Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 203: Laboratory

"Hello, Dasha! How do you do?"

"Busy," he replied.

"Making more Dream Meth?" Grace walked over, hands behind her, mouth parted. She watched as he wrote a symbol of fire in the air, which condensed into a single flame that bolted into the elixir bottle. There was a light of red, a pulse of magic, and finally, pink crystals. "Wooow. So cool."

The laboratory of Dasha Pang stationed in his personal dimension was open to Grace and Xavier. It was akin to sharing a document on Google Docs, with three specific authorities: guest, membership, and administrator. Guest meant that the individual needed to be brought by an administrator. Membership was exactly as it was described: the individual was allowed to come in accordance to specified factors. For example, time or an item. Dasha heard this was how some small businesses ran their farms. Rather than a house, they created massive farms via bought or pre-owned personal dimensions and had workers—given membership authorities—to come in and do the field work.

There were limitations, however. A personal dimension could only allow fifty people at a time and capped out at three acres of size. In regards to where this personal dimension was in the first place, no books could supply a concrete answer. Some cited the Current of Darkness while others mentioned the Inner World. Neither could be said for certain.

"By the way, I was accepted!" Grace’s proclamation gave him pause. Without having to say anything, Grace elaborated, "I successfully enrolled into the Tower of True Magic’s Sorcerer program! The semester starts on April 1st. I’ll give you all the textbooks and stuff."

"Perfect."

"Oh, but, uh—"

"Yes, you have to go."

"Aw, fine, fine." Grace summoned a mirror out of nothing and checked herself out. "I’ll have to get up early. The class is in the morning and I’m a lady that puts effort into herself. Oh, but don’t tell anyone that though. It’s gotta look effortless."

"Put it under my cost," Dasha said dismissively. He went over and started cooking up another batch of Dream Meth. "In return, I want a list of everyone you meet. Every potential ally and foe."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Grace saluted. "Wait, does that include textbooks?" A nod. "Wands?" Another nod. "Maaaake-up...?" Grace stretched her words. "...and fooood....?"

"Sure," Dasha said.

Her expression hardened. "Lord Dasha, I will not let you down!"

The skill Circle Mastery gave him the ability to consistently create magic circles. That was it. For those without the skill, whether they were naturally born in the White Abyss or already experienced a Heavenly Game, it became a huge deterrent during battle. No longer were they able to create magic fingers with shaky fingers. No longer did every attempt of a magic circle bring forth an effect.

That meant there had to be education. Real study. Building of universities to teach those that had lost the might of the System. There was the Wizard Program, a four year long degree, and then the Sorcerer Program, which was the equivalent of a Masters Degree. Grace had already received her Wizardry Degree. Grace hadn’t been interested in pursuing the next level until Dasha instructed her to do so.

"But, like, out of curiosity, isn’t the Old Magic Tower more up your line?" Grace asked.

"Our similar methods are what will cause conflict. I’m not interested in being a cog," Dasha said.

"Oh, that figures. And, er, one last question—"

Dasha read her mind without looking at it and declared, "I did."

Grace paused, her hands slipping from her hips. "You...you killed all those people? I thought...I thought Daughter told you not to do that. That doing so would anger the gods."

"Gods are worshiped because they are not understood," Dasha stated. "Once their true nature is revealed, they are no different than you or I."

"Y-yeah, except Shiva’s third eye can literally incinerate the universe, so..." Grace swallowed. "Look, I’ve seen the gods fight. They’re...really not like us, Dasha. We shouldn’t mess with them."

He looked at her over his shoulder. Even within the whispers, fear of the divine ran rampant and nothing he said would change that. However, his actions could. Toppling the gods, showing Grace and everyone else that humanity was indeed better, aligned with his great plan. Whether it was possible or impossible didn’t matter, he would do it.

"Your warning is appreciated," he said. "I hope to never hear it again."

***

"Players are a protected class is what I’ve come to realize. They rise and fall like princes. They can go anywhere and everywhere and they do not even realize their gifts.

Stats. Teleportation. Personal Dimensions.

But even blessings can be taken away. Recently, my daughter met a group of young Sorcerers claiming to have invented a technology capable of extracting a personal dimension’s ownership. Intriguing, is it not? Our understanding of the System is still limited. We know it wrings every last drop of human potential in an individual. After all, one way or another, we are all related. All from one beginning. We are connected and so we can become each other, however impossible it may be.

Ha, just kidding! That is what those intelligently foolish Sorcerers were telling me. They spouted their theory on the System and how it not a gift from the gods but from science; from someone wishing to break down the world into numbers.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. If their invention wasn’t so brilliant, I might have had them orchestrated from our mall. But I considered their words and their blasphemy against the gods and pretended to be truly moved by them.

Once they are done with their work, I will slaughter them and their family and claim the invention for myself. That is, unless, the House of Aschersleben. My daughter mentions they were interested first and that they came to us merely out of courtesy.

Hm...

I really do hope not to come into blows with the Germans. Thor has been dining with them. Brewing trouble with them means to brew trouble with the god of thunder. That is a risk I prefer to avoid."

- Excerpt from the private journal of the Eternal Emperor, 22 HE