and walked downstairs into the tower cellar to collect the weapons and armor the two Smiths had crafted. The Weaponsmith and Armorsmith had nothing to do since the runes in the forge no longer worked because of the new patch. Rick explained to them that he needed to alter the forge to make it run again and told them to take a break until it was fixed.Rick took the collection of their finished gear upstairs to the fourth floor and placed it on the racks and tables.

This fourth floor is turning into a proper Armory now. A few more days of this and it will look like a weapon and armor shop up here.

After he dropped off the gear upstairs he sat down at the first-floor table and drew up a few designs for carriages. Since he had started playing the game he had never seen a carriage yet. It seemed everyone rode horseback or used the standard work carts. He thought that if he advertised them they might get popular and it would become a good source of funds for him. When he had researched carriages he came across Gypsy Wagons that he thought might interest Players and people of this world who spend a lot of time in the wilderness. The Gypsy Wagons reminded him of a modern RV, they had a bed, table, kitchenette with stove and tucked away storage areas.

When he drew up a few ideas he walked over to the workshop and passed them off to the Cartwright. He also had a design for a leaf spring that he wanted him to incorporate into the designs. He explained what it was and how to install them and told him that he should work together with the blacksmith to design a metal chassis with the metal leaf springs for the new carriages. Rick went around to collect all the completed furniture, clothing, and footwear from the craftsmen stations around the workshop and walked outside.

Spoiler: New Carriage Designs.

Upon leaving the workshop Rick's attention was drawn to the fitness area from the sounds of clanking weights and shouts of encouragement. He decided to walk over and watch military units weight training and decided to review their status menus while he observed them. It was still too early to gain any insight from his experiment of the two groups training programs, he was just curious at what gains they received from weight training so far. When he reviewed Angelica's status her Intelligence points had seemed to have gone up quite a bit since her arrival. Since Rick had his Photoreading skill he could remember each of her stat points and the rest of his units each time he reviewed them.

Rick called her over and questioned on how her on how she had raised her Intelligence points. The increases seemed to have come from all the books she continuously read. Ever since Rick set out all the bookcases packed with books from the temple ruins she had made a hobby of reading them when he wasn't around and she didn't need to train. He talked with her about how she was doing and if she needed anything and let her get back to her weight training program.

On the way back to the tower he called Handil over from the apartment building constructions and had Handil update him on their progress while he was disconnected. Handil told Rick that his crew had completed six apartment buildings and that Handil had the directed the carpenters to begin work on the interiors of the completed apartment buildings in the same way Rick had done on the first building.

Rick was glad to see him take charge like that instead of leaving the carpenters to sit around until he had got back on to send them to the next task.

"That is perfect Handil. The thing is I wanted to talk to you about that very thing. It is getting to the point that I can hardly keep up with all of our constructions now and I want you to help me out." Rick explained.

Rick went over the plans he had for the city and asked Handil to take on relaying his orders to the work crews in the city area. Rick had told Handil to keep at building the apartments on the same street with the carpenters and make sure that the cart drivers kept them supplied with lumber, supplies, and limestone blocks. He then told Handil to have everyone who was working in the city to begin moving from the barracks out to the New apartments.

"Why don't you send out a cottar laborer to the surveyor group, street construction group, and farming group to meet at the apartment buildings and have them pick or assign an apartment to each individual person.If we have a total of seven apartment buildings constructed then we can house eighty-four individual people. I am not sure of our exact workforce numbers now, but I know we won't be able to house them all just yet. Those who can't be housed in a new apartment will need to wait for another day of two before moving from the barracks. For now, I want you and your crew to make a building across the street from the first apartment that will be used as a restaurant so everyone can save time and energy walking back to the tower for every meal." Rick explained

Rick thought for a moment and continued. "I also need to put the clay tile shingles on the finished buildings out there, though I may just hire a couple roofers and send them out to work alongside your crew." Rick explained what he had planned then let Handil return to carry out what his instructions of rounding up the workers and getting them housed.

When Handil walked off returning to the construction area of the city, Rick decided to cast portal to Silverhall city and went alone since Angelica and the other Military units were still weight training in the fitness area.

Rick went all through the popular stores near and around the cities, central plaza looking for a weaving loom, spinning wheels, and anything else that might help out him or his workers. He also had another motive for these store visits and that was for ideas on what he could sell to these businesses or on his own to continue to make money.

When he came upon a jewelry store, he walked inside and displayed the jewelry he had crafted to the owner. The owner took a liking to the rings, pendants, and brooches he had made and bought quite a few off him at a decent price. The owner asked him to please stop in if he came up with any new designs. The owner had mentioned that Rick's style was so different than the traditional style used in this world that his jewelry stood out from everything else. He had been influenced by the modern style of the real world and it showed in his designs unlike the plain archaic designs currently used in the game.

As Rick walked along from one shop to the next he came upon and entered a large two-floor white block stone store that to his surprise was devoid of merchandise. The outside of the store reminded him of the library made from the white stone block and big windows looking out at the street. The inside though was rather plain with unfinished plank board floors and the same white block walls seen from the outside. It reminded Rick of a building that was just constructed before the contractor brought in the workers to install floors, cover the walls, and add all the accents to the interior.

As Rick browsed the plain store's scant amount of purchasable products he happened to hear the sales girls talking together about how they would need to find new jobs soon because this store would soon be going out of business and the owner was in the process of attempting to sell the building. As he was listening to the girls talk quietly amongst themselves he grew curious and decided to try out an idea that came to him.

Rick activated his aura and began to blend his charisma with the base Aura skill. He used the same methods he had learned from Intimidation and calm animal all the while pretending to browse the displayed merchandise. Soon after walking around and blending his aura and charisma attribute he received a flashing icon notice.

New Skill Notice!

You have Learned A New Skill!

Aura: Charming Presence (Level 1) (Beginner 1%)

A sub-skill of Aura when used people in your radius ring will find you appealing and easy to connect with.

People hang on your every word finding they can easily relate and bond with you.

Higher levels increase your Charming effects and the affecting circumference ring.

Haha, this is should work perfectly! Rick said inwardly to himself.

He then activated his new [Aura: Charming Presence] skill and browsed through the store while moving toward the group of saleswomen still anxiously talking. When his skills ring overlapped the group he stopped and picked up an item pretending to inspect it. Like bees to honey, the group of women stopped talking and turned toward him. With his title [The White Knight] he often drew the looks of women he passed by and now he had the charm aura and title working in combination. A two of the young women walked directly over to him and asked if they could help him find anything at all.

Rick thanked them and said that he was just looking for anything he may find useful then put on a concerned expression as he looked at the two women who came to offer him help.

"Never mind me you two ladies seem to be quite distraught, tell me what is wrong? I hold a noble rank of Baron if someone is bullying you just tell me and I will have them put in their place this instant!" Rick exclaimed with a show of great worry and concern for the two women before him.

The two women flushed at his concern for them and spoke up. "T-Thank y you sir it is nothing like that you see we are simply worried about having to soon find new jobs since this store will soon close." One of them answered shyly.

When Rick questioned the girls about the store closing they all seemed quite upset. He was told the owner had run into problems with some of the local nobles and they were making it almost impossible for him to purchase new merchandise to restock his store and had been losing money for months. The owner is out of money even after taking out a bank loan and had to close up and sell the building to recover some of his losses.

The first young woman to approach him with tears in her eyes told him that they would not be able to find such a nice place to work again and would end up in low paying or less than reputable jobs.

Hmm, these poor girls will probably end up serving drinks in some low-end tavern having male customers grab their asses all day long or even worse end up in some seedy brothel. Rick speculated.

"Well, maybe there is a way for me to help when will the owner return so that I may speak with him?" Rick inquired.

The girls informed him that the owner had walked over to the bank and should return within an hour. He then thanked the girls for all their help and promised to return around the time the owner returned and left the big store.

Out on the street, Rick continued visiting shops with his [Aura: Charming Presence] skill still activated. With the help of his skill, Rick began to seriously sell anything he could to raise his currency. He had sold numerous things with the help of his recipes and charm skill to end up making quite a bit of money. A half hour later through his many store browsings, he had finally found a place selling spinning wheels and looms which he promptly bought. He had purchased three weaving looms and also three spinning wheels thinking that he could figure out how to make them on his own by studying those he had purchased if he ever needed more.

Before he went back to the store going out of business he had managed to sell even more jewelry to a couple shops. Rick even found a store to purchase the ornate gold mugs he made for his men by using his recipe to make a good size batch right then and there. With the sale of the jewelry, gold mugs, and other assorted crafts, Rick had raised his funds up higher than he had ever done now having just over sixty platinum total.

That just cut my stock of gold down to half now after making up all those mugs and the jewelry, but at least I made more money than I would have by just stamping it into coins. Rick thought to himself as he looked over his increased currency on the way back to meet the owner selling his store.

When he finally arrived back to the closing store he met with the owner. Rick with his charm skill still active talked with him about the store closing up and asked if anyone had offered to buy it from him. The owner explained that the pressure from the nobles had scared off any would-be buyers and looked like he would end up being cheated out of the building by the same nobles who would buy his store through a bank auction for next to nothing because of his unpaid overdue bank loan.

Rick questioned him on how much he had originally asked for the building. The owner explained that the store was currently worth fifty platinum and he was now asking for twenty platinum or 2000 gold coins to pay off the overdue loan. Now that he had no way to stock the store he would never be able to raise the money and the banks would seize it from him to auction off towards his loan within a few days time.

Rick ruminated over the entire process. Twenty platinum is a ton of money, but this store is worth twice that amount and it is also huge. This two-story building could be split up into sections like a modern day department store and sell a little of everything. This city doesn't have anything like that yet. Every shop in this city specializes in one area of business besides small shops like Jessica's. Her place sells many different things but they are mainly little things like tools, cookware, and miscellaneous items. I remember hearing her say the nobles make it hard to buy many things unless you offer them payoffs. I won't have to worry about any of that everything I would sell would be crafted by my men or me.

