This is concerning, to say the least, and raises many questions. The most immediate of which being: What effect will this have on me? I reach out and touch the blackened area of my core. It feels…inert, devoid of mana like it is just a rock. It does not even feel like it is a part of me anymore. I do not know what the ramifications of this will be, but I cannot imagine anything good. I do have one idea though.

I absorb all the mana I can from my mana crystals until my core can contain no more. As I feared, my core’s mana capacity has been reduced. It is hard to say by how much, but it is definitely less than before. Fortunately, this loss can be compensated for with more mana crystals. I can only hope that is all that has been lost, but I can not be certain for now. I am sure I will find out in the coming days.

My major concern though is whether or not this damage is permanent. If I can recover from it then I will have nothing to worry about in the long term; it will be naught but an inconvenience. But if it cannot be fixed, apart from whatever consequences I will already face, it would be unwise to pursue the creation of any further guardians.

If pain were all I had to face, then I would do so gladly. It would be worth it to protect my friends. But there would be little point in it if I destroy myself in the process.

Better now to focus on what I have hopefully gained. Though perhaps it would be better to reassure everyone first.

Thank you all for worrying about me. Your concern is truly appreciated, but you need not be concerned. I was conducting an experiment and while things did not go entirely according to plan, I assure you everything is alright now. I am fine. For the second time today, I experience a feeling of Déjà vu.

“But there’s a black spot on your core now. Are you really okay?” Violet inquires, not reassured by my announcement.

Trust me, I am alright. It is not a serious issue. One I may even recover from in time. Of course I do not know that for certain, but I would rather put them at ease then let them continue to fret.

“If Magentam says everything is fine, then it must be so. You can go back to what you were doing. There’s nothing to worry about.” Rose declares.

“Is experiment reason you look different?” Lily asks.

“It is. I’ll explain that later, but right now there are things I need to discuss with Magentam,” replies Rose.

Mollified, the imps begin to disperse. Rose and Violet remain by my core, I suspect neither was really convinced.

“Are you truly unharmed?” Rose asks quietly when the others are out of earshot.

I am not entirely unaffected, but as of right now, I honestly do not believe it to be serious. I will let you know if that changes though. What of you? You have clearly changed.

“I feel good, great even. It’s strange, I’m not really sure how to describe it. I feel like I’ve changed physically but it’s hard to know exactly how much.” Rose begins.

You do not appear to have gotten any larger like we expected.

“No, which I am thankful for. I am quite satisfied with my current size. My body does feel lighter, I think. I may be physically stronger than I was before, though not as much as Violet, I’m sure. I would have to do some tests to get a precise measure. I also believe my connection to you has become much stronger,” she continues.

Is that so? How can you be sure? She looks up from my core and appears to look directly at me with a sly grin.

“I know where you are now.” She states.

You can see me?

“No. I have suspected for quite a while now that your…consciousness, I suppose, is not anchored solely to your core, but that you’re also not omniscient. Now I believe I can sense the location where your attention is focused.” She explains.

Let us see.

I take a few steps to the left and her eyes follow me. I move to the right far enough that she has to turn her head to follow my movement. She quirks an eyebrow and her lips curl up into a smug smile. An idea comes to mind; it might be a waste of mana, but it will be interesting, and likely entertaining, to see how she reacts.

I quickly release mana into the air in all directions until the area all around my core is saturated with it. Rose’s eyes go wide and her smile drops. She looks around wildly, even spinning on the spot in her attempt to locate me. She frowns and turns back to my core.

“That’s cheating.” She pouts.

Her reaction was amusing, but also informative. I am confident now that my attempt to make Rose a guardian was successful.

I do not doubt that our connection is now stronger, just as it is for Violet, but I suspect you now also have a much greater ability to sense mana.

“That’s not fair. I want to see Magentam as well.” Violet complains.

“I don’t see Magentam, I only sense her presence. Besides, you have been able to communicate telepathically with her for a while now, even when outside the dungeon. No one else can do that, so I don’t think you’re in a position to be jealous,” Rose chastises.

“I guess I can't argue with that. I still wish I could see her though.” Violet mumbles to herself.

Perhaps you will in time. There is still a lot we do not know how guardians function or how I function. Are there any other notable changes that you are aware of at the moment?

“Maybe, I have some ideas, but I think it’ll take some time to determine the full extent of the changes,” Rose replies.

