Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

"Alright, don't forget, and better yet, keep telling us how you came up with all this."

Also wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible, Erik smiled cheerfully and began to recount a brief summary of what he had done in recent years.

"Okay, so as I was telling you, I was thinking about business ideas. I was looking around shopping centers and student markets and realized that what sold the most were potions, even more than food, and they were quite expensive. So I decided to get into the business.

"But as Arcane Mikels said in his book on commerce, you can only be successful in the market by offering higher-quality goods at a better price. So I needed something that made me stand out not just in price; I had to offer extra added value to capture market share, or I'd eventually lose to the competition.

"So I started looking for ideas and noticed that the pills of the Zazen discipline were also selling quite well. I asked those who bought them why they did so, even though they were more expensive than a potion and had other limitations.

"The most common answer they gave me was 'practicality.' A potion had a glass bottle that could break, and if that happened in an emergency situation, it could be fatal. Additionally, the gradual way in which the pills delivered their effects was very useful in combat and similar moments. That's when I knew that was what I needed.

"After thinking it over, I decided to integrate those 'advantages' into a potion, making it durable, small, and with the option to deliver effects immediately or gradually. I also improved the process as much as possible to reduce costs while maintaining quality, which would give me an advantageous position against the competition. That resulted in the healing pills."

"As expected of my Erik, but what's the coating of these capsules made of?" Eleonora asked with a tone full of pride, while squeezing one of the capsules with curiosity.

"It's gelatin—one I made with the tissues of a Luzlago and Vigía Leaves," Erik replied with a slight smile, which greatly surprised Eleonora, who asked while looking at the capsule.

"Did you get the idea from my stuffed gelatin dessert?"

"Hehehe, yes. After several tests, I settled on gelatin because when swallowed without biting, the effect is delivered gradually as the gelatin is digested in the stomach. Although it's faster than a pill of the Zazen discipline, the difference isn't that big."

"Erik, but how did you come up with using plastic? This material will undoubtedly be an even bigger revolution than the pills," Sigrún commented with surprise while carefully studying the blister pack, pride and admiration for her disciple filling her heart.

"Well, that was because although the gelatin keeps the concentrated potion inside protected, it's still not enough. Plus, the gelatin itself is delicate and decomposes easily. So I started looking for substitutes for the glass commonly used for potion bottles, and that's how I came across Sage Theodore Wells's research on oil and the interesting material he discovered—plastic.

Just by reading about it, I knew this material had infinite possibilities. But first, I needed to solve the problem of its zero mana conductivity, which was why it was never used and remained just a curious result of a strange investigation. So I set out to find ways to fix that.

Following the logic of how potion bottle glass is created—by adding mana crystal fragments to the mixture before melting—it occurred to me to use mana crystallization, which didn't exist in Sage Wells's time. After many tests, it worked. I have the whole process documented, so I can start writing the academic paper at any time."

While listening to Erik, Eleonora and Sigrún continued studying the pills and the magical plastic with big smiles on their faces. As soon as Erik finished explaining, they jumped excitedly and hugged him, then began kissing him all over his face, filled with pride and happiness.

"You're a genius, Erik! You don't know how proud I feel," Eleonora hugged Erik tightly while exclaiming like an excited girl.

"Hahaha, as expected of my disciple. Your name will resonate throughout the galaxy, Erik," Sigrún kissed Erik's cheek firmly and commented while laughing with pride, absolutely delighted that the first achievement of her beloved disciple was in alchemy.

"Hehehe, well, the healing pills aren't the only thing I developed during this time. Although I couldn't make much progress, since the pills consumed most of my time, I was able to have a small success in another of my investigations," Erik smiled cheerfully and commented in a mysterious voice while hugging his beautiful masters.

"What is it?" Eleonora asked, full of curiosity with shining eyes, almost like a little girl about to receive a gift.

"Show us, show us!" Acting similarly to her sworn sister, Sigrún exclaimed full of excitement, which made Erik laugh in amusement.

"Haha, all right."

With a slight smile on his face, Erik extended his right hand forward, and a beautiful geometric magic circle formed above it, which caused Sigrún and Eleonora to open their mouths completely dumbfounded by what they were seeing.

The circle was different from a normal one; it seemed like a beautifully orchestrated blend of runes and geometric figures that gave an incredible sense of unity and balance, almost as if they resonated with the Myst itself. It formed a beautiful and hypnotic dance, which, moments later, conjured a lovely orange flame.

