Waking up, I stretch and look to my side. Colt is already gone, probably training with Pasivier again. Equipping my clothes for the day, they appear on my skin, a perfect fit. ‘Damn that’s convenient, hope I don’t forget how to actually put on clothes someday though.’

Walking out into the main room, Ilmarinen is already awake. “Morning Ilmarinen!” I step over to the larder and pull out some food, Colt tried to make some kind of cereal it seems. Sitting at the table I start to eat.

Ilmarinen is staring at me, giving me an odd look. “Hwhut?” My mouth is full of food.

“Aren’t ye forgetting something important, lad?”

Realization strikes.

“Oh my god! We’re making my anchor tod- khauk!” Coughing, I hit my chest a few times trying to dislodge the cereal that went down the wrong pipe.

Ilmarinen’s arm extends out and slaps me on the back, causing the food to loosen. His hit packs power, however, and my body slams into the floor. “Oops. Sorry lad, forget me own Strength sometimes.”

Sitting up, I glare at him for a second, rubbing my back. With a moment’s focus of Echinodermal Flesh, the damage is healed. Looking Ilmarinen in the eyes, mine glint. “So, let’s make an anchor.”

A few minutes later, we’re at the forge, Ilmarinen has the Palemetal scale sitting on the table in front of us. He lovingly rubs one of his arms over the smooth surface, admiring it. Lifting it off of the table, he slides it into the forge.

With a whisper under his breath, his 8 arms point outward and form a magic circle made of orange light. A pure white fire fills the furnace before he closes the door. “Only magical flames will be hot enough to melt that scale, lad,” Ilmarinen answers to my questioning look.

After waiting for about an hour, Ilmarinen tells me that the scale should be heated enough for the metal to be workable. He grabs the scale bare-armed from the furnace, his flesh not even showing any damage from the heat I can clearly feel radiating off of the surface.

The scale is then set on a large anvil where he brute forces it to bend in half with his strength alone. In time once he has bent it into a smaller bar of metal, he hands me a hammer. “I shall assist ye, but strike with all of yer force, all of it.”

Taking the hint, I go to strike after he has his arm wrapped around mine to assist me. “DEVASTATING IMPACT!” A large clang sounds out, but the metal barely even moves. It takes a long time and most of my mana pool, as well as many mana potions, but the scale is slowly shaped into a workable billet.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, Ilmarinen takes over. There are many folds in the billet, Ilmarinen indicating a need for this style of forging, despite it being quite advanced for me. He takes over for now, however, I have a headache from exhausting my mana pool so many times.

Level up! For working with an extremely rare alloy as well as employing multiple difficult techniques while working under the guidance of a Grandmaster, your Talent: Fledgling Blacksmith has reached (16/50)!

For reaching your second Talent milestone in Fledgling Blacksmith, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight and + 60 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Metalmind

For reaching your third Talent milestone in Fledgling Blacksmith, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight and + 90 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Shaper’s Body

Happy with the results, I look over at the bar of metal Ilmarinen is shaping. Something about the alloy feels like it makes sense to me now. I can “see” the melding of the three legendary metals within it.

With this new understanding, I walk over to Ilmarinen, indicating I want to work more. He “smiles” to me with his beak. I shake off the headache, pushing through the pain. Working the metal feels easier now, it’s shaping under my hands far faster, requiring less help from Ilmarinen.

Shaper’s Body appears to be working in tandem with the rest of my Shaper perks. My insight into the metal helps me understand exactly where to strike to make it shape differently. The anchor is beginning to take shape, but the last of my mental endurance is fading.

Ilmarinen takes over once again, instructing me to go rest. Apparently, he has a few surprises he wants to implement away from my prying eyes.

Laying down on the bed in the guest room, I fall asleep quickly to the rhythmic sounds of clanging metal.

Level up! For continuing to work a legendary alloy, using newfound knowledge, and implementing your Shaper knowledge, your Talent: Fledgling Blacksmith has reached (21/50)!

