Chapter 18: Adamantite Alloy Body Forging Art!
Nick Ironforge stood outside the walls of the Lord's Mansion, looking up at the tall obsidian castle. The angular, sturdy fortress stood firm amidst the blizzard, its walls covered with dense frost-leaf ivy spreading across the surface. The natural atmosphere tempered the ferocious aura brought by the giant dragon skull decorations on the other side of the castle.
Since teleportation spells were quite costly, a dedicated airship now traveled between Winterfell Academy and the main city. The dwarf and his three companions had walked all the way from the landing field outside the city. Along the way, they saw the temporarily halted city expansion site, and their hearts were deeply shaken by the changes in their homeland.
The 'New Moldavia Main City' under construction would have five districts. The central inner district was the original Old Moldavia Main City, demarcated by the city walls, while the other four districts were the East, South, West, and North districts, separated by four 'Crystal Towers' currently under construction.
The Resonant Crystal Tower was a research achievement of the Church of the Seven Gods. Its prototype was the Hall of Holy Light at the foot of the Holy Mountain, which had the function of mobilizing stored energy to replenish the stamina of exhausted clergy nearby. This technology was handed over to the mage instructors at Winterfell Academy when the warriors returned from the Mad Dragon battlefield. Now, this technology had been integrated with the Empire's 'Star Pulse Furnace' transmission technology, capable of supplying energy to all magical equipment within a large area.
According to Joshua's plan, the new main city would extensively utilize various types of mana energy technology. This was the inevitable trend of the future Mycroft Continent. The sooner the transformation was carried out, the sooner the benefits would be reaped. Including one in the old district, a total of five Crystal Towers would be connected to the underground giant Mana Core, which would be enough to transform the old medieval city into a city of mana.
Moreover, the Resonant Crystal Towers would further increase the already abnormally dense mana concentration after the Great Magic Tide descended. All living beings would feel comfortable under the influence of this high-concentration mana. Battle Qi practitioners would find their training progress advancing by leaps and bounds, while magic learners would find meditation and elemental sensing unexpectedly simple.
Nick and his companions naturally felt these benefits at this moment. Although the Crystal Towers were not yet completed, their effects were already beginning to show. Ivan and Amira had outstanding mana affinity, and a faint layer of elemental light shimmered around them. The dwarf and Karin were slightly inferior, but they could still see obvious elemental luster flowing on the surface of their skin.
Marveling at the changes in the main city, they had already entered the city under the guidance of the attendants and arrived at the main entrance of the Lord's Mansion.
"Please follow me in."
At the entrance, a silver-haired girl elegantly led the group into the mansion. Both Nick and the others recognized this girl, who always followed behind the Lord. Her name was Ying, the head maid of the Radcliffe Family. She had been by his side since the warrior returned several years ago and reclaimed control of the territory. The head maid kindly led them to the reception hall inside the Lord's Mansion, then took her leave, telling them to sit down and wait for the summons. But everyone stood nervously in place, swallowing hard.
Although they often met the Lord at Winterfell Academy, at that time the warrior's identity was the academy's dean. But now, he might become their 'teacher.'
This was absolutely different. Although the academy system, due to its educational superiority, had begun to completely replace the original master-apprentice inheritance system, for the vast majority of Mycroft people, a teacher who passed down knowledge was still as important as one's parents. The academy dean was too distant from them, so there was no real sense of connection. But the word 'teacher' instantly closed that distance, making them feel dizzy, as if they weren't quite ready.
"The first one is Ivan Makarov."
Not long after, the silver-haired head maid returned. She smiled and brought the summons, saying softly, "Please follow me."
"Yes!" At this moment, the tall hunter youth seemed to have let go. The tension and nervousness on his brow vanished, replaced by his original calm. Ivan followed Ying up the stairs, heading toward the study on the upper floor.
Seeing the leader's composed demeanor, the remaining three felt much more at ease. The two girls huddled together, whispering, while Nick stared at the stairway entrance, his gaze vacant, lost in thought.
"It's really... like a dream."
