A bandage was the very first item he had used when reaching the tutorial. It had saved his life when the murder cat had tried to take his arm off. Finding out about Overheal was not pleasant either. Creating a bandage for his first craft just felt right; they had never steered him wrong in the first place.

  This would not be his only creation here. He intended to pass this dungeon, but more than that, he wanted to improve himself before leaving. The rules said nothing about surrendering what he crafted. With unlimited materials at his disposal, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity. He returned to the book and flipped carefully until he found the section he wanted. He located several bandages that he could have used, but one caught his attention; it looked to be the simplest.

  Foundational Pattern: Living Bandage

  A living bandage is not a healing tool.

  It is a stabilizing structure designed to guide and support healing already in progress. It does not replace healing output.

  It improves how healing is received.

  Hector frowned.

  “So, it is not supposed to do the work for me, it just helps the work stick?”

  He continued to read.

  Required Materials:

  Flexible cloth capable of holding low grade vitality

  Organic binding thread

  Sustained, controlled healing output

  Method:

  Introduce healing energy gradually

  Do not saturate

  Use Thread Sense to identify stress points before stitching

  Stitch slowly. Maintain even intent

  Allow the weave to settle before application

  Common Failures:

  Overcharging causes rigidity and rejection

  Uneven intent leads to energy drift

  Rushed stitching destabilizes the weave

  Hector looked up from the book and down at the materials spread over the table.

  “That sounds simple, which means that if it is like everything else in Eden it won’t be.”

  He selected a strip of Eden Sheep Healer’s Wool and laid it flat. Activating Living Weave, he allowed a gentle stream of healing energy to flow into the fabric. Green light flared but it was too much. The cloth stiffened immediately, fibers tightening and locking like overworked muscles. He pulled his hands back as the fabric cracked.

  “Okay, I guess that was too much.”

  He tried again; this time he kept the output barely above nothing. The cloth absorbed it, glowing faintly. He reached for the thread and activated Thread Sense. The fibers revealed themselves in his vision. Some strands were clean and receptive; others already showed tension, points where stitching would pull too tight.

  He ignored the system warnings; that was a mistake. As he stitched, the weave twisted. Energy pooled unevenly, leaving dead zones where nothing was held. The cloth sagged, darkened, and then crumbled apart in his hands. Hector sighed and rubbed his face.

  “That one is on me.”

  The third attempt lasted longer. He slowed down and watched the threads. Adjusted where the material resisted instead of forcing it. It almost worked, but when he introduced healing output at the end, the bandage rejected it violently. Energy snapped back into his hands like static. He dropped it and shook his fingers.

  “So, I cannot rush the finish either.”

  He sat on the floor and leaned back against the table, staring up at the ceiling thick with hanging threads. This was not combat; he couldn’t rely on instinct or adrenaline to succeed. What he needed was patience. After a few minutes, he stood again.

  The fourth attempt was different. He activated Thread Sense first, mapping the cloth before touching it with energy. He noted resistance points and flow lines, memorizing where the fibers wanted to move. Only then did he activate Living Weave. The cloth warmed beneath his hands instead of tightening. He stitched slowly, stopping often to check tension. When the fabric resisted, he backed off.

  When he finished, he waited, but nothing happened. A glow, pulse, something; he wasn’t sure what he expected, but this was not it. Wrapping the bandage around his arm, he activated Emergency Heal. Just like the first time, the healing energy flowed in and provided structure to the healing. No bursts of Overheal, just the flow of magic, which petered out quickly due to no current injuries.

  Items like this were perfect for him. His healing spells always flowed smoothly and required less control when used this way. For a moment he wondered what healing another person would be like. Overheal seemed to affect everything he touched. How awful would it be to try and help someone just to end up injuring them further or killing them. He shuddered at the thought.

  As he finished testing the bandage, he mentally noted his observations. After all this had only been the second time, he used one. The bandage had done more than just guided his healing. The cloth had moved; it grew tighter in area and looser in others. As energy dissipated, he moved his arm and the cloth adjusted tension to match his pace. Testing this out for several minutes and several ideas crossed his mind.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “Wonder if I could turn this into some type of pseudo-armor. The flexibility of it gives me a lot of ideas, just need to figure out how to make it all work.”

  Healing flowed smoothly. The bandage adjusted its tension as his arm moved, tightening when he flexed, loosening when he relaxed. Energy settled into the fabric instead of spilling outward.

  He smiled.

  “Yeah, this is going to be fun.”

  For the next hour, he focused entirely on the Living Bandage. Once the first successful weave was complete, the craft became easier as he learned to fine tune the processes. Lay the cloth flat, introduce healing slowly, stitch with care, let the fabric settle, then repeat. He quickly found his rhythm.

  Some attempts were better than others. A few came out too stiff and were set aside. Others felt loose and uneven. But with each pass, his control improved. His hands learned the rhythm faster than his mind. By the time he stopped, his inventory held roughly seventy-five completed bandages, each stable and functional.

  System notifications chimed quietly.

