The days following the Battle of Havenwood were a somber blur of mending, mourning, and fortifying. Funerals were held, the names of the fallen etched onto a newly erected wooden memorial in the village square. The palisade was being repaired with a desperate urgency, every able-bodied villager, including the less severely wounded, contributing.
Kenji, his Aether slowly recovering, threw himself into the rebuilding efforts, primarily by using his upgraded SAI to optimize structural repairs and resource allocation. His Level 2 interface offered more nuanced analytical tools. He could now "scan" materials for stress points or hidden flaws with greater accuracy, and his "Aetheric Reinforcement" script, while still costly, was more efficient and the effects lasted longer.
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[SAI - System Log/User Status]
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USER: Kenji Tanaka
Internal Aether: 75/100 Units.
Recharge Rate: 2.0 Units/minute (Level 2 SAI Optimization + Ambient Aether).
SAI LEVEL 2 - KEY NEW FUNCTIONS (Partial List):
- Advanced Structural Analysis: Identifies material fatigue, Aetheric
instability, and potential resonance points.
- Script Debugger v1.0: Allows for pre-execution simulation of simple
scripts to estimate Aether cost and potential side-effects.
- Enhanced Aetheric Resonance Scan: Greater range and sensitivity. Can now
differentiate between more Aether types.
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The "Script Debugger" was a godsend. He could now test simple script ideas without risking Aetheric backlash or wasting precious energy.
However, the "ominous sign" his SAI had detected – the structured Aetheric residue near the Heartstone's chamber – gnawed at him. He confided in Elara and Martha.
"It's like... a faint echo," Kenji tried to explain, Lyra hovering near his shoulder, her light pulsing in agreement. "Not just random Blight corruption, but something deliberately left behind. A marker? A listening post? I can't be sure without getting closer, and the Aether down there is still... volatile."
Elara's face grew even graver. "The Heartstone's chamber has been sacrosanct for generations. Only the Elder is permitted to enter, and only in times of great need or during the Solstice Warding ritual. The entrance through the old root cellar is sealed by more than just stone; there are ancient wards, though their strength has waned over the eons."
"If the Brood Mother was trying to corrupt the Heartstone, and failed, it might have left something to continue the process slowly," Martha theorized, her hand instinctively going to her axe. "Or to tell it when our defenses are weak again."
"We need to investigate," Kenji stated. "If there's a 'backdoor' or a 'malware' snippet left in Havenwood's 'system', we have to find it."
Elara was hesitant. "The chamber is warded. The Aetheric energies around the Heartstone, even when pure, can be overwhelming for those not attuned. And now, with this... residue..."
"I can scan it from the cellar entrance first," Kenji offered. "My interface can analyze Aetheric signatures. I might not even need to break the seals if I can get a clear enough reading from there."
Reluctantly, Elara agreed. The old pantry trapdoor, though scarred by Skitterer claws, was still sealed. With Finn standing guard, Elara, Martha, Kenji, and Lyra descended into the cramped, musty root cellar. The air was cold, and the familiar, clean scent of Havenwood's Aether was noticeably stronger here, but it was overlaid with a faint, sickly-sweet taint – the signature of the Blight.
Kenji activated his Enhanced Aetheric Resonance Scan, focusing it on the sealed stone slab that supposedly led to the Heartstone's antechamber.
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[SAI - System Log/Aetheric Resonance Scan - Active]
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TARGETING: Sealed Entrance (Root Cellar) - Presumed Heartstone Chamber Access.
DETECTED SIGNATURES:
Dominant Signature: Pure, Stable Aether (Type: Telluric/Life-Affiliated)
- Intensity: Very High (Originating from beyond seal).
- Status: Stable, but with faint resonance fluctuations.
Secondary Signature: Corrupted Aether (Type: Blight Standard - Variant SK)
- Intensity: Moderate (Localized on and around seal, seeping from cracks).
- Status: Active, exhibiting slow decay but also periodic reinforcement.
TERTIARY SIGNATURE (ANOMALY): Structured Aetheric Pattern
- Intensity: Low, almost masked by Blight residue.
- Nature: Complex, repeating sequence. Non-random. Resembles a carrier wave
or an encoded data stream.
- Origin: Appears embedded within the Blight residue on the stone seal.
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"There it is," Kenji breathed. "The structured pattern. It's… it's like a signal beacon, or a very slow-acting virus, embedded in the Blight residue on the seal itself."
"A signal?" Martha asked, alarmed. "To call them back?"
"Possibly. Or it could be… altering the wards. Weakening them over time. Or even subtly poisoning the Heartstone's Aether from a distance," Kenji speculated, his mind racing through the terrifying possibilities. "The periodic reinforcement... something is maintaining it, or it's designed to regenerate."
Elara looked stricken. "The Solstice Warding... it's meant to cleanse and strengthen the seals and the Heartstone. It's still two moons away. If this... thing... is actively working..."
"We can't wait two moons," Kenji said grimly. "I need a closer look at that structured Aether. I need to understand its 'code'." He looked at the ancient stone slab. "We might have to open it."