Finalizing a Creation

After two more months of constant work in between his training, Kye had managed to create a stable and safe magical energy condenser. The device itself was rather large and was contained in a private workshop Frey had built for Kye so he could do his experiments in peace. The condenser now took up a considerable amount of space in the back of the workshop and was constantly producing magical energy gems of varied elemental manas that would be packaged in large runic chests ready to ship whenever an order came in. Magical technology was going through its golden age in the current decade and Kye's new magical energy crystals were going to secure the Runewalkers as *the* magical energy supplier of the Alioth Kingdom.

It would seem that even the royal family had recognized the potential of these new crystals and had embargoed them from being sold outside the kingdom. This suited the Runewalkers just fine as their original plans didn't involve expanding this industry beyond the kingdom, but rather using it as a stranglehold on others who would threaten their position as an archduke house. While negotiations were ongoing with Archduke Friedhand, Kye was working on a basic rune matrix that could utilize the immense energy output of the magical energy crystals.

Kye had also decided that 'magical energy' wasn't exactly a conducive term for their marketability. Given that mana stones looked insanely similar and magical energy gems were also described as having 'elemental mana charge', it would become very confusing for buyers. Coming up with a new term for these was harder said than done though, as mana was already a very inclusive term.

Kye did, in fact, have an idea that he derived from the process that occurred during the condensing of magical energy gems. Small layers of pure essence were layered onto one another until they condensed together under the pressure of their own magical charge. This process was called 'spellweaving' and Kye thought that the name Spellweave was suitably different and attention-grabbing. So, from henceforth, Kye would introduce these crystals as Spellweave crystals, and technology powered by these crystals would be Weavetech.

Now that the problem of naming this product was over, Kye shifted his attention to the floating cube that sat in a small containment field. The corners of the cube were constantly spinning and swapping around with one another while the faces of the cube had circles of varying sizes that swapped and rotated endlessly. The energy inside wasn't volatile and that was already a big win for Kye as this runic matrix was the first step towards full utilization of Spellweave crystals. Currently, this cube held the entire energy from one Spellweave crystal, and it was stable even under dangerous conditions. The moving parts of the cube allowed for different runic connections to interface with each side, allowing a six-way energy feed. The limitations of this runic cube, however, were far greater than the upsides. Due to its nature, the cube could not be easily made and it would be far too expensive to produce these on a large scale for basic equipment.

What Kye was looking at intently was a massive blackboard covered in runes that he had discovered transferred Spellweave energy efficiently with no loss. These combinations could be used to power a more mechanical device such as the rifles used by foot soldiers. Knight equipment would be far too complex for Kye's current level of understanding of these runes but it was an end goal. For now, Kye had on his work table, three disassembled rifles that he was modifying to use runes to fire an energy bullet, similar to a magic missile spell. The idea would be that making everyone in an army capable of casting one spell without cooldown or chanting would make the Runewalker army unstoppable against many threats.

Kye worked tirelessly etching runes into certain components of these lever-action rifles that were lying on his desk. First changing the magazine well to take shaped cartridges that housed a Spellweave gem and clearstone cables connecting it to runes on the top of the magazine which would connect to receiver runes in the magazine well. This would then go on to power a small cylindrical runic matrix located near the lever of the normal rifle. Actuating the lever would prime the cylindrical runic matrix and then pulling the trigger would activate the runic matrix causing the rifle to fire off the pre-determined spell.

The one Kye was testing was just the basic minor spell 'magic bolt'. It was a simple spell that all mages learned early on in their career. While simple, it still packed a considerable punch when enough energy was poured into the magical circle. This was the perfect test to see just how powerful a Weavetech device could be as it was practical and cheap to produce. Kye finished up his final touches on the runes and reassembled the first rifle. It still looked like the normal Wrensit repeating rifle the components were built in but now it had a unique looking magazine as well as a new barrel that had holes drilled into it to assist with cooling. Kye knew that this gun would overheat if fired too regularly and the tempered steel barrel wouldn't hold up after many shots but for now, these cooling vents would suffice for testing. Hoisting the rifle onto his shoulder, Kye walked outside his workshop and into a small firing range he set up for testing. The sun poked over the horizon so Kye set up with his back to the evening glow.

"It's last light so I have to finish up testing before people start going to clubs and bars in the area. Don't want to alert people to my testing after all."

Kye mumbled to himself. He often muttered to himself when working if only to hear another voice while he sequestered himself to focus. While Kyla and Alicia were frequent in their correspondence to Kye, this type of magical technology was better suited to an artificer and there were none in the family so Kye was left to his own devices until he was ready to showcase whatever it was he had made. Kye held the rifle aloft and pressed his cheek into the butt of the gun and aimed at the straw target he had set up 100 meters away. He steadied his arms and slowed his breathing before a large BANG thundered from the breach of the gun. Glowing dust showered out the breach and the runic matrix shot out a powered-up magical bolt. The missile ripped through the air and landed home on the target. Instead of making a small impact, the entire target was blown away and left nothing but the charred stand it once sat on.

