Siul walked out from the training basked in sweat seasoned by pain. His body was sore and numb to the core. However, an excitement filled him. One that he had not much of in the past year. It was the last two weeks of his training and he would no longer have to cross swords with that demon in disguise.
He had learned everything the world knew about stealth, which was albeit not much compared to what he already knew from his days in the ARG Battle Center. Still, he did learn the more intricate parts and hands on experience from a century old expert.
He thought of Unfi and couldn't help but cower. If the man ever caught him looking depressed, then he would be given a beating so bad, he really did have better things to worry about.
The worst thing about it, though, were the intense pain tolerance and survival lessons. The former was self-explanatory and the latter was just the former in disguise. Every other day, he would have to navigate through a jungle of swords, rocks, or anything that Unfi could get his devious hands on. He also had to retrieve something securely. Most of the time, the very thing he had to retrieve would break before he was even ten feet away.
Other times, he would get attacked randomly throughout the day. He could never let his guard down. Every month or so, he would even be attacked in his sleep! The survival training was not "survival" in the wilderness, but instead surviving in enemy territory, escaping with an object, or preserving his own life once discovered.
He groaned and chuckled almost hysterically. His body moved much faster and with more discipline than ever before even in the condition he was in.
Walking in his room that was entirely bland save for a bed, a comfortable blanket, his savings, and walls made of a bamboo-like material, he jumped with practiced grace and landed snuggly on the bed. In the next few seconds, his mind entered into a deep sleep.
He woke up to a knock on the door. Strange. There was never a knock on the door. Siul was cautious as he got up with a wooden sword prepared. He twisted the handle and pulled open the door. An unfamiliar figure revealed itself.
"... Who are you?" Siul asked strangely. He had never seen the man in his life.
The man grinned and spoke in response.
"You are starting your mission and I am going to help. Follow me." He began to walk and in the middle of the large combat hall, Unfi stood there.
"We have found evidence of Tarban's forces beginning to recruit in Gukulm. My elite will get you settled until we find a location where you can be recruited."
Siul took on a serious expression. This was not training.
"Follow him, he will get you settled on an ordinary job in the middle district. be average and do not hole up inside the house. Make yourself look like a perfect target to be recruited."
The man beside him moved and Siul followed. Soon, they arrived in the spacious, but still slightly cramped middle district. It was where most people lived and it was hard for Unfi to keep track of everything going on here.
They came upon a small, humble house that looked to have better days a few years ago. It had few windows and four rooms. One was the bathroom, the other a bedroom, and the last ordinary one, a kitchen. Above, there was a small attic.
"Your job will be working with the tailor down the street. You will start tomorrow and when you get there, tell him your name. In your off time, wander around and visit a few taverns or the... Huntell District. Pretend you are bored or down in life, it might do something to reinforce your story. Also, take care of Tellia nd if you can, take her with you."
Looking forward, he was about to comment on the house's small size, but he saw that the man was already long gone. He looked to the side and saw one of the combat hall's hapcrons. She gave a mix between a chirp and a bark before opening the door on her own and walking inside. He sighed and followed.
The house was largely devoid of much. There was a rocking chair alongside a normal chair, bed, a desk with a few clothes piled on top, and a drawer in the bedroom. The kitchen had a stone carved stove with a few wooden countertops and cabinets.
Looking at his own combat trainee clothing, he quickly discarded it for the somewhat scratchy cloth. He looked around some more, but the attic held nothing and the bathroom was ordinary with a toilet that connected to a large pit underneath.
"There isn't much to work with..." With nothing else to do, Siul decided to get to work immediately. With some of the funds he had brought, he explored the area and took note of the alleyways and buildings. A map was forming in his head.
Despite him having spent nearly five years in the world, he had done little to explore. He knew the ulmagi school campus like the back of his hand, the same was for the combat hall and the now ruined town of Tuk, but that was all. He had never really thought of exploring Gukulm much, partly because he never needed to.
He approached an inconspicuous tavern and entered it. It was as lively and ordinary as every other one and there was a small conflict every hour or so. he sat down and ate some food before leaving shortly after.
The streets were bathed in a nightly afterglow and the candles in windows painted a feeling that Siul just couldn't quite describe. Laughs and snores filled the streets as he continued to walk. Soon enough, a darkened sign appeared above the street.
[Huntell District]
Siul had only ever heard of the place as rumors on the school's campus and he would finally have the opportunity to explore it himself. From what he heard, it could be compared as a mix between a red light district and an entertainment district. There were certainly lewd things going on, but gambling, fighting rings, and whatever kind of game that people could come up with took precedence here.
