All Crystal Down Posts

No, I’m not picking up this story again. I was just doing some digital housekeeping and discovered I still had a chapter lying around.

Anyway, enjoy.

The First Bite

You may have noticed I haven’t posted a new Crystal Down chapter for a long time. The way the story developed wasn’t doing me any favours. Rather than just leaving it in hiatus for too long, I’ve decided to drop it for real. I may possibly pick up the story in the future again. But as a discovery type writer I have discovered writing LitRPG is not for me.

But just in case, you’re inclined to pick up the pieces and continue the story without me: feel free to do so. Just get in touch so I know about it. :3

I’m sorry it took so long, but this chapter took like forever to write. I’m scraping on the bottom of the barrel. I don’t want to give up writing on this story, but continuing is a little hard. I will try my best to come up with something that gets to all the other stuff I’ve planned.

Anyway, I wish you a Happy New Year! Stay healthy, stay safe.

Let’s all hope 2021 is going to be better.

PS: There will be a new story coming out in 2021. Of course, Patrons will be able to read it one week ahead. In fact, it should be on Patreon when this chapter goes live to the public.

A Day Full of Surprises

Let’s talk real here… Just because there’s love doesn’t mean this story is going to include sex. And I’m not planning on ripping of High School DxD. At least, not yet.

Boots Family Matters

So many cat boys…

Meet the Boots Family

Somehow, I’m burning through my backlog faster than I expected…

Replacement Aide Johan Wentworth

You know, what’s been missing in this fantasy story? Elves!

A Visit to the Carpenter’s

Being creative means experimenting! 

Experiments with Magic and Slimes

Moon phases are a wonderful things, aren’t they? Do you still remember Swift is a Lunar Wanderer Ailuranthrope? One could ask why that subrace and its traits aren’t shown in the UI…

New Moon, New Rooms

Vampires in this story are not of the sparkly kind. At least, Patrick isn’t.

Banter About Skills

This story isn’t Re:Zero either!

The Contract with Keeper of the Crystal Down

The story so far: after returning from the way too eventful trip to Cogen, Matthew’s aide Patrick gets badly poisoned!

Inside Swift’s Evergreen Forest

Final Chapter… time to move on… from Volume 1.

Debriefing in Castle Tatilans

I’m back! You might have noticed I tweaked the page a little.

A Shopping Tour in Tatilans

Wasn’t this story supposed to be a comedic story?

The Case of Andrew Stirlea

There are quite a lot of bovine destruction forces, aren’t there?

Cleaning Up the Mess

Don’t you hate it if you enemy keeps talking and talking and talking?

The Battle of Cogen

The Secret Cow Level or Not The Cow Level?

The (Not Secret) Cow Level

It’s a butter crisis too! smør-panik! But cheese is much more storable!

The Cheese Crisis Breaks Out

Maybe I should open a recipe subpage on the site…

Banter At the Inn

Let me quote one of my favourite stand-up mathematicians: “The question is not how much data supports your thesis. The question is how much data did you ignore.”

Also, there will be no chapter on Friday. My usual chair broke and I got a replacement one. It’s slightly shorter. I did not expect to get neck pain from 2cm less height.

Who Needs Barrier Crystals?!

Incorporating references is fun and so, but I’m never sure if my readers actually get them.

Robbery on Avan Highway

The Mad Cow Disease was big in the news in 90s. ut news these days don’t care much about it anymore. But it’s still around and breaks out from time to time.

What Is the Mad Cow Disease?

I was motivated to revamp my code. While I was at it, I also added 2 more options to the page: Toggle Line Height and Toggle Dyslexic Font.

Cooking and Divine Banter

Speaking of International Cuisine… what’s typical food for a certain country? How do you define it? Is it what people there like eating? Or is it things you can only get in a certain country? I mean you can almost get everything anywhere!

Cooking and Divine Banter

Why am I very merry? So very, very merry?! So very, very merry?

Oh yeah, it’s the fiftieth chapter! BTW, childhood memories with Alfred J. Kwak are back.

What’s Alfred Jodocus Kwak? This clip might juggle your memory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFqRTo5yJBk

Oh right, it’s Alfred Jonathan Kwak in English.

