I have to admit that without those previous experiments on spatial expansions and the improvements I'd had since then making this bag would have been much more difficult. Not to say this was easy at all as in truth I needed four whole mana potions just to complete the thing in addition to nearly a full twenty hours of uninterrupted concentration. By far this was one of the most complex and difficult projects I had worked on to date and I knew I had only just started as the size of the "pocket" in the bag was only one and a half meters in all directions from the center.-
While certainly quite impressive given the small size of the bag in question not nearly as large as theoretically possible. That was fine though as I doubted I could make any improvements at the moment to the "blueprint" for the cursed tool without certain unsavory practices. Sacrifices, I am talking about sacrifices. I mean the shitty kill something to get something type which were for good reason something that made me uncomfortable. I don't mind shedding my blood or even flesh but that wasn't very effective in cursed tool crafting due to the heavy symbolism of it all.-
The idea is mostly that you are sacrificing something and the more precious that thing is to you as a person the more you get from the sacrifice. Cursed energy is big on the whole equivalent exchange thing which was why the theme showed up so much. Anyways as I don't value my flesh and blood very much since I could replace them it wasn't a great thing to sacrifice. Not worthless exactly but not very effective either. By comparison I valued life much more and so it was much more effective.-
Obviously that lead to a dark place and I was not comfortable with it as a result. Still despite the mediocre results I got with the bag it was still a valuable thing for me not only from an experience standpoint but also practically too as it was still almost a six foot space. For me that was plenty of space as most drops or stones take up only two feet after a dive. Now that I was done with the bag all my exhaustion hit me like a dragon and I barely managed to stumble to bed before I passed out.-
"Are you okay?" Hestia asked concerned when I woke up at noon the next day.
"Yeah I'm fine, was just real tired after making the bag is all." I said honestly with a yawn.
"Couldn't you have taken a break or something? Not like it was going to go anywhere right?" she asked confused.
"I fucking wish. No the part that I was on was the one where once I start I can't stop until it's over or I fail. This time it merely took me much more effort than anything I've made before." I said honestly.
"Would it get easier if you were a higher level?" she asked curiously
"Eh sorta but not really. Unlike most craftsmen leveling up doesn't really have any effect on my creation process besides the increase in my energy capacity and quality. Sure a new DS would make it easier or more dynamic but otherwise everything I make is reliant on my own experience and imagination." I explained with a shrug.
"Sounds exhausting." she said making a face.
"Oh it is but I wouldn't trade it for the world, theres something about creating stuff that makes me happy." I say with a smile.
"Are you sure you aren't interested in Hephaestus?" she teased and I chuckled.
"I never said I wasn't, just that I had no intention of getting tied down at the moment. If she was merely interested in hooking up I probably would have long since gotten under her sheets but she wants a commitment and I have no time for such a thing." I explained for the umpteenth time.
"I still don't understand why you are in such a rush." she said with a sigh.
"It's about momentum and potential really. The faster I grow the safer I am in the not so off chance things go to pot. If I can grow quickly then all the more reason why I should rather than resting on my laurels." I said casually.
"Enough about that though check out my new loot sack!" I said excitedly as I changed the subject.
She looked at the leather bag confused about what she was supposed to be excited about. Seeing this I decided that a demonstration was in order. Under her astonished gaze I packed up more and more items into the bag until it was full. Then I began to empty the bag leaving everything in a pile that she stared at dumbfounded.-
She didn't even ask before snatching up the bag and begin testing it herself with snacks and clothes. I ended up losing that bag as she claimed it for herself leaving me speechless.
'What a terrible evil I have released onto the world, a bag that can hold all a woman's fanciful purchases!' I thought in lamentation.
Helplessly I could only head back into my workshop and get to work crafting another bag for my own personal use. Thankfully it didn't take as long since I already knew the exact "blueprint" I needed for the cursed technique and restrictions.-
That said it still took me a good seven hours to craft the bag and two mana potions wiping out my stock of crafting potions. I finished my bag up and checked the time before heading to the hostess for dinner.
"When are you going to bring that monster meat you promised?" Anya, a brown haired cat beast woman who worked here asked with an upset expression..
"Sorry about that. I would have that day but I ended up almost dying then getting grounded for it so it's been on hiatus but I assure you I haven't forgotten. Next time I'm down in the labyrinth and I see a battle boar I'll bring some of it's meat back." I said placatingly.
"Hmph! You'd better after talking it up like that!" she said firmly before taking my order and hurrying off lest Mama Mia got on to her.
My meal was a simple beef stir fry with carrots, beans and onions that had a nice salty sauce cooked into it. The servings were nothing to sneeze at either as it was a small mound of food piled onto a plate meant for an adventurer. We ate a lot due to our superhuman bodies and as a place that catered to that clientele the servings reflected that need for food. Hell it wasn't even all that strange for a high level adventurer to eat enough to feed a small family in one sitting all while drinking enough booze to fill a bathtub.