“Well, hello there, Student Ivar Ragnarsson; color me surprised; I would never have expected to be chosen as a chaperone for a Tier-3 Evolution so soon in the school year, let alone by a First Year Student.”
Looking around the room and taking note of how Cave like it appeared, Cynrik’s eyes fell on the only two objects in the room, the first being Professor Morningdale, who was sitting in a plush reclining chair with one leg crossed over the other. The second was a Large sarcophagus-like stone object.
“Of course, I would choose the best person in the country with Affinity Theory; I would have to be an idiot not to want someone of your prestigious caliber to aid me in my advancement.” Flashing a very Brance-like smile at Professor Morningdale, Cynrik laid on the flattering words heavy, much to the joy of the plump woman sitting across from him.
“Hoho, what a silver tongue you have, young man, hem hem, please take a seat on the circle there in the center of the room.” Pointing at the ground, Professor Morningdale covered her mouth and cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment.
“Yes, ma’am,” nodding his head Cynrik moved into a ring of runic inscriptions carved into the rocky floor and took a seat in the lotus position.
“Now, how much about the Passing Down do you know or understand presently?”
“Honestly, not much, Professor. My faction and I only learned about it a few short hours ago, and since it isn’t taught to First Years, on top of not having clearance to gather proper data online, you can assume I know virtually nothing about it.” Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Cynrik admitted his lack of knowledge and earned an understanding smile from Morningdale.
“That is fine, you technically shouldn’t be learning about it for a couple of years anyway, but I will give you a summary of what is about to happen.” As she spoke, Professor Morningdale stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and began walking in a circle around Cynrik and the runic inscription pattern.
“As you know, we are currently around 800 meters underground, there are several reasons for this area being in its present location, but there are three main reasons for it.”
“The first point of note is the room itself. Due to the massive financial and material resources, the rooms here on B-22 cost a fortune to build. I am sure the Headmaster already informed you that there is no way to communicate with the inhabitants of these rooms, and it’s precisely because of the stone used to build these rooms that no Electrical Waves or Mana can penetrate the walls.”
“This leads us to the second reason, Mana conduction. Because this room is carved out of a stone called Cachint, a High-Tier Mana Conductor, the space can be oversaturated with Mana. By doing so, the result is forming a particle environment with an abundance of highly concentrated Mana, which facilitates the advancement of the being.”
“With such a High Concentration of mixed Stable and Unstable particles, a delicate balance needs to be maintained, where there needs to be ZERO chance of outside interference.”
Hearing her explanation of the stone used to create the room, Cynrik once again activated his [Mana Sight]; however, this time, he channeled Dark Mana into his eyes, using it to form a pseudo tinting effect so as not to blind himself.
Once the task was completed, he could view the particles in the room. To his surprise, Professor Morningdale was consistently leaking Fire, Lightning, and Wind Mana, creating a hazy multi-colored cloud that trailed behind her, encircling him.
“Lastly is the increased Gravitational Pressure that comes with being so far down in the ground. With a higher amount of G-force weighing down on your body, it stimulates your cells and rapidly burns calories, in turn increasing the amount of Mana your body hungers for.”
“Let’s move on to the Passing Down itself. This device here will play a large role in the event.” Calmly making her way over to the stone sarcophagus, Professor Morningdale ran her fingers along the deep carvings along the stone’s surface.
With [Mana Sight] still active, Cynrik noticed that although Morningdale was physically touching the stone, her Mana was rejected by it and scattered back into the room, only to be absorbed into the stone walls.
“This is called an Aether Capsule, one of the 15 in the Academies possession.” Continuing to caress the sarcophagus like a mother her child gently, Professor Morningdale became lost in thought while speaking.
“Created through a complicated process involving hundreds of different professional crafters, it is a masterpiece of both Technology and Mana. The stone exterior is crafted from large chunks of Evolution Stone and Neutral Affinity Stones. And although the process of merging the two materials is a Well Guarded Secret, if it were to leak, others wouldn’t necessarily be able to replicate the device.”
