The heart of the forge blazed with an intense brightness, casting long shadows across the workshop walls. The smell of hot metal, quenching oil, and the faint scent of activated essence formations filled the space.

Three days had passed since their spar, and Nova had barely left the forge since then. Meals appeared at the doorway, brought by a concerned Quinn or an eager Millie, but often went cold before he remembered to eat them.

Even his nights were spent by the fire, until he eventually broke out of his concentration and was forced to sleep in the small bed they had carried into the workshop.

Time meant nothing when he first started. It had been this way in his third life, too—days and nights bleeding together as he perfected techniques and crafted masterpieces. Only then did he feel he had done everything he could for the explorers to survive.

The raw materials lay organized on carefully labeled tables around the workshop—various grades of steel, leather harvested from different beasts, and the few precious materials that remained from his trade of the troll soul. Each had been meticulously tested, assessed, and prepared for its role in what would soon be a formidable arsenal.

Once the moon shone through the windows on the third day, Nova stood back and surveyed his work.

"It's done," he murmured to himself, wiping sweat from his brow with a soot-stained sleeve.

Displayed across the largest workbench lay the fruits of his labor: two complete sets of armor, weapons tailored for their specific fighting styles, and an array of smaller protective pieces.

Nova circled the table, admiring the work from every angle. The steel gleamed with a dull sheen where he'd treated it to resist corrosion. The leather pieces had been hardened and shaped to provide flexibility without sacrificing protection.

His fingers trailed over Anny's shield. The core was high-grade steel, shaped into a gentle curve that would deflect blows rather than simply absorb them. But what made it truly special was the outland troll's skull. As soon as he infused it into the material, it had turned too hard for him to forge without doubling the temperature of the forge.

The result was a shield with a surface that seemed to shimmer with inner light, combining the flexibility of steel with the innate defensive properties of the troll's nearly indestructible skull.

[Created: Troll-skull Shield (Epic) {Grade 6}]

[A masterwork heater shield combining high-grade steel with an Outland Troll Skull. The shield possesses remarkable durability and reactive protection, drawing from the troll's natural regeneration to repair minor damage. Forged by Nova.]

[Enchantment: Deflection Matrix {Grade 6}]

[An advanced enchantment that absorbs part of the impact force and deflects it to the side, reducing impact toward the wielder.]

'It's unfortunate that steel can't handle stronger enchantments than that… But still, given the cost of the materials, this is an incredible shield.'

The shield had consumed nearly all of the troll skull material, but it was worth it. The natural resilience of trolls and their ability to regenerate from almost any wound had been captured and translated into the shield's properties. It wouldn't regenerate like living tissue, but it would resist damage better than nearly any comparable material.

"She's going to love this," he murmured, already imagining Anny's reaction.

Next to the shield lay her sword. It was simpler in construction, using the manticore stinger he had received in the trade with Sister Eliana. Nova had shaped it for her fighting style: a straight, single-edged blade with perfect balance, designed for both slashing and thrusting attacks.

His fingers traced the runes etched along the blade's groove. Each symbol pulsed faintly at his touch, responding to his essence. The enchantment was modest but precisely calibrated for effectiveness.

[Created: Manticore Stinger (Epic) {Grade 5}]

[A masterwork straightsword combining high-grade steel with a Manticore Stinger. The blade's tip excretes a paralyzing poison whenever a thrust attack is used, and it possesses good durability. Forged by Nova.]

[Enchantment: Edge Retention {Grade 5}]

[An enchantment that slowly restores the blade's sharpness by taking material from the core.]

Moving on, Nova examined his own sword. At its core was a high-carbon steel folded hundreds of times to create a crystalline structure of great strength. But what made it special was the heart of a magma salamander, the most expensive material he had received in the trade.

The sword seemed to pulse with inner heat, taking on a faint reddish hue that shifted and flowed beneath the surface. The salamander's essence had permanently altered the blade's properties, allowing it to cut through materials that would stop ordinary steel.

[Created: Salamander Fang (Epic) {Grade 5}]

[A masterwork straightsword forged with the heart of a magma salamander. The blade retains heat during combat, allowing it to slice through materials with thermal disruption in addition to its cutting edge. Forged by Nova.]

[Enchantment: Thermal Flux {Grade 6}]

[An enchantment that channels and controls the salamander heart's natural heat. The blade can reach temperatures capable of melting lesser metals without damaging itself.]

'I'm glad that enchantment worked. Otherwise, I would have to make a special sheath for it so that it doesn't melt everything constantly. Plus, now I can send the heat to the edge to make it cut better.'

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The armor sets were simpler by design, as efficiency had been prioritized over flashy effects. Each set consisted of a cuirass, pauldrons, vambraces, greaves, and a simple helm. The pieces were designed to allow for maximum mobility while still protecting vital areas.

Nova had spent considerable time on the enchantments, layering protection runes beneath durability matrices, all bound together with essence-distribution networks that would spread the force of impacts across the entire set rather than concentrating them at the point of contact.

The only issue was that nearly all the pieces were way too small for their adult forms.

'I could have made them larger, but I pray we find some better materials before we need to use our adult forms to progress. That way, I can at least add a fitting-enchantment to all the pieces, making them adjust to our size automatically. The steel isn't able to handle it…'

His gaze settled on two special items resting slightly apart from the weapons and armor. Without question, they were the greatest works he had made in this world so far.

