Leonel didn't know what to say to this. His father's expression seemed serious, but Leonel had known for a long time what his father was like. This serious expression was just an act. However, Leonel could still tell that this 'act' came from a place of seriousness.
The sigh he heard come from the hologram a moment later confirmed this much as well.
"Forget it, forget it. It's impossible to tell what kind of mutations might occur. Your birth is a bit of a special case. So, though you're my seed and should have a higher chance of awakening our Ancestral Lineage Factor first, something outside of my calculations might happen.
"Anyway, this recorded message will end now. Think of this silver disk as a dictionary left behind by me, your great and amiable, not to mention handsome, father."
Leonel rolled his eyes again when he saw that his old man was back to his joking ways. How many times did he have to tell this old man to not call him his 'seed'.
But he was grateful nonetheless. What he lacked the most was information. And, for some reason, while Montez couldn't give it to him, his father's projection could.
"Alright then... What is our Ancestral Lineage Factor?" Leonel probed the hologram.
The hologram had lost the previous animated emotions it had, but Leonel still found it soothing to hear his father's voice, even if it was automated.
[ *Ping* The Ancestral Lineage Factor of the Morales Clan is known as Metal Synergy. ]
"What is the Metal Synergy Lineage Factor?"
[ *Ping* The Metal Synergy Lineage Factor is the Ancestral Lineage Factor of the Morales Clan. ]
Leonel thought this was another prank at first, but after a moment, he seemed to understand something.
"What are the abilities of the Metal Synergy Lineage Factor?"
[ *Ping* The Metal Synergy Lineage Factor has many abilities. It can most appropriately be described as the envy of all Force Crafters. ]
[ *Information Omitted* ]
[ Scanning Seed. ]
Leonel felt a surge of energy course through him.
[ Seed has not awakened Metal Synergy Lineage Factor. Information cannot be unlocked. ]
'... Please don't tell me this damn thing is going to call me 'seed' from now on...'
In the end, Leonel could only sigh.
It seemed he had to ask really specific questions to get specific answers. If not, the response would be short and to the point, and maybe miss out on something he needed to know. In addition, some information was barred from him unless he met certain criteria.
After thinking for a moment, Leonel asked another question.
"Why is it that my old man wanted me to awaken Metal Synergy first?"
[ *Ping* The Morales Clan is divided into two branches. Velasco Morales was born to the Metal Synergy Branch though he later awakened his Spear Domain Lineage Factor as well. ]
[ *Information Omitted* ]
[ Seed is not yet strong enough to return to the Morales Clan. Information cannot be unlocked. ]
"Alright, alright. Fine. How does this Spear Domain ring work?"
[ *Ping* The Spear Domain ring is entered by the consciousness. The stronger one's Internal Sight, the further one can travel. Each spear has been acknowledged by the ring and has a thread of Internal Sight attached to it that gives insights toward the Way of the Spear. ]
[ *Information Omitted* ]
[ Scanning Seed. ]
[ Seed has awakened Spear Domain Lineage Factor but has not grasped Spear Force. Information unable to be unlocked. ]
'For the love of God, stop calling me seed...'
Leonel's eyes narrowed. His father was born into the Metal Synergy branch of the family, but was somehow able to pass down the Spear Domain ring to him? If there wasn't some story behind this, Leonel wouldn't believe it.
"What is Spear Force?" Leonel asked.
[ *Ping* Spear Force is a Force Strengthening Deviation. It is sharper than normal Force and carries the strength of a Force Technique without the need to use one. ]
"What is a Force Strengthening Deviation?" Leonel asked, suddenly thinking of the weird red glow on Aina's axes.
[ *Ping* A Force Strengthening Deviation is a mutation in Force that amplifies its power in a certain path. ]
Leonel drowned the silver plate in questions. Though many things were omitted due to his own weakness, he still learned a lot nonetheless. If it wasn't for the fact he was scared he would attract suspicion by staying here too long, he would have asked more.
"What is this?"
Leonel picked up the last object his father left. A black cube that was put together like a jigsaw puzzle.
[ *Ping* This is an heirloom of the Morales Clan known as the Segmented Cube. ]
Leonel's lip twitched. This old man didn't give him the heirlooms of both branches of their family, did he? Leonel didn't need to know the story behind this to know that there were definitely several unhappy individuals.
"What are the abilities of the Segmented Cube?"
[ *Ping* The Segmented Cube is a darling treasure of Force Crafters. It is a lab. ]
[ *Information Omitted* ]
[ Scanning Seed. ]
[ Seed has not awakened Metal Synergy Lineage Factor. Information cannot be unlocked. ]
Leonel sighed. He had been hoping that this thing would be able to analyze Zones for him. But, it turned out to be a lab. A lab he couldn't even open at that. He wasn't a Force Crafter so he couldn't even make use of this thing.
It seemed he had made a mistake by not using one of his rewards on a Zone Analysis Device.
'Hold on...'
"What is this thing called and what are its abilities?"
Leonel brought out a familiar cube with the very same childish silver glob. However, even in comparison to the past, it was even more hyper than usual. It continually rammed against the side of the cube as though trying to get to the Segmented Cube.
[ *Ping* Species of Metal Spirit detected. Metal Spirit in its infant stages. The Metal Spirit is the favorite Familiar of Force Crafters. ]
[ *Information Partially Omitted* ]
[ Abilities ]
[ Metal Refinement: Able to process and remove impurities from ores. ]
[ Metal Formation: Able to fuse into the structure of metals and change its form, perfect for crafting intricate parts. ]
[ ... ]
[ Metal Spirit in infant stages. Abilities limited. ]
[ Metal Spirit: Unnamed ]
[ Evolution Stage: Tier 1 Black ]
Leonel frowned. He thought this was a Tier 7 Black reward, why was this Metal Spirit infant only at the Tier 1 evolution stage?
How could Leonel know that Montez had used a loophole to bend the rules? Let alone a Tier 7 Black reward, a Metal Spirit was worth more than even a Tier 9 Gold reward. In fact, infants were worth more than even mature Metal Spirits.
Still, though he didn't know this truth, his mind was still spinning. Since this Metal Spirit was a living thing and it had evolution stages, it should be possible to help it mature, right?
Just when Leonel was about to ask the silver plate some more questions, a violent tremor suddenly shook the underground space, causing Leonel's eyes to narrow.
This wasn't a normal phenomenon. Someone was attacking them from above.
'Dammit. It's been only half an hour. It can't be that they really came after us for this, right? No, it's definitely something else.'
Just when Leonel was at a loss for what to do, the Segmented Cube suddenly spun in his palm, breaking into its several pieces and engulfing the entire room. Before Leonel realized what had happened, the cube had expanded to the size of a room and back to the size of his palm in the blink of an eye.
But, while it seemed like nothing had changed, Leonel immediately realized that all the bookshelves and cubicles filled with scrolls had vanished, leaving nothing in the small office.
The loud booms continued.
To Leonel's shock, the room that had remained unaffected after a fall from the skies suddenly began to crumble.
"Dammit!"
Leonel placed the Segmented Cube and silver plate into his spatial bracelet before making eye contact with Aina.
He was shocked to find that she was emitting a dangerous aura, a stifling killing intent springing forth from her small body.
'She knows who these people are?'
There was no time to communicate, the two shot down the crumbling corridor, bursting out to find themselves surrounded.
When Aina saw these people, the violent aura on her body grew by several times, her killing intent piercing into the skies. At this moment, her presence was no weaker than Leonel's when he focused.
"Aina Atheleys Brazinger. Daughter of traitorous scum Adam Renier Brazinger. You are summoned by the Clan Elders to seek repentance."
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