Bog Standard Isekai

Book 2. Chapter 21

Brin’s first night training with the sword again didn’t go as well as he’d hoped. His hands were used to holding a spear now. Hogg had only gone over the sword forms with him a couple times, and he was still in bed recovering from his ordeal with Neptune’s cavern. Brin was certain the old guy would get up and practice with him if he asked–if only to show that he could–but Brin didn’t want to ask. Even Hogg had to have limits.

Rather than practice incorrectly, he followed Hogg’s example and decided to get to bed on time for once.

The next day started with the usual workout with Davi. To his relief, Davi was the same as he always was. If he resented Brin for hanging out with Myra yesterday, he didn’t show it. Actually, the big guy was in a great mood when Brin found him outside his family barn.

“Look at this!” Davi held up a disk of metal. It was the size of a dinner plate, except a half-inch thick.

“Whoa. Is that–?”

“Weights!” said Davi. “I know you said you wanted to commission them, but there’s no reason I can’t talk to Toros, too. He liked the idea so much he gave me a discount. The money came from an advance from Hela.”

“You didn’t have to… Here, tell me how much it was and I’ll pay for half.”

“No way!” said Davi. “These are mine. You can borrow them whenever you like, though.”

Brin walked over to lift one up. There was a stack of about twenty, and they were all the same size. When he picked one up, he was surprised at the weight. It was much heavier than it looked.

“That one’s a hundred pounds. The lighter colored ones are fifty, and the black ones are twenty-five,” said Davi.

The weights were different shades of black and gray, but none of them were any bigger or smaller than the others. If he’d had to guess, he’d call these ten-pound weights on earth. Toros must’ve enchanted them for weight. It would make sense to use less material and enchant it to be heavier, given how expensive metal was around here. Still, he didn’t think Davi should be able to afford something like that, no matter how much Hela had paid him. Toros must have drastically discounted himself, which wasn’t a surprise. Everyone liked Davi.

“Have you tried it out yet?” asked Brin.

“I was waiting for you,” said Davi.

The wooden bench Davi had set up didn’t look sturdy enough to deal with the amount of weight they’d be dealing with, but it [Inspected] as a Bog Standard Bench, which meant that there wouldn’t be a problem. Davi had even commissioned a rack for the bar, complete with wooden J-hooks just like Brin had described. It still surprised Brin to see wood fill so many places he’d expect to see steel in his old world, but if there was one thing Hammon’s Bog was good at, it was crafting with wood.

The thing that surprised Brin the most when he started to be let in on all the town gossip was how little of it had been about him. Even Zilly, Myra, and Davi weren’t the main subjects of gossip. Most of it had centered around two other people from their same System Day: Rodrige the [Carpenter] and Gill the [Woodworker]. Sure, people would be interested in his competition with Zilly, and Jeffrey might be trying to motivate Davi by trying to force some kind of rivalry with Brin, but those were just side-shows. The main event was the rivalries between the various wood crafting Classes.

“Well, go on,” said Brin, and Davi needed no further encouragement.

He lay on his back on the non-padded wooden bench, but then remembered he hadn’t set any weight on the bar and started to get up again.

“I’ll do it,” said Brin. He started with two-hundred pounds. A fairly standard max for someone who’d been lifting for a couple months in his old world.

Davi pumped the bar a few times as if it weighed nothing. Brin had been expecting that, but better safe than sorry. He added another hundred pounds, with the same result.

At four-hundred, Davi started to feel it. At five hundred he strained, but still asked Brin to keep going.

With five-hundred and fifty pounds of weight, Davi pumped the bar twice, then heaved slowly on the third, barely managing to get it all the way up. He tried once more, but didn’t make it. Brin had to help, and between the two of them they barely managed to get the bar back in place.

“That’s insane, Davi. You’re literally a monster.”

“Ooh! Notification. I got a Strength for that.”

“Let me try!”

