Chapter 81: Going Up
Welcome to the Elevator, I could hear the capitalization in the term. Also, the thing was massive. It wasnt at the center of the Forever City, but the structure was the size of nine towers combined togeather. I am your personal guide, Xi.
I was leaving the Forever City. After breaking through, I was leaving to find one of many objects from a list Qiang You had given me. The immortal cultivator had left me here at the entry way and wished me luck. While I wanted to deny the huge debt I owed him, there was no way I would be able to.
While he seemed cruel and uncaring, he had gone out of his way for me to survive my breakthrough and step onto a new path of cultivation. I still didnt know enough about him to understand his motivations. The most I could work out was that he seemed to want to invest in me, since I had succeeded in the past.
There was no doubt in my mind that he would be able to find me if I ran away from the debt I owed him, but there was no time frame attached to it. The big obstacle now was reaching immortality and surviving. Apparently during my breakthrough, a monster had gotten a piece of my cultivation and was after me, a temporal hunter. That was the other reason I was leaving the Forever City to go up to the Mechanical Layer.
I also wanted to leave this place. It was not a nice place to live or to try and make progress. The oppression by senior cultivators and other factions was a lot. Almost all the opportunities had been squeezed out.
So how does this work exactly? I asked as my personal guide gestured for me to follow him.
A hole between layers is created at precise intervals and the elevator is pulled through the hole between layers of reality. The lack of energy and the distance from the Astral Plane will be quite an experience, Xi explained.
I already know. My techniques and equipment will lose quite a bit of power and I will struggle, is there anything else? I asked.
No. The drop off point is one of seven points that the Forever City rotates between. You passage has been paid for as well as a return passage. The same rules exist at the drop off points. Do not bring trouble back with you. In addition a place has been arranged at Drop Off Point Number Five, where you can adjust for up to one cycle. Your stay has been paid for. After that you will be subject to the standard rates, Xi explained.
How much are these rates? I asked.
Ten thousand credits per cycle, he said and that was an absurd amount for just a place to stay. A cycle was about the length of a year, but in Forever City lingo. To charge so much for just a room for a year was far more than some of the slightly nicer places in the Forever City. The drop off points are quite small, and it takes quite a bit of effort to protect them. The usual methods do not work.
Xi clearly meant formations and arrays, the foundation of all technology in the Forever City. Using symbols to shape energy to behave in certain ways. I had some understanding, but the study of such things was the work of a lifetime.
After being led through a corridor, we came to the interior of the super tower that was hollowed out. There was a very large cylinder waiting in the middle of the tower, just floating there. A special cylinder ship, Xi said. Cylinder ships were often used to go between locations of the Firmament, like the Forever City and one of the many continents that supported it. But they tended to be smaller than the one in front of me.
Why so big? I asked as I was led towards a walkway that led into the massive cylinder ship.
Shielding, power cores, and other mechanical devices to survive the ascent. While there are cultivators with an understanding of higher-level technology, the production methods are not simple. It is easier to just upscale the designs to make it easier instead. Also, the traffic to the Mechanical Layer is fairly limited. Please, follow me on board. A private room as been prepared for your ascent.
I followed Xi to a private sitting room. Food and beverages were laid out as I settled into a comfortable chair. Xi took up a standing position off to one side. I remembered back to how I arrived in the Forever City in steerage class. Now I was leaving in super first class. While I had obligations to fulfill, I was happy with the progress I made.
There was a soft chime. We will begin ascending soon, once two more chimes sound. Is there anything you wish for while we wait? Xi asked.
How long will this take? I asked out of curiosity.
It depends, but it shouldnt be long, Xi said. After another hour of waiting there were two light chimes that sounded out.
And everything is on track, Xi said with a smile.
Do things ever go off track? I asked.
Well, there could be a Cascade event, an attack, or several other things happening which would interfere. There is a limited window of ascent, Xi said and I didnt feel anything and could only tell that we were moving in some way by the traces of force energy lingering about in the air.
What is a Cascade event? I asked. I had some idea from the reading I had done, but it wouldnt hurt to gather more information since I had been assigned a personal guide.
When matter from the Material falls into the Mechanical Layer. Excuse my non-technical explanation, but when you have planetoids and other large objects impact the material already in existence, it can get quite hectic. Often times this falling of material breaks through multiple layers disintegrating apart. Fun fact, there is something called a star, a dense combination of gases. But after falling through the Mechanical Layer and into the Firmament and then the Astral Plane, there is nothing left but wisps of gas, Xi said. I blinked a couple of times and took a moment to process what he had just told me.
Things just fall through? I asked. Wondering for the first time in a long time if Earth was still out there. My memories of my first life were quite distant, since it had only been a fraction of my total life.
You would need to consult an expert, but once things start getting pulled through, everything in the Material bubble tends to get pulled along as well. And you get a Cascade where the denser objects just fall right on through. Some say that instead of layers existence is a circle as on the other side of chaos new bubbles in the Material form, continuing the cycle for all eternity, Xi said.
I was told reality was a cake from one of my seniors, I said in a joking tone.
That is another common interpretation. But no one can go through Chaos and survive, Xi said.
Not even powerful immortals? I asked out of curiosity, to see what my personal guide would say.
There are always exceptions that prove the rule. Unfortunately, I am not qualified to understand such things. I am merely a personal guide. Another chime went out. And that is it.
Already, that was smooth, I replied and got up and then felt a bit dizzy. My entire body suddenly hurt and I collapsed back in my chair.
