He laid out both his binding circles. The first one he made was broken beyond repair. All of the runes were burnt black and several had cracked from the heat. At least he assumed it was heat, it was charred and black but this was magic. The rules might be a little different.

He piled that one off to the side and examined his other circle. The runes on this one were already a little brown, rounded at the edges where the hard lines left over from his carving had already smoothed out from the arcane 'heat' that flowed through them.

Should last me a few more go's at least, but I'll have to find something else to use eventually. Stone or metal maybe. I'm not sure if I have the tools to work with either though and carrying this many rocks through the forest would really suck, even with my increased Strength.

I have…. A little over ten boards left. Barely enough for another circle. Maybe I'll try morphing one of those hammers into an axe. Then I could just make infinite boards, have like, ten circles out at once.

He decided to start by practicing with one of the pickaxes instead. He only had 3 hammers, including the one he was using to fight. The wagon had a whole crate of pickaxes though. Twelve total. He picked up the first one and held the metal head in one hand, the handle in the other, laid across his lap.

Your edge will widen, expand into a blade. Flat, curved, axe like.

He tried to picture an axe in his head as he poured mana into the item and activated his empower item skill.

His first attempt was, uninspiring.

The narrow pointed end of the pickaxe had gotten sharper, widened vertically by almost an inch and the point on one side had receded towards the handle by about as much. The other point was untouched. It looked useless as a pick and nothing close to the axe he had imagined.

I'll try again with this pick, see if I can just brute force empower this into a real axe.

He tried empowering the same axe again. His first attempt cost thirty five mana, the same amount as the hammer he empowered earlier. The second attempt cost twice as much. A full seventy mana spent resulting in a squished mangled axe head. Both ends of the pick were squished inward towards the center, thicker than before but still far too protruded for an axe head. The bladed edge on one side of the pick was thinned and twisted into something resembling a tiny axehead, about the length of his index finger, but connected to the handle by a stretch of warped metal far too long and skinny to be viable. The sharp tip of the other end just looked like it had been squished in a bit.

MP: 55/160

[Empower Item lvl 2-3]

Yep not working. This ability can strengthen things, maybe alter them a little, but it can't just change one thing into another. Not possible. At least not yet. If the mana cost for empowering items continues to double with repeated use then I could barely try a third time with full mana. The skill can warp, smooth, sharpen, and meld materials, but can't make it out of nowhere, and can't change the shape significantly. Still powerful, but might not be enough to fix my current lack of axe.

He waited for his mana to fully charge then tried once more. He poured mana into the mangled tool and tried to hold it within as he focused his thoughts on altering the material. It felt like he was forcing the mana upriver through clogged arteries into a water balloon filled with holes. Mana was pouring out of the axe and dispersing into the air despite his best efforts to keep it contained. It felt like the mana was flowing over the surface of the item and dispersing, with only a fraction soaking into the actual material below.

He opened his eyes when he could concentrate on the skill no longer and was rewarded with the sight of an impressively fucked up pick axe. The flat end squished inward further and a large round bulge had formed in the center of the pick opposite the handle. The bladed end extended to twice as long as his thumb, but the connecting metal remained twisted and thin, albeit slightly thicker than before. The metal itself took on a slightly glossy sheen and there was a spiderweb of cracks that ran across the bulbus bulge in the center of the pick head.

MP: 20/160

Pretty sure metal isn't supposed to crack like that. In fact, I didn't know metal could crack like that. Probably can't actually crack like that, might be some kind of side-effect of pouring too much mana into something. Mana cost doubled again, which means the next try would take two hundred and eighty mana, way more than I have right now. I'm not sure if it would work at all even if I had that much, that last attempt felt wrong. There might be a limit on how much mana can be used to alter an item. Maybe the skill is too low level to manage that amount of mana? Or the material itself is reacting to high mana saturation? Either way I'm definitely not getting an axe like this.

Alright. Other solutions to binding circle materials. Fuck that hurts.

His wrist still throbbed. It was very distracting. He chewed on some jerky while he thought. At least he still had plenty of that.

First a proof of concept. Carve a circle out in stones. Then try something more interesting.

He spent a good two hours collecting smooth stones from the river, bundling them up in the folds of his oversized magic shirt and carrying them back to camp. During his explorations he found a big stone. Practically a boulder. It was roughly spherical with a flat bottom and came up to a little below his waist.

Probably counts as a boulder.

What's even the difference between a boulder and a rock? If that's not a boulder it sure as hell is a big ass rock. I really wish my phone worked at times like this, but no, instead it's dead as hell and sitting in a pit in the ground.

HP: 120/230

Fuck my wrist hurts. There's no way this next bit is going to help either.

He returned to the boulder after collecting his other stones and began to push it towards his camp. It was at most a ten minute walk from the river where he found the boulder to his camp.

