Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Kothar sat cross legged, while the sounds coming from above only grew louder and louder, it seemed that Silane had taken her ability to operate machinery on her own as a license to freely make and create whatever came to her mind.

But Kothar didn't think much of it, he was sure that anything that she created would be useful in some sense.

Right now, however, he needed to temper his body with the increased Spatial Mana that he had accumulated.

Kothar slowly drew the Spatial Mana out of his Mana Core, allowing it to spread through his body, initially, he didn't even feel the slightest amount of discomfort, but as the mana he drew out increased, the pain began.

It felt as though his body was being pulled apart from the inside out, the Spatial Mana pulling at his untrained mana channels.

Once the pain became unbearable, Kothar stopped, and rested, allowing his body to recover, the dense ambient mana of Atla meant that he would recover far faster than anywhere else.

Then he repeated the initial process, over and over, drawing closer and closer to being able to withstand the full force of his Spatial Mana.

The reason for having to do this, was the fact that even though everyone had their own elemental affinities, which decided how resistant one's body as to that particular piece of mana, one needed to slowly meditate to increase the size of their mana core.

This was because the drawing in of new elemental mana would temper the body and increase its resistance to the particular element.

However, this didn't mean that one could just draw in any type of mana willy nilly, and try to develop a resistance to it.

This only worked when there was already an inherent resistance, not if one was totally unaclimated.

Doing the same process with a type of mana completely foreign, wouldn be equivalent to allowing the attack of another magic user to free rage through one's body, destroying it beyond repair from the inside out.

So Kothar sat down and continued, slowly but surely increasing his body's resistance to Spatial Mana.

-----

Over the past few weeks, Kothar's routine had been almost exactly the same, initially he had sat down, spreading his Spatial Mana through his body, but today was different. 

After utilizing his Spatial Mana through his body over and over, he was finally ready to test the results. 

Kothar's body had withstood the contents of his entire Mana Core, which was mind blowing to say the least, since it had happened in such a short period of time.

Kothar's firm mindset, his strict routine, and the healing properties of the dense mana of Atla all combined together to allow this to happen.

Now, he would try casting none of his most powerful spells.

[Silane? How far is the range on this thing, I need to leave the hideout!] Kothar yelled out, tapping the barely visible raised circle on his scalp,, mostly hidden by the fuzz of hair that was now growing. 

Nowadays, getting Silane's attention was difficult, since she spent so much time with the new machines and areas she was building.

When Kothar had sat down weeks ago, he had not even begun to imagine how Silane would change the hideout in the next few weeks.

Apart from the corner that Kothar had been meditating in, the entire place had been refitted, not even resembling the roughly hewn hideout that it had been mere weeks ago.

The floor was now made of tessellated steel plating, which was textured to allow for one's shoes or feet to easily grip onto the surface.

Rather than the dim light of a fire, all the walls and ceilings had bright cylindrical lights, which Silane seemed to power from who knew where, casting the entire place in a clean, bright white glow.

The walls and ceiling were similar to the floor, now covered in steel plates, these ones plain, with geometric patterns that decorated them, as they covered every single surface.

[You can go as far as you like, I'll send a signal repeater drone with you if you want.] Silane said, mimicking her own previously more mechanical voice, before chuckling a little.

[Don't worry, I haven't reverted back to an emotionless AI, though being able to do so much definitely brings those days back.] Silane said with another little chuckle.

Kothar shook his head in amazement as he looked all around, of course he had been aware of the intense activity that had been occurring all around him, but he didn't realize that Silane had changed the entire place this much.

Of course, closed eye meditation for the better part of three weeks only added to his surprise.

[What the hell?] Kothar yelled, as he walked out towards the exit tunnel, and found his way blocked by a thick door, clearly reinforced with Titanite.

[This level of security is on par with Level 4 Secure Facilities that the Alliance had?] Kothar said in shock, as the steel door hissed upwards disappearing seamlessly into the surrounding steel and machinery.

[This'll keep you safer, and help your peace of mind.] Silane said, and Kothar couldn't help but smile in appreciation, as he remembered the first days of this hideout, filled with fear of being attacked by some pursuer that Krieg had sent.

And then when Sandstrider had made his way inside, being completely terrified by his ability, and hiding from him.

Silane's new security wouldn't completely remove threats like that, but it sure would give Kothar a few moments to strategize.

As Kothar walked on, adn doors hissed open in front of him he began to realize that Silane had been far busier than he had anticipated. 

The security was levels beyond what he had first anticipated.

He inspected a scanner device attached to one wall, and leaned down to peer more closely at it, but all it did was beep and diaper into the wall.

[Come on now, Kothar. It's not finished, don't be too noisy.] Silane chuckled, while Kothar's eyes were wide.

Kothar stepped out into the open as the last door hissed open, and then his jaw dropped, as he took in the sight outside.