Twenty Recovery Units rained down a hail of gunfire at the Impuritas. The Scarlet Wolf of the Vice Captain kept watch, for it was clearly no match for the likes of high-ranking Impuritas.
Legions of charcoaled, abstract corpses hung from invisible strings were gunned down. The infant insectid beasts were also suppressed no matter how many were spawned by the Hornet. Bullets hailed from everywhere as the Impuritas oddly wanted to preserve their lives than to die and revive.
Usa – the Captain, took direct control over the entirety of the Recovery Team as Cara stood her ground beside the Lunar Haruspex and his two Lunas.
They gave a succinct observation using the scrutinizing power of the Amalgam’s Blessing.
“Level 130 is the highest. That belongs to the main Ankou. The others are all level 120, including the worm. No known abnormalities or Conditions.”
“All information is being relayed in real time to the Head. Our orders, Master?”
A Luna always referred to their superior and direct supervisor as their ‘Master’. It was born from the extreme reverence nearly all Candidate Moons had towards the Moons of the Nexus. They adopted it even after finally graduating as Aspiring Moons.
“Lay low. This is not a fight for you. Captain of the Apex Recovery Team.” The Lunar Haruspex deeply commanded.
“Listening!”
“All fodder belongs to your team. Lay ruin to those that avoid the light.”
As ordered, the Recovery Units laid waste to the Impuritas. They were destroyed before they could even fully manifest. Each individual bullet had the capacity to injure even a Moon. Impuritas of their make therefore did not stand a chance against the power of the Head’s weapons.
“Loyal hounds of the Nexus…” Hypnos scathingly uttered. “… So you were here to clean up after the Amalgam.”
“Cleanup has always been part of our job description.” The Lunar Haruspex replied in a slothful, uncaring voice. “As we always have. As we always will be ferrying Corrupted and fellows with namesakes to their deathbeds.”
He seemed to recognize Hypnos.
Of all Moons in the Nexus, there were only five with considerable years of duty. The triplets with thirty years, Garmr with sixty and finally – Anpu, with seventy-five years under his belt.
Indeed. This Moon was Anpu.
Despite his immeasurable combat abilities, he had not chosen to become part of the Seci Response Arm. In fact, he qualified to be the very face of it. Even before that he had been invited into the ranks of the Black Moons of the Chained Theocracy.
This was perhaps why he was familiar with Hypnos in the first place.
“A pity to see you here still grasping at the concept of metaphorical rivers.” Anpu slowly spoke, his voice overpowering the gunfire.
Anpu was a man who had seen enough endings to fill a library.
Though he was a Demi-human, he lacked the visible features of one. Only the tail of a jackal hid underneath his garbs. The tip was shaped like a weighing scale, and it softly tapped against his back in the tune of his heartbeat.
“As crude as we last met. Serum G has kept you stagnant. Unlike like us or the River Nile, wouldn’t you say, old friend?”
The mention of the metaphorical rivers visibly irritated Anpu.
“They still think the root of my origins is sourced from some ‘River’ across our sea? You haven’t changed either.”
“Friend of yours, huh!?” Cara shouted, retrieving a red and black suitcase that was drawn from a Carrier’s Dimensional Storage. “It’s sickening seeing people you knew end up like that!”
“He was someone that walked a similar path as mine – a path clad in eternal night. It’s no surprise that he seeks abstract things like it will fix all grievances.”
Carriers were Blessed with the additional role of safekeeping invaluable items.
In this case, it was the suitcase. Cara flicked open its heavy locking mechanism, revealing an array of vial filled with a glowing, red liquid.
//////// < CAUTION > ////////
SERUM R
Red Riding
< Increases Emotional State generation. Combat abilities are greatly enhanced. The pendulum swings between Stability and Instability will be immense due to the tales of grandeur >
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
< Use sparingly >
* * *
Serum R was often used by those with Corrupted Personas. It essentially allowed the egos of both the user and the Corrupted Persona to mesh in a way, uniting them temporarily. But inconsistencies in their compatibility would be greatly exaggerated, resulting in faster Instability.
Otherwise, it basically a shot of adrenaline and caused people to vehemently chase their goals.
It was not mandated and found better use during compatibility tests to allow a person to compare their egos with a Corrupted Persona, as they would experience illusions of grandeur, like they were a character within the Corrupted’s tale.
Some were protagonists. Some saw themselves as deities. Others were broken down as side characters, or victims of whatever cruelty that tale possessed.
Serum R, at its core, was essentially a form of Specific Nex, though its origins were not specifically known. It was believed to be a product of Nex generation, with few actually capable of sensing it like the Unit Managers of Impulse Works.
