"Before you get too excited," Vlad began, his voice echoing slightly in the cavernous library hall, "we'll need to feed the runic formation a substantial amount of energy. Thanks to the passage of time—and the lack of proper maintenance—there isn't nearly enough residual power left in the system to trigger multiple combat trials."
Those words caused mild annoyance to flicker across the faces of the team. They were all exceptionally wealthy in terms of cultivation resources, but expending large quantities of energy cores on a centuries-old mechanism could hardly be called a trivial matter. Still, nobody voiced any strong objection.
With resigned nods, each member of the group began rummaging through their storage rings or spatial pouches, producing luminous crystals, compressed energy stones, and other exotic power sources. They passed these items to Vlad, who arranged them around the circular platform.
