Faust chuckled, approval for her candid answer sparkling in the depths of his dark eyes. He took out a tool that looked like a pen with a shiny obsidian knife point in place of a nib or felt tip. He scribbled on the cave walls, the knife tip cutting into stone as though it were tofu. Appealing patterns combining the elegant angles of motherboard circuits with the sweeping lines of a foreign language took shape in the roughly hewn rock.

By the time he finished the entire cave bore odd graffiti on every surface. Faust pressed his hand to a part of the pattern near the entrance and exhaled a turbid breath. Mana flowed from his inner Core through his fingertips and out to fill every gap and whorl of the engravings with purple light.

It took several minutes to fill each carving with mana. Li Mei watched with extreme interest while petting Bao’s neck, providing soothing comfort to the injured fera. Once the entire cave shone with purple light, some very extreme changes took place.

The floor became as polished and smooth as a mirror. Each of the walls bulged, distended, and warped like clay being molded by a bunch of giant, invisible hands. Originally an alcove expanded by Bao’s tenacious claw carving, the rough-hewn cave into a proper house of stone.

Windows opened to provide a view of the forest, covered by panes of solid transparent quartz to keep pests out. Stone walls shifted and moved away to create four rooms, complete with some pieces of furniture made from smooth rock left behind. A lavatory with a stone basin and toilet, a bathroom with a large stone tub, a study with a large stone desk and shelves in the walls. There was even a bedroom featuring two stone bed stands and a spacious closet. The original cave area expanded to become something like a living room, complete with a fireplace, shelves for supplies, long counter and stone benches. Most of the carvings left behind smooth walls with appealing striation patterns of glowing crystal and metal ore, except for a line of carvings around the entrance.

Dust, moss, and anything even slightly unwanted blew out of the cave in a whirling dervish of grit. Faust produced goods from thin air, further cementing Li Mei's realization that storage magic wasn't exactly a novel concept. Cushions for the benches, a chair for the desk, mattresses and covers for the beds. Curtains for the windows, clothes for the closet, small lamps containing glowing stones with shutters on the outside for dimming their light, assorted sundries for the bathroom and lavatory. A short fridge for perishables and a cooking stove were set next to the long counter to make a small kitchen.

Then Faust set some arrays in the toilet, bath, and wash basin to make them function properly. As the final touch he produced heavy curtains which he hung over each of the doors, including the entrance.

Bao coughed in surprise, while Li Mei slowly shut her gaping mouth. 'Wow. Magic is cool.'

"The medicine I gave you both will accelerate the healing process," Faust said as he swept away their pile of old bedding with a single hand. "But we still won't be able to properly train your combat ability for some time. I'll return tomorrow with supplies so we can begin your formal education. The array at the entrance will keep away pests and overly inquisitive creatures so you can rest easily."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by a hesitant question. "What's the 108?"

His entire body froze. For a moment Li Mei had the impression he'd turned into a solid sculpture. "Where did you hear that term?"

Faust's voice was calm, but the tension in his shoulders gave him away.

"From you. I was hiding under your desk in the study when you gave a report to somebody. You almost kicked me three times, you know! The words 108 and Section 13 stuck in my head for some reason, and I've been wondering about them ever since." Li Mei shrugged, the very picture of nonchalant relaxation.

If she volunteered information he would be less likely to dig into things she didn't want to answer, which meant she could avoid having to tell him about the Interface. As a slave, if he ordered her to explain the Enslavement Binding would compel the truth. The Interface was a cheat, her biggest secret, and one she didn't want to share with anybody!

And since her body made her a kid again she could get away with being audacious from time to time. Of course she was going to take full advantage of that.

"Why were you in my study?" Faust's shoulders relaxed, and he finally turned to glance at Li Mei with amusement in his dark eyes.

"Memorizing your books. I can't understand what's written in them, but someday I will." Another careful answer hiding actual truth behind a more vague version. Li Mei grinned a charming crooked smile, flashing her white eyeteeth. "You can teach me to read, yeah?"

"You can't read..." Faust looked shocked, appalled, and then angry. Finally it transitioned back to amusement. "You can't read, but you memorized the books?"

"I memorize anything I look at once." Li Mei puffed her chest out proudly. It was all the work of the Archive, but she wasn't shy about taking credit - especially when it gave her an excuse for the future! The more she explained early on in their acquaintance, the better. "I'm exceptionally clever."

"So it would seem... Section 13 was dedicated to genetic research and reclaiming the legacy of the Progenitors, and thus considered the most important section with the highest amount of funding. The 108 was one such legacy. Something went wrong during research, Section 13 was destroyed, information on the 108 was sealed away. There really isn't much to tell."

It was enough information to complete the Quest, but Li Mei frowned in dissatisfaction. Like coming home expecting a full dinner spread on the table only to find a microwaved plate of leftovers still cold in the middle, the answers felt hollow and anticlimactic. "But what are the Progenitors? Why are they so important? What exactly was the 108 other than just some legacy? What went wrong?"