Alfred Jodocus Plumel

Mail… The gist is you wait all day and it always gets delivered in the five minutes you’re away. So you need to get to the depot and retrieve it the day after.

Or… you live in a flatshare and because both of our names are on the door, the mail company mandated them not to deliver parcels addressed to just one of us. Just for the off chance, it’s a person that happens to have our names combined as their name.

What did you guys smoke?!

Mail Mirrors and Message Bottles

Time to tie some loose ends while creating some more… Anyway, stay healthy and enjoy the chapter.

Dropping by Glorindamli’s Armoury

Taxes, Reforms etc. Some things seem to have changed and starting in July, Patreon needs to put VAT on the pledges from some more countries. At least, that’s what I understand from the loads of mails I got from Patreon, telling me to tell my Patrons about it.

I have to be honest, I still feel it’s like an intransparent mess to see prices without VAT. Fast Food restaurants in Germany are quite good at managing that. There’s 7% on takeout, but 19% on eating in-house. It doesn’t matter you always pay the same. I guess that’s the European idea of transparency? What do you guys think?

Anyway, stay healthy and enjoy the chapter.

Mortal Problems Transcending Realms

EDIT 2020-06-16: I fixed the broken layout. Sometimes, technology just sucks. 

So I’ve been on the train today. In Germany, you are required to wear masks while you travel with any public transport. But some people just wear that damn thing as an accessory. Or they don’t have one at all. Just wear the damn mask properly!! Thank you.

Anyway, stay healthy and enjoy the chapter.

Enter Lecarvi the Bard

Is it just me, or do the good ideas only come when you’re about to take a dump?

Divine Problems Transcending Realms

Just as a recurring character, not as a main character. What race should the bard have? I’m thinking of female bard here. Feel free to suggest a name in the poll comments.

Participate in the Poll

My inspiration is back. For now. I hope it stays that way.

How to Improve on Maple Wine

I’m still alive. This isn’t a good time to catch the flu. But I’m back under the living, for now.

Rice and Real Rice

What’s best after a trip in the cold rain? A hot bath!

Hot Spring After a Trip in the Rain

I can’t pick locks. Not with the level of fine control I have. That is none.

Lesson in Lock Picking

I definitely need a boost in inspiration…

A Short Chapter Where (Almost) Nothing Happens

I’ve seen people doing this wrong: If you’re uncomfortable with eating raw fish, just get Sushi without raw fish! Don’t be a jerk towards the chef and open the Sushi to remove the fish…

Making Sashimi and Gathering Fern

Things have been hasty the last few weeks. I think I need to reduce the number of chapters per week for a while…

Tales of Maple Wine

“I will try not to mention the dissolving of the convict…”

The Second Day At Tatilans Castle

Basic Cryptanalysis is just counting and doing math.

Reading and an Unexpected Find

Rich people just have a different scale for everything…

Slime Jelly Production Talks Before Dinner

Another Point of View!

Spinning Magic Yarn

Some people just don’t know when to quit…

Matthew Sitnalta Ace Prosecutor

What’s the worst thing that can happen to you when you go shopping? Leaving your wallet at home? Or running out of gas while driving?

A Shopping Trip Gone Wrong

Salmon or Tuna? Salmon or Tuna? Salmon!

Sky Salmon and Sky Salmon Stew

𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖌𝖔 𝖙𝖔 “𝖊𝖝𝖔𝖙𝖎𝖈” 𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖚𝖆𝖌𝖊𝖘 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝕽𝖚𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝖔𝖗 𝕵𝖆𝖕𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉. 𝕳𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖉 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕱𝖗𝖆𝖐𝖙𝖚𝖗? 𝕺𝖗 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖊, 𝕾𝖚𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖓 𝖑𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘?

Registration at the Adventurers’ Guild

Cities can be busy places. Smaller cities are quieter. But public transport in small cities can be really bad!

My First Trip to the Capital!

What’s better than having a large bath? Being able to use it whenever you like!

The Large Bath in the Evergreen Forest

Forest… Yellow Forest — wrong universe — Green Forest!

Creating the Evergreen Forest

Cats are pets that do have their own character. If you want a pet that obediently listens to orders get a dog instead.

