Chương 13: Campsite Crafting Part 2

Persuasion is a powerful thing. With the right words, enemies can be made friends, Family can be convinced to betray one another, But sometimes… a big stick is far more effective. —The Artificer's Guide to the Apocalypse That son of a bitch! Just when I thought I couldn't be more in debt to the man, he goes and does something like this. How'd he even come by it? Wilhelmina's words rose unbidden to the forefront of my mind.

"I've nary seen the passion he's shown in the last week for some years, so thank you for that." He'd created a valuable item born of passion and purpose. That had to be it, one of those 'one-off' situations he'd talked about. And the fact that he'd decided to give something so valuable to me only further solidified my plans of true systemic change one day—not that I had more than the barest inkling of how I might accomplish those plans.

I pushed the thought back and focused on the matter at hand, or rather, in my hand. > Lesser Concept of??? Right. It wouldn't be that easy, would it? Rolling the small glowing marble around in my hand, I watched as tiny flecks danced inside, spinning erratically before smashing into one another in miniature explosions of varying shades of that same green. It was mesmerizing.

Around me, the camp had finished settling for the evening, and dinner had been on the cookpot for probably over an hour already, as rations were being served. I chose instead to continue working; any hunger I had was long gone with the rabid curiosity that had taken over me. It quickly became apparent that every time I focused on the concept long enough, I entered a state not unlike a meditative trance. My consciousness was pulled into the concept, and I could feel the intent that it embodied.

But it wasn't enough; it was like I was attempting to lip-read, but had no experience in doing so. The real message it wanted to share was just out of reach, just unintelligible enough that it eluded my understanding. I know this feeling. Is it 'concentration'? No. That's not right. It felt close, but not close enough. I let go, allowing myself to become lost in the marble. [Recall] activated. In my mind's eye, I was back in the void before I was remade, casting my perception around for any sense of being.

The vision lasted only a fraction of a moment, and then it was gone. I followed that memory and pushed my perception with intent, following the same sensation. Extending that invisible appendage, I gingerly poked at the concept, not convinced I wouldn't injure myself, as I had with my soul. I missed. I tried again, and missed again. Concentrating, I moved slower, holding my arm, or mana, or spirit, whatever it was, steady. The concept slipped to the side, just barely evading my touch.

My attempts continued to prove futile until an idea came to me. I focused on the target instead of my touch, instinctively reaching out and holding my destination in mind, and I flowed forward, making the connection. As soon as contact was made, my familiarity with the concept grew. It whispered to me, telling me of its secrets held within.

> General skill unlocked: Mana Manipulation > Through recalling memories of the aether and successful demonstration, you have unlocked the ability to manipulate mana to connect with an object. Higher levels will result in refined manipulation. > Lesser Concept of Precision > Born from the inspiration of a smith, this concept reflects the precision that went into the craft. > Material > Inspect leveled up! > Recall leveled up!

"You alright there, Pippin?" A voice floated to me, distant and faint. I tried to ignore it, but it tugged at me until I fell from the vision to Darby standing over me, and in my disoriented state, I nearly fell over.

"Wha-? Darby? Goddammit, man, what the hell?!" The interruption was startling, but some small part of me knew I probably had looked a bit odd, staring like a fool into the little orb.

"Oh. Sorry, man. I just—" He deflated and started to apologize before I stopped him.

"No, you're good, Darb. You just startled me, is all. August snuck a concept in the tool pouch, and I think I just figured out what it is. That shit's a lot harder than I thought it'd be." I only felt a little bad for snapping at him.

"Duuuude, no way! Let me check it out!" He looked into the concept for a few moments, then shook his head.

"I dunno man, that's beyond me. Looks cool though. You gonna upgrade Leatherworking with it or something?"

"I don't think it works that way. It says it's a material, and the ones we got were a lot bigger."

"Right on. Tabitha noticed you over here alone and wanted to see if you were hungry. You've probably worked up an appetite with how long you've been playing with your wood…" He let out a childish giggle.

"You know me, man, good with my hands and all. And actually, that sounds nice." If I didn't play into his joke, I knew he'd just come up with some fantastic new nickname for me.

"I just want to finish shaping this before I lose too much light. You can let Danny know that I can take first watch. I'll probably still be up anyway." He laughed and left to set aside a portion for me, leaving me to work with the remaining light. The concept was different than the Wisdom one I had gained before. It didn't embody the full picture, just a piece of it. I attempted to combine it with [Recall], since it was my most useful ability thus far, but there was no response, as expected.

It would appear that, as a material, it could really only be used as such. I looked at the bow beside me; it really was fitting. And a bit convenient, really. August knew what my next project was, and that must have been why he passed on the concept. I'd really have to pay that bastard back soon. Daylight was failing in the evening, and I still had a fair amount of work to do.

Back on Earth, the work I'd done to this point would have taken a few days, but with the Craftsman class and accompanying stat increases, every process was just… easier. My wisdom gave me the intuition to know when I was about to go too deep or that I was putting too much pressure on something. It wasn't direct knowledge of the fact, but more of my gut intuition being nudged by my subconscious. Combined with my dexterity, it made for a seamless, natural feeling.

Going on instinct more than anything else, I gripped the concept between my hand and the wood while I worked. I used the kiridashi knife to pare down the shaft in the places that I had left thicker. It proved to be extremely sharp and easily shaved the wood down. I had to be careful not to cut too deeply. I brought the ends down to about half an inch in width, and notched the sides to hold a bowstring. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Standing up, I braced a leg against the bow and strained it. I felt for the points that refused to flex and shaved them down. I repeated this multiple times, and as I worked, concept in hand, I reached out with [Mana Manipulation] and touched the concept. This time, it acted like a fluid. It rippled, soft and reactive to my touch. Splitting my attention, I pulled it into the bow as I worked it. At first, it resisted my attempts to merge. It acted as a separate entity from the wooden material.

