Chapter 309: The Need for a Dam (1)
“Bibeng!”
Here in the Count Frontera’s domain, nestled at the foothills of the eastern mountains, the peaceful estate was woken up once again by Bibeng’s loud alarm. It seemed to shake the entire mountain range with its resonant roar, rudely interrupting everyone’s deep sleep.
The farmers rubbed the sleep from their eyes as they prepared for morning chores, the bulls in the barn drooled in anticipation of their morning feed, and the backyard rooster, pecking at ants, begrudgingly endured the grumbles about Bibeng’s untimely wakeup calls.
Thus, everyone’s day began quite ordinarily.
And Lloyd, who had just returned to his bedroom after a long absence, thought to himself:
‘So much for a peaceful morning!’
Jolted awake by Bibeng’s alarm, he leapt out of bed at the speed of light, threw on a shirt, and headed outside to start his day.
‘Of course, there’s no time to rest.’
Lloyd thought to himself. There really was no time for a break now, not a moment to spare.
‘After all the hard work, finally, all the core materials are gathered. Having successfully negotiated the construction site transfer with the Mermaid Queen, it’s time to build the Orb of Truth.’
He needed to prevent the restoration phenomenon of fate. With just over two years left, the pressure was palpable.
‘It’s not just about building the Orb. The Orb is merely a tool to find the solution to halt the restoration of fate.’
After finding the solution, he would need to act on it, potentially requiring a tremendous effort and time.
Thus, he firmly believed there was no room for leisure now.
“…So, you’re hiking this mountain early in the morning to expedite the construction of the Orb?”
“Yeah, obviously. What, did you think I suddenly took up hiking as a hobby?”
Javier, who had ended up climbing the Eastern Mountains with Lloyd, grumbled under his breath, prompting a chuckle from Lloyd.
Javier frowned. “I wondered why we were hiking all of a sudden. If you wanted to climb, you could have just ridden Ggoming comfortably.”
“I thought about that, but…”
“Then why insist on walking?”
“Ggoming’s down with a cold.”
“…”
“Really, Ppodong, Bangul, even Hamang—they’re all under the weather. They’ve been run ragged lately, after all.”
Lloyd’s smile turned wry. His words were true.
Was it last night? Starting with Ppodong, the fantastic creatures began to show signs of illness. It wasn’t severe, but they had slight fevers and complained of body aches.
“It makes sense. They’ve all been pushed hard and now they’ve suddenly stopped; maybe they’ve relaxed too much.”
“And you, Lloyd—are you okay?”
“Me? As you can see. I’ve got too much to do.”
Of course. There was no time to relax, so no time for him to fall ill either.
Javier looked a bit sulky. “And why, exactly, am I here with you at dawn climbing this mountain?”
“No.”
“I just brought you along.”
“It’s boring to hike alone.”
“…”
“You’re making that crabby face again. It’s all for your benefit.”
“Benefit? What are you talking about?”
“The air up here is great.”
“So?”
“Remember when we went to Seoul? That other dimension? The air there was terrible, right?”
“That it was.”
“So, I brought you here this morning. Clean out your lungs.”
“…You should have stuck with your first answer about being bored.”
“Yeah, that means I was bored.”
“…I can’t even smack you right now.”
“Hm?”
“Never mind.”
“I heard that.”
“Why do you always have to listen to people’s true feelings without permission?”
“Wow, true feelings, huh? Exposing violent desires so naturally.”
“Everyone harbors at least one true hope or desire.”
“Whatever. Anyway, we’re here. Phew.”
As they chatted, they reached their destination.
Stepping up the final hillock, the scene opened up dramatically.
The mysterious expanse of a large mountain lake lay before them—the same Kapua Lake they had come to before for the waterworks project and where Bibeng had been resting.
It had been a while, and reminiscing about past visits made him nostalgic. But now wasn’t the time for reminiscing; he was here on business.
‘Wow, brings back memories.’
Lloyd focused.
[Starting the scan.]
