“Sorry that you had to keep the Arm in y, I know it’s creepy.” I apologised to Daiyu, as she removed it from her birthday present, the Spatial Ring. I took it from her, determio make it into something useful, as it portunity I had very nearly died for. She had already taken out a lot of the gifts ihe majority of Formation Ptes and other fragments of useful knowledge in her room, though she had piled a lot of the broken fragments of the Sessho-seki I had obtained for her to one side here.
“It is no matter. What is mine is yours.” Daiyu softly kissed the ring. “It is magnifit. With so many treasures, such as the Spatial Expansion and trol Spatial Pte which has left it spacious. It is a great shame that the Saint of Swallowing Sorrows perished so foolishly and we could only save a little when the Sessho-seki failed and the interior was exposed to the volic fury of the Boundary. But I am well satisfied. There are many treasures which will aid my Cultivation, and eo me to prepare teag materials for my new disciples.”
Daiyu was in a fantastic mood, glowing with vitality and good cheer, despite the fact we had barely snatched an hour of sleep in the love hotel. Noere ba the Boundary at Shirohebizumi, although my Material body was back at the estate, as I had a lot to do over the couple of days and little time to do it. I would shortly be catg a ride to Kyoto, as I wao speak to Yasaka-san in person.
We were not the only ones gathered here though, around Asha’s Tree. Asha was here, of course, as was Bjarki and his cadre of eager smiths and engineers, as well as Shiro, who also had little sleep due tht out. Shaeu too was with us, and she was iing the weak and ragged Shinkume-no-Hana and her grandmother, the legendary Tamamo-no-Mae, her eyes glowing amber as she frowned, w basic Chirurgery aher Healing. In addition, Hyath was waiting patiently, ready with refreshments and kind words, though she also had another purpose.
Speaking of Shaeu… Letting my Eye shine momentarily, I checked her status again, sadly expeg that despite Shaeu’s solid growth, she would be uo repair the two ruined Kitsuhough of course, any stabilisation and repairs she provide are most wele. Ey of effort is key, we have so much to do, and I doubt I’m going to be able to preserve muy strength with what I’m doi…
Shaeu Tu Shae Dannan
Royal Fae
Kamaitachi
Four Element, Lightning and Light Aspects
[Material Statistics]
[Intangible Statistics]
Might
954 1120 +30
Fortune
30 32+1
Fortitude
966 1130 +30
Majesty
24 26+1
Intellect
1011 1171 +30
Charm
30 34 +1
Resilience
947 1133 +30
League
21 23 +1
Acrity
1000 1185 +30
Determination
16 20 +1
Precision
974 1134 +30
Fht
12 15+1
Aether
4045 4630 +30
Fate
10 15+1
[Material Skills]
Rank
Css
Type
[Aetheric Skills]
Silver Cord
Rank 6
Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
Eight Night Moons Chakra work
Rank 6
Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
Aether Manipution
Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Aether bat Teique
Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Aetheric Chirurgery
Rank 7
Noble (5)
Rule (5)
Ether Healing
Rank 6 Rank 8
Noble (5) Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
Enhanced Spiritual Form
Rank 1 Rank 2
Noble (5)
Principle (7)
[Elemental Skills]
Third Eye Chakra Of Light
Rank 2
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Light Manipution
Rank 3
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Heart And Sor Plexus Chakras Of Lightning
Rank 2
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Lightning Manipution
Rank 3
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Heart Chakra Of Wind
Rank 8 Rank 9
Noble (5) Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
Wind Manipution
Rank 7
Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
Sor Plexus Chakra Of Fme
Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Fme Manipution
Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Sacral Chakra Of High Moonlight Spirit Water
Rank 2 Rank 4
Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
Water Manipution
Rank 4 Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Root Chakra Of Earth
Rank 2 Rank 3
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Earth Manipution
Rank 3 Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Lunar Chakra Of Four Elements, Lightning And Light
Rank 3 Rank 4
Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
[Physical bat Skills]
Spatial Perception
Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Rule (5)
Kamaitachi Dagger Teique
Rank 2 Rank 3
Suffit (3)
Foundation (4)
bat Teique
Rank 3 Rank 4
trip (1)
Simple (1)
[Intangible Skills]
[Unique Skills]
Mystic Eyes Of Perception
Rank 6 Rank 7
Imperious (6)
Principle (7)
Kin Bonding Aoration
Rank 5 Rank 7
Imperious (6) Legendary (7)
Principle (7)
Blessing Of Fortunate Winds
Rank 5 Rank 6
Imperious (6)
Rule (5) Principle (7)
Blessing Of Befuddling Winds
Winds And Waters Of Devotion And Worship
Rank 5
Rank 6
Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
Principle (7)
Foehn, Wiing Breath
Rank 5 Rank 7
Imperious (6)
Rule (5) Principle (7)
Lovers’ Link
Rank 8 Rank 9
Imperious (6)
Artifice (6)
[Level]
72/115 85/165
[Css]
True Four Elements, Lightning And Light Fae 8/30 16/30
Demon Of The Hyakki Yagyō - Seventy-First 6/30
Wielder Of A Mutated Element 2/10 5/10
Wielder Of Elements, Cssic Western 3/10 8/10
[Mastered Css]
Wind Fae 10/10
Pledged One 10/1reat Wind And Fme Fae 20/20
Of course, Shaeu had bee far stronger, most notably seeing growth in her Unique Skills, such as the evolution of Befuddling Winds with the part of Morana’s Favifted her. That had raised her Level too, but holy, if Shaeu wasn’t so busy dealing with the Seelie Court and had time to do more than the occasional bout of grinding on our enemies, she would likely have reached Level One Hundred. Even without that though, Shaeu was a beast. Her Kin Bonding seems to have kept up with mioo…
Seeing me looking, Shaeu smirked. “I know-know I am attractive, and you wish to py with me, but we each have our own roles today, do we not-not? And I have aided you all I .” With a wink she turned back to the foxes, leavi helplessly.
“That’s Shaeu for you.” Shiro snorted. “Oh well, you ready, Aki? This is going to suck, but then, I guess you don’t mind some suffering now for ter gains. That’s the gamer gri we know and love.”
“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it at all.” Bjarki passed me the mysterious Klein Bottle, so now both my hands were full, oh my erstwhile severed arm, blue and disgusting, the other with the oddly shaped object radiating a faint purple mist of spatial element. “But we o make the most of what time I have. So buff me up. I ’t afford to make mistakes in my craftiher.”
“I know.” Shiro groaheatrically. “Shit, Aki, I get it. But handing out so many buffs is tiring. Though it might help grio higher Skill Ranks.” She had already buffed Shaeu’s Chirurgery, as well as givehe general buff. Bjarki was also so buffed, only on his Dvergr Teiques, while Asha aree of course had the usual, only waiting for the Berserk Blessing, which I was going to have to mitigate via Resonand the Soothing Waters. Speaking of…
“Asha, you’re not suffering any disfort, are you? Or your Tree? We do he extra ether Berserk Blessing provides, but… it’s not just yourself that you are risking now.”
Asha smiled at me warmly, her yellow-gold eyes tender. One hand stroked the smooth, glittering bark of her great Tree, whilst the other tenderly touched her belly. “I would not risk my daughters, our daughters, do not worry. I treasure the thought of new life, of leaving the world a better, more harmonious nd of nature than I found it. But I also wish to tribute. When you leave, Shiro and I shall merely use her ordinary strengthening. But while you are here, no harm will befall us, will it?”
