Lizarius stared at the dark blade.
His golden eyes glowed faintly.
Within his mind—
he continued analyzing the weapon.
*...It isn't Earth-Grade.*
His gaze remained fixed upon the strange white veins running through the blade.
*It isn't like any Earth-Grade weapon I've encountered either.*
He paused.
*The material has been altered.*
*The Lightning Essence has changed its properties.*
A thought surfaced.
*What grade is this tool?*
The system immediately responded.
**[Analyzing weapon grade.]**
**[Analysis complete.]**
**[Current Grade: Top-Tier Mortal-Grade Tool.]**
Lizarius' expression remained emotionless.
*So it is Mortal-Grade.*
The system continued.
**[The weapon has not been fully refined.]**
**[Its current grade is limited by the incomplete refinement process.]**
**[If properly refined, the weapon has the potential to reach Earth-Grade.]**
Lizarius remained silent.
His gaze returned to the sword.
*...That is enough.*
There was no need to refine it any further.
An Earth-Grade weapon would only attract unnecessary attention.
For Lían's current cultivation—
this was more than sufficient.
---
Lían continued staring at the sword in his hand.
After a moment—
he looked toward Lizarius.
"...Master?"
No response.
Lían waited.
"...Are you done?"
Lizarius remained completely motionless.
Lían tilted his head.
"...I guess you are."
He looked down at the sword again.
"I've been talking to you for a while..."
He paused.
"...And you weren't even listening."
Lían sighed.
"Sometimes I really wonder what you're thinking about."
He shook his head.
"Anyway..."
His gaze returned to Thunder Vein.
"Does this thing need to be sharpened?"
He examined the edge.
"I'm not really sure."
He carefully ran his eyes along the blade.
"Instead of guessing..."
He looked back toward Lizarius.
"I should just ask."
A brief silence followed.
"Master?"
Lizarius finally looked at him.
Lían raised the sword slightly.
"Is it sharp enough?"
Lizarius stared at the blade.
Then—
he answered simply.
"I don't know."
Lían froze.
"...What?"
Lizarius remained expressionless.
"I don't know."
Lían stared at him for several seconds.
"...Really?"
Silence.
Lían slowly lowered the sword.
"I don't even know what to say to that."
He sighed.
"Can you at least sharpen it for me?"
Lizarius stared blankly at him.
Lían stared back.
Neither spoke.
"...Master?"
Silence.
Lían scratched his cheek.
"Please?"
Lizarius stared at Lían for a long moment.
Then—
his gaze slowly shifted away.
He glanced around the cavern.
His eyes eventually stopped on his wings.
He stared at them for several seconds.
Then—
he turned back toward Lían.
Lían was still watching him.
*...What is he doing?*
Suddenly—
Thunder Vein rose from Lían's hand.
Lían's eyes widened.
The sword floated through the air toward Lizarius.
It stopped directly in front of him.
Lizarius spread his wings.
Then—
he began scraping the blade against them.
**SCRRRT—!**
Tiny sparks flew from the contact.
Lían stared.
"...What?"
The blade continued scraping against Lizarius' wings.
**SCRRRT—!**
More sparks flew.
Lían's expression became increasingly uncertain.
"...I don't know if that's actually going to work."
Lizarius didn't react.
He simply continued.
**SCRRRT—!**
Again and again, the blade dragged across the surface of his wings.
After a while—
the scraping finally stopped.
Lizarius caught the sword.
Lían stared at him.
Then—
his eyes widened.
He immediately noticed the difference.
He stepped closer.
"...Oh."
A smile appeared on his face.
"I can see it now."
He carefully examined the edge.
"It's really sharp."
His eyes brightened.
"It actually worked."
Lían looked toward Lizarius.
Then—
his gaze shifted toward the lizard's wings.
He stepped closer.
"Your scales..."
He examined them carefully.
"They must be incredibly hard."
He moved even closer.
"There isn't even a scratch."
Lían stared in disbelief.
"I can't see anything."
Lizarius remained completely motionless.
He didn't even move an inch.
Lían shook his head.
"...Seriously."
He looked back at Thunder Vein.
"Now I have a weapon."
Lizarius finally spoke.
"Begin."
Lían's expression immediately became determined.
"Right."
He tightened his grip around the sword.
"It's time to go hunting."
Lizarius spread his wings.
**WHOOSH!**
He shot upward.
Then—
he descended and landed directly on top of Lían's head.
Lían froze.
"...My head?"
He looked upward slightly.
"What's with that?"
Lizarius remained calmly perched on his head.
Lían sighed.
"Whatever."
He turned toward the cavern entrance.
Then—
he started walking.
But just before reaching the entrance—
Lían suddenly stopped.
"...Wait."
He looked down at Thunder Vein.
His expression changed.
"There isn't a hilt."
He stared at the sword.
"...I mean, the handle."
He frowned.
"How am I supposed to hold this properly?"
Lían looked toward Lizarius.
The lizard simply stared back.
Lían sighed.
"Forget it."
"I'll find one myself."
He turned toward the entrance.
---
The cavern opened directly onto the side of a towering cliff.
Lían stepped outside.
A strong wind immediately swept across his body.
His hair lifted in the wind.
For a moment—
he simply stood there.
Then—
his gaze lowered.
Far below—
an enormous forest stretched across the land.
Trees covered the ground as far as he could see.
Lían stared.
"...That's pretty high."
He glanced around.
"Where are we, anyway?"
His gaze traveled across the distant landscape.
"It seems pretty far from the village."
A faint sigh escaped him.
*I need to finish this quickly.*
*Then I can go home.*
Lían took another step forward.
His foot left the edge of the cliff.
His body immediately began falling.
"...Hold on tight, Master."
