Hard, chilly stone pressed against Arwin’s side and there was a nasty crick in his neck. He probably would have been considerably colder if there hadn’t been a familiar warm weight on top of his chest and against his arm. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked the sleep away. There was a layer of darkness covering everything but he could still vaguely make out his surroundings. He was still in his smithy, in the exact spot where he’d flopped to the ground the previous night. He probably would have been a bit more comfortable if it wasn’t for just one problem. A violent burning pain had Arwin’s stomach in a vice grip. It felt like he’d swallowed a ball of hot lead. Arwin’s hand shot down to his pocket and he yanked out one of his last bracelets. Metal Bracelet: Average Quality [Brittle]: This item has a chance of shattering on every blow. Upon shattering, the magical power stored within the weapon will be released in an instant, causing a minor magical explosion. [Watery]: The memory of a flowing river runs in the flame that heated this metal, infusing it. This item can allow its wielder to move through the water at a slightly increased pace at the cost of magical energy. Arwin shoved it into his mouth as fast as he could. Metal turned to magic and rushed down into his stomach, which heated as [The Hungering Maw] consumed the detrimental effect. Arwin got a whiff of strong saltwater and rancid seaweed as the magic flowed through his body. He blew out a sigh as the pain abated enough for him to think properly again. It wasn’t that long ago that I ate magic. It hasn’t been 5 days yet. Did crafting a magical item that used so much energy end up triggering [The Hungering Maw] early? That’s concerning, but I’ve bought myself at least an hour or two. I can make another bracelet after I get up. “You really outdid yourself this time,” Lillia said, her tone laden with disbelief. “An Epic item. That’s your first one, isn’t it?” “Yeah.” Arwin nodded. A faint pang throbbed deep in his stomach, reminding him that [The Hungering Maw] still hadn’t been fully sated. A grimace played across his lips and Lillia caught the expression before he could wipe it clean. “I’m being told that I need to eat magic again soon. I think I used so much power that I pissed my own body off and it’s hungry again.” “How soon?” Lillia asked, taking a step back and shooting a look at the anvil. “Why are you just standing around here? Get to it! Or do you already have something you can eat?” “I’ll make a bracelet. Give me a second,” Arwin said. His eyes landed on the pieces of chitin in the corner and he headed over, snapping a part off. He’d made a Chitinous Band before and it had turned out quite well, so there was no reason to change what worked. There was enough scrap Brightsteel left over from previous projects for Arwin to get to work immediately. He tossed a ball of [Soul Flame] into the hearth and got to work heating the metal and working it into a band around the piece of chitin. Fortunately, his magic had regenerated over the night and he was able to make the bracelet without too much difficulty. About thirty minutes of work later, magic rushed into the band of metal as the Mesh recognized it. [Chitinous Band: Rare Quality] has been forged. Forging a magical item has granted you energy. Chitinous Band: Rare Quality [Chitinskin]: Activating this item will turn its wearer’s body to chitin and greatly reduce their range of movement at the continuous cost of magical energy. [Chittering]: While this item is active, its wearer’s movements will make loud clicking noises. A grin split Arwin’s lips as he looked over his newly made item. It was exactly the same as the last Chitinous Band he’d made. His new smithing strategy was working exactly how he hoped it would. There was always the chance there would be more variation in complex pieces, but he could replicate traits he’d made before. He raised it to his nose and took a whiff. His nostrils were greeted by the scent of earth and cooked meat, which was a strange but not entirely unwelcome smell. Not bad. I think that means [The Hungering Maw] feels like the magic in this is worth its time and it should fill me up properly. Arwin popped the band into his mouth. His skin rippled and hardened as chitin covered it and his body stiffened. A line of warmth ran down his throat and into his stomach, which heated to counteract the detrimental trait of the band. A short while later, the effects of the band faded away and he let out a relieved sigh. The pain was gone. His band had worked exactly how he’d hoped it would. “All good?” Lillia asked in concern. “Yeah. Thanks for waiting. I’m fine now. It looks like I might have to prepare some extra food before I get really invested into any major projects in the future.” Arwin looked back to the armor resting on his anvil. “It was worth it, though.” “I can’t disagree there,” Lillia admitted. “If it’s as light as that description says it is, she’s going to be absolutely thrilled. I, for one, can’t wait to see what she looks like decked out in all black armor.” “Agreed,” Arwin said with a chuckle. “Let’s go show her in a second. I reached the next level in my Tier after making that, so I want to see if I’ve gotten anything from it first.” “Congratulations,” Lillia said. Arwin nodded in appreciation and mentally reached out to the Mesh, summoning the golden letters that made up his status. Class: Living Forge (Unique) (Tier: Apprentice 6) New Skill Choice Available. [You can’t do that] has been consumed. [Rarer than Rare] has been consumed. [Giantsbane] has been consumed. Three of your Skill options have been upgraded. [UPGRADED] [Dragon’s Greed] – Your hunger for magical power has begun to manifest itself in the physical world. Extend your senses to search the area around you for magical items at the cost of significant magical energy. The range of this effect scales with the amount of magical energy used. [UPGRADED] [Quench] – Even the greatest of fires must meet their end. Draw the heat out of a nonliving target, rapidly cooling it with magical energy. [UPGRADED] [Groundshaker] - Your body is as much magic as it is flesh. Channel the power within you and drive it out through a single point, sending a powerful vibration through the ground with enough intensity to shatter most nonmagical materials. This effect can be sent in a chosen direction and extended by spending more magical energy. [UPGRADED][Shieldwall]: Your desire to protect your allies has proven itself time and time again. Grant it even more strength. When a creature you view as an ally is under attack, magic will infuse your muscles and accelerate your speed when moving in their direction. Furthermore, by spending increased magical energy, your skin will harden and absorb the damage from a physical blow. The amount of damage absorbed scales with the amount of magical energy used.