“Lad, I want ye to destroy this anvil.” Ilmarinen gestures to the somewhat shabby enchanted stone “anvil” I’ve been using. His disgust at it is apparent.
“But… I enchanted it. It works just fine.”
“It’s the spirit of it, lad. Now smash it.” He puts his arms on his hips, looking at me disapprovingly.
“...Fine…” Figuring it will be a good test of my brute strength, I lift an arm up and hammer down on it. With my full force, a crack echoes out through the room as the enchantment shatters and the stone crumbles. “Woah.”
The floor under the anvil has spiderweb cracks through it as well. “Oops.”
Using Geomancy, I seal the cracks up, restoring the floor to smooth stone once more. Using it once again, I compact the remainders of my anvil into a ball and stow it away so I can discard it outside later.
Ilmarinen looks happier now, he glances at me as I’m inspecting my own arm for any damage. “Very good, lad. Now, do ye know what metal ye would like yer anvil to be made of?”
“I’m not just gonna buy the anvil at the Construct Shop or something?”
Ilmarinen glares once more. “Is ye gonna buy at the… Of course ye aren’t! Are ye a blacksmith or not, lad?”
“I’m pretty sure plenty of blacksmiths back before The Construct just bought anvils.” Kicking a piece of rubble from my anvil that I missed, I avoid his eyes.
“If ye want to continue to learn from me, ye need to make yer own anvil.”
“Okay, well, what about immoblite? It’s such a tough material, it would make a perfect anvil, wouldn’t it?”
Ilmarinen rests an arm under his beak, which I understand as an equivalent of someone resting their hand on their chin in thought. “It will not be an easy material to shape, lad. But I believe yer Strength should be appropriate. What Skills or Perks do ye have that may help?”
“Uh, I have Metallomancy, but I found it hard to even try to manipulate neutrite metals with that. Devastating Blow would probably help for when I need to hit really hard. Otherwise, I guess I have Promethean for hitting with knots as well. Oh, and I just got the Perk Mystic Metalwork!
A vein pops out from Ilmarinen’s head. “Yer still receiving Perks beyond yer standing… Alas, I suppose it be due to the scale of yer Fate perhaps. Have ye attempted Metallomancy since the Perk?”
“Huh. I haven’t actually.” Taking the hammer, First Spark, that Ilmarinen made me out of my hold, I concentrate on it with Metallomancy. It still has some of that “slipperiness” to it that makes it harder to control but just pushing en masse is possible.
“Woah, it works!” Spinning the hammer around myself, it slips out of my “grip”, conking me on the head. “Ow…”
Ilmarinen stands there, arms crossed, staring down at me. “Ye done, lad?”
Rubbing where the hammer hit my head, the pain fades away quickly. “Yeah… How many ingots of immoblite will I need to make the anvil?”
He considers for a moment. “Perhaps ten. Do ye have the materials ye need?”
Pulling ten neutrite ingots out of my hold, I set them on the table. “We should have enough colossus mushrooms for the strengthening, but I don’t know about sheathestalks for the internal sheathe.”
Turning my head towards the doorway, I yell to Colt. “Hey, Colt! Do we have enough sheathestalks for me to harvest five of them?”
Pasivier groans in annoyance at my interruption but Colt calls back to me. “There should be some in the alchemy room, but if there’s not enough check the garden outside, I planted some there!”
“Okay, thanks, babe!”
His voice catches in his throat as he’s calling back “You’re welcome” when he realizes what I said. Laughing to myself, I move into the alchemy room with Ilmarinen in tow.
Grabbing some colossus mushrooms, I move to convert them to aspect crystals.
“Lad, a word of advice for ye. Focus on the feeling of the aspect yer refining.”
“Uh, okay.” Closing my eyes as I hold the mushrooms, I try to think of something that relates to growth and strengthening. My mind falls on muscles. As they grow in size, their strength follows accordingly, for the most part.
Giving my own arm muscles a quick flex, I feel them bulge under my skin, shifting around. It’s strange, for how strong I am, my body size doesn’t reflect it at all.
As far as I can tell, most of my actual body changes have come from fighting monsters and running around with a heavy anchor all the time. Strength just augments that power.
With the ideas of growth and strengthening in mind, I refine the crystals. They look clearer than previous ones I’ve made, and they have less faults inside. Checking them with a quick Inspect, they’re all of high quality now instead of medium.
“Wow, that worked, Ilmarinen! Thanks for the tip.” Smiling at him, I step out from the door that’s in the alchemy room leading to the outside garden. There are some sheathestalks inside, but I want to check the ones outside.
“T’was nothing, lad.” He seems somewhat awkward at the attention but continues to follow me after eyeing the alchemy room thoroughly.
