Translator: CinderTL
"A Construct Artisan... is an extraordinary profession?"
Just as Roland's astonishment took hold, vast swathes of golden text slowly materialized.
[In the glorious years of the Crystal Era, while ordinary spellcasters still chanted ancient incantations and knights relied on bloodline legacies, another group of sages walked a completely different path.]
[They refused to merely beg the world for the gift of mana. Instead, they used refined steel as their skeleton and etched runes as their veins, aspiring to become the weavers and masters of mana.]
[These were the "Construct Artisans"—creators who forged cold metal and chaotic mana into miracles with a lifelike pulse. They believed that true strength came not from prayer or innate talent, but from a profound understanding and reconstruction of the laws that govern the world.]
[Yet, the dust of ages eventually buried their former glory. The fragmentation of knowledge reduced this art to a mere legend, but the true spark never completely died out. It has always awaited one who could reignite it.]
[Using what you have learned, apply your wisdom and strength to independently design and forge a complete and stably functioning "Entropic Cinder Core."]
[With mortal hands, forge the Heart of Rhythm.]
[When you truly hold that core you crafted with your own hands, where energy flows from chaos into order, you have done more than just build a tool.]
[You are rekindling a lost spark, proving to that vanished era]
[that the miracle woven from steel and runes will once again thrum in your palm, sending tremors through the world.]
Just like when he had advanced to the Extraordinary Profession of [Knight], the requirements for [Construct Artisan] were devoid of any specific attribute thresholds or skill level restrictions. There was only a single, clear, and absolute final goal.
Yet, even with such "simple" conditions, Roland dared not let his guard down.
He knew all too well that the more open a requirement seemed, the more formidable the obstacles hidden behind it would be—far greater than any explicitly listed set of rules.
After all, his advancement to [Knight] had required him to survive a grand war and become the key to turning the tide.
Recalling his struggle amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, brushing against death at every turn, even Roland's current resolve could not keep a chill from creeping down his spine.
And what were the requirements for the [Construct Artisan] class?
[Independently craft an Entropic Cinder Core]
After carefully reading the shimmering gold text that was slowly fading from his vision, Roland couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
This wasn't because he completely lacked an understanding of the Entropic Cinder Core's manufacturing principles, nor was its craftsmanship so complex as to be utterly despairing.
On the contrary, a considerable portion of the texts he had just perused in the central database detailed the Entropic Cinder Core's blueprints, energy rune etching sequences, and basic energy flow models.
With the forging knowledge Roland had accumulated as a [Blacksmith] and [Enchanter], it wasn't completely impossible to try and replicate it by following the blueprints.
The real difficulty lay in the materials and tools.
Many of the core materials mentioned in the texts—such as the "Inert Ether Crystallization Substrate," "Stable Rune-Conductive Alloy," and those oddly shaped tools specifically used for precision etching and energy guidance—were all things Roland had never heard of or seen before arriving on the Aetheron Continent.
Even the most skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice. Without these specific material foundations, even the most exquisite blueprints were nothing more than castles in the air.
"Forget it—"
Watching the golden text completely vanish before his eyes, Roland let out a long sigh, temporarily suppressing his churning thoughts.
This ancient ruin, known as Observation Post No. 7, was vast in scale. The area he had explored was likely just the tip of the iceberg. The unexplored regions might hold everything necessary to forge the Entropic Cinder Core.
At this thought, a surge of excitement warmed Roland's heart.
Although his current understanding of the [Construct Artisan] was still superficial, the fact that it stood alongside the [Knight] as an extraordinary profession meant its potential and value were undoubtedly immense. Even if its primary function wasn't to directly enhance physical strength or spell potency, just imagine—if he could personally craft constructs like the Corrosive Hand Cannon or even more powerful creations, how significantly would his overall combat power be boosted?
This would undoubtedly open a completely new path to power.
Lost in thought, his gaze fell back upon the dark silver Adaptive Substrate in his hand, which flowed with golden light.
The preliminary attempt he had just made using Battle Qi had given Roland a rough understanding of the core function of this Adaptive Resonance Protocol Substrate. It acted as an incredibly efficient amplifier and coordinator, capable of stimulating and channeling the power within a transcendent professional at a staggering rate.
Yet, the true source of a [Knight]'s strength was not merely the Battle Qi flowing through their meridians.
The deeper, more fundamental wellspring was something embedded in the very essence of his life...
The [Primal Core].
At this thought, Roland hesitated no longer.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all distracting thoughts, and plunged his entire consciousness into his own body.
It was like diving into a silent, deep sea to touch that "Core"—suspended at the center of his life essence, slowly rotating and emitting a warm, eternal glow.
Using his spiritual will as a bridge and the unique, pure energy fluctuations of the [Primal Core] as a "beacon," he sent a silent call and invitation to the substrate in his palm.
At first, the substrate merely trembled slightly, the golden patterns on its surface flowing with accelerating light.
But soon, a strange resonance began to build.
It was no longer a passive vessel for energy. Instead, as if imbued with a form of sentience, it developed a profound attraction to the [Primal Core] within Roland's body.
