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Update initiated!

You have two additional alerts!

!ERROR! REPAIR NEEDED. LV2 DEVICE REQUIRED.

Current date: 20 April 2045

Skill List:

Kanji (lv1): Aspect of Energy: Electricity, Thermal, Sound, Elastic.

[Vortex battery (Storage)]

{Skill points: !ERROR!}

[Full destructive power limit: Several Villages]

Skills: [1. Infuse/Absorb] [2. Energy travel] [3. Energy trail] [4. Energy bolt] [5. Energy wave] [6. Energy blade] [7. Energy shield] [8. Energy dual conduit] [9. Energy healing] [10. Umbral Cape]

Inventory: [Geographic sphere] = [Mechanical soap] = [Spyware device] = [Tungsten-infused nanotech silver chain] = [Tech tablet (Portal) (Hide, Input, Output, Convert, Compress)] = [Night-vision goggles] = [Blue headphones] = [Notepad and pencil] = [Life sensing device]

Claire (lv1): Aspect of Creation

[Vortex battery (The Ninth Prince’s Order)]

Skills: [1. Create (Slots: 10)] [2. Absorb (Only created and non-broken items)]

Inventory: [Black cloak] = [Crossbow (modified with rotatenium)] = [Crossbow bolt] = [Ammo pouch] = [Mechanical soap] = [Thermal suit] = [Medicine belt (sling bag and pockets for syringes)] = [A gas mask] = [Healing small white frog] = [Red lava frog] = [Green yellow spotted claw frog] = [5 Flesh syringes] = [4 Healing bandages]

David (lv1): Aspect of Form

[Vortex battery (Control)]

[Range limit: Room]

{Skill points: !ERROR!}

Skills: [1. Expand (x2)] [2. Spikefacation] [3. Delay (1-10s)] [4. Shieldfacation] [5. Trigger] [6. Transform pattern Wave] [7. Net Transform] [8. Whip transform] [9. Blend around] [10. Uno]

Inventory: [Tungsten bat] = [AK-47] = [Mechanical soap] = [Night-vision goggles] = [Bag filled with light-weighted rocks]

Amelia (lv1): Aspect of Reality

[Vortex Battery (Charge)]

{Skill points: !ERROR!}

[Attack type: Strong illusion] [Attack range: x3 field of view]

Skills: [1. Third-person vision] [2. Blurring Mirage] [3. Double] [4. Connect] [5. Vision Swap] [6. Disguise] [7. Flash Mirage] [8. False movement] [9. False Touch] [Mentaltomisis]

Inventory: [Frying Pan] = [Knife] = [Mechanical soap]

Sarah (lv1): Aspect of Fiction

[Vortex Battery (Weapon Recall) (Followers Benefits)]

[Skill access: 2 skills for each item] [Conjured item 1] [Conjured beings 2]

(Low Tier > High Tier > Eldritch God > Elder God)

LT1: Sciophobalos: Short Teleport 5min (Active/Group) & Teleport Exchange (Passive/Group).

Awakening (Sciophobalos): Greater strength and speed. Changing form depending on darkness.

HT1: Arachnochidna: Water Breathing (Passive/Group), Paralysis/Necrosis Spikes (Active).

Awakening (Arachnochidna): |=Require Climbing and Web Shooting=|

Inventory: [Mechanical soap] = [Nezha’s leopard bag (Nezha’s ring, Nezha’s Fire-Tipped Spear)] = [Shovel] = [Grimoire] = [Tungsten axe] = [Tungsten daggers] = [Tungsten Zweinhander] = [1 Flesh syringes]

Noah (lv1): Aspect of Emotion

[Vortex Battery (Fall Resistant)]

(Emotional requirement: Medium)

Skills: [Emotion infusion]

Inventory: [Mechanical soap] = [Sharpening stone] = [Tungsten axe] = [Anger stone]

Diana (lv1): Aspect of Law

[Vortex Battery (Three Talisman: Regen, Resistance, Speed)]

[Limit: Only manipulate small values]

Skills (Laws unlocked): [1. Law of Friction] [2. Newton’s Third Law]

Inventory: [Mechanical soap] = [A pickaxe] = [Night-vision goggles]

Adrian (lv1): Aspect of Knowledge.

