Cloning and Summoning

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Vaquin, Anir, and I didn't go into the dungeon that day, for obvious reasons. Vaquin was drunk out of his mind, much to mother's ire. She berated him for getting drunk on the job, but he didn't look to be all that perturbed. While that was happening, I excused myself to the bathroom and relieved myself before pulling out a mirror and grinning at my reflection. The castle had mirrors, but they were outside of the toilet room, so I would be observed by the Hek'Netir, and I wanted to keep this ability a secret, for now.

I stuck my fingers in a cross position as spoke aloud, as if announcing an ability like in an anime, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" And felt as half of my mana split from my core to form a second, identical clone a meter to my side. A body appeared around it in an instant, complete with its own open channels, and everything. We looked at each other for a few moments before nodding at the same time.

[Skill <Shadow Clone Jutsu> Leveled Up! (2/100)]

"Can you access the inventory?" I asked, looking at myself.

He held out a hand, and the <Dungeon Tracker> popped into his hand. "Yup." I checked my inventory, and it was no longer there, meaning it was shared between us. A moment later, it reappeared as the clone dismissed it. I nodded and used <Observe > on him, then checked my own status.

[Alistair Eil #2]

Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);

Age: 18s

Class: Earth Elementalist(57/100)

Rank: Demigod (2x)

Titles: Blessed;

Level: 57 (46/2950)

Health Status: 50/50 (+20%/m)

Mana Status: 8150/8150 (+40%/m)

Stamina Status: 3280/3280 (+16.4%/m)

STR: 400(200)

CON: 400(200)

DEX: 400(200)

END: 328(164)

INT: 1630(815)

WIS: 800(400)

CHA: 428(214)

LCK: 628(314)

[Status]

-Identity-

Name: Alistair Eil

Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);

Age: 0 (17)

Class: Earth Elementalist(57/100)

Rank: Demigod (2x)

Titles: Blessed;

Alignment: Lawful Good

Level: 57 (46/2950)

-Stats-

Health Status: 4200/4200 |4000+5%| (+20%/m)

Mana Status: 10187/10187 |8150+25%| (+40%/m)

Stamina Status: 3936/3936 |3280+20%| (+16.4%/m)

STR: 400(200) (+1*2/)

CON: 400(200) (+1*2/)

DEX: 400(200) (+1*2/)

END: 328(164) (+1*2/)

INT: 1630(815) (+3*2/)

WIS: 800(400) (+2*2/)

CHA: 428(214) (+1*2/)

LCK: 628(314) (+1*2/)

Points: 0 (+5/)

' Okay, so he has half as much mana, minus the buff from the rings, because those don't get copied, and only has fifty HP, ' I narrowed my eyes before looking back to the clone. ' Half as much regeneration, too. ' I then used the technique again, minus the gesture and words, creating a third clone. Both of them had fifty HP, but their mana had been reduced to 5433 total MP, and only 26% regeneration per minute. I had 6791, which was still plenty. Humming, I looked at the first one I had summoned, who nodded and poofed into smoke.

A rush of memories flooded into my head, causing no small twinge of pain, but it was as gone as soon as it had appeared, and I was able to pick apart what the clone had seen. Suddenly existing, inspecting me, summoning the system and bringing out the <Dungeon Tracker>, watching as I stared into space for a few seconds before summoning a third clone, and dismissing himself. It was as if I had lived that experience, myself!

"Want me to go into the dungeon? See if we can earn EXP?" The third clone, now the second, asked. I nodded to him, and watched as he disappeared into the nymph dungeon. Roughly a minute later, I got a rush of memories and a notification.

[Vine Whip (LVL 1) Killed!]

+1 EXP

+3 SC

' Oh, hell yeah, ' I grinned, summoning another clone. "Work your way through the dungeon from the beginning, as far as you can go without using a weapon. Grind water and earth manipulation, and explore for more secret areas. Go through the skeleton place the proper way, too, if you think you can. Remember, we're at half strength, so don't overestimate yourself and get dismissed."

