Chapter 70: Build-up
With Rias and Sona having set aside a few hours to spend with him, Vahn took them, Akeno, and Tsubaki into the Corridor to continue exploring the Frozen Abyss. He had unlocked seven additional Checkpoints throughout the week while exploring with Koneko, Asia, and Grayfia, but he had them start near the Starting Zone since there were many nearby regions he had yet to explore.
Wearing a predominately white outfit with a fluffy ushanka cap, a fur-lined mantle, a long scarf, black gloves with a fur inlay, and thick winter boots, Rias gazed, captivated by the sight of the aurora that adorned the Frozen Abyss's perpetually starry sky as she remarked, "If there are stars here, I wonder if there's an atmosphere and outer space..."
"There is an atmosphere," confirmed Vahn, nodding as he revealed, "But the sky is artificial, projected onto a dome that's approximately 600km at its highest point, corresponding with the Floor's radius."
"Then the Floor is 600km from its center with a surface area of approximately 1.2 million square kilometers..." noted Sona, wearing a double-breasted beige winter coat with a white fur-lined collar that folded over itself, dark pants, fur-lined boots that matched her jacket, a black-and-white striped scarf, and stylish brown riding gloves with beige palms.
"Yeah, but a decent portion of it is frigid waters and icebergs," revealed Vahn, producing a pair of maps for Rias and Sona to peruse individually. From that, they learned they were on an island encircled by sheet ice and icy waters. The map itself was an aerial snapshot created by Grayfia, so it was highly accurate with several marked locations, allowing them to pick and choose where they would like to explore.
Instead of doing that, Sona remarked, "This is an excellent opportunity. We know that objects we leave in the Corridor will still be here when we return. I'm curious to see if the same applies to large structures. Shall we try creating a fortress and Checkpoint of our own...?"
"Oh? That could be interesting," agreed Rias, joining Sona in directing her gaze to Vahn.
"It's worth trying," determined Vahn, nodding. Based on the direction of things, the Corridor was bound to become a place thousands frequented and potentially resided in, so there was a need to ascertain if the erection of buildings and settlements was even possible. He was also interested in the Magic used to create structures, so with the decision made, everyone returned to the Starting Zone. There, Sona spent several hours creating a scale model diorama with input from everyone. After that, all they needed was to feed both it and the materials necessary for its construction into a specialized Magic Circle, effectively 3D-printing the larger structure using Magic. The result was a playhouse disguised as a castle, which, based on its ability to be damaged, wasn't considered a safe zone. It was, however, magically reinforced, well-insulated, and protected against the effects of Fimbulwinter's Encroachment...
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