Walking downstairs, I realize a critical issue with my current weapon-making plans. ‘Damnit, I have all of those sanding belts from Adreanell but I don’t have a sanding wheel.’

Creating a plan, I decide to take a more magically inclined route than Ilmarinen. He’s very old-fashioned when it comes to blacksmithing.

Just as I’m about to walk outside, I hear gasps from Adreanell and Cassandra in the slime room. Entering the room, they’re crowded in front of the pen, blocking my view.

“What is it? Why gasping?”

“Uh, Lucas, I think Mr. Squishels is a girl. They did this… connecting thing… after we fed them again and Mr. Squishels laid an egg!” Adreanell points into the pen, showing me the small, squishy grey egg.

“How much did you two feed them?” Thinking about it, most legends I’ve known from games or stories indicate that slimes reproduce at incredible rates.

“Only one more time, but I guess this one is already mature enough to lay eggs.” Cassandra pokes Mr. Squishels, which causes the slime to shiver and attach a tendril on to her finger.

“Well, who was the one that spotted the egg first?”

“Cassandra did! Then she pointed it out to me, I was checking my status.” Adreanell gestures in front of her before realizing she hasn’t made her status visible to me.

“Well, Cassandra, I’d say it’s your turn to name the slime then.”

“Me? Well, okay.” She sits in thought for a moment before she reaches over and touches the egg. “I’ll name you… Pui. It’s short and cute.” The egg hatches, releasing another small slime.

“At this rate, I’m gonna need another pen…” Groaning at the thought, I consider if I could study the runes and make my own pen, it doesn’t seem that difficult overall.

Adreanell and Cassandra are too busy doting over the new slime to pay any attention to me, so I shrug and walk back to the door outside.

Stepping on to the grass, I unequip my boots and just enjoy a moment outside in the warm summer sun. A gentle breeze blows by, causing the grass around our house to rustle and a few colorful bugs to fly off from the shoots they were on.

‘You know, I forgot there are magic bugs too, guess they’re so small I stopped paying attention to them…’ Bending down, I Inspect what looks to be a grasshopper, but it’s an especially bright mint green.

Gusthopper

Traits: Wind Blast

Description: This grasshopper commands bursts of wind to hop long distances in a single bound. This allows it to both catch smaller prey in a single, swift attack and to travel far and wide in search of a mate.

It hops forward and the grass around it flattens down from a wind burst. It reaches a surprising distance of about thirty feet in the single jump. Fortunately, my eyes can track it as it moved fast.

With the use of Aeromancy, I trap the gusthopper in a swirl of air and bring it back to me. Holding it, it tries to bite into my finger, only to find it can’t pierce my skin in the slightest. “Sorry, Mr. Grasshopper, I’m a bit too tough for that.”

Glancing to the sides to see if anyone is watching, I feel slightly bad as I condense the grasshopper into four wind aspect crystals. ‘I don’t have any wind plants yet so… this will have to do. Anyway, what did I come out here for again? Oh, right.’

Using Geomancy, I gather up an ample amount of stone for my plants. Storing it all in my hold, I struggle to figure out Floramancy enough to get some wood from an ironwood maple Colt planted outside our house.

‘I’ll just have to cut this to shape with my Hydromancy inside. Sheesh, that was costly on my mana.’

Stowing away the sizeable block of wood I coaxed out of the tree, I head inside after making sure I fully restored the tree. Colt would be upset at me if I killed his tree.

Walking back into my forge, Becky is still hard at work making more clothes. ‘Jeez, she acts lazy but that woman is a powerhouse when she’s passionate about something.’

She questioningly stares at me as I dump out a pile of rock and the block of wood, but doesn’t ask and turns back to her work.

Spending a while studying through my enchanting book, I feel ready to execute my plan. ‘First, the simple part. A makeshift anvil until I can figure out a better solution.’

