"Alright, just to ensure we are on the same page," I said as the elevator rose to the surface. "Officially, our mission this time is to gather rare materials that can only be found on the surface. Things such as rare metals, Rapture parts, or exotic minerals." I explained to my squad. I also keep my eyes on the Wadress Squad as a precaution. "Unofficially, however, Syuen wants us to capture a unique Rapture code named: Chatterbox. She wants it to be done without the Central Government's knowledge. Which means no contact with an Operator during this mission, unless for a critical issue."
"You're catching on quickly, Commander." The rather tall and barely clothed black-haired Nikke said. "Knowing Syuen, she would instantly cancel the arrangement she had made with you if the nature of this operation is to be known."
Mihara, as she introduced herself to us earlier, is the M side of the couple. Her oversized white trench coat is fully open, revealing what I can generously describe as black bondage gear to cover her modesty somewhat. She had a side bag filled with ammunition for her assault rifle-like weapon. Notably, she did not wear any protective gear despite my insistence when we issued our gear for this mission. She instead chose to issue several more rounds of ammo for herself and her S, Yuni.
"I suspected as much." The image of a white-haired girl with blue eyes in a hooded gray cat girl jacket flashed in my mind, making me clench my fist—the reason why I agreed to Syuen's foolish secret mission in the first place. I step into [Strategy Trance, trying to calm myself down.
Anne is a victim of circumstance that was taken advantage of by one of Missilis's researchers. Before her conversion into a Nikke, she was a girl who suffered from a neurodegenerative disease. Conversion to a Nikke should have cured her, according to the note. But it seems that her self-image is so strong that it leads her to become a unique Nikke without fixing her illness. To keep herself alive, she needs to be constantly memory wiped to stop her brain from further degenerating itself.
This is where the researcher comes in. He used most of his allocated research budget to fund Anne's constant mindwipe in return for having her under his 'squad' called Recall and Release. It is a 'squad' used to study the relationship between Nikke's memory and their NIMPH, a nanomachine implanted in their brain. They did this by playing around with Anne's diary after her scheduled mindwipe, essentially playing around with her memory through it.
Syuen had stopped this research when she found out about it yesterday, mostly because she deemed it wasteful and unnecessary. Since the study had been stopped, Anne is no longer under Missilis' responsibility, which means they will no longer pay for her constant mind wipes. This would cause her death since without it, her degenerative disease would advance to the point it could kill her.
In exchange for completing her mission, Syeun will put Anne in my squad and finance her mind wipes as much as needed. This is obviously her attempt to rein me in, but I cannot let Anne suffer any longer than this.
It is because I can understand a small part of her pain—how it feels to one day wake up and not know who you are, to be uncertain of your likes, dislikes, and hobbies.
I can't imagine how much pain she felt when she realized that the Anne who slept yesterday might not be the Anne who woke up today.
I step out of the trance, vowing to myself to help her.
"Why do you have a sword, Commander?" Yuni's question draws my attention to her. The twin-tail pink-haired Nikke curiously looked at my sheathed gun sword on my sides.
Unlike the usual Reiterpallasch, the blade part of my gun sword looks closer to a bastard sword than a rapier. I made it that way because cutting Raptures is generally better than stabbing them since properly stabbing their internal power storage would require a longer rapier, which could make it unwieldy in my hand.
"For an emergency." She looked even more confused by my answer, her fingerless gloved hand put under her chin.
"But why? Humans can't win against a Rapture, right?"
"Perhaps. But I would rather have something prepared for an emergency or two." I explained to Yuni patiently.
She looked at me, realization dawning behind her eyes. She crossed her arms under her flat chest, covered with a white shirt, nodding in understanding. "You are very strange, Commander, " she said without a hint of malice as if she had just said the weather was fine today.
I nod in agreement. "Maybe I am." Rapi and Anis didn't seem pleased with my admittance. They glanced annoyedly at Yuni, who didn't seem to register it. "It's not like it's a bad thing, right?"
I don't know what it is about Yuni, but she has this uncanny ability to make even a compliment sound like a red flag.
"I dunno, Commander. No one should be able to break out of mine and Mihara's power, especially a human like you," Yuni said, her tone almost disturbingly cheerful for someone recalling what I assume was our first encounter. "Then again, you're very strong for a human."
