Nosran was thinking after Kaden asked him the price for the black fragments. It was to be expected. They were unknown objects which price was similarly unknown.

"I obviously have crystals", Kaden suggested. It was a good first offer.

"These things seem worth more than just some crystals", Nosran replied.

"I have some random thing I have collected along the way, but I doubt their value", Kaden replied, but he only said that as to merely pass over the matter. He had used all the valuable things for himself. There was also the fact that he had spent quite a while being suppressed so he did not have a chance to collect anything from missions and such.

Kaden did have Weils's leg. Necromancer like Nosran would surely see value in body parts, or body part in this case, that came from a Condensation stage expert. Nosran was clearly somewhere in Formation stage so he wouldn't have such parts laying about.

But Kaden wanted to consume it himself! Despite his desire to do so he couldn't do it anytime soon. Then again, he viewed the fragments being far more valuable. If nothing else, Weils's leg would be his last offer before he would leave and plot Nosran's death or leave the matter to the future.

"I also have some skill in smithing, but I'd need a manaforge for that", Kaden decided to add. "Another thing I could offer is building formations which is what I would say I have some talent in."

"Formations?" Nosran's replied. He seemed interested. "Aside from skills required for necromancy, my supportive skills have always been alchemy. It helps to preserve and enchance body parts and whatever pieces I use to construct my more special zombies. I could use some formations!"

"I'm not entirely sure what kind of formations necromancer needs, but if you can describe your needs, perhaps I can make it work", Kaden pointed out. This would be one of the better solutions.

"In that case, I can offer you the fragments in exchange for your services", Nosran told Kaden. "Provide formations for my laboratory and the fragments are yours."

Kaden had done deals like this very rarely. The deals he had done before had been to make questionable weapons to queastionable people in Corand. Those were very low level deals, but Kaden knew how higher ranked people did deals. There would be contract type mana crystals or possibly swearing on some specific god. Breaking that kind of deals could be extremely harmful or even fatal.

Kaden had prepared to accept a contract crystal, but if Nosran had wanted to swear on some god, Kaden would have given an excuse to not do it. Yet, the man did not seem to intend to request any assurances. Perhaps he didn't care about the fragments that much?

"The fragments I have might protect me from such deals and avoid me accepting any godly influence upon myself", Kaden thought for a moment. "Yet, I'm not going to risk it. I do not want any godly stains upon myself!"

In fact, Kaden wasn't sure what god Nosran worshipped. As odd it sounds, many necromancers worshipped Emmiah, God of Life. The thing is, death is part of life, its other side. Despite this, Emmiah was worshipped mostly for the life aspect. Due to this there were actually many minor death gods. Kaden had seen no altars or anything pointing to worship of Emmiah. Nosran was probably worshipping one of those minor death gods.

Nosran led Kaden down to the cellar.

Kaden had no idea what kind of places necromancers usually hanged in. He had seen only Trohin's, but that was long abandoned. The cellar was relatively large and yet it was filled with things.

There hanged body parts like meat at butcher. Vats filled with liquids and more body parts or not merely parts, instead bodies, in them. Some clearly put together from several parts. Kaden even noted a few crystal balls with swirling clouds in them, a few faces appeared on them and then disappeared. Wraiths.

Obviously there were also a few work tables about the size for human bodies and one larger, that Kaden assumed to be for beasts. There were also a few large storages that looked like they were well refrigerated. Kaden assumed this was where bodies that Nosran had yet to work on were stored. Additionally there was door at the other side, Kaden knew not where it led, but was possibly the storage where the zombie had brought the fragments from.

Despite the description resembling a glorified butchery, everything was clean and professional looking. Nosran did not play around and for sure wasn't an amateur.

That was one part of the cellar. There was also the part clearly dedicated for alchemy and also small part for whatever pursuits Nosran might have aside from these other two major practices. Everything was clearly separated and wouldn't disturb whatever Nosran might have had going on nearby.

"Explain what you require", Kaden asked Nosran after he had given a good look around.

Nosran nodded.

"I would have something to stabilize mana around my work tables, life and death mana, if possible, but any stabilization is fine", Nosran said and pointed around his work tables. "While reanimating zombie or a construct, it requires quite effort and precision. If some of my load was to be lessened, I could achieve much more."

Kaden could at least do that much. He might not be too familiar with the two mana types that Nosran mentioned specifically, but a spell like Devour was probably something to do with life mana and on the flip side of that, death mana. Kaden suspected he was able to cast that spell due to his phoenix side that had affinity for life mana.

Not that it prevented a formation to be created. That was what allowed Kaden to avoid the mana type requirements after all, if he made a formation out of it. He would see, if he could arrange a proper formation for Nosran's request. If not, he would just build a formation for general stabilization. It would only be slightly less powerful for the requested mana types.

