“Replicate and duplicate elements?”

“For similar properties but present in multiple elements, fire, magma, heat, volcano, sun, star, their properties are nearly identical in some cases, but when you fuse all of those properties into a monolith element, you obtain a composite element that is completely unusable,” she clearly had more to say than this basic introduction.

“Elemental dissociation?”

“The core part of creating a composite element, becoming able to see and take properties from basic elements, then combining them together with the elemental fusion, but depending on how precise the properties you want to take are, it becomes a lot harder.”

“Well…”

Rune started to question his own decision, just a bit, and Aleda wasn’t nearly close to over.

“You’ll have to do an advanced element analysis, but fortunately for you, the guide already offers the necessary guidance for you to make sense of all the elements we’ll choose.”

“After you train everything to the advanced level, you’ll be able to start puzzling out your element formation process, it’s not the same as elemental fusion if you’re wondering, and from my own experience, it’s going to be the most depressing period.”

“Ultimately, once you’ve completed your theoric element formation, it’ll be time to use everything you learned to create your own element…”

Then, as if to moisten her throat, she took a big gulp of her own drink.

“Let’s… Start, then?” That was what he said after considering what he just heard.

“Ok!” She cheerfully answered.

[Direct Exchange Link Request received from Aleda Calico. Accept? Refuse? Dismiss?]

He accepted.

“So, the start is the most enjoyable part, we’ll just be discussing the goal of your composite element and the different elements helping it.”

“Of course, the majority of this part will be me talking, and you not asking questions because everything is so obvious, but try and interrupt when something I say doesn’t seem right. It’s your element, not mine, can’t find everything.”

After this introduction bit, she started to send digital sheets of elements, “Don’t read them just yet, from the request form you sent the first time, I don’t think you need this reminder, but the composite element field of study is an advanced field.”

“Hence, no matter how logical things seem to be, you ‘Will’ need to test this logical thing, and for that, you will want to progress bit by bit, element by element.”

“Just talking about the most basic and obvious element, mist, cloud, nebula, darkness, shadow, light, illusion, emptiness and mystic elements, some of their properties overlap too much, and some of them cannot obey the requirement for non-offensive, non-defensive, and perception dampening at the same time.”

Rune was thankful he got a place so isolated because it looked like he was receiving a lesson and a humiliating one at that. Not that it was intended, it was just how his brain perceived it.

“The fire’s way of perception dampening is fundamentally linked to an offensive method, and separating them makes the result irrelevant, that’s something that has been tested over and over again.”

“Just from what I would want if I was at your place, and your initial form request describes it perfectly, you want, and need, an element that you can train, something that depends on intent, something that can be refined, and for that, already some elements can be added.”

It had finally come to this.

“The mist, light, darkness, nebula, mystic, and illusion elements have parts of their perception-dampening properties that are innate to them, they are neither offensive, nor defensive, and that’s what we want.”

“Now, we can breach the subject of elemental dissociation, please look at the 6 sheets I sent you…”

…

*DING* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Mist Element?

‘The foundation of my future composite element, it corresponds to a natural event, and can naturally spread. My mental image for it is the strongest, so if there’s no major change or illumination, then I’m sure he’ll be part of the final selection.’

*DING* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Light Element?

‘Inherent blinding properties, extremely efficient perception dampener according to the guide, but a narrow focus on visual physical information, so it’s nearly confirmed, except it’ll only fill a part of what the end result will be, just that it’ll fill it completely.’

*DING* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Darkness Element?

‘Complementary to the light element to some degree, but the low-key property is so overwhelming that it can be used to hide all the other properties I’ll bring to the table, the same light intensity, but it’ll appear like a dim bulb.’

*DING* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Nebula Element?

‘Absorb everything as long as the distance is enough, specialist of this element can make it so that someone screaming just next to your ear isn’t heard, stripping it of all its defensive properties will make it really thin, but it’s a property that I can’t miss on. A complementarity with mist can maybe exist, to be proven.’

*DING* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Mystic Element?

‘A very wilful element, but it's what makes it strong. A very low offensive potential, a very weird defensive potential, a close to nothing perception dampening property, often used for support build.’

This one, Rune had completely misunderstood when he selected it the first time.

The mystic element didn’t have a proper perception-dampening effect, but its ability to confuse monsters and sapients alike was legendary.

‘Its ability to be nearly uncleansable will make the glue of my element bearing neither offensive nor defensive properties, it’ll be a totally natural element that will even affect me.’

*DING* Do you want to fill one of your empty mastery slots with Energy: Specialized Illusion Element?

‘Lying, fooling, trapping, as long as you’re something alive, be it fake sounds, fake movements, fake trees, fake anything, it all can confuse someone and cover for what my element will never be able to hide.’

Confirming everything, Rune brought up his masteries.

