"Huh? There's another notification"
[New Soul Mutation unlocked: Myelin Insulation]
I just stared at it for a few seconds, as it had been a long time since I had unlocked a new soul mutation.
I sat up straight from the surprise but immediately felt the strain in my shoulder and forearms, strained from hauling the raptor awkwardly across the forest. The adrenaline from the fight was probably what kept me going before I felt any soreness. There was also some residual numbness from the Lightning Bolt I took head on from the raptor. I shook out my arms as I pulled on the Weave to access my status window.
StatusCore: Lightning Affinity (Perfect)Core Stage: YellowStage Level: 2Mana Core Capacity (MCC) Progress to Next Level: 1,064/2,500Core Mutations:- Lightning Brain- Lightning AdaptationSpells:- Electro Perception (Tier 1) - Level 10- Lightning Bolt (Tier 2) - Level 5- Lightning Infusion (Tier 1) - Level 6Soul Mutations:- Adaptive Soul- Nature's Constitution- Myelin Insulation
I looked at the newest entry at the bottom of my status window. It had been more than a year since I received my first Soul Mutation through Adaptive Soul. Nature's Constitution had ensured my body developed to the fullest of its potential, I focused on Myelin Insulation's description to figure out what it did.
Myelin Insulation: Sheathing is gradually grown around the conductive pathways of the nervous system, layering insulation over the nerves over time to refine the transmission of internal currents.
I read that twice, sitting up straighter despite my sore muscles. It is interesting that the Weave had used the word "Myelin", considering that the development of biology in this world was limited to what a human could see with their naked eye. The Weave probably had pulled on my understanding and list of vocabulary when defining visualising the status window. It was a learning tool after all.
Myelin by itself is a form of insulator, a fatty protective layer that wraps around the nerve fibers of our neurons. Similar to the rubber or plastic covering over an electrical wire. While not fully descriptive in the name itself, the description seems to indicate that the coating around my nervous system will gradually grow thicker over time. Not only that, it seem to help with improving the transmission of internal currents. It means that my nervous system was more impervious to external shocks, something the Storm Runner probably had to protect itself from its own discharges.
Something to take into account when developing lightning spells that target my own body in the future. I already have an innate lightning resistance, coupled with Lightning Adaptation, my body could probably benefit more from spells like Lightning Infusion or an improved version when I could tier it up in the future.
I brought up Adaptive Soul's entry again, trying to figure out how it actually worked.
Adaptive Soul: Your body has absorbed and adapted to having a chimeric soul through fusing with another soul of a being from another dimension. When absorbing Mana Core Capacity from slain foes, there is a chance of obtaining soul mutations that are compatible and deemed beneficial.
While the key words such as "chance", "compatible" and "deemed beneficial". There was a lot to be unpacked here. Putting aside the word "chance" aside, it seemed that first of all there should be some level of biology compatibility to be considered.
In the case of Nature's Constitution, it was just about enabling my body to grow to its full potential. Regardless of species or body structure, that mutation would be considered compatible with my human physiology.
For Myelin Insulation, it would only be possible if my nervous system was similar to that of the Storm Runner's. It probably had other characteristics like its conductive bone, but it was probably not compatible with my human physiology to absorb that.
Secondly, the words "deemed beneficial" could be more subjective. In the case of Nature's Constitution, I was slightly malnourished during the first few years that I came to this world, maybe even before my soul from Earth was transposed into the one in Caelora. That mutation enabled my body to grow to its maximum capacity as long as there was sufficient nutrition, ensuring I was not handicapped by the lack of food in the earlier years.
Myelin Insulation was a bit more ambiguous. I wondered if my Lightning Brain core mutation and the use of Lightning Infusion spell had anything to do with whether this was considered a beneficial mutation. There could be some level of my soul's subconscious at work here, determining whether a specific characteristics would be useful. This could be something I took note of when considering what types of beast to hunt in the future.
I was basically the poor man version of Majin Buu from Dragon Ball. Gaining only a subset of abilities from only very specific beasts I defeat. A dark thought appeared, wondering if I would gain something from absorbing the cores of other humans. I quickly dismissed that train of thought before I could go down the rabbit hole.
"Well time to get to work" I dismissed the status windows and got up. "This raptor is not gonna butcher itself"
I had hung the raptor from a tree a bit further out from my grotto, afraid that the smell of blood will attract beasts despite the repellant doing its work. While most of the Storm Runner's blood had drained out during the fight, there was still some left and it was always good to be thorough.
