Year 1, Fall, First Month, Fourth Week.

Carrying the weight of recent events, Karl tried to steel himself as he approached Grandma Marlen's hut, the central hub for processing the hunt's loot. He stopped for a moment to admire the expanded wooden stand and additional tables at the hut’s side, a result of Chief Omero's foresight and ambition. 'Always planning ahead,' he mused, acknowledging the Chief's strategic thinking.

Upon entering, he observed Grandma Marlen deep in conversation with another elder, her hands animatedly gesturing over the piles of fresh meat. At Karl's arrival, she excused the elder with a gentle nudge to fetch more vegetables for the feast.

Grandma Marlen wrapped Karl in a comforting embrace. "Karl, my dear, you shouldn’t carry the weight of Carion's passing alone. You did what you could, and your actions saved many. Focus on that, dear," she said.

Her words echoed in his mind, offering some solace amidst his turmoil. As they parted from the embrace, she gestured towards the bounty of meat. "Now, we've got quite a task ahead of us. This much meat is a blessing, but we need to use it wisely. Winter is approaching, and with it, illness. Properly preserving this meat could be the difference between life and death of many."

Karl nodded, absorbing her words. "I was thinking," he began, "what if we cook the grey wolves and the feline beast tonight? Their meat is best fresh, and we can distribute the leftovers as additional servings, like last time. The hyena meat can be kept for longer. At least until next week. Now, the salamander's rich in magic and won’t spoil easily. It should last us through winter. With some herbs and the right storage, we could make it last."

Marlen listened intently. "That's a good plan. Let's get to work then. There's much to be done."

The elder’s mind raced with recognition. “So, it's a salamander,” she mused aloud. "I'd only heard tales of the creature. You truly outdone yourselves."

Leaving the hut, Karl's attention turned to the crystals. He meticulously reviewed the inventory, his eyes scanning over the 13 energy crystals and an assortment of elemental ones. 'From almost nothing to an abundance,' he thought, a small smile playing on his lips. The potential uses for these materials inspired a series of inventive designs in his mind.

MAGIC INVENTORY

All

Unused

Magic Tools

Material

Qty

Qty

Tool

Qty

Material

Qty

LQ Energy Crystal

25

13

WET

3

LQ Energy Crystal

1

MQ Energy Crystal

1

0

LQ Water Crystal

1

LQ Water Crystal

4

1

LC

2

LQ Energy Crystal

4

LQ Earth Crystal

5

5

1

MQ Energy Crystal

1

LQ Wind Crystal

7

6

MAC

1

LQ Energy Crystal

1

MQ Fire Crystal

1

1

LQ Wind Crystal

1

LQ Magic Blood

8 l

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MQ Magic Blood

2 l

However, he now had to focus on solving the plague. Master AI’s teaching echoed in his mind as he considered where to start. "Life energy... Vitality," he murmured to himself.

He observed the dying leaves and contemplated the plight, how the declining vitality marked the decay of the plant. "If I could bolster the vitality, it would give them strength to fight the illness," he pondered. The solution lay in the essence of life itself - life energy. But life crystals, the purest source of such energy, were supposed to be a rarity.

His gaze then settled on the Contple Tree's crystal, which was the solution proposed by his mentor. The unique tree, thriving in areas dense with magic, became a reservoir of strong plant energy, drawing sustenance from its surroundings to form its precious core. Vitality should be one of its properties, perhaps a kind of vitality exclusive to plants.

A plan started to form in his mind. It was quite straightforward, why not just imbue the plants with amplified vitality, using the plant crystal as a reference for the property extraction? The Direct Properties Array aiming to enhance the Growth and Nourishment properties of the plants should do the trick. This, he hoped, would arm them in their fight against the plague. With practiced hands, he set about crafting the Array, determined to complete it in time for the evening's feast and test it come dawn.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the village, Grandma Marlen arranged the feast preparations with the help of the elders. Their seasoned hands moved with practiced ease, familiar now with the peculiarities of wind beast meat. The meat was carefully placed in the MAC, while broths simmered in large pots, filling the air with rich, fragrant aromas.

