Chapter 30: The Grand Opening (Worldwide)
The transition was violent, yet silent. Inside the warehouse, the only sign that they had defied the laws of physics was a momentary flicker of the overhead lights and the sudden, nauseating shift in the floor as the brick-and-mortar foundation detached from reality.
"I'm going to be sick," Silas groaned, leaning against a pallet of enchanted bubble wrap. "The ground... it's not grounding anymore."
"Optimization requires a certain level of gravitational flexibility, Silas," Serena said calmly. She was already busy moving the shelving units into a honeycomb pattern, securing them with magnetic locks to account for high-G maneuvers.
Xavier didn't answer. He was staring at the center of the room.
The S-Rank Core, Aurelius, had finished its integration. It no longer sat in a crate. It was now encased in a floating, gold-and-glass mechanical chassis—a singular, large mechanical eye that hummed with a soft, melodic pulse.
"The integration is successful, Driver," Aurelius chimed, the voice now sounding like it was coming from high-fidelity speakers built into the walls. "I have mapped the currents of 'The Slip.' We are currently drifting 30,000 feet above the Earth's mantle, cloaked by a spatial fold."
Xavier stepped toward the main console, which had sprouted from the floor near his desk. A 3D holographic map of the world flickered to life.
"Welcome to the team, Aurelius," Xavier said, reaching into a drawer. He pulled out a spare Nike Heritage86 Adjustable Hat and, with a smirk, balanced it precariously on top of Aurelius's floating chassis.
The mechanical eye blinked. "Is this... part of the uniform?"
"It's the most important part," Xavier replied. "Rule number one: You gotta look the part."
The First Global Order
A sudden, piercing [Ding] echoed through the hall. Not a local notification, but a high-frequency system alert that turned the holographic map red.
[Urgent Cross-Continental Request!]
[Customer: High-Investigator Kaelen, Bureau of Northern Tundra]
[Location: Glacier of Whispers (Coordinates Locked)]
[Item: Heat-Sync Stabilizer (In Stock: Aisle 4, Shelf B)]
[Reward: Diplomatic Immunity Voucher & 50,000 Credits]
"A Bureau official?" Silas asked, peeking over Xavier's shoulder. "Aren't we currently fugitives from the Bureau?"
"From our Bureau," Serena corrected, her eyes scanning the data. "The Northern Tundra Bureau is a separate jurisdiction. If we deliver this, we gain political leverage. They won't extradite their savior."
Xavier looked at Aurelius. "Can we get there?"
"Calculating," Aurelius buzzed. "The Glacier is protected by a permanent mana-storm. Traditional flight is impossible. However, if we enter 'The Slip' and exit via the spatial weak point... we can land directly on the coordinates."
"Do it," Xavier commanded. "Silas, grab the Stabilizer. Serena, lock the doors. We're going intercontinental."
Entering The Slip
Xavier gripped the new "Steering Interface"—two kinetic handles that synced directly with his Engine Sync.
"RPM climbing," Xavier muttered. He felt the warehouse respond. The entire building began to vibrate as his internal engine bridged with the house's turbine. "Initiating Jump!"
The windows didn't show the sky anymore. They showed a swirling vortex of violet and silver—the "space between." For five minutes, the warehouse drifted through the raw fabric of reality, guided by Aurelius's ancient navigation.
Then, with a bone-jarring thud, the warehouse slammed back into the physical world.
The temperature inside dropped forty degrees in a second. Outside the windows, a blinding white blizzard obscured everything. The hydraulic legs of the warehouse hissed as they dug into the permafrost, stabilizing the massive structure.
Xavier walked to the front door and kicked it open.
The wind howled, carrying the sound of shattering ice. A few meters away, huddled in a temporary mana-shield that was flickering out, was a man in frost-covered armor. He looked up, his eyes widening in pure shock as he saw a two-story brick warehouse standing in the middle of a wasteland where nothing should exist.
Xavier stepped out into the snow, wearing his reinforced delivery jacket. "Magical Delivery LLC. You ordered a Heat-Sync Stabilizer?"
The investigator gaped. "How... who..."
He never finished the sentence. A shadow larger than the warehouse itself fell over them. From the depths of the blizzard, a colossal creature of ice and ancient malice—a Glacier Guardian—rose, its eyes glowing with a freezing blue light. It let out a roar that vibrated the very foundation of the Rig.
Xavier sighed, pulling his collar up against the biting cold.
"Aurelius," he called back into the shop. "Check the handbook. Does the 'No-Refunds' policy cover acts of God? Because I think we're