Ch 25 Jan -May

Journal entry Jan 18

I want to put this on paper, I'm frustrated. I thought it would be easy. I could just sit down and do it. I can't. It's been over a week trying to put together a mana battery. Something just to hold mana that isn't an enchantment. I know how it should go. I know how I want it to go. But it just won't work. I don't have the supplies here. I don't have what I want to use. All I have is bits and pieces of crafts that I could make work but not what I want it to work. So, I decided to use the stones and pavers. I have them still on hand. I went through a paver before I decided to stop. It wasn't pretty. It's a good thing I have a self-heal. Raven tried to warn me that I was pushing too hard on this, I didn't listen. I was too focused. I should have taken a break. Let me explain what happened in detail, I don't want to rethink it that much. But I'll explain. I need a record of it. I think it'll help to be reminded of my failure, since I don't have wounds to remind me.

Trying to make a mana battery, with no input or output. Just a passive inlay. I succeeded. It absorbed mana. But it didn't stop. And absorbed more than the paver could handle. I'm glad I didn't do it in my tent. There was shrapnel. I had to pristine the bathroom tent to patch holes. But I made a passive mana absorption enchantment. Which yay, I guess? But it didn't turn out well. Like I said, no output. Also, no lever. So where did the mana go? It didn't. It exploded the paver, and all the mana with it. About four feet from me. The only reason I survived is Raven. Who can apparently use my skills on me if I allow it. Which hell yeah. I’m getting nightmares about it. Chunks of stone ripping through my chest. I heard a few cracks and turned to see what it was. I didn't realize the paver was still absorbing mana after I put the enchant on. I thought it would stop if I wasn't doing anything to turn it on. Apparently I forgot to make an off switch.

I still shudder. I can barely go into the second room without thinking about it. The dungeon took my blood, and I survived, right? I just have to remind myself I survived. I'm all healed up now. Thanks to Raven using my heal skill on me. So glad I got a self heal. It made all the difference in the world. Especially since we are in the dungeon. I'm terrified if I wasn't. What would have happened to me if I was still enchanting in my apartment? Would I have enough mana to survive? Would I make it to a hospital? Would they have been able to heal me?

Ok stop don't think about it. I survived. Focus. I'm still here in the dungeon. I put the bathroom kit to the side for now. Since I know how to make a mana battery all I need to do is make input and outputs for it, which is more enchantment. So, I went back to making clothes. All sorts of them, and bags. So many. Nice and easy.

And knitting. I find it relaxing now that I know what I'm doing. I don't do anything fancy just the one stitch over and over again, same motion always. I made a scarf. It's kinda lopsided, but I still did it. I wonder if I can enchant it? I'll think about it later. I took a few days off after the accident. Just relaxing. I took the kiddie pool into the third room and did the hot/cold water on it, so now I have a hot bath. It's so nice to be able to just sit back and relax, and good news is that the reader is water proof, so I was just lying there reading for hours. Some fantasy mystery's whodunits. Just kept the hot water going. The overflow into the third room would be cleaned up by the dungeon so I could keep my bath hot as I wanted, no cold water for me.

It was a good day. I’m glad I didn't bring any alcohol into the dungeon with me. I would have drank hard after that accident. Not sure if I would be able to come back well. Been drinking a lot of milk though. Very relaxing, soothing. Kinda wish I bought a bottle of tea too.

Haven't started any new crafts, just bags and clothes. A lot of clothes are getting done quick with Ravens help. I’m doing them too though, so I get better. As I get better so does Raven. Haven't gotten to 100 of anything yet though. Haven't focused on a single item. I think we are done with all the shorts of every color though? And maybe skirts? There are a lot of skirts. Should ask Raven about that.

**

Pulling my head away from the pages I was writing in, I feel clearer headed. It did help to write everything down a bit. I turn to look at Raven who is still doing underwear.

“Raven, did we do shorts and skirts in every color?”

