The world spun in a nauseating blur as Bob clung to a giant beetle’s carapace while it thrashed about its own axis. It was the final phase alright. A whirlwind of frenzied, gnashing mandibles and acidic fluids splattering across the arena. Thunderous churns following each erratic rotation, his stamina bar dipping as he refused to let go. He was in a pocket here. Just a few feet out, and he would be shredded then etched into nothing. Yeah, gotta cling like a shadow to this colossus! Bob mustered his strength, then swung for yet another savage impact. ‘CRACK!’

  [System] Weak point discovered. Material drops: Giant Chiterous Fragments x8.

  Chunks of exoskeleton split beneath his crowbar with a force that sent them flying. The monster jolted, then sped up its carnival-ride of death. Whoooaa! Gotta.. Finish.. Now! ‘Swing, SPLAT!’

  [System] Weak point struck. x3 Damage.

  The monstrous poo-roller bellowed in agony then screeched in a high pitch, while putrid air and sticky goo shut out the hole in its home-grown fortress. A brief moment later, it ground to a halt, and Bob clenched his grip, bracing for a quick bonus-phase. None came. Instead, it dropped flat onto the roots and vine that made up the large nature-themed battle-box, the weight of its last fall reverberating in everything around them.

  Fina.. li-.. ly. Bob dropped to the ground, woozied out of his mind, scooting away from the nearest pool of gooey innards and foul acids. Then, he just puked. A release of steady stream poured from his battered, fleshy husk. Oh God..

  [System] Boss defeated. Updating progress: 2/7. Victory achieved. Rewards pending.

  Exhausted, Bob slumped onto the scorched ground, eyes still spinning, mouth tasting like he failed a con-check and got stuck with a T5+ hangover. Around him, broken chitin and vines big as tree trunks twisted across the battlefield. Oversized leaves waved and clenched as if alive, producing a translucent nectar that dropped onto the corroded, ancient wood. The arena itself, clearly alive, was mending torn bark and ravaged foliage. In the background, the boss’s once-imposing mass crumbled inward as more inner fluids escaped it.

  Bob nudged the now sheenless husk with a boot. Yeah, you’re gone alright, big guy.. No need for double tapping you. Good fight though, I’ll give you that much. His breath still came in ragged pulls, each inhalation tainted with the stink of toxic sludge and sour flux. That had been one hell of a three phased evolving nightmare, yet somehow more manageable than the skeletal hordes. Just Bob and a single giant. It for sure wasn’t pretty, but all worked out in the end. He rested his crowbar against his shoulder. It was battered and reeking from violence and gore. Somehow though, it felt sturdier than ever in his grip. It wasn’t just a bent hunk of metal anymore. It was a statement. Every time the system would toss him a new horror, he’d pry it apart, piece by piece.

  “That was actually fun..” he breathed out, swiping at the sticky residue clinging to his arm. His entire body ached, but that was background noise to the exhilaration that lived in victory. At the far side of the clearing, part of the living wall peeled away, revealing a hidden passage braced with twisted roots. A faint glow flickered from within.

  [System] Tier 5 Vault Accessible. Claim your rewards, and may you bear them well.

  Bob let out a low chuckle. “Don’t mind if I do.” He ran a hand through sweat-matted hair, then pushed himself to his feet, ground feeling like it was tilting under him. Bib emerged from a crevice in his clothing and started bouncing around vacuuming up mats.

  The vault was small, root-built, pulsating with an eerie, organic presence. Glowing moss clung to the walls, its light fluctuating as if breathing. Shadows twitched where they shouldn’t, chitinous skitters echoing faintly from unseen natural pockets. A pair of uneven wooden pillars had grown near the center. One bore a single open chest and five neatly arranged orbs. Floating above the other was a piece of twisted jewelry. The amulet was formed in insectile-inspired artistic expression, dark jade in color, with mandible-like clasps locked in a cruel mimicry of a sinister jawed snap. Bob immediately scanned for traps. Last-second-gotcha was a thing after all. The kind of fun-filled bullcrap that punished greed-rushed looters with poison darts and huge rolling boulders. He could even imagine the path-orb goodie-chest lashing at him with an elongated tongue. Treasure chest, after all, sometimes burst open a maw of comically oversized teeth. That was just a rule of adventure.

  Check if the shoe drops. Nothing. Proceed. The path orbs were expected. There was a pattern here: defeat a T5 boss, get five. The amulet, though, that was another story. If each max-dif’ boss gave a unique, stacking a full gear-set this way could be a game changer for his progression. No low tier merchant-crap, just full on brown-texting. Let’s look.

