The descent was a blur of adrenaline and burning palms. Elias's hands, though protected by thin gloves, were raw from the friction of the reinforced network cable. He was not a climber, but the sheer terror of the creature's roars above him lent him a desperate strength.
He focused on the System overlay. The blue lines of the Emergency Descent Blueprint guided his movements, highlighting the next anchor point, the optimal angle for his body, and the exact moment to shift his weight. It was like following a perfectly calculated architectural diagram for survival.
As he neared the 30th floor, he saw a flash of light from a window below. It was Kevin, the intern with the energy blade, now perched precariously on a ledge, his blade flickering wildly as he fought a smaller, winged creature. Kevin was strong, but clumsy. His movements were all brute force, lacking the precision of a trained fighter.
Elias, hanging silently in the shadow of the building, had a moment of pure architectural insight. Kevin's position was structurally unsound. The ledge was a decorative pre-cast concrete piece, not load-bearing.
He pulled up his System screen.
[Blueprint Generation (Lvl 1)]
Input Parameters:
1. Structure Type: Simple Trap
2. Target: Kevin's Ledge
3. Material Structural Steel
[Blueprint Generated: Structural Stress Point (Tier 1)]
Required Materials:
• Structural Steel: 5 units
• System Energy (SE): 10
Function: Applies a concentrated structural reinforcement to a specific point, or conversely, applies a concentrated *stress* to a weak point, accelerating failure.
Note: Use of this function on a weak point is considered a Destructive Blueprint.
Elias hesitated. He could use 5 units of Structural Steel and 10 SE to *save* Kevin, reinforcing the ledge. Or he could use it to create a distraction that would save *himself*.
He looked at Kevin, who was screaming in frustration as the winged creature dodged his wild swings. Kevin had mocked him. Kevin was a liability.
*Survival is the ultimate blueprint,* Elias thought, his face grim.
He quickly changed the input. "Structure Type: Destructive Blueprint. Target: The decorative ledge directly above Kevin. Material: Structural Steel."
The System deducted the resources. Elias felt the energy flow out, not into the ledge Kevin was standing on, but into the heavy, decorative stone gargoyle perched two floors above him. The System didn't reinforce the gargoyle; it applied a concentrated Destructive Stress to the thin steel rod anchoring it to the building.
A faint, almost imperceptible *ping* echoed in the air.
The gargoyle, weighing hundreds of pounds, instantly detached. It plummeted down, not hitting Kevin, but smashing into the ledge *next* to him with a deafening *CRACK*.
The impact was enough. The shockwave of the falling stone, combined with the creature's frantic movements, caused the already stressed decorative ledge to crumble. Kevin screamed as the concrete beneath his feet gave way. He didn't fall far, however. He was caught by the reinforced network cable Elias was using, which now swung wildly.
The winged creature, startled by the noise and the falling debris, shrieked and flew away.
Elias quickly stabilized his descent. He was now swinging next to a terrified, dangling Kevin.
"Vance! Help me! My System is only for fighting, I can't climb!" Kevin cried, his energy blade sputtering out.
Elias looked at the terrified intern. He had used his power to create a controlled disaster, a calculated risk that saved his own life and, ironically, forced Kevin into a position where he needed Elias's help.
"Hold on tight, Kevin," Elias said, his voice calm and authoritative. "I'm the Architect. I'll get us down. But you follow my instructions. Every step."
He had just gained his first subordinate. And he hadn't even reached the ground floor yet. The game of building had begun.