Obviously, Rygar was a little momentarily distracted because of the birth of his children.
Not even he could maintain his strict training discipline knowing that two such cute children were waiting for him at home.
Seeing Diana and Perseus, hearing their cries, their laughs and the small sounds and movements they made, was enough to soften his heart hardened by battles.
Still, Rygar was fully aware of his current situation.
That break in rhythm lasted only a few days.
Soon, his determination returned in full force, and he resumed intensive training.
It was true that he now spent any spare time at his family's side, holding the children in his arms, laughing at Perseus's tantrums or watching Diana's impassive expression.
But when it came to increasing his own strength, he did not relax.
Much of his training was done with his closest friends and family.
Jino, Ornthorn, Verdia, Eris, Ghislaine and even some of the Kings of Gaia.
He made a point of constantly remembering the reason behind all that training.
He wanted to protect what was precious to him.
He wanted the freedom to go wherever he pleased, to bring along those he loved and not be constrained by fear or weakness.
And now, with two children to protect, his need for power had become even greater.
Of course, that inevitably meant missing important moments of his children's lives.
Perhaps he would miss the first steps, the first words, Diana's spontaneous laughs or Perseus's first clumsy punch.
But, for Rygar, losing that time was a small price if, in the end, he could protect those lives with his strength.
He did not want to be at the mercy of a Demon God who might awaken somewhere in the world and decide to spread destruction in a senseless war.
He did not want to be so weak that a Dragon God could simply appear and crush all his precious bonds. And for that, he needed strength. Overwhelming strength.
With renewed determination, Rygar plunged back into his training. His body continued to surpass its limits again and again.
---
While Rygar and Verdia carried out various magical researches on their own, it was not as if they were the only ones responsible for the technological advancement of the Kingdom of Gaia.
The old Research and Development Division of the Iron Legion had not disappeared after the war.
On the contrary, it remained more active than ever, only spread out and reorganized under new directives.
In the Dwarf Territory, geniuses like Brightstone, Godbard and Rufus were at the heart of the forges and workshops, developing increasingly sophisticated weapons, armor and magical items.
Each of them had their own style: Brightstone, who focused on enchantments and various magical items; Godbard, whose heart desired to forge the strongest weapon from the strongest ore; and Rufus, who absorbed the knowledge of both sides and further perfected it through chantless magic.
At Star Rise Academy, Aisha had gathered dozens of researchers and scholars, many with eccentric talents, absurd ideas and boundless creativity.
The academic environment teemed with new theories, experimental magics and alternative forms of magical manipulation.
The Research and Development Unit was spread throughout the Kingdom and handled several missions simultaneously.
One of the main ones was improving the Magic Letter Device.
Rygar had set aside its development the moment he managed to secure a basic form of long-distance communication.
But the technology was still far from the convenience of the smartphones of his previous world.
Not that he wished to replicate that exactly, but something approximate, more efficient and accessible, would be infinitely more useful to all the peoples of Gaia. That was why the studies continued.
There was also the matter of Support Magics, once jealously guarded in secret by the Kingdom of Milis.
Now, with the end of political barriers, there was much room for improvement. Gaia, unlike Milis, did not restrict access to that knowledge among its people.
This opened an entire avenue for experimentation, adaptation and integration with other schools of magic.
Another project in development was a refined method of Taming Monsters.
The method the Beast God had used to 'tame' the Red Dragon, Ezkalor, was not really a method applicable to most.
How many people in the whole world would dare to say they could use their fists to beat a Red Dragon and force it into submission?
In any case, ever since Rygar had tamed the Ebony Wolf, Skoll, and given Rufus and Taes the wolves Geri and Freki, interest in this practice had become a tradition even when only the Iron Legion existed.
Even back then, Rygar encouraged his subordinates to tame beasts; currently, he made a point of ensuring that this practice continued.
Many warriors, mages and adventurers dreamed of having their own beast companions.
The methods of taming creatures, once rudimentary and dangerous, were gradually becoming more reliable and accessible.
---
And speaking of the tasks Rygar left to the Research and Development Division, there were two specific areas that had produced some recent results.
Areas that, naturally, directly attracted Rygar's interest.
The first was a secret assignment that he dedicated to only three of the best scholars, with chief researcher Kolda at the forefront.
The research was not something common, even within the Division's vast scope. The subject was ocular transplantation. More specifically, the transplantation of Demon Eyes.
Two warriors of the Iron Legion had received Demon Eyes directly from the Demon Empress, Kishirika Kishirisu.
Both, upon learning about the research after Rygar contacted them, voluntarily agreed that their cases be used for study, allowing the researchers to collect precious data.
It ranged from how the Eye integrated into the body to the reactions it provoked in mana flows and nerve connections.
For months, Kolda and his small team dissected every detail.
