Nix checked his bait for the 5th time in as many minutes. "Those damn otter eating all the fish?"

The sun had been up for a few hours. Nix put a line in the water in the hopes of catching lunch while he set up a tailoring queue to make camouflage cloth.

[Camouflage] [Red Fabric] [Brown Fabric] [Green Fabric]

The end results would land him with seven yards of camouflage fabric, which he could use to put overlays on his armor. Nix studied the queue while he considered his options. His dad had enhanced the camouflage cloth during the crafting process before it was added to anything.

"The problem is all I have is one lousy enhancement stone." Nix reeled in his line and stowed his pole away. Bachoni didn't have any market for enhancements, so unless he started hunting otters with Soup, they were out of luck.

He took a seat on a large rock near the water and started going through the two 'junk' boxes he had bought from the tailor in Bachoni. Nix nodded to himself; there were several items that he could put to use. A broken silver needle that he could still use was placed carefully to one side. There were dozens of nearly empty spools of thread, scissors, a scalpel, and assorted other items.

A quick glance at his hud told him that he had an hour left before the 'resummon' deadline he gave his guild in his turtle mail.

"The hell?" Nix pulled out three identical items from the bottom of the box. As someone who had been forced to play piano as a child, he knew exactly what they were, tuning forks. He tapped one of them lightly against the rock he was sitting on, listening as the steady chime sounded and then gradually faded away. "Maybe the tailor was a musician?"

He kept the fork in his hand and stowed the rest of the items back into his inventory; he would tackle the camouflage cloth after he summoned Soup.

The eight-inch fork vibrated slightly for several seconds; on a whim, he held it up and concentrated on pushing emerald flames into it. Nix waved it in the air a few times and then tapped it against the rock. Instantly the green flames turned white. "Woah... Now that's interesting." Sound frequencies affect the flames?" He repeated the experiment with every flame he had; even the Ice flames turned white when he struck the tuning fork against the rock.

Nix concentrated on the fork again; this time, he focused on pushing lightning into it. The tuning fork crackled with electricity, small bolts of light sporadically traveling from one tine to another. It looked like a science experiment, but he realized that it was a waste of time. He tapped it gently on the rock.

[You have died. There is no death penalty between levels 125 and 127.]

A wide-eyed Nix sat up slowly; he recognized the area as his new spawning point since the patch. "The f*ck happened?"

An irritated and completely naked Nix ran back towards the spot he'd been working at. After a few minutes of running, he rounded a slight bend, and his destination came into view. "Holy..."

The entire area was blackened as if a massive bolt of lightning had struck it. The rock he had been sitting on was crushed into pebbles. A respectable size crater had been blasted out of the bank; Nix grimaced when he spotted the charred corpse at the bottom. "No wonder Thor is so badass."

Nix looted his remains and put his gear back on. No death penalty meant his gear wouldn't take damage either.

He set up shop on another boulder and started setting up a queue, his head spinning with new ideas.

[Camouflage] [Red Fabric] [Brown Fabric] [Green Fabric] [Enhancement:Tuning Fork] [Enhancement: Tuning Fork]

His Crafting assistant popped up on his hud as soon as he placed the tuning forks in the enhancement slots. The Dhassi crafter seemed to be examining the queue, even though it was automated, Nix frowned. "You are attempting a new Crafting technique. Success and critical bonuses will be doubled."

Nix looked at the crafting icon that was lit up. He grabbed the first fork and pushed flames into it; then, he tapped in gently before placing it back. It usually would have flamed out as soon as he let go. However, the queue maintained its white-flame state, and Nix grabbed the second fork. This one he pushed lightning into before replacing it. For a brief moment, he was tempted to tap it, but the stench of his charred body still hung in the air as a reminder of how that would go.

Satisfied that the forks were maintaining their enhanced state, Nix selected the craft icon.

[Critical Success]

[Bonus Enhancement: Sound Amplification: Weapons Only]

[Bonus Enhancement: Sound Suppression: Armor Only]

[Bonus Enhancement: Fire Proof]

[Enhanced Lightning Mitigation]

Nix took out the enhanced fabric and examined it.

Camouflage Fabric V

[Enhancements]

Complete Invisibility

Sound Suppression: When applied to armor.

Sound Amplification: When applied to weapons.

Lightning Resistant: Extra protection against Lightning-based attacks.

Bonus: Material is completely immune to fire.

Nix stared at the enhancements for a moment and then quickly set up another queue.

[Camo-Overlay] [Camouflage Fabric V] [Standard Armor]

"It's just standard armor, so who cares..." Nix chose the crafting icon and then picked up the armor.

Silent Night: Legendary Tier III

Description: This armor is designed

for a Master Thief. All ambient sound

within one meter of the wearer is

completely suppressed.

Enhancement: Complete Camouflage

is activated at will.

Bonus: Armor is Immune to Fire Damage

+ 3000 to Armor Class

+ 50 to all Base Stats.

+50 to Speed.

+200 to Lightning Resistance.

Nix slipped it on and for the first time, felt like he'd made some progress in Everspire. With only a few minutes until he was due to summon Soup, he set up another crafting queue.

[Camo-Overlay] [[Camouflage Fabric V] [Sword Hilt]

The crafting assistant didn't pop up this time, so Nix immediately crafted it.

[Critical Success: Fury]

"The hell is that?" Nix picked up the hilt and inspected it.

Fury [Inactive]

"A dud?" Nix waved it in the air a few times. Cautiously he pushed Emerald Flames into the hilt.

Instead of emerald flames that flickered with heat, a smooth white blade emerged, Nix felt the slightest bit of vibration in his hand.

[Awakened: Fury Flames]

Nix whistled softly. "Time to kill shit." He reexamined the blade in his hands.

[Do you wish to name the Fury Weapon?]

"Wrath."

Wrath: Fury Blade [Spellsword Only]

Nix sliced the air a few times; it was sleek and weightless. "That's it? No stats?" He let the blade flame out and stowed it away.

[Aura Ignition: Fury Flames]

Nix's body was instantly engulfed in white flame, the rocks under his feet turned to liquid as steam from the nearby water started billowing upward. Immediately he dropped the fire. "Damn... That is f*cking hot."

He walked up on the bank, away from the water. Spellsword only, he could craft one for Chiba.

[Summons: Soup]

Soup appeared a moment later; her shell was covered with writing.

Nix nodded in satisfaction. The lines of communication were open, kind of. Someone had numbered the messages so he started at number one.

1) We latched an empty backpack onto Soup, let us know if you receive it.

"Nope, didn't get it. My guess is that it's sitting where Soup was when I summoned her."

2) A team of 10 has entered Everspire and will join up with you as soon as they can. There are mandatory quests that must be completed as they advance through Everspire.

"Great, that's going to take forever."

3) Mina is pushing ahead by herself; she left before we were able to tell her your location.

"Hmm... She's smart and resourceful; my bet is she'll find me way before the rest of you." Nix thought about her for a moment; their relationship had always been good. "If anyone dares harm her..."

4) Mina will be heading to Free Trader City.

"Free Trader City?" Nix took out the map he had purchased and found the city far to the south. He whistled softly while rubbing Soup's head. "That is a long way."

Nix took out his chalk while cleaning off the messages sent by his friends. "Better answer them before I get going."