  [Green-Warden’s Mandi-bling, Unique]

  Granted Immunity: Poison, Disease, Bleed

  Imposed Weakness: Fire

  Freaking minus fire-resist!? Bob rolled his jaw, already weighing the tradeoff. Immunities were huge. Negating three types of damage? That was no-brain insurance for attrition fights. The penalty, however, could be a death sentence if caught off guard. Setting the world on fire was too common of a dev-choice. Hell, he’d even done it himself in the root-n-bone fight. Still. He grabbed the amulet, rubbing it between his fingers before inventorying. Do not pass on free immunities, that’s full-on baka.

  The thrill of loot faded fast as a heavier realization of borrowed time crept in. Depleted. Not defeated. That loan quest, it still lingered, unfulfilled. He had been too distracted. First by the whole Derrin incident, then afterwards diving straight into his own boss fight. In his journal the message was clear:

  [Quest Log]

  Location: Boss Door 2. Objective: Lose all inherent basic resources (HP, ST, MP) except for 1 HP.

  The quest still looked active. Yet a hidden clock was no doubt ticking away at some invisible time limit. A glance at his status window confirmed the bad news.

  [HP: 4, ST: 3, MP: 4]

  Not low enough. The loan quest demanded exactly 1 HP, and nothing else. My life has to drop. Stamina and mana were easy. He could just Arcane Dash a bit, then dodge around to burn reserves. HP was trickier. There were no enemies left. No DoTs ticking. Without a simple way to take controlled damage, that left only one option: Do-it-yourself! Bob groaned, rubbing his temple. Alright, let’s be real about this. What’s the least stupid way to hurt myself in tiny increments, fast? The crowbar had too much force. He’d probably end up snapping a bone instead of shaving health points one by one. Biting into his own flesh would be peak horror-movie desperation. Hard pass. His gaze flicked out the vault and towards the remnants littering the battlefield. Part of a mandible, cracked, jagged, razor-sharp at the edges. Am I doing this?

  Slow, creeping dread coiled in his gut. The loan quest was a contract, and the system didn’t do half-measures. Either he manned up to some light-hearted self-mutilation, or he faced whatever masochist stunt Dept Keeper dreamt up next. He stepped on over, examining the cow-sized, ruined mandible-part. His fingers traced the sharpest ridge, feeling the surface of ancient, hardened, but filth-stained material. He could already picture the pain, and blood, that would soon follow then equip the new amulet. Still gonna be ugly. Like chop-off-limb, remove-chain kind-of-ugly. Bob inhaled sharply, bracing himself. Then, before his brain could pull the emergency brake, he rolled up his sleeve, pressed down the top-part of his forearm and slid it backward. A somewhat controlled movement, enough to break skin.

  Pain! A searing, white-hot sting flared up his arm, sharp and immediate, like molten glass tearing at his flesh. Blood welled, beading dark red, spilling in sluggish, glistening trails.

  [HP: 3]

  Bob hissed through clenched teeth and pulled his arm near. The moment air touched raw tissue, a second and deeper sensation took over: a crawling, unnatural itch spreading from the wound, like something coiling beneath his skin. The blood that had started to flow, stopped. Not in a natural, slow clot. It just froze mid-motion, an invisible force clamping his veins shut with icy precision. Bob shuddered, swallowing hard. Got some cuts left.. to do.

  Then he noticed the HP regen tick up. Fuck! Back to four HP again. This is time sensitive shit! He inhaled, then dragged his arm across the improvise cutter, this time pressing harder.

  [HP: 2]

  [Echuu] Jeeepers! This guy seem all kinds of committed, Bib. Get ready to grab some tier zero mats, when Bob-chunks start falling off!

  URGGGH! The effect of the amulet hit faster. The instant blood surfaced, itches exploded into something else: a deep, slithering clench that rippled through his veins. Tissue contracted, writhing like wet rope tightening, his own skin pulling inward to snuff out the wound before it had a chance to weep. This was raw containment, a forced compression of damage by something wanting his contents for itself.

  [Echuu] Bob. Buddy. I really do not enjoy being a voice of reason. But.. When your flesh starts having thoughts of its own, that’s when we halt, and start asking it questions.

  Bob exhaled through gritted teeth. Noted.. Almost done! Just one more. This time.. focus. He repositioned, leaning against the mandible to collect his strength, fingers slick with sweat of pain. The cut had to be controlled. Just 1 HP to spare. No going too deep, or it would literally end him. A sharp drag followed.

