The Collector led the way for the swarm into the Jotnar mountain. It hovered near the entrance of the cave leading into the mountain's depths and did a preliminary scouting check for any hostilities within. It had already learned how to incorporate the martial art technique known as [Sense] that involved projecting out one's magical energy aura in a wide area, and it had further evolved it so that instead of projecting an omnidirectional, circular aura that wasted potential surface area, it could send out directed tendrils of investigative energy.
The mana type that the Collector used was of the Flow type best suited for picking up minute fluctuations in mana, and large green tendrils snaked out from its four arms as they winded their way down the tunnel, faintly illuminating it.
Kui watched with his arms crossed and a head nod. "I knew this from when I fought you, but you are an All-Affinity."
The Collector extrapolated that 'All-Affinity' was a title granted to those that could use all the mana forms, and while it searched the mountain, it engaged the fighter known as 'Kui' for further information.
"Is the incidence of this 'All-Affinity' rare?" said the Collector.
"Very rare. But not as rare as one would think," said Kui. "I have met a few talented fighters who were All-Affinities. The difference between them and you, however, is the degree of affinity. Those with All-Affinity hold but one or two affinities close to their heart. The others, they can exert only in small, minute capacity.
Yet here you are using the overwhelming might of chaos, the sensitivity of flow, the healing of unity, and the defensiveness of root all in equally mighty measure. I should say that there has not been any as talented as you among the Common Body in a thousand years."
The Collector clicked its mandibles. "It is a self-evident statement to posit that mere tinkerers are unable to match the breadth and depth of my processing power and natural biological might. Yet, the term 'All-Affinity' does not seem to capture the affinity of 'Void'."
"The more I wonder upon the Void, the more I believe that it is not a power a mortal being can harness," said Kui.
"Yet there are 'god' specimen that utilize it. The existence of gods known as 'Gatekeepers' that regulate each of the affinities necessitates that there is one god specimen capable of harnessing it," said the Collector.
"There is Niva, the goddess of Paths and Peace," said Kui. "Through her, her priestesses may make great distances short or create spaces of holding."
"So is this specimen, this 'Niva', the Gatekeeper of the Void?" said the Collector.
"No. She is one of the Protectorate, but she is not a Gatekeeper," said Kui. He tugged at his black and white speckled beard. "The Gatekeeper of the Void is known as the Oracle, and he among all gods is one of greatest mystery.
He has never before appeared among the Common Body in a flesh form. Nor has he even spoken his voice to us. He does not seem to revel in lordship and rule of Common folk."
"The 'Gatekeeper' to my knowledge is a title that cycles after five hundred years," said the Collector. "That indicates that prior to the appearance of this 'Oracle', there were others that bore the title. Yet, none of those specimen have made themselves known to the Common Body that these 'gods' rule over?"
"The Oracle is an exception," said Kui. "It is true. Gods chosen to bear the torch of Gatekeeper last but five hundred years, ascending into the Beyond, but the Oracle alone has held the Void Gate since time immemorial. He was here when the Convergence began over a thousand years ago, and he is still here now.
Many believe that the High King of the gods is that which bears the Dawnbringer, but simply put, the Dawnbringer is simply a mighty blade. A shiny stick that a Gatekeeper wields every once in a while, bearing its light so the masses can gawk at it.
The true ruler in mine eyes of the gods is the Oracle, that which has stayed in the shadows untouched, unchallenged, and still does now."
"He speaks truly," said Goromir. "Even I remember that among the gods, there was one known as the Oracle. And as he says, the Oracle never once descended from Aetheria."
"What information do you possess of this 'Oracle' specimen. Are you familiar with its combat capabilities and its biological composition?" said the Collector.
"No," said Kui simply. "But I have heard its voice. I have traveled to Aetheria once when the gods invited me to join the ranks of the Ascended. Kneeling in their palace of splendid white and gold, I heard his voice, for his form was not visible.
He offered me position among the Ascended, and I refused. That was the end of it. I was free to return home, and they did not bother me further."
"In essence, you do not know any pertinent information of the Oracle specimen," said the Collector.
Kui shrugged. "No."
The Collector clicked its mandibles. Perhaps it had grown too used to the inefficiencies of tinkering talk, but at the same time, there was no other way to extract information other than such speech anyway.
During the talk, the Collector's scouting tendrils of flow energy had mapped out the general path down to the heart of the mountain until the point that it hit a warp point. This warp point was localized, serving only to grant access further into the mountain, and the Collector could not use [Sense] through warp points.
The way from the cavern entrance to said warp point, however, was safe, guarded largely only by the animated constructs of ice that did not strike against the Collector unless they were provoked first.
"The area of the first layer is without harm," stated the Collector. "Follow my form."
The way through the cavern was spacious and packed with glowing white mana crystals packed with primal energy. For those that could imbibe primal energy and convert it into personal mana, this area would have been one of practically infinite mana, and the Collector, using Kui's technique of breathing ni mana while moving, maintained its mana level at 200% of its total reserves.
The goblins, too, were starting to adapt to primally dense environments, and indeed, they were becoming nourished by them. The ice crystals embedded in their cells that empowered them were constructs made from a species that liberally used primal mana, and so as they breathed the primal energy around them, their cells were nourished, strengthening and enhancing over time.
This coupled with their natural adaptiveness meant they would emerge physically twice as strong once their cells were fully saturated with the primal energy of this environment, though once they reached a peak level of saturation, they would no longer be able to grow stronger in a purely physical manner.
Of course, there were variances in peak saturation for each individual goblin, and the saturation of their cells alone would not allow them to exceed their evolutionary state as a champion.
Notably, however, the elite specimen known as 'Thokk' took to the primal energy well, breathing it in with big gulps and exclaiming how wonderful it felt. The champions, on the other hand, felt suffocated, drawing in shallow breaths as their bodies adjusted to the sudden influx of power.
Near the end to the first warp point, the Collector entered an enormous, lengthy cavern space reminiscent of a hallway. Crystals of white ice lined the relatively low ceiling of the hallway, lighting the space in a ghostly, pale glow.
Flanking the sides of the cavern were the ice constructs that the Collector had sensed. There were twenty four of them. Twelve on each side of the cavern. Approximately five meters in height and built like roughly shaped humanoids, their limbs made clumsily into rounded ends with their faces being featureless, as if a child had tried to shape a man with snow.
Yet there was no mistaking the concentration of mana emanating from each of these ice constructs.
The Collector estimated that all of them were at the level of a five star adventurer, and because the high primal energy in the area meant they had infinite mana, they were near the same level as the undead adventurer from before.
Referencing from the previous ice construct the Collector had fought when it first investigated the Rift, it knew that these constructs were limited in their battle capabilities, relying largely on regenerative ability and uncoordinated physical bulk.
At the same time, these ice constructs were not hostile to the Collector unless provoked, so it floated forwards.
The goblin swarm hesitated, however, sensing the sheer physical brawn and power emanating from each of the golems.
"Relax," said Kui. "Your Sovnar is correct to be unconcerned. These are Guardian Golems that will not harm those without ill-intent. If your Sovnar remains unharmed, so will you."
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