As I look at my solution for the predicament called 'School' I realized how pivotal this moment will be for the future if I kept improving on this concept.
Nice. Let's play some music in celebration.
Du Du duru du du. (humming)
I'm so happy. Well, let's explain how I made this and how this thing works.
........................................................................................
One month ago,
So, I need to find a replacement. There are many ways, but the simplest one is to just make an automaton that looks like me. I could have it be my doppelganger. Things and places where I don't want to be can simply be done by this guy. Hmm, I need a base for research. And it needs to be a good and hidden (Somewhat). It can't be found easily.
Hmm, I'll need the help of Ayna big time on this project as well. Sigh, evil never procrastinates. I mustn't procrastinate as well. Time to get to work.
So, after family lunch that day, I simply went to Ayna.
"Ayna, I need a secret place to do experiments and such."
"Sure. Where do you want to make it?"
"That's why I came to you didn't I?"
"Rick, I am just a teenager. I do not know about a super-secret base where you can simply do nefarious experiments unnoticed."
"Really? Aren't you supposed to be the person who knows everything in town. You are the mind reader, aren't you?"
"I stopped doing that ages ago after you suggested me to do so. You said something about putting unnecessary pressure on my mind."
"Yeah, I just remembered that. Did you really? I thought that anyone with that particular type of power would definitely read the minds of as many as possible."
"Not everyone is a creep like you."
"Makes sense. But I would recommend you start the previous habit again. I stopped you from doing that because you were too young. Young minds can more easily be damaged. So, now that your mind and personality is more developed, you can start it back up. You are now less likely to be affected badly by outside people's thoughts."
"Hmm, I'll try then. I don't really want though. Other people's minds are disgusting."
"Amen sis, amen."
............… "Ah, shit I almost forgot. What about my secret base?"
"Hmm, I'll try Rick. I'll see if I find anything interesting while surfing other people's minds."
"Okay Ayna, I'll go around the city using the {Clairvoyance} magic to see if I can find anything great. Also, making a proper map of this town is long overdue. See you later."
"See ya Rick."
.....................................................................….
So, after that I started searching for the perfect base. I started with looking around the town. Why the town and not the forest? The reason I simple, I need to be close to home. Don't want to spend hours every day on travel.
So, I started with the residential area first. This is where my parents and we live. Time to see if there are any proper hidden spaces or basements that are forgotten about. Those would be perfect.
Since I'm looking for a place that is close by, might as well make it here. I'll probably not find anything here.
And that's when I found it.
Well, not really, I just found a spot that will be perfect for my needs.
Our backyard.
.
.
*cough* Alright, I get it, stop staring at me like that. I made a molehill out of an anthill. Hmm, was that the proper phrase? Uh, never mind. What I am trying to say is that there is no reason to look for way too elaborate positioning for my lab since I will be doing very simple stuff for now. I just need to stay hidden, not build a freaking fortress.
So, it's been decided. My lab will be in my backyard. Now, time to design the blueprints needed.
Hmm, how about a two layered design? The first one will be childish and filled with toys. So that if I'm caught, they will just see that and leave me alone.
Underneath that will be my hidden lab. There will also be a hidden entrance to it.
Hi hi hi, I'm getting excited.
Time to call in Ayna for the heavy lifting while I'll do the delicate bits of magic.
So, afterwards, when my parents leave home to do their own stuff, I get ready.
Oh, you must be wondering why they would leave a barely four-year-old alone at home, the answer is simply my babysitter is my accomplice, Ayna. Simple. You do remember her information, right?
She is after all a responsible person.
Anyway, time to start digging.
"Ayna, you have learned the basics about the other elements, right?"
"Yes, Rick. You were the one who taught me."
"Okay, good. Remember the specialized earth digging magic that I taught you?"
"This one?"
She then makes a spell model above her hand that is a bit complex but simple with only one ring.
"Yeah, that one. It's easy right? Compared to the others used for digging."
"Yes, it is. But it's too slow in digging."
"Well, you are a kid, no need to put too much pressure. The others are at least three-circle spell. Too hard for a kid like you."
"Okay, I get it Rick. So, what am I supposed to do?"
"Your task is simple. You will simply use that magic spell to dig and pull up as much earth as you can. I'll be making the cave and reinforcing the walls and doing the intricate stuff."
"Alright, then."
She then started to use the magic spell to slowly dig up more and more soil. Making a deep hole in the ground. It took her roughly two hours.
I wasn't really lazing around during that time though.
I was doing multiple things at once. Since I don't really have the necessary materials to make proper lair, I just decided to simply process the soil and use it as material.
This is where the true power of my complex magic that depends more on the willpower and mental capabilities comes into play. I start by simply removing the organic compounds and various seeds and other materials that will make the soil brittle.
After that I am left with a mix of dolomite like clay and sand like silicone-based sand like soil. I differentiate these two as well. These will serve different purposes.
