The sun hung low over Vaingall’s spires, casting a golden hue across the bustling consortium as Kivas Chariot marked her 39th day in this tiline—a personal record that felt both triumphant and fleeting in Fathomi’s relentless chaos.
She stood on a balcony overlooking the central hub, her two-toned silver and yellow hair stirring in the breeze, her halo flickering like a distant star.
Yet today carried weight: the promised arrival of the Karasu Association’s mass teleportation via Black Living Cloud, ferrying reinforcents to the beleaguered Suiyen Concord bastion.
And, as if the stars aligned in mocking harmony, it was also the day the second Dark Matter Reactor ca online—an improved marvel that promised to bolster Vaingall’s defenses and economical production like never before.
Kivas descended the spiral staircase to the fortified workshop below.
Samael waited there, her draconic horns catching the artificial light from the reactor’s core.
The new reactor dominated the room, a towering cylinder of reinforced Eulanitr alloy that the Consortium was able to acquire before the deal with the Suiyen Concord—twice the size of the first version, its surface etched with swirling runes that pulsed with contained void energy.
Unlike the first’s erratic hum, this one emitted a steady, resonant thrum, like the heartbeat of a slumbering giant. Vents along its sides expelled wisps of raw Dark Matter—inky vapor that twisted in the air before condensing into vials of Darkness Essence, now produced at an 80% increased rate.
Panels displayed trics, stability at 95%, durability enhanced by layered wards and spell formation to withstand even psychic quakes and all sorts of physical distress.
And the crowning feature—a modular chamber for Concentrated Darkness Essence: thicker, almost viscous, like liquid obsidian, five tis more potent and valuable, ideal for high-end enchantnts or trades with allies like the Karasu.
Samael crossed her arms, her deadpan expression cracking into a faint smirk as Kivas approached. She gestured to the reactor with a tilt of her head, her red-black hair shifting. "We finally have sothing that won’t blow up in our faces in case that we didn’t manage it for too long."
Kivas laughed softly, her fingers tracing a rune on the reactor’s panel, feeling the cool thrum of energy beneath. "Oizys outdid herself with the improvents. Safer, more durable—and that concentrate? It’s a ga-changer, honestly. Five tis the value with 30% more efficiency ans we can barter for more Eulanite or even Karasu tech."
Samael nodded, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. She glanced at the schematics scattered on a nearby table, remnants of past ambitions. "Speaking of barters... any progress on replicating that Living Black Cloud conceptual schematic we snagged? The Karasu’s mass version is arriving today—might be worth tweaking for our own use."
Kivas leaned against the reactor, her halo dimming slightly as she pondered, a playful glint in her eyes. She shook her head, her hand waving dismissively. "No interest for now. We’ve got enough on our plate with the reactor and this Suiyen ss. Besides, why mimic when we can innovate?"
"I guess we still have sothing to make out of it," Samael chuckled.
Kivas tilted her head, her halo casting a soft glow that danced across the workshop’s rune-etched walls, a playful glint in her eyes as she shifted the conversation.
"So, how’s our prep for that wayward Suiyen Concord bastion? Yevdat territory’s no picnic, I assu."
Samael, lounging against a nearby workbench cluttered with glowing tools, let out a mock-exasperated sigh.
Her lips curled into a half-smirk, and her deadpan delivery laced with a teasing edge. "You act like I’ve been slacking, Kivas. I’ve been churning out Constructs like a factory on overdrive.
"Five hundred Limbo Tiers—polished and synchronized, ready to march. Oh, and one Lust Tier, fully tad." She snapped her fingers with a flourish, the air rippling as her prized creation materialized.
The Lust Tier Divine Construct lood beside them—three ters of scorched ash and black dust sculpted into a statuesque figure, its Valkyrie-like helt adorned with an armored blindfold, crimson and black hair cascading like a molten river.
Its needle-like legs hovered silently, and the amalgamation of arms and wings on its back flexed subtly, as if testing the air. Gone was the faint, intoxicating aura that once stirred unwanted desires in those nearby; now, it exuded only calm precision and control to Samael’s will.
Kivas let out a low whistle, circling the Construct like an art critic appraising a masterpiece.
Her fingers hovered near its arm, sensing the stable hum of its essence. "Well, look at you, wrangling this beast. Last ti, this thing was practically flirting with rebellion. Conquered the spiritual burden yet?"
The Construct turned its blindfolded head toward Kivas, its voice a crystalline chi that carried Samael’s thoughts with eerie clarity. "The burden is nullified on the Divine Hive from my resistance toward control. No rogue impulses, no psychic leaks. I am simply my Divine Hive’s will, refined and obedient."
Samael snorted, tossing her red-black hair with a dramatic flair, her hand resting proudly on the Construct’s shoulder. "Told you I’d get it under control. No more accidental heartthrob vibes—unless I want them, of course." She winked, her smirk widening as she caught Kivas’s amused glance. "Took so soul-wrangling, but it’s all sync now. I could make it recite poetry if you wanted."
