I hurried through the Academy's west wing, following the directions from Copelan's messenger. The storage area sprawled across the ground floor, a maze of rooms filled with student supplies and deliveries.

Copelan waited by one of the side doors, his usual scowl softened slightly when he saw me approach. Without a word, he produced a key and led me inside.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The room was packed floor to ceiling with crates. Not just a few boxes, but dozens of them. I began searching through the contents of each crate, revealing what was inside: iron ingots, steel bars, copper sheets, thick rolls of leather, bolts of reinforced cloth, and bottles of various alchemical solutions.

Copelan... this is... I couldn't form proper words through Mind Speech.

"Don't make a fuss." He crossed his arms, looking away. "I merely acquired what you mentioned needing."

This must have cost a fortune. I moved between the crates, running my mechanical fingers over their surfaces.

"I am the son of a Count." He shrugged, still not meeting my gaze. "Such expenses are trivial."

The materials were exactly what I needed. There were high-quality metals for frame construction, treated leather for joint coverings, even various solutions for enchanting. Everything required to build a new combat chassis.

Thank you. I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. Without my combat frame's bulk, the embrace didn't cause him any discomfort.

He stiffened for a moment before awkwardly patting my back. "Yes, well. Just make good use of it." He extracted himself from the hug and straightened his uniform. "If you need more supplies, simply let me know. I can have additional materials delivered within days."

You don't know what this means to me.

"Actually, I do." His usual serious expression returned. "You've given us all a chance to grow stronger, to prove ourselves beyond the limitations others placed on us. This is the least I can do in return.

"There's a cart outside if you need help moving these," Copelan offered.

No need. I reached out with my power and half the crates simply vanished into my Depository. The air shimmered briefly where they had been.

Copelan's eyes widened, his usual stoic mask cracking for just a moment. "Another ability you failed to mention?"

I may have forgotten to bring up one or two things. I ran my mechanical fingers along one of the remaining crates. Would you mind if I came back for the rest? I need to offload these materials down in our basement room first.

"Of course." He produced a small brass key from his pocket. "I've rented this storage space for the day. Here." He pressed the key into my palm. "Take your time.

"Have a good day, Widow," he said with a slight bow before departing.

I made my way through the Academy's winding corridors, careful to avoid the more populated areas. The basement passages were mercifully empty as I slipped into our hidden storeroom.

One by one, I retrieved the crates from my Depository. The metals came first, stacks of iron ingots and steel bars that would form the core of my new chassis. Next came the copper sheets, their surfaces gleaming in the dim light. The leather and cloth materials followed, along with the delicate bottles of alchemical solutions, each carefully wrapped in protective batting.

After arranging everything neatly in one corner, I hurried back upstairs to collect the remaining supplies. The storage room's key turned smoothly in the lock. Working quickly, I absorbed the rest of the crates into my Depository and made my way back down.

Soon the corner of our basement sanctuary was packed with materials. Stacks of crates rose nearly to the ceiling, their contents representing endless possibilities for improvements to my mechanical form. I ran my fingers over the nearest crate, already envisioning the enhanced combat chassis I could create with such high-quality components.

I sat cross-legged on the basement floor, surrounded by my new materials. Though eager to begin work on a replacement combat chassis, another project demanded my attention first. Eyarna's lesson on the Brace enchantment had opened up fascinating possibilities.

Taking an iron ingot and copper sheet from the nearest crate, I channeled my Assembly ability. The metals heated up, then liquefied at my command. They flowed like mercury as I shaped them into precise components. Gears, springs, and joints emerged from the molten metals, each piece an exact duplicate of those in my own mechanical digits.

I fitted the parts together with meticulous care, constructing a perfect replica of one of my fingers. The silver-bright creation lay inert on the floor, disconnected from any power source. A thin coating of alchemical solution came next, carefully brushed over every surface to prepare it for enchantment.

Focusing my newly acquired magical knowledge, I inscribed the Brace enchantment onto the base joint. The runes glowed briefly as they took hold. I repeated the process on a small square of copper sheeting, creating the enchantment's second anchor point.

My organic left hand trembled slightly as I placed a finger against the copper. The moment of truth had arrived. I reached out with my Integration ability, seeking the familiar connection that let me control my mechanical parts.

