Story Reader / Floating Record / ER08 The Long Goodbye / Story
As you walk up to Wanshi, wind rushes through the passage behind, carrying what seems to be the metallic scent of blood.
Acting on instinct, you carefully dodge aside and raise your gun at the darkness behind you.
Only static crackles through the comms. Wanshi doesn't respond.
Sensing something amiss, you grip your gun and quickly back up two steps to Wanshi's last known location, carefully peering into the room.
The scene unfolds before your eyes—something seems off about Wanshi, when a Corrupted suddenly springs from the pitch-black void behind him and drags him into the depths.
!!
Pure reflex takes over—you lunge forward and manage to grab Wanshi by the wrist just before he's dragged down.
But the consequences of acting on instinct are all too clear.
Both you and Wanshi are yanked down into the void, from which a cacophony of crashing sounds comes.
Despite your spinning vision, you stagger to your feet and fire several shots at the blurry shadows ahead.
The Corrupted fails to dodge. As the bullet finds its mark, the Corrupted releases its grip on Wanshi and rapidly retreats down the long corridor ahead.
When you look in the direction where the Corrupted disappeared, you see nothing but the marks carved into the ground by its exposed framework.
As you slowly regain your vision, Wanshi comes into view—with his brows furrowed and revolver clutched tighter, he appears distant and dazed.
...! Ugh...
That Corrupted... something's strange about it.
But I should be fully adapted to this by now...
...Alright.
Unlike the calm of the previous connection, you feel turbulent waves as soon as Wanshi's Mind Beacon enters your M.I.N.D.
There were only minor M.I.N.D. fluctuations before, and even Asimov gave it the all-clear... This is the first time something like this has happened.
This probably has to do with the Corrupted just now... Ugh!
Wanshi's memory data spirals out of control, throwing your M.I.N.D. into complete chaos.
