“We were in a hurry. It isn’t exactly a common thing that one happens upon possible null materials.”

  “Screw my negotiation and then force me to educate.” She shook her head. “Though, better me than you, I suppose. I am sure your description would not do these enchantments justice.” She let out another sigh, but as she spoke, she had no anger. Rather, she sounded not unlike lectures given by an Attending completely enraptured by their specialty.

  “Enchanting is a large topic. Do you know anything about it by chance?”

  “Only that that they exist.”

  “As expected, if you grew up in a null zone.” She let her words hang while giving me a questioning look, which I ignored. As much as she wanted to ask more about it, she continued with her lecture. “In its simplest form, they use Aether or Energy to mimic skills.”

  “So their power would then scale with the tier of the zone,” I interrupted.

  “Yes. Though, as with skills, there is an upper limit of power an enchantment can reach, which is typically based on the materials being used.” That remark had implications, but I would have to discuss it with Dorian later. “I want to emphasize that materials are everything to enchantments. They affect potency, but they also determine which skill can be mimicked.” She paused as if waiting for a question, and when I nodded, she continued. “Class enchantments bypass many constraints found with typical enchantments. They do this by trading away flexibility for increased potency, increased efficiency, and, if you are lucky, decreased material volume. Even then, many find their restrictions too great to be worth the effects.”

  “The limitation on a material’s use makes sense, but you lost me on that last part.”

  “Of course, of course. I keep forgetting you have no experience. A large number of enchantments use ambient Aether to function. However, some require the infusion of Energy to unleash their effects. While they will never be as good as an equal-tier skill, they can be used by anyone. In fact, Humans tend to be naturally gifted at enchanting. It is what lets them be so successful and allows them to compensate for their lower Potential, especially when they move into higher-tier regions.

  “Class enchantments that require infused Energy prefer the Energy to carry the signature of its class. Without the right signature, the drain on the person becomes exorbitant. As such, you won’t see skills outside that class or classes derived from a common root class.”

  My heart thudded. “Does that mean I could heal wounds like a [Healer]?”

  “If only it were so easy. There is more to healing than just pouring in Energy. Regardless, you still need to be able to hit the minimum requirement of the skills.”

  “Potentials?”

  “Yes. They can be mitigated by different materials, but…”

  “Only to some degree.”

  “Don’t be too disappointed. You now have a chance that only a few of the highest-born get. All it will take is some sweat and blood.”

  “Are we talking about actual sweat and blood?”

  When she spoke it, the phrase “sweat and blood” had a subtle dissonance similar to when I spoke a word that did not translate, and her widening smile confirmed my intuition regarding the translation failure.

  “Not quite. It is more my labor than your sweat, but it is your blood and a scraping of your Mark.” She laughed at my surprise. “Don’t worry. A healing potion will fix things up. You will have to trust me. It will be worth it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because another important category of enchantments exists. Some consider it a sub-category of class enchantments, which I find ridiculous. Why people can’t look past a quirk in their discovery…” She waved a hand. “I won’t bore you with details of that controversy. Regardless, this type of enchantment has many names, but most call them essence enchantment.”

  “Because they are literally from my blood and Mark, which I bet is synonymous with a person’s essence.”

  She smiled. “Exactly. I do love it when my student tries to learn.” She shot Dorian a scowl. “Something you could learn from.” Returning her attention to me, “With these null materials, you have access to them.”

  “And that is good because?”

  “They have the potential to be extremely powerful. Unlike other enchantments, they grow with the user.”

  “Which I am assuming is good.”

  Dorian snorted. “You can say that.”

  Kyria Rhaptis continued, “They also all act at the same strength as a person’s skills.”

  “What is the catch? It isn’t the cost.”

  “Actually, it would be. These take skill to make, but it is well within mine to do so. However, materials can be hard to find. Typically, you need to find materials that accept a person’s essence.”

  “But because these are null materials, that isn’t an issue.”

  “Yes. It’s hard to override materials’ natural essence.”

  Dorian interjected, “Which is why metals tend to work better.”

  “But they are inherently weaker. You can mix in components to combat it, but the heating and shaping tend to weaken their effects. And good luck with trying to do any of that once you inlaid the imparted essence. Also, who wants to be walking around in metal armor? They never conduct Energy as well as organic materials.”

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

  “Don’t listen to her. She’s biased by her trade. Sure, unalloyed metals are nearly useless, but metals can be made to take infusions. Also, powerful runes are easier to inlay and last far longer.

  She scoffed. “Still have to channel Energy to move quickly in that stuff. A waste of Energy if you ask me.” Dorian tried to object, but she spoke over him. “That is all beside the point. You have everything that you need here, assuming I am correct.”

  “About…”

  “That some of these clothes resonate with your class.”

  “How would that be important? It is just cloth.”

  “It is a great mystery, but I like to think that it has to do with how they are made. You are imparting your essence into an item. For example, the [Swordsman] who obtained a piece of gear with an essence enchantment for [Spearman] would find it not only weak but also unable to change with them.“

  “And also impossible for him to make since he is a [Swordsman], not a [Spearman],” muttered Dorian.

  “What this brat is forgetting is that someone can use another person’s equipment. However, essence enchantments are more unforgiving than class enchantments. Perhaps paradoxically, with the class enchantment, the skill is more important than the classes. Take [Thrust], which is a skill both [Swordswomen] and [Spearwomen] may obtain. Its power will be far less diminished if it is a class enchant than an essence enchant.

