Chapter 4280: The Path Ahead (Part 2)

"Ever since Faluel gave the demonstration, the black market is flooding with people selling information about potential threats to Lith’s family."

"And when you say pressing matters, you don’t mean Forgemastering, right?" Zoreth asked.

"You’re weird, Zor." Bytra stopped her furious pacing and turned around to look her wife in the eyes. "I expected you to be angrier about what happened to the kids and more excited about our progress."

"Believe me, Byt, I am angry!" Zoreth flared with bright violet Origin Flames. "I’m being quiet only because trashing our home to vent would be stupid. Yet you are right about the excitement. I have a bad feeling about this."

"You and your big heart." Bytra pinched Zoreth’s cheeks and gave her a sweet kiss. "You worry too much. You know what kind of genius Tezka is. He never makes mistakes. There is no way something can go wrong."

’That’s what I’m worried about, Byt.’ The Shadow Dragon thought as she smiled and nodded. ’If Tezka is right, we’ll take the first of many steps towards our goal. When we reach it, the balance with the Council and the other forces on Garlen will shatter.

’The peaceful life and everything we got used to might get overturned before we know it. You are excited because you focus on the new beginning, whereas I can’t stop thinking about how ugly things might end before we reach that point.’

They crossed the several corridors, Warp Steps, and security checks that separated them from Vastor’s hidden lab deep underground his mansion in Verlam.

Even while standing in front of the double Adamant door studded with dozens of white crystals, they couldn’t feel a mote of mana in the air. The cloaking system of the lab was a masterpiece that the Master and the Suneater had built together, depleting much of their considerable resources in the process.

Past the door, stood a large gene-tank whose walls were made of pure white mana crystals and capped at both ends with Adamant lids. If Solus were there, she would recognize in the magical contraption before her something that closely resembled the Infirmary.

Bytra had been one of Menadion’s favorite apprentices and had visited the floor more than once while under the First Ruler of the Flames’ tutelage. Bytra had helped Menadion improve on the floor’s enchantments, so she was familiar with it.

The Fourth Ruler of the Flames had started working on the gene-tank long before Solus gave her a tour of the reborn tower, and had updated Menadion’s design with the help of the other Eldritches.

The two rooms now shared very little, but the resemblance was still undeniable.

"I hope that everything went well." Vastor greeted them with a nod of his head, without ever stopping to fix cables and check dials. "I wish I could visit Lith more often, but with all those damned Guardians around the Mansion, I have to wait until he can get away from the babies."

"Thank the gods nobody got hurt in the kidnapping attempt, and the demonstration of Lith’s Blade Weapon was a success." Bytra replied. "Yet his family hasn’t recovered from the bad experience. They are still a bundle of nerves."

"I can imagine." One of the ten Tezkas moving across the room said. "Filia and Frey needed months to get over Meln’s attack. The next time you see Lith, please tell him that I’ll join the hunt as soon as I can.

"I owe him that much. It’s only thanks to him and Baba Yaga saving Zoreth’s life that we figured out the necessary steps to merge our hybrid life forces. If you ever speak with Yaga again, let her know I owe her one, Nandi."

"I will." The Minotaur-orc snorted. "You should be more respectful when you talk about her, Tezka. She’s not your friend."

Several cables connected him to the gene tank, and just as many connected him to the ground below. The lab was built above a powerful mana geyser that hosted several crystal veins, and Nandi’s orc powers allowed him to replace the Hands of Menadion.

The bio-gems in his skin allowed him to channel the immense energy of the geyser and deliver it to the gene-tank without wasting one iota of power. It was thanks to Nandi that the Eldritches and Abominations at the Master’s service didn’t need to feed on the living anymore.

The energy he injected into them was greater than what the Eldritches would have absorbed from slaying a Divine Beast.

"She’s my junior, though." Another of the clones of the Suneater smirked. "I have the right to pull seniority on someone so much younger than me."

"Lith was right back in Verendi." Vastor dismissed the quarrel with a wave of his hand. "Your life forces can’t fuse as they are. They need to be rearranged in a stable, new configuration capable of withstanding your immense power.

"Those like Zoreth are the lucky ones. They already possess the life force of a Divine Beast and only need to integrate their monster life force with it. Everyone else is in a much trickier situation.

"First, we need to discover what the life force of your respective species would look like if you ascended into Divine Beasts. Then, we have to bring you to that level, and only at that point can we follow in Baba Yaga’s footsteps."

"If it’s so easy, then why has no one aside from Zoreth made any progress?" Orulm, the Skinwalker-Eldritch sneered. "If you have found the solution to our problem, then why is Tezka the only one among us who claims to have figured out his Divine Beast life force?"

"Because you are fools, Orulm." Tezka replied. "All of you. Runts like Kigan or Zoreth are young fools still wet behind their ears, so it’s no surprise they can’t do anything without someone holding their hand.

"You, Abthot, and the others, instead, are old fools. You haven’t lived as long as I did, but more than enough to go crazy and then sane multiple times. Just like me. Yet while I spent eternity mastering every trade and art to better understand my limits and how to overcome them, you’ve only focused on your powers."

"Maybe." The Breaker growled. "Or maybe it’s just because you have ten heads and everyone else only has one."

"Even if you had one hundred heads, you would still be a fool, Orulm." Tezka replied with a snort. "While I was great in life and became greater in death, you were a mediocre Awakened human.

"You became great only in death, and only because of your unique Eldritch skill. Did you not?"

Orulm had no retort, so he raised his hands in surrender. His life as a man was no different from a thousand others. He had achieved nothing and died in anonymity. If not for the Breaker Eldritch ability, Orulm would have never lived that long or become that famous.

"Okay, I’m a fool." He sighed. "But are you sure about this? The Organization can’t afford to lose you. Hell, I can’t afford to lose you!"

"Your care for your own interests is touching." The ten Tezkas chuckled as one. "I’m sure. Don’t worry about it."

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