Micro relaxed while waiting for Arbur to present Teka with energy containing a pure emotion. For a short time, anxiety and frustration were the emotions most evident in his energy, but after meditating for a short while more, a distinct emotion began to fill the energy in his hands.

“Very good.” Teka congratulated him.

“I have seen determination manifested on many occasions, but it is impressive to see such progress from one as young as you. Your desire for vengeance is well tamed.”

Arbur smiled in disbelief as the Crystal Art Core Card took form in front of him.

“Thank you!” He shouted as he grasped the card with both hands. He stared at it in disbelief, his voice trembling.

“I can't believe we hold a lost art, and we did it so quickly!”

“I kind of like the really long trials.” Micro said.

“All the thoughts going around in my head slow down for a while. It feels more like being a truck…”

“You rely on unfathomable amounts of time spent in dungeons to... clear your mind?” Arbur asked, trying to disguise his gasp with a respectful bow.

“Although lower level dungeons, such as mine, were intended to aid young cultivators in developing their mental fortitude, it is rare to see a mortal so attuned to time of a scale more suited to immortals.” Teka said, floating slightly closer to Micro, apparently curious about his nature.

“What does that mean?” Micro asked.

“If it is the power of an immortal you seek, you must know time beyond time. Dungeons ease the burden of millenia on the mortal mind, but facing what lies beyond true eternity with peace in one's heart is a solitary journey.” Teka explained, then backed away again.

“It would please me to know that my Crystal Art will help you on your journey. The Art's potential is limited only by its user's imagination.”

“Thanks, I think.” Micro smiled.

“It was nice to meet you too, Teka.”

“Yes, thank you, venerable guardian!” Arbur added, though as he bowed quickly, his body began to rotate in the space where he was floating.

“I'll drop by again some time.” Micro continued.

“I technically own the mountain this dungeon's portal is in now, so I'll be around.”

“I would enjoy witnessing another of your emotions.” Teka replied.

“I sense you are eager to continue your journey. Be well, and do bring more friends with you next time.”

As Teka raised one hand, a portal appeared in front of Micro. Micro gently plucked the soundly sleeping Blue from the air and placed her in his pocket, then led Arbur through the portal after waving to Teka.

“Interesting...” Teka whispered, moving a hand slowly through the air where Micro's energy had dissipated, but Micro didn't hear what Teka said next.

~

After exiting the dungeon, Micro quickly loaded the Crystal Art Core Card into his core, greeted the dog resting lazily on its roof, and opened his eyes wide as he stretched.

“I must thank you again, master.” Arbur said as he appeared behind Micro.

“What's up?” Micro asked.

“I resolved myself to die on this noble path of vengeance, content to meet my clan in the next life and tell them how hard I fought...” Arbur explained, looking down at the new Core Card in his hand.

“But in the short time I've followed you, I've seen the impossible become reality time and time again. I don't know if I'll ever succeed in my quest, but I am now able to believe that it is possible...”

“That's good, Arbur.” Micro replied with a thumbs up.

“I think Lena is still busy with the kids, so I'm going to try making some crystals now.”

“Oh- Of course, master!” Arbur shouted with glowing eyes.

“Please, at your liesure!”

“The knowledge that came with the Crystal Art is more interesting than I thought.” Micro said as he sat down with his legs crossed.

Micro held one hand out, and immediately formed a small, uneven crystal using his energy. It looked like white glass when it finished forming, and it didn't glow, though it reflected the light constantly beaming out of Micro's eyes.

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“Amazing, master!” Arbur rejoiced.

“I can't believe I have witnessed the creation of such a treasure!”

“This is just the result of a bit of unfiltered energy.” Micro smiled.

“If I can filter out just a tiny bit of light energy though...”

Micro placed the white crystal in his pocket, then repeated the process. However, this time he was more selective with the energy flowing to his hand. Micro's focus on the energy in his hand grew so intense that the lights in his eyes flickered, but soon a tiny light, like that of a firefly, appeared in his palm.

Having succeeded in forming a crystal of light energy the size of a bead, he then flooded his hand with all of the energy he normally used, and the small crystal quickly grew. Though its shape was still uneven and its glow no brighter than the dashboard light, it was soon complete. Micro smiled, then through the light-emitting object toward Arbur.

“This is a treasure among treasures, master!” Arbur declared, but Micro's glowing hand made him pause in confusion.

“Wait, are you...”

“Here you go.” Micro said as he handed two more glowing crystals to Arbur.

