The Sleeper Must Awaken

by Kip Terrington

  “This does not mean we won’t allow any NPCs to train in the dungeon, but we will need to weigh the benefit to our kingdom. I salute your courage and your willingness to sacrifice, but we must be selective when choosing how and when we risk. I can see that there are a lot of you who wish to voice your opinion and be heard, so I'm going to sit down and listen. If you have something you'd like to say, raise your hand and one of the queen’s angels will come over and give you a number so that everyone can be heard in an orderly manner,” Joe said.

  He hadn't intended to make this a town hall, but that's what it had become. Now that he knew it wasn't a game, he was all too aware that grand speeches were less important than a good ear. He was surprised at the number of hands that instantly shot up. It didn't take them long to get used to the idea of being heard. Some of the people asked questions about Joe and Zoya, where they were from, but most wanted to know the specific details about how they could survive and become a nation.

  Luckily for Joe, Zoya was with him and she was all about specifics. Zoya, who had interviewed almost all of them, knew their skill sets. She answered questions about crafting and spoke of how many of them could learn to make armor, weapons, and even magical items. She talked about the UI that players and a few notable NPCs had access to. This interface showed her that all of them were capable of increasing their ability and usefulness.

  At one point, Obsidian One came to stand in front. Zoya explained how she had crafted this golem. Though she had not found anyone else in the castle with Energy Mass Conversion Magic she had found a blacksmith, woodworkers, stonemasons, and many with a small knowledge of other professions. She encouraged them, explaining how through targeted labor, the UI could help them master their craft.

  Zoya attempted to reassure them, but time and time again the subject of NPCs training in the dungeon came up. Eventually, Joe gave in and agreed to a trial run and Zoya took it from there. “Many NPCs have expressed their desire to fight the vampires. Your king and I have listened and we definitely want you to be able to participate in the coming battles. But, as the king said earlier, the dungeon is such a dangerous place that we might lose any NPC who goes in. We understand that you're all willing to risk it. However, just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should.

  “I propose a lottery, where all of those who wish to train in the dungeon have a chance to win. In the first lottery, there will only be three winners. Those winners will train in the dungeon for a week. At the end of that trial period, we will reassess the possibility of more NPCs in the dungeon,” Zoya offered.

  Molasses stood and saluted Zoya.

  “Your solution is less than we would have wished, but we recognize the caution and understand that it comes from valuing our lives. However, I believe the NPCs would rather pick the first three instead of it being selected randomly,” Molasses said.

  Zoya looked at Joe and he shrugged his shoulders.

  “That's acceptable. If you're unable to come up with the three, let me know. I am good with randomizing,” Zoya reassured.

  Congratulations!

  You have heard the voices of your people and they know it. Possibility of a coup has dropped by 78%. Your natural ability to empathize has opened a door to the hearts of your people. This new connection will better inform you of what your people need from you.

  A coup! Joe hadn’t even considered a coup as a possibility. They’re going to smother you with a bunny! In spite of himself, Joe laughed. This king gig wasn’t going to be easy to get used to.

  Chapter 19 - Mi Casa Es Su Casa

  With the impromptu town meeting over, people didn't just filter out, instead, they grouped together not by race but by professions, hobbies, and even possible aptitudes. No skill, no matter how obscure, could afford to be overlooked or underdeveloped.

  At Joe's prompting, Zoya gathered together a few of the more useful tradesmen. The small group followed Joe and Zoya down the stairs and through the hallway leading to Joe's private suite. As they approached, the doors opened on their own and Joe invited the small group in. For each of them, a special item had been placed in the room. Despite their excitement, however, none of them were presumptuous enough to touch the surrounding equipment.

  “As you can see, this is my private suite, or rather, was my private suite. The lab equipment, the workroom, and the blacksmith's forge was too great a resource to go unused. So, I am now repurposing this suite as the primary crafting room and, Bork, you're going to be our head Alchemist,” Joe explained.

  New designations accepted.

  Congratulations!

  You’ve hired a Chief Alchemist Officer (CAO). Plus 10% potency to kingdom potions.

  Castle Population: Low

  Adults: 404

  [NEW] CAO: 1 +10% potency to kingdom potions

  Congratulations!

  You’ve added new castle facilities. Master Private Apartment/Workshop has been repurposed. In its place, you’ve established the castle’s primary Alchemy Lab, Forge, and Woodworking Room.

  Castle Facilities: Low

  [NEW] Alchemy Lab

  [NEW] Forge, + 7% to metal durability

  [NEW] Woodworking Room, 10% fewer building pts required to craft with wood

  “Nice, Bork! Because of you, our kingdom potions will now have a higher potency!” Joe said.

  Bork stuck his belly out in pride, but then a thought occurred to him.

  “King Joe, wait, where will you sleep? Couldn't we move all of this equipment to another room so that you could retain your private retreat?” the UI translated Bork’s concerns.

  “No, they can't be moved and even though Zoya is gaining in her skills everyday, she can't yet reproduce facilities of this quality. However, she assured me that she could make me a new shower and even move some of my oversized furniture to somewhere in the castle that won't be quite so busy. Thanks for thinking of me, but this is a needed sacrifice and when it comes down to it I don't really even need to sleep. So, it's not much of a sacrifice at all. Please, everybody go ahead and make use of the equipment,” Joe said and they eagerly got to work.