The sheathestalks outside are standing tall as they sway lightly in the early morning breeze. I pick five using Hydromancy to simply cut the stalk away. Fortunately, because I’m just converting them to aspects, I don’t even need to pull the husk off.
Following Ilmarinen’s advice, I try to imagine nutrition and internal sheathe. Likely due to the idea I had for growth and strengthening, my mind returns to muscles. From my pre-Construct education, I know that all muscles in the body have a sheathe that surrounds them.
This sheathe is what I imagine the internal sheathe aspect enhances to protect muscles from harm. My thoughts move towards the idea of nutrition as a whole. For the sheathe of a muscle to be strong, it has to have proper nutrition for it to grow to the best of its ability.
Keeping these ideas in mind, nutritive food feeding into a strong, unbreakable sheathe that protects the muscle, I convert them to aspect crystals. They turn out to be high quality again. Ilmarinen pats me on the back to commend my success.
“Yer a natural. Visualization is key for many Skills and Perks.”
“Thank I-” A notification from The Construct interrupts my thoughts.
The walled city: Portland has been completed! A quest board will now spawn in the center of the city. Any Construct Shops within the city will upgrade supplies as the city grows and completes quests.
Just then, a shimmering light shines close to the house. As it fades, a blank white board, the same material as the Construct Shops, is standing where the light was shining.
“Ah, yer city is complete, is it, lad?” Ilmarinen nods approvingly.
“I guess. I didn’t realize our house was so centralized in the city. We’ll need to build some fences or something to secure our plot.”
“Tis a good idea.”
“Are quests any good?”
Ilmarinen side-eyes me. “Find out for yerself later, lad.”
“Fine…”
Heading back inside, I turn to Ilmarinen. “Okay, so I have the ingots and I have the aspects, am I just supposed to make ten ingots and continue from there.”
“Ye will need a large crucible. If ye fashion one from stone I can show ye the enchantments ye will need.”
“Oh, so I’ll be smelting them all at once?” Taking the large stone ball that was my anvil out of my hold, I begin the process of shaping it with a mix of Geomancy and Hydromancy.
Level up! For continuing to shape stone in ways to serve your purposes, your Talent: Fledgling Craftsman has reached (30/50)!
For reaching your sixth Talent milestone in Fledgling Craftsman, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight and + 180 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Nimble Hands!
Perks:
Nimble Hands
Description: The fine control of your hands has been enhanced. You can make incredibly minute movements with great precision. Dexterity increased by 2. +2 Dexterity per level up.
Clenching and unclenching my fingers, they’re as steady as can be and I can move them with far more autonomy than I could before. ‘Hm, simple but effective Perk.’
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“Nice, I leveled up! I got the Perk Nimble Hands too.”
“Tis a useful Perk. Good job, lad.” He smiles slightly and nudges me to start enchanting.
He instructs me as I enchant the crucible, telling me certain heat resistance runes to prevent the crucible from breaking, an enchantment similar to the slipperiness enchantment I’ve used that will help metals not cling to the crucible, and some general durability increases.
Level up! For working under the instruction of your mentor to create specific enchantments to serve your purposes, your Talent: Adept Enchanter has reached (10/50)!
For reaching your second Talent milestone in Adept Enchanter, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Intelligence, Attunement, Willpower, Insight and + 60 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Writeable Flesh!
Perks:
Writable Flesh
Description: Your flesh has changed structure. You are now capable of inscribing on to your own skin and bones to empower yourself with enchantments. These enchantments are temporary and will fade over time. The changes to your flesh also boost your overall constitution. HP increased by 30, HP Regen increased by 0.5. +30 HP and 0.5 HP Regen per level up.
‘Wow, unexpected stat bonuses, but that’s really powerful.’ Checking my stats quickly, I find that the 0.5 actually becomes a bonus of 1 HP regen due to the Endurance milestone. ‘Holy shit that’s powerful.’
Rubbing my arm, nothing really feels different. “Hey, Ilmarinen, I just got Writable Flesh, should I try it? You must have it, being such a high level enchanter. Why have I never seen enchantments on you?”
“Try it later, lad. We have work to do. The enchantments fade over time, I don’t find meself needing ‘em most of the time. Besides, ye have Inscriber’s Depth do ye not? Push the enchantments below yer skin.” He draws a small enchantment on himself and I see the glyph sink below his skin.
“Okay, I’ll try it while we wait for the neutrite to smelt.” Loading the bars and aspect crystals into the crucible, I carry it over to my forge and set it inside. It’s a pretty tight fit, but it can just barely slide in.
Lifting my arm in front of myself, I decide to try out an enchantment I’m familiar with. As I begin to draw the first line, I recoil. “Ow! That burns!”
