The world seemed to shift beneath their feet.

Agni Moon swayed unsteadily as the ground trembled, her crimson hair glinting in the rising sun. She reached out a hand, catching Mirean Moon's arm for balance. The earth wasn't merely shaking — it was rising.

Within moments, the land that had once lain flat and simple surged upward, forming terraces and plateaus as if the very shell of the great turtle were awakening.

Agni blinked against the rush of light and dust. "It's… completely changed," she breathed.

From their new vantage, the transformation unfolded before them like the rebirth of a world. The plains had become a vast mosaic of order — sweeping city walls encircled shining streets; avenues unrolled like ribbons across the turtle's back, lined by newly flattened fields that stretched toward the horizon.

Mirean, calm as ever despite the upheaval, steadied herself. Her long silver hair fluttered as she surveyed the miracle before them. "It's as though the heavens and earth have traded places," she murmured.

Mino, ever the excitable one, spun around. "Our house—!" she cried, pointing. "Our house is changing too!"

Luciel turned in time to see it. The modest cluster of dwellings that had been their home was reshaping itself — walls thickening, foundations stretching outward. Stone pillars sprouted from the earth, growing in height and girth as if carved by invisible hands.

A palace was being born.

The humble residence they had once shared now blossomed into a magnificent citadel. Wings of marble halls unfurled like petals, and smaller chambers replaced every simple hut that once dotted the courtyard. The grove of Star Tea Trees was encircled by a low, elegant wall — no longer part of the open yard but an enclosed garden behind the palace.

Elara's eyes widened in awe. "By the gods," she whispered. "It's… magnificent. I've never seen such craftsmanship — not even in the Sunspire Kingdom."

"Magnificent?" Alina said faintly, clutching her hands together. "It's enormous! How can anyone sleep comfortably in a house this grand?"

Sophia frowned, rubbing her temple. "Cleaning it will be a nightmare."

"Wait—!" Ariel cried, panic rising in her voice. "My research institute! The instruments, the specimens — they're still inside!"

Luciel wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing shallow. "Relax," he said, voice low but reassuring. "The structure expanded — I didn't destroy anything."

He tried to take a steady step forward, but the motion made his vision swim. The magic had drained him more than he'd expected.

Mirean caught his arm. "Luciel, you're pale. You shouldn't push yourself like this."

Mino darted to his other side, supporting him gently. "Yeah! You've done enough for one day!"

Luciel shook his head, forcing a small smile. "It's all right. Just a bit of mental fatigue. Once I stop channeling, it'll pass."

He drew in a long breath and exhaled slowly. His head cleared slightly — enough to speak with more steadiness.

Elara looked at him with quiet worry. "You don't need to finish everything in one day," she said.

Luciel managed a faint grin. "Almost done. There's just one last part — the waterworks. Once that's complete, the renovation of Black Tortoise City will be ninety percent finished."

Mino frowned. "Then at least rest after that. Promise?"

"I will," Luciel said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's only the pool. Hardly any strain."

He led them toward the rear of the newly expanded palace — to what would soon be their back garden.

The air here was cooler, carrying the faint fragrance of turned soil and tea leaves. The area stretched wide and open, a perfect space for cultivation.

Luciel gestured toward the fertile plots. "We'll grow green vegetables here — enough for our daily needs. With farmland below and gardens here, the city's supplies can be separated — highland produce for our own table, and the lower fields for trade and storage."

Ariel, still catching her breath from the earlier panic, tilted her head. "What about medicinal herbs? Can I grow them here too?"

"Only the rare ones," Luciel replied. "Precious plants like the Angel Wings and the Star Tea Trees stay here. Ordinary herbs will go in the medicine gardens."

His gaze drifted to the radiant white blossoms of the Angel Wings. "You can still plant whatever you like, Ariel," he added softly. "Something to give you a reason to come out of your lab once in a while."

"Me?" Ariel blinked, surprised. "You're putting me in charge of this garden?"

Luciel chuckled. "Someone needs to tend it. And I'd rather not have you vanish underground for weeks again."

Ariel sighed, smiling despite herself. "Fine. But I'm warning you — I'll make it efficient."

Luciel turned to Mino. "You'll assist her. Keep an eye on the irrigation system."

"Got it!" Mino said brightly.

Agni folded her arms, watching the green terraces below. "Don't ask me," she muttered. "Everything I grow ends up roasted."

