Settling in Surtr, they took some blood samples of the Sarkaz and Ash was proven right. "Wow, even if she has oripathy, it doesn't affect her."
He did tests on her blood and tried to infect it more with originium particulate matter, but it did not assimilate with the sample.
"Even her blood is energized. And it's preventing the originium from infecting it." Ash wondered what would happen if he did something different.
Absorbing the energy in it, he tried again. But this time, it got affected by originium normally.
"Ahhh, so her sword really does prevent her from getting worse." Ash nodded and was fascinated.
"Well, that's that. I should test her combat skills next." Surtr is most likely a combatant, so he wanted to see how strong she was.
"Hey Surtr, let's go to a training area. I need to see how you would use Laevateinn." Ash called out to her and she was of course eating ice cream.
"Do I really have to?" Surtr started shoveling her spoon more.
"Oh, that thing about you getting hurt by your sword right? Don't worry, I'll counteract it." Ash assured her and he released some cold air from his hands.
Still holding her tub of ice cream, Surtr nodded apprehensively and followed him to a training area.
"Okay, don't worry and go all out. That target over there is a solid block of Tungsten, don't worry about destroying it too. I'll still provide you with ice cream." He smiled at her and Surtr calmed down.
She took hold of her sword and it started to burn with fire. Ash coated her body with a film of energy that cancelled heat.
Surtr wasn't used to the change, so she looked at Laevateinn a bit before attacking the block of metal.
After swinging the weapon, she left a sizable gash on it and it was smoldering due to the heat of the sword.
"Laevateinn!" Surtr then got a bit more daring and unleashed the power of her sword.
"Ohh? Is that the avatar of the sword?" A black apparition appeared behind Surtr that was headless. It took hold of the sword and began to unleash fire that would give Talulah a run for her money.
Every slash it did sent out a wave of concentrated fire that looked like a beam. Cutting the block of Tungsten to pieces. It also melted the thing.
Ash then felt that she was burning up rapidly. So he increased his efforts and turned the thermal energy inert.
"I don't feel any burns on my body... This is amazing, I can continue this for as long as I want." Surtr was pleased.
"Well, you'd need to have me or Kjera around for you to use that indefinitely." Ash reminded her.
She couldn't stop it though. "I... Whenever I use this, I actually can't reel it in until I get burns all over. And then I pass out due to exhaustion."
"I see, let's test some things." Ash countered with a wave of cold air that would give even those who live in tundras shivers.
The heat on her started to disappear. But when he ended his ministrations, it conflagrated right back.
"Well, let's bring it up a notch." Ash manipulated the thermal energy coming from the sword itself and the heat suddenly disappeared.
"It's not acting up anymore." Surtr confirmed and he nodded. "So the sword maybe burns you as payment in order to use it." Ash rubbed his chin in thought.
"How about yours and the other two?" She was curious and he sighed.
"Alastor and I need to get rid of enemies or it will start to suck you dry. But I made a pact with the swords of the twins. Mine is much more malicious though. I doubt anyone can wield it, but me." He remembered the sword's powers.
It wants to devour anything and everything. The thing even creates a mouth when it gets going. It will most likely control the wielder to kill anything on sight until there was nothing on else to devour.
And he compensates it with his tremendous energy reserves. But the more things it kills, the stronger it gets. It also gets harder to control.
"Thanks for this Surtr, we'll get you a room. Welcome to Paradiso, go on and please feel at home here." Ash smiled at her and she nodded.
"Thank you for shining some light on my condition as well. Even if we are not really sure. I guess I still got a lead." Surtr didn't get what she wanted, but at least there was something.
He led her to her new apartment and Ash went to the labs in order to work on something.
Arriving there, he saw Closure sleeping on a couch after modifying their new equipment's software.
"She must have been tired. Good work." He took a bottle and put some of his blood in it in order for her to drink later when she wakes up.
Maria was also slumped down on a table like they just did a crunch. "They both worked hard on it I guess. These science types hardly sleep when they work on something interesting after all." He chuckled and remembered his old workplace.
"Oh? Ash, what are you doing here?" Eunectes saw him and she was looking around, fiddling with all kinds of machineries.
"Just checking on these two, they're working on a very important project you see?" Ash pointed at Closure and Maria who were out like a light.
"I see, this place is interesting indeed. I am glad that I went here, how about Tomimi and Gavial?" Eunectes asked about his little trip to Rhodes island.
"Ahhh, that? Tomimi and Gavial were doing pretty good. They aren't awkward with each other. Gavial also says hi." Ash shrugged and Eunectes chuckled.
"It's so like her to not even ask how I'm doing. She trusts that I am fine." Eunectes smiled at her friend and rival that didn't change much.
"She's a proper tomboy, that one." Ash laughed and Eunectes nodded. "She is, she would rather beat someone up than to get in a romantic relationship. How is she with her duties as a doctor though?"
"Ohh, she has terrible bedside manners. She's a doctor that would force you to get better. No questions allowed, she would slug you in the face if you're uncooperative." Ash snorted.
"Sounds like her, I'm glad she's doing fine. Tomimi will also be happy to spend more time with Gavial." Eunectes was satisfied.
"So, got any ideas that you'd want to make? Did the place give you any inspiration?" Ash went back to their earlier topic.
"Ahh, I actually don't know! There's just so much here. So many things to use, so many more things to learn about. It's impossible to choose, I want to do all kinds!" Eunectes' tail swayed.
"How about we design something that will change the world eh?" Ash smirked.
"Ohh? What is it? Is it a machine?" Eunectes got excited and he nodded.
