Within three minutes of starting, Zen's phone was ringing off the hook because the stream had gone live. There was nothing they could do to stop it, so they just got yelled at. Nothing serious happened because Ark had listened in and knew it was just one commander giving Zen that order, which was wrong. Unless that commander intervened, Zen wouldn't get in trouble.

Zen was so mad he almost grabbed Jeremy, but Jeremy knew Zen wouldn't actually hurt him because he didn't deserve that, despite the bad order. On the other hand, Jeff got yelled at and put on some sort of punishment that would come after the magic show.

Jeremy and Jeff were told by Ark to bring some speakers for the test. People around could hear what Jeremy was hearing, and Jeremy was supposed to find a patch of grass within 500 feet that couldn't be destroyed. He would sit in the middle of it, play a song, and Ark would slowly turn down the power on the collar.

Here's how it really went down: Jeremy looked at Jeff and gave a thumbs up. Jeff hit the button to start the stream, and Jeremy began his talk.

"Hi world, this is Jeremy. Today, we're going to turn down the power on the collar that controls my energy from coming out of my body. I've gotten rid of enough of the energy that I'm not going to die yet. So let's try to get rid of more energy from my body so that I don't melt from the inside out."

The looks on Jeff's and Zen's faces were priceless and something Jeremy would cherish for the rest of his life. Zen looked like he wanted to murder Jeremy, while Jeff seemed resigned, muttering to himself about Jeremy being the village idiot.

Jeremy and Jeff had discussed how Jeremy didn't like lying because he was good at it and it made him feel icky. Why lie when it wasn't necessary?

Before Jeff could play the song, Jeremy spoke to the camera. "Okay, so today we're going to turn some music on. I'm not going to do anything but just stand here. I like this tune I found on YouTube, so let's see what happens."

Ark's voice came through the speakers they had brought. "Hey Jeremy, I've got my finger on the dial. If anything goes wrong, put your hand straight up in the air or hit the ground. If you're standing, we'll keep going; hands in the air or a wave if something's wrong, or hit the ground, and I will turn it back to full control on the collar and lock it down to what it is right now. Does that make sense?"

Jeremy smiled and gave a thumbs up, while Jeff shook his head and hit play. The song started, a remix of ABBA techno, and it got Jeremy's blood pumping a little.

Jeremy could instantly feel the power. The moment Ark began turning it down, even a fraction, Jeremy's hair began to glow. It wasn't just glowing; it emitted light in almost every color of the rainbow, brighter at the root and dark red at the tip. He looked like one of those things you buy at Disney on Ice, with funny colors coming out of fiber optic wires.

By the time Ark had reduced Jeremy's collar to 2%, from 100% to 98%, something wasn't going quite right. The next song, Hugh Laurie's "Unchain My Heart," was slower and more meaningful than some of the earlier tunes, touching Jeremy more deeply than a typical pop song.

That's when things started to go awry. At 3% and 4%, Ark realized they needed to pause and let a few songs play out to observe the fluctuations based on beats per minute.

"So, you want me to sit here and listen to music?" Jeremy asked. "I can do that. Care if I dance while we do this? It's a better show than me sitting on my ass."

Jeremy said this directly to the camera, reminiscent of old movies. Jeff and Zen simultaneously put their hands to their foreheads, realizing the situation was becoming comedic

The next song, an upbeat Japanese tune, "ATARASHII GAKKO! - Fly High," caused things to go off the rails a bit. At 4%, Ark was pushing the limit, registering a brink of instability. Jeremy started feeling strange, swinging and dancing to the song. Internet viewers were the first to notice something odd: Jeremy's movements lost force gradually until it was like watching a pendulum stop.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Jeremy recognized the song's music video and occasionally threw a punch, but it was odd—just one arm, not using his body. He adjusted his stance and now planted his back foot, throwing a couple of jabs with more strength from his back foot into his punches. This caught everyone's attention because Jeremy's fingers and hands began to glow by 3%, and by 4%, Ark kept watching untill there was a crack of sound and a small glowing area around jeremys hands.

