For all the medieval fantasy elements that are in this game, the Tutorial Village’s library is pretty modern in design. In fact, it just looks like an average library. Granted, most modern libraries would not have this many leather-bound books in them; to say nothing of the contents of those books. Majority of the works on the shelves either have to do with information regarding certain classes in the game or covered some of the game’s lore. Though every now and then there were some very interesting books that seemed more like flavor text then anything. Some of those titles were, Anecdotes of a Bartender, and, The Adventures of the Windmill Knight. There was even a shockingly long play script called, The Lustful Maid of Argyle. Now that one has a crazy title.

… I mean, I’m still going to read it though.

There was nothing fancy about the furniture in the library. But all of the wooden tables and chairs looked comfortable, and it was a well lit space. It should've been a perfect place to read.

I had a stack of about eight books that I had picked from the shelves. Some were flavor text, some were lore, and others were essentially a book of game facts; I picked them up to help me fill in the gaps in my knowledge.

I was currently reading a book called, Alignments and Intrigues.

There was a somewhat unnecessary amount of flowery language in the book, but it essentially explained that the words, “Alignment,” and, “Intrigue,” were Golden Age’s terms for your class and sub-class. According to the book, most Alignments could be registered at their respective guild. These guilds could be found at every major city. They had a list of example Alignments a player could pick, that literally took up four pages; it even ended with a note that this was just a small sampling of available Alignments for a person to pursue. There were so many that I pretty much skimmed over that section; though I certainly plan to come back and research a bunch of those options later on.

A detail that was immediately useful, was that Alignments were separated into roughly 10 basic categories.

These categories were: Attack, Defense, Magic, Support, Range, Adventure, Home, Metal Crafting, Fabric Crafting, and Material Crafting.

As I was reading them, I realized that these categories corresponded to the instructors buildings available in the tutorial village. Which makes sense, since this place is supposed to give you an idea of what options you have later in the game.

What I found really interesting was how the Intrigue, or sub-class, system works. While you could certainly get your Intrigues at one of the major guilds, a vast majority of them seem to be things you could discover in other facilities or places. A variety of NPC's could offer them to you depending on your actions.

There was a section in the book that said, Exploring the pathways along the field that calls to you is the truest way of living. Devoting yourself to your calling will lead to the greatest growth; and broadening your horizons with what interests you will allow you to become a greater person. I assume this is the writer’s fancy way of saying that the game will give you more experience and help with activities that line up with your Alignments and your Intrigues.

“Oh that's really cool. So your experience points are literally the things you experience doing.”

“Quiet! Quiet, in the library!”

I flinch at the sharp sound, and then smooth some of the paper I had bent in my surprise as quickly as I can.

The rebuke came from the front desk of the library, where the NPC, Janet, sat.

Whichever dev was responsible for designing Janet must have decided to use the most stereotyped image of a librarian they could find. Janet was a raven haired, older woman. She wore sharp, almost slit-like glasses, with her hair stuck in the tightest bun. She only had two expressions, either the face she makes while lovingly caressing a book, or a death glare she used at anything that moved in her library. I do not care that she is a computer program. She terrifies me.

So like I said, this should have been the perfect place to read. So what if I happen to be a very vocal reader? Doesn't mean she has to yell at me… for the sixth time.

Granted, maybe I do get a little excited when I read something cool. It’s still mean.

I look at the stack of books that I picked. The next one I wanted to look through was the journal of a thief named, Skinrat. I don't know who Skinrat is, nor do I know how informative this book will be. But I am already positive he will get me yelled at, at least three more times if I stay here. So with that in mind I pick up the heavy stack of books and make my way over to Janet.

“Excuse me, Ja — Miss Librarian?” I say, as her glare stopped me from using her name again. “Is it okay if I check out these books, to read them outside?”

“Yes, very well. Books are meant to be read after all,” Janet says with seeming kindness. I don't buy it. “But be warned that you best bring these books in by the end of the day. And if anything should happen to them, there will be consequences.”

I grab my stack of books and scurry out the door as fast as I can. It's totally because I'm excited to read them. Not because her threat worked. Definitely not.

