A Dying Semi-Soul

2 days later.

WHOOOOOOOSH~~... Heian Ciemnosc stood atop Evans's back with his arms crossed, gazing into the Upper Kingdom's southeast. It would be a longtime before he found the place he was looking for. But he didn't leave before giving Etherea a few instructions and ensuring that at least 1 Fleet was always tasked with blockading the center and patrolled the eastern, southern, northern, and western oceanic rivers.

Heian Ciemnosc turned around and walked towards a spot where he placed his dark Craftsmaking tools. With Evans’s isolation capabilities, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t even need to put a single array formation. He had his alchemy, forging, and array formation inscriptions training devices placed neatly together between Evans’s back and wingspan.

If Evans dared to play a trick on him, he’d get the beating of his life. Heian Ciemnosc calmly walked to the forging area where his dark workbench was empty, only with some tools that would always remain at their spot, waiting for their owner to use them.

Crack~~. Heian Ciemnosc stretched with his fingers intertwined before summoning a whole bunch of materials from his Covert Space bag with his Spirit Sense. They flopped into the air before orderly dropping onto his workbench. Heian Ciemnosc watched as everything was arranged neatly, and ores, stones, and gems went to the drawers, with the Spirit Heart-Link cores from the gigantic Preternaturals going into the smaller drawers.

Step, fwish fwish. Crrraacck… Heian Ciemnosc walked forth and selected his first task. He grabbed a strange boulder-shaped raw metal with 2 bulbous ends and a ravine in between them, forming a strange aesthetic. He grabbed it by the ends and pulled them apart. He didn’t even use 10% of his bodily strength to break it. Its surface became smoke and drifted upwards.

The raw metal revealed a layer of mercury-like appearance, solid and wrinkled, smelling of freshly opened painting. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t do anything else with it after breaking it into 2 and placed it at the side before taking a smallish keg with the size of one’s thumb, from his tools. It suddenly became one’s wrist long and as thick as a thigh after grabbing it. He opened its lid and placed it on the workbench before pouring a blackish liquid onto it, with bubbles and black steam coming off.

Heian Ciemnosc grabbed one of the pieces of the raw metal he broke and grabbed a brush with his other hand before smearing the latter in the black liquid. Then, he painted the broken split end of the raw metal half before picking the other and did the same to it.

After painting their split ends, Heian Ciemnosc grabbed a tiny mold from the tools and poured the liquid on the lid onto it. It began boiling out of nowhere and twirling. Heian Ciemnosc placed the keg back to the tools as it was downsized again before placing the tiny mold at the side. He grabbed the raw metal halves and tossed them into the air after tracing lines on it with his dark Soul.

PSHIFT! Piuh, piuh, piuh, piuh, piuh, piuh…

His dark Vigor Energy only flashed once as Heian Ciemnosc picked other materials and started making powder out of them. Meanwhile, the 2 halves the tossed in the air split into several hundred thin layers before slowly falling onto the side while his hands kept smashing ore materials into powder. Heian Ciemnosc grabbed a long tray, which changed its shape with his Spirit Sense’s command as he threw the powdered materials and thin layers of mercury-like texture into the air.

They smoothly floated in the air towards the forge and its numerous compartments. Heian Ciemnosc checked the tray as it formed a shield shape before calmly walking to the forge. He arrived before the materials and opened its lid, letting each different powder type and mix enter the different compartments.

Pbuf! Pu- puh! Fufff~... Heian Ciemnosc walked back to the dark workbench as the shield tray gained the shape he wanted. With his Spirit Sense, several ores and long pieces of raw metals went out of the drawers before flying onto the workbench. They rotated and spun a little before stopping. When Heian Ciemnosc arrived before them, he rapidly worked his hands. They became blurry as 1 piece of raw metal after another became twisted, sliced, smashed, or directly made into powder.

On the other hand, some ores floating around him separated their chunks from their complete structure before becoming smallish fragments that flew into the tiny mold. They changed the black liquid’s color only after 15 minutes, while Heian Ciemnosc continued working the raw metal pieces until they were unrecognizable.

Meanwhile, the forge continued making sounds until they gradually subsided 20 minutes after entering it. Heian Ciemnosc left his work at the workbench, with the tiny mold self-twirling a colorless liquid that nearly looked like ordinary water.

Pfaaaaaaaahh…!

Opening the lid, Heian Ciemnosc welcomed a plethora of melting steam rushing into the air. As Evans let out a comfortable moan, Heian Ciemnosc swung his left sleeve and turned around as several goldish liquid with different colors from different compartments flew out and maintained their top heat. Additionally, a mercury-like, goldish liquid flew from the center, and it seemed to have blackish spots like a leopard.