Lizarius remained calmly perched upon his head.
Lían twisted his body.
His sword moved.
**SHING!**
He thrust Thunder Vein into the cliff wall.
**CRACK!**
The blade pierced into the rock.
Lían's descent slowed dramatically.
The sword dragged along the cliff face as he descended.
**SCRRRT—!**
Rock fragments scattered beneath him.
Lían's eyes remained focused downward.
Then—
he suddenly spotted something.
A small pool of water rested among the rocks below.
His eyes brightened.
"...Good."
He pulled Thunder Vein free.
His body immediately began falling again.
As he neared the pool—
Lían extended his hand.
Water surged upward.
His Water Control Art activated.
A stream of water wrapped around his body.
Lían redirected his momentum.
Then—
he pushed off.
**BOOM!**
His body shot toward the pool.
The water beneath him surged upward.
Lían landed smoothly upon its surface.
His feet touched the water.
He remained standing.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...Much better."
Lizarius remained quietly perched upon his head.
Lían tightened his grip around Thunder Vein.
Then—
he looked toward the forest ahead.
"...Let's see what I can hunt."
---
The sun was slowly setting.
Golden light filtered through the dense forest canopy.
Long shadows stretched between the trees.
Lían stood quietly among the foliage.
At his feet—
the corpse of a monkey-like demon beast lay motionless.
Iron-like armor covered several parts of its body.
One arm had been severed.
Its head had been separated from its body.
The ground around it was stained with blood.
Lían's breathing remained slightly heavy.
He looked down at Thunder Vein.
"...This sword really is sharp."
He glanced toward the corpse.
"That monkey was annoying."
Lían slowly bent down.
He placed his palm against the beast's body.
"This is the third one."
His spiritual energy circulated.
Then—
the reconstructed art activated.
A dark crimson aura slowly emerged beneath his palm.
The demon beast's blood essence began flowing toward him.
Its life force followed.
The corpse gradually dried.
The once-powerful body slowly became withered.
Lían remained still.
He could feel the energy entering his body.
It circulated through his meridians.
Then—
it gradually transformed into strength.
Lían's eyes narrowed slightly.
*Every time I use it...*
*I can feel myself becoming stronger.*
He remained silent for several moments.
*I'll admit...*
*This technique really is unbelievable.*
Once the process finished—
Lían withdrew his hand.
He glanced down at the dried corpse.
Then—
he raised Thunder Vein.
**SHING!**
The sword flashed.
The remaining iron-like armor was cleanly severed from the beast's body.
Piece after piece fell to the ground.
Lían gathered them.
He opened his storage pouch.
One by one—
he placed the valuable materials inside.
After finishing—
he looked toward Lizarius.
"Master."
Lizarius' golden eyes shifted toward him.
"I've been meaning to ask you something."
A pause.
"In the original technique you showed me..."
"When someone reached the peak of Spirit Refining and prepared to establish their Foundation..."
"They would eventually be refined into a pill."
"But you said you reconstructed the technique."
"And it no longer turns the cultivator into a pill."
Lían frowned slightly.
"So..."
"When the time comes..."
"Can I freely establish my Foundation?"
"Or is there something else?"
Lizarius answered calmly.
"You will form a Core."
Lían froze.
"...A Core?"
He stared at Lizarius.
"What kind of Core?"
Lizarius' answer was simple.
"A Beast Core."
Silence.
Lían's expression became blank.
"...A Beast Core?"
He repeated the words slowly.
"So..."
"I'll form a Beast Core instead of establishing a Foundation?"
He thought for a moment.
"Is that really possible?"
"A human can form a Beast Core?"
He looked at Lizarius.
"That's what you call it, right?"
"Normally..."
"Only beasts form Cores."
Lizarius remained calm.
"Humans also form Cores."
"When they reach the Golden Core stage."
Lían blinked.
"...That's true."
Lizarius continued.
"The Core formed by humans is different."
"But the fact that humans can form one proves that it is possible."
Lían listened carefully.
"Using that knowledge..."
"And what I observed..."
"I reconstructed the technique."
"Instead of producing a pill..."
"It produces a Core."
Lían stared at him.
"...Similar to a Beast Core?"
Lizarius nodded.
Lían remained silent.
Then—
his expression became slightly strange.
"...That last part makes your explanation sound a little wrong."
Lizarius looked toward him.
"You said *similar*."
Lían scratched his cheek.
"That makes it sound like you just decided to make it into a Core instead."
Lizarius calmly answered.
"No."
"I chose it because I understand how Cores are formed."
Lían's expression became attentive.
"I have seen the process."
"I have done it."
"Unlike establishing a Foundation..."
"The process of forming a Core is something I understand directly."
Lizarius' golden eyes remained calm.
"It is more efficient."
"It is more practical."
"And it allows the accumulated energy to be utilized more freely."
Lían listened quietly.
"So..."
"I'm going to form a Core."
He thought about it for several seconds.
Then—
a faint sigh escaped him.
"...That's actually much better than turning into a pill."
He looked down at his hands.
"At least I'll still be myself."
Lían glanced toward Lizarius.
"And I won't have to worry about becoming someone's medicine."
Lizarius said nothing.
Lían smiled faintly.
"...I'll take that."
He looked toward the setting sun.
Then—
his expression gradually became determined.
"If I can really form a Core..."
He tightened his grip around Thunder Vein.
"...Then I want to see how strong it can become."
The faint sound of lightning crackled along the blade.
**ZZT.**
Lían looked down at it.
His eyes narrowed with determination.
"First..."
He looked toward the depths of the forest.
"I need to find more demon beasts."
Lizarius remained silently perched upon his head.
Lían took his first step deeper into the forest.
The setting sun disappeared behind the trees.
And the hunt continued.