Beastborne

by James T Callum

  He was putting the final touches on his boots, which necessitated a substantial aspect to shadow essence just to function properly. The last thing Hal wanted was to have the equivalent of wooden clogs.

  Trading some insulation for springy soled boots would be worth it. While his [Leaping Boots] weren’t destroyed, their durability was in the double digits.

  It was only a matter of time before they gave up the ghost.

  Hal figured that he might be able to preserve the movement enchantment on them if he added them to the boots he was making. The worst-case scenario would be that it didn’t work.

  Even heavily aspected to shadow essence, the bone boots were stiff and unyielding. If the addition of the [Leaping Boots] didn’t markedly change them as the [Shaper’s Coat] had to his breastplate, then he would have to hope the boots could last a couple more days.

  But as Hal took each of his ruined or near-ruined items, and added them to the newly created bone variant, his confidence soared. Each time the addition of the damaged equipment dramatically changed what he had made.

  The stiff, rubbery pants he made became supple and soft when he added the [Tough Lineste Leather Breeches] during the refinement stage. His attempt at making even a facsimile of leather was laughable compared to adding finely crafted leather to the item.

  It served as a poignant reminder that he would be better served in making the best bone components he could and leave the other materials to their proper disciplines. He could add metal, crystal, cloth, or leather to improve or alter the shape and properties of his creation.

  There was no need to try and mimic them outright. As was the case with his pants. His old breeches, while of quality make, were tighter than he would have liked.

  Trying on the unfinished pants was a stark difference. The heavily shadow-aspected pants were dark enough that if he stood near the dark line of trees, his legs would practically disappear.

  More than that was the ease of motion. He could move far easier in the unfinished pants than he could in the old breeches.

  But there was a downside to adding equipment to the blanks.

  After he finalized the refinements to the breastplate-turned-cloak, which included adding [Empyreal Shardite], he realized the problem immediately.

  The third stage of Bonecrafting was imbuement. It allowed him to grant magical essence, endowments, or enchantments to the item based on the first two stages.

  Using equipment that already had attributes on it, rendered the third stage completely null and void. He couldn’t add an enchantment or alter the stats.

  For a blessing, they took on the same general alignment as the equipment he added, with most of them being a fair bit stronger.

  In a way, it made sense. He was already adding something heavily aspected to his creations. But it still made him wonder what would happen if he added a bolt of high-quality cloth instead of a pre-made piece of equipment.

  There was so much to test when he returned to the Settlement.

  Beyond just the thrill of discovering new ways to use his Bonecrafting, it was clear that the attributes of each piece were improved. At the very least, he could make bone blanks and add already existing equipment to essentially provide a relatively low-cost upgrade.

  It also meant that Hal didn’t need to spend as long toying with various enchantments or alterations, forcing him to entirely bypass the third stage and skip straight to the last.

  The finalization stage required Hal to use his mana to impart a fragile layer of the magical essence to each piece of equipment. Based on the number of layers, he could provide various bonuses to the item.

  Unfortunately, the more layers he placed on the item, the greater the chance for Mana Feedback. And while he never incurred the terrible-sounding event, the System had clearly explained that it was a potentially fatal event where the flow of his mana reversed to catastrophic effect.

  The only item he had successfully completed so far was [Emissary]. It should have been obvious that armor would have an entirely different set of enhancements based on the grade, but he was still surprised when the list flooded across his vision.

  123

  [Finalization Stage]

  Using your mana to seal your creation, you are able to impart upon it a fragment of your essence. For every layer of mana, there is a very low chance for an improvement in quality and weapon stats. Various Grades of mana impart unique benefits.

  The more layers of mana placed upon an item, the more difficult it is to control the quality, resulting in Mana Feedback. A damaging and potentially fatal reversal of mana that can harm both armor and creator alike.

  Grade 1 (1-10 Mana Layers): Abrasive

  Mana Feedback Chance: 5%

  Having so few mana layers results in an armor that is magically rough. Spells cast at an Abrasive set of armor misfire strangely as the mana making up the spell is shredded in irregular ways. Unfortunately, this dramatically reduces the durability of the armor.

  Grade 2 (11-20 Mana Layers): Durable

  Mana Feedback Chance: 7%

  Durable armors gain a bonus to their durability and suffer less durability damage over time. Additionally, up to 10% of the armor’s durability can be restored by investing MP at a rate of 10 MP per 1 point of durability.

  Grade 3 (21-30 Mana Layers): Sturdy

  Mana Feedback Chance: 15%

  Increasing the mana layers of the item aids in its protection by providing subtle reinforcements where the armor is weakest. Defense and Magic Defense are increased.

  Grade 4 (31-40 Mana Layers): Featherlight

  Mana Feedback Chance: 25%

  Armor infused with many layers of mana takes on a multitude of beneficial properties. As each layer suffuses the material, the armor becomes lighter and easier to move in. When falling, there is a countervailing force that makes long drops significantly less deadly.

