Kaden spent next few days completely inside the Caldera Pit. He went a few layers deeper until he felt it would be best efficiency. The extra mana density pressed upon him slightly, but not too much.
It was near perfect environment for him.
The combat simulation formations were very interesting. Their strength increased similarly as one progressed deeper. They seemed to be randomized. Sometimes it was a Cari and sometimes a human that appeared as an opponent. It made sense. You wouldn't be able to always choose your opponent so the various possible opponents in the simulations were good training. Some of them were even difficult at the level Kaden was at.
Kaden found himself being exhausted and even took wounds. The simulations wouldn't kill, but they wouldn't hold their punches either. This he discovered when Kaden found himself losing. It wasn't just once, but a few times. He found himself brutally ejected out of the simulation and unable to go back again due to injuries. Not fatal nor long term, but something that would take time to heal regardles and serve as a lesson.
Indeed, these formations interested Kaden greatly. He had no idea how they had managed such unpredictable simulations.
Due to the few times he found himself injured, Kaden spent quite a lot of time absorbing the local mana to heal himself, but also to cultivate. While he didn't see much advancement, he didn't worry. At his level, unless he was lucky, it was going to be a long term goal.
Other than the library section, there didn't seem to be limited time at all. Kaden had no reason to leave the Caldera Pit. It was a wonderful opportunity. Even if he was already planning to keep his ties to the phoenix clan good, the place was enough to make Kaden make sure that it really stayed that way. For such reasons as should he ever have to disapear or if something would take time and he needed a place for it. Anything similar. That would be the time to return to the phoenix clan and train ... in exchange working for them.
Kaden spent basically next week working nonstop. He was only interrupted by the time Kranor appeared. It seemed he was no longer locked inside his home. This also meant he must have spoken with whoever held power in the phoenix clan. Possibly even the patriarch, if he deigned to take note, which was entirely possible. He had cared enough to note of Kaden.
Results of these discussion would be something that interested Kaden greatly.
"I see you have taken advantage of this place", Kranor said to Kaden.
"There is no reason not to", Kaden replied. "I assume you also deal with whatever differences you had now that you are here?"
"I did", Kranor replied and looked down into the pit for a while. "I had nothing left but rage. Then some small piece of what was lost returned with you. Whether it is small or large thing matters not to me. With you, you also brought back a way to strike back. It is no time to be brooding."
Since he was still alive and Kranor was out, and not mad, Kaden assumed no one would come kill him due to the godless mana system and no one had told Kranor to do so as some test of loyalty or something.
"How did they take it?" Kaden asked directly. "Using the godless mana system is something that I want too."
Kranor looked back at Kaden.
"The reception was ... conflicted", Kranor replied after a moment. "Some demanded we annihilate its existence, but thats not possible. Its not in our hands anymore. Some demanded we should take advantage of it. Some wanted that we keep it to ourselves and not spread it until much later. Many different opinions came up." Kaden listened. "Yet, this is potential power. Eventually, begrudgingly, most agreed to use it and those who didn't don't matter enough."
Kaden felt joy. Phoenix clan was mighty. If they wanted to do something, there were very few who could stop them. One could say the history was moved forcibly to an entirely new path. One that no one could predict.
There was only a single thing that Kaden knew for sure. There would be chaos.
It would take some time, hundreds, perhaps thousands of years before it would settle on a new balance. If his own predictions were true, it would be something he desired.
"Obviosly, it was easy to tell who brought this thing in", Kranor continued. "Many questions of you also came up and how you would discover such a thing."
"I assume since I am still alive, that ended up good for me?" Kaden asked just in case.
"You made some enemies, but also friends", Kranor said. "That is the normal state of things. We might be a clan, but there are internal politics. You are now completely tied to it. Even more so due to how you originally appeared here. But yes, to answer your question, no one should be coming to kill you. For now at least."
"Yet, I have to ask details", Kranor continued after a moment. "I didn't personally ask the details, but if I don't ask, someone else will. What was happened in that great remnant in Murika? We have ... unwritten deal with humans. We don't mess with that remnant and they don't mess with another. I don't know why, but we Cari will not directly go there even if we do arrange distruptions. Humans do the same for the great remnant we call the Origin Rift. Even I am not clear of the details, perhaps only patriarch and the old patriarch are privy to that information."
This was news to Kaden. The great remnant in Murika was obviously significant to humans since there was a deep connection to ancient humans. Kaden wasn't still entirely certain what were the conditions that he and Emina had to accomplish in there to connect the time, but since he was able to return, that something must have occured.
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For Cari this 'Origin Rift' likely had similar importance. Kaden had not known its name before, if humans even had a name for it.
He knew most about the great remnant at Murika, but there were three others. The at the origin of No Man's Land, both poles of the world, there was an enormous rift. Despite them being two, they were actually one.
Then there was another in the No Man's Land, yet another rift, which was extremely chaotic and when you went in, there was no telling what would happen. As always with great remnants, survival rate was low.
Also last one was also in No Man's Land. It was a massive spatial rift that floats about randomly. Most of the time it wasn't even visible or possible to enter, but once it was, it led to some unknown place.
It seemed most of the great remnants, if not all, were tied to No Man's Land. One could argue that the one in Murika merely dragged the edges of No Man's Land towards it with its presence, but it too was very close to it whether that happened or not. Perhaps it was tied to No Man's Land too. It wouldn't surprise Kaden.
"This 'Origin Rift', which one is it, the one that moves around or the one that stays still?" Kaden asked.
"The one that moves", Kranor pointed out.
