Leon spent the rest of the day revising his bicycle blueprints. His first thought was to add rune plates to the chain guard, but he quickly discarded the idea—chain guards were unnecessary, and rough terrain could catch on them, jamming the chain. Better to integrate the runes into the frame itself.
He redesigned the iron frame, flattening the top and down tubes into oval shapes. The wider surface would give him more space to inscribe runes, and the oval design was stronger than round tubes, better able to handle the mana flow.
But inscribing runes on curved surfaces wasn't the same as drawing them on parchment. Rune arrays relied on precise lines and balanced mana flow—curving them around the frame would disrupt the energy paths, like bending a river. Leon needed to rethink the arrays, not just wrap them around the metal.
This was where his experiments with modular runes came in. For months, he'd been trying to apply programming logic to rune arrays—breaking them into smaller "modules" that could be rearranged or combined, like code blocks. It hadn't worked perfectly yet, but it had given him a new way to think about mana flow.
He'd successfully split a simple fire array into three modules: energy collection, conversion, and release. It made the array easier to understand, but harder to draw—more lines, more precise connections. He'd also tried combining an ice array and a fire array, sharing a single energy module, but the conflicting mana had caused an explosion that singed his eyebrows. He'd stopped experimenting with conflicting elements, but the modular concept was sound.
For the bicycle, Leon chose an anti-gravity rune array—not to make it fly, but to reduce its weight. The iron frame was heavy; even with ball bearings, pedaling it would be tiring. A low-power anti-gravity array would lighten the load, making it easier to ride.
He split the anti-gravity array into four modules: energy siphon (to draw mana from the environment), flow regulator (to control the mana output), distribution web (to spread the anti-gravity effect across the frame), and stabilization node (to prevent the array from backfiring). Each module was a small, self-contained rune cluster, designed to fit on the oval frame tubes.
Drawing the modules on parchment was easy. Inscribing them on the iron frame was not.
Leon heated the frame with the magic furnace, making the metal more receptive to mana. He used a sharpened mana crystal as a stylus, carefully scratching the rune modules into the oval tubes. His hands were steady—years of sketching lines and carving runes had seen to that—but the curved surface made precision difficult.
"Your lines are uneven," Im said, pausing to watch. He'd been working on his own charcoal filtration potions, but curiosity had drawn him to Leon's project. "The mana will pool in the thicker parts, causing instability."
Leon sighed, wiping away a crooked line with a file. "I'm trying. It's harder to draw on curved metal than flat parchment."
"Use your Mage Hand," Im suggested. "Its suction cups will steady the stylus. And infuse the crystal with a little mana— it will glide smoother."
Leon summoned his Mage Hand, the tentacles wrapping around the mana crystal. The suction cups held it firm, and infusing the crystal with mana made the stylus glide across the heated iron, leaving clean, even lines. It was slow work, but by evening, he'd inscribed all four modules on the frame.
Now came the tricky part: connecting the modules. The distribution web needed to link the energy siphon to the flow regulator, then to the stabilization node. Leon drew thin rune lines between the modules, carefully calculating the spacing to avoid mana interference—too close, and the modules would conflict; too far, and the mana wouldn't flow.
He activated the array with a small burst of mana. The frame glowed faintly blue, and when he lifted it, it felt lighter—half its original weight, by his estimate.
"It works," Leon said, grinning.
Im nodded, impressed. "Good. Now, the elastic material—cured tendons or enchanted linen. I'll help you treat them. Stretch the tendons, infuse them with earth mana, then wrap them around the iron wheels. They'll absorb shocks and grip the ground better than bare metal."
Leon agreed, eager to finish the bicycle. Im helped him cure animal tendons—leftovers from their Shadow Bladed Panther hunt—soaking them in a mana-infused solution, then stretching them tight and letting them dry. When they were done, the tendons were tough but elastic, perfect for tires.
Leon wrapped the tendons around the iron wheel rims, securing them with thin iron wire. The result was crude, but functional—thick, rubbery tires that would soften bumps and prevent slipping.
Three days later, the bicycle was complete.
It stood in the cottage's workroom: iron frame inscribed with glowing blue runes, leather seat, wooden handlebars wrapped in linen, and tendon tires. Leon stepped back, admiring his handiwork. It wasn't perfect—the chain still slipped occasionally, the tendons were uneven—but it was a bicycle.
"Let's test it," Dahlia said, bouncing on her toes.
Leon straddled the seat, gripping the handlebars. He pushed off with his feet, pedaling slowly. The chain clicked, the tendons tires hummed against the stone floor, and the anti-gravity array lightened the load, making pedaling effortless. He glided across the room, turning smoothly around the workbench.
"It works," he said, laughing. "It actually works."
Flower pushed him aside, eager to try. He stumbled at first, but quickly found his balance, pedaling around the room, whooping. "This is amazing! Faster than walking, easier than a horse!"
Dahlia went next, more cautious but just as excited. She pedaled slowly, grinning as she circled the room. "Can we ride it to Sarneth Town? Everyone will be so jealous."
Leon nodded, already planning the trip. He'd ride to Acorn Village first, show his family, then head to Sarneth with Flower and Dahlia. The bicycle was more than a toy—it was proof that his old-world knowledge and Etho's magic could work together, a tool that would make travel faster, easier, and more efficient.
As he watched Flower and Dahlia take turns riding the bicycle, Leon thought of Eldrin's journal, of the ancient ruins waiting in the Crosscut Mountains. The bicycle wouldn't help with combat or magic, but it would make the journey easier—faster than walking, less tiring than riding Big Cyan.
He thought of Im's words, about designing with runes in mind. The anti-gravity array was just the start. Someday, he could add wind-resistance arrays, or even a small mana boost array for steep hills. The modular design made it easy—he could add modules as his magic grew stronger.
Im clapped him on the back, a rare smile on his face. "Well done. It's practical, innovative, and you integrated runes properly. This is what it means to be a mage—using knowledge to solve problems."
Leon smiled, watching the bicycle glide across the floor. He'd built a bicycle in a world without rubber, without factories, without modern tools. He'd blended his past life with his new one, creating something truly his own.
The ruins were still ahead, the mystery of Eldrin's friends still unsolved. But with the bicycle, with his growing magic, with his friends by his side—he was ready.
"Tomorrow," Leon said, turning to Flower and Dahlia. "We ride to Acorn Village. Then Sarneth. Then… we finish preparing for the ruins."
Dahlia and Flower cheered, already arguing over who got to ride the bicycle first the next day. Leon laughed, feeling lighter than the anti-gravity frame.
This was the promise of his second life—endless possibilities, waiting to be built.