I have never talked to an NPC in Full VR. It's a very unique and confusing experience. Having a conversation with one is both radically realistic and yet equally frustrating. As long as I (very bravely) talked to Janet about the library or the books available there, it was the most natural conversation in the world. But when I had asked her if she was a player, or when I started talking about things in the real world, or talked in game speak, it suddenly felt like talking to a voice recording. She either repeated her name or glared at me. I guess that as an NPC she would only talk about things regarding her purpose. I had eventually decided to leave her alone and browse the bookshelves. No sense getting glared at for no reason.

I decide to find a good place to read, and remember that the forest edge I saw looked pretty inviting. I look around and see the edge of the tree line a little distance away and make my way towards it. Though it is mostly gone, my body is still a bit sore from sparring, so I take it slow.

I try to just appreciate the warm sun and the barely-there breeze, but I get impatient. Luckily, the stack of books reaches all the way up to my chin, and Skinrat’s journal is at the top of the pile. It’s small enough that it won’t fall off even when open.

I use my chin to scoot the book closer to me and open it to the first page.

Unlike the flowery language in the, Alignments and Intrigues, book, the language in Skinrat’s journal is straightforward and simple, while still being full of character. And it turns out this journal is just as informative as a self-help book. Though the information in this one is told through stories.

For example, there is a tale in the beginning that goes on to describe the different kind of puzzles and types of trap discernment that Skinrat went through while exploring a dungeon. He was able to get into the boss chamber, of the sleeping Four Tusked Flame Boar, and steal a scroll of Lightening Strike from directly behind the boar, without even waking it up. Only to fail to recognize a mimic chest off to the side on his way out. He reached inside after picking the lock and got his right hand chomped off for it. He had used a scrap of leather made out of rat skin to cover his bleeding stump. He had been laughed out of the Rogue's House he was a part of so badly, that he was stuck with the nickname, Skinrat.

Apparently, with his adventuring days behind him, Skinrat went on to become a thief, and an exemplary pickpocket. There were some personal accounts of robbing the house of a minor lord. It describes the act as if he had to beat a bunch of mini games in a spy RPG. It even went so far as to describe dodging the guards’ line of sight like he had to contort through a field of trip lasers.

The way Skinrat describes pickpocketing is definitely interesting. It requires hand flourishes, done just so, in order to take any object off of a mark’s belt. He described himself as being so good that as long as he could touch the back of a mark, at just the right angle, without them noticing, he could steal any random object off of their personage without them knowing; regardless of what the item was.

Wait, so does that mean that stealing in Golden Age works just like a gacha—

Bam!

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice where I was walking until I slammed face first into a tree. My forehead cracked against the bark and I lost my balance, landing on my butt, and scattered the books I was holding. I rub at the sore spot on my forehead, glad that there’s no blood. Then I realize that all of the books just got thrown into the dirt.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Please, please do not be damaged. Please don't be any dirt stains.”

I scramble to pick up all of the books, furiously wiping off any of the dirt on them. Thank god, none of the books got damaged. I remember the piercing glare given to me through slit like glasses, and I shiver just imagining what would've happened if one of these books’ pages got torn.

I remake my stack and pick them up. When I look around I notice that I did in fact make it to the forest’s edge. The forest does look just as inviting as ever, but unfortunately, it’s all in the shadows of the tree leaves. Not exactly the best lighting to read a book by.

I chew on my lip and look around, trying to think of another place I can read. Not too far from where I'm standing I see the back of one of the instructors buildings. Even from a distance the grass around it looks to be very soft, and there is a little nook, next to what appears to be a chimney, that looks like it has the perfect lighting. I make my way over to it, making sure to look where I'm going this time.

When I get to the spot it is even better than I expected. Not just the grass, but even the dirt underneath feels like it's cushioned. And the bricks that make up the building are smooth in texture. When I nestle into that nook the light streaming over me is just right, without a hint of glare from the sun. The best part? The chimney behind me radiates just enough warmth to be incredibly cozy. I sit with my legs crossed and carefully put the stack of books down next to me.

I look at Skinrat’s journal and consider leafing through it again, but I am curious about some of the other books I grabbed.

