Food was just one highlight of the date, though one that Nav couldn’t properly appreciate. With no working tastebuds, she devoured them in an entirely different way.
She ate with her eyes, fawning over the many shapes and sizes that something as simple as the common apple came in.
Green apples. Red apples. Yellow. Candied. Skinned. Sliced. Grilled. Deep fried, even. Each one caused a spark to shine in her golden eyes. She mentioned that it was a shame that something so pretty ha...
2023-09-30 07:57:01 +0000 UTC
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It had been a long week since Frost promised to take Nav around H5.
The Black Doves were currently en route to the City of Diamonds where they’d be staying until the end of the year.
The Stars streamlined the logistics of having Frost everywhere at once, but she was always wary that the messages the Stars carried might not fall in line with what she had in mind. For this reason, she preferred face-to-face discussions when it came to major changes.
One such decision was the...
2023-09-29 04:26:17 +0000 UTC
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The Eclipse no longer had a reason to resent the Star. The moment the Herald confirmed what he said was the truth, she released his arm and the blade disappeared from his throat.
“Hah. You take your job seriously at the very least.” The Star caressed his throat. “To think that a Moon trusts a Herald before a Star. A shame that all it took was one Star to ruin our legacy.” He sighed before continuing deeper through the tunnel.
“Stars not all good. War in Heaven proof.” ...
2023-09-28 01:16:34 +0000 UTC
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It was clear that the Star was not here to seek a Retrofitter. The long corridors faded from light to pure darkness as the man strolled through the underground expanse, driven by the call of the Nexus.
The light of his hair faintly illuminated the way but never enough to reveal the walls, ceiling, or floor. He was like the only star in the night sky, travelling along a soundless void. Neither his footsteps nor his breaths made a sound as he carried a swagger seen only on those who knew ...
2023-09-27 17:54:25 +0000 UTC
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The backwaters H5 were left to decay.
While the inner cities and the larger settlements saw people flock near and far to begin reparation efforts, the smaller slices of paradise saw their streets become flooded with rubble and trash brought by broken canals.
The innards of homes spilled onto the streets like guts as possessions laid rotting in hazardous clumps, hiding the murky depths underneath their fragile façade.
The Guilds made a tremendous effort to equally disperse A...
2023-09-27 07:46:19 +0000 UTC
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“… By the way Nav.” Frost began, wanting to lighten the suddenly darkening mood. “Find anything on the Beholders yet?”
She shook her head sadly, holding her hands by her lap. “Nothing. Anna only remembers what they were like in the past. Nothing specific. Everything has been gibberish so far. Frost. I thought you were here to discuss Time Reverberation.”
“I am. I just wanted to hear it from you.” Frost hummed, passing Nav’s cup to her.
“You can always h...
2023-09-24 18:40:44 +0000 UTC
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The cogs of the machine were falling into place.
Afterwards, they’d have to grease them thoroughly before the Head could finally begin cleansing away the impurities of the world.
There was still much to be done before the year ended. Thankfully, time was their friend this time around. The definition of the Head had expanded dramatically over the course of a few days. It became an entity that represented the Amalgam, extending over to the healers, Moons, Stars, Time Reverberation...
2023-09-24 18:39:18 +0000 UTC
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An army of Moons marched along the pale halls of the Nexus. They followed the back of their favored Amalgam like ducklings waddling behind their mother duck. Red ribbons flanked the group, acting as protective barriers as they solely climbed the heights of the Nexus.
No one knew where they were going, only that they were asked to trust the Amalgam. Cer watched them through the reflection along the walls, seeing their unchanging faces as she wore a complicated expression. Ber was mostly ...
2023-09-23 04:57:08 +0000 UTC
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Frost was reminded that the Moons were unequivocally one of the most powerful beings in Elysia. The fact that the triplets operated on a different level was a testament of their prowess.
But that did not detract from the scene that unfolded before her. Streaks of light hurled through the air like shooting stars as the earth fractured into hundreds of fissures. The landscape morphed the moment a group of ten Moons were let loose to unload everything they had against the One Thousand Eyed...
2023-09-23 04:56:16 +0000 UTC
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One Thousand Eyed Bird
< All seeing. Ever watching. Who would be accused hung all those that could testify against it. Little by little, its innocent coat of white feathers turned black to reflect its unrightful prejudice. It lurks in the black forest, seeking only one thing: to enact judgement against the Skewered Beast >
AFFINITY : Judgement
LEVEL : 150 ORIGIN :
2023-09-21 04:41:31 +0000 UTC
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The archways eventually led her into the mouth of the Arbiter’s Council. All 56 Moons of the Nexus stood waiting at the entrance, each wearing a Receptionist Suit and stripped bare of their Atelier Items.
