Chapter 26. The First Bricks.

  Raven and Henson walked into the meeting room, finding the others already gathered. Among them, to his mild irritation, was Uri.

  He shot her a look. "Decided to stick around for this one, huh?"

  Uri gave him a level look, unfazed as always. "Well, someone has to make sure you don’t get yourself killed with bad decisions."

  Wilkes sighed, rubbing his temples. "Both of you—behave."

  Raven grinned slightly but took his seat without further comment. Once everyone settled, Wilkes leaned forward, his expression firm.

  "I’m staying." His voice was resolute, allowing no room for debate. "And I intend to make this place liveable."

  No one spoke immediately, waiting for him to continue. "There’s no way to communicate with the outside world. We don’t have enough information to plan any long-term safety measures. That means we have to create our own."

  He gestured toward the walls around them. "The Sink gives us constructs. People are already gathering here. It makes sense to start from the hospital."

  A quiet murmur of agreement ran through the room. No one disagreed.

  Liu spoke first, immediately addressing the most pressing issue. "Food." She glanced at Wilkes. "The first crop from the farm is almost done, but it’s only enough to last a couple of days—and that’s with rationing. We need another farm to create a surplus."

  Wilkes nodded. "Noted. What else?"

  Henson crossed his arms. "Weapons." His voice was grim. "Training with the recruits is going well, but I can’t send them into battle with mop handles and broomsticks. If we want people to stand a chance, they need real weapons."

  He hesitated before adding, "We also need to provide them with something for their service. If we don’t, morale won’t hold forever."

  Carter chimed in; arms folded thoughtfully. "I’m seeing good results with training the gardeners to form seed cores. Liu and two others have already done it. The remaining three are close."

  He glanced toward Henson. "We’ve set up a schedule for the officers and recruits. We’ll start teaching them this afternoon."

  Uri, who had been listening quietly, tapped a finger against the table. "You’re all thinking too small."

  Wilkes raised an eyebrow. "Enlighten us."

  She smirked. "If the Sink were to grow, become a sapling, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about these minor problems."

  Raven immediately caught the implications. His mind raced. "A bigger ether pool… lower ambient ether levels outside the sink…" He sat up straighter. "No spawns. Or at least, only weak ones—and fewer of them."

  The hospital would be as safe as they could make it.

  A heavy silence settled over the room as Raven’s words sank in.

  Wilkes leaned forward; his fingers interlocked. "Explain that in practical terms. What would a sapling sink actually give us?"

  Uri tilted her head, almost amused. "Think of it like upgrading an engine. Right now, this Sink is still in its infancy. It's strong enough to create small constructs and passively provide Ether to those who can use it, but it’s nowhere near its full potential."

  She gestured toward the ground. "If it reaches sapling stage and puts down roots, its absorption rate increases exponentially. That means larger, more complex constructs, stronger Ether flow, and—most importantly—it will naturally suppress high Ether density in the surrounding area."

  Henson let out a low whistle. "Which means?"

  Raven answered before Uri could. "It means the surrounding area wouldn't support stronger monsters spawning. Maybe not even weaker ones"

  Liu frowned slightly. "That sounds... almost too good to be true. What's the catch?"

  Uri leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "The catch is that it won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen without effort. Sinks grow by consuming Ether, and that means feeding it. Constructs, developments, people using its resources—it all contributes."

  Wilkes exhaled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So, you’re saying the more we use it, the faster it grows?"

  Carter nodded in understanding. "It makes sense. If Ether pools function like energy sources, then the Sink is like a living system. It pulls in Ether, processes it, and expands. If we actively build, train, and interact with it, we could accelerate its growth."

  Henson looked sceptical. "And how do we know what’s enough? Do we just keep making things and hope it grows up?"

  Uri smirked. "You’re not far off, it will evolve all on its own if given enough time, but the quickest way is if people are pouring refined ether into it."

  Raven sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, so let’s assume we want to push it to grow. What do we prioritize?"

  Liu, ever practical, spoke first. "Food still needs to be the priority. No point in pushing for long-term growth if people starve before we get there. A second farm is a must."

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Wilkes nodded. "Agreed. One more farm, at least."

  Henson exhaled, glancing around the room. "And weapons. We’re still barely armed. If we’re committing to this place, we need a real defence plan. Training recruits is great, but without weapons, it’s useless."

  Carter added, "And we need to make sure those same people are growing in strength, forming their cores. That means expanding training. If we want this to be a proper settlement, we need warriors, not just guards."

  Wilkes tapped the table. "Alright, so immediate focus: More food, better weapons, and a structured training program."

  Uri shrugged. "And if you’re serious about all this, you might want to start thinking about governance."

  That earned her a few blank stares.

  "Governance?" Henson repeated, dubious.

  "What, you think this will run itself forever?" Uri asked, amused. "Right now, you’ve got a loose structure—Wilkes makes decisions, Carter trains, Henson leads defence, Raven scouts, Liu manages resources. That’s fine for now, but what happens when more people show up? When internal conflicts arise? When people start demanding more than just survival?"

  Wilkes let out a slow breath. "One problem at a time."

  Uri just smiled. "Of course. But don’t be surprised when it becomes the next problem on the list."

  Raven leaned back in his chair; arms crossed. He wasn’t sure if he liked where this was going—but for now, Wilkes was right. One problem at a time.

  With the meeting wrapped up, Raven made his way toward the ward-turned-greenhouse, his thoughts still lingering on Uri’s explanation about the Sink.

  A sapling sink, the implications of it being a sapling gave him chills as he thought of what it would be like once it grew into a tree. A place where monsters wouldn’t spawn. The idea was unbelievable, but if it worked… the hospital could become a true sanctuary.

