Chapter 86 — Stone, Steel, and Secrets
S.C. 1510 — Early January
Foosha Village — Underground Lab
Ren stared at the underground lab ceiling like a tired landlord staring at a collapsing apartment.
It was cramped.
Dusty.
Too small for science.
Too small for safety.
Too small for his ambitions.
When he reached for a flask yesterday, his elbow hit a wall.
When he reached for the wall today, he nearly elbowed the vibrating plant.
And when a vibrating plant sits beside volatile chemicals?
Yeah, that's nightmare fuel.
Ren let out a long sigh.
"This is officially too small to not die in."
Zemo nodded gravely, as if he had been saying this for days but Ren refused to listen.
Ren placed a hand on the wall.
"Alright. Time to expand."
Zemo wagged his tail, volunteering himself as "Supervisor Fox."
---
KEA 0.4 — The Stone-Eater
Ren unwrapped the KEA 0.4 blade.
Even through cloth, it felt like a serious adult tool saying:
"Stop messing around and let me do my job."
He pressed the blade to the wall.
SHRRRRRRKK—
A clean slice of stone fell off like a peel from a fruit.
Zemo froze mid-tail-wag.
Ren grinned.
"Heh… this is cheating. Amazing, beautiful cheating."
He sliced again.
SHRKK—SHRKK—SHRKK—
Stone shaved off in smooth chunks.
Dust filled the chamber in tiny clouds.
Zemo sneezed five times in protest.
Ren laughed.
"Okay, okay, we'll take breaks."
But he didn't stop smiling.
Tools change lives.
Better tools change dreams.
---
The Sketch of the Future
Ren drew a rough blueprint on the dirt floor using a stick.
He cleared his throat dramatically like a schoolteacher with one student.
"Zemo-san, if you'll look here, today's lesson is Expansion 101."
Zemo sat down, paw touching the drawing like he was taking notes.
Ren pointed.
1. Chemical Room
proper ventilation
sealed shelves
space for experiments
soil observation corner
absolutely no exploding things near Ren's face
"This will keep the weird sprout from killing us."
Zemo nodded.
He very much approved of not-dying.
2. Metallurgy Room
upgraded furnace
ore storage
room for future alloy testing
area to forge better tools
"This is where KEA 0.5 will be born."
Zemo barked sharply, tail wagging.
Yes, forge the shiny metal!
3. Storage & Emergency Room
dried food
water jars
blankets
notebook shelf
sleeping area (in case Goa Kingdom goes bonkers… which it absolutely is)
Ren whispered:
"Just in case things burn… or explode… or nobles come."
Zemo's ears drooped sympathetically.
---
Digging Begins
Ren got to work, carving through stone like it was stubborn bread.
SHRK—SHRK—SHRK—
Stone dust everywhere.
Ren coughing.
Zemo dragging stone chunks into neat little fox piles like a professional construction assistant.
Hours passed.
They expanded the chemical room first — safety over everything.
Ren carved small ventilation channels using the KEA blade and hooked them into abandoned termite tunnels.
Airflow improved instantly.
"No more suffocating. That's always a win."
Zemo agreed wholeheartedly.
Next, Ren outlined the metallurgy room.
He hammered in markers for where the upgraded furnace would go.
Then he measured out the storage room — emergency hideout included.
The underground space started to look less like a cramped hole and more like a secret workshop in progress.
---
The Secret Escape Route
Ren carved a slanted tunnel upward, wincing with every stone slice.
Too obvious to connect to the shed.
Too risky.
He angled the tunnel to emerge behind a cluster of thick boulders 50 meters behind the shed.
Hidden.
Safe.
Silent.
Zemo tested the tunnel.
He squeezed through the narrow passage, popped out behind the rocks, and barked happily:
"Approved!"
Ren pumped a tiny fist in victory.
"Perfect. If we ever have to run… we can disappear without being seen."
The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
Goa Kingdom was already unstable.
Burnings.
Refugees.
Bandits.
The world was tightening faster than expected.
---
Nightfall — A New Beginning
Lanterns flickered across the newly carved chambers.
Ren stepped into the chemical room — now twice as large — and stared at the vibrating sprout in the mineral soil.
Here, in this safer room…
with ventilation, space, and organization…
…he didn't feel fear.
Just curiosity.
Magic?
Evolution?
Unknown biology?
Whatever it was, he would study it properly.
Ren whispered:
"This is only the beginning."
Zemo curled beside him, tail flicking.
Three chambers.
A secret exit.
A future furnace.
Safer plant experiments.
Better tools.
All crafted by a seven-year-old boy with determination and a very shiny knife.
Ren wiped dust from his cheek and smiled.
"We're growing stronger, Zemo. Quietly. Carefully."
Zemo licked his hand once in agreement.
Tomorrow…
the real refining work would begin.
And so would the next alloy.
---
End of Chapter 86