Chapter 6658 Pariahs The Yeina Star Cluster was undergoing a huge amount of change. It had already been subject to a lot of changes. The Komodo War completely reshaped the relevant star sector while the short-lasting but incredibly disruptive Crown Uprising seemed to have a certain relationship with the mysterious Nyxian Gap! Now, the Carmine Revolution had put the hazardous region in the spotlight once again. Master Huron was not the only mech designer who thought about entering the Nyxian Gap. As suicidal as it sounded, those in the know learned that a brand new power was on the rise. The existence of the Oblivion Empire was not publicly known, but it was pretty much an open secret among high society. Very few people knew that the Oblivion Empress was actually a woman called Cynthia Larkinson. Those that did generally tried to avoid any mention of it for various reasons. It was doubtful whether this secret could be kept for long, but for now the Oblivion Empress remained a mysterious figure who already held sway over her own warlord state before the start of the Carmine Revolution! One reason why many people began to pay a lot of attention was due to a secret that was better known. Those in the know learned that the Oblivion Empire was the origin of the Auto Heretic mech line! The clues were already obvious. Not only was it located particularly close to the star sector that Professor Ves Larkinson originated from, but the original mech designs of the Version B and Version C variants were also based on exotics that were commonly available in the Yeina Star Cluster. What truly added more credence to this suspicion was that the Oblivion Empire not only fielded actual Auto Heretic mechs before anyone else, but also began to distribute and sell them at a rapid pace! The Oblivion Empire was the main reason why the Yeina Star Cluster already featured the highest density of Carmine mechs in human space! Although the more productive and developed star clusters located in the free zones in the galactic heartland were about to overtake the Yeina Star Cluster, this was still an impressive feat considering its remoteness! The population's extensive familiarity and brand awareness of LMC mechs and living mechs also contributed to the extraordinarily fast adoption of the Auto Heretic mechs. This caused many observers to develop the assumption that if they wanted to seek the origin of Carmine mechs, they needed to flock to the hazardous region known as the Nyxian Gap. Despite the many dangers and warnings associated with this asteroid-filled anomalous space, visitors kept pouring in with increasing frequency. Few of them returned. Whether this was because they ran into an accident, got killed by pirates or successfully joined the Oblivion Empire, nobody knew for certain. The likely truth was a mix of the three possibilities. Entering the Nyxian Gap without guidance was perilous, but as long as the daring newcomers managed to survive the natural hazards produced by the anomalous region, they usually had an opportunity to encounter one of the Oblivion Empire's patrols. Who knows what kind of treatment they received. Despite the lack of information coming out of the Nyxian Gap, that did not deter people from seeking out the Oblivion Empire. Even before the start of the Carmine Revolution, rumors had already spread that it offered unique benefits to people who desired to become stronger. Mech pilots who had no hope of attaining a breakthrough in regular space fearlessly ventured into the Nyxian Gap in pursuit of a promotion through less conventional means. Those who grew bored with the mundane qualities of their boring lives sought out the Oblivion Empire for a chance to get in touch with forbidden magic. The multiple taboos surrounding the Oblivion Empire most certainly deterred a lot of people from casually seeking it out, but the ones with the greatest desire for change and enough courage to go through with it were excellent recruits! People such as Master Huron did not think the Oblivion Empire would reject them. They were smart, clever and highly productive workers that could contribute to the rogue state in many different ways. While Master Toqueman Huron was still hesitating whether he should go ahead and pull the trigger before the Friday Coalition changed for the worse, another Fridayman Mech Designer had already made the decision to take a chance! "Are you sure about this, Master Olson? Not everyone who goes inside makes it out alive. Nothing can save us when an unexplainable anomaly swallows up our starship." The charming woman wearing a multi-layered midnight blue dress smirked at her direct disciple. "That is where you are wrong. I have already made a secret arrangement with an old acquaintance who has already joined the Oblivion Empire. With her assistance, we can rendez-vous with a patrol dispatched by the Oblivion Mech Army and safely journey deeper inside." "You already have a way in?!" Oleg Vorn reacted with surprise. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 "I do. I know the Master who designed the Auto Heretic designs. You may have met her once. It is difficult to maintain contact with each other under the current circumstances, but I am glad that she still paid attention to a few communication channels." Oleg began to frown. "Even if you have managed to secure safe passage to the Oblivion Empire, is this truly the right course of action for us? We are doing better than ever. Many people have begun to know you and your work due to being Ves' nominal Master. Our sales has quadrupled and many people have begun to request commissions from you. Not only that, but the Grand Loxic Republic has relaxed a few of its policies towards foreign Master Mech Designers such as you. We may finally be able to construct a large manufacturing complex in the capital star system like you always wanted." Life had not been great for Master Carmin Olson and her direct disciple. Despite her contributions to the Komodo War, the stigma of being the first. Fridayman to notice Ves' talents and accept him as a nominal disciple proved too much. She could no longer stay in the Friday Coalition, especially after the state