Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 322: Shopping For A Workstation

Morning light seeped through the window in Lassim’s assigned room, soft but gloomy through the clouds. A few rapid rolls and crashes of thunder nudged him awake. He blinked the sleep away as he got out of bed and got dressed.

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The air inside his room was humid, like the storm, carrying the faint scent of new wood and polish from the freshly repaired wall and desk.

Storing the notebook into his magic pouch, Lassim then stretched, rolling his shoulders to ease the stiffness in his back. "No time to waste," he muttered.

The spatial alphabet’s skeleton had taken shape, but he knew better than to dive headlong into testing it without the right tools. Experimentation wasn’t just about raw talent or insight; it required control, a stable foundation, and a workspace that could withstand the inevitable missteps.

Fixing his velvety blue hair, he realized that had now grown to be about shoulder length. It was probably best to cut it soon, he thought. He left his quarters and made his way down the gently short path that led toward the designated shopping section of Skybound Village.

Skybound Village was beginning to stir as Lassim reached the main street that was across from the arrival dock. A few disciples moved between the modest storefronts, their robes marked with accents in grays, blues, bronze, and one or two silver accents of various ranked disciples.

Most merchants worked quietly within their shops, one had stepped outside to adjust the sign that was blowing away after having come undone from one of the hooks because of the storm overnight. The atmosphere was calm—less a bustling market and more a cluster of specialized suppliers catering to the needs of sect members. Lassim thought that it reminded him of the shopping district back home in Swallowtail Mountain City, as everyone knew each other and all of the shops, while specialized to their field, were catering to a limited audience and needed a variety of goods to satisfy everyone.

Lassim continued walking, his eyes scanning the shop signs until one caught his attention that would have what he was intending to buy this morning. Craftsman’s Choice was etched elegantly into a wooden placard above a clean and inviting storefront. Through the array protected glass windows, shelves laden with tools, crafting supplies, and what appeared to be intricate blueprints came into view.

He stepped inside, the door swinging shut behind him with a faint chime.

The shopkeeper turned around to face the door at the sound of the chime while organizing something behind the counter. His hair was an even, earthy red that hung just past his ears, slightly unkempt but clean. His fiery, blazing eyes moved briefly over Lassim’s robes, noting the gold accents and the Sect Master’s badge pin on his chest, before settling on his face with a quiet, assessing gaze. His wiry frame and the faint smudge of ash near his temple hinted at the fact he might have been working on a project earlier in the morning or, most likely, overnight. He stepped forward with a practiced ease, his hands resting on the counter..

"Greetings, Personal Disciple," the man greeted, inclining his head slightly. "Welcome to Craftsman’s Choice. How can I assist you today?"

Lassim returned the nod, "Thanks. I’m actually looking for equipment to outfit a mobile workspace I can take with me and set up inside the Training Halls or anywhere else I need," he began. "Specifically, I need a workbench and tools that can withstand high-intensity tests. I have a majority of the tools I need from my Array Master Apprenticeship, but the materials I will be working this time with are a bit…volatile? There’s going to always be a chance of... mishaps."

He gestured subtly with his hand as he followed up, "Explosions, sharp forces—imagine heated glass shattering from stress but on the scale of possibly Spirit Transcendent or Spirit Mystic stage power. I need something sturdy enough to handle that without breaking into pieces."

The shopkeeper’s brows lifted, and he tilted his head slightly, considering the request. "Now that’s specific," he said, intrigued. "Sounds like you’ve got a serious project on your hands. I don’t think we’ll exactly have what you need here, but I might have a solution to get you most of the way there. Let’s start with the workbench first before we get into what other materials you need. Follow me."

He led Lassim to a section near the back of the store behind some shelves, where a range of benches for forging, array masters, alchemists, and other varieties were displayed in neat rows. There were magic chests behind the few benches on display for each professions that Lassim quickly noticed as well. The shopkeeper stopped beside a dark alloy workbench that had some familiar array building tools already attached, and aligned along one of the edges. Those edges reinforced with a faintly shimmering material.

"This one’s popular with Array Masters working on high-output experiments or research for constructs," the man said, patting the side of the bench. "Made from reinforced black natura and leoridaxium alloy, it has surfaces insulated to prevent mana feedback, and sturdy enough to survive most accidents—provided they’re not catastrophic. It folds down for storage at the hinges here, here and here, and comes with an adjustable chair that’s just as durable."

The shopkeeper took his time to give a demonstration to Lassim for each of the hinges and pulled out the chair made of the same material as the workbench for him to sit on.

Lassim examined the bench, running his fingers along the surface. It felt solid, well-made, but he needed more specifics. "What about durability against sharp impacts like I mentioned? Or even just a quick repetition of that kind of sustained pressure? The tools I’ll be using could cut or gouge pretty easily I think."

