The list of invitees to the special live stream included all the supporters that had encouraged Jun on his artistic journey and could be categorized into three groups.
The first group were loyal fans that watched a majority of the streams while donating small bits when they could and the first to raise arms to bravely battle trolls. Data showed that although their financial abilities were lower, they were loud and enthusiastic fans. They were the majority and Jun loved them.
The second group was smaller but not unsubstantial, numbering close to a hundred accounts. Similar to the first group in loyalty and enthusiasm, the only thing that differed was their significant financial power and willingness to spend exorbitantly on gifts and donations. Jun had felt surreal the day he had to put a maximum limit on donations given from an individual account. MoonPrincessXOXO had donated so much in one live stream session it blew past the wall of hate spammers and dominated the chat. From the next session, others followed as she led the charge in gift spamming.
The war between the trolls and the ballers leading the commoners was fun to watch, but it freaked him out when the figures started exploding. Jun had cold sweat run down his back. He didn't want his supporters to go into a blind rage and do something they'd regret on his account. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if someone ruined their finances battling trolls.
The third group was smaller still, including only his family and some professors. The ones that had the most impact on his development. Two names were struck off before delivery.
Altogether, the list didn't exceed three hundred. Jun was grateful for each of them and worked hard to pick the right gifts for each account. As the first of his work to be sent out into the world, it was only appropriate for his best pieces to be chosen.
All in all, Jun had a good time putting everything together.
---
Jaque was an amateur blacksmith that was ever so close to forging his first combat worthy blade. Sure, he had no formal training, and he was going by whatever haphazard record of the old ways he could stumble upon and mostly worked by feel and intuition, but he had the passion and self confidence to make his dreams into a reality.
After watching his first historical movie from the old era about a time where magic swords were forged from stars to slay dragons, Jaque dreamed of forging the next Dragon Slayer. There were monsters of all shapes and sizes. He was sure there were dragons too, and he wanted his sword to kill it.
He had worked hard for many years, researching old and modern metallurgy, ever pursuing, hammer never faltering, but inevitability unable to forge the sword of his dreams.
Hundreds of weapons of all types had been produced by his hammer, each progressing his journey but never reaching even the standards of third rate modern mass produced weapons. So he forged on.
No one understood him and his obsession. They all laughed at him and his ambitions.
He was used to turning a deaf ear and hammering on, but with the passing years and mounting disappointments, the heavier his hammer felt.
Sprouts of doubt grew in barren dreams.
For the first time, his hammer threatened to falter.
Then he found the Silent Sculptor.
He found his brother.
He found someone that could achieve amazing things with the old ways. Although different paths, he was still overcome with feels at finding someone who could understand.
Jaque shouted along with other comrades and fought valiantly against the armies of trolls that only hated.
He'd expressed welcome as a fellow artisan and donated the little bits of merit that he could spare, sure that it was nothing compared to the new armies of ballers taking the lead. He Just wanted to support his fellow artisan that had walked farther than him, hoping he could show him what it was like even further beyond.
That day, he saw what it meant to be a true master of his craft. The rhythmic tapping still resonated with his heart long after the stream had ended.
He ignored the flood of text on the chat, and missed when they too went silent as the new glimmering hammer in his hands combusted into magical flames that sharply vanished like a dream, leaving his gift altered.
The gift had come with a note:
'Thank you HammerYou2Death, for your continued support.
I hope that this token of my appreciation can help you down your own journey as a fellow artisan.
I'd be honored if the sword that killed the dragon was forged by a master with the hammer I've crafted.
Best wishes,
SS'
The back had some basic instructions on how to operate the different rune functions.
Jaque saw that the engraved runes had changed. They no longer matched the ones on the thoughtfully detailed instruction manual, anyway. Once angular strokes that he never understood but recognized by sight, had changed into something archaic that he'd never seen. The delicate engravings that decorated the beautiful hammer had adjusted to incorporate the new runes and felt complete.
The weight of the metal hammer in his hand, personally crafted by the artist he respected the most, just for him, weighed far greater than its mass of metals. His idol had seen and heard his voice and gifted him something far greater than all the merits he'd ever gifted. It felt so surreal; the happiness having come too suddenly.
Then he felt it.
