Rlyis stormed into the courtyard, her eyes scanning the scene with an immediate intensity, her gaze lingering on the splintered trunks and scattered branches. A glint of disbelief widened her eyes, then narrowed them as her gaze finally found Lassim and Eno standing among the destruction.
The crackling remnants of mana still hung in the air, pulsing with a strange intensity as a tiny void-lightning fish didn’t find a target, a bit slow or deciding the trees didn’t fight back so they must not be an enemy and swam back through the air towards Lassim’s halberd. It just so happened to pause in front of Rlyis for a brief moment on its way and disappeared, fusing with Lassim’s mana pathways that connected to his halberd.
She crossed her arms, barely containing her exasperation as she looked between them.
"Can someone explain what in the heavens just happened here?" Her voice was tight, and her usually controlled tone was barely masking her shock.
Eno stepped in, his tone attempting reassurance though he still sounded somewhat dazed himself. "Rlyis, it’s… well… Lassim managed to fuse his elements in a way I’ve never seen before. It’s beyond what I expected—what anyone could expect, really. The blending of the elements was so far beyond forging two ores together; it felt… alive."
He gestured around at the destruction, as though that alone would justify his explanation.
"I showed him a simple breathing technique—something basic for metal Spirit Warriors to help with element blending—And… well… this happened." Eno rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhere between astonished and apologetic.
Rlyis’s gaze sharpened, switching back to Lassim. "You’re saying you taught him a basic breathing technique and that was enough to cause this?"
Eno nodded, eyebrows raised. "The mana itself was… well, I don’t have a better word for it other than ’guided.’ It has this intent behind it that feels remarkably similar to what we want out of our special project’s design."
Rlyis closed her eyes and shook her head, releasing a long, tense breath before refocusing on Lassim. "So a simple exercise results in such a ridiculous elemental mastery that’s completely unknown to the entire universe and just so happens to occur here in the middle of the night, in the middle of our outpost to cause… this!?" She glanced and gestured at the broken trees, a touch of exasperation breaking through her shock.
"You’re unique for even having two elements, but something like this is going to attract interest you know—attention from anyone who catches wind of it. You need to be very careful about showing this level of power to anyone outside of the sect, or you’ll find yourself an unwelcome target unless Volten protects you for a bit longer." She paused, letting it hopefully sink into Lassim’s mind for a moment.
"And speaking of attention," with a pointed look at the shattered trees, "it seems we’ll need to send for a mission to bring in a Nature Spirit Warrior contractor. The tree line shielded this outpost for a reason. Sure we have the defensive array up and still functional, but if we don’t restore it, we’re wide open to anyone passing by."
Lassim felt a flicker of guilt, and he nodded. "I didn’t realize the extent of what would happen. I’ll be more cautious with future tests."
Rlyis gave a slight, dry smile. "Yes, well, caution is one thing. But this level of power…" Her gaze softened slightly, tempered by a glint of reluctant admiration. "Let’s just make sure it’s put to good use—and without destroying our defenses in the process."
"Understood," Lassim replied, meeting her eyes with a determined nod.
"Alright, off to bed both of you. We’ll have work to finish in the morning and I’d like to get some actual sleep this time."
Eno and Lassim sort of held their heads in slight shame and embarrassment as they followed her back to the residence to their rooms for the remainder of the night.
~~~
The next morning, Lassim arrived at the workshop feeling refreshed, a quiet anticipation running through him as he entered after last night. He was eager to see what changes would occur with the engraving process with his new fused mana.
Rlyis had set out a fresh batch of plates on the workbench, ready to each be etched with more designs than he’d practiced and studied so far.
Rlyis turned as he approached, an appraising look on her face. "Today, I’ll need you to focus even more closely on channeling your mana for these designs. Since your fused energy is…unique, and had that intense reaction yesterday, we’ll see how it interacts with arrays now. Try the last few complex patterns from the last part of sheet #4. I should be finished over here once you’ve completed them."
Nodding, Lassim picked up the engraving tool with a bit of growing familiarity, the same sore spot on his hand showing the beginnings of a slight callous, and began.
He allowed the fused mana to flow slowly, carefully directing it into each stroke. As he moved the tool across the plate, he noticed an immediate difference: his mana seemed to settle into the engraved symbols with a stability he hadn’t experienced before. The wavy lines and symbols appeared to resonate slightly with his energy, which led to making less mistakes.