They split themselves evenly on either side of her. They were self-disciplined and stood erect in a show of respect. Frost’s presence instantly mesmerized them as she strode through them, her sweeping gaze acknowledging them.
“Welcome, Moons. Thank you for your patience.”...
2023-09-20 04:28:41 +0000 UTC
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Her face never dared to show her confusion.
The plan was to meet with the Stars later. I’m curious as to how they were even remotely aware of what was going on in my head. Nav… could it be that you can communicate with them?
“That would be groundbreaking. Unfortunately, my hands are tied in this one. I could not tell you if I wanted to. But I can theorize that they read your face during the Arbiter’s Council. Your eye movements must have communicated –”
2023-09-18 14:42:20 +0000 UTC
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There were many secrets of the Nexus still yet to be uncovered. One was how the Subfloors were created, and how the system recognized Justica Arms as a partner of the Arbiter, exactly like how Carpalis was to Magus.
She didn’t know if Jury was her System-recognized Beholder just yet, but she figured that would change as soon as she established her Workshop beside the Floor of Amalgamation. None of these, however, compared to the mystery that was the System itself.
It was unclear...
2023-09-18 14:41:05 +0000 UTC
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The rustling of fabric could be heard within one of the rooms of their private manor. Hidden from the prying eyes and ears of all, the Amalgam undressed from her black Coat of Prejudice and into her formal apparel.
She undid the tiny buttons that hid underneath the golden strip. It ran down the middle of her coat, beginning from her collar. The coat fell to her ankles as she shed it like a second skin, leaving her in only simple black shirt, shorts of the same color, and opaque tights.<...
2023-09-17 08:07:44 +0000 UTC
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“Heh. Hehe. Hehehe…”
An evil chuckle left a certain smug wolfwoman. Standing in the middle of the crowded streets of the Common Hub was Cer. The thoughtless woman didn’t stand off to the side, but instead planted herself in the center as people walked around her like an obstacle.
Receptionists just across the black-bricked road at the Reception stared at the wolfwoman with blank eyes, wondering just what the hell she was doing. They remembered her as a Moon that was tempor...
2023-09-16 03:08:59 +0000 UTC
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There were so many things to do but there was only one Frost. The induction of the Black Wings had taken much longer than she anticipated. A few hours turned to sixteen as she thoroughly imprinted herself onto them.
The healers were ignorant to everything that wasn’t within their sphere. It was as much of a teaching session as it was one to get them attuned with the Talons. Nevertheless, it worked out as both helped prepare them for the inevitable transition into their new roles.
<...
2023-09-14 05:55:54 +0000 UTC
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None could readily believe the unreasonable claims that left her lips. The Head of the Nexus? The Amalgam? Archetype? None of the terms meant anything to the healers. All it did was draw unneeded scrutiny to her character.
Though they didn’t say a word, they were vocal about their suspicion.
However, Frost could see the vibrant, pale colors in their hearts swirl with a slight cloud of blue. Her Leader of Hearts ability allowed her to know what strings to tug in their he...
2023-09-13 00:28:40 +0000 UTC
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“The Black Dove? Never heard of them.” A voice spoke from amongst the clopping of a hundred leather soles.
It bounced along the reflective surface of the Asclepien’s lobby. The black-stranded healers lined up before the elegantly dressed Perched to be cleared for entry.
“You’re lying. Everyone in the City of Clubs saw what happened in C4. The Corrupted Zone is still there.”
“Those giant towers? The ones that look like giant rectangles?”
“That’s the ...
2023-09-11 05:40:21 +0000 UTC
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The Asclepien saw more life in the week following the disaster than the entire 15 years it had stood. Countless thousands of injured personnel limped their way to the vast fields surrounding the needle-shaped tower in droves.
Caldera Industries workers arrived missing limbs and their prized weapons. CogitO were brought atop wagons drowning in the pieces of fellow comrades. What was left of the Liquidators were dragged by surviving members for emergency healing.
Even a week after t...
2023-09-10 00:14:44 +0000 UTC
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“SO FROST!” Cer’s voice rang through the walls of their estate. “Got a moment to explain yourself?”
Frost was pressed by the triplets not even a minute after returning to the Floor of Amalgamation. The angry wolfwomen surrounded her with scathing eyes the moment she collapsed onto a pile of beanbags.
“What’s this about manufacturing the Corrupted? You were the last person I thought who’d stoop to their level. But here we are.” Ber demanded an answer with a low-pi...