He couldn't understand the sensation of the connection he had with the magical hammer in his hand. It just felt like it was a part of him in a natural way which was distinctly unnatural.
He wanted it to be heavier.
It was heavier.
He wanted a larger but lighter hammer.
It swelled in size while decreasing in weight.
It just was what he wanted.
With each swing, he felt a deeper and deeper connection. As if it could understand not just his instructions, but his heart.
Jaque laughed as he cried, so happy was he that someone finally believed in him. It was a magical feeling. He wouldn't betray them. With such a gift and new ideas and inspirations, he was roiling in optimism.
He would show the world with his brother's hammer by forging the most powerful dragon slaying sword the world would ever see!
Jaque was sure that the feelings of joy and anticipation from the hammer in his hand weren’t false. His new partner was just as ready to make history.
*riiing~ !
---
Crystal was un-ironically classified as a Crystal Hunter. Her personal rune at the peak second tier allowed the creation of powerful crystal structures. In battle, she would wrap her body in thin and delicate plating that couldn’t be pierced by even the latest rune rifles while shooting razor sharp crystal projectiles that could shred a class three mech. She was a devastating one woman fortress of death on any battlefield and was one of the most popular A-Rankers in the Davis League three years running.
She had been a bit more than a casual fan until that one day she watched him for hours as he created beautiful complex crystal sculptures, one after the other, only to destroy each one after bringing it to the light once.
Crystal had been in near tears at all the loss. So many beautiful creations that took so much effort to make, destroyed without hesitation after a glance into the light. What was he trying to achieve? Why weren't they good enough?
She and many others begged and pleaded to stop the destruction while the trolls laughed with mocking mirth. Each piece had taken so many complex and difficult steps to create and watching that continued process of creation and destruction felt like watching their own children growing up from a small babe and being destroyed after maturing.
On and on it went. Each new piece was more beautiful than the next, but none escaped their pitiful fates.
They cried out louder on the corrupted chat, hoping for the miracle that he would look at it for once. He never looked at it. For the first time, Crystal found his charismatic focus intensely hateful.
She was biting her sleeves in frustration until finally one piece went to the light and transformed.
The hidden structures within the folded and molded glass now flooded with the focused light and worked together to mix and transform into streams and pools of the most vibrant colors, sometimes warm, sometimes cool, always magical.
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The small radiating piece held to the light was the most beautiful thing with glass that Crystal had ever seen. It opened up her understanding of the usage of crystals, which led to many interesting experiments with her personal rune that had taken her to the next level as a celebrity Hunter.
She couldn't believe that the crystal sculpture that she had yearned for, even in her dreams, was now sitting in her hands. She had been spamming her astonishment at the constant supply of freak out material that they had just watched when a gift had arrived through her nexus account.
The crystal ball the size of her palm was beyond its small form in presence, as with each change in position, new and more beautiful lights feathered from its surface.
And then it combusted into flames. Feeling no heat, Crystal was super proud of herself for not chucking it in panic.
There was a change in quality to the light that was now diffused. There was now a sense of intimacy with the light and the crystal orb in her hands. She stood captivated, enslaved to its beauty.
It was hours later that Crystal was able to finally pull her gaze away from her new greatest treasure.
Crystal had felt on the brink of understanding something important, but couldn't quite grasp it. Her frustration was greatly alleviated by the constant stream of inspiration for how to use her powers.
Once Crystal began to understand the value of the gift in her hands, she started dancing her crazy dance while giggling with abandon.
She was too happy.
---
The Grass Family Four started with Jack and Joi Grass, two small time freelance Hunters that made a living by clearing out low-level beasts around the Fortress perimeters, a job reserved for lower ranked hunters to make a good living. So good that after a few years, Jack and Joi went back earth side and became Jack and Joi and little Red and Blue Grass.
The family of four, now safely retired within the Upper City of Lions Gate City, were avid fans of the Silent Sculptor and had made it a family ritual to gather and watch together while battling trolls. As a family.
Jack and Joi wished that their twelve-year-old twin didn't have a lexicon capable of making grown men cry, but if they were going to learn to defend themselves, might as well start young. They felt justified when, in the age of the fist, their children could resolve their problems with words alone. Painful words that broke wills and shattered spirits, but definitely only words. Those bullies at school didn’t bother anyone anymore, which was a credit to their children. Sure, they also didn’t leave their houses either, but they were such nasty kids it was probably better for the world, anyway.
