Walter sighed exaggeratedly. “You’ll understand once you see him.”
Jason’s group imagined all sorts of figures. Someone with lots of money, someone with a ridiculous backing, or maybe even the president of a country. All sorts of crazy ideas flashed through their heads.
As the pagoda neared the top, a heavy clang came from above. Clang, clang, clang. When every second passed, another clang rang. The closer to the top they got, the louder they grew. It reached the point where a normal human would start bleeding from the ears. Roy covered his ears and shouted over the clangs. “What the heck is that?!”
Jason’s eyes lit up as a figure flashed through his head, though he couldn’t be sure. A hint of anticipation steadily rose. When the pagoda reached the peak, Jason’s group got a clear view of the top of the pillar. Short green grass covered the ground. A crystal-clear lake covered a third of the pillar, which was the origin of the waterfall. Magic continuously supplied water to the lake, otherwise it would have long run out. The only building that could be seen was a large, rectangular wooden house.
Walter stepped off the pagoda and headed towards the house, followed by Jason’s group. As they neared, blue light suddenly began to emanate from the house. Walter paused as his face fell. When blue beams of light shot out of the windows, Walter dove to the ground and screamed. “TAKE COVER!”
Cheslov, Olivia, and Roy had superhuman senses, so they quickly copied Walter without questioning the reason why. Jason was the only one standing. He crossed his arms as excitement coursed through him.
Just as everyone hit the ground, humming came from the house and the air vibrated. A shout came from the house. “NOOO!”
The blue light reached a peak, followed by the sound of something shattering. In the next moment, the house exploded as a violent wave of mana swept outwards. Inside the chaotic mana were shards of metal. Thankfully everyone dove to the ground at the last moment, or they would have been skewered. As for Jason, a green hexagonal shield blocked the shrapnel.
As soon as the explosion arrived, it dispersed. The mana in the air grew calm. Roy’s eyes were wide as he exclaimed. “What the heck was that?! A bomb?!”
“Look out below!!” A hoarse scream came from above. Just as everyone looked up, an elderly man, so old that he seemed to be on the verge of death, slammed into the ground.
Roy and Cheslov were shocked, and even the expressionless Olivia was surprised. Walter shook his head, while Jason’s eyes lit up. Roy immediately jumped up and ran over to the elderly man. His hand glowed yellow as he touched the elder’s shoulder. After a moment, the elder twitched and jumped up. He kicked the ground and grabbed at his hair. His eyes were bloodshot as he shouted. “Damn it! I was so close! So, so close!”
Roy was stunned when the elder jumped to his feet. He seemed to be full of life for someone on the verge of death. In fact, he seemed to be completely uninjured. As Roy watched the elder go crazy, he stepped back cautiously. The elder clearly had a few loose screws, so it was best to keep his distance.
Walter continued to shake his head as he introduced. “This is Su Long. He is the undisputed number one blacksmith in the world.”
Roy, Olivia, and Cheslov’s hearts pounded when they heard Walter. The title of number one blacksmith had more influence than the title of the strongest ascender. Equipment was power, and blacksmiths could produce equipment that was even stronger than gear dropped by monsters and dungeons. Su Long had long been famous in the tower. It was just that he was very reclusive, and in recent months had disappeared entirely.
Su Long suddenly noticed Walter’s presence. He stumbled over and clutched Walter’s shoulders as tears fell down his cheek. “Oh, Walter. You have no idea the pain I’m going through. I’m so close to completing it. So close! Just a bit more and I would have finished it. But no, this damn method is so complex. The slightest mistake leads to an explosion. Dangerous, very dangerous.”
Walter looked expectantly at Su Long. “As long as you can complete it, a new era will surely appear.”
“Yes, yes. A new era!” Su Long nodded repeatedly as fantastical thoughts flashed through his head.
Roy stepped closer, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What is Senior Su Long working on?”
“Hm?” Su Long turned to Roy, suddenly realizing that there were more people here. Two complex runes suddenly appeared on his eyes as he inspected Roy. A second later, he gasped, strode up to Roy, and clasped Roy’s cheeks. “You! What the hell is with your mana?”
