Reborn as the Third Prince: To Build and Conquer my way to Royalty.

The profound knowledge of the Heavenly Principles, raw and uncorrupted, pulsed within Sylus's mind, a cosmic truth far heavier than any physical burden. The blueprint of creation, the intricate dance of the Principles, the parasitic Stars, and the monstrous All Father – it was all laid bare. He knew the kill switch, the fundamental flaw in the Destroyer's twisted programming, but the cost, a "fundamental disruption of cosmic balance," hung over him like a celestial guillotine.

Zani stood beside him, her brow still furrowed with concern, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of her blade. Sophia, her shadowy form rippling, absorbed every nuance of his silence, her eyes glowing with a chilling understanding. The Sanctum, once a place of awe, now felt like a crucible, forging a destiny too vast for any single being.

"The sacrifice," Sylus finally murmured, his voice grim, "it's not a life. It's a cosmic upheaval. It will unleash primordial mana on an unprecedented scale. It could reshape reality, or destroy it." He looked at Sophia. "You called it the ultimate envy. The Destroyer's greatest fear. Why?"

Sophia drifted closer, her dark mist subtly expanding, touching the ancient carvings on the walls. "The Destroyer desires absolute control, Master. It twisted creation into a parasitic cycle, feeding the All Father to maintain its dominance. The 'kill switch' is the ultimate act of unmaking its perversion, a return to primordial chaos before a new, pure order can be forged. It is the undoing of its very purpose. Its greatest fear is losing what it has corrupted."

Sylus nodded, a cold resolve settling in his heart. He had the knowledge. He had the power. He had the mission. But he needed to prepare. He needed to grow stronger, to understand the true nature of the Star Killer, and to ensure Linye was secure, a bastion of his new order, before he plunged into the ultimate cosmic confrontation.

"Alfred," Sylus's voice resonated telepathically, cutting through the vast distance to the surface, "how are the fortifications progressing? And the Mana Crystal extraction?"

Alfred's eager response filled his mind. 'Your Highness! The base is nearly complete, a formidable defense against any intrusion. The extraction is proceeding smoothly. We're sending up thousands of pure Mana Crystals daily. Linye is flourishing beyond belief!'

A faint smile touched Sylus's lips. "Good. Maintain absolute secrecy. No one outside Linye is to know the true source of our wealth. And continue to expand the mining operation. We will need an endless supply."

He turned to Zani. "We need to establish a permanent, secure mining operation deep within the Sanctum. We'll need a dedicated team, people who can understand and work with the raw power of Alhara, under strict supervision. And we need to control the Manifestation Engine, to ensure its power serves Linye, and our ultimate mission."

Zani's eyes burned with renewed purpose. "As you command, my lord. We will make this place a fortress."

Days bled into weeks within the timeless Sanctum. Under Sylus's meticulous direction, the Heart's Sanctum transformed into a bustling, yet utterly secure, underground forge. Alfred, with his unparalleled organizational skills and enhanced Chess Legion abilities, managed the surface operations with ruthless efficiency. The entrance to Alhara became an impregnable bastion, its mana barriers reinforced by Zani's Blazer, its perimeter patrolled by sigil-bearers whose loyalty was absolute.

Deep within, Sylus, Zani, and Sophia oversaw the systematic extraction of pure Mana Crystals. Sylus, using the blueprint of the Principles, began to experiment with the Manifestation Engine, refining his commands, understanding the subtle nuances of its power. He learned to manifest specific types of crystals – those optimized for energy storage, for magical conductivity, or even for raw power amplification.

Sophia, in her shadowy form, became an indispensable guide. She could perceive the subtle shifts in the primordial mana, identifying veins of untapped power, guiding Sylus to the precise calibrations needed for optimal manifestation. She also continued her research into the dormant Dalins, confirming their nature as corrupted guardians.

"Master," Sophia purred one day, her voice tinged with a chilling fascination, "the Dalins… their core programming, their original purpose, was to maintain the Bringinger's balance. To prevent uncontrolled creation. If we could… re-program them… they would be formidable allies."

Sylus paused, his hand hovering over the central mana sphere. "Re-program them? You mean purify them?"

"Yes," Sophia confirmed. "But it would require a direct application of the Bringinger's will, channeled through a pure soul. A profound act of selfless intent. The very antithesis of the Destroyer's corruption. It would be… a sacrifice of immense scale, not of life, but of cosmic balance."

Sylus frowned. The "sacrifice" for the kill switch, and now for Dalin purification. The price of true creation, it seemed, was always immense. He filed this knowledge away, for now. He wasn't ready to risk such a profound act.

Meanwhile, Linye flourished. The influx of pure Mana Crystals fueled an economic boom that defied all logic. Roads were paved with mana-infused stone, glowing faintly at night. Water systems, drawing pure water from newly manifested underground springs, provided clean water to every home. Fertile land, created by directed manifestations, yielded bountiful harvests. New industries sprang up, powered by the pure crystals. Artisans, drawn by the unique materials, flocked to the city, creating mana-infused tools and exquisite jewelry.

The jobless rate plummeted to zero. Every citizen, from former beggars to Red Vipers, found purpose and prosperity. Linye became a beacon, a living testament to Sylus's vision. Its fame spread like wildfire across Verdenez and beyond. Whispers of "miracle county" turned into shouts of "Prince Sylus's blessing." The common folk adored him, hailing him as a savior, flocking to Linye's open gates.

In Verdenez Castle, King Martin's fury simmered beneath a thin veneer of forced calm. Commander Valerius's reports were irrefutable. Linye was not just prosperous; it was becoming a rival kingdom, a shining example that highlighted the crown's own inefficiencies.

