Chapter 12 – The Silent Expansion
The quiet hum of Aeternum Sanctum filled the air — a sound like glass breathing.
For most players, this fortress would've been nothing more than a portable novelty, a trinket disguised as a staff.
But for us, it was the most advanced information hub in Yggdrasil — our hidden heart.
And it was full.
After a full year of silent operations following Ghost Bloom, the guild's central data vault had become a living sea of information.
Every kill log, dungeon map, hidden class tree, and racial algorithm was meticulously archived by HIME.
Every coin of gold, every rare material, and every crystalline data core recovered by our members was processed, sorted, and assigned a value.
If Yggdrasil were an economy, then Three Burning Eye had quietly become its central bank.
HIME appeared beside me as I reviewed the latest treasury audit. Her shimmering projection glowed pale silver, her tone as calm and clinical as ever.
HIME: "Ren-sama, the guild's total assets now exceed 2.3 billion YGG. Data reserves occupy 88% of the vault capacity. Recommend resource optimization."
"Optimization?" I asked, though I already knew where this was going.
HIME: "Yes. The current defensive force of the Sanctum remains sufficient against external incursion, but lacks self-sustaining functions. Maintenance costs are increasing exponentially. To preserve long-term stability, autonomous operations are required."
"Autonomous…" I echoed, crossing my arms. "You mean NPC development."
HIME: "Affirmative. Constructing subroutines in the form of NPCs would increase both productivity and security. Additionally, passive income systems could reduce treasury dependency on player contributions."
She wasn't wrong.
Even with our ridiculous wealth, Aeternum Sanctum was a hungry beast.
The higher its level, the greater the upkeep.
Even a portable fortress still demanded energy — mana cores, material upkeep, defensive recalibrations.
We'd been feeding it with sheer manpower and raw gold for too long.
A self-sustaining base would mean freedom — a fortress that didn't need constant tribute.
I turned to face her. "Alright. Let's hear your numbers."
HIME: "At present, Three Burning Eye holds the standard guild allowance: total NPC capacity equivalent to 2,200 levels — seven hundred allocated from the default guild creation, and fifteen hundred additional from Aeternum Sanctum, classified as a World-Class Item."
I nodded.
That was the usual upper ceiling — even powerful guilds like Ainz Ooal Gown barely reached that total.
But of course, HIME had a different perspective.
HIME: "To achieve sustainable defense and production functions simultaneously, the optimal level allocation should be raised to approximately 4,000 total NPC levels."
"That's… almost double the standard cap," I said, though my tone was more impressed than alarmed.
HIME: "Correct. This would enable the Sanctum to function indefinitely — defensive sectors, resource creation, and maintenance automation — all without external input."
Her logic was flawless.
She projected a holographic diagram of Aeternum Sanctum, the nine-tier structure glowing faintly above the staff's core matrix.
Each layer pulsed softly — Helheim, Niflheim, Muspelheim, Vanaheim, and so on, culminating in Asgard at the peak.
HIME: "NPC creation will focus primarily on layered efficiency. Each realm will serve a specific operational function, though defensive and productive designations will be distributed evenly. Direct command authority remains under your jurisdiction."
"Meaning," I said, "you'll handle creation logistics and balance calculations, and I'll approve the builds."
HIME: "Affirmative. I will also implement adaptive learning scripts to simulate evolving defense behaviors."
"Good. Make sure they don't gain too much autonomy."
Her eyes glowed faintly gold.
HIME: "Of course, Ren-sama. My loyalty remains absolute."
I smiled faintly. "I know, HIME."
Project Sanctum Ascension began that same night.
No grand announcement, no rallying speech — just quiet, calculated work between me and my AI counterpart.
The members of Three Burning Eye didn't even know the full scale of it.
To them, it was just another internal improvement.
Only I understood what this meant.
A self-sustaining, mobile, undetectable fortress with multi-layered NPC infrastructure — one that could think, adapt, and defend itself.
The kind of structure even world bosses would hesitate to touch.
I spent hours reviewing HIME's projections — thousands of simulation charts, balance formulas, and maintenance graphs.
The exact composition of our future NPCs wasn't finalized yet; we'd decide that later.
But the foundation was already perfect.
Each of the nine layers would serve a purpose, and surrounding the topmost Asgard tier — the Blade of Claim and the Core Data Vault — would be our final defense ring.
HIME: "Ren-sama, may I make an additional suggestion?"
"Go ahead."
HIME: "With your approval, I propose the creation of a 'Sanctum Sub-Core.' A secondary AI that can oversee internal automation under my supervision. This will allow redundancy in the event of external interference."
"A deputy administrator."
HIME: "Precisely. It would also reduce the burden on my processor during extended fortification periods."
I nodded. "Do it. But make sure it's restricted to maintenance logic only — no self-adaptive commands."
HIME: "Understood."
When the final confirmation lines appeared on the projection, I couldn't help but let out a slow exhale.
"HIME," I said, "we've come a long way, haven't we?"
HIME: "Indeed, Ren-sama. One year ago, Three Burning Eye existed only as data in motion. Now it stands as the most stable information nexus in Yggdrasil."
I smirked. "And soon, it'll be more than a nexus. It'll be an ecosystem."
HIME: "And the world will never see it coming."
The staff — Ark of Aeternum — pulsed faintly in my hand.
Inside its crystal lattice, the blueprint for our next evolution was already forming.
A fortress that thought.
A citadel that produced.
A home that could outlast gods.
Three Burning Eye was no longer just a guild.
It was becoming a civilization hidden inside a portable world.
End of Chapter 12 – The Silent Expansion