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Esmund exhaled slowly, stretching his sore muscles as the early morning sun cast golden hues over the herb garden. He had just finished his daily martial arts training and now stood among the neatly arranged plants. Since the nanobots handled most of the monitoring, he made his way to the nursery, where certain plants required more direct attention. His hands moved with practiced precision as he tended to the delicate Silver Spotted Kasan Tubers. A faint buzzing noise made him pause – tiny insects hovered near the tubers, landing momentarily before darting away. He made a mental note; Sage would want this detail for the symbiosis study. “Sage, any updates?” he asked while watering the plants. A faint hum echoed through his mind as Sage processed the question. “The Void Stone experiment is ongoing in the underground lab. I’ve been testing its reaction to simulated Subspace fluctuations, but the results are inconclusive. Either the fluctuations aren’t strong enough, or the Void Stone’s sensitivity threshold is higher than expected.” “I’m also using elemental energy interference to provoke a response and mapping the Void Stone’s reaction patterns. If we can identify a consistent energy reaction pattern to Subspace, we might be able to use it as a detector,” Sage added. Esmund finished tending to the plants and made his way to the underground lab to examine the setup himself. His battle suit, still showing signs of wear from the arena fights, lay on the workbench. He made a mental note to review the combat logs later, but for now, the Void Stone experiment took priority.

On the lab table, a Void Stone fragment was suspended within a containment field, surrounded by intricate rune formations Sage had arranged for analysis. A second, smaller stone sat within a separate containment field, linked by a stream of artificial Subspace energy Sage had managed to generate. “The main issue is instability,” Sage explained. “When we try to link multiple Void Stones to a Subspace, the connection collapses after a few seconds. But I did notice something – while the link is forming, the Void Stone reacts by shifting elemental energy and it has similar vibration patterns.” Esmund’s eyes narrowed. “If it shows a unique energy reaction pattern to a natural Subspace, we might have a way to detect them. What if we stabilize the link long enough to track where the Void Stone is connecting?” “Already working on it,” Sage replied. “I’m adjusting the Void Stone’s resonance frequency to see if we can pinpoint the exact coordinates of its link.” Excitement stirred in Esmund’s chest. If they could get this to work, it would mean reliable Subspace detection, improved Void Stone travel, and a potential solution to the nanobot range issue – all at once. They continued tweaking and observing the effects of their modifications. Some improvements were noticeable, but soon, they hit another dead end. They had observed clear reactions when exposed to artificial Subspace fluctuations, but a nagging problem remained – was the Void Stone reacting to naturally occurring Subspace, or was it simply resonating with already bound Subspace, like his Space Pouch? Sage’s voice crackled through the lab’s speakers. “I’ve run multiple tests, and the Void Stone reacts produce the same energy reaction pattern whether we place it near your Space Pouch or expose it to artificial Subspace fluctuations. We need a way to differentiate the two.” Esmund leaned against the workbench, deep in thought. “We know bound Subspace is stable because of the runes etched into its Void Stone. But naturally occurring Subspace is unstable, constantly reducing it size and releasing energy elsewhere to reach a lower energy level state. That’s the key difference.” A faint hum signaled Sage’s rapid processing. “If a natural Subspace appears and constantly reduces in size, they should appear and disappear randomly, unlike a bound Subspace, which remains constant. The reaction patterns should reflect those changes too” Esmund snapped his fingers. “Right. And if collapsing Subspace releases energy, we can track it. The Void Stone only creates null space when it comes into contact with elemental energy, but Subspace collapse might not always release elemental energy, it could be something else entirely.” Sage immediately recalibrated the monitoring system. After a brief pause, Sage added, “We need more than just a single Void Stone in the lab. What if we use the nanobots? If each one carried a tiny Void Stone fragment, we could monitor multiple points at once.” Esmund’s eyes lit up. “That’s it! If one nanobot detects a Null Space reaction, it could be a false positive. But if multiple nanobots register simultaneous reactions in the same area, that’s a good evidence of a naturally occurring Subspace appearing nearby. Using triangulation method, we can then locate its exact location” Sage immediately began running simulations. “I’ll set the nanobot network to monitor elemental energy fluctuations, shifts, and patterns that match the Void Stone’s reaction signature.” The first wave of nanobots deployed into the environment, scanning for any signs of Subspace activity. Soon, results started coming in, but a major issue became clear. “There are still too many false positives,” Esmund muttered, reviewing the data. “Fights, formation plates, even Old Paid Peppa playing his magical flute next door.. they’re all triggering the Void Stones, it become too sensitive. We need to isolate the test area.” “A