Kael, Nibsken, and Grak'Mar stepped out of the VenForeva Forest, each casually carrying their training gear. As they walked, the rough dirt beneath their boots gradually shifted into a smoother, well-laid path of white bricks. Realm Protectors patrolled the road, and a few civilians passed by, glancing at the trio.
Several pedestrians noticed the bandage wrapped around Kael's hand, the cloth torn straight from Grak'Mar's brown clothes.
"That looks serious… is he okay?" asked a female Orc, accompanied by a two other women, the crystal elemental and snake FaunDrakin carrying fresh fruits they had just bought.
"Yeah, yeah! Human in good condition, right?" Nibsken slapped Kael's back with a grin.
"I'm fine," Kael chuckled. "But I still need to heal this injury. Hehehe…"
"Alright then. Be careful," the Orc woman replied before the group continued down the white-brick path.
Eventually they reached the massive front of Kallidorra Forgehold, since the road to VenForeva Forest shared the same route, the entrance stood right before them.
Kael, Grak'Mar, and Nibsken stopped at the gate.
"Wait here, human. I go find Liraen and get that bottle for ya, okay?" Nibsken said.
"Thanks, Goblin…"
"Don't ya worry 'bout nothin'." Nibsken darted off toward the workers' section, slipping inside the Forgehold and heading straight to the underground levels.
Left alone, Kael and Grak'Mar waited by the gate.
"Ya sure that slimy remedy o' yours can fix human hand?" Grak'Mar grumbled, pointing at Kael's injury. "I don't want lady elf to yell at us…
"Don't worry, Ogre… you can always rely on my invention," Kael said confidently.
"Ceh! Ya invention… if not explode, then burn someone else, human," Grak'Mar snorted
"Hehehehe. Relax ogre…," Kael replied.
A few minutes later, Nibsken and Liraen emerged from the Forgehold, carrying a small wooden box.
"Is this it, Kael?" Liraen asked.
"Yeah!" Kael smiled, though his hand still throbbed.
"Alright then. Let's return to your house," Liraen said, addressing all three of them.
What happened to Kael's hand…? I'll ask him later, after helping him with this medicine, Liraen thought. He pushed aside his curiosity, there was something more important to handle first.
They walked along the white-brick path, the three suns nearing their peak. Even so, the temperature in Kallidorra remained pleasant. People of different races lingered around the street shops, buying food and chatting as the group of four passed by.
A Golem Realm Protector waved at them while continuing its patrol. Kallidorra truly was a peaceful place. Hard to imagine a Mishanter ever taking this away…
They eventually reached Kael's backyard. As usual, they set the wooden box down on Kael's worktable.
THUD!
"Alright, human. Now what?" Nibsken asked.
"Well… take out the bottle from the box first."
Liraen opened the box and carefully took out three bottles filled with a softly glowing green liquid.
Both of Kael's hands were injured, so he asked them for help.
"Ogre, can you crush some of this coal and these mineral crystals?" Kael pointed at a few blocks of coal and the pale mineral crystals inside the same box.
"Alright, human… whatever keeps lady elf from yellin' at us," Grak'Mar grumbled.
Grak'Mar formed a small hardened crystal plate on the ground. He placed the coal and mineral crystals on top, then slammed them with the bottom of his axe.
KRRK!
KRRK!
Slowly, the coal and crystals turned into a fine powder.
"Ren, can you help me? Open the bottle, then put the ground coal and mineral powder inside."
"Alright," Liraen replied, doing exactly as Kael instructed.
"And shake it after," Kael added.
Liraen shook the bottle firmly until the glowing green liquid mixed with the white mineral dust and black coal powder, forming a thick, slimy dark-green substance.
Alright, Ren! That's enough."
Liraen stopped shaking the bottle.
"What's next?" he asked, curiosity in his voice.
"Peel the bandages off my hand, then pour the liquid on it. After that, wrap it again with a new cloth."
Liraen, Nibsken, and Grak'Mar followed Kael's instructions carefully. After a bit of work, they finally managed to bandage both of Kael's hands properly.
"Sigh… That took quite some effort," Liraen said, relieved as he tied the last knot.
"HHAHAHHA! Thanks, guys!" Kael laughed.
"No worries, human… but, uh… how ya gonna train like that?" Nibsken asked, squinting at Kael's fully wrapped hands.
"Well… I can't train today. This remedy needs at least a full day to repair all the skin tissue. Maybe tomorrow I can start training again," Kael explained to them.
He looked at Liraen and chuckled, "Sorry, Ren… I don't think I can swing my sword today… hehehe."
Liraen gave him a soft smile.
"Hmm… it's alright, Kael. There's no need to push yourself too hard at this stage."
His tone shifted slightly.
"Since you cannot train today, I wanted to discuss your bilah training from a few days earlier."
Kael glanced at his freshly bandaged hands.
"Hmm? Discuss about what, Ren?"
"About the type of your sword," Liraen replied. "The Tesseract, as you named it."
"Tesseract? What about it?"
"That sword of yours… it is a complex, mechanical, advanced weapon," Liraen said, his tone heavier than usual. "It's the rarest type of sword in this entire realm."
"Yeah, I notice that too, elf," Grak'Mar grunted.
They fell silent.
"What's so rare about the Tesseract?" Kael asked, frowning. "I mean… I see the features, like the electromagnetic effect that lets the blades float, but that's it. Nothing more." He explained it casually, unaware that the others still struggled to understand even half of what he just said.
Grak'Mar snorted and crossed his arms.
"That's what ya see, human…"
"Hmm?"
Liraen stepped in, his voice uneasy.
"Well… Kael, in this realm, there is no sword with the same abilities as yours. In fact, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it."
