Serum

The next morning, Duke Kyre and his people prepared to leave. 

But there was one who didn't go with them. 

"You're staying?"

Cecilia worriedly asked her son, and Pandora smiled from beside him. 

"Don't worry, Miss Strider. Your son is weak right now, and I intend to fix that."

"It's not his fault that he's not stronger."

"I know. I believe in your son's potential more than anybody, which is why I'm going to help him increase his Tier."

"..."

Cecilia frowned. It was only an hour before everyone was going to depart for Horizon, and he had just notified her of this sudden change of plans. 

And Dirk was the one who said he wanted to do this. She thought for a second, narrowing her eyes at Pandora. 

"Then I'm staying."

"Hm, very well. If you wish."

"Really?"

Cecilia was a bit surprised when Pandora easily agreed. She shrugged. 

"I have no reason to keep you from staying. While there's the threat of war, and you might not be as comfortable as at home, you being here doesn't change much. If anything, it's good for us."

"Political hostages."

"Exactly. Your son will be the most well treated political hostage in the world, though. Well, go tell your Duke that you're staying. I don't intend to accommodate anyone else either."

"...Alright."

Cecilia slowly nodded before approaching the Duke. Along with Ryker and Alec's father, she explained that she was going to stay since Dirk was also staying. 

From the Duke's frown, it didn't seem he liked the idea. Unfortunately, Cecilia wasn't easily swayed. The two bantered back and forth, Ryker getting involved as well. 

Alec made his way over to the side as they argued, leaning toward Dirk.

"You're staying?"

"Yes."

"...With her?"

Alec glanced at Pandora who was still hovering beside him. She smiled at him. 

"You're Alec? Your light element is impressive. I can also sense fire."

"Y-yes. You also have the light attribute then?"

"Of course. Along with three others."

"...You mean-"

"I'm the sole four attribute mage of the Dark Kingdom, Pandora Vanadis. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Pandora curtsied a bit in introduction, causing Alec to gawk.

Four attributes? Alec had only ever heard legends of four attribute mages. He didn't know they could exist. And if they did, they were the rarest existence in the world!

And this princess was one of them. The sole four attribute mage of the Dark Kingdom. In this place, there were literally none other like her. 

Dirk stood to the side, not much of a reaction on his face. She had told him this the night before after their discussion with the Duke. 

"Alec!"

"...Coming! Oh, and by the way."

Before Alec left, he smacked Dirk in the shoulder with a cheeky smile.

"I win."

"Win what?"

"Let's just say I didn't go back to my own room last night."

"Huhu."

Dirk chortled at Alec's goofy grin, waving him off. 

"Whatever dude."

"Hey, don't be jealous. Oh, and you still owe me a fight. Find me when you come back to Horizon."

"Sure thing."

With that, the two said their goodbyes, Alec jogging back to the group.

Cecilia came back, standing by Dirk as they watched the envoys leave. 

He glanced at his mother.

"Were they mad?"

"No. Just worried."

"About you or the political ramifications?"

"Hm, a good question. Either way, they can't stop me, so I'm staying. And besides, you getting involved with Pandora is already a huge political scandal."

"That's true."

Pandora chimed in with a smile. There was nothing she liked more than a bit of drama and chaos. 

"Anyway, I hope you don't mind Miss Strider, but I need your son for a while. Your room remains the same, and if you need anything, I've assigned a maid to you. She'll be outside your room. And... for your empire's sake, I would refrain from making any suspicious moves during your stay. Or, at least getting caught while doing so."

With a wink, Pandora linked arms with Dirk. Then, the two walked off into the city. Cecilia watched as they disappeared into the crowds. 

.........

"The world is very close to becoming a dumpster fire."

Pandora suddenly spoke. The two had crossed into the undercity through a special magic elevator designed for moving people and cargo through the weightless layer of limbo. After emerging, she spoke in English. 

"I was alerted by the Record only an hour or so ago. You know all the lesser dungeons around the world?"

"Yea."

"Well, they're all gone."