controlled environment,” Sage agreed. “If we eliminate external elemental energy, then any reaction inside must be caused by naturally occurring Subspace.” Esmund exhaled. “That means setting up an isolation formation.” “Exactly,” Sage confirmed. “We already have a formation design. We just need raw materials to build it. The builder bots can handle the intricate components, but we’ll need you to craft the larger structural pieces.” “Being small has its perks, but right now, it’s just an inconvenience,” Esmund sighed. “When can I fully utilize the builder bots for large-scale work?” “We need to manufacture more of them first,” Sage explained. “They’re self-replicating, but at their current numbers, construction speed is still slow.” Glancing at his schedule, Esmund exhaled. “Alright, I need to visit the Weapon Development Department for materials anyway. I’m going to class, so you handle the improvements. Work on stabilizing multiple Subspace links while I’m gone. You can use the low-level Space Pouch’s Void Stone for actual testing. I also need to get more Void Stones” “Understood,” Sage confirmed. With that settled, Esmund took a quick shower before heading out.
Esmund made his way to the Weapon Development Department, where students could buy various materials for crafting in exchange for contribution points. “Hello, Elder Sailan,” he greeted the store clerk upon entering. The old man looked up and smiled. “Ah, Esmund. Looking for something specific today?” He had grown familiar with the boy, who had become a regular visitor. He is likely here to get materials for another experiment. “I need materials for an Elemental Energy Isolation Formation. Something that can block elemental energy from entering an area,” Esmund said, scanning the shelves. Elder Sailan nodded. “We have a ready-made isolation formation plate set. It’s the best one available and can isolate a 30-square-meter area. But if you want to make your own, you’ll need Everwinter Wood, Thunderstruck Wood, Cold Umbra Glass, and several complementary materials.” “I want to make them myself,” Esmund said. “I already have most of the complementary materials, but I’ll give you a list of the ones I still need.” The old clerk raised an eyebrow. “Why not just buy the ready-made set? It would save you a lot of trouble. Crafting one requires skill, and if you fail, the materials might become wasted.” Esmund chuckled. “I know, but this is part of my class practice. Buying a finished product would defeat the purpose.” Elder Sailan blinked in realization. “Right, I almost forgot you’re a student at the Sect. Time really flies.” “Yeah, in our Formation Master class, we’re required to tinker with materials now. We don’t handle the refining process ourselves, though – that’s left to the experts,” Esmund explained. The clerk nodded. “No worries. These materials are already refined. You’ll just need to assemble them. That said, a bit of cultivation will be necessary to remove lingering impurities before they’re usable.” “Got it,” Esmund said, handing over his list. Elder Sailan took the paper and skimmed through it. “Alright, wait here. I’ll gather everything for you.” First, he brought out the Everwinter Wood, Thunderstruck Wood, and Cold Umbra Glass. Those are essential components for the formation plates. Then, he moved between shelves, picking up the complementary materials. Soon, the counter was filled with various items. The old man frowned slightly as he looked at the pile. “I don’t recall an isolation plate needing this many materials. Are you sure this is all for the formation?” Esmund scratched the back of his head. “Well the Boric Ink is for etching runes and magic circles, but I bought extra for other projects. Same with those Void Stones. They doesnt expire anyway, so its not a problem.” In truth, the extra Boric Ink wasn’t just for the formation plate – it was the primary material for nanobot production. The ink contained Boric Metal and a significant amount of Titanium, both essential for Builder Bots. Its high concentration of these materials made it one of the most efficient resources available, and Sage had rated it highly compared to other options in its price range. Elder Sailan sighed. “This won’t be cheap. The total comes to 35,300 contribution points. Are you sure you can afford it?” Esmund smiled. “Don’t worry, Elder. I can manage. I’ll just take on more tasks to earn back the points.” “Hmph. Just don’t overwork yourself and neglect basic things like eating. You’ll get into trouble if you push too hard,” the old man warned. “I won’t. Thanks for the concern,” Esmund reassured him before transferring the payment. Even after the purchase, he still had a little over 40,000 contribution points left. As he turned to leave, Elder Sailan called out, “Kid, do you still go fishing?” Esmund stopped and glanced back. “Yeah, I do. I plan to go again sometime to relax, but not in the near future. Why? ” “If you catch any Fiery Whisker Catfish or Spirit Mussels, sell them to Rakhman at the grocery store. They fetch a good price – especially if you bring them in alive.” Esmund thought for a moment, recalling what the catfish looked like. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip, Elder.” The old man smiled and waved as Esmund exited the shop. Watching the boy’s confident stride, he couldn’t help but think, This kid really stands on his own two feet. Hardworking and determined… I wonder how many tasks he’s taken on to earn that many contribution points. He mused to himself, shaking his head in admiration.
