Dead mana was a corrupting force that had ravaged and destroyed the world by the end of his previous life.

He remembered how it had spread everywhere while damaging species and their life forces. That insidious corrupting force left behind a trail of extinction in many species including elves, stout dwarven holds, rarer species like naga and even minotaurs.

In these species, elves and dwarves left no evidence of existence behind other than possible theories of genocide.

However, dead mana hadn’t always claimed its victims entirely. Sometimes, it twisted and warped them, birthing nightmarish parodies of their former selves.

They were evolved mindless creatures that had lost their reasoning.

Kai internally shivered, remembering the chilling hiss of a naga fiend he’d faced, the unnatural green glow that surrounded it. And the minotaurs… They’d become formidable foes, their once noble charge had twisted into mindless aggression by the dead mana. Fighting them had been brutal because they knew no fear or pain.

Even in his final moments, a minotaur was the one to charge at him.

The memory came to life as the red eyes of the minotaur behind the counter locked with his.

Kai's fingers twitched, the familiar mana pathways in his mind stirring as he began to form a spell structure, a reflex due to the countless battles he’d faced. But just then, the tension shattered.

Far from radiating hostility, the minotaur let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing through the shop.

"Gorak!" the Minotaur greeted, his voice surprisingly deep and friendly. "Is this the man that you’re working for?"

Kai blinked, the spell structure dissolving in his mind. Them minotaur, massive as he was, seemed more interested in a handshake than a fight. Relief washed over Kai, leaving him feeling a little foolish for his knee-jerk reaction.

The minotaur stood tall and muscular, his frame entirely covered with dark fur that rippled with every movement. The creature’s head was that of a massive bull, crowned with sharp, curved horns that he imagined could easily gore any adversary. The eyes— they were striking vivid red. His breath came heavy, snorting bursts and his nostrils flared with every exhale.

"Yeah, that he is. Lord Arzan, he’s the Baron of the City of Veralt, I told you. Anyway, are you free? We need to talk." Gorak said and started walking inside the shop.

Kai took a look around.

The air was thick with the smell of molten metal. The space was dimly lit by the orange glow of the forge. Shelves lined with tools of all shapes and sizes covered the wall, surprisingly, they were all organised and well-used.

A massive workbench dominated one side of the room, cluttered with half-finished projects, rolls of leather and various metal components.

Buckets of water and oil stand ready for quenching on the side, their surfaces reflecting the dancing flames.

Barrels and crates filled with raw materials— iron ingots, steel rods, and sheets of metal— were stacked neatly along one wall.

Despite the rough and rugged nature of the shop, there was a sense of order and precision. Every tool and piece of equipment had its place.

Balon laughed again, vibrating and seeming to shake the very floorboards. "Aye, business isn't exactly booming these days, as you can see." He gestured around the empty shop with a hoof the size of a dinner plate.

Maybe those unfinished projects were not for customers, a thought ran in Kai’s mind. Either way, his focus went back to the minotaur.

Balen then straightened, his red eyes meeting Kai's with an intensity that made his skin crawl. "Fear my manners are running dry, Lord Arzan. I apologise, let me introduce myself to you.” He walked to the front from where he was. “I’m Balen, son of Darguk, brother to Brontes."

Meeting the gaze of the massive creature, Kai saw no malice, only a weary curiosity. Shame washed over him. He'd nearly blasted a friendly minotaur with a spell thanks to his past experiences.

"Nice to meet you," he offered, extending a hand in greeting. "I heard you have a reputation for some impressive craftsmanship."

Balen's grin could have rivalled a crocodile's. "More than enough," he said with a nod. "You the one who drew those diagrams Knight Killian here brought by?"

"Yes," Kai admitted, "but perhaps we could discuss them somewhere with a bit more privacy?"

The minotaur chuckled, the sound surprisingly warm. "Follow me to my workshop."

As they headed back into the cluttered workshop, Kai leaned close to Killian, his voice laced with a hint of accusation. "Why didn't you tell me he was a minotaur?"

Killian shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Honestly, I didn't think it was important."

Kai winced internally. Important? Almost getting into a fight with a potential ally because of a bad assumption— that was definitely important. He vowed to himself to be more mindful of his preconceived notions from now on.

With those thoughts, he walked past a partition that was used to separate the shop and the workshop.

