Just like the We Discarded Many of the past, it could not be defeated in a traditional manner. Or perhaps defeated at all. No matter what they used, no matter how many buildings needed to be levelled or blood had to be spilled, they could not reach Frost.
< CONDITION : We Discarded Many seeks to find another way >
< SUPPRESSION REQUIREMENT : When We Discarded Many’s HP reaches 0… >
< SUBJUGATION REQUIREMENT : The Girl Desperately Clinging onto Courage must walk down a chosen path… >
The Conditions did not make any sense. The Requirements were just as vague. For an entity that could not be damaged they could only wonder how to suppress it.
“The difference being between Suppressing Frost and Subjugating Frost!?” Jury demanded an answer, reaching for her distant lover, only to clasp at the air.
< Unknown. Subjugation implies a defeat. But no one present is the Girl Desperately Clinging onto Courage. That title likely belongs to the Archivist >
< I fear that we may require access to the Nexus to save Frost >
“That’s in 6 to 7 days!” Jury complained. “Unless – Nav! Ugh! GET OUT OF OUR WAY! Nav! My Isolation Sphere! Can it accelerate time in here!?”
“What for!? You trying to starve us to death!?” Cer barked.
“Look around idiot! Open your eyes!” Ber punched Cer along the jaw, mounting her as she took hold of her collar and violently shook her. “NO ONE CAN DIE IN HERE!”
“You think I’m that blind!? I want to distract myself! Let me be this phase of the moon! Or do you want me to sulk and brood again!? Serum G’s gone! I… have to go through these phases of my moon!”
“GET OFF HER RES!” Jury despised their infighting and roughly separated the two using her tail. Ber, on passing, threw a cloud of smoke over them as bolts of lighting shot from her wings.
When the cloud disappeared, all three were greeted by the end of her claws.
“Will you two stop for just one second!?” Ber roared, causing Jury to take hold of one of her claws and push it away.
“Listen to me! Frost can hear us! The Corrupted can hear everything! If she knew you were killing each other for her then what hope do we have of brining her back! If even one of us disappeared, then there’s no saving her!” Jury became the voice of reason for the group. “Don’t get emotional now. I know I’m a hypocrite for saying this, and I know I out of everyone can’t afford to lose my head, but we need to pull our hearts together more than just our heads!”
“I know that! That’s exactly why I’m frustrated. We don’t have a way to stop Frost. All we can do is prolong it. I can’t stop trying. With a Beholder… why are we still so powerless?” Cer growled. “We’re Moons dammit! Fuck them! Fuck the Impuritas! I just want to save Frost!”
“We all do!” Ber said, lowering her claws.
It was difficult trying to come to terms with Frost’s Corruption Event. In a way, they all felt like they had failed Frost. More than just frustration, it was guilt that ate them. In truth there was little they could have done to prevent it, but even so, they still could not help but believe that there must have been another way.
Standing on the crossroads of the direction of the heart, the group sorted out their differences and woes, melding their hearts into one. The requirements were too vague to fulfil, and Jury took it upon herself to activate her Isolation Sphere.
She currently possessed 150,000,000 NEX. With Ber’s contribution, it soared up to 240,000,00 NEX, or 240 Greater Nex; 240gn. With 100,000,000 Nex she could erect an Isolation Sphere large enough to encompass Frost and her Corrupted Zone.
As a Beholder, she wondered why her, or Carpalis’ presence did little to affect Frost’s Corrupted Zone. Nav only answered with:
< Unknown. You have yet to develop one of your own. But it is indeed strange. Good luck… >
< And I mean it. May we see each other formally once this is over >
No one knew what Nav meant by it and assumed Nav just wanted to return to their heads. However, Nav somehow spoke a little too fondly about it.
That being said, as if responding to the bloodshed carried out within the blue city, the Corrupted Frost strangled her humanity as she slowly moved up to her feet, limping in the direction of the blood. The sign of the fiery crown caught alight.
< “When I speak, it feels like my voice can’t reach them. When I listen, it feels like all I hear are lies and excuses.” >
< “Let me find another way. Let me seek answers. When I walk down this path, all I can hear is the sound of ridicule. Am I really a monster for trying to seek alternatives?” >
Suddenly, her Humanity caught alight, and Frost’s HP rapidly dwindled. Her body burned as she walked down the path of the fiery crown, passing through mounds of flesh until her Humanity was reduced to cinders.
The city began to shake. Gold slowly began to bleed into the blue as Jury channelled her intentions into creating the Isolation Sphere. Through it, a single elapsed day within would have caused 10 to elapse outside.
By then the Nexus would become available.
Because they knew in their hearts that they alone would not be able to take down this existential crisis.
We Discarded Many | HP: 1,000
< “This self-immolation spread to others. I forever lament the path I took. With my humanity no longer, and with everything I had brought fire to, I still desperately seek for answers in this world of impurities.” >
We Discarded Many | HP: 500
< “Please show me that we have other methods to fix things.” >
We Discarded Many | HP: 100
< “Prove to me that we are civilized.” >
We Discarded Many | HP: 10
< “That violence isn’t the only answer.” >
We Discarded Many | HP: 1
< “Please… I don’t want to destroy our home!” >
Frost was reduced to cinders, crying out one last time before her body broke into a thousand particles of light.
< We Discarded Many has successfully been Suppressed >
However, the Nexus throbbed once again, as if to warn the world of an impending danger.
To the rest of the world, it was as if the city of blue had vanished into thin air. But unbeknownst to them was that a colossal barrier concealed its contents from the prying eyes of the world. It did not stop stray Impuritas from approaching, or Dungeons from forming within its proximity.
However, if only they had known what lurked within then they would not have spiralled into the depths of despair. The city of blue had turned into gold, and the Corrupted child transformed into a soldier in black, with golden embellishments dangling from her body.
She had become identical to her Hired Arm. However, embedded into her chest was a blue diamond, and one hundred blue arms exploded from her back like worms. They took the form of wings as she aimed a Victorian era rifle at her foes; a pale Justica Arm with a bored barrel.
< “Ateliers never allowed themselves to stop. All in the pursuit of Nex.” >
< “When quotas were threatened lives were tossed away.” >
< “Why is it that we must value one another based on strength?” >
< “Why must we surrender morality in pursuit for greed? For a wish?” >
< “I have been counting this greed…” >
//////// < WARNING > ////////
< THE ARBITER’S TRUMPET RESONATES >
< When it all comes down to it, why do we care so much about the price of another? >
AFFINITY : Civilization