Chương 23: Breakthrough

When one became a Shaper they could 'shape' an element with the assistance of an external ether source. The true turning point would be when they fused with a monster core or a plant quintessence. The elemental affinity of the said core would determine which element or property the warlock would use in the future. This was the case before the akashic records descended, and it remained even after.

'I believe that is essentially just assimilating with the records of others to improve one's strength.' Compared to the path of Templars and Crusaders, the Warlock's path was easier to understand. They used external sources to empower themselves, and as they grew stronger, they would require better and better materials. Kayzen was certain that as soon as he used the core he would be getting his fifth and final shard as the shaper. Two of his records had already attained breakthrough state.

Thus, he was more than ready to become a Warden. With a single thought of his a shard materialized in front of him. It was the record extraction which had been upgraded when he used the hex on the crows. Rank: Low (Breakthrough) Record Extraction: With your knowledge in genetics, you are able to analyze and selectively extract segments of records from an organism's DNA. By using shard fragments you can extract more records. Quantity depends on the Rank of the target. There were two changes.

First one was in the basic description where 'observe and isolate fragments of records' was changed to 'analyze and selectively extract segments of records.' While minute, it changed things on the fundamental level. The next part was easy to understand and apply as well. With this the next part became much easier. If a Shaper was someone who shaped an element, then a warden was someone who imprisoned an element. Compared to passively borrowing Ether they could forcefully trap it into their own body.

This path was built upon the observation of fiends and ravagers. A fiend created a fiend core in their body, and when that core refined Ether and merged it with their blood, they would become a Ravager. The biggest difference after the descent of the akashic records was the order in which the Warlocks used external materials. Before, unless someone used a core it was impossible for them to gain any type of ability. Kayzen had circumvented that due to akashic records that granted him various abilities.

This was also one of the reasons why Kayzen was weaker than Vasser who was following the proper path. Why had Kayzen gone through all this trouble and selected the Hemogaster's core despite the difficulty? The answer was related to how a warden progressed. In order to absorb and trap ether into their whole body, they required purified beast blood or plant extract. In scientific terms, liquid quintessence to create pathways on their skin. They were known as sigils, marks a Warlock carried for their whole lives.

Two of the Hemogaster's abilities were sucking blood and storing blood. There was no need to guess how important that would be for a Warden.

'Time to get started.' The last piece of knowledge Kayzen acquired after becoming a shaper was how to progress on his path. As always, what he needed was the same. A source, a medium, and a target. The source was the core, the medium being the blood and organs he had collected, and finally the target: Himself. Kayzen arranged the Hemogaster's organs in a circular shape with three triangles inside of it. It was somewhat difficult to do, but precision wasn't what he needed so long as the shape remained identical.

In order to enhance the hex and get the records on a deeper level, Kayzen took out the shard fragment acquired from the rift lord. He placed it above the Hemogaster's core at the center of the drawn hex. Now most of the preparations were complete. He could start the breakthrough as is, but he wanted this to be even more perfect. Ether was the source of all things. If he wanted to increase the chances of a successful breakthrough then he needed more Ether. Thanks to his improved record that had become possible.

He took out another three shard fragments and placed them inside each of the triangles. Now all he had to do was wait. It just so happened that he had a ton of materials to deal with as well. He moved to another corner of the room and took out materials collected from the dead crows. Their eyes, claws, and wings. The wings he placed at the side along with the large wings of the Hemogaster. He was going to hire a tailor and make a cloak or some other clothing out of it. That left the eyes and talons to deal with.

Claws could be integrated into a weapon. He wanted to build something that didn't require much strength and aiming; at least not by using his hands. This left the final loot: the eyes. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. They were useful yet not at the same time. Their most direct application would be when it came to making night vision equipment. He expected that many items of such nature would start appearing in the market soon enough.

After all, night vision was a much sought-after ability even before the apocalypse. As a Warlock and especially as a Shaper of hex, Kayzen had a lot more ideas. From the olden eras crows were often associated with witchcraft and the like. He hadn't paid it much attention before since there was no proper scientific explanation for it. But now he could experiment to his heart's content and find a path that belonged to him. Kayzen's target wasn't to make hexes or any sort of offensive item using them.

He had seen this sphere-like form of the crow's soul, and that intrigued him. As the saying went, 'eyes were the gateways to one's soul.' When it came to the spiritual realm he was a total rookie. It was hard to say whether these eyes had any traces of soul remaining inside of them, but it wouldn't hurt to try. He picked one of the eyeballs and tried to enter the spiritual realm. 10 seconds... 20 seconds… 30 seconds… A whole minute passed yet nothing happened. These eyes held no soul.

