First light crept across Stonebridge, painting the scholar's quarter in amber hues. Mike stood at a narrow window in the safe house, watching as the city slowly awakened. The academic district remained peaceful despite the night's alarms, its inhabitants either unaware of or unconcerned by the diplomatic incident that had the administrative quarter in uproar.

  "City patrols have doubled overnight," Trolley reported, joining him at the window. Her detection array pulsed softly as she scanned the surrounding streets. "Checkpoints established at all major intersections. The Mechanism Quarter where we left the Configurator is under particular scrutiny."

  "Expected," Mike replied, adjusting the hammer at his belt. "The technologists' district would be a natural target for investigation given our market purchases yesterday."

  Professor Linden entered the common room, looking remarkably composed despite her recent captivity. "The Academy intranet is buzzing with official inquiries," she informed them. "Stonebridge Security has requested academic authorization for expanded search protocols—unusual, but not unprecedented."

  "How long before they receive it?" Mike asked.

  "The Academy Council meets at noon. Approval would be granted by mid-afternoon at the earliest." She studied Mike with analytical precision. "Your window for retrieval is shrinking rapidly."

  "We move immediately," Mike decided. "Commercial activity at first bell provides optimal cover, and most search teams will be operating on minimal rest after night deployments."

  Kirgen set a simple breakfast before them—bread, cheese, and dried fruit from the safe house's emergency stores. "The underground network can get you within two blocks of the Mechanism Quarter without passing surface checkpoints," he offered. "Professor Linden and I have already plotted the most efficient route."

  Mike nodded appreciation, breaking bread with efficient movements. His body seemed to process the food with extraordinary efficiency—another benefit of his advancement through the game-like system that governed his development in this world.

  His mind turned to the new Fortification Design skill he'd acquired during last night's level advancement. Already, defensive configurations were taking shape in his thoughts—visualizing how Crafter's Haven might be transformed to withstand the approaching Imperial army. But those plans would have to wait. First, they needed to recover the Configurator and escape Stonebridge alive.

  "Access plan?" he asked Trolley directly.

  "The Mechanism Quarter's drainage system connects to the academic tunnels through maintenance shafts," she replied, producing a small roll of parchment with meticulously drawn diagrams. "Narrow passages, rarely used except during seasonal flooding. I acquired the schematics during yesterday's supply gathering."

  "And our lodging?"

  "Third level, northwest corner. The vault mechanism is mechanical, not mystical—unlikely to have been breached even if the room was discovered."

  Kirgen cleared his throat nervously. "The Configurator... what exactly does it do? Professor Linden's expertise with Crafter artifacts might provide valuable insights before you attempt retrieval."

  Mike exchanged glances with Trolley, who gave a slight nod. With Emperor Borgath's forces marching toward Crafter's Haven, they needed every advantage Professor Linden's knowledge might provide.

  "It's an Artificer's tool," Mike explained. "Mechanical in appearance but capable of adapting its configuration to different applications. We recovered it from a Crafter facility several days' journey from here."

  Professor Linden's eyes widened with professional interest. "The Configurator? Truly?" She leaned forward, academic excitement momentarily overriding her usual reserve. "The historical accounts mention it specifically—a modular tool system that responds to user intention. One of the seven master tools, each corresponding to a different Crafter discipline."

  "Like my hammer," Mike confirmed, touching the ancient tool at his belt. "Woodworker's discipline."

  "And you've activated multiple disciplines?" The professor's assessment grew sharper. "The historical texts suggest that was nearly impossible—each discipline requiring unique aptitude rarely found in combination."

  "We've activated two so far," Trolley replied. "Woodworking and Smith. The Configurator would open access to the Artificer discipline."

  "Seven disciplines in total," the professor mused. "Woodworker, Smith, Artificer, Alchemist, Weaver, Glassblower, and Stonemason. Together, they were said to form a complete system capable of manipulating reality at its fundamental level." She studied them with renewed interest. "You're not just resistance operatives. You're attempting to reactivate the entire Crafter network."

  "To close the Zengrid portals permanently," Mike confirmed. "And stop the corruption spreading across this world."

  The professor's expression turned grimly determined. "Then the Configurator's retrieval is even more crucial than I realized. The Zengrids' accelerated timetable against Crafter's Haven suggests they've discovered the nature of your activities. Emperor Borgath would not commit Imperial resources without believing the threat existential."

  "All the more reason to move quickly," Mike replied, rising from the table. "Trolley and I will retrieve the Configurator while you and Kirgen prepare contingency escape routes should our primary exit be compromised."

  As he and Trolley gathered their equipment, Mike found himself drawing on his newly acquired Fortification Design skill to assess the safe house's defensive capabilities. The instinctive analysis revealed both strengths and weaknesses—strong perimeter security but vulnerable to targeted magical incursion, excellent concealment but limited evacuation options. These observations translated seamlessly into tactical decisions for their mission ahead.

