III-14 Reforge (II)

Your equipment is going to break. Your weapons are going to break. Your armor is going to break. This is inevitable. If you are a martial Pa

Your equipment is going to break. Your weapons are going to break. Your armor is going to break.

This is inevitable. If you are a martial Pathbearer operating in the field, you will break things. The stresses and rigors of active conflict will press your weapons and equipment to the very limit. Even Master-Tier weapons have a breaking point.

Your mending enchantment is not going to be enough to spare them sometimes because you're going to need to use them. And if you use them, they're going to break. I'm going to say this again. They're going to break.

And that’s fine. Broken equipment is a fact of life. And, depending on the equipment’s tier and if you’re a crafter—or if you have a good crafter supporting you, you can turn it all around.

Now, as mentioned in the previous chapter, a proper piece of equipment is imbued with an ambient mana capacity. That is what its tier corresponds to. This ambient mana that allows it to interface with the world and you as a Pathbearer in the form of enchantments it can contain.

What is also known is that when a piece of equipment is broken, it is no longer capable of interfacing with the ambient mana in the world. However, the ambient mana will not simply dissipate. The enchantments will not simply cease to be. They will linger and undergo a sort of mana decay similar to a damaged mana core. This is slightly like a story forgetting itself—consult the Theory of Legendary Atrophy for the theoretical details.

This, however, means that if you can get a crafter to reforge these broken pieces of equipment, you can still preserve their Tier and some of the enchantments. A few of the invested levels might be lost—or an entire enchantment might be atrophied into nonexistence—but the item itself might be saved. 

Some crafters even specialize in fusing broken pieces of equipment together—or even deliberately breaking lower-tier items to smelt them into higher-tier ones as a sort of item Skill Fusion…

This is a process known as Tier-Synthesis, and though it sounds convenient, the outcome, as always, depends on the crafter’s capabilities.

-The Paths of Ascension, Essential Reading at Phoenix Academy of The Yellowstone Republic-

III-14

Reforge (II)

Shiv examined the tiny blade in detail. There was a lot of mana pulsing from it, but it was slightly damaged. He could see a spiderweb of cracks running along the flat of the blade. More importantly, however, he saw that there was a deep groove of corrosion that lined the very base of the blade like a cavity. 

That was Necromantic withering. He could tell from how severe the rust was, and the tinge of sickly green left behind.

It occurred to Shiv that the equipment he retrieved from the display cases might have been literal trophies taken from dead enemies. That seemed to fit Confriga's nature. He was the kind to revel in cruelty and triumph. It also explained why Confriga didn't use these items in combat. They were more mementos from powerful foes more than anything else.

"I guess even vile sacks of shit can have a sentimental side," Shiv muttered under his breath.

Then he observed a few of the more exotic enchantments he found within the dagger: Size-Shifting and Mass-Stealing. They both sounded self-explanatory enough, but he wanted to see how they actually worked. With a thought, he willed the Skypiercer to be bigger—if it got any smaller, it might vanish altogether. 

Immediately, the Skypiercer expanded. Its hilt extended first, growing longer until it became more like a piece from a greatsword. Its guard also grew wider, becoming a round, curved shield as if it were a small shield meant to ward off blows. The greatest change of all was how the blade itself lengthened. It went from being a small rondel dagger to something of a gleaming, thick albeit corroded and cracked, lance.

Shiv blinked as he found himself holding a three-meter-long weapon, and it was still growing, still getting bigger. It kept growing and growing until it hit the fourth meter, but remained as light as it had always been. But at five meters he had to stop as cracks began to spread forth from the corrosion, compromising the blade further.

Equipment Obtained: [Skypiercer]

Tier: Master

Condition: Severely Damaged

Composition: Adamantine

Enchantments > Spatially-Anchored; Size-Shifting; Master Self-Mending; Mass-Stealing; Binding

"The damage the weapon sustained was severe," Can Hu said. As the Penitent gestured toward the weapon, it directed rivers of fluid metal from a bubbling spell shape. Can Hu’s temporarily fused Crafting and Geomancy Skill expressed itself in the form of a mercury bubble it clutched between its bottom industrial limbs. Meanwhile, it used its more human-like manipulating hands to weave and shape currents of liquid metal to interact with nearby pieces of matter and equipment. “Furthermore, the Necromancy afflicting the blade has damaged its enchantments and composition. It is missing several enchantments as well. Likely the strongest enchantments as the others barely add up to 120 Skill Levels of mana invested in this blade. IN total, it should be able to contain about 199 Skill Levels. Just one away from the maximum Skill Investiture Threshold for a Master-Tier Weapon."