After thinking it over for a minute Rick spoke up. "I might be interested in buying the store from you. Taking into account your confrontation with the local nobles that will come along with the purchase I can't offer you more than ten platinum. I know that is only half of what you need, but it is better than losing the building to the banks and if you were to sell the rest of your current stock at an auction or quietly to other shops you may raise the full amount you need to pay your loans." Rick explained nonchalantly.

"Besides I am sure these nobles won't be very happy with me buying this place out from under their little scheme and will send their muscle to cause trouble for me." Rick stated.

Not like I am afraid of the nobles or anyone they may send. When I get back I can purchase more land to raise my noble rank and also station some military units here to guard against trouble, but this owner doesn't need to know that.

The owner worriedly thought it over for some time and really didn't have much choice. In dire need of funds to prevent himself from losing everything and ending up in debtors prison, the owner had to accept the deal or walk away with nothing.

So the owner told the staff they were headed out and Rick and the owner walked together over to the City Hall. They went into the City Hall business records office and signed the building and land deed over to Cedric Crownguard for the amount of ten platinum coins and a ten gold coin notary fee for processing the change of ownership records.

The owner told him he would have the rest of his stock moved out before tomorrow night as they strolled back to the store. Rick gathered all the present staff around which consisted of a middle-aged man and the six young women he met earlier. He explained to them that he had purchased the building and would allow them all to keep their current jobs and work for him from now on if they wanted.

The employees were quite thrilled over Rick's sudden announcement. The young ladies began embracing each other and a few even cried tears of joy while the middle-aged man introduced himself.

"Hello sir my name is Barat, I was the Manager of this store and hope to continue working with you in the future," Barat said.

"Nice to meet you Barat I am Baron Cedric Crownguard. I look forward to working with you and would like you to continue to manage the store under my ownership as well." Rick introduced himself as he shook Barats hand.

Rick walked over to the excited group of ladies and the first one that had asked to help him earlier introduced herself right away.

"My name Nellie I am the Floor Manager. My job is to schedule the girls work hours and daily assignments along with assisting them with our customer's questions or complaints. We had not too long ago had an additional four girls working here, but they had to be let go because of the store losing money." Nellie said.

"Well, we meet again ladies I am Baron Cedric Crownguard. I hope you all continue to work here under my new ownership. Nellie I would also like you to continue as the Floor Manager and if possible contact the four girls who were let go and hire them back. I am not sure if we will need so many saleswomen at first, but this store will continue to grow to the point that I hope we can hire even more help." Rick instructed Nellie.

Rick talked to each of the young ladies and got to know them a little before he went over to the owner who was in his office packing his records and personal items into a few wooden crates he found in the warehouse.

"Before I take off can I speak with you in private?" Rick asked as he glanced at the office door.

The owner simply nodded and Rick gently closed the office door.

"I know you may be hesitant to point any fingers, but I would appreciate if you could give me the noble house names that have targeted you." Rick questioned him while still having his charm skill active since he first used it.

"Hmm, they can hardly hurt me any more than they have now. All I have left is my life that has been left in ruins now after years of building this business. There are two noble families that apply pressure to the local shop owners making them pay for access to imported merchandise or for their so called protection. The noble houses are (House Lupton) and (House Karn)." The previous owner explained.

Cedric's face contorted into an angry scowl when he heard House Karn. "House Karn! I take it that bastard, Captain Gage is still causing problems around the city." Rick said angrily.

"Oh, you seem to know of Captain Gage and House Karn?" The previous owner asked.

"I thought I changed his ways back at the Pretty Kitty Inn when he caused problems for a friend of mine. It seems that House Karn and House Lupton may need to change their ways." Rick said.

The previous owner burst out laughing. "Haha, good luck with that, those two houses are corrupt to the bone and hold enough power to keep themselves just above the law."

Rick gave him a sly smile. "One other thing how do I officially register a Noble House? Rick asked.

"You can do that at the City Hall by visiting the office of the Royal Court. You need to display your Feudal Rank to the Chancellor and if everything checks out they will register your house." The older man explained.

Hmm, I've never done that before. I didn't even know it was possible to display your information to others. Rick thought to himself.

Rick opened his Status Menu and click on the Feudal Title and a prompt asked if he wanted a description or to display his title. He clicked on the [Display Title] option. A [Display Title Menu] opened for him to read and another opening facing away from him for others to view.

Spoiler: Feudal Title Display Menu. Feudal Title Display Menu Cedric Crownguard Race: Chosen Human Feudal Title: Baron Feudal Domain: 25 Acres Titles: The White Knight Titles: The Honor Guard Titles: The Duelist Titles: Black Hand Interrogator Titles: Benevolent Leader Fame: +10125 Honor: +11000

"Did I open the right display menu? Can you read this one facing away from me here?" Rick questioned the previous owner as he pointed to the second menu before him.

The old man stepped forward and began reading the menu out loud. "Hmm this is it, the Feudal Title Display Menu the name says Cedric Crowngurad and race lists you ar rr are...YOU ARE A CHOSEN!?"

Rick started laughing "Yes I am, even though these days there are a lot of us around this city I was the first one to arrive in this world." Rick told him proudly.

The old man shook his head in astonishment and continued reading. " You are a Chosen with a Baron rank and have been awarded five titles by the gods and have a decent amount of fame and honor. You are full of surprises Cedric Crownguard. How long ago did you arrive here?" The old man inquired after verifying Cedric's displayed information.

"I arrived in this world just over a week ago." Rick honestly told him.

"A week ago! You are telling me you earned more titles, fame, and honor in one week than most people earn in a lifetime, and became a Baron!?" The old man exclaimed with a stunned look on his face.

Haha, this guy would really flip out if I told him I haven't even really tried to earn any experience, titles, fame or honor yet.

Rick just smiled and nodded as he closed the display menu. He then looked up and shook the old man's hand and wished him luck. The old man opened his desk drawer and took out a key to the door that he passed to Cedric. The old man told him he would leave his key behind when he had finished removing all of his merchandise. Rick placed the store key in his inventory and went out to dismiss the new employees.

He told all of the staff to take three days off while he prepared the store for opening and sent them all home except for Nellie and Barat. Rick decided to tell them about him being a chosen and asked if they would leave him their home addresses just in case of emergency. They reminded him that there were no house addresses and gave him a street name with how many houses down they lived and which side of the street it was on.

What a pain in the arse it must be to make deliveries in this city, wait do they even have home delivery services? They sure have it tough trying to contact one another in this world without a street address or telephones." Rick thought about the troubles the people had in contacting one another and had an idea.

"Do either of you two have a friend list or even know what it is?" Rick questioned his two managers.

The two thought for a moment then looked at one another questioningly and told him that they had never heard of this friend list before. Rick opened his empty friend list and asked the two employees for their full name and typed them into the virtual keyboard. He grew excited when he saw the two names both registered on his list with a green dot next to their names marked online.

That is weird they get marked as being online even though they are AI. Maybe it just has to do with how the system was designed to be more used between Player to Player contacts. What happens then if they die will their name just turn gray and register them with a red offline dot? Rick contemplated the new discovery and earned a few wisdom points for finding out that AI could be added to the friend list.

He then clicked on Nellie's name and sent a voice chat to her. Nellie gave a small startled jump when a menu suddenly opened in front of her without opening it herself.

"This menu says I have a voice chat call from Cedric Crownguard with a yes or no option. I have never seen anything like this before what do I do?" She asked looking up a Rick.

"I'll explain, We chosen have what is called a friend list. When I put a name on my friend list I can tell when they are in this world and can also then them a voice chat or written message. This was given to us by the gods so that we could keep track of any chosen we made friends with in this world. I have a lot of other people who work for me and some of them are currently on what is called a Party List. That is what gave me the idea to try to add you and Barat to my friend list. I figured if people of his world could be added to my party list then it should also work for the friend list. Go ahead and click the yes option so you can familiarize yourself with it.

Rick turned around and walked a few yards away as Nellie answered his voice chat. When it told him the call was answered Rick greeted her and told her he would now send her a written message. He just typed out "Hello Millie this is what the written messages look like can you use the reply option?" A minute later she was able to send him back a written message with the reply option from his message. Rick then repeated the same steps for Barat so that they both understood how everything worked. They would not be able to directly contact him, but they could answer calls and reply to open messages. Once they closed a message though they lost their chance to reply back to it. Rick then walked back over and told them both to take a few days off and if he planned to open earlier or later than that he would send them both a voice chat.

He then let them head home and began exploring his new store.Rick went upstairs and turned the empty room next to the storage room into three bedrooms and used the furniture in his inventory to place down two beds, two dressers, and a few tables in each room. He then placed a few cups, plates, and silverware on the tables along with a few coins and packed up all of his tools and went downstairs. When he had learned the layout of the entire store he drew up the stores layout for a future reference. When he went downstairs the old man was still packing up his office as Rick walked out the front door and headed to the Library.

When Rick entered the Library the two guards who were on duty snapped to attention and saluted him. He returned a crisp salute as he passed by into the main room.

It looks like my Honor Guard title is still working. It takes me back to my military days everytime I see the guards around town react to that title. Rick thought.

Rick found Cynthia keeping herself busy at the main desk and talked with about how she had been doing since he had seen her last time. Rick told her all about the City he was building and all the workers he had currently constructing it. He then told her about the store he bought just around the corner from the library and she agreed that the exterior of his store looked similar to the library.

"The store I bought is a nice looking building with lots of space but the inside is really plain looking. When I thought of wanting to remodel the interior the library came to mind since they look so similar from the outside. This place is gorgeous and I wanted to ask if you know who did the work or where I could find these kinds of materials. Like these marble tile floors in here, I haven't seen anyone selling marble or construction materials in the city." Rick asked.

Cynthia was unsure who did the work, but she remembered hearing that the materials had come from the dwarven lands. She told him the dwarves had many different types of mines and quarries in their land and would have just about anything you could want there. Rick thanked Cynthia and told her he was going to read on the upper floor and might enter the restricted room later. She told him to just let her and the third-floor guard know when he was ready and went back to work.