Looking over the covers for something interesting, I spot a navy blue book with gold trim around it and an embossed design of two dragons flying in a circle, stiched with gold thread. Unlike the others, this is a super thin book — if it can even be called a book. I always loved dragons as a kid, and I’m excited at the prospect of seeing one in this game.

I open the book, my curiosity piqued.

There doesn't seem to be any mention of an author. But the almost cloth-like pages of the book have flowing script on them, written in gold ink. It appears to be a poem.

This is the creation of the world

When Dragons flew among us

Fathers of Magic and Mana

They were the 8 elements

Held to the world

By the weight of their power

One day the vessel of Metal

Brought a gift to the others

“Look at the luster

Of Silver and Gold

For the secrets they hold

Can grant freedom”

When Earth and Fire

Touched this metal

Their power flowed

From them to the ground

And lightened their burden

Of Magic and Mana

Through Silver and Gold

Power may go free

So the swiftest winged Dragons

The twins WInd and Lightening

Scoured the world to gather

All that there was to find

That each dragon might return their power

In exchange for lightened wings

And when even this was not enough

The Dragon of Water

Reached down to the edge of the world

And pulled in more gold

After each Dragon bled their element

Freed from the chains of the world

They flew together ever outward

Never held down again

From them the silver and gold was left

And through it mana shaped the world

I lean into the chimney behind me and close my eyes. This seems to be the creation myth of the game’s lore. Or at least one of the creation myths in the game. I'll have to look through other examples back in the library to see if this is the only one, or if there are other variations.

Still, it's a shame. So the dragons left then. There's a bit of disappointment with that thought, but the dragons in this myth seem to be like the great dragons of old. I'll have to research more to see if there are maybe lesser dragons still around.

I go over the words of the poem in my head, in a kind of sing song manner. But I must have underestimated how the combination of the poem's language and the sun and grass and warmth of the chimney would affect me, as I feel my consciousness slip into sleep.

I'm surrounded in a blanket of warmth.

From behind me, or through me, I can hear — feel — a gentle, rhythmic beat. Like a muffled thud, ringing out in time to a song I can't hear. That alone would've lulled me back into a deeper sleep. Except there are other thuds as well. These ones somehow off. Some rushed, others too slow. Either way, it's just distracting enough that it wakes me up.

There is no direct sign of the sun in the tutorial village. Just a colored glow of light in the sky through the cloud dome above. But now the cloud’s color is much closer to orange. And it’s clearly coming from behind me, by the direction of the building’s shadow.

Wow, I must've really conked out there. I never imagined that taking a nap inside of a game could've felt that relaxing.

I lift my arms up in the air to straighten my back, and feel cracks run down it. I'm still a little disoriented, and the sound of that muffled banging I heard is still there. It's coming from behind me. I'm curious now, so I stand up and walk around to the front of the building.

The signboard hanging out in front is that of an anvil. That would make this the Metal Crafting building. I've never seen a blacksmith in real life before. I gently open the door and look inside.

The very first thing I notice is the heat and the smell. It makes sense that a blacksmith needs a large furnace, but a palpable wave of heat hits me as soon as the door is open. As for the smell, it can only really be described as that of burning coal and hot metal. It's both something I've never smelled before and yet it’s immediately recognizable.

There’s six people inside at the moment. They are all standing in front of individual anvils, with a large worktable in between them all. Five of them are dressed in the same beginners’ tunic that I am. Four of them just look like basic humans — two women and two men — and the fifth one looks like a brown, short-haired dog man. None of them look up at me as I walk in. They are totally intent on hammering out a piece of metal on their anvils.

The sixth one must be the instructor. His race is clearly that of a dwarf and everything about him just screams blacksmith. He's got a long, flowing red beard tied up in two ponytails, with the rest of his hair braided behind him. Despite his short stature his muscles are bulging out of his sleeves from the act of constant hammering. He is wearing a leather apron over a tunic that has the sleeves rolled up, and leather work gloves on both hands. Unlike the beginners, his hammer strikes are smooth and regular. His must've been the one I heard through the walls that sounded almost like music.

The instructor is the only one to notice my arrival.

