Mira gently held up a black and golden long sword as if it were her most prized possession. It was about a meter long with a black blade and golden edges. Golden runes that shone in the dimly lit cave covered both sides.
She felt the weight of it in her hands and nodded. 'Very suitable for someone in the Mortal Shedding Realm.'
She had to push down the urge to swing it around lest she destroy the cave, mountain, and beyond. Unbeknownst to her, with how much effort she and Coralia put into it, they were able to push its grade all the way up to Late-Stage Mystic-Grade.
With the runes and everything, it might even be able to contend with Peak-Stage Mystic-Grade weapons.
"Wow…" Coralia gaped, feeling the warm yet oppressive aura that radiated off the sword. "Now that… That's what I'm talking about."
Mira could only nod as she examined it. Using Her Soul Sense combined with the [Soul of the Forge], she inspected every nanometer, perceiving its balance, sharpness, durability, quality, everything. Nothing escaped her eye.
However, other than a few very minor imperfections, the blade could be considered perfect. The only way it could be improved was through better materials.
Even she couldn't help but be shocked at how outstanding her creation was.
'...My scythe almost looks like a piece of junk compared to this.' She thought. Of course, her scythe was unique in its own right, but in comparison, it was nothing more than a strong lump of metal that grew alongside her cultivation. 'Not that I'd trade it for anything.'
As something that was tied to her very being, at this point, she couldn't get rid of it even if she wanted to. 'It's gone through a reincarnation plus several evolutions alongside me…' Suddenly, she felt a little suspicious.
'Now that I think about it, it seems a lot more spectacular than I originally thought. I thought it was just some random inheritance I obtained by luck, but maybe the materials are better than I originally thought. Or, is that just how amazing Origin-Grade items are?'
She leaned more toward the latter.
A sly smile rose on her lips as she made a mental note, '...I should be on the lookout for any possible Origin-Grade materials.' Part of her wanted to get out there and start hunting people and Sects down in search of such treasures, but she put that aside.
'Maybe later…'
Right now, she wanted to test something out.
'After forging this sword, I felt my Dao comprehension skyrocket. I wonder what changed.' Mira closed her eyes and raised her free hand.
With the blizzard worsening outside, she felt her connection to the Absolute Ice Dao strengthen. In her hand, a small crystal formed. From it, tendrils of water spread out like pathways. A thin layer of ice covered those tendrils in the form of a sword, exactly like what she held in her other hand.
She then used a combination of Earth and Yin Fire to create Yin Magma. Replacing the ice with that, she merged Darkness and Light with the 'blade', used water and wind to cool it off and turn it into a pseudo-metal, and inscribed it with the essence of Destruction.
After about a minute, a sword was born in her hands. While not as beautiful or complete as the one she forged, it was undoubtedly powerful.
However-
Mira snapped the blade in two, only to insert more Qi into it, causing the top half to regenerate back to what it was before.
'Should be around Heaven-Grade?' Mira speculated but felt a little doubtful. 'It's hard to tell. The durability is quite high, maybe Mystic-Grade, but it's not very sharp, nor does it contain the unique properties of a sword forged from metal and fire.'
It was easy to understand why. The sword wasn't created out of metal. At her current strength and understanding, it was impossible for her to do such a thing.
Either way, this was a huge breakthrough, yet it was just the tip of the iceberg.
'Not only can I literally create things out of Qi, but I can use this to alter the properties of each element.' With a thought, she altered the edge of the blade to transform into ice, becoming sharper yet more brittle. 'My ability to merge elements also improved.'
A surge of Earth Qi entered the ice edge, strengthening the bond between each particle and increasing its durability while only losing a bit of sharpness.
'Lastly, I feel more in control of not just my own affinities but the elements of the outside world as well.' She waved her hand, feeling the atmospheric Qi move with her.
As was her original goal, creation was just a means to an end. Being able to create objects merely using Qi meant very little to her. Sure, it saved time and effort regarding certain techniques like her Paragon Wings. She could carefully craft each feather, store it or hide it in her body and bring it out whenever she needed it.
Her [100 Glacial Warriors] and [Frozen Terrain Change] techniques would also see a significant improvement, but in terms of overall attack power, the ability to 'create' wasn't all that useful.
What she really sought was to better understand and control the elements around her.
'...And it looks like my theory was correct.' The tips of her lips unconsciously rose before returning to normal. 'But that's just one side of the coin. Now, it's about time to move onto the flip side.'
Looking around, part of her felt a bit sentimental. This was the place where she learned how to create instead of destroy. It was here she learned of the intricacies of forging. Where she had improved all the way up to a Mystic-Grade blacksmith, even learning more about runes and Arrays.
She had spent hundreds of hours here toiling away, growing a little bit fond of the mermaid that had joined her party.
In the span of such a short amount of time, she had grown in various fields immensely.
'I achieved what I wanted. It's time to go.' She thought, waving her hand and storing everything within, leaving the cavern empty.
Putting the two swords in her hands away, next to her first dagger, she looked at Coralia, "Let's go. Seems like something interesting is about to happen outside." Then, she left the cave.
"Yes!" Coralia smiled and dashed out, but not before clenching her fist, causing the cavern to collapse.
As they left, a burst of snow blanketed their bodies, nearly burying them. Coralia couldn't help but shiver at the extreme cold, but Mira waved her hand, wrapping a faint barrier around them. The snow and ice swept past them, leaving them unaffected by the weather.
