"...So that's why we're just going to return to doing what we're supposed to be doing?"
"Basically yes you two beautiful critters."
"...Ok."
Staring at the Pale man who had just waved them off right after disappearing to someplace else Ester and Eva stared at each other before shrugging.
"Shall we?"
"Ladies first." Giving an exaggerated bow Eva soon led Ester down a long a hallway from their previous quarters.
Having filled up on food while also perusing through all of their notes only to somehow find out that it was as clear as day to them despite being something that was definitely to complicated for them to create they decided the best course of action for this newfound knowledge was to...
Let it be.
Since it was a clearly a sign of the Universe that had helped them in the creation of Ester's new arm there really wasn't much that they could do about it.
They were still the same stupid kids as before and as stated by Eva's elderly grandfather Just because you received a sign from the universe doesn't mean that anything else changed, you kids are still stupid.
Although that last part could've just not been said, Ester nevertheless agreed with what their collective Grandfather said.
'We're still idiots with the capital I.'
Since they were unable to consistently apply the level of skill present in their work blessed by the Universe it really didn't change much but the fact that they made something of a mich higher level than they were supposed to.
So right now Ester and Eva were heading down the floors of the tower to do what they were supposed to have done a long time ago before they commandeered by the Old man and his whims.
Whims that coincidentally came in the form of a past inhabitant of the colorless galaxy that was more than willing to teach them Glyph Warding while filling in the gaps of their knowledge.
"So what do you think on what that guy said?"
"That we need more knowledge on arranging Glyphs?"
Seeing Eva nod her head Ester let out a sigh.
"Well I don't know, I am happy that we're able to learn some more Warding but at the same time I'm not happy that we have to learn at all do you get what I'm saying."
"Of course."
"I'm still happy don't get me wrong, I just have to wonder how much more brain melting the already brain melting art of warding can get."
"It boggles you how anything can get harder than super Glyphs?"
"Yes." Nodding his head they soon called the service elevator that ran all the way from the bottom of the tower to their current floor. "How did our ancestor even discover that glyphs arranged in the form of another glyph could even work?"
"Lots and lots of time and experimentation?"
Stepping into the bronze colored cage of metal Eva pressed the lowest button and chuckled. "I mean, it's not as if the first Shaper didn't live to be in his hundred thousands."
"...You do have a point there."
Bronze colored box rattling as the gears functioned around the pulley system, the engine ran on Runes and Glyphs slowly caused the box to descend.
And as Ester stared at the walls visible through the grates of the service elevator changing constantly as the elevator descended down the many floors of the tower he turned when he heard Eva's question.
"So what do you think the future is like?"
"...Do you mean that literally and/ or metaphorically?"
"Is there a difference?" Raising an eyebrow at his statement, Ester began to explain.
"Well if were to put it literally, the most probable thing that's going to happen is the Pope having another assassin go after their head followed closely by someone developing communication technology able to bridge the gap in space while also being unaltered by the natural pressures most celestial bodies emit."
"Metaphorically on the other hand I would say that one of the Architects is going to personally put a stop to the encroaching Void."
"...So literally the only difference between the two is something that is definitely going to happen and something that has an unrealistically small chance of happening"
"Hey, you said it not me." Feeling the elevator around them slow to a halt, the doors of the elevator shaft ground against each other opening up the foldable doors.
Stepping out of the doorway Ester paused at the sight he witnessed before turning to look at Eva.
"...Where the hell are we?"
Seeing the same sight as Ester Eva slowly backtracked into the elevator and stared at the simple screen that should've detected when it passed a certain point in space and changed to showcase the floor they were on.
It showed negative five.
"..." Shaking her head in silence Ester used his newfound metal arm to rake his hand through his grey hair.
"Well this isn't good."
"You can say that again."
Staring at the C-12 scenario set right in front the Service elevators meant to only carry authorised employees or in emergencies it certainly didn't bode well.
And since the manual stated C-12 scenarios were code for cave in, it definitely wasn't helpful in the slightest that a possible escape route had been cut off.
"What's the code for the staff in the guidebook again?"
"The closest people in the Aether mines have to act as first responders."
"I hate your memory."
"I don't particularly like it either."
"Thankfully it seems the communication equipment is still fine"
Touching the pipeline besides the elevator which had a line directly to the surface Eva began to form a message on the interface as Ester headed to the spare equipment lockers.
