"Paragons" was the name given to the supernatural humans, animals, and plants on Planet Earth. They were a group hidden from the earthlings for years, and only a microscopic few knew about them without being one.
"I know you might already be aware of this, since you are also a Paragon, but for the sake of clarity, I will do a quick recap on what you might already know," Lucius said, placing the case holding the rings gently on the table. The sound of the metal touching wood echoed briefly in the room. He opened the case slowly, his fingers tracing the edges as though he had done it a thousand times before. After a brief pause, he reached inside and carefully picked up one of the rings. The metal was cold against his skin, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Just like you are already aware, for one to become a Paragon, they have to be able to wield one of these two energies: Mana and Qi," Lucius said, his voice steady and calm. He held the ring in front of him, his eyes focusing on the delicate engravings that shimmered under the dim light.
He continued, "Mana... It's a strange energy, one that allows those who can wield it to control nature as though it is an extension of their body. Although, in most cases, with the help of advanced spells and Mana energy, these abilities go beyond just manipulating nature," Lucius explained, turning the ring slowly between his fingers, its green glow pulsating slightly in response.
His hand lowered, and he gently placed the ring back into the case, careful not to let it make a sound. "However," he continued, shifting his weight slightly as he leaned against the table, "not everybody can wield Mana. It's not something one can just pick up. Mana is something you're born with, and it grows with you over time." He paused briefly, looking up as though considering his next words carefully.
"Some special operations," he said, his voice lowering a little, "can make one's body acceptable to Mana. But, like I said before, there are next to no people capable of carrying out such operations. Even if they exist, the cost of getting one to help you is astronomical."
While he spoke, the ring in his palm pulsed again, its green glow growing brighter for a moment before fading slightly. Lucius glanced down at it, a faint smile playing on his lips as if he were amused by the ring's reaction. He clenched his fist lightly, making the light disappear entirely, then relaxed his hand, allowing the soft glow to return.
"The second, which you are already familiar with, is Qi energy," Lucius said, his voice steady as he turned his gaze to the others. His fingers idly traced the edges of the ring he held. "This energy allows one to enhance their body beyond what the human body is naturally capable of—both in terms of organs and overall strength." He lifted the ring slightly, tilting it so the light caught its surface, creating a brief shimmer.
He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in before continuing, "Of course, that's not the only use of Qi energy. There are several applications, but we will save those for a later time." As Lucius spoke, his tone carried a sense of finality, as if he was only giving them a taste of what was to come.
The others, even though they had some idea of what Lucius was explaining, continued listening attentively. They exchanged quick glances, sensing that Lucius was building up to something important. Each word he said seemed to weigh heavier, and the silence in the room grew thick with anticipation.
"The good thing, though," Lucius continued, breaking the silence, "is that unlike Mana energy, which is only accessible to a select few, Qi is something any living being possesses. Every single one of us has it, and we are capable of wielding it."
He began pacing slowly, his footsteps soft against the floor. "But in some cases," he added, his tone more thoughtful, "there are those who are never able to utilize this energy properly for reasons that remain a mystery. Perhaps some setbacks, or something in their nature."
He stopped pacing and looked at them all, letting his gaze linger on each person in the room. "Does that mean those people will be left behind? Does that mean they will never grow, never achieve what others can?" Lucius asked, the question hanging in the air, directed at no one in particular.
He allowed the question to settle for a moment, the quiet in the room almost palpable. Then, with a slight smile, he answered his own question. "Well, the answer is no," he said confidently. "And you might be wondering how these people can grow, how they can still evolve."
Lucius stretched out his hand slowly, opening his palm to reveal the ring once again. The ring's green glow pulsed faintly, drawing their eyes to it like moths to a flame. "The answer," he said, his voice low but firm, "is this."
Jake, who had been sitting quietly, shifted in his seat, leaning forward to get a better look at the ring. His curiosity finally got the better of him.
"What is this?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. He stood up slowly, walking over to Lucius with cautious steps. "I can sense some strange power coming from it, but how is that even possible?"
Lucius didn't respond immediately, simply holding the ring out for Jake to observe more closely. The faint glow from the ring flickered slightly as if it was responding to the attention it was receiving. Jake's eyes narrowed, focusing on the intricate design and the strange energy that seemed to pulse from within.
