"So," Akassi broke the silence, her ancient voice surprisingly strong. "What do you want?"

I tilted my head. Sorry?

The goblin elder's wrinkled face creased further as she leaned forward. "Why have you come to our enclave? Few outsiders seek us out, and those who do invariably desire something."

The Prophet invited me, I answered simply. This much was true, though incomplete. Revealing my divine pursuers seemed unwise in this initial meeting.

Sathrak exhaled a plume of fragrant smoke. "Arctur tells a different tale. He says you're a fugitive from the human kingdoms. That you've violated not only their laws but angered their gods."

I mentally cursed Arctur's loose tongue, then immediately reconsidered. These were his people, his community. Of course he would share everything he knew with them.

I... insulted one of their gods, I admitted carefully. The partial truth seemed safer than complete honesty. Revealing I'd killed Kaldos and carried his godseed would make me a target for anyone ambitious enough to covet divine power.

Morrg's booming laugh filled the chamber. "Ha! Standing up to those simpering humans and their equally stupid gods! I like you already, machine-creature."

Akassi's penetrating gaze never left my face. "It must have been quite the insult to make you an enemy of all human kingdoms."

The gods overreact, I replied with deliberate nonchalance. What I did was perfectly reasonable.

And it was, from a certain perspective. Kaldos had tried to kill me; I merely defended myself. Self-preservation seemed a universal principle, even among monsters.

Akassi nodded slowly, seemingly accepting my vague explanation. The tension in my mechanical frame eased slightly.

"And how long do you plan to stay with us?" Fargill inquired, his clawed fingers steepled beneath his snout. The kobold's business-like demeanor suggested he was already calculating potential costs and benefits of my presence.

I wish to reach level 100, I stated. I will do so by fighting the monsters in the Hellzone.

Fargill whistled, the sound sharp and clear. "Quite the ambition."

"It shouldn't take him very long," Akassi remarked casually. "He's already level 76."

I stiffened, surprised. The goblin had used Analyze on me without any detectable magical signature. Her abilities were more refined than I'd initially assessed.

The other elders exchanged impressed glances. Even Morrg's eyes widened slightly.

"A few years at most, then," Fargill commented, adjusting his calculations.

I didn't correct him. With my anomalous leveling speed, I would likely reach level 100 in mere months, not years. But revealing this seemed tactically unsound.

The Prophet also advised me to increase my growth through other means, I added. I hope to do so by constructing various items and devices.

Fargill's interest visibly sharpened. "What sort of things can you create?"

Tools. Weaponry. Machines of all kinds. I gestured with a tendril that had snuck out from beneath my skirt, the motion fluid and precise. My Assembly ability allows for significant complexity.

A slow grin spread across the kobold's snout. "One of the only things our enclave lacks is human devices. If you could build machinery for us..." His eyes gleamed with entrepreneurial fervor. "We might not even need to trade with those human vermin."

Morrg nodded enthusiastically. "Foul creatures."

"Agreed," Sathrak added. "Less contact with humans means fewer security concerns."

Yudron raised a weathered hand. "Let's not be hasty. Human traders provide much more than simple devices. They bring seeds, animals, and items not found in the Hellzone." He stroked his gray beard thoughtfully. "They also bring news of events in the human kingdoms."

Morrg huffed, his nostrils flaring. "Outside affairs don't concern us."

"They do when those affairs might spill into our territory," Akassi countered. Her gaze returned to me. "Which brings us back to our guest. If humans are hunting you, they might eventually track you here."

The chamber fell silent as all eyes turned to me. The weight of their collective assessment felt almost physical, pressing against my mechanical frame.

The Prophet believes my presence here is necessary, I stated carefully. But I understand your concerns. I've taken precautions to ensure I wasn't followed.

"The Voiceless would detect any human intruders long before they reached our gates," Sathrak added, seemingly reassured by this fact.

Yudron nodded. "The Prophet's wisdom has guided us for generations. If Vardiel is here by the Prophet's invitation, then there is purpose in it."

Fargill's entrepreneurial enthusiasm returned. "And if this purpose includes creating devices that benefit our community, all the better."

"We should establish boundaries," Akassi suggested. "Areas where our guest may go freely, and those requiring escort."

That is reasonable, I agreed. Cooperation would serve my purposes better than resistance.

Morrg leaned forward, his massive form casting a shadow across the floor. "And what do you require from us, machine-creature? Nothing comes without cost."

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A fair question. What did I need from them? Safety, certainly. Time to grow stronger. But there was one thing I needed above all else.

I require resources for my creations, I stated, addressing Morrg's question directly. Materials are essential for my Assembly ability to function at optimal capacity.

Fargill bobbed his scaled head. "A reasonable request. What specific materials do you need?"

I've already discussed obtaining the black sand, menachanite, with Sophaia, I explained, my tendril gesturing subtly beneath my garments. But I require substantial quantities of gold as well.

Fargill's expression immediately soured, his snout wrinkling in obvious displeasure.

"Gold?" Akassi interjected with a casual wave of her gnarled hand. "Our mines produce abundant gold ore. To us, it's practically worthless."

"Worthless?" Fargill spluttered, his tail twitching in agitation. "It's far from useless, Elder Akassi. Humans covet that metal obsessively. It's exceptionally valuable in our trading arrangements."

Akassi's wrinkled face crinkled further as her lips curved into a knowing smile. "But weren't you just advocating for reduced human contact, Elder Fargill? If we limit our trade with humans as you suggested, then surely you won't need so much gold."

Fargill's mouth opened, then closed. His yellow eyes narrowed as he realized the trap he'd set for himself. He huffed but offered no further argument.