The shopkeeper nodded, crouching beside the bench to show the alloy’s edge. "This material’s been treated with a layering technique. Even if you strike it with something sharp or heavy, it’s designed to absorb and spread the force instead of denting or cracking. And if you’re worried about serious accidents, that’s why I said I think we’ve got something that will get you most of the way there to protect against Spirit Transcendent or Spirit Mystic stage attacks."

Standing, he walked over to a nearby shelf and pulled down a rolled-up blueprint, laying it flat on the bench.

"This here is a containment array," he explained. "Simple enough to set up, but it’s received quite high praise from several of my other customers to have saved quite a few of their experiments from going completely off the rails. It creates a temporary barrier around the workspace, containing any bursts of energy, shrapnel, or heat. You set it up around the work area on top of the workbench, and it’ll handle most explosions or sharp projectiles like a charm, not only protecting you workbench but also you! We’ll sell you the completed product of course, but I’ll include the blueprint so you can follow the setup instructions and understand how it works. It’s only graded for containing peak Spirit Transcendent attacks, but that’s just the official grading since the company that makes these arrays aren’t able to hire an actual Spirit Mystic to test its capabilities. Unofficially they believe it should contain up to Spirit Mystic level 4 energy bursts."

Lassim leaned over the blueprint, fully understanding how it worked and how to operate it at a glance. The array’s design was simple and straightforward—exactly what he needed. "This would definitely help."

He continued, "I’ll go ahead and take the workbench and chair, this containment array, and for the other supplies… I’m stocked up on array parchment, but I’ll need materials for building the device I want to make. I’ll need standard array plates, no particular requirements for the alloy at the moment, treated metal sheets that are at least durable enough to withstand Spirit Ascension level damage, and power rods for energy routing."

The shopkeeper nodded, "That should be easy enough. Array plates and rods are right over here." He motioned to a nearby display, pulling out a selection of sturdy, polished plates and power rods infused with faint mana channels already within. "These are the highest-grade options I’ve got. Should hold up to heavy use and channel energy cleanly without much loss."

Lassim inspected the items, picking a mix of sizes for the plates, but mainly choosing the largest sheets he could find to then later cut to measurement, and ensuring the rods looked to be in good condition. Satisfied, he turned back to the shopkeeper. "This should cover everything I need."

The shopkeeper calculated the total, his movements quick and practiced. "Five hundred high-grade Elemental Source Stones for the lot, a special deal for you my Personal Disciple friend" he said, looking up eagerly.

Lassim reached into his magic pouch and withdrew a small golden card that he rarely used. Smiling a bit with warmth at love for his grandparents, he then transferred the payment directly to the shopkeeper’s awaiting hands with a quick tap of the card. The man’s eyes flickered briefly in recognition at the card’s design—rare and clearly marked with the insignia of a high-tier family that he definitely recognized—but he said nothing, simply nodding as the transfer completed.

"I’ll pack these up for you to make the transfer easier for you," the shopkeeper said, disappearing behind the counter. After a few minutes, he returned with a small magic pouch, which he handed to Lassim. "Everything’s in here. Just transfer it over to your own pouch when you’re ready."

Lassim took the pouch, briefly checking the contents. The workbench, chair, array plates, rods, and materials were all neatly stored inside. He transferred them into his own magic pouch with a quick motion before handing the smaller magic pouch back to the shopkeeper.

"Appreciate the help," Lassim said with a brief nod.

"Good luck with your work, Young Master Lassim," the shopkeeper replied. "I’m sure the Rohese family of the Veridian Continent would be overjoyed to know their youngest master has been chosen as the Lightning Sect’s Personal Disciple. If you need anything in the future, please do visit again."

Lassim was quite shocked for a moment as the small exchange had exposed so much about him, but it made sense that a merchant—a fire elemental Spirit Warrior at that—was connected and knowledgeable enough to know such details about him and his family. It was slightly creepy, but also a lesson that the world was smaller than he expected and that his mother’s side of the family seemed to have quite the bigger reach than he was aware.

He gave a polite but noncommittal smile and thanks before turning to leave back out into the storm outside.

As Lassim walked, following the path leading out of the marketplace and back towards his residence, he decided it was time for more cultivation meditation. The pieces were falling into place, and he was feeling like he was making steady progress.

The walk toward the Natural Lightning Nexus felt easier since he knew the way now, and when the clearing came into view, it was about as busy as he expected. Groups of disciples were spread across the open space, some sitting cross-legged in small clusters while others meditated alone near the larger trees like he had done on his first day.

The atmosphere wasn’t exactly lively as everyone was focused on circulating their cultivation methods quietly. But, there were at least the subtle sounds of light steps and the rustling of cotton ball-tipped grass as people walked towards their spots for the day, like to Lassim, or were standing up to leave after finishing up a long night of cultivation since it was still early in the morning.