The Slow Life of Henry Riddle: The Arcane Artificer

”City confirmed. The Player will arrive in White Pines Town in three seconds. We wish you happy gaming, ” said a mechanical voice. The sight before Henry immediately blurred as he was sent away.

The buildings of White Pines Town were chaotically arranged but had a similar style to the medieval ages. The NPCs filled the bustling streets, making them feel as if it was another world.

Henry arrived at the front of a church, his new appearance resembling a penniless trader. He currently wore a gray Novice Tunic and leather vest on his waist hung an almost empty bag of holdings. The bag of holding had 8 unfilled slots, the other two slots were filled with 10 pieces of bread and 10 bottles of water.

According to his screen, eating the bread and drinking water would recover 10 HP per second for ten seconds.

At that moment, many players had started wandering around the town, speaking to NPCs in hopes of obtaining a request.

There were also quite a few players that went out of the village, going out to the wilderness to kill mobs.

Every one of them was carrying out their tasks as if their lives depended on it and they couldn help but wish they could split their time in two.

Henry didn pay attention to the other players.

Ring

Henrys pod received a phone call, from Hakgror Largebrew. He suspected it was his best friend and long-time guild mate.

”Henry! What class did you choose and which town are you in? ” he asked excitedly.

Hi Dustin! Im a Gnome Merchant in White Pines. Its a border city between a Human kingdom and Gnomish Lands.

Remember what I said to the guild, Im done dungeon diving. I picked a crafter class this time.

”I know thats why Im calling you. Im a Dwarf Blacksmith. Im in Moria. I wanted to start in. Dwarven town to learn Blacksmithing as soon as possible. We should meet after we level to Journeyman, ” he said itching to meet up.

In this game, there were five levels: novice, apprentice, journeyman, master, and grandmaster.

Fine that works for me. Ill let you know when Ive reached Journeyman, although I imagine Ill take us noncombat classes longer to level.

”Sounds great! Im off to find a master! ” Hakgror Largebrew said, hanging up.

Well I guess I better do the same. As I walked, more than one of the villagers stared at me as I walked down the street.

They weren hostile, but they stared at me. Most players wanted to look like fearsome superhumans. Whereas I was probably the smallest player they had seen. Most likely they were wondering how I planned to kill mobs with being vertically challenged.

After walking around I saw a general store. But what surprised me was the general stores name. It was called the [Gnometheran Trading Company].

From outside the shop, I saw a variety of goods in the windows and hanging off the wooden porch.

When I entered the store a small Gnome in a fine purple tunic greeted me.

”Halloo there! This is my first time seeing a Gnome player, oh with a merchant class too. Most of you lot choose the be as tall and dumb looking as possible. So what brings ya in today Henry Riddle? ”

How do you know my name?

”The Identity skill, lad. I can also see your traits and skills. My identity skill is maxed at 100!

On top of that, there can be some very uncomfortable side effects when you
e under the effect of a high-level Identity skill. At level 75, it simultaneously triggers intimidation. ”

Wait you maxed out your Identity skill. How the hell did you get it so high?

Well, Im 180 years young lad. I figure most middle age Gnomes my age also have their primary skills maxed out. By the way, names Thaggard Tinkerton, ” he said introducing himself.

Thought to myself, I can believe this NPC seemed like a real person. It was hard to believe he was just ones and zeros. These NPCs certainly passed the Turing Test.

A pleasure to meet you Thaggard Tinkerton. Im looking for a master rank merchant to help me develop my class. But Im also interested in learning cooking, alchemy, blacksmithing, and tanning.

”Quite the ambitious fellow. It seems there is some Gnome in you. Im a master rank merchant and I can train you. I can train you to Journeyman in merchant, and Arcane tinkering.

I can also get you to apprentice rank in tanning and alchemy. But, I don have any blacksmithing experience.

Although you
e free to ask the blacksmith, I don know if hell teach you because our race is not known for blacksmithing, ” Thaggard said pointing to my little arms and lack of muscles.

The job pays 5 coppers a week. And Ill also give you room and board, but itll cost you 2 coppers a week.

10 coppers and we have a deal! I said a roving my skill Haggle.

”5 coppers and my wife shall wash your close for a copper, ” he rebutted.

”5 coppers and you can bathe for free once a week for a copper, ” he smiled.

At this point, Ill only be able to keep one copper per week, I lamented out loud.

”Look and see if your haggle leveled at all, ” he said.

What happened? Sure enough, my haggle skill level increased by two points.

Thank you, teacher, I said accepting Thaggards hand.

