Upon their arrival on the island with Aron, they swiftly carried the first batch of materials and transferred them to a waiting car for transportation to a destination located a few kilometers away from the makeshift port where they had docked the boat for unloading the parts.
When they reached the destination, they proceeded to unpack the objects from the car and arranged them on the ground as neatly as possible. Without delay, they swiftly made their way back to the port in order to retrieve another batch of materials.
Due to the sheer quantity of large parts that needed to be transported, they had rented over ten boats to facilitate the transportation process. With thousands upon thousands of components to be moved, this arrangement allowed for efficient carrying of the materials.
In order to ensure uninterrupted material transfers and prevent congestion, they had to set a limit of ten boats. This number was determined as the maximum capacity to maintain a smooth flow of materials without any boats waiting idly.
"Let's get started!" Aron exclaimed, now alone. He eagerly rubbed his hands together before shouldering one of the heavy machines that normally required three guards to carry as he moved it to an empty field and swiftly returned to pick up another one which he carried and carefully placed it next to the first part he had set down.
This process continued, with Aron tirelessly carrying and assembling more than a hundred and fifty small and large parts. Gradually, they began to interlock, forming the framework of the machine, which was gradually taking shape and nearing completion.
"Phew!" Aron let out a sigh of relief as he finally completed the assembly of the machine. After six hours of continuous work, he felt a sense of accomplishment and relief wash over him.
"Now it's time to insert the battery and power it on to start its operation," Aron said, making his way towards a black box that had a cubic meter in size.
The box was adorned with faint golden lines that seemed to be obscured by the dominant ominous-looking black color. It sat atop a small, four-wheel puller. Aron approached the box and began to pull it towards the assembled machine, still on a wheelbarrow.
When he reached the machine, he effortlessly lifted it as if it were weightless foam, positioning it perfectly within the designated opening that snugly accommodated the box.
After carefully positioning the box, Aron placed both his hands on top of it, directly over the spot where it was installed in the machine. He then began infusing mana into the box, and in response, the box started to emit a gentle glow, with golden lines appearing and intertwining on its surface as the box eagerly absorbed the mana that Aron was pouring into it, as if feeding on the energy.
It took Aron over six hours to fully fill the box with mana, which had transformed into its liquid state, representing the densest form of mana. The black box, adorned with runes, had an active shield that securely contained the mana within it, preventing any leaks or disruptions.
After completing the mana infusion, Aron commanded, "Power it on." Without hesitation, Nova, who was having conversation with Aron to pass time while monitoring the proceedings through an advanced earpiece equipped with a new version of a VR & AR interface, swiftly activated the machine as instructed.
As the golden lines on the black box began to emit a radiant glow, the machine hummed with an energetic vibration. Suddenly, with a resonating "HRMMM" sound, the machine sprang to life and started descending from its original position.
Inch by inch, it began to vanish, gradually receding as if being absorbed into an unseen horizon, akin to a ship disappearing on the distant edge of the sea.
For approximately ten minutes, the machine continued its descent, gradually vanishing into the ground. As it fully disappeared, a square-shaped hole remained, steadily increasing in depth as the machine continued its journey beneath the surface.
Once the machine reached a depth of approximately fifty meters, it came to a halt and began disintegrating the surrounding ground, meticulously breaking it down atom by atom. The process was deliberate and methodical, steadily expanding the hole where the machine had disappeared.
Throughout the entire process, Aron stood at a distance, observing the ground where the machine had descended. While doing so, he remained engaged in conversation with Nova, maintaining their ongoing dialogue as the transformation unfolded before them.
Although it may appear that Aron was simply standing idly by, in reality, he was actively involved in the process. Using the augmented reality capabilities of the earpeace, he was able to witness and monitor every aspect of the machine's transformation beneath the ground. Nova provided a real-time visual display, allowing Aron to stay fully informed about the ongoing progress.
