Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 331: Popularity and Adoring Fans

Lassim held the communication disc lightly in his hand, its surface glowing faintly as the familiar names appeared in his contact list. His quill rested in the special inkwell on the edge of the desk, forgotten for the moment as his thoughts turned to how he’d approach his two mentors with the request.

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"I just hope they’ll agree without too much convincing. I’ve no idea how often they leave their workshop, so… I guess we’ll find out, right Mari and Zaphy?" he said aloud to him and his companions, adjusting his posture to sit straighter before he began typing the messages.

He tapped the disc, his fingers brushing across its surface as he wrote:

Lassim: Masters, I hope this message finds you both in good health and that you’re keeping busy. I wonder if you’ve made significant progress or not with additional Spirit Mystic stage constructs? Did the first one’s reception go well? It’s been six months, so I hope it’s been without too much trouble.

He paused for a moment, debating how much to reveal upfront. It was always better to be cautious, especially with something this important.

Lassim: I have a confidential project that I’ve been working on, and I’m at a stage where your expertise would be exactly what I need. Specifically, I require help with two things: Master Eno, your suggestions for what alloys will meet the requirements I have, and your ability to forge them into the high-grade metals we need would be crucial. Master Rlyis, I will need your insight to double-check my array designs and your help refining them to maximize safety. You both have so much experience and knowledge that I need to rely on you. I’m sorry that I can’t reveal much more than that, but I hope you’ll believe me when I say this is a once-in-a-lifetime project that is going to change the entire world of Nexaria. It’s something closely related to an additional secret of mine, so I hope you’ll understand why I’ll need to wait to tell you more.

A second pause as he debated his upcoming, slightly unreasonable, request. His fingers hovered over the disc as he debated whether to include the next part.

Lassim: The biggest hurdle would be that it would require both of you to travel to the Tempest’s Cradle and stay with me until we reach completion of the project. I’ve been training here for months and cannot leave the environment without disrupting my cultivation progress. There’s the upcoming Elder’s Summit in half a year’s time and I want to really show off, so I want to continue cultivating. I hope you both can agree…

Lassim leaned back slightly, rereading his message before sending it. The words were clear, direct, and respectful, but also carried the weight of the project’s importance. The moment the disc flashed to confirm delivery, he stood and paced the room, his thoughts swirling as he waited for their reply.

The response came sooner than expected, the disc buzzing faintly in his hand as the glow returned.

Rlyis: Lassim, it’s been too long! You’ve caught my curiosity already. What kind of project could demand both of us to travel all the way to you? You know I can’t resist a good challenge. We’ll come, but tell me this—how much array work have you already done without me assigning homework every night? I hope we won’t have to start from scratch.

Lassim smirked faintly at the response, his fingers quickly moving to reply.

Lassim: Enough to warrant your approval, I hope. I’ve done extensive testing, and I hope my special rune system for this project will impress you. The next step is creating the framework itself, but I’m not arrogant enough to think I’ve accounted for everything. That’s why I need your help, and Eno’s recommendations for what to actually use to make this unique device.

Another buzz followed almost immediately.

Eno: If it’s as important as you say, I’m in. But let me tell you this—metalwork isn’t cheap, even from me. The previous project was you working for us as a typical assistant on a mission. Don’t think I’ll do this for just some flattery. If you want us to work for you, you’ll have to treat us just like any Array Master would for his team. We’ll expect to be paid for our services since this isn’t directly related to a sect mission.

Lassim’s smirk grew wider.

Lassim: As always, Master Eno, I wouldn’t dare undervalue your contributions. Payment will be handled. I am not the youngest member of the Rohese Architecture Company and Vanthar Noble Families for nothing. However, the real reward, I suspect, will be the fact you get to participate in something this huge. Trust me, it’s going to be huge!

The disc buzzed again, a joint message this time.

Rlyis and Eno: We’ll bring our mobile workshop and be there in two days. See you soon, Lassim.

He raised an eyebrow at the mention of a "mobile workshop." He’d seen their main workshop and warehouse, but the idea of something portable piqued his curiosity. Especially so after he’d made efforts to refine his mobile workbench that he’d bought to set up in the training hall whenever he worked on the spatial alphabet.

He’d eventually bought additional tools, and even a slightly larger, custom made, desk model after another void tear or two during these last six months, each time refining the setup to be as optimized for his use as possible. Seeing what they had was something he was now looking forward to.

"Two days. Phew. I’m glad they agreed, but hopefully my daily allowance from the Gold Vault Card can cover their pay… I hope it’s not too much." he murmured to himself, setting the disc aside.

The prospect of their arrival brought both excitement and a small measure of anxiety. He trusted them, but the sheer scope of what he was attempting made even him question whether his designs and secret third element would hold up under their scrutiny and support.

The next two days passed in a blur of preparation. Lassim reviewed his sketches, making minor adjustments to ensure the runes "made sense", and the array lines flowed perfectly despite the many overlapping and layered sections. He kept his morning routine dedicated to refining the project and spent his afternoons meditating in the East Grove.

Reaching Spirit Transcendent stage in the next six months was now his new goal since he’d completed the initial theme and style of his fighting style. The steps and transitions he’d make for additional moves to the [Storm] style would only happen when he wasn’t splitting his time so heavily between the two projects.

