Iron stood on the top platform of the three-meter tower under construction. Gathered around the engineer were Marek, a few of the sharpest blacksmiths, and Noah.
In front of them, resting on a workbench, was the partially assembled power unit for the upcoming turret. Iron tapped his finger against it to command their attention.
"Listen carefully and memorize the specifications," he began dryly. "This installation is our only viable option against aerial targets. The design is split into six key elements. Each has its own strict physical function:"
"'Ocean'—the load-bearing, high-durability frame. This is the backbone of the entire tower, taking on the main mechanical stress and dampening recoil when firing. The metal here must be cast perfectly, with zero voids."
"'Omega'—the outer armor. Its job is to protect internal components from physical damage and shrapnel."
"'Prism'—the thermal protection layer. It prevents excess heat from transferring from the barrel to the computing instruments."
"'Sun'—the active cooling system. It channels heat away from the reactor during operation."
"'Chaos'—the energy core. The main power source for the entire tower, converting ether into concentrated pulses."
"'Celestial'—the combined unit at the summit. It integrates tracking sensors, a computing module, and a focusing lens at the muzzle."
Marek studied the blueprint intently, glancing back and forth between the schematic and the physical parts.
"So if even a single component fails, this whole thing turns into junk?"
"Precisely," Iron nodded. "If 'Sun' gets clogged with dirt, the reactor will melt 'Celestial' within three minutes of operation. If 'Ocean' warps, the drives will jam on the very first turn. That's why we build strictly by the manual. No improvising."
Iron turned the page of the blueprint, revealing a cross-section of the upper rotating platform.
"Now, as for how this system operates in practice," the engineer continued, pointing to a spherical dome at the top of the diagram. "The process is fully automated."
He traced the outline of the sensor module with his finger:
"The sensor unit from 'Celestial' at the top of the tower rotates continuously, scanning the sky three hundred and sixty degrees. The system is tuned to three triggers: physical motion, sharp magical surges, and large concentrations of thermal or kinetic energy."
Iron shifted his finger to the computing unit at the base of the turret.
"The instant a target is detected, the processor immediately executes four operations: determines exact distance, calculates object speed, locks onto flight vector, and computes lead time. The tower automatically traverses to the target sector. The drives allow the barrel to elevate from the horizon up to ninety degrees—meaning it can fire practically straight up."
"And what happens at the moment of firing?" Noah asked, peering closely at the calculation tables.
"The 'Chaos' core releases its accumulated energy," Iron explained dryly. "This flow passes through the focusing lens of 'Celestial', compresses to its limit, and tears away from the muzzle as a concentrated energy bolt. Essentially, it's the same ammunition my pistol fires, but tens of times more powerful and far more stable."
The engineer held up two fingers:
"The tower will have two primary firing modes. First—standard. Single precision shots against agile, individual targets. High accuracy, minimal energy consumption, and virtually zero wear on the cooling system. Second—burst mode. Designed for large, slow objects or dense enemy formations. The turret fires three rapid, powerful shots in succession, after which the system forcibly locks out firing for several seconds so 'Sun' can vent excess pressure and cool the lens."
Marek nodded in agreement, scribbling a quick note in his notebook.
"Sounds reliable. But if they swarm us from multiple sides at once, one tower won't be enough, right?"
"Which is precisely why there will be four," Iron replied, rolling up the blueprint. "And they must be configured so their firing arcs overlap."
He handed the rolled blueprint to one of his assistants.
"Let's move on to practice," his voice rang out flat and dry. "Marek, on the second tower under construction, you need to reinforce the joints of the 'Ocean' load-bearing frame. The pulse recoil in burst mode will be colossal. Standard fasteners will simply shear off after the very first burst. Use reinforced studs."
Marek nodded in agreement, scribbling a quick note in his booklet.
"One more thing," the engineer added, pointing to the base of the third tower. "You need to recalibrate the 'Sun' cooling system on that one. If there's even the slightest pressure leak in the loop, circulation will fail, and the reactor will melt the entire installation from the inside out. Check the pipe pressure yourself."
Having finished his instructions, Iron climbed down the wooden scaffolding to the ground with firm steps.
He walked slowly along the defensive perimeter, inspecting the formation of golems. Selecting a few at random, he checked the security of the armor plates on the behemoths before shifting his gaze to the ground turrets already completed and camouflaged in the grass.
