CHAPTER 220: YEARS LATER (2)

In a large, transparent, dome-like structure, a trinity of creators stood before their magnum opus. Here, in this clean room, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Human worked together in perfect synchrony, a sight that would have been impossible just a few short years ago.

Before them stood the five meter tall satellite, its primary form a sleek, capsule-like structure made of a cobalt-blue alloy.

The metal seemed to absorb the light in the room, giving it a non-reflective, almost stealthy quality.

Etched across its curved surface was an intricate and mesmerizing network of silvery runes, acting as visible power conduits.

Thin, brilliant lines could be seen flowing through them, originating from a main power hub at the base of the capsule and branching out across the entire structure to feed the attached systems.

These systems included a large, parabolic communications dish that crowned the top of the satellite, its silver surface aimed at the heavens.

Below it, a series of multifaceted crystal lenses, arranged in a complex array, served as its primary tool for deep-space observation.

Dotted across the rest of its body were smaller, specialized sensor arrays and maneuvering thrusters, all seamlessly integrated into the blue hull and connected by the glowing runic network.

The atmosphere in the room was tense, but the occupants worked with an ease, seemingly oblivious to the large crowd that had gathered outside the transparent walls to witness this historic moment.

Damien was handling the final plating with delicacy. Princess Nyra didn’t seem to be doing much now, but in the initial, year-long design phase, it was her affinity for mana and that had allowed for the complex calculations needed to stabilize the design to be gotten right.

But it was the Adrian, who was the brains behind the project. It was not an exaggeration to say that they had failed to get their desired results in over eight hundred tries within the controlled perfection of the Simulation Chamber.

Now, undertaking the main challenge of crafting it in the real world, they had to account for a thousand new variables: the unpredictable fluctuations, the slight imperfections in forged materials...

After Adrian applied the last of the paint on the Satellite to give it a decent look, he admired it for a while, before pulling out the final, crucial piece for the invention.

A large, black crystal materialized in his hand, and he stared at it for a moment. It was a perfect, obsidian-like sphere that seemed to swallow the light around it.

Nyra came closer to him, "Adrian... is there truly no other alternative?"

Adrian shook his head and said with an equally soft voice. "There are other power sources, yes. But none are as potent or as stable. We don’t know what to expect when the time comes. This has to be our best shot."

Nyra sighed. "I know. It’s just... that crystal. It feels wrong."

Adrian understood her worry. The black crystal was the most powerful and mysterious item in his arsenal, aside from the Xqvëjn Key. It was the crystal he had harvested from the necromancy formation.

What made it different was that he had a vague idea of what it was responsible for. It contained a terrifying amount of mana, like a magic crystal of an impossible grade. But the mana within was too concentrated and too dense for even his Dantian to absorb.

What he could do, however, was use it as a self-contained, inexhaustible power source for his biggest invention yet.

"There are high chances that this crystal has more functions than just being a power source," Adrian said, his gaze fixed on the dark sphere. "But for now, this is all I can use it for. And its role is necessary."

He paused, then added a final reassurance. "Besides, I will be able to retrieve it back into my [Inventory] in the event of an unexpected outcome. I will not lose control of it."

After earning a reluctant nod from Nyra, Adrian walked forward and gently placed the black crystal into a recessed socket at the base of the satellite.

He twisted it into place. The moment it clicked, the blue runic lines covering the entire structure lit up right away, filling the room in a magnificent blue glow.

But Adrian knew it wasn’t over yet. He placed his hands on the cool, crystalline plating of his mark, bearing his AD mark. And as he had done several times already, he imprinted a sliver of his soul upon his invention. The System didn’t hesitate to light up.

[Soul Imprint Successful!]

[Your Invention now bears your Presence!]

[You have created an Invention of profound spiritual integration!]

[Name Your Invention!]

Adrian didn’t mull over the name. He had known what to call it for months. ’Oracle.’

After he named the invention, the interface changed completely.

[You have completed an Invention!]

[Analyzing Invention: Oracle]

[Type: Magical Tool]

[Functionality: S]

[Practicality: A+]

[Complexity: S+]

[Integrity: A+]

[Autonomy: C+]

[Overall Grade: A+]

[Remark: A stable orbital platform that focuses on long-range deep-space observation and planetary-scale energy network management, offering unprecedented strategic foresight and foundational support for future planetary defense systems.]

[Reward: +700,000 EXP | +1,000,000 TP]

Adrian didn’t mull over the System’s analysis. He had expected all the assigned grades. Now was not the time for self-congratulation. Everyone was waiting. He was waiting.

He turned to Nyra with a calm determined look on his face. "It’s time."

Nyra nodded, her own expression a mixture of awe and nervous excitement. She walked over to a control console at the edge of the room and placed her hands upon it.

The massive, transparent dome that formed the ceiling of the structure began to retract with a low hum, vast panels of crystal-glass sliding away to reveal the deep, star-dusted velvet of the evening sky.

A collective gasp went up from the crowd outside as they saw the glowing, blue monolith now pointing towards the heavens.

Adrian placed his hand on the satellite’s flank, establishing a direct connection to it. He didn’t need a console.

"Oracle," he commanded, his voice echoing in the sudden open air. "Initiate launch sequence. Ascend to designated geosynchronous orbit."

The satellite responded instantly. There was no fire, no smoke, no violent roar of rockets. A column of pure, silent, anti-gravity energy enveloped the five-meter-tall structure.

It lifted off the ground with an impossible grace, rising slowly at first, then gaining speed, a blue star ascending to take its place among the heavens. It shot upwards, faster and faster, until it was just a tiny, pulsating point of light in the sky, a new, man-made constellation that promised protection.