Before Roy could respond, he felt like he was completely seen through. Su Long staggered backwards. “You’re the champion of light?! No wonder!”
Roy was shocked. “How did you know?”
When Walter heard this, he looked at Roy with admiration and care. In the next second, he turned to Su Long and frowned. “Su Long, don’t use the inspect skill without permission!”
Su Long didn’t hear Walter. He walked around Roy as the complex rune in his eyes flashed repeatedly. Su Long muttered. “Very pure, very pure. Properties of healing and purification. I’ve never seen such mana lines. I need to experiment with this…”
Walter sighed when he realized Su Long was in ‘that’ mode. He walked up to Su Long and grabbed his shoulder. “Su Long, remember when I said you can only stay here temporarily? It’s time for you to go.”
Su Long froze and came back to reality. He fell to his knees and clasped Walter’s legs. “What? No, don’t do this, Walter, my boy. I need the 10% XP boost!”
Walter forced back a chuckle and pointed at Jason. “He’s the owner of the plot flag now. You have to talk to him.”
Su Long turned to look at Jason and crawled over to him before kowtowing. “Sir! Please let me stay. I’m a good tenant! No problems!”
Olivia muttered. “Besides the explosions and clanging?”
Su Long shivered before banging his head against the ground. “You have no idea how close I am. Just a little bit more and I’ll finish it!”
Jason was just like Walter. He was using all of his willpower to force back his laughter. In his memories, Su Long was an eccentric old man who had no shame when it came to blacksmithing. As for what Su Long was working on, Jason knew exactly what it was. “You can stay, but I have a few conditions.”
Su Long’s eyes were full of hope as he looked up. “Say it!”
Jason raised a finger. “You must supply my guild with equipment for one year. Right now, there are only four of us.”
Su Long considered it for a moment before gnashing his teeth. “This old man agrees, but you have to supply the materials.”
“Of course.” Jason considered for a moment before he raised a second finger. “You have to join my guild.”
Su Long hesitated. He clenched his hands as he debated internally. He had never joined a guild, and not even his homeland, China, was able to control him. He might be a bit crazy, but he was extremely prideful. As he was thinking, his eyes grew bloodshot. A few moments later, he stood up and shook his head. “This old man values the 10% XP boost, but I won’t join any guild!”
Jason expected this much. In the alternate future, he wasn’t close with Su Long, but he did know a lot about him. Thinking this, he waved his hand and sent his bloodline screen over to Su Long. “How about if I add this?”
Su Long’s eyes widened in disbelief. “This… this… what is this?!”
Walter grew curious and glanced at the screen, and what he saw made even him shocked. “Five percent XP boost!”
The five percent XP boost was one of the bloodlines that wouldn’t be discovered for another few years. Due to Jason’s knowledge, it had appeared much earlier this time around.
Su Long trembled. Having a fifteen percent XP boost would allow his skills to grow much, much faster. Still, to trade his freedom for it wasn’t worth it. His chest clenched
anxiously as he said. “I can’t!”
Jason smirked when he saw Su Long’s hesitation. With a playful smile, he added. “I also know of a bloodline that increases crafting speed by 5%, crafting quality by 5%, and crafting success by 5%.”
Su Long coughed up a mouthful of blood as his eyes rolled backward. He collapsed to the ground and muttered weakly. “This old man admits defeat.”
Chapter 25
After Su Long agreed to join Jason’s guild, he started muttering gibberish as he made his way over to the destroyed house. He opened up the buildings list and paid a significant fee to have the tower build a new building instantly. The resources to build it, such as wood and nails, were automatically taken from his inventory. Only rich ascenders would use such a method, and Su Long was one of the richest.
Walter watched the entire exchange between Jason and Su Long from the side. He was amazed that Su Long actually agreed to join a guild, but more amazed by the bloodline effects. Walking up to Jason, he asked. “Do those bloodlines really exist?”
