A brilliant beam of emerald bled into the workshop, catching Elder Ron’s attention.
The elder glanced at the Oracle Crystal, intrigue and curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Seth focused and worriedly asked through a mental transmission...
"Oracle, tell me — if Extraction is used within racial bounds, will the adverse effects still surface? Especially if the subject is alive?"
Seth didn’t speak out loud, not because he wanted to hide the function of the Oracle Crystal from Elder Ron, but because he didn’t want the man to worry. As sharp as the elder was, he might not understand the meaning of Extraction. But if he heard this question, he could easily conclude that his granddaughter might be in danger.
The crystal flashed with an undulating gleam, processing a reply...
[An interesting question...]
[Depending on what is extracted, adverse effects may surface. To understand clearly, the host must realize that the underlying traces of Will residing within your vessel differ.]
Seth’s gaze flickered with attentive light. Slowing his pace, he followed the elder toward the hulking metal mass of a device called God Hand — a gift he had left for Kylie during their last encounter.
[Will can be stripped into three layers... Self, Heritage, and Race. These three are the crucial factors that make every enlightened lifeform across the Cosmos distinct and unique.]
[Your race gives you the spark of Will, similar to the term your people call "the indomitable human spirit!"]
[This is the part of you that comes before yourself. The fact that you are human before anything else. What follows is your Heritage, mostly affiliated with bloodline or genetic lineage.]
[This stems from the residue of Wills passed down and mixed across your direct ancestors. If Race provides the spark, Heritage provides the form.]
[Finally, there’s Self — the "I am!" The most crucial element that differentiates you from being a puppet.]
The frequency of communication between Seth and the Oracle was so fast they could have a full conversation in fractions of a second.
From the elder’s perspective, nothing seemed off about Seth aside from the emerald orb bobbing above his shoulder.
Within Seth’s mind, his intelligence was high enough to grasp the Oracle’s implication instantly.
His pupils gleamed. ’So you’re saying there are parts of me that hold the human spark, the ancestral form, and then the primary Self?’
[Exactly, host! This is the crucial factor that determines if side effects occur during intra‑racial Extraction!]
[If the extraction targets stats or personal assimilated gene skills, there will definitely be rejection, as these genes are marked by Self.]
[If the extraction targets genetic perks, like skills or affinities stemming from bloodline, unless one shares the same lineage, there will be rejection and corruption, as this is marked by Heritage.]
[And finally, if the extraction targets racial genes, stats, traits, or racial perks — as long as you are of the same race, there will be no rejection by racial Will.]
Seth exhaled deeply in relief. It seemed Kylie’s procedure posed no risk.
The Oracle had summed it up, but still, once he had the chance, he needed to lecture Kylie about the forbidden arts. Left to her own devices, only God knew what she might attempt next.
Thinking along these lines, his gaze gleamed. Since there would be no adverse effects, wouldn’t it be possible to mass‑produce bronze humans?
Seth understood how absurdly powerful the bronze gene was. It provided a substantial boost to each of his stat points.
A single stat point of his, ignoring the dual‑class physique boost, was at least three times greater than the average human’s.
His intelligence stat was even more ridiculous — without the dual‑class physique, it was at least five times as potent.
Then there was universal adaptation and the psychic trait. In short, if they could create an army of bronze humans, the odds of winning the war would rise dramatically.
Seth’s heart palpitated at the thought. His gaze flashed — there might be underlying problems with this plan. But surely Kylie could do it, right?
"Okay, lad, she emphasized that I shouldn’t open the compartment, so you go ahead." Elder Ron’s voice rang, snapping Seth out of his daze.
Seth blinked for a moment, his gaze focusing on the compartment the elder’s frail fingers pointed toward...
His pupils gleamed, and his heart skipped a beat. ’Could it be...’ he thought, holding his breath.
He reached for the small handle and pulled. The elder quickly retreated, shielding his face from the blinding burst of light that bled out.
Meanwhile, Seth’s gaze gleamed in delight as three streams of pulsing runes burst forth.
He understood immediately — Kylie had made preparations for his teammates just in case!
He wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the different metal components in three separate batches.
The metals didn’t adhere to gravity and fell to the ground. Swarmed by the streams of pulsing runes, each metallic part glowed as the runes branded themselves.
Then, following the three distinct streams of runes, brilliant orbs flowed out of the compartment. The metal parts reacted instantly, clinking and snapping together.
Three distinct exoskeletal armors formed. The orbs, plagued by magnetic attraction, were instantly drawn to the circular gaps around each armor’s solar plexus and slipped into place.
Seth stared at the sky warily, fearing another lightning baptism like last time.
But despite not having a direct view of the sky, he could tell there was no reaction.
He raised a brow, unsure whether to be disappointed or relieved. After all, the world tempering his battle suit underwent had shed impurities at a layer his current blacksmithing couldn’t reach.
In the end, he concluded that crafting the metal parts in the Origin Realm must be the reason the world didn’t react.
He wasn’t certain, but he decided to go with it.
Turning his gaze back to the three glowing battle suits pulsing with brilliant runes, he noted each carried distinct hues and feel.
The one in the center pulsed with static blue currents, its runes flashing like sparks of charged energy.
The one on the left carried a pristine white glow, pulsing with cold light that made one subconsciously feel a wash of blistering chill — the kind that embraced death.
The last on the right, the bulkiest of the three, was black with streaks of red. Its rugged form carried oversized arms, portraying a crimson gleam that manifested pure raw might.
Seth grinned. His friends weren’t here, but he could tell these three were perfect!