CH369 Iron, Heat and Fury

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Alex quickly stopped Grandmaster Ironhost before he could speak further.

"You don't have to do this. I'm more than happy to help."

Grandmaster Ironhost's eyes lit up. "You mean it?"

"Yes." Alex nodded, a genuine, elated smile on his face. "You're right to come to me. Others may not understand your son's genius, but I do. Maybe even more than him, in fact."

He walked over to Sugud, who had calmed down after his mother's consolation.

"What gave you the idea for this? Were you trying to modify golems, or were you looking for a roundabout way of producing Magic Armours?" Alex asked.

"Golems?" Kaylyn looked at Alex in confusion.

Golem creation was a branch of Alchemy, where magical materials and an alchemical matrix were used to craft constructs that mimicked living beings.

The most common were Earth Golems, often used as avatars during risky experiments due to their resistance to poisons, toxins, and other unseen hazards.

Meanwhile, Higher-tier golems provided personal or laboratory protection for elite alchemists.

Sugud's constructs, however, were almost entirely mechanical, made from metals using forging techniques with minimal alchemical input. Though Kaylyn was familiar with basic golem principles, she could barely see them in Sugud's work.

Surprisingly, Sugud's eyes lit up.

"You can tell?" the half-dwarf, half-elf youth asked.

Alex nodded.

"The physical form is almost complete. I can see your strong foundation in forging and material alchemy. However, your attempt at self-movement is inefficient. The runic foundation of your construct… to put it mildly, is too inefficient."

"What about bluntly?" Sugud asked, not hiding his curiosity.

"It's not suitable. Your runic knowledge is clearly weaker than your alchemy and forgesmithing skills, and it's holding you back."

Kaylyn worried that Alex's words might hurt Sugud's confidence, but to her surprise, he nodded.

"I figured as much."

Sugud accepted the critique readily, much to his parents' astonishment.

"Can I?" Alex asked, pointing to the broken spider. "I want to show you something."

Sugud nodded eagerly.

Alex picked up the runic pen from the table, dipped it into the prepared runic ink, and made careful adjustments to the exposed runic foundation of the spider.

Alex didn't do much—he simply allowed OmniRune remote access to the spider's runic foundation.

Then he issued a prompt.

OmniRune ran a diagnostic on the foundation and determined a more efficient way to control the spider bot.

A few moments later, the spider's remaining three limbs began moving.

Unfortunately, due to the missing limbs, the bot couldn't move properly yet. However, the limbs that did move worked far more smoothly than before, and the bot would likely operate longer and more reliably than it had under Sugud's original runic formation.

Alex looked at the family and then turned to Sugud specifically.

"I have a proposition for you." He hesitated, then continued, "I'm about to head out on an expedition. Come with me. If you do, you'll have a fresh start in a place where you can fully develop your path. You'll make the body, and I'll help you train its mind—bringing your path to life fully.

"What do you say?"

Sugud's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Do you really believe in my path? Or are you just pitying me?"

"I do believe. With your path, you'll achieve great things. In fact, if you could see what I see, you'd realise that I'm not pitying you at all—I'm taking advantage of your talent." Alex said honestly.

"I don't doubt that you'll eventually figure things out. By then, you'll be so far ahead that the people who ridiculed your work won't be able to touch you." He chuckled. "You won't even glance at little people like me."

"The choice is yours."

Sugud's eyes shone brightly.

"I'll go with you."

"Are you sure? Coming with me will be dangerous." Alex asked.

"Will I be able to help?" Sugud countered.

"More than you can think of right now," Alex replied.

"Then I am sure," Sugud said firmly. "I may be able to achieve things on my own, but something tells me I'll never reach the greatness you see. At least, I won't reach it as quickly as I would if I accept your offer."

Grandmaster Ironhost stepped forward, solemn. "Are you sure about this, Sugud? Allying yourself with a noble… there will be no going back."

"I understand, Father," Sugud said, nodding. "But as you say, iron cannot become steel without heat and hammering. I am Iron, and this is my heat and hammer"

Sugud's solemn words would have sounded stronger if not for his shaking limbs. Yet, the tremble only highlighted his determination.

The weak, morale-battered youth from just a few minutes ago hadn't disappeared. He had simply chosen to step through the fire, chasing the possibility of a better future.

Grandmaster Ironhost couldn't deny his son that… especially since he was the one who had introduced Alex in the first place.

It was a possibility the somewhat old dwarf had been prepared for.

"Since you're decided, we'll be leaving tomorrow," Alex said.

"That quickly?" Master Kaylyn asked, slightly aghast.

"Yes. The quicker, the better," Alex replied, his gaze sharp.

Motivation was fragile. A spark of determination could fade if delayed.

Strike while the iron was hot. Grandmaster Ironhost understood this all too well.

"Very well. We'll prepare what we can today and send him to the main tower tomorrow," he said.

"That's for the best," Alex nodded.

He stretched out his hand to Sugud.

"I eagerly look forward to working with you. I'm sorry to say it, but you'll have a lot of work to do."

Surprisingly, Sugud grasped his hand eagerly. "I can't wait."

Alex left the Ironhost smithy, returning toward the DragonHold Enclave Main Tower.

It had been an eventful day. Not only had he met his party members, but he had also learned something new about Magic Armour Designers—and discovered an extraordinary new talent.

His mood was understandably upbeat.

Yet, thinking about the reality of Magic Armour Designers, and the countless dreamers like Sugud whose dreams might have been crushed, Alex couldn't help but worry about his brother, Wilbert.

'What would happen if the kid doesn't have the needed affinity?'

His eyebrows furrowed.

Eventually, he typed a message to Haggleworth, requesting an increase in the number of Guidance Counsellors at the Cradle. Measures were needed to identify students who failed to awaken their chosen path—and guide them onto a better one.

With that task done, his mood lifted again.

With his followers and main party in place, preparation for the interplanar expedition was complete.

**(19/70)**

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