I would love to go visit the Dwarven Fortress I just never have the time. If the dwarfs have marble quarries on their lands I might be able to find marble on my island then. I could make a marble scan and search the mountains and see if I can get lucky. Rick thought as he climbed the stairs to the third floor.

The second and third-floor guards all saluted him the same as the others when he presented his gold library badge and returned their salutes.

I haven't read any books on the third floor yet so I guess I will just look around for now. The main thing I wanted to test out is if I read enough books will I begin to raise my Intelligence like Angelica.

As he walked around the third floor examining all the books he grabbed anything to do with construction, magic, crafting, and military. When Rick sat down to read the stacks of books surrounding him he opened his notices that had been flashing.

Spoiler: New Notices. Skill Increase: Aura: Charming Presence: (Level 4) (Beginner 43%)

I forgot that I had this still activated now I know why there were so many people staring and greeting me on the way here. I thought it was because of the flashy Armor. He thought as he looked over the notice.

Skill Increase: Carpentry: Level 2 (Advanced 79%) Skill Increase: Artist: Level 9 (Beginner 12%)

Rick closed out the notices and began reading while using his Photoreading skill that allowed him to glance at a page and commit it to memory. If anyone watched him it would appear as if he were quickly skimming through the book without reading it. He began devouring one large book roughly every five minutes and soon went through the stack on the table surrounding him. Rick returned the books that he had read and went down to the second floor and went through the same selection process. When he had finished another large stack of books and returned them he opened his notices.

Spoiler: New Notices. Attribute Increase: Intelligence +25 Attribute Increase: Wisdom +10

Well, those are some decent gains when you just look at the notices, but after reading near fifty books it would take a regular person a few months to make these advances.

New Spell Notice!

You Have Learned A New Spell!

Read Magic: (Level 1) (Beginner 11%)

You can decipher and learn magical spells, inscriptions, and magic physics from books, items, and objects.

Higher levels allow you to learn more complex inscriptions while needing less information.

New Spell Notice!

You Have Learned A New Spell!

Magic Reflection: (Level 1) (Beginner 07%)

Magic reflection can reflect harmful spells back at the caster.

Higher levels increase the number of spells you can reflect per cast.

New Skill Notice!

You Have Learned A New Skill!

Repair: (Level 1) (Beginner 64%)

You can restore durability to clothing, armor, weapons, items, and objects.

Increased levels allow you to restore even more durability and even increase the base durability amount.

New Spell Notice!

You Have Learned A New Spell!

Project Image: (Level 1) (Beginner 32%)

You can cast an illusory image that looks and sounds like you but is intangible

Higher levels allow you to project to further distances.

New Power Notice!

You Have Learned A New Power!

Mind Blast: (Level 1) (Beginner 88%)

You instantly deliver a massive assault to the brain of all nearby enemies.

Any enemy hit by this power is struck with a severe stabbing pain in their head and take psionic damage.

Higher levels increase the damage and pain duration along with the size of the circumference ring.

New Discipline Notice!

You Have Learned A New Discipline!

Psionic Discipline

You can now learn and develop powers of the mind.

Holy crap! I had thought that Psionic powers were based on racial traits! I also learned all these other spells and skills along with it. It must be related to my Photoreading and this new Read Magic Skill combined. If there is enough detailed information on the skill, spell, or power it seems there is a chance for me to learn it. If that is the case I need to go up to that restricted room and see what else I might learn.

Rick opened his inventory and took out the ring he found "Faith's Blessing" and used his new repair skill on it. After a couple uses the ring looked brand new with the durability now back to 100%. He put the ring on his finger and stood up to return all the books to their proper locations.

Rick walked down to the first floor to let Cynthia know he was going to enter the restricted room and told her he would also inform the third-floor guard. When he was back on the third floor the guard followed him to the restricted room and stood in the doorway. Rick had memorized the name and location of most of the books in this room the last time he visited. Using this knowledge he quickly circled the room picking up all the books on magic and sat down to begin studying them. Most of the books described theories or just had brief descriptions on spells, but one book was completely devoted to the study and uses of Enchantments. After reading all the books he re-read the book on enchantment knowing he would learn something from it.

Spoiler: New Notices. New Skill Learned!

You Have Learned A New Skill!

Enchanting: (Level 2) (Intermediate 79%)

You can imbue items, weapons, and armor with any spell you know.

Offensive enchantment will have only so many uses that must be refilled with mana when empty.

Higher levels increase the enchantment strength and number of given uses.

Attribute Increase: Intelligence +10 Attribute Increase: Wisdom +5

I can't complain this is an awesome skill to have learned. I had hoped I would have learned a few more spells or skills from all these books though. Maybe if I try another route instead of reading known magic I could also read game lore with skills and magic. That is how I had learned how to use the Runic Language maybe I can find a few other loopholes.

Rick was running out of time and decided to look through the scrolls which he had not touched yet. Most of them looked ancient and should have been transferred to books, for some reason the library allowed VIPs to come in here and still handle them. As he browsed the scrolls he came across what seemed to be a biography written about a once powerful wizard who ruled a vast area with his powers. Rick took the scroll over to a table and began Rotoreading through it. It seemed to be what he was looking for first-hand knowledge of magic practices and studies the wizard had learned through trial and error throughout his life.

Rick was unsure if this scroll was based on a real person or lore, but judging from how powerful this wizard was it didn't seem humanly possible compared to the other residents of this world. When he had read all of the wizard's life and magical studies he gently set the scroll down and reviewed his new notices.

Spoiler: New Notices. New Skill Learned!

You Have Learned A New Skill!

Sixth Sence: (Level 4) (Beginner 19%)

A passive skill that instantaneously warns you of impending danger.

If someone is about to attack you or your allies sixth sense will read their killing intent and warn you.

Higher levels bring sooner warnings and a larger detection radius.

(Passive)

New Spell Learned!

You Have Learned A New Spell!

Astral Door: (Level 8) (Beginner 66%)

Allows you to open a doorway and travel to the Astral World.

This world is only inhabited by the Valkyrie race.

New Spell Learned!

You Have Learned A New Spell!

Reverse Gravity: (Level 3) (Beginner 81%)

You can reverse the gravity around you taking your foes off their feet and suspending them in mid-air.

Higher levels allow for increased gravity control and larger a circumference ring.

New Spell Learned!

You Have Learned A New Spell!

Flight: (Level 5) (Beginner 13%)

Allows you to fly through the air for as long as you have mana.

Flight requires as much concentration as walking, so you can attack or cast spells normally.

Higher levels allow for increased speed, height, and lower mana usage.

Wow, this is more like it! Thank you, Grand Wizard! I just learned some crazy spells and skills from that scroll. I have so many new spells and skills I want to play with now especially this Astral Door and Flight spells. I better get out of here I only have a minute or two left before my allotted time runs out and I have a ton of new powers to experiment with.

Rick put all the books and the scroll back exactly where he found them and thanked the guard for his time while leaving the room. Rick went downstairs and told Cynthia he was finished in the restricted room and talked with before preparing to leave, right before he left the library he stopped next to a giant marble pillar and placed his hand on it. Using the techniques he discovered from his other scans to quickly received a new notice.

Spoiler: New Notice. New Skill Learned!

You Have Learned A New Skill!

Marble Scan: (Level 1) (Beginner 03%)

Allows you to scan your surrounding for the presence of marble.

Higher levels increase the scans circumference ring size.

When he had learned the Marble Scan skill Rick left the library and walked over to his blacksmith teacher's business. He gave him a quick update on everything going on and bought more iron ore and coal from him to restock his inventory. After he went out back and filled his inventory with the resources he purchased Rick opened a portal to his limestone quarry south of Tower Island. Rick examined the quarry and seen that the cart drivers were doing a good job of picking up the marble blocks and dropping them off at Handil's work sites, so he walked around the quarry and collected the piles of limestone dust and fragments.

While Rick was studying in the library he had learned more than skills and spells from the books he had read. One of the things he learned was that when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure over time it can turn into marble. So Rick cast his flight spell and shot up into the air quicker than he had expected to. He then lowered himself closer to the ground as he flew along the edge of the cliffs bordering the coastline. Rick was having so much fun zipping along and taking in the spectacular views he had almost forgot why he traveled out here there. He activated the new [Marble Scan] skill and slowly flew along the limestone cliffs that circled the huge peninsula jutting out into the southern ocean.

Rick had flown for a few miles and his Marble Scan skill made advances but hadn't found anything. Soon he had flown all the way out to the furthest point and kept circling the perimeter of the peninsula until he was now headed back north on its eastern shore. When he had flown into the large bay that he wished to build a harbor and shipyard at one day he suddenly had a hit with his Marble Scan. He flew down and landed to begin a grid search of the area trying to find the location that held the most marble.

Following his scan skill, he drove long wooden stakes into the ground to mark out the hidden marble. Once he had marked out the area that looked like about the size of two football fields side by side, Rick walked to the center and used his [Move and Shape Earth] skill to remove the surface soil. As he cut away at the soil he stored it inside his inventory to turn it into the sand for street construction and also making glass. After digging down to roughly twenty feet he came to the surface of the white marble.

He continued to remove the soil out from the center until he cleared out a decently sized hole exposing even more of the marble. Rick knew that to quarry the marble the men would need to use chisels and wedges to split off blocks that could be then cut into desired shapes later. The problem he faced now though was he didn't have a saw that could cut the hard marble. Rick knew it was possible to use a water wheel sawmill to cut it but he would need to research what type a saw blade to make. From his limited knowledge, he assumed a circular blade with water trickled onto it to reduce heat would be best, but wasn't sure on the size or shape of the blade's teeth.

So, for now, he decided to try it himself with his [Move and Shape Stone] Skill that he hadn't used up until now. Using this skill he cut out the maximum size a 10' x 10' x10' foot square cube and transferred it into his inventory and then placed it out on the surface. He continued using the Stone skill to cut the block down into smaller sections. Soon he had diced up the block into 1' x 1' x 10 foot long rectangles that were to be sliced into one inch thick 1' x 1' foot square marble tiles. Rick ended up with 120 tiles from each marble rectangle and when the entire cube was sliced up he had 12000 one inch thick 1' foot x 1' foot marble tiles.

