Chapter 103: Hydra
5:16 AM
Northern Facility Team
Twilight commanded the onslaught of drones to charge through the hellfire of steel raining upon them. Silver Esper Tifen was a menace with any gun, some weird mutation of his allowed him to multiply the bullets even as they fired. Effectively turning a pistol into a shotgun, if Ripley was here he’d probably say that it was instead some manipulation of linear force or whatnot, but Twilight didn’t care to know. The multiplied bullets disappeared after a moment, Silvers couldn’t just break the law of conservation willy-nilly.
That didn’t mean she was enjoying losing dozens of drones every second, but being a buffer to these goons was the only thing she could do at the moment. R0N1N and the others were busy facing down the Hydra.
The floating Wardrone curved its tubelike cannons in every direction spewing beams of energy that sliced through Shardware like butter. Then the twenty-four assault cannons around it’s oblong body struck in between those gaps, it would have left anyone riddled with holes like swiss cheese.
Except for The R0N1N and Diamante. The R0N1N was simply too quick to let either of the attacks deter him, while Diamante simply withstood both attacks with his devilish body. The heat from those lasers dispersed against the black steel coating his internal circuitry, absorbed and energizing his own weapons of destruction.
His right arm housed a sonic carbine that folded even Bronze-Grade alloys into scrap, as well as two rapid-fire rail cannons capable of shredding into tanks. His left arm housed a gun that could shift between thermal, electrical and physical ammunition. As well as alter to become an assault rifle, shotgun or sniper for all variety of idiotic enemies eager to believe in the Devil.
Mounted missile launchers rested across his shoulder-blades and back, each leg were miniature cannons and his head had a built-in sniper. As for defenses, an engageable Vibrocloak of Imperium design could ward off even a railgun shot at its maximum output, and he was already bullet-proof to even Silver-grade kinetic weaponry while thermal and electrical energy only fed him.
There was only one piece of him that wasn’t a war-machine. And it just so happened to be the one place he had protection capable of warding off even Gold-Grade weaponry. Engaging the thrusters in his legs and back, he began to buzz through the air as he sent out a crashing splatter of heat that vaporized through one of the Wardrone’s tubes, sending the heavy piece tumbling down onto more Shandian guards.
He was powerful, yes, but his flaw wasn’t some big secret. Just as the R0N1N was liable to damaging his Shardware, Diamante was at risk of running out of energy, or worse, overheating. And those lasers of The Hydra made the second possibility all the more likely.
Twilight had just finished taking down the Esper when he saw a ghostly apparition appear in the air above him. It was almost like crystal, a reflective armor of light that fell right through the bullets he fired. Then, it touched him, his body growing heavier in a moment which sent him cracking into the ground on his knees.
“Fucking… gravity Esper! Quartz!” Diamante groaned as his various systems were sent into disarray by the unnatural environment. His limited blood rushing where it shouldn’t.
Quartz drew the concealment of his suit away, already behind enemy lines and waiting. The second his skin reflected light drew the eyes of an entire cohort of soldiers, even those with their backs turned to him. Twilight flew to his aid at once, shielding his body with dozens of expendable drones that gladly drank the bulletfire.
Though a ghostly apparition of light harmlessly swam through them. Quartz dove into his mutation, and that human-like apparition dissolved as it’s photons bended to Quartz’ will. But that only revealed a larger conspiracy at play, as a masked man seemingly appeared from nowhere.
“So you use illusions too?” The Silver Esper sent out their hand to Quartz, a veil of potent energy bending gravity extending towards him. Quartz let it reach, then exposed his most volatile mutation.
The mysterious Silver crumpled to the ground like they were crushed under the foot of a giant, blood spilling from his body. As the wall of drones continued to shield him, Quartz reignited the suit’s concealment, draining his presence in the world away for another blissful moment.
