The gems’ storage capacity and amplification abilities have increased. The chassis’s physical defensive capabilities have significantly improved.
- Wield The Source has progressed to Bronze 0!
You may now manifest the Source in a more neutral, stable third state. It lacks the power and volatility of Chaos and the unshakeable rigidity of Order. The third state is Balance. Equilibrium. It is Equipoise.
- Galvanized has progressed to Bronze 0!
The Source Gauntlets’ metal is not just immune to their owner’s energy, fire, and heat. Lightning and electricity are nothing before its defenses. Energy attacks will further struggle to break through the defenses.
Apparently, the standard soul weapon gained new abilities on ascension. The Source Gauntlets were anything but standard. Andrew and Samara claimed that few started with two abilities, and even fewer had memories and past experiences. The planeswalking soulsmith claimed to have never encountered anything so scarred but overflowing with potential.
Nil’s ability and soul weapon seed weren’t anything as simple or potent as Sakura’s Cutting Light and laser sword hilt. It didn’t have the raw power and flexibility of Shawn’s barriers. Brutal Battery, its accompaniments, and Wield The Source weren’t nearly as straightforward as phase shifting. Every weapon and tool in Nil’s arsenal demanded mastery through endless practice and the support of cultivation techniques. However, they were all a part of Nil.
I bet the Schema sees probabilities too, and Through Sheer Grit is part of some elaborate joke.
Andrew took a full week to finish the upgrade. Nil was terrified at first when Samara insisted he do it alone. He trusted his friend, but Andrew was inexperienced and had ascended his ability to Bronze Realm only weeks ago. Much to his relief, the more experienced soulsmith supervised the process and provided guidance whenever necessary.
Before the process started, Nil received several chassis options. They included more arm armor, or protection all the way up one, and also a shoulder guard. There was the option for a breastplate that protected the chest and solar plexus. It had the potential to become full-upper body protection. Andrew also gave him the option of lower abdomen and groin protection. Nil rejected all of the options, but he had something else in mind.
“Watcher’s essence is not what I expected,” Samara said after it was all done. “It's old and alien, as one would expect of a primordial entity, but this is something else.”
“What does that mean?” Nil asked. The woman almost always sounded sure of herself. It was strange and concerning to seem so confused and lost.
“It means he's so old and alien that there is no record about anything like him. I’m talking either beyond or older than the multiverse.”
“So, I shouldn't be concerned that there is a bit of him inside the soul weapon?”
Samara shook her head. “I did deep scans and analysis of what he gave you at all stages of the process. There was nothing malicious. No ulterior motives. It's just unknown.” The soulsmith appeared embarrassed. “I'm afraid I don't know enough to tell you more. The best person to ask would be Watcher himself. You shouldn't worry too much about it. We had control over the soul weapon's evolution this time, but telling how future advancements will work out.”
“It's not just about Watcher’s essence,” Andrew added. “Instead of working in tandem with the essence of the world tree, they have melded into one. So, it's a matter of how both will develop together. If we’re lucky, future material requirements will be significantly lessened.”
“Well, I’m in your hands.” Nil smacked Andrew’s shoulder, drawing a wince. “Don’t lead me astray, Andy.”
“When have I ever, Sunny-boi?”
The exchange got an eye roll out of Samara. “Andrew and I will be seeing each other occasionally. He’s an excellent assistant, and I might summon him when I need help with challenging projects. If I discover anything, I’ll let you know.”
The soulsmith and her apprentice departed for a field mission. Nil offered to join them but they declared that Susan and Shawn were sufficient protection. They instructed him to stay behind, train, and prepare for the Chase. Lily had told Nil that he didn’t have a chance against one of the Wilson Ludus participants. He wanted her to be wrong.
Watcher and Iris gave him the opportunity to showcase his latest upgrade the day after Andrew completed the process—and gained five ranks for his efforts. They got together in the mountaintop crater just after dawn. All cultivators evacuated out of respect to the Blind Master, giving them privacy.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Once the last of them had left, Watcher activated his technique. Nil didn’t quite understand it, but the man seemed to create a domain out of the Source. It wasn’t just an illusion or blind construct but the same clearing full of grass and trees Nil had seen before. The textures, smell, and breeze felt so real he was sure it wasn’t an illusion. It felt like a pocket dimension or exclusive domain that co-existed with the rest of the universe.
“There is no death or permanent injury here,” Watcher told them. “Cut loose. Use your abilities, techniques, and everything you have.”
The pair obeyed.
