novelraw Chapter 160 - 159 - Forged Unbound
Chapter 160 - 159 - Forged Unbound
The anticipation as Mythra returned to the stage as the male host bowed to her. There was no jealousy between them as Lady Estelle had put Mythra directly in charge of Master Frey's items.
Her lithe figure made many drool but what she represented made them even more fervent. Forged items were rare. Compared to elixirs which occasionally surfaced from time to time or could be procured if StarFire House buys them in the Floating Isles, Forged items were a once in 10,000 year occurrence.
The last time a Forger had shown up in Cimmeria, they had made a splash but their quality was stuck in grade 1. Further, they could not do what Lind Frey had already proven he could do. Items 6 elementals could use!
Lind smiled as he waited for Mythra to reveal some details that were withheld. They were his first items in an auction, but they were a little special.
"Hello again ladies and gentlemen! As promised, I am here to present the forged items for Master Frey!" Cheers roared as Mythra allowed them to quiet on their own for a while. She raised her arms and silence returned. "As you saw at the end of the competition, Master Frey can use all 6 elements and he is also the creator of the 6 elemental core currently being made at Myriad Treasures!"
Many heads nodded while a few were beside themselves to realize Master Frey had sold the creation of the new artifact core to Master Harold. Lind had specifically requested the free advertisement that all had seen successfully applied by non-6 elemental cultivators.
It proved that the core was not forged and that Master Harold had solved the issue for those that were missing elements to make such a core. Lind hoped the increased business was welcome.
"There are no artifacts in this batch but actual weapons and armor. All of the items I am about to present do share a feature with the artifact core mentioned." Mythra allowed her aura to show fire and air Qi flowing around her. She summoned a bracer Lind made purely for demonstration and they saw a disc appear around her arm. It was made of fire and air but was a discrete disc she could use to defend or attack.
"My Qi makes a shield of fire and air that is stronger combined than when they are separate. I am not causing the shield, the bracer is. It can burn someone or something if it gets close enough. Also–" She smiled as Qi flowed over the bracer and the shield distorted to wrap around her arm. "As with normal refined weapons or armor, functions are added if possible. For my demonstration, however, I will need Nathan to come back."
The male host, Nathan, smiled as he came back and took the same bracer from Mythra. He also released his aura to reveal 3 elements of fire, light, and water. Despite fire and water countering each other and making refining difficult, a shield made of all 3 elements appeared. It was the same strength as before as both Nathan and Mythra were at the World Realm but the bracer was only grade 2.
Even so, all were stunned to see the same effects with different elements! Refining a weapon core required it to be compatible with the specific elements of the cultivator. Artifacts were slightly more flexible in that the self contained cores included their functions and only needed to be triggered, but would ideally use the Qi of the cultivator.
The shield artifact used the cultivator currently to make a shield from the Qi pulled from the dantian. It did not need specific elements, as it could accept any element with the new core but previously artifacts would pull from the environment if a cultivator lacked an element. It lowered the response, but it would still work.
Weapons and armor are far more restrictive as cores had to channel Qi from the cultivator to enact their effects. The bracers on the stage threw out that restriction to pull off a similar result as the artifact 6 element core!
The major difference was that constant channeling maintained the effect where an artifact could self-sustain until shut down or damaged. All were excited as the disc distorted to wrap around Nathan's arm as easily as Mythra.
Anyone could use that bracer!
"Thank you." Mythra retrieved the bracer as Nathan bowed out.
"The first item is a peak grade 2 sword. It can accept any element through its core and uses all 6 elements to make the sword strong enough that it can cut through mid-grade 3 materials easily." A steel blade appeared with a simple hilt but Mythra used her elements once more. Unlike the bracer that clearly was made to create an effect, the sword was more straightforward.
Any sword could have special effects, but if a blade had an attack inscription, it would consume far more Qi than a blade that was fully strengthened. Sword Qi could also still be channeled to enhance it even more. A Divine Sword Sect cultivator could use the sword to go beyond the expressed limit Mythra just gave them.
Lind sat back as the bidding began and it rose above 20,000 World Stones before it slowed down. Most of the bidders were, unsurprisingly, from the Divine Sword Sect in the crowd. He also suspected the booth bids were similar but he had no way to know.
The other items were just as simple as the sword with exception of the greaves. Lind felt protection was not enough and added a speed increase via air and darkness. He had discovered it by accident but he could make a body lighter and faster by a certain amount with those 2 elements Forged to that purpose. Boots might have made more sense but feet were something he wanted to custom make rather than greaves could be adjusted with the straps.
Supposedly, once Lind learned more, he could make items that could adjust by being imprinted by a cultivator. He glanced at the storage ring on his finger and knew that was true but he had yet to touch on that. These were the best he could do right now despite working for months on increasing his Forging ability.
Mythra spoke on the points of each item and the greaves did garner more interest but the most each item hit was 50,000 World Stones. The greaves were the set that went for that amount. Even so, Lind calculated that he had gotten back more than enough stones to live comfortably if wanted to.
He left it alone as the final item came up. Mythra was smiling as a formation plate was placed by itself as all looked on from the audience.