Jason shrugged nonchalantly. “They sure do.”
Walter’s eyes lit up. Much like the other top-tier guilds, Skyfall nurtured numerous blacksmiths and alchemists. If they had those craftsmen-oriented bloodlines, they would grow much quicker. The 5% XP bonus was on another level entirely. That benefited anybody. Walter took a deep breath. “How much?”
“Index is planning on releasing these for free.” Jason gave Walter a grin. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t make some profit. If you buy up the bloodlines required to synthesize the unique bloodlines, the other guilds will have to come to you.”
Walter and Jason gave each other a knowing smile. They immediately began to talk business. Seeing this, Cheslov got bored and started running laps around the pillar. Roy saw Su Long disappear into the newly made building, so he ran over. Olivia followed after him.
After entering the building, Roy and Olivia paused. The entire place was one room. A furnace and anvil took up half, while the other half was filled with workbenches and shelves. Su Long was standing in front of the furnace. Mana extended from his hand and powered up the furnace. When the heat reached a peak, he nodded and waved his hand. A steel ingot appeared and hovered inside the furnace. As the ingot melted, the liquid continued to hover in the air.
Roy gasped. “Why is it hovering?”
Su Long snorted. “Any good blacksmith will know the telekinesis skill. It’s indispensable!”
When the ingot fully melted, Su Long turned around and walked over to a barrel of water. His mind sent out a command. The liquid transformed, forming a sword. Then it dropped into the barrel of water. Moments later, a newly crafted sword rose into the air.
Roy was flabbergasted. “What the heck? Don’t blacksmiths have to hammer stuff repeatedly?”
Even Olivia was visibly surprised. They had never seen this method of forging before. Su Long made it seem simple. Too simple. They didn’t know that only after years of hard work could he so casually craft a sword. Roy remembered something and grew confused. “What was all that clanging earlier if you don’t have to hammer anything?”
Su Long glared at Roy. “You talk too much.”
Roy was startled and looked at Su Long’s expression. He realized Su Long thought he was a nuisance. Unwilling to impose, Roy turned to leave, but was stopped by Olivia. She glanced at Su Long. “Don’t you want to experiment with his mana? Maybe you should be nicer.”
Su Long blinked in surprise. He suddenly remembered that he just joined their guild, so his usual attitude of telling others to screw off might not work this time. Plus, he saw that Roy was genuinely curious. Sighing heavily, he explained. “I can only melt certain metals. The clanging earlier was from a metal that could only be hammered.”
“Oh!” Roy nodded in understanding before asking another question. “So what are you working on that can make a new era?”
Su Long grew excited at the thought of himself ushering in a new era. This time, he had no problem explaining. “Come here and watch.”
Roy and Olivia walked over to the anvil full of curiosity. Su Long laid the sword on the anvil, raised a finger, and took a deep breath. A dim blue light came from the tip of his finger. As the seconds passed, the light grew brighter and brighter, until a one-inch ray of mana extended from his fingertip. Su Long spoke with pride. “This is called mana engraving!”
Su Long lowered his finger and carefully drew onto the flat side of the sword. When he raised his finger, a strange symbol was carved onto the steel blade. The lines were filled with mana. They looked like veins.
Roy’s eyes widened. “Wow, cool! Amazing!”
Su Long laughed heartily. Only a few blacksmiths had this skill, and those that did were leading the pack. They were the top blacksmiths. Roy’s next question caused Su Long to freeze. “So, what did you do?”
“You’re amazed and you don’t even know what I did?” Su Long shouted in irritation. His spit flew all over the place.
Su Long folded his arms and huffed. “Inspect the blade.”
Roy and Olivia glanced down and froze when they found what they saw. The blade wasn’t anything special, but its additional effect was new to them.
(Basic) Mana Glyph
+5 Damage
“That simple glyph gave it more damage?” Roy was in disbelief.
Olivia’s eyes narrowed as she realized something crucial. “How many glyphs do you know?”
Su Long smiled at her question. “That’s a secret.”
