"Were you able to find any?"

Mulan says "Only a little, but we will be going back again soon. Of course, we will have to start searching from scratch."

"Is the random teleportation causing problems?"

Mulan says "It's not too bad. It's just a little frustrating to keep starting over every time we enter."

"Well, I can modify one of the remotes for you. I can't make it so you can pick a location, but I can make it so you can return to the last location. You won't be able to go back where you were this time, but from now on you will have the option."

Mulan says "If it won't be too much trouble, that would be great!"

"No, no trouble at all. The only reason I set it to random portals was to make sure no one in the shadow plane could target us by knowing the gate locations. In fact, I will go ahead and upgrade all the remotes to have the same ability. Now that we are getting moving again, I expect Brightfire to return to using the gate."

Mulan says "That sounds great! How long will it take you to modify the remotes? We were planning on leaving again in the morning."

"It will only take me a few minutes. All I have to do is change the enchantments a little bit. I'll take care of it as soon as we finish eating."

Mulan says "Perfect. Thanks, dad!"

"No problem. By the way, have you come across any of the cities?"

Nala says "Yes, we did. We took a look around, but we didn't stay long."

"You haven't had any problems with the shadow energy, have you?"

Albion says "No. I can purify it so it hasn't been a problem. I have also helped make sure the elves are purified."

"That's great! Does purifying it help you?"

Albion says "Only a tiny bit."

"That's too bad. I will keep looking for things that will help you."

Albion says "It's alright, father. I am doing just fine right now."

"It's alright. I will keep looking. With my random adventures, I am sure to find something eventually."

Lin says "I thought you weren't planning on any more adventures?"

"I'm not! I never do! They just happen!"

Lin says "Sure they do! It has nothing whatsoever to do with your curiosity!"

"Hey! I was curious about the demon plane, but I didn't go in!"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Lin says "Only because you knew that you would get stuck and then get in trouble for it!"

"Still, I didn't go in!"

Lin says "Fine, I'll give you that one. Can you name another time you ignored your curiosity?"

"Uh!?"

Lin says "You can't? Then I win!"

"Hold on, I'm thinking!"

Lin says "Go ahead, I will wait."

As I sit there trying to think of another example, Lin's smile just gets wider and wider. I know that I should have another example, but for the life of me I can't think of one. By the time I give up, Lin is grinning from ear to ear, so I leave to go work on the remotes.

As I am heading for my workshop, I can hear Lin laughing behind me and I know this isn't the last I will hear about this. However, winning the argument will put her in a good mood, so I don't mind. It's not like we were really fighting, it was just a playful argument.

While I am modifying the enchantments on the remotes, Athena contacts me. She lets me know that all the elves have returned successfully and that we are setting sail. After talking to Athena, I finish the remotes and then call for Jarvis.

When he arrives, I take a look at his programming for a couple of hours. His programming has changed and evolved so much that I actually have trouble understanding it. It is far more complicated than anything I could come up with, but it doesn't worry me.

No matter how much the programming chances, I don't have to worry about him betraying me. The part of his programming that controls his loyalty is the one area that hasn't changed. In fact, unless I intentionally make changes to it, it will never change.

That may seem a little unfair of me, but I wasn't willing to risk a Skynet situation. Especially since Jarvis has permissions to control the castle and its defenses. Without a safety measure, I would never be able to truly relax in the castle.

After I have had enough of studying the programming, I head back upstairs. The kids are already asleep, so I continue up and head to the bedroom. Lin is there waiting for me and since she won the argument I let her take charge for out fun time.

Lin definitely has fun bossing me around, but to be honest I also enjoy it. When we have finally had enough, Lin and I go to sleep, but I wake up after a few hours. Then I spend the next few hours working on my core until the upgrade triggers.

*DING*

Core Upgrade Process: Complete!

Congratulations! Your Core has upgraded to Rank 12!

Upgrade Effects: HP +500, MP +400, DP +200, Stat Points +25!

'Hm, this upgrade seems different from the previous ones. Is this because I evolved through the new system? I wish my system was more helpful and explained things better!'

By the time my core has upgraded and I am done checking out the changes it is early morning. Lin still shows no signs of waking up, but I don't feel like working on my core more right now. So, I carefully climb out of bed so that I don't wake her and curl up in the chair to read.

I had planned to wake her up later, but I get so caught up in the manga that I miss the chance. I don't even realize that she is awake until she drops into my lap and kisses me. A couple of hours later, we get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast.

The kids have already eaten, but they are still waiting for Chloell to show up. So they keep us company while we eat and talk about whatever comes to mind. It is somewhat of a relief when Chloell shows up and takes them into the shadow plane.

Once the kids are gone, we enjoy a nice quiet breakfast and then go back to reading. After lunch, I take some manga with me and take a nice long lava bath. I don't get out of the bath until Jarvis notifies me that the kids have returned.

As usual, we have dinner together and the kids tell us about the latest trip. Normally, Chloell would leave to go interact with the elves, but I ask her to stay. I want to hear what she thinks of the kids' progress and combat abilities.

Chloell says "They have improved a lot since the first time I went with them. I need to heal them a lot less now, even if they are fighting stronger beasts. The biggest improvement is in their teamwork, which was almost non-existent at the beginning."