As dusk fell and the central square filled with villagers, anticipation mingled with a somber mood. Chief Omero stepped forward, his voice carrying a weight that hushed the crowd.

"Today, we gather not just in celebration, but in tribute," he started with just the right amount of solemnity. "We've lost a brave soul, young Carion, who fought valiantly for our future. His sacrifice reminds us of the difficult path we walk, but also of the courage within us to challenge it."

The crowd's expressions shifted from anticipation to collective mourning, the air heavy with unspoken emotions.

"We must honor Carion, and all who have fallen, by continuing their fight," he continued. "Their deaths will not be in vain if we stand together, striving for a life beyond servitude to the Kingdom. Let us find strength in our loss, and in the hope that from now on, our sacrifices will be for our own cause, not for those who oppress us."

His speech stirred the villagers. They stood united in their grief but emboldened by the resolve to forge a better path – a path where each loss was a step towards their own freedom and dignity.

Chief Omero's words transformed the somber mood into one of triumph. The hunting team members themselves felt uplifted after his speech. A new sense of purpose enveloped the villagers, leading them to approach Karl, Diana, and the rest of the team with offers of assistance. Everyone wanted to contribute to the reconstruction of Caiset village.

The next day, Karl made his way to the afflicted fields, crossing adoring gazes and cheers from village children along the way. Their admiration, though flattering, left Karl with cheeks flushed and a humble appreciation for their support. As he reached the fields, a somber reality unfolded before him. The Chief's efforts to stem the plague by creating gaps around the infected crop had slowed, but not halted, the spread of the disease.

Surveying the scene, Karl found himself circled by a wasteland of withering vegetation. He sought out a plant that was still clinging to life amidst the decay, its leaves struggling between the verdant vibrancy of life and the encroaching brown of the plague. Setting up his bamboo rod tool, he positioned it carefully, aligning the Array output with the ailing plant.

The energy crystals attached to the tool hummed to life, casting a soft glow over the field. Karl watched intently as the green vitality in the plant visibly fought back against the brown decay. Dead leaves crumbled away, while the healthier parts flourished anew. After five minutes, the plant stood rejuvenated, eliciting cheers from the onlookers. However, Karl's face remained frowning with concern, pondering the tool's practicality on a larger scale.

'If it takes this much time and energy for one plant, how can I possibly treat the entire field before running out of crystals?' he thought.

'-- Remember, Karl, the essence of true alchemy lies in creating tools that are not only effective but also efficient in their purpose. --' advised Master AI.

'-- Your current challenge comes from the tool's inefficiency in transferring the crystal's properties to an external target. Unlike your work on weapons where the enhancement was internal, here you're attempting to project the effect externally, which is inherently more energy-consuming. --'

Karl mulled over the problem, 'But if I apply the Arrays directly to the plants, I risk draining vitality from the surrounding vegetation.'

'-- Precisely. However, consider the Stimulus Rune. It might just be the key to enhancing your tool's efficacy without the adverse effects you fear. --'

Committed to refining his creation, Karl left the fields, promising the villagers he would return shortly with a better solution. Though they didn't fully grasp his technical explanations, their faith in his abilities remained unshaken. As Karl walked away, his mind was already racing with ideas, pondering the potential of the Stimulus Rune and its integration into his life-saving tool.

Shortly ended up being two weeks.

Two weeks had passed and Karl returned to the fields with a confident glint in his eyes. He held a newly improved tool in his hands, a product of intense study and tireless testing, ready to face the illness that threatened the crops.

The Stimulus Rune was the heart of his creation. It held a concept as primal as fanning flames to life, though, drawing it was far from simple. A single attempt would drain Karl's reserves of spiritual energy, demanding rigorous days of testing and refinement.

