The revelation of the Aethel arts left Alex both exhilarated and profoundly sobered. Shielding was just the beginning. The potential laid out before him was immense, far exceeding the crude power mimicry he'd started with. But Elysius's warning about the stirring Alaris entity cast a long shadow.
"If Alaris is aware of us, of Alex," Kai said, ever the pragmatist, his hand resting on his disruptor, "then it knows we're here. This Waystation… is it secure?"
Elysius's mental voice responded, calm and resonant. "This sanctuary is shielded by Aethel technology far beyond the corrupted Alaris entity's current ability to perceive or directly assail. It can sense the Keybearer's resonance, but its sight here is… clouded. However, its influence can extend through other means. Through those it has already touched."
The implication was clear: Zane, and potentially others within the UGF who had been exposed to Alaris's energies.
Voss was studying the array of dormant and glowing Aethel crystals. "Elysius, these other arts… how long would it take for Alex to interface with them? We don't have unlimited time."
"The speed of integration depends on the Keybearer's capacity for resonance and balance," Elysius explained. "Each art builds upon the foundational principles of energy harmonization. The more Alex attunes himself to the Aethel way, the quicker he will assimilate further knowledge. However, each Echo also imparts a… cognitive weight. A responsibility. To absorb too much, too fast, without allowing for integration and understanding, could destabilize even a Keybearer."
"So, no cramming for the cosmic exam," Lena quipped, though her expression was serious.
Alex felt the truth of Elysius's words. The Shielding technique felt natural, yes, but his mind was still processing the sheer depth of the concepts, the intricate understanding of energy dynamics it had imparted. It was like learning a whole new physics in a matter of moments.
"Which art would be most beneficial now?" Alex asked Elysius, trusting the ancient AI's wisdom. "Given what we're facing."
"The Alaris entity primarily seeks to control, to consume consciousness and energy," Elysius responded. "It weaves illusions, projects fear, and dominates weaker wills. Therefore, the art of Cognition – the enhancement of mental acuity, pattern recognition, and resistance to psychic manipulation – would provide a valuable counter. It will also aid you in processing future Echoes more efficiently."
Elysius indicated another crystal, this one pulsing with a cool, blue-white light. "This Echo contains the Aethel principles of Enhanced Cognition. It will sharpen your mind, Keybearer, make it a fortress against intrusion, and a lens to perceive hidden truths."
A fortress for his mind. After the terrifying mental violation of the Alaris Call and Zane's Dominator, that sounded incredibly appealing.
"Okay," Alex said, taking a determined breath. "Let's do it."
He approached the blue-white crystal, the others watching with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. He placed his palm against its surface.
Again, the universe dissolved, but this time, instead of a sea of light, he found himself in an infinite, intricate library. Crystalline shelves stretched into eternity, filled not with books, but with pure, glowing information, interconnected by threads of light. The Aethel chime was a soft, pervasive hum, a symphony of understanding.
A focused beam of sapphire light, cool and invigorating, flowed into his consciousness. It didn't bring images of flowing energy, but of pure thought, of logic pathways, of intricate data processing. He felt his mind expanding, his ability to perceive patterns, to analyze complex information, to focus his will, increasing exponentially.
He saw how the Aethel mind could sift through mountains of data in microseconds, identify subtle deceptions, strengthen its own cognitive ramparts against psychic intrusion. He understood how to create mental 'safe rooms,' how to filter out unwanted psychic noise, how to focus his intent with razor-sharp precision. The fragmented Echoes from human Cores, which had once been a confusing jumble, now felt… cataloged. He could access their useful information – the Enforcer's tactics, the Lieutenant's technical knowledge – without being overwhelmed by their emotional residue. It was like gaining an internal search engine for his absorbed memories.
When the sapphire light receded, he returned to the Waystation, blinking. The world seemed… sharper. Details he hadn't noticed before stood out with crystalline clarity. He could feel the subtle shifts in his companions' emotional states, analyze the intricate energy patterns of the chamber, even process Elysius's multi-layered mental communications with greater ease.
His headache from earlier was gone. His mind felt… powerful. Organized. Calm.
"How do you feel?" Lena asked, her own Mind Core pulsing as she tried to read him. She blinked in surprise. "Your mental signature… it's incredibly… ordered. Shielded. I can barely get a surface reading."
Alex smiled. "I feel… clear." He looked at Kai. "Remember that UGF officer with the Null-Field? The puppeteer?"
Kai nodded. "The one who gave us nightmares for a week? Hard to forget."
"His tactical analyses," Alex said, accessing the Lieutenant's Echoes with newfound precision. "I can see them now, not as jumbled impressions, but as structured data. His preferred flanking maneuvers, his unit's standard engagement protocols, even his psychological profile regarding acceptable losses. It's all… accessible."
Voss looked astonished. "You're not just resisting Echoes; you're actively parsing and utilizing their embedded information without the emotional bleed-through?"
"It seems so," Alex confirmed. This Cognition art was a game-changer not just for defense, but for understanding and utilizing everything he'd already absorbed.
Elysius's mental voice, tinged with approval, resonated. "Your aptitude remains exceptional, Keybearer. The Art of Cognition is a powerful tool. It will serve you well in deciphering the deceptions of Alaris and the UGF. It will also allow you to more safely integrate the next art, should you choose to proceed."
"What's next?" Alex asked, eager despite the inherent caution. The taste of true Aethel knowledge was addictive.
"Conduition," Elysius stated. "The ability to draw upon and channel ambient energies from your surroundings – not just from Cores or direct power sources, but from the background radiation of space, the heat of a planet, the kinetic energy of movement itself. To become a living conduit for the universe's symphony."
This sounded incredibly powerful, potentially even more fundamental than absorbing specific Core abilities. It was the power source to fuel all other arts.
But just as Alex was about to agree, Oracle, who had been observing with intense focus, let out a sharp series of clicks. "Ancient One! Keybearer! I sense… a distortion. A familiar resonance, but… tainted. Approaching this Waystation. Not directly, but… sniffing at the edges of your cloaking."
Alex felt it too, a faint, discordant note in the otherwise serene hum of space, amplified by his new cognitive abilities. It was the sickly green energy signature he'd seen from the UGF puppeteer officer's reanimation gauntlet.
"That UGF officer," Alex said, his voice grim. "The one who could puppet the mechs. He's out there. Searching."
"Indeed," Elysius confirmed. "He carries a minor Alaris shard, a sliver of its corrupted consciousness, unknowingly guiding him. He cannot pinpoint this location, but he is drawn to your resonance, Keybearer. He is a hound on your trail."
The trials Elysius had spoken of were beginning sooner than they thought. And their enemy was already at the door.