บท 59: Arash
Charybdis spent an intense month in the lab, working tirelessly on Project-B alongside her dedicated team.
Her patience was wearing thin, however, as her danger sense had been blaring with increasing frequency since the day she had gained her new powers.
She knew she couldn't ignore the warnings much longer.
One evening, frustration finally boiled over.
Daedalus, one of her most trusted advisors and chief scientists, approached her cautiously as she paced the lab, her eyes burning with impatience.
"Queen Charybdis," he began, his voice steady but filled with concern, "we need more time. Project-B is still incomplete. Using it now could be catastrophic. It could harm you, and worse, it could harm the baby."
Charybdis whirled around, her eyes blazing.
"We don't have time, Daedalus! My danger sense hasn't stopped warning me. Every second we delay, we risk everything we've worked for."
Daedalus stood his ground, his expression earnest.
"I understand the urgency, but we cannot be reckless. The incomplete Project-B poses too many risks. We need to ensure its stability. Your power is already immense; you don't need to rush into this."
"Silence!" Charybdis roared, her divine haki flaring with such intensity that it caused Daedalus to stumble backward.
The sheer force of her anger and the projection of her emotions were mind numbing, leaving the room in a tense silence.
With a glare that could pierce through steel, she ordered, "Begin the procedure immediately."
The team moved quickly, their movements precise and efficient despite the palpable tension in the air.
They prepared the giant core of Project-B, transporting it from Asur Lok to the depths of the ocean in the Overworld.
This location was where the storage facility of a titanic ship, which Charybdis had built almost a millennium ago, was once housed.
Now, it was repurposed into the process chamber for Project-B.
Charybdis had long collected all the necessary pieces for this project.
The addition of the Origin Skill, a new but welcome element, and the Ultimate Skill, King of Heroes: Gilgamesh, were crucial to the modifications she had planned.
As the core was secured in its chamber, Charybdis stood at the center, feeling the immense power and potential radiating from it.
With a final nod, she initiated the procedure, the behemoth machine whirring.
The next phase of her plan was in motion, and there was no turning back now.
The place of the procedure once harbored the ship Charybdis had used during the Demon Realm invasion.
Now, this reinforced space served a new purpose: the chamber for her ambitious and risky Project-B.
Project-B was conceived after she gained the ability of Voice of All Things, which allowed her to petition the Voice of the World (VotW).
The plan was to create an Ultimate Skill targeting heroes, drawing on the essence of powerful figures from history and fiction.
Her summoning of Ashoka had confirmed her theory that these heroes existed somewhere in the vast multiverse.
The Ultimate Skill, King of Heroes: Gilgamesh, allowed her to take power from any hero, awakened or not.
This skill gave her absolute dominion over humanity's greatest champions.
But it only allowed her raw power consumption and she didn't want to get demanding for a custom Ultimate skill so Project B was made.
Project-B aimed to absorb these heroes' entire beings, including their feelings and resolve, transforming their lives into concepts of new skills if their abilities are not usable for Charybdis.
As she sat inside the chamber, cables seamlessly merged with her body.
The room's light changed from red to golden as the first summoning began.
The core sphere spun rapidly, and rainbow-colored light bands formed around it.
After some buildup, the first individual was summoned in the same position as her, but much more rudely invaded by cables and instantly absorbed by the hungry King of Heroes.
The first summon was Arash, a legendary hero from ancient Persia.
As a warrior of King Manuchehr, Arash was known as the strongest archer who ended a 60-year war between Persia and Turan.
His greatest feat was shooting an arrow from Mount Damavand, marking the boundary between the two countries.
This heroic act ended the war and established peace, but it cost him his life as his body burst from the strain.
Charybdis felt the rush of Arash's essence merging with her own. His heroic spirit, resolve, and legendary power became part of her.
The process was smooth, her body and mind effortlessly integrating the new power.
Her physical appearance showed no strain, only the confident glow of someone growing more powerful by the moment.
She grinned widely as she reveled in her newfound power.
The room's atmosphere reflected her confidence and growing might.
She laughed, a sound that began as a low chuckle and slowly grew louder, echoing through the chamber. "Yes! This power... it'll suffice!"
Despite Daedalus' earlier warnings and his continued concern, Charybdis was resolute.
The procedure had begun, and there was no turning back.
With each hero she will absorb, her power will only grow, and with it, her ability to protect her kingdom and her unborn child.
---
After absorbing Arash, Charybdis grew more confident.
She decided to test the next feature of Project-B, a mechanism still unfinished but functional: the Pointer.
The Pointer allowed her to choose who to summon.
As the antenna on the machine started rotating, the space around it destabilized, setting up a metaphysical interference pattern designed to allow only individuals matching a specific description to pass through.
Any mismatch would result in incineration by the shifting magicules.
With her goal clear, Charybdis aimed to summon Arjuna, the legendary archer known as one of the greatest warriors in history.
Since she had begun with archers, it made sense to continue with that theme.
The machine hummed and vibrated as it locked onto the desired target.
The interference pattern shifted, filtering through countless potential heroes until it honed in on Arjuna.
The core sphere spun faster, and the light bands around it intensified.
After a moment of intense buildup, the machine succeeded.
Arjuna appeared, occupying the same position as Charybdis, but the process was far from smooth.
As the cables connected with Arjuna, the machine struggled.
His divine essence caused interference, and the summoning room was filled with crackling energy.
The Pointer's antenna, unable to handle the strain, burst apart with a loud explosion.
Charybdis gritted her teeth as the divine essence within Arjuna resisted absorption, causing her significant pain.
She felt the divine energy clash with her own, like a tempest inside her body. Her draconic features flickered in and out of visibility as she struggled to integrate Arjuna's essence.
The resistance was fierce, and the divine energy threatened to tear her apart.
After an agonizing struggle, Charybdis finally managed to absorb Arjuna.
She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her body bore signs of the struggle, with small wounds and burned holes where the divine energy had lashed out within the cables.
"Damn... I didn't expect this much resistance," she muttered, her voice strained.
Despite the pain, she couldn't help but smile.
The power she had gained was immense, and the addition of Arjuna's skills and essence made her significantly stronger.
However, the damaged antenna and the intense backlash from Arjuna's summoning made it clear that she needed to improve Project-B.
The potential was undeniable, but it was also dangerous and unstable in its current form.
As she recovered, Charybdis realized that she had to proceed with caution.
The power she sought came at a high price, and reckless use could have dire consequences.
With renewed determination, she resolved to refine Project-B, ensuring that it would serve her purposes without further risks.
For now, she had gained what she needed: the strength and skills of two of history's greatest archers.
This was only the beginning, and Charybdis was prepared to continue her quest for power, no matter the challenges ahead.
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