[https://i.imgur.com/GfP0A8F.jpg]

The improved design took a different approach. Instead of transferring vitality to the plants through the Direct Properties Array, he would amplify the plant energy within the infected crops, bolstering their vitality and natural defenses against the plague. The task of interconnecting the magic Arrays wasn’t easy; a complex interplay of Extraction, Properties Extraction, Direction, and now the Stimulus Rune, each demanding precise coordination.

Fortunately, Master AI had come to the rescue and introduced the concept of the Combination Array. It was an ingenious adaptation, enabling the integration of multiple Arrays into a singular, aligned effect.

[https://i.imgur.com/GOcpuef.jpg]

The Array had the concept of Union and the aspect of joining. Which made the parts more capable by adding their abilities.

With meticulous adjustments, Karl discovered that it was possible to integrate multiple Arrays by sketching additional inner circles. Also, by modifying the Array's density he found he could seamlessly align smaller Arrays with larger ones.

[https://i.imgur.com/D11qEYS.jpg]

In his ultimate blueprint, the Properties Extraction Array was set to harness the energy of a plant as a reference point. This energy would then be amplified by the Stimulus Rune and channeled towards a target positioned ahead of the Direction Array. Karl aptly named the creation the Vitality Enhancer.

Old Bill, skilled in his craft, was entrusted with creating the tool's physical embodiment. The plant crystal was permanently placed in the tool, while an energy crystal provided the necessary activation mechanism.

Within a week of diligent application, Karl's Vitality Enhancer turned the tide against the plague. The once withering fields began to regain their lush, verdant vitality, much to the relief and joy of the entire village.

***

In the vast, verdant training grounds, the air crackled with electric sparks. Johann, a Wind Mage of considerable skill, faced off against Thundery, a young Thunder Mage whose talent was as electric as her personality.

"Is that all you've got, Johann? I was hoping for a real challenge!" Thundery taunted, her voice echoing with youthful bravado. She brandished her sword, now alive with electric energy, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Johann, inwardly wrestling with his pride, muttered under his breath, "It’s so unfair... She's barely out of her teens, but..." He watched her, weighing his options.

With a sudden burst of speed, Thundery charged across the field, her sword a dazzling arc of light and energy. Johann, caught off guard by her swiftness, hastily conjured a Slow effect with the wind, attempting to halt her advance. But Thundery was relentless, cutting through the wind like a bolt of lightning.

Johann, realizing his defensive strategy had failed, shifted tactics. "I won't go easy!" he exclaimed, channeling his energy into a speed boost. Wind Mages were renowned for their agility, and Johann was no exception.

Thundery, undeterred, shouted, "Face me, Johann! No more running!" Her voice was overflowing with frustration.

While running, Johann concentrated, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. A Breeze began to form around him, growing in intensity with each passing second. It swirled into a protective barrier, a whirlwind of force that expanded around him.

He spun, releasing the Breeze towards Thundery. The powerful gust of wind surged forward, catching her off-guard. She struggled against the fierce wind but was ultimately pushed back, her feet skidding across the grass.

Thundery regained her balance, standing firm a considerable distance away. She looked up, finally feeling some respect for her adversary. "Good... Very good, Johann," she acknowledged.

As Thundery unleashed her electric fury, the air became saturated with energy, the sparks colliding with Johann's wind. The clash created a spectacle of light, leaving charred patterns on the grass where they met. Johann's Wind Shield buckled under the pressure but managed to diffuse the lightning just enough, sparing him a direct hit.

Breathing a momentary sigh of relief, Johann's triumph was short-lived. His eyes widened in realization; Thundery was no longer in front of him. In a swift, almost unseen movement, she appeared beside him. Her hand, charged with a strong cast of Shock, struck his stomach with prejudice.

Johann was sent hurtling through the air, his body tracing a smoky arc before crashing against a tree. He groaned in pain, unable to rise, the aftermath of Thundery's cunning strategy obvious in his defeated posture.

"That's what you get for underestimating me!" Thundery exclaimed, a triumphant smirk on her face. Her eyes softened slightly as she surveyed Johann's condition. "Guards, we need a healer here, quickly! I might have gone a bit overboard," she called out in a mix of concern and satisfaction.