Ethan expertly manipulated thread after thread of Creation energy, finding the compression process just as easy as with Illusion energy once he had the weaving technique. The fact that he didn't need the True-Blue Stones they had almost died for was a bitter irony that never failed to make him laugh during his long, isolated research.
Immediately, he started his attempt at compressing the twelfth Creation thread. He felt it again, the familiar, terrifying tremor deep within his soul. Breathing out slowly, he let go of the energy after taking note of the limit of his soul with creation energy.
Currently, ten threads were floating silently in his soul space—five purple, five silver. This was his calculated maximum. He had settled on five for each affinity which was quite ambitious. After hearing about Alan's Forge core and its advantages, he wanted not one, but two Forge Cores for each of his laws.
The texts he read from some notes in the order library described a Forge Core as granting energy pathways capable of an instant, massive discharge—20 percent of the user's total energy in a single spell, once a day. To possess two such cores would be a massive boost to his survival. He knew it could create an error that risked a soul-shattering, which he had meticulously avoided until now. But for the sake of his future power, he was finally willing to trust the extraordinary soul strength that had never failed to shock him since he started his path.
Opening his eyes, he breathed out slowly, hardening his resolve. He first took out a green recovery potion and drank it in one go. Next, he retrieved two low-rank True Blue Stones from his spatial ring. He was supposed to have a guardian for this, but he had no one he could trust with his secret.
The stones were dangerous, but he had known this, too. The low-rank stones wouldn't harm him within the short window he needed. He planned to use the Weaving technique as the primary method, only briefly tapping into the stones' calming energy with his breathing technique if he felt his control slipping during the process.
Taking one final, deep breath, he whispered, "Here we go."
He closed his eyes and initiated the Weaving technique. What he did next was extraordinary. He didn't weave one core and then the other. He began weaving both simultaneously.
He didn't even realize how abnormal this was. With his mind honed by over a year of relentless calculation, he had no more than thirty minutes once the process began. He simply saw it as the most efficient path.
With immense focus, Ethan took control of all ten energy threads. He separated them into their respective pairs—purple with purple, silver with silver—and began the delicate process of weaving the threads of each core into one another, two magnificent and sturdy cores taking form at the same time within him.
Each thread was woven tightly into the next, and as the final strands of both cores locked into place, a profound BOOM echoed within the depths of his soul.
The pressure, which had been stable, immediately spiked. It surged past 5%, then 10%, and showed no sign of stopping.
Panic flared in Ethan's mind as the pressure reached 13%, and his soul began to shake violently. He was distracted for a second, but he quickly regained his composure. He focused, absorbing a tiny wisp of the Blue Stone's energy. The calming effect washed over the rattling energies within him, stabilizing the energy long enough for him to continue.
He didn't stop. Following the patterns, he forged both energy pathways, side-by-side, for each core. The moment the final pathway was sealed, sturdy and complete, he made sure to check everything before he released his hold on the technique.
His eyes snapped open. He swiftly stored the two True Blue Stones back in his ring, and a smile finally broke through his exhausted expression. Without a moment's delay, he activated his breathing technique.
This time, it was very different. Before creating his core, drawing in energy felt like it seeped in through specific points on his body. Now, the energy rushed towards the same points on his body, meeting a slight delay, but only for a moment. It was initially painful, but the pain quickly subsided, replaced by awe as the absorption speed increased massively—it was at least ten times faster than before. The pathways devoured ambient energy, pulling it directly into his cores without draining his physical body in the slightest.
He observed, stunned, as both cores began filling up simultaneously. Before, he had to consciously choose which affinity to feed. Now, the pathways worked in parallel, automatically sorting and channeling the neutral ambient energy into their respective Law-based cores.
Nodding to himself, he reached for the journal at his side, its pages filled with notes written in a language of his own design—It was basically German, which he had learnt as a second language on earth. Shamelessly, he used this knowledge to hide his research and personal secrets that he needed to write about.
He checked the timer on his soulband, noting how long it took to fully recharge both cores from empty. The technique stopped automatically the moment they reached capacity. He picked up his ink pen; its steel body was cool and comfortable, the blue ink flowing smoothly onto the page. He wrote a single line in German, "20 minutes."
The speed was astounding, but he was mostly comparing the with the specifics he had pried from Alan after his breakthrough—this information that cost him a future favor but he didn't mind.
The final change he noted was a subtle, continuous reinforcement of his physical body, a steady flow of energy from his cores and pathways that was strengthening him from the inside out. This was different from Alan's experience, who had described a sudden, massive leap in coordination and strength.
Ethan wrote down a single, speculative word to explain the difference: "Bloodline?" but since he didnt have something conclusive to go by he left the subject for the time.
Closing the journal and placing it back into his ring, he slowly stood up, his body humming with power and anticipation. It was time for his first true achievement. He channeled a stream of illusion energy from his core, guiding it through the specific pathways that led to his eyes.
Immediately, the Elemental Eyes Body Rune spell he had painstakingly inscribed flared to life, and the world began to change before his eyes.