Back at their rented quarters, JP finally had what he craved most: a table full of shiny rocks, a few hours without interruptions, and an itch to invent.
The quartz chunks he'd chipped from the goblin nest glittered under lamplight, veins of faint mana pulsing like heartbeat rhythms. He turned one over in his palm, Appraisal whispering possibilities.
Arcane Quartz – Conductive. Excellent for channeling or dampening mana flow. Stability depends on cut and binding.
"Perfect," JP muttered, setting out his tools. "You're basically a natural circuit board."
Lyra leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You're talking to rocks again."
"They talk back," JP shot back. "In their own sparkly way."
From the corner, Garron barely grunted. He was polishing his sword, not sparing the quartz a glance. "Rocks are rocks. Goblins hoard junk. Don't waste too much time."
JP smiled inwardly. Perfect. If Garron wasn't interested, the Guild wouldn't be either. That gave him cover to push further than ever before.
He started small: embedding quartz shards into his ugly wristband prototype. Copper wiring snaked through cloth like veins, soldered by alchemical heat until the glow stabilized into a steady blue hum. The Appraisal result made him whistle.
Mana Dampener (Reinforced) – Negates minor magical damage. Converts excess mana into kinetic discharge.
"Meaning," JP muttered, "next time I get hit with fire, I can punch back with a shockwave. Nice."
Next came his cloak. Using thin strips of quartz threaded with mana-threaded cloth, he stitched in faint latticework, like a hidden web. The cloak shimmered faintly, almost invisible unless caught in direct light.
Static Mesh Cloak – Increases resistance to cutting/slashing attacks. Minor electric retaliation against melee contact.
JP grinned. "Prick me now, I dare you."
Lyra chuckled. "You're going to look ridiculous the first time you zap yourself."
"Already did. Twice. Worth it."
By the time he was done, JP felt like he'd stepped one rung higher up the survival ladder. Not a knight, not a mage — but something entirely his own.
He slid the last shard into his belt bag, which pulsed faintly as if hungrier than before. He ignored it. One mystery at a time.
From the corner, Garron finally looked up. "Done playing with pebbles?"
JP smirked, tugging his upgraded wristband tight. "Oh, you'll see. These pebbles might just keep me breathing next time someone throws fire at my face."
Lyra's eyes flicked with quiet admiration — and worry. She knew what JP was really doing: building strength in the shadows, away from Guild oversight.
And if the Guild ever realized what their "rock collector" was capable of, they'd never leave him alone.