Story Reader / Floating Record / ER10 Deceivers' Rapture / Story
Huff... Puff...
Remnants of servo and security drones lie strewn across the floor, a stark contrast against the lavish patterns.
Once the intense clash subsides for a moment, the female Construct stands there, breath hitching in her throat.
It's unbelievable how fast it's spreading—like a shot of pure adrenaline, even fiercer than the strongest liquor...
Relax—we've got all the time in the world. No need to rush things.
She strolls past a writhing Corrupted and smoothly drives her umbrella's tip into it, like she's merely leaning on a walking cane.
Grr...
The last threat is gone.
It's always been this straightforward, hasn't it? I can't believe I'm only seeing it clearly now.
"The filtering", as they put it, demands the courage to throw oneself into the crucible.
Has the quarantine been lifted?
A sharp inquiry crackles over the comms channel—her aunt is on the line.
All done.
The system's internal scan traced the Corruption to a data chip left behind by Gray Mako—enough to carry Punishing straight into the central hub.
You mean to tell me you skipped the decontamination step after retrieval? If you just want to die, at least come right out and say it!
A revolver shot rings out amid the crowd's screams, but it fails to stifle that furious voice.
The data chip that was tampered with earlier has produced almost immediate results.
Lilith remains unconcerned—she knows that as long as her aunt and she can quell any threats by force, this crisis can be chalked up to a minor mishap.
I didn't expect such a painful lesson...
No more chatter—deal with the matter at once!
We've lifted the quarantine temporarily to ensure smoother travel.
The emergency lockdown in the experimental sector still holds. Once this is over, we'll root out the source of the outbreak!
I've got urgent business to handle... Secure the lower levels—now!
As you wish, Madam.
The transmission cuts off without warning.
The source?
If only things were truly that straightforward.
Lilith lets out a quiet scoff, curling her tongue before exhaling a soft breath.
That hyper-sensitive sensor array can detect even the faintest disturbance.
In an atmosphere thick with nitrogen and oxygen, tiny shards of Punishing data have already spread everywhere. They slip beneath detection, slowly attaching to more hosts over the years—until those who fear its presence realize, all too late, what's been unleashed.
It's nectar, it's a life-giving shower—one's own hand-given prize.
She doesn't even bother to fear that Monzano could grow suspicious—history is filled with poisoners by the dozen, and yet no one would suspect someone who volunteers to drink the poison.
It's that unshakable "common sense"—the bedrock belief held by Monzano who commands order—that serves as Lilith's trump card.
This place is her own paradise, and time is on her side.
Though we each view the Punishing Virus in our own way...
Yet ultimately, we all depend on it to fulfill our ambitions, dear Aunt.
Surely you've known this all along, haven't you?
She basks in the euphoria swirling within her mind as she steps into the elevator bound for the lower lab.
