Story Reader / Main Story / 33 Wither to Shine / Story
Aerospace City
...It's done.
After obtaining the new Red Tide sample and resources, Rosa has dedicated herself to working day and night with the team's recovered core device, finally creating new filters.
The first small-scale filter springs right into action, steadily diminishing the rising corruption levels that had been intensifying with each passing day.
The Red Tide slowly recedes along the edges of Aerospace City, making the air within seem to flow more freely.
As another new filter slowly activates, the nearby working residents let out quiet cheers.
Comprehensive testing is completed. Purification efficiency is 8% higher than before, barely enough to maintain the current Punishing Virus concentration in this area.
She frowns at the crude device, clearly dissatisfied with the current results.
Well, at least it can hold back the Mutated Red Tide for a while...
Emma tries to comfort those present, but hearing these words only makes Rosa's frown deepen.
...The analysis report on the Red Tide sample is complete. Its growth exceeds my expectations. Just an 8% increase in purification efficiency isn't enough for a permanent solution, but...
This is already the limit of what we can do with all of Aerospace City's available resources. We're short on substitutes, and our experimental supplies continue to dwindle...
I'm sorry... This is the best answer I can provide right now...
We're out of time, unless we can extract more components from the Hetero Tower's core.
She bites down hard on her lower lip.
Also... here's what you asked for.
Rosa hands you a small hat-shaped device.
The lab just created this first simulation device today based on my earlier concept. It hasn't been tested yet.
...What is this?
It can stabilize...
Is there a problem with your M.I.N.D.?
Emma immediately tenses up.
You cut in before Rosa can speak. Hearing your explanation, Emma shifts her gaze away, not entirely convinced.
Mind Beacon simulation... filtering... If we could strengthen each filter at a single point using a lighthouse network approach and then extend it into a grid...
Inspired in a flash, Rosa hastily jots something down in her notebook before swiftly turning on her heel and rushing back to the laboratory.
Rosa, you haven't rested in a long time...
Thud.
All that answers everyone is the sound of the laboratory door shutting close.
...
Emma lets out a soft sigh as the door at the end of the hallway creaks open, revealing Discord's entrance.
Not so good.
Everyone's in low spirits. The advance team hasn't gone outside for a long time, not since Agent Zero appeared.
No venturing outside means no supply runs, resulting in food shortages and dwindling essential resources. For some, the memory of a satisfying meal has been missed for a long time.
And besides... ever since they learned about what happened to Vanessa...
She turns her head away, gazing out the window.
Outside, a chilling wind blows through the streets, stirring a hushed gathering of residents all gazing toward the direction where Vanessa departed.
Thirty years—both brief and long at once. Many have followed Vanessa through constant relocations since their earliest memories, making her virtually the cornerstone of their existence.
No matter how dire things became, with Vanessa around, everything somehow seemed salvageable. She would loudly berate those who made foolish mistakes while simultaneously finding ways to ensure everyone's continued survival.
Now... without Vanessa, how much further can they possibly go?
Beneath the soft strains of the melody, muffled sobs can be heard. The residents, with fearful faces and hunched shoulders bracing against the cold, remain rooted in place, unwilling to retreat to the warmth of their indoor sanctuary.
They join the singer in a soft chant, raising various light sources—crude lanterns and hastily bundled torches—above their heads.
Scattered points of light flicker to life across the street, guiding the wandering soul toward home.
Should we... do something?
To help them regain their spirit...
...But they should never have had to endure such hardship.
If the Hetero Tower had never descended, if Agent Zero had never appeared, if none of this had ever happened...
These residents... they could live in Babylonia, in conservation areas, as staff members, mechanical engineers, soldiers, farmers, traveling merchants...
They could be born into a more peaceful world.
They shouldn't have to bear such suffering and sorrow.
Everyone has the right to grieve. Time will ferment sorrow into bitter wine, giving each soul the courage to live on.
...
Emma lets out a soft sigh once more, hesitating briefly before casting a glance toward you.
Then... what about you?
How are you feeling?
Blood trickles through your fingers, blurring the lines of your skin. The rough metal cuts into your palm as the tags of Scarab and Gray Raven hang together, their weight heavy in your hand and heart.
But you...
Vanessa fought until her final moment. If you were to fall here...
In the end, you're just as mediocre as I thought... [player name].
You slide open the window, allowing a rush of cold wind mixed with swirling snowflakes to rush inside, cooling your reddened eyes and clearing your mind.
Time bought with the price of life should not be wasted on despair and sorrow.
Swiftly recalling all events experienced since entering the Hetero Tower, you scour through your memories in search of that pivotal thread amidst the chaos.
There must be a final "solution" to everything happening now.
