Edge got used to the weight of his new shield while Ander left the courtyard.

  The smith returned a few minutes later carrying two bundles wrapped in cloth. Before he unveiled the items below, he made a second trip to wheel in a dummy that was outfitted in Edge’s armor underneath a sheet draped over the top.

  The crafter pulled back the first wrapping with a flourish, revealing an ivory scythe that was perhaps two-thirds the size it had been before. Edge broke into a broad grin as he examined the weapon he’d claimed from the Gardener, which had sliced through magic just as easily as flesh.

  “As requested, I resized the blade and balanced the shaft for a human body. Words can’t convey how bizarre it felt to tweak a crafting that was performed by a monster, and I find it deeply unsettling that the quality was so high. I don’t want to imagine a world where monsters are armed with skill-crafted gear on top of their natural weapons and insane attributes.”

  The thought made Edge’s blood run cold. “Yeah, that’s a terrifying proposition. Don’t worry, the Gardener was special.” He explained what had happened at the end of the fight—minus Skill-Eater’s involvement in the process.

  “Ancients, eh.” Ander rubbed his chin. “I can’t say that news makes me less worried. That warning is fucking ominous, and the idea of monsters originating from somewhere other than Ord poses more questions than it answers. We might have even darker days ahead of us than I’d realized, although tomorrow’s ordeal won’t matter unless we find a way to live through today’s.

  “On a brighter note, I finally figured out what the scythe’s crafting does.” Ander’s eyes lit up as he explained what he’d learned. He truly loves his work. “I assume you’re familiar with Disruption surges, since you wouldn’t have lived this long if you weren’t.”

  Edge nodded his agreement. “Although I haven’t figured out how to create one myself.”

  “You will need to learn if you want to make the most out of this little beauty.” As he spoke, the crafter’s core ignited, and a thick field of Disruption flowed up the shaft to coat the blade of the scythe, just like the Gardener had done.

  “A Disruption surge expels magicytes to extend your core’s innate Disruption field for a fraction of a second, instead of creating refined mana in your reactor. Normally, the surge expands in a hemisphere from your position, or a sphere if you’re airborne.

  “But when you’re holding this scythe, the field sinks into the weapon like water soaking into a rag, concentrating the antimagic properties along the edge of the blade—dramatically increasing its potency in exchange for limiting the scope of the effect. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what that means…” He paused for dramatic effect.

  By this point, Edge’s grin was just as wide as Ander’s own. “It means this weapon is designed to cut through skills just as easily as anything else. You’re right. It’s vital that I learn how to use it before the kaiju arrives.”

  “I advise talking to Earl on both counts. The man is a prodigy for creating Disruption surges, and I’m sure he knows someone who is proficient in wielding a scythe. Ask him to introduce you so you can learn the basics from someone with combat experience.” The smith handed the weapon over for him to inspect.

  “I will. I’m looking forward to finding what this baby can do.” While he spoke, Edge gripped the scythe’s shaft and gave it an experimental swing. The balance was completely different from wielding his polearm, since there was so much more weight to the blade.

  “Now this was a fun project.” Ander pulled away another piece of cloth to reveal a shield that was strikingly different from the colossal scapula he’d claimed from the Gardener.

  “I’ve never made armor for a weapon before, and the design challenges involved were quite riveting, pun intended. I’ll spare you the details unless you want to learn the art of crafting yourself. Just let me know when you have a few years or preferably decades to spare.” They laughed as Edge leaned in to take a closer look.

  “Given the specs of your chain when I saw it last, I focused on modifying the material to make it as light as possible while retaining its strength. I tweaked the shape and polished the surface so it’s perfectly balanced. Foebinder can angle the shield to deflect strikes, it isn’t strong enough to block head-on, and I added as much stabilization as I could.

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  “One of my associates wrapped the border inward, so the chain can coil itself inside to minimize the damage it receives from area-of-effect attacks. This bone is incredibly durable, even for its grade. The piece can withstand some serious punishment, which should come in handy, since I have a feeling that it’s going to get smacked around a lot.”

