Chapter 998: First Creation
Chapter 998: First Creation
"When you do this process with Kaelira," he began, speaking between heavy breaths, "split the inheritance into smaller portions. Her brain might not be able to handle this all at once."
Rykar gave a slight nod. "Noted."
He studied the boy.
"How do you feel?" the old man asked. "Did it succeed?"
"It certainly did something. I know techniques and details I have no business knowing."
"That’s good," Rykar nodded.
"But don’t get the wrong idea. Just knowing isn’t enough. You’ll have to experience each step for yourself. Figure out what works for you. I gave you only the essentials on purpose. You inherited none of the conclusions I arrived at. I don’t want a second version of me. You’re meant to become a crafter in your own right."
Quinlan was on the same wavelength. "That’s what I want as well."
He walked over to Kaelira’s gauntlet, still resting on the workbench. His gaze sharpened as he examined it.
He used one of the many advantages that being an immortal cheat code gave him. Mortals wouldn’t see it, but to him, the name and rarity of the item were clear.
[Unnamed Gauntlet] - Rare
Rare rarity made sense. It had no enchantments yet, so that was likely the highest outcome, or so he thought... only the future would tell what Kaelira would be capable of with Rykar’s guidance.
He reached out and picked up the golden hammer.
The very one he and Kaelira bought back when she and Seraphiel played the role of sex slaves and he their arrogant master, Lord Black, during the capital infiltration. She’d been using it ever since.
Now, it was his turn.
He stepped toward the forge.
The heat welcomed him.
He inhaled once, then slammed the hammer down on the gauntlet hard.
*Clang.*
The enchanting process began.
Sparks flared all around him. Not just normal ones, but Quinlan Elysiar ones. Threads of fire mana unique to him exploded from Quinlan’s hands, from his lungs, from his core.
He remembered how Rykar used his fire core to reinforce his prosthetics back in the world of Zhenwu. That was what made them so resistant, lasting nearly the entire battle against Venthros. That memory stayed vivid in his mind.
But Quinlan had something more.
He didn’t just have a fire core. He had the Avatar Core and more than that, he was not just a martial artist but a proper master of the elements, ruling over both paths—martial and magical—at once.
Therefore, his affinity for fire wasn’t just strong. It was absolute.
He channeled it now, drawing on the flames tied to his Harbinger of Eons class. Every hammer hit had resounding effects.
The temperature of the room exploded.
Kaelira backed away instinctively. Even Rykar’s robes fluttered from the pressure, though the old man didn’t move an inch.
The air shimmered. The forge roared.
Each hammer strike dumped another layer of mana into the item. Flames coiled into the spiritual lines etched into the gauntlet, setting them alight with glowing red patterns. Molten heat pulsed with every impact, syncing with the item’s structure like muscle connecting to bone. ŘãɴȰꞖЁȿ
Quinlan gritted his teeth.
His body was sweating, but not from the heat alone. The mana cost was brutal, his technique clearly inefficient, drastically lacking polish.
The enchantment process wasn’t simple, at least not when one was as ambitious as he was. He wasn’t layering a single fire element; he was fusing multiple advanced-level fire constructs into one stable matrix.
Each minute that passed drained more of his reserves.
But he didn’t stop.
Not until the fire was fully contained.
The gauntlet let out a hiss as its glow dimmed, no longer wild, but steady. Tamed.
The first layer of enchantment was complete.
...
[Blazing Gauntlet] Epic
Imbued with condensed fire constructs pulled from the Harbinger of Eons arsenal. Its core held a stabilized ignition pattern that reacted to the user’s intent. Bursts of flames could be summoned with mere intent. Punches could ignite like meteor strikes. The entire piece radiated with silent heat, as if it were waiting to erupt.
Quinlan was drenched. His breath came slowly, and his vision flickered, finding it hard to stay upright. Mana reserves were nearing bottom.
But what mattered was only one thing.
They succeeded.
Kaelira had been watching the whole thing with her back arched, palms gripping the edge of the table so tightly her knuckles were pale. Her chest rose and fell, her heart pounding so loudly that everyone who listened could hear it.
She’d never felt like this. Not in battle. Not when sneaking behind enemy lines. Not even during previous smithing escapades.
Her cheeks were red. Not from the forge’s heat, but from something else.
It wasn’t love, no.
But standing beside the one person she’d chosen to follow, the one who’d never once belittled her passion for crafting, had awakened a feeling that made her toes curl in her boots.
By the time Quinlan finished and set the gauntlet down with a final clang, her hands were trembling.
He turned toward her with a lazy grin.
"For a first trial," he muttered strainedly, raising his hand for a high five, "we did very well, if I may say so."
Kaelira stared at the hand.
Then did something entirely out of character. She ignored it and instead launched forward and jumped into his arms.
"This was the best experience of my entire life!!!" she shouted. Her arms wrapped around him tightly. She didn’t even try to hide the joy in her eyes as she looked over his shoulder at the gauntlet as if it were a newborn child.
Quinlan blinked, surprised at the animated reaction. But then he gave a chuckle and wrapped his arms around her in return.
"I had a lot of fun as well."
"I want to do this every day..." Kaelira whispered giddily.
Before he could reply, Rykar cleared his throat. Loudly.
"Glad you’re both satisfied," he grumbled. "But there’s a lot to go over. You two barely scratched the surface."
Kaelira jumped out of his arms, embarrassed. Quinlan just smirked.
...
Three days later.
The smithy had turned into a battlefield of smoke, heat, and sweat.
Both Quinlan and Kaelira stood over a cluttered workbench, wiping their brows.
Their clothes were burned at the edges. Their hair smelled like scorched metal. But both of them wore wide, satisfied grins.
Kaelira looked at him with a rare sparkle in her eye.
"It’s time to pay a visit to the prince, huh?" Quinlan asked smugly.
Kaelira nodded, tying her hair back.
"Indeed... He’ll love this, My Lord."