“I really don’t understand why you’d want that,” Alexus sighed. “This design has so many weaknesses, it’s honestly embarrassing. My master wouldn’t even consider building such a blade harness. I’m being entirely honest when I tell you that this is gonna get you killed the first time you use it in the field.”

Kent stared at his friend, trying to explain his most recent idea without actually telling his friend what it was really for. His persona was slowly getting better at using throwing weapons, especially since Mosquito had picked up on working with throwing weapons after reaching level 5. So, it only made sense for him to carry around an assortment of the previously bought throwing daggers.

“Can you just humor me?”

“Alright Kent. Let me explain this one more time to you,” Alexus said slowly. “If someone has strong chains that connect different parts of their equipment that can be abused. You can get stuck on something, monsters can potentially drag you around and reduce your defensive potential, and that’s without speaking of the metal holsters.”

Alexus sighed audibly before continuing. Kent meanwhile was trying his best to come up with a good excuse.

“Even if we ignore that the holsters are made from metal and will without a doubt restrict your blood flow and maneuverability it’s a terrible idea. Even if high Vitality and Toughness can negate those effects, I doubt you’re in a position where that’s the case.”

“Unless of course that’s not what you want to use it for?” Alexus raised his eyebrow and began grinning. “You see, your arguments are really bad, you should have just been forthright about it. Of course, I’m gonna help you out with that, if that’s your and your partner's thing.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Kent wondered. He opened his mouth to ask what his friend meant.

Kent closed his mouth. Should I just act like I know what he’s talking about? That might work.

“Alright, alright. I should have. Could you just do me the favor and get this done?”

“Wow, I’m surprised you’re not even turning red. I’ll do it. But you gotta tell me. Who’s the lucky girl?” Alexus asked. “I’m a bit disappointed you haven’t told me about her the last time you were here.”

Kent had a feeling that this conversation was seriously drifting away from him. And he was honestly a bit lost.

“What girl?”

“Ohh, who’s the boy then? Do I know him?” Alexus asked, taking a break to consider. “I bet it’s Benard, he’d be down. Though I didn’t think he’d be your type.”

Then it dawned on Kent. He might have just made a big blunder. One he was not going to live down for the foreseeable future.

###

Kent’s thoughts drifted as he was working on an two dimensional projectile motion problem. Math was hard when he was tired. It was easier to just daydream.

It had been a few days since Kent had met Alexus to talk about equipment that could enable flight or at least emergency escape measure for him. A patchy few days at that.

While Kent had a lot of magical growth, he had slowed down gaining levels. This was partially due to his classes – though he was mentally done with those – which preventing him from leveling further. And, from Kent slowly approaching level thirty. Monsters were giving him less and less experience as he caught up in level, without a significant difference in level he wouldn’t be able to gain much from those fights.

While there were regions in the forest that spotted monsters closer to level fourty, those were in most cases very rare. That, however, wasn’t a huge issue, given that further out from the zones and the civilized region of Issar, monsters of every type of level could be found. He’d even learned of a level 38 scrambler dungeon under the control of the local conquerors. But he’d not try breaking in there.

Even if his stagnating progress annoyed him. He wanted to grow stronger, something that had turned out to be with his desire of stability. Hopes of keeping the same growth without as much stress had passed.

It had still been a good decision, simply due to gaining more and better weaponry. Which was expanded on by the training with all sorts of people and different situations. The most valuable would have to be time spent in the crawling and the total of three sparring sessions with Agatha, with the institute’s lessons at a close second..

While those were opportunities that were sort of unique to taking a break in a town – especially a frontier town like Farburg –, it became clearer that this had to end soon. Something had to change. Soon.

The only things that annoyed Kent a bit thus far was the leveling speed of the Daggers skill tree. He still hadn’t unlocked the final core tree he had available for now. It was what had almost certainly guaranteed his life, but by now they felt almost obsolete. His daggers worked well enough without Penetrate and Mosquito was helpful but not a necessity anymore.