Elara gave a small laugh. "I'll pass as well. I already have flowers that suit me."

Luciel smiled, warmed by their chatter — the kind of domestic calm that reminded him why he rebuilt this city at all.

Then his eyes settled on the small pool at the garden's edge. It was beautiful but pitifully small — a shallow basin with rippling blue water, hardly sufficient for a growing city.

"The pool won't do," he said quietly. "It's too small for the city's needs now."

He crouched by the edge, assessing the layout. The Star Tea Trees took up more space than he'd planned — expanding outward like proud sentinels — leaving little room to widen the pool.

"Then we'll have to dig deeper."

The air stirred as Luciel extended a hand. The soil trembled, rippling like a living thing. With precise motions, he manipulated the earth — deepening the basin, widening its belly until it reached ten meters across and down.

The walls of the new pool shone with compacted clay, smooth and watertight.

Water began to seep in, glimmering faintly — drawn by the crystal fish he had summoned earlier.

But the water level rose sluggishly, barely reaching the halfway mark.

"Too slow," Luciel muttered. "We can't sustain a city on a trickle."

He straightened, calling softly, "Come here."

From the pool, a ripple of light burst upward. The crystal fish — translucent, shimmering with refracted colors — leapt from the water and landed neatly in Luciel's waiting hands.

He felt the creature's pulse through its scales, a faint vibration of elemental energy.

"All right," he murmured. "Let's see what you can really do."

He summoned the system in his mind. "Evolve crystal fish to level six."

A voice echoed through his consciousness:

> Evolving from Level 3 to Level 6. Deducting 111,000 evolution points.

Then:

> Evolution successful.

Advanced ability unlocked — Water Elemental Condensation.

Sub-ability inheritance available: Water Elemental Control.

Luciel's lips curved faintly. "Inherit."

A cool surge rushed through him, like plunging headfirst into a mountain stream. Every trace of exhaustion evaporated. The dull ache in his skull vanished, replaced by clarity so sharp it almost burned.

The crystal fish glowed brighter, slipping free from his hands. It splashed back into the water with a joyful whoosh, growing before their eyes — one meter, two, three, four — until the pool itself seemed too small to contain it.

Water overflowed the basin, spilling into the channels Luciel had carved beneath the city.

The sound of rushing water filled the air — clean, powerful, alive.

Mino clapped her hands over her mouth. "It's huge! Luciel, it's filling everything!"

Luciel only smiled, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Exactly as planned."

The crystal fish poked its head from the pool, blinking its bright blue eyes at him as if sulking.

Luciel laughed softly. "All right, all right — the pool's too small, isn't it?"

He knelt, pressing a palm to the ground again. The earth shifted smoothly, the pool widening from ten to fifteen meters. He shaped it like a calabash — narrow at the neck, wide at the belly — allowing the fish room to move freely while keeping the flow regulated.

The creature flipped its tail happily, sending arcs of sparkling water into the air.

"Do you want to swim outside?" Luciel asked, reading the intent in its movements.

The fish responded with an enthusiastic leap that drenched him to the knees.

He laughed again, shaking water from his hair. "Fine. But only after midnight. During the day, you stay here and keep the flow steady. If the city loses water because you decided to go sightseeing, you'll regret it."

The crystal fish chirped in acknowledgment, bobbing once before diving below the surface.

Luciel straightened, surveying the result. Streams branched outward from the pool, forming the early veins of a new water network that would supply the entire city — homes, workshops, and farmland alike.

Ariel leaned over the rail, watching the streams spread. "It's incredible," she whispered. "You've created a living water system."

Luciel nodded absently, already planning ahead. "Now we just need to organize the sanitation grid. I won't have anyone dumping waste into my waterways."

He frowned slightly, making mental notes. "The sewers are ready, but the household toilets still need linking. People will have to handle the details of their own plumbing."

Mirean glanced at him, a small smile tugging her lips. "You sound more like a city governor than a mage."

Luciel chuckled quietly. "Someone has to make sure this place doesn't drown in its own brilliance."

He looked once more at the pool — the light glancing off the water's surface, the soft hum of the newly awakened city spreading across the horizon. For the first time since the rebuilding began, he let himself breathe in the scent of fresh earth and damp stone.

The Black Tortoise City was alive again — not jus

t as a fortress, but as a home.

And deep within that shimmering pool, the crystal fish sang to the rhythm of flowing water — the first heartbeat of a city reborn.

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