Ren Isana faced Riveria's inquiry and immediately explained, "The meditation effect hasn't changed much. It just lasts longer, which increases the lifespan of the Array. Oh, and the defensive functions will be much stronger!"
After listening to Ren Isana's introduction, Loki waved her hand grandly and declared, "Alright, let's do it exactly like that! If we're going to do this, we're doing it the best!"
Increasing the Array's lifespan and boosting its defenses? She could definitely get behind that. The longer this thing lasted, the better. That was the only way she'd get her money's worth; otherwise, wouldn't she just be throwing Valis down the drain?
Ren Isana had nothing more to say. Since that was what she wanted, he'd just build it for her. He immediately rattled off a list of new materials. Seeing this, Riveria hurriedly jotted them down and went off to prepare.
He didn't stay idle either. Taking to the sky, he looked down to get a bird's-eye view of the entire Loki Familia estate. After confirming a few details, Ren Isana grabbed a stick and turned to Loki. "Get some people to start digging. It doesn't need to be too deep, just about ten centimeters will do."
With that said, Ren Isana sprang into action. Since they had already agreed on the terms, there was no need to wait for the materials to arrive before starting. He decided to draw out the Array first.
Seeing this, Loki didn't hesitate to call over a few members, ordering them to follow Ren Isana and start digging. Ais and the others quickly stepped up to help as well. Lefiya stared at the Array Ren Isana was drawing, completely bewildered.
It was far too complex. She couldn't even comprehend most of it. Without systematic study, it was impossible to understand the meaning behind these Magic Circuits. All they could do was obediently dig along the lines Ren Isana marked out.
Asuna and the other girls already had experience with this, so they knew exactly what to do. With the group's help, the entire Loki Familia estate was soon covered by the Array Ren Isana had drawn.
Once the Array's outline was finished, Ren Isana began mixing the materials. He prepared several large vats of magical components. When that was done, he had everyone start filling the trenches of the Array with the mixture.
"Is that it?" Watching her Loki Familia members bustling about, Loki looked at Ren Isana in confusion. *Don't tell me all we have to do is pour the materials in?*
If that was the case, wasn't she getting ripped off? After all, Ren Isana had only been at it for a little over two hours. Was it really just a matter of filling in the materials and calling it a day?
"In your dreams. You think it's that simple?" Ren Isana rolled his eyes at Loki's question. She was being far too optimistic. They were a long way from being done; this was merely the first step.
Ignoring Loki, Ren Isana turned to Riveria. "Give me those Crystal Cores. I need to process them."
Hearing this, Riveria hurriedly handed over the box she was carrying. Inside were high-grade Crystal Cores, all harvested from monsters in the deep floors of the Dungeon.
Looking at the Crystal Cores, Ren Isana picked one up to examine it, unable to help but marvel inwardly. The Loki Familia had really bled themselves dry for this. If these things were sold, they would fetch an astronomical amount of Valis.
"Using these Crystal Cores, this Array will be able to maintain its operation for about twenty years," Ren Isana informed Riveria and the others after finishing his inspection.
Hearing this, Loki immediately voiced her immense satisfaction. "Twenty years? That's a massive profit! Excellent, this deal was definitely worth it!"
Everyone in the Familia needed to meditate. If this Array could last for twenty years, heaven only knew how far the Loki Familia would develop by then. All in all, this investment was an absolute steal.
"As long as you don't feel cheated, that's fine. Just don't go around saying I scammed you." With that, Ren Isana extended his senses. Finding that everyone had finished filling in the materials, he began channeling his Magic Power into the crystals.
In an instant, the crystal in his hand began to radiate a brilliant light. Ren Isana walked over to a predetermined spot and dropped the crystal into place.
As the crystal fell, the materials filling the trenches ignited like gasoline meeting an open flame, the glow rapidly spreading outward in all directions. Everyone watching immediately fixed their eyes on the spectacle.
Ren Isana systematically tossed the remaining crystals into their designated positions. Then, he walked over to one of the nodes and pushed his Magic Power to the absolute limit, pouring it into the Array.
Instantly, the entire Loki Familia was bathed in a purple glow. Just like the Hestia Familia, the entire estate was now enveloped by a massive Array.
Watching this, Loki nodded in satisfaction. *This is more like it.* Whatever Hestia had, she needed to have too. At the thought of this, the corners of Loki's mouth couldn't help but curl upward, her mood instantly soaring.
Of course, the Array wasn't finished yet. Ren Isana was pumping Magic Power into it like it was free, a sight that left Riveria utterly dumbfounded.
She stared at Ren Isana in sheer disbelief. *He has this much Magic Power? Is this a joke? How is he throwing it around like it costs him nothing?*
The sheer volume of Magic Power Ren Isana was frantically injecting was already several times her own total capacity. It made Riveria momentarily doubt if Ren Isana was even human. *Why does he have so much Magic Power? Is his reserve bottomless?*
While Riveria was still reeling in shock, the light from the underground Array suddenly shot into the sky, instantly enveloping the entire Loki Familia. Ren Isana directly increased his output, thoroughly and firmly fusing the entire Array with the land itself.