He entered and the area full of life immediately met him. It was full of cheers, yells, and a trace of sorrow. Siul did not worry. As long as someone was a stage 2 ulmaster or even a stage 1 ulmaster, all they needed was combat skills and the courage to fight a few huntrow and they could make a living. Of course, Huntrow were not just prey to be hunted with their dangerous nature, but that did not reduce its demand any further. However, this lifestyle had a limit and more experienced people found much better places to put their skills.
He passed by a few people playing a game with thinly carved plates of wood. It was a popular game called "Gukta." The objective was to get certain combinations of wood plates, some would have a higher or lower value. Whoever had the highest amount of points at the end of each round consisting of 12 turns, then they would win. It was similar to the poker games of the real world.
He continued to walk and entered a stone carved building. Inside, there was the rough celebration and the sweaty steam of a fight just won. There was a ring in the middle of the crowd of people and inside were two people, one was standing with a smile and hands up while the other was unconscious on the floor. A few people pulled the unconscious man out of the ring safely and transported him to a stretcher where a Trilla certified doctor began healing him. There were a few other people laying on beds a small distance away.
"Are you all ready?!" An announcer yelled.
The people got louder as a response.
"It is the fight you all have been waiting for. The grand fight of the year!" He spoke with emphasis. "No rules, no death, match between..." He dragged his last words.
"The stage 3 grand champion, Elvar. aaaand the underdog of the year... HALVA!"
Siul joined the crowd, but his face went pale at the last word.
'Halva!?' He thought to himself, utterly confused, but not surprised.
"Haha!" Halva jumped into the ring and a large, bulky man also entered.
"You are good fighter."
"Don't sweat it big guy! Save the compliments for after the fight! I. Am. Going. To. Beat. You." She hopped on her heels and put her fists up. Her hair tied into a ponytail and she wore the bare minimum of clothing for maximum flexibility.
"Nooooow, the match will start in three..." The announcer spoke quietly."Two." He said in a louder voice."One" The announcer was practically yelling his lungs out now. "Registra!" The people roared in anticipation.
Halva turned into a blur and her body was behind Elvar in the next moment. Siul could swear he saw lingering after images. Siul detected that a large amount of ulma was being put into her fist. The direction she was punching? Towards him. Everybody in the suspected path parted ways and in the next moment, Elvar's body was sent flying through the crowd, miraculously touching no one.
He got up and swiped away the blood in his nose. A faint amount of mana sealed it.
"Very, very good!" He chuckled and walked back towards the fighting ring. The announcer's excited voice was drowned out. His lumbering body brushed right past Siul and he could feel the mass amount of potential strength inside of the man. His feet practically crushed the ground underneath.
"Don't underestimate me."
The man raised his arms and swung into the ground. A burst faint vein like mana spiraled out. Halva jumped right before it was going to make contact with her. It was all not well, though, as the mana pulsed and hardened before rising up like a net. it caught her.
She broke it easily, but the mana veins underneath were getting stronger with each pulse. Halva gathered more mana in her arms and counterattacked with a punch.
Elvar blocked it with one arm, but not before a burst of foreign mana was sent into it. The attack failed, however, as Elvar had put up an internal mana shield to block it.
"Not so easy." He grabbed her arms and she had to react fast.
Halva gathered a burst of mana at her feet and front flipped in the next moment before kicking right on Elvar's face. The action caused him to flinch and momentarily let go, allowing her to escape. Elvar backed up and his face scrunched. Blood poured rapidly out of micro cuts before he sealed them with mana. He could only chuckle and grin. "Nice one."
The man disappeared in the next second. Halva seemed to turn a moment after, but she was too late and Elvar was already behind her with a fist full of charged mana. He punched forward.
Halva's back arched and she was sent flying into the crowd that had managed to form a path just in time. Her body made contact with the wall and she slid down, coughing.
"So fast?" She muttered, shocked.
"One!" The announcer counted. Two more counts without action, or five more counts without making it back to the ring and she would lose.
"Two!" Her hand moved and she stood up. Mana dispersed through her body, sealing up the scratches and wounds. Mana unconsciously spread in her body and accelerated the making of adrenaline. Her heart beat fast. She stepped in the ring. The world slowed. The man in front of her. Gone.
Her eyes widened as she intuitively sensed what to do next. She fell to the floor as fast as she could before rolling and stood up. Elvar was behind where she previously stood. Halva's breath remained calm and the sweat became glitter in the ring.
