Chapter 439: The Forge Of Constellations

Raze was already examining his damaged armor when Kai arrived at the entrance to the Creation site.

The cracked shoulder plate had been secured with temporary reinforcement, while several sections of his chest armor still carried marks from the Nexus calamity. A technician had cleared the equipment for controlled training, but proper repairs remained unfinished.

Raze looked up from the expedition records. "Tell me this ancient forge can repair armor."

Lily adjusted the case containing the survey prism. "We haven’t even entered the chamber yet."

"That’s why I’m asking before we go inside."

Sera inspected his shoulder plate. "If you spent less time letting enemies hit you, perhaps you wouldn’t need an eight-hundred-year-old civilization to fix your equipment."

Raze gave her an offended look. "I was protecting everyone while the rest of you were solving puzzles."

Kai nodded thoughtfully. "He’s right. Somebody had to keep the enemies occupied while we did the difficult thinking."

Sera turned toward him. "You’re encouraging him."

"I’m appreciating his sacrifice," Kai replied, smiling. "Although his armor does look like it lost an argument with a building."

Raze sighed. "Can we please find the forge?"

Aren laughed and led them through the secured passage.

...

The final doors opened onto a chamber larger than any workshop Kai had ever seen.

Enormous metallic rings hung beneath a vaulted ceiling, suspended above circular assembly platforms. Hundreds of mechanical arms extended from the walls, their polished joints folded neatly against their frames.

Transparent barriers enclosed unfinished equipment, strange metal components, and materials that shimmered beneath the dim lighting.

Above everything stretched an artificial sky filled with silver stars.

Sera stepped through the entrance and slowly turned around. "I thought the Observatory was impressive, but this place looks like someone built an entire night sky inside a workshop."

Aren approached the nearest platform. "Those rings aren’t decorations. They guided the assembly process. The builders could arrange materials with extraordinary precision."

Lily examined a nearby console. "The Forge was designed to work with specialized materials, not ordinary metal alone. Its machinery could separate and position tiny components that conventional equipment couldn’t handle."

Kai studied the enormous suspended rings. "And all of this was used to make expedition equipment?"

"Among other things," Aren replied. "Imagine being able to manufacture protective components, measuring instruments, and delicate mechanisms to exact specifications."

Raze was already examining a display containing ancient armor designs.

"Forget the measuring instruments. Look at these protective plates."

Sera glanced at the diagrams. "You found the armor section faster than Aren found the entrance."

Raze smiled. "I know what matters."

Lily approached a smaller console beside the central platform. Its display remained illuminated by an isolated reserve supply.

"There’s a preserved fabrication demonstration," she said. "The station still has a prepared material cartridge."

Aren checked the instructions. "It was used to show new engineers how the assembly system worked. The demonstration is self-contained."

Kai looked toward the enormous rings. "Then let’s see what the ancient engineers considered impressive."

...

Lily reviewed the safety instructions and confirmed that the demonstration required no connection to the wider network.

She activated the local sequence.

A deep musical hum spread through the chamber.

One enormous ring began rotating overhead, followed by another. Silver lights awakened across their surfaces, forming moving patterns that resembled constellations.

A small tray rose from the center of the platform.

Inside lay several fragments of dark metallic material.

The fragments lifted into the air.

Raze leaned forward. "They’re floating."

The pieces separated into hundreds of shining threads, each thinner than a strand of hair.

The threads moved between the suspended rings, twisting and weaving beneath beams of silver light. Tiny sparks followed their movements, leaving delicate patterns in the air.

Sera watched in fascination. "It’s beautiful."

Aren could barely contain his excitement. "Look at the precision. Every thread is being positioned separately."

The threads gathered above the platform, forming a delicate lattice. More material flowed into the gaps, and the entire structure began folding into a smooth, curved shape.

For several moments, the object resembled a miniature constellation suspended in the darkness.

Then the rings slowed.

The lights converged.

A finished protective plate descended onto the tray.

Its surface was perfectly smooth, with faint silver lines running through the metal.

Kai examined it. "That was impressive. Does the demonstration come in armor size?"

Raze immediately nodded. "That’s exactly what I was thinking."

Lily lifted the plate with a protective tool. "The demonstration used a limited amount of prepared material. We can’t simply produce an entire suit."

Aren examined the finished surface. "Still, this is remarkable. The structure is far more intricate than ordinary forged metal."

Raze held out his hands. "Can I see it?"

Lily hesitated before passing it over.

Raze turned the plate beneath the light, studying the silver patterns.

"It’s lighter than I expected," he admitted.

Kai smiled. "Careful. You’re starting to sound like Aren."

Aren looked delighted. "There’s nothing wrong with appreciating craftsmanship."

...

Raze placed the plate back on the table. "How strong is it?"

Aren searched the nearby cabinets and discovered a compact impact-testing fixture.

"This should answer that," he said. "The demonstration includes a comparison test."

Lily inspected the fixture before allowing them to use it. The device contained a calibrated striking arm and several ordinary sample plates.

They secured an older metal sample beneath the arm.

Aren selected the lowest approved impact setting.

The arm descended with a sharp metallic crack.

The ordinary sample bent visibly.

Sera examined the dent. "That would be unpleasant to wear."

Raze nodded. "Especially if the person hitting you didn’t stop there."

They replaced the sample with the newly assembled plate.

The arm struck again.

