Chapter 390 - The Workshop (Patreon)

So far, I have seen multiple places survivors used to live in. The first was the obsolete bunker where Nina and others lived and called the Sanctuary. Another one was the fallen Bastion, the Skyhold Island where defenses were running and that had the feel of a city.

Then there were two bunkers in the Valley. One of them was abandoned, a much higher tier than the Sanctuary, just empty. Lastly, The Veil Ignition Station. Top-notch place with plenty of facilities and the highest quality core that held an immense amount of mana even after 100 years.

The place we are standing in front of is hard to compare to any of them. It doesn't look like a bunker, at most a makeshift one. I'm also sure it's not a Veil Ignition Station, as these places are top of the shelf.

“It used to be a mine and a workshop,” Lissandra says.

“It's massive, what could they be mak… ah, Skyhold Bastions?”

“Yes. People on this planet seemed to find a fascination in them and this is most likely one of the places where they made large sections for them.”

“There are no monsters around,” Myrra notes.

“Even though wounded, the protector of this place is still a Champion, little kitten.”

“So what are we doing here?” I ask.

“I want to talk with her.”

I don't even bother mentioning that it might be a bad idea. Not because everyone is trigger-happy. It’s mostly out of worry that this cockroach-like ex-Absolute might just try to deal with that person the same way she treats me and Myrra. That makes an interesting point too. Who would win then?

Another thing is also interesting. It’s currently my one hour rest period. Did she time our arrival here on purpose?

What a demon, Vega would like her.

We stop near the giant iron door that was most likely used to get parts of Skyhold Bastion out of the mountain and we wait.

Even I have noticed a web similar to Sophie's and to the Veil all over the place. Not moving covertly, Lissandra even triggered some parts on purpose. Something akin to sending a message. And the reaction doesn't take long, two men exit the much smaller entrance nearby that opens eerily quietly.

[Frost Reaper - lvl ??]

[Solar Ascendant - lvl ??]

Just a glance betrays that they are from a generation before the war. An additional piece of information for me. Getting to somewhere between 200 and 300 allows you to live over 100 years while keeping a quite youthful appearance.

It’s not to the point where they look twenty, but they could easily pass as someone getting to their forties. The most likely cause is the sheer power of stats and maybe even body upgrades, especially the one at level 250.

The more I learn about it, the more of a mess I think Earth will be when we return. The consequences of someone being able to live for hundreds of years won’t go well with some people. It will create a clear cut, separating us from normal humans.

One of the men, slim with a friendly face, bows quickly. In exchange, Lissandra makes an elegant gesture, acknowledging the greeting.

“Lady Niall told us about you. Please allow me to offer you a greeting, lady…?”

“Lissandra.”

He nods, “I greet you, Lady Lissandra. I extend an invitation to the Workshop on behalf of Lady Niall. You will be safe as long as you show no aggression. This, we promise.”

“Thank you. Lead the way and please extend my greeting to Lady Niall and my interest in having a conversation with her.”

I almost do not recognize Lissandra right now. She is extremely graceful, authority seeping from her words. Not the kind that would make her seem arrogant, but the one that makes a person seem regal. She slips into that role so easily, as if it’s something like a comfortable pair of shoes to her.

When she introduces me and Myrra, I feel like a country bumpkin.

Well, it's not like it matters what two random guys think of me, so I do not even bother trying to imitate Lissandra.

What interests me more is the place they called The Workshop. The moment we enter through the small door they lock it behind us, and an intricate set of inscriptions washes over. Even stone regrows over them, totally blocking us from the outside world.

We are in a tunnel that is as wide as the path outside. What makes it extremely impressive is that it is all carved inside of this mountain. Even so, the walls are extremely smooth, and there are lights placed evenly all over. Hundreds of shiny dots heading deeper into the mountain, showing the monstrous size of this place.

On the floor, there are multiple rail-like things and gardens framing the path through the middle.

The tunnel is full of greenery. The dirt was brought inside and used to plant thousands of trees and plants. Some of them are decorative and others for food.

There are some people all around the place. Either resting under the trees or taking care of the plants. Most of them are under level 50, and they greet the two men who lead us with great respect.

The quiet hum of the air filtration is ever-present. The same mana that powers the lights powers it as well. The deeper we go, the more people move around. There are some facilities full of animals, and huge pieces that should be another Skyhold Bastion lying all over the place.

Same as me, Myrra also looks around with interest, her twitching tail showing how curious she is about it all. So far, she is also getting the most looks from people, even the two men leading us glancing at her.

Myrra towers over both of them, me, and Lissandra as well. Her pure white hair and cat ears poking out of it do not help, and neither does her fluffy tail.

When we enter the giant cave full of buildings and towers, I’m not even surprised. This place contains more people than the Bastion did. Much more. Tens of thousands easily.

We enter another tunnel, and there we are led to a single apartment-like place. There are multiple rooms housing a small group of people.

