ALL NOVEL chapter 5
New morning brings a new problem, rain. I still have to do my morning chores and go and check the traps, because I wouldn’t want any animal to be too long kept in a trap.
That would be unethical. So now I was back home soaking wet and not able to build the bridge today. I decided to get some of the bigger cloth bags from a workshop.
Also, bringing the deer leather into the house. I wanted to make some big cloth backpacks so I could transport charcoal and other low weight resources. I picked two of the biggest bags.
From the leather, I cut 4 large strips to use for the backpacks. The rest of the leather, I made it into smaller strips that I can use for strong rope. After that I start testing and practicing on the loom.
By the end of the day the rain ended but it was still too wet to do anything, so I kept practicing at the loom. During that time, I made some strong fabric using the loom. It’s the same fabric the cloth bags I have are made of.
By the end of the day, I think I had enough fabric for two bags, and I also got a skill level in basic weaving. After that, I went to bed a bit frustrated from having to spend most of my day indoors.
The next morning was a beautiful day, but everything was still a bit damp, but by the time I got back from the forest, everything had dried up. I was able to continue constructing the bridge, making great progress.
I finish making all the holes in everything. It all fits together extremely well. Only thing left is to build the railing the next day and then take it all apart and assemble it together over the river.
Next day was another beautiful day, but when I started to make the railing, I found a problem. I needed to fix the raising part of the bridge so it will not interfere with the railing. Using the easiest solution, I will simply build the railing out a bit more so it will miss the railing that’s built on the part of the bridge that doesn’t rise.
Finishing that, I tested it out the rising part by lifting it up. This revealed another problem when it went over the tipping point. It fell over and I need to rebuild most of the railing. Because of that, I needed to make supports so the bridge would not overfold. And for that, I needed to use some lumber that I was going to make the tower with.
It looked kind of funky with the railing part underneath and a large 90-degree triangle that supports the bridge when it’s up. But after that, I needed to go and cut down two more trees to replace the lumber I used. So, I could actually make the tower part. When I finished that it was already nearly sunset. I got quite a lot of skill levels and a class level up
Level up handyman
Handyman now level 2
Strength +1
Dexterity +1
Vitality +1
Intelligence +1
Skill increases basic carpentry level 8
Skill increases basic construction level 2
Skill increases basic wood carving level 3
Next day, after finishing my chores and the bridge construction finished, I started to work on the tower. Now the tower will be connected to one of the main support that will be buried underneath the earth. This is so whenever I tried to lift the bridge, the tower will be stable. I will also drive in some extra supports to make the tower even more secure.
I prepared the tower base but for the rest I will just do it when everything else is in place. Now it was time to deconstruct everything. I wanted to remember where everything went, so I use charcoal to number every piece. That will make putting them back together the correct way easy.
It took the rest of the day to deconstruct the bridge and dig out where the main supports will go. My biggest fear is that it will rain and wash away the charcoal markings. I hope that I would be able to build it all in one day.
I did get another level in basic construction and that skill felt like it filled up handyman class a lot. Another piece of the system mystery is uncovered. Not all skills give the same amount to a class level up.
The next day, after I did my usual morning chores, I started by putting stones where the main support will go. I want there to be a more stable ground for them. That done, I actually started to move the first main support to the supports that are in the river.
The first one was relatively easy. I didn't needed to push my stat to their limits, to lift and push the main support. It was long enough, and the water supports close enough that I can just slide it forward into the correct place. Now the question is how I get the other one done.
I did carve holes in the main supports where they fit with the supports in the river. Making it more stable. It took some figuring out, but luckily the main support is long. I used the current walkway and the main support to roll the other main support to the end of the in place main support. Then I went and tied the loose main support to the end of the one that was in place.
I left some slack in the rope so when it turned it wouldn’t become overly taut and break. That done, it was still a lot of work to push the main support across the river while still keeping balance on the walkway. Luckily the rope held, and I didn’t fall in.
I went back to the other side to connect them together. It was quite the hassle to get them to fit together. I almost lost grip twice and without my stats I would have lost one of the main supports down river. When I had them secured, I tapped the hole I made and the first side was done.
Without me finding out about the energy, I don’t think I would have been able to keep balance and have enough strength to actually do what I did. But now I had to do it again, but before I disassemble the current walkway, I rolled one of the main supports to the other side of the river.
Then I can just do what I did with the first main support. Disassembling the walkway went easily. Placing the other main supports and connecting them was simple after I had some notifications, so I pulled them up.
Skill increases basic construction level 3
Skill increases basic construction level 4
Skill increases basic construction level 5
Stat increases strength +1
Skill increases basic energy manipulation level 4
Skill increases basic fitness enhancement level 5
Level up handyman
Handyman now level 3
Strength +1
Dexterity +1
Vitality +1
Intelligence +1
The main supports were the hardest part of this build. The cross supports went in easily. I also started to put in the boards so I could better work with the lifting part of the bridge. Currently, both sides were boarded up, and I started to bring over the part that will lift up.
Now to connect it, I decided to first tie it to the bridge with rope. That meant I didn’t have to hold up the lifting part and try to line it up when I tried to drive in the pegs where the bridge pivots.
