He readied himself, expecting violence. Seconds passed, but it felt more like minutes and no danger readily presented itself. Calming himself he finally took time to look around the room. The room was dark, lit only by dim torches spaced evenly along the stone walls. Cool, musty air filled the space, heavy with the scent of old wood and dust. It was noticeably cooler than the volcanic hell he had just escaped, as if the dungeon itself was buried deep beneath the earth, shielded from the surface heat. The chamber resembled a lobby of sorts, like somewhere you would sit while waiting for your name to be called. Smooth stone walls and a wide desk positioned against the far side. Two doors stood on either side of it; their surfaces worn smooth by time or use.

  A system message appeared.

  [Dungeon Condition: Knowledge Over Mastery]

  [Combat functions suppressed unless necessary]

  “Well, that's different.”

  Another message followed immediately.

  [Dungeon Rules Established]

  Violence is prohibited.

  Progress is measured through creation.

  To exit the dungeon, the user must create a functional item.

  The item must not be:

  Looted

  Forced

  Improvised through combat

  It must be:

  Designed

  Crafted

  Stabilized

  Incomplete or conceptually flawed items will be rejected.

  Hector blinked.

  “So instead of killing something, I have to make something? That is totally different than what I am used to.”

  The idea stirred something unexpected in him. Instead of fighting this time, he would be making something. That was another form of strength he supposed. Being able to create something out of what he had on hand could be valuable depending on what it was. Might even give a purpose to all the creature parts he had building up in his inventory; a little Spring cleaning was needed in that area.

  “How am I supposed to craft anything without a crafting skills though?”

  With no obvious answers in the lobby, he approached the door beside the desk and pushed it open. Once his eyes adjusted to the new lighting, his heart jumped for joy as he realized what he was looking at. Bookshelves stretched endlessly in every direction, towering from floor to ceiling. Thousands of volumes filled the space, packed so tightly that it felt less like a library and more like a living archive. The faint scent of ink and parchment hung in the air, he pulled the nearest book free.

  “Are You My Mummy? A Midwife’s Guide to the Undead.”

  He stared at the cover, a little unsure of what to make of it.

  “…What?”

  That one went back, and another book followed.

  “Four Hundred and Twenty Uses of Medicinal Herbs for Recreational Purposes.”

  He snorted. “Tempting, but probably not the best use of my time.”

  He replaced it. “I need to survive first, then we can take a deeper look into fantasy weed.”

  Most of the books were serious though, maybe the earlier two were just outliers. Rune smithing volumes filled with rigid symbols and precise rules. Alchemy manuals detailing ratios, temperatures, and preparation times. Blacksmithing texts describing furnace heat, metal purity, and forging sequences. Crafting rooms branched off throughout the library. Each contained tools and materials specific to its discipline.

  He spent a great deal of time exploring the bookshelves, looking for topics of interest. His main problem currently was that so many of the books provided options that sounded fun and effective. After viewing the multitude of choices available to him, he decided the best way to figure out what he would like was just to try out everything he could. Thankfully, the facility came equipped with more than books. Off to the side a large number of the workshops were available. These workshops had tools and components needed to support an aspiring crafter. These workshops allowed him to test out the craft, and he took full advantage of it.

  Alchemy proved too complex, the ingredients unfamiliar and the formulas unforgiving. Blacksmithing felt wrong, despite his strength and endurance. The deeper principles resisted him, as if the craft itself rejected his touch. He did not get discouraged he simply moved onto the next craft. Enchanting, Arcane Forging, Woodworking, Shadow Weaving, Spirit Binding, Whisper Smithing, hours quickly turned into days, but... nothing clicked.

  Some tomes refused to be read at all. Though the language was unfamiliar, the system translated most of it seamlessly. Others blurred, blacked out, or slipped from comprehension entirely, as if access itself had been denied. He knew that if he wanted to leave this dungeon he would need to find a crafting discipline that suited him, but nothing seemed to be clicking. At the very least he needed to learn enough so he could exit the dungeon, hopefully the system guidelines for what he presented weren’t super strict, but there weren’t any guidelines for it as usual.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  On a whim he opened his mini-map looking for anything that could possibly give him a clue to where he should check next. He noticed one section flickered strangely, partially obscured, as though something was actively hiding from view. No barriers marked the space in the library itself. Curious, he followed the distortion. A door stood there, one he was certain had not been there before. A simple sign hung above it that read “Room of Deviation”.

  “Now that is interesting, I have definitely seen that term come up a lot so far.” With a grin, he approached the door, filled with hope.

