NOVEL NEXT 2.29 - A Useful Occupation
Oftentimes we make choices that we initially regret, but find that in our hour of need they were exactly what we needed all along
-Quoted from Kalamir Icefinger
Rose took a deep breath in the underbelly of the flagship. Metal walls surrounded her on all sides, with even the hull of the ship beneath her made of the same metal.
She felt the arcane energy flowing through the metal in regular pulses. A bright blue glow lit the entire room, thrown out by the source of the arcane energy that sat mounted on four metal prongs.
A flashback to fighting with Trent against a ravenous pack of monstrous wolves filled her mind. A tear fell down her cheek as she briefly mourned her former captain.
There was a huge tidestone in the depths of the ship, powering the entire thing. Even with the largest tidestone Rose had ever seen powering the ship, it had still drawn on the ambient arcane energy to fire its cannons.
The sheer scale of the energy and arcane engineering involved was difficult to wrap her mind around. She took slow steps towards the tidestone while casting her gaze around the room.
Even though she had little to no experience with arcane engineering, she found she understood a little of what was happening. That was likely due to a combination of her advanced understanding of arcane energy flows and the brief occasion she'd dipped her toes into crafting.
Your occupation has advanced!
Apprentice Scholar 34 > 35
Skill up!
Arcane Attunement 19 > 20
The sudden splashes surprised her. Her arcane attunement growing in level was to be expected given that she was being bathed in constant pulses of arcane energy, but the level in her occupation was entirely unexpected.
Actually it made her stop and think for a moment. If observing the workings of the ship caused her occupation to increase, it meant that the passive skill was likely being put to work.
It wasn't something Rose had taken much note of since obtaining the apprentice scholar occupation, but it supposedly gave her increased insight into the workings of the world. A frustratingly vague benefit—perfectly in line with the ever infuriating tide—yet one that seemed to assist her at the strangest of times. She let her gaze linger a little longer on each part of the gigantic arcane machine, trying to understand how they fit together.
With every pulse of energy, different sections came to life while others settled down. The entire system was like a living breathing organism. It reminded her of the blue forest and its strange trees.
Your occupation has advanced!
You have earned a new skill!
Arcane Engineering 0 > 1
Another new skill and a second level in her occupation. Rose couldn't help but grin. Pushing up her scholarly skills had led to a slow increase in the level of her occupation, but it was far from fast enough.
Now that she'd stumbled upon a perfect opportunity to improve it, she would grasp it with both hands. She had no doubt that studying the tidestone engine for a long time would be impossible with the battle raging above, but what time she had would be sufficient.
Already she'd killed the commanding officer of the fleet. That should give her some breathing room.
A few more steps brought her right under the looming tidestone. It was unlike any other tidestone she'd obtained or seen herself.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The ones Rose had claimed from convergences were rough and jagged, most of them about the size of a human head. This one dwarfed her in size and was carved by an expert.
Each facet was smooth, the light refracting through it and dancing across the hull of the ship as it rose and fell with the waves. The metal prongs did not dig into the tidestone, simply resting against its surface.
However, even with the movement of the ship the tidestone remained locked in place. Pushing her senses deeper she realised there was a string of arcane energy running through each of the prongs that was glued to the tidestone.
The larger pulses that emanated from the tidestone were triggered by tiny pulses of energy from these strings, triggered by the machine beneath the tidestone. The entire thing was running on a timer, but why it couldn't run constantly instead of in waves was a mystery.
Your occupation has advanced!
Apprentice Scholar 36 > 38
Skill up!
Arcane Engineering 1 > 2
Arcane Attunement 20 > 21
Arcane Resistance 8 > 9
The barrage of splashes broke her from her trance of admiration. For a moment Rose had felt herself synchronising with the rising and falling pulses of the engine.
However, as she took deep breaths to settle herself she realised the danger that posed. Her core was drained of energy. Without realising she had allowed herself to become a secondary source of power to the ship.
This engine was a terrifying creation. Whoever had put it together was mind bogglingly intelligent. Trent had once told her that these machines were commonplace in the central seas, but to see one out in the backwaters was worrying.
How had Minenblum got ahold of this technology? Had they truly developed it themselves or was there a guiding hand above them?
Those questions were less important than figuring out how to switch the engine off. Rose wanted to study it further but each moment that passed, the fleet drew nearer to Albumott.
They were only taking down the flagship at the moment. Even though she had killed the commanding officer of the fleet, that wouldn't stop the soldiers from opening fire on Albumott the moment it was in range.
With the devastating power of the arcane cannons it would only take a few blasts to level the entire town. She would not allow that to happen.
Rose knelt down beneath the tidestone to inspect the machine that was triggering the pulses of arcane energy. She could simply remove the stone with force, but that could lead to deadly consequences.
If she blew herself and her crew up along with the ship there was no guarantee it would take all four of the other ships with them, leading to the worst possible outcome. So for once she was taking the safe route.
The fact it might help to push her occupation even further was an added bonus. The machine was both simple and exceedingly complex at the same time.
It was a single round sheet of the same metal that formed the ship, but it was covered in intricately carved circuits on every inch. There was barely any free space left. Miniscule motes of arcane energy travelled along the circuits in indiscernible patterns between tiny rods that were inserted at random positions.
On a closer look, Rose realised the rods were carved from tidestones. More impressive than the complexity of the machine was the absurd cost to build it.
It took her a while but after watching the motes of arcane energy travelling between the rods and out to the four metal prongs which were the only outlets of energy from the plate, she believed she had figured out the pattern.
Your occupation has advanced!
Apprentice Scholar 38 > 39
Whatever she did when she acted, it would carry the risk of destabilising the entire machine. However, Rose believed that she knew how to deactivate it mechanically while also using her skills in arcane energy manipulation to siphon any dangerous bursts of energy away.
If her gamble paid off she would not only have gained valuable insight into the enemy's greatest weapons, but also acquired a giant tidestone for herself. What was a naval raid without some treasure, after all?
Despite the risks, she felt confident. Gaining another level in her occupation hopefully meant she was on the right track. Rose gently placed her foot onto the inscribed plate, watching for a reaction.
Nothing happened and the engine continued functioning as it had been. She sighed in relief and placed her other foot down.
Again nothing happened and she felt confident to walk towards a particular tidestone rod that was near the centre but offset to the right. She had noticed that every single pulse that travelled across the inscribed plate of metal passed through this rod.
Her guess was that it was the most important control of the entire machine. She had little idea how arcane engineering worked, but sometimes the simplest method was the one that worked best.
With a brief prayer to Sylack, she bent down and gripped the top of the tidestone rod. She felt a trickle of her energy enter the rod but before the machine could begin draining her she yanked it out and sucked in a sharp breath.