Elemental Artificer

After an unknown amount of time, the light on the altar faded, the divine power dissipated, and the blueprints Marvin had offered vanished as well.

In their place were two exquisitely crafted flintlock rifles, their stocks engraved with gear-shaped patterns.

"Mr. Marvin, this is my lord's reward for you. In addition, my lord has already imparted the method for making fixed ammunition to me. Tomorrow, I can make fifty rounds for you. Of course, free of charge."

Midok explained from the side, his face brimming with delight.

Gond was extremely satisfied with Marvin's flintlock blueprints. As a reward, he directly promoted Midok, the intermediary, by four levels.

He had gone from a level 1 priest capable of using only first-circle divine spells to a level 5 priest capable of using third-circle divine spells.

What favor! What glory!

With this merit, Midok would have a greater voice in the Church of Gond in Lantan in the future.

That was just how unreasonable things were in Faerûn.

Sorcerers who lived off their bloodlines were impressive?

Priests who latched onto a god's thigh could be even more outrageous.

As long as they could please the god they worshipped, leveling up was as easy as blinking.

Even becoming a god was no great difficulty.

Throughout Faerûn's history, countless mortals had been directly elevated to demigods after gaining a deity's favor.

No use envying them. No use envying them. Marvin silently repeated it twice before turning his attention to his rewards.

He picked up one of the flintlocks, and a system prompt immediately appeared before his eyes:

[Arcana] skill check passed. Identification successful. Attributes as follows:

Item Name: [Gond's Rebuke]

Type: Flintlock Rifle (gunpowder-based ranged weapon)

Grade: Rare

Weapon Bonus: +2 (moderate bonus to damage and accuracy)

Additional Attribute 1: Can cast [Guided Shot] once per day

Additional Attribute 2: Each shot deals a small amount of additional force damage

The other flintlock was called [Gond's Roar]. Its attributes were largely the same, except each shot dealt additional thunder damage.

Aside from the attributes explicitly displayed by the system, the two firearms had undergone several structural improvements.

The flintlocks' percussion ignition mechanisms had been modified into miniature fire elemental magic circles.

When the shooter pulled the trigger and the hammer struck the pan, it activated the fire elemental magic circle and ignited the gunpowder.

That was far more reliable than using flint to ignite it, and it would not be affected by the weather.

"Gond is practically the promax version of the river god from the fable Three Axes. I used an iron axe and got two golden axes in return..."

Marvin was extremely satisfied with the rewards. He even briefly considered changing faiths and worshipping Gond.

But that thought vanished in an instant.

As a wizard, relying on a god for something for nothing rather than seeking power within himself was simply too embarrassing for Marvin.

The legendary lich Szass Tam was a perfect counterexample.

To retain his spellcasting ability after the [Spellplague], he had offered the God of Tyranny, Bane, his soul and the faith of an entire kingdom.

With Bane's power, Szass Tam won the civil war.

But what was the price?

From then on, the limits of that legendary wizard who had bowed his head to a god were forever locked in place by that god.

After examining the two flintlocks, Marvin noticed something on Gond's altar that he had nearly overlooked.

It was an ordinary-looking copper holy symbol of Gond.

However, compared with the holy symbol Midok wore, it had one minor difference: its four corners were engraved with abstract symbols representing the four elements of wind, fire, water, and earth.

Marvin did not immediately pick up the holy symbol. Instead, he asked, "Priest Midok, this holy symbol of Gond seems somewhat unique?"

Midok, still immersed in the lingering afterglow of divine favor, came back to his senses.

He walked over but did not reach out to touch it, merely observing it carefully. Since it was a gift Gond had bestowed upon Marvin, no one else could touch it without permission.

Then Midok looked at Marvin with envy. "Mr. Marvin, this holy symbol contains the knowledge of elemental machinery that we of Lantan brought back from [Abeir].

"Only the wisest people most favored by my lord may obtain this knowledge and advance to become [Elemental Artificers]."

After saying that, Midok suddenly felt that his own experience of being bathed in divine favor and advancing to level 5 priest in the blink of an eye was not such an extraordinary achievement after all.

[Elemental Artificers] could not only grasp the essence of elemental magic like elemental descendants, but also organically combine mechanical technology with elemental magic to create all sorts of powerful elemental machines.

It was an extremely formidable advanced spellcasting class.

Even in present-day Lantan, only a small number of wizards with unwavering faith in Gond and great contributions to their names could advance to this class.

For Marvin to be favored by my lord to such an extent... I've truly never heard of anything like it. Midok sighed inwardly.

After hearing Midok's introduction, Marvin also found it strange.

Gunpowder weapons were not mainstream in Faerûn and had never become widespread, even after many years.

Logically speaking, although improving the matchlock into a flintlock represented a major leap in firearm technology, it should not have had any major impact on Faerûn.

Why did Gond value it so highly? What deeper meaning lay behind this?

Perhaps the God of Invention intended to lift the restrictions on explosive reactions and promote gunpowder weapons on a massive scale?

I'm only a mortal. I can't make sense of the gods' thoughts. But at least I know Gond's gift bears no ill intent. Only then did Marvin reach out and pick up the holy symbol.

In a sense, gods with clear alignments were easier to understand than mortals.

Gond, the God of Craft and Invention, was an absolutely neutral deity.

Everything he did would surely be in pursuit of his divine portfolio—encouraging invention and innovation, advancing civilization and industrial development.

Though Marvin did not know why Gond considered his flintlock a major invention capable of changing the state of the world,

the reward bestowed by the god certainly would not conceal any hidden dangers.

Only a god like Gond, whose logic of action was relatively clear, could put the cautious Marvin at ease.

If it had been the Night Goddess Shar instead, even if she had placed two fragrant, peerless beauties on his bed for Marvin to enjoy as he pleased, he would have immediately pulled up his pants and fled.

After he picked up the holy symbol, its attributes immediately appeared on the panel:

Item Name: Elemental Machine Badge

Type: Religious Item (Gond, God of Craft and Invention)

Grade: Artifact

Artisan's Touch: Can use [Mending] 10 times per day, [Stone Polishing] 6 times per day, and [Metal Shaping] 4 times per day.

Abeir's Knowledge Legacy: When Intelligence reaches 16, you may extract the knowledge within the holy symbol and advance to become an [Elemental Artificer].

Note: [Elemental Artificer] is an advanced spellcasting class whose primary attribute is Intelligence. It can reach a maximum of level 10.

[Elemental Artificers] use the wizard spell list, and all class levels count toward caster level.

When you advance to Elemental Artificer, you will gain the following abilities:

Weapon Proficiency: Firearms.

Skill Proficiency: [Magical Craftsmanship], [Mechanical Engineering].

Unlock your first elemental pool and learn the corresponding elemental rune.