Reborn as the Third Prince: To Build and Conquer my way to Royalty.

The blinding white light of the mana sphere pulsed, drawing Sylus forward with an irresistible pull. It hummed, a deep, resonant thrum that vibrated not just in the air, but in his very bones, in the core of his Catalyst Star. He felt a profound connection, a sense of recognition as if he were approaching a long-lost part of himself. The gaping wound in his chest screamed in protest, his mana reserves still dangerously low, but a desperate urgency propelled him.

Behind him, the battle raged. Zani was a whirlwind of motion, her blade a silver blur against the shimmering forms of the ancient Dalins. They were larger, faster, and far more relentless than the scouts from before. Their golden eyes burned with an intelligent malice, their crystalline talons striking with brutal precision. Her Blazer, the star on her brow, pulsed wildly, its thorny vines lashing out, creating temporary barriers that shattered under the Dalins' relentless assault. She grunted with effort, the crystalline wound on her arm glowing with raw mana, but she held her ground, a fierce, unyielding shield between Sylus and the encroaching death.

"My lord! Hurry!" Zani's voice was a strained cry, barely audible over the grating scrapes of Dalin talons on crystal.

Sylus ignored the pain, ignored the overwhelming sense of dread that clawed at him. His hand, still trembling, reached for the floating sphere. The air around it crackled with raw, untamed mana, a chaotic symphony of power. As his fingertips brushed its surface, a jolt, not of pain, but of pure, unadulterated information, lanced through his mind.

It wasn't a visual display like the system. It was a direct download, a torrent of data that bypassed his conscious thought and flooded his very being. His Catalyst Star flared, absorbing, processing, understanding.

This sphere was the Heart of Alhara. It was not merely a source of mana, but a Manifestation Engine, a primordial forge where intent, amplified by immense mana, could weave reality. The colossal Mana Crystal walls of the chamber were not just decorative; they were the engine's conduits, drawing in the raw mana of the deep earth, channeling it, refining it.

The Korean message, the "wishes" he had deciphered, flashed through his mind, no longer cryptic riddles but precise commands, ancient programs for this very engine.

"Remember the entrance as the keys on a piano; one tune meets the other for a perfect harmony. I wish for a music note 1." - This wasn't a wish for a music sheet. It was a command to activate the engine, a specific frequency or vibration needed to tune the raw mana, to bring it into harmony."The stars align at the right time; be the friendly moon or the raging sun, two of which understand one another to be beautiful. I want a star." - This was a command to calibrate the engine, aligning its internal mana flow with celestial energies, or perhaps even drawing power from specific Star Blessings. The "star" was not a literal object, but a state of perfect alignment for creation."I am lost and not found; my world seems shallow on the inside. I don't like being empty; I want a heart I can trust." - This was the core command, the most profound. It wasn't a literal heart. It was the emotional anchor, the pure, unwavering intent, the trust in a loyal soul that would guide the manifestation. And that soul... that heart... was Zani's.

And the final, chilling line: "Each wish has a physical manifestation. I wish not real but seen, placed— in the heart of Alhara, where the forgotten truths lie." This wasn't just about wishing for gold. It was about manifesting anything that could be conceived, drawing from the raw potential of Alhara. The forgotten truths weren't just lore; they were the very blueprints for creation, hidden within the cave's ancient mana.

The Dalins, Sylus realized, were not just monsters. They were the guardians of the Manifestation Engine, born from its raw power, their purpose to prevent unauthorized activation, to keep the "forgotten truths" hidden, and to protect the "heart." They sensed his intent, his connection to the engine, and they were desperate to stop him.

A powerful Dalin, its crystalline form shimmering with golden light, bypassed Zani's defenses, lunging directly at Sylus. Its talons, sharp as razors, aimed for his still-bleeding chest.

Sylus didn't flinch. His mind, now a whirlwind of cosmic understanding, focused on the sphere. He had to act. He had to make a wish. He had to manifest.

His gaze flickered to Zani, battling fiercely, her mana shield flickering, her face a mask of raw determination. She was fighting for him, for his survival, for the hope he represented. She was his "heart I can trust."

He slammed his palm against the mana sphere.

A blinding surge of white light erupted, engulfing Sylus. The mana in the chamber roared, a deafening crescendo that vibrated through the very rock of Alhara. He felt a colossal drain, not just of his own mana, but of something deeper, something vital. His vision swam, the edges of his consciousness fraying. The wound in his chest flared, screaming in protest as his Eternal Healing blessing was overwhelmed, momentarily pushed to its limit.

