Kaden usually used his formations in quick combat styles that were extremely simplified. One could quickly put them together, but their extent of function usually was simply to explode. The other that Kaden used were the more useful types that one couldn't probably build during combat, but, while lasting a lengthy time, were still temporary.

It had been a very rare occassion that Kaden built something permanent. It took more work. One had to actually carve each detail rather than just arrange mana into correct form. Power obviously went up with an actual physical form.

Not that it mattered much. Over the next weeks Kaden had to quickly rush behind functioning barriers as blastwaves hit the fortifactions. True Magi and True Cari were clashing. Shockwaves released from it shattered many of the formations Kaden and Harsol had constructed. Such waste of time. Yet, without them, it was likely both of them and many other Cari hiding behind the formations would have died or at least become seriously injured.

According to Harsol the clashes had become more common recently and it was fulltime job to keep fortifactions working.

"And it will intesify even more", Kaden though to himself as he finished yet another formation. "I would expect eventually no one will bother building these formations anymore. What then? Perhaps more available True Cari will be brought here while weaker Lower Cari will attack elsewhere?"

Kaden only had these as idle thoughts. As far as he planned it, his intention was not to be at the direct clash.

At nearly four weeks someone finally came to tell Kaden that some humans had been captured from the battlefield. It was even three!

"It seems someone managed to defeat a group and leave a few of them alive", Kaden though to himself. "Its time to get to work." Also, since the Hive Bear had been rather good company, Kaden decided to reward her for it. "Harsol, if you have time, maybe you want to observe my experiment!"

"Hmm, the last few clashes have been near the human side so damage over the last week has been minor", Harsol replied. "I think I may have some time."

Kaden went to see Korkud.

"I was informed my human test subjects are now available?" Kaden said to Korkud.

"Indeed, there was a bounty set for capturing humans alive and someone eventually managed it. The three, that were brought, are alive, but are in a very bad shape", Korkud replied.

"If that is a problem, it is a problem to me", Kaden answered. "Even if my experiment works otherwise perfectly, if I must keep my future subjects intact. Its a problem if they die unless they are in good shape. Show them to me."

Korkud led Kaden to a bit further behind the fortifications. No one wanted to watch over some prisoners while there was always risk of blastwaves.

"By the way, who managed to bring three humans in one go?" Kaden asked out of curiosity.

"Those under my command usually are more concerned surviving to fight many battles", Korkud replied. "Due to the rewards of participating, its is not uncommon to have some random Cari come and fight. One of these came, a boa..."

"Hi!" Said A very familiar voice, that Kaden knew very well. "I brought you some new toys!"

It was Ciner.

"Can you send her to die in the battlefield?" Kaden immediately asked coldly.

Korkud raised his eyebrow. "As I explained, she isn't under my direct command."

"Oh, you are being so nasty again, Kaden", Ciner said in her usual flirty tone. "It makes me feel excited!"

Korkud watched the interaction with curiousity.

"Why must you follow me, you lunatic!" Kaden shouted at Ciner angrily. "Only you are mad enough to think I would ever agree to marry you or whatever it is that you think is going to happen."

"You are always so nice to me", Ciner said. She sounded completely truthful. "With you around, there are always so much more things to kill. Like humans. I like to kill humans. Cari are also very crunchy, but humans are more so."

Was that it Kaden wondered? To be honest, the first time he met Ciner, he brought her to kill humans. When she asked for help, he killed humans for her. Then she followed him to that battle where she killed more humans. The in Frika, Ciner had always had things to kill when she followed Kaden and worked for the phoenix clan. Then she got to gather all those test subjects and watch Kaden kill them in his experiments.

"Truly, she is insane", Kaden though to himself. "Maybe I should find a way to bore her? For now, I will once again agree to her help."

Korkud was rather amused, but said nothing about it. Instead he did what he was there for. He led Kaden to the prisoners. The bloodied humans were basically kept in a pen where Lower Cari that were watching over them were basically just tormenting them for some casual amusement.

Humans that were captured by Cari were usually just food that they played around with. You did not want to be captured alive. Your death was certain and it was slow for the amusement of Cari. There were some shackles that prevented them from even self destructing.

"These are lively enough", Kaden said as he looked over the humans.

All of them were roughly his level at Condensation stage. Perfect subjects.

