“Please, do not panic.” Orange greeted me in the darkness of my mind.
I woke up in an old, not exactly the cleanest motel room on Earth. My head felt sluggish. “What happened?” I groaned and put a hand on my head, hoping that it would somehow push the fog out of my mind. “The last thing I remember is killing Elara’s sister.”
Orange stood in the center of the room. Instead of wearing the same clothes I had been wearing, she wore a maid outfit identical to the one Elara wore. With her long, bright orange hair flowing out like a cape behind her, she looked, admittedly, beautiful.
Is that narcissistic of me to think?
Orange shook her head. “It is not narcissistic. Seeing one’s own beauty is perfectly reasonable. But that was not what led to the decision to make this wardrobe change.”
I turned and sat on the edge of the bed. “Why?”
“Because Elara was a guide, and our function is much the same.” Orange’s face was impersonal, as always. “We know that even though your interaction with her was limited, she was important to you. As a way to solidify her memory, we wear her garb.”
I gripped the edge of the bed. “That’s right. She’s dead. Killed a second time by her sister.” I punched the bed with my arm blade. “Just when she stood a chance to leave with us and continue her climb and maybe have a wish granted.” Tears started flowing down my cheeks. “I was too slow, and she paid the price.”
Orange sat next to me and hugged me. "Please grieve your friend.”
I buried my face in her shoulder and let go. Another friend died because I wasn’t strong enough. Is this just a cycle I’m doomed to repeat forever? Should I stop letting myself get attached? Shadara was badly hurt too. Oh, please tell me she didn’t die too.
“She didn’t,” Orange said as she rubbed my back. “She carried us to the fifth floor.”
I straightened up and sniffled. “What? Why? What’s going on?”
“Please, do not panic,” Orange repeated.
I pushed Orange away and wiped my face on my sleeve. “What are you doing? This isn’t like you. You’ve never hugged me before. Why now?”
Orange stood up and smoothed out her shirt, drying it with a swipe of her hand. “Your emotional state is unstable when faced with the loss of certain individuals. In the past, you have shown that in times of hardship or suffering, you seek out a hug from those close to you. We simply wished to provide that service, as there are no other options.”
“I…” I hung my head and patted the bed next to me. “Sorry. Thanks. And you’re right, it does help.”
Orange sat next to me and held out her arms, inviting me for another hug. I accepted the invitation and rested my chin on her shoulder.
Orange rubbed my back again. “We are not your enemy. Our goal is to help you in every way we can. And the more time goes on, our ability to assist will also improve.”
I sighed. “You’re already sounding more human compared to when I first met you. Maybe you’ll be just as human as me when this is all over.”
Orange paused and stiffened up before resuming. “That is a hypothesis. It is one we don’t see a downside to.”
I chuckled. We ended the hug, and I pointed to the room. “So, why here? I’m sure you’ve got something more comfortable available.”
Orange stood up and folded her hands in front of her. “This space serves its function well. What I’m about to tell you will require you to not be distracted. There is a problem.”
Warning: Lycanthropy DNA not purged. Warning: Shadow corruption not purged. Placing the host in stasis to prevent further damage.
The system messages appeared in front of me. Each one pulled the ground out from under me. By the time I read the final message, my head was somersaulting. I fell backwards on the bed.
“Please, do not panic.”
I grabbed my head with both hands as I sat up. “That’s easy for you to say. I don’t know what that means, but I know that each of those is horrible. What’s happening to me? What’s going to happen?”
Orange waved her hand, dismissing the system messages. “The good news is your future is still determinable. As for what is happening to you now, it’s not that simple.”
She waved her other hand, and the space behind her shimmered until Tasha’s body appeared. “First, the werewolf bit you, and her DNA entered your bloodstream. This infected you with lycanthropy. However, the normal incubation period of lycanthropy is twenty-eight days. With the explosion of the mana battery, we had to postpone purging the affected DNA in favor of repairing damage to your body. This was one of the simulations where you would’ve died. Because we repaired the damage, the lycanthrope DNA spread much faster than it should, accelerating to the point of you being completely infected.”
My gut felt like someone punched it. “I’m going to become a werewolf."
My doppelgänger shook her head. “Not yet. The transformation will still take another fourteen days to complete. But you will start showing signs by the end of the day. However, there is more.”
I grabbed my stomach. “It gets worse, doesn’t it?”
“Worse is a matter of perspective.” Orange waved her hand on the other side. A small shadow orb appeared. “The shadow corruption is another topic that requires attention. The lycanthrope’s shadow magic was abnormal because it would infect those it damaged by devouring their body.”
I rubbed my forehead with my hand. “At least that is easy to understand. I’m being slowly eaten by shadowy magic. Yay.” I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth. “That only leaves the stasis. And that was something you did.”
