Spark Nighthawk had finished integrating with the gun-type gearcore. But he wasn't about to leave the room yet.
He glanced at the Slave Grimoire he put on the shelf. There was still unfinished business here. The assassin.
He remembered the description of the assassin's data in the Slave Grimoire. Mystic Silver was the modifier currency. It allowed him to alter any changeable aspects of the assassin in the grimoire. Most crucially, their personalities and loyalties.
His treasury still had plenty of Mystic Silver. He pulled out a heavy chest from one of the vaults. Inside were bars of the gleaming metal. Each worth a significant sum on its own. But right now, he needed it for something far more valuable than coins.
He picked the mystic silver bars. One by one, he sacrificed them into the Slave Grimoire. Bar after bar, clinking and stacking. All disappeared as the grimoire emitted a faint glow of hunger.
It was a small fortune being sacrificed. And after a while, every single mystic silver bar in the treasury room was gone. Disappearing into the Grimoire.
He checked the book's internal interface. Accessing the data on his captive. The modifier value bar on the screen increased dramatically. Although it still didn't feel like enough.
He began the modification process on the assassin. Starting from the personality. Her listed dominant personality traits were: [Personality: Sadistic], [Personality: Cruel], and [Personality: Playful].
The objective was simple. Make her useful. Make her reliable. And remove the traits that made her a liability or a threat to him.
He wanted to overwrite the most problematic traits. Turning them into something more malleable. Controllable.
[Playful] shouldn't be much of a problem. But [Sadistic] and [Cruel] had to go. He would make her his subordinate. Having a sadistic and cruel subordinate would be too... troublesome.
He first targeted [Sadistic]. He envisioned replacing it with something benign. Like [Friendly], or even [Kind]. But the grimoire's interface displayed a frustrating restriction.
It wasn't a blank slate to imprint whatever he wanted. The system indicated he could only amplify or suppress traits. The ones that the target already possessed. Even if they were so minor that the were unregistered in their normal state.
He couldn't conjure 'Kind' trait if the assassin had never held a flicker of it in her nature. He could only bring out what was already there. Buried deep beneath the dominant layers.
He experimented. Scrolling through the available options linked to the assassin's existing, minor traits. It took a few minutes of navigating the system's limitations.
The trait 'Kind' wasn't an option. Neither was 'Loyal'. Or 'Intelligent'. Instead, there were worse trait like: 'Deceitful' or 'Reckless'. Or useless ones like: 'Lazy' or 'Talkative'.
What was available and might be useful, surprisingly, was [Submissive], [Adaptive], and [Organized]. Three personality traits he thought would be perfect for a secretary or an assistant.
[Submissive] was not a trait he'd have expected from a Tier 3 assassin. But apparently, a suppressed core of it existed. Perhaps, it was born of the rigid hierarchy she must have served.
He made the adjustment. The interface shifted. He spent modifier value on the change. [Personality: Sadistic] was suppressed, replaced in dominance by [Personality: Submissive]. It felt transactional. Cold. Yet, useful.
He moved to [Cruel]. He made the second adjustment. More modifier value spent. [Personality: Cruel] was suppressed, replaced by [Personality: Adaptive].
He looked at the next entry. [Personality: Playful] was alright. Giving the character certain unique individuality.
But, could he add one more dominant personality trait?
Spark tried to add an entry of [Personality: Organized]. It was successful. The new entry appeared. But, the cost seemed to be twice as much as replacing the old one.
He looked at the remaining modifier value pool. It wasn't much after restructuring the personality traits. What should be modified night?
The answer came quickly. Loyalty. That was the critical factor. A powerful subordinate was a threat if their loyalty was low.
He clicked over to the Loyalty modification option. It started at 0%. He channeled the remaining modifier value into it.
The percentage increased slowly. Agonizingly. 1%... 5%... 10%... It crawled upwards. It stopped at 46%.
The modifier value pool was empty. All the Mystic Silver... gone.
The assassin's dominant traits were now [Submissive], [Adaptive], [Playful], and [Organized]. And her Loyalty to him was 46%.
Not ideal. Not enough. A 46% loyalty rating meant she would obey direct orders. Maybe she wouldn't actively betray him immediately. But, she would if it brought her more benefits.
With just 46% Loyalty, she wasn't his. Not truly. Not yet.
He needed more Mystic Silver. A lot more. And he knew where to get the materials. It would be very expensive. But money was never a problem. Not for him.
...
-- Gutlark Town, Easpring 03, 1566 NC. --
The stone paving of the Shopping Center District felt solid under Spark's heavy boots. Sunlight was filtered through the nearby floating island, Arcannea. Casting a temporary shadow overhead.