[+1 Strength for performing physical labor that pushes your limits]

[+1 Strength for performing physical labor that pushes your limits]

This was a lot harder than he thought. He had made it about halfway, but there were roots and rocks, and little inclines all along the path that he swore weren’t there before.

The stat gains are great but this is ridiculous, this thing has to be like five hundred pounds or something. Which if it actually is, then the effects of stat gains are crazy, but still. This sucks.

He continued to roll the boulder towards his camp. Up every root, rock and little hill.

[+1 Strength for performing physical labor that pushes your limits]

This is like some kind of greek hell right? With the boulder and the eternal torment? Whatever that guys name is, if this rock comes tumbling back down when I'm done I'm sure as hell not pushing it back up again. I bet his arm isn't even bleeding or anything. Fuck that hurts.

[+1 Strength for performing physical labor that pushes your limits]

He finally managed to push the boulder up and into his camp, just within the cozy little ring of trees around his big rooty burrow. He mopped the sweat off his brow and greased his hair back. He was quite warm now despite the sun's recent departure below the horizon.

That took longer than I thought, but I'm certainly not ready to head back to the hole yet. Still have a few things left to do, and if something decides to creep up on me in the night so be it. Not sure if I'll be able to sleep with how much my wrist is throbbing after that whole experience anyways.

He set the wooden double runic circle thing on the flat side of the boulder, which was now facing upwards. He threw a couple dried leaves and twigs on it before placing his fingers on the edge and pumping mana in until the twigs and leaves caught flame. The fire only kindled within the confines of the circle, leaving the branches that poked outside strangely untouched.

He grabbed a longer stick and shoved it into the little fire before setting up more smaller sticks and leaves within his firepit. He also threw a couple larger branches on top for later.

He pulled the long stick out of his Firestarting Fir Fabrication and was pleased to see that it remained burning despite being pulled through the runic barrier. He shoved it into the kindling of the firepit and pulled off his empowered shirt and used it to extinguish the small fire from his Firestarter. He pulled the shirt off and brushed the bits of ash from it, pleased to see it hadn't burned at all.

HP: 133/230

His wrist felt a bit better now, but it seemed like pushing the rock had slowed down his healing. It was still insanely fast compared to earth though. At this rate it would be fine by morning.

The firepit was burning nicely now and he built it higher and larger than strictly necessary.

Better to keep predators off. Also…

He took one of the pick axes from the pile he was working with before and stuck it into the fire. Keeping the head and the pointy end fully submerged, with a bit of the bladed end sticking out. He threw more branches on top and let it sit for a while he organized his collected stones by the light of the campfire.

I know what I want to make. A small kiln, forge, whatever. A little box of rocks that makes things real hot. I need flat rocks, enough to form an empty circle similar to my firestarter. If I want this to be really good I should layer two or three of them on top of each other. Extra concentrated magic fire. Can I empower the rocks to conduct mana better?

He took one of the most dubious river stones, it was far too lumpy to be inscribed cleanly, and closed his eyes. He pushed mana in one side and out the other, then the opposite direction. Then top to bottom and opposite that again.

You will transfer mana. It will move right through you. Pass in, then out again, keeping none inside.

He opened his eyes and the stone had taken on a slightly polished appearance. It reflected a little bit of the firelight and when he tried pushing mana into it, it dispersed right out. Back into him and into the air around. Good enough.

He began working on his whole rock pile, excluding the flattest rocks which he set aside to inscribe his circles on. He made it through seven rocks before his mana was empty.

[Empower Item lvl 3-4]

[+1 Intelligence for pushing the limits of your mana control]

[+1 Wisdom for sustaining constant mana control]

MP: 5/170

My mana has improved a fair bit since I last checked. Later though, I can check that when I head to bed.

He felt a little lightheaded as he stood and took a second to get his balance before heading over to the campfire. He pulled the pick out of the fire and it was now glowing a dim orange.

Exactly what I was looking for.

He walked it to his rock and set it on top. He picked up another pick that he had leaned against the boulder earlier for this very purpose. He was holding it high on it's handle, near the head, bladed end down.

Not the prettiest setup but hopefully this will work.

He held the heated pick steady as he slammed the bladed end of the other pick into the pointed part of the heated pick's head, close to where it extended from the handle.

Sparks showered out and the bladed edge of his other pick dug slightly into the heated metal. He swung again, and again. He made it almost halfway through before the glow of the metal began to fade and he put it back into the fire.

MP: 30/170

Perfect. Enough for two more rocks.

It didn't take as long for the pick's head to heat back up and he was swinging once again, finally managing to sever the spike of metal with a shower of sparks and a hefty chip into the stone below. The tip clattered to the dirt below where it sizzled in the dirt, crisping up the grass below it.