Masteries

Tier 1 Masteries

Physical Fundamental: Reinforcement: Tier 4 Level 6

Physical Fundamental: Fighting Instinct: Tier 4 Level 8

Physical Fundamental: Body Control: Tier 4 Level 9

Energy Fundamental: Fine Manipulation: Tier 4 Level 1

Energy Fundamental: Grand Manipulation: Tier 4 Level 1

Energy Fundamental: Energy Compression: Tier 4 Level 8

Spiritual Fundamental: Perception Control: Tier 4 Level 1

Spiritual Fundamental: Awareness Division: Tier 4 Level 4

Spiritual Fundamental: Momentum Manipulation: Tier 4 Level 4

Tier 2 Masteries

Energy: Specialized Mist Element: Tier 1 Level 0

Energy: Specialized Light Element: Tier 1 Level 0

Energy: Specialized Darkness Element: Tier 1 Level 0

Tier 3 Masteries

Energy: Specialized Nebula Element: Tier 1 Level 0

Energy: Specialized Mystic Element: Tier 1 Level 0

Energy: Specialized Illusion Element: Tier 1 Level 0

Tier 4 Masteries

[Empty]

[Empty]

[Empty]

‘6 slots, just to begin with... ‘

His discussion with Aleda had really cleared things up in his mind.

The composite element path was an advanced Ether Law research field, and what he wanted to do belonged to its advanced applications.

‘Nelo… He shouldn’t have only needed one or two months, maybe he took 6 or 8 months… Or!’

He was proud of his friends.

‘Maybe Nelo is a genius! And he really took one or two months!’

With those 6 elements, he had a lot to do, and although a second purge was already confirmed as he was only testing the water, he wanted to make sure he understood all the subtleties he got explanations for.

‘Possible nebula and darkness overlap, possible shadow unique property, possible to cover emptiness’s intense emission signal with an original elemental mix, possible replace mystic with chaos, possible cloud, and mist unique properties, possible change element to have a scaling intent power…’

He just had to look at the list he received back at the Secluded Corner to feel refreshed.

Of every imaginary problem he came up with, from world-ending quests to reaching tier 4 in all the necessary elemental masteries, nothing made it to the finish line.

And out of all the comforting sentences he received, the one that marked him the most was “It doesn’t have anything to do with beyond shenanigans, just hard work will do, that’s what I did, and it worked.”

As long as he was serious and accepted that “reaching for perfection is the enemy of progress”, then everything would work out fine.

It could even be an enjoyable journey.

‘I want it to be an enjoyable journey.’

He saw it in Adriana's gaze when she complained about her energy domain path. She was frustrated, she was a bit depressed, she was even angry sometimes, but when she told Rune of how she understood a part of what the path meant, and she successfully executed it…

She became the incarnation of purity and wisdom.

And now, he had to take the first step of this journey.

‘First step, elemental dissociation, basic mastery.’

He had to pierce the veil of his own elements and finally see the legendary “parts” that made them up.

‘If people without dedicated masteries can do it, then I can obviously do it.’

Like when he felt his own energy for the first time, like when he felt his own health for the first time, like when he found the cohesion in his health for the first time…

Full of confidence, he used a sustainable flow of energy to be transformed into the light element, which he then scattered all around him.

The guide already thoroughly cut open the methodology to advance one’s elemental dissociation, there was no magic in it, and it was even argued pretty strongly that talent had no effect at all on this phase.

‘Familiarize… Understand… All of it…’

Light as an element couldn’t be understood as the light of the physic laws, so Rune left behind all of his preconceptions and expectations.

Being on the composite element path didn’t block him from understanding more about the more basic but still complex elemental path.

His own life was even saved by a simple light amplification, so he always kept in mind that he couldn’t reverse the process by starting by the end.

‘Do and train everything like my goal is not to make a composite element, it’s to go on the light element path…’

Eventually, the end result was that starting from today, Runde decided to dedicate 12 hours every day for full-blown elemental familiarization.

And the remaining of it, or 10 hours if he excluded his 2 hours of active reinforcement and awareness practice, would be his free time.

‘I also have to decide for this one…’

He brought up his soul specialty advancement paths.

Soul Specialty Tier 4 advancement paths

Sacred Dimensional Perception

Soul Specialty (Tier 4)

Your perception is something sacred, anything entering it or interfering with it needs to be controlled or eliminated. To accomplish that, your perception doesn’t need to be defensive anymore, it only requires the birth of an offensive property. Your birth foundation will be completely reshaped and every unused potential will be excavated to make this path a “Reality”.

Perception-based spiritual powers become capable of influencing the realm of perception and damage spirituality. Perception-based spiritual powers receive a boost of 600% in spiritual intensity and spiritual strength. Any foreign spiritual powers entering your perception can be countered depending on your will, this counter is instantaneous and its efficiency is increased by 300%

Confirm?

Innate Dimensional Perception

Soul Specialty (Tier 4)

An ether soul never really changes, it can only mature. What you were born with, the friends you got across your life, what you experienced, what you did. After maturing you decided that the initial path only needed a little refinement to become what you are meant to be. All the potential remaining in your ether soul will be unlocked and used to create your own path, a path where your perception is an impregnable fortress that affects all of your spirit.

