The Blueprint of Detonation
The afternoon sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the quiet village square where Caidyn had settled beside the ancient well. Before her floated the glowing schematic of a remote detonation grenade—its intricate circuitry pulsing softly in the fading light.
Her fingers moved expertly across the digital blueprint, zooming in on the core mechanism. "This part here," she murmured, tapping the section labeled detonation switch, "looks simple enough." She traced the flow of the circuit, eyes narrowing as she pieced it together.
Lira leaned over her shoulder, curiosity gleaming in her sharp eyes. "What's the verdict?"
"There's a two-switch system built into the detonator," Caidyn explained, her voice low but charged with interest. "One allows synchronized detonation of multiple grenades; the other lets you trigger individual explosions independently."
A small, knowing grin flickered across Lira's face. "So you can either unleash a coordinated barrage or pick targets one-by-one. Smart."
"Exactly." Caidyn's tone carried a hint of excitement. "That kind of control can turn the tide in a fight—ambush setups, traps, precise strikes."
Kairos's smooth voice interjected with measured confidence. "A practical failsafe as well. If one grenade is disabled, the others can still detonate without risk of premature explosion."
Caidyn nodded thoughtfully, her mind already racing ahead. "I want to see how this feels in practice. Building a prototype and testing the switches will be my next step."
Lira smirked, tapping her own datapad. "Count me in. You know I'm good with the tech side."
"That's why I brought you along," Caidyn said with a grateful smile, already plotting their next move. "Let's get to work."
Caidyn slid the last bolt into place and leaned back, wiping a smear of metal dust off her gloves. The turret's frame was cool beneath her palm—mithril-hardened and precision-locked. A machine not made to kill, but to own space. Suppress, pressure, cage.
"This one's for suppression," she muttered, almost to herself. "Control, not carnage."
Lira glanced up from her perch, twirling a fuse wire between her fingers. "That's new. You finally building for strategy instead of spectacle?"
Caidyn didn't look up. "You mistake suppression for restraint."
Kairos's voice slithered in, all smooth resonance and theatrical undertone. "A slow death by fire is still death. You're just narrating it now."
The core housing snapped into place—mithril-reinforced, with slots for two elemental cores. Alternating output only. No hybrid switch this time. This wasn't about fancy effects. This was about denial.
As the last modular check confirmed stability, the Tower chimed in her ear.
[System Notification]
Crafting Complete: Deployable Turret Unit Registered.
Designation: Suppression Construct — "Mithril Gale"
Mithril Gale (Deployable Turret)
• Attack Power: 18 per round
• Fire Rate: 9.8 rounds/sec (588 RPM)
• Clip Size: 300 rounds
• Reload Time: 1.5 sec
• Core Chambers: 2 (Alternating)
• Mount Stability: High
• Turret Durability: 780/780
• Code Forger Exclusive Trait: AI-Control Override
→ Allows AI Companion to assume full control over turret functions, including target acquisition, firing vectors, and adaptive pressure algorithms.
Specialization: Suppressive zone control, elemental pressure layering, denial tactics.
Caidyn exhaled slowly, staring at the readout. The line glowed slightly warmer where the trait registered.
Kairos's voice wrapped around her ear with casual menace. "Did you just hand me a machine gun?"
"I did," she said, sliding the turret into her inventory with a soft pulse. "You break it, you buy it."
"I enhance things, not break them. Let's call it guided aggression."
Lira rolled her eyes. "This is why no one trusts people who talk to their code."
Caidyn ignored her and tapped her forearm interface. "I'll pick up the cores next. Want to see what kind of bite this thing really has when Kairos is pulling the trigger."
"By all means," Kairos replied, with smug theatricality. "Let the serpent roar."
Caidyn set the completed turret aside with a soft humph of satisfaction, then turned back to the workbench. The last of the grenade casings lay open—cool metal shells waiting for purpose. Beside them, the trigger interface of the remote detonation model blinked in standby mode, waiting to be configured.
She reached for the internal plate and carefully slotted it into position, tightening the miniature flux screws along the casing's inner ridge.
"Remote trigger sync looks stable," she murmured to herself. "Now let's see what you're really capable of."
The core housing in the detonator module clicked open under her fingers. Inside: a neat but compact dual-core chamber—no more than two, but seated with enough circuitry to allow dynamic element control.
