When Rick made it back to the city the guards had already opened the gate for the day. He was surprised that in running from the city to the mountain and back he had not seen any hostile animals or monsters. The area around the city must be heavily hunted for food and resources. As he approached the gates the sounds of the city and people reached his ears. Most of the city's residence had been up for some time moving about attending to errands or working at various jobs while children chased each other in play up and down the crowded streets.

Stopping just before entering the city, Rick changed out of his T-shirt and shorts by equipping the black outfit instantaneously, much to the shock of the guards. Laughing to himself because of the guard's reactions, he gave the guard a nod as he entered the city streets to become engulfed in the tide of people moving about.

Removing the library badge from his inventory, he pinned it to his Shirt and entered the library's large foyer. The guards apparently spotted the badge or remembered him from his first visit allowing Rick to enter through the large wooden double doors without questioning him.

Walking in as he scanned the room, curious to find out if Cynthia was working today. The lower level area was empty today, it may have been due to the time of day. This being a Medieval-like era not allot of people would have time to visit a library around noon. Then across the hall, he spotted her on a small wooden step ladder arranging books in a large decorative bookcase with her back to the main hall entrance.

With a wicked smile on his face, he crossed the room quietly until standing just behind her on the ladder.

haha, this is going to be great! Ok if I stand right about here it should be perfect.

Purposely raising his voice he greeted her while standing directly behind her. Without her knowing anyone entered Cynthia let out a startled yelp. Her hands full of books and losing her balance on the ladder she had no way to right herself and fell directly backward off the ladder. Rick had been waiting for this and slightly sidestepped while catching her in his arms. Before she could even register what had just happened he smiled greeting her.

"I wanted to drop in to see you today, but it looks like you dropped in to see me first." [Rick]

"C-Cedrick w wha how" flustered from the event that just played out, her mind still spun as she stammered out a response.

"I'm flattered to have such a cute girl like Cynthia remember my name." he said while still holding her in his arms.

Finally, she began to realize the position she was in turning bright red. "Thank you for saving me Cedric, I think I am fine now, can you please put me down."

"I did save you from that nasty fall, don't you think I deserve a reward?" He asked her with a serious look on his face.

"I d don nno what t to" Having no idea how to respond to him, with her heart pounding away, she looked to him with upturned pleading eyes.

"Okay, I will put you down even though I don't want to. " He said in a feigned depressed voice while slowly lowering her down until her feet were under her.

"Did I tease you a little too much, I'm sorry." He apologized to her while wrapping his arms around her hugging her to his chest for a moment.

Cynthia seemed taken aback by him hugging her for an instant, but then actually relaxed with her head on his chest.

"Y-yes you did it was all your fault, speaking up so suddenly from right behind me." In a pouting, angry voice, she retorted.

Lightly chuckling he let her go. "Yes you're right I should have been more careful."

"I came over to enter the 3rd-floor restricted room, and got too excited when I saw you working here today."

She then smiled, happy to hear he was excited to see her. "Well you made it with perfect timing we will close in a half hour so you have until then to use the room."

Rick then headed up to the 3rd floor and told the guard he had permission to use the room and was escorted there.

The guard unlocked and opened the door to the restricted room. Rick walked into a long narrow room lined with bookcases, that reminded him of the old slotted mailroom shelves. Each book had its own slot that kept them separated to allow airflow around them, and prevent them from damaging one another. The smaller end wall had a scroll shelf that was stacked with antiquated looking scrolls, and a small workstation next to it that was used by someone to copy the scrolls into book form. This room also has quite a few ornate bookstands exhibiting larger leather bound books. Glancing at the large open books he could make out that some even displayed beautiful artworks on their open pages.

Rick walked into the room deciding what he wanted to do before starting, which was to use his Photoreading skill to record the book locations. He began slowly circling the room committing all the books and shelf labels to memory. When he had finished he knew where every section and book was located now knowing where each book is that could help him before even entering this room.

He walked over to the section that was designated to magic and mages. There was a book he just entered to memory that interested him from because of the window title and description. Removing it from the book slot he carried it over to sit at a table and read through it.

The Art of Elemental Manipulation A teaching of how to shape and manipulate the basic elements of nature.

It explained how a mage used a technique similar to what he used to learn his iron scan skill. A mage, for example, wanting to learn earth element would feed their mana into the earth and gain a connection with the earth mana. Once a connection was formed then they would circulate their mana in while drawing out mana from the earth.

Absorbing the elemental mana into the body this way unlocks abilities and powers related to that affinity. As these insights are gained and the body is altered the mage's awareness of the specific element grows in strength. It would seem that the mage who practice elemental arts have strengths and weakness in each elemental affinity.

