After the priest left and before Nikola went to bed, he checked his progress,
+10 exp, 40
Gain basic magic scripture skill 1/5 90% complete +0.2 Int, Per per level
Int 5.10 -> 5.30 [5.35]
Mana 4.02/15.16 -> 4.02/15.45
The next day, Nikola got up early and started his daily routine, he completed his morning practice, which turned into a skill called Basic Modern fitness training 75% 1/5. +0.1 to all physical stats
And then went to the training ground to practise sword and shield. Levelling them up.
---
+40 exp,
Exp 80/84 Level 1/5
Basic Sword training 1/5 100% complete +20 exp
Basic Sword training 2/5 40% complete
Basic Shield training 1/5 100% complete +20 exp
Basic Shield training 2/5 40% complete
Pow 5.30 -> 5.50 [5.61]
Den 5.20 -> 5.30 [5.41]
Dex 5.20 -> 5.30 [5.41]
Spe 5.20 -> 5.30 [5.41]
End 6.20 -> 6.30 [6.43]
After lunch, he went and visited the blacksmith.
“Good morning, Alice, can I visit your father,” Nikola called out to her as he approached.
“Yes, Milord, I’ll take you around the back,” The two walked around the back. With Nikola’s guard walking behind.
“Father, the young lord wishes to see you,” Alice called out as they came into the workshop. It had two walls on its back and right side, while the left side was a giant arch and its front being two giant arches of the same size, the front was facing the rear of the blacksmith’s house.
Nobody would rob from the blacksmith; the garrison would hunt them down within hours. All of their equipment and repairs were completed here. It was one of the reasons the blacksmith was inside the palisade and one of the closest to the manor.
“Ah, young Lord,” the blacksmith bowed, “how may I help you.”
“I wish to learn blacksmith, as well, I would like two different locks from you,” Nikola stated his intent bluntly, the town was used to Nikola’s way of speaking. In fact, they welcomed it compared to the ‘airs’ other nobles put up, they hated their own time wasted while they loved to waste your time. Nikola didn’t like wasting time in general whether it was his own or the people he was conversing with.
This also gave him a mature feeling, especially compared to his age.
His guard was shocked from hearing that Nikola wanted to learn blacksmithing, as it wasn’t a job nobles took up.
“Em, sure, but is this what you want, you haven’t been baptised yet so it may do you no good.” The blacksmith said.
“I’m running a test, I heard a rumour that you can cheat the baptism, if you have physical experience, to start you off in a higher tier, in case it’s true, I am trying to get as many skills under me as possible. Further, a special build I found requires the blacksmith and tinkering skills.” Nikola explained, using partial truths.
“I see, hence the two locks you need. Alright, I’ll teach you something, but at the start, it’s just boring repetition,” the blacksmith took a sweeping glance around his shop, “hear,” he picked up an iron bar, a pair of tongs and a hammer. “The first step to blacksmithing is getting used to the hammer, watch closely,” he placed the iron bar in the furnace and waited for it to heat up to a near-white colour.
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“Once it is near white pull it out with the tongs and place it on the anvil.” The blacksmith had a few anvils, so even if Nikola worked on one, he wouldn’t get in the way of the blacksmith. The blacksmith struck the iron bar with the hammer, “see these black things on the surface of the bar, these are called impurities, each strike of the bar will send a few flying out of the bar, we need to do this until the work no longer justifies the gains.”
The blacksmith continued hitting until the iron bar simmered down to a dark orange glow, “Once it goes to this colour, back in the furnace with it, and the process starts again, do you reckon you can handle it.”
Nikola nodded and was handed the hammer and tongs, “Don’t fret to call me if you need help, no one’s an expert in a day.”
Nikola got to hammering away, his hammer strikes didn’t sound nearly as loud or as prominent as the blacksmith. He continued up until evening, which would be when his lessons start. He walked home awkwardly, his stamina nearing 0 and his body feeling like it was on the verge of falling apart.
He and the guard made it back in time to meet the priest for his evening lessons. The guard dropped the two locks next to Nikola and returned to his post.
“Good evening, Father,” Nikola greeted him.
“Ah, good evening, I heard you were at the blacksmith’s all afternoon, your mother wasn’t too happy to hear this, but alas she chose not to interfere.” The priest said with an amiable smile on his face.
“I see, I will make it up to her,” Nikola said.
