ZAPPP!
ZAAAP!
KREKK!
THUMP!
THUD!
KREEK!
A fluid movement of countless punches, kicks and even elbowing Tan'Mara technique caused the screams of Infected Trevians to echo through Venforeva Forest.
It had been three months since Kael started training again… He still kept his promise to CC Yiell and continued pursuing his dream.
64, 65…
66.
Infected Trevians lay on the ground, slowly piling up.
Grak'Mar and Nibsken watched as all the Infected Trevians fell to the ground. Even though the Crystal Pillar Grak'Mar created was already the same height as Kael, allowing a lot of Infected Trevians to enter the area, sometimes even five of them at once, none of them were able to touch Kael, judging by how fluid Kael's movements had become.
"Wow… Ogre… Is that Kael? The human we trained a year ago?" Nibsken asked with an unbelievable expression.
"Yah… Of course it's Human, Goblin. Kael, Human, just became stronger. That's all…" Grak'Mar said proudly, seeing how strong Kael had physically become.
Eventually, the number of Infected Trevians slowly began to decrease… And then, no more came to attack Kael.
It marked the end of Kael's Tan'Mara training for today.
"Wait? That's it? I want more! It's almost a hundred! We can almost sell all these corpses, Goblin!"
Nibsken smiled, and so did Grak'Mar. Kael had gotten stronger. His Tan'Mara and physical abilities had grown stronger, and he had even gotten a little more muscular than when they first started training a year ago.
"Hey? Goblin! Nibsken?!" Kael called him since he wasn't responding.
Nibsken snapped back.
"Ya, Human… That's enough for today…"
Grak'Mar put his giant green Ogre hand on Kael's shoulder, his fingers full of Silver Tribe rings.
"Ya already strong, Human! HAHAHA! I'm proud of ya!" Grak'Mar laughed.
"Yeah, thanks to you guys!" Kael nodded and smiled, looking at his huge Ogre friend.
"Human…" Grak'Mar's tone changed.
"Yeah?"
"Can ya promise me one thing?" Grak'Mar looked at Kael's face.
"What is it?"
"Once ya go to academy… Make sure ya have friends. I don't wanna hear you alone in a place like that." Grak'Mar massaged Kael's shoulder.
"Ouch! Yeah, Ogre… I know what to do, okay? Don't ya worry!"
"HAHA! Alright!" Grak'Mar laughed.
This wasn't just a random question coming from this muscle-brained Ogre… It was a genuine thought.
The real meaning of Satu training was about making friends, building teamwork, and learning to fight alongside others against the same enemy.
Kael was a little confused. It was rare for this brute of an Ogre to talk to him like this, but Kael knew Grak'Mar well…
He was a kind Ogre. He still cared about his friends.
But yeah…
He was still an Ogre.
A brute.
"HAHAHA! You sound weird, Ogre!" Nibsken laughed while floating using his Wind Might.
"Whatever, Goblin…" Grak'Mar grunted.
"Let's head back to ya home for your Bilah training."
Grak'Mar prepared to leave, packing all their things and leaving the Infected Trevians' corpses behind; maybe the hunters would pick them up themselves.
"Yeah… Let's go." Kael agreed.
They made their way out of Venforeva Forest and eventually arrived at Kael's backyard. Seeing Liraen and Nylum already there, Grak'Mar and Nibsken just hung out with them for a moment before leaving Kael for his training.
Kael's Bilah training had changed significantly. Kael now sparred with Ren a lot since he had already defeated Nylum many times. Nylum just watched as he trained with Liraen.
He had already grown stronger… He didn't need to hurt or cut Nylum's watery body anymore.
He had fulfilled both of his promises: become stronger and never hurt his friends again…
KTANGG!
SRCCEETH!
The sound of both the white and black blades clashing together, with a few small sparks crackling between them.
Kael was now able to stand toe-to-toe with Liraen through pure body pressure.
"Good one! You improved, Kael!"