After that I form the clay into brick like structures that are brittle and weak. And then the baking process starts. I form a small room made of clay to contain the heat. And start using fire magic to slowly increase the heat inside along with the bricks that are inside. By two hours they are properly baked and are red in color. Perfection.
The sand part is also going through a similar situation. It forms brittle glass. Not the tempered ones. Anyways, I won't need the tempered ones for now. The purpose of these is a bit different.
"Ayna, you are done?"
"Yeah, pretty much. It is pretty deep now."
She looks extremely exhausted. Conducting mana in large amounts for that must be really tough for her. It is similar for me as well. But since I have been tempering it since I was in my mother's womb, I was in a bit better position, comparatively that is, since I did more stuff than her. Anyway, I was in a worse situation.
"Now, feast your eyes on a method of making a base that will leave you breathless."
I started to use earth magic to even out the large hole that she made. Then I started to lay down the bricks. It was simple though.
But then I realized my mistake and brought back the bricks.
"What are you doing Rick?"
"Uh, I made a mistake. That was not the plan."
Well, don't you make mistakes as well?
After that I started to take the hot molten and sticky glass and then started to line the bricks up and use the glass as the adhesive.
Never expected that did you?
Well, it would make it extremely rigid. The glass coating the bricks will be stronger. The glass is pretty high on the Moh's scale. It is even capable of scratching copper. It is really rigid. So, it will make the bricks act like tiles. Really strong tiles.
Glass can really be strong once it is paired with other stuff. Bulletproof glass is simply a sandwich of glass and plastic. And it is bulletproof. You get my point? The idea here is similar.
Now, time to add some ventilation and water lines.
Time to use a fun magic. I then modified the earth digging spell to work in a really tiny area with very large area. So, I started to make a small diameter hole in the corner. It took a few minutes. This was really hard on the mental aspect, that's why I had to do it instead of Ayna. After I was done, there was a really thin hole that was about 50 feet or around 15 meters deep. It was enough to reach the water reserves underground. I reinforced the hole by toughening the earth there and adding some melted glass to the soil there creating a slightly strong crystal structure. It should be strong enough.
Now, whenever I need clean water, I can just pull it up from here. Neat, right?
Time for ventilation.
This part is a bit tricky. Why? Simply because sounds will get out and smell or other stuff might get out using this ventilation. Not to mention other things using this as passage into the base. I can't really discard the ventilation. Underground without ventilation is just asking to be suffocated and die. So, this is troublesome.
So, I just decided upon a simple solution. Make many small ventilation openings and spread it around the city in many places.
I decided on a simple solution. Some openings in the ventilation will be where air enters, and some will be where air leaves the base. It will create a simple circulation. I don't really have access to any motors and electricity. So, I'll make some artifacts for this purpose later. I'll need one for the water circulation as well.
The base was pretty big. I decided to just make an apartment inside and a lab. The two areas will be separated though.
One bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, storage room, closet, gym and my big lab. Pretty much everything a man can need in an apartment. Well, I will be living here for a very long time in the future. Might as well make it livable. I'll make the furniture later.
Anyways, I am done on my main lair. After this I simply cover up the place with its roof and making room for a couple of hidden entrances as well.
Time was running out though. My parents will be back any moment now. So, we did the rest of the part very clumsily. It was obvious. The upper lair was a very simple one. I let Ayna do the most this time. After all, when they ask me who did it, I'll have to point towards her. So, it will be good if she indeed made the basic lair. If they ask her to, she'll be able to replicate it. Though that will probably not happen.
Anyway, I'm done for today. I need to rest my child body.
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Inside the house Silvanine household,
"Honey, where are the kids? How come I don't see them running around anymore?"
Bradley asked his wife two days after the establishment of the Lair.
"Oh, they are in their 'secret' lair in the backyard."
"Huh? Secret lair? What do you mean?"
"I think that Ayna learned to do some earth magic, so they used it to make an underground lair in the background. They play around in there most of the time now."
"Underground? Won't there be a cave in? Did you check out the place?"
"Yes, I did brad. What do you think, I'd just let them play in a dangerous place. No, I checked it out right after they made it when they weren't looking. It was pretty solid. The walls were compressed earth. It was almost as strong as a rock. Pretty good."
"Well, as long as it's safe. Does he know that you went to check out the place."
"He he he, nope. He thinks only he knows the place of his 'secret' lair."
She added with air quotes.
"Ha ha ha, I wonder how his expression will be once he learns about it."
"He he he, that will be a sight to sick. He always thinks that he is so much smarter than everyone. He will be shocked if we reveal how much we know of his tiny shenanigans."
"Well, he is pretty smart for his age. We knew he would be since he was a baby. Remember how he let us know whenever he was about to poop beforehand by crying?"
"He he he, ah he used to do that didn't he?"
"Yeah, he is growing up so fast."
"Yeah, he is."
"Hey Elena, you want to try again? See if the next kid is just as smart?"
"Ooh, cheeky, aren't you?"
"So, what do you say?
Mm?
Elena?"