For reaching your fourth Talent milestone in Fledgling Blacksmith, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Insight and + 120 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Priming Touch

For reaching your first stat milestone in Endurance, you have been awarded the Perk: Vital Mana

The message from The Construct wakes me up. I groan. It takes me a minute but I sit up in bed to address this new information. Finally curious, I bring up my perks menu, viewing my latest five perks, Reforged Arms included.

Perks:

Metalmind

Description: Metal holds no secrets to you anymore. Your understanding of the metals you work with increases your Insight level. Attunement, Willpower, and Insight increased by 1. +1 Attunement, Willpower, Insight per level.

Priming Touch

Description: Infuse your mana into the metals you work with, priming them for further enchantments. This also grants a small increase in durability to the metal. The strength of priming and durability buff scales with Intelligence and Attunement stats. Intelligence increased by 1, Attunement increased by 2. +1 Intelligence per level up, +2 Attunement per level up.

Reforged Arms

Description: Your arms have reformed many times. Slowly, your HP and MP have permeated this tissue, increasing its strength inside and out. Strength and Endurance increased by 1. +1 Strength +1 Endurance per level up.

Shaper’s Body

Description: The world shapes from your hands. All objects you interact with will shape far more easily in your hands. Strength and Endurance increased by 2. +2 Strength and Endurance per level up.

Vital Mana

Description: Allows the user to convert MP into HP at cost of 5 MP per HP. Endurance increased by 1. +1 Endurance per level up.

‘These perks are way better than some of my earlier ones! Multiple stat improvements!’

Turning, I sit up out of bed. Equipping some new clothes, I return to Ilmarinen. He’s still working on the anchor when I come out. Looking at it now, there are pieces in the metal that my Metalmind can’t detect.

“Ilmarinen, what’s in the metal? My Metalmind can’t detect it.” He looks at me for a moment and returns to hammering out the soon-to-be weapon.

“A surprise.” He then shoos me out of the room, telling me to go find Colt because he’s hungry. Apparently, I’m not working on the anchor anymore.

Leaving through the front door, I walk to the field Colt and I were gathering herbs from. It’s a hunch, but I think he’ll be there. Once I arrive, the field is torn up from vines, bits of earth, some jagged cuts, and even some scorch marks. No sign of Colt, however.

“Colt! You here anywhere?!” My shout echoes across the field to no avail. The air shimmers for a moment, however. Colt and Pasivier are suddenly in front of me. The latter is sneering at me.

“Hello, Lucas Creo, delightful to be graced with your presence on this fine afternoon.” Sarcasm is dripping from his voice.

Colt glares at Pasivier for a moment before turning to me. “What’s up?” I shrug my shoulders.

“Ilmarinen kicked me out for now and told me to come get you, he’s hungry. Wanna find some herbs first though?”

“You would cook for the rabble, Colton? Why, I would nev-” Colt waves off Pasivier as we walk away.

“See you later Pasivier! I’m off to do fun things that don’t put me in horrible physical pain!” Apparently, he’ll take any excuse to stop his training sessions with the crazed Fae.

We walk for a bit, Colt letting me take the lead with my Porcine Nose. I’m searching for new scents I don’t recognize, hoping to expand our potion options. One particularly strong scent catches my nose, it’s quite… Spicy?

Over a hill, we find a field of red grass, some of which is on fire. Even the parts that are on fire don’t appear to be burning, however.

Flashfire Sprout

Quality: Medium

Traits: Incendiary

Description: These grass sprouts produce a highly combustive oil used to defend them from being grazed upon by wildlife.

Shrugging at the description, I grab some of the grass that isn’t on fire. “OH MY GOD HOT HOT HOT!!!” The blades are burning my hands as I hold them. Shoving them into the bag of holding I still have, I blow on my hands, trying to cool them down.

Condition Acquired: Third-degree burns

‘Great.’ A quick focus of my Echinodermal Flesh heals away the burns.

Condition Cured: Third-degree burns

Colt is looking at me. “What?” He sighs.

“You have a very reckless approach to these things you know. The grass is literally on fire and you just decide it’s a great idea to grab it?”

I give him my biggest, cheesiest smile. “That’s what I have you for, to save my ass from my dumb decisions.”

