The man stood like a Titan. Three of Northern’s frame could have fit inside him and there would still be room to spare. He had a sharp angular face, grey pupils set in perpetually narrowed eyes, and short white hair that made his skull look carved from stone.

He looked down at Northern, glanced around the cave, then brought his gaze back.

Northern did not appreciate having to crane his neck. There was a limit to how much one should have to tolerate, even when one’s unfair advantages were off the table.

He snarled.

"If you plan to talk to me, get down on your knees. My neck hurts."

The man stayed there for a moment. The air between them cooled, taut with the possibility of violence.

Then he lowered one knee slowly and met Northern’s eyes.

"My name is Ultron, and I have something to show you."

Northern stared at him for longer than a moment. He was trying to place the face, but the name did most of the work.

Indeed, he had fought this man in Verulania, after coming from Fugal that day.

’Ah... so he’s still here.’

He had totally forgotten about him. Forgotten that he even put someone like this in his soul.

’Stars-sake, do I really just throw anyone and anything into my soul.’

Northern shook his head internally and then gave the man his attention, his expression loosening into something more approachable.

"What do you wish to show me."

The man lowered his head and said:

"You’d have to follow me."

Northern stared at him, then signaled for him to move. The man stood up, turned around and walked away with Northern following closely.

They went deeper into the cave, and what Northern noticed stopped him for half a step.

All the Red Crystals that had been here, this man had mined them. Every last one. He had razed them all to the bare ground, the walls scraped clean, the floor stripped of even the smallest shard.

Northern kept his surprise tucked away, though he wondered where Ultron had put all of it. He also figured that was exactly where the man was leading him.

Finally, they arrived.

Northern’s first thought was that he was looking at a wall of blood plastered across the cave. He stepped back and looked again.

Not blood but bars. Bars of Rethium, stacked against each other in ascending levels, the lowest row closest to him and each subsequent row rising higher. The dull red metal caught what little light there was and held it without shine, dense and heavy even to the eye.

Northern bent down and picked up one bar, turning it in his hand.

He analyzed the whole thing in an instant and saw how much of its original composition had been maintained despite going through crude, thorough refinement.

Northern glanced around. There was no refining instrument anywhere. No furnace, no crucible, no tools of any kind.

Then he turned to the man and looked at him.

Name: Ultron Uzoha

True Name: [The Refiner]

Rank: [Evanescent (Paragon)]

Essence Saturation: [Low]

Talent: Sundered Crucible

Talent Class: S 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Talent Abilities: [Eye of the Architect], [Purging Touch], [Damascus Flesh], [Sunder the Flaw], [Conceptual Distillation], [Instantaneous Forging], [Anvil]

Northern paused. He didn’t even need to read the abilities to know what they were about.

This was the type of utility talent that fully supported his entire ambitions.

[You have copied Talent: Sundered Crucible for ten thousand essence]

Even at that cost, Northern could not remember the last time a talent had made him this pleased.

He smiled and held Ultron’s shoulder. He had to raise his hand a bit to reach, but he did it nonetheless.

"You! Tell me what you want. Is it freedom? I was in a bad mood before, but you’ve suddenly brightened things up. Tell me what you want and take advantage of my mood, okay?"

Ultron lowered his head respectfully.

"Well then, this makes things easy... what I want... is to serve you."

Northern paused and leaned back slightly. He raised a brow.

"Serve me?"

Ultron nodded.

"Yes."

For another moment, Northern was silent. He had been sure this man was going to pick freedom. He didn’t know why he thought so, but he thought so anyways. After all, Ultron had been trapped in this cave. Even when Chaos Prince stole his soul, the man was still here. Now he could leave if he wanted to, and what he wanted was to serve?

’Uh... strange?’

Northern looked at the man and spoke plainly.

"Okay, so if I want to be served by someone, I prefer to kill them. Are you ready to die?"

Ultron bowed his head.

"I died the day you defeated me... it will make no difference now."

Northern’s expression stilled. He had not seen that response coming. He had been looking for ways to discourage Ultron so the man could be on his way out of his soul. He had done one evil today, so why not balance it with one good and confuse karma a little.

But here the man was, insisting he wanted to serve.

"I have never lived for anything in particular. I lost my village and family at a very young age. After that, I was drafted into the army, even though I was not fit for it. I have survived and survived, until I got tired of surviving, but dying was a disgrace to the people I lost. Dying without living a fulfilling life would be an utter disgrace and stain upon their wishes for me. So I have kept surviving no matter how tired I was... and I became very good at surviving."

He looked at Northern’s face, his own straight and even.

"Until I met you..."

’Of course.’

Northern kept an even expression, contrary to his internal commentary.

"You defeated me. I should have died at your hands, but I didn’t... then I came here, and met a boundless amount of crystal ores to refine."

A small smile crept onto his large face.

"I love what I do here, and I want an opportunity to do it for as long as I can... if dying will afford me that, I think that’s a rather fulfilling purpose."

Northern continued to stare down at Ultron. Something sat in his chest that he couldn’t quite name.

He had never met someone like this.