It's hard to determine facial expressions in that thick of a beard but I could've sworn he frowned when he saw me.

“Just give me a moment to finish with this group here. They're almost done with their task and there's no sense wasting their time while I bring you up to speed. You can either head out to another building or sit over there until they're done.” He says, motioning to a stool to the left of the group.

I walk over to the stool and take a seat. The instructor's beard twitches, as though his frown deepened, but he then gets back to work. He’s finishing up a still red hot sword. One of the men with shaggy, brunnette hair gives me a smile, but the rest of the players are still entirely focused on their task.

All of them are currently shaping their own swords. The instructor is right, they do appear to be almost done. The main shape is already finished, and now it’s just a matter of hammering out the edges a bit more. I wonder how right I am? In that I keep comparing the sound of their hammering to that of music. Because the more I watch them, the more I get the impression they are supposed to be matching up with a beat. The notes ring out clearly from the blacksmith as he finishes off his edge, but the others are full of stutters and stops, like they can't quite hit the mark right every time.

I look at the orange haired woman closest to me and try to decipher if it's a matter of how often you hit or where you hit on the steel, based on the sound.

I'm distracted by the hiss of liquid to my left. The dwarf instructor just finished dipping his finished sword into a thin barrel of now bubbling liquid. When he pulls it out, it's a beautifully forged darkened steel sword.

He looks to the players as they wrap things up.

“When you're done shaping the steel go douse your sword in the oil over there. If you examine it after it’s been quenched, the game will give you a grade for the finished product while you're here. What you’ve made will work as weapons as is, though you can also polish them on the grinding wheel over there to up their attack damage. But as a basic weapon that’s not necessary. Adding a cross bar and a leather hilt is something I can show you, but if you've worked with the Fabric Crafting instructor already, then the same rules of leather work apply. Is there anything else you would like me to go over?”

All of the players shake their head ‘no,’ and walk over to quench their swords one by one. They take an appreciative glance at the finished work, proud of what they made, and then leave them on the table after a gesture from the dwarf instructor. The group talks amongst themselves as they make their way out of the building.

The dwarf instructor looks at the group as they leave. The second the door closes he takes all of the swords that they just made, and chucks them into the furnace.

I can hear him mumbling something about ‘having to make these useful again.’

While stroking his beard he turns around, finally noticing that I'm still sitting here.

The dwarf instructor motions for me to come over. He points at a hook on the wall, where a leather apron and leather gloves are hanging. I guess I’m supposed to put them on. I do as he says, even though they're a little big for me.

“The rules in a smith are simple. Respect the tools. And respect the fire. Don't go doing anything crazy.”

He sighs and then straightens himself back up, “Now the basic principle of metal crafting is—“

“Um, I hope this is not rude, but would it be okay if I just experiment with it myself? The process of trial and error with crafting in games has always been my favorite part. Oh, unless there's anything I absolutely need to know.”

The dwarf blacksmith looks at me, seemingly surprised. Again, hard to tell with the beard. He nods his head and points to my right.

“There's your anvil, and there's your hammer. Go at it.”

The dwarf blacksmith then turns around and grabs a pair of tongs to pull out one of the swords he had thrown in, now red hot. He places it in front of him on his anvil and starts hammering it in half.

“I’m D0n, by the way.”

The Dwarf Blacksmith looks at me, grunts, and continues hammering.

I shrug my shoulders.

I turn my attention to the furnace. It's huge, with a roaring fire and a sturdy grate to place things directly over the coals. I'm tempted to ask if I can use one of the swords he threw in to make an ingot, the way the dwarf instructor seems to be doing. But the inkling of the idea in my head would require a different metal. I look around and spot a bin that has been labeled ’Tin Ore.’

I go over and pick up the metal container that I can see attached to it, and start to fill it up with chunks of tin ore. When it looks mostly full I make my way back over to the furnace and — using the same tongs I saw the dwarf instructor using — delicately nestle the metal bucket over the coals.

While I wait, I look over at the work the dwarf instructor is doing, trying to see what I can glean from it. The metal no longer looks like a sword, and is slowly taking the brick like shape of an ingot.