Setting a tall piece of rock on to another, I fuse the two together with some Geomancy, making them one complete piece. With more uses of Geomancy and some Hydromancy, I completely smooth out the top surface of it and bring it vaguely into the shape of an anvil.

Suddenly, as I’m grinding more of my anvil to shape with Hydromancy, a notification appears, surprising me.

Affinity Advanced: Medium Water Affinity 1/100!

‘Oh, I forgot I was so close, I guess focusing this much on control pushed me over the edge. Let’s see now…’

Creating some more water and starting to grind away at the stone again, I find that the costs are lower and it’s even easier for me to control it. It’s like I have to use less of my brain to focus on it now.

‘Small and passive, but definitely helpful bonuses.’ Smiling, I finish up the shaping faster than I could have otherwise.

Colt probably could have done this anvil far faster, but I don’t want to rely on him all the time if I can do it myself. I may not be as talented with Geomancy, but Hydromancy feels pretty natural for me.

Level up! For exploring stone shaping and successfully creating a stone anvil, your Talent: Fledgling Craftsman has reached (27/50)!

Level up! For using your affinities and learning higher control of your elements, your Talent: Fledgling Mage has reached (45/50)!

For reaching your ninth Talent milestone in Fledgling Mage, you have been awarded applicable stat points to Intelligence, Attunement, Willpower, Insight and + 270 XP.

‘Aw, no Perk, forgot I’m closing in on a Perk fusion with this Talent… It’s nice to know working with stone will get me Craftsman levels though. Colt’s been shaping everything so far so I never really tried I guess.’

Turning back to my anvil, I get to work enchanting it. It’s simply a heavy amount of durability and impact absorption runes to keep it from breaking on me. Metal will work better in the long run, but I don’t really have the resources to make a metal anvil right now.

No levels come from enchanting the anvil sadly, it’s all enchantments I’ve done a million times now when I make things durable.

‘Well, the anvil is done now. Time for my grinding wheel.’ Grabbing a flat slab of stone, I get to work with Geomancy and Hydromancy. Cutting it into a perfectly circular shape using Shaper’s Soul to make mental measurements, I begin to hollow out an inner hole.

Repeating this process once more for another wheel to run the sanding belts through, I have two basic stone wheels of the same size.

Setting them on the ground, I spend time enchanting them. These ones only have some durability enchantments to keep them from falling apart but not much else.

It’s beginning to get dark out and Becky leaves the room after watching me work for a while and getting bored. Deciding I’ll eat a late dinner, I keep grinding away at stone and wood.

After more durability enchantments, I have a final mechanism I need to enchant. While standing at the wheel, I’ll be able to feed mana into it to use velocity runes to make the wheel spin.

Enchanting those runes on to some wooden dowels I enchanted with durability, I fit them through the holes in the wheels, making sure it’s a snug fit. Wetting the wood and redrying it, the expanded wood isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Frowning, I realize the enchantments were broken by the wood expanding. Adding some waterproofing runes to avoid this in the future, I reenchant the dowels and add some slipperiness runes that I mimic from the slime pen to the ends of the rods.

This will allow them to slide along the holds I have for them with ease. Assembling the complete structure, the stone frame I enchanted fits all the parts perfectly. Wrapping one of the sanding belts on, it’s a perfect fit for the wheel.

During some initial testing, the velocity runes work perfectly to get the wheels up to speed, but the sanding belt keeps slipping off. To remedy that, I look through my book and find what seems to be the inverse of the slippery rune, a rune that gives more grip to objects.

It works like a charm and I have no further issues with the belts sliding off. Paying attention to my notifications once more, a couple pop up.

Level up! For continuing to shape stone and wood into functional purposes, your Talent: Fledgling Craftsman has reached (29/50)!

Level up! For working with new enchantments to fulfill your needs, your Talent: Adept Enchanter has reached (9/50)!

‘Ooo, nice. I’m close to two perks.’ Just as I begin to think of more enchantments I could try or if I need any other tools in my forge, frantic knocking at the front door of the house breaks me out of my thoughts.

