DESTINY;DIVINE

# Chapter 11: Divine Craftsmanship 

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Back in the natural world, I opened my eyes to find Aria humming a calm tune while watering the garden in my courtyard.

“Good afternoon.” I breathed, stretching and allowing my back halo to fade.

I would need to practice suppressing my divine pressure, similar to how I learned to conceal my spiritual cultivation in the training forest. Divine energy was far heavier and denser than spiritual energy.

I also had a new divine presence that proclaimed my divinity, it was simple to turn off, but I would leave it on while in the Golden Sea Realm.

My divine presence would be a new addition to my now divine aura nexus, combining my divine energy pressure, magic pressure, killing intent, and weapon potential. 

I could unleash each component individually, but the full combination would be truly devastating and I didn’t comprehend its full strength currently.

Aria froze in surprise at the sound of my voice before turning with a shy smile. “Congratulations on your breakthrough. Your eyes are mesmerizing..”

“Thank you. But woah, this place looks amazing. Thanks for taking care of my courtyard, you didn’t have to do any of this.” I said, gazing around in awe.

Aria’s influence was evident blending seamlessly with Rhea’s previous efforts. Divine flowers bloomed from every corner in a kaleidoscope of soothing colors. 

Vines twisted up white trellises with gentle spirals, framing the courtyard with touches of green and pink, while lush leaves swayed on the gentle breeze. 

She’d even arranged tiny, radiant crystals among the plants, which caught the sunlight and scattered specks of shimmering color across the koi pond.

The air was fragrant with the scents of lavender vanilla, and honeysuckle, and the entire space felt serene, almost enchanted.

“Oh, it was nothing. I had the time and it needed to be done.” She said with a slight flush.

The fact that she hadn’t even attempted to breakthrough hadn’t slipped my notice. She was still Tier 0, but her energy was entirely divine. 

“I was about to head to Beacon Street, would you like to come with me? I can get you lunch to show my gratitude.” I asked.

“Oh no, no. There’s no need, it wasn’t that big of a deal, are you sure?” She said, shaking her head rapidly.

I chuckled. “Of course, come on, I need to stop by Artesian Lane too,” I said, taking her by the hand. “It’ll be fun.”

She squeezed my hand in hers and we took flight.

***

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Beacon Street was just as busy and delightful as the first time I visited. Streets were bustling with a mix of vendors, travelers, and student deities.

The air was filled with the scents of spiced meats, fresh herbs, and sugary treats blended. 

A minstrel group was playing an upbeat tune near a fountain, their instruments humming with faintly glowing strings, and their voices harmonized to draw a small, delighted crowd. 

Shimmering banners hung from high arches, flapping gently in the breeze and casting colorful shadows that danced across the stone path. 

From ornate stands, vendors called out about their wares—charms, foods, and enchanted trinkets, each stall more dazzling than the last.

“You surely know this place better than me, any suggestions on what we should eat?” I asked Aria.

“Oh no, no. This.. I have only been here a few times, and I only followed behind lord Xane.” She mumbled.

“Hmm, well let’s say we just pick a stall at random like a little adventure?” I asked, letting my nose guide me down the busy streets.

She nodded and followed me as I chased the succulent scent of spiced meat.

“Roasted ice drake here! Get your roasted ice drake with a special blend of divine spices!” 

The scent led us to a food cart with a deity selling shaved meat wraps. There was a small section of tall stools under a long thin table next to the cart.

“We’ll take two, how much?” I asked, reaching for my black transfer stone.

“Oh! A lunch date? Only fifteen faith crystals.” He said happily.

Not knowing if that was expensive, I crystallized a hundred faith crystals and paid him fifteen. 

“You won’t regret it,” He said handing me the steaming hot wraps in some sort of foil.

I thanked him, handed Aria her wrap, and sat down facing the street.

“Well, I’ve never had ice drake before but I hope it’s good,” I said, excited.

“I haven’t either, but it smells delicious,” Aria said happily.

After another inhale of the divine aroma, I took a bite, and flavor exploded across my tongue. 

The wrap was pillowy soft, while the fresh, crisp vegetables, bursting with vitality, balanced perfectly with the tangy, citrus sauce. 

But the real marvel was the ice drake meat itself—hot and spiced with herbs that scorched my taste buds, yet somehow left a cool, icy sensation as I swallowed. 