Her trust was both heartwarming and a heavy weight on me, but I was more than willing to carry both. “That’s right, so… might as well get started.” I said, my Eye cheg her aree both for any issues. This time I was being Berserked too, for maximum gain, so soon I was in double the pain, my own and also Asha’s Tree, the sensation of hot torment within me subtly different. It is because the Tree has sap for blood? If so… I daresay that the trast might help me…
Asha
Noble Fae
Great Dryad
Earth, Water And Wood Aspect
[Material Statistics]
[Intangible Statistics]
Might
106 284 +30
Fortune
2 3 +1
Fortitude
145 331 +30
Majesty
14 17 +1
Intellect
103 286 +30
Charm
10 12+1
Resilience
299 504 +30
League
18 21 +1
Acrity
101 281 +30
Determination
28 30 +1
Precision
103 285 +30
Fht
2 +1
Aether
3032 4551 +30
Fate
10 12 +1
[Material Skills]
Rank
Css
Type
[Aetheric Skills]
Eight Moons Chakra work
Rank 6
Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
Silver Cord
Rank 3
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Aether Manipution
Rank 2 Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Adherence Manipution
Rank 3
Rank 5
Noble (5)
Law (8)
[Elemental Skills]
Wood Manipution
Rank 4 Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Root And Sacral Chakras Of Wood
Rank 2 Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Water Manipution
Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Sacral Chakra Of Water
Rank 2 Rank 4
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Earth Manipution
Rank 6
Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
Root Chakra Of Earth
Rank 6 Rank 7
Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
Lunar Chakra Of Wood, Water Ah
Rank 4 Rank 5
Noble (5) Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
[Intangible Skills]
[Unique Skills]
Lovers’ Link
Rank 4 Rank 7
Noble (5)
Artifice (6)
Inspire Growth
Rank 6
Noble (5)
Rule (5)
Mistress Of Fertility
Rank 4 Rank 7
Powerful (4) Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
The Given Kiss Of A Dryad
Rank 4 Rank 6
Powerful (4) Noble (5)
Rule (5)
Tree Bound
Rank 6
Noble (5)
Principle (7)
Two Worlds Fl Wood
Rank 2
Noble (5)
Principle (7)
[Level]
0/56 18/136
[Css]
True Earth, Water and Wood Fae 2/30 11/30 Nature’s Chosen 3/20 5/20 Maiden Of Prayer 1/10 6/10
[Mastered Csses]
Earth Fae 10/10 Great Earth Fae 20/20 Purified One 10/10
Asha’s Great Rhyming Tree Of Wood, Water Ah
Noble Fae Pnt
Earth, Water And Wood Aspect
[Material Statistics]
[Intangible Statistics]
Might
Fortune
Fortitude
2308 2603 +30
Majesty
Intellect
Charm
Resilience
League
18 21 +1
Acrity
Determination
28 30 +1
Precision
Fht
Aether
11087 14475 +30
Fate
10 12 +1
[Material Skills]
Rank
Css
Type
[Aetheric Skills]
Drawing Wood Chakra work
Rank 6
Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
Silver Cord
Rank 3
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Roots Drinkih, Water and Wood, Branches Drinking and Growing The Moon
Rank 6
Imperious (6)
Artifice (6)
[Elemental Skills]
Trunk And Roots Chakra Of Wood
Rank 6 Rank 7
Noble (5)
Foundation (4)
Trunk Chakra Of Water
Rank 2 Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Roots Chakra Of Earth
Rank 2
Rank 5
Powerful (4)
Foundation (4)
Lunar Chakra Of Wood, Water Ah
Rank 4 Rank 5
Noble (5) Imperious (6)
Rule (5)
[Intangible Skills]
[Unique Skills]
Lovers’ Link
Rank 4 Rank 7
Noble (5)
Artifice (6)
Brahat Spread Nature Uhe Moon
Rank 1 Rank 3
Noble (5)
Artifice (6)
Dryad Bound
Rank 6
Noble (5)
Principle (7)
Two Worlds Sapling
Rank 3
Noble (5)
Principle (7)
[Level]
0/56 18/136
[Css]
Great Rhyming Tree Of Wood, Water ah 14/20
True Rhyming Tree Of Wood, Water ah 2/30
[Mastered Csses]
Rhyming Tree Of Earth 10/1reat Rhyming Tree Of Wood, Water ah 20/20
Asha’s aree’s Aether are off the charts. I suppose it makes sense, as they share a fun with aher Spire, stantly abs and strengthening it. Huh, I wonder… aether strengthens living creatures, so it alsthens the nd, right? Maybe that’s the fun of Dryads and their Trees… ao specute oing aside those thoughts, I still could hardly believe I had Lovers’ Link with a tree!
Now that Asha was under a Throne, she had received the bes, and those were shared with her Tree too, it seemed, without needing a specific slot, which was a bonus. Asha’s aree’s abilities to handle and gee elemental energies and adherence had dramatically improved, even putting my rate of Skill growth to shame, which made sense, now I thought about it. They were running such abilities stantly, and usually in a highly buffed state. Asha aree had also Levelled up a little through Asha’s efforts, but Asha was far too valuable to risk in battle. So she only did an occasional small, safe grind with the weaselkin or nowadays with Adamant members, hunting stragglers who came in from Sagami bay.
At least her stats are now enough that I don’t have to worry about her so mu the Material. If it’s not a Chosen attag she should be fine, but she’s still too weak for taking into danger, eveing aside the pregnancy.
