In a deserted grove, Tong Hua took a deep breath and placed the Shiny Stone on a flat stone slab.
"Rio?" "Gro?"
Riolu and Grovyle had been sparring nearby. Seeing Tong Hua doing something again, they both stopped their match and gathered around.
"Hatt~"
Hattrem also swaggered over, looking ready to enjoy the show.
Looking at the Pokémon gathering around him, Tong Hua explained with a smile, "I'm going to set this Shiny Stone into the Grimoire now.
"If it works, the Grimoire's attributes should improve further. Its quality might even go up."
"Rio?" Even after hearing Tong Hua's explanation, Riolu still didn't understand.
Seeing this, Tong Hua wasted no more time and began demonstrating the process.
"First, I need to refine this Shiny Stone. I'll use it as a rough blank and work it into a gem that fits the socket."
Tong Hua casually picked up a red stone from the ground. The Information Panel showed that it was a piece of flint.
Since he didn't have a suitable cutting tool, he would substitute the most primitive tool available.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The hard flint struck the Shiny Stone resting on the slab, sending chips flying.
Tiny cracks appeared across the Shiny Stone's surface under the repeated blows. Tong Hua didn't slow down, continuing to strike it steadily and accurately.
"I need to carefully avoid the core inside and only chip away the outer portions-"
Tong Hua focused entirely on his work, each blow landing precisely on the Shiny Stone's edges. Amid the flying chips, the stone gradually took on a regular shape.
"Hatt-"
Hattrem watched silently from the side, her initially smiling expression gradually turning serious.
As a witch, she had spent some time studying alchemy. The material-processing technique Tong Hua was using was unquestionably textbook-perfect.
As fragments