He had never bothered to measure the square footage of his new store but his rough guestimate was 100' x 100' foot including the showroom, offices, and back warehouse. This came out to ten thousand sq ft and his twelve thousand tiles would cover an are measuring just over 109' x 109'. He also had to cover the upstairs floor so he repeated the steps cutting out another large 10-foot cube and slicing it up into square tiles. He now had way more tiles than needed, but could always find uses for them later in the castle and temple he planned to construct.

Rick then decided to cut out two more ten-foot cubes and store them for any columns or other ideas to use in the store. Rick activated flight and flew off into the air back to the tower to get a look at the route from the air. He passed over the surveyor and his helper marking the road to the quarry and landed in front of the workshop a minute later.

Rick went inside the workshop and set out the looms and spinning wheels near the bales of wool and cotton. Then he made more workbenches that he arranged around the workshop and picked up all completed furniture, clothing, and footwear.

Upon leaving the workshop he went over to the System Gate and spawned more units. He purchased a couple of each [furniture maker/Artisan], [Rug Weaver/Artisan], [Tapestry Maker/Artisan], [Quilter/Artisan], [Spinster/Weaver], [Glass blower/Artisan], [Glass Glazier/Artisan], and a [Spectacle Maker/Artisan]. Rick paid more money to give them all the extra [Artisan] figuring that in the long run, these workers would put out high-end products that would rival the Dwarf craftsmen. This would make his products more sought after than anyone else in Silverhall City increasing his sales and profits made through his store.

Rick set them up with belts, pouches, gloves, and any tools they might need and escorted them to the workshop. He showed them the wool and cotton bales and the spinning wheels and weaving loom to work with. Rick gave a grinding wheel to the spectacle maker and told him and the glass workers they would need to wait for him to make a glass manufacturing area before they could get started. The new units all picked a workbench to work from and got to work with the instructions and designs handed off to them.

Rick went back down into the cellar and sat at his workbench and brought out different sized pieces of quartz. With the use of his [Gem Cutting] skill, he made different shapes and sizes to experiment with. He went through the different shapes and sized quartz gems and filled them with mana and used identify on them all. The shape or facet cuts didn't seem to make a difference in the mana capacity at all. Rick found it came down more to the gems size and overall quality for how much mana it would be able to store.

Taking out a pile of quartz Rick picked out a few huge stones and took his time to cleanly cut each facet. Most of them were decent quality because he put the effort into planning out the best way to cut each individual quartz gem. After he filled the large quartz gems Rick chiseled out a rune on the wall near the forge. Around the inner perimeter of the rune, he chiseled the words [Draga Seinn Eptir Stigr Megin Rita] which roughly translates to (Draw Slow Along Path Power Runes). Rick then chiseled out a socket hole in the center of the rune and slid a large quartz gem into the socket and turned the forge on.

The forge jumped to life instantly and it appeared to produce the same heat and flame as it always had. He placed his hand in the flames and circulated the mana for a few minutes and still didn't notice any real difference. After he found the Smiths he showed them the changes to the Forge and how it ran off the quartz that fed mana to the fire and wind runes. Rick asked them to be sure to turn the forge off whenever they left for the day to save mana and if the forge stopped working anyone who knew magic could refill the gem.

Rick sat down and took out a crystal wall light and modified it to store mana and still work like the old version which he acquired a new recipe for this modified version. Rick then spent some time making a few new styles of lights. He made table lamps, floor lamps, and a wall lamp in a wood and cloth Asian style and received recipes for them all.

Going through the settlement Rick changed out all the old wall lights with the modified versions and placed a few of the new lamps on tables and in corners of each room. With the new lamps replaced throughout the settlement, he made his way into the workshop and built a forge like the one in the basement and hung a couple smelting pots above it by the rafter beams on chains and pulleys.

Opening his inventory Rick took out some dirt and piled it up near the forge. Casting his Druid spell [Transmute Stone and Earth] on the pile of dirt it was transformed into clean sand. He called over the [Glass blower/Artisan] and [Glass Glazier/Artisan] then told them to put one of the workbenches in the center of the room. While they moved the workbench Rick used a recipe to make another metal tube roller and placed it on the workbench they had just moved.

Spoiler: Metal Tube Roller.

Rick took two tables out of his inventory and placed one in front and behind the tube roller. Using thin sheets of iron he covered the surface of both of those tables to protect them from burning. The glass workers still needed a couple more tools so Rick got to work on setting them up. With a recipe, Rick made hollow metal pipes in different sizes so they could be used as glassblowing pipes. Rick cut one of the pipes and made a big two-pronged fork from it, this would be used for flipping and moving molten glass on the table. The last tool the glass workers needed was a large ladle to transfer molten glass to the metal top table.

Rick shoveled sand into the smelting pot and left it to melt into a thick glowing liquid and used the large ladle to transfer a glob to the table. Rick picked up the two-pronged fork and fed the glob of molten glass into the roller while the Glass Blower turned the crank until it came out the other side in a long sheet to lay on the metal top table.

"You two should have everything you need here now. I don't have any need for stain glass yet so you two can work together for now. Keep making glass panes like I just did with the roller there." He instructed then went and sat down and drew up quite a few designs for all the craftsman.

Rick gave the Glass workers a couple glassware designs and told them to start making them once they have a few glass panes completed. Rick then went around the workshop handing out designs to the [Tailor/Cobblers], [furniture maker/Artisan], [Rug Weaver/Artisan], [Tapestry Maker/Artisan], and [Quilter/Artisan]. All of these designs would be used to stock his store once it opened in a few days.

When everyone had their orders and had begun to work Rick found the blacksmith and brought him over to the workshop. Mixing sand with a small amount of clay and adding water Rick made an old world casting mixture for the blacksmith to work with that he learned from his book studies. He left him a few planks and nails and gave him a design for a cast iron cookware set to make that would also be stock for the store. Rick made a stack of steel ingots next to the forge and called out to everyone that they could use them for any of their assignments.

Rick then walked back to the blacksmith and reminded him to work with anyone in the workshop who may need metal hardware made, especially the Cartwright who was making a steel frame with leaf springs for the new carriage designs. This extra metal would add additional weight to the carriage but would improve the overall durability and provide a much more comfortable ride. The cart designs currently used in the world didn't have suspensions so on a rough road they would bounce and toss you around the entire time.

Walking around the workshop Rick stopped and informed the [Spectacle Maker/Artisan] that he could begin making spectacles once the pane glass had cooled. He told him to for now make random magnifications to stock the store with and raise his skill levels. He scanned the room and saw that [Spinster/Weavers] were working the spinning wheels to produce yarn and fabric thread with the large stock of wool and cotton. The regular furniture makers continued to make basic furniture for the settlement and the Cartwright and wheelwright were busy building the carriage designs with the leaf spring suspensions he gave them earlier.

Spoiler: Leaf Springs.

(Leaf spring carriage suspension)

All of the new workers with an Artisan class had specific designs to create and seemed to have already settled in and began to work on them.

It looks like everyone knows what needs to be done here I should head over to the cellar now and talk with the Smiths. Rick thought as he walked out of the workshop.

Down in the tower cellar, Rick passed over designs for weapons, armor, and shields that he would also sell in his new shop and had the two get started on them. Rick walked over and tossed a gold ingot into the forge and sat down at his workbench to do some crafting. Using different types of wood he made an elegant chessboard while using his woodcarving and carpentry skills and received a recipe. Then using his wood carving and metal sculptor skills he made themed chess pieces similar to the ones he had bought from the furniture store and used a paint stick to detail them to look like little people and acquired their recipes.

While he was working with wood he made a 2' foot x 1' foot hinged silverware storage case and glued red velvet fabric to its interior. Rick set the storage case aside while waiting for the gold ingot to heat up and began carving small wood sculptures and also made metal sculptures of a mounted knight and a swordsman. He received recipes for them all and stored them in his inventory to later stock the store with.

That gold ingot should be ready to be formed now. Rick thought as he walked over and took out the gold ingot with tongs. With his hammer and chisel, he split off twenty slices that he hammered into a rough shape of four of each fork, regular spoon, soup spoon, and knife. With the use of his engraving tools and goldsmithing skill he worked them into a rich looking design and stored them in the silverware storage case. He acquired a new recipe for the gold silverware and case together that he planned to use for store merchandise.

After he stored the case of silverware away Rick dropped a silver and copper ingot into the forge to heat up. He returned to his workbench and decided to make thin black silk under armor suits. He had been wearing his t-shirt and shorts under his armor and it bothered him that the metal armor rubbed on his exposed arms and legs. The under armor looked like long johns but were not as heavy and the silk would also help wick perspiration away from the body. After he made a set for himself and his military units from the measurements he originally took from them he saw that his notice icon was flashing.

Spoiler: New Notices. Skill Increased: Wood Carving: Level 1 (Intermediate 11%) Skill Increased: Metal Sculptor: Level 5 (Beginner 13%) Skill Increased: Tailoring: Level 2 (Intermediate 19%) Notice Skill Upgraded!

Your Tailoring Skill Has Been Upgraded!

You no longer need to Tailor to measurements.

When you complete a piece of clothing you can click on it and assign ownership.

The clothing will be automatically set to the new owner's measurements.

You will now begin to receive recipes for any custom made clothing.

Oh? This is a nice surprise and perfect timing with the store opening soon. I can now make the designs I gave to the Tailors and use recipes to stock the store. I wonder if this will happen with Blacksmithing when I hit Intermediate. If so then all the armor I make can be made without measurements as well. Rick contemplated over the new upgrade excitedly.

He closed the notices and removed the silver ingot from the forge and split it into equal portions. Rick hammered them into dinner plate shapes and sat down with his engraving tools to carve and mold detailed leaves around the perimeter of the plate. After he had completed a couple plates he acquired the recipe that he wanted to help towards stocking the store.

