The light of the caver spilled over Helios and Skuld as they emerged into the open air. The shift from the oppressive darko the fresh openness was jarring, but wele. Helios ughed dryly, shaking his head.

  “All those hours fighting and solving puzzles, and it only takes a few mio walk out,” he muttered, gng back at the winding path they had quered.

  Skuld wiped the sweat from her brow and offered a faint grin. “That was... something. At least it’s over.”

  Helios nodded, but in his mind, he thought. ‘If Hephaestus had goo retrieve the Celestial Ore himself, he likely wouldn’t have faced the same trials. Those monsters, traps, and the byrinthihs were most likely tests set by the gods, desigo challehose who sought their favor.’

  ‘Figures it was a test,’ Helios thought. With a quiet sigh, he turned his gaze to Skuld. The trip, though tedious, had been worthwhile. Her strength had grown expoially, and her refined skills made her an even more valuable ally. ‘If nothing else, this side quest roductive.’

  The fe came into view, its t hammers and molten rivers glowing against the twilight sky. Hephaestus stood in the ter of the chaos, hammering a bzing red sword that exuded power. The rhythmig of his hammer echoed through the fe, each strike sending sparks flying.

  The god of the fe held the sword up, iing its craftsmanship. The on radiated ferocity, its aura almost tangible. ‘Most likely for Ares,’ Helios thought, reizing the bde as a oing the God of War.

  Hephaestus set the sword down and turo see Helios and Skuld approag. A surprised grin spread across his soot-covered face. “Well, I’ll be. You two made it back faster than I expected. Guess you’re tougher and smarter than you look.”

  Helios ughed dryly, reag for the bag and pulling out the ks of Celestial Ore they had painstakingly gathered. “Stronger, sure. Smarter? Still up for debate.”

  Hephaestus chuckled, taking the ore from Helios. “Well, you’ve earned my respect. This stuff isn’t easy to get, and most don’t survive the trip.” He set the ore on a nearby workbench alongside lowing ingots and materials Helios didn’t reize.

  “Right, let’s get to work.” Hephaestus cracked his knuckles, the sound eg like thunder.

  The fe roared to life as Hephaestus prepared to craft the armor. The molten rivers around the fe brighteheir glow illuminating the tools and materials scattered about. The god grabbed a massive dle and dipped it into the glowing ore, p it into the mold-shaped segmented armor pieces.

  “The Celestial Ore you two gathered is the most important material in f this armor.,” Hephaestus expined, his voiing over the roar of the fe. “This Ore is special, while you carried it, it took imprints of both of your hearts. It imprimt will shape the armor and give it form. It’ll also be lightweight, self-repairing, and more durable than anything mortal hands could create.”

  He gestured to a series of floating anvils and hammers that moved of their own accord. With a flick of his wrist, he ahem into motion. The tools began shaping the molteal, their strikes precise and rhythmic. Sparks flew as the armor pieces began to take shape.

  Helios and Skuld watched in awe as Hephaestus wove entments into the metal, his hands glowing with godly power. “This is where it gets fun,” he said, grinning as he reached for a vial filled with swirling golden light.

  “What’s that?” Skuld asked.

  “Essence of the Aether,” Hephaestus replied. “This will give the armor its self-repairing properties. Without it, you’d be stuck fixing every dent and scratch.”

  He poured the golden light over the armor, the liquid seeping into the metal and causing it to shimmer. The pieces pulsed faintly, as if ing to life.

  The first set of armor floated above the fe, its pieces assembling in midair into a sleek and symmetrical design that perfectly blended form and fun. The armor rimarily bck, ated with streaks of purple and white to symbolize Helios’ mastery of both light and darkness. The sharp, angur helm featured a bck visor that glowed faintly purple, framed by two curved silver lihat extended down the sides of the facepte. The chestpte was made of interlog segments with white ats, while the jagged, sharp pauldrons added an intimidating edge. The arms were pted with yered bd purple metal, with gauipped in silver cws, while the greaves were sleek and streamlined, streaked with purple along the sides. pleting the look, the boots had a cwed design that mirrored the gaus, and a short, tattered cape flowed from the shoulders, bck with a faint purple glow at its edges.

  Hephaestus gestured to the armor, which hovered before Helios. “Try it on,” he said.

  The armor transformed int and floated over to Helios. The ring was a sleek, bck band engraved with faint purple and white Ret's Sigils that glowed softly when activated. The ring radiates a quiet power, and with a simple twist, it summons his armor in a fsh of energy. Stepping forward, when Helios dohe ring. The ring glowed and shifted, eng him in a fsh of light mixed with purple electricity that turned into the armor. It was weightless, a he could feel its protective strength.

  “Not bad,” Helios said, admiring the way it fit.

  The sed set of arman to take shape, distinctly different from the first with a design that shimmered like the sky before a storm, bining elegand formidable strength. The armor rimarily silver and blue, ated with bck to add depth and trast. The sleek, aerodynamic helm featured a visor that glowed softly in blue, with edges lined in silver feathers that gave it a graceful, birdlike appearahe intricately detailed chestpte was adorned with swirling patterns resembling wind currents, while the pauldroended like outstretched wings, plementing the gaus reinforced with silver pting. The greaves were lightweight yet sturdy, etched with flowing blue designs, and the boots carried feather-like details that reinforced the wind-inspired motif. pleting the ensemble, a flowing, translut cape shimmered behind the armor, rippling like water caught in motion.

  When the armor was plete, Hephaestus turo Skuld. “Your turn,” he said, gesturing to the floating pieces.

  The sed armor transformed into a bracelet and floated over. The bracelet was a delicate yet durable silver bracelet adorned with intricate blue wing patterns and a single bck raven-shaped gemsto its ter. Skuld hesitated for a moment before toug the gemstohe gemstourned blue and pulsed with a soft blue light, activating her armor with a swirling gust of wind that enveloped Skuld. She moved experimentally, testing its flexibility.

  “This is amazing,” Skuld said, her voice filled with awe.

  Hephaestus crossed his arms, a satisfied grin on his face. “There you have it. Two sets of armor worthy of a god.”

  Helios he fai hint of a smile on his lips. “Thanks. This’ll make things a lot easier.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Hephaestus said, waving a hand dismissively. “Just try not to get yourselves killed. I put a lot of work into those. It’d be a shame if my masterpieces didn’t get to see much of the world.”

  Helios and Skuld exged a gnce before bowing slightly in thanks.