I can’t stop thinking about the beast core that I acquired during my first delve into a rift with Tem. It’s long-gone, claimed by the [General]’s goons, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. I wasn’t in a position to make use of it back then. But what if this new Rift near Silaraon is fire-aspected? With a powerful enough boss, perhaps there’s a chance it could drop a core. If I can get one for Avelina, then perhaps I can make her a weapon that works as a focus to amplify her [Flame Jet].

Taking on a powerful monster of that caliber is definitely beyond my team’s capability right now, but I don't want to waste such a golden opportunity. “What would she get the best use from?” I ask myself, muttering as I pace the kitchen in my adopted family’s house. “A wand? A spear? A sword? A whip? A sword-whip?”

“Nuri? Everything all right?” Kirsi calls from the other room. “Hearing you recite a list of weapons makes me think I should gear up for a fight. You know, my Dad was a [Scrapper], and—”

“And you take after him, always ready to take out the trash in a fight?” I say with a laugh, finishing her old joke for her. She huffs, but I can tell that my light tone sets her mind at ease. Somewhat.

“Need lunch today?” she asks, bustling into the room with a fragrant-smelling knapsack already packed. My mouth waters. Apparently, she’s going to feed me whether I ask for food or not. I am one thousand percent all right with this arrangement.

Grinning, I kiss Kirsi and swipe the lunch food. “Off to work some magic, Ma. I’ll bring you something nice later.”

“I’ll hold you to it, ya rascal!”

I dash out the door before she sends me off with a shopping list. Gifts are way more fun than requirements. My mind made up about the Rift, I set off to visit my first and favorite master at the Silaraon Glass Works.

Predictably, Ember is neck-deep in work when I arrive. I tag along, wordlessly helping with tasks around the shop so that she can finish her inspections sooner. By lunch time, she tilts her head toward her office, indicating that I can unburden myself and share what’s on my mind. Amusement seems to radiate from her.

“You report the Rift yet?” I ask as soon as she sits down at her desk to eat. She simply nods in confirmation, and turns her attention back to her lunch, so I unpack the food Kirsi wrapped up for me that morning and tuck in.

“Probably the responsible thing to do,” I say around a mouthful.

She grunts, nodding again.

I smile to mask my disappointment. “You know, I kinda hoped that I might be able to harvest resources before they took over. Bet I could get a beast core for Ava. Imagine how potent her fire could be!”

Ember puts down her food, regarding me for a moment, and snorts out a blast of air through her nose. “They’re stretched thin right now. If you’re having second thoughts, you still have time to enter.”

I swallow my bite and frown, deep in thought. “Love ‘em to death, but the team isn’t ready. And I can’t clear the rift myself.”

“I wouldn't let you,” she scoffs.

“Does that mean you’ll join me?” I ask brightly, although I already know her answer will be no. She has too many responsibilities at the shop. Taking the day off to train us and giving pointers in the evenings is as far as she’s willing to go right now.

“No time. Hire an escort.” Ember finishes her last bite, brushes a crumb off her shirt, and stands. “Nuri? Don’t be stupid.” She squares her shoulders and stalks back into the workshop with the determination of a [Soldier] charging into a breach, signaling the end of our conversation.

I take my time to finish eating, write a quick thank you note that I leave on her accounting books, and slip out before she can rope me into imbuing a piece for one of her booths at the upcoming faire. I’ll help out, but later. I’m focused on my own projects today.

Hmm. What next? I ask myself as I stroll toward the town center. Perhaps my [Inquisitor] friends would be willing to come along for a price. It would afford us another opportunity to speak privately and discuss Tem in greater detail, plus Casella and Mbukhe could finally teach me more about reading another person’s core. They should be plenty strong enough to handle any threats that come our way in a lesser Rift.

I mark it down mentally on my ever-growing to do list. I already have more than I can get to in the next few years, but this one is time-sensitive. Before I can wrangle them into helping me with one of my crazy plans, I need to meet up with Ezio and go over his discoveries in seashell-based material science. He claims that he and Rakesh have had a breakthrough that will dovetail nicely with my advances in mana-imbuing.

I’m not sure I even need to use the seashell-inspired design anymore now that I’m capable of imbuing the glass directly. I can create a thin, molded sheet of glass overlaid on top of a full-body suit, build in my retention lattice, and envision durable and unbreakable as my concepts. Of course, enhancing properties of the material that already exist will make it stronger, but I’m not sure how much time we have to devote to the project.

