"Yes, as you know, the only place on Earth that isn't afraid of offending Emberweave is the Qing Empire. Others may claim they aren't afraid, but they would think three times before doing anything that harms Emberweave's interests," one of the mages said, his voice tinged with disdain.
"Hmph!" Another snorted. "Of course they would. Who wouldn't? If you're so brave, why don't you take off your mask and show us who you are?"
"You—"
"Silence!" a voice of authority interrupted. It wasn't loud, but the calm tone carried undeniable command.
"Enough bickering! We're here because of our shared interests, not to quarrel," said another masked figure, his voice laden with authority. He wore a carnival mask, concealing all identifying features, as his entire body was covered in robes.
The room fell silent, and the mages seemed to hold this figure in high regard.
"Now, we need to confirm what this fruit is and where it's located. We are all mages, and some among us specialize in cultivating magical plants. If we obtain this fruit, it's possible we could grow more. And if not, we can at least share its power among ourselves," the one in the carnival mask continued.
The others, upon hearing this, sneered internally. Sharing? It was the most ridiculous statement they had ever heard. In mage society, there was no such thing as sharing—only monopolies and the distribution of benefits. Sharing was a laughable concept in this world.
One might ask, what's the difference between sharing and the distribution of benefits? Yes, there is a difference.
Sharing can occur when resources are scarce and typically happens among equals.
The distribution of benefits, on the other hand, only takes place when resources are abundant, ensuring that they can be spread around. The people within the circle are satisfied with their share. Usually, this distribution flows from the top down. Once those at the top are satisfied, only then do the lower ranks receive their portion.
That is the difference.
At that moment, the figure in the carnival mask spoke. "Deploy spies and your people to find out exactly what the fruit is and its location. Moreover, establish a secret base in New Atlantis to serve as a meeting point, and create multiple bases in case one is discovered. The meeting is adjourned."
With this decree from the carnival mask, the mages silently accepted it and went their separate ways.
— Meanwhile - New Atlantis —
Daniel stood in front of his house, currently undergoing extensive reconstruction and upgrades. He had replaced the entire structure with true adamantine—adamantine mined from its natural source, not transmuted through alchemy. Additionally, he had installed several high-powered magical shields to defend against any potential future attacks.
In front of him, millions of metal scarabs and hundreds of construction drones worked tirelessly, rebuilding and upgrading his house from the ground up. Sparks flew intermittently from welding and melding tools as the drones supplied materials, while the metal scarabs meticulously assembled them at a nanoscale.
"Prime, simulate a full-power shot from the God Slayer Cannon at 100% capacity and check if our Aegis Shield system can withstand it," Daniel commanded, speaking into the console on his wrist.
"One moment, sir," Nexus Prime responded, then paused. A holographic simulation appeared on Daniel's wrist console. "Based on calculations, the current energy reserves can endure up to 10 seconds of a concentrated beam from the God Slayer Cannon. That's quite impressive, sir."
"It's not enough... I need the shield to hold for at least an hour under concentrated fire from the God Slayer Cannon," Daniel replied.
"But, sir... the God Slayer Cannon's barrel can only safely handle 8 seconds of concentrated fire at 100% power. The fact that the shield can withstand 10 seconds is already remarkable," Nexus Prime pointed out.
—
First, Daniel used the power of Perfect Imitation to enchant himself, then actualized The Atlantis Heart into his hand. The power converged, gathering until a large chromatic gemstone, the size of an adult's head, materialized in his grasp, with its perfect imitation appearing in his other hand.
"Scan this and recalculate," Daniel instructed.
"Yes, sir," Nexus Prime responded, pausing as it recalculated and displayed the simulation. "If we use this as a fuel source, based on calculations, we would need at least four of them to power the shield. However, one of these jewels could power half of North America. Is it worth using this as the shield's energy source?" Nexus Prime asked.
"Worth it? Yes. Efficient? Absolutely not. During normal operations, we won't rely on it. Also, this jewel can generate unlimited power as long as it has a downtime of one hour after each cycle," Daniel explained, then added, "Help me design a generator that can harness this."
"Yes, Master," the A.I. replied, then began to help its master design the new type of generator that can fully utilize the power within this large jewel.
— Brazil - Rio de Janeiro —
Envy walked in front of the large estate on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. She had arrived after an hour-long walk from the landing site of the VTOL. Beside her was Wilkins, the butler, or rather Nexus Prime's avatar in the form of an old butler, standing ready to serve.
Envy approached the large wooden door at the estate's entrance and addressed the guard, a hooligan-like figure in an aloha shirt and sunglasses. He was scrolling through his phone while lazily holding a cheap cigarette in his other hand.
"Is Ms. Silva Encantada home?" Envy asked the guard in Portuguese.
Hearing Envy's enchanting voice, the guard stopped scrolling and turned toward her, captivated by her smile.
"Oh... Ahem..." The guard quickly tidied himself, trying to look more presentable in the small mirror before turning back to her. He lowered his voice, attempting to sound more suave.
"Ahem... er... Miss, Ms. Encantada might not be available, and she may not even be inside. I'm just a simple guard, I don't know her schedule... But, you know what?
My heart's schedule is free, and it looks like you've walked right into it. May I know your name?" the guard asked flirtatiously.
Envy let out a wry smile, feeling secondhand embarrassment. That was so cringe, it made her hair stand on end. "Er... okay, so... is she here or not?" Envy asked, doing her best to stay polite. The guard was just an ordinary person, and if he'd been a mage, she might've already taught him why the flowers are so red.
"Here comes another reason for me to consider eradicating useless primates," Wilkins, or rather Nexus Prime, muttered under his breath.
"Ahem... Wilkins?" Envy faked a cough, pulling her butler out of his thoughts about eradicating humanity.
"Yes, Lady Envy, allow me to handle this," Wilkins replied in his usual British accent as he walked toward the guard.
"Pardon me, sir, but I believe you dropped this." Wilkins held up three banknotes, each worth 100 US dollars.
"Oh! Thank you, Mr. Butler! I must have dropped them somewhere," the guard said quickly, pocketing the money before taking a long drag from his cigarette. "Ms. Encantada isn't home.
I have no idea where she is," he added.