Fucking great. Apparently, she remembered that I had thrown that bullet shell with enough power to penetrate a block of reinforced concrete. I was hoping that she forgot about it.
Anis and Rapi didn't hide their wariness. I could practically hear the unspoken What the hell is wrong with this girl? emanating from their stances, ready to pounce on Yuni at a moment's notice.
Thankfully, Mihara stepped in before things got more awkward. "Yuni," she said gently, her voice carrying just enough edge to pass for an admonishment, "maybe don't phrase things in a way that makes people think you're picking a fight."
Yuni pouted but didn't argue, which was as close to a victory as I would get.
Of course right at that moment, Neon decided to bulldoze right through it, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere between Rapi and Anis against Yuni.
"So, what is Chatterbox anyway?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she looked between me and Mihara.
To her credit, Mihara answered Neon's question smoothly. "From what information we can compile, codename: Chatterbox is a unique Rapture that can mimic human voices somehow. We were told to bring it in a few months ago."
That got Rapi's attention. She narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone cutting through Mihara's calm explanation. "Why capture it? Why not just kill it and pick up its parts?"
"Hell if I know," Mihara said with a shrug, gesturing to herself and Yuni. "I only learned that Chatterbox can mimic human voices today. We never saw it ourselves."
Something about her nonchalance rubbed me the wrong way, but I pushed the thought aside.
Rapi wasn't done questioning Mihara. "What makes you both so special to be told to capture a Rapture? Is it your strange power?"
Her tone wasn't hostile, but it had that probing edge she used when trying to peel back layers of information. It was the voice of someone who wasn't going to let the conversation end until they got what they wanted.
Mihara, unbothered by Rapi's persistence, smiled faintly. "More or less," she said. "Yuni can shut off a specific sense of a target, like their sense of touch or sight."
"That's right!" Yuni chirped, clearly thrilled to have the spotlight again. She raised her hand, which began to emit a faint red glow. "One shot from this laser, and they're out of commission!"
The way she said it, you'd think she was bragging about a party trick. I experienced firsthand how removing a sense could fuck you up real fast. 0/10, would not recommend it.
Mihara picked up the explanation. "As for me, you all have already seen it. I can swap my senses with someone else's." She demonstrated with a soft blue glow radiating from her body.
Yeah, I also experienced it. It wasn't a great first impression for all of us. Given how Rapi and Anis exchanged glances, I wasn't the only one who felt that way.
However, Mihara's ability revealed an interesting fact about the Rapture—something that both [Science] and [Technomancy] did not know about—because the Rapture did not act as if it even had it in the first place.
"...That's strange. Rapture did not have any parts that can act as their pain receptors." I noted my thoughts out loud.
Mihara's head turned toward me, her expression alight with curiosity. "Oho? Are you perhaps an expert on Raptures, Commander?" she asked, one hand on her hip, her tone playfully teasing.
"Nah, I am nowhere near an expert in their physiology," I replied casually. The last thing I needed was to encourage her to escalate her seduction. "But back to your power. Since you said that your power worked on Rapture, and I clearly remember it also worked on me and my squad, then your power isn't just switching sense."
For once, Mihara dropped her seduction. She regarded me with what felt like genuine honesty. "I assure you, Commander, that's all we know about our abilities."
Huh. First time I'd seen her this upfront, not leaning into her wholesex-on-legsroutine. Did I hit a nerve?
Rapi wasn't buying it, however. She continued to press her for more information "You're lying. Unique Nikkes like us are modeled after what each of us considers our ideal form. You couldn't possibly end up with abilities you don't want."
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Yuni defended in Mihara's stead.
Mihara, though, waved her off calmly "It's fine, Yuni," she said before turning back to Rapi. "Syuen is the one who made us."
That shuts Rapi up, her surprise visible even through her stoic mask. Mihara continued with a hint of irritation. "You think she sat down and explained every minute detail about what she did to us and why?"
I didn't need to know Syuen for more than an hour to understand what she would say: hell no. That woman would sooner grind someone into scrap than explain herself. Her pride wouldn't allow her to be questioned by anyone she perceives to be below her.
