Pillar of Yita

But she didn’t speak.

Because she felt there was no need to reiterate this reason.

Tata had understood from the beginning that her knight was not the indecisive type.

After choosing his school, Fang Hong looked at his skill list with satisfaction. The description for the skill ’Magic Guided Basic Theory (Colin Ishurian)’ had changed accordingly, now reading as follows:

Magic Guided Basic Theory (Colin Ishurian) [Skill/Knowledge/Alchemy/Level D]: You are one of the formal craftsmen in Kapuka, Axinpal, Golande, or Farview Port, years of rigorous training have ingrained formulae, ether flow, constructs, and crystals into your mind. When involved in [Alchemy]-related production and manufacturing, you gain 20 points of Basic Production Power (progression). Thanks to the technical orientation of the kingdom, you get an additional 20% increase in [Heat Dissipation], [Stability], [Magic Guided] related affixes.

You have chosen to study in-depth under the most influential Ishurian School in the Cloud Sea Region, valuing the fundamentals of alchemy and the most traditional values of an artisan. When involved in the production related to [Alchemy] affixes, all sources of production power increase by 40%, +10 to craft precision.

[Fine-Tuning]: School ability, when involved in production related to [Alchemy] affixes, you can make a second connection for every successfully connected structural point, the precision requirement for the second connection is further increased by 30%, and upon successful connection, the structural point’s precision surplus increases by 10%. Failure equates to damage to the structural point.

[Cautious Creation]: School ability, when involved in production related to [Alchemy] affixes, you can achieve higher work precision with half the production power. When using this ability, work precision is additionally increased by 50%. (If production power is not accounted for, this ability is also nullified. For example, in fine-tuning, polishing.)

It is well known that when a craftsman makes a Magic Guided Conductor, each connected structural point requires the attribute of work precision. Often, when successfully connected, there is a surplus of precision beyond what is needed, and this overflow of precision is referred to as precision surplus.

This precision surplus attribute will gradually accumulate during the production process until the moment the piece is completed when it will be settled by a special effect. After the settlement, the higher the working precision surplus, the higher the quality level of the final product, and labels like ’Meticulously Crafted’ and ’Flawless’ might even appear.

In this respect, the Ishurian School, equipped with the [Fine-Tuning] ability, obviously enjoys unique advantages. At least in the Colin Kingdom, nearly all the fine craftsmen come from the Ishurian School.

After upgrading his basic Magic Guided Theory, Fang Hong immediately proceeded without stopping to elevate his Ether Knowledge to Level D mastery, and also casually chose the Weaver School.

Ether Knowledge [Skill/Knowledge/Ether/Level D]: Whether it be Magic Guided Arts, natural sciences, elemental analysis, or alchemy, the method of comprehending the world remains fundamentally the same—ether magic power. This skill grants you an in-depth knowledge and mastery of Core Crystals and ether magic power below Level D, and you gain a 20% bonus on all checks related to [Ether] affixes.

You believe that ether magic power is distributed in a network and its flow follows the principles of Ailin. You are a supporter and admirer of the Weaver School. When manufacturing core crystals, the time consumed is reduced by 25%, and your magic capacity is additionally increased by 20%.

[Web Effect]: School ability, when your magic capacity is over 50% above its limit, magic recovery speed is reduced by 30%. When your magic capacity is below its limit, magic recovery speed is increased by 40%.

Within the schools that delve into Ether Knowledge, there are many useful categories, but Fang Hong still chose the relatively niche Weaver School because it fits well with his abilities.

On one hand, the manufacturing of Type-One Crystals took too much time; he nearly spent the whole night just to completely modify the core crystal for the Emerald Bird αAE Magic Guided Reactor. And the non-core Type-One Crystals also took several times longer than crystals of the same quality, where the Weaver’s ability to reduce core crystal manufacturing time seemed made just for him.

On the other hand, the ability to increase magic capacity and recovery is also perfectly suitable for a Fairy Master. Tata knew firsthand how terrible the magic consumption was while controlling the Fairy Constructs.

