Chaos Carrier With A Broken Talent-Chapter 31: Fragments and Fabricator

When a person first became a Carrier, they quickly understood how progression worked — they had to absorb energy through the Revolve, be patient, and evolve.

It seemed that this was how it worked, but once they reached the first step, a Carrier realized that absorbing energy was only a background process, not as important as the obstacles that appeared along the way.

Now, Ethan was about to find out.

Although several months had passed since the ceremony, considering all the events, he was moving quite quickly, thanks in large part to Menir and their problem with Konrad and Black Horn.

[Find the Element Spark to form the First Ring. Use the Revolve to search for the fragments.]

Ethan blinked several times as the smile slowly faded from his face.

His hopes to create the First Ring that day were dashed. Even though there was enough energy from the Essence to fill the First Ring to 99.9%, there was still one last step to take.

In a situation where there were only a few clues, it was always good to have someone nearby who was facing the same problems.

"Did this happen to you, too?" Ethan asked as he glanced at Menir.

"Yes... Find the Element Spark. Hah, so we have to go hunting again? I was expecting us to reach the next level right now."

Menir was as confused as he was.

They had only one clue that came to them from their Construct — to use the Revolve.

With a slight nod, they got down to business.

Their Circles started spinning, but not to absorb energy, which no longer served any purpose. Their goal was the fragments, although they didn’t know what that meant.

Soon, a multitude of shards resembling a broken mirror gathered around both Ethan and Menir. Normally, only the owner could see them, but since they were both using Revolve and were close to each other, their fragments became visible.

"This..." Menir’s lips parted as she looked at their fragments.

Various silhouettes flashed in the fragments, some resembling terrifying monsters, others appearing to be humans, as the Element Spark could reside in any suitable creature.

Ethan glanced at Menir. He felt strange, as he was once involved in a similar situation.

When he was looking for his donor, he waited for the spectral circle to find a matching option, then a thread of energy led him straight to the Crooked Growon, or more precisely, to his actual donor - Menir.

But now everything was not so straightforward. The fragments carried no clues, just hovering around, waiting for their next move.

"Hmm, something’s wrong. Everything is too blurry, I can’t understand anything. How are we supposed to decide who to hunt?"

Menir shook her head.

"I think we’re lacking energy or something. While our Circles are rotating, the fragments are hovering around us, but they can’t get any closer."

"I see..." Ethan scratched his chin. "Most likely, they are all or most of them suitable for us, but we need to find a way to strengthen the connection so that they reveal themselves."

Then, Ethan’s eyes widened as an idea came to him.

"It’s not the fragments, it’s our energy and elements. Maybe if we strengthen the energy flow or add the right element, the fragments will show us the way?"

"Oh, I didn’t think of that." Menir nodded weakly as she frowned. "But we can only increase the energy if we destroy a valuable resource or find ourselves in an area with dense energy. That’s not the most efficient way. The elements sound better, but where can we find them?"

Ethan’s eyes darted to the white crystal lying on the table and the green flame swirling inside it.

"Well, I think I have an idea."

...

Orsire was a large city where one could find anything they wanted. Aside from simple things like clothing, food, or tools, many Carriers went to blacksmiths for equipment or to merchants for something unusual.

But Ethan and Menir were not headed to any of those places. A pleasant aroma wafted from the nearest taverns and even a restaurant in the distance, but they had neither the time nor the money for that.

Step.

They turned the corner and found themselves in front of a wooden door with a simple purple sign.

As soon as they entered, a man in a long black robe turned around and greeted them with a smile.

"Oh, Ethan and Menir. My regulars!" Louis spread his arms wide in greeting.

His long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his blue eyes were considered more precious than gemstones. If he weren’t hiding away in his dark corner, women would be constantly hitting on him.

"Agh?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "We’ve only been here once! What do you mean by regulars?"

In response, Louis leaned on the counter as he smiled sweetly.

"You came back, right? Most merchants lose their customers on the first visit. So, I’m glad you came here and not to someone else."

It was from Louis that Ethan bought the Green Mist Stones. He chose Louis not because of his low prices, no, the prices of Louis’s goods were above average in the Lower Expanse.

However, he had a large selection, and Louis created some of his goods himself, as he was not only a merchant but also a Fabricator.

"I hope those two Green Mist Stones came in handy for your cause?

Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, if it weren’t for the poison protection, we wouldn’t be here. We’d be lying somewhere underground. Although my heart still aches for the money you asked for."

"Hahah. Well, good stuff costs some good money. It’s always been that way. Only a fool would think they could get something worthwhile for way below average."

Menir tilted her head.

"Sometimes you get lucky or just happen to get a good deal, right?"

"Sure." Louis nodded. "But in a competitive market, you have to make the quality higher and the price lower to survive. My advice is to always look at the value if there are multiple options."

Then, he stepped aside.

"So, what brought you here?"

Ethan’s expression became serious.

"Elements, do you have anything that could help us establish a connection with the fragments?"

Then, he pulled the Energy Core out of his pocket.

Louis’s eyes narrowed to slits.

"Oh, I think we can work something out and make a great deal. For both of us."