To get to this point, we've used lots of small crystals. We've also have a w hypothesis for the re-use of melted crystal material. Some of the material bees unusable after each melt, although this isn't actually a very rge amount. I'm assuming that there is some degree of rea with whatever small amount of air is left in the tainer or with the taiself, which is causing some material to be unusable frowing the crystals. The bigger half of the hypothesis is that the higher the tration of mystery gas in the growth chamber, the more readily the crystal grows during each pour cycle.
We figured this out through multiple trials aing of adding more crystal melt in, and cyg through the re-use of material. This hypothesis that we've been w with has greatly increased the amount of crystal growth per day i few days, but unfortunately, it also means we're st a lot of the melted crystal material that we've only used onbsp; It seems like a bit of a waste, but for now, lenty of excess. Since we frequently are waiting for crystal melt to cool before application, I've used that time to make a small offshoot room where we now store the spent tainers of crystal melt. As ht now, there are eight tainers full of the stuff in there.
Not that each tainer is particurly rge. The internal volume is only about a third of a cubic foot. However, because the inside is likely under some degree of vacuum, it has walls that are a few ihibsp; The taiself is a rounded der that is a foot and a half tall, and about a foot wide. Seeing multiple of them lined up on the shelf in the room reminds me somewhat of industrial byproducts from Earth. While it is possible for us to use these tainers of material to grow crystals, right now, it's not worth our time. When and if crystals bee scarce, then we might o e back to use it. Should that happen, I think I'll be gd that I've stored it in this ready to use form.
Now es an initial test of the artificial crystal. I o make sure that it still hold mana like the regur crystals. One of the properties that I noticed in natural crystals was their ability to store higher amounts of mana based on their size, and their ability to tolerate being closer to the surfabsp; Now, I don't want to destroy this crystal before Zaka arrives, but I do want to at least charge it. So I'm going to store it with the other crystals in the charging room ht. After Zaka leaves we do some more dangerous tests with this crystal.
Zaka arrives with just oher goblin iernoon. Thankfully, there is no news of any goblins dying to as. He brings us even more lizard meat again as well, which is actually why he brought the extra goblin with him, to help carrying the extra meat up. I'm thankful for the free food, and for the borer who will bring bae lightstone bricks back to the vilge with Zaka.
Without too much dey, I want to show Zaka the artificial crystal. I take him down to the crystal recharging room, arieve the artificially grown crystal. Si is quite a bit bigger thaher crystals and special, I stored it in its own special ste spot. To me, it seems like it's fully charged, glowing a bit brighter than any of the other crystals.
When I show him the crystal, he seems intrigued, and makes a statement, and Zeb begins transting for us.
"I'd like to try to use this for a test." Zaka says.
I'm hesitant, depending on what kind of test he wants to try, but I'll at least hear out what he has in mind. "What kind of test?" I ask.
"I want to see just how long this power my magibsp; He says.
Well, that should be fine. It's a natural question holy, "Sure, how do you want to try it?" I ask. I'm a little nervous he might decide he wants to summon imps repeatedly, which would lead to up needing done.
He doesn't say anything, but points his arm towards ay se of wall, and shoots a fireball off, and then looks to me for approval.
I suppose that works. I give him a nod of approval, and hold the crystal out for him. What follows is a rapid fire of fireballs shooting towards the same se of wall. I'm sure I missed a few because he was firing them off pretty rapidly, but by the end, I t 33 fireballs. The wall where he was shooting is giving off some impressive heat as well. He seems impressed, and turns to give us his feedback.
"It let me use about triple what I could normally." He says, and pauses for a moment, "It also made my hand that was toug it feel warm."
Well, I guess that gives me some insight, not into the crystal, but Zaka. I have no idea what the mana cost of a fireball is, but at the very least, I know he fire around ten in rapid succession with his mana pool. A slightly terrifying thought. O charges again, I should be able to use my own mana until emptying the crystal, a a sense for what the value of his mana pool and cost of his fireball is. I'll also o look into what he means by his hand feeling warm. I recall sleeping on piles of the crystals back when I was an imp, and that feeling warm, maybe he means akin to that? I guess I'll see.
Zaka makes one final ent, "Keep up the good work, I'll be looking forward to my visit." Before heading back up out of the cave.
Normally, he stays the night, but apparently, he's eager to head back to the vilge because he's going on another hunt for lizards tomorrow. I suppose he's really on the ath after the st few years of the lizards wiping out goblins. I send him and the oblin off with some lightstone for the vilge. I have Zaka wait for a few minutes, and I fashion him a lightstoipped spear for him to use as well. For the remainder of the day, Zeb and I take care of some of the ed tasks outside, like building more of the stairs, sihe weather is nice, and we were in such a rush to get this crystal grown before Zaka returned.
Today, I'm going to to figure out what the mana ste of this crystal is. My status hasn't actually grown all that much retly, despite the amount of time it has been, and the handful of trees I've cut down. As always, it seems each prestige gets harder to gain levels.
Okay, so my mana pool is a little over 500. I could go about this slowly, using stone shaping to gh my mana, but I think instead, I'll use the majority of the mana by usih Spike, simir to how Zaka used his Fireball. I use the first Earth Spike, draining 200 mana in a near instant while I touch the crystal.
His ha warm my ass. While not burning, this is hot. Not so hot as to cause damage, but it is severely unfortable. Before I notice, my mana was refilled though. Crap, I was distracted and didn't quite get the ce to actually see how fast it refilled my mana. I cast earth spike again while fog on my mana pool. Okay, well, it refills the missing mana in about a sed and a half.
I decide on a est now. I let go of the crystal, and use two earth spikes, depleting my mana pool even more before putting my palm against the crystal. The temperature doesn't increase, but the duration of the heat sts nearly three seds, making me even more unfortable than before. I'm also now about 800 mana in, and the crystal has lost quite a bit of its glow. I'm not sure how many more tests I'm going to get out of the crystal's mana, so I decide that I should make them t.
I have two in mind. First test, a single earth spike, and then I touch the crystal with two hands rather than one. Each has up, but the duration is less than a sed this time before I'm full of mana again. est, I earth spike, and then touch the crystal with just a finger. The finger feels the heat for almost fifteen seds before I'm full. Which was very unfortable. I'd much rather have the brief heat than that very long duratio. I decide that I want to try a third test, using my upper arm as the duit for the crystal as well.
This time however, when I go to recharge after usih spike, I only get a brief jolt of heat before it dissipates, and I'm not fully recharged. I only recharged 57 mana this time, and the crystal looks pletely depleted. Darn. That brings the total mana in the crystal to approximately 1257 mana. Then Zaka's mana pool is probably around 600, and it would be about 55 mana per fireball. That isn't ating for the fact that I'm pretty sure I misted while he was shooting, so it could be anywhere from 50 to 60 mana. That also assumes that he retty close with his triple estimate. Either way, this has left me with a lot to think about.