He continued, choosing his words carefully.
"In this world, there are various types of swords, one-handed blades, greatswords, daggers, and the rarest… Might-augmented swords."
Liraen glanced at the Tesseract in its case before looking back at Kael.
"Your sword is similar to a Might-augmented sword, but… it uses no Might whatsoever. Yet it performs things only a Might-augmented weapon could ever do."
"So? What's the matter?" Kael said, still confused.
Liraen let out a long, tired sigh.
"You're genius enough to explain to me how your sword works, but you don't even have a clue about what I'm talking about, huh…?"
Hehehe… Kael chuckled softly.
"That means your sword has a different technique from the others," Liraen explained.
Kael nodded. "If you say so… how different is it, Ren?"
"It's complicated to explain… unless you actually show me the sword," Liraen admitted.
Kael nodded. "Alright, Ren. I'll go grab it for you."
But he paused, glancing at his bandaged hands.… I'll need help, Nibsken…
"All right, human…" Nibsken said.
Kael and Nibsken then headed upstairs to Kael's room, using the outside staircase that could descend from his room's door by pulling a trigger. They avoided going inside completely, even though Elvareth was outside, they didn't want her noticing Kael's injured hand.
After retrieving the box, they carefully returned downstairs.
Nibsken placed the black box containing the Tesseract on the wooden table. Kael set his sword beside it, ready for Liraen to examine.
"Well… this is it, Ren."
Kael set the Tesseract on the table. "As you know, we found it in the black box. It has two long blades, two short blades, and comes with one long handle that can be split into two pieces. At the edge of the handle, you can attach any of the blades. What we recently discovered during training is that you can insert a battery into the handle, which activates an electromagnetic effect, letting the blade float, detach, and reattach freely."
Liraen paused, resting his hand on his chin as he thought. Then he grabbed the handle, separated it into two short handles, and attached one to a long blade, forming the standard sword Kael always used for training.
"This is what a standard sword looks like, Kael" Liraen explained.
Liraen carefully pulled out his own white sword, carved from white obsidian. "This is the same type as mine. So… you can train using the same methods as I do."
Kael nodded, but Liraen's face remained unsettled as he stared at the Tesseract, Kael's mechanical sword.
Curious, Liraen tried a different combination: attaching one of the short blades to form a dagger. He was visibly shocked. Then he experimented again, combining the two short handles into one long handle and attaching a long blade, creating a long sword. Once more, he attached a shorter blade to make a spear.
"Woah… Kael… I just realized your sword can be transformed into multiple weapons!" Liraen exclaimed, eyes wide with awe.
"Yeah, Ren… I told you the first day we used the Tesseract, but you didn't pay much attention, you just wanted a duel," Kael said, teasing him.
"Well… yeah, but now I realize… You can use this sword for so many different weapons, Kael! And combined with that electric thing… your weapon is the most complex bilah I've ever seen!"
Yeah, right, elf," Grak'Mar grunted in agreement, glancing at his axe as if comparing it to Kael's sword.
"But you need to be aware of its abilities, human," Nibsken warned.
"That's right," Liraen added. "Something as complex as this requires a lot more training. You'll need to master more than one weapon at a time."
"But I can only teach you how to use the standard sword," Liraen said, tapping Kael on the shoulder. "Maybe once you get to the academy, you can learn from the other students." He smiled, noticing Kael's determined eyes.
Kael nodded confidently, a small grin spreading across his face.
"So, we're going to continue your bilah training tomorrow, focusing only on the standard sword. Alright, Kael?"
"Sure, Ren!" Kael replied enthusiastically.
"So… no training for today," Liraen said.
Kael simply nodded.
Grak'Mar leaned closer, his deep voice rumbling.
"All right, human… Liraen already told you, but there are some changes for your satu training."
"Hmm?" Kael frowned, confused.
"Since you're injured today, we're going to focus on training your body tomorrow, not Tan'Mara combat," Grak'Mar explained, concern evident in his tone.
"All right, Ogre…" Kael nodded, seeming to agree with what they said.
"Wait… you guys teach him Tan'Mara?" Liraen asked, raising an eyebrow.
Just Grak'Mar about to answer…
"Yeah, Ren! That's why my hand looks like this…" Kael replied, a little too excited.
"I see… I forgot to ask about that," Liraen said, rubbing the back of his head with a small laugh.
"Didn't you also learn Tan'Mara, Ren?" Kael asked curiously.
"Well, yeah…" Liraen said, opening his palm. "This is the symbol for an Etherian who has mastered Tan'Mara."
Kael stared at the symbol etched into Liraen's palm.
"Woah… it's really different from Nibsken and Grak'Mar."
"It's not just the symbol," Liraen explained. "The fighting technique is different too, Kael."
"I see… so when I master Tan'Mara, which symbol will I have, Ren?
"Hmm… I don't actu—," Liraen stopped mid sentence.
"HAHAHAHA! Good question, human!" Nibsken cut in, laughing loudly.
"If you manage to master Tan'Mara… ya can create ya own symbol!" Nibsken said proudly.
"Woah, really?! That's so cool! I'd be the only human to have mastered Tan'Mara if I make my own symbol!" Kael exclaimed, eyes shining.
"Well… if you manage to master it within two years, Kael," Liraen added.
"Ha! Leave it to me! I'll master Tan'Mara and create my own symbol!" Kael shouted, clenching his fist despite the wound not healed yet, then he raise it pointing to the sky.
Nibsken, Grak'Mar, and Liraen then continued to discuss Kael's new training schedule with him, planning out his sessions until evening, when the Tawan Training was set to take place.
—End of Chapter—