Exiting Nature’s Meditation
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 57
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 56
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 56
Health: 4623/4623
Mana: 1580/1580
Stamina: 3588/3588
Stats:Vitality: 402(462)
Strength: 302(377)
Endurance: 312(358)
Agility: 257(282)
Intelligence: 240(264)
Wisdom: 144(158)
Willpower: 144(172)
Perception: 223(245)
Free Points: 8
General Skills:
Class Skills:
Profession Skills:
Bloodline:
Affinity:
Blessing:
Titles Collected:
Tutorial Points:
Previously only four of his stats had bonuses, now all his stats had them. Archie thought.
Archie thought as he took out the five people who attacked him. Hmm…The warriors look to be wearing plated chain-mail armor but upgraded with medallions, the same with their weapons. The archer is just the same as the warriors; leather starter armor that was upgraded with tokens, but her bow and quiver were still the same starter version.
The Mage however had very interesting gear.
Hood of Shadows (Uncommon):
A lightweight hood and half-cloak combination, made from Shadowstalker hide. Crafted by Jack Dullard, an E-Grade Adept Leatherworker. The cloak extends down the shoulders and upper chest, granting a modest shroud across the wearer's face in dimly lit or shadowy areas. While it does not render the wearer invisible, it aids in evasion and makes them harder to spot from a distance as well as granting a 2% increase in stamina regeneration. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Slight Increase to stealth within shadows. Status: Slightly Damaged. Requirements: Lv 50+, Dark Affinity & Humanoid Race.
, Archie thought. But then, confusion settled in.
Archie smirked, Nevertheless, the headpiece was useless for him, thus it was going in the to-be-sold pile alongside everything else he saw so far, including the wand. , Archie chuckled.
Archie then looked at the other piece of gear that caught his eye that the mage wore, a ring.
Ring of the Ashenhound’s Fury (Rare):
A robust, brass band ring crafted from the molten core of an Ashenhound. The ring boosts the wearer’s Strength and Endurance by harnessing the primal strength of the beast. Effects: Soul-Bound & Self-Repair. Provides: +25 Strength & +15 Endurance. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 45+ & Humanoid Race.
, Archie thought as he slipped the ring on.
The vanguard—no, bulwark—he corrected himself—had standard steel armor. The shield was made from a crab’s exoskeleton, but honestly, it was useless. , Archie decided.
“Well, no time like the present to smelt this stuff,” Archie sighed, pulling out his forging equipment.
He stripped the armor off the bulwark and removed the leather straps holding it in place. “The smith who made this didn’t even bother with full sleeves or leggings. Why? It’s simple enough: get the measurements, make the parts, then solder them together. Just make sure to account for joint maneuverability,” Archie muttered, confused about what the smith was thinking.
Archie easily ripped the chestplate in half, piling the steel scraps from the bulwark’s armor and other steel scraps from previous works into a heap. He scooped up some of it, placed it into the small crucible, and used Forgesmith’s Flame
Creating a mana string, Archie took out an ingot mold from his spatial storage and placed it on the table. Carefully, he poured the molten steel into the mold and let it rest. he thought.
Archie examined the ten freshly made steel ingots on the table before turning his attention to the boots he’d received from Bill. He considered how to enhance them.
, Archie mused.
He grabbed two of the newly forged steel ingots and placed them into the forge, waiting until they glowed a molten red. Once heated, Archie set them on the heavy-duty anvil and hammered them together until they fused into a flat piece, maintaining a thickness of two inches. Placing the piece on the anvil’s horn, he carefully shaped it into a half-cylinder.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Once he was satisfied with the shape, Archie aligned the half-cylinder over the shin section of the right boot and used his Forgesmith’s Flame
Archie grabbed the right boot and examined the area where his toes would go. He decided to create a full half-circle toe guard with three interconnected shingles, bent slightly upward to allow for ankle mobility.
He opted to start with the three shingles. He grabbed a singular steel ingot and repeated what he had done. Once he had crafted a smaller half-cylinder, he switched to his precision hammer and carefully split the half-cylinder into three even segments using the slanted edge of his anvil.
