At 8:00 AM on the East Coast—5:00 on the West—Mallory McInnis convened a secure call with Damian Crestwell, Vanessa Cho, and several other CEOs from the manufacturing and materials sectors. These were the people who would lead the charge in bringing Echo Weapons and armor into the real world.
After days of discussion and refinement, the decision had been made: KephraTech would take point. With its advanced nanoscale manufacturing capabilities, it was uniquely equipped to spearhead the construction of forging stations—monolithic hybrid 3D printers capable of shaping nearly any material with molecur precision.
Steel, leather, ceramic, carbon fiber—these machines could weave them together seamlessly. A broadsword of high-tensile alloy with a stitched-hide grip. A coat of armor printed with embedded embroidery. Buttons forged from titanium, obsidian, or gold, depending on the user’s css or karma.
The printers themselves had been designed by one of Vanessa Cho’s elite divisions at Karnax Engineering. And the designs? Pure genius.
Damian Crestwell was proud to have his company selected, though the experience of his Tutorial had tempered his attitude. The scale of what they were building was vast, and the responsibility heavy. Between the Aethernodes, drone systems, and now the forges, KephraTech was becoming a cornerstone of The System’s global rollout. The weight of it made him stand just a little taller.
Mallory opened the meeting.“Good morning, everyone. I trust you’re all sleeping well and feeling great?”
Fourteen participants were on the call, including Mallory and Vanessa. A wave of nods and quiet affirmations followed.
“Excellent. Let’s get started. Vanessa, can you walk everyone through how the forges function, just to keep us aligned?”
Vanessa gave a crisp nod. “Of course. The forges are built with multiple deposition heads, each feeding a different material. These heads move freely within the chamber. First, the chamber is evacuated—creating a vacuum to eliminate oxidation or contamination. That’s critical for stable metal bonding, crystal growth, and nanostructure alignment.”
She paused briefly, gauging the group.“During deposition, the chamber is magnetically stabilized, and the materials are printed in mid-air. This magnetic suspension gives us full 360-degree access without mechanical supports—allowing multiple materials to be yered seamlessly.”
Mallory picked up from there.
“Thank you, Vanessa. The first forge will be installed at KephraTech in a secure, cssified area. Over time, we’ll establish regional forging centers around the world. But the point here is intentional scarcity. Forging an Echo Weapon—or armor—should be a meaningful challenge. We’re not dropping a forge in every town.”
She gave Damian a teasing gnce. “Although, Damian and those nearby may have a slight advantage.”
That got a ugh from the group—even Damian, who raised his coffee mug in mock salute. It was good to see that his sense of humor had returned.
Mallory continued. “Joking aside, Damian, how is your materials development coming? I know nanoscaling leather has been tricky.”
Damian unmuted. “Actually, we’ve made solid progress on that front. It’s the crystals giving us more trouble. Their ttice structures break down easily at the nanoscale, but rebuilding them in precise form is the challenge. That said, we’re making daily gains, and expect a breakthrough soon after Thanksgiving. The rest of the materials are performing extremely well—thanks rgely to Karnax’s elegant design. The multi-material binding within the vacuum-magnetic environment is functioning far better than we anticipated.”
“Excellent news,” Mallory said. “So are we still on schedule to run live trials by the second week of December?”
Damian nodded confidently. “Absolutely.”
Finally, Mallory turned to Ronan Vale. He and Colin’s team were responsible for developing the logic module that would serve as an interface between the forges and The System itself. After all, these weren’t ordinary blueprints being executed—the weapons were authorized and defined by The System. Their design, structure, and potential were not fixed, but contextual—adjusted based on karma, css, and user trajectory.
Ronan assured her that the modules would be ready within a few days—more than enough time to have them installed before the trial phase.
Lastly, Mallory turned to the one part of the forging process that hadn't yet been publicly disclosed: the materials that could not be prepared at the nanoscale.
“This will be new information for almost all of you,” she said. “The final component required to forge Echo Weapons and armor is called a Karmic Anchor. Without it, The System will not recognize the blueprint—or the bill of materials—as complete.”
She took a sip of green tea, letting the words settle.
“A Karmic Anchor is an item of deep personal significance to the individual. Something that represents their journey, their values, or a defining moment in their life. For those with Common csses, the Anchor may be something more easily found—but still deeply personal. A compass your grandfather gave you before his st hike. The dog tags of a mentor. A journal from your teenage years where you first dreamed of becoming something more. Not powerful objects, perhaps—but weighty ones. Markers of who you are, and how far you’ve come.”
She paused, scanning the screen to ensure everyone was still following.
“For those with Uncommon or Rare csses, however, the Karmic Anchor will be far more difficult to obtain. It might mean traveling across the globe to find a single piece of bark from a tree you once climbed as a child, or recovering an artifact you thought lost forever. The quest for the Anchor will be as unique as each person’s life. All other materials—steel, thread, pting, leather—will be supplied through the forges. But this piece? This one… you have to bring.”
A few of the CEOs leaned forward, intrigued. Mallory continued.
“We’ve discussed whether users should contribute additional materials, but the best solution we've come up with is a contribution point system—awarded for helping expand Grimwatch. Mayor Brae said The System already tracks this for him, and he’s eager to use it. He mentioned he’s always felt XP alone doesn’t fully reflect the effort people invest in building the town.”
Everyone seemed to agree that this would work best, as it encouraged people to be active and provide meaningful contributions in both pnes. And so, with the pn set in pce, and the schedule confirmed, the 3D Forges were sted to be ready in two weeks.
Soon after the call, everyone who had gone through the Tutorial already began receiving new messages from The System.
---
System Message
[Echo Weapon and Armor Forge Quest Initiated]Vanessa ChoSpectral Huntress
Nightweaver and Wraithwood have been wrought in spirit but cannot manifest in this realm until forged by your own hand.
To complete them, you must gather materials that resonate with your Path, and offer the Anchor that binds your past to your purpose.
Only through sacrifice is power made real.Only through will can the unseen be shaped.Only through holding both pain and hope can true strength be forged.
Your forge awaits. Your legend calls.
Karmic Anchors required:
Recover a jar of bck cquer from the original brand used to create Chukbang. Overcome your wound to forge yourself anew.Retrieve a strand of straw from the archery targets of your youth. Carry your hope for a better future.---
Vanessa just stared into space, the interface pulsing gently in her mind’s eye.I guess it’s time to make a trip to Seoul.She felt a flicker of warmth across her senses.I’ve been missing you, Nyssara. And to have you here again? I can’t wait.