"HAHAHAHA! Is that so?!"
Both of their faces were close together, with only their blades separating them.
KTANG!
Kael pushed Liraen away, creating a gap between them.
"Come on, Ren. I'm still your student. How can I be better than you?"
"Hahaha! Of course you will be better than me, Kael. A successful student is the one who surpasses his teacher."
Kael smiled and continued to attack Ren using his mechanical sword, Tesseract.
KTANGG!
Liraen parried it.
Kael continued his attack. His sword skills had improved, and he had also learned new sword techniques.
Since the Tesseract had so many forms and variations, he needed to master as many as he could. So far, Kael had learned to use the long blade with two handles attached together, creating a greatsword. He had also learned how to use one handle with the short blade like a dagger, and he had even tried using two swords for dual-wielding.
But he excelled with one particular form: the long blade with one handle, creating a standard sword, which Liraen always taught him. So today he want to show him how much he had improved.
KTANGG!
KTANGG!
Their fight was getting more intense. Liraen and Kael's speed was almost the same, and Their sword skills were also nearly equal.
Liraen's eyes widened. He was shocked by how much Kael's sword skills had improved.
His stance, his coordination, and even his instincts had all sharpened…
And his bond with his sword was already so close, to the point where both of them seemed to sync with each other's movements.
Liraen smiled proudly.
What he once thought was impossible—to train a Mightless human—was no longer impossible.
Even though Kael had no Might ability to combine with his Bilah technique, his sword skills had already improved tremendously…
And without any Might, this meant Kael's Bilah technique was pure weaponry.
To create a bond with a weapon without a Might ability…
It was something almost impossible.
Actually…
It should have been impossible but that "almost" came from Kael himself.
He was living proof of it…
KTANGG!
ZWOOSH!!
"Argh!"
Liraen's sword was thrown away and stabbed into the ground.
"Ha! I did it!" Kael announced with a smile on his face.
"Haa… Good one, Kael." Liraen picked up his sword from the ground. "You have improved so much in these few months."
"I am amazed by you, Kael. You truly are going to become a Realm Protector." Liraen praised him.
"Hahaha… Yeah, Ren. Of course I will!" Kael replied, wiping his mouth with his long-sleeved shirt after drinking his Tenalung energy drink.
"Youuu becoomeee stroonng, Kaeeel…" Nylum's voice rippled as he moved toward Kael. "I reeemeeeber when I use to defeat you, but now… Youuu easilyyy slash my boodyy into piecess."
"Yeah, Nylum… I became strong, so I don't have to fight you anymore. I don't wanna hurt your body…" Kael explained while looking at Liraen.
"But if it's Ren, I don't care about hitting him many times. HAHAHA!"
"Oh, so now that you've become a bit stronger, you think you can defeat me in our next spar?" Liraen challenged him.
"Hahaha… I don't know? Maybe we can try it?"
The two now argued, not like a student and teacher, but rather like two students of the same commander.
But one still held onto his dream.
Meanwhile, the other had already lost his.
The difference in their eyes could be seen. Liraen's eyes held more regret but also relief, while Kael's eyes held hope and uncertainty.
None of them were better than the other…
It was just a matter of choice.
As the trio laughed, the three suns began to set. The ten out of fifteen moons rose to light up the sky, along with countless stars.
"Oh, the sun is setting… We should end our Bilah training for today." Liraen announced, clapping his hand with Kael.
Kael nodded.
"Alright then."
Liraen packed his things and prepared to leave as usual.
"Hey, Nylum. Can you help me tonight with my Tawan training? I have a plan for ya."
"Plaaan? What plaaan, Kael?" Nylum's liquid body rippled.
"Well, tonight you will find out! Can you stay?"
"HAHAHA! Oooof course, Kael~~ I have nothing to doooo anywayyy."
"Great! I'll go prepare first. Just wait here."
Nylum nodded.
Kael entered his house to prepare for his last aspect… Tawan Aspect training, while Liraen had already left a few minutes ago.