As Aron observed the remarkable disintegration occurring at the atomic level, he couldn't help but express his awe. "Disintegrating things at the atomic level is truly a game-changer," he remarked, captivated by the sight of rocks, sand, and everything in the vicinity being torn apart. The process left behind a progressively expanding hole, showcasing the immense power and potential the machine had.
Indeed, the machine operated in a manner that efficiently disintegrated the atoms without storing them. Instead, the disintegrated particles were dispersed and carried away by the wind, eliminating the need for Aron to collect any resulting waste. This innovative approach eliminated the conventional requirement of manually excavating and handling the debris, streamlining the process and reducing unnecessary labor.
Recognizing the lengthy duration required for the completion of the ongoing machine's task, Aron made the strategic decision to utilize his time by commencing the assembly of other machines whose parts had already been transported to the site.
.....
Six hours later.
With the machine sitting silently in the middle, there lay a substantial circular pit stretching two hundred meters in length from one side to the other and plunging fifty meters deep. Its presence left a remarkable impression on anyone who cast their gaze upon it.
"Begin placing the parts into the hole in the same order you brought them," Aron said, turning to Daniel, who held the responsibility of leading the ARES members tasked with transporting the materials from the temporary warehouse to the island.
"Yes, sir," Daniel replied, echoing the unanimous agreement of the ARES members to Aron's directive. Despite his curiosity piqued, Daniel decided to hold his questions for a more opportune moment, planning to approach Aron once he had completed his tasks and was available for discussion.
What intrigued him the most was how on earth such an enormous hole had materialized within a matter of hours. This was just the beginning of his queries; another pressing question was the whereabouts of the excavated soil. There was no trace of it in the vicinity of the meticulously shaped hole, leaving Daniel baffled as to its mysterious appearance.
At that moment, Daniel simply attributed the rapid progress and the absence of soil to one of their bosses' remarkable ability as he continued doing his work.
With over a hundred parts already deposited into the hole, Aron descended into the cavity and promptly began assembling the components that were already in place.
For the following three weeks, this synchronized routine persisted. ARES members diligently transported parts from the temporary warehouse to the island, placing them into the hole one by one, while Aron simultaneously assembled the incoming components without missing a beat.
After three weeks of relentless work, Aron finally completed the assembly of the final part among the multitude of components he had meticulously printed for their purpose on the island.
As the ARES members watched the entire process unfold, witnessing Aron's steady progress in assembling the colossal donut-shaped machine, a sense of fulfillment washed over them. The satisfaction they felt was undeniable, having been integral to the project by diligently delivering the parts required for its construction.
Once Aron had completed the assembly of the final parts on the donut-shaped machine, he swiftly redirected his attention to the ARES members. With urgency in his voice, he instructed them, "Help me bring that box over here," gesturing towards the storage box housed within the machine that had been used to excavate the massive hole.
As they successfully transported it to his location, he directed them, saying, " Put it here," and pointed to the sole square-shaped aperture on the enormous machine.
"Great job. If you'd like, you can take a break," Aron informed them, placing his hands back on the box. Just as before, he began infusing it with mana, replenishing its nearly depleted reserves..
Ignoring Aron's suggestion to rest, Daniel and the rest of Ares' members opted to observe his actions closely
"Sir, if you don't mind, may I ask a question?" Daniel inquired after half an hour had passed, noticing that Aron's hands remained on the box while he appeared relaxed, leading Daniel to assume that he had finished whatever he was doing.
"Certainly, go ahead," Aron replied, interrupting his conversation with Nova to entertain Daniel's question.
"What is this machine, and why are we building it out of nowhere?" Daniel asked respectfully, his curiosity evident in his tone.
"A nuclear reactor," Aron responded with just those two words. The members of Ares who were observing him momentarily stiffened at the revelation before relaxing once again.
Witnessing their momentary fear followed by a quick return to calm, Aron couldn't help but chuckle. He understood that his answer had initially startled them, but they swiftly reassured themselves, knowing that Aron was present with them. They realized that even if something were to happen, Aron would be there to heal them, just as he had done on previous occasions.