What about your skin, does it feel alright?

Rose looks down at her mismatched coloured hands, one a light shade of purple, lilac perhaps, the other still her original red, then shrugs.

“I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary, even if it looks a little odd. I thought it was a bit strange at first, so did everyone else, but I think I like it.”

It certainly does look interesting. I like it too.

“Yes, it’s very cute.” Violet agrees, picking Rose up in a hug from behind. She struggles to break free, but cannot escape Violet’s hold. I believe this effectively confirms Rose’s suspicion that she still does not compare to Violet’s strength. Rose sighs and goes limp in her arms.

“Would you like to help me test the limits of my physical capabilities?” Rose asks.

“Oh, that sounds fun. Let’s do it.” Violet cheers.

“Can you please put me down first?” Violet hesitates before answering.

“Do I have to?” She asks.

“Yes, please,” Rose insists.

“Fiiine.” Violet drawls as she lowers Rose down.

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“Perhaps we should head out to the hallway, the extra space will help.” As the two head out, Coal, who is lounging nearby, sees them leave and decides to follow.

Once in the hallway, the three engage in a race from one end of the hallway to the other. Some of the other imps see what they are doing and also want to join in. After a few laps, it is clear that none can match Violet’s speed, at least when Coal does not teleport. He does manage to hold second place though. While Rose cannot keep up with either of them, she does manage to out pace the other imps.

The hellhounds, of course, see it as a game when they notice the imps running back and forth and insist on playing too. Only Violet can match pace with the hellhounds and even then, only the regular hellhounds. Not even she can compare to Noctis.

Once satisfied Rose suggests moving on to testing strength. They do this with a game, though this is not a game the hellhounds can participate in.Two imps hold their arms up and clasp each other's hands. They will then push against each other in an attempt to force the other to their knees.

The result is much the same. As expected, none of the other imps can overpower Violet, not that many are willing to try. In addition to her superior physical strength, her greater height also provides further advantage in such a competition.

Coal faces similar hesitancy from the others. He too is larger than the others, though only slightly, and all but the newest imps are already aware of his strength. Birch still tries, but is quickly overpowered. Rose puts up a better fight, managing to last several seconds against him, though she too is defeated. Violet is the only one that he loses to, despite his best efforts. He does not go down easy though and it takes more than ten seconds for him to submit.

Rose, however, faces no hesitance in being challenged by the other imps; she wins the first few with relative ease, though she begins to struggle after that. When she does eventually lose, it is due to exhaustion after multiple consecutive matches rather than facing a superior opponent.

The other imps are all impressed with Rose’s performance and so am I. Previously, her physical abilities were quite average compared to other imps, perhaps even on the lower end. But now she is clearly a step above the others, with the exception of Violet and Coal. Violet was expected, but I am a little surprised by Coal; that he was still able to completely overwhelm Rose to such a degree. His superior physique is not for nothing.

You have improved greatly. It is very impressive.

“Thank you. I’m honestly surprised. It's a little more than I expected.”

Why so surprised? You have seen what Violet is capable of, even before her resurrection.

“Yes, but she also has the size advantage which surely contributes to her physical superiority whereas I’m still the same size as before. I’d estimate that I’ve not gone too far beyond what a normal imp could potentially be capable of naturally if they pushed themselves.”

You do have some other unique skills that may have also been enhanced.

“That’s what I was thinking. I’d like to test that next. Maybe not out here though.” She thanks Violet and then heads back to her room for some privacy. I stay to watch the others for a little while longer before joining her.

The other imps continue playing in the hallway. Some have descended into wrestling matches, attempting to pin each other to the ground.

“Who will face me?” Violet bellows, looking to the other imps for a willing challenger.

The gathered imps stop what they are doing to look at her. River’s eyes narrow before a mischievous grin spreads across her face. She looks to Aster and raises an eyebrow; he grins and nods. She looks to the others who all nod in turn. As they all turn back to Violet smirking, her confidence melts away and is replaced by nervousness.

“Wait, th-that’s not what I meant.” She stammers. She takes a step back as River steps forwards.

Violet turns and runs, with five smaller imps giving chase. She might have gotten away if not for Coal teleporting and dropping down on her from above, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. While he could never overpower her on his own, he does succeed in slowing her down long enough for the others to catch up and dogpile her. An effective display of teamwork to bring down a larger, stronger foe.

