Catching up with Eloise took hours, but Ben enjoyed the extra details about how she dealt with her family.

The most surprising thing for Ben was that Eloise used the poisoned beads as leverage, even before crafting an antidote.

He already knew the antidote had played an important role a few years later, but not that she included it that early in the negotiations.

While Ben didn't see the impact with his eyes, he was proud of the results. He couldn't have hoped for more.

Ben could only imagine how much time and resource the enemy spent on developing such a deadly weapon, only for the world to find a counter so soon. Imagining their anger sent shivers of excitement down Ben's spine.

By being aware of such an impact, Ben boosted his confidence. While he acted with decisiveness, Ben wasn't confident of the results. And if his influence had been underwhelming, he didn't have much else under his sleeve.

Fortunately, the consequences of his actions were clear. Ginn got to the Apex even sooner. Dinna reached the Apex of arrays in less than one hundred years. And Matt and Eloise weren't that far off from joining them.

In addition, effectively pushing a couple of people in this faction triggered a domino effect. So, Ben's overall impact on the < Dragons > was a bit blurry.

"And that's not all: we also made lots of money due to it. Although we sold it quite cheap, making such connections solidified our position. And others wouldn't have feared us as much if we hadn't shown such readiness."

"Talented people are so scary. I knew about it. I see it, but I'm still in disbelief. Dinna surprised me the most."

"You also helped her the most, so it was inevitable. But with Ginn's power stabilization, we all got < carried >, as he likes to say."

"Some things just pile up."

"Did you like the cane? I chose it."

"I did, and what I liked, even more, was the insane preparation. I could finish it in just a month. I thought it would take at least a decade."

"We're sprinting, so that wasn't too difficult to set up. However, we were afraid that you weren't coming back. Even more, after all the death we experienced."

"War always builds new perspectives. It's difficult to stay the same."

"Indeed. I don't know how you plan to deal with it long-term, to be fair. I'm still far from the thousand years old mark. And I already feel overwhelmed. So much death, everywhere."

"Well, there is death, lots of it. But, so there is life everywhere. Focusing on only one side, I can only call that naivety. Or maybe blindness. Perhaps, doing so while being short-lived is natural, but to stay sane long run, you can only look at our reality on a big scale. It is sad, sure, but beautifully so."

"Maybe, that's the way, acceptance. I'm sure we'll get used to it sooner than later. We'll have the time for it anyway. I think I'm just tired since we've been trying to find a place, but they got us on that. Despite fearing us, they know how to get in our way. I need to leave it be for a while, or I might lose my mind. So, I'm taking a few days off and spending them with Eden."

"I was going to make a few calculations first, but since you mentioned this, I think I should give you a heads-up. I think I have a place."

"You?"

"Well, not as in truly having it, but I know a place."

"Some ruins?"

"Yep. I think it should work out. But I need to make a few calculations first to see if it's feasible. Only after, I'll then consult with Dinna and Ginn."

"Can I know which place ahead of time?"

"It won't help, though. It's the Sunset Ruins. But I don't think knowing will give you hope."

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Ben could physically see Eloise's excitement deflating. That place was too infamous.

"Well, there is more to it. Don't give up so fast, but keep expectations within realistic grounds. Anyway, I was going to mention it later to ask for one thing. Can you get me a meeting with everyone when the analysis is ready?"

"With everyone?"

"Yes. But only if I conclude that it's feasible. Ah, and include the kid in it, too."

"That shouldn't be an issue if you get a positive result. But if there is no meeting planned, it might take a while to get a good timing for everyone."

"I'm not in a hurry. And this isn't something I'll get ready for next week, either."

"Will the calculations take a long time?"

"It might. Ginn is strong, but the place might not be worth it even after considering that. Well, if he hadn't broken the molds already, I wouldn't consider it."

"That explains a lot, then. Alright. I'm looking forward to your analysis. You can always ask if you need anything."

"Sure. Changing the subject, the training with Eden will likely go well. It'll help him, but can you look at the physical results? I think you are the best suited to that job."

"I was going to do that anyway, as I'm curious what effects the training will have."