“Because even if someone knows the recipe, getting their machine approved by the CSH is impossible. Having the completed device is one thing, but linking it up to the proper channels is something heavily regulated by the CSH. In doing this, not only is there a limit to the amount of working Aether Capsules in existence, but there is also a limit on how many a single organization can own.”
Sighing heavily and breaking off contact with the stone device, Professor Morningdale turned and looked down at Cynrik; an expression of contemplation could be seen on his face.
“It is through the Aether Capsule that you will partake in your Tribulation Quest. Here’s how this will work. First, you will follow the same process as your previous Tier-2 Evolution, consuming the proper resources before absorbing all of the Affinity Stones. Once ingested, you will receive the System prompt to begin evolving.”
“I must warn you, the pain you will experience will be like nothing you have been through before. Even though I understand that you have sustained a lot of physical pain in the past, this will trump any previous pain solely because your body will be complexly broken down, destroyed, and rebuilt from the ground up.”
‘Tobs, rate my past pain scales together and compare my Advancement in kind.’ Hearing her warning, Cynrik smirked.
-Based on previous knowledge and information derived from the Central System HUB, Awakening is considered a 3/20 on the pain scale. Breaking multiple bones at once is a 5/20, and Tier-1 Evolution is categorized as a 7. Tier-2 would be counted as a 10. Up next would be the pain you experienced during your interaction with the Chaos Affinity Gem, which can be categorized as a 13/20. Lastly, carving your [Mark of the Tamer] would be between 21/20 and 23/20.-
-Using this data and the pattern shown from previous Evolutions, your Tier-3 Evolution should be around a 15/20, well within your acceptable pain tolerance scale.-
‘Got it; oh, before I forget, how does the Mental Fortification Pill affect my pain tolerance?’ Glancing down at the inscribed circle he was sitting in to avoid the concerned gaze of Professor Morningdale, Cynrik pushed for some extra data.
-Mental Fortification Pills do not affect a being’s actual pain tolerance. Instead, they boost your Will Power Stat by a percentage. The Tier-3 pills you received from Geralt Rivia would temporarily increase your Will Power Stat by 150%.-
‘Tsk, that’s it; the way Geralt talked about the pill made it seem like the end all be all; oh well, if your statistics are accurate, I should be fine without it.’
-Wrong; you should still use them.-
Resisting the urge to snap his head up and look toward the ceiling where he imagined Tobs to be floating, Cynrik squinted his eyes and tilted his head to the side.
‘Go on then, explain yourself, Tobs.’
-After carefully considering my findings and evaluating the Tier-3 Mental Fortification Pills, you are advised to take them. I have concluded that while it wouldn’t necessarily increase your odds of success, which are over 90% at this time, using them will increase your chances of passing the Tribulation Quest quickly and lasting well into the Turning Point quest.-
-There is no telling what situation you will be thrown into when it comes to these two quests, and it is imperative that you “steamroll” your way through your Tribulation quest to give you the most optimal amount of time to consolidate your Gains from the Evolution.-
-If we can believe the words of Norik Ackworth, then the moment your Evolution concludes, you will immediately be pulled into your next Turning Point. With the added buff to your Will Power Stat, you can adjust to the new changes appropriately and ignore any potential aftereffects.-
‘Sigh, fine.’ Nodding along with his words, Cynrik flashed the bright smile he had learned from his brother up at Professor Morningdale and began taking out all of his resources and stacking them into neat piles on the ground in front of him.
“Don’t worry about me not being able to handle the pain Professor; it isn’t the worst thing I’ve been through, so I should be fine. Plus, I will be OK with a 123 Will Power Stat and a handful of Tier-3 Mental Fortification Pills.” Not bothering to look at his piles as he organized them, Cynrik said, startling Professor Morningdale enough to make her gasp audibly.
