Chapter 55:

The room was silent. Nick stood at the work table, tense with anticipation. He exhaled slowly, releasing the air from his lungs in a controlled stream, and went through the Stalking Gait circulation. His breathing settled into a measured rhythm, balancing his need for increased control and mana regeneration—he would expend a significant portion of his reserves in the next few minutes.“Ready?” Rhea asked as she joined him.

Nick nodded firmly. He reached deep within himself, summoning the mana that thrummed beneath his skin and ensuring it was properly attuned to his chosen element. With a mental push, he began releasing waves of energy, so that his mana flowed outward in gentle pulses. The air around the ingredients shimmered as his power enveloped them, coaxing their latent energies to align with the integration process.

Rhea watched intently, anticipating the signal that the materials were properly primed. Nick’s breaths were deep and even as his focus narrowed to the sensation of his mana weaving through the prepared components. It was delicate work, akin to guiding a boat through a storm.

A full minute passed, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. He could feel the strain building, but he didn’t stop. The wyvern bone, the sky ash, and the iridescent liquid in the vial all shimmered faintly under the influence of his mana, but they didn’t yet resonate.

Another minute passed until Nick began nearing his output limit. Even with his new reserves and enhanced efficiency, he wasn’t an unlimited fount of mana.

“That’s enough,” Rhea said, stopping him. “Hold that pattern, but reduce the pulses. I’ll take it from here.”

Nick eased the mana flow, maintaining it steady while lowering its intensity. He would have sighed in relief if that wouldn’t disrupt the Stalking Gait.

Rhea reached for the sky ash—a pale, ghostly wood that absorbed the ambient light—and began to make precise incisions along its surface using a rune-carved knife she took from her belt.

Nick watched, keeping his breathing steady as he continued his work. With each cut, Rhea dipped the blade into the vial of iridescent green liquid. The wood hissed softly with each application as the potion seeped into the freshly carved grooves, enhancing its flexibility and resilience. Nick recognized the liquid as the final product of the alchemical refinement of solvents and minor monster cores that Rhea—and Ogden, he suspected—had meticulously purified. Its scent was sharp, almost citrus-like, with a hint of something metallic.

Behind them, Elia crouched by the hearth, tending to a low fire under an empty cauldron. Adjusting the flame as needed to ensure there were no cold spots, she glanced over the rim, watching in silence.

Rhea continued to carve the wood with steady hands, showing that she must have some experience in the craft, despite not having taken the class. Nick felt his concentration waver for a moment, the steady release of mana leaving him slightly lightheaded. He gritted his teeth and pushed through, determined not to let the process falter.

Finally, she set the knife aside and held the wand up to examine her handiwork. She dipped it one last time into the alchemical solution before holding it out to Nick.

“Here. Push the bone through,” she instructed. “Keep the mana flow consistent.”

Nick accepted the sky ash, feeling the carved grooves buzzing faintly with potential energy, perfectly primed for the next step. He picked up the wyvern bone, noticing that the material felt heavier than before—that was good, as it meant it was absorbing the mana he kept pushing into it.

The two components didn’t seem like they should fit—the bone was clearly thicker than the hollowed-out center of the wood—but Nick didn’t question it.

He poured more of himself into the bone, guiding it toward the opening in the sky ash. As the bone met the edge of the wood, the mana surged, bending the materials to his will. The wood seemed to ripple, its surface stretching and shifting to accommodate the bone, while the latter shrunk, following his will.

The bone slid forward slowly. It moved as if through molasses, but move it did. Nick felt the materials resonating with his power, their energies aligning as if they recognized a kindred force.

When the bone finally slotted into place, it did so with a satisfying click that Nick felt more than heard. He let out a shaky breath, and the tension in his body eased. The Stalking Gait was disrupted, but he didn’t need it anymore. The sky ash now encased the bone seamlessly. The two materials were joined as if they had always been one.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Good,” Rhea said, approving but brisk. “Now, the final step. Into the cauldron.”

Nick nodded and walked over to Elia, beside whom the cauldron’s interior glowed a cherry red from the heat. Rhea handed him the wyvern hatchling core along with the remaining vial of solvent.

He dropped the wand into the cauldron first, followed by the hatchling core and, finally, the solvent. The liquid hissed and bubbled as it hit the hot metal, enveloping the other components in a viscous embrace.

At the last moment, an instinct surged within Nick. He sent a final pulse of wind mana into the cauldron, draining his reserves. The liquid began to churn slowly, forming a gentle spiral around the submerged wand.

Rhea opened her mouth to say something, but the reaction preempted her. The nascent wand seemed to respond to his mana, and a deep hum resonated through the room.

Nick could tell that this was more than just a tool being crafted—it was a living entity. A connection between him and the wand was forged at that moment.

He stepped back, chest heaving and sweaty as the effort caught up with him. Rhea and Elia exchanged a smile, and a flicker of satisfaction passed between them.

“Well,” Rhea said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Now we wait.”

