Prologue 20 (Part 3) Noble Interference and Equipment Inquiry.

Kazu Nini had kept on Glass Cloak about her body and had pushed the pressure on herself the entire time all the while in the Training Stall, trying to familiarize herself with Instant Speed, Instant Step and Instant Pace. And she would have continued if she had not heard a knock on the door.

"My time is not done!"

She heard the knock once again.

"I said I am not done!"

Again, the disturbance.

So, she waited till the hand was about to land on the door for the last time before pulling the door open so that the disturber staggered into her and she had an excuse to use a push kick against him. The boy became an owl, a rat and then a granny with a walking stick as he struggled to find balance as she had not held back. She swiveled her eyes to see the instructor dozing of at the side of the stall then returned them to her immediate front.

Behind the fallen creature that wanted to retaliate but saw the sleeping staff not too far away and only decide to walk to the side, was her favorite Sphinx - Uniah Gramanos -which she greeted with a pleasant grin.

"What do you want, punk? I have time to use wisely."

The Sphinx looked as if she was about to say something then only laughed. "You said you wanted to bet on results for the exams."

"I don't repeat myself to dummies."

"Hah, do not try to use my anger to make me forget your worthless words."

"Before you, any word is worthless."

Uniah Gramanos clenched a fist but she went on, "blabber on, then."

"Let us bet the prizes we are going to get."

Kazu Nini paused as she surmised that the Sphinx might know the results and that the exam might be rigged in her favor. "If it is a fair match, then yes."

"So, what if it is not?" She leaned forward and further extended her shoulders after raising her head so that her chin was at Kazu Nini's eye level. "You scared?"

"Yeah, you scared?" The granny spoke before becoming an adolescent boy, then an owl.

"No, so that I can get to brag about how you needed to rig the game so I can still whoop you in the process." Kazu Nini cleaned imaginary dirt from her finger nails then flicked it at her. "Goodbye. And I agree, weakling."

The Sphinx stood there in rage when she turned to her friend when he/she came out of its bird morph then rat and finally back into the granny. "You said because of my bloodline, I should learn watch my words, right?"

"Yes indeed, it might be very prudent."

An idea came to her mind and she spoke some words before knocking rapidly and having the Shapeshifter call for help until the door was answered. And when the Pixie opened the door, she saw no one, and it was until she got into stance that she noticed something on her floor to which she covered with a small dome of glass. However, the ground rumbled in a muffled explosion that woke up the staff who had been standing on watch.

"You twerps take it easy in there."

With that, she returned to rest.

***

The rest of that week was poured into getting used to the Glass Cloak's pressure which she increased on both her mental and physical muscles as much as she could, so that their strain would eventually feel natural and her mental and physical base stats would increase. Next, was some of her moves that she practiced over and over so that they felt natural as most of them had been made in the heat of battle. And she told herself that after the exams she was going to sort out her moves so that she could pull them out effortlessly and proficiently, while cutting out what is not needed and improving what already was.

Or maybe she would just keep all her moves and work on them, or merge some of them so that she did not have too many in her repertoire.

She sighed as her door was banged on, the night before her exams. "Time's up, punk. I want to get home and sleep. Not that I need it, I mean, but still."

Kazu Nini growled but came out with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting." She would rather have this one on her side.

"Your attitude is not bad at all; I am considering giving you extra time." She allowed the smile on Kazu Nini's face to become genuine before she finished her speech. "Next time, remind me."

The young Pixie pouted and walked out with a wave. Before she went too far, she ran back to the lady who was checking if anything had been tempered with. "What is it Pixie? Do not push me."

"Is there a way to measure Physical and Mental Energy?"

"The school has those."

"Yes, but like I want mine."

She laughed as she left one of the stalls. "When you get prizes from the academy, you can trade them for such Potent Artifacts or surgeries."

"Surgeries are not a problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Not like I want them but I would just like to know what is what."

"When you get your soul space, if you have previously focused on that aspect to be developed, you can look at the Soul Core and it will be there."

"Oh, did not know that." Kazu Nini followed her to the next stall and the lady waited while wondering if she should throw the girl out of sight.

"Yes?"

"Is there a way to get it before then?"

"MERP and PERP. Now leave me alone I need to go home."

"Sorry to disturb," she bowed at the waist and skipped away until she was out of sight where she resumed walking normally.

Students loitered up and about the school premises as she was in thought.

