I turned the rusted knob cautiously, despite Shifty telling us that she had not detected any Raptures inside the building. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room filled with dusty control panels and shattered monitors, which were still somehow flickering thanks to the power still running in the system. A thick layer of grime coated everything, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. The air feels dry and stale, which makes breathing uncomfortable for me.
"You all have arrived at the Control Room. Preparing to cut power." Shifty said from the comms.
"Commander, give me the CombiLink please." Rapi said, her head tilting slightly.
I look at her with a raised eyebrow. "CombiLink? Is that some device I have?"
"Kind of, Commander Sam. It is on your phone." Shifty explained.
With a quiet "Oh," I took out my phone. Now that she mentioned it, I noticed a protruding part of it. Instinctively, I tugged at it and was surprised when it was revealed to be a one-meter-long cable. "Is this it, Rapi?" I asked her while handing her my phone, which is also a CombiLink.
"Yes, that is CombiLink. Thank You, Commander Sam." Rapi said as she inserted the protruding part into some port.
"So, what was it for?"
"It's for controlling all kinds of machinery up on the surface, Commander Sam." Shifty revealed patiently, as she was aware of my condition.
"Interesting. Would you mind sending me a manual on how it works later, Shifty?" I inquired, intending to pursue the topic at a later date. A device that could do that is a gold mine, especially if I could learn how it works with my perks and modify it to stun Raptures.
"No problem. I'll provide you with a detailed manual as soon as possible." Shifty replied, but my mind was already elsewhere as I had slipped into Strategy Trance.
Thinking about all the perks I have makes me think of how I got the Celestial Forge, which makes me think back about Marian and curse the fact that it comes too late for me to save her. Perhaps if I had Strategy Trance just a few hours earlier, I could protect her from getting gobbled by the Black Smith. Perhaps if I had some kind of hacking perk, I could fight back the corruption and save her. Perhaps I could…
If there is anything I hate about Strategy Trance, it is the fact that it is so easy to slip into it. It is so easy to recreate past events from my memories and wonder what could have gone better if only I knew it. It is so easy to replay and redo any battle, which also makes it easier to come to the same conclusion over and over.
Found out that Marian was corrupted. Ambushed by Black Smith. Killed Black Smith but failed to end Marian's suffering. Which ultimately led her to commit suicide by me. All because I was not prepared. All because we were under-equipped. All because there is no cure for Corruption.
"Commander Sam, are you alright? You dazed out again." I catch myself being supported by Anis as my mind starts to slow down until I am fully out of Strategy Trance.
"I'm fine Anis." I lied, trying to sort my breath so as to not give it away and worry her. I know that I failed the moment her covered grip on me gets tighter as if to assure me that she has my back. She doesn't say anything else and just looks at me in concern inside the now-opened headgear.
"Commander, can you be my mentor?" Neon asks out of nowhere.
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden request. "Mentor? Why? Also what kind of Mentor are we talking about here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She stared back at me with wide earnest eyes, practically brimming with excitement.
"Yeah!" she replied, bouncing on her toes. "Mentor in the way of Firepower! You know how to cause more destruction than I can, so I think you can teach me a lot!"
Anis chuckled beside me, shaking her head with a knowing smile. "Guess you've impressed her, Commander Sam."
I scratched the back of my neck, feeling the weight of the request. Neon's enthusiasm was contagious and easily swept away my melancholy, but I couldn't help the lingering doubt in my mind. The doubt keeps insisting that I need to be cautious of Neon.
Outwardly, Neon seemed like the overenthusiastic, wacky subordinate. But she had joined the squad too quickly, and there was that boisterous declaration about being a "spy." It had probably been a joke… but what if it wasn't? What if this was more than just her quirky personality? Could I trust her with the kind of knowledge I was planning to share with Anis and Rapi?
I set aside the thought for now. Instead, I force a grin on my face. "Alright." I started, feeling the tension on my smile lift just a bit. Even if she was a spy, I decided that I would still teach her about explosives as well as I could. Because she is still part of the squad, I would rather have her be alive and happy than let her die because of my suspicions. "I'll accept being your mentor."