  Edge picked up the armor while nodding along with Ander’s words. The surface of the bone shield was perfectly smooth. The crafter had altered its natural shape into an oval that was barely big enough to cover a human body. The handle where the chain wrapped around was different from a normal grip, although he could still use it if he wanted to for some reason.

  When he manifested Foebinder, the living links spent a few minutes prodding the armor, bobbing in approval before reaching inside, grabbing the bar, and rising into the air. The chain was pleased with Ander’s work, turning from side to side like it was deflecting a barrage of missiles coming in from different angles.

  The weight wasn’t an issue, and living links could move the shield with remarkable precision. This worked out even better than I’d hoped. I should commission some new weapons for Foebinder later, although Yussuf’s sword and my chakram are good enough for now.

  While the chain played with its protective gear, Edge got ready to check out his own. Ander pulled the sheet back, revealing a suit of garax-leather armor. The man had enhanced the leather using the durable plates Edge had harvested from the rockies in the Deep-Gill Grottos.

  Since they were made of something the smith called a biomineral, he was able to merge it with the self-repairing armor without undoing the original crafting. The leather had retained its flexibility but could withstand far more punishment before it was punctured, cut, or torn.

  The modification gave the leather a purple sheen Edge found quite striking. All in all, it was a nice way to enhance the protection the suit offered until he had a chance to pick up something better.

  As promised, Ander had treated his boots with a coating that would prevent the soles from sticking to adhesive substances and slipping in slick ones. Edge changed into his new armor, dismissed Foebinder, and stored the weapons in his vault, savoring the sensation of wearing gear that had been custom-made to fit the contours of his body.

  As a bonus to what had already been a fantastic visit, the gifts Edge had ordered for his friends were ready too.

  He’d had something crafted for every member of Trapper’s crew, along with Lilly and Mel. The first item was simple but practical. Ander had embedded a small piece of Freshwater Sapphire into the neck of some canteens.

  The containers would automatically refill as the gems absorbed magicytes from the environment, providing his friends with an unlimited source of drinking water. He had one made for himself too, in case he ever found himself in a situation where he couldn’t or didn’t want to use his magic.

  Moving on, he had commissioned a knife for Trapper from a piece of the fossil he’d found in the grottos, replacing the blade she had gifted him the first time they met. One of the jewelers had fashioned a pair of Flame Ruby earrings for Sasha, which glowed with a soft inner light—just enough radiance for someone with high Perception to navigate a dark environment without advertising their presence to everything nearby.

  For Mel, Ander had turned a pair of the spike-knuckle plates Edge had harvested from the gorilla general into proper weapons. They would come in handy if deputy ever found herself in a tight-quarters fight where she didn’t have room to swing her axe… or just wanted to pound an enemy to death—outcomes he judged to be equally likely considering her temperament.

  Finally, he had commissioned a pin for everyone on Trapper’s crew using a variety of resources, including the purple gems he’d harvested in the dungeon. They displayed Rue and Blue standing in front of the crew’s wagon, and they were a nice memento of their adventures to date.

  Now that he was done checking out all his awesome new gear, all that was left was to figure out what he wanted to do with his remaining materials. He still had a heaping pile of resources in his vault after letting his friends take whatever they wanted and donating all the lower-quality items to help arm the settlement. Additionally, he had harvested a fresh pile of parts from the shadowreaver, diamondback, and some lesser beasts he’d hunted over the last few days.

  He considered the matter for a few minutes before making his decision.

  Edge had already given away half of the gigantic fossil to craft new weapons for Puppet Town’s elites. He decided to hold onto the rest of it for now, along with two of the reaver’s claws, the goat monster’s pelt, and the remaining gemstones and magic metals. He handed Ander the rest, who wrote out a receipt so Dialla could issue him Contribution Points the next time he stopped by City Hall.

  When they were done, the smith invited him to eat lunch with the other crafters at the Forge. He followed Ander into the kitchen, where a hearty meal was cooking over the stove. He chatted with the artisans as he enjoyed his meal—glad that most of them had survived the expedition to the Savage Garden and the attack of the Crimson Claws.

  After helping the apprentices clear the table, Edge bid the friendly bunch farewell and made his way out of the building. He was ready to visit Earl and see if the sheriff had recovered enough to teach him the art of creating Disruption surges.