“Thanks to the Grimoire, those one-time lessons we received in the past are now a permanent record about how to distort space, to update arrays while keeping them active, and so much more. There’s a lot we can only learn from the Eyes whereas we can ask Grandma or Faluel about Forgemastery.” Lith said.
“My thoughts exactly.” Solus nodded. “Just remember to retrieve your armor when you need it and that you’re wearing normal clothes.”
“Oh, s- shot!” Lith said noticing that neither Elysia’s drool or pee stains had self-cleaned. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll fetch one of my prototypes.”
“Thank you, guys.” Kamila gave them both a hug, dragging Lith and Solus into a family embrace. “Thank you for acting like everything is normal. Thank you for being silly and making me forget about my issues.
“Most of all, thank you for never using that mind link of yours and keeping me in the loop. I don’t think I could have taken it.”
“Anytime, Kami.” Lith patted her back before taking a step back and handing her Elysia. “The next time, you change her, Mommy. My armor is at the cleaners so yours will have to do.”
***
After a brief stop at the Prime Engine, they went back home to pick everyone up so to give the tour of the new and improved tower only once.
Everyone was amazed to see the mere stone of the tower slowly turning into gold-veined white marble. They demanded a full tour of the tower, old floors included, especially the Guardians.
Suffice it to say, the Spark was a huge hit.
“I would be lying if I said that I’m not equally impressed and pissed off.” Leegaain considered Syrook one of his wayward sons, but seeing his corpse turned into equipment upset him greatly. “And it works even on Yggdrasill wood. Annoying.”
“A couple of quick questions.” Lith asked. “Do I have to be worried about your Dragon Eyes and can you tell me how much the Spark speeds up the refining process?”
“You have no reason to be worried.” Leegaain replied. “I have the blueprints of Menadion’s tower right here.”
“You do?” Everyone asked as the Father of All Dragons tapped his temple.
“Yes. Ripha asked for my help more than once. Just like Baba Yaga, she wanted to study my Dragon Eyes in the hope of reproducing them with Forgemastery. That’s how the Eyes of Menadion came to be and how Dusk possesses our bloodline abilities.” Leegaain said.
“What about the tower?” Salaark was very curious.
“She brought me here to better study me and I in turn studied the tower. A fair exchange.”
“So, we don’t have to worry because you already know everything?” Solus asked.
“No, because I *knew* everything and I can’t learn much right now.” Leegaain shook his head.
“What do you mean?” Tyris tilted her head to the side in confusion.
“The tower is linked to Solus who in turn is linked to Lith. Menadion has turned an already powerful artifact into a living being that’s growing, changing, and adapting based on their knowledge and experiences.” The Father of All Dragons replied.
“Even my Eyes can’t predict what someone will become otherwise I would have known about Lith’s Tiamat form and the dangers of the blue flames back when he was just an anomaly, not even a Wyrmling.
“Leegaain’s Eyes can understand what something was, is, and how it works, not how it will be. The tower is beyond my comprehension but I can make an educated guess based on the comparison between its previous status under Menadion and the current one after being bonded with Solus.”
“Is there any possibility that the tower makes it so that one day spent in the Spark equals one year of refinement?” Lith asked, hoping to bring the parallel with the original room of Magic and Time to perfection.
“Tell me another!” Leegaain scoffed. “That’s impossible. Such a mana flow would destroy rather than refine the Adamant, let alone lesser metals or the most delicate ingredients.”
“So I’m right.” Solus pulled his arm. “One day is equal to ten days of refinement, correct?”
It wasn’t as much as she hoped but it was still a good result.
“Yes and no.” Leegaain pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a know-it-all attitude. “Yes, that’s the current rate. No, because it’s probably going to change. You see, the tower right now is just like Lith’s body: trying to adjust to the new balance after the breakthrough.
“It will take both of them some time to adapt to the new output of their respective cores and optimize their performance.”
“Okay, just tell me this. What was the time/refinement rate of Menadion’s Spark?” Lith asked.
“Back in the day, it was a bit above your current one. Thirty days in here would refine any material of a full seasonal cycle in the outside world.” Leegaain replied.
Mogar had days and weeks but no months, expressing the passing of time with the change of seasons.
‘So, one month out there, one year in here. That’s still pretty awesome.’ Lith thought and Solus nodded.
“Don’t get too excited.” Leegaain said after noticing the spark of greed in Lith’s eyes. “Your Spark might be better or worse. Yet if I was a betting guy, I’d say better since the tower is always being updated.
“Only don’t dream too big. There will still be a limit to the refinement speed. Past that, you just have a fancy way of breaking stuff.”
Leegaain was right. The power of the mana geyser was great and the tower was capable of further enhancing it and then focusing it, yet there was no way to purify something without inflicting it damage.
The trick for both the natural phenomenon and the Spark was to keep the side effects to a level that the refinement would compensate and mend the damage before it was too late. As with everything in life, it was a matter of balance.
“Gods if I hate you.” Faluel was looking at the alembics containing Lith’s and Solus’s future amplifiers. “Time is the only variable that not even Awakened can control and now you can. Do you mind renting me a spare spot?
“I could use both the amplifiers and the accelerated refinement rate to check if my experiments on my blood are working or not in enriching my body in Dragon’s essence.”
“No renting, it’s free for you.” Lith said, leaving everyone flabbergasted. “What a bunch of rude gigglidooders, right, dear? And they dare call themselves Dad’s friends.”
“Bu!” Elysia nodded and pouted, multiplying the shock factor.
“Gigglidooders?” Elina said with a chuckle.
“Free?” Leegaain said with eyes wide open.
“Since when does Elysia understand what we’re saying?” Raaz asked.
“Fatherhood sure looks good on you.” Salaark just patted Lith’s shoulder with pride. “Does your offer extend to me as well?”
“Sure, help yourself.” Lith shrugged.
“I don’t need it, but Shargein sure does.” The Overlord put a few molted scales in an ampoule.
“Now, the next room is controversial so I have to ask permission from my partner. Solus?” Lith looked at her and she blushed a bit before nodding.
