Jack was both surprised and grateful to find that the Path of Balance was granting him a double boon in the form of increased hit points and stamina. Both from the underlying stat boost and as a flat bonus given, effectively giving him an additional 42 HP in the form of arcane energies now flooding his blood like sweet rich oxygen, which meant that traumatic injury and blood loss would be less likely to kill him, his heart and brain needing a bit less of the red to hang on for dear life than they had weeks before. A grim truth which might truly be a lifesaver for anyone who dared the deeps and risked catastrophic injury, especially for a zero level like him.

The rejuvenating swirl of energies now percolating in his blood was also reflected in his elevated mana, as well as his now impressive reserves of stamina, assuring he would absolutely kick ass in track & field, if they even had such a thing here. And numbers aside, he had never felt so strong, healthy, and full of vigor as he did right then, his sense of position and balance utterly flawless, his thoughts and recollections never having felt so sharp and clear as they did at that moment.

He spent a moment just bowing his head in sheer gratitude for the wondrous boons he had been granted that had absolutely nothing to do with any future coin in his pocket, for all that he had come perilously close to losing his life countless times since they had dared the Yellow.

"Now armor this fine will marry you right into the royal clan, friend Jack!" Declared Barlton after doing everything he could to damage his Resilience-boosted Mithril, giving Jack a brotherly hug that left him breathless after failing to burst a single link, before flashing a picture of his lusciously attractive sister once more. "Did I mention the fact that my sister's a princess?"

Drake looked poleaxed at that. "But Barlton! If you're royalty, why did you..."

"Because I wanted a proper adventure, and was chokin' on etiquette and proclamations and all the rigmarole that drives a man crazy, just the same as you!"

Drake smirked. "Fair point. But still... if you had actually died as a guard... and you were, well, in my father's—"

Barlton snorted. "Like I had anything ta fear from the likes of rogues and rapscallions foolish enough ta rob from my employer. And as for yer own care, I got no complaints, boy! A dwarf's at home underground, the sleepin' arrangements were comfortable enough, and I gotta drink my fill!"

Drake winced. "Well, as long as there are no hard feelings..."

"Of course not. We're brothers and sisters in battle! Far better than being a third-son hanger-on forced to live on his grandfather's glory. I'd far rather forge stories and legends of my own, and give the court something ta chew on, besides reputations earned over a century ago!" His voice then lowered an octave. "Of course, I would appreciate it if me companions wouldn't say a word, like. I only confessed in the heat o the moment, because, well..." He gazed at his crimson hauberk with the same longing gaze of a man looking at the eyes of his one true love. "A boy like Jack comes along once in a blue moon. Be foolish not to encourage him to join a clan that would truly appreciate him."

He then sighed and turned to the one remaining mithril ore deposit in the entire chamber, after Jack had stripped almost a score of comparatively minuscule deposits that in sum total was still just a fraction of the one his friends had poured so much of themselves to mastering. A feat which, if Jacks Arcane Perception was anything to go by, might just pay off in considerable dividends if the hunch that was turning into a tingle of awe racing down his spine was anything to go by.

"Alright Lads!" Said Barlton with a bemused chuckle. "We had our fun and admired our brilliant friend doing all he can with the gifts the earth lords have given him. Now it's time to do our part! We still have a fortune to mine, now let's do our fair share and show our Jack that warriors will always get the goats of wizards!"

With rough chuckles and nods of agreement, the four warrior classes including Drake picked up their picks and hammers and got back to work, their slow steady rhythm picking up pace and power, yet Jack was still gazing at them all with a look of stupefaction, heart pounding with something close to awe.

The things he might accomplish for the sake of his friends...

If only he dared.

"Jack, what's wrong?"

Jack blinked, pulled out of his daze by a curious looking Veti, who, despite the strain on her features, was at least able to communicate with Jack after countless days of meditating with the weight of Barlton's mithril shirt covering every inch of her frame, and Jack was surprised to see that the mage's cycling excercises had infused her blood every bit as much as it had Barlton and the boys.

He inhaled to answer then blinked when Veti's hand gave his arm a concerned squeeze, feeling a tingling shiver racing up and down his back as his interface blared with a message that proved just how Accurate his arcane perception had been.

You have formed a direct party link with Adventuring Companion: Veti Girig.

Veti Girig has achieved Rank 2 Mithril Saturation free of corruption. (Magi Cultivation exercises facilitate fast absorption!)

System Requirements met! You have made contact with a suitable archetype for imprint!

Veti Girig has achieved maximum Potency via Mithril Saturation for a level 3 character. Jack Evergreen has achieved maximum potency via Mithril Saturation for a level 1 character.

