“Welcome to adulting. Thankfully, there will be re-runs and we can watch it all later!”
Taran was in one of the viewing rooms over the arena. He leaned against the railing as the different crafters walked out to the large platforms.
It wasn’t individual crafters but teams of up to ten people.
There were farmers, alchemists, formation masters, laborers, and woodworkers. Some people wore branded clothing; others wore random clothing.
It seemed as if the building companies had at least one team here. It was a good way to advertise their building speed. Many people underestimated builders. They thought of them as nothing but laborers, unaware of how much planning went into putting up a building or how to work with the environment to create the best building for the area. They had to make sure it was structurally sound—warm in the cold and cool in the warm—and that the room layout made sense to allow people to move around and make the greatest use of them. Those were the basics. Once they had done that, they needed to add in ways to manage clean water, waste, and formations embedded into the walls. Builders were the most practical of crafters, as everything they created would be used in the real world. Working in teams, they had some of the strongest mages and Body Cultivators. Their team leaders were trained by blueprint draftsmen, and some had backgrounds in different crafts so that on complex projects they knew when to best utilize different crafters and prepare for them. Simple on the outside, but only because they made the complex look easy.
Taran’s eyes moved to the new groups. The different areas had materials laid out for the building. There were stone, metal, pre-made formations, and then, in several areas, there were different trees.
Everyone was assembled. They stood in the middle of their large squares, dirt under their feet.
There were a lot of building crews and their families who were watching. Crafters who focused on growing their own materials were there out of interest as well. It was more of an exhibition of abilities than the other competitions.
The gong sounded and people moved. The building teams had already broken down what they were going to do. Laborers and mages quickly excavated the soil; others checked on the supplies. Their team leads checked the plans as everyone worked on creating the foundations.
The academic teams were a lot slower, moving methodically and checking every step.
People stood around. Without clear leadership, they all offered advice, drowning out one another. Some groups had clear leaders, and Taran noticed the farmers made up the core of the organized teams.
They started to work with their trees; they had picked out plans to work on as well. They took the trees and planted them at different locations. Most of the supplies were mana-gathering formations and mana stones. They got the trees planted in the correct positions, checking their plans multiple times.
Taran’s eyes drifted to the building companies. The leads checked the plans a couple of times and gave their team members instructions. They had done this so many times that they were already accommodating for things they would need to do later. They laid pipes down for water and waste. Formation links were added to connect the building to the energy grid.
With the foundations complete, those with high Body Cultivation put in the metal framework. The mages bent the framework into shape. Then molds were created, and stone chips poured in. A few fusing spells later, and the foundations were created. Supporting walls were added, and the basement was finished off as they moved to the second floor.
“Huh, they are using molds instead of growing out the stone. I guess there isn’t a ready source of stone beneath the building, and this way there is less mana expenditure. It takes more time.” Taran looked over to the growing groups.
Formations were placed around the trees and activated. Farmers checked the trees, rotating through them. Alchemists tapped into the trees, injecting concoctions or dropping it on the soil. Woodworkers checked the plans and the trees; they worked beside the farmers, telling them how they would like the trees shaped. The farmers and alchemists worked as one.
There were various kinds of trees. Some stretched their limbs across the ground, snaking together and creating floors. Others spread branches upward, creating the second floor; they weaved together, creating walls and stairs. Openings were left between the branches. Where there were gaps, wooden, weaved walls appeared with windowless openings.
Farmers and alchemists placed the windows, and the trees grew around them.
The resource cost was heavy, and there were so many concoctions! The farmers and alchemists had to alter their practices constantly to allow the building to grow properly.
The builders seemed to move slower than the growing groups, but their buildings were going up faster. It looked tiring, and there was always something going on. Constructing a building didn’t mean staying ahead of the materials’ growth speed but following the process step by step.
Taran watched, appreciating the different styles. He wrote some notes; a new door seemed to have opened in his mind.
If a building was broken, the materials could be used again to recreate the building. If the still-growing building was broken, then with enough resources and time, it could repair itself. The growing building acted like its own ecosystem, requiring constant maintenance. It could be slightly offset, and even normal buildings required maintenance over time. The growing houses took five to ten times as much energy to create. Each would be expensive.
The growing house group finished ahead of time and were talking with one another as they checked the building.
After a few minutes, the trees started to grow again, and the first-floor trees expanded the building outward.
Taran sat up. They could make the building grow again? Regular buildings could have additions, but they were much harder to construct. The trees opened to one another; instead of destroying walls, they adjusted to the new shape. With new blueprints, the builders would need to build a new house, and the growing group would need to hire a team and adjust the trees in place already.
Taran sunk into thought before he pressed his lips together and sighed as he wrote in his notebook.
