Spark was still sitting down. At a makeshift camp near the valley edge. Holding the Slave Grimoire open.
The light of the rising sun of Greensea Grassland was warm on his face. He focused his will on the grimoire. A faint shimmer appeared in the air before him. Coalescing into a figure.
Feather Newfield materialized. Blinking slightly in the sunlight. She was smaller than he remembered. And much more attractive.
She was a tiny young woman. No taller than his chest. Her hair, thick and wavy, was a startling black. It was not long. Cut just below her chin.
Her hazel eyes, intelligent and sharp, met his without fear. Spark noticed the scars that had marred her face as Dr. Crow were gone. Restored to perfection by his extensive modification. She was now extremely... pretty.
"Master." She spoke. Her voice soft but clear.
She bowed her head in perfect subservience. Her posture, her expression, everything screamed complete obedience.
It was the same fanatic loyalty he saw in Lilith. The brainwashing from the Slave Grimoire, augmented by the peculiar modifier currency, was absolute.
Spark nodded. A satisfied glint was in his brown eyes. "Good. Feather Newfield, that name is no longer necessary. From now on, you are Ivy Stellaire."
She didn't hesitate. "Yes, Master. I am Ivy Stellaire."
"Ivy!" Spark said. Observing her carefully. "Tell me about your alchemy skills. What can you create so far?"
Ivy straightened. Her hands clasped neatly before her. Her tone became passionate. "Master, with my current knowledge of alchemy, I can perfectly create three items. A Poison Immunity Mask, a Ring of Recovery, and a Danger Warning Necklace."
Spark tilted his head. All of them sounded useful. "And potions? Poisons?"
Ivy confirmed. "My proficiency allows me to create Minor Health Recovery Potions, Minor Stamina Recovery Potions, and a Lesser General Antidote. For offensive or utility purposes, I am capable of producing Paralysis Poison, Corpse Dissolution Poison, and a variant I developed during my... previous employ, the Three Element Poison. It combines corrosive, paralytic, and soporific effects."
Spark smiled. Impressed. They were only six. But the list was solid. Practical tools for survival, infiltration, or simple elimination.
"Alright, Ivy. Your task is clear." He gave instruction. "You will focus on creating these items. You will also research new ones, expand this list. Develop potent poisons, efficient recovery aids, whatever seems useful. I will provide you with a laboratory and all the materials you need once we return to town."
"Understood, Master." Ivy replied. Her hazel eyes were bright with what seemed like genuine enthusiasm for the work.
Spark finished his assessment. She was a valuable subordinate. Just like Lilith. He needed reliable people for the path ahead. And loyal ones were hard to find in this world without forcing the issue.
He glanced towards his luxurious tent. A temporary anomaly in the wild grass. Lilith would be inside, waiting.
He stood up. Towering over the tiny woman. His loyal subordinates weren't just tools for completing their assigned tasks.
He scooped the tiny woman up in his arms. As expected, she was light. A stark contrast to his own massive frame. He carried her towards the tent.
Inside, the air was cooler. Shaded from the direct sun. Lilith lay sprawled on the large cot. Her blonde hair was fanned out. Her body was relaxed and utterly exposed.
She looked up as he entered, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"Master!" Lilith purred. Her eyes were fixed on Ivy in his arms.
Spark didn't say anything. He simply carried Ivy to the bed. And deposited her gently beside Lilith. He then shed his own clothes and joined them.
The morning passed in a blur of obedient servitude from both women. A blunt assertion of Spark's dominance. And their complete submission.
...
Later on, the three moved. Gutlark Town was the objective. They were finally ready to return to civilization.
Spark had his three rhino-horses ready. They were powerful, thick-skinned mounts. Suited for covering ground rather quickly and carrying great loads.
He kept one for himself. It was a beast large enough to bear his considerable weight comfortably. Lilith and Ivy were assigned another, sharing one together.
The third was loaded with their camping gear, dried monster meat, salvaged scales, hides, bones, bark, trunk, roots... The hard-won gains from their time in the Greensea Grassland.
They set off. Heading southeast. The landscape transitioned from rolling grasslands to scattered copses of stout, alien trees. Eventually giving way to denser forests and rocky hills. As they neared Gutlark Town.
The journey was uneventful. It was simply a steady rhythm of hooves on earth. Only occasionally interrupted. By small, easily dispatched creatures that strayed too close.
Spark rode ahead. Silent and observant. While Lilith and Ivy rode together behind him. The two women seemingly comfortable in each other's company. Their shared state of obedience built them a strange bond.
Three days later, the familiar sight of Gutlark Town's sturdy stone walls and bustling port came into view. A prosperous coastal hub. It felt a world away from the untamed wilderness.