"Really? Thank you very much, Mentor! I promise to not let you down!" Neon enthusiastically declared, fist-pumping out in the air.
"...Please have a little more decorum when addressing Commander Sam." I see Rapi, still waiting for the CombiLink to shut down the power, sighs at Neon's declaration, probably from the sheer lack of formality she emits.
Just then, Shifty's voice cut through the conversation. "Commander, the power has been shut down. You're good to cross the train bridge now."
"Thanks, Shifty." I said as Rapi approached me. She returns my phone back after without much fanfare. I thanked her, then turned to address them all.
"Alright, let's do a quick gear check first before we head out." I declared while stepping into Strategy Trance to inspect everyone's condition with careful eyes.
Rapi doesn't look injured, but her clothing had been disheveled slightly by our last battle. I saw several empty ammunition belts that had been used during the fight. Her boots still look fine, mostly because it is made of a very durable material aka Goddessium.
Anis looks a bit weary, and her clothing is in worse condition than Rapi's. Her gears look slightly scratched, especially the Goddessium armguards, but it is just surface damage. She used half of her grenade supply during this mission, so I should avoid any encounters with Raptures if possible.
Meanwhile Neon is looking unscratched, because she mostly plays the supporter role, covering Anis and Rapi's advance and retreat, throwing explosives at vulnerable Raptures, and securing our cover. Despite her weapon being a shotgun variant, she can hit several long-range targets, probably thanks to her ammunition being an armor-piercing slug. In terms of ammo, she is down to two and a half side bags worth of explosives. She is also carrying the cores while outside of combat.
On that note, we only managed to salvage five husk class and two servant class cores. The Master Class core is too heavy to be carried, not that it survives Neon's explosives. With Alchemy and Workshop Artisan supported by SCIENCE!, I should be able to add an enhancement to their gear. Something that could increase Rapi's mobility and Anis's defense.
But what about Neon? Should I also enhance her gear, which would consequently reveal Celestial Forge to her? There are differences between teaching her and sharing my deepest secret. I could grow to trust her with that, but not now.
So, how should I distract her long enough to talk privately with Anis and Rapi? I could probably make up some kind of nonsense order to do it, something like strengthening her firepower aptitude. It would be easier with how much time I could think about it, but I don't want to lie to Neon. It just feels wrong.
I stepped out of Strategy Trance, looking at her. "Neon, could you please check your gears outside? I want to talk privately with Rapi and Anis." I choose to be blunt with her. "And no, it's not about firepower. It's personal stuff."
Neon interest quickly diminishes. "No problem, Mentor. How long do you need?"
"30 minutes should be enough. Thanks, Neon. I would appreciate it if you leave the loot bag here." I said, gesturing to the bag filled with Raptures core we salvaged.
"Got it Mentor. See you later!" With that, she leaves the room. There are only Anis, Rapi, and me here. And Shifty, which reminds me.
"Shifty, can you do me a favor please?" I asked.
"Sure, Commander. What do you need?" She asked.
"I need you to cut our communication for the next 30 minutes." I requested.
Anis stopped counting her remaining ammo while sitting. She looked at me with caution and a hint of wariness. Rapi did the same, but she held herself back from outwardly reacting too much. She is pretending to do low maintenance to her assault rifle.
There was a pause before Shifty spoke again with clear hesitation in her voice. "Commander, I don't think that's a good idea. Cutting comms during missions can be risky. We need to be able to contact each other in case something goes wrong."
I gritted my teeth in apprehension. "This is confidential. I can't let anyone overhear what I'm about to say. No one. Please." I begged.
Shifty was silent for a moment, then she replied reluctantly. "Understood, Commander Sam. Communications will be cut for 30 minutes. It will reconnect us automatically when the time is up."
"Thank you very much Shifty." I said gratefully.
"You can thank me by not talking about this, Commander Sam." Shifty said with a trace of annoyance. "We would be in big trouble if this is discovered. Oh, and you will still owe me one." She added before our communication line totally went flat. It was just us now.