"You got it, boss!" The clone smiled before disappearing.

I finally returned to the sitting room, where Vaquin was still getting chewed out, a passive expression on his face. I could only smile fondly at the sight, thinking about the aftermath of Ricky's bachelor party. His mother had reacted in a similar way, when she learned he had snuck me into a bar. Anne didn't like that very much, either.

*****

[Vine Whip (LVL 1) x93, Young Ent (LVL 3) x 57, Adult Ent (LVL 30) x2, Killed!]

+1365 EXP

+4095 SC

[Skill <Water Manipulation> Leveled Up! (17/100)]

[Skill <Water Affinity> Leveled Up! (6/100)]

[Skill <Earth Manipulation> Leveled Up! (17/100)]

[Skill <Earth Affinity> Leveled Up! (6/100)]

[Skill <Closer > Leveled Up! (9/100)]

A rush of memories flooded into my head as I awoke the next morning. Myself, traversing the dungeon using whips of water and bullets of dirt and stone to kill all of the enemies in my wake. I had to use my Stand to avoid the attacks of the Adult Ents, while slowly whittling down their HP with my magic, but aside from that I didn't have much trouble. At least, until I got to the Giant Vine Whip. Even with my Stand, I couldn't dodge its broad sweeping attacks, leading to my clone's demise. Still, I had gotten some good EXP from the excursion, so I was happy.

Even if I had an intense headache for a few seconds.

"Ah, good, you're awake," father said, helping me from my crib. "Come with me; your mother is waiting in the courtyard."

"What's this about?" I asked, following after him.

"We've done all that we had to in order to register your potential summons as citizens of the kingdom, using the information you provided. Today, we'll allow you to summon two of them."

"Oh? Which ones?"

"That Kenobi fellow and the - how did you put it…? Goth girl ? What does that mean, by the way?"

"It's a shorter term for gothic, referring to a stylistic architectural period. Think lots of spikes, darker colors, stained-glass windows, and stormy settings."

"And a goth is someone who exhibits these darker traits compared to those presented by a 'normal' person?"

"Mhmm," I nodded. "It's a niche, but powerful movement. Often associated with depression, anxiety, and other dark subjects."

"So, they're nihilists," father hummed.

"Not all of them," I shook my head. "I knew of a few that were pretty optimistic; they just liked the aesthetic."

"Teenagers…" father sighed. "Always obsessed with appearances."

"A trait that seems to transcend universal boundaries," I agreed. We went through the kitchens and into the courtyard, where mother was waiting on a bench, watching the soldiers practice. Ravelus was at her side, smiling as he spoke to her about something. Mother laughed as we approached, bringing a smile to mine and father's faces. "Hello, mother," I greeted with a small bow.

"Alistair; husband." Rel nodded to me and father. "Ravelus was just telling me about his lesson yesterday. Apparently, he surprised the viscountess with his technique, and she made a funny face."

"It was just like that time when I brought Alistair!" Ravelus laughed. "Her nose gets really crinkly!"

"Come, now, son; you shouldn't speak ill of others behind their backs," Aedon chuckled, ruffling his elder son's hair.

"Sorry, father," Ravelus cleared his throat and sat up properly. "What are we doing out here?"

"Your brother is going to use another aspect of his blessing," mother said with a smile.

"Woah, really?!" The 'proper and dignified' act was gone, and Ravelus was looking at me with wide eyes. It always felt strange, being more mature than someone much older than me, physically. I guess I was more mature than Siv, too, though. "Your blessing is so cool! So versatile!"

I grinned at him and pulled out the two cards father mentioned I could use, then walked into the open space. ' Okay, how do I use these? ' I addressed the system.

[Whisper a greeting into the card, then toss it onto the floor.]

' Cool, ' I grinned. I held Obi-Wan's card up to my lips and whispered quietly. "Hello, Master Kenobi. I'm excited to meet you!" Then I threw it on the floor a few paces away from me. Light shone from the face of the card, slowly taking the form of a robed man with auburn hair and gray-blue eyes. His tan and brown robes hung around him, covering the silver cylinder hooked at his hip.

