By the sixth corruption pool, Eli had established a rhythm.

  Contain, convert, store. The process grew smoother with each attempt, the binding spell's silver threads extending and retracting with increasing precision, Starling's core accepting the purified energy with greater efficiency.

  "Energy storage at 13% capacity," Marco reported through the communication crystal. "Stability holding at 94%."

  Eli wiped sweat from his brow, breathing harder than he'd expected. Though the process was becoming easier technically, it was taking a physical toll. Each harvest drained him a little more, the effort of maintaining the precise balance between containment and conversion taxing his still-developing abilities.

  The crystal harness helped, distributing the energy flow more evenly through his system, but it couldn't eliminate the fundamental challenge: he was channeling power never meant for an eleven-year-old body to handle.

  "Let's take a break," he suggested, leaning against the corridor wall. The silver threads at his neck pulsed with a warmth that spoke of concern rather than disapproval.

  Wise, Aura agreed, hovering close. She had rejoined him after her extended study session with Marco's archives, her form somehow more defined, her translations more precise. The body must adjust gradually. Forcing too much, too quickly damages meridians.

  Marco's calculations appeared in the HUD, analyzing Eli's vital signs and energy circulation patterns. "Your core temperature has elevated by 1.3 degrees," he noted. "Recommend fifteen minutes of rest before continuing."

  Eli slid down the wall, sitting with Starling across his knees. The dark core pulsed steadily now, the harvested energy creating a faint violet glow deep within the gemstone. It felt heavier, more substantial—like a vessel slowly filling with water.

  "How long would it take to harvest enough energy at this rate?" he asked, eyes closed as he focused on steadying his breathing.

  Marco's calculations spun rapidly. "At current efficiency, approximately 38 hours to achieve minimal activation threshold for the smallest portal."

  "That's too long," Eli muttered. "We need to find larger sources."

  Patience, Aura counseled, her light dimming to a soft glow beside him. Some portals require less than others. The symbols indicate varying power requirements.

  Marco's holographic display appeared in the HUD, showing the glyphs they'd documented above each dormant portal in the Hall of Whispers. "Aura is correct," he confirmed. "Based on our analysis, the portals appear to be categorized by both function and power requirement."

  The display focused on one particular set of symbols—a simpler configuration than most of the others. "This portal, for instance, shows markers consistent with basic training functions and minimal power needs."

  Eli studied the symbols, feeling a strange familiarity despite never having seen them before his time in the Hall of Whispers. The binding spell warmed at his neck, silver threads pulsing as if in recognition.

  "You think we could activate that one first?" he asked, hope kindling despite his exhaustion.

  Possible, Aura replied, her light brightening slightly. It appears to be a preliminary training module. Fundamental techniques rather than advanced applications.

  "Even basic training modules would significantly enhance our capabilities," Marco added. "The techniques you've learned so far are merely introductory compared to what the full system might contain."

  Eli rose to his feet, renewed determination pushing aside his fatigue. "Then let's keep going. The sooner we harvest enough energy, the sooner we can access those training modules."

  The binding spell pulsed in quiet approval, the silver threads warm against his skin. Through it, Eli felt a sense of rightness—of purpose aligned with action, of progress toward something vital.

  They continued their methodical exploration, Eli harvesting energy from corruption pools of increasing size and density. By the tenth pool, his technique had improved enough that Marco noted a 27% increase in efficiency—more energy harvested with less effort expended.

  "Your control is improving," Marco observed. "The binding spell's integration with the harvesting process shows remarkable adaptation."

  It felt different now—more like a dance than a struggle. The silver threads extended with fluid grace, the dark core's hunger precisely channeled rather than merely restrained. Contain, convert, store. A rhythm as natural as breathing.

  By the twelfth pool, Starling's core glowed with a deeper violet light, the harvested energy creating subtle patterns within the dark gemstone. The HUD registered 46% capacity—nearly half of what they might need for the simplest portal activation.

  Then they found it—a chamber where the corruption had pooled more thickly, forming a pulsating mass that clung to the walls and ceiling like living tar. The HUD's readings spiked, registering an 87% concentration.

  "This is different," Eli said, hesitating at the chamber entrance. "More... alive somehow."

  Aura flew ahead cautiously, her light creating ripples in the thick corruption. Not alive, her translation appeared. But organized. Purposeful.

  The binding spell flared with sudden warmth, not quite warning but heightened awareness. The silver threads extended slightly, sampling the air, testing the corruption's quality.