  Grade 5 (41-50 Mana Layers): Retaliation

  Mana Feedback Chance: 45%

  Unlike weaponry, mana layered upon armor takes on a soul of its own. If the creator and the wearer are one and the same, this effect is greatly magnified. With so many mana layers upon an armor, the magical essence becomes capable of storing a portion of the kinetic energy thrown at it. Once this reaches a certain threshold, the wearer can wield the accumulated energy in a burst of power.

  Grade 6: ???

  Grade 7: ???

  Grade 8: ???

  Grade 9: ???

  Grade 10: ???

  That’s one less grade available than weaponry had, Hal thought.

  Unfortunately, layering mana was a time-intensive process. And he had already spent much of the day creating and improving his new armor set.

  But settling for Abrasive would be a mistake.

  Judging by the drastic reduction in the number of layers per grade, it seemed likely that this was more difficult than it had been with [Emissary].

  There was always the option to just finalize his work without the additional layers of mana. The armor would still be strong, but it would lack the strength imparted by the process.

  With the sun still casting brilliant pools on the forest floor, Hal got to work.

  Aiming for grade 2 seemed the best bet. Not only could he reinforce the durability of the item with his mana, but it would degrade slower as well.

  While not as impressive as Featherlight or Retaliation, the chance for Mana Feedback was also quite low.

  And that, more than anything, was something Hal wanted to avoid. Even if the damage to himself was minimal, he didn’t want to have to remake any piece of armor.

  Least of all because he couldn’t. The damaged or ruined armor that he infused into their new home was gone. He couldn’t get them back if he wanted to.

  Hal took out the cloak with its embedded breastplate and set it in his lap. Placing one hand at the neck and the waist of the piece, he began to channel his mana through the item from one side to the next, creating a circuit.

  He was not unfamiliar w
ith the process, but the size of the armor was significantly more than he was used to. However, it was the varying materials that posed the real problem. Cloth mixed with bone and various accouterments meant that the mana did not flow steadily as it would over a single unified piece.

  Instead, the mana started and stopped, slowed, or sped up based on the material in question. And since Hal’s goal was to create an even, unblemished paper-thin layer of mana all over the armor, such variances proved to be a great difficulty to overcome.

  Even with a greater pool of mana at his disposal and his increased Bonecrafting skill, it was still a struggle. Each tiny bump, every knot of mana that formed from an uneven joining of two different materials presented a problem.

  The more imperfections there were, the more it would affect the next layer and the one after that. Eventually, with enough tiny imperfections, one of the layers would simply snap, causing a Mana Feedback.

  Layer after layer was deposited on the cloak. Sweat beaded Hal’s forehead as he struggled with the ebb and flow of mana that never seemed the same twice. Over the bone-made breastplate, the mana sped along like frothing water. But across the fabric of the arms, or the under cloth, it slowed and seeped into the fibers.

  It was a delicate dance to reel in his mana over the breastplate, only to force more mana through as he reached the cloth sections of the armor. Despite his best efforts, there were a number of almost imperceptible whorls and knots of mana on the first few layers.

  Enough that, as Hal neared the 12th layer of mana, he decided to finalize the piece before it failed catastrophically.

  It was enough to qualify as grade 2, though just barely.

  Rather than naming the item, as he did with [Emissary], Hal set it aside and let the System come up with a name for it. He wasn’t particularly attached to the armor.

  Anything he made in the future, with his greater understanding of how to infuse materials into his bone-made creations, would be drastically superior.

  Hal did wonder, albeit briefly, as he took out the dark trousers if he could keep reusing armor in the way he was now.

  Would it be possible to take his newly revamped gear and place them into yet another set he made once his Bonecrafting skill was even higher?

  It would be an interesting method of revitalizing legendary armor or equipment that had exceedingly rare enchantments. Rather than being forced to wear something with low defense or other stats, he could “refresh” the item by giving it a new home.

  But that was a thought for another day.

  Endless recycling of equipment would have an interesting impact on the economy. Exactly how, he wasn’t sure, but be it for good or ill, it would be interesting.

  Considering how far his Settlement was from any major Sanctums or Sanctuaries - if he could find some way to trade with them - it might not be the worst idea to be entirely self-sufficient.

  The rest of his armor was much the same as the body piece. The various materials presented several problems to overcome. And since no two pieces were identical, he couldn’t easily implement the solutions he found in each previous item.

  Time passed enough that by the time Hal was finished, the sun was already fast retreating to the west. Another day had passed as he crafted and worked on himself with little attention given to his friends.

  He felt more than a little guilty for that.

  Aside from striking out toward the east in the hopes of stumbling across them, he didn’t have much choice. They never came within range of the party communications, and Hal hadn’t seen nor heard a single keinse all day.

  And in the meantime, almost all of his gear was broken. The pragmatic voice in the back of his head told him that he had done the right thing. That he would have frozen to death or been so weakened that he would have been easy prey for a wandering monster.

