Morning sunlight spilled weakly through the slats of Rafael's window, catching the dust that hung in the air. He hadn't slept.
His phone still sat on the desk, humming with impossible efficiency, its battery untouched after an entire night of use. But now his eyes were fixed on the new Codex function shimmering faintly in his mind:
Material Synthesis (Basic)Merge primitive substances into enhanced composites.Requirement: Raw materials.
Rafael rubbed his temples. "So… you want me to play mad scientist now?"
The Codex's cold voice answered:
"Host requires physical assets to build foundation. Optimized technology requires optimized materials. Begin with low-tier synthesis."
He checked his wallet. After yesterday's trading gains and paying debts, he still had enough pesos left for an experiment.
By noon, he stood in front of a dusty hardware store. The shopkeeper gave him a suspicious look as Rafael gathered a strange assortment of junk: copper wiring, scrap aluminum, cheap batteries, even powdered charcoal.
"Doing a school project?" the man asked.
"...Something like that," Rafael muttered, forcing a smile.
Back in his room, he laid everything out on his desk. His heart hammered as he activated the Codex.
[Scanning raw materials...]Copper: 87% purity. Aluminum: 61% purity. Carbon compound detected.Potential syntheses available: 23.Recommendation: Composite Alloy – Lightweight, high conductivity, 3x durability.
"Three times durability? Just from this junk?" Rafael whispered.
"Proceed?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Do it."
The materials glowed faintly, not with fire but with a silent reordering of particles his eyes couldn't quite comprehend. In seconds, the twisted scraps of copper and aluminum reformed into a single ingot, silvery and sleek, pulsing faintly with inner luster.
Rafael reached out with trembling hands. It was warm to the touch, smooth, and heavier than it looked.
"Holy… this isn't normal metal anymore."
He ran a quick test—hammering it with the butt of a screwdriver. The alloy didn't dent. Instead, the screwdriver bent slightly.
His lips parted in awe.
"This… is stronger than anything I've ever seen. If I can make this in a bedroom with junk…" His thoughts spiraled. Industries. Construction. Aerospace. Weapons. The applications were endless.
But the Codex wasn't done.
[First synthesis complete.]Data Pool: 0.15%New Blueprint Available: Enhanced Battery (Mark I).
A blueprint unfolded in his vision—a compact power cell, ten times the density of normal lithium batteries, safer, cheaper, and longer-lasting.
Rafael froze, staring. He knew instantly: if he brought this to market, the world would go insane. Entire industries would kneel.
He sat back slowly, chest heaving.
"This is it… the Codex's first real gift."
His stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment. He laughed bitterly.
"Figures. I have the key to revolution, but I can't even afford dinner."
Still, as he looked at the glowing ingot and the impossible blueprint hanging before his eyes, Rafael's determination solidified.
Money was no longer the goal. Power was.
And this was only the beginning.