The storm felt gentler for these two days, as if it too were watching and waiting for the coming collaboration.

~~~

On the second afternoon, just as Lassim had finished his usual meditation session early in anticipation for their arrival, his communication disc buzzed with a new message.

Rlyis: Lassim, we’ve arrived. We’re at the docks—though I’ll warn you now, there’s a bit of... well, you’ll see. Someone recognized us as we arrived.

The vague phrasing didn’t give much away, but Lassim wasn’t one to delay. He rose from his spot beneath the towering Storm Leaf Tree, his halberd vanishing back into his inner heart world. With a short series of steps with [Storm’s Dance], he condensed the space around him, reappearing near the village’s central square in mere moments.

What he saw at the docks brought him to an abrupt halt. Not out of shock alone, but because of the wall in front of him.

A massive crowd of disciples had gathered, their voices rising in a chaotic chorus of excitement. At the center of the commotion were Rlyis and Eno, the two masters standing side by side as they fielded an endless stream of questions and requests.

"Master Rlyis, please! Just one engraving on my plate—it’s a rare design I made myself, and I’d treasure it forever to have your signature!"

"Master Eno, what’s your secret to forging metal that doesn’t warp under storm mana? I’ve been studying your notes from the days you were at the Spirit Growth stage but I can’t figure it out! Tell me! I’ll pay you!"

"AAAH~! BOTH OF MY IDOLS ARE LITERALLY HERE IN FRONT OF ME! SOMEONE CATCH ME, I THINK I’M GONNA PASS OUT!"

"Please give a speech or share a few words with us! Will you be staying in Skybound for a while? Can we expect any special lectures while you’re here? The stories of your work have inspired so many of us!"

Lassim blinked in surprise, the sheer fervor of the crowd catching him off guard. He could easily imagine that Rlyis and Eno would be well-regarded within the sect due to them being the literal masterminds behind practically all of the modern constructs and their maintenance within the entire Lightning Sect, but this was something else entirely.

"They’re begging for autographs?" Lassim muttered under his breath as he caught sight of a disciple holding up an engraved array plate like a fan waving for a signature. "I didn’t realize they were celebrities… They seemed so normal in the workshop. This is crazy!"

He began to push his way through the throng, first his spiritual pressure was slightly released to help encourage a path to open up and his personal disciple robes drawing immediate attention of the disciples thinking someone was pushing through the crowd and skipping their turn.

The crowd parted almost instinctively upon this recognition of who was trying to get to the center of the madness, whispers of his name rippling through the gathered disciples.

"Oh! It’s Senior Brother Lassim!"

"What’s he doing here? Isn’t he a battle focused Spirit Warrior? Do you think he’s here as their escort?"

"He’s the one with that crazy fast movement technique right—did you hear about it?!"

Lassim ignored the murmurs, his focus fixed on his two mentors.

As he reached them, Rlyis greeted him with a wry smile, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"Ah, Array Apprentice Lassim. You’ve finally arrived. Care to rescue us from our adoring fans?"

Eno crossed his arms, his expression less amused but no less confident. "Took you long enough, kid. Now, can we get out of this mess? Or are you going to join the crowd and ask for an autograph too?"

"I had no idea you two were such celebrities. It’s kind of a shock." Lassim scratched his head before gesturing with a nod of his head to follow him.

"You’ll have to learn to get used to it. Sounds like you already have a bit of notoriety, and after whatever you’re cooking up now—if it’s as revolutionary as you make it sound—you’ll have even more attention on you than just being the Sect Master’s Personal Disciple." Rlyis replied.

Lassim led his two mentors through the gathering at the dock towards the village. The crowd, now subdued, watched them pass in a mix of awe and curiosity, disciples whispering hurriedly but keeping their distance. Some tried to follow, still hopeful for a signature, but the pressure from Lassim was cranked up a few more notches as he dissuaded them from a distance.

Once they reached a quieter area, Rlyis and Eno took the lead with familiarity to their surroundings, guiding Lassim to an empty plot nestled between two larger buildings that he hadn’t noticed before.

Eno came to a stop, glancing around with an appraising eye. "It’s still basically the same as last time. This’ll do well enough," he said, nodding. He reached into his magic pouch and pulled out what appeared to be a sturdy metal chest no larger than a typical travel trunk but it was slightly odd as the entire thing appeared to be a solid metal mass more than a trunk.

Lassim’s brow furrowed slightly as he watched Eno place the chest on the ground with deliberate care. "What’s that?" he asked.

"You’ll see," Eno replied, a hint of mischief in his voice.

He rotated his cultivation, his metal cultivation aura at the Spirit Transcendent stage flaring to life with a metallic sheen that seemed to ripple through the air. The chest responded instantly, the engravings on its surface glowing faintly as Eno’s mana surged into it.

The transformation began with a series of sharp clicks and metallic whirs. Panels unfolded from the chest like intricate clockwork, expanding outward and upward as the structure began to take shape.

Lassim’s eyes widened as he watched the process, the precision and elegance of the mechanism unlike anything he’d seen before.

The chest continued to expand, forming walls, a roof, and even windows with reinforced glass. Within moments, the once-compact object had transformed into a fully functional one-story building that fit perfectly within the plot, its dimensions adjusting seamlessly to the available space.

"Now THIS is what a mobile workbench ought to be!" Lassim thought to himself.