Ebony didn’t think the Guru had returned to his body when he got back. The dark-skinned man fell on his butt and looked at him in fear and something else he couldn’t recognise. If only he had an emotion detector beside him.

The Guru scrambled as if he had forgotten how to control his feet, kicking and pushing himself away. The guards picked him up after noticing the reaction and it took another few moments of panic grabbing and pulling before the Guru pulled everyone else out of his cell.

‘Fourteen, watch all the exits then follow. Take high risk. We need to know why he’s reacting so strongly.’

Peace and silence returned to his cell but his head was turning.

‘He reacted to Rime. I did not share that name after I listened to Dad’s message. So it’s a troublesome name. He also seems to recognise the name Shi Wu. And even I only know her by Amelia Stone and Dad by Matthew Rime.’ Ebony wasn’t surprised that there were people who recognised those names. He was confident that his parents were not some random people. He was curious about the reaction.

‘Now that we have their real names, it is easier to find leads don’t you think?’

‘If that kind of reaction is what we’re getting, no thanks. But, perhaps starting from mother wouldn’t be too bad. His was more focused on Rime.’

Ebony chatted with Fourteen. Although the Guru felt his conviction that his parents were dead, it was just his assumption. He did not have proof; he just had a gut feeling. There was no reason he couldn’t or wouldn’t want to find out more. No matter what, he was and is a mother’s and father’s boy. Immaturity is still in him.

Security was likely pretty tight. It took hours before the hurried Guru left the compounds with his entourage.

Fourteen kept a rather close distance. The Guru was driven away on a land mount. As far as Fourteen’s gravitational senses go, the mounts were horses. Their speed was nothing to scoff at but they were not speed specialised. The guards or visitors were efficient-minded. Their visit was sent along with a resupply for the prison.

Unexpectedly, the Guru manhandled one of the horses from the chief guard to ride back to the mansion that Ebony was teleported to when he arrived.

Born on a planet with stronger gravity, it appeared that these people were just naturally stronger and shorter than the average Elcrian by a lot. The height part wasn’t obvious and didn’t make them dwarves but the strength part is hard to say without taking a look at unclassed Cinderashians.

The Guru rode the horse with expert riding skills and only made a turn when he remembered that he shouldn’t ride a horse into his master’s compounds.

Fourteen hopped over the fence and onto the pavement so that he didn’t step on any of the garden’s vegetation of heat-producing plants. Unexpectedly, a sizable landmass on Gearhart’s compounds was used for farming. Aether was something Fourteen wasn’t familiar with but it didn’t affect their senses too much. At the moment, it just felt like a unique and foreign mana.

The entire island felt more dense with this mana than Gen and Ful’s underground home.

Fourteen casually stood a few steps away from the Guru when he was ushered into a waiting room. ‘Unbelievable. How are they not sensing or reacting to us? They have mana here, they must be able to sense us right?’

‘Don’t ask me, we’re good at hiding from sight but our mana traces are obvious to most Grandmaster mages on Elcra. Wait for Seventeen and Fifteen’s assessment.’ Ebony replied to his silly clone.

Ultimately, the Guru had to wait despite his urgent rush. He wanted to speak with his Lord Gearhart but the Saint was a busy individual. Fourteen who had been scouting already knew that the Saint was currently having lunch with a couple of ambassadors.

However, the Guru must have a high standing if the mansion’s maids and butlers just took his words and let him wait here instead of rejecting the visit. The bald man began to tap his heels on the floor and sweat despite the building being the coolest place on the island.

It wasn’t till a few unique creatures, a few humans and a few strong Cinderashians left that the Guru was notified that Saint Gearhart would meet him in the hall two hours later.

‘Those ambassadors are quite awesome. I doubt we can beat any of them without Dusk or a sizable backup of mana.’

‘I can feel that. No need to report everything to me when we’re sharing senses.’

Fourteen melted himself into the floor and climbed along the windows of the hall, preparing for a swift escape if he was found.

The moment the Guru entered the hall where Ebony was caught, he knelt and bowed his head down in greetings. “Lord, I have something urgent that I need to inform you. Abo- ah, may I have permission to speak in greater secrecy?”

The Ebonys were instantly disappointed. ‘Of course a mind mage would speak within minds…’

They couldn’t receive any information other than body language and facial expressions.

When the armrest was shattered in the Saint’s grip, Fourteen dipped. The outburst of aether pushed him out of the window. Observing from outside made no difference to his clone, he could still collect gravitational and vibrational data. Moving closer just made it more mana-efficient if he reduced his range of perception.

Saint Gearhart’s expression went back to normal after a short moment and the Guru gravely nodded. He remained there for the next few days. Acting as a liaison for the head butler or maid to pass down orders to many different people through mind magic.

Throughout the whole facade, Ebony did not have a change in treatment and neither did he get any more visitors. He was completely ignored.

Oh, other than his kind guard feeding him and putting on another pair of chains on his biceps since there was no more space.

It drained even more of his mana. They knew he began to exceed how much they could absorb from him.