Opening the lockers untouched by the stone and rubble it revealed a glimmerlight helm, hooks and ropes, a rockbreaker gauntlet, a spectral scope, glowsticks and finally a belt to hold it all together
Putting on the helm and belt before locking on the various tools within, Ester took out an additional pair and tossed them towards Eva who had just finished sending a message to the surface.
"So my brown haired friend, any idea what happened here?"
"No idea" Catching the items she clipped on the glimmerlight helm and tapped at its glimmer stone eliciting a bright flash that lit up the area in front of her in white light. "The Surface people said that the Earth Scanners didn't say anything was off."
"Well that's weird..." Adjusting the belt Ester tilted his head. "Surely the Earth Scanners should've felt something was off for there to be no warnings right? I mean last I saw, the Miners were still entering normally"
"Nope, nada, zit zilch, nothing, from what the Surface said they were unaware of any problems in the surrounding crust."
"Your Geo Linked aren't you? Don't tell me you didn't feel even the slightest bit off did you?"
Eva gave Ester a look as she donned her own pair of Rockbreakers. "Just because I'm Geo linked doesn't mean that I can sense everything happening in the earth can I? And surely you would've felt something as well if something as big as a cave in has occurred."
"...That is a good point."
"And just because I'm Geo Linked doesn't mean I know how to use my powers, I don't ask you if there's any change in the growth of your arm just because your flux struck."
"Now that's just a low blow."
Poking out her pink little tongue at Ester he in turn suppressed the urge to punch the smug little grin off of her face.
"I'm holding back the urge to punch you in the face right now."
That didn't mean he was going to onesidedly wait as she verbally attacked him.
"That's my entire plan, now just miss my face so you can break all of those suspiciously gathered rocks for me."
"So you agree that this is suspicious as well?"
Turning to look once more at the grey colored place in front of them, where there should've been a passageway deeper into the cave systems perpetuating the underbelly of Rivera there was only an obstruction blocking them from the celestial nodes location.
"None of the Earth Watchers or the Seismic Scanners felt anything was off, so yes Ester, this smells as fishy as the Sunken Planet."
"We finally agree on something."
"So do you think we should strategically retreat or...?"
"...As first responders, the handbook states that we have to respond either way don't we? And if they find out that we were so close and did nothing we're not going to just get off with a slap on the wrist so let's just find out what happened here before leaving."
"...Sometimes I hate working for the tower."
"Me too my violent friend."
"Says the one armed friend."
"I bear that title with pride unlike you."
"Yeah yeah, suck it up mister prideful." Waving Ester off, Eva cracked her knuckles underneath the gauntlet and slowly neared the pile of rocks.
"Anyways, help me clear a way through the pile otherwise we'll be here all day." Placing her hand on the top boulder the gauntlet glowed briefly white for a moment before a dull ringing sound came from the palm of it.
Trembling as vibrations were transmitted through the base of her arm, she soon enough stopped the vibrations and clenched her palm revealing a round hole of grey dust generated from the disintegrating stones.
Staring at the numerous boulders of similar size blocking the passageway Eva sighed at the sight of the fallen stone blocking the passageway that would've been previously able to accommodate five grown adults walking side by side
"...What do you think happened?" Hands busily moving Eva glanced at Ester who was just as busy carving a path out of the stone. "The supports were just fine a day ago right?"
"Yep, I would say that someone sabotaged the supports, definitely no other explanation for this."
"When I was asking the question I wasn't asking for affirmation, I was asking for what you think."
"So your asking me who do you think is responsible for this?"
"Yes?"
"Ooohhh... That's a tough question." Briefly pausing his movements, Ester's movements soon regained their momentum as he listed out a series of names.
"For one, the most obvious one are the Rift Raiders, they really hate us for some reason."
"Isn't it because they're just space pirates?"
"Well that to, but I don't think that they're the ones behind this, to underhanded, they really like going in guns blazing."
"So what's your other idea brainiac?"
"Well... It's either the Lunari cultists, the Weave Beings and finally... Maybe the Evolved?"
"So in other words you have no clue right?"
Breaking through to the other side Ester turned on his own Glimmerlight Helm.
"Well I guess we have to find out don't we?"
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