[Voidknight Ascension] Chapter 216 – We Can Rebuild Them

The levels didn’t pour in quite as fast as the day before, but that was to be expected. Each level was harder to acquire, and now that Sam was more skilled and familiar with the materials he was creating (blowing up his Artisan Orb less as a result), he gained less Experience.

By burning the midnight oil, Sam managed to gain 6 levels yesterday, all while working with the same materials. That next day, even with [Focus Crafting] the whole day and finally completing his section of the special commission, he only gained 2 levels.

And that was only because he refused to accept a single level for an entire day’s worth of work and continued making complex hinges out of [Crystalline Steel] until he hit level 30 Blacksmith.

This time, he allowed himself the indulgence of looking over the level ups, feeling a sense of pride.

Level Up!

Your [Blacksmith] Profession has reached Level 29.

+9 Strength | +9 Vigor | +9 Dexterity

+3 Awareness | +3 Mind

Level Up!

Your [Blacksmith] Profession has reached Level 30.

+9 Strength | +9 Vigor | +9 Dexterity

+3 Awareness | +3 Mind

You have [Blacksmith] abilities to select from.

Sam already knew what he was going to pick. He had promised himself that if he hit level 30, he would get the [Smithing Apprenticeship] skill. That would help his dullahan gain a crafting Profession too.

Just a peek couldn’t hurt though, he thought to himself.

After all, the point of leveling up (aside from the steady gains) was to see what new abilities he gained access to.

[Hilt Bind]

(Blacksmith Skill) (F-Class)

(★☆ Uncommon)

Practiced with not only the makings of weapons but the wielding of them as well, you have learned to tap into a rare Blacksmith power. Striking a connection between yourself and your weapons, you will be impervious to any disarming techniques, magical or physical, unless the [Hilt Bind] effect is dispelled first. Your grip will remain firm and true, no matter what may come. Grants a minuscule bonus to the effect of Strength, and Vigor, when using [Hilt Bind].

[Field Repair]

(Blacksmith Skill) (F-Class)

(★ Common)

Crafting is a difficult task at the best of times, but without a set of tools and proper environment, even the Masters are hard-pressed to produce quality goods. This applies to repairing as well. [Field Repair] allows you to preserve much of your skill out in the field away from forges and furnaces, granting you the capacity to repair eligible items in the foulest of conditions as if you were back at the smithy. Grants a minuscule bonus to the effect of Strength, Vigor, Dexterity, and Awareness when using [Field Repair].

Sam cleared his throat, staring hungrily at [Hilt Bind]. Sweat began beading on his forehead. Some part of him knew it wasn’t from the heat of the forge.

He wasn’t about to admit it aloud to anyone, but he was starting to feel a little like Bal’daz, who habitually got too intense about building things.

It’s not like the dullahan knows I have [Smithing Apprenticeship] as an option, he thought darkly to himself. I could pick [Hilt Bind] and nobody would know.

Except Sam would. Granted, it wasn’t the worst sort of betrayal. He could pick up [Smithing Apprenticeship] when new abilities were offered to him again. None of that changed the fact that it was still a betrayal.

He groaned miserably.

Thankfully, [Field Repair] wasn’t a stellar option.

I can only deal with so much temptation, Sam thought. For some reason he couldn’t grasp, the image of Raiko appeared in his thoughts for a flash of time.

Komachi thinned her eyes at him.

She knew.

Then she swiped a paw at her own tail, and proceeded to get so riled up she started kicking it with her back paws.

Okay, so maybe she doesn’t know.

[Hilt Bind] can wait, Sam thought to himself. It wasn’t a terribly useful skill. His massive Strength meant that few would ever get the opportunity to disarm him. And even if they did, he wasn’t a slouch with his fists.

In fact, he was fairly sure he could turn a disarmament into an advantage if he played his cards right.

Then again, never being disarmed would be pretty funny if we’re ever surrounded and captured. What would they do if they couldn’t dispel the effect?

He looked back at Komachi. She was back to staring. And that was a conversation he absolutely did not want to have just yet. Instead, he slid over the last of the materials for the [Special Group Commission].

