Broken Core [LitRPG • Cultivation • Post Apocalyptic • Romance]

Morning came all too swiftly as James listened to Luna throwing up. How she was able to drink so much when he knew his body didn't allow food or drink it didn't need was a mystery. Was alcohol not considered water or drink compared to what the body needed? He didn't know, and he wasn't going to test the bottle to find out.

Holding her hair out of the way, he chuckled. "What did we learn?"

"That you're an ass," she growled.

"Hey, I let you cuddle and kiss me all night," he argued. "Would I have done that normally?"

"That's why you're an ass. You married me and won't even show me affection. Am I that repulsive?"

Frowning, he summoned a strip of cloth to wipe her lips. "I'm sorry. I need to do better."

"You do," she agreed. "I'm a very physical person. You've kept me at a distance and it hurts. And you wonder why I start drinking."

Mentally chastising himself, he helped her to her feet. "I'm still learning, My Love. Give me time."

"If you call me that, you better mean it."

"Maybe I do," he said softly.

Frowning, she started to blush. "Really?"

"Yes. You're my partner and wife, Luna. Have you felt how our souls crave one another?"

Smiling, she rested her head on his chest. "You know I'm not human, right?"

"Did the tail and ears give you away," he joked.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "Thank you, James. I'm really glad you saved me. My only regret is that I pushed you away. Imagine how we could be if we spent all of those months together."

"Let's not think about that, Luna. All that matters is that you are mine now and I'm not letting you go."

Humming, she kissed him soundly as steps approached.

"Am I interrupting?" Jamie asked.

"No," Luna said as she pulled away. "I'm going to scour the town one last time for Forsaken."

"Yell if you need me." Turning to Jamie, James rubbed his hands together. "Ready for the first lesson?"

Nodding, she rubbed her eyes before moving to his side and sitting down. "Do you have something to practice with?"

James pulled out old strips of leather. "Will this work?"

"Yes. Do you have a carving tool or pen?"

"Nope!"

Sighing, she pulled out her stylus and took the leather. "Everyone has their own runes and designs." Tracing her stylus in several swoops and whirls, she created a rune that was beautiful. "This is one of mine for durability. Enchanting isn't about mimicking runes. It's about intent. You have to have a clear mindset. Any Qi works, but some are better than others for different effects. For example, I can't create a fire rune without using up nearly all of my Qi. But a fire user wouldn't be able to create durability runes easily."

Nodding in understanding, he pulled out another strip of leather. "What do you mean by intent?"

Rubbing her chin, she thought it over. "When you fight, do you simply wish luck is on your side, or do you concentrate and take your foe with everything you have."

"The latter," he said.

"Enchanting is the same way. You have to enter with the intent to succeed no matter what. It's a battle of dominance. The material doesn't want to change, but you must force it. Overpower its desire with your Qi. Only then will it submit and work with you."

Frowning, he glanced at the leather and then back at Jamie. "I never knew it was so complex…"

"It is." Smiling, Jamie's stylus started to glow an earthy brown before she traced the lines again. This time, he could feel Qi flowing into the leather from her dantian. Only a few seconds passed before it was done and the strip shimmered with energy before settling.

Eyes wide, he marveled at her display. Glancing at his own leather, he frowned. It felt like normal leather, but hers flowed with power. But how did materials fight back?

Summoning his soul to his fingertip, he failed to hear Jamie gasp. He didn't have a rune design in mind, so he simply drew three wavy lines a half an inch from one another. With the design carved, he thought about what he wanted. He wanted durability like her, and he started to push his soul energy into the leather.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

What he wasn't ready for was the leather to baulk and shove back equally as strong. Frowning, he pushed even more only for the leather to fight him with every ounce of strength it had. Minutes passed as Jamie watched before she pulled his hand away.

"Your intent isn't strong enough," she stated. Tapping his temple, she added, "close your eyes and focus. You have to visualize what you want. Feel it with every fiber of your being. Only then will you be strong enough to bend the will of the leather."

Nodding, he closed his eyes. Meditation came easy, and he focused his thoughts on creating a material so durable, it rivaled dragon hide. Minutes passed before he opened his eyes and started tracing the lines again. His finger glowed with energy as he kept the image strong.

Jamie sat patiently as the leather fought back against him. He wasn't going to back down and with calming breaths, he pushed through. Suddenly, the leather relaxed and shimmered.

"You did it!" Jamie started clapping.

He was about to celebrate when the leather started eroding and turning to dust in his hands. Within seconds it was blowing away on the wind.

"Uhh…" he didn't know what to say.

"What did you try to create?" Jamie asked, her eyes wide.