“A Kata is there to teach you the instincts,” Agatha had said when he’d mentioned his feelings. “Of course, it’s not going to be as useful once you understand it. But they are the best teachers out there, and it will keep teaching you each time you advance.”

He was happy with reaching and passing level twenty-five though. But he could no longer be content with that sort of leveling speed. If he wanted realistic odds at slighting the institute he needed more than what he brought to the table right now.

While all his mana skills were developing rapidly, even Effect: Temporal Fitting, they were not enough to close a gap of centuries of warding and power by themselves. Even worse was that he had drastically adjusted his sleep schedule in the second half of the last week to eke out the fastest growth he could.

Sleep was for the weak as some said was certainly an interesting statement.

Kent thought it was the other way around. Only the truly strong could afford to sleep. Thus, he had learned to use his avowal as a timekeeping device. He would sleep until his mana had regenerated, use it up and go back to sleep. That tactic had worked well in terms of number growth, but he felt like he couldn’t keep up himself. He got just as much sleep now as a week ago, but it didn’t replenish his mental faculties as well as it had before the jarring schedule.

The Avowal of the Tranquil Pond promised more efficient sleep, so he had thought that he could get away with such a pace, apparently, that had been wrong.

Physically he was still fine though, so he would keep pushing as long as he was in the safety of Farburg.

“If you are not going to pay attention to what I’m saying I might as well just save us both the time.” Tehana said, anger palpable.

Kent looked up from the sheet of paper he’d been staring at for… a good amount of time. He wasn’t sure how long.

“I’m sorry teacher. My recent schedule, with work and study has taken quite the toll on me,” Kent said bowing slightly while being seated. “If you’d prefer to do so, I’d be inclined to go along with your recommendation.”

Tehana sighed in response, took a few steps towards him.

Kent felt the pressure in his head built as several physical and mathematical concepts invades his brain and took place within. A few practice exercises joined the information after a breath, followed by their solutions.

Over the last week Kent had grown to appreciate his teacher’s trait to no end. While it didn’t help with comprehension at all, it allowed him to work and improve in his own time. The added bonus that he hadn’t forgotten a single thing she had imparted to him thus far was just the berry on top.

“Enjoy your afternoon,” she said as a farewell. “I’d recommend you sleep.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

And with that Kent was out of the door. Taking a new path through the institute towards the exit. Mentally reviewing the concepts he’d just been imbued with.

If the x-axis is time and the y-axis velocity… Why would that equate to distance. Integrals are weird.

###

Kent rushed over the Hymdal’s hoping that Alexus really was able to finish the piece in the morning.

He reached the store and to his surprise didn’t meet up with Alexus.

“He’s with his family today. They are celebrating a breakthrough,” she smiled. “Seems like I’ll have competition once again. He did finish up the piece. Honestly, I don’t know if I would have wasted as much as you have on fetish gear. But it’s your choice.”

“It’s not…,” Kent began but was promptly interrupted.

“Don’t lie to me. I’m not judging. Go do you and your partner,” she chuckled at that and stepped back into the forge, leaving Kent next to a sunset red attendant.

“Good Afternoon,” Kent said as he left.

“Have fun,” came the words from the attendant.

A bell later the sun was approaching the horizon, and Kent stood a good distance away from Farburg. With most people gone from the lake Estes had shown him Kent deemed it safe enough to prepare the tests for the harness he had gotten made at Hymdal’s.

Kent had decided to spend the remainder of his money on a single piece of equipment instead of getting another weapon like he had originally planned. He would have liked going for proper armor but had given up on the thought as he considered his upcoming weeks and months. What he needed more than defense was a measure of rapid escape. And he didn’t have enough funds to buy real armor anyway.

He had played with a few ideas, but one out of the five he had seriously considered was the most interesting and financially affordable.

