“The cube is holding, Sir,” Ego reported. “But energy output is approag critical levels.”

  “Activate superductors!” Zack ordered over the rising noise.

  The particle beam’s energy surged into the superdug field coils, which used quantum flux stabilization to maintain the precise eleagic field necessary to stabilize the Singulium. The prism began to glow faintly, then more brightly, as the new element crystallized within its core. The glow soon became blinding, f Zack to shield his eyes. “Shut it down!” Zack yelled, smming the stop button.

  The accelerator powered down with a loud hiss, releasing clouds of white vapor as its cryogenic systems worked to cool the overheated pos. Zack removed his goggles and exhaled, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. “Now that’s power,” he muttered.

  Carefully, Zack approached the tai chamber and used a pair of robotic tweezers to retrieve the glowing prism. I, the newly synthesized Singulium shimmered faintly, its structure radiating with barely-tained energy. “Sir, gratutions. You’ve successfully synthesized Singulium,” Ego said, her tone carrying a rare hint of pride.

  “Let’s test it,” Zack replied, pg the Singulium core into the Singulium Reactor prototype he had prepared earlier. As soon as the core was secured, the reactor came to life, emitting a steady, brilliant light. Its systems began verting the Singulium’s tent energy into usable power, with Ego monit the results. “Status report,” Zack ordered, crossing his arms.

  “Sir, the reactor is fully operational. Calg energy output…” Ego replied. “12 billion joules per sed… 25 billion… 48 billion… 60 billion… 72 billion…” “Sir, the new element has stabilized at a maximum output of 76 billion joules per sed, exceeding all theoretical projes,” Ego cluded.

  Zack blinked in astonishment, the grin on his face widening. “Ten times strohan the cold fusioor…” he muttered, barely believing the numbers. He had expected improvements, but this was beyond his wildest expectations. “This ges everything,” Zack said, his voice filled with excitement. “Time to redesign all my blueprints.”As the reactlowed steadily, filling the basement with its light, Zack felt a wave of exhiration. He was just getting started.

  The Titan Armor was inally desigo be powered by eleven Cold fusioors. With the Singulium’s incredible energy output, only oor was now o achieve the same performaake another example: Aegis, the air-and ptform currently under stru, was supposed to run on twelve Cold fusioors. Now? Just one Singulium Reactor would suffice. “Sir, it’s great that Aegis hasn’t fully started stru yet,” Ego said, her toeady as always, “but you’ve already built many parts for the Titan Armor. If you cut down the number of reactors, those parts will go to waste.”

  “Who said anything about cutting down the number of reactors?” Zack chuckled, his grin widening into something almost maniacal. “Keep all the reactors! Ara power ght to the ons!”

  “But—” Ego started.

  “No buts, Ego. Just do what I say.” With that, Zack picked up an Singulium Reactor reactor and strode out of Mansion No. 6, heading to Mansion No. 9. Excitement bubbled in his chest as he thought about the upgrades he could make to his suits of armor.

  Back at Mansion No. 9, Zack wasted no time installing the new reactor into the Apex suit. Finally, the armor shed the limitations and fully reach utilize all it’s potential! “With this new element, I think Annie finally have her owor,” Zack suddenly remembered.

  Annie’s unique dition made her hypersensitive to paldium. Even minimal tact would lead to severe poisoning, f her to rely on a hydrogen battery—a pitifully ower sour Zack’s eyes. “Ego, once we build enough Singulium Reactor reactors, make sure As one,” Zastructed.

  “Uood, sir. But…”

  “What is it now?” Zack paused, frowning slightly.

  “Sir, the materials you currently have won’t allow you to build as many Singulium Reactor reactors as you’re pnning.” Faced with material shes, Zack begrudgingly abandoned his dream of cramming a dozen Singulium Reactor reactors into a single mae. While the new elements themselves weren’t hard to produce, the superductors required to harheir energy were made of incredibly rare materials.

  “Alright, here’s the pn,” Zack said, leaning over the sole to adjust his designs. “Aegis and the Titan Armor each get four Singulium Reactor reactors. Aegis’s sub-body fighter gets one as well. That leaves just enough materials to build a smaller reactor for Annie.”

  The immediate problem was solved, but Zack couldn’t ighe rger issue. To make new armor or expand his projects iure, he would need more superductors. “Resources are still too limited,” Zack muttered, frustration seeping into his voice.

  When he first took trol of NYC, he thought the resources of aire city would be more than enough to fuel his ambitions. But reality had other pns. While basic materials like steel were abundant, rare metals and superdug materials were in painfully short supply. Take rhodium, for example—a crucial po of the superductors. Its abundan the Earth’s crust was a measly one part per billion. Expanding his territory to nearby cities wouldn’t solve the problem; these materials were simply too rare.

  “It seems I ’t quietly stockpile resources and build in peace,” Zack sighed, shaking his head. “Time tet those cutting-edge research bases directly. Why waste time searg for crumbs when I just take the whole cake?” With this thought in mind, Zack shifted gears. “Ego, how’s the meical army ing along? Have the Titans and drones been built yet?”

  “Sir, two Goliath have been pleted. They’re currently parked in the airport stru area, awaiting activation. Five Mark multipurpose drones have also been built and are awaiting activation alongside the Goliath,” Ego replied promptly. “The meical army now sists of 210 spiders, 115 meical dogs, two Goliath drones, and five Mark drones. Additionally, over 300 manufacturing bugs are operational to meet current produ needs. However, tinuing produ at this pace may lead to resource wastage. Shall I reduce the factory’s efficy?”

  “Reduce it,” Zack agreed after a moment’s thought. “But keep produg maintenance parts, and don’t let the number of meical bugs fall below 300.”

  “What about Aegis?” Zack asked .

  “The produ framework is 57% plete. Full-scale produ is expected to begin within a week, with aimated build time of 21 days. Altogether, it will take one month and seven days to plete,” Ego reported.

  A massive air-and ptform with a wingspan of 100 meters pleted in just over a month—this level of productivity was unheard of, even before the apocalypse. “Much faster than I expected,” Zack said, nodding in approval.

  Satisfied with the progress, Zack decided to ihe new members of the meical legion. He donned his upgraded armor Apex V2, as it would now be called—and prepared to head out. “First, let’s test the power of the new reactor,” Zack said, excitement bubbling in his tone.

  Activating the thrusters, he shot into the sky like an arrow released from a bow. The raw power of the Singulium Reactor reactor roared to life, pushing the thrusters to maximum output almost instantly.

  Boom!

  The soni shattered the calm of the neighborhood, eg through the air as Zack broke the sound barrier within seds. Ihe Mansion, Sophia sighed as she heard the familiar explosion. “Here we go again…” she muttered, shaking her head.