Skill-Eater: Prison World Saga-Chapter 4: The Forge

Edge’s next stop took him to the crafters’ quarter. When he crossed into the district, the sounds and scents of industry washed over him. He sat down on a bench, stopping for a few minutes to immerse himself in the vibrant bustle of the town’s crafters at work.

The district was even busier than he remembered. In addition to their usual activities, quite a few factories were in the middle of being renovated—their machines and tools swapped out to handle a new line of work.

Some had been incentivized to make the change because their products were vital to the settlement’s future. Others were shifting gears because the materials used to make their wares were no longer available or their customers in other cities could no longer be reached.

It was a complex problem. Edge was glad that he didn’t have to worry about the specifics. He didn’t envy the mayor or the leaders of the crafting and trading communities one bit. Hunting on the Ivory Plains was hard enough. He didn’t even want to try to wrap his head around the economic, logistical, and infrastructural challenges the settlement was facing.

After he rose to his feet and started walking, he passed by some interesting storefronts that he might stop by later, once he had more Credits to spare. But today he was heading to the Forge, and he was planning to spend big.

It was time to have his share of the resources the crew had collected on their big game hunt turned into high-quality equipment. At the top of his list was a new suit of armor. Edge had thoroughly destroyed his first set of leathers by taking on opponents well beyond what his gear could handle.

The Forge was a crafting collective consisting of twenty or so craft-masters, along with their apprentices and journeymen. It was sprawling facility—a combination of shared workspaces and living quarters, along with a public area where people could browse the wares on display and commission custom jobs.

Last time Edge had stopped by, there were only a few people shopping in the store attached to the central workshop. Today, there were dozens of customers forming a line out the door. Listening to their chatter, it was clear that weapons and armor were in high demand. He nodded his approval while eavesdropping on their conversations. It’s good that more of the town’s residents are taking Dialla’s warning seriously.

It was vital that the population of Puppet Town learned how to fight, ranked up their skills, and cycled up their cores if they had one—before the Ivory Plains became so dangerous that it wouldn’t be possible for novices to hunt on them any longer. And the first step to succeeding in any of those goals was purchasing some quality equipment.

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On the other hand, the crowd was a bit of an inconvenience right now. Shit. It looks like it will take hours to get in. I guess I’ll come back later. I don’t want to waste all day standing in line.

Just as he decided to leave, a familiar voice reached his ears. “Edge. Is that you, lad? Why are you standing out here with the walk-ins? We already have a working relationship. You don’t need to wait to see me, unless I’m in the middle of a job or helping someone else.”

Edge had no idea that this was the case, but he was happy to hear it. He turned to face the speaker—a middle-aged man with dark gray hair and bright blue eyes named Ander, who was one of the Forge’s senior smiths.

He followed Ander through the reception area and into a private consultation room behind the counter. The smith motioned for Edge to take a seat at the table and then pulled up a chair himself. “I hear you had quite the adventure out there. That your big game hunt turned into a behemoth game hunt instead.”

“It seems that everyone in town already knows about it.” Edge let out a long sigh. “We were lucky to survive.”

“Gossip is always rife in a settlement this size, but now it’s worse than ever. Although you can’t blame people for wanting a distraction. Symptom of the uncertain times we’re living in.” On that note, Ander had him tell a portion of the story, listening closely as Edge described the showdown with the padamas and garax.

“Two fine kills and a quest from the System. I’m not sure if you got lucky, the planetary AI is changing in the wake of the disaster, or both. Either way, I’m glad that you made it back to us. I’d hate to lose one of my best customers.”

Ander laughed to show that he was joking, and eventually, Edge joined in. “Enough small talk. What brings you into the Forge today? I hope the naginata we made is living up to your expectations.”

“In every conceivable way.” Edge nodded. “Thanks again for doing such an amazing job with it. I’m here to get some of those high-grade beast parts I mentioned turned into gear. Top of the list being some new armor. My last set couldn’t hold up to the caliber of opponents we wound up facing, so now I need something better.

“I was hoping that my share of the resources from the garax and the padamas are enough raw materials to commission a custom job—something that can keep up with the powerful beasts I’ll be hunting from now on. The Ivory Plains is growing more deadly by the day, and I need a suit of armor to match.”

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“I had a feeling that you would say something along those lines.” Ander reached into his belt pouch, pulled out two strips of leather, and then set them on the table. “Samples from the creatures in question. You aren’t the only member of Trapper’s crew who wants an upgrade, so I’ll tell you the same thing I told Jumo.”

The smith pointed to the first sample, which was covered in pale yellow scales. “The padamas’s hide is middle D-grade. Not the toughest material, but not weak either. Suitable for parts of the body that aren’t likely to take direct hits from heavy attacks. There isn’t as much of it either—only enough for a smaller piece of armor.”