Fire and ice made love on my tongue and I had never experienced anything so delicious before.

“Are you okay?” Aria asked, suppressing a smile. 

“Huh?” I groaned, drooling. “Oh, ah yeah. Sorry about that. I really like it..”

Aria burst into hearty laughter.  “I can see.” She said, gently wiping the dribble from my chin.

She pulled back quickly with a gasp once she realized what she had done. “This one is.. I’m sorry.”

Slightly surprised myself, I smiled reassuringly. “No, no, it’s fine, thank you. I promise I’m normally super suave.” I joked. 

She laughed once more. “Are you?”

“Definitely,” I mumbled and beamed with a mouth full of ice drake.

“How is it?” The cart owner asked.

“Fantastic!” I exclaimed, slightly too loudly to both of their amusement.

“It’s very good, thank you,” Aria said politely.

After I finished eating, I stared at my hands for a few seconds, letting the stages of grief wash over me.

“We can get another one if you want,” Aria said beside me.

“Huh, no it’s fine. I’ll survive. Let’s stop by Vulcan’s first.” I said, forcing myself to stand up.

Aria walked with me to Artisan Lane and the small smile she had, never left her face.

“**Vulcan, it’s Aeon. I placed an order with Rhea!**” I bellowed once we made it inside his shop.

A familiar grunt echoed through the store and I stepped back.

“Rhea advised me to keep a few steps away from him as he can get really warm,” I told Aria.

“It’s fine, I can handle heat well.” She answered, gazing around the store.

After a moment, the fiery mountain of a god lumbered out of the back.

Eve materialized from my soul realm, and Aria gasped.

“Tier 0..” She mumbled in awe, completely shocked that Eve had a physical form and mirrored her own strength.

Eve and I bowed in greeting to Vulcan, followed quickly by Aria as she collected herself.

Vulcan just nodded and moved his hand forward, sending a small black box flying toward Eve.

“What is this?” Eve asked, catching the box and investigating it.

Vulcan nodded and tapped his chest twice.

Eve furrowed her brows, tapping the metal box to her chest where it began to dissolve into a swirling liquid. It clung to her and seeped over her skin, solidifying into ornate armor as it molded perfectly to her frame. 

Vibrant void dragon scales emerged along the surface, each one polished to an obsidian sheen and subtly pulsing ominous hues of dark purple that rippled across her body.

The scales were held in a filigree of metallic tendrils, binding them to the flowing, black liquid metal beneath as it adapted and moved like a second skin.

Elegant, overlapping scales around her shoulders curved outward slightly, resembling the fanned wings of a dragon.

Shifting divine runes glowed intermittently along the seams, casting their own dark, ghostly glow.

“Liquid adamant,” Vulcan grunted, tilting his head forward.

The glowing example of divine craftsmanship wasn’t just protection—it was an accurate extension of Eve, embodying the lethal grace and boundless depths of my powerful void elf goddess.

“It’s amazing.” Eve breathed, stretching and testing the fit. Her smile reached her long, twitching ears.

“You look so strong and pretty!” Aria exclaimed.

“It’s fantastic, I forgot to ask when we ordered, but how much do I owe you?” I asked Vulcan, dreading some unfathomable number. 

He just grunted again and walked back out of the storeroom shaking his head.

I stood there for a moment, looking around confused.

“I think he said the Ivy clan took care of it?” Aria said, tapping her finger to her chin.

“What?! You can understand him?” I gasped.

Aria smiled and shrugged.

”I didn’t know Rhea would do that, we’ll have to thank her somehow.” I mused, considering all the things I needed to repay her.

“Agreed,” Eve said, her excited smile infectious.

I couldn’t help but share her joy. “Come on, let’s go to the weapon smith’s.”

I sent Eve back to my soul realm. With the hostility against the transcended, I didn’t want to risk having Pandora or Eve out in the open for too long.

I had already been somewhat exposed, but I had the backing of the Ivy clan for the time being, and I was desperately hoping that Mielikki would keep her word.

“She was so happy. I’ve never seen a faith god go so far for their denizens.” Aria chirped walking alongside me.

“Yeah, she and Pandora are going to gush for the next couple of weeks, I just know it,” I said with a chuckle.

“You really love them don’t you,” Aria asked, her gaze uncharacteristically deep and intense.