Ebony was able to manage his mana and not let everything be absorbed so he didn’t allow the new chains to reach the limits of their absorption. The only storage he had was those in coagulated form and Twelve who he gave only coagulated mana to hold. He was unable to keep the rest and the chains beat him in that regard.

He didn’t let that get to him and continued to heal and exercise his Will.

The conditions of extreme heat were dialled down when they realised he was healing faster in a cooler environment. Another one of his ‘luxuries’. It was now only boiling in the room. That wasn’t enough to get through his heat resistance and Constitution. Another reduction in energy usage was great news.

Since he hid his regeneration, he also thought it was fine to show his body healing. No longer lying there with molten eyes. All he left himself was red skin but all his flesh and whatnot was recovered over time.

Unlike the other prisoners, he was never released to go mine or do physical labour.

Ezekiel, the space user, had been promised rewards in private but he didn’t receive anything immediately.

The sons of the Saint laughed and admonished the young master, Percival. However, word was quickly suppressed by the Saint and the Guru. Nothing about this incident was talked about within the mansion again.

The Guru made a round in the prison. Ebony didn’t know what he did since Fourteen couldn’t perceive the internals of the prison but from then, Ebony didn’t hear any guards walking near his cell again. Not even outside the window.

Then he sensed movement. His entire cell was moved but Fourteen didn’t see his cell going out of the compounds.

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The kind guard was replaced with a machine. A metal robot that was not kind enough to break the brick into powder for him.

Ebony’s food and water intake didn’t increase or decrease. He just never had any contact with people any more.

‘That Saint…he asked the Guru to erase or seal people’s memories of me didn’t he?’

‘I’d bet. Ezekiel received punishment just now. For bringing the Bellicose Savants on a mission and receiving losses without making any gains. The space user didn’t explain himself. Percival the young master and the entire family don’t even remember that Percival had gone off the planet. The Guru and the Saint might be the only two people who remember we are caught and locked up in here now.’

‘That is actually more convenient.’ Ebony lived his days silently. He didn’t take long to fully recover and all his energy intake went into his mental output.

When he only had a few things to focus on, his improvements in one direction were vast. In a mere Elcrian month and a half, he created and refined a weak active Will skill. All it did was increase his range of Will and it was only tier 1 but it was a start.

Since no one was watching him other than the robot who fed him every so often, he sat up comfortably and meditated all day. Except for being unable to fold his legs due to the plank around his legs.

He was an obedient prisoner.

And half a month later, he stood up.

‘So the Saint is finally going outside. They are not watching me tightly since I was so obedient.’

Thanks to how little scrutiny he was put under, no one found out that he had been freezing his chains for the past two months. He had to do it without affecting their functions of absorbing his mana so he did it slowly and carefully. A good portion of the wall under the small window that used to be bigger was also frozen with his mana. He only cast with coagulated mana and his mana regeneration was greatly impeded by the drain so it took a long time.

He was experienced with digging ice mana into materials and knowing when they turned fragile. If it wasn’t because he wasn’t sure where his cell was situated he would have attempted a break out long ago.

The Guru knew practically everything about his combat capabilities. It was safe to assume that the Saint also knew.

However, the fact that they ignored him after putting in a single pair of chains told him that they didn’t know just how fast mana regeneration could go up. It wasn’t as if the Guru knew how strong his Meditation or the existence of his Unique Skill. Ebony realised that he no longer remembered the Guru’s name, it must have been erased or hidden somewhere in his mind.

Although Ebony had all the time in the world, he didn’t work that much on his Unique Skill. That required an abnormal amount of constant eating. He didn’t have that luxury here.

Without showboating, he snapped the chains and punched the metal board around his legs. Blowing up the cell wall with a Quake Kick, he first went invisible. The release of the absorption allowed a vast amount of his regeneration to be his again.

His Will has bathed this location for a long time, fully making this area his Domain. He didn’t make a sound from his explosive breakout.

It was dark since he picked the night and waited to make sure the Saint didn’t go on a short walk. For the first time, he wasn’t stuffed underground.

‘What a lazy spot to place me…’ Ebony did a quick survey. His cell was stuck in the volcano walls with the window direction facing out of the edge. No one walked here and the cliffs and edges made the little hole out of sight of the mining crew of the prisoners.

He was right above the bubbling lava. Not even the Cinderashians came so close to the unnaturally hot lava. The crazy race of humans lived on an island floating on an active volcano.

‘There should be a secret route from within the prison since Fourteen never saw any movement of cells this big out the prison.’

Something was moving in the lava. Ebony Flickered up but not all the way.

Fourteen and his Mental Map and perceptions quickly overlapped and he waited for Fourteen against the hot earth.

The clone passed him a set of clothes Seventeen got for him and his robe and Icicle retrieved in perfect state.

Icicle was deemed useless for the Cinderashians and tossed into the volcano as garbage for disposal while his robe was almost sold to a collector. The poor greatsword was barely in one piece after Fourteen found out and salvaged the poor thing floating about after stabbing itself a distance above the lava. Left with just its handle and a small portion of its body after being burned for a few days.