The mercury-like liquid flew into the shield tray, seamlessly spreading evenly everywhere as the different goldish-colored liquids flew downwards with square-shaped vases flying from the tools’ sections with their lids attached to their openings. They were stored there as Heian Ciemnosc’s fingers went around the shield tray fearlessly.

He bent his back and analyzed before taking one of the square shaped vases and pouring its contents into the upper-right corner of the shield tray. The mercury-like liquid left Heian Ciemnosc’s fingers when they slightly departed from the shield tray, as if it couldn’t survive in the air. The square-shaped vase wasn’t contaminated and swiftly went to an ice-cold bucket at the side of the workbench before returning to the tools’ section.

Heian Ciemnosc continued pouring more contents from the square shaped vases until the mercury-like liquid became half a meter bulky and its texture too thin but wrapped around the numerous goldish-colored liquid, which slowly merged within. Heian Ciemnosc swung his right sleeve as another batch of raw metal pieces and fragmented ores flew towards the forge.

He poured his fingertips into the goldish liquids within the shield tray and sent his dark Vigor Energy into it for several minutes while the other batch entered the forge. The compartments and main lid closed with a command from his Spirit Sense.

As the day commenced, Heian Ciemnosc remained at the same workbench until night… Once he was finished preparing everything else, and the next batch of Third Step materials entered the forge, with nothing else left to do, Heian Ciemnosc turned towards the alchemy tools.

Heian Ciemnosc stood before the dark, tiny and small cauldrons as he couldn’t help reminiscing of his Master. She was the one to gift him these tools, and he has been using them ever since. How he missed her…

He took out a Tearbreeding Fruit from his Covert Space bags and looked at it dearly. It was one of the resources he barely managed to acquire before coming to this special operation. But it was also a few of the ingredients the army found while plundering the oversized villagers. It came from the southern and northern offensives in the enemy territory alike.

Heian Ciemnosc grinned. With these newfound florae, he could create seeds that would give fruit to actual breeding-series Fruits! He kept a dozen in his Covert Space bags before taking another 7 and walked to the tiny cauldron. Heian Ciemnosc floated into the air and took out other florae before sending it to the small cauldron. Those were several stalks, and as they floated, both cauldrons were suddenly heated.

Pfoh- pfoh!

The floating florae had some of their parts separate airborne. Heian Ciemnosc selected the most intricate and detailed, fruitful properties as they were quietly bathed in his dark Vigor Energy. It was as if they were shredded from a hidden veil hiding their utmost efficient properties, and Heian Ciemnosc helped them become free.

The florae visibly throbbed despite being divided, cut, and separated part by part. Most florae had their stems cut into uneven, irregular shapes, but they were still filled with excitement and willingly let their fragile bodies be carried towards the small cauldron with the size of a simple house. When they neared it, their bodies had already become thinner but more beautiful, and the nature they exuded made a crystalline, simply breathtaking, transparent glow that surrounded every part of themselves.

They tingled and seemed to say ‘buh-bye’ to Heian Ciemnosc just before they were dropped into the boiling liquid below. The unnecessary parts of their bodies that didn’t have nature and medicinal properties, just like one’s fingernails, turned into a mix that flew towards another spot where a mortar was getting ready to smash them even further.

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All in all, this detailed and intricate refining process of florae was something his Master taught him. Heian Ciemnosc couldn’t think of any other method being as close to the florae that one has to take care of and bring up themselves than this. Heian Ciemnosc peeled the Tearbreeding Fruits in his hands before casually throwing them into the tiny cauldron.

… Pufu, purguh, blob~!

After 15 minutes, Heian Ciemnosc heard the small cauldron sounding content after it was done refining the florae into their rawest form as liquid medicinal properties. The liquid within it had become rosy, and it exuded a fragrance similar to a valley entirely made of flowers, with no one to moderate their growth.

Swish! Heian Ciemnosc swung his right hand towards the small cauldron and finished peeling the last bits of Tearbreeding Fruits at the tiny cauldron, whose liquid was boiling, but the peeled parts didn’t become medicinal property yet. It looked like Heian Ciemnosc was making soup with bones of small animals, but it gave off no smell, only a sentiment as if sudden sadness could strike whoever smelled it.