“Well yeah, we love and trust each other beyond any shadow of a doubt. I wouldn’t be here if not for them, and I’d do anything for them.” I answered honestly.

“Is that little Aeon!?” Ogun yelled as we entered his shop.

“Ah! My love, little Aeon has broken through to Tier 1! Bring the rum!” He bellowed, coming to greet us.

“My love, he’s a thousand years too young for your creations,” Oya said, materializing in front of us. “Congratulations, little Aeon. And who do we have here?”

“This is Aria, she’s a classmate of mine,” I said, stepping out of the way.

Aria bowed, “This one greets the elders.” 

Ogun laughed loudly. “None of that, we are all family here, little Aria.” 

Just then, Pandora exploded out of my soul realm, excitement pulsing off her in waves.

“Hey, is it ready? Is it ready?” She asked, shuffling foot to foot.

Ogun’s laugh shook the walls. “Yes! That is the way one should feel about receiving a new weapon.

Eve followed soon after in her shiny new armor. 

“Hello little Pandora, and oh, you’re looking quite formidable little Eve. It seems congratulations are in order for the both of you as well.” Oya said with a warm smile on her face.

Pandora nodded rapidly. 

“Thank you, aunt Oya, it feels amazing. I can’t wait to test this new armor out.” Eve said.

“Oh? We can put it through its paces! It’s time Vulcan and I settled our argument on if my weapons could pierce his armor!” Ogun exclaimed, pulling out two boxes.

“My love,” Oya said gently. “We don’t want to damage their new equipment. They should test them less destructively.” 

“Talk to the Rhea about the Ivy clan’s training grounds.” She added, turning to me.

“Okay, I will aunt Oya," I said, nodding as Pandora impatiently flew over to Ogun.

With a warm smile, Ogun slowly lifted the lid of the intricately carved wooden box, revealing a radiant scepter that gleamed with a serene light. 

The four-foot shaft was garnished with a pearlescent sheen that shifted in color with every angle, moving from hues of faint ivory to whispers of blue and silver.

Divine runes, etched in delicate flowing lines, spiraled down the shaft, each one softly pulsing in a calming rhythm, as if alive with a steady heartbeat. 

At the very tip was a huge, opulent diamond, set in elegant white prongs shaped like delicate, folding phoenix wings.

The gemstone was flawless—a princess-cut masterpiece that seemed to draw in light, capturing and then fracturing it into a breathtaking array of prismatic radiance.

The scepter, with its powerful yet tranquil aura, seemed less an object of combat and more an artifact of pure, divine beauty, perfectly mirroring my lovely celestial fairy goddess.

“I broke down and refined the celestial phoenix talon with mythril and lightstone to create a single, unified shaft,” Ogun explained. “The finial is a forged celestial diamond while the grip is an invisible, ultra-fine, divine silk. You won’t find anything able to focus energy better in this entire realm!” He boasted loudly.

“Mythril is one of the most energy reactive metals making it excellent at both channeling and amplifying. Lightstone, however, is the best at channeling celestial energy specifically, and the celestial diamond will act as a reservoir giving the scepter its own energy supply.” Oya added helpfully.

For the first time since the very day I met her, Pandora was utterly speechless. She just stood there, staring at the scepter with her mouth flapping wordlessly.

Ogun chuckled. “Well? A good weapon needs a good name, so what’ll it be?” 

“.. Celare,” Pandora whispered, slowly reaching out for it.

“A fine name.” Oya clapped, nodding.

When Pandora touched Celare, the entire scepter blazed with a bright white light that filled the room before fading into the diamond finial. 

Her eyes, wide with admiration, met Ogun’s, “I.. love it. **Thank you!**” She exclaimed with divine authority. 

Ogun’s laugh shook the room once more. “You’re welcome little Pandora, treat your weapon well, and she will treat you well in return. Now..” He said, tapping the other wooden box.

Eve had been waiting patiently and she quickly stepped forward, clearly just as excited as Pandora.

Ogun lifted the lid slowly, unveiling an impossibly black, twisting spear with a diffused, dark spectral sheen. Faint hues of purple and black light flashed and blinked, reminiscent to the afterglow of a lightning storm across a midnight sky.

Dazzling divine runes were precisely etched down the five-and-a-half-foot shaft, each fused into the surface with subtle, dark iridescent lines that danced in a shifting parallax.

