"I expected to talk to Ves, not his evil personality. With respect, can you retreat and give Ves control so that we can talk about matters of serious importance?"
"Ves is currently taking a well-deserved vacation after completing the Riot Mark III and almost killing Rosa Orfan. I am not inclined to bring him back right away. Let him finish his rest. You can tell all about what you have accomplished in the anti. Both of us share the sa mories more or less, so informing is the sa as informing him. You don't need to waste any ti."
The projection of Swordmaster Ketis gave the Dark Apostle a flat stare. "How exactly are you different from Ves?" she questioned.
"To be honest, I can't co up with a proper answer. We are different but the sa. Ves likes to pretend as if he has gained a second companion spirit in the form of myself, but I feel kind of insulted with this comparison. I much prefer to regard myself as the part of Ves that embraces violence and has fully embraced the legacy of his Larkinson lineage. I am a born warrior. I can fight much better than my human self despite possessing the exact sa true body and fighting skills. Admittedly, I don't understand all of the complicated math and science in his head. I 'know' all of the theory, but I can't use it to design a ch, let alone a kanos."
"I... see. I think I understand the gist of your explanation." The projection of the swordmaster mildly relaxed. "The two of you possess different specializations. Ves is strongly connected to what he calls his 'design fla'. This is the taphysical construct that empowers our ch designs and vastly increases the efficiency of our technical work. You lack this connection, hence your inability to leverage 'your' technical skills, but that absence is filled with a much deeper and more profound connection to your powerful true body."
She grew intrigued. She was not entirely familiar with splitting up specializations. Ketis herself was fundantally a ch designer with a strong connection to her own design seed. While she also considered herself a fighter, she was not technically a swordmaster. It was only when Sharpie lent her sword intent that Ketis could make the leap from mundane to extraordinary. Of course, Ketis' relationship with her companion spirit was not as tense and segregated as that of Ves and the Dark Apostle. While the relationship between the latter two did not appear to be as dysfunctional as described in the earlier reports, Ketis could still detect a lot of antipathy from the Dark Apostle to his original self. The two may have found an equilibrium that they could live with for the ti being, but this did not resolve the fundantal conflict of interest between themselves. Both of them wanted to claim total possession of the sa true body.
Even Ketis could not co up with a clear-cut answer on who deserved to own it more. As a swordmaster, Ketis could already ascertain that the Dark Apostle clearly mastered his true body to a far greater degree than Ves could ever manage. The second personality was born from his flesh and possessed a connection that she had only ever seen from martial phase lords that truly loved fighting. On the other hand, Ves was the original owner of his true body. He did not deserve to get bodysnatched by an unwelco side of himself. If Ketis was in his position, he would feel just as upset towards the Dark Apostle. What a ss. It was clearly not in Ketis' place to resolve this troubleso matter.
So long as Ves and the Dark Apostle maintained the current status quo, Ketis saw no reason to ddle into this affair. She gazed suspiciously at the Dark Apostle, but ultimately decided that it did not matter if she continued to discuss business with Ves' other self. They were technically the sa person, right?
"I will postpone discussions on our next ch design projects until he is ready to speak directly to again." The female Journeyman decided. "The only topic of discussion then is the results from the latest mining expedition to the Blue Dinsion."
The Dark Apostle perked up when he heard this. "Oh nice. Both of us were looking forward to this. How big is your haul this ti?"
"Big." Ketis answered. "As I have told you before, I have been able to make a larger and long-lasting portal. Extending its longevity from 24 hours to 120 hours is a godsent to all of red humanity. Our clan along with all of the other major powers such as the Red Three, the Terran Alliance, the Rubarthan Pact, the Hunting Association and most notably the Cybernetic Empire have all taken excellent advantage of this interval. While their yields steadily declined as their mining vessels had to travel further and further away from the entry site, they still managed to obtain much more superdinsional matter than before."
"I don't care about what the other groups have gained. I only care about what we have managed to bring in. Tell the results."
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The Dark Apostle looked as if he was a stimulant junkie who just heard that his supplier managed to import a huge stash from another state. He couldn't help himself. He felt a great attraction towards superdinsional matter. Whether that was because the phase whales called them the bones of the Elder Gods, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he could put up a much better fight if he was fully equipped with superdinsional gear!