“Yer inscribing lines into yer flesh with mana, what did ye think would happen, lad?” Ilmarinen shakes his head.
Gritting my teeth, I complete the durability enchantment and push it deep into the flesh of my arm. It’s a weird sensation but I feel it settle inside me. Poking my arm, the skin certainly feels tougher.
Getting an idea from this, I quickly inscribe the heat resistance runes Ilmarinen just showed me on to my hands and arms. The ingots finish smelting by the time I’m finished, so I test the power of my Writable Flesh by picking up the crucible by hand instead of with Geomancy.
Pulling it out quickly, I set it on the floor for a moment. This particular crucible only has seven of the ten bars worth in it. According to Ilmarinen, I’ll need to attach the bottom and top parts, so this is the ratio I’ll need.
Quickly reapplying my heat resistance enchantments as they’re already fading from the exposure, I reach in and pull out the large, slowly hardening slab of immoblite.
Taking out my hammer, I realize I never enchanted the handle with anything, so I do that quickly as I’ll be using it heavily today. With the handle more durable than ever, I follow Ilmarinen’s instructions and begin to shape the top half of my anvil.
It’s the typical, widely recognized anvil shape, but it takes me several hours to complete. Mystic Metalwork seems to allow me to shape the metal faster than I could otherwise, and I have to reheat the entire piece many times, but eventually, it’s finished.
Level up! For shaping a large mass of a highly durable metal into the foundation of a blacksmith’s work, the anvil, your Talent: Fledgling Blacksmith has reached (45/50)!
For reaching your eighth Talent milestone in Fledgling Blacksmith, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight and + 240 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Metal Blood!
Due to ingrained exposure to Palemetal, your Perk: Metal Blood has transformed into Palemetal Blood!
Falling to the ground, I cry out in pain as it feels like fire is coursing through my veins.
“Lad, what’s wrong?!” Ilmarinen lays an arm on me and I can feel some kind of probing energy come in through it.
As fast as the pain came, it’s gone once more. Turning my head towards Ilmarinen, I sit up slightly with his support.
“I uh… Got a Perk. Jesus, that hurt.” My head is spinning somewhat, recovering from the pain. My stomach threatens to empty its contents. “What was that energy thing you just did?”
“It’s not me specialty, but I know a bit o’ diagnostic magic. Never hurts to have it.” He shrugs.
“Can you show me that sometime?”
“Sure, but lad, what is the Perk?”
“Oh, right. Let me check. I’ll display it for you too. Perks.”
Perks:
Palemetal Blood
Description: Your blood has transformed! Palemetal courses through your veins, replacing the iron that typically does. The mystical properties of Palemetal infuse your body, granting you increased mana conductance, furthering the power of self-enchantment, and increasing the overall strength of your body and mind. HP and MP increased by 50, HP and MP Regen increased by 1, all stats increased by 2. +50 HP and MP, 1 HP and MP Regen, and 2 to all stats per level up.
“Holy shit.” Looking at Ilmarinen, his expression is just as shocked as mine.
“Lad, I have never in me life seen this Perk. Metal Blood is a fairly common blacksmith Perk, but this… this is rare. Exceptionally so.”
Just then Colt and Pasivier poke their heads through the doorway.
“Lucas, are you okay?” Colt runs over to me after seeing me on the floor, kneeling next to me.
“Uh, I’m fine I think… I just got a really painful Perk.”
“If you would not mind my asking, what Perk would that be, Lucas?” Pasivier seems to inspect me up and down, looking for changes probably.
Ilmarinen shrugs when I look to him for guidance, so I show Colt and Pasivier the Perk. Both of their expressions are just as shocked as mine and Ilmarinen’s.
“Ilmarinen, have you ever-?” Pasivier turns to him.
“Nay, I have not seen this Perk before. It may be due to the lad’s constant exposure through the palemetal piercing I gave him. But… that does not seem like it should be enough, Palemetal piercings are rare, but not unheard of.”
Feeling at the Palemetal fishhook stuck through my ear, I bring my hand back down to my lap after.
“Oh god, Lucas, your eyes!” Colt brings up a panel of water to show me my reflection.
“What’s wrong with them- Oh.” In the mirror, all the blood vessels showing in my eyes have taken on a silvery-white hue, rather than the red they should be. “Wow, it actually turned the iron in my blood into Palemetal.”
“Lad… this needs to be kept secret. Ye cannot tell anyone outside of this room. Lest ye become a Palemetal farm if it can be harvested from yer blood.” Ilmarinen’s face is grim, Pasivier’s mimics his.