I would think that may have only applied to the people, not the players. They have bodies that are similar to are real bodies stats, skills, and spells are not an easy thing to acquire compared to our game character bodies that can pick up a skill or spell in a matter of a few hours.

After finishing the first book he returned it to the shelf and brought out a smaller book that also had caught his eye.

Portal creation and manipulation The knowledge of how to create, shape and manipulate portals. Altering of space to connect two locations

The book on portals was written by an actual mage who excelled in space affinity and devoted all his studies to mastering it. All of his failures and discoveries had been documented in his pursuit of the multiple uses he discovered throughout his life. The majority of the chapters he devoted to his portal travel pouring over every detail of worth from start to end.

The latter chapters covered his discoveries in other portal or space related skills that did not receive as much attention to detail. Rick recorded enough to of these other spells to figure them out with some experimentation over time.

These final chapters covered a few of these spells that interested him. An offensive black hole, summoning items and people to your location and projecting your voice over long distances.

I am just about out of time here, I should get going so I don't keep everyone later than they need to.

Rick thanked the guard at the door for his time and walked back downstairs to the main hall on the first floor. There he found Cynthia who was preparing to head upstairs to tell him he only had a few minutes left.

"Hello Cedric you finished early did you find anything of use?" [Cynthia]

"I did get to read a couple interesting books and found quite a few that I might want to review in the future." [Rick]

"That's great then I'm gla....wait you read couple books?" [Cynthia]

laughing at her reaction he let her in on the skill he learned that allows him to memorize each page by focusing on it and blinking.

"It is a useful skill for the pursuit of knowledge but kind of takes the fun out of reading a story." [Cedric]

She just shook her head in disbelief whispering something to herself about cheating.

"I don't want to keep you here any longer are you heading home now?" [Cedric]

"Yes, I'm done now, the guards will lock the door after we leave, keeping watch over the library in shifts until the opening in the morning."

Then they walked outside together, standing in the street he talked her into letting him walk her home. She didn't want him to go out of his way, seeing she lived on the far side of the city.

He explained how he knew so little of the town, and wouldn't mind if she could point out some locations along the way. After she heard him ask for help she agreed and they set off talking about businesses they passed, and how the residential districts are divided between the feudal classes.

Cynthia's neighborhood reminded Rick of the old row houses and brownstone apartments. Tall thin buildings connected to form a wall of homes lining the street. The homes looked to be in need of numerous minor repairs but the neighborhood was kept clean and the people seemed friendly to one another.

Rick noticed after his evaluation of the area that Cynthia had her head down looking slightly embarrassed of her neighborhood.

When they reached her home Cynthia's mother whom she lived with happened to be outside talking to some of the other women of the neighborhood. Her mother could have passed for a twin if not for the slight silver that highlighted her hair.

Her Mother upon seeing Rick with her was shocked to see her quiet daughter escorted home by a man. Waving the other women off Cynthia's mother invited him in.

The house was well kept and clean with everything in place. The building itself was in need of interior work like exterior. During their talk, he found out that they only rented the place. Both women had respectable jobs but they were low paying, not allowing them to afford to buy a home

Rick explained to Cynthia's mother of how he was a [chosen] new to town and planned to buy land and create a city. He told them that one day he would open a library in his city once it had become established.

It might not be as nice as the Silverhall Library but Cynthia was welcome to run it as the Chief Administrator if she ever wished for a change. He told them that her mother was welcome there as well and he would provide them a place to live.

After his visit, he made his way through the maze of streets to the blacksmith that had taught him. Along the way, he checked his notices to occupy his time.

New Stats Notice!

New Stats Awarded!

Intelligence: +10 (+5 awarded per advanced book read)

Wisdom +4 (+2 awarded per advanced book read)

New Spell Notice!

New Spell Learned!

Portal Gate: cost 250 mana per cast.

A spell to connect to previously visited locations with a Portal for travel.

Thank you, mister ancient mage for all your hard work. This spell uses half my mana right now, but when I buy my land if I need to return to this city, or bring people there and back it will be perfect.

When he reached the blacksmith he asked if he could use the work area outside and tossed him a couple gold coins for allowing him to use his equipment and tools.

Stepping outside the shop into the work area, Rick removed the iron he mined from his inventory and tossed it into the giant smelter pot to melt down. After melting it down he used an iron ladle to scoop off the impurities floating on top the molten iron surface. Then he cast the molten iron into ingots and set them aside to cool.

While the ingots cooled he went out back and removed one of the half trees from his inventory and began sawing it into planks.

A small project like this I think I can get away with using undried wood. I need to start practicing fire affinity so I can quick dry my timber.