  [HP: 1]

  ARRGHHHFF! The effect hit instantly. This time, the amulet didn’t just react, it commanded. His veins oscillated violently, seizing like iron cables yanked taut. His muscles and skin crawled, rippled, stung, as if tiny invisible needles of thread were weaving the deeper layers shut from the inside out. Then came the sensation of sandpaper scrubbing vigorously at raw nerve endings. His whole arm spasmed involuntarily, as the last of the blood flow was cut off, sealed by sheer force.

  [Echuu] That amulet is a fine lease agreement for your circulatory system. You wanna do one more round?

  Bob didn’t register Echuu at all. Instead, he dropped to his knees gazing at his torn up forearm. The three separate cuts were definitely still there, but not open enough to bleed. There was a faint, ghostly pressure, like something holding him together, a force working beneath the skin just in case he got any more ideas about leaking vital fluids. Less than.. a minute.. burn stam’.. mana.. grab orbs.. get out. Regen god’s, please don’t tick. Bob spammed his actions, looted, and..

  [System] Transitioning..

  Whew. Reality lurched. The chamber warped and a now half-familiar pull ripped him away. Air shifted, the scent of dust, stone and timeless metal settling in around him. He was back in the antechamber, the colossal Boss Door eerily silent.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Bob slumped his knees against the cold stone. His body was a wreck, but at least he wasn’t leaking out like the boss he left behind. There was an urge to peel of the amulet from his neck. Get rid of the ick and itch. Yet, the last thing he needed was to suddenly start bleeding out like a punctured wineskin. A textbox popped, hovering over him as Echuu wobbled in front.

  [Echuu] You’re actually gaming that thing around your neck to it’s full potential. And you’re still alive. That is something.

  Bob gave a quick pad to the jelly. “I’d rather not find out if my insides redecorate the floor upon removing it. I have to regenerate a bit first. Heal up.”

  A metallic rasp cut in, low and amused. “Could work that way.” Iron Jaw stated, arms crossed, watching Bob like a man who had seen plenty of fools bleed out over rash decisions. “Only if it’s cursed.”

  Bob let out a slow breath through his nose, but didn’t speak. More ways to rack up debuffs! Lucky me.

  [Echuu] Ooooh, we’re stepping into ‘potential curse’ territory. I simply love that journey for you, Bob. But hey, good news! There is actually a super advanced, cutting-edge way to check if Mandi-bling is indeed brimming with malicious intent.

  Bob lifted his head just enough to glare at the floating text box once again. “Do I even want to ask?”

  [Echuu] Maybe not. Imma just blob it out anyways. All you gotta do is.. drum-roll please.. unlock the Enchanter!

  Bob stared, doubting it was that simple. “That’s it? No random-rolling a detection skill? No spooky-as-fuck antechamber cult-ritual?”

  [Echuu] Nope! Just cold, hard system-inforced capitalism, my dude-not-perfect!

  Bob groaned. “So my options are to gamble on not being cursed, though, fuck me, it feels that way.” He looked at his unnaturally sealed wounds. “Or drop a buttload of coin into the Development Fund, praying this Enchanter isn’t some cackling lunatic who charges extra for bad news.”

  Iron Jaw gave a grinding, knowing chuckle. “Welcome to life, lad.” Then he returned to his stall, the slime following after.

  Bob’s health was inching back up, wounds closing to look more naturally sealed. He disliked this part. Forced downtime, his own numbers a personal timegate. Could sort through my mats. He and Bib had collected quite a haul by now.

  [Inventory, materials]

  Ancient Marrow x1

  Large Bone Fragment x3

  Void Eye x6

  Giant Chiterous Fragments x8

  The Bosses had been generous, at least in quantity. There was no clue to the value embedded into this stuff. And to be fair, he didn’t need it. Mat’s felt like vendor-trash after discovering the bent-steel-sploit.

  “Iron Jaw.” Bob crossed to his stall and dropped a bundle of Giant Chiterous Fragments with a dull clatter. “What’s this worth to you?”

  The gear merchant eyed the pile with his usual blend of skepticism and professional detachment. His scarred fingers picked up one of the fragments, turning it over a few times. His metal-plated jaw shifted slightly as he grunted.

  “Common rarity, lad. Yet it is tier five. A decent haul indeed.” He set the fragment down with a small thunk. “Fifty coins each.”

  Bob’s fingers twitched. Fifty. He had eight of them just from one fight. More than enough to unlock another stall. He pretended to consider his options, even though his mind was already sprinting ahead. “Alright. I’ll sell eight.”

