It felt odd to be travelling with just Gargan, but it gave Jake a good chance to discuss more about Wyrd usage with him.

  They’d gone over patterns of infusions in the past, but while Alan had taken to it with ease, Jake had found it difficult. He’d made progress and had developed a Skill from it, but that felt like he was only scratching the surface.

  Now, talking it back over with Gargan, Jake found the whole subject easier. While the Skill was an active one, it seemed to also provide some basic knowledge, which was more than he’d had before.

  Gargan had Jake perform some basic Wyrd manipulation exercises as they travelled, giving Jake the chance to see what he could create.

  It was easy enough to make one for sharpness, as that had been the underlying pattern his old Skill had focused on. Anything other than that, though, was somewhat more difficult.

  Creating a pattern that was stable enough to work was difficult, and that was with his new Skill working to subtly strengthen the weave.

  By focusing on the point of his weapon, Jake managed to create an infusion that enhanced its capability to pierce, though it was limited to the tip alone.

  Not precisely what he wanted, but it was progress, and Gargan helped him to understand how he’d made it.

  It was all about the pattern, that much he knew, but actually creating something new was enough to show him how it worked.

  With time and practice, Jake was confident that he could make a pattern that did precisely what he wanted.

  Ever since he got the original infusion Skill, Jake had been working on improving the manual process he went through. By watching how the Skill created the effect, he’d been able to improve his own work.

  That process had primed him for this Skill, he could see that now. He could also see that, aside from his Boons, this new Skill was the most variable and flexible Ability that Jake had.

  “You’ve made good progress,” Gargan said approvingly as they reached the Dungeon.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ve still got a long way to go,” Jake said, drawing his sword and leading the way inside and down the stairs to the true entrance.

  -**-

  Fighting the undead was hardly a challenge at this point, even the actual Challenge wasn’t too difficult. Jake was fairly confident he could have done it all alone, but with Gargan alongside him, there was little threat.

  That wasn’t to say that there was no threat at all, as accidents and mistakes could and did happen. If he ever let a zombie get close enough, Jake had no doubt it would do its best to rip his throat out.

  “Why aren’t you using your infusions more?” Gargan asked as they moved down to the second floor of the Dungeon. “That’s what we came here for, right?”

  Jake paused and considered it for a moment before nodding. “I’d been holding back to conserve Wyrd, but you’re right. This is what we’re here for.”

  Moving into the second floor, Jake started to vary his infusions, changing what he was using each time to try to improve the pattern and how quickly he could create it.

  Almost by accident, he formed a pattern to boost the impact of a strike, crushing the chest of a zombie with the force of the blow.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  It took Jake a moment to remember that his Woadheart Ring boosted the impact of anything the Wyrd Infusion Skill created.

  A very useful gift indeed.

  Recreating the pattern, Jake waded into the rest of the undead, quick slashes of his blade cutting through limbs with ease.

  -**-

  Jake found a few more moments of inspiration during the delve, especially when using his Boon weaponry.

  He’d noted in the past that they held Wyrd better than normal weapons, but that also seemed to extend to infusions.

  Practicing the impact pattern was at the forefront of Jake’s mind, but as he was using Dauhaust’s Root at the time, it didn’t really match.

  It worked, of course, but he’d have preferred a piercing pattern, which led to him trying to meld the two, with mixed success.

  At the moment, Jake was able to create a pattern that gave both effects, but the different weaves clashed and even with the increased stability from his Skill, the effects were weak.

  Still, the principle was sound, and it was an exciting development. All Jake had to do now was figure out how to mesh those weaves and he could create a much more powerful infusion.

  If he could learn more patterns, and then learn how to weave them together, then what was already a powerful Skill would be something much more.

  They were taking a break between delves right now, so Jake took the chance to ask Gargan something that had been bothering him.

  “Why does my new Skill do so much more than one of my other Abilities, when they’re both the same rarity?”

  “Because not all Abilities are equal,” Gargan said with a shrug.

  “But why?” Jake asked, rubbing his face with a sigh. “If everything is given by the System, why isn’t it all even?”

  Gargan shrugged again and spread his hands. “Who knows why the System does anything the way it does. Rarity only influences the raw power that an Ability can wield. Your new Skill doesn’t do anything more than the other one in those terms. The difference is how you apply that power.”

  “I suppose,” Jake said, considering his Abilities thoughtfully. “I just kind of expected the higher rarities to be better by nature, but now it feels like that isn’t the case.”

  “Welcome to the confusing world of Abilities,” Gargan said with a mirthless chuckle. “Too many classers get caught up in the rarity that the System assigns Abilities. Having more raw power is pointless if it isn’t applied correctly.”

  “Yeah, I think I’m beginning to see that,” Jake said, more to himself than anything. The synergy between certain Abilities that he’d seen said the same thing, after all.

  Jake had the feeling that a good suite of synergistic Abilities would provide power far beyond what their rarity would suggest.

  If that was the case, though, was that then the aim that every classer should have?

  Jake had been jumping from issue to issue, running from assassins and scrambling for every scrap of power he could find. Should he instead be plotting out the potential Skills and Traits he wanted and then trying to achieve the Deeds they’d require?

  Leaning back to rest his head on the cool stone of the Dungeon, Jake let out a long breath before climbing back to his feet. “Come on, let’s get back to it.”

  “Very well,” Gargan said, getting to his feet and grabbing his pack. “You should practice using multiple patterns some more, you were making good progress. If you get there on your own, the Deeds will be more impressive as well.”

  Jake nodded, conjuring Dauhaust’s Root as he led the way back down into the Dungeon. He had monsters to kill and Wyrdgeld to earn.

  -**-

  Several hours and multiple delves later, Jake and Gargan began the slow walk back to the safehouse.

  They’d worked hard, and the result was a hefty amount of Wyrdgeld for Jake and some good practice adjusting to his new capabilities.

  On the face of it, Jake’s Abilities hadn’t changed much. In practicality, though, he’d undergone a dramatic change to his combat style. Getting used to no longer having a Skill was one thing, but adding in the new range of patterns and weaves that he had to remember was something else entirely.

  Still, the upside was that once he mastered this new Skill, he would have a lot more power at his fingertips. Even better, he would be able to tailor that power to the right situations.

  -**-

  Ari was sitting outside, drinking in his usual spot, when they reached the safehouse. As had become his habit, Ari toasted vaguely in their direction with the bottle he was drinking from, no longer even trying to hide what he was doing.

  “Are the others back?” Jake asked, keeping his expression neutral as he eyed the bottle in Ari’s hand.

  “Yeah, they’re back,” Ari said, slurring his words as he stared off blankly into the distance.

  Biting back his response, Jake turned away and walked inside. It hurt to see Ari like this, and it made Jake angry to see him casting his life away.

  Felix wouldn’t want this, but Jake knew that telling Ari that wouldn’t help. Not now.