Chapter 24 - Touches of an Artisan

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Artisan Touch

Rank: Rare

Passive

Enhances the crafting process by reducing time and material waste, while improving the quality and aesthetic of the crafted items.

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Looking through the description, Lucas smirked. "That's a nice gift. A Passive Skill that improves the item’s quality, sounds perfect for a Mechanic."

"Let’s keep the momentum going, yeah? Adrenaline! Take my adrenaline!" he pumped himself up before moving on to his next project, a sword for Chloe.

Swinging through the air, Lucas pondered. “How should I do this? Just make the same thing as the spear? Sure, why not? Birunium probably can enhance her skill effects too. If not, at least it’ll be a pretty sharp sword.”

Since he had already gone through the process of making a sword once, this time he was able to mold it with ease.

He even ground the wolf teeth and fangs, incorporating them into the sword's structure.

Before him lay another three-finger-wide navy-blue sword, its pommel adorned with a sharp fang.

Looking at the sword, Lucas found it surprisingly pleasing to the eye. The blue hue spread evenly across the blade, creating a sense of harmony. “Must be the effect of Artisan Touch,” he mused.

“Now… name, name, name,” Lucas muttered as he paced in a circle, deep in thought. “Coming up with names is tougher than I thought. Let’s go with Rending Fang. Is that too cringey?”

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Rending Fang

Rank: Rare

A masterpiece sword crafted from Birunium metal by a Talented Crafter. Its unique forging method enhances mana flow within the weapon, imbuing it with primal, untamed power.

Special Effect(s):

Mana Pathway - Its refined molecular structure minimizes energy loss, enhancing its ability to channel mana with greater efficiency.

Savage Tears - Its innate wolf-like savagery allows the wielder to moderately ignore the defense of the enemies.

Deep Puncture - Residual psychic energy imbued in the tip of the sword causes a psychic penetrating force to damage enemies when stabbing.

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Whistling at the description, Lucas smirked. “Deep Puncture will pair perfectly with Chloe's new skill. Double penetration!”

“What double penetration?! Are you watching porn?!”

Chloe's sudden voice startled him, making him flinch slightly. Turning toward her, he sheepishly replied, “There's no Internet, so how am I supposed to watch porn? Besides, I’ve got you!”

Grinning cheekily, he bounced over and hugged her tightly.

“Get off me! I’m sweaty!” Chloe yelped, though she made no effort to push him away.

“All the better!” he chuckled, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

Patting him on the back, Chloe pushed him away. "Come on, get off me. I'm going to shower." She winked playfully as she walked toward the bathroom.

Catching the hint, Lucas's eyes immediately widened. He grinned and followed her into the shower without hesitation.

***

Samantha sat at the dining table, sorting through the loot she had scavenged when she noticed Lucas and Chloe emerging from the shower together.

“I smell hormones,” Samantha snarked, glancing at them with a raised brow.

Still damp from the shower, Lucas chuckled, while Chloe blushed slightly. “What are you talking about?” Chloe mumbled shyly, avoiding eye contact.

“There’s nothing to be shy about,” Lucas said, patting her head affectionately before giving her a gentle kiss.

Irked by the display, Samantha scowled. “Go and change. Otherwise, I’ll stab you.”

A few moments later, Lucas returned in more comfortable clothes. “You two should get some sleep. I’ve still got some work to do.”

Chloe frowned with concern. “Are you sure? Aren’t you tired… from all the work earlier?”

Glancing briefly at Samantha, Lucas grinned. “Hormones are still fueling me,” he joked.

“I saw that look. Say another word, and I’ll kick you,” Samantha muttered, rolling her eyes.

Realizing Lucas wouldn’t budge, Chloe sighed and gave him a small kiss. “Fine, but don’t stay up too late, okay?” She gently tugged at Samantha’s arm. “Come on, let’s get some rest.”

As the girls headed off, Lucas waved them goodnight and turned his attention back to his gear.

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With his hands on his hips, he looked at his equipment, two , a , , and . These were all recognized by the System.

“I should upgrade my guns,” Lucas muttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “And definitely stock up on more bullets.”

After some time of tinkering metal with his mind, Lucas was engrossed in building equipment. Parts of armor were lined neatly on one side while several unknown mechanical parts were lined on the other side.

Abruptly, the makeshift alarm he set around the workshop rang, snapping him out of his Mindcraft.

He swiftly took a peek outside the curtain, he immediately saw several figures prowling around the workshop.

Smirking at the unannounced guests, Lucas muttered, “Good. Let's try out the new gadgets. Go-go gadgets.”

***

An Archer stood on the roof of a building opposite the workshop and tiredly sighed, “What’s the point of this? There are plenty of places to get food. The boss is just weird. Or do they want the girl?”

Before he could continue ranting, a bullet tore through the air, lodging itself into his skull.

On the ground, several thugs were staring intently at the workshop. One of them whispered, “Are you sure it’s here?”

“Yeah. That chick went in there, and no one’s come out or gone in since. She’s probably alone,” another man chuckled menacingly.

A third man snorted, “Bryson already took all the girls for his group. Looks like he missed one.”

“Colton hasn’t sent any messages yet, so it’s clear. Let’s spread out and make sure she doesn’t escape,” the apparent leader said.

