Exiting Nature’s Meditation, Archie felt his Mana and Stamina pools were now fully replenished from the attack a few hours ago. Opening his status page, he smiled at his stat increase as well as his Tutorial Point increase.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 57
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 56
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 56
Health: 4623/4623
Mana: 1580/1580
Stamina: 3588/3588
Stats:
Vitality: 402(462)
Strength: 302(377)
Endurance: 312(358)
Agility: 257(282)
Intelligence: 240(264)
Wisdom: 144(158)
Willpower: 144(172)
Perception: 223(245)
Free Points: 8
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature's Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Wrathful Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Legendary), Pugilist’s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Rare), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith’s Flame (Initiate), Basic Smithing Mastery (Common), Basic Rune Scribing (Rare), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats], Legendary Innovator [+20 to all Stats and +10% to all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 168,495
Previously only four of his stats had bonuses, now all his stats had them. I need to get as many titles as I can, these stat boots are insane. I’m now getting 60 extra points in Vitality and 75 in Strength, for free. This is insane, Archie thought.
Now it’s time for a loot check, Archie thought as he took out the five people who attacked him. Hmm…The warriors look to be wearing plated chain-mail armor but upgraded with medallions, the same with their weapons. The archer is just the same as the warriors; leather starter armor that was upgraded with tokens, but her bow and quiver were still the same starter version.
The Mage however had very interesting gear.
Hood of Shadows (Uncommon):
A lightweight hood and half-cloak combination, made from Shadowstalker hide. Crafted by Jack Dullard, an E-Grade Adept Leatherworker. The cloak extends down the shoulders and upper chest, granting a modest shroud across the wearer's face in dimly lit or shadowy areas. While it does not render the wearer invisible, it aids in evasion and makes them harder to spot from a distance as well as granting a 2% increase in stamina regeneration. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Slight Increase to stealth within shadows. Status: Slightly Damaged. Requirements: Lv 50+, Dark Affinity & Humanoid Race.
Hmm, so headpieces don’t provide stat points; instead, they seem to offer regeneration boosts and various benefits depending on the material used. And it looks like Shadowstalker hide is perfect for stealth-specialized classes, Archie thought. But then, confusion settled in. Why the hell did they attack me head-on instead of going for a sneak attack?
I guess they thought with two E-Grades on me they could kill me. Archie smirked, It’s gonna take a lot more than that to kill me. Nevertheless, the headpiece was useless for him, thus it was going in the to-be-sold pile alongside everything else he saw so far, including the wand. Imagine waving a wand only to get punched before they can cast a spell, Archie chuckled.
Archie then looked at the other piece of gear that caught his eye that the mage wore, a ring.
Ring of the Ashenhound’s Fury (Rare):
A robust, brass band ring crafted from the molten core of an Ashenhound. The ring boosts the wearer’s Strength and Endurance by harnessing the primal strength of the beast. Effects: Soul-Bound & Self-Repair. Provides: +25 Strength & +15 Endurance. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 45+ & Humanoid Race.
I guess she focused most of her points into her magical attributes and neglected her physical ones, Archie thought as he slipped the ring on.
The vanguard—no, bulwark—he corrected himself—had standard steel armor. The shield was made from a crab’s exoskeleton, but honestly, it was useless. I’d just reforge the armor into ingots and sell the rest, Archie decided.
“Well, no time like the present to smelt this stuff,” Archie sighed, pulling out his forging equipment.
He stripped the armor off the bulwark and removed the leather straps holding it in place. “The smith who made this didn’t even bother with full sleeves or leggings. Why? It’s simple enough: get the measurements, make the parts, then solder them together. Just make sure to account for joint maneuverability,” Archie muttered, confused about what the smith was thinking.
Archie easily ripped the chestplate in half, piling the steel scraps from the bulwark’s armor and other steel scraps from previous works into a heap. He scooped up some of it, placed it into the small crucible, and used Forgesmith’s Flame to set alight the forge. Using heavy-duty tongs, he grabbed the crucible and waited as it heated up, the steel glowing red as it began to melt.
Creating a mana string, Archie took out an ingot mold from his spatial storage and placed it on the table. Carefully, he poured the molten steel into the mold and let it rest. This is going to take a while, he thought.
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Archie examined the ten freshly made steel ingots on the table before turning his attention to the boots he’d received from Bill. He considered how to enhance them.
These boots reach up to my calves, so I’ll need to add shin guards and toe protectors. Should be simple enough—rather than using leather straps, I can solder them directly onto the leather, Archie mused.
He grabbed two of the newly forged steel ingots and placed them into the forge, waiting until they glowed a molten red. Once heated, Archie set them on the heavy-duty anvil and hammered them together until they fused into a flat piece, maintaining a thickness of two inches. Placing the piece on the anvil’s horn, he carefully shaped it into a half-cylinder.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Once he was satisfied with the shape, Archie aligned the half-cylinder over the shin section of the right boot and used his Forgesmith’s Flame to solder it in place. After he confirmed that the steel shin guard was securely attached, he prepared to craft a toe guard.
Archie grabbed the right boot and examined the area where his toes would go. He decided to create a full half-circle toe guard with three interconnected shingles, bent slightly upward to allow for ankle mobility.
He opted to start with the three shingles. He grabbed a singular steel ingot and repeated what he had done. Once he had crafted a smaller half-cylinder, he switched to his precision hammer and carefully split the half-cylinder into three even segments using the slanted edge of his anvil.