As the next song, "Transformers The Movie 1986: Theme Song - Lion - HD Quality," started, Jeff immediately cut it off. He knew the song's significance to Jeremy, having listened to it countless times. Jeremy was bouncing on the balls of his feet like a professional boxer, ready to throw another punch.

They cut the feed but kept the video rolling. Jeff and Zen looked at Jeremy. Zen stayed behind the camera, while Jeff approached Jeremy. He saw a drop of blood on Jeremy's hands and examined them closely.

From the tip of Jeremy's thumb across his fingers, there was a nearly perfect line as if he had put his hand through fire. The tips were blackened, covered in ash, not external but internal burns, making no sense. Jeremy was rushed to the medical tent, and he didn't return for five hours.

The video wasn't just a hit; it was a miracle. An unexpected side effect was someone coming forward about the missing water tank. This person's uncle, a military man, there family member said " they where ranting about magic and i thought they where just on drugs or alcohol when they connected one and one they called there uncle in and let the fbi know the uncle's truck info and had a cabin in the Ozarks.

Ark overheard most communications on the base and found the nearest dungeon to the Ozarks, over 100 km away. They couldn't scan from there unless the dungeon was activated, which wasn't part of the plan.

Ark could map the entire planet and solar system, so gathering information from a zone on Earth wasn't difficult. No signals were detected from the area, indicating the tank hadn't been opened yet. If it unlocked, there would be a noticeable spike.

Zen or someone would soon inquire about it, so Ark kept an eye on the area. Even for Ark, the Ozarks were vast, posing challenges in finding one man with a metal cylinder.

Ark chastised himself, realizing how easy it could be to locate metal in the bush with metal detectors and SAR systems. He left it to the U.S. government to handle on their soil.

Ark speculated that if the tank were opened in such an area, it could create its own dungeon from the released energy, a one-and-done dungeon, potentially profitable but currently just a bad idea, akin to walking into a creature's mouth for its tonsils for gold.

Ark understood dungeons as mimics with floors. The secret lay in having many people inside for a prolonged period. Their mana fed the dungeon, accelerating its conversion of dark matter energies into usable mana. If human contributions weren't sufficient, extra mana given off during daily activities would hasten the process.

By now, Ark had filled the Stonewall dungeon with over 200 people, brainstorming ideas and experiments. They attempted to imbue energy into rocks and crystals but found only limited success. Energy stored in metals remained inert, adding weight without useful effects.

The diamond ring experiment resulted in the metal prongs melting, the diamond falling out, and the ring being damaged irreparably. The diamond itself absorbed energy without visibly changing, behaving like a black hole.

The Stonewall dungeon had evolved, with clear glass shadow boxes lining its walls, showcasing memorabilia and creating a homely atmosphere for Jeremy and Jeff. It housed people working and living there, fostering a communal environment.

In one shadow box, Ark had placed the diamond. He knew it wasn't a failure; it simply needed time to absorb energy efficiently.

Ark updated Jeremy and Jeff on ongoing developments, including tracking the military man in the Ozarks. They had located his truck and cabin but not him. He had taken the tank into a cave, prompting a SWAT team to prepare for a potentially dangerous situation.

Jeff and Jeremy speculated on what might happen next, wagering humorously on whether the man would shoot the tank. Ark interjected, suggesting they confer with the generals to plan their response.

"Hi, General, this is Ark. I've got Jeremy and Jeff on the line. I overheard talk about the Ozarks and the container. I have some information if you're willing to discuss."

The general, taken aback, agreed to listen. Jeremy seized the opportunity, asking about the bet with Jeff regarding the man in the cave and the potential consequences if he shot the tank.

Ark used Jeremy's question to outline the situation to the general, including details even the general in Scotland hadn't known. They discussed sending in SWAT and possibly military forces, preparing for the worst-case scenario of a temporary dungeon being formed.

The general requested Ark to stay on the line and began making calls. Ark cut the connection respectfully, allowing them to handle the situation.

"I guess that went pretty well," Jeff commented. "Do you think they'll call us in to clean up this mess? How would we even clean up a mess like this? Do you think they'll bomb a mountain?"