Chapter Fifty: Manipulation

The construction and underlying principles of the mechanical warframe are of little concern here; what truly brings the warframe to life is the magical sigil inscribed upon its armor. To put it simply, if one considers the entire mechanical warframe as a magic formation, then the sigil serves as its source of energy. With the sigil, the warframe can move and subsequently perform a series of responses as dictated by the sigil’s design.

In essence, the sigil is the very heart of the mechanical warframe. Without the magic of the sigil, without its design, the warframe is nothing more than a rigid, useless ornament of scrap metal.

What intrigued Veil most were the myriad configurations woven into the sigil—intricate designs that formed various settings. Upon closer examination, Veil realized that, in a certain sense, the patterns within the sigil bore a remarkable resemblance to a magic formation. A magic formation is a complex array constructed with assorted magical runes, symbols, and lines, whose interplay channels magical elements to produce desired effects. Similarly, the mechanical warframe’s sigil, through its unique arrangement of lines, directs magical elements along predetermined routes, thus animating the hundreds of thousands of components within and allowing the entire warframe to move. Yet the warframe is mindless; it can only mechanically enact the responses programmed into its sigil.

To test his theory, Veil decided to experiment further with this warframe. This time, instead of fully activating it, he supplied magic to a single line or point within the sigil, observing as the warframe responded with a series of mechanical actions.

Half an hour later, Veil had finally unraveled all the sigil’s settings.

He placed his finger upon one of the sigil’s ancient runic symbols and channeled a gentle current of magic within. At once, a harsh metallic grinding erupted from deep within the warframe, and the nearly two-meter-tall construct slowly lifted its right leg, taking a deliberate step forward.

“Excellent,” Veil murmured inwardly. He then traced another serpentine line of the sigil, eliciting another burst of gears turning. This time, the warframe raised its left leg and stepped forward.

“If that’s the case…” Veil clenched his fist, his palm slick with sweat. Channeling his magic steadily, he drew sequence after sequence upon the sigil, adjusting the warframe’s operation through the array of encoded commands.

When the final stroke was complete, Veil withdrew his hand and stepped back, his eyes fixed intently on the warframe before him, awaiting its response.

A sharp crack rang out. In an instant, the towering warframe was fully activated—not just moving an arm or a leg as before, but its entire body coming to life. Yet unlike before, Veil had completely rewritten its trajectory; the warframe no longer attacked him but instead followed only the commands set within its sigil.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The warframe lumbered forward, its mechanical frame navigating the labyrinth with surprising adeptness, while Veil followed cautiously in its wake. During his study of the warframe’s sigil, Veil had discovered two fixed points—a starting point and an endpoint. According to the design, the warframe was compelled to endlessly patrol between these two points. Veil had already identified the endpoint: it was precisely where the warframe now stood. Thus, by following the preordained route back, he should return to the starting point.

So it was that Veil trailed the warframe through the maze’s tangled corridors. After several turns in the darkness, the warframe ahead of him finally halted.

From the beginning, Veil had kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings. After making a circuit with the warframe, he was startled to discover that something was amiss: at the heart of this immense labyrinth lay a smaller maze.

Unlike the main labyrinth, which was shrouded in utter darkness, the smaller maze was bathed in gentle light. Looking up, Veil saw that the illumination came from the ceiling—embedded above each corridor were slabs of a magical stone known as moonstone. These stones were already costly, but the crystal-clear variety was especially rare and valuable. Yet here, the entire ceiling of the smaller maze was lined with these crystal moonstones, not merely as scattered fragments, but as large, meticulously crafted panels, covering every inch without a visible seam.

Who could have invested such extravagant resources to create this bizarre place?

Suppressing his curiosity and the tumult of thoughts within, Veil circled around the now motionless warframe and carefully examined his surroundings. If even the lighting in this miniature labyrinth was so lavish, what of the other features?

Forcing down his urge to explore, Veil closed his eyes to extend his senses, while his hands searched the nearby walls. If this maze had indeed been built by an alchemist from a bygone age—or even earlier—surely traces of magic would linger here.

Indeed, as Veil probed the wall to the left of the warframe, he soon sensed a faint magical presence. Probing deeper with his mind, he discovered a magic formation etched into what appeared to be an ordinary wall.

The formation had no energy source and posed no threat; its sole purpose seemed to be the arrangement of numerous complex magical elements. The true test of such a formation lay in one’s ability to manipulate these elements—a task Veil, master of magical control, found trivial. With closed eyes, he channeled his power, rearranging the intricate elements within the formation until, moments later, the work was done.

At that instant, the wall before him trembled violently. A crack appeared at its center and, like a door, it began to open, inch by inch, revealing what lay beyond.