Legacy of the Dark Sage

Outside the Tower of Tribulation, Nolan and Gustaff remained inside the makeshift barricade watching the projection.

It had been almost five hours since Kyran disappeared into the golden tablet, and there had been no signs of him returning any time soon. However, they noticed that numbers were appearing on the tablet's surface.

"The second one is taking longer than I expected," Gustaff remarked.

Nolan remained silent. He also felt the second training was long, but he was not worried. How fast or long one finishes his training did not determine the training mode. It all depended on the time difference in this place compared to where one did his training.

With that in mind, Nolan did not think much about it. Instead, he focused on the numbers flashing on the face of the gold tablet.

Those numbers reflected the real-time of where Kyran was doing his next training. If calculated correctly, Nolan would determine how long Kyran had been there.

Just as he was about to identify the correct formula in calculating the numbers, the gold tablet glowed with a blinding light.

"He's done at last," Gustaff said, sounding a little relieved.

After the light faded, they found Kyran slumped on the floor, looking exhausted. Unlike his previous sorry state, Kyran's appearance was the same when he had entered. Although, he looked a little gaunt.

Nolan and Gustaff immediately guessed what training Kyran had just completed based on his condition.

'Knowledge training,' they thought at the same time, feeling goosebumps run up their arms. It was the only type of training inside the tower that would make one look haggard. It was also the training they did not want to have.

While they were thinking this, they saw the miniature armor fly above Kyran and appeared to be saying something, to which Kyran replied by waving his hand as if to brush him off.

Nolan and Gustaff's expression turned blank.

Watching the projection was similar to watching a no-dialogue theater play where 80% of the time, they had to guess what was happening. It wasn't very pleasant.

"Is there even a meaning to this?" Gustaff asked, triggering his ability without meaning to.

Black lines appeared on Nolan's face as he looked at Gustaff.

"Don't ask questions you know I can't answer," Nolan replied.

Gustaff belated realized what he had done and looked at him while bursting out with laughter, "Hahahaha! You're right. Sorry."

"Sorry, my ass," Nolan grumbled and looked back at the projection. "At least we're able to see his progress."

With raised brows, Gustaff nodded in realization, "Ah, you're right."

He looked back at the projection and added, "You really cared about him, huh. Makes sense, though. If something happened to him, you'll have to answer to master Cade. Hahaha!"

Nolan chose to ignore him.

Inside the tower, Kyran slumped on the floor was obviously due to exhaustion, and the cause was none other than the Puppetry test.

He had never thought he would feel exhausted after a test. Even when he participated in physical or written tests in the military school or even back in the Regis Estate, this exceeded all his combined experiences.

It was true all materials needed would be provided during the test. However, when True Void said 'everything would be provided,' indeed he meant 'everything,' meaning every material available in every plane was there.

​ It was too troublesome! Because of this experience, Kyran was made aware that having too many materials at one's disposal was also not good.

Kyran's Puppetry test was to create ten puppets with different functions, which was within his expectations.

However, creating puppets was not that simple. The materials needed must work in harmony. One wrong material could disrupt a puppet's movement, and it could end up with the puppet going out of control. Thus, before Kyran created his blueprint, he checked all available materials first. When he realized it was impossible for him to look at all the materials, he had True Void help him move around and become his eyes.

When that was not enough, Kyran asked True Void to create 'puppets' using the shape-shifting plates, similar to what he had done back in the Lignum plane. Using these puppets, True Void managed to have mare eyes looking through all the materials and report it back to Kyran.

For this reason, when Kyran passed the test, and they got transported back to the tower, True Void berated at him at once. Truth be told, he only realized that Kyran took advantage of him and was such a slave driver!

Kyran simply brushed him off by telling him how helpful he was, but honestly, True Void's task was simple compared to what Kyran did.

When True Void reported back to him, Kyran took note of everything and grouped them according to their compatibility. He also made sure those compatible materials would not have any issues once he applied Array Formulas in them.

Puppetry was not just about combining materials according to a blueprint. It also required one to have advanced knowledge in Array. Having average knowledge in Array was not enough. Because the puppet's program relied greatly on Array, it would be impossible to stabilize the puppet's movements and functions if one could not create the correct formulas and complete the proper calculations.

Because of this, it took Kyran three months before he finally drafted a blueprint of a puppet. Then an additional two months to draft another six. Using the first draft as his base, it had been easier for Kyran to draft the other six. But the last three puppets, Kyran took his time in drafting. He started drafting them the same time he drafted the first one he completed. After almost six months, he finally completed the draft for the three puppets.

The three blueprints, Kyran considered as the prototype of the masterpiece he had in mind. Though the test was to create ten puppets with different functions, he decided to make three puppets that had all-around functions.

Aside from this, Kyran added a formula in which all ten would be able to work together under special circumstances.

There were still a lot of things Kyran wanted to include, but adding those formulas now might over exhaust a puppet's energy core and would result in a constant replacement of the energy core. And the puppet's energy core was something he had not perfected yet.

If Kyran created an energy core for the puppets based on what he had learned, if they roused the formula where they had to work together, the energy core would not hold out. For this reason, the energy core Kyran created was not only based on what he knew but also included the concept of the ancient teaching of Void magic he had just learned.

According to ancient teaching, one of the Void's greatest features was its ability to absorb anything and everything. Everything absorbed into the Void can be converted and used again if done correctly. Kyran had a vague understanding of this when he absorbed the surrounding energies and converted them into magic energy, back when he was learning how to use magic sense. But Void was not limited to absorbing surrounding energies. Like in the introduction, Void could absorb anything and everything.

Kyran created a formula and placed it into the puppet's energy cores using this idea. This meant once the energy core's supply was insufficient, the formula would activate, letting it absorb any surrounding energies and replenishing its own energy core. With this kind of energy core, the puppets would become almost like a real mage who could absorb surrounding energies to replenish their magic energy reserves. The only difference was that the puppets could also absorb any attack aimed at them and convert it into energy.

This feat was similar to what True Void could do.

When True Void realized this, he was a little annoyed, telling Kyran that was a skill unique to him.

To appease True Void's annoyance, Kyran assured him that he was still the original, and though the puppets could also absorb energies, they still had a limit unlike him. Kyran also told True Void since the puppets had similar abilities to him, he would be in-charged of them in the future.

True enough, True Void liked the idea of having his own 'underlings.'

Another unique aspect of all the puppets Kyran created was he used Void runes when he included array formulas and did the calculations, making others unable to decipher them.

Even if Kyran had not done this, it would still be impossible for others to decipher his work because it was far too advanced. Not even Noir, who was hailed as an Array Master, would be able to understand it at once. It would likely take him more than ten years before he could understand the formula, and the puppets had quite a number of formulas.

Creating all the puppets took Kyran four months. When he completed all ten, and he thought the test would be over once their functions were tested, it turned out there was also a practical test.

In the end, it took Kyran a year to complete his test because the practical test was about having him participate in a puppet competition, which took place for two months.

The test's completion actually took more time than when Kyran was absorbing the knowledge tablets in all those rooms!

True Void berated at Kyran as soon as they were transported back to the tower.

"I have never been slaved by my master the way you did! I haven't even acknowledged you as my new master, and yet you brazenly took advantage of me!"

Kyran chuckled at True Void's rant. He was too exhausted to argue or even reply to him.

Finally, the overlapping voices spoke and said,  "Analyzing all your accomplished training tasks...."

Immediately, Kyran's eyes snapped open.

True Void also stopped ranting and said, "Finally, the results."

"Training results, SSS. You are allowed to receive three rewards."