Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

"This is the Soothing Lotus Seed. This pill can extend the user's life by 50 years," Master Mountain revealed seriously.

It was a small emerald pill, shaped like a lotus seed but looking like a crystal. Seth stared at Yu in disbelief. Was he serious?

"You mean to say, that I am guaranteed to live 50 years longer just by eating this pill?"

"Unless you get killed, that is correct."

"Why would your friend just gift away something like this, if that is true?" he asked in disbelief and suspicion.

"I understand your thoughts. There is a catch to this pill, it can only be taken once. Swallowing more than one would be nothing but waste. My friend happens to be able to refine these, so he's never short on valuable gifts like this..."

Master Mountain seemed to remember something slightly troubling as he said those words. What Seth couldn't know was the stress Yu had gone through to try and match up to this kind of gift. Sometimes having very generous friends could put a lot of pressure on an old man who had nothing but strength.

Hearing the elder's explanation, Seth stopped doubting the pill. If it was one-time-use-only, he could see someone giving them out like candies, if they had the resources to do so. However, the core was a much bigger present in Seth's eyes as it was something he had direly wished for.

Treasures for extending his lifespan were cool, but he was already guaranteed an extended life thanks to the system functions. The thought of long, or even eternal life was tempting. Seth would have been lying if he said it wasn't, but the blacksmith had never seriously thought about it or wished for it.

"Is it not to your liking?" Yu asked, seeing Seth not as reverent of the pill as he would have expected.

"Ah, it's just... 50 years of life span are great and all, but it isn't really helpful to me in my current situation. What is the point of a potentially long life, if I lack the strength to enjoy it? The people I like...even I can't guarantee to survive that long on Urth. I prefer these items because they offer me strength," the blacksmith spoke softly and strangely honest.

"hehe, I'm looking forward to the old badger's face when I tell him that I found someone that wasn't moved by his medicine," Master Mountain couldn't help but exclaim. After a short laugh, he calmed down again and pondered.

"If this Soothing Lotus Seed isn't to your liking, I could offer to exchange it with something you have more use for."

Master Mountain brought a small Jade Bottle.

"In hear I have 5 earth-ranked Body Refining Pills. They are not quite as valuable as the Lotus Seed, but they are items with great benefits even to people without cultivation."

Seth's eyes grew bright at the sigh of the otherworldly medicine. He knew that Alison had managed to develop her potion based on a recipe for something called Basic Body Strengthening Liquid. Earth-ranked Body Refinement Pill sounded much grander, even if Seth had no idea what it actually meant. The old man implied that it was not as effective for non-cultivators, but it still sounded very powerful.

"As the name says, it is a pill that refines your body and expels waste and latent toxins from it. It indirectly strengthens it, by cleaning and condensing your muscles and bones."

Seth had a hunch that it might be similar to his skill <Reinforcement> that could strengthen materials by injecting magic power. It seemed more useful than the additional lifespan he may not get to enjoy.

"Alright, let's do that. But what do you need the seed for?"

Seth decided to take the deal, but it didn't mean he was not interested in why Master Mountain wanted the seed. Since he said that his friend kept gifting it a lot, he must have had one already. Yu answered with a kind old man smile.

"I have no plans for it. I will keep it safe for now," were his words, but his smile had a mischievous hint.

"You are going to rub it under your friend's nose, right?

"My dear friend, we only met recently but it's as if you knew me for decades." Master Mountain smiled even brighter.

"A word of advice. Take the body refinement pill in an easy-to-clean room and get something tough to bite on while the pill is at work."

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Seth asked a simple question, but the silence the old man answered with went a little too long for his taste.

"...It's not exactly comfortable. I heard it can be quite painful for ordinary people, but it is nothing life-threatening," he finally said.

"Well, good to know."

They talked a little longer about Master Mountains' future plans. When Seth asked for how long he planned to stay in Delta this time, his answer was that he would set off right after their conversation. The old man was actually quite hurried to return home, as he had been gone for almost a full year.

"I guess you miss them a lot."

"...Ah, yes. That too. But I'm more worried that they caused trouble. I don't know what I did wrong when I raised them. My children are all already old fogies themselves, yet they keep causing trouble for their old man."

Although he complained, he spoke with a small smile. As Seth didn't want to keep the man from returning to his own home, they didn't talk for much longer and soon shared their farewells.

"You made quite the profit this time," Al commented.

The sorceress had not taken part in their conversation and just mostly listened from the side. Since Yu was gone, it was time to find out what Al'zalsar had come for. Usually, the former lich abhorred leaving her magic tower-... magic apartment building.

"I will add to today's profit. Here."

She placed a small silver ingot on the table.

<Ithildin, Crafting Material

Epic

Ithildin created by the Great Sorceress Al'Zalsar using a grand machination to utilize the power of Urth's moon. >

"I already tested its properties. Compared to the <Ithildin> you get from the dwarf it has a higher conductivity for magic but had a slight elemental imbalance. It is especially good for non-attributed magic power, water, light, and lighting. On the other hand, it is worse for all other elements and attributes, " she explained while Seth was still checking the entry in his material catalog.

Seth needed a moment to realize what this meant. The existence of this ingot was proof that not only Al had finished her work on the refinement of <Ithildin> but was most likely also done with Project Iego.

"That's great! This means you can help me with-"

"Geez! I just finished a big favor for you and you already have the next thing to ask?"

"It's the last thing for a while. I need your help with a piece of space equipment since I don't have any enchantments for it."

Since Seth now had a soul with the space attribute and material with the attribute, he just needed the enchantress who could help him channel their attributes to make the item he envision.

"...Fine, I owe you anyways."