  For that to happen, though, they needed food.

  As he stepped into the greenhouse, the damp, earthy scent of growing plants filled his senses. Rows of dark stone troughs lined the room, each filled with sprouting vegetables, their leaves stretching toward the light from the tall windows.

  Liu had been right—the first crops were nearly ready, but it wouldn’t be enough.

  Time to expand.

  Raven pulled out his grimoire, flipping through the pages until he found the construct section. He quickly located the Hydroponic Farm entry. The first one had cost two hundred Ether from the Sink—he had been given the task of setting up another one and creating a water source, since more taps were beginning to fail.

  He reached out to make the purchase—then something strange happened.

  The page glowed, and instead of the option to buy a new farm, an alternative appeared.

  Expand Current Hydroponics: 100 Ether.

  Raven frowned. That’s new.

  Expanding it would save Ether, but would it be as large as placing an entirely new construct? Would it be as effective?

  Only one way to find out.

  He focused his intent on the expansion, and immediately, the room began to shift.

  The familiar ether dust began swirling through the air, forming new rows of dark stone troughs. The existing farm stretched outward, reaching the wall before curving and following the adjacent side, nearly doubling the size of the greenhouse.

  But something was missing.

  Another water tank hadn’t appeared.

  Is that a problem? He frowned, rubbing his chin. Liu is definitely going to have something to say about this.

  Still, saving a hundred Ether was a good trade-off.

  With that handled, Raven made his way downstairs to the plaza, flipping through his grimoire again as he walked. The hospital needed a water source, and after some discussion, they had decided that the plaza was the best location—open, accessible, and central.

  Arriving at the clearing, Raven pulled up the available constructs for water sources. There were only three options:

  A well.

  A stone tank.

  A fountain.

  He scanned their descriptions. All three pulled water from the atmosphere, purified it, and maintained a constant flow. However, the fountain had the largest capacity.

  He hesitated.

  A fountain was big. Too big? Could it be used as cover for an enemy attack?

  Not wanting to make the call alone, he turned to one of the officers near the entrance.

  "Can you grab Wilkes."

  Minutes later, Wilkes arrived, arms crossed, clearly curious. "What’s going on?"

  Raven showed him the options, explaining their benefits and concerns. "I was leaning toward the fountain, but I’m worried it might give cover to an invading force."

  Wilkes examined the area thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "It’s a risk." He glanced around, considering the layout. "But… we won’t be able to keep people inside forever."

  After a long moment, he nodded. "Alright. If we’re doing this, we need to start thinking bigger anyway. The barricades aren’t a long-term solution. The surrounding buildings will have to become our new walls.

  "Raven considered that. "So the fountain works?"

  "It works."

  Raven nodded, turning back to his grimoire.

  "Alright. Let’s do it."

  As he focused on the purchase, Ether surged into the construct. The ground rumbled beneath them, and a twenty-foot-wide fountain materialized from the stone.

  Water cascaded down multiple tiers, shimmering in the dim morning light. Lining its edges were runes and symbols, eerily similar to the ones on the farm.

  Raven exhaled, watching the final traces of Ether dust settle.

  The hospital was starting to feel like a real settlement.

  "That’s the constructs done then?" Wilkes asked, arms crossed as he surveyed the fountain

  "Yeah. Expanded the greenhouse as much as I could. Should cover our food needs—for now, at least." Raven ran a hand through his hair. "Liu will let us know if it’s not enough."

  Wilkes nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Good work. These are just the first bricks. Now, let’s see how strong we can build from them."

  Deciding to head to the shop next, Raven was so lost in thought that he barely registered the movement in front of him before it was too late.

  He almost walked straight into someone, and only at the last second did they both step to the side—just barely avoiding a collision.

  "Whoa there, lost in your own world?"

  Raven blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. Anny stood before him, arms crossed, lips quirked into an amused smirk.

  "Geez, you’d think a guy would notice a pretty girl in front of him," she teased him, eyes gleaming with mischief.

  Raven froze.

  His mind went completely blank, whatever he had been thinking about disappearing into the void.

  Now that she pointed it out… he did notice.

  He’d been around plenty of people since this all started. Fighters, survivors, hardened men and women trying to make sense of this new world. But Anny… she still had a lightness about her, even after everything.

  That, more than anything, caught him off guard.

  Anny really was pretty—more than pretty, if he was being honest. Even tired and still recovering, there was something about her presence that drew his attention in a way that felt unfamiliar.

  Realizing he had been staring too long, he coughed—hard—and looked away, scratching the back of his neck.

  "I—uh—yeah, yeah, I was just… in my own world," he muttered, desperate for a lifeline.

  Anny chuckled, clearly enjoying his discomfort.

  "Uh-huh. Sure, you were."

  Raven sighed and shook his head.

  "Look, my bad. I wasn’t paying attention."

  "Clearly."

  Anny rocked back on her heels; arms still folded as she studied him with undisguised amusement.

  "So, what’s got the great and broody Raven so distracted this morning?"

  He hesitated for a second before deciding there was no harm in telling her.

  "I was heading to the shop. I had some things I wanted to check out—mainly if Ether can be stored… and more about inherent traits."

  That seemed to catch her interest.

  "Huh. That actually sounds kinda useful. Mind if I tag along?"

  Raven considered that for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure. Let’s see what we can find."

  With that, the two of them headed toward the cafeteria, Anny still grinning like she had won something.

  Raven exhaled, shaking his head as they walked.

  She was going to be trouble. He could already tell.