Chương 71: Chapter 68: Demonstration

With all my questions about Soulward answered, I wondered what kind of Soulward I would manifest once I reached Fable Class. It was years from now, yet I couldn't help but imagine something spectacular like Father's dark robe or ingenious like Mum's rune circle. Of course, it couldn't be like the Soul Reaper cloak Father's gift manifested. Fractal Soul had given me a discerning ability. Despite it not being its main function, I didn't think it would be a robe. Maybe it would be a fractal image.

As for whatever that could do, I guessed I would have to wait a decade or more to see.

"Alright, we can talk all about this stuff later." Mum narrowed her eyes at her friend, taking a slow sip.

"Let's discuss why you are here, Selene."

"Can't I come just to meet my old friend?" the woman smiled exaggeratedly.

"Please," Mum snorted.

"We were more rivals than we were ever friends."

"You hurt me, Ash." The woman rubbed her palm over her chest in a mock impression of heartache, the imposing militant nature she displayed completely lost in the act.

"But jokes aside, I am truly here wanting to reacquaint with you. It has been so many years. I can't say I have many friends among the legionaries. Most of our acquaintances from the academy, the ones that are alive, have either got married or are busy in a different part of the realm." She let out a wistful sigh. Even the lines on Mum's face mirrored her opinion for a faint moment. But soon her expression returned to businesslike, silently sipping her tea. Gradually, an awkward silence dawned between us.

Or was it only I who felt that way? The woman stared at Mum with an unchanged expression, as though measuring something.

"Also, after learning everything," she finally added, "I couldn't just leave the matter to the Daenerys kid. Judging from what happened and how the House Daenerys does stuff, it might have escalated if I were not here." She studied Mum's expression, which didn't betray any emotion.

"You really have changed a lot since the last time I saw you." Mum kept her silence. The Primus Pilus shook her head.

"Well, let's discuss business first," she said.

"So tell me, why do you need a Fabled-class Dusk Essence Core?"

"I have my needs," Mum answered curtly, resting her empty cup. The short-haired woman narrowed her eyes.

"Even for crafting high-class artifacts, the price is quite steep, don't you think so?" she asked.

"A Fabled-class Dusk Essence Core can practically be used to train a healer to that class in the shortest time. What kind of artifacts can you make that can be worth more than a Fabled-class healer?" Mum only shrugged in response, as if saying it's for you to determine.

"It is my price," she said eventually.

"Take it or leave it. It's not like I came specifically to the legionaries for my needs. On the contrary, it is the opposite." The woman scowled. After a while, Mum decided to give in a bit.

"I can make the highest-class artifact there is, as long as you can provide the necessary materials for it. Hmm, if you want a demonstration of my current capabilities..." She paused, turning to me.

"Pumpkin, can you show this aunt your bracelet?" I obeyed without question. The woman leaned forward to hold my wrist that bore the silver bracelet. She blinked at my mum, then used a dozen essence threads for a thorough inspection.

"There seems to be quite a few essence threads," she mumbled in the middle of her inspection.

"I obviously do not recognise much of the weaves or the rune symbols, but this looks far from the highest-class artefact you said you're capable of making. Furthermore, don't you think it is a bit of a waste for it to just have defensive capabilities?" Mum didn't take the least bit of offence at her comments.

"The information the spell provides doesn't explain all of its capabilities or the potential. But it has the evolutionary capacity. In the future, when the bracelet evolves into a relic, only then can its true value be exploited."

"Perhaps," the woman said, not agreeing or disagreeing.

"But how many years would it take? Even after that, it would likely stay as a protective amulet, no matter how powerful. I guess it will be highly beneficial to any classes. It looks like it can withstand spells from a Prestigious Class Shaper already."

"It is not the highest-class artifact I've crafted," she simply said, "nor the most versatile, but it—""I get it," Magus Selene admitted.

"It does one thing, and it does it well. But I still don't understand why you need a high-grade Dusk Essence Core?" Her eyes narrowed at Mum.

"You do seem to bear some root injuries, but I don't think a Dusk Essence Core can help much with that."

"It's not for that." Mum shook her head. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"No?" The Magus scrutinised her, and then her eyes found me as she seemed to make the connection.

"Is it for him?" Mum thought for a moment and inclined her head in affirmation.

"Arilyn has a protective amulet. With the Dusk Essence Core, I can make an artifact that can cover the other areas that..." She paused, finding the Magus face-palming, as if wondering if her old friend was out of her mind.

"I guess this is the type of parent you want to be, huh?" Mum frowned.

"I see that he has a rare confluence of Transformation, Transference, and Enchantment-type essence. But instead of teaching him real skills, you want to fill him with extravagant protective amulets and healing ornaments at this age?"

"What makes you think we are not teaching him—that he is not skilled enough?" The militant woman did not take her word for it and turned toward me. Her eyes bore into me. Although she didn't flare her aura, I could tell she used some probing with her influence.

"He does have some qualities, I must admit," she said.

"But compared to—""Selene!" Mum's voice cut her off.