“I am quite well, I assure you. There is o look at me so ily.” Asha flushed a little, and I nodded.
“Yeah, I know. But tell me when you aren’t, and Shiro will end the Berserk Blessing. Now, let me see…” I checked our stock of ether, though most of it was stored in Haru’s Territory. Even with the million or so we ferried out to Aiko’s erritory, we had still accumuted a phenomenal amount. Just uhirty-two millioher. An incredible bounty. Unfortunately… As we needed more than a hundred ay million to immediately clear the build queues and Rank up the Territory to four, it would still take us a month.
My lips curled into a smile as I sidered that. A month and ge. sidering how o Earth all this is, we’re making excellent progress. Tan says so too. If I just wao queue the upgrade, I could do it right now, for ten million and whatever it takes to sweep the queues . But being undefended for so long… no thanks. We’ll wait and advance firmly. I do learn my lessoually…
The build queues themselves were as follows. Ether Density Anchor Spire aher Spire Anchor Spires were both at sixteen Astral days to Rank 2. Then we had the long-running project of the Rank 4 Ether Spire at one hundred and twenty-four days remaining. sidering we had rush-built three Spires to Rank 4 while this one was tig down… ironically, it’ll be just about done when we want to upgrade the Territood timing, maybe? Lastly there was the Rank 4 Boundary to Material e at the factory site, with six hundred and twenty-one days left. That would obviously require an expedited build to plete when we were ready for the all-importaory upgrade.
“All right then…” Turning to the matter at hand, as Hyath moved to Asha’s Tree, prepared to offer it her nature element to ease any suffering it felt, “It’s time for this…”
Daiyu sat beside me, eyeing the Right Arm eagerly. “It tains the trapped power of a Tribution. Do you io make that power yours?”
I heard a snort from Shiro, though it certainly came from Tan. Mindful of her advice, I shook my head. “Not yet. I wouldn’t be so bold. And as for taining a Tribution, ly. But it certainly tains some iing mutated elements. But they don’t like being tained…”
“Of course, how could the punishment and trials of the Heavens ever be tained by our hands?” Tan said sfully. “Be very careful. You saw what befell the false Saint in his hubris and sneaking cowardice.”
“I sure did.” I agreed. “But I also saw that he nearly succeeded, to aent. Well… basically, what I want is to somehow bihe Klein Bottle as the outer shell, while we use the Right Arm as the ihe… engine, for want of a better word. And… we have these.” I gestured to a nice pile of glitteriherites, mostly blue and green. I thought back to Hinata, before she had ventured off to school this m, making up for the time she missed while in Korea, she had proudly offered me the spoils when I mentioned I hem. At first I had imagined she had obtaihem through trade, but…
“How is it? I’ve been gathering them for a while.” Hinata had puffed out her chest proudly, looking rather cute in the Hanafubuki uniform. Beside her, Kazumi-san rolled her eyes and shared a brief smile with me, our retionship more casual after she had studied under Daiyu yesterday. “You know the treasure I got from the Tower of London?”
I had nodded, remembering she had take of Faerie Gold. I had set that aside, as Hinata wasn’t a batant, but it seemed that Hinata had been using it daily.
“Most of the time nothing of value pops out, though once Shaeu did tell me I’d found a lost item belonging to the badgerkin. I gave that to Ulfuric. He… was silent for a while, lost in thought, but he did thank me in the end. It was a rusty dagger, with a faded inscription. No, that doesn’t matter…” Hinata had said cheerily. “At every other day I just get pyrite or junk. I guess I’m too greedy, but it ’t be helped, I’m an avaricious girl. But quite often I get Etherites. I’ve been giving them to Ixitt for a project, but… I keep half of the best ones. I knew you’d need a sudden infusion one day, and when it es to wealth, I should be the fiancée you e to!”
Hinata had been exuding the o be praised, so I had gently patted her head, given her a kiss and a hug, though Kazumi-san had rolled her eyes and straightened out Hinata’s uniform afterwards. Anyway, that had led to this enviable situation, where I had supplies on hand. I’ll o use every ounce of talent at my disposal…
“Going all out then, Aki?” Shiro asked, Shaeu was clearly ied as well, especially as the Kobolds had brought a signifit amount of bluesteel from their mines, and the materials for Adherent Quicksilversteel were gathered too.
