Zeke sat cross-legged in the center of an empty chamber, his eyes closed. Gears and tools moved around him as if guided by their own will. Yet, his rigid posture made it hard to believe the activity had anything to do with him. By all appearances, he was deep in meditation.

Obviously, that wasn’t the case. Zeke was in his [Mind's Library], deep in conversation with Akasha. The man and spirit had been locked in this intense exchange for the past two days, fine-tuning their design. Meanwhile, the work continued around them as Akasha used their [Telekinesis] to control the tools. He hadn’t even interrupted his session when Frost came by to deliver the promised flowers.

In one corner of the room sat a woven basket filled with flowers that emitted an eerie, cold glow. Beside it were several jugs containing a dark liquid that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. These were the two most crucial ingredients for the Mana purifying device: Lightbloom flowers and the darkness-attuned Liquid Metal.

However, Zeke cared about none of that at the moment. He was locked in a heated debate with a white-haired beauty. “…the filtration system will leak if we don't coat it,” he argued, pointing to a schematic projected in front of him. “I don’t see a way around it.”

“Negative,” Akasha countered. “At this stage of the process, the mixture will still be in its liquid form. The current pipes should be sufficient to contain it.”

Zeke furrowed his brows, inspecting the design once more. He had a hard time following the many transformations taking place inside the machinery, and his foundational knowledge of alchemy could only take him so far. The further they advanced in the process, the more clear it became to him that his inputs lacked substance. He was even beginning to feel like a clueless child, arguing with a wise sage.

Zeke sighed. “Sorry about that.”

Akasha looked at him with an emotionless gaze. “There is no need for an apology, Host. Your input is always valuable.”

Zeke chuckled mirthlessly. “It certainly doesn’t feel that way lately.”

“There are things I can do, and there are things I cannot,” Akasha said plainly. “I have perfected these plans to the best of my abilities, and finding even a single additional flaw is impossible for me.”

Zeke nodded slowly. Despite Akasha's intelligence, her linear thinking left her vulnerable to unexpected blind spots. For instance, she had initially forgotten to include openings to fill the input containers, simply because it wasn’t part of the machine's core parameters and wasn’t technically required for the machine to function. However, they had ironed out those obvious flaws pretty quickly, and Zeke was now struggling to find anything else to criticize.

Likely, a more experienced technician would have done much better than him, but Zeke wasn’t willing to show these plans to anyone, not even Jett. The Mana Purifying device was far too dangerous. If, for example, the Emperor ever got his hands on the design, the world would likely descend into chaos.

Zeke tried to get back to work, but he felt his focus continuously slip. In his ethereal form, he didn’t experience any physical sensation, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t get tired. And now, after two days of grueling mental work, he was closing in on his limits. Out of habit, he rubbed his eyes, though the gesture did nothing.

With a sigh, Zeke gave up on the schematics and let himself fall back on the ground. His eyes were directed towards the endless empty void above him. “I think this is as far as I can go,” he murmured, fully aware that Akasha could hear him no matter the volume.

“Agreed,” the beautiful woman said from next to him. “The detection rate has stalled so much that even a century's worth of time wouldn’t help.”

Zeke glanced at her from his prone position. “Are you making fun of me?”

Akasha’s face remained blank. “Negative. I am, as always, merely stating facts.”

Zeke stared at her for a while longer. Though the Spirit appeared as emotionless as always, Zeke felt like he could see the hints of a playful glint in her eyes. He smiled. “At least I didn’t forget to put lids on the containers,” he quipped.

“...It wasn’t in the specifications,” Akasha defended herself. This was at least the tenth time he’d brought it up since they discovered the flaw. He couldn’t help but smirk, remembering how baffled the spirit had been when he spotted it at a glance.

However, his mirth lessened somewhat as his headache intensified. With a sigh, he sat up. “I think I’m gonna take a nap. Is there anything else you need before then?”

“Negative. I should be able to finish the rest on my own.”

Zeke nodded, preparing to leave the mental space. “Goodnight Akasha.”

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“Goodnight, Host.”

With a small wave, Zeke returned to his body, immediately overwhelmed. Hunger and thirst hit first, followed by an urge to sleep and a wave of dizziness.

Fortunately, someone had the foresight to place a cold meal and a jar of water beside him—likely Gravitas. He gulped down the ice-cold water and devoured the cured meat like a starving man. With his hunger satisfied, Zeke grabbed the woolen blanket from the floor and made himself comfortable. To keep Akasha working, he needed to stay within range of the machine.