The world became quiet and she breathed out. She widened her eyes and sent a burst of mana to her legs and eyes. The world was still in front of her as she circled around Elvar. She saw his eyes trace her body, but his own body was too slow to move. She swiped her legs and felled the behemoth in front of her.
With his body still catching air, she pounced at his back as she saw the mana in his body become faster in the still world. He was also increasing the strength of his body. He became less like a statue and moved more fluidly with every second. His body touched the floor and he flashed behind her.
She slid to the right, dodging his fist and twirled around to roundhouse kick him in the stomach. She winced as her leg felt like kicking the strongest object in the world, but he still slid back some. Reacting quickly, she ducked and slid underneath his legs before jumping up again and kicking his head.
"Haha, still too early for you..." His voice was deep and he was gone once again. The world collapsed around Halva and her body was on the ground. She gave consistent breaths as her mind spiraled. She couldn't move and slipped into unconsciousness. The fight was over.
"Well, folks! That was an exhilarating battle! With the underdog Halva defeated, Elvar remains the four time grand champion of the Huntell district's special annual Warrior's Gauntlet!"
Siul could only shake his head as he headed to the medical station.
"May I help? I'm a friend." The doctor smiled and nodded. Siul set his hand on the doctor's back and filtered away his signature before sending it to the doctor. With more mana, she can use up more mana for the treatment. After doing so for half an hour, Halva was healthy enough to wake up the next day as healthy as new and he left.
The night was already long and so, he decided to head back to the house before retiring. When he woke up, he found that there was a small bag of four talma on the desk.
Grabbing the money, he walked outside of the house and onto the streets once again. Children played and a few people on wagons passed all the while everyone moved with confidence and harmony. Everynow and then, he would even see someone riding a bike around the city.
Arriving at the tailor's shop, he walked inside and a man greeted him.
"What kind of clothing would you be looking for?"
"I am here for other business. I am Hark."
The man nodded. "Follow me this way. I am Jil and today will be your first day of working. You will mostly be greeting the customers, but you also need to be able to know what they want before they even know what they want."
They walked through into the back area of the shop where many shelves, racks, and boxes of clothing were held.
"How is there so much?"
"We work with many hobbyist tailors around the city. Anybody who sends it to us first gets the quality checked before getting paid a certain amount depending on the clothing, its complexity, style, and current trends. If anybody buys the clothes, then the provider will get another pay cut. You see, not many people are actually that good at managing, have the reputation, or want to actually set up a store. For a lot, it's a hobby, and then we turn that hobby into a profit. Of course, we also make our higher quality in house goods too."
Jil rummaged through a box before fishing out a uniform similar to the one he was currently wearing. It was a pair of blue formal pants and shirt commonly used as well as a strange robe made out of black strips of hide connected at the hood. The front was open and the suit would be entirely visible.
"Wear this."
Siul put the clothing on and remarked at its surprisingly comfortable feeling. It was better than the scratchy clothing he was wearing, even if it was a little tighter.
"Now, we need to get you ready to greet people. First thing you want to do is treat all new customers like they are the biggest pile of talma in the world. Even if they are rude, it cannot be easily told if some are wealthy or not. The second thing is, act courteous no matter the circumstance. Third, learn what type of clothing they want and need as soon as possible without rushing. Make 'friends' with them if you can to improve your relationship."
Siul groaned inwardly as he realized that he would have to actually learn how to greet people if they didn't find out where Tarban was recruiting fast enough. He could only beg in his heart for them to hurry up.
He heard the shop's front door open and his employer walked out. "Watch me. Follow me. Learn from me."
---
Siul bowed down to a customer. "What would you like, esteemed sir?" He could tell from the man's clothing that he must be part of a decentary sized caravan. However, all he was greeted with was an envelope before walking away and browsing the store's catalog of goods on his own.
Confused, Siul took it and in clear words, there was [Hark] scribbled on it.
"What is that?" Jil asked from behind.
"Some mail for me?" Siul was unsure
"Ah, then it seems that your time here is done."
"Huh?" Jil didn't give him the space to resist and he was pushed out of the store.
It was a short one and a half week, but he still got along with the man rather well. The door was shut securely and Siul decided not to push the matter further. He walked back to his humble house with the envelope in hand. Once he closed the door, he opened the letter.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
[Head to the Delianne Tavern. There will be a discreet recruitment round. Get on your recruiter's good side.]
Siul put the note down. They finally figured out where he would need to go. He put the letter in the stone furnace and burned it before heading out once again. He made sure to get the comfortably resting Tellia to come with him.