A clear ringing sound echoed across the chamber.

The plate remained almost perfectly smooth.

Aren checked the measurement display. "Very little permanent deformation. That’s considerably better than the comparison sample."

Raze’s eyes brightened. "Then we need more of this material."

Lily folded her arms. "We need to understand the material first. We don’t know how it behaves under repeated impacts, how it connects to existing armor, or whether the assembly process can be repeated safely."

Raze looked disappointed. "You really know how to ruin a wonderful moment."

"Would you rather discover a weakness while someone is attacking you?"

He glanced at his damaged shoulder plate.

"Fair point."

Aren opened another section of the equipment catalog. "There’s good news. The Forge stored protective-component designs and material-testing records. If we recover those, we can evaluate whether anything here is suitable for your armor."

Raze immediately moved beside him. "Show me."

Sera smiled at Kai. "I’ve never seen him become interested in reading so quickly."

Kai watched Raze examining the diagrams. "Apparently, all we needed was the promise of stronger armor."

...

While Aren searched the technical catalog, Lily discovered a preserved quality-inspection recording.

An elderly engineer appeared above the demonstration platform, wearing a dark uniform decorated with silver markings.

"Expedition equipment must meet established durability requirements before approval," the engineer announced sternly.

Behind him, a younger worker carried an unfinished component toward a testing bench.

The worker stumbled.

The component slipped from his hands and struck the floor with a tremendous clang.

The engineer stopped speaking.

He slowly turned toward the embarrassed worker, who hurried to retrieve the component.

For several uncomfortable seconds, neither said anything.

Then the engineer faced the recording device again.

"Additionally, equipment must survive the handling practices of our personnel."

Sera burst into laughter.

Kai covered his mouth, although his shoulders were shaking.

Aren grinned. "Even the greatest engineers in history had coworkers who dropped expensive equipment."

Lily replayed the final sentence, laughing when the engineer’s exhausted expression appeared again.

Raze, however, was examining the next part of the recording.

The engineer demonstrated how an improperly joined protective plate could fracture after repeated impacts.

Raze watched the damaged component separate along its seams.

"So even strong material can fail if the joints are wrong," he said.

Lily nodded. "Exactly. That’s why we can’t attach an unfamiliar plate to your armor without testing the entire assembly."

Raze studied the crack running across his shoulder guard.

"Then I want to know what caused this damage and how to prevent it next time."

Kai gave him an approving look. "That’s a much better question than asking whether we can make the armor thicker."

Raze glanced at him. "I can ask both."

...

The demonstration completed its inspection cycle, and a new section appeared on the console.

Aren leaned closer. "There’s an equipment-testing arena attached to this Forge."

Sera looked toward the far wall. "What kind of testing?"

"Coordinated combat simulations," Aren replied. "The ancient engineers tested protective equipment against different attack patterns."

A deep mechanical sound came from the opposite side of the chamber.

Seven enormous panels illuminated along the wall, each displaying the silhouette of an armed warrior.

One carried a shield. Another held a spear. The remaining figures wielded different weapons, their stances suggesting distinct fighting styles.

Raze smiled immediately. "Now this is interesting."

Lily checked the instructions. "The arena uses hard-light projections following preserved training patterns. They’re not living opponents, and the trial operates on separate local machinery."

Kai approached the observation window. Beyond it stood a circular platform surrounded by reinforced barriers.

"Can we use it?" he asked.

"Possibly," Lily answered. "The local safety systems are responding, and the arena has a controlled training setting. I’ll verify the shutdown procedure before anyone enters."

Raze inspected the arena through the glass. "My armor was cleared for controlled training. I’d like to see how these ancient fighters compare with modern Hunters."

Sera crossed her arms. "You haven’t repaired your armor, and you’re already looking for another fight."

"I’m not planning to get hit."

Kai laughed. "That’s generally a good strategy."

Aren examined the seven silhouettes. "These training patterns were designed to evaluate teamwork as well as individual combat. The records mention coordinated formations."

Kai looked toward Sera. "Then we could test ourselves against them."

Sera smiled. "Provided everyone remembers that teamwork means listening when someone gives an instruction."

Raze pretended not to notice her looking at him.

Aren stepped away from the observation window. "I assume I’ll be operating the equipment."

Kai rested a hand on his shoulder. "Actually, your knowledge of the arena could be useful inside."

Aren stared at him. "I’m beginning to regret finding this place."

...

Lily finished checking the safety controls and confirmed that the arena could be stopped manually from the observation station.

The team agreed to attempt the preserved training scenario.

Kai, Sera, Raze, and Aren entered the circular platform while Lily remained behind the protected control console.

The arena’s floor illuminated beneath their feet.

Seven pillars of pale light rose around the platform.

Within them, humanoid figures began taking shape.

A shield-bearing warrior stepped forward, followed by a spearman, a swordsman, and four other armed projections.

Each settled into a different combat stance.

An ancient training display appeared overhead, showing seven opponents and the team’s four registered participants.

Raze rolled his shoulders carefully and smiled.

"Whoever defeats the most opponents wins."

Sera drew her weapon. "You realize this is supposed to be a teamwork exercise?"

"I can work with the team and still win."

Kai examined the seven projections as their weapons brightened.

"Then I suppose we’ll find out how good these ancient fighters really were."

Across the arena, the shield-bearing projection raised its weapon, and the preserved trial began.