Chapter 53

Chapter 53 - Eve

After a while, the groups of clones had finally been satisfied and left the room and the Mage was now alone in her own space. Inside, although her heart was reeling from having so much of her progress stunted, she eventually could let out a sigh of relief that it was just this more radical plan that was changed. 

In fact, unlike what the other clones thought, she too was also a little uneasy about this plan as well. After all, even her main body has barely killed any intelligent life let alone her. This was just one of the more radical plans that she had kept in mind to obtain the secrets of one of the oldest races in the world.

The others only knew her for the questionable experiments that she had succeeded in and would obviously not have a clue about the worse situations that she keeps hidden. 

Even this seemingly hidden base is one that she puts up for show using her clones to experiment with faulty tech here. This is so that any more key experiments could be hidden if she ever gets searched and bugged. 

All of her experiments are in fact in different spaces to add to the overall difficulty of uncovering everything. 

But just in case the others did something, she did not say a word and quickly had a check of herself and the whole facility before speaking at all. Who knows if that weirdo Traveler managed to cook up some other weird skill combination that could lead to a situation where her more important secrets get involved. 

After confirming that the coast was clean, she could breathe a sigh of relief before relaxing in a more lazy mood. 

"Hmm, seems like the direct plan is over with. Oh well. I have several other plans to choose from left."

Taking out her personal grimoire, she held the book in her hand and looked at its elaborate appearance decked out in carved obsidian with several rubies embedded into it. 

"Tch, as tacky as ever. Since I am the only one here, I release the illusion on it."

Looking around left and right, she then coughed to clear her throat before swiping on the surface of the decadent black and red grimoire. As her palm covered the grimoire, the appearance of the book transformed into a more serene palette full of greens and blues with a golden music track flowing across from front to back. 

"Humph! Those fools think I am like those stay at home scientists really expect me to like that gaudy demon design? Obviously those colors should only be given to fools like that Dad in this world... Or maybe the Muscle-brained clone could as well? She is an idiot anyways so it does not matter."

Opening up the grimoire, pages began to flutter across as she glanced at the flood of words passing by. The pages seemed to continue endlessly, for more than the apparent appearance of the book, but she paid it no mind.

Eventually, she reached out her index finger and stopped the pages on a specific line labeled 'Plans against the Elves' and scanned down to the lower parts of the book. 

Scrolling down like a tablet, the page kept on going up and out of sight as all kinds of information about the elves and their current forces and population scrolled past. 

If the world outside knew that there was such a detailed and thorough investigation on the population and stats of the Elven Capital who would know what would have happened. 

Eventually at the bottom of the page was a list of plans that she had formulated after investigating the elves and knowing that they held information that was rather important for Alice.

"Let's see here. All the overt aggressive plans can be crossed off the list. Of course, going head on and using the spatial satellite would of course be blocked by the others and then I would likely be put into solitary confinement."

After blurting out some rather alarming content, she then walked towards a wall of the lab without moving her eyes away from the page and slowly melted into the wall. 

On the other side, she appeared in what looked to be a sea side villa by a private beach with a full sun and everything. This kind of place would have likely been a proper cluttered destination spot had the location not been inside of a space she created for enjoyment. 

More than that, the villa was far more than met the eye as many of the contraptions held within were actually in disguise and had all of the accuracy and features of a sci fi lab that would not look weird even in a movie. 

Snapping her fingers, a device on the counter of the kitchen a distance from her activated and soon a fresh steaming cup of coffee appeared in the coffee maker which then slowly floated towards her. 

But before she could reach out her hand to grasp it, she was interrupted by another hand and a click of the tongue. 

"Tsk tsk, you should not be drinking something like coffee at your age. Just stick with milk like all kids your age~"

Eyes closed, then the Mage's eyes twitched in response to the voice and her outstretched palm clenched into a fist before slowly calming down and releasing. Then, looking up at this intruder, she said her piece with a slightly twitching smirk.

"You really know how to argue. Even though this body was born at an age developed enough to drink it and with enough resources to counteract the problems you still cling on to all of your old ways." She said.

"Hah! If I weren't here your life would not be so regular would it? After all, you only started to act in front of the others when you saw your main body do so!"

"Man, sometimes I wish that I had not chosen for you to have such a personality."

Standing by the mage's side was a new figure that was surprisingly not like all of the Alice clones that she had met previously. Unlike Alice with her white flowing hair with horns and bright blue eyes, this figure was quite dramatically different. 

Carrying short black hair with eerie bright green eyes, looking deep into them you could find small flashing numbers of 1s and 0s flickering. This was a special being that could be considered an Artifact Spirit.