"All we know is that we've had these abilities ever since we woke up. Syuen ordered us to capture Raptures, so we will. That's all there is to it." Mihara explained.
"If you say so," Rapi said tensely, her eyes never leaving Mihara's.
I let out a tired sigh at their standoff. This black ops haven't even started yet and we already have our first conflict.
I clap my hands, attracting their attention. "Enough ladies. You are both very pretty." I ignore the way Rapi suddenly looks to the side. I can deal with it later. But the way Mihara intensified her gaze made me want to adjust my collar, but I held it back. Showing a reaction will only make women like her even more interested. "Let's move on to more important things, like where was Chatterbox last seen? And how can we track it?"
"Very well Commander." I can hear Rapi muttering under her breath, still avoiding looking at me directly.
"Sure, Commander." I choke my urge to shiver at her velvety one. Instead, I show her my best poker face.
It has been several hours since we arrived at the Surface. We encountered some light Rapture attacks, but it is nothing noteworthy to talk about. We are currently regrouping because Yuni has found a possible lead to Chatterbox.
I see Mihara kneeling on the ground. Her hand traced the rounded crater the size of a grown adult if they curled. She nods to herself, looking at Yuni proudly. "Nicely done Yuni."
"Hehehe, Will I get a reward?" Yuni said while giggling in a voice filled with childlike excitement.
Mihara looks at Yuni with a fond smile. "We will talk about it later. I haven't decided how much you can get yet." She answered gently.
"O-okay!" Yuni nodded with a grin so wide that it pulled her cheeks up so high that it covered a third of her eyes.
I crossed my arms, watching the interaction unfold with a mix of confusion and morbid curiosity. Their dynamic made no sense to me. Who was the S and who was the M here? Had I been wrong to place Mihara as the M just because she wore a leash?
Was I overthinking this? Most likely. Did I care? I have to, unfortunately. Not because I found their presence uncomfortable or because I still held grudges over our first meeting. It is just that their display of affection feels slightly off like they held back their reaction to us.
Shaking my head, I forced my thoughts back to the crater. "Alright, so what exactly are we looking at here?" I asked, gesturing to the strange imprint.
"This kinda looks like a footprint, Commander Sam," Anis said from my left, gesturing to the circular hole in the middle of the strangely smooth rounded crater. It doesn't look like any animal footprint I know thanks to [Science].
Suddenly, I can feel that Celestial Forge is once again picking up its hammer. I stepped into [Strategy Trance] just before it could send me a new perk from what I call the skill domain.
The perk is, funnily enough, also called [Alchemy, but a magicless variant. I will call it [Compounding Alchemy] since it is more of combining several things to increase the potency of the base material to at most five times as strong as your base material. However, this type of Alchemy cannot be used to create something new.
For example, it can increase the potency of Snake Venom by compounding it with a hot sauce, but it will not cause the venom to be spicy. Another example is that I can increase the damage done by a bullet if I compound it with a little bit of rare metal or explosive powder. It works by giving me a potential list of things that can be used to increase the material potency and how to do it, but not which one is more effective than the other.
Done organizing knowledge gained by this perk, I step out of [Strategy Trance].
Mihara nodded. "Chatterbox leaves unique footprints. Its signal is hard to track, so we rely on these marks instead," she explained, pointing to another set of imprints. The shape reminded me of a kangaroo's foot, with three evenly sized toes instead of a big one, but something about it was off. Unlike most Raptures, which moved like spider crabs with four spindly legs, Chatterbox's track suggested an upright gait, like a gorilla but with fingerless rounded hands and kangaroo feet.
We all continued following the track for a few minutes before I suddenly noticed something out of place. The kangaroo-like footprint suddenly gets far deeper than it should have been. Strangely, the following footprints look shallower than the deepest prints, but still deeper than before the deepest pair.
As if it was retracing its steps then jumped to a taller building to lead us into an ambush.
Chills ran down my spine as I realized how smart the Rapture we were supposed to capture was. "Everyone, look up. There is a chance it is watching us from above." I ordered while looking over all the buildings nearby. Most of them are overgrown by plants or have cracking foundations. Some are still structurally sound, however. Which means Chatterbox could be hiding there.
