Serum

Exos gave his bold declaration while Dirk continued to observe the metal container sitting in the middle of the desk between them. 

Dirk found it hard to make sense of what exactly he was seeing while he looked at the container. At first glance, he found it difficult to discern anything special about the container. It almost looked like a rock in terms of its mana signature, nothing but a mass of dense earth mana. 

But when he looked closer and focused his vision, concentrating all his power on strictly that container, he found his head hurting. 

It was like a star in his vision, lighting up with unfathomably complex circuits and runes. Whenever he focused in on these runes, it felt like he was looking at a formation far beyond his means to comprehend, and the sight gave him a headache. 

Exos called it the Processor, and that name clearly came from Pandora’s knowledge of computers. It seemed he had created a processing chip, but instead of a physical one, it was made of runes and enchantments. 

When Dirk looked at it, he could see thousands of small pieces within that container, all of them being enchanted with different kinds of formations. And there were certain clusters of these pieces that were interconnected in various ways. 

Dirk didn’t know much about how computer chips worked, but regardless, he knew that what Exos had created was no small mimicry of modern technology. He had created an actual magic processor. It was no wonder he had been working on it for several months now. 

His expertise in precise enchanting combined with inspiration from Pandora’s future knowledge resulted in this monstrous creation that knew no match. 

Exos leaned forward, stroking the container like it was his child. 

“I’ve designed this one to be a general purpose mana processor. I have several other ideas for more specialized processors, such as one that can operate my augmentations and one that can become the brains for golems and weapons, but that will have to wait until I do more research. For now, I will operate this first generation Processor and code it to carry out any task we need.”

“...You’ve really gone above and beyond.”

Dirk wasn’t sure what to say. Exos was nothing short of a Savant. It was no exaggeration to say that he had advanced enchanting technology by decades. Sure, it relied on Pandora’s knowledge, but Exos still had to pave the entire path by himself. In the end, Pandora’s knowledge was merely ideas for Exos to mimic with magic. 

Of course, he would only revolutionize the industry if this Processor was released, but that wouldn’t happen. Pandora wouldn’t allow it, and Dirk was already getting ideas on how this Processor could help them. 

He thought for a few moments before speaking. 

“You said you can code it? Then I’ll ask for your help. We need to break through some magic security formations. Can you code the Processor to do that for us?”

“Break security formations? I suppose it wouldn’t be that difficult, depending on the strength of the formation. Some formations simply rely on sheer strength to repel invasions while others use their power to cycle dozens of redundant confirmations a second in order to scramble attempts to crack them. This Processor can get around both so long as I make the right program, even though it would take a while. And in the time it would take to program it, I may as well make another Processor devoted toward cracking formations…”

Exos continued talking himself into another brainstorming session, taking a minute or so before Dirk clapped to catch his attention. 

“Hey.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Your question.”

“I’m assuming from your words that you know enough about security formations to combat them. In that case, how long will it take you to get me a processor that can break them?”

Dirk asked directly, causing Exos to lower his head while mumbling. 

“6… 8… 9 weeks. Yes, 9 weeks and I’ll have a Processor that can break whatever formations you throw at it. 

“2 months…”

Dirk frowned for a moment before sighing. 

“Alright. Go ahead and work on that. Keep us updated.”

“Yes, I will. But first, I need sleep.”

Saying that, Exos leaned back into his chair. And after a few seconds, Dirk could hear snoring, making him chuckle a bit. 

After that, he left and went to go report to Pandora. 

When she heard the details, she too was shocked by Exos’ achievement. 

“He’s seriously smart to do that so fast. If he learns more and develops magic that can threaten us…”

“Stop it. You’re the one who led him down this path. Don’t blame him for simply acting on what you gave him.”

“...Still. We need more power to secure ourselves against him.”

Pandora frowned, not at Dirk’s reprimand, but at her thoughts of the future. 

What Exos had made today was merely preliminary. He had many years ahead of him, and he would only continue to advance this Processor technology until it became comprehensible only to him. It would possess power beyond anybody’s ability to make sense of, capable of driving powerful machines of magic that knew no bounds. 

It was the spark that would ignite a flame of ambition and pave the way for endless destructive capability. Pandora likened it to a nuclear bomb, except Exos was currently the only one with the knowledge to make it. 