She decided to get enough rest before tomorrow but maybe she would check out what MER was before looking at Mako Nini's past again.

***

MERP is an abbreviation for Mental Energy Revealing Procedure.

It is a surgery that helps the cultivator see how much progress they have made on the quality of their Mental Energy. Usually best to just wait until one has a Soul Space, failed experiments have become mindless husks of what they once was.

Steps, for Curious Minds.

It involves careful prying of the soul and its danger lies in the fact that it is the Soul Core that Is to be revealed. In other words, it is opening a hole in the mind.

The Pixie started to think about if it was all really worth it as this was a gamble, she was definitely sure she did not want to take. She then began looking for alternatives.

A list of Potent Artifacts showed themselves;

Mental Orb - Takes in Mental Energy and gives a reading to the wielder – 500,000 Bronze Hyur.

Mental Meter – Much like a thermometer where it is stuck in the mouth to read temperature. But this one reads mental energy - 400,000 Bronze Hyur

Mental Plushie – Cute doll that can be squeezed telepathically and gauge what level of mental energy you have – 800,000 Bronze Hyur.

Kazu Nini shivered at what she just saw, and noticed that the many more alternatives were much like the first. She then typed in what she wanted into her browser on her Telewatch.

PERP is an abbreviation for Physical Energy Revealing Procedure.

It involves connecting the Telewatch Directly to the Neuron System and then downloading an app so that strength is gauged in numbers and can easily be monitored as well as other physical conditions of the body like fat percentage, protein intake, number of cells, blood pressure and much, much more.

Price – 1,000,000.00 Bronze Hyur.

Non-Negotiable

Kazu Nini slapped her face in anger then went to see the other options.

AI Wrist Clamp – A device that is squeezed manually and pending on the grade of the one purchased, the meter reads the capabilities of wielder. – 600,000 Bronze Hyur.

Strength Reader – Mechanical Equipment that plugs to any type of energy for power. Once user passes through after its scan, readings are announced. – 1,500,000.00 Bronze Hyur.

Sentient Dumbbells – Dumbbells that can gauge physical prowess and each addition can connect to the last so that each piece is the part of the greater whole. – starting from just 50,000 Bronze Hyur, each added piece is an extra 50,000 but after 5, the grade must be increased where the increments would be in 200,000's and so on.

Kazu Nini admired the Strength Reader because plugging into any kind of energy was what she wanted to learn with her bots. So, she would get that one later. But more in the moment, she decided that Sentient Dumbbells were her most practical choice. Maybe she would also get the Mental Orb.

She left her browser and went into Skynet, beginning a private chat with her Resource Manager.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Yo, who is my favorite Resource Manager?

For the 10 minutes of wait, she wanted to claw her eyes out.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): I love the energy, Boss, but I read danger signs.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: An Elf as great as yourself should have no sense of danger whatsoever. Amazing lf!

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): Okay, now I am sure there is a problem.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Not a problem sweet child of mine, just something that can be solved.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): …Am I going to be fired?

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: No, far from that. Read the vibes, babe.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): …Are you tired of the Jinja?

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: XD no not that. See, funds babe. I need funds.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): Oh, I thought this was the end of the ropes for me.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Can I get 1m?

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): I mean after this we only have like 19 left. Wait lemme check.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Patiently waiting and not anxious at all.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): I roll my eyes, boss.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Check, check, check!

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): I have decided, seeing that this is only your first week of stay in school and yet you ask for this much, that I will not tell you the balance for now.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: How can you send it?

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): Do you have an account?

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: My mental energy does not allow me to forget about anything i… wait, Mako Nini might have made it a joint account. I will make a new one here tomorrow.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): Zlai Dfon said that you have some Exam tomorrow, sure you do not want to focus on that?

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Do not worry about that, I'll handle it. Ask Jinja, I said to hold weekly meetings for those still in Jhoklon and without education yet. You will hold the ones with the people that are there with you.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): Okay Boss.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Who is there with you right now?

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): The Gnome, said she will be here soon, I've been waiting.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Wish me luck.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): What about kisses?

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Get them from Jinja, but just this one time.

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): I was joking, XD.

X_XNiniThePixieXDTM: Oh, you like group action?

Rich-Elf-BeyxxX (Shafa Rinmon): LOL Goodnight, bye babe.

Kazu Nini laughed on her bed as she went through a repertoire of her move list in her mind. After a struggle with her curiosity, she ultimately decided against reading the memories of her guardian and went to sleep.