Despite my lack of knowledge, instinct took over. I infused my mana with the intent of the bow: to shoot, to aim, the need for precision, and the Concept of Precision immediately latched, fusing itself into the very fibers of the shaft. With the final slivers of wood around the arrow deck cut away, I coated it with a layer of beeswax to protect it from the elements, and it was complete. The notifications rained with the inspection.

> Fireleaf Bow > Carved from a Fireleaf sapling, this bow feels the intent of its user and guides attacks with increased precision. Like its namesake, in a cyclic pattern, this bow will blossom and imbue every fifth shot with fire. > Concept of Precision > Quality: Uncommon > Grade: Medium > Value: 3g 18s > General skill gained: Woodworking > You gain proficiency in the art of Woodworking. Higher levels may result in higher-quality products, a reduction in used materials, or other benefits.

> General skill gained: Imbue Item > You gain the ability to imbue an item with the very essence of a concept, creating a magical item. > Craftsman leveled up! I sat for several moments, reading, then re-reading the output. Using Fireleaf as a material had given extra properties to the bow, something that I had not expected. This really opened up so many doors for what was possible. I pulled up my stats and gave a low whistle, the skills were really coming in now.

While I'd not progressed much physically, my development was coming along quite nicely in my professions. ╔═════════════════════════╗ Logan - Human Level 3 Health 40 / 40 Mana 120 / 120 Stats (Base: 8) Strength: 8 Dexterity: 16 Vitality: 8 Intellect: 24 Wisdom: 24 Classes Production: Craftsman Level: 8 Skills - 1 / 6 Recall - Lv. 3 Combat: Locked Level: N/A Skills - 0 / 6 Support: Locked Level: N/A Skills - 0 / 6 General Skills 6 / 10 Inspect - Lv. 5 Salvage - Lv. 4 Leatherworking - Lv. 5 Mana Manipulation - Lv.

1 Woodworking - Lv. 1 Imbue Item - Lv. 1 Titles - Otherworlder Currency Copper - 18 Silver - 7 ╚═════════════════════════╝ I was slightly concerned about my general skills section being filled up, but I would worry more about that as I gained a few more. For now, darkness had fallen, and the light of the campfire was inviting. My back was stiff and sore from the prolonged crafting session against the tree, and I limped to the fire, working out the kinks as I moved. Nearly everyone had laid down by this point.

Darby had left dinner on a small stump, the cookpot long since emptied and washed. A lone woman sat cross-legged. She wore jeans and a tunic from Fairfield. Her dark skin shone in the firelight, and she greeted me with a nod when I sat down. I'd seen her only a handful of times in town, and I was curious what she'd been up to.

"Finally decided to join me on that watch, huh?" She asked with a small smile.

"Name's Marjorie. Everyone calls me Emmie, though."

"Nice to meet you, Emmie. Sorry, I kinda got carried away. I just really wanted to get Gene his bow as soon as possible. I'm just so sick of fish." She wrinkled her nose.

"You're telling me! God, I'd kill for a good steak right now. Hell, I don't even need steak, the way I'd smash some chicken nuggets…" We both laughed, which elicited an annoyed "SHHHH!" From a sleepy neighbor, suppressing our amusement into barely concealed snorts. I dug into the bowl of stew, not caring that it was cold. It was a mish-mash of potatoes, fish, and carrots.

Salt or pepper weren't really available, and despite it being the twentieth meal of fish in a row, my appetite was all the seasoning that my growling stomach needed. I pulled out my spool of upholstery thread and beeswax, starting the first loop that would become a bowstring while my new friend and I reminisced about better days. We talked about our favorite foods, our families, and what we thought the valley might look like.

I carved arrowshafts, and we talked until the coals of the campfire dwindled to small orange cinders, long after the stars had made their presence known, and finally, after the next watch was awake, I rested my eyes and fell into a deep and well-deserved slumber.

"... UP, WE'RE BEING ATTACKED! COVER THE KIDS!" Danny's frantic bellowing tore me from my sleep, and I groggily stumbled to my feet. My head spun, completely disoriented from my short nap. I grabbed the strung bow and a handful of unfletched arrows in one hand, and my makeshift club in the other. The camp was chaos. People were scrambling to grab the nearest thing that could be used as a weapon, and I still hadn't spotted whatever danger we faced. I saw Gene and shoved the bow and arrows at him.

He took a second to register what was happening in the darkness, but immediately recovered and sprang into action, notching an arrow. I moved past him to where I had heard Danny yelling and fell in beside him.

"There! You can see them moving in the dark!" He pointed out into the night. The cloudless sky was awash in a bright starscape, and even with the field illuminated, it took me several moments to see what he was pointing at. The bluish hue of the field shifted, and at first, I thought it was the wind on the grass, but no… Something was crawling on the ground. I picked out another, and then two more. They were everywhere.

Slow, low, surging masses of black flowed toward us, and as they came into range, we saw them for what they were. > Tar Fiend >?

"They're Tar Fiends!" I shouted.

"I saw them on a quest board, but I don't know anything else about them."

"Well, we're about to find out!" Danny growled, his bared teeth white against the darkness. Darby, Gene, Ernie, Emmie, and several others joined us with varying implements of war. It was going to be dangerous to fight in the dark, and I made the judgment call to rekindle the campfire.

"Someone get the fire going again!" I called back to the center of the camp. I didn't have time to check if they had listened. The fiends were on us.