Amid his Researcher's space, surrounded by an assortment of materials, Seth's eyes were fixed on a half-completed device before him. Suddenly, he felt a peculiar sensation from the space around him. Time had passed unnoticed, and the overdrive function was now ready for activation. Astonishment and joy swept over him, for he realized that a full thirty days had slipped by while he was immersed in his work and research and this opportunity came at the perfect moment, since after completing the Force-Electrum array he had been unable to apply the array in any artifact. Every attempt in merging the array with companion arrays in artifacts was met with a spectacular display of explosions, if it weren't for the Space making all experimentations virtual hence he received not injuries and not to mention Mage Laraz had entered a period of seclusion immediately after the Success of the Force-Electrum array leaving him without any guidance on how to proceed. Seth took a moment to draft a simple plan of action and give himself a direction on how he would use this opportunity then he activated the function.
The space around Seth began to transform, its white hue shifting to a vibrant red. He felt his abilities rapidly escalating, an influx of power surging through him. His mind became a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas. The book "Magitech for Dummies" surfaced in his mind, as a certain chapter became apparent in the face of his problems. Glyphs materialized in the air what he had seen performed by Mage Laraz was being done by himself, each intricate design forming and dissolving, creating a cycle of creation and destruction. As time passed, the cycle shifted, favoring creation until a singular complex array remained.
Seth's mind was a storm of thought and calculation. He simplified and streamlined the array, eliminating inconsistencies and redundancies. A new array took shape, revolving with monumental splendor. Then, materials materialized before him, transforming and reshaping. The result was an orb then as if waiting for this exact moment, the array slowly descended until in merged smoothly with the orb, pulsating with energy. The energy pulse shifted from black to purple, then to deep blue, and finally settled into a soothing light blue pulse. The ball compressed in size, from that of a human head to a mere fist.
With increased vigor, Seth continued to materialize and manipulate more materials. A humanoid puppet took form, the previously created orb merging seamlessly with its head. A blue glow emanated from the puppet's eyes, indicating a successful integration. Seth established a mental link with the puppet's array, assigning simple tasks that gradually grew more complex. The puppet danced, flipped, and executed intricate maneuvers as Seth fine-tuned its actions.
Feeling satisfied with the performance of the puppet, Seth abruptly disassembled it before beginning to materialize and manipulate materials once more. Materials transformed into a refined alchemy chariot, and once more the orb descended into it, embedding itself at the core. The glyph arrays within the chariot responded to the orb, and the vehicle thrummed with newfound power. With satisfaction, Seth waved the chariot away.
Seth then chronicled his progress in a book, meticulously recording his actions and insights. He then decided to utilize the remainder of his time in space by upgrading his spellcasting capabilities. As the space gradually returned to its original white hue, Seth found himself armed with not only the book but also the knowledge he had acquired and the satisfaction of learning two new spells: Burning Domain and Fire Teleportation. The former, the only defensive spell learnable by apprentice mages, creates a fiery field around the caster, burning any who ventured too close however it provides little protection from ranged attacks. The latter allowed instantaneous teleportation within the confines of the burning field, together the two drastically improve the defensive capability of a caster since what can't hit you can't hurt you. Seth had even managed to enhance the Burning Domain's range to its maximum diameter of 10 meters, any further he would have to breakthrough to High-grade apprentice mage.
The following morning found Seth making his way to the Palace of Alchemy with a batch of potions for sale. However, his plans were disrupted when three young men confronted him. Clad in apprentice robes, they exuded an air of nobility through their ornate accessories. Arthur Green, the heir of the Green Viscounty, Devis Farum, and Laxwel Haum—members of baron families and unproclaim lackey of Arthur—all approached Seth. Arthur's arrogant and condescending demeanor did little to hide his disdain for a commoner like Seth.
"It's been a while Merchant", Arther said.
"Word around speaks of your recent success as a alchemist, I have to give it to you at least you aren't as talentless as I had assumed" He continued as his lackeys laughed at his odd attempt of making fun of Seth.
Noticing Seth giving him a deadpan expression, Aurther clicked in irritation.
"Tsk! Well, I don't have the time and day to speak to those of your status, so I'll keep this short. I hope to see you out of this Institution as quickly as possible, you have overstayed your welcome and your recent activities are putting a stain in my honor as a member of the Derk earldom."
Having been feed up with all this Seth resisted responding, attempting to walk past them. Yet, Laxwel obstructed his way. Seth's gaze hardened,
"Move!" he growled at Laxwel. This however caused Arthur to chuckle.
"Courageous aren't you, but you smart enough to understand what I'm capable of?" Arthur issued veiled threats.
Frustration simmered within Seth, the impulse to demonstrate his newfound strength on them surged within him, but he recognized that it wouldn't bring make matters spiral out of control especially since the institution strictly forbade fighting. Then suddenly Arthur moved away and walked past him as his minions followed, to which Seth sighed before continuing with his journey. In his mind the curiosity of how it would feel if he launched a set of fire lances at them.