“Good, good, my boy, anyway, shall we start with your education,” the priest said.
“Yes, Father, em,” Nikola paused.
“Yes?” the priest asked, knowing Nikola wanted to ask himself something.
“Can we focus on Maths and scripture until the baptism?” Nikola asked.
“We can do it, no problem, is there any reason?” the priest asked inquisitively.
“No, I’m just trying something,” Nikola said.
“I see.” The priest turned his back to go through his documents to sort out the lessons, they were currently in an office-like room, Nikola always had his lessons here, as that was one of its functions.
Once the lessons were over, Nikola returned to his room and looked down at his wrist.
---
+40 exp,
Exp 84/84 Level 1/5
Exp 36/100 2/5
Gain 1 stat point
gained basic blacksmithing, 1/5, 90% complete. +10 exp, +0.1 Pow, Den, Dex per level
Gain Basic Maths 1/5 100% complete +10 exp, +0.2 Int, Per per level
Basic Maths 2/5 12% complete +20 exp
Basic Studying 1/5 47% complete
Pow 5.50 -> 5.60 [5.71]
Den 5.30 -> 5.40 [5.51]
Dex 5.30 -> 5.40 [5.51]
Int 5.30 -> 5.70 [5.81]
Per 10.20 -> 10.60 [10.81]
Health 11.15/11.15 -> 11.15/11.93
Stamina 4.07/13.17 -> 4.07/14.28
Mana 3.28/15.16 -> 3.28/16.01
---
He had spent 9 mana studying maths today and over 15 points in stamina. He also noticed that lunch had regenerated his energies a lot faster during the meal and gave a 300% energy regeneration boost afterwards, which slowly regressed as time went on until it was no longer there.
Nikola had a large meal in the evening, while he was considered a big eater for his age, his mother would always consume almost 2-3 times his one plate. But with his ravenous appetite today he consumed a lot more as well. ‘Does this new power require more food, what if I get to a point where my food intake can’t match my needs?’
It was at this time that Nikola noticed something different about his mother’s meat, there was a slight vapour coming off of it, and it looked a lot more appetising.
‘Is that steam, no, it has a slight shade of purple… mana, was that a magical creature, didn’t mother say that the wolves that died were wind wolves, were they magical as well, their meats were delicious, maybe I should hunt some tonight, I am a lot stronger now.” His mind was working at full speed, and before he noticed it, he had used up two mana points.
“Are you ok Hun?” His mother called out.
“Er, oh, yeah, my mind was just wandering,” Nikola responded.
“Oh, because you’ve been drooling at my meat.” His mother stabbed the meat and waved it around.
“Oh, em, I’m sorry,” he wiped his chin, feeling some saliva.
“Hahaha, it’s ok, do you want more meat? I can get the maids to cook you something.” His mother offered.
“No, it’s ok.” He finished his meal, and not long after, they both went to bed. Nikola snuck out once again to hunt. He could only find 1 wolf and it gave him 50 exp
When he came back, he attempted mana meditation again, this time it didn’t take long until he saw that flash of light again. It was cyan in colour, Nikola reached out to it, but it suddenly zapped at his stretched-out arm, jolting around his body, and kicking him out of his sea of consciousness.
He woke up from it instantly, and his body was stunned in place this lasted for a few seconds before he regained control over his body.
‘What was that?’ he looked down to his right wrist.
---
+10 Exp
Exp 46/100 Level 2/5
Gained the mana Meditation skill, 1/5 48% complete, +0.02 to mana affinity per level, Per day, +0.1 Int, Wis per Level.
Unlocked your affinity for the Lightning element: 0.02/1
Able to channel the lightning element through your body.
+0.04% efficiency in casting lightning spells
-0.04% Efficiency to lightning spells cast against you.
Can only cast lightning-based spells,
Insufficient affinity to cast spells. Required 1 point in affinity.
---
‘It looks like I will be 2% efficient once I gain an affinity point, but what are lightning spells? The Railmancer said that this was one of the elements I needed, the other one is Metal.’
Nikola carried on like this, gaining most of his required skills, and maxing some of them before his father returned. As written in the Railmancer book, he gained ballistic skill (+0.1, Dex, Spe, Per), from throwing stones across the river, and tinkering (+0.1, Dex, Int, Wis) with the locks, manipulation was the last one, but he needed 1 affinity in mana first.