The incident with Tobias had taught Elian two important lessons. First, his magic could be used for more than just self-enhancement. Second, he had a severe energy problem. His reserves were limited, and even small acts of magic drained them quickly. He needed a reliable way to collect and store energy, and he needed to do it discreetly. Babies weren't supposed to be manipulating energy, after all.
He spent the next few days observing his surroundings, trying to understand the flow of energy. He focused on everything – the caregivers, the other infants, even the inanimate objects in the room. He noticed that some individuals seemed to radiate more energy than others. Martha, despite her exhaustion, still possessed a considerable amount. Some of the older children, those closer to conscription age, seemed to hum with a faint, almost visible energy.
He also noticed that certain objects seemed to hold energy better than others. The plastic toys, as he had discovered, were mostly useless. But the metal frame of his crib, the ceramic feeding bowls, even the dust motes dancing in the sunbeams – they all seemed to possess a subtle energy signature.
He began to experiment. He focused on the metal frame of his crib, trying to draw energy from it.
[Item: Metal Crib Frame]
[Properties: Durable, Conductive, Low Energy Potential]
[Energy Value: 2 (Passive)]
Two energy units? Better than the rattle, but still not enough. He tried to draw the energy into himself, but nothing happened. He realized he needed a conduit, something to channel the energy.
He thought of the blue window, his interface with his powers. Could he use it to… create something? He focused on the "Edit Mode" text.
[Edit Mode: Active]
[Target: New Item Creation]
A new section appeared on the window.
[Blueprint: Available]
[Materials: Required]
[Energy Cost: Variable]
A list of basic shapes and materials appeared below. He recognized some – wood, metal, cloth. Others were unfamiliar – Aetherium, Lumina Crystal, Void Silk. He had no idea what these were, but he assumed they were related to magic.
He started with something simple – a small, metallic sphere. He selected "metal" as the material and "sphere" as the shape.
[Required Materials: 1 unit of Metal]
[Energy Cost: 10]
He looked around the room. There was no loose metal. He thought of the crib frame again. Could he…?
[Extract 1 unit of Metal from Crib Frame?]
[Energy Cost: 5]
He hesitated. He didn't want to damage his crib. But he needed to experiment. He thought yes.
A small sliver of metal seemed to detach itself from the frame, glowing faintly as it floated towards him. The blue window updated.
[Materials: Sufficient]
[Create Item?]
He thought yes.
The sliver of metal disappeared, and a small, perfectly spherical ball materialized in his hand. It was cool to the touch and seemed to hum with a faint energy.
[Item: Metallic Sphere]
[Properties: Conductive, Energy Storage (Low)]
[Energy Capacity: 10]
He had created something! It was a small victory, but it was a start. He tried to channel energy from the crib frame through the sphere.
[Transfer Energy from Crib Frame to Metallic Sphere?]
[Energy Transfer Rate: 1 unit per minute]
Slow, but steady. He left the sphere to charge, focusing on other things. He tried creating other simple objects – a small wooden box, a cloth pouch. Each one required different materials and energy costs. He realized that the more complex the object, the more energy and rarer the materials required.
He also experimented with energy storage. He discovered that the metallic sphere could hold a limited amount of energy. He tried creating a larger sphere, but the energy cost was prohibitive. He needed a better storage solution.
He thought of the unfamiliar materials – Aetherium, Lumina Crystal, Void Silk. He focused on "Lumina Crystal."
[Material: Lumina Crystal]
[Properties: High Energy Conductivity, Excellent Energy Storage, Rare]
[Availability: Unknown]
Rare. Of course. He would need to find these rare materials somehow. But how? He was a baby, confined to his crib.
He looked around the room, at the other infants, at the caregivers, at the worn furniture. He needed information. He needed a plan. He needed… time. He had a long way to go, but he had taken the first step. He was learning. He was adapting. He would survive.