You currently posses Tier Alpha administrative privileges.

Do you wish to imprint Veti Girig?

Cost to imprint Core on AI Matrix = 3999 Potency Points (Veti) & 200 Potency Points (Jack) Note: This will count as partial fulfillment of Greater System Quest: Uncorrupted Archetypes.

"Jack, what's wrong?"

Heart pounding, Jack finally tore his mind's eye away from the blaring interface message, but only once he was sure he fully understood the ramifications of exactly what it was saying.

He took a deep breath as his mind suddenly flashed with the brilliant image of rune forged in mithril and blood that looked a dozen orders of magnitude more complex than any resiliency rune he had ever seen before.

"Jack?"

Jack swallowed, locking gazes with Veti. "Veti? You know how Barlton said it was good to wait, to let your body achieve maximum mithril saturation and try to infuse it in your blood, not balloon with a quick level up while loosing out on any long term benefit?"

This earned Jack a wry smile. And it said something about how focused he had been on himself, and the messages flashing across his mind's eye that only now did he sense the strain she was under. had been under for days that had turned into weeks, looking very much like a runner pushing herself to the point of exhaustion, to the point of overtraining. Doing all she could to better herself as an adventure and as a mage.

"You're damn right I do, Jack. I've been using every meditative and mana cycling technique I had mastered over more years than I care to think about to draw in as much potency as I possibly could... even, but not past, the point of it making me sick." She chuckled ruefully. "I think, honestly, this might have been the hardest exercise I ever dared to embrace. If I wasn't constantly inspired by the tingle of energy in my limbs that I feel despite my exhaustion... I would have called it quits after just the second day."

Jack nodded, beyond excited to show her just how remarkably that effort might just pay off, if Jack's flash of intuition was anything to go by.

But still... if he was wrong...

He shook his head, sensing her sudden worry.

"Jack, what's wrong?"

Because, ultimately, despite the warnings now flashing across his mind's eye, it was her choice.

"Veti, I, um..." he swallowed under the weight of the swirling thoughts racing in his head. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he suspected, so many ways his friend might react. Yet his intuition, perhaps in the form of his slowly blossoming charisma, had him speak before he could over analyze it any further.

"Do you recall what Aroust said, about how hard it is for most adventurers to ever hit or get much beyond level ten?"

Veti nodded. "I know, Jack. After levels 5 or 6, the cost to go up, for most of us, starts to double. A lucky few grab on to perks to reduce this, but for everyone else?" She shrugged. "Only Twice Born souls, or those so gifted that they're bodies and minds are one with the Deeps can truly walk the steps of legend. But at least people like us can gain a certain amount of power, even if it costs us ever more potency to push our souls further up in terms of ascension. It's like we're cracked jewels. We can be polished and made prettier, or grown like a pearl, i supposed, but it requires ever more effort, thanks to the mortal imperfections we're constantly forced to overcome."

"Veti, how much are you willing to risk if it meant that you would have no limits?"

Veti blinked, soft brown eyes gazing into Jack's own with a sudden frightful intensity. "Just what the hell are you saying, Jack?"

Jack swallowed. "I think... maybe... I think it's possible to seal the cracks within your soul."

His friend gazed at him speechlessly for long moments. "Jack... how?"

Jack took a deep, shuddering breath, realizing how much he was putting on the line, revealing secrets he hadn't even realized were his own.

Not, at least, until now.

He swallowed, holding his friend's hand, sensing the desperate hope in her gaze. "By forging a rune of Mithril and Blood. A rune that will resonate so strongly that it will be accepted in the matrix of Archetypes itself."

He smiled at her look of awed disbelief. "So instead of adventuring for countless years, struggling under ever greater potency costs to get the system to recognize your spiritual imprint, in relation to whichever ancestor you had that was Twice-born, we could store an actual imprint of your soul. One more champion against the darkness, one more tool the AI can use to correct irregularities and allow for a smoother distribution of potency throughout the system across countless worlds."

Veti was gazing at him slack-jawed. He did his best to tune out the sudden silence, feeling too intent gazes now burning into his back.

"Jack! Are you saying that you can actually make me a..."

Jack shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Not 100%. And, well, there is a risk. But all this mithril is both acting as a source of purification and, well, a beacon plugged directly into the system. If there was ever a place or time where there was even a chance of getting a fresh archetype loaded into the System..." Jack slowly turned, taking in his friend's wide-eyed looks of disbelief. "It would be here and now."

Aroust was gazing at Jack with an odd mixture of skepticism and awe. he was a cynic that had been burned by life countless times, yet was still hungry to believe.

