Ebony’s design for Mireloom Chassis Engine had long been complete, but he hadn’t manufactured the facilities in his body. Thanks to his chassis, making the changes near-permanent by holding them in place with mental effort was challenging.
He had the mental capacity to complete the skill and allow it to run as long as he’d like and Ebony had time since he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to. He tried to reduce the mental consumption while he still could. The more efficient it was, the less it would affect his spell-casting abilities. He also learned many efficiency tips and tricks from the Guru after their long battle. The Telepath was the best multi-caster aside from himself.
“Cinderash is a huge producer of many high-grade metals and fire, ash and sulphur-based materials and ingredients. Although they have strong properties and the quality is good, it doesn’t mean much to us. The most valuable non-commercial item that is occasionally on sale is Molten Nucleus. It is monopolised by Gearhart and his immediate family members all use molten nuclei to improve their physique.
It is an open secret that they keep the Legendary quality nucleus, which correlates to the Saint evolutionary stage for their direct family. As for Epic and Ancient ranked, they are marketed and promoted to increase base resistance to heat by anywhere from 100 to 800% depending on a race’s initial traits. Not every race is suited for it, using the frost elves as an example, it wouldn’t work and would probably kill them instead. The recommended dosage is 200 grams and above, sold separately with the aether technique to make use of the energy to refine one’s physique. Or one could buy a spot in their special pool made by a Saint. Sleep in that pool with the molten nucleus and wake up with a new or refined physique. It’s pretty lazy of them, but I can’t say the technology isn’t impressive.”
His clones went on about the expensive treatment that one could only take on Cinderash and how there were long texts on the disclaimers about whether or not a certain race would receive the same effects at the same dosage or any effects at all.
Heat resistance was just a side effect. The main selling point or ability that the Molten Nucleus gave was to raise the internal temperature that burns not just external weapons, but energy itself including mana and aether. Feeding the Nucleus will allow it to crystallise the energy to form a heat energy shield of some sort. It was defensive in nature but the Gearhart uses the crystallise energy offensively as well.
Ebony saw and observed the young master, Percival fight. It was very likely a stronger form of passive enhancement. If they truly did depend on Molten Nucleus, then he was pretty sure Molten Nucleus was just one part of the puzzle. They were able to utilise the crystallised energy with a clanking-sounding organ within their bodies.
The Molten Nucleus didn’t sound bad, especially because data on their users showed that harmful side effects were close to nil for most humans and sub-humans. If they were compatible to begin with. Another definition that Ebony’s clones had learnt in their study on common races of the universe. By definition, he was still a sub-human. Even with physique mutations, refinements, and his partial mana-being didn’t make him a different race. The definition was extremely broad thanks to the various Worldcore environments that birthed different breeds of the same ancestral race.
Ebony and his clones had their eyes on something else.
The Pyrothernite Source Stone.
Cinderash society and technology revolved around pyrothernite and its source stone. Their best monster-hunting bullets and projectiles were coated in powdered pyrothernite. Pyrothernite was rather easy to obtain but its source stone was a different story as the source stone wasn’t produced in any of their dungeons despite their best unnatural attempts to cater to their dungeons.
A fist-sized Rare quality Pyrothernite Source Stone is said to be able to be placed into a small active volcano and it would come out cold, after drying up and freezing lava rock solid again. Cinderashians live around and in volcanos thanks to a Pyrothernite Source Stone being buried within the volcanoes themselves. Not just as an uncut natural gem but with an array of magical technology.
Absorbing and storing heat energy wasn’t all it did but the Cinderashians extracted volcanic heat and energy from them to power their cities’ utilities. They have plenty of excess and have a decent reputation for selling heat. If it wasn’t for the fact that mana was more commonly used and people who bought heat from an aether-producing Worldcore needed to convert it to mana, they would be far richer.
Ebony coveted the specific heat capacity increase that would make him harder to heat up and possibly a raise in capacity of some form if he could make use of its properties. But that was secondary.
If his clones’ tests on pyrothernite were to be believed, it could strengthen his frost flames. They were still running numerous experiments externally and they couldn’t get their hands on any source stone but they had enough confidence to believe that this was what they were here for. Powdered pyrothernite sucked up his flames like the bane of all his truly powerful ice magic and vomited a purer version out.