Suddenly, she looked at Dirk, thinking for a few seconds before smiling. 

“Luckily, he trusts us almost unconditionally. That combined with your covert powers and talent means that there should be no point that Exos can defend himself against us should we need to kill him.”

“Say that to his face and he’ll never trust you again.”

“Don’t worry. I’m quite good with secrets and mind games.”

Pandora smiled even wider when Dirk didn’t actually reprimand her for that statement. 

Truthfully, Dirk felt slightly threatened by Exos’ genius as well. With Pandora’s backing, her knowledge, his own intellect, and the Key Artifact of Earth, it was hard to tell just how vast his future would be. If he wasn’t careful, Exos would overtake him and become impossible to kill. 

And if there was anything Dirk hated, it was the inability to kill someone. That was what he hated most about this world, because he had become very intimate with the concept of powerlessness, something that could only be found in this world full of people with world-shattering power. 

So he didn’t disagree with Pandora’s statement or evaluation. 

Nonetheless, Exos’ abilities may soon become their ticket to bigger and better things. Pandora knew this as well, and she immediately started making plans. 

“I’ll need to gather schematics on the airship and its systems, along with all the security formations we need to crack so Exos can prepare thoroughly. There’s also the issue of piloting the ship. We’ll either need a person we can trust or Exos will need to develop a Processor specifically to drive the ship and operate its facilities. For that, we’ll need some navigation systems and references. The ship doesn’t exactly have much of that since it’s only occasionally used, so perhaps I can develop some of my own systems in tandem with Exos and implement them…”

Pandora started diving into her own world of schemes, one that Dirk couldn’t follow after a little while. 

But with all that, they could finally see the way forward. Pandora had initially been stuck, thinking that they would need to use force in order to get this airship out, relying on absolute chaos to distract the powerhouses and make out with their prize. But it seemed like they could use tact and trickery instead. 

Her smile gradually widened as she cackled with every new idea, her excitement growing as she seemed to bring everything under her clutches of control. 

And so Dirk waited and prepared, ready for the time he would need to step up and execute these plans that relied on the support of those around him. 

……

…

Week after week passed, and Dirk continued to train his magic. Pandora also trained when she wasn’t occupied with her other identity. 

One thing she did was bring ideas back to her new workplace and begin to implement them. These ideas were the fruits of her cooperation with Exos. The two communicated frequently after Exos finally finished his Processor, and Pandora didn’t hesitate to use Exos’ expertise to impress and manipulate those at the factory. 

She took every step necessary to secure the airship for herself, but as a result of pulling Exos’ attention, the time needed to create a security processor grew. 

At some point, 4 more months passed. In total it meant they had been within Horizon for 6 months. 

A new year came. Dirk turned 17, as did Pandora. The world gradually calmed, the initial turmoil from the outbreak of War Cataclysma subsiding. And hidden powers began to churn, emerging from the darkness of the world’s Empires. 

Dirk had initially felt a sense of urgency after they had spent a certain amount of time in one place. After all, the other Key Artifacts were still out there, and there was no telling what may happen to them. 

But in a rare moment of strict logic from Pandora, she explained that their power wasn’t sufficient enough to acquire the rest. The failure to capture the Key Artifact of Earth that was now in Exos’ possession hit her hard, and now she would take no chances. They both knew that power was absolutely necessary, especially when they traveled to lands where they had no authority or influence. 

In the Dwarven Haven, they had been able to use the power of the Dwarven armies and a Tier 8 in order to wear down a Key Artifact. But even after all that, it still escaped their grasp. So in a place like the Elven territories where that would be impossible, they needed to rely on themselves. 

It would be useless, even counter productive, if they were to rush over there only to be forced to wait and accumulate power. They may as well do it at Horizon, which was friendly territory, while also acquiring a powerful means of transportation. 

Their time here was more valuable, so with her words, Dirk calmed and focused. 

And he was constantly active as he sought to push his power forward every day. 

Most of his time was spent studying magic. In fact, after a while he no longer sought his parents’ tutelage and focused on himself. 

Tier 5 of the Mana Heart Technique, a state where one formed the True Mana Heart. 