But he held on. He focused on a single, desperate intent, a raw, primal command. He didn't wish for gold, or escape, or even healing. He wished for protection. Not just for himself, but for Zani. For the "key."

The white light intensified, then exploded outwards in a silent, concussive wave. The attacking Dalin, caught in the blast, shattered into a thousand glittering fragments of crystal, its golden eyes dissolving into nothingness. The other Dalins recoiled, their forms momentarily destabilized by the sheer, overwhelming force of the manifestation.

Zani, shielded by her Blazer and caught in the periphery of the blast, was thrown back, slamming against a crystalline wall. She cried out, but immediately pushed herself up, her eyes wide with shock and awe as she witnessed the raw power Sylus had just unleashed.

The sphere pulsed, its light now dimmer, its thrumming a weary sigh. Sylus stumbled back, his legs giving out, collapsing to his knees. The pain in his chest was excruciating, his body screaming for rest. He had pushed himself beyond his limits, drawing on the very essence of Alhara, and the cost was immense. His "Eternal Healing" was now working in overdrive, desperately trying to repair the damage.

Zani was at his side in an instant, her hands hovering over him, her face etched with a fresh wave of terror. "My lord! What... what happened? Are you alright?"

Sylus coughed, a wet, rattling sound, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Mana... drain... too much." He forced a weak smile. "But... it worked."

He pointed a shaky finger towards the shattered remains of the Dalin. "The sphere... it manifests. It's the engine. The wishes... they're commands." He struggled for breath. "The 'heart I can trust'... that's you, Zani. Your loyalty... your intent... it amplified the manifestation."

Zani stared at him, then at the glittering dust of the shattered Dalin, then back at the now-dimmed sphere. The implications were staggering. This place wasn't just a mine; it was a cosmic power source, capable of bending reality, and she, unknowingly, was a vital component.

The remaining Dalins, recovering from the shock, began to stir. They let out a low, guttural growl, their golden eyes fixed on Sylus and the sphere. They understood. He had activated the engine, and they would not allow him to use it again. Their forms began to shift, coalescing, growing larger, more menacing.

"My lord, we cannot stay here," Zani urged, pulling him up. "You are too weak. We need to find a way out, or a place to recover."

Sylus nodded, his mind, despite the pain, already racing. He had glimpsed the true power of Alhara, and the terrifying potential of his Catalyst Star. This wasn't just about Linye's budget anymore. This was about unlocking the secrets of creation, understanding his own fragmented identity, and preparing for the cosmic war that awaited him.

He looked at the narrow, shadowed passage they had come from, then at the vast, unexplored depths of the chamber. There had to be another way. A hidden path. A secret exit.

His Blessing of Information, though still struggling, flickered, drawn by the ancient power of the chamber. It scanned the colossal Mana Crystal walls, searching for anomalies, for hidden passages, for any deviation from the natural flow.

And then, it found something. A faint, almost imperceptible shimmer in the intricate carvings, a pattern that subtly repeated, not randomly, but with a deliberate, almost programmed sequence. It was a lock, not magical, but... technological.

A hidden door.

"Zani," Sylus rasped, pointing towards a specific section of the wall, where the symbols seemed to converge. "There. A hidden passage. It's a key... a sequence."

Zani's eyes followed his gaze, then widened as she saw the subtle anomaly in the crystalline patterns. "A key? How do we open it?"

Sylus pushed himself forward, leaning against the wall, his fingers tracing the glowing symbols. His "Assimilation" aspect, fueled by the recent deluge of information, recognized the underlying structure. It was a complex sequence, a series of precise mana pulses, a "music note," a "star alignment," a "heart of trust" – the very commands from the Korean message, but in a physical, interactive form.

He needed to "play" the wall, to input the correct sequence of mana frequencies and emotional intent. It would require immense focus, and a precise control over his fractured mana. And the Dalins were closing in.

"I'll need time," Sylus muttered, his eyes fixed on the wall. "Zani... you need to buy me time."

Zani didn't hesitate. She roared, her Blazer flaring, sending a volley of thorned vines towards the advancing Dalins. Her body, though wounded, moved with a renewed ferocity, a protective instinct that transcended fear. She was the shield, the key, the heart. And she would hold the line.

The chamber filled with the clash of crystal and steel, the crackle of mana, and the desperate, defiant cries of Zani as Sylus, with trembling hands, began to "play" the ancient, living wall, hoping to unlock the secrets of Alhara and find their escape.