novelraw Chapter 1464 - 1463 - Second Skin
Chapter 1464 - 1463 - Second Skin
"A growth type spirit weapon would be best. It is something that will not be restricted by their advancement of their bloodline–" Lind was taking part in the discussion of what they were Forging and it had been narrowed down to 3 choices that split the group.
Having even numbers made it a deadlock but they could not keep it up for long.
He may not know what the other group was making but he could feel the shift in Qi, Laws, and even just an increase in heat from within their wards.
The 3 options were not bad but no one could be swayed to break the stalemate.
{Growth type spirit weapon}
{Growth type spirit artifact}
{Growth type spirit shield}
Most beasts would not use a shield but a snake that became a drake would not be so prideful to not grasp the importance of it but Lind was on the artifact side.
Weapons and armor could become moot when the transformation occurs. He knew better than anyone as he had wrecked robes many times alone!
Artifacts, however, did not care one whit about the physical makeup of its owner.
His argument seemed to make them think but the problem was that an artifact was maybe too generic. There were myriad artifacts that could be made for a drake and narrowing it down to a group creation was the issue.
He could accept that and had become quiet as the argument proceeded without resolution.
He considered his own issues. His human form had many items but generally, as a dragon, he used next to nothing. The only exception was his Battle Aura or Abby and Ember were to work with him.
Aside from that, he rarely used anything in his dragon body.
He considered his most recent battle with Ethry and reviewed the possibilities. If he truly found something wanting it was when his scales were breached.
His massive body was powerful but once the defenses were breached, he had a weakness he could not easily compensate for in the middle of a fight.
"Skin." HIs spoke one word and brought silence to the argument as emerald scales appeared on his face and hands.
He held them up before summoning his strongest dagger. He slashed and while the damage was minimal, his scales were breached. Blood dripped but his point was made.
"Snakes to dragons rely on their scales in their natural state but armor can be made to help them if it follows the principle of skin." He summoned a material he had yet to find a use for. It stretched and expanded but also could contract as needed.
It was not spandex but it was as close as he had ever come. It was useless as an armor but that was due to his own limitations with his old world knowledge. Maybe one of the 5 could adapt it?
They quickly examined it. Muttering followed but a woman with wisps of gold in black hair snatched at the material. Her skin matched as she was an aether child but it was mostly black compared to the usual balance he had seen in many of them.
"This has potential." She infused darkness and light Qi that made it tougher but Lind did not grasp how. The others also became interested.
"We could make something that could work for both human and drake forms! If it has enough expansion, it could be adjusted for a massive increase in size!" A fairly young Elemental spoke. His appearance was like the others but a Forger was damned rare in their race.
He took the sample and Forged a bit into it. The now stronger material actually got larger! Lind was impressed and smiled.
"Would we agree this is our goal?" His question made all 5 blink before they slowly nodded. "Good, then let us begin with what aspects it needs to be acceptable to us!"
A very different discussion began. It was not a disagreement but brainstorming on characteristics. Lind found himself enjoying it but he also became a test subject.
He transformed various parts of his body to show even a limited change in dimensions. He did not fully transform but gave estimates of his size for a comparison. It made many shocked to know how drastic the change was but he affirmed a drake would be much smaller.
Still, it gave them a range to work in. Further, only Lind could make the base material. The rest of them would need to infuse with Forging what they wanted it to do.
Lind pondered a moment before calling a judge over.
"Yes, Ancestor?" He sighed but then held up his scale covered limbs.
"Am I allowed to harvest from my body?" The judge actually sent a message before getting a quick answer.
"It is not a problem. Other beasts can do the same and have." He smiled and then ripped scales from his own body to the shock of the other 5.
"These will allow for more capacity but the base material will still be the same." The other Forgers' eyes sparkled as the emerald scales were a high grade material!
He laughed but Lind began to consider the foundation of what they would make. It would be like the skin of a dragon, but able to expand for use in both forms of the beast.
The spandex idea would not work for that. It would be torn to shreds the instant the beast took their natural form.
Thus he worked with the aether child to create the base material. It did not need any ore but plants and Qi stones were consumed with some crystals. A massive pile of a material that seemed small but could expand 4 to 8 times its size was made. The material could also adjust to much smaller sizes but Lind knew the final product would be vastly different.
"Senior, we have settled on the effects but want your approval." The old man now spoke and presented the effects they desired.
{Dispersal}
{Adaptive Sizing}
{Self repair}
{Spirit Growth}
Lind nodded at them but then frowned as it ended. That was it? All 6 Maesters together and 3 effects plus being a spirit armor on top of that?
Was that really all they could do?
He then looked at his scales once more and a smile stretched over his face.
"Do any of you know how to Forge essence?" All 5 looked at him as if he had said did they know how to fly through soil. He understood their confusion and took yet another scale before it crumbled to dust.
A shimmering cloud of energy was there that they could sense but not fully comprehend. Lind understood his contribution at that point.
"I am going to take the final design a little further but it will be up to all of you to actually Forge the effects." He then quickly sketched out the effects but his list was almost 8 effects long!
They wanted to object but he then took an ore and Forged the essence into it. It was simple iron yet now all 5 stared at it as if it was azure veined gold. One was a simple grade 1 ore but the other was peak grade 7!
They looked back up at him and he just shrugged.
"I am a Triple Maester. It would be wrong to restrict myself only to Forging when I have always worked with them together. That said, if I create the base material, it quickly reaches a limit due to my harmonic Qi. You all, on the other hand, have no such saturation limit." Understanding flooded their eyes along with excitement.
Lind then left them to it to figure out the effects and balancing percentages while he created the foundation it would be built on. He took a lot more of his scales, but also the ores, crystals, and Qi stones provided.
Unlike normal Forging, he started extracting like he would for an elixir. Extraction was refining to the purest essence of a material and he only needed that first step for what was to come.
He then Forged the essence into the powdered crystals and scales. A massive roll of material was born in that moment. It had several innate features like expansion and some absorption but the rest would be up to his team.
The 5 looked eager to begin so he simply kept the material primed and looked up when he was ready. The feeling of 5 auras was a little chaotic at first but it was like they instinctively grasped what each could do at that moment.
Lind felt like he was analyzing ores before Forging as information flowed into his mind. The aether child was working on endurance and dispersal, essentially enhancing the base material as she had before but the old man was delicately infusing a matrix that would respond to the client.
Lind was fascinated as he understood it would allow the armor to change at will not just in size but in positioning! He had not thought of such an application! Self repair was there too but now Lind's additions flowed in.
Art Enhancement, Illusive Camouflage, Recovery Enhancement, and finally the foundation to not just grow but to survive a tribulation!
The last part was necessary as Lind finally stepped back in. The disparate forces flowed together under their effort to make an emergent effect!
Rather than create a spirit armor, they created a second skin that would develop a spirit all on its own! It was much more difficult to nurture at the beginning but in the long run, it would become a true companion for the client.
The final infusion was made and all 6 were covered in sweat. Their robes were singed in a few places as well as clear signs of Qi exhaustion on half of them.
Lind was not doing well at all. His injuries had recovered but it was clear his stamina was far from his peak. He was trembling just trying to stand!
[Stop.] The word boomed suddenly and the wards came down. The other group was looking at a floating long sword that no human could ever hope to wield. It was clear they had been making items for different clients!
[Your work will be evaluated and then tested on its recipient. How many effects, stability, and potential for growth will be the main factors.]
His group smiled and took pills or elixirs to begin to recover. They could only look forward to seeing their creation in action!