"He's building an army," Martin muttered, his voice hoarse, the leash of Sylus's command tightening around his throat. "And he's using my own kingdom's resources to do it." He tried to deny it, to dismiss it as exaggeration, but Valerius's meticulous details, backed by the sheer economic data, were undeniable.

Elizabeth, now fully aware of Martin's past manipulations and her own suppressed memories, moved through the castle with a quiet, formidable strength. Under Sylus's subtle command, she continued to divert funds from the Astrodial Corporation to Linye, justifying it as "investment in a promising new territory." She also used her influence to deflect Martin's more aggressive inquiries, buying Sylus precious time. Her eyes, once clouded by suppressed pain, now held a clear, resolute light. She was no longer just a victim; she was a Queen, subtly wielding her newfound agency.

Martin, desperate to regain control, began to reach out. He dispatched covert agents to infiltrate Linye, to steal the secrets of Alhara. But Alfred's defenses were impenetrable, his sigil-bearers unyielding. Any attempts at sabotage were met with swift, decisive force.

He also tried to contact Lucas and Erica, sending urgent summons. Lucas, still missing, remained unresponsive. Erica, however, finally replied, her message cryptic and unsettling: "Brother is… occupied. I am… observing. Linye is… interesting." Martin could feel the subtle shift in her loyalty, a growing defiance that mirrored Elizabeth's. His family was slipping from his grasp.

Desperate, Martin began to subtly contact other kingdoms, hinting at Linye's "unnatural" prosperity, planting seeds of doubt and envy. He spoke of a young prince wielding "unconventional" power, a potential threat to the established order. He hoped to incite external interference, to force Sylus's hand.

Far away, in a hidden celestial prison, Haves, the Principle of Time, smiled. Her temporal gifts, her carefully laid plans, were bearing fruit. The Star Killer was awakening. The Bringinger's will was stirring. The cosmic stage was being set for the final act.

But even Haves felt a tremor in the cosmic tapestry. The Destroyer, a vast, shadowy presence, was growing restless. It sensed the disruption in the flow of stolen life energy, the diminishing supply from the Stars. It sensed the awakening of the Bringinger's will. It sensed… the Star Killer.

A chilling, formless dread began to spread across the cosmos, a premonition of the coming conflict. The All Father, a monstrous void, stirred in its slumber, its hunger growing.

Back in the Heart's Sanctum, Sylus felt the subtle shifts in the cosmic balance. His Catalyst Star, now fully attuned to the primordial mana, was a sensitive barometer of the brewing storm. He knew Martin's machinations, sensed the growing alarm from other kingdoms, and felt the distant, malevolent stirring of the Destroyer.

He stood before the Dormant Creation Node, its light pulsing with a profound, ancient power. He had manifested knowledge, resources, even concepts. But the ultimate act, the activation of the kill switch, the purification of the Principles and the Stars, remained.

"Sophia," Sylus commanded, his voice resonating with grim determination, "I need to understand the All Father. Its true nature. Its vulnerabilities. And the precise mechanics of the 'cosmic balance' that the kill switch will disrupt."

Sophia's shadowy form rippled, her eyes glowing with a chilling understanding. "The All Father… it is a void, Master. A cosmic parasite. It consumes. Its vulnerability is its dependence on the corrupted Stars. Sever that connection, and it will starve."

"And the disruption of cosmic balance?" Sylus pressed.

"It is the raw, untamed primordial mana unleashed," Sophia explained. "Like a cosmic tsunami. It will cleanse, but it will also reshape. Worlds could be… remade. Or unmade."

Sylus nodded, a cold sweat beading on his brow. The stakes were terrifying. He was not just fighting for Linye, or even Verdenez. He was fighting for the very fabric of reality.

He spent days, then weeks, pouring over the blueprint of the Principles, cross-referencing Sophia's insights, running simulations in his mind with his "Assimilation" aspect. He designed contingency plans, calculated risks, and sought out any hidden safeguards in the Bringinger's original design.

He also continued to train, pushing his body and mana to their absolute limits. He sparred with Zani, honing his combat skills, understanding the nuances of her amplified Blazer. He learned to channel the primordial mana directly, not just through the Manifestation Engine, but through his own body, preparing for the immense surge of power that activating the kill switch would demand.

One evening, as the Sanctum glowed with the soft light of countless pure Mana Crystals, Sylus stood before the Dormant Creation Node. He had absorbed all the knowledge he could. He had prepared as much as possible.

"Master," Zani said, sensing his intent, her voice filled with quiet concern, "are you… are you going to attempt it?"

Sylus looked at her, then at Sophia. His two most loyal subordinates, his anchors in this cosmic storm. He thought of Linye, flourishing above, a testament to his vision. He thought of Martin, consumed by fear and control. He thought of the Destroyer, twisting creation. And he thought of the Bringinger, fragmented, waiting for its champion.

"Not yet," Sylus replied, his voice firm, resolute. "The kill switch is the final act. But before that… there's one more thing I need to do. One more piece of the puzzle to find. And one more ally to secure."

He looked at the blueprint of the Principles, his gaze fixed on a section of the cosmic tapestry that depicted the Principle of Fate. Its threads were intricately woven, seemingly unyielding.

"Sophia," Sylus commanded, his eyes burning with a new, dangerous light, "I need to understand the Principle of Fate. Its true nature. Its vulnerabilities. And how to… re-program its threads. There's a particular thread I need to find. A thread that leads to a very specific individual. My brother, Lucas."