I stopped worrying about that a moment later. This was going to be the time it worked. I fixed my gaze on the next cube of bio-metal, its dull sheen under the workshop's artificial light seemed to beckon for another attempt. I took a deep breath, centering myself, pushing aside the failures and focusing on the potential of this moment.

  This time, I approached the cube with a newfound respect, a recognition of its complexity and the intricate dance of its internal strands. It was as though my occupational increase had also made me better able to understand the Crembori tech. That seemed off somehow, but it was still what I felt. Not that I could suddenly understand the science, but rather that I got an intuitive level of understanding about how it functioned, or rather how I could make it function.

  At the same time, there was a subtle but distinct shift in how I perceived mana. The clues had been there all along, but I realized that even within Life Mana there was more than one application. It was now a spectrum of possibilities, each frequency a key waiting to unlock a specific reaction.

  I reached out with my mana, not through physical touch, but through an extension of my will. The cube sat on the wooden block, inert and unassuming, yet full of potential. In that, I felt a connection to it. That was what Forerunners were after all. Previously inert bodies were limited, but the system had opened up so much potential for me.

  I started with a low frequency, a gentle hum of life mana that caressed the cube rather than invaded it. The cube remained solid, but I felt a flicker of resonance, a whisper of acknowledgment from the metal.

  Encouraged, I adjusted the frequency, tuning it like a musician searching for the right note. As my singing had demonstrated, I didn’t have a stitch of musical aptitude, but this was something else. The cube began to shimmer slightly, its surface rippling as if disturbed by a gentle breeze. It was responding, not with dramatic change but with subtle shifts that suggested I was on the right path.

  Dan’Or's presence faded from my awareness as I honed in on the interaction between my mana and the bio-metal. Time seemed to dilate, the room and its contents blurring at the edges of my concentration. My entire being focused on the cube, on the delicate balance of energy and form. There was an innate resistance in the metal as though it didn’t recognize the mana.

  Why should it? The Crembori referred to mana as an irregularity. It sorta was at least to how I’d understood reality before the system. In the books I read, magic was always the plot tool used by authors for whatever they couldn’t explain otherwise. But I could see it. A connection between my mana and the metal. I began to weave it in like fine fibers piercing through and running with the fibers of metal.

  I pushed a bit more, the mana's frequency increasing in complexity. The cube started to elongate, strands within it unwinding and reconfiguring under the guidance of my will. It was a slow, painstaking process, each adjustment a conversation between creator and creation.

  The metal stretched further, taking on a cylindrical shape. It was a basic form, but even his limited success was exhilarating. The cube, once rigid and defined, now mirrored my intent, reshaped by the application of Life Mana. My mind was running wild with the possibilities.

  I dared to push further, envisioning a spiral structure complex and delicate. The cylinder twisted, its form becoming more intricate as I layered commands through the nuanced application of mana. It was like coaxing a plant to grow in a particular direction, a natural process guided by an external force. I still couldn’t get it to form into a gauntlet like I’d originally intended, but even fairly complex shapes seemed manageable.

  The bio-metal spiraled into the desired shape, a helix that glowed faintly with the residual energy of the transformation. It hovered above the wooden block, as a proof of concept for my occupation. It was a melding of science and magic, of Crembori technology and human-enhanced intuition.

  Dan’Or finally spoke, breaking the spell of concentration. "You’ve done it. I don’t know quite what it is, and my sensors still can’t explain how the metal is being shaped, but whatever strange ability you’ve developed, it appears to be connected to the irregularity. Scientists at home are going to want to examine you more than ever.”

  I chuckled, “They’ll probably have to get in line. But don’t get too excited, I was trying to make an armored gauntlet for my hand, so I came up a bit short.”

  Even as I spoke, I looked inward at my status sheet to see that my occupation had progressed another 37% toward the next level. This was just the beginning of so many great things.

  Over the next ten days, I went on my nightly missions. I tried to take simple ones, counting on the fact that I’d gained so many world points on the Darje mission. I figured that I could afford to make one or two thousand points each night to feel productive. It had the added benefit of allowing me to gain eight more levels, but that was only a side effect. Even the gains I made training each day were just an extra to me.

