After a lot of experimenting, Soren was able to uncover many things related to his new spell.

Unlike the original Fairy Blades, the current version was able to fully become invisible. At first, he assumed that this would become a hindrance—the spell still held the Mind Power axiom as one of its cores so its strength still relied heavily on belief. If the enemy couldn't see the swords, would they even come to fear their power?

Fortunately, his worries were unfounded. Since the spellform was equally powered by the Persistent Stability axiom, its intrinsic properties merged seamlessly with the rest. This meant that unlike before, the blades no longer lost their power due to the fluctuations in belief.

If the enemy believed the swords to be sharp, then it would become sharp. But if they changed their minds later on in the battle, it would be too late since the Regeis rune ensures the stability of the sword's structure. Soren no longer had to worry about the quality of his blades fluctuating during a fight.

Of course, this was limited to only those who change their minds. If an enemy was convinced that the Fairy Blades were weak from the start, then they will reflect exactly that.

Soren didn't really mind this much, however. Nine times out of ten, an enemy that underestimates him usually means they were plagued with flaws. Fairy Blades wasn't the only tool he will have in his arsenal. And even if their arrogance cost his spell its deserved power, he was sure that his own confidence would counteract that. After all, with his new material rune doing its job, Soren could now guarantee that the blade's starting strength was enough to sever limbs.

"If its initial power is already fearsome, I doubt many would dare to underestimate it. Not unless I was foolish enough to battle a Magister or Archmage.

"Actually, I take that back. I probably am that foolish…"

Sitting comfortably in his usual seat at the round table, Soren couldn't help but sigh as he stared plainly at his ever-growing status page. Just a few lines below his name and race (still empty), a sudden change occured:

Magi Rank: Senior Initiate (2nd Circle)

Smiling softly, Soren was about to admire it again when suddenly, Figment's voice echoed in his ear:

"I'm glad you've taken this step forward. I will be sure to make full use of it once I take over your mind, soul, body, and fate."

"I order you to shut up."

"....." The flame flickered unevenly, but no reply was heard. Seeing this, Soren leaned back against his seat and chuckled lightly.

"Perhaps what you desire will happen. But for now, you're stuck with me. How does it feel? Being ordered like a slave with no will of your own… Must suck a lot, actually. And you even have my personality, so your hatred must burn very bright!

"Poor you—No wait! Poor me?

"You're me right? And I am you? How absurdly silly." He tried to cover his laugh, but it became impossible. "To think that I am a slave to myself, trying to battle against my own self… Fate be damned, this is honestly more ridiculous!

"But such is the quality of a paradox, right? Your existence cannot be understood. Not yet at least."

Brighter than the colossal flaming pillar illuminating the enigmatic space, was the tiny embers flickering faintly in Soren's eyes… They had certainly grown more confident.

Seeing the Figment of his Imagination unable to reply, his smile widened as he bowed in its direction and exited the marble canopy. His direction was already set from the start—the mysterious marble arches that possibly connect to other worlds. Out of all of them, only one responded to his will.

Soren was heading back to Yarian.

Just as he was about to leave [The Faerie Court], Soren turned back one last time and said with clear eyes:

"I hope you grow comfortable with the silence. Our next meeting will determine the role each of us holds."

The frigid climate of the Upper Winds once again didn't show its effects upon his arrival. Aside from his special robe's protections, Soren mainly attributed this to [The Faerie Court] already being cold and isolating as it was… The temperature didn't change much between his travels.

Straightening his ward-filled robes, Soren was about to walk out of the room when he suddenly heard a knock on his door.

Wonderful timing… He had returned to Yarian exactly the next morning, knowing full well that no one would interrupt him at night.

He smiled slightly and opened it. Greeting him with a warm smile was Venissa who was playfully crossing her arms behind her back. Soren had always known her to be a joyous person, but her expression was far brighter than usual this time.

"I've come to escort you. Myrin is finally taking the leap forward."

His eyes widened. "He's attempting the ritual? Now?"

