Chapter 174: Why Is He Forging?
Elder Ron didn’t lead them into Kylie’s workshop, as that wasn’t what was agreed.
Instead, they all walked up to the surveillance room, fully automated and absent of human guards or scientists manning it.
This was a precautionary method. As a highly classified center, all projects being worked on had to be secured from prying eyes.
Not even soldiers could be trusted most of the time.
Standing before the entrance, Elder Ron gave a condition. "Naturally, not everyone can go in!"
Carmen’s eyes flashed with greedy anticipation as he stared at the door behind Ronald. He waved his hands. "Naturally, we know this. Only me and a respectful few will be accompanying you."
Elder Ron sighed, his expression one of helplessness. Whatever — as long as he could convince them that Kylie wasn’t doing anything cataclysmic in there.
The research center had guidelines all researchers must follow, especially when it came to inventions and experiments.
Unless it was a joint project commissioned by the higher-ups themselves, no one was to craft something unstable or cataclysmic enough to cause more harm than benefits.
And he just hoped whatever Kylie and Seth were doing didn’t cross that line.
But the rattling tremors and the flickering lights that followed hinted otherwise.
Elder Ron, unable to stall much longer, tapped his ID on the card sensor by the door.
With a green flash of acceptance, the door slid right open, revealing behind it a vast technical room, walls lined with stacks of screens showcasing thousands of angles from myriad surveillance cameras.
He stepped in, Carmen and five others following right behind.
Elder Ron reached the control board, inputting the serial code that indicated Kylie’s workshop.
If he had to be honest, as much as he was reluctant, he couldn’t deny the fact that deep down he was quite curious. What was Kylie doing?
What could possibly be sending reverberations across the entire city and drawing on the power supply so much so that about 14% of the total research facility power reserves had been drained?
His anticipation mounted, the room silently growing tense as he finally inputted the final serial digit.
The images of the countless screens blinked, then all synchronized, all displaying the same scene.
Breaths held, stern gazes stared...
Everyone blinked. Huh?
Even Elder Ron was at a loss at what he was witnessing.
They had imagined countless scenarios, but the sight they were seeing didn’t tally with any of them.
What the screen reflected to them was indeed Kylie, but what was she doing?
Carmen and the other five glanced among themselves, unable to understand.
Kylie sat in operation of a grand device, which seemed to bear some semblance to a massive 3D printer.
The six all trained their gazes on Elder Ron. "What is that?" Carmen questioned with a frown that seemed to hint at his disappointment.
Elder Ron, who was likewise clueless, felt more relieved. Since it seemed Kylie wasn’t doing anything too crazy, he felt this matter would be relatively easy to settle.
He shrugged. "How do you expect me to know? Regardless, are you guys done with your inspection, or do you want to glean on her work some more?" he asked, his tone mocking.
Carmen frowned, walking forward. He came here to confirm if that prodigious girl had cracked the Dyson’s Mecha Index log. He couldn’t leave empty-handed, not when there was a possibility of foul play.
"Excuse me." Though the words were polite, his actions weren’t, as he half-aggressively pushed Elder Ron out of his way, now manning the control board.
Elder Ron frowned, deeply displeased, but he said nothing.
Carmen quickly changed camera angles, and indeed Kylie was still doing nothing. But this time two more individuals popped into the frame.
His eyes flashed as he zoomed in on the sight.
He expected answers, but he was even more confused...
"Is that person forging?" one of the scientists asked, to which only silence was his reply.
The figure in the frame hammered down, and in tandem, the entire room shuddered...
The screens flickered, and the lights flashed unsteadily.
"Who is that?" Carmen pointed at the screen.
Honestly, Elder Ron wasn’t in the mood to accommodate the bastard any much longer, but the boring stares from his other colleagues forced him to speak.
"I told you, didn’t I? That’s the leader of Apex."
The figure hammered down once more, the entire building shuddered, this time several times more violently than before.
"You have to make him stop whatever he’s doing!" Though disappointed they didn’t get what they were here for, they still couldn’t stand by and watch this guy destabilize the entire city.
The other scientist nodded. "Is he foolish? What’s the use of forging manually when he could use metal refining machines? Stop him immediately!"
A sharp clang reverberated through the air as the earth shivered. This time the entire structure of the research facility began to groan from pressure.
The seven men of science struggled to remain standing as the ground beneath their feet rumbled more violently.
No one had the patience to indulge their colleague Ronald anymore. This was already a matter of survival. Before that boy brought the facility down on their heads, they had to stop him.
Everyone rushed out of the surveillance room, heading straight for Kylie’s workshop.
Normally, opening Kylie’s workshop shouldn’t be possible without her consent, but in cases of emergency they could override that rule.
Elder Ron rushed after them, conflicted...
A sharper, more resonant clang reverberated again.
Elder Ron braced his old bones, already aching from the commotion.
But this time it was worse. No one was able to keep their footing, like a calamitous earthquake swallowing the city whole.
The earth rippled more violently, storm clouds gathered, dimming the skies as rumbling thunder followed.
With gritted teeth, Carmen and the others struggled to their feet, pushing forward. This wasn’t funny anymore.
They reached the massive metal doors of Kylie’s workshop. Carmen slammed his card over the sensor.
The mechanism flashed red, beeping loudly as it chanted: [Error! Identity Card Unrecognized!]
