While the Olu Academy was implementing crisis measures due to the Book of Calamity, various government departments in the city of Nutao also held late-night meetings to discuss their approach to this crisis.
The Bladebearer Brotherhood had become the target of public scrutiny.
After all, Clear Sky had displayed their silver blade on multiple occasions, not only to the officers of the City Security Bureau but also to members of the Secret Intelligence Agency.
Some of the emerging nobility in the city had grown dissatisfied with the old hereditary nobles who occupied positions of power, and they saw this as an opportunity to condemn the Bladebearer Brotherhood.
The government departments of Nutao jointly issued a notice to the Nutao Branch of the Bladebearer Brotherhood, demanding an explanation for Clear Sky's theft of the "Heart of the Red Dragon, Nilcolon," and the Book of Calamity.
They set a deadline for the suspect and stolen items to be handed over.
Viscount Iskolan, the leader of the Nutao Branch of the Bladebearer Brotherhood, felt quite annoyed. He had simply established a connection with a powerful elven assassin by offering her a silver blade. How did it turn into such a big trouble?
But at least it proved that he had given her a good blade.
He could tell that Clear Sky, the elf, didn't have any strong backing. Yet, she managed to steal the "Heart of the Red Dragon, Nilcolon" from the Alchemy Association and even snatched the Book of Calamity from the Olu Academy.
He had also heard that... she took Academy Director Willede's staff as well.
What a treasure trove!
Viscount Iskolan ignored those notices and instead mobilized the forces of the Bladebearer Brotherhood in Nutao to search for Clear Sky, determined to have a face-to-face conversation with her.
Perhaps she could help the Bladebearer Brotherhood regain control over Nutao.
Luke was unaware of the commotion she had caused in Nutao during her visit to the Olu Academy.
All parties were responding to the appearance of Clear Sky, the elf, and the Book of Calamity.
And the Abyss Temples... all those factions and secret art practitioners who coveted this legendary and mysterious artifact were making their moves in Nutao one after another.
Luke spent the entire night in the secret chamber, collaborating with Clear Sky to modify the Insightful Cleaver Staff.
After wrapping the staff with the supple skin from under the Red Dragon's neck, the grip became even better. The finely-scaled dragon skin provided the right balance of toughness and hardness, offering a confident feedback to the wielder.
At the tip of the staff, a dragon tooth was embedded in an opening and firmly secured with heated dragon tendons. Cooling it with freezing magic made the binding even tighter.
The final step was to fuse the person and the spear.
This step required the use of secret arts.
Due to the limitations of materials, the secret art available to Luke only granted basic spear techniques to her true self, who had no knowledge of spear combat.
But it was better than just randomly poking with a spear, right?
The secret art incantation: Soldier's Legacy.
The subject of the incantation was a pair of iron gauntlets that Luke had obtained from the Whispering House of Secrets. The inner layer was made of deer hide, while the outer layer was iron. The handbacks were covered in the marks of time and battles, indicating that they had once belonged to a seasoned warrior.
These iron gauntlets had become a mysterious artifact due to the previous owner's combat experiences.
Such types of mysterious artifacts were quite common. By using specific secret arts, the recipient could gain certain combat skills.
Many long-standing families passed down their unique combat techniques from generation to generation through these secret arts.
Luke held the completed Dragon Spear in his hand, standing in the designated spot. Clear Sky arranged the ritual according to the incantation, placing lit candles and forming a hexagram array on the ground.
The iron gauntlets were placed in the subject's position, and a horsehair, star iron, mercury vial, salt rock, and blood orchid were placed in the adjunct positions.
After a moment of contemplation, Luke replaced the star iron with the Book of Calamity.
Star iron had a wide range of quality, and although any piece could complete the secret art, the effects would certainly differ.
However, using the Book of Calamity as an adjunct would automatically calculate the highest quality and contribute to balancing the entire secret art incantation.
Significantly enhancing the completion of the secret art.
With such a powerful secret art adjunct artifact, there was no reason not to use it.
But... for those who viewed the Book of Calamity as a source of disaster or as a sacred artifact of secret arts, seeing it placed alongside horsehair, mercury vial, salt rock, and blood orchid might elicit different reactions.
Luke, however, didn't think much of it.
It was just a secret art artifact, after all. Within the Era of Chronicles, secret art players had one in their hands at all times, so it didn't seem particularly valuable or special.
The formation, subject, and adjunct were in place.
The ritual began.
In the flickering candlelight, a battlefield appeared on the walls of the secret chamber.
Two armies clashed in a fierce battle, with arrows flying, magic shimmering, and heavily-armored knights wielding lances charging at large, weapon-wielding combat mechs.
Though there was no sound, the sounds of battle, explosions, and clashing of metal seemed to resonate in the ears.
The battlefield on the walls covered the entire secret chamber.
Two groups of soldiers engaged in life-and-death struggles around Luke.
They wore armor representing their respective factions and fought with swords, spears, bows and arrows, knives, and axes. It was clear that they were experienced and skilled warriors. If their weapons broke, they effortlessly picked up another from the battlefield and wielded it with proficiency.
Luke's Dragon Spear trembled in his hand.
It responded to the battle fervor and killing intent on the battlefield, resonating with the practical and straightforward spear techniques refined in actual combat.
This resonance also affected Luke.
He was completely immersed in the illusion of the battlefield. He felt like one of the soldiers on this battlefield, fighting alongside his comrades with a spear in hand.
Combat was his instinct. Even though he had never encountered a spear before, he still skillfully executed various spear techniques.
Just like controlling Clear Sky, he previously had no knowledge of dual blades, machetes, or bows and arrows, but when he held them in his hands, he instinctively knew how to use them.
Although the Luke within the illusion couldn't unleash elaborate spear techniques, the most refined and practical spear techniques developed on the battlefield were being engraved into his genes, little by little.
With the spear in his hand, he either swept through the enemy forces with wide swings or unleashed precise and cold glimmers like a serpent. He was as proficient as a veteran who had experienced countless life-and-death battles...
Outside the illusion, Luke, influenced by the experience, wielded the Dragon Spear as if in a trance.
The dragon skin, dragon tendons, and dragon tooth used in crafting the spear resonated with the dragon and serpent pattern on the back of his right hand.
The dragon and serpent grew and wrapped themselves around the spear from the tail end of the grip
.
Luke shook the spear, and the dragon head at the tip spewed dragon breath towards the blade, causing it to expand into a one-meter-long fiery edge.
Accompanied by the intimidating roar of a dragon, Luke was startled out of the illusion.
The secret art ritual came to a halt, and all the illusions gradually dissipated.
On the ground, all the ritual items except for the Book of Calamity turned to dust.
Luke held the spear, and the dragon and serpent pattern retracted to his hand.
"Now, you're no longer the Insightful Cleaver Staff. The name Insightful Cleaver Spear doesn't seem suitable either. Let's call it the Greedy Crimson Dragon Spear, a combination of a gluttonous snake and a red dragon."
Luke skillfully twirled the spear, merging the person and the weapon.
The Greedy Crimson Dragon Spear disappeared from his hand.