Pandora dropped that bombshell, causing Dirk's eyebrows to raise. 

"They all disappeared not long after the Dark Dragon made his declaration. There's something far worse happening as well though. Every single Major dungeon has suddenly had an outbreak. Monsters are flooding from the dungeon entrances, and a few cities that were built around these dungeons have been razed to the ground. Not many people know about this, but according to the Record, it's a worldwide phenomenon."

"...Those monsters are incredibly powerful. If they aren't being contained, the world will fall into anarchy."

"Correct. Which is why things in every empire are about to change drastically. By the end of the day, militaries are going to be mobilized. At the same time though, one thing has just been guaranteed."

"...The Horizon Empire can't go to war."

"Exactly! This gives me the chance to use the oncoming chaos to my advantage."

Pandora giggled in glee. Suddenly, Dirk realized how she was able to do what she did in her past life.

This mad genius was good at using chaos as a tool. 

Dirk still frowned though. 

"Shouldn't you be working to help the Dark Kingdom? Depending on the scale of these dungeon outbreaks, millions could die. Are you really just worried about building some trains?"

"Hey, who says the trains aren't going to help? If anything, my train network is going to allow combat personnel to be transported to any city within the Dark Kingdom at record rates. With this network, we can establish supply lines that would allow monster containment for years to come. On the contrary, empires like Horizon are only able to march troops or move caravans of wagons. It would take weeks just to respond to the current crisis! How much more damage do you think they will suffer compared to us who have the trains? They're going to be debilitated!"

"..."

Dirk was silent. Truly, the Horizon Empire wouldn't be able to respond at all except with local forces for the first few weeks of the outbreak. If the forces of a local city are overrun, then everyone in that city dies. But in the Dark Kingdom, Pandora could move troops to a city within days, potentially saving entire city's worth of people and allowing swift responses to this disaster. 

Essential goods could be sent across the empire when needed and people could be evacuated. The trains would become the most important piece of infrastructure the empire had. 

And Pandora controlled all of them. 

Dirk was unsure of how to feel. On one hand, she was a mad genius who would take advantage of a global disaster. On the other, her work would actually save countless lives and keep her entire empire functioning. 

Pandora saw Dirk's conflict and smiled a bit, nudging him with her shoulder. 

"Hey, don't worry so much! Right now, you only have one thing to focus on. While I have more to tell you, that can wait. Now come."

Pandora led him into a building with those words. It was one of the largest buildings in the undercity, towering upward around 140 meters. It looked almost like a pagoda with many floors. 

Upon entering, Pandora was greeted with reverence, even by those more powerful than her. She walked directly to the upper floors. 

With each successive floor, the spatial repulsion got stronger and stronger. At first Dirk could handle it fine, but when he was only halfway up, he had to activate his anima just to keep from collapsing. 

"There's really only two kinds of training people endure in this building. First is controlling their dark element. Using dark mana, mages can negate the crushing gravity. This forces them to refine their control and it increases their elemental comprehension. Second is body refining. This is done by withstanding the gravity with the body, forcing people to efficiently use their anima and stress their limits. You will be doing both of these things, and I'll ensure you have the best environment available to you."

Saying that, Pandora motioned to a room. The Pagoda was 140 meters tall, and there was a floor every 5 meters. That made for 28 floors. The room she stopped at was on the 12th floor. 

And upon stepping into the room, Dirk was surprised to feel the oppressive gravity disappear. Not only that, he saw a large table with platters of food, a bowl full of mana crystals, and some large bones that glistened like pearls. 

"Each room has magical switches to block the gravity. It ensures that nobody dies while training to their limits. Anyway, this will be your training room for the next while. You're going to remain here until you reach Tier 4. I would also prefer it if you reach Rank 5 in this time, but I know it's good to take body refining slow."

Pandora spoke as she walked to the table of food, picking up a fruit and taking a bite. Other than the table, there were two luxurious chairs and a nice bed. These furniture pieces were enchanted and constructed with metal frames, ensuring they could survive the intense gravity. They were surely extremely expensive. 