And "hope"... is the other reward you're getting.
I'm sure there will come a turning point where you'll find a perfect solution to the problems you're facing right now.
This is what you... what your entire civilization has strived for.
At this stage, the Hetero Tower can no longer be entered. So... are there other solutions that could set the world back on its proper course?
Your vision sinks downward as your mind is pulled away by sharp threads, submerging into the deep, dark waters.
Hmm... Is it a new "anomaly"? Looks like something interesting is about to happen...
Sorry... leave this place... It is not... the right time for you to be here.
That woman with her face indiscernible... Those half-real, half-illusory mumblings...
When all illusions are stripped away, what remains, no matter how incredulous, stands as the final truth.
An obscure semblance of truth starts to take shape in your mind, yet before the final thread can be grasped, the sounds of gunfire and hurried footsteps from outside the walls shatter the flow of thought.
Commandant! There's an emergency communication from the patrol team!
Muted gunfire reverberates from the outskirts of the city walls, slicing through the air. Beads of cold sweat dampen the forehead of the guarding soldier, his quivering gun barrels aimed at the advancing enemies below, who approach with an unsettling impassivity.
He glances at the self-destruct device on his protective suit, grits his teeth, and establishes communication with the city.
Warning—Warning! Punishing Virus concentration is rising—
The specialized bullet tears through the Hetero-Creature and sinks into Agent Zero's body. Its form blurs for a moment, only to swiftly recover.
It's not working—
It's Agent Zero—Agent Zero is spotted!
What comes after the chaotic sounds is a muffled explosion.
Found it! It's the sentry post on the outskirts of Aerospace City... right at the edge of the filter's effective area we measured last time!
Could it be trying to breach the filter's blockade...
Rosa's filter remains a potent defense against the Punishing Virus and the assaults of the Hetero-Creatures. Without it, Agent Zero might have already commanded the Red Tide to devour Aerospace City.
Outskirts of Aerospace City
From a distance, the eerily-colored Red Tide snakes along the edge of Aerospace City. The filter is working effectively, faintly outlining an invisible wall.
At times, a few Hetero-Creatures venture to test the unseen threshold, their appendages breaching the boundary only to dissolve swiftly, as if evaporating into thin air.
Over there...
Agent Zero stands right at the edge of the boundary line.
It raises its palm, tentatively touching the invisible wall before it.
...
As its fingers gradually dissolve into the ether, a furrow creases its brow, prompting a swift withdrawal as if in pain.
It still cannot pass directly through this "boundary line".
Yet... it matters not.
Raising its head, it gazes toward a nearby mountain peak where that human stands...
That human is the anchor point of this world, entwined with its very fate, able to provide it with sufficient power.
After all, reaping Earth's civilization has always been Agent Zero's calling.
Melting slowly in the embrace of the Red Tide, Agent Zero locks its gaze on the silhouette atop the mountain peak amidst the snowfall. Raising its hand, it commands more Hetero-Creatures to charge forward, aiming to breach humanity's defense line.
The Red Tide sweeps up the snow, raging like a tempest alongside the relentless assault of the Hetero-Creatures, battering against the unseen wall.
Further away, the Hetero Tower radiates an ominous red glow.
From what was once called the "Hetero Zone", the Red Tide surges forth like an unstoppable deluge wearing away continents, traversing desolate plains and towering peaks to inundate humanity's final bastion.
The Hetero-Creatures writhe slowly, gradually forming an encirclement around Aerospace City.
Even though the filters retain the ability to purify the Punishing Virus for now, the struggle will eventually prove futile. It has enough patience to see that day come.
Through the lens of the binoculars, you see Agent Zero gaze directly in this direction, as if it has spotted new prey.
Has the new Agent Zero completely devoured her...
The last time you saw Agent Zero, she still hadn't entirely devoured Chaos. Chaos seemed capable of exerting a certain level of control over its actions, but this time...
It looks completely whole now.
This spells trouble for humanity. If Chaos is fully consumed, the Red Tide will inevitably spiral out of control, posing a dire threat.
A massive tide rushes toward where the two of you stand.
...Commandant!
Emma draws her weapon and aims at Agent Zero, who is moving along the tide.
Based on your observations, the filters can still purify the Punishing Virus for now. Perhaps you can seize this opportunity while Agent Zero is here to probe whether Chaos' will still exists.
...
It stands at the foot of the mountain, gazing upward.
...Chaos.
As if picking up a specific keyword, its silhouette begins to blur and morph into an entirely new shape.
...
Now, it's the familiar pale girl standing in the crimson tide.
Tell me...▃▅▆▁▂▄▁
▅▆▁▃▄▁I have nothing... to say to you...▅▆▁▆▁▃▄
The reality... deteriorating...▁▃▄▅▆▁▆
...