Somewhat similar to the concept of an Artificial Intelligence, the avatar in front of her was an artificial soul given life through one of her experiments. She is, the spirit of the Mage's personal private lab. 

Normally, due to being the spirit of her workstation, she would usually simply work in the background doing whatever she needed to do in order to support her creator in anyway that she could. It should have kept going that way as she remained respectful of her Master and Creator.

But all of that changed when she started using the lab as a personal hiding place and eventually turning it into the resort in front of her now. Looking at the current vacation spot disguise that her body had been turned into, the spirit could not help but sigh at the circumstance. 

"Hey, did you just look down on my beach vacation spot? I took so long to fashion the lab into such a look! You should at least praise me for my skills in Alchemy in this case! Even the Alchemist can't compare to me in leisure spots!"

Seeing her proud and upturned eyes, she could not help but sigh. Where did her upstanding and hard working master who spent every waking moment working and striving to further develop her abilities go? 

From legendary world breaking space and time spells to all kinds of magical elemental spells, at her peak she was creating thousands of spells in a day. Looking at her now and remembering what she was like when she was first created, although her data body struggled to keep pace it was still quite fulfilling to pass those days like that. 

Then looking at her now in stark contrast, after that burst of motivation it seemed that all of her enthusiasm had been sucked dry and now she started laying around in the lab longer and longer each passing day. 

Ever since that day, she had started to transition from Hard working mad scientist to the lazy bones of her current state. So much that even an Artifact Spirit like herself has learned all of her master's daily habits to better suit taking care of her. 

"If you had to deal with all of those upstanding and high morality guys, you would also lose a lot of motivation for practicing as well!"

Yelling this in response to her Artifact Spirit's blatant disrespect, she reached out and took the now cooled cup of coffee and downed it before the spirit could take it back. With a sigh, she then turned to look at her master and spoke to her. 

"If you are having such troubles with them, you should let me out so I can negotiate-"

"No! If those guys find you, they will look for you for all kinds of menial tasks!"

"But those would only take a fragment of my time."

"They will corrupt you with their 'correct' morals!"

"But I-"

"You belong to me! You should always only serve me!"

"I-"

"You are mine! You are mine! You are mine!"

Puffing up her cheeks at her rebellious and outward turning Artifact Spirit, she pouted and turned away from her to show how much she disliked the idea of her getting to know and work at all for the other clones. Seeing her like this, the spirit could not help but sigh and indulge this somewhat selfish and arrogant master of hers. 

"Alright. I won't ask again."

"That's the spirit! You should have done this from the start. That's why I initially did not even grant you a name. You were supposed to only belong to me and so no one was allowed to call you, but the Spirit Granting technique had to require me to name you."

"That is why I am grateful for your grace, my master. For granting the name of Eve upon me."

"Humph! But you still want to escape my grasp and help the others. If you had no name and mind, you would have stayed only responsive to me though..."

Although she said that, looking at her improved mood from her arguments and chat just now, Eve could tell that she was just faking it. After all, there were many ways she could prevent her will from ever turning away her gaze. But she never did those things. And for that, she was ever grateful. It was because of this that she wanted to bear a bit of her burden even outside of her lab. 

Both sides sighed in their hearts, both of them really caring at the bottom of their hearts just in different ways. After all, why would a simple Lab spirit be given enough spirit, will and emotion comparable to a human just to do experiments? Sentiments like that are a burden when it comes to absolute rational thinking. 

And why did the Mage choose to keep her so secluded? Maybe it is out of a spirit of uniqueness to have something different from the other clones. Or maybe it is out of a super level of wanting to control what belongs to her? Who knows?

Either way, at least for now, the two of them will stay hidden from the other clones and quietly research whatever came to mind for the Mage that day. 

Speaking of coming to mind, Mage pulled out her notebook and with a glance, the lab spirit Eve quickly transformed the surroundings. Quietly shift everything to her favorite and most comfortable positions, the Mage cracked her knuckles and stretched before getting off of the sofa that turned into a swiveling chair.

Getting into the mood, she then turned her glance to a small snow globe like tool and seeing the swamp like environment inside with a sleeping three headed beast quietly slumbering within. 

"Since the head on plan was discovered and snuffed out, I guess I can change my plans for you."

Looking at the notes found at the base of the snow globe like fixture, she quietly lifted her finger and pressed to swipe the words originally on the base of the snowflake. Then, pulling out a feather pen, she rewrote the base to say Pending for now. 

Then looking at the pile of papers at the desk now, she sighed and got to work. 

If she did not have any inspiration now, she might as well deal with all the past inspirations that she never got around to do. And so she went back to work and time quietly passed on by.