The next morning, Lucas greeted the day with enthusiasm, determined to make the most of his time in the forge. Though the cozy blankets tempted him to stay, the excitement of tackling the forge urged him to get up and get started. However, his body reminded him of the daily tasks that required his attention. He heeded the call and headed to the bathroom to freshen up and change clothes.
Walking downstairs to prepare breakfast, Lucas was abruptly reminded that he needed to go shopping for supplies, as he had run out of rice. Letting out a sigh, he put water on to heat and made his way to the front of the shop to grab his purse. Hoping for a quick trip to Craving Haven, he aimed to return before all the water evaporated.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Upon hearing that Lucas was only seeking a bag of rice, Rabbie, the shop owner, set his recipe book down and crossed his arms, clearly expecting an explanation.
"Now, Lucas," Rabbie began with a stern tone. "This is the second time in a month that you've come to my shop just for a bag of rice. I hope you're not surviving solely on rice while undertaking the strenuous task of blacksmithing. Has no one informed you about status reductions?"
Lucas must have appeared as perplexed as he felt, prompting Rabbie to adopt a more relaxed posture.
"I take it that's a 'no'," Rabbie remarked, his voice now calmer. "Status reductions or negative effects can occur for various reasons. The ones I'm referring to are the effects of starvation. If you don't provide your body with enough food to sustain the energy you need over a period of time, you'll suffer from the 'underfed' effect, which results in a decrease of one point in strength, endurance, and agility."
"If you don't heed the initial effects, they will escalate over time to the 'malnourishment' effect, which reduces your strength, endurance, and agility by three points," Rabbie continued, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter. "And that's just the beginning. The 'starving' effect will ultimately diminish half of all your stats. And if you persist in ignoring these effects, the final outcome is death."
Lucas felt a wave of dread wash over him as Rabbie calmly delivered the grave consequences of neglecting his nutritional needs. Rabbie observed Lucas's reaction with a detached air, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. After a brief pause, Rabbie sighed and posed a crucial question.
"Besides rice, are you consuming anything else on a daily basis, Lucas?"
The question snapped Lucas out of his starvation-induced daze, prompting him to respond truthfully without hesitation.
"For breakfast, I usually make a pot of rice and add a few things to the leftovers for lunch. As for dinner, I go to the Drunken Squirrel."
Rabbie breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Lucas was eating at the Drunken Squirrel.
"I know Amber would serve something balanced for dinner with her cooking skills, so you're still in the clear for now," Rabbie reassured him. "However, relying solely on rice for breakfast is not sufficient. Your body needs more than that."
Lucas absorbed Rabbie's advice, realizing the importance of incorporating a variety of nutritious foods into his diet. He expressed his gratitude for the information and made a mental note to make changes immediately.
Rabbie rose to his feet, picking up a variety of unfamiliar vegetables that Lucas couldn't identify. He placed them on the counter alongside a small bag of spice and another bag of rice. Retrieving his book from under the counter, Rabbie glanced at something before looking up and stating, "That will be ten copper coins, Lucas."
Lucas raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the items next to the rice bag. The price seemed surprisingly reasonable considering the additional ingredients.
Sensing Lucas's curiosity, Rabbie calmly explained, "These vegetables are wild-grown, enriched with higher levels of mana, resulting in a higher quality crop. The bag of rice contains enough for five meals. Just cut up the veggies and cook them with the rice. Trust me, it's not much more effort but it will greatly improve the nutritional value."
Lucas decided to place his trust in Rabbie and paid the coins. Saying a quick goodbye, he hurried back home, hoping to make it before his pot of water ran dry. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side as he arrived to find an empty pot. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Lucas refilled the pot and proceeded to prepare the vegetables as instructed by Rabbie. Once the rice and veggies were cooked, he filled a bowl and took a seat at the table.
As Lucas sat at the table, he observed the bowl of rice with vegetables in front of him. The vibrant colors of the wild-grown vegetables added a touch of freshness and appeal to the dish. Curiosity and a hint of skepticism mingled within him as he took his first bite.
