Chapter 32. Ectoplasms

The General Store was a skeleton of what it must have been. A counter lined the side wall with bar stools. Empty glass bottles and canvas sacks on shelving behind the bar. It kind of looked like a 7-Eleven that had been abandoned and left to rot. But signage lined the walls, giving clues as to the products which used to be sold.

We headed upstairs to find a living area and kitchen on the second floor. And bedrooms on the third floor. Bathrooms were nowhere to be found and I realized, for the first time, that bathrooms weren’t a thing in Integration Online . I had taken that for granted, and was happy about that.

We each claimed a bedroom, and met in the living room.

“Let’s not waste time,” Henry said. “I’d like to get into the University in the morning.”

“Agreed,” Rowan said.

“Warren and I will start working on gear,” Dread said, volunteering me. I didn’t mind. When this quest was complete, I wanted to set up my own shop and start making money. Every moment spent with Dread before she headed back to Feygrove was gold.

“I want to go hunting for herbs,” Henry said. “Aimon, where do you think would be best?”

“I don’t really know much about that,” Aimon replied. “But I’d imagine the coastline or the forested area to the West.”

“We’ll tag along,” Rowan said. “You’re going to need some protection, and I bet we can get some experience.”

“I’ll join you,” Ilrune said.

“Not me,” Aimon said. “I’ll stick around here. Clean up the place a bit. Maybe get some basic supplies and some food.”

“Make yourself useful, Ilrune, and get us some skins while you’re out,” Dread called to Ilrune.

We parted ways with plans to meet up around dinner time.

Dread and I rearranged the shop on the first floor. We started by drawing the shades. We didn’t need people peeping on us. Then we moved the shelving to the side and unpacked the tools. We used the counter as a workbench and had room to spare.

Dread laid stacks of Light and Medium Leather on the bench. “I’m going to get a couple things,” she said. “Start with pauldrons. They’re the easiest. And take your time. But whatever you do, don’t boil them ‘til I get back.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I’m a brilliant crafter and you always heed my advice,” she said, then walked out the door.

I opened up my pattern book and traced the parts of shoulder pieces on a piece of Medium-quality Light Leather. The shape reminded me of Mrs. Pac-man. When folded together at the mouth, it would create a bulbous shape that would cover a shoulder. I would layer one piece on top of another, creating a thicker pauldron through layering as the pattern suggested. The shoulder pads, once stitched together, had a total of three pieces on each arm that feathered down, covering more space. They had buckles and straps, allowing them to be belted onto each shoulder.

Dread wasn’t back yet, so I continued. I prepared enough pieces to make pauldrons for Rowan, Cassandra, and Henry. I didn’t make anything for myself, because it wasn’t necessary. I would be staying at the back of the party, and I didn’t plan on taking any damage. Plus, after we recovered the relic we needed, I would be done with all this adventuring. It was nearly time to start my business. The thought gave me pause, for the first time. I liked seeing new terrain, new environments. And more, I liked hanging out with actual people. But fear was a stronger emotion than desire. And I feared failure. I feared returning to my life outside.

All that was left was the boiling, forming, and assembly. But Dread wasn’t back yet. I almost boiled them anyway, but thought better of it. She must have had a reason to ask me to wait.

She returned in a huff. “I had to pay 100 Silver for three Ectoplasms,” she said, throwing open the door. “Robbery, if you ask me.” She turned the pot of water to high, then dumped the contents of her leather bag into the liquid.

Slurpy splashes erupted from the pot, and I rushed over to see what she had added. Three purple, nebulous masses swirled in the water. They almost looked like eggs that had just been broken and were starting to come apart. Ectoplasms.

“Okay, let’s see what you’ve made.” She began inspecting my work. I heard an audible grunt, which I took as a compliment.

She grabbed her tongs and began dipping the leather. One at a time, we worked together until each of them were formed and hardened. She did the first and micromanaged me during the second. After that, she left me on my own. After the pieces were boiled and hardened, I connected the layers with rivets and attached the straps. I took a look at my prompts.

You created Low-quality Medium Leather Pauldrons x 4.

‎ You created Medium-quality Medium Leather Pauldrons x4.

‎ Your Leatherworking Expertise improved from 68 to 74.

With excitement, I inspected a pauldron.

Medium Leather Pauldron of Shadow Resistance

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‎ Item Class: Armor

‎ Item Quality: Medium

‎ Armor: 2% damage reduction

‎ +3 to Constitution

‎ +3 to Dexterity

‎ 5% to Shadow Resistance

“Not bad, huh?” Dread asked.

“Five percent shadow resistance just from boiling them in Ectoplasm? Does that stack with other pieces?”