The Penitent fell silent for a beat, and Shiv studied Can Hu. The machine seemed oddly reserved, even faintly sad. It probably felt a strange sort of kinship with the dagger itself. Shiv couldn't blame the automaton. It was hard to see magic broken. It was hard to see something deformed from what it once was. 

In that instant, Shiv also noted Valor in his periphery, looking at the blade. The ancient Pathbearer was still damaged. Cracks lined his skull—composed of a strange metal Shiv didn’t know the name for. Despite this, the Recollector broke Valor. Beneath the glow of Adam’s Unique Skill, Valor seemed to be mending slowly, but Shiv could taste the misery radiating off of Valor. Both Valor Thann and Can Hu understood what it meant to have and then have not, to be powerful and then lose that power. 

In some ways, that might have been worse than never having any power at all.

Shiv tested the mass-increasing enchantment, but felt nothing. He frowned. “Is the Mass-Stealing enchantment damaged?”

“I think that only works when you stab someone with it,” Adam said. “I recall one such enchantment. It comes from a Physicality and Thieving Skill Fusion. It won’t manifest without taking mass from something or someone.”

Shiv reached out with a hand and called one of his corpses over. He casually jabbed the blade against one of his bodies, and felt a pulse of weight connect into the blade. “Ah. There we go.” With a pull, Shiv drained the mass from the body. In a moment, the feather-light weapon became as heavy as an iron ingot, and then a small boulder. Just as it reached that capacity, the Skypiercer began to shudder and crack. 

Shiv released the weight before his weapon got damaged any further. “Neat. But it's also too fragile. I think it’ll break if I use it in active combat.”

“Indeed,” Can Hu’s inner machinery whirred and whined as he moved his upper arms. "But it can be reforged. Restored to optimal condition or greater by fusing it with another piece of equipment. That is the foundation of my current Skill Fusion—the Forge of Material Synthesis.”

Slowly, a thrill began to rise inside Shiv. He looked at the broken pieces of his kukri still on the table, and then he studied his Magebreaker and cloak laying there as well. “Alright. I see where this is going.” He eyed Adam. “So. This is why you wanted me to be here in person.”

“Right, but more than reconstruction, this can be an upgrade to our kits,” Adam said, a tired excitement bleeding over into his voice. “Can Hu can elevate Adept-Tier equipment to Master-Tier equipment simply by synthesizing it with another, preferably higher tier item.”

“So, this is like an item Skill Fusion?” Shiv asked.

“Yes, but rather than just one item or skill, Can Hu can handle multiple items,” Adam replied. “As he just did with the boots.”

Shiv looked at the now prismatic boots now placed on the table. The fragment of Absence filled in the cracks of the once-damaged stone boots. More than that, a flow of power radiated from it—a palpable taste of Magical Skill Shiv didn’t have stained the air. Small, radiant pebbles hovered beside the boot. Geomancy, Shiv guessed. Or something like that.

“My new Skill Fusion allows me to merge two or more pieces of equipment as well,” Can Hu explained further. “It allows me to add their total Skill Investitures together. Or infuse existing enchantments from one item to another. But the items must have suffered decay or damage first. One should preferably be broken, even. And the higher the tier, the greater the effort on my end. However… with sufficient effort and focus, I should be able to synthesize two Master-Tier items into something that befits the Heroic category.” Can Hu paused. “Theoretically. I feel it is possible. I have not performed such a feat yet.”

“You will,” Adam said, with a certain air. The sun hovering behind him shone with a joyous radiance. Shiv let out a breath as he felt his own skills grow stronger as well. “But don’t over-exert yourself. We do this right and do it effectively.”

“Yes, Pathbearer Adam,” Can Hu replied, like a soldier affirming a commander.

Shiv placed the Skypiercer back on the table and reached out to regard the boots. "How does investment work beyond just infusing a set of levels from one of your skills into an item?”

"Levels and tiers," Can Hu said. "You cannot invest a level below your current tier.”

“Yeah, Tran said something about that,” Shiv nodded in reply. “So if I invested right now one level using Gravitic Wrestler, then say, Might of Mass… The enchantment would be different. But would it still be a single level?

