"...We're ready for the experint."
"Then begin!" Robin straightened his posture fully, taking a deep breath as he opened his eyes with a faint, light laugh. His focus sharpened entirely, every fiber of his attention directed toward the exact center of the vast hangar. The air seed to vibrate slightly under the anticipation of what was about to unfold.
As for Holak, without thinking, he instinctively took half a step forward and positioned himself just behind Robin, as though guided by so automatic reflex. Even before his mind had fully processed the mont, his body had responded, moving into the natural position of readiness.
The thirty volunteers stood in the middle of the hangar, their feet planted firmly on the ground, eyes wide with both excitent and nervous tension. Smiles stretched across their faces, and hope shone brightly in their eyes. Even though experience had taught them that the aftermath would likely involve teasing, bullying, and leaving them in so wretched state, there was a small yet powerful comfort this ti: Instructor Morgana was present. Her guiding presence was reassuring, and for the first ti, they felt that rcy and care were on their side amidst the grueling trial ahead.
"Hooo~" Shaddad exhaled forcefully, the sound echoing slightly against the tal walls. He gave a slow, deliberate nod toward Jabba, signaling the start of the procedure.
Hoooom
Shaddad's hands moved with precision and care as he began liquefying the weaponisation materials, previously tattooed onto the volunteers using the newly prepared ink. Even to the naked eye, the effect was srizing- materials lted and flowed with a graceful fluidity, running smoothly through the clear tubes that connected to the injection array. Every shimr and ripple of the substance seed alive, responding perfectly to Shaddad's control.
Crkkk
Jabba activated the pressure array, sending precise currents of the liquid weaponisation substance into the soles of each volunteer's feet. At that mont, he and Shaddad could observe the rging of the inks-a process that had caused them so much worry in past experints. The difference this ti was staggering: all the inks were unified into one seamless composition. There would be no conflicts, no erratic reactions, and no unexpected dangers. The procedure was now as safe as it was effective.
Up to this point, everything remained stable, perfectly balanced. The ink's cost had dropped dramatically: what would previously have required 100,000 Pearls now amounted to a re 15,000. In addition, the entire system was calr, steadier, and more predictable than any prior version.
Yet the ultimate question still lingered in the air... would it actually work? Booosh
Finally, the long-anticipated mont arrived. The volunteers' bodies began to glow as the weaponisation substance infused itself into their cells, illuminating the hangar with faint, eerie light. The injection stopped at their soles-they had reached their absorption limits, and the system ceased pushing further into their bodies.
And then, the pressure array activated.
"Gghh!!" All the volunteers felt their bones and flesh compress violently under the imnse, crushing force, a sensation they had experienced countless tis before. Pain shot through every fiber of their being, and yet this trial was different in a subtle but unmistakable way.
But-
"AAAAAAAH-!!"
"Ghaa- AAAAAH-!!"
"STOP! STOOOOOOP!!!"
"This...?" Jabba and Shaddad muttered almost inaudibly, their green-glowing eyes widening in disbelief.
They were witnessing a phenonon they had longed to see for years, sothing almost mythical in its execution. At that precise mont, the array was compelling the volunteers' very cells to absorb the weaponisation liquid. The process was ticulous, systematic, and rcilessly efficient.
The screams of the volunteers? Both n ignored them entirely. They shut their ears to the sounds of agony and focused all of their attention on the unfolding spectacle, refusing to miss a single detail, however small. Every subtle change in glow, every ripple of absorbed liquid, was cataloged and analyzed in their minds.
The absorption rates varied dramatically between the thirty volunteers. So seed to drink in the liquid almost voraciously, while others struggled and lagged behind, their bodies slow and thodical.
In a single glance, Jabba and Shaddad could calculate exactly how many sessions each individual would require, along with the necessary recovery periods between sessions. Each session represented the total ti needed for a volunteer to fully absorb the liquid infused into their cells, followed by the required period for rest, healing, and stabilization before the next session could safely comnce.
The slowest absorber-the quietest as well-was clearly going to need several consecutive days inside the array to finish the absorption process. Following that, he would require one to two years for his body to fully stabilize, recover, and prepare for the next session. In total, this volunteer would need approximately eight years and around five sessions to reach a strength equivalent to level 10.