He grinned as soon as he saw me, and bowed. "Greetings, Master Alistair. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Knight and Master of the Jedi order. I have been waiting eagerly to meet you, as well."

I was in awe. Obi-Wan Kenobi, my second-favorite Jedi, was standing right in front of me! He took the appearance of Ewan McGregor, and everything.

[System Menu {Summons} Unlocked! You can use it to summon and dismiss the characters you bring into your world, manage their stats, and various other functions that you will unlock with time!]

I put that aside for the moment, using <Observe > on the man before me.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Race: Human;

Age: 38

Rank: Force-Sensitive (1.7x)

Titles: Jedi Knight; Jedi Master;

Level: 289 (12%)

Health Status: 9820/9820 (+0.98%/m)

Force Status: 14730/14730 (+1.47%/m)

Stamina Status: 9820/9820 (+0.98%/m)

Body: 982(578) (+2/)

Mind: 982(578) (+2/)

Spirit: 1473(867) (+3/)

"Allow me to introduce you to my family," I gestured to my mother, father, and brother, who all had wide eyes. "My father, Aedon Eil IV, Knight-King of Eilon. My mother, Rel Eil, Mage-Queen of Eilon, and Ravelus Eil, Crowned-Prince of Eilon."

Obi-Wan bowed deeply. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties."

Aedon righted himself and nodded. "The pleasure is mine, Master Kenobi. My son tells you you are an accomplished duelist and mage."

"Yes," Obi-Wan nodded. "I am well-versed in the lightsaber art of Soresu, which is heavily-defensive in nature, and my connection with the Force is strong."

"The Force, is this your world's magic?" Mother questioned.

"It is referred as magic, by some," Obi-Wan nodded. "From what I have seen, it and the energy which permeates your reality are quite similar. Derivative of the same source, or one another, I am certain."

"You're really from another world?!" Ravelus gaped.

"Indeed, but I believe that fact should remain a secret, for the time being. For the sake of Master Alistair's safety," Obi-Wan said with a fond smile, bringing up a valid point. I was certainly drawing attention to myself, what with my quick growth, explosive potential, 'vast' intelligence, and notable feats. Being able to pull characters from other universes into ours, especially ones as powerful as Obi-Wan-Fricken-Kenobi, was just one more reason people would want to kidnap me.

"I agree," Aedon nodded, looking at me. "Alistair has a habit of drawing attention to himself."

I blushed and looked away, a wet smile on my face. "I can't help it that I'm so awesome…" I cleared my throat and looked back to Obi-Wan. "Can I ask from whence you were pulled?"

"Just after I fought Anakin on Mustufar," Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "Worry not, I am at peace with the situation. Your memories of the events that followed have allowed me to come to terms with what happened, and what will happen. I am happy to have the opportunity to serve you, as I'm sure you'll use my skills wisely."

Nodding in acceptance at his words, happy for his sake, I finally came to my most burning question. "Can… can I see your lightsaber…?"

Obi-Wan simply grinned and reached under his robe, withdrawing the intricate silver cylinder. He held it in his hand and disassembled it using the Force, turning a dial within to set it to a safe setting before reassembling it and holding it out to me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Ravelus gaping and stars in mother's eyes as I took the hefty cylinder.

Holding it so that it wouldn't stab anyone when it extended, even if the blade would now only sting, I pressed the switch, causing a rod of blue energy to burst from the emitter, forming the shape of a cylindrical blade. I waved it through the air, finding that it had no additional weight, but it did resist the air as it passed through it, as if tugging on it. Nowhere near the same as holding the <Yamato >.

I disabled it and handed it back to Obi-Wan, who returned it to his hip. "Now, then," he smiled and stepped out of the way. "I believe you wanted to summon the girl?"