Brin started at two hundred, and was surprised at how light it felt. Sure, he knew it would be that way, but it still felt unreal. Davi added more weight, and three-hundred pounds barely felt different. At four-hundred pounds, it was considerably harder. He maxed out at four-hundred and fifty. He’d gotten much closer to Davi’s weight than he’d expected.

Congratulations! Through training you have increased the following attribute: Strength +1

Brin smiled. “Today is going to be a good day.”

After the workout he went over to Ademir’s workshop. The [Crafter] ushered him inside as soon as he reached the door. “Come. Come and see.”

He put on the thick leather gloves, and then opened the door to the cooling kiln, to pull out a crystal-clear glass bottle.

“I hope you don’t mind that I got started without you,” said Ademir. Excitement danced in his eyes, although Brin didn’t really get what he was looking at.

“That looks a lot like the bottles we made yesterday,” said Brin.

“Exactly!” said Ademir.

“I don’t get it.”

“The difference is, I made this one completely by myself!” Ademir announced.

Brin shrugged. “I get that. It’s nice to know you can do something yourself instead of needing help every step of the way. But you literally taught me how to make glass. I don’t think it’s flattery to say you’re an infinitely better craftsman than I am.”

Ademir laughed. “No, no, no. It’s not that. It’s like this: I always knew you would make clear glass, but I thought you’d do it my way, and then use your Class to clear up all the imperfections. But that’s not what we’ve done here. You actually found a recipe for clear glass that anyone could use.”

“Oh, right,” said Brin. “When we did this yesterday, you were worried that it was just my Class buffing things out.”

“Exactly. And now we’ve proven that wasn’t the case.”

Brin nodded. “I can see why that’s exciting, although to tell you the truth, I already knew that.”

Ademir put the bottle back in the cooling kiln. “Let me show you something else.” He carefully pulled out a square foot sheet of glass, so perfectly clear that when he held it at a flat angle it almost seemed to disappear.”

“Wow,” said Brin.

“I started this one last night. The process isn’t exactly like you described. Many imperfections clung to the top and I had to split off a layer. I honestly don’t think it would’ve been possible without my Class, but even so, I still did it. This is a better window than I’ve ever made, by far.” He put it back in the cooling kiln and shut the door.

Brin patted him on the back. “Congratulations! That’s a great window. It’s going to sell for a premium.”

“It’s more than that,” said Ademir. “It’s a step forward. I’ve been making glass because that’s what the town needs, but I’d long since given up on ever getting any good at it. No matter how many levels I got in [Crafter], my glass was never going to get any better unless I wasted a Skill on it, assuming I even got offered something like that. I think I’d settled into the idea that I’d peaked. But this doesn’t have anything to do with levels. It’s all about finding new workarounds and methods. Technique! Honestly, that type of thing is what made me want to be a [Crafter] in the first place. I don’t want to make the same thing every day forever. I want to make something new, and better each day.”

Brin glanced over at the non-glass section of the workroom. One of the tables had a surprisingly lifelike doll, only a foot tall, in the process of being painted. It was a wooden man with hinges to make him moveable, like an action figure.

“Is this going to help you make better dolls?” asked Brin.

Ademir chuckled. “I think you’ll find next year’s toys will have startlingly lifelike glass eyes.”

“Can’t wait,” said Brin.

Ademir clapped. “Well, let’s get started, shall we?” He walked back towards the other kiln, a certain spring in his steps. Ademir looked good. Healthier, and it wasn’t just that his bald patch was starting to grow in and make his ponytail look less ridiculous. It was like a weight had been lifted.

He used [Inspect] on Ademir, just in case.

Name Ademir Sa Race Human Age 34 Class Crafter

He must’ve had [Hide Status] partially activated, because he didn’t show his level and there was nothing about Skills.

They worked on bottles at first, and Ademir spent a little bit of time after each one, gazing at the glass as if he couldn't believe that he'd really done it. The fogginess issue must've been bothering him more than he let on.

Next, it was time to make glass panels for windows. Rather than try the tin bath again, Ademir went back to the old method of blowing a glass cylinder and then flattening it.

