Liraen, Nibsken, and Grak'Mar continued chatting with Kael while sitting on the wooden chairs.
Kael's liquid remedy slowly sank through the bandages wrapped around his hand, the sting fading as the wound knitted itself together.
"So… Commander said he'll be back in six months, right?" Kael asked, looking at Liraen.
"Yeah," Liraen replied. "That's what he told us back in the underground level."
Kael did the math in his head.
"The ceremony is two years and three months from now… so if he meets me every six months, that means he'll check on me at least four times."
Liraen and the others nodded.
Kael let out a quiet sigh.
"I don't know if I can meet his expectations…"
Aeronis's stern face flashed in his mind.
"I want to make him proud, but… I don't know if I'm enough."
"HA! Don't think so much, human!"
Grak'Mar smacked Kael's shoulder with his massive hand so big that two of his fingers alone covered Kael's entire shoulder.
Liraen chuckled softly.
"He's serious when he trains us back then… really serious. But I'm sure you'll pass his examination, Kael. Just keep training. Show him what the last human can do."
Kael nodded slowly, the encouragement easing some of the pressure inside him.
While they talked, Nibsken wasn't paying attention at all.
His black goblin eyes were fixed on the black box, the one where the Tesseract had once been stored.
He knew every item inside it clearly,
especially the three books marked with the strange symbols X, Y, and Z.
"Human! What's up with this book? You already opened it, right?"
Nibsken grumbled as he lifted the thick X-marked book, the weight almost bending his small goblin arms.
Kael looked over lazily.
"Hmm? Yeah, I opened that one last night. But there's not much I can do with it yet…"
He stretched his fingers, still feeling faint soreness under the bandages.
"I just want to finish the invention connected to that book within two years. That's all."
Nibsken blinked, not satisfied.
"What about the other ones?"
"The others?" Kael tilted his head. "You mean Y and Z books?"
Nibsken nodded quickly, ears flicking in curiosity.
"Well," Kael said, closing his eyes for a moment as if thinking ahead,
"I saved those two for our Tawan training tonight."
Nibsken nodded, then noticed the most forgotten item inside the black box, a white crystal, floating quietly inside a small metal-caged sphere.
"Oi, Human! What's this thing for?" Nibsken lifted it carefully.
"Have ya figured it out yet?"
"Oh, that thing?" Kael's eyes widened.
"Not really. I haven't figured anything about it yet… but maybe it has something to do with Might energy."
He shrugged.
"I don't have Might, so I didn't care much about it."
Nibsken set the sphere aside and grabbed something else, a black cloth.
He knew it was heavy, but the strange part was that it was only heavy when it touched his skin directly.
When he used the edge of the black box to lift it, it felt like a normal, weightless piece of cloth.
Before anyone could question further, Kael spoke.
"Nibsken, can you open the Y book for me? I still can't use my hand properly.
Maybe I should prepare for our Tawan training tonight."
Nibsken grumbled but nodded.
He pulled out the Y-covered book and opened it,
the only page it ever allowed anyone to open.
"Here, Human."
Kael leaned forward.
"Alright… let's see."
Liraen and Grak'Mar exchanged looks.
The page showed nothing but a ridiculously complex blueprint,
lines, circles, layers, symbols that meant nothing to them. It's hundred times more complex than the blueprint in The underground level of Kalidorra Forgehold where all of them work.
Liraen sighed softly.
"Better just leave it to Kael… when it's about strange inventions."
Kael skimmed the blueprint, eyes narrowing in focus.
"Yeah… this is definitely a compound material invention," he muttered.
"I confirmed it last night."
His finger shifted slightly,
Then he noticed something tucked between the pages.
"Hmm? What's this paper for?"
Kael carefully slid out the hidden sheet, curiosity rising.
Kael flipped the hidden paper open.
It was… strange.
A grid, almost like a timetable, filled with single-letter or two-letter symbols.
Each box had a tiny number written at the corner.
Nibsken narrowed his eyes.
"What's THAT, Human? Another one of yer weird technologies?"
Kael shook his head slowly.
"No… this isn't a blueprint. This… is a table."
Nibsken blinked.
