Magic-Smithing-Chapter 120.2

You know, I'm looking forward to the day I open my eyes and I'm not met with total darkness. Though I will admit, I am reluctantly getting used to it by this point.

I don't even think about the fact I can't see anything as I instinctively flare Sense Mana to get a quick idea of my surroundings. My scan picks up nothing that wasn't there before I passed out, from the empty hallway we were camping in down to the meditative position Tabitha favored.

“You’re up already?” Tabitha’s confused voice bounces off the cold stone walls, making it sound like she was speaking from all around me.

I try and fail not to twitch at suddenly being addressed. It wasn’t exactly a secret that I was awake, and I know I’m not the stealthiest person out there, but that still didn’t mean I made any noise when I woke up. I only opened my eyes; I didn't even look in her direction until she said something, so how was she so sure I was awake?

“Cicsh het ploetts lages!” I steadily chant, and a ball of light forms in my hands. With some gentle coaxing from Mana Manipulation and at the cost of a little extra mana from Empowered Spell, I push the now much brighter sphere up into the air between Tabitha and myself.

“How did you know I was awake?” I ask once my spell illuminates Tabitha, pushing back against the endless darkness around us. She was sitting in the exact same spot as when I fell asleep, my question more of a greeting than anything else. Mind you, I wasn't expecting an answer; I doubted Tabitha would give up her secrets that easily. Maybe it was her way of testing me, impossible to tell.

“Trade secret,” Tanitha coyly replies to no one’s surprise, blinking rapidly due to the sudden brightness of my spell but never taking her eyes off me. “But you didn’t answer my question; why are you up so early?”

“I don’t think you technically asked me a question,” I playfully retort, earning me an exasperated snort and a roll of her eyes.

“You know what I meant. You were only out for five hours; you should still be asleep.” Tabitha frowns disapprovingly at me, almost like a mother catching her child up late after putting them to bed.

On the outside, I smile good-naturally at Tabitha’s razzing, but on the inside— well, that was a different story.

Five hours. Damn, I only meant to sleep for four. I guess I was more tired than I initially thought. I shrug helplessly in Tabitha's direction, trying to act cool and not feel disappointed in my inability to wake up on time, even in our current situation. “I guess I was too excited to sleep,” I tell her with little fanfare, not exactly lying, but not telling the whole truth either.

Slowly, I push off against the wall I’m leaning against and stand up. As soon as I’m on my feet, I make a show of stretching out my limbs. Five hours wasn't much, but it was enough to get me back to peak working conditions. I only wish it was the same for Tabitha.

I don’t rush to Tabitha’s side as that might look like I thought she couldn't handle herself, but I don't dawdle either.

Once I’m standing over her, it takes everything I have, including Acting, to keep myself from frowning in concern. Tabitha looked terrible upon closer inspection. Her eyes, which were usually vibrant and full of boundless energy, looked hollow and lifeless in my spell's light.

She was slow to turn her neck as I approached, but now that I was beside her, she looked like a statue. Her armor hid her breathing, and if her eyes weren't following my movements, I might question if she was awake.

Tabitha did her best to hide her tiredness behind a forced smile, but a blind man could see she was on her last leg. Doing my best not to look concerned, I return Tabitha’s fake smile with one of my own. “You don’t need to worry about me,” I assure her. "Five hours is enough to get me back to peak physical condition.”

“Is that so?” Even Tabitha’s questioning voice sounded empty.

“It is,” I jerk my head toward the wall I slept against. “Time to switch.”

Tabitha’s eyes briefly shifted to where I was sleeping before refocusing back on me. "I'm good here," she tells me quietly, her voice so muted one might mistake it for the wind if there was wind down here.

Of course, she didn't want to move; she was probably too tired to stand by herself. I’m forced to bite my tongue before I say something I shouldn't and accidentally show how concerned I am. “There’s no need for that,” I turn away before Tabitha can say anything and quickly head back to the wall I slept against.

Our bags were also leaning against the wall, and after some quick searching, I found what I needed to set up a makeshift bed. I only had a canvas to work with, but anything was better than leaving Tabitha in the middle of the hallway.

