From a weird dark grey with flowing specks of white sphere, Rune thought about filling a mastery slot.

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Invisible Nebula Element?

The weird sphere of element wasn’t just weird, it was a failed monolith element, and the spectators with a perception sphere reaching to the central small park were able to tell their perception got strange when it tried to scan this sphere.

‘That’s sort of a good conclusion?’

Rune had spent the last 4 hours not training, but simulating his own element creation. Dissociating the 4 elements and fusing their results had been taxing and long, but he had succeeded.

Now that it was over, he authorized the leveling notifications to get displayed.

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Mist Element reached Tier 2 Level 9

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Light Element reached Tier 2 Level 19

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Darkness Element reached Tier 2 Level 11

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Nebula Element reached Tier 2 Level 5

He felt a little spent from these intense 4 hours, so he gleefully took to his 10 hours free-time period after dispersing the invisible nebula element sphere.

And as he was used to, his friends were just discussing actuality subjects he was mildly interested in, and that was already a feat to interest him.

“...Problems have been brought up after so many people started coming back, like the transportation subject. I went to a conference not long ago and while parallel development is nearly certain, they’re still fighting for the budget,” Gar was finishing a sentence and he seemed to have vested interests in it.

“The one about teleportation beacons, roads, ships, and whatnot?” Utopia was always interested in everything.

“Some are really pushing to establish a working teleportation network, but the opinion of the majority is to leave that to the private sphere and create a competitive market. Roads are the most neutral subject ever seriously, no one is fighting for it and no one is arguing against it…”

More interested than a few seconds ago, he joined the conversation held by Utopia and Gar, “What made this subject rise up? Why are you talking about it? Just curious.”

“Simply because a freelance madman tier 4 energy builder finished getting his path, created a construct, recruited 10 all-in momentum guys for them to make his ‘skyship’ the first ever in the IGS going at more than a kilometer per second capable of mass transportation, and is receiving big-money,” the economic aspect of the subject was explained by Gar.

“And also because he took the commercial variant of the energy builder path, the loss ratio of transmitted momentum is 90% and ten people connected, but it will soon become better, like, much better… So you know the maths right?” Utopia explained the etherly reason behind it.

“Ok, so he’s a cool guy but for other people, he’s been a little too fast at getting there so he caught all the wind? Something like that?” And Rune completed what was left unsaid.

“Exactly, companies vying for transportation business aren’t in the minority, at all in fact, and start-ups aren’t to be ignored, and from what I saw, a teleportation network was probably planned long ago by big consortiums, the conference was really frantic you know!”

“But to pierce through tier 2 ether density, they need a leading tier 4 space beacon specialist and lots of tier 3 providing energy to a special energy building to sustain it, it’s just too chaotic for me to see more than one or two companies being ready to deploy operational space beacons…”

They weren’t concerned by it, but Utopia and Rune looked like children listening to a bed story, raptly enjoying every word coming out of Gar’s mouth.

It was fascinating to hear about something like that being developed and talked about just next to them, the leaders deciding such things were probably all here in the capital city, maybe even in the same sector.

“I’m not the only one to find a tier 2 teleportation network… Lackluster? Well, it’s still a week of travel off if they’re established at the border to tier 3, that’s better than nothing,” Rune asked, to be sure.

“For us, yeah, but their target isn’t the adventurers, it's the general mass market. If our training park is in the area of a teleportation beacon, even a bit far for it, it would be a plus.”

“I respect their attempt but for me, it’s utterly useless, energy constructs are just too competitive, just think about organizing an expedition and being able to transport fifty people at more than thrice the speed of an all-in momentum peak tier 3!”

Utopia the dreamer appeared in their midst, he didn’t lose this personality trait even after years.

“I know more because I studied this subject back before we came to the Endless, and transportation constructs made by specialized energy builders are…”

Politely and discreetly, Rune backed off and returned to his corner. He got fine food for thought but he wanted some entertainment.

…

Testing an experimental training during his free-time, Rune used the mystic element to transform everything he had, from his skin taking on a strange shine, his shirt and short becoming yellow-ish, his eye accessories switching to the same color, and his aura emanating a massive amount of mystic element surrounding him.

What interested him in the mystic element was its property to exist in harmony with other elements.

It didn’t hide itself, didn’t interfere with the physical or energy realm, and was perfectly transparent to all.

His goal in covering himself and his surroundings with it was to get to know this element that he confirmed he wanted in the end.

If the composite element discipline didn’t exist, the mystic element would have been a very likely candidate if one day he decided to get an element.

It was because it didn’t hide, it assimilated with the environment.

Sometimes, he switched his intent accessories to light elements with blinding property and reinforced this aspect with an intent to fight the precise perception-dampening property with his perception, the objective being of course to refine his blinding intent before he got his complete composite element.

