Silas looked completely normal again and still had the same smile on his face as he did before. His eyes were filled with life, and not a single emotion that emanated from him felt forced to fake.
Walking forward, Silas stared at Virack momentarily before reaching into a pouch on his belt.
A few runes shone on it as Silas put half of his arm inside it, and when his hands came out again, they were holding several emerald green crystals in his hand, each one pulsing with more mana than anything in the blacksmith shop.
Virack’s eyes widened, yet he quickly narrowed them while looking at Silas with a hint of suspicion.
“What is the meaning of this.” He asked.
“I’m paying you back.” Silas shrugged.
“Where did you get these…” He asked in a low tone.
“I got it from Greed’s armor. Quite a good set, don’t you think?” Silas smiled while tilting his head to the right.
“I can’t accept these…” Virack outrightly refused while pushing the mana cores back toward Silas. However, Silas quickly stopped him by placing his hand over Virack’s.
“It’s because they’re human cores, right?” Silas asked.
“You knew and still gave them to me?!” Virack asked with outrage in his voice.
“I needed to confirm it somehow; the red thread-like lines within the core made it obvious. It’s weird. Why do humans have red threads within their mana core while other creatures don’t? Is it because our mana cores don’t usually remain for long after?” Silas asked while walking around the shop and inspecting everything within it.
“Why are you here, Silas…” Virack asked with narrowed eyes.
He had never seen Silas like this. There was something off about him. Every time Silas glanced at him, his skin would crawl.
“Hmm. I don’t remember telling you my name… My memory must be getting worse.” Silas sneered before turning back to Virack.
Slowly walking up to him, Silas sighed and placed a hand on the counter before fidgeting with the emerald cores that were placed on it.
“I want you to improve my armor.” Silas finally asked, making Virack widen his eyes before a laugh left his mouth.
“First of all, no matter how much you try and give me, I will never accept a proposal like this. I will never use these human crystals. I have morals, and I have standards. I will not bend my morals to help you.” Virack snarled in slight disgust.
“And even if I were willing, what makes you think I can? The suit of armor you have been given is a product of a better time and a better blacksmith. The runes on it had been created through trial and error.
The person who made it would have had to be sophisticated beyond belief, and you want me to somehow improve it? This is a relic… A true marvel of forge-mastering. Sure, the cores powering it don’t exceed past the dull-emerald core, but it is much better than any other armor I’ve ever seen.”
“Are you done?” Silas asked with a sigh.
“Don’t disrespect me with-“
*Slam*
Suddenly, Silas had slammed something onto Virack’s counter. It was a folded-up blue piece of paper. At first, he wouldn’t open it, but after seeing that, Silas would only say something once he did. He slowly reached for the paper and did as Silas wanted.
However, what he saw sent a jolt through his body.
“C-Come with me.” Virack stuttered before turning around and entering a room in the back.
Silas followed closely behind him into the room. It looked like a normal office. It was a little dark, and a few garnet cores powered it. They were attached to the wall, and the power was being circuited toward some lamps made out of crystals that could be found on the roof of the cave that Darkless City was in.
However, Virack didn’t go to his seat. Instead, he went to one of the walls a pushed a certain brick.
A low shudder went through the office before the brick wall began to separate, and when it finally did, it revealed a staircase going deeper into the ground.
Virack quickly went down the staircase with Silas right behind him, and when he reached the bottom, he tapped on something connected to the wall.
When Silas finally reached the bottom of the staircase, he watched as dozens of lights opened simultaneously, letting him see everything.
“For someone with your pay, this does seem a little exorbitant.” Silas commented.
“Eh… I didn’t create it. I discovered it when I bought this place, and till now, I still don’t know its purpose. However, I’ve found that no mana signatures leave this place, and it’s well-fortified. It’s also where I created the mana pump you asked me to make.” He explained while glancing back at Silas.
Virack could remember the first time he had entered the room. He was only about 30 years old back then; however, he had worked with many clients by that age. He had even worked for the royals to create a suit of armor for their youngest prince back then.
Of course, he didn’t work on the armor alone since several other blacksmiths were there, but it was still one of the highest honors a blacksmith could get.
Back then, he had thought he thought he had seen it all; however, when he discovered this hidden lab under the place he had bought, his mind was blown.
He couldn’t believe that, at a certain point in history, there had been a person capable of creating the thing he was looking at.
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