[[[GIFT]]]

Now that the atmosphere in the room had settled. Cruden looked to the warden." I have something important that I want you to help me with me". Cruden had wanted to do it himself but when he thought about it. There was only one person he knew that would be able to handle such an important task. Plus, he did not want to disappoint his master the next time they met.

The warden smiled and stared at Cruden expectantly.

"I need to gather information. I know nothing about the world, and I need to get stronger quickly". Void had instructed Cruden and Valencia to gather information about their world, but Void did not make the warden the wiser.

The warden thought that Cruden had a hopeless dream. He did not know Cruden grew stronger by absorbing malicious and wicked energy, but he nodded.

"I have the means to transform how we communicate and gather information. I'm unaware of its true worth but I believe you can unleash its full potential. While he was talking. He raised his hand and activated the special skill. Before long a pen magically appeared in his hand.

It was completely black and with red engravings. The pen was not the skill but the device which used to activate the skill.

Carrier LVL1. 1. Users can create antennas to receive and send information. 2. Towers, a powerful antenna used to process and handle multiple antennas and store information 3. administrator

"This is a pen, it has the same usage as a quill but instead of dipping in ink, the ink is stored inside the pen, but this is a special pen"

Void had explained to Valencia and Cruden how to use this skill. So, he knew exactly what to do in this regard.

"Can you give me your arm?"

"Why do you need my arm?" the warden asked

The warden was hesitant. Not even Crow stepped forward. They were not thinking Cruden would hurt them, but they wouldn't dare subject themselves to being test subjects. Especially Crow, the pain was still fresh in her bones.

"I just need something that has an energy signature to brand on." Cruden looked around at crow but realized he had stepped back.

The warden fished around in his pocket and threw out a low-level spirit stone. "Would this work?"

Cruden was not sure why they were responding like this, but he did not stop, he just found it very funny.

Cruden knew what a spirit stone was, but it was his second time seeing one. Cruden did not know if it would, but he activated his skill. Dark ink-like lines appeared and started to rotate and intertwine into complex symbols in the air then infused themselves into the spirit stone. Cruden made sure to watch his mana and it had fallen by from 200 to 190.

The warden got off his seat when Cruden acted. He stepped back to a safe distance, but he was still able to witness everything.

The spirit stone shrunk from the size of a palm to the size of a 10-inch cube in a matter of seconds. Each line would morph the surface of the spirit stone as they were placed down.

Everyone watched one with blank faces. The warden stared on with drool dripping from his mouth.

Spirit stones were natural forming stones that a born with high spirit density. Once a spirit stone had been compromised it would lose all its spiritual energy.

Cruden grabbed the object with his hands and smiled at the warden. "This is an antenna. This is used to send and receive information but for it to work it must be inserted into the body"

Cruden said it in a playful tone, but the warden did not laugh.

The warden's face paled and his body retreated in the shadows and disappeared. Cruden was now certain that the bead from before had left an impression on the warden. Cruden was at a loss at the warden's sudden disappearance but as quickly as the warden left. He appeared.

But this time, he had returned with the doctor from before as well as a black dog.

The warden cleared his throat and threw the pair forward. "This should suffice for our little experiment. Continue with your demonstration"

The muscles on Cruden's face twitched slightly.

When Ace heard the wardens' words, he felt great discomfort. He was aware of the wardens' ambitions. He was just on his way home but was snatched and brought back here. He knew it was useless to beg. He just hoped his years of loyalty to the warden were enough for him to not be completely disposed of.

Cruden looked to the Doctor with a sorry expression on his face. Cruden knew if he refused, the warden would just get someone else off the street. He raised his pen and proceeded. Just like before lines appeared in the air but this time they rushed to Ace's body and branded themselves on his arm.

The warden was careful to watch the doctor's expression, but not once did it show signs of pain only confusion. The doctor raised his hand and saw the strange brand and was immediately infuriated. His initial thought was the warden had put a slave brand on him. This was the highest level of humiliation for the doctor. He was about to refute but when he looked at the warden his body shuddered. The warden had a crazed look on his face. He had long taken off his glasses and now looked like an entirely different person.

Cruden's hand moved again and threw the cube from earlier to the dog. The dog was whimpering in the corner. He screamed when the cube approached him. He thought he had brought her to have stones thrown at him, but the strangest thing happened. The cube mended into his body.

Just like the doctor, a brand appeared on the dog's forehead but this time, a layer of qi also surrounded its body. It looked like the qi barrier that all qi cultivators would use for defense.

