All in all, with the help of the Personality Completion System, 'Georios' hadn't supplemented her personality at all.
She had supplemented her brain instead.
Her talents had taken a solid, undeniable step closer to Nous, and the result of that was simple.
Her efficiency in researching the Permanence Equation skyrocketed.
Only in this state did 'Georios' finally summon Typhon, who had been wasting her life away in her private lava chamber.
The moment she received the invitation, Typhon lit up with joy.
It had been dozens of system hours since she'd last seen that beautiful tail.
Even though she had remodeled the entire room to her favorite lava temperature and pressure, it still didn't feel right.
Soaking her whole body in molten rock, she always felt as if something was missing.
She pondered it for a long, long time before finally realizing what it was. What she was missing was that one unparalleled tail of 'Georios'!
If only she could hold that tail while soaking in lava. Even if it wasn't in lava—she could switch to something 'Georios' liked, like a soft bed. She wasn't picky.
Unfortunately, she couldn't.
Typhon sighed inwardly. That was an Aeon.
No matter how reckless she could be, she didn't dare entertain improper thoughts about an Aeon.
Besides, her life had been saved by the other party. How could she possibly reveal these strange, dragon-hearted feelings of hers?
So, after suppressing her emotions, when she suddenly received an invitation from 'Georios', Typhon was over the moon.
She scrambled out of the lava in a few swift movements, slipped into a dress, and ran barefoot toward 'Georios'' laboratory.
When she reached the door, Typhon shoved it open in one forceful push—and froze on the spot, eyes wide.
The once quiet laboratory was now packed to the brim with 'Georioses' of every size.
Strange halos hovered above their heads as their tails swayed, and they moved about the room in orderly efficiency.
She only spared a brief glance at Typhon's arrival before losing interest.
"So... so many tails... Hehe, I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Typhon watched the clones gliding past her, her eyes fixed on the tails that occasionally brushed against the hem of her skirt. She could barely restrain the urge to scoop one up and carry it off.
'Georios', who was just about to speak, overheard Typhon's muttering. A metaphorical question mark practically popped up over her head.
She knew Typhon was fond of her draconic form, but this reaction... did this girl have a tail fetish?
Well, considering how bizarre and abstract human interests could be, it seemed normal enough. For a dragon, liking dragon tails was probably the equivalent of a human liking legs or feet.
Deciding not to take the reaction to heart, 'Georios' spoke up:
"Typhon, don't just stand there. Come in. I need you to create some dragonkin using your usual methods."
Startled back to reality by the voice, Typhon awkwardly averted her gaze and hurried to 'Georios''s side.
"Right. What do I need to do?"
"Can your ability incorporate flesh and blood materials from other dragonkin to create different types of offspring?"
Typhon looked at the materials in the containers before her, sensing the various auras within.
After a moment of careful feeling, she nodded. "It should be possible, but I can't guarantee what the resulting individuals will look like."
"As long as it's possible. Get ready, we're starting."
'Georios' nodded, pulling Typhon along to prepare the nutrient pods and monitoring equipment.
She also covered Typhon in various sensors. She wanted to ensure that every detail of the creation process would be captured by both her own divine perception and the mechanical surveillance.
Typhon felt a bit out of sorts. It was as if a mundane, daily habit was suddenly being scrutinized by a peerless beauty who was staring intensely at her every move.
Given that this beauty's status was also terrifyingly high, even Typhon couldn't help but feel restless.
Fortunately, her mental fortitude was strong. After a brief moment of daze, she quickly regained her composure.
The experiment officially began.
In 'Georios's' eyes, power began to gestate within Typhon's body. Then, a shower of sparks erupted from her, carrying bits of flesh and blood filled with Typhon's own vibrant vitality.
The flames fell, swallowing the dragonkin materials laid out before her. As the fire rolled and churned, the once-dissipating vitality—which had been like water without a source—began to coalesce.
Gradually, a spark of life was nurtured within the flames.
In 'Georios''s perception, what should have been mere residual life force broke through a certain boundary under the influence of a specific power. The stagnant, rootless water was suddenly connected to a living spring.
As the flames dissipated, a small dragon that looked somewhat similar to Typhon appeared.
However, its features were gentle, its scales delicate, and it carried the fresh scent of flora—a far cry from the sulfurous odor Typhon typically emitted.
While the little dragon was still slumbering, a clone picked up the box and tucked it into a pre-prepared nutrient pod, waiting for its consciousness to develop naturally.
Meanwhile, 'Georios' was busy savoring everything she had just felt.
