Some shared VyeÆs doubts but others seemed infected with a contagious sense of awe and veneration for Randidly Ghosthound Even if his testing methods had exaggerated the results it seemed clear that he could craft materials that made the Erickson Steel high performance alloy obsolete
It took ten minutes for the assistants to give up on their quest to damage RandidlyÆs ingots With the basic furnace that was used in the test it wasnÆt possible to melt the metal made by Randidly Ghosthound They were effectively invulnerable
Even the ingot that had been slashed twice by Randidly was only slightly warped by their combined efforts From there they began to test the abilities of their own creation What soon became apparent was that while these creations had their own weaknesses due to their lack of familiarity with the process they were likely the strongest ingots each of them had ever made
The talking in the assembly hall became a dull roar But Vye didnÆt even notice She simply stared at the screen slightly dazed
DonÆt let this be all you ever accomplish
Then as her resolve finally returned she got up and headed toward Erickson Steel headquarters Likely due to the pseudo holiday that today had become the building was almost deserted But it was with great relief that Vye arrived on the top floor and found that Tatiana was still in her office
At least in this case this womanÆs addiction to work was a good thing Otherwise Vye shook her head I might have done something drastic If I wasnÆt able to say this today
When Vye knocked on the door Tatiana looked up Her face immediately cracked into an uneasy smile Ha I figured youÆd come Incredible wasnÆt it HeÆs well heÆs not the most famous individual in the world for nothing
Then Tatiana paused and looked at Vye a little bit more carefully Heh you are trembling Hit you that hard Did his display finally light your inner passion for forging I canÆt say that IÆm surprised He made it seem so
Again Tatiana paused This time her inspection of Vye took several seconds longer Vye you are white as flour WhatÆs up Did you TatianaÆs eyes went wide Then a knowing smile settled on her face Did you happen to develop a crush Randidly certainly has a compelling intensity When we first met I
Tatiana Vye said through gritted teeth Her hands were trembling IÆm having a hard enough time saying this as it is Please dont
Vye trailed off TatianaÆs grin faded somewhat Alright I wonÆt tease you Spit it out IÆll help you with whatever you want
IÆm quitting Vye said quietly
Tatiana froze
After After seeing what he did what he could do after knowing that he had gone to so many places to reach that level Vye shivered I canÆt stay here Tatiana I really want to thank you so much for everything youÆve done for me Without you when I was released from the time freeze six months ago I would have been who knows
And if you hadnÆt offered me a job as your assistant I would probably still be struggling in some refugee slum somewhere So sincerely thank you
TatianaÆs smile returned filled with warmth as she regarded Vye Then as though releasing some dark weight she had borne for too long Tatiana walked over to Vye hugged her and sighed meaningfully into her shoulder
Vye blinked You youÆre not surprised
Of course not I was hoping this day would take much longer to arrive but no I knew this would happen someday You think I didnÆt notice you sneaking off to climb up the radio tower Hah You are a hundred years too early to sneak away from an old pro like me Tatiana reached out and patted TatianaÆs arm I always knew you dreamed too big to stay here forever Although itÆs a good thing you donÆt remember the horror of a world that wasnÆt prepared for the System The time freeze kept you safe for the most bloody first months Those of us who were originally here
A shadow passed over TatianaÆs face we all bear the scars Probably even Randidly Ghosthound We can only advance so far before those deep wounds make us stop in fear of what lays beyond But someone like you we need heroes like you to make our world a better place Heroes willing to go out further than our current limits
The image of RandidlyÆs emerald eyes appeared before Vye Him standing barefoot and lithe seeming more of a natural force than a human being IÆm no hero
Neither was Randidly when I first met him Tatiana shook her head As I recall the first time we met was at a cocktail party where he destroyed a rooftop pool Heh even then he had a flair for the dramatic
While Vye was attempting to imagine that Tatiana shook herself as if rousing herself from a stupor Well anyway what do you want to do now The world is a wide place If you need any connections to find a place to stay feel free to contact me
Thanks I really appreciate it Vye smiled Immediately she imagined the wide sky spread out in front of her Traveling Without a destination or a goal Just experiencing the world Well thatÆs a bit general but
Vye produced a chocolate and popped it into her mouth After finally quitting her heart was humming with joy Now all she needed to do was pack up and leave And honestly she was so excited that she considered leaving all of her worldly possession behind
I have some friends in the Orchard Vye finally said Maybe for now IÆll go visit them But after that I have no idea IÆll see what fate has in store for me
When Randidly arrived at TatianaÆs office he found the woman once more drinking a glass of that precious liquor that she had shared with him when he arrived Compared to the time she poured glasses for all three of them this glass was significantly more full
RandidlyÆs eyebrows rose Is this a celebration
In a way Tatiana said softly But also something somewhat IÆve feared for a long time has finally happened ItÆs good news but life isnÆt so straightforward that the things that make us happy canÆt also hurt us
Nodding RandidlyÆs mind turned back to his departure from Donnyton If he was able to shock them into understanding the importance of images he would be very glad The Earth needed heroes The System would not be kind when it came collecting
But the way that that lesson had ultimately played out
Randidly released a breath through his nose and said Well anyway I just came to let you know IÆll be heading South for a few days to check out Dungeons If you need anything while IÆm gone contact Helen She should be able to handle most problems
Shortly afterward Randidly was rushing South Now itÆs time to find out just how inevitable the arrival of this Judgement is
Chapter 969
Bundled up to look bulky and wearing a fake beard Evan Crane swaggered toward the gates of Erickson Steel In addition to his disguise Evan also prided himself on maintaining a constant cloud of smoke around his face With the extra layer of screening it was practically impossible for anyone to discern his exact identity
Even for the paranoid Erickson Steel Evan sneered Above him along the road to the front gates several drones hovered about scanning every individual who approached Evan and his companion were walking calmly behind a government humvee completely inconspicuous in the busy road filled with dozens of people going in each direction
In fact Evan felt a weird squeeze in his heart as he considered the busy road from the train terminal to the factory proper He had secretly hoped that the decision to pull all branches from the varying cities around New Earth would have severely diminished Erickson SteelÆs business prospects The added difficulty of traveling to acquire their metal would win them no favor
The road into the Erickson Steel complex was incredibly busy More than that on the crowded Path Evan saw no fewer than five Orders represented To add a slightly festive air the road into Erickson Steel was bordered with a market of street stalls Most of their wares were fresh produce and little knick knacks but there were also stalls run by relatively inexperienced smelters as a way to sell their experiments rather cheaply