Blacksmith vs. the System

"I should have collected more skills," I muttered even as I looked at the notifications from my chosen skill stones, which I hadn't been able to read properly before my Class Upgrade.

[Skill Stone: Hammer of Avalanche (Epic)]

[Skill Stone: Spear of Storms (Epic)]

[Skill Stone: Blade of Bulwark (Epic)]

[Skill Stone: Nurture (Legendary)]

My first disappointment was that there was no Wisdom-based spellcasting. If there were any, with my stats, they would have turned apparent.

For Epic skills, the ones in front of me weren't my only options. However, I decided on them since they were the upgraded versions of the two I had possessed, while the third one was the upgrade of the Uncommon skill I had.

Unfortunately, there was no upgraded version of the Relentless Blade, a valuable skill Eleanor had gifted me, but I was ready to make the change. While it had its unique advantages, of the three external skills I used, it was the one that I could sacrifice without feeling its loss.

Not to mention, while Relentless Blade worked excellently against monsters due to its aggressive style, it was not exactly the best against other people. Not to mention, assuming I figured out how to use Wisdom-based spells, having a defense-oriented style would fit me better.

Together, the three of them had made a strong, comprehensive fighting style. A relentless, offensive hammer that was perfect against armored enemies and giant targets with low mobility, a spear that prioritized speed and precision to deal with dangerous enemies while maintaining a healthy distance, and a sword style that fit well to fight against other people while relying on the superior stopping power of my own armor.

While, technically, I could try to find a better combination, I didn't have time to experiment with other styles to see if they worked any better, especially with the threat from the lizards growing every day, not to mention the existence of the mysterious enemy that would almost certainly attack again, possibly soon.

Also, I wasn't sure I could use tricks like Fleeting Step that I had learned without the support from other skills. I was able to copy them with ease without the Perk, but the skill that it was based on was still there.

Compared to the others, losing access to Strike of Retribution was more acceptable, weakening the ranged blade attack somewhat.

A good exchange for better defense.

"Let's not waste time," I said to myself as I grabbed Blade of Bulwark first. Absorbing the skills took some time, not to mention causing pain. I didn't have time to waste, as I needed to not only absorb them before nightfall but also improve them to the point of disguising their nature.

[Relentless Blade (Rare) 200 -> Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 1]

I was prepared for the pain, but to my surprise, there was no pain. It went far smoother than I had expected, making me wonder if it was the impact of the Wisdom or the connection with the dungeon.

However, it might be simply that the painful process of receiving my only Mythic skill had changed something irrevocably as well.

"Either way," I said as I raised my blade, and started going through my well-established routine of forcing skill growth, with mana attacks.

[-40 Mana]

[Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 1 -> 3]

"Well, that's to be expected," I muttered as I examined the growth of the skill. If it was a Rare skill, the same mana attack would have comfortably raised it to double digits. However, under the circumstances, it barely raised by two points.

"No matter," I said, then I went back to the fifth floor, and started targeting the insects. Facing an actual enemy, the growth of the skill increased significantly. Half an hour later, it was already nearly a hundred. I might have bypassed that point, but I slowed down, instead focusing on testing the limits of the mana attack.

The first thing was the shape of the mana attack. Instead of a sharp, wide, devastating wave, it turned into a shorter, stockier slash. As my skill was about to reach one hundred, it wasn't as deadly as my previous attack, which was quite telling.

Relentless Blade had been truly a treasure among the Rare skills. Its disappearance was indeed a loss.

However, even with the reduced offensive potential, I was happy with the exchange. Ultimately, Blade of Bulwark was still an Epic skill instead of being just merely Rare, which meant an all-around improvement.

Another difference was the conceptual weight of every attack. The presence of my mana attacks was not only weaker — though it had been steadily climbing up as the skill had continued to improve — but also the general nature was subtly different.

Relentless Blade attacks radiated a feeling that deserved its name, sharp and unyielding, if a little bloodthirsty. In comparison, the Blade of Bulwark carried a restrained, steady sensation, which didn't fit well with the concept of a ranged slashing attack, to the point that, for an equal amount of mana, its damage was considerably lower.

If it wasn't for my newly acquired Wisdom, I probably would have wasted quite a bit of time trying to change the shape of the attack, which would have been a wasted effort.

Increasing its proficiency would help, but even at its completion, I wouldn't be surprised if the ranged attack stayed inferior to my old skill. And, even if it surpassed, the increase would have been small and incremental, rather than the intense improvement I expected considering the chasm between Rare and Epic.

The significant weakening of the ranged attacks was a big loss. Or, it would have been if the skill didn't come with its own significant benefits, including its own dense Vitality tricks from its Epic quality — which I certainly needed to find a better name for.

Tricks that I had yet to try. They were more focused on defense rather than offense, including various ways to use the Vitality to enhance both my armor and shield, turning what might be a deadly attack into a gentle bruise.

"At least, that's the theory," I muttered even as I flicked my sword, taking down half a dozen giant insects that were rushing toward me, leaving only an armored variant alive.

[Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 94 -> 95]

One disadvantage of testing defensive skills was that I needed someone to attack me. Eleanor would have been an excellent sparring partner if she was here, but in her absence, the charging insects had to do. I raised my shield — which I created easily thanks to all the material lying around — letting my Vitality cover the front.

[-100 Health]

The attack wasn't intense enough to throw me back despite my improved Strength in the first place, but I didn't feel even the push from the slam. The vitality not only took the damage, but it also somehow dealt with the momentum.

I had no idea how the mechanics of it worked, but I didn't truly understand the other Vitality attacks either, but that hadn't prevented me from creating mana variants — mostly relying on the skill as the basis.

Before my class upgrade, I would have created several composite weapons replicating the energy flow, and spend half a day or so to get a general proficiency. My newest stat gave me a faster path. I didn't need to create composite shields in double digits, because thanks to Wisdom, I could memorize the flow and transformation of Health accurately.

Forcing my mana to flow those exact patterns was a bit more difficult, but even that could be achieved by a few mana flares. It took me ten minutes to achieve an inferior effect through the application of my mana. It was not the dense variant, but with the amount of mana I had in my command, an inferior copy was enough to serve most of my needs.

"Now, to improve this skill, or upgrade the other two?" I muttered, but after a brief consideration, I decided to upgrade all three of them. Since both the hammer and spear skills were natural progressions, upgrading would keep the old trick available, while also unlocking new dense Vitality attacks I could employ during emergencies.

And, Blade of Bulwark had shown me that an Epic skill just below a hundred was better than a Rare one at two hundred, which was aligned with my old experience. Since I was confident that I could bring them to that level before nightfall, there was no substantial risk.

Also, it would allow me to enhance them further while fighting outside … something I was excited about, as it would give me a chance to level up further, something that I was very enthusiastic about since each level represented even more stat points.

And, since I was absorbing all the others, I also absorbed the Legendary Nurture, which, unlike the others, caused a slight discomfort. However, that momentary discomfort was easily ignored as I examined my latest class display.

[Smith of Decay - Level 50]

[Health 2900/3000] [Mana 2500/2500]

[Vitality 250 / Strength 200 / Dexterity 150 / Essence 250 / Wisdom 150]

[Skills (9/15)

Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 100 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]

Mana Repair (Epic) - 103 [Advanced Observe]

Mana Forge (Epic) - 313 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]

Nurture (Legendary) - 1

Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 1

Blade of Bulwark (Epic) - 95

Spear of Storm (Epic) -1

Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25

Shoot (Basic) - 25]