Kaden wasn't sure what to make of that, but since he knew things about the one in Murika, some predictions could perhaps be made.
As for Kranor's questions. Kaden had kept it secret since he didn't want anyone to know what was in there and what he had created in there. Now that the phoenix clan had accepted the godless mana system and he had been revealed to be the one who brought it, the secret was out. Kaden found it unlikely that those who ruled Cari had any connections to highest humans. Even if they did, it was near impossible to stop the godless mana system, but making a little Kaden to disapear would be easy.
Yet, he had already taken that risk. It was now the time to cash in as much benefit from that risk as possible. Perhaps with help of the phoenix clan, it would be possible to enter the great remnant in Murika again once it opened up the next time. Kaden expected to be extremely powerful at that time. He would likely be able to use time mana, if any was left after the rift inside collapsed.
Kaden started to explain his journey into the depths of the great remnant and what he discovered in there. The time rift and his research during the time of cataclysm.
Kranor got extremely serious from the moments he described what was hidden in the depths. To even greater beings than Kranor, the time rift was near incomprehensible treasure. Kranor got very quiet and still as Kaden described the cataclysm.
"As you likely know, the great remnant in Murika is now closed", Kaden eventually said. "Also, while I'm no expert in such mana as time, the rift collapsed once whatever causality supporting its existence disapeared. Something absolutely neccessary happened there, but I cannot say what for sure. It is gone. Whether or not the remnant even can maintain its status as a great remnant from now on remains to be seen."
"This is ... if anyone else without something to show for it, such as the godless mana system, said any of these things to me, I would have hard time believing it", Kranor replied. "I would even consider them lunatics. Yet, conditions in the time of cataclysm could indeed theoretically reveal parts of mana that we don't know about these days. Perhaps gods indeed take that mana as you suggest? Who knows."
"Now that I have revealed this to you, I expect the next time the remnant opens up, it will be brutal", Kaden said with perhaps too much glee in his voice. "Perhaps a few Archmagi and Higher Cari will clash there the next time. I doubt the phoenix clan top will let the opportunity go now that they know what was truly is in there... if they didn't know it before. If that is the case, I expect humans to also know about what is in the Origin Rift."
"Its usefulness is questionable to humans", Kranor pointed out. "While there would surely be gains for the survivors, it would be very hostile to any humans. Survivors clearly describe things related clearly to beast gods. They wouldn't look kindly to humans. The remnant is clearly tied to them somehow, but it is unkown how."
"Have you ever gone inside?" Kaden asked, but Kranor shook his head.
"It has been open only once during my life", Kranor replied. "We phoenixes don't go in most of the time. It seems we don't really gain enough in there to justify the risks. Some expect it to be blessings from the beast gods and since we already have our own god there is nothing for us to gain. Others who have lesser gods of none, seem to come out more powerful, though. They are the geniuses who often later become leaders of their respective clans."
Indeed, there was something with these great remnant. The one in Murika wasn't so direct with it, but perhaps where the time rift led to suggests that it too was related to power of humans. Origin Rift to power of Cari. What about the two last? Kaden didn't know enough say anything, but these were likely the true secrets of the world.
"Lets put aside the matter for now", Kranor finally said. "None should bother you about this. While you have already likely kept quiet about this, don't spread this matter. The elves you mentioned, likely won't do so either. For us, this will likely become a sealed record that very few have the privilege to see."
Kaden nodded.
"I also see your neck has healed", Kranor completely changed the subject. "Your speech sound fine to me."
"There is little pain left, but whatever you did made the the accursed mana stuck inside to disapear. After that it quickly healed. I wonder, if there is a way to properly defend oneself from such mana?" Kaden replied.
"Personal strength. Human churches have used that kind of mana for a long time as have we in our own way", Kranor told Kaden. "It is merely best to know it is there and then use your own strength to purge it over time. The stronger, the faster it goes. Speaking of strength. How deep can you go?"
Kaden assumed Kranor refered to the layers of the Caldera Pit.
"Several levels down. Four to be precise", Kaden replied. "I returned up to more comfortable layer where I could train rather than just resist the presure."
"Well, you get much further than one at your level usually do, but you need to get to halfway and be able to defeat a simulation fight to be considered to have passed the trials of adulthood", Kranor told Kaden. "That is when we consider our children to be strong enough not to die randomly once they are outside alone."
"Halfway? Thats still very far away", Kaden said with some confusion. "If I counted right, there are thirty levels. I would need to go down eleven levels more and be able to fight in those conditions?"
"That would be right", Kranor said with a nod. He seemed somewhat amused. "I understand you have been surviving alone for a long time, but we have to hold some standards. Until then, most are likely to call you 'child'. Unless something significant truly comes up, just stay here and complete the trial."
A child. Indeed, thats what many did call him. He had expected it to be due to his size and level of power, but it seemed he had to work his way out of that status. Kaden wondered for a moment, if it was going to be trouble. Would the black fragment be moved out of the treasury of the firefoxes before he had the chance to do work and pick it up? Yet, even if it was, it would likely end up in his hands, if his understanding was correct.
"You are pretty talented, it shouldn't take long", Kranor continued. "From a few years to a few decades. Thats what it usually is for new children and you are hardly a fresh hatchling."
Maybe it was time to take more casual time. Kaden had been fighting and scheming nonstop for a very long time. Perhaps the last time was when he joined the saint military? That time he trained too and it was beneficial.
"Sure", Kaden agreed.
It would do good to have a proper training time. More so in the perfect place like the Caldera Pit.