"Master should arrive soon, Young Mistress," Auto-one informed Cyneah after detecting a slight change in the magic fluctuation in the air.
Cyneah, her curiosity piqued, tilted her head slightly in Auto-one's direction and asked, "Have you confirmed it with that powerful presence in the tower?"
Auto-one shook his head, "No, Young Mistress. I can only communicate in the tower's central memory bank but not directly with the Tower. However, the shift in the air's magic fluctuation is similar to someone about to open a portal."
"I'm surprised you can detect such things," Cyneah commented in surprise.
"I may be bound to my master, but I am also one of the tower's custodians. This connection allows me to sense even the slightest changes in magic fluctuations in the air within the tower. However, my abilities are limited. There are certain types of magic or array that elude my senses," Auto-one explained patiently.
"Is that so? I'm sorry. My knowledge in Array and Puppetry is limited, so I have no idea what kind of abilities and specialties you may possess," Cyneah said with an apologetic smile.
"It is alright, Young Mistress," Aki assured Cyneah. "Puppets have different capabilities and specialties that are dependent on their programming. And upon awakening their sentient, their analytical and critical thinking will improve.
"But a puppet awakening a sentient is still different from an automaton. Since their internal design and external frames are far more elaborated, they may possess innate abilities that are depended on the materials for their body.
"Auto-one's sensitivity to the magic fluctation in the air within the tower has something to do with him being able to resonate with the tower. He is likely created using the same materials as the tower."
Auto-one chuckled, "You don't have to speak as if you are any different from me."
"I am," Aki replied with a wry smile. "My original body was an enhanced puppet created by our master. It was far from being an automaton. As for the body I am currently using, it is an automaton that the Dragon Clan discovered in this tower, which the Dragon Emperor generously allowed me to use to ensure the Young Mistress's safety."
"I agree to his decision," Auto-one nodded. "If you have not transferred into an automaton, even with the master's mastery in Puppetry, allowing him to create a far more sophisticated puppet compared to others, you would not have lasted."
"The Dragon Clan managed to adjust the automaton to attract Draconic magic energy, allowing it to wear it like armor of some sort, but unfortunately, that is all it could do," Aki sighed. "My aura and presence are similar to dragons, but since my energy core cannot specifically absorb Draconic magic energy, I cannot use it."
"Master will be able to adjust that."
"Yes. I am actually looking forward to it."
Cyneah, who ended up becoming a spectator to their conversation, laughed softly and said, "You two sure have a lot of faith in Kyran."
"We do, and it has nothing to do with us being his subjects."
Cyneah only smiled in return.
Seeing her somewhat melancholic expression, Aki could not help but say, "You don't seem to agree with us."
"It's not that I don't," Cyneah answered, shaking her head slightly. "It's just that... I believe he can accomplish anything, but I..." Her brows furrowed slightly as uneasiness started to creep into her heart.
"I've spoken to the Tower," he told them without bothering to ask how they were. Not when he could clearly see how hospitable Kairos had been to them, given the food and good scenery he prepared for them. "And received answers to most of my questions."
Cyneah looked at him worriedly after hearing the distress in his voice. She also sensed his unwillingness to tell them anything, so even if she wanted to know what he had learned, she refrained from asking.
"Most questions, Master?" Aki repeated, unsure how to react. He had hoped everything would become clear to their master after meeting the tower's will, but apparently, that was a tall wish.
"Yes," Kyran nodded before heaving a sigh. "Because there are still a few points that we could only speculate at this point. In any case, I won't be able to get anything from the Tower anymore. It's time to head back."
"Head back? But Master, the tower's challenges have yet to conclude. It will be a waste to return now," Auto-one reminded. "Why not take this chance to take full control of it and retrieve it."
Cyneah did a double take after hearing Auto-one's statement and blurted, "W-Wait. What do you mean retrieve it?"
She asked this question not because she did not understand Auto-one. On the contrary, she did, which was why she was dumbfounded.
Kyran sighed in exasperation.
What Auto-one said had been conveyed by Kairos as well. The older man initially offered to transport Kyran to the heart of the tower so he could take full control of it, but he refused. While the Tower of the Ancients offered a lot of knowledge and treasures that would be helpful to Kyran and his people, he found possessing it too troublesome.
Besides, Kairos confirmed that even if Kyran indeed retrieved the whole tower, it did not mean he did not have to participate in the challenges in order to receive knowledge or treasures. If he wanted to be enlightened, he had to overcome the challenges. As for the treasures, he would know where they were, but making the treasures submit was a different story.
Moreover, Kyran was concerned about the fates of the Ancients still hiding inside the tower. If he retrieved the tower and took it out of the space it had fallen to, what would happen to their time?
Kairos said that as long as they stayed inside the tower, they would continue to exist. But what if the space where the tower had fallen was the reason their time was frozen? If the tower was removed from the space, their time might start to move once more, and all of them would vanish.
Kyran did not really care what happened to them, but he would not purposely do something that would harm them.
"The Tower told me I can take the whole tower if I want to," Kyran admitted. "I declined."
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"Please reconsider, Master!"
Aki and Auto-one blurted in unison.
"The tower might have become accessible for some time now, and some of the clans that participated upon its opening gained a lot of knowledge and treasures, but the items taken barely scratch the surface of everything inside," Auto-one added. "Once you take the tower, you may enter it any time and gain knowledge and its treasures when you want to."
"I know. But—."
"If that's true, then the others can also try to enter and improve their levels and knowledge..." Cyneah also voiced her agreement.