"Now, before you get started and since we didn't do so last night, let's spill each other's secrets. I want to know your cultivation and refining techniques along with your skills. And go ahead and start eating. You'll need the food."

Pandora took a seat on the couch as she spoke. After grabbing a few fruits filled with magical energy, Dirk took a chair, facing Pandora. 

"I'll go first."

She got comfortable, looking at Dirk's blindfolded face. 

"I told you my four attributes, but not my specializations. Now, instead of speaking all our traits, skills, and crucially private information, I suggest we directly exchange Profiles."

"How do we do that?"

"My Stigma. With your consent, I can view your Profile. I'll also let you view mine. Like that, neither of us can hide information. Isn't that right, Miss Record?"

<I will act as an impartial intermediary.>

"Good."

Pandora nodded as both of them heard "Miss Record's" voice. After thinking for a bit, Dirk sighed and agreed. 

"Fine."

"Then take my hand."

Pandora stood, as did Dirk. After he placed his hand on top of hers, she suddenly raised her other. In it appeared a brilliantly golden book with dragons engraved across its cover. The book flipped open and its pages fluttered automatically. 

Dirk then felt Pandora's gaze, and it pierced into his soul. At that moment, both of them became distinctly aware of each other's souls, though only for a moment. 

After a few more seconds, Dirk saw something pop up in his mind. 

---

Dirk read through the Profile. It was odd seeing any Profile other than his. 

But he was surprised by what he saw. 

Powerful skills, a high Tier, a High species, and all those attributes. Then there was the Stigma that let her speak with the System, or more formally known as the Record. 

"Hm, impressive. I'm surprised you actually retained your AI and cybernetics."

As Dirk viewed hers, Pandora quickly viewed his. 

---

Compared to Pandora's, Dirk's didn't look like much. All this time, he had thought that his abilities were abnormal. Now, he was thinking that about Pandora's. 

"Black Cat?"

Pandora tilted her head. At that moment, Spyte appeared on Dirk's shoulder. She had remained hidden ever since Pandora appeared, except when appearing in the pistol form. Now though, she was showing her true form. 

"Oh! Kitty!"

*Hiss!*

Just as Pandora reached out to pet Spyte, she hissed, and Pandora quickly retracted her hand. Spyte shared most of Dirk's feelings and was wary of anything that could threaten him. Although they were working together, Spyte didn't trust Pandora. 

"Aww..."

Becoming downcast, Pandora drooped her head with a sigh, as if accepting something. When she raised her head, she was back to normal. 

"Well, let me explain some of those skills and traits of mine."

Pandora sat back down, her red eyes focused on Dirk. 

"First, Mind of Delirium. Let's just say that if you dialed down my psychosis from Earth, this is what it would become. My mind is overactive. If your mind runs, then mine is a bullet train. It used to be annoying, but I have it under control now. The only time it isn't under control is when I get too excited, like when we first met. But otherwise, I can channel my overactivity into something that benefits me. 

"Second, Eyes of Truth. This skill allows me to see through people. Depending on their power, I can see their Profile with the help of my Stigma, even without their consent. I can also see through almost all forms of mana and magic and I get an acute sense of the items I work with. I'll have you know that I'm an amazing Alchemist. In fact, I received my Synthesis and Purification while working in Alchemy. Synthesis allows me to combine chemicals and even different types of magic. Purification allows me to remove the things I don't want from any substance, including metals, liquids, and air. 

"As for Temptation, you already know what that does. It makes people loyal to me. It makes them want to obey me and get close to me. I control them with their desires. If they fall for me hard enough, then they become a puppet in the palm of my hand. It's one of the reasons I was able to garner massive support for my projects. That and because they were successful and profitable.

"Finally, there's my Stigma, the Record of Life. This does more than allow communication with Miss Record. It allows me to catalog and save spells for later study and use. It also allows me to transcribe runes when using my Eyes of Truth. Think of it as a book for all things magical. A Grimoire, if you will. It's not an uncommon Stigma for mages, but this one is the best because it comes directly from Miss Record herself. It's even better when I get her assistance in magical matters." 

