Chapter 20: The First Blueprint
The foundation of the greatest fortress... is not laid with the first stone... but drawn with the first line of ink on parchment...
For a war without a plan... is no different than wandering lost in a darkness of one's own making.
— From "The Primer of the Architect, Master Volan"
After the chaotic night had passed... and the emergency meeting had concluded... my life entered **"mission mode"** in full force.
There was only one objective: complete the "protective ward" within one month.
Vulcan kept his promise... The "magic seal" that had once restricted me was slightly loosened. It wasn't a complete unsealing, but more like "opening a valve," allowing my mental power to flow a little more freely. I could feel the freedom to think and analyze returning... but at the same time... [The Devouring Shadow] seemed to work better as well. It was a double-edged sword I had to learn to live with.
On the first day of the mission... I didn't touch any tools or materials.
I holed up in my father's shed... not to build... but to **"plan."**
Before me was a large sheet of deerskin parchment... and a piece of charcoal for drawing.
"What are you doing, Faelix?" Leo asked. He and all my friends had come to my house first thing in the morning.
"Creating a 'blueprint'," I replied flatly. "If we're going to build a fortress... we need a plan for the fortress first."
I began by drawing a detailed map of the house and its surroundings... the distance from the fence, the position of the large trees, the direction of the small stream behind the house... Everything was crucial "data."
"Vulcan wants a ward that 'distorts perception'... that's too complex for us to build directly," I explained to everyone. "But we can create 'multiple layers' of simpler wards... and have them work together to achieve a similar result."
The Three-Layered Defense Blueprint
I began to draw three concentric circles on the map.
📡 "Layer One: The 'Detection Ward'."
I pointed to the outermost circle. "We'll bury small 'Echo Stones' along the fence line every five meters... They'll connect into a network... If anyone or anything that isn't 'whitelisted' passes through... it will send an alert signal here." I drew a small symbol in the living room.
"Like a spider web!" Maya said excitedly.
🔊 "Layer Two: The 'Audio Illusion Ward'."
I pointed to the second circle. "This part is a bit trickier... We'll use wind-element runes to create 'sounds' that aren't really there... like an unusually loud gust of wind, the snap of a twig, or the rustle of small animals... to make intruders think there's nothing there and walk around another way."
"Awesome! Let's totally confuse them!" Thorin shouted with delight.
👁️ "And the final layer... the most important one: The 'Visual Concealment Ward'."
I pointed to the innermost circle surrounding the house itself. "For this layer, we'll use the principle of 'light refraction' I read about in a magic and physics book in Guild's library, which has contents similar to physics books from the previous world.... We'll inscribe runes that can slightly 'bend' the light around the house... It won't make the house disappear... but it will make anyone looking from a distance see a 'blurry' or 'distorted' image that's uninteresting... like looking through a curtain of water."
Everyone looked at my blueprint, amazed...
"So... how can we help?" Elwin asked.
That was the question I had been waiting for.
"You can... and I need help from every single one of you."
I tore the parchment into sections and handed them to each person.
"Leo, Thorin... you two are the strongest... Go find as many smooth 'river stones' as you can... We'll use them as the base for the runes."
"Maya... you have the best eyes and you're faster than anyone... Go collect 'glowing pine resin'... We'll mix it with the magic ink so the runes will work at night."
"Elwin... you have the steadiest hands... Please go extract 'powdered quartz crystal' from the cave... It's the best mana conductor."
"And... what about me?" Lunaria asked softly.
I turned to look at her... and handed her my father's smallest "runic carving chisel."
"As for you... you'll be my 'assistant'... The runic carving requires immense concentration... Having you nearby... will help calm my 'Shadow'."
> You have assigned tasks to the 'Team'...
> Bonds with friends have deepened...
> The effect of 'Balance of Shadows' makes you feel stable...
> MP restored by 10 points...
Lunaria accepted the chisel... Her eyes held a spark I had never seen before... It was the gaze of someone with a "purpose."
"Understood... 'Chief'," she replied with a faint smile.
The "Shadow Bastion" mission had begun...
It was no longer just my mission anymore... It was the first project... of "Team Faelix."