Chapter 21: The Vajra Puppet (Part Two)

ICP Record Number: Xiang B2-20100081-3
Internet Publishing License: Xin Chu Wang Zheng (Xiang) No. 11
Network Culture Business License: Wen Wang Wen [2010] 128

"Fifth form, spear throw!"

In the laboratory, the young man’s cold, clear voice carried a hint of determination.

Before him, a Vajra Puppet was following Huey's instructions, reshaping its arm for the purpose of throwing a spear. On its chest, a rune array glowed. This was a Memory Magic Rune, specifically designed to store the attack forms of the Vajra Puppet once successfully shaped.

The liquid-like metal on the puppet’s right arm constantly shifted, bulging and receding, yet no matter how it changed, it could not solidify into a spear.

Watching the puppet’s transformations, Huey seemed oblivious to everything else. He chanted the incantation—the very shaping spell handed down by Electra. Under the influence of the chant and magic, the puppet's right arm began to stabilize, evolving into a long, sharp spear.

As the shaping process dragged on, the boy’s magical exhaustion deepened. Sweat began to drip from his forehead, yet his gaze remained focused and resolute.

For Huey, whether the fifth form succeeded or how much it increased his attack power was secondary. What truly mattered was its significance: it meant he could transcend Electra’s research and further refine his own. It meant that his future direction in alchemy would undergo a major shift.

However, as the number of forms increased, the mana required for each additional form grew exponentially.

The fifth form was something even Electra had never completed—or at least, had never earnestly attempted. Thus, for Huey, reaching this stage meant venturing into the unknown. Specifically, the spear throw he had designed was a projectile attack, granting the Vajra Puppet long-range capabilities, which presented a massive challenge in terms of form maintenance.

"Agh!" Huey cried out toward the ceiling. The shaping of the fifth form had entered its final success phase, but the toll on his body was far greater than he had imagined.

He hurriedly pulled out a potion and downed it, hoping to recover some mana. In his haste, he didn't check whether it was a mana recovery potion; he only felt a small, hard object slide down his throat.

A sudden, searing fire erupted in his gut, agonizingly painful. Seeing he could no longer hold on and unwilling to give up halfway, Huey desperately pooled all his remaining strength, his body erupting in a dazzling flash of Battle Aura.

Battle Aura was traditionally incompatible with mana. Although some claimed Battle Aura was simply another manifestation of mana—since the human body is composed of magical elements—no one had ever successfully combined the two.

Mixing even different sources of mana was dangerous enough; mixing Battle Aura and mana was like forcing fire and water together. Yet, at that moment, Huey’s mind was clouded, and his obsession drove him to act recklessly. In truth, he didn't even know what he was doing. The powerful backlash of the shaping spell was devouring his sanity.

He felt the various energies within him warring, threatening to tear his body into countless fragments. Battle Aura and mana clashed, while different types of mana collided like turbulent torrents within a riverbed. Blood began to seep from Huey’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

"Wooo!" The little creature, Xu, let out an anxious cry. Its telepathic link with Huey had been severed—a first since its birth. The two Flamebirds flapped their wings frantically, helpless and distressed.

The only one not panicked was the automaton, Number Six, who whispered like a philosopher: "Those who seek the pinnacle of alchemy with their lives—my former master was one, and my current master is another. My logic tells me I should feel happy. Even if I do not know what happiness tastes like."

The little creature and the Flamebirds glared at Number Six, but they were powerless against a machine that merely mimicked human logic.

The next moment, a flash of golden light crossed the puppet's arm. A short, sharp spear appeared at its tip.

Huey Grale stared fixedly at the spear and rasped, "Throw. Retrieve."

"Swish!" The spear flew from the puppet’s right arm, pinning itself into the distant wall. The puppet strode over, pulled the spear out with its left hand, and reattached it to the empty socket on its right arm. The liquid metal flowed and shifted, gradually solidifying back into the shape of a complete arm.

"Success," Huey whispered, before his vision blurred and he blacked out. Before losing consciousness, he felt a mysterious, warm current of energy rising within him.

When he awoke, it was the middle of the night. Huey checked himself, finding nothing abnormal. As his mind cleared, he realized how insane his previous actions had been. Dammit, he had mixed Battle Aura and magic and survived—it was a miracle.

"Six, do you know what happened while I was unconscious?" Huey asked his assistant. "I felt as if some force was acting upon me."

