Blacksmith vs. the System

For three days, I abandoned every single task I had, including walking around. Luckily, during that day, Rosie's surprise about Ascension materials had been the bigger one, not forcing me to abandon my spot.

Technically, yes, the news of two of my students, preparing to ascend, should count, but luckily, Maria was there to protect them. Logan and Terry were still trying to attain the necessary levels. I might have left the isolation if Rosie's attempt succeeded.

Too bad it failed before it began, with her higher stats making the process a difficult achievement. Maria was still trying to find a solution to that, but I avoided getting involved in that direction.

Just like how I left the protection of the town to Maria and Eleanor.

I had to focus on my own tasks, knowing that the isolation was not a luxury I could afford for long. Maria was getting exhausted. As, for all its advantages, there was one great disadvantage to ascension.

It increased the pressure on the soul exponentially, each battle requiring somewhere between hours to days to properly recover from.

Neither Maria nor Eleanor had that luxury; and the status of the boss monsters, getting both stronger and more numerous by every passing day, didn't help either. Very soon, they would face a situation that would require my support…

Luckily, that was not a problem at the moment, not with my skill at the edge of transformation.

[Reformation of Quintessence (Legendary) - 403 [Advanced Observe, Inscription Mender]

Shaper of Quintessence (Legendary) - 499 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control, Advanced Spell Forge]

"Just one more attempt," I muttered to myself, and started building another complicated spiral chain of runes, each section creating a nesting effect to channel and shape the overpowered decay rune at the center, the recursive self-supporting structure only possible due to my constant assistance from my forge skill.

And, my new perks, be it Advanced Spell Forge or Inscription Mender, helped me to assess those connections, able to intervene before the spell collapsed. Until I finished the process.

[Shaper of Quintessence (Legendary) 499 -> Rune Craft (Mythic) 1]

The sudden burst of pain, right in the metaphysical center of my existence, was intense, but not unexpected. It was not the first time I was getting a Mythic skill, and the pain was an expected side effect. I didn't know if it was me getting used to it, or just my soul getting stronger, but either way, the pain was easy to push back.

I sat down, focused inward, and waited for the pain to fade. Frankly, the pain was much easier to handle than the temptation to start fiddling with my newest skill. The name of it was fascinating, but also a little concerning. Rune Craft was certainly a fancy name, but it had very little to do with forging. Would I stop my ability to work with metal? Or, was that just an implied part of the whole equation?

Either way, the fact that the skill had reset to one rather than going back to four hundred implied a major, fundamental transformation in the skill.

Those answers had to wait until the pain disappeared. Only then, did I stand up, grab my hammer, and pull a copper ingot in front of me … and let the skill control my movements. The hammer moved with a jerky, movement, almost uncomfortable, but that, I didn't care much. It was just the consequence of a skill reset.

I continued to slam the hammer, letting my skill operate smoothly, until I was looking at a dagger. One that looked almost ordinary, if it wasn't for a singular rune directly carved into the blade.

[Rune Craft (Mythic) 1 -> 4]

Sharpness, I recognized. More importantly, as I used Observe on it, I could feel the enchantment, weak as it might be, being a part of it.

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"Beautiful," I muttered as I continued to examine the enchantment, immediately realizing how it differed from the other enchanted weapons. The others had their spells laid over the metal, almost like a cocoon, therefore never fully bonding with the weapon.

It meant a weaker efficiency, but it also meant they could be dispelled and changed as needed, depending on the circumstances.

It was different from the weapon I crafted. The runes were a part of the structure, and trying to modify them would be no easier than trying to replace the edge with a different metal. Yet, I could also feel it being far stronger…

Most importantly, I could feel the skill of trying to reach a stat that had been lacking. One that was required to support its structure…

"Let's see if it helps the other issue," I said as I raised my hand, and once again cast a bolt of decay. This time, I didn't need to carefully etch the runes in the air. I just tried, and eight runes popped into the air, arranged far differently than my usual casting.

