< Location: System Space >
" Damn, Current One! " Ragna 69 says to Twelve after some meeting they had earlier.
"( Just wait until the 'God Hunter Tournament', all of you, I'll make sure to butcher out those who tried to take my head. )" Ragna 69 remembers what Ragna says in the meeting.
" He's getting confident, guess the Abyss Tower had secretly forged his mind and heart more than you expected, 69? " Ragna Hundred says, as he sits around them.
" Too confident. " Twelve says as he thinks about this.
"Ragna's maturity in facing struggle at least matured after the Abyss Tower, but his confidence made me fear that he will underestimate his opponents. "
" Especially the whole world will be on his head on June 6*. "
" A time that we will have that causes us more trouble if we didn't act before it. " Twelve says as he then uses the [Twelve Eye of Time].
" Ragna is probably focusing himself on learning more from Circe, a good decision, but during those times... "
" I believe we must act, like what you suggested earlier 69, and help him decrease the problems before the 'Tournament' begins. " Ragna Twelve says after seeing this.
" But how, ol' Twelve? Asking some of the Black Shadows? " 69 asks.
" You know that the Shadows is fully under Ragna Current's control, right? "
" Not to worry about that. "
" For we also had control over them, we're the same existence, remember? " Ragna Hundred says as from behind them, comes [Black Shadow Elite I, Rachina].
" We have come per your orders. " Rachina says which made 69 confused about what happened he then looked at both Twelve and Hundred.
" Not to worry, 69. " Twelve assures him.
" If Ragna asks what's going on, I'll be sure to take responsibility for you all as Ragna Current might've abolished my authority over the Black Shadows, such as you guys. "
" Authority? Over the Black Shadows? " Ragna 69 asks, wondering when they could do that.
< (!) Message (!) >
< Subject [Ragna 12], [Ragna 69], and [Ragna 100] had also granted an 'Authority' over the Black Shadows due to being the same Existence as Player [Ragna Current]. >
< It was granted the moment the Player unlocked the Black Shadows, acquiring the Authority thanks to [Dainsleif Spirit]. >
< [Authority]: [Black Shadow Allegiance] >
< Just like any [Authority] that Player [Ragna Current] had, the 'Authorities' uncovered after Player is freed from the [Divine Curse: Yakan's Heavenly Restriction]. This one is given by Subject [Dainsleif Spirit], granting the Player full respect and full allegiance from the Black Shadows. >
< This Authority is given to Player [Ragna Current] and those who had the same existence or genealogy as the Player. >
" Shit, so we actually had been given those? " Ragna 69 asks, surprised.
" Thank goodness we've freed the 'Yakan Curse' from his body, she can't no longer tamper with the System with her power, nor affect our work. " Twelve replied.
" Now, back to work... "
" We have some things, to do. " Twelve says, initiating the meeting for what they must do onwards.
( Meanwhile. )
< Location: System Resident Chamber #6 >
Circe is teaching Ragna more and more about what she knows, the two are discussing many things regarding things, which Ragna deemed it was necessary to learn.
" You're asking if the Aether could be taken, is that right? " Circe asks as Ragna mentions something about if the 'Aether' could be taken from his body or even absorbed by other beings.
" Interesting topic, that kind of thing is what I like about you. "
" You're always prepared for what's worst to come, despite your overconfidence-... "
" -that was forged inside the 'Abyss Tower', I'm sorry if I asked you this while being an annoying brat, Enchantress. " Ragna tells her.
" But, I'm learning from my experiences inside the Tower, remember Adrian Waterson? "
" Yes! What of that dead false god? " Circe asks.
" Well, Adrian had a Sin Ability that could take other people's Gifts right? " Ragna asks.
" I'm simply wondering, based on that analogy, if there's an Aether User who needs more Aether, could he/she take the Aether from another Aether User? "
" Of course, they can! Anything that one has could be stolen. "
" But for the Aether's case, in order to steal another's Aether, you must realize that one's Aether could affect the other's Aether. "
" A still uncovered trait of the very energy, where Aether Absorption from other person is a risky one, for the Aether itself is produced by infusing Mana to one's Soul. "
" Thus, absorbing other's Aether means absorbing both, which is difficult since more than one Soul couldn't fit in one body. "
" For the Souls will clash, the energies filled with one existences memories, and lifetime stored within it will quarrel, a quarrel that could cause a disadvantageous effect to one's body if they couldn't coincide with the taken Aethers of the other. "
" That's why, even I wouldn't dare to absorb a fellow Aether User's Aether. "
" For my body might've had trouble during the clash during the absorption, for I rather absorb Aether from the Aether-imbued objects than the Aether from living beings. "
" So, the case like Adrian Waterson won't be easy in terms of Aether, since the Aether is the energy of a mystified enhanced Soul, which should be tricky in the first place if one person dares to do it. "
" Besides, remember the primary condition that the User must've had a close relation to death when unlocking their very Aether? " Circe asks which made Ragna smirk as he realized something.
"( Oh I remember, why it has to be unlocked when we are in the state closer to death or perhaps surviving it. )"
"( Because in those times, our body functions failed, which makes the Souls more active than the body, thus the Mana could enter and affect it, thus resulting in making the Aether Energy. )"
"( I guess Aether Absorption also works that way, for to absorb another Aether, one probably must be in the near-death state to do it. )"
"( A tricky one, and this must be not popular for an Aether User to use. )" Ragna thinks and starts to ask Circe again, but before that.
< (!) Message (!) >
" Huh!? " Ragna sees the System Window popping in.
" Something wrong? " Circe asks as Ragna sees it, he sees it in detail which made Circe curious as she tries to approach him.
Ragna sees the glimpse of her incoming and immediately finished reading the System Window as it disappears.
" It's nothing, Circ... " Ragna says to her.
" Just something that Ragna Twelve had to inform me on the basis, nothing more, nothing more should be concerned. " Ragna tells her, telling her to discuss their meeting before they continue into the more private things in that room.
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Extra:
*June 6: The time where the 'God Hunter Tournament' begins, look at the Chapter that announces it in Chapter 280: The Demon Hunt.