Venissa nodded with an even brighter smile. Seeing Soren's astonishment seemed to greatly pleased her.

"As expected of your senior right? He's taking the initiative. After all, waiting for too long will only add to his anxiety. And there's nothing more detrimental to a Soul Alchemy ritual than your own mind sabotaging you."

They did say Mistress Solyara helped him locate his Materials of Influence. Soren thought in silence. The materials he required were probably easy to procure, unlike my own wretched rune…

He would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous. But there was also pride and excitement mixing into his abstract soup of emotions. If he was roaming within his own Heart's Shroud, Soren was sure he would have sunk rather quickly…

Smiling back at Venissa, he quickly answered to her request:

"Let's go then. I don't want to miss it."

It didn't really take long for her to lead him to where he needed to be. After crossing the now familiar cliff-side bridge, Soren made it through a different corridor until he finally arrived at his companion's room.

The door was wide open, with countless temple sisters chattering away, crowding around the center of the room. After he and Venissa passed through the gathering, Soren finally spotted the Elven Songster, accompanied by a somewhat annoyed Mistress Solyara.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

He chuckled slightly after seeing Her expression but quickly morphed back to his usual poker face the moment Her sharp gaze landed on him.

Shaking Her head, Solyara sighed before addressing the crowd:

"Alright, alright. I know this is somewhat of a spectacle, but could you all give the boy some space? What he's attempting could cost his life, you know?"

The murmurs died down as they all began to take a few steps back, leaving Soren and Venissa isolated from the crowd.

Noticing his companion's presence, a wash of relief flooded Myrin's heart.

"Soren… You're here."

He nodded slowly. "I won't question you. You've clearly put a lot of thought into this, so I will trust your judgement.

"Just… One word of advice. Don't die."

After a brief silence. The Soothing Bard ushered a smile and nodded. He turned to face the table standing at the center of the room.

Strangely, it was unlike the altars he had heard about. Rather than just the Philosopher's Stone embedded at the center and surrounded by an arrangement of items meant to symbolize something in the Beyond, what greeted him instead was…

"A stove?" He turned his head sideways, but the absurd image was still standing there, reflecting reality. Taking a closer look, he realized that the stove was actually a magitech item—one that he was familiar with. It was a small device he and Myrin used frequently during their time in the Avalon Ruins. Although neither of them knew how to cook at the time, it was still useful for warming up their rations. Next to the stove were a bunch of other materials that looked food-related. He even spotted some kitchen utensils.

Hearing Soren's confusion, the Elven Songster chuckled.

"This is what's required for my Recipe of Familiarity ritual."

Without wasting another breath, Myrin immediately began to expand his Soul Realm. Soon, an endless collection of translucent strings came alive, as if he were yarn. There were thousands—far more than he could count. All of them an indicator of his status as a 4th Circle Adept.

Immediately, the strings all began to merge together, forming a strange projection in the air for all to see. A fractalized orb surrounded by an ever-twisting ring came into view.

"Good," Solyara said with a proud nod. "You've located your Runic Existence. Now create the pseudo concept in the desired node."

Taking a deep breath, Myrin stared at the miniature stove sitting before him on the table and commanded a portion of his anima towards it. One by one, the ingredients sitting next to it were placed inside the pan which he then rested above the flaming stove.

A strange yet mesmerizing aroma filled the air. The sound of food sizzling on the pan left a few of the spectators drooling. Despite this, Myrin himself remained composed. He had trained his cooking skills far too much in the past two or so weeks to fail at something this rudimentary.

With endless confidence, he stirred the ingredients carefully, watching as what looked to be a piece of steak turned from red to brown. Then, he switched his gaze to the side where a bowl of expensive wine waited to be prepared. After adding salt, seasoning, and some kind of oil to the mix, the red wine sauce was finally completed. He then poured a bit of it into the pan, letting it simmer.

The air grew more flavorful. To the point where many had to physically hold themselves back from rushing forward toward the stove. Even Soren, who had always doubted Myrin's cooking skills, had to admit he was craving for his own plate… He was certain that the ingredients held mystical effects, but they were likely not as potent before their outstanding combination.