Roy jumped up and down in excitement. “Wow, wow, wow! This is amazing. If every piece of gear had these glyphs, wouldn’t that be great?”
Su Long nodded repeatedly. This kid was beginning to understand his greatness, though Olivia’s next sentence caused his face to twitch. “This is indeed amazing, but it can’t usher in a new era.”
Su Long glared at Olivia silently. After a moment, he nodded. “You’re perceptive. I normally wouldn’t have shown you this, but since we can be considered guild mates, I’ll share it.”
Su Long waved his hand. A steel helmet appeared and landed on the anvil. On the forehead of the helmet was an extremely complicated glyph. The mana veins intersected tens of times. The only problem was that some of the veins were dim. When Roy and Olivia inspected it, their mouths dropped.
(Grand) Unsuccessful Mana Glyph
Consume 10 mana to cast a fireball at a target. Deals damage based on your intelligence. 10-minute cooldown.
1/3 uses remaining.
“T-t-this…” Roy was at a loss for words. What he was looking at was something he had never imagined before. A piece of gear with a skill on it! Just imagine it. An ascender had over ten pieces of gear equipped at a time. If every piece had a skill…
Olivia’s words were like a bucket of cold water. She immediately pointed out the flaws. “Limited uses, damage based on intelligence, and a long cooldown. It’s an incomplete product.”
Roy quickly refuted. “It’s still amazing. Don’t listen to her, Su Long!”
“No.” Su Long shook his head. “She’s right. The only people who use a fireball are mages. They don’t need this glyph. If a strength-based ascender had this glyph, the damage would be much lower.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, grandmaster.” Jason said confidently as he walked in through the door. “Imagine a warrior summoning a fireball in the middle of battle. The opponent would never expect it. These glyphs are the difference between life and death.”
Jason was speaking from firsthand experience. There were numerous times when those glyphs saved his life.
Su Long smiled brightly. “I know that, brat. You don’t have to tell me. I can’t do anything about the cooldown, but the limited uses are because I keep failing. As soon as I succeed, it will be unlimited.”
Roy’s eyes glittered. “My mana has healing properties. If you made a skill based on my mana, wo
uldn’t everyone have a healing skill?”
Su Long’s eyes shined even brighter than Roy’s. “You’re absolutely right!”
Jason sucked in a breath at Roy’s comment. In the alternate future, only after several more decades would the combination of Su Long’s glyphs and Roy’s mana come into existence. Now it was happening much, much sooner. This would change everything.
Chapter 26
Over the next several minutes, Roy was so curious about Su Long’s unique method of blacksmithing that he asked numerous questions. At first, Su Long patiently answered any question Roy asked, but when Roy asked the twentieth question, his patience finally snapped. Su Long pointed at everyone and spat. “You, you, and you! Can’t you see I’m trying to work here? Get out!”
A large ghostly hand appeared next to Roy and Olivia before pushing them towards the door. Roy was in awe as he was pushed. “Is this hand from telekinesis?”
Hearing Roy ask yet another question, Su Long quickly pushed harder. If he didn’t, he might go crazy. Roy’s endless curiosity was a bad match up for his impatient personality. Jason calmly sidestepped the hand as Roy and Olivia were tossed out of the building. He glanced at Su Long. “I won’t change your property rights, but can you move out from the center of the pillar? I want to build a mansion next to the lake, but your explosions might damage it.”
“Fine, but a mansion?” Su Long snorted as he began practicing his mana engraving skill on another piece of armor. “That’s gonna be expensive. Heh. I may be rich, but don’t be asking me for money just because I’m in your guild. Well, I might lend you some if you beg.”
“I won’t take advantage of you.” Jason smiled. Not only was Su Long eccentric, he was very stingy as well. The only thing he spent money on was blacksmithing. Anything else was beneath his interest. Jason took out a piece of paper and began writing on it. When he was finished, he handed it over to Su Long. “Here’s the recipe for the bloodlines. Please don’t spread this.”
Towers of Heaven 2 Page 12