“Yeah. Basically adherence is our bottleneck. I’m already struggling with carryirieved Favours, the Ether Spires only do so much. And these mutated elements are muddy with adherence. So not only we maybe find a way to create these mutated elements for us to master, loerm… if I get a ready source of disposable adherence as well…”
With that said, it was time to begin. I was nervous, but with my retly improved crafting Skills buffed up by Shiro, and help from Bjarki, I was sure I could achieve something, though a plete failure would ruihing.
“So, ye waae make t’batteries t’anchor the barriers?” Bjarki said, and I nodded.
“Though the specification is a bit different. I need…” I sketched out images for him, and also created holographic-style images from light element. After a brief expnation, answering a few questions, I finished up. “…so I’ll make the Adherent materials, and then we’ll bihem, hopefully into the frame… speaking of… that should e first.”
With a grimace I checked the Klein Bottle once more.
Klein Bottle [Item Css: Noble] [Item Type: Principle]
A tainer crafted from wood fed with Spatial Elements, crafted by a genius Mortal Engineer going beyond the limits of Fae uanding. It appears to have rance or exit when viewed without Spatial Element, but such Elements are attracted within and magnified. Coils of specially prepared bluesteel wires form a series of loops that further increase and magnify the Spatial Element within. How the Lantern ced inside such a bottle is a mystery.
“So, this o be transformed into a shell, iing the batteries and the Arm, they allow transmission without having arance or exit. It makes my head hurt.” I pined. “Fortunately…” My Material body was on the way to Kyoto now, and I was studying non-Euclidean shapes and four dimensional objects in three dimensions. My high Intellect still couldn’t enable me to uand something pletely beyond me, just as it didn’t help me with my emotional intelligence much, more’s the pity, but when I vaguely grasped something, like the movement of a multi-dimensional shape through a lesser-dimensional space, I found that I could visualise it reasonably clearly.
“Here we go…” I said, and Daiyu and Shiro both patted my shoulders reassuringly before bag off, while the irls looked as if they wished to. Though Shaeu’s done all she . I gnced down at one finger, where the Anulus Fortunae y, glittering coldly, and I could feel the fortunate winds swirling around me. So I’m as prepared as I be…
Spatial element surged from me in a violet tide. I used my Eye to home in on the unseen, spatial fluctuations, using the purple sparks almost like iron filings revealing a magic field. My head immediately started ag fiercely, so I reallocated various Split Thoughts to best maintain my perception. The dwarves were busy w, and soon piles of batteries were ready, just waiting for the stages.
I wish I was ready though… but I think I’m starting to uand…
Your Skill, Spatial Perception, has increased from Rank 3 to Rank 4…
Your Skill, Spatial Perception, has increased from Rank 4 to Rank 5. Your ability to uand spatial coordinates in multiple dimensions and indepe spaces has increased. Your calcution abilities, especially ior space, have noticeably strengthened, and your ability to perceive and utilise Spatial Element and its derivatives and posites has signifitly increased.
The load on my Split Thoughts dropped signifitly. Sighing in relief, I put down the Klien Bottle. “Okay, I don’t want to be premature. Let me think about it.” Turning to the finished batteries, I simuted what I wanted in my mind, sketg it for the Dwarves, leaving them to work. Soon I had crafted enough Adherent Quicksilversteel to finish the roughly two score batteries the size of soda s. I then scraped out my supplies of remaining adherence, only leaving enough to trahe Favour to Miss Aditi ter and a little extra to carry Taranis’ Favour until my stocks slowly recharged.
“It is marvellous to watch. Seeing someone w with their hands and skills… I find it praiseworthy.” Daiyu whispered so as not to distract me as I crafted pieces of Adhereal.
“Yeah, it’s hot. Don’t you agree, girls?” Shiro muttered, and Hyath snickered.
“While I dooo not feel that Akio should be b like these Dwarfs, I dooo derive pleasure out of seeing him enjoy himself…”
“Yes, he looks very intense and satisfied.” Asha agreed.
Really? I’m enjoying myself? Satisfied? I was so wracked with nerves my back was dripping with silver sweat. Despite that, I did enjoy seeing finished articles, such as Daiyu’s Spatial Ring or Shaeu’s Pinwheels. Yeah, being well-geared is one way we leverage our strengths. Every advantage, every advantage…
An hour ter the parts were done. Now the risky part was here. “Bjarki, you’ve taken a look at the Right Arm. you prepare it?”