"Two slots, huh," she muttered, eyeing the layout. "That's... limited, but smart. Too much energy density in a small frame would probably vaporize the entire mechanism."
Kairos uncoiled audibly in her audio thread, voice dry. "Or you. Just a reminder."
She smirked faintly. Point taken.
She slid the cover shut and activated the diagnostics. The system pulsed softly in confirmation.
[System Notification]
Remote Detonation Grenade (Mk.I) Completed
• Core Slots: 2 (Dual-Core Housing, Max Limit Reached)
• Detonation Modes:
→ Synchronized Multi-Burst
→ Individual Triggered Release
• Elemental Routing: Configurable via Detonator Core
• Trigger Sync Range: 60 meters
• Chassis Integrity: 100/100
• Status: Armed upon activation
Caidyn leaned back in her chair, stretching her fingers. "And that's the last of them."
Lira, still scribbling notes across a set of schematics behind her, glanced over. "How many did you make?"
"Three remote. Two manual." Caidyn flicked one of the grenades up, caught it. "Enough to make someone rethink a room."
"Remind me not to piss you off," Lira said absently.
Kairos chuckled. "She's already planning the blast radius. You're just lucky it's not your birthday."
Caidyn slipped the completed grenades into her modular inventory slots and stood, rolling her shoulders. "Cores next. Then we make these things really sing."
The forge-bazaar thrummed with the steady pulse of fire and hammer, the air thick with the scent of molten metal and ozone. Caidyn moved deliberately through the crowd, the crafted turret resting folded on her back, grenades securely fastened to her belt.
She approached a squat, broad-shouldered dwarf manning a cluttered stone bench lined with racks of elemental cores—each suspended in magnetic fields, humming softly with latent energy. No flashing UI, no digital menus—just tangible, physical components within reach.
"Looking to buy or browse?" the dwarf grunted without looking up.
"Both," Caidyn replied, producing a small case containing leftover crafting materials. She unfolded the contents—coils of mithril filament scrap and several unfused heat shards—before her eyes shifted to the racks.
The dwarf nodded toward the left side. "Crowd control cores that side. Air, electric, wind types. Good for grenades, remote detonators, and turrets."
She scanned the options carefully, selecting four cores that caught her attention:
Air Core (Mist Effect): Releases a thick fog upon detonation, obscuring vision and disrupting enemy targeting—ideal for her remote detonator's pull-pin model.
Electric Core (Stun Effect): Adds an electrical discharge that briefly stuns targets hit by the explosion, perfect for coordinated crowd control.
Wind Core (Projectile Speed): Unlike the mist variant, this core enhances projectile velocity, increasing the firing rate of any weapon it powers—targeted for her new machine gun turret.
Thermal Core: A volatile heat-based core designed to add incendiary damage, useful for crowd suppression and area denial.
Caidyn hefted each core, feeling the subtle hum of energy through her fingers. The dwarf's rough voice interrupted her thoughts. "The wind core's a rare find—boosts firing speed without overheating."
She nodded, slipping the cores into a small satchel.
"How much?" she asked.
The dwarf grunted, ticking off prices on his fingers. "Air Core, 45 gold. Electric, 70. Wind, 120. Thermal, 85. Total—320."
Caidyn retrieved her payment silently, feeling the weight of the transaction but satisfied.
=====
Back at the wellside rendezvous with Lira, Caidyn began outfitting her gear. She carefully inserted the Air Core and Electric Core into the remote detonator grenade module—readying the misty obscuration and stun effects for tactical use.
Next, she turned her attention to the turret's elemental chambers. Unscrewing the protective casing, she slid the Wind Core into the primary slot, knowing it would drastically improve the spiral cutter's firing speed. The Thermal Core found its place in the secondary chamber, set to deliver searing bursts when deployed.
[System Notification]
New Loadout Registered — Code Forger Compatibility Detected
Module: Suppression Turret — Spiral Cutter Frame
→ Attack: Low (3 per shot)
→ Firing Rate: 15 rounds per second / 900 rounds per minute
→ Clip Size: 300 rounds
→ Reload Time: 1.5 seconds
→ Elemental Chambers: 2 (Wind Core / Thermal Core)
→ Special: AI Control Override Available
Lira looked up from her tools. "That turret's got some serious punch. Speed and heat — crowd won't know what hit 'em."
