Man of Steel

Horace Zemof willed the mana in his hand to form a large block of steel. This steel churned into various shapes and pieces until it turned into a carriage.

"Come in, Kyrian."

Kyrian marveled at the application of magic. It was the first time he had seen a carriage without wheels.

Aside from the unconventional appearance of the carriage, he saw the intricacies of the magic carriage. In the beginning on how it was formed, the process of removing iron from the soil, and molding it to transform into a carriage. His golden eyes glowed as he observed in awe.

There was one problem though; he wondered how it would move as it had no wheels, but he continued walking towards the steel carriage.

As soon as he stepped inside the carriage, he saw how meticulous the design of the interior was.

An emblem of three swords adorned the center of the carriage, and designs of opulence and luxury were felt throughout the interior.

He wondered how the steel became soft as he sat down on the mattress, but he put away logic in the face of magic.

He had a lot to learn.

Suddenly, the carriage rumbled and floated in the air until it reached the skies where the wind blew fervently as it sped away in the sky.

"You do know that here in Aicras, strength is the law of the world."

Kyrian was surprised as he learned that he's now in the western continent.

He did not show the sudden revelation on his face and replied, "Yes, I slightly remember how powerless the weak were in front of true strength." He recalled how they were forced to run away when the knight demanded tax payment.

"There you go, slightly regaining your memories as soon as you saw my handsome face."

The nerve on the boy's head pulsed in irritation and he was about to rebut when Horace continued, "I noticed how in tune you were with mana the moment I sensed you in the river. You possess great talent in magic, boy."

Kyrian tensed up and raised his guard. He had no way of escaping here if the old man decided to harm him.

"Relax, Kyrian. I'm not here to harm you. Instead, I want you to be my disciple. I'm getting old, and my sweet and cute Ace doesn't have an affinity for steel arts. As much as I wanted to teach her, doing so would cripple her potential." Horace calmed Kyrian. 

The old bald man with stylish beard continued, "But you, Kyrian, were able to see the intricacies of my magic. I don't know how you were able to form your mana core at your age, that feat is enough to be a legend in the capital. No one had done it in the history of the Republic. I can't wait to see the faces of those old fogies after they see you." 

"What are you talking about, Egghead? I haven't accepted your discipleship yet!" Kyrian quipped instantly.

As soon as egghe- Horace heard him calling him an egghead, he swiftly hit the back of Kyrian's head.

"Ugh! What was that for?"

"I told you to stop calling me egghead."

"Still, I'm not yet convinced in accepting you as my master."

"Then perhaps seeing this might change your mind."

"What are you talking abo-"

The carriage rumbled as the walls of the carriage became transparent. Kyrian panicked a bit, but calmed himself down as soon as he felt that the wind didn't touch him.

The panic then continued after pausing a bit as he saw a silhouette of dark, leathery wings against the fading orange and purple hues of the sunset.

Its scales glistened in the dying light, a deep emerald green that shimmered like precious gemstones. With each powerful beat of its wings, the air thrummed with a low, resonant hum, as if the very atmosphere recognized the majesty of the creature.

It roared as it sped down towards the carriage when thousands of steel swords appeared in its surroundings.

The creature was trapped in place as it did not have a single place to escape. Its large body became its own shackles.

The wyvern roared in defiance as its chest grew and glowed in molten red. It attempted to breathe fire towards the carriage when thousands of swords pierced its scales as if it were butter.

"Wyvern meat for dinner, Kyrian!" Horace exclaimed in excitement.

Kyrian was speechless in the demonstration of power that Horace did with the steel swords.

The effortless execution and the power it exuded during the encounter was almost as powerful as his Aunt Shenghua. He sulked in silence as he brooded over the recent events. He wondered if she was okay when Horace noticed his quietness.

"What's wrong, boy? Did you see how great this old man is?"

The boy finally made a decision.

His prior indecisiveness was gone and would go all out in achieving power. Right now, he needed all the guidance he could get. Influence, knowledge, and power were necessary in achieving his goals.

"Yes, master." Kyrian replied with sincerity and determination in his eyes.