After securing the materials, Esmund headed to his afternoon class – Beginner Formations Master Course. He entered the auditorium and made his way to his favorite seat. His friends, Halita and Taegan, were already there, occupying the nearby spots. They greeted him with smiles. “Hey, did you bring the materials for class?” Taegan asked. “Yeah, I stopped by the Weapon Development Department before coming here. How about you guys?” Esmund replied. “We’ve got enough for at least three sets,” Taegan said. “Damn, rich kids. You do know we can just make a miniature version, right?” Esmund smirked. “Yeah, but making a bigger one is easier,” Halita chuckled. “Our hands aren’t as steady as yours – especially Taegan’s. That guy breaks everything. He’s a brute.” “Nyeh nyeh nyeh… Excuse me, princess, but at least I can cut things properly,” Taegan shot back. “You, on the other hand, struggle to cut tofu.” “Bleh, I’m not that bad! You’re exaggerating!” Halita huffed, her brows furrowing. “Oh yeah?” Taegan leaned in, squinting at her with the classic skeptical meme face. “Tell me, princess, who in their right mind cuts tofu with a steak knife?” Halita’s face turned red. “I was just trying to make a nice shape! It’s called art and elegance! Besides, I had never eaten tofu before – I didn’t know it was that soft!” Esmund shook his head, already used to their antics. “Well, the more materials we have, the more we can practice. Besides, today’s exercise doesn’t even require us to cut anything – we just need to arrange them.” “You make it sound easy, you have the skills” Taegan said. “If you could refine materials like a cultivator, you’d be on par with them.” He had seen Esmund’s work firsthand. His creations were better than most of what was sold in the sect.
The instructor, Master Yenma, stepped forward. He was one of the Academy’s top experts in formation theory and practical application. Apart from the beginner class, he also taught higher-level formation courses. “Alright, take out the materials I asked you to bring,” he instructed. “You should have a 30 cm square Cold Umbra Glass plate, at least three blank white crystal cubes the size of dice, a bottle of low-grade Spirit Ink, and your regular drawing tools.” He surveyed the class. “For this exercise, I specifically required Cold Umbra Glass for your plates. But does anyone know why?” Taegan raised a hand. “Because it’s easier to clean and reuse compared to other materials.” “Correct. But why is that important?” Yenma prompted. “It’s cheap, so even the poor students can afford it,” Risou, the arrogant rich kid, said smugly. Some students scoffed at his attitude, but Yenma remained neutral. “That’s correct too. However, why specifically the Umbra Glass plate? There are cheaper options, like Iron Poplar Tree plates.” A student hesitated before speaking. “It’s easier to erase the magic runes because it doesn’t seep into the plate.”

