716 Learning to craft skill cores I
Kyle glanced at the two identical-looking brothers standing below on the ground as he sat comfortably on a tree branch with one leg crossed over the other.
Bia stretched and yawned on his shoulder, unfurling her wings before soaring into the sky for some fresh air. To her surprise, she discovered they had returned to the exact spot in the forest where they had first landed upon arriving on this planet.
Her gaze shifted to the twins. The sweat glistening on their foreheads revealed their anxiety, as they remained clueless about why they had been brought here.
Bia then turned to Kyle, who was focused on shaping something with a mix of mana and spiritual energy in his palm.
-'What are you doing? Weren't we supposed to leave the planet?'
Hearing the phoenix's voice echo in his mind, Kyle glanced at her, and a wicked smile crept across his lips.
'Actually, I wish to conduct an experiment. Two test subjects should suffice, as I doubt I will find suitable candidates later, so I want to do this before we leave.'
Bia blinked and noticed how Kyle's intense gaze fixated on the twins, who trembled under his ominous stare.
-'An experiment? What kind of experiment? It does sound quite intriguing.'
Curiosity sparked in the phoenix's eyes as she circled the tree where Kyle was seated, observing what he was crafting in his palm.
Could it be a soul-injuring spell?
Or perhaps a deadly weapon capable of killing another without detection?
Logan and Mason exchanged glances before Mason retrieved the storage ring that Kyle had given them earlier. It was still filled with treasures, and with the human about to leave, it felt appropriate to return it. However, before he could say anything, Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
"You both can keep whatever remains in that storage ring. Think of it as payment for being my guides."
Mason was entirely taken aback. How could the human so nonchalantly part with such a huge amount of wealth? It seemed that Kyle was indeed very rich!
His face lit up, and he noticed that his brother shared the same excitement. With the treasures inside the ring, they could significantly enhance their strength!
It had been so long since the twins had been stuck at the first stage of divine rank; finally, they had the opportunity to advance to the next stage! No, with this abundance of treasures, there was even a possibility they could reach the next rank!
Mason bowed slightly to Kyle, his face beaming with gratitude.
"Thank you!"
He had just finished his words when the mana and spiritual energy that Kyle had been gathering in his palm suddenly emitted a loud whistling sound.
Kyle's eyes widened at the sound, and he vanished from his spot. Bia also sensed a sudden disruption in the air beneath her and shot upward into the sky as well.
They left, and a small but deafening explosion shattered the stillness, sending shockwaves through the air. The branch of the tree where Kyle had been seated moments before disintegrated into tiny particles, raining down like confetti.
Mason and Logan stood frozen in shock, trying their best to comprehend what had just happened. The two instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves from the splintering wood and debris that rained down on them.
Kyle landed softly behind the twins, a contemplative look on his face as he saw the two brothers coughed and waved their hands to clear the dust around them. His voice was low, so it didn't reach anyone.
"I guess it wasn't as easy as I thought. I combined equal amounts of mana and spiritual energy, but the spiritual energy, being the more dominant force, consumed the mana before I had the chance to form a core and infuse it with knowledge."
The twins brushed off their clothes and stared at Kyle with blank expressions. The duo's earlier gratitude had entirely faded; now all they wanted was to return to their city as quickly as possible!
From above, Bia too glanced down at Kyle with a twitching eyebrow... so he was truly creating something highly dangerous?
-'At least give me a warning if you are going to explode something!'
Kyle remained silent, lost in thought, his eyes sharp with focus.
"I think I understand now."
With a whisper, he lifted his hand and spread his fingers wide, and once again, mana and spiritual energy started to coalesce in his palm, startling the twins, who instinctively stepped back.
Bia, who was about to approach, also retreated. It was wiser for her to wait until Kyle finished what he was doing before getting any closer for her own safety.
This time, thankfully, no explosion occurred. Kyle's eyes lit up as a nail-sized orb began to materialize above his palm, casting a soft glow. He began transferring knowledge into the tiny orb after the shell surrounding the energy in his palm grew strong enough to contain it.
Observing his concentration, the twins wondered what he was trying to achieve. They noticed that the orb in Kyle's hand somewhat resembled a skill core, but they quickly dismissed the idea.
Skill cores are commonly extracted from the bodies of defeated monsters because their bodies naturally form them.
The only way to artificially create a skill core is by forming a weak version of the skill one possessed, but this task requires immense mental strength and complete control over mana and spiritual energy. Even if one possesses these qualities, they must also master the conversion of their knowledge into fragments of energy to complete the final step. That's why, despite many knowing the process of creating a weak version of a skill core, everyone struggles to put it into practice.
The twins blinked when the human suddenly lifted his head to meet their gaze, wearing a seemingly harmless expression. Kyle held the tiny orb between his fingers and raised it for the duo to see.
"It's ready. So, who's going to test it?"