novelraw Chapter 166 - 165 - Spark Grip
Chapter 166 - 165 - Spark Grip
Lind had thought he enjoyed experimenting with elixirs and Forging before but the session with Delia was like he was a little boy with a video game for the first time. The excitement with the explosions or magical worlds were like nothing that came before that first time.
He knew he wanted a challenge but it was like the bottleneck stopping his progress was falling away as he thought about how to Forge the pieces for Delia. He had played with several metals but he was stunned at how only 2 were needed.
The more decorative items were a slight lie. He had discovered by accident that her particular combination of elements allowed a lot of leeway with materials that other elements would clash with. It had opened a whole new world of ideas for himself as well as her.
He already had a slew of experiments set up for complicated elemental combinations later but for now he looked at the final selection. The lumenite and chrysolite were very flexible for his needs but the sapphire crystals, iridal gold, and amethyst were excellent materials.
Compared to his demonstration, Delia should be capable of far more power. He still could not insert a shield effect, which annoyed him, but the many molten slag piles made in half a day informed him the materials could only take so much of his idea.
She moved back as he began with melting the 2 base metals. They were near peak grade 2 to start but he still had to remove the impurities before he began to Forge. Lind could do that step with materials he was more familiar with, but the current item was new. It was also for a cultivator that had an unusual dual combination.
He had failed dozens of times before finally succeeding on his prototype. He had prepared several rounds of ores as he suspected things would not go to plan soon.
He guided his Qi into the molten metal and saw it was ready. He poured the molten alloy onto the anvil and began to use the refiner method to remove impurities. He used a massive hammer while keeping his Qi flowing in the metal.
It was actually going well, but as he prepared to shape the metal, it suddenly cracked in half! He stepped back and he stepped back into a shield as he waved Delia back. The cracked metal steamed before the Qi settled and became a useless lump.
Lind breathed a sigh of relief as that kind of failure was considered the best kind. He had gone too fast and the 2 flows of light and earth conflicted before they could blend properly. It was a complicated process with alloys to blend and purify, but at least it was not a fire oriented metal that had a high chance to burst apart.
"Again." Lind set aside the ruined alloy and picked up 2 new orbs. He got lost in the process as he kept trying to purify and fuse the 2 metals. He had made a lot of progress before but he was now trying to work the material to the best combination for Delia, not himself.
It was the issue he had worried about. Despite Sabrina giving him all the data he could want and using his own Eyes to observe her Arts, he was working with an unfamiliar alloy and an unusual combination of elements. They could work together but it was difficult. That rule applied to the materials as well.
Lind was patient and half the day passed before finally he had a molten alloy purified on his anvil. He was covered in sweat but he felt accomplishment as he finally saw how the 2 metals could work together. There was a pile of ruined slag as tall as his waist but none had exploded at all.
All of them had cracked or suddenly had loss of Qi due to the earth and light repelling each other. The first solid step forward was laying before him. He used his Eyes and Touch to carefully examine the metal alloy in front of him.
He could not manipulate the metal until he understood it. Lind frowned as he looked at Delia and the alloy. A quiet sigh came from him as he realized there was another kind of failure he was facing.
"Apologies, Lady Delia, but this alloy won't work for you as it is." He saw her tilt her head in confusion as no doubt she had touched it with her own Qi but he could not explain it quickly and simply showed her.
Earth and light Qi combined as he had shown earlier. While the other 4 elements flowed in his current test, it would be fine. The moment a spark appeared the metal cracked like an egg shell.
Qi screamed out of it before it lost all profound Qi inside of it. Delia was in shock as she understood that if that alloy had been used to make her items, it would have shattered her arms!
Lind began again but the day came to an end without a successful alloy made. He frowned deeply but knew these 2 metals were the key foundation. Adding a third might make them work but he would lose both power capacity and it may not work with Delia's Art.
He was staring at 2 new orbs when small hands picked them up. She channeled her art and Lind saw the Qi flow like silk in the corresponding metal. Light lit up lumenite like a sun as chrysolite seemed to become heavier with earth Qi.
A spark of insight flashed through Lind's mind!
"Swap it." Delia looked up at him but did as commanded. She dispersed her Qi and infused lumenite with earth and chrysolite with light. It was hard but she had vast experience making the 2 elements work together in harmony. Lind was staring at her hands as a smile stretched across his face.
"I am an idiot!" He turned around and set the smelting cauldron in front of him. He then carefully picked up the 2 orbs from her hands. "Keep your Qi flowing into them as long as you can."
He did not wait and began to melt the metal once more. It was very strange melding not only the metal but allowing Delia to merge the 2 flows of Qi flowing in them. Unlike every other time, the 2 metals seemed to almost move on their own to merge as one.
Lind smiled as he carefully lifted up the alloy and began to hammer it once more. Another change noted was Delia's Qi was assisting the purification while also building stable bonds. Her way of using Qi was the missing piece!
Lind studied it intensely as he knew she could not keep up such a steady flow of Qi for long and as it faded, he took up his own Sky Touch to keep it going. His speed dropped but at long last there was a healthy glow of the 2 Qis working together and it was perfectly compatible with Delia.