He frowned, stroking his long, bushy beard. He then raised a hand ft, waving it a little. “I nay be sure, ye ken? If’n y’waainty, then ye be needing Ivaldi, t’greatest of Dvergr. But where’n he now dwells, nay tell. But… I be up for t’challenge.” She spped his hands together, looking down at the arm, which was slowly leaking the internal energies.
That’s the problem. I’ll have to finish the Arm when I’m iing it, that’s for certain, but I also o prepare the Bottle. The whole point of the bottle is that it has to be sealed, so I ’t just leave it open, or it’ll break, my calcutions say… and it I try to do either the Arm or the Bottle first, I’m almost certain that will be a disastrous failure. We o narrow the window as much as possible…
“In that case… make a start.” I advised him, and Bjarki nodded. His portable fe was brought out, his assistants fuelling it with the fi of processed coal from their mines, as well as using several Etherites and fire elemental energies from our Elemental Silos. As the fe heated up, Bjarki swallowed, thehe blue Arm on the fe. His fellow smiths were ready with a number of engraved ptes, setting up what looked almost like a runic circle, greeherites at all the cardinal points. Yeah, even this crafting is costing us a fortune…
I myself reparing the Etherites Hinata had gifted me, and as I began to work, my spatial element wielded like scalpels and thin needles, carefully unpig parts of the ed geometry the ntern at the heart of the Klein Bottle was geing, I could feel the slowly rising pain of my own Berserk Blood buff, as well as the Tree’s. The pain was bearable though, pared to what I had endured uhe edges of Tribution and then Tamamo-no-Mae’s fury it was merely disf.
The key to this w was in my Shapercraft. After all, the Lantern of the Violet Void at the heart of the Bottle stated that The Will-o’-the-wisp is bound by some dark entment to tio produce Spatial Elemee being a mere empty shell so the Will-o’-the-wisp should be a valid target for Shapercraft. Perhaps it was even made that way. I g Hyath, sparing her a moment of my attention. I wonder if the Unseelie use such abilities for torture and crafting? If so, her suffering must have been dreadful. No, no time for that now, focus!
It was like unlog an incredibly plicated tumbler lock. I had spoken to Ixitt and Arisu-san, and so had a grasp on its intricacies, but despite that, the calcutions were utterly brutal. Yet, one by one I shifted the four dimensional flows, and ied the strangely shaped pieces of Adhereal, though not into our space. Precious blue and greeherites shattered, allowio focus, and the craft I had put into the Spatial Ring, as well as what I had seen of the Sessho-seki, stood me in good stead.
Click. Turn. Click. Click. Snap. Weld. Click. The puzzle unfolded, and the spatial elements finally unravelled, revealing the transparent wooden bottle melting away, yet the wood was still there, just phase shifted. I reached out, my spatial element dist the ragged field of ed space that made the Lantern so dangerous, not breaking it, but smoothing it, and the core, the dead Will-o’-the-wisp that wasn’t actually dead, was within my grasp. Aether and adherence flowed, and I began the stage of the craft.
“Allow me, Akiooo!” Hyath was there, mopping my brow and back, soothing me, careful not to interfere. I gave her a grateful smile, and delved deep into the poor, spiritless husk of the Fae creature. Now I had simply to replicate some aspects of the Spatial Ring, using it as a material and the focus, the core.
“Remarkable…” I heard Tan mutter, but I had no further attention to spare. Eaent of Shapercraft was more precise tha, made ever more difficult by the spatial waves and eddies around it. My Resiliend Determination were occasionally rising, as was my Precision. It seemed like I was there for hours, w away, and on my trip to Kyoto I shut out as much stimulus as possible, redug my divided attention to the bare minimum. Everything but what I was w on was merely a muted buzz, and I wielded my energies with swift yet delicate caution, each stitch of spatial element pleted, moving onto the .
“Ach, it’tin’ away from us. More fme, ye damn ggards! By Ivaldi’s great bristling beard, t’ice is out of hand!”
Forced to spare some attention, I saw that while my Crude Right Arm of Tribution had beeed, flowing almost like a metal or molten sto was now leaking a freezing mist of ice element, and worse, I could see a breeze pig up, sparks f.
