“Fabricators were among the most versatile of Imperium creations,” Ashani said, operating several strange machines with metal arms that swung rapidly back and forth. Sparks flew when they touched the ribbon.
“They could augment nearly any Imperium technology in a multitude of ways, limited only by the imagination. They could be fashioned into weapons, armor, decorations, research equipment… The list is endless. The only question is, what do you want?”
What did he want? Vir didn’t know. To even know where to begin, he’d need to understand what exactly she meant by her words.
“You’re saying this ribbon can create Artifacts? If so, I have some questions.” Vir said.
“Ask, and I shall answer to the best of my ability.”
“Can it be used to create more ribbons?” Vir asked. If so, he could create not just one, but any number of Artifacts.
Ashani chuckled. “It can, but only with enough materials and components for a new ribbon. Needless to say, such materials have been long lost to time.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.
“What about prana cores? Or could it be used to create something that produces cores?”
The uses would be endless. Vir might even be able to create magic orbs that used Ash prana.
“Certainly, though, again, the base crystal would be required. Without it, the fabricator would have to create that as well. I’m afraid doing so would consume all of the ribbon.”
“I see,” Vir said, somewhat disappointed. Orb-based magic that was unique to him would’ve given him a great deal of power, at least until he got some Ultimate tattoos. “What about weapons, then? How many can it make? And can it be reused?”
“Fabricator ribbons cannot be reused. They forge themselves into the object they create, becoming a permanent part of it. As for how much it can create, that depends entirely on the size and complexity of the construction.”
“Say, a talwar that could cut through Imperium metal?” Vir asked. He was about to ask about katars but realized he’d probably want more reach from a devastating Imperium Artifact.
“One moment,” Ashani said, her hands whirring over a translucent image that sprung up over her table. It displayed numbers, letters, and a diagram of a sword, with lines pointing to its various parts.
Ashani moved her hands, and the sword rotated in midair.
“The amount of fabricator ribbon here is sufficient to create one of these weapons, assuming enough metal is provided.”
Vir frowned. “Imperium metal? I scoured the city and couldn’t find any. The ones that have lost their inscription patterns aren’t good for anything.”
Ashani shook her head. “Using Imperium steel would reduce the fabrication cost, but a range of other materials are suitable.”
“Wait. What if we used something other than steel?” Vir asked, thinking of how weapons designed for magical enhancement were sometimes built with wood or other materials. “Would it impact the function of the weapon?”
Ashani brought up images of several materials Vir had never seen.
“The Imperium used a number of prana-fiber composites in their construction. Depending on the weapon enhancements, these weapons could be both lighter and stronger than regular steel. While these materials are unavailable to us, we could have the fabricator create them, at a cost.”
Vir thought of Maiya’s Enhance Speed orb and what it had done for Vir’s deadliness. Something told him those advanced Imperium capabilities would be as useful as an Artifact made of Imperium metal.
“Some advice, if I may?” Ashani asked.
“Please.”
“I understand your fondness for short-range weapons, but I feel I must tell you that the safest weapons are of the ranged variety. The ability to inflict damage upon your opponent while keeping yourself safe is an invaluable advantage in battle.”
“That’s true,” Vir replied. He’d experienced firsthand just how powerful Chakram Barrage was. The only issue with chakrams was he kept losing them…
“Ashani? How about a chakram that can return to me? Would we have any ribbon left?”
Ashani inputted the details, and an image of a basic steel chakram popped up. It was unadorned and looked identical to his own.
“Plenty left,” she said. “I could fashion multiple such items, though do be aware that the prana consumption would be quite high. Its ability to fly on complex paths is entirely dependent on the amount of ambient Ash prana in the air.”
“Wait. Complex paths?” Vir asked. “You mean it’ll seek out enemies on its own?”
He envisioned his chakram wreaking havoc, flying from one enemy to the next, a spinning disk of destruction. Vir very much liked that idea.
“We certainly can, for an additional cost.”
Vir spent the next hour fine-tuning the details with Ashani—a task that proved far more difficult than he’d anticipated. As it turned out, too much of a good thing was also problematic. From exotic materials to imbuing the chakrams with prana reserves to buzzing razor blades that multiplied their lethality, the endless options made his head spin.
Unfortunately, these fancy customizations were expensive, forcing Vir to forfeit the other abilities he desired. To give the chakrams a ‘battery’ as Ashani had called it, he’d have to sacrifice the ability to recall the chakram, and vice versa.
Ultimately, his decision came down to the weapon remaining functional outside the Ash. Exotic materials were all fine and well when he had the prana to power them. The wooden sword might be faster and lighter than a steel one, but without magic, it was little more than a toy.
That wasn’t to say Vir sacrificed all the options. After pooling their minds, he felt they’d come up with something quite interesting in the end.
“Let’s go with that, then,” he said.
“Very well,” Ashani replied, a trace of excitement in her voice as she looked upon the simulated image of the beautiful—and deadly—disk. “Even Janak would be proud of such an exquisite piece.”
47THE TRUTH OF POWER
Vir had dreaded returning to the scene of his battle with the Phantomblade. At least this time, he had some serious support. The remaining ten wolves were with him. And he had Ashani.
He’d underestimated the goddess. Now that she no longer worried about her energy consumption, she unleashed her true power upon their hapless foes. And what a power that was!
A single lightning strike summoned by her rod downed an entire flight of Shrikes—the least of which had to have been above Balar 800.
As such, the journey had been easy. Even casual.
Once there, Vir got to work gathering the dead Phantomblade’s spikes. Many had already been consumed by whatever mechanism kept the road free from ash, but there were still plenty left.
The shiny black armor looked identical to obsidian, though Vir knew from experience they were pliable rather than brittle.
“Gather one or two of the larger ones and several smaller ones,” she said, handing Vir a handy backpack that she’d conjured out of thin air. It was, unsurprisingly, pure white, though Vir had her turn it black. The act took nothing more than a simple wave of her hands.
Really gotta learn how to do that someday, Vir thought, accepting the featherweight bag.
“Won’t this rip?” he asked. It was far too light to be durable. In fact, it weighed nearly nothing.
“No need to worry. You’ll find that bag nearly impossible to rip. I assure you.”
“O-oh. Thanks,” Vir said, fully understanding she’d just bequeathed him an Artifact of the Gods. He wasn’t even sure if there were any Artifact bags floating around the realms. His might’ve been the first.