676 Chapter 150.1 - Why don't you see for yourself?
Astron settled into position, his stance shifting slightly as he prepared to engage the dummies in earnest. Irina watched closely, her curiosity intensifying. She was already familiar with his impressive speed and agility-qualities that had always set him apart. And true to form, he displayed those traits now, weaving effortlessly through the oncoming strikes with a fluidity that made it look almost easy.
Yet sothing nagged at her. This was the sa Astron she'd seen before, albeit with a slightly heightened speed thanks to the bracelet. He moved with precision, slipping between attacks, delivering well-tid counters that incapacitated the dummies one by one. But that was it. Nothing about his movents explained why he'd chosen the bracelet over artifacts that were far more powerful and suited to magic or even defense.
Irina's brow furrowed as she continued to watch, scrutinizing each of his moves. He was fast, yes-almost too fast for an ordinary opponent to keep up. But was that all? Was it really so important to him that he'd chosen a modest agility boost over enchanted weapons or protective amulets? It didn't add up.
'What am I missing?' she thought, irritation pricking at her as she tried to reconcile his choice with what she was seeing. The bracelet made him faster, sure, but there were many ways to achieve speed. And even though he moved gracefully, each strike landing with purpose, she couldn't shake the feeling that the bracelet was only part of the equation.
She leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing as she focused, determined to see beyond the surface. "Why this piece?"
Irina continued to watch Astron, her eyes tracking every movent as he navigated the relentless strikes from the enchanted dummies. His speed was remarkable-higher than she'd ever seen from him before. But as she observed more closely, she realized that this speed wasn't simply from the bracelet. The increase felt far beyond what a modest agility boost could provide.
'He must've been training intensely during the break, she thought, her brows knitting in confusion. The bracelet, though useful, couldn't account for this significant leap in his stats. It was clear he hadn't been idle; if anything, his agility and reflexes seed almost honed to a razor's edge, each movent so precise it bordered on effortless. Still, the nagging question remained: why the bracelet?
As the session wore on, she felt a faint sense of frustration. While he perford flawlessly, each strike perfectly tid and each movent unhindered, she couldn't pinpoint what she was supposed to be observing in relation to the artifact. In truth, he could've achieved nearly the sa outco without it.
When Astron finally slowed, allowing the room's enchantnts to power down, Irina ཆོཟད་ཆེན-Aཎ2LALALAT ་་་་་་། S།" ་་M---LLA ILLIALLLALLAAŲཔ།།ཟམ། AAAI stepped out of her reinforced section and approached him, her curiosity unabated. She folded her arms, leveling him with a direct look.
"All right," she said, her tone edged with challenge. "You've tested the bracelet. But... what was I supposed to see, exactly?" She gestured toward his wrist, her eyes scanning his calm expression, looking for any hint of an explanation. "Because, from where I'm standing, it doesn't seem like it made much difference."
Astron looked at her, his expression calm as he nodded, seemingly agreeing with her assessnt. "That's exactly how it was supposed to be seen," he replied, his tone asured. "After all, whoever brought this bracelet into your family's armory would've tested it thoroughly. If it had any obvious powers, they would have noted it. So, what you saw is precisely what anyone else would see."
Irina frowned slightly, processing his words before nodding. "All right," she conceded, though her curiosity was far from satisfied. "Then... what's the point?" Astron didn't answer imdiately. Instead, he looked at her with a question of his own. "Tell , Irina-what makes a piece of equipnt better than others?"
Irina straightened, feeling as though she'd just been handed a challenge. Her knowledge and training as a mage had long since taught her how to evaluate equipnt, and she didn't hesitate as she began explaining.
"Well, it depends on a few factors," she said, her tone shifting into that of a teacher, as if she were presenting a lesson. "First, the equipnt's inherent properties matter-its enchantnts, how well it's crafted, and what kinds of materials were used. Then, there's compatibility. An artifact that aligns with the wielder's mana or abilities can elevate its effectiveness. And of course, there's adaptability, how versatile the piece is in different situations. So artifacts shine in specific uses, while others are well-rounded and dependable in any situation."
She paused, glancing at him to gauge his reaction, but his face remained unreadable, prompting her to continue. "Lastly, there's potential-so artifacts grow stronger with the user or adapt over ti. So, to sum it up, the best equipnt is strong in its own right, works seamlessly with its wielder, and has potential for growth." Astron nodded thoughtfully, his gaze unwavering. "You're right, Irina. But the way you're assessing it-it's a consur's perspective. And while that's useful, it lacks a certain depth."