Options like Boots of Long Stride – something he had heard his uncle talk about a few times – were sadly several dozen mancus, but an option he would investigate once he had sufficient funds. Instead, he had asked Alexus to fashion him a harness. The boy had initially been reluctant – saying it was a waste of materials and he wasn’t even specialized in it – but had come around at Kent’s insistence and by jumping to conclusions.

It took him three days, a steel and acsium alloy that cost Kent all his money – roughly 3 and a half manci he had obtained from selling basic spell cores he had fund in a level thirty-two scrambler and a level thirty three drop-pig –, and a lot of measurements of Kents lower thighs, hip, chest and arms to come up with a satisfactory prototype.

Kent hoped that the individual metal rings that were connected through chain links wouldn’t end up being a vulnerability in combat as Alexus had predicted, but now, hidden under his normal garments they were barely visible. The four chains running from his legs to the hip ring weren’t going to be an issue as he was wearing pants anyway. The ones from his chest to his hips and from chest to arms could result in some severe downsides should he end up in melee combat or should they specifically be targeted.

An assortment of small sheaths that fit his throwing daggers had made selling the whole project to Alexus easier – who’d just grown even more confused as Kent specified those requirements. He’d grumbled a bit, but in the end done his best by creating an uncommon Chained Harness. Even though he was a weapon and equipment smith. Not an armor smith.

The harness held 18 knives in total which wasn’t as many as they could have fit, but a count that was deemed versatile enough without restricting Kent’s agility.

The boy had of course still been irritated, especially once he saw Kent wearing the garment out on the street. But if Kent only managed to somewhat accomplish his goal with this it would be worth it. Sadly, Kent could see where the irritated and confused looks came from. He had seen himself wearing the set of rings with interconnected chains in the mirror. The entire outfit not only looked terrible ineffective and as though he had escaped from a dungeon, or worse, but it also felt playful in a way – which wasn’t what Kent was going for at all.

The flimsy chains connecting the rings just didn’t look like they would be able to hold the strain they would come under. Alexus had, against his insistence, refused to increase their size or count, saying it would be a waste of material and a larger then necessary increase of weight.

Then again, he hadn’t told the other boy what he really planned on doing with it.

Kent would have to work on the next iteration with another smith if time and circumstance allowed it.

Kent strolled around the lake in a relaxed manner until the last group of people left, no longer wanting to stay out in the fresh early autumn air. Should he make a mess out of the testing, he would prefer no one to see it.

Kent pulled off the heavier cloth pieces he was wearing and stepped into the water. It was bound to be safer than trying this out in the air.

Every calculation he had attempted told him that he’d splatter against a tree or the ground if he did so. But before that, there was a final test he’d have to do.

He placed a piece of scrap metal under the water, stepped back a few steps and sent it off – up and away.

That looks promising, certainly slower than accelerating over the air. I do wonder how that is. Tehana said that skills of the sort should either have the entire output or none at all. He experimented a bit and confirmed what he’d already known.

The skill only fired off if an object could be moved. For example, stabbing a knife into a tree and using accelerate metal didn’t do anything. The skill refused to activate, happily draining his mana in the effort. Placing one onto the ground activated the skill, but it fizzled out draining mana but showing no effect, again.

Water, was different. Metal didn’t accelerate or get as fast in there, for whatever reason. Kent thought it made sense. Moving through water was a lot harder than through air. But it stumped him.

Regardless of how little he understood it, he found it to be a perfect medium to conduct his experimentin.

He checked his connection to the individual rings, all were still attuned, as they were supposed to. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped into the rust-brown yet clear water.

Kent had seen the vast amounts of acceleration his knives were under and sadly that amount was more or less fixed until he gained a new skill point, so this was his only choice of doing valid testing for a last resort measure.

He triggered Accelerate Metal on his chest and hip metal straps.

His whole body hurt as he came back to himself. He couldn’t tell how long he had been out, but it couldn’t have been long. He was still slightly drifting through the water. His entire body hurt, though especially the places where he’d been connected to the straps.