I did not plan on eating the meat, but I could definitely sell the hide from a Yellow Cored beast. The electrical resistance properties of the leather might be niche usage, but Lightning Spells were especially lethal. While lightning mages and lightning beasts were not that common, I was sure someone would find a use for lightning resistant armor.
I let the carcass down from the tree before hauling it back to the grotto. I had gotten the butcher to teach me some basics after hunting boars for more than one year. I had nothing better to do every time the butcher stopped by anyway so I had asked if I could watch.
I had to first remove the quills and feathers from the body, I used the pliers I brought with me. While I did not need the leather, there was value in preserving it to the best condition I could. Money is not tight at the moment but I could always use more coin, especially if I ever hoped to get my hands on some mithril in the future.
I never had to remove any quills or feather when I hunted boars so that took more time that I would like. The longer quills that was sharp and pointy I kept to the side, just incase there was some potential use for them in the future. Most of the feathers that just looked decorative I threw away.
Once I was done with the quills and feathers, I then made incisions starting from the throat, all the way down the middle of the belly till the tip of the tail. This part was a lot more difficult that I had expected. My knife wasn't the sharpest, and while the strengthening properties from its mana core had ceased after it died, the hide was still relatively tough.
Peeling the hide took more time that I expected as I accidentally cut myself on one of its claws when the body flailed about. I had learnt to secure the limbs with a rope to trees after that to avoid giving myself more scars.
I did try cutting off some of the flesh to cook it but it was way too tough, all muscles with no fat, and the taste was too gamy for my liking. I discarded most of the flesh in the river so that it can be carried downstream.
It was already sundown by the time I managed to get to the bones. I decided to bury it in the grotto to reduce any smell as I couldn't fully scrap off the meat. They would be burnt off in the kiln anyway when I melted them.
It took another day before I melted the entire skeleton and poured it into molds. I had prepared a mold that was a giant sheet, which I would need to get Branwen's help to work into the shape of a slotted barrel.
I still had excess Storm Steel from the whole skeleton so I had shaped those into 1kg ingot sizes, which netted me 8 ingots in total. The ingots were easier to keep and carry around, and I doubt Mark II would be the last iteration I would make.
Branwen would definitely ask questions but she was probably used to my weird requests by now. I just hoped that the other smiths would not ask too many questions when she worked with an unfamiliar material.
I had left the other 8 ingots in the grotto and only brought the giant sheet with me, I only planned on making one barrel at a time. I had also made modifications to the design so hopefully Mark II would survive longer than its sibling.
"What do you want this time twerp, I'm busy today" Branwen was repairing some farm equipment when I arrived in town. While the initial notion of working on different parts excited her as it meant broadening her skills, she was bored by the hundredth copper plate and rod. Her initial enthusiasm was replaced by annoyance every time I came with another batch of copper plates to recycle.
"I have something new for you this time, I'm sure it'll be a challenge." I said with a wide grin. I pulled out that metallic grey plate I brought and laid it in front of her. "I need your help to shape it into the slotted barrel you made for me the last time"
She raised one eyebrow "That just looks like dull iron, what's so special about it?"
I handed the big plate over for her to study. The first thing she realized was the weight, it was much heavier than regular iron. As she turned it over, she realized that the color was not just duller but there was a dark blue sheen at specific angles.
"Where did you get this?" she asked. Eyes still on the plate as she studied it.
"Secret" I stuck my tongue out. Hoping she would leave it at that. "So, you think you can work with this?"
I could see her casting her usual infusion spell that she used to heat metal when she worked with them. "Hmm... it is a lot more resistant to my spell"
My face dropped when she said that, "Err, can't you use the forge or something?"
"I just said it was more resistant, not that I can't work it" she snapped, probably taking insult that I was questioning her capability.
"Alright I'll give it to you, you did bring something interesting. It might give me a few levels in my spell working with this material" she had a glint in her eye, as if she could not wait to challenge it.
"Come back in a week"
"What? That long? Can't you make it quicker?" I complained.
"I have other orders to finish you twerp" she smacked me on the head. I held my head, acting as though that hurt me but her hand was probably hurting more than my skull.
"Alright alright fine! Just promise me that you'll tell me if you do finish it earlier. Send word through Garrick, or I'll stop by if I come to town before the week is up."
"Thanks heaps, I knew I could count on you." I said thanks as I left. Even though I would be paying for her labor, I knew she was going out of the way to help me.
I will need to make some preparations while she got the barrel ready.