Edge nodded along as Ander continued to explain. “The lizard’s hide does, however, have several properties that make it worth considering. It’s naturally waterproof and resistant to fire and acid.

“But the truly interesting bit is the way that it absorbs sound. Part of the padamas’s stealth comes from the inherent properties of its body, which supplement its skillset. I can make you a fine pair of boots that will reduce the noise you make in the field. I’ll reinforce them with high-grade metal and bone, to increase their durability and protect your feet from being punctured or crushed.”

Then Ander pointed to the garax’s leather. “This material is the true prize of the lot. Something that I’ve only been able to work with a few times, since it had to be transported from the frontier. Garax hide is a low C-grade crafting material. Buying a full suit would normally cost a fortune, but you are providing your own mats. It will still be expensive, but you should be able to afford it, given what you made on that hunt.

“It’s tough but breathes well, making it comfortable to wear for days on end. It will naturally resist most elements even better than the padamas’s scales. The hide doesn’t conduct electricity and becomes rigid for a moment when struck, distributing the force over a wider area to reduce the impact on your body.”

By this point, Edge was growing excited, but Ander wasn’t finished yet. “Best of all, once we skill-forge the material to enhance its latent properties, it will repair itself. It can’t restore missing pieces, but any holes or tears will seal themselves shut over time, without any loss of durability. You have enough for a jacket and a pair of leggings, with just enough left over for a poncho. I’ll warn you now that it’s not cheap. At least 30,000 Credits depending on the design.”

“When you put it that way, it’s hard to say no.” Edge rubbed his chin. “One last question. We also have some garax bone and teeth. I was wondering if it would be practical to have a buckler shield made from them, or possibly a helmet. While we’re on the subject, the naginata is brilliant and I love it. But right now, I don’t have any ranged skills, and a bow isn’t really my style. Do you have any recommendations for other weapons?”

“That wasn’t a single question, lad.” Ander gave him a flat look, then broke into a broad grin. “The buckler is easy, and the bone is a good choice. For a helmet, I would recommend waiting until you find a better material. Something that allows our crafters to change its shape without weakening the structure.

“I can hook you up with a half-measure in the meantime though. A wide-brimmed leather hat with a bone cap mounted into the lining. It won’t offer total protection like a full helm, but it will absorb some of the shock if you get bonked on the noggin.” Ander rose to his feet, pacing while he thought the matter through.

“As far as ranged weapons go, I could send you home with a brace of javelins, or something similar. But since you already have a heavy weapon strapped to your back, perhaps something smaller would be better. It won’t be able to take down big game, but it should come in handy when fighting most anything else.”

Ander traced a circle with his finger as he explained. “A chakram, made of garax bone and a high-grade bronze composite. It wouldn’t do much good by itself, but I can modify it so that it will return to a paired glove on command. A pull that’s kind of like a magnet but offers longer range and will only affect the skill-modified weapon.”

“Alright.” Edge nodded. “I trust your judgement and all of that sounds great. How much for everything combined?”

“I can’t give you an exact price until you pick out a design for the armor. But since you were kind enough to stay for dinner after testing out the naginata, I’ll give you a friend of the Forge discount. Call the job roughly sixty thousand creds.”

Edge’s jaw dropped at the number. It was a staggering sum by his old standards and a fair chunk of his current net worth. On the other hand, a set of high-grade, elemental-resistant, self-repairing armor would be a fantastic upgrade to his gear. Not to mention, stealth-enhancing boots, a buckler shield, a ranged weapon, and a reinforced hat.

While he thought it over, Ander left and then returned with a big book. When the smith set it on the table and opened it up, Edge saw that it was filled with designs for leather armor. “I was thinking about something in this style.” He pointed to a picture of a man wearing a leather duster and a pair of leggings. “We can even tweak the color, depending on what finish we use.”

Edge asked some questions, then made a few requests with the cut. Some were small modifications that would work well with his skillset, and others just matched his innate sense of style.

“As far as the color goes, would it be possible to make it darker? Something that will blend in well in terrain with heavy growth. I’m less worried about it matching with the grass on the plains than the high-threat biomes it borders.”

“Yes, I think I can arrange something that you’ll be happy with.” With that, the men began to haggle. Edge knew that he was no match for Ander. The smith was clearly taking it easy on him and having fun in the process.

When they reached an agreement for a few thousand creds less than the first price he had quoted, they shook hands. Then Ander invited Edge into the backroom to eat lunch with some of the other crafters. He took the smith up on the offer, since he was always glad to make connections with other skilled artisans.

After polishing off a heaping plate of pot roast and grilled vegetables, he bid everyone farewell and continued with his day. Edge was already fantasizing about his new gear, which would be ready within the week. While his mind was busy, he decided to put his body to work. It was time for another turbocharged conditioning session.