Read Novel Full Chapter 1329 - Taming the Old World - 25.5 hours - 3
Chapter 1329 - Taming the Old World - 25.5 hours - 3
"Hey, I have been wondering something. Why did you refuse to let Selphira heal your arm yesterday? She could have just amputated the petrified chunks little by little, while regenerating the missing tissue in small sections, and had you back on your feet in a matter of hours."
"That was certainly an option," Ren admitted, keeping his eyes locked on the construction sites far below. "But forcefully ripping out the crystallized flesh is not just severely painful… And I mean, the pain itself is not cool but still manageable for me. The real issue is that natural water regeneration resets the affected area mana channels as if they were brand new. It reformats the entire internal plumbing, and I cannot afford that kind of setback right now."
"Why not? Brand new channels sound a lot better than old, cracked ones."
"Not in this context," Ren said, searching for the simplest way to translate years of intricate mana flow theory. "When a Tamer actively cultivates and practices high-level techniques, their internal channels physically adapt to the strain. The pathways widen to accommodate heavier loads, their walls harden to resist pressure damage, and they gradually shift their alignment to create the most efficient internal routes possible…"
"…It is a weird optimization process that takes years of grueling work. If I allow Selphira to instantly regenerate a massive section of my forearm, or even my entire forearm, I lose every single ounce of that cultivated progress in that zone. The channels revert to their more fragile baseline state, meaning I would have to start stretching and hardening them all over again from zero."
He adjusted his grip on the Eagle's saddle. "Under normal circumstances, it would not be the end of the world. I could rebuild the tolerance eventually. But given the current doomsday clock ticking in the vault, I need my entire system operating at its maximum capacity… I'll likely need every drop of that cultivated progress intact."
Victor gave a slow nod, though his expression suggested he was only half-convinced by the logic… Or maybe he wasn't getting it all.
"There is another, far more pressing reason," Ren added after seeing his face, his voice dropping slightly. "I need my maximum capacity because it is a mathematical certainty that I am going to crystallize again when I overload my system tomorrow. It is unavoidable considering the sheer volume of power the new array demands."
"Are you seriously planning to walk right back into the exact same trap so soon?" Victor asked, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait a minute... If your first attempt ended with both of your arms trapped in crystal, isn't pushing up the power going to make the backlash significantly worse this time around? You'll fail as soon as your fingers lose all mobility…"
"This time will be different. The first time anyone attempts a hard maneuver, they rarely execute it flawlessly, right?" Ren flexed the fingers of his left hand, testing the smooth, unhindered articulation of his newly restored joints. "I learned something crucial during that chaotic scramble to make the dome. I figured out how to actively direct the crystallization process toward a focal point, rather than letting the petrification spread randomly through my body and vital organs."
"This time will be different. The first time anyone attempts a hard maneuver, they rarely execute it flawlessly, right?" Ren flexed the fingers of his left hand, testing the smooth, unhindered articulation of his newly restored joints. "I learned something crucial during that chaotic scramble to make the dome. I figured out how to actively direct the crystallization process toward a focal point, rather than letting the petrification spread randomly through my body and vital organs."
Victor stared at him, looking thoroughly puzzled yet deeply invested in the explanation.
"I did not have the breathing room to fully use the theory out during that battle so it wasn't perfect," Ren continued. "It was my first time pushing an energy overload of that magnitude, and I was frantically improvising just to keep the prison from cracking open. But tomorrow, I am going to intentionally funnel all that huge mana backlash into a single designated sinkhole. I am going to route it entirely into my left arm…"
"The same arm you just spent a full day nursing back to health?" Victor asked, shaking his head. "Well… I suppose you are used to lugging a rock around by now. But why go through the trouble? Oh, I see... You are sacrificing one limb to make sure you do not lose both."
"Exactly! If I force the petrification into my left side, I maintain full motor control over my right fingers, which ensures I can keep weaving the runes. It also preserves the fluid ether circulation throughout the rest of my core."
Ren allowed a genuine, satisfied smile to break through his exhaustion, carrying the quiet pride of a tactician who had just engineered a massive advantage out of a fatal flaw.
"More importantly, I can weaponize the crystallization itself. By purposefully overcharging a localized point that is already turning to stone, I can use that dense mineralized flesh as an external shield to absorb the worst of the friction, protecting my heart and head from the collateral damage."
Victor furrowed his brow, quietly processing the heavy mana mechanics.
"I do not pretend to understand the high-level theory behind meridian networks," Victor finally said. "But that sounds eerily similar to what Selphira and I experienced when we were pinned down by Orion and the cores' dual beam. The crystallized tissue, forged by the sheer excess of energy flooding my veins, literally acted as an armor. Having a petrified arm allowed me to serve as a physical shield to Selphira for much longer than my standard flesh would have endured… Is that the same principle?"
"It is exactly the same principle," Ren said, deeply impressed that the aerial commander had grasped the core concept so seamlessly this time. "It operates on the exact same logic. It is incredibly fortunate that you can conceptualize it that way… And it is even more fortunate that your standoff on that ruin's stair did not end in a tragedy, because your survival and treatment is precisely what gave me the data I needed to practice more about crystallization."
Victor gave a modest shrug. "You tend to learn a few useful tricks when you are moments away from dying."
"It is the best school there is," Ren agreed with a faint smirk.
Just then, Ren's gaze snapped downward, his relaxed tone shifting instantly back to the sharp cadence of a field commander.
"We need to drop altitude right now. Take us toward the northern sector." Ren pointed toward a cluster of stone towers. "Someone down there botched a splice. I can read a half-baked flow radiating from the root structure; the current is not locking into the deep vein properly. The sealed bedrock and crystals beneath these castles are heavily saturated with residual mana, making it very deceptive. But they should know by now that not every glowing signature down there is an active castle external ley line."