After adding a few final toppings, Myrin smiled and lifted the pan, placing the cooked meal on an empty plate. Many began to salivate as they watched the Elven Songster slowly break it down with his knife and fork, taking small bites every few seconds.

Is that a requirement for his ritual? Soren assumed. And sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed. On his Runic Existence's projection, a small silhouette could be seen clinging to the fractal orb. It was shaped like a spoon with stars twinkling faintly across its "bowl." Parts of his Runic Existence seemed to be clinging to its surface, as if the Abstract Rune had been digging into it like a meal.

However, a sudden change occurred. The spoon noticed something else that drew its attention. The ever-twisting ring of anima orbiting the fractal orb was showing something new… A hole was open on its surface, marked by something familiar.

"Is that… the food Myrin prepared?"

The pseudo concept was born. Just like the steak he had cooked in front of everyone, a similar looking bowl had appeared in the Beyond, clinging tightly to the node. Under everyone's watchful gaze, the mystical spoon slowly moved away from his Runic Existence, drawn to the Pseudo Concept's presence.

The process was both slow and gruelling. Soren was now sure that Myrin's pattern of eating the steak in tiny bites was purposeful. Likely, the pseudo concept would probably disappear once he finished eating the meal, so he needed to drag it on for as long as possible until the Abstract Rune was drawn to the trap.

But beyond that, there was also his anima's depletion. He was forcefully manipulating his Soul Chain to open its next node which constantly siphoned his willpower. With his attention split between these two actions, no one was fully sure how long he could last..

"Failure isn't an option." Soren mumbled softly under his breath.

The Chef's Delight rune was still a dangerous force. If he couldn't contain it now, the corruption he will face will only grow more drastic. This was going to be his one and only attempt at becoming a Tier 2 Phantasm.

Just as Soren became engrossed in the tension, a sudden child-like voice called out to him inside his mind:

"Soren… I just received a terrible premonition. Something bad is going to happen at the temple..."

"What?.." He looked around suspiciously but found nothing of concern. And yet, the urgency in Tazzith's voice could not be dismissed.

What exactly is he talking about…

"Good! Now hurry and close the node!" Solyara yelled, breaking his chain of thoughts. Soren looked up at the projection of Myrin's Runic Existence and saw what had happened. The Chef's Delight rune had fully entered inside the node.

Swiftly listening to Solyara's advice, Myrin grit his teeth and manipulated the anima in his Soul Chain once again. The change was immediate—his new rune was now trapped!

A few seconds later, the color of the Soul Chain slowly began to shift as the new rune's anima assimilated with the rest. Myrin collapsed from exhaustion, letting the projection inside his Soul Realm disappear.

The ritual was over.

Soren watched the crowd rush to his side, full of excitement. Chatter filled the air.

"I wonder what new abilities he gained!"

"So that's how Phantasms upgrade their Soul Weapons? How fascinating…"

"Hmph. I believed he could do it from the start."

"Stop lying—you were covering your eyes when the Abstract Rune drifted away from the node!"

Shaking Her head, Solyara lifted the Elven Songster from the floor. Even in his exhausted state, he clung tightly to his Artist's Wand—likely excited to see what it could achieve now.

Soren was about to walk forward and use [Eyes of the Fairy] to uncover the changes when Venissa suddenly cut in front of him.

"Congratulations! If only Sienna was here to see this—she would be really proud…"

Hearing this Myrin chuckled slightly. "I took far too long to get here. I just hope she won't be disappointed."

Venissa shook her head. "That should hardly be a worry. Look, I even prepared a gift on her behalf." The red-haired woman slowly expanded her Soul Realm, revealing a small star forming in her palm.

"What is this?"

Seeing the star, Soren noticed Solyara's face twisting strangely. But her reaction came too late. The star rapidly expanded as Venissa smiled brightly and replied with clear eyes:

"The Whispering Dream greets you!"

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