The familiar prompt appeared as the terrain around Kapua Lake was mapped. The data was converted and registered in the design space. Although he had surveyed this area before, any slight geological changes that had occurred since needed to be checked.
‘And this time, I need to check the underwater terrain too.’
Lloyd stripped off his boots and top.
“I’ll check inside the lake. You… don’t play around, just sit tight.”
Javier looked puzzled as Lloyd snorted.
“I need to splash around working hard, so you need to keep watch. You have to protect me, right?”
“Hmm, it feels like you’re just making me tag along because you’re annoyed at having to work alone.”
“…That’s not it. It’s not a baseless assumption.”
“Alright, I’ll dutifully ‘play’ as you’ve ordered.”
“…Cheeky bugger.”
“Pot calling the kettle black.”
With that, Lloyd dived into the lake.
Splash!
Fortunately, the water was clear, allowing visibility even without goggles.
‘Let’s see, where’s the best spot to build the Orb?’
Utilizing the underwater breathing option for unlimited diving, Lloyd surveyed the lakebed with a contemplative look.
There were several flat spots suitable for building underwater structures.
‘The Orb of Truth operates only in flowing water.’
Suddenly, he recalled the previous day’s events.
It was after finalizing the contract with the Mermaid Queen. Before leaving their kingdom, she had advised that the Orb of Truth needed to be constructed in flowing water—whether in a sea with currents, a river, or a lake.
It wouldn’t function correctly otherwise.
‘I checked it myself, too.’
That was why, the night before, lying in bed, he had activated his design skills and examined the Orb of Truth’s data brought up in the design space.
Sure enough, the Queen’s words were true. The construction caution noted, ‘Must be built in flowing water at least 70 meters deep for normal operation,’ had confirmed it.
‘This place, Kapua Lake, is the only spot around here with the required depth and water flow.’
The Prona River that ran through the estate wasn’t deep enough.
As Lloyd inspected the lakebed, his gaze became more measured.
‘Let’s see. This area is flat and stable, but… hmm, the water flow here is too strong when it drains. That won’t work. That spot over there is nice, but the ground seems unstable. Considering all factors, this place here is best.’
After about an hour of scouring the lakebed, Lloyd finally identified the ideal site for the Orb of Truth’s construction.
He transferred the data of the construction site into the design space.
Overlaying the Orb’s design data on the mapped terrain.
The virtual simulation space constructed the Orb of Truth at the marked site.
‘Nice. Straight and pretty. Meets the depth requirement comfortably. The current is calm yet sufficient. Unless there’s an extraordinary drought, the water level here won’t drop below 70 meters. Maybe I should also check how it operates as a test.’
With the Orb fully constructed in the simulation, curiosity piqued.
What would it look like in operation?
He touched the design data of the constructed Orb, relieved to find a ‘simulate operation’ option.
[Activating the Orb of Truth in the simulation space.]
The moment the message appeared, the Orb of Truth in the simulation space emitted a tremendous wave of energy.
Thwack!
It was like detonating a massive bomb. The shockwave generated at the top of the Orb dispersed through the water, creating vibrations and waves on the surface.
But the height of the waves reached an astounding 60 meters.
Their speed was horrifying, rushing like a high-speed train towards the edges of Kapua Lake, easily breaching the natural dam walls Bibeng had built and toppling some sections outright.
Then, cascading down the mountain, the waves obliterated valleys and ravines, flattened terraced farms and coal mines, and ultimately swept through the entire peaceful domain with a massive torrent.
Lloyd’s eyes widened in horror.
He turned off the simulation option.
The implications of what he had just witnessed were crystal clear.
If he were to build and operate the Orb of Truth in Kapua Lake, it would unleash catastrophic events.
‘Damn. That’s crazy.’
A sigh escaped him, a mix of dread and relief.
‘Good thing I ran a simulation first. If not…ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.’
His shoulders involuntarily shook.
He had thought all that was left was to build the Orb of Truth, feeling somewhat like a land speculator scouting for the best lot.
He had never dreamed that operating the Orb would trigger such vast shockwaves and waves.
‘Now what?’
