Chapter 3898: Perfect Copy (Part 1)

"Your friend is in deep trouble, Solus." The Red Mother said. "I don’t know if I can help her. More importantly, I don’t know if I want to help her."

"What do you mean?" Bytra asked as Zoreth moaned in pain.

"I don’t like you, Bytra. You attempted to murder Solus and then succeeded with Ripha." The Red Mother said. "I like your wife even less. I know who she is and what she has done.

"I don’t think helping either of you can serve my interests or Mogar’s."

"Then why did you come here if you had no intention to heal Zoreth?" Solus asked.

"Because you are my friend, Solus. I would never give bad news to you via a hologram. You deserve to look me in the face when I do." The Red Mother said. "Also, I didn’t say no. I just didn’t say yes.

"Give me the Mouth and the Ears, please. I have complete trust in the Infirmary’s capabilities, but I like to perform my own examinations."

"I can give you the Apprentice Mouth, but the Fire Dragons have the Ears." Tista said. "The Master Set is linked to the Infirmary and can’t be taken out."

"Thanks, child, but I wasn’t talking to you." Baba Yaga extended her hand towards Bytra. "I know you succeeded in replicating a few pieces of the Menadion Set, Bytra, and that’s another reason I consider you and your wife a threat."

"Then take it out on me. I’m the head of the Organization’s Forgemastery operations." The Raiju handed the Skull and the Maw without hesitation. "Zor has nothing to do with it. Leave Zor out of your grudge with me."

"I’m much more powerful than you, and I can use Creation Magic, child." The Red Mother reached out, but didn’t touch the artifacts. "Aren’t you afraid I’m going to crack your runes and steal your work like you did Ripha’s?"

"No, I’m not." Bytra shook her head. "We examined the Ears of Menadion together, yet you never came up with your own version. It means you either lack the skills or the will to craft the Ears. Whatever the answer is, I don’t care."

"Really? What if I just erase your imprint and replace it with mine?" Baba Yaga stared into Bytra’s eyes without moving.

"If you want the Maw and Skull, take them, but they will do you no good." The Fourth Ruler of the Flames sneered. "They each have a different unlock code and only I know them."

"I see." Baba Yaga nodded. "You have every reason to be confident. I have to admit that I’m not as good a Forgemaster as you, Bytra. I can’t replicate Ripha’s work or yours. Not yet."

"Then let’s make a deal." Bytra said. "You save Zor, and I’ll give you a Maw and a Skull without an unlock code. Study them, improve on them, destroy them, I don’t care."

"Would you really do it?" The Red Mother looked at the artifacts with eyes filled with greed.

"Yes." Bytra nodded. "I’ll take full responsibility for our trade with the Organization. The only thing I ask you is to provide me with the materials. I don’t have them on me, and once Zoreth is cured, the Master might renege on our deal."

"It seems you were right, Ripha." Baba Yaga turned to Menadion. "She’s as different from the old Bytra as I am from Night."

"I told you so." The First Ruler of the Flames tutted.

"It’s also nice to see that some things never change. Like your smugness, Ripha." Baba Yaga grunted. "Don’t worry, Bytra. I have no need for your services. I was just testing you.

"I wanted to see if your sweet and apologetic demeanor was real or just an opportunistic façade. It’s always easy being nice with words. Actions are a much harder currency."

"Still, use them, please." The Raiju didn’t like the Red Mother playing with her feelings and Zoreth’s life, but there was little Bytra wouldn’t suffer to save her wife.

"Yggdrasill wood? Damn, Ripha, the apprentice has surpassed the master-" When Baba Yaga put the Skull of Bytra on, the artifact’s power core scanned the area for more Skulls in order to establish a network.

The crystal antennae on the side of the helm split into seven and then fused back into a single piece to better transmit the massive load of data incoming from the Infirmary.

Thanks to the synesthesia effect of the Skull, Baba Yaga could see with her own eyes the swirling currents of Zoreth’s life forces. She could feel the gusts produced by their violent clashes on her skin.

She could hear the upper part of the troll and Eldritch sides snarling at each other while the lower part cried in pain. Every creak and moan told her where the wounds went deep and where they had just opened.

"Great Mother almighty!"

At the same time, a low rumble spread throughout the tower. The surface of the Ears on the stone pedestal changed, becoming smoother and developing wood grain. New pieces of equipment grew on the walls of the Infirmary.

The images on the holographic display became more detailed, and a new stream of data appeared beside the depiction of Zoreth’s life forces.

"That’s exactly how I see the hybrid through the Skull." Baba Yaga pointed at the display. "How is this possible?"

"I’m afraid you copied my Ears too well, Bytra." Menadion felt the various floors change as new runes filled the still-blank spaces in the tower core. "Your Skull of Bytra holds the same synchronization enchantment as my Apprentice Set."

"That still doesn’t explain what is happening." Bytra pointed at the new, sleek shape of the Ears. "I Forgemastered the Skull to tap into the full potential of the Yggdrasill wood, and your tower is made of stone.

"I can understand that the artifacts are capable of sharing information, but not the changes in the tower. Unless it can grow Yggdrasill wood inside its walls, the effect is bound to be temporary."

"That’s true." Menadion nodded. "Any idea, Epp-, I mean, Solus?"

"Actually, yes." Solus nodded as the information about the tower floors stored in her mind changed. "You’re wrong, Bytra. The tower can’t grow Yggdrasill wood, but it can still access its properties. You forgot about my Sage Staff stored inside the Armory."

"That’s not the same thing." Bytra replied. "The Armory is great, but it only allows the tower to- Great Mother almighty!"

"Good gods!" Menadion double-checked the tower log, refusing to believe her own genius.

"Look, whatever this is, I’m sure it’s amazing." Kalla snorted in annoyance. "And if any of you is so nice to explain it to the rest of us, we’ll gladly join you in your bewilderment and pat Ripha on the back."

"I’m sorry, everyone. I wasn’t being rude. I just have a hard time believing it myself." Solus said. "Until this moment, the tower shared the mind-focusing ability of the Yggdrasill wood with those marked as our apprentices.

"After connecting with the Skull of Bytra, however, the tower has learned how to apply that same ability to its enchantments that require processing and analyzing data." She pointed at the changes in the Ears.

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