Chapter 285 - Old Facility (Patreon)

“We haven’t used the tank you filled because it's too big and requires too much mana to operate. It's one of the older ones, so efficiency isn't that good.”

I listen to Darren and then answer, “Yes, I have noticed. The inscriptions were quite bad.”

He keeps staring at me.

What? It’s getting creepy. Should I tell him I’m not into men or something? Does he want money from me?

“Nathaniel…”

“Yes, that's my name.”

“The tank you filled should be able to supply us with water for half a year, and if we use it for showers, watering plants, and other stuff, it will still last for months. Do you even realize how much help it is?”

“If you have a few more tanks like that, I can fill them too. Maybe four or five?” As I say that, Darren just opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish. Yet out of the people that surround me, he seems to be the least surprised.

The annoying part is that this kind of help still didn't finish the quest, but I guess that much is to be expected. The reward is 1,000 shards, so just filling one tank with water wouldn't be considered that much.

“I will fill five more and then I will take all filtered from the last one for myself,” I offer. That amount of water should be able to last quite some time.

Something tells me that using an epic item as a glorified water flask would make some people beyond shocked.

I use the opportunity to ask for more, “I also want to see other facilities, the ones you guys were unable to activate.”

“W-why would you help us that much?” Darren’s voice sounds moved, and I notice that some other people are close to crying.

Huh?

“I feel bad for suspecting you so much. I apologize…”

What? Why is he talking so creepily and why do they look at me like that? I just want to finish the quest and check some cool facilities.

“Such a good man. So people like that still exist,” someone else whispers.

I can't understand. It's just a bit of water.

Well, whatever.

***

After filling the five more big tanks and taking one for myself, I'm once again led by Nina through the city. A few people already seem to know what's happening, so there are plenty of them cheering and trying to get closer to me.

Vega also doesn’t seem to like it and moves closer to me, her body twitching at every louder sound or quick movement. Nina seems to notice that, and we start taking roads where we meet fewer people, and she even sends some orders into the transmitter.

After she puts the transmitter away, she looks at me, “You probably still don't realize how much this means to us. There are days when we barely drink water because groups sent to collect it had to avoid the monsters. There is also constant worry that some of the water collectors will die, and they do sometimes. I think there is no family that doesn't know a water collector that died or isn't worried about someone they know.”

When she says it like that, it really gives a new perspective.

Together we reach the door on the side of the main cave. There are already a few men removing some sort of barricades in front of them.

Seeing what I'm looking at, Nina explains, “This door leads to one of the older parts of the Sanctuary, and we have long since blocked them. Only once every few years we go there and try to see if we can do something about it.”

Damn, is she some sort of hype man? It starts looking more and more interesting, and I even start to forget where we are.

“Master…” a small voice sounds next to me.

Oh. I come back and once again start disrupting my disciple's mana. Vega fights against it and, even though I'm limiting my output, she gets slightly hurt every time she tries to manipulate her mana too wildly. There are already dozens of small wounds all over her body, but she doesn't seem to mind at all. Every time she gets hurt, she only tries harder and rarely repeats the same mistake twice.

I thought she would hate me or treat me differently, as I'm hurting her, am I not? I was prepared for that and even expected it. Part of me even wanted it to be that way, as it would make the end of this floor easier. Yet, that little half demon weirdo doesn't seem to mind and even appears thankful.

Nina had long since noticed what we are doing, but this time she turns to me, “Isn't that sort of training too cruel?”

Both me and Vega look at her, confused.

“There are more ways to do it. I don’t want to jump in between master and disciple, but this way seems to be painful.”

“Yes…?” I say carefully. I mean, sure, it is painful, but that much is fine, isn't it? When I look at Vega, she seems to agree and has a similar expression to mine.

Seeing that her men still aren’t done with removing the barricades, Nina turns back to me, “You could teach her more theory first and gradually work on it. She is really young, there is no need to cause her so much pain.”

Instead of me, Vega answers, “Master is much stronger than you,” she says simply. As if that single sentence explains everything.

Something tells me that Vega isn't talking about levels or skills.

“Miss Nina, we are done!” finally one of the men shouts, and Nina turns to him.

I notice that Vega shakes her head, seemingly disappointed at having to deal with such stupid people.

Isn't my first disciple just lovable?

Nina uses some key and unlocks the door that is also made of iron and perfectly circular; this one is only twice my height. Even after years of unuse, it opens smoothly, and they send inside some glowing orbs made of glass or some similar material. Entering, I notice the vents on the ceiling that, unlike the vents in the bunker that is in use, are not so well hidden.

Even though this part hasn't been used for a long time, the air feels similar to the one inside the main cave. The only big difference is layers of dust and slightly colder air. Seeing no people around also gives it a different feeling.

We pass through a short tunnel and enter a big room. The room is big enough to fit an entire house inside, and that's it. There are no more tunnels, no doors or rooms. Just this perfectly half-spherical one.

On the floor, there are inscriptions, and they cover some parts of the walls as well. The room has a few pillars made of mana crystals.

The room itself seems to be separated into multiple parts. One part where most of the pillars from mana crystals are. Another one with a hole in the floor and the third part that has plenty of tables and other stuff made of stone or iron. Most of the things inside are connected with inscriptions.

Lastly, there is a mana stone at the ceiling, similar to the one in the main cave that mimics the sun.

It's quiet, there is dust. A technology, mana technology, inscriptions, or however should I call it, over a hundred years old. Left behind and hidden down in the darkness of this bunker they call the Sanctuary.