"So you have finally decided to tell us now, huh?" Anis said, masking the curiosity and concern behind her gaze. Meanwhile, Rapi sat ramrod straight, her expression calm but focused, her eyes never leaving mine. It feels like I am under her scrutiny.
I took a deep breath. "Yeah." I said.
There is no going back now.
"As you already know," I began by stating a fact as they know it. "I suffered from amnesia before we first met."
Anis's demeanor softened. "Yeah, we know. But what does that have to do with you needing to cut comms?" She inquired.
"It's not quite accurate. Back then, I.…" I hesitated, feeling the weight of sin I carried in my heart. The weak thumb pressed my index finger gently. Soft whispers that will continue to haunt me accompanied by the smell of melted metals. I stepped back to reality as soon as I realized that I had slipped into a Trance. It tends to be active automatically when I am about to lose my grip on my emotions.
"...I am just an amnesiac commander who can't even remember his own name. I am not a genius tactician yet. That part came when I met Andersen."
Rapi's sharp gaze never left mine, though her expression remained unreadable. Anis leaned forward slightly, her curiosity no longer hidden. They could sense the seriousness of what I was about to reveal.
"Past me made a deal with something calling itself the Celestial Forge." I said, uncovering the existence of CF. "Basically, past me trades his memories for powers to create various stuff. Science, real magic, a mix of both, or something else entirely, there is no limit except that I only get some of it randomly."
Anis blinked. She gave me an incredulous smile as she leaned back, folding her arms. "Real magic, huh? So you are telling me you can just poof things into existence now? What, are you gonna conjure up some fancy trick for us?"
Rapi, on the other hand, remained quiet, but her eyes narrowed slightly. Her mind was clearly analyzing everything I had just said. I could tell she wasn't dismissing it as easily as Anis was.
"No, it is not poofing anything," I clarified calmly. "It is far more complex than just wishing for it really hard. It's like manipulating the fabric of the universe itself in ways that are impossible unless you have the right knowledge. Let me give you an example."
I reached into the loot bag Neon had left behind and pulled out one of the Rapture cores we had salvaged earlier. Holding it up to the light, I began to speak softly, more to myself than to them. "These Rapture's cores are an important part of it. You could say they are one of the main components to do it. They contain something similar to a crystalized monster soul, and with my Alchemist perks, I can use them as fuel to create strong enhancement."
Anis's playful smirk faltered as she noticed the shift in tone. "Wait, you're serious, aren't you? You really believe you make magic weapons with those?"
"Yes, I can." I said to Anis with full confidence.
"You said you made a deal with the Celestial Forge. What does that mean for us? For you? Are you even still human?" Rapi questioned calmly but her voice was laden with caution.
"I'm still me." I said, perhaps more to myself than to them. "I haven't changed, at least not completely. I'm still the novice commander you girls saved today. But I had to tell you the truth because… well, I don't know what's going to happen next. I can't keep pretending I'm just a normal commander when I can do things like this."
I stepped into Strategy Trance to delve deep into the Worksop Artisant perk and Alchemy perk.
My mind began to overwork as I recalled every fractured memory and experience I had as an Artisan and as an Alchemist. SCIENCE! Perk supported my mind by giving basic context and theoretical knowledge to help my brain assimilate them all better.
I started doing a simulation of creating Blood bullets as an exercise several times. Then I simulate turning the Rapture's Core Shell into ingredients for making quicksilver bullets by using Alchemy's knowledge supported by SCIENCE! theoretical understanding. I also simulate collecting the dust inside the cores so that I would not waste them when I do it for real.
After I successfully create all required ingredients in the simulation, I simulate creating quicksilver bullets. Then when I am 100% sure that I can recreate it outside of Strategy Trance's simulation, I step out of Strategy Trance. From my perspective, I had spent more than 6 hours practicing to make Quicksilver bullets, but from a normal perspective, it has been less than a minute of me looking at nothing in particular.
I repeat what I did in the Strategy Trance. First I create some ingredients for making quicksilver bullets from husk class Rapture's Core Shell while storing the core's dust for later use by using Alchemy. This surprised them both. Then I cut myself to cause bleeding, which unnerved Rapi and stunned Anis. I use a combination of Alchemy and my experience as a Workshop Artisant to create a blood bullet. After losing around 300 mL of blood to create a blood bullet, I used the blood bullet and some ingredients I made earlier to create five quicksilver bullets.
