Chapter 24 Part 3 of 3 (Patreon)

“Part of the agreement is that they are not to be killed. The associations have all invited the people of Vuzgal to be part of their associations completely.”

“On one hand is a war, the other side is a way to join the associations,” Old Hei clicked his tongue as he walked, holding his hands behind his back.

“They won’t accept, they’re too stubborn. They’ll fight, the Willful Institute or whoever attacks them.”

“They have only a small force.”

“Erik is a clever man and one that has many secrets.” Old Hei stopped, looking at the stream that weaved through the park’s elevated mounds.

“If Erik has an accident and dies then the associations will get the age rejuvenation concoctions without having to pay a fee. They’ve already paid a king’s ransom with the current agreement and a new leader in Vuzgal means they get a greater access to Vuzgal. Less taxation or more slots in the dungeons.” His eyes were deep, looking through the lake.

He let out a heavy breath, sagging with it.

“I will write him and Delilah a letter, prepare medical supplies and have copies of my medical formulas made.”

“Yes Master Zen.” Khasar bowed and quickly left.

Master Zen Hei, once one of the three pill heads of the third realm. Stood there in the park surrounded by silence, staring at the stream’s dark waters as if he could see down into the lower realms.

How have you been Erik? Delilah?

He suddenly felt tired. I hope you’re both well. Survive.

He took in a deep breath, regaining his composure, but there was sadness deep within his eyes.

***

Rugrat walked into the training room and pulled off his shirt.

An assistant took the shirt away, as Rugrat stripped off his boots and pants, standing there in his short shorts.

He looked at the formation carved pod in front of him.

Rugrat turned around as medics inserted IVs into his bloodstream.

Rugrat was offered amouth piece. He grabbed it between his teeth, drinking from it deeply. His body seemed to be waking up, his cells felt revitalized as his mana gates opened, passively drawing in mana.

“The mana pod will increase the density of mana to twice the predicted density in the eighth realm,” Qin said as she stood off to the side.

“Sounds like a lot of juice,” Rugrat breathed in and out, feeling the warmth of mana building within his body. He moved his muscled form towards the pod.

“We will be monitoring you from the exterior. If there is any danger we’ll shut everything down,” Tanya said.

“Combining formations pure magic and mana gathering I like it.”

“There are a lot of experts in mana gathering. I just volunteered to be up here in Vuzgal,” Tanya said.

“Don’t sound so excited! Lets do this shit. For science or something.” Rugrat got into the pod, the IV lines ran through openings in the pod.

Rugrat looked down at the formation between his toes and felt it on the carved metal under his back.

The pod closed and he was tilted backwards until he was lying down.

Locking bolts engaged as Rugrat breathed in, focusing and calming his mind. He turned his gaze at his solid mana core.

He shifted, getting comfortable in the pod.

“We’re going to activate the formations now,” Qin said.

“Give’er.”

The formation plate under the pod glowed with energy, it was as if liquid mana was spreading through the formation, passing through the carved out rune before reaching the base of the pod’s support.

“We’ll be starting at the same density as the sixth realm.”

The mana traced the formations and spread across the pod like branches reaching for the heavens.

Rugrat pulled in a sudden breath as he felt mana surge through his body.

He started to pull in the mana. Compressing it externally, circulating it, increasing its density. The mana formed into liquid as it reached his solid core, watering it and causing it to grow slowky.

“We’ll begin increasing the density now.” Qin said.

Rugrat kept drawing in more and more mana, the mental strain was piling up trying to focus on everything and maintain control. Even with his domain at two times the seventh realm’s density he was struggling.

Damn its so hard to control so much mana at once. I’ll just condense whats in my body and then figure it out.

Rugrat released his external control and focused on compressing the mana within his body.

“Huh,” Rugrat was compressing and drawing in the mana, increasing the size of his solid mana core. “There’s a ton of mana entering my. Wait is this like negative pressure, because I have the capacity for more and the density in my body is not as high as the outside then its easier?”

“What are you saying?” Qin asked.

“I’m not having to strain as much. Usually I have to strain to pull in enough external mana. Here the mana is so dense that its got more pressure than most of the mana in my body. I could increase my cultivation just sleeping here. Compressing it internally just speeds it up!”

Rugrat let out a laugh and focused on the compression within his body. The amount of mana he drew in was increasing

Rugrat felt his frustrations fall away as mana mist formed within the pod. He didn’t need to compress it as much to create drops.

The pod slowly filled with mana mist and then mana vapor twisting and creating vortexes where Rugrat’s open mana gates drank greedily.

Rugrat felt his solid mana core shake as it reached a bottle neck. Rugrat drew in all the mana around him in one go, clearing the pod.

Drops shot towards his mana core, assaulting it again and again, the pressure of compression and expansion fighting one another.

A cracking noise could be heard.

Then howling wind as the mana entering the pod shot into Rugrat’s body as he let out a groan.

“Increase the pressure!” Tanya yelled.

Qin worked her console as the lines leading tot eh pod increased in brightness.

The IV bags levels started to drop as if someone was drinking them!

“Increase the IV flow!” Medics moved to add on new IV bags.

Rugrat’s mana channels appeared as he consumed mana like a ravenous beast.

“More!”

Qin looked at Tanya.

“Do it.”

Qin increased the density once again, mana mist started to form within the pod once again, slowly creeping around Rugrat, covering him again.  One could see the mana channels, the gates through his body, all leading the mana core under his belly button.

Rugrat’s solid core had broken through into the high stage. The suction force was immense, nearly four times that of his mid grade solid mana core.

Newly formed it seemed to be starving as it consumed more mana.

The mist once again formed into vapor around Rugrat.

Time lost meaning for Rugrat as he drew in more and more mana.