He rested his head on the leather case of his carving tools and fell asleep instantly. The dreamless rest felt like no time had passed before Zeke woke up again.

The moment he opened his eyes, he heard Akasha’s voice.

[Notice]

The device has been completed.

Zeke’s eyes flew open, his heart racing with excitement. He turned to the glass dome behind him and saw that the section of machinery had been attached. Akasha must have completed the changes and assembled everything overnight. He leaped to his feet and inspected the design. It was exactly as he had seen in the plans the night before.

Two large containers were attached to the machinery, feeding it through copper pipes. These were where the two fuel sources would have to be placed. “Can we test it?”

[Answer]

I have inspected the finished product numerous times and wasn’t able to find any flaws. A practical test would be the next logical step.

Zeke’s heart raced even faster at those words. He quickly moved to the corner where the flowers and liquid were. First, he poured some of the black liquid into the right container. The ingredient was already in its final form and ready to use. Next, he took a bundle of Lightbloom flowers. Frost had wisely placed some cooling crystals inside to keep them fresh.

He carefully cradled the delicate flower in his hands, its petals shimmering with an ethereal glow. He gently pried open the flower bud, revealing the translucent, dew-like essence contained within. Using a slender pipette, Zeke extracted this precious liquid, the very heart of the flower's vitality. He then mixed it with a crystal-clear stream of water, watching as the essence swirled and merged.

This elixir, now imbued with the flowers, was the second reagent. He placed a roughly equal amount of it inside the left container, shutting it tightly. He took a step back and inspected everything one final time.

Everything was ready.

With a nervous breath, Zeke circled the device and stopped in front of the glass panel with a grip. He turned the round handle, unlocking the mechanism. Once inside, he found a similar handle and turned it until he heard an audible click, signaling that the door was securely sealed.

Zeke inspected the device from the inside. It resembled the ice buildings he had seen in the tribe’s heart but felt more mechanical due to the metallic parts and cramped space, contrasting with the natural aesthetics of the tribe’s architecture.

Bowing his head slightly so as not to hit his head, Zeke approached the center of the small chamber and sat down cross-legged. Akasha had been thoughtful enough to place a leather cushion there, making it more comfortable.

Zeke took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. Everything hinged on this moment. If the device didn’t work, they might have to flee, leaving Snow’s family behind and dooming them to a terrible fate.

“Do it,” he murmured, a slight hitch to his voice.

A moment later, Zeke heard the valves at the back of the device moving. For now, the mechanical components inside the device still needed to be operated manually, requiring Akasha’s inputs to be turned on. He had decided not to modify this part, as the device was only for his personal use, and the absence of visible gears or levers served as additional security.

For a long, breathless moment, nothing happened.

Zeke’s heart sank, but then, a thin stream of gray gas entered through the air filtration system. For an instant, he thought that something had caught on fire, but then he noticed that the gas didn’t behave like smoke at all. It was far more viscous and stayed near the floor, slowly filling up the device.

Despite the detailed plans Khai’zar had provided, Zeke had not been informed about how the device would function during operation. With genuine curiosity, he watched as the gray gas slowly increased, first covering his legs and then rising to envelop his torso, chest, and neck.

The gas felt cold to the touch and had an unexpectedly heavy presence. It was nothing like smoke. The most noticeable surprise came when it finally covered his mouth and nose, and Zeke inhaled it.

He felt it move down his airpipe, providing a pleasantly cool sensation throughout his body. No. That wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t so much a feeling of cold but more like… refreshment? Revitalization? It was hard to describe.

It felt as if he had been breathing tainted sludge for his entiry life and was finally given the very substance his lungs were meant to consume. From his chest, it spread through his entire body, nurturing him in a way that was hard to describe.

However, the most dramatic reaction occurred in his Core.

It absorbed the smoke eagerly, like a fish gasping for air. The only thing Zeke had ever experienced that compared was absorbing Essence crystals directly, a practice he had done weekly since his academy days. But whereas that sensation was a fleeting thrill, this one repeated with every breath.

Zeke felt his entire body relax as he basked in the euphoria of simply breathing. All his tiredness, muscle aches, and physical discomfort melted away as he immersed himself in the bliss. He couldn’t recall a single moment in his life when he had felt more comfortable than he did right now. However, the sensation wasn’t just due to the effects of the gas. It also came from the relief of achieving a goal he had pursued for the past year. Once nothing more than a fever dream of an ambitious youth, the Mana Purifier had now become manifest.

He had succeeded.