In contrast, the fastest absorber-who also scread the loudest-was
ingesting the substance at an extraordinary, almost alarming rate. At this pace, he would complete the absorption process within a single hour at most. If he maintained this rate, he could achieve the level-ten equivalent within a re one year or even less.
Of course, none of these calculations worried Jabba or Shaddad in the slightest. The array had been masterfully designed to adapt to each volunteer's individual talents. Moreover, the pressure applied to each volunteer was tailored specifically to their unique abilities, ensuring that no one was unfairly disadvantaged. The variance in force and absorption rates was not an oversight -it was a deliberate, intelligent design to maximize the potential of every single
participant.
What they were witnessing now ant only one thing-
"...We succeeded?" Jabba slowly turned to look beside him, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking louder might shatter the mont. His heart
raced, disbelief and excitent warring within him.
"We succeeded... heh heh..." Shaddad raised his hands slowly and placed them
triumphantly over his head, his grin growing wider with each second. "We succeeded, haha... Hahaha!!!" His laugh echoed through the hangar, a mixture of relief, exhilaration, and sheer pride.
"...." Robin raised a single eyebrow, the faintest crease forming on his forehead, his golden eyes glowing softly with restrained excitent. Then, as if pulled by gravity, he stood and stepped closer to the two n, his gaze fixed on the array at the center of the hangar. "Interesting," he murmured, almost to himself, as if tasting the result before confirming it aloud.
He rubbed his chin gently, his mind ticking over every detail. "I expected that combining your experiences-yours and Jabba's-would produce progress, yes... but honestly, this is far beyond what I imagined." He gestured several tis toward the array, as if giving shape to his thoughts.
"This array will effectively eliminate the need for the extrely exhausting and prohibitively expensive weaponisation baths. Vast quantities of precious raw materials are no longer wasted because the trainee's body has absorbed exactly what it needed-and no more. The body simply refuses to take in additional energy once it has reached its limit.""
"...The array allows a large number of individuals to share the cost of a single bath," Robin continued, his tone calm but carrying weight, "drastically reducing expenses. Moreover, you've already reduced the cost to less than a quarter of the original amount. And this is only the beginning. Once you place your first step on the path, you will be able to reduce it even further."
He then allowed a faint, approving smile to play across his lips. "Regarding the weaponisation baths now, everything has been calibrated to be equal with the cost of energy cultivation and soul training-perhaps even slightly less. And for the World Cataclysm bath... the only requirent will be finding inexpensive, stable stabilisers suitable for use with the array, instead of the extrely rare and costly ones. Once that is accomplished, the entire physical strengthening path will be resolved."
Robin exhaled a long, asured sigh, feeling the weight of what lay ahead. "This
will not be easy," he thought.
The stabilizers for the body were far rarer and more expensive than most imagined, as they transford the body itself into a living conduit for energy, granting cells functions they were never naturally ant to perform. A misstep, and the consequences could be catastrophic.
"..." Shaddad nodded several tis, deep in thought, before finally turning toward Robin. From his ring, he produced sothing small and tallic, handing it to Robin with a deliberate care that betrayed its significance. "...?!" Robin took the tal piece with extre caution, examining it thoroughly. It was silver, with intricate red veins running across its surface. The veins pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat, yet Robin knew the truth: this was not alive. It was performing a process akin to breathing-drawing energy in, releasing it, and reabsorbing it in a continuous, automatic cycle.
"Is this... a piece of Veradium vein? How did you acquire it?!" Robin's voice was
a mix of astonishnt and concern. Veradium veins were a planetary affliction, capable of consuming and devastating entire worlds. It was not alive, not conscious-but its effects were devastating. The mont this mineral appeared-or fell as a teorite-it would devour all planetary energy, leaving the world barren, incapable of sustaining its natural energy flow no matter how much the planetary soul tried
to replenish it.
"I recently acquired a full vein, and I have reliable suppliers for it," Shaddad muttered quietly, as if speaking any louder might actually allow others to hear
him.
"...Don't tell ..." Robin's eyes narrowed slightly, and he raised the piece higher for closer inspection. "Are you planning... to use this as a physical stabiliser?!" "It's stable, fulfills the function, and the cost is minimal. That single piece in
your hand is only 120,000 Pearls-and it's sufficient for one person," Shaddad whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Shaddad..." Robin raised the piece higher, his tone now tinged with disbelief and awe. "Are you telling ... the fifth cultivation path is complete?!"
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