Chapter 408: Chapter 87: Goris’s Wish_4
When the long rod was lifted from the viscous liquid, Ah Dai could clearly see a grey object that resembled an iron cylinder. The thick brownish liquid didn’t cling to the surface of the cylinder; instead, a faint chill emanated from it. Illuminated by another larger Luminous Pearl in the laboratory, the cylinder reflected a metallic luster.
Ah Dai knew, this iron cylinder was the Divine Artifact that Goris had forged at the cost of his own life. He retracted the long rod, brought the cylinder in front of him and gently took it down. As soon as he touched the cylinder, he felt an unnaturally familiar energy flow from it into his body. His dried-up tears welled up again as he lightly stroked the only pattern on the cylinder, murmuring, "Master Goris, are you calling out to me? Master, why put yourself through such pain?" He sighed, bit his right middle finger, and dripped a drop of blood onto the cylinder. As soon as the blood touched the cylinder, it was absorbed instantly. Ah Dai felt a jolt in his hand as the cylinder suddenly emitted a black glow, twitching lightly, the familiar comforting energy suddenly retracted back into the cylinder. Just as Ah Dai was astonished, the cylinder suddenly lost its form, turning into a crackling liquid and nimbly burrowed inside his right-hand Giants Spirit Snake Armor and disappeared with a slight tinkle. The moment the cylinder vanished, Ah Dai could clearly feel the comforting energy burst forth with overwhelming warmth, permeating every corner of his body in an instant, nourishing every part of him. Any damage that his grief had caused his body seemed to be instantly healed by this warm energy, and he could feel his right forearm seem connected to his flesh again. It was as though he could feel the presence of Goris again, and with tears welling in his eyes, he rolled back the Giant Spirit Snake Armor on his arm, revealing his skin. Ah Dai discovered the grey iron cylinder had fully melded into his skin, turning a twenty-centimeter patch of skin on his forearm black. The faint radiance softly swirled, and the comforting feeling made all the pain in Ah Dai’s heart disappear completely.
"Master Goris, have you... have you turned into this wrist guard? Yes, it must be so. Although you, as a person, have died, your soul will live forever inside this wrist guard. We are fused as one now, Master, and we’ll never sever. Since this wrist guard was your decades-long aspiration, I’ll name it Goris’ Wish. I will forever carry your soul and your wishes with me, Master. Ah Dai is no longer sad because you will always be with me. In my heart, you will always be alive."
The Goris’ Wish flashed a light, and the warm energy was enhanced a bit, as if responding to Ah Dai.
Ah Dai exclaimed joyfully, "Master, you really like this name, don’t you? Goris’ Wish, you will always be my guardian."
The great human alchemist, Goris, used his own soul to finally forge the first lower-grade Divine Artifact of mankind. He let his disciple, Ah Dai, name it-- Goris’ Wish.
Ah Dai jumped down from the huge cauldron, all his focus on Goris’ Wish on his right wrist. Looking at the black pattern, he seemed to see Goris’ wrinkled face again. The devastated Ah Dai finally finds a little solace. He sat down on the ground, leaning against the huge cauldron, and caressed Goris’ Wish. Wrapped in warm energy, he finally fell asleep— the first time since he returned to the Illusive Forest— completely relaxed. The timely sleep and the protection of Goris’ Wish finally eased his internal exhaustion and prevent him from going off the deep end.
With Goris’ Wish, Ah Dai seemed to have found a spiritual home. The next morning, when he woke up, he felt like he had returned to his old self. He stretched a bit and felt a strong hunger. Ah! It appeared that he hadn’t eaten in quite a while. Ah Dai raised his right hand and stared deeply at Goris’ Wish on his forearm. The warm feeling had faded a bit, but he could still feel the familiar energy.
Ah Dai walked to the bar table with Elixirs. On the table, there were around a dozen bottles of Elixirs, all labeled. After taking a rough look around, he found almost all were poisons of different kinds. He shook his head helplessly, and picked up one of three wooden boxes. It was filled with notes that Goris once showed him. Ah Dai held the notes trembling, turning each page. The familiar handwriting and content ignited his emotions again. When he flipped to the last page, he found an extra piece of paper. On it was a note: ’Ah Dai, my child, let the method to forge this Divine Artifact disappear with me.’ Ah Dai held the notes close to his chest, saying softly, "Master, you always called me a fool, but aren’t you one too? For the sake of forging a Divine Artifact, you discarded your own life. Don’t worry; I will love Goris’ Wish as I love my own life." As he spoke, he opened the other two boxes as well. The other two boxes held Goris’ Magic notes and the instructions for the objects hanging on the wall. Looking at what Goris had left behind, Ah Dai couldn’t help but get lost in thought.
A strong hunger brought Ah Dai back from his trance after a long while. He carefully placed the three sets of notes back to their original spots, rubbed his belly, and decided to get something to eat first.