"Jack, how could that possibly be the case?" He turned to Elof, who immediately caught his gaze and lowered his head, cheeks burning with shame. Aroust clapped his shoulder in apology, but didn't hold back his words. "Our young friend here just barely scraped by. He almost didn't make it at all. The only reason why he was even able to pick a class is thanks to you, Jack. And you're saying there's a way for us to transcend even the most elite adventurers, with perks and training and multiple feats that bring down their cost of ascension to just a fraction of what it would normally be, but still a damn sight higher than a Twice-born's cost to ascend?"

And here Jack flashed a sad, apologetic smile. "I'm afraid not, Aroust. You have me there."

He caught Drake's eye, and Barlton's as well. "Drake, Barlton?"

Wordlessly, the pair nodded, not protesting when Jack held their hands, both surprised and pleased to see the same messages flaring in his interface for both.

His strained smile met their jubilant ones, even as he gaze them each a nod, because he already knew what he'd find with the Duelist, and the Fighter.

Aroust's rueful smirk said it all. "We didn't make the cut, did we, Jack?"

Elof lowered his head, clenching his fists. "I... you don't have to say anything, Jack. I can see it in your eyes."

Jack winced in apology. "I'm sorry, Elof. Aroust."

Elof sighed, shaking away his anger. "Really, what right do I have to be disappointed? I actually survived the deeps. I actually have a class! With priceless armor no foe will be able to breach, and a fortune in ore and jewels to my name. My wildest dreams have already come true. For me to wish for anything else is like a duke belly-aching because he's not the king." He then winced in apology at a grinning Drake. "Sorry, Drake."

"Oh, I completely agree," Drake said.

But Jack had already tuned them out, peering a bit too intently at Aroust if his scowl was anything to go by. "Jack?"

Then Jack grinned. "Who says we can't patch the cracks almost as good as, whether or not the matrix wants to make a copy? What matters is what you do with this life, here and now. Am I right?"

Aroust blinked. "What exactly are you saying, Jack?"

Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I'm not 100% sure about any of this, actually." His bemused smile turned hard. "And I'm not going to lie. There are risks. Potentially fatal risks, if I'm being completely honest."

Elof paled. "Um... I'd rather avoid fatal risks, if at all possible."

"Nonsense!" Barlton declared with a grin. "You've already survived the deeps, and yer soul's strong enough to be absolutely saturated with priceless ore. The essence of magicka itself! If yours was a week soul, it would have faded to mist, weeks ago!"

Elof's cheeks blazed. "But we already know my soul isn't perfect. If it weren't for Jack..."

"I said it weren't weak! Not that it was perfect! Now let's quit the pussy-footin' around. Jack? Is there actually away ya can imprint us... or whatever it is that ya can do, so's we can actually ascend up the steps of legend, like the twice-born heroes of old?"

Jack nodded. "There is. But only if you're all willing to give me your word that you won't come after me, or otherwise attack me if anyone dies from this. Because let's not kid ourselves, We're talking about your souls here. If a single thing goes wrong..."

And with those words everyone save Barlton paled and lowered their gazes, but the dwarf just beamed, flashing his impressive molars with his wide grin. "Well then, what are we waiting for? It's time to forge us into legend!"

Jack nodded. "I will. But I warn you, there will be a cost." He gazed at the massive mithril reserves they had still only begun to tap into. "I'm honestly not sure how much will be used, but I'm pretty sure it won't be an insignificant amount."

This alone gave a suddenly solemn Barlton pause. "It will eat into our mithril reserves?"

Jack solemnly nodded. "Without a doubt."

"But if we do this... we'll actually be..."

Jack smiled at the still awed looking Veti. "Correct."

She swallowed. "Our souls, are psyches will actually be one with the great spirits that forged our universe into being?"

"Pretty much. You'll be joining the template of originals. I think." He frowned thoughtfully. "Honestly, this is 50% hunches and insight, and 50% messages from the voices in my head."

Aroust frowned at that. "Jack, there's a name for people who listen to the voices in their heads..."

"And even if your soul won't imprint, if I can actually seal the cracks, the cost of leveling up will be drastically reduced," said Jack.

"Inspired!" Aroust declared with a smile. "Struck with visions of insight and genius, the best artists and playwrites never ignore the muse of their soul!"

Elof's gaze filled with sudden hope. "Jack?"

Jack flashed his young friend a warm smile. "I will do my best, Elof, and that's a promise." He then frowned thoughtfully. "But Barlton, before we begin? We're going to need a lot more ore."