“Where is Stonewall?” The R0N1N had just finished mounting the Wardrone and slicing off another laser cannon, his body now showing the signs of stiffening and jittering.
“Left us!” Diamante’s shoulders expanded to launch twelve twirling missiles that snaked across the Wardrone’s body, a chain reaction of falling metal and fire running through. “Said he’s not paid enough for this!”
Diamante took cover behind rubble as his warnings indicated a body temperature of 212 degrees celsius, nearing his 250 degrees threshold. Without wasting a moment, he let his iron-like armor expand as wafts of steam gushed out. Most of his systems shutting down to recover what he could.
A shadow sunk from above him, a tentacled mess of wires all connected to a human torso exposing itself with glee to The Devil. Too disgusting to be Shandian, but Diamante didn’t need to be told that when he recognized the mangled face left over.
“Bishop Reugan.” Diamante’s vocal systems were quieter than usual, but that was not because they were mitigated. “I thought I killed you.”
“No… but you did this.” The tortured face pulled itself into an expression of joy despite the burnt and saggy skin it held. “You forced me to adapt… for that… I will honor you. I never thought I would see this form of yours again, what beauty it is. Crafted by The Hammer himself. Though, that hat is an interesting design choice you made up there…”
Diamante’s systems were in the process of coming back online, but these next few seconds were entirely vulnerable, and Reugan was eager to use it. His tentacles slid across the metal of Diamante’s body, a perverted grasp as they shuddered just touching the divine art.
“So what’re you doing here, anyway?” Diamante wasn’t pertubed in the slightest.
“Oh? I thought you would know better? After all, it’s how you came to be. Shandian appreciates my… expertise.” Those tentacles slipped into one of Diamante’s seams, searching for the mechanism that would unlock his very soul.
Then Reugan’s head exploded as bullets streamed through it, scarlet irises peering from behind the dust.
“Took you long enough, Midnight.” Diamante’s body came back online, successfully dropping to a stable temperature.
“Mirage wanted to check out the Warp Transporter, it’s sealed behind a deeper sub-layer of the network here… but it’s fucked.” Midnight leaned closer, her eyes returning to faded lavender.
Mirage spoke. “We can’t use it. But I did manage to get through to the Southern Facility and talk to Topaz, Goliath is there. I’m sending Twilight out there so I’ll take control of the drones here.”
“You managed to restore a direct transmission? How? I thought they blocked us out?” Diamante stood up, not ready to return until he knew exactly how Mirage had done that. For a Silver Grade… she had done impossible manipulations of Warpcode before.
Too unthinkable for a Silver Grade.
“Easy. I let Shandian do the restoring, made them think I was retreating out of their systems when really I installed a trojan horse. They think they kicked me out physically, but Daylight’s hidden a backdoor that’s allowing us just a few moments where they can’t detect us. It’s temporary, once Twilight’s out, I’m setting the entire system to self-destruct.” Mirage explained, which Diamante knew was believable. Hell, he knew that she knew it was believable.
“Then get your ass moving.” Diamante charged his sonic carbine, a pearlescent glow cascading up his right arm.
Red eyes responded. “Don’t tell us what to do, with that dumb hat of yours.”
“Hat?” Diamante asked, before tapping his head. There was clearly something on his head, from the feel of it… a cowboy hat?
“Dreadwire made sure it was fireproof, bulletproof and very sticky.” A sadistic smile crawled on Midnight. “Now get your ass moving.”
Diamante sighed. He would deal with Ripley later.
———
5:28 AM
Ripley
“Why are you still fighting her? We don’t have the firepower to break through!” Quickshot relayed in my ear, it was the honest truth, but fighting the Exoguard was still working in our favor. Numerous guardsmen were being drawn up here, trying to gain foot on the roof but Quickshot’s sentry-like aim made sure my duel with the Exoguard was uninterrupted.
