Forged at the Very Beginning

Uncle Zhao...

Tianshi Zhuang... You ... you're here...

I came to see her too.

Good. She just fell asleep. If she knew you came, she'd be very happy.

Our girl dreamed of training under you. She wished to fight the Blight Tide on the frontlines. But fortune did not smile on her...

I'm sorry, Uncle Zhao. She's a good young lady. Fortune did not smile on me either.

And ... look after yourself. Please, talk to me if you need anything.

It was a great battle... You must be busy too, Tianshi Zhuang. There's no need to worry about me...

Uncle Zhao...

It's okay. Just go ahead and do what you need to do. We'll get by. Things will get better... They always do.

Shame on me... How could I have acted with such selfishness?

So many people, so many things ... all of them could use your help.

Tianshi Zhuang, the file you wanted is upstairs.

You're here on your own? Where's the Endmin?

The Endmin... He's needed elsewhere...

That means you'll head down there yourself. Are you really sure about this?

Yes. We've upgraded the Xiranite Nexus. The risks are much lower now. I can do this on my own.

Okay ... so anything else I might assist you with?

That'll be all, Tianshi Ge. Carry on.

Good. I'll get it signed and archived. Thank you for taking the trip for me.

If we're friends, you should at least share your problems.

Tianshi Zhuang, are you sure there really isn't anything else I can help you with?

Fangyi... You shouldn't be doing this alone.

Boss, I'm always here.

Identity verified. Highest authority level confirmed. Access granted.

You've arrived.

You told me to meet at the lab, but then you got a head start.

That's why I decided to beat you to it.

...How long have you been waiting here?

Oh, not too long. Just arrived. What about you?

Something happened...? Why didn't you wait for me?

I can do this on my own.

...You're lying.

But it's alright. I waited for you, and you're here with me.

We do this together.

Zhuang, you're the only one left in the science team. The path will be long and hard.

You're the only one who can be the viceroy. The completion of Wuling is essential to the Academy. You've got to take on the responsibility.

I'll take on anything if Wuling's safety is at stake. I know you'll always be there and have my back. That gives me confidence!

Just fulfilling my roles and performing my duties.

Informed Consent Form for Test Safety

TITLE OF TEST: Field Trial for Rift Sealing with the Xiranite Nexus

Research Center Title: Wuling Institute of Materials Science

PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR: Zhuang Fangyi

GOALS OF TEST: Performance assessment of the upgraded Xiranite Nexus against an actual rift; and evaluate the levels of potential hazards resulting from energy collisions and shockwaves generated by the Xiranite Nexus during the rift sealing process.

RISK REMINDERS: Participants must be as close as possible to the rift to conduct this test, and will therefore be exposed to powerful pulses of Æther energy.

RESEARCHER SIGNATURE:

ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATOR(S): None

Work Handover Document for the Viceroyalty of Wuling Scientific Developmental District

......

If an accident were to occur, the handling of all administrative affairs of Wuling City shall be handled by Watchguard Captain Mi Fu, while Academy and campus matters shall be handed over to Tianshi Ge Yipu.

Signature:

Endministrator:

By the time you read this letter, I will have already left.

Your assistance has improved the Xiranite Nexus, and it no longer poses a threat to Wuling. But an attempt to forcibly seal the rift would not be without consequences.

However, I do know, with certainty, that I can seal the rift on my own. As for the price ... I alone should suffice.

I have penned a letter to grant Ge Yipu and Mi Fu temporary authority over matters of the city... In the end, Wuling will endure and move on, as it has always done.

There was a time when I thought I would never see the departed, that memories would remain as they are — things that linger in our minds.

But you appeared, and the faces of the departed overlapped with the sights. Memories were reignited, one after another, they replayed themselves.

I remember when you first visited the Science Station. I stood in the crowd and gazed at you from afar. I hoped there would be a day when I could share my perspective and ideas with you.

When I finally got my chance, I found myself stuttering and unable to form a coherent sentence... I thought you would probably remember me as a young girl who just kept avoiding you for reasons unknown.

A decade has gone by. You and I are the only ones left from the crowd of yesteryear.

But you still walk amongst us, and you have made me feel that a figment of the beautiful times has remained instead of leaving me completely.

And that is enough...

You are the Endministrator of Endfield Industries, while I am the Viceroy of Wuling.

Wuling is my responsibility, while you are destined to push further into the frontiers and to shoulder burdens of far greater import.

Asking you to join me on this mission is akin to me forcing you to take on my duties, and you have already done so much for Wuling.

So...