Chapter 33 Chapter 33 - Qsvils Last Stand III (2/2)

Special effect[2] – Infusing Qi into the Cloak turns the wearer completely invisible to all forms of senses – Divine included – for 60 seconds. Can be used once every hour.

Special effect[3] – Either Form: Infusing Qi directly into the [Fire Core] gives explosive boost of speed to the wearer. Depending on the infused amount, speed is increased by 50/80/120/150/300% for 5 seconds. Note: increased speed by 300% has a chance of heavily damaging [Cleft Shadow].

Note: Utility-oriented dual-form cape designed for evading perception and fleeing. Above average.

Lino's lips curled up in a satisfied smile; everything turned out the way he planned, and he even got the basic bonus of the Cape Form as a side present. The cloak was practically made for sneaking around, but he'd still have to be careful. According to his estimates, as long as someone's around Mid Purity Realm, they would be able to discern him through Divine Sense even when he turns completely invisible. Nonetheless, this was the best he could craft for the time being. With it, he also rose his Blacksmithing to Level 56, roughly halfway through to becoming a Grandmaster Blacksmith.

All blacksmiths were generally layered through general ranks of Beginner, Adept, Master, Grandmaster, Exalted, Mystic etc., but that was hardly the only and foolproof measure of their ability. For instance, Lino was a Level 56 Master Blacksmith, but he'd be generally worse than some truly experienced Level 39 Adept Blacksmiths because he lacked knowledge, practice and, most of all, specialty. For instance, if someone who specialized in crafting leather-woven armor – especially auxiliary pieces like the coat and the cloak – were to craft [Cleft Shadow], they'd not only add more basic stats, but also increase the numbers of special effects by at least 40%. Besides that, there was also quality of the blueprint, knowledge about how to work with materials, perfect combination of arrays, etc. – generally, much like how millions of stats relating to Strength are condensed in a single number, blacksmiths were hardly judged by their Level and mastery, but rather by their actual creations.

Lino didn't grow complacent; while, perhaps, he may be among the best blacksmiths in the Umbra Kingdom, that was only when he struck gold. One has to know that, on average, most blacksmiths in Bridge Village craft 2-3 decent items daily, and procure a rarity once a week or so. Meanwhile, Lino lacks that consistency, and his rare crafts are, well, truly rare. He knew he had a long way to go which is why he didn't stay in the state of delirium for too long. As there was only less than two months to go until the Annual Festival, he immediately went back to his room and took out [Celestial Rod].

[Celestial Rod – Unique]

Level: 8

Damage: 21-24

Magic Damage: 8-12

Defense: 8

Magic Defense: 3

Durability: 23

Special Effect: Three-pronged weapon.

Special Effect: First Form – can fire Magic Darts from the small hole at the tip. Magic Darts must be crafted separately, and 10 can at most be stored at the same time.

Special Effect: Second Form – can be turned into a two-meter long spear, which can further be extended by consuming energy from the Magic Core. Energy must be replenished separately. Maximum elongation is 100 meters.

Special Effect: Third Form – encases the outer exterior in firm alloy, with chance to reflect both physical and magical attacks. Each time an attack is blocked, Durability is consumed. Must be restored separately.

Special Effect: Due to the uniqueness of the design, the weapon can be enhanced further as well as re-forged, increasing stats as well as the number of forms.

Note: Created by a complete novice. However, the craftsmanship is above average, and unique design allows it to stand above other weapons of the same level.

Durability had dropped from 80 down to 23 after repeated usage, which required repairing, but Lino didn't pay attention to it for the time being. His mind slowly began spinning over how to modify it. As his first ever proper creation, he planned to take [Celestial Rod] to much greater heights. For starters, he decided to entirely try and discard the Third Form. He planned on crafting personalized shield in the near future, and Rod's Third Form would simply lower its durability unnecessarily if used. He also planned on modifying the Second Form, but not by the large margin. As he was truly satisfied with the First Form – the Magic Darts – he decided to keep it as it had proved capable of incredible things. As he lay down the handle-looking object to the side, he took out the pen and paper before starting to scribble his draft designs.

His first focus was replacing the Third Form; he had no plans for the time being to add additional form as that would require too many materials, so he focused entirely on replacing the Third Form and increasing the overall strength of the 'weapon'. He had several ideas as a replacement, but he quickly drove that number down to two:

His first idea was to introduce an isolated conduit within the blade and infuse it with two arrays - <Amplification Array> and <Insulation Array>. In addition to those two, he'd also have to inscribe another one on the backend of the handle, most-likely Advanced <Link Array>. His idea was rather simple: he'd infuse his Tri-Spirit Flame directly into the <Link Array>, which would connect to the Rod's inner workings, running directly through the isolated conduit and connecting with <Amplification Array> while <Insulation Array> would be used to regulate heat. The end product would come from the other side of the Rod where a cone-shaped blast of flame would be released. Even further modifications were possible – timing it to be just a single short burst, or prolonged spitfire, or even changing shapes, radius, ability to track targets etc. However, this option was rather complicated; for it alone he'd have to inscribe three arrays – one of which was Advanced while even the Basic Arrays were inching dangerously close to being Advanced in addition to chambering an entirely isolated area within the small handle.

Second idea, on the other hand, was much simpler; instead of creating an entirely isolated area running through the whole handle, he'd only have to create a small 'storage' space somewhere and fill it with water. He'd then drill a hole atop the Rod's surface and connect it directly to the storage. At the tip of the drill-point, he'd inscribe <Spread Array> and it would be done! The idea was to create a primitive version of a smokescreen, which would in turn even increase the effects of his [Cleft Shadow]. However, the drawbacks were obvious; he'd have to manually refill the storage with water each time it was used, and it can only ever be used just once before running out. In addition, future modifications weren't as prominent or as numerous, as not even Intermediate Arrays could cover up deficiencies of the fundamental craft.

Lino couldn't decide for the time being; the second option would increase his survival for the trip to the Capital considerably, but it was still just a short-term gain which he'd definitely have to replace in the future, much like the current Third Form. Whereas the first option was a long-term investment. If he were to procure his idea now, the form would at best be used as a temporary distraction and couldn't really harm any cultivator worth a salt, but had much greater potential for the future developments. It would also be one of the ways Lino could attack externally, as he was simply unable to externalize Qi like other cultivators.

He leaned back in the chair and sighed, exasperated. Just recently, he couldn't procure a single inspirational idea, yet now he had two and he couldn't decide which one to use. If he was confident enough in being able to inscribe <Spread Array> in addition to other three arrays within the 'flamethrower', he'd choose it in a heartbeat, but there was simply no way he could do it. However, even if he was able to do it, he didn't have any materials that would be capable of actually enduring Qi being processed directly through four arrays. By the time Tri-Spirit Flame would reach the other end, the whole Rod would explode, probably taking Lino alongside itself to the bitter afterlife. Aah, let's just go for the long-term benefits, he decided after a while. I've already got the cape for the immediate problems…