I nodded, pulling out Raven's summon card and holding it up to my mouth. "H-hello, Raven… You'e one of my favorite heroes!" I tossed it on the ground, and light once again burst from the card, taking the shape of a slender young woman wearing a long, purple cloak. Her bodily features were hidden beneath the cloak, but I knew that her skin was gray, her hair black, and her eyes purple.

[Rachel Roth]

Race: Human; Demon;

Age: 16

Rank: Half-Demon (1.6x)

Titles: Raven; Daughter of Trigon;

Level: 148 (93%)

Health Status: 2360/2360 (+0.23%/m)

Magic Status: 7100/7100 (+0.71%/m)

Stamina Status: 2360/2360 (+0.23%/m)

Body: 236(148) (+1/)

Mind: 710(444) (+3/)

Spirit: 710(444) (+3/)

"Hello, Master Alistair," Raven bowed slightly to me. "Nice to meet you."

"H-hi," I stuttered uncontrollably, awed by her presence just as much as I was by Obi-Wan. That, plus the crush I had on her when I watched the 2003 series a few years before I died, made me quite nervous. I pushed that from my mind, however, thanks to <Gamer's Mind>, and cleared my throat. "It's nice to meet you, too. What should I call you?"

"Raven is fine," I could see her upturned lips under her hood. Obi-Wan was smiling, too. Damn, these guys can hear my thoughts, can't they…? "We are connected to you via your blessing, so, yes, we can hear your thoughts."

"Well, that's awkward," I coughed into my fist, but remained calm. "When were you pulled from, might I ask?"

"After I defeated my father," Raven replied. "As with the Jedi, I am content. At least I'm not in the primary universe."

"That is true," I nodded appreciatively, looking to my family. "That's my father, King Aedon Eil IV, my mother, Queen Rel Eil, and my elder brother, Crowned-Prince Ravelus Eil."

Raven bowed. "Your Majesties…"

"I like your cloak, dear," mother spoke up first, walking over and feeling it. "It's such a nice color, and feels so soft! Not like silk, but very smooth!"

"Modern amenities, Your Majesty," Raven winked. "Master Alistair knows a little about the process, and can find material to learn more, so he should be able to bring it here, with time."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan nodded. "His knowledge-base is random, yet specific."

I hid my face. "I like reading, okay?!"

Raven grinned while Obi-Wan chuckled.

"What magic can you do, Miss Raven?" Ravelus asked politely.

"I have a magic not dissimilar from yours," Raven replied, holding up a hand. A dark aura, which drove all color from everything seen through it, swelled around her hand. At the same time, a similar aura surrounded me, and I was slowly lifted into the air. "Yours, from what I understand, is the formless version of it. Primal, and archaic, even more so than mine. Yet controlled, at the same time."

"Wow," Ravelus beamed.

I beamed just as much at the sight of her magic, but my thoughts lied elsewhere - in the theory she brought up. Where did magic come from? Why did these three seemingly-unconnected forms of energy have a bond that could be felt tangibly? Looking at the aura in mana, I could see a distortion, like a spot of oil on the surface of a glass of water. The same in that they are both liquid, but different in their metaphysical Ph, and the former had 'hydrophobic' factors to it. They indeed came from the same source, but the magic Raven conjured was more refined. At least, like comparing oil to water. The oil was purpose-made, and the water was pure.

"Father, I assume you have their identities prepared for them?" I looked at Aedon.

"Indeed. I went through the guild to create two identities according to the information you gave me beforehand," he pulled out two sheets of parchment, emblazoned with the royal sigil. "These prove you to be citizens of the Eilon kingdom, and are required tender in certain affairs, so keep them safe."

"Rachel Roth, copper-rank adventurer: one star," Raven read aloud. "Royal certification."

"That last bit will assist you in matters relating to the crown," Aedon nodded. "Once you have the funds, purchase an identification card from the guild, and you can use it to prove your relationship with the Royal family."

"And what are our official positions, if I may ask?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Officially, you are servants of house Eil, currently assigned to the second son Alistair. Unofficially, you are to do whatever my son requires of you," Aedon finished, hands clasped behind his back.

