Chapter 97
Erick emerged from the shower, his body still warm from the scalding water, his wet hair dripping onto his shoulders. He dried his hair with a black towel as he walked down the mansion's underground corridor. The mental training with Megan had been exhausting—hours floating within his own consciousness, feeling that green, viscous psychic energy for the first time, learning to catalyze anger and memory to mold it. He was still adapting to the new sense, as if he had gained a sixth sense that vibrated just behind his eyes and in his chest, mingling with the elemental fire that had always lived there. But he was excited. For the first time since the confrontation with Lobo, he felt his body and mind advancing together, no longer just surviving, but evolving. Evolution was no longer just technology and fire. Now it had layers that even he hadn't fully foreseen.
He arrived before a large door, reinforced with E10 plates and subtle runic seals engraved on the edges. The door slid silently open, acknowledging his presence. Erick entered the gigantic room, the air heavy with a faint scent of ozone and ancient parchment. The walls were covered with tall shelves of dark metal, illuminated by cool white lights. On one of them, a few arcane tomes rested—a small quantity, but a start. Books he had acquired (in quotation marks) from a sorcery shop through a deal with a mysterious woman whose debt still hung in the air, with no resolution in sight. In the other corner of the room, on a wide counter, some arcane items were neatly arranged, but Erick didn't stop to examine them now. He merely mentally registered that they were there, awaiting later analysis.
He walked to the center of the room, the cold floor beneath his bare feet. The towel still hung from his shoulder, his bare chest glistening slightly with the greenish hue his skin had acquired.
"What do we have?"
At that same instant, the air ahead of him flickered. A hologram materialized—a tall, hooded female figure in dark robes that seemed to be made of shadows and lines of code all at once. Morgana. The arcane AI that Erick had created to handle the mystical side of Project Cloak. Her voice was soft, yet imbued with an ancient intelligence, as if echoing from forgotten grimoires.
"Good afternoon, Erick. I'm glad you've recovered. I worked on some projects while you were away. I managed to understand the books we got quite well."
Morgana tilted her hooded head slightly, the perfect hologram capturing even the slightest movement of the fabric.
"I managed to develop and compile all the information. The problem is really the information itself. I did manage to develop some projects that we were working on, but they proved to be extremely challenging."
Erick's face contorted in doubt, his arms crossed over his chest. He had expected this. Magic wasn't like coding an AI or forging a metal alloy. It was chaotic, demanding, full of barriers that pure science couldn't foresee.
"It's not like we weren't expecting this. At some point we were going to hit a roadblock. So, what can you tell me about what we have?"
Morgana raised a holographic hand, and the air around her lit up with subtle diagrams.
"We have some good news. I managed to find out why your condition changed."
Erick raised an eyebrow, interested.
"Before, you were just an ordinary human who didn't possess any kind of magical blood, so to speak. Now, that outcome has somewhat changed. The elemental that is now bound to your soul means you now possess a reserve of arcane energy. Thanks to a being that came from another dimension, a dimension that, from what we've been able to identify, has a large flow of arcane energy, making this elemental a pathway, a catalyst, for you to now possess a reserve of arcane energy."
Erick murmured, processing the information with that calculating coldness that had defined him since childhood.
"Hmm, that's really good news."
"That's good news, actually. Now you won't need to use potions as the catalyst for our spells as much."
He felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Potions were useful, but limited—high cost, temporary effect, risk of addiction. Having an internal reserve changed everything. Elemental fire was no longer just destruction; it was now a bridge to something greater.
"Did you see that we have more?"
Morgana gestured, and a three-dimensional hologram of Erick's current repulsor shield materialized between them, rotating slowly. New runic lines glowed in red and gold on the black surface.
"I managed to develop a design for the shield. Thanks to the knowledge we acquired, I was able, through them, to learn and develop some runes necessary to further increase the shield's durability and versatility, allowing it to return to your hand at the command of your mind and with the expenditure of arcane energy that you now possess."
