The Mechanical Crafter, page 6
part #1 of The Mechanical Crafter Series
“Wait, isn’t that why I’m here? To join the Adventurers’ Guild?”
He looked up at me like I was stupid then laughed. “Yeah, but they’re not going to do anything to make you stronger. For that, you gotta join the fighters, the mages, them sneaky fellows, or someone else. I don’t know what your class is, but you gotta find your own kind of people so they can teach you all the special secrets.”
Before I could ask more, I realized that we were standing in front of a tall two-story building that reminded me of an old plantation-style home or an old bank with big white columns in front and large, heavy double doors. Above the doors read a sign: Adventurers’ Guild - All are welcome, even you.
The sign made me laugh, but the goblin shook his head. “Yeah, they welcome everyone’s money is what it should say.” He walked right in, and I had to hurry to keep up or risk losing him in the crowd of people coming and going from the building.
Chapter 7 – The Adventurers’ Guild
I was surprised at just how calm and quiet it was inside as I walked through the entrance, and I was able to take a look around as Greebo pulled me toward one particular line.
From all the anime I’d watched and fantasy books I'd read, I'd expected the place to be full of rambunctious, loud-mouthed adventurers. I even thought that I’d maybe even get to see a few brawls between outlandishly dressed characters. Instead, it was filled with people quietly waiting in lines, much like a small bank or employment agency.
The employees were dressed in finely tailored black suits and stood behind a thick oak counter like bank tellers. They called forward the next person in line, who talked to them and discussed whatever business they had. When they were finished, they walked away and exited the building. It was all so orderly.
Greebo tugged on my arm and I realized that I'd zoned out a little while watching the people around me and that I had just been automatically moving forward in line without thinking. Now, it was my turn. As we approached the counter, Greebo pulled himself up onto the chest-high counter and addressed the attendant. She had a sexy athletic build, short brown hair, and a cute button nose.
"Excuse me, cat lady, I have a new client that I would like to get registered for some dungeon diving."
The woman, who had two adorable cat ears peeking out of her hairdo, looked from the goblin to me. She peered at me, her eyes roaming up and down my body. I think I heard her mutter something like, “Talk about chiseled abs.” Her cheeks blushed as she realized she said her thoughts aloud, but she quickly straightened her blouse and asked, "Do you have some form of identification, sir?"
I felt flattered at her response. It had been a long time since anyone reacted like that to seeing me. I glanced down at my Metalman body and realized that the sleek wooden plates covering my body were shaped like a sculpted body with contoured muscles. It’s something I would have loved to look like back on Earth instead of looking like the Pillsbury doughboy. Then I remembered her question and the metal plate I was given earlier. I tried to recall the command to take something out of my internal inventory. I whispered, "Command: Take out Identification plate."
Invalid command
"Command: Remove Identification plate."
Invalid command
"Sir, if you don't have any identification…"
I looked up at the attendant, embarrassed at my stupidity for putting something in my internal inventory without knowing how to take it out again. I tried to smile charmingly but then remembered that I no longer had facial muscles or lips to laugh with. Instead, I shrugged exaggeratedly and, feeling more confident with this new body, I interrupted, "I'm sorry, beautiful. If you could give me a moment, I have it somewhere around here." The blatant flirting wasn’t something I would have done in my old life, but this world seemed to be offering me many new experiences--like a woman finding me physically attractive.
The attendant blushed slightly as I turned around and pretended to search my naked Metalman body while quietly asking, "Inquiry: What is the command to take out something from my internal inventory?"
Command protocol is currently: "Command: Withdraw (name item) from internal inventory."
The inclusion of the statement 'is currently' led me to believe that it might be possible to change the command protocols, but I pushed the thought aside and correctly called out the proper command. The identification plate appeared in my hand, and I turned around to see the attendant staring at me with wide eyes, pupils slightly dilated, and her cute pert mouth open slightly.
"Here it is, kitten. I just had it in the wrong pocket," I said, playing on her obvious attraction as I slid the plate over the counter to her. Her fingers briefly touched mine, and I thought I heard a low purr. A moment later, the sound was gone, and I was glad that she took the piece of metal and started to fill out a form instead of questioning where the item came from.
"Ok, Repair. I have you registered as the property of the Gnomish Research Institute, which means that all copies of quests taken will be forwarded to them. Now, I just need your level and class information."
Greebo’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at me oddly for a fraction of a second when the attendant mentioned that I was the property of the Gnomish Research Institute, but the next second, he was looking again at the woman with the cat ears.
While I didn't like the idea of anyone thinking I was the property of the Institute and being told what I was doing, it couldn't be helped. At least I could make some money from the dungeon. Since I couldn't smile, I just nodded towards the attendant and said, "I'm a level 1 Artificer."
Both the attendant and the goblin turned and asked, "Artificer? What class is that?"
"Uhh . . ." was the only thing I could say. It had never occurred to me that no one would know what the class was. I wondered if it was a race-specific class or something. Instead of trying to explain that the gnomes had bound my human soul from another world to a formerly extinct race, I said, "It's a rare crafting class. I repair and make stuff."
