Story Reader / Extra Story / EX04 Echo Aria / Story
The outline of the refugee camp gradually fades into the distance and the temperature begins to drop rapidly.
Unlike the wilderness, the few refugees scattered throughout the camp were enough to dispel the cold from their breath alone.
But now, the cold wind holds you in its frigid embrace.
The heat from your breath condenses into a white fog. The thought of potentially freezing to death spurs you on as you follow the scout's white figure onward.
Wanshi's familiarity with the surrounding terrain allows him to adeptly find the most efficient route for conserving strength while also avoiding the Red Tide.
That being said, the trek is still no easy feat for a human.
Why didn't you put on a thermal suit?
Why are you willing to throw your life away for someone you just met? You really are somethin' else...
Let's stop for some water. I remember the terrain up ahead. As long as he didn't jump into the Red Tide, we should be right on him.
Hmph... No, you're not. Based on how little you've drunk since we left, you need to hydrate.
We may be in a hurry, but if you pass out, then this'll be a lost cause.
Don't mention it...
You stop next to a rock formation and rest.
Your intermittent daydreaming hasn't been acting up recently, has it?
I used to be in the medical corps. I've still got an eye for that sorta stuff.
It happens frequently and without warning. The symptoms don't correspond to any disease I recall.
What's wrong?
Hmph... Forget I asked. Not like I'm trying to prod you for anything.
Alright... If that's the case, I'll stop bugging you about it.
Anyway, I already know about your condition. I won't let it happen when everything is on the line again.
Heh... Clever.
I'm starting to see why my Captain thinks of Gray Raven so highly.
Wanshi's dull expression suddenly turns sharp. His voice no longer carries the same apathetic tone.
Correct. I could have easily found this child by myself.
Constructs move faster without having to drag a human along.
Because I was curious.
Curious about what caused the Red Tide and the evolution of the Punishing Virus.
Even though you remain quiet, you can't help but think of that colossal nightmare.
The Hetero-Creature known as Polyphages—the same creatures that nearly spelled doom for Gray Raven.
This is a monster bred by the Ascendants—the Polyphage. It's similar to the Rail Heterozygotes we have encountered before. After preliminary analysis, we've determined that it's also driven by Hetero-Core fragments.
However, the situation is fundamentally different from that on Akdilek. Even though both are driven by Hetero-Core fragments, the Polyphage is far more complex than the Rail Heterozygote.
It's not a Heterozygote, but rather a new type of Punishing creature that simulates organisms on Earth through evolution. In other words, it's a Hetero-Creature.
Although there is no conclusive evidence, we reasonably suspect that the Hetero-Core fragments within it not only serve as the power source for its own existence, but also triggers the Red Tide.
Otherwise, the timing of the two would be too coincidental.
It's about the battle with the Ascendants. Information on the Polyphage has been released, but the fact that they contain Hetero-Core fragments is still top-secret.
[player name], I hope that you can keep the events of what happened underground that day confidential.
Of course, be sure to pass on this message to your team word for word.
Everyone has been silent about what happened that day...
But we're scouts. It's not hard for us to piece together the clues.
Not long after we received reports of the victory on the front line...
The surging Red Tide suddenly went "inert."
You guessed it.
Even with the recent surging of the Red Tide, it's become far less turbulent than what it once was.
Even at high tide, the Punishing concentration is far lower that what it once was.
In other words, the Red Tide has weakened.
What did you do to cause this?
Your vision fills with the image of the Polyphage completely disintegrating among the radiant glow.
Looks like you aren't trying to hide something.
You still need to keep quiet?
No matter. Your answer won't have any bearing on my conclusion anyway.
Even if Babylonia isn't willing to disclose any information, there's one similarity with our current situation.
Based on their pure concentration of the Punishing Virus, these things are essentially the same as the Hetero-Core encountered in the space station.
Is the fragment that hit Asslam the only Hetero-Core fragment that fell from the space station?
Alright, never mind. I can tell by the look on your face.
The once inert Red Tide has begun to surge once more into a tributary.
We can't use conventional rules and logic to infer something like the Red Tide. That being said, we can't completely ignore the underlying meaning, can we?
Wanshi turns his head and looks to the west.
The intricate web of tributaries stretches out to the horizon.
Looking across these tributaries, what do you think we would see at the end of it?
At the time, Babylonia concentrated all its energy on the prism and hit the Hetero-Core with pinpoint precision. Even then, they failed to completely destroy it.
What makes them so confident that a wide-spread attack on the surface will finally put an end to this?
A wider blast means that the damage output to any single target is drastically reduced.
But what if—and I mean what if—
The Red Tide has a source?
Destroying the source of the Red Tide wouldn't cause it to disappear, but it wouldn't be able to surge relentlessly.
Then we would just have to figure out an effective method to combat the Red Tide. We'll eliminate it sooner or later. It's only a matter of time.
That's why I need you.
Only commandants have the authority to deploy the bit domain node. Right?
Your team member, Lee, senses this too.
Ah, that's because my Captain told me about something that is written in your student manuals.
As a valedictorian of F.O.S. College, I'm sure you know it.
Exceptions prove the rule...
...Oorah.
He is indeed a top student. That's why he is required to know everything.
But if Kamui didn't pester him, he wouldn't have made this an interesting story.
After all, I'm a sniper.
The sniper's motto is: reach out and touch someone.
You're right.
I don't care about what you're tangled up in.
Whether that be with them or with Chief Commander Hans, those poor people are just caught up in the universal values of the past.
...
No reason really.
I know a man who was kind to me, but I couldn't repay him. Until now.
Wanshi's face turns blank as if gazing at an old friend across time and space rather than at the present situation.
Just an outsider from the Golden Age. That being said, he's far more interesting than someone who drowned in the glory of the Golden Age.
Wanshi closes his eyes.
Upon opening his eyes, all of his emotions have been swept away.
Hmph, enough about this.
There is a solution to everything. Even if it might not be common practice, I just want to use my method to see if it can solve this crisis.
I just want all of this to end quickly so I can get some proper shut-eye without having to worry about anything.
What about you? Why do you want to get involved.
...Is that so?
I see. Well, enough about this. Our top priority now is to find the kid.
