Stanton had long siired to his room, but TJ tinued his work, mind feverish and manic. He’d hardly noticed the revitalization that came when he reached the level of Savage. Instead, he tio work, ung of his flesh rubbing raw as he tio cut the horns into the same shape he’d already figured out. The bases of the other three horns were all cut into the same size to serve as knife handles while a finger repared for each hahis time, however, siJ didn’t pn on keeping every one of the final products for himself, he carved each horn and finger and hole solely with the Wendigo Bde.
Shavings surrounded his seat, but still, TJ lost himself i of creation, and before he truly took notice of the time, he had three mostly pleted knives in front of him. He stood up, intending to walk out and colleough pine sap to seal the bdes into their housing oler, but his stiff legs didn’t pay him any mind and instead stumbled. TJ was able to easily catch himself oable nearby, the materials all cttering with the sudden impact, but he couldn’t quite believe that his legs were so entirely asleep. It was only in that moment that he realized that the fire had long since died down to sm embers and the dles whose light he’d been carving by were now down to little nubs.
“What time is it?” He muttered to himself as he rubbed his thighs with his hands.
1:32 AM
With the System’s notification, TJ realized it must have been at least five solid hours of him sitting and carving the materials now spread out oable he was leaning against. Even with his body strengthened and ged by the System, circution could be difficult, and so long spent in the same position was unfortable. Even so, TJ took only one mio allow his legs to stop tingling befoing out to the piree. He couldn’t help but notice that as he walked out of the retively warm house, the chill of the below freezing air didn’t bother him, feeling like a cool breeze instead of immediately sending a shiver down his spine.
The ree had no easily found pine sap, so TJ went to the couple, gathering small tidbits where he could find it. There were some that he missed, but the walking cleared his mind so he ehe cool air and the walk to loosen his muscles. Once he finished gathering the necessary materials, he made the decision not to finish everything he’d ponight. The aspirations he’d had of pleting a new set of mocs, a club with each horn, and something else with each finger were long out of the picture. Instead, he’d plete the three Bdes, Appraise them and the club he’d made, and go to bed.
Now sure of his course of a, TJ rolled his shoulders and stepped back to the table. He reached for the materials.
“The hell’s wrong with you?”
Stanton’s bleary voiearly made TJ scream in surprise, Wind Maniputioed gusts exploding into being around him and making the old man close his eyes.
“Me? What’s your problem? Nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“It’s too damn te for this. Why were you banging around?”
“I… didn’t realize my legs were asleep. Bumped into the table. Sorry.”
Stanton didn’t even grumble at TJ as he said as much, instead gring at the younger man before stalking back to his room. TJ decided again to just finish what he was w on and be done for now. The bulk of the work was plete, and he merely o warm the sap and fill it into the hole before ing the prepared gut and calling it a night.
More aware of himself, TJ worked quickly and effitly, and it wasn’t long before the knives were all id out in front of him, pleted ai–no. They weren’t at all beautiful. Maybe funal could be the best thing to call them, and that couldn’t be guaranteed. Just as he was about to Appraise them, TJ received another System notification that startled him out of using his Skill.
Occupation: Savage has advao level 9.Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points avaible.
Occupation: Savage has advao level 10.Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points avaible.
Race: Human has advao level 9.Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently avaible.
Level 10 Occupation Skill Sele avaible.
For the sed time that day, TJ gaihree levels in quick succession. He’d never sidered that being a possibility before, and it was so ued that he couldn’t quite his mind around it. For the first time in what was only a couple of days, though it felt much longer, Savage was a higher level than Neophyte. After thinking for a moment, TJ decided to Appraise the items before looking at his new potential Skills. He started with the new knives.
Item: Wendigo Bde (Copper, (I)). An amateur’s ho attempt at creating a sharp tool from the materials gathered from a wendigo sin by their hand. Using the extended cw of a wendigo, the Wendigo Bde is a serviceable khough the method of seg its tang was mediocre. The true value of this knife is instead found in its materials and specialized preparation. Based off of previous experiehe bde was adequately prepared by the creator. By using primarily the wendigo’s own cws to struct the bde and prepare its materials, the creator refrained from shifting the purpose of the d horn from serving to transmit the Wendigo’s natural frost. As such, the Wendigo Bde’s wielder el MP through the bde to afflict those struck with the bde with a weakened version of the Frostbite Affli.
It was immediately apparent that the bulk of the item’s categorization as a Copper tiered item came from its materials, and TJ was suddenly grateful that he’d managed not to ruin these or the first Bde he’d made. The differences in the new Bdes’ description were few but distinctive. The new ones mentioned his experience, and instead of being “perfectly” prepared, the new ones were merely “adequate”. Then, of course, the end of the item’s descriptioiohe differen effect betweewo “versions”. He’d like to test the Frostbite, but TJ couldn’t imagine choosing the item over his body, Skills, or eveher Bde. The knives had no sheathes, so he just set them aside and looked at the on he’d made for or.