Delianne Tavern was also in the Huntell District, although it was not the most popular one. Arriving in the Huntell district, though, it seemed more quiet than before. The closer he got to the tavern's location, the more the area became mum and pale. He told Tellia to wait a short distance outside.
Entering into the Delianne Taver, it was much calmer than the last time he had been there. People talked and ordered food, but there was not even an ounce of conflict boiling. A rare and practically impossible occasion for a place like the tavern.
He ordered a plate of meat as he fidgeted with a strand of mana and stared at the table. He didn't know exactly what would happen, that was, until a large bald man approached.
"You look pretty down, eh?"
Siul couldn't help but feel complimented. He had spent a lot of time each day making his face appear ragged and desperate. Although it was rare for anyone to be struggling in these times, it still happened.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Sorry to point it out, but, well, look at you."
"You trying to start some trouble?" Siul tried to look angry.
"No, no. Of course not. But I will say this once." The man looked around before looking back at Siul. "I can help you."
"How so? I graduated from the ulmagi school, what can you do that isn't already better than what I have..." Siul said in a sulking manner.
"Everyone has, even I have. What I am saying is, I can give you an opportunity better than anything you might have ever had."
"You are so sure?"
The man cupped his hand over his finger and in the next second, a small flame spouted above it. A small amount of red, powdery substance laid on top of it.
"Impossible..." Siul widened his eyes and whispered in genuine surprise.
The man let go of the flame and it dispersed into a small cloud of aura. "It is not so... But the best of opportunities come with a risk."
Siul knew what was coming.
"Really? I can learn how to create flames?" He purposely ignored the last part and besides, he really was excited by the possibility. He already knew of the risk that he needed to take.
"Yes, you can. But what I say next... If you don't agree then we will have no choice but to... You get it."
Siul nodded.
"Follow me." The man began to move.
Siul followed him outside the tavern and into a small alley. In the corner of his vision, Siul could discern red splatters hidden by gravel.
"We work for Tarban, and you will soon join its ranks." Siul knew that no matter what he said it was either join or death.
"I agree."
"Perfect. I am Gilvern and you are..."
"I am Hark."
"Alright, now, you just need to follow this man here." Gilvern gave a gesture and a robed man emerged from the shadows.
"Wait, can I bring my hapcron with me? I don't know what I'll do without her... If she just gets abandoned then..."
Gilvern thought for a few seconds before rescinding. "Fine, bring your trow, but nothing else."
Siul nodded, thankful.
Gilvern didn't say anything else and headed back into the tavern. Siul whistled loudly and a few moments later, Tellia landed swiftly next to him.
The man in front of Siul began to walk and he followed. After enough time of going through the dark streets, they approached a few wagons driven by tilmikes. On the wagon there were already two other people.
After stepping inside of it, he heard a yell and the wagon came to life with its movements. The smooth stone roads made for a comfortable ride.
The other two inside the wagon did not speak and the night was silent apart from the steps of the tilmike and the grinding of wood and stone. The wagon came to a stop and the man driving spoke before he heard the large wooden doors of Gukulm's gate creak open. The ground became rough and they were now on dirt paths.
---
Five days passed and most of it was spent sitting, eating, or hoping for the wagon to stop to relieve oneself.
"I spy... Something green."
"Is it a fera bush?"
"No."
"Oh! That Tilmike's horn."
"No."
"My coin pouch?"
Siul shook his head. "No, but it is on the wagon."
Gerald and Til thought long and hard before Til glanced towards Siul's feet.
"That leaf!"
Correct."
"Ha!"
Siul could only chuckle. It had been too long since he had played a game like this and to think that he would be doing this while on the way to an enemy's base...
There was nothing else they could do. The days passed by and it only took a little bit of talking to break the ice. They had no other entertainment.
Til picked up a leaf from a pile and set it down.
"Damn, roll to restart."
Gerald took out a pyramid shaped dice.
"Fruit." Siul said passively.
"Sword!" Til spoke excitedly.
"Book." Gerals threw up the dice and caught it in a small cup before letting it roll out onto the wood seat next to him.
"... It's throne." Gerald sighed and threw up the dice and caught it in the cup before letting it roll out again.
"Sword."
"Shit!" Til took up her piece of wood carved to a sword and moved it to a circle in the middle of the board.
Just then, the tilmikes stopped. The three looked out in front and saw a small tower still being built in front of them.
"We have arrived."
Siul stood up and stretched his limbs as he jumped out of the wagon. A few others from behind also came to a stop. The still ground felt foreign to him and he could still feel the constant movement of the wagon.
