We make our way into the underground bunker, and I point to an open section of white flooring on the side of the room nearest the stairs.

The portion of the room with loot and materials can be sectioned off with the movable wall if need be.

"I'd like to build the first teleport platform right here."

I put the luminite and old book from my item storage in the center of the room, letting them float in the air with telekinesis and sift through the pages until the design we were looking at before comes up.

Bri, Ember, and I sit around the items and discuss the information while I pull out piles of mana crystals that equal millions of MP necessary for the craft.

On top of this, a very sturdy high-grade platform is needed to use as the imbuement item.

Bri says she has some material back in her workshop that would be sufficient, or we could salvage some of the shielding from the room here, or even merge some of the B-Class items in the crates near the back wall to create a platform for this craft.

However, I have an even better idea for a base material that is higher grade and sturdy enough for this craft.

"How about we use some of the scrapped shielding from the two buildings in Sector 1 that are being taken apart right now? I'm sure that would be more than enough to use for this platform and many others to come."

I use telepathy to call one of my body doubles in the nearby area to come down, and in a matter of seconds, it comes walking down the stairs.

Ember replies.

"That's a good idea. It will be quite an efficient material for this craft. We won't need much, just a 5 by 5 meter solid cut should be more than enough."

I nod and turn to my double while throwing it a transport crystal to the Galeheart Tower.

"You heard him, we need some A-Grade shielding to complete this craft, and bring some extra so I have some on hand. I'm sure Lith won't mind."

Ember grins.

"There is one thing I think he will mind though, and it's something I need if we're going to make that 30-day deadline for the B-Class exams."

I raise an eyebrow as he continues.

"I need you to grab that last isolation pod for me. The concealment items I need to produce will take far longer than a month to accomplish. I've been doing the math in my head, and I'll need at least 10 times that at a bare minimum. The only way I see it being possible is with an isolation pod."

He turns to me and uses telepathy.

"Or we can go scour some far-off dungeons and search for a new void creeper rift, but finding another one nearby on this world is unlikely."

I nod and speak to my double.

"Yeah, that works. Let's try not to destroy this one. It's the only one left that I know of, and I still don't know how to craft those things. Convince Lith to let us use it, we won't charge this one up to 50x, just 10x or so at most."

My double nods and heads off in a flash of white light.

We continue to set up for the craft and double-check the instructions for a few minutes.

Then, Bri asks a simple question.

"So, how exactly did you get your hands on this luminite in the first place? I doubt it was from an auction. You must have actually found a way to mine it from a collapsing dungeon. Or... is there some other way?"

I smile.

"There's no other way I know of. I managed to create a far more stable version of the element stone bomb I set off in the forest outside Vice City with you. There's a way to gently collapse a dungeon. If you're quick enough, the raw materials that drop into thin air once it disappears are these crystals."

I point to the jar with fragments of white gems inside.

She nods and smiles.

"So, you're saying that there is the potential to make more? How much? Could I purchase some from you?"

I laugh.

"Sure, you can buy some in the future, if you'd like, but I was planning to make a platform for you free of cost in your workshop just to make it easier to travel. Plus, an office here so you can have multiple bases of operation."

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I point up to the ceiling and briefly outline the build plans and future for this guild hall to her.

Then, as soon as we're both on the same page, my body double comes back with a smile on his face and an inventory full of A-Grade shielding.

"You'll have enough for 10, no, maybe 100 of these platforms with the haul Lith gave me. Those buildings are loaded with materials."

I open my item storage and my double opens his, and he transfers all of the items over, including an isolation pod with about 6x dilation still left in it.

My double goes back outside to continue surveying the desert.

I pull out just enough shielding for the craft and place the isolation pods near the back wall of the bunker.

"Great, now let's get this craft completed."

With a carefully cut humming sheet of shielding in front of me, 3.3 million MP worth of mana crystals surrounding it, and a containment case of luminite hovering above it, I activate my mythic grade crafting skill.

I share this skill with Bri and Ember so they can watch it happen with intricate detail in real time.

The entire shielding segment is selected as the base, 2.6 million MP of the total mana is selected as a catalyst plus fuel, and just over 60% of the luminite inside the containment case is selected within the glass contraption.

I press accept on the craft option that links up exactly with the book, and a bright white light fills the entire room.