Your perception sphere resistance to external and internal changes is increased by 800%. Your awareness resistance to external and internal changes is increased by 300%. Your spirit’s ability to create momentum is rendered harder by 100%. Your perception’s resistance to abnormal perception changes is increased by 600%.

Confirm?

Temporal Baptism Dimensional Perception

Soul Specialty (Tier 4)

You tried to see things under a different temporality and realized that this path was one you could see yourself walk further, time is a fickle property but you’re ready to make the necessary sacrifice to become intimate with it. Taking this path for the second time will allow you to completely change your birth foundation remaining power and use all the potential that exists inside your ether soul.

Permanently change your perception of time to be extended by 40%. You can at any time choose to depart from your current temporality and enter a different temporality with 150% extended time without suffering from any consequences. You can choose to undergo a time-baptism that will allow you to live for an uncontrolled time into a temporality with 300% extended time. You’ll be able to sense any time-affecting events that leave traces.

Confirm?

‘Temporal path is eliminated, the innate path is the obvious answer, and the sacred path is so weird that I can’t exclude it immediately.’

However, choosing now would bring nothing to the table, he just had to start thinking a bit here and there, confirming the innate path was the best, making sure the sacred path isn’t hiding something.

Using his hand to touch the light element surrounding him, he felt nothing, it was just energy.

And for him, energy had always been energy.

…

He got paid.

Two weeks from coming back was the time necessary for all his cores and corpses to be processed.

The notifications from the bank were silent, and he only saw them when he turned his connected lenses on to check a few things in the guide.

As he had to interrupt his training session anyway, he brought up the leveling notification.

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Light Element reached Tier 1 Level 1

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Light Element reached Tier 1 Level 2

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Light Element reached Tier 1 Level 3

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Light Element reached Tier 1 Level 4

*Ding* Energy: Specialized Light Element reached Tier 1 Level 5

‘For 2 days of first-time training, I would say it’s not bad.’

He didn’t think more about this after seeing he gained 5 levels, the reason being…

Money.

Connecting to his bank account, an iris and voice scan were engaged and it confirmed he was himself a few seconds later.

Exactly like last time, 2 different transfers were done, one for the cores, one for the corpses, and all the details he could have asked for were similarly given.

‘1 815 072 905 EP worth of monster cores. 5 508 tier 4 ones with an average value of 246 541 EP. 2 570 tier 3 ones with an average value of 177 842.’

‘253 770 036 EP worth of monster corpses… A total of 3012 tier 4 corpses with an average value of 84 253 EP each.’

Looking at the latest transfers allowed him to compare his earnings, and the disconcerting result was that for a shorter adventure, he gained more.

Not that much more, but if he really had the time to fill his pocket dimension with only tier 4 cores, even though they all belonged to monsters who just advanced to tier 4, he would have really seen an increase in his adventure payout.

‘Well, greed is fine, but only when it’s controlled, and I don’t really have any use other than maxing stats I’ll not use for a good time and paying for cocktails… And also to pay for tomorrow’s festival foods!’

Now that he got EP, he had to take the time to go withdraw the majority of it.

And one of his mottos was to do what he had to do as early as he could.

…

*Ding* You received 2 025 822 600 EP from Paiap Valefor

Going to the same bank, he got to the same waiting line as last time and got helped by the same person as last time.

With the 6 979 659 EP leftover and the 2 068 842 940 EP he just received, he had a grand total of 2 075 822 599 EP. Plus the 415 643 EP he had on him, of course…

Leaving behind 50 000 000 EP, enough to help him if in the near future the bank started to distribute credit authorizations, he opened his status.

Rune Tudor (Tier 4)

Class: Armored Pathfinder

Specialty: Temporal Dimensional Perception

EP: 2 026 238 243

Stats Total: 54 962

Health: 5 000

Health Regeneration: 5 000

Strength: 5 001

Cohesion: 5 001

Energy: 5 000

Energy Regeneration: 9 959

Purity: 5 000

Affinity: 5 000

Momentum: 5 000

Perception: 5 001

‘Maxing my energy regeneration is obvious, and maybe pump my perception a bit? Not too much, just enough to satisfy my non-existent ego.’

Rune Tudor (Tier 4)

Class: Armored Pathfinder

Specialty: Temporal Dimensional Perception

EP: 899 438 243

Stats Total: 57 779

Health: 5 000

Health Regeneration: 5 000

Strength: 5 001

Cohesion: 5 001

Energy: 5 000

Energy Regeneration: 10 000

Purity: 5 000

Affinity: 5 000

Momentum: 5 000

Perception: 7 777

‘Perfect…’

Feeling like what he expressed wasn’t enough, he repeated it.

“Perfect…”

With an intent-infusion and aloud.

Nothing less for such a perfect number.

‘If only more perception could help me level my awareness division faster. Well, can’t have everything, I should take my innate specialty soon. I have enough intel gathered to tell the sacred path isn’t what I want.’

Spontaneously thinking about his plan of altering path specialty every tier, he revised his thought a bit.

‘Not what I want, just yet.’

Closing future paths by action was one thing.

Closing potential paths by being mentally inflexible was another.