Walking to one of the many rooms on the first floor, Harry raised his hand to knock, but the door swung open before he could. Ria stood there, her typically expressionless face showing a flicker of surprise at seeing Harry and Ethan at her door. She recovered instantly, bowing to Ethan.
"Young Master Ethan. I was just about to bring you the tower control cards, one for each of you, as the Master instructed."
Ethan smiled as she produced two smooth, blue cards, reminiscent of the identity cards he and Alan had been given. He remembered the previous card dissolving into a portal and felt a twinge of regret for not using it more. He immediately accepted one of the new cards.
"Thank you, Ria."
He already understood the process of bonding with the card. Making a small cut on his thumb, he pressed a drop of blood onto the card, binding it to his will through the blood since he couldn't yet consciously control his will alone. Immediately, he felt a new connection, a tangible presence woven into the very walls of the tower.
"Congratulations, Master Ethan. I am the Tower Spirit of the Elemental Tower. Your authority now includes the entire second floor and its facilities."
Ethan started, looking around. Neither Harry nor Ria had reacted to the voice. It was speaking directly into his mind. A flurry of thoughts followed. *Can it read my thoughts? Hi? Hello?* He mentally spouted a few test words, but received no response. Relieved, he took a steadying breath, only to find Harry and Ria watching his weird behavior with mild confusion. He was so used to getting lost in his own thoughts during research that he forgot and started acting the same way around people.
"Thank you, Ria," he said again, more composed, and turned to walk back up the stairs with Harry.
"Where to next, Young Master Ethan?" Harry asked.
Ethan smiled inwardly at the title of 'young' when he was mentally an adult. But by ascendant standards, where a hundred-year-old is still considered young, he supposed it fit. Just breaking through to Soul Born had added fifty years to his lifespan. The gains of power were already showing.
"Please, I'd like to see the library," Ethan said.
Before Harry could respond, the Tower Spirit's voice echoed in his mind. "The library of the tower is located on the seventh floor. Do you wish to teleport there?"
Ethan quickly declined, his points-consciousness kicking in. "No! No, thank you, Tower Spirit. I'll walk."
"Understood, Master Ethan. Your control card can open the library doors."
Ethan turned to Harry. "Harry, you can leave me once we reach the second floor. With the Tower Spirit, I don't think I can get lost. I'll see you when I'm done for the cooking lessons."
Harry bowed. "I'll have everything ready when you return, Young Master Ethan."
"Alright then. I look forward to it."
The rest of the walk was quiet. Upon reaching the seventh floor, he found a heavy door with a card slot. He slid his control card in, and the massive door slid open as if it were weightless. A wave of cold air washed over him, but the sight of endless rows of books was so entrancing he barely felt it.
"The library maintains a specific temperature to preserve the condition of the texts, as most are the Master's personal writings," the Tower Spirit informed him. "You may take one book out at a time."
Ethan frowned. "Take a book out? Am I not allowed to study *in* the library?"
"Your floor contains a meditation hall. The jade floors are inscribed to enhance comprehension."
Ethan's eyes went wide. A meditation hall with comprehension-enhancing jade floors? The tower was more wonderful than he could have imagined. A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face. *Heheh... I can already see myself abusing those jade floors.*
Walking through the vast library, Ethan was humbled by the sheer volume of knowledge. He tried to imagine the centuries his master must have spent amassing this collection—as spoils of battle, maybe, he must have written some too, just like the tower spirit indicated.
A practical question surfaced in his mind. "Tower Spirit, do you report our interactions to my master?"
The Spirit's response was immediate and neutral, a reflection of its programmed purpose to manage the tower's resources. "My interactions with you are no secret to the Tower Master. Do you require me to report your choice today?"
"No... no, it's fine," Ethan replied quickly. He had only asked to gauge the level of oversight. "Please show me to the shelf with books on Artificing."
He was searching for information on Creation energy, but he wasn't ready for his master to connect those dots just yet.
"Third shelf from your right. There are exactly forty tomes containing knowledge connected to Artificing. From left to right, they contain Rank 1 to 4 knowledge."
Ethan moved to the indicated shelf, his eyes scanning the titles. He saw volumes on blacksmithing, alchemy, rune-crafting, and magic circles. The list was long. A massive tome on rune research caught his eye, but he pulled his hand back, remembering his strict quota of only five books per month. He couldn't afford to spend one on a single, overwhelming text.
Instead, he selected a thick book on runes —a beginner's guide on runes that could help him shed light on rune creation and basic runes. With the book in hand, he felt a sense of purpose.
This tome, combined with the precious notes on soul energy from Elizabeth, would occupy him for at least two days. After that, he would have to use the teleportation circle and return to his room in the Outer Order. He couldn't spend all his remaining months here, buried in theory. he still had to decide if he wanted to continue with his 'clone' spell.
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On the third day of his stay in the Elemental Tower,
Ethan rose from his meditation feeling a profound sense of progress. The jade-floored meditation hall was incredibly useful. During his sessions, he continuously cycled his energy, using the Weaving technique for refinement. Each cycle gently released energy that reinforced the walls of his dual cores, making them sturdier and more resilient, capable of handling rapid energy surges without the risk of "energy burn."
He had learned that the world energy was inherently corrosive to the human body, it was poison in large quantities. The miracle of the core was that it processed this volatile energy, stripping it of its harmful properties before releasing a gentle, purified stream into the body. While the quantity was small, the cumulative strengthening effect was undeniable. It wouldn't make him superhuman overnight, but it initiated a slow process of "elementalization," gradually acclimating his physique to the very energies that powered his spells. He dedicated time to this daily meditation, believing a strong vessel was just as crucial as the spells it would contain.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He was already pulling on his signature black shirt as he answered. Harry stood there with a bow. "Young Master, breakfast with the Master is in five minutes."
"Thank you, Harry. I'm on my way. I'll see you for our lessons when I return," Ethan said with a smile, stepping out.
As he made his way to the fifth-floor dining hall, his mind buzzed. He had made more progress here in three days than in months in the Outer Order. On the second day, he'd been initially annoyed when his master's summons interrupted his study, but the excellent food that contained energy that was beneficial to his body and the conversations with his master had proven invaluable.
Listening to his master and Gwain discuss advanced concepts, and receiving targeted explanations for his own problem, was an education no book could provide.
Stepping into the hall, he saw Alan was already waiting. Ethan frowned playfully as he took his seat. "Are you trying to make me look bad in front of the Master or something?"
Alan shrugged, a competitive glint in his eye. "Who knows? Maybe the Master will see how respectful I am and promote me to second student."
Ethan's face twitched. *This bastard still hasn't dropped the issue of being the third student.* He had asked jokingly, not expecting such an honest, competitive answer.
Before he could retort, a flash of light announced Gwain's arrival. Both younger disciples stood and bowed respectfully. Gwain waved them off as he sat, observing their silent, side-glancing rivalry with an amused smile.