Plumbing and economics is also fun

Chapter 47

Monday, December 23, 2013

4:13 pm

(Ivan's POV)

I lay there on my bed as I stare up at my new perk.

Weiss's agility (Tier 1)

+13 to Dex. +10 to Vit.

How'd did I get this?

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

8:00 am

I walk up to the Fūjin cabin and walk-in. I look around for Qaid and see him nowhere. Is he sleeping? I walk to the part where all the beds were and look for his shoes. I eventually find his shoes near a hole. I crouch and knock on the wood covering the door.

There was no answer.

I grab the handle and gently open it. Qaid was sleeping peacefully.

I poke his cheek with the wind. He simply rolled over. I roll my eyes as I lean into the hole and shake him roughly. He snorted before opening his eyes and sitting up.

"Wha?" He questioned as he hazily looked around. His eyes focused on me. He rubbed his eyes before talking. "Ivan, what?"

"You said we were meeting up," I said.

"Did we have to do it in the morning?"

"Well, we didn't say a time," Qaid grumbled before climbing out of the hole and putting on his shoes.

"What are we doing today?" I shrug.

"Something about flowing water."

"Oh yeah." He groaned. "Lemme just wake up Jax."

8:37 am

"So what are we looking for?" I ask Qaid and Jax as we enter the library. Jax turned around and answered.

"Plumbing?" He said with an uncertain tone. Qaid looked over his shoulder and stared at us.

"Let's just go to the tables first. We gotta talk about some things first." I nod.

I and Jax follow him to the tables. We each take a seat on opposite sides of each other. Jax looked to Qaid.

"So what are we doing?" Qaid stared blankly down at the table. He snapped his head in my direction.

"Ivan what are we doing." I open my mouth but didn't say anything. What Am'I supposed to say?

"Something about flowing water." I manage to sputter out. Jax looked annoyed. He pushed his glasses back onto his nose and responded.

"But what about it specifically? Plumbing? Running water? Drinkable water? Do we even have permission to do this?" Jax simply questioned. I slide down in my chair as Qaid answered.

"We're trying to make the camp like the modern world. To do that... we need to start with the basics. Like running water." Jax took in a deep breath.

"Even the basics are hard! It's gonna take so much time, resources!" We pointed to himself, then twisted his hand in a circle. "It's just the three of us! Do-" Before he could say anymore, I readjust myself in my seat and interrupt him.

"But! What about making life easier for us? Or for the whole camp? True we might not have the resources but," I pointed to myself. "I can get them easily!" Jax opened his mouth to talk but I wouldn't let him talk. "Plus we have all the time in the world! It's not like we're going to have trouble with physical labor, we have magic." Jax stared blankly me at me.

"I can't use magic." I bit my lip. "Neither can Qaid." He said as he pointed to Qaid, then he pointed to me. "You're the only one here that can use magic."

"But-but you're demigods, how can you not use magic?" Qaid suddenly talked before Jax can get a word in.

"It's not like we need magic right now to survive. So people choose not to use it or learn it." I keep silent as I don't know what to say. I thought all demigods used magic.

"Either way, I doubt we're the only ones who want to make the camp a better place." I desperately say. Jax thought about it before nodding in agreement.

"That is true, but it's easier to say that we're going to do something than actually doing something."

"That's why we're here!" Qaid yelled. Jax leaned back in his chair.

"Then what's the plan? We don't know anything about plumbing."

"For research idiot." I felt like mentally facepalming. How did I not think about that? Jax rested his head on his hand.

"So we're only doing research?"

"Well are else are we supposed to get started?"

12:43 pm

I rest my head on my hand as I read the book.

"LPG occurs naturally in combination with other underground hydrocarbon deposits and can be "

I sigh as I fold one of the corners of the book and close it. I looked over at Qaid and Jax. It looks like they were also struggling. I lean back in my chair and reopen the book. Before I could start reading Jax spoke up.

"I have just one quick question." Qaid looked up from his book and over at Jax.

"What."

"Where are we going to get the water." I close my book and lean forward. Where are we going to get the water though? Qaid bit his nails as he thought about an answer.

"We could always just get someone to get us water."

"But that's going to eventually going to run out. That's going to be a whole new problem."

"Can't the Sujin kids or Ryūjin do something about that? We have so many gods of water."

"But they have to be willing to do it though. It's not like they're going to do it for free."Jax and Qaid stopped talking and just kind of looked at each other awkwardly.

"How about we pay them?" I quip. Jax sucked through his teeth.

"That could work, but we just have so different types of currency that we use. I don't think we're going to have enough money to pay them."

"How about... if we make a new type of currency? Just one type of currency that everyone uses." I unsurely say. Qaid had an unsure look on his face.

"Do you know how hard it is to switch currencies," Qaid said.

"It's better than having like fifty types of money."

"That is true, but it's working so far. It would be much harder to make everyone convert to just one type of currency." Jax suddenly stepped into the conversation.

"I agree with Ivan here." Qaid rolled his eyes.

"But are we going to do it?" I shrug as Jax stayed quiet. We stayed quiet as Qaid got up.

"I gotta go somewhere." He said as he stretched. Jax also stood up.

"I'm just going to go now," Jax said as he picked up his book.

"Study in your free time," he said as he walked away.

I watch them leave, once they were out of my sight I open up my book. I stayed there just reading my book before deciding to close it, put it in my Inventory, and stand up. I walk towards the maze of books and turn a corner.

My feet bump into something. I stumble forward but catch my balance. I look over my shoulder and see Alice on the ground rubbing her knee with her book right next to her. I turn around and walk over to her.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?"

"I saw you guys sitting at the tables, so I decided to sit here."

"So you're sitting on the floor because of us?"

"Yeah."

"There are more tables open though."

"I didn't want to get in the way of your money and water talk." I looked at her in confusion. "So what are you guys trying to do."

"Plumbing stuff."

"Like what." I shrug.

"I don't know. Plumbing is so confusing."

"What's confusing about it."

"It's just everything. I hate everything about it." She picked up her book and closed it before putting it back on the ground again.

"If you need help just ask." She said proudly as she pointed to herself. I stand there not knowing what to say.

"Uhh... what would you help with?"

"Just anything. I could help with labor, or something else if you want."

"But why would you want to help?" I ask with an uncertain tone in my voice. Alice took a deep breath before responding.

"I just," She thought a best before responding. "I trust you."

"Why though? We barely know each other." She shrugged.

"I just feel something about you."

"Oh." I shuffle my feet.

"Thanks, I'm just going to go now."

"Oh, okay."

1:21 pm

Alice's support (Tier 2)

Healing items are now 15% more effective.

I look at the perk as I walk through the camp. How the hell did the perk level up? I have no idea how perks like this work.

As I closed the box I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Michael waving at me.

"Hey, Ivan!"

"Hey."

"Ivan I gotta ask you something."

"You know how sometimes we got tournaments for training right?" I nod my head. "So it turns out that we can do tournaments for a prize!

"You wanna join don't you?"

"Yeah, but the thing is I need two other people to join me."

"I'll join, but what's the prize?"

"I don't know." I sigh.

"When is it?"

"Tomorrow, an hour after sunset."