"Very well," Obi-Wan nodded. "However, I must have you know that I will not go against my moral code - that of the Jedi, that is."

"And I won't fall under a tyranny like my father's," Raven added.

"I won't have you do anything that would go against your values," I assured them. "We share those, as far as I know."

"We know as much," Obi-Wan smiled kindly. "We also know that people can change, though."

"Then I ask that you keep me and my family on a good path - act as advisors, of sorts," I said, looking at my father, who nodded appreciatively. "You are both heroes of your worlds, and have all of the knowledge I possess via our connection, so I trust you to maintain an objective position."

Obi-Wan and Raven nodded in affirmation, bowing. "With that done," Rel said, grabbing Ravelus's hand. "I believe we should all get to our respective posts. You surely have customers already, Alistair, and Ravelus needs to greet his new tutor."

"I have the morning civilian audiences to attend, so I'll leave you be," Aedon nodded to me and my summons before promptly walking back towards the kitchens. I looked at them and smiled before beckoning them to follow. They fell in behind me with content smiles.

*****

We arrived at the shop a few minutes before opening, and Siv was doing a final check-over of the inventory. I gestured for my four subordinates to take up position by the wall as I got her attention, prompting her to lunge at me with the intent to crush me in a hug, but she was frozen in place before I could even attempt to dodge. Obi-Wan was holding his hand out, using the invisible grip of the Force to hold Siv in the air. I smiled at him appreciatively and gestured for him to stop, allowing Siv back onto her feet.

"You're so mean," Siv pouted. "I can't even have a hug, every once and a while?"

"I think the first hug you gave him was enough for a lifetime," Vaquin deadpanned. Ilyor could only blush at the memory, earning her a glare from me. "Now then, can you introduce us to your new friends, kid?"

"Right," I straightened myself and looked at my summons. "These are Obi-Wan and Raven, servants of house Eil that have been assigned to my detail, following the incident a couple days ago. Both are capable mages, and Obi-Wan is a skilled duelist." Obi-Wan and Raven nodded to the three.

"A duelist, huh? What discipline?" Vaquin questioned.

"A lightsaber art called Soresu. It focuses on defense, mainly towards projectiles," Obi-Wan answered.

"Projectiles, huh? You've got to have some pretty quick reflexes, for that," Vaquin hummed.

"I'm told I have decent reflexes," Obi-Wan nodded humbly.

' Yeah, ' I snorted in my head. ' Pretty quick as in precognition. '

He simply flashed a grin in my direction.

"Well, it's nice to meet you both," Ilyor bowed. "I am Ilyor Yill, castle maid and the Second Prince's personal attendant."

"Siv! I'm his auntie~!" Siv squirmed in place, holding the inventory log to her chest.

"She's one of his employees," Vaquin corrected. "I'm Sir Whinn Vaquin, fifty-fourth knight of the Eilon kingdom."

"It's a pleas-"

"You're a knight?!" Siv exclaimed, looking at Vaquin. "I thought you were just a random adventurer, hired to protect Sterling… I should've figured, once I learned about his true status…"

"Try to say it a bit louder; I think the neighbors didn't hear you well enough," Vaquin rolled his eyes.

"S-sorry," Siv blushed in embarrassment. "W-we should probably get ready for opening."

"You've got three minutes," I said, checking my atlas. "Obi-Wan and Raven will be with me in the workshop, assisting me. You guys proceed as normal, and have a good day."

"Yes, boss," the three of them nodded.

I led my summons up to the workshop and we all sat down around the small table I'd put there for lunch purposes. I decided to check out the {Summoning} tab, while they got to talking to each other.