Nosran continued to walk around.

"As it is, most of my lab requires precision and higher quality mana", Nosran told Kaden. "Where my work tables require stability, my alchemy work requires denser mana. Same goes for my constructs, wraiths and the vats where I infuse parts or entire minions with mana."

Kaden listened. A bit of work such as what Nosran was asking for was well worth it.

"I would also ask some smaller specific things on my work scalpels and some automation, measuring and other minor specific tasks on my alchemy table."

Nosran had not asked anything outrageous. As it had seemed previously to Kaden, Nosran was indeed a professional. He kept his lab as such. Anything too fancy would just get in the way and be inpractical. Still, Nosran wasn't asking small or simple one use formations that Kaden mostly used. Those were mostly charge something simple with mana and then release it in some useful way. One or two uses at most.

What Nosran wanted was precision formations he would likely be using years to come. Kaden would have to carefully carve them in Nosran's lab and would require special materials for that purpose. He would have to carefully measure each part and make sure it stays that way.

"All of this will take some time, but I should be able to do ask you ask", Kaden told Nosran after thinking for a while. "I could lay down some base formations to test that they are acceptable, but if you want them to last and have high quality end result, you will have to arrange me some materials. Once those base formations are made with some good materials, the rest around them can be even adjusted later. Hmmmm."

Kaden quickly made a note for Nosran which included the materials he would need.

"The formations you ask for aren't too complex in function and as such the materials likely won't cost a fortune", Kaden continued. "But the time all of this will take to build will be from few weeks to months depending which formation we are speaking about."

Nosran nodded quietly as he looked at Kaden's note listing the materials.

"I have some of these already", Nosran said. "Mana conducting materials are good for constructs. I will have to get more and rest of the materials from merchants at the shore."

"Which ones?" Kaden asked.

"Crystine and Mana Sand", Nosran replied.

"Hmmm, I can use those to create anchor points", Kaden told Nosran. "I'll carve the base and then we try it is to your liking. Then I can put down anchor points and start constructing the permanent parts. Is this agreeable? This is mainly for the larger formations for your work table. The other ones will require materials for different purposes."

"A formation for my main work will aid my work significantly", Nosran said. "I will arrange the materials for you."

With that said Kaden started to examine the walls and floor. There was no reason to waste time. The construction project he had agreed to would take quite a while anyway. During it he would see how far he will heal.

"I hope whatever Nelsen did will be gone by then", Kaden though to himself. "From what I'm seeing, the healing isn't proceeding as quickly as I hoped. Then again, I have been moving and the damage is recent."

The justice mana had caused damage just where latest and most recent cultivation progress had been. It was not permanent damage, but was exactly where it would take the longest time to repair. Kaden still hoped it wouldn't take too long. His current arrangement would allow him rest most of the time. Activating the formations, once built, would be greatest exertion, but getting to that point would take some time.

"I curse your soul, Nelsen", Kaden muttered to himself as he continued making measurements.

All in all, the arrangement with Nosran was perfect. The necromancer seemed like a reasonable person, but Kaden made note to not mess with him. It seemed people such as his wife had not survived such mistakes. Kaden had no quarrels with him and he didn't expect to. He also didn't mind Nosran's chosen profession. In fact, Kaden hoped to learn something along the way. Not that he planned to dabble in necromancy, but the ideas and concepts might be of use some day. There was also the most recent matter regarding Devour, which was indeed a spell that could be considered necromancy. Kaden did not ever wish to make the same mistake as he had with Nelsen.

What if he were to try Devouring, say, an elemental some day? Kaden had no experience of such matters. He had never used the spell on anything other than matter that was from living beings. The spell needed perfecting. Kaden wanted to be able to use Devour on anything that he could consider edible or contain significant amount of mana.

"Why stop there?" Kaden continued his thoughts about Devour. "I have been using it as support. To feed, heal and boost cultivation. Perhaps it could be altered to be useful combat spell. My combat endurance, that is already high, would rise probably to unreasonable levels."

Kaden was already tough and if he could keep himself up and going and all wounds healing mid combat, it would make him a nasty opponent to his enemies. Kaden actually smiled a bit after thinking all that.

"Perhaps Nosran will be interested in the spell", Kaden thought. "While Devour is spell I often use, I have never thought it as signature move or anything so it is not a secret. No one just has been very interested in it. You are basically eating people and beasts with it. Necromancer like Nosran might not balk at such ideas. It was a spell made by a necromancer so another might be willing to work with it."

If he was going to stay with Nosran to build the formations for him and heal, he might as well work with the man too, if it could benefit him somehow, like upgrading Devour.