It was the power of Permanence, passed down through the flames. That power had taken a sliver of Typhon's vitality and transformed that detached essence into a self-sustaining life.
This power to turn flesh from dead matter into a living being was the very manifestation of Permanence.
This process perfectly resonated with the Earth Titan's ability to nurture life within 'Georios''s current body.
Through this combination, 'Georios' gained a remarkably clear insight into the Path of Permanence.
When 'Georios' finished her contemplations and opened her eyes, she found Typhon staring at her. The moment their eyes met, Typhon's gaze flickered away guiltily.
"What is it?"
"No, nothing. I was just curious... what were you thinking about?"
"I was thinking about the meaning of Permanence."
"Oh... can you really figure it out just by sensing it like that?" Typhon scratched her head. This method seemed quite different from how a normal Pathstrider grew, or even how dragonkin evolved.
"The results are decent. Let's continue. This time, I'll try it with you."
Since she now possessed a similar ability to create life from her own flesh, 'Georios' intended to experience the process firsthand a few times.
Since this body was a character card creation, she felt no psychological burden; even if it were damaged, it would simply refresh after a cooldown.
"..."
Typhon opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat.
She wanted to ask: Even if you do smell like a dragon, isn't it a bit ridiculous to replicate the entire process after seeing it once and thinking about it with your eyes closed?
Even if such an ability existed within the concept of Permanence, it wasn't something you could just use whenever you felt like it.
Otherwise, the Vidyadhara wouldn't have been agonizing over the Transmutation Arcanum for so long.
But soon, Typhon couldn't keep her cool anymore.
Before her very eyes, 'Georios' took an ordinary stone, wrapped it in flesh separated from her own body, and transformed it into a soil-yellow chimera.
What was even more terrifying was that this little creature wasn't even a dragonkin!
Creating life with the power of Permanence that wasn't a dragonkin?
Wait... sister...
In all her long years of life, this was the first time she had ever encountered such a thing. Typhon felt as if a cognitive barrier had been shattered.
When the Permanence fell ages ago, a vast number of dragonkin were born. Whether it was the Transmutation Arcanum or Typhon's own methods, everyone had been focused on how to increase the size of their own race.
As for using their own flesh to create non-dragonkin life... the thought had never even crossed their minds.
Seeing it happen so suddenly today had left Typhon completely dazed.
"It... it can work like that?? The flesh of Permanence can create non-dragonkin life?? Wait, the Ancestor never mentioned this!"
Typhon reached out and patted the fuzzy head of the sleeping chimera. She sensed it carefully. It truly didn't belong to the dragonkin; there wasn't even a trace of the power of Permanence within it.
"Well... why not? When a dragon falls, ten thousand things arise. No one ever said it had to be dragonkin. If Permanence only included dragons, wouldn't that be a bit narrow-minded?"
"No, I mean, you're right, but in all these years, I've never seen a non-dragonkin step onto the Path of Permanence." Typhon scratched her head.
The logic made sense, but the reality was that no one had ever achieved it on their own.
To Typhon's confusion, 'Georios' could only shrug and shake her head. She didn't know the reason either. Who knew what had actually happened when the Permanence fell?
All in all, with Typhon's help, the two created over a dozen dragonkin. 'Georios' experienced the power of Permanence over and over, yielding an excellent harvest.
She planned to visit the Giant Dragon once she finished analyzing this data. In her memory, the path pursued by the Giant Dragon was different from Typhon's. Though both fell under Permanence, the details varied significantly. It would be a perfect point of comparison.
As for the Vidyadhara, she could pay them another visit too. Their concepts of maintaining responsibility were a bit more abstract, but a thorough exchange would likely yield some insights.
'Georios' quickly mapped out her plan for the upcoming visits. As for the other, weaker dragonkin, she decided to skip them. There was no need for a dedicated visit.
Typhon, who had accompanied 'Georios' through so many experiments, was expected to head home and rest. Instead, she showed no intention of leaving. She even started eyeing the clones.
"Hey, your clones are so cute. Can you give me one to play with?"
Typhon had taken a liking to a younger, teenage-looking clone. This one had a stoic, "kuudere" personality and looked like a porcelain doll.
Unfortunately, the request was flatly rejected by 'Georios'.
"...Absolutely not. These clones are all connected to my senses, and they're all busy processing research. They aren't toys."
"Fine... then can I come by and visit when I'm bored? If you have any research needs, I'm happy to cooperate anytime. Otherwise, I promise not to disturb you."
"..."
It was only then that 'Georios' finally noticed Typhon's strange attitude.
What was with this girl acting like such a loyal puppy?
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL