Three days had passed since Adrian began his latest project, and the forge glowed with the steady rhythm of creation.
He sat on a workbench as he carefully inscribed the last of the fifty 1-star Magic Crystals he'd set aside for his Crystal Resonance Communicators.
Each crystal required meticulous rune-carving to channel mana into precise resonance frequencies, a process that demanded both his craftsmanship and knowledge.
He'd originally planned for twenty sets, but with time to spare before his trip to Eldergrove and a surplus of materials from recent trades, he'd pushed himself to complete fifty.
Sweat beaded on his brow as he finished the final rune, the crystal humming softly under his touch.
'Plenty of time to test one set,' Adrian thought, setting the crystal aside.
He gathered the components and began assembling the first communicator.
A few hours later, the first Communicator was complete, a palm-sized device with a polished brass shell, a glowing crystal at its core, and a button to activate transmission.
[Analyzing invention: Communicator]
[Type: Magical Tool]
[Functionality: A+]
[Practicality: A]
[Complexity: B-]
[Integrity: B]
[?? - F-]
[Overall Grade: A-]
[Remark: A revolutionary communication device.]
[Reward: +350 EXP | +400 TP]
Adrian's eyes widened at the grade. 'A-? That's leagues above the detector!' The experience points pushed him over a threshold, and a new notification flashed.
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 5]
[New Skill Unlocked: Blueprint Ascension]
[Blueprint Ascension: Once every 30 days, you can select a blueprint to be refined, significantly enhancing its design with advanced knowledge and optimizations beyond your capabilities]
Adrian's heart raced.
'A skill that upgrades my blueprints? Even with knowledge I don't have?'
He could already imagine how far he could push his designs, or even make complex projects like the magic gun sooner than expected.
'This is huge,' Adrian thought, barely containing his excitement. But the pile of crystals and components on his workbench grounded him.
"No time to celebrate," he muttered. "Time to get to work."
***
Two days later, Adrian was on a carriage traveling towards Eldergrove, the familiar road winding through sun-dappled hills.
Two crates were with him — one was filled with the fifty mana detectors, while the other was with 25 sets of the Communicators, though the latter was safely stored in his [Inventory], invisible to everyone.
It didn't take him too long to reach the Association building, and on entering, he immediately approached the receptionist as there was no line this time.
"Adrian, here to see the Director."
The same lady who usually sat behind the desk met his gaze again. Her lips pursed in irritation, but surprisingly, no barbed retort came.
With a curt nod, she scrawled a note and waved him through. "Director's office. Go." Adrian caught the flicker of annoyance in her eyes and responded with a sly smirk.
Inside the Director's richly appointed chamber, the man rose from his desk.
"Adrian, my boy!" he exclaimed with a broad smile. "You've come through! Those detectors will change everything for our scouts."
Adrian set the crate on the walnut table with a soft thud and raised a hand.
"Payment first," he said with a calm voice.
"Of course, of course." He gestured to an aide, who hauled in a wooden crate and pried it open, revealing a pile of glistening Tier-1 magic crystals, their soft glow filling the room. "Five hundred, as agreed."
Adrian stepped forward, eyeing the crystals. He could count them manually, but why bother?
'[Analyze],' he commanded silently.
[Analyzing...]
[Material Identified: 1- Star Magic Crystals]
[Quantity: 500]
"Nice." Adrian said aloud with a nod, before pushing the detector crate toward the Director, who reached for it eagerly.
"You don't want to count them?" the Director asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Don't worry. It's all there."
The Director blinked, confusion flickering across his face, but he didn't press. Instead, he lifted a detector from the crate, admiring its runes and quartz lens.
"Marvelous work, lad," he murmured, almost to himself.
Adrian leaned back in his chair. "I plan on sourcing some materials through your channels, but before that, I've got another device I'm willing to share."
The Director froze and his hands slammed the crate shut with a bang.
"Tell me!"
Adrian smirked, pulling a Communicator set from his jacket. Its brass casing gleamed, the crystal at its core pulsing faintly.
"This," he said, "is a Communicator. Pairs of these let you talk over 3 miles, clear as day. Adventurers can coordinate in the Magic Forest without alerting beasts.
Merchants can haggle across markets. Even villagers can call for help."
The Director's jaw dropped, his fingers twitching as he reached for the device.
"Three miles? Voice transmission? This… this is revolutionary!"
"Thought you'd say that," Adrian said, leaning forward. "I've got 25 sets — two units each, one hundred total. I'm thinking ten magic crystals per set. Interested?"
The Director's eyes widened, but he recovered quickly, steepling his fingers. "Ten magic crystals?! That's too much, but… if it works as you say, it's worth every crystal."
Adrian nodded, handing him one unit and stepping to the chamber's window with the other. He pressed the button and spoke:
"Testing, Director." The man's unit crackled, and Adrian's voice echoed clearly. The Director gasped, nearly dropping the device.
"By the gods," he whispered. "It's perfect."
"250 magic crystals for 25 sets," Adrian repeated.
The Director hesitated, then nodded vigorously. "Deal! We'll take all twenty five. I'll have the deal approved by tomorrow."
Adrian pocketed his communicator in satisfaction. "Nice. I'll deliver the sets then. As for materials, I need starforged iron, lunar quartz, and etheric conduits. Can your contacts source them?"
"We'll find them," the Director said, still staring at the detector. "Our network reaches the capital's best forges. Give me a list, and I'll make it happen."
"Good," Adrian said, standing. "I'll be back tomorrow with more requests. Don't play with the detectors, yeah? You saw what happens."
The Director paled, likely recalling Varis's fiasco, and nodded. "Understood."
Adrian turned to leave, but paused. "Oh, and spread the word about my brand — AD. More inventions coming if you keep the orders flowing."
The Director's eyes gleamed. "You have my word, lad."
***
Outside, Adrian hailed a carriage back to Tulia, the crate of 500 crystals now in his [Inventory] alongside the communicators.
'Cedric's messenger comes in two days... I'll likely be visiting the Borins.'