"Shadow Clone"
A clear voice rang out in the empty secret training ground. In the next moment, the field that originally held only one person was filled with people, all looking exactly the same. One group began sparring, another started practicing punches, and another began training their marksmanship. The once-empty field became lively. Standing quietly in place, Artoria watched the training sessions, nodding in satisfaction as some clones occasionally vanished into white smoke.
Her luck had never been particularly good; she either drew trashy Craft Essences from FGO, Sealing Scrolls, Allure Necklaces, Kunai, or some weapons from Honkai. They were all items with a rarity of no more than three stars, plus some common junk. Yesterday, her fortune finally exploded and she got the Shadow Clone technique, which came in handy today. She only had a few useful things now. However, while Shadow Clones might cause Naruto to suffer from overexertion, it wasn't a big deal for Artoria. She had drawn at least dozens of Meditation Craft Essences; using them together allowed her to train her mental strength while alleviating the fatigue brought by the Shadow Clones.
This technique suited her perfectly now. Since she didn't have time to train, she could only use Shadow Clones as substitutes. Moreover, it could be considered a life-saving human-wave tactic, giving her the ability to be a bit more reckless. Most importantly, the Craft Essence '500-Year Obsession' could finally be used. As long as it was equipped on a clone, if the clone was defeated and left the field, the opponent would be sealed for one turn. That's how it worked in the game, but in reality, it should at least make a powerhouse like Thanos hesitate for a moment. In that split second, you'd have a chance to win—especially if every clone was equipped with one, it would be fantastic. If Shadow Clones didn't work, Water Clones would do, and Wood Release would be even better.
"I need to hurry."
Artoria had already established three secret Bases. The daily experimental materials plus a bunch of miscellaneous items added up to an astronomical figure, but that was nothing. Right now, Artoria lacked time and opportunity. If possible, she wanted to go to the Ancient One to learn magic. If she told the Ancient One the plot she knew, the chances of getting help would be quite high. However, she didn't have the heaven-defying talent for sorcery like Doctor Strange, so she didn't dare bet everything on it.
"When necessary, I'll see if I can steal the Space Stone."
Thinking of that Infinity Stone lying next to Captain America, Artoria felt a pang of longing. With that thing, even if she couldn't win a fight, she could still run, couldn't she? Of course, the major prerequisite was that you needed to be recognized by the stone; otherwise, the Red Skull, who was currently playing a bit part on some Planet, would be the example.
"Hope, how is the research going?"
While thinking about how to continue increasing her strength, Artoria walked to the door of Hope's lab. Her best friend's emotions seemed a bit unstable these past two days, so Artoria felt she should keep her company, have lunch together, and ask about the current progress.
"Although progress is slow, the basic equipment has been gathered, and we can proceed with Pym Particles extraction. At this stage, we cannot conduct experiments on living creatures."
Hearing Artoria's inquiry, Hope straightforwardly explained her progress. They had been close friends since childhood, and Artoria was her benefactor, so there was no need to hide anything from her.
"Take care of your health. I see you haven't slept much these past two days."
Artoria wasn't actually very concerned about the Pym Particles; she was more worried that Hope might die from overwork. She was quite speechless with this group of experimental maniacs. Over at Maya's place, there were assistants fainting from exhaustion every day, and it was the same with Helen Cho. If she hadn't ordered that they must get off work at five, the lab doors wouldn't open until nine, and they had to leave for meals, these people would probably live inside and never come out.
However, Artoria was also puzzled. Why were Maya, Helen Cho, and Tony different from the others? Most of the other people she saw were greasy-faced with heavy dark circles under their eyes, yet these supervisors were all radiant and looked healthy. Thinking of this, Artoria looked at Hope's complexion; it was also quite normal, showing no sign of someone who only slept four hours a day. It was truly strange.
"Don't worry, I'll rest properly."
Hearing Artoria's concern, Hope gave a happy smile and said she would be careful.
"Alright! Just take care of yourself and contact me if anything happens."
Sensing Hope's perfunctoriness, Artoria didn't push further. She quickly finished the steak in front of her but still didn't feel full. After thinking it over, Artoria decided to go back to her room and have the chef make some Chinese food. Her appetite seemed to have increased again lately; she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.