The workshop felt like entering a beast's den— cavernous and chaotic. Tools of all shapes and sizes hung haphazardly from the crude wooden beams overhead. This was not what he saw in the front. This was a mess on its own. Boards were all over the place filled with different drawings of weapons and equipment.

In the centre stood a massive forge, its blackened maw glowing with an orange heat. A large bellows, connected to the forge, lay in a corner, ready to stoke the fire to the necessary intensity.

Kai's eyes landed on his own diagrams, diligently drawn and spread out on a large wooden board propped against a wall. He could even see notes on other pages stuck on the board.

It seemed like the minotaur was trying to study them, but since Kai hadn't mentioned anything more than basics, he had trouble getting the whole idea around them. It wasn't entirely safe to just have them around in his shop since the diagrams contained weapons of destruction.

But he had already put a spell on them for him to track their location. Using that as a connection, he could even burn the diagrams at command and even if anyone managed to learn the diagrams, they needed Kai's assistance to work.

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Balen, towering over Kai, was studying them intently, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"So, these 'mana cannons' of yours," his voice echoed in the cluttered space. "How exactly do they function?"

Kai suppressed a smile, looking over the diagrams for the cannons. The concept was actually extremely simple at its core. "They're essentially focused conduits for condensed mana. Normally, you have a lever to activate it and mana channels made through the construct. Three key components will be needed mostly; the physical materials that formed the cannon, enchantments to channel the mana and specific functions, and aethum crystals to fuel the process.”

Balen's massive head tilted, his red eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Even then, condensing mana to such a degree," he muttered, "is a dangerous thing. It could easily overload and… well, cause a nasty little explosion. Enough to take everyone in the vicinity with it."

Kai shook his head reassuringly."The key is containment. We don't condense the mana directly within the cannon. Instead, we channel it into a specialised aethum crystal embedded within the construct. This crystal acts as a reservoir, holding the condensed mana safely until it's released." He traced a line on the diagram, illustrating the flow of energy through channels etched into the cannon's frame. "These channels guide the mana towards a heavily guarded area— the 'heart' of the cannon— where it remains contained until it's fired."

A spark of excitement ignited in Balen's eyes. "Intriguing theory," he admitted. "But wouldn't we need a vast number of seals to ensure the mana doesn't leak or overload the system?"

"Precisely," Kai confirmed his thoughts about the enchantments. "And that's where my expertise comes in. I can inscribe the necessary seals to maintain containment."

“Alright… What about the material, safety mechanism and activation?”

Questions flew one after another. Balen looked at him as if he was intrigued, curious and eager at the same time. Kai could practically feel his eyes shining as he talked.

“Well, I was thinking of more mana-infused steel as the material. It’s strong and conducts the power well. I’d help with that. The enchantments are what prevent any blasts or explosions and act as an activation mechanism. We can create a lever for it. It takes an entire aethum stone for one blast and if you see it, you will know that it's extremely lethal.” Balen nodded at that. “We can use aetherium alloy for the internal lining. It insulates and manages the mana flow, preventing leaks and maintaining stability.”

“So everything is connected to the aethum stone and the enchantments.”

Kai nodded.

“What if something goes wrong”

“Well, hopefully not. In case of a critical malfunction, we will have to have failsafe runes inscribed along the cannon's length. They activate to shut down the cannon if needed. There's also a manual override— a mechanical switch that disconnects the mana source immediately. The Aethum will fall out immediately.”

Kai pointed at the diagram where he had carefully drawn everything, including the mechanical switch to dissipate the mana stone from providing the energy.

“Simply, once charged, you aim. When ready, you trigger the firing sequence, and the cannon projects the focused mana beam at the target.”

Balen gave a slow nod at that. A moment of silence took over their conversation as the minotaur visibly got into a deep thinking state, with both his hands on his hips.

"But what about the aethum itself?" he asked. "Each blast from this cannon would require a condensed mana crystal, wouldn't it? We'd need a whole mine to power one of these things for any significant amount of time."

Kai's lips curved into a confident grin. "That's where things get interesting," he said. "I happen to have access to a rather sizable supply of aethum crystals."

Balen widened his eyes. "A sizable supply?"

He looked at him, then back at Gorak and Killian. Seeing that his friend was nodding, the surprise on his face turned into shock before he looked at Kai in a different light.