While focusing on the rhythm of his hammer I get lost in the sound again.

I shake myself out of it and check my bucket. The contents are red hot as well. I use the furnace tongs to take the bucket out and bring it over to an open anvil. I use the smaller tongs there to take the stuck together chunk of tin out and place it on the central part of the anvil. I put the bucket back over by the tin rack, letting it cool on a hook, and put the furnace tongs back.

I use the anvils tongs to hold the lump of tin in place and start to hammer at the sides and the top, trying to create that same ingot shape.

The dwarf blacksmith is already working on his second sword.

I try to hammer in the rhythm I could hear from the other students but it just doesn't feel right. As I strike though, it's like I can see that same hologram that makes up my menu highlighting small circles around the tin as I hit it. I assume this is the game trying to give me instructions, so I do my best to match.

After a certain point, the circles keep appearing on the surface even though it's starting to look flatter than the basic ingot shape. I wonder if it's a matter of me having to simply hit at it from a different side or if there's something I'm not getting.

I hear the dwarf instructor grunt in a strange kind of cough. When I look at him, I can see that his sword is already more ingot-like then sword-like. As I watch, I see him hold the metal slab just off to the side of the anvil and hammer it into a right angle, and then turn it around to fold it back on top of itself.

Of course!

I have to fold the metal over and over in order to get an ingot. I remember seeing that stuff whenever I had watched videos of forging. I start to repeat the process over and over again but after a little while the tin loses its red color and becomes hard to work with. I stare at it, wondering if I'm doing the wrong thing until I hear the Dwarf blacksmith bustle over to get his fourth sword. I shake my head, remembering that I just have to reheat the metal.

As I continue to hammer away at the ingot on the spots the game is instructing me to, I start to realize that it's asking for a different tune. This one is much simpler, and more like a background beat. Getting it right is all about accurately hitting the spot the game is telling me to, and trying to adjust the force based on the sound it makes when it hits.

I can see why people would want to make this their class. It’s a relaxing experience you can absolutely get sucked into.

I look at the finished ingot in front of me, kind of hovering my hand over it, trying to imagine what ratios I would need.

I look around the work shop a bit more, taking in the various tools – Clamps, aprons, bits of leather, armor, swords, other metal bits. The dwarf instructor has finished the last sword, turning it back into an ingot and setting it off to the side to cool. He now pulls out a notebook and starts sketching inside of it with a wooden pencil. I'm incredibly curious as to what he's drawing, but it feels like it would be really rude to just stare over his shoulder. And it's not like he's been a chatterbox this whole time.

I return to looking around but I don't see the one thing I need. Some sort of knife, or some kind of tool that can cut my ingot into a smaller size. The tin has now cooled down to a silver color. I place my hand over it, remembering what the dwarf instructor had said to the last group, and think the words Examine Item in my head. Another game menu opens up and read out that what I'm looking at is, An average tin ingot.

It specifically says that it is made up of fine ore, that has been handled poorly but is still able to make a moderate product. I mean I figured I would suck at first, but the game really had to just come out and say it.

I look at the tools that I have: which are just the tongs, the hammer, and the anvil. Let’s try an idea then.

I reheat the tin ingot, getting it as red as possible, and then bring it back over to my anvil. Holding the edge of the ingot just over the edge of the anvil, at about the ratio I want to take off, I start hammering at the end until it’s bent at a right angle pointing down. I flip the bent ingot over and start hammering that fold back down again. I keep doing this, bending it up and down until the point of the angle gets so thin that I can snap the chunk right off. I reheat the remaining part of the ingot and do the same thing to break the last bit in half, leaving me with three chunks of tin.

I take the first chunk I broke off and heat it up to make it workable again. Back at the anvil, I hammer it into a mostly flat shape. I have to be very careful in my strikes, since the metal I’m working with is so small.

I keep going until the rudimentary shape of a handle and a knife are formed. All of my attention is focused on my work, trying to piece out what the new rhythm is for this knife, letting the game instruct me on how to extend the handle into a more ergonomic size and flatten a sharp edge.

I hear a loud sigh from the Dwarf instructor that distract me for a moment. But I assume he's just not having luck with whatever design he’s sketching.

