The Extra is a Genius!?-Chapter 587: Creation [II]

Everyone gathered in the reinforced chamber once the second circle was confirmed ready above ground.

Lantern light reflected faintly over the carved stone, illuminating the layered inscriptions etched into the floor. The circle remained inert, its complexity visible but quiet.

Charlotte stood near Selene, arms loosely folded as she studied the anchor core. Elyra positioned herself where she could see both Noel and the restriction lattice clearly. Elena had been given a reinforced chair close to the wall; she sat comfortably, one hand resting over her abdomen as she watched without speaking.

Noel stepped into the center of the circle and exhaled slowly.

Daemar approached him and spoke in a measured tone.

"We’re not sending you through first. We’ll begin with an object and confirm stability."

Noel nodded. "Agreed."

He crouched briefly and placed his palm over the embedded mana alloy at the center. A controlled stream of mana flowed downward, not a surge but a steady current, enough to awaken the structure without forcing it.

The outer ring responded first, faint light tracing its carved perimeter. A second later, the inner channels illuminated in sequence, forming a contained network of pale lines that followed the spiraled pattern exactly as designed.

Selene’s eyes tracked the activation closely.

"Alignment is holding," she said quietly. "No lateral distortion."

Noel adjusted the flow slightly, testing the anchor’s intake ratio.

The restriction layer activated last, sealing the structure. The glow remained contained within the carved boundaries, not spilling outward into the chamber.

Through the linked communication artifact, the dwarven supervisor above ground spoke.

"The upper platform is responding. We’re reading synchronized resonance."

Noel picked up a small stone from the edge of the chamber floor and placed it carefully at the center of the circle.

He increased the output just enough to trigger the activation sequence.

The light compressed inward for a brief moment and the stone vanished cleanly.

No explosion. No ripple through the walls.

Silence followed.

A second later, the communicator crackled again.

"The stone arrived intact," the dwarf reported. "No visible distortion."

Charlotte released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

But Selene did not look satisfied.

"The consumption spike was higher than projected," she said, turning slightly toward Noel. "It stabilized, but the outer band fluctuated during compression."

"I felt the resistance," Noel replied. "The anchor pulled more than expected."

Daemar folded his arms. "Adjust before repeating."

Noel stepped out of the circle and knelt beside the outer ring, making two subtle modifications to the activation band with fine, precise pulses of mana. He reduced the peak intake of the anchor core and tightened the restriction threshold.

When he stood again, his expression had shifted from experimentation to calculation.

"This time we’ll increase the load," he said.

A reinforced metal weight had been brought down specifically for testing. Noel placed it at the center of the array and reactivated the circle.

The glow formed more smoothly than before. The compression was tighter, cleaner.

The weight disappeared.

The communicator responded shortly after.

"Transfer complete. The object is stable."

Selene stepped closer to the edge of the circle, watching the fading light.

"Mana loss reduced significantly," she said. "The flow held steady through collapse."

Daemar gave a single nod. "The structure can support transfer."

Noel looked down at the circle for a few seconds without speaking.

Then he stepped back into the center.

Selene’s head snapped up slightly.

"You’re going through now?"

"Yes."

Charlotte shifted her weight. "Are you sure you shouldn’t wait and run more simulations?"

"I’ve already felt the strain through the anchor," Noel replied calmly. "It’s stable."

Elyra studied him carefully. "If there’s any distortion on arrival, don’t force the return sequence."

"I won’t."

Elena’s fingers tightened faintly over her dress, but she didn’t speak.

Noel closed his eyes briefly and centered his breathing. He fed mana into the anchor core again, this time at the full calibrated rate. The outer ring lit first, then the channels, then the restriction lattice sealing the structure into a contained fold.

The air shifted subtly around him as space compressed.

He activated.

The light folded inward and he disappeared.

Above ground, under the open evening sky, the second circle ignited in response. Noel reappeared at its center without stagger or instability. He took a single breath and scanned the structure beneath his feet.

He triggered the return.

Back in the chamber below, the carved circle responded immediately. Light gathered, compressed, and released.

Noel stood once again at the center of the lower platform.

The glow faded.

No one spoke for several seconds.

It worked.

The silence did not last long.

Charlotte was the first to move, stepping forward with visible relief softening her posture.

"So that’s it?" she asked, looking between the carved circle and Noel. "You just... disappear and reappear somewhere else like it’s normal?"

Noel gave a small smile. "More or less."

Elyra exhaled slowly, the tension leaving her shoulders in a controlled release. "You realize what you’ve just built."

"A prototype," Noel corrected.

"A stable spatial bridge," she countered calmly.

Elena pushed herself carefully to her feet, one hand still resting protectively over her belly. She didn’t hurry, and Charlotte instinctively moved closer in case she needed support.

"Just don’t do that too often," Elena said, looking at Noel with quiet firmness. "Not without telling us first."

"I won’t," he replied.

Selene stepped closer to the circle again, studying the final inactive form of the inscription. "The structure held better than expected after the second calibration," she said. "There’s still minor loss at compression, but it’s manageable."

Daemar approached the edge of the array, his gaze moving slowly across each layered stratum.

"I’ll draft a full report once we finish additional stress tests," he said. "If this can be scaled safely, it could redefine travel entirely."

Elyra looked at him. "You’re thinking beyond this estate."

"Of course," Daemar replied without hesitation. "City-to-city transport. Continental exchange. Supply chains without delay. Strategic deployment without weeks of movement."

He looked at Noel again.

"This is not merely a training tool."

Noel folded his arms loosely.

"Relax," he said. "It’s not perfected. We’re not mass-producing spatial platforms tomorrow."

Daemar paused, then inclined his head slightly.

"You’re right. I’m getting ahead of myself."

There was no pride in the correction—just acknowledgment.

"Still," he added, "this is a significant advancement."

Selene glanced at Noel with a faint expression of agreement. "It is."

Charlotte looked at the circle again, then at Noel. "So when you go to the mountains, you must come back every day."

"I will."

"And we won’t have to wonder where you are for months," Elena added quietly.

Noel looked at the four of them, at the subtle tension that had replaced earlier relief. Even in celebration, there was restraint. No sudden movements. No overexcitement. Charlotte kept a careful distance from the circle. Elyra remained steady. Elena moved slowly and deliberately. Selene monitored everything without appearing to.

"We’ll run more tests tomorrow," Noel said. "Short-range repetitions. Sustained cycles. If it holds after that, then I’ll consider it reliable."

Daemar gave a short nod. "I’ll remain available."

"And you will rest," Selene added firmly.

Noel almost argued, then decided against it.

"Of course."