The woman tilted her head slightly, and her cat ears twitched as she peered at me through slightly narrowed eyes while deciding whether to believe me or not. Thankfully, Greebo came to my aid. He slapped the counter top and with exaggerated annoyance said, “What does it matter what his class is? Just register my client already so that I can take him to the dungeon. I got things to do, lady!"
The attendant shrugged and finished filling out her forms, which she had me sign when she was done. Then, as if she'd said this a thousand times before, she rattled off, "The adventurers' guild authorizes you to delve into the Divitiae dungeon. We encourage all members to take appropriate steps to prepare for any dungeon journey but are not liable or responsible for any loss or damage to yourself, party members, or equipment. We are not responsible for the validity of any maps or information you may purchase here. We do guarantee payment for any quests or jobs completed." Having finished up the rote portion of her speech, she looked at me with raised eyebrows and a smile and asked, "Any questions so far, Repair?"
I shook my head 'no,' and she continued with more feeling, "We get a lot of newbies coming through here, but you're only level 1. I'm not sure what your class gives you, but I'd recommend you don't leave the first level of the dungeon." She looked me up and down again and bit her lip before her eyes returned to my face. "I don't see any weapons or armor on you.” She looked around quickly to make sure no one was close enough to listen before she leaned forward and quietly said, “So, I'm going to help you out and give you something from the lost and found. But I encourage you to save your coins and upgrade as soon as you can."
She pulled a box from under the counter and placed three items on the counter. The first was a pair of brass knuckles, the second was a knife, and the third was a wooden club. Using Inspect on each gave me information about each item.
Poor Copper Knuckles
Damage 2-3
Weight 0.5 lbs.
Durability 3/5
Poor Copper Knife
Damage 2-3
Weight 0.8 lbs.
Durability 3/6
Poor Pine Club
Damage 2-3
Weight 2.0 lbs.
Durability 4/5
I'm unsure which weapon to pick. All three do the same amount of damage. I'd never been in a real fight in my life and had never used a weapon.
Greebo sighed at my indecision and said, "Just pick the club, Nuts. If you don't have any training, the knife and brass knuckles are more likely to hurt you than the monsters, but everyone can swing a club."
I looked at Greebo, unsure what he meant and asked, “Nuts?”
Greebo smiled and poked my wooden chest with a finger, “Yeah, ‘cause you’re put together with nuts n’ bolts.”
I shook my head and chuckled at the nickname before I decided to trust my guide and picked up the club.
"Excellent. With that out of the way, you are free to go explore the first level of the dungeon. Just show the guards this medallion." She tilted her head slightly and gave me a smile as she slid a palm-sized disc with a bright white crystal in the center towards me along with my identification plate. In a sultry voice, she said, "Come back soon."
I took the two items, nodded, and said, "Thanks, kitten." I gave her one last glance then turned and walked out of the building, all the time wishing that this new body could capitalize on the flirting from the attendant. Greebo jumped off the counter and quickly caught up with me. As we walked out of the building he looked up, shook his head, and said, “I changed my mind. I’m calling you Nuts from now on ‘cause you’d have to be crazy to not ask that beastkin lady for a date when she wanted you so badly.”
Chapter 8 – 1st Dungeon Level
Greebo slipped through the throng of people moving to and from the dungeon. I was barely able to keep up and had to continually say 'excuse me' as I pushed through the crowd. He headed toward the large three-story domed building that covered the dungeon, and as we got closer, I could see the amazing stone sculptures that were carved into the building. Some of the monsters looked so realistic and terrifying that I questioned my decision to come here for a moment. I pulled my gaze from the carvings and continued to follow my little guide. He stopped for a moment to talk to another goblin that ran off before I could get close enough to hear what they were talking about and then continued his fast walk through the crowd.
We reached the building after a few minutes, and Greebo stopped and climbed up onto a bench in front of a fountain. He looked up at me and said, "Okay, Nuts. I got you all registered, and you even have a weapon now. But before we go in, I need to know what your class really does. I ain't never heard of no 'artificer' before."
"It's exactly what I said it is, kid. I'm a crafter. I can repair and make stuff, though I only know how to repair myself if I get damaged."
The goblin sneered, "Wait, if you're a crafter, why don't you go craft to get experience? It may take longer, but it isn't nearly as dangerous."
I honestly hadn't known that making stuff would grant me XP, but it would have been embarrassing to tell Greebo that. Instead, I said, "I don't just want to sit around all day, getting crummy little bits of XP. I need to level up fast. I need coins, and unless you can tell me some faster way to make money when you're broke, this is it."
"Well, I get the need for money. Still, what can you do besides crafting? Doesn't your class give you any special combat abilities?"
I called up my character sheet but didn't see anything that related to combat except for the fact that I had an armor class. "Well, my AC is 12. That's pretty decent, isn't it?"
The goblin laughed. "That's barely better than being naked. I'm not even wearing armor, and I have an AC of 13 because of my dexterity." He danced around in a circle, showing off his dexterous footwork.
