Ghaster's mood improved greatly. The prospect of beating Soverick or at least being able to fight on equal terms with him is more than enough to brighten his day.
"I've got to prepare. I dropped my hammer back there so I need to get another one. I should probably get a better one. I also need to bulk up my body. Maybe I should reach the peak of transcendence too."
He began listing the things he needs for the competition. He doesn't want his old hammer back because he will need to return to get it and he doesn't want to do that. He doesn't want to be anywhere near Soverick right now. Getting reminded of his torment will bring back the memories of his trauma. His hammer is a sacrifice he is willing to make to avoid meeting Soverick.
He also needs to recover the body mass he lost and gain more to reach the peak of Transcendence. He is just a new transcendent and has yet to reach the limit. Any improvement he gets will increase his chances of besting Soverick.
He realized something crucial. "This is going to cost a lot of money. I know I am technically an adult now but I don't have any money. Will you help me out, Mother?"
Mihila pinched his cute blue-furred cheeks and said, "How can I say no to that cute face? Of course, I'll help you with however much you need. You can always count on Mum."
They still have a lot of money that Kroft gave them for his offense. They didn't have to spend on Soverick ever since he became the child of the plane and Litori became independent a while back after becoming a transcendent. So she can afford to splurge for her favorite child.
"Yes," Ghaster said while pumping his fist in excitement.
Mihila smiled as she watched Ghaster cheering up. She knew that she exaggerated a bit about Soverick's lack of skills. He had used the fourth stage of weapon mastery against her while she used the fifth stage. It means that he is way more powerful than her and even if that power is removed, Soverick is just one skill level below her. That level of skill is extraordinary for someone so young.
She is more than 50 Origin cycles old and yet her son that isn't more than 10,000 years is close to her level in skill. She would like to believe that her seemly slow progress is because she didn't have a royal bloodline and the ancestral memories that comes with it. But she doubts that even geniuses of royal bloodlines can match up to what Soverick has achieved in such a short time.
She doesn't even need to look far for comparison. Ghaster is a genius of a royal bloodline and they were born at the same time. Today's events show just how well they match up. So she can only try her best to strengthen Ghaster and hope they don't meet in the competition. As hopes go, it is much more feasible that they won't meet each other than hoping that Soverick will die.
She may have lied a tiny bit about Soverick's skills but she has to come clean with the terms of the competition.
So she told Ghaster, "Unfortunately you can't bring in weapons."
"Aww, why not?"
"It's to make things fair. Everyone, regardless of their upbringing, wealth, and Status will be made to compete on equal terms to prove their worthiness."
"Fine. I'll be able to use my hands on Soverick. It is better that way."
Back To Soverick.
He reached his forge quickly. Hadrick was waiting for him.
"So how was it?" It asked him.
Soverick answered curtly. "It was fine."
"Are you sure? It wasn't fine last time and this time was worse. I don't think it was fine at all."
Soverick thought about it and shrugged. "It was fine. Last time was fine too."
He doesn't see anything out of place within his interaction with his family.
"It can't be fine. You called your guardian "not good enough" after her death. She raised you. It can't be fine."
Soverick scoffed. "She did not raise me. I raised myself. Even my so-called parents did not raise me."
Hadrick just has to accept that Soverick doesn't see what could be wrong with the situation.
"I'm sure it was fine with you."
Soverick nodded. "It certainly was. So she died. Who cares?"
Then they started chatting about important matters and resumed their research. Soverick's mood and interest in his work didn't dim because of the event that happened today or the one that happened hundreds of years ago. He was in the forge just like today when Mihila, Ghoto, and Litori came to tell him that Kayla, his guardian, died while trying to become a transcendent. Ghaster was still in school at that time so he didn't follow them.
He had replied unfazed. "I know."
Then he waved them away to signify that they can leave. He knew she died. He knew that they have decided to have a burial for her and that they have come to tell him about it. They hope that he can come with them to honor Kayla with a burial. He knew all of that and yet he wants them to leave since he had better things to do.
But they weren't satisfied with his reaction.
Ghoto asked him, "So?"
He asked back, "So what?"
Ghoto replied, "Kayla is dead."
He asked calmly, "Again, so what?"
They even took it further than that. Their dissatisfaction with him turned to distraught.
Mihila became emotional. She asked angrily. "How can you be like this?."
She was the one that trained Kayla. They spent years together preparing Kayla for her breakthrough. Mihila was emotionally and financially invested in Kayla but she died. Mihila knew that Soverick never cared for or even liked Kayla. He said so several times when she was alive. But she is dead now and she deserves some respect in death. Unfortunately, Soverick didn't plan to give her that.