A few weeks ago, Kael had announced his latest invention plans, along with his proposal to fight all his friends at once. Now, he continued working on the final two inventions he had promised them.
The most durable material possible and a thick, wound-healing liquid remedy.
Early in the morning, the streets of Kallidorra Town were bustling with activity. Residents of different races went about their usual routines, while the Nighters, having finished their nightly activities, were already returning to their respective places.
Among them was Elvareth, who was preparing to buy groceries at the market.
She wasn't usually this busy whenever she went shopping. However, ever since Kael had gained popularity in Kallidorra, things had changed.
Not that he had been unknown before. After all, he was the only human in the entire realm. But his frequent training sessions with his friends, coupled with Commander Aeronis's visits to Kallidorra to check on his progress, had only drawn more attention to him.
And as Kael's mother, Elvareth had inevitably become the center of attention for curious citizens eager to learn what the last human in their realm was up to.
After all, Kallidorra was a renowned Zone, famous for its Forgehold, which produced countless armors, weapons, pieces of equipment, and even Might enhancers.
Yet, despite its contributions to the Realm Protector, it had been nearly six hundred years since anyone from this town had been accepted into the academy during the Ceremony.
It was a strange contradiction. How could a town responsible for forging equipment for the Realm Protector be unable to produce even a single worthy candidate of it?
Since the last person was accepted, no one else had even come close to being selected during the Ceremony. Eventually, the people of Kallidorra began to conceal their dreams of becoming Realm Protectors, afraid to hope for something that seemed so far beyond their reach.
And then came Kael.
An ordinary, Mightless human.
No one had expected him to pursue this path. In fact, given that he was the last of his kind and lacked Might entirely, few would have considered such an ambition reasonable in the first place.
Except...
The term reasonable had never applied to the relentless mind of this human.
"Kael, where are you going?" Elvareth asked, holding the trolley Kael had invented for her, making it much easier to carry groceries.
"And don't you have training today?"
"Training? Relax, old elf! Today is my day off!" Kael grinned. "I'm heading to the Forgehold for this one. I'm making a new invention!"
"Yeah, whatever... I'm going out."
"All right! Off to the Forgehold!"
He immediately set off, following the same familiar path lined with white bricks.
With his backpack loaded with books, tools, and various other necessities, Kael dashed through the streets of Kallidorra.
SWOOSH!
His improved electrical shoes propelled him forward at incredible speed, allowing him to zip past the townsfolk like a gust of wind.
"What's that?!"
A female insectoid was startled by the sudden blur that rushed past her.
"So fast!"
"Careful there!"
Nearby, an orc hauling a wooden cart nearly lost his balance as Kael sped by.
SWOOOSH!
"Wow! Did they improve the brick path?" Kael muttered to himself, glancing down at the road beneath his feet. "No more rocky, muddy patches, I guess?"
The path to the Forgehold certainly felt smoother than he remembered.
Perhaps the town had finally gotten around to improving the roads.
Whatever the reason, Kael wasn't complaining.
A journey that would normally take him twenty minutes had now been reduced to a mere five, thanks to his improved electrical shoes.
And judging by how fast he was moving, those shoes were working better than ever.
From far the tall metal gate can be seen, a huge building as tall as the mountain behind it, With four Metal doors that vary in sizes.
Can be seen on the right side, the Horse carriage with a noble inside it, realm protector and even the auctioneer lining up to enter Kallidorra most famous and prestigious places. The Building that made this mediocre Zone became one of the main attractions for many races in the entire Fatamorgana realm.
Kallidorra Forgehold
SCKKHHET!!
Kael stop at the metal gate that was guarded by three Ogres and one Rhino Faundrakin
Huh Kael? Rhino Faundrakin confused as its been a few weeks Kael didn't go in the forgehol
Yeah, it's me! I want to enter… I got something to work on!
Alright, Alright we get you pass… Relax
Open that door Wrag!
Gotcha!
