Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 322: Asking and Answering

Chapter 322: Asking and Answering

"You haven’t asked."

Stager immediately understood Dasha’s sharp question. How could he not? "Ah, the drug stuff..." the grad student trailed off. "You...gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"I doubt it’s that simple."

"No, no, it is! I swear. I just..." Stager swallowed, doubting whether to tell him. "I sold...drugs...once..."

"Oh really?"

"Only during high school! I never did it again!" Stager insisted. "I get it though. It’s a dog eat dog world no matter where you are."

"Do you?" Dasha asked. "I’m sure you understand that this isn’t a normal drug. The effect of bringing a person to the dream world isn’t inherently evil or good. It just is."

"It just is, huh?"

’Does it sound like an excuse to you? Or do you agree?’ Dasha questioned. ’You and I were never close. I want to see the type of man you are. Do you genuinely believe in a dog eat dog world? Or...do you have doubts?’

Stager’s lips were sealed, his head nodding away.

Dasha’s gaze lingered before sweeping over to the other side of the room.

There was Dr. Elise Thornton, of course. Her obsession with Nordic Runes was a welcomed one. Last night, the two of them had a discussion which eventually developed into a one-sided lecture. Dasha listened, Dr. Elise Thornton spoke and word-vomited her years of study.

Here was the thing with people: there was always one thing that they could talk about for hours and hours. Video game lore. Make-up. Science. Pseudo-science. Politics. The more they talked and the more he listened, the more affection was born. No need to smile. Be attentive, talk, and ask sharp questions.

Next was Viktor Lysenko, a burly man with a grizzled beard and deep-set, piercing red eyes. He had a background in elemental magic and had been instrumental in developing new methods of combining elemental energies with chemical compounds. He was working on a catalyst that could enhance the potency of Dream Meth.

"—sorry for your loss," Viktor said loudly. "Sometimes, bad shit happens and the world is fuck all about it."

The third alchemist, the woman Viktor was apologizing to, was Aya Nakamura, a petite woman with short, jet-black hair and a pure alchemist. Aya was soft-spoken but incredibly knowledgeable. She wasn’t as intense as the others but she didn’t have to be. She was skilled and she knew what she was doing and that was enough work for Dasha.

"She was always kind," Aya said. "Our orphanage was big and she pushed herself everyday. Some of us kids were still close to each other and planned to save up by buying her a ticket to heaven. But..." Aya closed her eyes. "I guess that will never happen."

"Who would want to kill such a sweet lady?" Viktor wondered, shaking his head. "I hope it wasn’t painful."

"The knife penetrated the medulla oblongata. It was painless and instant."

"Thank god."

"Greetings." Dasha came over. Viktor and Aya, he had briefly talked to them. On the outside, they appeared to be upstanding citizens. On the inside, they were formerly potion-makers and drug creators. Aya’s expertise had been in mixing opium with mythical ingredients while Viktor was known for enhancing the effects of drugs to such a degree that it shamed modern science.

Both were knowledgeable, experienced, and well-connected according to Xavier. Dasha accepted his judgement and allowed them in.

That didn’t mean they were worthy.

"Ah, the boss of the house. How may I help you?" Viktor said, grinning. "I’ve made some strides in the enhancement."

"But it is still imploding?"

"That’s why I’m here, to keep going until it doesn’t. Science of any kind takes ludicrous amounts of trial and error. If it wasn’t, we’d have already overthrown the gods."

"Pass me the schematics."

Viktor handed the paper without complaint. He observed Dasha very, very carefully as he read the five-page long schematic. He overheard what happened yesterday. He witnessed the proclamation that he was a genius like no other.

The device itself was a compact, cylindrical apparatus about the size of a large coffee can. It was composed of enchanted alloys, with Norse Runes etched along its surface to channel and control the magical energies involved in the process. Put simply, it was a collaborative effort directed by Viktor.