I lurched behind another dangerous lashing of her heavy limbs, grabbing one of the Warp infused arrows Quickshot had left in the ground. I digested the Bronze Energy inside of it, sending a downpour of Energy back into my Implant. “We’re diverting their forces aren’t we?”
“Missy could use you down there.” She urged. I knew that fact, yet without a refilled source of Energy, I would be dead weight down there.
“It’s better this way, I know it.” Steadfast in my position, I spurned another strike with Hammer as our limbs clashed. Every second I spent fighting was a moment where I learned more about her Exosuit. The Tsuchigumo unraveled in my mind’s eye.
If only I had the Energy or mental capacity to spare a use of Scrapyard. As it stood, even a few percents of my concentration drawn away would end me.
Maybe Quickshot was right, I could outmaneuver this Silver. Though it would mean losing all of the investment I’d poured into this fight. Having to go down there spent and weak.
And I already told myself I wasn’t going to lose anything today.
Though, I may jinxed it, considering that the next second saw my right arm receive a swell of electrical zaps, followed by a sudden slash that cleaved right through the limb and left a shallow cut up my face.
Severed right above the elbow, I could only look at my most prized limb for a moment before the interface of my mask splattered into nonsense. I could still see through it, but now I’d lost access to my ability to lock onto targets with my Arachnodyne.
Amidst the buzzing, it was only my Preservation Matrix that kept my panic from making mistakes. Gritting as blood poured into my mouth, I had my Arachne limbs spin me away from the menacing charge of the Exoguard. It was unfamiliar, this feeling, I wasn’t scared, but her strength felt endless and vast in a way I couldn’t comprehend.
It was like a much greater predator was casting its shadow atop of me while I had my back against the wall. Her fangs bared to me, their descent a fate that couldn’t be changed. Death was near.
All I could do was struggle against fate. Like I had been doing so ever since I received this Implant.
Struggle…
My sense of self exploded throughout my body, everything feeling much clearer and fruitful in that exact moment. Earlier today, I had earned the update to magnify my potential when I struggled most, now, I knew what that felt like.
My legs shot me backwards, two of her limbs striking down like a guillotine onto the concrete roof, then my Arachne bounced me right back at her. My left claws grabbed over her face and eyes, the tips disengaging a moment before I severed my own left hand off. Before the limb could fall, I grabbed the wires of each wire with the finer hooks of my Arachne limbs’s Shardware-Operating heads.
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Their operating tipped for fine Neurowiring, it was laughable how easy it was to knot them around the back of her head and contract the wires so that my severed hand firmly planted on her eyes. I knew she had vision from each of her limbs, so the next few strikes as she tried to bat me away weren’t surprising.
I witnessed the moment she tried to regain her ocular vision using her Tsuchigumo limbs, but the clunky and thick arms couldn’t nimbly reach my hand. So I switched to Overcome, immediately, all of my learning during this bout had cemented into my psyche, feeding me all of the ins and outs of her Shardware.
I didn’t know how I never noticed it before, but the Tsuchigumo wasn’t suited for close-range at all. It was powerful but not exactly quick, with its main functionality being to house two external railguns that could fire at range.
Simply put, she was just a cannon capable of repositioning.
With that information now in mind, I wasn’t so afraid to get up close to her, my four spider limbs burning into action under the remaining droplets of Warp Energy left to me. With one fluid dive, I struck out with all of my limbs.
Clashing against her spider limbs equally, I struck their most central joints. Physics was simple, around a lever the further you were from the fulcrum the more centrifugal force was exerted. I stabbed with the tips of mine against the least forceful joints of hers, even without Hammer I easily pushed each of her limbs back until the metal began to squeal.
So she did the natural thing and raised her cannon arms at me, something that was so natural, it had been exactly to both mine and Quickshot’s prediction. An arrow wrapped a net of wires around both limbs, a silencing pulse of Warpcode blistering through them as I continued to push my Arachne deeper into the joints.
