"Haah!" Holak threw his arms wide open, his entire face lighting up with an unmistakable, genuine joy that seed to radiate from his very being. "BOSS!!" "Holak?" Robin raised a single brow, a subtle smirk playing across his lips, then stepped further into the barn with a calm, serene smile, his every movent exuding quiet authority. "What are you doing here?"
In truth, among all his followers, Holak held a place unlike any other. While most of Robin's close followers had been bound to him because he either bought them, defeated them, or enhanced their abilities, Holak was the only one who had chosen to follow Robin out of pure conviction, genuine admiration. This bond was not forged by force or gain but by respect and trust.
"Your disciples were getting a bit bored and decided to observe a piece of art, so they sent an invitation to co along," Holak explained, glancing briefly over his shoulder with a hint of amusent. "And I sincerely hope that their witnessing of such greatness proves fruitful, inspiring them in ways they didn't expect."
"Hmm?" Robin turned toward Jabba and Shaddad, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly is Holak talking about?"
"..." Shaddad slowly rose to his feet, still staring at Robin as though he were a hungry wild bear that had just spotted an enormous, juicy piece of at. "Master, after twenty long years... you finally stepped out!!" His voice trembled slightly with a mix of awe, relief, and disbelief.
"Master, did you finally leave your love for caves and start appreciating the charm of residential apartnts? Twenty years without ever leaving your secluded spot?" Jabba began moving toward Robin as well, though the surprise and awe on his face were considerably more restrained.
"Yes, I've grown quite fond of residential apartnts, it seems," Robin replied with a light laugh, tilting his head slightly. "Are you satisfied now?" Then, without waiting further, he stepped fully into the barn, his presence commanding attention effortlessly.
Behind him, Morgana followed gracefully, clad in a captivating, flowing black gown that seed to absorb the light around her. Her lips and the areas around her eyes were intensely dark, giving her a striking, almost otherworldly aura. Her hair cascaded behind her like a waterfall of night, fluttering with every subtle motion. Every aspect of her appearance radiated an air of mystique, maturity, and quiet authority. Yet, despite the overwhelming aura, she lifted her hand delicately and waved, her movent elegant and calm. "Hello, everyone." "Hello!" ca the resounding response as everyone waved back with broad, enthusiastic smiles, even the volunteers who had been almost lifeless monts earlier, their faces now lighting up with hope and relief.
"Haah- this feels... comforting" Robin murmured, moving to sit on the chair Shaddad had been occupying. He positioned himself directly facing the massive array in the center of the barn, observing everything with careful attention. "Anyway- I hit a dead end in my work, so I thought a short walk would clear my mind. I'll return to my solitude shortly. I'm not sure what year it feels like for you this ti... but do you have sothing you need assistance with? I'll grant you an hour."
"WE DO!!" Shaddad exclaid, sprinting toward a small wooden room on the side. He erged clutching a handful of canvases rolled up in a haphazard yet deliberate manner. Then, poof, he carefully placed them on the ground in front of Robin, unrolling each one with ticulous care and positioning it in its intended spot.
"Let help!" Jabba said, moving instinctively, picking up canvases and arranging them in their appropriate locations with thodical precision.
"..." Robin observed silently, his brow slightly raised in curiosity.
Typically, Shaddad would bring one or two canvases with issues and request guidance or solutions. This, however, was the first ti he seed so nervous, uncertain, and visibly tense, his entire deanor betraying the weight of responsibility and expectation he felt.
But soon, Robin began piecing the entire picture together, analyzing each stroke, each detail with keen eyes. Minutes passed, and he furrowed his brows, leaning slightly forward in his chair, losing his usual relaxed posture. He focused intently, trying to absorb and understand every intricate detail of what lay before him, ensuring he missed nothing.
"Are you all right, young friends?" Morgana's gaze shifted from the Truth Chosens to the volunteers, her face filled with deep compassion and concern for their weary state.
"...!!" The volunteers' hearts raced like tolling bells, and almost half of them panicked, their legs shaking uncontrollably as they nodded anxiously, like chickens pecking at scattered grains. "Ahaha, we're... perfectly fine!"
"Thank you for your concern, Teacher," one of the volunteers stamred, relief evident in his voice.
"No, no, you all appear extrely exhausted, and they... they are even more so!" Morgana said, her eyes softening as she looked at the young volunteers on the ground, their energy nearly depleted. Closing her eyes, she placed her hand gently over the red-and-black pendant resting on her chest. "I will help you. I won't let your efforts go in vain."
