Chapter 41: To Columbia

After partying a bit and informing the mayor of what happened, it was quickly decided that Siesta would be quite unstable for a couple of years.

"Honestly Ash, letting Narcissa break the island in two like a saltine cracker is too much." Adele chided him and he just waved it off.

"Eh it's fine~ Ceylon's dad isn't stupid, he'll know what to do." He shrugged and Adele sighed. "That may be so, but building a mobile city isn't cheap at all."

"Now, now, Adele. Siesta isn't large anyways, the mobile city that father will fund won't be as complicated as Lungmen or Chernobog." Ceylon backed him up.

Adele rolled her eyes. "Now you're enabling my brother, it's because all of you don't care. That's why he's being ridiculous!" Adele huffed again.

Schwarz smiled at their interaction and could liken their relationship to her all but sister by blood, Ceylon.

"Why are you so worried Adele? Ceylon, tell your father I'll pitch in. Happy?" He snorted and Adele was getting on his case a bit too much like the troublesome sister she is.

"Are you sure Ash? It might be some spare change for you, but this isn't a small amount of money." Ceylon blinked at his richness. The Doykos house would look like plebs compared to his riches.

"Yeah, now that I think about it... I'll send Herman a blueprint of a new reactor that will power up the city." Ash thought about it and it would be a good chance to make a mobile city with a nuclear reactor.

Baby steps are the way to go. Originium might be dominating the energy industry. But changes like this should start small. It's much cheaper too, which the misers would really like.

"Are you really going to use that?" Adele noticed his plan and she couldn't help but think that anyone else would be Ill prepared to handle nuclear energy.

"It's fine, we'll send some engineers to set up the reactors. Of course they'll teach them too." He assured her and Adele nodded.

"I am sorry, what's this reactor about?" Ceylon got interested and by their talks, it must be quite something.

"It doesn't use originite prime. It's clean, cheaper, and more efficient too. More energetic too, so it'll last longer." Ash explained and Ceylon blinked blankly.

"How much stronger?" Ceylon couldn't believe it. "Thousands of times more energetic." Adele nodded proudly at their research.

He didn't really test if originite prime can be used as fission material. Nuclear energy is bad enough. Nuclear originium is something he has no desire to test at all.

"T-tell me more!" Ceylon grabbed their hands and they were quite surprised at her sudden change in attitude.

"Ceylon-sama! Your behavior isn't proper for a lady." Schwarz chided her and the Naumanns chuckled.

"It's okay Schwarz we understand, but we're at a party right now. Adele will fill you in later. If you have any further questions, I'll fill you in too. Wait, that came out wrong." Ash sighed.

"Yes, it did." Schwarz squinted her eyes at him. She could tell that he was a womanizer. The grand knights were obviously his lovers and there were a couple more. So she had to protect her mistress' chastity.

"You promised." Ceylon pouted, she wanted to know more immediately. Being a bonafide researcher and all, albeit, not at their level.

They just reassured her and would talk about it later.

What they didn't expect though, was Ceylon requested her father for something. And Ash found himself sitting in front of her father.

"Ash-sama, this may be a presumptuous request. But Ceylon requested me to allow her to be in your city. If it isn't a bother to you, can you approve of it?" Herman bowed at him.

"Hmm, she must have been too intrigued with our research... It's fine, though don't expect me to take care of her there." Ash accepted and Herman nodded.

"Schwarz will be coming with her. I know that you have a private military. You can add her to it, she's quite dependable." Herman told how they met Schwarz.

"She was a dainty thing back then, just twelve. But already a full fledged assassin and mercenary. I was her target, but we caught her and gave her a new life." Herman sighed.

"When we found the ones who were responsible for her parents' assassination. She took care of them herself without any problems and returned here to Siesta." Herman laughed and Ash nodded at her skills.

'Hmm, Schwarz is like John Wick then? That cat girl's wicked then.' He chuckled to himself and they talked more about the mobile city for Siesta.

Throughout the night, it was having aftershocks due to the volcano being peeled off by Narcissa. So a mobile city would definitely be in the works.

After talking to Herman, Ash went to a particular room. "How is she?" He asked and Skadi looked up to him with a smile.

"Laurentina sleeps a lot. But she's otherwise fine." Skadi patted Specter's hair and had a melancholic expression on her face.

It was a miracle to see one of her comrades that is alive. But it is quite heartbreaking to witness their state.

Ash sat beside her and his eyes glowed, he checked up on Laurentina's condition. "Yup, she's doing fine. Her brain and spine are healing nicely. Too quick even." He smiled and patted Skadi's head.

She was surprised for a bit and didn't know what to do. But it was pleasant for her. She thought of backing off and thinking that it would be bad luck for him. But she would like to feel that pleasant sensation longer.

"You okay here on the surface? Especially here in Siesta? It's a tropical paradise here. Laurentina actually has a suit that gives her moisture all the time." Ash checked up on Skadi.

"Really? I didn't notice..." Skadi poked on Specter's skin and he chuckled. "It's barely noticeable, but if you check really well. There's something on her skin. Want one too?" He offered and she nodded.

"The surface is too dry and hot. That's why she looks so comfortable in her thick and long clothes." Skadi was thankful that he was that considerate.

"I'll make you one back at home. Make do with this for now." Ash gathered moisture in the air and made a thin film of it. Making it stick right at Skadi's skin that made her moan in delight.

"I feel like I'm underwater again, so refreshing..." She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of having water against her skin.

"I'd say that even some lotion won't get rid of your dry skin here on land." Ash shrugged and Skadi chuckled.

"Come on, let's go home. Specter, wake up. It's time to go." Ash rubbed her head and she opened her eyes.