  They descended into the academic tunnels through a concealed access panel in the safe house's storage room. The passages below were dimly lit by phosphorescent fungi cultivated specifically for illumination—an ancient academic practice that maintained light without requiring maintenance or fuel.

  Trolley led confidently, her movements betraying familiarity with underground navigation that exceeded mere theoretical knowledge. "Central Province engineering required extensive subterranean training," she explained, noticing Mike's observation. "Water management systems, waste processing facilities, emergency evacuation networks—all underground to minimize Ki exposure on the surface."

  The tunnels gradually transitioned from the orderly academic construction to older, rougher stonework as they progressed toward the city's commercial districts. Evidence of centuries of expansion and renovation was visible in the varying architectural styles that marked Stonebridge's development from small settlement to neutral trading hub.

  "Approaching the Mechanism Quarter junction," Trolley whispered after nearly twenty minutes of swift progress. "Security presence likely increases from this point forward."

  Mike nodded, drawing his hammer with silent precision. Not his preferred approach, but he'd kill if necessary to secure their objective. The Configurator's importance to their mission—and the looming threat to Crafter's Haven—justified whatever measures proved necessary.

  The drainage access point connecting academic tunnels to the Mechanism Quarter required them to navigate a narrow vertical shaft barely wide enough for Mike's broad shoulders. They ascended using handholds worn into the stonework by generations of maintenance workers, emerging into a service tunnel that hummed with the district's peculiar blend of mechanical and alchemical energy.

  "Three blocks to our lodging," Trolley whispered, her detection array pulsing quietly as she scanned for threats. "Surface streets will be heavily monitored. We maintain subsurface approach as long as possible."

  Mike agreed, his Tactical Positioning skill highlighting optimal routes through the drainage network. Unlike the academic tunnels with their phosphorescent lighting, these passages were largely dark, requiring them to navigate by touch and memory. The darkness posed no significant challenge to Mike's enhanced senses—another benefit of his advancement in this world.

  Their progress slowed when they reached a junction where active water flow blocked direct passage to their destination. The channel wasn't deep but moved swiftly enough to create significant noise if they waded through.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Alternative route?" Mike asked, studying the obstacle.

  Trolley consulted her mental map of the drainage system. "Secondary maintenance passage two junctions back, but it adds fifteen minutes to our approach."

  Mike considered their options, weighing time against stealth. "Stay here," he decided. "I'll handle this."

  Trolley nodded, taking position in a recessed alcove as Mike backtracked to where he'd noted a stored maintenance plank during their initial passage. The wooden board was old but sturdy—likely used by drainage workers to create temporary bridges during higher water periods.

  He returned with the plank, positioning it carefully across the flowing channel to create a silent crossing. His Structural Analysis skill automatically assessed the makeshift bridge's load-bearing capacity, confirming it would hold their weight if crossed individually.

  "You first," he instructed Trolley. "I'll follow and retrieve the plank."

  She crossed swiftly, movements precise and controlled. Mike followed once she had secured her position on the opposite side, then carefully drew the plank after him, leaving no evidence of their passage. The entire operation took less than a minute—another demonstration of their increasingly effective teamwork.

  They reached the access point beneath their lodging house after ten more minutes of careful navigation. Unlike the academic district's concealed entrances, the Mechanism Quarter's drainage connections were designed for practical maintenance rather than secrecy. The access ladder leading to the surface was simple iron rungs embedded in the wall, ascending to a grate in the building's rear courtyard.

  "Wait," Trolley whispered, her detection array pulsing more rapidly as they approached the ladder. "Surface activity above. Multiple signatures."

  Mike froze, listening intently. His enhanced perception detected multiple sets of footsteps and the distinctive clinking of armor that marked Stonebridge security forces. A search party was operating directly above their position.

  "Timing?" he asked softly.

  Trolley studied her array's readings. "Regular patrol pattern. Approximately three minutes between passes of this section."

  Mike nodded, calculating. "We wait for the next patrol to pass, then ascend during their departure window. Direct approach to the service entrance, third floor access via maintenance stairs, retrieve the Configurator, and immediate extraction via the same route."

  "Agreed," Trolley whispered. "Window opening in approximately forty seconds."

  They waited in tense silence as footsteps approached directly above the drainage grate, then gradually moved away. The moment the patrol turned the corner, Mike ascended the ladder with silent efficiency, carefully lifting the grate just enough to confirm the courtyard was momentarily clear.

  With a quick gesture to Trolley, he pushed the grate fully open and emerged into the courtyard, immediately taking cover behind stacked crates near the building's service entrance. Trolley followed seconds later, replacing the grate with barely a sound before joining him in the shadows.