I suppressed my satisfaction at this development. With a steady supply of gold, I could produce substantial quantities of auric steel, the foundation of my most effective creations. The alloy's strength combined with its mana-conductive properties made it ideal for both defensive and offensive applications.

What other materials do your mines yield? I inquired, pushing my advantage while Fargill remained silent.

The kobold elder recovered his composure, apparently deciding that sharing mining information posed no strategic disadvantage.

"Apart from gold, we extract iron, coal, nickel, copper, silver, and tin in abundance," he recited, ticking off each metal on his clawed fingers. "We also find platinum, though less frequently. There are precious gems as well: rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, along with various other minerals I won't bore you by listing."

I paused, processing this information. Such mineral diversity in a single location seemed statistically improbable.

Is it not unusual for a single mining operation to produce such varied materials? I asked as I tilted my head.

The chamber filled with laughter: Morrg's booming guffaw, Akassi's crackling chuckle, even Sathrak's restrained hiss of amusement.

Yudron smiled indulgently, his weathered face crinkling around his beard. "You're thinking with human logic, my friend. We are in a Hellzone, the Central Hellzone, no less. Such strange occurrences are commonplace here."

"The rules that govern the outside world hold little sway in this place," Sathrak added.

"The Prophet says the land remembers what it once was," Yudron said, his voice dropping to a reverent tone. "I have no idea what he means, but it makes sense in a way."

The mention of that ancient time, the age when Primordials still walked the world, sent an unexpected shiver through my mechanical frame. Memories from Vardin flickered at the edge of my consciousness.

These materials will be most useful, I said, redirecting the conversation away from uncomfortable topics. With them, I can create items that will benefit your community.

The discussions continued well into noon as I told the Elder Council how my presence could benefit the enclave.

Yudron and I left the council chamber, a sense of relief settling over me. The negotiation had gone better than anticipated. I'd secured my place in the enclave and access to the materials I required.

"You handled yourself well in there," Yudron remarked as we descended the building's central staircase. "The elders can be... difficult at times."

I find that true of most governing bodies, I replied, my mechanical frame moving smoothly beside him. Compromise is often the most efficient path forward.

Yudron chuckled. "Indeed. And the compromises you've offered are most generous."

I'd agreed to undertake several civil engineering projects for the enclave in exchange for my residency and access to their resources. The first and most significant would address their water infrastructure challenges.

"The water system has been a problem since the settlement's founding," Yudron explained as we walked through the marketplace. "Our hot springs lie deep within the volcano's lower chambers. The daily journey to retrieve water consumes hours of labor."

I can design a network of pipes to transport water directly from the springs to communal wells throughout the settlement, I told him, already calculating the materials needed and potential challenges. Properly constructed, such a system would operate with minimal maintenance for decades.

"That alone would transform our daily lives," Yudron said, his eyes crinkling with genuine appreciation. "You should have seen Fargill's reaction when you proposed it. I thought the old kobold might leap across the table to embrace you."

His enthusiasm seemed more financial than practical, I observed.

Yudron laughed heartily. "You noticed that, did you? Yes, he immediately saw potential profit in charging access fees. That sparked quite the debate."

I'd remained silent during that particular argument. The political and economic structures of the enclave were not my concern. I required no water for my existence, so the outcome would not affect me directly.

As we approached my workshop, I noticed movement at one of the windows. There were small figures gathered around peering inside, pointing excitedly at my mechanical constructs. Upon seeing us, the children, who were a mix of goblin, kobold, and orc youngsters, scattered in panic, their feet pattering against the stone as they fled.

Yudron's laughter echoed against the buildings. "The curiosity of children is a wonderful thing, isn't it? They've never seen machines like yours before."

Will their presence be problematic? I asked, watching the last child disappear around a corner.

"Not at all, unless they become a nuisance to your work," Yudron replied. "Should that happen, simply let me know."

I don't anticipate any issues, I said, reaching the workshop door. With a subtle mental command, I extended two tendrils from beneath my garments to slide the door open.

Immediately, Rolly, my most unpredictable wheeled construct, attempted to dart past me into the open air. I intercepted the unit with a quick tendril movement, blocking its escape.

"That one seems determined to explore," Yudron observed with amusement.

It requires behavioral adjustment, I acknowledged, guiding Rolly back inside with firm pressure.

Yudron lingered at the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the transformed interior of what had been an empty warehouse just yesterday. "I hope you found our tour of the enclave informative."

It is a very beautiful town, I replied, scanning the orderly streets and structures.

The elder orc laughed, his weathered face creasing deeply. "Beautiful? I don't know about that. Impressive, certainly, considering what we started with. But beauty?" He shook his head. "Perhaps you see something in it that I don't."

He stepped back from the doorway. "I should be going. My great-grandchildren expect me for the midday meal. They become quite cross if I'm late."

Enjoy your time with them, I said, noting the pride that softened his features at the mention of his descendants.

After Yudron departed, I secured the workshop door and moved to the central workbench. Spreading out several sheets of parchment I'd acquired, I began sketching preliminary designs for the enclave's water system.

The engineering challenges were significant but not insurmountable. The volcanic environment provided both complications and advantages. The heat would necessitate special considerations for material expansion, but could also be harnessed to create natural pressure within the system.

I drafted schematics for pumps, valves, and communal wells, calculating flow rates and pressure requirements. My constructs moved around me, some bringing tools or materials, others simply observing my work.

As my designs took shape on parchment, I felt a peculiar satisfaction. These projects would serve the enclave well, and in turn, provide me the stability I needed to grow stronger. Each day brought me closer to level 100, when the Godseed of Enmity would finally hatch.

Until then, I would build. I would create. I would prepare.

After all, creation was my nature, the echo of Machalaziel that remained within me.

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