“123, oh my, you must have faced many hardships, don’t mind this old lady’s words then; you are well above the regulated range for Will Power.” Patting her thighs and heading back to her reclining chair, Professor Morningdale kept expending hundreds of MP a second to fill the room with Mana Particles.
“Professor, that won’t do; someone as beautiful and youthful as you could never be considered old; if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were a student and not a Professor.” Forcing the bile rising in his throat back down into his stomach, Cynrik complimented the toad-like plump woman while wearing a mask equivalent to Brance’s regular facial expression.
“OH YOU, gosh, Student Ivar, you are such a flirt.” Using her hand to cover the bright smile she was wearing, Professor Morningdale used her ample Mana Control to shed the blush creeping onto her cheeks and vowed to help Cynrik to the full extent of her abilities.
“Professor, I am stating obvious facts; whether or not you consider it to be flirting, *WINK*is entirely up to you. I will admit you are beautiful and shouldn’t talk down about yourself in such a way.” Gulping down more bile sneakily, Cynrik said sweetly.
Noticing the embarrassed and resolved expression Professor Morningdale wore brought a creepy smirk to his lips which he hid by tilting his face so that his hood shrouded him in darkness.
-…I know you are doing what you are to get the optimal potential help and benefits from your interactions with the Professor, but if you keep it up, I will rat you out to Selene. I am very sure she would be thankful if I did, even if you would be put into a precarious situation.-
Tobs’ words froze Cynrik in place as a wave of dread washed over his body.
‘TOBS! DON’T YOU DARE! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL HOW SHE WILL OVERREACT!’ Screaming in his mind with fear gripping his heart at the backlash he would receive from his Tsun-Tsun girlfriend, Cynrik reached up and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
-Keep making me watch you flirting with Dolores Umbridge, and I would rat you out in a heartbeat, Cynrik. I have access to ALL of your memories. Including all the books and movies that character comes from; as such, I am horrified and disgusted by what you are saying. If I had a stomach, I would be emptying its contents right now.-
“Well, hello there, Student Ivar Ragnarsson; color me surprised; I would never have expected to be chosen as a chaperone for a Tier-3 Evolution so soon in the school year, let alone by a First Year Student.”
Looking around the room and taking note of how Cave like it appeared, Cynrik’s eyes fell on the only two objects in the room, the first being Professor Morningdale, who was sitting in a plush reclining chair with one leg crossed over the other. The second was a Large sarcophagus-like stone object.
“Of course, I would choose the best person in the country with Affinity Theory; I would have to be an idiot not to want someone of your prestigious caliber to aid me in my advancement.” Flashing a very Brance-like smile at Professor Morningdale, Cynrik laid on the flattering words heavy, much to the joy of the plump woman sitting across from him.
“Hoho, what a silver tongue you have, young man, hem hem, please take a seat on the circle there in the center of the room.” Pointing at the ground, Professor Morningdale covered her mouth and cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment.
“Yes, ma’am,” nodding his head Cynrik moved into a ring of runic inscriptions carved into the rocky floor and took a seat in the lotus position.
“Now, how much about the Passing Down do you know or understand presently?”
“Honestly, not much, Professor. My faction and I only learned about it a few short hours ago, and since it isn’t taught to First Years, on top of not having clearance to gather proper data online, you can assume I know virtually nothing about it.” Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Cynrik admitted his lack of knowledge and earned an understanding smile from Morningdale.
“That is fine, you technically shouldn’t be learning about it for a couple of years anyway, but I will give you a summary of what is about to happen.” As she spoke, Professor Morningdale stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and began walking in a circle around Cynrik and the runic inscription pattern.
“As you know, we are currently around 800 meters underground, there are several reasons for this area being in its present location, but there are three main reasons for it.”
“The first point of note is the room itself. Due to the massive financial and material resources, the rooms here on B-22 cost a fortune to build. I am sure the Headmaster already informed you that there is no way to communicate with the inhabitants of these rooms, and it’s precisely because of the stone used to build these rooms that no Electrical Waves or Mana can penetrate the walls.”