At first, nothing happened. Then I felt it: Integration's ethereal tendrils discovering the Brace's magical link. The power flowed through the enchantment's invisible tether, spreading into the detached finger.

A surge of triumph filled me as the mechanical digit twitched. I flexed my organic finger and its metal twin mirrored the movement perfectly. The replica curled and straightened, responding to my will as naturally as any part of my body.

It works, I whispered through Mind Speech, though no one was there to hear. This successful test opened up entirely new possibilities for expanding my mechanical form. With enough Brace enchantments, I could potentially control multiple separate components simultaneously.

A few weeks back, I had created a prototype for an insect-like scout that did not work, mostly since I had no way of integrating separate components into myself back then. Now, with the Brace enchantment, that problem was solved. It was time to build myself a new scout.

I gathered materials from the crates, selecting thin steel rods and sheets that would work well for the scout's delicate frame. Using Assembly, I heated and shaped each component with careful precision. The legs came first, eight of them, each as thin as a pencil but strong enough to support the body's weight. I crafted them with multiple joints, allowing for smooth, natural movement.

The central body took shape next, formed from overlapping steel plates that could flex and shift. I made it about the size of my palm, with enough space inside to house the control mechanisms. The Spear Beetle sensor nodes I'd salvaged from previous hunts would serve perfectly as visual inputs. Their crystalline structure captured light in ways that mechanical lenses couldn't match.

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The most challenging part was creating the mind. I couldn't simply rely on Integration through a Brace enchantment; the scout needed to function independently while still following my commands. I crafted a series of interlocking gears and springs, each precisely calibrated. Then I added thin copper filaments throughout the body, creating pathways for both mana and mechanical signals to flow.

Working with the smallest components required intense concentration. Assembly provided a steadier grip than human hands would as I wove hair-thin wires between the gears. Each connection had to be perfect as a single misaligned component could cause the entire system to fail.

I incorporated lessons learned from my previous attempt in the Hellzone. That prototype had been too simple, little more than a mechanical toy. This version would have actual intelligence, albeit limited. The network of gears and springs would allow it to process basic information and react accordingly.

The sensor nodes came next, carefully nestled into the front of the body. I connected them to the internal mechanisms using more copper filaments, ensuring they could transmit visual data to the processing core. A coating of alchemical solution over the entire assembly would allow mana to flow freely through the construct.

As I worked, I found myself adding small improvements almost instinctively. Tiny shock absorbers in the legs would allow for silent movement. Additional sensor nodes along the body would help detect nearby movement. A small mana reservoir in the thorax would help power the scout's basic functions.

The final touch was a series of runes etched into key components. These weren't full enchantments but more like magical guidelines that would help direct the flow of power through the construct. I'd learned this technique from watching Eyarna work, though I'd modified it to suit my own needs.

When the last component clicked into place, I sat back and examined my creation. The mechanical spider sat motionless on the floor, its eight legs arranged precisely beneath its segmented body. The sensor nodes gleamed dully in the dim light, waiting to be activated. Now came the moment of truth, seeing if this improved version would actually function as intended.

I inscribed the Brace runes onto the scout's thorax with careful precision, my mechanical fingers steady as they traced the delicate patterns. The enchantment took hold, magic seeping into the metal and crystalline components. A matching set of runes went onto a copper sheet I'd prepared as the anchor point.

My organic hand pressed against the cool metal surface. A familiar sensation washed over me as Integration reached through the Brace's magical link. The connection formed instantly, far faster than I'd expected. Power flowed into the mechanical spider, awakening its simple consciousness.

The scout's legs twitched, then smoothly lifted its body from the floor. Each movement was precise, calculated, as its artificial brain processed basic commands and responses. The sensor nodes activated, scanning the basement room in systematic sweeps.

Then something unexpected happened. The scout's sensory input merged with my own consciousness. Not as vision, since these weren't true eyes, but as an entirely new form of perception. Shapes emerged from the darkness as variations in light and shadow, edges defined by subtle changes in intensity. The basement's stone walls appeared as cool, solid masses while the wooden crates registered as warmer, more diffuse forms.