Caidyn allowed herself a small smile. "It's not about the holes. It's about the pressure."
Kairos's voice rippled through the connection. "Maximum suppression mode activated. Let them think twice before coming back."
The dim glow of the stairwell stretched before them—a seemingly endless spiral carved into the very bones of the Tower. The transition from Floor 6 to Floor 7 wasn't marked by fanfare or grandiose gates, just the quiet hum of the system guiding the way.
Caidyn adjusted the weight of the turret on her back, the soft clink of tools at her belt a familiar reassurance. Beside her, Lira's gaze was steady but contemplative, fingers lightly tracing the edge of the worn stone banister.
"So," Lira broke the silence, voice low and thoughtful, "you think Floor 7 will be any easier?"
Caidyn's lips curled into a small, wry smile. Easier? The Tower never was. "I doubt it. But easier isn't the point, right? It's about adapting, outpacing what the Tower throws at us."
Kairos's digital voice flowed quietly in her ear, subtle but ever-present. Strategic data indicates Floor 7 hosts the Elven territories. Expect enhanced environmental hazards and rapid-response fauna.
A soft chime drew Caidyn's attention. A translucent notification hovered briefly before her vision:
[System Notification]
Essence Flow Management Unlocked.
Build Essence Flow through combat and evasion to unlock two evolutionary paths, both focused on landing strikes and building momentum:
—Precision Path: Emphasizes landing precise hits and flawless dodges, enhancing critical hit potential and reaction speed.
—Momentum Path: Focuses on landing continuous hits and building momentum, whether physical momentum or speed, increasing attack speed, reload speed, and raw damage.
Choose wisely; each path shapes your combat style uniquely.
Caidyn studied the options carefully, the weight of choice settling over her. Precision's appeal is clear—but speed and power… that's more my style.
With a decisive breath, she selected the Momentum Path.
Kairos's voice turned approving, with a hint of dry wit. Momentum it is. Let's keep the pace relentless.
Lira glanced at the notification, brow raised. "Good call. You've always been about keeping the pressure on."
The staircase shifted beneath their feet—subtle, almost imperceptible. It was a reminder the Tower was never static, always watching, always adapting.
They stepped through the final archway and emerged into the faintly luminescent canopy of Floor 7. The air here held a fresh, almost crisp scent—wood, earth, and something ancient.
Lira inhaled deeply. "Elven territory. This feels… different. Like the Tower's hiding secrets behind these trees."
Caidyn nodded, eyes narrowing as she surveyed the dense forest sprawling around them. "Secrets we'll uncover, whether the Tower likes it or not."
Kairos whispered, Scan complete. Proceed with caution. Environmental hazards elevated by 17%. Combat readiness advised.
The two shared a glance, unspoken agreement passing between them.
Floor 7 awaited—and with it, a new challenge. But for now, the climb was done. The next phase of the game had begun.
The spiral staircase beneath their feet came to a gentle halt, its faint hum fading as the system's guidance ceased. Much like the transition between Floors 5 and 6, this stairway was more illusion than architecture—an ever-shifting passage hidden within the Tower's labyrinthine design.
Caidyn and Lira exchanged a glance as the stairwell's exit revealed itself, the door sliding open quietly into a modest, nondescript house nestled inconspicuously on the outskirts of a village.
The faint scent of blooming woodflowers drifted through the cracked-open window as they stepped out onto soft, moss-lined ground.
Before them sprawled the Elven village—a serene cluster of intricately woven homes and slender spires crafted from living wood, all centered around an enormous, ancient tree whose massive branches stretched wide like protective arms.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves in dappled patterns, casting shifting shadows over the cobblestone paths and quiet market stalls.
Lira breathed in softly. "This place… it's alive."
Caidyn nodded, her eyes tracing the towering trunk that seemed almost sacred. "The Tower's design never ceases to surprise. Hidden in plain sight."
Kairos's voice came through again, calm but alert. Environmental scan indicates high levels of ambient mana and natural elemental activity. Proceed with caution.
The two exchanged a knowing look. Floor 7 had welcomed them—not with a clash of steel or roar of monsters—but with a whispered invitation into a world where nature and magic intertwined.
Their next challenge awaited beneath those ancient boughs.