Discovering and correcting things he didn’t think about before was something he somehow liked doing during his free time, it wasn’t training, it was a hobby.

After he tried to do the same with the mystic element, he scientifically approached the why it confused monsters and sapients alike without a perception-dampening property, and after some tens of sessions, he learned to love the way it worked.

He even began to consider changing his mist foundation into a dual mist and mystic foundation, but like other ideas, he needed to test everything, and adding this idea to the list didn’t change anything to the process.

He would do it sooner rather than later anyway as he would soon start making a true attempt with 6 elements.

Mystic elements everywhere within and without, he created a nature intent and infused it to make this property more active than the rest and observed how the mystic elements started to appear and disappear, flickering between integrating with the ambient ether and remaining visible.

Then he executed an elemental dissociation and cut the mystic elements’ properties that kept it from integrating completely.

2 minutes later, Rune could still feel the mystic element but it switched from a cloud of yellow-ish energy to a haze of shimmering air.

‘If only… It was that easy.’

Focusing more, he saw the unstable mystic elements composing his clothes, his accessories, and his aura. He even started to see what was in each property, so he tried to warp things around.

Advanced elemental dissociation-level cuts were slower but more precise, and Rune had reached peak advanced proficiency after 6 months of continued dedication.

On the verge of becoming an expert, he really felt he should be able to butcher his way through to warping the assimilating property of the mystic element.

Less than a thread’s width, he incised what he knew and saw to be what gave the assimilated element its haze.

The cut happened in an instant, and while he succeeded, he took a quarter of what he didn’t want to take with it.

40 cuts later, he only achieved what he wanted 2 times, and 100 cuts later, he ended up with all his aura reduced to a small sphere completely integrated with the ambient ether.

Yet, this sphere was just too unstable and dispersed 30 seconds later.

‘Let’s sleep and start then, it’s going to be hectic.’

He sent a message to Aleda and went to sleep, the seventh month would be the month where he began his element formation.

And it was accompanied by tens of elements to test.

…

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

“3, they’re all ‘to be named element’, but I can only see a very slight difference between the 3.”

“Use them, get more than a feel for them, modify them and strip them of things that don’t feel right, name them too to make sure you find them again.”

“Let’s go with Rune1, Rune2, and Rune3, it’s possible right?”

“Yeah, I personally lost count of the number of stupid names I gave my TBNE.”

Naming them, the window changed but Rune was not going to accept any anyway and dismissed them all.

Manipulating 3 spheres of Rune1 element, he studied their comportment, behavior, interactions with different senses, and checked a list he made prior to starting this serious attempt.

Aleda herself, Star Head, and tens of assistants from the composite element research faculty were also observing the 3 groups of spheres and studying them alongside him.

‘The mystic element property I wanted was properly fused. I can feel some effects on my vision and feel like there’s nothing in front of me… But the nebula element dampening is missing interactions with the rest, I failed that part…’

4 spheres of Rune2 element were next, then 3 spheres of Rune3 element.

With 6 elements and having only reached the threshold to expert-level element creation, the one he needed, he only had to steer himself following those 3 elements and take the next step after observing them.

If for him those 3 tries represented the best version he could make of his element, then he could take other elements to try things with, if it wasn’t what he wanted, then he had to revise how he fused and dissociated the involved elements.

“Everything is to be redone, Rune1 has a very good mystic fusion, Rune2 has the foundation I wanted, but that’s all, Rune3 has the nebula dampening property I didn’t find in the 2 others, but I don’t know why,” he gave his conclusion.

“Then repeat! Repeat! Repeat!” Passionate Aleda had continued to support him over more than 6 months now, so as long as he was concerned, he gave her a friend’s trust and started another attempt.

Leaving the 10 spheres behind, he created 6 spheres of mist, light, darkness, nebula, mystic, and illusion, and got to work.

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Rune2 Element?

“A new one popped, I tried to fuse my best mist foundation with the nebula property, a try failed and I got a Rune2 again…”

Studying the Rune4 element was more succinct than an hour ago as he already got all the criteria and adapted to what he saw in the last 3 tries.

And when it was over.

“Repeat! Repeat!”

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

“3 new elements, I intended for only 2,” he admitted.

Continuing like this, Rune did 10 sessions, and he never concluded that what he created was what he wanted.

He tried stripping offensive properties, but something got wrong and it wasn’t a concealable element anymore.

He stripped defensive properties, but the fusing stage went wrong as the elements couldn’t interact peacefully for over 10 seconds.

Interaction properties to get them to be simple elements doing their jobs without a goal, it started to react with the ambient ether.