Counters reacted immediately, shifting their focus to the sky. Meanwhile, Mihara furrowed her eyebrows at me. "How do you even come up with that, Commander?" she asked.
"Look at it," I replied, pointing to the deeper footprints. "Most of them have similar depth, but that pair of footprints is deeper than they should have been. That means it used far more force than normal as if it was jumping. Chatterbox is likely aware that we have been following it and either was observing us or was hiding from us."
"Don't be silly, commander. Raptures are the farthest thing from intelligent." Mihara said, rolling her eyes at me. "Chatterbox must be programmed to be able to do something like that already."
I look at her sharply. "Then tell me, how many times it had evaded Missilis search? If it is just doing as it is programmed to, then even Missilis should have captured it already." Mihara raised an eyebrow, as if still weighing the logic I had provided, but said nothing in the meantime.
"Mentor, look!" Neon yelled loudly. She points to a wall that is blocked by a building from where I stand. I walk to where she stands and look at what exactly she is saying.
Unique footprints from Chatterbox are imprinted on several buildings. The footprints on the buildings move in a different direction than the footprints on the ground.
"Seriously?" Anis muttered, her eyes widening as she took in the scene.
"They can move on walls?!" Rapi sounded both incredulous and alarmed, her grip tightening on her weapon. She shakes her head and looks at me. "Commander Sam, what are your orders?"
I exhaled, steadying myself. "We follow the trail left on the wall. Chatterbox knows we are here, so it is best for us to always stay on guard." My voice was firm, but the unease in my tone wasn't lost on me. Despite that, I can feel my blood rushing in anticipation.
Interlude: Anis
Hours later, Anis slumped against the remnants of a crumbled wall, her grenade launcher propped lazily across her knees, with safety on of course.
The group had just jumped another group of Rapture waiting to ambush them, once again without any wounds to their body. The only evidence is nothing but scorched earth and shattered Rapture remains. Smoke hung thick in the air, most of it from her and Neon's unrepentant barrage of explosives. Sam had an endless number of them somehow—whether it was silver bullets he created out of Wardress' sight or his seemingly inexhaustible supply of explosives taken from his room via the briefcase's portal.
Silver bullets, though…Man, those things are amazing.
At first, Anis had been reluctant to use them. Knowing they were made with a piece of Sam's blood had made using them felt sacrilegious. Wasteful, even. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of him brushing off her hesitation, insisting that keeping them safe was never a wasteful effort. Stupid, stupid Sam. How was she supposed to hate him when he said stuff like that? Even in the privacy of her thoughts, her usual sarcasm couldn't quite find traction. Not when the realist in her kept swooning each time he created magical items that made their life easier.
Neon sat across from her, humming a weird little tune she'd made up. Something about "FirePower! OoOh FirePower!"—the song was as ridiculous as its singer. She is busy replenishing her supply of explosives with several made by Sam since she has almost exhausted her own.
Rapi was busy outside setting up decoys. Anis didn't have to watch to know her squad second in command would be efficient and thorough, as she usually is. After a full day of ambushing the Rapture back, every extra minute of quiet was a blessing.
Meanwhile, Sam was setting up a camp for them. The keyword being was, as he had finished setting up camp fifteen minutes ago. He had already moved on to tinkering with salvaged Rapture parts. Broken armor plates, shattered components, and half-melted circuits lay scattered at his feet as he studied them like puzzle pieces. Anis couldn't help but smile as she watched him work.
Commander Sam is up to something again.
It wasn't just how his hands moved assuredly or how his uniform perfectly complemented his frame; it was the look in his eyes—the fires of passion and curiosity filled with a relentless determination to succeed. She wasn't even interested in crafting, yet she still found how he made it look endearing.
Farther off, Mihara and Yuni were doing… whatever it was they called bonding. Yuni was perched comfortably on Mihara's lap, giggling as she twisted the other woman's calf in slow, forceful motions. It was like her intention was to make it more painful. Anis could hear Mihara's soft whimpers tinged with desire, each one answered by Yuni's playful giggles. She groaned inwardly, trying to ignore the borderline inappropriate display of affection during the mission.
Some things were better left unacknowledged.
"I am back, Commander," a voice echoed from the direction of the entrance.