  The real purpose for the missions was to help level my crafting. I was focused on attempts at creating armor with bio-steel. When it finally happened, I felt a certain level of shock.

  Congratulations, you have crafted your second functional item with your occupation.

  Occupation: Junkman Artificer Level: 6 (52%)

  This is also the first item to combine an advanced technology .

  Fluid Gauntlet (Rare) – this small disc of compressed bio-steel attaches to the back of your hand. Then, with a simple infusion of mana it will expand to cover your hand and arm up to the elbow in a pliable level of armor. Protective value is masterwork quality. Elemental diffusion is high. Resistance to cutting and piercing damage is high. Resistance to blunt damage is extreme.

  I grinned from ear to ear. Now it was time to go on a recruitment mission.

  Stats 2.3

  Name: Silas Renner Rayden

  Clan: Rayden, inner family. 1000 merits

  Race: Human (Basic)

  Age: 22

  Height: 6’4”

  Weight: 235 lbs.

  Class: Force Mage-Death Healer-Bio-Charger-Vestigial Hunter (Uncommon)

  Level: 58

  Total XP: 283,990

  XP to Next Level: 26,080

  Occupation: Junkman Artificer

  Level: 6 (52%)

  Trade skills-

  Carving 2

  Metal Working 6

  Design 2

  Glass Working 1

  Stats:

  Strength: 244/219 (+10%)

  Dexterity: 83/58

  Agility: 290/245 (+10%)

  Vitality: 305/285

  Durability: 259/236 (+10%)

  Endurance: 216/186 (+10%)

  Mind: 380 (+20%)

  Will: 352 (+10%)

  Charisma: 141 (+20%)

  Perception: 269/259 (+10%)

  Available Stat Points: 64

  HP: 3050

  HP Regen: 881/381 /hour (+25%)

  Stamina: 2160

  Stamina Regen: 216/minute

  Mana: 4560

  Mana Regen: 484/minute (+25%)

  Titles:

  One Small Step/One Giant Leap: Double level related stat gains.

  Blood Bather IV: Gain an evolution by bathing in the blood of an enemy.

  Smarter than Your Average Bear +10% effectiveness to Mind

  Here to Pump You Up: +10% effectiveness to Strength, +1 Strength/level

  I’ve Got My Eye on You: +10% effectiveness to Perception.

  Never Gonna Give Up: +10% effectiveness to Will

  Hear the Thunder, Ride the Lightning: +10% effectiveness to Agility

  Hate the Game not the Playa - +10% to effective Charisma.

  Words May Hurt Me but Sticks and Stones Never Will- +10% to effective Durability, +1 Durability/level.

  Energizer Bunny- +10% to effective Endurance

  Monster Hunter III (rare) – gain 15% effective stats whenever fighting a monster of a higher tier. +20 Agility, +15 Durability, +10 Vitality.

  Evolutions:

  Mana-infused Squirrel: 70%

  Spined Fox- Boss variant: Complete (spines)

  Feathered-Bear- Domain Apex variant: Complete (roar)

  Darje Lineage Evolution: Complete (construction)

  Skills:

  Running: 38

  Throwing: 32

  Jumping: 31

  Blunt Weapons: 140/120

  Staff Combat: 162/142

  Short Blades: 29

  Grappling: 44

  Defensive Fighting: 109

  Sneak Attacks: 5

  Slashing Weapons: 113

  Polearms: 168/148

  Aerial Combat: 99

  Piercing Weapons: 39

  Unarmed Combat: 20

  Read the Room: 2

  Active Quests:

  None

  Active Abilities:

  1) Hunter’s Tether (Rare 4%)

  2) Shape Conjured Construct (Epic 6%)

  3) Force Projection (Epic 2%)

  4) Stealth (Basic- 98%)

  Inheritance: Spirit Walk (Epic 5%)

  Inheritance 2: Spirit Singing (Epic 3%)

  Passive Abilities:

  1) Adorably Harmless (Rare 38%)

  2) Symbiotic Healing (Uncommon 28%)

  3) Hunter’s Instinct (Uncommon 9%)

