Upon hearing Seraphina's explanation, Orion was torn between feeling dumbfounded by her genuine intellect and awe at her brilliant insight in creating a magical head-on display mask.
Meanwhile, Fifi sat stunned and speechless, contemplating whether she would ever witness the limits of Seraphina's creativity or if there were any limits.
The fact that Seraphina could craft something from materials collected from the former Village Chief and Isadora left Fifi wondering about the potential of encountering inventions from various Runaway Cities that Isadora had mentioned were superior to what she had gathered.
It was surreal to think of Seraphina as just another sister. In fact, if she wasn't confident in her abilities, she doubted she would ever surpass Seraphina's intelligence and wisdom, a thought still up for debate.
"Anyone would lose their minds if you told them you came up with something in two and a half weeks. Amazingly, you can continuously create incredible inventions in such a short time," Orion remarked, glancing at Fifi, who still hadn't recovered from the shock.
Orion was tempted to compare Seraphina's intelligence and wisdom to Naka's, but he refrained from undermining the gods' monstrous intellect; he was in a league of his own.
Seraphina chuckled lightly at Orion's words. "Thank you for the compliment, husband. Now, why don't you try utilizing it? Slowly direct your energy into the mask and focus on activating one of its specific functions that I've listed. You can use your Celestial energy; I don't think it's capable of withstanding Vylkr energy for now," she said.
Orion nodded and followed her instructions, channelling his Celestial energy into the mask to activate its energy-reading functions.
Suddenly, a few sentences appeared before his line of sight as he looked at Seraphina.
[ Energy Level: 1,900 BEM ]
"It says 'Energy level - 1,900 BEM," Fifi responded, her voice sounding crisp through her mask. Her eyes were fixed on Seraphina and the words that appeared before her.
"BEM stands for Base Energy Measurement, which analyses and quantifies a person's capabilities through their energy aura. Try looking at each other and see what it reads," Seraphina explained.
Orion and Fifi nodded and turned to look at each other.
"It says Energy Level - 2,550," Fifi said.
"Mine says, Energy level - 2,400," Orion said, surprised by Fifi's BEM level but understanding why hers was lower since he had achieved his breakthrough earlier.
"Good. That's the quantification of your current capabilities. So, remember that this could change if you use the Vylkr warrior mode or any bizarre techniques, so this should only help you judge a person's limited capabilities and not their overall strength. "
"Also, unless the individual is mortal without any energy or perfectly able to hide their energy aura, then it's impossible to know their energy reading," Seraphina explained before asking, "So, are you satisfied with the Energy Mask Spectrometer?"
Orion and Fifi swiftly nodded their heads in response. They were satisfied with Seraphina's efforts and couldn't help but wonder if they were in a dream.
"Ouch!" Fifi winced from the pain in her thighs. She understood that she wasn't dreaming.
"Ahem! Is there anything else you've been working on, or are thinking of working on?" Orion cleared his throat and asked, his solemn gaze fixed on Seraphina.
"No, I'm not. But after studying the materials I've collected, I think I'm beginning to have a few ideas––" Seraphina began, her thoughts pondering. However, before she could complete her words, Orion immediately interrupted her.
"Well, you've been cooped up here for a while, so it's time to take a break. Go and change your dress so we can head out; we will see Flintor and his family. He has just become a father and sent us an invitation," Orion said, halting Seraphina from generating more ideas.
Seraphina furrowed her brows briefly in thought before she nodded in understanding. "Alright, let me tidy up before going to prepare. I'll meet you all downstairs," she responded.
Seraphina stretched out her hand to collect the masks, which Orion and Fifi reluctantly returned. She then placed them back in the box and sealed it shut. She quickly led them out of the workshop, tidying up her workspace before joining the others downstairs.
Below the floating island, far at the edge of the dissipating Vylkr Viel phenomenon,
"Is everyone ready to head inside?" asked the Captain of the 1st Unit Vanguard team of the Wanderlust Traveling Tortoise Runaway City, her gaze fixed firmly on the towering ogre before her.
"The units are all set and ready to go. But—" Azarok, her lieutenant, began, his voice cracking as if he struggled to finish his sentence.
"But what?" the Captain pressed, narrowing her eyes at him.
Azarok took a deep breath before responding, "It's the entire unit. They're suggesting that perhaps it's best if we turn back to the city. No matter what anyone says or does, they're ready to shoulder the blame for each other."
"Put simply, after everything they've experienced—from the unprecedented duration of the Vylkr Veil Phenomenon to the terrifying battles that have echoed within it—they don't want to venture in any longer. They'd rather return home and face the consequences for not proceeding." His shoulders slumped.
"Despite not fearing death, he assessed the unit's overall condition and realized it was best to abandon their mission and return home. Going into such a battle was not advisable and could lead to more losses than initially calculated.
The Captain furrowed her brow in deep thought. "What about you? Will you join them in returning?" she asked, scrutinizing his expression.
Azarok nodded solemnly. "I'm not afraid of death, but I believe it's best to abandon this mission and head back to the city," he replied.
"Let them know that anyone who wishes to return to the city may do so, but they must be prepared to face the consequences of desertion. Those who are determined to continue should follow me as we proceed inside," the Captain commanded.