Although the growing groups had a good idea, they didn’t have the planning or coordination of the builders, possibly because they could adjust their building and didn’t have to worry about the smaller things that were always part of the builders’ plans. They had systems built into the house to supply water, clean the waste, supporting the trees. People might drink more water or have more waste than one tree-house could sustain. They didn’t have a basement. Their heating and cooling system wasn’t as effective, and if not maintained, the house would fall apart and rot. The trees would recover with time, but they were not as strong as regular buildings. For bunkers, they wouldn’t be as useful. If the builders gave them some tips and worked together, they could be much better. A good starting idea, but it would require time to mature.
Taran was pleased as everyone finished their buildings by the time the gong sounded.
In just a few hours, they had made these houses. Working as a team really could help.
After watching the competition with Tan Xue, Julilah and Qin had a new outlook on everything. They went to as many competitions as they could to show their support and learn. They spent their nights judging separate formation competitions.
“There is so much to see, but I’m exhausted,” Qin complained.
“I heard from Jia Feng that there is a new formation department head in the Kanesh Academy,” Tan Xue said. Qin frowned and followed Tan Xue’s amused gaze to Julilah.
“I was going to tell you later, but…” Julilah pulled out a crest and put it on her chest with a grin.
“You!” Qin stared at the senior formation master crest. “W-what? When?”
“Uh, a few days ago. I have the most qualifications apparently, other than you, but you have the Vuzgal position.”
“When do you start?”
“Right after the competition!”
“Oh.” Qin sounded dejected. “So, where is your new workshop?” She picked at her fingers.
Julilah frowned. “Why would I get a formation workshop away from you?”
“I thought that…with your new position…you might leave.” Qin pressed her fingers together.
“You’re too silly. You think you’re getting rid of me that easy?” Julilah put her arm around Qin and pulled her forward. “I just needed more resources for my projects. Aren’t we always running out with only your resources?”
Tan Xue snorted.
Qin’s eyes widened. “What is your resource allotment?”
“Add twenty percent to what you get.” Julilah’s eyes were practically glowing. “Alva pays more.”
Qin showed a small smile.
“Just don’t forget to call me senior every day. How could I get that if you are in another workshop? Are you okay, Qin? Your color doesn’t look so good.”
Another critical hit. Please, sister, your wounds are too vicious! I’m older than you by nine months!
“Come on, the smithing competition is up next!”
Julilah dragged her through the stadium to the right arena.
They were a few minutes late, and the competition was underway. Smiths stood in the face of the ferocious flames, framing their strong backs, arms, and legs. Their muscles popped out as they refined ores with enhancers.
“On the outside, their actions are so violent, taking on the heat of such flames with their bare bodies, using their Strength to bend metal to their will. When you look at it from another point of view, they are turning their bodies into tools to shape the metal. Their actions are forceful, but it takes precision and ability to shape such fine items,” Qin said.
“We match formations to the items, but they have to be in touch with the materials on a much higher degree—something from nothing—while we are adding and enhancing what is already in front of us,” Julilah said.
They heard and saw the rhythmic strikes of the smiths as they made the metals sing. Their high Body Cultivation allowed them to work with the greatest flames and draw out more Strength from their bodies. Their Mana Cultivation was equally high to cast spells and see what was happening within the Metal and introduce mana. Their high cultivation in both areas meant they could create incredibly powerful items.
Delilah and Jia Feng sat in Delilah’s office. Egbert sat in a chair as well; he wore a jersey the tailors had created on the second day of the competition. The jersey supported the Alva academies, though Egbert had taken it one step further—he had added flags showing his support of different crafters. He looked as if he were one massive collage.
“Egbert, why are you still wearing the jersey and flags?” Delilah asked. “The competitions ended two days ago.”
“Ahem, well, I might have been a little liberal with the glue. You see, the flags stuck to the jersey, and some of the glue went through the jersey and uh... Well, it might be stuck to my bones.”
Seriously? He’d glued everything to his body by mistake? How was this guy still operating the dungeon core and library?
She closed her eyes, taking a breath before staring at Jia Feng.
“The competition was a great success. We had about seventy percent of the students participating in the matches. Registration is up across both academies. Traders are talking to more of the crafters than before. Some people want to host competitions throughout the year to test out their skills,” Jia Feng said.
“Do you think we will be ready for the one in Vuzgal?”
“I think so. This was great for their confidence. As for how they will place, I cannot give any guarantees. And we need to keep in mind that there will be people who want to make Vuzgal look weak.”
“Well, it depends on the atmosphere, doesn’t it?” Egbert picked at his shirt.
“What do you mean?” Delilah asked.
“Well, if we make it a competition of Vuzgal showing off their power to everyone, then it will be hard to hold that position for a long time. If, on the surface, it is an exchange of pointers and allows crafters to show their skills and teach one another, then if we lose sometimes, it will be nothing much. There are plenty of crafters out there, and it is good that we get to meet more powerful people. Vuzgal shows its power in being able to tempt these people. Play the neutral party with good rewards, pleased to invite anyone and everyone.”
“That could work,” Delilah said.