The wardens' eyes widen, and he quickly appeared before the dog and picked it up. The dog squealed but the warden did not intend to hurt it. After observing for a few minutes. He laughed loudly like a crazy man. This was just a regular dog from before but now it had a 4th level qi condensation barrier. While it was not powerful the dog was much stronger than before. It was a wonderful development.

Cruden went on with his demonstration and at the end of it. Stars were evident in the wardens' eyes. The warden now looked at the brand that was slightly different on his arm. he, Crow, and Cruden now had the brands on their arm.

Cruden had used the given themselves the administration mark. It had many privileges compared to the normal mark. It could access every information transmitted by the tower and much more which could not be figured out at this time

Through the short tests, the warden had just undertaken with the assistance of Cruden. He knew some of the initial usages of the brand. He had even given it the name "Link"

Using the brand, one would be able to not only communicate with another holder of the brand, through shared thought, but they will also even be able to send and receive audio and visuals directly from another brand user. It was an incredible discovery. In addition, scenes can be recorded and saved in the tower to be accessed at any time for revision.

To activate the tower skill, the warden had to use 100,000 spirit stones and it had taken Cruden way longer to complete. He had to brand many spirit stones. Luckily the lines acted on their own and would engage several hundred spirit stones at a time.

It took a long time to figure out the correct number of spirits stone to activate the skill. In the end, the tower had the same shape as the antennae, but the size was 1,000 times larger with lines of light running on its surface.

It looked like it weighed a ton, but it was as light as air. Fortunately, the device wasn't unstable. An explosion of 100,000 spirits stone would put a huge hole in the city.

The warden was amazed at how many spirit stones it took. this was almost all of his savings but he gritted his teeth.

No one dared inserted the tower into their bodies for fear of explosion but luckily the tower could be infused into the air. It had formed a large radius where Information could be shared. Possessors of the mark within that zone would be able to communicate effectively if you have their energy signature.

The warden had confirmed with one of his tests, Crow had flown to the edge of the city and completely allowed access to his visual and hearing. they could still see and hear everything as if they were standing beside him but if the user didn't want to share information or only share one aspect. They could by closing the connection.

Even though he was not sure of the limits of the "Tower" he would should to diligently find out.

Strong Cultivators can already communicate with each other through spiritual sense but not through such a distance and they can only send their thoughts but not visual and audio. Even mortals will be able to communicate if they receive the brand through spirit stones.

Each link signal was the same once they are created but once infused into the body. They become as unique as a fingerprint. Therefore, unless the other party knew your spiritual fingerprint. Communication would not be possible

"I have one final question for you, can two towers be connected to each other?" the warden asked this question with a calm tone, but nothing was calm about the question.

"Yes, they can!"

The warden's heart was beating fast even the doctor and crow were the same. He knew the implications of such a device. He was now happy to be one of the first to receive the brand.

Cruden had never seen this side of the warden.

The warden looked at Cruden. "How many of these can you make a day? Cruden's mana was now at 80.his mana had already recovered 30 mana points. To activate the tower, it took 100 mana points.

"I'm not sure of my limits but I can make more than 20 antennas a day, but I will need to recover my energy. If it's to make only towers, then more than 2 if I am able to recover my energy"

Good, good, good. The warden turned to the doctor with his hand outstretched. For the "link" on your arm, that will be 100 spirit stones. The warden had already named the device

The doctor's mouth dropped after hearing the price but luckily Cruden came to his rescue

"Please, his is on the house, remember I owe the good doctor," Cruden said embarrassingly but the warden did not budge.

The doctor fished around his pockets and took out three spirit stones which the warden snatched out his hands angrily. The warden hated to be cheated especially out of money.

He impatiently tossed them to Cruden. "Use these three to make three links. I want to study them intensively. I have a few ideas on how to move forward with this technology."

"Doctor, I hope you are careful these coming days". The warden had his back turned to the doctor, but the doctor could still feel the coldness in his voice.

The doctor left but not before nodding to Cruden.

"Why are you so hard on the doctor, isn't he your friend?" Cruden felt sorry for the Doctor.

"In this world, strong relationships are built on respect and fear. Remember this well kid, everyone is your friend until they are not" Cruden made sure to remember the wardens' words.

Cruden nodded and before long three links rested in the warden's hands.

As the warden was walking out, he spoke. "I have a present for you as well. Crow if you don't mind?"

The door closed at the end of his speech. Cruden was confused but Crow stepped out of the shadow and walked to the wall on the far right.

"let's go!"