“Indeed, Pathbearer. However, equipment is not the same as an individual or a monster. As such, the enchantments express themselves differently from a skill born in relation to a Pathbearer. They transform and adjust themselves to the item they are invested in. More importantly, they need levels to be potent. Every level is a threshold of mana. As such, what is a higher tier skill in a Pathbearer might prove feeble for a piece of equipment if only a single level is invested. Comparatively, a lower skill with more levels will function at a far higher capacity. Up to its tier limit.”

“Tier limit?” Shiv asked. He guessed he knew what that meant, but he wanted confirmation.

“Only fifty skill levels of Might of Mass can be invested, using your previous example. It is not capable of sustaining mana beyond that. Gravitic Wrestler meanwhile will run to two hundred.”

So that made sense. What also made sense now was how expensive and valuable certain pieces of equipment were. Also, why item tiers mattered so much. It’s like holding a small Semi-Pathbearer I can wield in battle.

Equipment Obtained: [Sabatons of the Arcanite Deepstrider]

Tier: Master

Condition: Perfect

Composition: Arcanite

Enchantments > Matter-Phasing; Master Magic Amplification; Geo-Anchoring; Architect’s Memory (Fort); Binding

“Arcanite?” Shiv muttered, studying the boots.

“It’s a magical hyperconductor,” Valor said. “Very rare. It is like a… dimensional evolution of the focus crystals.”

“And that’s what Confriga’s blade was made from,” Adam said.

“That’s why my Magebreaker cracked so fast,” Shiv whispered to himself. He remembered catching Absence—the weight that went through him. But he broke the blade. Or an iteration of it. This one might have been the Absence that was lost near the end of Shiv’s berserker rage.

“The boots are for Uva,” Adam said. “If she is going to be operating with us on the surface at all, we need to give her means of avoid the sun. I doubt we will always be able to hide in the shadow of night—or that there will always be someone for her to possess.”

Shiv grunted in approval. “Good call. The Magical Amplification… That something that will boost her magic personal magic too?”

“Not unless she uses the boots as a focus. But that won’t be an issue.” Adam pointed at the focus crystal armor. “I think Uva needs another set of armor as well. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The Deathless offered a laugh. “Very thoughtful, Adam.”

“I try. Now.” The Young Lord walked over to the table and tapped the wand. “This is a relatively intact wand. It’s functional even without reforging, so I’m leaning toward claiming it. My rapier, however… it’s missing its Temporal and Spatial Wardings now. The Clone enchantment has suffered some slight erosion as well, so I need to make up for that.” And now Adam was looking at the pieces of Shiv’s kukri.

“Oh,” Shiv chuckled. “I see. You want to take what’s mine.”

Adam frowned. “It’s broken.”

“It can be fixed.”

“You don’t need it anymore. You have your own Chronomancy.”

“Two Chrono-Anchored Strikes are better than one.”

“Right. But it will be better for me, since it will give me an extra skill for repositioning aside from my spatial magic.”

Shiv considered that. It wasn’t a bad idea. Frankly, it was downright essential. The ugliness of Adam’s near deaths came back to haunt Shiv as he recalled how close the entity came to killing Adam each time it got its hands on him. “Hm. Fine. But I want something in return for this.”

“Like what?” Adam asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Shiv admitted. “I’ll think of something..” Shiv frowned at the Magebreaker on the table next to the broken pieces of his kukri.

"Can you mix three things at once?" Shiv asked. “And remove existing enchantments.”

"Yes," Can Hu said, "it will take more effort for me to shift high level and high tier enchantments. But it can be done. There is also a risk of breaking the items if I am not capable of properly completing the reconstruction effort.”

And that made Shiv consider what he wanted to do with his cloak as well. The answer there wasn’t too complicated: More spatial storage. The other enchantments were good, but the dimensional pocket was the single greatest piece of utility he had. Maybe mix that with some Arcanite. But what about the Magebreaker? I could mix that with a dagger if the spatial magic enchantment is removed, but that’ll make my weapon doubly-strained as offense and defense. I can see it breaking pretty fast again. No. Magebreaker stays its own thing. Or is merged with a shield at some point…

Then, Shiv’s gaze fell on the helmet with a diamond gem socketed into its forehead. He walked over and picked it up. No surges of mana rushed into him. No Magical Skills triggered.

