Captive - 3

For a moment I just stared at the floor, the objects before me and the way in which they shined at me. 

There was a moment of thought, of the monetary value they held. Of how much I could get for something as novel as this.

Yet even at that thought I could only laugh at myself, to think of monetary value before anything. It was important but the realization that I could make things from nothing. That I could strengthen items without a care in the world. 

That was more important than anything money could buy me.

But for now I just sat on my back, my gaze at the ceiling and the rocks that it held.

I busied myself for almost half an hour just counting the rocks. I could not even tell anyone how much time had passed like that. Even if I had a rough estimate.

But it was fine, as it helped me relax, to center myself back to a better state.

A state that I found conducive to subsequent experiments. 

I tested out some more things. Like the twig that I had found next to me.

I fused it with another, but they weren't that alike. I think it might have been because they were from a different type of tree but eh shows what I know.

[Fusing...]

[100%]

[Twig]

[A twig combined with another twig]

I sighed at the result. it was wishful thinking, to hope that I might be able to replicate my previous success with other materials.

But that was fine as subsequent experiments just found me testing why this had happened. And why the rocks had fused together nicely and not the twigs.

I mean both of them were about the same in level of monetary value and even just rarity.

But for now, it wasn't really worth it to dwell too deep into those things, and that was why I just tested fusing other things together.

Which all culminated in my back against the wall, all while I felt my eyes tire.

…

…

…

"Guh… what time is it?" Alex asked.

For a moment I just stood completely still until he had enough mind to blink and actually see what was in front of him.

I checked my non-existent watch and then gestured sarcastically at him.

"Oh… right, yeah sort of forgot about that for a moment."

"Good, then you can help me now that you've got a bit of a mind to you."

He stretched his back with a groan then got off his ass to come and help me.

Strewn about, in front of me, were various objects.

To be exact there were two objects, one the spear that I had fused together with the same rocks in order to make it that much better.

[Attuned Metal Spear]

[Created using the earth attuned mana from mana touched rocks. It holds more durability and a strange stability only found within the earth.]

It didn't look different. Not at all, at least when one looked at it with blurry eyes like Alex had. But there were a couple of tiny differences that I could barely make out.

Strewn about on the spear were little patches of earth gray patches that with a bit of poking and prodding, I found to be harder than the rest.

It was almost like the thing was evolving towards a new stage, or the metal was being replaced.

One of the two at least.

I hoped it was the former but the latter would be nice too. It was just a matter of power. 

As if it was evolving then it might actually gain an ability or two but the metal being replaced was just as fine.

Because right now it did not matter the power of the spear, only that it could be used. 

Other than the spear there was also the piece of cloth in front of me and on me.

The latter were my own clothes.

[Attuned Clothes]

[A set of clothes fused with mana touched rocks. The earth attuned mana it gained from this gives it more durability than normal.]

It was made to give me a bit of armor, as if it could block just one attack then it would be worth it.

The last thing was a rope I made out of clothes, I was not sure how useful it would be but it was always handy to have something like that on hand.

[Strengthened Cloths]

[Cloth fused together to make a strengthened string that might be useful.]

I tugged the end after tying it to a rock earlier and it was quite sturdy. It could even hold my whole body weight. 

Which meant that it should be strong enough for whatever it needs to be used for. 

Escape or capture. 

I was not sure if those were the only things that I could use them for, or if there were other uses. But they were what I thought of.

However that was not the true purpose of making these things, as even beyond the applications they had on our escape, there were others.

The one I thought of the most was creating something that could help me grow in power, an elixir that gave me talent.

A pill that could increase my mana.

If I could fuse anything, then with the right ingredients it was at the tip of my fingers. I could do anything, make anything.