Emmet approached the remains, looking like a man deliriously happy after discovering an impossible treasure trove. "Finally," he murmured, "potent demon energy."

  Mid-air, Emmet excitedly activated his Divine Forge, letting the demon energy surge and flow through him. The demon's essence poured in—a wave of hot, acrid, raw energy. But as it passed through his core, it was cleansed and refined, smoothing into a vibrant, crackling power—Rend, yet undeniably altered and sharper. He continued the refinement, and a large, floating Rend Crystal—bigger than any he had ever formed—slowly developed in his palm. This crystal glowed with an intense, internal purple light. Emmet maintained the rigorous process, ensuring he absorbed and processed every particle of the demon energy, leaving absolutely nothing to waste. The demon refining process went on, and the glowing crystal kept growing. When it reached the astonishing size of Emmet’s head, the process finally concluded.

  Jasper and Tierra watched, silent and astonished by what Emmet had accomplished.

  Emmet was filled with profound joy at finally finding a substantial new source of Rend. However, his excitement was tempered by a powerful curiosity: Why was this Rend Crystal so huge, and why was it glowing? He summoned his own Rend energy, linking it to the crystal, and realized something astonishing. By linking to it, he felt the power of the dimensional space as if it were an extension of his own will. As Emmet absorbed the Rend energy from the crystal, he focused his thoughts and conjured a dimensional space nearby as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him.

  Jasper and Tierra could only watch, dumbfounded and utterly amazed by the sudden display of new power.

  Emmet removed his link from the crystal, his feet finally touching the ground. "Ahh, so the demon’s dimensional ability can be forged into this specific form of Rend Crystal, too," he mused. "The glow means it has sealed the demon’s ability. With my rending skill, I can now activate its power." The glow is only reacting to his Rend, Emmet thought, his mind racing. Like an instinct, a new idea formed: What if I forge this potent crystal with the existing Rend artifact?

  Emmet was utterly engrossed, having nearly forgotten about Tierra, Jasper, and the world around him. He started the process, taking the black iron ring he had corrupted using the Divine Forge and attempting to merge the glowing Rend Crystal and the ring. In his inner world, the Divine Forge roared. A spectral image showed a massive anvil and Emmet, wreathed in purple Rend, slamming a hammer down. He wasn't just joining objects; he was forcing the hot, acrid demon essence to submit to the precise, stabilizing power of his Rend. The black iron ring resisted, shuddering under the immense pressure of the forging. He dealt the finishing touch, and the ring changed its form.

  In the real world, he wore the ring, and, as if receiving a blessing, a new artifact was born. The dimensional skill was imbued into the ring, but with an altered effect. Emmet was overjoyed with his new creation and discovery. So I have this ability. I can imbue the abilities of the demon into my rended artifact. That glowing crystal... let’s call it a Glow Crystal. He created more Rend Crystals from the excess demon energy. That demon was thin but possessed a tremendous amount of demonic energy. This is a bountiful demon energy harvest indeed.

  He then tried to activate his new Dimensional Ring, using his Rend link to it like it was an extension of his body. A small dimensional portal appeared. Using his Unwoven Sight, he studied what was inside and noticed it was just a dark room, but it looked like a large space from within. So I have the demon’s dimensional ability now through this ring. And the space inside it is as big as a house. Acting on instinct, he put his entire stockpile of Rend Crystals inside it and then closed the dimensional space.

  Jasper finally spoke, "What is that, Emmet? How did you do that? More importantly, how were you able to create that ring?"

  "Oh, I forgot about them," Emmet muttered to himself. Then he spoke aloud, "I’ll explain later. For now, let’s get Tierra out of here."

  Emmet, his mind already shifting from battle to research, swiftly ensured the room was clear of immediate threats. "Jasper," he instructed, pointing to the dazed Tierra, "take her and get to safety. Once she's secure, find Lenka and Cliff. Tell them to come down here and bring as many lights as they can to illuminate this entire room."

  "Understood," Jasper replied, his protective gaze never leaving Tierra. He gently scooped her up and ascended through the hole Emmet had punched in the floors.

  Emmet had no intention of leaving. He needed to observe and study this expansive hall. This place must have been some kind of research or ritual chamber for the cult. I won't let this chance to study it pass by. He began walking the perimeter, ensuring the space was safe for when Lenka and Cliff arrived—no hidden traps, no lingering threats.

  He started inspecting the grotesque pile of items the demon had regurgitated from its dimensional space. He kicked at a skull. So, it has consumed many humans, Emmet thought with grim satisfaction. This demon was certainly greedy. He noted the sheer volume of miscellaneous items—most of it plain garbage—but then his eyes caught something. Rings, amulets, and weapons.

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  Well, lucky me, he thought, picking up a handful of various rings and pendants. I should store these in my new Dimensional Ring immediately. I could make some new rended artifacts out of them. He efficiently activated the ring, and the scattered jewelry vanished into the dark storage space within. But the items won't enter the dimensional space. Hmm perhaps I should corrupt all the items first. And so he did and realized that he can only store items if it has only been rended. He continued to sift, but the rest was indeed just random debris that held no further interest.

  A short while later, Cliff and Lenka arrived. "Emmet, we're here," Cliff called out from the newly formed opening above. "We brought lights."