He murmured softly, his voice so gentle it seemed unreal. The dwarf youth recalled his childhood. Having lost all his family to a natural disaster, he struggled to seek refuge with distant relatives. But because he feared the underground lava environment, he became a dwarf who couldn't live underground. Wandering through the northern wilderness made up most of his childhood memories, and it was there he learned the language of beasts. Back then, his only vision for the future was simply to survive. Friendship, family, happiness—these were far too luxurious for someone who couldn't even protect himself.
But now.
Thinking this, Nick turned to look at Karin and Amira beside him. The two girls noticed the dwarf's gaze and smiled together, nodding in acknowledgment. Then he looked up at the black ceiling, where Ivan was talking with the Lord.
Now, he had friends he could trust with his back, dozens of classmates studying together. Now, he had the power to protect himself and those he wanted to protect. Soon, the Lord, a legendary expert, would meet with him and assess him. If successful, he could become the disciple of a legendary expert.
"Next, Karin Sindra."
The head maid's voice came again. The red-haired girl exchanged words of encouragement with Amira, then walked toward Ying. As she passed by Nick, she casually slapped the dwarf youth on the back, laughing without a trace of tension. "Don't make that face, Nick! Whether we succeed or not, it's not a bad thing for us!"
The heavy slap on his back would have made an ordinary person stumble and fall, but the dwarf's build was naturally sturdy, and Nick was as strong and robust as a knight of the same age. Not only did Karin's slap fail to make him fall, but it felt to her as if she had hit a piece of iron.
"Thanks!"
But after blinking, Nick sincerely thanked her. He knew that Karin had noticed his fluctuating emotions and thought he was nervous, so she came over to comfort him. Hearing Nick's words, the red-haired girl chuckled lightly, then turned around freely and followed the young head maid up the stairs to the upper floor.
After that, neither Amira nor Nick felt like talking much. They chatted idly, guessing whether the two above had succeeded or failed. The hunter girl was still worried about whether her white dragon was living well at the entrusted care facility and whether the new caretaker had fed it enough. Soon, the third summons arrived.
"Next, Amira Makarov."
Although she had a gentle and elegant appearance, like a young lady, Amira was even more carefree than Karin or even her brother. The girl strode forward with confident steps, following behind Ying with a self-assured expression.
Hey! The Lord is a legendary warrior! Amira, your mage talent is good, sure, but why are you still so confident in this aspect!
Watching the girl move with the vigor of a dragon, Nick couldn't help but complain inwardly. But as he recalled their long journey of training together, the dwarf suddenly realized with a start that the girl who had just left often let out a hearty, spine-chilling laugh when killing monsters. Thinking carefully, she might actually be surprisingly compatible with that Lord, known as the enemy of monsters and the dragon-slaying lord!
Time always passed faster than expected. Just as Nick felt that only a few minutes had gone by, the silver-haired girl appeared again at the entrance of the reception hall, smiling as she said, "Please follow me, Nick Ironforge. You're the last one."
Finally.
At this moment, the dwarf who had been waiting finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now he understood why Ivan, the first to be summoned, had suddenly calmed down. The members of the First Squad were all the same type of people. They might be nervous and uneasy in ordinary times, but at critical moments, they could always calm down and face danger with the coolest attitude.
No, no, no, no, no, not danger. How could an audience with the Lord be dangerous? That was a slip of the tongue. It was about facing important matters!
Thinking this, the dwarf followed Ying up the stairs. His steps were heavy and steady, climbing each step.
As if stepping onto an entirely different fate.
And a long time later, the dwarf Nick Ironforge woke abruptly from a sudden slumber.
"I?"
After a subconscious exclamation, his mind quickly calmed down. Turning his head to scan his surroundings, Nick immediately saw his other three companions, who had also woken up but wore grim expressions.
At this moment, they were in a pure white room. The stone walls were adorned with various exquisite reliefs, exuding a sacred aura. These reliefs were very familiar to Nick, who had often gone to the church to scrounge for meals as a child—they were the distinctive style of the Church of the Seven Gods.
And judging by the intricacy of the reliefs, if there was no mistake, they were all now in the ward of the main city's Saint Lawrence Cathedral.
"You're awake, Nick?"
On another bed not far away, the youth with a hunter's braid spoke in a weak tone. "Still feeling a bit dazed? Then try to recall more."