Faust chuckled and waved a hand. "Do well in your studies and the answers may reveal themselves. Right now you wouldn't understand even if I explained."

He left without another word. Li Mei huffed angrily but couldn't do anything to stop him. She sighed and helped Bao onto one of the beds, ensuring he had a purple apple to snack on while she grabbed some clothes from the closet and went to test the authenticity of the bathtub.

Glorious hot water!

She stole a few showers while hiding in the manor, but they were quick and efficient for necessity's sake. Being able to soak, the greatest decadence! The tub was nearly big enough to tread water in, and had two taps - one for hot water, one for cold. Li Mei adjusted the temperature and submerged in water hot enough to melt away six months worth of stress and injuries.

The clothes fit well enough and were comfortable against her freshly scrubbed skin. She resisted the urge to indulge in a craving for a nice cup of tea, instead emptying out her storage and putting things away properly since Faust knew she took stuff anyway.

Cooking utensils, food, spare blankets, medical supplies, chemical mixtures, the rest of the enhancement serums... Their little cave was turning into quite the comfortable home.

"Oh?" Li Mei pulled out some little black boxes and the shiny silver keys used to open them.

Loot from Vigen's desk, she forgot all about those! Running for her life in a forest of death and monsters was a surprisingly effective distraction.

Without waiting any longer she popped each box open to Scan their contents.

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[First Merchant's Bank Token]

Can be exchanged at any First Merchant bank branch for an appropriate amount of currency. First Merchant is a large and influential bank with branches in many countries, so the token is unlikely to depreciate in value.

Value: 1000c

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[Currency]

The currency of Elysium is based on mana cores, abbreviated as 'c', crystallization of mana that can occur in living beings and objects alike. Such cores can be absorbed to increase one's own mana capacity or restore missing mana, so they're very valuable. The amount of mana inside the core determines its value.

In short, mana itself is currency.

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[Two-Color Mist Pearl] x10

Mist Pearls increase Mana Quality when consumed. The more colors on the pearl, the more potent the improvement. Nine-Color Mist Pearls are legendary treasures that have caused wars between nations. Two-Color Mist Pearls are common and modest by comparison.

Can only be used after one has passed their Mana Baptism. You have not.

Estimated Value: 100c each

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[Green Jade Data Chip]

Unable to determine contents or value at this time.

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[White Jade Data Chip]

Unable to determine contents or value at this time.

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[Black Jade Data Chip]

Unable to determine contents or value at this time.

-----

Not a bad haul for some little boxes she picked up on a whim, even if none of it was immediately usable. All books in her Archive were fully translated too! Li Mei rubbed her hands together in excitement. Stuff to read, valuable loot, and a teacher. Things were turning out pretty well all things considered.

"There are only 30 letters in the Patois alphabet. It's a dominant language on Elysium, people use it all over the world, and it was specifically created to be easily learned and understood. We're speaking Patois now, in fact.

"Write each letter a thousand times. What's that look for? Alright, use both hands at once. After you finish we'll start with each hand writing a different letter. No, it's not that difficult, watch. See? Now get started. You too, Bao. You don't need thumbs to carve a slab, now get to it."

"Each of the world's nine continents has unique ecologies and climates, being as different from each other as alien worlds. Only three continents are considered safe enough to be populated, the other six are wilderness regions with countless dangers.

"Read these three books about survival in the wilderness and summarize them in a twenty page essay by tomorrow evening. They're only 1000 pages each and you have a perfect memory, you don't get to sulk."

"Recite chapter 20 of The Alchemist's Creed by Nikolai Flammel. While writing an analysis on comparing the Double Dragon and Twin Serpent ingredient purifying techniques and their appropriate usage."

"Magic comes in two forms - Inner and Outer. Outer magic includes alchemy, enchantments, and arrays. It's magic that has a fixed result regardless of who uses it, as long as enough mana is funneled in a specific pattern.

"Inner magic can only be used by the person casting it, is shaped by many unknown variables into something known as a Gift, and requires a Mana Baptism and the formation of at least one Core.

"For example, someone who awakens a water Gift can use water magic without arrays or enchantments, but they can't teach it to someone else. It's an instinctive ability. in fact, even two people who both have water-type Gifts might not be able to learn much from each other, because how their Gift manifests and the individual's understanding of it will be so different.

"Developing your Gift has to be done by yourself, since you're the only one who can understand it, so I won't be teaching you Inner magic. We can do a Baptism later though to get you started. What's a Baptism? I flood your body with my refined mana and hope you don't die from it.

"No, I'm not joking."

"Eat each of these leaves. Yes, they're bitter. It's not a snack, Li Mei.

"Now, which one was poisonous and how can you tell?

"I already said it wasn't a snack!"

