Construction Mage - Chapter 34: Growth Rate

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“My liege, we must explore alternatives to the gold and silver coins we use within our kingdom. It’s been brought to my attention that it’s only a matter of time before the Delvers literally strike gold within the dungeons, collapsing the value of our coins in an instant! Such a threat cannot be ignored any longer. I implore you to take action while we still have time!”

-Petition to the king, from the former Master of Coin, Tolan Farhallow, 6 AD

***

After spending a full hour rinsing himself off with some hot water, Clay finally brought his attention back to the toilet. With the power of a water crystal, he technically had running water in his house, which meant figuring out a flushable toilet was the next task at hand.

It only took a few moments for Clay to recall how a toilet worked.

All those times when I watched those videos to learn how to replace the toilet flappers are coming in handy, huh?

A toilet where he could simply flush the waste away by dumping water down it was simple. The drainage he currently built would work, albeit the container he had set outdoors would fill up really quickly, and the mud mortar used to build the drainage would allow some of the waste to leach into the ground. It also wouldn’t prevent the odour from flowing back into the house. It was the reason why modern toilets had water in them at all times. It acted as a seal, called a water trap, that blocked gases from rising back up.

In order to recreate something similar, he would need an S-shaped trap for the outflow going out of the toilet bowl. It would solve the odor problem completely. The problem with that was what he had to work with in Ravenhold.

A material where I won’t have to worry about leakage, and can be curved into an S. I’m not sure if the blacksmith around is skilled enough for that. Hmm…

As he brainstormed for materials, his eyes drifted to the water heater that doubled as a cistern. 

Right, we have clay around here. I don’t really see that around that much, though.

For some reason, all Clay had seen in his time in Ravenhold were wooden mugs, plates, and metal cookware. Ceramics were a rarity. The only time he came across it was the chamber pots at the inn. He suspected it was due to having to venture outside the city to obtain the clay near the rivers. The danger entailed wasn’t worth it for most people. They’d rather leave it to the Delvers to collect materials from the dungeons.

At the same time, it explained the cheaper cost of metal in the city. If one of the layers in the dungeon had easy access to ores, the constant supply would naturally lower its price.

Well, time to hunt for a pottery shop tomorrow.

With the matter settled, Clay enjoyed himself by soaking in some hot water before going to bed.

***

Early the next morning, an hour before he would meet up with Malik, Clay wandered into the city with a clear goal in mind. He hummed as he walked into the second ring and smiled amiably at the guards.

The city was already quite busy when he strode onto the main street. Most people slept as soon as the sky began to darken and woke up at first light. It was a completely different schedule from what Clay was used to.

Walking up to one of the food stalls, he bought himself some breakfast—a bowl of warm oats—and left the vendor a generous tip in exchange for pointing him in the right direction to the nearest pottery. 

It saved him from wandering aimlessly around the craftsmen’s district. He soon entered one of the unremarkable stores with a large wooden sign hanging outside that depicted a vase. Upon entering, the first thing he noticed was the well-dressed clientele browsing the wares. Not to the point of nobility, but wealthier merchants and landowners.

There was an equal number of staff to customers, allowing each customer to be properly taken care of. Clay didn’t have to wait long before another staff member walked out from somewhere to greet him.

“Welcome, sir. How may we help you?”

“Do you do custom orders here?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. Our master potters have experience crafting a variety of vases, chamber pots, wine jugs, crocks, and jars. If you would like, we can even create a set with artwork catered to your preference,” the young man explained as he casually led Clay further in toward a display full of the pottery he mentioned.

The ones present before him were all plain without glaze. It was only when the clerk held up one of the jars that he noticed that it wasn’t entirely true, as the interior was glazed. He nodded in satisfaction as he made his request.

“I’m looking for something more unique. I want a hollow tube that is curved like this,” he waved his hand around to demonstrate an S shape to the clerk. “Glazed as well.”

“Ah, give me a moment, please, sir.”

The young man raced into the back and soon came back with some parchment. He handed a page over for Clay to go over.

“To fulfill sir’s needs, we’ll need to create it completely from scratch. What you have in your hand is the order form. I’ll sketch your requirements according to your description, and you can sign it once you are satisfied. You’ll also have to pay half the price now before we start on the order.”

“And how much will that be?”

“Around ten to twenty silver coins for that size. I’ll be able to give you a precise quote once I consult with the craftsmen about your order.”

The process was much more troublesome than Clay would like. It screamed bougie, which wasn’t entirely unexpected, given their regular clientele. For recreating the familiar comforts of a toilet, Clay endured it and went over the specifications he required of the S-trap. It took him the full hour to finally place the order, which he could pick up in two days. With all things taken into account, it was quite fast, but he knew the wait would kill him anyway.

