Chapter 0107

The Weapon Pavilion combined the style of the old plantation homes of the Southern United States with a heavy fortified castle of Europe, was situated at the back of the mountains surround by layers upon layers of protective formation.

Once, long ago, mages would wander to the now quite Weapon Pavilion to marvel at the majestic architectural wonder and stare longingly at the door. None of the loiterings mages would dare force their way into the Weapon Pavilion because it was guarded at all time by at least two Indigo Mages.

As the trend for mages to focus on learning spells and only spells, the significant of a valuable weapon lessen over time.

Mages realize the importance of weapons and like all cultivators they desire the heaven defying weapon. All heaven defying weapons share similar characteristics. They all have an intent or a consciousness, called weapon spirits by the masses.

The spirits mages cultivate affinities with harbors no jealousy towards weapon spirits for intruding on what they consider their domain. The spirits encourage mages to nurture a weapon spirit because there is a slight, a very slight possibility, the weapon spirits later evolve into an elemental spirit and join the mage’s spirit on the spiritual plane.

The spirits encourage mages to nurture a weapon spirit because there is a slight, a very slight possibility, the weapon spirits later evolve into an elemental spirit and join the mage’s spirit on the spiritual plane.

It is also how Cardis change from being the Son of Inferno to the Son of Volcano. The big broadsword he showed Tempest earlier was called Eternal Blight. Despite being more proficient with sabers rather than broadsword, Cardis continued to fight using Eternal Blight.

During one of the many, many, many, near death fights he partook in, Eternal Blight broke. Cardis immediately pulled out the most convenient weapon in his arsenal at the time, a saber he called Eternal Death and killed his opponent, which sets off a wave of pursuers gunning for his head. He spent the next twenty years running away from his pursuers and the next fifty years looking for materials to fix Eternal Blight.

It was during this time he got very proficient with the saber, much to the misery of Eternal Blight’s weapon spirit. Eternal Blight knew how stubborn his master could be. Who would insist on using a broadsword when they are talented with the saber? Who else if not Cardis?

Eternal Blight knew he would only drag Cardis down should he be repaired. He wanted to useful to his stubborn master, so he made the decision to become an earth spirit. It was the only way the weapon spirit could think of to help his beloved master. Cardis was none to please with Eternal Blight’s choice. He eventually accepts Eternal Blight’s decision. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he accepted it.

Cardis also insist on repairing Eternal Blight, saying there would always be a home for Eternal Blight when he gets tired of being an earth spirit.

At the time, Cardis was among the many mages who nurture a weapon while cultivating the heart as their immortal potential.

Over time, mages realized they were more suited to talismans rather than weapons. Mages have a distance advantage over most of their enemies. Those mages who nurture a weapon instead of a talisman that assist the mage in casting the spell faster found themselves at a disadvantage.

Thus the trend for mages to favor talisman over weapons.

Those mages who used to linger in the courtyard of the Weapon Pavilion now linger in the Talisman Pavilion. The powerful guards were assigned to other areas. The attention paid towards the Weapon Pavilion decline and so was its upkeep.

Instead of a vigorous vitality, the Weapon Pavilion had a tired subdue aura of an old timer about to die.

Until today, when Cardis bypass all the wards and unceremoniously threw an annoying Tempest into the building. Therein after he shut the door with a loud bang.

“I wasn’t that annoying!” Tempest protest her innocence to no one in particular. Once she was sure no one was watching her, she burst into laughter.

You shouldn’t poke at a man’s pride.

“He deserves it! I needed my beauty sleep and he lured me out of my nice warm bed with malicious intentions. He didn't’ even deliver the goods he promises. A few pokes to his ego are a small price to pay.”

He had good intentions.

“You know what they said about the road to hell. It was paved with good intentions.” Tempest retorted before looking left and right like a thief in a highly fortified vault. After rubbing her hands in glee, Tempest began to peruse all the weapon on display like a season bargain hunter.

“Oohh, this sword looks pretty, into the space ring you go. Ahh that spear has a big fat ruby I can sell for alot money, into the space ring you go.”

Tempest picked a weapon here and weapon there and threw it into her space ring. She was careful not to touch the really precious weapon that can destroy mountains and part seas. The guild master might issue a warrant for her head, bestowment or no, for taking those masterless legendary weapons.

Bam.

A fist came from nowhere and sent Tempest flying.

Tempest roared out in anger as she pulled herself out of a heap of cheap ores. “Which weapon spirits have the guts to attack me?”

Tempest knew it was a weapon spirit who smacked her around.

Cardis told her the wards only allow one person in the Weapon Pavilion at a time. Tempest once entertain the possibility of ghosts and goblins wandering around within the musty wall of the decrepit building. She’s scared of ghosts. Ever since a certain sister discovers the strange world of horror movies, they’d have horror movie nights whenever they could. Tempest spent most of the time under the covers while her sisters made sarcastic comments on the acting and the CGI they had in place for the monster.

