Almost eight months ter.

  "Ahh, I need a break." I thought aloud, walking over and spreading out on the couch.

  As I y there, I let my mind wander and at some point I began looking over what I've gotten done i year.

  It's been nearly a whole ass year since I've taken this facility as my own. I holy find it unbelievable how fast time has flown by this year. I suppose it's because of all the aplishments I have made in this period.

  Over these many months, I kept busting my ass grinding slowly but surely towards my goals, spending just about every bit of time I had avaible productively, building more and more robots and automating the various maes I had at my disposal.

  For my efforts, I no longer o assemble them by hand and could pass the task off to my minions to assemble their kin. I even got that bst door up on the miunrand ted my grasp on this pce soohan I had initially expected.

  Even though I had trol of the entrance, I still couldn't utilize the mih the molemen awaiting beyond the rubble. I did get some mining do the publies to gather resources for produ and other projects.

  However, that didn't st all that long aually, I stopped that and just sold off some of my bulk stock to Alice's father David, and my father Robert to gather the funds I o purchase the resources I required to run my operations here.

  The reason as to why I did that instead of just spending my time and effort tinuing to mine was simple: it was just too lucrative selling ammunition, turrets, and ons. It's not something I do forever since I've already supplied the two of them with a ton of ons, ammo, and all the other reted attats and on magazines.

  I only have one more shipment to make, and then that's it. So all of my on and most of my ammo selling will be distinued after I get the mine cleared of molemen aart my mining operation to collect resources. Although this time around in my very own personnel mine.

  And in the event I need more funds iure, I expand my business into selling ammo and ons to the various wastend explorers and whatever groups they are associated with. Though I'll be sure to sell none of the powerful ons I'm produg, I don't he ons I made that take out power armor and tanks poi me if some sort of flict erupts between myself and them.

  Actually scratch that, I have other avenues I explore that don't have the possibility of being used against me. The only issue with them is they require more space, which is something I'll be severely g in the 5-6 months at the rate I'm pumping items and resources at.

  Besides all that and my business with my dad and future father-in-in-w, I hooked gramps up with an arsenal to pay back at least a small portion of the help I'd gotten from him. I did the same for his battle brothers, the men he used to explore the wastend with once I found out they'd been keeping an eye on that little rat, William. They didn't o since I was already keeping my own tabs on him and his activities. heless, I appreciated the help even though it was unneeded.

  Stuff regarding the facility and paying my gramps and his buddies back aside, I didn't skimp on other areas in this period and have tinued my brutal training and studying regime alongside Alice. Thanks to that, the two of us have grown even closer somehow and have raised our physical abilities a ton. Besides that, her little sister Bel has been going through everything alongside us as well and has improved a ton across the board pared to when she first joined our small group.

  The little squirt has grown quite a bit in this period. I hope she tio stick with it. But seeing how the determination in her eyes tio grow day by day, I don't believe I'll have any s about whether she'll tru through everything for much longer.

  Other than making progress in those areas, Alid I kept in touch with the duo Big Tom and the little genius Bob a up with the two of them occasionally to ge things up. 't be grinding 24/7, have to take a breather every now and again.

  Though the times we did meet up, Bob seemed to figure that something was going on. Likely due to us not meeting up as often as we used to and would ask us what we've been up to, obviously trying to find out what we were up to.

  However, since what we were doing o be kept on the down low, I would blow him off and tell him we've been doing the usual serious studying and training, which is true just irely. Pretty sure he didn't believe I was telling the whole truth, but what could he do when I didn't want to tell. After the first couple of times, he got the hint and gave up not inquiring further. As for Tom, the big lug was just happy to see us.

  I'll let the boys know one day down the road, but now is not the time. I haven't made nearly enough preparatio, not to mention the molemen threat I have lurking in the mine. Maybe I'll tell them after I've dealt with that threat and see if they want to get involved. The two of them have potential and seem like loyal guys, so it would be o have more people I could rely upon besides Alid my family to have my back out in the wastend.

  That's about the gist of it. The only other thing of note is I established a pany he Bulwark for my business dealings and ged the unrememberable name of this facility to Genesis Foundry. Overall, I would say it's been a solid and very productive year for me. Hopefully, this remains the case in the years to e down here.

