A faint smile graced his lips as he turned his head toward Master Mardoc—only to find the man still fully immersed in scribbling down notes into his worn notebook, utterly absorbed in capturing whatever insights he had just gleaned. Seeing this, Mikael decided to wait until he was finished.
If nearly two weeks ago he had felt genuine killing intent toward this man for the things he had said about Sangrelia, now, after spending time in his company, Mikael had come to realize that the burly blacksmith was simply a man who spoke his mind too easily—someone direct to a fault, often letting words leave his mouth without passing through reflection, but not, in truth, a bad person.
Naturally, that alone wouldn't have been enough to alter Mikael's murderous inclination—after all, in his eyes, a person's disposition, whether 'good' or 'bad,' had no bearing on the weight of what they dared to say about Sangrelia, but—
Now that the reforging process had been completed successfully, and the end result was something far beyond what Mikael could have reasonably afforded with his available contribution points, a large portion of the cold rage lingering in his heart had finally begun to fade.
Still… a large part didn't mean everything.
A cold glint passed through Mikael's eyes as he looked at Master Mardoc, but as he felt Sangrelia softly vibrating against his back, his expression gradually softened. 'Let's call it even…' he thought to himself, the cold rage that had once burned in his chest now fading—though not entirely extinguished.
Master Mardoc would keep his life—unaware that he had been dancing on the edge of a blade and had only just now stepped onto solid ground—while walking away with significant gains in his Forging Dao, having studied the unique weapon that was Sangrelia.
As for Mikael… he had managed to get Sangrelia reforged at an incredibly reduced cost; if he had attempted to commission the same reforging process without Master Mardoc's personal interest in Sangrelia's masterful craftsmanship, the price would have soared far, far beyond anything his original budget could have handled.
In this context, it could be said that both parties had gained considerably from the process—that it had, in its own way, been a win-win situation—so calling it 'even' wasn't wrong.
It was with this 'mindset' that Mikael remained where he stood, unmoving, simply waiting as Master Mardoc continued scribbling down his insights on paper.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
15 minutes.
And finally, as the time Mikael had spent waiting edged toward the 30-minute mark, Master Mardoc at last ceased his furious note-taking, prompting a faint 'Finally!' to echo in Mikael's mind, a mix of relief and rising annoyance.
But just then—
CLANG.
Master Mardoc grabbed an ordinary steel hammer and began striking a small piece of iron atop the anvil with frenzied rhythm and focused intent.
A vein twitched on Mikael's temple, 'Is he fucking serious? Is he really starting a forging session now!?' he thought incredulously, but as the minutes continued to slip by and Master Mardoc showed no sign of stopping, Mikael finally snapped.
'Okay, enough of this shit—how long does he plan to keep hammering like that?'
Hmmm.
Sangrelia vibrated in agreement, having perceived her Master's emotions through their shared connection, and wholeheartedly agreed with him.
'Earlier he seemed to be internalizing the insights he gained during Sangrelia's reforging session, so I stupidly thought, "Why not wait a little?" But now it seems that I misunderstood—he seems determined to "hammer" his insights without any signs of stopping anytime soon, and I don't have days to waste!'
Ahem!
Mikael cleared his throat, trying to make his presence known, but the sound was stifled beneath the loud clang of forging.
"Master Mardoc."
Seeing that even that didn't reach him, he raised his voice, "MASTER MARDOC."
"Hum?" The burly man momentarily stopped his hammering, raising his head to look at Mikael with an inquisitive expression.
"I still haven't paid the contribution points for this Reforging Session—and the materials used."
"Ohh! You can go to the counter at the entrance of the Forging Hall. There's an array you can use to pay for the transaction—just input the number of contribution points you want to pay. You should know the amount, we talked about it some time ago."
Clang–clang–clang.
Without waiting for a reply, Master Mardoc promptly resumed 'hammering' his insights into the piece of iron.
"Really reliable…" Mikael muttered to himself with faint exasperation before turning on his heels and stepping out of the burning hot forging room.
