Monster Of Dracosilk

[RiseOfBread]

Hey you,
Yes you, the reader!

Are you tired of your boring and miserable life?
Want to just let go and escape from it all?

Do we have the perfect game for you! It's far better than actually living! No joke!

Can't find a date?
Future, looking too bleak?

Then hop right in. All the hot men and ladies are waiting just for you.

Too young for that?

No worries, we have plenty of the tastiest candy you've ever tried, just waiting for you! Parental supervision is not suggested.

Let's give Mom and Dad a big surprise!

Interested? Hold on for just a bit. You need this neural implant chip, free of charge of course. We inject it beneath the skin on the nape of your neck.

<<System Connected>>

There you go! Now it's connected to that noggin of yours. Isn't that wonderful? Take the game wherever you go!

Want it removed? Sure thing! That will just be $10,000 Smackeroos!

Don't have that kind of cash? Well, we now accept kidney donations! And facilities are coming close to a neighborhood near you.

Now, why don't you forget about all that? Just relax, and let go of reality. Food? Water? Shelter? Those basic needs your cavemen parents craved? It's not needed here!

So just let it all go. Here at Psycorp, we got you covered.

Enjoy, player!

—
Side effects may include but are not limited to:

Loss of reality, loss of memories, loss of personality, loss of bodily functions, loss of kidneys, and loss of life.

P.O.I. does not assume any responsibility but is entitled to everything, including but not limited to you and your loved ones.
---

|| Feedback & Support

> This is a highly experimental story in many ways. Please bear with us as we hammer it out. You can support us directly by reviewing, rating, and sharing your feedback. In doing so, you can contribute by helping us in improving the story.

> Our links can be found at the bottom of this page. Your support means we can spend more time and drop out new chapters faster.


|| Story Progression Rate & Expectations

> Minimum of at least two weekly chapters. Prologue and Interludes are excluded and might be at a faster or slower pace.

> More chapters are possible depending on our speed. We like to have some extra chapters in our storage bank to drop steadily.

> Chapters will be around 2k - 4k words each. Prologues are generally twice to thrice that length, while interludes might be shorter.

> Patreon for advanced chapters per week available.

> Discord is open to all. From time to time, bonus or side content will be posted there.


|| Viewer discretion is advised.

The depictions and acts of experimentation and violence might be disturbing for some.
---

|| Disclaimer

Most pictures used in this story are A.I generated unless explicitly stated, such as the Cover Art. As funds are available, the focus is to commission more of these scenes.

Gore and violence will be kept to a minimum for pictures. No pictures will contain nudity, sexual content, or sexually suggestive themes.

This story is intended for an audience of at least 15+ years of age. If you are younger, parental supervision is advised.
—​

 

[RiseOfBread]

Disclaimer:
The following contains spoilers, feel free to skip it if you don't want to know. Otherwise, please read on.

Spoiler: Roadmap

|| Road Map

Prologue
>Setup

Season I
>Connection—Termination—>Reboot

Season II
>Isolation>Mutation—Inactivation

Season III
>Reconnect>Interaction

> Arcs
- Interludes

---

Spoiler: Genres

|| Genres

>Mystery/Sci-fi/Thriller
Setup/Interlude

>Sci-fi/Thriller
Connection

>Slice-of-life
Reboot

>Fantasy/Sci-fi
Season II & Season III

---

Spoiler: Detailed Genres For Each Part

|| Expectation

>In Focus
Hard-Sci-fi/Psychological Thriller/LitRPG/High-Fantasy/Mystery/Slice-of-life/Grimdark/Hopepunk

>A possibility
Strong profanity in speech for certain characters

>A distant Possibility:
Romance

>Non-existent
Sexual content of any kind

>Genres this story is not
Supernatural/Horror/LitTime-travel

—

FAQ

|| Who are the main characters of this story?

Spoiler

The organization called Psycho (i.e., Psycorps), a child named Siko, and a VR Full Dive MMORPG called DracoSilk. It's a story about this organization and its influence within this world, this child and their role in it, and a mysterious game that emerges in the future. This story also features a bunch of monsters and their impact on society.

|| What's this story about?

Spoiler

At its core, MOD is still a full-dive VR MMORPG Isekai. But, one where the starting world and plot associated with it matters. It focuses on showing the gradual evolution toward the final true Isekai RPG world. It may feature some reverse Isekai elements as well. All the while, still retaining a strong story at the forefront to drive the plot.

Our main focus in writing this is to slowly explore and expand on all aspects of VR/AR and the tech behind it. How it's influenced society, its history, and its role in this futuristic world. Anything that other famous litRPG Isekai has ignored or left out. So we'll be taking the road less traveled.

In doing things this way, we hope to bring it all together in a transformative way from the typical tropes and setting. But, whether it will fail or succeed? You can be the judge of that.

|| Does this story have multiple main characters?

Spoiler

Not at all. We do use a lot of characters to set things up. But it's still a single main character story. The story's main focus is on their experiences and growth.

That being said, there is a secondary main character who will join later on, but they won't arrive until season III. They'll be brought in to showcase a different perspective on the story as the plot progresses.

|| Where is the story heading?

Spoiler

There is a gradual shift and evolution from the real world to the game world. Please bear with us as we take some time to flesh out the real world that will heavily influence the game world.

We write everything in a skippable manner and plan to implement a quick summary for those who just want to get into the MMORPG game world, once the first two seasons that deal with other themes are over.

Season I, focuses on life in general for our main character.

Season II, focuses on the transition between the real world and the game world.

Season III, focuses on the game world, and will continue for the rest of the story. The real world will significantly influence the game world and vice-versa. This story focuses on both worlds for what we believe is a complete experience.

|| Will this story have time skips?

