“Okay, so Satholia decides we should hook Za Wa to our newest generator to start his upgrade,” Luxinna blinks. “Seriously, how deep is her bag-of-trick. What is she going to pull next? A magic arrow that can kill Zeus from a continent away?”

Luxinna watched Rem and Hikma put Za Wa inside the field of golden glasses and dialed the power output to maximum.

As if listening to an invisible command, the golden octopus levitated and absorbed the energy.

“So how does this work exactly?” Ehto asked.

Rem tossed out his theory.

“Intervening directly in this reality is impossible for Satholia. Our boss knows this, and she is competent enough to soften the repercussion to the point she can actually communicate. I believe Satholia is using that trick on Za Wa. Given that Za Wa is her creation, I believe Satholia has a backdoor to interfere with his evolution. The only thing she needed is the power to jumpstart the… oh, it is beginning.”

The golden octopus floated in the air, shinning with a golden glow.

The glow blinded them all.

At long last, the light faded, revealing something incredulous. What floated before them was no longer the same old octopus.

…

ZAWARUDO

The Shrine of Center Force

Stat

[TRANSCEND]

Option

Universal Bank [S]

Center Force Shrine [EX] 

Divine Universal Hardware [EX]

Divine Network [EX]

Terminal Creation [S]

…

There floated a golden monument of an octopus, with a pair of angelic wings and a glowing halo; an invertebrate angel which Rem pretty sure didn’t exist in any mythology. Surely, such a gleaming polish creature shining like gold reserve inside the world's most secure vault was truly Satholia flexing on creation.

[Center Force Shrine operation at 100%,] the angelic octopus said. [Began dispensing Terminal]

Za Wa — no — ZAWARUDO opened its mouth (Rem was sure octopus shouldn’t have that organ), and from the golden gap. A ghost-like creature resembling the enemy from Pac-Man came flying out of.

The ghost — maybe octopus — looked around.

[Taste. Taste. Yep, good job, Hikma. This would make our communication much easier.]

“Satholia?” Rem and Hikma gaped.

[Yep, my children,] Satholia spoke using the octopus. [Like it? A little backdoor I snug into Za Wa. With your generator up and running, we have enough energy for Phantasia to start his evolution. May I introduce you to ZAWARUDO — a shrine of me.]

“Wait? A shrine?” Melody blinked in disbelief.

[I believe that is a place where you commune with a god. Certain lesson I plan to teach can’t be done in the mental realm. Turning Za Wa into a shrine of my design will ease in guiding and communicating with you. Now, for today's training, Hikma please teach Rem and Luxinna about Origin. Melody keeps doing the cup until you get to fifty.]

Melody groaned.

[Ehto and Cytortia, time has come for me to step-up your training. I am going to deploy more of this terminal.]

…

Cytortia knew Satholia took her glove off.

They were on the top floor of Daybreak, specifically the swimming-pool and garden area. Cytortia was in her usual training cloth with the octopus broadcasting Satholia’s lecture.

[Cytortia, what is your greatest strength?]

The former goddess answered with no hesitation.

“Defensive technique.”

[You are heading in the wrong direction, dear,] Satholia wasted no time correcting that assumption. [True. Your affinity with defensive Arcane was off the chart. No doubt you have the potential to be one of the very best defensive master, but your unrivaled advantage laid in your mastery of life. Your shield is powerful, but your support capability is world breaking.]

Cytortia paused for a second.

“So, you are planning to teach me Alchemy?”

Behind that octopus, Satholia chuckled.

[Cy, you are already better at pure Alchemy than I am,] the Queen of Center admitted. [I pickup several crafts, mind you, but I never have your chop at it. The best I can do to get close to you in item creation is to pull a complete product from my vault. I can’t really teach anything beyond what Nu Wa already did. But I can explain how to use your True Magic for the art of advance life alteration.]

“Advance life alteration.”

[That is right! Normally, such art requires that absolute degree of Necta Floral that anything below a god would fail at it. But the combination of Tir Na Soal and Benevolence Core allow you to access Primal Arcane’s true potential. You kid use Necta Floral like a free-range heal and body-reinforcement, but Primal Arcane’s might lie in what it represents. The Floral is an Imaginary Heritage titled the flower of life. It is the multiversal beginning of the concept of a cellular organism. The origin of DNA and the caretaker of primordial Bio-soup that gifted Dravritra and Zen Long with the concept of life.]

“Wow,” Cytortia concluded.

Satholia continued.

[As the originator of all bio-life forms, it could repair all damage and wound, strengthen life-force and — at incredible mastery — toy with the primordial make-up of life,] Satholia said. [Our aim in these coming months is honing your ability with Necta Floral. After we are done, no one will have to die like Stuart Hex as long as you are within proximity.]