Then the night came.
Kael sat on the wooden chair, his hands and eyes locked onto improving his gloves. According to the X Book, the glove's blueprint consisted of a metal plate on its outer part, while the inner part where Kael's palm rested had a thick piece of rubber. There were also a few metal pieces surrounding the fabric around the finger area.
This would make the glove heavy if Kael used normal metal, but Kael already had an idea: using the new alloy he had invented. This alloy was still as hard as normal metal, but its weight was significantly lighter.
Not only that, Kael had also improved his Tactical Shirt, adding a few of those alloy plates to its sides while modifying the pockets to make them easier to reach and maximizing their storage capacity.
According to the previous pages of Book X, the Tactical Shirt could also be made resistant to fire, electricity, and extreme cold if Kael could find the exact materials required….
"Wow… I think this blueprint for the glove adds a lot to my current one! The only thing is, I need to go back to my workplace at Kallidoora to make more of that alloy…"
Nylum just watched Kael examine his invention. He didn't quite understand it, but he was sure he would once Kael showed him how it worked.
As Kael focused on the blueprint…
The trio that was supposed to be Kael's teacher for this Aspect entered his house from the side.
A 25-meter Volgran, the Giant, entered Kael's backyard from the side of his house. Kael's house and the other houses were quite far apart since Kael lived a little away from the main town.
Because of this, it was easy for even a giant like Volgran to enter Kael's backyard.
On Volgran's shoulder, Reyvik and Brasskert carefully held onto his shoulder platform.
They were actually just Kael's helpers for creating his inventions.
"Awooo! Kael!" Reyvik waved his hand, his wolf ears twitching as he was already put down on the ground by Volgran's giant hand, followed by Brasskert, who was still struggling to get out of Volgran's palm with his short Gnome figure.
Kael waved back and smiled.
"Yo, Reyv! Did you bring that?"
"Of course! Here." Reyvik threw a glass bottle with a yellow liquid inside.
Kael then grabbed it perfectly.
"Hey, be careful!"
"Awooo! Sorry!"
"… Huh? Nylum is also here tonight?"
"Yeah. I need him to help me tonight."
Reyvik nodded.
Kael placed the glass bottle on his wooden table.
"The fuel that powers most of the flames in the underground level of Kalliddora Forgehold…" Kael carefully examined the yellow liquid.
Then he grabbed another glass bottle from his wooden box.
This time, the liquid inside was dark yellow, with thick sediment settled at the bottom of the bottle.
"It's been about two weeks since I stored the yeast and sugar in a dark place. What's left now is that I need to purify this liquid. I only need the ethanol… And to do that, I first need to… siphon the liquid. I don't want the dead yeast sediment interfering with the ethanol."
"What ya mean, purify, Human? Ya can use some magical thing?" Brasskert asked with his thick Dwarf accent.
"Nah, not that kind of purification. I mean I need to make this liquid capable of producing a stronger flame. And to do that… I first need to separate the ethanol from the rest of it."
Kael pointed at the bottom of the glass bottle.
"Now you see that sediment?"
"Yah! That's nasty…" Brasskert responded, looking disgusted.
"Well, I need to get that out first. After that, I can separate the ethanol-containing liquid from the rest…"
Kael looked at the two bottles on his table.
"And after that…"
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"…the first man-made pure ethanol is born."
He then looked at the yellow fuel from Kalliddora Forgehold.
"And if I combine this ethanol with this fuel oil from the underground level of Kalliddora Forgehold…"
Kael's eyes lit up.
"I can create one of the most flammable liquids in this realm."
He picked up the bottle and stared at it.
"This thing… Hopefully, it can burn through Commander Aeronis's Ice Sword."
"Whoa! That's really impressive!" Reyvik suddenly responded, his wolf tail wagging.
"So you can create a Flame Might like Volgran? Without using any Might energy?" Reyvik asked, tapping Volgran's giant knee.
Volgran rumbled deeply.
"Human smart!"
