They eventually settled underneath one of the gigantic support pillars after fully recovering. The structure so incomprehensibly massive that calling it a pillar almost felt insulting.
After seven days of nonstop fighting, the silence finally felt deserved rather than ominous and for the first time in what honestly felt like forever, nobody was actively trying to kill them. Runner had casually declared that rest without food was emotionally damaging, which somehow led to her pulling out an enormous sapphire bowl large enough for all of them to sit around comfortably.
The Bowl of Wisdom rested in the middle of their little resting spot, glowing faintly with divine warmth while steam rose endlessly from freshly made rice and curry mixed with tender meat.
The artifact looked simple at first glance, yet something about it carried an unmistakable feeling of absurd quality that only seemed possible when created by someone unreasonable enough to ignore normal limits, which unfortunately described Vastarael perfectly.
Though this one was merely a copy, (Shimmer had hers as well) it retained the exact same functions as the original, allowing food to endlessly replenish itself while changing its size depending on how many people shared it. That meant that even after seven days of combat exhaustion there was more than enough for everyone.
The smell alone was enough to instantly improve morale as warm spices mixed with rich curry aromas filled the air beneath the giant pillar. Even Biolumine looked noticeably happier while sitting beside Runner with cat ears twitching as she quietly stole extra meat whenever nobody paid attention.
Runner lazily scooped another bite into her mouth while sighing dramatically.
"I missed eating food."
"You say that after almost dying for seven days."
"I missed food more than survival, dear Dragon sister."
"That explains so much about you."
Natalis sat elegantly beside them while quietly observing the situation with mild amusement, though after watching Shimmer for a while, something clearly seemed to catch her attention.
Over the past week, she had seen enough strange things to realize Shimmer's existence felt strangely contradictory, especially after witnessing her healing capabilities during battle while simultaneously transforming into an draconic entity. She originally assumed Shimmer was purely draconic, but the details no longer matched what she understood.
"Forgive me for asking but are you a Dragon or an Aeterium?"
Shimmer paused mid-bite.
"Complicated answer."
Denisia looked over immediately.
"How complicated?"
Shimmer sighed quietly before setting her spoon down, already looking mildly exhausted by the explanation she clearly knew was coming.
"It's easier if I just show you."
A glowing screen suddenly materialized in front of them.
°°°°°°°
Name: Shimmer Richinaria
Alias: Shimmer
Age: 17
Title: Richinaria Princess
Species: Frost Dragon (Phantasm Bloodline)
Affiliation: Dynasty Richinaria
Status: [Fourth Enlightenment, 99%]
Pinnacle Tethers: [Sound Manipulation]
Base Tethers: [Draconic Strength], [Dragonheart], [Dragon Transformation], [Body and Soul Reconstruction], [Inventory]
Major Divinities: [Sound], [Frost]
Minor Divinities: [None]
Codex: [None]
Artifacts: [Nanorune Armor, Annihilator...]
Overwrite: [None]
Divine Transformation: [SoundFrost Dragon]
Boon: [Duality of Race]
Bane: [Selective Food]
[Sound Manipulation: You can control and manipulate sound in various ways.]
[Ascender Form: You can create shockwaves and sonic booms from sound alone.]
[Divine Form: You can enhance or reduce sound across a large radius if you do desire.]
[Draconic Strength: You possess immense strength from your bloodline as the first of the Frost Dragons.]
[Dragonheart: You possess a dragon heart which contains enormous amounts of Draconic Energy. Your heart restores and forms Draconic Energy at an extremely rapid pace.]
[Dragon Transformation: You can transform into a dragon either in humanoid form or a full draconic form.]
[Body and Soul Reconstruction: You can reconstruct your own body and soul. However, since you are not a full Aeterium due to the draconic bloodline, you cannot do the same for others.]
[Sound Divinity: You have complete domination over sound.]
[Frost Divinity: From your draconic bloodline, frost answers your call, especially when using your draconic capabilities.]
Annihilator: A Divine Weapon created by Vastarael Richinaria. It contains four enchantments:
[Soulbound: The weapon is bound to you by soul and only you can wield it. You can allow anyone to touch it and it can always return to you by summoning it using your hand.]
[Indestructibility: The zweihander is impervious to physical, mystical and elemental damage, making it a weapon that endures through time.]
[Energy Absorption: Annihilator can absorb energy and store it temporarily.]
[Weight Adjustment: It can change in mass depending on the decision of the wielder.]
[Duality of Race: You can exist between a Dragon and an Aeterium any way you wish.]
[Selective Food: You can only eat food made by your male parent. Other food will taste bland in comparison.]
°°°°°
Silence followed. Denisia slowly lowered her spoon.
"That answered none of my questions. It somehow made me more confused."
Shimmer sighed.
"Basically, I'm biologically a Frost Dragon but because of my Boon, Duality of Race, I can exist between Dragon and Aeterium however I want, which is why I inherited Body and Soul Reconstruction even though dragons normally shouldn't."
"You are telling me your father somehow created a dragon capable of partial Aeterium functionality?"
Shimmer stared.
"When you phrase it like that, it does sound weird."
Runner nearly choked laughing.
"It sounds exactly like Dad."
Natalis looked toward Shimmer's profile again.
"Sound Manipulation as a Pinnacle Tether and dual Major Divinities. That alone is already extraordinary, but this…"
Her gaze stopped on the Dragon Transformation.
"You became that gigantic dragon during battle because of this?"
Shimmer nodded.
"Humanoid dragon form for control and full dragon form when things become annoying."
Denisia looked strangely thoughtful.
"And your father trained you personally?"
Shimmer and Runner both visibly paused. Then they looked at one another and both started laughing.
"Was that the wrong question?"
Runner wiped tears from her eyes.
"No. It's just that Dad's training methods are completely insane."
Shimmer immediately groaned.
"You know how normal parents teach discipline and self-improvement? Dad teaches survival."
Natalis tilted her head.
"What exactly does that mean?"
Shimmer looked toward the ceiling like she was remembering trauma.
"When I first learned Dragon Transformation when we came back from the moon, he dropped me into a freezing mountain range and said, 'You either adapt or die.' He visited once a week to bring snacks."
Runner leaned back happily.
"My first combat training involved him exhaust my energy so that I can make Limitless more powerful. That was painful. I can use Soul Energy because of him now but doing it as an Ascender back in Erna Isles was torture."
Biolumine casually continued eating.
"You were a child."
"Yes."
Denisia slowly placed her spoon down.
"Veneri concerns me."
Shimmer immediately pointed at her.
"Correct response."
Runner crossed her arms.
"You're both overreacting. Look how strong we are."
The twins slowly looked around at the completely destroyed station, at the two sisters and then at the stopwatch counting down the final six hours.
Biolumine took another bite before lazily flicking her tail.
"Vastarael's methods are terrible but very effective."
Nobody argued with that.