The automaton’s mechanical voice replied: "Miss Lilith came by. She circled your garden but could not find the entrance to the valley. You must be fortunate; it was the Devotion Rune that saved you. She was angry because she could not find you—very angry. You must be fortunate that the effective range of the Devotion Rune is calculated in a straight line, ignoring terrain. You must be fortunate that the greatest trait of the Force of Nature is vitality—endless, flourishing vitality. You must also be fortunate that because she felt her own power draining, she knew you were nearby, yet she waited for a long time before leaving in a rage. She thought you were playing with her. Lastly, you must be fortunate that you leveled up."

Huey was stunned. After a long pause, he finally understood: "You mean because Lilith possesses the Force of Nature, and because of the Devotion Rune... she saved me? And because of that... I leveled up?"

He checked his body. Indeed, he had leveled up. Huey felt helpless; he had absurdly succeeded in promoting to a Level 4 Warrior while unconscious.

"I cannot be certain if you would have died without her. No one can be certain of things that did not happen," the automaton replied dully.

"Enough, Six. Your thinking pattern is hard to take," Huey sighed.

This shaping process had brought him to the brink of death, but it had also helped him achieve two major breakthroughs. From now on, he was confident in further shaping the Vajra Puppets. Huey estimated he could add one more form to them before proceeding with his plan.

What puzzled him was why Lilith had come looking for him. Forget it, he decided; he wouldn't think about that annoying woman for now. For the sake of her saving his life, he would be a bit more polite next time.

What concerned Huey most was the change in his body. What had happened with the mixing of Battle Aura, mana, and the various elemental energies?

He carefully examined his mana status and discovered it was indeed different. Normally, a mage’s mana is tied to their level; a mage with Level 4 Wind magic and Level 5 Fire magic has two separate mana sources that do not interfere with each other. But now, Huey found that the mana in his body no longer followed these separate paths. Because he had exhausted everything and then experienced a sudden resurgence, his mana had merged into a single pool.

He panicked, fearing he might never be able to use magic again. He tried casting a spell, and to his relief, it worked.

After repeated checks, Huey realized his body had become a large container where all types of mana had fused. His Soul magic, Wind magic, Space magic, and the rudimentary Necromancy he had started were now like four pipes connected to this reservoir. When he cast a spell, the mana flowed through the corresponding pipe, reacting with external magical elements to create a magical effect.

This was far superior to the old way of storing and using mana. It allowed for much greater flexibility. Even though the "pipes" were of different sizes—with Space magic being the largest and Necromancy the smallest—he could now use his mana more fluidly. He could even absorb magic from Xu, which would dissolve into his chaotic mana pool and replenish his reserves, regardless of the element.

"This is absolutely brilliant," Huey said happily. He had never dreamed that a desperate gamble would lead to such a blessing.

As he thought about the "homogenization of mana," Huey felt a shiver. Wasn't that exactly how the Rat Gaffney functioned? He tremblingly looked at the empty potion bottle on the ground. The crystal he had accidentally swallowed had long since vanished.

Huey was dumbfounded. He didn't know how swallowing the essence and crystal of the Rat Gaffney had allowed him to homogenize his mana. He suspected the conflict with his Battle Aura had played a role. Battle Aura was substantive, and perhaps, in the clash, it had helped create a "mana container" within him—something humans usually lacked.

Regardless, the results were clear. "Fine, I finally have a stroke of luck, so I don't have to be jealous of you," Huey said, picking up Xu. "Life should be graced by luck at least once, right?"

Xu snorted angrily. Huey ignored the creature’s indignation and turned his focus back to the Vajra Puppets. With the breakthrough of the fifth form, he had made significant progress. He decided to keep only five forms for now—it was enough. By assigning different forms to different puppets, he could create a versatile tactical squad.

As time passed, the four Vajra Puppets were completed. Beyond the four basic forms—Great Sword, Heavy Axe, Shield, and Impact Spike—each had one special form: Number Two had the Spear Throw; Three, the Whip; Four, the Chain; and Five, the Iron Hook. The original puppet left by Electra was Number One, which lacked a fifth form.

After finishing the puppets, Huey was exhausted. Lilith had come looking for him twice more, but he had ignored her. Then, Buckler "called."

"Grale, the date is approaching."

Huey smiled. "Yes, I know. Thankfully, I’ve finished what I needed to do."

"I had Lilith look for you several times. She knew you were there, but she never saw you."

"I hid from her."

"Lilith doesn't think so. She finds it strange that she never discovered the laboratory where you were keeping her."

"You know, alchemists can do many things others cannot imagine."

"I’ve never heard that it included a laboratory that doesn't exist."

"...Buckler, this is my territory. I hope you understand that. I have the right not to answer, and you have no right to pry."

Buckler was silent for a moment before nodding. "Very well, I won't ask again. Then, why did you have Lilith looking for me?"

"There is something that concerns you, and it concerns us. We need to talk."

"Fine. I’m on my way."