Chương 145: Aegis of Infinity (III)

Thankfully, she didn't stay after that embarrassing speech of mine; she bowed and then bowed out, and I nearly did that cringe-crouch where you just flatten against the ground trying to make yourself seem as small as possible so as to become invisible. I mean, I meant every word of what I said, truly, but at the same time... I don't know; I don't think I have the gravitas necessary to pull off speeches like that.

You know, the voice, the commanding, stout presence, the bearing of a king--see, I'm doing it again, and this time to myself. Anyway, cast out those demons, and move on. I now know what kind of art to make for her. She's a brawler, through and through. I didn't really see any 'high-end planning', as it were, when she kept throwing herself at him. I imagine it's just part of who she is--easily overcome by emotion. So, designing a fancy art that would be all about timing and deflection is a big no-go.

What she needs is a classic 'stat stick'. Well, I can't make a stat stick, not an actual one, but an approximation of it? At least for this world? I'm actually kind of confident in it. I'd already been leaning in that direction, and seeing her just blindly toss herself at Long Tao over and over again... yeah, it just confirmed it.

I didn't go back to the tent--because that's where she was, and I believe we shouldn't really interact for a little while yet--and instead found a nice tree and some dry leaves and sat on them, leaning against the trunk. I kept the number of forms purposefully low--just 2, actually--and made the internal logic 'Rudimentary'. The art won't actually be the 'strongest' as far as defense goes, even within its own rank, but it will be strong enough while also being the simplest.

That brought me up to just 30 points, which is a good start. I plan on tossing as many points as possible into special characteristics, anyway. For energy type, I actually used Demonic Qi for the first time--strangely, it's not that expensive, coming up at only 70 points. As far as prices of specific Qis go, it's sort of middle of the pack. I opted out of any elemental integration since I don't think the cost would actually match the requirement.

Now we've come to the motherload--Specific Effects & Characteristics... and I basically spent 350 points in it, saving the last 50 for a minor imbuement of the 'Indomitable' concept to wrap the entire thing neatly. As for where 350 points went? Well, about 80 of them went into baseline elemental resistances--the art would make her body naturally tolerant to practically all common elements and even slightly less common things like Poisons.

About 50 went into just straightforward Hardiness; her body would naturally become sturdier and sturdier the more she used the art, capping out at the strength of steel. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. 50 more went into meridian enhancements--she already had nigh-indestructible meridians naturally, and this would make it so that even overdrawing Qi without a care in the world won't even make a dent in them.

About 100 was added up from the minor enhancements--even slightly odder things like 'sturdier blood,' which roughly (as far as I understood it) translated to her blood naturally carrying more oxygen and 'supplying' the internal organs faster. Speaking of the internal organs, the remaining 70 points went into encasing all her vital organs--heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs.

That's not to say that she can suddenly survive a clean stab through the heart, though she might actually live through a clean stab to the heart. 500 points were added up rather quickly, but I actually felt I got my money's worth with them. Naturally, I'm pretty sure there's no other person alive who can actually use this art besides her, so it's not like there's some extra benefit of sharing it eventually, but... it's a freebie, one entirely meant for her.

[CURRENT CREATION POINTS: 500/100 (Reward 2 applied, ALLOWED)] [NAME: (Please name the art; otherwise, the system will auto-generate a name upon Art Creation)] [Description: an extremely simple but also extremely specialized art that even the most hardened battle veterans will find difficult to fully utilize. Requires a level of abandonment of fear toward death and surrendering to the belief that the body is the ultimate weapon. Transforms even the most ordinary body into a war machine, unmatched in its ability to stand and endure. Due to its nature, it consumes minimal Qi, but, as a side effect, it also dulls the artist's sensation toward pain. May cause unintended consequences in the unprepared] [TYPE: Martial Art - Defense (+15 CP)] [NUMBER OF FORMS: 2 (+10 CP)] [LOGIC: Rudimentary (+5 CP)] [ENERGY: Demonic Qi (+70 CP)] [CHARACTERISTICS: Fire Tolerance (+10 CP), Pain Tolerance (+5 CP),..., Hardiness (+50 CP), Titanic Meridians (+50 CP), Blood Clotting (+5 CP), Unbreaking Bones (+20 CP), Flexible Joints (+10CP), Encased Vital Organs (+70CP)...] [UNIQUE PROPERTIES: Minor Imbuement of Indomitable (+50 CP)] [CUSTOM RESTRICTIONS APPLIED: Demonic Vessel Physique, Dreadline Bloodline] [CALCULATED COST: 15 + 10 + 10 + 5 +10... +50 = 500] [PROJECTED RANK: low-Jade tier] [PROJECTED DIFFICULTY: Intermediate] [CONFIRM CREATION: 500 CP (0 CP)] [CANCEL] Confirm, of course.

Though that bit in the description did worry me a bit, I believe in you, Wan Lan! Khm. [Congratulations, Host, on creating 'Aegis of Infinity' Defensive Art] Ah, goddammit! I forgot to name it again! I mean, yes, the name's cool or whatever, but my name would be a million times cooler--Invincible Art of an Emperor! [...] [Aegis of Infinity] [Type: Defensive Art] [Rank: low-Jade tier] [Host Comprehension: None (fails to meet minimum requirements)] [...] [Masters of this art become unmatched blunt weapons of war, turning their bodies into undying vessels of death. Strengthens the body across the board, down to the finest parts, while enabling unique displays of prowess. While no art exists that can give a mortal an Immortal Body, this one comes the closest, offering a fading glimpse into the distant cosmos of immortality once the mortal coil is shed for something ethereal and fleeting. The wielder can sufficiently endure raging infernos as well as deep caverns of frost, their flesh thicker than any common armor, their fists blunt instruments of destruction. However, due to its unique nature, mastering the art isn't possible through study--only through pain. The wielder must be hurt ten thousand times to avoid being hurt once. The strongest weapons are forged in the fires of war] [...] [Creation Points Value: 500(0) / 100] [Comprehension Difficulty: Intermediate] [...] [Creation Bonus: Martial Body Implant] [...] [Martial Body Implant: a special form of transference, doing the Bidding of Heavens and changing one's fate. Turns a Mortal Body into the Martial Body, a unique, Jade-tier physique geared towards mastering endless weapon arts with ease, dominating the battlefield with variety and novelty. Note: the body must have never cultivated before or even sensed Qi in any capacity] [...] Huh. What the hell?!