Once the knife looks right enough, I'm satisfied. Even if I was offered better tools at this point, I now want to see what I can do with just tongs and a hammer. Not to mention I wouldn't even know where to begin when it comes to adding any kind of embellishments. I do make a mental note to ask the blacksmith if he can show me how to sharpen the edge of the knife a little, like he had mentioned to the previous group. For now I set the knife off to the side, on the table, and heat up my next chunk of tin.

For this chunk, the first thing I try to do is round out the edges of the metal while I turn it in a circle, then flatten that rounded shape as flat as possible. I try to get it at about a quarter inch thickness, while making sure not to lose the consistent circle shape.

For this next part I have to be very careful. I imagine the size of the interior circle I want to make my corner at. I use the tongs as a guide along that interior circle and slowly hammer down on the sheet, until I can make the entire side rise up into the shape of a basic tin cup. I can hear that not all of my strikes are landing correctly, but trying to make this shape work is difficult enough without having to discern the necessary rhythm for the forging minigame.

It was really hard at first, until I realized that I could use the rounded offshoot of the anvil to make the round cylinder shape I need. The lip of the finished cup is a little wonky, but it's still something you can drink out of. I'm too worried about overworking the metal at this point to go back and try to fix it.

I take my last chunk of metal and heat it up. I flatten this one into the same kind of circle as the last. But I imagine the interior circle to be bigger, and now that I know to start the shaping process with the rounded protrusion of the anvil I feel a bit more confident. I want the edge of this template to curve slightly up, but not so much that you could describe it as a bowl. Just a slope up and out. My main focus is to keep the interior rim of the plate consistent, and I’ll forgive any wavy lines along the outer edge.

I'm actually pretty happy with how the shape turned out in the end. Since I was able to do it in one try I decide to reheat the plate and add the closest thing to embellishment I think I can do.

I take the now red hot tin plate and gently hammer at the edge of the metal, trying to curve it in so that the rim of the plate has a nice, soft rounded lip, instead of the sharper metal edge it had. Because all of the hits need to be very light and precise, the sound and rhythm this task makes is very delicate, almost like tinkling bells in the minigame aspect.

It's not the prettiest plate possible, but I really am proud of what I made. Looking over the set I debate whether I should try making a tin spoon, or maybe try my hand at making a wooden spoon at a different building later. I remember reading that a Carpenter falls under the Material Crafting category.

“You decided to make cutlery?” The dwarf blacksmith says to me. I was so absorbed in my task that I almost forgot he was there.

I look at him, surprised and respond, “Yeah, it seemed like some nice basic shapes to get me started. Plus, I just like the thought of making something useful.”

The blacksmith takes another look at me, and I swear he smiled through his beard. “You said your name was D0n, right?”

“Yeah,” I say, nonplussed.

“My name's Vandar Forgemaster.” He reaches out and up to shake my hand. I shake back, with an odd sense of pride that he's actually choosing to talk to me. “Is this your first time playing Golden Age?”

“Yes. It’s my first time playing a Full VR game period.”

“Interesting.” Vandar says, stroking his beard. “Look, sorry I was so short with you earlier. There's just been so many newcomers coming through all the time, today especially, that I feel like I haven't had any time to get to my own work. Most new players just want to make swords. Must be something with the fantasy aesthetic. But I've made so many I'm already sick of them.

“That though,” he says, pointing at my tin set, “that's nice work. You’re definitely new, but you actually tried to make something. If you have any questions just let me know. You're free to use anything you want here, D0n.”

Again I'm filled with the most sudden sense of pride. Since he seems to be in a surprisingly talkative mood, I point over at his notebook.

“Is that the personal work you were talking about?”

“This? Yes, this here's my drafting notebook.”

He slides over the carefully stitched leather notebook to me. On the left page is a variety of schematics drawn in graphite, with a variety of measurements on them. On the right hand page are three sketches of what looks to be some sort of metal pen shaped object, with an opening in front. There's even some beautifully drawn and detailed pictures of hands holding those pen shapes.

