"The paper is indeed a type of thin material usually made from wood, hemp, rags or even grasses. The process requires usually mixing minced parts of the materials I mentioned and then drying them into flexible sheets that can be used for writing and many other things that we will have access only in the future. Any questions so far?"

[Yes... what's writing? What sort of process is required in order to transform the wood or other plants into this ‘paper’ material? What ... ](Simone)

"Okay love! Let's take it slow, shall we? Regarding writing... hmm, you can think of it as putting the words we use to communicate on something physical like a stone tablet or the paper I mentioned previously. That way we will be able to remember things easier by writing them down and furthermore, help the following generations learn easier from our research."

[That's amazing!!! That means that not only will they be able to learn from us, they will not have to waste the same amounts of times we, the predecessors, spent.](Simone)

"Quite a bit so... Regarding the process... For our current level of technology, I am afraid that only the manual papermaking using wood pulp would be accessible right now and even that might be a bit of a stretch. For cotton based paper… I can’t even begin to dream about it just yet.”

[Manual papermaking? Quick, quick! Explain the process!] – she demanded

Looking at this cute but hyperactive chick, I began sweating and hoping I remember the process correctly. After all, I only saw a TV show back on Earth regarding how it’s made. Also, manual… I finally noticed just how much of an inconsistency was the ‘Dismembering’ skill manual I found in the dungeon was. After all, it looked just like a book… even if my world has no knowledge of such a thing being created yet. That simply stands to show exactly how much help would the dungeon expeditions be to my civilization.

“Also, thinking about the many Murlocs we managed to kill during the first raid and all the loot we lost… my heart is bleeding…”

[Michael? Are you alright? Does anything hurt? You look close to crying…](Simone)

“…I’m fine. Anyway, let’s get back to the process of creating paper. I will let you know in advance that is very probable that we will have to postpone the creation of such a material, most likely due to our lack in technological advancement. Your purpose will be to theorize and try to find ways to create the said material, after I provided you with how it usually is created. All right?”

[I am all ears!](Simone)

“Is good that you’re hyped, but try to focus. Then let’s start with the materials. Currently the best available material for us is wood. Let’s go to the warehouse, since having a physical example is the easiest way to make you understand.”

On our way there, I had her explain why she managed to change her Job to ‘Researcher’ and her explanation was as simple as saying that she really loved listening to Denise talk about what she learned from me and she began thinking of how to improve those things. Then… it just naturally happened.

I began heavily sweating when the words ‘naturally happened’ reached my ears… If no intervention from my Influence or divinity, or from the system for that matter, were involved then she is an absolute genius that was made to be a researcher. Otherwise, it is even more terrifying if the system has a hand in it, because in that case, it becomes even more complicated and I will not be able to control it in any way.

“All right, we’re here! Here, take a look at this…”

Using an axe, I split apart the bark of a fell tree and drew her attention to the fibers encompassing the log.

“These fibers are what we’ll be using. They are split into softwood that is the long fiber and hardwood, the obviously shorter ones. Their properties in the creation of the paper differ. For example, the softwood adds to the tensile strength of the paper, while the hardwood adds to its opacity. Depending on the mix, the end material can be either brittle and transparent, or strong and opaque. A balance needs to be found in order for the end product to be of good quality.”

She quietly listened while touching, pulling and stretching the fibers. Her eyes sparkled with each word I mentioned about a process she didn’t know jack about. Alternatively, neither did any other elf for that matter. I honestly prayed to Reaper that if this is due to the system, all the newborns or future elves would be just as knowledge-thirsty.

[However, the base material is fragmented and I don’t think we can weave them together to create the type of thing you described… What are the next steps?](Simone)

“The process mainly consists of placing small pieces of wood called wood pulp in a big pot and add water. That is called ‘furnish’. In addition, usually the mixture of fibers and water must be placed a couple of meters on a platform or something, in order to have it suspended. It is also required to drain it as well in order to separate a specific component of the wood called lignin from it and allow the wood to dissolve properly in water. After some time, the fibers become interwoven and the water can be slowly removed through a screening process and for drying, is good even going as far as forcing it out by pressing on the mixture with sufficient weight.”

[In that case, it means that after the water is removed and the mixture is dried, it becomes the paper you are talking about?](Simone)

“In simplified terms, yes. The process requires five main steps usually:

1) separating the useful fiber from the rest of the raw materials such as the cellulose from water and lignin;

2) beating down the fiber into pulp if the pieces are too big;

3) adjusting the color and other proprieties of the paper by adding special chemical solutions;

4) screening the resulting solution by using a properly made paper mold;

5) pressing and drying to get the actual paper.

Right now, the first two steps we can achieve with ease. The following two we have problems with. Regarding trying to adjust the color… I need to think of a way to do that and as far as the screening process, that’s just as difficult.”

[I understand a bit regarding what you mentioned so far, but I am confused about this ‘screening’ thing. What does it mean?](Simone)

“Hmm… usually is something that involves a mesh or another type of wooden frame with interwoven inert material which would allow to separate the fibers from the water and make it easier to drain the liquid, while maintaining the solid materials inside. That is more commonly called a paper mold. How it works is as simple as having it submerged in the ‘furnish’, pulled out, shaken and drained until it becomes a uniform coating. The salvaged material pulled from the ‘furnish’ can be placed in a different space and the process can be repeated until the amount of material required is reached. In addition, usually a press of sorts must be created in order to flatten and drain the material of water. At the end, the only thing left to be done is to have the paper dry by letting it stay in open air.”