  “Let me give you a different analogy that better elucidates the underlying issue. They say clothes make the man, but it is also true that certain men would never deign to wear certain clothing. Show me a noble who would wear peasant garb consistently and still be able to call themselves a noble. The same goes for a [Warrior], [Mage], or [Carpenter]. If they continued to wear it as they leveled, that item would not grow at the same rate—if at all. As your Marks shape your skill, they also shape the enchantment. If you aren’t in tune with your piece of clothing, then the essence imparted in the clothing won’t pick up on your growth. Eventually, you will just replace it with something else, which is a colossal waste of resources, not to mention the time of a skilled craftswoman.”

  “All because of belief?”

  “Skills and even class evolutions have turned on less.”

  I touched my Mark as that sunk in. It didn’t seem out of the question. The placebo effect was a real thing, but the implications were a bit stunning and frightening. Could my unconscious biases be transferred with some blood and a bit of my Mark? Unless blood was the carrying agent—which seemed very unlikely, then my Mark was directly tapped into my brain. That shouldn’t be surprising. After all, I had directed my body’s Energy flows with my thoughts. It was just that for all the Marks’ beauty, they still had an alien quality to them. If they could grow and change based on my thoughts and feelings, did that make them alive? How much power did I have over them, and more importantly, they, over me?

  “So, you are saying that our thoughts, whether conscious or subconscious, will affect my Marks and thereby the essence enchantment.” She nodded. “Then, do you see vastly different effects or flexibility from essence enchantments from people with the same class but from completely different cultures?”

  She gave me a long look, studying me, before she motioned me to continue. “Finish that thought.”

  “Our peers shape our beliefs. Going back to your [Warrior] versus [Spearman] example. A society may have a broader view of what constitutes a [Warrior] than another. In one, a [Warrior] can use a spear, but in another, that same ‘[Warrior]’ would be a [Spearman]. I would then assume an essence enchantment from a warrior in the more flexible society would be able to grow if used by other [Warriors] in that society and, if that same [Warrior] focused on spears, perhaps even by a [Spearman] in more rigid culture as well as the more flexible one.

  “I would also posit that while I would find it hard to argue that a noble wouldn’t wear a peasant’s garb, the quality of clothes a wealthy merchant might wear in one place could rival a noble’s in another. Even if it was merchant garb in one place, nobles in the other may deem it acceptable and thereby be in tune with it enough for it to grow with them. If they shared a similar class…”

  She smiled. “Dorian, if you only had half this Human’s intelligence.”

  He harrumphed. “I make up for it in looks and charm.”

  Kyria Rhaptis just shook her head. “And, young Human, it is a yes to both of your guesses. While rare, I have heard of cases in which an essence enchantment can be used by another person with a completely different class. It is just rare because people with the most basic of classes don’t tend to have the resources to get these enchantments in the first place. They are never as powerful, and often, the skills are not as on point. However, they can grow, which is the most important part.

  “I will also say that many urge caution when using another’s essence enchantments. There is a strong belief, which I give credence to, that says essence enchantments can shape you in the same way you can shape them. Again, the accounts are mostly secondhand, but I have heard of people using other’s equipment, which causes them to get skills more inclined to the creator than the user. This effect can wane over time, but it may never go away, especially if the originator’s Potentials dominate the user’s. However, none of that will be an issue for you. So count yourself very lucky.”

  She waved her hand over the pile of clothes. “Now, based on this…interesting design, I am betting some of these are uniquely related to your class.”

  My original clothes had all seen better days, especially my white coat. Beaten up, covered in dust, and a pocket torn, it had borne the brunt of my brutal journey so far. I pointed to it. “That is a white coat. It is one of the hallmarks of my pro—class. Most of us wore these blue shirts and pants while we were on call—an extended work shift, but they are traditionally worn by surgeons. Which is a class that doesn’t translate.” Kyria Rhaptis raised a brow, but I didn’t want to try to explain surgery again. “Historically, they were separate from my classes, but now we start at the same place and branch, or rather evolve, into different classes through years of training.”

  Both Kyria Rhaptis gave Dorian a long look, but he maintained a neutral face. What had I said? Had I given something away?

  “Then the white coat should work. And the…”

  “Scrubs.” I cocked my head and tried again. ”Scrubs?”

  Her hands shot out to grab my scrubs. “You use the clothes to clean things?”

  “Not scrubs, but scrubs.” I sighed. Lost in translation. “They are only worn in this room that is kept extremely clean. We ‘scrub’ in. Part of that is scrubbing our hands extremely well and putting on a set of clothes,” I gestured to my scrubs, “only worn inside that room.”

  “What’s up with you and washing your hands?” Dorian asked.

  “Contamination,” Kyria Rhaptis answered for me. Her lips twitched with mild irritation at my surprise. “Don’t look so surprised, young man. I may not be an [Alchemist], but I have had my fair share of failed work because I fouled my reagents. I am sure it is something similar for you. Back to these…scrubs. They might work depending on how you view them. The underclothes are less useful. I could easily make you something similar with [Self-Cleaning], [Self-Mending], and even variation of [Warmth] enhancements with far less valuable materials.”

  “Am I hearing the beginnings of a deal?”

  She smiled. “Perhaps. I will offer you essence enchantment on your white coat and scrubs as well as a set of undergarments that will keep you comfortable inside the mines if you let me have the rest of your clothes. Normally, I would insist that you let me be the one to do the enchantments, but…” she had no competition here.

  Hard to turn down that deal. It felt quite generous, and Dorian had not given any indication of disapproval. At face value, it appeared a win-win. I could press for more, but I needed allies. She struck me as a person who could be discrete.