Irina arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "So, you're saying I should look at it from the creator's perspective?" She crossed her arms, a hint of challenge in her tone. "If it were that easy, I'd be creating my own artifacts, wouldn't I?"
"True," Astron agreed with a slight incline of his head. "But understanding a piece of equipnt as a creator would isn't necessarily about crafting it yourself. It's about knowing what to look for. Sotis, even with basic knowledge, you can infer a lot if you approach it from the right angle."
Irina's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. "That's exactly what you're good at, isn't it?" Her voice softened as the realization dawned on her. "You don't just look at things the way everyone else does."
She paused, her mind racing as she pieced it together. "This guy sees things differently. It's like he has a lens no one else has... sothing about his eyes!
The pieces fell into place with a startling clarity. Astron's ability to choose the bracelet wasn't just about theoretical knowledge or random chance. He had seen sothing others hadn't. Her ancestors, the armory appraisers, anyone else who had looked at that bracelet-they'd only looked with surface-level vision. But Astron, he'd been able to see through it, to look deeper in a way that went beyond ordinary observation. "Your eyes," she murmured, barely audible, staring at him with newfound curiosity. "There's sothing... different about them, isn't there?"
Astron held her gaze, his expression unreadable but the faintest flicker of
acknowledgnt in his eyes.
Irina's eyes narrowed as she considered her next question, trying to put the pieces together. "So... is it about the material? Or maybe sothing with the engraving?" she asked, her tone probing, her gaze intent on him.
At her words, she caught a faint shift in Astron's expression-a barely noticeable change, but enough for her to sense she was onto sothing. Her eyes widened in realization. If she was right, then this ant Astron could actually see through the material and grasp a possible way to improve it? The thought left her montarily
speechless.
"This guy...' she thought, awe settling over her. He has an ability that goes beyond typical sight.
Then, without a word, Astron reached into his spatial storage, his hand reappearing with a small, slightly shiny piece of tal that seed to pulse with contained mana. He held tout to her, the material gleaming in the dim light of the room. "This is Orichalum," he said simply, the na carrying weight. The tal was rare, difficult to refine, and incredibly potent in mana conductivity. For many, this was the foundation of high-grade artifacts. Though her family possessed the resources to acquire it, even they used it sparingly due to its cost and the skill needed to work with
it.
Irina looked at the Orichalum in his hand, her mind racing with possibilities. "You're telling ... you saw a way to use this with the bracelet?" she asked, incredulity coloring her voice. "You could refine it?"
When Irina asked if he could refine the bracelet himself, Astron simply shook his head.
"If I could do that, I'd be an artifact creator," he replied dryly. "But I can do sothing
else."
Without further explanation, he took the bracelet in one hand and held the Orichalum in the other, his gaze steady as he watched her reaction. He seed to be asuring her understanding, waiting for the realization to dawn.
Then, he spoke, his voice calm but purposeful. "Let ask you sothing, Irina. Why do you think a bracelet like this-sothing that doesn't align with any of the Emberheart skills or fighting style-ended up here, in your family's armory?" Irina considered his question, her mind racing as she looked from the bracelet to the
Orichalum in his hand. Why indeed? If this bracelet had no direct use for her family, then there had to be sothing else that warranted its place among their treasures.
She thought back to what he'd already hinted at.
"The material..." she said slowly, piecing it together. "It's because of the material it was
made with, isn't it?"
"Exactly," Astron replied a glint of satisfaction in his gaze. He motioned for her to co closer, and she obliged, intrigued despite herself.
"That's why it's here," he continued, holding up the Orichalum in his hand. "The bracelet is made with a dormant layer of a similar mana-conductive tal, one that can be activated-but only with a specific kind of fla."
Irina's breath caught as she began to realize what he was implying. "You an... my
fla."
"Precisely." His tone was matter-of-fact as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Only a fla like yours-one from an Emberheart-can invoke a reaction in this material. It wasn't about choosing a piece with imdiate power. It was about seeing the potential for sothing greater."
Irina furrowed her brow, skepticism flashing across her face. "This is... why do I feel like this is just a bunch of nonsense?" she muttered, half to herself, still grappling with the idea of her flas activating the bracelet's dormant potential. Astron rely shrugged, a calm, knowing look in his eyes. "Of course, it sounds hard
to believe. It's not sothing most would notice right away." He took a step back, positioning himself with a relaxed stance, clearly inviting her to test his words. He raised a hand, gesturing for her to co at him, a slight curl tugging at the corner
of his mouth. "Why don't you see for yourself?"
It was an invitation to fight.
Reviews
All reviews (0)