More importantly, I could feel the way the different runes bonded perfectly unlike the vague sensation I had felt before. With that awareness came the ability to repair things. Not that it was needed. And, the bolt flew toward the target with an eerie accuracy, not bleeding an iota of mana in the process.

[Rune Craft (Mythic) 4 -> 5]

The improvement was a welcome addition, confirming that spellcasting was a fundamental part of my new skill. Already, possibilities were filling my mind, with all the different ways it could be leveraged in the upcoming fight.

But, first, I had to focus on my Reformation Skill. As far as the Meditation of Decay, while it was tempting to fiddle with it, I still remembered the risks of touching it. Yes, it potentially offered a big reward, but I didn't dare to touch it.

The consequences of a mistake were too big, especially at a time when we could hardly afford it. Instead, I focused on improving my Reformation skill, which became even easier after I had managed to improve my crafting skill, which had the added benefit of improving my Master of Runes skill.

After another three hours, I had been looking for a brand new skill.

[Rune Harmonizer - 3]

Naturally, in the process, I had also managed to improve my Rune Craft to a reasonable degree, enough to unlock some of its abilities.

[Rune Craft (Mythic) - 54]

However, as I improved, I could feel the strain from the lack of Intelligence stat, the skill constantly reaching for it to support its operations, only to fail spectacularly. I was ready to practice a few more hours, when I felt the birth of another corrupted boss in the dungeon.

"Now, it's time to see whether it'll work," I muttered, and opened a gate to the fifth floor.

Once I stepped on the fifth floor, my senses got sharper.

I could feel Maria's presence, her spells carrying a distinctive weight against the gloom of corruption. I popped near her. However, the moment I saw her, I realized my retreat might have pushed her more than I had realized.

It wasn't just the large bag under her eyes, somehow persisting despite Health usually fixing such imperfections.

I had never seen her so exhausted. She was tethering on the edge. "Do you mind if I take this one," I called from a distance, trying to sound casual rather than concerned, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it.

Still, seeing her was just another proof that trying to push my skills to the next stage, be it my meditation or crafting, was no longer viable. Her condition was even worse than I expected.

"Devon," she replied, adjusting her stance while she approached to hide her exhaustion. "Everything alright? Why did you interrupt your experiment?"

I could see what she was trying to do. She was trying to look fitter than she did, so that I didn't stop halfway. That only made me guiltier about my earlier neglect, lost in the excitement. Yes, it was strategically critical, but…

"Don't worry," I replied instead, raising my hand to cast a flame bolt, but not the usual. It used the concept from the flame dungeon, a raging, uncontrollable explosion compared to the skills that could be acquired from the dungeon.

[-3000 Mana]

The complicated spell, made of thirty runes, created a tight beam of fire, flew perfectly without the slightest leak, and went to demolish a nearby corrupted monster completely.

[Rune Craft (Mythic) 54 -> 57]

I had used the fire variant, as with her expertise, she could see the difference far more accurately. "The experiment was a great success," I said.

"That was — how — but then…" she stammered in shock, her hand already rising in preparation to cast a spell. I could emphasize the thrill of discovering a new path. But, I still gestured for her to stop.

"No practicing before you get a good sleep, and recover," I said. "Take it as an order from your king if you wish."

"You would have done the same," she complained.

"True," I admitted. "Unfortunately, me doing it doesn't qualify it as a wise decision. My track report when it comes to accidents speaks for itself."

Maria gaped at my declaration. I could see that she wanted to argue, but her exhaustion didn't allow it. "Fine," she said. "But, the moment I wake up, you're going to teach me how to do cast like that. That spell has no reason to work, yet it did!"

"I promise," I replied. "Now, go and sleep. You're about to die of exhaustion." Reluctant, she turned away. I moved to the opposite side. I had a boss monster to slay.

And a class to upgrade…