“If that Purifying Lightning goes wild here, there’s going to be casualties, right?” Shiro was asking Tan, and then she nodded, one eye fming red.
“Indeed, even weakened, I dare say these weaklings will not survive it.” Tan aowledged. “I shall do what I to buy time.” Brilliant fmes surged, intensifying the heat of the fe. It began to b, metal and brick ing, but the icy torrent ceased for a moment.
“Me toooooo. Hyath help!” She raised a hand, and a spray of spores infused with purple light surged out, f a momentary seal. Daiyu, thinking fast, removed the Spatial Expansion Pte from her ring, and thrust it into the hands of a dwarf, who then raced into the surging tide of violet.
“I have no need of it. The Ring itself is rge enough and gift enough. Besides, I have remembered the design. One day I shall craft it anew.”
Shaeu was frustrated, but she was at a delicate part of her Chirurgery and Healing, and also had little way to help. Asha was the same, but a scattering of leaves fell from her Tree, as if supp us, and I felt stirrings of adherehin me, just a trickle, but every little could be the differeween failure and triumph. Rapidly w on the final shaping, I called on Prominence Dusk, the penumbra behind me glowing brilliantly.
“I’ll take it in!” I cried, and Bjarki, desperate, set to work, even as the spatial energies around him taining the flow began to twist and crack space, his mobile fe splitting with an audible crack, throwing shards everywhere, drawing blood.
“Aye, but we nay be do, if’n we quit now, it’n all be for naught. And this… this’n be a craft even Ivaldi would be proud of, I feel it, deep in m’bones, ye ken?” He screwed up his lips, blood sheeting down his torn brow and cheeks, his hands burned by id fire as he hammered away, scattering wind, id lightning. “But if’n ye do something…”
Tan’s fires ate away at the id wind, but the lightning only grew in iy. Desperately, I rushed forwards, still w, the st finishing touches being employed, the dull grey Will-o’-the-wisp now turned into a small, shiny violet sphere, shimmering with rainbow energies. The assistant Dwarves and weaselkin desperately maintaiheir circle of prote, though most Etherites had crumbled, but I waved them aside. I was using Boiling Blood to accelerate my thoughts and as, and now with three sets of painful blood-reted self-harms running all at once, I was starting to think that the Tribution wasn’t so bad. Tamamo-no-Mae’s test was worse though…
“Kindle, you bastard, spark!” I prayed, perhaps to Tyr, or Tsukuyomi, or some nameless, hopefully benevolent being. Reag the fe, the spatial barrier that Daiyu and Hyath had fed shattered, drawn into Prominence Dusk. The ring bzed, darkness deepening, the matg fringe of light growing brilliant, the Tree behind us casting a long shadow, out over my Territory. Not even able to care what the bination of such mixed elements would be, I ejected it high into the sky, while kig the Pte back to Daiyu, who caught it, surprised.
“It’s still a present to you… I don’t want it… broken…” I said, as I seized the moltehat was my former arm. Bjarki had done his best, but my Eye could see it was imperfect, and about ready to explode. But I’m not done… yet… Light is ed by gravity, lensing… I use that…
Masu surged, illuminating me, casting shadows equal to the Prominence Dusk, no, deeper. But around the small purple jewel I was holding, light bent and twisted, revealing a shape that shouldn’t have existed. It was like a dodecahedron, only with heptagons as faces, which shouldn’t have fit in eometry. But in four dimensional space… it . “Get the batteries in!” I cried, my Split Thoughts, Boiling Blood, all Shiro’s buffs, my Eye, spatial element and everything else w in tandem.
Bjarki, not to be outdone, was still trying to purify the Right Arm in its tar-like state. He gestured, and his assistants, many of them sp yers of painful frost, ged cuts from the shrapnel, seized the batteries and raced for the ers, all forty-two of them. As the first were shoved into the spatial gaps illuminated by my Masu, I rapidly closed the space. Some unfortunate Dwarves lost fingers as they couldn’t withdraw in time, but I’d fix them after this. Blood and flesh vaporised, but the impossible array stabilised.
“T’stuff… it…” Bjarki’s hammer disied, a precious tool lost, and I kneould have to improve our whole setup if we were to craft such wonders iure. Amber letters bzed ay vision, and by the look in Bjarki’s eyes, he was ihroes of enlightened panic as he refused to give up. Wind scattered from the melting mass, howling, and with a roar, Bjarki grabbed a chisel and thrust it into his own ear, theed it oher side.