  While death held no permanent dominion over him anymore - not that he was keen on testing it out - it would still take a long time for him to return to the land of the living.

  It wasn’t conceit that made Hal believe he would be needed for the coming assault on the Settlement. He fully trusted his friends and guildmates. But there was a bone-deep worry. A fear that wouldn’t listen to reason.

  And it told him that what was coming was worse than he could imagine. Bigger and nastier than anything they had seen so far.

  Walls wouldn’t be enough.

  Hal had no idea where that fear came from, but try as he might, he could not dislodge its nagging certainty. And so Besal’s Quest had seemed the perfect opportunity to gain the upper hand in a conflict he worried they had no hope of surviving unscathed.

  He had never been in a war. History hadn’t been a particularly strong subject in school, and he wasn’t big on war movies in his other life. In truth, Hal had no point of reference to whatever was coming his way. And it scared him more than he was willing to admit.

  124

  Before the sun began to set and the light started to fade completely that day, Hal had utterly transformed his broken gear into something new and different.

  As he donned his much improved - in both comfort and strength - equipment, Hal brushed his dark thoughts away. He had no time for them. And even if he had, it was hard to feel morose when his new armor imparted such a feeling of strength.

  That they were greatly improved was readily apparent when he snuffed out the dying campfire and could hardly tell the difference.

  The mixture of shadow and doll essence made something closely approximating the well-worn leather that even his previous pair of trousers failed to mimic. The frigid temperature of the Shiverglades hardly seemed to touch him in his new gear.

  His face was exposed, but there was a damask blue scarf-like material that he could pull up to cover his nose and mouth. When he wasn’t using it, the material bunched up around his throat to keep it cozy and warm.

  Hal took a look over his new equipment, marveling at the difference.

  [Equipment]

  Shadow-Tempered Circlet

  [Head] (Epic)

  Item Level: 45

  DEF: 12

  MDEF: 18

  +2 INT

  Insulation: 10

  DUR: 450/450

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Shadow-Tempered Half Plate

  [Body] (Legendary)

  Item Level: 60

  DEF: 35

  MDEF: 35

  +7 INT | +7 MND

  Insulation: 25

  DUR: 1,000/1,000

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Shadowblessed Spaulder

  [Shoulders] (Heroic)

  Item Level: 55

  DEF: 15

  MDEF: 15

  Restores 1% Max MP per kill.

  Insulation: 15

  DUR: 800/800

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Shadow-Tempered Bracers

  [Hands] (Epic)

  Item Level: 45

  DEF: 8

  MDEF: 10

  +5 Parry Skill

  Insulation: 15

  DUR: 800/800

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Stalwart Belt

  [Waist] (Epic)

  Item Level: 40

  DEF: 10

  +3 STR

  Insulation: 10

  DUR: 600/600

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Shadow-Tempered Trousers

  [Legs] (Epic)

  Item Level: 45

  DEF: 22

  MDEF: 24

  +5 Evasion Skill

  Insulation: 18

  DUR: 1,000/1,000

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Voidbounders

  [Feet] (Heroic)

  Item Level: 50

  DEF: 10

  MDEF: 15

  +15% Movement Speed (+30% In Shadow)

  Insulation: 20

  DUR: 800/800

  Lv. 20 Beastborne

  Bomb Ring

  [Ring] (Heroic)

  Item Level: 45

  +75 HP

  DUR: 210/300
<
br />   Lv. 30 All Classes

  Lunette Ring

  [Ring] (Heroic)

  Item Level: 45

  +75 MP

  DUR: 200/300

  Lv. 28 All Classes

  With roughly a day’s worth of work, Hal doubled his DEF, MDEF, and more than tripled his Insulation. As the sun began to slant sharply to the west on his left, golden bars of light slipping through the canopy above, Hal could barely tell it was any colder out.

  The only exceptions to his new gear were his rings. Their gemstones were magical and he didn’t have a good enough handle on Bonecrafting to try and make anything remotely as ornate.

  Rather than spending more time and MP figuring it out, he gave up for the time being. As rings, they didn’t seem to degrade at the same rate as the rest of his armor.

  Hal moved about in place, stretching and seeing if the armor inhibited his movements at all. He had to admit, he liked the way it looked. And with the light fast retreating from the Shiverglades, it would help him to blend into the darkness.

  His Bonecrafting had gone up another 2 Levels from the finalization process, up to Level 22 and he still had a perk to pick.

  Better get that out of the way before I forget.

  Your Bonecrafting has risen to Level 22.

  +1.1% Crafting speed (+24.2%).

  +1.2% MP efficiency (+26.4%).

  You have 1 Bonecrafting Perk point awaiting assignment.

  Bone Purification 0/1

  Purge impurities from bone, increasing the likelihood of achieving a higher quality and reducing the amount of CP needed to craft material made from purified bone. Purified bones are required for Bone Ensorcellment.

  +10% High-Quality rate.