Colt’s shoulders slump, resigned. “Whatever, let’s move on. We got plenty of grass.” Our journey continues, I take another sniff.

Following a trail, it’s a scent more powerful than any I’ve smelled so far. We approach the edge of the field, meeting a forest line. “The smell is just up ahead, Colt, let’s find what it is!” He follows me, somewhat tense.

A small walk through the forest we arrive at a patch of brown mushrooms. “See Colt, just mushrooms! Nothing to worry about here!”

Gardening Snake

Traits: Fungal growth

Description: This snake grows Colossus Mushrooms on it, causing it to experience rampant growth as well as high increases in its physical strength.

“Oh. Colt it’s a snake growing mushrooms on it! Wait, oh shit!” The ground rumbles as a large section unearths itself, dwarfing us in size.

Pasivier appears and grabs Colt. “Colton, this is far beyond you, I’m taking you away.”

With a small pop of air, they’re gone in shimmering purple and yellow light. “Wait, what about me!” Turning to the snake, it has a pattern that is almost checkerboard of black and tan, just like the garter snakes I used to see from time to time in my herb garden. Except this one is probably a thousand times bigger.

The snake strikes at me lightning fast. With a combo of Plotting a Course and ebbing to the side, I dodge away from the snake. It’s not enough, my leg is crushed under the force of its strike.

Crying out as I feel the heavy SNAP of my entire left leg, I struggle to crawl away. The snake rears its head up, ready to strike me once more. I clench my eyes shut, preparing for the worst. The air whistles as the snake snaps toward me. BOOM! The ground under me crumbles from the force, but strangely I wasn’t struck.

Turning myself painfully, I look up to see a large form standing over me.

”Ilmarinen!”

The octopus man is staring down at me, a mix of happiness and fear in his eyes. In his arms is the massive anchor that was hanging in the main room of his house, the snake’s head stopped against it.

He looks away from me, back to the snake. With a shove, the serpentine beast is sent several feet backward. It hisses at Ilmarinen, preparing to attack once more. “NO QUARTER.” The snake freezes up for a moment.

Ilmarinen moves in, anchor raised. “TITANIC ANNIHILATION!” The sound is deafening until the world goes silent, my eardrums broken. There is nothing left of the snake after Ilmarinen’s attack, it’s body has been entirely obliterated.

Looking around, there’s a conical field of destruction coming out from where Ilmarinen swung.

He tosses me a healing potion, it’s one of mine. “Thank you.” My voice is quiet and I can’t hear myself say the words. Drinking all doses of the potion, my leg crunches back together and my hearing returns.

“That was… Close lad. Colt warned me in time, but just barely.” He turns to address the field. “COME OUT, FAE!”

The air shimmers and Pasivier appears. “How did you know I was there?” He scoffs.

“Yer Fae stink. Besides, yer teleportation magick is a fine indication. I’m old enough to remember the Fae.” Pasivier seems to go into some kind of battle stance. Ilmarinen raises an arm.

“Now now, calm down, I won’t fight ye, despite ye not protecting my apprentice. Yer secret is safe with this ol’ cephalopod. Let us sojourn to my forge, I believe we be in need of a talk.”

The walk back is incredibly awkward, I keep staring back at Ilmarinen and Pasivier. No one talks. Finally, we arrive back at Ilmarinen’s house. Colt begins screaming at Pasivier, calling him every name in the book for not saving me too.

Ilmarinen motions me inside, leaving Colt and Pasivier to solve their issues. We sit at his table across from each other.

“Lad, tell me, what level are ye? Normally I wouldn’t ask, but I need to know something.”

Confused, I comply. “I’m level 16, why?” He stares at me for a moment.

“At level 16 ye should have been able to at least dodge around that serpent, kill it, even! Why are yer stats this low? ...Don’t me tell, lad, have ye spent yer stat points?” He looks a mix of angry, confused, and disappointed.

“...Not really, only a few one time. I could never figure out what would be best to spend them on, then I just kind of… Forgot? I guess?”

He inhales deeply. “Ye forgot. About stat points.”

“...Yup.” He lets out the deep inhale, putting two tentacle ends together.