They rode through the gates. Drawing some curious stares at Spark's imposing size. And the two attractive women trailing behind him. Though the sight of adventurers returning from the plains was common enough.
Spark headed directly for his manor.
His first order of business was settling his new asset. Spark led Ivy to a particular room. Past reinforced doors and wards he'd installed himself. He indicated a large, laboratory looking section that he had secretly outfitted.
"This was my personal lab, back when I had more time for tinkering. It's yours now. Familiarize yourself with the equipment. Lilith will acquire tools and materials you need. I expect results, Ivy."
"Yes, Master. Thank you, Master." Ivy said. Her eyes were already scanning the arrays of glassware, distillation units, and arcane tools with visible excitement.
With Ivy settled, Spark turned to Lilith. "Lilith, you heard her. Compile a list of everything Ivy needs – tools, reagents, exotic components, rare herbs, minerals. Everything. Source it through my usual channels. Be discreet, as always."
"Consider it done, Master." Lilith replied with a small, knowing smile. She moved with quiet efficiency. Already planning logistical routes.
Spark left them and descended into the manor's basement. Towards the true heart of his hidden operations... the treasury room.
This wasn't just a vault for wealth. It was his personal workshop. A haven where power was forged and refined.
His immediate goal was the upgrade of his gearcore. The Power Rifle. His daily feeding of required items had pushed the quirky firearm to its absolute limit.
Its internal energy reserves were maxed out. Its potential was still capped at the 1st Tier. It needed to be upgraded.
So did Honey, his equally maxed-out arcane fairy. He would evolve her afterward.
Spark opened some vaults within. He took and laid out the materials he would require for the upgrade.
There were coils of luminous silennia rubber. Stacks of crystalline clarity crystals. Gleaming ingots of enhanced black titanium alloys. Shimmering bars of mystic silver. Sections of dense, unnervingly tough eldritch steelwood. A vial of viscous, scarlet dewblood grease. And three marble-sized, light-absorbing void pearls.
He reached to the void and took the Power Rifle into his hands. It felt right, balanced, a part of him. But it was time for it to be more.
Closing his eyes, Spark focused his Technomind power. The air around him grew heavy. He pictured the rifle. Its internal structure. The runic arrays that governed its function.
Then, he began to dismantle the mental image. Reconstructing it. Adding complexity. Planning the integration of the new materials.
A blueprint was formed in his mind. Intricate and multifaceted. Far more advanced than the original design.
Opening his eyes, he held the mental blueprint steady. He extended one hand. Technomind power surged. A black flame erupted above his palm. Swirling into a miniature vortex.
The heat was strange. Controlled. Alien. This was Technomind Fire. A transformative force born of mental energy and technical understanding.
Carefully. Precisely. Spark guided the Power Rifle, the gathered materials, and the ethereal blueprint into the heart of the black vortex.
The objects didn't burn. They shimmered, dissolved, and reformed within the swirling inferno. The process was agonizingly slow. Requiring absolute concentration to maintain the blueprint's integrity. And guide the reconstruction.
Minutes stretched into hours. Sweat beaded on Spark's forehead. His powerful physique strained by the mental exertion.
Finally, the vortex subsided. The black flames flickering out of existence.
On his hands lay a modified Power Rifle. It wasn't drastically different in overall shape. It still possessed the dark, robust, dangerous look of the original.
But a long, slender silencer was now integrated at the muzzle. And a compact, multi-magnification scope was mounted along the top rail. In some parts, subtle lines of mystic silver were now visible.
Spark lifted it. The weight felt different. It was slightly heavier. But better balanced. The reinforced components hummed with latent energy.
He raised it. Sighting through the new scope. The optics were incredibly clear. It seemed to be able of focusing on targets hundreds of meters away. With perfect clarity.
He took out, wore and then activated his [Appraisal Goggles]. A clear, concise data overlay appeared in his vision.
[Name: Power Rifle]
[Object: Gearcore (bound)]
[Type: Gun Gear]
[Stage: 2nd Tier]
[Characteristics: Super Tough, Super Explosive, Stable]
[Growth Item: Copper Coin]
[Shared Talent: Clear Mind]
Spark smiled thinly. Tier 2. Just as planned. It was not shown in the data. But the penetration power and effective range were nearly doubled. A game-changer for dealing with tougher foes. And engaging from safer distances.
And the new characteristic, [Stable], meant recoil would be minimal. Allowing for faster follow-up shots and greater accuracy.
The growth item and shared talent hadn't changed. He still needed Copper Coins, the common currency that fed its growth. Great! It would not be much problem.
And it still granted him the [Clear Mind] talent. A useful passive buff against mental interference. Wonderful!
The upgrade was a complete success.