I glanced up from the mess of Rapture parts strewn across the table before me. Wires dangled like metallic entrails, and fragments of what [Technomancy] is sure was some kind of anti-gravity module lay in neat piles beside it. Shutting off every [Technomancy] spell derived from my phone I just mastered, I shift my attention back to the voice. "Welcome back, Rapi," I said, straightening up. "Thanks for your hard work. You've done enough for today. Get some rest."
Rapi watches me, hands deep in Rapture parts, then looks at the camp where Neon and Anis have already fallen asleep, before finally returning to me. "Have you even rested yet, Commander?" she asked, arching a brow slightly.
I sighed. She wasn't wrong. Even as a god slayer, my mind still felt like it had been dragged through a battlefield of its own. That is understandable, considering how many encounters we have today. "Not really," I admitted, brushing my hands off my pants as I stood. "But I will be fine, promise. Go ahead and sleep first, Rapi. I will check on the Wardress Squad."
For a moment, she didn't move, her gaze piercing in that way only she could manage. Then, with a reluctant nod, she says, "...If you say so, Commander." Her tone carried just enough skepticism to remind me she would most likely keep half an eye on me even in her rest.
I gave her shoulder a quick pat and managed a small smile before heading toward the Wardress Squad's spot.
When I reached them, Mihara was sitting upright. She gently caressed Yuni's hair, whose owner was curled up with her head resting on Mihara's thigh. I lowered myself to the ground beside Mihara, careful not to disturb Yuni. "Hey," I said softly, "You two are welcome to rest with us. We've got space."
Mihara looked up, her lips curving into a small, polite smile. "Thank you, Commander, but we're fine here."
"Very well," I said, shrugging to her and then leaning back on my hands. Silence then settled between us, with only Yuni's soft breath as a companion.
A few minutes later, I broke the silence with something that has been bugging my mind lately. "How long have you two known each other, anyway?" I asked, glancing over at Mihara.
She didn't answer right away, instead, her focus shifted back to Yuni. Her fingers moved absently, brushing a stray strand of hair from Yuni's face. "Ever since we became Nikkes," she said softly. "We are made for each other."
There was something in her tone, as if a raw wound that was left untreated had been reopened. It wasn't the kind of thing you pressed on, not unless you were ready to deal with whatever spilled out. And honestly, I wasn't sure I was.
Still, I couldn't just let it hang there. "I want you to know," I began, choosing my words carefully, "that I don't blame either of you for following Syuen's orders, Mihara. Nor do I harbor any hatred toward you or Yuni." I stood and stretched out a hand to her, palm open—a gesture that felt oddly formal but also necessary. "So if you ever need help... anything at all, just tell me. I will do my best to help you."
Mihara's hand paused mid-stroke. Her eyes flicked to my outstretched hand. "...Are you sure, Commander?" she quietly asked. "We didn't leave the best impression on you, so it should be the last thing on your mind. You don't know what problem we might have, and yet you still want to help us?."
"I don't need to know your problems to want to help, Mihara," I said, holding her gaze. "That is just the kind of person I am."
Mihara stared at my hand like it might bite her. I didn't pull it back, though. Part of me wanted to. It is the part that feels super embarrassed at my over-the-top proclamation. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut and only stuck to surface-level questions and polite conversation. But another part of me refused to back down.
Because if I couldn't extend even this small gesture of trust, what kind of Commander was I?
Mihara's fingers twitched as if she might reach out, but she stopped short. Instead, her eyes met mine, and the flirty mask slipped. I caught a glimpse of something— was it hesitation, fear, or hope?—before she quickly pulled it back into place.
"I'll… think about it," she said with a voice barely above a whisper.
"Fair enough," I replied, lowering my hand. My lips stretch into what I hope was a reassuring smile, though it feels more like an awkward smile at best. "I will wait."
I turned to leave, the words "Good night, Mihara," leaking out as I walked away. I settled back down near Counters, but my mind lingered on Mihara and Yuni.
Or more accurately, what had happened to them.
Something warm pressed on my chest, pushing me down to the ground. With a hauntingly familiar voice, it whispers to my heart,"Why Commander?"
