Pouring mana into the core was a slow process as well, but one that was many times easier compared to the mixing of auras and getting the core to recognize you as a friendly being.
There was no more need for Reign and Aethion to control the aura and not let it mix with the core's aura for long, they just had to keep it stable so that the mana could travel through it and go inside the core, slowly but surely filling it up, replacing the original mana that was inside of it.
Part of the mana that Reign was pouring inside the core was being expelled out of the core, adding to the aura around it in the form of gas, but it was just a small portion, nothing too big.
Most of the gas being expelled out of the core was the original mana that was inside of it, and as long as Reign didn't pour his mana in too fast and allowed the original mana enough time to be expelled and then scatter in the air around them as gas, then the core would not find anything wrong with the entire process.
As the minutes ticked by, the core began to glow faintly, a sign that it was accepting Reign's mana. The process continued for hours, each moment filled with tension as Reign worked tirelessly to complete his task.
Wolf and Shadow had come behind Reign a couple of times and poured their mana in him in order to replenish the mana he had used up. After all, to almost completely fill the core with mana would take a lot of it, and even Reign didn't have enough to do it without stopping.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the core began to emit a soft hum, a sign that it was almost fully charged with Reign's mana. With a final surge of effort, Reign withdrew his aura and mana, stepping back from the core.
"It's done," Aethion said, a note of relief in his voice. "The core now recognizes you as a friendly being."
"It's almost fully charged with your mana, and this will last for several hours, which means that you and the others have more than enough time to go to the desert, make your way through the underground area, and then wait in front of the base until Elijah does his part and sends the 'gift'."
Reign and the others nodded in agreement, ready to proceed forward with the plan, which would be the most dangerous part of the plan, as well as the final one.
"You did good, Reign," Aethion told Reign with a calm voice.
Reign nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over him. He had completed the most crucial part of their mission, and now they could proceed with the next phase.
That made things incredibly simple for Elijah who could just act as if he was one of the hooded men and go inside the base before throwing in the 'gift' through the portal.
The others would monitor him from outside, and the instant he threw the 'gift', they would initiate an attack.
There were plenty of people in the base who were innocent and had nothing to do with any attacks or the spread of corruption. Only those who showed talent and strength would be allowed to learn more about what the faction was about, and if they ended up not taking the news well, then depending on the situation, they would either have the memory of that erased, or they would be eliminated.
Thanks to that, the groups waiting outside of the side base would have to be a bit careful. They couldn't just indiscriminately slaughter everybody in the base, like Reign and the others had done when attacking the Wardens, and had to attack the guards, but still be aware of their surroundings in case somebody from the base tried to attack them as well.
Reign, Wolf, and Shadow nodded at Elijah who nodded back before they started walking back to the Verdant Jungle. In all honesty, it was not walking back, but running back with full speed.
They indeed had many hours before the mana that Reign had poured into the core would no longer be enough for the core to recognize them as members of the enemy faction, and even though they were supposed to have more than enough time, they didn't wish to risk anything and were hurrying back to get to the portal in the jungle.
The others were waiting for them in the desert, to be more specific, they were waiting for them in the tent where Ivan and the other leaders of the mercenary group were present.
They would meet up with them, create the barrier again, and then go down inside the underground of the desert and attack the enemy base.
The sprint back took them about 40 minutes, and that was mostly thanks to Gabriel who knew of the plan and had placed the behemoth near the border of the jungle so that it could accompany them back to the portal and keep the monsters of the jungle away.
Upon reaching the portal and going to the desert, Reign and Shadow quickly created a barrier around themselves and started walking toward the mercenary camp. They also looked around the area, keeping an eye on any enemy combatant who might be walking around or was spying on the camp, but they didn't manage to notice a single person.
They even made their way to the rock where the hooded man had previously lied and observed the mercenaries, but again, they didn't manage to notice anything out of the ordinary.
The man was gone, the runic formation was gone, and the camp seemed to no longer be under observation, but they knew better than to believe that. They had to be careful.
Upon entering the tent, Ivan and the other mercenary leaders joined them, the barrier making them all invisible as they walked out of the tent and started walking toward the entrance to the underground area they had visited previously.