The door to the tower opened and they were pushed in before they could even speak. Getting back on their feet, they were escorted up the tower and they were each forced into a room as they went by.
Passing by a door, Til was pushed in one, then Gerald, and finally Siul and Tellia into his own room. The door shut behind them and he looked around the room. There was only a bed, a desk, and a small wooden chest. In the chest, there were five pairs of robes. On the desk, though, there was a much more interesting work out leather bound book with bright white words.
Tellia yawned impassively and curled up in the most comfortable corner she could find. Siul honestly didn't know if the hapcron was lazy or not, but he definitely knew that it was uncannily smart. Even if it did not seem so.
Putting the matter aside, he picked up the book and read the title. [Basics of Ulmurgy].
'This is it!' He knew just from the title that this was one of the things that he had been looking for. It also confirmed that he would, indeed, not know much about what the book he had stolen was about. It would be a different type of ulma control, or a more advanced usage, than he was used to.
He did not hesitate to open its wrinkled pages and began to read. For every page he read, the more excited he grew. He read into the night and with a fulfilled breath, he closed the book altogether. He wanted more.
Ulmurgy was indeed nothing like what an ulmaster did. If an ulmaster was a master of internal manipulation, then ulmurgy practitioners relied on external manipulation. Even the way they used attacks was held outside the body. This, however, presented a great two piece puzzle that could be connected together perfectly and complement each other. Siul thought of what would happen if someone was a stage 3 ulmaster as well as a master of ulmurgy.
The crux of ulmurgy was the mana crystal. Ulmurgy practitioners would use it to impart special properties on mana that passed through it.
The book explains that mana has a hidden malleable nature where it can take on the properties of simple elements such as fire and water. To give the mana a "nature," though, it had to be basked in the elements for either a long time, or very forcefully. For fire this can mean putting it over a fire for a long time or throwing the mana crystal into lava for a year before retrieving it.
Because of the natural movement of mana in the world, though, it is very rare for mana to acquire a nature and even if it did, it would dissipate into aura before anyone found it, so that meant it has to be made artificially.
For the basics of ulmurgy, it is simply making mana pass through a natured mana crystal. What the nature in the mana crystal does is essentially pollute the mana and impart some of the nature on it, this also means that the mana crystals can run out of nature as well.
Later stages of ulmurgy include carving mana pathways into the mana crystal so that when mana passes through it, it can be spread out or modified in special ways. Another more technical use would be grinding a natured mana crystal into a powder and using that to make various kinds of light "spell" balls. This answered his question of how Gilvern managed to make a fire as well.
With the book nearly finished, although he had learned a lot, he would have to give a more comprehensive read when he could. With tired eyes, Siul fell back on his bed.
---
In Siul's opinion, ulmurgy was interesting, but compared to what he thought it was before, it could still only be called a branch off of an ulmaster. Just being a stage 1, or even better, a stage 2 ulmaster, could magnify a practitioner by magnitudes in power. An in body mana battery and a stronger body in general are only additional factors. The main takeaway is the body's increased willingness to control and use mana. When dealing with unstable "natures" it is of the utmost importance that control is the best it can be.
This fact became very known to Siul after only a few months and it was the reason that the forces of Tarban tried to recruit only stage 2 ulmasters and if they were desperate, stage 1 ulmasters. A few of the people recruited even continue to focus on cultivation until they become stage 3 before fully focusing on ulmurgy.
Siul knew that this wasn't an option for him and so, he could ignore the few of his peers that chose the smart choice of waiting it out until stage 3.
With a charred face, though, he meditated in the dedicated, healing use only, light magic plant chamber. Over the past few months, he had become very accustomed in techniques that heal oneself.
From delicately controlling mana through the body and accelerating specific processes of the body, it was a hard and mind consuming task that required as much focus as possible for beginners.
Walking out of the room, the stale air of the dungeon basked him and hit his still sensitive face. He could smell a trace of tangy substance. It meant that a lot of people were using fire mana crystals that day.
Working under Turban was a lot like working a full time job. For nearly half the full day, he would have to produce items and materials according to demands and people would make sure he stayed on task. In the few hours he got to himself, he would use it to improve his understanding of ulmurgy and then sleep.
Everynow and then, new people would arrive to make up for... Unfortunate losses in the midst of spell ball production or mishaps. Walking into the lab, Gerald and Til greeted him.
"Made any progress yet?"
"No, but we have managed to mix fire and water powder to create a steam spell bomb. Though a delicate process, everyone knows how to make it and it's not even that useful." Gerald sat down his tools as he took a break.