“But… you said people can’t interfere with me because it could damage their Fate too. So I should be safe, right?” My stomach twists with anxiety at the prospect of being turned into a blood bag for someone’s own profit.
“Some may make the sacrifice and take the risk… people get desperate in this world, Lucas.” Pasivier’s voice is somber.
“I find it hard to believe just the exposure to the earring changed ye. Can ye think of any other sources of Palemetal that may have entered ye, lad?” Ilmarinen reaches up and touches the earring for a moment.
“Well, actually. Argo was helping me make potions the other day, sort of. He fell into a pot of boiling healing potion and it flung on to me.”
Ilmarinen and Pasivier look at each other and confer silently for a moment.
“That may have done it, lad. Small particles of Palemetal might have come off into the potion and soaked into yer healing flesh. I believe that influenced ye gaining the Perk.”
“Well, the initial message did say I gained Metal Blood and then it transformed due to ‘ingrained exposure to Palemetal’.”
“That seems plausible to me then, Lucas.” Pasivier nods in agreeance with Ilmarinen’s hypothesis. “Regardless, I still have more teachings for Colt that we must get back to, come along.” He tugs on Colt’s shirt slightly.
Colt glares at him and turns to me. “You okay?” His expression is full of concern.
“I’m fine, you go learn things.” I give him a kiss before he heads off, making him smile as he leaves the room. Feeling myself blush slightly as I notice Ilmarinen staring at me, I conjure another water “mirror” and see that my blush is a silvery white in color now.
“Ilmarinen, what can I do about blushing? It’s turning my skin white instead of pink or red!”
“Hmm… Just claim yer Perk was Titanium Blood. Tis a rarer variant of Metal Blood, but it should be a passable replacement.”
“Well, okay. ...Can we get back to making my anvil so I can move on from… this?”
He smiles at me. “Of course, lad. Begin by smelting yer ingots for the base.”
Following his instructions, it’s late afternoon by the time both halves of my anvil are complete. He has me use my Mystic Metalwork to bond the two pieces together, completing it.
Level up! For completing your first anvil out of a highly durable material, your Talent: Fledgling Blacksmith has reached (46/50)!
Electing to not auto-name this one, I already have an idea for the name. Inputting that and Inspecting the result, I smile.
Last Embers
Quality: High
Traits: Internal Sheathe, Strengthening
Description: This immoblite anvil was created by a Fledgling Blacksmith under the guidance of a Grandmaster Blacksmith. The material it is made of makes it highly durable and will only become more so as it incurs further impacts from use.
“Last Embers? What’s be meaning of the name, lad? Tis a fine anvil though, I’m proud of ye, apprentice o’ mine.” He runs an arm over the surface of it happily.
“Thanks, Ilmarinen. I couldn’t have done with without your help. I probably would have shaped this part completely wrong if you hadn’t told me to change how I was using my Devastating Impacts.
“The name is because my hammer is called First Spark. So the First Spark leads to the Last Embers, or, the finished product after it’s done on the anvil.”
“A fine name then. I’m glad to have inspired ye for it.” He nods with approval before looking out the window. “Well, lad. Tis late. I have many orders in need of fulfillin’ tonight, but I can teach ye more about yer Fate tomorrow.”
“Sounds good, goodnight, Ilmarinen!” He mumbles the same to me as he steps through the portal door, closing it lightly behind him.
Lifting my hand in front of myself, I course mana through my body, enjoying how powerful it feels, conducting through Palemetal, which is apparently a much more powerful conductor.
The enchantments in my body are easier to apply now, the Palemetal Blood making that so. They last a little longer and feel stronger too, but they still fade over time with use, much faster than they would on weapons or objects.
Walking upstairs, I find Colt in the kitchen, Pasivier must have left already. “Hey, babe.” Wrapping my arms around him from behind, he chuckles.
“Hey there. I’m just about to finish dinner, you hungry?” He flips some kind of tortilla in a pan.
“Starved. I haven’t eaten all day, got too busy I guess. Dinner smells delicious.”
“Okay, then let go so I can finish it.” He smiles at me and bumps me away with his hips, making me laugh and step off to the side.
“Fine, but only because I’m hungry.”
He finishes quickly and the night goes on after we eat dinner. Laying down in bed breathing heavily, I’m surprised by a single Construct notification.
Congratulations Lucas Creo! For finishing your opponent with one final blow, you have gained the Skill: Finishing Blow!
Looking over to Colt, I show him the notification and he snorts. “This might be useful in battle.” Winking at him, he laughs once more and turns over, pulling the blanket Becky made us over himself.
“Goodnight, Colt.”
“Night, Lucas.” He yawns and is asleep in seconds.
I follow suit, finally having a night of pleasant dreams after kicking Restruct out of my mind, hopefully for good.