I jolted awake, eyes open and breath ragged. Dusty ceiling greeted my eyes as I dragged my consciousness back to the living land. My left side throbbed faintly, numb from being pressed down for who knows how long. I look down and see a bunch of pink hair blocking my vision. The owner of said hair is busy drooling innocently on my chest. It doesn't take long to figure out who it is.
"Yuni," I clearly remember sleeping alone on this makeshift last night.
"Oh my gosh, Yuni! Wake up. You are gonna crush the Commander!" A voice called out causing me to turn my head. I see Mihara standing not so far away, looking at the weight on my left with apprehension on her face.
"Mmmm... Just five more minutes," Yuni mumbled, half-asleep, burrowing her face further into my chest. "The Commander is so warm… so comfy..." She continued mumbling, further condemning my uniform with more droll.
"What's going on here?!" Anis called out, her voice echoing in the room.
Before I could respond, Neon's cheerful remark chimed in. "Apparently, Yuni thinks Mentor is a nice mattress to sleep on."
I craned my neck to the side and caught Rapi standing near the doorway, arms crossed, her expression a perfect mixture of disapproval and annoyance. Her gaze flicked to Yuni, still snoozing contentedly, and then to me.
"...Get up," she said flatly. "We have to move out soon."
I sighed, partly in exasperation and partly in resignation. "Yuni," I tried again, my voice firmer this time, "You're crushing my arm. Get up."
Yuni grumbled something unintelligible, then finally stirred, her eyes fluttering open lazily. She blinked a few times before realizing where she was—or more accurately, who she was lying on.
"Oh..." she murmured with wide eyes. She quickly rolled off me, landing awkwardly on the floor with a quiet thud. "Uh... Morning, Commander..."
"Morning," I replied, sitting up and rolling my left shoulder to shake the leftover numbness, which is none thanks to my godslayer body being the way it is.
Anis smirked from the other side of the room. "Wow, Commander. I didn't know you were so good at being a pillow. You should put that on your résumé."
"Cut it out," I muttered. "It wasn't like I invited her to—"
"Oh, please," Anis interrupted, holding up a hand. "No need to explain. It's adorable how much she likes you." She then turned to Mihara, who had sat beside Yuni. "Don't you think so too, Mihara?"
"Heh, as long as Yuni is happy with that, yes." Mihara said as she tidied up Yuni.
"Mihara…" Yuni grumbled. "Don't tease me like that," She added.
"Sorry Yuni," Mihara said unapologetically, " but you are indeed adorable sleeping on the Commander like that. Just don't do it again. We don't want him to be crushed by you, do we?"
I just sighed tiredly at her remarks.
Peeking behind the rubble, I watched Neon attack the last surviving rapture. With a final shout of "Fire Power!", she pulled the trigger and destroyed the rapture. She then turns to me, waving her hand excitedly. "How was it, Mentor! Did you see how glorious my last shot was?!"
"You did good, Neon!" I shouted back with a thumb up while standing up from behind the cover. "Status report, everyone," I said through the comms.
The last thirty minutes had been a brutal reminder of how smart Chatterbox really was. It had nearly led us into a perfectly planned ambush, funneling us into an artificial choke point on a big cross-intersection. Thankfully, I managed to spot the sniper Rapture before it could even charge its attack.
Chatterbox has been studying our actions. Yesterday, thanks to my superior instinct and strategy, we could easily jump them before they could spring their ambush. But not today. It seems to have found a different approach against me.
"Enemy neutralized," Rapi claimed from the comms. She had been very vital in ensuring there was no more rapture hiding behind the rubbles and car wrecks in front of us.
"That was way too close!" Anis cut in with a mix of exasperation and relief. "Seriously Rapi, can we dial down the whole lone-wolf act? I almost hit you with my grenades! If Sam hadn't told me to hold fire—several times, in fact—your head would be carried by the commander right now!" Putting a hand on her enormous chest, she sighed theatrically. "My heart would've leaped out of my chest if I had one!"
Rapi shot Anis a flat look. "I wasn't in any real danger." She said, brushing dust off her uniform. "Still, your aim could use some improvement."
"Excuse me?" Anis planted her hands on her hips, voice bristling.
Thankfully before the situation could escalate, Mihara's voice chimed in from my north-west. "Yuni and I are fine, commander. Your instructions during the battle had been helpful as always." She had been covering Anis and Rapi during the encounter, mostly by interrupting raptures from attacking the two.