  "Readings indicate a higher energy density than previous pools," Marco reported. "Potentially equivalent to three standard pools combined."

  Eli gripped Starling tighter, the dark core pulsing with hungry anticipation. "Then we should be able to harvest more efficiently."

  Carefully, Aura cautioned, retreating to Eli's side. More potent means more volatile.

  Taking a deep breath, Eli stepped into the chamber, the binding spell's silver threads already extending in preparation. The containment pattern would need to be stronger here, more precise. The HUD projected modified forms, adjusting to the increased density.

  "Initiating containment phase," Eli announced, focusing his will through the binding spell.

  The silver threads extended farther than before, weaving a more complex lattice around a section of the pulsating corruption. As they closed around it, something unexpected happened—the corruption reacted, pulling away like a living thing avoiding a predator's grasp.

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  "It's resisting," Eli muttered, adjusting his stance to maintain the pattern.

  "Corruption displaying unprecedented response patterns," Marco confirmed, his voice tight. "Suggest immediate withdrawal."

  But Eli had come too far to retreat now. The binding spell pulsed with determination, the silver threads extending further, adjusting their pattern to account for the corruption's movement. A more complex weave, a deeper containment.

  "Almost... got it," Eli grunted, feeling sweat bead on his forehead.

  The silver threads finally closed around a portion of the corruption, isolating it from the main mass. The contained section writhed within the binding pattern, pushing against the silver threads like a caged animal testing its prison.

  "Containment achieved," Marco reported. "But highly unstable. Exercise extreme caution."

  Eli focused on the conversion phase, directing Starling's hungry core toward the contained corruption. The dark gemstone pulsed strongly, shadow tendrils extending to meet the silver threads in that now-familiar dance.

  But the corruption fought back, resisting transformation, its energy signature fluctuating wildly within the containment field. The binding spell flared hot against Eli's neck, no longer just warm but genuinely painful as it struggled to maintain control.

  "Conversion failing," Marco warned. "Breaking containment is advised."

  Too strong, Aura's urgent translation appeared. Release it!

  Eli's jaw clenched, determination overriding caution. "No," he bit out. "I can do this."

  Drawing on his training, he adjusted the pattern, not fighting against the corruption's resistance but working with it, channeling its own energy back against itself in a complex reversal. The silver threads brightened, forming an intricate lattice that trapped the corruption in its own momentum.

  For a moment, it worked—the corruption slowed, caught in the binding spell's ingenious pattern. Then Starling's core pulsed sharply, shadow tendrils piercing the contained energy with sudden force.

  The corruption convulsed, then transformed—not gradually as before, but in a violent surge that sent a wave of violet energy crashing into the dark core. Starling vibrated in Eli's hands, the shaft growing hot as the core absorbed far more energy than anticipated.

  "Storage capacity exceeded," Marco's alarmed voice came through the communication crystal. "System overload imminent."

  The crystal harness activated automatically, pathways lighting up as it attempted to distribute the excess energy. But there was too much, too fast—violet light spilled through the harness connections, traveling up Eli's arms in painful surges.

  The binding spell flared in response, silver threads extending throughout Eli's body in a desperate attempt to contain the overflowing energy. Pain lanced through him, sharp and cold, as the silver threads fought to channel what should never have entered his system.

  Direct it outward! Aura's frantic translation appeared. Not in—out!

  Through the haze of pain, Eli understood. He couldn't contain this much energy—he had to release it. But not back as corruption; it had to remain converted.

  With a cry of effort, he raised Starling above his head, directing the overflow toward the chamber ceiling. Violet energy erupted from the dark core, a focused beam that struck the stone overhead with astonishing force.

  Where it hit, the corruption instantly transformed—black tar lightening to silver-violet crystal that spread in fractal patterns across the ceiling. The crystal formations pulsed with the same rhythm as the binding spell, silver light flowing through them like blood through veins.

  After several seconds, the energy flow subsided. Eli dropped to one knee, Starling still gripped tightly in trembling hands. The dark core pulsed with newfound power, violet light swirling within its depths like storm clouds.

  "Energy discharge complete," Marco reported, voice steady despite the crisis. "Core stability returning to acceptable parameters."

  The binding spell cooled gradually, silver threads retracting from their extended state. Eli's body ached everywhere they had touched, a deep cold that seemed to reach into his bones.

  Aura flew to him immediately, her light dimming with concern. Too much, her translation read. System shock. Need rest.

