The smell of oil, solder, and warm machinery filled the small workshop. Aiden stepped inside, eyes scanning the room like a general surveying a battlefield. The engineers looked up, wary. To them, he was a young, confident man with uncanny insight into designs they had struggled with for months. To Aiden, they were the first real tools in a chain that could save humanity.
The Yuan Spirit hovered silently in the corner, its glow dim but steady. "Remember," it said, voice calm yet echoing in his mind, "this is the first test of your ability to combine knowledge with action. What you do here will shape everything to come."
Aiden nodded. "I understand. Let's get to work."
He strode to the central workbench, placing his hands on blueprints he had sketched in the past days. Tiny robots—barely larger than a loaf of bread—were lined up, each with rudimentary manipulators and sensors. In the future, scaled-up versions of these machines had fought alongside humans, salvaged rubble, and even defended small settlements against Apocalyptical Entities.
"These units are inefficient," he said, pointing to one prototype. "Motors are underpowered. Sensors are delayed. Algorithms are slow. We can do better. We will do better."
The engineers exchanged nervous glances. None of them had seen someone critique their work with such absolute clarity.
Aiden moved methodically, rearranging components, recalculating energy consumption, and sketching adjustments to chassis designs. He explained, in meticulous detail, how minor changes in weight distribution and sensor placement would increase speed, reaction time, and overall efficiency.
Hours passed in a blur. Components were soldered, motors upgraded, wiring reconfigured, and code rewritten. Aiden monitored every test, every failure, every improvement. With each iteration, the small robots moved faster, more precisely, and with surprising autonomy.
The Yuan Spirit hovered closer. "You are progressing faster than even the original designers in the future. But do not let arrogance blind you. Efficiency is necessary, but reliability is survival."
Aiden's lips pressed into a thin line. "I understand."
By evening, the first prototype—Prototype Alpha—stood fully operational. Small, agile, and surprisingly intelligent, it moved with precision across the workshop floor, responding to commands almost instantly.
The engineers were awestruck. "I… I didn't think it could move like that," one muttered. "How did you do it?"
Aiden didn't answer directly. He smiled faintly. "It's not about doing it alone. It's about knowing what's necessary, and executing it precisely."
The Yuan Spirit's form shimmered, approval in its quiet presence. "You have taken the first step toward creating a force capable of shaping the future. But one prototype does not an army make. Expansion, resources, and training must follow."
Aiden nodded again. He already envisioned the next stage: scaling the design, integrating more complex AI, and eventually constructing drones and robotic units capable of supporting human soldiers in both offensive and defensive operations. Every blueprint, every adjustment, every line of code was a seed for the future war he knew was coming.
That night, after the engineers had left, Aiden remained behind, watching Prototype Alpha move through a small obstacle course he had designed. He analyzed every motion, every delay, every error. Even though it was his first real success, he knew failure was still possible. Perfection was a necessity.
The Yuan Spirit spoke softly, almost a whisper. "Each success now compounds in the future. Remember that this workshop, these engineers, these small machines—they are your foundation. Humanity's survival will depend on them."
Aiden's eyes glinted with determination. "Then I will make them stronger. I will make them faster. I will make them perfect. And when the time comes…" He paused, staring at the tiny, glowing machine, "we will be ready."
He closed the workshop for the night, blueprints clutched tightly in his hands, mind racing through the possibilities. Tomorrow, he would begin the next phase: scaling production, increasing efficiency, and integrating more advanced designs. Step by step, layer by layer, Aiden Revale was building the backbone of a force humanity didn't yet know it needed.
The Yuan Spirit lingered behind as he left, silent and steady. Its essence had transferred to Aiden, but its watchful guidance remained. "The path has begun," it murmured. "And it will not be easy."
Aiden's reply was unspoken but clear: Nothing worth doing ever is.