"A table? I don't see any damn tables there, Human.
It's just a bunch of little boxes with letters scribbled inside."
Kael sighed.
"Not that kind of table, dumb goblin."
"Oi—!"
"This is what I mean by table."
Kael lifted the sheet higher so everyone could see, the full view of the grid, the symbols, the tiny numbers.
He tapped one of the boxes.
"Each of these letters… has a full name."
His finger moved to the first one.
"This letter 'N', its full name is Nitrogen."
Then to another.
"And this 'H' here… is Hydrogen."
The group stared.
Not because they understood.
They didn't.
Liraen, Grak'Mar, Nibsken, and the rest exchanged glances, nodding slowly,
not wanting to look stupid, but having absolutely no idea what Kael was talking about.
But confusion didn't matter.
What mattered was the same thought passing through every one of their minds:
Just how much does this human know?
A book discovered only a week ago,
yet Kael was already deciphering it,
breaking codes that none of them could even begin to understand.
They always knew Kael was smart.
But this level of intelligence…
this depth of knowledge…
Where did it come from?
How could someone so young,
so inexperienced,
with no Might,
surpass people older, stronger, and higher-ranked than him?
None of them dared ask.
Because more than curiosity,
more than confusion,
They were simply grateful.
Grateful that Kael,
this dangerously brilliant human,
stood on their side.
On the side of commoners.
On the side of the people with no power.
On the side of them.
Kael ran his eyes over the grid, even with both hands still bandaged.
"Hmm… I guess this is just a compound for the materials in this realm," he muttered.
"I always thought I might try making one of these… but hehehe, someone already did it."
He tapped the table with a finger.
"This is called the Periodic Table, guys."
"The scientific chart that organizes all elements in this realm based on their number of protons."
He pointed to a small number in the corner of a box.
"This tiny number here is the proton.
From this, we can tell how each element functions, whether it's a metal, a half-metal, or a non-metal… and maybe even how reactive it is."
Liraen tilted his head, curious.
"Element, huh? So it's like Might when we use Fire Elemental or Water Elemental?"
Kael shook his head slightly, but smiled.
"Hmm, not exactly… but you're close, Ren.
In my understanding, an element is what forms your elemental power. Might is the ability for you guys to reconstruct that element and shape it into what you call an elemental."
Liraen's eyes widened a little as the concept started to click.
Grak'Mar grunted in understanding, and Nibsken just nodded, slowly catching on.
Kael's gaze then locked back onto the first invention on the page.
"Hmm… this looks like a bomb…" he muttered under his breath.
"But just a simple one.
I could probably make this in a single night… if I have all the ingredients."
"A bomb?" Liraen asked, tilting his head.
"Sounds like… something explosive."
"HAHHAHAHA! I get it!" Nibsken yelled, trying to fit in.
"Elf… like BOOM!"
Liraen just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah…" Liraen just let him be.
Kael nodded calmly.
"Yup. That's exactly what a bomb does."
Liraen's ears twitched.
"Well, I can make my own 'bomb' using Flame and Wind Might."
He grinned, trying to show off.
A small fire sparked in his hand, and a gust of wind whipped up, creating a tiny, fast explosion.
Poom!
The fire and wind combo blew past Nibsken and Grak'Mar, making them stumble slightly.
Even Liraen is a wind elf he is able to use flame might a bit that alone is already amazing for them.
Kael, however, didn't even blink.
"That's… mid, Ren."
"This bomb I'm looking at? It can make an explosion twenty times stronger than that."
"Twenty?!" The three of them, Liraen, Grak'Mar, and Nibsken, stared at him, eyes wide.
"I… I don't believe that, Kael," Liraen said, voice full of disbelief.
"Hahaha! You wanna see me prove it?" Kael grinned.
"I'll show you once I collect all the ingredients for this bomb."
He tapped his bandaged hand thoughtfully.
"Once I get Nitrogen, or even reactive metals like Sodium and Potassium, I can make a proper bomb…
But where can I find them…..Aha! The Kalidorra Forgehold must have everything I need. I'll just ask the boss."
Liraen's ears twitched.
