“You guys want to grab a bite to eat?” Harvey asked.
“Sure, we can grab something and then go on a hunt. I’m itching to test these new skills out.” Julian bubbled, cracking his knuckles as he was engulfed in flames.
“Wicked.” Hannah gushed.
“Want to join us, Harvey? You’re obviously invited too, Elena, but I know it’s not really your thing.” Julian asked.
“No thanks! For both of us… Harvey isn’t going anywhere.” Elena replied before he could answer.
“What? I want to go!” Harvey complained.
“Not happening. Until that injured weave of yours is back to 100%, it’s just not worth the risk.” She insisted.
Harvey pulled up the screen to check the damage for the tenth time since he woke up.
Still at -7%... but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. He thought.
“It’s down to -2% Elena, I’m fine.” Harvey lied through his teeth.
“Show me the Weave screen then.” She replied flatly.
“Umm… No. I don’t want to.” Harvey gulped. He hated lying to her, but he hated feeling useless even more.
“Exactly. He should be good to go tomorrow,” she explained, turning to Julian and Hannah, “but until then, we have orders to fill.”
“Damn. Bossy Elena’s kinda hot.” Hannah hissed.
He expected her to get embarrassed, but was shocked to watch her snap her fingers and put her hand on her hip.
“You know it! We can still eat together, though!” Elena cheered, strolling to the General Store.
Hannah looked at Harvey and mimed a whip cracking, laughed in his face, and ran away before he could defend himself.
“You know she’s just looking out for you, right?” Julian asked, nudging his arm.
“Yeah. I wouldn’t listen to her if she didn’t have a point.” Harvey laughed. “She’s not my mom.”
“Yeah, but you better be careful! She’s starting to act like your wife!” Julian chuckled.
“Not you too.” Harvey groaned.
“How are you doing on materials? We could head down into the tunnel and grab some more for you.” Julian offered.
“Actually, you can’t. I blew up the tunnel.” Harvey winced.
“You what? There’s no way you already got enough iron to last through the end of the trial!” Julian snapped.
“Wait, before you get mad, let me at least explain why I did it. Remember how I told you I ran into a sentient elemental?” Harvey hesitated.
“Vaguely. I guess that got buried beneath the F-Grade part when you told me.” Julian admitted.
“Well, it knew who I was. It remembered me from before it evolved and swore to take revenge on Veils End for wearing its dead brothers as armor. That meant they’d be coming even if I managed to kill the only evolved one.” Harvey explained.
“Damn… that makes sense then. We could really use the mine, but it isn’t worth leaving the door open for a hive of angry elementals.” Julian swore.
“I doubt it’ll stay closed for long. The evolved ones are weirdly intelligent for a hunk of metal, and their bodies are refined enough that they could pick their way out with enough time. I’ve been keeping an eye on it.” Harvey offered.
“That’s ok. If they do break out, we can use it as a final push before the real war starts.” Julian suggested.
“We may want to break in,” Harvey added, the body of the dead F-Grade appearing in his hands. It was ice cold, and he nearly dropped it, even with his current 112 points in Strength. He winced at the look of shock and pain frozen on its face, forever staring back at him now that the energy animating the metal had faded away. The words of the elemental accusing him of wearing their bodies like a costume echoed in his mind. He was about to suggest that Veils End do exactly that. It pained him to know these things weren’t just mindless ore, but that didn’t change the fact that they were going to need more iron to protect themselves.
The System didn’t give him much when he inspected it normally, so he forced essence through his broken channels into his Inventor’s Insight skill to create a more detailed screen to share.
“Each F Grade we kill is enough for a full suit of plate and then some. We’ll want infused and inscribed F Grade equipment before the Undead arrive, and this is the only material I’ve got.” Harvey explained.
“Alright, we’ll keep an eye on the tunnel and start clearing a path in if they don’t bust out first. Listen, Harvey,” Julian said, grabbing his shoulders to pull them face to face, “I’m glad you’re ok. Hannah always feels bad leaving you behind, but it really helps me sleep at night knowing someone competent who still has a heart is watching over Veils End.”
