"I expected to talk to Ves, not his evil personality. With respect, can you retreat and give Ves control so that we can talk about matters of serious importance?" "Ves is currently taking a well-deserved vacation after completing the Riot Mark III and almost killing Rosa Orfan. I am not inclined to bring him back right away. Let him finish his rest. You can tell me all about what you have accomplished in the meantime. Both of us share the same memories more or less, so informing me is the same as informing him. You don't need to waste any time." The projection of Swordmaster Ketis gave the Dark Apostle a flat stare. "How exactly are you different from Ves?" she questioned. "To be honest, I can't come up with a proper answer. We are different but the same. Ves likes to pretend as if he has gained a second companion spirit in the form of myself, but I feel kind of insulted with this comparison. I much prefer to regard myself as the part of Ves that embraces violence and has fully embraced the legacy of his Larkinson lineage. I am a born warrior. I can fight much better than my human self despite possessing the exact same true body and fighting skills. Admittedly, I don't understand all of the complicated math and science in his head. I 'know' all of the theory, but I can't use it to design a mech, let alone a Mekanos." "I... see. I think I understand the gist of your explanation." The projection of the swordmaster mildly relaxed. "The two of you possess different specializations. Ves is strongly connected to what he calls his 'design flame'. This is the metaphysical construct that empowers our mech designs and vastly increases the efficiency of our technical work. You lack this connection, hence your inability to leverage 'your' technical skills, but that absence is filled with a much deeper and more profound connection to your powerful true body." She grew intrigued. She was not entirely familiar with splitting up specializations. Ketis herself was fundamentally a mech designer with a strong connection to her own design seed. While she also considered herself a fighter, she was not technically a swordmaster. It was only when Sharpie lent her sword intent that Ketis could make the leap from mundane to extraordinary. Of course, Ketis' relationship with her companion spirit was not as tense and segregated as that of Ves and the Dark Apostle. While the relationship between the latter two did not appear to be as dysfunctional as described in the earlier reports, Ketis could still detect a lot of antipathy from the Dark Apostle to his original self. The two may have found an equilibrium that they could live with for the time being, but this did not resolve the fundamental conflict of interest between themselves. Both of them wanted to claim total possession of the same true body. Even Ketis could not come up with a clear-cut answer on who deserved to own it more. As a swordmaster, Ketis could already ascertain that the Dark Apostle clearly mastered his true body to a far greater degree than Ves could ever manage. The second personality was born from his flesh and possessed a connection that she had only ever seen from martial phase lords that truly loved fighting. On the other hand, Ves was the original owner of his true body. He did not deserve to get bodysnatched by an unwelcome side of himself. If Ketis was in his position, he would feel just as upset towards the Dark Apostle. What a mess. It was clearly not in Ketis' place to resolve this troublesome matter. So long as Ves and the Dark Apostle maintained the current status quo, Ketis saw no reason to meddle into this affair. She gazed suspiciously at the Dark Apostle, but ultimately decided that it did not matter if she continued to discuss business with Ves' other self. They were technically the same person, right? "I will postpone discussions on our next mech design projects until he is ready to speak directly to me again." The female Journeyman decided. "The only topic of discussion then is the results from the latest mining expedition to the Blue Dimension." The Dark Apostle perked up when he heard this. "Oh nice. Both of us were looking forward to this. How big is your haul this time?" "Big." Ketis answered. "As I have told you before, I have been able to make a larger and long-lasting portal. Extending its longevity from 24 hours to 120 hours is a godsent to all of red humanity. Our clan along with all of the other major powers such as the Red Three, the Terran Alliance, the Rubarthan Pact, the Hunting Association and most notably the Cybernetic Empire have all taken excellent advantage of this interval. While their yields steadily declined as their mining vessels had to travel further and further away from the entry site, they still managed to obtain much more superdimensional matter than before." "I don't care about what the other groups have gained. I only care about what we have managed to bring in. Tell me the results." Read on lig‌ht‌no‌‌vel‌world‌.o‌rg The Dark Apostle looked as if he was a stimulant junkie who just heard that his supplier managed to import a huge stash from another state. He couldn't help himself. He felt a great attraction towards superdimensional matter. Whether that was because the phase whales called them the bones of the Elder Gods, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he could put up a much better fight if he was fully equipped with superdimensional gear! Ketis proceeded to summarize the Larkinson Clan's haul. "We have managed to harvest a large but not excessive amount of structure-grade superdimensional matter. We have chosen to deprioritize the mining of this inferior matter because it is more