“That’ter, damn whispers. I need… quiet. By Ivaldi’s stinki, I ken why he hid himself away t’craft wonders!” Seeing my expression, he grinned madly. “Be fast, I ae hear ye, so if’n we ’ge the pn, ye’ll have to pensate for me…”
The batteries were in pce, and the space around us was humming, vertices of vivid violet fme f around Bjarki and me. I poured my spatial element into the once-Fae, and the batteries responded, abs it, and drawing in surroundiher. The frame holds and self-reinforces. However… Space was crag, and we only had a few mi best, moments at worst, as the new Klein Bottle, no, the Klein Stone was meant to be a closed system in three dimensions…
“Fihen! I beat near certaih, I’m not going to lose to a damn pieyself, no matter if it tains Heavenly fury.” As I spoke I was already w, and my Shapercraft began to draw it into a thin, twine-like line. No, too gloopy still, it o be perfectly sistent, otherwise any added energy from outside will gradually build up and … that would be bad. Very, very bad.. In that case… I didn’t want to risk this, but…
“Foehn!” Even as I unleashed the r, hungry fmes, the fortunate winds died down, somehow ed by Foehn, and the rampaging, hungry tide calmed. The fmes melted into the remains of the Right Arm, liquifying it perfectly, before being absorbed into the Lightning within, the remnants frozen and dropping to the ground.
“It’n be ready. But… ye ’ba!” Bjarki shouted, uo hear himself to moderate his tone, or perhaps from excitement at this Fortune-based turn of events. Wearing this ring and having the winds, my Fortune must have been well over a hundred, maybe pushing a hundred and fifty… that’s enough to turn a one pert to four pert, ten pert into forty… and when the winds blow themselves out… look at Las Vegas and Shaeu’s win on the slot maes… even wildly improbable results occur…
Bjarki, now using his hands to work the materials, heedless of his dissolving flesh, bones visible, gave me a frenzied grin, and I could do no less. With Fortune on my side and a great craftsman… damn it… we go for it! Blood spttered as I cut my wrist open with a thread of air, as a medium for the craft. I poured out Spirit Water and wind element too, and just like the frozen Sessho-seki, they swirled together f a brilliant shimmering ice. The lightning and wind trying to escape was momentarily halted, and as I spuhread, it began to take shape around the core of the Klein Stone. Lightning tried to break out, to purify the fools imprisoning it, but the ice trolled it, sealed it, and the thread froze momentarily.
“It’n be now or never!”
Hearing Bjarki’s cry, my Eye fred, and I realised the Chaotid was now seeping free, threatening to uhe thread, trying to break apart the id steal the water from it. I first sidered ing it with fme element, but that could have destroyed the ice as well, allowing the Purifying Lightning to cascade. The Sessho-seki was only built to evade the Lightning, I think… no, I have sidered this. I’ll just have to… Earth element surged, coating the thread, and I used pieces of the Sessho-seki that we had salvaged from the wreckage, that Daiyu had removed from her Spatial Ring, to lightly coat the thread, trusting that the artifice of that cruel old monk was strong enough, si seemed to hold for mauries.
There, it’s w. Damn, steady hands, steady hands. With a final effort, the majority of the straone, which wasn’t naturally , had absorbed a huge amount of my earth element, as well as water and wind, alsthening the ice. “Stay in, damn you! It took me great pains to trap you!”
As the final strands ed ihe batteries sparked to life, and with a grunt of desperate willpower, I poured out my remaining spatial element, twisting the few remaining pieces of Adherent Quicksilversteel into pce, vanishing them from view. With a final surge of violet aurorae, the shockwave of which tossed the madly cag Bjarki away, a more leaves falling from Asha’s Tree as the gust swept across the hillside, the strange polyhedron colpsed, being a small, multi-faceted jewel the size of a fist, the shape stantly shifting and ging, impossible to tell how many faces it had, or what shape each face was. In fact, I think it’s ging moment to moment…
As it fell into my palm, it rested there, cool to the touch, as if faintly covered in frost, and indeed, moisture was f due to the heat of my skin. Lifting it up, bone-weary, my thoughts scattering, I peered at it, and what I saw both surprised aed me…
Tengoku-seki [Item Css: Legendary] [Item Type: Law] …
ShipTeaser