Ciner sat down just distance away. She usually had done that when Kaden experimented. She was expecting a show. Harsol also appeared from a distace with a few of the Death Wasps buzzing around. They were not the only ones, there were quite a few Cari who were interested why the phoenix had come demanding for live humans.

Kaden had no intention of hiding his work. Having a way to enslave some humans would be good for Cari. Not that they would be able to use it easily since Kaden's method relied on Vengeance.

"What are you planning to do with them?" Korkud asked. Kaden had afterall promised him to make use of his experiment.

"I will enslave them", Kaden told him. "I'm sure you can imagine a few uses for completely obedient human slaves. Based on my previous experiments, even if you just want amusement and watch them dig open their own chests and tear out their hearts without being able to stop themselves, you can surely ask for that."

"Hahaha", Korkud laughed.

Kaden walked forward to the pen. He chose one of the humans, a man with a short beard, seemingly from Sacronan based on his clothing. While he was bloody and injured, he was in better shape than the rest and was basically there trying to protect his comrades from the games the Cari around them played.

"An actual phoenix?" The man said as Kaden approached. "So you are the reason we haven't been killed yet?"

Without saying anything Kaden put together a formation that immobilized the man. It was pretty much a simplified and weaker version of the one he had used before to control someone's body. Kaden didn't need his test subjects trashing about. The enslavement process was rather torturous too.

It wasn't complete control, though. Kaden wanted to see and hear any and all reactions so it basically just stopped someone moving, but with a bit of exertion one could probably scream or say things. With the humans it would also limit or remove the constant insults too. In this case, for the moment, it removed all. It seemed Kaden's test subject was not able to resist. Not that it would have changed anything.

With the man now still and quiet, Kaden quickly examined him, made some notes and then pulled out Vengeance.

A few of the Cari around, including Korkud ad Harsol, frowned as they saw Vengeance. It was glowing with that green glow that many could instantly say what it was. Vengeance mana. No one said anything to Kaden why he had such an object, but they knew Kaden was likely quite unhinged. Usually in Cari society those with desire of vengeance usually carry out that desire rather quickly so its more rare to see it.

The other two humans behind the immobilized man also saw it and they knew they were in much bigger trouble than they would have expected. Perhaps they expected to die by being eaten by the Cari, but now they knew they would likely suffer before it.

Kaden basically ignored all that. He had only few test subjects and he didn't want to waste them so he prepared well.

"This is Condensation stage human", Kaden muttered to himself. "I will need more power. I had more than enough for some High Beasts and it was more about control than power. This time I need both power and control."

Vengeance glowed brightly as Kaden stuffed mana inside it and then gathered more to unleash through it. Then he stabbed the immobile man that momentarily tried to say something, but was unable to. Instead he screamed and glowed similarly like Vengeance, now stabbed into his abdomen.

Kaden quickly worked to contain the soul now that it had been torn free from its usual place. Condensation stage did indeed require far more effort and it was even exhausting, but Kaden was able to finish the soul container.

"Hahh...", Kaden let out a deep breath. "When I do this next time, I will require supporting formations to bear some of this load."

He then removed the bindings. The man was completely still. Body was alive, but unmoving. Almost lifeless.

"Did it work?" Korkud asked.

"It took far more effort than I expected, but the initial formation is done", Kaden replied. "His soul is now ready to be controlled."

"How interesting", Harsol said nearby and came to poke the human with her enormous claw. "You were able to tear his soul free from his body without killing him. While it is inside his body, its not bound to it, but instead your formation. Fascinating."

Kaden didn't say anything as he looked carefully at his work. He was mostly interested whether humans had some trait that would make the formation unusable. There was no core, but Condensation stage humans still had pretty dense mana. Time would tell, but initially the formation holding the man's soul was intact and did not seem to leak or be disrupted by anything.

"It should last quite a while", Kaden though to himself. "There is actually less disruption than with High Beasts that have cores. It will last longer. How long is hard to say, but it should be more than enough for my purposes. At the very least it will last long enough that my slaves will not simply die while I still need them."

Then he started to make the control portion. "Korkud, the difficult part is over", he started. "If you want to use this one and the others, start thinking of uses. I did promise you the slaves."

"Of course", Korkud seemed pleased.

The remaining humans seemed horrified. They wouldn't be able to do anything and they knew it. Kaden ignored them. He considered them merely test subjects just like the numerous High Beasts he killed. They were more of objects to him than people.

Kaden continued his work, finishing the first slave.