Kivas laughed, her voice warm and lodic, bouncing off the workshop’s stone walls. She flicked a stray lock of her silver-yellow hair behind her ear, her halo pulsing brighter with her mirth.
"Tempting, but let’s not push it. I’m more curious about scaling this up. Any estimate on when you can churn out Lust Tiers like you do Limbo Tiers?"
Samael tapped her chin, her boots clicking on the floor. "Hmm, fifty days, worst case. The schema’s solid, but it’s like baking a cake with void essence—takes ti to get the mix right without destroying the quality or adding so kind of anomaly.
"Thankfully, according to the Witch, the new reactor’s Concentrated Darkness Essence could speed things up, though."
The Lust Tier interjected, its voice weaving seamlessly into the conversation, elaborating with a touch of Samael’s dry humor. "The concentrate’s potency could halve the tiline. Its density enhances projection stability, assuming no catastrophic oopsies."
Kivas raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a grin as she glanced between Samael and her Construct. "’You’re letting it steal your sass at this point, Sammy." She stepped closer, her hand brushing Samael’s arm in a casual, familiar gesture that softened the draconic woman’s usual stoicism. "Speaking of projections, how’s Oizys doing with her Genesis Core? Is she ready to summon her own Limbo Tiers yet?"
Samael’s smirk faded, replaced by a rare furrow of concern. She leaned back against the workbench, her arms crossing tightly, her tail stilling. "She could, in theory. Her Core’s mature enough—technically. But there’s a block, like a ntal wall she can’t scale.
"We talked three days ago, and it’s... weird. She needs to et so criteria we can’t pin down. Like her soul’s waiting for a password she doesn’t know."
The Lust Tier tilted its head, its voice dropping to a contemplative tone. "I noticed that her ntal health is not exactly in the best state either."
Kivas frowned, her halo dimming as she processed the information. She tapped her fingers rhythmically against the reactor’s casing, her gaze distant. "That’s... tricky. Oizys doesn’t exactly wear her heart on her sleeve. I’ll need to sit her down for a private talk, dig into what’s holding her back."
Samael’s eyes narrowed, a playful glint mixing with genuine worry as she stepped into Kivas’s space, her voice lowering to a mock-serious whisper. "With Oizys? You sure you wanna risk that? When she’s alone with you, there’s a chance that she gets... freaky. Like, ’I might try to assault you’ kind of freaky " She poked Kivas’s shoulder with exaggerated suspicion.
Kivas burst out laughing, the sound bright and unrestrained, echoing through the workshop.
She grabbed Samael’s poking hand, pulling her into a quick, teasing hug, their faces inches apart. "Oh, please. I can handle Oizys’s brand of weird. But if she tries anything too freaky, I promise you extra cuddle ti to make up for it. Deal?"
Samael’s deadpan cracked into a full grin. "Deal."
The Lust Tier chid in, its tone carrying a dry edge of amusent. "Sentintal insurance policy logged. Advise a protective counterasures in case that potential Divine Hive Oizys performs a radical action beyond the sight."
Kivas snorted, releasing Samael with a playful shove. "Noted, you glorified echo. Now, let’s make sure those Constructs are ready for the Concord. We’re sending a ssage with this aid."
Samael nodded, her grin fading to a focused intensity as she gestured to the outside of the workshop, where Kivas could foresight that there were 500 Limbo Tier Constructs stood in silent ranks, their pale-fla eyes glinting in the dim light.
"They’re ready. The Lust Tier’s leading the charge—figuratively, unless you want literal sparks."
Their mont was interrupted by a distant rumble—the sky darkening as the mass version of the Black Living Cloud descended.
Vast and amorphous, it eclipsed the sun like a living storm, guarded by Karasu envoys: crow-masked agents in matte black armor, non-masked scouts with luminous threads, and several Tengus with angular helts and compact scythes.
The cloud’s aetheric form swirled, ready to engulf the reinforcents.
Kivas and Samael moved to the assembly ground, joined by Oizys—wiping grease from her hands—Blanchette munching a fruit with her perpetual smile, Azulus noting details in her ledger, and Karen Wong, still in her lab coat, observing wide-eyed.
The air crackled with anticipation as Samael raised her hand.
In a signal, 200 Limbo Tier Divine Constructs erged and form a formation—humanoid figures of black dust and void essence, featureless faces with pale fla eyes, asymtric horns glinting.
They stood in perfect ranks, silent and imposing, each a projection of Samael’s taphysical schema, sharing her skills and overall capabilities..
The Karasu agents stared, awe and fear rippling through their ranks. One masked envoy whispered, "Two hundred... The Consortium’s power is not a joke..."
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