Story Reader / Main Story / 00 Prologue / Story
With the cessation of the 170th Corrupted activity signal, silence returns and takes over the noise.
The wounded Lucia lays disheveled over the heaps of broken Corrupted parts. Her chest heaving irregularly in an attempt to calm her own breathing.
Commandant...
What's the... situation...?
...Is that so?
Lucia emptily stares at the dancing embers before her.
Commandant...
The Anti-Punishing Serum for this mission... How many do you have left?
……
In truth, the one just now was the last...
……
You don't have to hide it for me.
From your first serum injection, I've already been counting, Commandant...
42 minutes... since your last serum injection...
Just as I thought...
If we run out of serum, Commandant, your human body will not be able to survive here.
The other members of Gray Raven have yet to arrive... I'm the only one who can buy time for you to retreat...
But the pain reception is affecting my performance, Commandant.
Please authorize the temporary disabling of my pain reception and allow me to continue fighting.
What's the matter...? Are you worried that if I continue on like this, my M.I.N.D. will permanently deviate from the human consciousness model?
You're always one to care about these...
It's fine, Commandant, I believe in you. As long as we keep our consciousness linked, your Mind Beacon will allow me to stay human.
As for this rash decision... I'll report back to you for disciplinary actions when we return to HQ.
Authorized. Recalibrating neural link parameters...
M.I.N.D. deviation coefficient increased by 0.021...
Wait, Commandant! The enemies—augh!
Initializing Sensorium...
Construct: Lucia, offline—
Deconstruct... Rebuild...
Until Lucia's consciousness comes back online, she will have to be protected.
So, there is only one thing left to do—
Exterminate—Humans!
The Corrupted frames are riddled with bullets all over, yet they show no signs of slowing down.
And the next instant, the scintillating blade of the Corrupted is already raised high—
—Then caught it before the blade had a chance to fall—
—And a gut punch follows, dismantling the near-fractured frame of the Corrupted.
An attack slides past—
Before the Corrupted could stabilize itself from the missed leap, its head is detached by a roundhouse kick. The body then quickly collapses.
Even so, the remaining Corrupted continue to converge...
Urgh—!
The Corrupted shamble, rushing toward—
Stay away... from... my commandant...
Urgh—!
Bzz..
Initialization complete. Consciousness: Lucia, online—
Report. Construct Lucia is now ready for battle.
Commandant... Thank you, I'll handle this from now on.
——!
No longer fettered by pain, Lucia spins through the battlefield—
—destroying Corrupted with an almost terrifying alacrity...
Yet their numbers show no signs of decrease...
And—
Connecting—
Commandant! Lucia!
We're ready! Please find cover, quickly!
WARNING: HIGH-DENSITY ENERGY SOURCE DETECTED—
Commandant, down! Now!