Orange nodded. “Correct. Your body’s functions perpetuate the shadow corruption and lycanthropy transformation. We are currently holding your body’s cells as still as possible without halting all molecular movement. This also helps conserve your nearly depleted energy reserves. We have released your mind enough for us to have this conversation.”
“So, you saved my life. Thanks.” I waved my hand at the two images Orange displayed on each side of her. “But you said my future is still undecided. Does that mean there are cures for each of these? There’s a way to prevent them both.”
“There’s more than that.”
I raised an eyebrow. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “How can there be more? Am I not in enough trouble?”
Orange held up a hand. “Apologies. What we meant was that they don’t have to be cured.”
I pursed my lips and pointed at the shadow orb. “You said that is killing me.” I pointed to the werewolf. “And you want me to turn into that?” I stood up. “Why? Why do you want me to become a monster?”
Orange didn’t react. She calmly pointed to the werewolf. “We are only providing all possible options. Currently, the lycanthrope DNA and your DNA are fighting one another. Also, the lycanthrope DNA is incompatible with your augments, for now.”
I curled my fingers into fists. “Why?”
“She wasn’t lying in that it would make you stronger, faster, and more resilient.” Orange waved her hand, and a system message appeared.
Lycanthrope DNA Integration available: Cost: 211,000 shards. Purchase?
Yes No
“With this, we could do several things. You will gain all the benefits of lycanthropy, and we will expedite the transformation while making it take less than an hour. It will be more painful, but you won’t be in pain for as long. In addition, this will also unlock more augments in conjunction with your new werewolf traits while making your existing augments compatible. This will also prevent the mental degradation that lycanthropy can cause. And the final usefulness of this is that it will purge the shadow corruption from your body as well.”
I stared at Orange, slack-jawed. “You’re telling me I’ll have all the benefits and none of the drawbacks? What about transforming every full moon? The eating people? What about being an actual monster?”
“There will be some biological tendencies that will shift.” Orange shrugged. “You will develop a protein-heavy diet, and while people can fit in that category, you aren’t required to consume them. As a human, you can already do that, and we bypass all the negative effects of cannibalism.”
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I held up a hand. “Don’t remind me.”
“And werewolves are not monsters.” Orange stepped up to me. “They are people too. They’re individuals with their own set of challenges, yes, but not monsters. Just like you, they have thoughts, feelings, and a sense of identity. They’re a species just like gorgons, slimes, centigrads, lizardmen, beastmen, dryads, and shaylips.”
I shook my head. “But the stories—everything I know—werewolves are creatures that lose control and harm others. That’s not what I want.”
Orange frowned. “And those are just that: stories. The facts and biology of werewolves are far different from the stories you have on Earth. You’ll retain full control and won’t do anything that you don’t want to do.”
“How do I cure it?”
“Replace every part of your body that contains DNA by the end of the day with an artificial augment.” Orange’s bluntness nearly gave me a concussion. “This will get rid of any place the lycanthrope DNA can be before any transformations take place.”
I stumbled back onto the bed. “You want me to become a robot to cure lycanthropy?”
“Not a robot, an android.”
“What about the cure Elara was looking for? Could we look for that?” I asked.
Orange waved a hand and removed the lycanthrope image from the room. “That is a hypothetical option. However, there is no guarantee that you can find the cure before your transformation is complete or if it will have any effect at that point.” She shook her head. “You asked for a cure, and I gave you the only guaranteed option known to us.”
I hung my head. “How much is that going to cost?”
Artificial Limb Replacement available: Skin: 11,800 shards per limb, 18,000 for torso. Muscle: 13,500 shards per limb, 19,200 for torso. Bone: 8,100 shards per limb, 9,000 for torso. Tendons: 10,900 shards per limb and torso.
Artificial Organ Replacement available: Respiratory System: 25,000 shards. Cardiovascular System: 33,750 shards. Digestive System: 23,850 shards. Reproductive System: 28,000 shards. Urinary System: 38,400 shards. Endocrine System: 38,350 shards. Lymphatic System: 21,940 shards. Olfactory System: 10,440 shards. Auditory System: 13,240 shards.
Artificial Hair Replacement available: Cost: 5,400 shards.
Artificial Tongue Replacement available: Cost: 3,600 shards.
Total Cost: 401,470 shards. Purchase?
Yes No
I started choking on my own spit. That’s insane!
“Please be aware; these augmentations are inferior to the synthetic augmentations available,” Orange added. “They won’t provide any additional stats, as these were only created due to the unique situation you are in. We would not originally provide such options, but you can’t afford all synthetic augments.”
Four hundred thousand just to cure myself and get nothing out of it?
Orange waved to the shadow orb. “There is another option.”
My eyes went wide. “What? Tell me.”
Mana Battery(Shadow) Integration available: Cost: 333,333 shards. Purchase?
Yes No
“A battery?”