Ketis proceeded to summarize the Larkinson Clan's haul. "We have managed to harvest a large but not excessive amount of structure-grade superdinsional matter. We have chosen to deprioritize the mining of this inferior matter because it is more cost-effective for our mining vessels to travel further and find as nurous deposits of common and high-grade matter. As it stands, we have harvested more than enough low-grade matter to construct a single superdinsional gafortress. We can also use it to supply tens of thousands of ranged chs with cheap superdinsional projectiles for up to a year."
Structure-grade superdinsional matter was very poor in quality. It was solely due to the fact that they were superdinsional in the first place that made them more valuable than phasewater, and only to a modest degree.
"Go on. No one cares about the low-grade stuff."
"We have harvested much more hull-grade superdinsional matter than before. Together with our old reserves, we have collected enough mid-grade matter to construct 13 sub-capital ships with a length of 500 ters. We can even use it all to produce a single space fortress that can endure brutal punishnt and help defend a planet against an overwhelming invasion. However, doing this will leave very little hull-grade superdinsional matter left for other priorities."
The ntion of a space station did not arouse any interest from the Dark Apostle. The Ascended Giant rolled his eyes. "Using superdinsional matter to build a stationary object in space is the stupidest idea that I have ever heard. Its poor mobility will make it easy for enemies to capture it. Then all of that superdinsional matter is lost. No. There are better uses for this stuff. I know that Ves has a lot of demand for it. He needs a large amount of it in order to further his own projects."
"The allocation of superdinsional matter is not up to you or Ves." Ketis reminded the Ascended Giant. "Our matriarch is the ultimate decision maker. She decides who gets what. You will need to send her your proposals. You will get what you want so long as you make a good case. Gaining a large haul this ti does not necessarily an we can afford to squander it all. Opening a dinsion breach that has lasted for 5 whole days is a strenuous activity that cannot be repeated in a short amount of ti. We need to make our existing supply last for at least a year."
Ketis did not want to get stuck in a loop where she had to earn 400 AP before spending it all on another portal to the 365th dinsion. It would not be fair for her as she would have no AP left to invest in her own developnt.
Even the Dark Apostle acknowledged that she deserved to take care of herself. "I am not disagreeing with you, and neither does my other self. You can take it easy for a ti. Both of us are waiting for you to beco a sword saint. How close are you to a breakthrough?"
"I am closer than before, but I cannot tell you the exact date when I am ready to take the next step. I am blazing my own trail here. I think I can already achieve a breakthrough in a year if I prioritize speed above everything else, but I want to do this right. I can't beco a normal sword saint because without the Heavensword, I will not be able to make much of a difference amidst all of the chs and battleships. Unlike you, my body will continue to remain small and frail."
"That does not have to remain this way. Why... don't we work together and figure out a way to turn you into a swordmaster as well as an Ascended Giant?"
"No. Absolutely not." Ketis vehently shook her head! "I will not taint myself with alien influences. No offense, but I do not want to share my body with a 'Dark Mistress' or sothing. The very thought of it offends . Besides, I do not think that the concept is even viable. Reford Swordsmanship must remain as pure as possible. I can reluctantly agree with letting reford swordsn make use of Carmine chs, but I do not want them to turn into Ascended Giants. They will lose focus and beco too distracted by all of the needs of their body cultivation. No. We will find our own way, starting with myself. I will only beco a sword ace pilot when I have found a path that can turn reford swordsmanship into a viable ans to resist our enemies in the current age."
Her ambition was great. While she was already able to defeat phase lords in her current condition, she relied far too heavily on the overbearing might of the Heavensword as opposed to her own gear and swordsmanship.
The Dark Apostle found it admirable that Ketis refused to grow complacent and take the Heavensword for granted. The relic weapon could separate from her hand at any ti. It may also refuse to lend its formidable might to her during critical monts. Ketis could not stand the lack of control over her own weapon. This was why she continued to nurture her Bloodsinger to the point of turning it into Sharpie's life sword.
"Do you have any solid ideas on how to reach your goal?"
"Yes. I am already exploring a number of possible options." She said. "So of them are admittedly more invasive than others. I have been collaborating with the Red Collective on this endeavor. Their expertise is very welco. I am certain that I can succeed. The only question is how well the end result will turn out. I do not want Reford Swordsmanship to turn into a joke just like how traditional swordsmanship beca marginalized during the Age of chs. What the MTA has done to our practice is intolerable. I will not let the RA do the sa in this age."
"Well, you are well on your way of doing so. The RC is becoming more and more powerful, especially now that I have put the Phase Lord Departnt in order. Helping is the sa as helping you. The more superdinsional matter you can send my way, the better. My giants and I will heavily rely on you to supply us and outfit us with superior arms and armor."
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