Two days later…
Inside the Godhand Bazaar…
Kieran panted while sitting in place with large beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. As he continued to focus on the task at hand, eight equidistant rings rotated around his arm.
Each layer rotated in opposite directions.
So while the first ring spun clockwise, the second ring spun counterclockwise, and so on.
However, the swiftness of each rotation was excruciatingly slow, requiring attentive focus to perceive the motion.
Unfortunately, the rate of rotation was a sign of expertise when it came to the Eighth Supreme Cipher of Eni.
Needless to say, within the two days of training that Agatha placed him under, while Kieran had become skilled enough to complete the cipher, his prowess with it wasn't that great.
Still, Agatha revealed a pleased smile as she stood before Kieran with crossed arms.
'This boy is quite something. To think he'd successfully create the Mystical Rings of Construction and Deconstruction within two days. Typically, it takes twenty or more.'
At most, Agatha expected Kieran to become more proficient in mancing the syllables to provide her with additional support. But, at this rate, Agatha could foresee another use for Kieran.
'If he continues at this rate, perhaps convincing the Emplenan Few during his first visit is possible. After all, if they learn of his unfathomable learning speed, I'm sure they'll presume that he could assume a great position in the Wykin hierarchy,' Agatha thought.
Meanwhile, Kieran's fingers trembled as he struggled to keep them still.
Just as he felt he could no longer hold on to the technique, Kieran felt a soft hand on top of his.
"The trick to mastering the rings is going with the flow. Imagine four snakes coiling around you, but they originate from your mind. Now, imagine that two of them move to each arm, wrapping around each other in a way that they'll never touch, but they maintain an identical pace," Agatha said, speaking in a soft tone to guide Kieran's understanding of the technique.
'Who knew she could be this gentle…'
"I'll… try," Kieran responded, exhaling deeply.
Afterward, the rotations of the rings stopped momentarily but this was within Agatha's expectation.
Since she was teaching Kieran a way to wield mystic energy through visualization, his focus on the rings had been completely shattered.
For the moment, Kieran's attention was vested in his Mystic Gate, before the Archaic Verity Compendium, which continued to spill out mystical energy until his Mystic Gate was saturated with it.
As per Agatha's instructions, Kieran visualized two snakes sliding down his arms.
Thanks to his identity as a High Human, Kieran felt a slight warmth rising from his Flawed Soul, but he reckoned it was related to his Spirituality Hidden Attribute that continued to be strengthened by the Divinity Spark not too far from the compendium.
When the imaginary snakes slithered down his arms, the ring they passed over began to spin once more except it was three times faster than before.
At this speed, even normal people could perceive the movement of the disks.
The resurgence of each spin required three to five minutes to occur, but Agatha found this speed to be remarkable, showcasing a breathtaking smile.
While it wasn't very pronounced, the subtle happiness in her grin complemented her radiant Wykin-like appearance.
Approximately thirty minutes later, all eight of the rings spun at a decent speed, but Kieran's condition deteriorated further, paling at an increasing rate.
Maintaining these rings was extremely taxing.
It was to the point Kieran wondered how Agatha could effortlessly conjure these rings.
How strong was her spirit?!
Seconds before Kieran lost control of the technique, a notification appeared before his eyes.
〈System: Your mastery of the «Eighth Supreme Cipher of Eni» has increased, reaching a basic level of absolute mystical wordmancing.〉
As Kieran viewed the notification, he gasped, relinquishing control over the technique. Once he released it, he placed his hands on the ground and took deep, heavy breaths.
At the end, he inhaled through his nose and opened his eyes which he had closed seconds after viewing the notification.
"How did it feel? Do you think you've grasped the technique at a basic level?"
All of a sudden, as Agatha spoke to Kieran, she snapped her head in a certain direction and looked up. The color of her eyes deepened, becoming an inferior version of Hekaina's eyes.
Though inferior, it sufficed to accomplish her goal.
In Agatha's eyes, she saw a strange arrow with various etchings piercing the sky, bringing with it, impressions of something truly ancient—more than one in fact.
The number was so large it was nearly impossible to fathom.
"The Ten Thousand Etchings Arrow…" Agatha muttered.
Shortly after, she shifted her gaze to Kieran. "You said that Isadora gave you until the beginning of the Trial of Inheritors to complete her request, right?"
"I did," Kieran nodded.
Agatha's strange expression made him skeptical and somewhat concerned, so he couldn't help but ask a question. "Why do you ask?"
"Well… Jaegar has just found his successor. I'm not sure if the process has been completed, but at the very least, the power bestowal has begun. He's fired the Ten Thousand Etchings Arrow… allowing someone to venture into that place," Agatha said.
