Your Equipment is going to break. Your weapons are going to break. Your armor is going to break.
This is inevitable. If you are a martial Pathbearer operating in the field, you will break things. The stresses and rigors of active conflict will press your weapons and Equipment to the very limit. Even Master-Tier weapons have a breaking point.
Your Mending Enchantment is not going to be enough to spare them sometimes, because you're going to need to use them hard. And if you use them hard, they're going to break. I'm going to say this again. They're going to break.
And that’s fine. Broken Equipment is a fact of life. And, depending on the Equipment’s Tier and whether or not you’re a crafter—or if you have a good crafter supporting you—you can turn it all around.
Now, as mentioned in the previous chapter, a proper piece of Equipment is imbued with an ambient mana capacity. That is what its Tier corresponds to. This ambient mana allows it to interface with the world and you as a Pathbearer in the form of Enchantments it can contain.
What is also known is that when a piece of Equipment is broken, it is no longer capable of interfacing with the ambient mana in the world. However, the ambient mana will not simply dissipate. The Enchantments will not simply cease to be. They will linger and undergo a sort of mana decay similar to a damaged mana core. This is slightly like a story forgetting itself—consult the Theory of Legendary Atrophy for the theoretical details.
This, however, means that if you can get a crafter to reforge these broken pieces of Equipment, you can still preserve their Tier and some of the Enchantments. A few of the invested levels might be lost—or an entire Enchantment might be atrophied into nonexistence—but the item itself might be saved.
Some crafters even specialize in fusing broken pieces of Equipment together—or even deliberately breaking lower-Tier items to smelt them into higher-Tier ones as a sort of item Skill Fusion…
This is a process known as Tier-Synthesis, and though it sounds convenient, the outcome, as always, depends on the crafter’s capabilities.
-The Paths of Ascension, Essential Reading at Phoenix Academy of The Yellowstone Republic-
104 (I)
Reforge [II]
Shiv examined the tiny blade in detail. There was a lot of mana pulsing from it, but it was slightly damaged. He could see a spiderweb of cracks running along the flat of the blade. More importantly, however, he saw that there was a deep groove of corrosion that lined the very base of the blade like a cavity.
That was Necromantic withering. He could tell from how severe the rust was, and the tinge of sickly green left behind.
It occurred to Shiv that the Equipment he'd retrieved from the display cases might have been literal trophies taken from dead enemies. That seemed to fit Confriga's nature. He was the kind to revel in cruelty and triumph. It also explained why Confriga didn't use these items in combat. They were more mementos to his dominance over powerful foes than anything else.
"I guess even vile sacks of shit can have a sentimental side," Shiv muttered under his breath.
Then he observed a few of the more exotic Enchantments he found within the dagger: Size-Shifting and Mass-Stealing. They both sounded self-explanatory enough, but he wanted to see how they actually worked. With a thought, he willed the Skypiercer to be bigger—if it got any smaller, it might vanish altogether.
Immediately, the Skypiercer expanded. Its hilt extended first, growing longer until it became more like a piece from a greatsword. Its guard also grew wider, becoming a round, curved shield as if it were a small defensive item meant to ward off blows. The greatest change of all was how the blade itself lengthened. It went from being a small rondel dagger to something of a gleaming, thick, albeit corroded and cracked, lance.
Shiv blinked as he found himself holding a three-meter-long weapon, and it was still getting bigger. It kept growing and growing until it hit the fourth meter, but remained as light as it had always been. But at five meters, he had to stop as cracks began to spread forth from the corrosion, compromising the blade further.
