55 - Chapter 54 - Day 2179

Evelin and Jarel were left speechless. Just the idea that there was an artifact that could create mana coins of a higher tier was astounding for them both.

“Does…does it really work?” asked Evelin. “Can we try it?”

“Does it only work with our mana?” asked Jarel. “Or can we feed it mana stones too?”

Evelin looked sharply from Jarel, at his question, to Adya, waiting for her answer. If this could be done with mana stones, then the artifact was something else entirely.

“Since I have two devices, why don’t you both test it for me?” said a smiling Adya. “Then we can talk about anything else. Please make a note of how much mana the device pulls from you. I want to confirm the usage costs.”

Adya pointed out the devices, then talked them through how to use them. The artifacts were very simple to activate. There were two handles covered in formations. The user had to hold the handles. The artifact would start to draw out the energies it required to function. A cultivator could just will the energies to stop, so it was not a way to drain them. Instead they had to give permission for their energies to leave their control. The device had a colour formation, reminiscent of a progress bar. The bar started out red, then turned to amber at the halfway point, only turning green when filled. The bar would also show the status if mana stones or coins were added instead. Finally there was a setting to allow for the creation of a mana stone or coin. This was a simple selector switch. Adya had included this feature to give the users the option to allow them to hide the existence of her artifact.

The more Adya explained, the more Evelin was shocked at the thoroughness of Adya’s planning. This artifact alone had the ability to upend prices for mana stones. One of the most fundamental limitations was the availability of high tier mana stones. Coupled with the slower recharge for higher level cultivators, it severely limited both war and industrial development. If this artifact made it possible to create tier 8 mana stones en masse, it would become a strategic resource. It seemed like Jarel also understood the implications of this artifact. It would be enough to cause wars.

“What…what are the limitations?” asked Jarel. “Can you create any tier mana stones?”

“So, the first limitation is that I can’t automate the process as I can for the creation of the mana coins of the same tier,” said Adya. Of course she could do that, but it was not something she was willing to reveal. That would make her position untenable. “Second limitation is the energy cost.”

“You mean mana cost right?” Asked Evelin.

“No, I mean energy cost,” said Adya. She was happy to reveal this, as everyone would realise it when they used her artifact in any case. “So the reason no one else seems to have managed to make this work before is because it costs not just mana, but also stamina. This is why I want you to keep an eye on your energy usage. I need to see if my results are correct.” Of course she had no plans to let anyone know about willpower as an energy pool. They should all attribute any fatigue to using stamina.

They both started to channel energy into the artifacts. They would both need to pay the full costs of the process. Based on Adya’s calculations that would be 10,000 tier 5 mana for the actual coin, 1,300 tier 5 mana as the cost for going from tier 5 to tier 7. It should also cost around 200 stamina and 200 willpower based on a 1% for each energy.

Adya was hoping that they were both able to keep an accurate understanding of energy usage. For Evelin the costs would be in tier 6 energies and would cost an additional 200 tier 6 mana.

The amounts of energy should be well within the range for both cultivators, as long as they had tiered up all three energy types. This was the biggest question. If the energies tiered up separately for people, then her artifact would not work for them, or would cost a lot more energy. Well actually that was not true, the cost of actual energy would be the same, you would just have to pay the equivalent amount if you had a lower tier. That also led to the interesting question that if they used the artifact to create lower tier stones, then the resulting energy usage should also be lower.

Adya prepared pouches of tier 1 mana stones to test the theory. It should only cost 105 tier 1 mana stones to create a tier 3 mana stone or coin. At tier 5 or tier 6, the cost in stamina and willpower should hardly be noticeable.

Jarel and Evelin focussed on their artifacts, letting the devices pull the energies directly. The amounts were not significant enough to fatigue them, but the drain was still noticeable. It did not take them very long to supply the total energy required. Evelin finished faster than Jarel. Adya put that down to her having better energy control and a higher throughput.

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The artifacts took several seconds to condense the mana stones, dropping them from the spout.

“So how much energy did you both use?” asked Adya. “Try and be as precise as possible please.”

“I used 11,300 mana and around 200 stamina,” said Jarel. “Though I feed more tired than when I normally use such a small amount of stamina.”

