Throwing aside his lingering worries, William imrsed himself in the delicate and gruelling process of crafting the world-needles and long spirit-spears. The air around him humd with the dual spirit elents of light and lightning as he infused each process with their essences.
During this ti, Fang had already made his way back through the portal and into the bustling atmosphere of Lara's city. He found Becky standing near a small, specialised forging location on the outskirts of the central area. There, Ellina was working feverishly, her face soot-streaked as she finalised the flying spear Becky had requested.
"What? He wants us to roam the other two tide zones and forcibly take over one gate each?!" Becky's eyes widened in genuine shock as Fang relayed the orders. "How much further can he surprise us? Doesn't that man know the aning of limits?"
"Hahaha, I've never seen anyone quite like him," Fang remarked, leaning on his spear as he watched the sparks fly from Ellina's forge. "I bet even the upper realm is filled with monsters of his calibre."
"There are a few, I can't deny that," Becky said, her voice trailing off as she beca lost in thought. She stood silent for a mont before shaking her head vigorously.
"But no... The powerful ones up there are all ancient dwellers, old spirits who have cultivated for millennia. They aren't as young as him! Oh, wait... has he used so secret technique to change his body to look younger? Perhaps he isn't actually a youth..."
"He is young," Fang replied firmly. He had already considered that possibility a long ti ago, which had led him to dig deep into the guild master's origins. "I went back and did my research. He really is as young as he looks."
"Then no, there is truly no one like him at all in the upper realm," Becky admitted. A shadow crossed her face as she suddenly recalled a chilling detail. "But since you ntioned the intelligent creatures up there... There is one nasty monster which, weirdly enough, has a shape too similar to William's... A Fox!"
"Interesting," Fang mused, considering the possibility of a bloodline link. However, Becky's next words changed his perspective entirely.
"He is the strongest villain in our realm! No one is able to stand against him! The heavens themselves seem to tremble when he moves.
And yet, for so reason, William is obsessed with fighting—and even defeating—him. It feels like the two of them have a very long and deep history of hatred and enmity. It's as if the only one capable of stopping that monster is our own monster!"
Fang couldn't fully grasp the true extent of her words, but he could tell that the Fox monster she described was a bad on, terrible news.
Yet, when he recalled how William had pulled miracle after miracle out of thin air, he didn't see it as unfitting. If there was a creature that had crushed the great forces of the upper realm, perhaps it was only natural that his guild master would be the one destined to face it.
"He sent five more to safeguard you," Fang said, pointing to the silent monsters that had followed him through the gate and now stood behind Becky like statues of death.
"It seems your spear is about to be completed. Let's wait until Ellina is done, then we'll head straight to the Scorching Lands town and work from there."
"I'm sorry to interrupt and interfere, but I couldn't help myself from eavesdropping on your conversation." After a few minutes, a calm, lodic voice said from the shadows.
Fang started, his hand moving toward his weapon. He hadn't noticed anyone approaching. Out of the gloom stepped a young woman with a sharp, intelligent gaze.
"Lina? What are you doing here?" Fang asked, his eyes narrowing. He realised she must have used spirit sense to listen in on their talk, a realisation that told him her presence was no re coincidence.
"Aren't you the girl William brought from that other academy?" Ellina suddenly approached and asked. "You have a little sister, Tina, right? What brings a faction leader out to a dusty forge at this hour?"
"Yes, she is at… Another realm for now," Lina replied. A flicker of profound lancholy crossed her features, a hollow ache resonating in her spirit the mont her sister's na was ntioned.
The separation was a wound that hadn't yet begun to heal, but she pushed the emotion down, hardening her gaze. "Anyway, I want to co with you. I'm joining this mission."
"No!" Fang declined decisively, his voice echoing off the forge. "This isn't a kid's field trip, Lina! We are heading into the mouth of a nightmare. We are—"
"I know," Lina interrupted, her resolve unyielding like tempered steel. "I heard everything you said. If he is out there risking his life in that forsaken world alone, then I cannot stand by and wait for him to perform miracles without doing anything to help. I won't just sit here while he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders."
"But Lina, the danger—"
"I'm not weak!" Lina's voice rose, vibrating with a power that montarily silenced the elder master. She stepped forward, ignoring the heat from the furnaces. "I have been the longest master trained by his side. I have seen what he sees. I have endured the sa fires. I am not weak!"
Ellina, who stood by the anvil holding a shimring, newly cooled weapon, looked between them, unsure of how to navigate the sudden tension. "It's not up to to decide who goes or stays," she said, shifting the focus to the practicalities.
"I only ca to tell you that the spear is ready. Becky, you need to link it to your spirit imdiately before you can truly wield it."
"Finally," Becky breathed. She didn't know Lina well, and she certainly didn't feel it was her place to invite or ban anyone from a mission that was effectively a suicide pact. She gave the girl a curious look before turning to the forge.
User Comments
0 comments from readers