[Vortex Battery (Wings Parry)]

[Limit: Full basic information]

Skills: [1. Connected Minds] [2. Info Extraction]

Inventory: [Mechanical soap] = [Handbook (recorded events)] = [Reinforced glass shield (tongue sticking out emoji symbol)]

Azan (lv1): Aspect of Change.

[Vortex Battery (Greater Flight)]

[Limitation: 1. Follow under the concept “change” only. 2. Changes under other aspects require hand-holding.]

Change slot: 2

Inventory: [Metal suitcase] = [Mechanical soap] = [Miniature fan] = [Blue boxing gloves]

Mina (lv1): Aspect of Time

[Vortex Battery (Mark Speed)]

[Limitations: 8 skills (Currently)]

Skills (!ERROR!) (Auto Input Activated): [1. Aging] [2. Time Exchange] [3. Time Wrench Transfer]

Inventory: [Mechanical soap] = [Yellow boxing gloves] = [Sandra’s gears] = [Peepo’s pillows] = [Piza’s patchworks] = [The Heart Striker]

Gwen (lv1): Aspect of Destruction

[Vortex Battery (Apply Speed)]

[Limitation: Gas and Liquid only]

Inventory: [Mechanical soap] = [Izzybot] = [P.T.A] = [Codex Seraphinianus] = [Spherical terrarium (containing a black widow)] = [Notepad and pencil] = [Ice whale eye] = [Bolt Eel]

________________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian "... Ugh. My focus is as scattered as a starry night. I need to move somewhere else."

The Aspect of Knowledge exits his sanctum. The echo of his abrupt departure and slamming doors resonates through the RV, piquing the interest of his companions. Intrigued, a duo follow him to the deck. He stands there, eyes lost in the sight of the horizon, yearning for an answer...

Adrian "The view doesn't help either. What is it I am missing?"

Diana "Yo, Adrian! What you up to, bud? Some boring writing shit again. You should focus more on your training."

Claire "Come on, Diana. A little writing session isn't going to hurt our progress."

Adrian "Your support is appreciated, Claire. For your information, I did conclude my workout session earlier."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Diana "Huh? You did? I must've missed that during one of my insane weightlifting challenges."

Claire "Lmao, it wasn't even a session. It was just you juggling 1000 kg dumbbells around which by the way near landed on Kaney."

Claire "Lmao, that wasn't a workout, it was just you flinging around half a tonne of dumbbells, almost landing one on Kaney."

Diana "What's the big deal? He's the Boss. He saw him kick that flying weight my way!"

Adrian "Well, that's certainly an impressive feat, but I need to wrap up this work. It's causing me some stress."

Claire "Maybe, we can help. I'm not much of a writer and more of someone who is good at creating art from stories. However, I did work with a lot of writers in the past. As for Diana... Emotion support?"

Diana "What? You want me to cheer and yell like "GO! ADRIAN! WRITE THAT SHIT UP!"

Adrian "Heheh. That's funny but I'm not sure your suggestions are quite what I need. I'm attempting to write our journey into a poetic story."

Diana "Say what now?"

Claire "Oh you mean like turning each day into lines of poems. Yeah, none of the writers I worked with are really good at that. Is it hard?"

Adrian "Yeah, really hard. Well... I got the rhyming and the structure. It's just that... I can't pinpoint where to end the volume. It feels incomplete."

Adrian "Indeed, incredibly so. I've figured out the rhythm and format, but... deciding the ending point for this volume is difficult. It feels unfinished."

Claire "Ah, finishing touches. I also have that problem but I made sure that I got the whole image of my inspiration in front of me."

Adrian "Ah! That's it! Our journey hasn't reached an end of an act!"

Diana "You mean like we haven't reached an end to an episode or maybe like the end of a season."