Anis watched the whole process with astonishment. "Holy crap… you weren't kidding. How did you even control blood like that?!
Rapi remained composed, though her eyes were fixed on the energy in my hand. "If you have this kind of power, why haven't you used it before?" She asked with a slight tension in her tone.
"I have," I admitted while putting the bullets down. "But not openly, unless you count the numerous times I look at nothing in particular. That is the indication I use my first perk, Strategy Trance."
"That's what it was?" Anis asked, her eyebrows raising in realization. "All those times you kind of just zoned out without reason?"
I nodded. "That's when I'm in Strategy Trance. It's a mental state that lets me think and plan at a much faster rate. Sometimes it happens when I need to calm myself down. Other times, it's when I need to analyze our situation quickly and come up with good plans."
After I finished explaining about Strategy Trance and the Celestial Forge, the room fell silent with tension. I decided to break it since it was getting uncomfortable getting stared at by both of them. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in. But we have less than 25 minutes left before the comms are back online. Take off all your gear and let me enhance them. Just describe what kind of function you want and I will try my best to fulfill it."
"Not your weapon please." I add. "I am more concerned about keeping you two alive right now. Sure, a stronger gun is great, but you can't fight if you are dead, can you?"
Anis raised an eyebrow as if surprised by my consideration. "You're really saying that instead of upgrading our main weapon, you want to make us tougher?"
"Survival over firepower. That's… thoughtful." Rapi remarked. She seemed more interested in me than before.
I shrugged, trying to look casual. I could tell that my thoughtfulness was making an impact. Honestly, just what kind of treatment do Nikke's get if basic human concern for them is treated with appreciation? "Look, I'm all for making your shots count, but if I can boost your defenses or mobility, that's where the real difference comes in. You've already got amazing firepower. Let's focus on keeping you in the fight longer."
Anis's smirk softened, a rare glint of appreciation in her eyes. "You know, Commander, you just jumped up a notch in my book."
Without hesitation, she reached up and removed her helmet, then took off her armguards, handing them to me. "Alright, since you're so intent on keeping me in one piece, I'll bite. I want more defensive capability. Think you can add something like an energy shield to cover my body?"
I nod at her in agreement. My mind begins to visualize the process in my mind. "Absolutely. I can make it so that you will have a shield barrier to protect you when you want them to. It will cover your whole body, giving you a second layer of protection."
Anis grinned and stepped back. She watches me with a curious expression. "A shield barrier, huh? Now that sounds cool."
Rapi sat down and started removing her combat boots. She handed them to me, then looked at me straight in my eyes, her tone serious yet relaxed. "For me, I want something that allows me to avoid getting hit at all. So can you boost my mobility?"
I examined the boots, already forming a plan in my head. "Sure. I can either enchant them with a momentary speed boost when you need to dodge attacks or give you a passive increase to your overall speed. Which one would you prefer?"
"Speed boost. I'd rather have a burst of speed when it matters most." Rapi said without hesitation.
"Good choice." I said, flashing her a small smile and giving her a thumbs up.
I step into Strategy Trance and get to work, focusing on Anis's helmet and gloves first. Using my Alchemy and Workshop Artisan abilities, I tapped into the materials, infusing them with a layer of magic drawn from one of the servant class Rapture's cores we collected. My hands worked methodically, weaving magical energy through the Goddessium that made her gears. I coded the shield to react to the wearer's mind, activating in response to incoming damage. Before it could hit, the shield would spread across her body like a thin, protective aura. It wouldn't stop everything, but it would drastically reduce the impact. It could also work as a literal shield by projecting said energy from her armguards, effectively becoming an instant energy shield.
Anis leaned forward, watching in awe as the faint glow of magical energy enveloped her gears. I glanced at her and gave a brief nod. "You will need to activate the energy shield manually. Just don't overuse it too much. It has limits."
