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Chapter 64: High-pH Training
For the first month, Construction turned out to be essentially trivial to train. It seemed like every time he turned around, he had a new level in the Skill. Granted, that was mostly the result of him officially ‘moving in’ to Obairlann.While he was forced to use green wood for it all, Edwin managed to make himself a decently sturdy chair out of a few young trees, lashed together with copious amounts of rhoreed and using the same for a woven seat and backing. At Inion’s insistence, he made a second chair, which turned out significantly be...
Chapter 63: Assume a Spherical Path in a Vacuum
Level Up!Skill Points 610→626Progress to Tier 2: 787/1590Basic Mana Sense Level 36→45Walking Level 40→42Athletics Level 52→57“Feel any different?”“Not… really? Am I supposed to?”“No.”Edwin blinked at Inion. Then why… ah, it was either a human thing or a fey thing. Either way, not something worth trying to puzzle out. Honestly, he wasn’t sure which would be harder to actually put together, though he almost suspected it might be humans.“Okay, but Paths now, right?”“Ya! Tell me what you got.”Edwin pulled up his li...
Chapter 62: Skillful Application
Level Up!Skill Points 551→610Progress to Tier 2: 787/1590Basic Mana Sense Level 36→45Walking Level 40→42Athletics Level 52→57Breathing Level 52→54Identify Level 43→44Alchemy Level 60→62Flexibility Level 27→29Seeing Level 31→33Sleeping Level 30→32Outsider’s Almanac Level 82→84Survival Level 37→39Visualization Level 42→45Firestarting Level 45→50Nutrition Level 28→31Mathematics Level 39→40Packing Level 29→37Mana Infusion Level 65→66Polyglot Level 36→41Memory Level 34→36Wow. Everything except for First Aid ...
Chapter 61: Putting Down Roots
Inion stumbled as she touched back down to the ground by the campfire, the spell… not exactly broken, but certainly ended. Its effects lingered, the moonlit clearing still luminous with the emerald glow of magic, emanating from every tree and blade of grass but also from the fairie lights, drifting through the air and occasionally extinguishing themselves.Edwin was caught off-guard, but still was able to catch the otherworldly fey as she collapsed next to him, “You didn’t tell me you could sing.”A tired grin flitted across her face, “...
Chapter 60: Last-Minute Tuning
60 chapters! Some 160,000 words later, and I can safely say that this has been.... quite the ride so far, and I'm so very happy that so many people have wanted to stick with me so far!---------Edwin stretched, cracking his neck as he prepared for his next momentous task. He’d settled on a final location for his cabin and now needed to prepare the actual ground for his building. First up, digging out his foundations.The soft topsoil was broken and hauled out, mounded next to Edwin’s kiln as it burned, making a set of smaller bowls that h...
Chapter 59: Fire Rocks!
Level Up!Sleeping 29→30Edwin almost wished it would be drizzling when he finally woke up, simply because it would reflect his general mood. Alas, the weather didn’t comply, and it retained its normal rain-free behavior. At this point, he was pretty sure that they must be in a rain shadow of some form or another, probably caused by the mountains to the south.He only halfheartedly pulled himself from his bed and through his morning routine. Sure, most of yesterday had gone so very well, then he had to go and blow up his campfire and sour ever...
Chapter 58: Starting from Scratch
Stone, water, clay, and metal. Those were the four foundational materials for building something substantial. Well, also sand. Arguably wood as well. And maybe-Okay, so there was a lot of stuff that went into pretty much anything, all tangled together in a vast web of interconnected technologies and methodologies, that meant if he wanted to make substantial progress in one area, he’d have to also make progress in other areas. And he’d need to do it all by himself unless he wanted to return to civilization...He cracked his knuckles. Well, no...
Chapter 57: Reconvene and Reassess
Congratulations! For applying knowledge of the physical makeup of the world to an alchemical formula, you have unlocked the Physical Alchemist path!Congratulations! For successfully making an alchemical formula with no assistance and minimal gear, you have unlocked the Makeshift Alchemist path!Congratulations! For creating a concoction and demonstrating advanced chemical knowledge, you have unlocked the Practical Alchemist path!Congratulations! For displaying advanced knowledge regarding physical matter, you have unlocked the Chemist path!Congr...
Chapter 56: The Scientific Method
Edwin wasn’t really sure how long he sat in silence, staring at the flames as his campfire slowly died down. Inion had tried to say something at one point, trying to get him to continue talking about Earth by trying to persuade him that she really did care about his story, and that she did care about him. She seemed almost genuine, too.Edwin didn’t buy it, though. He’d been in this position before. Even if she did legitimately feel bad for him, it wouldn’t last. Give it a day, maybe two, and she’d return to however she felt beforehand...
Chapter 55: Contractual Obligations
As it turned out, waiting around for something comparable to paint drying wasn’t the most exciting thing in the world. As a result, most of his time was spent talking to Inion. Even when he was working on marginally productive things, they still kept up a faint string of chitchat.Edwin couldn’t entirely follow a lot of the stories she told about her time pre-nap, and it was of debatable practicality given she only had experience with a civilization some two thousand years gone. It was still quite interesting, though. Especially learning abo...
