Ren activated the runes as the data told him and immediately reached into his mana-space and selected the Hydra to clone.
He couldn't use the Mantis again, because it was already cloned.
The pedestal reacted...
A bright, blinding flash illuminated the outer chamber, and a brand-new crystal materialized directly above the stone surface. It looked structurally identical to the pristine core Lykea had shed from her system upon being trapped, but the color was different.
This new core was a deep, mesmerizing jade, heavily tinted with the radiant, blinding hue of the Hydra's Light affinity. It was highly particular, completely distinguishable from a common, naturally occurring elemental crystal.
The advantage this pedestal offered Ren was astronomical.