"Hehehe, yeah… Just like that, I can wield fire just like you, Volgran!"
Volgran seemed happy. He had finally found a friend who wasn't a Giant but could wield flames just like him even though, technically, Kael's flames weren't a Might ability.
"So, let's start, guys!"
Kael grabbed the glass bottle containing the fermented liquid. He carefully poured it into a larger glass container, making sure to leave the white sediment settled at the bottom of the bottle behind.
Once that was done, Kael poured the dark yellowish liquid into another glass container.
This container had a rounded, almost spherical bottom with a narrow cylindrical neck at the top. A glass tube was connected to its neck, leading into another long cylindrical glass tube.
Around this second glass tube was a separate section where water could circulate, keeping the inside cool.
Finally, at the other end of the tube, Kael placed a smaller glass container to collect whatever liquid came through.
Nylum, Reyvik, Brasskert, and Volgran stared at the strange arrangement of glass containers and tubes on the table.
Kael, however, looked at it with confidence.
"Alright…"
He rubbed his hands together.
"Let's see if this works."
"This thing kinda looks like Etherian witch potion brewing" Brasskert tells him.
"Hahaha, almost, Brasskert. Well, same idea… But this is a cleaner and more convincing way. Or else, you could say this is an advanced version of it."
Brasskert and Reyvik nodded as Kael finished setting up the purification device he would use to extract the pure ethanol.
"Fuh…" Kael wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"And for the last step before I create this flammable liquid…" Kael looked toward Volgran's giant figure. "I need a fire."
"Volgran!" Kael waved, trying to get the Giant's attention.
"Yah?" Volgran looked down and responded to Kael's call.
"Need fire right here!" Kael pointed toward the pile of wood and coal.
Kael only needed to place the fire underneath the glass flask and heat the dark yellow liquid.
FWHOOMP!
Volgran created an orange flame from his giant hand. Carefully, he ignited the wood and coal, creating a steady fire.
Kael then carefully placed the round-bottomed glass flask over the fire. A few pieces of metal rods that Kael had designed held the flask in place, keeping it steady above the flames.
"And Nylum, can you help me create water to circulate around this tube?"
"Alriighhh, Kaeeel."
Nylum moved his liquid hand and used his Water Might to send water into the space surrounding the glass tube, creating a continuous circulation around it.
As the liquid received the heat from the fire, Kael explained the ethanol purification process to his friends.
"This dark yellow liquid right here will boil and then evaporate." Kael pointed at the round-bottomed glass flask.
"Then the vapor will move from this glass container through this tube, all the way to this glass tube with water circulating around it."
He pointed toward the cooling section.
"When the hot vapor moves through this water-circulating tube, the vapor will cool down and turn back into liquid. And that's what I want…"
Kael smiled.
"Pure ethanol."
"Oh…" Reyvik and Brasskert nodded, even though they didn't really understand.
"Haaah… I know you guys don't understand…" Kael sighed. "But it's alright. You guys will you guys see the process."
As they waited, the yellow liquid started to boil. Vapor became visible inside the glass container before slowly moving through the tube.
As the vapor passed through the water-cooled section, it gradually turned back into liquid.
Slowly…
A single drop of liquid began to form at the end of the glass tube.
"Whoa! Look at that!" Reyvik excitedly watched the single drop hanging at the end of the glass tube, about to fall.
"That's great witchcraft, Humannz!" Brasskert praised him.
Meanwhile, Nylum and Volgran watched in amazement at the process.
The first few drops were only runoff, so Kael simply threw them away.
"Huh? Whatcha doin?" Brasskert asked.
"That's just runoff. I don't want that. I want pure ethanol."
All of them nodded.
After throwing away the runoff, Kael placed the empty glass container back underneath the tube to collect the next drops.
Then…
A drop slowly formed.
And fell.
The first drop of pure ethanol was born in this fantasy realm.
Kael smiled proudly. Once again, he had managed to bring a new invention into this realm.
