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

The primordial mana of Alhara's Heart's Sanctum was a balm, a soothing current that flowed through Sylus's battered form. As he lay against the emerald-green Mana Crystal, its gentle hum resonated with his Catalyst Star, accelerating his Eternal Healing.

The gaping wound in his chest, once a burning chasm, was now a dull ache, slowly knitting itself closed. Beside him, Zani's breathing deepened, the crystalline gash on her arm fading into a faint, almost invisible scar.

The pure mana of this untouched realm was a miracle worker, restoring them with surprising speed.

Zani stirred first, her purple eyes fluttering open. She looked at her arm, then at Sylus, a profound awe settling on her features. "My lord... the mana here... it's incredible. I feel... stronger. Not just healed, but... more."

Sylus nodded, pushing himself up to a sitting position, the last vestiges of pain receding. "This is primordial mana, Zani. Untouched. The raw essence of creation itself. It's why the Manifestation Engine works, and why the Dalins guard it so fiercely." He extended his hand, feeling the subtle currents in the air.

"Your connection to the Bringinger... it resonates with this place. You're drawing it in, purifying it."

Zani looked down at her hands, then back at the glowing walls, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "The Bringinger... my lord, I don't understand. I remember nothing. How can I be... that?" Her voice was a whisper, filled with a dawning terror at the weight of an ancient, forgotten identity.

Sylus reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to understand it all at once, Zani. Right now, what matters is that you are. You saved the Bringinger. You are the key. And your loyalty, your heart, unlocked this path for us. That's all I need to know." He met her gaze, his own eyes softening. "And I trust you, Zani. More than anyone."

His words, simple and heartfelt, seemed to ground her. The fear in her eyes lessened, replaced by a fierce, familiar determination. "I will always serve you, my lord. No matter what."

As their bond solidified, a faint shimmer appeared beside Sylus. Sophia. Her form coalesced from the shadows, her white hair flowing, her dark mist swirling around her like a protective cloak. Her eyes, usually so intense, were wide with a childlike wonder as she took in the Sanctum.

"Master!" Sophia's voice, usually so eager, was hushed. "This place... it's beautiful. The mana... it feels like... like the beginning." She drifted towards the colossal Mana Crystal walls, her fingers tracing the ancient symbols. "These carvings... they sing of creation. Of life. And of... a great sorrow."

Sylus watched her. "You can understand them?"

Sophia turned, her face a mask of profound sadness. "Not with my mind, Master. But with my essence. I am the Concept of Envy. And envy... it is born from desire. Desire for what was, for what could be, for what was lost. These walls... they weep for a world that was twisted from its true path." She drifted closer to a specific section of the wall, her hand hovering over a carving of the Bringinger. "The Bringinger... it was betrayed. Its creation... corrupted."

Sophia's sudden, profound insight was startling. Her connection to the primordial mana of the Sanctum, and her nature as a Concept, allowed her to perceive truths beyond Sylus's current understanding. It was a terrifying, yet invaluable, ability.

"Sophia," Sylus said, his voice firm, "focus. What do these carvings tell you about the Manifestation Engine? About the 'Dormant Creation Node'?"

Sophia drifted towards the central mana sphere, her eyes fixed on its blinding white light. "The Node... it is the heart of the Bringinger's will. It lies dormant, waiting for a true creator. The engine... it can manifest. But it needs more than just mana. It needs... direction. A pure intent. And a sacrifice."

'Sacrifice?' Sylus's mind recoiled. He remembered the system's prompt: "Would you like to sacrifice yourself?" when Layla was "executed." The cost of creation, it seemed, was immense.

He pushed the thought aside for now. He needed to understand the engine's mechanics, not its ultimate price. He walked towards the floating sphere, Zani and Sophia flanking him. The air around it felt warm, invigorating.

"The Korean message," Sylus began, recalling the precise commands. "It's a sequence. A program. 'Music note 1,' 'stars align,' 'heart I can trust.' And the final line: 'Each wish has a physical manifestation. I wish not real but seen, placed— in the heart of Alhara, where the forgotten truths lie.'"

He looked at the sphere. "The 'Dormant Creation Node' must be the core of its power. We need to activate it, to direct its primordial mana." He recalled the system's previous description of the node: "It is the source of all things, the wellspring of reality."

"I need to experiment," Sylus declared. "Sophia, Zani, observe carefully. We need to understand its limits, its costs, and its potential."

He extended his hand towards the sphere, channeling a small, controlled pulse of his Catalyst mana. The sphere pulsed in response, its light flaring. He focused on the first command: "Music note 1." He imagined a pure, resonant frequency, a fundamental vibration. He poured his intent into the sphere, not wishing, but commanding.

The sphere shimmered, and a faint, almost imperceptible hum resonated through the chamber. It was subtle, but Sylus felt a subtle shift in the ambient mana, a tuning.

"It worked," Sylus breathed, a thrill of triumph. "Now, for the 'stars align.'" He adjusted his mental focus, imagining the precise alignment of the constellations, the cosmic dance. He poured his mana into the sphere again, guiding it. The sphere pulsed with a kaleidoscope of colors, swirling like a miniature galaxy. The hum deepened, becoming a complex, harmonious melody.