“Wait, you mean…”

[You could have saved Stuart Hex, if I tutor you.] Satholia’s voice was wistful. [But what past is past. We gritted our teeth and survived the era of fumbling around for clues. With Daybreak, advance technology and the core members fully recruit and board the ship, Horizon Dawn is finally on its feet, and I will be damned to let anyone down again.]

Cytortia felt a fire rising inside.

“Okay, so how do I learn this miracle power?”

[First, you need to master Tir Na Soal to its highest caliber.]

“Wait, the time-reversal, healing barrier?”

[Fu, fu, fu, fu.]

A giggle echoed from the floating golden octopus — Za Wa’s avatar — wrapped in a golden aura.

[That time-reversal, healing barrier is more miraculous than you realize. Listen, my child, your basic ability amplifying and manipulating Natural Hierarchy. Combines with the power to restore of an optimal state of substance? What would happen?]

“Err… I think you lost me.”

[Your True Magic extract the purest essence of the material, while [Tir Na Soal] rapidly refills it.]

Cytortia thought long and hard.

“You mean can extract literally an infinite amount of nutrient from a single material.”

[I wish,] Satholia mirthfully commented on that prospect. [Yes, ideally that what should be happening, but even WORLD knew that kind of bullshit will crumble the law of conservation, so he created a hard-cap called the law degradation phenomenon. Extraction of essence from material cause an irreversible structural breakdown. After a certain number of extractions, only pure natural essence of material would remain. It was a process known as Absolute Extraction. And that is your training to master [Necta Floral].]

The octopus gestured toward the medicinal garden.

[This training exercise focuses on increasing your proficiency with [Tir Na Soal]. The goal is simple. Perform Absolute Extract within 3 seconds. Once you grasp the trick, [Necta Floral] is within reach.]

Cytortia allowed herself to think it wouldn’t be that hard.

Spoiler alert! She was dead wrong.

…

On reflection, the Horizon Dawn as an organization was unnaturally harmonious. Its membership contained rouge members from Phantasia’s bluebloods, two guys who simply too good the WORLD refused to let them be human, several goddesses who decided evil sucks, a man whose convince many his True Magic was being unprecedented chick-magnet, a mafioso true-believer of Superman, an AI, and a vampire whose left her bloody life to be homemaker with side-job as consultant.

It was the combination that shouldn’t work. In near future, the entire Phantasia and the gods pretty much performed a mental acrobat once the enigmatic saboteurs of disasters and tragedies revealed themselves after over half-decade reign as the shadow protector of the downtrodden. Of course, the down-trodden were too busily cheering for their staunchest protector. Instead, it was the almighty who questioned how the hell did this dysfunction surrogate family got assembled into battle ready powerhouse under their nose.

Member of the Dawn faced up and down. Their trials were many. Some redemptions were hard won. Other required confronting their worst fear and feelings. Many matured from their childish mindset to be the champion the world need. Vast majority struggled with their duty to be an aspiration to others.

But all of them eventually came to an agreement.

For trail and tribulation, Ehto got the easiest stick.

[Okay, Ehto,] Satholia said. [Your True Magic is the simplest and easiest to use and as a bonus the training is pretty pure combat simulation. But first we needed to manufacture your bodies.]

The copy of golden octopus—the terminal to Satholia—chimed cheerfully as she plugged the tentacle into the holographic design table.

Za Wa upgraded form was installed with a vast number of new functions. [Terminal Creation] allowed for the creation of summonable octopi, which behaved as an extension of ZAWARUSO. They are clones capable of performing any of the main body’s function. [Divine Universal Hardware] represented Horizon Dawn’s team pet ability as the ultimate hardware. This Skill allowed ZAWARUDO and his terminals to input any information via a magical scanning and record it in a special format that could be outputted in electronic device. ZAWARUDO is essentially a one-size-fit all equipment with investment from communicator to signal amplifier. [Divine Network] allowed inter-terminal communication. The [EX] rank of this skill related directly to Satholia’s patronage creating an ultimate firewall, thus making Horizon Dawn’s communication nigh-uncrackable. [Universal Bank] was the direct access to pocket dimension store inside ZAWARUDO that behaved as the ultimate inventory for its terminal. Finally, [Center Force Shrine] made ZAWARUDO a terminal to Center Force power, and thus allowing the head honcho to perform a limit godly feat — a more consistent version of Za Wa’s original slot ability. 

