Chapter 43 – Mutual respect

  Jack spent the next day doing the same as the previous. He worked on completing another five bows to the same quality as the ones before. Rayne went hunting once again to gather more sinew for him, while Sylvian started work on a vegetable and herb garden. It wasn’t until mid-way through the day that Jack finished the last of the bows.

  “I wonder,” Jack muttered, staring at the ten uncommon bows in front of him.

  “What are you thinking?” Jasper asked.

  “I just learned how to enchant a little,” Jack said. “I might be able to enchant the bows. They’d be temporary enchantments though. What do you think?”

  “Wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Jasper acknowledged. “But you might end up destroying the bow in the process.”

  “It might be worth it still,” Sylvian said. “It doesn’t take you as long to make these now and anything that might improve our chances is worth doing.”

  “Well, I’m sure Savgar would approve at least,” Jack said, picking up one of the bows. “Do you know what affinities this wood has?”

  “Water, Earth, and Primal,” Sylvian informed him. “Is that important?”

  “Only to know what Aspects to use in the enchantment,” Jack replied. He pulled out both the Water and Primal Aspect vials from his Storage. “There might be other ways to enchant, but the way Daniel showed me, making sure the Aspects match is important.”

  “What enchantment are you thinking of putting on them?” Jasper asked.

  “I’m thinking speed or sharpness?” Jack said. “Not sure which would be better. Not sure which Aspect to use either.”

  “Speed would be better on the bows,” Jasper said. “Sharpness on the arrows.”

  “I don’t think we will have the time to enchant every arrow,” Sylvian grimaced.

  “Speed it is then,” Jack said.

  “Don’t use Water Aspects on these as well,” Jasper added. “You infused them with Fire Aspects already. Water Aspects will create a conflict.”

  “There is nothing wrong with conflicting elements,” Ciao interjected. She sounded like she took that personally.

  “Are you having any luck with those books?” Jack asked.

  “Barely one percent language proficiency,” Ciao muttered. “It’s like it is trying to prevent me from learning it.”

  “Well, you can’t learn a language from just looking at it,” Jack said.

  “Maybe you can’t,” Ciao hissed. “Hurry up and finish that quest. You must be close now. Have you even been checking your notifications?”

  “Not recently,” Jack said. “They got a little repetitive while I was making the bows. One second.” He scrolled through the list of notifications, focusing on the important ones he cared about.

  *Level up! Cook (Level 3)*

  +1 Perc./Char.

  *Level up! Carpenter (Level 6)*

  +2 Dex.

  *Language Proficiency gained: Elvish (100%)*

  -You have become Fluent in Elvish

  *Quest complete: Worldly*

  Become proficient in another language (1/1)

  Reward: Please select a language to learn

  “You’re right,” Jack confirmed. “Looks like I completed it recently.”

  “Perfect,” Ciao purred. “Hurry and select Karzasic!”

  “I don’t know,” Jack teased. “It would be nice to learn Tyral. Reuf’s language. Not sure I’ll get the chance to learn that one naturally.”

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  “You wouldn’t dare,” Ciao hissed.

  “Say please,” Jack said.

  Ciao glared at him. “I know what you are trying to do. It won’t work. I won’t be tamed like some pet.”

  “I don’t want to tame you,” Jack shook his head. “And I don’t see you as a pet. But mutual respect goes a long way.”

  “Mutual?” Ciao muttered. “We will see. Very well, will you please select the only language worth choosing that you would be a complete idiot to not choose.”

  Jack glared back at Ciao.

  “That might be the best you might get for now,” Jasper cut in, trying to mediate the situation. “Cait Siths are known to be rather stubborn at times.”

  “Fine,” Jack sighed. With a thought, Jack selected Karzasic as his free language. Instantly, Jack was hit with a sudden migraine as information was downloaded directly into his head. It came in a rush, and Jack had to sit down as he tried to process it all.

  *Language Proficiency gained: Karzasic (100%)*

  -You have become Fluent in Karzasic

  *Title gained: Archaic Linguist*

  You are the first person in over a thousand years to learn this truly ancient and forgotten language.

  +5 Int./Wis./Char.

  Increased speed of learning other languages.

  *Quest gained: Secular*

  Establish a friendly relationship with at least five different Enlighten Species (4/5)

  Reward: Charisma based skill

  “Ow,” Jack groaned once the information dump finished assimilating in his mind. “That hasn’t happened in a while.”

