novelraw Chapter 123 - 122 - Elemental Shield
Chapter 123 - 122 - Elemental Shield
An unusual sight was found at Myriad Treasures. It had been closed off for 3 days and only allowed previous appointments expecting their custom jobs delivered. Even then, only the senior apprentices brought forth the promised objects on the ground floor and would not allow anyone higher.
On the 4th floor, Master Harold watched closely as Lind held a complex array of elemental energy over a workstation. Unlike the usual process, it was all in 3 dimensions and the different paths of Qi were singing pleasantly rather than the usual planned routes to overcome opposition.
When making up to a 3 elemental core, it was fairly easy to bring harmony between the 3 elements chosen, but at 4, only the primary elements worked well while using light or darkness with any combination of the primary 4 resulted in repulsion.
Lind's method, instead, was profound. His study of his own dantian had led to revelations how all 6 elements could be made to work in harmony and now they witnessed the fruit of his labor of 3 days.
The crystal powder liquified and the elemental shards used also broke down as Lind guided the flow of Qi so delicately and carefully. Mya was taking notes as Harold used an artifact to mimic Soul Eyes.
"Of course, why did I never think of this!" Harold had a vast amount of experience creating artifacts and their individual components. Now that he saw a harmonious relationship between all 6 elements, it clicked in his head. It was not obvious but it made total sense to him now that he was seeing it.
A flash of light and the core settled into the center hollow of the workstation. It gently flared with all 6 elements as Lind stood over it, sweating buckets. He looked as if he had nearly drained all the Qi in his dantian as well as survived a vicious battle.
"Success!" Lind still smiled as he nearly leapt into the air but a sudden chill down his spine made him turn to see Qing sitting quietly at one of the open desks. She had a jade slip she was studying for her next step into the Gold Tier as well as the information Lind had shared with her.
Both Shoti and Qing were stunned at how his revelations at the Soul Realm seemed to loosen their own bottlenecks. Their efficiency had improved considerably as well but the World Realm techniques were unchanged. It would take time to study the new relationships and correct that level of technique.
Lind was glad for any input they could give him.
Still, he was thrilled. That made 3 successful cores. The first 2 were low grade 2, but the current one was mid grade 2! It was a strain, but an improvement regardless. Lind has also given instructions for the kind of artifact he wanted to create.
It had taken some conversations with Master Harold but Mya and a few other senior apprentices had put their all into it and 1 was finally ready. They were going to use the low grade 2 cores to start as the mid grade 2 would need some stronger materials.
A slim golden box was brought out with the lid slid aside to expose the slot for the core. They had kept it simple but Lind had specified what he wanted. The core was put in and he infused his Qi as it happily connected! He had done it!
It was the arrays and inscriptions. He could not make them work together in the weapons because the base principles worked against his dantian, but this artifact did not. Lind then turned and handed the box to Mya.
"Please, senior sister Mya, use your Qi." Lind stepped back. He had nearly exhausted his Qi but he would have handed it to her anyway to prove the point. Mya had 2 elements, fire and earth, but it no longer mattered.
She smiled and touched all 3 infusion points with her elemental Qi as he had shown her. The box began to glow and all jumped when a peak grade 2 shield appeared around her made of earth and fire! It was a low grade 2 core but it generated a peak grade 2 shield!
"I think that is as far as it can go with World Realm Qi." Lind's Eyes showed him the inscriptions were carrying the flow well but it was straining slightly. The demonstration was not done as Lind nodded to Mya and she once more touched certain spots on the box and the shield dispersed safely.
"Annabelle." A shadow jumped as a sparkling sapphire and gold head of hair came forward nervously. She carefully took the box from Mya who gently patted her head. Lind knew Mya was fond of Annabelle as most of the apprentices were. She always cheered them up after a frustrating day as Lind worked on.
She looked at him and he smiled confidently at her as she repeated Mya's actions. A mid grade 2 shield of light and air sprang into existence to the stun of all. A different set of elements with a single artifact!
This result had been Lind's goal. It was not enough to have a working artifact for only 6 elementals, but to allow it to be freely used by all. Master Harold whooped as he swept Lind up into a hug and all the apprentices cheered.
The new elemental shield artifact was a success! It was limited to grade 2 but now that they understood Lind's relationships, they could begin to seriously experiment. A new kind of workstation would be needed but there was nothing stopping replicating what he had made.
"We must go register this today!" Harold was about to whip Lind behind him when a piercing stare of pale eyes stood before the stairs. A sinisterly sweet smile spread across Qing's face that deflated Harold quite a bit. He could argue with Cain until both were blue in the face, but Qing's aura was soul crushing at times like this.
"According to what I know, you should go about this carefully, Master Harold. We only have 3 working cores. First see if an apprentice can replicate this issue or is it unique to Lind alone." Qing had taken a bit of a crash course in procedure as she had decided to curb Lind's activities for safety as much as possible.