  Alright, that's enough lounging. I better get back to it and finish crafting my armor. When that's finished, I'll be ready to embark into the depths of the mio clear them out and annihite any creatures I e across within.

  The instant my thoughts cluded I got back to work alone, a very rare thing that hardly ever occurs, not that I mind.

  ...

  Hours ticked on by and after five of them had epsed, I was finally done adding the st of the finishing touches to my hefty armored suit.

  "Haha, it's finished."

  | Heavy Trooper Armor Set |Resistances: DT 65, Radiatioance 20Attributes: Perception +1Skills: Stealth +20Weight: 118Css: HeavyValue: 145,000Item Description: A jet-bck heavy suit made up of a syic breathable suit covered in many alloy ptes paired with a jet-bck heavy-duty fully encapsuted helmet. The helmet features two protected eye slots that have built in night and thermal vision, a built-in gas mask, and provides ballistic prote up to 30-06 ap. The protective suit is rated to stop the same 30-06 ap across all of its segmees, which have small gaps iweeo allow for flexible movement. The armor also features spikes on the hands, forearms, elbows, boots, and shins of the armor ptes to provide the user with a violent melee alternative. There is also a micro fusion breeder cell located on the lower spine of the suit in an exceptionally armored enclosure that is used to power the helmet's night and thermal vision. Special attention has been paid to provide the utmost prote for the family jewels.

  With the pletion of my armor, I'm oep closer. I'm just waiting on the pletion of the Seeker Of Knowledge quest now. As soon as that's ready to turn in, I'll be able to spend all the level-ups I've accumuted and head into the mines.

  Nearly finished for the day, I picked up my heavy trooper armor a and began equipping it to see how the fit was.

  Looks like I got all the measurements right on the first try, sweet.

  Removing the suit of armor, I made my way to the armory I had built months ago. As I got closer to my destination, I began hearing an audible thumping. Rounding the er, I came across the rge hulking robot my multibots produced st week.

  | Crusader |Armament: 2 x FBGL-6 Gatling Lasers, 2 x 24 Tubed 80mm Missile PodsCarry Capacity: 2,000Power: Fusion BreederValue: 7,500,000Description: The Crusader is a Sehat has undergone numerous modifications by its desigurning it into a hulking bipedal emp proof robot meant to ruthlessly annihite whatever it enters with its dual FBGL-6 Gatling Lasers arms and dual shoulder-mounted 24-tubed 80mm missile pods. Besides having its way of moving around repced with two heavily armored legs, the rest of it has been armored up and had eleagic shielding applied, making it immuo emp ons of any sort. In addition to that, the robot has had its inal fusion power pnt repced with a fusion breeder, one removing its o ever be refueled again. Designed by Dom Mason Woods.

  "Do you have any new orders for me, master?" The crusader asked in a very deep, intimidating, robotic voice.

  "ive, tinue as you were."

  "Affirmative."

  Doing as I asked, the robot tinued on its patrol route of the facility while I walked the rest of the short distance I had remaining till I reached the armory. Once I arrived at the heavily armored doors, they slid open for me immediately due to the numerous linked defenses of the facility reizing me.

  Strolling into the armory, I passed by many many racks of ons, ammo, and explosives I had stockpiled over the year, and upon arriving at one of the mannequins I had in the back I quickly pced the armor on it aed for home.

  I didn't ask for a ride today, so I turned my journey home into an impromptu workout and began sprinting home at my fastest speed. I don't know how long it took me to get bae, but I know I made det time. Back at home again, I headed inside and what would you know, Mom and Dad made it home before I did.

  "Hey mom, hey dad, hoork today?"

  "Pretty good, son." My dad answered.

  "It was, wasn't it. How was your day, sweetie?"

  "It roductive aertaining enough, but Mom, when are you going to stop callihat?"

  She smiled and answered in her same old bubbly and upbeat voice. "Never, you'll always be my little sweetie, even when you grow up and bee an adult someday."

  Hearing her response, I sighed while my dad ughed at my misfortune. Not willing to ford possibly upset her, I moved the versation along and after discussing a few things, the front door flew open and in came Alice.

  "Couldn't even st a day apart from me, aye." I teased.

  "Nope." She said before snuggling up o me on the coud tg onto my left arm.