862. Advance of Madness

---3 Weeks Earlier---

When he finally returned to Minas Mar from the college, there were a lot of things on his mind but most of his personal businesses were dealt with. Aside from coming up with a way to weaponize the new skill, the most pressing matter on Seth's mind was the production of Armors of Lunacy.

At least for the dedicated casters of the Field Teams like Azul, Ray, Shay, Jess, Ferdinand and Lynri. Their final versions did not differ too much from the one Alison received, except that they were slightly tweaked to support their elemental preferences.

In the beginning, he intended to do more, but he respected the opinions of his friends on this. Some were not fit for the armor, like Mina who still specialized in the agility of an assassin. There were better options for her and others like her.

Some simply had other preferences or vehemently insisted on keeping their current items. Lyxiss for one was reluctant to give up the robe Seth had once gifted her and that was enchanted by an elven enchanter. Bulko on the other hand insisted that he wanted several armor sets he could use in junction with his class.

Apart from items for his friend, the blacksmith also had some more quiet projects brewing in the depths of his workshop. He had been looking for a way of how to strengthen Urth's <Ithildin> to make it more eligible as material for melee fighters.

Unlike the silver Polter's family sent him, Urth's <Ithildin> was still soft like <Mithril>. Of course, <Mithril> was by no means soft, but there were many stronger materials in the epic tier. Taking into account the possible damage numbers on a higher level range, it was unsuitable to be used as armor material for vanguards or tanks that were supposed to take a hit, or expected to receive one.

This was why he had been looking for a way to strengthen the materials and it was then that he unearthed a method he had used a long time ago, in experiments to strengthen some of his materials. The feasting ballad that had become the base of the blooddrinker enchantment.

Back then he had enchanted bars of metals with the feasting ballad and soaked the material in the blood of monsters to strengthen them. Among the results were <Crimson Steel> and <Demonic Gold>. Now Seth had done the same with <Ithildin> and left it to soak while he was gone with the others. The result upon returning was surprising.

Unexpectedly, the physical strengthening that occurred with this method was negligible, however, the demonic influence had changed the material's basic effect. The material was now called <Mad Ithildin> and the "Encroachment of Lunacy" was renamed to "Advance of Madness".

While Encroachment of Lunacy strengthened the user based on conviction and was closer related to magic abilities and skills. Advance of Madness was based on impulse and its effects was closer to the abilities of the blooddrinker enchantment and improved mainly physical stats. But both were based on willpower, in the end.

There were just two drawbacks. For one madness had even greater potential to cloud the user's mind and hinder their decision-making skills. While a lunatic was still thinking clearly, mostly, a madman was closer to how people would expect a cursed item to work. The other drawback was that it was still not fit for a vanguards armor.

Although it was not fit to be made into plate armor, it was great for jewelry and add-ons. Together with Sivri, they came up with items for vanguards, the dwarf would be working on. Seth gave most of the new material to her, and only kept some because he thought that it would make a great material for golem cores meant for the projects Cerberus had been working on for a while now.

Aside from all this, a big part of these three weeks went into developing the new ability that Dean Remington had given him and the creation of new golem units based on this skill. Although he chose a more passive path to get in their way, Seth never doubted that Y-City would attack them at some point and he wanted to be prepared.

…

---Present, Tree Station 10---

After finishing his work with the <Mad Ithildin> Seth had come to stay at Tree Station 10. Since he was able to summon his forge wherever he was, he simply worked from here and was on standby in case something happened during the rescue missions or Y-City attacked.

"Seth, can you come to the assembly? We have important news!" he got Leana's message.

He had just been putting items on the new batch of golems, so there was nothing important holding him back. He left the storage room filled with rows of golems dressed in shoddy equipment and made his way up to the assembly room.

The scene when he arrived was a little quirky. He found Cade, Harker, the members of the Field Teams, and some more people sitting around or standing in a circle surrounding a tied-up little girl. His bewilderment subsided when he found that she was a cultivator from the Voracious Cloud Continent.

Master Mountain had already warned them, that their home world had many ways to make People seem younger or older than they actually were.

"I'm here now, what was so important that I had to come here?" the blacksmith asked.

"It's this girl. She offered to reveal the location of The Scene's headquarters to us," Leana explained with a serious expression.

"In exchange for my release, of course," the girl added haughtily.

"That is why we called for you. We wanted your opinion on this matter," the princess added.

The blacksmith observed the girl. Although she was a captive and surrounded by a group of strong people, she did not seem to be concerned in the least. Her eyes made it clear, that she looked down on all of them and was not afraid.

"What is your.. what was it called again? Cultivation realm?" Seth asked, crouching down to be on eye level with her who was sitting on the ground. He squinted at him.

"I'd have long since broken through to the golden core realm-"

"Are you sure you aren't a nascent soul-stage cultivator?" Seth interrupted her.

Seeing her minute reaction, he felt confirmed in his assumption.

"How could a savage like you find out my cultivation?" she spat out with a humph.

"I didn't, but it would be the only explanation for your calmness. Even if we kill you, you could still flee with your nascent soul or whatever it's called. You think we wouldn't be able to touch that, isn't that right? Well, I have a proposition for you."

With a snap of his wrist and blaze, a soul contract appeared in his hand. She flinched at the sight.

"Sign this with your blood and tell us the location of the Scene. We will check back with our associates and if you are telling the truth you can go. If you lie, you die here and I will take possession of your soul."

Seth smelled that this was clearly a trap, but he didn't want to make her suspicious, so he played along in all seriousness. The cultivator girl looked at him, taken aback. It was clear that she didn't believe that they had skills like this, but she also didn't seem to be too bothered.

"I don't know whether your dark spells are truly capable of what you say, but alright. I have no intention to lie, anyway."

Her restrictions were released and a sharp fountain pen was handed to her. After explaining its use, she lightly stabbed it through the fair skin of her arm, drawing a tiny drop of blood. Using the drop as ink, she places a handful unfamiliar characters on the line in the contract.

Seth couldn't read the letter, but that it was not important what was written on the line, only that it was her blood that was important. Since he had to uphold his own side of the bargain, Seth simply dripped a tiny drop of his own blood on the other line of the contract.

After both had signed, the contract glowed and both of them got a mental connection with the document that indicated that it was now active. Seth looked at her expectant and the girl finally started speaking, describing the location and rough makeup of the place where the leadership of the Scene resided.

Apparently, they were hiding in plain sight. They owned one of the largest skyscrapers in Y-City. Sharing their information with their associates in Y-City, it only took a few hours to confirm that there were many suspicious points about the building, its owners, and its residents. Everything pointed to the girl telling the truth. Not that Seth had really doubted her.

"This is probably a trap," Tekar exclaimed, not trusting the thing at all.

They had already evacuated most of the people the Scene targeted out of Y-City and there was a constant trickle of people from other parts of Y-City wishing to migrate. The timing was just too weird for it to be a coincidence.

"I agree with you, Tekar. This is an invitation, isn't that right?" he asked the cultivator with a smile.

It was the first time she grinned, showing her pearly teeth.

"Yes, yes it is. It's your decision whether you follow it or not. That's none of my business anymore. I will leave now, you won't stop me, right?"

"That's the deal. You can leave freely. Someone will guide you out of the city."

She threw a last toxic glance at Bement, before following the Oathguard outside.

"So, what will we do?" Mina asked him a little worried.

"We already got such a nice invitation, it would be a shame not to go to the party."