As the sunlight gradually dipped below the horizon, Robb stepped out of his laboratory and made his way to the training grounds in the backyard of his workshop.
Daera was already there waiting. Her silver hair shimmered brilliantly under the setting sun.
In recent days, the young siren's growth had been astonishing.
She now had the body of a ten-year-old human child and demonstrated increasingly refined control over water elements.
"Master!" Daera waved excitedly when she saw Robb. "Look at my new skill!"
She traced an elegant arc through the air with her hands, causing water elements to coalesce into a delicate crystal sphere that sparkled with rainbow hues in the sunlight.
"Not bad," Robb nodded with a smile. "Very stable control."
"I've got something even better!" Daera declared proudly. She took a deep breath, a look of concentration flashing in her eyes.
The crystal sphere suddenly split into dozens of smaller orbs, spinning around her like planets around a star, forming a flowing protective barrier.
Each orb held its trajectory perfectly, moving in a pre-determined path, clear proof of her precise mastery over water elements.
"I came up with this all by myself yesterday!" she said, beaming. "Sis Layla said it could help me protect myself!"
Robb circled around her, carefully observing the orbs' movement and energy patterns.
Though the ability seemed simple on the surface, it demonstrated sophisticated elemental control and spatial planning, far beyond what a typical sea siren of her age could do.
The effects of her "Glutton" talent were becoming more and more apparent, leading to abnormal but powerful growth.
"Very creative," Robb praised, producing a small vial. "I brought you a new 'meal' today. It'll make you even stronger."
Daera curiously peered at the vial, which glowed with a red hue. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Ever since Robb discovered that she could grow by ingesting materials rich in magic energy, he had been preparing special "meals" for her.
Today's vial contained a blood-red enhancement elixir, crafted over three days. It included a small amount of essence extracted from the bloodline of a Crimsonblood Wyvern.
It had been meticulously purified and stabilized to suit her siren physiology.
"Drink it, but slowly," Robb instructed. "Pay attention to the sensations. Try to understand every nuance, it'll help you absorb and convert the energy better."
Daera took the vial and sipped carefully. Her eyes lit up at once.
"It's so warm!" she exclaimed. "It feels like little flames are dancing in my belly!"
Robb watched her sip slowly, observing every reaction in detail.
As the elixir took effect, faint changes began to appear on Daera's skin.
Nearly invisible scale patterns shimmered briefly on her arms before blending seamlessly into her natural siren form.
Exactly what Robb had hoped for, guiding her bloodline toward diversification by feeding her various magic energies.
Of course, the aggressive traits of the dragon bloodline had already been removed during processing.
This particular formula was just a high-energy food. It might improve her fire affinity slightly, but nothing more.
Whether to eventually infuse her siren bloodline with draconic traits would depend on further careful experimentation.
"Daera, how would you feel about entering the Blood Arena?" Robb asked suddenly, "There will be many powerful opponents, and rich rewards."
Her eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded enthusiastically. "I want to enter! I'll show everyone how amazing Master's Daera is!"
Robb chuckled and patted her head.
"I believe in you. But before that, we'll need more training, so you can fully master your new abilities."
In the days that followed, Robb entered a phase of deep focus in his research.
He decided to devote all his energy to soulsteel, because only by fully understanding this mysterious metal could he determine the viability of his future plans.
Soulsteel was incredibly rare, with unmatched malleability and magic conductivity, ideal for crafting high-level magical artifacts.
Every day, Robb spent hours "communicating" with the soulsteel, continuously infusing it with his spiritforce, allowing the metal to gradually adapt to his energy signature.
It was a slow, energy-consuming process, but the results were clear:
The soulsteel's surface began to subtly change. It became smoother, more responsive to Robb's commands.
"The core property of soulsteel lies in its unique crystalline lattice," Robb wrote in his notebook.
"This structure can 'memorize' the user's energy wave pattern and adjust its internal energy flow accordingly. In theory, after enough exposure, soulsteel can achieve full resonance with its user's energy frequency."
At this stage, Robb began attempting preliminary shape-shifting with the soulsteel.
Focusing his mind, he visualized the simplest form, a short sword, and transmitted the image to the metal with unwavering intent.
Initially, the soulsteel didn't respond.
But as he adjusted his mental inputs and refined his control, it finally reacted on the fourth day, its edges sharpened slightly, and its shape began to resemble a blade.
[Alchemy (Adept) EXP +1]
"Progress is slow but steady," Robb recorded in his mental library. "Forcing this process could destabilize the internal structure, which would ruin the final product."