As the process concluded, the light dissipated. The materials on the ground had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the trenches everyone had dug.
"Done. Just fill the dirt back in later and you're good to go. If anyone wants to destroy this Array, they'd have to literally wipe your entire estate off the map." Ren Isana clapped his hands, looking quite satisfied with the Array.
This could be considered his greatest masterpiece since learning Array Magic. Granted, he hadn't set up that many to begin with, but it was undeniably his best work yet.
"Wait a minute, why isn't it glowing?" Loki was immediately confused when she saw the unlit Array. *That's not right, is it? Is it not activated?* The one at the Hestia Familia was constantly emitting a purple glow, after all.
"Because I turned it off. I'll give the operating instructions to Lefiya later, and you can activate it yourselves whenever you need it. Though, you probably won't want it running during the day," Ren Isana explained the Array's mechanics.
If someone without a mark entered the premises, those with a mark would sense it. It was designed to deter intruders. However, the Loki Familia had a lot of foot traffic during the day, with people constantly coming and going for business or visits.
With such a high volume of people, no one would enjoy having their senses constantly bombarded. Of course, this function could be muted, which was something Ren Isana would teach Lefiya later.
After hearing Ren Isana's explanation, Loki understood. It really wasn't suitable to have it active during the day with so many people moving about. Putting the thought aside, Loki turned to Ren Isana and urged, "Then hurry up and teach Lefiya that [Communication Magic]!"
This was the most important part. She needed to change Ais's mark back; otherwise, she would never be at peace. What kind of joke was it for Ais to be walking around with the Hestia Familia's mark on her hand?
Seeing her anxious demeanor, Ren Isana nodded and looked at Lefiya. "Come on. Just like before, activate your magic, and I'll teach you. Riveria, you should come listen too."
Hearing Ren Isana's words, the two stepped forward. Lefiya directly cast her [Elf Ring]. Once she finished her chant, Ren Isana began explaining the key points of the magic to them.
It relied on the power of the ground Array to establish communication, transmitting sound through the mutual resonance between Magic Power and the marks. Following Ren Isana's explanation, Lefiya quickly grasped the magic.
Beside her, Riveria nodded thoughtfully. She also understood what Ren Isana was saying, but whether she could actually pull it off would require her own research, as she didn't possess a magic like Lefiya's.
"That's the gist of it. Next is how to control the Array." After finishing his explanation of the [Communication Magic], Ren Isana went over the various control methods for the Array Magic.
Having covered everything, Ren Isana looked at Lefiya and Riveria. "Did you get all that? Do you need me to go over it again?"
In response to Ren Isana's question, Lefiya dispelled her magic and nodded. "I understood everything. It seems... my magic really can only learn from you."
Speaking of this made her incredibly depressed. It wasn't like she hadn't tried finding others to learn from after returning from the Dungeon, but she had failed every time. She simply couldn't learn any magic outside of what Elves were capable of learning.
In other words, she could only learn the magic that Ren Isana taught her. What kind of cruel joke was this? For a moment, Lefiya didn't even know how to describe her feelings.
"I've grasped it as well. If there's anything I don't understand later, I can just ask Lefiya," Riveria nodded in agreement.
Seeing that both of them had learned it, Ren Isana continued, "In that case, our transaction is complete. If you run into any issues later, just come find me."
As for Lefiya's situation, Ren Isana naturally understood what it meant. No matter how you looked at it, his position as the middleman was absolutely secured. If she wanted to learn any magic in the future, she could just come to him—provided she let him learn it with his [Jianjigu] first!
At this thought, Ren Isana couldn't help but feel amused. He was actually quite looking forward to it. Would the Loki Familia members line up to let him learn their magic just so Lefiya could learn it from him afterward?
Ren Isana didn't dwell on the question. Who could say what the future held? With this transaction successfully concluded, the next order of business was his payment. After all, he wasn't doing this for free.
"Alright, I have the materials prepared. For a few items where we didn't have enough quantity, I substituted them with other materials. Follow me, I'll take you to get them." Riveria was a straightforward Elf.
With that, she turned and walked deeper into the Familia estate. Seeing this, Ren Isana immediately called out to Asuna and the others, leading them over to pack up their haul.
Once Ren Isana was gone, Loki immediately sidled up to Lefiya. "You learned that [Communication Magic], right? Come on, give me a mark! And change the Hestia Familia marks on your and Ais's hands!"
Loki's very first order upon confirming the matter was to have them change their marks. Since they had already learned the magic, they no longer needed the Hestia Familia's mark; they should be bearing the Loki Familia's mark instead.
Lefiya didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Loki's words. However, she didn't refuse. Raising her right hand, she said, "The mark is simple enough. Lady Loki, does this look alright to you?"
As her voice fell, the Hestia Familia mark on her hand vanished, replaced by the image of a clown's face. Seeing this mark, a wide smile instantly bloomed on Loki's face.
"Good, good, good! Ais, hurry over here, it's time to change your mark!!" Loki was thrilled. This was perfect! She finally wouldn't have to look at that annoying Shorty's mark anymore.
