Chapter 1327: Exploring the First Citadel

"This is amazing..."

Fiona could barely contain her excitement as she stood inside the heart of the First Citadel. She had already gained control over a significant portion of the Floating Island, but the more information Avalon revealed, the more she realized that she had barely begun to understand what she had inherited.

The holographic projection of the Floating Island continued hovering above the central platform. It displayed countless structures hidden beneath the enormous landmass, along with the complex network of energy conduits connecting them together.

Blue sections represented systems that were still functioning, while yellow sections indicated damaged systems that were operating below their original capacity. Red areas represented severely damaged sections, and gray areas were completely offline.

Fiona stared at the projection for several seconds before finally noticing something.

"Wait... most of this place is still working."

[ Correct, Administrator. ]

Avalon’s calm voice echoed through the chamber.

[ The primary structure remains stable. The central energy network is also operational, although it is currently functioning at approximately 38.4% of its original capacity. ]

Fiona’s eyes widened.

"Thirty-eight percent? Then how powerful was this thing when it was fully operational?"

There was a brief pause.

[ The original specifications of Star-Class Mobile Platform 01 are classified under a higher administrator authorization level. ]

Fiona’s expression immediately changed.

"So you actually know."

[ Correct. However, I am not currently authorized to disclose that information. ]

Fiona stared at the holographic projection before letting out a small sigh.

"That’s annoying."

[ I apologize, Administrator. ]

Fiona couldn’t help laughing.

"You don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault."

She looked at the projection again before pointing toward the northern portion of the Floating Island.

"What is that area?"

The holographic map immediately enlarged.

Several enormous circular structures appeared beneath the surface of the island, all of them connected to a massive network of pipes and energy conduits.

[ That is the primary atmospheric regulation sector. ]

"Atmospheric regulation?"

[ Correct. The system regulates oxygen concentration, humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and air purification throughout the Floating Island. ]

Fiona’s expression lit up...

"So that’s why everyone can breathe normally here."

[ Correct. ]

Only now did Fiona realize how strange the Floating Island actually was.

Thousands of people could live on it, yet there was no obvious natural ecosystem capable of providing enough oxygen for everyone. There were also no massive forests covering the surface and no visible mechanisms producing the clean air they were breathing.

The answer had been hidden deep beneath the island.

The Anima Civilization had built an entire artificial environment capable of supporting a large population.

Fiona’s eyes sparkled.

"Can you take me there?"

[ Certainly. ]

Fiona immediately smiled.

"Then let’s go."

She looked toward the rats scattered around the chamber.

"Everyone, stay with me."

The rats immediately began moving.

Some climbed onto Fiona’s clothing while others rushed ahead through the corridors. Fiona followed them as she made her way toward one of the ancient transportation systems.

Until now, exploring the First Citadel had been extremely difficult.

There had been countless locked doors, collapsed corridors, inaccessible rooms, and damaged pathways.

Now that Fiona had Avalon, however, everything had changed.

Doors opened automatically when she approached them.

Ancient security systems recognized her presence and deactivated their restrictions.

Even the old transportation systems that had been completely inactive for countless years began functioning again.

Fiona soon entered a massive metallic chamber.

"What’s this?"

[ Internal transportation platform. ]

A transparent platform slowly rose from the center of the chamber.

Fiona stepped onto it.

She immediately noticed that there were no buttons or control panels. She couldn’t help but recall Merlin’s disk-shaped vessel...

Soon, a holographic map appeared in front of her.

Fiona stared at it in disbelief.

The map displayed countless levels beneath the Floating Island.

"How many floors does the First Citadel have?"

[ The First Citadel contains 62 primary levels and 32 secondary maintenance layers. ]

Fiona froze.

"...What? That’s a lot..."

Fiona rubbed her forehead.

She had thought she had explored a significant portion of the facility earlier.

Apparently, she hadn’t even explored a fraction of it.

"How long would it take to explore everything?"

[ Based on the current condition of the facility and the accessible routes, approximately nine days and seven hours if exploration were conducted continuously. ]

Fiona stared at the holographic map.

Then she smiled.

"That’s fine. We have plenty of time."

The transportation platform activated.

There was no sensation of movement.

One moment, Fiona was standing inside the transportation chamber.

The next, the doors opened...

Whoosh~

A powerful stream of clean air immediately brushed against her face.

Fiona stepped outside and realized that she was now in front of a huge chamber...

Hundreds of mechanical structures covered the walls, while enormous pipes extended throughout the ceiling and floor.

"What is this?"

[ Atmospheric Processing Chamber 04. ]

Fiona looked around in amazement.

"So this is part of the system keeping the Floating Island’s atmosphere stable."

[ Correct. ]

Several rats immediately began exploring the chamber.

Fiona watched through their eyes as they crawled beneath the enormous machines and squeezed into maintenance passages.

She soon noticed that several sections were covered with corrosion.

"How damaged is this place?"

[ Approximately 31% of the atmospheric processing units are currently offline. ]

"Can you repair them?"

[ Some damaged units can be repaired using existing components. However, several others require replacement parts. ]

"Do we have enough materials?"

[ Current reserves are insufficient for complete restoration. ]

Fiona nodded.

"Then we’ll find the materials... Right... Shane should have some materials from Anima Civilization or something. Let me contact him."

Just like that, Fiona sent a message to Shane, hoping he could help...

In any case, this was still considered their Clan’s property... If they could restore even a portion of its original systems, its value would be unimaginable.

Still, Fiona continued exploring as the atmospheric sector eventually connected to another enormous complex.

This one contained massive water purification facilities.

Avalon explained that the First Citadel had its own water recycling network capable of processing contaminated water and returning it to the island’s reservoirs.

Fiona was impressed.

However, she became even more excited when she discovered another section.

"Avalon, what’s this? Wait... Is that something I can pilot?!"