[Summons]

Summoner Level: 1 (50/100)

Total Summons: 2/2

{Summon Storage}

Active Summons: 2/2

[Obi-Wan Kenobi] (1m)

Level: 289 (12%)

Health Status: 9820/9820 (+0.98%/m)

Force Status: 14730/14730 (+1.47%/m)

Stamina Status: 9820/9820 (+0.98%/m)

[Rachel Roth] (1m)

Level: 148 (93%)

Health Status: 2360/2360 (+0.23%/m)

Magic Status: 7100/7100 (+0.71%/m)

Stamina Status: 2360/2360 (+0.23%/m)

' Oh, I have an entirely new level system for this function, ' I thought, surprised. ' I guess two was the most I could summon with this level, anyways, so I'm glad these two got picked. ' As much as I would appreciate Pucci's ability to steal attributes and memories with his Stand, and Kirito's swordsmanship, I needed people with more niche abilities. The force was incredibly powerful, in the right hands, as was Raven's magic. That, plus their real combat experience put them above the rest. Again, I wondered why the hell a six-year-old was in the gacha pool as a summon card, but whatever. It made me wonder what the hell else was in the gacha.

Speaking of, I had one token I could use, so I took it out and bit it.

[Rolling 1x Gacha Token…]

[Rolling…]

[Entry 33 Rolled…]

[<Dual Class Bracer> Added to {Inventory}!]

<Dual Class Bracer>

Allows the wearer to select a second class and store it within the bracer. The active and stored class can be swapped at will, but the stored class will only gain 50% XP. That is reduced to 25% when an additional bracer is worn.

I smiled as I withdrew the bracer, immediately putting it on over my sleeve. A system prompt appeared as soon as the clasp had been closed.

[Relic Item <Dual Class Bracer> Equipped! So long as it is equipped, your Dual-Class will level up once per two of your normal class' levels! Select a dual class, now!]

{ Warrior }

{ Rogue }

{ Mage }

' Awesome, ' my smile widened into a grin. Now, then, what to choose? The way I saw it, I had two options: enhance my magic even further, or pick up a martial class to assist with my physical dps. The <Yamato > picked up my slack there, because of its dimension-cutting sharpness, but I was still relatively new to swordsmanship, so having a class to help with that would be great, but at the same time… I could further increase my magic capabilities. Come on . As much as I liked swinging a sword, and cutting through bones, vines, and trunks, I liked using magic to obliterate things even more. ' Mage it is. '

[Dual Class {Mage} Confirmed! Select a Subclass:]

{ Bard }

{ Summoner }

{ Cleric }

{ Advanced Elementalist }

{ Anti-Mage }

{ Pure Mage }

Mostly the same options, with the exceptions of {Advanced Elementalist} and {Pure Mage}. The latter, I assumed was opposite to the {Anti-Mage} class, dealing in pure mana as opposed to whatever anti-mana was. From what I could gather, it would give me the mana affinity, like God's attribute crystal offered. I wasn't that interested in that, however, so I focused on the {Advanced Elementalist} and {Anti-Mage} classes.

The former would proffer advanced sub-elements of the core six: lightning, crystals, metal, ice, blood, nature, healing, holy, blessings, curses, and demonic. I could technically do all of those with the source elements, but it was much more difficult than doing it via their respected affinity gates.

The {Anti-Mage} class got me thinking, though. I had done my research in the months since my rebirth, and I hadn't ever heard of such a thing as anti-mana, or anything conceptually similar. These people hadn't even thought up the premise of something opposite to mana, so it was unheard of. That meant there were no biases towards or against it, as I was worried about when initially choosing my class.

Aside from that, I wondered how anti-mana interacted with normal mana. Was it like how antimatter reacted to positive matter? Did it simply negate, and cancel it out, or did it cause an explosive reaction?

Aside from that aside, I didn't want to pick my next major class for something that would take twice as long to level up.

[Dual Subclass {Anti-Mage} Confirmed!]

Per Level:

+1 STR, CON, END, DEX, CHA, LCK

+2 WIS

+3 INT

+5 Stat Points

[Skills <Anti-Mana Affinity> and <Anti-Mana Control> Learned!]

<Anti-Mana Affinity> (1/100)

+5% EXP with all Anti-Mana-related skills.

<Anti-Mana Control> (1/100)

You can passively control anti-mana with greater efficacy.

