Absolute Craft-Chapter 55: Inspirations (1)

Chapter 55: Inspirations (1)

Blake logged in.

He arrived much later than usual, which Beatrix seemed to notice. She emerged from his shadow and fixed him with an intent gaze. Although she couldn’t speak yet, her eyes spoke volumes.

Blake smiled at her. "I made a friend. He’s a bit rough around the edges, but definitely someone we can work with."

Beatrix nodded, relieved her master had befriended someone entirely different from Silver Dash. If he ever ran into a player like that again, she would employ the same distant, dismissive approach Sol had shown before.

As for the little elemental, Sol woke up at the same time Blake logged in. He gazed off into space, still half-dazed, then rolled onto the workbench to stare at the forge. It was hard to tell what was on his mind. Blake tried reaching out to him, but none of his attempts got through, so he left him alone. Soon enough, Sol would likely come to him on his own—probably asking for something to eat.

Blake opened the resource chest and inspected their stockpile. He felt satisfied with their haul, meaning no mining trips would be needed anytime soon. And since they had a large cache of gatekeepers’ armor and weapons, he wasn’t worried about running low on materials.

Still, he needed to get started on his second katana, which he hoped would excel against both solo bosses and players. He fired up the forge and asked Sol for help, but the little "golden apple" didn’t respond.

Blake tapped Sol’s shoulder with his index finger. "What’s on your mind, Sol?"

Sol glanced at him, stretched his mouth wide, and exhaled as if breathing fire. Unlike Blake’s Superbia Fusion, not a single flame emerged. He couldn’t use his powers at all. He also remained at level one, unlike Beatrix.

"Oh, so you’re craving that inspiration," Blake said.

For once, he understood exactly what Sol meant: Sol’s energy was what had heated up his chest and pushed flames to his mouth in the past.

Sol’s eyes instantly lit up, as though exclaiming, "Really?!"

Blake chuckled. "I have a plan for that!"

Brimming with excitement, Sol flew up to Blake’s head and perched in his hair, peering down while Blake walked over to the resource chest and pulled out a block of grayish stone—about the size of a large watermelon.

"I hope this is enough. If not, I can always add more," Blake muttered, picking up a chisel and starting to work.

The blade sank into the stone with surprising ease, almost as if it were preheated. This was no ordinary stone: it was a chunk of malleable rock he’d looted from the Stone Troll, capable of being shaped into anything he imagined.

Blake remembered precisely how he’d obtained this stone and already had a clear idea for it.

From atop Blake’s head, Sol watched intently. For now, all he could see was Blake carving and slicing, unsure what the final form would be. A few minutes later, though, it became clear.

Sol’s eyes sparkled as the shape of an adorable dragon emerged—a Western hatchling with four legs, small wings, and a cute muzzle that looked perfect for snuggling.

Blake worked slowly and carefully. He didn’t have much experience sculpting a solid block—just a bit from his school days—but this piece was meant as a reward for Sol. Luckily, Blake’s artistic side took over. He had no digital tools to guide him, so he poured his creativity into crafting something special for his little golden apple.

Two hours later, Blake was done. He had carved, polished, and double-checked every detail of his first stone sculpture.

"Here we go." Blake pushed the dragon’s horns, revealing a cockpit inside its head.

He gently lifted Sol from his own head and placed him in the cockpit. Closing the lid, Blake peered at the front of the stone dragon, spotting Sol’s gleaming golden eyes within.

Blake laughed softly. "It’s even cuter than I thought it would be."

Deep down, he wasn’t sure this plan would work. Nobody truly knew the source of the Stone Troll’s life. The stone’s description simply said it could be molded into anything.

Fortunately, Sol seemed to resonate with the Stone Dragon immediately. His tiny wings began to flap, lifting him off the ground. Without warning, he sped through the smithy doors and took flight outside. The little one was so quick Blake couldn’t catch him without using his dash skill.

"Sol!" Blake shouted. "Where are you going?!"

Night had already fallen, but the flicker of Sol’s flames made him look like a giant firefly streaking toward the forest. By now, Blake realized his little elemental wanted to battle monsters. After all, he’d watched Blake and Beatrix hunting them, and now he finally had a way to join the fight and level up.

"Beatrix! Grab him!" Blake yelled.

Wordless, Beatrix dashed out of the smithy and caught Sol in her arms, pressing him against her armor. But Sol had no intention of staying put. He thrashed in her embrace like a stubborn younger brother, spitting flames in all directions. One of his breaths even singed Beatrix’s chin.

Once they were back inside, Blake opened the dragon’s cockpit and pulled Sol out. Of course, Sol let out a loud whimper, tugging at Blake’s heart.

"You can fly around in the smithy," Blake said with a faint, caring smile.

Oh, how could he go against this adorable elemental? Sol looked so cute and seemed to have learned his lesson. There was no way he’d dash out again to hunt monsters on his own, right? Surely not... surely not, right?

Blake placed Sol back into the cockpit, only for the little one to dart out of the smithy yet again. Was it his imagination? Sol seemed even faster!

"Beatrix!" Blake called, exasperated.

The lady of the house sighed and sprinted off after him once more. The same scenario repeated twice more before Blake finally worked up the nerve to scold Sol for his behavior.