"Yeah. You are pretty cool, commander." Yuni remarks besides Mihara. She had been tasked to thin the horde of raptures approaching me alongside Neon. Unlike Mihara, Yuni's rocket launcher had limited ammunition so I ordered her to use it sparingly since I didn't want my silver bullet to be discovered by Missilis. I leverage her ability to shut down Rapture's sense to make Neon's approach during the battle safer.
"Will you give me a reward, commander?" Yuni said. My body shivered at remembering Mihara's moans when Yuni did her reward.
"Yuni, the commander is a human…."
"Yeah, but he is clearly stronger than a normal human."
Before I could give my response, I slipped into [Strategy Trance] because Celestial Forge once again sent me a new perk. This one is called [Satisfactorio Crafting]. It gives me knowledge and experience on how to make automated equipment to extract and process raw resources. Theoretically, I could use this perk to create an automated silver bullet manufacturing plant to simplify my ammunition logistics. But to make a silver bullet requires blood from a magically active life form, and the only one I know is myself.
Let's just put aside that train of thought for later.
Stepping out of [Strategy Trance, I looked at Yuni who had been waiting for my answer. After thinking about it some more, I don't see any problem in rewarding Yuni. As a godslayer, my pain tolerance and durability are not something to be underestimated.
"...Sure. You can have it." Rapi and Anis just stare at me in exasperation from the front formation the moment I say it.
"M-may I? Really?"
If not because of [Science] picking up clues from her behavior, I would not have noticed the desperation buried underneath her gesture. I reply by wordlessly reaching out my hand to her and adjusting my posture so that it would feel more accepting. I slowly nodded, giving her plenty of time to prepare herself.
Giggling like a kid through a toy store, she picked up my hand and started pinching the back of my hand. "Does it hurt, commander?" She asked.
However, what [Science] could read from her action is not just satisfaction, but much more complex. Judging by the unstable force she exerts, I can tell she is hesitating to hurt me. Her eyes keep moving between my pinched hand and my face as if asking me if I really allow this. More importantly, the way her other hand gently caresses my forearm, telling me that in some way she cares about me.
"It's fine," I confirmed quietly.
She keeps pinching and twisting my upper hand, but the pain is barely noticeable to me as my understanding of Yuni's heart gets deeper and deeper. Honestly, it is bizarre how much [Science] can tell me from her actions.
"That is enough, Yuni."
Mihara's voice manages to awaken me from the strange mindset. I looked down at my hand. It wasn't bleeding, but the skin was red and slightly tender. A fleeting injury, especially to my godslayer body.
Out of the blue, a shiver ran down my spine. My instinct was yelling at me to be cautious, and I could feel the tension in the air suddenly skyrocketing.
"Stay alert, everyone!" I barked, stepping into [Strategy Trance] to examine the situation properly. However, it seems I was a bit too slow at searching the source of my cautions since I could feel the ground shaking as if something heavy had landed right behind me as if I was its main target.
I stare at the gigantic Rapture, unlike anything I have ever seen before. For one, it looks disturbingly humanoid. It is as if the Rapture had based its upper body on a mechanical gorilla without any fingers, then replaced its fur and skinned it alive while leaving various veins exposed. On its back is a pair of missile launchers, with four different boosters below it. It stands on its toes with a pair of limbs that could be a mix of a kangaroo and a human wearing high heels.
"Interesting…."Its voice could be described as an engine mimicking human voices while dragging it on the ground, with hints of malice in its tone. It comes out of a maw filled with uniformly sharp teeth, settled on a permanent mocking grin."I have never seen a human such as you amongst these impostors before. It seems that today is indeed my lucky day!"
The four-story monstrosity laughed at its own joke, six glowing red eyes of varying sizes locked onto me with predatory glee.
I step into [Strategy Trance] and take advantage of the speedup perception to cast several [Technomancy] spells fueled by my godslayer mana. By copying my phone's aura and then adapting it to my whole body just as I had practiced, I can now record everything I perceive with my eyes, ears, and skin and then properly store it in my brain just like a computer would to data. Before I could do anything more, however, I slipped out of [Strategy Trance] and jumped away from something slithering on the ground that was about to 'attack' me.