Rick stored the silver dinner plates and went to remove the copper ingot from the forge. He also split up this ingot and hammered the sections flat enough to run through the metal rollers. Welding one of the copper sheets together he made a hollow tube. The next sheet he made in the shape of a cone and weld it to the end of the hollow tube. Hammering out a small sheet of silver metal he lined the inside of the copper tube and polished it. Rick then engraved a light rune on a circular piece of silver and attached it in the center of the copper cone. The next rune he engraved was a [switch rune] that was located on the hollow copper tube. After he linked the switch and light runes he made a crystal socket inside the hollow copper tube.

Rick engraved mana drawing rune on the crystal socket and slid a charge quartz crystal into the socket. Next, he threaded the end of the copper hollow tube and made a cap to screw onto the hollow tube threads and contain the mana crystal inside. He had the two Smiths stop working for a minute and had them turn off all the lights and the forge leaving them in darkness. Rick touched the switch rune on the tube and a beam of light shot out of the cone on the end.

The two Smith gasped when they saw a beam of light being emitted from the first flashlight made in Kingdoms Online. He had the lights and forged turned back on when he knew the flashlight worked and that he received a recipe for it.

This patch on the runes could turn out to be a good thing now. Since I am the only one who can make these runes the items I make with them will be popular and they will need to come back to have them recharged when the mana runs out. I can have a recharge fee for different sized crystals making money from selling crystal items and also for recharging them each time. Rick reasoned.

Rick used his next recipe to make a roll of metal wire that he coiled into springs with circular loops on each end. His next idea was to make mattress springs to integrate into the beds he would sell at the store and make for the settlement. When he had made a few springs he used the recipe to make two hundred of them and wired them all together inside of a rectangle metal frame.

With the metal spring frame finished Rick heated a chunk of iron in the forge and ran it through the metal roller. He cut the iron sheet metal into a one 1' foot x 4" inch rectangle shape. With a pair of metal shears, he then cut notches into the side of the rectangle sheet metal and then weld a straight thin iron round bar onto the center length of the notched sheet metal. Rick made another thin round bar and curved it into an (L) shape and attached it to the straight thin iron round bar on the notched rectangle. When the welds were all cooled Rick carved a round wood handle and attached it to the (L) shaped round bar with a threaded nut. When he was done he named the recipe "Flooring Trowel" He would use this trowel to spread the cement for securing the marble tiles to the floor of the store.

Ricked packed up all his tools and cleaned off his workbench and walked over to the workshop. Using the recipe for the mattress springs he made a hundred mattress spring frames and stacked them near the furniture makers.

Using the carpentry skill he made a box frame and attached one of the spring frames to the top of it and covered it in cotton and fabric and named the new Recipe Box Spring Mattress and used it to make fifty and stacked them next to the spring frames. Then he took down another spring frame and wrapped it in cotton and fabric as well and named it Open Spring Mattress. He made fifty of the Open Spring Mattresses as well and stacked them alongside the Box Spring Mattresses.

He was sure to show the Furniture Makers how he cushioned the spring frames with cotton and sewed fabric around it. Rick also told the furniture makers to use these new mattresses with all the beds from now on. All the beds he had bought or made up to now were like sleeping on a big soft pillow without any support. If he had to actually sleep in the game he would have decided to make this change long ago, but it never affected him since he was disconnected when this body slept here.

Rick left the workshop again after squaring away the new beds and went back to the System Gate. The first thing he did was purchase more land. All this time he had only owned the first 25 acres he originally purchased and most of the city once built would not even be on that land. He took a look at the Feudal Ranking Menu to see what was involved in reaching the next noble rank.

Fedual Ranking Menu Nobility Rank Required Acres Required Population Required Construction Baron / baroness NONE 01 NONE Viscount / viscountess 640 acres 50 Housing Count / Countess 2560 acres 100 Barracks Marquess / Marchioness 5760 acres 150 Temple Duke / Duchess 10240 acres 200 Noble Housing King / Queen 16000 acres 250 Castle Emporer / Emporess 16000 acres 500 Two or more Cities

I see it has three requirements per rank owned acres, total population, and a designated construction. It doesn't seem to matter what materials the construction is made with, but is based on the overall square feet of the building. I am currently a Baron and Viscount is the next rank and I have housing and the workers barracks should work for a barracks, so I think I could just jump up to a Count. Rick thought it through for a few minutes then opened the Land Management Menu.

He purchased 2600 acres of the land from the western graves out and around the city. Rick then clicked on the apartment building and zoned it as housing and then clicked on the worker's barracks and zoned it as the barracks on the [Land Purchasing Gid Map]. When the system accepted the changes he closed the menus.

Show Status!

Cedric Crownguard Strength: 50 Level: (31%) 13 Stamina: 40 Health: 550 Vitality: 55 Mana: 1160 Intelligence: 116 Piety: +175 Wisdom: 59 Fame: +10125 (locally respected) Agility: 38 Honor: +11000 Charisma: 20 Allignment: +4000 Leadership: 35 Satiety: 76% Luck: 10 Class: Druidic Mage Health Regen/Sec: 2.5 Mana Regen/Sec: 5.5 Feudal Domain: 2600 Race: Human Feuadal Title: Count Unused Points: 0 Awarded Titles Title: The White Knight Alignment +/- +1000 Title: The Honor Guard Alignment +/- +1000 Title: The Duelist Alignment +/- +1000 Title: Black Hand Interrogator Alignment +/- -1000 Title: Benevolent Leader Alignment +/- +1000

Nice! Count Cedric Crownguard, not a bad ring to it. Now if those other nobles mess with my shop I should have no problem fighting back. If the City guard or whoever comes questioning me about striking back my count title should protect me and lend weight to my words. Speaking of my store I need to get some military units over there just to be safe. They could be smashing my windows or smashing the place up right now and I would have no idea. Rick thought to himself as he opened the [Buy Unit Menu] next to the [System Gate].

Before he hired any additional military units he spawned in a Half-Dryad with two classes [Landscape Architect/Druid]. She said her name was Daisia and she stood around five feet tall weighing around one hundred pounds. Her hair is bright green like the color of plants and she is adorable.

Rick bought a few trays of tree saplings, herbs, and put them in his inventory with the other tray of saplings he had bought before. As he was about to walk Daisia out to the apartments he stopped and sighed remembering that the clay shingles needed to be nailed on the roofs still. He once again opened the Buy Unit Menu and spawned in a few Roofers and walked everyone over to the tool shed. He equipped the roofers with belts, tool pouches, hammer belt holders, gloves, and nails. Rick walked Daisia and the roofers out to the Apartment buildings and had the roofers wait outside while he gave Daisia one of the first apartments on the bottom floor when entering of an unclaimed building.

They sat down at the kitchen table and he placed all the tree sapling trays and herbs on it. He explained that he wanted her to help out the farmers and orchardist in getting the farm plots and fruit trees growing right away. Rick also told her that she could use her skills to improve any of the plots with four apartment buildings already built on them.

"I want this city when it is done to have nice green grass with plants, flowers, and trees everywhere. I want it to look like we built this city inside of a huge beautiful garden. Then later when we have all the city zones marked out we can find a plot for you to make a forest garden to live in if you don't like living here. I know dryads are fond of living with the trees so let me know if you ever need a change." Rick explained to Dasia.

"Tehe, Thank you, Cedric, I am half human and Dryad so living here isn't that bad. I will let you know later on like you mentioned if I get the urge to join nature." She said as she walked over to him and kissed him out of the blue.

Cedric was shocked for a few seconds then he remembered reading how Dryads feel no embarrassment when expressing their urges. A moment later she broke away with a smile and scooped up a couple trays of saplings and herbs and skipped out the front door happily humming to herself.

"What a little firecracker this one turned out to be. I might have my hands full with her haha." Rick said softly laughing to himself as he stood up and went outside to meet up with the waiting roofers.

Spoiler: Landscape Architect Class / Druid Class. Landscape Architect Class

Landscape Architects design and create attractive and functional parks, gardens, residential areas, and public spaces.

They also plan the location of roads, walkways, water features, flowers, shrubs, and trees within these environments.

Skills List Skill Name Skill Descriptions Mana Cost Recharge Time Artist Allows you to create art drawings in different medias. Level Increases allow for higher quality and value. 5 mp NONE Estimative Vision Allows you to estimate measurements and needed resources. Higher levels increase overall accuracy. 5 mp NONE Nature Affinity The a magic ability to wield and resist Nature Elemental. Higher levels increase overall control and resist. Relative to Use NONE Earth Affinity The a magic ability to wield and resist Earth Elemental. Higher levels increase overall control and resist. Relative to Use NONE Identify Allows you to learn detailed information on just about anything in the world you encounter. 5 mp NONE Plant Growth: Allows you to speed up the growth of plants and trees. 5 mp NONE Vegetation Shape Allows you to form one plants and trees into any shape that suits your purpose, within its mass. 5 mp Two Minutes Move and Shape Earth You can move and shape up to a 10x10x10 of soil per cast. (Dig, Move, Build) 15 mp Two Minutes Create Water Allows you to create water in different forms. You can use it to fill a container or even water a field. 25 mp Two Minutes Detect Plants Allows you to find any plant you have previously Identified within 100 yards. 25 mp NONE Soil Enrichment Allows you to restore barren land and enrich the soil around you for 100 yards. 50 mp Two Minutes Repel Pests Allows you to protect an area from insects, vermin, and unwanted vegetation. 50 yards per cast 75 mp Two Minutes Instinctive knowledge Staves Allows you to use Staves. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Axes Allows you to use Axes. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Blunt Weapons Allows you to use Blunt Weapons. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Magic Allows you to wield magic. Light Armor Allows you to wear light armor. Skill level determines protection bonuses. camouflage Allows you to become invisible in natural cover when not moving. Sure Footed Allow you to keep your footing on a precarious terrain. Mastery of Movement Difficult terrain doesn't slow you down. Medicine Allows you the knowledge of healing and curing plants. Foraging Allows you to acquire food by hunting, fishing, or the gathering of plant matter. Edible plants, fish, and animals will glow when activated. Reading and Writing Allows you to read and write you racial and Lord's language. Numerate Allows you a good basic knowledge of arithmetic. You are able to understand and work with numbers. Druid Class

Rewarded for their devotion with incredible powers, druids gain unparalleled shape-shifting abilities, and the companionship of mighty beasts and the power to call upon nature’s wrath. Druids wield the power of nature against their foes.