Equipment Obtained: [Helm of the Farsighted Deceiver]

Tier: Master

Condition: Severely Damaged

Composition: Trollskin Leather; Diamond

Enchantments > Master Farseeing; Master Self-Mending; Minor Illusion of Self; Chameleon; Binding

As its enchantments loaded, Shiv looked inside the helmet and winced. The interior lining was utterly consumed by corrosion, a spread of rot and decay that left the helmet borderline ruined from within. The thing felt more than a little fragile in Shiv's hands, like it was on the verge of falling apart and would fall apart if he exposed it to any strain or damage.

But the enchantments—that's what he was interested in. Chameleon, Minor Illusion, Master Farseeing. These were all utility options as well, and more importantly, unattuned utility options. None of them projected a magical field, and none of them should clash with the Magebreaker's functions.

"Hey, Can Hu," Shiv asked, "can you fuse this helmet into the Mage Breaker?"

The Penitent directed its streams of fluid metal, threading it through the helmet and connecting it to the Mage Breaker. A spell flashed between his hands, and another shape quivered in the mercury sphere held between his industrial arms. Can Hu fell silent, and Shiv just watched the automaton for a moment, patiently waiting for a response.

"It's a good choice," Adam said off by the side, nodding at Shiv in compliment. "Farseeing will help you contend with invisible adversaries or other adversaries with high tiers in stealth or deception. Additionally, Chameleon and Minor Illusion will make you an even greater terror on the battlefield." Adam considered that for a moment, and he shuddered. "As if your Creeping Void wasn't bad enough already."

Slowly, new options for combat took form in Shiv's mind. Casting a minor illusion might be useful for baiting out enemy attacks. Chameleon would be another layer of concealment, allowing him to blend in without ever invoking his Creeping Void. That would also solve the subtlety problem. Right now, his stealth was a very specific kind of stealth—the kind that let his enemies know he was there but rendered them unable to truly pinpoint his exact location. He choked the world in a sprawling miasma of blackness. Chameleon was quiet. Chameleon allowed him to blend in without infecting his environment at all.

Finally, the idea of escalating degrees of stealth appealed to Shiv: going from blended into the backdrop, then being detected, breaking contact after casting out a minor illusion, and then finally unleashing The Creeping Void when the situation truly devolved into havoc and chaos.

Shiv's eyes flipped over to another arcanite fragment—another piece of Absence. "I'm going to ask a stupid question, but I think I already know the answer. I don't think arcanite and Inertium are going to mix very well, are they?"

"Absolutely not," Valor said. "A magical hyperconductor and the single greatest magical nullification material known to the Integration would likely come together like Necromancy and, well, you, Shiv."

The Deathless let out a grunt of displeasure at that. That was all the convincing he needed. Still, this was a good mixture, and more importantly, it would fix up his Magebreaker.

"Yes," Can Hu said finally, "it can be done. In fact, I am certain I can do this. However, fusing the diamond gem will take a bit more consideration. Do you wish for it to be placed on the outside? It might affect the vibrational frequencies of the Inertium if placed along the way and render the structure vulnerable.”

Shiv shook his head. "I don't care about the aesthetics. I just want functionality. Arrange the composition whatever way you see fit, so long as it works."

"Understood. I will create an extension for the gem then."

And at once, the synthesization process began. Both items rose off the table as streams of fluid metal poured into them. A layer of gleaming, bubbling mercury swallowed them, and the layers were promptly meshed together, fusing into a singular pool as Can Hu continued the crafting process. Then, there came a flash of light by his side as Adam's Unique Skill triggered. The Azure Dawn hovering above the Gate Lord's head flared bright, and a beam of concentrated radiance poured into Can Hu.

For a brief moment, Shiv caught a flash. A flash of what Can Hu used to be: a towering, chrome-shelled weapon of war, sporting multiple limbs bearing heavy weapons—guns of every caliber and every variety. But within its chest, within its unfurling chest, was the shape of a faceless pilot, and they held out a hand, reaching toward Shiv. 

But with another pulse of brightness from Adam's Righteous Dawn Prevails, the illusion faded, and Can Hu, in its current form, emerged from the illusion. Even so, the penitent looked better than ever before. It worked more efficiently, even as its joints screamed with every articulation, with every minor movement. It didn't seem as fragile as it once was.

