Chapter 5847 Easy Defense 5847 Easy Defense Ves did not ask for the Flower Parasol, but he received it anyway. There was no point in trying to get a refund or thinking about what he could have done to draw a different prize. He already expended his only radiant lottery ticket. The only way he could make use of the Wishing Fountain was to spend his AP on more lottery tickets, but their quality was so much worse that it was unlikely they would produce anything good. It was better to accept this outcome and move on with his life. So what if he obtained a girlish protective umbrella? At least it made for a nice anniversary gift if he presented it to his wife! "I'm not sure whether it is suitable for her, though…" Its design was pretty, but its quality did not exceed the masterwork threshold. Ves believed that this was mainly because the System created it directly from energy based on an existing template. Since it hadn't been produced by a proper craftsman, it lacked the personal touches that could have elevated it into a true piece of art. "Pity." That did not mean it was weak. Quality was just one of the aspects that determined the strength and utility of high-level artifacts. His Oceancaller served him well despite the fact it suffered from the same flaw. Besides, there was always room for improvement. He might not be a traditional craftsman, but Vulcan was different. Ves spent a bit of time on testing and examining the Flower Parasol. It would be stupid for him to blindly trust in its defensive capabilities when he did not even know how much damage it could take or how its defenses actually worked. He managed to learn a lot through his initial experimentation. The Flower Parasol was a fairly powerful artifact that possessed a lot of growth potential. It was capable of absorbing compatible E-energies to nurture its strength in various ways. However, the best possible way to promote its growth according to its original trajectory was to feed it lots of flowers, and not the regular kind. There was no point in feeding it roses, daisies or other ordinary plants. Only ones that mutated to the point of developing extraordinary properties could promote its evolution. The stronger the plant, the greater the effect. "You're the wooden version of Lucky." Ves concluded. The Flower Parasol was a lot less naughty, fortunately. Ves spent a lot of attention on testing its defensive properties. He applied both physical force and his weapons to see how much it could take. Even in its present condition, the colorful umbrella was far more resilient than it appeared. While it was definitely designed to look pretty and elegant, its primary function was to shield its holder from damage, no matter whether it was physical, energy or spiritual in nature. Ves was unable to test whether it could resist more unconventional forms of attack such as toxic gas clouds, but he had a good feeling that its maker was not stupid enough to disregard these possible threats. One of the more pleasant discoveries that he made was that the Flower Parasol did not need to be injected with any of his spiritual energy in order to defend against powerful attacks. It possessed a sizable energy reserve that powered its defensive functions. Each action expended the stored energy, but it could easily be replenished by exposing it to E energy radiation or receiving energy directly from its holder. In a medium-energy environment like the Red Ocean, it would take a long time for the umbrella to recharge its reserves by itself. It was an incredibly slow process, but it was better than nothing. It could recharge a lot faster if Ves or Blinky fed it with energy. It responded best to wood and flower-attributed spiritual energy, but it was also somewhat compatible with a range of other attributes. Ves had a much better idea of what the craftsman of the original Flower Parasol had in mind. "This is a protective artifact that is meant to be used by those who are too young or weak to defend themselves." That explained a lot. High-level artifacts tended to possess remarkable appearances, but the Flower Parasol went above and beyond to convey a strong aesthetic. The artifact was not able to scale in size because its holder was unlikely to require this function. The Flower Parasol was a lot more helpful and responsible because its holder might not be competent enough to make good use of its protective capabilities. All in all, it was a remarkably well-designed artifact that was a lot more user-friendly than he expected from the ancient cultivation community. "Maybe it is more suitable for my girls." Perhaps the Flower Parasol was a bit too big for them at the moment, but it would fit excellently in their hands once they hit puberty. The only question was whether he should give it to Aurelia or Andraste. Neither of them possessed any affinity in the wood element at the moment, but it was not strictly necessary for this to be present in order to benefit from its protection. Besides, there was always a possibility that his children or his companion spirits might one day inherit the talent of their grandmother. "Who should I choose?" The Flower Parasol was so elegant that it would definitely complement his oldest daughter's appearance. It also possessed a gentle vibe that matched her personality. Andraste was practically born to become a soldier. Even if the Flower Parasol did not match her style or attitude, she undoubtedly needed its protection a lot more! Ves found it difficult to make a choice, so he decided to hold off on this matter for the time being. Neither of his two girls were defenseless. Both of them carried first-class personal shield generators on their bodies, and they were constantly shadowed by an escort of first-class multipurpose mechs. "I'll figure this out later." What