Even fewer could read the very lines of the tale itself than simply being thrown into their story ‘In Medias Res’.
Those who wore Corrupted Personas were able to use them in one of two ways. The first was through temporary manifestations that allowed them to use quick Corrupted Skills, like how Cara was able to use Solemn Regret’s attacks despite not fully manifesting it.
However, this was limited only to Passive Skills. Cara’s attacks were merely augmented by it.
Secondly, a person could manifest it completely, changing their body as the very ego of the Corrupted Persona overlaps with theirs.
Both introduced the concept of Stability and Instability, the former being how much control one had over one’s sense of self, and the latter being how in control the Corrupted Persona was.
This was why compatibility was necessary in the first place. There were several kinds of compatibility.
The first was Resonance, like Cara who understood the emotions that defined Solemn Reget. This was by far the best kind of compatibility.
The second was Rejection. A stronger mind could wield incompatible Corrupted, but their individual egos would fight over control, leading to inevitable ruin and Instability.
The third was Dissonance. It was a Corrupted Persona that did not grant skills to allow the user to utilize it well. This usually occurred when a person possessed an exceptionally powerful sense of self which essentially smothered the Corrupted Persona, leading to a form of cognitive dissonance.
And the fourth was Aggression, where the Corrupted Persona actively sought to destroy the ego of the person, usually because the Corrupted was far too powerful for them to wield despite how compatible they may be.
One important thing to factor was that no matter how compatible a person was with a Corrupted Persona, using their powers often came at the expense of oneself.
The only exception came from the Bonded compatibility. This, unsurprisingly, was unique to Ignis and the Iron Candle.
* * *
“Do not target the Raven. Expositionists have no power on this battlefield. The wiser approach will be to capture them alive.” Anpu ordered, musing Raven who, as said – only observed the events.
“Corrupted manifestation? Hoh. Now that is surprising.” Raven uttered. “The Brightest Star is lacking in many ways… So the Amalgam has reached this point.”
“This is concerning.” Hypnos agreed, whereas the other Impuritas could not believe their eyes.
Cara’s wrists and throat bled like a waterfall. Fragments of blades stuck out from various parts of her body. She pried a blade far too large to have been inside of her chest, and she wielded it effortlessly in a single hand.
“They can wear Corrupted…? And yet we are still incapable of becoming one…?” The Monarch was taken aback by the strongest, instantly firing needles at them from the endless smoke. “Unfair. It’s unfair! Die! Children! Devour them!”
But those needles went nowhere.
They dropped in front of Cara’s feet like flies. The flick of a black tail appeared all around Cara, swatting the needles from the skies.
Projectiles were never a powerful weapon in Elysia, save for firearms like the likes of the Justica Arms. The reason being was that any competent person could cut them down long before they were considered a risk.
“It’s futile.” Anpu said. “This fruitless conflict will only end in one way.”
The armor of the Clockwork Spindleworm began to give way. Bullets now entered the smoke, clearly striking some of the Impuritas as they let out a hoarse cry.
In the meantime, Cara swung her oversized knife around like a paintbrush, causing red slashes to explode within the fog. A knife disappeared from her body with every stroke. The oppressive attack kept the Impuritas in check.
It seemed like the Impuritas were on the verge of an unceremonious death.
However –
“Futile, you say? Oh friend. So much time has passed since we walked on the same road.” Hypnos recited.
A hoarse, indescribably cry broke out from within the smoke.
“Futility was all this world ever knew. Life is so precious, and yet we bury them away. It may not be at the same Soul Rank as the likes of a sacred Leviathan, or dare I say, Tiamat, but…”
The putrid head of a decaying creature emerged, its wriggling flesh attaching the base of its neck to the ruptured side of the Clockwork Spindleworm. Its face was similar to that of a serpent but possessed a vertical-split mouth. Overgrown, barbed teeth tabbed into its face and ripped it apart as it screamed.
“… A Moon like yourself will struggle regardless against an old relic like Fafnir.”
The massive head of the wingless dragon belonged to an ancient dragon called Fafnir. Its slimy, rotting body dripped with black goop, which anchored itself into the gaping wound of the Clockwork Spindleworm.
“You… Will constitute us… Word will spread… of your desertion…” The Clockwork Spindleworm perished, its body now serving as the body of the resurrected dragon.
Because it grafted itself to the center part of the worm, it appeared to have two bodies.
Fafnir
Beast of Eternal Greed
< Eulogy >
Soul Rank: Incandescent | Impuritas: Memento Mori LEVEL : 150 ORIGIN : Dragon
HP : 250,000
ATT : 3,000 MAG ATT : 3,000 ATT DEF : 1,200 MAG DEF : 1,200
MP: 120,000
RESIST : 300 AGI : 45