Skills List Skill Name Skill Descriptions Mana Cost Recharge Time Weather Control: You change the weather appropriate to the climate and season of the area you are in. Will change back on deactivation. 250 mp Two Minutes Repel Metal: This spell pushes all metal away from you for 30 seconds. Will change back on deactivation. 15 mp Two Minutes Shape Shift: Allows you to assume the form of any creature you have defeated or tamed. 50 mp Two Minutes Summon Spirit Ally: You can summon the spirit of any creature you have defeated or tamed to fight with you. 75 mp Twelve Hours Concealing Curtain: Covers 300 feet around you in dense fog that moves with you concealing everything in it. Will change back on deactivation. 25 mp Two Minutes Speak with Animals: You can communicate with animals. This does not tame, or make them friendlier. Will change back on deactivation. 25 mp Two Minutes Fireball: You can create a ball of fire to hurl at targeted foes to deal fire damage and ignite combustible clothing. 5 mp One Minutes Spear of Lightning: You can create a spear of lightning to hurl at targeted foes to deal electric shock. It can also arc to adjacent foes. 5 mp One Minute Wall of Flames: Create a curtain of flames up to 30 feet long. remains for one minute. 15 mp One Minutes Move and Shape Earth: You can move & shape up to a 10x10x10 per cast. Dig/build holes, walls, roofs, etc 5 mp One Minute Move and Shape Stone: You can move & shape up to a 5x5x5 of natural uncut stone per cast. Dig/build holes, walls, roofs, etc. 10 mp One Minute Wood Shape: Allows you to form one existing piece of wood into any shape. Fine details are not possible. 5 mp One Minute Wind Wall You can create a wall of wind to deflect arrows, small creatures, and gases. 10 mp One Minute Plant Growth: Allows you to rapidly grow and enrich the vegetation within 100 feet of you. 15 mp One Minute Natures Commune: You instantly gain knowledge of the terrain, minerals, bodies of water, plants, and animals for one mile around you. 200 mp One Minute Instinctive knowledge Medicine: Axes: Allows you to use Axes. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Swords: Allows you to use Swords. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Daggers: Allows you to use Daggers. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Blunt Weapons: Allows you to use Blunt Weapons. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Staves: Allows you to use Staves. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Archery Allows you to use a Bow and Arrow. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Shields: Allows you to use a Shield. Level determines bonuses to reduce damage and increase technique. Light Armor: Allows you to wear Light armor. Skill level determines protection bonuses. Medium Armor: Allows you to wear Medium armor. Skill level determines protection bonuses. Camouflage Allows you to become invisible in natural cover when not moving. Sure Footed: Allow you to keep your footing on a precarious terrain. Mastery of Movement: Difficult terrain doesn't slow you down. Allows y the knowledge of healing and curing plants. Foraging: Allows you to acquire food by hunting, fishing, or the gathering of plant matter. Edible plants, fish, and animals. Hand Signals: Allows you to communicate with others with only hand signals. Reading and Writing: Allows you to read and write you racial and Lord's language. Brawling: Allows you the knowledge of how to fight unarmed to win by any means necessary.

Rick took out all of the clay tile shingles and used a recipe to make a couple ladders. Rick passed out paint sticks to the roofers and climbed up on a roof with them and showed them how to install and paint the tiles. He told them to just go down the line of apartment buildings nailing on tiles and when they finished to attach themselves to Handil's crew that he pointed out across the street building the restaurant. Rick walked across the street and handed a couple paint sticks over to Handil so they could paint the blue accents on the buildings.

Handil's crew had the bottom floors outer walls up and were now working on the second floor. Rick went inside and made a multi burner stove with two large grills and four huge refrigerators with runes like he had originally made on the first floor of the tower. He had the carpenters make a long counter in the kitchen while he was making the appliances. Rick made two wooden sinks that he painted so that they looked like steel and the paint sealed the wood from absorbing water. After he named the recipes for the sinks Rick ran water to them and hooked up a faucet to each sink. With the water lines hooked up, he then ran the drain lines out to the drainage pipes.

Spoiler: Restaurant Floor Plan.

The restaurant should be all ready to go once Handil's crew finishes up here. Rick thought to himself as he packed up to head out.

As Rick walked down the street he thought of all the pipes that still needed to run to everyone's homes and how he still had to design a toilet. "Ah crap, I going to need to hire even more help unless I want to spend everyday running pipes to and from these apartments." Rick softly said to himself.

Back behind the tower, Rick loaded the blast furnace with layers of iron, coal, and limestone dust. With his engraving tools, he then carved out a draw rune and weld a socket on the blast furnace to fit one of the large quartz crystal gems. When he snapped the gem into the socket and touched the switch rune the furnace began to heat up.

Rick left the furnace to walk over next to the System Gate and spawned in a couple Plumbers, Cabinet Makers, another Blacksmith and a locksmith. He sent the locksmith and Blacksmith over to the workshop and had the locksmith start making key door locks that they could install onto the apartment doors. He told him if he needed any special tools to have the blacksmith help him make them if needed. Rick told the two about the forge over there and the pile of ingots they could use.

Once again Rick walked out to the apartments with the two Plumbers and Cabinet Makers after setting them up with all their belts, gloves, and pouches. He handed the Cabinet Maker off to Handil with instructions to make cabinets in all the kitchens and bathrooms. Then took the plumbers over to a building that needed all the pipe work done still. Rick went through the entire process of running the pipeline to the sinks and tubs then showed them how to run the pipes out from all the drains to the main clay drainage pipeline. Rick passed over any tools they may need and used his recipes to make sinks and tubs for each apartment and left them behind for the plumbers to install.

When he was confident that the plumbers could repeat what he had shown them he went back to the System Gate. This time he spawned a human male [Assassin/Cleric] three human male [Blade Master/Battle Mage] and two human male [Assassin/Spies]. Rick took the six human men up to the tower fourth floor and gave them armor, weapons, darts, and any special items they may need. He also made up two ninja outfits and six of the dual back harnesses that held two gladius swords identical to his with recipes and had them all wear them as well.

Once the men were looking like walking weapons shops he opened a portal to his new store on the second floor. He assigned two men to each bedroom and left them all a few gold coins so that they could buy meals in town. Rick had them all gather around a table in one of the rooms and explained the situation to them about the two noble houses that more than likely will show up and try to cause trouble. Rick explained that he would try to take care of it, but if he was disconnected or "not in this world at the time" he said that they would need to deal with it.

He assigned the ninja outfits to the [Assassin/Spies] and told them they might come in handy at night time for what he wanted them to do. He explained that he wanted these two out gathering information on House Karn and House Lupton.Rick wanted to them to locate their House and find any incriminating evidence on them blackmailing the stores in town. They were to infiltrate each House and learn all that they could to use against them.

Spoiler: Spy Class. Spy Class

A spy is trained to secretly gather information. Their silver tongue can win friends and bewilder foes

Loyal spies would rather die than divulge information that could compromise them or their employers.

Skills List Skill Name Skill Descriptions Mana Cost Recharge Time Eavesdropping: Allows you to amplify your hearing by 3x in chosen direction. 15 mp Two Minutes Assume Form: You can mimic the appearance of anyone you have touched. 50 mp Two Minutes Mind Probe: You gain any knowledge the target knows related to you or your faction. 100 mp Two Minutes Sneak: Allows you to remain undetected by friend or foe. 15 mp Two Minutes Blending: You erase your presence and slowly move with the crowd. You look like you belong with those around you. 15 mp Two Minutes Mind of Steel: You can resist spells and skills that attempt to read your thoughts. Active for ten minutes 15 mp Two Minutes Night Sight: Allows you to see clearly in the dark. Continuous until deactivated. 5 mp Two Minutes Far Sight: Allows you to magnify your vision over great distances. Continuous until deactivated. 5 mp Two Minutes Instinctive knowledge Swords: Allows you to use Swords. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Daggers: Allows you to use Daggers. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Blunt Weapons: Allows you to use Blunt Weapons. Level determines bonuses to damage and technique. Light Armor: Allows you to wear Light armor. Skill level determines protection bonuses. Trap Detection: Allows you to locate and bypass traps with this skill. Hand Signals: Allows you to communicate with others with only hand signals. Courtly Knowledge: Allows you the knowledge of proper protocol and etiquette. Reading and Writing: Allows you to read and write you racial and Lord's language. Lockpicking: Allows you to open locked doors and containers with a lockpick. Multilingual: Allows you to understand Human, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling, Nekomimi. Kitsune, and Demon. Alert: You can't be surprised while you are conscious. Skilled Liar: You can tell very convincing lies with a perfectly straight face. Brawling: Allows you the knowledge of how to fight unarmed to win by any means necessary.

Rick then told the [Assassin/Cleric] that he would work together with the [Blade Master/Battle Mages] to defend the store and they were to only go out to eat two at a time, Rick didn't want them to ever leave the store unguarded. After giving the new troops their orders Rick went into the storage room next to the bedrooms. Rick began cutting and shaping stone blocks with [Move and Shape Stone] into a large circle roughly ten feet wide and four inches thick. When he had all the segments cut he cemented them together and used fire elemental to heat the stones up to speed up the drying time.

When the cement looked dry enough Rick used his hammer and stone chisels to carve the runes he had committed to memory from the ruined temple teleporter. It took some time to carve every rune in the proper location, but when it was complete it looked exactly like the temple teleporter. With the runes complete he began modifying the teleporter with four mana draw runes and cut six socket slots in the center of these draw runes and fixed large quartz crystals gems filled with mana into each slot.