He had been right! Lind knew so much about his friends after being with them for years or at least having a lot of time to see how their Qi work to finally understand it was a crutch. Delenn had tried to guide him to the realization and now he understood.
Forging was not simple. He had to understand the specific cultivator as much as he understood the materials. In contrast, 6 elementals were fairly easy for him to grasp. He was one after all.
A wall that had been in his way moving forward finally fell away as his mind opened to the new path he had to walk. Of course he could not Forge grade 3 yet! He could not comprehend fonts yet. Elixirs were easy to create because he was using the essence to create an effect.
It was like building a model airplane of plastic to a working model plane that could fly. The two were very similar and the skills learned in the former would work for building the latter, but flying was an entirely different beast. To fly, you had to practice and hope you did not crash the model when using it.
Grade 2 was the flightless model while grade 3 was the flying model. Elixirs was building so it was fine but Forging was the actual flight. Lind could fly as an amatuer but he was no expert yet at all.
As his mind comprehended, his instincts took over as now he mixed in the sapphire, amethyst, and iridal gold. The metal floated as the crystals mixed in. The iridal gold was key for the necklace as it was woven finely into the shell of the gauntlets.
A delicate chain with a diamond shaped metal plate was formed as an amethyst crystal was smoothly centered on it. The chain had a slight blue tinge from the sapphire mixed in. It was a good match for Delia's coloring. The easy part was done.
Lind now brushed sweat from his brow as he felt the cotton robe sticking to his body like glue but he was not stopping while he felt so sure of himself. The glowing metal was kept molten by his Qi as he began the most difficult part.
Unlike the prototype that was much closer to an actual gauntlet, Lind made slender finger holes chained to a palm wrap shield that was secured by entwined metal arms. They would wrap around the forearm by sliding it in like a shirt. It was more like a jewelry glove now than a gauntlet.
Its shape, however, did not diminish the power.
Lind spread out the iridal gold and sapphire to make the finger hole had more gold with blue spines while amethyst striations covered the fine metal arms. The palm wraps were connected by chains that would allow the fingers to retain their flexibility.
The palm wrap was the darker alloy but it looked good and drew the eye to the finger holes but he still made sure to make them shine with a blue tinge like the necklace but not detract from the brighter blue ridges on the finger holes.
When worn, the gold hole would wrap around her middle knuckle of each finger without impeding her using her hands normally. The metal cooled as the 2 hand wraps lay in front of him.
Lind felt dizzy as all 3 items were peak grade 2. They were not artifacts but they would seem as such to others, instead they were weapons. His Qi was nearly drained but he felt so happy.
"Please, try them out." Delia carefully put on the necklace and after studying the 2 arm pieces, slid them on her arms. Her robes easily covered up most of the forearm part and even the hand wrap until she lifted her arms.
Even so, with her pale blue and gold robes, the items blended well while enhancing her beauty with dark black hair and violet eyes. The finger holes perfectly stopped on each mid-knuckle allowing the hands to flex normally but still look like a piece of fancy jewelry.
She admired them for a moment before closing her eyes and channeling her Qi as she had before. Unlike the last time, the items took all the Qi and lightning began to spark unstably but then settled.
Lind was impressed. It was far more powerful than her own body's ability but she quickly adjusted. She then smiled as she felt the power in her arms. She saw the pile of slag that was now taking up a quarter of the room.
She grabbed it and it was like putty in her hands but that was not all. Electricity coursed through the pile like a bolt from the Heavens. Lind smirked as he drank an elixir to recover his stamina and Qi. She was laughing as she played with the metal so easily.
She put it down and then focused. Light gathered in her necklace before leaping out to her arms. Unlike when Lind used it, lightning did not simply encircle her hands but exploded out from her fingertips!
The wall cracked chips off as it burnt easily. She was breathing heavily and Lind saw her Qi was nearly drained but she was grinning.
"These are amazing!" He tossed her an elixir to recover. He estimated she only pulled out maybe 70% of their power, but that was still impressive. "Spark Grip." Lind nearly fell over at her naming them.
"Ahem, yes, well they are yours so that is a good name." Inwardly he winced but it was not an incorrect name. The naming sense of cultivators was damned odd at times. She was giggling before she became solemn.
"Thank you so much, Master Frey. I will never forget this." Lind waved it off as he suddenly caught a storage bag. He glanced inside and nearly fell over again. He had spent most of the auction wealth on materials that were hard to find or on mass quantities of ones he needed.
Inside the bag was grade 3 Forging materials! He had gotten quite a few but refining metals were quite expensive, yet this would help immensely when he broke through. He smiled and nodded that the payment was more than acceptable.
She removed the apron and helmet while he retracted the safety wall. He watched her nearly float away before the dizziness hit him again. He had pushed himself hard the last few days but he would rest for the next few.
"It is almost time to go." The words slipped out and he realized he had been thinking about it lately. He was stuck and needed to go out into the world again. He could not stay in Cimmeria or he would be making elixirs and Forging day in and day out until he died.
Lind looked up and he was looking past the pristine white walls of the sect to the horizon. It was indeed almost time to go, but he had debts to pay back first.