She could repair those limbs, but could she repair all four of them? I was eager to know that once my Arachne pierced through the seams of metal plating and began dissecting them. Once again, I twisted their magnetic locks to work in reverse, pushing all four of them outwards in one massive ripping of wires.
She was now down four arms while I was just down two. And now, she was completely blinded, that left her with only one choice to fight unblinded. She broke free of the wires and pushed me away with a dosage of bullet fire, reaching for the hand gripping her face.
Such a predictable action could of course be taken advantage of by my archer ally, who once more pelted her with more of those disabling arrows as I got to work by engaging all four of my Arachne operating tips onto one of her exoskeleton’s severed railguns.
All to complete this plan was to say one lie out loud — “I’m retreating down.” — while sending a whisper of my thoughts to Quickshot. “Keep attacking her with those arrows, I know what to do.”
I saw the second of relief in the Exoguard’s face, who sighed and raised her other arm in the direction of where Quickshot had launched her arrows from, one wave of disabling arrows coming after the next.
“You know I don’t have an unlimited supply of these, Dread.” Quickshot warned me, but just a few seconds more and-
There, the modification was done! Quickly, I slipped through one of the many craters that had been formed by our fight to hide out in the top floor of the facility while I sent out my Webcrawler drone to sneakily observe the Exoguard, my Arachne rewiring the internals of my mask as it began to feed me a direct feed.
Once the arrows stopped at my disappearance, the Exo-guard grabbed the hand on her face and tore it off, a knot of Livewire and scrap falling to the ground. Cautiously, she surveyed around for my presence, my drone just peeking from under the ledge. Only once she was sure I’d abandoned the fight did she go to recover the broken limbs of her armor, leaning over to try and figure out how to reattach them to their severed joints.
Once she went to check out the arm which I’d modified, my drone shot a thin zap of electricity at the railgun’s exposed battery.
The trap worked exactly how I’d intended it to, the rewiring causing the battery to begin flooding the mechanism with wild power that resulted in a beautiful explosion that made most of the roof she was standing on collapse. Before the dust could settle, I hurried over to her and found her vulnerable with the right side of her suit having an exposed and bloody mess.
I was careful where I cut my left hand off, I made sure not to damage the whip-blades lurking within it. One of them had a Necrotium-lined edge courtesy of when I recovered the rest of Long’s prized sword.
In that brief moment where our eyes met, her weapon was already raising. A Silver Tier II against a Gold Tier I.
I was just quicker. My blade snuck into the flesh of her waist, a final wisp of my Energy draining into the deathly Warp Material as it seized her in a fit of pain.
Her flesh bubbled and exploded, her internal organs torn apart by a vile necrotic force. Weaponized arms trembled in the air, but then fell along with the life in her eyes.
“Yo… what happened? Roof blew up.” Quickshot rumbled in my ear.
“She’s dead.”
“Oh shit! Well then go and get deeper!”
“In a moment… I need you to protect me.”
“What? Why?”
“Because… I think I might reach Tier II.”
…
“Kid. You’re on your own.”
“Well… it was worth a shot.” I sighed, leaning over her dead body to begin piecing out the various parts of her Exo-suit. I also made sure to sense for Gold Energy and recover both my right arm and the remnants of my left claw tips. Though, I was mostly out for the Livewire.
Once I’d gotten deep enough to dig out her BUG, I mournfully slid it into my Mimicset.
“Well, your distraction worked.” Quickshot relayed to me in around a minute. “I’m detecting two Silvers on the first floor… looks like they’re taking you as a proper risk.”
“Any word from Missy?” I felt bad about spending so long fighting on the rooftop.
“Nada.” She sighed.
Then Missy responded, her voice clear in my ears. “We’re fine.”
I coughed. “You’re… fine? How are you connected?”
Then a familiar voice popped up, Twilight cheered in my ear. “Your’s truly! I repurposed one of their radars to-”
“Moving on…” Missy began. “Topaz has confirmed the existence of Goliath in this facility. We just don’t know where exactly. Ripley… he says that he needs you to help him find it.”