A release of energy from the millions of MP being used flows through all of our bodies, and the metal-coated mana shielding melts into a form that is close to liquid as it bends and shapes into a circular platform about 4 meters in diameter.

Over half of the mass within the containment contraption holding luminite disappears and merges with the bright lit craft.

It takes over 3 full seconds before the light fades and a raised circular platform, a small pile of leftover mana crystals, and a jar of about one third of the luminite we started with are all that remain.

The corners of my lips curve up when my appraisal and all-seeing eye skills read out what is in front of me.

______________

[Instant Teleportation Platform]

Grade: A+

Owner: Jay Soju

Current Bonded Teleport Crystals In Circulation: 0

Info: This is a unique item that can only be modified by its owner. Using bonded teleport crystals, any living being and the direct mass they are making contact with will be instantly transported to this platform.

Crafter's Note: [NONE]

______________

I smile while using my crafting skill again on the remaining luminite and mana crystals sitting on top of the platform and select the next option to make bonded crystals linked solely with this platform.

There's another flash of light, and all of the white and pink crystals before me merge together to make a large pile of small white gems.

I step forward and pick one up.

[Teleport Crystal]

Then, I look back at the platform's stats and see there is a change in one of its settings.

Current Bonded Teleport Crystals In Circulation: 361

"It worked...."

I pick up a handful of the white glossy gems, and toss a few to Ember, then a few to Bri as well, letting the rest all fall into my item storage.

"Come on, let's test this out."

Bri's eyes are wide with a mixture of pure excitement and disbelief.

"Yes, let's do it."

Ember nods.

"I already believe it'll work, but very well, let's test it."

We leave the underground bunker and fly a few kilometers away into the desert and all crush a crystal in our hands.

Instantly, a flash of white light brings us back to the underground bunker, and when I check the internal setting of the platform, the live bonded crystal count changes.

Current Bonded Teleport Crystals In Circulation: 358

"Interesting..."

We try it again, using the crystals inside a dungeon, then again all the way thousands of kilometers away in Vice City.

Current Bonded Teleport Crystals In Circulation: 352

No matter where we teleport from, we're always sent back here instantly.

"Well, it's a success. The first teleport platform works. Now, it's time to farm some rogue dungeons to make more..."

The three of us talk over the trade details in the bunker a little longer, and I let Bri know that it will take a bit of time to farm up more luminite to create her next platform.

However, it will be ready by the time the first shipment of raw materials for her craftsmen come in. The only concern is finding a secure place to put hers. We may need to create a secret room beneath her bottom floor.

Inspection and monthly recorded check-ins from the association cannot pick up on the fact that she has one of these.

After discussing these details, I bring her back to the black market dungeon hub and leave her with another handful of teleport crystals.

"Come back anytime. I may not always be in town, but my doubles will most likely always be here to greet you."

"Sounds good, I'll see you again very soon."

She leaves, walking through the underground market back to her workshop.

Ember and I use the underground dungeon hub as a teleport point to make our way back to the Vice City Labyrinth to collect a single fire stone from the 39th floor, then dungeon walk to a faraway dungeon over 200 km away in the desert.

It is the last D-Grade dungeon that my doubles and Ember were using to collect mana previously when we were charging up pods before the war.

This time, I use my own mythic grade plunderer skill to imbue the stone, and I'm able to create a containment item that stores just about 7 billion MP all by myself.

Ember and I stand back as the stone sucks up the dungeon's mass until it hits its fill.

"Looks like I can farm these myself."

We crush teleport crystals and make it back to the underground bunker. I use this stone to add to the semi-used isolation pod from the Galeheart Tower, bringing it to over 11x dilation, roughly the limit to where it won't cause long-term damage to the machine.

Ember looks at me with a confident smile as he steps inside.

"300 days should be enough if I push it. I will come out once my creations are complete. I wish you luck on your ventures while I work, only disturb me if it is a matter of life or death."

I nod.

"Very well. I'll make sure this civilization is unrecognizable, and we are much stronger once you emerge. Whatever it is you are creating, best of luck."

Ember types on the keypad, entering 30 days at an 11.54x dilation.

The door shuts, and I call for a body double to come and be on full-time guard duty of this pod.

After it arrives, I head off to the canyon of dungeons as the sun fully disappears and the night sky comes. I dungeon walk into the labyrinth to begin a solo farming session.