"Refining mana is the process of taking raw mana particles and pulling them into a Core. Inside the Core raw mana particles are processed, impurities removed until the mana is refined. Once it's refined it can be shaped into threads and nodes, which are used to create Circuits, or it can be used to fortify the Core.

"Fortifying a Core increases its capacity and refining efficiency, makes it less likely to collapse, and powers up the corresponding Gift. It can also repair damages, such as those resulting from having your mana too low. Technically you can use raw particles to power simple magic but it's more difficult and less efficient. Particles cannot be used to form or fortify Cores, though, there's too many impurities.

"Watch, this fireball uses particles. Barely felt it, right? Now this one uses the minimum amount of refined mana threads connecting nodes into a fireball Circuit. The difference - oh do stop whining, Li Mei, you're barely bleeding."

"Who in the world taught you to use a kitchen knife? Those vegetables aren't even edible anymore! This isn't a meal, it's a war zone! What a waste of nutrients!

"I'm coming back with three crates of vegetables, and you're going to peel them all blindfolded until you're familiar with a kitchen knife. Oh, are you upset about it? How do you think those poor vegetables feel! They worked so hard to grow and be delicious only to become casualties of war! Someone who went hungry as often as you have should appreciate food more, now do it again."

"Yes, you can have more than one Core. Each Core will come with a new Gift. But maintaining that much refined mana in your body is really difficult. I recommend focusing on one Core at a time.

"A Core needs to be constantly maintained and filled with mana or it will die - the bigger the Core, the stronger your magic, but the more mana it requires to function. And if a Core dies, you might die as it'll explode. In your body. Big mess. So naturally, more Cores bring more problems. If you have three and can't feed two, that's two explosions.

"What do you mean you don't want to learn magic anymore? Hold still, we're doing the Baptism before you change your-

"LI MEI, GET BACK HERE YOUNG LADY!"

"Now that you're spry enough to evade capture for ten whole minutes, excellent work by the way, it seems you're recovered enough to start proper training. And so we'll begin with the Baptism." Faust smiled like a cat watching a canary, his dark eyes narrowed into self-satisfied slits.

Li Mei shivered and tried harder to wiggle out of the ropes pinning her limbs. She dangled from a tree branch like a bagworm caterpillar a few dozen meters off the ground, her face slightly pink from hanging upside-down so long. As her guilty accomplice Bao also dangled some distance away, his limbs wrapped up in a complicated tangle of ropes far more sinister than Li Mei's plain cocoon.

She didn't appreciate Faust's brand of favoritism. Poor Bao looked ready to cry. He'd only just healed enough to move around without falling over every few meters, and he was already strung up in the trees.

"Do I really need a Baptism? I mean. You can just teach me to use particles and stuff for magic, right? Even if it's weaker, it's still possible, right?" Li Mei tried to negotiate for her life, cold sweat dripping down her temples. Her teacher, for his part, crouched on the branch above her and smiled even wider. His smile was cold, predatory, filled with sharp teeth and ill intentions.

"Magic is the only way to get strong enough to stand on your own in this world. Treasures to help increase your strength are found in the untamed wilderness, guarded by fearsome creatures beyond your imagining. The few bastions of civilization aren't entirely safe either, as there are monster tides, beast tides, demon tides... And yes, they're all different things with different kinds of danger. If you want to survive in this world you have to be strong, or else you're just cannon fodder."

Li Mei glanced down (up?), where a pack of black-bellied saurus scavengers were attracted by the commotion and waiting to see if she'd fall into a pile of delicious mush for them. Everything in the Interface claimed Elysium was a dangerous world and was geared toward making her stronger as well. She didn't trust Faust in the least, but she could make use of his experience and knowledge until she was capable enough to escape his grasp for good. "Okay. Baptism, then."

"You'll behave?"

"I won't run away."

"That's not a good answer."

"That's not a good question!"

The two glared at each other until Bao's pitiful cries for leniency attracted another swarm of saurus. Faust released them from the rope bindings and the trio returned to their mountain home at top speed. So many saurus in one place would attract the bigger, scarier scavengers, and Faust already set a hard rule that he wouldn't intervene even to save their lives. They wouldn't learn if they didn't rely on themselves for survival, apparently.

A Mana Baptism was normally a very serious ceremony. Family and friends were summoned for support, while a specially trained Core Magister used his refined mana to guide someone through building their Core. Upon a successful formation there was a big party with food and drink and music, while a failed formation meant a sudden funeral was called for instead.

Li Mei didn't have family, and her only friend was a fera who couldn't conceptualize the fact she wasn't born with a Core like he was. Her Mana Baptism was conducted by her teacher, nowhere near as gentle and experienced as a proper Magister who specialized in Baptisms.

They sat in the garden on her favorite rock. Faust placed a hand on her head, his touch surprisingly gentle. Almost hesitant. "Are you ready?"

Li Mei squared her shoulders and closed her eyes. "Ready."