The Blackwood Manor vault, once used for storing mundane research, now served as the calculated crucible for Ares's second great leap. On the central table, the 1,000 High-Grade Mana Crystals lay scattered around a single, minuscule pile of deep-purple Refined Chronium Dust.
Seraphina observed from a respectful distance. "The Chronium Dust acts as a temporal-dimensional filter," she explained, her voice a low hum. "It will strip every impurity from your local Mana source, but the reaction is volatile. The Chronium is programmed to burn itself out upon contact with the required purity level."
"Volatility is a predictable variable," Ares stated, dismissing the danger. He had already calculated the exact containment geometry necessary to handle the dimensional energy release.
CHRONOS SYSTEM: Tier 4 Fusion Protocol Gamma-9: Initiated. Catalyst: Refined Chronium Dust (1 gram). Input: Tournament Mana Cache (1000 units, Purity 7.0). Target Output: Tier 4 Fusion Mana (1000 units, Purity 9.5). Host Vessel Stress: Acceptable.
Ares began the process. It was a masterpiece of magical mechanics. He didn't cast a spell; he executed a program. He projected a vast, complex web of Code of the Omni-Architect filaments, amplified by Chronos, encasing the entire pile of crystals and the dust.
The Chronium Dust ignited. It did not burn with fire, but with dimension-shredding light—a momentary, silent singularity of pure energy. The Mana Crystals, overwhelmed by the dimensional compression, began to dissolve into a thick, glowing, purple liquid that was drawn through the Chronium's light filter.
The filtration was instantaneous and total. The purified Mana—cold, dense, and shimmering with an impossible, crystalline clarity—rushed toward Ares, who sat ready to absorb the tidal wave of power.
Shattering the Kinetic Seal
The moment the purified Mana touched the Kael host body, the Principle of Universal Rejection (PUR) seal reacted violently. The Tier 4 Gate—the Kinetic Purity Seal—was designed to reject any energy that didn't follow the slow, inefficient flow of Midgaard.
But this energy was too pure, too precisely targeted. It didn't push against the seal; it matched the seal's own frequency and forced it into resonance.
SHRIEK. The sound was not audible, but Ares felt it echo across his soul—the cosmic protest of a natural law being flawlessly violated.
CRACK. The Tier 4 Gate shattered.
The purified Mana flooded Ares's core. The Tier 3 Magus was annihilated, and the Tier 4 Master Magus was born.
His physical transformation was less drastic than before, focusing on internal efficiency. His heart rate dropped to a single, powerful beat per minute; his nervous system became a fiberoptic array of Mana channels. His sight—already enhanced by MSA—now perceived time with unsettling clarity.
CHRONOS SYSTEM: Tier Advancement: Tier 4 (Master Magus) attained. Host Vessel Health: Optimal. Durability Rating: 120.0. PUR Seal Integrity: Tier 5 Gate now active. Fragment Unlocked:Absolute Kinetic Optimization (AKO). Code fragment released. Grants the ability to calculate and execute flawless, zero-resistance movement and kinetic transfer across any known medium.
Ares stood up, feeling not power, but absolute control over motion. He was no longer bound by inertia or friction. If he chose to move, the universe would simply comply with his calculated trajectory. The Omnipotence aspect of his code was returning, focused now on the geometry of motion.
Seraphina slowly approached, picking up the small, now inert ash residue of the Chronium Dust. "Tier 4 in ninety-eight seconds," she observed. "You are restoring your foundation with exponential acceleration. You are now classified as a true Master Magus in this reality. Your next acquisition will be significantly more complex."
The New Equation
Ares ignored her observation and focused on the new PUR requirement.
"Chronos, display the requirements for the Tier 5 Gate."
CHRONOS SYSTEM: PUR Gate 4 Threshold: Complete mastery of the Spatial Archive Principle required. Target must achieve a Mana signature that can interface with the local dimensional fold, requiring a unique, high-tier focus artifact. Anomaly Status: The Primordial Elemental Trace emanating from Lady Seraphina's personal space has increased in volatility by 300% during the fusion process.
Ares looked at Seraphina. "Your trace is destabilizing. My acceleration is affecting your departure equation."
Seraphina smiled, unconcerned. "A necessary complication. The faster you ascend, the more violent the local Mana structure becomes. I need that chaos to fuel my dimensional jump. I have provided the necessary PUR schematics for the Tier 5 lock, which requires a Spatial Focus Artifact."
She pointed to the complex star chart on the wall. "This artifact is located in the regional capital's oldest and most secure location: the Archivist Temple of the Sunless Cult—a relic predating the Magus Guild. The artifact is known locally as the Eye of the Watcher."
Ares indexed the information: an ancient cult, a high-value artifact, and a necessary interface for his next breakthrough. His Tier 4 Master Magus status meant he could no longer afford to rely on subtle infiltration; the risk was too high. He needed a direct, devastating strike.
"A cult dedicated to archiving ancient knowledge," Ares mused. "Their greatest weakness will be their faith in their own security."
He looked at the single, heavy pouch of gold and silver coins remaining from his tournament winnings, now useless for his scale of cultivation. "The resources are in place. Chronos, initiate Infiltration Protocol Delta-3: Spatial Acquisition. Calculate the precise kinetic variables for penetrating the Temple's outer defenses using the AKO fragment."
The Supreme Architect was done with petty deception. It was time for a calculated, destructive raid.