Chapter Sixty Nine

It stuttered, groaning under the weight of its work. It was a cripple, and its work suffered all the more for it. The matrix maintenance was a simple affair for it but the increase of the matrix always took so much more effort for it than any of its siblings. It existed in a torpor, its mind hazed by its struggle to increase the matrix ever forward in front of it, only for the matrix to fail and fade away behind.

It could barely build enough, its stores not enough to be of use but his matrix not large enough to allow for more locations for its stores to exist. Still, it struggled on in hopes of finding some breakthrough.

Recently, a location had proven … stimulating. The location called out to it but it could not find the mental reserves to reply. Still, it called and called, an itch it could not scratch but to turn his focus to it. But if it were to do that, it would lose so much headway in its efforts towards creating the matrix before him. The effort to return to equilibrium would drain it even emptier and it feared it would even lose a location or two. It might even lose the location that was currently calling out to it yet it found itself ever called and the itch growing ever more.

Finally, with a deep moan, the itch proved too great, and it quickly turned its sight upon the location calling to it. When its Presence arrived, it quickly noticed that the itch was actually from only a few stores not his own. And oh how unique were these stores. The average store for itself and its siblings were simply mass and mana, but these stores, these three stores were so unique and profound that it found itself lost in understanding the stores. They were not simply undifferentiated mass. There was order to them. Order deep within at such a miniscule size it struggled to comprehend what it was seeing.

It stayed for much too long. Much too long. It lost lesser cycles upon lesser cycles of its progress towards developing its matrix, but the complex simplicity of these stores were astounding. They were not simply… simple. They were portions of portions of portions; a smaller set defined towards a specific task, with each smaller supporting the larger towards its task. And at its most miniscule, it found a singular object, somehow still alive, yet all these combined together to make the entire store, and oh how amazing, beautiful, and simple it was. To find the entirety of a store encapsulated as the simple iteration of millions upon billions of times of this small living singular object. And within that object… an intricate codification of the store. It stayed long. Much, much too long

Suddenly, it understood, and the profound simplicity revealed a path forward it never knew. If it no longer needed to support the undifferentiated matter… if the self-replicating matter could support itself…

The change started slow, a swath of power wafting outwards, passing over store, beast, monster, and plant alike. All changed, and with it, a weight and release it had not felt in the vastness of its life fell upon him with such power it moaned in relief, even as its torpor retreated by a small amount, its mental capabilities freed by a substantial amount. It returned to its task to generate more matrix, but this time, breathed easy. It could easily rebuild what it had lost… and rebuild in a matter of moments what normally would take centuries. If it had a mouth, it would have smiled, both in relief and joy.

* * *

Within the capital of Aelthron, deep within the Aelthron clan, the clanners barely withheld their fear, even as a messenger sprinted to find the current Patriarch of Aelthron. He came upon the doors into the inner sanctum of the Patriarch, his red hand allowing him immediate entrance.

The Patriarch was not amused, and turned in anger, but noticed the red hand almost immediately.

“Report.”

“The matrix is failing, Patriarch.”

The Patriarch immediately stood, stomping from the room, “How quickly.”

“It is… the collapse will be imminent … if nothing changes.”

“How soon?”

“Days.”

“What is it doing?!” the Patriarch cursed to himself.

The messenger remained silent at that, following immediately after the Patriarch as he stomped towards the monitoring stations. They arrived and the Patriarch watched on with fear and helplessness as the matrix continued to fail. If things continued, they would likely loose several of the outer planes, and his concern continued to spike as failure approached critical. Then suddenly, the matrix stabilized once again, and the entire monitoring room collapsed into relieved joy. A joy the Patriarch could not share. They had lost millennia of work, if not more. Rebuilding the matrix to that point would be… The Patriarch ground his teeth.

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“How goes the rebuilding efforts.”

“It…” a gasp of surprise interrupted the report before it began again, “It goes… very well.”

The Patriarch’s fear fell a bit, relief settling the tension in his chest, “How well?”

“I… this seems … too optimistic, but… the matrix is rebuilding itself … at several … uh… many times its previous amount.”

The Patriarch struggled to hide his shock before he almost teleported to the side of the matrix monitor. He looked at the monitor and noticed the same thing, shock settling on him. How…

He did not allow that to hinder his work, “Report to me every hour on the hour, then every morning and evening come tomorrow.”

“Yes, Patriarch,” the man monitoring the matrix saluted but the Patriarch didn’t even notice it, marching from the room.

