“New stats added to status: +1 endurance”
Gar was happy to see the gain as he hadn’t gotten any for a while and he could feel the exercise in his muscles that had earnt him that point, he ached. Deciding a bit of stretching and exercise to loosen up might help, or at least that is what he told himself to keep his motivation, he started his morning climb. He kept climbing despite his aching muscles really pushing that extra point of endurance. He was going to have to climb a long way to get out of that hole even if he was able to start from half way up. He went for longer than he normally would, really trying to push himself.
“Climb levelled up climb level 8”
Gar stopped his climb with the level up he was tired and at some point it had started raining again and he was already soaked.
Gar had hoped to make some more writing sticks while he planned his day that wasn’t going to happen with the weather stopping a fire. Briefly he considered a fire inside his shelter but that idea was quickly dismissed, while he had plenty of ventilation for the smoke he also had a floor of very dry very flammable pine needles and a low roof made of wood. So instead he sat in his shelter thinking about what else he would need to get out of the hole and what he would need when he was out. He dug through his pile of tools and found his pickaxe it was ready as he had made it a handle that was set near the entrance ready for when he went back in the cave.
In finding the pickaxe he thought about all his stuff. It was a lot now and there was no way he was going to be able to easily carry it all, especially having put handles on a number of his tools they would take up a lot more space. He could always remove the handles again and make new ones later, what would be better was if he could find a way to carry more. It was difficult as he had no idea how far he would have to go to get to some sort of civilisation or over what sort of land. He had his sled which worked except it still took a decent amount of effort, so if his sled wouldn’t work could he upgrade it to a cart.
Previously he hadn’t had the time, tools or resources to do it. His situation had changed though and he thought he could make it work. Where to start was the first question? Gar went with making the wheels as his starting point they were likely to be the hardest part so better to start with them and get them done. He still had plenty of the trunk of the tree he had cut down to use for the wood. He went to a section of the trunk about half a meter across or just a bit over and cut himself six disks each about as thick as his fist. More exercise with a large wood saw was far from ideal in Gars mind after his long morning climb, it would be worth it though so he continued on. He then found the smallest of his discs took a pin and pushed it into the centre, just enough so it stood on its own. He then tied a piece of string to it and cut it so the string didn’t quite reach the edge of the disk with a small knot to tie his last writing stick and he was able to mark a perfect circle that fit inside the disc. Then lifting the pin and placing it in the centre of each of the discs he was able to mark out six identical sized circles, making sure to mark the centre with a cross each time so he could find it again. Then it was just a matter of bringing the wood down to the line he had marked. A knife made quick work of removing the bark then through knife and axe and saw he cut the wood down until it was close to the line. Unfortunately during that process he had split one wheel and taken a large chunk out of another far past the line, so he only had four left no more spared.
“Woodworking levelled up woodworking level 5”
He had learnt from the process. Remove small bits at a time with smooth strokes keeping his tools nice and sharp, he shouldn’t be using strength he needed to let the blade do the work. When he got close to the line he had marked he switched it up going from using blades to using files to slowly take off the last bit of wood getting as close to a perfect circle as he could. He worked slowly and methodically going from rougher down to finer files. Once he had the outside shape he used the pin and string to mark a much smaller circle in the centre this would be the hole for the axle to go through. Once marked he used his larger auger to put several holes in the smaller circle then used his chisels and knife to remove the rest, again finishing with the files to smooth it up. The four wheels where done even if it had taken all day to do.