Taking a breath only made his body convulse, Kent’s body rejecting the water he’d sucked in. He realized the situation he was in after constricting a few times.

A few strained strokes brought him towards the barely visible surface. Black spots appearing across his periphery.

Maybe I should have invested a bit more in toughness, and Vitality, he thought as he pushed his aching body upwards. His legs felt numb, deadened from the one-sided compression force. That he could still move them was a relief.

He coughed as he reached the surface, he had gone surprisingly deep under. Then carefully swam ashore.

It took Kent a few minutes to gather himself and stop coughing. His shoulders, legs, and stomach – where the metal harness had pushed on – hurt a lot and so did his legs. He was sure that without the clasps he wouldn’t get the metal off any time soon.

They had been a good choice after all. He couldn’t wait to tell Alexus that he had been right after all.

After having calmed down he looked over his skills.

Kent Larsson [Level 28] [62%]

Pools:

Health: 397/397

Health Reg: 95 - 478 /d

Stamina: 378/378

Stamina Reg: 108 - 544 /d

Mana: 730/730

Mana Reg: 1242 - 6259 /d

Stats:

Vitality: 95

Toughness: 17

Endurance: 81

Strength: 30

Agility: 27

Senses: 18

Mind: 86

Magic: 365

Willpower: 414

Regeneration: 101

Skills:

Accelerate Metal (20/20) (999/1000 Exp.)

· Accelerate a previously attuned piece of Metal towards or away from you. Gravity does not affect the metal for the duration of acceleration.

· Acceleration: 354 m/s

· Weight: 100 kg

· Range: 400 m

· Cost: 2 mp/sec

Penetrate (11/20) (95/550 Exp.)

· Part of the damage dealt to armor is dealt to the wearer, as long as hardness is overcome

· Armor Penetration: 85 percent damage passthrough

· Cost: 6 sta/use

Metallic Affinity (20/20) (999/1000 Exp.)

· Skills and Spells that interact with Metal are boosted

· Boost: 200 percent

Metallic Extension (5/20) (142/250 Exp.)

· Infuses a touch based skill into an attuned metal piece.

· Retained Effect: 0.5

Mosquito (5/20) (85/250 Exp.)

Metallic Presence (16/20) (652/800 Exp.)

· Gain regular impressions of metal in your environment.

· Resolution: 0.01831563888873418m

· Frequency:

· Stored Casts: 16

· Range: 100 m

· Cost: 10 mp/sec

Effect: Temporal Fitting (11/20) (1144/1650 Exp.)

· Redistributes the majority of channeled skills effect into a smaller interval.

· Interval Strength: 0.91

· Interval Length: 0.02

Magical Wellspring (20/20) (999/1000 Exp.)

· Increases mana regeneration by a static factor

· Regenaration Boost: 200 %

Just two more levels until I can take Metallic Mastery. That’s certainly the skill that can help with this the most. And being able to buff my skills by another hundred percent at rank 10 is surely going to be handy. I’m just curious what the rank 11 – 20 effects are going to be. From what he had learned at the institute skills seldomly got below 0% in one of their effects and the mastery skills usually offered different abilities every ten ranks.

All in all, though Kent was happy with his experiment. Even if his skin was agitated in the locations corresponding to the metal bands, the chains had held up, the metal looked undamaged.

He determined that it would be able to get him out of a bind – potentially. Passing out due to the acceleration or the pressure of the water – Kent wasn’t quite sure which it was – was an issue but Metallic Mastery would help with that.

And a few things motivated Kent as much as potentially gaining a new skill that also enabled free flight.

Kent couldn’t help himself as he considered spending the night out here to grind one or maybe two levels.

His skills had grown by tremendous amounts, and he couldn’t wait to see how Effect: Temporal Fitting would perform in real world applications. His entire testing thus far had consisted of using a metal plate he had borrowed from Alexus to level the skill up.