  The service entrance was predictably locked—a simple mechanical bolt rather than the sophisticated magical security found in more prestigious districts. Mike examined it briefly, then struck with controlled precision, his hammer shattering the internal mechanism with minimal noise. The door swung inward, and they slipped inside, closing it carefully behind them.

  The maintenance stairwell beyond was dimly lit and smelled of machine oil and alchemical reagents—the distinctive scent profile of the Mechanism Quarter. They ascended quickly but cautiously, Mike taking point with hammer ready as they reached each landing.

  At the third level, they paused as voices became audible from the main corridor—Stonebridge guards conducting a room-by-room search of the building. The methodical pace of the search suggested they hadn't yet reached the northwest corner where Mike and Trolley had stayed.

  "Alternative approach," Mike decided, examining the corridor's structural layout with his builder's eye. His Tactical Positioning skill highlighted a maintenance access panel in the ceiling—likely connecting to the space between floors where pipes and conduits were routed.

  With Trolley providing a boost, Mike forced the access panel open and pulled himself into the cramped crawlspace above. He reached down to help Trolley up, closing the panel behind them just as the search team turned into their corridor.

  The space between floors was tight—barely eighteen inches high in most places, requiring them to move on elbows and knees. Dust filled the air, threatening to trigger coughs that would reveal their position to the guards below. Mike focused on his breathing, using his Efficient Recovery skill to regulate his body's responses to the irritants.

  They navigated by memory and touch, counting support beams and junction boxes until they reached the approximate location of their room. Mike pressed his ear against the floor, confirming no movement or conversation below. With careful precision, he located another access panel and eased it open just enough to confirm they had reached the correct room.

  The chamber appeared undisturbed at first glance—beds still neatly made as they had left them, supplies stacked in orderly fashion by the door. But subtle signs of search were evident to Mike's enhanced perception—slightly misaligned furniture, disturbed dust patterns, a pack not quite closed as they had left it.

  "They've been here," he whispered. "But not thoroughly enough to find the vault."

  They dropped silently into the room, immediately moving to the corner where the storage vault was concealed behind a decorative wooden panel. The mechanism was sophisticated by Stonebridge standards but relatively simple compared to Crafter technology—a series of interlocking gears activated by a specific twist-and-pull sequence.

  Trolley entered the combination with practiced movements, and the vault door swung open to reveal the Configurator's case still securely stored within. She removed it quickly, confirming the seals remained intact before securing it in her specially designed carry harness.

  "Time to extraction point?" Mike asked, already moving toward the maintenance access panel.

  "Seven minutes if we maintain optimal pace," Trolley replied. "Next patrol passes the courtyard in approximately four minutes."

  They had just replaced the access panel and begun crawling back through the maintenance space when voices became audible directly below them—the search team had reached their room. Mike froze, signaling Trolley to do the same as guardsmen entered the chamber.

  "Definitely been occupied recently," one voice observed. "Bed linens show compression patterns consistent with recent use."

  "Check the vault again," another instructed. "Previous team might have missed something."

  The sound of the decorative panel being removed sent a surge of tension through Mike. They had retrieved the Configurator just in time.

  "Empty," the guard reported. "Whatever was here, they've taken it."

  "Or it was never here to begin with," the apparent leader replied. "Continue to the next room. Full clearance protocols for the entire floor."

  Mike and Trolley remained motionless until the guards moved on, then resumed their careful progress through the crawlspace. They reached the maintenance stairwell access point just as distant shouts indicated their absence from the vault had been connected to the missing occupants.

  "Move," Mike ordered, no longer prioritizing stealth over speed. "Direct extraction route."

  They descended the stairs at controlled pace—fast enough to outpace pursuit but careful enough to avoid noisy missteps. As they reached the ground floor, the building's main alarm bell began to ring, its sound promptly echoed by similar alarms throughout the district.

  The courtyard grate was their only viable exit point, but Mike's Tactical Positioning skill warned of increased security presence in the immediate area. They would need to create a diversion.

  "Trolley," he said, gesturing toward a rack of maintenance supplies near the service entrance. "Chemical reaction possible with those compounds?"

  She assessed the materials with quick expertise. "Smoke generation, potentially disorienting but not lethal. Thirty-second delay maximum."

  "Do it," Mike confirmed, already moving to secure their exit route.

  Trolley combined several containers with practiced efficiency, creating a makeshift smoke device that she positioned near the building's front entrance before rejoining Mike at the courtyard access point. Within moments, shouts of alarm from the street indicated her creation had activated as planned, drawing security personnel toward the building's main fa?ade.

  Mike lifted the drainage grate and helped Trolley descend first, the Configurator securely strapped to her back. He followed immediately after, replacing the grate above them just as armored footsteps rushed into the courtyard.

  "Rapid extraction," he whispered as they descended to the drainage tunnel. "Primary route likely compromised. Secondary options?"