Heian Ciemnosc walked down and placed more water into the small cauldron with his Vocón Link, vomiting it from his Covert Space bags as he walked to the mortar. As for the rosy medicinal liquid, it flew around the tiny cauldron. The skin layers of the Tearbreeding Fruits Heian Ciemnosc let at the side were coated by some of the rosy liquid before flying towards the forging area. Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc sat cross-legged and started smashing the florae pieces with the mortar.

After 3 minutes, Heian Ciemnosc stood up with the mortar held by his left arm and continued smashing its contents with his right hand. He walked towards the forging area. On the other hand, the rosy liquid slowly entered the tiny cauldron as its contents finally began melting. Its content poured an extremely thin amount throughout a minute into the boiling liquid, sometimes forming shapes before entering the tiny cauldron.

Heian Ciemnosc walked to the forging area, opened the forge as he passed by it with his Spirit Sense, and continued smashing the strong smell of florae in his mortar as he neared the workbench. He placed the mortar at the side in midair before speeding the process of the polearm shaped tray as its main melted material gobbled the goldish melted ores.

Heian Ciemnosc stabbed it with his fingertips before letting go. His dark Vigor Energy seeped into the black dots as they seemingly merged before disappearing as if they had never been there. It seemed like Heian Ciemnosc was making these actions without need, as he could simply send his dark Vigor Energy, but it wouldn’t work unless he physically performed.

Evans once again felt like moaning slightly as the hot air on his back made the environment around his isolated surroundings more comfortable. It wasn’t that he hated the cold, but he had few times when he could enjoy freshness or a neat, heated environment.

As for the weapons Heian Ciemnosc had been begun forging, they were for his Eternal Return Team. Although they already had weapons and armor sets of the Sky grade, they weren’t top-notch quality, and had no Elemental affinity. They could’ve bought one with an Element, but it wouldn’t be one that related to them. It was a matter of luck and timing to buy Sky grade equipment from the Element one has affinity to, even in a Third Step organization.

Nevertheless, if Sky grade weapons were so easy to forge, Heian Ciemnosc wouldn’t have waited for an opportune moment to create them. This was merely the beginning, and he was only starting the foundation. The raw metals and ores would merge and mix with his dark Vigor Energy, which would give ‘unique’ specialties.

It was also a fail-safe in case he sold other weapons and armor sets or pieces and someone wore or wielded them to harm him or his people. It was a little taboo, and prohibited. Mainly because it was impossible to hide, but who can notice Heian Ciemnosc’s methods when even his Master has no idea what kind of monster he is?

Heian Ciemnosc had just started, and even he was doubtful if he could complete all the weapons and armor sets before arriving at the place. Thus, he decided to start with the weapons. He’d get a feeling as he worked several tasks at the same time. Currently, he was concocting and brewing Herbal-Wonder Tear pills and potions while forging incenses.

However, he’d have to busy himself with other alchemy and tool-creating activities if he wanted to advance in his Craftsmaking capabilities more than he should. Heian Ciemnosc’s ambitions were to attain a top-notch quality in Third Step products before reaching the Farsighted realm. Naturally, it was a little difficult, so he lifted the bar to at least the Farsighted realm medium stage.

With how long it will take him to break into the Farsighted realm, Heian Ciemnosc deduced it’d take him 3 years. He was hoping the place he was flying to would have another tree fella that’ll bring him luck and breakthrough earlier.

The Second Step peak pill, Herbal-Wonder Tear pill, wasn’t difficult for him to make anymore. While even those in the Fourth Step needed vast focus and mentality stability to create the Herbal-Wonder Orange pills of the First Step successfully from 3 to a dozen pills per batch, Heian Ciemnosc has always been the florae sweetheart.

His emotions were also inviolable, and no matter if it was melted liquid, he wouldn’t burn. If it was about the medicinal properties, he wouldn’t become drunk, poisoned, or enchanted. As for his emotions, they were untouchable. It was as if they didn’t exist, and thus, the making of the Herbal-Wonder pill series was nothing to him, and he was their nemesis instead.

Of course, the blatant attitude these florae had with Heian Ciemnosc was also a component to his success, efficiency, and quality. He could create at least 3 dozen pills per batch with the Herbal-Wonder Orange pill. He aimed to do the same.

He was in the Step that they were made for and could create a smaller batch back then. But now, he was one Step above the Herbal-Wonder Tearbreeding pill. If he wasn’t capable of replicating his success, he might as well give up on life.

… Days passed, weeks went by, months flew, and 2 years flashed slowly but painstakingly for the master-owner duo who flew with virtually no stops.

