Chapter 138 (1/2)

Randidly could still sense how this was somewhat similar to Engraving. But they were so far apart from each other… It was like comparing the act of writing a novel to a child learning to write letters. There were flows and twists, eddies and splits. The most important difference was that it felt whole and organic, in a strange way. The thing that these mysterious hands were creating inside of Randidly was something that was living, and could change and evolve. It was weaving potential into every line and curve.

It was, he assumed, a path. The path that failed to be created previously. Which perhaps meant this was some entity related to the system? And if someone was going to all this trouble to make it, it was undoubtedly a very special one. Or at least he hoped so.

Randidly’s instincts continued to scream at him, because the hands moving inside of him, shaping the Aether, was an extremely invasive and uncomfortable feeling. But he didn’t dare move. This being appeared able to interfere with notifications. Although the potion Randidly had obtained had been able to do that, it was just making them invisible to him. That didn’t change the effects of them.

This was on the level of adjusting the notifications. Randidly was suddenly struck by the strange feeling that whoever this was, understood in a very sophisticated way how the system worked. And if this person could learn…

Randidly resolved himself to try too, as those hands moved, more and more quickly. So he focused inward, ignoring the urge to vomit, and watched the motions. The continued to twist and tie Aether together, and then deftly compress it into smaller parts, moving onto other things. Like so, an infinitely complex arrangement made of thousands of runes of the type Randidly had made, was pressed into a tight shape.

Then the shape glowed.

But before the hands departed, they moved deeper within him. He felt those invisible fingertips on each of his skills, lingering especially long on the Runic rarity skillset. Then they moved forward, and gently landed on his Soul Skill, swirling at his core. For a long time, those fingers stayed there, carefully feeling the shape of it, tracing its contours, almost pulling and stretching it slightly, as if to see more.

Then after the hands seemed satisfied with his soul skill, the hands reached back to the strange shape it had made inside of Randidly and twisted and pulled deftly, seemingly tying a knot. Then the Aether seemed to click into place.

Randidly gasped; the hands were gone, and his body began to burn.

Congratulations! Your path *(&832h089Ll; has transformed into the Lonesome Spear Path 0/100!

Randidly collapsed backwards, breathing heavily. For several long minutes, he stared intently at the most recent notification. The Lonesome Spear, huh…?

Cautiously, he put his remaining PP into it, 1 at a time. At 25 PP, he received the first notification.

Congratulations! You have earned +50 Health!

He received another at 50 PP, giving him +50 mana, before he settled at 73. Likely 75 would be +50 Stamina, but Randidly wondered what the completion bonus would be. Because honestly, the rewards so far were… much less than he expected for something that required the interference of strange, mystical hands.

Randidly considered broaching the topic of those hands with Shal, but he was worried. After all, it was hard to tell how widespread the knowledge of Judgement would be. It is possible that the system would somehow encourage people like him to be hunted.

But then Randidly shook his head. Shal wouldn’t be like that. But still, it was a dangerous topic. Best to broach the topic carefully.

After checking the time, Randidly once more returned to meditating, trying to restore himself to a better condition in the remaining 10 minutes until he needed to meet Shal. Undoubtedly, considering his master’s methods, it was going to be a long night.

*****

Claptrap sat bolt upright, scared out of his mind. He obviously wasn’t at a high level of skill or physical prowess, he had still put quite a few points into perception, in order to more effectively examine the quality of armor. But now, in the dead of night, there was a figure standing in the dark over his bed, looming like the shadow of death.

But then the figure produced a lamp from somewhere, and produced a soft light, illuminating most of his features, revealing an easy smile. Claptrap’s heart initially eased, because he recognized this man as the smiling man who had been with the Crashing Wave Style, but then began to pound, because the fact that he had come here in the night…

“Hello,” The man said simply. “You may refer to me as Artisan Dwei. We have some business to discuss. Nod if you understand.”

Claptrap nodded woodenly, his fear withdrawing somewhat, and his merchant mind coming to the fore at the mention of business. But that moniker hung in the air between them. Artisan. Although it was the least of the titled recognition provided by the Spearman School, it was still a level that only 1 in 10,000 reached. In a city like Qtal, very few would go against an Artisan. Although there were Adepts present in the city, there were only 20 or so of them, and they mostly kept to themselves, concerned with affairs far above the average citizen.

To be visited in the dead of night by an Artisan was an implicit threat. But it was also an opportunity, because Claptrap still breathed. And though panic made him want to hide his face, he could also see Ciel’s gentle smile. And for her…. he would do anything. He would seize any opportunity he had to.

Artisan Dwei chuckled. “It’s good to see you have some spine. I’ll be short. As many of those engraved armors you have… the Crashing Wave Style will buy them. In bulk. 10 silver per piece of armor, above the usual price for that armor, provided the quality of the base armor is satisfactory. If the efficiency is about 60%, an additional 30 silver. 100 bonus silver pieces for any piece of armor that reaches 80%. If you can obtain better than that, we can talk prices further, but I doubt that is possible, based upon your… previous wares.”