Chapter 18: Reforging the Gauntlet

Elias sat at his workbench, staring at the smoldering remains of his gauntlet. The once-pristine metal was charred, the mana regulators barely holding together, and the energy dispersion circuits were completely fried. It had lasted through the fight with Seraphina, but just barely.

Lira sat on the edge of the desk, arms crossed. "So, what's the plan?"

Elias exhaled, rubbing his temples. "I need to rebuild it. The entire design was pushed beyond its limits. If I try to repair it as is, I'll just be putting a bandage on a broken machine."

Lira raised an eyebrow. "And that means…?"

Elias smirked. "It means I'm making something better."

He grabbed a fresh blueprint sheet, clearing off the scraps of his old design. His mind raced with ideas—what had worked, what had failed, and what could be pushed even further.

The biggest issue? Heat buildup. His current absorption circuits weren't efficient enough to handle high-output elemental attacks like Seraphina's. And his mana redirection system had fluctuated under stress, nearly shutting down mid-fight.

So, he had to fix that.

He sketched a new framework—one that incorporated a dual-core regulator. If he could create two separate absorption paths, one for raw mana and one for elemental-based magic, he could keep the system from overloading.

But that wasn't enough.

He needed more than just a defense mechanism.

He needed an offense.

Lira leaned over his shoulder. "Wait. What's that?" She pointed to a newly drawn mechanism on the gauntlet's wrist section.

Elias grinned. "I'm adding an impact converter."

Lira frowned. "Which does… what exactly?"

Elias tapped the blueprint. "Instead of just dispersing absorbed energy, this system stores a portion of it and converts it into a physical kinetic burst. Basically—"

Lira's eyes widened. "You're turning your punches into explosions?"

Elias chuckled. "More like a controlled shockwave generator. If I time it right, I can use absorbed magic to enhance my physical strikes."

Lira whistled. "That is either the smartest or stupidest thing you've come up with."

Elias grinned. "Why not both?"

Of course, designing an upgrade was one thing. Building it was another.

His old gauntlet had been cobbled together from salvaged materials, but if he wanted to make this next-gen version, he needed better components.

Lira sighed. "So, we're stealing stuff again, aren't we?"

Elias grinned. "Borrowing."

Lira groaned. "You are such a bad influence."

The Academy's workshop was usually off-limits after dark, but that never stopped Elias before. With Lira acting as lookout, he slipped into the storage room, scanning the shelves for the materials he needed.

He grabbed a mana stabilizer, a few spell-threaded alloys, and—jackpot—a rare high-output energy capacitor.

Lira peeked in. "You done yet?"

Elias smirked. "Almost. Just need—"

A voice echoed in the hallway.

Elias froze. Lira's eyes widened.

"We have to move. Now."

Elias shoved the last piece into his satchel, and they bolted.

The First Test

Back in his dorm, Elias worked through the night. He stripped down the old gauntlet, reforging the frame, integrating the new core system. Sparks flew as he welded the new circuit pathways, adjusting the mana conduits to balance the dual-core system.

By dawn, it was ready.

He slipped the new prototype gauntlet onto his arm, flexing his fingers. The metal felt lighter, more balanced. He activated the power cycle, and instead of an unstable hum, the gauntlet purred with smooth efficiency.

Lira, still half-asleep, yawned. "Well? Does it work?"

Elias grinned. "Let's find out."

He stepped outside, aiming his fist at a stone column. The energy surged perfectly through the system—no overheating, no lag.

Elias tightened his stance, engaging the impact converter—

And punched.

BOOM.

The shockwave rippled outward, cracking the stone upon impact. A pulse of force reverberated through the air, shaking the ground beneath them.

Lira stared. "You actually made explosive punches."

Elias grinned, shaking out his hand. "Told you."

This wasn't just an upgrade.

This was a weapon.

And he was just getting started.