Chapter 417: Mythal Call

The ancient network continued humming beneath Nexus.

Kai stood before the central projection while Lily saved the latest changes to the signal’s transmission pattern. The seven rings remained illuminated, but the network had returned to a state of relative stillness.

Nothing else had happened.

That was almost worse.

They had evidence that something was approaching their world, but no reliable way to determine what it was or when it would arrive. Every decision carried the risk of preparing for the wrong situation.

Kai took out his phone.

"We need another perspective."

Sera glanced at the screen.

"Elden?"

"He’ll want the network data before he gives us an answer. That’s exactly why I’m calling him."

Kai opened the secure communication channel connecting Nexus to Mythal. The connection took several seconds, and the screen briefly displayed a series of technical messages as the two cities’ communication systems established contact.

Then Elden appeared.

He sat in front of a wall of monitors, with several diagrams of Mythal’s defensive infrastructure displayed behind him. His clothes were neat, his expression composed, and a half-finished cup of coffee sat beside his keyboard.

He looked at Kai.

"You’re calling at an interesting time."

Kai raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

"Nothing serious. One of our outer defensive relays reported an irregular mana fluctuation, but the readings returned to normal before I could identify the cause. I was comparing it with the changes we made after the Third Disaster."

Elden paused.

"Now, what happened in Nexus?"

Kai explained the seven ruins, Starbreaker’s synchronization, and the map that had appeared above the central platform. He described the ancient structures scattered across the planet and the connections that extended beyond it.

Finally, he explained the approaching signal and the network’s automatic response to its changing transmission pattern.

Elden didn’t interrupt.

He simply listened, occasionally asking Kai to clarify a measurement or repeat a detail about Starbreaker’s latest report.

When Kai finished, Elden leaned closer to his screen.

"Send me the raw data. All of it, including the records from the six ruins and the latest network response."

Lily immediately transferred the files through the secure channel.

"I’m including the original measurements and the estimated interpretations separately. The source remains unresolved, and we haven’t confirmed its speed."

"Good. Keep them separate. I don’t want an assumption becoming part of the official record simply because someone copied it into a report."

Lily gave a small nod.

"I was hoping you’d say that."

Elden opened the files.

For the next several minutes, he examined the information without offering a conclusion. He compared the ancient network’s energy distribution with the defensive systems Mythal had developed since the Disasters.

Kai recognized several of the diagrams on Elden’s screen. They showed the layered mana conduits, emergency power relays, and defensive barriers that had helped Mythal survive its previous crises.

The city was no longer relying on a handful of powerful Hunters to protect it.

It had become a system capable of continuing to function even when its strongest people were elsewhere.

That was precisely why Kai had chosen to contact Elden instead of immediately asking him to come to Nexus.

"What do you see?" Kai finally asked.

Elden enlarged a section of the ancient network’s data.

"Potential compatibility. The energy distribution resembles some of the principles behind Mythal’s defensive architecture, although the underlying technology is much more advanced."

Lily leaned toward the screen.

"Are you saying the ancient network could power modern defenses?"

"I’m saying the two systems may be able to exchange energy or information. We haven’t established whether they use compatible control mechanisms, and we certainly haven’t established whether the ancient network can safely connect to modern infrastructure."

His expression became more serious.

"Connecting them directly could introduce an unknown system into Mythal’s mana network. If the ancient system changes its output, misinterprets our commands, or carries something we don’t recognize, we could damage the very defenses we’re trying to improve."

"So no direct connection," Kai said.

"Not until we understand what we’re connecting."

Elden began drawing a new diagram.

"I can build an isolated interface that reads the ancient network’s output without allowing it to control our systems. We’ll compare the signals, identify compatible patterns, and test any proposed connection in a contained environment."

Kai nodded.

"Start with observation. No active connection without approval."

"Already planned."

Sera watched Elden’s diagram develop.

"If this works, could Mythal help Nexus?"

"Potentially. Their network has capabilities we don’t possess, while our modern systems have safeguards that the ancient infrastructure may lack. If we can establish a safe interface, both cities could benefit."

Elden paused over a particular set of readings.

"But I need more data before promising anything. This is a possibility, not a solution."

For now, that was enough.

Kai had called looking for a way to turn uncertainty into action. Elden had given him a concrete experiment, a set of restrictions, and a reason to keep investigating.

Then another face appeared at the edge of the screen.

"Are you discussing a crisis without me?"

Mira leaned into view.