  Eli nodded weakly, unable to form words as he struggled to catch his breath. His vision swam, the HUD's displays blurring and doubling before his eyes.

  Above them, the transformed corruption continued to spread slowly across the ceiling—no longer black tar but crystalline structures that pulsed with soft violet light. The binding spell's silver threads occasionally extended toward these formations, as if recognizing something familiar, something kin.

  "What... happened?" Eli finally managed, his voice hoarse.

  Marco's calculations appeared in the HUD, analyzing the transformed corruption and Starling's energy readings. "The corruption's resistance created a cascade effect," he explained. "When conversion finally occurred, it released significantly more energy than predicted."

  Guardian fragments, Aura's translation added. Not just standard corruption—pieces of a fallen guardian entity.

  That explained the resistance, the organized quality of the corruption pool. This wasn't ambient taint but the remains of something that had once been powerful and aware.

  "Starling's core?" Eli asked, feeling the heavy pulse of energy within the dark gemstone.

  "Currently at 83% capacity," Marco reported. "Far higher than anticipated, but stable. The excess was successfully redirected."

  Eli looked up at the crystalline formations spreading across the ceiling, their violet light casting soft shadows throughout the chamber. "And that?"

  Aura drifted upward, examining the transformed corruption. Purified, her translation read. Anchored. A node of clean energy within corruption.

  "The patterns match the binding spell's energy signature," Marco added. "You appear to have created a stable outpost of purified energy—essentially, an island of balance within the corruption's influence."

  Despite the pain and exhaustion, Eli felt a surge of pride. This was progress—real, tangible progress in their fight against the corruption's spread.

  "So we almost have enough," he said, hope cutting through his exhaustion. "For the simplest portal."

  Yes, Aura confirmed, her light brightening slightly. But you need rest first. The body must recover before attempting activation.

  The binding spell pulsed in firm agreement, silver threads cool against Eli's skin. Not quite warning, but an unmistakable assertion—heal first, continue later.

  "Agreed," Marco added. "Your vital signs indicate significant strain. Recovery is necessary before proceeding."

  Eli tried to push himself to his feet, but his legs wobbled beneath him. The energy overflow had taken more out of him than he'd realized. "I can rest here," he mumbled.

  No, Aura's translation appeared immediately. Recovery in Grotto. Healing Pool. Time dilation advantage.

  Marco's calculations spun rapidly. "Aura is correct. One hour in the Healing Pool within the Grotto would provide approximately five days of recovery time, compared to standard rest here."

  "Smart," Eli conceded, too exhausted to argue. "Help me to the portal, then."

  With Aura lighting the way and the binding spell lending what strength it could, Eli made his way back to the portal to the Hall of Whispers. Each step was an effort, his body protesting the movement after the strain of the energy overflow.

  When they reached the portal, its surface shimmered with familiar fractal patterns. Eli took a deep breath, steadying himself, then stepped through.

  The world stretched around him, the now-familiar sensation of time dilation washing over his senses. The air in the Grotto was cooler, cleaner, rich with ambient mana that seemed to ease his breathing immediately.

  This way, Aura guided, leading him through crystalline corridors toward the Healing Pool they had discovered during their first visit.

  The pool waited, its surface mirror-smooth and glowing with soft blue-violet light. Steam rose from it in gentle curls, carrying the scent of minerals and something else—something ancient and restorative.

  Eli lowered himself into the water with a grateful sigh. The moment the liquid touched his skin, he felt its power begin to work, soothing his aching muscles, replenishing his depleted energy reserves. The binding spell relaxed, silver threads extending slightly to absorb the pool's restorative mana.

  "I'll wake you in one hour standard time," Marco's voice came through the communication crystal, already sounding distant as Eli's consciousness began to drift. "That should provide approximately five days of recovery within the Grotto's time field."

  Rest well, Aura's translation appeared, her light dimming to a gentle glow as she settled nearby to keep watch. When you wake, we activate first portal.

  Eli's eyes closed, his body surrendering to the healing embrace of the pool. The last thing he was aware of was the binding spell's contented pulse, silver threads weaving through the water around him, drawing in power, restoring balance.

  In the time dilation of the Grotto, his mind and body would have days to heal and strengthen—all while mere minutes passed in the world outside. It was, Eli thought as sleep claimed him, perhaps the greatest advantage they had discovered yet.

  And they would need every advantage they could get for what was coming.