The pale light of dawn barely touched the edges of Kane's mountain home as he sat before the glowing interface of the system. His mind churned through the recent experiments, the data on drone performance, and the constraints the system revealed. The knowledge that the inventory could hold vast nonliving objects — entire buildings, even — had shifted his thinking.
There was no need to risk stealthy raids to dismantle and transport parts anymore. Why chip away at warehouses or weapon stores when he could take the whole structure?
His fingers traced the holoschematic of the abandoned industrial park."If I can store the whole building in one go," he murmured, "that means I can carry entire caches, labs, even vehicles, all without setting foot inside."
But there was a catch — living things could not be stored. The system rejected any living organism. If he tried, the item would remain, unconscious but intact.
That posed a problem for anyone trapped inside a building he planned to vanish. He would have to be careful. The risk of accidentally trapping someone inside unconscious was a burden he didn't want to carry.
Later that evening, back at home, Reina sat cross-legged, eyes shining with concentration as the artifact's golden light danced over her and her animated toys.
"Kane," she whispered into the comm-link, "I think I'm starting to understand something new."
Kane leaned forward, listening intently.
She explained with wonder how, after hours of practice, she had learned not just to awaken the toys but to transfer her animation power to objects remotely. It was subtle at first — a toy she touched would act, but now she could reach out through the artifact's glow and awaken something farther away, without direct contact.
"I made Mr. Bunny wake up the old wooden train set from across the room!" she said excitedly.
Kane felt a thrill mixed with caution. "That's impressive, Reina. It's like your power can extend through the artifact, almost like a tether."
"But there's more," she added, voice dropping slightly, "sometimes I feel like I can share energy. Like when I focus, I can send some of my power to the toys to make them stronger or last longer."
Kane's mind raced. This wasn't just reanimation anymore. It was a form of power transfer — a link between her and her animated constructs. If she could transfer power, could she also channel other abilities? Could she, perhaps, tap into the system's infinite storage energy?
Back at the system console, Kane weighed the possibilities. If Reina could borrow some of his stored energy, even temporarily, she might be able to maintain multiple constructs or larger ones. This synergy could become a force multiplier.
He keyed a test program into the system interface, programming a feedback loop to allow limited power sharing through the artifact's connection.
As the system hummed, Kane realized the stakes had just risen. The apocalypse was drawing near, and with each passing day, their powers — and their responsibilities — grew heavier.
Outside, the night deepened, stars flickering like silent sentinels.
Global Collapse Countdown: 46 Days, 22 Hours, 8 Minutes
Kane sat back, eyes heavy but mind sharp.There was no turning back now.