Story Reader / Main Story / 29 Source Beacon / Story
Huff... Puff...
Captain? You alright?
I'm fine... I guess.
He limps along, struggling to support his own body.
His leg armor was corroded by the Red Tide during the recent "encounter".
He made a quick decision and quickly cut off the corroded section. Consequently, he can only move at an extremely slow pace now.
Phew... I knew this job was tough, but I never imagined it could be this hard...
Kaully doesn't look too good either.
The large signal transmitter he was carrying is now in pieces, but it also bought them precious time to escape.
What... on earth is that thing...
Is it... an Ascendant?
Doesn't seem like an Ascendant. We've been in a few battles before, but...
Shh, I heard something from over there...
She steps forward, hoisting Crowe onto her back as if she is carrying a transmitter before taking off.
Hey! Leave me alone... Just go! Take the collected data and images with you—
Shut it. Praying Mantis doesn't need a chatterbox!
They have only taken a few steps in another direction when several massive vehicles crash through the forest with roaring engines.
Why are there still people here—hurry! Get on! Squeeze in!
The first vehicle stops in front of them. Before they could react, a few refugees jump off and quickly pull them onto the vehicle.
Wait—
—Lucille?!
Where's Elean? Is she okay?!
She's in the cart behind—no time for chit-chat, let's get moving!
The three Constructs find themselves on a rough trip squeezed between the refugees. Tents, supplies, bags, and the constant jolting make their heads spin.
After about three to four hours, as dusk begins to fall, the vehicles have finally come to a stop.
A bonfire has been lit, and everyone gathers around to warm their cold, stiff bodies.
What a thrilling journey...
I have to tell Mika about this when I see her again! It has got to be one of the major achievements of "For a Better Tomorrow - Sunlight Shines on All - Battlefield Trauma Emergency Rescue Team".
...You've worked hard too!
She pats the vehicle and gives a somewhat painful look as she gazes at the corrosion spots on its side.
On the other side of the vehicle, Crowe inhales a deep breath.
Were you... originally heading for the Clean Zone?!
But our mission was to delve into the Hetero Zone... How did we veer off course so much?
Not long after Commandant left, we encountered several more Red Tides. Their movements were completely erratic. Lucia and I had to take turns to scout in order to avoid them.
We could hardly receive any communication signals since then. That's probably when we got lost.
Um... don't move, this is the last bandage we have.
...I know why their movements are so unpredictable.
We received a new mission at a nearby conservation area. Moore needed to find his girlfriend, saying he knew the terrain well and could guide us, so we set out together.
Just like what you had encountered, we lost a few teammates and were completely driven off course by the Red Tide, mistakenly entering the city where Reactor 1 is located.
The concentration of the Punishing Virus rose rapidly, making it impossible for us to stay. After collecting some data and samples, we decided to find an area with a lower concentration so we could leave this zone.
Then, deep within the Red Tide... we saw "her".
▄▆... ▆▁▃...
Wearing a green cloak, a petite girl stands barefoot on the Red Tide, humming a bizarre melody in an undecipherable language.
How could anyone even live in such a high concentration of the Punishing Virus...
Something isn't right. The Punishing Virus in this Red Tide is extremely active...
A small, rabbit-like Hetero-Creature suddenly leaps out from the Red Tide at the girl's feet.
No way...
...In accordance with human etiquette, greetings to you, survivors.
She slowly approaches the two Constructs with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
She called herself Cradle. We couldn't determine if "she" was a special Ascendant or something else...
He shivers.
Before they could say anything, the girl reaches out her hands toward them.
The Red Tide gathers at her feet, eagerly spreading toward the two Constructs.
Kaully acted quickly, dropping the signal transmitter she had been carrying. She seemed very interested in it, momentarily halting her pursuit of us.
Otherwise, I would've definitely lost more than just this leg.
...
Could she be an undiscovered Ascendant?
I don't think so. Most registered Ascendants are Constructs, but that girl doesn't have any of the characteristics of a Construct.
Instead of a Construct, she's more like... a creation entirely composed of the Red Tide and Punishing Virus.
...How are your communication devices holding up?
With the signal booster lost, our connection with Babylonia is completely severed.
Lucia remains silent as she watches the refugees behind her start to drift into sleep.
The refugees still firmly believe they're heading in the right direction. She can only continue to offer false hope to maintain their confidence and drive.
The Red Tide looms closely behind, shrouded in a thick, polluted cloud, carrying an ominous and unfathomable hostility, relentlessly pursuing this group of displaced humans.
She has verified the identities of the Constructs of Praying Mantis. They have no reason to lie to them. But if that unknown presence really charges into this camp...
She couldn't stop "her" from coming, nor did she have the confidence to protect all the humans behind her.
If Commandant is here... what would Commandant do?
Despite the vast distance between the ground and sky, the faint flicker of the M.I.N.D. connection still shines unwaveringly.
...Fortunately, the vehicles still have ample energy, and there's enough food to last everyone a few more days.
The warm flames of the campfire dance in the darkness. After a long silence, Liv speaks first.
We have the map now. Although the terrain has shifted due to the Red Tide, the general direction should still be correct.
...Take a rest for now. We'll continue moving when the dawn breaks.
This is the graveyard of a collapsed civilization.
The traces of humanity vanished with the outbreak of the Punishing Virus, and nature gradually took over.
Flowers in the green strips bloomed and withered, while the fruits on the treetops fell into the soil and rotted.
Weeds and vines have naturally claimed the skyscrapers, and the halted machines stand calmly in every corner of the city. Branches and buds are peeking through the gaps of unknown skeletons.
All that remains in this once glorious city are broken walls and debris. The Zero Point Reactor is now a desolate ruin, and the library, which once bore human civilization, is reduced to a massive skeleton.
Only the sun continues its eternal path, illuminating the city as always.
Muttering in a cryptic language, the cloaked girl finally steps onto this land.
▄▆... ▆▁▃...
The mist has enveloped the area. The Red Tide rustles softly around the girl's ankles, silently entering the long-abandoned city.
This is the story of civilizations—they fall, rise, and then fall again.
There is always a pattern to follow.
Record everything, write down everything, and seize everything...
She raises her head, taking a deep breath of the decayed air.
...▄... Let's do it here.
Standing before the collapsed entrance of the library, she politely and respectfully bows to the towering guardian robot.
In accordance with the rules of civilizations, I... shall purchase this land I'm standing on from you.
She gently places a rudimentarily carved square wooden token before the corrupted mechanoid guard.
And now...
Hetero-Creatures are "born" from the Red Tide.
A new "civilization" blooms amid decayed books. The Red Tide drips like sands through an hourglass, forming a crimson "homeland".
For a civilization to grow, it needs development and adversaries.
This... is a war we cannot avoid.
Together, we will embrace a greater civilization of our own.
Hetero-Creatures gather at her feet, docile as hatchlings.
This newborn civilization needs iteration, development, and evolution. We've already gathered enough information...
Now go.
The muddy Red Tide rapidly surges, roaring outward in all directions.
...Go forth, expand, and seize. Just like what other civilizations did when they developed.
Go absorb everything that can enrich us.
We are ready.
Ready to nurture our civilization right here.
