Chapter 436: Nayra and Ryun

Chapter 436: Nayra and Ryun

Art and Form

"Is this really what you want to be doing now?" Nayra asked, trying to hide her frustration. The conversation with the two Grand Spirits didn't go far after they dropped the name that they had no frame of reference for. She doubted that they even realized that Nayra and Ryun had recognized it. Instead Ryun had asked for a few days to think about their offer and they had returned to the war camp.

"We came to find power, did we not?" Ryun answered. "I am very much interested in how spirit smiths work their art."

Nayra sighed, she wasn't quite sure what she was doing here. Her plan had been to head to the Afterlife, to seek power and understanding of her Aspect there. Instead, she ended up following Ryun around. True, he did need her, his sense was incredibly limited in the Ethereal and he needed her hand while he figured out how to overcome that weakness. But, she was also somewhat impatient. Her father had died, and she felt the seething anger inside of her at the one who had taken him from her. It was growing with every passing day, as she kept trying to keep it from spilling out and turning into anger at the world itself.

"And what about, you know, the thing?" She pressed him.

Ryun shrugged. "War is yet to talk with us, I'll hear her offer first."

Nayra opened her mouth, then closed it. She couldn't be talking openly about the two Grand Spirits or what they told them. True, she didn't swear an oath, but Ryun had and he was still her Sect Head, his word was her word, she wouldn't break it.

"You are not concerned at all about this army coming through to the Real Realm?" Nayra asked.

Ryun glanced at her, then away. "What are armies before you and me?"

Nayra couldn't really find anything to say to that. Even if she tried to be modest, in the end she knew the truth. The two of them were made to demolish armies, especially when they fought together. Why would they care if this Grand Spirit wanted to remain in the Real Realm? The world was Infinite, there was room. And if they turned out to become a threat, well, there were few that could rival them in strength in the world. The yeti probably being the prime amongst them, and that was only because he was alone, with no army to support him. And because he was an insane shade that was older than the Infinite Realm, of course.

They reached the smiths tents and were quickly noticed by the smith spirit nearby. Nayra focused on its stocky seven limbed body, trying to see if it was the same one as they had talked with before, but ultimately gave up. She couldn't discern between the spirits at all.

"Ah, new friends, you are back! Good, good, the clan master is free for a meeting," the spirit said.

"Eager Smith," Ryun greeted and bowed his head.

Nayra took a deep breath and followed. Smithing really wasn't her favorite thing to do, but she would endure.

Bright Star rose in Ryun's hand, Qi burning through his body, his {Mantle of Gathering Twilight} accumulating Qi into his arm and increasing his strength and dexterity. He was so focused on the piece of metal held on the anvil by his {Avatar of the Twilight Reaper} that for a moment he forgot everything else. Not just his mind, but his soul as well. For a split moment, the intent of his soul, the unconscious part that held his entire being in the form he usually inhabited, slipped. His right arm, bulged and the Essence that pretended to look like skin burst to reveal Oblivion beneath. His hand turned into a limb made of complete darkness with flashes of violet and silver throughout. He could feel his regeneration working, keeping his body whole as every movement threatened to tear him to pieces, his skill enhancing the effect. He didn't let his attention go to it, though it was hard. He could feel the cracks spreading in his skin further, traveling over his shoulder and neck, over the side of his face.

Instead, he finished his task. He brought his hammer down, his |Essence Manipulation| and |Smithing Mastery| skills singing in his mind as he did so. Air ignited around him from the speed of his arm, the Oblivion of his Aura consuming it before it could spread. The {Field of Twilight's Calm} around him shuddered as it stopped the spread of the shockwaves from the sound barrier breaking apart.

Bright Star hit the metal and transferred all the force he could muster onto the target held with the pliers firmly in the hands of his Avatar, and because Bright Star was connected to his soul, carrying with it Ryun's will and intent as well. The strike hit with enough force to sunder earth, if his Avatar and Bright Star's anvil weren't there. Instead, all the force focused into the metal.

For a moment there was silence, and then the metal bent, collapsing in on itself as it was being pressed by the force of the strike pushing in on it from all sides, and perhaps more importantly, Ryun's and Bright Star's will.

He inclined his head as he took what was offered, then he inspected it. The difference was clear immediately. The spearhead was lighter, and perhaps even weaker than Ryun's. It wasn't as compressed as Ryun's work had been, so there was no bonus to force of attacks, what it did have was a larger bonus to penetration and bleeding. That made Ryun frown, he was pretty sure that he had made the edge as perfect as it could be. True, his work was cruder, but this one shouldn't be able to achieve what he could perfectly carve out with Oblivion. Yet somehow it did. He had an idea how, but he would need to do some tests.

"Thank you for the demonstration," Ryun said, he had still learned much.

"It was agreed," the clan master said.

He wished that they could do more, but the spirit had a busy schedule, it was supplying the army, and creating more spirits. So, Ryun bowed and then gathered Nayra, leaving the smiths to their work.

"Was that worth me standing around for a day and doing nothing?" Nayra asked.

Ryun raised his eyes from the spearheads still in his hands. He was comparing the two.

"Very much so," Ryun said.

"Really?"

"Yes," Ryun said, just looking at the two pieces side by side he could see where he could improve. "What kind of a tool do you want?" He asked.

Nayra blinked at the change of topic, she frowned, not answering immediately.

"I already have Resav, as a weapon," she said slowly.

"So armor?"

"My way of fighting might not be conducive to that," Nayra answered. "Unless you can make it turn to mist with me."

Ryun chuckled, and then paused. He had just seen the spirit smith somehow ask the Essence to change, to become something else. The spearhead in his hand had a core of metal Essence, some material that he wasn't familiar with, but the edges were something else. Almost as if they were a blend of pure Sharpness Essence and the Metal. In his eyes, they were solid, indomitable and refusing to change. As if the world itself had decreed that the Essence was going to be what it now was. As if it was completely natural. Could he do the same? Force the Essence to change its nature when needed, turn to mist or fire?

"I'll need to think about that," Ryun said after a while.

Nayra was about to answer, when they were interrupted by a a tall spirit that looked like a suit of armor.

"Guests," it greeted them. "The Grand Spirit of War wishes to speak."

Ryun and Nayra exchanged a look, and then they followed. He was looking forward to hearing what War had to say.