"Then… that means," Kieran muttered, frowning.
As he did so, Agatha completed his sentence. "Only one more successor remains until the Myths consider preparing for the beginning of the Trial of Inheritors. In other words, if we're going to visit the Elves… we must go now to avoid any mishaps."
Hearing this, Kieran sighed deeply.
Truth be told, he would have liked to prepare more for the matter. But, considering that Agatha was by his side, he felt reassured.
'Surely the Emplenan Few wouldn't risk souring their relationship with the Wykins, mainly the Enchantress, for a mere human, right? Well… High Human, but still a human nonetheless,' Kieran mused, rubbing his chin pensively.
"Do you require any last-minute preparations? If not… we can begin our journey into the Elven Territory," Agatha said.
Since she had asked the question, Kieran took it upon himself to voice his request. "Could you… enchant all of these? I'd like to set those I've gathered on a task while I'm absent. There's no reason for them not to be productive in my absence."
Considering Kieran's request, Agatha looked at the items he had retrieved—a bunch of pickaxes, shovels, and the like. Aside from the mass number of items that Kieran purchased through Sithik and the others, there were a few of excellent quality.
Naturally, those came from the chest Kieran opened earlier.
Furthermore, some of them came from the chests Bastion and the others opened. They had no use for them, so they funneled them to Kieran, who remained the owner of a Union with numerous Lifestyle players.
"What type of enchantments? At most, they can handle the hardness and pulverization enchantment. Well… the shovels don't require the latter enchantment, so I guess I can place a resiliency enchantment instead," Agatha muttered.
"That'll do," Kieran readily voiced.
Once he confirmed what he needed, Agatha snapped her finger, causing the levitation of all the items presented.
Mystical circles appeared above and beneath each item, producing threads that wreathed the items.
After being woven by these threads, the items released resplendent glimmers. The glimmers were ephemeral, only lasting until Agatha finished the enchantment process.
Meanwhile, Kieran issued a Union Notice, asking that all Miners and Harvesters gather at the city gates within the next few hours.
'While I visit the Elves, I'll have them complete the mining process of the hidden mine. It's time we fortify and multiply our resources. I could make a guild now… but that goes against intentions,' Kieran thought.
With everything in his possession, Kieran intended to concoct a scheme to baffle and perhaps enrage the entire gaming community.
Grinning wickedly, Kieran's eyes flashed with a sinister light. "There's nothing like a good scam…"
…
Three hours later…
Kieran approached the city gates where hundreds of his Union members gathered. They ranged from Advanced Apprentices to proper Miners and Harvesters.
"I have a task for you all. And because of that task, I'll be distributing items to assist you. Because of the sensitivity of the task, I don't want you returning to the city until it is done—at least… the first round of it," Kieran voiced, keeping his words vague.
Since they were in the city, there could be prying eyes and eavesdroppers.
As the members conversed amongst themselves, Kieran lifted his finger and pointed at an individual with the most experience, "You'll be the Acting Mining Captain since no such thing exists."
"U-understood," a high-level Miner named Pixus muttered, taken aback by Kieran's generous bestowal of authority.
Afterward, Kieran walked around, supplying everyone with the proper items to complete the task.
When they viewed the items, they were shocked to find that they possessed an additional menu, which revealed their status as enchanted items!
In truth, these were the first round of enchanted items to ever be introduced, so the members looked at Kieran in awe, seeing him as an untouchable marvel.
Upon revealing the task, Kieran turned to Agatha and nodded.
Before leaving the Godhand Bazaar, Kieran had discussed the location of the hidden mine, so all Agatha had to do was create a portal to that place, which was easy considering that she increased her visual range to several thousands of kilometers.
Performing the needed movements, Agatha soon created a pathway that led deep into the Concealed Canyon.
"Please proceed in an orderly fashion or you might end up killing yourself," Kieran cautioned as he watched the members enter the portal.
The last to enter was Agatha because he asked that she close the portal immediately to stop anyone from following behind them and catching wind of their operation.
A smart decision considering that the moment she closed the portal, many people looked at its location and frowned.
"So damned stingy!"
…
Inside the Concealed Canyon…
Kieran lead a group of people through the narrow canyon path until he came across a large wall with a small nick in the bottom. Several thin cracks spanned up the wall, but after touching it Kieran felt it was incredibly sturdy.
Crack! Crack!
Kieran summoned Crimson Ashrune and rolled his neck. 'This shouldn't be too bad. According to what was recorded, all it does is require a significant blow from a heavy class.'
Whoosh! BOOM!