  4) Vampiric Aura (Rare 3%)

  Inheritance: Inspiring Presence (Rare 12%)

  Spells:

  Core Spells

  Boon-Bane (Rare 52%)

  Restorative Grace (Rare 3%)

  Mass Physical Boost (Uncommon 91%)

  Stealth Flight (Rare 3%)

  Killing Touch (Rare 1%)

  Magical Acceleration (Uncommon 84%)

  Inheritance: Eidolon ( Uncommon 99%)

  Common Spells

  Uncommon Spells

  Barbs of Slowing (Uncommon 49%)

  Traits:

  -Forerunner Abilities:

  Identify (common 22%)

  Translate (common 31%)

  Loot (Rare 0%)

  Save for Winter (unique-epic 7%)

  Mini-Map (common 8%)

  - Lifer- XP gained from quests and killing monsters while on Galen will increase by 25% or 50% while in the district containing Anwich. This will apply to party members and is multiplicative with party bonuses.

  -Inheritor I:

  Passive Ability: Inspiring Presence

  Active Ability: Spirit Walk

  Spell: Eidolon

  Boon: Boon of the Staff

  Title: Hear to Pump You Up

  Gear: Tunic of Durability

  Boons:

  -Boon of the Staff

  Gear:

  Assorted Potions (various)

  Staff of Blocking (uncommon)

  Ring of Blinding (uncommon)

  Belt of Life (uncommon)

  Fire Blast Wand (uncommon)

  Life Mage Shard (Rare)

  Tunic of Durability (Rare)

  2 x Uncommon Class Shard- Vestigial Hunter

  1 x Uncommon Class Shard- Force Mage

  Gloves of Precise Power

  Devil Scale Armor (Epic-Set)

  Boots of Shadow

  Clan Symbol

  Bio-steel Gauntlet

  Urg- Eidolon (Common- Vine Form)

  Strength: 170

  Dexterity: 15

  Agility: 138

  Vitality: 170

  Durability: 230

  Endurance: 110

  Mind: 40

  Will: 90

  Perception: 190

  Synergy: All plant based Abilities and Spells

  Unslotted Spells:

  Persistent Frost Cone (Uncommon 29

  Unslotted Abilities:

  Searing Arc (Uncommon 1%)

  Stealth (Basic- 10%)

  Immobile Damage (Uncommon 16%)

  Mage Shield

  Chapter 48- Back to Proximus

  Earth Countdown: 374 days, 8 hours, 12 minutes

  I’d put off the rest of what I needed to do for as long as possible. Working on my occupation was important, but there were other things I needed to do. I felt a bit bad about it. I still hadn’t gone to see Emil, and I hadn’t found a fifth team mate. None of the missions I’d gone on had convinced me that the races I’d visited, were the kind of people I wanted to deal with. There were a large number of humanoid species, but there were also several races who were dramatically different, ranging from butterflies to living sticks.

  Tonight, I was planning on going back to a Proximus. The Delmin race seemed powerful and perhaps helping them win against the Ceorgi had gained me some good will. Whoever I recruited was going to be on a trial basis at first, but it was worth trying.

  There’d been a mission waiting for me there for several days, I just hadn’t wanted to take it because it sounded a bit more intensive than the simple ones I’d been taking.

  Battle for Proximus Part II- you freed the Delmin people, but the war took a toll on their world. Secure a home for them and avoid any traps. Difficulty: Moderate to Variable. Time Dilation: 3:1. Reward: 3500 world points.

  Optional Secondary Objective: ??? Reward: Variable

  The uncertainties left me anxious about the mission, but it was still for the best. There wasn’t anything else to do for it, but to go. So I activated the portal after making sure I’d stocked up on supplies and even brought a number of tools and a hundred blocks of bio-steel.

  The moment I activated the portal, a familiar sensation washed over me—a mixture of anticipation and the slight disorientation that always accompanied the transition between worlds. The swirling vortex of colors enveloped me, pulling me through the fabric of reality with a force that felt both exhilarating and daunting. The journey through the portal was a brief one, yet each time it felt like I traversed vast distances where time felt eternal and simultaneous. It was a shortcut through the cosmos that defied all natural laws.

