“Beholder Knalzark. Caldera Industries.” The Dwarven Beholder spoke begrudgingly, detesting that they needed to reintroduce themselves again. “Endorse Attachment. Its humbling being here amongst friendly faces, and other less friendly faces.”

He began, unable hide his disdain for a certain justice-bearing Beholder. Regardless, he carried on, speaking with powerful, masculine voice that rippled throughout the chamber. Galia’s smile persisted, existing solely to torment him.

“And we call this place ‘neutral’ grounds. Places like this are where wars are forged. Hrm. Caldera Industries does nothing more than offer our installations and purge the depths of this world from the Genesis Stones. It is by upheaving these contaminants that Aspects and products such as the one you hold –”

He pointed with a muscular arm at Jury’s pale tech. “– Are possible in the first place. I oversee, command, and dictate the full extent of my Atelier. We create machines on all scales, all civil constructs, maintain the structural integrity of the Nex Megalopolis via the Well –”

Suddenly, he brought a hand down to the table, as if both were attracted to one another by a powerful force.

“– And we are the sole reason why this Nexus floats.”

“No mention of the Spatial Distortions?” Frost questioned after she allowed a dull silence to persist. “I’ve rode one of your trains. Why is something so dangerous available to the public?”

Frost wasn’t supposed to speak, but she was allowed here because there was more to Caldera Industries than what he revealed. She wanted their introductions to be thorough before they could enter the second stage of the Council, which would be a hearing of all agendas presented by the Beholders, as well as their complications.

So, she played an inquisitive role.

“They are an unfortunate byproduct of my technology. However, as unstable as they are, they can be partially controlled and prevented. My trains have an exceptionally low failure rate before they saw a sudden spike in the last 10 years. Another occurred 5 months ago. I shall leave this topic for afterwards when it becomes relevant. But know this – We have done much for the Nexus.”

She’d be a moron to take his words at face value. There were a lot of questionable practices Caldera Industries followed, but most of them were recounts and stories from reputable sources, such as the Triplets and Galia. It also didn’t help that she had formed a strong bias against them since she found the Train Graveyard in the Derma Layer.

However, that was likely not a fault of their own. Still, it didn’t change that their tech was dangerous, and certain regulations needed to be made to keep innocent people from being caught up in those accidents.

Since these introductions also served to clarify things, Frost asked what the ‘Well’ was. She had heard of the term before. The Impuritas called those giant pits the ‘Wells’. Upon hearing this question, Beholder Knalzark’s arms folded, his eyes moving to Satania.

The Demon stared back with sealed eyes.

“Crawling to me for an answer…” She sighed resentfully. “’Arbiter’. Let me speak on his behalf.”

“You may.”

Satania ran a finger across her horns, twisting them as they distorted into a spiral shape. They became ram-like, and she issued a faint, prideful smile when she became the center of Frost’s attention.

“The Well is a layer sandwiched between the Epiderma, and the Derma layers. We call it the Subderma Layer. It’s a considerably large complex running under the Nex Megalopolis. It is where waste is dumped, and where certain installations exist. Namely, the Root-Pillar Complex. It’s a necessary layer created with the purpose of stabilizing the crust of the Nex Megalopolis.”

Her words were almost as tantalizing as Galia. Frost felt the skin around her throat squirm as if a snake had coiled around it.

“A vast network resides so far down, consisting of several layers as one descends to harrow that hell. Oh, and please don’t mistake it for the ‘Wells’ that they refer to. Those are the pits that lead directly into the Subcut.”

“Is that where Site Cores are also created?”

“No. A Site Core would destabilize if brought out from those depths. Amalgam. Do you know why people don’t descend and ascend with tools like shovels and pickaxes?” Satania asked. “Because the soul is a fragile thing, as is the mind. To plunge into the descent is to have the world come caving in oneself, and to ascend it to watch yourself spill from all spiritual orifices.”

Satania explained the reason why the existence of mineshafts and deep tunnels leading to the Derma Layer were absent. The reason was because descending posed a tangible risk to people, although, this largely depended on the quality of a persons soul – their Levels.

This was why Spatial Distortions were important when navigating to and from the Derma Layer. Frost was admittedly taken aback by the explanation, although the ‘why’ was still largely not understood.

However, Satania turned to the only two Exalted present.

“It is a guaranteed way to create the Impuritas. Nothing like the Hearts. But more personal ones. When I heard of the exodus of Derma Layer residents, I worried that they had climbed the well. To think that a star had come to personally pull them free. It was truly a harrowing of hell.”

Massive installations of technology resided underneath. And with how the Impuritas called the Ateliers ‘poison’ and the source of their existence, Frost theorized – no, she was convinced that these installations played a major role in the creation of the Hearts within the Derma Layer.

But at the same time, a large portion of the blame went to the other half of the Nexus that still resided deep underneath, as well as likely Elysia. Although, a part of her doubted that Elysia was as evil as people depicted her to be.

The fact that the Root-Pillars Complex was tied with the existence of the Nex Megalopolis was one example of Frost’s hands being tied. Because to get rid of that, would be to erase the Nex Megalopolis.

It was infuriating.

“Beholder Descartes 3.” Following the conclusion of Satania’s revelation, which not even the Moons were aware of, the Arbiter moved onto the next Beholder in line.