"So… does that cover everything?" Scarab smiled.
"I wouldn't know, hehe." I joked in response.
Well.
The situation was confirmed for the most part, though it seemed certain events were left out on purpose. Scarab seems to be not inclined to inform me about the dates, or how long I've been gone and such. There is also the issue of technological developments between the two time periods, as supposedly modern technology was developed after my disappearance, but before the extermination of humanity. Which doesn't match with the timeline at all.
I feel the memories slowly filling my mind, along with the other knowledge that these souls possess. A mismatch of violence, misery, and hope.
This upcoming battle will be the last one, that I can assure myself because I feel like should the armies of Heaven and Hell collide once more… and I to join the fray, it will be a battle nobody wins. The losses on both sides would be so dramatically high, I doubt that either of us want a repeat of that final collision again.
We can't show mercy however, that much is certain. This is a matter of the life and death of a world, a universe, and my kin.
"...Scarab," I mumbled.
"Y-yes?" Scarab smiled, standing beside me.
"This time, we'll win this unwinnable war," I walked towards the head seat of the command center, "Do you have my old gear?"
"It was mostly destroyed in the conflict, and we haven't been able to repair it." Scarab pressed her hand against a console, and a small box appeared beside me as it was lifted from a strange compartment.
Inside it were small fragments of white and black metal, nothing useful at all… it had lost its power long ago. That's fine, I don't need a weapon or armor just yet. That being the case, I'll need to create some metal of my own if I do want to make powerful enough weapons to withstand the upcoming battles.
"Scarab, I will begin the process of creating weaponry and armor. Bring me some Liquid Mana, Karma, and Void." I asked.
Scarab turned to an Automata intently watching us and nodded her head. The Automata ran off to gather the materials and came back a small while later with them on a small cart.
"This is the most we can spare." The Automata said, before retreating away back to business.
Only two liters of each, huh. Not nearly enough for what I had planned… I'd supplement it with Ambient Energy in the air, but this station seems to be producing it much slower than I'd hoped.
With the amount I have stored in my body already, I couldn't create more than a singular weapon… how disappointing, but it will have to do. I thought about what sort of weapon I should create, it was a difficult decision that would likely impact my image from now on.
"Hey, Avery… I… actually have some spare weaponry that you could use as material… if you want." Thoth poked my side and procured a small dagger from his waist.
Who gave this child a knife?!
I thanked him for the small dagger, which was surprisingly well made! Its design was rather flat and boring, being a pain black and white knife, but the material it was made from was actually solidified Magic. It was also enhanced by spells, most of which seemed rather potent for a mere knife.
"This is quite the good knife, who made such a thing?" I asked.
"It's standard issue, we have it mass-produced in the foundry by machines." Scarab informed me, producing her dagger as well. "All non-combative units are assigned a dagger and a light firearm of their choice, combative units get far more options in weaponry."
Interesting.
A man would kill for a dagger like this back in my day, and now it's standard issue. My my… what an interesting turn of events. "If you can procure me four more of these, I'll be able to create a weapon that I think will be quite interesting."
"I have some in my room! I'll get them!" Thoth said, running off somewhere.
I've also noticed that as he left, Eset was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she left when I wasn't looking, but that doesn't matter to me much.
"Those maintenance units… are they all so cold and cruel?" I asked Scarab.
"Haa… It's a trait they all seem to get, I have no idea as to why. Perhaps it's their grueling work hours, they do often have to work on repairs due to the war effort." She replied.
"I see. I'd also like to ask, how are you powering this station?"
"Mana," Scarab said simply.
"Just… ambient Mana?"
"Yep."
"You… haven't made a Node?"
"U...uh… N-no…"
If I didn't have a knife in my hand and dangerous liquid in the other, I'd facepalm hard enough to destroy my skull at the moment. A Node is an invention of mine, one that can provide insane amounts of all energy types and is relatively easy to make, all it requires is a boss-type monster to register with it… and Scarab can fit that bill, even if she was scrapping for materials this should have been her FIRST priority.
"Don't tell me you forgot," I mumbled.
"Y...Maybe…" Scarab put her arms behind her back and kicked the ground a little bit in embarrassment.
I don't even know how she can forget that, she's literally an artificial intelligence built for memorizing and replicating data.
"Haa… That's fine, we can do it now I suppose. We have enough material to make one here, but I won't be able to make a weapon, unfortunately." I sighed, gathering the Liquid Energies into a bubble that floated above my shoulder.
"S-sorry…" Scarab apologized.
"It's no problem, don't worry kiddo," I replied while beginning to make a Node.
Nodes are a complex series of spells fired between multiple mana crystals used in a particular way to create more Mana than imputed, like an engine that makes its own fuel and some extra. It's a complicated process to start, as it requires both Void and Karma. Luckily, it seems Scarab harvested some from the Angels and Demons.
Void and Karma are exclusively produced by both of them, so it's very difficult to get your hands on it usually. Combined with Mana and Alchemy, it's one of the most fundamentally difficult machinery to produce. Though, by my standards, it's more akin to baking a cake. All it takes is a little know-how and the materials.
About halfway through the process of transforming the Liquids into Solids, Thoth returned with an armful of sheathed daggers, four knives were enough to create a weapon and it was a lucky coincidence that Thoth brought more than necessary, because to make a Node it would require just a bit more material. Still, what Thoth brought was much more than enough.
"I brought as many as I could!" He happily stated, setting the knives down next to me. "I figured you might want more, just in case!"
"You figured correctly, I did end up needing a few more," I replied.
"Oh, there is still some more!" Thoth shook his coat, and from the bottom fell sixteen more knives total. After counting them, I was shocked this guy had so many goddamn knives.
"This… this is more than enough. Where did you get all these knives?" I asked, Scarab seemed keen on investigating as well.
"Oh, I've just been collecting them. Whenever I work on earth for a mission I pick them up off of dead Automata." He smiled.
Normally I'd wonder about this some more, but I don't have the energy or time to worry about this kind of stuff. After I make this node I'm going to take a nap.
Speaking of which, the process of making the node was going relatively well. The addition of more material via reconstructing the knives was helping plenty to the formation of the devices, but I found a small bit of issue with the Karma Generation.
I feel so… weak.
My head is aching, what's going on?
"Avery? Are you ok? You look like you are about to puke." Scarab tapped me on the shoulder, and I did feel like puking.
I coughed up a vat of phlegm and continued pushing forward. My body felt like it was melting as I continued, but I refused to submit. Gears began whirling inside the machine, and it was almost finished… I can't give up now!
"God damn it, Avery, why are you always in a state where you are literally falling apart!?! Look at your arm!" Scarab shook me, and I did look down at my arm.
It was melting, like goo.
Shit.
"It's… nothing," I told her, lying my ass off as I have grown accustomed to.
I've never seen anything like this before. I've seen men turn into dust when their soul fails, or rot and decay when they overuse their energies… but, I feel fine! My core seems full of energy, my soul seems to be alright, it's just my body is in such agony I can't describe it.
I pushed forward, however, and the fruits of my sacrifice were born. The machine fully began operating, and energy began flowing out. The air filled with the refreshing feeling of Mana, Void, Karma, and… well, the air was already filled with Ulma, so it was more saturated I suppose.
"Avery, I swear, if you do that shit again I'm putting you in a nursing home!!" Scarab yelled, watching as my flesh melded back into shape as my body relaxed.
I smiled back at her and shrugged. "Well, if I 'Node' it would happen, I wouldn't have done it."
Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night.
Now then… I should be heading to bed.