“Of course. I’m happy to help. It will be nice to have you guys back for a while, though. Elena’s great, but it’s getting to the point where I’d rather be endlessly mocked by Hannah than constantly nagged for pushing myself.” Harvey sighed.
“Trust me, the mocking gets old.” Julian laughed.
Harvey put the corpse back in his slipsack and got moving towards the General Store when Hannah’s voice echoed across the street.
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“Oh, boys!” Hannah sang as she climbed off Buttercup’s back. “Do you have to walk slower than a dying squirrel!”
“Do you have to make Buttercup carry you every 10 feet?” Julian retorted.
The trio chatted as they ate bread, beef, and potatoes from a cardboard box, regaling each other with highlights from their week apart. Buttercup loudly munched on a head of iceberg lettuce before lying his head in Hannah’s lap. When they finished, Hannah and Julian left to put their new skills to the test, and Harvey and Elena got back to work.
The fire in the forge had been reduced to cinders, but it didn’t take long for Harvey to bring it back to life. The set of untempered greaves still sat on the anvil, and he set to work finishing them. It took almost a full day for each set of plate armor, so it would still be a while before they had all of the warriors fully covered. Pretty soon, they would outgrow the G Grade stuff, so he debated pausing orders until he could get access to more F Grade metal. He could start his first attempt right now, but that first set was saved for him.
“I’ve been putting this off, but should we ask Gary if he wants a set?” Harvey groaned.
“I doubt he’d accept it, but it’s probably good to ask. I may not like him, but he is probably one of the strongest Veilstriders we have.” Elena sighed.
“I know. Can’t let pettiness get in the way of going home. Will you ask him tonight?” Harvey asked.
“Why don’t you?” Elena faltered.
“Umm, hello? Who do you think he likes more… Scoutmaster? Or the girl he forces to sleep in his house every night?” Harvey noted.
“Fair point.” Elena chuckled.
They worked through the afternoon, Harvey finishing the full suit just as radiant light exploded out from his weave. The phantom sunburn he’d felt under his skin ever since injuring his weave roared to life. Typically, he only felt the worst of a level up in his weave, but the cracks in his channels let the energy run rampant through every inch of his body.
He let out a pained scream, every muscle cramping up as he dropped to his knees. Aching pain rumbled through his bones as they impacted the floor, and sweat mixed with tears that poured down his cheek. Everything felt hot, the blistering heat of the forge not doing anything to help. He knew he was going to pass out if he stayed inside, so he forced his shuddering muscles to crawl toward the back door.
Elena had stopped freaking out after the third time this happened and didn’t break away from her inscription. He strained to reach up for the handle, pulled it down, and collapsed into the cold afternoon as the door sprang open. The searing light finally receded as the icy wind washed over him, and his vision went dark as his head hit the dirt.
His eyes shot open as he let out a violent sneeze, the burst of movement sending pins and needles through his tender skin. A weed had been waving against his nose, and he wasn’t sure if it had been seconds or minutes as he lifted himself to a sitting position against the wall.
“Are you ok?” Elena called from inside.
“Yeah!” Harvey shouted back.
“Can you shut the door? The wind is blowing ash all over the place.” She asked.
He groaned and reached to shut it, the crackling fire being replaced with the sounds of the forest. He listened carefully for any rocks falling in the tunnel, but heard nothing. The yard that had once felt so ominous was now his favorite place to relax. It was the perfect place to bask in reaching the cap of his G Grade profession.
Your profession, Apprentice Inventor, has reached Level 25. +3 Strength, +3 Endurance, +2 Wisdom, +2 Willpower, +2 Free Points
You have reached the maximum level of your G Grade profession. You may create a Capstone skill at the Loom that is guaranteed to evolve with you when reaching F Grade. Essence gained from fulfilling your profession will now advance your race level. Reach level 25 in your race to unlock partial evolution, or advance your class to unlock complete evolution.
Halfway there, Harvey. Good job. He thought to himself as he weakly clapped his hands and pumped his fist.
He’d put all the free points from the levels he’d gotten while Julian and Hannah were gone into strength, and did the same with the last two he’d ever get from his G Grade profession before closing his status screen.