Chapter 54: No Place I'd Lather Be
Inion kept to her side of the Bargain quite nicely and didn’t bother Edwin as he started following the instructions in the Grimoire. It was a nice surprise, that there were no crazy twists that meant he’d screwed himself over… well, not yet anyway. But that meant he was able to work without distractions, so it was a win.First, he needed ash from the tree in question. That was easy enough, he had loads of extra wood that weren’t the right size for his cabin that he could burn. They were smaller, too, which meant they were much easier to ...
Chapter 53: Unusually Helpful
“How do you know about them?” Inion questioned Edwin. While not overtly threatening, Edwin couldn’t help but get the distinct impression that she was accusing him of something, “And why couldn’t you have led with that?”“I don’t know!” Edwin raised his hands as something of an instinctual shield against the fey. While there was no real impression of danger coming from the naiad, it was still hard not responding in some way, “It… slipped my mind, I guess? No, that’s not accurate. I just had other questions first? Also, eve...
Chapter 52
Level Up!Athletics Level 50→51Packing Level 29→33Obvious or not, Inion’s Token was having a fairly distinct effect on his leveling speed. While he might have normally expected a single Packing level, two at most, from carrying his big stack of logs some twenty feet, three and an Athletics level was way more than he would have expected, especially once he stopped outright carrying the logs and just started dragging them after his pile had unexpectedly collapsed.He was currently laying next to the creek, panting in exhaustion as Inion sat n...
Chapter 51: Starting Hand
“So, let me get this straight.” Edwin finally settled on, “You’re offering to help me with my alchemy, Skills, and homebuilding to the best of your ability, in exchange for just, quote, ‘the opportunity to watch you work and get the chance to chat and stuff,’ with the added stipulations that you can’t do so just to pester me nor when I’m focusing on my work and need to concentrate and you’re not allowed to try and make me sleep deprived? Also, that I can’t share what I learn from you with other people without your say-so, in...
Chapter 50: Feyday
Chapter 50 woohoo! Arguably Chapter 60 will be the numerically fitting chapter for Way, but 50 is still quite the milestone! Thanks for sticking with me all this time!(Edits will finish coming out soon-ish, and Chapter 40 got a few paragraphs added to it in preparation for its RR release)Anyway, on with the show. Have a good weekend!--------“Who am I?” Edwin was taken aback, “Who are you? And where have you been? I’ve been here for probably a week. Have you just been asleep or something?”The nymph glared at Edwin suspiciously, eyes na...
Chapter 49: Branching Paths
Now that he actually knew what he was doing, the next several trees all went much faster. Edwin found that he was fully capable of cutting down a tree in less than half an hour, though after one started falling well before he was actually ready for it, he slowed down so as to not risk any potential accidents. The more time-consuming aspect of it was actually trimming the limbs, though even that went faster and faster as his levels slowly climbed. Over just the next day, Athletics grew from level 37 to level 41, and he was pushing himself hard e...
Chapter 48: An Axe to Grind (with)
Just as a heads up, I may end up needing to take a day or two off in the near-ish future. One of my friends is getting married this weekend, and I'm flying out to attend. That will come with unknown but non-zero amounts of disruption to my writing schedule, and while I hope the worst that ends up happening is a delayed chapter, I can't really predict it.--------Edwin awoke to birdsong, and stretched trying to work out a knot in his back from where a branch had been poking him. Yeah, he’d definitely need to make some kind of hammock to...
Chapter 47: Into the Unknown
Edwin stood at the frontier, a boundary between the known and the unknown, the civilized and the wild, from the world where your value was determined by your strength and Skills into one where your value was determined by… your strength and skills.Okay, that’s enough melodrama. Get moving.He wasn’t even at the treeline yet, just where the road turned to run parallel to the forest a few hundred feet away. The ground between him and the start of the woods was fairly calm, though Edwin couldn’t help but shake the feeling of a warzone, with...
Chapter 46: By the Buy
Traveling, Edwin couldn’t help but notice, was rather fun. Yes, he’d gone on vacation back on Earth, but that had always been a high-paced rush to see as much as possible in the limited time at each location. Run here, see that view, pause for a picture, then go through a museum, see the sights, and find a restaurant for dinner. Repeat five more times, then fly home. He’d enjoyed it just fine- seeing new things was a bit of a reward unto itself- but he’d always found himself exhausted at the end of it all. Now that he was walking everyw...
Chapter 45: With a Nice Little Bow
Edwin had to admit that he was somewhat worried about what to do when they needed to stop for the night. He remembered that it would take about a day of walking to get from the Ruined Tower to the nearest town, but he also knew that was going at more or less full speed, traveling lightly and with just him and Lefi, both incentivized to walk at a decent pace. While his prisoners may have been fairly cooperative all things considered, he couldn’t exactly imagine them being excited about being led to their execution. Between that and their chain...
Chapter 44: The Aftermath: Now Addition-Free!