Not to mention that I no longer can fall back on either [Architect of Unseen Worlds] or [The Eternal Glass Forge] in order to ensure a shell-like structure to the armor. Chasing my original plan may not be feasible without many months of trial and error.

My two favorite researchers are in a smug mood when I arrive at Ezio’s office at the SCA. For once, they’re not rushing about in frenzy mode; the two are sipping tea, seated sedately on the overstuffed, comfy chairs in front of the desk, and the faint scent of creamy vanilla makes me suspect the tea is spiked.

Shockingly, not a single book is open.

They didn’t seem to notice me when I slipped through the unlocked door, so I cough to announce my presence. “Good health to you, gentlemen.”

“Nuri!” Ezio says, rising to his feet and sweeping me up into a big hug. His cheeks are rosy, and the floral aroma of rum on his breath leaves no doubt that the pair are celebrating.

“What’s the occasion?” I ask, chuckling as I return Ezio’s unexpected show of affection. I’ve never seen him so jubilant before.

“Come! Join us, Nuri. This is your success,” Ezio says, gesturing at the chair grandly. He leans on the desk, searching around for another mug so he can pour me a cup of the rum tea.

“How so?” I ask, accepting the strong tea. Steam rises in a curly-cue from the ceramic mug. I search back through my mind for a reason for his lofty claim. I haven’t done anything lately, only come up with ideas.

Ezio pounds me on the back, making my cup of tea slosh around and spill a few drops on the carpet. “First shipment sold! My fat old [Merchant] cousin said you’re a walking gold-mine.”

“But I didn’t make anything yet,” I protest, more confused than ever.

“Not the seashell-armor. Your imbuing prototypes were a big hit. You should be proud. There are vanishingly few masters your age,” Rakesh says with a salute of his tea cup, which is even more gratifying than Ezio’s praise. Rakesh isn’t exactly known for flattery. He tells it as he sees it, and he’s downright brutal without meaning to hurt people’s feelings.

“Imbuing is a game-changer,” I say in reply, still a bit lost. All I did was make a few lesser copies of Melidandri’s mana orbs. Mine only have four levels, not ten, and they’re slower and less complex. Perhaps that’s why they’re popular. People can finish all the levels with some practice, unlike the soul-crushing challenge of the original glass mana puzzles.

“Indeed it is,” Ezio says, chiming in with more enthusiasm than usual. He’s positively glowing with good cheer. “Now, get your notebook. We’ve made a promising new breakthrough, and it’s high time we got back to work.”

I dutifully set down my notebook, but I can't help but feel skeptical. “Are you sure this design is worth exploring now that I can imbue?” I feel a bit like an icy, winter shower on a warm summer day. It's a strange reversal of fortune; I'm not used to being the business-like or mature one in our relationship. I’m extinguishing the good mood, as surely as dumping a bucket of water over a campfire, and that makes me shift in my seat uncomfortably.

Ezio bobs his head like a chicken pecking at feed in the farmyard. “Yes, absolutely. Not everyone has your talents. If we can get your colleagues to mass-produce the material, then we can still make inroads in the armor market. Add mana imbuing as a premium option, and I'm sure there will be wealthy nobles who will jump at the upsell. Mana imbuing is more lucrative, but it will probably account for less than five percent of our actual sales. We need to think about the bigger picture.”

“What do you think will be different this time? We never did succeed in commercializing the product.”

“We've come across a new gel derived from a type of slime monster in the Rift,” Rakesh explains, his enthusiasm for the topic almost palpable. “We believe that it will function marvelously as a thin layer in between twin glass plates. The gel should make a superior shock absorber to our previous attempt and work in conjunction with the crumple zones from the original design.”

“It should, but have you tested it?” I set aside the teacup and cross my arms. “Do you have any on hand? It will be difficult to verify the claims without a sample for testing.”

“Yes. Ready when you are,” Rakesh says. He snaps his fingers and the red flush flees his olive cheeks. His eyes are clear and composed, losing their glossy over-brightness. It must be nice to have an instant sobering Skill for times like this. “We can go to the studio now.”

“Now? I just came from there,” I splutter.

“No time like the present,” Rakesh says crisply. He fetches a handsome leather satchel from the corner of the room, where it's hanging from a wooden peg next to his cloak.

Meekly, I follow him back to the glass works. Might as well trial the new material sooner rather than later, even if I’m annoyed at backtracking. By the time the studio comes into view, my brief flash of irritation is long gone. The fires of ambition are burning within me once again.

“Back already, Nuri? Guess you couldn't get enough of us,” Avelina teases.

