Chapter 242: Specialization

Even with his excitement, Arwin took care to spend a few more moments thinking about everything that had just flashed through the air before him. The Mesh really hadn’t given him much time to process it all. He’d gotten two levels while he’d been working, though he was pretty sure he’d been really close to reaching Apprentice 9. Wallace’s Challenge had upgraded Molten Novice and given him a new class specialization, and by reaching Journeyman 1, not only had his physical body grown stronger, but he also had the opportunity to choose a Class Specialization.

Lillia and Wallace both watched Arwin with interest. They were more than familiar with the Mesh and could obviously tell at least a degree of what had happened. Both of them remained silent to give him space and avoid distracting him.

I need to stay focused. The Class Specialization comes first. This is what I’ve been working toward ever since I got my very first taste of this class. Journeyman is where your class truly becomes yours. Granted, I don’t think anyone else is walking around with the Living Forge class, but the point still stands.

Whatever choice he made here would be sticking with him for a long time. It wasn’t something he could afford to choose on a whim. Arwin scanned over the glowing options before him once again. Unlike some of his skill choices, he wasn’t willing to dismiss even the most basic options until he had fully thought them through. There were no second chances with a Class Specialization.

[Dwarven Smithing]

[Cursed Dwarven Smithing]

[Offensive Items]

[Defensive Items]

[Magical Consumption]

[War Smithing]

Arwin temporarily skipped over both Dwarven Smithing options. They were a lot more complex than the other options and he wasn’t sure if they would involve further dealings with the dwarven council. It wasn’t like he was going to lose the abilities that Wallace had just taught him, so he wanted to analyze the other options at the very least.

That brought him to Offensive Items. The meaning was evident enough. Swords, daggers, bows, everything that was meant to hurt and kill. There was always a need for weapons. Getting better at them certainly wouldn’t hurt. But, even as Arwin’s eyes ran over the glowing words, he knew without a doubt that this wasn’t the path he planned to take.

Focusing in on making weapons was great if he planned to sit on the sidelines of a war or if he didn’t truly care about the people he crafted for. Weapons were needed to defeat an enemy, but they didn’t keep someone safe.

I have no plans of moving away from making armor to focus purely on killing. I’d prefer to kill nobody and keep everyone I care about alive than stand alone on a mountain of corpses made from my enemies and allies alike.

Defensive Items could grant him the safety he desired. He’d never say no to a way to keep his guild safe. But there would be no victory if he removed his own teeth. As much as Arwin desired to protect everyone, he had no plans of giving up and letting the war wage on forever.

Survival was the bare minimum. It wasn’t the ultimate goal. Limiting himself to either offense or defense would simply come at too great a cost. His eyes drifted down to the next option on the list and a small frown pulled at his lips. Arwin shifted his footing as he studied it.

[Smart Set] has been consumed.

How do I do this? Do I just... ask a question? How detailed will the answer even be? I need to avoid anything that could be subjective. What the Mesh thinks is best and what I think is best may not be the same. All I need is facts.

Arwin cleared his throat. Nothing had changed since he activated the Achievement. It would have been a cruel prank if the Mesh had just removed it and given him nothing because he’d gone about it the wrong way or some equally stupid reason.

“Give me details about every Class Specialization offered to me,” Arwin said, then quickly amended, “and if I’ll get more by narrowing down the focus, then only give me detail on the first two. Specifically the safety of the latter one.”

“Who, me?” Wallace asked, blinking. “I don’t know what classes you got, boy.”

“Me neither, but you should go with the one that your heart tells you to,” Lillia suggested. “Either that or the one that lets you make the biggest hammer. Hitting things hard never fails.”

Arwin bit back a snort. The Mesh shimmered and the glowing words changed, drawing his gaze back to them as the bottom four options fell away and left only the two at the top.

[Dwarven Smithing] — This specialization will allow you to further the knowledge you have earned and continue in the way of a Dwarven Smith. Accept tutelage from another smith or set out on your own, both paths are open to you.

[Cursed Dwarven Smithing] — This specialization will allow you to twist the way of a Dwarven Smith to your own goals. Though you may seek knowledge from others, this is a path untrodden. There is no line between smith and cursed item. There is only power and the one with the desire strong enough to take it. One will become the weapon, and the other the wielder. There is no path that cannot be conquered, but nothing comes without cost.

That wasn’t much to work with. Arwin sucked on the insides of his cheeks. The Mesh hadn’t exactly been generous with its information, but it had answered the question he needed to know. Cursed items could be controlled, and the Cursed Dwarven Smithing path wasn’t just a straight up trap. A weapon that could be controlled was just that — a weapon.

Power wouldn’t come if he didn’t seek it out. It wouldn’t be long before the Menagerie had even more attention on it. He hadn’t heard any word from Melissa yet, but the assassins would find her soon enough. When people found he could make magical weapons, there would be some that wanted to control him. There always were.

Arwin made his decision. The golden words shimmered one last time as they melted and flowed to obey his will.

Name: Arwin Tyrr

Class: Living Forge (Unique)(Tier: Journeyman 1)

Specialization: Cursed Dwarven Smithing