  [Weaver of the Living Threads is now Level 15]

  [Living Weave is now Level 18]

  [Thread Sense is now Level 10]

  [Adaptive Stitching is now Level 5]

  Hector leaned back and exhaled.

  “If I make it out of this tutorial, I wonder how valuable healing is going to be out there. Be cool if I could make a living off selling this kind of stuff. of course, will I even need to make a living, maybe clearing dungeons and killing monsters will be all I need.”

  He spent several minutes imagining himself as a wondering merchant, masking his power, completing dungeons helping people. It sounded like a pleasant life. He had no plans of setting down roots, but one thing remained constant across all walks of life; you needed money to eat. These were thoughts for another day though, right now his sole goal was survival.

  That thought brought him down another rabbit hole. He had yet to see any kind of money through all his adventures and slaying. Maybe the old currency would remain in place, but it made more sense for something new to turn up. Perhaps he wouldn’t see any evidence of that until after the tutorial.

  The outside world was a big unknown at this point. He couldn't be sure of anything outside the tutorial. What challenges awaited? Dangers? Hell was earth even still around, or was it conquered by aliens or something? Sighing, he pushed the thoughts aside, not like they would help him survive his current situation.

  He frowned slightly. One thing he was sure of though is that people would get hurt and killed. He was unable to see a world where his skills wouldn’t be useful in some way, not to mention he was pretty good in a fight, or at least he thought he was.

  “Being needed seems like a good way to stay alive as well.”

  His gaze drifted to his hands, then his forearms, scarred and calloused from constant impact. A new thought formed, healing others mattered but staying functional long enough to do it mattered just as much. He stood and turned back to the materials.

  “Alright, what else can I make?”

  He did not stop with the bandages. Success settled something in him. He removed the bandage and set it aside carefully. His gaze shifted to his hands, then his forearms, then the remaining materials.

  “I punch things... a lot.”

  If this craft was meant to support the way he fought, the next step was obvious. Wraps or something similar, to act as armor, or maybe stat enhancers he wasn’t quite sure yet. He returned to the book and flipped through the unlocked sections until a heading caught his eye. Making weapons wasn’t an option, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t bolster himself to improve the only weapon he currently had, his fists. Sifting through the book, he found what he was looking for.

  Applied Weave: Limb Reinforcement

  He read carefully.

  Reinforcement wraps are not weapons.

  They do not create strength.

  They stabilize force already produced by the body.

  Incorrect design results in energy loss, joint strain, or backlash.

  Hector winced.

  “Good to know.”

  He continued.

  Wraps must follow natural muscle and tendon lines

  Tension must distribute force, not restrict it

  Healing aligned energy may reinforce impact tolerance

  He glanced at his knuckles.

  “Alright, let’s see if I can make my punching better.”

  He selected a long strip of Eden Sheep Healer’s Wool. This time, he activated Thread Sense first. Flow lines revealed themselves instantly. He mentally stitched the mana in the cloth before adding energy, tight where needed and loose near joints. Only when the wrap was complete did he introduce healing. He cast Emergency Heal introducing a green flow in a gradual and controlled manner.

  He wrapped it around his forearm and knuckles. It felt solid; the wrap felt supportive. So, he tested it. A short punch into the air, then a light strike against the stone wall. The impact felt cleaner. Force traveled through his arm without biting back into his bones.

  “That’s a start.”

  He pushed harder. The wrap tightened instinctively at the moment of impact, dispersing force across his forearm. No pain or backlash followed.

  [Crafting Insight Gained: Force Stabilization]

  “Okay, that looks like a good thing.”

  He tried to make a second wrap but failed. He overused his power and the cloth became brittle as it broke apart.

  “Too much...”

  The third set struck the balance. Wrapping his other arm the results were the same, he could feel more power and control in his strike. No Overheal yet. Satisfied, he looked down at his legs.

  “My legs are taking some impact too, probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to look into options there as well.”

  The leg wraps were trickier, the muscles moved differently, and he had to find a different balance compared to his arms. It took several attempts, but he finally had something viable. He designed the item to be longer, with spiral stitching, focusing on supporting the calves and ankles. When he stood, the wraps adjusted instantly.

  He stepped forward and nothing felt off, so he began jogging. His movement felt smoother, and more efficient. Next, he sprinted; the wraps stabilized his ankles' mid stride and returned momentum forward. He wasn't breathing hard and no sharp pains filled his limbs.

  [Crafting Insight Gained: Kinetic Return]

  “Not quite sure what these insights are, but hopefully I can get some more of them.”

  He removed the wraps and set them beside the bandage. Hector sat back among cloth and thread and smiled. Creating had its own charm, something he found he enjoyed just as much as fighting.

  "This is awesome, not only can I create healing items, but I can improve my combat style. Once I get out of here, I really need to see the best way to apply this. Maybe I can become some type of traveling medicine man. I have no plans to stop fighting, but I don’t want those who I stumble into to remain injured if I can help.”

  He stood up surveying the crafting room. There were so many things he wanted to test out; the real problem was figuring out where to start.