[Brash Sky City-State, New Hope Country, Rhombu]
Factories with metal-insulated chimneys reached hundreds of feet into the sky, spewing smoke and fire around the clock. These factories had dedicated R&D departments and mass production lines.
They served as individual supply points within Hell's Forging Zone, with the base thousands of feet underground. The exact shape paralleled the city-state it protected. A teleportation pod allowed for quick and easy transfer. An elevator was too slow. Stairs were out of the question.
A few days ago, a WMR from a local military base accompanied a Rogue back to Brash Sky's Hell's Forging Zone. That Rogue was Sharp.Eyed-Wolf. With his status, there were no issues in entering the base.
The factory was built next to a mountain range with abundant naturally formed geothermal energy. This self-sustaining energy source powered not only the factory but the entire city-state. Naturally occurring underground waterfalls spilled down into spacious caverns. One of those served as the entrance to hell, metaphorically.
The first stop was rather grim. Large metal grates were the only thing stopping one from stepping on burning, flaming coals. Illumination was provided by artificial lightning. It was visually intimidating but was as quiet as death. Ambient light swings mimicked the fall from heaven to earth.
Mag boots could be seen randomly on the ground. They prevented your feet from burning. They would also be useful later when you wanted to leave. In the middle of the plaza was a series of square platforms made of steel. Stepping on them would begin a descent. There was no coming back up unless you had a pair of mag boots.
The platforms went down a few hundred feet, leading into a hall that led out to a massive, painstakingly carved world. Instead of towns, massive floating islands were held together by thick chains. They wobbled. They created a new definition of wobbling. If one fell, there was only an endless chasm.
It took extraordinary courage to navigate unstable rock slabs, especially when heavy activity occurred. After spending enough time here, falling, in fact, was part of the training. The other half was learning how to get back up.
You only lost when you gave up and had no hope left. This was a place where you confronted your weakness. This was a place where you magnified your weakness and overcame it. This was also a place where you were forgotten if you fell. Either you gave yourself wings, or you die trying.
Hell's Forging Zone did not accept any cowards. Only devils and monsters.
The Rogue calmly made his way toward a cave in the distance. The WMR hugged his leg like a baby scared of being left alone. The cave led into another hall that stretched for several hundred feet. There were exposed diamonds, gold sediments, and possible artifacts? There was also a terribly oppressive aura originating from who knows where.
They arrived at a side door locked behind security. The Rogue placed his palm on the security panel.
*Beep*
He opened the door and stepped into a luxurious meeting room. There was a conference table, dozens of monitors on the wall, a holographic projector, a plushy carpet, and ceiling fixtures.
Within five minutes, a group of Captains, Majors, Colonels, and two Generals arrived and took their seats in front of them.
"Sharp.Eyed-Wolf, we've read the official reports. Please tell us about it from your perspective now. And you, we hope you enjoyed your first time here. It's quite a shock to most. Rather primitive and archaic, the way it's intended to be."
"Sir, Captain, Sir. I took on a private request and registered it with the base. There was a possible Forsaken Nest that had been abandoned. I met a Hell Forged Soldier and a Hell Forged Magician, Lunar Tide. Lunar Tide noticed something wrong, and the HFS was incapable of defense, nor did we have time to worry about ourselves. A strange young lady appeared while we were gathering information," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf started to recount what happened.
"Yes. A strange young lady. Part flesh, part shadow, part smoke. She could hold her own against a WMR. The weaker ones, at least. Against the stronger WMRs, the gap in strength became obvious."
"After she injured my comrade, I became angry. I overdrew my suit and used my signature 'Lethality' to subdue her."
"Impressive. When did you advance your blind shot?"
"In the heat of the moment, sir. It's always been on the back of my mind. I decided to try it then. I'm grateful it worked," Sharp.Eye-Wolf spoke with pride.
"After that?"
"The young lady used some strange ability. There was no explosion, but I felt a strong decaying force that threatened to rip me apart. I assume the hulking brute who came has been killed. Lunar Tide, since she ran away before me, I assume she's still alive," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf concluded.
"Do you regret taking the request?"
"You never know when you might encounter a situation beyond your control. In a way, I feel lucky," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said in awe.
"The mysterious expert?"
"Yes. Just before I was about to die, a mysterious counterforce nullified the young lady's final attack. I fell unconscious before I could think about it" Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said solemnly.
"Any theories?"
(Silence)
"Relax. No matter your theory, it'll be considered possible until proven impossible beyond a reasonable doubt."
"Some advanced technological device is the only thing I can think of that could generate the counterforce I experienced. It was too controlled. A Supernatural being can exert the same kind of force, but not the same level of control," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said with a grim expression.
"We thought that as well. It's the strongest theory we hold."
"Does that means we'll have to trouble the World Government? Academics are backed by them after all," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf asked.
"Not necessarily. If we can find Simon alone, no need to involve them."
"Simon? Is that Joeka's new alias?" Sharp.Eye-Wolf asked.
The officials turned to look at the two Generals. They nodded and stared at the visitor. The WMR understood, got up, bowed, and waited outside.
"That's what we want the others to believe. We're working on the theory that Simon is related to Joeka by blood. What the exact relation is, we're unsure."
"This… I heard that this was top secret info," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said in a hushed tone.
"Relax. You've already seen the documents, right? Saw mentions of the name?"
Sharp.Eyed-Wolf nodded.
"Then it's fine to tell you. Others would know if you used standard-issued military equipment to look it up. It's better to tell you directly so you don't do that."
"I understand. My lips are sealed," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf nodded.
"Tell us about Lunar Tide. She's from Project Dark Moon's Hell's Forging Zone based on what you wrote."
"Well, first, I was interested in why the city-state was named Project Dark Moon," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf asked.
"It's quite deceptive, isn't it. Aside from the Capital, it's our primary research hub. Anything that's not critical is sent there. They come up with some pretty crazy stuff. You said that being near her shots felt like being trapped in an Oceanic encampment?"
"Me and my shots felt extremely sluggish. I was amazed it even landed," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf recalled with a shiver.
"Project Dark Moon specializes in those mysterious connections. Their Magicians naturally benefit the most. In fact, an after-mission report like this doesn't make sense. You took a private request. We don't care what you did on your own time. We called to inform you that Lunar Tide found something interesting in the computer systems. After a lot of discussions, they sent it to a private research lab. Lunar Tide requested your involvement since you were there."
"Internally, they're calling the initiative Codename: Rising Ambition. For the details, you'll find out when you get there. They didn't tell us anything. You don't have to if you don't want to. The choice is ultimately yours."
(Silence)
"Sirs. I'm curious to see if they have any tech to help improve my Blind Shot or even my Lethality," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said reservedly.
"Say no more. We'll start the paperwork."
"Thank you!" Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said cheerfully.
"Good man. Why don't you take your visitor on an extended tour? They clearly have this place on a pedestal."
The officials laughed. Even the Generals chuckled.
"Yes!" Sharp.Eyed-Wolf saluted before leaving the room.
Outside, the WMR, who had been waiting patiently the whole time, immediately rushed up to the Rogue.
"Sir. If you would please hear out my request."
"Don't worry, I'll take you on a tour. I'll even give you a little training. Just light stuff. Nothing serious. You won't be happy for too long, though. Most people cry five minutes into the drill," Sharp.Eyed-Wolf said as though he was already teaching.