NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 4: Building the Future
The Mana Core pulsed gently in Alex's hand, its faint warmth spreading through his fingers. Despite everything—the pain, the exhaustion, the chaos—he felt a flicker of triumph. He'd survived. Barely, but he'd survived.
Now, it was time to make sure he could keep surviving.
Alex tucked the Mana Core into his belt pouch and surveyed the ruins. The barricades were a mess—splintered wood, jagged metal, and crushed stone scattered across the ground. The traps he'd set were either destroyed or rendered useless during the Sentinel's rampage.
The System's glowing screen floated nearby, its calm, unfeeling text waiting for his attention.
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"Objective: Use Fragmented Mana Core to construct Basic Turret. Recommended: Repair fortifications before next hostile activity."
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Alex let out a slow breath, his body still trembling from the adrenaline crash. The System wasn't wrong. His defenses were in shambles, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't be attacked again before nightfall.
"Okay," he muttered, rolling his shoulders to shake off the stiffness. "Turret first, then fortifications."
He crouched next to the pile of materials he'd gathered earlier, sorting through the wood and metal. The Mana Core glowed faintly in his pouch, as if eager to be used. Alex pulled it out, holding it up to the System's interface.
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"Fragmented Mana Core detected. Beginning construction process."
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The System displayed a blueprint of the turret, its components glowing as Alex followed the instructions. He started with the base, using the wood to build a sturdy tripod. It wasn't elegant, but the System's guidance ensured it was functional.
Next came the firing mechanism. Alex used the metal scraps to assemble a crude barrel, guided by the floating blueprint. His hands worked quickly, his movements precise despite the fatigue weighing him down.
Finally, he placed the Mana Core into the turret's central housing. The Core clicked into place, its glow spreading through the device as it powered up.
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"Basic Turret constructed. Automated defense activated."
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The turret hummed softly, its barrel swiveling as it scanned the ruins for threats. A faint blue light emanated from the Mana Core, illuminating the area around it.
Alex stepped back, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "That'll do," he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
But the turret was only the beginning. His barricades still needed work, and the traps would have to be reset—or redesigned entirely. Alex pulled up the System's interface, scrolling through the available blueprints.
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"Available upgrades: Reinforced Barricades, Advanced Traps, Expanded Perimeter."
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He selected the barricades first. The System displayed an overlay, highlighting the areas that needed repair or reinforcement. Alex grabbed the remaining wood and metal, his body moving on autopilot as he followed the instructions.
Every nail he hammered, every plank he placed, felt like a small step toward reclaiming control. The Sentinel's attack had shaken him, but it hadn't broken him.
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The work took hours. By the time Alex finished, the barricades were stronger than ever, with overlapping layers of wood and metal forming a solid defense. The traps were next—a mix of hidden spikes, weighted nets, and pressure plates rigged to release falling stones.
The System chimed softly as he completed each task, its monotone voice a constant companion.
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"Defenses upgraded. Fortification rating increased by 30%."
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Alex sat down on a piece of rubble, wiping his hands on his tunic. His muscles ached, his head throbbed, and his stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten since… since before the explosion.
The thought hit him like a brick. How long had it been? Days? Hours? He had no way of knowing how time worked in this world.
"System," Alex said, his voice hoarse. "Do I have food? Or do I have to go hunting for that too?"
The interface responded immediately.
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"Available options: Basic Rations, Scavenged Supplies, Foraging Guidance."
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Alex raised an eyebrow. "Basic Rations? What's that?"
The System displayed a small pouch icon, glowing faintly. Alex reached into his belt pouch, his fingers brushing against something he didn't remember putting there. He pulled out a small package wrapped in waxed paper.
He unwrapped it cautiously, revealing a dense, brownish bar that smelled faintly of dried fruit and nuts.
"Huh," Alex said, taking a bite. The flavor was bland but not unpleasant, and the bar was surprisingly filling. He wolfed it down quickly, the gnawing hunger in his stomach finally subsiding.
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The sky above had darkened into a deep blue, the first stars appearing between the cracks in the ruined ceiling. Alex leaned back against the barricade, staring up at the sky.
He'd survived two attacks in a single day—first the wolves, then the Sentinel. He'd built defenses, crafted weapons, and even constructed an automated turret.
But the weight of it all pressed down on him like a lead blanket. This wasn't just survival. It was a war, and he was fighting it alone.
"Where the hell am I?" Alex murmured, his voice barely audible.
The System didn't answer, its glowing interface hovering silently in the air.
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Alex's body screamed for rest, but his mind refused to let him sleep. Even with the new turret humming softly nearby and the reinforced barricades standing tall, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The darkness beyond the ruins felt alive, every rustle of leaves or creak of wood sending his heart racing.
He pulled up the System's interface again, searching for anything that could give him an edge. New blueprints had appeared, unlocked after his victory against the Sentinel.
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"Available blueprints unlocked: Advanced Crossbow, Basic Workshop, Mana Detector."
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The words "Mana Detector" caught his eye. Alex tapped the blueprint, curious. A diagram unfolded, showing a handheld device shaped like a wand with a glowing crystal at its tip.