Speaking of my silent watcher, Tabitha didn't say anything as I spread the canvas out, bunching it up on one end to make a makeshift pillow. All she did was continue to give her best impression of a statue, only watching me with her eyes, barely shifting her head as needed.

After doing everything I could to create a decent place to rest, I returned to Tabitha's side and offered her my hand.

“I told you I’m fine here,” she growls softly with a hint of irritation.

“I know you are," I tell her, and I wasn't saying that just to make her feel better, either. Tabitha is ten pounds of badass in a five-pound sack. I had no doubt she could sleep sitting up, no problem. However, just because she can doesn't mean she should. It's hard not to sound condescending, but it had to be said that I wasn't going to let Tabitha torture herself just to appear stronger in front of me.

Tabitha pretends to ignore me, shunning my still outstretched hand.

This time, I allow myself to sigh audibly. I tried the gentle approach; now it's time to be blunt. "Look, you can take my hand and let me help you up, or I can princess carry you over there and tuck you in. Forcefully, if necessary," I add, flaring my killing intent to prove just how serious I was. Tabitha respects strength, so I had to be firm.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tabitha's voice could freeze hell. Her eyes narrowed to the point that it looked like laser beams might shoot out of them any second.

The two of us stare each other down, neither flinching in the face of the other. For a second, I consider the possibility that I might have to manhandle Tabitha like I said I would, but thankfully, it doesn't come to that.

For the first time, Tabitha backs down, and honestly, it's a bittersweet moment for me. She visibly deflates in front of me, letting out a long- tired groan before reluctantly taking my offered hand.

Neither of us acknowledges her shaking legs or how little force she puts into gripping my hand because doing so would be tantamount to acknowledging her weakness. It was all an act; I knew it, Tabitha knew it, but neither of us said anything.

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We were both posturing for appearance's sake, even though it was only us down here, but that was my way of showing I cared and Tabitha's way of accepting my help without impacting her honor as my senior.

She may be exhausted, but Tabitha was still Tabitha, and I respected her for it. Once she was up, I only needed to act as a brace and apply a fraction of my strength to keep her steady. In one swift motion, I loop my arm around hers, supporting her and ensuring she can't shake me off if in case she suddenly changes her mind.

“I don’t recall you needing a bed,” Tabitha sassily grumbles as I guide her to the canvas I laid out.

“Yeah, well, I’m stupid like that,” I joke, hopefully conveying my feelings to her. "My brain works best when I'm thinking of others."

Tabitha snorts, but not angrily; it's more like she found me humorous but was committed to appearing mad, so she stifled her laughter, making a weird noise. If I was reading her correctly, she wasn't mad at me, which was a massive weight off my shoulders.

“Yes, I’m quite aware of your follies,” Tabitha deadpans, but still, I didn’t detect any malice in her voice.

“Admit it, you love me," I probe teasingly.

“I don’t,” Tabitha replies flatly.

I, on the other hand, was smiling ear to ear. "Do, too."

“You are by far the most annoying person I’ve ever met.”

“Does that include Pacore?" I ask as we stop over my makeshift bed, and I start lowering her down.

For a brief second, Tabitha tenses in my arms, and I instinctively brace for a punch to the face or some other form of attack, but the blow I was expecting never came; instead, with the most expressionless look I'd ever seen, Tabitha turns her head and looks me in the eyes. "Alright, second most annoying,” she boldly proclaims.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I shout, "I knew it," before I start howling with laughter. Finally, Tabitha drops her frosty expression and smiles, this time genuinely, not to hide how tired she is.

I help her down, short of breath from all my laughing, before taking a step back, giving her room to get comfortable. "You know, it would be better if you took your armor off,” I suggest once I get a semblance of control over myself, even though I already know her answer.

“Don’t push it,” Tabitha lays down, still in her armor, but at least she was still smiling.

"Fine, just a suggestion," I hold up my hands placatingly, even though we both know she was in no state to get up, let alone do anything to me.