"This is called a magical item. They are items capable of granting their wielder powers comparable to what they are made from," Lucius explained, his voice calm but filled with authority.
Jake's eyes narrowed with interest as he leaned forward, the curiosity clear on his face. "What do you mean by what they're made of? How does that work?" Jake asked, his voice carrying a tone of intrigue.
Lucius, as expected, didn't hold back and began explaining further. His posture remained steady, though his hands moved slightly as he spoke, almost as if emphasizing certain points.
"You see, magical items are created in two different ways," Lucius began, lifting a single finger as if counting them off. "One way is through magic, and the other is through magical beasts."
Jake's eyes followed Lucius' hand movements, fully engrossed in what was being said.
"Any magical item made purely from magic is classified as an enchanted item," Lucius continued, his tone becoming more deliberate." These are crafted by powerful mages. The stronger the mage, the more powerful the enchanted item becomes. And each item created directly links to the power of the mage who made it."
Lucius paused briefly, watching Jake's reaction before continuing, "For instance, if a fire mage creates an enchanted item, in one way or another, that item will have some fire-related attributes."
As Lucius spoke, he glanced around the room, making sure everyone was following his explanation. Then, he moved on to the next point, still standing tall in the center of the room.
"The second way of creating these items," Lucius said, raising his other hand, "is through magical beasts. When a magical beast is killed, a crystal is often found inside its body. This crystal can be used in various ways." Lucius lowered his hand again, letting it rest by his side as he continued, "Crystals can serve as energy sources, be used to create potions, and some skilled mages can even absorb them to increase their own power levels."
Lucius shifted slightly, adjusting his stance as his gaze moved back to Jake, who was still watching closely. "However, as a Qi wielder," Lucius said, his voice deepening slightly, "the best use of these crystals is to turn them into items."
Jake's eyes widened a bit, clearly intrigued by this new information. He leaned forward slightly, as though trying to absorb every word.
"These items can vary," Lucius said. "One can decide to forge a crystal into any weapon of their choice, provided that the crystal's power output matches the weapon."
Lucius then held up a finger, as though pointing out an important detail. "However," he added, "research has shown that the most effective way to create magical beast items, and to get the best results, is to turn them into accessories. Things like wristbands, rings, and so on."
Lucius gave a small nod as if agreeing with his own statement, then finished with, "Of course, the level of the beast the item comes from plays a crucial role in the overall quality of the item."
With that, everyone in the room knew Lucius had finished his explanation. The atmosphere shifted slightly, and it was clear that it was now time for them to start testing the items. Inside the case, all the items were rings. Although Lucius had mentioned earlier that some of these items were enchanted, and others were magical beast items, it didn't matter now. It was time for action.
One by one, the five men in the hall stepped forward, each selecting a ring from the case. They slipped the rings onto their fingers, exchanging brief glances with one another as they did so. Once each man had chosen, they returned to their original positions, standing tall and waiting for the next move. The air was tense with anticipation.
Lucius, however, wasn't done just yet. He walked up to one of the men, his movements deliberate and without hesitation. The man barely had time to react. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, Lucius raised his fist and struck him hard in the chest. The force of the blow sent the man flying backward with incredible speed. His body slammed into the wall with a resounding crash, leaving a spiderweb-like crack in the wall behind him.
Gasps filled the room as the other men stared, wide-eyed, at their comrade. On the man's chest, there was a deep hole the size of a fist. It looked as though Lucius had punched clean through his body.
John, still processing what had just happened, took a step forward. His voice was shaky with confusion. "What are you doing? Did you just try to kill him?" he asked, his eyes flicking from Lucius to the man on the floor.
But before anyone could answer, something caught John's attention. The others, too, had their eyes fixed on the man who had been thrown against the wall. Slowly, as though nothing had happened, the man was getting back to his feet. He didn't seem fazed by the attack at all.
They all watched in amazement as the deep hole in the man's chest began to close up right before their eyes. The skin knitted itself together, and within seconds, the wound was completely healed. It was as if the injury had never existed.
Lucius turned to face the group, his expression calm and matter-of-fact. "That ring," he began, pointing to the one the man was wearing, "has a passive effect that makes the wielder numb to any physical pain."
He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "It also has an active effect that allows the wearer to heal from almost any injury—although death is, of course, an exception."