Four of them fanned out, slowly advancing toward the workshop from both sides with their weapons drawn.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure watched their every move from the shadows.

Emerging from the shadows, Lucas casually addressed the men, “Hey there, nice day for fishing, isn’t it?”

“Who the hell are you?!” a bald man barked, drawing his sword. The others followed suit, their weapons ready as they glared at Lucas menacingly.

“Just your friendly neighborhood Mechanicman,” Lucas chuckled, utterly unfazed by their hostility.

Growling with frustration, the bald man roared, “Are you messing with us?! I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Blue light engulfed his sword as he charged at Lucas with a roar.

“SLASH!”

Facing the powerful attack, Lucas simply raised his arm and blocked it directly. The slash barely scratched the vambrace on his arm, just as he expected.

However, the same couldn't be said about the bald man. He was stunned at the core. His sword, which could easily cleave through concrete, had barely scratched the armor, let alone dented it. His disbelief was written all over his face.

Before the bald man could comprehend what was happening, Lucas’s other hand lashed out, gripping his throat tightly.

A surge of electricity coursed through Lucas’s palm, frying the man’s throat.

A charred smell of burnt flesh wafted through the air, stunning the remaining three as they watched their comrade collapse to the ground like a ragdoll, a smoking hole burned through his neck.

“Enzo!” the others shouted in shock before charging at Lucas in a fit of rage.

“HOW DARE YOU?!”

Calmly gazing at the men and their weapons, Lucas flicked his fingers.

In an instant, thin red lines appeared on their bodies before they split into pieces, leaving a gory sight behind.

Under the moonlight, the faint glimmer of metallic wires could be seen gleaming in the air.

“Test results, nice,” Lucas muttered as he returned to the workshop, while the bloody mess levitated into a nearby dumpster.

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Strangler Embrace

Rank: Rare

A mechanical-engineered vambrace crafted from Birunium alloy by a Talented Crafter, capable of ejecting high-tensile wire and releasing high-voltage currents. An adaptable tool for various scenarios.

Special Effect(s)

Ravager - Ejects ten ravaging high-tensile wires, enabling a variety of feats. Each wire has a high chance of inflicting 'Laceration' on enemies upon contact.

Discharge - Releases high-voltage electricity through either the palm or the wires with a high chance of inflicting 'Stun' on enemies.

Psyform - Residual psychic energy imbued in the armor enhances its overall structural integrity.

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Entering the workshop, Lucas saw Chloe waiting in the garage. He greeted her, “Hey, aren’t you asleep?”

“I heard some noises and came down to check. What happened?” she asked, stealing glances at the high-tech-looking armor pieces on his arms.

“Some rats tried to sneak in, so I chased them off with a couple of new toys I made,” he smiled, patting Chloe's head.

Nodding in understanding, she still advised, “It’s getting pretty late. You should get some sleep too.” With that, she went back to bed.

Looking at Chloe's back, Lucas found himself just staring at her. Snapping out of the daze, he muttered, “Okay, let's finish up the remaining bits and hit the sack.”

***

17th October of 2023, Town of Mount Mor.

Chloe woke up from her dreamland and promptly headed to the dining area, only to find Lucas already making breakfast.

Still feeling sleepy, she hugged him from behind, rubbing her face against his back.

“Hey there. I made us some quick meals. Go wash up and grab some. Samantha’s already up,” Lucas chuckled lightly while patting her hands.

Groggily, Chloe nodded, "Mm-kay," and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

After a quick sandwich breakfast, Lucas mentally summoned two full sets of armor.

The armor featured a sleek, futuristic design with a black combat suit built for stealth and maneuverability, reinforced with angular steel plating on the shoulders, chest, forearms, and legs.

Bowing politely, Lucas said with an air of elegance, “Allow me to introduce you to our homemade, finest Advanced Tactical Suit. A masterpiece of both form and function.”

“Picture, if you will,” he continued smoothly, mentally rotating the suit in mid-air for dramatic effect. “A seamless blend of strength and refinement. Forged from our specialty metal, it’s so impossibly lightweight yet resilient, it teeters on the edge between reality and art.”

“Wow! They look so cool!” Chloe’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly slipped into the armor.

Samantha, too, found herself caught up in the moment, her excitement momentarily distracting her from teasing Lucas about his theatrics.

Admiring her new armor, Samantha remarked, “Not bad. It’s actually pretty stylish. You’ve got quite the eye for fashion, huh, Lucas?”

Lucas simply smiled at their enthusiasm, choosing not to reveal that most of the design’s appeal came from his . Without it, the suit might have looked… well, ‘slightly’ horrendous. Though, ‘slightly’ was probably sugarcoating it.

“Samantha! Check out its stats!” Chloe suddenly exclaimed in awe, her gaze fixed on the translucent system window in front of her.

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Advanced Tactical Suit

Rank: Uncommon++

A tactical suit designed with aesthetics in mind by a Talented Crafter. Both the inner suit and outer shell are crafted from unique steel ingots and fabric, offering a balance of lightweight design and toughness.

Special Effect(s):

Real Steel - Nullifies damage below a certain threshold.

Reinforcement - Reduces physical damage by a specific amount.

Psyform - Residual psychic energy imbued in the armor enhances its overall structural integrity.

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