He used the planks and the woodworking tools from his inventory to create the frame for the coin screw press he had researched online. His high carpentry skill carried him through the process without any problems. He stored the frame and planks into his inventory and walked back around to check on the stacks of cooling ingots.

These ingots look solid enough to work now, they are still really hot but that will save me time heating them.

Walking over to the back wall he began grabbing tools off the hooks that he would need to complete his project.

First, he split one of the ingots and hammered out four pieces that looked like 1/2 inch thick silver dollars.Then he used a punch to cut out their centers into the shape of a six-pointed hex.

Then he hammered out four small round iron rods about a 1/25 inch thick and 6 inches long.

Once he was happy with the shapes he set up the foot pedal lathe and tool bit cutters. using the lathe he cut threads into half the length of the small metal rods making it look similar to a drill bit. Then using metal files and the lathe he also threaded the center of the six pattern hexes. When he was finished he created this world's first Tap and die set used for creating threads in metal.

With this tap and die I can also create nuts and bolts for other construction projects. A blinking notice lets see here.

You have created an item new to this world. Do you wish to name it? >>> YES NO

When he chose [yes] his virtual keyboard opened before him allowing him to enter the name.

New Recipe Notice!

You Learned A New Recipe!

Tap and Die recipe

This recipe will allow you to instantly create a tap and die set.

Having learned the recipe he added the cooling iron ingots he made earlier to his inventory. He then used the Tap and Die recipe to create another set to test out how the recipes work. Half an ingot was used in his inventory and a the new set was now in his inventory.

That works nicely for regular items but I don't want to use it on weapons and armor until my expertise is much higher. From what it said before, anything with stats created with a recipe will incur a penalty of a minus one expertise rank loss toward its quality. If I make a sword as an intermediate rank with a recipe it will turn out to be a Beginner quality sword when created. That won't be to bad at expert or master expertise, but for now, it isn't worth it.

Ok, l need to finish up this coin press now and head back to the inn before it gets too late.

The ingots had cooled in their casts so he placed them into his inventoryWalkingng over to the forge he placed two ingots into the fire, then pumped the bellows to stoke the forge, turning the ingots orange. He used a set of tongs to grab one of the ingots and place it on the anvil. He split the ingot and hammered out a half inch wide by one and a half foot long round metal rod.

Setting the Iron rod aside, he split the other half of the ingot into four parts. He hammered the four parts into a shape that looked like a quarter inch thick by two-inch wide iron coins. These iron looking coins would work as sleeves for the iron rod to thread into later.

After reheating the four circular sleeves in the forge he placed the metal rod in the center of them to score the circumference to punch out. Using a metal punch he knocked out the center of the sleeves and used the tap and die to thread them to resemble four nuts. Then the metal rod was also threaded to look like a big bolt.

Pulling the second glowing ingot out of the forge he split it and hammered out a one inch thick by three-foot long metal rod. Punching out the center of this rod and threading it to fit as a handle on top of the large bolt.

Gathering up all the hardware he just made he placed it on the workbench and took out the wood coin press frame. picking up the four iron sleeves he snapped them into the wood frame and tread the iron rod vertically down through them. He then threaded the handle to the top of the iron rod.

When he turned the handle on top of the press the threaded iron shaft wound its way down through the iron sleeves.

He then stood back and examined the completed coin press.

Opening the notices he named the Coin Screw Press then looked at the new recipe gained for it.

New Recipe Notice!

You Learned A New Recipe!

Coin Screw Press

This recipe will allow you to instantly create a Coin Screw Press.

Placing the completed screw press in his inventory he then made three more copies of the recipe.

I'm thinking now that I will pay the moneyer to teach me. If he is unwilling I will show him the screw press and tell him I will give him two of them if he teaches me his skills.

The sun began to dip below the city walls casting a dark shadow over the city. Everyone working at the blacksmith had already left and headed home for the night. Rick put away all the tools he used, hanging them back up and straightened up the workstation. He then walked behind the blacksmith building and entered the shed out back that they stored the smelting pots he had given him.

Time to test out my new spell [Portal Gate] I am curious to see how it works.

Casting the spell to connect to his inn room a black doorway rose up from the ground before him. Studying the portal he couldn't see through to the other side when looking into it.

It looks like a black sheet of paper the size of a door. Well, here goes nothing.

When he stepped through the Portal he found himself standing in the center of his suite at the inn. His face broke into a smile as he looks around the room and back to the portal.

"Now that is a cool spell," he said aloud to himself.

Closing the portal he walked downstairs ordered dinner and ate alone. Returning to the room he locked the door unequipped his clothes and boots crawled into the huge bed and logged out.

Disconnect!