'To think that I would prefer straightforward women despite the twisted personality that I have…'

Noah found himself thinking about his relations.h.i.+p with Nina as their nights together continued.

'Maybe it's precisely because of how I am that I prefer them.'

He didn't trust people nor did they give him reasons to do so.

Yet, with people like June or Nina, he could relax knowing that they wouldn't try to scheme behind his back.

'Well, when things are like this, they are easy… I don't know how it would go in an actual relations.h.i.+p.'

His rapport with Nina was purely physical, there wasn't any affection between them.

'I guess I'll think about it when I'll feel something for someone.'

Noah put those thoughts in the back of his mind as he continued with his routine.

The Empire was slowly building countermeasures for his creations and the spikes of the rank 4 Brown hedgehogs were exhausted by then, it was time to change materials.

"You shouldn't remain here in the morning from now on, I need a few days to stabilize the new structure."

Noah said to Nina in the morning when the rank 4 Steeled corals arrived to his room.

"Why is that? Some secret technique of yours?"

She crouched behind him as she said those words, Noah could feel Nina's warm body laid on his back.

"No, my weapons simply tend to explode in this phase. I know when I need to protect myself but I fear that you might be taken by surprise."

Noah was the maker of the Instabilities, he knew exactly when the destabilization escaped his control and he had to throw them away.

Because of that, he could defend himself with impeccable timing but any other cultivator would risk being one second too late and suffer some injuries.

"Do you realize that I'm stronger than you?"

"Are you saying that you'll be fine if one of these were to explode inside the room?"

Noah smiled as he took one of the Instabilities from his s.p.a.ce-ring and raised it over his shoulder, right next to Nina's face.

Nina stared at the spiked sphere for a while before sighing and hugging Noah from behind.

"Ok, I'll leave you alone for a few days, but you make up for them now."

Noah released a small laugh and shook his head before placing the Instability on the floor and turning, pus.h.i.+ng Nina on the mat.

.

.

.

Explosions resounded again from Noah's room but they stooped after a few days.

Noah's ability in creating Instabilities had increased by a large margin, he could easily modify their structure in order to adapt it to the new material.

The newly created weapon was dark-gray due to the new spikes that made its outer layer and they were also slightly heavier.

"Do they work in the same way as the previous ones?"

Logan asked Noah after the latter had delivered the new batch of Instabilities.

"Yes, nothing has changed in the inside. I will reduce the production a bit to work on another weapon now, I will give another list of materials to your soldiers later."

Noah answered.

He didn't really need to create a different weapon but he had become so skilled in channeling the innate destabilization of his creations that he couldn't help but have many inspirations for new items.

"Oh? I'll leave you be then."

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.

.

Another battle occurred.

The Empire was still struggling against the Instabilities of the Odrea nation but it was slowly reducing its losses.

That battlefield was a simple training ground after all, there was a limit to the resources that it was willing to invest.

In the end, the Odrea nation was skimming its soldiers as planned, the Empire simply wanted to reduce the casualties.

That's why it began to use red soldiers during the first exchange of long-distance attacks.

It didn't use random red cultivators though, simply being in the solid stage of the second rank wasn't that helpful in that situation.

Instead, it sent those who had a strong mental sphere, almost at the peak of the second rank.

Those soldiers could be considered prodigies of their generation, it was rare to have such a powerful sea of consciousness before reaching the third rank of the dantian.

The result was that the defensive spells cast by them, together with those of the other blue soldiers, were able to further reduce the damages inflicted on their army.

Another battle went by, the two armies seemed to have returned to the kind of balance that they had before Noah's weapons, it was needless to say that Noah couldn't add any other red soldier to his kill count.

Noah spent the following month testing a new weapon while providing a fewer number of Instabilities, their power had been heavily countered in just two months, it was time to create something else.

The result of that month of experiments was an improved version of the Moon needle.

Its core was formed by rank 4 Cloud eagles' bones but its insides were filled by rank 3 Fire snakes' flesh.

'This should be far more useful in battle.'

The improved Moon needle solved the issue of the friendly fire, it could be used after the two armies clashed and there was virtually no possibility of accidentally hurting an ally.

'Hidden blast should be a good name. Its full power can be expressed only when used by darkness, fire, or wind cultivators… I should test its effects in the next battle.'

When the other battle arrived, Noah calmly waited for the two armies to clash before joining one of the group combats.

The battlefield had returned to the state it was when he first arrived to the nation, the soldiers of the Empire were simply more focused on the defense.

'It seems that they have received a better training, it should be because of me.'

Noah judged as he neared one battle.

Eight blue cultivators and four red ones were fighting each other.

That combat was obviously one-sided, the soldiers of the Odrea nation had far better teamwork while those of the Empire were simply focusing on their defense.

Then, a simple looking gray needle shot through the air toward one of the red soldiers of the Empire.

The cultivator snorted at its sight and dodged it easily, doing no unnecessary movements.

However, just as the needle pa.s.sed next his right shoulder, it exploded.