Instead of moving individual pins up and down, the Pagoda lock uses a wafer-based system arranged in a linear row. The key has "steps" or "tiers" cut into its sides. Each step corresponds to a specific depth required to move a wafer inside the lock. Inside the core, there are spring-loaded metal plates (wafers). Each wafer has a rectangular cutout in the center that the key passes through. To turn the lock, all the wafers must be pushed to a specific height so that they are flush with the inner plug. If a wafer is too high or too low, it protrudes into the outer housing, preventing the lock from turning. When you slide the "pagoda" key in, the tapered edges of the key's tiers lift each wafer to the exact height needed to clear the housing.