Please take this moment to recover. Focus on breathing, it was hard to focus. I felt like my body was being ripped in two. My soul was trying to pull away from me. The cultivation organ that linked by physical body and soul felt like it was going to rip out of my body.
Whatwhat is this? I gasped out. I felt like my body was trying to pull itself apart. Each breath was a struggle.
That is the pain from the lack of energy, I glared up at Xi, but he merely splayed his hands to the side indicating that he had nothing to do with what was happening. The link between your soul and the Astral Plane has been greatly stretched. The process to draw energy to reinforce your body is that much harder. I knew that would happen, but I didnt expect it to be this bad.
I tried raising up an arm or speaking, but it was a struggle. Before I could feel every movement of my body. I could feel each and every breath. The pulse of my heart. I felt super human. Now, all that was out of my reach. I felt like I just needed to stretch some more to be able to reconnect and it would be fine, but it wasnt.
But arent there shops? I asked.
When this place is busy, but that only happens once every couple thousand of cycles, if something of interest comes up nearby. Hows the goop? Hans asked.
Like an orange mixed with old cheese, I said, and he laughed.
Well eat up. I forced myself to eat. No more of your fancy food here. Leave your bowl in the recycler, over there. It will get cleaned eventually. Hans got up and I followed him. I would not turn away a person who was willing to explain things to me.
This place was much different than how I imagined. Factions dont send anyone here? I asked.
Better to send people out into the Firmament or other tasks. This place is only maintained to protect the Forever City from surprises. The outposts are supposedly arranged in such a way to detect anything headed towards the Forever City from this layer. Not that anything like that has ever happened.
I followed Hans to the elevator which we took back down. Credits arent used here? Energy bars? I asked.
Depends. Your stay is paid up, but you can do tasks to stay longer. The walls can always use a scrub. Most of the people here, are escaping justice from the Forever City. A great hiding place, if you can get here in the first place, Hans explained. The elevator let out a ding and opened.
What about you? I asked.
Long term contract. Also my mechanical parts would struggle if I headed down. But you dont need to hear my backstory. Lets take a look at the outside. Got to see what is happening, Hans said.
No body modifications? I asked in surprise. They were quite common among the working and lower classes in the Forever City.
Again, no arrays or formations. Ah here, the exit portal. We stopped in front of two large metal doors. Hans slid his key card into a slot, and it opened up. I followed after him through the airlock to the far door. The one behind us slid closed and I heard locks click into place. I was slightly worried right now.
See the display to the side. All green, except temperature. Its yellow, which means a bit too hot or cold, but survivable. There were different lines labeled monsters, atmosphere, ground, gravity, and so on.
Are they often green? I asked.
Attempts are made to keep things green. Hans slid his keycard into a slot near the door and it slid open. I was hit by a blast of hot air. There was a lot of sand outside and floating balls of flame in the distance.
What is all that? I asked.
Just a sand biome. Pretty common with how often things get shredded. Probably a star Cascading through, hence the balls of fire. You can stick your head out, but dont step out, Hans said. I did so. The outpost was made of reflective metal on the outside. Looking up at the sky, I felt a sense of vertigo and stumbled back.
What is that!? I asked in surprise and Hans took a look out.
Oh a water biome is moving through. Going to get wet for a while. Hope we dont get any leaks, but at least we can refresh our reserves, he said after taking a look out himself at the ocean high up in the sky. The worst are the high pressure gas biomes that occasionally come through. Void is fine, but high pressure toxic gas is the worst when there is a breach in the defenses.
I shakily stepped back and Hans removed his keycard. The doors shut. It didnt escape my notice that there was no card reader on the outside. How do you get back in? I asked and Hans chuckled.
You dont. Once you leave, you are on your own. Well, there are basic communicators you can get, but they struggle to get through the armor. And finding your way around can be a nightmare. Thats why most people explore the Firmament instead and live in their bubbles, Hans explained. The outer door shut, and we made our way back to the inner one.
I brushed sand off my clothes. But arent there people or beings to trade out there with? I asked.
Sure, if you can make it to them. Cylinder Ships can go through the Astral Plane to travel about faster, but up here, well you have to travel across that hellscape, and good luck not dying, Hans replied as he led me towards a store.
Smith, he shouted.
What? a younger looking man with a huge bushy beard stepped out. Oh we have someone new around this place, Smith said.
Hello, I am Yuan Zhou, I introduced myself and gave a bow.
Smith. General outfitter. So, fortune hunter, exile, or something else?
Fortune hunter would be the closest, I said, and he nodded.
Well, if you need anything, you can talk to me. Going to go check the filtration systems, Hans said and walked away. The entire place suddenly shook and there was a loud horn that went off.
The Cylinder Ship is leaving, come on in, Smith said, and I followed him into his shop as the structure shook some more. I noticed a lot of equipment in various states of repair.
Welcome, if you are looking to head out from the outpost, well I will make sure you survive for a bit, Smith said. Got vac suits, personal shields, material processor for food and water.
I dont plan on leaving any time soon. I am still adapting, I replied as the shaking got worse. Should I be worried? I asked.
The shaking, is fine. There was a loud bang and then no more shaking. And the cylinder ship is gone. You came during a quiet time.
Are there other places out there? I asked. There should be, but it seemed to be quite chaotic.
Of course. But the real treasures come from civilizations that Cascade on down. Thats where we get a surge of people coming here to try and scavenge what they can. As for other places, good luck. Things shift about. While this outpost is anchored to an area with more material, there is a lot of void out there. But I have a material compass to track where there is a lot of density. Here let me show you, Smith said while he began to show me the various items he had for sale.
