Upgrades!
With Ethan's new wooden puppet body now in full operation, he feels more agile and ready for the tasks ahead. The first thing he wants to do is give his old stone-shadow body a proper resting place, hanging it up in the cave as a reminder of how far he's come. He also feels a sense of loyalty to Greg, and it's time to reward Greg's constant diligence with an upgrade—making him taller, stronger, and giving his mind a small boost.
Ethan turns his attention to his old stone-shadow body, now resting in the corner of the workshop. It has served him well, but it's time to give it a place of honor. Using his newfound control over the Earth Element, he carefully shapes a divot in the cave wall, creating a smooth alcove that will cradle the stone body perfectly.
He molds the stone wall, smoothing out a space large enough for the old body to rest inside. Once the divot is complete, Ethan carefully lifts the stone-shadow body and places it inside the alcove. The body fits snugly, resting upright within the divot, almost like a statue commemorating the form that carried him through the early stages of his journey. The shadow energy still clings faintly to the stone, giving it an air of mystery as it rests there.
The stone body now has a permanent place in his workshop, a reminder of his evolution.
With the stone body settled, Ethan shifts his focus to Greg. He's grown attached to Greg's small, earthy form, but he's noticed that Greg's short height and simple stone body have made certain tasks—especially reaching the higher shelves—more difficult. Ethan decides to upgrade him, giving him a new body that's more refined, using smooth stone and bronze to create a figure that's more capable while still retaining Greg's original charm.
He envisions a taller, more streamlined version of Greg, keeping his basic shape but making improvements. He plans for Greg's new body to be made from smooth stone, giving him a polished, sturdy appearance. Bronze will reinforce key areas such as the joints and limbs, making him more durable and flexible.
Ethan summons the Earth Element, gathering smooth stone from the mana around him. The stone forms in his hands—polished and solid, but lighter than the rough rock Greg is currently made from. Ethan shapes the stone into a humanoid figure, taller and more proportional, with smoother lines and a more refined design. The stone is dense enough to be strong but smooth enough to give Greg a more agile, polished look.
Next, Ethan crafts bronze reinforcements for Greg's new body. He shapes the bronze carefully, creating joints and reinforced plates to cover Greg's limbs and torso. The bronze gives the body extra strength, adding a touch of elegance to Greg's appearance.
He makes Greg taller, enabling him to reach the higher shelves and perform tasks more easily. Greg's arms and legs are now longer and more balanced, allowing for smoother movement and a better range of motion. Ethan also crafts bronze fingers for Greg, giving him more dexterity when handling objects.
With Greg's new body nearly complete, Ethan decides to give him a small upgrade to his mind. While he doesn't want to overwhelm Greg with complex thoughts, he does want to improve his awareness and problem-solving abilities, allowing him to handle more tasks independently and with greater precision.
Ethan focuses on the Mind Element, carefully channeling just a small amount of energy into Greg's mind. He enhances Greg's ability to understand instructions and perform tasks with more initiative while maintaining the simplicity and loyalty that have made Greg such a reliable companion.
As Ethan channels the Mind Element into Greg, he senses Greg's awareness sharpening slightly. Greg's thoughts remain simple, but now he processes tasks more efficiently, with a bit more understanding of the world around him. He's not fully sentient, but his upgraded mind makes him more capable of handling complex instructions, and Ethan feels confident that this enhancement will make Greg even more useful in the workshop.
Once Greg's new body is complete, Ethan communicates through their mental link, letting him know it's time for the upgrade. Greg responds with his usual quiet acknowledgment, stepping forward as Ethan begins the process of transferring him into the new body.
Ethan guides Greg's awareness and life force from his old, rocky form into the new, smooth stone and bronze body. The transfer is seamless, and he feels Greg settling comfortably into his new form. As soon as Greg takes control of the body, the difference is apparent—he moves with more agility, his limbs longer and more capable, the bronze joints allowing for smoother movement.
Greg looks down at his new body, flexing his bronze fingers and testing the movement of his arms and legs. There's a quiet sense of satisfaction coming through the mental link, as though Greg is pleased with the upgrade. Now taller and stronger, Greg is able to reach the higher shelves and move with greater ease, his smooth stone body retaining the loyal, steady presence Ethan has always appreciated.