All systems were functioning nominally, but that offered the engineer no comfort. In his mind, Lumon was continuously running simulations of the upcoming assault, and the results showed that the current defenses were insufficient against a full-fledged army.
We need to expand the defense network, Iron concluded.
A priority list quickly formed in his mind:
Minefields: the approaches to the camp from the forest side had to be blocked. Chaos alloy would serve as the explosive, Omega for a durable fragmentation casing, and Celestial as a proximity motion sensor for detonation.
Energy spears: Dornheim's infantry needed weapons capable of punching through the heavy armor of the royal guard with ease.
A massive siege cannon: a high-power long-range piece to suppress enemy artillery and break the shields of siege mages.
Iron paused at the edge of the defensive moat, watching the men at work.
Will we have enough time to pull all this off?
He stepped toward the edge of the construction site, away from the bustle and noise of the working men.
Iron raised his right hand and opened his palm, staring down at his fingers.
Lumon, let's run a quick local interaction test. Minimum power, he commanded in his mind.
"Request accepted," the cold voice responded instantly. "Focusing on a volume of ten cubic centimeters above your palm. Select physical variable."
Iron chose the simplest and safest option—temperature.
He focused his gaze on the air molecules right above his skin. Forcibly redistributing thermal energy, he made the molecules in the targeted zone slow down sharply, stripping them of kinetic energy and dispersing it into the surrounding space.
The air above his palm chilled instantly. Moisture in the air condensed, and right between his fingers, a tiny snowflake formed with a faint rustle. It hovered a couple of millimeters off his skin.
"Calculation margin of error: 0.02%. Temperature gradient stabilized at -15°C. Energy loss minimal," Lumon reported.
Iron gave his fingers a slight twitch. The speck of ice collapsed into dust instantly, and the air temperature returned to normal.
Iron slowly closed his hand into a fist.
"In principle... I'm ready," he murmured aloud, looking out at the towers rising in the distance.
At the very same time in the Kingdom of Kront, a secret meeting was taking place in the castle dungeons. Three men were in the room: King Olgerd, King Edriac, and King Valdes. All guards and servants had been left outside behind heavy iron doors.
In the center of the hall, resting on massive tables, were the crates Olgerd had received from Lucius. Several containers had already been opened, revealing intricate metallic mechanisms, shimmering indicators, and strange power units.
"This is why I brought you here," Olgerd motioned toward the laid-out gear. "These are the weapons and mechanisms Master Lucius handed over to me. Our primary objective right now is to dissect them in detail, understand how they work, and integrate these technologies into our armies for the coming campaign."
Edriac stepped closer, examining one of the smooth-barreled rifles with a purple cell at its base with suspicion.
"Are you certain our people will understand what this is?" he asked, touching the dark metal.
"They have no choice but to understand," Olgerd snapped dryly. "Lucius left detailed instructions on paper—everything is written out. If we want to stand any chance against Dornheim, we must equip our advance units with these devices."
Valdes walked around the table, carefully studying the contents of one of the largest crates. Inside lay a massive, long-barreled weapon featuring a complex optical system and rows of strange lenses.
"Alright, infantry weapons make sense," he said, brushing his fingers against the barrel's matte surface. "But this? What is this meant to face?"
Olgerd looked at him with an exhausted stare.
"That cannon is for the divine spirit Elyria."
Silence instantly gripped the room. Edriac and Valdes stared at Olgerd with identical looks of profound shock.
"The divine spirit Elyria?" Edriac broke the silence first, his voice tightening noticeably. "She's... she's on Dornheim's side?"
"Yes," Olgerd confirmed dryly.
"Wait," Edriac frowned, trying to piece together past events. "Was she even there at all?"
A sudden and deeply unpleasant realization washed over Valdes' face.
"During my visit, I only saw a little floating spirit..." he said slowly. "Hold on. Don't tell me she..."
Olgerd gave a silent nod.
Edriac looked back and forth between the two kings in utter bewilderment.
"Now it makes sense why Master Lucius gave us this arsenal."
"Enough empty talk and panic," Olgerd cut him off, slamming shut the lid of an empty container. "Time is short. Let's inspect these devices and summon our finest craftsmen. We need to get all of this combat-ready as soon as possible."
The kings exchanged glances and, without another word, set to work, laying out the weapon components across the tables.
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