Meowing loudly, Komachi darted out of the room in excitement, her tail up like a flagpole. She disappeared outside, yelling and yowling to all that the [Special Group Commission] had been completed.

Still howling, she hurried up the stairs to the top floor, back to Sam. With her tail still up like a flagpole, she practically bounced off the walls in excitement. Barking, Chompers chased after her, weaving in and around crafting stations. He even ran up the walls a couple times, but always lost purchase and tumbled back to the floor.

[Dullahan Spruce Up (Special Group Commission)]

The Merchant, Komachi, has issued a Special Group Commission to all of Sil’mara. The state of the Dullahans has been declared an emergency, and the young Merchant has seen fit to sponsor their repair. Though as the Blacksmith, the bulk of the work fell to you, it was still a group effort among every discipline available. Extra bonus Experience has been applied to all items crafted specifically for this Commission. Bonus Experience has been applied for a swift completion.

Reward:

120 rel

(7) [Metal Crystal]

(3) [Sky Ore]

Blacksmith Experience

Sam’s eyes lit up as another level up rolled through his powerful frame. I guess I didn’t need to work that much more then, he thought to himself.

He grabbed [Smithing Apprenticeship] and checked on his status again. More to see how close he was to his Job and Path than anything else at 31 Blacksmith.

The answering rush of euphoria told him that he had gained another Legend level upon hitting 31 Blacksmith. No surprise there. His Legend went up for every 3 levels he gained in either his Blacksmith Profession, Swordsman Job, or Void Path.

Ideally, he would spread the levels around between the three equally. But Sam knew that wasn’t always possible. Before he had Blacksmith, it was much harder to raise his Legend level.

Poor Komachi’s Legend must be so low without a Path. We need to figure out how to get her one. But how?

He didn’t have an answer yet.

[Status]

Name: Samuel Hunter

Race: Human

Legend: [Voidknight (Lv.33 - Tin)]

Job: [Swordsman (Lv.34 - Tin)]

Path: [Void (Lv.34 - Tin)]

Profession: [Blacksmith (Lv.31 - Tin)]

Health(HP): [26,202/26,202]

Mana(MP): [6,996/6,996]

Attunements

[Void Mana] (F-Class Apocalypse Gate) (★★★★ Legendary V)

Affinities

[Fire Mana] (F-Class) (★☆ Uncommon III)

[Metal Mana] (F-Class) (★☆ Uncommon II)

[Void Mana] (F-Class) (★☆ Uncommon II)

Physical Stats

Strength(STR): 816 (+35)

Dexterity(DEX): 483 (+16)

Agility(AGI): 240 (+3)

Vigor(VIG): 814 (+23)

Awareness(AWR): 237 (+18)

Magical Stats

Arcane(ARC): 346 (+12)

Control(CTL): 279

Resonance(RSN): 123 (+7)

Mind(MND): 246 (+12)

Insight(INS): 202 (+17)

Three more levels, he thought to himself. And then I’ll be on even footing across all pillars of progression.

That was, right up until he fought something. Then his Path and Job would get Experience, but his Profession wouldn’t. Maybe an extra level or two to buffer it would be in order?

Besides, he had his work cut out for him if he was going to fully restore each and every dullahan. That had to be worth a few levels, right?

The clanging downstairs was reaching a level that was hard to ignore.

Sam caught Kai struggling to carry a dullahan before he stepped in. Every dullahan needed to be gathered on the bottom floor.

Despite Kai’s physical size, Sam was considerably stronger than him. What Kai had struggled with, Sam picked up as easily as a grocery bag, but he handled the precious cargo with infinitely more care.

Using hand signs, Raiko communicated to the iron giants that their repairs were finally underway and the process that would be involved. Interconnecting circular sigils were painted on the floor with alchemical inks where all the materials were being placed.

Sam hadn’t expected this. He figured he would have to mend the dullahans with his own tools, but this seemed better. Efficient. Mending each dullahan by hand would take hours or days.

Then it hit him. I’m not going to get any additional Experience for this, am I?

He couldn’t be too upset by it. Raiko deserved just as much EXP as he did. And though he had figured it would be him doing the repairs, it did make sense that Raiko would be the one to put them back to rights.

