Chapter 14 (b): Human with his Tools Part 2
"Yeahh, tellll us, Kael!" Nylum added, his watery voice wobbling with excitement.
Kael sighed, half amused. "Okay, okay, relax."
He set the sphere and the cylinder back on the table and reached deeper into the box.
"Take a look at this one."
From inside, Kael pulled out a sturdy handle and four black, razor-sharp metal pieces, two long and two short.
"I'm not sure what this is supposed to be, but at first glance… it looks like I could make a sword out of it."
He picked up one of the blades and carefully attached it to the handle.
To his surprise, it fit perfectly. The handle had a structured slot, like it was meant to hold the blades.
"For now, that's all I can figure out," Kael said, turning the weapon in his hand. "Still… why give me four of these instead of just one?"
Liraen crossed his arms, thinking.
"Hmm… maybe we should leave that to someone who actually knows what they're doing."
"You mean Boss?" Kael asked.
"Yeah," Liraen nodded. "He's the only one who might understand what these things really are."
Kael smirked and set the pieces back on the table. "Alright. We'll wait for that old dwarf then."
"Alright," Kael said, rolling his shoulders. "Moving on to the next one!—ugh, actually… the next three."
He reached into the black box again and pulled out three old-looking books, each marked with a glowing letter on the cover — X, Y, and Z.
"HAHAHA! These kinds of things you liiikeee, Kaeeel," Nylum said, his watery body rippling with laughter.
"Yeah, and they're also the kind I hate," Kael muttered. "I can't even open more than this pages…"
Curious, Nylum reached out and gently touched the book marked with Z. He quickly pulled back, expecting his watery hand to ruin it—
—but to his surprise, the book stayed perfectly dry. Even the pages didn't wrinkle.
"Whoaa… thiiss feels weird…" Nylum said, pressing his hand against the cover again, fascinated by the waterproof material.
While Liraen chuckled under his breath while watching the two. "So… books that can't be opened, waterproof pages and this glowing letters…
Kael hummed in agreement, flipping the books one by one. "Whatever they are, they're definitely not ordinary."
Liraen picked up the book marked with X, flipping it open. His brows furrowed as he turned it upside down, staring at the strange symbols on the first page.
"What's all this, Kael?"
"That's a blueprint, Ren," Kael replied, leaning closer. "I don't know who drew it, but every design inside these three books is completely different. This one—X—focuses on energy. The Y book looks like it's about molecules and compounds, and the Z book Nylum's holding… it's about life in this realm."
"Yeahhh, I definitely can't understand any of that," Liraen said, scratching the back of his head.
He tried to flip to the next page—but it wouldn't budge. The book was thick, yet only one page would open.
"Huh? Why won't this turn?"
Frowning, he infused his hand with wind Might, directing a careful current toward the paper. "Let me try this…"
The air stirred around his palm as he gritted his teeth. "Hngghh—come on…"
But the pages refused to move. The wind faded, and Liraen finally sighed in defeat. "What's the point of having a book this thick if you can't even open it?"
Nylum chuckled, the surface of his watery body rippling. "Maybe the book doesn't like you, Reeennn~"
"Yeah, or maybe it's just smarter than you," Kael teased with a grin.
"Ha. Ha." Liraen rolled his eyes, closing the stubborn book and placing it back on the table.
"That's the problem, Ren…" Kael muttered, flipping through the pages again. "I can't open any of these blueprint sections. It's like they're… locked."
"Yeah, I can see that," Liraen replied, crossing his arms. "I even tried using my Wind Might—nothing happened."
All three of them stared at the strange books, each wearing the same puzzled expression. No matter how they tried, the pages wouldn't move.
Kael finally exhaled and shut the book. "Let's just leave it for now. For some reason, these things don't want to be opened. At least there's one invention from each book I can still try to build."
"Better than nothinnggg~" Nylum said, stretching the word as he closed the last book and set it back on the wooden table beside the black box. His watery eyes then shifted toward the final item resting inside.
"What's this, Kael?" Nylum asked, poking at a folded piece of black cloth inside the box.
Kael was still busy examining the invention books, barely glancing up. "Hmm?
Nylum ignored him and lifted the cloth or at least, tried to. "Huh? It's waterproof again… what's with all these materials?" He frowned, pressing his watery hands against it. "It feels… dense."
He attempted to pick it up, but the fabric simply slipped through his liquid form and fell back into the box.
"Wha—hey! It just went through me!" Nylum exclaimed, flailing his arms in frustration. "It's like I can't even touch the thing, it's penetrating right through my body!"