With a deep breath, Kai elaborated. "Yes," he confirmed. "Let's just say I have access to enough aethum to make these mana cannons a viable option."

Balen studied the diagrams for a long moment, his brow furrowed in thought. They talked a bit more as the minotaur went on about how they could construct it and kept asking general questions from Kai.

He answered everything, keeping them a little vague, knowing that he hadn't agreed to join him yet.

“What do you think about the weapon artefact designs?” Kai asked, shifting from the topic of the mana cannons to another set of diagrams he had made.

They were weapon diagrams and not just any type of weapons, but artefacts. He planned to make them for his guards and even if not everyone gets them, just the enforcers having such a weapon would be a big boost to their defences.

Even a simple artefact was worth a lot and although he didn't know any intricate enchantments, the few he knew would make sure they would be effective against a lot of different types of beasts.

Balen contemplated for a minute. "They are really interesting," he finally rumbled. "These weapon designs are certainly unique. You utilise a completely different method for artefact creation than I've ever encountered. I encountered something similar when I was working with dwarfs. But these are different… developed. Enchanting from within and constructing a mana circuit are extremely fascinating concepts."

Soon after, Balen proceeded to break down Kai's concepts, explaining them in his own words. The more Balen spoke, the more impressed Kai became.

It turns out that although Balen doesn't get requests for artefacts every day since he didn't have an enchanter around, he had worked and assisted on them in the past.

Also, he had been with the dwarves as part of what he called the “Adolescent journey” which Kai assumed was something of a tradition for minotaurs. Either way, if he had worked with dwarves, he would be good.

If his analysis and knowledge weren't enough, one look at the sword and sabres lying around in his workshop was enough for Kai to know that his craft was high level.

It was just what he needed.

Mana cannons were a common sight in his era, a marvel of ingenuity. They offered a powerful counter to mana fiend hordes.

However, as with all things powerful, there were downsides. The sheer amount of aethum required to sustain them ultimately depleted the world's resources, forcing them to abandon the technology. The fiends, ever adaptable, found new ways to overwhelm the defences.

Although new models and discoveries came to be, fuel was always a big problem. Here, he didn't have to deal with that since he had a mine of his own and using them in one beast wave wasn't going to deplete that.

Having Balen on his side, with his knowledge and skill, could be a game-changer. Kai cast a glance around the cluttered workshop, his mind already formulating a plan. If the minotaur could build up a few mana cannons and artefacts, then they would have a high chance of defending against the beast wave.

"Balen, given your abilities, I was hoping you might consider relocating. I'd like you to work on these mana cannons first and foremost. Of course, your work wouldn't go unnoticed. The pay would be more than fair, and you'd have a comfortable environment to work in,” he said, putting out his most sincere tone.

Balen's red eyes blinked. He let out a low rumble that could have been interpreted as a chuckle. “I'm certainly intrigued, but Gorak told me on a beast wave.”

“Yes, there's one," Kai acknowledged. "But these mana cannons could be the key to holding the beast off. But I need your expertise for that. Are you interested?"

Another heavy silence descended upon the workshop. Balen's massive finger traced the intricate lines of the mana cannon diagram, his brows furrowed in thought. The offer was tempting— a secure environment, good pay, and the chance to contribute something truly meaningful. Yet, a shadow of doubt lingered in his eyes.

"You sure about that? There's a reason this shop is in the backstreets, with barely a customer in sight. And I didn't get this location because of a bad broker. It was the only one offered to me."

He knew what Balen was pointing at. Race was certainly a hot topic in the kingdom and even elves had a harder time mingling with the population, the less said about someone like a minotaur the better.

But he didn't care about it.

Kai met his gaze head-on. "That doesn't matter," he said firmly. "You'll be working under me, creating weapons that could change the tide of this war. Your skills are exactly what I need and I don't care about anything else. If anyone cares, you report to me and I will deal with them."

Balen narrowed. "But I won't fight. If that beast wave comes for me, I'll pack my bags and leave. Blacksmithing is my trade, not warfare. I haven't got the stomach for it despite how I look."

"Fair enough," Kai conceded. "And honestly, I doubt the beasts will target you directly. If these cannons and weapons work as well as in theory, they'll be too busy defending themselves to worry about a lone blacksmith."