"[Artisan Skill] and [Proficient]...
Still as useful as ever!"
Roy gazed with satisfaction at his masterpiece.
This was an apprentice-level Arcane Object, roughly at the upper-middle tier of Level Zero. Though its Demonization level wasn't high, it incorporated special creations like artificial meat, Zabil Magic Metal, and Blood Mercury, showcasing a level of technical sophistication that was undoubtedly advanced.
It could be said that this was a comprehensive display of his current material reserves and the pinnacle of his Alchemy skills.
However, unlike other Wizards who directly and cruelly severed the wings of pegasi or used wings from angelic beings, Roy achieved this by combining metal with flesh.
Since this was just a prototype, Roy didn't use it himself. Instead, he summoned Atedia.
"Try this on!"
He draped a large piece of thick, artificial skin-like material over Atedia.
It was the same material used in the Silver Battle Armor.
Then, he attached the wings, a fusion of metal and flesh, onto it.
As the flesh grew, the alloy made of Star Iron, Magnetic Lead, and Radiant Gold gradually extended into the flesh, connecting to the shoulder blades and even tightly interlocking.
The artificial skin slowly merged with the flesh.
Atedia stood up, feeling a strange and inexplicable sensation in her body.
The suddenly appearing wings felt like an extension of her arms, controllable by her thoughts.
"You can try flying outside!"
Roy encouraged her.
For the mortal beings on the ground, flight was always a fascinating endeavor.
After waiting for a moment to gradually adapt to the bizarre feeling of having wings on her back, Atedia began to run outside.
Several apprentices who weren't on missions, including Olinda and Peri, were startled.
The other guards also looked over.
"Look! It's the Captain of the Guard!"
"How did she grow wings?"
They watched in amazement as the silver metal feathers shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
Suddenly, a surge of magical energy emanated from Atedia's body.
As the wings spread flat, her body seemed weightless, and she began to float.
"Wow!"
Exclamations of astonishment rose from the ground.
Roy also flew up, slowly approaching.
"How is it, Atedia? Feeling alright?"
Roy asked nonchalantly, though he was actually worried she might lose control and fall.
"This... this is truly incredible!"
Atedia's face lit up with excitement as she spoke sincerely.
"But I'm still not quite used to it..."
"Even real pegasi adjust their posture in a manner similar to running.
You don't need to mimic the flapping flight of eagles or hawks. Imagine a rainbow beneath your feet and run on it."
During the process of crafting these wings, Roy had also read the insights left by his teacher and other Wizards, and he offered this advice.
"Alright, I'll try."
Atedia quickly grasped the key.
Gradually, she became less restrained and began to run freely.
Just as Roy had said, she mastered the balance almost instantly!
"In a couple of days, I'll equip you with a set of Magnetic Lead horseshoes to reduce weight and increase speed!"
Roy pondered for a moment before speaking to her.
He was applying both technology and Arcane knowledge to enhance the effects of this Arcane Object.
However, shortly after, Roy descended but did not immediately attend to that matter. Instead, he continued crafting another pair of wings.
He had given the trial pair to Atedia, but he still didn't have one for himself.
He wasn't particularly fond of the feathered design either, as it made him look like some sort of birdman.
"Let's design a pair that complements the Silver Battle Armor!"
With this thought, his two talents, [Artisan Skill] and [Artist], combined, and his [Proficient] ability also kicked in, initiating a complete redesign of the style.
He designed the wings for himself with a futuristic, metallic sword-feather appearance, featuring sharp angles and a more artistic aesthetic.
However, these were just the outer layer. The internal framework and the embedded Wizard Arrays were genuine components of Wizardry.
Moreover, the materials he used for his own wings were of much higher quality, far surpassing the trial product he had made earlier.
For instance, the framework contained a higher proportion of Radiant Gold, mixed with Magic Tin, another type of Zabil Magic Metal.
The sword-feathers were made entirely of Gleaming Silver.
Engraved with corresponding Wizard Arrays, they could harness the power of the wind Element, granting the ability to fly.
Roy utilized this Mithril-like material to fully unleash the Wizardry potential of Pegasus blood.
Combined with the propulsion from his first-level Source of Magic, he could fly by ejecting Energy Particles, rather than galloping through the air like a Pegasus.
After all, running in the sky…
Wasn't elegant enough!
To balance artistic beauty, Roy also engraved numerous intricate and beautiful patterns on the wings, which harmonized perfectly with the Silver Battle Armor and the surrounding environment, creating a highly coordinated effect.
But this wasn't just for show. It was to maximize concealment and incidentally test the optical stealth capabilities.
Roy still remembered the illusionary ability of the Mirage Orb that Celine had used long ago when hunting Fishmen.
Now that he had the capability, he could achieve the effect of hiding his wings through his own methods.
Afterward, Roy attached the wings to his Silver Battle Armor in the same manner.
He directly modified the back of the armor, creating a detachable interface.
It was essentially a hot-swappable plugin.
Some Wizards would even embed such devices directly into their flesh, attaching them to their shoulder blades for greater stability and easier control.
But Roy's expertise in materials science was profound, and he had the solid foundation of Zabil Magic Metal.
The neural connections could also be replaced through related research on the Silver Battle Armor.
The Radiant Gold and Gleaming Silver filled within had excellent magical conductivity, effectively replacing flesh.
So, there was no need for such inconvenient methods.
...
A few days later.
Above the former Bloodhoof Tribe.
A figure swiftly passed by, leaving a trail of gold and silver light in the air.
The centaurs of the Wizard Guard looked up, their expressions filled with envy and awe.
Olinda and the apprentices under other Wizards also marveled.
It was Roy, testing and debugging.
The "Flight Gear," modified from the "Pegasus Wings," was finally complete.
This wasn't the final form, but the basic framework was in place. The next step was continuous debugging and optimization until true mastery was achieved.
With this, Roy had finally acquired the mobility befitting a first-level Wizard.
Not long after, Roy descended.
He was just about to make some further adjustments to address the minor issues encountered during the previous test when he suddenly perked up, as if sensing something.
It was a message from Celine, delivered via the Wandering Soul Messenger.
"We've found Janis, but before we could confirm the matter of the Totem Stone, we ran into some trouble!
There are some unfamiliar strong individuals by his side!"