Salem, completely unaware of the plots for his heart, was conversing with Ruby and Alina about the properties of what Salem had dubbed Magical Essence.
"Since my world couldn't use Magical Essence like the worlds we have visited, could it just mean that my world utilized it in a different manner?" Salem wondered. "Perhaps humanity harnessed Magical Essence in the form of electricity."
"Then our world harnessed it in what form?" Alina asked. "Magic?"
"Precisely." Salem said. ''I think that each of the worlds we've visited has harnessed the Essence in at least one way."
"What about the steampunk world?" Ruby asked. "Steam power?"
"No." Salem shook his head. "While it isn't an energy in and of itself, it is used to generate electricity. Not only that, but they also had rudimentary power cells in toys, indicating that they likely had a more advanced power cell for use in things such as their mechs that almost killed us."
"Interesting." Alina said. "It's almost like the world's use of the Magical Essence both helps them advance and prevents them from doing so."
"It makes them rely on their use of the Essence and disregard anything else." Salem agreed. "It lets them specialize in one area, but bars their access to advancement anywhere else."
"We don't seem to have that issue." Ruby noted. "Is it because we've visited multiple worlds?"
"I think so." Salem said. "Because we've visited multiple worlds, and because we've taken multiple Essence utilization techniques from each, we seem to be free from the constraints of the world dwellers."
"We only have two worlds worth of Essence utilization methods." Ruby said. "We should travel worlds and collect as many as possible."
"See, that's what I worry about." Salem said. "In a lot of the novels I had read in my home world, it was a common theme to have a protagonist's favorite side character almost explode because of collecting too much power, or have an enemy commit suicide that way."
"We won't know until we try, right?" Ruby responded. "We'll be test subjects for ourselves."
"That doesn't sound pleasant." Salem shuddered, thinking of all the ways their 'tests' could possibly go wrong.
"It doesn't." Alina agreed.
"So why don't we use other people then?" Ruby suggested. "No risk."
"There could be risks." Salem argued. "Their power during and after the tests might be used against us."
"But we could have ways to stop them, right?" Ruby didn't want to let her idea go. "We could develop methods such as your nanotech bone imitation wall."
"While that is true, I don't think we're in a position to figure out the magic restraints and the power problem." Salem pointed out. "We need test subjects and we have none right now."
"And I, personally, don't want to torture people for our gain." Alina said. "I still want to have decency."
....
By the time the sun had begun touching the horizon, many families had learned of the supposed sighting of the Dragon of Destruction.
Oso had called many of the most powerful families for a meeting to discuss their strategy to try and bring it down.
As the numerous family leaders sat around the table, Oso stood, smiling broadly.
"Now, I know you all might be skeptical about the dragon, but I believe that no matter who gets the dragon's heart, it will be beneficial to all of us." Oso gestured to the eleven families sitting around the table. "In order for us to make it fair, how about we do a contribution system?"
"And how would that work?" The head of the Frost family, Rojo, spoke. "Because if it was just based on hits everyone would give up power and hit as many times as possible."
"This.." Oso paused for a moment, his smile fading slightly. "How about heavy blows?"
"That is subjective." Rojo stated.
"I understand that." Oso nodded, his smile returning. "But how else are we going to figure out who gets the heart?"
"How about we kill it first, and then figure out who it goes to?" The leader of the Sky family, Cielo* spoke, tipping his chair backwards.
"Fair enough." Oso nodded. "I have a plan on how we can kill this dragon."
"Pray tell." Cielo placed all four legs of his chair on the ground and leaned forward.
"It goes like this..." Oso began outlining his 'foolproof' plan.