Swift Mittens, the Kitten

Gambling is addicting. But with the right people, it sure is fun. Don’t gamble for real money!

Card Games and High-Stakes Gambling

Why do the more interesting sports all need expensive gear to do? Good gear is so expensive…

First Day of Real Training

Schnitzel — I could eat that every day — don’t tell the Austrians I like eating it with different kinds of sauces.

Cooking After the Hunt

Damm it Mittens!

Giant Rabbit Subjugation

Didn’t Swift just die 21 chapters ago?!

Meeting the Gods of Cratherion

Gummy bears and jelly have the same ingredients, the only difference is the water content. Some gummy bear variants have a coating of wax added so they don’t stick.

Slimes and Slime Gelatine

Yattaze! 100 Readers on Scribble Hub!

Worrying About the Future

Crystal Down has a lot of visitors lately…

Again, Visitors in the Forest

Bunnies, Butterflies, Bunnyflies!

Bunnyflies Faryl, Felix and Flynn

It’s just a short chapter today.

On the Way Home from the Forest

Happy New Year 2020! Or should I say “Happy New Year 1204 (do-two gross and four)!”? I hope you like the new look of the site.

Visitors in the Forest

The best thing when it’s cold is taking a nice hot bath. Only a hot spring could make it better!

Cave Upgrade — Adding a Hot Spring and a Bedroom

The shops are open again today. That just means one things — all the shops are overcrowded. As if there’s an apocalypse happening soon…

Experiments with Infinite Storage

In Bavaria, where I grew up, there is a peculiar Christmas tradition: when you visit your friend’s place between Boxing Day and Epiphany (sixth of January) you overly praise the Christmas Tree. The host then has to give you a glass of alcohol in return. Not having one doesn’t help since it’s allowed to bring your own Christmas Tree.

That being said, here’s a Christmas Tree: 🎄

It’s so beautiful! The green colour! The decorations! The lighting! It’s so perfect!

My First Hunt: I’m Hunting Some Boar

Merry Christmas! Time for some grilled turkey… or grilled goose… or grilled boar… or rabbit.

Food and Cooking in Avan Forest

Today is Christmas Eve! I decided to put out some extra chapters this week. Enjoy!

Upgrading My Cave — The Bathroom

Being a native German speaker, I had the wrong impression about Americans and their cartoon characters eating pizza spicy. All due to a single false friend. It doesn’t help when 90% of all “translations” just say „Peperonipizza” for pepperoni pizza. That German word would correctly translate to “hot pepper pizza”. I only found out recently when watching some random YouTube video. What a way to ruin my childhood memories… Now to ruining Swift’s dinner…

Raiden the Thunder Hawk

Crystals are fascinating. Some people believe some crystals have certain magical properties. I remember receiving a crystal that should help to prevent me from getting nosebleeds. Too bad it’s no use against the Anime-esque amount of nosebleed I tend to get.

Awakening Crystals and Forest Magic

When building your own house you decide what it looks like and what rooms it has. Do you want a secret room? Yeah, build one. Not that Swift got that idea…

Digging My Cave

Many games offer a lot of choices, but usually, I manage to choose one of the few combinations that make the game almost impossible to finish. In other cases, the choice ceases to be one because it’s mathematically provable a certain combination is better than another. Is it still a choice?

Choosing My Initial Traits and Skills

This novel includes duodecimal numbers. Until Swift learns how the numbers are read, all numbers are converted to decimal in the ruby annotations. Like this: 10 (twelve)

After that, it will be how the numbers are read, though I will be changing how some numbers are read. Like this: 20 (two dozen)

Setting up Camp and Discovering Numbers

If you want to learn more right now, why don’t you watch a video of Numberphile about it?

I don’t like the show this quote is from, in fact, I was already an adult when I first saw the show, but it’s so damn catchy!

♫ We just got a letter! We just got a letter! We just got a letter! I wonder who it’s from. ♫

I Got Mail?! I Wonder Who It’s From…

I guess I need to get used to being a shorty… 😭

Oh! I’m a Potato Cat!

I did it again. I nuked a project to start a new one like it. But that’s how it is: try, try and try again until you succeed. Anyway, let’s start from the beginning again:

Prologue: The Bus Factor