Arwin didn’t say anything for several seconds. He wasn’t sure how to properly acknowledge the gravity of the situation glistening in the words before him. Sure, there was a chance that anyone who got a Challenge had the opportunity to increase its difficulty, but when he paired this with the message he’d gotten for the [Decapitated] Achievement, pretending the Mesh was anything but sentient would be delusional. If the Mesh is aware of me… what does it want? Did something about me catch its interest and cause it to give me the Challenge, or did I get the Challenge because I already had its interest in the first place? The Mesh didn’t respond. Its golden letters shimmered before Arwin, waiting for him to make a choice. He didn’t know how much it knew or if it could see into his actual thoughts. It had to be able to tell his desires to some degree – but, if it was aware of his internal debate, it didn’t seem to care. Okay. Issue at hand first. My reward was an item. Probably some sort of crafting material. If I accept the offer to up the Challenge, I’ll definitely get a shot at a better reward. But… if I fail after increasing the difficulty, I’m probably losing the reward I could have gotten and possibly failing the Challenge as a whole. Arwin chewed his lower lip. Preparation for the Wyrms was going pretty well. He was pretty sure that they were on the right track… but if their suspicions were right, there were two Wyrms. Even if one was weakened, he’d felt the strength of the monster firsthand. It was no mere Journeyman 8. It had Titles. No matter how much they prepared in the time they had, the fight would be incredibly dangerous. Any advantage he could get could be huge. He didn’t have time to go out and get more materials again, so getting something from the Mesh could make a big difference. If it was powerful enough and he managed to work with it, there was even a chance he’d get Achievements or go up a level. It was one that he was willing to take. Minutes slipped by as he worked the bracelet into shape, firmly embedding the gem into its center. Arwin pushed energy from his palms into the metal as he shaped it. He took extra effort to make sure his work was measured and the final result was the best he could possibly make. It took nearly an hour for him to finish his work, but he grew more confident in his results with every second that passed. It was, without a doubt, the best bracelet he’d ever made. Arwin added in some faint designs just in case the Mesh was picky about its results, then held it out before him as the heat faded from the metal. The fruits of his labor were a shimmering white bracelet with a murky gemstone embedded in its top. Swirling patterns ran down its surface and encircled the stone. Arwin grinned to himself as the Mesh wrapped around the bracelet. “Well? How about that?” [Metal Bracelet: Rare Quality] has been forged. Forging a magical item has granted you energy. Metal Bracelet: Rare Quality [Squandered Potential]: This item could have been something, but the magic infused into it failed to align with its materials and prevented its traits from fully taking form. “Damn it,” Arwin cursed. The bracelet’s trait was somehow even worse than the one he’d made before it – but his efforts hadn’t been completely wasted. The trait had vital information within it. My magic didn’t align with the materials. It’s not just about using high quality metal, then. I also got a skin trait, so my intent was kind of working, but it wasn’t even the right trait. I’m approaching this the wrong way. I definitely should have used the other metal – that one looks like normal steel. Arwin studied the failed white bracelet. It wasn’t just the metal. Something about the other materials the Mesh had given him mattered as well. “What would a gemstone, a tooth, or a piece of plating have to do with this?” Arwin asked himself. “Could they just be pure distractions?” He wouldn’t put it past the Mesh, but there was only one way to find out. Arwin picked up the other brick of metal and set it into the fire to heat. Then, once it was hot enough, he set about making another bracelet. Arwin pushed magic from himself into the metal as he worked it and continued to keep his mind focused on the [Steelskin] trait. As he had the last time, Arwin did everything he could to make sure the bracelet was made to the absolute peak of his abilities. After just under forty-five minutes, a new bracelet rested in his palms. He held his breath as the Mesh gathered to judge it. [Metal Bracelet: Null Quality] has been forged. Forging a magical item has granted you energy. Metal Bracelet: Null Quality [Empty]: The magic failed to take hold within this metal, leaving it as nothing but a hunk with no power. The glowing words sputtered and vanished, leaving Arwin with a plain band of metal in his palms. He’d failed again. “Shit,” Arwin muttered. “A new mistake this time. I’ve never had that happen before. How would the magic fail to take hold?” The urge to fling himself into making a third bracelet was strong, but Arwin shoved it back. He didn’t have time to make two more bracelets, so the next one had to count. There was no doubt in his mind that he had all the information he needed to do this properly. He just had to figure out what he was missing. The Mesh had infused normal pieces of metal before without any issue, but that had been when it had provided the intent and done most of the work for him. This metal didn’t have any desires of its own, so it couldn’t help him. The only variable in play was Arwin. “With the white metal and the gem, the magic gets wasted, but it was still held. With the steel, it didn’t take hold at all. That means the gem was what was holding the magic rather than the metal itself – or perhaps they were working together,” Arwin said to himself. His eyes drifted over his materials again as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. “I need a focus. It can’t just be any focus, though. It has to match the intent. That’s why the gem didn’t work.” Or would the gem have worked if I used it in conjunction with the steel? Arwin ground his teeth. He was running out of time. He scanned over the materials again. This metal can’t help me house anything because it doesn’t have any desires. It’s just pure, plain metal. That’s a benefit because it means it can’t put other shit into the mix, but a drawback because I can’t just rely on it to do the work. It boils down to desire, then. Arwin thought back to everything he’d made, and one piece in particular rose to the surface. Zeke’s helm had the strongest desire out of everything he’d worked with. It had shown him its path, and how all its experiences had shaped it. He’d seen the helm’s history, and it had practically forged itself with his hands. A chill ran down Arwin’s back and his eyes flicked to the tooth and the carapace lying in wait on the anvil. Arwin’s eyes flicked to the carapace. Skin – or about as close to it as he had to work with. That would fit the trait he was going for, and the gray metal would align with all of it. “Let’s do this one more time.” He grabbed the carapace and a piece of the gray metal, bringing both to the fire.