"I wanted the leather to be as strong as dragon hide." He thought it was a rather good idea.

"That explains it," she said with a shrug. "You shot for the clouds and landed among the stars."

"Okay…"

Giggling, she lifted her leather. "Some materials can only be enhanced so much. In fact, all materials can only be enhanced so much. It's up to you to learn those limits. Now you know you can't turn normal leather into dragon hide."

"What did you turn yours into?" he asked.

Rubbing her fingers against the leather, she answered, "I simply let the leather speak to me. It wanted to be stronger, and so I agreed and gave it energy."

"But you said I had to force it to bend to my will," he said with annoyance.

Smiling, she set the leather down. "That's because you are a novice. Did you walk before crawling as a baby?"

"No?" he questioned.

Rolling her eyes, she held up the leather. "James. I can almost guarantee you didn't. Enchanting is the same way. Do you expect to become an expert after one test?" Before he could answer, she held up her finger. "That was rhetorical. It's not possible. Even with the best training, it still comes down to practice. Master level enchanters can speak with their items. They converse and agree with one another what they can do. Only then do they add more than one enchantment and bring out the full potential. Even if you have three of the same rings. The exact same quality and size, you will get different enchantments. Every single item and material is different. Do you understand?"

Whistling, he took a moment to think. This is going to be far harder than I expected.

Pulling out a notebook, she handed it over. "It's blank. Start writing down your rune designs and what you want from them. Don't enchant the notebook," she warned.

"Pencil?" he questioned.

Frowning, she summoned a pencil. "How do you not have these things in your storage. Paper and pencil are staples of travel."

"I'm wearing leather and feather armor, Jamie. I don't even have clothes in my storage."

Rubbing her temples, she stared at him with worry. "Do you even have money?"

"What's money?" he joked.

"By the heavens…"

"What?" he protested. "I've survived this long, haven't I?"

"How? How are you still alive? You can't have become as strong as you are without amassing some sort of wealth."

His shoulders slumped and he tapped his head against the wall.

"James?"

"It's nothing…"

"Is this what Luna loves about you," she chided.

Frowning, he glanced at her. "No. She'd be kicking me right now."

"Then don't make me kick you!"

Eyes wide as the quiet woman raised her voice, he found himself at a loss for words.

"Why are you in the East, James?"

"It's not by choice," he whispered. "I was dropped here by my sect after they left me for dead."

Jamie gasped. "That's horrible!"

"It is," Luna said as she marched over. "And you will not repeat that to anyone."

Summoning another piece of leather, he looked it over.

"Why would they leave you for dead?" Jamie asked softly.

"He was too powerful," Luna explained. "Like me, he didn't bend to his people."

"Is that why you aren't with your tribe."

Closing his eyes, James tuned them out. Tracing his fingers over the leather, he focused on what he wanted. He tapped down on his desire for strength and pushed his soul to only make the leather slightly more durable.

Energy flowed through his finger before a notification appeared in his vision.

New Skill: Enchanting: Level 1/10

Soul Crafting: Level 6/10

Smiling, he opened his eyes and found the leather shimmering with white light. Veins of energy pulsed through its body and when he pulled on it, the leather responded by fighting against him with new strength.

"What did you do?" Jamie whispered, her voice filled with awe.

"I wanted it to be more durable," he said.

"It has veins."

"It's beautiful," Luna murmured.

He liked it as well. He had never seen an enchanted item like it before. It seemed alive.

Jamie traced her fingers over its surface. "It feels powerful. Very powerful. If you can improve on this, you'll make a fortune and be unique."

"Then I better keep practicing." Handing the leather to Jamie, he added, "it's yours. Thank you for getting me started."

"No! Thank you!" Jamie exclaimed. "Seeing you do this makes me want to improve as well!"

Luna chuckled. "You've started something now, Honey."

"A rivalry!" Jamie exclaimed. "James, I'm going to kick your ass!"

Laughing, he got up. "We should get going. We have to reach the forest today."

Jamie jumped up. "Tonight, we will work together again. I'm going to show you some of the materials I brought with. I wonder what you can come up with by then."

Lifting his notebook, he smiled. "I'll accept the challenge."

Luna rolled her eyes at them. "Come on, Lover. You have to help me fight my way to the forest."

"You just want me to watch you dance around."

"Hey! Wearing skimpy clothes like this is so I can transform easier. Not to please your horny mind."

"Umm…" Jamie started backing away. "I'm going to leave before you two…"

Smirking, Luna grabbed the hem of her shorts. "Don't want to see me take him right here and now?"

Squeaking, Jamie turned and fled. She would have to come back for Mender, but by then, James was going to have the horny wolf far away.