Chapter 51 - Soul Forge
“Is that?” Elena began, a reverent tone in her voice as she brushed away the hair covering the back of his neck.
“Yeah, it’s a Mark.” He smiled, her face blurry through the tears.
“Can I see it?” She asked. He nodded, moving to give her a clearer view. She was quite a bit shorter than he was, so he had to squat down.
“Is that the grindstone?” She faltered. “What kind of Mark looks like that?”
Harvey shared the screen with her and laughed. “One that’s all about making the most of what you have. I felt a weird burn on my neck back when I finished repairing that thing, but I guess it wasn’t enough at the time. Now, the System wants me to remember my roots.”
“The stats it gives are perfect for you. I can’t wait to see what the percentage boosts will look like once you upgrade it to an imprint.” Elena marveled.
“Let’s take it one step at a time.” He laughed, closing the screen. “It’s been literal seconds since I got the thing, so I doubt it will be getting an upgrade any time soon.”
“Fair point. I’m just excited!” She beamed. “Great job with the armor, by the way. Do you have an idea of what you want to try next?”
“Yeah, I’ll probably add some more light inscriptions to my gloves since the cuffs won’t fit while I’m wearing them, but first I want to go get my skill.” He grinned.
“Harvey,” She groaned. “I know you’re on a high right now, but I’m not gonna let you rush in there without a plan. Remember what happened last time?”
“Hey! The tempering skill may not be flashy, but it’s still useful.” Harvey insisted.
“You burned your hand so bad it would’ve taken days to heal without Dr. Silva’s help.” Elena scoffed.
“The skill is all about manually directing the tempering process! How was I supposed to know it wasn’t going to protect my hands while I’m working!” He protested.
She wasn’t wrong. Part of the reason he’d been so worked up about his level 20 options was how useless his last profession skill had seemed at first glance. But, after one third-degree burn, a set of essence-infused iron tongs, and some practice, he’d come to appreciate how useful it was.
Skills | |||
| Perfect Finish | G Grade | Common: No matter how much blood, sweat, and tears go into a project, a single misstep at the end of the process can easily spoil greatness. Like spending all night writing a paper only to forget to hit save before shutting down, failing to properly temper your creations will leave them brittle and broken when you need them most. Infuse essence into recently forged creations, allowing you to guide the remnant heat where it’s needed most. Control scales with Willpower.
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