Equipment Obtained: [Skypiercer]
Tier: Master
Condition: Severely Damaged
Composition: Adamantine
Enchantments > Spatially-Anchored; Size-Shifting; Master Self-Mending; Mass-Stealing; Binding
"The damage the weapon sustained in battle against Confriga when he presumably killed its wielder is severe," Can Hu said. As the Penitent gestured toward the weapon, it directed rivers of fluid metal from a bubbling spell shape. Can Hu’s temporarily fused Crafting and Geomancy Skill expressed itself in the form of a mercury bubble it clutched between its bottom, industrial limbs. Meanwhile, it used its more human-like manipulating hands to weave and shape currents of liquid metal to interact with nearby pieces of matter and Equipment. “Furthermore, the Necromancy afflicting the blade has damaged its Enchantments and composition. It is missing several Enchantments as well. Likely the strongest Enchantments, as the others barely add up to 120 Skill Levels of mana invested in this blade. In total, it should be able to contain about 199 Skill Levels. Just one away from the maximum Skill Investiture Threshold for a Master-Tier Weapon."
The Penitent fell silent for a beat, and Shiv studied Can Hu. The machine seemed oddly reserved, even faintly sad. It probably felt a strange sort of kinship with the dagger itself. Shiv couldn't blame the automaton. It was hard to see magic broken. It was hard to see something deformed from what it once was.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from NovelBin. Please report it.
In that instant, Shiv also noted Valor in his periphery, looking at the blade. The ancient Pathbearer was still damaged. Cracks lined his skull—composed of a strange metal Shiv didn’t know the name for. Despite this, the Recollector had broken Valor. Beneath the glow of Adam’s Unique Skill, Valor seemed to be mending slowly, but Shiv could taste the misery radiating off of Valor. Both Valor Thann and Can Hu understood what it meant to have and then have not, to be powerful and then lose that power.
In some ways, that might have been worse than never having any power at all.
Shiv tested the mass-increasing Enchantment, but felt nothing. He frowned. “Is the Mass-Stealing Enchantment damaged?”
“I think that only works when you stab someone with it,” Adam said. “I recall one such Enchantment. It comes from a Physicality and Thieving Skill Fusion. It won’t manifest without taking mass from something or someone.”
Shiv reached out with a hand and called one of his corpses over. He casually jabbed the blade against one of his bodies and felt a pulse of weight seep into the blade. “Ah. There we go.” With a pull, Shiv drained the mass from the body. In a moment, the feather-light weapon became as heavy as an iron ingot, and then a small boulder. Just as it reached that capacity, the Skypiercer began to shudder and crack.
Shiv released the weight before his weapon got damaged any further. “Neat. But it's also too fragile. I think it’ll break if I use it in active combat.”
“Indeed.” Can Hu’s inner machinery whirred and whined as it moved its upper arms. "But it can be reforged. Restored to optimal condition or greater by fusing it with another piece of Equipment. That is the foundation of my current Skill Fusion—the Forge of Material Synthesis.”
Slowly, a thrill began to rise inside Shiv. He looked at the broken pieces of his kukri still on the table, and then he studied his Magebreaker and cloak lying there as well. “Alright. I see where this is going.” He eyed Adam. “So. This is why you wanted me to be here in person.”
“Right, but more than reconstruction, this can be an upgrade to our kits,” Adam said, a tired excitement bleeding over into his voice. “Can Hu can elevate Adept-Tier Equipment to Master-Tier Equipment simply by synthesizing it with another, preferably higher-Tier item.”
“So, this is like an item Skill Fusion?” Shiv asked.
“Yes, but rather than just one item or skill, Can Hu can handle multiple items,” Adam replied. “As it just did with the boots.”
Shiv looked at the now prismatic boots placed on the table. The fragment of Absence filled in the cracks of the once-damaged stone boots. More than that, a flow of power radiated from it—a palpable taste of magic Shiv didn’t have stained the air. Small, radiant pebbles hovered beside the boot. Geomancy, Shiv guessed. Or something like that.
“My new Skill Fusion allows me to merge two or more pieces of Equipment as well,” Can Hu explained further. “It allows me to add their total Skill Investments together. Or infuse existing Enchantments from one item to another. But the items must have suffered decay or damage first. One should preferably be broken, even. And the higher the Tier, the greater the effort on my end. However… with sufficient effort and focus, I should be able to synthesize two Master-Tier items into something that befits the Heroic category.” Can Hu paused. “Theoretically. I feel it is possible, but I have not performed such a feat yet.”
