Elias sat at a workbench in the Academy's exclusive crafting workshop, a space normally reserved for high-ranking students and scholars. The place was a tinkerer's paradise—walls lined with rare magical materials, tables stacked with enchanted blueprints, and shelves filled with mana crystals, arcane metals, and spell-infused circuits.
And now?
Thanks to the Headmaster's unexpected sponsorship, he had access to it all.
Lira stood nearby, arms crossed as she scanned the room. "I still don't get it. One day you're a nobody, and the next, the Headmaster's personally handing you a golden ticket to build whatever crazy contraption you want."
Elias smirked, running his fingers over a sleek mana-core module. "Guess he sees potential."
Lira scoffed. "Yeah, or he just wants to keep an eye on you before you cause an actual uprising."
Elias shrugged. "Either way, I'm not complaining."
He grabbed a mana filament coil, its surface shimmering with latent energy. The last duel had proven his gauntlet worked, but now he had a new goal—making it even better.
Because if the nobles were watching him?
He needed to be ten steps ahead.
Upgrading the Gauntlet
Elias pulled out his blueprints and began sketching. The current design worked, but it had two major flaws—it absorbed too much energy too quickly, making it unstable, and it lacked a proper defensive function.
He tapped his pencil against the table. "Alright. First problem—mana overflow."
Lira peeked over his shoulder. "Didn't you almost blow up your dorm last time?"
Elias sighed. "Yes. Thanks for reminding me."
She grinned. "Anytime."
He adjusted his sketch, adding a pressure regulator—a modified rune circuit that would channel excess energy away from the core instead of letting it build up dangerously.
Lira tilted her head. "What about defense? If someone fires a spell you can't absorb?"
Elias smirked. "Glad you asked."
He flipped the blueprint, revealing a second design—a deployable mana shield, powered by redirected energy. If he couldn't block with the gauntlet itself, he could create a temporary barrier using the absorbed magic.
Lira raised an eyebrow. "Okay. That's actually kind of brilliant."
Elias grinned. "You sound surprised."
Lira shrugged. "I dunno. I just assumed your strategy would be 'punch magic really hard.'"
Elias laughed. "That's still Plan B."
The First Test
By nightfall, the modifications were complete. The new version of the gauntlet was sleeker, reinforced with lighter but stronger materials. The mana regulator pulsed steadily, keeping the energy flow stable and controlled.
Now came the real test.
Elias and Lira snuck into an empty training yard, avoiding the usual student patrols. The academy had strict rules about unsupervised combat practice, but Elias wasn't about to wait for official approval.
Lira stretched her fingers, summoning a small arc of lightning in her palm. "Alright. If this explodes, I'm running."
Elias raised his gauntlet. "Noted."
Lira hurled the lightning bolt at him.
Elias activated the absorption function—the electricity collided with the gauntlet, but instead of a wild burst of unstable energy, the regulator redirected the excess, dispersing the charge evenly.
Lira blinked. "Wait. It actually worked?"
Elias smirked. "Oh, we're not done."
He twisted his wrist, engaging the new shield function. The stored energy flared outward, forming a translucent barrier just in time to block a second incoming spell.
Lira let out a low whistle. "Alright. Now I am impressed."
Elias flexed his fingers. The new system felt right—like an extension of himself rather than just a tool.
"This," he said, staring at the glowing gauntlet, "is just the beginning."
Lira crossed her arms. "Good. Because something tells me you're gonna need it."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"
Lira nodded toward the entrance of the training yard.
Where a group of students in noble house robes stood watching.
Elias exhaled. Well. That didn't take long.