No.
Muttering incomprehensibly, it fixes its gaze upon you, as though scrutinizing something intently.
...
Come... Gray Raven... Commandant...
[player name]... come with us...
New... world...
Bang!
In response, it is met with unflinching gunfire.
It's a flame preserved by countless souls, one that should not be extinguished here.
I think I just saw my father...
Jolted by the gunfire, Emma snaps out of her momentary daze.
That's more realistic than any Red Tide I've ever seen...
Through the Hetero Tower, what it can absorb extends beyond the civilization of the present, of humanity.
Just like how a stellar core attracts stardust.
The Red Tide projections...
What a familiar scene.
The city in recollection lay besieged by the crimson tide, the viral red spreading through every star system it could touch like maggots burrowing into bone.
Sadly, the will known as Chaos... probably doesn't exist anymore.
Unfolding the book, threads of crimson and gold intertwine amongst the lines of text as she delves into the writings, lost in contemplation.
Without Chaos, no one can continue weaving the Red Tide...
Without guidance, the newly bred Agent Zero will grow into a pure beast.
She gazes distantly toward where Agent Zero appeared.
In contrast to Cradle, the newborn Agent Zero from the turbulent Red Tide exists beyond communication. Similar to the <phonetic=Agent Zero>Punisher</phonetic> of old, it is driven solely by primal and chaotic instincts.
It will use any means necessary to achieve its purpose and complete its mission—to take the entire Earth civilization back behind the Gate.
...Is a miracle still possible now?
...And that you have to go now... into an uncharted tomorrow that you need to explore with your life at stake for those who stand behind you—like all those who came before you have done.
The deep echo reverberates through your thoughts once more, carrying with it the echoes of tides and the unique white noise of the ocean's depths humming in your ears.
Leave this place... it's not...
Not... the right time... to be here...
The Red Tide ebbs and flows at the foot of the mountain, fragmented memories flooding your vision. Jolted awake in alarm, you soon discern that it's just shards of snow light reflected on the window, illuminating your face.
More than forty days and nights have passed since Agent Zero appeared on the outskirts of Aerospace City.
The heavy snowfall shows no sign of relenting. The Red Tide and Hetero-Creatures have gradually enclosed Aerospace City, trapping it at the center. Residents cannot venture out to gather supplies, forced to survive on what little food remains within the city.
We're running low on food supplies, and the crops in the greenhouse haven't fully grown yet. At least forty more days until the earliest harvest...
Medical supplies are also running short, and some of the severely wounded are starting to worsen...
C-Commandant, that Agent Zero showed up again...
Is... is it still saying the same thing?
Yeah. It's Naison who ran into it this time. It turned into his mother and said the same thing to him...
Once the commandant enters the Red Tide and reunites with them, they will leave Aerospace City.
...That's impossible. It will never be satisfied.
It will only grow stronger after devouring Commandant...
But... Naison and the others don't know that.
They don't get why the Red Tide would become stronger after consuming one single human. They're just trying to stay alive.
A few people have already... begun to talk about voting to force Commandant into the Red Tide.
That's absurd! They can't do this...
Your memories from the Hetero Tower gradually surface—Chaos and her "fruit", the Red Tide within the Hetero Tower...
Enter the Red Tide... What if, like in the Hetero Tower, you delve into the tide's depths, entrusting your Mind Beacon to seize authority from the newborn, still unstable Agent Zero...
You have already obtained the Mind Beacon stabilization device made by Rosa, but... would this truly work?
But is there any other way?
The rate of food consumption now surpasses the quantity in stores... The patrol teams have scavenged every corner of Aerospace City, leaving no stone unturned.
Previously, they could search for sustenance in the wooded regions within the filters' reach. However, with the Red Tide sealing off Aerospace City over forty days ago, the patrol teams have enforced a stringent lockdown, prohibiting any residents from venturing beyond the city limits.
The Red Tide's influence is ubiquitous. In only forty days, it has already lured three people to jump into its depths.
Naison's group... they were just too hungry to bear it any longer. That's why they went out looking for food...
Barniga's voice gradually lowers.
A patrol team located him and brought him back just in time, but he was already corrupted by the Punishing Virus. He might... end up losing a leg.
...
Things can't go on like this.
A desolate chill descends with the slanting daylight, while snow reflects the sky's glow, illuminating everything around and revealing the entire landscape in stark clarity.
Not far away, the Red Tide slithers ferociously around the perimeter of the filters' effective range. Under Agent Zero's command, Hetero-Creatures relentlessly assault the boundaries of the safe area marked by the filters.
They are advancing, slowly but surely.