  The door opened easily, revealing a small chamber with a single bookshelf standing at its center. The books here were fewer, but heavier somehow. Most were twisted variations of crafts he had already seen. Stepping closer to the shelf, he examined the books carefully, searching for something that may suit him. The books seemed normal at first, but as he began to look harder, he noticed that they were twisted somehow. These were normal concepts, but they seemed off. A leather-working manual that described curing hides while the animal still lived. Alchemy notes that focused less on reagents and more on how long a body could tolerate being altered before it rejected the change. The list continued as he pushed through searching for something that would interest him. He ran a finger along one spine and felt a faint resistance, like the book did not want to be opened, almost like it had a mind of his own.

  “Yeah, not going to touch that one anymore, that gives off some creepy vibes.”

  He continued his search, until finally he felt a slight tingle on his hand as it passed near the center of the shelf. The sensation was subtle, but it felt like something was trying to get his attention, he had not felt that with any of the other books he had seen. That was when unique wrapping caught his attention and he spotted what he had been looking for. It was a leather-bound tome wrapped in a high-quality looking cloth. When he touched the book, he realized he recognized the material from somewhere. He inspected the tome for a few seconds before realizing.

  “I think this is the same materials as my bandages.”

  Quickly, he pulled out a set of stabilization wraps and compared the two. The cover protecting the book was indeed similar to his wraps. The book was wrapped in what he believed to be a higher quality wrap, but they were close enough that he could see the similarities. With his interest now piqued, he carefully removed the wrap from the book. The front cover read “Deviant Craft: Weaver of the Living Threads”.

  A system overlay appeared.

  [Analyze]

  Name: Weaver of the Living Threads (F)

  Classification: Crafting Discipline

  Path Type: Deviant Specialization

  Description:

  Weaver of the Living Threads is an unapproved craft under the Pantheon. This path focuses on manipulating life-aligned materials, energies, and structures. Unlike conventional crafting disciplines, this path does not treat healing as a finite effect or vitality as a consumable resource.

  Instead, it treats life as a state that can be guided, sustained, and shaped.

  Practitioners do not simply assemble items.

  They bind processes.

  They stabilize continuation.

  Materials worked through this discipline retain life-aligned influence beyond normal resolution thresholds, allowing effects to persist where they would typically fade.

  Primary Focus:

  Cloth and fiber infused with life-aligned energy

  Bandages and garments designed to stabilize ongoing biological processes

  Support artifacts and trinkets that reinforce recovery rather than accelerate it

  Adaptive materials that respond to sustained healing pressure or prolonged use

  Unique Properties:

  Crafted items may change through repeated exposure to healing effects

  Life-aligned output increases material cohesion and longevity

  Highly compatible with aura-based, sustained, and persistent support abilities

  Limitations:

  Ineffective for conventional weapon forging

  Requires fine control and restraint rather than brute output

  Poor craftsmanship may result in runaway effects, instability, or premature material failure

  Pantheon Note:

  Most crafters shape matter.

  Some shape outcomes.

  His heart raced as excitement bound through him. Something about this felt right but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He sat down immediately and began to read. The depth of the craft was staggering. Cloth was not passive, fiber was not inert, with the right intent, structure, and control, it could hold effects, adapt under strain, and reinforce life itself. If he understood correctly, the craft allowed replication of nearly any supportive effect he could conceptualize, as long as he had the skills, materials, and discipline. From what limited knowledge he had this sounded like a flexible craft that could offer many paths. Hours passed as he studied, before a system message interrupted him.

  [Hidden Discipline Detected]

  [Unregistered Crafting Framework Identified]

  [Warning: Discipline exists outside standard Pantheon taxonomies.]

  [Eligibility Confirmed]

  User exhibits:

  Sustained healing output

  High control over life-aligned energy

  Repeated deviation from prescribed healer roles

  [Acceptance of this discipline will permanently alter crafting potential.]

  [Would you like to accept the crafting path: Weaver of the Living Threads (F)?]

  [Yes] [No]

  That was new; none of the other books had offered a system message after reading. This had to be a good sign? Right? That is what he was hoping for at least

  “Yes.”

  The response was immediate.

  [Crafting Specialization Unlocked]

  [Weaver of the Living Threads (F)]

  Standard recipes will no longer fully apply.

  Creation will depend on intent, control, material compatibility, and understanding of living systems.

  [New Skills Learned:]

  Living Weave (F)

  Allows binding of healing aligned energy into cloth and fibers.

  Thread Sense (F)

  Grants awareness of vitality, tension, and energy flow within fabrics and organic materials.

  Adaptive Stitching (F)

  Enables crafted items to reinforce weak points and redistribute strain over time.

  [Crafting Restrictions Applied]

  Inert materials yield reduced results

  Living or life adjacent materials provide enhanced outcomes

  High quality results require sustained focus

  [Title Progression Updated]

  System Deviant status reinforced.

  [The Pantheon Observes]

  Some heal the wounded.

  Some protect the living.

  You have chosen to shape the threads between them.

  Hector exhaled slowly.

  “Alright, the real question is what should I craft first?”