"Although I may consider you a friend, if you belittle my son right before me, I won't think twice before throwing you out of my house." The Primus Pilus knitted her eyebrows at her words. An invisible contention rose between them before she burst into a chuckle, a smirk playing on the corner of her lips.

"Ha! I was wrong," she laughed boorishly.

"You haven't changed all that much, Ash." Then Mum asked Father to serve me lunch so that she could talk privately with her friend, probably about the Tribune and how to deal with his family. Since Father didn't complain, I couldn't do much about it. Even after I was done feeding myself, their talk didn't end. I could only engage in my other work, which was finalising the design for my levitation boots. After a little consideration, I decided to show it to Father and asked if he would want a pair.

My original gift for him was also finished, only requiring a bit of a finishing touch. I was mostly waiting to decide what I could make for Mum, before gifting them together.

"I would have been delighted if I could get something like this when I was young," he said. He tousled my hair, returning the design.

"Unfortunately, it will be a waste on me."

"Why?" I blurted, a line creeping between my brows, wondering if my design was not good enough for his Fabled Class.

"I can ask Mum to tinker with it a bit to fit you better." Still, Father shook his head.

"It's not that, little guy. Even if your mum made me the highest-class artifact, it would still be a waste." The crease between my brows deepened.

"Why do you think I don't wear protective gear?" He smiled.

"It's not that I don't require them. It's simply because none of them can bear my nullifying aura. An elite fabricator won't last a good fight, their runes would erode completely, essence composition would shatter in minutes of use. As for Artifacts, let's just say their production costs too much for me to squander them." I blinked, realisation finally dawning on me. Honestly, I should have figured it out on my own.

Considering how Mum doted on me with stuff, she should already have a complete set of gear for Father.

"Is there no other way for it to work?" I asked.

"You already saw what a few punches empowered with my aura did to the Tribune's breastplate. I hardly even utilised half of my aura there." Father shook his head.

"Your mother has made me many pieces of equipment over the years. They used to last a good while before I ascended to Fabled Class, but now even good artifacts are eroded to scrap metal if I use them for long.

"The best pieces of equipment for me nowadays are common armour, but they hinder the effectiveness of my aura more than they improve my defence." If it isn't a relic, most equipment is useless to him, I sighed at the thought. If only relics were a common commodity. Father noticed my pensive mood and patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"It's not really a big loss, you know," he assured.

"Once I utilise my nullifying aura to the fullest, I hardly have any use for protective gear." I guessed that was right, too, replaying the scenes of his battle against Magus Selene in my mind. After a while, Mum came out of the study with the woman in tow, finally done with the negotiation. Their expressions showed no indication whether it was a success or not.

Thankfully, the Primus Pilus assured us that she would take care of the Tribune and his family, while the cooperation regarding the craft and repairs would continue with some alterations to the contract. Finally, before the woman was to leave, she turned to me.

"Alright, little guy, Ash seemed very convinced of your ability. How about you show me a little of it, so I can see for myself." I didn't immediately acquiesce, but turned to Mum. Only after she inclined her head did I agree. Considering Magus Selene wouldn't want to see me craft things, she likely wanted a demonstration of my shaping skills. So I got into the yard, complying with the house rules.

"Show me your best skill," she said, standing a few paces away from me. I began with telekinesis, controlling five flat stones. Although they were not all heavy, controlling all five of them in different directions required high mental acuity and control. I demonstrated the various difficult exercises with them, shuffling them around like I was a great stage magician. Magus Selene nodded, although not satisfied.

I turned to wind shaping next, since my water skill was less than adequate and earth shaping would devastate the fine yard. Wind was the hardest element to master, but by applying kinetic force and compression into the mix, I formed a wind blade which was far above my class. The woman simply neutralised it with a wave of her palm when I attacked her with it. The difference between our class was simply too great.

"Not bad," she said.

"Anything else?" Clenching my fist, I shaped fire, the element I was most proficient in, along with kinetic force. But simple fire shaping wouldn't do, so I divided my essence threads: eight for fire shaping, eight for Empower, and sixteen for Compression. The crimson fire arrow I shaped soon compressed into a thin line, the crimson flames transforming into a cerulean shade. Although not blazing as intensely to the naked eye, the power concentrated within couldn't be mistaken.

With a wave of my palm, the blue fire arrow was hurled at the Magus like a streak of laser beam. But of course, it couldn't penetrate the wall she had erected in that instant. She glanced at Mum, whose brows knitted together in consideration.

"For someone with so few essence threads, this is indeed... exquisite," she said.

"So is grasping the ability to apply multiple weaves together at this age. With some more essence threads, you can break through the defence of most lesser demons with ease. Hmm, that being said, you would want to improve your casting speed." I nodded my head reverently. Ignoring her personality, the woman was, after all, a magus. She pinched my cheeks at last, as I did my best not to show any irritation.

"If you could leave with me, I wouldn't mind taking you as my apprentice, but I'm sure your mum has other plans. Keep on working hard." She glanced at Mum to gauge her reaction, but she still seemed to be lost in thought.

"Don't even think about it." But of course, Mum had heard it and decided it for me.