  "Merchant district waterway," Trolley suggested, already leading the way. "Connects to the river tunnels beneath the northern gates. Minimal security presence due to commercial traffic restrictions during market hours."

  Mike nodded agreement, following as they navigated the drainage network with increased urgency. Their earlier caution gave way to controlled speed—still avoiding unnecessary noise but prioritizing distance over perfect stealth. The alarm bells continuing above ground confirmed their escape had been detected, but the complex tunnel network beneath Stonebridge worked to their advantage, offering dozens of potential routes that would be impossible for pursuers to cover simultaneously.

  The drainage tunnels eventually connected to larger waterways that handled Stonebridge's substantial commercial traffic. Unlike the narrow maintenance passages, these channels were designed for small boats transporting goods between districts. Mike and Trolley emerged onto a stone walkway bordering one such channel, joining the scattered workers and merchants who used these subsurface routes to avoid surface congestion.

  "Blend," Mike instructed, adjusting his posture and gait to mimic the relaxed confidence of regular tunnel users. Trolley did the same, her Central Province engineering background making the deception particularly effective—she moved with the practiced familiarity of someone who belonged in such infrastructure.

  They proceeded northward, gradually approaching the massive water gates that regulated flow between Stonebridge's internal waterways and the river beyond. Security would normally be heightened at such a critical juncture, but the commercial traffic—boats laden with market goods being poled by merchants' assistants—created confusion and cover that worked to their advantage.

  "Guard checkpoint ahead," Trolley warned as they approached the final water gate. "Standard identification protocols, likely enhanced due to the alert."

  Mike assessed their options, his Tactical Positioning skill identifying potential approaches. Direct confrontation would create unwanted attention and potentially endanger civilians. Stealth bypass seemed unlikely given the open layout of the checkpoint.

  "Alternative," he decided, nodding toward a merchant boat approaching the checkpoint from behind them. "Commercial passage."

  Understanding immediately, Trolley led them to where the heavily laden vessel had temporarily docked against the stone walkway while waiting its turn at the inspection point. The merchant—a heavyset man arguing loudly with his assistants about proper loading procedures—paid them no attention as they casually stepped aboard and positioned themselves among the stacked crates and barrels.

  The boat resumed its progress minutes later, joining the queue for inspection. Mike and Trolley remained motionless among the cargo, relying on the cluttered deck and the inspection team's focus on documentation rather than comprehensive searches to avoid detection.

  "Papers?" came the predictable demand when they reached the checkpoint.

  "Same as yesterday and the day before," the merchant replied with practiced irritation. "Blackroot barrels for the northern brewery. Daily delivery, as you well know."

  The guard made a show of examining the documentation before waving them through with minimal physical inspection of the cargo—exactly as Mike had anticipated. The boat continued through the water gate, leaving Stonebridge security behind as it entered the broader river channel beyond.

  Once safely past the checkpoint, Mike gestured for Trolley to follow as he slipped over the side of the boat into the cold river water. The merchant's surprised shout faded behind them as they swam toward the northern bank, their escape route now clear.

  They emerged dripping but triumphant on the riverbank beyond Stonebridge's defensive perimeter, the city's imposing walls now behind them. The Configurator's case had remained sealed during their brief swim, its contents secure.

  "Rendezvous point?" Mike asked as they caught their breath on the muddy shore.

  "Professor Linden and Kirgen will exit through academic diplomatic channels once the immediate alert has passed," Trolley replied, checking her detection array for pursuit signatures. "Meeting point at the northern forest marker, as planned."

  Mike nodded, already calculating the optimal route through the scattered farms and villages that dotted the landscape north of Stonebridge. His Tactical Positioning skill suggested avoiding main roads entirely given the likelihood of guard patrols and checkpoint establishment following their escape.

  "Cross-country approach," he decided. "Forest cover within two miles, then parallel to the eastern trade route without exposing ourselves to travelers."

  They set out immediately, maintaining a steady pace across the cultivated fields. Distant alarm bells continued to sound from Stonebridge, but no immediate pursuit was visible from their position. The Configurator had been successfully retrieved, the first phase of their mission accomplished despite the city's heightened security.

  As they reached the treeline that marked the beginning of the northern forest, Mike found himself mentally returning to the Professor's warning. Twenty-six days remained before Emperor Borgath's army marched on Crafter's Haven. Twenty-six days to transform their sanctuary into a fortress capable of withstanding Imperial assault.

  His newly acquired Fortification Design skill activated almost automatically, assessing the natural defensive features of the landscape around them and calculating how similar principles might be applied to the Haven. Crafter's technology combined with his Earth-based engineering knowledge and this world's game-like advancement system created possibilities that neither world could have achieved alone.

  They had the Configurator. They had Professor Linden's expertise. They had the warning.

  Now they needed to make their way back to Crafter's Haven—and prepare for war.