As nice as it sounded, it was not high on his priority list. Skill improvement was still more important to him. It wasn’t as if eating a rock would refine his physique. Getting a source stone would be a collection until he knew how to utilise it.
So he let his clones deal with the sub-priorities and he worked on his skills.
Ebony did not expect that when meal time came, it came on a plate with utensils. There was a variety of red and orange vegetables and even monster meat. He didn’t complain about the dryness of everything on the plate, it was just Cinderashian cuisine. Now that he knew the reasons his arms had freedom of motion, he dug into his meal. Unable to hide that being well-fed gave them more of his mana. It was their misconception of course, since he was still pretty full after the intense stamina drain. He was levelling his meditation and refining his skills.
“It won’t work Ebony! You will never escape! Cease this plan of yours! I know I asked this but do you not fear death!? Lord Gearhart will never let you off and chase you down no matter where you go!” The Guru’s voice screamed out throughout his mind but it never reached his core where he was having his meeting with his clones and Aegis.
“You’re already awake, faster than I thought. What do you think, how are my chances?” Ebony made it a point to reappear where the Guru was with his body. As a precaution and a sign of respect instead of just thinking, to reply the Guru.
“Chances of dying? A hundred percent!” Instead of being angry, the Guru was nervous.
“No need to shout, it won’t free you any earlier. My chances of breaking out.” Ebony more than triple confirmed that the Guru wouldn’t be able to escape. But even if he did, Ebony didn’t care.
Showing his captors his escape plan was an extremely stupid move, especially when he never planned to kill the Guru. Something he usually wouldn’t do but Ebony decided that even if the Guru got out, it would benefit him by raising the challenge of the escape. Gaining experience and levelling was all about overcoming challenges.
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“You--don’t go so far. This is Lord Gearhart’s estates, you underestimate our-”
“Mr Guru, you’re lying through your teeth. No need to keep up with your careful probing, this is indeed the plan. As for the defences, as you can see, my clones have already mapped them out. Not that it would matter. As long as I’m in this volcano.”
“...Removing a volcano would cause a lot of deaths. That is something neither of us would like to see.” Still encased in a thin layer of ice, the Guru warned him.
“Don’t worry, I’m preparing the evacuation for them. And stop with the lousy threats, I know the safety precautions on this island. Even if the island blows up from Saint Gearhart’s anger and strength, it wouldn’t affect the environment. I have to thank the Saints for being so powerful they take safety precautions like what would happen if a volcano were to blow up.”
“We’re not talking about an eruption here! You’re planning to excavate the entire volcano!” The crusty faced Guru managed to put a frown on his frozen face.
“Obviously, how else would I find myself when you blinded me during my entry? All I know is that I’m on the premises. Relax. There are so many other volcanoes on Cinderash and you guys are taking payment in terms of my mana. I am very fair.” Ebony looked upon his newly developed runic seal in satisfaction.
It was a paralysis rune that was incorporated into a deconstructed Stalwart Foundation. Learning from his cell, the runic formula had a similar rune to his mana absorption formula. There would be a constant drain on the target and the drain would power the paralysis and main rune which was ice-based. Stalwart Foundation was the shell but all its contents were changed and this version did not have any buffs. He hadn’t named it yet and there was no skill version for it. By casting it on his target, the rune will absorb its target's mana and convert it into paralysing the target itself. For a Cinderashian that has terrible control over their aether or mana, Mr Guru was practically defenseless against the 'buff' spell.
“You cannot take the central Pyrothernite away! It is connected to every city and its disappearance will cause all the others to overload.” The Guru had a grave look in his eyes.
“Tell Gearhart to think about that the next time he decides to imprison me. For now, you can rest while I get to work. I will silence you and keep your senses contained here. Fight back, it’ll help Perpetual Tranquility Spring a lot. Thanks, it won’t be anytime soon before we meet again.” Ebony teleported himself away.
He wasn’t sure if the Guru was lying but he didn’t want to implicate the other residents of the planet so he got his clones to investigate the repercussions of what they were about to do.
Then it was time to work.
❅❅❅
“Twelve, should we trade Will?”
“Twenty-three? We should stay disconnected as Ebony suggested. Although subtle, we believe there are minor differences between us after we’re separated for so long. We’ll share information normally, though it’s inconvenient and inefficient. So what have your group been doing?”