  Lenka was already enveloped within Cliff's shadow. The shadow flowed down the wall and pooled near Emmet, then Lenka materialized. "Emmet, I'm here. Thank you for saving Tierra," she said, her voice filled with relief.

  "Oh, don't mention it," Emmet replied, his attention still focused on the room's architecture. He went straight to business. "Lenka, could you check the whole room? See if it's safe now, or if you can find any more demons or anything unusual around here?"

  Lenka complied instantly. As if entering a trance, her Unwoven Eyes glowed intensely. Her shadows moved like tendrils, stretching to every part of the large room, checking the walls, the ceiling, and even beneath the solid floor. After a long moment of silence, the glow subsided, and the shadows receded.

  "Nothing," Lenka reported. "It is clear now. The demon is gone, thanks to you."

  "Oh, I didn't finish it," Emmet corrected her. "It was Jasper who dealt the finishing blow." He then instructed Lenka, "Please, go back up and check on Tierra. Make sure she's resting." He gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you, Lenka."

  Lenka vanished, retreating into the shadow back to Tierra. Emmet then turned to Cliff. "You, stay."

  Cliff instantly whined, "Me? Why am I staying here? It's creepy here."

  Emmet gave him a sharp look. "We are going to clean this place up. Stop whining and let's start clearing the debris."

  And so, for the rest of the day, with Lenka and Tierra resting above, Emmet, Cliff, and even Jasper (who returned to help once Tierra was settled) worked tirelessly. They set about cleaning the room, dragging away the demon's mess, and arranging the space to make it look habitable and, most importantly, clean. Emmet intended to make this his new, secure research annex.

  Days later, after the room was fully cleaned, Emmet finally had the time to study the hall and the documents left behind. He browsed through the papers and found details about the room. The cultists had been trying to understand the nature of the demon’s ability. They hypothesized the demon could open a portal to another world but ultimately concluded it was nothing of the sort. Something must have happened to the people studying it, causing them to abandon the project and the place. Not many documents were found; it seemed like the cultists had either not left them or someone had already taken all the crucial information. There wasn't much to learn from the remaining documents. It seemed all the important items had been taken, leaving only garbage and that demon. Well, I guess one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure—for me, a Glow Crystal. Emmet told Jasper and Cliff that they could use the hall for whatever they liked, and then he left. He didn't really intend to use it for training and preferred to leave it to Jasper, whom he considered the overall person in charge of their hideout.

  So Emmet went out and felt the air again.

  It was night time, and Emmet tried to study the new Dimensional Ring he had created. He inserted his Rend into it and observed it as if studying it inside his inner world. He checked every physical part, every detail. Then he checked how it was now bonded to the Glow Crystal, as if the two were one; the hint of the demon's ability was only accessible and visible by Emmet, as if his soul had bonded it only to him. So it really became like an extension of me. So I can bind artifacts with a demon’s ability. He recognized that while the Earth Totem's raw, earth-shattering power was a devastating loss, this new capacity to forge and imbue specific artifacts was a superior path. The Totem demanded massive energy and created massive destruction. As an Artificer, he now commanded subtlety and utility—a dimensional space for storage, a potent new defense, or an offensive surprise. This development was more than a welcome trade-off; it was the refined power a man on the run truly needed. So this is what I am now, he thought with a proud feeling toward himself, an artificer... well, with Rend, it seems this is what I can do. Now my arsenal: my inhuman strength, the Unwoven Rend Network, my Divine Forge, and my artifacts. Apart from his natural inhuman strength, all of them required Rend to activate. Good thing I have gathered enough Rend Crystals. Time to consume some of it to boost my strength... So Emmet consumed the Rend from ten Rend Crystals and absorbed it into his body. I think that is enough. I have to budget my Rend consumption; I’ll never know when I'll find a need for them. Better stack more Rend than nothing. Thinking of what-if scenarios, like if those Inquisitors decided to attack them, he knew he would surely need to stack more Rend to fight them.

  So what now? Everything led to Rend, and his supply of it was limited. He needed to harvest more; he needed to find demons. Only the cult had the ability to summon demons, so where could he find more? It was like he was fated to hunt them, to create more rended artifacts, to gain more power—everything led to Rend and demons. Still, he needed to rely only on his physical strength for most things and limit his Rend usage. He needed to find a way to improve his fighting capability. His Unwoven Skills required little to no Rend, so he needed to improve his control and explore more possibilities with it. This surely was his main power now. But in order to amplify his destructive capabilities, he needed a weapon. He couldn't just punch and dodge around like his last fight with the dimensional demon. A weapon. Yes, he needed a weapon. Before, he had used the Earth Totem as his two-hand club. No other weapons could survive my strength; they would only end up breaking. His physical strength was immense, yet his hands were blunt instruments. He needed something that could channel and focus his inhuman strength into a concentrated point of devastation. He needed a blade that wouldn't shatter, an edge that would hold against the bone and chitin of a greater demon. He couldn't forge a weapon strong enough yet, nor did he have the materials. He needed the foundational metalwork of a master. He needed to find a weapon, or create one? Can I Rendsmith it somehow? That was it: he needed to go to a village where he could buy or have someone custom-make it for him. So he approached Cliff and asked him which village or cities had the best blacksmith, weaponsmith, or seller. Cliff gave him the address and the closest one to them. Now Emmet was bound to find a weapon best suited for him.