SCREECH
The heavy metal gates makes a sound of old metal screeching against each other.
Kael enter the forgehold,
The four Metal door Vary in size is in front of him, Back then he needed nibsken to open the door for him since this door was mainly made using Might enforced with Metal to increase the long lasting durability and prevent rooting. Since Kael is mightless he has no strength to open it.
He has no strength to open it but his mind is not the same.
He built his own personal door using Alloy metal that looks a bit darker than other doors. He has his own key to open it.
As soon as Kael opened his personal door, he got hit by the gloomy, boring and grey background.
Sigh, what did I expect it to be…
Well it doesn't matter, let's go down..
He dashes to the edge of the worker section
He step on the giant Elevator, they are a few workers they ready to descent to the underground level
Wait!!
Swossh!
Is that Kael? Two elf asked each other
Yeah It's him.. One giant answer them groaning beside them
SCCHERECCT!
He stopped. in front of them
Kael? Its been a while we seen you.. one of the elf asked
Well I've been focusing on my training but today is my day off so I plan to do my new invention in the forgehold!
Since all the ingredients are in my personal Lab.
I see… That's great Kael.. No doubt you will get selected to the academy! its like a few months from now if I'm not mistaken?
Yes! The ceremony is just a few months away! Im exited… But also so nervous…
HAHAH relax kael… if I am in your position right now… I can't imagine how nervous I'm… He replied with a smile.
You did your hard training right?
yeah....
One of the elves pat Kael's shoulders.
Relax Kael… we All workers from Kaliddorra Forgehold believe in you! Right, Thes?
He nodded
of course! No way we didn't support our only hope for our town to become realm protector!
It's been so long since this Kallidora has ambition to pursue that path Kael….
Yah, Human… Ya brave, Despite ya small… ya have huge courage. Suddenly the giant interrupt them.
Thanks guys! Kael smiled as the Monster elevator descended even deeper to the underground level.
SCCHRCECT… Slowly the monster elevator slows its pace. as it reveals the vast Noisy looking forgehold.
Kael stops at the half of the level, to the Kallidorra Lab at the right.
THUD!
Kael jump from the elevator
Alright! Imma be leaving!
They nodded and continued their descent to the underground level.
Kael slid open the door to Kallidorra Forgehold's laboratory.
And Immediately…
"Kael!"
"Yo! Our number-one blueprint designer is here, guys!"
"Woohoo! Kael!"
Workers and researchers from various races greeted him enthusiastically, pausing their work for a moment.
"Hehehe." Kael shyly rubbed the back of his head.
"Relax, guys… I actually have something to work on today."
"Hahaha! You always have something to work on, Kael!" The lizard researcher laughed.
"Yeah, well, I'm heading to my room. I've got a lot to do!"
"All right!" They nodded before returning to their work.
Meanwhile, Kael opened the door to his personal room and switched on the lights. He took off his backpack and placed it on the wooden table.
He pulled Books Y and Z from his backpack, switched on the desk lamp, and cracked his knuckles.
"Let's begin!" Kael declared
Clay, volcanic ash, pumice, limestone, silica sand, charcoal, and water.
Every one of these ingredients was as common as pebbles throughout Kallidorra Forgehold.
Kael's fingers moved freely across the surface of the blueprint as he studied the instructions.
"According to this book, the clay needs to be ground into powder…"
His eyes shifted toward the volcanic ash on a metal tray. Its surface was a mixture of gray and black.
"I think this is fine. I just need to grind down the larger chunks."
He moved on to the pumice.
"This needs to be crushed, but not ground into powder. The silica sand, on the other hand, needs to be finer. Same goes for the limestone and charcoal."
Kael grinned.
"All right! Let's push this realm even further!"
KRCCH!
KRCCHR!
The sounds of grinding and crushing echoed throughout his personal laboratory, making it sound as though an entire workshop of grinders had been installed inside.