Now that he had a complete teleporter he now needed to make one more to connect it to. Rick cast portal and stepped into the tower basement next to the staircase. When he built this staircase he had made a small storage closet under it with a door that has never been used so he decided to give it a new purpose. Rick opened the door to the closet and began to chisel into the outer tower stone wall creating an archway. Rick planned to make a small room behind the closet for the teleporter pad and had to be careful not to upset the stability of the tower. With the use of a recipe, he made a couple eight-inch posts and cut them to brace up the doorway he had cut into the stone wall so that it wouldn't collapse over time.

Satisfied that the doorway was properly supported he used [Move and Shape Earth] to carefully carve out a small room. Rick continued to store the dirt while he dug the room and when the room was near a 15' x 15' size he used stone blocks to make a floor and line the walls that he also cemented together to match the rest of the cellar. Once the floor and walls were finished he also made slots in the top row of wall blocks and ran wood joists across the ceiling to support the earth above the room.

Rick repeated the same steps he used at the store to build an exact copy of the other teleporter platform and gave it the first trial run by himself. When he stepped onto the platform the runes all began to glow blue and a small menu popped up.

Do you wish to teleport to Silverhall City? YES NO

It seems to be working exactly like the temple teleporter, this message menu prompt is also the same as back then.

YES!

When Rick used his inner voice to answer [yes] the teleporter surrounded him in a blue light and instantly placed him in the storage room. Rick knelt down and used identify on the quartz gems.

Quartz Storage Gem

This is a Quartz Crystal that has been crafted into a Quartz Storage Gem.

Quartz Storage Gems are used to supply items and objects with mana.

The mana storage capacity is dependant on the gems size and quality.

Mana Capacity: 950 / 1000

All four gems lost 50 mana points so that means it costs 200 mana points per teleport and allows for twenty teleports before they need to be recharged. I still need to verify that the other teleporter also used 50 mana points per gem, but I would assume that the two share the spent mana between them. It shouldn't cost any more energy to send someone than to receive someone between two points. Rick contemplated the over the teleporter system mechanics.

You gain +5 wisdom points through logical reasoning and deduction!

I guess that answers my question that they do both use equal amounts of mana. He thought with a quiet snicker.

Rick searched around the store and brought the patrolling troops into the what was a storage room now turned into a teleporter room. Rick had traveled through the gate and showed them around the tower and island. He explained that they could occasionally come here to eat or meet some of the other people living here.

"When the trouble with the nobles is settled you men will be able to come here more often and will also train with the rest of the troops. For now, though we need to stay on our guard and watch the store for any attacks or vandalism". Rick explained as he escorted the men back into the cellar and had them all travel back to the store.

Rick recharged all the gems powering the teleporter platform and opened a portal next to the City Hall and went inside. Rick walked over to a guard that saluted him as he approached, Rick saluted him back and asked for directions to the Office of the Royal Court. Rick thanked the guard after relaying the route leading to the office and went in search of the office. When he found a door marked Royal Courts he walked in and explained he wanted to register a new house.

The woman who he explained the situation to asked him to wait there while she went off into an office. She returned a minute later and escorted him into the office. An older man came out from behind his desk and introduced himself as the Royal Court chancellor.

"Nice to meet you, Chancellor. I am Count Cedric Crownguard I would like to register a new house." Rick explained.

"I am more than happy to help it is a simple procedure. Firstly I need to review you [Feudal Title Display Menu]." The Chancellor said.

Rick opened a few menus and his [Feudal Title Display Menu] opened before them with a couple changes to his Feudal Title and Feudal Domain.

"Ho, you are a chosen I see." The Chancellor said looking up to take a second look at Cedric.

"Yes sir, I just arrived in this world one week ago." Rick said.

"I see you been quite busy to have acquired these lands and titles. Everything looks fine here or I should say quite impressive. haha." The Chancellor said laughing.

Spoiler: Feudal Title Display Menu Feudal Title Display Menu Cedric Crownguard Race: Chosen Human Feudal Title: Count Feudal Domain: 2560 Acres Titles: The White Knight Titles: The Honor Guard Titles: The Duelist Titles: Black Hand Interrogator Titles: Benevolent Leader Fame: +10125 Honor: +11000

"Then all I need is your House location and your coat of arms." The Chancellor instructed.

Cedric took out a couple sheets of parchment and drew a map of his store's location and then created a coat of arms and colored it with his dye sticks.

"I will use this establishment as House Crownguards location and this will be my coat of arms." Rick told the Chancellor as he passed him the drawings.

Spoiler: Coat of Arms.

"This drawing looks like it could pass as a painting and you drew so quickly. I now have everything I need, there is just a small fee you can pay my assistant on the way out." The old man told him as he placed the drawing on his desk.

"Thank you for your time Chancellor have a good day." Rick said turning to leave the room.

"You as well Count Crownguard." The old man said with a smile as he sat down to fill out Cedric's registration paperwork.

Rick paid the assistant ten gold coins and thanked her as he left the office. He looked up and down the hall and there was no one around so he cast portal and stepped out in front of the workshop.

The sun was now starting to set after a long day that was not over yet. Rick did not have any classes or plans set for tomorrow so he decided to stay online and try and catch up on all the growing tasks. Rick made another pile of the dirt he had been collecting and transformed it into clean sand and transferred it into the pile of sand he made earlier for the glass makers. Rick did keep some of the sand and used it to mix with clay into a blend that would hold together for casting. Rick then made wooden crates and packed both of them tightly with the blend of sand and clay.

Now he was ready to design and cast a toilet After he thought it out a drew up a design. Rick used [Move and Shape Earth] to cut out the two halves of the toilet shape in the packed sand and clay. As he began to cut out the toilets mold he intentionally shaped it so the toilet would be a hollow shell. Rick had did not have the proper resources to make a modern porcelain so it came down to using stone, marble, limestone, or metal. Limestone he thought would be to porous to use and he wanted to save the marble for city constructions. If he were to use stone he would need to go into the mountains and cut out blocks and try to somehow cut out the insides for water to flow in and out of it.

This left him with the using the quickest and easiest method steel cast toilets. This was the reason why he had made the cast to use as little material as possible. When the toilet was finished it would look solid but would be completely hollow inside. With the two casts stored, Rick went over and shut down the blast furnace and drained the impurities. Bringing out the two half of the toilet mold Rick slowly stood them up and brought them to together and bound them tightly.

After centering the top hole of the toilet cast under the furnace drainage pipe, he opened the valve to fill the mold with molten steel and left it to cool. While the toilet mold was cooling he began making steel ingots from what was left in the furnace. Since the toilet cast was so thin it didn't take long for it to cool. Rick unbound the two halves and pulled them apart and placed all the blended sand in his inventory until he was left with only the hollow steel toilet. Rick picked up the steel ingots and toilet and went into the basement.

Rick placed the toilet on his work bench and crafted a small steel lever, a small steel chain, and a wooden stopper. He attached the lever to the toilet bowl and hooked up the small chain to the lever inside the toilet bowl and to the wooden stopper. Rick designed a small hinge to attach to the stopper so that when the lever was pushed the chain would pick up the stopper and when the lever was released the stopper would drop back down covering the hole that supplied water to the toilet bowl. Rick then used the paint stick to paint and seal the entire toilet white and acquired a recipe that he named "Steel Cast Toilet".

Rick decided to fly out to the plumbers to save travel time and notice from the air the Daisia had begun helping the farmers because he could already see green in all the tilled farm plots. When he landed next to the plumbers he scared the hell out of them since they never heard anyone approach and then he just dropped down next to them. Rick apologized trying not to laugh at their reactions and took them into the apartment building. He installed a few toilets to show them how it was done and then used the recipe to make one hundred toilets and dropped off twelve on the porch of each building.

Over at the almost completed restaurant, Rick had the carpenters make a small walled off bathroom while he ran pipes under the building to that area. He made two stalls in the bathroom with toilets in each one and also installed a sink and faucet. He decided after the bathroom was setup that he should block off all the open pipelines with wooden plugs and begin to bring water into the city so the residents can use their sinks, tubs, and toilets. Rick cut the wood plugs and snugly fit them into all of the open-ended clay pipes to prevent the water from flowing out and flooding the area.

By the time he finished it was now growing dark and the workers were all packing up and heading to the tower to eat or relax in their apartments or the barracks. Rick activated his night sight and went to find Daisia who was preparing to now leave the farm plots. Rick was amazed to see all the fields with vegetables growing and the orchards had trees almost as tall as him already.

"This is incredible Daisia I can't believe you accomplished all of this in one day!" Rick exclaimed.

"The farmers also helped they have some helpful skills they called [Seed Nourishment] and [Crop Nourishment]. The plants and trees said they feel really strong and quite satisfied." She explained.

"That is great news this will help to feed our growing population so that I don't have to keep buying from the farmers in Silverhall City." Rick said.

"I wanted to ask if you could check the samplings I gave you for any trees that may produce latex. It is a white milky liquid that is harvested from trees in my world we call rubber trees. When they scrape the bark of the tree a the latex slowly seeps out and is collected. If I can find those trees in this world or something similar it would help us to make so many useful things." Rick asked Daisia.

"No problem at all I will check the ones I have planted and the others in my home when I return." She said.

While Rick thought about it, he added her to his friend list and explained how it worked and told her he would call her tomorrow to find out what she discovered. Rick thanked her and flew off into the air to land next to the System Gate. He purchased a few trees to restock his wood supplies and more tray of tree saplings and stored it them all away. He then spawned in a few [Carpenter/Artisians] to work at his store. Rick opened a portal to the first floor of the store and they all walked into a now dark store.

Rick with his night sight activated forgot that it was getting dark already until one of the carpenters mentioned it.

Oh crap, I put lights in the bedrooms upstairs earlier and forgot about the rest of the store. Rick recalled.

