The Quest Board and the Proto-Energy Core

After being officially recognized, Foreman Rory gave Yanaki a tour of the areas for low-level mechanics. She was introduced to the Guild Shop—a giant, automated warehouse where players could use "Contribution Points" earned from quests to exchange for rare materials, high-end tools, and even exclusive blueprints that never appeared on the black market.

But the thing that caught Yanaki's attention the most was the Quest Board. It was a giant mechanical board, clanking continuously as new quests were posted and old ones were taken down. The requests here were incredibly diverse: from simple tasks like "Collect 50 scrap gears" for a few cogs and a bit of contribution, to dangerous missions like "Hunt a small-sized Mechanical Leviathan in the Abyss."

Yanaki's eyes scanned the board quickly, searching for anything related to "Ancient Energy Cores." Nothing. Information about such an important item was clearly not meant for an apprentice mechanic.

However, she noticed a series of related quests posted by the same person.

Request: Need a large quantity of Silver Wiring to test an energy amplifier. Request: Seeking a [Heat-Resistant Energy Casing].

And the final quest, the one that made Yanaki's heart beat faster:

[Special Quest] Seeking a [Proto-Energy Core (Unstable)] for a personal project. Generous reward offered. See High-Rank Artificer 'Valerius' in the research sector for details.

A Proto-Energy Core! A prototype version? This was the lead she was looking for.

She accepted the quest without hesitation. Rory glanced at her choice and shrugged. "Valerius, eh? Good luck with that old man." She pointed towards a much quieter and cleaner area at the end of the workshop. "He's in there. Try not to get his lab dirty."

Yanaki went to the research sector. In contrast to the chaos outside, this place was incredibly tidy. Standing in the middle of the room was an elderly man with pure white hair, wearing glasses and a clean lab coat. He was intently observing a complex engine model on a table. He was Valerius, a complete opposite of Rory.

"You're here for the quest about the Proto-Energy Core?" Valerius asked without looking up.

"Yes, sir," Yanaki replied.

Valerius finally looked up, his eyes shining with wisdom. "I am a researcher of the Ancient Technology that built this city. I believe I can recreate a simplified version of those Ancient Energy Cores."

He pointed to a complex design on the wall. "I have the theory, the formula. But to create it, I need a catalyst, a 'heart' capable of intelligently self-regulating its energy, something modern machines lack."

"I believe that 'something' can be found inside the oldest automatons, the first prototypes of Aethelgard, the ones that were discarded in the 'Automaton Graveyard'."

The Automaton Graveyard. The name alone sounded ominous. Elara explained to Yanaki that it was a giant flying island on the lowest level of Aethelgard, a place where all broken and obsolete machines were thrown away. It was a maze of scrap iron, ruled by rogue security automatons and mechanical scavengers.

"Here," Valerius handed Yanaki a device that looked like a brass compass. "[Ancient Signal Detector]. It will react when it is near what I need: a [Cognitive Controller Model-0]. It is the brain, the first artificial heart. Bring it back to me."

A new path, a clear mission, had appeared before Yanaki.

1. Travel to the Automaton Graveyard.

2. Survive and use the detector to find the Controller.

3. Bring it back to Valerius.

4. Assist him in crafting the Proto-Energy Core, and in doing so, learn how to create the Ancient Energy Cores herself later on.

"I will bring it back to you, sir," Yanaki said, accepting the detector.

She was no longer just an apprentice mechanic who could only fix simple machines. She was about to become a techno-archaeologist, venturing into a graveyard of steel giants.

The Gear Race was gradually speeding up.