  Iron Jaw just nodded. This was business. With practiced efficiency he gathered all at once and carried it behind his counter. Bob got 400c in return.

  Time to invest in this Development Fund! The moment sufficient coin had vanished down the dark slit a pulse hit the area. Then an empty stall trembled as if awakening from deep slumber. With a sudden ‘crack’, wooden planks formed into crude structure, twisted, weathered and ancient.

  [System] Enchanter Unlocked

  His mind was sprinting through the implications. This stall-choice wasn’t just about curses. It had deeper potential. In most systems, enchanters provided high end services for build customization. He clapped his hands together in excitement. Could this be what he needed to go from struggling and build-less into an optimized powerhouse?

  Seated behind the counter was a woman who, at first glance, seemed almost frail, sickly. Her frame was thin, wrapped in loose, flowing robes the color of deep slate. The air around her told a different tale, humming with presence that pulled, the way a gravity well did. She sat completely still, as if the weight of time itself rested upon her alone. Her eyes were clouded over with a soft, silvery haze, yet undeniably focused, like she was looking at something beyond, beneath and inside him all at once.

  Bob’s instincts sharpened. Advanced NPC alright. Approach with caution. The woman inclined her head slightly, as if acknowledging his thoughts before he even spoke.

  “Ichika Yui.” she said, her voice a whisper of dry parchment against the air. “Enchanter of the old path. You are the new flame in this place?”

  Bob tilted his head, scanning her. “Flame?” If she only knew about my weakness to that shit. Well, to be fair she probably does.

  A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “Flickering, yet far from faltering.”

  Cryptic NPC speech. We’re really leaning into the aesthetic here. Still, there was a direct issue on his mind. He reached up, fingers brushing the amulet around his neck. The Green-Warden’s Mandi-Bling. His unease with the thing hadn’t lessened.

  “I’ve got something for you to look at, Yui.” He came close to present the amulet without pulling it over his head. “Tell me if it’s cursed.”

  She didn’t flinch a muscle. Just stared, the silver of her eyes reflecting a faint, eerie glow from the item. It went on longer than what was comfortable and Bob suppressed the urge to shift his weight and turn his gaze. Finally, her eyes met his. “No, my dear.” Words came soft. “He is not cursed as you. However, he is alive.”

  She did not elaborate. She simply let the words sit, as if they carried their own weight, their own truth, independent of his need for context.

  Bob wasn’t having none of that. He needed more than was given. “Define alive.”

  Ichika Yui’s faint smile didn’t change. “That is knowledge living within experience. Knowledge that belongs to those who earn it by seeking it where it lives.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Great. Fantastic. Love that for me.” Figuring out the hard way, was what he did. Moving on. “So, what do you do here?”

  The enchanter tilted her head slightly. “I unravel and rewrite the threads of fate.” Her lips curled, just barely, in something resembling amusement. “Laid out in plain terms, I can offer you two distinct services.” She lifted a delicate, ink-stained finger for each.

  [Enchanter]

  Identify all items. 0c. Reveal truths unknown.

  Fuse skills. 100c x tier. Three equal, lesser tiers raised as one. A random result.

  Bob’s pulse ticked up. Holy shit. Batch identifies free of charge. That was a nice QoL-feature, probably screamed for by community pillars. That second service though. It meant he could undo bad rolls. If he ever got stuck with a garbage skill, he wouldn’t be locked into it forever. His brain was already running through the implications. Risk and reward. Three weak skills into a stronger one, but the outcome wasn’t controlled. He didn’t get to pick what it became. His stomach did a slow flip. Oh, I want to try that. First, though, there was more he needed to know. Bob got a gemstone out from his inventory and placed it on the wooden counter.

  Yui’s eyes looked as if they were striping secrets from resonance in the air itself. "Where did you find this?" A hint of surprise caught in her tone.

  "It was a gift.” Bob answered. He was not about to give up Mikoko’s name just yet.

  Yui didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she traced glowing symbols in the air that vanished moments later.

  [System] Item Identified: Ascendant Gem (Unique). Property: Raises an item’s tier by +1.

  Bob inhaled sharply. "That’s.. sick!" Mikoko, now I owe you one for sure.

  His mind raced. If he pushed his crowbar to T5 before slotting in the gem, maybe it’d go T6. That was beyond the current system limits. Breaking the tier system all together. Somewhere a balancing-team had slipped up on this one.

