A week passed in relative tranquility. The Greystone survivors began to find their place within Havenwood's rhythm. Martha, with her experience, naturally gravitated towards helping Elara organize village patrols and resource management. The children, including a few orphans from Greystone, slowly started to laugh again. Kenji, while still an object of quiet curiosity, was largely left to his own devices. He used this time productively, his Aether reserves now close to full.
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[SAI - System Log/User Status & Ability Update]
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USER: Kenji Tanaka
AETHER STATUS:
Internal Aether: 92/100 Units.
SYSTEM ARCHITECT INTERFACE:
Current Level: 1
Experience to Level 2: 35%
NEW SUB-ROUTINE UNLOCKED:
Name: 'Aetheric Resonance Scan - Basic'
Function: Allows for detection of concentrated Aether or Aetheric
disturbances within a short range.
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The new "Resonance Scan" was a welcome development. It was like a ping command for Aether, allowing him to get a feel for the ambient energy and, more importantly, for anomalies. He spent hours "mapping" the Aetheric currents around Havenwood, a task that was both mentally taxing and strangely exhilarating. It was like learning the underlying topography of a new operating system.
His "Firefly Net" (APEWS) was also progressing. He'd managed to create a few prototype Aetheric Sensors – tiny, almost invisible motes of condensed Aether that would resonate alerts if they detected the specific, corrupted Aether signature of Blighted creatures. Deploying them discreetly was the next challenge.
The first sign of trouble came not from his sensors, but from Finn and his hunting party. They returned one evening, days earlier than expected, their faces grim, carrying not game, but a wounded scout from a neighboring, even more isolated homestead further up the mountains.
"Blighted," Finn reported to Elara in the communal hall, his voice tight. The entire village seemed to hold its breath. "A new kind. Smaller than Ravagers, faster. Like giant, corrupted insects. They swarmed a small logging camp north of here. The scout, Torvin, was the only one to escape. He says they… they burrow."
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[SAI - System Log/New Entity Data (Incomplete)]
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ENTITY TYPE (Probable): Blighted Skitterers
DATA SOURCE: Secondhand Account (Torvin, Scout)
OBSERVED CHARACTERISTICS:
- Form: Insectoid
- Exoskeleton: Chitinous
- Locomotion: Multiple Limbs, Burrowing Capability
THREAT ASSESSMENT (Preliminary):
- Threat Level: Unknown
- Primary Concern: Potential for subterranean infiltration, bypassing
conventional defenses.
SYSTEM WARNING:
Current APEWS sensor configuration (v0.0.1 'Firefly Net') is designed for
ground-level/aerial detection. Subterranean threats may not be detected.
Recommend sensor recalibration.
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Kenji felt a cold dread. Burrowing. That was a serious system vulnerability.
Torvin, pale and feverish, his arm bandaged with poultices applied by Old Man Hemlock, confirmed Finn's report. "They came out of the ground… dozens of them. Sharp claws, mandibles that dripped black… stuff. We didn't stand a chance." His voice was hoarse with pain and terror.
Elara's face was a mask of stoic concern. "How close to Havenwood was this logging camp?"
"Two days' hard march," Finn said. "But if they burrow… they could be anywhere. They could be moving faster underground."
Panic rippled through the assembled villagers. Whispers of "we're next" and "the mountains are no longer safe" filled the hall.
Martha stepped forward. "Panicking won't help. We need to strengthen our patrols, double the watch on the palisade."
"And what if they come from below?" a villager cried out. "The palisade won't stop that!"
Elara raised a hand for silence. "We will do what we can. Finn, take your best trackers. Scout the area around the logging camp. See if you can determine their numbers, their direction. Be cautious. Your lives are more valuable than information if the risk is too great."
Finn nodded, his jaw set.
Later that night, Kenji found Elara sitting alone by the communal hall's dying fire. Lyra hovered nearby, her light dim with worry.
"Elder Elara," Kenji began, "about these… Skitterers. My… observations suggest that detecting subterranean movement is difficult with conventional means."
Elara looked at him, her eyes sharp. "And your unconventional means, Kenji-san? Can they offer insight?"
This was it. The moment to step further out of the shadows. "Perhaps. I've been working on a… a type of Aetheric sensor. It might be possible to adapt them to detect vibrations or Aetheric disturbances beneath the ground. It would be experimental."
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[SAI - System Log/Development Proposal]
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PROJECT: APEWS Sensor Upgrade (Subterranean Detection)
PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS (DAS Units):
- Implement seismic resonance detection algorithms.
- Implement subterranean Aetheric anomaly scanning protocols.
- Recalibrate for Aetheric 'tuning' to filter ambient ground noise.
ESTIMATED DEVELOPMENT TIME: 12-24 hours (intensive, focused effort).
ESTIMATED SUCCESS PROBABILITY (Initial): 65-75%.
REQUIREMENTS: Quiet workspace, user discretion.
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Elara considered his words. "Experimental is better than blindness, when facing a new type of darkness. What would you need?"
"A quiet place to work. And… for now… your discretion," Kenji said. "The less people know about the specifics, the better. Until I'm sure it works."
"You will have both," Elara promised. "The old storehouse at the edge of the village is rarely used. Work there. Lyra can stand guard. And Kenji-san," she added, her voice softer, "Aethelgard has a way of testing those it chooses for great tasks. Try not to let the weight of it crush you."
Kenji nodded, a strange mixture of anxiety and resolve settling within him. The Blight's shadow was lengthening, and his "Firefly Net" was about to get a critical system upgrade. The whispers of danger were growing louder, and he had to find a way to make his code scream a warning before it was too late.