  “Finally!” Ciao exclaimed, staring excitedly down at one of the books. “I can finally read these books. This is… This is… what is this?”

  Jasper came over to investigate. “Looks like a cookbook. That’s a recipe for Mana infused…frog legs…”

  Jasper and Ciao stared down at the book for a moment longer before sharing a look.

  “Perhaps we put this one away for now.” Jasper muttered.

  “Yes, very disappointing,” Ciao said shutting the book. “Though that does sound delicious.”

  *~*

  Jack spent the rest of the day enchanting the bows. He took his time carving the diagrams into each bow and setting the Primal Aspects into it. Once he was done, he was staring at ten newly enchanted bows, and another increased in his Enchanting profession.

  *Item created: Fire-infused Hardwood Bow (Uncommon - Enchanted) x10

  Increased Durability

  Increased Speed

  Increased Fire based skills and spells when channeled through this bow

  *Level up: Enchanting (Level 3)*

  +2 Int., +1 Wis.

  *Level up: Enchanting (Level 4)*

  +2 Int., +1 Wis.

  “That’s almost disappointing,” Jack sighed.

  “Why?” Rayne asked. “They look fine to me.”

  “Not that,” Jack explained. “I have a stats sitting at forty-nine now. Dexterity hit the second threshold yesterday but now I have Intelligence right at the edge. I could use one of my unallocated points for it, but my Charisma is still low. I’m also only one item away from completing another quest.”

  “If all you need is one more item to create,” Rayne said. “Another bow wouldn’t be terrible. Might even get you those profession level too.”

  “It can’t be from a profession I already made something from,” Jack said. “I made items from my Alchemy, Enchanting, Carpenter, and Cook professions now.”

  “In that case,” Rayne said. “There is a couple of things we can make with the leather here. It won’t be of much use to us now, but it should at least help you complete your quest.”

  “Like what?” Jack asked.

  “Maybe a pouch for now,” Rayne suggested. “It is simple to make. I’ll show you. Then we can start working on the arrows. Those are going to take a long time.”

  Rayne was right, making a pouch was simple. It only took a very small piece of leather and a few minutes of work before Jack was looking at a small pouch just big enough to hold some coins in. Unfortunately, while it did count towards his quest, it wasn’t enough to level his Leatherworking profession.

  *Quest complete: Multicrafter (10/10)*

  Craft ten different items across at least five different professions

  Reward: Advanced rank Blueprint – Choose one of the three options

  -Multicrafter Workshop (Advanced)

  -Communal Kitchen (Advanced)

  -Warehouse (Advanced)

  *Quest gained: Artisan (0/50)*

  They say you can’t have both, Quality and Quantity. Prove them wrong. Create fifty items of uncommon rank or higher.

  Reward: To be determine

  *Quest gained: Multicrafter(2)*

  -Use five different professions in the creation of one craft, ten times. (0/10)

  Reward: Uncommon rank multi-art workbench (upgradable)

  Jack didn’t think too hard about the options. The warehouse would be nice, but they were a long way away from needing something like that. The same went for the kitchen. Jack already had a blueprint for a kitchen and while he was certain this would be better; it was still not something they would need immediately. But the workshop could be used by multiple people, and an advance rank workshop should help to improve the quality of the products created within.

  It would help the most people, but that wasn’t why he chose it. A multicrafter workshop was something he knew he would need, and an Advance rank one was better than Jack could have hoped for. He chose that option and immediately noticed a new blueprint appearing in his Storage. He didn’t waste any time pulling it out and inspecting the design.

  “Anything useful?” Rayne asked

  “It’s an advanced level workshop that looks like it combines a Leatherworking, smithy, Carpentry and Enchanting spaces. I think it even has space to add a glass blower and pottery station as well. This looks complicated.”

  “That will be useful,” Sylvian said. “Eventually.”

  “I think I’ll work on some of the simpler designs before attempting this,” Jack said, putting the blueprint away.

  “Should we start on the arrows now then?” Rayne asked. “Or start fresh tomorrow?”

  “No time like the present,” Jack said.

  “Don’t burn yourself out,” Sylvian cautioned him. “It will be at least a few days until Sia joins us.”

  “We can at least start preparing the shafts,” Jack said. “The sooner we get some of these finished, the sooner we can start training the others on using them.”