He quickly made his way down the corridor, and after a brief stop at the counter near the entrance of the 'shop' where he paid the contribution points he owed, he finally left the building.
Step, step, step.
Hummm.
Mikael's footsteps and Sangrelia's soft humming were the only sounds echoing through the quiet Core Court as the two left behind the blazing heat of the Sect's Forging Section.
***
Several days later, far from the smoldering forge and the hammering chaos of metal and flame, a scene of tranquil serenity unfolded in an isolated corner of Mikael and the girls' Cultivation Manor.
This peaceful haven was a place steeped in nature's quiet beauty—tall trees, lush green grass, and vibrant flowers wove together into a vivid, almost overwhelming tapestry of greenery that blanketed the area.
Winding through this picturesque landscape were softly flowing streams of crystalline blue water, lending the surroundings a near-paradisiacal feel. Above, the sky stretched in an unblemished expanse of rich blue, only further enhancing the breathtaking splendor of the scene.
And finally, completing this marvelous tableau, was the gentle soundtrack of nature: the occasional lively chirping of birds, the soft rustling of leaves swayed by the wind, the subtle crackle of twigs underfoot, and the faint stirrings of small animals hidden amidst the undergrowth.
Together, these elements formed a scene so peaceful, so perfectly harmonious, it almost felt wrong for human presence to intrude upon it. And yet, at the very heart of this sanctuary, a lone figure sat in silence.
It was Mikael.
Seated cross-legged in a meditative pose, his eyes remained closed, his expression tranquil, his chest rising and falling with the slow, steady rhythm of his breath.
Sangrelia's newly reforged form rested gently across his lap as he remained immersed in meditation, his breathing seemingly in perfect harmony with the natural cadence surrounding him.
This calm and relaxing scene appeared as though it would continue indefinitely, a moment suspended in time—but at that very instant, Mikael's breathing rhythm subtly shifted, and soon enough, his closed eyes slowly opened.
"Ahhhhhh."
He let out a soft expiration as his fingers absentmindedly landed on Sangrelia's blade, beginning to 'play with her' while his thoughts stirred and coiled within, 'Time to make plans for my future cultivation and my first "real and long-term" cultivation session but…'
He looked forward, his gaze settling on the empty air before him, '...let's look at my Status, it's been a while since I opened it.'
"Status
[Name: Mikael Angelini | Race: Human (Akashic Records Universe Variation) | Lifespan: 25/300 → 26/300 | Military Rank: Corporal (Rank 3) | MP: 2,000/10,000
Cultivation Realm: Spiritual Foundation Realm - 1st Layer
Special Energy:
- Aura (Dirarnia World): SSS+ 50K/50K
- Mana (Dirarnia World): SSS+ 50K/50K
- Mental Force (Myrrakar World): Perfection Realm
- Vitalis (Zarvital World): Perfect Human Realm
- Anima (Eidorym World): Ascendant Realm
Cultivation Aptitude: Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 5
Traits:
- Self-Sustenance
- Partial Body Control
Talents:
Unique Type Talents:
- Prodigious Evolution Talent Level 3
- Unrestrained Mind (NEW)
Rare Type Talents:
- Prodigious Spiritual Wisdom Talent Level 3
- Prodigious Cognitive Prowess Talent Level 3
- Prodigious Tactical Genius Talent Level 3
- Prodigious Close Quarters Combat Talent Level 1
- Prodigious Adaptive Combat Talent Level 1
- Prodigious Vital Vessel Talent Level 1
- Prodigious Fluid Motion Talent Level 1
- Silent Predator Talent Level 5
- Energy Mastery Talent Level 5
- Arcane Elementalism Talent Level 5
- Forging Talent Level 5
- Runic Arts Talent Level 5
Common Type Talents:
- Prodigious Sword Talent Level 3
- Energy Efficiency Talent Level 5
- Alchemy Talent Level 5
- Fate Affinity Level 1 (NEW)
Cultivation Technique:
Main Cultivation Method(s):
- Elemental Unity Path (High Level Core Formation Art): Entry Realm – 10% toward Small Success (NEW)
- Sun-Moon Unity Technique (High Level Core Formation Art): Entry Realm – 10% toward Small Success (NEW)
