The two key pieces of the Forgemastering process welcod each other like lovers, craving to beco one.
There was no resistance, no imperfection arose, and no intervention from Salaark was needed. Once the fusion was completed, the Overlord clenched her fist and sealed the power core with a slightly bigger sphere that was actually comprised of countless mana pathways.
"See it for yourself." Salaark handed the reborn battle claw to the Sekht. "Your Life Maelstrom isn't just ant to kick your power up a few notches but to beco an integral part of your Forgemastered creations.
"Whoever uses that weapon can now boost its powers tenfold at will thanks to the Life Maelstrom I've trapped within it. The mana pathways keep the silver lightning from leaking out and with ti and world energy the elental crystals can restore the consud Life Maelstrom to its initial amount."
"This is amazing." Scarlett could now tell the difference between an Awakened masterpiece and Guardian-level equipnt.
Even without testing the battle claw, she could tell that a re swing of her weapon would tear the palace's walls apart and endanger the inhabitants of the Heavenly Plu Tribe.
"Can I really conjure sothing like that for my Forgemastery?" Balkor asked in
amazent.
"Just a spark but yes." Salaark shook her head. "Your body is battered and your life force is running out. Even if you were to discover how to do it, I wouldn't recomnd it. You are a mortal and far from your pri.
"Your cracked life force can't handle this kind of energy without exploding. You need to restore your body and build yourself a tower. Then, you might use the equivalent of a candle's fla."
"If a Magus like is a candle even after obtaining a mage tower, what are you, My Liege?"
"A raging volcano." Salaark replied.
"Wait, that's it?" Scarlett was flabbergasted. "One lesson and you send away? What about Creation Magic? You taught it to both Balkor and Lith!"
"Don't be greedy, cat." The Overlord scoffed. "You are a Guardian now and have infinite life whereas they can't afford the luxury of ti. You have learned Light Mastery and figured out one branch of Void Magic on your own.
"You are the youngest Guardian ever. I trust you to learn Creation Magic just like Yaga
and I did, by yourself. If you don't, that's too bad. Bye!" A snap of Salaark's fingers brought Scarlett and her battle claw to Lutia.
Inside the nursery in Lith's house, to be precise.
"Welco, dear Scarlett, and congratulations." Tyris welcod the Sekht by handing her Valeron the Second. "I didn't expect you so soon but you co at the right mont. I can use so help."
Judging by the baby boy's stern look, Valeron was more suspicious than impressed by the sudden appearance of the newcor. Judging by the stench, he also needed a fresh diaper.
"What is this? Why am I here?" Scarlett asked in confusion when she found herself in human form against her will and with no magical power.
"This is a person. Tyris glared at the Sekht. "Valeron the Second, this is Scarlett, a grumpy but well-aning Guardian. Scarlett, this is Valeron, my grandchild."
"Hi." The baby boy waved his small hand.
"Nice to et you too, little one." Scarlett sighed as she unfolded the cloth diaper,
"As for your second question, this is part of your training." Tyris said while taking care of Elysia.
"Then we can move on to the next phase, Lady Tyris. With all due respect, I've raised plenty of children. This is nothing new to ." Scarlett wasn't used to cloth diapers but she was a quick learner.
After watching the Great Mother changing Elysia, the Sekht was able to do the sa for Valeron.
"You couldn't be more wrong" Tyris shook her head, her hair sparkling like a golden waterfall under the morning sunlight. "You have raised plenty of children as a cat, a Shyf, and a Scorpicore, but none as a Guardian."
"What difference does it make?" Scarlett had to use a wet wipe to clean the baby and abundant hot water and soap for herself.
"Think about it." Tyris replied. "Leegaain taught you how to control your powers. Fenagar how to discover the secrets of your bloodline. Roghar how to use them. Zagran taught how to fight and Salaark how to Forgemaster with them.
"What's left for you to learn that I can teach you?"
Scarlett pondered the question for a while but found no answer.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "If it were up to , I'd build myself a state-of-the-art Guardian-level lab and then shut myself in it until I've mastered Salaark's final lesson. After that, I'd go visit Zagran for a few spars and that's it."
"And that's why you are here instead." Tyris nodded.
"I'm sorry, but you lost ." Scarlett felt stupid.
"I can almost hear Salaark imparting her famous final lesson to you" Tyris chuckled before making her best impression of the Overlord's stern, thundering voice. "You are not part of nature anymore. You are a force of nature. You are not a mage anymore. You are magic. Did I say that right?"
"Down to a t." Scarlett couldn't help but chuckle as well. The contrast between the two won was literally like night and day." Does she always use those exact sa words?" "Always." Tyris replied. "What Salaark always fails to add, however, is that beneath that force of nature and magic, there's still Scarlett the Scorpicore. You are more than your powers. You are a person."
"And?" Scarlett tilted her head in confusion.
"And a newborn Guardian tends to lose themselves in their newfound powers. To
mistake what they can do with who they are." Tyris said. "Give it enough ti and you might even forget about the reasons you chose to beco a Guardian in the first
place.
"You've co to not to learn sothing new but to rember sothing you have learned a long ti ago: who you are. I'm going to make sure your status as a
Guardian doesn't muddy your morals and beliefs.
"You have learned how to control your powers but you'll soon discover that controlling yourself and your ego has beco much more difficult than it ever was. And how could it be any different, now that you can read into people's hearts?
"Now that you can listen to their wishes and the cries of help of those in need? How can soone capable of changing the world around them with a re thought not be tempted to use their powers for what they believe to be 'the greater good"?"
Scarlett pondered those words and Tyris let them sink in, waiting until the Sekht nodded her to continue before resuming to talk.
"I've taken your powers away for the sa reason you are going to help with the children. After over two years of isolation, I want you to reconnect with your old self. The Scarlett who loved children so much that she sacrificed everything she was for
them.
"We need to dig her out of that Guardian shell before the power of the Sekht. smothers hers."
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