My solution was a calculated Material Fatigue Vulnerability hidden within the pressure valves of the cooling loop. During the festival, when the reactor hit peak suction, the internal pressure would exceed critical thresholds. The valve wouldn't melt immediately; instead, it would induce high-frequency flutter, generating a reverse shockwave that would shatter the parasitic Reactor Core from the inside out.
“Mykra.” I finished the last stroke, my voice low, palms slick with cold sweat. “We need to conduct an on-site survey of the reactor. And find a way to contact the ground. Tell Brad... prepare the flak cannons.”
“...Boss.” Mykra’s voice emanated from my own shadow, carrying the dead weight of despair. “Comms module... is greyed out. Not just long-wave radio. Even my shadow nodes... severed.”
My heart sank. Severed? That meant they weren't just jamming us; they had physically locked down the local Aether flow. Had Valen noticed?
“It’s fine. As long as I’m the ‘Chief Architect,’ they won't touch me.” I straightened my disheveled collar, grabbed the roll of blueprints, and strode toward the main door. “Open up!” I shouted at the guard. “Notify command. I need to run diagnostics in the Core Sector! If the festival is delayed because of thermal throttling...”
Whirrr—
The door slid open. Standing there was no light-armored sentry, but a mountain of flesh blocked the entire corridor.
Wolf King Garza stood there, his black iron armor radiating the sickening stench of old blood. The Mana-Suppression Collar around his neck emitted a low, tooth-aching hum, casting a ghoulish purple light across his scarred face. Behind him stood Queen Selena, dressed in an elegant white gown as if she were heading to a gala.
“In such a rush, Lord Alex?” Selena asked, her smile gentle, yet dropping the ambient temperature by ten degrees.
I tightened my grip on the blueprints, forcing a professional, plastic smile onto my face. “Your Majesty. As you can see, I am working overtime for your reactor. I need to verify the pipe stress values on-site. The original data... doesn't align.” I emphasized the last two words, trying to use technical jargon to regain the initiative.
“Is that so? The data is inconsistent?” Selena’s smile slowly evaporated. She advanced step by step, her heels clicking against the crystal floor—clack, clack. “However, I find myself wondering...”
She stopped in front of me, her silver eyes piercing through my defenses. “Why does a simple thermal engineering task require your assistant, Mr. Mykra, to scurry through the shadows of the sub-pipes like a rat? Even... measuring the hollow structure of the foundation pillars?”
My pupils constricted. She knew. Mykra’s stealth was elite, but in a nest of high-tier mages, he was as visible as a flare on a thermal scope. My cleverness had been monitored the entire time.
Selena looked at me with amusement. Behind her, Garza breathed like a volcano on the verge of eruption. One look from the Queen, and he would tear me apart. I knew that showing fear or offering excuses would end with me becoming a red stain on the carpet.
Stolen story; please report.
I took a deep breath. Then, I channeled a very specific kind of anger—the Engineer’s Fury.
SLAM! I hurled the blueprints onto the floor.
“Yes! I sent him to check!” I pointed a finger at Selena’s nose, roaring. “Because you lied to me! Selena! Your parameters are garbage!”
I pointed at the floor, speaking rapidly. “Based on my calculations, the reactor’s waste heat output is five times the theoretical value! That surplus energy isn't solar; it’s a high-viscosity, high-density Bio-Energy!”
I shrugged, staring directly into her dangerous eyes with a hint of mockery. “If I hadn't sent Mykra to verify the pipe’s true load-bearing capacity, and I repaired it using your fake data... the moment the festival starts, that pillar would detonate!”
“You are pumping high-pressure fluid through a low-pressure straw!” I gestured toward the Core Sector. “The viscosity and energy density of the Life Stream far exceed light elements. If you run at 100%, the current cooling walls will melt through in three minutes. Forget ascending; this entire island will become a very expensive firework!”
“I am not sabotaging you, Your Majesty.” I spread my hands in a gesture of frustrated helplessness. “I am saving your life, and mine. Since I’m currently on this boat, I have no desire to drown.”
Silence filled the corridor. Selena stared at me for five full seconds. Then, she laughed. It was a genuine, trembling laugh that shook the wings on her back.
“Alex, you are truly clever.” She stepped closer, her finger tracing my cheek. The tip carried a faint, lethal static charge. “Not just clever... but a wonderful actor.”
She leaned in, her voice a succubus whisper. “I know your secret. You were a survivor on Earth. You are a pragmatist in the wasteland. To acquire technology, you even drove away that cute little kitten. We are the same species, Alex.”
Selena stepped back, opening her arms to display the magnificent palace and the flowing mana lights. “It doesn't matter how many bones are buried beneath us. What matters is that we stand in the clouds. Fix it. As a reward, you will become a new noble of the sky, sharing in this life force. Your lifespan will extend; you will have infinite resources for your engineering ambitions. Including Mr. Mykra.”
I remained silent, my eyes flickering. I had to project greed and hesitation. “I... need to consider it,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I still prefer the dirt of the ground.”
“It seems you require motivation.” Selena’s smile vanished instantly. She snapped her fingers. “Garza.”
The name was a command code. The statue-like Wolf King moved without warning, a gust of bloody wind hitting me. An iron-clad hand clamped around my throat, lifting me off the ground and slamming me against the wall.
“Ghk...” My feet dangled. My lungs emptied. The scarred wolf face was five centimeters from mine. His single eye bored into me. He opened his mouth, hot, fetid breath washing over my face, his fangs threatening to puncture my eye.
It was too close. Close enough to clearly see the purple Mana-Suppression Collar humming around his neck. As the killing intent in the Wolf King’s eye peaked, the purple light on the collar flickered.
The rhythmic hum—hum— stuttered. A lag of approximately 2 seconds.
Immediately after, Garza shuddered violently, the clarity in his eye swallowed by a more violent agony. The collar was overriding his nervous system. He let out a pained growl, releasing me and retreating into the shadows, clutching his head and gasping.
“Cough, cough...” I collapsed on the floor, greedily sucking in air, my throat burning.
“See, Alex?” Selena looked down at me, her gaze cold. “The world is full of unexpected terrors. Only with me is it safe and controlled.”
“I... understand.” I looked up, touching the bruise on my neck, my eyes submissive. I gathered the blueprints and struggled to stand. “I will fix it, Your Majesty.”
Selena nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Garza will escort you to the Core for measurements.” She waved a hand. “Garza, take care of Lord Alex. Ensure Lord Alex doesn't... lose his way.”
The Wolf King straightened, resuming his dull guard posture. But as he passed me, I heard a faint, almost inaudible sigh.
I followed Garza toward the Core. “Mykra,” I whispered to my shadow.
“...Here.”
“Did you see it?”
“...Saw it.” Excitement crept into Mykra’s voice. “...Collar. Latency. That is... a logic hole.”
Next Chapter Intro: Jasta enters the lab carrying a crate of "precious comfort goods." Hidden within the false bottom of a wine case, Alex’s fingers brush against something cold and rigid. The pieces are in place. The engineer, the wolf, and the fox are about to turn the cage into a trap.
Question of the Day: Selena locked the Engineer and the Wolf King together. Is this arrogance, or absolute confidence in her control?
(Click to choose)
?? A) Arrogance.
Result: Classic Villain Error. She underestimates the variables of "Resentment" and "Engineering." She thinks the collar makes Garza a machine.
?? B) Confidence.
Result: Tech Superiority. She built the collar. She knows its specs better than anyone. Why fear a tool you designed?
?? C) Dehumanization.
Result: The Psychological Factor. To her, they aren't people; they are assets. You don't worry about your hammer plotting with your wrench.
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