[+1 Strength for performing physical labor that pushes your limits]

Andrew left it to cool and set aside both picks. He sat by the fire for a moment and just rested. He enjoyed the sound of his hard work sizzling in the dirt and the warmth of the fire on his skin.

One chisel, nearly finished. Magic rocks right up next. Scavenger is a load of bullshit, should've gotten a caveman class or something. Big rock. Fire. Hit pointy thing. With other. Pointy thing. Least I'm not chained up to a wagon, could be worse.

HP: 149/230

MP: 45/170

He jerked awake with a start.

Shit must've drifted off.

With a fucking fire running and everything.

I need to call it a day soon. Just enough mana, one more thing then done for the day.

He stood and walked over to the spike of metal laying in the dirt, no longer sizzling. He wrapped his hand in his empowered shirt and picked it up. Warm, but not enough to burn. He pulled it out of the bundle.

Need something to wrap this with. For ascetics at least, if not function. Spent too much time on this to leave it ugly.

He tugged at the bandages wrapped around his wrist, pulling the thin loop of cloth off and removing the bundle of cloths he had hastily shoved over it before. It was pretty gross. The cloth stuck slightly to his skin as he pulled them away. The skin underneath was sealed over, but pitted where the canines had dug into his wrist and an angry red. He grabbed a burning stick to use as a torch and walked back to the river washing first his wrist, which fucking stung by the way, then the cloths. He returned to the fire and began wrapping the length of cloth that was at first a bandage, and now a binding around the blunt end of the metal spike. It was only slightly stained.

MP: 94/170

He took the finished product in both hands. A small spike of metal roughly as long as the distance between his wrist and fingertip, wrapped in bloody cloth and pointed at one end. He began to push mana into it, as much as he could. The mana flowed easily into the metal, it felt natural and flowed quicker than he was expecting.

You will become a chisel, a precise instrument to inscribe runes on stone. You will keep your shape. You will transfer exactly enough force to carve delicate lines. You will become a chisel.

He pushed as much mana as he could into the metal. It drank it in and there was no struggle to keep it contained within the spike this time. He kept it there for as long as he could, focusing on his chant, his will. A warm tingle began to spread up his arms and across his chest, like the heat from a strong drink but flowing in the opposite direction. The chisel grew warmer, matching his body temperature.

[+1 Wisdom for sustaining constant mana control]

[+1 Intelligence for pushing the limits of your mana]

[Blood Infusion Skill Created]

[+1 Vitality for the creation of a sacrificial skill]

[+1 Intelligence for the creation of a mana based skill]

[Empower Item lvl 4-5]

MP: 14/180

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see that the spike had changed far more than anything else he had empowered before. The spike had slimmed down to the thickness of a pencil, with a sharply pointed diamond shape tip. The cloth wrapped around it had been stained a deep red and had thickened to the consistency of leather. The end was flat and smoothed out.

There was a very faint purplish glow coming off of the metal of the chisel, which was now a polished obsidian black and it felt right in his hand. Comfortable. Warm. He tried pulsing mana through the chisel and it was almost effortless. The purple glow flowed down the metal and condensed slightly to the tip.

OK that is pretty fucking cool. Forget what I was saying about that little fire circle being real magic before. This is a straight up, legit, magic item. Sure, it's just a chisel, and sure I may have gained a 'sacrificial' skill making it, but this thing is seriously cool.

Guess it's time to put the fire out. I can test out my hard work tomorrow, I still have more rocks to magic up before I get to carving anyways.

His fire had burned to coals by this point and he stomped them down with his boots and piled some dirt on top, putting out the remaining embers. He gathered up his magic stones and his picks and all his various supplies and piled them neatly near his burrow. There was too much to fit inside and now that he was on to the monotonous work of the night his limbs felt like they were made of lead.

[+1 Vitality for pushing the limits of your endurance]

Yes. I'm tired. Thanks for noticing though.

He crawled into his burrow and pulled the little door made from ferns closed. It was probably pointless now, the big out of place boulder, campfire, and pile of tools were rather overt, but he did it anyways.

Status

Name: Andrew Neilson

Race: Human

Catalyst: None

Class: Scavenger lvl 8

Profession: None

Titles: Pioneer

Status:

HP: 155/220

SP: 33/220

MP: 49/160

Attribute points: 35

Strength: 17

Dexterity: 23

Vitality: 25

Intelligence: 19

Wisdom: 22

Skills:

-Perception lvl 5

-Camouflage lvl 1

-Mana Control lvl 5

-Woodcarving lvl 4

-Rune Inscription lvl 3

-Adaptive Weapon Mastery lvl 2

-Empower Item lvl 5

-Rune Modification lvl 1

-Blood Infusion lvl 1