Return to Aethelgard and the Power of a Crafter

They left Mine #7 in silence, but it was a silence of satisfaction. Their first hunt had been successful beyond imagination. The giant elevator once again carried them upwards, leaving the industrial darkness to return to the artificial light and bustle of the flying city.

As she stepped off the platform, Yanaki felt a shift in her own perception. When she first arrived, Aethelgard had seemed chaotic, overwhelming, and somewhat frightening. But now, as she looked at the giant turning gears and the tangled web of steam pipes, she no longer saw chaos. She saw a system. She saw components, schematics, opportunities. She was beginning to think like an Artificer of Aethelgard.

Their first destination was the flea market. Yanaki sold off the components and materials she didn't need. The high-grade alloys and gears from a level 25 boss were hot commodities. The sound of "Copper Cogs" clinking in her inventory rang out continuously. In just a moment, from a dirt-poor player, she had become someone with significant capital.

Wealth brought her options. She went to a specialized shop, bought a better set of mechanical crafting tools, and some special machine oils and adhesives needed for the C-Rank schematic she possessed.

"Crafting [Reinforced Bark Plating] requires a [Medium-Grade Workshop]," the system notified.

Yanaki didn't hesitate to spend a large sum to rent such a workshop for a few hours. It was more spacious and better equipped than the cramped public room from before, even featuring a hydraulic press and a precision lathe.

It was time to get to the real work.

She had Sylva stand in the center of the workshop. Beside it were the [Adamantite Alloy Plates] recovered from the Mine-Sweeper. Following the schematic's instructions, she began a complex crafting process. This wasn't just assembly, but a fusion of technology and nature.

She used a cutting machine to shape the alloy plates to fit Sylva's body perfectly. Then, she used machine oil and a type of magical adhesive, applying it to both the metal surface and Sylva's wooden bark. Finally, she placed the alloy plates onto the Guardian Treant.

"Elara, help me," Yanaki said.

The Spirit of Memory floated over, placing her hands on the alloy plates. She channeled her pure energy, helping Sylva's bark not to "reject" the foreign material. Yanaki also placed her hands on them, using her own mana as a catalyst.

Under the combined efforts of the three, the dark adamantite plates slowly sank in, merging with Sylva's wooden bark. They didn't look like they were worn, but as if they had grown from the Treant's own body.

After several hours of hard work, the process was complete.

[You have successfully crafted and equipped [Reinforced Bark Plating (C-Rank)] for the familiar 'Sylva'.]

['Sylva's' [Defense] stat has soared!]

[The skill [Tree God's Shield] has gained a secondary effect: [Thorned Rebound]. Upon successfully blocking an attack, a small amount of physical damage is reflected back to the attacker.]

Yanaki stepped back and admired her work. Sylva now looked like a true ancient warrior. Its wooden body was encased in layers of glossy black metal armor, retaining the beauty of nature while exuding the fortitude of a fortress. Her Protector had now become an unbreakable fortress wall.

The upgrades were done. Her party was much stronger. Yanaki looked again at the main quest: [The Gear Race]. Find or craft 3 [Ancient Energy Cores].

An "Ancient" item like that certainly couldn't be found in an abandoned mine. Its information and schematics must be in a place that housed knowledge or high technology.

"Elara, have you heard anything about a place like that?"

"There are two such places," Elara replied after synthesizing the information she had gathered. "One is the Brass Library, the city's vast repository of knowledge, currently managed by the Gear Guild. The other is the Great Workshop, the center of production and research for the Steam Guild."

The two largest factions in Aethelgard.

Yanaki looked out the workshop window. From here, she could see two colossal structures on opposite sides of the city. One was a complex tower shaped like interlocking gears; the other was a giant factory with smokestacks relentlessly billowing steam.

The race was no longer just a race for power. It was about to become a race of politics, about choosing a side, or confronting both.

With new strength in her hands, Yanaki felt more ready than ever. It was time to truly join "The Gear Race".