Chapter 175: The Architect’s Design
Morning at Castle Zero arrived without a sun. The Forest of Lamentation never knew the warmth of a true dawn. There was only the thinning of the fog—shifting from a dense charcoal to a pale, ghostly gray—before thickening once more as midday approached. But inside the castle, time was measured by other means: by the rhythmic echo of footsteps, the clink of tools, and the faint sound of laughter drifting from the rear courtyard.
Dayat woke earlier than usual. It wasn’t because he couldn’t sleep; on the contrary, he had slept soundly for the first time since Dola’s collapse. Perhaps it was because he had finally washed away the grime of battle. Perhaps it was because Dola was awake. Or perhaps it was simply because his team finally had a direction. Whatever the reason, he felt lighter this morning.
He made his way to the Heart of Logic. The chamber was still empty. The violet throne in the center pulsed softly, waiting for its master. Dayat did not sit. Not yet. He walked past it, heading straight for the control console on the far side of the room.
Dalgor was already there. The old dwarf sat on a chair that was far too high for him, his legs dangling. The manifestation tablet in his hands glowed, displaying the list of materials he had compiled overnight. His eyes were weary, the dark circles beneath them suggesting a sleepless night.
"Didn’t sleep?" Dayat asked, leaning against the console.
Dalgor shook his head. "A nap here and there. But this list was more important." He handed the tablet to Dayat. "Conductor cables. Total length: two hundred meters. Must be high-temp resistant and mana-pressure stable. Can you do it?"
Dayat scanned the list, his eyes darting across the specifications. Conductor cables. Metal junctions. Ceramic insulators. The quantities were substantial. "I can. But it’ll take time."
"How long?"
"All day. Maybe more."
Dalgor nodded. "I’ll prepare the installation routes. Once the cables are ready, we can lay them immediately."
Dayat handed back the tablet and walked to the center of the room, where the floor was widest. The obsidian beneath him reflected the violet light of the throne. He took a long, steadying breath.
Mass manifestation wasn’t new to him. He had created Jeeps, vans, and even massive purification engines back in Elarwyn. But that was before the data transfer. Before his mind was flooded with the Maiden’s ancient knowledge. Now, every time he closed his eyes, he could see the blueprints for the conductor cables in molecular detail—a composite of copper and silver reinforced with carbon fibers, coated in heat-resistant ceramic insulation.
He raised both hands, fingers splayed.
A violet-green glow began to shimmer in his palms. Microscopic particles materialized from the thin air, swirling and dancing before coalescing into solid form. The first coil of cable took shape—black, gleaming, with veins of silver that caught the light. Five meters. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.
Dayat maintained a razor-sharp focus. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow. Manifesting small, individual objects was easy, but producing two hundred continuous meters of high-spec cable was an exhausting feat of willpower. He could feel the Mana-Circuits beneath his skin glowing brighter, channeling energy from his core to his fingertips.
Dalgor watched from the sidelines, his eyes wide. He had seen Dayat do the impossible many times, yet it never failed to leave him in awe. "The Mana... the color is shifting," he murmured.
Dayat didn’t hear him. He was locked in the zone. The coil continued to grow. Thirty meters. Forty. Fifty.
The doors to the Heart of Logic hissed open. Dola stepped inside, moving with slow, deliberate steps. She still wore her white cape, but this time she was walking on her own. No one carried her. No one supported her. Her pace was cautious, like someone relearning to walk after an eternity, but she was moving.
Dayat glanced over, his hands still glowing as the cable continued to spool out. "Dol? You should still be resting."
"I have rested enough." Dola walked closer, stopping beside Dalgor. Her eyes scanned Dayat’s manifestation process. "Efficiency of mana-to-matter conversion: seventy-eight percent. There is still room for improvement."
Dayat offered a dry smile. "Did you come here just to give me a grade?"
"I came because I wished to see my husband at work." Dola sat in the chair Dalgor provided for her. "Continue. I shall remain silent."
Dayat exhaled and refocused. The coils multiplied. Sixty meters. Seventy. Eighty.
In the rear courtyard, the sounds of training began to echo. Kancil had roused Loy and Riri at the first crack of light. The three of them stood before a row of target bottles hung from the stone fence.
"Loy, your stance is still too narrow," Kancil said, pacing around the boy like a seasoned drill instructor. "Remember, if your feet are too close together, the recoil will knock you off balance."
Loy adjusted his stance, sliding his left foot outward. He raised the Glock 19, aiming at a bottle. He took a breath, held it, and squeezed the trigger.
CRACK.
The bottle shattered, glass spraying onto the dirt.
Loy lowered the gun, his eyes wide. "I... I hit it?"
"You hit it." Kancil clapped him on the shoulder. "Good. Now, again."
Riri was practically vibrating beside them. "Me! My turn!" She raised her Glock 26, aiming at the second bottle. Without much hesitation, she fired.
CRACK.
The second bottle exploded.
Riri did a little hop. "I hit it again! Kancil, look! I hit it again!"
Kancil smiled. "Good. But don’t get cocky. Now, try it while moving."
Loy and Riri exchanged a look. "While moving?"
"You think the enemy is going to stand still like a bottle?" Kancil stepped into the center of the yard. "I’m going to throw stones at you. You have to dodge, then aim and fire at the bottles. Understood?"