Nina says something, but I already ignore her and reach the part of the room with pillars made of mana crystals. They are light blue and partially transparent, six of them, each multiple times taller than me. They are in a circle and in the middle of that circle is an iron panel with a brilliant mana stone embedded into it.

I grab a mana stone from my pocket and throw it to Vega, "Train on your own."

Then I disrupt the annoying glass orbs the natives are using. Their light has an annoying color and they flicker. The orbs fall to the ground. Instead of them, I create a dozen bigger thermal orbs that start releasing an even and cozier orange light. I add more thermal energy into them and then send them to float all around the room.

I generate a tiny bit of kinetic energy and release it in a shockwave around me, blasting away dust from in front of me.

Someone starts coughing and probably cursing, but I ignore them.

When I touch the panel, I activate my eyes and thermal energy to feed my healing passive. A few of my skills activate at the same moment and I start examining the inscriptions. There are so many more of them than I expected. All intertwined with each other and all with different sorts of functions. Some lead to the floor, others towards the mana crystal pillars, others towards the ceiling.

"It's probably a control panel, but our theory is that it needs an immense amount of mana to jumpstart. Not gradually, but at once. One of our enchanters said that it is needed to clear out the circuits. Another one said….”

Nina continues to ramble, but I filter her out.

Well, her enchanters kind of suck. Even Elydor would be able to figure it out, damn, I miss the man.

This facility isn't efficient at all and it's mostly likely as Nina said. It's one of the older ones they built quickly and that was left behind. An old technology. As if someone found a bunker from one of the World Wars, that kind of stuff.

The problem is that it needs a certain amount of mana to operate. That's because that mana is used to power all the functions of this facility at once, that's why you need that much of it. Even keeping it idle requires quite a bit and for people that are all not even that close to 200, it's plenty.

If you feed it mana gradually, it will only use it up quicker even before you are able to reactivate it and turn on idle mode.

I start collecting mana inside my body and look around the room. I take a few deep breaths.

Am I childish to be excited by this kind of stuff? Probably a bit, but who cares? It's fun.

"Minion."

"I'm Vega."

"How is your progress?"

"There is a part that is really difficult, the one with a twist at the end."

Oh, I remember that one, "What's the problem with it?"

"It's hard to... twist mana that way? It's always slipping by."

“That's weird, minion, that twist is similar to the pathway you are using to send mana through to strengthen your feet.”

“What?” Vega looks up at me, her red eyes full of surprise.

“The stone I gave you should help to improve the strengthening of your body through the Mana Circuit trait you got. Especially the legs and feet. I also noticed that you stopped sensing your surroundings when you got the stone.”

“I…”

“You?”

“It's my fault.”

I check the amount of mana I hold now and it seems to be enough, but before using it I turn to Vega, “It's fine if you are curious, but even though this feels safe, don't forget where we are. We don’t know these people and no matter how nice they are right now, they can turn against us. We are just strangers they know for a few days. This place also feels safe but this world is dangerous and it can change anytime.”

I myself keep sending my senses as far as I can, no matter what I do and how much I concentrate on other tasks. This is Hell difficulty and even though there are times when it is safe, danger always lurks around.

“You tend to rely on me at times and that's okay in moderation. But disciple, I won't be here all the time. Always expect the worst and danger right behind the corner. Try to be somewhat polite even to people weaker than you, but always expect them to stab your back.”

“But master, isn't it hard? Being nice to people?”

“Of course it is hard. It is very hard, but what isn’t? Not that long ago I was much harsher and cruel and it was easy, but at the same time, it felt… off. I try to act differently from that not because someone forces me or because I was raised like that. I do it because I want to.”

I grab her tiny horn and use it to shake her head gently, “I might regret this decision later, I might even change my mind. But if I do regret it, I will be the only person to blame, because it was my decision. Oh, and there is also an exception. If someone betrays you or hurts you or people you care about, show no mercy. Fuck them up and stomp what remains into the ground.”

“Master is amazing.” Vega doesn’t even try to make me let go of her horn and her eyes are full of admiration.

Such a weirdo half-demon.

“I am, am I not? So, my first disciple Vega, do you want to make your master look bad?”

“No!” she shakes her head and kicks my shin. She strengthens her body to do so, yet there is still barely any damage.

When I let go of her she gets back to the stone and she keeps watching the area as well as the stone. The strain on her is obvious and I know the pain she most likely feels right now.

Ready, I turn my attention and send my mana into the mana stone and through the circuits that feed it, also to one of the mana crystals.

I release some hold on my mana and it rushes like a raging river, but only where I want it to. None of that mana touches my disciple, none reaches beyond this room. All of it powers the facility. The light on the ceiling activates and multiple on the wall of the room as well. A hint of air vents changes and there seems to be some filtration as well.

Gradually even the floor shows faintly glowing circuits that start releasing a bit of heat, the most in the hole in one of the three parts of the facility. In the end, even the tables covered by old cloth light up.

Nina’s expression is fun to look at.

“I want to talk with Darren, I have an offer for him. This place is a mix of a forge and an enchanting workshop and I would like to play with it.”

I will try crafting some items and examine other facilities.

Three days. That's how long I will be staying here.

It's the amount of time I’m willing to sacrifice. After that, I will take my disciple and we will head to Bastion and the Valley, and on our way there I will level her up.

But for now, let's try having some fun and creating items. I have plenty of materials from the 4th floor.

***

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