“What do you mean?” That left me confused.
“He says that it’s good luck you came to us, because you might be the only person capable of finding out where it is.” Missy had a tone in her voice, but I couldn’t figure out what it meant.
“Oh yeah.” She then added. “Get Twilight in your system, she can help you get to Tier II without slowing down.”
So she heard that…?
Twilight continued. “Yeah, there should be a netport on this floor, just hook up to it, don’t worry by the way, we’ve basically nuked their own systems. Entire place is kaput in the digital department.”
Shit… so then that means I won’t get any gun schematics.
“Don’t worry though!” Twilight added. “I copied the files of their gun schematics into my head! And the robot schematics from the North too, we thought you would appreciate it.”
I blinked, feeling many things in my chest. Perhaps this was… love?
“You’re the best.” Was all I managed to say.
“I know, I know. Now get your ass over to a Netport.” She said with a happy inflection.
So I did, and in a few minutes, the visage of Twilight was standing in front of me. She hugged me, spreading a tingly warmth across my body which I felt grateful for. Truth is, I was beyond ecstatic to see her alive.
“So yeah… you’re just going to need to… surrender complete control of your body over to me. Again.” Twilight said slowly.
“While I get to Tier II?” I wasn’t sure, the last time I tiered up had been mostly fine, but going from Tier I to Tier II was a much bigger gulf of power.
“Yeah, it should only take you about ten minutes. I think? It’s a little more extreme than the last time but you’ll be pretty spry soon as it’s done.” She raised her hand out to me.
Initiate Twilight Protocol?
Allowing myself to trust her, I confirmed it. Her body slid into mine, coalescing over my limbs which felt both more in control and out of my control simultaneously. It was as though I was moving shadows extremely accurately rather than my own physical body.
Then, I brought up the BUG that was writhing full of Warpcode for me to devour…
Implant Type: BUG
Previous Owners: Shenhe Tian-lu
Features: Accomodation V.4.06; Integration V.4.21; Technician V.4.17
Would you like to absorb the Implant?
Yes… force compatibility towards reaching Tier II.
Three Functions, and the most developed BUG I had ever devoured. I was already on the cusp of Warp Burns today, but something in me craved this… I needed it.
Forcing Compatibility…
Psyche V.2.15 has updated to V.3.00
Update Summary:
* Increased resistance to prolonged usage of Psyche Protocols.
* Increased efficiency of Psyche Protocols.
* Reduced Energy usage of Protocol: Thought Multiplier.
* Increased output of Protocol: Thought Multiplier.
* Increased mental processing speed during high levels of stress.
* Protocol: Alter-Self allows the Adapter to manipulate their own Implant-Coded Memory to forge distinct subsets of concentrated identities within themselves.
Energized V.2.14 has updated to V.3.00
Update Summary:
* Reduced effect of Warp Burns when absorbing Warp Energy of Silver Grade or lower.
* Increased control of Warp Energy in Externally linked Shardware.
* Decreased Exosuit Shadware Energy consumption.
* Increased output of Additional limb Shardware.
* Increased Energy efficiency of Shardware that was once manufactured by Yuzhou.
* Reduced effect of Overcapacitance on Energy Consumption.
* Protocol: Material Mastery allows the Adapter minor manipulation over the properties of Warp Materials used in the manufacturing of their Shardware.
Technician V.2.18 has updated to V.3.00
Update Summary:
* Increased understanding of Exosuit-type Shardware
* Increased ability to form self-modification
* Protocol: Shardware Modulation allows the Adapter to temporarily modify the specs of their Shardware beyond its general capabilities for a temporary duration.
Data Mimicry… error:
Source-Fragment within the Adapter has found a possible creation of a Source-Touched Feature?