Adrian "Exactly, the season finale. But... where and when do you think I should-

Kanji "Earth. I hope you can finish it after we escape from Earth intact."

Adrian "Brilliant! Thanks, Kanji!"

The group unites around Adrian, each with a smile. Azan procures a bag of coffee taffy, handing out eleven pieces.

Sarah "Oh, nice! I haven't had these in ages!"

Noah "Nah, the chocolate one tastes better but this will do."

Dave "Bro, that taffy ain't shit. I had one that was laced with beer or other shit."

Amelia "Honey, I think you're mixing up taffy with bonbons. Anyway, this tastes bloody delightful, Azan."

Azan "Glad you like it. It's my father's brand. Kanji, since you called us all here. Something bad must have happened."

Kanji "No, just a minor update I discovered. Everyone, activate your skill window."

As the skill windows materialize in sync, their bearers are left amazed.

Dave "Yo, did the design fucking change, dudes. This shit is wicked lit. Also, what's this nuclear sign ass button in the top left?"

Kanji "It's a kind of notification system. Don't worry about clicking it, I inspected it earlier. We've got two alerts. The first simply announce the update and formatting changes in the skill window. Oh, and it also displays the date now, which seemed redundant at first, but then I thought about what if we were in space."

Gwen "Yes, it is quite convenient. I'm starting to speculate that whoever orchestrates our abilities have a sentimental and hateful relationship with us. Or perhaps they are suggesting we will need all the help we can get. It really paints a grim tone."

Claire "Hey, at least it is good news. What about the other alert, Kaney?"

Kanji "Oh, that. Apparently, there's a secret quest for us. We're to locate a place radiating "Mysterious" energy, as stated. Fortunately for us, it's precisely our target destination."

Mina "Woah! That is way too suspicious!"

Sarah "Yeah, couldn't agree more. But The gamer in me... tells me that there might be loot."

Mina "Lol, it is a quest-

The waves of the ocean run wild around their floating RV.

They crash against the sides of the deck, trying to tip the warriors over but failing. Amidst the confusion, Adrian closes his handbook and searches around. A pop window appears—

They slam against the flanks of the deck, attempting to trip the warriors but to no avail. Amidst the confusion, Adrian closes his handbook and surveys the surroundings. A notification window emerges—

[Executioner number 1 (The World)

Affiliation: The Eusocial Cult

Leader: John Calsion

Basic description: A large bio-mechanical automaton birthed in a lab. Beware of its space.]

Adrian "Kanji! It's the first Executioner! We need to move the RV as far away as possible!"

Kanji "Alright! Mina! Azan! Take the helm and leave us to fend off this thing-

The turbulent waves calm and the sky clears, giving way to a beam of sunlight that illuminates their foe.

A titanic abomination, its stature rivaling half the height of the Empire State Building. Its structure is akin to a mobile fortress of glistening golden plates. Upon closer inspection, it resembles an enormous hollow armor akin to a Cuirassier's Armor, but with an aberration... Its upper body seems to hover on something—

Its lower mid-section is wide open, revealing a miniature planet encapsulated in space, surrounded by stardust.

Looking down, they witness the surrounding seawater rising and spiraling into the tiny planet. As it approaches, more water is drawn in, generating countless riptides and whirlpools. A plethora of marine life and coral ascend upwards while the group watches in awe...

Dave "Well, dudes. We might be fucked."

Kanji "That would be an underestimate. Throwing attacks at that thing would be rather pointless. The only hope we could do now is prepare for the worst."

Mina "Wait! Couldn't the RV outsail it?! I'm literally flooring the throttle!"

Kanji "Mina! You can stop now! There's no point!"

Azan "What do you mean?! We can't escape it?!"

Kanji "Precisely. Given that monster's speed and the RV's, they're evenly matched, but the radius of its pull is widening by the second. We need to prepare for the impact. Claire... you need to convert some of the supplies into space suits. Considering the information Adrian found, I assume they meant "space" as a literal meaning.

Claire "Wait! But that means we'd lose all our healing supplies!"

Gwen "Don't worry, Claire. There will always be alternative forms of healing. Trust me."

