948. The Fourth Level

948. The Fourth Level

The Fourth Level was significantly different from the Levels above.

The rivets that nailed metal panels together along the walls and ceiling were nowhere to be found. A singular mass of steel made up the walls, the floors, the ceiling – and even the furniture.

It was all connected, as though the Site itself had molded a singular chunk of steel as though it were clay.

If Frost did not know about the Site’s ill-understood methods of constructing space, then she would have believed that Reality Replicators and powerful gravity-manipulating technologies were responsible for the creation of this floor.

“The Site Core is said to contain those abilities. Afterall, it’s Caldera Industries who create them in the first place. At least some parts of it.”

Horus was careful not to say too much in the presence of the resurrected Repenters, who were visibly concerned about why they were suddenly standing in the Fourth Level’s Reception.

“CogitO, Caldera Industries, even the Golden Index have a hand in building those enormous spheres. They start at where they want the Site to be installed first, build the framework, then with some magical knowhows, the Site Core comes alive, and it’s all in its hands~”

“How the hell does that work?” Frost spoke in a crude manner.

She was still irate from their encounter with the White Midnight Syndicate, but she kept a kind smile as she let Joy marvel at her long hair.

“Beats me.” Horus shrugged. “If I knew how Atelier tech worked to the tee, then I doubt I’d be allowed to live. Ateliers are secretive of those fine details. To outsiders like us it looks like magic. The world calls it a divine power. But Gifts already contain that kind of power. Just not at the same level as what Beholders possess.”

Information about the Site Cores was hard to come by. From what Frost was aware of, not even Caldera Industries fully understood the processes involved in its creation. This was primarily due to the fact that they merely built a shell around the singularity that was the Site Core itself to contain it.

That singularity did not come from Caldera Industries.

It came from ImpulseWorks directly.

Another issue was that Caldera Industries had long stopped producing Site Cores, as only twenty-six were required. However, as more Site Cores were being destroyed, it wouldn’t be long before they’d be in production again.

And perfect timing too, considering the Abyssal Mother was last seen in the seas between Grandis and Atlas during the War of Grandis.

Frost keenly observed her surroundings. To the others, it appeared as though she was staring at the wall like it owed her money, but in truth, it was because she could see the Light of Corrupted roaming the Fourth Level.

“Doesn’t seem like there’s another soul here. White Midnight have taken over the lower levels. Weird. You’d think that just a few would stick around. Do they tend to move as a single unit, or is this because they’re still generating Liquid Nex?”

She pointed at another gauge that revealed that the Site’s daily quota was almost halfway filled. Bursting holes into the elevator shaft did little to mitigate the sheer amount that was being produced by White Midnight.

Jury answered with what she thought of this.

“They have a target in mind. It doesn’t look like they came here that much earlier than us. The gauge was barely filled, remember? There’s a good chance that they managed to enter from the bottom rather than the top. But…”

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“It’s not possible. My Minu Auditors haven’t recorded this kind of phenomenon outside of the Tribulations.”

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She spoke telepathically to Frost.

“Sounds like they entered using a similar phenomenon as the Tribulations then. Either that, or it’s possible they used Justica Arm’s teleportation technology to enter. But that implies that someone had brought a coin prior to the collapse of the Site.” Frost let her thoughts flow.

She looked over at Horus who didn’t have anything to say. Neither did Morgause who happily remained quiet. She had been awfully docile since Frost had used her Progenitor Arts, as if she did not have the right to speak without being spoken to.

Pale hands of a certain mute woman began scribbling into her notepad.

“You know something?”

The woman nodded.

“My hypothesis hinges on two scenarios. It’s within the realm of possibility that White Midnight managed to exploit a spatial phenomenon. The Site works in mysterious ways, but it is functionally similar to the spatial expansions of Caldera Industries’ trains.”

She ran out of room to write and flicked to the next page.

“Charming, isn’t she? She’s the crème of the crop of Repenters.”

“Usari just thinks she gets special treatment because she’s connected with our slave drivers.”

“Employers.” Hayte corrected.

“Barring the creation of material – from which its origins remain unknown to us – they may have traversed through the ‘gaps’, which result in major instances of Spatial Distortions. Or, depending on which Witch you ask, it is a subset of Spatial Distortions.”

“Gaps?” Frost tilted her head.

“Go on.” Jury was also intrigued by this.

“Here she goes again. Witches don’t know when to shut up.” Usari grumbled, only to mutter a: “S-Sorry.” When Frost directed a glare at her.

“We live in a finite margin of space within a larger spectrum. If the world is a cake, then we are living in a slice of it. At least that is one of the theories that describe our space.”

