As Qin Wei applied the seal on the talisman, a soft hum echoed as a scarlet-red seal appeared on the talisman with a flash, printed, as if it came from a machine rather than being hand-inscribed. Meanwhile, his system interface flickered faintly in his vision.
[Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
"30 seconds of cooldown, huh... Okay, that's fine."
Qin Wei let out a slow breath and set the Exploding Talisman onto a growing stack to his left.
He took another paper.
"Activate: Storage Seal."
This time, a different glow radiated from his palm, a pale azure light that inscribed into the rice paper.
[Cooldown: 60 seconds.]
Qin Wei gently placed the Storage Talisman on a separate pile to the right.
He repeated the process.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Time passed without notice. The moon rose and fell.
By the time dawn crept through the thin paper windows and cast golden rays across the room, dozens of talismans lay on the desk, one with volatile red seals, the other with blue ones.
"Okay… that's enough for today..."
Slumped over his desk, Qin Wei had dozed off to take a nap, not having the intention or the strength to go to his bed. His cheek was pressed against the tabletop with dark circles under his eyes.
At Sunrise – Study Room;
An hour later, the door creaked open quietly, and Vanessa stepped inside to wake him, but she didn't expect to see him in the study room rather than the bed chamber.
When she went ahead and tried to pick him up, her gaze fell upon the scattered talismans.
Curious, she walked closer and crouching near the stacks.
She picked up one from the red pile. Her eyes glowed faintly as she activated her innate detection technique.
"Uhh… what?"
Her pupils shrank the next moment. "An explosive seal…? There's actual mana condensed inside, refined and stabilized?"
She swiftly picked one from the other pile.
Her eyes flared once more. "This one... It's spatial in nature, like a storage ring?"
A long pause followed. Vanessa turned to look at the sleeping Qin Wei, her eyes filled with quiet awe this time. She whispered, almost reverently, "Ever since Master Icarus married Young Miss, he just won't stop surprising me."
Her fingers brushed his hair gently aside as she studied his sleeping face.
"Is this truly the same Qin Wei who lazed around like a crippled playboy? Was that all a farce to hide his real talents? Or… did something really awaken in him after that near-death experience?" Her voice softened to a murmur. "Based on the recent events, perhaps I should throw away all those things he did in the past and evaluate his image freshly."
Without knowing herself, she smiled, staring at Qin Wei's sleeping face for more than a few seconds.
Moonvilla Residence – Late Morning
A soft groan echoed in the quiet room as Qin Wei slowly opened his eyes. However, he blinked groggily, taking in the unfamiliar ceiling above him. "Huh?" he mumbled, stretching his arms above his head. "I don't remember falling asleep here…"
As he shifted and sat up, he realized that he was in his bedroom, not the study room where he had been crafting talismans all night. He then thought maybe, he walked on his own to sleep here, sometime midnight...
"Haaa… yawn… that really took a toll on me. I need to eat something..."
Still groggy from mild exhaustion, he swung his legs over the bed and stood up.
"Ugh…"
Instantly, an involuntary groan escaped his lips, feeling the ache over his body, especially his shoulders, while walking briskly through the hallway.… "Ugh… I guess all the workout and fight I did yesterday is hitting me now..."
But the moment he entered the study room, his eyes darted to the stacks of talismans he had painstakingly crafted. They were neatly organized on the desk, in fact, too neatly.
A hint of suspicion crept into his chest. "I didn't do this..." He frowned.
Qin Wei quickly stepped closer, muttering under his breath, "Let's see… should be 372 exploding tags and 143 storage talismans…"
He counted.
Then recounted.
"Only 371 exploding… and 142 storage…?"
His eyes narrowed slightly. "One of each is missing…"
He let out a slow breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Did one of the maids… no. They wouldn't dare."
Still, the paranoia itched at the back of his mind. Those talismans were created by his effort. It was only natural that he would be cautious. And when he thought about sleeping on the bed, Vanessa's image came to his mind. She's the only one who would dare to touch him, pick him up, and put him on the bed.
He turned on his heel and strode outside in heavy steps to confront her. As he stepped outside, he saw a maid tending to the flowering peonies, and two battle maids stood outside like statues.
One of the garden maids quickly bowed. "Good day, Master Icarus."
Qin Wei nodded absently, looking toward the guards. "Where is Vanessa?"
One of the battle maids answered with a steady tone, "She departed to see the Lord earlier this morning. She has yet to return."
"I see," Qin Wei murmured. "No wonder…"
He turned to leave, stretching again as he muttered, "I need to freshen up."
Then, raising his voice a little, he said, "Send in the service maids. Prepare a medicinal bath for me. Also, get lunch ready."
The two battle maids bowed in sync. "Yes, Master Icarus. We will relay your orders immediately."
As Qin Wei walked back into his residence, his thoughts remained on the missing talismans.
"Yup, no doubt about it. Only one talisman of each type is missing. Knowing her personality, she would want to test them so that they are safe. And if she had gone to the House Griffin, my father-in-law must have told her to bring a copy of each."
House Griffin – Artifact Hall
Just as Qin Wei guessed, inside a well-lit chamber filled with scrolls, Elder Merek Griffin, the House's most esteemed artifact appraiser, furrowed his brows as he appraised a talisman held delicately between his fingers.
The room was silent for most of the time, save for the occasional shuffle of robes or whisper among the curious disciples of the Artifact Hall gathered nearby.
On a nearby cushioned seat sat the House Lord, with his arms crossed, watching intently. He was there to get the results from the Master Appraiser, as One, these talimans were something he had no knowledge of, and Two, his son-in-law was involved.
After a long pause, Merek set the talisman down with a deep breath.
"Well?" Kaelan looked at him.
Merek looked at him. As their eyes met, Kaelan was taken aback to see something in Merek's eyes. Was it admiration? Curiosity? But soon, the Master Appraiser let out a wide smile, speaking in a voice tinged with admiration. "Whoever made this is a genius, Lord Kaelan. The effects are genuine. This one…" he pointed to the storage talisman, "can contain up to 100 square meters of material. That alone would be considered advanced work. But this.." he held up the exploding talisman, "this is even more shocking. Its destructive capability can kill a rank-3 warrior outright… and even severely injure a rank-5."
A collective murmur of disbelief and awe rippled through the room due to his declaration.
"But," Merek then added, "what baffles me is the ink. I've never seen such refined mana-infused medium in this world… It isn't made from any of the common spiritual beast blood or mineral inks we know. Who crafted these?"
Kaelan took the talismans back with a small, knowing smile. "These? My son-in-law made them."
"What?"
Merek was taken aback.
Shock also spread through the disciples. A few even gasped audibly.
"Icarus? That Icarus?" one disciple whispered, stunned.
Merek blinked several times, visibly surprised. "You mean… the trash of Llyne city?"