“You’re going to lead me to an early grave,” Tabitha sighs and closes her eyes, and as soon as she does, she’s out like a light.

“Not if I can help it,” I mumble under my breath once I’m sure she is asleep. Neither of us was going to die, not here, not now. "Enjoy your rest; you've more than earned it."

I slowly back away from Tabitha and once more move over to where she was sitting while I was asleep. The middle of the hall was far enough away from her that I wouldn’t accidentally interrupt her sleep but close enough that if something happened, I could be by her side in a second with Flash Step. Luckily, the chances of anything happening were almost nonexistent.

Sitting down, I fold my legs underneath me while watching our soundings with Sense Mana. I get comfortable, knowing I'll be here for a while.

It was hard to estimate how long Tabitha would be out, but I knew it would be longer than five hours. Ultimately, all I could do was wait and see. The only thing I had to worry about was my mind's tendency to wander when bored.

I was happy Tabitha was finally getting the rest she deserved, but with nothing to occupy my mind, a small part of my brain couldn’t help but calculate how much time we had left.

I spent eleven hours working on my bracelet and five hours sleeping. Take away an extra hour for miscellaneous talking and other things, and we're left with fifty-five hours remaining of our original seventy-two. Then again, Tabitha said we might only have two days down here instead of three, so that number might be even smaller.

Our food and water were almost gone. We had just enough jerky for a snack for one person. Splitting it was pointless, and I could already picture Tabitha insisting I had it.

Bringing a hand to my stomach, I frown at the slight ache growing in my gut. The pain wasn't unbearable, but again, we still had more than two days down here, and I needed strength if I wanted to try making Tabitha a new shield.

Maybe there’s something down here we can eat? Closing my eyes, I reach out with Sense Mana and scan the ruins for what feels like the hundredth time, looking for anything edible. Rats, bugs, plants, it didn't matter so long as we could eat it.

Sadly, after what I estimate to be an hour of scanning, I pick up nothing around us. There weren’t even any insects in the dirt around the ruins. The poisonous mana emitted from the winged serpent above was centered directly over the top of the ruins; combine that with the overwhelming death mana that used to be down here, and you were left with a massive dead zone where nothing living remained. Now that the death mana had dispersed, underground creatures and insects might return at some point, but not within the next few days.

The only plants I could sense were the roots of the massive trees, but they were stronger than steel. Father told me you could eat the inner parts of roots on some trees, but we would likely spend more energy processing them than we would gain from eating them.

That said, we already had a pile of roots. Opening my eyes and turning around, I glance at said pile sitting off to the side, along with the neatly stacked pile of gray bricks we removed from the floor to bury the skeletal remains from the chamber.

The pile of roots wasn’t what you would call large by any means, but it was something if nothing else. I'll have to ask Tabitha for her opinion when she wakes up, but even if it only fills our stomachs before the battle, I'll consider it a win.

Although, now that I think about it, there was a more important issue we had to worry about. While setting up the canvas for Tabitha to sleep on, I looked at all our supplies and noticed we were dangerously low on water. Even people like Tabitha and I gradually lose water over time, and while she doesn't have any reason to do anything strenuous that would cause her to sweat and lose water faster, the same couldn't said for me, who still had to forge a new shield. Everything we do to prepare for the coming battle will cost us precious energy and, worse, water.

We passed by a few puddles of stagnant water on our way down here, but was there enough to drink after boiling it, and was that enough to make it safe?

Keeping my eyes closed, I continue scanning the ruins, but I focus on the mana in the air instead of looking for anything living this time.

Scanning the ruins for small pockets of water mana was easier than expected, with all the death mana fading. 99% of what I sensed was earth-attuned mana that had slowly leached its way in from the ground, but there were traces of other mana.

The parts of the stadium near the surface now contained traces of the winged serpent’s mana zone, meaning the longer we waited, the quicker it would sense us once we were ready to leave— As if we didn't have enough problems to deal with.

No, don’t focus on the negative, I tell myself, turning my attention away from the sickly mana slowly penetrating down into the ruins.

Focus on what you can do.