After enhancing his skills mastery, 33,300 experience points were spent like flowing water, and Fang Hong naturally reached Level 4. Due to the accumulation of knowledge, his intelligence rating slightly increased, jumping from F++ to E- level, learning ability rose from 177% to 180%, and memory and computational power correspondingly improved to 37 and 55.

In addition, language ability and analysis ability each increased by 1 point, whereas the perception attribute remained unchanged. As for physical attributes, not having their rating decreased was already a big concession.

Fang Hong was also aware of this issue—as a Combat Artisan, his combat experience was really too little.

Although his current path was more aligned with that of a traditional craftsman, some essential combat experience was still necessary. Otherwise, if he wasn’t careful and his physical attributes rating dropped, it would be truly a reason to cry without tears.

Fortunately, Fang Hong had already begun consciously addressing this issue.

After adding the skills, he retracted his hand, and all sorts of light pages and panels vanished into nothingness, like sand slipping through the hourglass. His small room remained as cramped as before, with Tata sitting on the table, calmly looking up at him.

For a moment, the space was quiet, and it seemed as if a certain tacit understanding had been established between the two. From the distant window, Tianlan’s loud and excited voice could be continuously heard from the forest.

Fang Hong picked up his Walker II model, looked at Tata, and asked, ”Shall we go out and try the new toy?”

Tata shook her head.

What she spoke of, however, was something else, ”Mr. Knight, do you still remember the last thing from last night?”

Fang Hong, hugging the Walker II model, which was nearly half his size, appeared startled and countered, ”You mean the story Mr. Mazak told us?”

”He didn’t tell the whole truth, Mr. Knight,” Tata replied.

”Huh?”

Tata continued to inquire, ”Do you still remember what that little girl told you before?”

”Tianlan? Which thing?” Fang Hong hadn’t reacted just yet.

”The chairman of the Black Goat Commerce Association, Luen Linxiu.”

”Ah, I remember him. Tianlan holds a grudge against that guy. He seems to have given Miss Atira a brooch, that brooch...” Fang Hong began, then suddenly froze, ”Ah, that brooch...”

”That little girl had previously mentioned that starting from twenty years ago, that person would stay at the Traveler camp at the end of each summer until just before the winter solstice. And now, it is the end of summer in Aquen.”

The voice of Miss Fairy was very quiet, as if she were discussing a matter completely unrelated to them, ”Mr. Knight, I just found something else on the community forum—”

”Apparently, Mazak’s father had helped a young man thirty years ago,” she said slowly, ”Although we don’t know who that young man was. But seven years ago, when Mazak took over the inn, he faced some financial difficulties, and in the end, the Black Goat Commerce Association almost gratuitously funded him and helped him out of that big trouble.”

By then, Fang Hong had remembered what the brooch looked like—it depicted a ferocious, giant dragon on a black background, one horn missing, exhaling fierce flames.

He inhaled sharply and instinctively wanted to grab the package he had placed aside, but after a second thought, he stopped, ”Is this what you were investigating on the community forum earlier, Tata?”

Miss Fairy nodded.

”Can you be sure that the information on the community forum is true?”

”Not entirely, Mr. Knight,” Tata answered, ”But at the very least, it shows that the innkeeper hasn’t been completely truthful with you, opting to completely avoid everything that has happened over these thirty years. As for whether his intentions are good or bad, we can’t yet speculate.”

”Then I want to go see Miss Atira,” Fang Hong faintly felt that this matter might be related to the whereabouts of Atira’s brother, he immediately said, ”Do you want to come with me, Tata?”

Miss Fairy shook her head.

”You don’t want to see anyone else?” Fang Hong was somewhat puzzled, ”Why?”

”I don’t know,” Tata replied, ”But I have an intuition that if I appear before them, it might cause great trouble.”

Fang Hong was taken aback for a moment, but then nodded trustingly, ”Alright, you wait here for me.”

Tata also nodded slightly.

Having said that, Fang Hong pushed the door and walked out.

...