I watch as Chatterbox reels back its chain-sword-like tail, the sounds of mechanical whirling filling the air."You even have a better survival instinct than those impostors! This is going to be so much fun!"The rapture chortled, its laughter echoing like a death knell.
Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down my excitement at the prospect of fighting this creature. I need to remember my objective is to capture it, not to kill it. "I assume you are Chatterbox then? How fitting it is to be your designation." I said, staring back at its glowing red eyes.
Chatterbox mockingly mimicked tilting its head. "That's what you humans call me. Does it matter what my name is?"
Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Mihara is about to hurt herself. Before I could tell her not to do anything reckless, she tore her own stomach without hesitation. The ground shakes as Chatterbox suddenly falls down and starts convulsing in pain. Using my aura sense, I can perceive a connection between it and Mihara. Proof of her strange power working on it.
And something much more chilling.
Unlike most raptures that I had faced ever since I gained [Technomancy, Chatterbox's Aura is just as complex as humans are, even more so in most places. It is like looking at a funhouse fusion of human, animal, and plant's aura. There are even parts of its aura that stretch to somewhere I can't see properly, as if swallowed by distance.
In a flash of red light, part of Chatterbox's aura is abruptly wrapped by a pinkish-red aura.
"My eyes! Why can't I seeanything!"It growled, moving its massive arms erratically until it fumbled into a three-story building, causing it to be demolished.
Turning my head at the culprit, Yuni is giving me a wave and gesturing that she had blinded Chatterbox. I take this opportunity to fall back and regroup with the whole group far enough that Chatterbox can't hear us while close enough for Wardress power to keep working.
"Thanks for the save, Mihara, Yuni. I owe you both a favor." I said, standing across them.
"D-does that mean another reward? Thank you so much, Commander!"
"Oho? Are you trying to get us addicted to you,Commander~?"
"Anis, what are they talking about?"
"...It's something you're better off not knowing, Neon."
"That's enough, both of you!" Rapi cut off the Wardress before they could get even more suggestive. Shifting her attention to me, she asks, "Commander, if that rapture is Chatterbox, then it means we have to capture a tyrant to complete Syuen's mission. Are you sure you want to do this?"
An image of white white-haired girl going through forced amnesia multiple times to prolong her life flashed in my mind. The little girl in that image is superimposed with a picture of a lifeless brown-haired commander holding a smoking gun with both hands.
"Yes Rapi, I have to," I said, my [Technomancy] spell already recorded the encounter and stored it in mind for later use. Then I directed my attention to the whole Counters. "Rapi, Anis, Neon," bowing my head filled with gratitude, I continued, "Thank you for going along with my selfish desire."
"D-don't worry about it, Commander Sam. We have beaten a tyrant with you anyway, so this should be a piece of cake." Even without seeing her face, I can feel the embarrassed grin she is sprouting.
"Yeah! What Anis said! It would be a shame not to use these explosives Mentor had provided for us."
"We have your back, Commander," Rapi started with a professional tone before it faltered near the end. "So please, rely on us more."
"I will," I said, agreeing with her. "Then let's go. We have a chatty tyrant to capture."
[Chapter 3]
[Ninth roll]
•6. -Alchemy (Final Fantasy IV) (200CP)
• A lack of magic makes you no less useful, and you've learned how to make use of the various potions and other items on a grand scale. You can mix together multiple items, compounding their effects. It doesn't create something new, but instead additively combines the source materials into something with as much potency, to the upper limit of five times the strongest of your source materials.
Points Left: 1200
Unchosen Perks
[Ninth roll]
47. Body Shop (Smash Up) (200CP)
161. -Cult of the Gun (Enter the Gungeon) (100CP)
["Voting perk result"]
160. -Satisfactorio Crafting (Satisfactory Factorio Gauntlet) (50CP)
You can make automated equipment for extraction and processing of raw resources. You can make automated industrial equipment out of simple items, similar to the items in the games.
•First off, this perks doesn't suddenly turn the world into Satisfactory/factorio World, so no infinite resource.
•create automated industrial equipment for extracting and processing materials
• Industrialize everything from extracting to manufacturing