"Impossible..." Sigrún let out her voice as if it were a sigh, her eyes completely wide, not believing what was happening in front of her.

"How?..."

For her part, Eleonora asked while the world around her seemed to be spinning; she understood very well the impossibility of what she was seeing, to the point that she thought she was in the middle of a dream, feeling somewhat dizzy from the astonishment.

"Hehehe, I called this baby the 'Runic Circle,' which combines the great precision and structural solidity of sacred geometry, the great efficiency and flexibility of runes, and the effect multiplier of the matrix arrays of the Zazen discipline—in other words, the first step in unifying humanity's magical systems."

With a proud smile on his face, Erik explained his creation, while Eleonora and Sigrún gazed wordlessly at the beautiful runic circle that spun slowly, appreciating its incredible beauty and intricate details for a long time, almost lost in its beauty and complexity.

The first to come out of the reverie caused by witnessing a historical milestone that was believed impossible was Sigrún. She commented ecstatically while looking full of desire at the enchanting young man with starry hair beside her.

"Erik, you are the greatest genius of all time."

With her heart pounding powerfully, Sigrún hugged Erik tightly, almost as if trying to merge her body with his, her body, and mind trying to assimilate all that she was feeling. Eleonora, on the other hand, kept staring at the runic circle almost hypnotized for a while longer, until Erik made it disappear and asked.

"Are you okay, Master?"

Still a bit lost in her thoughts, Eleonora turned to look at Erik. Waves of fascination and tenderness grow exponentially within her as she gazed into Erik's green eyes, almost as if her consciousness were lost in those emerald pupils. So, in an attempt to calm her agitated mind, she hugged him tightly and with great effort managed to whisper in his ear.

"Yes, I'm fine, it's just that I'm a little lost in my thoughts... You are truly an incomparable genius, Erik."

As she clung tightly to Erik, Eleonora was feeling things she had never experienced before; her throat felt dry, as if she hadn't tasted water in centuries. Her heart was also beating faster and more powerfully, making her feel it resound throughout her body with each pulse, while at the same time she felt her body warming up and her vision blurring.

Still a bit lost in the new feelings and emotions coursing through her, Eleonora lifted her gaze slightly and met the beautiful blue eyes of Sigrún, her beloved sworn sister. They looked glassy and unfocused, almost as if she were in a state of ecstasy or reverie—something she had never seen before.

Sigrún, in turn, smiled understandingly upon seeing her sworn sister looking at her with a face that evidenced her feelings, her beautiful golden eyes shining energetically and her pupils completely dilated. An almost crimson blush adorned her nearly divine features.

As for Erik, he decided to remain silent and served as support to his masters in what he believed was an emotional release due to what they had to go through at the border. He lovingly embraces their sculpted bodies while closing his eyes, creating an idyllic scene witnessed only by the pair of wolves. The wolves lay down near them and remained silent, allowing the trio of masters and disciple to have the tranquility they needed.

The silence continued for a considerable time, with the three of them hugging and feeling each other's warmth, which eventually calmed the furious storm of feelings and desire in the hearts of the pair of beautiful Masters. At that moment, Eleonora and Sigrún calmed down and loosened their embrace of their beloved disciple a bit, who asked them with a slight smile.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, we're feeling calmer now," Sigrún smiled charmingly and replied in a cheerful voice, then gave a warm kiss on the cheek to her beloved disciple.

"That's good," Erik smiled equally at his masters, who looked at him affectionately.

"Fufufu, thank you, Erik, I really needed that."

While elegantly touching her cheek with a bit of embarrassment, Eleonora commented in a warm and heartfelt tone. She then quickly changed the subject after looking at Sigrún and noticing in her sworn sister's gaze the same resolve she had—something they needed to discuss later.

"But better yet, tell us, how did you come up with the runic circle? It's truly amazing."

"I can do it as many times as you like," Erik commented with a loving smile on his face, which made the pair of masters smile happily. He then began to explain what led to the runic circle.

"As for the runic circles, actually the idea was born from a scroll of matrix arrangements of the Zazen discipline that was given to me some time ago—"

"They gave you?" Sigrún interrupted, a bit surprised. After all, if there was something that worried them about Erik, it was that he lived in his own world and didn't have anyone he could call a friend, which was undoubtedly a happy change. Erik responded casually, not giving it much importance.

"Yes, a guy named Chen Ming. He's an idiot whom I help from time to time with some calculations and things like that, so he gives me books or scrolls in gratitude."