Metal can be affected by other energies.
Yet because of that, metal becomes an even stronger metal.
A lake near the center of the world, occupied by the Metalum Empire.
Just as Ignis had discovered the forest, Metalum’s researchers were in the midst of conducting research at the lake.
Upon the surface of the lake, where gentle ripples gave off a strange blue glow.
“It’s… it’s working……!”
Researcher Keldren shouted.
An experimental device made from crystal cores was connected from the lake’s surface to a tank containing an energy core.
The water energy rising from the lake flowed along the device and into the energy core.
And at last, the researchers saw that the once-transparent energy core was gradually turning blue.
Researcher Renma asked Keldren.
“Should we observe it a little longer?”
“It’s almost done. Once the reaction stops, we’ll have to check it.”
Inside the energy core, now being dyed blue, the energy of water swayed as though waves were surging within it.
Renma looked into the Aqua Empire’s wave core, which they had in their possession.
He compared the core currently being created with the wave core.
Renma spoke in a voice full of anticipation.
“Ah, the experiment seems to be going well. It’s becoming similar to Aqua’s core.”
“Good. We’ll take it out in a little while.”
The researchers, including Keldren and Renma, watched the experimental device while maintaining their tension, and beside them, metal soldiers and several crystal soldiers stood by.
A short while later, Keldren carefully approached the device.
The energy core seemed to have stopped reacting.
He slowly picked up the core, now turned blue, from inside the tank.
“Huh……?”
The researchers noticed something peculiar about the core.
Waves were surging within the newly formed core, but compared to an actual Aqua wave core, its color was much paler.
Unlike the wave core, which held a deep blue light, this core emitted an exceedingly bright watery glow.
“Did the experiment succeed?”
Renma watched Keldren’s expression.
Keldren answered.
“We’ll need to proceed with more experiments. It’s possible we lacked sufficient materials. But this experiment was not a failure. It would be best to add more energy cores.”
In truth, a single-attribute core was created by consuming five energy cores.
Only with enough energy cores would a more complete core be made.
When the researchers conducted the experiment again, this time they were able to obtain a core with a deeper color.
Renma examined the new core closely.
“It seems closer to the color of crystal than to Aqua’s core.”
Keldren nodded.
“That can happen if we’re the ones who created it. Let’s collect more cores in this state and attempt fusion.”
None of Metalum’s researchers were easily swayed by emotion.
Even in the moment they succeeded in producing a wave core, they remained calm.
The bright-colored wave core was still surging like waves of the deep sea atop Renma’s hand.
When the researchers were seen returning to the fortress, Emperor Oruma and his retainers headed to the underground fusion facility.
Together, they watched the fusion of the metal core and the bright-colored wave core at the fusion facility.
Two types of cores had been placed inside the tank, and after a while, they pressed close against each other.
Soon, dazzling light burst forth between them, and the cores fused into one.
After a brief silence, Keldren shouted.
“The fusion is a success! Through the core extracted from the lake and our metal core, we can create crystal cores!”
“We succeeded!”
“This is tremendous progress!”
Researcher Kalmorin and Researcher Orbian, who had been guarding the fusion facility, also cheered.
Oruma lifted up the bright wave core and the crystal core created through it, one in each hand.
As though Metalum’s silver energy had mingled within them, their colors differed slightly from those of the past, but the vibrations resounding inside them were identical.
“So this is the water and crystal created by our Metalum.”
“Yes, that is correct!”
Keldren answered confidently.
Oruma continued.
“At last, waves have begun to flow over steel.”
His voice was low and firm.
“Now Metalum will come to control the flow of water.”
Not only the researchers but also the retainers stared silently at the cores, as if in awe.
It was the moment the mutually generative relationship, in which metal creates the flow of water, was proven once more.
However, that joy was brief. Somewhat unwelcome news arrived at Metalum’s fortress.
It was the news that the Ignis Empire had succeeded in producing another empire’s core one step ahead of Metalum.
Oruma narrowed his eyes.
“Hmm. Even after suffering such a heavy blow from us, they developed that technology before we did? They are no ordinary lot, after all.”
The core extracted by Ignis was not a wave core but the Silva Empire’s life core. However, within the scope of developing the technology to produce another empire’s core in a special region, Ignis had been slightly faster.
At the same time, they had also been the first.
Belkar shook his head and said,
“If Ignis has produced Silva’s core, then ember cores will ultimately be mass-produced. That is by no means good for us.”
Oruma asked his retainers,
“We too will soon be able to produce crystal cores. Can you calculate which is stronger between crystal cores and ember cores?”
After calculating, Peron began to explain.
“Crystal is made of metal and water, while ember is made of wood and fire. Metal is strong against wood, and water is strong against fire. There is only one mutually generative relationship, between water and wood, so the opposing relationships are more distinct. Therefore, crystal can keep ember in check. On the other hand, the only opposing relationship through which ember can defeat crystal is fire against metal. Because of this, the more we strengthen the power of crystal, the greater the gap in power between it and ember will become.”