“Someone has to keep you slackers in line.”

“My job,” Ember says, striding through the main workspace with perfect timing.

“Our plan is to revisit the glass armor that Ezio commissioned before I left town. Give me a bench for the day?”

“Sure. But it will cost you.”

“We will ensure you're well compensated, Master Ember,” Rakesh hastens to assure her. She brightens at the promise, and he steals a glance at me to make sure I'm amenable.

I shrug. “Fine by me. Let's get to work!”

Our prototype seems more achievable than before. Armed with Rakesh’s new research ideas, not to mention my advances in glassworking and runic research, I’m confident of success. We might not get it this time around, but even if it takes a few weeks, I know that I'm on the right path.

Ember rents me a workbench on credit; she expects that I’ll pay her back with imbued items, which means that I’m vastly overpaying. But I don't mind, since I owe Ember everything.

Rotating my shoulders to limber up my body, I reflect on the thought of debts and payment. I owe a great many people a great deal of gratitude. It will be nice to earn enough money to pay them back in tangible ways. Ezio definitely deserves a return on his investment. I hate leaving projects unfinished, so I’m excited about returning to my old plans. It seems only fitting that Ezio’s disciple, Rakesh, will receive the first suit of properly-imbued, seashell-inspired glass armor.

Compared with my early attempts, my current approach almost seems like it belongs to a different person. My understanding of the craft is significantly more refined after working with Lady Evershed and Melidandri. Their expertise and contrasting styles pushed me forward faster than I ever dreamed possible. One day, I want to pay them back too. They deserve it.

“Now, pay special attention to the properties I've outlined,” Rakesh begins, shaking a sheaf of loose papers under my nose. He launches into a lecture, and I do my best to keep up.

A little over two hours after we begin, I’m ready to test the new materials. Initially, I planned to create my crumple zones, let the glass anneal, and then fill in the gel between the two layers. On a whim, I bond all three layers with a hot join, hoping that the fusion won't heat up the gel too much and make it brittle.

I’m itching to practice imbuing, but it seems sensible to create a prototype first so that we clearly understand its properties. A good material that already gets the job done will only be enhanced by excellent imbuing. Strength on strength.

Today is all about testing their discovery and experimenting with the new material. It's all right if I don't finish any armor just yet. Yet my enthusiasm gets the better of me, and I call over Melina and beg her to use her fast annealing Skill combination so that I can check if my improvising will pay off.

Melina teases me for my lack of patience, but I can tell she's just as intrigued as I am to see what I make. She sets aside her work, handing it off to her [Assistant], and rushes over to help me.

“Should only take a minute,” Melina says cheerfully. “My combination Skills ranked up after our fight with that huge bear. I’m twice as fast now.”

True to her word, the annealing process is far quicker than in the past. Magic is incredible to watch when it breaks the rules of traditional glassmaking. If I had to wait for this piece in the kiln, we would have to resume tomorrow.

“I volunteer to hit it with a hammer," Melina says once the glass is ready to test.

“Hey Mel, is Nuri gonna wear it for the test?” Avelina asks, breaking away from her workbench to punch her fist into the opposite palm. “I’ll fight you for the honor of smacking him!”

“I have the best friends,” I tell Rakesh.

He stares at me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am, I think, grinning madly.

Laughter and jokes fill the air while we run through impact and durability tests. The new design and materials hold up better than I anticipated, only cracking after a few dozen concentrated hits. Now that we know we're on the right track, I can build an entire set of imbued armor. Rakesh will be safe if he accidentally ends up in the middle of the fighting instead of turtling up nearby and directing the rest of us with his communication Skill.

I fling an arm around Rakesh’s shoulders. “Come on. Let's get you fitted for your glass armor. You're going to be the best dressed knight in Densmore, or at least the flashiest.”

While I drag him toward the break room to get a tape and take his measurements, I wonder if I should make a set for Avelina, too, instead of trying to make her a weapon. I don’t know if I can get her a beast core to help with her flames. Will I succeed in creating a suitable wand for her even if I do convince my [Inquisitor] friends to take out the Rift boss?

Making sure that Avelina is protected from harm seems like a safer bet. Melina can take care of herself with her temporal fields, but Ava is both our highest damage dealer and least-sturdy team member. She has no defensive Skills, no healing, no battlefield lockdown capabilities—if I don't count death as the best crowd control.

I chuckle to myself, drawing funny looks from my friends as I shake my head. Then again, maybe burning things is good enough.