Based on that message, the Universe energy is already incorporated into my Dungeon barrier. If I remember correctly it’s actually the resulting Dimensional barrier that allowed me to survive the Big Bang of Ferras.

So, if even just coming into contact with it can upgrade a barrier from a Dungeon one to a Dimensional one, what could a direct application accomplish?

Let’s start nice and simply, exactly where I began my Dungeon journey. Making constructs.

I go through the usual steps. Sculpting a body out of stone and thinking through what I want it to become. But instead of surrounding it with mana, I then surround it with some of the Universe energy.

Unrelated, but I need to come up with a better name for it.

I then push my idea of the enchantment, of the construct, at the energy and wait for it to do the work. And wait. And wait. And wait.

This isn’t working.

I try pushing harder, making my mental image clearer, even using more of the energy. Nothing takes.

It seems like whatever mind-like thing mana has, my own Universe energy lacks. I suppose it’s a relief though. Wouldn’t be nice to know that something supposed to be intrinsically bound to me has a will of its own.

In conclusion, this energy is useless for enchanting. My version of enchanting, that is. I could probably make use of it if I learnt the ‘proper’ way, but that seems much too complicated. From what I’ve been told, it also seems more like engineering and electronics than magic.

So we’re off to option two!

I add some mana to the mix. Now there’s a cloud of Universe energy and mana around the lifeless statue. I do the usual thing once more.

This time, the mana does what I’d expect. It enters the stone and animated it. Unfortunately, only the mana does so. Everything else gets left behind.

Option three!

I make another statue and again surround it with a mix of energies. This time, as I push my idea of the enchantment onto the mana, I make sure to include and image of it taking the Universe energy along with it and using it in its work.

The result? Success!

At least partially. The mana does appear to drag the Universe energy behind it, but overall maybe barely a tenth of it actually enters the statue. But what does enter it works miracles.

Every bit is passes over, it enhances the mana’s work. Just a few seconds in the web of improvements is already so complex I can’t properly see all of it. But then it continues, improving not only the animating enchantment. It seeps into the stone of the construct and makes adjustments. I slight pull of mass here, a small push there. Soften the bits around joints, harden where there’s less movement.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

To say I’m surprised by it all would be an understatement. The resulting construct even vaguely looks like some of those Greek statues! It’s almost lifelike.

And then it starts moving

It’s so smooth! Not to say that my earlier constructs were choppy, like the robot dance. But this- this is like comparing heaven and earth!

And that was just a tenth of the already small amount I’d intended for it to use!

Alright, alright, let me shelf that as a success for a bit.

Option four.

I take a completely normal construct and channel some Universe energy into it.

When I did this with mana, trying to give a boost to my construct like what happened with Wyld-trees, nothing happened. Now though? Now it appears to have had the intended effect.

The construct doesn’t become perfected like the one that has access to Universe energy during its construction. No, it becomes energized.

The energy travels through its body, pumping like adrenaline through blood. When I tell the construct to go through some test exercises, I’m shocked by the improvement. It’s at least twice as good in all categories. Twice as fast, twice as strong, twice as durable.

The only issue is that-

The Universe energy stops powering the construct. It slows down, then appears to completely power down.

Yes, that. It overwhelms the construct which means it has to recover and repair afterwards. Which means it’s not a permanent boost when used this way. A shame.

As for the energy that was expended this way?

Like mana, it also exits the construct is a slightly altered way. Maybe I can ‘clean’ it how I do with mana too?

I try to absorb it into my Core, but as soon as I do I know it won’t be as easy. In the end, it’s not mana and doesn’t work by the same rules. From what I can tell, it should recharge by itself in my Core. How long it’ll take, I can’t tell.

So, not an infinite source of super energetic energy then. Not for now, anyway.

The question still remains: What will happen to my other monsters?

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The new interloper to Ferras paused, confused. They had been sure the Universe’s core had been slightly to their left. But now they felt it coming from the way they were going.

After another second, the fledgling deity realized that the emanations of Universe energy were, in fact, coming from two spots at the same time.

Now, there were a few possibilities as to why. Ranging from benign reasons, like this being a twin Universe, to the more dangerous ones, like a Universal takeover being underway.

But none of that truly mattered to this deity. What they were worried about was that one of them was coming from their destination.

Had someone else already found their prize? Was it under protection of the Universe, it’s pet project? Or was it purely coincidence?

It had to know, so it sped up.