As I’m the closest and fastest, I make it to the door rather immediately. The shorter brown haired man standing in the doorway looks shocked at how quickly someone arrived, but swallows that initial shock and looks at me, panicked.

“Mr. Hero! Please, there’s an attack on the north wall! Several large monsters!” He begins to look behind me and I turn around to see everyone has come to see what the commotion is about.

Addressing them, I already begin to walk out the door. “Portland is under attack. Everyone, head to the north wall as fast as you can, I’ll meet you there.”

Strength flares into my legs as I pump as many knots as they can handle into them. Modifying Crashing Wake, I activate it by the new name that comes to mind. “Billowing Wake!”

Gusts of wind gather around me, further increasing my speed as I Plot Courses toward the northern wall. The landscape blurs by me and I have to react quickly to dodge any rocks or uneven ground in my way.

Within a few minutes, I see a group of people tending to the injured and a large mass being fended off from atop the walls. Sprinting past the group, I arrive on the wall and smash Argo into it, heavily empowered by both my speed and a Devastating Impact.

It reels back from the force, crying out in pain. Finally taking in the whole form, it’s hard to make out features regardless.

It’s a huge, raccoon-shaped silhouette trailing smoky shadows from its body. Inspecting it, I get the true name.

Umbraccoon

Traits: Umbramancy

Description: This raccoon has been consumed by the dark. It can command darkness itself, becoming especially powerful at night. It has grown to massive size from feeding off other weaker monsters.

You have engaged in combat with a Demi-Boss class monster.

Looking to the sides, there are three other large monsters people are in combat with alongside a host of smaller creatures.

Inspecting the three other big threats, I assume they’re demi-bosses as well.

Rending Mantis

Traits: Rending Scythes, Swiftness

Description: This mantis has forgone any elemental attunements in favor of high-speed movement and sickly sharp scythe-like arms.

Warphawk

Traits: Warping

Description: This hawk’s feathers are capable of cutting dimensional rifts between two close-by locations, allowing it to quickly reposition to capture its prey.

Fiddler Crab

Traits: Sonokinesis, Defensive Shell

Description: This hermit crab has developed tense hairs across its dominant claw, allowing it to pluck them and control the soundwaves with destructive potential. These soundwaves are specifically tuned to stun its prey.

‘Shit, this is bad.’ A ripping soundwave causes several people to freeze in place. Pushing past the stunning soundwave, I dash in front of the group, blocking a claw strike with Argo. The ground under me cracks from the force.

Feeling my arms strain from the hit, I activate my Mantle of the Hero, selecting Strength to empower myself.

Feeling stronger, I take out my iron maiden potion and down a dose of it. My skin feels harder and more… reactive.

Selecting two strong-looking warriors near me, I toss them my physical empowerment potion. “Both of you drink a dose! I’ll need your help against these demi-bosses!”

They look surprised but nod and each drink down a dose. Reacting from my peripheral vision, I just barely block a strike from the rending mantis. The blow knocks me to the side as I wasn’t fully able to prepare for it.

The mantis shrieks as my potion effect retaliates, striking it with a thorns-type effect.

It dashes at me once again, but I leap high into the air before it can get to me. Searching my hold with the precious seconds bought, I down both doses of my lightning reactions potion.

My body feels electric now. Another blade from the mantis scythes up toward me, but with my improved reactions I’m able to turn in the air and dodge it.

Activating Crashing Wake, water plumes behind me as I strike down at the mantis. A Devastating Impact causes the mantis to strain under my strike, but it manages to block.

Not without issue, fortunately. Through Argo, I can feel the tiniest crack in its scythe blades during my strike.

With Primordial Perception fully active, I note a large disturbance in the air behind me. Turning around, I’m too late as the warphawk cuts into my arm. It shrieks as my iron maiden potion retaliates the damage on to it.