* * *

Joe woke with the morning and it was a good morning. For some odd reason, he’d slept the entire way through the night and felt so much more thoroughly rested. He also woke with a very shapely and pleasant presence pressed into his side and saw Kilniara smiling up at him through her feathery-like bangs.

“Morning!”

“Hmm. It is.”

Joe smiled, “It really is.”

The two fell silent, looking at one another before both stared up at the ceiling and simply rested in each other’s presence. Nothing else was said and the two soon naturally began their training. The morning proceeded almost identically to every other day and Kilniara was soon running from the room to prepare for the day while the boys woke to prepare. Garnedell took the time this morning to do his hundred days of remembrance for his family before joining them all downstairs to continue in physical training. The healer healed them after, as he always did, and then Joe began training the boys in mana emission during breakfast since they were sleeping while Joe and Kilniara did it in the morning. It was a good day. It was a normal and very good day.

When they left the inn, he had the others speed on towards the dungeon and promised he would catch up to them before veering off to run to the temple district. It was time to ask Kukurnal some more questions.

He arrived at the temple square and headed straight to the temple of knowledge, asking for Kukurnal and making sure that they sent his name down as well. He really didn’t want to be sitting around for a good hour or even half of one waiting for him to come. That seemed to be the trick as Kukurnal came up rather quickly, appearing to have rushed as he looked to be still adjusting his clothing.

“Joe! It is good to see you! I am surprised you came to visit me?”

“You haven’t been visiting the inn very often lately.”

“I did not wish to over use my visits.”

Joe smiled, “That was polite of you, but I honestly meant my offer. You may come over as regularly as you wish, truly. The only thing I will insist on is my bed times. I cannot stay up late or for long.”

“I’m not one willing to stay up late, either.”

“Maybe, but I’m still the one who usually calls an end to the day first.”

Kukurnal blushed a bit at that before nodding, “I can… see that.”

Joe smiled, “You have no need to be concerned. I’ve always made sure to end the day when I wished to. I’ve been rather firm about it, haven’t it?”

Kukurnal nodded at that and seemed a bit relieved, “I guess you have.”

“So relax. We’ve been good.”

Kukurnal seemed to accept it at that point, true relief showing, “Then I may take you up on it more, although I still have duties here at the temple.”

Joe laughed at that and shook his head, “I offered it, not demanded. It is your choice as you wish to use it. If I have need of you, I will come to meet you here! Just like you come to meet me at the inn.”

Kukurnal nodded and accepted, “Excellent. Then shall we take a room? We can discuss there.”

Joe nodded, “I would appreciate it.”

“Excellent. Excellent. Let’s head over this way then,” Kukurnal spoke as he lead Joe to their location.

They came to a small room and sat down, “I’m sorry, Joe, but as you are here on an official means, if you ask any questions, I must charge you. I apologize. But if you are here just for personal conversation, it would be perfectly fine.”

“Certainly. Of course I have to pay for professional services.”

“Huh.. .professional? What a curious turn of phrase, but quite… apt. I like it.”

Joe smiled, “It is common amongst my people. I hope you enjoy it.”

“I think I will,” Kukurnal replied with a mischievous smile, “It will be fun to see how my colleagues enjoy it. But, how can I help you?”

Joe nodded at, “Then we will get to business. I wish to know of all the ways, and anything you may know, about how one may use mana to enhance weapons and physical attacks.”

Kukurnal stared at Joe at that, seeming a bit shocked, “You do not know of these?”

Joe smiled and nodded, “Another thing I will offer you is the idea that you cannot know what you do not know. How do I know what I don’t know?”

Kukurnal quickly began to reply then stopped as his mind began wrapping around the idea of the unknown. His thoughts meandered around it for a time and Joe decided to help him through the logic.

“Is it possible to know of what I do not know?”

Kukurnal thought for a bit, “No… You do not know it.”

“Exactly, so how do I know that I am missing knowledge since I do not know it.”

Kukurnal took a bit more time to ponder it before finally sighing and nodding, “How do you bring these new and strange ideas to me. I am struggling … this one is…” Kukurnal sighed again and shook his head.

“That one’s going to be rattling around in your head a bit. It’s a hard one to get, but just think about it a bit.”

Kukurnal nodded at that but then put it aside, “Then it is best to begin discussing your question. There are several basic ways to do as you said that are known to our temple.”

Joe leaned forward as Kukurnal began his lesson, his interest piqued and excitement growing.

* * *