“Negative, user stated aprox. That 10 of each color was ‘good enough’ for each item. That has been completed for shorts, skirts, and boxers. Only items to be completed are women's underwear, bras, pants, tshirts, and button ups.”

Oh, I guess I said that at some point. Good enough for 20 of each color? How many colors did we get? Blue, green, yellow, red, black, white, orange, purple and grey? I think? I asked Raven and she confirmed it. 10 colors and 10 of each item. 100 items. Wow. Made 100 skirts? Did I not get the notice?

“Raven, I thought if I made 100 of each item, I could make it from mana then on? Did we not make 100 of shorts, skirts and tshirts?”

“Confirmed. Using same design and enchantment constitutes as same item.”

“Sweet. So, I can make shorts skirt and tshirt from mana.?”

“Confirmed, must have mana supply on hand. Will have pristine enchantment.”

I do a little dance. Never have to worry about clothes again. Even if it's plain clothes. I still have a choice of colors too. I sit down and try, just for you know, verifications sake.

As I sit there and concentrate. I focus on a light blue shirt. The same design all the previous shirts I made had. I can feel my mana coming together in my hands, it was so weird. Like mist pooling together, vapor condensing into water. I could feel the mana threading together into the cloth of the design I had used for the shirt. Then it was down, I was holding a light blue tshirt, my size even. I pulled it on, still only wearing shorts. The pristine on the side didn't bother me. But I fed it a little mana anyway, the shirt didn't change a bit. It was great, I can make clothes out of mana. Magic clothes. With this I should be set for credits. No one else has this. I should think about how much I sell these for. They have a built in pristine, which can repair them with mana? I think so. Thats how it has been working. Maybe I should make children's clothes too? Just cut down on the size?

“Raven, would a child be able to wear these if an auto size was applied?”

“Confirmed. The size would be altered even to a miniscule frame.”

Nice. Too bad id has to leave the dungeon to sell everything. I don't want to leave yet. I have so much more to craft. Like the bags. I should get to work on those.

**

Feb 8

Journal Entry

I had finally gone back to fixing the bathroom and shower. It took me a good bit. The mana battery did well with stones, I figured out to make an arrangement of stones to balance it out. The input was the person walking in, the system asked if they would pay in mana or in credits. Their choice. Then they could use the facilities as they wished, with directions on the hand soap, the pristine tags, of which they got two each visit. And how to use the shower. The customer is given two hours of water in the shower room. I think that's plenty of time. Its single person only so no hanky-panky going on.

The payment of mana will be a constant stream as long as they are in the facilities. But the credit payment will be 10 credits. Neither of which is a big deal if you shower once a day. I made a sperate toilet stall with the porch screens. Its much smaller and there isn't a floor to it. Just four poles with the tarp wrapped around a toilet and a pristine tag holder. The top comes to a point so no one can peek in that way. The idea is you use the pristine while you're still on the pot. And you'll be cleaned, kinda like a bidet. No hand wiping necessary. Its only 5 credits, since it's just the bucket with vanish and a pristine tag. Nothing to fancy just for going to the bathroom. But you can set these up pretty much anywhere. I'll have to see how much the system says to sell them for though. Don't want it to be too expensive.

**

I stretched my arms over my head. It's been a lot of work the last couple of weeks. Time is passing faster than I thought it would. I've been taking more breaks so that I don't burn out. I don't think I'll stay here months on end though. I'm starting to miss people. I pull a plate of mashed potatoes from my inventory. Hot with gravy on it I dig in. With my soda next to me I start munching.

“Raven, how many left on the basement backpacks til we reach 100?”

“47.”

“And the attic fanny packs?”

“Completed”

“Cool, cool”

The fanny packs didn't take long to make to be honest, we got into a process of parsing them down. A lot of them are cloth, mostly to give them to younger people, not adults. It was the messenger bags and backpacks that were going to be the big tickets for people. Again, can't wait to sell them in the system store. Ill have it made.