"Ahhh, to be woken up by my lord. Tis a blessing at the start of the day." Specter prayed and he gave a wry smile towards Skadi.

She mouthed that she'll get used to it and they made their way towards their ride home.

Arriving at Paradiso, Ash decided to test Skadi's prowess and they were at no man's land. He could tell that she wasn't normal. With her hefting her sword with one hand like it was a wet noodle.

"Are you sure about this Ash? I'm not really made to fight against humans." Skadi was quite worried, but he assured her.

"Narcissa can flatten you to the ground Skadi, don't go soft on me now." He pointed at the feline who was just eating some filled Gaulish toast with Ceobe, something like french toast.

"Okay, you asked for it." Skadi ran at him and the ground cratered after her every step. She wasn't that good at using her strength to propel herself. But she was still fast.

Their swords clashed and Ash could feel the bones in his arms crack as her sword hit his. He had to anchor himself to the ground and Ash winced.

"Are you okay?" Skadi looked at him with worry. "I told you I'm fine, I guess I took it without using my powers." He set back his arms and his regeneration took over.

"I guess let's have a fun match." Ash transformed and his muscles bulged and then compressed.

"Ohh, I guess you are strong." Skadi nodded at him and they clashed swords once again. This time, Ash was also enhancing the kinetic energy of his swing so they would be equal.

"Whew~ That woman is something... I'd be flattened to the ground with that attack." Degenbrecher winced at their clash.

"Shockwaves are reaching us over here, Skadi is most likely the strongest person we've ever seen physically." Margaret was admiring her strength.

Though it seemed that what she said is true. Her strength lied in fighting things that aren't humans. Her swings were too wide, too open. Similar to Specter.

"Hey, doesn't Specter and Skadi look eerily similar?" SilverAsh noticed and they nodded after squinting their eyes.

"Maybe they're relatives?" Mudrock proposed and they shrugged. "We don't know, but they are definitely more than meets the eye." Platinum squinted her eyes.

Their weapons have the symbol of an octopus being pierced by a harpoon. So her assassin training went to work and quickly pieced that they were of the same organization.

"What's your thoughts on them Platinum?" Sonus could feel something different on them. She hasn't lived long in Kazdel for nothing. Something was wrong with them.

"I do not know, but Ash definitely knows." Platinum looked at him and was fine with him not sharing it for now.

"Then he will tell us in due time." Viviana sighed and thought that he might be thinking of countermeasures or research for now.

Especially if other people of their organization aren't allies. They were obviously strong, stronger than normal.

Skadi smiled at Ash as they smashed their swords at each other. The ground under them cracking and cratering from their immense force.

They stopped for now. Because they would definitely hurt each other if they continued. "Fuuu~ you're amazing Ash. You're really strong." Skadi was pleasantly surprised.

She has never met someone that could fight her blow for blow. "You're strong too Skadi, but honestly. Your technique is lacking."

He looked behind him and beckoned over Degenbrecher, and Viviana. They were mostly free, unlike Margaret.

"I would like you two to teach Skadi how to use her sword better." Ash smiled and they agreed. Skadi is already so strong. Learning how to swing her sword and not use it as a club would be beneficial to Paradiso.

"Hehe, I thought you wouldn't ask. I'll turn her into one of the greatest swordmasters in Paradiso!" Degenbrecher was excited to train someone so strong.

"You'll be quite important to Paradiso Skadi, take care of us." Viviana smiled at her and the orca blushed at their welcoming attitude.

"Zofia, for you. I'll leave Alexandrina to you. How about teaching her gang how to fight? Rope in Maria with your training as well. She's just pestering the R&D department." Ash sighed.

"Ahhh, Maria is a bit too passionate about your technology here..." Zofia remembered her niece raiding the their engineers and researchers. She reminded her of that Sankta from penguin logistics.

"I'll leave it to you, I've got something really important to do." Ash quickly flew them back to Paradiso.

"Why's he in such a hurry?" Skadi raised a brow and they all ahh'd in unison. "He's going to research something." They informed her.

Ash went to the lab immediately and checked the cell samples from Specter. Now that he has more information about the abyssal hunters, it is of course piqued his interest like no other.

Creatures that adapt to anything. He must find their weaknesses if they even had any. And luckily, Specter and Skadi were nearby so he could always get some source of research materials.

But when he checked on the cells he took from Specter. They were obviously different. It was growing rapidly into another creature.

Ash got some fresh samples from Specter and he differentiated them from each other. And he found something disturbing.

"Shit, I've got to kill this thing quickly." Ash incinerated the mutated sample immediately. Because it was starting to develop a brain and nervous system of its own.

Meaning, it was going to turn into something entirely different from Specter. And it had a neural link coming from the east. It was weak, but with his energy manipulation, he noticed it.

"They have a hive mind, that's for sure. Shit, this is even more of a problem than I thought." He furrowed his brows. Then he gasped.

"If they have a hive mind... And some cell samples from Specter can change into a proto seaborne... Then they can too." He frowned heavily.

"I need to stabilize their genes..." Ash didn't have any equipment for gene manipulation and research of that level.

So he immediately busted out his phone. "Yes, Ash? Everything is going fine here in Columbia. We're consolidating evidence to take over Rhine lab." Shining answered.

"We're going to Columbia. I need to design some next level tech to help me with something. Prepare for our arrival." Ash had a no nonsense tone and Shining ended the call, no more words needed.

"Fuck me, what did I do to have this much work?" Ash sighed and thanked his inventions and research that he didn't need that much sleep. Because he won't be getting any.

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Thank you for reading everyone, ciao. A birb and a snake birb are just around the corner.