They mapped the interference of magical flow by trial and error, analyzed artificial modifications to the nervous system and, with the support of the knowledge obtained from the vast library of the Kingdom of Milis, gradually reconstructed the conditions necessary for a successful transplant.
The research extended over almost an entire year, but, at last, they succeeded. They had created a consistent, replicable and — most importantly — safe method.
However, there was a crucial detail.
For the procedure to be performed, mastery of King-level Healing Magic was required, and the control would have to be meticulous, impossible to be achieved by mages who depended on chants.
They seriously wondered how the Demon Empress could do it with such ease.
The level of precision required to manipulate flesh, nerves and mana at the same time was beyond most.
But not Rygar.
He was, after all, one of the few in the world who met all the criteria.
Upon receiving the final report, Rygar studied the records, diagrams and theories compiled by the three pioneers attentively.
He was extremely satisfied. It was indeed a reliable method to manipulate and transfer Demon Eyes.
Immediately, he began to familiarize himself with the instructions, rehearsing in theory each step, each cut and each reconnection.
Rygar's goal was to put that knowledge into practice as soon as possible.
The Clairvoyant Eye of the North Emperor Larax had been kept unused and stored for years.
Until then, Rygar knew of no reliable procedure to transplant it without risk.
Now, with the technique in hand, all that remained was to choose someone to inherit the Demon Eye. And Rygar already had someone in mind: his disciple, Aisha Greyrat.
From what he knew about her, Aisha would certainly be interested in obtaining the Clairvoyance Eye.
Even so, Rygar thought he should consult her first.
He would not force such a gift on his disciple without first being sure of her will.
Of course, before anything else, he would need to master the technique, test it and ensure he could reproduce the procedure perfectly.
In the end, the three researchers who had opened that path — led by Kolda — were greatly rewarded.
Monetary resources, recognition and access to all kinds of knowledge were granted to them.
Rygar did not usually leave promising talents without motivation.
Another branch of research that had shown promising results was Beast Fortification.
This was not a secret request of Rygar's, but nonetheless it was a State secret of the Kingdom of Gaia, information that could not be leaked outside.
Although the results were not yet conclusive, there had already been considerable progress.
As the name itself indicated, the plan aimed to increase the power of the monsters and animals that were becoming increasingly common in Gaia.
In the world of the Six Faces, there were only three known ways for a monster to become stronger.
The first was by age. Almost all monster races followed this pattern: once they reached adulthood, they attained the peak of their strength.
After that point, improving their innate attributes was almost impossible; the only thing that would improve was their fighting capability.
The second way was through mutation.
Some examples were the Silver Mist Wolf that Rygar faced in the past when he became a Sword Saint, or the Blue Dragon with White Eyes that he was hunting to obtain a decent enchantment for Tsukikage.
Mutated monsters were innately stronger, endowed with abilities and bodies beyond the species' standard.
The third way was the most illusory and rare: prolonged exposure to mana.
Rygar had confirmed this third path personally.
Skoll and Ezkalor, by consuming water created with his own mana, showed accelerated growth, becoming more powerful than their common peers.
The most recent advance, however, came from a specific Dwarf researcher named Jory.
He had discovered something curious, although the method used was somewhat cruel.
With restricted authorization, he gathered one hundred jackals from the plains and placed them in isolated arenas.
That type of beast was known for a wild characteristic: when deprived of prey, they would eventually turn to cannibalism.
That was exactly what happened.
The confinement forced a bloody battle, a brutal battle royale. One after another, the jackals devoured each other, until only three survivors remained.
When Rygar used his Magic Power Eye to examine them, the discovery was that the three final jackals possessed greater physical strength, higher vitality and amounts of mana far above the species' standard.
Obviously, not all beast races were cannibalistic.
Jory's next step was to check whether the growth in strength and mana would also occur when consuming the flesh of other creatures endowed with a high concentration of mana.
The general direction of the dwarf's research was promising, and in the end, they were just monsters. Results were results.
Currently, whether Skoll or Ezkalor, both could little contribute in a high-level fight alongside Rygar.
The power of the Beast of the Apocalypse was so overwhelming that even the residual shockwaves from its battles could easily kill its own bestial companions.
He never tried to fight together with the Sacred Beast Leo, but it was still only a cub, and Rygar doubted it would withstand battles on such colossal scales.
Still, the Sacred Beast remained shrouded in mystery, its potential still unknown.
In any case, if Ezkalor, Skoll and other allied beasts could reach higher levels of strength, it would be an enormous strategic advantage for Gaia.
Jory's project, therefore, was valuable.
After ensuring that the researcher would have the necessary support to continue the experiments, Rygar turned his attention to the other matter.
Mastering the Healing Magic required for the Demon Eye transplant.
The next step was to speak with Aisha.
-----
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