”Just call me Tag. Everyone else around here does. Oh, and the job pays 10 coppers a week. But I wasn joking about the cost of rent, food, laundry, and bathing, ” Tag said

Yes! I cheered. That meant Id be left with six coppers a week. Based on my experience, that was probably about the same as ordinary fighters and mages.

”By the way, if we
e doing this we
e doing it under contract. I don want you to kill my wife and me in our sleep. Some players are in jail for trying to kill a guard. Im only 50 years away from retirement, ” he said as he started laughing maniacally while digging under the counter.

”AH! Here we go, ” he said a few moments later as he produced a quill and parchment. He placed the parchment on the counter and began writing furiously without stopping for several minutes.

”Contract Paper, ” he said finally as he held up the now-full sheet of paper.

”We sign and its legally and magically binding. Take a minute to look over it and tell me what you think. ”

Thankfully, the papers magical properties made it easy to modify various sections I didn care for. Namely, he wanted a guarantee of two years of rent and listed my job responsibilities and trading schedule.

Instead, I gave him a guarantee of a lease agreement of a year. I also locked in the cost of laundry, food, and bathing for a year.

Beyond that, I was allowed to keep whatever I needed for crafting and training. And if something I made sold, Id get 60% of the profit.

Eventually, we managed to work out all these kinks, and both happily signed.

”Alright lad, no better time to start than the present. Lets get your mercantile skills up, so you can unlock more skills. Lets see if we can get you to level five before the end of the day, ” Tag smiled fiendishly.

Quest Received: Stock Clerk

Recommended Level: Novice

Merchant Objective: Master Thaggard Tinkerton needs you to restock the shelves.

Merchant Guild Reward: 50 Experience Points (XP) a day and additional training from Thaggard Tinkerton.

Quest Received: Stock Clerk

Recommended Level: Novice

Merchant Objective: Master Thaggard Tinkerton needs you to sweep and mop the floor.

Merchant Guild Reward: 10 XP, additional training from Thaggard Tinkerton.

Quest Received: Stock Clerk

Recommended Level: Novice

Merchant Objective: Master Thaggard Tinkerton needs you to serve as a cashier at the register.

Merchant Guild Reward: 10 XP, additional training from Thaggard Tinkerton.

Is this really how non-combat classes can level? Most games gave 5XP for killing a level one mob. But he could earn 10 points for just sweeping the floor. Being noncombat seemed like a faster easier-to-level than fighting.

”Just get those three done for now, and then Ill assign you some more later, ” Tag said.

Hey, Tag when can I get my Merchant License?

”Only Journeyman Merchants are allowed to join the guild. But don worry youll get there. Just wait until you start your Tanning, Enchanting, and Alchemy training, ” Tag said.

I hadn done this many chores except when I lived at home with my parents. Now both my parents were dead.

After they dropped me off at college, they decided to travel to London. One day while they were riding the subway a gunman opened fire. He killed ten people, and his bombs killed over 25 more.

The day was the day, I decided to stop trying to improve my power ranking and just slow down.

After a long first of day work, I checked my stats again.

Name: Henry Riddle

Race: Gnome

Class: Merchant (Novice)

Level: 2 (120/200)

HP: 100/100

MP: 780/780

STR: 10

AGI: 10

VIT: 12

INT: 30

WIL: 26

END: 10

Charm: 8

Free Attribute Points: 5

Traits:

Tinker (0/100);

Arcane Learning (0/100);

Night Vision (0/100)

Skills:

Appraisal (5/100);

Identify (5/100);

Haggle (5/100).

Thanks to Tag, I was able to get all my skill points up to five. While leveling felt great, I enjoyed the slow life of being a merchant.

I probably had the most fun just interacting with other players. Because this game was so immersive, killing animals and monsters were harder than in other games.

Worse still was that killing mobs didn net fighters any money. Most MMORPGs awarded players coins for killing animals or monsters.

Heavens Gates were different. If a player wanted coin, they had field dress the animal and sell the skin and meat.

Every time a player brought in skins and meat, they always looked at me curiously. I guess they excepted to see an NPC behind a counter instead of me.

Most asked me why wasn grinding mobs like everyone else. After their initial surprise, then it was down to business.

Thaggard helped me learn the differences between pets and the quality of meat.

In town, players could sell their spoils at either a general store or butcher shop. And since supply and demand worked the same in-game, the price of a decent pelt and meat sold for three coppers.

Let me put it in perspective the Dancing Pony, the only decent inn in town charged 10 coppers a night for a room and meals cost 5 coppers. That meant room and board cost most gamers 25 coppers.

That was a steep price for most gamers to pay and made me feel fortunate for my situation.