Village Head's Debauchery

Though every member of the Crystalforge clan could create and fortify their constructs, making them almost as powerful as ranked artefacts, their effectiveness depended on the capabilities of those creating them. Yet, there were those who went the extra mile, delving into the study of runes to elevate their constructs to the level of ranked artefacts.

Unfortunately, not everyone possessed the talent for learning runes, so only a select few with the necessary aptitude and strength could dedicate themselves to mastering it.

"Before implementing the runes, we needed to conduct several tests on the materials to determine their intensity and capability. Regrettably, this involved sacrificing portions of the Devourer's bracelet. In the end, we could only inscribe six runes, some for the bracelet itself and others for the wielder," Seraphina added with a tired sigh.

"However, as you might have already guessed, after all this, we were left with fewer of the abundant materials needed to recreate the Devourer's bracelet. So, our only option was to manage our materials and make the bracelet slimmer than the bulky one."

"This meant eliminating some of its inner mechanisms, which were there to ensure the adequate use of the Devourer's bracelet and to prevent it from harming the wielder. These included many regulators to control the infusion of Vylkr energy into it. Because of the reduction of those components, we had no choice but to map new pathways for the materials."

"So, you didn't just recreate the Devourer's bracelet, but also changed its entire structure?" Stronghold Leader Zogar asked, his brow raised in curiosity.

Initially, upon hearing about Orion appointing the Prismerions' Healers Council members to significant positions within the Healers' Associations branches, he had assumed it was merely a matter of familiarity and inclusion of the Prismerions in the village. However, after discovering their contributions to the innovations within Orion's cities and witnessing their capabilities firsthand, he no longer doubted their abilities and ceased opposing the decision.

Nonetheless, after listening to the extraordinary feat that Seraphina and the others had managed to accomplish, he realized that even the current Orion would struggle to achieve this.

Seraphina nodded in acknowledgement.

"But if you removed some of its components and redesigned the pathways, doesn't that mean it won't be safe for an ordinary person? And what about the diluted Vylkr energy used to power it? Didn't you say you couldn't figure out how it was made?" Orion asked, pausing to take a deep breath when he saw Seraphina's smile brightening.

"...You found a way around that, too, didn't you?" he asked, wide-eyed.

Hearing Orion's words, the Village Chief and Stronghold Leader Zogar's hearts trembled as they gulped.

"Firstly, yes. Due to the process we undertook to recreate the Devourer's bracelet, it would be too dangerous for an ordinary individual to utilize. However, we were only considering it from the wrong perspective. Though the Devourer's bracelet could be much more harmful to an average person, we can't say the same about humans."

"According to the knowledge we've gathered, mostly from asking questions and receiving answers from the village warriors, an average human cannot utilize Vylkr energy and form a Vylkr container because they possess a two-star potential or lower. Meanwhile, warriors who can effortlessly control Vylkr energy and create a Vylkr container possess a three-star potential and above."

"This made us realize that the average human below the three- star potential is much more tolerant to infusion of Vylkr energy and has a higher chance of surviving an encounter with Vylkr vines, unlike individuals from other races," Seraphina explained, briefly looking at Orion as she recalled how Celeste and the others had once told her about Orion's survival of an encounter with a Vylkr vine before he became a warrior.

She continued, "So instead of focusing on individuals from other races, we decided to concentrate on the average humans and create these specifically for them."

"A Devourer's bracelet specifically made for the average villager," the Village Chief said, repeating the words quietly.

Orion and Stronghold Leader Zogar also echoed these words under their breath.

"As for the replacement for diluted Vylkr energy, we still haven't discovered how to recreate it. However, we uncovered something else to replace it with, which is as simple as directly extracting the raw Vylkr energy from the Vylkr vine and sealing it within a vial for the average human to get used to it, just like how the gods' chosen ones had gotten used to theirs."

"Nonetheless, we have already run a few tests on it, and it is running perfectly. The only remaining thing is another replacement for the Devourer's heart, as the former has already been used and died when its former wielders perished."

"Without a new Devourer's heart, it won't be able to store and utilize the Vylkr energy it had collected from the Vails. We might have done more to figure out how to fix that issue, but three days is too short to solve something as complex as that," Seraphina added, exhaling deeply as she finished her explanation.

Once Seraphina was done speaking, a brief silence fell upon their surroundings.

"There's nothing to be disappointed about. You have done wonderfully well in just three days, and even I'm speechless about what to say," Orion responded, breaking the silence as he shook his head at Seraphina's last words.

The Village Chief nodded, "Yes, you have done enough in such a short time. I don't think you need to feel disappointed about anything," he added.

"I agree with Warrior Orion and the Village Chief," stated Stronghold Leader Zogar.

"However, for the Devourer's heart, is there anything you need that the Village can provide you with to assist in your experiment?" he asked.

Since Seraphina would be dealing with raw Vylkr energy, which is the Villagers' specialty, he figured she would need their help to finish the experiment. So, he decided to be straightforward and ask her directly.

"Well, there is something we'll need your help for," Seraphina asked hesitantly.