Chapter 54: The Automated Canvas
"Deeper on the spine curve," Kanos instructed carefully. He pointed his left index finger at the stone slab. "The ink will pool too much if the groove is too shallow. Make the lines exactly half an inch deep."
It had been exactly two days since Kanos woke up. They now only had three days left before the red Quarantine Protocol barrier completely crushed the Dead Zone. The air pressure in the underground city was already feeling incredibly dense and suffocating. The sky outside the workshop was a terrifying, vibrant crimson that slowly crept lower and lower every single hour.
"Boss, the ink mixture is ready," Sili said, placing the heavy hide roll onto the iron table. He looked incredibly nervous. "I mixed the purple bat core smoke with the crushed gray crystals exactly like you said. The density is completely insane. The bowl easily weighs forty kilos right now."
"Bring the master stamp over here," Kanos ordered the black golem.
Kanos grabbed a large, flat wooden plank. He dipped the plank into the iron bowl, scooping up a thick layer of the dark violet ink. With slow, deliberate movements from his uninjured left arm, Kanos smeared the heavy ink evenly across the carved surface of the void stone slab. The ink instantly filled the engraved lines, glowing with a dangerous, dark energy.
The giant knight quickly unrolled the tough cave bear hide, smoothing out the edges with his heavy boots. Kanos guided the black golem to stand directly over the hide, holding the ink covered stone slab facing downward.
"Press it down," Kanos ordered. "Maximum pressure."
Kanos closed his eyes. He reached out with his mind, searching for the thick mana signature pooled inside the engraved lines of the stone stamp. He focused all his remaining mental energy, treating the entire slab as an extension of his own hand. He did not need to trace the lines manually. The stamp had already perfectly defined the structure.
A violent, freezing shockwave exploded from beneath the stone slab. The blast of cold air was so intense it instantly covered the edges of the iron table in a thin layer of frost. Sili screamed and dove behind a wooden crate. Belida planted his feet firmly, crossing his arms to shield his face from the intense pressure.
Thick, dark violet smoke billowed wildly from the monster hide on the floor. The sound of shifting bones and crackling static energy filled the room. The smoke rapidly gathered, compressing itself into a solid, sleek frame.
Standing on top of the ruined monster hide was a fully formed Null Hound. It was absolutely perfect. The dual hinged jaws, the razor sharp claws, the empty gray eye sockets radiating a terrifying anti magic aura. The beast let out a low, vibrating growl that shook the dust from the ceiling.
Kanos started laughing. The laugh grew louder, echoing wildly through the massive workshop. It was a laugh of pure, unfiltered victory.
Belida lowered his arms, staring at the newly printed hound in absolute awe. The giant knight looked at the heavy stone slab still held by the golem, then looked at the massive iron bowl filled to the brim with dark violet ink.
"I do not know," Kanos walked back to the table, grabbing another wooden plank to smear more ink onto the stone slab. "But we are not going to stop until the ink runs completely dry."
"Boss," Sili pushed his cracked glasses up. "You are not just an illustrator anymore. You are a damn weapon factory."
