novelraw Chapter 1429 - 1428 - Prodigies
Chapter 1429 - 1428 - Prodigies
Steam screeched out of the pressure vessel as golden flecked liquid filled the vials at the 6 spouts on the bottom of it. The metal was distended in a few places but it held as the young woman covered in sweat smiled as she stoppered each vial.
The elixirs were a success!
Her leather apron was stained and covered in soot in a few places but she had passed the test! Her violet eyes sparkled as she carefully stored away her vials.
"Well done, Triss, you are now qualified for the tournament." She jumped as her master was in the compounding room unexpectedly. The older man was all smiles as he held out the emerald flame token.
She quickly brought out her elixirs and exchanged them with the token. She pricked her finger and the blood bonded it to her.
"Thank you, Master!" He waved off her thanks as he examined her results.
"You have surpassed your elders in only a thousand years. It seems that True Lord really inspired a generation of crafters too. That boy, Malkin, just finished Forging a spear that could transform into a sword with the help of a decent spirit imbued into it. He is only 2000 years old!" Triss felt shocked as that was half her age!
Still, in their professions, it was not considered bad to reach grade 7 in only 10,000 years. Her reaching Law Grade at 8,000 years was nearly unheard of.
Legend held that True Lord Lind Frey had been capable of it much sooner but no one could confirm it.
Even so, it was true that the upcoming tournament had all the Immortals focused. The usual antics and sabotage has actually decreased as many wanted to snag the most prizes with the best pupils or strength.
The production masters would be having a kind of side competition to the main battle tournament but they would be part of that as well.
"You must strive to keep improving for the next 40,000 years. You have qualified but now you must hone and improve. It cannot be the limit of your ability by the time the tournament arrives." She bowed but knew it would not be that easy.
She was only a Sliver Tier Immortal. Even given all that time, she would be lucky to be a Shard Tier by then.
Law Grade was punishing but now that she did it once, she could do it again!
Her tools would need an upgrade, however, as the pressure vessel was clearly done.
"You said Malkin has basically become the Forger for his group, what about the other prodigies?" It was insane to think a whole generation of them had appeared at once but it was true.
The theories and lessons from the Frey Clan had spread slowly at first but now the results spoke for themselves. It inspired crafters of all levels and Triss was one of them!
The moment she understood how her primary and secondary elements could work in even better balance opened the doorway to where she was now far faster than she ever imagined!
Her master sighed as he nodded.
"Monsters appear everywhere. It was as if we had held you all back these many millions of years." Alchemists, refiners, formation masters, and all professions seemed to have exploded with prodigal masters.
Where once there might be a once in a generation genius in a single field drawing the limelight, Triss was but one of many!
Malkin was a Forger from a rogue background but had been taken in under the Blue Star Guild, a legendary guild of Forging for as long as anyone could remember.
Estarra was a formation master unlike any had seen in generations. She could inscribe such fine lines into the smallest material to achieve stunning results. She was the oldest of the current generation but only by a few hundred years.
A pair of twins, Alain and Beliar, were born for alchemy. They had taken like fish to water and complemented each other in many ways. One specialized in healing while the other was much better at cultivation pills.
It was said it was next to impossible to defeat someone that used their pills.
There was a mountain of a woman that simply called herself the Refiner, that obviously dominated the refining field. She was a strange one in that no one was quite sure where she came from but her abilities were top notch. She was only 9,000 years old but was the furthest into Law Grade refining of anyone in their generation.
Triss had met her once when looking for new tools and while many would think she was too tall, she was gorgeous. Her pale face covered with soot stains and sweat actually entranced even her!
Now, she joined their ranks but strangely weaving was left off her master's list.
"Why no mention of Lir? He was at the cusp of Law Grade weaving last I heard?" Her master's old face went dark a bit as he suddenly looked down at his dark robes.
"Triss, Lir is dead." Shock went through her. Dead? What happened?!
Her shock was clear but it was also obvious her master was uncomfortable. Only one subject made that possible to her.
"He used up his soul?" He nodded slowly at her words. Weaving was dangerous if taken too far. The circles restricted a weaver but they also became their power. Yet, once a circle was mastered, it would be clear how far a weaver could go afterward.
Lir had once described it like being blindfolded and then seeing a rainbow all of a sudden when stepping past it. He had been a sweet boy she had enjoyed some time with before they focused on their training.
Her master knew that and the kind of death over doing weaving caused meant no chance of reincarnation or saving of any kind. The soul was gone.
A few tears fell but it meant that a slot in the professions of her generation would have to be filled with a prodigy. Further, those were just the ones on her side. There were going to be hundreds of others just competing with her in elixirs.
More prodigies could be found in the 40,000 years plus to come. Each tier would have their own group and so forth but Triss found the excitement from earlier tamped down.
She would mourn Lir's death and pray to the spirits for any shred of him to be reborn in another life.
"Do you need anything?" Her master's gentle words brought her back to the present but she shook her head.
"I will press on. I can be better!" She put on a smile but it did not reach her eyes. Her master looked at her deeply but slowly nodded. He then left her to clean up the compounding room.
She moved mechanically but she did not stop thinking of her next attempt. The loss of Lir would have to be addressed too or it could become a heart demon. There were many things to do but she would give it her all to make it to the tournament!
⬧⬧⬧⬧
The old man in the dark robe looked at the 6 glittering vials again with a smile. His student had come far but she was too easily distracted.
He was about to simply turn up a set of steps when a voice popped into his head.
[You lied to her. That idiotic boy did not over use his soul. He crossed us. You would do well to remember this as well the next time you threaten to expose us.] The vile voice barely made him shiver but his dark eyes narrowed in anger.
[You mean he defied you by not using your methods and you killed him for it. You know that damned dragon has methods to detect your work but you still asked for him to try and sneak something in? The plans may not be working out but we still have time. I will bring her into the fold after the tournament. Not before.] He felt anger rise in the connection before it broke.
His masters were angry. Many plans had been destroyed with the announcement of the tournament. Further, the unique status of the Throne of Defiance revealed no Fiend Qi could so much as squeeze inside.
Several lower agents had died just crossing the flame threshold. The powers connected had been appalled and a few were actually innocent of any involvement with Fiends too.
That, combined with the fact he had been careful not to have even a trace of his masters' artifacts on him, let him slip through by a narrow margin. The Harmonic Dragons were far weaker than his Sovereign Tier aura but he felt threatened by them regardless!
An entire race of dragons that could sniff out Fiend Qi was a dire problem for him so he had changed the timeline of bringing his best pupils under the shadow of his masters.
It angered him that the boy's master had tried to keep things flowing normally. Once someone promising showed up, they were offered a chance for eternal life while supplying their forces with what they needed.
Promises of power, life, and so forth were much more useful with Immortals who felt the stagnation of their progress. While weavers were powerful, they had severe limits on their abilities.
Such limits being lifted were tempting but the boy had been disgusted and was going to reveal it all!
The old man was not too mad about his death as Triss got too distracted when he was around but the sudden death was not desirable either!
He sighed at all the problems he had to deal with but most of all in that bringing Triss under his wing may lead to her death too. He would have to help her detach from that boy's memory a bit.
He knew a few of his other pupils wanted to pursue her but again, after the tournament. There was too much to do and unless she really stumbled, it was just enough time to advance to the Shard Tier and improve her elixirs even more!
Even if she was simply turned into food for his masters, he would use up every last drop of her talent! Just like his fellow across the guilds!