Item: Wendigo ick (Dirt, (0)). An amateur’s ho attempt at creating a ick from the materials gathered from a wendigo sin by their hand. Using the ulna and carved horn of a wendigo, the Wendigo ick is a perfect example of rimitive Craftsmanship is capable of. By taking materials, processing them to the bare minimum necessary to maintain loy, and theing a on that will fun as an instrument of blunt force, a on for an untrained Partit was created. Though the horns of a wendigely oral, they are extremely tough and are well suited t as the head of a on such as this.
TJ couldn’t help but feel a little offended by the System’s bse regard of his hard work. He’d put real effort into this, and now, his effort ushed aside as childish? Then, with a calming breath, TJ reized he was just too damired. The System wasn’t making personal attacks on him, and there was no reason to be so pissy about something so stupid. He made a good on, though he was a little disappoi was cssified as Dirt tier. It did remind him that the most valuable parts of the wendigo were its cws, and he o figure out what he was going to use the rest for.
Moving on from the Wendigo Par Pick, there was the much more iing Skill Sele for level 10. Though TJ realized his mind was slowing down from the exhaustion, he refused to sit on this like he was already sitting on 4 Free Points he was unsure of what to do with. The first two Skills were familiar, though both had ged.
Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship (Copper (I)): This Skill would repce the existing Occupation Skill: Primitive Craftsmanship. You have exhibited the ability to create tools, equipment, and process materials, even of a higher tier of Divinity than you, more effectively. This Skill will increase the base 30% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Iion teology to 100%, as well as bless you with a greater instinctual uanding of how to process raw materials into a more easily used state.
The Skill had beeig when he’d first seen it, and now, TJ was almost tempted not to look at the rest of the Skills offered. He had already seen the power of a Copper tiered Skill, and had since decided to base most of his fighting around it. Another Skill at that level would be immensely impactful, he knew. Beyond that, remembering that it would pound and work with any additional Skills he got that focused on crafting was another point in its favor. Even so, TJ did move on to the , familiar Skill.
Equipment Fabrication (Copper (I)): You have found various uses for the items and materials that surround you, and have surpassed your tier of Divinity iing Copper (I) tiered equipment. This Skill will give specific guidan how to craft materials into equipment that grants attributes and other possible boons. This Skill’s potency scales with the Partit’s Wisdom and Intelligence.
Again, the Skill had been upgraded by his achievement iing a Copper tiered item. TJ hadn’t thought about it at the time, but he’d certainly beeremely lucky iing the Wendigo Bde on his first try. Being elevated by lud the quality of the materials was nothing tet either. Additionally, this would finally give him a Skill that explicitly beed from his Wisdom attribute. All things sidered, he wasn’t sure if he wanted Divine Primitive Craftsmanship or Equipment Fabrication at this point, but there remaihree more new Skills to check out first, the of which was a sort of a spiritual successor to those that came before.
Prehistoritsman: Sihe Iion, you have not spent a day without hunting the mohat pgue your Tutorial. This Skill will grant a 30% bonus to trag and ambush attacks. In addition, any attacks made with an item or on made without any pre-Iion tools or materials will be from minor additional damage sg with the Partit’s Wisdom.
Iingly enough, Prehistoritsman seemed to have taken the pce of Hunter Gatherer from before. Instead of fog on finding anything useful as well as trag, Prehistoritsman was very nearly a bat Skill. TJ wasn’t much of an ambusher, but taking this Skill might vince him to do so. That said, the Skill didn’t draw him in the way the first two did, even if it was a good choice. He moved to the , seeing that Orienteering had been wholly left behind.
Stealth (Dirt (0)): Sihe Iion, you have hunted and followed your eo limited success, you have attempted to maintain secred distance from your prey. This Skill will allow you to better hide from those around you. This Skill’s potency scales with the Partit’s Agility, Wisdom, and Perception.
If he were an ambusher, then this Skill would certainly be useful, but his Diviransformation was not made to be sneaky, but a fuassive snake. He dismissed it out of hand and moved to the st option.
Primeval Champion (Copper (I)): You have proven yourself to be an exempr of those who have acclimated well to the world post-Iion. The people around you see you as an example to follow and their protector champion in this new world. This Skill grants an aura to the holder, and the aura boosts the attributes of those around the holder of the Skill by 5%. In addition, the Skill grants the holder the simple ons fighting proficy. WARNING: This Skill choice will unalterably ge the path of the Savage Occupation.
Oooh. Anood Skill that drew his attention. TJ sighed ao his room to think about it while in his fortable bed. So many good options, but what exactly did that warning at the end of Primeval Champion mean…? His mind, without him realizing it, calmed, and before he could make the decision, TJ fell asleep.
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