I didn't really care about the color or material of the fanny packs, just something mostly sturdy. So, I made double layers of cloth or denim or canvas. This way there would be less harm to them. I still haven't made it to lvl 50 in enchanting.

Skill

LVL

Exp Gain

Enchantment

72

22.3%

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Oh, I haven't look recently. I suppose I could do double enchantments now. I'm not sure I want to try something new, however. Especially right this minute.

it feels a little too easy to level up though? Like there should be a cap sooner or later, right? Maybe I'm missing something. I turn to Raven and ask.

“Raven is there something I'm missing about the skill levels? I feel that I'm going through them faster than before.”

“Confirmed, user has doubled experience with Raven combining uses.”

“So, I'm getting the exp, even though you're the one enchanting them?”

“Confirmed.”

I decided I'll think about it later. It should be a while more til I have to worry.

Before I work on double enchantments, I want to finish off all the current clothes and bags. I need to make a durability enchantment. Maybe something to prevent damage? Or make a null force applied to the item? That would help with the bags at least.

Going to the desk inside the green tent and sitting at the empty table. Pulling paper out I start to doodle, what do I think of when I think durable? Or protective? Shield or barrier? But that's not my true intent, is it? I want to keep the item from being damaged yes, but I want to make sure that the bags don't come apart. So, something to prevent it from being sliced or tearing or cut. The sealant tag comes to mind, but that was a partial fix not a whole fix, I needed a preventive measure.

The bags biggest issue is that if they were damaged all the items would be lost or destroyed or thrown out of the bag. Not sure which would happen. Not in a hurry to find out. Thinking about it duct tape comes to mind, as does mesh. Wire mesh specifically. Duct tape is durable and while it can be cut the way it's made is designed to be cut, but if it wasn't. Wire mesh isn't designed to be cut. Think of all the medieval armor made from chainmail.

But something smaller, miniscule in fact. What was it they were trying to make? Carbon microfiber? Something along those lines. Itty bitty microscopic mesh netting. Thats what I need to keep in mind for the bags protection. Mesh netting on a tiny scale. To prevent cutting and tearing. To hold it together.

Holding the paper, I tear a few squares out. One I try and think of wire mesh and scribble a design I think fits. But I can't hold my focus on it. It reminds me too much of chainmail. It would be good for the clothes maybe? As a sort of armor? Advertise as discreet armor? With pristine and durability on it I think most people would go for it. Sell just pristine clothes separately for regular non-dungeoneers.

Using another square I focus again on wire mesh. Microscopic mesh netting holding something together. I keep that image in my head. Then I think of plaster. How we use netting in plaster to put on walls to hold the plaster mud on. Thats what I needed plaster mud and netting. Using the new image in my head. I focus once more. I think of a bare wall getting coat after coat of plaster with mesh netting the netting getting so thick you can't see through it. And mud being applied at just the top layer to hold the netting in place. I start doodling the idea down, starting with a ball of webs. Scribbling over it, over and over again. So all you can see it the wire, never what's inside. Then I circle it with the plaster in mind to hold it in place. So, it can't go anywhere, to protect the netting and keep what's in it safe.

I feel like this worked. I also feel incredibly drained again. Two new enchantments in an hours span.

“Raven, when was the last time I ate?”

“User last ate 8 hours ago.”

Ugh, that was around 2 am this morning. So, its 10 am Feb 8? Sounds about right. I really haven't been keeping a sleep schedule. I should try and keep track of that better. But I pay attention when I've been awake for more than 20 hours and that's about it. I don't feel it's been long enough to be hungry, but I can't remember when I slept last either.

“Raven when did I last wake up?”

“User woke up 14 hours ago.”

Maybe that's why. I don't feel it's been a long day. But I could use a lie down. I shuffle to my dining table and pull something out, I still need to sort this a little better. Raven sorted it into general categories of breakfast, lunch, dinner, based on general region. Makes it much easier to pull something American than Asian, but I like exploring things.