A twisting spiral of spell patterns circulated the mercury pool, and the faintest hints of Geomancy-mana ignited in reality. Most times, if you didn't have the right Magical Skills, you couldn't perceive someone else casting the same category of magic. Before Shiv had Biomancy, his death at the hand of the high vampire came as a mystery—a gesture and nothing more. 

But now the world was alive with color, and Can Hu was channeling so much magic, straining his crafting and geomancy-skill fusion so hard that it bled its wavelengths into the physical spectrum of the world.

"Godsdamn," Shiv muttered. The pool of mercury composing both items lit up like a second sun in the room. It wasn't as vibrant as Adam's azure sun, but it was no less potent, no less impressive. Slowly, Can Hu began to compress the sheen of mercury in on itself. It crushed harder and harder until it began to sink, until a shape emerged: the shape of a vibrating gauntlet.

A smile emerged on Shiv's face. The Magebreaker had been restored, but it was more than the Mage Breaker he remembered it being. The gauntlet was larger, and more importantly, it blended with the background as he stared at it for too long, its colors mixing and merging with the cold metal of the teleportation anchor. Connected to the gauntlet were several arm straps, all made of leather. They ran all the way up toward Shiv's shoulder, if judged by the length, and at the end, the gem gleamed, fastened to the intersection of various straps.

Can Hu's geomancy mana faded from view, but the finished and reforged Mage Breaker hovered in place, held by Can Hu's strings of fluid metal. "Does the composition please you, Pathbearer? I think I can still make a few adjustments."

"No," Shiv said, cutting Can Hu off. "It's good. In fact, I kinda like the new design. Good job, Penitent."

Can Hu raised its shoulders back as a hint of pride exposed itself. "It is only proper."

Shiv reached out and ran his hand into the Mage Breaker. Suddenly, he felt a new sensation inside. So that was where the leather went, Shiv mumbled. A soft leather glove clutched him. He would have complained about the temperature being too hot if he was still pathless, but after all he'd experienced and all his new recent evolutions, a little heat didn't bother him anymore.

Equipment Obtained: [Armguard of the Unseen Magebreaker]

Tier: Master

Condition: Perfect

Composition: Inertium; Trollskin Leather; Diamond

Enchantments > Attuned Mana-Nullification; Master Self-Mending; Master Farseeing; Minor Illusion of Self; Chameleon; Binding

Once he equipped it to himself, he began testing out his new capabilities. First, he blended into the backdrop just like the Mage Breaker did. Then, he projected a minor illusion, and that was when the gem along his shoulder flared and channeled out a stream of light that created a copy of Shiv. To his surprise, the minor illusion mimicked his every action, and he could move it further or closer to him as he pleased. Ultimately, however, it was mostly just a mirage, and a keen-sighted adversary could likely see through it.

But finally, he triggered the Farseeing enchantment, and suddenly he found himself capable of casting his gaze further and further. It was like his eyesight was magnifying with every thought. Soon, he peered at a specific patch of the wall and saw everything there in vivid detail. The smallest cracks revealed themselves to him, along with chunks of grime lining the edges of said cracks. He enhanced his far-sight even further, and his gaze slipped through the crack until he was staring at a surface of uneven and partially chipped obsidian—the exterior of the tower. A flood of nausea swept through Shiv, however, and he shook his head, trying to dislodge the feeling.

"Ah, far-seeing, eh?" Adam asked. “How do you feel?”

"Yeah," Shiv agreed. "Is this what it's like to be you all the time?"

"No. It's far, far weaker than what I have." It was a boast from Adam. 

Shiv winced in response."So your hearing, your taste—

“Even my touch," Adam replied. "All that is of my Awareness has been amplified. My Hypersense was superior to far-seeing in every way. It's evolution gained when you strain all of your senses in combat, not just your gaze. A hawk relies on more than just its vision. Father prepared me well.”

Shiv let out a whistle. And then he thought back to how Adam flinched when he was surrounded by large crowds, how he often preferred to soar alone to keep moving. 

Then Shiv thought back to a certain incident in a certain apartment a few weeks ago, and a posthumous feeling of regret hit him. "Shit, Adam. I didn't know it was so rough for you. I, uh, I kinda feel like a bastard now for doing some of the stuff that I, uh... you know. So. Sorry.”