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"Mana Detector: Scans for sources of mana within a 500-meter radius. Detects Mana Cores, magical entities, and ambient mana fields."
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"Could've used this earlier," Alex muttered. He scrolled through the requirements: metal, wood, and a Fragmented Mana Core. His stomach sank. He'd just used his only Core to power the turret.
"Figures," he said, leaning back against the wall. "One step forward, two steps back."
The turret suddenly whirred, its barrel swiveling toward the treeline. Alex froze, his hand instinctively going to the crossbow slung across his back.
"What now?" he whispered, peering into the darkness.
The turret's blue light scanned the perimeter, but after a tense moment, it returned to its neutral position. Alex let out a slow breath, his grip on the crossbow loosening.
"False alarm," he muttered, though the tension in his shoulders didn't ease.
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As the hours dragged on, Alex kept busy. He couldn't afford to sit still—not when the world seemed determined to kill him. He began organizing the remaining resources, stacking wood and metal near the System's interface for easier access.
Every so often, the turret would whir and scan the darkness, but nothing emerged from the shadows.
The silence was unnerving.
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By the time the first light of dawn broke through the cracks in the ceiling, Alex was running on fumes. His body ached from the constant work, and his eyes burned from lack of sleep. But the sight of the sun—warm and golden—brought a flicker of relief.
The ruins looked different in the daylight. The jagged walls and crumbling pillars seemed less menacing, the shadows retreating to reveal a landscape of overgrowth and decay. Alex climbed to the top of the barricade, scanning the horizon.
The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, its canopy thick and unbroken. In the distance, he spotted the faint outline of a mountain range, their peaks shrouded in mist. Beyond that, he had no idea what lay ahead.
"Guess I'll find out eventually," Alex said, his voice low.
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"New Objective: Explore the surrounding area. Expand resource collection and locate additional Mana Cores."
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Alex stared at the glowing text, his jaw tightening. "Of course," he muttered. "Can't just sit here and enjoy my coffee, huh?"
The System displayed a map overlay, highlighting a few key locations within a one-kilometer radius. A glowing marker pulsed to the east, labeled "Potential Mana Source."
Alex frowned, tapping the marker. The map expanded, showing a dense patch of forest with the faint outline of ruins hidden beneath the trees.
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"Location identified: Abandoned Outpost. Potential Resources: Mana Core, Enchanted Metal, Unknown Artifacts."
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His curiosity sparked, but so did his caution. The Sentinel had come from somewhere, and there was no guarantee the outpost wasn't crawling with more of those things—or worse.
Alex climbed down from the barricade, double-checking his gear. The crossbow was loaded with his last bolt, and the crude knife hung at his side. He grabbed a few extra pieces of metal and wood, tucking them into his makeshift bag.
"Better safe than sorry," he muttered.
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The walk to the outpost was eerily quiet. The forest seemed different in the daylight, its shadows softer but no less unsettling. Alex moved carefully, his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of movement.
The System's map guided him, the glowing marker pulsing faintly in the corner of his vision. After about twenty minutes, he spotted the first signs of the outpost—crumbling stone walls peeking through the undergrowth, their surfaces streaked with moss and vines.
"Here we go," Alex said, gripping his crossbow tightly.
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The outpost was smaller than he'd expected, little more than a handful of structures clustered around a central courtyard. Broken pillars and collapsed roofs littered the area, and the air was thick with the smell of damp earth.
The System highlighted several points of interest: a collapsed tower, a shattered archway, and what appeared to be a storage shed.
Alex approached the tower first, his footsteps silent on the moss-covered ground. The entrance was partially blocked by rubble, but he managed to squeeze through a narrow gap. Inside, the air was cool and stale, and the faint glow of the System's interface illuminated the space.
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"Resource node detected: Enchanted Metal. Scanning for extraction options."
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Alex knelt beside a pile of debris, spotting a faintly glowing piece of metal embedded in the stone. He pulled out his pickaxe, chipping away at the surrounding rock. The process was slow, but eventually, the metal came free.
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"Material acquired: Enchanted Metal x2."
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"Not bad," Alex said, slipping the pieces into his bag.
He exited the tower and made his way toward the storage shed. The structure was barely standing, its wooden walls warped and splintered. Alex pushed the door open cautiously, the hinges creaking loudly in the silence.
Inside, he found rows of broken shelves, their contents long since scavenged or destroyed. But in the corner of the room, something glowed faintly beneath a pile of rubble.
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"Item detected: Fragmented Mana Core."
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Alex's heart leapt. He rushed to the corner, clearing away the rubble with frantic hands. The Core pulsed softly, its light warm and inviting. He picked it up carefully, holding it up to the light.
"Gotcha," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
The System chimed again, displaying a new message.
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"Objective complete: Mana Core acquired. Return to base for construction upgrades."
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Alex exhaled, tucking the Core into his bag. He scanned the rest of the shed, but there was nothing else of value. Satisfied, he stepped back into the courtyard, his mind already turning to the possibilities the new Core would unlock.
As he turned to leave, a faint sound reached his ears—a low growl, followed by the rustle of leaves.
Alex froze, his hand going to his crossbow.
"Not again," he muttered, his eyes scanning the shadows.
From the treeline, a figure emerged.
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