Fortunately, the laboratory had decent air circulation. A ventilation system connected the underground room directly to the surface, allowing fresh air to flow in and stale air to escape. Without it, the laboratory would have become an unbearably hot and suffocating room.
The ventilation system had been improved thanks to Kael's clever engineering.
Even so, grinding all the materials took him nearly two hours.
Once he finished, he transferred each prepared ingredient into a separate glass container, carefully keeping them apart.
He clapped his hands together, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Yeeah! Now…"
His gaze returned to the blueprint.
"Let's prepare the binder."
He paused.
"Okay, what exactly is a binder?"
Kael leaned closer to the blueprint and read the small note written beside the instructions.
"Oh… It's a substance that binds the other materials together before the heating process."
He looked at the container of limestone powder.
"So, limestone is the main ingredient for the binder. And now I need to heat it?"
Kael scratched his cheek.
"Well, that means I need to head down to the workers' level…"
"All right, then."
He spread the limestone powder across a metal tray.
"Damn, that's dusty work…"
After making sure the powder was spread evenly, Kael picked up the tray and carried it out of his laboratory.
Beyond the sliding glass door lay the Forgehold's underground working level a chaotic world of roaring furnaces, blazing heat, and sweat-soaked workers pushing themselves through their demanding labor.
Kael descended the black-crystal staircase, holding the metal tray carefully in both hands.
He had no intention of heating the material himself. Without proper protective equipment, he would risk getting burned by the intense heat of the furnaces.
Instead, he needed help from the Winger workers, the supporters who served as an essential part of the underground workforce.
At the bottom of the staircase, Kael spotted a group of Wingers chatting together while discussing their assignments.
Among them was a familiar figure.
One of his work friends.
Yrasr, the Flame Elemental.
"Rasr!"
Kael walked toward him, the metal tray still balanced in his hands.
The flame figure turned toward him, its body flickering and shifting as the flames danced across its form.
"YOOO! Kael, my friend! What's up?!"
Yrasr greeted him enthusiastically, moving his fiery body closer to Kael.
"Whoa, Rasr! You're kinda hot when you're this close to me!"
Kael began sweating beneath his lab coat as the heat radiating from Yrasr's body washed over him.
"Oops, my bad…"
Yrasr moved backward, adjusting the flames around his body to reduce the heat he emitted.
"Thanks. Busy?" Kael asked.
"Meh, I'm good. Work isn't too hectic today. Why?"
"I see… In that case, could you help me with this?"
Kael held out the metal tray containing the crushed limestone.
"Limestone? What do you want me to do with it?"
"Help me heat it in the furnace. Can you?"
"The furnace?"
Yrasr glanced toward the furnace a few meters away.
"But that might take a while, Kael. You'd also need to let it cool down before you can use it, right?"
"Yeah… I don't want to make this project take any longer than necessary."
"Hmm…"
Yrasr's flaming head flickered as he thought.
"Oh, yeah! You can just take some limestone that's already been heated!"
He turned toward Kael.
"Wait here! I'll go get it for you."
"Oh, I didn't even think of that! You're clever, Rasr!"
"Hehehe! Working as a Winger here means you get to see a lot of things, Kael. Just wait here! The heated limestone isn't far from here. I'll get some that's already cooled down for you!"
Kael nodded as Yrasr spread his fiery body across the hard ground, moving swiftly toward the other side of the working area.
While waiting, Kael struck up conversations with several workers nearby, telling them about his latest project: creating a material that could withstand and sustain extreme conditions.
"That's goooood, Human!" a solid stone golem replied approvingly.
"As expected from our number-one blueprint designer! HAHAHA!" a Ground Dwarf laughed.
"Yo, Kael! Here you go!"
Yrasr's voice suddenly rang out as he returned, carrying a glass container filled with cooled quicklime. His flaming hand was wrapped around the container, making the glass slightly warm to the touch.
"Thanks, Rasr! Put that down for a moment so it can cool a little more."