"That's fine, as long as we know how to do one thing, we may be able to find a use to do it in something else." After quickly showing his brilliance in researching, Siul was moved to the research and development department as a head researcher and after a request, he was able to get Gerald and Til saved from combat training and be put into his group.
It was best to work with people that not only he knew, but could get along with. He shivered from their short accounts of combat training. From half of their body getting burnt to nearly being crushed by stone, if they had a lapse in attention, then there was a good chance they could die. The death rate of training was 15%.
Siul doubted its effectiveness at both training and retaining valuable forces, but he knew that Tarban would need those that are not only loyal, but can also do many things that others would find unfavorable.
"We have an order of twenty jet stream crystals for the next week." Til said from the side.
Siul groaned. mana crystal carving was a tedious matter and even he had a 50% fail rate, not to mention his assistants. Each crystal took a few hours to carve as well.
The jet stream crystal itself wasn't too complex of a pathway, but it is mostly involved in delicately making highly reinforced and miniscule pathways that mana would be compressed into before being outputted as the element.
Making small pathways was already hard enough, but making them durable too? Siul took a spherical mana crystal from a box resting in the corner and got to work.
The first thing he had to do was put his focus around the entire crystal to keep the pathway from dissipating and then he had to navigate his senses through it. The beginning of creating a usable mana crystal involved creating a vein without a premade mana pathway already inside. Creating it was always the hardest part.
From there, he would have to stretch it. The smaller the pathway got, the more focus he had to use to maintain it too. It would also undoubtedly mean it would create a lot of pressure when mana passed through it in large amounts, which was necessary, but too much and no miniscule mana path that anyone could make would withstand it. That meant he had to create a few structures to relieve it.
The jet stream "effect" left a lot of extra space and so, at the beginning of the pathway, he created four wide veins and led to the side of the crystal. At the place where they connect with the mini pathway, he created a double sided "door" where one side would only open after enough pressure was applied and the other would open with just a thought. The big veins led to a big storage vein to preserve the mana that would have been wasted.
The longer the mana was left inside the crystal, the more polluted with the nature it would get and so, that meant that the second attack would be more fiery. Storing it inside the crystal also allowed its user to activate the jet stream crystal easier.
With the mana crystal nearly finished, he moved his senses to the jet stream vein pathway and began to reinforce it by thickening its walls until it was about the same size as the large veins leading out to the storage area.
With everything finished, all that was left was to leave the mana path in a preserved state which could easily be done by dipping the mana crystal in liquified mana and soft forge the pathway into it by saturation.
Picking it up, he walked out from the lab and moved towards the middle of the dungeon where the mana pool laid. It was maintained by everyone and it didn't matter who used it as long as no one was too greedy with it in their own time. He dipped the crystal inside and let the pure mana saturate the crystal. Although it didn't have a nature yet, it would be put into the production process and be divided up into whatever type of natured crystal they needed.
With the place's position on the other side of the continent from Gukulm, they had a large area that they could move in rather safely. To the far north, hundreds of Galn away, there was a large freshwater lake that got to extremely cold temperatures. It was perfect for making water natured crystals.
To the east, there was a volcano and its use was self explanatory for crystals. Wind was tricker and few were made by setting batches of mana crystals in mana sterile environments and only putting them out during windy days or storms while making sure no water made contact with them.
Finally, there was earth which was made even less and nobody even really knew how exactly it was made most of the time.
The traditional method for the earth crystal was simply storing them deep down beneath, but this would often produce impure, mixed nature crystals consisting mostly of fire with little earth. The two elements naturally had different inherent properties. Where fire was fiery and vicious, earth was slow and aloof. Their mixed crystals were treated as junk.
The mixed crystals, though, could be treated and nature can be moved, but it was a tiring and time consuming process that was used as punishment for not meeting the quota. The crystals would also be less effective after treatment.
His mana pathway still ached in remembrance of the punishment. He had to process the natured mana through his own body and separate the natures into two mana crystals.
Siul had an inkling that it was pressure that made earth crystals, or at least contributed, but that was all he could think of. Unlike the other three simple natures, earth did not "create" actual earth. Instead, it greatly increased the mana's ability to interact with the earth, or ground. If before, digging was like, well, digging through earth, then with earth nature, it would be like digging through something even softer than butter that could then be manipulated.
So, in all, there were very few earth mana crystals and they were mostly just treated as a blank filter to transform somebody's mana to have the ability to manipulate earth better.
