[Chapter 10]

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  Zeldronia Age 598. Daycle 15 → 18. 293 hours later…

  Here, in the heart of the fledgling monster city, KiAera strode between classrooms and labs, her black wings brushing against the metallic platforms as she passed.

  Above her, dawn pushed its first light across the sky, and the floating spires of the Chimeron Sanctum shimmered in muted amethyst.

  Today was her first opportunity to trial the ManaNet, a network she, her elephant engineers, Dariel, and Yaella had designed to facilitate communication across species, dimensions, and consciousnesses. It was a delicate web of mana threads connecting citizens to their families, their families to the city, and the city to the broader weave of the monster world known as Zeldritzon.

  She tried to ignore the quiet reminder echoing in the back of her mind.

  Her Chancellors, Loa and Yaella, had warned her two evenings ago that if the central engine failed to stabilize during activation, the surrounding mana field could crack. The fallout would not go away quickly. Environmental instability. Mutations. Entire parts of the Sanctum drifting off or collapsing. Problems that could linger for decades.

  She had nodded, listened, and agreed to triple-check the channels. But she had not stepped away from the project. She could not. Not when the very idea of the ManaNet felt like a tether, a way to keep a piece of her human memories alive. If she stopped now, she feared she would lose that last thread.

  But for Void's sake, that was how the structure was explained by the scientists. Besides the dangers, KiAera had insisted on simply using the word cellphone. The jellyfish researchers, one snob in particular named EliTa, refused to abandon their intricate terminologies and jargon.

  "Your Earthen terms are obsolete. A cellphone is too mundane," EliTa had insisted, her tendrils flickering with indignation. "The ManaNet is a living abstraction, a dynamic conduit of thought and energy."

  To put it simple, it worked just like the internet and cellular networks, only with the boon of magitech.

  KiAera rolled her eyes, yet her fingers tightened around the prototype in her hands. If she thought too long about the warnings, she would stall. So she anchored herself in something familiar. "The ManaNet is a communication tool. And if calling it a darn cellphone helps people understand it, then I'm calling it a darn cellphone!"

  "Manaphone," EliTa corrected. "If you'd like to be terminologically accurate."

  "Terminologically accurate my—" KiAera sighed. Sure, she was right. It operated on mana frequencies, so there was no disagreement about that.

  She stepped away, deep in thought. The launch sequence had to be perfectly synchronized. Any delay risked increasing the mana fluctuations that Loa and Yaella had warned her about.

  EliTa, blissfully unaware of the onset of her departure, kept going. "What if the citizens become so absorbed in these phones that they forget to breathe? Or worse, what if they get stuck in the ManaNet and cannot log out? We could end up with legions of unproductive, mindless minions trapped in their dwellings!"

  KiAera paused and stared at her for a long, slow moment. "Right. Because obviously the greatest threat to society is recreational joy."

  EliTa hovered forward and brightened. "Exactly. You do understand."

  "No. But I do understand that if I stay here any longer we will miss our deployment window." KiAera tapped the prototype, the central glyph pulsing once in response. It shut off. "I need to be at Central Convergence Square before the Voltwasps' currents spike again."

  She did not add that the unstable currents made her stomach twist. If the Voltwasps refused cooperation, the imbalance might stress the engine even further. She had already accepted that she would step in if needed. She would protect this city, even if it meant correcting the system by hand.

  Before EliTa could reply, KiAera carved open a shimmering {Portal} beside her with a decisive snap of mana. She stepped through without another word, though not without muttering under her breath, "Your kind. Just wait until she sees the monster gaming tournaments I am planning."

  The portal snapped shut behind her with a very satisfying pop.

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  KiAera arrived at her destination, shuddering from the prickling sensation that accompanied portal travel, as if raindrops were running across her skin. It was a relieving reminder that she still had human-like sensations coursing through her veins, even amid the unique amalgamation of monster traits she had accumulated over the years. She emerged above the bustling hub of Central Convergence Square, a vast communal space filled with vibrant stalls and creatures from all walks of life bartering and sharing stories.

  This was where her true work would begin, and this time, she felt the weight of it.

  If the ManaNet failed here, if the engine destabilized, all of these creatures— all of these precious, new lives— would suffer. She touched the prototype again, letting its faint hum steady her nerves. In its reflection, her blue eyes glowed like faint flames.

  Though the wind currents here were stronger than she liked, blowing her hood down.

  The breeze tickled her cat-like tufts, and her black hair fell into her face as she swiped overzealous strands back into place. As she advanced toward a gleaming platform at the center of the square, she noted the small crowd gathering, with murmurs of excitement building as a pair of behemoth treekins set up a large projection screen.