A very public office in Cimmeria was asking for risks they need not take. Her point was accurate as well. Lind could create the cores due to his already being a 6 elemental. Could another apprentice replicate his process even with tools made to assist them?
"I have a day left before I have to go back to Master Cain. I can sit with elder sister Mya and go over everything I have understood." Lind offered this compromise and saw Qing nod in appreciation.
The rest of the day was spent between teaching and creating. Lind sped up as the day passed but he could not break through mid grade 2. It was a beginning and he could play with ideas later if Mya found a way to replicate what he had done.
Even before Lind left, a mid-grade 2 box was made and it worked perfectly. Lind was presented with this one as a gift which he appreciated. He had made 10 more cores for Master Harold to play with.
Lind was walking back with Qing and Annabelle on either side of him when the hairs stood up on his neck. Without pausing, he infused all his elements into the box in his hands at the 6 points that accepted it. A peak grade 2 6 elemental shield sprang into existence but Lind felt odd as after his initial investment, the artifact took over.
It was so much easier!
Not even a breath after the shield sprang up, something bounced off to a metallic clang when it hit a sign post. It was a demonic throwing knife! Poison flowed along the inscription lines Lind could see. It was at the World Realm!
His shield had dimmed but it held. Lind noted it survived the strike of a major realm above but only just. He wondered if there were less elements if it made a difference. Stardust guards seemed to appear out of thin air and Lind recognized Captain Drake at their head.
"Find the assassin!" Lind appreciated Drake did not assume it was a demon or perhaps he had not seen the knife. Qing had pulled out a short wooden object that made Lind shiver to look at it. Instead of healing, it was clearly meant to kill.
He found he did not want to understand how it worked which he pushed aside for later. Lind saw the shield slowly regenerate and noted some improvements to be made, but could the core handle them was also a question to answer.
"What brings you away from your post, Captain Drake?" Lind knew it could not be a total coincidence but Drake did not immediately respond. He was scanning the crowd carefully. His deep blue eyes were like daggers while he kept a hand on the massive broadsword on his back.
As Lind had expected, Drake was very tall. If not for the comparison, his dimensions would look almost normal, but compared to the fountain not far away to the signs barely above his head, showed he was unusually tall for a human.
"I had been hearing odd reports about you and wondered if you had something to help us in our mission. I would have talked to you a few days ago, but no one was being allowed in at all." Lind relaxed a bit but did not dismiss his shield that covered both Annabelle and Qing with him. He had spent 3 days straight at Myriad Treasures as it reduced risk.
Qing and Shoti had traded off but Annabelle had stayed for all 3 days in full.
"Sorry, but I made an enlightenment but I am unsure if it is of any use to your endeavor." Lind wanted to leave the street but he found another issue. The shield fluctuated when he moved, clearly the artifact was not designed with movement in mind or maybe another limit of the core. He would have to experiment.
Drake looked hard at the very shield around Lind's group and smirked.
"I would say it was worth my time. Is that unique or to be mass produced?" Lind had no answer as the other parts were made by Master Harold. Lind also had no authority to promise anything.
"It is a prototype but Master Harold is working on it. I have no problem sharing it for your work but know it is not perfect yet." Lind made a big step and all saw the shield flicker before it caught up. Drake nodded but the glint in his eyes did not diminish.
"I will take you up on that. If it does what I hope, you may have saved us all." Lind suddenly hoped it did not. Any more attention on him and he would be lucky to set foot outside the sect before he was in his old age!
"Sir, we found the assassin, but they are dead!" A man was dragged forward and Lind's own Eyes confirmed the potent poison Qi was on the hands of the body. The slash to the chest was powerful and vicious. Lind noted there was no Qi at all in the wound which was wise. He was far from an expert at tracking but if his Eyes could see it, there was no chance of evading the guards.
"Take him to the HQ for analysis." Drake gave orders quickly to sweep the few streets away but all there assumed the coconspirator had long since left. It cut off the leads unless there was something to learn from the body.
"Thank you for your help, Captain, but I will be taking Lind from here." Qing's aura of peak Iron Tier flared and Drake bowed to her. Lind did not dismiss the shield until they were well inside the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
He noted some issues to address but the artifact was a success far more than hoped and it was his first true artifact he could use! Lind was so happy about that that he nearly dismissed the attack on his life. Almost.
"We will be revising your time with Master Cain tomorrow." Lind sighed as Qing was clearly going to increase his security but then Shoti appeared in front of them solemnly.
"A Starfire House envoy is here for us." Lind felt his guard snap back up. There was only 1 reason he knew of for the supreme auction house of Cimmeria to come knocking at his door. They knew he could make grade 3 elixirs!