Would The Adapter like to- Error: Overridden. Incomplete Source Authority identified…
Foundation Tier Development: 100%
Initiating Tier II Reconfiguration…
Tier II: Modification.
Forming a solid foundation, The Adapter can begin to express their will beyond the confines of humanity and modify their body into something forbidden by the laws of nature.
The Features: Energized and Technician have been integrated into the Source-Touched Feature: Shardweave V.0.01
Shardweave V.0.01 has updated to V.1.01
Update Summary:
* Integration of Technician Protocol: Reverse Engineering
* Integration of Technician Protocol: Scrapyard as a functionality.
* Integration of Technician Protocol: Shardware Modulation
* Integration of Energized Protocol: Warp Sink as a functionality.
* Integration of Energized Protocol: Shard Conversion
* Integration of Energized Protocol: Material Manipulation
* Increased ability to modify Implants on a physical basis.
* Increased understanding of all Yuzhou manufactured Shardware.
* Reconfiguration of Protocols: Reverse Engineering and Shardware Modulation into Protocol: Retrofit. This Protocol allows The Adapter an enhanced capability of extracting information from Shardware Operations, as well as allowing them enhanced self modification ability utilizing their understanding of Shardware.
* Reconfiguration of Protocols: Shard Conversion and Material Mastery into Protocol: Meta-Manipulation. This Protocol allows the Adapter to massively alter Warp Energy properties both in materials and Shardware. It also provides a minor capability for the creation of both Shards and Warp Materials.
Error: Free Feature Slot identified…
Scanning from possible Feature possibilities…
Compatible Feature identified…
The Adapter now has access to the Feature: Database V.0.01
Prior Mimicked Database usage identified in: Shardware Operating and Combat Appliance.
Database V.0.01 has updated to V.1.03
Update Summary:
* Direct transmission of information from Shardweave Feature in the form of Scrapyard.
* Increased rate of direct absorption of data through Warpcode.
* Increased ability to retain muscle memory for combat appliances.
* Increased recognition of combat patterns.
* Increased recognition of Shardware components.
* Increased formulation of Shardware schematics.
* Increased recall of previous Shardware Operations.
* Increased base memory capacity.
* Dataset formed for Shardware.
* Dataset formed for Combat Maneuvers.
* Protocol: Direct Upload allows the Adapter to digest digital information directly into their memory… Error:-
* Protocol: Direct Upload has been reconfigured into Protocol: Consciousness Link. The Protocol allows for you to directly interface with any digital source of data, including the ability to interact with and manipulate Implant-coded memories or other similar interfaces.
Recalibrating Stat Parameters…
Integrity is now Bronze V
Energy is now Bronze V
Capacity is now Bronze VII (Effective: Bronze X)
Grade is now Gold II
Tendency: NA
Compatibility calibrating… 99.99%
Function Pathway Analysis…
Psyche V.3.00 has Adapted towards preventing life-threatening situations… Effect: Substantial.
Pathway promoted: Improving segregation of mental faculties to improve direct development of each.
Shardweave V.1.01 has been Reconfigured from Features: Energized and Technician.
* Energized had Adapted to improve the performance of Shardware while reducing mental stress on the Adapter. Effect: High.
* Technician had Adapted to improve iterative Shardware creation and prediction of stable schematics. Effect: Substantial.
* Pathway Prioritized: Further integration of Warp Materials into Shardware, and improvement of Shardware modification speed and ideation.
Data Mimicry V.3.00 has Adapted to allow the Adapter into gaining a deeper insight into Warpcode and Function mimicry through absorption of Implant Warpcode.
Effect: Massive.
Pathway Promoted: Increased analysis of Source-Touched Features, and their application in Implant modification.
Database V.1.03 has Adapted to allow the Adapter a greater memory and processing of combat and Shardware applications. Effect: Insufficient Data… Pathway Prioritized: Improvement to Data Analysis and storage of Shardware and Combat Datasets