“Boy.”

After having my ear yelled off by Ilmarinen for a while, I confirm that I’ll spend my stat points. He recommends a mix of Strength, Endurance, and Dexterity. Keeping Endurance and Strength fairly balanced is important, apparently. Otherwise I’ll break my arms more often.

Spending 7 points, I bring Strength up to 50. Power floods through me at the sudden, larger increase of my stats.

For reaching your first stat milestone in Strength, you have been awarded the Perk: Compound Strength

Curious, I spend 18 points to bring Dexterity up to 50. My body feels more… Reactive. Flexible. Faster. Adaptable.

For reaching your first stat milestone in Dexterity, you have been awarded the Perk: Nimble Feet

My stats feel surer now, a few test jumps and I’m landing perfectly on everything. It seems to work synergistically with my Ballasted Body too. I even do a flip and stick the landing.

Next, I decide on putting 14 points into Attunement, my MP costs can become quite high in a prolonged fight. I can feel my mana vessels grow deeper within me, more refined and further branched. The mana inside them feels denser as well.

For reaching your first stat milestone in Attunement, you have been awarded the Perk: Life Tap

Looking at my stats again, I spend 18 points on my Willpower to bring it to 50.

My mind empowers with the increase in points. I can feel my resolve sharpening, the flow of my mana is more apparent to me. The control over it increases immensely.

For reaching your first stat milestone in Willpower, you have been awarded the Perk: Resonating Mind

Pulling on my mana with my Mana Manipulation, I can feel how much easier it is to control now. Resonating Mind seems to be in effect as well. There’s an odd connection to my mana with my mind that wasn’t there before.

With my remaining 13 points, I boost up Intelligence to 39. My mind feels stronger, faster, and my memory more efficient. The actual strength of my mana feels more powerful too.

‘Status’

Status:

Lucas Creo

Age: 22

Race: Human

Status:

Level: 16

Exp: 1905/3913

HP: 703/795 (3.55 HP/min regeneration)

MP: 905/915 (3.75 MP/min regeneration)

Strength: 51

Endurance: 53

Dexterity: 51

Intelligence: 39

Attunement: 51

Willpower: 51

Charisma: 11

Insight: 56

Stat points: 0

‘Well rounded, lookin’ good! Intelligence could use some work though. Not sure how helpful Charisma will be, but maybe I’ll try getting it to 50 at some point and see what happens.’

“All done Ilmarinen!” With a mental focus, my status screen appears before him.

He nods to it. “A fair distribution for now. Yer an Anchorist, however, so put more focus into Strength, Endurance, and Dexterity in the future. Investing up to 50 in every stat is a good idea, however.”

Saluting, I stand to attention. “Yes, sir!” Giving me an odd look, he returns to smithing the anchor.

A while later, Colt and Pasivier come inside. Pasivier looks rather pale and keeps glancing at Colt. “...I’m sorry.” He meets my eye for a moment and looks away. Impressing me that he did that much, I look at Colt, whose smile looks malicious.

‘Remind me to not ever cross Colt. Ever.’

Pasivier then snaps his finger and teleports away, blushing purple. I direct my attention back to Colt. “What did you do to him?!”

He smiles innocently. “No idea what you mean, he realized he was in the wrong.”

“...Okay, sure. Whatever.”

Colt indicates to my bag of holding. “Now I believe we have a little more alchemy to do?”

Grabbing some tongs off the wall, I pull out the blades of grass and lay them on the stone countertop in the kitchen. There’s some water boiling in a copper pot.

Adding a few blades of grass into the water, it changes color and shifts to an autumn orange. Deciding more would be better, I add three more grass sprouts to the mixture. It feels more complete after I do this. Colt is working on his own variation in another pot.

The final results are pleasing as I receive a notification from The Construct.

Level up! For experimenting with new ingredients and listening to your instincts, your Talent: Fledgling Alchemist has reached (17/50)!

For reaching your third Talent milestone in Fledgling Alchemist, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Dexterity, Intelligence, Attunement, Insight and + 90 XP. In addition, you have been granted the Perk: Magnum Opus