He would not be sacrificing his class, so redirecting his essence towards leveling his race didn’t mean much to him. Still, it was nice to see how the System explains the different paths with his own eyes. He trusted Julian and Hannah implicitly, but was happy to know they hadn’t missed some secret third option John’s guide had failed to mention.
Gaining the level left him with a class and profession skill waiting for him at the Loom, but he wasn’t going to worry about them until he recovered. No matter how behind his friends he felt or restless he got, the pain he’d just endured was a great reminder that he was in no shape for heroics.
His instincts told him it was time to plan. Figure out what his next skills should be and exactly what steps he needs to take before reaching F Grade. Instead, he fought his anxious drive and chose to enjoy the late-afternoon sun, feeling the breeze on his skin and the dirt beneath him. It was easy to get swept up in all the magic and monsters, but sometimes your mind needs a break just as much as your body does.
Elena came to get him after an hour, and they walked to the store to get dinner and deliver their latest creations. It had become a nightly ritual for most of Veils End to eat together around a bonfire, and tonight was no different. Elena couldn’t stay since Gary and Amy demanded she eat with them at home, so Harvey walked her back before taking a seat beside his friends on a log bench.
The old wall crew had built a small wooden stage for people to share stories, sing songs, or discuss anything related to the trial. Harvey could tell Julian was itching to turn it into another town meeting, but didn’t say anything as his friends realized that the Veilstriders weren’t as lost and afraid as they were when they left.
It was just like the saying. Hard times make hard people. Most had new gear, new weapons, and real power that could take on anything the undead forest decided to throw at them. They’d spent so much time building a wall, only for everyone inside it to leave the second they could. The essence they needed to ascend wasn’t going to be found safe in their sleeping bags. It was out in the forest.
Nobody talked about it, but they could all feel the day the Undead arrived creeping closer. The sounds of the vision haunted their minds. Steel and Bone hounds rattling their cages as they fought to break free and feast on their blood. Hammers clanging off the steel armor and swords that the skeletal warriors would wield against them.
They were all scared, but instead of hiding in some hotel, they were preparing themselves for the worst.
“I’m surprised nobody’s asked why our weaves disappeared,” Hannah commented.
“Gary evolved this morning, and word gets around fast.” Master Lee Seung-ho commented. “Congrats by the way!”
“He did? Did he tell you anything?” Julian asked.
“Not specifics, just that he got an Epic class and profession, and to not be surprised when our weaves disappeared.” He shrugged.
Harvey nearly choked on his pork chop and had to cover his mouth as he started coughing. Epic for both? He didn’t want to admit it, but that stung.
“Damn, that’s impressive,” Julian remarked, struggling to hide the disappointment on his face. “What about you? Getting close to evolving?”
“I’m still a few days away. I was ecstatic to get a Profession about teaching martial arts, but it’s hard to have my leveling speed determined by how many people I can get in my class. Everyone’s so busy with their own professions, they are skipping out.” Lee sighed.
“Yeah, that would be tough,” Hannah remarked. “What time do you do it? We can probably join tomorrow!”
“Sunrise.” The taekwondo instructor smiled.
“We’ll be there!” Hannah beamed as he walked away.
“We?” Harvey hissed. “Why’d you have to sign us both up for that?”
“Come on! It’ll be fun!” She smiled.
“I can’t believe Gary evolved before us.” Julian fretted.
“And got an Epic for both his class and profession,” Harvey added.
“I don’t get it. We’re out fighting in the wilderness for days, and we still can’t keep up with him.” Julian groaned.
“It’s not a competition.” Hannah shrugged, feeding Buttercup a carrot.
“It kind of is.” Harvey disagreed. “Even if we don’t think so, he’s already tried making himself king of Veils End.”
“Let him play make-believe if he wants.” Hannah teased. “Him getting stronger only helps us with the quest.”
Harvey sighed and opened his quest screen, checking the timer until the System determined which would be the last outpost standing.
Quest:
One for All - Consolidation Event
Without uniting as one, the Veilstriders have no hope of overcoming the Undead. To ensure no one shirks their responsibility to humanity, only the strongest outpost shall remain active once the timer expires.
Current Leaders:
- The Hell Hotel
- Veils End
- Riverbend Refuge
Time Remaining: 9 days: 21 Hours: 47 Minutes: 16 Seconds