I blinked, not having expected getting a second set of stats per level. This essentially doubled my already doubled stats, which would be doubled again by my soul rank. I would get stronger six times faster than a normal person. More than that, thanks to the now ten stat points I would get per level.

I excused myself for a moment to use the bathroom, and summoned a clone. He nodded to me and disappeared into the dungeon, going to practice our new magic. I did this, because I wanted to keep it a secret, even from my parents. An ace in the hole, like the <Shadow Clone Jutsu>. If nobody in this world knew something like it existed, then I'd rather keep it hidden until I needed it, but that didn't mean I could neglect it, either. The sooner I got it to max, the better; just in case. I checked my eyes to see if there were any changes, but the only one I could see was a slight haziness around my left iris.

' Kinda like Ilyor, ' I chuckled. She didn't have an anti-mana affinity, though; I would've seen it through <Observe >. Speaking of, I was wondering why it hadn't reached level one-hundred, yet. I knew from <Mana Control> that it required a milestone of some kind; in that case, reaching the eighth awakening. What would <Observe > require to reach max, though?

Man, I needed more upgrade tickets…

[Perhaps upgrade the gacha function, next time you get one…]

' Perhaps indeed, ' I grinned. ' I like the way you think, system. '

[I aim to please.]

When no clone death occurred, I returned to the workshop, where Raven and Obi-Wan were having a friendly chat about their respective battles. They knew everything about one another via my memories, but I knew well enough that it was different hearing it from the person themself.

Obi-Wan turned to me as I came in. "Now that you have that going, you should try storing one of us, if I may suggest," he said. "I want to know what it feels like."

I nodded and brought up the menu, then moved him into the storage. He popped out of existence without so much as a sound, appearing in the inventory-like grid space as the icon that was on his card, with his level in a bottom corner. I brought Obi-Wan back out, and he appeared with a grin on his face.

"Very interesting," he said. "It is a pocket dimension that takes the form of a vast villa, though only the common spaces and two bedrooms were unlocked. The kitchen was stocked, and the bathrooms had running water. There was even a television set with access to all of the TV shows you had seen, including the animated rendition of the clone wars."

"How were you able to explore all of that in a few seconds?" I asked.

"It seems to be separate from this world and your timeline," he answered. "Indeed, I felt that I could be brought out a few seconds after entering, yet I knew somehow that I could wait with no consequences. No matter how long I spent in there, no additional time had passed out here!"

"In short, wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff," I said. I understood what he was getting at, but the reference was right there. Essentially, he was saying that I could summon him at any time, but he could also spend as much time as he wanted inside at the same time. Say I call for him to be summoned one day, and he appears instantly. From his perspective, he could've waited a week inside the storage before accepting. Or, he could've accepted instantly. Zero lag on my end, but it gave him as much time as he needed.

"I'm going to put you both into storage, and draw one of you out a bit later than the other. I don't want either of you to accept until the other has the request, though," I said, getting nods before sending them away. I immediately called for Obi-Wan to return, and he appeared with a grin on his face. "So?" I asked.

"We both left at the same exact time, yet she hasn't arrived here. As expected."

"What did you talk about, in there?" I asked, wanting to test a theory. If what I thought was true, then this could be major.

"She told me about her team, and her relationships within it," Obi-Wan answered. "She mentioned building a car with her cyborg friend."

I hummed and brought out Raven. She appeared and looked over at us with a small smile. "You were talking about the T-Car when I brought you back, correct?" I asked her, getting a nod in return. Oh, I could think of so many ways to use this method of communication. If I ever got a science-type summon, they'd have a hell of a time in there. It was unfortunate that I couldn't go in there, myself.

[Upgrade tickets…]

' Right, I keep forgetting… ' I smiled wryly. "Well, you two can go in there any time you want. For now, let's start engraving the dais with the basic higher tier circle." I took out a few hammers and chisels and gestured to the dais, where I had drawn the basic circle. The first step in upgrading it to thread faster.

"Stone masonry," Raven cocked her head to the side. "I never thought I would partake in that art…"