Faced with Loki's beckoning, Ais looked at Lefiya and couldn't help but ask, "If I switch to the Loki Familia's mark, will I still be able to communicate with Ren Isana and the others?"
If she couldn't, then she wouldn't change it for now. After all, she still needed to go learn from Ren Isana and his group. How could she manage without it? What if Ren Isana needed to contact her for something?
Seeing Ais's reaction, Loki felt even more depressed. *This girl actually doesn't want to change it?* How could she not see right through Ais's thoughts? It frustrated Loki to no end.
"That's not an issue. Actually, both marks are still there. You just activate whichever one you want to use," Lefiya explained as she injected some Magic Power. The next moment, the Loki Familia mark vanished, replaced by the mark Loki hated the most.
Watching this, Loki was completely dumbfounded. She stared at Lefiya in utter bewilderment. "Wait, what? Why is it still there? Didn't you replace it? Why can you still show that mark?!"
Loki couldn't quite believe her eyes. Had she been tricked by that brat? No, this had to be Lefiya's doing. With that thought, Loki fixed a deadly glare on Lefiya.
Being stared at like that put Lefiya under immense pressure. She could only bite the bullet and explain, "Lady Loki, the mark doesn't actually represent anything; it's just for communication. Having other people's marks just makes it easier to stay in touch."
How else was she supposed to explain it? Lefiya was panicking internally. Even though she *could* erase the mark, she didn't want to, so naturally, she couldn't say that out loud.
"Tch... fine. Just give Ais our mark. From now on, the two of you better not show that Hestia Familia mark in public!" Loki stared at Lefiya for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
What else could she say? These two clearly still wanted to hang around the Hestia Familia. But thinking about everything they had learned recently, Loki could only hold her nose and accept it.
"Put it on my left hand." Seeing that Loki had stopped throwing a fit, Ais immediately extended her left hand. Her right hand was for the Hestia Familia's mark, so the Loki Familia's mark could go on her left. Otherwise, she was afraid she might mix them up.
Hearing this, Lefiya nodded. She grabbed Ais's hand, her small face flushing slightly as she began to apply the Loki Familia's mark. She also secretly resolved to transfer her own mark to her left hand later.
*I want to be just like Lady Ais,* Lefiya thought to herself as she imprinted the clown mark onto Ais's left hand. Seeing the mark appear, Loki finally nodded in satisfaction.
Even though Ais still had that dwarf Hestia's mark on her hand, she now had the Loki Familia's mark too. As long as they didn't show the other one in front of outsiders, it would be fine, right?
Loki suddenly remembered that the members of the Hestia Familia all wore a glove, seemingly to hide their marks. Her Loki Familia couldn't do that! Since they had a mark, they needed to show it off proudly!
"Ahem, don't go copying those guys from the Hestia Familia. Since it's our Familia's mark, you need to display it proudly from now on, got it? If that dwarf Hestia wants to hide hers, let her hide it. We are going to show ours off for all to see," Loki instructed the two of them with absolute seriousness.
This was how you asserted dominance! What was the point of sneaking around? She absolutely wouldn't allow it. Furthermore, Loki made up her mind that she would make everyone else do the same—keep the mark exposed at all times!
Hearing Loki say this, Ais felt it was a bit strange, but she agreed nonetheless. It wasn't an issue for her. Although it required a bit of Magic Power to maintain, it wasn't a big deal. She'd get used to it eventually.
Lefiya, standing to the side, had even fewer objections. Since it was Loki's order, she would naturally follow it, so she agreed as well. However, she looked at the mark on Loki's hand with some concern.
"Lady Loki, the mark requires Magic Power to maintain. The mark on your hand probably won't last very long, will it? Besides, it doesn't seem like it would be of any use to you," Lefiya pointed out.
After all, Loki was a goddess. Where would she get Magic Power? She only possessed Divine Power. If she wanted to maintain the mark, wouldn't she have to use her Divine Power directly? Was that really okay?
Hearing this, Loki stared blankly at the mark on her hand. "It needs power to maintain? No way, I'm going to go find that brat!"
Now Loki was panicking. Wasn't this just bullying an honest goddess? Where was she supposed to get the power to maintain it right now? With that thought, Loki spun around and charged straight toward Ren Isana.
She believed Ren Isana definitely had a way to solve this problem. After all, he was the creator of this magic. If even he couldn't fix it, she would truly be left crying with no tears.
If everyone else could use it but her, wouldn't she be left out? Loki absolutely refused to let that happen. Plus, she wanted to use the mark to chat with Ais-tan at night!
Loki hurriedly ran over to the warehouse. At this moment, Ren Isana and the others were busy packing up their materials to take away. Spotting Ren Isana, Loki ran right up to him, pointing at the mark on her hand. "Brat, you definitely have a way for me to use this mark, right?!"
Ren Isana looked at the charging Loki and the mark she was pointing at, instantly understanding the situation. After all, Loki couldn't use any of her power right now, let alone power this thing.
"Simple, just give it a battery. Go find someone to forge a bracelet that can hold a Magic Stone, and then use it to provide energy, just like the Magic Stone technology in your world," Ren Isana offered a solution after a moment of thought.