The next moment, an astonishing sight unfolded.
The dark silver substrate seemed to lose its physical weight, slowly levitating from Roland's palm.
It was drawn by an invisible force emanating from Roland's chest and abdomen, moving toward his torso with the steady, unwavering pull of a magnet guided by a silken thread.
As the substrate drew closer to his skin, Roland felt a faint yet distinct prickling sensation. It was as if countless needles of frigid energy were attempting to pierce his flesh, or as if his body were instinctively rejecting a foreign object, only to be forced to accept it by a more powerful will.
He did not resist the discomfort. Instead, he actively guided the [Primal Core] to radiate a gentle, welcoming wave of energy, like opening his arms in an embrace.
Hum!
A faint vibration, audible only to Roland's soul, resonated through his being.
The dark silver substrate finally made contact with his chest and abdomen.
There was no violent impact, no explosion of light.
Like a drop of mercury soaking into a sponge, or a brand searing itself into a soul, it silently and slowly sank beneath his skin, vanishing into the depths where flesh and energy intertwined.
The very instant the substrate fully merged...
BOOM!
Roland's entire conscious world felt as if a star had been dropped into it.
The [Primal Core], which had been quietly spinning within him like a gentle star-nebula, steadily drawing and exhaling energy, was now completely ignited—and activated.
It was no longer merely "breathing" on its own; it had transformed into a violent and efficient energy furnace.
The stagnant, chaotic magic elements in the surrounding space now seemed to answer an irresistible summons, surging into his body at an unprecedented speed. They even formed a visible vortex of energy on his skin, distorting the very light around him.
The moment this forcibly drawn energy poured into the [Primal Core], the integrated [Adaptive Substrate] refined and purified it with near-tyrannical efficiency before slamming it into the core itself.
The [Primal Core]'s radiance flared with unprecedented intensity, its rotation speed skyrocketing several-fold.
Each pulse was like a powerful heartbeat, driving torrents of pure, boundless energy—as if containing the power to create the world—into Roland's limbs, every meridian, and every single cell.
The sensation was as if a gently flowing stream had suddenly become a catastrophic flood, bursting its banks.
Power—unprecedented, overflowing power that threatened to tear him apart—roared and surged within his body.
His Battle Qi, once condensed like steel and hidden deep within his bones and muscles, now seemed to have been infused with a soul, becoming incredibly active and obedient.
With a mere thought, he could now command this power as if it were an extension of his own body, even condensing it into a shimmering, tangible veil of energy upon his skin.
The breathing drawn from his very life essence had sunk into the deepest, subconscious layers of his being. Each breath now brought a marked increase in strength and a profound tempering of his physical form.
A sense of "completeness" washed over Roland.
It was as if this "Adaptive Resonance Protocol Substrate" had always been the missing piece of the [Primal Core]. Now that the puzzle was complete, his true potential had been unleashed in a thunderous torrent.
At that same moment, golden text materialized once more.
High-dimensional energy protocol carrier detected— Assessing compatibility between carrier and Core Trait: [Primal Core]— Compatibility: Perfect Initiating deep connection— Analyzing [Adaptive Resonance] protocol— Analyzing energy coordination and amplification models— Reconstructing core energy circuits— — Integration complete. Core Trait [Primal Core] has undergone a fundamental transformation. Trait upgraded to: [Source Law Engine]
As the final line of text solidified, the volcanic surge of energy within Roland's body was instantly subdued by an absolute "order."
The berserk power remained boundless and majestic, yet it was no longer chaotic or conflicted.
Instead, like a trillion stars pulsing in unison, it followed a profound and harmonious rhythm, constructing a perfect and powerful new cycle within his body.
[Trait: Source Law Engine]
[The crystal within your life essence has completed its ultimate metamorphosis. It is no longer a miniature star-sphere isolated within, but has transformed into an eternally pulsating "Primal Furnace."]
[This furnace ceaselessly performs a violent yet precise respiration of energy. Not only does it draw in all available energy from its surroundings, but it can also use the "Adaptive Protocol" you have integrated as a blueprint to actively analyze, coordinate, and even dominate the various power systems existing within your body.]
[Whether it is the dragon power inherited from your bloodline, the Battle Qi condensed like steel, or the mana you channel—all have now converged into a unified melody. They resonate and vibrate together, generating a transcendent synergy where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.]
[However, driving this "Furnace" to produce ultra-high-intensity output—especially when coordinating multiple high-level powers concurrently—will place unprecedented pressure on your spirit and will. This is the burden of wielding a power capable of reshaping reality, yet one that could just as easily incinerate its wielder in an instant.]
[You have grasped the key to a higher plane of existence. The path beyond the gate is destined to be paved by an extraordinary will.]
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [260] Chapters behind with [104] Free Chapters available on site.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [696] now, only on ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀᴛʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ.
📊 [17] Novels, [14.4K+] Chapters with [11.2K+] Free Chapters!, [23M] Words on ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕋𝕃.𝕔𝕠𝕞
---------------------------