Morena sat in silence, her fingers resting lightly on an open book, though her mind was elsewhere, tapping away as she awaited a reply from the AI.
"AI."
She murmured, eyes sharp as she focused on the information.
"What solutions have you found?"
The response came instantly, a series of calculated data streams flowing into her mind.
[Three possible methods identified based on available knowledge.]
She leaned back, listening intently as the AI detailed them one by one.
Alchemy & Elixirs.
Records spoke of rare concoctions that could supposedly strengthen or even restore a core. Some hinted at legendary alchemists who had created such elixirs centuries ago or even lucky encounters in which fated ones had come across them.
But there was no formula.
No surviving documentation on their creation to prove that they existed or how to even make them.
Even if she had a lead, even if she had the formula, she lacked the resources, materials, or expertise to attempt such an endeavor.
It was simply not viable.
Runic Formations & Rituals.
This was the method that had intrigued her the most because of the amount of information or tales that existed connected to it.
Some texts suggested that warriors had once used external formations to bypass internal limitations.
Some had runic markings on their bodies, while others paid worship to gods.
The idea of channeling power from the environment rather than from within resonated with her situation.
But the records were vague at best.
Nothing detailed how these formations worked, how they were created, or even if they were real.
She couldn't draw the runes without the image of the rune to begin with.
Without proper knowledge, attempting them would be pointless—or worse, dangerous.
It was once again not viable.
Forbidden Techniques.
Here, she hesitated for a fraction of a second longer before continuing.
There were obscure mentions of warriors who had forcefully altered their elemental cores, forcibly overriding their limitations or even gaining power beyond their wildest imagination.
But such knowledge had been erased from history, deemed too dangerous, forbidden by the ruling powers, especially the church.
The church was far too powerful, not just in the Kingdom of Brightburn, where it stood the strongest, but throughout the entire continent.
The Sunflarion Church, appropriately named, had far too much power to consider such a method.
Even if she found someone who knew about these techniques, simply searching for them would paint a target on her back.
It was not a risk she was willing to take.
She exhaled, pushing aside the books in front of her with a dull thud.
"So, none of them are possible right now."
[Correct. Based on current knowledge, all identified solutions are inaccessible.]
Morena's lips pressed into a thin line.
That wasn't enough.
It wasn't the reply or outcome she wanted.
She needed something she could use right now.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the table, mind racing.
If she couldn't use what already existed, then...
"What if you made something for me?"
The AI paused and processed her question.
[Clarify request.]
"If there is no existing method that works for me, then create one."
She said, leaning forward as a new idea bloomed in her mind.
"Use my family's warrior training technique and alter it. Rework it so it can function in my current state. Use all existing knowledge in both lifetimes."
In her memories, she had previously seen the training method for her family.
It was a Tier 2 Training Method that could, at most, get a person to the level of a Rank 2 Warrior, but that in itself was a feat that would cause nobles to go to war for.
As such, it was a method kept very secretive and passed on through the family, only for the direct bloodline to see.
As she was the firstborn and technically the heir of the family, she had the privilege to skim through it.
The AI could access that memory and piece it together perfectly.
As such, it paused, processing her request.
[Processing request. Analyzing Ravenscroft Warrior Method.]
Morena waited as it ran countless calculations, piecing together various displaced knowledge into one working structure.
The technique her family used had been passed down through generations, refined for warriors who could sense and absorb elemental energy.
But she was different.
Her core leaked energy instead of refining it—so the method had to be adapted, twisted into something entirely new.
[Modification possible. Initial rework complete.]
She straightened.
"Details."
[Modified technique allows user to circulate energy despite core instability. However, due to the fractured nature of the core, efficiency is significantly reduced.]
[Weaknesses detected: Increased physical strain, risk of energy backlash, unstable accumulation.]
[Current limitations: Technique can only allow progression to Stage Three Trainee at most. Further growth requires additional refinement.]
Stage Three.
That was far from ideal—but far better than nothing.
Most people wouldn't even become a Stage One in their life.
Even less talented warriors struggled to pass Stage Three.
She leaned back in her chair, absorbing the implications.
A warrior's training relied on a steady, controlled accumulation of power.
Hers would be unstable, inefficient, and dangerous.
But it was still a path forward.
And that was all she needed.
"For now, this will do."
She murmured to herself before she commanded the AI once more.
"I'll improve it later. Feed it more data, refine it over time. For now, complete the method and run simulations. Give a time frame till max stage is reached, as well as issues along the way."
She paused as she thought further, adding one more thing to the command.
"Run simulation until the optimal path to train is found."
[Understood. Beginning simulations...]