She tried to draw complex calculations and numbers that did not make sense to Frost, but Jury was nodding along. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she realized what she was referring to.

“Hidden spaces. Like walking through a higher dimension of space! That’s sort of like Warping! Except Warping has you… what was it, go through a sub-space I think?” Jury exclaimed.

The term ‘Warp’ was lost on the Repenters, but Icara seemed to understand what she was referring to as she nodded back.

“I get it now.” Frost murmured. “Comprehension lets me see those spaces too. Are those the Gaps? Wouldn’t they be limited to the Site’s interior? I doubt they’d connect with the outside world.”

Then again… I did fall through the floors to reach the Site Core. I guess that was a Gap. Also Nav. Couldn’t you answer this for us?

“You asked her first.”

Nav said with what sounded like sass.

“That is the first scenario. They could have used a Gap to enter the Site, however unlikely that may be. It’s easy to mistake it for a dimensional tear. You are correct to assume that a Gap is a contextual phenomenon. For instance, a Gap within the Avernus cannot connect with the outside world. Very rarely can it be used as a method of entry.”

She turned to another page, then added:

“I have designed the Leviathans to strictly prohibit inhabitants from exploiting Gaps to escape confinement. The first scenario is thus unlikely to have occurred.”

“Hold on. We’re glossing over an important part.” Frost raised a brow. “You designed the Leviathan?”

She was doubtful of this. Why would the designer of the Leviathans work as a Repenter of all things? But the woman nodded without an ounce of falsehood in those sky-blue eyes.

“The Avernus. The Leviathan. The mechanisms of the Behemoth. Major machines. They are accredited by the failures of my old work.”

If those failures were what led to the creation of those colossal machines, then Frost could only imagine just what Icara had tried to create.

Acedia’s Repenters are something else entirely, huh. Usari and Hayte probably have a similar level of influence if they have a Repenter like Icara on board.

She dwelled on these thoughts until Icara wrote:

“Secondly, they may have used the Etched Coins to enter the Site.”

“That implies the Etched Coins were already planted into this Site. That’d make this a premediated assault. It’s not entirely out of the question. Not while the Sect of Gears exist.”

Frost sighed before continuing:

“Still, it doesn’t sit well with me. For all we know they’re working with the Impuritas. We can’t rule out that they’re using the same method the Impuritas use during a Tribulation. Well, anyway, no point in speculating about people who won’t be alive for long.”

She patted the head of Joy.

The girl was still shaken by the ordeal, but her touch caused her to beam with a happy smile.

“As you should now be aware – You’re no longer bound by CogitO or Oboros Infinitas’ laws here. CogitO cannot directly communicate with you since we’re kilometers underground. It’ll be worse the closer we approach the Genesis Stone.”

“If I may ask?” Hayte said.

Frost raised a hand to hush him.

“You’ll have unlimited revives. It will not affect the number of Reconstituting Fluids your Division has amassed. The less you ask the better. I’m willing to add on top of your reservoir depending on your level of compliance.”

“D-Done!” Usari saluted. “No questions asked! Orange Disruptor!?”

“That’s a few liters already gone. Fucking bunnies… Listen to the Black Dove. Don’t you know? Healers like her have all kinds of connections.” Horus nursed a yawn. “All that talk and not a single mention of White Midnight. Wouldn’t you like to know what they do at the very least?”

“I’ll learn everything I need to know from them directly from their lips. But by all means. I’m listening.”

Frost glanced over at the gauge on the wall.

“Or hold onto it until we deal with the next Tribulation.”

The daily Nex quota was halfway filled. Red lights flashed along the walls of the reception as a siren blared, warning them of an impending Tribulation.

“Will it be the machines again?” Morgause sighed disappointedly. “The lack of blood greatly displeases me.”

“I think they’re plenty bloody enough.” Jury said, already preparing her tail to douse her enemies in acid. “Stay close Joy~ A bunch of robots are about to show up. No matter how cuddly they look, you must not hug them!”

“Mal?” Joy had no idea why Jury thought she’d even do that…

… despite the fact that she was hugging Jury’s tail because of its fluffiness.

I suddenly have the urge to grow a tail of my own.

“Try not to kill them too quickly.” Frost ordered. “I’d like to keep a few alive. We’ll make quick work of them as we explore this Level. We’ll head down into the Fifth Level once we’re finished here.”

“Seems a bit too fast and pushy for me~” Horus lazily joined Morgause. “I think I’ll just stay here and watch over the Blood Angel.”

“Do as you wish.”

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< TRIBULATION IN EFFECT >

INFECTA ROT

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Infestation

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Why are they ephemeral, fragile things? They are flesh bound to time and doomed to wither. And yet, they hold the key to the one thing we can never grasp

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