"That should be all for today. We can talk more in the next few days. It's quite late."

"Yes, and I'm tired too. I need to rest. I miss my bed."

"See you later, then," Ben said as he stood up, leaving a pensive Eloise behind.

---

"Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Ben!" Eden ran around with enthusiasm.

Ben stopped organizing a complex array on a table and turned around.

"What? I might be old, but call me Ben. I already told you."

"Here!"

Eden gave an alcohol bottle to Ben.

"Why are you bringing me booze so early in the day? Aren't you spending the whole day with your mother?"

"Yes, I am! But I forgot to deliver this yesterday, and Matt was angry. Ah, it's his gift for you. He said you would understand. Anyway, my uncle is quite shy! Bye, bye. Mom is waiting."

Like a wild storm, Eden came and went in a blink of an eye.

"From that angry child?"

Ben walked toward the bottle and turned it around to see the brand.

Seeing the name, Ben immediately understood.

"Gustav," Ben whispered, a smile appearing on his face.

---

Ben integrated into the faction even quicker than last time.

Months went by, and he almost didn't notice it.

He still trained with Eden almost every week.

Outside of that, his adviser position became an empty title. The faction personnel grew into an experienced and united machine, so his impact and insight couldn't compare with last time.

While he helped around as much as he could, hitting the jackpot as it happened with Dinna and Ginn wasn't as easy as breathing. So, Ben focused on his calculation related to the Sunset Ruins.

After the initial bump, Ben began involving the < Dragons > members in his analysis. So as time passed by, they became hopeful.

Ben's suggestion steadily went up in the rank of potential base location. However, most were unsure since Ben was adamant about hiding some details.

Whenever someone asked more about it, he always mentioned he had to save up for the big reveal.

But even with him being secretive and despite how busy they generally were, they still worked when Ben asked for it.

Yet, despite the ongoing forced mystery, Ginn and a couple of others still had a good guess about the secrets due to the < Misfortune > Dagger and the < Fortune > Rapier, which they knew well by now.

After much work from him and his friends, the project began taking form.

In addition to a robust report, they had two compact arrays almost finished.

While staring at the table, Ben's excitement felt somewhat nostalgic for a while.

---

"Master, that's enough for today."

"I'm indeed tired. But this is so much fun. Did Bernard finish his part? You didn't mention it."

"I forgot. Dad completed it. He said, whenever the preparations are ready on our side, we can go and retrieve that. Meanwhile, he'll keep it stable with Mom's help."

"Good. It's fascinating, isn't it?"

"I heard that it's an old legacy. It should be close to forty thousand years old."

"In the grand scheme of things, it's not much. But we were fortunate to be able to maintain such acknowledgment intact."

"Luckily, we got the needed material, too. The time is perfect since the side effects from the ongoing battle are reaching us even this far."

"The continent is busy. It's hard to believe the effects are crossing through the whole sea. Imagine how dangerous they have it."

"We must finish it as soon as possible. So don't pass out. We need to work on it tomorrow again."

"Just a couple more days, and I can rest for a few weeks. I'm sad I couldn't look at the other Elders growing the tree."

"We can see it later. Unfortunately, we don't have the time right now."

---

"Fortunately, we have the time," Ben whispered while looking at the compact arrays.

Ben still felt excited, but somehow the nostalgic feeling was gone.

Feeling the dissonance, Ben ignored it since he had gotten used to the reoccurring memory loss. And compared to the overwhelming sensory overload, that annoyance felt minor.

He still felt the impulse to pinpoint the events. But doing so was meaningless since it happened too often.

He only had so much time and energy, so Ben focused on making new memories rather than pursuing lost causes.

He had already made a selection of events he valued anyway, so he focused his annoyance on ensuring those were safe.

But that wasn't without consequences.

His absentmindedness spurs became so common that people around him even became used to it.

'Only a few more weeks and I can reveal the details. That should define a good direction toward my breakthrough. But it's not like I'm worried about it, given Ginn's power level. That made everything so much easier.'

Knowing he had the backing of likely the strongest person in the world gave Ben a deep peace he didn't felt in a while.