Chapter 1274 - Power Core (Part 2) (1/2)
”Are you sure you're not doing it just to avoid facing Elina? Besides, as Friya said, this is not my kind of vacation either. I don't feel very coddled having to work my a.s.s in a lab for over twenty hours a day.” Solus sighed.
”I know from experience how hard it is to live with a big burden on your mind. If I thought that letting you roam through the Kingdom or even past its borders would help, I'd do it without a moment of hesitation.” Lith replied.
”Yet I think that after walking on your legs, no matter the landscape you look at while stuck inside the tower, your mind would be replaying those few hours when we taught you how to stand, run, and dance.
”By working, you can keep your mind and hands busy instead of torturing yourself with the memory of what you have lost. We have the next eight hours completely free so you have all the time to prove me wrong. What do you want to do?”
Solus thought for a few seconds about her options. She couldn't get far from the tower without fading away which forced her to walk in circles like a hamster. To make matters worse, it was broad daylight outside.
A tower popping out of nowhere and a spirit of light would hardly go unnoticed, forcing her to choose as a destination one of the geysers nearby barren lands. Solus could go back to Jiera where it was already night, but the thought was enough to make her want to cry.
”I want to sleep, but I don't want to be alone.” She said, turning into her wisp form.
Lith kept her company, c.a.r.e.s.sing the wisp until she fell asleep.
'This was the easy part. The hard one will be when she wakes up and she is forced to face the limits of her condition again.' Lith thought.
Unfortunately, he was right. A few hours later, after the tower had restored her strength, Solus opened her eyes and almost burst into tears when she tried to stretch the limbs that she lacked.
Even turning into her humanoid form didn't help. She had no toes to wriggle and no bones that would pop. No matter how accurate her energy body became, it was still just an imitation of life.
”Let's get back to work.” Solus covered her face with her hands for a few seconds before getting on her feet.
Lith said nothing but checked her mana core with Invigoration, hoping that all that time spent together would bring her closer to freedom. Solus's core had indeed become of a shade brighter, yet it was far from enough.
Friya joined them a while later, in a much better mood than at the moment of their separation. Lith and Solus had already arranged the different pieces of the flying car each inside a different magic circle for the final step of the Forgemastering process.
”Let's do this. I can't wait to see if all our efforts will finally pay off. No Forgemaster of my age has ever crafted a power core.” She said.
Lith cleared his throat in reply while pointing at himself.
”You're right, sorry. No Forgemaster of my age has ever crafted a power core after only six months of practice like I'm about to do. As for you, I'm sorry but Manohar already beat you to it.” She chuckled.
”Thanks for belittling my work. He did it only after becoming a Royal Forgemaster and receiving plenty of training from his masters. Unlike you two, I'm almost self-taught.” Lith said with a grunt.
”And also a sore loser.”