Also, as he completed each engraving, the runes themselves took on a distinctive, almost stylized appearance compared to an almost plainish that they were before, with an ethereal, purple and azure, holographic glow that hadn’t been there with his previous mana.
Rlyis looked up from her station after about an hour and watched intently as he finished the first plate, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "You’re creating a unique signature with your engravings," she noted, her voice almost amused. "Most array masters develop a kind of ’accent’ in their runes, but I don’t think I’ve seen one quite like this before. Did you intend for it to look like that?"
Lassim shook his head, surprised himself. "No, it seems to happen naturally with the change in my mana. I’m also just engraving like I did before, but they change into that once I finish them."
She studied the plate, tapping her fingers thoughtfully before nodding. "Well, it’s consistent and stable, so we’ll keep it. Continue on this next one. I want you to complete all four plates this morning."
The next few hours passed in intense focus as Lassim worked through each design, adjusting his mana flow and refining his control with each plate. Well on his way to becoming an actual array creator, his fused energy brought a level of precision and depth to the engravings that felt instinctive, yet required a constant balance to maintain.
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By the time he finished the fourth plate, he felt an immense sense of progress and control, as though his connection with the new mana had deepened through the intricate work.
When he finally set down the tool, Rlyis had long finished her work and examined the plates carefully. "Impressive. Your engravings have a unique resonance—it’ll be interesting to see how this carries over to the construct arrays. I think you’re ready for the next step," She saw the excitement building in his eyes as he listened to her evaluation, "But, only after we finish with our current project. One step at a time." She smiled.
She then led him over to the thick-body construct they’d worked on the previous day, which now was ready with the adjustments Eno had made to its alloy composition and the added engravings she wrote. Today’s test would be crucial in seeing if it was ready for mass production.
Eno joined them, "All right, Lassim. Channel your mana gradually at first, and observe how it flows through the array paths. Remember, take note of any unusual resistance or fluctuations, and tell us immediately. This should be as close to the final version that should be possible for this model design, but your input for the power issues will be the final hurdle. Think back to how it was before and what you feel now."
Taking a steadying breath, Lassim placed his hand on the construct’s frame at the power supply unit and began to channel his mana, letting it flow into the array pathways engraved within the metal.
The energy pulsed through the construct, and he felt a smoothness and softness to the flow—an even distribution that surprised him compared to what it had felt like previously.
Also, despite the fused nature of his mana, it seemed to align perfectly with the embedded array’s directions and elemental alignment of pure lightning, moving seamlessly through each path.
As the energy continued to circulate, he noticed that the previous overheating points no longer presented any issues. The new alloy blend absorbed the energy without resistance, and the construct’s mana pathways felt stable, as though the adjustments had solidified the flow greatly.
"Rlyis, I’m not sensing any irregularities or issues," he reported, a hint of satisfaction in his tone. "The energy’s holding steady, and there’s no sign of resistance or overheating that had been there before."
Rlyis moved closer, scrutinizing the construct’s external array lines and the energy channels carefully. "Good. That’s exactly what we wanted." She exchanged a glance with Eno, who was nodding in approval.
"Looks like we finally have it." Eno’s voice was filled with satisfaction. "All our adjustments and testing have paid off, and it’s ready for production."
A surge of happiness filled Lassim as he watched the construct power down smoothly. This was the result of just a few days of dedication, and learning, but the successful test marked a critical milestone in his actual mission and reason for being there.
With the thick-body model now prepared for mass production, they could proceed with crafting the next batch which would lead to the successful passing of the mission sheet from headquarters. Being a battery for them was easy when the duo did all the hard work.
Rlyis turned to Lassim, "You’ve done well, Lassim. But there’s still much to do." She gave a small smile. "I hope you’re ready to help with the first production run of this new guard model?"
"Sure thing!" Lassim replied with a grin. "I’m looking forward to it. But… how exactly are we supposed to produce so many of these models? Won’t it take weeks to get everything done? I mean, I’ll still be here to help since you’re willing to teach me about arrays and I want to help with the advanced model you’re creating, but still…"
Rlyis’s smile widened, and she shared a knowing look with Eno. "I think it’s time we show you the last building here. It’s our pride and joy. Follow us." She gestured as they left the workshop toward the large building across from the workshop grounds and the residence—the "warehouse" he’d seen but never entered.
"Prepare to be amazed," Eno added, his tone light with anticipation.