When they each got their respective invitations, they took the day off, clearing all their schedules to watch as a family.
That was a bonding experience. The Grass family was so overwhelmed with wonder and fanaticism that they were embracing each other at the sheer awesomeness.
Then the gifts arrived, each with a personalized note.
The Grasses laughed in amusement when they realized their idol had mistaken them for a team of seasoned veteran hunters based on their way of speech and conduct. It was rather coarse…. They may have deserved the reprimanding they received from the school teacher last week. Well, it was fine.
It only took a glance to recognize each work of art. These were the pieces that each Grass family member had thought as their favorites from the live streams.
Red Grass held a bronze relief of a dancing couple in her little hands. The male figure framed and supported the female form as she moved with grace and flow in her attempt to escape the confines of the relief. Red was immediately spellbound by the forms and had spammed his unrelenting support and been very interested in the art form ever since.
Blue Grass held a stone sculpture of a crouching Hunter in his arms. The figure was resting on the balls of his feet, one hand studying the tracks on the ground while the other gripped a wicked spear, eyes ever vigilant. Blue had been helplessly drawn to the drama of tension and stillness of the Hunter’s form and had been unusually vocal during the stream.
Joi Grass held an abstract glass sculpture with its own illumination rune to be used as a decorative light fixture. The piece looked exceptionally delicate with its dozens of layers of extra thin translucent red and yellow glass sheets, but they knew from the live stream that in its creation process, the sculptor had enlayed numerous durability runes. When lit, it was as if the sunset had been captured and displayed inside their home. Joi’s favorite time of the year was fall. Only during that period would the alignment of the thin patches in the Veil of Darkness be just right for their city to receive glimpses of the warm natural light of the setting sun. Now they had their own.
Jack held a glass cube that contained an astonishingly detailed diorama made of stone and colorful glass. A fierce battle between a group of glass Hunters and a group of monsters was held frozen in time within his hands. The desperate drama of Hunters fighting for survival was fully captured in the tiny glass figures as they fought giant stone monsters, shattered glass comrades strewn at their feet. Jack remembered watching this piece being crafted and the emotions he felt as he thought of old fallen comrades that didn’t get to live the lives they deserved.
Each of the Grasses laughed and danced, celebrating their respective gifts when the flames came and went.
There were no obvious changes except the sudden connection the Grass family felt with their treasures. None could explain it, but knew it was important.
This was a big day of blessings for the Grass Family Four. The twins were going nuts, as young children do, as they marveled and gawked at the different gifts. Jack and Joi held hands and smiled as they watched their excited babes and only needed a look to communicate their love for their family and their wonderful lives together.
---
“Come on Celestia! We're a family!!”
“I don't need a family like you!!! I'll kill you bitches!! Give it to me!! it's all mine!!!”
“What are you all doing?! Hurry up and subdue her!! She gone broke!!”
Tilly didn't know how things had devolved to this point. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity, but realized she was already busy crying in terror.
The group went through an emotional roller coaster together as they watched one absurdity after the other parade over their preconceived notions of the world.
Their favorite streamer turned out to be a young student in the process of revealing his absolute genius in the field of rune research, with fantastical proof of concepts. Then he demonstrated his genius in body cultivation with the most relaxed bit of scary destruction she’d ever seen. The live sculpting, the fire…Spirit Fire? Their favorite streamer was an S-Ranker now?
And he did it live streaming.
Crazy balls.
Everything was fine until that point.
Everyone was freaking out watching their idol be a thousand times more awesome than they already thought and losing their minds, but it was still peaceful.
Then the gifts.
Since everyone present was a member of the Elite Fan Club, that meant they were all veteran troll hunters as well as ballers.
Of course, they all got invitations. And a gift.
Stillness came too suddenly.
The fantasy like setting of a man-made garden floating on a sea of clouds just became more magical when almost a hundred works of art came into existence and then flashed with flames.
As each member stood in shock, captivated by their own gifts, the air vibrated.
There was a growing tension that was felt by everyone present.
In unison, every head turned to a single source.
