As the thruster powered down and the testing enclosure systematically cycled back to its default standby configuration, Keon retracted his focus. Comprehensive data sets from the burn... including detailed thermal coefficients, magnetic containment dynamics, and structural propellant efficiency... were instantaneously archived and synchronized into the global planetary network. There was no logistical reason to replicate the physical test; his neural nexus had already mapped the exact material stress points, proving he had reached the thermodynamic ceiling of his current fabrication tier.
‘The limitation isn't the propulsion design,’ he concluded, his internal processing matrices actively structuring the next series of design optimizations. ‘It is the heat-dissipation rate and the structural limit of the combustion chamber.’
He stood motionless in the sterile silence of the testing facility, his Bio Exoshell sensors registering the residual heat signature of the plasma. The thruster test... a critical milestone for his deep-space mobility... was complete. He issued a final automated protocol to clear the fuel paths and secure the bay. The floor panels slid back into alignment, the primary fuel line uncoupled, and the spheroid thruster lowered back into the sub-floor before disappearing beneath a seamless, metallic protective seal.
With the chamber secure, his focus shifted to the temporal constraints of his reality. He glanced at the holographic projection of the remaining time in the lower corner of his field of vision. 75:12:49 EST.
‘Seventy-five hours remaining until the end of phase 5,’ he calculated, his internal processing speed accelerating as he cross-referenced the remaining tasks. ‘I have completed the primary objectives of Phase 5, but the upcoming Phase 6 of competition remains an uncalculated variable. I have to prepare myself fully or a single misstep will cause a disaster. Anyway, I have almost prepared myself, next just the experimentation and review of nuclear fusion and runes are remaining.’
He reviewed his internal queue. He had successfully implemented the basic structure of nuclear fission, but he needed to perform a final review of the output stability. Also complete the nuclear fusion experiment to ensure the energy grid could handle the surge of the next phase. Additionally, the rune knowledge provided by Trosso... the only advantage he had to bridge the gap between his technological path and the magical theory he was currently reverse-engineering... remained largely untapped.
‘I have to hurry,’ Keon thought, his gaze deepening as he prioritized the next steps of his tactical plan.
Just as he was about to execute the command to initiate the reactor diagnostic, a sharp chime disrupted his concentration. A notification materialized in his field of view, glowing with the distinct signature of Universe 5757.
[Universe 5757]
“Hello, How are you doing? Thank you very much Keon, because of your support I have successfully conquered the dark continent. Here are some tokens of gratitudes please accept them. Although few of them are cursed items, I know you can manage them.”
Keon parsed the message from Trosso. Moments later, a secondary system alert chimed.
[Universe 5757 has initiated an exchange request.]
Keon opened the link. A list of items consigned by Trosso appeared, tagged for a minor transaction of quartz crystals. With a simple mental command, he accepted the deal. He did not hesitate as he had already explicitly reminded Trosso to avoid space rings or magic pouches after the catastrophic containment breach years ago, so he expected a direct, open-air deposit.
A section of the control room floor rose with a quiet hiss, revealing a heap of shimmering quartz crystals, which promptly dissolved as the exchange finalized. In their place, resting on the platform, were five distinct magic based items from Trosso civilization.
Keon stepped forward, his Material Recognition Talent flaring to life. His optical lenses zoomed in, cataloging the items. The next moment his pupils brightened.
Resting prominently among the objects was a dim, glowing orange crystal, ‘A Tier 4 magic crystal, very good. I almost exhausted all those magic plants to create one orange crystal in these ten years, yet I received another one so easily.’ He thought to himself musingly and then shifted his attention to the other four items: two leather-bound books labeled “Compass of Dark Magic” and “Advanced Magic Runes Guide.”
‘Looks like I am really lucky, anything I lack appears in front of me on its own.’ he mused, the value of the runic guide alone being immediately apparent.
He turned his focus to the final two objects. His Material Recognition Talent provided a detailed breakdown. One was a cursed long staff, crafted from twisted, gnarled vines with a dark, round magic orb attached to its surface. His scan registered a hundred percent compatibility with dark magic attributes and a fifty percent compatibility with other elemental attributes.
‘Soon the curse will fade away from it because of the difference in rule of this universe, then it will reveal its true appearance and compatibility. Anyway, magic staffs are useless items for me.’ He noted with clinical interest that the curse was clearly in a state of decay. Just like the other cursed items he received from Trosso before; the staff was gradually returning to its original appearance.
Finally, his gaze locked onto the fifth object, and for a fleeting millisecond, Keon’s internal logic circuits stalled and his sensor froze on this item.
It was a fist-sized seed, its surface blackened and wrinkled, resembling a withered, charcoal-coated peach.
‘Cursed Magic Seed! This is definitely the seed of a legendary magic tree.’
The information flooded his nexus, triggering a cascade of data retrieval from the books Trosso had previously provided. Keon immediately once again reviewed the information about magic species, plants and trees provided by Trosso.
‘I guessed right, this is indeed a seed of a legendary magic tree.’ Keon thought as excitement spread through his heart and visible through his green sensory pupils.
A Magic Tree seed. In Trosso’s civilization, these trees were near-legends, one of the fundamental sources of magic ether. Although it is lower in rank then elemental tree, nature tree, life tree and mythical world tree which can easily give birth to Tier 6, Tier 7, Tier 8 and Tier 9 races.
Still magic trees were famously difficult to identify, and their existence was often relegated to legend. They bore fruits capable of granting the unique magic attributes. Most crucially, a magic tree is one in a million trees. They possess a specific, adaptive property: if harvested improperly, or if the tree was cut down without knowledge of its evolution, it simply reverted to ordinary wood and tree.
Keon stared at the seed. It was a potentially almost infinite generator for ether, which can easily grant his UHS1 magic it lacks… a resource he desperately needed to bridge the gap between his technological path and the runic experiments.
‘Will this seed ripen in the environment of UHS1?’ he pondered, his gaze becoming solemn as he recalled the risk factors. ‘What if it isn’t compatible? Should I confine it and avoid it having any contact with the atmosphere of my world until I can confirm?’
He hesitated, his gaze lingering on the seed, observing its dark cursed surface. The curse on it is fading slowly as if it has lost its source. Probably the being who put a curse on these items can’t reach his universe.
‘The prospect of generating massive magical energy within my own UHS1 atmosphere is really enticing, yet the risk can’t be ignored.’ Keon thought as he stood in the silence of the testing room, the seed resting silently before him, weighing the immense reward against the potential for a catastrophic failure.
…
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