The Concept of Crafting

-==÷==-

ERROR: INSUFFICIENT PERMISSIONS

—

When the user's life is in danger, this item activates.

Soulbound: Lycara Mallin

-==÷==-

…

…

That…

THAT'S IT?!

All that work, for an item I can't even identify. I sigh, dropping my head on the table. At least it gives me an idea of what it does, rather than just a blank, but still. Allysa pats me on the shoulder, and when I look up she has a wry smile.

“Well, if you made it and yet can't identify it, there's a pretty good chance that it does something good. Remember: [Inspect] gives information based on the strength of the user, certain skills, and relation to the user, such as a crafter. If even you, who made the thing, can't see what it does, that means that the strength is such a vast gap that even your relation is superseded by the strength of it.”

I nod thoughtfully before hauling myself to my feet from where I lay in front of the workbench. Standing unsteadily for a moment before finding my balance, I pick up the necklace and put it on, the lack of a clasp confusing at first until the chain just separates and reconnects with a tug. I just stare at it for a moment before shrugging, since I've seen stranger things in the last ten minutes.

I put it on and walk back to my room, wincing as Allysa's lecture on not doing possibly dangerous tests without telling people first begins. It lasts all the way to my door, and then she follows me inside just to continue berating me. Sitting on the bed, which is a supremely awkward affair due to it being for, you know, human-ish people and not tauric races. I sigh quietly, missing my own bed at home. Aurisal beds basically amount to a massive pile of pillows and blankets on a circular mattress, and are incredibly comfortable.

Doing my best to tune out Allysa's tirade, which has since moved on to me ignoring her initial point, I decide to deal with my skill evolutions now rather than later.

Opening my status, I'm greeted by the gains from the needle.

-==÷==-

Unique Item Crafted

Soulbound Item Crafted

Exotic Materials Used:

- Daemin Bone Sliver

-Dreamlight Marrow

—

2 Levels Gained

-==÷==-

Huh. So THAT'S what those were. Wracking my memory, I recalled that daemins were a sort of… not lesser demon, but unintelligent. They have great physical and magical might, but are about as smart as a toddler. So not very. Dreamlight marrow, however, made me nearly choke on my spit. Oh. Oh that's why no-one had used it at all. I grimace. That may get me in trouble later… eh, problem for future me!

Dreamlight marrow comes from a type of animalistic fae known as a dreamlight angler. They appear as a massive, phantasmal, much more grotesque angler fish, with a few quirks. One of them being that it can turn its body invisible while stationary. Its lure mimics a wisp, a weak spirit valued for its core, and guides people to it. Where it then knocks them out with a simple yet very powerful spell, and as they sleep it slowly drains their life. Sorta like a psychic vampire, but much less handsome.

The marrow is the stuff inside the angler’s lure, but processed. Very, very expensive to get on account of it being a main ingredient in certain… shall we say pleasure draughts.

And with that thought, I understood why I couldn't identify it. It wasn't recognized by the system as an actual item, only a material. Why could the notification recognize it? Who knows, magic bullshit probably. As for the draemin bone, draemin are notorious for being immune to all but the most powerful appraisals, and I only have the basic [Identify]. Quickly double checking my level showed me at eight, only two more until I get another general and class skill granted.

Allysa had explained more about the system while I was resting, and damn was there a lot. To summarize: every ten levels you are granted a class skill and a general skill. Class skills always complement your other class skills, while general skills are just kinda random. Other than the level ten one, which for combat classes is always some variant of [Power Strike] and for crafting classes [Analyze], both of which get integrated into the system as upgrades to existing functions.

[Power Strike] makes all body stats more effective when attacking, while [Analyze] is a specialized [Identify] for crafted items, though it can also be used on dungeon or rift rewards.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I pull up my full status and grin at the gains.

