Chapter 2

|3rd POV|

Ghira looks at the massive machine in front of him in awe. It's been a month since he heard about a project from the Head Engineer of Kuo Kuana. He thought it was a waste of resources, but he was wrong.

Don't get him wrong; he knows just how important Orin is to the people of the Menagerie, but he would rather spend all of those resources on the defense of the Kuo Kuana or something that he knows will bear fruit. He is someone who does not want to take risks, and what Orin proposes is a risky thing.

However, Orin proves him wrong.

In front of him is an Electrical Grid that delivers power through Kuo Kuana, which is already happening. In the last two days, Orin tested the power, and they are still powering the entire city without any problem.

"I don't want to deal with the details, so I will tell you the short version. These solar panels can absorb 99% of all solar energy; thus, this Solar Farm can produce up to 500 MWh of electricity a day. This can power the entire city without a problem and even power many things like machines or even one of those robots Atlas created."

Ghira looks at him in shock because he knows this kind of thing can grant him many things. He will be set for life if he leaves Menagerie and sells this tech to a kingdom like Vale. However, instead of doing that, he builds this in Menagerie.

Even when he is no longer actively involved in White Fang, he needs to ensure he stays here instead of moving out. He looks to the side and sees Sienna and the Albain Twin make the same decision as him.

"What about maintenance?"

Sienna looks at Orin with a new light and a little bit of a predatory look.

"They do not need a lot of care. However, I need at least twenty people to clean the solar panels every month. I will create a solution that will help them clean the panel. As for the others, it does not need constant maintenance, but I will watch them if they need something."

"I see. That is good."

Sienna nods her head in understanding. Her mind is already working through a lot of plans. However, the most urgent one is to make sure Orin stays in Menagerie, and she needs to put a solid foundation in it.

"Thank you for your hard work, Orin. If there is anything we can do for you, just tell us. We will give it to you."

Sienna subtly tells him that he has her backing, and her attempt does not go unnoticed by the others.

"She is right, Orin. Tell us, and we will help you with any project you need."

Fennec Albain says with a smile on his face. If Sienna can take resources from other kingdoms through her army, Fennec and his brother Corsac can get the resources through their connection to the black market.

Ghira does say a word, but he grunts and nods his head. He does not want to look like someone desperate for his support, but he does support Orin in his future project. If Sienna can get resources through her army robbing the other kingdom and the Albain twins from their connection to the black market, then he can get those from the official channel.

Orin hums a little and uses this chance to get more resources.

"Well, there is a thing I want to make. Menagerie is a desert island in the middle of an ocean. We only have one water source, the Great Menagerie Aquifer, in the middle of the island. Sooner or later, that aquifer can run out of water because we pump it faster than the rain can refill it. Rain is a rare thing here, and sooner or later, the aquifer will run out."

"Do you want to create a machine to make rain, Orin?"

Ghira looks at Orin with one of his eyebrows raised. He wants to tell the young faunus that it is impossible to do, but he witnesses something that should not be possible happening in front of him. He decided to give him trust.

"No. Nothing like that."

"Then? Is it a filtration system? I hear Atlas can filter seawater into drinkable water. It requires a lot of energy, if I remember correctly."

"Not really. It is a machine that captures water from the atmosphere, but three steps ahead. It combines humidity traps, molecular condensation systems, and an internal AI-assisted filtration and mineralization unit into a single machine that will produce drinkable water for us. However, unlike regular atmospheric water generators, this one produces water from the air."

He already has the blueprint for this machine. To create this blueprint, Orin combined Toaru Verse, Star Wars, Generator Rex, Stellaris, and Cyberpunk tech knowledge. He had already made it and tested it in his basement. He only needs more resources to make a large batch of this machine.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!"

Ghira quickly raises his hand and looks at Orin with disbelief.

"What do you mean by regular atmospheric water generators? As far as I know, there is no such thing as an atmospheric water generator in the world. If there is something like that, Vacuo does not need to go to war with each other to be the one holding the aquifers around their kingdom."

Vacuo is the biggest desert kingdom in the entire world. Water is very important to them, and because of this, they have created a recycling machine that recycles all the dirty water so they can reuse it.

They even kill for a water reservoir if there is a new one that they have found in the kingdom.

"Hmmm? Ah, I made them in the past and even tested them."

"What?! And why do you never tell any of us?"

"Well, I thought it was a failure, you know? I don't think it is worth telling you guys. It can only produce 5 liters of water daily and is rather bulky. I already made a better one. It is called AquaSynth Engine Mk.III, and it can produce 3200 liters of water a day."

Instead of saying anything, the people around him look at him as if he comes from a different world. Even the citizens who come to look at the new Solar Farm look at him in shock when they hear what he is saying.

After a few seconds, Ghira rubs the bridge of his nose and says.

"Orin… What kind of tech did you make?"

"Well, there are fewer than you thought. However, there are a lot of blueprints that I want to test."

"Just tell us what kind of thing you have created."

"Right. Other than the atmospheric water generators, I also make a Hydroponic Farm, or at least an attempt to make one. At the moment, it is a small farm that I need to watch carefully to make sure it is working as intended. However, I have a plan to expand this project. With this farm, we can cultivate any kind of plant we want. The other one is a drone that lets me search for raw materials around Menagerie. It will do scanning in certain areas and report back to me when it gets a result. At the moment, it is searching in the southern area of Menagerie. I am also in the process of building a machine that will help me mass-produce other tech. However, it still needs testing and such."

The more people hear him talk, the more their mind gets blown. Here is someone who creates tech that has never been seen or heard before. Here is someone who beat even the smartest person on the entire planet.

Ghira snaps from his shock and says.

"Why did you create all that, Orin? Don't get me wrong, it is great for you to create all that, but why?"

"Well, that is easy. I want Menagerie to be self-sufficient. We import a lot of food from the other kingdoms, which is a no-no. With Menagerie self-sufficient, I can focus on creating something that can let us travel through the stars."

"Y-You want to travel through the stars."

Orin grins in excitement and says.

"Yes! I want Faunus to be the first one to reach for the stars! The others think of us as dirty people, stupid people, or even savages! However, I shall prove them wrong! I shall prove them wrong by making something they have never achieved! I shall prove them wrong by making Menagerie self-sufficient and ensuring we do not need their food, energy, or water! I shall prove them wrong by making Faunus the first one to reach for the stars!"

The people around him look at him in awe. For a long time, they wanted to reach for equality among the races, but now… Now, they have a new goal—a goal to surpass the people who look down on them.

The goal that changed Menagerie forever.

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