Ash slept for four hours and woke up with a plan.
It was Day Four. He sat up on the plain mattress, stretched once, and felt the quiet density of his body answer the movement. Everything felt solid. Everything felt ready. He washed his face, ate a simple breakfast of rice and vegetables at the little table, drank an energy drink, and packed three ration bars into his pocket for later. Then he walked to the center of the platform, sat down, and called up the Status Panel with a thought.
Foundation Rebuild: Layer 1 (Complete)
Layer 2: 3%
"Three percent," he said out loud. "Right. Let's think about this properly."
He had been turning the question over in his head since the moment he opened his eyes. The first layer had taken three full days. He had solved the mental energy problem along the way, which had saved him a lot of time, but it was still three days of hard, careful work. This was the second time through the same process. Logic said the second round should be slower.