At that moment, just as the soulsteel began its first major transformation, the system panel displayed a critical message:
[New Class Advancement Path Available:]
[Special Talent: Dual Soul + Activated Magic Sword + Thousand-Form Phantasm (Glorious Legacy) + Substitute Puppet (Rare Relic)→ Black Warlock (Three-Star)]
[Effect: Upon activation, the magic sword gains Black Warlock's corruption trait, while the original body remains unaffected.]
This revelation made Robb's eyes gleam.
The system's confirmation meant he was on the right track, he just needed to polish the details.
Even more surprising, the panel offered a bonus insight:
[Optional Concept: Become a Demon Slayer via Substitute Puppet + Monster Organ Integration]
Effect: The clone shares all positive traits but none of the side effects. The original body gains Demon Slayer abilities.
It aligned perfectly with Robb's own theories.
He'd been thinking about how to obtain the power of a Demon Slayer without the associated mutation risks. The puppet was the answer, let the copy bear the risk while the real body reaps the benefits.
Robb took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.
These confirmations gave him great confidence, but he remained cautious.
"Every step must be executed with precision. No room for error."
The key stages included:
Safe separation and transfer of soul fragments
Upgrading the Shapeshifter Skin
Acquiring and activating the Substitute Puppet
Perfect forging of the activated magic sword
He returned to the academy library, leveraging his wizard reserve rank to access soul theory archives.
From ancient soul doctrines to modern mind studies, from divination theories to debates on the essence of life, Robb studied everything he could find.
These studies helped him build a detailed framework:
Souls are divisible, but only under strict conditions.
Over-splitting weakens fragments to the point of instability. Improper techniques damage the core soul structure, leading to mental degradation.
"Safe soul splitting requires three conditions," he wrote:
Follow the soul's natural texture, like cutting diamonds along crystal lines.
Instantly house the fragment in a suitable vessel to prevent energy loss.
Maintain a stable connection between original and fragment, but with enough isolation to prevent interference.
That's why the Shapeshifter Skin needed to be upgraded, the "Glorious Legacy" tier had the right insulation capability.
And the Substitute Puppet solved the vessel issue.
According to legend, this mysterious artifact from the Deep Abyss could replicate the user's consciousness and abilities, creating a near-perfect "clone."
If a soul fragment could be placed inside, it would prevent energy loss and structural collapse.
In an ancient, heavily restricted tome titled The Path of the Apostle: Awakening and Transcendence of the Black Warlock, Robb found several success stories.
The book, bound with seals and access-limited, only allowed him to read a portion.
"The Thirteen God-Apostles, Masters of Corruption."
It described how the strongest among them, the "Void Spider" Maegor, was once just an ordinary Morning Star Magus with a Soulweaving talent. After developing a unique splitting method, he placed fragments into special crystal spheres, each linked to him.
Maegor used this method to channel mental corruption into those spheres, then convert it into raw power through rituals.
Even before becoming an Apostle, he once killed three Radiant Moons in a single battle, and deflected a full-powered strike from a Breaking Dawn Magus.
Another case was "The Mistress of Transmutation" Isabella, who had an Empathy talent, allowing her to sense and mimic others' emotional states.
Using a special mask as a vessel, she successfully separated her soul while retaining full consciousness. This allowed her to exist in multiple places simultaneously, and even resurrect through the mask when her main body was "killed."
However, the book also issued a dire warning:
"Those without the required talents face almost certain death. Soul collapse is more painful than death. Survivors often go mad."
During the chaotic Dark Times of the Second Era, over twenty ancient mages attempted to replicate Maegor's method.
Only two survived, and both lost their minds and were locked forever.
Robb closed the book and fell into deep thought.
The risks of soul-splitting were obvious, but the rewards were beyond tempting.
Those who succeeded all possessed special gifts. It made him wonder whether his Dual Soul could serve as his safeguard.
"There's still more to learn," he murmured, gazing toward the library's depths.
"But it all starts with the Blood Arena."
He had to win the Substitute Puppet, the linchpin of the plan.
He still needed to uncover more on soul-splitting operations, and how to mitigate their dangers.
Robb turned toward the window, watching the shifting clouds above the Black Mist Forest.
The Blood Arena had been delayed, but it would happen eventually.
Until then, he had much to prepare.
"Careful. Step by step," he reminded himself.
"If I'm to pursue the path of magic, I can't afford recklessness. The rest will wait, until I reach the threshold of becoming an actual sorcerer."