“Good. All of the answers are correct,” Yenma nodded. “Glass materials absorb Spirit Ink the least, making them easier to clean and reuse. Umbra Glass is also exceptionally durable. If you drop it, it will likely just chip at the edges rather than shatter. “But its most important characteristic is that it’s a near-perfect Elemental Energy insulator. Regardless on how much energy you inject, as long as its less than its breaking point Over 99% of that elemental energy traveling through it will be lost, turned into heat on the first few centimeters” The students stirred at this revelation. “This ensures that the elemental energy, which is supposed to flow through the runes you draw, actually follows the rune circuits instead of being short-circuited by the plate’s material.” “Compared to talisman paper, Cold Umbra Glass won’t burn or get damaged easily if you make mistakes while drawing rune patterns. You’ll be using it for many exercises, so keep your plates in good condition.” Yenma gestured toward the center of the room. “If you prefer, move to a better spot. Now, draw this on your plates.” A glowing diagram appeared midair, displaying a series of magical runes. Yenma then retrieved a miniature, seven-story pagoda from his storage pouch and placed it on the rostrum. The artifact hummed as he activated it. “There are three stages to this exercise,” he explained. 1. Tap into the elemental energy released from this pagoda using an energy gathering circle. 2. Successfully light up three cubes – each with a different type of elemental energy – inside the formation. 3. Prevent one cube in the formation from lighting up using the energy isolation magic circle. “This will teach you how to manipulate energy through runes and formations – whether to channel or isolate energy for a specific purpose. For example, healing a single person in a crowd or targeting only an enemy with an attack formation.” He gave the students a warning. “You may improvise with the rune patterns and material placement, but do not exceed level two energy gathering runes. Level one is more than enough. Now, get to work.” The students spread out and began drawing their rune formations. To Esmund, he felt familiar with the concept. Its like creating an electronic circuit board. Instead of copper or aluminum circuit conducting the electricity, Spirit Ink formed paths for elemental energy. The Umbra Glass plate acted as the board, holding everything together. As Yenma walked around, observing the students’ work, he stopped at a student with a messy plate. “What the hell is this?” he muttered, frowning. “At this point, you might as well paint the entire plate with ink. If you can’t draw delicate patterns correctly, your formation won’t work.” Some students stiffened at his words. Yenma sighed. “The goal of this class isn’t to make you all expert inscribers, but to help you understand runes and their functions. If you struggle with drawing, ask help from your friends.” He moved to Esmund’s group, inspecting their work. He nodded approvingly at Esmund’s plate. “Good. Some of you already understand the intricacies and are even improvising. That’s excellent.” Looking at Halita’s and Taegan’s plates, he added, “Remember, a Formation Master doesn’t have to be an expert inscriber – that’s an Inscriber’s job. Your role is to understand how formations work and control energy flow, so what you need to do is to decide the arrangement of things and what to inscribe. Not to say an inscribing skill is not useful to you but it’s not a necessity. You can use pre-made tools, talismans, or environmental formations, or even natural items like a random rock to your advantage.” Hearing this, some students relaxed. Those with better inscribing skills helped their peers, making the task easier. The classroom became more lively as students collaborated. Esmund, with his precise craftsmanship and clear explanations, quickly became popular. However, not everyone appreciated his skills – Risou kept trying to nitpick his work, irritating the others. Esmund ignored him. He might look young, but mentally, he was almost 40. Dealing with arrogant kids wasn’t worth his energy. “All right, that’s all for today, continue practicing at home, try to memorize more runes” Master Yenma said. As class ended, Esmund approached Master Yenma. “Master Yenma, I need some advice. I’m setting up an isolation formation to block elemental energy interference for an experiment. Any tips?” The instructor stroked his beard. “Inside the sect, the biggest problem in your specific requirement is the dense elemental energy here. The sect’s protective formation continuously gathers energy, so fluctuations ripple farther than outside.” He thought for a moment. “To create a truly neutral zone, you’ll need to first isolate the area, then extract the energy from within it. A combination of an isolation array and an energy gathering array should work.” He retrieved a blank parchment, channeled his energy into it, and a glowing diagram formed – a detailed formation blueprint. “Here, take this. This is just a theoretical design, so be cautious when testing it.” Esmund studied the diagram and nodded. “I see… The energy gathering formation drains the area inside the isolation array, expelling the energy outward. This will help a lot. Thank you, Master Yenma.” Yenma smiled. “Good. You understood it at a glance. I’d like to hear your results – report back once you’ve set it up.”