The others exchanged glances, still trying to process what they had just witnessed. Lucius, unfazed, continued his explanation.
"However, there is a limitation. The ring can only heal the wearer three times a day before it goes into a cooldown period of 24 hours." he added.
The others, upon hearing about the powerful effects of such a simple ring, were filled with amazement. They exchanged glances, their eyes wide with disbelief. How could something so small hold such incredible power? It was almost difficult to comprehend that a mere ring could have the ability to heal and numb pain.
Lucius noticed their reactions but remained calm as he continued. "There are three of this type of ring available here, as that's all we could find," he said, gesturing toward the three men wearing rings with a dull green glow.
Then, he shifted his gaze to the other two men, who had rings with a purple glow. These rings were different from the others, and the distinction was clear. Lucius took a moment to study the two men wearing them before speaking again.
"You two might not be able to cultivate your qi to its full potential before hitting your limits," Lucius said, his eyes focused on them. "But I can tell you both have more qi than the other three, which is why I gave you those rings."
The two men looked down at their rings, a faint purple light pulsing from within the smooth surface. There was something about the rings that felt different, something that made them more aware of their own qi energy.
Lucius took a step back, his gaze shifting between the two men. "I'm sure you can feel it," he said, his voice steady. "There's something inside those rings reaching out to you, isn't there?"
The men nodded slightly, not fully understanding what Lucius meant, but feeling the strange pull from their rings.
Lucius' voice lowered a little, almost as if he was guiding them through the process. "Now," he said, "do me a favor and call it out."
The room fell silent as the two men focused on their rings, their minds trying to connect with the energy Lucius spoke of.
The two men exchanged glances, unsure of what was about to happen. Then, in the next moment, their bodies began to change.
The first man's body started to grow larger, muscles expanding as fur sprouted all over his skin. The transformation was swift and intense, his clothes tearing apart under the pressure of his growing size, leaving him barely covered.
His nose elongated and reshaped itself into that of a pig's snout, while two sharp horns emerged from the sides of his face like deadly fangs. A thick tail lashed out from behind him, smashing into the floor with enough force to crack the surface.
Meanwhile, the second man was undergoing a completely different transformation. Green vines began sprouting from his skin, wrapping around his body and entwining him in a living cocoon of plant life. The vines twisted and grew upward, lifting him off the ground as they turned his form into something resembling a tree. Two thick branches extended from the sides of his torso, resembling arms but clearly made of bark and wood.
Lucius watched the transformations calmly and then spoke. "The rings I gave these two are shape-shifting rings," he explained. "They allow the wearer to transform into any creature whose blood has been stored inside the ring."
The others listened intently as Lucius continued, "However, these two rings are low-level items, which means they can only hold the blood of one creature at a time. After each use, the ring must be refilled with new blood before it can be used again."
Jake, who had been quiet up to this point, was visibly shocked by what he was witnessing. His usual calm demeanor was replaced with awe as he struggled to process the scene before him. "How... how can something like this exist? And you're calling it a low-level item?" he asked, his voice filled with amazement.
Lucius turned to face him, his expression steady. "I call them low-level items because there are far more powerful artifacts out there, with effects that are much stronger than what you see now," he replied, his tone matter-of-fact.
"If this item is considered low-level, then how can we get more of these? How much do they cost?" John asked, breaking his usual silence. Money had never been a problem for him; he had more than enough to spend.
Lucius shook his head slightly. "These items aren't something you can just buy. People who own them would rather keep them than sell them. I was able to get these from a fallen faction. They left behind a lot of treasures, and these were among the few things I managed to get my hands on."
John frowned but stayed quiet as Jim chimed in, his curiosity getting the better of him. "But there has to be a way, right? A way to get more of these?"
Lucius nodded slowly. "Of course, there is. But you have to be willing to take the necessary actions. To get a magical beast item or weapon, you need to kill the beast that holds the power. So, I'm asking you—" He looked directly at the three men, "—do you think you can take one on?"
The room grew tense as Lucius' question hung in the air. John's eyes darted from Lucius to the others, trying to read their faces, while Jim clenched his fists slightly, already imagining the challenge ahead. Each of them felt the weight of Lucius' words, knowing that this wasn't going to be a simple task.