The training at the Veyron estate intensified.
Now that the internal architecture of Redveil was stable, it was time for Kaelen to learn the crafts required to fill his thirteen slots.
In the Federation, anyone can buy armor, and anyone can hire a technician.
But Alrin believed that a true master must personally forge their own liquid metal to ensure 100% compatibility with their unique Ribbon signature.
The Art of the Smasher
Alrin led Kaelen deep into the estate's subterranean forge.
The air was thick with the scent of ozone and molten ore.
In the center of the room sat an anvil made of a single block of dense neutronium.
"Most people buy pre-refined alloys from the market," Alrin said, his voice booming over the roar of the furnace.
"They are 'good enough' for standard soldiers. But for a Veyron, 'good enough' is a death sentence.
You will create your own liquid metal. When your Ribbon flows into metal you forged yourself, there is no resistance—only unity."
He reached into a weapon rack and pulled out a massive, soot-stained hammer.
It was the size of a grown man, its head etched with glowing crimson runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"This is Earth-Breaker," Alrin grunted, slamming the head onto the floor. The entire room trembled.
"During my time at the border, they called me 'The Smasher.' With enough Ribbon output, I can scale this hammer to the size of a mountain when I'm in my Mecha."
Alrin handed a smaller, training version to Kaelen.
"This is the Veyron Pulsar Technique. When you strike the metal, don't just use your muscles.
Release your excess Ribbon energy through the hammer into the ore.
It will refine the metal while training your weapon speed.
It is the best way to drain the 'overflow' energy that's keeping your body in this heavy state."
As Kaelen swung, the weight was immense.
But with Redveil's guidance, he found a rhythm.
Each strike was a dual-purpose exercise: he was learning the basics of a heavy-weapon combat style while simultaneously purifying the Star-Silver.
The hammer acted as a vent, allowing his thick ribbons to fire off their excess pressure into the glowing metal.
The Weaver's Logic
While his father taught him the violence of the forge, his mother, Lyra, taught him the delicacy of Armour Circuit Design.
In a clean, white laboratory, she showed him how to "draw" with her energy.
Lyra's eyes held a rare intensity as she guided Kaelen's hands over the shimmering pool of Star-Silver.
"The metal is the body, but the circuit is the nervous system," Lyra explained.
She showed him how to etch pathways into the liquid metal so the armor could interpret his Ribbon's commands instantly.
However, her voice dropped an octave, imparting a knowledge that wasn't found in any Academy textbook.
"Beyond these etched paths, Kaelen, you must learn to bridge the gap between flesh and machine using your own essence," she said.
"For the armor to truly become an extension of your body—rather than just a shell—you will eventually need to use your own ribbons as physical conduits."
Kaelen looked at the thick, glowing Crimson Threads currently coiled within his core.
"Right now, your energy is still in the 'Thread' phase," Lyra continued, her fingers tracing a complex pattern in the air.
"But once you reach the Strand Phase, your ribbons will achieve a physical density that can be harvested."
"When that time comes, you must perform the Severance. You will cut your own ribbon strands and weave them directly into the armor's primary circuits."
"By sacrificing a piece of your internal growth to the forge, the armor ceases to be a tool. It becomes a limb. It will feel, bleed, and react as fast as your own heartbeat."
"For now, we stick to the Star-Silver and the etched logic," she concluded, patting his hand.
"But remember: a Veyron does not just wear a suit. They inhabit a second skin."
She also began his education in AI Training, showing him the logic structures that governed Redveil.
However, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"You have the knowledge, but do not try to modify Redveil's core logic yet.
Your secondary memory is still growing.
Study the blueprints and learn the theory at the Academy's secondary level.
For now, we are only focusing on the first three slots: the Neural AI Anchor, the Power Buffer, and the Armor Field."
The Result of the Forge
By the end of the week, Kaelen was exhausted but transformed.
His hands were calloused from the hammer, and his mind was sharp from the circuit drills.
He hadn't just made metal; he had learned the foundation of a Heavy-Weight Combat Style.
He had successfully refined enough Star-Silver to begin the stabilization of his three unique internal slots.
The standard ten-part armor set—the boots, gauntlets, and plates—would have to wait until he reached the Secondary Academy, but the "Engine" inside him was finally fueled.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE,] Redveil whispered in his mind.
[KINETIC FORCE FROM HAMMER PRACTICE HAS REDUCED INTERNAL PRESSURE BY 4.2%. LIQUID METAL PURITY: 94%. WE ARE READY TO COMMENCE THE INTEGRATION OF THE FIRST THREE SLOTS.]
Kaelen looked at the vat of glowing, liquid Star-Silver he had forged himself.
It responded to his touch, rippling when his Crimson Thread drew near.
To the outside world, he was still "The Chubby Veyron," but inside, the Smasher's legacy was beginning to wake up.
He was a Seven-Year-Old Dreadnought, and he was finally learning how to swing his weight.