Claire "Okay. I'll sacrifice my gas mask and thermal suit. Don't know if it will work with torned items. Here I go...

On the deck of the RV, 11 standard space suits equipped with oxygen canisters materialize.

The group hastily slips into the protective gear, observing as the RV begins to levitate off the sea. Kanji clutches the railings, urging the others to do the same. As they draw closer to The Executioner, it remains unresponsive.

Kanji "That's odd. Can it even attack in the first place?"

The space-like void enveloping the miniature planet expands, obscuring the group's entire view.

The RV begins to tumble and rotate, disorienting the wielders. Dave's grip falters, but Amelia and Gwen manage to secure him back onto the railing. Kanji signals the group, making a beeline for the inside of the RV. Diana conveys the signal and they all get inside alive.

Kanji places his tablet on the RV's control panel. A surge of electricity arcs from his shoulders into the device, and finally into the RV.

Out of their sight, a thin layer of metallic coating engulfs the vehicle. They catch a fleeting glance before attempting to exit, but Kanji obstructs them and seals the front door. His comrades retreat, understanding the imminent danger.

Heat pours into the room but they endure it.

The RV continues its chaotic twists and flips. The gravitational pull intensifies, inducing nausea among the group. Kanji deploys his chain, wrapping it around the group and himself, before anchoring both ends to the floor. Now stabilized, he notices the others' rapid breathing, fogging up their helmet visors.

A deafening crash nearly ruptures their eardrums as the RV makes a hard landing.

... After a few tumultuous minutes, the jolting finally subsides. Kanji loosens his grip and everyone swiftly removes their helmets, their heavy breathing, and copious sweat soaking the carpet beneath them.

Kanji "Breath in and breath out. Take your time guys. I'll need to check if this air is breathable-

Gwen "Already done. My eyes can assess faster. Told you so."

Kanji "Fair enough, you win this round. However, I suspect you're just thrilled about exploring and analyzing a new pseudo-planet. As for me, I'm less excited. I'm certain we'll encounter a plethora of hazardous obstacles."

Dave "Nah, dude. Let's just yolo it."

Dave kicks open the front door and steps outside.

Dave "Holy shit the deck is messed up, bros! Oh god! Even the wheels are gone!"

Kanji "Calm down. We will store this for now. Our current priority is studying our surroundings."

Claire "Kaney? Don't you smell a weird... chocolate smell from here?"

Kanji "Wait... yes. It does smell like chocolate. Are there cocoa plants nearby or is there human life?"

Mina "Um... Guys. I think I found the source of the smell. This way!"

They follow Mina down a pathway of dense yellow bushes. Oddly, there is no sign of animal life.

Gwen "The fauna here is underwhelming. I expected a lot more. Unless the creatures that inhabit this place have disappeared or perhaps devoured."

They reach a clearing adorned with small flowers. Azan notices their black and white petals fold to create an illusion of eyes. He plucks one out of the hard ground, but it doesn't react.

Mina "You know it is very dangerous to just pull things from the ground. What if it was poisonous, Azzy?!"

Azan "Explorers have to be courageous. I thought you, of all people, would understand that the most."

Mina "Courageous, yes, but also informed and careful! You big dummy!"

Mina stomps forwards, crushing the flowers underneath her boots.

In the center of the clearing, a peculiar plant, similar to a massive tropical pitcher, catches their attention. Its sack, translucent and tinged red, contains a thick brown liquid. The plant's rim is purple, adorned with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Gwen gently nudges Mina aside to examine the plant.

Gwen "Fascinating. Typically, a Nepenthes campanulate wouldn't have such threatening details if its aim was to secure food. Unless, by this planet's standards, being sharp is considered barely dangerous, which is an even more terrifying prospect."

Dave "Dude. It might not be sharp. Watch!"

Gwen "Dave! No!-

Dave nicks his finger on a tooth, causing a small cut. The group watches as a drop of blood descends the inner lining...