“Yep,” Dread said. “It’s additive. With both pauldrons on, you will have 10% resistance.”

My eyes grew wide. A smile grew over my lips. In a few simple steps, I had created decent leather armor. With stats and bonuses. I sewed thousands of items of clothing, but somehow this was different. I had made items that would make others powerful.

Over the next few hours, Dread and I crafted leather helmets, legs, and boots for the four of us. Aimon and Ilrune had higher quality gear, and didn’t need any upgrades. We still didn’t have chest armor, but Dread explained that it took a lot of leather to craft. More than we had. My Leatherworking Expertise improved all the way to ninety. I was pleased with the stat increases. Overall, each of us would be adding twenty-two Constitution, twenty-two Agility, and a whopping 40% Shadow Resistance. We still had glove and helm slots to fill, but we’d used up our leather supply and the Ectoplasm had run its course. The boiling water had turned from purple back to brown.

“Dread,” I started. “All this Agility is great for the melee fighters, but how do I craft gear with Intelligence and Wisdom?”

“There are a few different methods,” she said. “All of them will start to become available when you hit Expertise level 100. The first is a new set of patterns that cut the leather in new forms. When it comes to this world, form creates function. The style and look actually matters. The second is materials. Leather without magical energy will never create gear that improves stats that add to mana usage. The third is additive ingredients. Things like Ectoplasms. The last is design work. Leatherworkers over Expertise level 300 learn to carve designs into the leather. This is where true mastery comes into play.”

I logged off before the rest of my group had even returned. I knew we needed to leave early, and I wanted to give Sofia time to get to Lakemore. Plus, there was nothing left to do, and I didn’t feel like sitting around and socializing.

You logged off of Integration Online.

I relayed the events of my day to Sofia, and she jumped into the pod. She was eager to get to Lakemore and buy up some property. I could tell that her mind was racing. When Sofia was excited about something, nobody could stop her.

All she told me before I logged back in in the morning was that she was close. Very close. And to send her any extra Silver that I made. ASAP.

You logged into Integration Online.

“Good morning, Warren!” Cassandra greeted me.

“Morning,” I said. “How did the hunt go yesterday?”

I materialized on the couch, right where I had logged out. Everyone was up already, bustling about. Making breakfast. Packing gear in bags.

“Good,” Rowan said.

Before I had logged out, I made Dread promise not to give anybody their gear yet. I wanted to do it.

“I have presents,” I said. “Everybody gather up.”

I began passing out the pieces I had made. Shoulders, boots, chest-pieces, leggings. And the vambraces, which I hadn’t given out yet. “They’re not cut to form,” I said. “But they have straps, so we should be able to get a pretty good fit.” I watched Rowan as she slipped a vambrace over a forearm, trying to tighten it with one hand. I jumped up to help without thinking, pulling the brace tight over her elbow and tightening it down.

“You made all these?” she asked me, holding her arm up, appraising. She held out the other arm for me.

She glanced at me, and I wasn’t sure she had ever looked at me like that. Was it gratitude?

My heart beat faster.

I slipped the vambrace over the other elbow and strapped it in place. She was so close to me. I tried to remember that this beautiful woman next to me might not look the way she did in-game. She might be sixty years old in real life. I didn’t really know anything about her except that she loved bad music and she had a sister. I pulled back, giving myself a few inches of space.

“Pauldrons next,” I said. I fitted the pad over her shoulder and tightened it around her upper arm. I noticed as I was tightening the strap that she was looking right into my eyes. I kept my eyes on the shoulder pads.

“Okay,” I said, trying to dispel the awkwardness. “Strap this across your body and under the other arm.” I handed her the other strap that went around her back.

I helped her with the rest of the gear. Then she helped Cassandra. Ilrune helped me get fitted while Dread helped Henry.

“Is there a mirror somewhere?” Cassandra asked.

“In our bedroom,” Aimon said.

We all piled in front of the mirror, trying to get a look at ourselves. We had matching shoulders, vambraces, boots, and pads that protected our thighs. I couldn’t help but be critical of my work. I saw the flaws. The miscuts, the pieces that didn’t fit exactly right. The complete lack of detailed work.

“We look… amazing,” Rowan said. “Like actual warriors.”

“Rowan,” Cassandra said. “Check out the stats.”

“What’s this?” she said, pulling up something in her interface. “Oh… my god. My Stamina and Dexterity almost just doubled.”

She turned around and shoved me, playfully.

I caught myself.

She punched me in the shoulder. “You’ve been holding back on us,” she said. Then she mouthed the word “thanks.”

There was something about this silent word that felt really genuine. Intimate almost.

I blushed, despite myself.

Ilrune stood at the doorway, smiling. “Come on, crew. We need to find that book of names.”