When Ivy came up to them, she invited Janks to accompany her to her office. Two males approached them as they were ready to depart and made an attempt to follow them. The men grudgingly retreated after Ivy gave them a harsh look and informed them that the meeting was private.
Reeve interrupted, "Hold on a second," as he styled his hair. "Janks here is my duty to protect; everywhere he goes, I go. If he's going to your room with you, then I'm going too."
Aaros smiled slyly as he nodded in accord. He added in a falsely sincere voice, "And I'm Janks's father, so it's my responsibility to ensure my son's safety."
Janks glared at Aaros as he spoke the word "father." Suddenly, memories of his past flooded back to him and he grabbed Ivy's coat, dragging her towards the room. "Come on," he said, his voice tight with anger.
Reeve shook his head at Aaros, a look of disgust on his face. "You really crossed the line this time"
Aaros quickly scanned the store to look for Abby, hoping to find her and ask for more books to give to Janks as a token of apology.
As Janks and Ivy approached the door to Ivy's room, he was astounded by the variety of sights and sounds that met him inside. Plants and other things that were obviously being utilized for ether creation were dispersed throughout the area along with tubes that had fire burning underneath them. The room was filled with the gentle glow of the fire and there was a stack of papers on a neighboring table. Janks couldn't help but be in awe of what he was seeing.
Ivy led Janks to a huge cabinet and opened it to reveal a large box filled with dust. She carefully removed the lid, revealing 10 stacks of thick books and a thick stack of papers covered in scribbles.
Ivy sighed as she remembered the past. "This was my research, done with my friend several years ago," she told Janks. "We had the same goal as you, to use it to fight against conjurers."
Ivy added "There were some troubles that happened along the way so it is is still incomplete."
Ivy then grabbed another box from the cabinet, this one much smaller. When he opened it, he revealed a glowing object inside. He called it a nexus, an artificial core. She then revealing a dark blue, flat stone circle with carved runes. He placed the nexus in the center,causing the runes to glow, clicking a button on the side, a small glowing fire appeared. Ivy picked up a metal stick and watched as it melted in the heat.
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"Amazing, right?" Ivy said, picking up a metal stick and holding it over the flame. The metal quickly melted under the heat. "To produce something like that with ether, we would have to wait at least 10 minutes for it to happen."
"This is amazing," Janks exclaimed. "But how can it be incomplete if it's working?"
Ivy looked at Janks with a sad expression as she explained the limitations of the nexus. "As amazing as it may seem, it cannot raise the temperature or increase in size. Do you really think a small candle like this could fight against conjurers?"
Janks was taken aback by Ivy's words. He had been so caught up in the impressive display that he hadn't considered the practical applications. He frowned, feeling disappointed once again. "I see what you mean," he said, his voice laced with frustration. "It seems like there's still a long way to go."
"How much are you selling the the books and papers?" Janks asked, his eyes fixed on the stacks of research in front of him.
Ivy laughed and shook her head at Janks' question. "Why would I sell something like this?" she asked, gesturing to the box and papers. "This research is invaluable, and it's not something I can put a price on."
"Then what's the point of showing me this if you're not willing to sell it to me?" Janks asked with an irritated look on his face.
Ivy chuckled and replied, "Well, you can visit me anytime and read it here. It's not like I'm going to sell something that took me and my friend years to research and develop."
"The fee for coming here is pretty high, and I only got an hour in here eveytime I visit" Janks said with a frown. "Is there any way you could just sell me the research instead?"
Ivy laugh at Janks's request. "Do you think I care about you" she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "If you can't meet my demands, then forget about the book. Do you really think you can get everything you want just because you have money? You have no idea how many people would kill for just a glimpse of this research."
"Fine," Janks said determinedly. "But if this research is really as valuable as you say it is, then why did you show it to me in the first place?"
Ivy's expression softened as she looked at Janks. "Well, I just saw a bit of my friend in you"
Janks is not satisfied with Ivy's answer. But he knew that she had already given him everything he needed, so he decided to leave it be.
As Janks reached for one of the books, his watch suddenly began to ring. He glanced down at the device and saw that his time in the store was up. With a sigh, he reluctantly put the book back on the shelf. He had hoped to spend more time here, but the fees for staying longer were too steep for him.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Ivy," Janks said as he turned to leave. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I have to go."
"Wait a minute," Ivy called out, her eyes fixed on the goggles hanging around Janks's neck. "Can I have those goggles?"
"Alright, I'll leave the goggles with you," Janks agreed, "But you have to promise to keep your end of the deal and let me take a look at the research whenever I come here."
He said his goodbyes and stepped through the portal, a sense of excitement and determination flooding through him. He had finally found what he was looking for and he couldn't wait to dive into the research and see what he could learn.