The mysterious device weighed heavily in Sylvie's satchel as she made her way home from the forge. Every few moments, she found herself reaching down to check that it was still there, her fingers brushing against the leather strap that secured it. The memory of the way it had reacted to her mana lingered in her mind, sparking an endless string of questions. What was it? Who had made it? And most importantly—what was it meant to do?
The streets of the village bustled with their usual morning activity. Vendors set up their stalls, farmers led their carts of produce toward the market, and children ran about in small groups, their laughter ringing through the air. But Sylvie barely noticed any of it. Her mind was too focused on the puzzle she had just been handed.
When she reached home, Mira greeted her with a warm smile, wiping her hands on her apron as she stepped away from the stove. "Back already? Harland didn't keep you for long today."
"Yeah, he—he gave me something to look at," Sylvie replied, hesitating only slightly. She didn't want to alarm her mother by mentioning that the object in question pulsed with mana and had reacted as though it were alive.
Mira raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "Well, don't forget to eat before you get lost in one of your projects again. I swear, sometimes I have to drag you away just to remind you that you need food like the rest of us."
Sylvie grinned. "I won't forget."
She slipped away to her room, closing the door behind her before setting the satchel on her desk. Taking a deep breath, she carefully unwrapped the device, placing it in the center of the wooden surface. Sunlight filtered through her window, casting a soft glow on the strange engravings that lined its surface.
It was even more intricate than she had initially realized. The runes weren't just randomly etched symbols—they followed a pattern, curling in spirals that seemed to guide the eye toward the center. The alloy had an almost liquid sheen to it, shifting in the light as if it wasn't entirely solid.
Sylvie grabbed her notebook, flipping to a fresh page.
Observation Log:
- Device appears to be constructed from an unknown metal alloy, possibly containing mana-conductive properties.
- Runes are arranged in a spiraling pattern, possibly leading to an activation mechanism.
- Internal crystal appears to store energy but remains dormant.
- Initial mana pulse resulted in partial activation and data surge—language unknown.
Tapping her pencil against the page, she considered her next step. She could attempt to activate it again, but she needed to be careful. There was no telling what kind of response she would trigger if she fed too much mana into it. What if it was a weapon? What if it contained a trapped spell?
Or what if it held knowledge she couldn't afford to ignore?
She leaned in, carefully placing her fingertips against the cool metal. Slowly, she let her mana trickle into the device, not enough to force it open completely, but just enough to gauge its reaction.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, a single rune glowed faintly, a soft blue light tracing the engravings like veins carrying energy through a living thing. The crystal at the core pulsed once, twice—then the light faded again.
Sylvie exhaled. "So, you need more than just raw mana. You need the right kind."
It made sense. If the device was ancient, then its original creators likely used a specific mana frequency, one attuned to their own abilities. Without knowing that frequency, she'd have to experiment.
She pulled her notebook closer, flipping to a section where she had documented different mana flow techniques. She had practiced regulating the flow of her energy in various ways to improve the efficiency of her tinkering, but this would be her first time attempting to match an unknown construct's requirements.
"Let's try a gradual build-up," she murmured to herself.
She took a deep breath, centering herself before releasing another thread of mana, this time adjusting its flow as she watched the runes. The first one lit up again—then a second, a third. The crystal pulsed steadily now, but just as Sylvie thought she was making progress, a sharp click echoed through the room.
She barely had time to react before the device released a sudden burst of energy.
A blinding flash of blue light engulfed her vision, and for a moment, all sound vanished. Then, as quickly as it came, the light dimmed, leaving Sylvie blinking rapidly to clear the spots from her eyes. When her vision returned, she realized something had changed.
The device had opened fully.
Inside, the crystal now floated, suspended in the air above the intricate mechanism of interlocking gears. Faint symbols shimmered around it like ghostly echoes, shifting and rearranging themselves in patterns Sylvie couldn't yet decipher.
But what truly caught her attention was the presence of something new—a soft, rhythmic hum, almost like… breathing.
Her pulse quickened. Had she awakened something inside it?
Before she could think too much about it, the air around the crystal rippled, and then—
A voice.
Not spoken aloud, but projected directly into her mind, a series of broken phrases whispered in a language both foreign and strangely familiar.
"…Interface… restoration… incomplete… Awaiting… command."
Sylvie's breath caught in her throat. The device—it wasn't just a tool. It was something sentient. Or, at the very least, something designed to interact with its user.
"Interface restoration…?" she echoed aloud, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was a pause, as if the presence within the device was trying to process her words.
"…Host… unrecognized… Authorization required."
Sylvie's mind raced. Host unrecognized—meaning it had an original owner. Someone who must have known exactly what it was meant to do. And that person wasn't her.
But she wasn't about to let that stop her.
"Can you understand me?" she asked cautiously.
Another pause. Then, a response, though it was fragmented.
"…Language adaptation… in progress… Data corruption detected… Attempting… reconstruction…"
The runes flickered, and Sylvie could feel a shift in the energy around her, as though the device were struggling to repair itself after years—or centuries—of dormancy. Whatever this was, it had been asleep for a very long time.
She had to be patient.
"Take your time," she murmured, sitting back slightly but keeping her hands on the table. She knew better than to rush something this delicate.
As she waited, she jotted down more notes:
Device contains an interactive interface, possibly an artificial intelligence or memory construct.
Appears damaged, requires time to restore language processing.
Original owner unknown; security system in place preventing full access.
She bit her lip, her mind spinning with possibilities. If she could figure out how to bypass its security measures—or, better yet, earn its trust—then she might unlock whatever knowledge was hidden within.
And something told her that knowledge would be more valuable than she could ever imagine.
For now, all she could do was wait.
The hum continued, steady and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of something ancient stirring back to life.
Sylvie took a deep breath and smiled.
She had just found her greatest challenge yet.
And she couldn't wait to solve it.
[Updated Status]
Name: Sylvie
Age: 9
Class: Unawakened
Attributes:
• Strength: 5
• Intelligence: 11
• Agility: 6
• Mana: 22
• Dexterity: 13
Aspect:
• [Tinkerer's Archive] (Rank 1) LV3
• Perfect Recall: Complete and flawless memory of all past-life knowledge.
• Magical Enhancement: Can imbue magical properties into objects, refining their function.
• Advanced Analysis: Breaks down an object's material composition and structure.
• Mental Processing Boost: Increased ability to sort vast amounts of technical data without fatigue.
• Blueprint Projection: Can mentally visualize and deconstruct complex machinery before assembly.
Equipment:
• Shifting Fang (Form Manipulation) – Can shift into different forms if mana is inputted with an image in mind.