Yrasr nodded and carefully placed the container down.
"Should I take this limestone with me, then?" Yrasr asked, holding up Kael's metal tray of unheated limestone.
"Yeah, sure! Take it with you. I'll bring this back with me."
Kael picked up the glass container and tested its temperature. It was still warm, but he could hold it comfortably.
"Thanks, guys! I'm off to continue my project!"
The workers nodded and watched as Kael made his way back upstairs to his personal laboratory.
Perhaps they didn't fully understand it yet.
Perhaps they couldn't imagine just how versatile the material Kael was about to create would become.
THUD!
Kael placed the glass container on his work table and pulled the blueprint closer.
"All right. The blueprint calls this quicklime, huh?"
He reviewed the instructions once more, studying the notes beside the illustration before turning his attention back to the container.
"Pour the water into this quicklime… Oh, there's a warning here?"
Kael leaned closer to the blueprint and read the note carefully.
Adding water to quicklime can trigger a violent reaction, releasing intense heat. Handle with extreme caution.
"Ohhh! So that's how it is…"
He scooped a suitable amount of quicklime into a larger glass container.
"All right, that should do it."
Kael carefully placed the container on the ground before opening the water bottle. Following the instructions and measurements on the blueprint, he slowly poured the required amount of water into the quicklime.
PHOOM!
A sudden burst of steam erupted from the container, followed by a violent boiling reaction.
"WHOA!"
Kael recoiled in surprise, watching the reaction unfold before him.
Eventually, the bubbling subsided, and the mixture began to cool.
Once it was safe to proceed, Kael picked up a glass stirring rod and carefully stirred the contents.
The mixture gradually transformed into a smooth, thick white paste.
"Okay… looks good…"
"Now for the fine clay powder…"
He added the powdered clay and began mixing again.
The white paste gradually darkened, becoming a thick gray mixture as the ingredients combined.
"All right! The binder is done…"
Kael examined the mixture briefly before reaching for the other prepared ingredients.
"Now, let's add everything else!"
He poured in the crushed pumice, volcanic ash, and finely ground silica sand, incorporating each ingredient into the mixture.
As he stirred, however, Kael began to realize something.
This material wasn't going to be nearly as indestructible as he had once imagined.
But then again, he had already known that from the beginning.
The mixture was almost identical to the material used in the walls of the underground Forgehold's furnaces.
It was designed to withstand extreme temperatures, not to withstand every form of physical damage.
"Yeah… This isn't supposed to be indestructible. Its main purpose is to resist heat and even extreme cold."
Kael paused, studying the thickening mixture.
"I already knew that when I first opened the blueprint."
He glanced toward the wooden shelves lining his laboratory, where his extensive collection of Might Crystals and Might Minerals was stored.
"But if I want to make this material more durable…"
His gaze sharpened.
"I'm the one who needs to figure that out."
There was no need to worry.
Kael had spent years working as a blueprint designer, carefully documenting the properties of countless materials found throughout the underground Forgehold.
His collection contained everything from the most common and widely used crystals to rare specimens that few people ever had the chance to examine.
He had recorded their functions, reactions to different substances, and even the limits of their capabilities.
Every specimen represented another possibility waiting to be discovered.
And with that many possibilities at his disposal, Kael wasn't about to give up on improving his creation.
He continued stirring until the mixture finally reached the consistency he wanted.
A thick, dark gray paste.
Kael stopped and examined his work.
"This is the final stage before drying and testing it…"
He studied the paste for a moment, then shifted his attention toward another ingredient.
"This is the final stage before drying and testing it… But I've still got something to add."
His gaze shifted toward his collection of minerals.
Just like Neutral Might Crystals, Might Minerals possessed their own unique properties.
But what exactly were Might Minerals?
Might Minerals formed in places exposed to exceptionally concentrated Might usage. Such locations included mountains where Realm Protectors trained to sharpen their abilities and master their bodily control, as well as battlefields where prolonged conflicts had saturated the surroundings with residual Might.