I found myself processing both my normal senses and the scout's input simultaneously. Rather than being confusing or overwhelming, the dual awareness felt natural, as if I'd always possessed this capability. The scout's simple mind accepted my commands without resistance, moving where I directed while maintaining its own basic functions.

This is amazing, I whispered through Mind Speech to the empty room. I guided the scout in a careful circle, marveling at how easily I adapted to controlling its eight legs. The movement patterns I'd designed worked perfectly, allowing the mechanical spider to move silently across the stone floor.

The sensor nodes provided a strange new perspective on my surroundings. I could detect subtle variations in temperature, pick up minute vibrations through the scout's legs, and sense changes in air currents that my normal form would never notice. While not as precise as actual vision, this alternative awareness opened up entirely new possibilities for exploration and reconnaissance.

The success of this test meant I could proceed with permanently anchoring the Brace enchantment to both my frames. The combat chassis would benefit greatly from having an autonomous scout, while the humanoid form could use the additional sensory input for navigation and threat detection.

I directed the scout to climb one of the nearby crates, its legs finding purchase on the rough wood with ease. The crystalline nodes adjusted automatically to the change in elevation, maintaining a steady stream of sensory data. This was far more effective than my previous attempt at creating a reconnaissance unit.

As I watched the scout spider navigate the crates with fluid precision, a bright notification suddenly flashed before my eyes:

CONGRATULATIONS! You have become a parent! Please name your child.

I froze, my mechanical fingers twitching in confusion.

What?

Another notification appeared right below it:

Ancestor Might

You gain power from your descendants. The more descendants you have, the stronger you will become. Current descendants: 1

All skills increased by +1 per descendant.

This made no sense. I was a partial torso, barely even alive by most definitions. Reproduction wasn't something I was capable of, let alone interested in. Yet here was the System, insisting I had somehow produced offspring.

My gaze shifted to the mechanical spider moving across the crates. Surely the System wasn't counting this simple automaton as my child? It was just a tool, a piece of equipment I'd assembled for reconnaissance. I felt no parental connection to it whatsoever.

The naming prompt continued to hover insistently in my vision. Fine. To make it go away, I entered the most utilitarian designation possible: "Scout Spider Number 1."

The prompt vanished, replaced by a confirmation message. Still skeptical, I used Analyze on the mechanical spider.

Scout Spider Number 1

Level 1

Dirtborn (Monster)

Gender: N/A

Age: 0

There it was. The System had somehow decided that my creating this scout spider qualified as reproduction. How utterly absurd. Yet I couldn't deny the skill increases I felt; my abilities had indeed grown stronger through this strange application of Ancestor Might.

I stared at the scout spider for a long moment, my mind racing with possibilities. If the System considered my mechanical creations as offspring, then the implications were staggering. Each new construct would increase my abilities through Ancestor Might.

My fingers twitched with excitement as I turned to the crates of materials. The copper sheets and iron bars beckoned. I could create an entire brood of scout spiders, each one adding to my growing power.

Let's see just how far we can push this, I whispered through Mind Speech.

Assembly flowed through my mechanical hands as I grabbed fresh materials. The metal liquefied at my touch, forming into delicate components. Having done this once already, the process went much faster. Gears and springs took shape with practiced ease. Sensor nodes clicked into place as I wove copper filaments between them.

Within an hour, three more mechanical spiders sat before me on the basement floor. Each one identical to the first, down to the last gear tooth. I inscribed the Brace enchantments with careful precision, linking them to my frame.

The notifications appeared in rapid succession:

CONGRATULATIONS! You have become a parent! Please name your child.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have become a parent! Please name your child.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have become a parent! Please name your child.

I named them in sequence: Scout Spider Numbers 2, 3, and 4. Each confirmation brought another surge of power as Ancestor Might enhanced my abilities further. Four descendants now, each one adding their strength.

My hands reached for more materials. Why stop at scout spiders? I could create other forms, different types of constructs. Each one would count as a descendant. Each one would make me stronger.

I knew I was abusing the system, but I just did not care. The more I continued to interact with the system, the more it seemed like a dumb machine rather than a truly intelligent being. That meant there would be loopholes in its logic, loopholes that I could easily exploit.

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