Upon contact with the brown liquid, eyes emerge from the plant one after the other. They continue to appear until they overflow from the pitcher and scatter on the ground. The plant lets out a massive screech as it retreats into the earth, disgorging the remainder of the eyeballs.

The flowers around them animate and reach out to capture the scattered eyeballs.

Kanji's chain ignites with flames and he swings it around, creating a blazing circular barrier around the group. Beyond the fire, they see an assembly of long necks and terrifying maws. Alas, the group pays only for the flowers beneath them.

Kanji "Diana! Now! Flatten these flowers!"

Diana "You got it, boss!"

With a powerful blow to the ground, Diana stuns and crushes the transforming flowers.

Amelia and Mina run around, cutting as many as they can find. Once they are done, the fire dies down. A stream of danger shouts down their ears as they are faced with an unimaginable creature. There are hundreds or perhaps thousands of heads merged into one body. They are akin to Venus fly traps but with actual teeth. Their neck is thorny and wiggle around like a pack of caught sardines. Amazing they don't appear to be tangled no matter no much the necks move. Just under them is a pair of forearms made from tangled tree roots and it is bleeding. Gwen eyes zoom in and find that under the tied mess are the eyes of countless creatures. She frowns at the creature with spite. The others look to its torso which is covered by the pitcher plant and resembles a kind of dress. It pours out copious amounts of the brown substance, obscuring its hind legs and its true torso.

Amelia and Mina slice through the remaining flowers. Once they finish, the fire dissipates, revealing a horrid creature and sending a sequence of chills down their spine. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of heads merge into one body, resembling Venus flytraps but with real teeth. Their thorny necks squirm around like a pack of caught sardines. Amazing they don't appear to be tangled no matter no much the necks move. Underneath is a pair of forearms made from tangled tree roots. Gwen spots countless eyes embedded within the tied mess, frowning as she looks back at the creature with spite. The creature's torso is concealed by the pitcher plant, wearing it like a dress and pouring out heaps of the brown substance which obscures its hind legs and true torso.

The creature's tail ascends to the skies. Bony disks around it snap open, and it swings, launching them at the group.

Adrian runs forward and deflects two of the projectiles. The remaining three ricochet off and one heads toward Sarah, who cleaves it with her greatsword before eyeing them down.

Sarah "Guys, I have a bad feeling these things will return to it."

Just as she says this, the disks begin to float back toward the creature.

Dave "Sas. Don't fucking jinx it, dude!"

Kanji "Alright, guys. Leave the heads to me, Mina, Sarah, and Amelia. The rest of you target the torso!"

Kanji "Alright, guys. The heads are mine. Mina, Sarah, Amelia- you're with me. Azan and Claire you distract the tail. The rest of you, aim for the torso!"

They all nod in intense silence and launch their assault.

Kanji darts towards the creature, expertly dodging the rainstorm of flytrap heads. He leaps onto the largest one and propels his chain into its neck. As the creature screeches, he jumps off, floating a few meters in the air. The heads and necks stretch upwards towards him.

With a sly grin, Kanji sends a current of heat through his chain, teleporting to the other end.

He swings his weapon, tightly binding the necks as his chain begins to sear them. However, it's not enough to stop them. The girls jump up to join him, and their blades slice through the air in unison decapitating the heads. With a flick of his finger, they jump off as Kanji projects a wave of heat.

Meanwhile, Azan and Claire are standing on a saucer. They distract the creature with a barrage of bolts from above, enabling Gwen to approach its torso. She uses her destructive power to erase the brown liquid until it stops flowing, revealing a transparent flesh hiding a green heart. Dave, Diana, and Noah lunge forward, tackling the creature and sending it tumbling onto its side. Dave's bat smashes through its flesh, spilling acid blood. Gwen steps in and erases the blood, allowing Diana to punch the creature's heart.

A sudden force erupts from it, launching them. Noah holds on as his axe is lodged into the ground. He clutches his anger stone...

Noah "This ends here!"

A surge of hatred counters the mysterious force, allowing Noah to get close.

With a fiery swing of his axe, the creature lets out a final screech before collapsing.

(To be continued)