Rick deactivated his night sight and used his recipe to make up a few floor lamps and began to arrange them on the first floor when his military units came downstairs to investigate who was here. Rick waved them over and explained they would be working here for awhile and sent them off to take shifts watching from the second-floor windows for any trouble outside.

Once he had the first floor lit up like it was daytime he began using recipes to make wood [planks], [beams], [posts], [2x4s], [tongue and groove panling], [nails], and [screws]. Since all they had was the clothes they spawn in with, he used recipes to make belts, tool pouches, hammer holders, gloves, and screwdrivers that he handed over to the carpenters. He took out hammers, saws, chisels, cloth measuring tapes and any other tools or items that could help them out.

With his inventory still, open Rick took out a table and chairs and sat down to draw out the wood panel that he wanted the carpenters to make. The store walls were the exposed stone block you could see from the outside and it made the store look more like a big warehouse instead of a store.

Spoiler: Wood Panel Wall Design.

The carpenters continued to look over the wall paneling design and Rick made another design for them. He drew up the floor plan for the store and how he wanted to divide the space up. The store right now is just one large open room that had rows of displays shelves that the owner had removed earlier. Rick wanted to have different sections that he would devote to different crafts. One section, for example, could display Furniture and the next section could display clothing. He was using the idea used by modern department stores that divided their large stores up to group similar products together. Rick passed over the floor plan to the waiting carpenters with a paint stick and had them get started using all the wood he had made.

Spoiler: Store Floor Plan.

Now that the carpenters were prepared and began to work Rick went over to the front windows and painted them black so that anyone outside the store could not look inside. He then made sure the front door was locked and began his own project. Taking a 10x10x10 cube of marble out of the inventory he started to build around water fountain near the front entrance. Rick used the [Move and Shape Stone] spell to make the round pool first. Without any electricity to run a water pump he used a technique he learned online to make an air lift pump. He made a marble column and cut it in half and made two internal channels inside it. One channel he mounted a wind rune in that would blow air to the lower part of the fountain. As the air is pumped down the channel and released into the second water filled channel bubbles begin to form which rise and capture the water and bring it to the top.

When the pump was completed he cemented the two halves back together and waited for it to dry before continuing.

Spoiler: Air Lift Pump.

Once the air lift pump had dried Rick built the three-tiered water fountain around the pump and socketed a quartz gem to the top of it. Rick opened a portal to the river and filled a few barrels up and brought them back in his inventory. When he had filled the fountains bottom pool with water he touched the switch and heard a gurgling sound as the water worked its way to the top of the fountain. A minute later the top tier filled with water and began to overflow into the lower tiers. Rick watched the fountain operate for a couple of minutes to make sure it didn't leak or have any problems then walked off to the next task.

Spoiler: Three Tiered Water Fountain.

Making use of the air lift pump technology Rick made two water wall fountains against the walls of the central corridor. When all the fountains were filled and turned on there was a relaxing sound of moving water like hearing a small creek flowing nearby.

Rick was about to go and take a look at how far along the carpenters had got with the wood paneling when he heard a couple light knocks from the front door. At the same time, one of his Blade Masters came down the stairs and reported he had seen the two Assassin/Spies returning. He took out his key and unlocked the door and let the two men inside. They had been investigating taverns and public areas all day and had found the location of House Karn and Lupton. The spies handed Rick two hand drawn maps of the location of each house.

"Good work men, go ahead and take the rest of the night off. You can head out in the morning to continue gathering information. If possible find out who in each house is involved in these protection and import rackets. For now, I just want to gather information depending on when they make their move will dictate when we infiltrate their locations to find any criminal evidence and possibly snatch and grab whoever is leading the criminal groups." Rick explained and sent the men off to relax.

I forgot that these guys will need keys to keep the store secure when I am not around and not get locked out as well.

Rick took the key out of his inventory and examined it was quite similar to the old skeleton keys used in the real world and look simple enough to copy. Rick walked over to a stack of stone blocks and took out his blacksmith hammer and a small cut of a steel ingot. While holding the chunk of steel he used [Produce Flame] and began to heat the metal until it became too hot to hold. Rick then laid it on top of a stone block and hammered it into a crude shape of a key. Using the [Metal Sculptor] skill he carved and shaped the metal into a copy of his own key. When he tried it in the door lock and it didn't seem to turn smoothly, so he worked at the grooves and teeth and finally had it working in the lock like the original key. When he acquired a recipe for the key he named and made a bunch of copies that he distributed to all the military units in the store.

After making the key Rick began to think it would be nice to have a workshop in the store but didn't want to disturb the shop with all the hammer clangs and excessive heat from the forge. He then thought of the teleporter room he made off the tower cellar and walked into the back warehouse. Along the far side wall, he constructed a small closet sized room with a hinged door. Inside the closet, he used a hammer and chisel to cut out the floorboards until the ground was fully exposed. With the [Move and Shape Earth] skill he began to cut out a hole the size of the small rooms interior straight down for ten feet and jumped into the hole and built a crude wood staircase.

Rick didn't put any detail into this staircase it was strictly utilitarian and was done constructing in no time at all. Activating Night Sight so he could see in the deep hole he once again used the Shape Earth skill to dig out a long hallway. He paved the hallway with stone blocks and did the same for the walls. For the ceiling, he hung two-inch thick wood planks supported by heavy beam joists that were anchored into the stone blocks. The hallway that he made ran near the length of his store when he measured it out with his steps. near the end of the hallway, Rick removed the stone blocks from the wall to create a doorway and braced it with thick wood posts. Back to work with the Move Earth skill, he dug out a room about twenty by twenty feet. After digging out the floor and paving it with the stone blocks, he went on to also cover the walls with stone and even built a couple stone block columns for support in the center of the room. The new large rooms ceiling was finished the same as the hallway with think planks supported by anchored joists.

Taking out twenty modified wall lights and wood pegs, Rick drilled out the stone blocks and applied in wood pegs to screw the modified lights to the wall from. Not bothering to turn the lights on he continued to work with his Night Sight so it would continue to advance so he could see at longer distances in the darkness.

Just like earlier in the cellar and workshop he constructed a modified forge and built a solid frame around it to hang a smelting pot from. Rick then used a recipe to make a few work benches and arranged them around the room with a couple tables, chairs, and a bed off in the corner. With the help of recipes, he also placed a metal roller on one of the workbenches and a pedal lathe along the wall out of the way. Unlike the cellar that had circulating air from the nearby staircase this room was far underground and needed a way to vent heat and fumes from the room.

Rick took out some clay pipes and hung them from the ceiling by metal straps screwed to the wood joists. They were hung across the room and out into the hallway after he cut a small hole in the wall to slide them through. Rick measured out the hallway where the pipe was and went outside into the night and used the Move Earth to cut a hole the size of a clay pipe down against his building foundation. When he had dug it deep enough he made the downward tunnel travel inward until he exposed the basement stone block wall.

Back in the basement hallway with a hammer and chisel, he carved out a hole large enough fo the clay pipe to fit. He then worked an (L) shaped pipe into the stone block wall that was attached to the ceiling pipe from the forge and then attached another pipe outside running up to the surface. When the pipes were all in a place he carved a wind rune close to the shape of the fire runes he made for the flame cannons. It was a flat round stone with air slots cut around to allow airflow to move through the vented slots and along the tube. He slotted the rune to hold four small quartz gems and placed it into the end of the pipe so that it would blow air toward the surface outside.

Spoiler: Wind Rune Design.

When the wind rune sat snugly in the cap of the clay pipe touched the switch on the back of the rune and held his hand near it. He could feel that the rune was pulling air from the room like the back of a box fan and sending it up at outside. Firing up the new forge he placed a piece of iron ore in the flames and heat it up. As the iron sat in the forge Rick set out a stacked up a few stone blocks and placed an anvil on top near the forge. When the iron was ready to be worked Rick reached in and grabbed it with his hand and quickly placed it on the anvil. He didn't take any damage from handling the hot metal, but it was still painful.

If I raise my flame elemental affinity more I won't have to worry about using tongs at all. He though as he hammered the iron ore flat.

When he had the iron somewhat flat he ran in through the metal rollers to make sheet metal. He formed and weld the sheet metal into a hollow box and welded a sheet metal tube the size of the clay pipe opening to the bottom of the box. Using a recipe he made up a roll of metal wire and welded the wire strands into a small screen to cover the exposed side of the hollow box. The last step was to cut and fit a sheet-metal apron that attached to the bottom of the box.

The finished metal work provided a new recipe that he named "Vent Cap". Walking back outside Rick placed the new vent cap over the top of the clay vent pipe to prevent rain from draining down the pipe into the lower room.

Spoiler: Vent Cap.

Rick placed his hand in front of the vent screen and could feel the hot air from the forge forcefully blowing out.

I have a way to vent air out now I need to bring fresh air into the basement. He pondered over the problem while walking back to the warehouse and came up with an easy to do plan. Starting in the small room at the top of the stairs he hung clay pipes from the small room down to the end of the hallway and placed (T) shaped pipes every few feet to allow air to vent out into the hall. When the entire hall had pipe hung along it, Rick climbed the steps and place a vented wind rune into the pipe cap and turned it on.

He walked down the hallway and checked the air flow from each open (T) pipe along the clay pipe vent system and noticed that the flow decreased as he neared the end, but was still plenty enough to add oxygen and circulate the stagnant air down there.

That should be good enough, for now, this hallway is long enough that I could even make a few more rooms off of it later if need be. Rick speculated as he walked upstairs to check on the carpenters.

The new carpenters were doing a great job and the wood panels really gave the walls a rich look. Rick told them he was going to set out some beds in the warehouse and told them to head off to bed soon and they could start again when they woke up. Rick went upstairs and informed his troops he was going to sleep and to make sure they took shifts watching the store so they could also get some sleep.

Rick went down into the basement turning off the blower pipes and forge and climbed into the bed off in the corner and disconnected from the game. He made himself a serving of spaghetti and sauce and sat down to eat his dinner while replying to text messages. Now that he was quite full, Rick cleaned up the kitchen and watched TV for awhile before heading off to bed.