  Joe walked around, observing his people as they assessed his equipment and began to explore the facilities now opened for their use. For some reason, Joe was drawn to a woodworker who was marveling at the size of the diamond-tipped saw blade. The blade was a circular saw that appeared large enough to cut whole logs. There were other smaller tools for more delicate work, and most of the woodworkers had left to assess those tools, as they had been more familiar with them. One woodworker, however, continued to study this huge saw.

  NPC, Chaff

  Elven Modifier

  Modifier? That class was one Joe had never seen before. Like an unconscious twitch, his twenty-sided eye began to spin, only to stop firmly on a 16. Once again, Joe saw two separate images—one that was happening now and another that was just a possibility. In the predictive vision, Joe saw the elf hammering little bits of metal into the edge of the blade. Joe wasn't sure why, but it appeared the future version of this elf was replacing the diamond tips with something else. This double-image faded and Joe was left staring at the elf who had become self-conscious.

  “Hello, Chaff, sorry about the staring. It's just sometimes I look at people and I see possibilities. The way you were looking at that saw triggered something in me. Mind telling me what you are thinking?” Joe quietly asked, not wanting to freak out the modifier.

  Chaff was not like a typical tall and thin elf. Decades of woodworking had turned him into an elf with a slightly curved back, a wiry frame, and large hard calloused hands. Though Chaff understood and was unafraid of hard work, he still couldn't look his new king in the eye.

  “It's nothing, Your Majesty, just wayward thoughts. I won't change or harm this saw in any way. It is, of course, good enough the way it is,” Chaff said as he began to fidget and study the ground around his feet.

  Joe walked over to the saw and put his hand on the blade, careful not to cut him
self.

  “Chaff, can you see the blue letters above people's heads?” Joe asked.

  “No, Your Majesty, but I've been informed that they're there, so, of course, I believe they exist,” Chaff said as he brought his hand up to scratch his mouth and then his nose.

  The tells were clear. These two gestures together made it pretty obvious to Joe that Chaff didn't believe the UI existed. Joe didn't blame him, he had been a slave most of his life and it was easy to lie to someone who had no power.

  “You don't have to believe me that you have blue letters above your head. There is no law saying you can't call the king a liar. Now, if you don't want to tell me what you're thinking, that's okay, you don't have to. I was only asking because this weird eye I possess showed me that you have a lot of potential. I promise if you honestly tell me what you're thinking about this saw, there will be no negative consequences. Come on, Chaff, be a buddy,” Joe wheedled. Chaff tilted his head and looked up at Joe, narrowing his eyes.

  Successful Trust Check.

  The elf took a deep breath and looked to the side. “The tiny crystals embedded in this saw are hard, but they will quickly wear away if you intend to cut the more precious hardwoods,” Chaff revealed.

  “Really? I guess the hardness of diamonds don't cut it here, huh?” Joe prompted.

  “When cutting wood, you have to think about more than just how hard your saw is or even how hard your wood is. Depending on the wood you're cutting, you will also have to take into account the type of magic that has flown through its cellulose. If you had Celestial Timber, this saw would be perfect for it, but for most other magically grown trees, diamonds would not hold up over time,” Chaff said in an almost off-handed manner.

  “What if, instead of a diamond edge saw, we added mithril?” Joe asked. Chaff’s eyes went wide and he looked up at Joe, wondering if the king could read minds.

  “Your Majesty, that is what I was thinking. But, mithril is terribly expensive. Though I would love to try, I'm not sure I could even successfully modify this saw. I am just a woodworker, that is all I have ever been. I have worked for decades, but I cannot raise my competency past that of professional,” Chaff admitted.

  “You didn't choose to be a woodworker, did you?” Joe asked.

  “Your Majesty,… forgive my impertinence, but of course I didn't choose,” Chaff said looking away.

  “My fault. I didn't phrase that correctly. What I meant to say was that you have a natural aptitude for modifying things. It naturally helps with woodworking, which is probably why they made you a woodworker, but I think you should start a whole new career. Those blue letters you don't believe are above your head, well, they give you the class of a modifier. That fact and my vision of you modifying this saw with little bits of mithril make me think you would enjoy a change. Not only that, but I think you would be good at it,” Joe said with a wide smile, knowing that he hit on a truth.

  “You would give me mithril and allow me to grind it into dust to apply to the edge of this saw, even though I might waste the mithril and fail completely?” Chaff guffawed.

  “I'd give you the option, if you take it,” Joe said.

  “Will I be killed if I fail?” Chaff asked in all seriousness.

  “No, of course, not! Failure is a part of growth. As you work to become a true modifier, I'm sure you're going to have many failures, but it's worth it if you eventually succeed. If you're never able to progress then we'll know that maybe the blue letters above your head are lying, but it's worth risking the saw to find out. Being able to take a machine and make it better is something this kingdom will need. I want you to begin working on this saw immediately. I know you haven't even tested out its capabilities, so I don't expect this to happen quickly. Here, I've got some things that should help you get started,” Joe said as he opened his Holdall.