Nick nodded, his gaze fixed on the cauldron. He could still sense the wand’s nascent energy, a quiet hum at the edge of his awareness. He allowed himself a grin for the first time since that night’s terror. This was progress.

The hours dragged on as Nick, Rhea, and Elia sat in the small side room above the workshop, each cradling a mug of steaming herbal brew. The faint scent of earth and bitter greens filled the air. It wasn’t entirely pleasant, but it wasn’t off-putting enough to warrant a complaint either. Ogden had prepared it for them before leaving, claiming it would aid in focus and stamina. It lacked the warmth and flavor of Wulla’s creations—Elia’s mother had a knack for transforming the simplest herbs into a delightfully floral brew. Still, none of them had the energy to care and drank in silence.

Elia became evidently more uncomfortable as time went on. Today, the caravan would arrive, and with them, the temple delegation. Time was running out before she had to present herself for inspection of taint.

Nick wanted to help, to offer some kind of reassurance, but what could he say? Anything he did to interfere would draw attention, and the last thing the temple needed was an excuse to scrutinize Elia’s family further. He hated feeling powerless. “If there’s anything you need,” he said quietly, “anything at all… let me know.” She hadn’t outright complained after the vicar’s visit, but he knew her well enough by now to realize she was feeling helpless, and even just a friendly face could give her some strength.

She granted him a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks, Nick. I’ll let you know.”

Although she didn’t know the specifics, Rhea was clearly aware that something weighed heavily on Elia’s mind. To ease the tension, she chimed in with a deliberately cheerful tone, “What are you two hoping to find at the market?”

The shift in topic was a bit janky, but it worked, and Nick was grateful. “Spellbooks,” he said immediately. “The older and dustier, the better. Especially if they’re about wind magic or general theory. I have some things to study left in my collection, especially once the wand is complete, but more information is always welcome. I would like to avoid paying an adventurer to teach me the basics, as I’d risk picking up their bad habits. Ogden was clear that it’s a terrible idea.”

Rhea smirked. “Typical. I’ll be hunting for ingredients. You never know what you’ll find—sometimes they bring in things from the capital that you can’t get around here. I have saved up enough on my own, and Ogden’s agreed to give me more coins, just in case I find something useful for the shop.”

Elia sighed, her expression softening as she took the effort to distract her in the spirit it was meant. “I’ll look for trinkets. Clothes, too. Sometimes, they have bolts of fabric with really interesting designs. They’re often not enchanted, as those get sold well before they can arrive here, but they’re beautiful.” Her tail swished lightly behind her, indicating that the distraction was working.

For a while, they chatted about the market, speculating on what might be available and joking about who would find the best deal. While it didn’t erase the weight hanging over them, it made the waiting easier.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the three-hour mark arrived. Nick pushed himself to his feet, stretching his stiff muscles. “Let’s check the cauldron,” he said, barely containing his excitement.

He had been hard-pressed to remain seated as he could feel the constant changes in the air currents below them, despite the room being airtight. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on the wand.

The girls followed him more sedately as he hurried downstairs. The cauldron, now cool, sat in the center of the room. The fire beneath it had long since gone out without Elia’s magic to keep it going. Nick peered inside, feeling his breath catch as he took in the sight.

The liquid that had once bubbled inside was gone, leaving only the wand resting at the bottom. It was a beautiful object, its surface a silvery white that gleamed faintly even in the feeble light. At the base of the wand was a tiny gem, as green as the forest canopy and perfectly faceted like a diamond. It didn’t glow like a core, but it reflected the light beautifully.

Nick’s instincts roared, urging him to take it. His air sense buzzed with anticipation as the wand’s presence called to him in a way he couldn’t ignore. He turned to Rhea and asked urgently, “Can I pick it up now? It won’t interfere with the process?”

Rhea studied the wand for a moment before nodding. “The refinement’s complete. It’s all yours.”

Nick didn’t hesitate. He reached into the cauldron, wrapping his fingers around the wand. The moment he touched it, a surge of energy rushed through him. It was like a gale roaring to life, filling him with a sense of purpose and connection. At the bottom of the wand, his thumb found a carved groove—a perfect slot for the gem.

Without thinking, he pressed the gem into the groove. It clicked into place with a satisfying finality, and Nick knew immediately that it would never come out. It was part of the wand now, as much as the wood or bone.

“Here goes nothing,” he murmured, raising the focus and channeling a tiny thread of mana through it, barely enough to lift a feather.

The response was jubilant. The wand came alive in his hand, amplifying his mana and releasing a powerful gust of wind that filled the room. It lifted Rhea and Elia off their feet, and their startled cries turned into laughter as the wind gently set them back down.

Nick couldn’t help but laugh with them as joy bubbled up from deep within. The wand felt like an extension of himself, a perfect conduit for his magic. A cascade of system messages filled his vision, but he didn’t need to read them to know what they meant. He could feel it—his affinity had grown.

“This,” Nick said, his grin wide and unrestrained, “was absolutely the right choice.”