“Good boy, I’ll feed you mana when I have enough.”

“No, you will not. Go back in before I make you.” Ebony’s head was rammed with loud, unsilenceable echoes. There was no one around. Fourteen had been watching the Guru right before he came over. The man was still living in a guest room.

“Mr Guru, are you going to stop me?” Ebony was a little disappointed that he was noticed so quickly but also expected this. He had an invader in his head and the Telepath was still sipping coffee from the other end of the island.

“Indeed. I gave you sunlight but you didn’t appreciate it. You will never see the light of day again.” The Guru once again stood in his mindspace. A different area with no memories present.

“You think I’m just a plant. I see you haven’t understood what kind of person I am.” Ebony honestly felt a degree of panic. His mind was getting attacked and forced under enough pressure that his body outside couldn’t cast any magic.

“You are strong, but you won’t get any stronger. And you won’t escape ever again when your new cell is complete. Do you think you’re free because no one is watching you? No, I alone can keep you here for as long as I live.”

“You know who I am now. Do you think you or Gearhart can get away with this.” Ebony envied that they knew who he was, but he didn’t even know who his parents were. In any case, the Guru’s immediate silence proved once more that they were scared little bunnies. "I don't know who you are Ebony. But it doesn't matter if I forgot, I know you're our prisoner."

'He doesn't sound like he's lying...did he erase his own memories of my surname?' Ebony’s body moved in slow motion only because of how fast they were perceiving and chatting within his mind. The Guru was tearing Perpetual Tranquility Spring bit by bit, changing his mindspace and filling it up with aether needles and explosives.

“This is Lord Gearhart’s estate. A mere Grandmaster like you hopes to escape? I don’t even have to do anything. Your mana had long been registered, you will be shot down before you take a step out.”

“Empty threats are not going to work when you won’t kill me.”

Ebony’s Flicker was indeed useless. He couldn’t react to the stake that pierced halfway into his shoulder when he tried to Flicker out of the volcano. He didn’t even get close to the edge before the mounted weapon blasted into him. The Guru slowed his reaction by a significant degree but he knew that the same result would happen even if he wasn’t slowed by the Guru.

‘You are a scary monster…you used those chains to weaken the pale cannon.’ The Guru could see what was happening to his body because the outside was shown to him from the mindspace they were in.

The thick stake was jammed and slowed down by two of the chains that held him for months. Ebony plucked it out and fired it back but it was fired at by another round from different directions.

‘Their weaponry is so advanced.’ Ebony tried again but three more stakes found their way into his flesh. The stakes as ammunition was far from normal. They weakened materials including flesh on impact. Even his mana chassis shook. These ‘pale cannons’ could hurt mana beings too!

As for them registering his mana, he didn’t take it seriously. Fifteen and Seventeen were still walking about this particular volcano to be recharged with Will and they haven’t been fired at by the estate’s defences once.

‘Just mana in coagulated form isn’t enough. I need a full tank…Twelve, give me all your excess. We’re breaking out.’ Ebony left the Guru alone to jump into his core to talk to his clones. He was now sure that the Guru couldn’t come in this deep in his mind.

With the thick gravity present, he made a trail out for himself. Sadly, not before he was forced to land by a net. With Sonic Reverberation, he gave the ground a good smack and blew the ground apart to free himself but the net didn’t come loose and wrapped him up while sealing his mana.

“I admit, I still underestimated you for being able to get so far even in your weak state. Your regeneration is nonsensical for a Grandmaster but this is as far as you go. You know you would’ve been dead if we weren’t trying to keep you alive.”

“Are you Cinderashians done trying to scare me? An eye for an eye, headache for headache. Fourteen.”

“Fourteen? What are you sa-”

Fourteen who charged back towards the mansion gave the man a good smack on the head before hugging the man and sealing him up.

Emperor? So what, the Guru was only amazing at mind magic.

The immediate weakening of his mental prowess gave Ebony more control back but he still didn’t manage to break out of the net. The net didn’t have as strong of a mana drain and seal as the chains he was tied up in. Luck was on his side as it was only strong against magic but not a good physical net.

Ebony Flickered with the net still wrapped around him. Having already mapped the area, he had a hiding spot in mind.

“Ebony! I can’t keep this Guru down for long. I’m making a run for it now!”

“Go.” The first priority had been to keep his clones a secret but Ebony risked that for his escape.

He got more information on the Guru from Fourteen but the Emperor was wearing a lot of protective equipment. A lot.

Fourteen didn’t even succeed at sealing the Guru properly and had to dip immediately after the ambush. The Guru had long prepared for Ebony’s skill set.

They simply didn’t expect that he had a storage of mana even after being drained for so long. The Guru also underestimated the effects of his Will and Domain. If he didn’t have Twelve to store mana for him, he wouldn’t have been able to set up a Domain to power his escape.

“YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE EBONY!!”

Ebony didn’t reply to the mental scream and quietly Flickered towards a town that Fifteen was staying in.