  He pulled out ten mithril coins and sat them beside the saw. The unique clicking sounds of mithril made everyone in the room stop and focus on King Joe and Chaff.

  “If you need more, let me know. But you and the other woodworkers will need wood to test this saw and begin your work, so I have something else for you,” Joe said as he sat his Holdall on the ground and reached in with both hands. Gripping onto something in his bag, Joe began to back up. A four-meter log began to emerge.

  Once the log had been extracted from the Holdall, both Chaff and the other woodworkers put their hands upon it, assessing its quality.

  “I had heard your magic was great, but to pull a tree out of a little sack… maybe we will survive.” Chaff marveled.

  “Yes, it’s a very nice purse. I mean, man bag, but what do you think of this wood? I have felt its sharp edge. Can you make anything useful out of it? Spears? Arrows? Shields?” Joe asked.

  “All of those things and more. This is Hammered Acer Saccharum. There is much we can do with it. Working this, however, is the limit to my ability and beyond most of the others. I can do the difficult parts, though, and have them assist on the rest. With this much wood to work with, I would be surprised if we can’t get the others trained up to professional,” Chaff said, his voice almost cracking with excitement.

  Across the room, Zoya showed their one blacksmith how the magical forge worked, but she couldn’t help but observe Joe’s interaction with Chaff. She liked the way people responded to Joe. Chaff had been nervous to talk to a king, but was now so excited, he had forgotten Joe’s station. Zoya understood that that was Joe’s real strength. The ability to make people become as interested in the wonder all around them as he was.

  “Sweet! Chaff, do you think you could do me a favor?” Joe asked. Chaff tore his attention away from the wood and looked at his king. Once again, Chaff remembered who he was talking to and bowed his head.

  “You are the king. Command and it will be done,” Chaff quoted the one book he had read. Joe paused before speaking, unsure how to respond.

  “Chaff, chain of command is a good thing and will definitely help us become more productive, efficient, and safe, but if I am asking for a favor, it can’t be a command. I want to put my hand on your shoulder as you work this wood. I believe that I can learn some of your skill in woodworking that way. However, I am not the type of king who would order someone to let me touch them. It would be you doing me a favor, and you can say no without judgement from me,” Joe said.

  Chaff looked at his king and frowned, somehow unafraid to show his displeasure.

  “You do realize it is just a shoulder, right? Why do you act like it is some big favor? Your apparent need to be sensitive about it makes me think I should say no. Is this going to lead you to want to touch my shoulder all the time?” Chaff said, looking green.

  “Ha! No, I don’t have any obsessions with shoulders. This is just about getting the woodworker profession, I swear,” Joe blurted.

  “Then, sure. I will use a chisel to remove the bark. If you have more mithril, it would greatly increase the effectiveness of these tools if our smith could give them a mithril edge,” Chaff said as he picked up a chisel and hammer.

  Motioning Joe to put his hand on his shoulder, Chaff bent over the log. With a practiced ease, Chaff placed the chisel into a natural indent in the wood. Quick multiple strikes with the hammer set the chisel just under the bark. Leaning into the chisel, the elf leveraged the bark upward and then used the hammer to slide the chisel further in. At this point, Joe began to feel heat in his hand and in his head.

  Allowing the trance to overtake him, Joe closed his eyes and he saw Chaff as a young elf. The child Chaff was sitting cross-legged in a corner meticulously whittling a fist-sized piece of pine. Time seemed to speed up and the block of pine began to take shape. Joe watched as the wood was rounded into a cone. He thought that it might be a top, which would make sense for a child's toy, but as the vision progressed he saw that it was something with more practical value. It was a door knob.

  Congratulations!

  You gained the profession Woodworker.

  Current rank - Amate
ur Hobbyist

  The wood calls to you, unfortunately you’re a bit hard of hearing. Though you can whittle, you’re just as likely to draw blood as sap. Work on the basics. Practice making simple shapes to increase your rank. See the square in your mind, then carve it in the wood.

  With a deep indrawn breath, Joe lifted his hand and backed away.

  “I saw you as a child, making a door knob,” Joe told Chaff. The woodworker stopped what he was doing and looked off into the distance.

  “I made a lot of those. In a magical society such as ours there are many with more strength than they know what to do with. It means a lot of broken door knobs. Let me know if I can help you more. For now, I'm going to go ahead and get the other woodworkers started on this fine piece of timber right here. Once I've got them working, the blacksmith and I will have a conversation about how we can modify our tools together,” Chaff said with enthusiasm.

  “Carry on, Chaff, thanks for your help,” Joe said, smiling as he pulled out a small whittling knife and picked up a few pieces of bark.

  Chapter 20 - The Problem of Pain

  The Wild Mountains.

  The Champion’s castle.

  Day fifteen, just after the Morning Bunny.

  Joe waited outside the secure room that housed their fangless vampire prisoner. It wasn't long before Sheriff Lang, Zoya, and Bridcha arrived as well. Joe carefully avoided eye contact with the yeti, as his eye had not yet forgiven the chief.