, Archie thought. He grabbed four nail-like pieces of shrapnel and used his Forgesmith’s Flame
Archie then soldered the shingles together with the rivets acting like hinges allowing him to move his foot up and down without issue. Placing the foot guard on the table, Archie quickly made a toe guard.
Archie then soldered the toe guard on the tip of the boot. Afterwards, he placed the bottom shingle with the toe guard and soldered the two together.
Placing the boot down, Archie took a step back and nodded at his creation. , he thought.
Archie looked at his now-plated boots with a smile before taking out his scriber and quickly scribing the Impact Absorption rune on the soles of the boots. , Archie thought.
Identifying the boot made Archie smile and scratch the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t think that would happen,” Archie chuckled. “I’ve got a lot to learn and experiment with.”
Steel Plated Shadowstalker Boots (Rare):
Dark leather boots crafted from the hide of a Shadowstalker and reinforced with plated steel. Created by Bill Evans, an F-Grade Novice Leatherworker, and Archie Gracefield, an E-Grade Novice Forgesmith. Due to the innate properties of Shadowstalker hide, your footsteps become completely silent when hidden, with the effect further amplified when you are within shadows. Additionally, the Impact Absorption rune nullifies all footstep sounds, whether hidden or not, and cushions fall from certain heights. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Enhanced Shadowstalker Steps. Provides: +30 End & +25 Agi. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 55+ & Humanoid Race.
"Well, at least I succeeded," Archie said, slipping on the boots. "I love how I'm slowly becoming a ninja as time goes on. My feet are lighter than clouds, I like jumping across trees and I like living in dark caves away from everyone.”
Archie then placed his forging equipment back into his spatial ring and started to practice his Mana Manipulation
Archie decided to focus on the mana flow control exercise. , he thought, activating his skill. He cradled the flame in his palms, watching it intently. The tinges of green on the flame were just as they always had been.
Archie concentrated on channeling mana toward the flame. Increasing the mana made it stronger; reducing the mana made it shrink. Gradually, he brought the flame down to a sputter, using only the smallest amount of mana to keep it alive. Then, he pushed as much mana as he could into it, causing the flames to surge up to four feet high. Sweat trickled down his forehead.
Recalling a scene from a show he had once watched, Archie decided to try meditating while keeping the flame active. Activating
Archie realized.
Determined to experiment, he began synchronizing the flow of mana into his flame with his breathing.
Inhale—increase mana. Exhale—decrease mana.
Archie repeated this cycle, losing track of time. He was determined to master the fluid control of mana flow within this skill.
Archie opened his eyes, deactivating Nature’s Meditation
He deactivated Forgesmith’s FlameThat was surprisingly easy when I visualized the flame’s size with my breathing, he thought. A small smile crept across his face.
“I wish I could have done this when Daniel passed,” he murmured, touching the spot where the tree branch had once been lodged, just below his ribs.
He recalled the sleepless nights spent sitting beside Daniel’s grave, crying.
Memories started to flood his mind, almost overwhelmingly so. Archie quickly closed his eyes and reactivated
he thought while deeply inhalingArchie exhaled.
He deactivated his skill and walked toward the seashore, where he studied his reflection for a while before washing his face. he thought,
Turning to his notifications, he noted the level-ups in his race. It brought a small measure of comfort—proof, perhaps, that he was becoming someone closer to who he was meant to be.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 57– Points allocated, +4 Free Points**Your Race has reached Lv 58– Points allocated, +3 Free Points**Your Race has reached Lv 59– Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgraded: [Forgesmith’s Flame (Initiate → Uncommon)]Forgesmith’s Flame (Uncommon):
The flame of a Forgesmith is an essential skill throughout the forging process. This flame is the embodiment of your will made manifest, serving as a reflection of your spirit. As a Novice Forgesmith, you have already overcome a significant hurdle that has caused many others to falter and give up. However, remember that refining one’s flame is a long and demanding journey. The Forgesmith can summon a flame, capable only of emitting heat, as it is not a tool for combat but a focused force for creation. When using the Forgesmith’s Flame, it grants a low bonus to Willpower.