Back at the underground lab, Sage ran a simulation based on Master Yenma’s drawings, making several improvements to suit his requirements. Together, he and Esmund worked to assemble the isolation formation plate sets. With the materials and new rune structure in place, the isolation field activated with a low hum, sealing the test area from external elemental influence. The radius of the isolation area could be adjusted by controlling the energy supplied to the isolation plate. Sage ran an initial scan. “Field integrity looks good. Now, we just need to move this somewhere else. We can’t risk cutting off energy to the herb garden – it could be detrimental to the plants.” “Agreed,” Esmund said. “We should test it in a place with fewer people, like the forest or Tuangran Lake. If we’re lucky, we might finally detect true Natural Subspace fluctuations.” “Late at night would be ideal,” Sage added. “Fewer people means less elemental interference.” “Yeah, we’ll go tonight,” Esmund confirmed. After finishing their preparations, Esmund headed to the lab’s kitchen to make a quick meal. He decided on fried rice with wood fungus. He soaked the dried fungus in warm water while mincing garlic and small red onions. Then, he washed some dried anchovies and fresh water spinach. He cut the water spinach into shorter length. Heating a frying pot over an energy formation he had crafted, he poured in five teaspoons of vegetable oil inside. Once the oil became hot enough, he added the onions, garlic, anchovies and the fungus. A sizzling sound erupted as steam rose from the pot, filling the kitchen with the rich aroma of fried garlic and onions. When the anchovies turned golden brown, he tossed in the pre-cooked rice and water spinach, stirring everything together. For seasoning, he added a splash of oyster sauce and a couple of pinches of chili pepper. The scent grew even more enticing as the flavors melded.

The underground kitchen had a strong ventilation system, and the motorized fan quickly cleared the air. After finish preparing his fried rice, Esmund brewed some tea, adding a handful of raisins into his cup for extra flavor. Taking his food to the rooftop of the workshop, he ate there in silence, his mind constantly working. “I’m thinking of a mini detector,” he said suddenly. “There’s something off about our previous approach. This setup works, but it’s not very convenient.” “What do you mean?” Sage asked. “The Subspace isn’t actually located in our world. The isolated space only increases the range in which the nanobots can search without external energy interference. But what if we don’t need an entire isolated space at all?” “You mean… we don’t need to isolate a whole area?” Sage questioned. “Exactly,” Esmund nodded. “We still need isolation, just not on this scale. What we actually need to isolate is the Void Stones from external elemental energy. Instead of setting up a large field, we just need to coat or encase the Void Stones in a small, controlled isolation chamber. “I got this idea today in class while learning about the properties of Cold Umbra Glass. We could use it to create a miniature isolation chamber for the Void Stones and the related components.” Sage paused, processing the idea. “Wait… If we isolate the Void Stone, then how would it detect Subspa – ” He suddenly stopped, realization dawning on him. “You get it, right?” Esmund said, grinning. “The Subspace itself isn’t part of our world. The Subspace opening exists in a superposition between this world and inside the subspace. That’s why an already bound Subspace doesn’t have an opening like the wild, unbound ones.” Sage’s excitement grew. “Which means… the Cold Umbra Glass wouldn’t block elemental energy coming from a Subspace opening! If the isolation chamber comes into contact with the Subspace’s superposition, the elemental energy will still interact with the Void Stone inside. But at the same time, the chamber will block external elemental energy from this world. That makes detection far more precise than our current method!” “You see why this is better, right?” Esmund asked. “Absolutely,” Sage confirmed. “If we integrate this detector into the nanobots, it’ll be way more efficient than waiting for people to sleep before searching for Subspace anomalies. The whole world can be our search perimeter with this setup” “Then start working on it, bro,” Esmund said with a stretch. “But tonight, we’re still heading to the lake. I already bought some Void Stones for this, so we have to follow through. Do some final tests and also inscribe these Void Stones while I rest for a bit.” He added, laying them down on the table. Without hesitation, Sage commanded the nanobots to run more tests. As the nanobots spread through the small isolated area in the underground lab, Esmund watched the data stream in, waiting for the breakthrough they had been chasing. At some point, mental exhaustion overtook him. Without realizing it, he drifted into sleep.