The sky was no longer blue above Sanctum.
It shimmered with mana distortion, warped by the aftershock of Tzakaroth's screech and the tremors of reactors on the edge. Every breath of wind carried pressure—like the air itself was watching.
But deep within the Foundation Wing of the inner city, Iden's focus had turned inward.
If the monsters outside represented the end, then Fallout would be the weapon to outlast it.
Sanctum's scholar wing had long been a humble library annex turned research node. It wasn't built for war—it was meant to record, to translate, to preserve. But now it had become something else:
A war-room of invention.
A flurry of runes, diagrams, mana readings, and elemental equations decorated every surface. Bones of beasts were fused with metal sheets, arcane relays flickered like early circuits, and floating skeletons etched complex transcriptions with glowing fingers.
At the heart of this was Iden, flanked by Kael and Arlen.
"Time to formalize this," Iden said, slamming a glowing core onto the researcher's desk.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]New Division Unlocked: Sanctum Elite Research Unit – CODE: LUMEN]A division dedicated to military-grade invention, artifact reconstruction, and mana-core manipulation. Operating at accelerated research speeds based on collective intelligence and mana density.
The elite team—hand-picked from among Sanctum's brightest minds and a few newly awakened scholar-class civilians—were no ordinary thinkers.
Vesrin – A former archivist who awakened the class Chrono-Theorist, able to run simulated timelines and collapse improbable outcomes.
Lera – A master boneweaver, who specialized in necrotic-resonance harmonics, key to Fallout's core housing.
Dymos – A man who had once been mute, but after his awakening as a Mana Resonator, could "speak" to power sources and identify inefficiencies in raw flow.
Sovek – An elder from one of the local tribes, recruited after Iden's diplomacy efforts; his class Runic Forger gave him unparalleled insights into non-linear enchantments.
Zivra – A quiet girl with a strange lineage, now a Spell Architect, who had already theorized a cascading feedback mechanism to balance Fallout's recoil effect.
"Together, you are the backbone of Fallout," Iden told them. "This weapon doesn't just fire—it speaks for Sanctum's future. Now build it like your life depends on it."
Fallout Blueprint – Stage 2 Initiated
[FALLOUT – SKIES OF 1945]Status: Development – 12% → 41%Core Objectives:– Mana Orbitals Assembly (0/200)– Launch Chassis Reinforcement (1/3)– Core Fusion Reactor Stabilizer (0/1)– Targeting Relay Systems (0/4)– Failsafe Protocol – "Skybound Leviathan"(Installed)– Trigger Phrase Authentication: "Bring the Silence"(Accepted)
With every advancement, Iden felt a pressure lift—and another settle on his shoulders.
Fallout would not be just a weapon.
It would be the line. The edge between survival and extinction.
As LUMEN worked, the rest of Sanctum evolved.
1. Mana Distribution Upgrades:Kael and a team of Builder-class skeletons embedded new conduit layers across Sanctum's underground reactor lines. This improved mana saturation by 23%, enough to support the first Arc Induction Array—a structure meant to synchronize all magical weapons within 300 meters.
2. Civilian Uplift Program:New civilians were assigned into emerging specialty roles—Artisan Scribes, Power Loom Weavers, and Core Stabilization Technicians. Nearly 17% of the village now had second classes, their awakened potential propelling research and support to new heights.
3. Drone Assembly Node:Arlen initiated construction of the Drone Synchronizer Module which would allow the eventual control of the 200 autonomous airborne constructs Fallout required.
Kael stood at the Sanctum Courtyard, his cloak fluttering in the mana wind as his three Tyrants knelt before him. They had leveled with alarming speed, and now stood at the edge of evolution once again.
"You've outgrown your names," Kael whispered. "And now… we begin your transformation."
The system flared as all three crossed into Tier B, their forms engulfed in spiraling necrotic flames and fractured light.
Nyra had taken command of perimeter harmonics, fusing mana-layer traps with thermal detection spells. Her familiar, now an evolved predator-drake named Zysara, watched the skies with alert intelligence.
Rael, on the other hand, oversaw sanctified healing stations, reinforcing wounded zones and supporting her brother's efforts with daily bursts of life-mana to stabilize strain points.
"He's doing what only a few can," Rael said to Nyra one night, watching Fallout's incomplete dome flicker against the skyline. "But that doesn't mean we let him carry it alone."
Beyond the mountains, Tzakaroth's corrupted aura had bled into the clouds. The world's first Omega-tier entity was still growing.
Other factions had noticed. Across the world, leaders whispered in dark halls:
"Fallout… is their weapon. If it launches, the balance will shift forever.""Do we unite… or strike before they finish it?""This is not a village anymore. Sanctum is becoming a nation."
Iden stood before the incomplete heart of Fallout.
The mana inside pulsed like a star.
"We are fire," he whispered. "So we become the furnace."