"The tin bath method still needs refinement, but not to worry. I'll work on it. In the meantime, you should learn this method. Your Skills will soon fix the waviness that comes up. Why don't you give it a try?"

Up until now, Ademir had always done the panels with Brin's assistance, but he wasn't exactly nervous. He'd seen Ademir do this a dozen times. He took a big glob of molten glass on the end of his blowpipe, and got to work. Blow, spin, roll, repeat, until he had a huge glass cylinder. Ademir cut the end, letting the bottom open up, and Brin kept spinning. When he thought it was ready, he broke off the end, cut the side, and began flattening it.

He put a little bit of power into [Shape Glass], focusing on the image of the glass going perfectly straight and even like the glass Ademir had just shown him. The magic moved a lot easier than it ever had before; he'd leveled it up a lot yesterday and now it flowed almost as naturally as using his own hands.

He didn't use too much, though, just a little push. This was his first try here, and he didn't want to repay Ademir's trust by making the same huge black bubbles that he'd created the first time he'd used [Shape Glass].

Ademir looked quite pleased with Brin's glass panel, and let him make one more.

Alert! [Shape Glass] leveled up! 13->14

"Actually, do you mind if I try something else? I haven't tried using [Summon Glass] since getting all those levels yesterday."

Ademir rubbed his hands togethers. "Be my guest! I was actually hoping to see this."

There wasn't anything to set up, since this would be all magic. Brin stepped over to an empty table in the glass part of the workshop and concentrated. He slipped into [Meditation], clearing his mind of anything except for glass, the pure mental image of what he wanted to create. He pictured a flat glass panel, a foot square.

">"

He felt a tug on his magic as a glass bead appeared on the table, popping into existence from thin air. Then more appeared, piling up and pushing the others out of the way until a large handful sat scattered around the surface of the table. His magic felt far from spent. He could do that much five more times, he estimated. A notification appeared.

Alert! [Summon Glass] leveled up! 10->11

Congratulations! Through training you have increased the following attribute: Magic +1

"No way! I just got a Magic!" said Brin.

Ademir smiled. "It always goes quickly at first. How much Mana do you have left? I bet you could get one or two more."

"Magic is impossible to train. Why is it going so fast now?" asked Brin.

"Because you have magic now," Ademir said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I've had magic for a while. Is it because of the Language? If it's this easy, why doesn't everyone learn the Language before System Day?"

"I'm not exactly an expert on the Language, to be honest. It's more useful to some Classes than others, but the main reason is that even if you know the Language you can only use it on the Magic your Class gives you. Even if you learned all the words for fire and ice and wind, you'll only ever be able to make glass. Also, the Language is much easier to learn when you have something to use it for. It would be like teaching a deaf person to speak. They can learn; it's totally possible. But if you knew they were going to grow ears in a couple years, it would save everyone some time and trouble to just wait and teach them when they can hear. Maybe a bad example."

"No, I think I get it," said Brin. "Let me try again."

He didn't get why [Summon Glass] had created a pile of spheres. They weren't perfect, they were blobby and misshapen, but all about the same size. He focused on the glass panel he wanted, and tried again. More balls appeared and he cut the magic off a little quicker this time.

"Why do I only get little balls?" asked Brin.

"You're asking the wrong guy. I never had any [Summon] Skills," said Ademir.

He decided to ask Chamylla about that and try something else. He scooted all the little balls into a pile to test [Shape Glass]. He didn't know any words in the Language for this, so he [Meditated] again, focusing on the idea of the glass bonding and all the little balls melting into one big ball. Once he was satisfied, he activated [Shape Glass] and pushed.

The magic caught immediately, and he felt the drain on his Mana. The balls melted into each other, exactly like he'd hoped, but the perfectly clear glass darkened a bit and fogged up, leaving him with a very lumpy, misshapen blob.

He emptied his mind, made an image, and started again. [Shape Glass]. The glass cleared up a bit, becoming transparent again and the shape evened up until it became a perfect sphere.