Before Ivan, who seemed about to say more, could continue, Nick's mind, upon hearing the word 'recall,' instantly flashed back to the scene not long ago.
Everything was hazy and unclear. The scene was probably a simple study, and the Lord was sitting in the study chair, waiting for his arrival.
The stern-faced legendary warrior, their honorable dean, sat in the chair, the only clear presence in the haze. He seemed to have encouraged them a bit, praising their recent efforts and progress. Then, the topic turned directly to seriousness.
The dwarf's head was splitting with pain, but he still persisted in recalling. And because of this, sentences as clear as if they were ringing in his ears appeared in his mind.
"You are not yet my disciples. You are still not enough, far from it."
The dignified warrior said calmly. He wasn't discouraging these young people but stating a fact. "But that doesn't mean you've failed. Although I am strict, I'm not that strict. Next, I will teach you a path of growth. Not just you, but also Ivan, Karin, and Amira before you. I will give each of you a different cultivation method."
Amid the intense headache, Nick seemed to remember saying something at the time. So next, the warrior's voice, tinged with a hint of amusement, rang out. "No, I won't ask you to give up magic. On the contrary, it's precisely because you can use magic that I chose you."
The Lord's voice grew heavier, as if striking his heart, but the dwarf gritted his teeth and continued to recall. "If the truth of all things comes from an endless source like the sea, then magic and Battle Qi are merely winding rivers flowing through the wilderness. What I am about to give you may not surpass the thousand-year magical heritage of the Mycroft Continent, but it is closer to the sea. Of course, it is also harder to master."
"With a persevering heart, anyone can become strong. Nick Ironforge, remember my words. For you, immortality is not an unattainable goal. As long as you don't forget your original wish, don't stray from your original path, and keep walking forward firmly like this."
At this point, the warrior's voice was like thunder. The immense vibration made the dwarf youth's eyes crack. He couldn't help but hold his head, biting his lip tightly, trying his best to recall.
And the last sentence entered his mind.
"You will obtain my inheritance."
The final scene was a point of cold silver light, like steel. It was like a firefly, sinking into his body. Then, intense pain came, causing him to fall unconscious.
"Titan Six-Element Breathing Art?" The dwarf muttered to himself in confusion.
"Adamantite Alloy Body Forging Art?" The hunter youth rubbed his chin, his pale face showing some strangeness.
"Fusion Core Calamity Flame True Method?" The red-haired girl blinked, looking like she didn't understand.
"Realm Ripple Visualization?" The hunter girl touched her long hair, accidentally pulling one out during her recollection, wincing in pain.
"It should be that our minds are a bit unstable, so we misremembered the names."
Everyone heard the names of the inheritances the others had received. The four looked at each other, feeling bewildered. As the captain, Ivan said softly, "The inheritance I received is a method of energy circulation that merges elements and life force to strengthen both body and spirit to the limit... It feels a bit like a mix of breathing art and meditation. Let's call it Extreme Steel Breathing Art!"
He decisively set the tone, and from then on, the others began to think as well.
"Mine is a breathing art that simulates the Titan's body and abilities by fusing six elements." Nick said thoughtfully. "Thinking carefully, Titans do seem to live a long time... Let's call it Titan Breathing Art."
"As for me, it simulates a Fusion Core Star, constructing a new energy organ inside the body... A bit like the Mana Core of archmages." Karin said somewhat gloomily. "But I have to wait until I reach Gold-rank for this organ to fully form. Before that, I'll just gain some fire element affinity and a bit more mana. Why not just call it Fusion Core Furnace?"
"A meditation method that allows one to see mana, no, all energy trajectories..." Amira clapped her hands. She looked very satisfied but, under her brother's insistence, reluctantly changed the name. "Fine, fine, I know the name is a bit strange. Let's call it Magic Net Ripple Meditation... That won't work either? Then just Ripple Meditation."
Leaving aside the discussion in the ward about how to change the names casually given by the warrior, at this moment in the Lord's Mansion, Joshua, who had just sent out a trace of insignificant Steel Force as a carrier for the inheritance, had already closed his eyes. His mind sank deep, transforming his body bit by bit.
The study was silent.
And in this stillness, the warrior waited for the day of the Empire's celebration to arrive.