For a few weeks, Celeste and Nylon's daily lives became linked together.

"You need to improve a lot more to have a chance at avoiding me."

Nylon emerged from her shadow while she was on the lookout.

"Kh!"

Jumping away, she ran with everything she had.

"Still no good."

Her left foot sank into a puddle of darkness, making her lose her footing and fall to the ground dramatically.

"Pay attention to your surroundings more. Use those ears to perceive imperceptible noises, smell the approaching enemy through your nose, and observe any chance with those piercing eyes."

"That's what a beastman is supposed to do. You have the instinct to do that, but not the actual experience."

While speaking, a massive shadow claw formed from her shadow and grabbed her.

Pulling her upward, Nylon helped her stand on her feet again before pulling the dark claw back in the shadows.

"I know..."

"You are on the right track. Don't push yourself too hard and rush this. I'll support you through all steps of the way to perfection."

His voice echoed through the dark shadows. Celeste wiped the dust on her clothing while nodding, focusing back on her training.

~

While others were training, some were dealing with other matters.

During the same week, two people work on progressing the art of science.

"Heavy!"

Stella walked down the corridor with three boxes stacked over each other.

As she approached the laboratory she and her grandfather worked in, she groaned.

"I'll do a back and forth instead of taking everything at once next time..."

Dropping the boxes next to the door, she opened it.

"How did it go?"

Reon, working on another project, placed everything on the table and came to help her.

"Better than you were expecting. Everyone accepted to help."

Looking at the boxes, she nodded. Reon leaned his head outside the door frame and saw the three boxes.

"Incredible! With this much, we're set to advance!"

Overjoyed, he let her enter with one box while he lifted the remaining two.

Closing the door after bringing the boxes with unknown content inside, they returned to their experiments.

"I wonder what items we'll be able to create with this many."

Opening the first box, Reon pulled out two glowing rocks shaped like kites. He lifted them over his head and stared at them.

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"This one is lightning magic, and this one is fire magic."

"I asked May and Deveralna for help. In this box, there's also water crystals from Senia and wind and earth crystals from Mia and Nia."

With a similar smile, she opened the third box.

"I have light magic from Karteira in there. There's also dark magic from Olivia."

Glancing inside the second box, Reon nodded.

"Perfect. I don't know how we'll use these, but it's our job to find a solution."

He turned to the last box.

"What about this one? Void magic?"

Stella shook her head.

"No. Orion refused to share it. He said that he wants a bit more time before deciding."

"He's afraid of what that power can do outside his control. It is understandable."

"I agree. I told him that we weren't planning to work on it yet."

Their spirit as scientists wanted to see what a crystal of void magic would be, but they weren't in need to force anyone for that.

Opening the last box, Stella revealed a collection of incredibly pure magical crystals.

"This entire box is filled with Amelia's magics. She went out of her way to give me the best crystals she could."

"What was the price?"

A slight blush appeared on her face as Reon asked that question.

"A hug and a promise to go shopping together."

"I'd say that is fair enough."

Shrugging lightly, Reon was genuinely glad for her.

"You're right. I'm actually glad we're going out. I need to spend more time with everyone."

"Indeed."

Both smiled at each other. It was good to spend time working on those devices and bring science many steps further, but they couldn't neglect their family.

"Anyway, what were you working on before I came back?"

"This?"

Reon and Stella turned their gazes toward a small, square-shaped metallic fan.

"That's a cooling system I've invented. It doesn't work without light magic, though."

Scratching his temple, he pondered while explaining.

"I thought something powerful enough to blast cold air could help Karteira with her plated armor, but if it needs electricity..."

Remembering the lightning crystal in his hand, he brought it to his face.

"..."

"That's it!"

Stella pointed at it with a high-spirited expression.

"These crystals! We can use lightning magic to power various devices!"

"You're right! How did I not think of that?"

Placing the other crystal in the box, they focused on the thunderous rock.

Full of a constant crackling purple light, they developed ideas on how to use them.

"We need to think of a way to generate the energy from it."

"Circuitry can be used for that. If I pull a few cables and modify the output, we should..."

Reon placed one side of the cable on the crystal itself.

*Bzzt*

The cable in his hand instantly flashed into flame and crumbled between his hands.

"Ah..."

They stared at the charred pile, the remaining failure of the experiment.

"We probably need insulation. I'm lucky these rocks aren't dangerous to the touch."

Stella chuckled while cleaning the desk.

"I'm glad I'm not conductive..."

With a smile, Reon grabbed the lightning crystal.

...

After a few hours, they came up with various solutions.

*Click*

"Is that good?"

"Most definitely."

Setting the lightning crystal inside a slot surrounded by ten cables tightly stitched on a rubber region, they waited.

*Bzzz*

The sound of electricity echoed through the room as bolts of purple lightning were expelled from each exit of the ten cables.

"It works! They aren't bursting into flames!"

"So it does seem to be the case."

Reon crossed his arms and waited for a bit more, observing every possibility.

"..."

"Nothing is happening, even after a few minutes of letting it run wildly. Is it a success?"

Looking at her grandfather and waiting for his final answer, Stella crossed her fingers. She wanted this to succeed.

"..."

He moved his hand over the cables.

"No heat transfer."

He touched the crystal.

"No static energy released."

He even approached his hand near one of the cable exits.

"The energy isn't as potent as actual magic. Actually, it should be just strong enough to feed any devices."

"Depending on how we set it, it could power larger devices."

Lifting his hand over the crystal, five arcs of white lightning left the tips of his fingers.

They formed a magnetic field around the lightning crystal, pulling it out of the slot.

Grabbing it with his other hand, he nodded.

"Experiment over. It ended without issues."

"Yes!"

Making a fist next to her side, Stella felt triumphant.

"Now, we need to find a way to make this and..."

Grabbing the cooling device, he approached near the rock in his other hand.

"This work together. Without blowing it up, if possible."

Stella nodded at his request. This was now her time to shine.

"I'll find a way. Give me a bit of time."

She received the two items and turned around toward her side of the lab.

"Take your time. I'll work on something else meanwhile."

Putting his hand into the first box, he pulled a fire crystal.

'I wonder what would happen if I put it inside this?'

...

After a few more hours, both concluded their observations.

Stella managed to link the previous system with the cooling fan, even adding settings to it through a switch.

On his side, Reon created a medium-sized device that transferred the heat from the fire crystal into insulated pipes.

"I need another fan..."

"I'll create another on that later."

"What did you build?"

"No idea. It was an idea that came to me randomly."

Approaching her hands in front of the heating machine, she felt incredible heat coming from it.

"This is amazing!"

"How so?"

He thought that his creation was worthless in many ways. It was cumbersome and impractical, and all it did was emit heat.

"What? You cannot see the way to use this? Really?"

She grabbed it with both hands and smiled.

"People in Turric will be able to heat their homes more efficiently, without any cost whatsoever."

"Imagine that!"

Reon brought a hand to his chin.

"In that case, it can also be used to help provide heat under a clothed table, so they don't freeze outside."

"Exactly!"

Making him see the larger picture, she smiled.

"What we need to know is how long these crystals can live on. If we ever share this technology outside of Horizon, we need to think of how they will recharge the device once the crystal is empty."

"Yes. That is the major question we currently have. Once it is depleted, we must let them change it."

They both thought about it before they looked into each other's eyes.

"..."

"It's definitely going to be a paid product..."

"Yes..."

Both shrugged, putting the matter to the side.

Before anything could happen, they had to go through Orion and everyone. These crystals weren't exactly making themselves.

"I'll go ask him."

Reon walked toward the door. Once out, he searched for his son.