“Though, we should never let our Experts fight in these competitions,” Egbert said seriously, looking up. “If our Experts enter the field, then all the academy’s honor will be on their shoulders. If we make this a competition of the juniors, do it by age, and then we could have an edge. If we have all kinds of people coming in and challenging us, we’ll fall apart. A two-hundred-year-old skeleton challenging us? We have been studying for just a few years. As our crafters fall, people will look down on us. We need to manipulate the rules to appear stronger; otherwise, we reserve our Strength and stop our strongest from competing. That way, we are mysterious and have unknown depths. Personally, I think we shouldn’t let our people compete; we can control everything more.”
“They aren’t going to be happy. They want to compete and show off their power,” Jia Feng said.
“Well, we have a stadium here, no?” Egbert said.
“This is Alva. Even if they fail here, then it is not in the eyes of outsiders,” Delilah agreed.
“Okay,” Jia Feng agreed hesitantly.
“Everything we do outside the dungeon is under the greatest scrutiny. We have to watch our steps. Projecting our strength outward gives us cover.”
“I know. I keep forgetting just how the Ten Realms operates after spending so much time in Alva.”
5
Rudimentary Design
Rugrat quenched the metal. Steam rose around him as he put it on its side. He checked the different blueprints of the new rifle.
It was formed from a single piece of metal.
As it cooled, Rugrat felt Experience enter his body. He grimaced. There were no notifications telling him he had reached Expert level.
If he could prove the metal’s effectiveness, he could learn more formations and make them stronger next time.
“A bull pup?” Erik cracked open an eye.
The mana fluctuations in the smithy seemed to slow down as Rugrat felt the suction force from Erik’s body decrease.
“Longer barrel for greater acceleration.” Rugrat had an integrated stock with a thumbhole. The magazine was seated to the rear, near the shoulder. The barrel ran forward, reaching four separated pieces of metal with sections of runes with embedded gems to power them.
Staring at it, Rugrat felt proud; his blood surged in his ears. He pulled out a round. It was formed from Mortal mana stone, and he’d traced formations upon its surface.
“I don’t know complex runes, but this should be enough! These higher level smithy rooms, even here in this dungeon, have testing grounds. Should we see how it does?” Rugrat asked.
“Right behind you.” Erik laughed, eager to see the power of the weapon.
Rugrat opened a door, and they walked into a large sturdy room reinforced with formations and had targets along one side of the wall. He pulled out a vise and put the rifle into it. They retreated, and Rugrat put down a mana shield.
“All right, let’s give it a shot.” Rugrat grinned and pulled the string attached to the trigger.
Power flushed through the rifle. The metal melted, the runes distorted, and the gems exploded from the power coursing through it. The round amplified the power all around it, turning into one large bomb before it exploded. Metal shot off in all directions, embedding in the walls and the ceiling, striking the mana barrier.
“Ah, my formation skill isn’t that high,” Rugrat said.
“No worries. Creating takes time.” Erik patted his shoulder. “Come on, tomorrow we’re heading to the surface. We’ve got a meal with everyone else tonight.”
Rugrat glared at the smoking ruin and nodded, letting out a sigh.
“Yeah, I only worked on it for two days. My speed is getting better at least.” Rugrat deactivated the formation and cleared up the remnants of the rifle. Erik bent to give him a hand.
“You know, the crafting system is prejudiced as hell,” Erik said.
“Huh?” Rugrat looked over.
“You only progress if you take on higher challenges. Crafting is geared toward one person making powerful artifacts. Mainly weapons and defensive items.” Erik rested on his knee. “Like if you were to craft a spoon at the Novice level and a spoon of the Expert level, is there a need?”
“What do you mean?” Rugrat asked.
“A spoon is a spoon—you use it to eat. A Novice-level spoon might be rough, but it works. An Expert-level spoon, it works, it might look amazing, it might be reinforced, but the ability to have more formations and have an innate ability—it doesn’t need them. Nearly all crafters make weapons and armor, but they could as easily make high-level spoons. Though making spoons isn’t glamorous, there are some additions that can be useful, and one spoon is pretty useless. Mass production is undervalued. Few crafters do it because mass production is synonymous with crap and bad items that are liable to break.”
The two of them sank into thought.
“When you think about it, the weapons, the armor, the ammunition we used on Earth—hell, even the vehicles—all of them were mass-produced,” Rugrat said. “We’ve started that with the ammunition factories and production lines to create armor, concoctions, and weapons.”
“In the Ten Realms, formation masters work with others, but the other crafters rarely work with one another. Smiths might make cauldrons for alchemists, but they don’t make armor that will inject concoctions into a person’s body so they don’t have to drink liters of potions,” Erik said.
“But the people in Alva work together,” Rugrat said.
“They do, to an extent. They don’t see the overall value in working together, though. They use information from other crafts to advance their own, but there are a handful of projects where there are departments working together,” Erik said. “Simply, the Ten Realms rewards skill levels to those who create. It doesn’t reward people who keep doing it.”
Sixth Realm Part 2: A litRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 7) Page 6