- Ninefold Physique Method (High Level Core Formation Art): Entry Realm: Second Transformation – 30% toward Third Transformation (NEW)
- Obsidian Spirit Reinforcement (High Level Core Formation Art): Entry Realm – 0% toward Small Success (NEW)
- Divine Sense Refining Method (High Level Core Formation Art): Entry Realm – 20% toward Small Success (NEW)
Offensive Cultivation Technique:
- Moonpiercer Sword Art (High Level Core Formation Art): Small Success – 35% toward Great Success (NEW)
Movement Cultivation Technique:
- Cloudbreaking Stride (High Level Core Formation Art): Entry Realm – 60% toward Small Success (NEW)
Defensive Cultivation Technique: (Empty)
Auxiliary Cultivation Technique:
- Sword Nurturing Art (High Level Core Formation Art): Small Success – 10% toward Great Success (NEW)
- Foresight of Heaven Mandate (??? Art): First Layer – 0% toward Second Layer (NEW)
- Ferocity Art Mark II (Low Level Core Formation Art – Stage 2, Mid Level Core Perfection Art – Stage 1): Mastery (NEW)
Life Points (LP): 545 800 | Akashic Credits (AC): 0]
Mikael's eyes moved rapidly, quickly taking in his new Status Window, and after a short moment, his enhanced mind had already absorbed everything it displayed,
'I see… nothing much of unexpected, except maybe for the capabilities of quantifying my progress in various Cultivation Arts, I honestly expected to be more left to myself and in a way I wasn't wrong, as this Status Window information is rather barebones.'
His gaze quickly rescanned the Status Window floating before him, 'Of course I'm sure that if I take the time to search, I can find a way to get more information—which is something that I will do, but later, for now I have other things to do!'
'Still, even with this "barebones version", the information given out is more than I expected, I certainly didn't expect the %, I was more expecting something like Moonpiercer Sword Art: Entry Realm, or something of the sort…'
Pensively, he rubbed his chin, gaining a thoughtful expression, 'It's unexpected yes, but certainly not unwelcome.'
'At least it can help me better understand my level of progression in various Cultivation Arts and more easily "quantify it", it's certainly easier than going with a "gut feeling" to know how advanced I am in a Cultivation Method or the others…'
Chip.
Looking up, Mikael caught sight of a small yellow bird that had just chirped, it flew a short distance before landing in a small nest where its chicks were waiting and excitedly chirped, welcoming their mother.
Mikael diverted his gaze, ignoring the subsequent scene of the mother taking care of her chicks, and refocused his attention on the present situation.
After all, while the Status Window was interesting, it wasn't his primary concern for now—he was currently focusing on forming a plan for his first 'real and long term cultivation session'.
And going in blindly would be extremely stupid, after all Mikael always believed that it was better to work smarter than harder, of course working smarter and harder was the best of both worlds—which was what he fully intended to do.
He shifted his position slightly before gathering his thoughts, 'I should first and foremost establish a "list" of all the things I could do to progress as a cultivator which would allow me to grow before proceeding further in my planification.'
With that thought, Mikael didn't waste any time, and quickly enough, he established a mental list of everything he could do.
Author Note:
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———
Finally the reforging process is finished!
Sorry about that I really thought it would last 1-2 chapters max but in the end it was like 4 chapters so…yeah sorry.
Fortunately the plot continue, I wonder what this List will be?
Also this mini 'reforging arc' end with Sangrelia spirituality 'awakening' by reaching a threshold of being able to converse at any times while at the same she received a 'power boost' which will also boost Mikael power.
What his is current battle power? This is still unknown.
———
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— End of Chapter —