Not discouraged, Kayzen decided to store them first. He didn't know for how long the eyes would remain unspoiled in the Hemogaster's stomach, and he didn't want to find out. With wood alcohol in the backpack it didn't take him long to prepare formaldehyde. Time flew by as Kayzen did follow-up experiments and checked out his hypotheses. Most were failures, but each of them brought him closer to the truth.

"What…have you done to your room?" Vasser asked while standing with her arms crossed.

"Oh, I'm making a hex. A big one."

"And you plan to sleep here?" Kayzen didn't know how to answer for a moment. He may have gone a bit too wild experimenting. The floor was bloody, the bed was filled with glass containers, and an eyeball had ended up bursting apart and renovating the walls.

"Don't worry. I'll clean it up after I've become a warden." What he got in reply was a scrutinizing look that seemed to say, 'As if you know how to do that.' To prove a point Kayzen got up and folded the mattress in a swift movement, "See, I've learned to do some chores after living alone for two years." After a moment of silence, the duo burst into laughter at the same time. Indeed, both of them had grown in their own way.

"What were you doing with the eyes by the way?" Vasser asked as he squatted besides the floor-drawn hex.

"I'm trying to learn more about the soul," Kayzen replied as he showed her the notes he'd written.

"And you need dead eyes for that?"

"Sort of. Do you recall what we learned at the Opheim Academy? Life-force of living beings contains incorporeal Ether. It was postulated that after death they return to Ether Singularity of the planet; a place that's drawing Ether from the Celestia. All of that was just wild hypothesis, but I believe there is some truth to it." Vasser thought for a moment and then spoke.

"I'll be honest, I don't recall any of that. I get what you mean though. You know how Argia is in charge of the paradise, right? They say that those who have earned glory throughout their lives return to paradise upon death. The land of infinite valor, a place where people fight, feast, and improve their strength for the final glory.

"No one knows what that final glory is or if paradise actually exists. But people believe that. I do as well. And that begs the question, what happens to those who did not earn glory? Do they just… vanish?" Kayzen didn't know the answer. Nobody did. It was up for debate and more of a philosophical topic than something that belonged in a scientific discussion. Nonetheless, after the descent of Akashic records and the materialization of Ether, it wouldn't be impossible to uncover the secrets of life and death.

For now, though, Kayzen just wanted to improve his Hex. He hadn't figured out how to measure his spiritual strength or soul, but he did learn how to make another type of Hex using the crow's eyes. Just as he was getting lost in his thoughts, Vasser lifted his arm and dragged him out of the room, "I almost forgot why I called you in the first place. It's time for dinner." Only now did Kayzen take a look at the window and saw the twinkling stars outside.

Time had passed so quickly that he hadn't even realized that it was night. Soon though, his eyes settled on what his nose was smelling. A meal cooked by Lady Vasser herself. It was a sight he never would have imagined, but as if to prove that he wasn't the only one who had changed, there was now a sumptuous feast laid out on the dining table. He would accept with much joy that he was no longer the best cook around.

"Impressed?" Vasser asked with a cocky grin. As always, her twitching fingers and slightly red ears betrayed her. Kayzen didn't answer and instead sat down on at table, placing the freshly baked pie in his mouth. It was good. Great, even. Much better than anything he had ever eaten.

"If a magi asked me what paradise is right now, then I would show them this. This is paradise!"

"A-Ahem you learned some useless flattery." Vasser hopped over and sat on the opposite chair, as red as the chilli sauce on the table. The fatigue from their hard work vanished as the duo ate and chatted. The fact that their stomachs were grumbling after missing another day's lunch also helped. They stuffed their stomachs to their heart's content and cleaned up the kitchen afterwards. It was a cozy silence both of them preferred.

They needed this moment, for the next time they would share a meal would be when they had become a Xin and a Warden.

"May Argia light your way," Kayzen gave a sincere blessing to Vasser who stood at the door.

"Best of luck to you as well. You'll have the honor of being my sparring partner as soon as I break through."

"Well, I better work hard then," Kayzen chuckled and entered his room as well. The shards on the floor had dissolved into a glowing puddle and merged with the drawn lines. The remains of the Hemogaster had vanished as well, leaving behind a five feet wide octagonal hex. The entire room was buzzing with the currents of chaotic Ether. If not for the ward the whole house would've broken down already. Kayzen took a deep breath and removed his shirt.

After making a final check to see everything was in place, he sat right above the drawn circle. As if water was poured over a heated pan, the red lines of the hex boiled over with Ether currents; crawling over to his exposed skin. At the same time, a maroon shard bigger than ever manifested above his temple. Kayzen was once again standing on the crossroad that led to five different paths.