When Lith started to talk about Forgemastering, things went back to normal.
‘So that’s what he was talking about.’ Solus thought, half relieved and half disappointed when they went back to the Forge lab.
“We are, hopefully, the only two people in the whole of Mogar who have the same mana signature. Now that you have a body, we can Forgemaster together! Imagine what kind of items we can craft by combining our efforts.
“Not only do we always live, breathe, and work together, but our minds are also linked. I doubt there are many artisans who can match our mutual understanding.” Lith said, being overly optimistic.
It turned out that their mana was indeed compatible, but they had two completely different ways of Forgemastering and they had to learn how to adapt to each other. The problem was that Solus had to keep the magic circle, empower both hammers, and Forgemaster, whereas Lith could focus only on shaping the pseudo cores.
On top of that, Solus could only hold her body for a few hours if she did nothing, but Forgemastering exhausted her strength much more quickly. Time was an enemy she couldn’t beat.
“With the little time we got, the best we can do is some basic stuff I have no need for anymore. Either we must make you stronger or find a way to speed up the crafting process. We could try again, but this time you step in only during the pseudo core injection phase.” Lith proposed after a few test runs.
“Seems like a great idea. Do you mind if we continue another day? I’m so tired that even my wisp is about to collapse.” Solus was back in her wisp form, wheezing and panting.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you work even on your birthday.”
“If you didn’t, I would’ve thought that you had been replaced by an alien shapeshifter.” She chuckled.
“Besides, I had a lot of fun. I never feel alive like when we work together, especially on Forgemastering.”
“Next time, I maintain the circle and you do the crafting. That way I can observe your method and learn how to better coordinate with you.” Lith proposed after they had discovered that they couldn’t use mind fusion to speed things up.
Fusing their minds caused Solus’s body to get assimilated as well, making it impossible for her to wield her hammer. The fusion would allow them to feel what the other felt, but also would flood their minds with each other’s thoughts.
Shaping a pseudo core required surgical precision and their conflicting approaches at crafting ended up being a distraction.
As soon as the next labyrinth reset happened and there was no trace of Jarok, Lith received a call on his army amulet. He returned back to Huryole via the Warping Mirror before answering.
“Ranger Verhen, this is Ranger Morok Eari. I supervise the Hessar region and I’m calling you to schedule your yearly evaluation. Are you done with urgent business in Kellar?” Lith had never heard of other Rangers, but he knew about Hessar.
It was the region neighboring his own and according to his books, it wasn’t much better. Ranger Eari was a man in his mid twenties, about 1.8 meters (5’11”) tall, so he was quite tall according to Mogar’s standards.
He had black hair and dark eyes. Like most Rangers, he had a stubble a few days old and unkempt hair. There was no reason to keep up your appearance if you were alone most of the time.
“Yes, I’ve already taken care of most Lost Cities and I’ve nothing to do except for patrolling. What do you mean, evaluation? I do regular reports and so do those who request my help. I never heard about a further test.” Lith asked.
“It’s no standard procedure. A normal Ranger has no need for a yearly evaluation, but so far you have proven to be anything but. The army is interested in putting your abilities to the test since you only have one more year of service left.
“If you pass, the top brass might make you a good offer to tempt you to prolong your military career. I’ll be in charge during the mission you and I will undertake together.” Morok said.
“What kind of mission requires two Rangers at once?” Lith hated teamwork. Tower warping would become impossible with a partner and he wasn’t a fan of camping in the open.
“The worst kind.” Morok sighed. “Babysitting.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Some poor bastards have discovered ancient ruins inside an underground network of tunnels inside a dungeon and a group of idiotic mages with more money than brain have organized an expedition.”
“What does it have to do with us? Can’t they pay for their private guards?” Lith was getting annoyed at just the thought of such a job.
“In theory, yes. Ruins, however, are all considered Royal properties unless a team of experts decides otherwise. The Crown cannot allow lost artifacts or knowledge to fall into the wrong hands.
“To make matters worse, one of those noble mages has a powerful daddy who demanded the best, and that’s where we come into play. The ruins are located at the border between our turfs and we were both graded as Monsters from the army.”
‘He was graded the same as me? Turf? This man speaks more like a beast than a human. Solus, analysis.’ Lith thought.
‘Yeah, right. Since when can I evaluate someone from his hologram? I need to see him in person.’ Solus replied.
“When and where?” Lith asked, eager to finish the mission quickly.
“Let’s meet in Letras. It has a Warp Gate, it’s close to our destination, and their roasted pork shank is to die for. I’ll wait for you at the Wild Boar tavern. We have a few things to do before picking up the kids, so come prepared. Over and out.”
Lith took into account how much time it would take a normal mage to reach his destination and used all the extra time to use Accumulation. One of the problems of conducting experiments was that it left him little time to refine his mana core.
Luckily, a mana geyser combined with his tower allowed him to absorb world energy at a faster rate than normal. Lith’s blue mana core needed enormous amounts of world energy for a single cycle of expansion and compression.
‘Usually, I’d rush there, but I don’t want to raise suspicions by moving too fast. Behind Morok’s kind words there could actually be a trap. General Morn never liked me. He is likely the reason for this evaluation.
‘He must be doubting my achievements. I bet that pompous ass is envious of how Constable Tyris rewarded me after Zantia’s events. Either it’s him, or one of the enemies of Commander Berion is trying to pull a fast one.’ Lith thought.
Lith had no intention of serving in the military more than it was needed. He hated politics and all the struggles that taking a side would result in, but at the same time, he wouldn’t allow anyone to take away his merits.
The following day, Lith reached Letras. Solus was back in her ring form, wrapped around the cloaking ring she had crafted. She now appeared as nothing but a fancy stone decoration.
‘If this Morok Eari is an Awakened or an Emperor Beast in disguise, at least Solus is safe as long as I give him no chance to use Invigoration on me.’ Lith thought.
Morok Eari is the cameo of my reader Morok. Enjoy your stay.
