The Will to Live Is My Strongest Skill

I stood at the gates, huddled in my worn jacket. The eye on the gate leaf had grown brighter overnight.

​"I’m telling you, it’s useless," Noah’s voice came from behind me.

​He was lazily swinging his legs, clad in leather boots, tossing a short blade in his hand. Elyria hovered in the air before him. Today, the spirit had chosen the form of a translucent girl in a dress made of interwoven bindweed stems.

​"You understand nothing of life," Elyria huffed. "The wood of the gate is suffering. This blue abscess is sucking the life out of it. I’m simply trying to heal it."

​She waved a hand. Vivid green moss surged from the cracks in the oak planks. In seconds, it thicky covered the magical mark, and three large, yellow dandelions bloomed on top.

​"There," Elyria folded her arms contentedly. "Now it’s beautiful."

​Noah squinted. A moment later, the blue glow pierced through the thick moss and dandelion petals again.

​"Beautiful," Noah remarked. "I’m sure the College will be deeply moved. Maybe they’ll even cry before they kill us."

​Elyria’s lips thinned in annoyance. A sharp gust of wind swept across the square, kicking up a cloud of pollen.

​"Elyria!" Noah hissed, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "If I sneeze one more time, your entire forest is turning to dust."

​"Just you try it, bloodsucker!" Elyria soared higher, dry leaves swirling around her in a miniature vortex.

​"Enough," I muttered. "Your bickering is only making my head hurt worse."

​I stepped closer to the gates and activated Lumon.

​[OBJECT: Magical Marker 'Observer’s Eye']

[STATUS: Active. Data transfer: 4.2 kb/s (etheric equivalent)]

[FREQUENCY: Variable. Harmonic 440 Hz]

​I shifted my gaze to Noah. I was curious if the system could produce anything coherent regarding him this time.

​[WARNING: Scan Error]

[OBJECT: Noah]

[PARAMETERS: Undefined. Physical density: Unstable]

"I see..."

​The next few hours were engineering hell. Darwin and I locked ourselves in the workshop. Copper coils, mica sheets, and several rare crystals I’d "borrowed" from the Count’s alchemist while he slept lay on the table.

​"Look, Iron," Darwin wiped sweat from his forehead with a greasy towel. "I get the cannons. I get the steam boiler. But this... 'jammer'? You’re serious about confusing magic with wire and jars of acid?"

​"In this case, magic is a signal," I said, tightening a bolt on the massive copper frame. "If we create a powerful enough field around the gates, their 'Eye' will see nothing but gray noise."

​Walter looked in. The Count’s assistant looked as impeccable as ever, save for a slight look of bewilderment.

​"Master Iron, His Excellency asks for clarification: why is scaffolding being erected around the gates and wrapped in copper cable? The locals have started bringing offerings—cream and pies—to the gates."

​I sighed.

"Let them bring them. Elyria likes cream. As for the cable... tell the Count it’s an early warning system."

​Walter nodded, though his eyes showed he didn't believe a single word.

​By evening, the "jammer" was ready. It was a bulky frame mounted above the gates. Inside, copper discs spun in special slots, driven by a small spring mechanism.

​I pulled the lever. The discs began to spin, emitting a low, vibrating hum. Lumon responded immediately:

​[INTERFERENCE: 78%]

[VISUALIZATION: 'Eye' signal fragmented]

​"It’s working," I exhaled.

​The blue light of the mark didn't go out, but it began to flicker and tremor.

​"The mages won't hear the hum unless they get right up against it," I said.

​"They’re already close," Noah said calmly.

​"Where?"

​"Three miles south, by the Old Causeway. Five of them. Magical scouts. They’ve set traps on the trail."

​"How do you know?" I frowned. My sensors hadn't picked up anything at that distance.

​Elyria, perched on a branch of a nearby apple tree, giggled.

"The trees are whispering."

​"I’ll go check," Noah pushed off the wall.

​"Wait," I stepped toward him. "Take a few of Wayland’s guards. We can’t start an open fight..."

​"Guards will only get in the way. I’m just going for a walk. I need to gather some forest berries."

​Noah returned an hour later. His clothes were as clean as before. He walked up to Darwin and me, as we were still tinkering with the jammer’s settings.

​"Didn't find any berries," he reported casually, tossing a heavy leather pouch and a small silver plate with the College crest onto the table. "Found these, though."

​Darwin cautiously opened the pouch. Gold glinted dully inside.

"Is this... their treasury?"

​"They won't be needing it. They were very careless."

​"Did you kill them?" I asked. "Noah, we agreed..."

​"They just fell," Noah interrupted. "Fell on their own swords. Five times in a row. Such bad luck, wouldn't you say?"

​Elyria dived from the apple tree and sat on Noah’s shoulder.

"He’s lying, Iron. He just scared them so badly their hearts stopped. Those who survived are running toward the capital now, stuttering and confusing their left from their right. But he took the token beautifully. Right out of that old man in black's hands."

​"Right... their pathos is stifling," I muttered, looking at the silver plate. It was engraved: Anomaly Control Section. "Elyria, get your flowers off my boots. I’m serious."

​"Oh, stop it," the spirit laughed, and tiny white daisies instantly bloomed on Noah’s boots. "It suits you. You look like a decent person now."

​"The people I have to work with..." I exhaled. "Darwin."

​"Yeah?" Darwin was still counting the gold.

​"Increase the pressure in the boilers. And tomorrow, start casting the casings for the mines."

​Noah suddenly stopped at the entrance to my house. "Iron. Your machine... it can see more than just magic, can’t it?"

​"Meaning?"

​"Does it see fear?"

​I looked at him. "No. Why?"

​"So smart, yet you couldn't make it see fear."

​"It’s actually quite difficult to make a device that defines fear," I said. Though it sounds like a brilliant idea, I thought.

​Night fell over Dornheim. Elyria flew toward the forest. I remained by the gates, rethinking our plan for the hundredth time, staring up at the vastness of space.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!