“This leads us to the second reason, Mana conduction. Because this room is carved out of a stone called Cachint, a High-Tier Mana Conductor, the space can be oversaturated with Mana. By doing so, the result is forming a particle environment with an abundance of highly concentrated Mana, which facilitates the advancement of the being.”
“With such a High Concentration of mixed Stable and Unstable particles, a delicate balance needs to be maintained, where there needs to be ZERO chance of outside interference.”
Hearing her explanation of the stone used to create the room, Cynrik once again activated his [Mana Sight]; however, this time, he channeled Dark Mana into his eyes, using it to form a pseudo tinting effect so as not to blind himself.
Once the task was completed, he could view the particles in the room. To his surprise, Professor Morningdale was consistently leaking Fire, Lightning, and Wind Mana, creating a hazy multi-colored cloud that trailed behind her, encircling him.
“Lastly is the increased Gravitational Pressure that comes with being so far down in the ground. With a higher amount of G-force weighing down on your body, it stimulates your cells and rapidly burns calories, in turn increasing the amount of Mana your body hungers for.”
“Let’s move on to the Passing Down itself. This device here will play a large role in the event.” Calmly making her way over to the stone sarcophagus, Professor Morningdale ran her fingers along the deep carvings along the stone’s surface.
With [Mana Sight] still active, Cynrik noticed that although Morningdale was physically touching the stone, her Mana was rejected by it and scattered back into the room, only to be absorbed into the stone walls.
“This is called an Aether Capsule, one of the 15 in the Academies possession.” Continuing to caress the sarcophagus like a mother her child gently, Professor Morningdale became lost in thought while speaking.
“Created through a complicated process involving hundreds of different professional crafters, it is a masterpiece of both Technology and Mana. The stone exterior is crafted from large chunks of Evolution Stone and Neutral Affinity Stones. And although the process of merging the two materials is a Well Guarded Secret, if it were to leak, others wouldn’t necessarily be able to replicate the device.”
“Because even if someone knows the recipe, getting their machine approved by the CSH is impossible. Having the completed device is one thing, but linking it up to the proper channels is something heavily regulated by the CSH. In doing this, not only is there a limit to the amount of working Aether Capsules in existence, but there is also a limit on how many a single organization can own.”
Sighing heavily and breaking off contact with the stone device, Professor Morningdale turned and looked down at Cynrik; an expression of contemplation could be seen on his face.
“It is through the Aether Capsule that you will partake in your Tribulation Quest. Here’s how this will work. First, you will follow the same process as your previous Tier-2 Evolution, consuming the proper resources before absorbing all of the Affinity Stones. Once ingested, you will receive the System prompt to begin evolving.”
“I must warn you, the pain you will experience will be like nothing you have been through before. Even though I understand that you have sustained a lot of physical pain in the past, this will trump any previous pain solely because your body will be complexly broken down, destroyed, and rebuilt from the ground up.”
‘Tobs, rate my past pain scales together and compare my Advancement in kind.’ Hearing her warning, Cynrik smirked.
-Based on previous knowledge and information derived from the Central System HUB, Awakening is considered a 3/20 on the pain scale. Breaking multiple bones at once is a 5/20, and Tier-1 Evolution is categorized as a 7. Tier-2 would be counted as a 10. Up next would be the pain you experienced during your interaction with the Chaos Affinity Gem, which can be categorized as a 13/20. Lastly, carving your [Mark of the Tamer] would be between 21/20 and 23/20.-
-Using this data and the pattern shown from previous Evolutions, your Tier-3 Evolution should be around a 15/20, well within your acceptable pain tolerance scale.-
‘Got it; oh, before I forget, how does the Mental Fortification Pill affect my pain tolerance?’ Glancing down at the inscribed circle he was sitting in to avoid the concerned gaze of Professor Morningdale, Cynrik pushed for some extra data.