Nil soon discovered that he wasn’t the only one with Source weapons. Along with her Source Arms, Iris also manifested a handful of weapons. Her human arms carried a pair of scimitars, one pair of secondary limbs bore axes, and the rest remained empty. She came at him as a tornado of blades, slashing and chopping. Her weapon-carrying disembodied limbs spun around her, making it nearly impossible to get close. Fortunately, Absorb and Nil’s silver barrier had little trouble catching the attacks and feeding off their energy to restore Brutal battery’s stores.
Meanwhile, Nil created Source Spheres and weapons just as he had in training. Instead of making a silver shell, he coated them in ‘Balance.’ Balance seemed to have no color. However, it proved to be a more reliable container for Chaos than Order. Balance was significantly more flexible and not reactive. It didn’t neutralize enemy motions or collapse, causing premature detonations. Coming into contact with other energy or materials didn’t consume Balance. It was inert, unlike Order and Chaos. Nil’s storage barely dipped as he fought, blocking and fending off Iris’s endless flurry.
There was still a lot of room for improvement. Balance felt significantly different from Chaos. Nil needed considerable practice to fine-tune his control over it. He needed to compress and contain everything better. Sharper edges were a priority. Nil also needed to figure out how he could effectively pair it with Order.
It was easier when I could just think in terms of colors.
Movement proved more effortless with the new chassis. Nil especially enjoyed not having to harness the entire thing at once. He could manifest the gauntlets or more if and when needed.
The Source Gauntlet’s base appearance had changed with the ascension. The burnt black had receded, and more of the gauntlet was chrome. After the ascension, the metal had developed a strange sheen. The shiny chrome sections seemed to ripple when the light caught them at certain angles, making the material appear almost mercurial. Meanwhile, the burnt areas were darker than before. Watcher’s Source Sphere came to mind.
Even though Nil was nowhere near used to the Source Gauntlets’ advancement and adapting to its new capabilities, he pushed Iris to her limits and almost got her to surrender. Unfortunately, she snaked a disembodied arm carrying a Source Dagger around Nil’s guard just as he switched to Expend and slipped it between his ribs, puncturing a lung. Watcher immediately ended his technique, and the two fingers returned to their starting positions before the sparring had begun, restored to perfect health.
Was that all a simulation?
“You’re terrifying”, Nil commented, thinking about the blade tornado that had come after him. “Why have you been holding back for so long?”
“I haven’t”, Iris answered. “Much like you, I’m also here to learn and prepare for the Cleansing. One of us has progressed more during their time here than the other.” She plopped down on her bottom. “Given the fight you just put up with incomplete techniques and unpractised techniques, you’re pretty extraordinary yourself. A few more weeks of practice, and I will be the disadvantaged one.”
“That’s until you get a soul weapon of your own,” Nil said. “I’m only keeping up because—”
“It's silly of you to put us on the same level at all. I’m from a world that’s had Qi and magic for more than a thousand years and is closing in on the status of Control World. I’m using techniques that have been refined and perfected over several generations and have been practicing them ever since I could feel Qi. And how long have you been a Summoned? Half a decade.”
“Almost three years if we take time dilation while questing into account. About two years and three months in time relative to my world. It's difficult to keep track of with questing and temporal inconsistencies.”
Iris frowned. “You’ve been at this for three years and almost on par with me.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “And you complain about falling behind and failing to keep up with your colleagues. You expect far too much of yourself. Life is not a race, you know. You’ll get killed if you don’t take your time.”
“I agree,” Watcher said. “It is why I said before that it’s a mistake to rush into the Cleansing. You need more time. But you might have a chance if you make the most of your remaining time here and the weeks leading up to it.”
“I’ll try to nail the Source weapons encased in Balance as soon as possible,” Nil stated. “Combining it with Source Sphere should make for a badass bludgeoning weapon and bomb. I just need to improve my emission and manipulation to launch it faster and harder.”
“That’s not all. Silver, Order, or whatever you want to call it, isn’t good for offense, and given its nature, I don’t think that will ever change,” Watcher told him. “However, combining it with Balance might help you get past limitations. Your mobility is one of your greatest strengths. Getting locked down when channeling Order or using its constructs is a major disadvantage. Perhaps you’ll find a way to get around it.”
“Maybe there’s a way I could do something with Anti-Friction Lattice.”
“You have a long way to go, Nil Roy. I look forward to your growth.” Watcher smiled. It was a rare show of emotion. “Your odds of gaining a ticket and doing something positive in the Cleansing has gone up.” His eyes momentarily shifted to Iris. “That’s relevant for both of you now. I sense there is some bubbling animosity between the pair of you. It might be in your best interests to work past it and focus on what’s important. The arena construct might give you tools to surrender and forfeit, but the Void and Scourge will try to keep you from using them. The probability of one or both of you dying is high.”