  As I stepped out of the portal, the harsh glare of a sun hanging low in the sky greeted me, casting long shadows across a desolate landscape that stretched out in all directions. The air was hot, dry, carrying the scent of sand and desolation. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness, but when they did, the sight that unfolded was one of stark contrast to the green grass and trees outside my shed.

  The remnants of Proximus stretched desolately before me, where once a flourishing city had stood, now lay a tragic tableau of medieval devastation. The city I remembered had been on lockdown, yet it had been filled with vibrant displays of magic unique to the Ceorgi. They might have become my enemies, but I felt a certain connection with them because of their use of Life Mana. That, or perhaps it was just guilt over my part in their downfall.

  Tall stone buildings, which had showcased the pinnacle of their architectural achievements, were now reduced to piles of rubble. Their once-sturdy walls, were crafted from the finest quarried stone and held together by both mortar and enchantment. Now, they lay scattered across the landscape in large, broken slabs and smaller, dust-covered fragments. Those walls had never stood a chance after I brought down the magical dome.

  Wooden structures that had dotted the cityscape, serving as homes, marketplaces, and meeting halls, were now nothing but charred timber and ash. The intricate carvings and magical sigils that once adorned their frames—symbols of prosperity and protection—had been consumed by fire, leaving behind only the faintest outlines in the scorched remains. As I walked down into the city and through the ruins, I saw many details which I hadn’t noticed before. I’d been so new to my role as a Forerunner.

  Cobblestone paths, meticulously laid and enchanted to endure the wear of centuries, were upturned and cracked, their magic dissipated, revealing the earth below. Stones jutted up like broken teeth, while some had been violently blasted apart by the bombardment and vented fury of the Delmin.

  Gone were the sounds of children, the voices of merchants in the market, and even the squeaking of wagon wheels. That silence weighed on me. I felt a heavy heart. This could be Earth if we didn’t win, or even if we became a dungeon world… Would there come a time when some alien Forerunner arrived on Earth and treated us as NPC’s in a game?

  In this new landscape of destruction, the remnants of the Ceorgi's daily life were buried under layers of stone and wood. Utensils, clothing, and the occasional personal trinket could be seen jutting out from the debris, half-buried reminders of the lives that were abruptly halted. I had to live with that. The evil they were doing was the only balm to a conscience that pricked at me, from all the destruction laid before me. I grit my teeth when I saw the remains of a Ceorgi child, dead in the arms of what I took to be a parent, I found little solace and guilt twisted my stomach into knots.

  As I navigated through the desolation, my path was suddenly interrupted by a commotion. Ahead, a group of Delmin, their tall forms easily distinguishable against the backdrop of destruction, were fleeing in panic. These beings, towering over an average human by several inches, moved with a desperate speed. Their bodies were a study in contrast—narrow waists expanding into robust hips and broad chests, all covered in pale yellow skin that seemed to absorb the harsh sunlight.

  Atop their heads, bony ridges ran back from their foreheads, a natural armor against unseen threats. Their eyes, large and vertically stacked, scanned their surroundings with evident fear. Despite the chaos, the physical prowess of the Delmin was unmistakable. Even in flight, their movements were fluid and powerful.

  However, their flight was cut short by the pursuit of two cloaked figures. The first wielded scimitars with a deadly grace; each blade reflected the dying light as it sliced through the air. This figure moved with a predator's precision, their steps calculated to close the distance between them and their prey.

  The second figure, wielded a staff, and hung back slightly. With deft movements, they launched magical attacks that illuminated the ruins with their arcane energy. Bright flashes of light and concussive blasts of power erupted from the staff, targeting the Delmin with ruthless efficiency.

  The Delmin who turned to confront their attackers were met with swift violence. Those facing the dual-wielding figure found themselves outmatched in close combat. The scimitars moved in a blur, cutting down the defenders with strikes too fast to be countered. Those who happened to make it past the swordsman were struck by spells of water and ice, their bodies were thrown back by the impacts. They didn’t even have time to scream, their faces locked in a rictus of fear and anger as they fell, lifeless and frozen. Some shattered as they hit the ground.