After something Mexican spicy, I head to my shower for a relaxing time. Then it was bed.

**

April 18

Journal Entry

I got the bags working, with the plaster mesh. I think it was a good use. Doing a double enchantment was much easier than I anticipated after reaching level 50. All I had to do is feed the first enchantment mana and incorporate the second enchantment into the first. So, there was a bit of feedback and now if one gets ruined they both will, but they will both need mana, but not twice as much as if they weren't incorporated. If I just put two enchantments on the same item, then you would have to use mana twice and keep it separate. This way you only use mana once and it feeds them both.

I put this on all the bags. But I only did half the clothes. I can just make more clothes. I can market all the bags as useable, to everyone and the clothes to dungeoneers and regular folk. I still have to wait to see what the system wants to sell the clothes and bags for, but I should get a good profit. We have mostly finished the regular clothes, I'm just going back through to add the chain mesh to half of the clothes, so 5 of each color will have chain mesh durability and pristine. 5 of each color will just have pristine. There are ten colors total. It was a lot of clothes, but we are getting through it. Tshirt, button up, pants, knee length shorts, knee length skirt, Plain boxers for men, plain under wear for women. The most basic sports bra for women. It was a good basic list. Common everyday wear. 8 items to get everyone through the average day. I know there are a plethora of other clothes out there, but I wanted to make the simplest things. So, I did. 10 shirt of each color. 10 colors. That was 100 shirts enchanted. Half enchanted again. It didn't take long to make each item. But to enchant them took maybe 30 minutes? An hour? Which is why it took over a month. I was starting to get antsy about leaving the dungeon. I have plenty left to do. I've been crafting the kits I bought. I truly enjoy knitting. I've made several wash clothes, since I picked out quite a bit of cotton yarn. I didn't have enough yarn of the same type to make a blanket, else I would have. I made another scarf too. This time purple varying.

I've been practicing with the whittling kit as well. Its slow going but I feel I've made progress with it. I've only been able to carve two small bird statues. They fit in my hand well, and the kit came with polish, so they look nice.

I've been going through the kits as well. Macrame isn't too bad. Beading can be irritating. Clay modeling is entertaining. Made a birdhouse. Liked origami. Liked windchimes. Haven't tried the quilting or weave looming yet. Made some soap, came out half decent. I didn't try enchanting any of the kits though. These were just there to do something else and distract me. Just for fun I should say. I spent little time watching movies, but I did read some. I’ve mostly been working on the clothes. Since I was double enchanting them.

The entire time I've been in the dungeon feels like a vacation truly. A break from reality. Doing whatever I want. No job demanding my time. No rent to worry about. Just me and crafting as I wish. Relaxing whenever I feel like. If it wasn't the lack of people getting to me I'd probably do this on a regular basis. Make a few big projects in dungeon come out and sell them, then go back into the dungeon. Just shop around in my time outside and socialize as much as I can.

But I can't do that. I would forget myself and the people around me. I would lose track of the dates, and the time spent in dungeon more then out. That could lead to disaster. I know to them it's only been 30 minutes, but to me it's been almost 4 months. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay in the dungeon. I've considered a few times to pack up and leave, but something else drags my attention away. From doing the bags to the clothes. To making even more wands.

Sometimes when I'm bored ill just sit and make a pristine wand. Since I can make them with just mana all it takes is a little bit of concentration in the dungeon. It gets easier as time goes on. I wish I had made 100 of the other wands too, like color or saved some for durability. Too late now. I can make pristine and sealant wands just from mana. I’ll be able to sell them in mass when I leave the dungeon. With luck DMC will be able to take them all. If not, hopefully they will be able to negotiate to other hospitals.

I need to stop thinking about it like ‘the outside world’ and think about it like ‘the real world’. I'm not a hermit. I'm not agoraphobic, really. I need to focus on finishing up though, what's left for me to do?