"Well, we better hurry if you're going to ask the boss about that.
The Forgehold closes in a few hours, and at this peak working hour, I doubt you'll find anything lying around."
Kael let out a quiet sigh.
"Yeah… that's true, Ren.
Maybe I can get it by tomorrow instead, since we'll cross the same path during our Satu training."
"Alright then," Liraen nodded in agreement.
Kael's eyes drifted toward the pile of books.
"If we can't work on the bomb tonight… then maybe I can take a look at another one."
He leaned toward Nibsken.
"Lend me that one, the third book, with the Z cover page."
"This one?" Nibsken held out the Z book, the third and final volume of the three thick books.
Kael nodded and took it carefully from Nibsken's hands.
As usual, he flipped to the first page and began studying the blueprint of the invention.
"Hmm… this one focuses more on living things, just like when I first opened the book a few days ago…"
His eyes scanned the diagrams and notes, brow furrowed.
"The first invention is… a drink?" Kael muttered, confused.
Finally, comprehension clicked.
"This… is an energy drink. But why does it have so many benefits?
Not just energy, it can also… heal? Woah! Hahaha! That's exactly what I need right now!" Kael looks at his injured hand.
Grak'Mar leaned closer, curiosity gleaming in his brutish eyes.
"What's that, Human?"
Kael lifted the book.
"This? It's just a drink that's supposed to increase focus… at least that's what it's meant to do."
Grak'Mar blinked, clearly more confused than before.
Kael continued, excitement creeping into his voice.
"The ingredients to make this drink are way more complex than just 'increase focus.'
I think… with the right combination, it could help heal wounds, boost stamina, and even improve reflexes."
He rubbed his chin, a small sigh escaping him.
"And… of course, the ingredients are really hard to find."
Liraen spoke up gently.
"What kind of ingredients, Kael? Maybe we can ask Lady Elvareth to help.
She knows how to cook, right? Maybe she'd recognize some of the ingredients for the drink."
Kael shook his head slowly.
"Yeah…, that's true, but this is more than just a drink, Ren.
I can invent all this, but I'm really lacking the right ingredients."
Suddenly, Kael noticed a few familiar figures walking past the side of his house.
"Yoo, Kael!" Reyvik hand waved slowly at him, Nylum flowing beside him, water rippling as he moved his liquid body
"I've been waiting for you! Where are Volgran and Brasskert?" Kael asked.
"AWOOO! They're busy, Kael," Reyvik replied, tail wagging energetically.
"All that workload at the Forgehold…"
"Yeah, fair enough," Kael said with a small smile.
"Well… are you ready for our Tawan training today?" Reyvik asked, ears twitching as he scanned Kael and waved at the others.
"Kaaeeelllll, whaaat's with your hand?" Nylum's voice rippled with concern.
"This?" Kael lifted his bandaged hand.
"I got injured this morning."
"Yeah… that looks bad. But it's bandaged, so I guess you're fine?" Reyvik asked.
"Steady, Reyv. Nothing to worry about.
I have something planned for our Tawan training today, but we'll need a lot of ingredients… and maybe even a few minerals and metals."
"AWOOO! The market for those ingredients is almost closed now, Kael! Maybe you can find them tomorrow," Reyvik warned.
"Yeah…But… we do have the night market in this town, right?" Kael corrected them.
"HAHAHA! Good idea, Human! I haven't been there in almost a year!" Nibsken cheered.
"Why don't we go tonight?" Liraen suggested.
"Good idea, Elf. I agree," Grak'Mar grunted.
"Immm… on it, Kaelll," Nylum replied, flowing forward.
"So does me," Reyvik said, tail wagging.
"Alright then," Kael said.
"You guys can help me grab the ingredients, right?" Kael signaling his hand still injured.
"Yeahhh, sure, Kael," Nylum said, despite having only one metallic arm to work with.
"Thanks. Now… we'll need some gold to buy everything."
All his friends exchanged worried looks. Their boss hadn't paid them yet.
Kael grinned confidently.
"Don't worry, guys… it's on me.
It's my project, after all."
With that, they prepared to head out to the Kaliddora Noctamarket, the famous market of the Night Race.