In order to form the Mana Heart, Dirk needed to figure out how to merge his pools of mana. He needed to merge fire, lightning, earth, metal, and darkness together. His Mana Heart would then become a universal pool for all his attributes, allowing him to use any amount of any element as much as he wanted. It would increase his efficiency by several times, but even more than that, it would bring a massive boost to his magical power. 

The Mana Heart Techinque was more than just a method to manipulate or store mana. Any ordinary technique could do so. But what made the Mana Heart Technique special was all the other functions it had. The most important one was the infusion of mana into the user’s blood and the integration of the Mana Heart into the physical heart. 

The Mana Heart Technique sought to make the user and their magic power a singular whole. Their magic would not be a mere extension of their body or extraneous tool to use, but a core part of their being. 

During his earlier advancements, Dirk had experienced the changes in his soul. The technique opened up large cavities in his soul which were filled with Mana and engraved with the runic formations the technique made him comprehend and create. 

Dirk wasn’t sure exactly what this did or if it afforded him any major advantages. The main advantage he was clear of was the fact that he had a mana pool significantly larger than ordinary Tier 4 mages. Pandora was the same, as it was a perk of their Pure Soul. 

But the Mana Heart Technique also changed how Dirk manipulated mana. It could be said to be the biggest reason he could utilize certain techniques like Stealth that required elemental manipulation, not spell formation. 

If mana was flowing throughout your body as a part of it, then that meant you were no different than the mana that composed you. If you activated Stealth using this logic, then its effects would be several magnitudes greater. 

In this case, the Mana Heart Technique was almost built for elemental manipulation. Perhaps that was the reason Dirk often preferred to use it that way, as well as the reason why he could do it so well in the first place, especially factoring in Spyte. 

Dirk had learned all this throughout the 6 months of his constant training. These inferences came along with the comprehensions of all the runic formations within the Mana Heart Technique book itself. 

So not only did he begin to realize how to properly utilize his magic, but he also learned exactly how he needed to advance his magic. 

Finding common ground between each element seemed impossible since they were separate elements. But, Dirk had actually experienced an example of common ground not long ago. 

The fight between General Umangot and the Key Artifact of Earth. 

At the climax of their battle, the Key Artifact had seemingly done the impossible. By gathering the immense power of Earth, it had actually created a miniature black hole. Dirk had sensed how it warped space, which was a concept under the jurisdiction of Darkness. 

In that case, Dirk had already found one common ground between Earth and Darkness. Gravity and space. 

And the book provided other examples within its incredibly complex runic pages. 

Metal mana was a specialization of Earth mana, and therefore, the two were one and the same. 

But metal mana was actually more capable of affecting space and gravity than standard earth mana was, so Dirk chained his metal specialization to his darkness attribute. 

And then, there was fire and lightning. For this, Dirk also looked toward his experiences. 

Fire and metal. When one thought of these two things, forging was likely a concept they would drift toward. Heating metal and then bending it under weight and impact was a technique as old as civilization. 

In that case, the temperature affecting materials, specifically high temperatures, was a common ground between the two. Temperature was intrinsic to everything, so Dirk could make the connection and chain Fire to Earth Mana. 

And he could chain Lightning to Metal Mana, as some metals were good conductors of electricity. Some were even magnetic, and lightning was simply electromagnetic radiation and plasma, like fire. These concepts were one and the same, establishing the connection. 

Not only that, but Lighting needed a medium to strike. Lightning was the discharge of electricity between two points, and metal was the perfect medium, even better than the air between thunderclouds which lightning iconically struck through. 

Thus, Dirk established another connection. 

However, this was where he encountered a wall. 

The connection between Fire and Darkness. 

These two concepts were often considered completely opposite to each other. In tales of the origins of humanity, fire was the greatest and most important creation ever made. Fire drove away the dangerous darkness of night, allowed us to purify the filth of the food and water we consumed, and eventually, allowed us to create the tools that built civilization. 

These were all properties that one associated with the Light element. Purification, creation, and light. They were all antithetical to darkness.

But Dirk found that there was another facet to these elements through his comprehensions of the Mana Heart Technique. Within that book were endless observations and materials to study, all of them providing information on the nature of the elements and magic itself. 

And what he learned of were two concepts that many had thought of before, but not truly taken seriously in the realm of magic.

The concepts of Order and Chaos. 

Light was aligned with Order. But within all Order was Chaos, and this aspect is how Fire was allowed to connect with Darkness. 