**

I sit back and think a moment. What is left for me to do? All the clothes are finished. All have pristine. Half have chain mesh. I made plenty of bags. For the three types I made 40 of each. In varying materials and colors. All with the original space enchantment and with the plaster netting. I'm nearly done with all the yarn I brough. I went through most of the kits I have.

Taking stock of my food supplies I see I have about a hundred meals left. Not counting closely. Could ask Raven, but I don't feel like it. The more I stay in the dungeon the more Raven feels alive, which is nice. More like a companion. But Raven hasn't changed, my perspective has.

I haven't finished any of collections of movies or reading or games. Which is nice, so I'll still have those in my downtime. I think for a moment and call status.

Name

Level

Exp Gain

Arthur Turner

2

364.24%

Still level 2. but I should be able to level up once I leave. Would I level up three times in one nap? How long until the dungeon levels up? How long until enough people level up? I wonder if something will happen at level 5? The system seems 5 based. Or maybe I biased. Since the US is base 10.

Dragging my thoughts back on track. What is left to do? I can just sit here and relax and make more wands? I can just make clothes for a while more? Have more options? I could likely figure out child sizes and go that route. I could maybe design other articles of clothing, it shouldn't be too hard after making so many clothes now? The only real trouble I had was with bras and under wear, nearly running out of elastic. Some of them are mismatched colors. But since I folded the fabric over the elastic it really wouldn't matter, right?

I need to stop double guessing. I followed the instructions well, and they look nice after pristine. They should fit just about everyone with an autosize. Sighing I stand up from the desk and move over to the computer. Youtube of silly puppy videos will make me feel better.

**

May 5

Journal Entry

Its official. I need to leave the dungeon. I have thousands of wands down both pristine and sealant. I went to shower last week, and I nearly fell asleep while standing. I just zoned out, I'm getting bored and restless. I've started packing up. The shower I'm tying off as one item. just keeping the poles and everything and wrapping it around the enchantments. So, I can set it up outside and sell to the system. After I made the tag holder it was easy. I just need to link the tag holder to the system store, but I can't do that in the dungeon.

I have thousands of wands to sell. I can just pick up all the rugs. Empty the kiddie pool. Pick up all the chairs. I started with the kits and tables. Those were easy to pack up. Just clearing them off made the space more open and bigger. I packed up spare tent so all that is left is bedroom tent. I have dining table out still but both crafting tables are packed into my inventory. The unused cloth I can get other clothes patterns, I guess? Or maybe something else? Maybe sheets and blankets? Quilts? Maybe I could have made tents with the cloths. They wouldn't have been waterproof like modern tents however.

We made over four thousands wands, pristine and sealant. I could have made more, but I was tired of it. I didn't make that many tags, however. Since the wands are more permanent. and most dungeoneers can buy tags through the store.

What else can I do? Looking to the future do all I want to do is make wands?

Dragging myself away from the dining table where I wrote. I looked around the nearly bare room. All that was left was the bedroom tent with the lounger and my dining table. I had put one of the other chairs next to the dining table for when I wanted to craft something, but at this point I wasn't doing much besides playing on the laptop or reading books. I had Raven making more wands still, so I had more to sell to different hospitals. There was so much I could have done if I had prepped right, but hindsight. The worst part is I didn't think about supplies. I have too much cloth and not enough bags. People want sturdy looking bags, not pretty purple fabric. But I can sell them around. Especially to the store. All different types to the store first and then to different people. Maybe through the growing guild?

Ill level up soon as I nap. Which shouldn't take long to do. Just jump to my apartment and nap then jump to DMC. After selling everything to the system store of course. I'm starting to look forward again. The time in the dungeon felt like a refresher. And to remind me that I can't isolate. It was nice while it lasted. But I do need people in my life. I'll have one last sleep in the dungeon and when I wake up tomorrow it'll be time to leave.