Behavior properties to make the end result without any possibility of retaliating, only for the opposite to happen.

Then the user protection properties, who, for some reason, changed the element's behavior completely and made more instabilities than ever appear everywhere.

Aleda and Star Head kept writing things down and dissociated some of his results, sometimes saying it was as horribly fascinating as it was unplanned.

Being so into it, however, Rune was bound to have moderate success, and it happened on the 14th try.

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized RuneDuo4 Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

*Ding* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized TBNE Element?

“Dual mist and mystic foundation doesn’t readily accept change confirmed, it stabilized itself back to the same 4th version I just did even after the slight but visual change I did, 2 unknown, and this one…”

He brought 1 sphere of black mist sparced with white specks before him.

“This one seems right. Just right.”

Aleda stepped out and started to observe the sphere from close, followed by Star Head.

Separating a speck from it, Rune used it to test that all the properties were present, blinding, assimilation, natural, sound and vibration absorption, neutral every time… And it checked all the boxes.

This element was capable of showing all the perception-dampening properties present in the 6 elements he had, didn’t exhibit any defensive, offensive, supporting, or anything close to physical and energy interaction properties, and he was fully affected by it.

“Yes, it effectively looks like your current description of what you want your element to be, at least what you can accomplish with 6 elements,” Aleda concluded similarly.

“Agreed, it’s extremely broad, there are still some minor properties you could strip and optimize to gain more space to add 2 elements’ properties if you had kept the user protection properties, and even the slightest potential for interaction, offensive, and defensive, I think it would be close to complete even after complete optimization,” Star Head also concluded the same.

“Sigh… Finally… Then I’ll name it Rune6E1, for the first working 6 elements composite creation.”

Concluding a more than 24 hours session, he felt like doing something different urgently, something that didn’t involve sociality and etherly matter.

And he had a place in mind for that.

“Everyone! The session is finished, send me a report detailing…”

In her role as a research faculty leader, Aleda ordered the dozens of assistants present. Rune didn’t know why but as he wasn’t concerned he didn’t question it, he would be indifferent even if he was concerned anyway, they were lucky to receive homework from the composite element goddess.

“I’ll be on my way, same as this time, I’ll send a message when I’m ready to make serious attempts with 8 elements, the weekly meetings are maintained right?”

Before departing, he clarified the situation.

“Yes, continue finding good restaurants and I’ll continue giving you the advice you don’t need any more cause we already said everything, until next time,” having become friends, she wasn’t as awkward as the first few times they met and unhesitatingly said that,

“Have a good rest Mr. Tudor,” Star Head beamed, the quantity of data may be making him happy.

…

Reaching the Secluded Corner, the night cycle had only just started so he had all the time needed to properly enjoy himself.

‘Nearly no one’s here… Is he singing?’

With his perception, it was easy to see there were only 3 customers currently inside, with one of them softly humming, and it didn’t change when he opened the door and entered.

The jazz music background was accompanied by someone humming the general rhythm and infusing a relaxing and decrepit intent into his grave voice.

His, because he was an old human with a grizzled appearance but clean clothes.

It wasn’t rare to see old people, the Ether Law guaranteed centuries of life for a tier 3, but before gaining an eternally young appearance, the body had to pass through its senescence stage and realize it was ageless.

In the next 70 to 80 or so years, Rune would continue aging and finally enter the senescence stage too, experiencing everything old age brought to life, only to one day wake up with a body that transformed into its prime version.

‘It’s so far…’

Directing his glance to the shelf, he ordered a random combination and went to sit at the counter. To celebrate the occasion he also ordered an appetizer he had never tested before and saw Karayan starting to cook it in the back kitchen.

When Lenya served his drink, he finally started to think about what was coming, his element choice to test.

‘Chaos, void, space, signal, change, shadow, emptiness, smoke, truth, cloud, radiation, ash, nature, chameleon…’

He had too many of them.

Then the few still-hot thoughts present in his mind.

‘Illusion is maybe a bad choice, after I neutered it completely, only a specter of the property I wanted remains. Something is missing to the mystic element property of assimilating with the ambient ether. I need a way to widen even more the nebula property to affect everything, needs lots of testing. Must find a way to reduce the mist element effect on…’

He also had lots of them.

Sitting there for 6 hours, he sorted what he could, but inevitably he came back to the fact that he couldn’t find all the answers just by thinking.

At least he got 3 elements he would start with.

‘Nature element, to see if the illusion property is really as bad as I think it is or I’m just confirming my own bias.’

‘Chaos element to make sure the behavior of my element looks like true ambient ether, it also has interesting property-interfering properties for me to test.’

‘Emptiness element, to find if it can dissimulate my element better than what my other elements are already doing. Though my expectations are low for this one.’