It was a bit early to go to sleep, Gar lay down in his bed anyway. Had he needed to spend a day making wheels? No not really, could he have gone back into the caves and either looked for another way out or opened up that hole? Most defiantly and it probably would have been a better use of his time. Except for one thing, he was terrified all the time. The fear stuck with him especially any time he left his base, he was not just taking days to craft and spend time at base because it was useful he was doing it because he needed it. Needed it to give the time to build up the courage again to go out. He used to work in an office and since he had been in this world he had nearly died so many times he had lost track. He had literally had to fight for his life and during all that he wasn’t even sure that all his thoughts where his own. So had he needed to build wheels for a day? Yes he had needed a day to recover a day to bolster himself while keeping busy so his mind did not dwell on fear that was eating him up inside.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Gar kept his morning climb short he didn’t want to be too tired for what he had planned for the day. He loaded himself with three full water bottles, a selection of nuts and berries, his map, a rope, spear and knife as well as his pickaxe. The rain had not let up so he hadn’t been able to make any more writing sticks so he had a plan to deal with that, that in mind he also added a handful of dry pine needles a couple of flint stones and some sticks to his bag.
He set out following his map through the caves the badgers surrounding him as usual. He made it to where he had to climb without incident, he climbed up in much the same way he had previously Bodger on his lap and all. The only difference had been that there was a rope tied around his waist, he was able to make the dismount onto the ledge slightly more gracefully. He turned and scanned the tunnel checking the noise he made on arrival hadn’t attracted anything. Once sure he hadn’t caught anything’s attention he had Bodger keep watch on the tunnel as he turned back and looked down. His backpack as well as B1, B2 and B3 were waiting for him down the bottom. He took a couple of steps back braced himself then started pulling in the rope, first just taking in the slack then he was hauling. His bag came over the lip first followed by each of the badgers in turn. Once all of it was up he dropped the rope then untied it from the badger sending them to keep watch with Bodger once they were free, then he untied himself and finally his bag, coiling up the rope and putting it away.
They adventured on to where the hole to the outside was. Gar dropped his bag next to it then he and the badgers continued on, he would be back he just wanted to see what was nearby first. They travelled several hundred meters taking a couple of turns with no splits or side tunnels, they turned and made their way back the way they had come. When they got to the corner before where Gar had left his bag he had B3 wait to act as an early warning system should something turn up.
Once back at his bag he sat for a short break, he had been moving constantly to get there early in the day so he took a few minutes to get a drink and something to eat as well as a rest. With his rest over he was ready, he turned to the wall picked up his pickaxe and swung it. He brought it down as hard as he could just above the hole to the outside. The pickaxe bounced off with a loud “TING”. Gar had not expected that his strength much higher than in his old world he was using the correct tool, he had expected to easily start smashing through the rock. He swung again and again until finally he could see he was having an effect. Cracks were showing in the rock, with his next swing he didn’t focus just on strength he focused more on aiming his strike he wanted to hit directly on the crack. He swung and hit.
“New skill acquired mining level 1”
The skill gain and the small pile of crumbling rock let him know he was on the right track so he started swinging again. Only this time he made sure to pay attention and try to pick out the weak points in the rock with each swing. He kept at it slowly widening the hole, first opening it down to the floor then making it wider and taller. Gar had been at it for hours he was tired and the ground was slippery from the rain coming in.
He took a few steps away from the hole until the floor was dry and he sat down, back against the wall. He rummaged through his bag pulling out sticks, the pine needles and the couple of flints. Building a little pyramid of sticks he then started striking the flints together over the pine needles, catching the sparks. With a couple of minute’s patient work he got an ember in the pine needles, after that it only took a few gentle breaths to turn it into a flame. The whole burning lot was then pushed into the base of the little pyramid.
“”Fire starting levelled up fire starting level 4”
He had a little fire going, he sat there warming his hands not because he was cold, he had realised he didn’t really feel hot or cold. Just holding his hands to the warmth of the fire seemed like the thing you did, it seemed normal and he craved any sense of normal. After a couple of minutes of that he got to the real reason he had bothered to bring all that stuff with him he started making some more writing sticks, it was too wet or unsafe to make a fire near his base however where he was it was dry there was nothing flammable and there was a hole to the outside where the smoke and gasses could vent. His stomach rumbled his body unconsciously associated fire with food so he regretted not bringing anything to cook with, he could have had a warm meal instead he made do with some cold nuts and berries. He sat and watched as the small fire burned down to nothing, he had made a good supply of writing sticks that would last him a while.
