Austin reached Level 99 in the machinery bay, with two more lead blocks and no audience.
The ten Earth masses in his core packed tighter until they equaled one hundred. Nineteen hundred pounds of ballast steadied his frame. Pug handed him the socket he needed, then sat on the tool tray before it could slide away.
Golden text appeared.
Austin waited for the deck to stop shaking before he stood. His hands still bore white scars from the Tribunal hammer and Section Nine. Stronger did not mean untouched.
On the main deck, the senior crews were arguing over the energy budget.
The stored power could restart expansion. It could also shield every peripheral sector from the first outward shock. It could not do both unless the load was shared in a new way.
Chen Tian wanted to protect the center first. Wu Ji refused to abandon the rim. Jiang Taixu offered his sword arrays as shields, even though doing so might burn out his core.
Tie Kuang stood at the end of the table with his shoulder bound tight.
