Atlas Rising a LitRPG gaming adventure by Blake Severson (top 10 books of all time .txt) 📗

brought out a small bowl made of an unfamiliar metal and dropped the Elemental Flame into it. He took a small hammer and smashed the red gem, causing a puddle of liquid flame to form in the bottom. The silver shavings joined the flame and immediately melted into the mixture.

With careful precision, the jeweler poured small amounts of the liquid into the cracks in the socket where the gemstone rested. The mixture flowed into the cracks and tiny flashes of light flared to life as the cracks in the metal seamlessly flowed back together. The process only took a handful of minutes, and Atlas would’ve sworn he held his breath through the entire thing.

Quest - Repair the Staff (Jewelcrafting)

Requirements

•     Level 15

Quest Rarity: Unique

Quest Reward: 800 experience, Jeweled socket of Staff repaired.

Description: You’ve returned the necessary ingredients and the socket on the staff has been repaired.

You have completed the quest!

With a quick word of thanks, Atlas scooped up the staff and ran for the Blacksmith shop. The smith was hard at work when he entered, and Atlas wasn’t about to interrupt him. The bulk of his muscles and size of his hammer wasn’t something he would tempt fate with. The smith finally noticed him and waved him over.

“Something I can do for you?”

“Yes, sir. I have the items you requested to complete the quest to repair that staff.”

“Fine, fine. I guess I can take care of that real quick. Hand over the items,” the smith said with a gesture.

Atlas did as requested and gave him the staff along with the Elemental Core and 3 Ironwood Root. The smith looked at the items and whistled.

“That Ironwood Root sure is tough as nails until you learn how to harvest it.”

“There’s a trick to it?” Atlas asked.

“Yep, how did you get these without knowing the trick to it?”

“I spent forever whacking on it with a hatchet,” Atlas grumbled.

A booming laughter rang through the smithy at his statement. The few people milling around stopped and stared at the smith in surprise. After a few moments, they just shook their heads and resumed their work.

“That must’ve taken forever. Since you suffered through that and have that kind of dedication, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Ironwood Root softens if you hit it with heat for a short time. Then it gets much easier to chop through.”

Atlas slapped himself on the forehead. Of course it would. Heat it up in the forge and it gets pretty soft too. Figures I’d waste time doing it the hardest way possible.

The smith walked over to his anvil and propped the staff up against the nearby wall. He tossed all three of the Ironwood Roots in his coal pit, and the inner cores quickly burned out as the exterior metal glowed a dark red.

The smith pulled the roots out and hammered them into thin, flat sheets of metal. He put the Elemental Core on the anvil next and shattered the small crystal. Tiny fragments littered the air as the smith continued to pound on the item until only a small pile of dust remained. Sweeping the powdered crystal into his hand, he walked over and grabbed the staff.

The smith’s sweat mingled with the wood of the staff as he laid it onto his anvil. He threw the sheets of metal from the roots back into the fire and waited for them to turn a bright red. His tongs grabbed the first sheet and laid it on the first metal fitting. Some taps of his hammer allowed the metal to form perfectly around the exterior. As a final step, he sprinkled some Powdered Elemental Core on to the metal. A flash of light, followed by a slight popping sound, echoed through the space before the metal melded into place.

He repeated the process for the rest of the metal pieces before handing Atlas the staff back.

Quest - Repair the Staff (Blacksmithing)

Requirements

•     Level 15

Quest Rarity: Unique

Quest Reward: 800 experience, Metal pieces of Staff repaired.

Description: You gathered the necessary items, and the smith repaired the metal pieces of the staff as promised.

You have completed the quest!

“Take care of that weapon. I have a feeling it’s something special.”

“Sure will. Thanks for your help,” Atlas told the smith as he gathered up the staff and left the building.

Entering the woodworking shop, he found the same old man sitting behind the desk as before. Upon seeing Atlas, his eyes lit up with excitement.

“Did you complete my quest?” he asked with a tinge of hope in his voice.

“Sure did. I just need to buy a few Mahogany Dust from you if you have them in stock.”

“Sure do,” the old man said with a wave.

Atlas browsed through the items until he located Mahogany Dust and purchased 10 of them for 1 silver each. He dug the staff back out of his bag and laid it on the counter with a pouch of the Mahogany Dust and the Sap of an Ent.

The master woodworker took the small pouch filled with the sticky sap and scraped the contents into a small wooden bowl. He sprinkled the Mahogany Dust into the sap as he continually mixed. Atlas couldn’t be certain, but he didn’t think dumping the whole thing in at once would work correctly. When the mixture was a smooth red color, the old man turned his attention to the staff.

Fetching a small brush from his desk, the master dipped it in the mixture and slowly painted all the wooden surfaces with the thick goo. Everywhere the sap mixture touched, the wood seemed to shine with a new luster. Cracks slowly mended, and the wood looked more vibrant and alive.

When the last of the sap covered the tip, a soft chime rang out in the room. Atlas and the master both looked at each other as if to ask if they both heard the noise. They nodded and Atlas took the staff from the old man.

Quest - Repair the Staff (Woodworking)

Requirements

•     Level