In the eyes of others, this might have been nothing more than a liquid that could make fire spread.
But in Kael's eyes…
This was the beginning of a revolution in this realm.
As the drops slowly became smaller and smaller, Kael finally stopped the fire. He then carefully grabbed the glass container containing the purified ethanol.
"Here it is, guys…"
Kael held up the container.
"Pure ethanol…"
He showed them the clear liquid inside.
"Combine this with the fuel from the underground level of Kalliddora Forgehold…"
Kael's smile widened.
"I'll create one of the most flammable liquids in this realm…"
Kael then grabbed the yellowish fuel from earlier. Using a small glass container, he measured a small amount before mixing it with all of the pure ethanol he had just extracted.
The ratio was 17 parts ethanol to 3 parts yellowish fuel.
He slowly poured them together.
The two liquids gradually mixed into one clear, yellowish solution.
Kael then carefully poured the liquid into a metallic cylinder with a small opening on one end.
"Alright, guys…"
Kael stared at the cylinder.
"Time to test this liquid…"
He suddenly paused.
"Volgran… But if I use Volgran's Flame Might, it could burn his hand since this isn't his Might ability. Nylum can't produce Flame Might either…"
Kael scratched his head.
"I need an electric spark… But that device isn't finished yet…"
Kael looked toward Brasskert.
"Hey, Brasskert! Can you use Lightning or Electric Might? Something that can produce a spark?"
"Hah! That 's impossible for me!" Brasskert explained.
"But I think… this wolf can!" Brasskert put his tiny hand on Reyvik's leg.
"Wait… You can use Electric Might, Reyv?! I never knew that!" Kael said, surprised.
"You never asked me, Kael…" Reyvik replied. "Even though… that's the only Might I can use."
"Doesn't matter, Reyv! I've never seen someone use it before, right in front of my eyes! This is rare!"
"Heheheh… You look excited." Reyvik grinned. "Well then, I'll show you. But don't tell the others I can use this, okay?"
"Of course!" Kael responded as the others nodded.
Reyvik slowly rubbed both of his paws together.
Then, after a few seconds, the fur around his body began to rise.
BZZZT!
BZZT!
Reyvik opened his right paw.
BZZZT!
A bright, pure spark of electricity gathered in his palm.
"Awooo! This is it, Kael… Hurry up! I can't maintain this for a long time!"
Kael nodded.
He opened the mouth of the metallic container, allowing the vapor from the liquid to escape through the small opening.
Kael carefully pointed the edge of the metallic container toward Reyvik's Electric Might.
Immediately—
FWWWHOOMPH!
An orange flame exploded from the edge of the metallic container.
The fire was much stronger than the flame Volgran had bursted out.
Kael's eyes widened, and so did the others'.
As the flame slowly faded away…
The shock caused them to silent until Kael laughed.
"Ha…Haha…HAHAHA…That's… That's… INSANE!" Kael collapse to the ground.
"Haaa… That's really insane, guys!" Kael said, completely satisfied.
"I can do this! I actually created a flame without using any Might! I am a Mightless flame wielder! HAHAHAHA!"
His friends smiled, eventually laughing along with him.
"HAHAHA! Ya did it, Humanz! Ya clever-brained being!"
"Congrattss, Kaaaelll!" Nylum's liquid figure rippled.
"Human smart!" Volgran praised.
Meanwhile, Reyvik simply smiled, his eyes fixed on Kael's satisfied face.
Kael looked at him.
"Thanks, Reyv! Without you, I don't know if it would've succeeded!"
"Relax… All of us made it happen, right?"
Kael nodded.
"Finally! Volgran, I can test this flame device with you! You can finally train with me!"
Volgran clapped his giant hands together.
"HAHAHA! Volgran trains with Human!"
Reyvik, Kael, Nylum, and Brasskert chuckled together.
And with the ethanol now born in this realm…
Kael had only one invention left before he faced his third attempt.
With that, this Tawan training session came to an end…