The final hours within the Safe Zone were a study in contrasts. The golden light of the Heart soothed their bodies, but the impending timer—now reading [04:12:18]—stoked a low-grade anxiety in everyone's gut.
Leo sat slightly apart, his back against a warm pipe. To the others, he looked like he was resting. In reality, he was immersed in his new [Artist's Eye], exploring its breathtaking potential. The world was overlaid with the soft, glowing auras he had first seen after containing the Dominator's influence.
He focused on his trio of spectacular beauties, the colors he now associated with them.
Chloe's steady, protective gold was a bastion of resolve. But when she thought no one was looking, it would flicker with deep violet streaks of fear—not for herself, but for the people she felt responsible for. As he watched her, he summoned the same forge recommendation, clearer and more vivid than before, materialized in his mind's eye:
[Aegis] + [Mirage Step] = [Aegis Phalanx] (D-Rank).
Concept: A full-body barrier that can be instantly teleported a short distance to intercept an attack on an ally. High mana cost. Synergy: Maximizes protective utility and area denial.
Note: Forged Skill. Soul-bound to User. Cannot be shared.
It was perfect for him, turning him into a mobile guardian. But it wouldn't help Chloe directly.
He shifted his gaze to Maya. Her bright, curious silver aura was a whirlwind of coherent, bright lines, like a meticulously drafted schematic. She was constantly analyzing, her mind a fortress of logic. The intuitive recommendation came swiftly:
[Arcane Bolt] + [Keen Eye Blueprint] = [Logic Piercer] (D-Rank).
Concept: A projectile that analyzes the target's compositional energy as it flies, dealing increased damage based on a perceived weakness. Synergy: Leverages her analytical nature for direct combat efficacy.
Note: Forged Skill. Soul-bound to User. Cannot be shared.
Again, a powerful tool, but for his arsenal alone. He needed a way to empower them. His gaze fell on his nearly empty satchel. Items. He could forge items for them. The system rule was clear: Enchanted items could be shared, albeit with a 10% reduction in efficiency. That was the key.
Then, there was Luna. Her aura was the most dynamic. A baseline of resilient pink, but it spiked with jagged yellow bolts of fear during the quiet moments. As he watched her trying to cheer up a younger student, another concept bloomed, this one for an item:
Item Forge Concept: [Mirage Step] + [Power Strike Blueprint] + Physical Component (Spool of Wire) = [Boots of the Rushing Mirage] (E-Rank).
*Concept: Grants the wearer a single charge of a short, aggressive teleport. Upon arrival, the wearer's next physical attack is enhanced with concussive force. Charges replenish at dawn. (Effectiveness for non-user: 90%).*
Note: Enchanted Item. Can be shared.
Yes. This was how he could directly uplift the team.
He was so engrossed that he didn't hear her approach.
"Planning our glorious victory, oh great Artisan?"
Leo's eyes snapped open. Luna was standing over him, having used the last dregs of her mana to [Mirage Step] the last few feet without a sound. She grinned down at him, but her pink aura was shot through with nervous yellow.
"Something like that," he said, offering a tired smile. "Actually, I was working on something for you."
Her playful expression shifted to genuine curiosity. "For me?"
He explained the concept for the [Boots of the Rushing Mirage]. "It would use your own skill as a base, but let you hit harder when you reappear. It wouldn't be as strong as if I used it myself, but it should give you a real offensive punch."
Her eyes lit up. The yellow bolts of fear in her aura vanished, replaced by a surge of excited, warm rose. "You... you can make me something like that? My own magic shoes?" She practically squealed with delight.
She plopped down beside him, much closer than was strictly necessary. Her shoulder brushed against his. The contact sent a small, unexpected jolt through him. Her aura flared, the pink deepening to a warmer, more intimate shade.
"You know," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "for a guy who just killed a C-Rank psychic horror, you're surprisingly sweet." She leaned in, her scent a strange but not unpleasant mix of expensive perfume and basement dust. Her knee pressed firmly against his leg giving him an unadulterated view of her impressive bust. "Making a girl special gear. It's very knight-in-shining-armor of you."
Her proximity was distracting. The [Artist's Eye] showed him her aura pulsing with a playful, flirtatious energy, but beneath it was that genuine, desperate need for reassurance.
Leo chuckled, a little flustered. "It's just practical. A stronger scout is good for everyone."
"Sure, sure," she said, waving a dismissive hand, her smile telling him she didn't believe that for a second. "It's all practical." She placed her hand over his on the concrete floor, her touch warm and surprisingly soft. "Thank you, Leo. Really."
Her aura bloomed around him, a cloud of rose and magenta, filled with gratitude, a flicker of attraction, and a powerful, newfound hope. It was intoxicating.
The moment was shattered by a polite cough.
They looked up. Maya was standing there, her arms crossed, her bright silver aura flickering with a distinct, sharp shade of greenish-turquoise. Annoyance.
"The timer is under four hours," she stated, her voice perfectly level, though her aura betrayed her. "If you're finished with... custom fittings, we should discuss the optimal marching order. I've calculated several probabilistic models."
Luna, with a final, lingering squeeze of Leo's hand, leaned back, a triumphant little smirk playing on her lips. "Sure thing, Maya. Just getting my personalized equipment specs from our master forger."
Maya's glasses glinted in the golden light, her gaze shifting from Luna to Leo. Her aura spiked with that turquoise hue again. "I see. Well, collective survival benefits from collective planning." She paused, and then added, her tone deceptively light, "Perhaps you could forge something for the collective next, Leo. A light source, perhaps? My calculations indicate a 73% chance we'll be traversing dark zones."
The message was clear. Leo felt a strange, new tension humming in the air. He had the power to forge world-altering skills bound to his soul, but the ability to craft shareable items was proving to be its own kind of dangerous power.
He stood up, brushing the dust from his pants. "You're both right. Let's talk strategy," he said, looking at Maya, "and I'll see what I can do about that light source." He had an arsenal to build, both for himself and for the team. And he was quickly learning that every gift he forged for one could become a weight in the delicate balance between them.