Pandora ended with a high chin, proud of her abilities. After listening to her, Dirk was now realizing more and more how comprehensive her powers were. 

It was quite unsettling for Dirk to learn that her magical abilities were far above anything he had. She was definitely stronger than him. Her skills gave her an edge over anybody she met. She could fight someone above her Tier, no doubt. 

And Dirk was almost two Tiers below her. Not even his Rank matched up. Suddenly, being helped by Pandora felt irritating. 

Of course, Pandora saw Dirk's distress. She smiled when he suddenly stood up. 

"...I need to train."

"Of course, of course. I'll stick around though. I have plenty of advice that will help you, coming directly from experience. Who better to train you than someone with the same Pure Soul?"

"Fine. Then let's start now."

"Very well."

With a nod, Pandora stood and walked over to the table. There, she stood in front of a few bowls full of mana crystals. Each bowl held the mana of each of Dirk's attributes. While she didn't see his Profile until just now, she was able to see the mana within him with her Eyes of Truth. 

She plucked out 5 mana crystals, crushing them all. Suddenly, the room was filled with Dark, Earth, Metal, Fire, and Lightning mana. More than that, the mana that filled the room was like a liquid, far denser than anything Dirk had ever worked with. 

"Be thankful, because these are the purest Tier 5 mana crystals that my Kingdom has produced. It's all liquid mana, so this should expedite the process of increasing your Tier. Now, carry me through your mana cultivation technique."

Pandora grabbed a chair and sat in front of Dirk. He gazed at her before waving his hand, bringing out a large book. It was the Mana Heart Technique. 

She grabbed the book, merely looking at the cover for several seconds before nodding. 

"Alright. I understand."

"You read it?"

"Eyes of Truth."

She smirked before handing the book back. 

"I didn't read all the runes within, but I understand where you're at and where you need to go now. You currently have three mini hearts comprised of each attribute and specialization. Now, you need to strengthen each heart until the mana within them is something like a liquid. Basically, you need to make it denser. For you, this couldn't be easier. I'll give it 12 days before you are Tier 4."

"12 days? Sounds a little fast."

"That's because you have no idea what having a Pure Soul means. Dirk, your soul is perfectly attuned to mana, and it's the strongest kind of soul there is. If I had rushed my advancements, then I could be a Tier 6 already, let alone you becoming a Tier 4. Basically, having a Pure soul guarantees your advancement until Tier 8. There are little to no roadblocks on that path. The only limiter is your elemental comprehension, and having a Pure Soul gives you the greatest advantage in that arena as well. So no, raising your Tier by two small realms in 12 days is not fast. Being a mere Tier 3 is actually a disgrace to your Pure Soul."

"..."

Dirk was silent as she fervently lectured him. She then eased up and continued.

"Anyway, your next step is simple. Make your mana hearts liquid, and strengthen them until you reach Tier 4. After that it becomes a bit more complicated, but we'll cross that bridge in two weeks. As for how to strengthen your hearts, you just need to bring in this dense ambient mana and concentrate it. Then, when you turn them liquid, there's a particular rune that you'll enchant the existing rune in your hearts with. That will complete the strengthening process."

"So concentrating mana is my job right now."

"Correct."

Pandora nodded at Dirk's summarization. With that simple objective, he got comfortable in his seat and began. 

Pandora watched as the fire mana around Dirk was brought into his body and focused on his fire mana heart. When she saw this though, she frowned. 

"No. Bring in all types of mana, and concentrate them all simultaneously. If you're not used to controlling all the elements at once, then now's the time to change that."

"...Alright."

With a nod, Dirk proceeded to bring in all the mana around him. Then, he simultaneously concentrated the elements on their hearts. 

This did in fact prove to be difficult for Dirk, but he didn't complain. He just worked on it. While he wasn't going to blindly listen to Pandora, this was her advice as a genius four attribute mage. She absolutely knew more than him when it came to magic and cultivation. He wasn't so stubborn as to ignore her words.