“You will,” Adam said with a certain air. The sun hovering behind him shone with a joyous radiance. Shiv let out a breath as he felt his own skills grow stronger as well. “But don’t over-exert yourself. We do this right and do it effectively.”
“Yes, Pathbearer Adam,” Can Hu replied, like a soldier affirming a commander.
Shiv placed the Skypiercer back on the table and reached out to regard the boots. "How does investment work beyond just infusing a set of levels from one of your skills into an item?”
"Levels and Tiers," Can Hu said. "You cannot invest a level below your current Tier.”
“Yeah, Tran said something about that,” Shiv nodded in reply. “So if I invested one level using Gravitic Wrestler, then say, Might of Mass… The Enchantment would be different. But would it still be a single level?
“Indeed, Pathbearer. However, Equipment is not the same as an individual or a monster. As such, the Enchantments express themselves differently from a skill born in relation to a Pathbearer. They transform and adjust themselves to the item they are invested in. More importantly, they need levels to be potent. Every level is a threshold of mana. As such, what is a higher-Tier skill in a Pathbearer might prove feeble for a piece of Equipment if only a single level is invested. Comparatively, a lower skill with more levels will function at a far higher capacity. Up to its Tier limit, that is.”
“Tier limit?” Shiv asked. He guessed he knew what that meant, but he wanted confirmation.
“Only fifty skill levels of Might of Mass can be invested, using your previous example. It is not capable of sustaining mana beyond that. Gravitic Wrestler, meanwhile, will run to two hundred.”
So that made sense. What also made sense now was how expensive and valuable certain pieces of Equipment were. Also, why item Tiers mattered so much. It’s like holding a small Semi-Pathbearer I can wield in battle.
Equipment Obtained: [Sabatons of the Arcanite Deepstrider]
Tier: Master
Condition: Perfect
Composition: Arcanite
Enchantments > Matter-Phasing; Master Magic Amplification; Geo-Anchoring; Architect’s Memory (Fort); Binding
“Arcanite?” Shiv muttered, studying the boots.
“It’s a magical hyperconductor,” Valor said. “Very rare. It is like a… dimensional evolution of the focus crystals.”
“And that’s what Confriga’s blade was made from,” Adam explained.
“That’s why my Magebreaker cracked so fast,” Shiv whispered to himself. He remembered catching Absence—the weight that went through him. But he broke the blade. Or an iteration of it. This one might have been the Absence that was lost near the end of Shiv’s berserker rage.
“The boots are for Uva,” Adam said. “If she is going to be operating with us on the surface at all, we need to give her means to avoid the sun. I doubt we will always be able to hide in the shadow of night—or that there will always be someone for her to possess.”
Shiv grunted in approval. “Good call. The Magical Amplification… That something that will boost her personal magic too?”
“Not unless she uses the boots as a focus. But that won’t be an issue.” Adam pointed at the focus crystal armor. “I think Uva needs another set of armor as well. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The Deathless offered a laugh. “Very thoughtful, Adam.”
“I try. Now.” The Young Lord walked over to the table and tapped the wand. “This is a relatively intact wand. It’s functional even without reforging, so I’m leaning toward claiming it. My rapier, however… It’s missing its Temporal and Spatial Wardings now. The cloning Enchantment has suffered some slight erosion as well, so I need to make up for that.” And now Adam was looking at the pieces of Shiv’s kukri.
“Oh,” Shiv chuckled. “I see. You want to take what’s mine.”
Adam frowned. “It’s broken.”
“It can be fixed.”
“You don’t need it anymore. You have your own Chronomancy.”
“Two Chrono-Anchored Strikes are better than one,” Shiv said with a smirk.