"It uses an engine yes, come on. Let's try to draw up a blueprint." Ash took her with him and they went to the drawing board.
Ash first showed Eunectes an engine of a car that used originium. It is essentially a motor, just like an electric car. Using originium as a battery to run.
"This is the engine of the cars here on Terra, looks amazing right? But I want to use gas powered ones." Ash chuckled at Eunectes who was super excited.
"Oh, but why?" She was curious and now that he thought about it, originium powered cars is like vehicles from the past. But instead of lead fumes, it was releasing originium in the air.
"I'm an environmentalist you can say, you don't want the forest of Acahualla to disappear right? It's the same thing." He explained it simply and Eunectes nodded in pride at their forest.
"So I'm going to create this." Ash started drawing the parts of a gas engine. It had hundreds of parts and it excited Eunectes' soul as a genius engineer that can create mechs from scraps.
"Wow! This is so interesting..." Eunectes watched intently as Ash explained the moving parts of the engine.
"But if you use electricity, won't it be more efficient? It can give off torque immediately and lead to needing less fuel." Eunectes rubbed her chin and he smiled.
"I guess you really are an engineer to the core, you even spotted that when you have no formal knowledge about this?" Ash was sure that she would create a lot of things.
"The reason why, is because that isn't feasible right now at all. Essentially, most mobile cities are like electric cars. Their originium reactors are the battery. And they can't spare tons of electricity to power up all the vehicles electrically." Ash explained patiently.
"Ahh, so you use gas powered ones. Though there seems to be another step to this right?" Eunectes tilted her head.
"Yes, once we change originium reactors into nuclear ones. Then, we can transition to electric cars. Using fossil fuels will be bad in the future after all. Not that catastrophes aren't any better due to the wide usage of originium." Ash sighed.
Originium wasn't properly researched before its explosion of popularity as an energy source. Just like many things in history.
The thing is, on Terra. Everyone doesn't want to change. Originium is the only power source they'll use. There have been no advancements for other energy sources.
It also didn't help that life as a commoner on Terra is focused on surviving. Not to mention the infected that are treated like lepers.
"So, want to try and make one with me?" Ash offered to her and Eunectes' eyes lit up.
"Really!? Come on, let's go and make some!" Eunectes bounced around, Ash saw other things bounce too.
"Then let's start, I'll teach you everything I know as we go along the way." Ash thought that Eunectes would be their lead engineer for sure. She just needs to know the proper theories. And he is sure that she would read everything she could get about engineering.
They went to the factories and Ash called for Nian who was being ran ragged by Mostima. Increasing her perception of time in order to make materials like it's going out of business.
"Ahhh! Ash, why did you bring in that... That Mostima! I'm always tired due to her! I have to dump in all my energy in creating materials now!" Nian complained while shaking his shoulders.
"Well, we have to prepare and get as many bullets and materials. We'll also build a wall and the Iberians are gonna pay for it." Ash nodded sagely.
Nian deadpanned at him. "You do know they're hella poor right?"
"Of course they won't pay with cash or goods silly. They'll pay with their lands and all the materials we can get by exterminating the seaborne." Ash smirked.
"So you're pretty much annexing the country by taking care of their problem? Wow, you're really ruthless huh? Taking advantage of a poor country. Woe is me, my siblings have been taken in by a slaver." Nian was being overdramatic.
"Wanna go back to Yan?" Ash raised a brow and she shut up. "No sir, I am grateful to be here. I can make movies here all day! Not to mention that the food and hotsprings are the best!"
"Okay, so we'll be making some parts for a car. Another kind that we will release on the market." Ash showed her a blueprint and she led them to the workshop.
"Is this why you sent the ladies to a hunt for oil?" Nian looked at it with scrutinizing eyes. She then used her powers and the papers needed appeared out of thin air.
"Wow~ are you a goddess? The goddess of engineering?" Eunectes was immediately enamored by Nian. She is the goddess of engineers. Able to create perfect materials that has the exact dimensions.
"Huhun! Praise me more! See Ash? She understands my greatness. I demand a raise!" Nian was being a pain.
"Hah, I guess you do. You've been working hard." Ash shrugged and she couldn't believe it.
"Really!? Then I want my own theatre! Yeah, and I'll show my movies there!" Nian got excited and Ash smirked in his mind. 'Heh, too easy. It will be empty most of the time anyways.'
Though he did think of producing high quality movies. They have unlimited budget anyways. Maybe introduce some culture to Terra. The lives of the people there are already bad enough.
"Wait, we can release propaganda through movies..." Ash smacked his forehead, he didn't think about that.
"Okay, let's start building this engine yeah? Can you make a frame for it to be put in too?" Ash drew up the chassis and frame of one of the most reliable sedans ever made for the common man, a Toyota Corolla.
They started to build a car, but Ash changed the engine so it would be able to use a lower octane gas. Because as myths would like you to believe, lower octane ones are actually more efficient if your engine is rated for it.
After an hour of setting it up nicely. They have a brand new Toyota Corolla. Which is much more efficient due to turning it into a hybrid.
Wasted energy due to entropy would charge the battery for a rainy day if you run out of gas. "Kuahahaha! Leithanien engineering is the best in the world! All the other car manufacturers will be out of business!"
Ash laughed like a villain and Eunectes looked at him weirdly.
"Don't mind him, he does that often." Nian waved it off, used to it by now. "Okay?" Eunectes got concerned, but she decided to ignore it as well.
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Thanks for reading everyone, as promised. I treat both of my babies equally, umu. Support me on Patreon if you want to read more. Anyways, ciao.
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