Kalem stood at the entrance of one of Gehenna's cargo holds, his arms crossed as he listened to the logistics officer. His original expectation for the day had been another combat deployment, but instead, he was being handed a different task—transport duty.
"Wasn't I supposed to be on combat deployments?" Kalem asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
The logistics officer, a grizzled veteran with a scar running down his jaw, shrugged. "We're short-handed, so you'll have to do."
Kalem tilted his head slightly. "I see."
"Don't worry, this doesn't happen often. Your combat schedule won't be interrupted too much."
Kalem exhaled through his nose. "I'm not annoyed or angry. It was just unexpected."
The officer chuckled. "Good attitude. You'll be taking supplies to several outposts at the edge of the Maw. Nothing too dangerous—just watch for minor skirmishes. Raiders, stray abyssal beasts, that kind of thing."
With no other choice, Kalem turned away and headed back to the stables. If he was going to do this, he would at least make it efficient.
At the stables, Kalem found Onyx, his sturdy black bull, calmly chewing on some hay. Onyx flicked his ears at Kalem's approach, already accustomed to battle but just as useful for transport.
Kalem quickly secured the supplies onto his reinforced cart, double-checking the fastenings to ensure they wouldn't shift during the journey. Crates of rations, medical supplies, spare weapons, and enchanted equipment were loaded one by one.
The entire process took about an hour, and by the time he was ready to depart, the sun had begun its slow rise, casting a reddish glow over the fortress city.
With a flick of the reins, Onyx began pulling the cart forward, hooves clattering against the stone-paved road.
Kalem let his mind wander as they traveled, taking in the surroundings.
Designing for the Future
While today wasn't anything serious, it gave him more time to design the things he would eventually use in battle.
His primary focus remained on:
Refining the runic weapons to minimize mana usage. Perfecting his barehanded combat enhancements.
Kalem reached into his pack, pulling out the design sketches he had worked on the previous night. He balanced them on his knee, glancing at them between stretches of road.
Weapon Runes: Reducing Mana Drain
His recent battles had proven something vital—chanting slowed him down. The Mana-Muscle Technique was effective, but needing to verbally activate his techniques was inefficient in fast-paced combat.
"The solution is still the same—convert spells into runes."
If he could successfully embed elemental runes into his weapons, he could trigger them instinctively rather than relying on verbal commands. He already had fire inscriptions working on some blades, but he needed to test other elements.
More than that, he needed to ensure the runes didn't interfere with one another.
"Fire and frost on the same weapon will cancel each other out unless I insulate the circuits properly…"
The second issue was his lack of barehanded combat ability. He had always relied on weapons, but there were times when he wouldn't have one on hand.
"If I can't fight unarmed, I'll build something that lets me."
His blueprint for a pair of specialized gauntlets had grown more detailed.
Reinforced knuckles with a thin alloy coating for impact durability. Runic engravings along the forearm to boost mana circulation. A possible shock absorption system to reduce self-inflicted recoil damage.
"If I finish this, I won't just be a weaponsmith—I'll be my own weapon."
Kalem allowed a small smirk to cross his lips as the cart continued forward.
After several hours of travel, Kalem spotted the first checkpoint—Outpost Ironhold, a fortified supply station overlooking the edge of the abyss. It was one of many watchpoints that served as early warning posts against abyssal threats.
A few soldiers at the gate noticed his approach and signaled for him to halt.
Kalem pulled the reins, bringing Onyx to a steady stop.
"State your business!" one of the guards called out.
"Supply transport from the main city," Kalem answered, holding up the delivery manifest.
The guard nodded and waved him through.
Inside, Kalem quickly unloaded the assigned supplies, checking off each item as the outpost's quartermaster reviewed them.
"Looks good," the quartermaster muttered, scanning the crates. "We appreciate the timely delivery."
Kalem nodded. "Anything unusual happening around here?"
The quartermaster sighed. "Abyssal activity has been picking up—nothing major, but some smaller creatures have been trying to test our defenses. Just be careful on the road."
"Noted."
With the first delivery done, Kalem secured the remaining cargo and prepared to move to the next outpost.
The journey to the second location, Outpost Blackridge, was more uneventful—at least at first.
Kalem was deep in thought, still making mental calculations for his next project when Onyx suddenly stopped, ears flicking forward.
Kalem immediately snapped to attention, his instincts kicking in.
Something was off.
The road ahead, which had been clear a moment ago, now had strange tracks leading off into the nearby rocky terrain.
Kalem narrowed his eyes.
"This isn't right."
Slowly, he reached for one of the short swords strapped to the side of his cart and hopped down. He scanned the surroundings carefully—silent, too silent.
Then he saw it.
A corpse—or what was left of it. A mangled soldier's body, half-buried in the dirt, limbs twisted unnaturally.
Kalem's grip tightened on his weapon.
"This wasn't just a random attack. Something's still out here."
The air grew heavier, the telltale stagnant scent of abyssal corruption lingering in the area.
Kalem exhaled, shifting his stance.
"I was expecting a slow day… but I should've known better."
He placed his fingers on the hilt of his sword, ready for whatever was watching him from the shadows.