Laughter rippled through the room. Ben shrugged, rising from his seat. Elvira, still watching through his memory, let out a quiet laugh. 'So you were this lazy, huh? But despite the moment, her mind kept circling back to what she had learned just before the interruption.
Magic. Energy. Conservation. If she could just figure out how to trap that lost energy before it dissipated—this could be a breakthrough.
The memory dissolved, fading like mist, and Elvira found herself back in the real world. She blinked, still processing what she had seen. "How was it?" Ben asked, watching her reaction. "Did it work?"
Elvira's eyes flickered with excitement. "Ah, yes. Sorry, I just… got another idea from your memories." She tapped a finger against her chin, her mind already racing. Then, she glanced at him, curiosity deepening. "But what was that class? I knew it—there's no way you're just some ordinary person like you claim."
Ben raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"In my world, knowledge like that wouldn't be freely shared," Elvira explained. "Any theory, any piece of valuable information, always comes with a price. Strings attached. The only things given freely are reading, writing, and small parts of history."
Ben chuckled. "Well, that's just how my world works. Pretty much all knowledge is out there for anyone to access. As long as you have a phone or a computer, you can learn almost anything." He smirked, tapping his temple. "No secret archives, no high-noble restrictions. Just pure information at your fingertips."
Elvira's eyes widened. "That's… impossible."
"For you, maybe." Ben leaned back with a lazy grin. "But that's how it is on Earth. Physics, chemistry, engineering—you name it, we teach it to kids. Hell, it's mandatory."
Elvira was stunned. A world where even commoners had access to high-level knowledge? No wonder Ben was so different. Then, she realized something else. "Wait." Her mind clicked, piecing it together. "That means… I can learn everything from your world?"
Ben shrugged. "I don't see why not. As long as you don't go poking around for memories related to how I ended up here, you should be fine." But in his mind, he had already drawn a conclusion. 'The system must be blocking those specific memories.'
Elvira wasn't even listening anymore. She was too busy suppressing the grin threatening to take over her face. A world of infinite knowledge, just waiting for her to devour? She had struck gold. No—beyond gold. This was a treasure trove beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Ben sighed, shaking his head as he watched Elvira practically vibrate with excitement. "Alright, alright. Save the it for later," he muttered, waving her toward the base. "Get inside and settle everything first."
She didn't need to be told twice. The carriage was moved beside the main castle, surrounded by Grimslate blocks to make it blend in—less conspicuous, less of a target. The moment it was secured, Elvira disappeared inside, already drowning herself in research. Ben had no doubt she'd be holed up in there for hours, maybe even days.
That suited him just fine. He had work to do.
Ben turned his attention to the forge, making his way through the ever-expanding stronghold. The foundation had already been laid, but now it was time to bring it to life. He reinforced the structure with layered Grimslate, ensuring it could handle the extreme temperatures he planned to put it through. The design was simple but effective—a well-ventilated system to funnel out the smoke.
At first, he considered the usual method—just dispersing it into the air. But then, an idea struck. Why waste it? He adjusted the design, redirecting the smoke to a controlled output. If he could funnel it properly, he could weaponize it.
Scorching-hot smoke wouldn't kill an enemy outright, but it'd definitely disorient them, maybe even burn exposed flesh. A trap disguised as nothing more than exhaust—yeah, that'll work.
With the forge fully operational, he wasted no time. Production began immediately. His first priority—ammunition.
Ben got to work crafting explosive bolts. Each was fitted with a sharpened Grimslate tip, infused with Elvira's talismans, designed to detonate on impact. He packed them into crates, ensuring they were stored safely but within reach. Around him, the Krell moved efficiently, carrying the stockpiled bolts to the storage areas and mounting them in the towers where the ballista stood ready.
Hours passed in relentless labor.
With the ammunition secured, Ben shifted his focus. The base still needed more defenses. He resumed construction on additional watchtowers, placing them at key points between the inner and outer walls. These weren't just vantage points for archers—they were platforms for mounted ballista.
Piece by piece, the fortress took shape. Expanding even further, He considered asking Elvira to reinforce the defenses with magic, maybe add a protective barrier or something, but one glance at her, and he changed his mind. She was lost in her research, completely absorbed. The last thing he needed was to interrupt her when she was in full mad scientist mode.
Fine. He'd handle this first. Once all the traps and defenses were in place, then he'd drag Elvira out of her magic-fueled trance.
Ben let his gaze sweep over the stronghold, assessing every detail. So far, eight towers stood tall, each armed with a mounted ballista. The pitfall traps continued to be expanded, making the base even more of a deathtrap. The outer walls were nearly fully reinforced with corner spikes, ensuring Ravagers couldn't brute-force their way through. And to counter their climbing tactics, the fungal trees he had harvested were now repurposed along the upper sections of the walls, creating a natural barrier that will fall down against anything that tried to scale them.
But it still wasn't enough. His mind turned to the biggest threat—long-range attacks. The Spine Ravagers' projectiles had been devastating in the previous battle. Right now, his Krell Scouts and the ballista operators were completely exposed. If the enemy launched another coordinated assault, they'd be easy targets. 'I need to cover them.'