The core pulsed softly, radiating a steady rhythm beneath their feet. Amon sat on a broken pillar, tossing a rock in his hand, while Ying Yue studied the holographic projection of the planetâs structural integrity. It was a mess, to put it lightly.
The ecosystem had collapsed long ago, and the atmospheric balance was fragile at best. The damage left behind by the invading forces was not just physical - it was foundational. Even with the immense mana reserves stored within the core, fixing it wasnât something they could do alone.
Amon exhaled and leaned back. "Alright, so whatâs the plan? Because unless weâre about to discover a secret planetary restoration button, I donât see how we fix this place."
Ying Yue tapped her chin. "We call him."
Amon blinked. "Him? Whoâs âhimâ?"
Ying Yue smirked. "Dr. Kale."
Amon shot up. "Wait hold on you mean we couldâve called him this entire time?!"
Ying Yue shrugged. "It wasnât necessary before. Now it is."
Amon groaned. "I swear, every time I think weâre stranded and about to die, you pull out some secret backup plan. I almost respect it."
Ying Yue ignored him and activated a hidden communicator embedded in her gear. Nirvana tilted her head slightly, watching the interaction with curiosity.
"You are contacting an external entity," she observed. "May I ask who?"
"You donât know him," Ying Yue said simply. "But heâs the one who sent us here."
Nirvanaâs eyes glowed softly. "Intriguing."
A moment later, a smooth, calculated voice filled the chamber.
"Ying Yue. Amon. I assume youâve reached the library?"
Amon groaned. "Wow, Doc, no âHey, how are you?â, no âGlad youâre still breathingâ? Just straight to business?"
Dr. Kaleâs voice remained as neutral as ever. "Your survival rate was calculated at 30%. You have exceeded expectations."
Amon scoffed. "Oh yeah, that really makes me feel valued."
Ying Yue rolled her eyes. "Weâre alive, and we need your expertise. This planetâs core has been collecting mana for over a billion years, but we canât use it directly. Restoration isnât an option not with conventional methods."
There was a pause before Kale responded, this time with a sharper tone. "Understood. Iâll be arriving shortly."
Amon froze. "Wait. Arriving? As in physically?"
Stolen story; please report.
"Yes," Kale said simply. "I assume you didnât expect me to rebuild a planet from a distance."
The transmission cut out.
Nirvanaâs eyes flickered with newfound intrigue. "This âDr. Kaleâ... He is not one of the Creatorâs known entities. Who is he?"
Ying Yue exhaled. "A scientist."
The core pulsed again, as if listening.
For the first time since their arrival, the ruined planet felt less like a graveyard and more like a blank slate.
Amon stood up, dusting off his hands. "Alright then. Letâs build a kingdom."
...........
The soft hum of ancient machinery filled the air as the planet itself seemed to stir from its slumber. All across the abandoned facilities, dormant constructs flickered to life. Mechanical eyes glowed, gears clicked into motion, and once-forgotten automatons reawakened as their systems reconnected to the central core.
Amon watched in disbelief as hundreds no, thousands of robotic figures emerged from the depths of the ruined structures. Some bore humanoid forms, sleek and efficient, while others were massive, lumbering machines designed for construction and labor.
"Well," Amon muttered, crossing his arms, "that solves the labor issue. Otherwise I would have had to repopulate it myself. " wiggling his eyebrows.
Ying Yue responded with a flat stare. "Weâre not doing that."
"The moment I was recognized as the next administrator, they must have reactivated automatically."
Nirvana nodded. "Indeed. These constructs were created for planetary management. They are equipped for infrastructure development, environmental restoration, and defense. This planet is not as lifeless as it seemed."
Amon smirked. "So, what you're saying is⦠weâve got an army of robot butlers ready to build our kingdom?.
"More or less," Ying Yue admitted. "But it also means weâre responsible for them now. Without a clear directive, theyâll follow whatever protocols are left from the old administration."
Amon clapped his hands. "Alright, time to put them to work. I want no, we want massive cities, floating islands, and maybe a giant golden statue of me holding a sword."
Ying Yue shot him a look. "Weâre not building that."
Amon pouted. "Fine, fine. But can we at least make the roads smooth? I donât wanna trip every time I walk."
Ignoring him, Ying Yue turned to Nirvana. "How advanced are their capabilities? Can they terraform the land?"
Nirvana gestured, and a holographic display appeared, showing the vast network of facilities still intact beneath the surface. "Terraforming is within their capacity, though it will take time. Given proper commands, they can construct entire cities, generate synthetic atmospheres, and establish resource production centers. However, they require a steady mana source to operate at full efficiency."
Amon frowned. "And let me guess⦠the only real mana source here is the core, which we definitely canât use."
"Not directly," Nirvana confirmed. "But with the right adjustments, the core's excess energy can be distributed to the facilities without disrupting the planetâs balance."
Ying Yue nodded. "Then thatâs our priority. First, stabilize the energy distribution. Second, restore essential infrastructure. Third, establish a settlement."
Amon grinned. "And fourth, throw a massive kingdom-inauguration party."
Ying Yue ignored that last part.
Just then, her communicator buzzed.
Kale's voice crackled through. "Iâm entering orbit now. I see movement on the surface. Did you wake up the whole planet?"
"In a way," Ying Yue answered. "The facilities still function, and the automatons are operational."
Kale was silent for a moment before responding, "That opens up a lot of possibilities. We might not even need outside labor for initial development. I'll land soon and assess what we have to work with. In the meantime, start compiling a list of necessary structures. We need a central hub before we do anything else."
Ying Yue glanced at the awakened machines. "Already working on it."
Amon stretched. "Sweet. So, whatâs the name of our new city?"
Ying Yue sighed. "Letâs get it built first before we start naming things."
Amon grinned. "Fine, but Iâm still calling dibs."