Using Promethean, I seal up the cut while blocking another strike by the mantis. One of the warriors I shared the potion to runs up and strikes into the mantis’ leg with a battleax, bellowing as he does so.

It reels in pain but its exoskeleton doesn’t yield to his strike. A scream to my side tells me that people are in trouble against the umbraccoon. Turning to help, I’m blinded by a flash of light.

“Lucent Beam!” Adreanell fires a beam of light at the umbracoon, making part of its body dissolve from the strike. She looks at me. “I’ve got this, Lucas! You help them!”

The warp hawk comes from above to strike me once more as I was distracted by Adreanell’s display. Bringing Argo up to block in time, a spire of earth from behind me smashes into the hawk instead.

“Lucas, help out against that giant hermit crab! I’ll handle this hawk!” Colt runs toward it, hands glowing green.

Nodding to him, I dash away. Becky is in the midst of high-speed combat with the rending mantis, so I activate a Watery Grave around its legs as I pass by.

“I had this handled you know!” Becky yells to me, making me smile at her stubbornness.

More high pitch soundwaves burst out from the fiddler crab, making everyone in the area wince in pain.

Leaping toward the crab, I block another of its strikes. It scuttles backward after taking a hit from my iron maiden potion.

Stomping my foot, I cause a sharp crystal shard to jab up from the ground into the crab’s underside.

The shard breaks off inside a section of the crab’s shell, enraging it. It turns to me, identifying me as the source of the attack.

It reaches up a smaller claw, strumming it heavily on the hairs of its larger claw. Before I can even react, the full brunt of its sonic attack hits me, rattling my bones.

My vision goes fuzzy from the attack, but I shake my head and use Promethean to bring myself back to my senses. Not in time, unfortunately. A claw strikes into me, slapping me off the wall and into the ground hard.

Groaning, something grabs me and pulls me back to a standing position. A sweet tasting object is pushed into my mouth and clarity restores to my senses.

“Take this and get back in there, Lucas.” Cassandra hands me a candy that I recognize, a berserker chew.

Popping the candy in my mouth, I turn and get back to running quickly. “Thanks, Cassandra! I owe you!”

She calls back something but it’s lost to the wind in my ears. Wincing as someone else is struck off the wall, I see Cassandra run over to them to help.

‘I need to disable those sound attacks, they’re affecting everyone.’ Gritting my teeth, I withstand another strum from the crab. Leaping off the wall, I swap out my equipment loadout to Argo with my chain attached.

Swinging him out, I empower him with a swell of cutting water blades. The crab strums once more, making my senses deaden again, but I pull down with all of my might, trusting my earlier swing arc.

Through the chain, I feel my hit connect and something snap. The hermit crab makes a strange screeching noise before grabbing its claw and hiding inside its shell.

“Oh no you don’t!” Argo flies back to me, landing in my hand rather than my face this time. Unequipping the chain, I burst myself into the air with a gust of wind. Plotting a Course over the crab shell, I empower myself with another Crashing Wake.

Swinging down, Argo connects with the shell, causing a loud crack to emanate from it. Moments later, actual cracks break down the sides of the shell, shattering it into pieces. The giant claw of the fiddler crab swats me out of the air, smashing me into the wall.

My iron maiden potion ran out at some point, so my physical defenses are lower than the last time I took a hit. The wind is knocked out of me and I cough up some blood.

The crab’s claw is repaired and it fires another sonic attack into me as I’m embedded in the wall. The stone around me crumbles from the force and I cry out in pain. A splitting headache forms as I feel my eardrums pop under the pressure of the attack.

The entire world becomes silent and ringing as I try to repair my eardrums with Promethean. Paying more attention to my sight and Primordial Perception, for now, I dodge a further strike from the crab by jumping from the wall.

Several people move into position, attacking it with ranged and melee attacks or magic to buy me time. All of them are bleeding from the ears at this point, having dealt with the sonokinesis of the hermit crab for so long.