Adam studied Shiv for a moment, and then he let out a quiet scoff. "It's alright. I, uh, learned to live with it. Part of having a high Awareness is understanding what to focus on and what to ignore. Actually, this is something I’ll train you to do. Everything you see is important. You need to learn to distinguish between different details and detect the subtle things as well."

For the first time, Shiv was honestly intrigued by the prospects of dramatically improving his Awareness. It was more than just another thing for him to do now. “Sounds good. I’ll show you how to cook, in exchange,” Shiv offered.

“I…” Adam blinked. “You will?”

“Yeah. Why not? It’s a useful skill.”

“I don’t have cooking,” Adam said.

“The perfect chef doesn’t have a Cooking Skill. Means you haven’t shit the bed enough yet to disgrace yourself with a level.”

“What?” Adam asked.

“It’s something Georges always said to me when I messed something up bad early on. You want to fuse something next?" Shiv asked. "I've got my go."

Adam shook his head. "No, we do your priority equipment first. I want you prepared."

"Prepared?" Shiv asked. "Prepared for what?"

"Someone needs to survey the surface. Well, two people. You and me. I'm not exactly sure where we will emerge once we pass through that gate, but I can tell you this: if Sullain’s army is competent at all, they will have scouts hidden in places nearby. Pocket dimensions, hidden strongholds, scouts, and the like. More importantly, I want to know who else is watching. Lastly, even if I can cast out my awareness, I want to stay close to the gate. I cannot direct the core once I leave these boundaries. And I have not set up a proper or strong enough teleportation network yet. I might be able to travel quickly using the Veilpiercer, but..."

"Yeah, but it's best that I risk myself instead of you," Shiv nodded, finishing the ugly part of the statement. Adam tried to hide his awkwardness, but Shiv just shrugged. "Yeah, it's fine. I've got no problem with it. Frankly, I like it this way. You can be the hunter and I can be..." Shiv thought of the metaphor he was making. "Well, I wouldn't even call myself the bait. Maybe poison bait."

"You're my killer rabbit now," Adam declared with a slight smirk. "I need the wolves to come out of the woods so I can see them. And you need the wolves to come out of the woods so that I can tear their heads off.”

“Sounds great to me. When are we doing this?"

"As soon as I can inform Uva of the situation. She should be prepared too. More importantly, we have to go over a few things related to the Inquisition, Aviary, Compact… Basically all the madness that has happened to use recently. We need to debrief ourselves first before anything else. But we don’t have long. We have to be fast. We desperately need to know what Blackedge's situation is. All these resources, all this mithril treasure… I need to know what to buy and prepare first. The town has been besieged for weeks. Gods know how much damage it sustained, how many casualties there are.”

“You’re thinking of evacuating some people over to our gate,” Shiv said.

“If possible. And so, I want you as dangerous and prepared as you can possibly be for our first scouting run. Expect the system to be its usual horrible self and throw something we’re absolutely not prepared to fight, but we can make sure it strains itself doing so.”

Adam looked at Can Hu, and studied the penitent for a moment. "Penitent Can Hu, are you well enough for another synthesis?”

"I am," Can Hu said. But Shiv noticed a shiver run through the machine, and if he noticed…

Adam sighed. "Can Hu, do not lie, and do not over-strain yourself. You have nothing to prove. More importantly, you've already done two syntheses. We need you effective for not only the synthesis, but also to rebuild the gate. You are not to break yourself. You have obligations to the rest of us too, no matter how you feel. Actually, I am going to go there: you did not fail any of us by being disabled in battle, and you do not need to make up for it now. I understand you might not feel this way, but you must accept this. Whatever lack or regret in your performance, you are more valuable now as a crafter."

Can Hu's green optics narrowed and then brightened as he studied Adam.

"I was Penitent Chassis." Can Hu opened and closed a hand. "Now I do not know if I can even survive for more than few seconds should Shiv use his Inertial Overdrive. Even with the bone adamantine armor as support, even with additional modifications made, I estimate my chances of surviving one of his inertial detonations to be sub-10 percent. I came to serve as armor once more, and now I'm unable to meet that function."

"That's fine," Shiv interjected. "I don't care if you can't be my armor. We'll find another way. We'll figure something out for the necromancy. But you're here with us now, and Adam's right. We want you functional. We don't want you broken. More importantly, we want you getting better. And maybe the Righteous Dawn Prevails might just do that. You want to be useful? This is it right now.”

