Birth of the Demonic Sword

The Land of the Fallen was the perfect target for an existence like Noah. His experience in the magical beasts' field and his prowess allowed him to move freely between the two domains and gave him the chance to inspect multiple battlefields.

The main issue was that he had to return to the area of influence of the Crystal City to reach the first battlefield. The belief of their members made them the perfect first line of defense against those creatures. That was the reason why the human side didn't complain about their fanatism.

'I can't be unprepared anymore,' Noah thought as he walked through Vagona city.

Noah had learnt how easy it was to make enemies in the Immortal Lands after the events with Zach and the group from the Crystal City. He had also gained some fame in Vagona city, so he suspected that more troubles would appear on his path.

That forced him to make some preparations. Noah wasn't a clueless member of the Immortal Lands anymore. He had studied enough to learn how to improve his survivability and voyages, so he didn't mind spending more time in Vagona city to obtain everything he needed.

His research in the library had cost him almost half of his Soul Stones, but Noah could easily obtain more of them. Yet, he had to visit a few shops before understanding how expensive his needs were.

'I need to buy clothes,' Noah concluded after he reviewed everything learnt in the library.

Noah had always ignored defensive items because of his Body-inscription spell and powerful body. His skin was sturdier than most materials, so he found it pointless to waste time creating or purchasing armors. His battle style was also quite reckless, and clothes would only stand his way.

However, that inscription field was quite famous in the Immortal Lands. The higher plane's environment provided an abundance of divine materials, so the experts there could specialize in difficult creations. They could build light clothes capable of fending off divine spells!

That wasn't everything. The inscribed robes could have a multitude of effects depending on the needs of the customers. Some even had regenerative properties.

The cultivators' physical defense had always been poor, but the experts in the Immortal Lands could make up for that weakness by purchasing rank 7 inscribed robes.

'I don't need more protections,' Noah thought as he walked toward one of the most famous shops in the city. 'But having something that can hide my presence might be useful.'

Noah had learnt which forces handled the creation of inscribed robes. Most inscription halls had a few experts in charge of that field, but only a few of those masters could enter the Monneay family and earn a fortune by building clothes.

That was the reason why the Monneay family was more famous than the Balrow family in Vagona city. Its population was quite rich, so it could invest more money in those expensive inscribed items.

The Monneay family obviously had shops connected to their inscription halls. It had built a business out of the creation of those valuable items.

Noah entered the biggest shop that he found and paid thirty Soul Stones to reach the higher floors of the structure. He did not need the cheaper robes. He needed to find a master and ask for clothes with specific features.

A waiter led him through the long staircase coiled around a huge pillar placed in the middle of the main hall and left him in a large room once they reached the last floor.

Other waiters brought a series of delicacies and beverages to enjoy while Noah explained his needs. Different masters had different specializations, even if they belonged to the same inscription field. The shop had to hear about his requests to offer a suitable service.

The waiters also gave Noah a catalog that listed all the features available. Some robes could even empower a cultivator's individuality if the expert managed to understand it. Moreover, the masters had a tier that stated their ability.

'A robe made by a tier-one master can cost up to one hundred thousand Soul Stones, with price depending on the level of the robe,' Noah read through the catalog.

That price was obviously out of his reach, so he had to settle for a meeting with a tier-four master specialized in cloaking robes equipped with regenerative properties.

A stern woman arrived in the room after a while. She was a rank 7 cultivator in the gaseous stage with short black hair and dark eyes. The master sized Noah in silence, but she soon shook her head.

"I can't create what you need," The master said before explaining further. "I don't have the power to build something that can hide your existence. Only tier-three masters and above can inscribe what you need."

That answer left Noah dumbfounded. The robes created by tier-three cultivators could cost up to one thousand Soul Stones, and he didn't know if he could accumulate that sum by selling Instabilities.

The value of his inscribed weapons would decrease if he started to mass-produce them. He would also need to kill multiple divine magical beasts to accumulate the materials required for their creation.

Still, he was about to venture for a long journey. The knowledge accumulated in the library didn't prepare for everything that he could encounter in the wild regions. He also desired something that could allow him to escape in case the situation required it.

"Call a tier-three master then," Noah said as he began to plan a hunting route while he waited for the new expert to arrive.

It took a while for the tier three master to arrive. Noah had to wait a few hours before a gloomy short woman with no hair and white eyes entered his room.

Noah felt slightly worried when her aura spread in the room. Her presence was far more intense than the other master, and her cultivation level was also on a higher level.

She was a rank 7 cultivator in the liquid stage, and Noah felt naked in front of her aloof gaze. Her eyes seemed to hide some secret, but Noah didn't have the power to uncover it.

"Do you have any affiliation or special status?" The woman asked after she finished her inspection.

Noah took out his green card, and the master nodded after seeing the name engraved on its surface. Then, she gave voice to a series of instructions.

"I'm Thea Monneay," The master said. "I accept your request and will start working on it as soon as you leave a deposit. The item will cost between one thousand and two thousand Soul Stones depending on its final state."

"Is one hundred Soul Stones enough for the deposit?" Noah asked.

"No," Thea replied bluntly, "But I will make an exception since the Balrow family is trying to rope you in."

Noah felt glad that the events inside the inscription hall ended up bringing him some benefits. He hastily took out the Soul Stones and waited for the master to give him further instruction.

"I only need to see your individuality properly now," Thea said after she stored the Soul Stones and sat on the couch in front of Noah.