The surging tide crashes against the unseen wall, its viscous sound echoing in the air, once again dragging your thoughts back to everything experienced during unconsciousness.
The pink-haired Construct... under the sea...
For reasons unknown, memories from even further back gradually surface.
From even earlier, the "memories" within the Hetero Tower...
Gray Raven Commandant... Who are you, exactly?
Can you see beyond the ordinary world, like me?
Is all that's left here just a projection, like me?
Raise your head before the mirror. Tell me—
What "she" glimpsed wasn't just a sliver lining from behind...
On the right track... huh?
Perhaps the "variable" you're hoping for is already taking notice of your wish.
Right?
Fragmented memories, like shattered mirror shards, gradually piece together. When all illusions are stripped away, what remains, no matter how incredulous, stands as the final truth.
All that responds to your question is the cold wind howling past.
She saw... you behind the glass curtain.
The ocean depths, the stairways, the slaughterhouse parade, and the approaching downpour.
<phonetic=The Merciful One>She</phonetic> observes this world through the pouring rain.
What does <phonetic=the Merciful One>she</phonetic>... or "they" truly seek?
What do they want to see, what do they hope to obtain, and what knowledge do they seek from this worldline?
Do they wish to see the Punishing Virus devour humanity, or do they want to witness humanity's triumph over the Punishing Virus?
If it's the former, why don't they directly intervene to help the Punishing Virus eradicate humanity?
If not, then why do they remain in the spectator's seat? What do they truly want? What exactly do they wish to see?
Countless wild theories flash through your mind—the Hetero Tower, Cradle, Vonnegut, the pink-haired Construct—as fragmented memories surge and vanish in rapid succession.
These symptoms of yours... they're remarkably similar to the effects of Agent Zero's authority.
...
All I know is... the contaminating memetic is destined to arrive. Every "Dominik" throughout history has tried but failed to stop what's coming.
...Why does the contaminating memetic specifically target Zero-point Energy?
It's collecting civilizations that have mastered Zero-point Energy and testing them. Those whose development is deemed unbalanced or incorrect have their data harvested and brought back through the "Gate" to grow.
Without the key, even if we complete the Gate, we can't escape this place as a whole.
Agent Zero... Why call the contaminating memetic that? Was it ever really a "person"?
This Hetero Tower is my creation, and also where I came into existence.
This marks the start of the story—this is where everything begins.
The universe stretches silent and vast, with only countless snowflakes swirling down.
In the dead of night, as you stand atop the mountain and cast your gaze backward, the scattered lights of Aerospace City have faded into a deep slumber.
Your protective suit bears crude patches to mend the damage, yet the cold wind manages to seep through the crevices. In this instant, the world is enveloped in such silence that you can almost hear the rigid grinding of your own bones.
You have shed all that needed to be left behind. Emma and Discord will take care of the rest. Dismissing any lingering distractions, you lift your head to gaze into the void above.
Endless ranges of dark mountains loom on the horizon, pressing down on the small city as if poised to engulf it.
You confront the frigid, desolate night, gazing toward the unknown dimension.
Countless words surge and recede within your chest—yearning to question the arrogance of these higher beings out loud, to challenge their apathy. Bitter phrases hover on your tongue, only to sink back down your throat.
All that answers you is the mysterious yet hollow echo bouncing between the mountains.
Insects cannot gaze up at the morning sun, yet together they can muster enough strength to shake a mighty tree.
It's as though you are speaking to the enormous mountain ranges, yet also talking to yourself.
Uncertain of what lies ahead after entering the Red Tide, you can only place your faith in this device to stabilize your mind, allowing you to endure longer within the Red Tide.
Is this really what you have to do?
Dawn breaks slowly, and through the thick snowy mist, whispers seem to drift past your ears.
With Agent Zero's persistent evolution and the Red Tide surrounding Aerospace City, supplies within the city dwindle. At this rate, humanity may not even survive to see the clear sky after the snowfall ceases.
Agent Zero's authority seems still unstable. If you can merge with the Red Tide as you once did in the Hetero Tower, there lies a chance to uncover Chaos' memories and use them to seize Agent Zero's authority.
Perhaps eradicating the Punishing Virus as you once hoped is beyond reach, but at the very least... this will give humanity on the surface a moment to breathe.
This time, you no longer have Lucia by your side.
The snow and wind sweep past, carrying away your regrets, yet you hesitate no more. With determination, you stride forward, toward the Red Tide churning at the mountain's foot.
I will become a cancer within the Red Tide.
As long as my mind persists, you will never complete your "mission", never fully recycle what you're after.
I will bring back new firewood myself to stoke the flame of human civilization.
The snow seems to fall more heavily by the minute.
