Chapter 5 - Tin Skin
Brent swung first.
That was generous of him.
If he had spent thirty seconds asking questions, Mason might have admitted he had no idea whether his three new stats were enough to survive an actual fight.
Instead, Brent threw a lazy right hand at a man holding a heater.
Mason saw it coming.
Not because Brent was slow.
Because Precise Timing made movement feel separated into tiny decisions.
Shoulder turns.
Weight shifts.
Hip follows.
Punch arrives.
Mason leaned aside.
Brent’s fist missed his face by an inch.
Mason stared.
Brent stared too.
“Lucky.”
“Probably.”
The second man charged.
Mason moved the heater behind his back and took the hit on his shoulder.
Pain exploded down his arm.
[IMPACT REGISTERED]
[PROTECTED OBJECT SECURE]
[BREAKTHROUGH CONDITION COMPLETE]
“Now?” Mason grunted.
[YOU STILL NEED TO CIRCULATE 14 SCRAP QI.]
“Fantastic timing.”
The third man grabbed for the heater.
That made Mason angry.
Not because of the quest.
Because it belonged to Mrs. Vega.
Her husband had bought it.
It mattered.
Mason twisted away, caught the attacker’s wrist with Reclaimed Grip, and squeezed.
The man yelped.
Mason had never made another adult yelp before.
It was surprisingly therapeutic.
Brent hit him in the ribs.
Mason staggered but stayed upright.
He circulated Scrap Qi instinctively.
Warmth moved from his repaired traits through his arm, shoulder, chest.
The counter climbed.
93.
96.
99.
100.
The world rang like struck metal.
[TIN SKIN BREAKTHROUGH AVAILABLE]
[BREAK THROUGH NOW?]
“Yes.”
Pain arrived everywhere.
Mason’s skin tightened. His muscles seized. Sweat flashed cold across his back.
The three men hesitated.
That was their mistake.
A faint metallic sheen passed over Mason’s forearms.
[REALM ADVANCEMENT]
UNFORGED MORTAL -> TIN SKIN, FIRST LAYER
STRENGTH +3
ENDURANCE +4
TRAIT SLOTS +2
[PASSIVE: MINOR IMPACT RESISTANCE]
Brent punched him again.
Mason barely moved.
Brent’s expression was magnificent.
“What the hell?”
Mason looked at him.
“I’ve been eating better.”
He handed the heater carefully to Mrs. Vega.
“Could you hold this?”
She took it.
Then Mason turned back.
The fight lasted twenty seconds.
He did not become a martial arts genius.
He did, however, become much harder to bully.
Reclaimed Grip let him control wrists and clothing. Precise Timing helped him avoid wide swings. Tin Skin let him absorb the ugly hits he could not dodge.
Brent ended up sitting against a washing machine holding his nose.
The other two reconsidered their career path and left.
Mrs. Vega looked at Mason.
“You okay?”
He checked his ribs.
“Define okay.”
She pointed at Brent.
“Better than him.”
“Then yes.”
The system chimed.
[OPTIONAL BONUS COMPLETE]
[HEATER DID NOT TOUCH FLOOR]
[REWARD: 2 RECLAMATION POINTS]
Then another message appeared.
[WARNING]
[HOSTILE CULTIVATOR SIGNATURE APPROACHING]
Mason’s smile vanished.
Footsteps descended the basement stairs.
Logan Voss appeared in the doorway.
He looked at Brent.
Then at Mason’s faintly metallic forearms.
“Oh,” Logan said softly.
“You awakened.”
---
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://vibe.treeiq.biz
New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