I'll need some rivets to connect the shingles together and bend them a bit more, Archie thought. He grabbed four nail-like pieces of shrapnel and used his Forgesmith’s Flame to quickly fashion them into rivets. Next, Archie bent each shingle slightly over the horn of his anvil, making slight unique adjustments to them.
Archie then soldered the shingles together with the rivets acting like hinges allowing him to move his foot up and down without issue. Placing the foot guard on the table, Archie quickly made a toe guard.
Archie then soldered the toe guard on the tip of the boot. Afterwards, he placed the bottom shingle with the toe guard and soldered the two together.
Placing the boot down, Archie took a step back and nodded at his creation. Now I gotta make the other pair, he thought.
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Archie looked at his now-plated boots with a smile before taking out his scriber and quickly scribing the Impact Absorption rune on the soles of the boots. Hopefully, it should reduce the damage I take when jumping down something, Archie thought.
Identifying the boot made Archie smile and scratch the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t think that would happen,” Archie chuckled. “I’ve got a lot to learn and experiment with.”
Steel Plated Shadowstalker Boots (Rare):
Dark leather boots crafted from the hide of a Shadowstalker and reinforced with plated steel. Created by Bill Evans, an F-Grade Novice Leatherworker, and Archie Gracefield, an E-Grade Novice Forgesmith. Due to the innate properties of Shadowstalker hide, your footsteps become completely silent when hidden, with the effect further amplified when you are within shadows. Additionally, the Impact Absorption rune nullifies all footstep sounds, whether hidden or not, and cushions fall from certain heights. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Enhanced Shadowstalker Steps. Provides: +30 End & +25 Agi. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 55+ & Humanoid Race.
"Well, at least I succeeded," Archie said, slipping on the boots. "I love how I'm slowly becoming a ninja as time goes on. My feet are lighter than clouds, I like jumping across trees and I like living in dark caves away from everyone.”
Archie then placed his forging equipment back into his spatial ring and started to practice his Mana Manipulation skill using the exercises Cyric gave him.
Archie decided to focus on the mana flow control exercise. Let’s try using my Forgesmith’s Flame, he thought, activating his skill. He cradled the flame in his palms, watching it intently. The tinges of green on the flame were just as they always had been.
Archie concentrated on channeling mana toward the flame. Increasing the mana made it stronger; reducing the mana made it shrink. Gradually, he brought the flame down to a sputter, using only the smallest amount of mana to keep it alive. Then, he pushed as much mana as he could into it, causing the flames to surge up to four feet high. Sweat trickled down his forehead. This is difficult.
Recalling a scene from a show he had once watched, Archie decided to try meditating while keeping the flame active. Activating Nature’s Meditation, he visualized the pathways starting around his heart and extending to his palms. He saw how the flame was intrinsically connected to him—not by a string, but as if it were born from a cloud of mana.
I didn’t create that cloud, Archie realized. The skill formed it as a foundation. This must be a highly advanced form of mana shaping, but I can only manage it because of the system—and only for this skill.
Determined to experiment, he began synchronizing the flow of mana into his flame with his breathing.
Inhale—increase mana. Exhale—decrease mana.
Archie repeated this cycle, losing track of time. He was determined to master the fluid control of mana flow within this skill.
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Archie opened his eyes, deactivating Nature’s Meditation, and focused on the flame within his palm. The flame was no larger than a thumbtack, but in an instant, it surged to six feet high.
He deactivated Forgesmith’s Flame and exhaled deeply. That was surprisingly easy when I visualized the flame’s size with my breathing, he thought. I’ve always imagined fire magic as something aggressive, fueled by anger. But this… this was calming. A small smile crept across his face.
“I wish I could have done this when Daniel passed,” he murmured, touching the spot where the tree branch had once been lodged, just below his ribs.
I still remember what those nurses said about me surviving because of an emergency transplant. I didn’t even know whose organs I’d received until just before I left the hospital. He recalled the sleepless nights spent sitting beside Daniel’s grave, crying. Even in death, he still managed to help me.
Memories started to flood his mind, almost overwhelmingly so. Archie quickly closed his eyes and reactivated Forgesmith’s Flame, letting its warmth steady him. He followed the same breathing rhythm as before, each cycle gradually calming him.
I need to come to terms with this. I need to accept what happened; he thought while deeply inhaling. Daniel could have survived if I hadn’t thrown myself off that cliff. He only stumbled after me trying to find me. But he’s dead, and I can’t change that, Archie exhaled.
He called me his brother, and I’m dishonoring his memory by wallowing in self-pity for so long. Archie let out a small chuckle. He would’ve kicked my ass if he saw me like this.
He deactivated his skill and walked toward the seashore, where he studied his reflection for a while before washing his face. I may never go back to who I was before that day, he thought, but I can at least stand a bit taller now.
Turning to his notifications, he noted the level-ups in his race. It brought a small measure of comfort—proof, perhaps, that he was becoming someone closer to who he was meant to be.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 57– Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 58– Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 59– Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgraded: [Forgesmith’s Flame (Initiate → Uncommon)]
Forgesmith’s Flame (Uncommon):
The flame of a Forgesmith is an essential skill throughout the forging process. This flame is the embodiment of your will made manifest, serving as a reflection of your spirit. As a Novice Forgesmith, you have already overcome a significant hurdle that has caused many others to falter and give up. However, remember that refining one’s flame is a long and demanding journey. The Forgesmith can summon a flame, capable only of emitting heat, as it is not a tool for combat but a focused force for creation. When using the Forgesmith’s Flame, it grants a low bonus to Willpower.