Upgrading Za Wa allowed Satholia to be more liberal with her influence. Specifically, the Queen of Center Force could now be more active in the R&D department.

“This is incredible,” Ehto’s mind scanned through several blueprints Satholia provided. “This technology is too advanced. Did you design all of this?”

[I have help. My True Magic lent many mentors. Mr. Wayne and Terrific taught me many things. But the award for engineering should go to Richard and Stark. I spent vast many years learning from them, and even now I don’t believe I come close to them in robotics.]

“Why are you showing me this?” Ehto’s mind barely left the blueprint. Any of this work was a hundred years ahead of Phantasia's technological curve. El Acerbia would kill to glimpse those profound knowledge.

[Because the nature of your True Magic is directly related to technology.]

Satholia continued.

[Rem augments reality with Imaginary Construct. Luxinna creates material which crystalizes the might of lightning. Melody manifests the might of the dragon. Hikma creates an embodiment of concept. Cytortia bestows the blessing to elevate life. Ehto, your true Magic is bonding with innovation and technology.]

“Bonding?”

[It name is Architect Path. Now that I mention it you never have an ID before, do you?]

The octopus took a second before conjuring up a Status ID from its mouth

…

Ehto Shaxter

The Architect

Stat:

Str: — [N/A]

End: — [N/A]

Mag: 4000 [A]

Wis: 1600 [A]

Dex: — [N/A]

Skill

Active

Architect Path [SS]

Hacking [S]

Assembly [A]

Passive 

Rampage Calculation [SS] 

Advance Learning [A]

Memoria Revision [N/A]

…

“[N/A]?” Ehto questioned.

[Ahem, allow me to explain,] Satholia said from. [Ehto, your stats calculation differ from the rest of the Dawn. Your physical ability solely depended on the body you inhabited. The [Assembly] Skill was what allowed you to combine mechanical weapon with your body to augment your physical ability. Your stats directly correlate to the body you assembled. At rank [A], you can handle a body with sums power-level of 25,000.]

Ehto couldn’t help but feel this concept reminded him too much of PALISADE planned and Satholia’s ability to grasp people thought hadn’t decreased even when communicating through an octopus’ terminal.

[Yes, your brother got the right idea in a wrong moral direction. A Cybertium like you and him is reliant on an external body to use Mana and True Magic. PALISADE wanted to created ultimate biotech body, meanwhile [Architect Path] allowed you to integrate with technological physique.]

“What exactly is [Architect Path]? You said something about bonding with technology. You mean communicating with it.”

Satholia laughed.

[No dear,] the queen replied. [You directly gift an astral nerve link to your soul to a technology. It acted as communication receiver and power source — akin to a special blood vessel that also doubled as neuron. Most impressive still was that this ability is a Trinity, which meant its major strength is locked behind your Legend. You make every technology you came across a part of you, and thus able to amplify the [Assembly] Skill even further. Given the threat waiting for you in Tengen, I will cut to the chase and told you how to best optimize this.]

“You have a plan.”

[Yes, I do. Tell me. Have you ever heard of the Iron Man armor?]

…

Cytortia sobbed with frustration as she drowned another cup of fruit juice.

“Please, no more,” Cytortia said.

[Sorry, dear,] Satholia apologized and mercilessly moved the conversation along. [Again.]

In tears, Cytortia stretched her hand and focus on a flower in front of her.

[Remember the concentrated Tir Na Soal,] Satholia said. [Normally. You spread Tir Na Soal as a wide unconcentrated field, but now it different. You must condense the field tightly. Squeezing the intensity within the smallest possible volume, basically squeezing of the Natural value from the material and isolating it inside of concentrated Tir Na Soal.]

The flower ebbed and glowed before exploding.

Cytortia muffled a scream.

“The is the 50th flowers,” Cytortia cried.

[You are getting there]

“Yeah, but after I finally accomplish that, you will up the number of flowers.”

[True,] Satholia admitted. [And then I will teach you how to combine pure essence together to perform alchemical product]

Cytortia looked up like a jumper cable went through her body.

“What?”

[You heard me. The basic of pill-concocting is refining substance two extracted its essence and boosting the efficacity with additives. You are now learning the art of directly skipping all the refinement to extract the purest essence of raw material. It is a godlike ability for Alchemy that cut ahead even Nu Wa and put Frigga to shame. The funny thing is combining two essences together with [Necta Floral] to create a product never seen before. Maybe it could a totally new species of plant or a pill that made immortality look like a kid fantasy.]

“You believe I can pull something like that off.”

[I believe you can do it, if you believe in yourself as much as I do.]

Cytortia grabbed another flower without complaint. Satholia got one hell of pep-talk.