-==÷==-

Name: Lycara Mallin

Race: Aurisal (æ)

Titles: Noble, Unbroken, Reaper’s Interest

Class: Aethersmith (M)

– Concepts Understood: Death

Level: 8

Mana: Full

Status: Healthy, Shifting Form

Domain: Unknown (Conceptual)

Body: 26 (27)

– Strength: 26

– Constitution: 27

– Dexterity: 26

Mind: 25

– Intelligence: 25

– Wisdom: 25

– Reaction: 25

Soul: 27

– Willpower: 34

– Mana: 23

– Resistance: 23

Skills:

Strip Concept [64%]

Sense Concepts [50%]

Crystallize [12%]

Essentia Forging [60%]

Essentia Storage [5%]

Pain Resistance [100%]*

Recovery [31%]

Sprint [17%]

Disassociation [100%]*

Lance Mastery [100%]*

Mana Reservoir [7%]

Mana Manipulation [3%]

Deathtouch [1%]

Traits:

Wild Strength

Augmented Form

Essentia Touched

Godmarked

-==÷==-

I whistle in appreciation before focusing on [Pain Resistance] first, pulling up the evolution menu.

-==÷==-

Evolve Skill: Pain Resistance

Pain Immunity: Reduce the sensation of pain entirely.

Masochism: Change the sensation of pain to one of pleasure, bringing increased willpower depending on the amount of pain experienced.

Smith's Endurance: Pain is much easier to ignore, and grants a small resistance to fire.

-==÷==-

I wince as I read the description for [Masochism], and immediately eliminate it. Nope. Just… nope.

After reading the other two, I select [Smith's Endurance]. The description makes it sound like it is just a much better [Pain Resistance], as well as a lesser [Fire Resistance], which is just incredible.

-==÷==-

Skill Acquired: Smith’s Endurance

-==÷==-

Having a combination skill this early is rare, and having one that synergizes that well is also great. Some combination skills I've heard of… eh, not great. Like an archery skill and a resistance skill making your skin hard as steel… but only when drawing an arrow. Most bad combinations like that tend to fail in the first place, but sometimes they do work and end up horrible. Realizing I'm ranting to myself in my own head, I move on to the next skill.

-==÷==-

Evolve Skill: Lance Mastery

Tip of The Spear: When wielding a spear or related weapon, gain massive bonuses to precision and penetrating power.

Cavalry Expertise: Gain massive bonuses when charging on a mount.

Lancelot: Gain massive increases in strength when defending your lord or comrades.

General Weapon Mastery: Trade specialization for improved mastery of all weapons, at a reduced amount.

(Due to unique experiences additional options have been granted.)

Weapon Style: Crossroads

The combat style of the Reaper, grants mastery of any pole/unusual-style weapons. Can unlock techniques.

Weapon Style: Aurisal Charger

The combat style unique to the aurisal race, grants mastery of lances and rams. Can unlock techniques.

-==÷==-

This one was significantly harder to decide on. The styles were so much better than the normal skills, but between the two styles I just couldn't decide. On one hand, there was the aurisal charger style, which I had been trained in for many, many years. Yet on the other is the style of the Reaper themselves, a style I had never heard of before and yet called to me as someone who would be crafting most of my own weapons. I favored polearms due to the reach they granted, yet unusual weapons are probably going to be fairly common due to using the leftover essence.

On that note, would my needle count as an unusual weapon? Probably, since I've never once heard of someone fighting with a needle. Assuming, of course, the needle is a weapon. I nod to myself, selecting [Weapon Style: Crossroads]

-==÷==-

Weapon Style Acquired: Crossroads

Technique Acquired: Fade

-==÷==-

Making a mental note to test the technique later, I continued to the last one: [Disassociation].

-==÷==-

Evolve Skill: Disassociation

Weigh The Scales: Judge a target fairly and without prejudice, weighing their crimes against their duties and passing a verdict.

Battle Trance: Enter into a trance while in combat, increasing focus and dulling some emotions fully.

(Due to unique experiences additional options have been granted.)

Lord's Decree

Enact a Decree upon your followers, creating a binding law. This must be verified by at least two others before enacting, and must be done without bias lest the backlash end your rule.

Umbral Meditation

A unique branch of the meditation skill tree, while using this skill you are able to commune with your patron deity, as well as massively boosting resource regeneration and stealth within shadowed areas.

-==÷==-

The moment I read [Umbral Meditation], I selected it with zero hesitation. However, in my excitement and haste, I had completely forgotten one, very important detail: upon evolving [Disassociation], I no longer had the skill.

Therefore, everything it was holding back was no longer held.