-Mental Fortification Pills do not affect a being’s actual pain tolerance. Instead, they boost your Will Power Stat by a percentage. The Tier-3 pills you received from Geralt Rivia would temporarily increase your Will Power Stat by 150%.-
‘Tsk, that’s it; the way Geralt talked about the pill made it seem like the end all be all; oh well, if your statistics are accurate, I should be fine without it.’
-Wrong; you should still use them.-
Resisting the urge to snap his head up and look toward the ceiling where he imagined Tobs to be floating, Cynrik squinted his eyes and tilted his head to the side.
‘Go on then, explain yourself, Tobs.’
-After carefully considering my findings and evaluating the Tier-3 Mental Fortification Pills, you are advised to take them. I have concluded that while it wouldn’t necessarily increase your odds of success, which are over 90% at this time, using them will increase your chances of passing the Tribulation Quest quickly and lasting well into the Turning Point quest.-
-There is no telling what situation you will be thrown into when it comes to these two quests, and it is imperative that you “steamroll” your way through your Tribulation quest to give you the most optimal amount of time to consolidate your Gains from the Evolution.-
-If we can believe the words of Norik Ackworth, then the moment your Evolution concludes, you will immediately be pulled into your next Turning Point. With the added buff to your Will Power Stat, you can adjust to the new changes appropriately and ignore any potential aftereffects.-
‘Sigh, fine.’ Nodding along with his words, Cynrik flashed the bright smile he had learned from his brother up at Professor Morningdale and began taking out all of his resources and stacking them into neat piles on the ground in front of him.
“Don’t worry about me not being able to handle the pain Professor; it isn’t the worst thing I’ve been through, so I should be fine. Plus, I will be OK with a 123 Will Power Stat and a handful of Tier-3 Mental Fortification Pills.” Not bothering to look at his piles as he organized them, Cynrik said, startling Professor Morningdale enough to make her gasp audibly.
“123, oh my, you must have faced many hardships, don’t mind this old lady’s words then; you are well above the regulated range for Will Power.” Patting her thighs and heading back to her reclining chair, Professor Morningdale kept expending hundreds of MP a second to fill the room with Mana Particles.
“Professor, that won’t do; someone as beautiful and youthful as you could never be considered old; if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were a student and not a Professor.” Forcing the bile rising in his throat back down into his stomach, Cynrik complimented the toad-like plump woman while wearing a mask equivalent to Brance’s regular facial expression.
“OH YOU, gosh, Student Ivar, you are such a flirt.” Using her hand to cover the bright smile she was wearing, Professor Morningdale used her ample Mana Control to shed the blush creeping onto her cheeks and vowed to help Cynrik to the full extent of her abilities.
“Professor, I am stating obvious facts; whether or not you consider it to be flirting, *WINK*is entirely up to you. I will admit you are beautiful and shouldn’t talk down about yourself in such a way.” Gulping down more bile sneakily, Cynrik said sweetly.
Noticing the embarrassed and resolved expression Professor Morningdale wore brought a creepy smirk to his lips which he hid by tilting his face so that his hood shrouded him in darkness.
-…I know you are doing what you are to get the optimal potential help and benefits from your interactions with the Professor, but if you keep it up, I will rat you out to Selene. I am very sure she would be thankful if I did, even if you would be put into a precarious situation.-
Tobs’ words froze Cynrik in place as a wave of dread washed over his body.
‘TOBS! DON’T YOU DARE! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL HOW SHE WILL OVERREACT!’ Screaming in his mind with fear gripping his heart at the backlash he would receive from his Tsun-Tsun girlfriend, Cynrik reached up and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
-Keep making me watch you flirting with Dolores Umbridge, and I would rat you out in a heartbeat, Cynrik. I have access to ALL of your memories. Including all the books and movies that character comes from; as such, I am horrified and disgusted by what you are saying. If I had a stomach, I would be emptying its contents right now.-