Elden moved his chair aside to give her room.

Mira looked directly at Kai, her expression changing as she took in the people standing behind him.

"First, are you all safe?"

"We’re fine," Kai answered. "The immediate danger hasn’t changed, but we don’t know what the signal will do when it reaches us."

"Then tell me what Nexus needs."

There was no hesitation.

Mira didn’t ask whether Mythal should get involved or wait for a formal request. She went straight to the people who might be affected.

"Have you identified vulnerable districts? Hospitals, residential areas near the ruins, places where the ancient network could interfere with transportation?"

"We’ve started mapping the risks," Kai said. "Some evacuation routes overlap with ancient passages, and the city’s emergency services are reviewing alternatives."

"Then we should compare our emergency plans. Mythal has already reorganized its shelters, medical teams, food distribution, and civilian communication networks after the previous Disasters. We can share those procedures and identify what Nexus is missing."

Gabriel, who had joined them near the central interface, nodded.

"That would be valuable. Nexus has substantial resources, but many of our current procedures were designed around threats we understand. An unknown event could expose gaps we haven’t considered."

Mira’s expression tightened slightly.

"Then we’ll look for those gaps before they’re exposed by an emergency."

She turned toward another screen, where several of Mythal’s district maps were displayed.

"I’ll have the Heart’s administration review shelter capacity, medical supplies, evacuation routes, and the personnel needed to keep essential services operating. I’ll also prepare a list of resources we could send to Nexus if the situation worsens."

Kai watched her work.

She had become more confident in his absence. She no longer waited for him to define every task or approve every step. She understood the responsibilities of her position and knew which decisions she could make herself.

That was what he had wanted for Mythal.

"Don’t send anything yet," he said. "Prepare the resources, but keep enough capacity to protect our own residents."

"Of course. Helping Nexus won’t mean abandoning Mythal."

Mira gave him a firm look.

"You taught us that a city can’t survive by depending on one person. That applies to you, too. You don’t need to carry every decision alone simply because you’re the one standing closest to the problem."

Kai fell silent for a moment.

Sera glanced at him, clearly enjoying the fact that someone else was reminding him of something he occasionally forgot.

Mira continued.

"Send me the latest information on the signal and the areas most likely to need support. I’ll coordinate with Gabriel’s emergency services and prepare a deployment plan. If Nexus requests assistance, we won’t waste time deciding what to do."

"Thank you, Mira."

"You can thank me when we’ve finished preparing."

Her expression softened slightly.

"And Kai? Don’t wait until the situation becomes desperate before asking for help."

"I won’t."

Mira studied him for another moment before accepting the answer.

Then someone spoke from outside the camera’s view.

"So when are we leaving?"

Kai closed his eyes briefly.

He already knew who it was.

Raze appeared behind Mira, carrying a travel bag over one shoulder.

He looked ready to leave immediately.

Kai stared at him.

"You aren’t."

"Wrong answer."

Mira turned toward him.

"We should probably let him finish."

"I’m already packed."

Raze placed the bag beside Elden’s desk, apparently unconcerned by the fact that he was standing in the middle of a technical workspace.

Sera covered her mouth, but the smile in her eyes was obvious.

"Does he always do this?"

"Yes," Kai replied.

"Good to know."

Raze ignored them.

"If something is approaching our world, we should be preparing to fight it. Nexus is dealing with an ancient network it barely understands, and you expect me to stay here while you handle the problem?"

"I expect you to remember that Mythal is still your responsibility."

"Mythal has defenses. It has trained Hunters, functioning infrastructure, and three people capable of running the city."

"Three people, one of whom is currently trying to leave."

Raze crossed his arms.

"Elden can manage the technical systems. Mira can handle the civilians. I can come here and help deal with whatever appears."

Elden looked up from his screen.

"You’re overlooking the fact that our defenses were designed around known threats. We don’t know how this signal interacts with the world, and we don’t know whether Mythal could face the same problem."

"Then we’ll deal with it if it happens."

"That’s not a plan," Elden replied. "That’s a willingness to improvise after something goes wrong."

Raze’s eyes narrowed.

"You make that sound like a bad thing."

"It becomes a bad thing when you could have prepared beforehand."

Kai let them argue for a moment.

Raze wasn’t being reckless simply because he wanted a fight. He understood that an approaching threat could eventually affect Mythal, and he didn’t want to wait until the city was in danger before acting.

But his solution was to leave.

That was the problem.

