Meanwhile, on the other side of the world…
“Fabricators and Miners are fully functional. Queue status filled,” a hoarse voice echoed through what looked like a dark, empty space, but revealed to be untrue when light suddenly turned up in the darkness. Since the place was underground and lacked any other light source, the only thing illuminating anything at all was a large, rectangular glass screen.
From deep within the darkness, unreachable by the light spewing forth from the glass, rough, grinding sounds could be heard, as if metal scraps were being recycled.
“Waste disposers, on.” The screen announced again as several runes lit up on the side. As if in sync, the crunching sound stopped instantly, before turning into the sounds of metal scraping against the floor.
The place lit up all of a sudden, revealing a doorway opening at the end opposite from the scraping sounds. The light came from below, revealing rows upon rows of runes that outputted them. A figure in a white armored suit and helmet walked in, before closing the doorway behind and heading towards the computer.
“Report.” The voice was masculine.
“Majority of ores mined is agrogyrum and ironistic manganite. The rest are trace ores of other elecyte.” The screen responded.
The man nodded in satisfaction. “Boot up life support system. Prioritise mining of Deterum and Porling ores—“
The light coming from the runes dimmed for a moment, before brightening up again along with what sounded like a vacuum.
A minor shockwave reverberated through the place, but the man seemed calm. After several more seconds, a beep can be heard throughout the facility.
“Whew…” The man breathed a sigh of relief as he took off his helmet, revealing feminine features.
The "he" was in fact a "she", and the sigh of relief came from the fact that the facility managed to lock down successfully without anything invasive trying to eat her. Her sharp ears characteristic to elves pointed downwards as she calmed herself.
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The female elf proceeded to take off her armor, revealing her in a tight-fitting suit. For her, the armor acted as both a safety precaution and mental preparation whenever she risked encountering mana eaters. The last time she went out scavenging for supplies without armor, thinking it was quick enough she wouldn't get noticed, she almost died from mana deficiency due to being fed off of those beasts. It was pure luck she happened to be near a trap she set for situations like these that she got out unscathed. Recalling her near death experience, she shuddered slightly.
She stretched her arms, joints cracking, before walking towards another wall which opened up to reveal a large canteen.
“What’s for dinner?” Her steps echoed unusually soft, even for an elf.
“Salad and salsa sauce.” The screen responded.
The elf sighed again and swore the only thing she ate around here was salad and salsa sauce. By now, she was pretty sure at least 5% of her body mass came from the salsa sauce, the rest from the salad.
She wouldn’t stop herself from eating it, though. The set was the only food that provided enough nutrients for her body, and she needed it more than ever. Not because she was growing or anything, but because of the fetus growing inside herself.
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"Wake up, we have detected a trace amount of fertility mana," A hoarse voice sounded, softly.
Alina opened her eyes before she even knew it. Sitting upright on her bed, she reached for a glass of water she left beside her bed just before sleeping. Now that she woke up, she thanked herself for her own thoughtfulness as she gulped down the water.
She took a nearby leather jacket and put it on. The temperature was chilly, enough that she would catch a cold and die of pneumonia in days if she wasn't careful. The facility regulated internal temperature, but it didn't mean there wouldn't be spikes in temperature. Sometimes, the world is too much for a single machine to handle.
"The sensors you've put out have traced waves of mana, albeit faint, from somewhere near. It's in the kingdom where our country used to trade with. I recommend suiting up and immediately heading over to find the source."
Alina contemplated for a moment, then said. "Right. Prepare my light weapons. I'm going to try stealth." The armor she left near the glowing glass screen was picked up by a mechanical hand extending from the floor. The armor was then stored and another set was deployed, this time thinner and more flexible than the last armor.
Alina checked her combat suit she always wore in case of midnight invasions, then rubbed her stomach a few times before wearing her lightweight armor. Something told her the fetus was going to end up like the last ones: dead before birth.