Taking the crystal out of the mana pool, he stopped focusing on it and was relieved that the pathway did not dissipate before bringing it back to the lab and placed it down on a separate box.
"Damn!" Gerald shouted in frustration from the side. A few strands of aura left form the mana crystal.
"Remain calm. The angrier you get, the harder it will be."
"... Alright."
Siul looked at the few fire natured mana crystals that he got as part of his salary. A desire welled up inside of him, but he was already determined to not mess with the development of the world too much. Guns were too significant even for him.
With no doubt, he knew that a new revolution was soon to come if ulmurgy ever spreads and develops more.
---
Siul worked on a special fire mana crystal that he treated dearly. It was a passion project that would make fiery mana bloom into a flower-like shape once mana was inputted. He even brushed up on his crystal carving skills to carve the mana crystal itself to aid in its construction.
He was not one for spell balls and didn't really care for them. In the face of natured mana crystals, spell balls were very mundane and simple, but practical use. At the moment.
Siul knew a lot of the potential spell balls had and that was precisely the reason he tried to ignore it and only work with it secretly. He already knew a lot of what they could achieve. He was worried if he worked with the stuff too much, he might clue people in on how to make hot weapons.
Things like powdered fuses or simple 'lighter" spells didn't excite him. If he wanted to learn spells, he wanted to learn the juicy stuff. But sadly, there was no such thing yet.
A knock sounded on the lab's door.
"I'll get it..." Til said with a dragging voice. It was, afterall, rare for them to complete an order fast enough to have more than two days to spare. They had spent more than a healthy amount of time in the lab working on the mana crystals.
"Ah!" The handle was turned before Til could reach for it and a squad of four soldiers burst into the room. Til was apprehended before she could say anything else.
Siul had already dashed to the other side of the room and was holding five fire bloom mana crystals.
"Get any closer and all of you will go to flame!" The four stopped and looked at eachother. The one in front sent a mana signal to the other three and before Siul could react, the four of them pulled out three water mana crystals each and sprayed them towards Siul.
He activated the fire bloom mana crystals and the room erupted into a steamy bath of air. He blinked and two of the soldiers were already reaching for him. He lunged past them and towards the door, another person was guarding it. Seeing that he was out of the options, he dashed under the desk table and pulled out a particularly large fire mana crystal.
"Stop! We'll all die in an explosion if I activate this!" The squad stopped as they recognized the familiar shape. It was, afterall, one of his own inventions, and a particularly dangerous one at that.
Though simple and it had been thought of before, he took the design and just optimized it to a great extent.
Siul had already filled the mana crystal's storage with potent mana and it could go off with only a thought. A stream of mana would turn it into flame and then reroute itself back into the crystal where it would then ignite the mana in the reinforced vein walls.
"... Hark. You need to come with us."
"And why should I? There is no way I will survive after you guys take me wherever you need to." He clenched the fire crystal hard and the four flinched ever so slightly.
One of them gestured with his hands, trying to reason with Siul.
"There is no guarantee. You could be rewarded for your cooperation."
"Is a life of torture and imprisonment better than death?"
Loud footsteps sounded from outside the opened door and in the next second, an imposing figure presented himself.
"Hello Hark."
"Apologies for our failure to quickly capture him, Tarban."
"Ha, no worries." Before Siul could react, Tarban had already secretly extended a tendril of mana and broke the mana crystal's pathways that lead to the potent storage areas in the mana crystals. He then dashed in front of Siul and took the crystal out of his hands.
"Interesting, but useless when tampered with." He threw the crystal aside and one of the soldiers leaped and grabbed it in a panic before landing on his stomach.
"I am sorry, Tarban. Pardon my rudeness, but may I ask, have I done anything bad to contract the attention such as your grace?" Siul wanted to lick the man's shoes then and there, but decided not to as he inwardly cringed at the thought.
"Oh! no, no. But more so my curiosity... Hark." He creased his forehead. "Stand up." He said in a demanding tone.
Siul could do nothing but obey. "Is my, uhh, life in danger?"
"No, of course not. But it may be if you continue asking... Hark." Tarban narrowed his eyes.
Siul could only obey Tarban and slowly stood up.
Now follow me. You cannot harm me in any way. Don't even try." Siul nodded and let his hands be tied by a strong rope.
They walked through the corridors, past the place that he had called "home" for the last year. They went past the labs, past the mana pool and through the valued personnel housing. Finally, they approached a pair of double doors and it was opened to reveal the library.
