Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 86: Preparation

Nara's mood lifted the moment Ivor confirmed the tunic fit. The tension in his shoulders eased, and quiet pride replaced the worry that had been sitting on his face.

"Good," he said, already reaching for the bag again. "Now for the things I actually planned for your next… operation."

He crouched and pulled out a dagger in a dark sheath.

The sheath was matte black with a shallow groove running along one side, designed so the thumb could guide the draw quickly. When Nara slid the dagger free, the blade caught the light of the forest.

It was slender and straight, a little over ten inches long, with a narrow triangular profile that tapered to a needle-like point. The steel had a dark gray finish, almost charcoal in color, polished just enough to keep its edge clean but dull enough not to flash in sunlight. It was not made for hacking. Every part of it spoke of precision.

The handle was wrapped tightly in black cord over a slim grip, ending in a flat pommel that balanced the blade perfectly.

"This one is meant for speed," Nara said. "You can draw it fast, strike fast, and put it away just as quickly. The blade accepts mana infusion cleanly. Same material quality as the sword."

Ivor took the dagger and tested it immediately. The draw was smooth. The blade moved easily through the air when he shifted his wrist, light but steady in his hand.

He pushed a thin stream of mana into it. The response was immediate.

Unlike his old dagger, which resisted the flow and wasted part of the infusion, this one accepted the energy cleanly. Without hesitation, Ivor removed the worn dagger that had once belonged to his father. For a brief moment he held it, then placed it into his pouch and slid the new dagger into its place.

The change was practical. The old blade would not survive what was coming.

Nara watched the exchange with quiet satisfaction.

Before Ivor could say anything, Nara reached back into the bag and produced a pair of black gloves.

They were thin and fitted, made from a dark material that resembled leather but moved more smoothly with the hand. Faint woven patterns ran across the surface, almost invisible unless the light struck them directly.

"I made these as a weave artisan," Nara said. "They improve the transfer of mana from your body into your weapon. And they'll protect your hands from glancing strikes. If you don't destroy them, they should last at least a year."

Ivor slid the gloves on.

They fit perfectly. He picked up the dagger again and sent mana through his hand. The difference was immediate. The flow moved straight from his palm into the blade with far less resistance. The mana coating formed faster, cleaner, and with noticeably less waste.

He tried again, adjusting the density deliberately this time. The control was smoother. He didn't have to force the flow as hard to achieve the same result.

"This is faster," Ivor said.

Nara leaned forward slightly. "How much faster?"

"About ten percent."

Ivor didn't exaggerate. Ten percent in combat mattered.

Nara exhaled quietly, pleased. "Good. That means the weave is working."

Ivor examined the seams of the gloves once more, then looked back at him.

"Fit is good."

For Ivor, that was high praise.

Nara understood it immediately. He nodded once, confidence returning, and reached into the bag again to reveal the next item.

This time he took out two rectangular boxes, opening them like a reveal. Inside were grey forearm braces with a dull metallic finish. They were layered, wrapping around the forearm, with a thin dark, woven padding lining the inside.

Nara lifted one brace, then the other, and stepped forward.

"These are forearm braces," he said proudly. "Newly forged."

Nara came closer to attach the braces, and Ivor let him, watching his hands. Nara fastened the braces to Ivor's forearms with straps. They were tight but comfortable and didn't slip when Ivor moved his wrists.

"They resist mana by default," Nara said. "And they are strong enough to take really good hammering from swords or daggers. If you coat them in Umbra, you can increase defense further."

Ivor didn't speak. He covered the brace on his arm with a thin layer of shadow, which was surprisingly easy and the brace accepted it. He tested the Umbra coating by gently tapping the braced arm against a tree trunk, then hitting it harder.

The hit wasn't hard. The brace took some of the impact. The shadow coating was fine. Ivor hit the trunk again, harder this time, using his forearm brace like a weapon.

Nara reacted visibly seeing Ivor attack with the braces.

"I built it with defense in mind, Ivor," Nara said, and the awkwardness in his voice made the pride wobble. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Ivor gave a short smile that appeared and vanished quickly. "This is great too."

Inside, he was impressed. Forging a sword is different from creating quiet, wearable defense with shadow coating. Nara made gear for Ivor's close-range style.

Nara sighed, clearly surprised by Ivor's thinking, then pulled a belt from the bag.

It was black and practical. It had seven reinforced, tight-flapped pouches - four on the left, three on the right . The belt had a one-hand quick-release clasp and a loop to keep it secured to the robe during a fight.

"This is for you to collect crystals," Nara said, "or any other treasure or scroll you find. The pouches are tight enough to keep things from rattling. It is very easy to remove as well. If you need to move fast and need to hide it, you can drop the whole belt in one motion."

Ivor took the belt and fastened it over his robe. The clasp held firm, and the pouches didn't move when he walked. He realized its potential: quickly store loot, spread the weight, and easily remove it if he needed to escape and return later.

Nara shut the bag, looking tired now that his part was done.

"This is all I have," Nara said, "but I think this should be enough to make sure you are safe and do not get caught."

Ivor agreed immediately. He wasn't worried about being caught. The month he'd taken wasn't about holding back, but preparing thoroughly, following his parents' rule: always over-prepare. He kept this rule until the strongest people in the first level started seeing him as a threat.

He checked his new gear, tunic, gloves, braces, belt. It didn't slow him down; it actually helped his movements.

"I won't get caught," Ivor said.

They left together, heading for the Scar entrance. Ivor walked slightly ahead and to the side. He was close enough to react if needed, but far enough to watch Nara for any change in tension. He had become Nara's unofficial bodyguard because people had been attacking Nara when they couldn't find Ivor. If they couldn't catch the predator, they went for the trail.

As they walked, Nara kept looking around. He wasn't paranoid; he was just tired, and tired people are easier to surprise.

After a while, Nara spoke quietly. "Which place are you going to go first," he asked, "Labyrinth or Blue Cave?"

"Labyrinth," Ivor replied.

Nara's brows lifted slightly. "Why?"

Ivor's answer came without hesitation, because he had already decided. "I already have nine attuned mana nodes," he said. "I want to test myself in the labyrinth trial. After that, I will go to Blue Cave to absorb mana and push to ten attuned nodes. That will increase my strength by twenty-five percent."

Nara nodded slowly.

"That is a good plan," he said. Then the pride dimmed into something closer to frustration. "I only have seven attuned nodes."

Ivor didn't comment. He knew why. Forging and weaving had stolen time from cultivation. Nara had invested in Ivor's tools instead of his own body.

Nara continued, quieter now. "I was too busy with forging. But now that I delivered everything, I will focus on that."

Ivor nodded once, accepting it. A partner who grew stronger mattered, even if Ivor didn't rely on him in combat.

Nara's tone tightened again as he returned to what mattered most.

"But they are guarding both the places," Nara said. "You will have to fight them to even get inside the trial."

Ivor smiled, but it showed his certainty, not humor.

"I know," he said. "I have already scouted both places. They won't be able to stop me."

Nara looked at Ivor's back and wondered if the confidence he carried now was genuine or simply arrogance. In just two months, Ivor had changed more than Nara expected. There was something wild about the way he moved, an intensity that suggested there was far more to him than what he chose to show.