Chapter 282: Bonding
Okay, I guess you will sleep a bit more then, Irwin thought as he looked at Trimdir.
The older smith was lying in a makeshift bed in the Smithy, still fast asleep. His face retained a bit of the pallor he'd had, but he had stopped shivering and shaking. Lilinethe had said he was physically alright, and with Irwin's assurance that his new heartcard and soulforce were fine, she had left with the message that Trimdir should just need rest.
As Irwin watched his teacher sleep, a soft chatter sat on the edge of his awareness. As it grew, he focused on it, part of him splitting off and appearing inside his soulscape.
Sixty-eight rank-zero Ganvils were streaking around through the air, exactly half of the number they brought. They were all rank zeros, all created by Brazardian, and they were shouting at each other excitedly. The day before, Ambraz had awoken them, explaining what would happen. The Ganvils had been so excited they hadn't been able to keep quiet for longer than a few minutes ever since.
Half to get started should be fine, he thought.
Until they actually found a way to get more cards, even just the over a hundred and thirty Ganvil-bound smiths they could make would burn through the cards he had brought.
We really need to get a steady supply, he thought, his mind momentarily moving to his still failing attempts at directing the ambient soulforce in the hopes of creating soulcards from it.
Irwin observed them for a moment before looking at a flat area near the foothills of his mountains.
There, the other Ganvils slumbered. Half were the same dull dark gray with a blue sheen that those awake were, while the others were either a pale silver or a slightly more coppery gray. Those last two types were the rank ones and twos that Ambraz and Brazardian had managed to reroute just before they left. They were all offspring from the generic pool of purified soulforce, and some would never become more than rank two, but even a rank two Ganvil would increase the abilities of a smith beyond what they could perform alone. Ambraz had decided to let those rest as most had more knowledge and personality, and it would be harder for them to find the proper smith to bind to.
They and the rank zeros were going to remain here for at least a few more months as Ambraz and Yougyn traveled around, finding more potential smiths. With how long it would be before they could create new rank zeros, they had to make sure the ones they had were bound to the best potential smiths they could find among the Giardians.
Irwin thought for a bit longer before he walked out of the Smithy. Endil was waiting there, wringing his hands while You'gyn sat on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. You might have less official training, but your potential is as high or higher than any of them," the Ganvil whispered reassuringly. "You're purifying is only behind Irwin, Trimdir, Montain, and Esther! Even Selene can't do it that well, let alone those Viridians."