Ghosts do exist in the Cardinal Realm. Unless they cultivate into a ghost king, most are harmless to cultivators. Once a ghost crosses the threshold to become a ghost king, they become really hard to kill. Cardis once fought a ghost king to a stand still. Cardis was much younger than he was now, but he was still an immortal. It take an immortal with the right skill set to kill a ghost king.

Ghosts tend to avoid mages as a rule. Mages have a natural suppressive effect on ghosts.

Beside, the array protecting the Weapon Pavilion keeps the ghost out.

So, if it isn’t a ghost or another cultivator, by processes of elimination, it has to be a weapon spirit who attacked Tempest.

Weapon spirits have their own quirks and personality though they tend to be arrogant, vicious, violent and proud. It is part of their nature. What weapon wasn’t created to kill their owner’s opponent?

The weapon spirit’s personality also attributed to the decline of the weapon wielding mages, or as Tempest coined them in her mind, close combat mage.

Weapons gain a consciousness through the countless blood staining their blade. They also grow stronger the more they absorb the blood essence, hence they desire an owner who although might not be a homicidal maniac, kills those who touch their bottom line without a qualm.

Some weapon spirits prefer an owner to wantonly slaughter everyone and everything around them. They urge their owner to kill, kill, kill. Those weapons get destroyed very fast.

For a weapon spirit, mages who kill their enemies through their spells at range and only pull out their weapon when their enemies close the distance before they can get off a spell is the worst type of owner possible.

“Which weapon spirit dare sneak attack me?” Tempest roared into the massive room.

“That wasn’t a sneak attack. It was a warning. Pick a weapon then scram.” Of course it had to come from a kid with a murderous killing aura. All the stories with a female protagonist Tempest had read always had a cute looking little bun.

The supposedly ‘cute little bun, in this case, was far from cute. The kid looked to be six or seven, with long oily black hair, black bottomless eyes and a pale sallow complexion. He was wearing a brown robed covered in dirt and grime, with patches here and there. Even his murderous aura was a pathetic.

Cardis when he is annoyed at Tempest leaked a much more powerful aura than this little boy.

“Ewww. I got punched by an ugly weapon spirit. I need to take a bath after this. Who knows what kind of poison coated on him to make him look like a hungry ghost.” Tempest began to dust the dirt off her clothes, angering the little boy.

“You’ve picked up enough weapon. Scram out of here.” the dignity of the little weapon spirit has taken a beating. No one had ever trampled on its pride like the mage before him.

“What the matter? Got locked up here for being too ugly?” Tempest taunted.

The little weapon spirit flushed in shame.

“Damn it, I hit the mark didn’t I?” Tempest asked in surprised. While she can be cruel to her enemies, Tempest doesn’t actively torment others for her amusement. Her words previously were meant to be teasing. She didn’t realize how cutting her remarks can be.

“Get out of here you ugly thing!” the weapon spirit yelled at Tempest, trying to cover his shame with anger.

“Who are you calling ugly? I’m prettier than you. At least I’m not locked up in a cold, dark, damp place to rust.”

“Mages are the most self centered creatures in the world. You only care about outer appearances and never its functionality.”

“So what if I’m vain? Humans are vain creatures. Women are vain creatures. I’d bet you hate vain cultivators because you were abandoned because you are ugly.”

“Who care how I look. I am a weapon spirit who can increase the power of my wielder by three times. You hear that? Three times! Godly weapon like me can’t be easily created. Let me tell you you dumb girl, power is everything in the world and a cultivator would pick me over your flat self any time.”

“Ha! Apparently weapons like you are a dime a dozen. There is an entire vault filled with stronger weapon spirits than you. That’s why you were overlooked time and time again.”

“You mages have terrible senses. You mistake coal for gold and glass for diamonds. You can’t even see a divine treasure even if it was right in front of your face. Of course you would miss out on an extraordinary weapon such as myself.”

“You call this ugly thing an extraordinary weapon?” Tempest sneered as she raised up an old rusted sword that had seen better days. In its better days, the sword might have been an awe inspiring weapon that strike fears into its enemies. People might have gazed upon it with greed and worship. However, time can erode all things, even a once mighty weapon.

The brilliance it once possesses dulls down to a gleam if you shine a flashlight directly on it. A sharp edge that might have cut through diamonds like a knife through butter has lost its sharpness. Knicks and chips dotted along the edge of the sword, giving the sword a fragility equality to it, as if it would break after a good swing.

“Ah put me down!” the weapon spirit ordered Tempest.

Tempest threw the sword away in contempt. “I can buy a better sword at the local blacksmith. Who’d want a pathetic sword like you?”

The weapon spirited picked up the rusted sword and fled with tears in its eyes.