With the agreent signed, construction of the arena began, creating a surreal and contradictory scene. Civilizations that were still officially at war found themselves working side by side on a shared project, while other sections of their fleets stood idle, maintaining a tense standby posture in case one side gave in to the temptation to strike.
The mana oath and runic contract ensured compliance, but they were not preemptive barriers—they only enforced punishnt after a violation occurred, not for the intent. Although the penalties for breaking the agreent were severe, the potential destruction that could be unleashed in the monts before those consequences took effect was sothing neither side could afford to ignore. As a result, both sides remained cautious, prepared for any sudden betrayal.
The selection of the asteroid was completed swiftly, and it was soon pulled from the remnants of its disrupted orbit—a casualty of the black hole bomb that had marked the war’s violent beginning. The asteroid was maneuvered carefully and stationed at the midpoint between the two warring factions, becoming the neutral ground where everything would soon be decided.
Construction machines from both sides descended upon the asteroid, each faction contributing their most advanced capabilities to the effort. As the machines worked, the massive rock began to transform, and those watching the live broadcast could hardly believe what they were seeing. Bit by bit, the asteroid was reshaped into an enormous colosseum. Anyone familiar with history, whether through ancient texts or modern cinema, would recognize the familiar architecture erging from the rubble—a circular battleground designed for combat, but on a scale never before witnessed.
The arena's combat zone spanned over eighty kiloters in diater, giving fighters an unprecedented amount of space. Reinforcents were being ticulously installed—layers of physical barriers, mana-infused shields, and gravitational stabilizers—to ensure the structure could withstand the devastating attacks that were sure to unfold. The colossal dinsions of the arena served not just to impress but to silence any potential complaints. No fighter could argue they were constrained or unable to unleash their full strength.
This wasn’t just war—it was a spectacle. The fight needed to be an ultimate showcase of power, a stage where neither side could claim disadvantage. In war, being placed at a disadvantage was simply part of the ga, but here, the rules demanded that all participants have the freedom to give everything they had without holding back. The ssage was clear: there would be no excuses, only victory or defeat.
……………..
Aron had finally allowed himself a mont of rest, retreating into sleep—a luxury he hadn’t indulged in for much of the war. Yet, even as his body rested, his mind remained active. Logged into VR, he was deep in conversation with Nova, who was currently presenting a product briefing in her usual efficient style.
{We’ve developed multiple thods to produce mana stones, with each process yielding stones of varying quality and mana density,} Nova explained during the presentation. She used the word we deliberately—after all, as the lead moderator of Lab City, which remained Aron’s personal research hub, she held a stake in every breakthrough. This allowed her to claim partial credit for the developnt of the product alongside him.
“What’s the difference between them?” Aron asked as he examined the images of the mana stones produced by different thods.
The stones varied in color and tone—so shared the sa hue but differed in saturation, with so looking pale while others appeared deeper in color. Although the subtle variations hinted at differences in quality and value, Aron was still determining which were superior.
{Although directly compressing mana into a solid form gave us the purest version of mana stones, they would instantly dissipate without insulation—just like liquid mana when exposed to the open air,} Nova explained. {To maintain stability, we had to introduce bonding agents to hold the mana together in a solid state. Depending on the bonding thod used, the amount of mana each stone retains varies, with paler-colored stones holding less mana.}
Aron paused, considering how to use this information effectively. “Since we’re maintaining Xalthar’s facade that these stones are mined, offering varying qualities makes sense. It allows us to position the purest stones as premium, driving up demand and creating competition among buyers—even though the production cost is roughly the sa for all grades.” He smirked, already envisioning auctions where nations would fight over the highest-quality stones.
{Exactly,} Nova replied smoothly, having anticipated his strategy. {With different bonding techniques, we can produce any range of qualities you need.}
{So, which type are we sending to fill the colosseum?} Nova asked, shifting the focus back to the purpose of the presentation.
"The lowest quality ones," Aron answered decisively. "They'll serve as the most common product in the market, setting the baseline price for the other grades. It makes sense to introduce them early, and flooding the Colosseum with these will also subtly reinforce their value as ‘standard.”
{Getting to work,} Nova acknowledged without hesitation.
Almost imdiately, several mana-capable atomic printers whirred to life, initiating the rapid production of the low-grade mana stones. With precision and efficiency, the machines began assembling the stones, ready to fulfill their purpose in both the arena and the market.
…………………
In just under two weeks, the Colosseum neared completion when a massive cargo ship appeared in the area, arriving from the solar system. The ship was loaded with an enormous number of containers, and without delay, it maneuvered toward the arena easily going through the already up and active shield surrounding the area, before it began to release a torrential downpour of mana stones into the fighting ground.
mbers of the Conclave, watching the spectacle unfold, could hardly contain their envy as they witnessed the empire casually dumping nearly an entire low-level civilization's economy worth of mana stones as if they were re trash.
As the mana stones t the ground in the open atmosphere, they imdiately began to evaporate, slowly but significantly increasing the ambient mana in the arena. What remained behind were heaps of ash, the remnants of the bonds that had held the mana within the stones.
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