“These are a little more efficient.”

“Efficient?” Arbur asked.

“These crystals absorb ambient energy to stay on.” Micro explained.

“These ones use a lot less energy overall, but they produce just about the same amount of light. It's really tricky to make the crystals pure while making it the right shape.”

“There was such a system...” Arbur nodded, holding the Crystal Art Core Card tightly in his hands.

“Perhaps the Serpent Art can wait, while I first master this incredible card...”

“Go ahead.” Micro replied.

“I'm going to try making some more crystals while Lena does her thing.”

“Do you perhaps have any guidance to offer your humblest disciple, related to the mastery of cards?” Arbur asked.

“I have never heard of, nor even thought to imagine, that one could master several Core Cards in the blink of an eye.”

“Apparently my soul is a more convenient shape than most.” Micro explained while getting comfortable on a small boulder by the glowing portal.

“It isn't too complicated though. Just... put the card in your soul.”

“I see...” Arbur frowned, but then bowed deeply before sitting down to meditate.

“I will take that to heart.”

“No.” Micro said flatly.

“Pa- pardon me?” Arbur stuttered.

“Don’t put it in your heart.” Micro said.

“Yes?”

“Put it in your soul.” Micro pointed to the middle of his chest.

“Ah…” Arbur smiled timidly, then bowed.

“Of course, master.”

“Good luck.” Micro waved, then returned to his crystal crafting.

~

Micro sat for the next few hours making crystal after crystal, enjoying the process more and more. He found that mixing the basic forms of energy, like fire, earth, and light, produced straightforward results. The fire energy crystal radiated heat, and the earth crystal was extremely heavy. After learning the extent to which he could reliably produce crystals with such effects, resulting in his storage filling up with hundreds of crystals, he recalled Blue mentioning that some crystals could explode.

“I wonder if it's like an alloy, but with energy...” He thought aloud as he combined air energy, which by itself produced wind, and fire, which produced heat, into a swirling ball of energy in his hand.

As the mixture of energy began to form a small crystal, Micro was surprised by the speed at which the crystal formed freely. When he stopped the crystal's growth and allowed it to start accumulating energy, he was alarmed to feel the energy being pulled out of his hands more quickly than he could control, and a blue flame, like that of a blowtorch, enveloped it.

Despite the Armour Trait which protected his skin, the fire immediately singed his hand, causing him to recoil and drop it. The blue flame flickered as soon as it was separated from the steady flow of energy in his hands, and the crystal shattered as it hit the rocky ground.

“These could be quite useful...!”

~

“Wow!” Kira screamed as she came around the corner to find Micro holding a small, sparkling crystal in his hand.

“That's beautiful!”

Micro looked up and smiled at Kira, then tossed the crystal to her.

“It's a combination of air and water energy. That's why it's blue.” Micro explained.

“Try moving some of your energy into it.”

Kolt and Lena appeared behind Kira as she followed Micro's instruction, and a thick fog suddenly appeared around her, like a dense rain cloud.

“What's going on?!” Kolt shouted.

“This feels so weird!” Kira called out, laughing and waving her hands around. After the crystal's energy depleted slightly, the cloud gradually faded.

“Impressive.” Lena remarked, looking closely at the crystal.

“This would be an invaluable asset to any cultivator wielding an art or skill related to air or water. It would even serve as a meditation aid to those with air or water energy affinities.”

“Your favourite energy was water, right?” Micro asked as another crystal began to form in his hand.

“Here.”

Having formed a new crystal of nearly pure water energy, only slightly uneven in its shape, he stood up and passed it to Lena.

“Are you certain?” Lena asked, hesitant to accept the shining blue treasure.

“Of course.” Micro replied.

“You're always helping us. It's nothing much, but here.”

“I see...” Lena sighed, slowly reaching out to take the crystal. She made a relieved expression as the crystal reacted to her energy, but she looked back at Micro with a subtle frown.

“I know the etiquette of this world is still foreign to you, but I would like you to understand that for a cultivator of my status to receive such a valuable gift from one of lesser renown is...”

“Complicated?” Micro shrugged.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you, master Micro.” Lena said with a deep bow.

“I believe I have come to understand the reason I was quested to follow you by Master Feng at this time.”

“That's great, Lena!” Micro replied with a thumbs up.

“So what will you do now?”

“If you are not opposed...” Lena replied, her sudden enthusiasm making her look much younger than only a moment before.

“Shall we go on a trip?”