Level Up!Skill Points 404→412Progress to Tier 2: 635/1590Athletics Level 30→33Firestarting Level 37→38First Aid Level 26→28Flexibility Level 27→30Outsider’s Almanac Level 77→78Packing Level 17→18Congratulations! For slaying a foe stronger than you, you have unlocked the Giant Slayer path!Congratulations! For successfully defeating the bandits led by the Catabolic Alchemist, you have unlocked the Superior Alchemist path!Congratulations! For ousting its previous inhabitants, you have unlocked the Master of the Ruined Tower path!Ed...
Chapter 43: Sticking Around
Chapter 41 is getting a slight rewrite. Nothing major, just clarifying a few of Edwin's thoughts and hopefully making him look a little more competent at actually fighting. If I'm lucky, that will come out some time today. If I'm not, it'll come out tomorrow.----Edwin mentally berated himself for trying to fight in melee. He was not cut out for this in the slightest. He didn’t have the Skills (or skills) for it, wasn’t as strong as his opponents, and it opened himself up to way too many retaliatory attacks. Why had he though...
Chapter 42: Hitting the Bars
Edwin rapidly backed up, trying to get out of reach of Minsix, and mostly failing.“What was that for, huh?” he demanded, “If ya wanted ta fight ya coulda jus asked.”Edwin stayed quiet, not wanting to give the actual answer and potentially provoke the minion, but not able to come up with a clever lie either. He grabbed his iron bar and tried to quickly jab the man’s chin with it, but the bandit blocked the attack, disarmed him, and grabbed his hand before he could properly react.Edwin gritted his teeth in frustration. The outlaw starte...
Chapter 41: Not Quite the Answer to Life
You have unlocked the Sucker Punch skill!Accept Skill? Y/NNo, and… disable notifications for the moment.As he watched Niall stumble backwards, clutching a bleeding ear, Edwin winced slightly. His blow hadn’t been great, missing the alchemist’s temple enough to avoid an easy knockout. He had almost used the blade of his knife instead of the hilt for the strike, and he doubted that the man would have managed to survive a six-inch-long bar of steel a six-inch-long bar of steel shoved through his brain, but… Edwin wasn’t sure that he want...
Chapter 40: Pointed Questions
Edwin’s first instinct was to immediately grab something heavy and start clubbing Niall over the head, while shouting about them being murderers, but he restrained himself. This was not the time or place for that sort of action. Yes, he could be a little… reckless at times, and he should have probably figured out sooner that the black-robed bio-alchemist in the ruined wizard’s tower wasn’t exactly sourcing his ingredients from ethically agreeable places, but he had just gotten too keen on the idea of science! and hadn’t really thought...
Chapter 39: The Career of a Lifetime
Alchemy, that most wondrous and sacred art, was first pioneered by the alleged First Brewer of Life, Death, Earth and Sky, the legendary Old Goddess Salverria. It was her efforts which are widely regarded to have formalized the common practice of potion-brewing and unified it under the broader scope of ‘Alchymie,’ dividing it into four primary branches in accordance with the Three Attribute theory of the body. Foremost among the disciplines there was Alchymie Vitae, First and foremost there was Alchymie Vitae, corresponding to Health, and c...
Chapter 38: An Unexpected Encounter
Edwin nearly jumped as he spun to face the demanding voice, turning away from the random patch of wall he was staring past to instead come face-to-face with a figure clad in black robes.Catabolic AlchemistOh hey! He had just been thinking about how he wanted to find another alchemist. That was kind of convenient. Less so was the bloody knife the alchemist was holding, but hey, you couldn’t have everything. Hopefully this wouldn’t devolve too quickly….“Well?”Edwin blanked, and he just sort of stared at the alchemist hopelessly, “Uhhh...
Chapter 37: A Towering Ego (Re-Upload)
For some reason, my last post of this chapter was having visibility issues to some of my patrons. I'm re-uploading it to see if it fixes the problem.Sorry that the chapters continue to be on the shorter side and perhaps a bit less polished. My backlog is basically nonexistant at the moment, which results in me putting a lot of effort into trying to reestablish said backlog, and less extra words in the average chapter.Also, a couple of chapters this week may end up being a bit late (though I'm doing my best to keep that from happening. J...
Chapter 37: A Towering Ego
Sorry that the chapters continue to be on the shorter side and perhaps a bit less polished. My backlog is basically nonexistant at the moment, which results in me putting a lot of effort into trying to reestablish said backlog, and less extra words in the average chapter.Also, a couple of chapters this week may end up being a bit late (though I'm doing my best to keep that from happening. Jetlag is annoying.-----It ended up being pretty easy to trail the fleeing Outlaw- while Edwin’s tagged Identify boxes faded at some point (Was it dista...
Chapter 36: Clubbing All Night
And we're back! Sorry that it's a bit on the shorter side, I did not have nearly as much time to write this last week as I was hoping (though about as much as I was expecting, hence the break).----“Woah!” Edwin cried out as he stumbled, regaining his footing with the aid of his walking stick, its end digging into the hard-packed ground as he whirled, trying to Identify his attackers.Outlaw LaborerBrutish MinionSo they probably weren’t professional fighters, at least. Good. Given their Classes, he didn’t need to feel bad about re...