Fire brought creation, but it also brought destruction. In fact, it was most known for its ruinous nature despite how it was also responsible for the construction and livelihood of all civilizations. 

And destruction was very much aligned with Darkness, otherwise thought of as Chaos. 

This was the connection Dirk made between the two. He had lots of experience with Eldritch Primordial and knew exactly what true Chaos looked like, so he didn’t have issues finding that in Fire, and with that, he had bridged them. 

But these connections were only the beginning. Dirk knew where the common ground lay. After enough time, he knew that every one of his elements could be transformed into each other, seamlessly creating a singular Mana Heart. 

But, not betraying the difficulty of such an amazing Technique, creating the Mana Heart required Dirk to also form his Domain. In fact, his Domain would be directly integrated with his Mana Heart and form the foundation for its function. 

This was where the difficulty lay. 

Dirk needed to create his Domain, a technique that would embody all of his elements. But Domains were much more than just some fancy magic spell. 

They were, in a literal sense, established territories. Magic Domains would impose your will upon the world around you, turning your magic from mere superficial manifestations into a miniature world that would seek to force everything to bow to your rule. 

In a battle, a Domain would afford you absolute control of the mana around you, stifling your opponent and directly nullifying spells, so long as it was powerful enough. It also didn’t need to be thought about. Domains would activate and maintain themselves with nothing but a desire. At least, that’s how good Domains were supposed to operate. 

Poorly created Domains were difficult to maintain, representing the lack of knowledge of the creator. In fact, in standard magical society, the quality of a Domain was determined by how long you could maintain it. 5 hours was considered good. A day was considered amazing, making your Domain one of the best. 

But according to Pandora, a perfect Domain could be activated and maintained forever. It wouldn’t drain any of your energy, and in fact could supplement your power. People like the Vampire Queen and Emperor Horizon had these kinds of Domains, and it was why Pandora needed so long to form hers as it would be made from four elements, something not even those monsters could match. 

And Dirk wouldn’t settle for anything less. Thus, the challenge took another leap forward. 

But that didn’t stunt his progress. In fact, as time went on, Dirk only advanced faster. His power grew with his comprehensions. His instincts called to him and led him down the right path, his intuition being his guiding light. 

Dirk merged his elements, learning how to transform one into another. Darkness became Fire, Fire became Lightning, Lightning became Metal, Metal became Earth, Earth became Fire, and every combination in between. 

And he developed his Domain around the traits of these transformations. 

A Domain with the Gravity and rigidity of Earth. 

The spatial warping powers of Darkness, alongside its corrosive, covert, and oppressive natures. 

The protective, conductive, and heavy power of Metal.

The heat and destruction of Fire, along with its ability to soften and mold that which refused to be. 

And the speed and explosiveness of Lightning, with its ability to latch to a medium and transport itself seemingly instantaneously across it. 

Dirk took all these things, with all their versatility, and made them one. Each trait, each nature, could be merged together just like the elements they entailed. 

And so they were. Dirk brought together his elements, and because they were tied to each of his mini mana hearts, they all underwent a change alongside his guidance. 

Each mini heart formed a connection, and they cycled mana between them. Each element transformed, and their activity caused a field to appear around Dirk’s body. 

The traits of his elements exposed themselves as Dirk became aware of it, manifesting in the form of real effects on his surroundings. 

The gravity strengthened, multiplying the weight of everything around him. 

Space became rigid like metal, but the power of fire softened it simultaneously just for him. 

Lightning sparked through the malleable space, connecting to every inch of the Domain as if ready to send his body through the folds of space with speed that seemed to surpass light. 

And the Darkness concealed it all, producing a dark fire that sought to break down anything it touched, igniting the very air. And the concealment of Stealth meant that nothing that occurred within the Domain could be recognized. 

Within that Domain, Dirk was King. He was the master of all mana. 

And this was especially so for his Darkness. Because his dark element was constituted of Source Mana instead of standard Mana, it led to one amazing effect. 

All dark mana was expelled from the Domain, becoming a field that rejected anything that didn’t stem from the Source. So against dark mages, Dirk would have no equal, and there was nothing that could affect him within his Domain. 

Any soul that attempted to encroach upon this rule would be killed or suppressed.