Kye looked at the damage his weapon had inflicted and smiled to himself. 'With these in the hands of the Runewalker territory soldiers, the Orc tribes won't pose a problem anymore.' Kye thought to himself. Kye packed away the weapon into a portable weapon case and ran back to the mansion, which was in the centre of the city. Kye put foot after foot down on the smooth-tiled street and he passed many workers returning home from their long day. He waved at some of them as they recognized the youth who sped past them. One of the stall keepers was packing up from his long day and saw Kye before shouting out to him.

"Long day at the workshop Young Runewalker eh!"

"Yeah, long day indeed sir!"

Kye replied without slowing down. The stall keeper just smiled and shook his head as he continued to pack up. Kye had become pretty known to the research side of town as he often interacted with shop owners and stall keepers when buying certain components for his experiments. He had also gotten to know some senior researchers at that Runic Square, the university that was funded by the Runewalker family. Kye's interactions with the common people of the city had left them with a good impression of the young master and his antics. It helped that Kye was also very young and this made the perception of his actions more endearing than eccentric. After passing more people who greeted Kye, he finally arrived at the mansion gate. The gate guards saw the young master running with a smile on his face and they relaxed.

"Hello Sir Samuel, Sir Jacob."

Kye nodded to both the guards who were knights of the territory.

"Good evening young master. Were you held up in your workshop?"

"Yes Sir Samuel. I was experimenting with Spellweave."

"Spellweave? What's that?"

"It's those new crystals everyone has been talking about."

"Oh, right. You finally gave them a proper name huh?"

"Yes sir, I thought they needed a new one."

"Hahaha, well, alright. We'd best not hold you up."

Samuel waved his hand past a crystal on the gate pillar and they started to open. The whirring of the gears as they turned to open the gate was loud, but the guards stood unflinching at the loud noise. Finally, the gates had fully opened and both the guards bowed their heads to Kye.

"Have a pleasant night, young master."

"I will, you too."

Kye bowed back slightly and jogged inside. Slowly, the gates began to close and as Kye drew closer to the front door, the sounds became fainter. Alicia and Kyla were waiting for Kye at the front door as they had heard the gate and knew it was their little inventor coming back from his workshop.

"Hello, little man. What's got you in such a rush?"

Alicia asked with a gentle smile.

"Mother, Mother Kyla, I finished an invention!"

"Oh how wonderful, what is it?"

"Come, I'll show you." Kye grabbed both his mothers by the hand and dragged them to the courtyard training area. Kye set up a training dummy and pulled out the rifle from the box on his back.

"Kye! That's a rifle, where did you get this!?"

Alicia was concerned, she had no idea her son was using a rifle in his experiments.

"I put in a requisition order with the supply master at the Runic Square. He got me three rifles but no bullets as he said it was too dangerous."

Alicia put her hand on her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. Thank the Goddess that they didn't give a young eight-year-old a rifle and bullets to use unsupervised otherwise, she would have marched down there and given them what for. Kyla, however, wasn't as relieved as she was intrigued.

"If there are no bullets, then why are you holding it like you're about to shoot."

Kye gave a smile and held the butt under his arm.

"Watch this."

He then aimed at the target and pulled the trigger. The magical bolt shot out the barrel and obliterated the target, sending splinters flying. Excited, Kye turned to his mothers who stared at the charred stump where the dummy was grounded.

"I made this to fire a magic bolt spell with the use of Spellweave crystals!" Kyla whipped her head around to Kye but before she could speak her question Kye interrupted.

"Ah, Spellweave crystals are what I'm calling the magical essence crystals now. They have so much power that it would be a waste to not come up with some kind of runic system that could utilize the energy they hold to do things! Now that I know what runes transfer the energy with no loss, I can make all manner of different machines that can be powered by Spellweave!"

Kyla showed a large grin and embraced Kye wholly in her strong arms.

"Kye you little demon, you've only gone and done it!"

Alicia didn't share in their zeal, however, and was concerned about what this type of weapon could wreak if it fell into the wrong hands. Choosing to believe that her son would have thought about this already, she decided to put her worries aside until the discussion about this weapon happened with her husband. She chose to add herself to Kye and Kyla's hug and brushed his hair gently.

Now that the prototype had been finalized for Kye's Weavetech rifle, he could take it to his father and get workers to help him develop and produce these and arm the soldiers of his territory.

What Kye had just made, would be the start of a technological revolution that focused solely on the development of Weavetech machinery.