Over time, that accumulated energy seeped into the ground and interacted with the minerals beneath the surface, eventually forming what the realm called Might Minerals.
Might Crystals, however, were different.
Unlike Might Minerals, Might Crystals possessed elemental affinities.
Thousands of years ago, powerful elemental Might users had lived and died throughout the realm. When they died, traces of their elemental Might could remain behind. Under the right conditions, that residual power was absorbed by crystals deep underground, gradually forming what were now known as Might Crystals.
A Flame Might Crystal, for instance, could enhance the capabilities of a user whose Might possessed a flame affinity. Ice Might Crystals served a similar purpose for users with an ice affinity.
And so, the realm inherited the power of those who had come before.
Ironically, the Realm Protectors relied on the remnants of previous generations of Might users to defend the very realm those predecessors had once protected from the Mishanter.
A never-ending legacy…
Even after a thousand years had passed, those who had died long ago could still contribute to the protection of the realm.
Their lives had ended, yet traces of their power remained, passed down through generations.
Might Minerals, on the other hand, did not retain a specific elemental affinity.
They contained Might Energy itself, inheriting its properties and attributes without inheriting the original user's elemental nature.
Their properties varied considerably. Some emitted light, while others possessed unusual shapes and sizes. Certain specimens could float in the air, radiate heat, or produce intense cold. Others could even combine with one another, accumulating energy and becoming more powerful.
Their characteristics depended on the conditions under which they formed and the properties they developed over time.
Like ordinary minerals, they could also react with water or other chemical substances.
And Kael's shelves contained an extensive collection of them.
He had carefully labeled each specimen according to its observable properties, particularly how it reacted with water and other chemicals.
His fingers ran along the shelf, passing rows of labeled minerals of different shapes and colors.
He wasn't searching randomly.
He was looking for a specific property.
Then, suddenly, his fingers stopped.
"Aha! This one!"
Kael picked up a yellowish-orange mineral shaped like a small pebble.
Its label read:
Regenerative Material Mineral (Gazitlite)
A mineral capable of regenerating itself, even after being crushed into dust. Like might energy one of its property is ability to make the user of the might regain its own strength
Simply gather the dust in one place and pour a few drops of water over it. The mineral would reconstruct itself, restoring its original form even after being destroyed repeatedly.
Kael examined the Gazitlite in his hand, a smile slowly forming on his face.
"I need this to make sure the material can repair itself after a powerful impact. Even if the paste develops cracks, the Gazitlite should be able to regenerate and fill them back in."
He glanced toward the thick, dark gray paste on his desk.
"The reason I'm combining these two materials is to create a thermal-resistant material that can repair itself when cracks appear."
But that wasn't all.
"And for durability… this should do the trick."
Kael reached beneath his desk and pulled out a thin, hollow alloy sheet.
He placed it alongside the other ingredients: the Gazitlite, the hollow alloy sheets, and the thick gray paste he had just finished mixing.
He studied the three materials together.
"This is it…"
A confident grin spread across his face.
"These three materials, combined into one structure, will create something capable of withstanding extreme temperatures while repairing itself after damage."
Of course, he knew better than to assume his first attempt would be perfect.
It would take another week to complete his initial prototypes, and even then, he would need time to test their limits and identify their weaknesses.
Fortunately, he still had two months before his fight against all his friends.
There was enough time to improve the material's structure, experiment with different arrangements, and refine the design.
After all, he had never expected his first prototype to be perfect.
"All right. The base material is complete, and I've followed everything in the blueprint."
Kael looked over the ingredients and the remaining notes one last time.
"That means the basic process is done. I'll work on the additional improvements later…"
He turned toward his backpack and pulled out Book Z.
A different kind of project awaited him.
"Now, let's move on to my final invention…"
Kael opened the book, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Rest Assured Remedy."
To be continued…