My shoulders slumped at his statement. I’d hoped 12 was a good armor class. Still, I didn’t care for being made fun of. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot while I said, “Well, I am naked, so I guess my AC ain’t so bad, kid.”
He jumped off the bench and scowled at me. “I ain’t no kid, and we’ll just see how tough you are when we get down in the dungeon, Nuts.” He started walking toward one of the wide staircases leading downwards with what appeared to be a ghost of a smile on his face, and I followed him.
There were a lot of people coming up and down the stairs. Most were dressed in armor with swords, maces, and shields, but a few were carrying bows or were covered in robes and carrying staffs. There were even a few who were dressed in beautifully embroidered vests, embossed leather pants, crisp shirts, and who carried flintlock guns. My eyes lingered on the firearm, wishing I had one of my own. While all those people continued to descend further into the dungeon, Greebo and I turned off to the right toward an archway that had the words 'Level 1' carved into it.
A single bored-looking guard stood under the arch. As Greebo and I approached, he straightened up slightly and lazily asked, "Do you have your adventurer guild medallions?"
Greebo pulled out a metal disk just like mine, and we showed them to the guard. He nodded and went back to leaning against the archway, distractedly watching the people descending further into the dungeon. We walked past the archway and into the tunnel, and I asked, "Why is a guard there if he doesn't seem to care about who goes into the dungeon?"
Greebo continued to walk but answered, "Level 1 of the dungeon isn't that dangerous. He's more there to stop any kids that want to play at being adventurers."
As we moved deeper into the tunnel, I noticed that the light from outside didn't reach here and that the tunnels were lit by sconces on the walls that gave off a steady yellow glow, not a flickering light that would be emitted if it were from a flame. I was intrigued by the lights and wondered how they worked. I walked up to one and noted that it was made by a small crystal. I stared and absently muttered, "I wonder what this is made of?" To my surprise, a line of text appeared in my vision.
Invalid command.
The text made me curious if there was something in the question that triggered the text, and I quickly whispered, "Inquiry: What is this light made of?"
Unable to answer the question. Please scan object first.
"Inquiry: How do I scan the object?"
Activate scanning tool and select target.
Based on my experience with the deconstruction tool, I whispered, "Command: Activate Scanning tool."
My left arm split open, and the same cylindrical wand-like object extended from it. Only this time, the tip of the cylinder was red instead of blue. A red beam of light shot out, and I pointed it at the light fixture.
"Scan light."
The light turned green and seemed to flow over every nook and cranny of the fixture then stopped.
Scan complete. Object: Magical light fixture. Components: .2 lbs. metal, .4 lbs. glass, type 2 core, magical energy, spell engraving - Light spell.
Magical Light fixture schematic recorded and added to the schematic database.
I couldn't help but be impressed by the thoroughness of the scan when I read the text. Not only did it tell me what the light was made of, but it also made something from the information. Though I wondered what the schematic was, my attention was drawn away by a gasp from my left. I turned to see Greebo staring at me, eyes wide and mouth open. "What in the name of the great goblin gods are you doing?"
I considered lying but decided there was no harm in telling the truth. After all, Greebo was just a kid. I pointed to the light. "I was wondering what the light thing there was made of, and I figured it out by scanning it. Now, I know it's made of metal, glass, a medium type two crystal, and a light spell."
He glanced at my left forearm, and I understood that he wanted to know about the scanner. "Oh, that. It's just a special tool for my class." I tapped on my wooden chest. "I'm a machine, remember? I have lots of bits of metal and wood inside here."
Greebo blinked hard and warily shook his head but then sniffed loudly and wiped his nose. He smiled and took on an overly confident tone as he said, "Of course. I knew that. I was just asking what you were doing hanging out back here instead of following me. We got us some monsters to kill. Come on." He turned around and motioned for me to follow him as he walked away. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the posturing. It reminded me of some of the kids I used to substitute teach. I guess kids are kids no matter the world, always putting on a strong front.
I walked after Greebo and followed him down the tunnel. We turned left then right and then took two more lefts until the tunnel opened to a large cavern. The floor was covered in a field of white flowers that were occasionally broken up with thin-looking trees, and the area was so large that I couldn't see the end of it clearly. It must have been a couple hundred yards long. Greebo stood at the edge of the field and looked out over it. "Here we are, Repair. Get your club ready. This is where they spawn."
I brought the club up into a batter's stance and looked out over the field, but I didn't see what he was talking about. There were only the flowers swaying in the breeze. “Wait, what breeze?” I thought. I focused my attention on the way the wooden plates of this new body felt. The surface of the plates weren’t nearly as sensitive as human skin, but they still should have registered if there was a breeze or wind down there. But there was neither. "What spawns here, Greebo?"
He pulled the dagger at his waist with his right hand and pointed to the middle of the field where I saw multiple flowers moving and shaking independent of the plants around them. I couldn't see what was hidden among the foliage, but Greebo said, "That's where you're going, Nuts n’ Bolts. Just walk on in and start making noise. They'll find you soon enough, and then you just swing that club till they're all dead.” He snapped the fingers of his left hand. “Simple."