Ignoring the serpent’s mana zone, I focus on the third and last type of mana I can sense— Water mana.

With the massive amount of water mana permeating the Endless Forest, you would think there would be more down here, but it was surprisingly sparse. Most of the water mana was spread out and not in any concentration that would indicate physical water, but there were a few exceptions.

I could sense a few rooms and hallways along the outside wall of the colosseum that had varying degrees of dense pockets of water mana. It wouldn't be a lot based on the level of mana I was sensing, but if we visited each location and gathered what we could, we might have enough to fill up our waterskins after boiling what we found and running it through my cleaning spell— and wasn't that exciting.

Finally, I felt productive. We didn't even have the water yet, and for some reason, I wanted to stand up and shout with joy. How pathetic, but you know what? I'll take the win.

After setback after setback, it was nice to think that I'd actually accomplished something of note.

Taking a few steady breaths, I calm my emotions and look at everything as it is. Okay, we had water, possibly. The question is, what should I focus on next? What could I do to help while Tabitha was recovering?

I could sit here and meditate until Tabitha woke up, but that wasn't a productive use of my time. There were better things I could put my mind to use, like thinking about how I would make Tabitha a new shield.

Yes, that's what I should be doing.

Opening my eyes, I stand up and glance at Tabitha. She was still fast asleep and would be for at least a few more hours— plenty of time for me to devise a plan.

But first, what did I have to work with?

I go over everything we have on hand in my head. For tools, I had my hammer. It's not the best for detailed work, but it would allow me to shape metal if I could heat it.

Alright, what metal did I have access to?

There was the water magicite in my bag and a few rock samples I collected here and there, but nothing I was confident experimenting with. Shaking my head, I turned my attention to the pile of scrap metal sitting next to where we buried the skeletons from the chamber.

The rusty pile was the last remnants of the undead we defeated. They were obviously exceptional since they lasted this long, but was that enough? If I could melt it all down, there might be enough usable metal to work with after removing all the oxidation, but that required a forge.

It sucked that the colosseum wasn't still intact. The section we were in was massive, but based on its dimensions and the mural inside the chamber, it was only a third of the overall structure. A stadium this size had to have had an armory somewhere with a forge; sadly, I never sensed anything resembling either during my many scans, meaning the armory was likely in a different section altogether.

All I could do was curse our terrible luck and move on.

Maybe I could fashion a temporary shield from the materials I have on hand?

I have a pile of roots as strong as steel; maybe I can use them?

Walking to the pile nearby, I gather the best roots in my arms and return to the hallway's center. First, I had to see how malleable they were.

Usually, examining new materials is fun for me. I like to find out how strong materials are and how well they handle mana and its internal structure. Normally, I could get lost in all the little details— Not this time.

For each root I picked up and examined, I had to mentally picture it being used to block a strike from the winged serpent, and the results weren't good.

After some scanning with my skills and a few simple stress tests, I quickly concluded the roots wouldn't work. Less than a day had passed since we removed the roots from the ground, and they'd already lost much of their durability.

Without being connected to one of the massive trees and, by extension, its mana, the roots were less flexible and more brittle than they were yesterday. They were still as hard as steel, but there was no telling how long that would last.

If I weaved a shield out of roots, there was a slim possibility that it may stand up to a single strike from the winged serpent— Heck, it may even last two, but a third? Not possible. Tabitha needed a shield that could last at least a dozen blows, preferably more.

Gritting my teeth, I pick up my test subjects and return them to the pile with the rest of the roots. "Back to step one," I mumble to myself.

It was quickly looking like I had no choice in the matter; if I wanted to make Tabitha a reliable shield, I would have to melt down the armor fragments and figure out how to mold them into a shield. And to do that, I'll need to build a temporary forge.

Glancing over my shoulder, I eyeball the stack of grey bricks we removed from the ground. At least when it comes to building a forge, I have materials to work with.

It'll take time, but I can't leave Tabitha's side and have nothing else to do, so— "Let's get started. You can do this," I try to psych myself up, and I'll admit, saying it out loud helps.

It's time to get building.