I sat in a spacious room, deep inside our base. In front of me was the broken relic, the Celestial Bell Hei Yu used to block my attacks. It lay there broken, split down the middle.
Having been the one to break it, I knew just how strong it was. My first strike was a probing one, but the rest of them were at nearly full power. And that was done by the great force amplifier, the Eclipse. No normal human weapon could shatter it like my battleaxe did. They were just too small and weak in comparison.
Despite being a Sky Realm Cultivator, Hei Yu's sword was surprisingly fragile. The blade was about two meters long, but it was thin, maybe the thickness of a finger or two. The Eclipse was a meter across the thickest part. The two couldn't even be compared, so it was obvious my weapon would win the exchange.
Unlike the sword, though, the bell was extremely tough. The walls were also quite thick, slightly more than my fist when I was three meters tall. The Celestial Metal also carried multiple enchantments that enhanced its natural durability while adding a retaliatory component to the bell.
The recoil was about 75% power of the original strike, though the damage was limited by distance, as I have experienced. I estimated it to have a reach of about 25 meters, so any long-range attacks would most likely not be returned. Still, as a defensive relic, it was amazing. Just its size was already a massive plus, as it was capable of housing multiple adults without a problem.
The bell itself was nearly five meters tall and about three across at the bottom. Unfortunately, all these nice things were irrelevant since it was broken. And that's exactly the reason why I sat in front of it, studying it intently. I wanted to repair it.
Sure, just merging the metal would have been easy, just melt it and reshape it, or weld it back together, but I wanted to keep the enchantments. Especially the one that prevented the bell from being moved unless the owner wanted it to. It would have been a pain in the ass to redraw them all, and considering I wasn't even sure what exactly some parts did, the final result would probably turn out inferior. And I didn't want that.
So, I had no choice but to study the bell closely, making sure to pay special attention to the broken parts where the connections were severed, and in some cases, ruined. I had to understand the nature of the Celestial Bell to be able to figure out what exactly I destroyed. It was a mess.
***
[Aya… Why can't things ever be simple?] I sighed and rubbed my forehead. Having spent three days studying the inscriptions, I slowly came to realize the entire thing was needlessly complex. The Celestial Bell had many traps and false Formations incorporated into its design. It was made such that any tampering by a clueless person would result in powerful retaliatory strikes.
It also had many backup connections and copies of the same original Formation in case the bell got damaged. Well, it clearly wasn't good enough, since the relic stopped working as soon as I split it apart. Couldn't really blame the creator for that though. Once it was broken, the bell kind of lost its purpose.
However, one good thing that came from this overengineered mess was that I gained a few clear examples of the original, functional Formation. That way I was finally able to begin the repairs.
Fixing the structure was easy. I simply held the two parts in place with Telekinesis and heated the border until it softened up and merged, welding itself together.
While it was still soft I smoothed the edges so that you couldn't even tell it was ever broken. Apart from the fact that it was still missing the Formation, of course. An inadequacy I planned to fix.
***
[It's finally done!] I collapsed on the ground, mentally exhausted.
The process of engraving the bell was mind-numbingly boring. It was like trying to make a modern microchip by hand. The precision required, and the countless hours of absolute focus needed were like torture. One of the worst kinds of torture a man of my kind could experience, and worse yet, I did it to myself!
I wanted to quit or at least take a break so many times, but then the knowledge of having to finish it would keep gnawing at me, so I couldn't even relax in peace. It was better to just lock in and focus. After a few long and arduous days, it was done. I was completely spent after it, but the pride I felt from going through with it made it somewhat worth it.
Also, I had gained a powerful defensive artifact. One capable of withstanding the power of a Sky Realm Cultivator. Not a bad trade. What would I even use it for? No idea. But at least I had it.
There was a knock on the door.
"Gerald? You still alive?" I heard John's voice.
[Barely.] I responded, still lying on the floor.
The man silently entered the room. "Man, that's a big bowl." He laughed.
[It's not a bowl, it's a bell. It's just missing some parts.] I countered and stood up. [What's up?]
"Adam returned from The City. Apparently, there have been some changes. I thought you might want to hear."
I perked my ears right up. Adam left after I began studying the Celestial Bell to check how the three Clans were dealing with the Drow aggression. [Tell me.]
"First of all, the place got put under lockdown. Nobody goes in or out. Well, almost nobody, obviously." John chuckled.
I nodded. [Obviously. And predictable. What else?]
"There've been rumors spreading around the inner circles. They say the Blazing Bloodstone Thunderbolt Clan leaders want to nuke the Drow."
I lifted an eyebrow. [Nuke?]
"They used different words, but the meaning is the same. Apparently, someone discovered the main Drow headquarters and they want to wipe it off the face of the planet." John explained.
[That sounds like an obvious trap.]
"And it probably is. That's why the leaders of the three Clans are currently discussing what would be the best course of action."
[Apart from the nuke, what are the options?] I asked.
"No idea." John shrugged. "We have a few contacts gathering information for us in the City, but there is a limit to what they can find out. What I told you is already well-known and spreading among the populace. Could easily be a part of a counter-spying operation to confuse the Drow for all we know."
I rubbed my face and groaned. [That's why I freaking hate politics. Why can they just both kill each other and be done with it? Like normal people. Everything we hear secondhand now could be a lie. It will most likely be a lie.]
"What can I tell you? As they say: It is what it is."
I looked him dead in the eyes. [Hillarious. Any plans for our little group going forward? Any ideas?]
"Nope. But you are free to suggest stuff if you've got anything."
[Hmm.] I rubbed my chin and thought for a bit. [Is everyone at the base?]
"Yes, they should be. Last I checked, everyone was accounted for." John confirmed.
[Great. Let's gather everyone for a little chat. Putting all of our brains together, we just might be able to come up with something.]