He let the magic drop, and found that he was gasping. He was sweating as if he'd just run a mile, and breathing heavily even though his body wasn't tired at all. His mana was down to about a quarter of the whole.

Alert! [Shape Glass] leveled up! 14->15

Congratulations! Through training you have increased the following attribute: Magic +1

Level up! Level 16 -> 17 +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Vitality, +2 Mental Control, +1 Will, +2 free attributes.

You still have 1 free general Skill.

He found himself grinning ear to ear. The constant stream of levels was a nice bonus, but that was just the icing on the cake. He was doing magic. Real magic! He hadn't realized how hungry he'd been for this, and now he wanted more. It was like the first piece of bacon for breakfast. Delicious, but just enough to make him wake up to how hungry he was.

He used [Shape Glass] again, but this time, he concentrated on changing the color of the surface of the ball. He knew that his knowledge of Glass would help improve his Skills abilities to modify it, and he seemed to remember something that was perfect for this. An encyclopedia that listed off the different elements that changed the color of glass. Sulfur for yellow, nickel for violet...

His parents were arguing. They never argued, but when they did the rest of the house went still in shock. It was like even the toasters and microwaves and washing machines would bow their heads in silence and wait for the storm to pass. Mark sat huddled over a children's encyclopedia in his room, trying to block it out.

"I think there was a thousand other things you could have done today! I've been working all morning!" said Mom.

Dad said something. His voice was quieter when he was angry.

"You should've thought about that before you--"

This is now. This is now. Brin gasped as he brought his attention back to the present. He held a smooth, shiny glass sphere in his hand. It was a beautiful, glossy green color. Absolutely amazing for a first attempt, but the victory felt hollow.

"I think I'm done for today," Brin mumbled, and stumbled away back home.

Hogg was up, sitting in his favorite reclining chair when Brin walked in. He must've recognized the look on Brin's face, because he said, "Again?"

Brin ignored him and flopped down on his bed. He'd thought he was past this, but if it was still possible for him to become debilitated by a sudden memory, then he needed to adjust his priorities. He needed to work on [Meditation] until he was certain his mind was under his complete control.

He [Meditated], but didn't guide it by anything. He just focused on centering himself, and getting his emotions under control. Once he was sure he could handle it, he examined the memory. As far as he knew, his parents had been happily married. They didn’t argue that often, which is why it was so shocking when they did. It's just that of all the memories he'd want perfectly preserved, that wasn't one of them. He watched the scene, and then gave careful attention to the information in little Mark's book. Then he let it go.

Alert! [Meditation] leveled up! 18 -> 19

When he opened his eyes, Davi was in his room, holding his lute.

He winced and sat up, but taking stock, he really did feel a lot better. These episodes were getting a lot easier to manage. "How long was I out?"

"It's pretty early in the afternoon," said Davi. "I've only been here for a few minutes."

"I see," said Brin.

Davi held up his lute. "I figured we should play. We've both been so busy it's been a while since we just hung out."

Brin stepped over and grabbed his own lute. Davi started a fairly simple tune, and Brin started to play along. He wasn't that talented, though, and only managed to hit a few of the important chords. Davi played it again, and Brin managed to follow along, but it was still awkward.

"You play the melody and I'll accompany," said Davi.

Brin did, and started the adventurer's song. Davi played the accompaniment perfectly. When the song finished, Brin played another, and for a while they just jammed.

They played one song after another. Brin let the music wash over him. He’d missed this. When Gustaff died, the music had died with him. It had been everywhere; in the fields when you worked or in the town square when you just wanted to sit and listen. He missed it.

"Did Hogg put you up to this?" asked Brin.

"Yeah," Davi admitted. "But it's not like I didn't want to."

"Thanks, man."

Davi stopped playing and started fiddling with his lute. He pretended to tune it, although it obviously didn't need to be tuned. He was trying to look casual.

He looked at the floor. Then met Brin's eyes. Then he looked at the floor again. "I've been meaning to ask. How long until you get [Illusionist]?"