He knelt beside the Shadowcat’s body. The pelt was mostly damaged, paining his heart once more, but it was enough for a simple mask.
He had no stitching skills, but he had some knowledge of it from his previous life. That would be enough for now. Right?
First, he took a sharp bone. He started to carefully cut the intact section with great concentration. After cutting a piece of sufficient size, he used a thin bone to punch small holes in the pelt. He used strips of sinew to weave through them.
After an hour of concentrated work, a crude mask that could cover almost all parts of his face, except his right eye and cheekbone, took shape in his hands.
He held it up. It was functional, but it looked exactly like what it was: something a desperate man had made in a forest.
[Shadowcat Pelt Mask]
Quality: Common Tier (Low-Grade)]
[A crudely made mask. Offers minimal protection and a slight bonus to blending in with shadows.]
Rhys frowned. It wasn’t impressive enough. He needed to look like someone who couldn’t be trifled with.
’System,’ he thought, an idea sparking in his mind. ’You can build foundations and perfect skills. Can you improve items?’
[New function detected based on Host’s query. [Evolve Equipment] function is now unlocked.]
[Evolve [Shadowcat Pelt Mask]? This process will refine the material and enhance its innate properties. Cost: 5 years of lifespan.]
Rhys’s grin returned. ’Do it.’
He held the mask in his hands as a gentle warmth flowed from his palms into the leather. It was a nourishing flow, and the black fur seemed to swallow it greedily.
The crude sinew stitches dissolved, the pieces of the mask fusing into a seamless and elegant shape. It molded itself, becoming sleeker and more menacing.
When the warmth faded, the mask felt different. It was as light as a feather but felt as durable as steel.
[Evolution Complete]
[Shadowcat Pelt Mask]
Quality: Common Tier (High-Grade)
[A masterfully crafted mask. Offers moderate protection against physical and spiritual attacks. Greatly enhances the user’s ability to remain unseen in darkness or shadows.]
’Excellent,’ Rhys thought, his satisfaction immense. He immediately followed up with another question.
’System, if you can evolve equipment, can you evolve skills too? Could you turn my Mortal-Grade Spark Fist into an Earth-Grade technique?’
[Negative. [Skill Evolution] function is currently locked. Host’s cultivation stage is insufficient to provide the necessary catalyst for conceptual evolution.
Requirements for unlock: Breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm.]
Rhys wasn’t disappointed. It made sense. Improving a physical object was one thing; rewriting the fundamental principles of a cultivation technique was another entirely.
It was a goal to work towards.
He donned the new mask. It fit his face perfectly, the cool leather a comfortable weight. He glanced at his reflection in a puddle.
The mask, combined with his unnervingly black eyes, created the image of a dangerous, enigmatic expert. Perfect.
He extracted the beast core, wrapped it in a large leaf, and tucked it away. He left the rest of the carcass for the forest’s scavengers and set off, not towards Silverwood, but east, towards the town of Greenleaf.
Greenleaf Town was a world away from the rustic, martial atmosphere of Silverwood. It was a bustling trade hub, its streets paved with smooth cobblestones and lined with vibrant shops.
Merchants hawked their wares, caravans loaded with goods rumbled through the main gates, and the town guards, clad in polished chainmail, looked professional and alert.
Rhys walked through the streets, a silent, imposing figure. His strange mask, his tall, powerful build, and the almost imperceptible pressure he exuded made people give him a wide berth.
He could hear their whispers.
"...look at that mask. High-quality spiritual leather."
"Can you sense his cultivation? I can’t get a read at all."
"He must be a Core Formation expert, suppressing his aura. Why is someone like that here?"
Rhys inwardly smirked. They couldn’t sense his cultivation because he was only at the Body Tempering stage, a realm so low that it barely registered.
But his Void-Tempered body and the high-grade mask created an illusion of profound, unreadable depth.
They were filling in the blanks with their own assumptions, and he was happy to let them.
’Anyway, that will become truth in no time.’
He ignored the street vendors and made his way to the most impressive building in the merchant district: the Alchemist Guild.
It was the best place to sell a pristine beast core; they always paid a premium for high-quality materials.
The interior was quiet, filled with the scent of a thousand different herbs and a faint, metallic tang of refined elixirs.
The young woman at the counter looked up at him with a bored expression. However, her eyes widened slightly at his intimidating appearance before she returned to her previous expression.
"How may I help you, Senior?" she asked, her voice respectful and professional. Rhys inwardly praised her like an old expert.
’You see Mount Tai. Not bad. Not bad at all.’
Rhys didn’t speak. He simply placed the leaf-wrapped beast core on the polished wooden counter.
The apprentice carefully unwrapped it. Her professional demeanor slipped for a second as she saw the core.
"It’s too crude," she murmured before covering her mouth with her hands. "I meant the wrap," she said, her professional smile returning.
Rhys remained silent, but inwardly, he was embarrassed. It seemed his perfectly crafted expert aura was diminishing a little as she evaluated the core.
An older, more wizened alchemist emerged from a back room. He took one look at the core, and his eyes lit up with professional interest.
"A perfect Low-Grade Stage 1 core. Albeit damaged, the medicinal properties are intact," he declared after a moment of inspection.
"Sir, usually we offer one spirit stone for these, but its purity is exceptional. We can offer two."
Rhys gave a single, sharp nod, ignoring the face the young woman was making. The old alchemist smiled, pleased with the smooth transaction.
He handed over two glowing, thumb-sized crystals. Rhys took the spirit stones and instantly felt their cool, comforting energy.
He turned and left without another word.
The young woman and the alchemist watched his retreating form, both with different expressions.
After making sure he had left the guild, the young woman turned to look at her master.
"Master, why did you pay such an extravagant price for a damaged beast core?" Her confusion was evident.
The old alchemist said nothing. He took the beast core and looked at it deeply. His expression changed a few times before a look of horror appeared on his face.
The young woman was taken aback. Her master was a Tier 3 (Core Formation) expert. What could make him have such an expression?
She looked at the ordinary Stage 1 beast core in his hands and furrowed her brows.
After some time, the old man spoke.
"Look, the beast core has no foreign Qi in it," his voice trembled.
"That means he killed this Shadowcat with pure physical power. And with a single strike at that," taking a sharp breath, he continued, "how much stronger would his foundation have to be for him to achieve this feat? Above Core Formation, of course.
Sara, keep this in mind. If that man ever returns, do not try to offend him. He is someone so terrible... I hope he leaves this town soon."
Stunned, Sara merely nodded her head.
"What kind of treasure do the Ashtons have in their auction to attract such a powerful person?" the alchemist breathed.
Without knowing about the misunderstanding he had created, Rhys walked towards an inn, humming a tune.