Remembering another tool in my kit, I activate Storm’s Rage. My aura lashes out at the crab, cutting through one of the strings on its claw with some effort thanks to Honed Will.

It fires another soundwave at me, but I bring up several thin pillars of earth in front of me to break up the attack. The resultant sonic blast is tolerable and I only feel my body shudder somewhat from it.

Hearing returns as I finally finish repairing my eardrums. The fiddler crab seems frustrated that I’m still standing. A swell of mana fills the air as it plucks another of its strings. ‘Uh oh.’

Stomping hard on the ground, countless spikes of crystal stab up from the ground in front of me to break up the soundwave that’s about to come at me.

Firing several aquatic blades at it, they dissipate as the sonic wave disrupts their form. The attack hits the crystals and they chime dissonantly, breaking up some of the blast but the remainder hits me.

Slamming into the wall behind me, the blast continues to assault my body. The stone around me begins to crumble from the force. A pit of anger settles in my stomach and I force myself to focus.

Pulling on Storm’s Rage with as much will as I can muster, I smash my aura into the force pressing me into the wall. It lessens considerably and allows me to push back harder.

A high pitch screech begins to sound out from our clashing attacks as a continuous cutting force from my aura breaks apart the soundwaves.

The crab continues to strum its remaining strings as I push back with my aura. My mana plummets considerably, but I manage to pop several of Cassandra’s mana candies as well as some healing candies into my mouth, restoring my resources to safer levels.

Unleashing the full force of my aura now that I can focus, it smashes through the crab’s attack, knocking it backward and leaving a large gash across its chitin.

Dumping the remainder of my mana into a final attack, I dash forward and swing upward with Argo. My aura cleaves forward with the swing, closing the gap of distance between us and cleaving the fiddler crab in half.

Panting heavily, I take out one more healing potion of my own and down all of the doses. I follow this with a mana potion and jump up on the wall to survey the scene around me.

Becky is still in combat with the rending mantis, but Adreanell is by her side firing coins and beams of light. Colt is in the sky fighting the warp hawk. Cassandra is running from person to person, treating their wounds.

Leaping down from the wall, I slam Argo into the back of the weakened mantis. It crushes under my force, collapsing to the ground. Becky walks up to the still-squirming body and finally cleaves the head off with a Trim.

She takes a healing potion out of her boutique and downs it, the cuts on her arms and legs mostly sealing up. Adreanell looks mostly fine aside from a single cut on her shoulder.

Colt finally lands the killing strike on the warp hawk and brings its body crashing to the ground with him on top of it.

People around us cheer as all the monsters have been cleared up. A strange quiet falls as everyone turns to address their statuses after the fighting.

Level up! For showing the true force of your will as an Anchorist, your Talent: Adept Anchorist has reached (18/50)!

Level up! For using your magic in strategic fashions, your Talent: Fledgling Mage has reached (46/50)!

Level up! Slash resistance has reached (2/100)!

Level up! Crush resistance has reached (2/100)!

You have gained the resistance: Sound Resistance (1/100)!

Fiddler Crab defeated! 5141 XP awarded!

Fiddler Crab dropped: 5 Sparks, 13 Glints, 1 Gleam, and Fiddler Crab Claw

Rending Mantis defeated! 1082 XP awarded!

Rending Mantis dropped: 11 Glints, Rending Mantis Scythe Shard

Umbraccoon defeated! 176 XP awarded!

Umbraccoon dropped: 17 Sparks, 2 Glints

Warphawk defeated! 17 XP awarded!

Warphawk dropped: 3 Sparks

Level up! You have achieved level 24, you are awarded 5 unallocated stat points, +80 MP, +0.8 HP regen, +2.7 MP regen, +32 Strength, +49 Endurance, +16 Dexterity, +34 Intelligence, +53 Attunement, +29 Willpower, +9 Charisma, and +21 Insight. 3773/9645 remaining until level 25.

For reaching your third stat milestone in Endurance, your Health Regeneration factor has doubled!

‘Holy shit.’