The first was an amulet, resting on a cloth of pure white silk. Unlike the practical, utilitarian design of the armor and primary weapons, he had put his emotions into this amulet, and it truly showed.

The base material was the small piece of mithril that Anny had found for him earlier. He had worked it with painstaking care, heating it to precisely the right temperature, shaping it with delicate hammer strikes, and cooling it at exactly the right rate. The metal had slowly formed into an elegant pendant filled with intricate defensive runes, both internal and external.

Even the mithril would have struggled to support all the enchantments without the precious material he infused into it. He had chosen to use everything he could for this amulet, using the invaluable Millennium Tree Soulwood. The name was an oddly good fit for the planned wearer.

When placed beside the glowing metal, the wood dissolved into golden motes of light that sank into the mithril, fundamentally transforming its structure. It became incredibly difficult to form the metal after the infusion, forcing Nova to use the unification skill to gain enough strength.

Now, the completed amulet seemed to radiate a gentle protective aura. It was of a circular design, resembling a silver flower. Faint golden patterns shimmered beneath the surface, giving it an enchanting beauty.

Nova lifted the amulet, staring at it with great satisfaction. The metal caught the forge light and scattered prismatic patterns across the workshop walls.

[Created: Guardian's Embrace (Legendary) {Grade 9}]

[A legendary amulet of mithril infused with Millennium Heart Soulwood. The pendant creates a protective field around its wearer when exposed to danger, shielding them from harm. Forged by Nova.]

[Enchantment: Sentinel Armor {Grade 9}]

[A profound enchantment that creates a defensive layer around the wearer's skin, capable of absorbing harmful magic and physical impacts. Can alert the creator when the wearer is in danger.]

[Enchantment: Perfect Escape {Grade 10}]

[A profound enchantment that will teleport the wearer to a safe location. The effect triggers if any harm is inflicted, or if any other barrier of protection is broken.]

'My first legendary piece. I'm pretty sure she'll like it. And maybe she'll accept that we're gone for a while… Well, probably not. But the most important thing is giving me some peace of mind while we're gone.'

Next to the amulet lay a matching pair of rings, forged from the solium he'd acquired in the trade. Unlike the amulet's ornate design, the rings were simple in appearance—slender bands of silvery-blue metal that caught the light with an inner luminescence.

Nova picked up one of the rings, examining the complex enchantments he'd woven into its structure. Fine lines of essence circled the interior of each band, forming an intricate matrix that linked the two items across space.

[Created: Echo Rings (Epic) {Grade 6} (Pair)]

[A pair of masterwork rings forged from solium. When worn, they create a mental link between their wearers, giving an awareness of each other's general location within a ten-kilometer radius. Forged by Nova.]

[Enchantment: Mind Bridge {Grade 8}]

[An enchantment that creates a secure mental link between the wearers, allowing for remote communication. Only thoughts deliberately sent through the connection will reach the other wearer.]

The rings would be invaluable in the dungeon, allowing him and Anny to stay in contact even if they separated to explore different areas. The communication range was shorter than the location sensing, but it should be more than enough for their needs. And unlike many other magical communication methods, these would be impossible to intercept or spy upon.

'I'm glad I remembered enough about encryption from my first life to be able to make something similar. I'm sure people of this world have created something similar, but I have yet to see it used.'

Nova carefully returned both items to their silk bed. He was exhausted, feeling the toll of working so hard and long in his tiny body. But he was satisfied with the result.

A noise at the workshop door drew his attention. Anny stood in the entrance, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. The golden flecks in her eyes caught the forge light as she surveyed the array of completed equipment.

"So," she said, unable to hide her excitement. "Are you finally finished?"

Nova turned to her with a tired smile. His white hair was disheveled, his face smudged with soot, and his clothes stained with sweat and metal dust. But the smile was genuine.

"See for yourself," he replied, gesturing to the workbench. "Your sword and shield are there. Everything else is sized for both of us."

Anny approached slowly, taking in the details of each piece. When she reached the shield, she gasped softly.

"Wow… It looks so strong. What did you use for the infusion?" she asked, turning to Nova.

"Why don't you pick it up and see for yourself?"

Anny lifted the shield experimentally, testing its weight and balance. Her eyes went to the invisible system prompt that filled her vision. "Ooh, a troll skull? That does sound durable. Is it the same one you got the blood from?"

"Yeah, the son of the Mountain King. Probably best not to bring that shield to the outlands. He holds a grudge."

A slow smile spread across her face as she slipped her arm through the straps and settled it against her forearm. It covered her entire torso when held up, but she had no problem swinging it around.

"And the straps are prepared so I can use it in my drakeling form as well. It's perfect," she said simply.

She turned her attention to the sword next, drawing it from its scabbard with an eager expression. The blade sang softly as it cleared the leather. Anny executed a few experimental swings, moving the sword like an extension of her arm.

"Both of them," she amended. "They're perfect. Just as expected."

Nova watched her with a smile, taking in her reaction. This was his favorite part, watching the wielders eagerly picking up his finished products.

"We leave for the dungeon tomorrow," he said. "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."

Anny nodded, still testing the balance of her new weapon. "With these, maybe we can go deeper than the king?"

"Well, I think our first goal should be to enter. Then we take it one step at a time."

'Although, it's certainly possible we will beat the king. The two of us together will be a force to be reckoned with, whatever challenges we face.'

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