Supreme Magus

Chapter 3488 The Price of Progress (Part 1)

"Correct." Menadion nodded. "By following this logic and dividing the process into precise steps, we can identify the mana organs for each Hydra bloodline and even predict what the final result will look like.""

The hologram showed hypothetical changes in the life force that made more noticeable imperfections stand out. The imperfections became generic mana organs a second later, prompting more changes in Xorn's life force and physical appearance.

The final result, however, was a cartoonishly silly seven-headed creature with large eyes, wings, and a dumb, drunken smile on its faces.

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what kind of Dragon Xorn's bloodline is supposed to evolve into and this is the best I could come up with off the top of my head." Menadion twirled her hair in embarrassment while the Hydras laughed and Xorn gurgled a whine from inside the tank.

"This is amazing, Ruler Menadion. Xubari said. "I can't find any fault in your reasoning and your method should work. Yet there is something you have left out. How can we obtain the results you've just shown us and make such changes permanent?

"I mean, even if we perfect the Harmonizer, there would be no point being Dragons only on specific locations. We would be no better than the citizens of Zelex if not worse. They don't risk taking their own lives when they step off a mana geyser."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I'm sorry. My main specialization is Forgemastering," Menadion shrugged. "I can help you build a Harmonizer suitable to your research but all the Healer part is beyond my understanding."

"This is not true." Anata said. "You have easily found the answer for which we have been looking for almost a year now!"

"Only because you performed solid research and all I had to do was interpret the data." Menadion shook her head. "What you are asking me to do requires a different kind of specialist."

She took one step back, leaving the center stage to Baba Yaga.

"You made excellent questions, Xubari, yet I doubt you'll like the answers." She said. "At the moment, I don't see any way of furthering your research without a Ilydra volunteering as a test subject.

"Theoretical work can only go so far. Without proper experimentation, a perfect theory could lead to a disastrous practical result. Which means that even if we take all the possible precautions, some of you may die."

"What if we do like today? Keeping the subject in the tank and reversing the process the moment his life force stops developing?" Xubari asked.

"It's feasible but the subject will still develop new bloodline abilities that could make him addicted to them." She replied. "The more the experiment progresses, the higher the risk the test subject suffers psychological damage once he's forced to revert into a lesser Divine Beast."

"Let's keep the subject sedated for the duration of the experiment, then" Anata proposed. "A Hydra can't miss something he doesn't remember."

"A good solution, but just with different risks." Baba Yaga shook her head. "An unconscious subject can't tell us if the process hurts, if there's something wrong with his body, or if after every change we apply to the Harmonizer, he feels better or worse.

"This kind of research requires active feedback."

"Can't we find a workaround to this?" Xubari asked.

"We can, but it will take time and it's not guaranteed to work." Baba Yaga replied. "Theory and practice are different. Every experiment might cause a fatality. This is not something that can be avoided until the process is perfected."

"What about making the transformation permanent?" Anata said. "Do you have any solution to that?"

"Several, but again, I doubt you'll like them." The Red Mother sighed. "The easiest and quickest method is to follow Glemos' lead and work on your Hatchlings."

"Why?" Fyrwal asked in shock, her mouth suddenly dry.

"Because their bodies are receptive to change and their life forces have yet to settle. Baba Yaga conjured the hologram of the life force of a young Hydra. "Consider that, unlike monsters, Hydras have not fallen.

"Your life force is not damaged, twisted, or corrupted. It's just underdeveloped. By applying a Harmonizer from a young age, you can trigger the development of the atrophied mana organs and reshape the life force of a Hatchling as they grow!"

The hologram showed a bright sun with solar flares that became brighter and lasted longer as the sun developed. By the end of the process, the solar flares turned into permanent rings of fire that nurtured and protected the sun within.

"At that point, after removing the Harmonizer there would be no lesser form to which to revert because the artificial evolution would be no different from a natural one. Those who become Divine Beasts would sire new Divine Beasts and in the space of a few generations there would be no more Hydras."

"We can't experiment on our children." Fyrwal snarled, hating herself for considering the idea, even if just for a split second. "On top of that, who would teach them how to use their new bloodline abilities? How could we stop a violent child when they throw a tantrum?"

"All good questions. Fyrwal, but all with no answer. Baba Yaga shrugged. "If you want.

to work with adults the ending point is going to be much harder to reach. A perfected Harmonizer will simply reveal the final form of a Hydra, his bloodline abilities, and

mana organs.

"It would be up to the Hydra to find a way to stimulate his specific atrophied mana organs and trigger the evolution. You can bet the trigger is different for every Hydra subspecies and requires even more experiments that only the members of that particular subspecies can perform."

"I don't get it." Ufyl said in frustration, "I didn't undergo any of this. I have no idea what happened to me. I just went to sleep and, when I woke up, I was like this."

"That's the power and allure of Forbidden Magic, child." Baba Yaga looked sternly at her audience. "The Ambrosia activated your mana organs and nurtured your life force by itself without the need for your understanding or help.

"It succeeded because it was fuelled by the lives of hundreds of Hydras whose Dragon blood had been distilled and refined with the purpose of stimulating solely the imperfections in your life force that contained the atrophied mana organs. "Hundreds of lives sacrificed in exchange for one Divine Beast. Was it worth it?"

"No." Ufyl replied without hesitation.

"No." Xubari said and the rest of the Hydras joined him soon after.

"I can help you develop the safest possible procedure but that doesn't guarantee that no one will die." Baba Yaga said. "Ripha can help you craft the selective Harmonizers but they will be useless without volunteers.

"Our endeavor won't be quick, painless, or without casualties. We won't know we've made a mistake until we crash into it. Do you still want to proceed?"

"One moment, please." Fyrwal said.

The Hydras stepped away and enveloped themselves inside a huge Hush zone to discuss the matter. The other lesser Divine Beasts were left out of the discussion and

they sighed in relief for it.

'Since this is the Hydras' project, we'll let them take the lead.'

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