It took some leaning over and some adjustment, but I got the job done. When it was finished, I opened up my notifications to find 2 more levels in basic construction. While I continue to board up the rest of the bridge. After I finished that I got another skill level in basic construction.
Technically, the bridge was done. I walked across it multiple times, jumping, but it was solid as a rock. It took some time to finish the railing and then I started to construct the tower.
When put together, the tower looked like a power line structure, with the base being wider and going smaller when it got to the top. The top was big enough that if you had a floor there, two people can stand on it, but they would need to be hugging.
I designed it so that there was room enough for it to be used as a watchtower. Currently, the tower just had its supports that hold it together and at the side are branches I nailed in, to make a ladder to the top.
It was getting late, but I still wanted to try and lift the bridge. I tried to pull it up from the ground level, but I know that this wouldn’t work basic physics, are still the same. So, I climbed up and pulled.
This was also to test if the tower would hold, and it did. I was able to pull up the bridge with a lot of effort. Securing the rope up at the base of the tower and leaving the bridge up overnight.
I still had to cover up the main support with dirt and pack it tight. After that I still need to put the finishing touches on the tower and then work on the pulley system so I can easily raise the bridge, but this will have to be done tomorrow.
Next morning everything went well until I wanted to go to the forest to check out that traps. When I was lowering the bridge, I didn’t expect the weight, and the rope slipped from my hand.
There was a terrible loud sound when it crashed down, but luckily when I inspected the bridge everything was actually fine. I sat on the bridge a little while until my racing heart calmed down.
How messed up would it be if I broke it the very first day. If that was the case, it would have sucked so badly. To my surprise I actually caught another rabbit and got the skill level in basic trapping. Now the problem with that is. Two rabbits would fit fine in the cage that I built, but the third one certainly will not and unfortunately, this one was also a male.
When I got back, I looked over all three rabbits. They all seemed to be around the same age so, I looked and compare them. Picking the one that looked a bit skinnier and had the worse fur. I went ahead and butchered that one. I’d never actually skinned a rabbit before and I fucked up the pelt, but rabbit roast still sounded nice for today.
That done, I finished all the earthworks and start to work on the pulley system to raise the bridge. Plan is to build a three-wheel system. First wheel will be up top, and this would lead to the bridge.
Then the next wheel would be on the bottom of the tower, and this is also the one that will have a handle and the stopping mechanism. Then another wheel on top and that would lead to the counterweight.
This design will take over half of my remaining supply of thick rope. For the counterweight I think the best plan would be to make bark mesh sacks, that I will fill with rocks. Probably need more than one of those. I do not want to overfill and break them. Making the wheels and the parts to secure them onto the tower will take some thinking.
The wheels turned out to be easy. I used the parts of the main supports when I cut them to size. All I needed to do was carve a curve into the middle so the rope will not slip.
Burning the hole in the middle for all three and two more for the bottom wheel so I can attach a handle and put in a stopping peg when needed. I installed them to the places I had carved out holes before building the tower. It took some knife work to widen and aligned everything but all the wheels were securely in place.
When that was done, I threaded a rope through the upper wheel, then the lower wheel, and finally I brought it back up. The last wheel was positioned 90 degrees off so the stones would be more centre in the tower.
Currently, I didn’t have any way to add stones, so I pulled on the rope to see if anything will break. Nothing did, I left the bridge to hang halfway pulled up overnight to test if the mechanism will hold when under stress.
The next morning, the bridge was still up. Nothing had broken. There were no animals in the traps so I could just take my time and cut as much bark strips as I need for make the mesh sack to hold the stones for the counterweight.
I had forgotten how much of a pain it is to make this much bark ropes and how much it actually requires to get anything done like the mesh sacks. I hope that I only need 3. I do not want to make them anymore. When I finished weaving them, I got 2 skill levels in basic weaving.
I went and connected the sacks to the end of the rope and started filling them with rocks. I was right. It took three mesh sacks of stones, approximately 100 kilos each, to make using the wheel easy. Now the bridge lifted easily and fast. When the first test was successful, I got a lot of notifications.
Skill increases basic construction level 9
Skill increases basic construction level 10 is upgraded to construction level 1
Choose one of the following abilities
Construction vision
Merging joints
Counterweight
Construction vision sounds interesting. Merging joints will be super useful, of course, that's assuming that they will make a stronger bond between two joints.
Counterweight is the most unusual one because I don't know what that actually does, but if I had to guess it will give me more weight so I could lift heavy things more easily.
Merging joints I will probably just get from wood crafting too. Now construction vision might be useful, but I think I could work without it. That just left me with counterweight.
You have gained a new ability Counterweight level 1
You have gained a new skill basic architecture level 1
You have gained a new skill basic engineering level 1
Level up handyman
Handyman now level 4
Strength +1
Dexterity +1
Vitality +1
Intelligence +1
I read through the rest of them and was quite happy with my progress. The bridge looked solid, and I was quite pleased with it. But now that that’s done, I actually need to start farming or else it will get too late into the season.
Testing the new ability, it does indeed increase my weight but only a little. I tested by pulling up the bridge, only with my strength and then the ability flared up and my weight increased more. So, counterweight truly is that. It does have an upper limit, and I felt I reached it, but it’s still good for future building.