"Incredible," Zani whispered, her eyes wide.

"Now, the 'heart I can trust,'" Sylus said, his gaze locking onto Zani. He reached out, taking her hand. Her loyalty, her unwavering belief in him, was a tangible force. He poured that pure, unshakeable trust into the sphere, guiding the mana, directing the intent.

The sphere flared, its white light intensifying, resonating with a profound, almost sentient warmth. The melody swelled into a triumphant crescendo. This was the moment of manifestation.

"What do you wish for, Master?" Sophia asked, her eyes fixed on the sphere.

Sylus hesitated. He could wish for gold, for resources, for an army. But he needed to test its limits, to understand its fundamental capabilities. He thought of the Dalins, the crystalline guardians outside, born from the raw mana. He thought of the Mana Crystals, the very fabric of this place.

"I wish for... a single, perfectly formed Mana Crystal," Sylus commanded, his voice clear and resolute, "pure, stable, and capable of holding immense mana."

The sphere pulsed, its light contracting, then expanding. A faint, ethereal glow appeared in the air before them, coalescing. Slowly, from the swirling light, a crystal began to form. It was small at first, then grew, taking on a perfect, flawless octahedral shape. It was utterly transparent, shimmering with a soft, internal blue light, radiating an incredible sense of purity and stability.

It dropped into Sylus's outstretched hand. It was cool, smooth, and pulsed with a silent, immense power.

[Mana Crystal (Pure) obtained.] [Purity: 100%. Stability: Perfect. Capacity: Vast.] [Note: This crystal is a direct manifestation of primordial mana, untainted by Alhara's outer corruption.]

Sylus stared at the crystal in his hand, then at the sphere, then back at the crystal. "It worked," he breathed, a profound awe settling over him. "It truly worked."

"My lord!" Zani exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder. "This... this is beyond anything I've ever seen!"

Sophia drifted closer, her eyes fixed on the crystal. "It is creation, Master. The Bringinger's power. You wield it." A faint, almost imperceptible tremor went through her form. "But it comes at a cost. The energy drain... it is immense. Even for this."

Sylus felt it too. A deep, profound exhaustion, far beyond physical fatigue. The wound in his chest, though healed, felt hollow, as if a piece of his essence had been momentarily extracted. The Manifestation Engine was powerful, but it demanded a price.

"We need to understand the Dalins," Sylus declared, his gaze hardening. "They are guardians. They are born from this mana. What is their true purpose? Why do they guard this place?"

Sophia drifted towards a section of the wall where the glowing symbols depicted vague, shifting forms. "They are... extensions. Protectors. Born from the Bringinger's essence, but corrupted by the Destroyer's influence. They guard the secrets. They guard against... unauthorized creation."

"Unauthorized creation?" Sylus mused. "Like Martin trying to extract Layla's Catalyst Star?"

Sophia nodded, a silent, chilling affirmation. "The Destroyer seeks to twist creation. The Dalins... they serve a twisted purpose now. They prevent the true essence of the Bringinger from being fully realized."

This meant the Dalins weren't just mindless monsters. They were corrupted guardians, perhaps even sentient beings trapped in a perverted purpose. This complicated things. Killing them might be a temporary solution, but understanding them could be the key to truly taming Alhara.

"We need a plan," Sylus stated, his mind already racing. "A way to extract these Mana Crystals, consistently and safely, for Linye. And a way to deal with the Dalins without constantly fighting them."

He looked around the Sanctum. The walls, the central sphere, the pure Mana Crystals – this was the answer to Linye's poverty, to its lack of resources. But it was also a cosmic battleground.

"First, we need to secure this Sanctum," Sylus planned aloud. "It's a safe haven, but if the Dalins find this entrance, we're trapped. Zani, your Blazer's thorn vines... can you reinforce the entrance we came through? Make it impenetrable, at least for a while."

"Yes, my lord," Zani replied, already moving towards the shimmering archway.

"Sophia," Sylus continued, "your Concept of Envy... your destructive power. Can you create a deterrent? Something that would make the Dalins hesitate to approach this chamber, beyond a simple physical barrier?"

Sophia's eyes glowed with a dark, predatory light. "I can, Master. I can make them feel... the emptiness of their corrupted purpose. The futility of their existence." Her voice was a low, chilling purr. "They will know despair."

Sylus nodded. "Good. While you two secure the entrance, I need to understand the 'Temporal Residue' here. If Haves was involved, there might be a way to manipulate time, or at least to understand the nature of this Sanctum's temporal stability." He needed to find a way to control the Manifestation Engine more efficiently, to reduce its cost, and perhaps even to replicate the pure Mana Crystals without such a heavy drain.

He looked at the glowing sphere, the heart of Alhara. He had a cosmic forge at his fingertips, capable of creating anything. But he needed to master it, to wield it with precision, not just raw power. The fate of Linye, and perhaps, the very balance of the cosmos, depended on it.

His healing was almost complete. His mind was clear. He was ready. This wasn't just about escaping Alhara. This was about claiming its power, harnessing its secrets, and forging a new destiny, not just for himself, but for the world. The Star Killer was beginning to understand his true purpose.