CHAPTER 4.5.1: THE CODEX OF BRUTALITY, HONESTLY
Tyra starts typing furiously into her IC's browser, her mind racing. She searches for information about hairless, smiling dogs—the kind that had haunted her dream. Instead, the results offer a bizarre mix: user-created images ranging from grotesque to pornographic, even some depicting scenarios of rape. None, however, match the unsettling creature from her nightmare.
“Crap,” she mutters, leaning back in frustration. “Guess it’s time for the hard option.”
Her gaze sweeps across the seemingly endless Magma Spheres, each brimming with secured information. She knows she’ll have to scour through them one by one if she truly wants answers. The sheer effort it would take makes her groan audibly. Her thoughts, however, are soon interrupted as her mind drifts to Gustavo—her Rapeboy.
Last night had left her wanting more. The thrill of biting his magmaticuls still lingered in her memory, though it paled compared to her more vivid memories of her IncestFriend. “Ahh, those were good times,” she muses. Maybe later she’d ask Gustavo about the strange events surrounding her IC. For now, she heads over to him, hoping he might have noticed something unusual.
A SUSPICIOUS DISRUPTION
Gustavo sits at his station, hunched over a mound of reports. Tyra immediately recognizes them as casualty logs from her squad’s latest mission. Losing over a dozen people wasn’t just devastating—it was a bureaucratic nightmare that she does not wish on anyone much less Gustavo since the two of them have known each other since the points institution, with her sucking more than what other women could say...maybe their relationship was the one that had the most points at that time 10,000 stimulation points.
She put those thoughts outside and approaches, Gustavo looks up and raises an eyebrow. “Tyra? Surprised not to see you in these reports.”
“Sometimes I wish I was,” she shoots back with a sarcastic grin. “Guard duty’s a real party, you know.”
They both chuckle, the tension easing for a moment. But Tyra quickly shifts the conversation to her real concern.
“Ahem, speaking of reports… Did you see anyone suspicious in here recently? My IC showed a different user this morning.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Gustavo’s relaxed expression falters. “Wait—your IC has a different user?” He leans forward, clearly intrigued. “Since when does anyone mess with ICs here? Security’s airtight. If someone did this, they’ve either got a death wish or a serious grudge.”
Tyra sighs. “I didn’t think of that. Honestly, I’ve been too preoccupied with staying alive and trying not to get devoured in my dreams by a hairless dog to notice the obvious.”
“Well,” Gustavo says after a moment, “if someone tampered with your IC, that’s not just protocol violation—it’s full-blown treason. No one gets away with this unless they have one hell of a legal loophole.”
Tyra’s fists clench. Whoever did this had better have a damn good explanation—or they wouldn’t live to see another day.
SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE
Gustavo hands her his access card. “Here. Get your IC fixed, and while you’re at it, check the security cameras for me. We’ll see if anyone got in here and what they did.”
Tyra nods, determined to get to the bottom of this. With Gustavo’s card in hand, she navigates through the facility’s labyrinthine security system. Every door requires both their cards and facial recognition. The process is painstaking, but after nearly an hour, she finally reaches the surveillance room.
She notices a pile of leftover Rikesas on the counter. Grinning, she grabs one. “Gustavo won’t miss these,” she murmurs, biting into the snack as she boots up an IC to review the camera footage.
A LATE-NIGHT INTRUSION
Morning: Nothing unusual. Employees working diligently, accessing Magma Bubbles and computers as usual.
Noon: Still quiet. Gustavo even sneaks a quick nap.
Afternoon: Minor activity. Gustavo eats some Rikesas, takes a bathroom break, and finishes up for the day.
Night: At first, everything seems normal. Tyra scans through the footage, growing bored. Just as she’s about to shut off the IC, something catches her eye—a shadow on the screen.
She leans forward, narrowing her gaze. Someone is entering the Codex dimension. But that’s not the strange part. The figure moves stealthily, as though aware of the cameras. Then she sees it: a Magma Corporation employee touching his IC.
Her blood runs cold. Who the hell is this? She rewinds the footage, trying to get a clearer view of the perpetrator. His face is obscured by a hood, but his uniform is unmistakable.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Tyra’s mind races. Who could have breached security so easily? The protocols should have made it impossible. Was this the same person who tampered with her IC? And what connection did they have to the hairless dog of her nightmares?
She stares at the screen, watching the hooded figure vanish into the Codex dimension. A wave of unease washes over her. For the first time, she isn’t sure if this is something she can handle alone.
Taking a deep breath, she straightens up. Whatever the answer is, she’ll find it—even if it means stepping further into the unknown.