"What's that?" Liraen asked, placing the book back beside the black box on the wooden table.
"Nooo idea," Nylum replied.
Curious, Liraen reached for the black cloth beside Nylum. The moment his fingers touched it, his expression changed. "Whoa… this thing's heavy! Isn't this just a piece of cloth?" He gritted his teeth and tried again, muscles tightening. "Ugh! Why is it so heavy?"
Nylum chuckled. "Maybe it's cursed. Want me to—"
"Wait, I'll call Volgran," Liraen interrupted.
Outside, Volgran sat peacefully, watching a small blue butterfly dance above his massive hand, calm as a mountain.
"Volgran!" Liraen shouted.
The giant turned his head, blinking slowly before standing up. He lumbered over and looked down at the black cloth. Liraen gestured toward it with both hands. "Try lifting this."
Volgran crouched and pinched the edge of the cloth with his enormous fingers. He grunted, straining. "Hhggghh—! Heavy! Volgran… can't!"
Everyone stared in disbelief as the giant's arms trembled from the weight of what seemed to be just a piece of fabric.
Okay, Volgran, it's fine," Liraen said quickly.
Volgran grunted and released the black cloth, which fell back onto the table with a soft but oddly heavy thud.
But Liraen wasn't ready to give up. His brows furrowed in determination. "Oh, so you want to test my pride, huh? Let me show you."
Nylum snickered, crossing his watery arms. "It's just a cloth, Ren…"
Ignoring Nylum, Liraen pointed his hand toward the black fabric, summoning his Wind Might. The air around him swirled, picking up dust and loose pages. A strong gust shot forward—
—but the wind passed straight through the cloth as if it didn't exist.
Liraen froze, eyes wide. "What…?" He was sure he'd aimed directly at it, but it was like the air refused to touch it at all.
Nylum tilted his head, his watery body rippling. "Huh. That's… not normal."
The three of them stared at the motionless black cloth—something so simple, yet so impossibly strange.
Kael noticed the commotion and set the book he was holding back onto the table.
"What's with all the noise, guys?"
"This weird cloth!" Liraen complained, still rubbing his sore arms. "How did you even carry it with the black box? It's so heavy!"
"Huh? It's just cloth. Nothing heavy about it."
Kael reached over, grabbed the black fabric, and effortlessly lifted it onto his shoulder.
"See? What's the matter?"
Liraen, Nylum, and Volgran fell silent, staring at him in disbelief.
"That's… unreal," Liraen muttered. "I already used my Wind Might—and Volgran's strength too." He looked at Kael with a mix of awe and curiosity. "Kael… what else can you do besides that brilliant mind of yours? The more time I spend with you, the more I realize how different you are. Even though you're afraid of being the last of your kind, you never let that fear define you."
Liraen watched Kael in amazement as he wrapped the black cloth around his shoulders and pinned it in place like a cape.
Then Kael turned dramatically and grinned.
"Look, guys! I'm a commander! Hahaha!"
Everyone burst out laughing. Liraen chuckled, shaking his head.
"Commander, huh? You sure look the part except your cape's so long it's sweeping the floor!"
Kael shrugged proudly, pretending to march in place, which only made them laugh harder.
Then Liraen suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right, Kael!" He blinked, snapping his fingers. "I almost forgot."
Kael stopped posing. "Huh? What's up?"
"Your training starts next week," Liraen said with a grin.
"Training?" Kael tilted his head, still fiddling with the black cape. "Why?"
Liraen crossed his arms. "You do want to become a Realm Protector, don't you?"
"Yeah, of course I do!"
"Then quit asking why," Liraen said teasingly. "It's Aeronis's order. He told me he's free next week, so he'll personally train you."
Kael's eyes widened. "Wait—seriously? I thought he was still on duty."
Liraen nodded. "Not anymore. So get ready."
Kael smiled proudly, excitement bubbling in his chest. "YAAAHHH!" he shouted, punching the air.
"But!" Liraen suddenly raised his white blade, its edge faintly humming with Wind Might. "Before your training begins, I want to show you something. Something Aeronis taught me when he trained me."
Kael blinked, confused but intrigued. "What is it, Ren?"
Liraen raised three fingers toward him.
Kael tilted his head. "Uh… is this some kind of attack?"
Liraen smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."
What are Liraen about to show him?
Are they going to have another duel or what?
Author note:
Sorry for late upload. Will upload more often for the next chap XD