Next, I turned to Rapi's boots. This time, I focused on mobility, using Alchemy to enhance the Goddessium with a quick burst of magical energy, drawn from the last servant class Rapture's core we collected, that would respond to her mind. I calibrated the speed boost to give her an edge in combat, an instantaneous burst of speed when she needed to dodge or reposition herself. The enchantment would kick in when she wants it.
As I finished up, I handed the boots back to Rapi. "This will give you a quick burst of speed when you need it. Like when you're dodging something for example. You can activate it anytime you want."
Rapi examined her enchanted boots, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "This could make a huge difference."
Anis slipped her helmet back on and flexed her fingers in the gloves, a wide grin plastered on her face. "You're like our personal gear wizard now, Commander Sam. You are full of surprises."
I smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction when I saw their reactions. "Let's just say I like to keep my squad in one piece."
Rapi stood up, testing her boots with a few quick steps. The speed boost kicked in briefly, and her eyes lit up in approval as she dashed inside the room, dodging invisible bullets only she could see. "Impressive. This will help a lot."
With their gear upgraded, I could sense their respect for me had deepened. Anis and Rapi might have been skeptical of my explanation even when I made the Quicksilver Bullets, but now they were fully on board.
"Alright, Commander." Anis said, swinging her rifle back onto her shoulder. "You've officially the best commander I will ever have. Can't wait to see how this holds up in the field."
Rapi gave a nod, her face softening into what might have been a faint smile. "We'll see how it works in combat. But for now… I'm impressed."
"Oh, and take these." I gave Anis and Rapi two quicksilver bullets each. "Slot them into the special cartridge chamber I made in your gears. These will increase the enhancement potency which will boost their performance. Use it wisely, please. I can only make a few rounds each day since it needs my blood and Rapture core to be made."
Both of them accepted the rounds with a new sense of purpose, their eyes fixed on the quicksilver bullets as if they now understood the deeper significance of what I had done.
Anis, still grinning, slotted one of the bullets into the special cartridge on her left and right arm guards. "I'll definitely use this wisely, Commander Sam. Can't waste your blood, now, can we?"
Rapi followed suit, inserting two rounds into the special cartridge chamber in her boots. "Understood, Commander Sam. I won't let these go to waste."
The atmosphere shifted from tense uncertainty to quiet determination. I was about to speak, but the soft chime of the comms coming back online interrupted me. Which means thirty minutes had passed since Shifty cut the comms.
"Comms are back. Commander Sam, are you there?" Shifty asked from the earpiece.
I tapped my earpiece, acknowledging her. "I'm here, Shifty. We're just finishing up." I said while sorting the leftover cores back into the bag and strapping it over my shoulder. We have four husk class cores left.
I turned to Anis and Rapi, giving them a firm nod. "Looks like time's up. Let's head back out."
They both gathered their gear and followed me to the door. The moment I opened it, Neon was there, leaning casually against the wall. She had clearly been waiting outside the whole time, tapping her fingers against her gun in a playful rhythm.
"Look who's finally done with the private meeting." Neon said with a teasing grin. "Did you guys have a secret party without me?"
Anis shot her a smirk. "More like a personal upgrade session. You'll get yours later, Neon."
Rapi stepped forward, her boots giving off a slight hum as she moved with newfound agility. "Let's just say the Commander's been busy doing stuff.."
Neon's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow really? Now I'm jealous."
I smiled at her and clapped her on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Neon. We'll get to you soon enough. But right now, we need to finish the mission."
She saluted me with a wink. "You got it, Mentor. Ready when you are."
With that, we left the room as a stronger, more unified squad. Well, except for Neon. But I will get to her later.
Then I slipped into Strategy Trance.
I am starting to see a pattern here, because Celestial Forge decided to interrupt me by giving me a new perk, again. It is called Portal Creation, from what I now call the skill domain. There are four types of domains in Celestial Forge that are available to me, which are Knowledge, Skill, Crafting, and Quality. There are more, but they are locked behind some kind of goal I don't know.
