Chapter 113 - (113) Albus?!

"I'm so glad that you're okay!" Zolis cried.

Pebbles patted the shorter woman on the head and smiled even more brilliantly.

"I'm glad that you guys are safe too. How are the little ones?"

Geth smiled and allowed them to talk while looking around at the structures. The buildings were elementary.

The walls were made of mud, while the rooftops were covered with straw. They reminded Geth of the homes he attempted to build in the first Dungeon.

The buildings were set up in a large circle. A single larger structure was erected in the center.

The shelter in the center was laid out like a small temple. Crudely carved pillars held up a simple stone roof.

In the center of the temple was a stand with a blue gem glowing at the center. It matched the color of the Dungeon Crystal that was now embedded into the tower door.

Using Inspection, Geth could see that the Mana amongst these homes was much more densely packed than anywhere else. It became even thicker the closer it came to the crystal.

Eight different Skeletons stood around the edges of the temple as if they were guarding it. The bones belonged to multiple creatures: Humans, Goblins, a Lizardman, and an Orc.

Apparently, this temple had something to do with the Mana density that Blaze had mentioned earlier. Geth could even feel his mind clearing further the longer he stood in the area.

His thoughts already raced much faster than any Human's ever should. At the moment, it was reaching a new peak.

Multiple thoughts flooded his mind at once, but he could keep track of every thought, unlike before. It felt like there were numerous versions of himself thinking and solving problems simultaneously.

His eyes widened, and he stepped back out of the Formation between the homes. His thoughts returned to normal.

Geth could still think about a few things at once, but it wasn't the same experience as inside the thick Mana. Blaze walked up to him and grinned as he patted him on the shoulder.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" He asked. "I haven't figured out the mechanism to make it work, but spending some time here really helped me understand the Runes and Formations more quickly."

Geth nodded toward his friend. He could certainly see how spending time in this place could help one learn faster.

Blaze continued, "If you spend enough time in this place, it becomes permanent. I'm currently able to handle around twenty different thoughts at once.

If I try to go beyond that, one of my consciousnesses will lose the train of thought it was on." Blaze frowned a bit like he was unhappy with that fact.

"Consciousnesses?" Geth asked.

"I'm not really sure what else to call it. All of the thoughts are mine, but it's as if they are happening in different pockets of my mind."

Geth nodded again. He wasn't sure what a good term would be for it either.

Looking at the ground in the center of the homes, he could see a complex Formation leading towards the center. Some of the Runes were recognizable, but most were beyond his knowledge.

Stepping back inside the circle, he closed his eyes and focused on his Mana pool. The area around it began glowing and became brighter the closer he came to the temple.

Geth sat cross-legged on the ground and focused on the large Runes floating in his mind. His consciousness quickly entered the shimmering dome that he had become familiar with.

As his 'avatar' passed through the barrier, it split into multiple copies! He could see a dozen translucent versions of himself floating inside the dome!

The thoughts of the 12 different avatars assaulted him at once. At first, the information was jumbled and hard to understand.

Each avatar moved awkwardly as they tried to avoid running into one another. Some tumbled and fell as others awkwardly stood in place.

After many minutes of the comical scene, a few avatars found their footing. They soon began to confidently move about the dome.

There was still a mass of jumbled information, but three solid streams of thought made it through the mess. Geth dismissed six of the stumbling avatars, bringing the total to six.

The last three soon began to relax and find their confidence as well. Soon, six holographic images of himself were wandering around the dome.

Geth had never experienced anything like it! Soon, another consciousness added itself to the multitude of thoughts.

"This is a good opportunity for you."

One avatar turned its head to see an elderly man floating upside down beside him. He was grinning widely and had a long white beard that somehow stayed pointed towards his belly.

"That voice..." The avatar's eyes opened wide as he stared at the long-haired man. A pair of bright purple eyes stared back into his.

"Albus?!" Geth looked at the old man in astonishment.

"That's right. Bael mentioned that I would be able to join you once you could control your 'selves.' So, here I am!"

"So... you're here? Just like that?"

"Well, it was actually pretty simple. I already send my thoughts to you through this dome. 

I just needed to project one of my own consciousnesses here. When you stepped into this Formation, I gained the ability to single out my own thoughts as well."

Geth thought for a moment before asking, "Will it be permanent?"

"If we can make a smaller version of this Formation in our shared mental sphere, then it can be. Even without drawing it ourselves, a Skill should develop naturally over time if we stay here," Albus replied.

He nodded in response before glancing at the burly old man again. Albus reminded him of a monk who liked to work out too much.

He was dressed in a purple robe that clung tightly to his large muscles. The man was completely bald, aside from his long white beard.

Remarkably few wrinkles were etched on his face, mostly laugh lines around his squinted, purple eyes. If Geth had to guess, he would say that the man was Chinese.

The most compelling feature of the man was the purple crystal embedded in the center of his forehead.. It looked exactly like that on the middle of his Grimoire cover.