[It doesn’t seem that complicated...](Simone)

“Is not, however the material won’t be of high quality either. Irrelevant of that though, there are still things required to be constructed before we can begin creating it. Such as a container in which the water and the fibers can be placed and boiled, preferably over a platform that would allow a fire to be lit under. For the paper mold, we need to have copper and melt it into thin strips and weave them together into a mesh of sorts, while the wooden frame similar to a window must also be crafted. Lastly, a press is required as well. While having two big slabs of stone pressed against each other might do the trick, even that would require proper thought put into it. What you need to do, is to imagine a way to make the process I mentioned happen. I plan to have for today and tomorrow everyone from the Adventurer and the Building unit participate the 10 hours we need to finish the Monument and the Shrine, but after that Denise and Anne will help you create a small-scale papermaking laboratory. Things like the container can be done using pottery or clay manipulation and once we have the copper and smelt it properly, we might be able to construct the mesh as well. You will be responsible for the process based on what I explained so far.”

[I will be glad to! I have so many ideas and things I want to try!!!](Simone)

“Activate your skill as well. The ‘Moment of brilliance’ one! I didn’t see any cost for it…”

[There isn’t one. However, from the knowledge of it I have, my Concentration will jump with an additional 30 points when activating it but I will receive a backlash, which will decrease my Endurance, and Strength with 15 points for 5 days after the skill effect ends.](Simone)

“Huh!? There was an effect like that?”

[Yes… I don’t know how to explain it, because is not in the description. However, I am sure that it is going to happen that way. Is like… how you know to breathe without being taught by anyone.](Simone)

“Interesting…”

Doesn’t this mean that for the others there might be similar things? Moreover, for her to be able to endure the backlash properly…

“Simone, your free attribute points. Assign them as 5 points in Concentration, 15 in Endurance and 10 in Strength. Then, activate your skill and you can start working on making our civilization more cultured. I will try and find coal or other materials for ink…”

[All right! Moment of brilliance!](Simone)

“Does she need to shout it? It’s kind of embarrassing… ugh… it made the hair on my hands stand…”

“Huh!? What’s wrong?”

Congratulations!

Your Researcher reached Intermediate level and the Research Point output is increased by 25% for the following 15 days!

I dumbly stared at the notification yelling at me. Wasn’t her Research skill level only at Basic mastery? Wh… How!?

“???”

[It says that my mastery rank increased by one rank due to Concentration reaching the 100 value…](Simone)

The more I found out about the system and how it works, the more confused I became. Will it be the case for the other attributes? I should check with someone… but whom? Usually I would go directly for Alexandra, however she was directly boosted over the 100 value after the appointment as Hero. However, some value might have increased due to eating…

“All right love, I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything or if you have questions, you know where to find me.”

[Mhm!](Simone)

I smiled bitterly at the fact that she was already more interested in the research than myself and departed for the construction site. Alexandra and the remaining of the Adventurer unit should return soon enough.

[Master! You have arrived faster than expected… How did it go with Simone?](Mia)

“Better than expected. Did you see the system notification?”

[Yes… was it because of Simone? What did you do?](Mia)

“Why do you always assume that it’s something that I’ve done!?” – I complained

Nevertheless, when thinking about it, it was me that told her to add those 5 points in Concentration… Anyway, I explained the entire happening to her and she just gawked at me in response and then incredulously said.

[Master, I think your Chaos type divinity is affecting this world more than we initially considered it would. Just the fact that there is hidden information that your max level Identify skill can’t perceive, or the fact that upon reaching 100 value in a specific attribute a skill promotion might happen are solid proof of that. If you would have knowingly have done it, it might have been a coincidence. However, you just randomly told her to split the 30 points in that specific way. If you wanted to take care of the backlash, wouldn’t you normally ask her to place 15 points in STR and 15 in END? Why the 5 in Concentration?](Mia)

“… I didn’t think of that.”

[Is not exactly bad, master. In fact, so far, each time your ‘chaotic tendencies’ manifested, there were positive results that followed. I sincerely doubt that you would unconsciously cause harm to your own world… maybe…](Mia)

“Thank you love… that’s… reassuring. I need your help with something.”

[Sure! What can I do?](Mia)

“We need to find and locate hemp and cotton and if possible prepare to create plantations if we have suitable areas.”

[For paper?](Mia)

“Not only. We will also prepare for clothes to be brought into existence, made from such materials. How about it?”

[…difficult. Our location is quite far from where the cotton or hemp can be found. We are located in the middle of a forest after all. We can try to venture out there, but it will take a couple of days for that to happen.](Mia)

“Two days!?”

[Going and return.](Mia)

“What about parchment?”

[Difficult from the deer skin, but if we find goats, sheep or bovines, we might have a chance. You should take this up with Anne.](Mia)

“Right… We could use some sheep…”

[Wool? Indeed, winter is coming!](Mia)

I allowed Mia go back to assigning tasks to the fifty people on site and sneakily pulled Anne out from the hardworking crowd. I explained to her the process, which pretty much required removing the fur from the deerskin after soaking it in water and then drying it for some days. Obviously, there were other small things required to be done, such as removal of fat or other obstructions, but after I told her how to stretch the skin, she promptly left to tell Denise about the wooden frame and the other things required.

After one more time confirming that the building unit has to spend 10 hours in actually constructing stuff per day and then they can do whatever they want (as long as it’s productive and doesn’t impact the camp in a negative way), I patiently waited for Alexandra to return.