I come out of my meditation six hours later feeling completely refreshed. I immediately do my workout routine then do a combat routine with the longsword.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Sword Basics has progressed to level 2!

Sword Basics

Level 2

Str +2

You do 10% extra damage with swords.

Once I am done exercising I grab the spear and go to get breakfast. I catch a fish on my first try so I decide to give it a bit more time and see if I can get another. The next few attempts fail but then I succeed and get a second fish.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Fishing has progressed to level 3!

Fishing

Level 3

Agi +3

You can attempt to catch fish.

Then I pick a handful of mushrooms and return to my room to cook breakfast. Since I have two fish and am sick of soup I decide to roast the fish and saute the mushrooms. I will eat one fish now and the other later, it tastes better than the soup but I still wish I had some seasoning.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Cooking has progressed to level 4!

Cooking

Level 4

Int +4

You can cook somewhat decent food.

With my stomach full I head off to continue mining, I plan to spend most of the day at it. I make good progress although by the end of the day I am on my third pick I manage to clear almost five feet of tunnel. I return to my room for dinner and go back to reading. I am getting much faster at it now and feel I am genuinely learning the language rather than translating all the time.

The next morning my routine is the same and after breakfast I return to mining. About halfway through the day, when my fourth pick breaks, I am at about the halfway point of the tunnel.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Mining has progressed to level 5!

Mining

Level 5

Str +5 End +2

You can attempt to mine ore.

I go back and get another pick and go back to mining. A few minutes later when a section of rock breaks away under my blow I notice something odd. There is a bright spot in the rock, looking closer it isn't a rock I am staring at.

*MAGIC ITEM*

Armatite Ore

A magical ore, stronger and lighter than steel.

Very hard to work with.

I let myself be distracted and start mining out the ore. It only takes me an hour to mine out the twenty-three pounds of ore that is there so I figure it was worth the effort. Even though I don't have blacksmithing yet I figure I will eventually get it when I have the equipment to do it.

I take the ore back to my room then return to continue working on the tunnel. I get about a foot further before my pick breaks again, deciding to call it a day. At that point I grab the shovel and clean up before returning to my room for dinner. As usual I read while I eat and before going to meditate for the night I finish History of the Empire I.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Linguistics has progressed to level 5!

Linguistics

Level 5

Int +10

You can attempt to decipher other languages.

*DING* *DING*

Congratulations! You have gained a new ability!

For having Intelligence exceeding 50 you gain the ability Superior Intelligence!

Superior Intelligence

You gain half your intelligence stat as damage to magic attacks!

The next morning I wake up and do my exercises.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Fitness has progressed to level 4!

Fitness

Level 4

Str +4 End +4

After breakfast I return to working on the tunnel, I am expecting to break through either today or tomorrow. I am on my eleventh pick and have about two feet left to go when I am distracted by more ore. It is an even smaller vein this time, only about ten pounds, so it only takes me thirty minutes to mine it out.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Mining has progressed to level 6!

Mining

Level 6

Str +6 End +3

You can attempt to mine normal ore.

I take the ore to my room and while I am there I eat my dinner quickly, then I return to the tunnel. I am determined to break through as soon as possible. It takes me three more hours and another broken pick but I manage to break through. I stick my head through and look around, it is a large round passageway going left and right from my tunnel.

*DING*

Congratulations! You have completed a quest!

Survive the Pit.

Objective: Survive and find a way to escape the pit.

Reward: 10 STAT Points.

*DING*

New Quest Available!

Escape the Sewers.

Objective: Survive and find a way to escape the sewers.

Reward: 10 STAT Points.

Do you accept? Y/N

'Ugh another one? Well, at least I get more stat points.'

"Yes, I accept!"

I finish breaking out the hole into the sewers but decide to leave starting to explore till tomorrow as I am fairly exhausted by this point. So I turn around and return to my room to rest for the night.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Meditation has progressed to level 7!

Meditation

Level 7

Wis +7 Int +3 Cha +3

A skill for recovery. HP 25/hour MP 25/hour

When I wake up in the morning I go through my normal routine and start reading History of the Empire II while having breakfast. I really want to start exploring but if it is more dangerous than the pit I should really be better prepared.

So once I am done eating I take out Black Razor and work on carving the spider carapace into armor. It takes me a couple of hours just to complete the breastplate.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Scrimshaw has progressed to level 6!

Scrimshaw

Level 6

Agi +6 Int +3

You can carve bone into items.

*ITEM CREATED*

Breastplate of the Spider

Defense +5

Next I start carving a shield, once I have the shape done I carve a hole in the middle and fit a dagger hilt into it so the shield will have a spike.

*ITEM CREATED*

Shield of the Spider

Defense +2 Damage 10

Once the shield is done I stand up and draw my sword and go through a combat practice with the shield.

*DING*

Congratulations! You have acquired the combat skill Sword & Shield!

Sword & Shield

Level 1

Defense +1 Str +1

A style for both offense and defense.

'Huh, that was unexpected, there are even skills for combat styles?'

Then I go back to carving and work on bracers and vambraces.

*ITEM CREATED*

Bracers of the Spider

Defense +1 Disarm Resist +5

*ITEM CREATED*

Vambraces of the Spider

Defense +2 Surefooted +5

Those are some nice bonus abilities! When I try them all on I get an extra surprise.

Set Bonus Active!

Spider Set 4/4

Set Bonus: Web Walk

You can walk on spider webs without getting stuck like a spider.

Wow I made a set? But I wasn't trying to, not that I'm complaining! That bonus will be really handy if I run into another spider.

Then I set about modifying my Dire Wolf Jerkin so it will fit over the breastplate without impairing my movements. Once that is done I put everything on and do a combat workout to make sure nothing is going to pinch, chaff, or hinder my moves.

Once everything is settled I sit down to have dinner and continue reading. After I finish eating I read for a couple of hours and then meditate for my normal six hours.

In the morning I go through a light workout and go to catch breakfast. After breakfast I get dressed, put my armor on, and grab all my weapons. Alright I'm as ready as I can be, time to explore the sewers!