The honed, menacing spearhead was a stemmed, triangle-cut black diamond, that drank in all light, creating a striking contrast to the subtle luminance of the shaft.

The masterpiece of a weapon, imbued with a potent, eerie beauty, radiated an air of power and mystique, matching perfectly with Eve’s personality and new armor.

“For this one, I also refined the void dragon fang, but I fused it with adamant and everglow. The core is strong and rigid, but there is also a soft spiraling, textured shell for comfort and handling. The spearhead was a little tricky to create, it’s a sharpened black diamond, forged in pure void energy. It doesn’t just cut, it eats away at energy.” Ogun said, eyeing his work like a proud father. 

“Adamant is one of the hardest and most durable metals, but it doesn’t channel energy very well. The everglow crystal fixes that, without reducing its rigidity and also adding a distinct visual flair. The diamond spearhead can also act as a reservoir for void energy, but be careful with how much you store. The destructive nature of void energy could cause structural damage.” Oya cautioned.

“It’s.. Gorgeous..” Eve breathed in unrestrained admiration, running her fingers along the cool textured surface. “Thank you.”

“Of course; and the name?” Ogun asked with a huge grin.

“Caelum,” Eve said reverently, gripping the spear tightly with a fierce smile.

As she did, the void diamond flared brightly, casting a darkly beautiful glow that left a faint hum in the air before it was absorbed back into the diamond itself.

“These are both amazing and beautiful works of art, thank you both, truly,” I said, bowing to Ogun and Oya.

“Think nothing of it. The Ivy clan has already paid and you come right back here if there are any issues. And remember to watch that void diamond.” Oya said, cautioning once more.

“Now these weapons are designed to grow with you so you can expect small changes and possibly even evolutions as you tier up. Also,” Ogun announced, grinning mysteriously at Pandora and Eve. “Think: shrink.”

Pandora furrowed her brows and Celare immediately collapsed into itself, transforming into a small flat diamond. 

She excitedly replaced the gem in her choker and caressed the diamond softly. 

“It keeps getting better,” Pandora exclaimed happily.

Caelum also collapsed into a flat black diamond, and Eve gently placed it into the center of her new armor. The liquid adamant shifted around it, securing it in place. 

The magnitude and grandeur of the new divine armaments were both stunning and humbling.

I had experimented with creating and fusing materials in the natural world before, but I didn’t have the level of fine control, exquisite detail, or even metal knowledge to create weapons as grand as these.

Separate from creating in my soul realm, where I use my sovereignty and noble principles, crafting in the natural world required conforming to the principles and laws of reality. 

In the past, I crafted with magic and my personal concepts, battling the rules of the natural world, but these artisans created and forged with divine energies directly, perfectly interweaving complex principles that already existed.

The subtle, yet profound difference reminded me of when I first defined my lightning concept. I had already been using the lightning aspect, but it wasn’t until I defined my concept that I realized how inefficient and uncontrolled my lightning had been.

It was correct to trust Ogun and Oya with the task of creating weapons for the ladies. Even Vulcan had done a magnificent job on Eve’s armor and I was just as excited with the results as Pandora and Eve were.

“They’re so nice.. You’re all going to be so powerful.” Aria said with a contained smile.

“Thank you so much!” Pandora shouted, clutching Celare in her choker.

“Yes, we are most graceful,” Eve said, rubbing Caelum on her breastplate. 

“Of course! And don’t think we hadn’t heard about that martial challenge. We expected you to show the little Bronte some muscle.” Ogun said, flexing his massive arms.

“We’ll do our best,” I said chuckling. “Alright, we need to stop by the weaver’s hut next, but thank you again, Uncle Ogun and Aunt Oya.”

“You’re welcome, have some rum with me next time!” Ogun shouted.

“What my love means to say is, stay for dinner next time.” Oya clarified.

“Will do, I’m looking forward to it,” I said, leaving.

Pandora and Eve said their goodbyes and entered my soul realm. 

“They were so nice, I can’t believe I had never met them before. The Bronte uses a different armor and weapon smith. They are not kind at all.” Aria said, a skip in her step.

She was really starting to open up and speak freely.

“Rhea introduced us to them, and they immediately treated us like family. I’m sure you can come when we have dinner together.” I said.

“I’d.. I’d like that.” Aria mumbled with a flush to her cheeks.