As entertaining as the scene is, I do want to get back to Rose and figure out if her magical abilities have improved. When I appear in her room, she is sitting on her bed. She is holding her hands out to the sides, palms up, and her eyes are closed tightly in concentration. Her mana crystal is floating in the air and actually orbiting her. She brings her hands together and catches it in front of her.

“That’s a lot easier than it was before. My mana control seems to have improved significantly. If I concentrate, I can feel it so much more than I could before. Though I hate to admit it, the explanation of magic from the human also helps a little as well.” She states before I even say anything.

That is good to hear. Let us test that control.

I reach out and touch her. Before she can question it I start draining her mana.

“Hey! Don’t do that.” She exclaims and tries to move away from me. I follow her and continue taking her mana.

Try to stop me.

She narrows her eyes and I can suddenly feel resistance from her mana. It is much greater than the last time we did this, but I have also improved since then. I can easily overcome her resistance and keep draining more mana. She glares and creates a mana shield to push me away. I put my hands on the shield and push against it, but it does not budge.

This is very good. It feels just as solid as what I have seen humans produce. She grins at the praise. But this is still a construct of your mana; you should know that this would not stop me.

Her grin falters as I absorb mana directly from the shield. It feels a little more difficult than when I did this to a human, but not enough to stop the steady stream of mana flowing into me.

Then she surprises me by dropping the shield altogether and going on the offensive. Lunging forwards and thrusting her hand into my chest, she attempts to drain my mana. She cannot overcome my resistance, but it is still a great effort.

That is enough. You have certainly improved significantly. I return all the mana I took from her and give her a little extra on top.

“Thank you.” She lets out a relaxed sigh as she feels her mana returning. “Do you think I’m as good as the humans now?”

I do not yet have a clear understanding of an average human’s capabilities, but it is possible. I would estimate that your mana control is comparable to Noctis now. You have seen what she can do with that magic fire of hers. I am eager to see what you might be capable of now.

“For that, I think I’m going to need to learn more about the concepts the human was talking about.” She places her mana crystal on the bedside table then splays herself out on the bed.

Of course. We could start now if you would like.

“Yes, please. I mean, if you have time.” She sits bolt upright in her bed and beams at me.

There is nothing pressing that requires my attention right now so I have plenty of time. Which is good because there is a lot to explain.

Rose listens attentively as I begin explaining what I know of relevant scientific subjects. I am hardly an expert in any field but the more I think about it, more comes to me. I do seem to possess greater than just rudimentary knowledge. I am still not sure where this knowledge comes from, but I am glad it is there and I can make use of it.

I start by explaining energy and the different forms it can take and energy conversion. I have not thought much about it before, but mana does also seem to be a form of energy so it can be converted into other types of energy. How well can other forms of energy be converted into mana I wonder? That is something to ponder.

The explanations continue late into the night even after Violet and River come in ready to sleep. They are both curious and want to listen as well at first, but they were already tired when they came in and quickly lose interest, deciding that sleeping was a higher priority.

Rose asks a lot of questions and I do my best to answer them. It is almost dawn when her attention begins to falter. Though she is eager to learn and does not want to stop, she too needs to sleep.

I think we will leave it there for now. You should get some sleep.

“No. I can keep going,” she rebuts, even as her eyelids are slowly creeping down.

We can continue this tomorrow, there is no hurry.

“But we don’t know when more humans will come. I need to learn as much as I can so I can help defend against them,” she insists.

It will be easier to learn when you are well rested. This is not something you can learn in a day, it will take time. Now please, sleep.

“You’re right, but…” She sighs and lays back on her bed. “Fine, I’ll sleep, but just for a little while.”

I did say I would help her with this as much as she needs, but now I am concerned she might push herself too far if I indulge her too much. I will need to keep an eye on her. I do not like telling my imps what they can or cannot do; I would rather allow them to pursue their desires, within reason, especially if it is beneficial, but I do not want them to hurt themselves in the process.

After the sun comes up, though still relatively early in the morning, I feel a rush of excitement as Igneous finally returns. It has been nearly two days since he left and I am eager to hear about his expedition. I want to know what he saw outside the city and, more importantly, if he found a suitable place to become our new home.

Welcome back Igneous. How was your journey?