To his surprise, the flavors exploded in his mouth. The combination of the perfectly cooked rice and the wholesome, flavorful vegetables created a delicious and satisfying meal. Each bite brought a symphony of tastes and textures that surpassed his expectations. Lucas couldn't help but marvel at how such simple ingredients, when prepared with care and knowledge, could elevate a meal to new heights.
After finishing his meal, Lucas stood up and went to wash his bowl. As he cleaned it, he noticed a remarkable difference in how he felt. The meal, enriched with the mana-infused vegetables, seemed to have energized him far beyond his usual level. It was as if the nourishing properties of the veggies had provided him with a substantial boost. Grateful for Rabbie's advice, Lucas made a mental note to express his thanks later.
With determination fueling his every step, Lucas exited through the back door and approached the forge. He was resolute in his mission to clean out the forge, eager to rid it of the remaining foul odor. Rolling up his sleeves, he gripped the forge's door handle and swung it open.
Although the noxious smell had somewhat dissipated since the previous day, it still lingered, not meeting Lucas's desired level of freshness. He decided to begin by clearing out the boxed wine bottles. Taking hold of the first box, he exited the forge and started a new stack near the pile of used cloths.
Back and forth he went, shuttling boxes of bottles out of the forge. Time seemed to slip away unnoticed as midmorning arrived, and Lucas found himself perspiring, sweat trickling down his forehead. His once-clean clothes now bore small stains from the occasional drip of wine from the old bottles. Pausing for a moment, he wiped his brow with a rag, contemplating taking a short break and heading to the kitchen for a glass of water.
However, just as he was about to raise the cup to his lips, his eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the cup. Memories from the previous day flooded his mind as Lucas recalled the intelligence increase he had experienced while reading. The message had indicated that his "hard work" had made him stronger. In that moment of realization, Lucas swiftly set the cup down and left the kitchen.
If hard work had the potential to enhance his stats, then taking a break seemed counterproductive. Lucas understood that he needed to push his body further, embracing the challenges and pushing his limits. Instead of resting, he resolved to carry more with each trip, truly testing his physical capabilities and maximizing his efforts.
By lunch time, the results were in. Thanks to his hard work, strength and endurance and both increased by one reaching eight points. Of course, the toll of his exertions was apparent as Lucas lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily for breath. His clothes were soaked through with a combination of wine and sweat. However, there was no mistaking the smile on his face. After he regain the ability to breath normally and had the strength to stand, Lucas went to the bathroom to clean up for lunch.
Exiting the bathroom after a refreshing shower, Lucas felt revitalized and ready to head to the Drunken Squirrel for lunch. His steps were slightly slower, his body still recovering from the earlier exertions. However, the permanent stat growth he had achieved fueled his excitement for the future. He contemplated establishing a morning workout routine to further develop his stats as he made his way to the tavern.
Arriving at the tavern, he sought his customary seat at the bar and soaked in the relaxed atmosphere while waiting for John to finish serving another customer. Making eye contact, John acknowledged him with a nod before returning to a conversation with a group of customers further down the bar. In a slight pause in the conversation, John turned to Lucas.
"The usual?" John asked.
"Yes, please," Lucas replied, knowing John understood his order despite the distractions. As he waited for his food, he tuned in to the nearby conversation and managed to catch the main points. News of the hero summoning was now officially being disseminated by the king, although the exact date was still undisclosed. The information hinted that the summoning would take place before the end of the following month.
Amidst the shifting topics of conversation, Amber appeared with Lucas's meal. Though she greeted him with a smile, she seemed distracted as she swiftly unloaded her tray before hurrying back to the kitchen. Lucas wondered if he should check on her, but his attention was quickly drawn to the news from the Armathain Kingdom.
Located to the north-east and closest to the vast grasslands, the Armathains were facing a dire situation. Rumors circulated that orc raids had increased in number, sparking fears that the kingdom would be overrun. Historically, such an event had never occurred, but if the Armathains were to fall, the fertile farmlands of several neighboring kingdoms would find themselves on the frontline against the orc threat.
