Only low lights along the edges illuminate the east training room which remains mostly dark. Zach stands against the wall tossing a small mana blade between his hands as if it were a toy.
He delivers a "took you long enough" comment with a smile but his eyes are unusually sharp.
I step in and express gratitude for his help.
He shrugs. "You're serious about it, huh?"
I nod. "I need to be. I need to utulize what I have an use them to their max potential."
Zach straightens up, cracking his neck.
"Alright. First thing—Forger abilities are about control. Pure mana serves as your building material while you shape it with deliberate precision and focused intent. The type of structure you make doesn't matter because it could be either a weapon or a shield or just a block. It's the structure that counts."
He steps forward, holding out his hand. Mana takes shape into a spiked spear which twists briefly in midair before being caught.
"Close your eyes," Zach says, circling me. "Concentrate your mana but avoid pushing it outward as you do with summoning spells. Instead, imagine molding it. Begin by creating a basic form such as a rod or plate based on what comes naturally. Use your hands to sense the shape as you create it before it manifests."
I do as he says, exhaling slowly. My mana stirs, hot and restless. I picture a shield—simple, small, circular. The feeling of its curve, its weight...
And then—crack. The light flickered before me as a partially formed shape that shuddered and then vanished.
"Your first attempt turned out pretty well," Zach comments as he stands next to me. "You've got power, but you're rushing it. You need to slow down. Shape your power with the care needed to mold clay."
"Think of it this way: summoners bring creatures to life, but Forgers are different. We create tools, weapons—sometimes even things with a life of their own, and what we create permanently stays. The key is precision. You have to shape your creation carefully, guide every detail, so your mana knows exactly what to follow."
I push myself through the process repeatedly until sweat drips down my back and my breath becomes uneven. The shape becomes clearer and stronger with each attempt along with slight increase in duration. The rough shield I crafted last time remained intact for four-and-a-half seconds before breaking apart.
Zach gives me a warm smile. "That's the spark. You've got it."
My hands fall away as my chest rises in labored breaths yet my veins buzz with an intense new energy.
"Thanks, Zach," I manage.
He claps me on the shoulder. "Anytime, man. Your dedication to this craft will make you intimidating when your powers fully develop."
"By the way, why have you been fighting with your forger powers instead of just stay behind the scenes? Like that time that you and Will saved me?"
Zach adjusts his bag and looks at me steadily. "Most people think Forgers are just support—they sit back, make weapons, and let others do the real fighting. But I don't buy that. Why can't Forgers push further? Build runes to boost our own strength, reshape the battlefield, turn the tide from the front lines? I'm not here to sit safe behind the walls. The monsters out there aren't going to kill themselves—and staying cooped up in Altinium sure as hell won't get it done."
He flashes a smile, but there's a sharpness beneath it. "If I'm a Forger, I'm using every part of it to fight."
We exit the training room together with a quieter demeanor. The outside air feels cold while the stars shine brightly above us without emotion.
Zach stands still after we exit the building and his Aetherplate glows. Zach retrieves a streamlined iron-hilted sword protected by cloth and a small rune engraved with detailed sigils from his jacket.
He holds them out to me. "Take these."
I blink, surprised. "What's this?"
Zach's voice is steady. I created this sword by enchanting it with a burn enhancement. Channeling mana through the sword activates its ability to ignite and destroy living tissue upon contact. Mana consumption is minimal so you'll maintain enough power for longer durations.
He lifts the rune next. "And this... it's a single-use enhancement rune. If things get bad, crush it. The enhancement rune will boost your physical abilities sharply for twenty seconds before becoming useless. After that, it's dead weight."
I handle them with caution while sensing the silent power possessed by both objects. Zach watches me, his brow slightly furrowed.
He apologizes for not being able to provide more at this instant and his voice reveals a self-directed frustration.
"Sorry, this is all I can offer you right now."
I shake my head firmly. "No way. This is more than enough, Zach. Seriously."
I lock eyes with him and feel warmth in my chest as I say "And I promise—I'll make something remarkable for you." "Something you can use, and then we'll be even."
Zach displays a slight softening in his eyes while his typical serious look becomes warmer. He nods once, solid and sure. "I'll hold you to that."
We begin our journey into the night with the weight of new tools in my hand while a deeper feeling settles between us.
This interior state of preparedness feels stronger to me than it has since I first arrived.