The sheer magnitude of the waves and the shockwaves was no joke.
‘It’s like a scaled-down version of the 1963 Vajont Dam disaster in Italy.’
In that tragedy, a massive landslide had plunged into a dam reservoir, creating a colossal tsunami that overtopped the dam and obliterated villages downstream, killing thousands.
If the Orb of Truth operated here in Kapua Lake?
‘It’s unavoidable. We’ll face the same fate. From what I saw, no matter where we place the Orb around the lake, we can’t prevent flooding.’
The conclusion was obvious.
‘We can’t build the Orb in this lake.’
Another deep sigh came, his predicament deepening.
‘Now what? The Prona River is too shallow. Even if I dig out land and create a reservoir, the lack of water flow doesn’t meet the construction criteria. Should I look for other lakes in different regions? I don’t like that idea. After going through so much to secure the site within my domain under contract with the Mermaid Queen, I’d hate to build this precious project on someone else’s land.’
He would rather build it in the Mermaid Kingdom than give it up to another domain.
His worries only grew as he and Javier descended the mountain.
‘What to do.’
The shockwaves and massive waves were an unexpected complication.
Even after returning to the mansion, sending Javier off, and leaning back on his bed, he stared blankly at the opposite wall, lost in thought.
‘Maybe build a wall around the lake to block the waves? Would that prevent damage? No, the wall would have to be incredibly high and strong. And it couldn’t just cover one area; it would have to encircle part of the lake’s perimeter.’
Even if it covered just sections, it would need to be several kilometers long.
‘That’s unrealistic. It’s too big a project. Plus, the feasibility of the wall holding up is even more dubious.’
That plan was quickly dismissed.
‘That won’t work. Totally impractical.’
He mentally crossed off that idea and continued to ponder other solutions.
As the afternoon sun dipped and evening approached with a reddish glow, a knock came at his door.
Knock knock.
“Lloyd? I’m sorry to disturb you. It’s Emily.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I’ve come to collect your laundry. May I come in?”
“Yeah, come on in.”
As soon as he responded, the door cracked open, and Emily entered with a shy smile.
“Hello, Lloyd. I’ll just be a moment.”
“Thanks.”
Still propped up in bed, he watched Emily go about her work, his mind churning over the Orb’s construction site.
But perhaps sensing his vacant stare, Emily blushed slightly, hurriedly and awkwardly speaking.
“I’ll make sure to wash these cleanly and neatly. The shirts and pants.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve really gotten better at laundry lately.”
Hugging the laundry basket and twisting about nervously, she avoided eye contact.
“I used to just scrub hard and rinse without paying attention to anything else, especially the other maids higher up the stream from me.”
“Higher up the stream? Other maids?”
“Yes.”
Prompted by his question, Emily seemed slightly more at ease, offering a small smile.
“If I’m vigorously washing and rinsing shirts but someone upstream dumps soapy water without syncing with me, it’s all for nothing.”
“Hmm, makes sense. The soap…I mean, the dirty water would ruin it all if it mixes in.”
“Yes, exactly!”
Encouraged by his agreement, Emily continued with a hint of excitement.
“So, I’ve learned to coordinate with the other maids. It’s much quicker and the results are better than before. It’s all thanks to being mindful of the upstream flow.”
“Being mindful of the upstream, huh? That’s smart. Upstream…wait a minute.”
Lloyd paused, his mechanical responses halted by a sudden spark of thought.
‘Upstream. Flowing in. Then, downstream?’
Suddenly, he was on his feet, biting his lip as he paced the room.
The concept he had just considered spun in his head, being refined, assessed, and expanded upon until a solution emerged.
“…That’s it! Thanks!”
“Huh? Oh, um, you’re welcome?”
He grabbed Emily’s hand in his excitement, hopping around for a moment before darting out of the room without another word, leaving a bewildered Emily behind.
He stormed down the stairs to the family dining room where Count Frontera was about to have dinner and blurted out his newfound resolution.
“I think we should build a gravity dam downstream on the Prona River.”