Can Hu fell silent for a moment. "It has strengthened my existing skills, but it does nothing for those that have been destroyed."

"Then we'll build you up," Adam said. "We'll see you reforged, despite the damage. Maybe you need an armor. An armor for an armor. To aid in your movements."

The penitent fell silent once more. But when it spoke, it spoke with certainty. "I can perform one more act of synthesis. One more. I ask you to trust in me. I will not strain myself. I will not damage myself. But I have one more."

Adam and Shiv looked at each other uneasily, but it was Valor that became the deciding voice of the dilemma. "Let it try. Let it be. If it does not, it will damage its path. It will wound him. It will wound Can Hu on a level deeper than a broken skill."

The Legendary Pathbearer looked to the penitent, and slowly Can Hu turned and offered Valor the slightest of bows. "It is important that we all chase after shadows. Shadows of who we were, and shadows of whom we can be. Desperate or delusional, it is yearning that makes us what we can become."

And now, Adam let out a slight, shuddering breath, and finally, his reluctance succumbed. "Fine. One more. And I'll boost you as much as I can this time. But if you cannot do it, just let it collapse. We'd rather lose a few pieces of equipment than a good crafter and a good Pathbearer."

Can Hu didn't acknowledge Adam’s state as he began shaping streams of liquid metal. Shiv pressed the topic. "Can Hu," Shiv said, without any particular rancor in his voice, "if I see you about to fall over, I'm going to make you stop. You are not killing yourself on my behalf. Adam letting you do this was his 'yes'. Well, this is mine. Do not break yourself. I’m not going to accept it. I’m still your pilot. Even if you can’t be worn right now.”

Can Hu looked at Shiv for a long, hard moment and said for the final time, "I am capable of one more synthesis."

Shiv clenched his jaw. "All right then, Pathbearer, prove it."

"Your components first," Can Hu declared. “I will see the deed done.”

Before Shiv could respond, Adam leaned in. "I have two suggestions here. Can Hu’s mixes a piece of Absence with your new dagger. At the same time, another fragment of Absence’s arcanite can go to your cloak when it is merged with Can Hu's Garden of Bountiful Alloy. It should amplify them as well. I will forgo my shard of the arcanite when your kukri is melded into my rapier.”

Adam’s section suggestion caught Shiv entirely off-guard. "How does that work? Can Can Hu even work with them using his Geomancy.”

“There are material aspects to each item,” Adam said. Can Hu confirmed that with a beep. “And more importantly, I know dimensionality, so I'll be able to help Can Hu with this."

Shiv considered that. "So what, I'll be carrying a Category One dimension on my back?"

"Yes! Category One dimension on your back. You'll be able to store a lot more than just a few supplies. More importantly, you'll be able to carry a small garden full of regenerating alloys, and potentially a small group of active combats on the inside as well."

And what Adam was proposing slowly took shape in his mind. Shiv imagined Adam or Uva hiding within his cloak while he rampaged forward, waiting for the right moment to disembark. Or Can Hu being inside his cloak and constructing new machines on the way. The thought was so absurd it made Shiv laugh.

"Do you get what I’m trying to do?" Adam said, smirking.

“Yeah. You’re making me your personal troop carrier or something." Shiv nodded. "Fine, but I'm gonna need that cloak back. And you understand you're going to be sharing space with a lot of bodies and a lot of flayed skins."

"I think after what I've gone through," Adam murmured, "that's probably not going to be the worst of my nightmares."

With that agreed upon, Can Hu merged the final two pieces of equipment for today. He melded the Skypiercer with a fragment of Absence. Again, two pools of mercury consumed each item. They slid together across the air, spilling as one, and a new glow filled the room. It was a prismatic glow—the glow of hyperconducted magic. 

Can Hu let out a mechanical groan from deep within its being. Shiv took a step forward, but Adam held out a hand. He channeled a solid beam of his personal sun into Can Hu and gritted his teeth. “Wait. It has this. As do I.”

At the same time, the young lord's legs were shaking as well. He was pushing himself as hard as Can Hu was. The beam pouring forth from his azure sun was practically solid by this point. As the spheres of mercury consumed the weapons, so too did the Righteous Dawn Prevails swallow Can Hu, and through it all, Shiv watched. Watch and behold as the bubbling pool of mercury receded, as the shape of a new blade unveiled itself.