Back to the Portal Creation. It granted me the knowledge on how to craft portals with fewer resources than usual, both in terms of magic and material. I could create a portal more easily if I had enough time to properly set it up than creating one spontaneously. I considered the benefits of crafting portable items that could generate portals for myself and my squad. Now that I think about it, if I did make one, we could move through areas faster or escape dangerous situations by creating short-distance portals.
One detail that intrigued me was the potential for accessing the Infinite Corridor, a mysterious space hinted at by my Alchemy perk supported by SCIENCE! perk ever-growing list of synergy. The concept of traversing an endless space between realms, moving through it as if stepping between rooms, was exciting. It would require a precise understanding of its mechanics, but the potential seemed limitless. At least to a point, as Celestial Forge suddenly warned me not to do it by showing me various memories of Eldritch Horror I am very much not ready to even meet. I am still bound to this reality for now.
Interlude: Rapi's 3rd person narration.
Rapi surveyed the area with a keen eye, her gaze settling on the massive drain pipe ahead of them. It is grimy, barely noticeable amidst the debris blocking the entrance. It is big enough for an adult human to crawl through. She saw Anis frowning at it, ready to burst with sarcasm.
"What is this place?" Anis asked, voicing what they all were thinking.
"It is a drain pipe, leading into the power station," Shifty's voice hissed through their comms, the operator's calm tone explaining the grim situation.
Anis gestured toward the drain pipe with one hand. "Just to be clear, you want us to climb into this thing?" She asked with dripping skepticism.
Rapi followed her gesture, eyeing the blocked entrance. Several massive chunks of debris had fallen in, probably during the last wave of Rapture activity. The thought of crawling into it made her uneasy, but she pushed the discomfort aside.
"Yes," Sam's voice came through, calm yet tinged with the same reluctance she felt. He didn't like it any more than they did, but this was the mission. "Since the alternative is facing up against a massive horde of Raptures near the power station, and it's still operating somehow." His explanation was simple, but there was a tension in his tone. He paused, then shared his thoughts. "Besides, our mission is to investigate and retrieve data reports, not to occupy the power station. So avoiding an unnecessary battle sounds more advantageous to me."
Rapi glanced at Anis, whose mouth had twisted into a half-smirk. As much as Anis disliked the idea, even she couldn't argue against his logic. It was clear Sam was trying to keep them from a direct encounter, which they all knew could turn ugly based on how many master-class Raptures wandered near the power station.
"But it is blocked." Neon piped up, pointing out the obvious.
"Probably just some collapsed debris." Shifty noted. "Let me find you another route."
Anis crossed her arms. "We can't dig our way through, can we?"
Rapi agreed silently. With that much debris, even with their strength, it would be too long.
"I don't think so." Shifty confirmed, the sound of her typing away in the background almost audible. "There's too much debris to remove."
Sam stepped forward, his serious expression settling in. "Looks like it's time for some demolition along the way." His voice had taken on that thoughtful tone, the one Rapi now recognized as him stepping into his Strategy Trance.
After a few moments, Sam's gaze returned to normal. "It's time, Neon." He declared.
"Huh? Did you mean that, Mentor?!" Neon's excitement was palpable, her usual energy spiking.
"Yes." Sam said with a confident smile, the subtle glint of amusement clearly visible in his eyes. "It's time for some Explosive Firepower!"
Neon nearly leapt with excitement. "YES!" she yelled passionately..
Rapi couldn't help but shake her head at Neon antics.
"Are you sure about it, Commander Sam? It would be awfully loud." Anis inquired while raising an eyebrow.
"Considering that there's no Rapture activity nearby, it should be safe enough." Shifty informed them clearly.
"Then let's do this, Commander Sam." she agreed, ready to help Sam set up the explosives.
But Sam stopped her by gently tapping her shoulder. "Wait, Rapi. Let Neon do this."
"It's a good chance for me to coach Neon," he explained, his voice soft but firm. "Besides, I agreed to be her Mentor. I shouldn't abandon my student, should I?"
Rapi hesitated, but the sincerity in Sam's eyes was hard to ignore. After a moment, Rapi agreed. Though her reluctance still lingered. "...Very well, Commander Sam."
