Prince of The Abyss

[You have killed a Reader Beast, Large Underworlder]

[You have killed a Reader Beast, Large Underworlder]

[You have killed a Reader Echo, Underworlder]-

...

[You have killed a Seeker Fragment, Upper Underworlder]

[Your knowledge grows stronger.]

Aether sighed, letting Voidpiercer back into his arm.

”These guys keep coming. When we killed the first three, they were rare, but now they are everywhere. It’s getting really annoying.”

Sena chuckled. ”Only for you. I like taking a break once in a while and watching you take care of them.”

Aether tilted his head, putting his hands on his hips. ”Sure, but at the same time, have you even killed something... no, rather, since you have killed, have you gained any shards? Since you didn’t kill anything outside, you didn’t get any shards, and since you’re a Seeker, you can’t get shards from Readers.”

”I don’t really care for shards at the moment, nor for materials, since I know you must have gained some.” She said while they resumed walking. ”I’ll reach enlightenment and then see what I can do for my rank.” She smirked. ”Plus, we’ve been getting closer to finding a way to create relics that can give us shards. It is still going to take some time, but not that much left.

Aether’s eyes widened. Relics that gave shards... ’That is...’ He frowned, not very impressed by it. ’Awfully convenient; of course they create something to make their progress faster, and without any meaning.’

Gripping his chin, Aether didn’t respond to Sena immediately. ’How would that work?’

When it came to artificially created relics, he was completely outclassed; he had no idea how to do it, and neither was he ever going to be able to do it, since he didn’t have an affinity that allowed him.

Artificial Affinities were... expensive, but at the same time, cheap.

There weren’t a large number of people who could create them, and most couldn’t create advanced stuff, which is why most weaker smiths just made relics with simple abilities, or even without, binding something to the Codex is easier than giving in ability.

He didn’t know how. But at the same time, he had a vague idea; did he know if it was right? No. He just had the information Avrie had told him long before. ’Essence, that is what is needed to bind it to the Codex.’

How they did it, that was outside him. Probably something related to their Affinity, but he had never talked or met someone who could do it, outside one time when he was a child, but he wasn’t awakened to ask for a relic or something like that.

But that is the basics; adding an ability is far more complicated. He had no idea how it was even possible, so he wasn’t going to question it. But for it to give shards, the relic would have to also be an entity... ’Or maybe it has an ability to make it so that when broken it gives shards. But then again... wouldn’t it still have to be an entity...”

The closest thing he had seen was the Sun they had created in Frozen Crown, which was a massive core with essence, which made it an entity... but it wasn’t a relic.

’It’s really confusing... if they want to make it give shards, does the relic have to also have its own like entity core? But how does that work? Can it be both an entity and a relic at the same time... and wouldn’t it gain a consciousness? Also... how would they give it that core... after all, we had to... sacrifice human lives to do it... are they doing the same thing?’

...

He hoped he was wrong, that it was just another thing that the ability of the top smiths allowed.

Plus, maybe it’s something that the Codex planned. After all, when people first started making relics, they thought it was something that was never meant to happen, but materials always existed, even before they did.

’And above all, let’s say that it works, and the user gets the shards... how does the change work when they reach the next rank? Shards are gotten through battle, which not only gives the usual faster instincts, speed, and so on, but it also, of course, makes their battle skills better, their ability to adapt to it, and at the same time. But if you were a Fragment and got the shards for a relic all the way to a Beast, would you be as strong as another person with the same things as you, the only difference being that he had fought his way to that point?’

Turning back to Sena, he finally responded with a question. ”Do you also get the Knowledge of the fights you would have had to get to that point?”

Sena’s eyes widened. ”How am I supposed to know? I’m a consumer, not a producer.”

Crossing her arms, she sighed.

...

”When those relics finally come to life, they will surely make an interesting era. After all, if you have money, you can basically go from Reader Fragment to a Harbinger Titan without breaking a sweat; just get some of those Shard Relics, and then hire some Harbingers to help you. That’s it; I’m not saying it won’t take time, but you don’t have to do anything. The only thing is the Trial, but again... if you don’t do anything, you can’t get a hard Trial, even a Harbinger Trial. If it’s a Fragment rank, how hard can it be?”

....

”Is it going to be an era where Affinites matter even more... the rich will get stronger while the poor get weaker?”

Aether sighed. ”Well, that’s just not fun... But, at the same time... why now?”

Sena tilted her head. ”What are you trying to say now, another dumb theory?”

Aether frowned, annoyed, but he brushed through it. ”There hasn’t been something that required us to get stronger in such a long time, it’s a bit too much work for nothing, those smiths are important assets, they could be creating powerful blades, or charms, you get the idea, instead of doing something to help the people with their ranks, which they can do naturally, and isn’t that big of a difference.”

...

”There has to be something going on, a reason for it.”