blueteamnovel 180. A Slightly Normal Cer
180. A Slightly Normal Cer
180. A Slightly Normal Cer
A Corrupted created by Frost’s own trauma.
The thought that such a thing existed caused conflicting emotions to arise. It was a weird, almost motherly feeling. But there was also a begrudging sense of hostility. The Vengeful Red-Hooded Assassin was an A-Classed Threat, and it wielded an oversized anti-materiel rifle.
What boggled her mind the most was how it was only categorized as A with something that could cleave right through the thickest of metal. In fact, a rifle that size would have little issue penetrating a Site’s steel doors.
So what made it so... well, weak for lack of a better word? At least compared to the Corrupted they usually faced.
Apparently, the Vengeful Red-Hooded Assassin was a Corrupted that possessed multiple interaction types. It was non-violent from what the Navigator explained, aside from when provoked or, most interestingly, when a positive outcome was achieved with certain Corrupted.
One of them was G-O-087-07, the ‘Poisoned Apple’. From what Frost understood, the Poisoned Apple belonged to one of the fairy tales from Earth. With the name of the Vengeful Red-Hooded Assassin’s weapon being ‘Fairytale’s Bane’, it became obvious just what Corrupted triggered its violent tendencies.
And most of all, it mirrored Frost’s hunt against the Impuritas.
Unfortunately, this Corrupted was not on this Site, so she couldn’t investigate it further. But she sincerely hoped that it was a friendly Corrupted, just like Snap. Otherwise, it’d have to be put down.
Or Realized.
The Vengeful Red-Hooded Assassin was currently being stored somewhere in the desert Region of Scaldak; a relatively inhospitable, dry hell. Curious, Frost asked the Navigator why they chose a remote area for storage if all Sites required a Nex-rich environment.
It was simple. Accumulation Sites – which stored Corrupted before they were classified – did not need to harvest Nex. They just needed to hold onto them. And besides, Nav’s information about Scaldak was outdated.
While civilizations did not thrive along its sandy dunes, the skies were littered with giant, floating objects. They acted as bastions and cities. They were previously the ruins of ancient Caldera Industries weapons of war, and because of their giant glass-like instruments, anything that roamed the desert during the day was effectively scorched by rays so powerful that they turned the sand into glass.
In short, the region made it difficult for powerful Corrupted to escape unscathed.
Other Sites supplied them with Nex to make up for the demands of the Site Core.
And interestingly enough:
“G-Z7. I’m going to be its Navigator. I think it’s going to be based in Emvita.” The Navigator revealed. “I don’t know if I’ll be enough, but I want to do my best. The Corrupted...”
She wanted to say something more to Frost, but she stopped herself with a small hum. Frost sat beside a sleeping Jury, her head resting on her lap. As usual, her tail kept Frost in place. Jury was a possessive lover. Or maybe she was like a predator that wanted to keep its prey close overnight?
Not that she minded, of course.
“What about them?” Frost wanted to hear the Navigator speak her mind.
“It’s nothing. I always had this weird... really stigmatizing belief about them.” She admitted as Frost listened to Jury’s heart, all the while she watched an analogue clock tick down on the wall. “Don’t mind me. Please get ready. The Overseer is coordinating our Workers. You will be dealing with the brunt of the event.”
They were 60 minutes away from the break of dawn.
Everyone was sound asleep. The soft snores of her friends filled their dim room. The triplets huddled in a corner like a giant mass of fuzz, and Ignis and Ara found themselves submerged in a sea of Snap’s golden fur.
Earlier, before the group rested for the night, the Overseer went over the specifics of tomorrow’s events. The first was that they were expecting at least 2 tribulations. 3 if they required excess Nex for whatever reason.
This all depended on how much Nex was converted into liquid Nex for the day. Once a certain threshold was met, then a Tribulation Event would occur.
Tribulations were essentially Impuritas invasions that spanned the entire Site. While they knew which days to look out for and when this threshold was met – They could only know which Impuritas group would attack ahead of time through Act X’s Crystal Plaque.
This mattered tremendously. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time was one thing, but being unprepared for the type of Impuritas was another. Depending on the Impuritas, such as the Librarians, a total lockdown needed to occur, and the corridors would then send spinning blades to shred them, or completely close their walls to crush them.
The Paged disease was not something most Sites were equipped to deal with.
In 60 minutes, they would be met with an old Impuritas foe – the Crimson Hunger.
It was exactly during this time when the Herald delivered the next set of missions, as well as the predictions for tomorrow.
It was the hallmark of a Demi-human’s trust, and Cer openly granted them this with a grin.
“What’s with you two? Not you too Ignis. Look, what’s going to weight down a Moon?” She pushed their hands away. “But I’ll consider it. Be honored~ But thanks. Really, you really are just like...” She trailed off purposefully. “Heh. Got you there. Like who? Dunno.”
She returned to her sisters’ side, who could only stare carefully at Cer as if there was something wrong with her. But nothing was, because moments later, they titled their heads and welcomed her with a small smile.
“Isn’t she cunning?” Cer suddenly sighed, revering back to her old self. “Look what she did to us. She has Jury already, but she took Res and me as well! You’re next!” She warned Ber, causing the woman to point at herself.
“Me!? I’m next!? Jury! What just what kind of person did you fall in love with!?” Ber shouted, joining Cer’s cheeky ruse as Frost couldn’t help but laugh alongside Jury, who suddenly embraced Frost and said:
“Maybe it’s you three that want her.”
“Heh. Yeah... yeah. Look at me with contempt.” Cer reveled in Jury’s gaze, which was jokingly scrutinizing.
Cer Syndrome was truly a serious illness.
“Oh no, CER!” Ber exclaimed, shaking her sister to snap out of it.
“Seriously, what the hell is wrong with your brain!?” Res pilled in.
Despite the horrors that awaited, their group was relatively nonchalant. On the other side of the Cognition Receivers, they could hear how the Overseer was becoming annoyed with how little of a threat they saw the Crimson Hunger as.
At the same time, the Navigator tried to picture just what sort of strength it took to laugh in the face of their equivalent of a living nightmare. Ignis and Snap just glanced at each other, and they both shrugged, nodded, and watched the spectacle unfold.
Ara on the other hand, who knew of the threats they were about to face, proudly smiled. Their lax attitude inspired confidence in her.
Either that, or she was just happy to hear the Overseer suffer.
*Snap*
Suddenly, a polaroid slipped into Cer’s shirt.
Frost couldn’t help but to wonder who was in that photograph, certain that she reminded Cer of whoever it was.
* * *
An hour later, the Site issued a warning. A unique siren blared this time. It was a low-pitched rumble as the bright, magical lights throughout the Site flashed red.
//////// WARNING ////////
< TRIBULATION IN EFFECT >
CRIMSON HUNGER
< Dungeon >
< “Gnaw and churn. The hunger must never end.” >
Suddenly, and without any warning, mysterious clumps of flesh began to populate the corridors of each floor. They began as tiny grains of meat before they combined into giant clumps of flesh.
These were none other than the Flesh Clots.