“I used 11,500 mana and just over 200 stamina,” said Evelin. “Why did it cost more for me?”

“So that corroborates my results,” said Adya. “So the reason it costs you more mana is that for each tier you want to reach it costs you that tier as a percentage of mana for the process. So since you went from tier 6 to tier 8, it cost you two percent more in mana. The percentage of stamina is the same, just at the appropriate tier. Now why don’t you both try to create a tier 3 mana stone using these tier 1 mana stones. Let me know how it feels and if you notice the use of stamina.”

Evelin and Jarel proceeded to put in the mana stones into the devices and watched the progress bar reach amber but not green. As they held onto the handles, a small amount of energy was pulled out turning the progress bar green. The devices then created the tier 3 mana stones.

“So what do you both think?” asked Adya.

“Are you telling us that you can use tier 1 mana stones and carry on compressing, as long as you pay the energy cost?” asked Evelin.

“Yes,” replied Adya. “And before you ask, in theory this artifact can create up to a tier 10 mana stone. Again as long as the price is paid.”

“And what would be the total cost of converting tier 1 mana stones into a tier 10 mana stone?” asked Jarel. The fact that it was even possible would upend the market.

“It would cost 1.54Bn tier 1 mana stones,” said Adya. “Along with 900 tier 10 stamina.”

Evelin was shocked that it was even possible, but her thoughts halted at the last requirement. “That would make it much harder to accomplish.” said she. “No one has that much stamina in their pool.”

“Yes it would be hard,” said Adya. “It would cost you 9m stamina at tier 6, and a lot of time Evelin. Though don’t forget, the artifact can be charged slowly, and it will hold the energies. Also this design would only let you go up two tiers at a time. This would mean you could spread out the energy expenditure.”

“So it’s really possible?” asked Jarel. If tier 10 mana stones could be created at a whim, then the entire balance of the council of sects would change. If this was something that Adya could create at this stage and with limited resources, it was no wonder that the elders wanted her dead or under their control. He could also understand why Adya was going to such lengths to protect herself and her secrets.

“This is insanity,” said Evelin, voicing Jarel’e thoughts. “This is going to make you the biggest target for everyone. They will want to steal your secrets. We need a much bigger force to protect you. We are going to have tier 7s, 8s and even 9s coming for you in person. Hell, even the elders may move for this kind of advantage.”

“And so this will protect my true value,” said Adya. “This is why I have pushed ahead with these two ideas. It will give the elder we choose reason to be overbearing in our protection. That along with the newly confirmed status of a mid-sized sect, will mean no one else will carry on looking into us.”

“So while everyone thinks they know the reason you are under the elder’s protection,” said Evelin. “The real reason is obfuscated. And as long as the elder allows everyone reasonable access to the artifacts, it will give them little reason to target you.”

“She has been even more clever,” said Jarel. “It will mean all the factions would want to keep each other in check. If they can’t control her, they would not want anyone else controlling her either. It is an insidious plan. The only ones who will carry on targeting her would be the ones who want her dead.”

“And as long as you all do your jobs well,” said Adya. “That will only boost our ranks. Feel free to keep the mana stones you both made. Consider it a token of my gratitude.”

“So what do you want to do now,” said Jarel. “Should I go and fetch the message scroll?”

“Yes please Jarel,” said Adya. “Evelin, call in everyone and ramp up protection. This is the worst time for things to go wrong. So this is inevitably the time we are going to end up facing some crisis or the other. It’s a pity I still need to hide for now. Otherwise I could have created a protection formation to surround the entire estate.”

“Until you are recognised as a clan or a sect,” said Evelin. “All that will do is paint a massive sign saying, here I am, come and get me.”

“I know that,” said Adya. “It is the only reason I have not done it. Even if I was to start the process, it would likely leak. The process is just too distinctive.”

With that Eveline and Jarel left to start their tasks. Though Adya had not yet sent Jarel to contact the elder, this was already the point of no return. The pulling in of all the agents in the area would be noticeable. At the least it would create additional reasons to look.

Now she just needed to deal with the agent sent to access her family. She needed to create cultivation methods and finally tell her mother what was about to happen.