  The enchanter’s demeanor turned unreadable, yet her words spoke of concern. "A word before you go down such a road.” Yeah, she’s in my head alright. Just roll with it for now. Can’t be worse than in-your-soul-and-fate like Debt Keeper.

  Yui continued, unfaced. "Pushing items too far changes them. Much like with people, they can crack under pressure, evolve or rebirth entirely. Sometimes they choose a path of their own, branching away from their owners. What ultimately leaves the forge, is something molded by history endured and imprinted in its core."

  "So, you’re saying if I go all out, my crowbar might break and mutate?" He knew of rebirth-mechanics. Start all over again, but with greater potential. Her words made it sound like there were other layers to this iteration of the mechanic.

  Yui let out a slow breath. "Might? Oh, my dear. It will definitely change. And not in ways you or I can control."

  That was enough to make even Bob hesitate. At this point, his crowbar was more than just a weapon. It had started to feel like an extension of himself. A tool that had saved him from death more than once over. If it chose wrong. If it didn’t like their shared path. That would actually hurt his feelings. He shook his head. Nah, fuck that. He thrived in this, finding cracks in systems and using them. If this game wanted to throw an existential crisis about tools with free will into the mix.. Fine. I'll bend that will into submission using yet another crowbar!

  The enchanter watched him carefully. Then, she simply gestured to a side table. "Before you even get that far, let me show you something else. This trick, you can now perform yourself, courtesy of the power lingering within my stall."

  A sphere materialized in her outstretched palm. It pulsed gently, "As you know, this is a path orb. Normally, when you activate one, you choose a reward tied to your class path and level. It can be a statistical gain, a passive or active skill, some coin even. You, being a true soul, choose a category and roll the outcome at random.” She paused for a second squinting at Bob, then corrected her own words. “Random-lite. If luck is suited, you can even roll high-tiered options early.”

  Bob couldn't help but check his skills at that. Unlocking the enchanter now let him see their tier:

  [Active Skills]

  …

  Basic Attack (Tier 0)

  Arcane Dash (Tier 2)

  …

  He had suspected Arcane Dash was not T1. It was just too damn useful. However, T0 Basic Attack? Damn. Guess that is tied to warrior or rogue progression.

  “.. Also. There’s a hidden function." Bob snapped back to their exchange, as Yui placed a finger on top the orb. A faint system message pulsed forth.

  [System] Path orb reroll mode activated. Preview and discard passive or skill choices. At a cost.

  She continued. "As with most things, there is a cost. One the first reroll, an orb will always require an offering of coin. Beyond that, demands get more.. abstract."

  The risk-reward here was massive. Bob could potentially reroll trash into god-tier picks. His fingers hovered near the orb. The idea of perfecting his build through selective rerolls was delicious. However, the enchanter’s words still echoed in his head. Pushing beyond limits changes things. "I think that I kinda get it now. Power, in this place, is about controlling your path ahead, making sure it bends to your capabilities."

  The enchanter nodded softly. "Then, young flame, you already understand more than most. Or less. Only time will truly tell."

  Bob pocketed the Ascendant Gem. “Thanks. This has been helpful. I’ll come back for sure.” Then he turned to face Boss Door, pumped, and, by now, fully regenerated. Using my cloak’s invisibility just right, I can pop orbs inside the arena, adapting on the fly. Bob couldn′t hide his excitement, he was ready to tear off some beetle mats, get filthy rich, collect a ton of orbs and never take a god-ridden loan quest ever again. Let’s farm out that giant cash cow. It’s you and me, dung-roller!

  “Bettleboss tier five, please.” Bob said, smug from plans and tactics coursing through his head. Then text popped up beside him.

  [Echuu] Spoiler alert! You only get to finish off the same boss once. Unless you join Derrin again. He prolly’ left a hundred new help-requests by now.

  Bob didn’t look pleased at all, now kicking at air itself. “Hah! OF COURSE! This fucking place..”

  [Echuu] Well, there is a silver lining. Starting off this journey getting boy-toyed by the biggest of baddies.. That also means you’ve gotten a steep payout for your trouble. Minus the Derrin-debt-grab at your charity-coffer. That one’s on you, Bob.

  The slime did actually have a point there. He was probably already ahead taking down two T5’s, even despite giving up nearly half of his orbs in a moment of weakness. “Kay, so what’s up next? Third boss, that’s a lucky number..”

  [Echuu] Ohh yeah, you ARE gonna love this, my guuuy! It’s not quite a beach-resort, and not just a frozen tundra either.