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With Greg's new body and upgraded mind, Ethan feels that both he and his companion have evolved. The workshop feels even more functional, and he knows that Greg will now handle tasks more effectively, helping to organize and manage his creations with greater ease.
With Greg now comfortably settled into his upgraded form, Ethan turns his attention to Greg's old stone body. Much like he did with his own stone-shadow body, Ethan wants to give Greg's former body a place of honor, but this time, he decides to place it on a pedestal outside the cave. It will serve as a quiet reminder of how far both he and Greg have come in their journey, and as a symbol of their progress toward creating more complex, refined forms.
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Ethan gathers his mana and begins working on creating a pedestal outside the cave entrance. Stepping out into the cool air, surrounded by the sounds of the forest, he selects a spot just to the side of the cave's entrance—an ideal location to display Greg's old body.
Using the Earth Element, he shapes the stone beneath the ground, raising it up to form a smooth, solid pedestal. The stone rises gradually, creating a sturdy platform wide enough to hold Greg's small, earthy form securely. Ethan smooths out the surface of the pedestal, giving it a polished finish so that it looks like a natural extension of the mountain itself.
Once the pedestal is ready, Ethan carefully lifts Greg's old stone body and places it on top. The body fits perfectly, standing upright on the pedestal, facing the entrance to the cave. The rough texture of the stone contrasts nicely with the polished surface of the pedestal, and the sight of Greg's old form standing there gives the entrance a quiet, dignified atmosphere.
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With Greg's old body now resting on the pedestal outside the cave, Ethan steps back inside to take a moment and reflect on his progress. The cave has become his workshop, filled with crafted tools, weapons, metal objects, and shelves of creations made from wood, stone, and metals. Greg, now taller and more agile in his bronze and smooth stone body, continues to organize and assist, his upgraded mind sharper and more capable.
Ethan looks around, considering everything he has achieved. His wooden puppet body is a major upgrade from the stone-shadow body—lighter, more flexible, and more precise. He has progressed from manipulating basic elements to creating complex items out of pure mana, crafting everything from metals to alloys, and even upgrading Greg into a more capable form.
But despite all this progress, Ethan knows that his ultimate goal still lies ahead: to craft a human-like body, something that truly embodies the complexity and versatility of life itself. He's come a long way, learning how to manipulate elements, summon materials, and combine them, but he's not quite there yet. He understands that mastering life, mind, and body—learning to weave them together into something truly alive—will be his greatest challenge.
For now, Ethan feels content with the steps he's taken. He has built a solid foundation, both in terms of his workshop and his abilities. Slowly but surely, he's working toward creating a human body, one step at a time. Each upgrade and experiment brings him closer to mastering the delicate balance of elements and life that will be necessary to achieve his ultimate goal.
With plans for the future in mind, Ethan looks over at Greg, who continues to work diligently. There's a sense of quiet satisfaction in the air. Ethan isn't rushing—each new creation, each new upgrade, brings him closer to mastering the elements and the life force that will eventually allow him to create a true living form.
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As Ethan reflects on the Life Element and the challenge it represents, memories of his old world wash over him. The way Sarah helped him with math homework, her encouraging words to "leave the hardest for last," resonate with the situation he's in now. He recalls the small comforts of his old life—the cozy café he and Sarah would visit to relax, or sitting in Mr. Reynolds' history class, daydreaming about fantastical worlds where he could be the hero.
Now, he's living in one of those fantasy worlds, complete with magic, adventure, and powerful forces. But in these quiet moments, he realizes how much he misses those small comforts—things he never thought he'd long for until they were out of reach.
But like Sarah always said, Ethan knows he'll face the hardest challenges when he's ready. For now, there's still work to be done.
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Shaking off the moment of reflection, Ethan feels both a sense of loss and a renewed motivation to push forward. He returns to his workshop, the familiar weight of his wooden puppet body moving smoothly with each step. Greg, always by his side, continues organizing the latest creations with ease in his upgraded form.
The Life Element may be the greatest hurdle ahead, but it's one Ethan will tackle when the time comes. For now, there are still steps to take in pursuit of his ultimate goal—creating a human body. He has mastered stone, wood, metal, and even complex alloys, but the next phase will likely involve further refining his control over mind, matter, and the more subtle forces of creation.
Ethan takes a deep breath, feeling the quiet determination build inside him once again.