“Is that?” Elena began, a reverent tone in her voice as she brushed away the hair covering the back of his neck.

  “Yeah, it’s a Mark.” He smiled, her face blurry through the tears.

  “Can I see it?” She asked. He nodded, moving to give her a clearer view. She was quite a bit shorter than he was, so he had to squat down.

  “Is that the grindstone?” She faltered. “What kind of Mark looks like that?”

  Harvey shared the screen with her and laughed. “One that’s all about making the most of what you have. I felt a weird burn on my neck back when I finished repairing that thing, but I guess it wasn’t enough at the time. Now, the System wants me to remember my roots.”

  “The stats it gives are perfect for you. I can’t wait to see what the percentage boosts will look like once you upgrade it to an imprint.” Elena marveled.

  “Let’s take it one step at a time.” He laughed, closing the screen. “It’s been literal seconds since I got the thing, so I doubt it will be getting an upgrade any time soon.”

  “Fair point. I’m just excited!” She beamed. “Great job with the armor, by the way. Do you have an idea of what you want to try next?”

  “Yeah, I’ll probably add some more light inscriptions to my gloves since the cuffs won’t fit while I’m wearing them, but first I want to go get my skill.” He grinned.

  “Harvey,” She groaned. “I know you’re on a high right now, but I’m not gonna let you rush in there without a plan. Remember what happened last time?”

  “Hey! The tempering skill may not be flashy, but it’s still useful.” Harvey insisted.

  “You burned your hand so bad it would’ve taken days to heal without Dr. Silva’s help.” Elena scoffed.

  “The skill is all about manually directing the tempering process! How was I supposed to know it wasn’t going to protect my hands while I’m working!” He protested.

  She wasn’t wrong. Part of the reason he’d been so worked up about his level 20 options was how useless his last profession skill had seemed at first glance. But, after one third-degree burn, a set of essence-infused iron tongs, and some practice, he’d come to appreciate how useful it was.

  The skill was almost useless on its own since he wouldn’t know where the heat needed to go, but he found that in conjunction with his Inventor’s Insight skill, he was able to get a perfect temper every time. It was part of the reason he’d gotten comfortable with the idea of making armor, since before he’d been too worried that a mistake in his process would cost a Veilstrider their life.

  “I can understand why you thought you needed to be touching the metal, but I expected you to be smart enough not to put your whole hand on it!” She yelled, holding back a laugh.

  “Well!” He stuttered, unable to find a comeback. “I figured it out in the end! This time’s going to be different. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Ok then, tell me. Tell me your plan so I can make sure it’s not stupid.” Elena chastised.

  “What are you, my mom? You’ll see.” Harvey grinned.

  The glassy orb felt silky smooth and roared to life as his weave connected to that great being on the other end of the Loom. Rainbow mist surrounded him, cutting him off from the outside world for the seventh time.

  The absurdity of highlight reels from his own life floating around him was a sobering reminder of how much his life had changed.

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  He’d spent his first trip to the Loom reminiscing. Looking for memories of hugging his brother, vacations with his family, and celebrating with friends. They were the last tiny kernels of joy he could find in a new world of chaos and pain.

  Now, he was excited to filter through his memories in Veils End. Fighting alongside Hannah and Julian to keep the Veilstriders alive. Hours spent in the forge, hammering away in hopes of creating whatever they needed to survive another day. Studying inscriptions with Elena and enjoying the simple presence of another person, free from the distractions of the old world.

  Life in the trial was hard. For everyone… But it also had a purpose in a way his old life didn’t. His heart still burned with the hope that he’d see his family again, but he was starting to hope that life never went back to the way it was before the System. Even when Earth was finally safe, he wouldn’t let himself drown in monotony again.

  One by one, he gathered the pieces of his newest skill, the first being his Mark. He’d seen Julian include his own Born Protector in what was likely the very first skill ever created by a Veilstrider, and it had given the Guardian’s Breath sigil that healed everyone around him as long as Julian kept fighting. To this day, it was still one of the strongest in Veils End, and Harvey hoped to replicate that success with his own.

  Born Innovator wasn’t likely to produce something similarly useful in combat, but he hoped it would help with his profession.

  Next, Harvey added the memory from mere minutes earlier where he struggled to inscribe his breastplate. His willpower had been enough to maintain control of the process, but the strain of each stroke of the brush was still burned into his mind. Shaping the will of ink, brush, and canvas all at once was like trying to stop the waves of the ocean. Using complementary materials may have helped to calm the storm, but the waves never stopped.

  Alongside the Mark and memory, he added his time spent studying with Elena, forging his own set of armor, and making the essence molds of his own body that he used to shape the metal. He wanted a skill that helped him connect with his creations, so he could better understand the effects of the inscriptions he made on them. It wasn’t likely to boost his power much in the short term, but if he could gain an intimate understanding of each piece he forged and each inscription he made, he would accomplish his dream of mastering the myriad powers Elena’s profession could provide much faster.

  His collection of memories was alive with color in the space between himself and the Loom, the light radiating behind them the brightest he had ever seen. It shared the fiery orange and silver light of his profession, with a hint of rainbow haze mixed in. His heart raced as he nodded his assent, the Loom accepting his offering as a cavalcade of black, silver, and blue thread flooded down from the spools above.

  Did I do it? Is this the first Epic skill in the outpost? Harvey marveled.

  The thread coalesced into an image of his own inscribed breastplate, the inscribed ink pulsing with steely blue light. The glow leaked from the armor, forming a hazy outline of a body made of pure essence. It was larger than any of his other sigils and floated towards his chest.

  The sigil tried to take the place of his Stain, but moved to rest just beside the noose covering his heart when a faint pulse pushed the skill sigil away.

  Did my stain mess it up? Harvey panicked, but any thought was quickly washed away by the pain of his weave remolding itself to make room for his latest addition. He’d noticed lower rarity skills hurt less, and this confirmed it as the fire of a dying sun radiated through him.

  It had always passed relatively quickly before, but this time it felt like he struggled to breathe for minutes. The rainbow haze remained, sealing him off from the outside world as he endured the transformation. He wasn’t sure if it was to protect him or trap him inside, but he was glad he couldn’t see Elena.

  Aw hell. She’s probably freaking out right now, and I’m gonna have to spend the next 10 minutes telling her I’m fine. He swore, gritting his teeth.

  He could feel the presence behind the loom rooting around inside him, rearranging his weave to accommodate the change his new skill brought. He felt no anger as the being ravaged his insides, only the same utter indifference he noticed every other time. It was simply a surgeon accommodating his own request for changes to be made to his very being. It dissected and reassembled his soul like a routine hip replacement, and didn’t care at all whether or not he survived the pain. It looked like “No Pain, No Gain” still applied.

  When it was finally over, the haze retreated, and he removed his hands from the orb. Some unseen force made sure he was always in contact with it until the deed was done.

  For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The Loom was dormant once more, but they could still feel a lingering hint of the unfathomable power on the other side. Harvey panted, struggling to catch his breath as the empty church started to spin. Seeing him start to stumble, Elena caught his arm and guided him to a pew.

  The ancient wood creaked beneath him as he fell into the seat. Holding his head in his hands, they endured the silence until he was finally ready to reap his reward.

  Taking a deep breath, he opened the skill screen and shared it with a shocked Elena.