But it was clear that Sam was creating these pieces of equipment in the mindset that he was creatingÆ a context for them It gave them power sure But where did these images of these creatures come from
No offense to Sam but he was not really the type to create an entire fantasy world as a backdrop for his items He would be meticulous and creative in his designs but he was a straightforward man The preparations for the forging would focus more on the process itself than a history of the item
Yet there was a clear history written into some of these items Sam stated that the inspiration came from the blessings that Randidly had given to the four of them all that time ago but
it seems a bit much to come from those Blessings either Randidly thought to himself Unless those Blessings came from the huge warehouse of images that the System had gathered in the past Does that mean Was I drawing on the SystemÆs images when I gave those blessings
Shaking his head Randidly looked at the final piece of equipment
White Steel Greaves Lvl 65 A masterwork created for one of the finest hunters in the Assembly forged the metal that was the lifeÆs work of Monyt the Vizier The great hunter who wore the White Steel Greaves was never known but that legacy has lasted millennia Due to the tireless efforts of the White Steel Hunter the Assembly has endured to this day Agility +100 Bladed Wings IV Glittering Blur III Heritage of the Great Hunter III
Bladed Wings IV It is said that the Great Hunter moved so quickly that he appeared to be flying during his hunts For his prey these wings also turned into an executionerÆs blade The greaves effortlessly could strike down weaker foes simply by passing nearby Strength and Reaction +20
Glittering Blur III Such was the speed of the great hunter that many would not even notice his passage Under orders from the Assembly he would crisscross the vast land fighting for the safety of the people All movement related Skills will experience a slight boost in Skill Level growth
Heritage of the Great Hunter III It is said that the great hunter might have laid down his White Steel armor but he still lives and appears before those who bear a portion of his burden If the wearer continues on this path it is possible that the gaze of the great hunter will turn to you
Randidly blinked Well that last line was certainly ominous
Clearly there was a lot of implicit history in these items A history that Sam couldnÆt have simply made up More likely he was drawing on blueprints pulled from somewhere Yet the System as the source seemed counter to its previous aims
Even if these images came from actual worlds within the Nexus it didnÆt seem likely that the System would allow them to casually touch Earth and interfere with its growth Randidly frowned and stared down at the items as he tried to recall the Blessings how they felt
That was before he had connected the Blessings to the Aether Spring he had obtained from killing the Tribulation His Skill with Aether was basically nonexistent So were his sensing ability Yet it was clear that the images that came from the Blessings were constructed of extremely pure Aether Although there was a guide to the image growth it wasnÆt hardened like TellusÆ Aether had been
If that wasnÆt the case the four recipients of the Blessings would never have been able to use them The Aether would have dominated them completely
Yet the System clearly had pathways for this malleable images to slip through to lower Cohorts
Did that mean there were exceptions to the embargo on images But what was special about these images
Was it possible that these images came from more successful worlds
Randidly shook his head There wasnÆt a real answer to this question to be found in his memories Randidly would need to keep his eyes peeled going forward in order to figure out the details Yet RandidlyÆs teeth were set on edge by the thought that the System had managed to slip this by him And a more worrying possibility occurred to him
Even if the System wouldnÆt let these sort of images connect to Earth there were no such protections in place for his Alpha Cosmos If as according to RandidlyÆs theories these images related to the Blessings had previously been implicit and invisible now they have fully emerged in his mind Randidly had no doubt that there would be ramifications for his Soulskill
But that could wait
For now he looked up at the expectant Sam The man was smirking at him Speechless
Definitely Randidly said with a laugh He did a few mental calculations as he looked through the four pieces of equipment Idly Randidly wondered how much one would have to pay in order to obtain another set of equipment like this About five hundred Stats and Attributes And boosts to regeneration and Skill growth If everyone in Donnyton had equipment like this
Luckily I think thatÆs impossible Sam said with a chuckle Then his face turned more serious I used most of the valuable materials I had on had to make these It will take me about half a year to build up that many quality ingredients again And
Sam trailed off seeming to struggle with what he wanted to say Finally he simply said I somehow felt connected to you The ideas for what the different items should be were my own but once I had them the designs just came to me fully formed I had to make some allowances based on materials but
I get it Randidly said with a slight nod his expression revealing none of the foreboding that he felt It seemed that he had taken those Blessings in the past too lightly He should have known there would be an eventual cost for that power
Hopefully it was one that he could afford to pay
Chapter 912
After presenting the equipment to Randidly Sam hurried back to the weekly dinner When he arrived everyone was there including someone who generally didnÆt bother with such gatherings
Clarissa did you finish the investigation already ArenÆt you tired from hurrying back from Zone Eleven Sam asked in surprise
Clarissa smirked Her hair was sticking up in every direction but her face was beaming with pride Ha you should see my new Cloud Steed Skill Finally IÆm as mobile as Annie I bet if we dueled right now
Chuckling Mrs Hamilton said DonÆt let Annie hear you say that She would challenge you immediately Alana probably would too
That took a lot of the color out of ClarissaÆs face For several seconds she was silent as she scowled at the table Really just because they have a slight edge on me they always take every opportunity to bully me IÆm not specced for duels And yet they always insist LetÆs take it to a large scale battle and then IÆll show them how I can
As Clarissa continued to grumble to herself Sam shook his head and took his seat The food was already served so Sam helped himself to the crab bisque that had been laid out for him After a bit Sam grimaced it was cold
But then sometimes they served dishes like this cold on purpose didnÆt they Sam scowled down at his unsatisfying and tepid soup Regina passed him the croissants and butter With a wolfish grin Sam applied a liberal amount of the butter to the still warm baked good
Whoever they get to do the baking here is damn good Sam thought as he gobbled the croissant down in three bites
Eventually Donny coughed lightly and said By the way Clarissa what is the situation like in Zone Eleven We understood that it was filled with people who had embraced the System elements as something akin to Dungeons and Dragons but where is the political power located
Clarissa looked up with a serious expression her previous grumbles forgotten Most of the power is concentrated in four Villages However they spent most of their gathered points on defenses so all of the Villages look like castles Well I shouldnÆt say it’s pointless It’s just campy you know ThereÆs this whole etiquette thing
Then Clarissa shook her head But each village has a head Talking to them will be pretty easy as long as you get used to the strange names theyÆve made for their version of Peerage And besides the nobility there are just the Classers