Standing below a gorgeous flowering crystal tree, an almost exact replica, perhaps the prototype, of the one they had all seen only moments before, was their enigmatic leader, eyes wide and swirling to all the sculptures in everyone's hands as well as her own crystal canopy. Her hands were clenching and unclenching, her breath deepening with each breath, while her posture was becoming more aggressive with every heartbeat.
It was when her unwavering, manic gaze twitched that Tom finally reacted.
“Tower Master! Let's use our words! Wh-”
“MINE!”
And with that, she pounced.
Her focus was zeroed on a bronze plate that was covered in intricate reliefs depicting a battle between a group of young hunters and a horde of monsters in a style that was simple and yet dynamic. The gestures and movements were loud and stylized, but captured the desperation for life through violence.
She remembered this plate from a live stream eight months ago. That was funny. This should be sitting in its home that she had custom-built for it down in the official Silent Sculptor Fan Club Gallery. What was it doing here? She had strict rules about anyone touching the pieces. It was hers, after all.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
Her palms thrust out to claim what was hers. Hands not belonging to her moved it from her reach.
Huh.
That's odd.
Who would dare to take away what belonged to her? Why are they all holding her things? Shouldn’t those all be down in the Gallery? It was so strange. Did they all want to die?
It was when Celestia was attempting to murder the insolent that barred her from possessing the large granite sculptures from the ‘human form study series’ that it happened.
The giant crystal tree shone with splendorous light as if to protest the violence. A mist formed from the leaves that hung and danced through the air.
The air, already purified by the latest purification runes systems, became so clear and refreshing that everyone could swear they had never had clean air till that moment.
It calmed the mind and vitalized the body and brought a relief that was so profound that their entire beings had found a moment of peace. For many, it was as if they had relaxed for the very first time.
No one else felt this more than Celestia Luna.
When she was new to the world, Celestia only had one pillar of emotional support.
Her father was a powerful and distant man meant to be revered, not loved, and her mother died giving birth to her, so besides a sense of missed opportunities, she felt nothing.
But the day her older sister, the one who guided her in her most formative years, died on a hunt, was like losing her soul. The world had forever dimmed.
And life went on.
As the last daughter of the Stellar Star, one of humanity’s mightiest, her status in life was guaranteed. As long as she met the standard.
So she lived as was expected of her. She studied, she practiced body cultivation, she fought and repeat. Sleep was a rarely scheduled event. She was too busy. She could go a month before it became necessary.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Was this what it felt like when a body and mind weren’t under tension? To not feel the phantom pains of a hundred old battles? To not feel the constant weight of responsibility crushing the mind of its peace?
It felt good.
Really good.
When Celestia Luna opened her eyes, they were devoid of her previous aggression. She still saw and desired the countless works of art crafted from her idol, but her greed was tamped when she remembered the selfless nature in which they were given.
Her mind, now clear, saw more. The things that she'd missed in her mindless adoration. Things that angered her.
“Tilly,” Celestia called out softly.
“Y-Yes!” Tilly appeared, clutching something protectively behind her back. Celestia's right eye twitched before finding its calm.
“Get in touch with all your contacts at the university. Something has happened. I want to know what.” She spoke with her usual authority and grace.
Everyone gave a sigh of relief when they realized that the danger had passed, but stiffened at her next words.
“I will personally go to Trident Gate City and have a talk with Sir Anthony about the protection of the Garden and future plans of cooperation between our two families. The main objective however, will be to meet sir Hopper and persuade him to become a guest elder of the Luna family.”
“Tower Master, to visit another Gate City on such short notice-” Tom tried to protest.
“This is for the future of the Luna Family. Once my father understands the gravity of the situation, he would agree as well, but time is of the essence. It is only a matter of time before the other families learn of sir Hopper's profound existence. We must move before then. Anthony Trident is a fair man and would not impede the free will of his citizens, even if it meant losing them. We shall offer him vast resources in trade in compensation for any perceived slights.” Celestia stated simply before walking towards the lift.
“Ready the fastest transports. Team 1 will follow while teams 2 and 3 will resume their positions under Tom's directive.” She called out without turning around.
“Yes Tower Master.” Tom answered along with the rest, watching helplessly as team 1 skipped along behind their cruel leader. He knew that the task of informing the Stellar Star of his daughter's unannounced absence had fallen on him. Tom really didn't want to. He was scary.
