The server room was small, cold, and smelled faintly of ozone and dust. Elias leaned against the reinforced door, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The *CRASH* had been followed by a wet, tearing sound, then a series of screams that were abruptly cut short. The chaos outside was a symphony of the new reality.
He was safe, but only for a moment.
Elias pulled up his System screen again. The [Architect System] was still mocking him with its "Common Tier" status. He needed to understand how to use it, and more importantly, how to upgrade it.
He looked at the materials list.
[Available Materials (Local Area)]
• Reinforced Concrete (Grade 4): 485 units
• Structural Steel (I-Beam): 145 units
• Glass (Double-Pane): 80 units
• Office Furniture (Mixed): 120 units
• Water (Potable): 50 units
• System Energy (SE): 90/100
The deduction of materials was instantaneous and complete. The System had essentially *consumed* the raw materials and the System Energy to instantly upgrade the structural integrity of the door. This was the core of his power: the ability to transform existing materials into fortified structures using System Energy.
*But where did the System Energy come from?*
He checked the System interface for a "Source" or "Regeneration" tab. He found a small, almost hidden section labeled [Resource Management].
[System Energy (SE) Regeneration]
• Base Rate: 1 SE per hour.
• Bonus: +1 SE per hour for every Tier 1 Fortification maintained.
• Bonus: +5 SE per hour for every Tier 2 Structure maintained.
• Bonus: +10 SE per hour for every Tier 3 Base maintained.
Elias's eyes widened. The System wasn't just about building; it was about sustaining what he built. His single Tier 1 Fortification—the reinforced server room door—was already giving him a small bonus. This meant the more he built, the faster he could regenerate the energy needed to build more. It was a self-sustaining cycle of progression, perfectly suited for a long-form novel structure.
A loud, wet *thump* against the server room door snapped him back to the present. The creature outside was testing his defenses.
Elias needed a weapon, or at least a distraction. He looked at the remaining materials. *Office Furniture (Mixed): 120 units.*
"Blueprint Generation. Structure Type: Simple Trap," he commanded.
[Blueprint Generated: Tripwire Alarm (Tier 1)]
Required Materials:
• Office Furniture (Mixed): 5 units (Requires: 1 Desk Chair, 1 Roll of Duct Tape, 1 Length of Cable)
• System Energy (SE): 5
Function: Creates a nearly invisible tripwire connected to a sound-emitting device.
Note: Low damage, high utility for early warning.
He didn't have time to search for the exact components. He needed to improvise. He looked at the System screen again.
[Warning: Insufficient specific materials. Attempting Material Substitution.]
Substitute: 5 units of Office Furniture (Mixed) can be substituted with 1 unit of Structural Steel.
Accept Substitution? (Y/N)
"Yes," Elias hissed. He watched as the System deducted 1 unit of Structural Steel and 5 SE.
A small, palm-sized device materialized in his hand. It was a sleek, black box with a tiny, almost invisible filament spooling out of it. It was the Tripwire Alarm.
He quickly set the device on the floor near the door, running the filament across the narrow gap between the server racks. It was crude, but it was a start.
The creature outside roared, a sound of frustration and hunger. Elias knew the Tier 1 Fortification wouldn't hold forever. He had to get out of the building, but he couldn't just walk out into the chaos.
He needed a plan. He needed a Blueprint for escape. And for that, he needed more System Energy. He had 85 SE left.
He looked at the ceiling tiles, the network cables, the empty server racks. All potential materials. All potential building blocks for his ascent. The mockery of the Common Tier was fading, replaced by the cold, hard logic of the Architect. He wasn't weak; he was simply playing a different game. A game of long-term strategy, resource management, and perfect design.