Loy swallowed hard. Riri nodded fiercely, her eyes sparkling.
Kancil scooped up a handful of pebbles. "Begin."
He flicked the first pebble at Loy. Loy dove to the left, nearly tripping over his own feet. He tried to aim, but his hands were shaking. BANG.
The shot went wide. "Again," Kancil commanded.
The second pebble flew toward Riri. She hopped to the right, landing light as a feather, and immediately squeezed the trigger. CRACK. The third bottle vanished.
Kancil nodded, impressed. "Riri, you’re a natural. Loy, you need to relax. You’re too tense."
Loy nodded, his face flushed, but he didn’t quit. He took his position again, waiting for the next throw.
Inside the Heart of Logic, Dayat finally completed the last coil. Two hundred meters of conductor cable lay neatly on the obsidian floor, coiled like a giant black serpent. Dayat lowered his hands, the glow in his palms fading until it vanished.
He was panting, sweat drenching his face. But he was smiling. "Done."
Dalgor approached the coil, running a hand over the smooth surface. "Seamless. No joints. This is... truly remarkable."
"Just start the installation," Dayat said, catching his breath. "I’ll work on the metal connectors and insulators next."
Dola rose from her chair. She walked over to Dayat, pulled a handkerchief from seemingly nowhere, and began wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You work too hard."
"I just want this castle safe." Dayat looked at her. "Why are you wandering around? You’re still weak."
"I wanted to see the children train." Dola tucked the handkerchief away. "And I wanted to ensure you weren’t overexerting yourself."
"I’m fine."
"You are sweating as if you just ran a marathon."
"That was a metaphor."
"It was a fact." Dola looked at him with her dim but warm blue eyes. "Rest for a moment. I am going to the courtyard."
Dayat nodded. "Be careful."
Dola stepped out of the Heart of Logic. Her steps were slow but steadier than before. She walked down the corridor toward the courtyard, the sound of gunfire and Riri’s excited shouts growing louder as she approached.
She stopped at the threshold. Kancil, Loy, and Riri were deep in their drills. Riri had just hit a bottle on the move, and Kancil was praising her. Loy was struggling, but his shots were getting closer to the mark.
Dola watched them in silence. Her eyes scanned every movement, every posture, every breath. Data streamed through her mind—firing angles, reaction times, heart rates.
"You are all still too slow," she said suddenly.
Kancil, Loy, and Riri turned as one. Their expressions shifted the moment they saw Dola standing at the doorway.
"Sister Dola!" Riri ran toward her but stopped a few paces away, hesitating. "You... you can walk already?"
"A little." Dola looked at Riri. "You are adequate. Your reflexes are good, but you rely too heavily on instinct. You need more calculation."
Riri nodded quickly. "I’ll learn!"
Dola turned to Loy. "You are too tense. Your muscles are rigid, which slows your movements. Relax your shoulders."
Loy swallowed hard. "Y-yes, Sister Dola."
Dola looked at Kancil. "You are performing your duties well. Continue."
Kancil nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thanks, Sis."
Dola turned to head back inside, but she paused. Her eyes drifted toward the forest, peering through the shifting fog. There was something out there. Something only she could feel.
"Sister Dola?" Kancil stepped closer. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing." Dola shook her head. "Continue your training."
She retreated back into the castle. But inside her mind, the data continued to churn. The aura in the forest was thickening. The Wabil of Plague was stirring. And Morbis was still out there, waiting.
Back in the Heart of Logic, Dayat had begun manifesting the metal junctions. His hands glowed once more. This time he was creating smaller, more intricate components—gold-plated copper connectors, disc-shaped ceramic insulators, and precision bolts.
Dalgor helped him organize the parts on the floor. "After this, we’ll need those pure Mana Crystals."
"I know." Dayat didn’t stop working. "Dola said they’re in Terragard. But I can’t leave yet."
"Why not?"
"Dola hasn’t fully recovered, and this castle is still too vulnerable." Dayat looked at Dalgor. "We have to fortify our defenses first. The energy shield needs to be at least fifty percent before I can even think about leaving."
Dalgor nodded. "Makes sense."
They worked in silence for a while. The sound of Dayat’s manifestation—a low hum like the wind—was the only sound in the room.
"Master," Dalgor started again. "About those kids. Loy and Riri."
"Yeah?"
"They need weapons better suited for them. Glocks are fine, but they’re too standard. Loy needs something more precise for mid-range. Riri needs something lighter and faster."
Dayat paused, looking at the dwarf. "Got an idea?"
"An arm guard for Loy. A forearm brace that doubles as a shot stabilizer. He shakes too much because his frame is small. An arm guard will help." Dalgor looked at Dayat. "For Riri... climbing claws. Gloves with lightweight grappling hooks. She’s a natural climber. It could be a weapon and a tool at the same time."
Dayat smiled thinly. "How long have you been thinking about this?"
"Ever since I saw them train." Dalgor shrugged. "I’m just a technician. My job is to ensure the gear works."
"Alright." Dayat nodded. "I’ll start designing them tonight. For now, let’s finish this."
They returned to their work. Outside, the fog of the Forest of Lamentation grew thicker. But inside Castle Zero, for the first time, a sense of security was beginning to take root. Not because the walls were indestructible or the weapons were advanced. But because the people inside were starting to believe they could survive.
And that was worth more than anything else.