The air of the district was alive with the low hum of mechanical carts. And the calls of vendors. And the distant thrum of a sky ship taking off from the port.
Spark was a physical anomaly here. Most folks had normal or slightly tall height. And they were mostly slender. Moving with a lighter grace in lithe, adapted bodies.
Spark was just... big. Towering. Muscles straining the seams of his well-made but simple tunic and trousers. He was a powerful, undeniable mass moving through the crowd.
His face, with its slightly crooked nose and tanned skin, showed a smiling, easygoing expression. But his dark brown eyes seemed to be constantly scanning, assessing, and observing.
People either gawked or quickly averted their gaze when he looked at them. A mix of awe and ingrained fear swirling around him. He looked friendly enough. But the size of him was the sheer presence that screamed 'danger'.
His first stop was 'Mystical Materials'. The building was a grand, multi-story structure. It was made of grey stone and reinforced glass.
Shelves visible through the windows were stacked high. With shimmering powders. Glowing fluids. Metal bars. And strangely shaped ores.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of mint and something earthy. A scrawny clerk with nervous eyes jumped slightly as Spark entered.
"Welcome to Mystical Materials, Sir! How can I...?" The clerk stammered. Intimidated by Spark's sheer scale.
Spark walked straight to the counter. His movements efficient yet very calm and composed. "I need a large delivery. To the Nighthawk estate."
He didn't waste time on pleasantries. Immediately went straight to business. "Mystic Silver. I'll need a hundred bars. Liquid Mercury, twenty liters. Arcane Dust, thirty kilos. And restock on standard rune repair kits – ten large packages. Add in Black Titanium, ten kilos. Eldritch Steelwood, twenty small logs. Dewblood Grease, five liters." He listed the items as if ordering breakfast.
The clerk fumbled with a crystal slate. His eyes widening as he punched in the quantities. A hundred bars of Mystic Silver was a fortune for most.
"Ah, a hundred bars? Yes, sir. That's... a significant order. Delivery confirmed for the estate. We'll arrange it immediately. Payment...?"
Spark laughed and placed a heavy pouch of gold coins on the counter. It clinked against the stone. "Take it. Add the standard delivery fees and your tips. Don't be late."
Despite the friendly manner, his tone left no room for negotiation or error. The clerk nodded frantically. Counting the coins with trembling fingers.
Spark turned and left. The transaction concluded. No pleasantries. no small talk. Just the direct exchange of wealth for goods.
He didn't trust them any more than anyone else. But their business was reliable. That was enough.
Next, he navigated the district towards 'Gourmet Paradise'. This store was different. Lighter. Brighter. Filled with the scent of exotic fruits, rare spices, and impossibly sweet floral essences.
This was where he could get the premium stuff for Honey's growth item. Pure honey.
"Good day, sir!" A cheerful, plump woman greeted him behind a counter. There was a high pile of candied flowers and iridescent berries on that counter.
"Pure Honey, please." Spark said with a smile. One that didn't reach his eyes. "The best you have."
"Ah, the Sky-Blossom Pure Honey, perhaps? It's quite exquisite this season." She chirped. Beaming.
"That one. Give me ten bottles."
Her eyes widened slightly again. But she recovered quickly. Her smile was unwavering. Big customer this one.
Ten bottles of Sky-Blossom Pure Honey was not cheap... for food. But as a growth item, it was not that expensive.
Spark internally grinned. His biggest cheat was actually... knowing the exact growth item for contracted fairies, fused monsters, and integrated gearcores.
Normal people would not know the exact item needed to optimally grow their sources of power. They wasted so much efforts and wealth attempting many things.
Some would even get stuck for years or decades not knowing the correct items needed for advancement.
Spark immediately paid. And accepted the carefully packaged bottle. They were small. Only enough for a few sips for Honey per bottle. But they should last long enough until the fairy evolved and required a new, different growth item.
Outside Spark walked into a different path. It led him towards a more industrial-looking part of the district. Although it was still clean and orderly.
His destination was... the 'Eclipse Monster Processing Company'. It wasn't a place for casual browsing. It was a large, imposing building. It hummed faintly with internal machinery and smelled faintly of blood and charcoal.
Inside, it was surprisingly sterile. All gleaming steel and efficient conveyors were visible through internal windows.
Here, they took the raw, dangerous carcasses of monsters. And processed them into usable materials. For normal consumption, Framepath users' fusion materials, alchemists' ingredients, and crafters' materials.
Spark approached the intake counter. It was occupied by a burly, scarred individual. He looked like he wrestled beast parts for a living.
"Looking to place an order." Spark stated with a smile. He was leaning slightly on the counter. The counter was sturdy. But Spark's posture made it look precarious.