When the difference between each other’s energies grows large, an opposing relationship transforms into an ascendant relationship.
When that happens, even if a mutually generative relationship like water and wood exists, that power is not canceled out.
Oruma nodded.
“That is fortunate, then. In order to prepare against them, we must hurry to develop crystal. Our next objective will be the modification of the crystal barracks.”
No one raised an objection to Oruma’s words.
The retainers bowed their heads.
Among them, Peron answered.
“Yes. I will deliver the instructions to the researchers.”
Oruma rose from the throne and headed to the edge of the fortress.
They looked down upon their empire.
Overall, steel was giving off a dazzling sheen, and amid it, the luster of gold and crystal could also be seen.
“Crystal after gold…… And yet we still have a long way to go.”
He muttered to himself while making calculations in his head.
For Metalum, immediately after succeeding in producing wave cores, there were somewhat practical limitations to modifying the crystal barracks to a higher stage.
They had even deployed what few crystal forces remained in the battle against Ignis, and only enough troops remained to barely harvest wave cores from the lake.
Moreover, because the process of producing wave cores was essential before fusing crystal cores, a certain amount of time was needed to prepare a sufficient quantity of crystal cores.
The researchers who had been at the fusion facility had also moved to the lake to focus on harvesting wave cores.
Now, a temporary research facility built with crystal cores had appeared near the lake.
The four researchers gathered in front of the lake and conversed.
“We’ve been quite busy lately.”
Keldren spoke first.
“That’s because the world itself is changing at a dizzying pace. As expected, war is not the only thing that throws the world into chaos. We did manage to produce Aqua’s core in the end, but in the past, this would have been a completely unimaginable result.”
Renma looked up at the sky and answered.
“I do not know how this lake came to exist here. Of course, if we follow that line of thought, it would be difficult for us to dare fathom how we ourselves came into being in this world. On the other hand, I also worry that we may end up paying a price for the actions we are taking.”
Keldren shook his head.
“This research was absolutely necessary for us. Those Ignis bastards should know when to stop rampaging. From Aqua’s perspective, it may be unpleasant, but is there really any need to react so strongly just because we intend to use a bit of their power? His Majesty thinks the opposite, in fact. He believes that if metal cores become widely used, the world will flow under the leadership of steel all the more.”
Oruma’s thinking had some merit.
Gold, which had once possessed nothing but a glorious name and had been treated as a dangerous substance simply because it contained the energy of fire, had, through research, instead been reborn as a metal that could withstand the energy of fire.
Gold, created by the hands of Ignis, Metalum’s opposing force, had now become the most favored metal within Metalum, and if other metals were also utilized throughout the world, their value would soon come to be acknowledged.
Kalmorin said,
“It has been a rather busy succession of days, but I’m glad the research continues to progress well.”
Keldren looked back at Kalmorin and Orbian.
“You two have worked hard as well, even though it hasn’t been long since you joined the research.”
“Not at all. It is thanks to the achievements of our seniors thus far.”
A warm conversation passed between them.
Orbian asked the researchers,
“Are we perhaps going to search for a region of fire as well? Right now, gold is only being applied to soldiers, but if we can create Ignis’s cores as we’ve done in this research, gold will be overflowing before long.”
Keldren paused for a moment before answering.
“Well. Gold is certainly important. It allows us to better endure Ignis’s attacks. But we do have at least some gold cores, while we have very few crystal cores, so securing enough of those should probably be the priority.”
The blue light of the lake before the researchers was absorbed into the energy cores and shone even brighter.
It was like a flame trying to illuminate the path ahead of them.
A while later, after producing dozens of bright wave cores, the researchers headed to the fusion facility.
They stared for a long time at the wave cores they were holding.
Renma said,
“Could this not be a core truly unique to us? It does contain the energy of water, but it is also different from the core Aqua uses.”
Keldren answered.
“You could think of it that way. In truth, it does not contain only pure water energy. It has a little of our metal energy as well. The crystal cores fused with this will also have stronger steel energy than before.”
When the researchers arrived at the fusion facility, they began preparations to fuse the wave cores they had brought with metal cores and produce crystal cores.
Looking down at the cores on the table, Kalmorin said,
“Wait a moment…… Come to think of it, we have some fire cores too, and now water cores will gradually increase as well, won’t they?”
Keldren looked back at him.
“That’s right. But what of it?”
“I wondered whether we might be able to fuse all three at once, including our metal core.”
At Kalmorin’s remark, the researchers stopped their work for a moment.
Renma reacted as well.
“Wait, is that possible?”
Keldren continued.
“We’ve never tried it either. Shall we think it over?”
Following Ignis, Metalum had also begun to take an interest in three-attribute cores.