The weight of the night's work settled on Kairos as he stood alone in his quarters. The glow of a single candle cast long shadows on the walls, making the room feel both comforting and ominous. He unrolled a parchment, revealing a basic list of materials Eclipse had generated for him. Simple items filled the list: ten health potions, ten mana crystals, torches, five basic swords, ten javelins, a regular bow, a quiver, and fifty regular arrows.
Kairos sighed, rubbing his temple. These were the essentials he needed to gather before the trial, nothing special, but crucial nonetheless. With the knowledge of the upcoming four-on-one ambush from the other houses weighing heavily on his mind, these items suddenly felt inadequate.
"Eclipse," Kairos whispered, "this feels... basic. Will this really be enough?"
Eclipse's voice echoed in his mind, calm and composed. "For now, it's a start. However, there is more we can do to prepare."
Kairos nodded and decided to take a trip to the Aurelian house's storeroom. He moved swiftly through the silent corridors, his mind focused on the task ahead. When he arrived, he found the storeroom as a labyrinth of shelves filled with old relics, ancient weapons, and forgotten treasures.
He set to work, scavenging through the dusty shelves. It felt more like a treasure hunt as he unearthed everything on his list: the health potions, mana crystals, basic weapons, and more. Among the mundane, however, he also found items that sparked his curiosity—enchanted swords, mystical talismans, and other magical artifacts.
Kairos reached out to take one of the enchanted swords, but Eclipse's voice cut in sharply. "Don't waste your energy on those. They're powerful, but you'll need something more personal, something forged by your own hands."
Kairos frowned, puzzled. "Forged by my own hands? I've never forged anything in my life, let alone crafted a weapon. I don't even have the skill."
"Not yet," Eclipse replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. "But there's a book in this room, to your left. An old, dusty tome—find it."
Kairos scanned the room, eyes landing on a decrepit, dirty book lying haphazardly on a shelf. The title was barely legible: Crafting guide light. He hesitated, then picked it up, brushing off the layers of dust. The pages were yellowed with age, but inside were basic guides on creating health potions, mana potions, poisons, anti-venoms, and even rudimentary smelting techniques for weapons like swords, spears, shields, and staffs.
Kairos flipped through the pages, feeling a mixture of excitement and skepticism. "This book is... basic."
"Indeed," Eclipse mused, sounding almost disdainful. "The knowledge has fallen far from what it once was. But it will suffice for now. You need to start somewhere."
Eclipse then guided Kairos through the process of smelting, explaining a technique long forgotten by most. "Grab one of those basic swords and a mana crystal," Eclipse instructed. Kairos did as told, still uncertain. "Now, channel your mana into the crystal. Focus on infusing it with your intention—see it becoming something more."
Kairos focused, feeling the flow of his mana through his fingertips, forcing it into the crystal. At first, nothing happened. But then, as he concentrated harder, the crystal began to shift. Its usual starry glow dimmed and then turned into a galaxy-shaded hue, swirling with cosmic energy. As more mana flowed, the crystal changed further, transforming into a pitch-white magma-like substance.
Kairos stared in awe. "It's… it's like liquid light," he murmured.
"It's mana magma," Eclipse corrected. "Warm, not hot. Now, use it like ink and —inscribe the sword with the patterns I am about to show you."
Kairos concentrated as a series of graceful symbols began to appear in his mind, each one radiating an ancient, powerful energy. These symbols, elegant and mysterious, seemed to belong to a forgotten language of the gods. To Kairos's untrained eye, they were more than just patterns; they carried a weight, a presence that spoke of untold strength and hidden power.
With Eclipse's guidance, Kairos guided the magma with his forefinger, amazed at how it didn't burn. He moved carefully, etching runes and patterns onto the blade, channeling his mana with each stroke. The sword began to glow faintly, imbued with strength and power far beyond its original state.
"This technique is ancient," Eclipse explained. "It's crude but effective. It's called Smelt—a way to enhance weapons with your own mana and the properties of the crystal. The stronger your intention, the stronger the enchantment."
Kairos nodded, absorbing the information, and set to work. Over the next several hours, his room became a workshop of intense focus and effort. The air was thick with the smell of heated metal and the faint hum of magical energy. Each step of the smelting process required Kairos to channel his mana with precision, infusing the ordinary materials with extraordinary power.
He began with the swords for his cousins. Using the mana magma, he carefully inscribed the ancient symbols Eclipse had shown him. The symbols glowed faintly as they took root in the metal, turning the blades from simple weapons into powerful artifacts. Each sword hummed with a resonance that Kairos could feel deep within his bones, a testament to the strength and protection they would offer in the upcoming trials.
Next, he moved on to the boots. Eclipse guided him through the complex enchantment process, explaining how to weave the essence of speed into the soles. Kairos envisioned his cousins moving with the swiftness of the wind, their steps as light as air. The boots, once mundane, now gleamed with a faint, silvery light, promising unmatched agility.
The arrows were the most challenging. Kairos knew that even a single mistake could cause the delicate balance of mana to destabilize, resulting in a potentially deadly explosion. Sweat dripped down his face as he worked, his hands steady but his heart pounding in his chest. Eclipse's instructions were firm and relentless, pushing him to maintain absolute focus. The seeking arrows, designed to find their targets with unerring accuracy, required Kairos to imprint them with a sense of direction and purpose. The explosive arrows, on the other hand, demanded a carefully controlled instability, just enough to trigger a detonation on impact without prematurely igniting in his hands.When the last arrow was completed.