The sky had begun to stain itself in shades of crimson and gold when Kael finally returned to the house. The day's work weighed on his shoulders, and his boots were caked with dirt and forest leaves, but his spirit was light. He dragged his small bundle of supplies across the wooden floor and set it down near his bed.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced at the ceiling, and muttered, "Feels like I've forgotten something…"
It took him a moment to remember. His heart skipped.
"The starter pack!" Kael blurted, slapping his forehead. He had been so caught up in Christy, his father's praise for the boar trap, and his own racing ideas that he had nearly forgotten about the mysterious gift from the God of Innovation.
He sat quickly on the bed, excitement returning in a flood, and whispered, "System. Open the newbie starter pack."
Blue light shimmered in the air before him, folding into glowing panels that listed out the rewards one by one.
[Newbie Starter Pack Unlocked!]
Dimensional Storage (Activated)
Regular Bow (+3 Agility)
100 Wood
100 Stone
50 Veksar Metal
Medal of the Pioneer (Special)
Kael's eyes widened with every item that appeared, and by the time the list ended, his jaw had practically hit the floor.
"Dimensional storage… and materials? And… wait—what's this?" His gaze locked on the final reward.
The glowing words lingered in the air as though demanding his full attention:
Medal of the Pioneer: For every invention, bonus EXP is added. Can also remove one requirement/ingredient needed for crafting an item. (One use per creation.)
Kael leaned back and let out a slow whistle. "This… this is insane. I could… I could really change things with this."
He thought of all the inventions in his head, all the sketches he had half-drawn when he was younger but abandoned because the materials were impossible to get in Vance. Now, the medal meant he could bypass one critical requirement each time. It was as if the God of Innovation had reached down and carved a path just for him.
"System, equip the medal."
[Medal of the Pioneer Equipped.]
A subtle warmth spread over his chest, like an invisible emblem pressed against his skin. He couldn't see it, but he felt it—a badge of recognition, a symbol that marked him not just as Kael, the hunter's son, but as someone chosen to shape the future.
He grinned, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. Let's see what else we've got."
He reached into the dimensional storage with a thought. To his amazement, the space opened like a vast void in his mind, and he pulled out a lump of shimmering ore. The Veksar Metal. It glowed faintly with a life of its own, like molten silver frozen mid-flow.
"System," Kael said, "give me the details."
[Veksar Metal: A flexible, out-of-this-world alloy. Ten times tougher than common iron, yet lightweight and highly adaptable.]
Kael's fingers tightened around it. "Ten times tougher… and still light?" He shook his head in disbelief. "This is practically cheating."
Excitement surged again, and ideas began to storm through his mind. Bailey's storehouse, the endless trips to fetch water, his mother's tired hands carrying buckets back and forth—what if that problem simply… disappeared?
He clenched the Pen of Idea. "Alright then. Let's make a water system."
Kael stepped outside, the evening air crisp with the smell of pine and tilled earth. He walked to the back of the house where there was space. The Pen of Idea glowed faintly in his hand, responding to his determination.
He started with the basics: a large water tank.
"System," he murmured, "use wood and stone."
Blue light flowed from the pen as Kael sketched the outline in the air. Lines shimmered, forming into walls, a base, and a wide cylindrical body. The materials pulled themselves from storage, shaping together as if invisible hands were assembling them.
Bit by bit, the structure took form until a sturdy water tank stood behind the house, solid and real. Kael reached out and touched it, running his hand across the surface. It was warm, humming faintly with prana, as though acknowledging its creator.
"Not bad," he said, smiling. "But it's just a container unless I can fill it."
He turned his attention to the real challenge: bringing water from the river.
Kael closed his eyes, imagining pipes stretching underground from the riverbank straight into the tank. He pictured gears turning, water being pulled in, and a mechanism that would halt once the tank was full. The vision grew clearer with every breath until it was as if he could already see it working.
Then the problem hit him. The pulling mechanism needs a power source… a battery, or maybe a prana core. I don't have anything like that.
His stomach sank. Was he stuck again, just as before? But then his hand brushed against the warmth on his chest, and he remembered.
"The medal." He smirked. "System, apply the Pioneer Medal to bypass the power source requirement."
[Confirmed. Requirement skipped.]
The medal pulsed once, heat flaring through him, and the design locked into place. Where the power source should have been, something invisible hummed, filling the gap seamlessly.
Kael exhaled in awe. "So that's how it works… It doesn't do everything for me. Just plugs the one missing piece. But even once per creation… that's huge."
He wasted no time. For the pipes, he fed chunks of Veksar Metal into the pen's glowing sketches. The ore twisted and stretched, fusing into smooth, silvery pipes that gleamed in the fading sunlight. They were strong yet light, and the metal almost seemed eager to obey.
Hours passed as Kael labored, sketching, molding, and connecting. Sweat dripped down his back, his fingers cramped, but he didn't stop. The excitement of creation burned in him stronger than fatigue.
Finally, with a last stroke of the pen, the system gave its silent approval. The pipes ran from the riverbank, the mechanism stood in place, and the tank waited. Kael stepped back, breathless.
"Moment of truth," he whispered.
The mechanism clicked, and water surged through the Veksar pipes with a steady gurgle. He held his breath as the tank filled, climbing higher and higher until it reached the brim. With a sharp clank, the mechanism locked, halting the flow.
Kael blinked, then laughed in disbelief. "It… it actually worked!"
The system chimed in triumph.
[Innovation Successful!]
Water Tank with Veksar Pipe Created.
+50 EXP
+20 Bonus EXP (Pioneer Medal)
Kael's body trembled as the familiar rush of system energy filled him.
[Level Up! 3 → 5]
New windows appeared in his vision.
Status
Kael – Level 5
Strength: 4 | Agility: 8 | Vitality: 4 | Intelligence: 8
Available Points: 0
Kael didn't hesitate. "Allocate all points to Intelligence."
[Intelligence increased to 11.]
Instantly, his body buzzed. His mind felt sharper, clearer, as if the world itself had slowed just slightly to let him think faster. The prana within him swelled, flowing stronger than ever before. The exhaustion that had clung to his limbs earlier lifted, replaced by a steady hum of energy.
He wiped his face and stared proudly at the finished creation. Fresh, clean river water filled the tank, glistening in the dim light. No more carrying buckets. No more wasted hours. His mother wouldn't have to strain herself again, and his father could focus entirely on the forge.
For the first time, Kael felt the weight of what he carried—the gift of innovation. This wasn't just for him. Every invention, every spark of creativity, could change lives.
He laughed softly. "Mom is going to love this. And Father…" He smirked, imagining Ifrit's booming laughter and disbelief. He'll probably call me insane. But… I know he'll be proud.
The boy stood there for a long while, watching the water glisten under the stars. The air was cool, the forest quiet, and the only sound was the steady trickle of water settling into its place.