Erick nodded, his eyes fixed on the details. Direct mental command. No need for gestures or voice. This would reduce reaction time in combat to almost zero.
"Not only that, but it also allows him to now have a high arcane resistance, to say the least. I can't say what level it is because we have no way to analyze it. Only with another sorcerer, and apparently we don't have another one."
Erick smiled slightly, satisfied. Arcane resistance meant that enemy spells—like those of League of Shadows mages or artifacts of mystical villains—would have less effect. The shield would no longer be just a physical barrier; it would be a mystical anchor.
Morgana continued, making another hologram appear beside the shield. Complex symbols, circular diagrams, equations that mixed sacred geometry with alchemical formulas. Erick recognized it immediately: it was the ritual that he and his AIs had perfected over the years to create matter. The same ritual that had given rise to E10 steel—the indestructible alloy that formed the basis of the Titan armor and half of Ravonna's structures.
"I also managed to optimize and improve our arcane alchemy ritual, although it still has some limitations. The energy, even though I managed to reduce its cost in this ritual, is still high, and the amount of material is the same; I managed to reduce the cost, but not by much. The real advantage is that now we can create other types of necessary components, such as taking some properties from one metal and putting them into another. It's a very complex process and it takes some time to give a detailed explanation, but according to the theory we are developing, we will be able to achieve at least a 50% improvement in our entire transmutation process."
Erick felt a wave of genuine satisfaction. The cost of materials had always been the most irritating bottleneck. Even being a millionaire thanks to patents sold to Wayne Enterprises, wasting fortunes on rare metals and exotic components for each new alloy was unsustainable in the long run. A 50% improvement meant being able to produce more E10, more variants, more prototypes without draining the coffers.
"Great job."
His expression was one of restrained happiness—rare, but genuine. He ran a hand through his still-damp hair, considering the implications.
"Also work on the next development, you and the engineer for the next league. It needs to be something durable, flexible, and lightweight."
Morgana tilted her head, her voice taking on an almost humorous tone, as if the AI had absorbed some of Erick's dry personality.
"Anything else?"
He understood what she meant. There was always more. Project Cloak never stopped.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?
Morgana made the holograms disappear for a moment.
"The arcane items, as well as some books, are extremely complicated. Perhaps we need your help, since you are the only one among us who possesses arcane energy, thus allowing us to conduct more elaborate studies."
Erick nodded, accepting the responsibility without hesitation.
"So now I'll have to be more active in this kind of training. Oh, okay. I'll gather the necessary information; I know I work in virtual reality here. I'll study them during my night's rest, and tomorrow we'll practice these arcane skills. It's a great help. Thank you."
Morgana bowed her head in thanks, the hood shading her holographic face.
"Thank you, sir."
The room fell silent for a moment. Erick stood there, in the center, gazing at the holograms that still faintly hung in the air—new runes gleaming on the shield, optimized alchemical diagrams, the promise of an inner arcane reserve that shifted the entire balance of his power. He felt the elemental energy in his chest pulse harder, as if responding to the news. The green energy of his mind, the ancient fire, now the arcane flow—everything intertwined. It was no longer just survival against Lobo, against the Light, against the vacuum left by Black Mask. It was construction. It was the next step toward the absolute power he had sworn to achieve since waking up as a baby in a Gotham hospital.
He dried the last of the water from his hair, threw the towel over his shoulder, and turned to leave. Tomorrow the real study of the books and items would begin. Tonight, in virtual reality, he would immerse himself in them while his body rested. Project Cloak never slept. And Erick Smith, the man who had reincarnated never to be a victim again, felt that each piece—fire, mind, now arcane—was fitting into place exactly where it needed to.
The large door closed behind him with a soft hiss, leaving the rune room in silence, shelves filled with ancient knowledge and a counter with mysterious items awaiting the touch of an energy that, finally, he could offer.
The work continued. And the power grew.
Read the chapters in advance: patreon.com/cw/pararaio