cost-effective for our mining vessels to travel further and find as numerous deposits of common and high-grade matter. As it stands, we have harvested more than enough low-grade matter to construct a single superdimensional megafortress. We can also use it to supply tens of thousands of ranged mechs with cheap superdimensional projectiles for up to a year." Structure-grade superdimensional matter was very poor in quality. It was solely due to the fact that they were superdimensional in the first place that made them more valuable than phasewater, and only to a modest degree. "Go on. No one cares about the low-grade stuff." "We have harvested much more hull-grade superdimensional matter than before. Together with our old reserves, we have collected enough mid-grade matter to construct 13 sub-capital ships with a length of 500 meters. We can even use it all to produce a single space fortress that can endure brutal punishment and help defend a planet against an overwhelming invasion. However, doing this will leave very little hull-grade superdimensional matter left for other priorities." The mention of a space station did not arouse any interest from the Dark Apostle. The Ascended Giant rolled his eyes. "Using superdimensional matter to build a stationary object in space is the stupidest idea that I have ever heard. Its poor mobility will make it easy for enemies to capture it. Then all of that superdimensional matter is lost. No. There are better uses for this stuff. I know that Ves has a lot of demand for it. He needs a large amount of it in order to further his own projects." "The allocation of superdimensional matter is not up to you or Ves." Ketis reminded the Ascended Giant. "Our matriarch is the ultimate decision maker. She decides who gets what. You will need to send her your proposals. You will get what you want so long as you make a good case. Gaining a large haul this time does not necessarily mean we can afford to squander it all. Opening a dimension breach that has lasted for 5 whole days is a strenuous activity that cannot be repeated in a short amount of time. We need to make our existing supply last for at least a year." Ketis did not want to get stuck in a loop where she had to earn 400 AP before spending it all on another portal to the 365th dimension. It would not be fair for her as she would have no AP left to invest in her own development. Even the Dark Apostle acknowledged that she deserved to take care of herself. "I am not disagreeing with you, and neither does my other self. You can take it easy for a time. Both of us are waiting for you to become a sword saint. How close are you to a breakthrough?" "I am closer than before, but I cannot tell you the exact date when I am ready to take the next step. I am blazing my own trail here. I think I can already achieve a breakthrough in a year if I prioritize speed above everything else, but I want to do this right. I can't become a normal sword saint because without the Heavensword, I will not be able to make much of a difference amidst all of the mechs and battleships. Unlike you, my body will continue to remain small and frail." "That does not have to remain this way. Why... don't we work together and figure out a way to turn you into a swordmaster as well as an Ascended Giant?" "No. Absolutely not." Ketis vehemently shook her head! "I will not taint myself with alien influences. No offense, but I do not want to share my body with a 'Dark Mistress' or something. The very thought of it offends me. Besides, I do not think that the concept is even viable. Reformed Swordsmanship must remain as pure as possible. I can reluctantly agree with letting reformed swordsmen make use of Carmine mechs, but I do not want them to turn into Ascended Giants. They will lose focus and become too distracted by all of the needs of their body cultivation. No. We will find our own way, starting with myself. I will only become a sword ace pilot when I have found a path that can turn reformed swordsmanship into a viable means to resist our enemies in the current age." Her ambition was great. While she was already able to defeat phase lords in her current condition, she relied far too heavily on the overbearing might of the Heavensword as opposed to her own gear and swordsmanship. The Dark Apostle found it admirable that Ketis refused to grow complacent and take the Heavensword for granted. The relic weapon could separate from her hand at any time. It may also refuse to lend its formidable might to her during critical moments. Ketis could not stand the lack of control over her own weapon. This was why she continued to nurture her Bloodsinger to the point of turning it into Sharpie's life sword. "Do you have any solid ideas on how to reach your goal?" "Yes. I am already exploring a number of possible options." She said. "Some of them are admittedly more invasive than others. I have been collaborating with the Red Collective on this endeavor. Their expertise is very welcome. I am certain that I can succeed. The only question is how well the end result will turn out. I do not want Reformed Swordsmanship to turn into a joke just like how traditional swordsmanship became marginalized during the Age of Mechs. What the MTA has done to our practice is intolerable. I will not let the RA do the same in this age." "Well, you are well on your way of doing so. The RC is becoming more and more powerful, especially now that I have put the Phase Lord Department in order. Helping me is the same as helping you. The more superdimensional matter you can send my way, the better. My giants and I will heavily rely on you to supply us and outfit us with superior arms and armor."