All the young n-whether standing tall or utterly collapsed on the ground- turned their eyes toward Morgana. Their gazes trembled, shimring with a mixture of awe, disbelief, and hope. Even at that mont, if she had rely handed them a cup of water, their empty stomachs would have felt full, and a sense of relief would have spread through their chests. Their fatigue, their strain, the soreness in their limbs-all of it could have been soothed by sothing as simple as water. Yet, they knew the truth: this was not just about physical exhaustion.
Healing, real healing, was another matter entirely. None of them truly believed that Morgana could help them. No matter how skilled the soul masters were, no matter the sheer power of the most advanced soul techniques-they had no way to restore the body itself. That was universal knowledge. Soul energy could enhance, manipulate, or even amplify life force, but it could not undo fractures in bones, bruises in muscles, or the exhaustion of a body pushed beyond its limits. What could she possibly do with her soul units? Summon a legion of soul creatures to bandage them? Or perhaps radiate energy to nd every bruise and tear? The thought was almost laughable.
Yet then... sothing unexpected, sothing uncanny began to unfold.
Hmmmm...
The chain around Morgana's neck began to hum faintly, almost as if awakening, and a soft glow spread along its length. Slowly, deliberately, the light crept toward the central pendant, glowing brighter, almost pulsating with life. A sudden warmth seed to fill the room as the glow reached the middle of the necklace. Then, in a fluid motion, Morgana raised her hand and gestured toward the young n. From her palm, streams of erald-green energy began to flow downward, enveloping them like a gentle cascade of light. "This...?!" The students cried out, so in shock, so in sheer wonder, as they looked down at their own bodies. They began flexing their fingers, bending their wrists, and inspecting their arms and legs. The signs of exhaustion, the bruises and strain embedded in their muscles, even the small injuries in their bones-all of it began to visibly fade. The pain they had felt just monts ago seed to dissipate as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.
After a few fleeting seconds, Morgana's eyes sparkled. She clapped her hands together with sheer delight.
"Hehe! I've been wanting to do this for so long!" she exclaid, a genuine joy radiating from her voice.
Having obtained the pendant that cleverly bypassed the restrictions of the heavenly laws allowing soul units to activate it in place of energy-she had imdiately instructed Harper to gather a carefully curated selection of techniques and combat arts that would best complent its use. He had brought her arts and disciplines specializing not only in healing but also in escape, reconnaissance, travel, and other adaptive techniques. So had been created by the geniuses of Sky Opening City, while others had been acquired from the Shadow Swords.
And now, this pendant and its energy flow were being tested in practice, bringing to life one of those specialized techniques.
"Amazing!" soone murmured.
"Long live Teacher Morgana!" another voice called out.
"Long live! Long live!" echoed from a chorus of the students. "...Hmm..." Robin's gaze lingered on the enormous blueprint spread across the floor, every line and symbol ticulously drawn. "In truth... this is very good. No-brilliant, even. From a theoretical standpoint, every elent here is possible. I don't see a single major flaw capable of halting the process entirely." Jabba and Shaddad, standing nearby, both exhaled long, heavy breaths. Shaddad finally spoke, a mix of exasperation and awe in his voice: "That's exactly what's driving insane, Master. Pressure has absolutely no effect on the weaponisation materials after absorption! Not a single effect. It's...
maddening!"
Jabba nodded in agreent. "I told him this already. The problem, every single
bit of it, lies in the ink itself."
"The ink?" Robin snapped his fingers impatiently, the motion sharp. "Bring
the formula. Now."
"Here" Shaddad replied quickly, handing over a thick docunt. "This is the latest combination we have finalized."
"...?" Robin blinked slowly, his green eyes widening. The list in his hands was massive-over 350 distinct materials were cataloged, and beside each one, a precision ratio was recorded, asured down to fractions of a gram. "Are you seriously joking with ?" Robin exclaid, waving the list in disbelief and frustration. "You're arguing among yourselves, yet you still have no idea where the actual problem lies! If the ratio of any single component changes- even by a quarter of a gram-everything will change! For better or for worse. There's no way to know except through painstaking trial and error! And don't even get started on removing one or two components!
How on earth did you even manage to assemble such an enormous quantity of materials in the first place?!"
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