continued to deteriorate in several ways. Setbacks such as the catastrophic Battle of Pima Prime that led to the death of Saint Jeremiah Gauge had caused a lot of Fridaymen to channel their anger towards Ves Larkinson to the nearest available scapegoat! Master Olson became that scapegoat. By giving Ves Larkinson a chance to rise up in society and receive the support he needed to quickly grow out of the early stage of his career, The Master Mech Designer bore the undeniable responsibility of enabling one of the single most damaging enemies the Friday Coalition had fought against. The problem became so bad that Fridaymen were even blaming much of the losses incurred by the Great Severing to her name! Though Master Olson had weathered multiple storms in the past, her deteriorating situation in the Friday Coalition made her continued presence untenable. Neither the Vermeer Group where she hailed from or the Carnegie Group where she worked for a long time offered any support in a time where she needed it the most. Her allies deserted her over time. Her friends no longer accepted her calls. Her commercial ventures were going bust. Her access to confidential databases got revoked. She was no longer able to use special procurement channels to acquire rare materials that she needed to conduct her research. Master Olson did not consider herself to be an ungrateful mech designer. She still felt she owed her loyalty to the Friday Coalition, or at least the Vermeer Group for giving her the opportunities she needed to become a Master when she became a century old. Though she used to hate the grueling training and competition that broke many of her fellow candidates, she now understood that this was one of the few ways to set herself up for enduring success. Yet as she became more and more isolated, Master Olson eventually reached a point where she had to conclude that she no longer had a future in the Friday Coalition. Her status and her previous contributions at least ensured that she would not get arrested in a short amount of time, but she feared that lingering goodwill would run out sooner than later. She left before any ugly incidents could pass. Unfortunately, in order to remain discrete and prevent the Fridaymen from tracking her down and taking her back so that she could continue to serve as their scapegoat to blame all of their misfortunes on, Master Olson had to sacrifice much of her business empire and her fixed assets. She abandoned the expensive Titanium Garden that she used to take pride in. She abandoned all of her remaining employees without giving them a proper farewell speech. She was also unable to clue in her remaining friends who still expressed their support for her such as Master Meredith Katzenberg. Master Olson only took away her direct disciple Oleg and enough luggage and assets that could fit aboard a small and speedy stealth courier vessel. She had made the right decision to prepare this emergency evacuation plan ahead of time. Master Katzenberg informed Master Olson later on that the Fridaymen and especially the Gaugers had grown quite upset that she managed to slip the noose just as they had gathered enough 'evidence' to bring her to trial! Losing the foundation that she built up in the Friday Coalition over the course of multiple decades caused her to lose a lot of wealth and business opportunities. She was only able to retain her most valued treasures and her liquid assets. Master Olson decided to settle in the Winged Serenade Star Sector. It was located in the center of the Yeina Star Cluster and boasted considerably higher economic activity. Of course, the mech industry was already saturated with many different competitors. It was difficult for Master Olson to start from scratch and build a new foothold in the local mech market. Things were looking up, though. Oleg was right that her past association with the Father of Carmine Mechs revived her fortunes. So why did she decide to abandon her efforts to get herself established in the Grand Loxic Republic and uproot her life yet again? "My old friend inside the Oblivion Empire encouraged me to join her side. She did not. dare to convey anything concrete, but she dropped certain hints and code words that stimulated my imagination." Master Olson cryptically said. "And that was enough for you to decide to leave?" "There are more factors at play, Oleg. To be honest, I do not welcome the renewed attention. People are paying attention to us for the wrong reason. Just as is the case in the Friday Coalition, certain parties may decide that the best way they can strike at Ves and his works is by targeting his former Master instead." "That..." "There are other reasons why I have decided to leave." Master Olson calmly said. "I cannot share them with you. If you follow me into the Nyxian Gap, then I will let you know at that time. You may choose to remain here or depart to another destination if you want. You have spent enough time under my wing. It is time for you to become more independent and start your own ventures. Your relationship with Ves is much vaguer and less well-known, so you will not receive too much attention." Oleg was also still a Journeyman Mech Designer, which automatically made him inconsequential to all of the bigshots. The man paused for a few seconds before making up his mind. "If you choose to leave, then I choose to go with you. I agree with you that it may be better for me to go independent, but I can do that while also becoming a part of the Oblivion Empire. I think the rogue state is big enough to accommodate the both of us as we are working on separate research and design projects." Master Olson looked slightly disapproving. "Do not be in a hurry to make a decision. Take your time to consider the pros and cons. I am not ready to depart right away, so think about your goals and how you can best fulfill them. The mech industry in a Free Zone is undergoing rapid changes. The rules are being rewritten as we speak. Even so, your work conditions will likely be much different if you decide to become a part of the Oblivion Empire." This was a life changing decision that could have far-reaching consequences for their career progression!