"The final item is an opportunity. Master Frey will custom Forge an item when this plate is presented to the Heavenly Maiden Sect. Please note, Master Frey has stated this will be his first custom job that was not someone he had known for years." All in the coliseum understood that to mean Lind Frey could custom Forge items but he had not done so for strangers.
It meant he could customize an item for someone he knew well, but this would be a chance to be his first true customer! The 6 elemental staves earlier were generic but still usable similar to the previous armor and weapons. Anyone could use them but the features were generic to something anyone could find helpful.
If a cultivator has a strong set of techniques that could be enhanced by a weapon or armor, it would be amazing but refining had limits. Lind Frey was offering a chance many cultivators prayed for. A Forged item could incorporate far more abilities than a refined one!
"The opening bid is 1,000 World Stones." Mythra barely announced the price and it began to climb like a rocket. Lind wondered about how far it would go as he truly could only reach peak grade 2. He would put his all into the item, but he had only been able to really Forge for Annabelle as Shoti and Qing were far above him in realms.
"Master Frey, are there any more materials you want to try and buy?" Irene snagged his attention but he was already satisfied with what she pulled off for him. He could see she had negotiated discounts while the auction had proceeded.
"No, thank you very much for your help." Lind smiled and then tossed a bag at both Ariel and Irene. "I imposed on you both earlier so take these." Both women wanted to refuse but his firm gaze told them to give in.
They glanced inside and froze.
"H-how–w-when?" Ariel was stuttering but Irene wanted to join her. Lind smiled and simply returned to watch the final item he had up continue to leave behind even the greaves' high prices of 50,000 World Stones.
Inside each bag was Tempering Elixirs with 1 each of Recovery, Restoration, and Cure Elixirs. He also included a shield artifact. Lind had several but he did not hand them out easily. He really had pushed things again. He would have to make it up to Lady Estelle as well.
He would do that through Lady Su, however, so Irene would not have to worry about that. The price finally slowed down once it crossed 60,000 World Stones. He had expected it to be lower than the elixirs, but it was still higher than he expected.
"I suppose it will stop around 70–" Lind had not even finished when the numbers jumped to 100,000 World Stones. The excited atmosphere was silenced as the message was received loud and clear.
A great power had claimed the opportunity. This late into the once in a century auction, especially after the massive bids put forth, only a limited number of powers had such resources left to burn.
Lind Frey had been open about his limits so it narrowed the field of interested powers, but even so, no one wanted to cross someone that could put forth such a large amount of World Stones so late in the auction.
"It would seem I have my first customer." Lind looked serious compared to his giddy nature before. He had always planned to take it seriously as his current success was truly based on knowing the people closest to him.
He understood Annabelle very well and even though they were too weak to be useful in battle, he had made Forged items that worked well for Qing and Shoti.
He really needed someone he did not know. He had to analyze their elements, abilities, and see what he could do. The members of the Heavenly Maiden Sect were known to him so he was not sure of his limits.
Master Delenn had told him Forging was like a mix between alchemy and refining. An alchemist can make pills that align with hardening skin for body tempering to speeding up the flow of blood to allow Qi to move faster than before.
Refining allowed Qi to empower an item with effects to strengthening the very item depending on its use. Getting both to work together was feasible but complicated to bring out the full potential of a cultivator. A Forger could bring such effects together into a single external item.
Rather than rely on alchemy to make a body faster, a piece of armor can perfectly match the skills of its owner to push techniques to their very limit. Lind wanted to see what he could do. He wanted to shatter his complacency as he had with elixirs.
Elixirs were now unfettered by preconceived limits. Every time he let himself explore, he found no boundary to stop him save his own Qi and imagination. Forging was still the rote of known refining effects to playing it safe with what he understood.
Lind wanted to feel unbound. He hoped whoever had won the opportunity would bring him that. He collected his thoughts as the auction was called and the plate was won. Lind turned to Ariel to shut off the display. He had all he wanted and had seen how his items did.
He had far to go but he no longer felt nearly as constricted as before. The last barrier to his true freedom lay in his cultivation. He had to break through to the World Realm without destroying his foundation. He had to figure out how to do all 6 cores at once into fonts. He had the briefest glimpse thanks to Little Fey but it did not unlock the bottleneck for him.
"I will return to the sect for now. Little Fey, please go with Elder Yi. Your grandparents are more than welcome as are all of your family." The tone in his voice had changed. All felt it. The person in front of them had been on a long journey but he was finally a Master as many others in the city.
The Elixir Master and Forger were in front of them as he stood in his crimson and black robes and the flying bird on his back in gold. Elder Yi bowed with no teasing as Irene and Ariel escorted him out. Only Fey waved happily as her grandparents bowed low to his back.
Elder Yi sighed to see the end of the naive boy that had come to their Sect. She had heard stories but it was a common theme for young cultivators to reach a point where they begin to shed their mortality. The realization that centuries lie ahead and they had to either accept the burdens of their life or give up moving forward.
The look in his dark green eyes was not someone satisfied. Lind Frey was going to keep going no matter what anyone said and she looked at the now dim display. She smirked at any fools that thought to stop him. The coming days would be most amusing.