Besides, it would have been impossible without the materials he was now capable of making.

Matt hefted one of the [Mana Vessels]. “So uh, where am I putting this battery?”

“If only they were actual batteries,” Raiko said, redoing the paint on one of the outer sigils. Wisps of neutral mana radiated off the symbol.

With his Tin Rank senses, Sam could feel mana threading all throughout the sigils, faintly pulsing from something stronger beneath the building’s floor.

He wondered if it was the [Crystalline Leyline Roots], or the Skyshard itself.

“You mean we could make actual mana batteries?” Matt asked.

“Probably,” Raiko answered, motioning with an ink-stained hand to where Matt needed to place the vessel. “These [Mana Vessels] are weaker forms. And without any affinity.”

“Does that mean I could make a poison vessel?”

“If you could somehow convert the substance into an energy state, maybe. Otherwise, it’d more likely be ink, potion, crystal or something else entirely.”

Matt set the vessel down. “There any books on that sort of thing?”

Lenal set her items down nearby. “There are many books on the subject, but quite a few are old. I do not know how well they would hold up.”

The ghost of Professor Nihl watched with curiosity. His form fuzzed at the edges, sometimes a spectral wind would sweep by and make his legs vanish entirely.

At the mention of books, he perked up and turned his attention away from the sigils. “That may not be as big an issue as you think, Lenal.”

“Oh?”

“We had found that quite a few tomes were…updated, I suppose you could say. And the library’s stacks had gained quite a few new books. It was a low priority at the time, aside from the Librarian’s incessant squawking, of course.”

Raiko cracked open an old dark tome edged with gold. It had symbols on the front that resembled what was painted on the floor.

Sam looked over her shoulder to see what was in the book. The pages had detailed diagrams about dullahans in various configurations. Some had their energy cores exposed with witches and wizards tinkering with them.

“Huh, it’s different…” Raiko said thoughtfully. “As if the tome has been expanded by the Shardrune?”

He didn’t understand much about the diagrams, but he could clearly make out that there were two kneeling people. Not one. “Are we meant to do this together?” Sam asked her.

Matt muttered under his breath, too low for Sam’s ears, but not for Raiko’s. “Phrasing.”

She started in surprise and glanced at Sam behind her, turning red. “The…crafting, yes.”

Maybe I’ll get some EXP after all, Sam thought.

Cheeks still burning, she turned away.

It didn’t take long for Raiko to finish setting everything up, even though she checked and double-checked everything.

Sam knelt in his assigned spot, hands pressed to the sigil and threading a small amount of his mana into the gracefully curving lines.

Beside him, Raiko did the same.

Without speaking, they were able to match each other’s flow, so that each was identical in their pacing. Curving throughout the sigils lined on the ground, the lines lit up with a soft glow as their mana passed through.

One by one, the materials vanished into bubbles of light and were siphoned into the elegant lines painted upon the floor. Every item that was painstakingly made, vanished until there was just the dullahans huddled patiently at the center.

A sphere of light appeared around them, slowly encasing them within its brilliance. Sam looked at it curiously. “Is that…?”

“Looks like an Artisan Orb,” Professor Nihl said. “Fascinating.”

The materials were in place, the energy was there, all that remained was the actual process.

Raiko and Sam shared a look, and they could each see their determination reflected in the eyes of the other.

It was an odd sensation, crafting together. There was an ebb and flow that was a lot like battle to Sam’s senses. Where Sam was the force, Raiko was the guiding hand of control. She could not output the same level of power while maintaining stability over the Artisan Orb’s near constant fluctuations.

If it exploded, some of the materials would likely be lost. Maybe even all of the materials.

They would have to start over from scratch.

Sam refused to let that happen.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he brought forth a surge of mana to quell a swirling, chaotic knot. If left untended, it would destabilize the entire orb.

Slowly, minute by minute, the Artisan Orb solidified into a white sphere of perfection. No blemish marred its pale surface as their mana completed the process, and the sigils on the floor burned up.

Tiny flakes of ash floated into the air, and a flash of light broke through the orb to reveal the radiant creatures within.