By the time he finished the order and made it to the Delver enclosure, Malik was already waiting there with a troubled face. He instantly exhaled upon seeing Clay and ran up to him with the large backpack in tow.

“It’s good that you’re here, sir! I thought something had happened, since you’ve never been this late before.”

“Sorry about that. Got carried away with something. Let’s go.”

Despite his misgivings, Malik nodded and followed along, and the two teleported into the dungeon, following their usual routine.

Strolling through the withered forest, its dreary stillness hung like a mist as usual. The trees made it harder for sound to carry far, adding to the gloom of the atmosphere, and all they could hear was the occasional groaning of dry wood.

The gloominess was only disrupted when the sharp snap of a nearby branch drew their attention to the source. The Feral Kobolds on the outskirts of the first layer appeared to be inexhaustible, allowing Clay and Malik to hunt them for yet another day.

“Spirits, hear my call,

By Lestionora’s name, rise from your thrall.

Awaken from slumber, heed my plea,

Shape to my will, come forth as I decree—Earth Blast!”

After another two Earth Blasts, another kobold fell. Malik swiftly moved in to skin and butcher the kill. Unlike Clay, he didn’t need to put conscious thought into the task. His profession classes guided him instinctively on what to do, and soon, only bones and bits of useless scraps remained.

The two had gotten to the point where they could afford to casually chat while they worked, with one of them stowing away the loot while the other stood guard.

“So you still haven’t leveled up yet, huh?” the towering figure commented as he fidgeted with the shovel in his hand.

“That’s correct, sir. I heard other porters say it usually takes months, so I’m not in a hurry.”

“Oh? Did you hear how long it usually takes for regular Delvers, too?”

“Yes! I had a good chat with one of my clients two days ago! They told me about their time when they were still starting out. I believe it took them about a week or so to achieve their first level up.”

“I see…”

The small talk not only helped the two pass the time, but also provided Clay with a lot of useful information. Previously, he wasn’t in a position to care about anything unrelated to himself. It was only during times like these, when he slowed down and talked to someone well-connected, that he began to put the picture together.

I leveled within my first day—that probably means the hidden experience point mechanic is based on participation in actual combat. It’s in line with how it takes porters longer to level up than regular Delvers, while it takes me even less time because I didn’t share experience points with anyone.

This really is like a game, huh?

Clay noted that information down, as it would be useful once he had a chance to set up the Adventurer’s Guild. Sharing information on how one could level up using the most efficient method could definitely attract Delvers to join the guild. It was leverage he could use to get the guild going.

“Well, it sounds to me that you’ve been using your afternoon productively. You should keep it up,” Clay complimented with a satisfied grin.

“Really? I love hearing stories about their adventures, but is that really helping me?”

“Yes. Knowledge is power. To be precise, what you told me allowed me to realize that combat with the monsters likely quickens how fast you’ll level up.”

“That isn’t exactly a new discovery, though. All the porters know that proper Delvers level faster than they do.”

Clay hesitated for a moment, as he didn’t want to reveal anything needlessly, but he quickly shook off any concerns. After all, he wanted to put the theory to the test. Learning information from others was one thing, but full assurance required him to witness the effects himself.

“Hmm, let’s have a change of pace, shall we? Why don’t you help me finish off the next kobold we encounter?”

“What?” Malik said, louder than he intended. “Do you really mean it, sir?”

Before Clay could respond, the snapping of branches drew their attention again. This time, it sounded much louder, meaning whatever caused it was much heavier. Having fought Feral Kobolds for days on end, the two swiftly realized this, tensing up as they turned toward the direction of the threat.

“Slowly step back,” Clay whispered over his shoulder. “It could be an advanced variant of kobolds that could have range attacks.”

Malik nodded and did as instructed. They both took careful steps backward without turning away from the source of the threat the entire time. Unfortunately, that meant they couldn’t keep their gaze on where they were stepping. Within a few steps, the sharp snap of tree branches echoed beneath Malik’s feet—to his horror.

Clay took a deep breath as he prepared to once again face off against the kobolds that had once almost killed him. However, this time, they weren’t in a narrow tunnel where he could funnel them around corners. If their numbers proved too great, it would without a doubt get dicey.

As the two delvers steeled their resolve and the tension peaked, the source of the commotion was finally revealed when an entirely unexpected sound reached their ears.

“Hello…?” a feminine voice softly called out, full of both hesitation and desperation. “Is someone out there?”

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