Village Head's Debauchery

After ensuring that Derry and Lyra had gone to dress up for the visit, Orion walked towards Seraphina's room to see what she had been up to these past few weeks. Upon arrival, he sensed Fifi was also within Seraphina's work office.

Knock! Knock!

He rapped his knuckles against the door.

"Come in," Seraphina's voice sounded from within.

Orion opened the door and stepped inside. As he entered, he saw Fifi seated on a chair while Seraphina examined her Vylkr Fusion Armlet, its compartment open, with various tools in her hands.

"What's going on?" Orion asked.

"I'm examining her Vylkr Fusion Armlet to see if any changes differ from the typical gods' chosen devourer's bracelets. During Fifi's and Stronghold Leader Zogar's training with the gods' chosen, I realized they didn't necessarily need to use it the same way since they are natural Vylkr warriors," Seraphina responded, glancing at Orion briefly before shifting her attention back to Fifi's Vylkr Fusion Armlet.

"Since the main issue I'm having is with their vials, I'm trying to determine if it would impact them in any way."

"And what did you find?" Orion asked curiously as he found a spot on a chair near Fifi and sat down.

Fifi laid her head on his shoulder as Seraphina continued her examination.

"I discovered that my concerns were baseless. Fifi and Stronghold Leader Zogar can utilize their Vylkr Fusion Armlets without a vial. They must continue devouring the Vylkr vines and circulating their Vylkr energy within the Fusion Armlet. Their Devourer's Heart will grow stronger until they break through to the next stage."

"The vials can be an emergency backup when their reserve is utterly depleted. I should have figured this out earlier, but I had too much on my mind. I'm only realizing it now," Seraphina explained, carefully setting her tools down and closing Fifi's Vylkr Fusion Armlet compartment.

Orion nodded in understanding. If a Vylkr warrior could use their Vylkr container to power the Fusion Armlet, it made sense for them not to rely on the vial to activate it. "Is there anything else you've uncovered?" he asked.

"Yes, they can enter their Vylkr Warrior mode at will without overclocking their Vylkr Fusion Armlet. The only consequence is that it depletes their energy reserves very quickly, so they need to utilize it carefully," Seraphina replied, wiping down the Vylkr Fusion Armlet with a cloth. "All done," she added, letting Fifi know the examination was complete.

Fifi withdrew her arm and stretched it.

"Okay, since you've figured that out, how about the other project you mentioned?" Orion asked curiously. This was the real reason he had come to visit her.

Fifi's curiosity was piqued. Although she knew Seraphina was working on something, she had yet to learn what it was, unlike Orion.

Seraphina nodded. She walked over to her shelves, retrieved a large, plain metal box, and placed it on the table before them.

"Although I've figured out the necessary components and how I want the final equipment to look, I still need to finish the final touches. But regardless, here you go," Seraphina said, opening the box towards them.

Inside the box were four full-face masks—Black, Grey, Blue, and a plain one—each adorned with intricate Vylkr vine designs ranging from two-star to four-star Vylkr vine patterns.

The masks didn't have outlines for the nose or lips, but at the eye positions, there were two narrow straight lines with crystal lenses matching the colour of the mask, making it uncertain if it was possible to see through them.

Orion and Fifi looked at the masks with wide, curious eyes.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Seraphina asked, satisfaction surging as she noticed their mesmerized gazes.

"Do they work?" Orion asked, wanting to confirm if these masks could gauge a person's level of strength through their aura.

"Why don't you put it on yourself and try it out?" Seraphina responded, grinning. "You too," she added, shifting her attention towards Fifi.

Orion and Fifi both nodded and stretched their hands to pick a mask. Orion chose the beautifully drawn black Vylkr doctorate mask, while Fifi chose the blue one.

Orion turned the mask over and saw the inscribed runes glowing across it. He gently placed the mask on his face, feeling a tingling sensation sweep across his facial muscles and the sudden depletion of his energy reserve as it adhered to his skin.

The ends stretched over his ears and under his chin before solidifying and compressing abruptly, plunging his vision into total darkness.

He felt a light squeeze on his face, and the sensation of wearing a mask covering his entire head immediately disappeared. Gradually, his vision was restored.

Orion glanced around, testing his vision. Surprisingly, the mask's design didn't limit his sight. He turned to look at Fifi, who was still adjusting to wearing her mask.

"Can you see?" Seraphina questioned.

Orion focused his eyes ahead and nodded, saying, "Yes, I can see you clearly."

"Great! I named this invention the 'Energy Mask Spectrometer.' I borrowed the term 'Spectrometer' from Isadora, and after understanding its purpose, I decided to include it. It's equipped to detect and analyze energy auras, providing detailed readings of any individual," Seraphina explained.

"Since you'll descend the floating island, I added an air filtration system to purify the air. It can remove harmful substances like toxins, pollutants, and magical contaminants. Even though you can handle some of these independently, there are still unknowns, so it's better to be cautious.

"It also offers enhanced perception, protects your head and face, self-repairs, can store energy for extended use without constant channelling, and allows shared communication between masks over a significant distance. I tested its range but couldn't find its limit, so you'll have to do that yourself. I'm still considering enhancing its functions further, but unlike the Vylkr Fusion Armlet, I'm unsure how it will perform in various circumstances. Feel free to experiment with it and provide feedback as you go. That's everything," Seraphina concluded, exhaling heavily after her detailed explanation.