"Mythal’s defenses are stronger than they were during the Third Disaster," Kai said. "But that doesn’t mean they can operate indefinitely without the people responsible for maintaining them."

Raze looked at him.

"So you’re saying I should sit here and wait?"

"No. I’m saying you should prepare to move without leaving Mythal unprotected."

Kai turned toward Elden.

"Can you maintain the city’s systems while coordinating with Nexus?"

"Yes. I can handle the technical side remotely, provided I have a secure connection and sufficient access to the relevant data."

He then looked at Mira.

"Can the Heart’s administration maintain civilian operations if Raze leaves?"

"For a limited deployment, yes. But I would need a replacement for his responsibilities, clear limits on the force we send, and enough time to prepare."

Raze looked between them.

"You’ve already decided how this is going to work."

"I’m deciding what we need before anyone leaves," Kai replied.

He returned his attention to Raze.

"You can prepare a force that can deploy quickly. But you aren’t taking Mythal’s entire combat leadership with you, and you aren’t leaving until Mira and Elden have confirmed that the city can function safely without you."

Raze considered the conditions.

"How quickly can we deploy?"

"That’s what you’re going to determine," Kai said. "You’ll establish a force, identify its equipment requirements, and make sure the Hunters understand that this is a contingency deployment, not an order to march into an unknown threat."

Raze’s expression finally eased.

"Now that sounds like a plan."

Mira shook her head.

"You could have started with that instead of announcing that you were leaving."

"Would you have listened?"

"I am listening now."

"Exactly."

Kai sighed.

Some things hadn’t changed at all.

The call continued while Elden prepared the first results of his comparison.

Mira finalized her initial resource assessment, while Raze began listing the Hunters and equipment that could be made ready without weakening Mythal’s immediate defenses.

Their conversation had shifted from whether Mythal should help to how it could help safely.

That was the difference Kai wanted.

Mythal would not abandon its responsibilities to rescue Nexus, and Nexus would not be expected to solve the approaching crisis alone. Both cities would contribute what they could while protecting the people who depended on them.

Then Elden stopped typing.

"I’ve found something."

The others turned toward his screen.

He displayed two diagrams side by side. One represented the ancient network beneath Nexus. The other showed Mythal’s defensive architecture, including the mana conduits and relay structures added after the Disasters.

At first glance, the patterns appeared unrelated.

Then Elden highlighted several sections.

"These structures aren’t identical, but their energy-routing principles share a common feature. Both systems distribute energy through multiple independent channels, allowing individual sections to continue functioning when another section fails."

Lily leaned closer.

"That could be a general engineering principle."

"It could," Elden agreed. "Which is why I’m not calling it proof of a direct connection. But the similarities are strong enough to justify further testing."

He expanded the diagrams.

"There’s another possibility. Mythal’s defensive architecture may be able to act as a modern interface for part of the ancient network. We could potentially use our relays to monitor its output or stabilize a limited connection without giving it control over our defenses."

Kai studied the highlighted channels.

"Would that let us access the network from Mythal?"

"Possibly. We might be able to receive information from Nexus or help monitor the ancient structures without sending personnel across the continent. But we need a controlled test, and we must confirm that the connection won’t expose either city to an unknown effect."

Sera looked at the display.

"So we might be able to work together without everyone having to travel here."

"That’s the goal," Elden replied. "A shared system would let both cities contribute without depending entirely on physical deployment."

Kai looked at the diagrams for another moment.

The discovery didn’t solve the mystery of the approaching signal. It did something more immediately useful: it gave them a way to strengthen their cooperation before the unknown arrived.

"Begin the isolated test," Kai said. "Keep the systems separated until you can demonstrate that the connection is safe. Mira, continue preparing civilian support. Raze, get your deployment force ready, but don’t move without confirmation."

All three acknowledged the instructions.

For the first time since the signal appeared, Kai could see how Mythal and Nexus might respond as parts of a larger defense rather than two cities acting independently.

Elden sent the preliminary diagrams to Kai’s terminal.

POTENTIAL CONNECTION IDENTIFIED.

ANCIENT NETWORK — MODERN DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE.

STATUS: UNVERIFIED.

Kai studied the report.

The ancient network had once connected structures across the world and beyond it. Now, a city built to survive three Disasters might possess the means to interact with that forgotten system.

It was only a possibility.

But it was a possibility they could test.

And if the connection worked, Nexus and Mythal might be able to prepare together before whatever was approaching finally arrived.