The hum of energy was no longer a gentle whisper—it was a roar. As the first light of an unnatural dawn filtered through the mist above the clearing, the protagonist stirred from a short rest. A soft ping from the interface woke him.
[Energy Bank: 985 / 1000 QP]
Warning: Storage Near Saturation ▸ Risk of Internal Feedback
He blinked, trying to steady his senses. "That's… way more than I expected."
The passive intake from the First Beacon had exceeded projections. Instead of the steady 210 QP/day, a surge—possibly from a minor environmental shift—had pushed the flow higher. He attempted to redirect some of the energy to unlock new interface modules or initiate an upgrade.
Access Denied: System Under Maintenance. Estimated Resume in 3.7 hours.
A cold weight sank into his gut.
---
At first, it was subtle. A pressure behind the eyes. A weight in his limbs that didn't belong. When he tried to focus, his Life-Sense became unreliable, blinking in and out like a failing light.
Then came the sound—an echo inside his head. Not a thought, not quite.
"...energy… not yours alone… leak..."
He staggered to his feet, disoriented. The world around him felt off-axis, like a painting tilted at just the wrong angle. His body pulsed—not with pain, but overabundance.
The interface scrambled:
Sensory Feedback Loop Unstable
Energy Circulation Disrupted
Life-Sense: Temporarily Compromised
He stumbled toward a nearby rock slab, bracing himself. His own energy was poisoning him. Not from outside—but within.
---
Desperation led to instinct. He reached out to the rock, channeling QP outward with raw will. A surge of heat erupted from his hand—and nothing happened.
Unauthorized Discharge Detected ▸ Risk of Structural Collapse
Energy Must Be Processed or Redirected
"Even my panic is regulated now," he muttered bitterly.
He turned to the beacon. "What good is harvesting if I choke on the yield?"
---
A memory resurfaced—the thermal plate he had used near the waterfall. It had absorbed and redirected pressure. That could work.
He began assembling. From fragments of cracked bone and split crystal, he built a dual-layer shell. The inner core would absorb pressure; the outer shell, embedded with micro-motion threads, would discharge it into the ground.
At the base, he carved a spiral trench—a "pulse swirl" to guide the release.
When activated, it emitted a soft, rhythmic pulse.
Discharge Valve Prototype Linked ▸ Status: Partial Stabilization
Overflow Control Rate: 70%
He fell back, panting but smiling.
"Not elegant... but it breathes."
---
The beacon stabilized, but the aftermath whispered louder than any alarm.
Moths near the beacon had begun flying in erratic spirals. The stone-snail was burrowing—not climbing. And the mist itself had a subtle hue, like burnt plasma.
Life-Sense flashed red.
Energy Echoes Detected
Type: Residual Radiation
Effect: Local Mutation Probability Increased (Low)
He stepped back. His actions had consequences.
"I cured the fever… but might've infected the land."
---
Later that night, he installed a new device beside the beacon: a Beacon Watcher. It would track pulse frequency, output rate, and any mutation spikes every hour.
On a crystal slate beside it, he carved:
> "All energy gathered must be absorbed.
Else… we'll drown in our own harvest."
As he gazed into the mist, the weight of creation began to settle.
"If this happens with one beacon… what about ten?"
The silence that followed was not peace. It was warning.
---