mattered the most right now was how effectively it could resist a lightning tribulation. It should be quite decent at this job, but that was all Ves could determine. It definitely had its limits. Once the incoming damage was too much, the umbrella would begin to incur physical damage. "Can you at least repair yourself when your fabric is torn or whatever?" The Flower Parasol released a warm pulse. Ves smiled as he received a positive response. Many wood-based artifacts possessed the capability to renew themselves. The Flower Parasol was intrinsically designed to repair itself. The materials used to construct it were specifically chosen for their regeneration properties. It just needed to be supplied with a huge amount of wood or flower energy to work away any visible signs of damage. Of course, a skilled craftsman was able to repair or upgrade it, but that required expertise in traditional woodworking that even Vulcan was clueless about. All in all, the Flower Parasol was a handy defensive item in many ways. "Can you take on a different look? Do you have any alternate appearances?" The umbrella shook in a negative fashion. "Do you mind if I dye your fabric in a different color? I think black would go really well with the wood." This time, the Flower Parasol became so agitated that it tried to bonk him on the head! "Okay, okay! Message received! You can keep your appearance! I think you look really pretty, by the way. I think a lot of girls will fall in love with your look." It took a while to soothe the anger of the high-level artifact. Attempting to alter the look of the Flower Parasol was definitely a taboo that he should avoid! Now that Ves gathered a lot of data on what it could do, he began to think about what he should do next. Ves did not strictly need the protection of the Flower Parasol. Its damage tolerance was decent but not high enough for him to rely on it while keeping his true body out of sight. Besides, it was not necessarily good for him to block incoming tribulation lightning entirely. He had to absorb at least a part of it to promote his evolution by relying on a process of destruction and creation. It went without saying that the umbrella could never cover a dreadnought as enormous as the Dominion of Man. Ves had a few other ideas on how he could make effective use of it. He already settled on a particularly good one. He had long worried about a potential weak point in his plan, but the Flower Parasol should be able to provide him with a safety margin at a critical time. "Alright. I've studied you long enough. It is time for me to get back to work. Would you like to accompany me in the meantime?" The Flower Parasol definitely preferred to be at his side at this time. It did not want to get stuffed inside the Vault of Eternity for long stretches of time. When Ves finally exited from the System space, he did so carrying a random decorative umbrella. He definitely attracted the attention of a lot of fleeters when he emerged from the bathroom with the Flower Parasol attached to his back! Ves knew that he would have looked even sillier if he expanded the umbrella. Its pink and girlish appearance would have definitely produced a lot of misunderstandings! He tried his best to banish his shame and pretend that there was absolutely nothing wrong for him to carry an item that should only be held by the likes of his daughters. "Where did you get that umbrella, Ves?" Sigrund asked as he looked up from his work console. "That is clearly not an ordinary object. Are you even cleared to bring it inside this Brain Trust?" Ves dismissively waved his hand. "It's fine. I can't tell you where I got it, but it will be useful in a way. It is better to find out whether this umbrella of mine produces any problems while I carry it around. It will definitely be helpful once we kick off our plan." Though Sigrund clearly did not know what to make of the Flower Parasol, he was open-minded enough to accept the possibility that this seemingly flimsy umbrella was capable of doing a lot more. Cultivation was weird and illogical like that. Such relics were always more than the seemed. The slight interruption did not affect their schedule. Ves and Sigrund resumed their work without issue and steadily finished their essential assignments within the deadline that they had set. "We're done." Ves informed Dread Captain Volkert Argile. "The Brain Trust has been partially reprogrammed while dreadnought is primed to undergo a comprehensive transformation. Have you followed my recommendations?" "Partially. We have temporarily relocated many sensitive parts, materials and so on to our other starships. We have also locked down many loose objects and increased our dreadnought's ability to withstand energy damage. We cannot be sure that our measures are effective, but you can rest assured that the Dominion of Man will not fall apart if a key system has malfunctioned." "Good. What is about to happen will not allow the Dominion of Man to survive unscathed. I cannot determine the severity of incoming strikes, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Have you prepared for one of the worst-case scenarios?" Dread Captain Argile grimly nodded. "The original developers of the Dominion of Man did not entirely trust the either Brain Trust. It cannot be ejected from the hull in an instant, but there are multiple instruments in this chamber that can instantly erase the harvested brains as long as they receive the right command. Are you certain that will cause our ship to escape further reprisals?" Ves did not look too certain. "Perhaps. It's a little complicated. The Brain Trust is definitely the focus, but the rest of the ship is also involved. I am sorry I cannot offer any greater clarity at the moment. We will just have to wait and see."