Tarban did not stop walking as they continued past all of the ordinary books, up a short incline of stairs and through an inconspicuous door. They walked through to reveal a small room with nothing but a desk, two chairs, a bed, a few chests, and on one side of the wall, a bookshelf half filled.
"Does anything strike you as... Familiar, Hark? Or is that even your name, Watcher of our world?" He said as if revealing the greatest mystery in the world.
Beads of sweat began to pour down Siul's face as he smiled.
"Surprised, right? I would be in your place, but considering the inconsistencies you have made, maybe not much so." Tarban sat on a chair and instructed Siul to sit on the other.
He sat down and was silent as he thought about what to say. He thought about impromptu in some stupid story, but he knew that it would never go by in the eyes of Tarban and would only get his head sliced off in the next moment. Not only that, he just couldn't bring himself to.
He took a deep breath before letting it out and spoke.
"How did you know?" Siul was curious and he knew that Tarban wanted answers. Going by his behavior for the time that he knew him while in the world, the man had sobered up and calmed down greatly. He had long learned both how to work with others and keep himself in a position of power. For as long as Tarban was curious, Siul was guaranteed to live.
"For so many years, I... We noticed nothing. At first I was just a young and damn ignorant man. I thought nothing of it for many years afterward... Then I began to learn. I investigated getting back at Gukulm, but soon I started to notice a few inconsistencies that just don't make sense. Hell, even before I was alive, the signs were showing." Tarban chuckled.
"Was it the light magic plant?" Siul knew that there was no sweet talking out of it and he came outright.
“Somewhat, but a big question of why haven't we, the humans, gone extinct sooner popped into my mind one day. I compiled all of what I knew about the world and found that at a certain point, a long time ago, no dangerous huntrow were anywhere near any tribe until one year, something clicked. That was the first sign of your existence. The light magic plant was the second. But can you guess the third and the others after that?" Tarban smiled, as if relishing in outsmarting and discovering Siul.
Siul thought of what he did that could have impacted the world and he found it quickly. He let out a solemn grunt.
"Haaa. It's my signature ain't it? That's what gave it away... Also, shortly after appearing directly in front of you, an ambitious talent on par with those from the 'click' as you call it was recruited in your ranks. It was only a matter of time." It all made sense and he was too careless. He should have thought about it sooner, but it wasn't until he learned more about mana did he find that he even had a special "signature" unique to him at all.
"Could you imagine my surprise when I walked into my dungeon to find you all people?"
They both broke into a hearty laugh and Siul looked at the menu window in front of him and focused on [Observation Mode].
Looking down at his chest, he found a spear of mana sticking through his body. Siul walked back and it slid out of his incorporeal form.
"I know you can still see me, watcher. This isn't the end. Tell me, is the reason you watch over this world not to learn?" Tarban had a darkened face and gave a grunt in annoyance.
Siul didn't dare to go back into the world and could only sigh in relief at choosing the right time to leave.
"You're back!" Bon yelled from a corner of the world.
"Yes, I am... I might have also made a few enemies." He looked back at where Tarban's figure used to be. He was now somewhere in the compound, nowhere to be seen. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and flew back to his room.
He paused as he saw Gerald's room door open. He peeked inside and couldn't help but look away for a second. Tarban's soldiers had already decapitated the man and ransacked his room. They were now heading out and his room was next. He had to move fast.
Flying into his own room, Siul saw that Tellia was already wide awake and alert, smartly hiding on the roof right above the doorway. He entered into interaction mode and grabbed the worn out [Basics of Ulmurgy] as well as two relatively new, blank titled books. He then grabbed one of his robes and Tellia before pulling himself back into observation mode.
Tellia chirped rapidly in confusion before trying her best to calm down.
"It's alright, you'll be fine." Siul flew back to Gukulm and stopped in front of Unfi's combat hall. Ripping out a piece of paper from one of the books, he wrote a small letter before attaching it to Tellia.
"Good luck, Tellia... This is the last you'll be seeing of me." He rubbed his hands right above hapcron's ear and she melted into his hand. Before long, he had to back away and look solemnly at the hapcron that understood. She stood on the ground despite being in a ghost form and hardened a determined look in her eyes.
Siul released his mana tendril from her and he watched as she walked up to Unfi's combat hall and gave a loud, chirping bark.
Bon watched, confused at everything that was happening rapidly. Just what Siul did in the few years that he was inside?
Siul put his hands in the pockets of his gray robe and simply said, "Just watch."
They observed as Unfi opened the door and gave a smirk at the sight of seeing Tellia. He brought the still somewhat solemn hapcron inside and they watched him read the note before the plan was set into motion.