Story Reader / Main Story / 13 Fake Ascension / Story
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!
...
Commandant, the last one is right under your foot.
The surrounding area has been cleared of Corrupted!
After a sigh of relief, you all begin to investigate your surroundings. A vast underground space outstretches before you with faint red lights flashing all over the place.
This looks like a production facility... Seems like all of the Corrupted surrounding the city are produced here.
...
Lucia puts away her katana and walks back. The confused tone in her voice echoes throughout the vast empty space.
I think... I just heard a Corrupted say my name. I...
The neural circuits of the Corrupted have long been destroyed by the Punishing Virus. Maybe you're just hearing things.
Or maybe, the data collected contains memories from a Babylonian Construct, which just so happens to contain data about you...
Well, I retrieved data from the memory shells of the Corrupted we fought in battle just now and screened it for potential intel.
After all, we've reached the source of the Red Tide. We don't need to collect info from such a wide area like we did in the city. We just need to screen data through the Spear of F.O.S. to find the useful ones.
Lee, you've already started analyzing the data we found in battle?
Yes, it'll be more efficient. After all, most of the information in the memory shells is damaged or meaningless. We can't always stop to look at these things.
Thankfully we have the help of the Spear of F.O.S. Our data collection and analysis speed has increased significantly.
Lee turns the holo-screen to you and points to several marked entries of memory data.
I picked out something interesting from the information extracted.
The video on the holo-screen plays at double speed and then stops at the place that Lee marked.
Yes... That's right...
Despair and hatred, correct? When these emotions completely occupy your M.I.N.D... it will be the beginning of your redemption.
Ugh... Aaargh!
Babylonia will no longer send rescue teams here. The people you want to protect have already...
Are you disappointed with humankind? If you had enough strength... Even just a little, it wouldn't have been like this.
I know a place where you can make your wish a reality. You will make the people who've betrayed you suffer a hundred times more pain than you do now...
Are you... joking...?
The Construct reaches out his feeble hands into the void. Only the alloy bones of his fingertips remain, their skins having fallen off from all the damage as if he had used them to dig through the hard earth.
Beside him is a big crater from an explosion. The things lying at the bottom of the crater are not projected, indicating that the data is damaged.
Roland stands on a rock covered in vital fluid next to the crater as he slowly speaks with a menacing tone and an unconcerned smile.
Isn't that good? You no longer have to fear the Punishing Virus. Instead, let it become the power that can destroy everything within your grasp.
Roland raises his hand like a magnificent conductor. The Punishing Virus wraps around his fingertips and charges toward the Construct.
Remember these coordinates. Remember these boiling emotions within your M.I.N.D.
...May "she" become the beacon that guides you in your rebirth.
It appears to be a sanguine sea of machines.
A large number of machines and Constructs gather at Luna's feet. Their bodies shine with red light from the corrosive Punishing Virus.
Kneeling down, they shout and scream mechanically like enthralled apostles, yearning to receive the power of ascension from Luna.
How naive... Only by embracing and accepting it, are you fit to control the power of the Punishing Virus.
To wish for relief—you have already lost your chance.
Ugh—!
Roland swings his weapon, and the Corrupted is quickly split into two halves.
...
To join the core of the Ascension-Network and be bestowed Miss Luna's power, you will have to prove yourself—
Prove that you are crueler... more dreadful... and deadlier... than the virus.
Only so, are you fit to become the owner of the virus, do you understand?
The red current at Luna's fingertips gradually extinguishes. She looks at the mangled Construct before her with a tepid gaze.
I... did it... I've become... an Ascendant!
I can control the Punishing Virus! I can... revive my companions... I can be with them again...
...
Miss Luna... Thank you...
The enraptured Construct bows before Luna. Suddenly, a noticeable change overcomes him, and his corruption level rapidly reaches critical.
Ugh... Aaargh!
How can this... But I... I succeeded!
AAAAGGHHH!
The Construct's alarm continuously warns of the dangerous level of Punishing Virus corruption. His eyes, eager for the power of an Ascendant, begin to lose focus, before turning to a deep red from the corruption.
Death... to... humanity...
...
Luna quietly watches everything unfold before her, then lowers her gaze and walks away.
Another failure... How many has there been?
Your preliminary screening is flawed.
I don't think that was the case this time. After all, he passed the test. What happens after that is out of my control.
The test object is screened by the Ascension-Network, but only Miss Luna can grant them ascension. Are you questioning Miss Luna's judgment as an agent?
That's not what I said.
Roland raises his hands and retreats in defeat while quietly observing Luna's expression. She remains indifferent as if the two people's arguments have nothing to do with her.
She looks up at the projection before her in contemplation. The projection shows a picture of a girl with black hair kneeling in the ruins and propping herself up with a sword.
Even if you become an Ascendant, that doesn't mean you've become one of our comrades.
He frowns in pity at the incapacitated Corrupted on the ground.
Even if you pass the Ascnet test... That doesn't mean you're home free.
Roland.
Yes, Miss Luna?
Luna gently tilts her head. The Corrupted writhing in agony stops moving. He lies on the ruins quietly as the red light fades from his eyes.
The pale girl stretches out her hand, gently touching the projection of the girl in agony, who is holding an ID card, then folds her hand as if to hide her in the palm of her hand.
...It's time. Let's bring Lucia home.
Luna...
Seeing Luna's projection, Lucia's hand clenches at her side.
In other words, the remains of all Corrupted here are just the failed results of the "Ascnet test."
The Corrupted thirst for power and fight for favor, but scream in agony as they lose their minds... Even after the playback is over, their harsh screaming still echoes in your ears.
I can't bring myself to imagine what Luna went through to become an Ascendant...
You put your hand on Lucia's shoulder. Liv approaches and gently holds her hand.
I understand. Now's not the time to think about it.
Lucia's eyes return from their momentary doubts to their usual resolve. She looks over at you and smiles.
Lee, is there anything else about this info that have you concerned?
...
...Well, judging from our current intel, the "ascension" process is probably composed of three stages: virus corruption, qualification testing, then ascension from an "agent".
Only Luna, who is an "agent", has the ability to ascend individuals corrupted by the Punishing Virus. The question is whether Luna is the only "agent".
Well, they don't seem to belong to Luna's forces. So who made them "Ascendants"?
According to the number of Ascendants in our intel and the number of remains here in the ruins, we can estimate a success rate of 0.042%.
Seems like it's not so easy to become an Ascendant. No wonder Roland is running around trying to find new recruits and sending them here.
And... we don't know if there are more Ascendants left unaccounted for.
Moreover, if Ascnet repeatedly tests Ascendants, that means that Ascendants can revert to Corrupted at any point.
Revert to Corrupted...
We don't know exactly what this so-called "test" means.
Anyway, synchronize this data with Babylonia. I'll leave it to you, Liv.
Perhaps, Luna is hiding here. If my deduction is correct, then... we are going to need backup.
Got it!