This place even has windows on one side, and when I get to them I see a waterfall. It’s entirely inside another huge cave, the water crashing upon the stone below and continuing like an indoor river to somewhere else. There are multiple small dams and even a few bridges.

“Lady Lissandra, when you are prepared, please leave the room, and we shall escort you to Lady Niall. Your companions may remain here in the meantime.”

After that, they exit the room.

“Is this all powered by a single person?” I ask Lissandra.

“So you have noticed it. Not fully, but most of the mana belongs to the person I came to visit.”

“They called her Niall, I heard of her before. Apparently, she was one of the Champions who too late realized what happened to the Veil and killed the people who messed it up. She also was powering at least one of the Veil Ignition Stations with her mana for weeks before the start of the Veil.”

“That much makes sense with her Potent Mana.”

“The same attribute upgrade as you? Before you said you didn’t reach 3rd stage, so you two were similar?”

Lissandra doesn’t even bother answering the question, most likely considering it stupid.

“I will head to meet her. Little pup, you will continue with the mana shaping exercise I showed you the last time. Little kitten, you will work on your mana circulation.” She exits the room.

“I wouldn’t eat any suspicious meat,” I tell Myrra who already heads to the kitchen.

Then I turn my attention to two mana orbs I create over the palm of my hand. For now, I decide to ignore my curiosity and continue to train. I’m quite on a time limit here. Not satisfied with just training, I attempt to make it as difficult as possible by either changing frequencies or the density of my mana.

“Are you not worried, feral one?” Myrra jumps onto the armchair nearby. Even while talking, I sense she keeps up the mana circulation Lissandra showed her.

I also continue to keep part of my mind on the exercise and turn to her, “Of the Champion?”

“Yes.”

“I never got a real look at what a Champion can do, so it’s hard for me to judge the danger. Plus, apparently, she is wounded. But you have been with Lissandra for weeks already, are you still worried?”

“I’m worried Lady Lissandra might…”

At that moment, the lights flicker and I swear I could feel the place shake. The tremors gradually stop, but instead, I feel immense mana wash over the place. The lights flicker again, and somewhere in the distance, I can hear multiple alarms ringing.

Just in case, I keep my eyes on the door, mana ready to activate. My anchors are placed all over the room, some even behind the window, near the waterfall. Myrra's Aurora Glass also floats all around, tiny pieces of glass-like material sparking in the light.

One more burst of mana is sent through the place and way beyond it, covering an area hard to imagine. Then the mana disappears and the lights stop flickering.

There are no guards rushing in and gradually the alarms stop.

A minute later, the doors open and Lissandra enters the apartment, closing them behind her.

“We will be staying here for three days, after that we will head north,” she says.

I try to examine her but there are no wounds on her, no damage to her clothes. She looks like she just came back from a short walk.

“How was Champion Niall?” I ask.

“Her mana heart is damaged and can’t be regenerated by her own body. She also failed to find any healer capable of working on the mana heart of someone of such level. Three years is how long she can hold on before she won’t be able to control the outbursts anymore and will kill everyone around her in one of these seizures. That, or the thing lodged inside it, will kill her.”

“You said you will make your own heart, are you thinking of helping her?”

“It could be possible with the arm of the Absolute I have, but I already have a different idea for that and there is no reason to waste it on a fake who allowed herself to end so pathetically.”

The contempt she displays now is genuine. She has no mercy for someone so powerful allowing herself to fall into such a state.

Seeing how far this fake Absolute went through all her mad schemes, it is evident she disapproves of Champion Niall’s apparent surrender.

“I will teach her a method of containing these outbursts that would give her a few more years. In exchange for that, she will give me the information I want and give you a lesson, little pup. It’s for something I can’t do currently.”

“Lesson from a Champion. I guess I will owe you a lot if you don’t kill me at the end of these two weeks?”

“You might be having fun with it, little pup, but I give you a ten percent chance of succeeding.”

Her words remind me of the situation I'm currently in. Without being able to use [Focus], the hint of fear that washes over me feels more real. Ever since I stopped using it for emotions, it all changed a bit. It’s not like I’m watching these things happen from a distance, instead, all these emotions are back.

But that much is fine. There is no way I will let a small bump in my way stop me. Partially, I even welcome it.

“Sounds good, but why don’t we add a little extra to the rules?” I challenge her.

Lissandra turns to me and I can see Myrra gesturing wildly for me to stop. That silly lynthari knows me too well. But I let the emotions take over.

“Let’s add one more and make it so I need to get 4 skills to level 50 or you will kill me.”

Just for a short moment, a surprise flashes behind Lissandra's eyes. She observes me, and seeing I mean it, she gives me that small, almost imperceptible smile.

“Little pup, think very carefully of what you are saying right now.”

She underestimates me, and it irritates me.

“Five skills,” I declare.

The emotions are wildly swirling inside of me. To be honest, it's annoying how accustomed I've become to softening or blocking them. 

Yeah, it won’t be that bad being unable to use [Focus] for my emotions, it will be much worse than I expected. But I think, in the end, I will like it more.

If I don't get killed before that.

***

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