Neon, practically bouncing on her feet, pumped her fist into the air. "Thank you very much, Mentor! I promise to show you my best!"
Interlude: Anis's 3rd person narration.
Anis crawled through the narrow drainpipe, her arms pushing against the slick, grimy surface as she tried not to think about what was coating the walls. The stench was suffocating, a mix of stagnant water and who-knew-what else that had been festering down here for ages.
"Man, it is so stinky here!" Neon complained from behind her, her voice echoing faintly in the tunnel.
"If there aren't any people living here, how come it smells so bad?" Anis grumbled, her nose wrinkling in disgust. For once, she was in complete agreement with Neon. She could handle a lot, but this was pushing her tolerance.
Rapi's calm, almost monotone voice floated up ahead. "Because it's a drainpipe. All kinds of stuff builds up here over time."
Neon groaned. "Guys..."
"Yes?" Rapi responded, her patience unwavering.
"I think I'm gonna throw up."
Rapi offered a practical solution as the resident problem-solver. "Then turn off your olfactory sensor."
"But I feel less than human when I do that," Neon whined, though Anis could hear the effort she was putting in to stop herself from actually puking.
"Hahaha, you're not serious, are you?" Anis laughed mockingly.
"In my heart, I'm human. It's all I have," Neon said earnestly, causing Anis to snicker even more.
"Well, good for you." Anis teased, a bit too mean-spirited, perhaps. "As for me, I'm turning mine off." With a small gesture, she disabled her olfactory sensor, sighing in relief as the smell faded away.
Rapi's voice cut through their chatter. "Commander Sam, are you alright?"
Anis glanced back, feeling Sam crawling a bit too close behind her. His face was uncomfortably near her rear, which made her tense up immediately.
"This place fucking reeks," Sam muttered in clear distaste, the smell obviously getting to him too.
Anis shot a look over her shoulder, her face heating up. "Hey, watch what you say when you are behind me!" she snapped, more embarrassed by his proximity to her ass than anything else.
Neon chimed in. "I never thought we would be sneaking in through a drain. I heard most commanders prefer confrontational tactics since they treat Nikkes as weapons."
Anis's irritation flared up as memories of other commanders surfaced. "Tactics my ass!" she spat, her voice rising slightly. "They're just too lazy to come up with a plan. They all think they're God's gift to mankind. Too prideful to let a speck of dirt on their uniforms during missions." She fumed for a second longer before softening her tone. "Except you, Commander Sam. Please never change." She muttered the last part under her breath, not intending for him to hear it.
Suddenly, Rapi stopped in front of them, and the chain reaction was instant. Neon, too focused on their conversation, bumped into Rapi's thigh. Anis's cheeks collided with Neon, and the next thing she knew, Sam's face planted directly onto her backside.
"Wa… wait, Commander!" Anis stammered, her face flushing crimson. "Your face! It touched my—"
Sam cut her off, deadpan as ever. "This place still reeks."
Anis blinked in disbelief. Did he just ignore what just happened? Embarrassment turned to frustration. "I told you not to get chatty with me! Back! Back I say!" She yelled, pushing him away.
As she regained her composure, she looked ahead. "Why did you stop anyway?" she asked Rapi, eager to shift focus away from the awkwardness.
"I see light," Rapi replied coldly. "We've arrived inside the station."
Sam's voice came from behind, all business now. "Then let's go."
Anis let out a sigh of relief. They were finally out of that wretched drainpipe. Time to get back to work. Anything to distract her from what just happened.
[SPOILER="Fourth roll"]
166.-Portal Creation (Generic Builder) (400CP)
While every Builder can eventually learn to create portals through research or scanning enough other examples, you start knowing how to craft portals and you're particularly good at doing it cheaply both in terms of magic and in terms of material. Not only that but you have a knack for creating portals with interesting access restrictions that are almost impossible to bypass if you so choose.
Points Left: 900
[/SPOILER]
Unchosen Perks
[SPOILER="Fourth roll"]
83. -Magic: Enchanting (Samurai Jack) (200CP) (Skill)
46.-Biotech (Marvel Cosmic) (200CP) (Crafting)
[/SPOILER]