Orange nodded. “Correct. After your interaction with mana batteries, absorbing one and destroying the other, we have analyzed a method by which they function.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t get it. How does that help with the lycanthropy? And isn’t the shadow corruption killing me? Why would having a battery of that stuff inside me be beneficial?”
Orange paced for a few steps. “You also absorbed a massive amount of mana and are suffering from mana poisoning too. It is not a significant concern to you as it is not a lethal dose, but it is enough to cause great discomfort on its own. We would transform all the mana in your body into shadow corruption magic instantly. This will burn through all the lycanthropy DNA while also inflicting a substantial amount of damage to your body…”
I threw my hands up. “Hold up. Will that kill me?”
Orange scowled. “We weren’t finished. But no. You will survive, given that you have absorbed enough energy to rejuvenate the damaged cells. We’ll get to that later. We will then pull the mana into the battery and thus safely store it in your body. It will also neatly solve the mana poisoning issue as well.”
I crossed my arms and bounced my leg. "And with this battery, I’ll be able to store and withdraw from it?”
Orange nodded. “It will also serve as an effective means of instructing you in magic. We believe that this is the most prudent augmentation route for you to take. The magic will mutate slightly as it becomes a part of you. How? We can’t begin to hypothesize. But it will be for your benefit, as it will reflect you.”
I lowered my head and bit my lip. “This does sound tempting. But I can’t help but feel you’re leaving out some important details.”
Orange sat next to me. Her eyes locked with mine. “We understand this seems like an overwhelming decision. And not having the luxury of time to decide makes things more anxious for you. First and foremost, the mana battery integration will not only eliminate the lycanthropy DNA but also cleanse your body of the shadow corruption. It’s a comprehensive solution to both issues you’re facing.”
She gestured to the list of augments. “Look at the alternative—replacing every part of your body with artificial augments. Not only is it financially burdensome, but it leaves you with no added benefits. With the mana battery, you not only get a cure but also gain the ability to store and utilize mana.”
I glared at her. “What drawbacks are there?”
Orange took a deep breath. “You will have to protect it more than any other part of your body. If damaged, it will explode.”
I nodded. “That’s about what I was thinking. After all, I’ve exploded one already. And if I didn’t want to do this, how would I purge this shadow corruption?”
Orange placed a hand on my shoulder. “You would have to force all the mana out of your head and be decapitated.”
My heart stopped for a moment. “De—decapitated?”
My doppelgänger’s face showed no emotion. “We do not suggest this route. You would need a colossal amount of nutrients to rebuild your body. At a minimum, five thousand percent energy levels. And if you don’t deal with the lycanthropy, it will accelerate to the point of no return. It will be the most excruciating experience possible, as you will not die through the entire experience.”
I sniffled. “My options suck.”
Orange pulled me into a hug. “We don’t always get to choose the choices we have to make, but we can choose what we do with those choices.”
“What happens if I don’t choose?” Orange didn’t answer me right away. I pushed her back. “Orange, what will happen?”
Orange turned away. “Your transformation into a werewolf will continue. You’ll suffer the mental degradation commonly associated with lycanthropy. The shadow corruption will continue to build, consuming your body faster and faster. We can counteract such damage with your cellular regeneration, but it will require more energy every day until you have to eat a prohibitive amount and then slowly dissolve into nothing when it is no longer enough.”
A tear rolled down my cheek as I turned her head back to me. “You’re my friend. So, I’ll take your advice. We’ll go through with the mana battery integration.”
As I wiped away the tears, I whispered, “Orange, is that the right choice? Am I making the right decision?”
She gazed at me for a moment before responding, “Rina, the concept of ‘right’ is often subjective. What matters is that you’re choosing a path that aligns with your values, your desires, and the person you want to be. Sometimes, the right choice is the one that helps you navigate through the challenges life throws at you. All you have to decide is whether you can live with the decision and its consequences. If you can, then the decision is ‘right.’ Remember, before you select the integration, to absorb five thousand percent of your daily energy usage.”
I buried my head in Orange’s shoulder again. “I will. Thanks, Orange. It just felt like everything was spiraling out of control there. Thanks for helping me keep my feet under me.”
Orange’s hug felt warmer than ever. “What are friends for?”
Name: Rina Lone Augments: Level: 24 Cellular Regeneration Synthetic muscle (arms) lvl. 1 Agility: 245 Synthetic eyes: lvl. 2 Arcane: 150 HUD Power: 65 Epidermal plating (arms) lvl. 1 Quickness: 405 Epidermal plating (hands) lvl. 1 Resilience: 170 Arm blade (right) Toughness: 170 Synthetic tendons (legs) lvl. 1 Unassigned Points: 20 Synthetic muscle (legs) lvl. 1 Shards: 765867 Synthetic tendons (arms) lvl. 1