Mira frowned. "Is this normal?" She asked, but Coralia shrugged.
"Yes and no. Blizzards are quite normal on this continent, but from what I know, they aren't normally this bad."
Mira's frown deepened, curious as to what was going on. That's when she remembered something Hana told her in passing a while ago. 'Hmm~ Didn't she say something about a Decennial Storm?'
With a burst of speed, she shot through the icy blizzard obscuring her vision toward where she felt Hana's aura. Coralia followed right behind.
A second later, she appeared before three people huddled around a Dracophoenix, all seeking warmth. A certain wolf still wasn't back yet, but Mira wasn't worried. Maybe that lazy beast would finally be forced to move.
"Mother! You're finally back!" Dominique's head popped out of a tuft of feathers and exclaimed.
Mira gave her daughter a look and nodded, inwardly smiling that she had once again reached the Peak of the Foundation Realm. The bloody, killing intent around Dominique's body had also intensified, indicating that she had been busy these last few months.
Deciding to deal with her later, Mira turned to Hana and got straight to the point. "What do you know about the Decennial Storm?"
Hana was a bit surprised but cleared her through and answered, "I-It's supposed to be a blizzard that comes every decade. It envelops nearly the entire continent, raising havoc and causing most everybody to fight for their lives."
"Such a big blizzard?" Mira was a bit surprised, but she still felt something was wrong.
Hana nodded. "From what I overheard, the cause is unknown, but people guess that it's some sort of treasure or legendary creature. During previous storms, numerous opportunities arise, causing the rise and fall of many, but they're supposedly quite rare."
"What kind of opportunities?"
"Natural treasures appear, plants go through an accelerated growth phase and mature, rare beasts come out of seclusion, Ice Elementals appear, and there's even a possibility for the Blood Essences of ancient beasts to unearth."
"What about at the center of such a storm? Is there anything there?" Mira asked.
Hana fell silent for a moment, pondering. However, she ended up shaking her head with a shrug. "I don't know. The people that I overheard never talked about it."
"...Is that so?"
Hana nodded, a little nervous seeing Mira fall into thought. She knew what Mira's next course of action would be, and truthfully, she wanted to make a request.
'I know it's a bit presumptuous of me, but… I don't want to be left out!' Her little eyes shone with resolve.
She was so freaking bored every day! All she did, could do, was train, walk around, and sleep. The resort was big enough to where there was enough to explore for a while. There was even a small city built around it, but what could she do?
She didn't have any money or strength. All she could do was look at all the fascinating things around them. Dominique was busy training, Rhydian was gone, and Elenei was too standoff-
ish. All that was left was her mother, but being cooped up in a mountain hot springs got old.
"C-Can…" Hana stuttered, causing Mira's train of thought to stop as she made eye contact with the girl.
Gathering her courage, Hana looked Mira straight in the eye and yelled, "C-Can you take me with you?!"
"Hana!" Linnea shouted, shocked at her daughter's outburst, but the person in question paid no mind to her and continued staring.
Mira looked back, peering into the depths of the little girl's soul. She saw no ill intentions, just a pure desire for adventure.
"Don't throw me to Elenei either!" Hana shouted, knowing that Mira would definitely find her bothersome.
Everyone was stunned, looking at the brazen little girl in shock, but they kept quiet.
The atmosphere grew tense, with neither side saying anything.
A minute passed, but Hana's eyes never wavered. It was clear that she would go, whether someone would take her or not.
After another minute, Mira finally opened her mouth, "Why should I?"
A simple question, one that Hana was ready to answer.
"I know I'm weak and have nothing to offer." She started. "But I didn't spend the last few months waiting around doing nothing."
"Oh?" An eyebrow raised. Mira's interest was piqued. What could this little girl have that could be of use?
"While everyone was off training, I was busy gathering information. Not only have I obtained most of the information regarding the last 50 decennial storms, including patterns, notable locations, signs to look out for, and more, but I also know where most people will be gathering and how to navigate the storm!"
"..."
The area became silent, everyone a bit shocked that a little girl like her was able to gather so much information. Or maybe it was because she was a little girl that she could do it.
Even Mira had to seriously consider this. She didn't detect a hint of falsehood in her words, meaning the girl truly believed what she said. 'Although I don't exactly need a guide, something like that would be helpful.' She thought. It was a little too late to start gathering information now.
'Plus, who knows how long this storm will last. The faster I move, the more likely I am to plunder all the high-grade resources.'
The only question was, was it worth bringing along and protecting a mortal child?
After a moment of thought, Mira shrugged. 'Who am I to dampen a little girl's adventurous spirit?'
"Hmmm~ Alright. You can come."
"Yes! Thank you! You won't regret it!"
"Mira!" Linnea yelled, uncaring for Mira's strength. "How could you take her?! She's just a little girl! She could die!"
Mira snorted, glaring at the woman. "Then, why don't you take her?"
"I-!" Linnea choked on her words. Her eyes turned red as her nails dug into her palms. She trembled in shame and anger, but what could she say? Right now, she was just a regular woman with a bit more strength. If she were to recklessly charge into the blizzard, forget about protecting her daughter, she'd die as well!
"Dammit!" She wanted to storm off but couldn't. It was too cold.
Suddenly, the wind started to howl, and they heard a loud roar outside as a dense, oppressive aura descended on them. Everyone's expression turned solemn as they turned around.
"...Looks like it's about to start," Mira muttered, a predatory gleam passing through her eyes.