… Whooooooooooooshhh…

“...” Heian Ciemnosc lifted his eyelids at this moment. He was sitting cross-legged behind Evans’s neck. His cultivation base had reached the peak of the Life-Long realm 10th stage half a year ago, but still had no authentic progress into the next realm. He was already in the threshold, but he was far from tingling and seeing an aperture into it.

Heian Ciemnosc could be considered to be half a step into the Farsighted realm, but he was far from the breakthrough. Nevertheless, he should be invincible in the Calatida Region now, ignoring the monstrous Grietta and Tania.

Heian Ciemnosc stood up and walked towards the forging area while taking his dark coat off. It floated in the air behind him, becoming stagnant as he kept advancing. Heian Ciemnosc took the rest of his top off, becoming an overly pale daddy without facial hair that could make legs tremble and chortle until they flopped into a pool made of their own.

Pah! He flicked his left wrist towards the small cauldron, which opened in a blast and thousands of pills came out of its mouth. On the other hand, the tiny cauldron silently opened to reveal more than a hundred pills with an incredible luster compared to those from the small cauldron flying into the air.

The small cauldron’s pills were for First Step cultivators, initiating, and towards the middle realms. The tiny cauldron’s pills were top-notch pills that aid anyone in the later realms of the First Step enormously. The former helped in every realm, but are the most efficient until the Spirit Birth realm. The latter are insanely good, but if an initiating cultivator, or one in the early realms, were to consume just one of these, they’d explode.

On the other hand, the First Step later realms cultivators would enjoy a tremendous boost in their cultivation. Some of them were even helpful to break into the Spirit Rebirth realm and form one’s Soul immediately.

Heian Ciemnosc stored them into his Covert Space bag as his left hand moved to the front, ignoring them as they flew to his left waist. Heian Ciemnosc walked to the forging area and dragged the anvil at the side towards him.

Swish~~! Heian Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense tingled towards the forge. Its lid quietly opened, as if to keep whatever was inside asleep. From it, a sword shaped tray flew towards him with its melted contents hotter than lava, creating absurd disruptions in the air 3 inches around it, even from below. Heian Ciemnosc casually grabbed it with his left hand.

Crruuugh~. A wide mobile pool 3 meters long and 30 cm wide filled with wondrous ice-cold water was dragged towards the anvil that had already stopped, with Heian Ciemnosc’s right foot halting it. It stopped before the anvil and Heian Ciemnosc and splashed a bit on Evans’s feathers, making him breathe out with gusto.

Heian Ciemnosc ignored the bird brained fella and immediately handled the melted sword-shaped goldish, brown-metal colored sword with the melted ores negligibly noticeable within it. It had become so thin that it no longer as bulky as half a meter. This was the result of maintaining its over-the-top heat for 2 years while it seamlessly merged with everything else under Heian Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense, dark Vigor Energy, and dark Soul’s molding machinations daily.

Tighten- PSHIFT! SHUAHAAAH~!

Heian Ciemnosc’s left hand, holding the sword shaped melted contents’ blade that had become too durable and tough despite its liquid sloppily moving around. Heian Ciemnosc’s 3 power sources poured around it, covering it completely and making it throb with shrill excitement.

Heian Ciemnosc forced the sword-blade shaped melted liquid onto the anvil, summoned a dark hammer tool from his Covert Space bags, immediately sunk it into the ice-cold pool before him and lifted it!

CLANK! Heian Ciemnosc’s movements were too quick. When the splashing noises were barely echoing before him, his right hand had already hammered down the melted contents. He didn’t stop there and just continued as the contents began losing their goldish tone. CLANK! CLANK! CLIIINK!- CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!...

Heian Ciemnosc had just begun. He hammered down, sometimes changing directions, angle, force, heaviness, and targeting certain spots to shape it the perfect way he wanted. No matter how finite and detailed the tray was, the nature of this creation would wreak havoc around and become unstable, changing its volume nonstop.

Heian Ciemnosc used his 3 power sources to hold and cover the melted contents, while pouring more into his dark hammer to hit the forging sword blade. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t stop for several hours when he suddenly heard Sara as she made a hugging motion around his collarbone in his inner universe.

“Heian Ciemnosc, I feel a mighty aura from that place… the location we’re going to.” Sara didn’t give Heian Ciemnosc time to enjoy her typical random hugging moments with her words. He didn’t stop hammering, though. Even then, he became pensive. ‘What kind of aura does it have to be to attract her attention and tell me?’

Yet, what Heian Ciemnosc failed to notice was Sara’s somberness as she looked elsewhere, entirely different. Her eyes turned deadly serious, losing all the energized and vigorous glint they always have. And some hesitation seemed to… flash across them?

…