703 Rebirth I

"Do you want to test it out?" Aron asked when the three tree folks used the access he had granted them through their contract to reach out with questions about the bodies he was creating.

Birch responded, "We need physical contact with the body to attempt the transfer of our consciousness."

"Thats an easy fix," Aron said, and moments later, the tree folks sensed his personal ship in orbit beginning to deorbit and head toward the planet.

"Anything else you need?" he added.

"What level of consciousness can it handle? Depending on the brain's capacity, the amount of consciousness we can transfer will change, and I dont want the brain to explode right at the start," Crabapple asked.

Aron considered the question before replying, "During the transfer of part of your consciousness into your humanoid bodies, do you do it by cutting a piece of consciousness and inserting it, or is it like pouring water, gradually filling it up until the body reaches its capacity?"

Cypress responded this time, "We can do both, but we typically use the first method since we already know the amount of consciousness each humanoid body can handle."

"Good. Start with the lowest amount you can safely transfer, and then slowly increase it until you feel the body has reached its limit. Dont worry if the body gets damagedI can remake them. Just dont do it deliberately, as youve seen the time it takes to reconstruct them," Aron said.

As the conversation unfolded, the ship finally arrived and hovered above what seemed to be an empty ocean.

Aron stepped out of the ship's door, and simultaneously, the hologram that had been speaking to the tree folks vanished, replaced by his physical presence.

"Okay, lets start," he said, as though speaking into thin air. Moments later, slender roots emerged from the ocean, gently floating in front of him, awaiting his following command.

Without another word, Aron turned and re-entered the ship, the hovering roots trailing behind him like obedient snakes, following his every move.

Upon arriving at the lab, the three roots wasted no time and headed directly toward the medipod that housed a body of their race. Just as during Arons rune-etching process, the medipod opened a small entry point, allowing the roots to pass through.

The roots latched onto the heads of the bodies, beginning to pulse rhythmically, signaling the start of the consciousness transfer. Tiny movements could be observed in the bodies as the process continued, subtle but noticeable signs of interaction.

Aron and Nova stood by, carefully watching the process. They activated every available sensor in the lab, ensuring that every minute detail was captured, knowing that this data would be invaluable for future observation and research.

As for the remaining two tree folksthe so-called traitorsthey watched with what could only be described as jealousy. Despite Aron creating bodies for them as well, he hadnt spoken to them or invited them to join their fellow tree folks in experiencing the process. They were left to observe, feeling the sting of watching others enjoy what they had risked everything to gain and, ultimately, failed.

"I think this is the maximum the brain can handle," Cypress reported to Aron, speaking through her primary consciousness.

"How much of it did you input?" Aron asked, intrigued by the result.

"Enough to cover fifty core root-mage humanoids," Crabapple answered, his tone carrying a mix of awe and disbelief.

"How many more times can you repeat this process at the same time?" Aron asked, thinking of the possibilities. If they could do it a thousand times, it would mean gaining a thousand strong soldiersan army that could be incredibly useful.

"Unfortunately, no," Crabapple responded. "The reason we can only create one core humanoid at a time is because the amount of consciousness we input puts a heavy toll on the main consciousness. It takes time to recover after losing such a significant part of itself. With the bodies you gave us, since they're taking fifty times the usual amount, the toll is even greater, and the recovery will take that much longer unless the consciousness is returned to the body to fill the gap it left.

"What happens if the body carrying a part of your consciousness is destroyed? Does it return to your main body, or is it lost forever, leaving your body to take the required period to refill the part lost?" Aron asked.

The second one happens, Cypress replied. We can't recover the soul unless we have direct contact with the body containing it.

"Noted," Aron said, mentally filing the information away. At the same time, Nova ensured a physical record was kept for future reference, documenting everything thoroughly in case they needed to revisit the notes later.

"Okay, you can open and move your bodies now," Aron added, giving them permission to start moving in their new physical forms.

.........

Instead of eyes opening, there was only silence.

Is there a problem? Aron asked, materializing a hologram to display the information from the medipods.

We still have a connection, but it feels like were in a maze or sluggish goo, and thats hindering our progress, Birch explained.

Aron examined the real-time brain data, noting that the brains were still in a "booting mode." Thanks to the runes, the consciousness placed within was attempting to reconcile with the subconscious, trying to blend the two parts into a single, cohesive entity.

Dont fight any changes youre feeling, Aron instructed. Whats happening is the consciousness is integrating with the subconscious to operate seamlessly.

Understanding this, the tree folks stopped resisting and allowed the process to unfold naturally.

This continued for ten hours, with Aron and the tree folks maintaining their focus on the process.

After half a full E-day, the bodies' eyes finally opened. At first, they appeared lifeless, but then they showed signs of vitality as life entered them.

Damn, was the only utterance from the two traitors, their voices tinged with defeat. Their hopes for the situation to unravel had not come to pass; instead, everything had worked seamlessly.