The rhythmic clanging of metal against metal filled the forge, a sound that had become second nature to Kalem. The scent of burning coal mixed with the sharp tang of molten steel as he worked tirelessly on his chain sickle, the etchings of runes glowing faintly under his careful hand. Each strike of his hammer sent sparks flying, illuminating the intricate patterns he was carving into the blade's surface.
It was a tedious process, but Kalem didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed it—it allowed him to refine his thoughts alongside the steel. The last few battles had proven that his current arsenal, while effective, had limitations. The sickle chipped too easily against tougher foes, and he wasn't satisfied with simply reinforcing the blade. He wanted something more.
After finishing the first set of inscriptions, Kalem wiped his forehead and studied his work. The symbols were flawless, their mana humming faintly as they settled into the weapon. But as he ran his fingers over the surface, a thought struck him.
"What if I take it a step further?"
His experiments with resonance techniques had proven that layered enchantments could amplify a weapon's effectiveness. If he could integrate a self-repairing rune alongside the reinforcement sigils, the sickle wouldn't just last longer—it would recover from damage mid-battle.
Excited, he grabbed another parchment and began sketching out a modified rune sequence.
The idea was simple in theory but complicated in execution. Most self-repair runes required an external mana source, usually from the wielder. That meant increased mana consumption—a problem Kalem was already struggling with.
"What if I borrow from Tenebrous magic instead?"
Tenebrous energy had properties of absorption and restoration—if he could design a rune that siphoned excess ambient energy from the battlefield, it could passively regenerate the sickle.
He etched a rough prototype onto a scrap of steel and tested it with a few mana pulses. The rune flickered weakly but didn't take.
"Not enough stability," Kalem muttered. He adjusted the formation, refining the flow patterns. Another test—this time, the rune glowed briefly before fizzling out.
Progress.
From across the forge, Briar looked up from her own workstation, where she was reforging a massive battleaxe. "You always talk to yourself like that?"
Kalem didn't look up. "Only when I'm working."
Briar snorted. "You sound like an old man."
"Better than sounding like a nagging aunt."
She threw a wrench at him.
Kalem dodged it with ease, chuckling under his breath before turning back to his work.
Experimentation & Unexpected Results
Kalem spent hours refining the rune, adjusting, testing, and reworking the patterns. By the time he got a stable result, the forge had mostly emptied out. The few smiths still lingering were either finishing personal projects or quietly observing him with mild curiosity.
He held up his latest test piece, a thin iron plate with the finalized runes carved onto it. This time, when he pulsed mana into it, the glow held steady. Even better—the metal, when deliberately scratched, began to heal itself.
Kalem grinned. It worked.
There was still the issue of energy efficiency, but that was a problem for later. For now, this was a solid foundation for his next weapon modifications.
Satisfied, he packed up his tools and left the forge, stepping into the cool night air.
Kalem made his way back to the stables, where his massive black bull, Onyx, was waiting. The beast let out a low snort as Kalem approached, nudging him roughly with his head.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kalem muttered, patting Onyx's thick hide. "I should've been back earlier."
Onyx huffed, stamping his hooves.
Kalem chuckled. "Relax, big guy. Tomorrow's supposed to be a day off, so we'll take it easy."
He climbed into his cart, tossing his weapons aside before stretching out. His muscles ached, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, a familiar voice cut through the night.
"Oi, brat, wake up."
Kalem groaned, rubbing his eyes as he turned to see Garron standing nearby, arms crossed. The older warrior had a smug look on his face.
"What do you want?" Kalem grumbled.
"New orders. We're deploying early tomorrow."
Kalem frowned. "I thought I had the day off."
"You did. Until some genius higher-up decided we need an extra scouting unit." Garron smirked. "Congrats, you're getting extra field time."
Kalem sighed, already regretting not going straight to sleep.
"Fine. What's the mission?"
"Routine sweep," Garron said. "We're checking for Abyssal incursions near one of the smaller outposts. Shouldn't be anything too crazy, but you know how it is."
Kalem nodded. Routine rarely meant safe in Gehenna.
"Meet at the eastern gate at dawn," Garron added. "Oh, and bring your new toys—I have a feeling you're gonna need them."
The veteran disappeared into the night, leaving Kalem alone once more.
Kalem leaned back, staring at the stars overhead. He could feel sleep dragging at him, but his mind was still racing.
That self-repair rune… if he could combine it with his resonance techniques, then maybe…
"Later," he told himself.
Tomorrow, there would be more battles, more blood, and more opportunities to test his craft.