"This is a good start," Dasha said, his eyes still scanning the detailed drawings. "But there are several critical points where the process is prone to instability." He pointed to the initial infusion chamber. "Here, the primary infusion is too aggressive. You need to temper the magical input to avoid overwhelming the base compounds. Try using a tiered infusion method. Gradually increase the energy input using a stepped modulation approach, similar to how you would ramp up voltage in an electrical circuit."

"Ohhh, tiered infusion, huh? The issue with that method is the excess waste. We don’t have anywhere to put it and even if we did, we have no use for the waste. It’s going to pile up until there’s too much."

"I should have told you before that I am a cultivator. The excess energy will serve me well."

"From my understanding, wouldn’t the waste be impure Qi?"

"That’s what makes it worthwhile. I will consume this waste and through repeated cleansing cycles learn the Tu Na Breathing."

"That’s an extreme method of cultivating. It could kill you. This isn’t natural Qi, this is manmade Qi that’s totally fucked up and messy, boss."

"If death were enough to scare me, I would not be here and neither would you. Get to it."

Dasha was met with a dramatic bow from Viktor. "Understood, boss!"

Subservience in the realm of academia stunted growth. Back and forths, constant communication and new learning methods were essential to reaching unprecedented heights.

"Oh, and Dr. Elise?"

The woman looked up, dealing with her own set of Dream Meth. "Yes, good sir?"

"Your runes were perfect again."

Dr. Thornton smirked. "Of course they were."

Her usefulness was certainly going to extend for a long time. She was risky, malleable, and greedy for knowledge. There were many people like that in the White Abyss and every single time those traits were easy to manipulate.

"Aya," Dasha called out. "Could you hand me the invisibility potion?"

Aya arrived with the potion in a jiffy. "As requested," she said, handing it over.

Dasha scanned the potion and the sparkly aquamarine within. This would work as a fine replacement for his cloak. The resources alone cost a hundred thousand points. Its worth could only be brought forward by a worthy alchemist. Aya was an alchemist whose skills were almost priceless. Dasha was quick to give his thanks and show his appreciation.

"If you don’t mind, when I return, I’d like to talk about your opiom work in detail."

"Okay." Her smile was a little forced. She didn’t seem too keen on it. Good to know for when he returned.

***

A store belonging to an ordinary couple dreaming of a ticket to the heavens. It was in worse condition than expected. Li Wei and Zhang Mei didn’t seem to be taking care of it well. Once a lucky charm shop, now a forgotten waste of space.

Entering the store, he found the front counter to be destroyed, the wood splintered. Dasha stepped over it and drifted through.

Risky, malleable, and greedy. That was what he described the doctor as. He said there were many people like that in the White Abyss and yhat every single time those traits were easy to manipulate.

Bennet, number 4 under Spectre 4 of the Sapphire Order, was the first and best example of that.

Everything was a mess because of how drunk Bennet gets. The kitchen was in ruins, the food, storage, and charms thrashed and littered. An animal had ravaged this place.

"Mom...?"

The croaking voice sat attached to the wall, surrounded by the bent metal of the stove and several glasses of the White Russian. He had been here for days.

"Mom...I...I miss you. I hate that you left me all alone." Sniffle. "I hate that I can’t see you again. Why...? Why can’t anyone bring us together? Why can’t anyone pity me at least a little? Just...why..."

Bennet had lost himself to his emotions. A hoodie was ripped apart and the silver-lined cloak was dismantled. Even his clean silver boots were halfway from his feet and the royal blue tunic with the sapphire gem was similarly loose from him. The proud, legendary uniform of Spectre 4 of the Sapphire Order was destroyed.

"Mom..." His prior pudginess had been replaced by a skeleton-thin figure. His mutters were like the deranged ramblings of a mad man and his eyes were dead.

Bennet did not notice Dasha’s presence or that he was going over to read the journal on the table. It was the sole item that was kept safe from his rampage. Bennet, even in his drunken rage, would never hurt the journal. He couldn’t.

Bennet promised his mother, after all.

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