“I’m not a big fan of pencils you see, not in the real world either. I always use lead holders there, so I want to do the same thing in here. No one really makes them though, so I figured I could make it myself. The technique necessary is already going to be delicate enough, and I'm trying to decide just how much detail I want to add to the design. It’s just some rough sketches at the moment.”

I look over the pages again, with a whole new sense of awe. I can't even wrap my brain around just how difficult it would be to make a led holder with this technology. Heck, making the lip for a plate already felt like it tested my patience.

“This is amazing! I personally get the appeal of swords and shields in a fantasy game. But these… they’re so real and practical that it has its own kind of charm.”

The dwarf blacksmith nods his head hard enough for his beard and ponytail to bounce up and down. “Exactly! You get it! Everybody in this game makes swords and weapons. Sure, you can get all fancy with it, but there's so much artistry and soul in these simple, every day tools. That's what makes them so beautiful. But over in the normal game you always have to complete orders or repair peoples equipment, and keep making whatever is requested so that you can get enough funds to buy more materials, and then you’re only left with so little time to experiment! That's why I take this job whenever possible. Sure I have to waste my time on brats who barely know how to hold a hammer. But unlimited supplies that never break? A smith all to myself? If I'm lucky, I’m left with all the time in the world to focus on my own projects.”

I laugh out loud, fully pulled in by Vandar’s passion. So he's the type that’s gruff to most people, but talkative and excitable around people who gain his respect.

“Do you get to keep whatever you make here when you leave?”

“Technically yes, but no more than 10 items, and nothing above a certain rarity. There’s enough benefits in the supplies available to you that they don't want to give people an unfair advantage just by spending their time here. Especially for the crafting classes. So no skill progression either. But still, your stats matter, as those can be raised. And more importantly, your experience matters.”

“But you said you couldn't earn experience points for skills while you're here?”

“No, no. Not experience points, your experience. Whether or not I choose to take this led holder with me once I make it, it doesn't change the fact that by the time I leave, I'll know how to make it. Which means that instead of wasting four ingots in four attempts in my own smithy, it will only take me one to do it just right. I don't need stats in a game to grow as a craftsman.”

“Wow. You really thought this through, huh?”

“You bet. I’ve only done this about two previous times now. It takes so long to get from the Mountain Continent where I'm really from over to this Plains Continent. But I've set aside enough time with all my obligations that I get to have this workshop all to myself for a whole month.”

I whistle. That's commitment to his free time.

If he's from the Mountain Continent that means in the real world he's on Asian servers normally. “Wait a minute? Why did you have to come all the way over to the Plains Continent specifically to do this?”

“Because,” he says tapping at his temple, “the Plains Continent is 12 hours ahead, real time. Which means my day is your night time. And there are always less players visiting super late at night. Meaning I get as much time to myself as possible.”

My shoulders shake in amusement as I chuckle. I’ve met plenty of players in other games who would go to pretty insane lengths if it meant the opportunity to min-max their character. But Vandar Forgemaster is the first player I’ve ever met who would put in so much work to min-max his relaxation time. Video game or not, he’s a craftsman who just wants to make interesting works through and through.

I was a little intimidated when I met him for the first time, but I feel like the two of us could really get along. I pick up his leather bound journal and open my mouth to ask if I can look at some of his other designs, when I freeze.

Vandar gives me a worried look as the blood drains from my face.

“Are you all right?”

“You said… your day is my night… right?”

“Yes? I logged on not too long ago.”

“Oh shit.” I put his journal back on the table and hurriedly take off the gloves and apron, throwing them back onto the hook. “I fell asleep while reading some books I'd loaned from the library earlier. I left them outside to come in here. Janet is going to kill me!”

I hear Vandar’s belly laugh as I quickly wipe my hands on a rag and rush to the door. When I open it, I happen to see Arinn, the magic instructor, walking outside. He stops moving when he notices me. No idea why his mouth is hanging open though.

“Hey,” I hear from behind me, “if you plan to spend anymore time here, you're welcome to stop by again. I'll be happy to talk if you want.”

I look back at Vandar and smile, giving a thumbs up.

“I’ll definitely stop by. I'm not done with the Tutorial Village just yet.”