It gleamed the color of a midnight rainbow—dark at the center, simmering with dimensionality mana, but radiant along its edges. Its shape had changed as well. No longer was it a straight rondel dagger; instead, the blade developed a slight curve and was needle-thin, resembling Confriga's Absence more than ever before. A spike also protruded from the bottom, sharp enough to stab, with hooks on the side to enhance one's effectiveness in grappling. Its hilt became a series of metal petals rather than a simple round ring of metal.

With a loud mechanical shriek, Can Hu unleashed a final burst of effort, and a spell slammed down upon the reforged item.

"The act is done," Can Hu crackled, and nearly fell over. But before Shiv could catch him, Can Hu planted a leg. Its body screamed, but it remained upright. It did not fall. Shiv held the mid-step and just watched Can Hu for another few seconds, ignoring the dagger altogether.

"You're fine?" he asked.

Can Hu remained standing, even if it quivered, even if its body was making all kinds of strange noises. "I am. I have delivered on my promise, Pathbearer."

"So you have, Penitent," Shiv smiled. "So you have."

Slowly, he walked over and picked up the dagger from where it hovered in the air. As soon as he took it out of Can Hu 's grasp, the bot nearly fell over. But Valor held Can Hu up, and they both retreated closer to Adam, closer to the azure dawn. The Young Lord's face was also bathed in a sheen of sweat. Both he and Can Hu had spent themselves substantially.

Equipment Obtained: [Skysplitter]

Tier: Master

Condition: Perfect

Composition: Arcanite; Adamantine

Enchantments > Spatially-Anchored; Size-Shifting; Master Self-Mending; Mass-Stealing; Binding; Master Magic Amplification

As Shiv clutched the weapon, he felt a flood of awareness in him. He suddenly gained an appreciation for how wide the world was, for the relative positioning and distances between objects. Space was a form of magic, and on a subtle level, he could feel brushing against his personal Chronomancy skill as well.

Then he commanded his dagger to grow larger, and it did. Rather than become the lance, it extended first, materializing into something that resembled Absence for a moment, if more like a machete than a longsword. And then as it continued growing, it became a glorious, thin needle, reaching eight meters, then nine. Then it was pressing up against the edges of the teleportation anchor. And he stopped it before it could go any further. But this was only the tip of the iceberg. 

The weapon could grow larger. A lot larger.

He could also feel how his Biomancy clung to the material. His mana was being pulled into it. Every mana field he had were drawn to its edge. And that was why it was rainbow-bright. That was why its color shifted like an animated prism. It was literally a singularity for magic.

"I have not managed to breach the Heroic-Tier threshold for this synthesis," Can Hu said apologetically.

"No," Shiv replied, "this is pretty awesome. Besides, you’ll get to try again when it breaks. I can't wait to field-test this. In fact," he looked at Adam, "when do you want to go on this scouting run exactly, because I’m—”

“We have a problem." They were interrupted by Uva appearing at the front door. Her face was impassive, but he read the storm clouds behind her eyes.

"Perhaps it would be more accurate, in fact, to say I and Shiv have a problem," Uva continued. "The Weaveress, in charge of the expeditionary detail, Exalted Mother Null Mont, has commanded that I report back to Weave for an in-depth debriefing, along with..." Uva paused, "...along with an interrogation session at Elaboration to ensure am I free of undue influences.”

"What do you mean 'interrogation session'?" Shiv said, his voice dropping to a low growl.

"I informed them of the Dreamtaker," Uva explained. "And the Stranger. Exalted Mother Null Mont has ordered me to depart immediately.” And then she shuffled uncomfortably. “Also, she wishes to take your… Court Leviathan and the rogue vampire back with her as well. She has gone off to secure the packages. Against my recommendation.”

"Oh, has she?" Shiv said. A slow, simmering pressure built up inside him. Shiv glared at his new knife, but slowly, his scowl turned to a smile as the radiant edges inspired an idea in him. “Hey, Adam. How big do you think this knife can get?”

The Gate Lord looked briefly confused, but then a look of amusement blossomed on his face as he understood. “I don’t know. I think we should find out. In fact, I think as many people should find out as possible.”

Uva’s head swung between them, and the slightest hint of worry leaked from her mind. “Shiv. What do you mean by that?”

Shiv grunted with amusement. “Oh, you’ll see, Uva. You’ll see.”