As John and the customers engaged in heated arguments and debates over the facts, Lucas savored his meal while absorbing as much information as he could. It struck him that he had yet to explore much about this new world he found himself in. Perhaps it was time to seek out a history book to learn more about his surroundings. With the conversation winding down and no further insights to be gained, Lucas paid for his lunch and began his journey back to the shop.
Back inside the forge, Lucas assessed the tasks that still needed to be completed before the forge could be fully operational. Three key things caught his attention.
Firstly, the entire shop was covered in a thick layer of black, soot-like dust. It obscured the condition of the tools and made it challenging to differentiate between those in good repair and those that were broken. Lucas realized that dusting everything was necessary not only for better air quality but also to assess the tools accurately.
Secondly, he noticed various pieces of equipment scattered haphazardly around the shop. A wide assortment of hammers and other tools lay in disarray. Lucas spotted a few hooks dangling on wires from the wall, and he decided to sort out the tools and hang them up in an organized manner.
Lastly, the hearth in the center of the room was completely filled with ashes, which were beginning to spill over onto the floor. Lucas realized he needed to find out where his master disposed of previous loads of ash. Despite some lingering soreness from the morning's work, he prioritized finding a suitable place to dump the hearth ash.
Recognizing that it wouldn't make sense to dust everything and then move piles of ash, potentially creating new dust, Lucas decided to start with emptying the hearth. So, he searched for a location outside the forge where his master might have dumped the ash in the past. He made a loop around the surroundings, hoping to find a hole or pit designated for ash disposal. However, unable to locate such a spot, he shifted his focus to finding containers or crates that his master might have used to transport the ash elsewhere.
After rummaging through a collection of old crates stacked against the outer wall of the forge, Lucas stumbled upon an iron barrel with a tightly sealed lid. The lid was locked, but conveniently, the key dangled from a chain attached to the lock. Curiosity piqued, Lucas inserted the key, turned it, and unlocked the barrel. To his surprise, he discovered that his master had been filling the barrel halfway with water mixed with ash.
Puzzled by his master's reasoning, Lucas decided to set aside his curiosity for the moment and focus on the task at hand. Dragging the heavy barrel inside the forge proved challenging with his already sore arms, but Lucas persevered and successfully relocated it. He carefully emptied the accumulated ash into the barrel before moving it back outside.
With that hurdle overcome, Lucas prepared for the more time-consuming part of the job. He fetched a bucket of water and gathered a stack of rags, ready to embark on a cleaning spree. It was time to wipe away the coal soot-like dust that covered every surface and to organize and pick up the scattered tools. Despite the ache in his muscles from his morning workout, the prospect of potentially gaining more stat points fueled Lucas's excitement.
Lucas dedicated the entire afternoon to meticulously wiping down every surface in the forge and sorting through the assortment of tools. Although he came across several tools that had seen better days, he managed to gather a substantial collection that would find their place on the wall. As for the tools beyond repair, he neatly stowed them in an old crate near the stacks of bottles outside the forge.
At times, Lucas found himself doubting whether it was even possible to rid the forge of the stubborn black dust. Every nook and cranny seemed to harbor the relentless residue. If his morning workout could be described as a test of strength, the afternoon mission of dusting felt more like a twisted form of yoga. However, just before dinner, Lucas finally completed the arduous task of cleaning and organizing the forge.
Feeling a deep sense of accomplishment, Lucas stepped outside the forge to stretch his aching back. As he stretched, he noticed the familiar red-tinted window appearing before him, notifying him that his hard work had increased his agility by one point. Closing the window, Lucas realized it was the perfect time to light the forge and put his efforts to the test.
Grabbing a shovel, Lucas made two quick trips to gather coal from the stacks near the fence gate. He didn't bring too much since his intention was merely to experiment and familiarize himself with the workings of the forge. Once the hearth was filled, he hurried back inside to retrieve a scoop of hot coals from the kitchen, using them to ignite the forge. As the coals sparked to life, flames began to dance and climb, signaling the rebirth of the forge.