Chapter 68: Core Array Diagram
Amu held the ice-blue warhammer, and Su Xiao carefully examined the weapon in his arms. Frost energy rose from the warhammer. He tried to take the hammer from Amu's grasp, at least to let Amu regain consciousness first. Although their current location wasn't particularly dangerous, they were still inside the Shia Temple, and who knew what unexpected events might occur here.
Su Xiao gripped the handle of the ice-blue warhammer and exerted force with his hand.
"Moo~"
Amu suddenly let out a pained cry. Due to Su Xiao's pulling motion, blue threads appeared between the ice-blue warhammer and Amu's hands.
Seeing Amu's agonized expression, if Su Xiao used brute force to take the warhammer, it wasn't impossible for Amu to drop dead on the spot.
Su Xiao released his grip. The blue threads retracted, and the warhammer returned to Amu's hands.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked loudly beside Amu's ear. This goofball was also anxious but had no way to help.
Su Xiao checked Amu's status. There was nothing abnormal about Amu's condition. Su Xiao pressed his fingertip against Amu's shoulder and sensed the situation inside his body.
Most of the alchemical array diagrams inside Amu had turned ice-blue. His core alchemical array diagram was extremely active, and the energy contained within could only be described as terrifying.
If the original energy within the core array diagram was 100, enough for Amu to survive over two hundred natural days, then the energy within the core array diagram now was at least 6,000, several dozen times the original amount.
Did this mean Amu could survive for 38 years? Not at all. The lifespan of an alchemical creature is not determined by how much energy it has inside.
For an alchemical creature's existence time, energy accounts for less than 10% of the total. The rest depends on the degree of wear and tear on the array diagrams and whether the pseudo-living materials composing the alchemical creature are of high quality.
Even a powerful alchemical creature like the Wolf Butler couldn't fundamentally extend its lifespan. Alice was repeatedly using the Wolf Butler's core matrix. Note, the core matrix is not the core array diagram; the matrix is the central point of the array diagram.
Amu's core array diagram is equivalent to Amu's brain, storing Amu's memories. When the core array diagram shatters, it means Amu has completely perished.
Even if Su Xiao used Amu's array diagram remnants to recreate a Frost Minotaur, the newly appearing Frost Minotaur would not be Amu. It could be called A Dai, or A Meng, or something similar, but it would definitely not be Amu. Amu is a unique existence, with the most obvious difference being memory and consciousness.
Precisely because of this, once Amu's core alchemical array diagram shatters, Amu ceases to exist. This is not something that can be fixed by simply creating a new Frost Minotaur. That would just be self-deception, like Alice constantly creating new Wolf Butlers until, in the end, the Wolf Butler betrayed her.
Actually, it wasn't that the Wolf Butler betrayed Alice, but rather the flaw caused by Alice repeatedly using the core matrix. The memory fragments of many Wolf Butlers intermingled, and a new Wolf Butler could never emerge from that. Alice's relationship with the Wolf Butler was somewhat like a lover's relationship, and different Wolf Butlers were equivalent to each other's 'brothers-in-law.' With the memory fragments of multiple brothers-in-law mixing together, it would be a miracle if the Wolf Butler didn't betray her.
If Amu's core alchemical array diagram shattered, Su Xiao would not try to create a new Amu. In his view, although Amu was an alchemical creature, he was also a unique existence. Su Xiao would not do something like creating a replacement.
The current situation was that there was too much energy within Amu's core array diagram, which was why Amu had lost consciousness. If this continued, Amu's core array diagram might shatter due to energy overload.
The core array diagram was like a balloon being constantly inflated. It looked much larger, but once it burst, the core array diagram would vanish into nothing. The source of the external energy was that ice-blue warhammer.
The reason Amu had picked up this ice-blue warhammer was that the energy forms of the two were over 95% similar, both being ice attribute. Don't assume all ice-attribute energies are the same. Iron and copper are both metals, but their internal structures differ greatly.
Encountering ice-attribute energy with such high similarity, Amu was uncontrollably attracted to it. Otherwise, without Su Xiao's permission, he wouldn't have rashly picked up the ice-blue warhammer.
The matter had already happened. Su Xiao didn't intend to blame Amu. The priority now was how to ensure Amu wasn't burst apart.
If it were another contractor, they might be helpless in this situation. But as Amu's creator, Su Xiao could easily disassemble Amu into eight pieces and reassemble him without damaging the core array diagram.
Since the core array diagram was overloaded, the best method was to divert this ice-attribute energy into other auxiliary array diagrams, or into pseudo-living materials like bones and muscles.
Su Xiao took out the Slaughter Shortsword. He prepared to open up the area on Amu's back.
Five minutes later, Su Xiao wiped the blood from his face. Beside him were the trembling Bubu Wang and Alisa. This person and dog were so scared they almost hugged each other.
Amu's back area was completely opened by Su Xiao, revealing the core alchemical array diagram. The core array diagram was a sheet of ice-blue, and the light it emitted had already become glaring, like a light bulb enduring high voltage and emitting intense light.
Su Xiao flexed his fingers and pressed one hand onto the core array diagram.
Crack, crack, crack...
Ice encased Su Xiao's left arm. When he saw the situation inside Amu's core array diagram, a bold idea suddenly occurred to him.
The ice-blue warhammer contained immense energy. Based on Su Xiao's speculation, this thing was not a conventional weapon. No one could use this thing in battle. It would continuously release energy. Setting aside whether it could injure an enemy, just holding it in one's hand could cause one to be burst apart by the ice energy surging from within the ice-blue warhammer.
Thinking about it, this thing was originally a weapon used to suppress some existence. Its purpose from the moment of its forging was not combat.
Since this thing continuously released energy, it must need to replenish energy. Otherwise, it would be water without a source and wouldn't last long.
Upon Su Xiao's inspection, the ice-blue warhammer did indeed absorb energy. It absorbed the energy from the suppressed creature and then converted that energy into ice attribute.
Su Xiao's idea was this: since this thing absorbed energy, could it absorb its own energy? If an energy channel were constructed inside Amu to redirect the ice-attribute energy back into the ice-blue warhammer, it would perfectly solve the problem of Amu's core array diagram being overloaded.
Not only that, but due to long-term maintenance by a large amount of ice energy, the lifespan of the core array diagram and pseudo-living materials would be greatly extended. The only part that would suffer severe wear and tear would be the energy transmission channel. Amu didn't produce ice energy; he was just a transporter of ice energy.
After some conceptualization, Su Xiao decided to construct a new energy channel inside Amu. This energy channel would be like an artery, with numerous branch vessels connecting to various parts of Amu's body.
This way, the core array diagram would no longer serve the function of transmitting energy. If it transmitted energy for a long time, the lifespan of the core array diagram would be significantly reduced.
If the modification was successful, the ice-blue warhammer would become equivalent to Amu's heart. This heart would make Amu nearly inexhaustible. Of course, leaving this heart wouldn't be a problem either, since Amu already had energy inside his body.
Ice energy would become Amu's blood. The main energy channel would be Amu's artery + vein. The core array diagram = brain. The dozens of auxiliary array diagrams would be various organs. The pseudo-living materials = bones, muscles, skin, and other tissues.
Su Xiao felt this idea was very reliable and not too difficult. Of course, 'not too difficult' only applied to Su Xiao.