It was a curious system, but it also raised more questions. If the labyrinth was harvesting and concentrating mana in this way, what would happen if I disrupted that flow? Would the labyrinth collapse, or would it adapt in some other way? Would I be slowing down its growth?

  I wanted to study the possibilities, but I couldn’t be reckless. Before anything, I had to make sure that the place wouldn’t collapse with my actions. I could leave that aspect in Glacien hands or paws? Her sharp senses would always notice if something was amiss, after all. She didn’t show that she noticed that something was about to happen in the previous labyrinth, but I wanted to believe that she learned from that.

  “If you notice that something is slightly off, I need you to inform me immediately, all right?”

  “Awoo!”

  “Okay, you can go hunt them. Don’t forget to put the bodies in the magic bag.”

  “Awoo!”

  Her spirited response passed confidence, but I set limits for her, knowing her safety came first. She could only hunt until noon, ensuring she stayed close to the safer upper levels of the labyrinth. This limited her reach, but it also prevented her from venturing too deep into areas where she might encounter creatures far beyond her strength. The risks in those depths weren’t worth it, not for her, at least for now.

  With Glacien on the hunt, I turned my attention to my preparations. If I wanted to uncover the secrets of the labyrinth, I couldn’t afford to go in blind. The possibilities of danger were endless, but so was the potential for discovery.

  Turning the area into a minefield was dangerous, but it was necessary given that the enemies were ants. If they could dig into that mana rich amber, then they could rip apart the whole mountain if they had enough time and numbers on their side. Still, that was only the first line of defense. I filled the area with arcane traps. I also marked the places where they would be. I also did some tests and confirmed that I could dig holes and they wouldn’t activate in those holes if someone stepped above it.

  The second line of defense would be my own vehicle. While creating automatic turrets was still beyond my skill for now, I could make thanks to the enchantments that I had learned. I made a flamethrower. Instead of one, I made three of them and then connected them together, making them also draw energy from a single slot where I could attach mana cores. This would only make them last five seconds, but it was fine. Given that the power of the flames was still based on my magic, something like a need to reload every five seconds was nothing.

  I’ve made promising progress with my flying fortress experiments by enhancing the helix mechanism with wind magic. The upgrades have solved the issue of lift, allowing the fortress to rise off the ground smoothly and hover at a stable height of about five meters. Watching it float was an incredible feeling, like seeing the first step of a dream come to life. However, while the upward thrust works flawlessly, I’ve run into a significant limitation: maneuverability. The platform can only hover in place and struggles to move horizontally or adjust its orientation. It feels like I’ve hit a wall, as the system wasn’t designed to handle anything beyond vertical lift.

  To move forward, I’ll need to rethink how the wind magic is applied. The energy works well for generating lift, but redirecting it for lateral movement creates instability. When I try to push the fortress in any direction, the balance falters, and it either wobbles or starts to lose height. This tells me I need better energy control within the helix and perhaps structural adjustments to handle the stress of dynamic movement. It’s a frustrating challenge, but also an exciting one. With more fine-tuning, I’m confident I can figure out how to achieve both stable lift and full mobility, bringing the dream of a fully functional flying fortress one step closer to reality.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  I can keep improving this, but the ideas that I had are still incomplete for the next few steps. I could keep going like this, but it would take more time if I had things planned.

  While I was thinking about that, I saw Alissandra trying to move from her basket and being able to get up by herself. She could at least sit in the basket now. Her arms were still a bit weak and chubby to do anything else, but it seemed like a matter of time before… All of a sudden, I saw the part of the blanket on the back had been moving. Right where her wings were supposed to be.

  ‘I guess if she can move her arms and legs to this extent, then it isn’t surprising that she can move her wings. I need to be extra careful from here onwards to make sure that she won’t disappear while I am busy.’

  That would be disastrous… even more so when Glacien wasn’t around to track her down. She still needs to sleep a lot, so it is better to help her burn the energy by teaching her how to stand by herself slowly. I should also teach some discipline as well. Basic stuff would do for the time being.

  Kids are notoriously bad with rules. They tend to resist them or simply ignore them when they don’t see the point. But I’ve learned that once they understand how those rules can actually benefit them, they do just fine. The trick is helping them connect the dots between the structure rules provide and the freedom or opportunities those rules can unlock. It’s not always easy, but it’s a rewarding process when they finally get it.

  With Alissandra, I had to approach things carefully. I knew that for her to grow and thrive, she needed to understand not just the rules but the reasons behind them, how they could help her navigate the world and live freely on her own terms. That meant working around her natural resistance and finding ways to integrate lessons into her experiences. I wanted her to develop a strong sense of adaptability and independence, so she’d be able to live and grow anywhere she chose without being held back by unfamiliar environments or expectations. It’s a challenge, but it’s worth it to see her take those steps toward becoming someone who can shape her own future confidently.

  While I was thinking about that, I heard the sound of footsteps outside. I decided to check things there without making any noise, but soon I lowered my guard a bit when I found Roswald looking around. He couldn’t see the camouflage walls, but he could sense that there was something ahead, but he didn’t want to move without knowing what it was or if it was dangerous.

  ‘He found this place rather fast… or perhaps not, given that we have been here for a while.’

  In any case, given that I improved the wagon to leave as little signs on the areas we crossed, that showed that his tracking skills were way above average. There was also the possibility that he tracked me by my scent, given that half vampires aren’t that common.

  “Oh? It looks like you already found a place to stay.”

  I opened the entrance and then Roswald found me. He looked cautious until now, but then he soon relaxed. In his hands, he had a piece of paper… he soon handed it to me. It was probably the map that I wanted, but it wouldn’t be necessary for a while.

  “I am just passing by to give you this. I can’t afford to see how you are changing the scenario, at least more than I already did.”

  “I see.”

  I received the map and opened it. It was pretty detailed… I could count at least twenty labyrinths across the country. I could count as many towns and around five cities as well.

  The orcs, goblins and ogres were close to the coast in the South. They were pretty far away from my current location and so were the big cities. There were some towns nearby, but the distance was at least fifty kilometers.

  “It seems that you found them.”

  “Yes, they are heading south. Do you want to hear how our conversation went?”

  “If you believe that is necessary.”

  Roswald was probably feeling a bit tired and could use some time to rest before continuing with his plans. He’d been pushing himself hard, and even someone like him has limits. I figured the least I could do was offer him some help. I had plenty of stamina potions to spare, so giving him a few seemed like an easy way to lend a hand.

  That said, I knew stamina potions had their limitations. They could restore physical energy and keep someone going for longer, but they weren’t a perfect solution. They couldn’t completely dissipate the mental or muscle fatigue that builds up over time. Rest and recovery were still essential, no matter how many potions someone had. I hoped the potions would at least take the edge off and give him a bit more breathing room to focus on what he needed to do next.

  While drinking some potions, Roswald told me the situation… As expected, the alliance soon found an issue right off the bat. The beastkin were already in alliance with dwarves and they couldn’t join another that readily. Their goal to increase the size of it to match the empire was probably the only option left… but I was only more interested in the possibility of Nimir and Clarice meeting on the battlefield.