  She landed on a terrace overlooking the central plaza. Below, the kids gathered: oni, plantkin, and beastfolk, all blinking in curiosity at the floating, glowing sigils that marked the zone.

  "Big Sis, is it almost time for the lunch?"

  Liozel's voice tugged at her heartstrings. She peered over her shoulder and smiled before ruffling his reddish hair the moment he approached, his reptilian tail swaying in excitement. The A-shaped mark between his brows peeked from under a budding horn, giving him a determined look beyond his age.

  KiAera knelt slightly so their eyes met. "Launch, Lio. And yes, we are just moments away. I am waiting for Gilbud to finish negotiating with the Voltwasps." She knelt further to adjust one of the sigils and felt the faint tremor of the current through the platform floor. Too uneven. Too sharp.

  She brought her hand to her chin, contemplating. "Their currents are fluctuating again, so if their queen digs in her heels again I may have to stabilize the grid manually. That would be messy, but it would work."

  Voltwasps were a wasp-type creature notorious for their fierce independence and unyielding nature. They communicated through a complex series of vibrations, electrical currents, and pheromones that KiAera suspected would not easily mesh with the mana-based frequency of the ManaNet. Convincing a species that thrived on secrecy to engage with a network designed for openness could be a tall order.

  "You think Queen Zesza would reject the offer outright?" Liozel asked.

  KiAera shrugged, though not without determination behind it. "If she does, I will adjust the circuitry myself and reroute their portion of the net." Perhaps she would benefit from Endigo, Wazeke, and Viz's assistance too. The three were astounding {Volt} practitioners.

  Liozel's eyes widened. "That sounds dangerous."

  "It is not ideal," KiAera said, keeping her voice light for his sake, "but the ManaNet is launching today. One way or another, I am not letting this city start without a way for its people to reach one another."

  She looked out over the Square, letting the faces below steady her.

  Liozel leaned into her for a brief, almost shy hug, and KiAera allowed herself a moment longer than she usually would to embrace him. The warmth grounded her, reminded her why she had chosen to launch the ManaNet despite the warnings, and strengthened her resolve.

  When she finally straightened, the edges of worry remained, but beneath it lay determination. She would protect them. She had to. Gesturing her hands, she began to cast various defensive spells in case the negotiations failed.

  "{Spectral Surge} to coat the frequencies with resilience."

  "{Spatial Shielding} to create a buffer against any electrical backlash."

  "{Transmission Alteration} to adjust the currents for optimal resonance."

  "Big Sis, you look like a real sorceress!" Lio exclaimed, hopping on his feet with glee. She smiled as Liozel watched, his eyes bright with admiration, while magical glyphs spiraled into the air, casting a beautiful, protective aurora over the city.

  She tried not to bask too much in his praise, though she had to admit it did lift her spirits.

  Humming as her spells were being cast, the {Chimera's Mark} below her right eye shimmered. Her fingertips ignited with energy as she wove the spells together into a potent fusion, the air rippling with the incantations she wanted to imbue into the environment—her [Revision] trait.

  But as she pressed forward, she slammed into an unexpected resistance; an intelligence was actively sabotaging her hold on the Chimeron Sanctum. Her {Spatial Sight} triggered in response, her eyes blazing with heat as her awareness unfurled in all directions. The power swept outward from her like a shockwave, forming a perfect 360-degree sphere of perception that reached farther than sight alone ever could.

  No way.

  There—at the very edge of her extended vision—she caught the source of the disturbance. Zesza, all the way in distant Vesperia, was clawing at the threads of the ManaNet itself, her needle-like nails prying into the frequency with intentional malice.

  What in the realms was she thinking?!

  Shifting her focus, KiAera followed another ripple across the vast spatial field. Far off near the radiant hive-plaza, she spotted Gilbud, the spokes-elephant tasked to convince the Voltwasps to activate the ManaNet system. He was approaching the lively swarm that circled the fringes of the radiant hive-palace.

  Sensing the hostile tension in the air, a prickle of dread tightened KiAeea's chest; fear for Gilbud's wellbeing.

  The Voltwasps' queen was known for her meticulousness in negotiations, but this wasn't her usual behavior…

  As Gilbud gestured animatedly, KiAera made her way to the balcony's edge, where she could get a clearer view of the ongoing discussions, even though she was in a different district entirely. She caught snippets of Gilbud's voice, tinged with frustration as he articulated the benefits of the ManaNet to the stubborn wasp-like creatures.

  "…It will enhance your communication, help you find resources faster, and keep you connected with your kin, yo!" he pleaded, his own anxiety evident as he looked up toward KiAera, or rather, the direction of the Chimeron Sanctum.

  But judging by Queen Zesza's irate, imposing stature and her antenna twitching with agitation, things were not progressing as hoped.