“Four of us have managed to get into the tutorship of different people with tier 5 and higher masteries. It’s helping Ethereal Form Arts but something is lacking. Most of their warriors’ arts are well developed but not enough, we need a wider variety.”
“Same issue as always then. Anyway, on our side we have basically completed all preparation two months ago.”
“Is what the Guru said about other volcanos overloading true?”
"It is. But they all have extensive safety measures since these people have been living around volcanoes for generations. They are not so stupid as to rely on one little rock. We’ll leave and activate an alarm through our network nodes.”
“Oh right about those, why aren’t we expanding them any more? We barely covered every city with our current placements.”
“Seventeen, Twenty-Four and Twenty-Nine are busy spreading out the nodes after their coverage increased. Those nodes take up Will, Ebony also has to keep all of us charged with Will. He’s dry on Will regeneration just from our upkeep so we have no choice but to limit our expansion to civilisation instead of the entire planet. When the rest of us that are in the wild place a new node, inform them to take it down and come back within range. Well, Fifteen and Thirty are the only ones outside of call range.”
“I hope they’re not dead. The portal?”
“We have over forty routes planned for different situations during the outbreak, 3 end destinations. 1 of them goes to a centralised place of commerce, some kind of space station or parking spot in our understanding. That one is the top choice since it’s connected to numerous worlds and planets, it might be easier to get news on Elcra. Another goes to a subsidiary planet under Gearhart where they train their elite soldiers, there is nothing much there but we believe that there is a portal to Teheil on that training planet, no confirmation. The last destination is supposedly leading to one of Gearhart’s allies, they trade food for metals, an agricultural world mostly consisting of non-fighters but they have a Saint as well so they manage to keep their independence. The chances are lower but this world might have access to Teheil to send their supplies there.”
Twenty-Three knew that Teheil was a parasitic world that ate mana straight out of the air, all creatures and objects alike. He could understand the training value in sending elites directly there and also the need to send supplies.
The clones have been communicating but they didn’t mix and redistribute their Will to know every living moment of each other. This was also to experience different things and see how they would grow Ebony’s Will.
“Did any of you hear from Ebony recently?” Twenty-Three broadcasted, hoping to reach the others that were busy in other cities. One of them was so free they calculated the transmission lag to be 3.22 seconds per node in a linear direction. It was not ideal since a phone call to someone three cities away would have almost 10 seconds delay but it was still better than nothing.
“Not me. 1 and half years for me.”
“What? It was 2 for me. I never fought anything and the Will he has been recharging me is blank on his progress.”
“I heard from him last year. Our factory is having some issues and he’s busy hammering them in place.”
“Was he? Didn’t he go back to the drawing board and run simulations on an optimised design?”
Ebony’s clones speculated on his progress. They had been kept out of their meeting spot for a long time and only received a recharge every so often. The latest news and contact they had was Twelve and Fourteen who worked closest to the Gearhart estate. They believed that Ebony had finished the latest design on their internal factory and was close to completion long ago but the man wasn’t giving them the signal to start their operations.
They knew that he had been living a slothful and gluttonous life. Constantly eating. Getting his lower body freed whenever he asked the cell to free him to use the toilet. His body only stretched once in a while and not any shadow boxing or the cell would punish him by draining his stamina more or not feeding him for a week.
Nearly 4 Elcrian years later of little to no movement and his Conditioning started to take a dip in levels. He was quite amazed by how long it took before his muscles deteriorated but it was somewhat expected now that he was a Grandmaster and had an incredible Constitution.
Not having contact for over a year, they wondered how long Ebony wanted to wait because once the first conditioning level was lost, the deterioration would only speed up. Although most of their breakout plans considered a weak, useless and trapped Ebony, having him too weak would be a problem.
“The longer the wait, the more excess energy I have for us,” Aegis commented.
“Almost 6 years had passed and our ability to absorb and purify mana is a mere fraction of our main body.”
The clones didn’t spend too much time or mana wasting on speculating on what Ebony was doing. They’ve just passed the opening they had because Saint Gearhart was back from his trip. They weren’t too worried, Saint Gearhart was a busy man and the chance would come again.
Hence, their broadcast meeting ended and they went on with their daily lives.
They were clones and a moving sculpture, but they could improve too.