The next day, Jake and Lindiwe woke up early and went to train. The training room was filled with a dull atmosphere. Despite the sound of spells and the clanging of weapons, it felt silent as they didn't say a word. Conviction filled their eyes, determination evident in every movement.
Ethan checked up on them, staring briefly. His eyes were dull and almost lifeless. Growing up under Elaine's strict tutelage, Ethan had lost the ability to display his emotions properly. "Well then," he muttered as he left without speaking to his teammates. Jake clicked his tongue as he saw Ethan leave from the edge of his vision. He always hated how emotionless Ethan felt at times.
"Looks like your team is going through a difficult time," Dianna remarked, joining Ethan as he walked towards Elaine's office.
"It's to be expected. They grew way too close to each other. Although I was expecting Jake to fall first, this was somewhat unexpected. I saw her during that battle—she hesitated to use her trump card because she was worried she'd hurt Lindiwe," Ethan said, his voice cold and analytical.
"How cold of you," Dianna commented with a smile. Ethan looked at her for a moment as they walked, then turned his gaze forward again.
"You're turning into her more and more," Ethan muttered.
"Yeah, well, aren't you the same with that cold expression of yours?" Dianna replied, her tone teasing yet pointed.
"Talking about your team, why didn't you recommend them for their comrades' mana veins?" Dianna asked, curious.
"It'd be a waste," Ethan replied starkly.
"And how would you know that? What if they could rise in the ranks?" Dianna pressed.
"Elaine turned every child here into a genius mage. If we go by the standards of geniuses outside, everyone here would be considered a freak. But that's not the case amongst us. I can get a sense of their potential—Elaine taught me that. And trust me, compared to some others, those two aren't worthy of getting such an opportunity," Ethan explained.
Dianna frowned slightly. "You're no fun, you know that?" she said.
"Oh yeah?" Ethan replied with a faint smile.
"That one with Dwarven blood, he'd be my ideal candidate," Ethan mused as he stopped for a moment. "Huh? Why didn't you recommend him?" Dianna asked.
"It'd be no fun to give someone such a gift without them working for it," Ethan said as he continued walking.
Dianna smiled as she walked alongside him. "And you say I'm the conniving one," she remarked.
Entering Elaine's office, Ethan and Dianna sat down on the sofa next to a coffee table. A hologram of Marika's body floated above the table, displaying all the networks within her body.
"A treasure trove," Dianna muttered, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"You mean my perfection," Elaine corrected as she walked in. "I want you to extract the veins. Ethan, I want you to maintain the mana during the surgery and use the third runic sealing formula to store the veins and all other extracted organs."
With that, they got up and headed to the surgery room where Marika's body lay. The room was sterile and cold, a stark contrast to the intense emotions swirling within Ethan and Dianna as they prepared for the delicate operation ahead.
In the sterile, cold operation room, the atmosphere was thick with concentration and tension. Dianna took the lead, her hands steady and precise, as she prepared for the delicate task of removing the mana veins. Elaine stood nearby, overseeing every step with a critical eye, ensuring nothing went amiss.
Ethan, positioned at the head of the operation table, focused intently on controlling the mana. His eyes glowed with a faint purple light as he channeled his energy, making sure the mana remained stable and didn't fluctuate or spiral out of control.
"Beginning the extraction," Dianna announced, her voice calm and measured. She activated a series of runic tools, each one designed to delicately extract the mana veins without causing damage to Marika's body.
Ethan's concentration never wavered as he manipulated the flow of mana. He could feel the energy pulsing through the room, responding to his precise commands. His mind was a fortress of calm amidst the storm of magical energies swirling around them.
"Dianna, make sure to use the secondary containment spell." Elaine instructed, while overseeing the operation.
"Understood," Dianna replied, deftly weaving the secondary containment spell into the procedure. The runes glowed softly as they absorbed and stored the extracted mana veins, preventing any stray energy from escaping.
Ethan's brow furrowed in concentration as he adjusted the mana flow, his hands moving intricately. "Stay focused," he muttered, seeing Dianna getting nervous.
"Mana veins secured," Dianna reported, after some hours the extraction was finally complete.
Elaine nodded, her eyes fixated towards the operation room. "Good. Ethan, maintain the mana stability as the sealing takes place."
Ethan nodded, as he continued to channel mana, ensuring the room remained stable. "Operation successful," Elaine declared, "You two rest up for now."
Ethan finally allowed himself to relax, the glow in his eyes fading as he released his hold on the mana. Dianna wiped her brow, a satisfied smile on her face.
"That was... intense," she admitted, looking at Ethan.
He nodded in agreement. "Well at least it's over."
Together, they left the operation room, heading to out for some fresh air.
"The others must have met already. I guess that only leaves me," Ethan muttered to himself as he entered his team's dwelling. The air was thick with tension. Jake and Lindiwe were waiting, along with a new face Ethan hadn't seen before.
"So you've met," Ethan remarked, breaking the silence.
"And what's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to replace Marika?" Jake's voice rose, his anger barely contained.
"Get over it. We'll start team training next week. As you've heard, there's a tournament with the prize being mana vein fusion. If you want to participate, make sure you're up early tomorrow," Ethan said calmly as he walked past Jake.
"Mia, right? Nice to meet you," Ethan added, acknowledging the new kid with a brief nod before heading straight to his room.
"So that was him, huh?" Mia thought to herself, feeling a mix of curiosity and unease.
The next day arrived, and the tournament was at hand. Thirteen participants gathered, including Jakob, Miranda, Reason, Hans, Maurice, and eight others.
"All the leaders are participating as well," Dianna remarked, scanning the crowd.
"Except for those ranked in the top ten," Ethan replied.
"Well, it wouldn't be a competition if they did," Dianna said with a hint of amusement.
"Well, anyway, that person is not here," Ethan observed, his eyes narrowing.
"Are you disappointed?" Dianna asked, sensing his tension.
"It doesn't change anything. After this, we'll be sent to that place, right?" Dianna said, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.
"Scared?" Ethan inquired, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I am nervous. Taking down an entire organization is a huge leap from what we've been doing," she admitted, her brow furrowed with worry.
"It's what we've been preparing for, right?" Ethan reassured her, his tone unwavering.
"Alright, the tournament will begin shortly..." G10 announced, officially commencing the event.
Despite the excitement around them, Ethan and Dianna continued their discussion, their focus only partially on the tournament. Their minds were already on the challenges ahead, knowing that this was just the beginning of a much larger and dangerous journey.
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