2023-09-07 23:41:40 +0000 UTC
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The ending felt anticlimactic. Frost for some reason expected it to be much more explosive. To end with applause and a triumphant cheer. The reality was the immediate departure of the Beholders who held their tongues as they departed in the same order of their arrival.
None looked back, and neither did the Moon or Stars linger for long. Frost had briefly mentioned that she would later meet with the Moons at the doorstep of the Floor of Amalgamation, and that was it.
The silence pr...
2023-09-06 23:31:30 +0000 UTC
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The Arbiter concluded the main segment of her Council with a statement.
“All hearings have been heard. Concerns raised and resolutions met. I humbly thank you for your participation. It has always been optional. My heart radiates with thanks that I can now see the faces of the Beholders and their trusted aides.”
Her presence seemed to grow despite the fact that she didn’t move an inch. She was anchored in place by the weight of responsibility. The events of the Council were ...
2023-09-05 23:08:33 +0000 UTC
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Jury was the final member to speak.
The Council entered an immediate lull as soon as Enoch’s finished. She entered the limelight as countless eyes descended upon her immaculate form, stained only by her corroded, clawed right arm which remained by her side.
The tip of her tail drummed at the floor at a steady pace, matching the beat of her heart. Eventually, it became calm when she stared into Frost’s comforting eyes. The relationship they shared did not go unnoticed. None cou...
2023-09-03 23:11:33 +0000 UTC
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Act X had nothing more to say after her deal with Oboros Infinitas. A selection of Repenters would be used to follow the heinous acts required by the Scripts. The true nature of the Fate Mechanism was neutral according to Marionette.
It demanded only what was required to fulfil the Fate it fed into its Living Looms. Frost didn’t agree that it was all a matter of interpretation. The way the Scripts were worded left little room for interpretation.
‘Spilling the guts of your neig...
2023-09-03 01:49:30 +0000 UTC
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“Their cerebrospinal fluids.” She answered, remembering how Scarlet Logic tried to siphon their spinal fluids moments before she broke down into a Corrupted.
“For what is a mystery. What isn’t a mystery is that Healers are Angels. Serum S is made from the fluids of an Angel’s Adam’s Apple. There is something of value in their CSF to the Impuritas.” Frost was enraged at the mere memory.
“… I would not have guessed it.” Knalzark admitted. “It must be a recent o...
2023-09-01 22:38:17 +0000 UTC
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Healers were the last topic on Beholder E. mind. Between the stolen magic of the healers, their destroyed reputation, their budding rage, and the disappearance of the Wandering Healers; the problem was too complicated for himself to handle alone.
He had already failed the healers with his flawed system that relied heavily on their proximity to adventurers and Atelier personnel. ‘private’ Healers – which were healers partially owned by another Atelier – were granted far more prot...
2023-09-01 22:37:19 +0000 UTC
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A delighted smile spawned on the Arbiter’s face as the members of her Council found a small piece of unity. Seeing that Knalzark was suddenly eager after realizing Frost carried not one, but multiple keys to follow through with their ambitions against the Impuritas caused her great relief.
It was a small glimpse of intricately woven the Ateliers will function in the near future. Multiple projects would be erected at once, and it was up to them all and most importantly herself to ensur...
2023-08-31 22:03:54 +0000 UTC
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What Descartes 3 brought up next was the Corrupted. The Nex Megalopolis was swarming with sapient Corrupted that were easily mistaken for other races and even the Impuritas. The only way one could detect them was through ImpulseWorks’ thorough investigation, although this had proven to lead to many false positives in the past.
Enoch touched upon this.
“We have had a 200% surge of detainments just this week alone compared to the last few months. Hard to tell if they’re false ...
2023-08-31 02:48:02 +0000 UTC
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Before CogitO began, Nav brought up an interesting topic.
“I have just realized something. We Can Be Better is playing a role in your swaying of the Moons.”
Surprised, Frost mentally muttered:
I didn’t notice. Is it a passive thing?
“It seems like it. You know exactly what will move them even if you are not fully conscious of it. It must work on a subconscious level. I wonder if it works on a personal level too. That way you can go further...
2023-08-30 21:15:01 +0000 UTC
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The voyage into the dark began at the furthest edge of the current cavern. After eating the majority of its ecosystem – which admittedly wasn’t all that much – she set foot into the dark tunnels wrapped in the light of many glowworms.
Cladding her body was the hide of the Giant Mosquito, torn into long strips and wrapped with the green, living strings. It wouldn’t do much against an attack against another Giant Mosquito, but it would suffice against slashing attacks.
<...
2023-08-30 15:01:54 +0000 UTC
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