Spoiler

There are multiple time skips planned at specific points during the story. But, It's mainly a story that follows our main character from childhood to adulthood and beyond. It also shows how the world changes, evolves and grows with them,

Along with many other characters you'll encounter, the children and even grandchildren of these characters. It's meant to be a story that spans a long period of time.

|| Will this story have explicit content?

Spoiler

No sexual content, no nudity, or suggestive themes. No strong profanities.

However, gore, violence, torture, human experimentation, and other topics may be disturbing to some. These will be present throughout the story to achieve the story's goal.

|| What's the goal of this story?

Spoiler

MOD may be a dark story, but it is not trying to be dark simply for the sake of it but to explain away a greater narrative. We ask you to bear with us as we try to weave such a tale.

This story examines the darker side of society and culture while also examining the aspects of family, bonds, aspirations, sacrifice, and love—all within a virtual reality-centric backdrop and the accompanying boons and consequences that come with it.

 

[RiseOfBread]

setup
-Lost Child-

Prologue I: Flares shine brightest when It's dark


Defy thy tools, lest they rise against thou—Type XII

| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Alpha squad reporting, ma'am, Sector 5. Anti-psycho targets are still at large."


| Commander Whitefox |
"Psycorp has issued a warrant for their execution. Show no mercy to the terrorists."


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Ma'am! With all due respect, my unit is woefully unprepared for this. What are we up against? The men are beyond spooked, and we have nothing to go off."


The captain turned towards her 12-man unit, guarding her.

While the captain spoke, the whole squad formed a perimeter around her, watching her 3 O'clock, 9 O'clock, and 6 O'clock positions.


| Commander Whitefox |
"That information is above your pay grade, Captain, and I cannot help you with that. With that said, I have received authorization to disclose some general details. Stand by while I commence the transfer."


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Commencing stand-by orders, ma'am! Over and out."


The captain switched off all her comms while signaling her unit to move forward.


| Alpha-squad Scout | A-009 |
"What is commander Whitefox thinking? Has she forgotten her time in the field?"


The squad members were numbered from one to twelve based on their ranks.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"You're out of line, soldier. Our comman—"


Just then, an unearthly roar echoes out of the decrepit structures surrounding the unit. The abandoned structures were creaking against their weight.


| Alpha-squad Rear Guard | A-008 |
"Shit, man, did you hear that crazy howl!? What do you think that is!?!?"


The soldiers started trembling and wildly looking all over for the source of the sound, breaking their formation.


Each squad member had a precise role in their squad.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Rookies, stay focused and get back in line, or you'll jeopardize us all."


The captain barked her orders while readying her stance.


| Alpha-squad Vanguard | A-003 |
"It's just the wind, don't lose focus now!"


The third-in-command was trying to reassure the others as he had more experience than the rest in such operations.

But his words didn't do much to calm their nerves.

Everyone was on high alert as the squad carefully moved through the desolate parts of the abandoned old city.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Watch out for unstable footing. Steady as you go. Look for collapses on the road. It's a long drop."


The vice had seen his fair share of men fall to their deaths below.

These roads stood 300 meters in the air, supported by various structures and buildings. The funds to demolish these had fallen through, and the city had never bothered to demolish them.


| Alpha-squad Heavy Assault | A-005 |
"Damn it, where could there be hiding? We've made it to the 98th floor, and nothing."


The soldier all shared his sentiment. Most of them were pushing their limits, and many of them started falling behind the rest.

These elites were the best Psycorps had to offer—a paramilitary force trained to respond to all incidents. But today's mission was beyond anything they had faced before.


Eliminate the terrorists and recover the stolen prototypes.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Keep calm! We learn, and we adapt. Scout team, what's your report? Any signs of life?"


The captain was half-joking and wanted to break the heavy tension the team was facing.

She wasn't expecting anything. Not after not seeing anything throughout their entire trip, and especially not this far up.

Her question was directed to the two scout units who were far ahead and leading the group. They were equipped with far more specialized gear than the rest and carried heavy equipment meant for mapping and scanning the areas in front of them.


| Alpha-squad Scout | A-004 |
"Our infra-reds have picked up no signs. However, X-rays have indicated some sort of abnormality on the floor above us, and we cannot yet make out what they are."


The two scouts at the end of the hall were looking straight up in amazement.

*Bizzzztt*


| Alpha-squad Scout | A-009 |
"Something is up on the floor above. Our electronic scanners are being actively jammed. Something's up there, Captain!"


The scout started panicking while quickly taking off his helmet and listening device.

His entire suit was malfunctioning. The error codes and lights on his suit were going haywire while buzzing various electronic noises.

Soon the error spread to the entire team, and they had to take off their equipment urgently.



ᛟᚢᚱ ᚠᛚᛖᛋᚺ ᚠᛟᚱ ᚤᛟᚢᚱ ᛒᛟᚾᛖᛋ ᛈᛋᚤᚲᚺᛟ!


Their visual aids showed indecipherable runes and signals, filling their comms with static and eerie metallic-sounding chatter.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Quick, detonate the suits. We've been compromised. Pile them up at the center and lay the charges!"


The whole team took off their exo-suits. Fearing that, even a little delay would allow the suit time to work against them and crush them like tin cans.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Throw out everything, all sensors, all comms, all life support systems. Just keep your weapons on you, and we'll go full manual."


Soon the entire team piled all their equipment at the center of the hall.

The suits were vibrating and convulsing all on their own, standing by themselves, jittering and walking around as if possessed. Their suits started to jumble and tangle up, bending and twisting their steel and titanium frames into one another.


| Alpha-squad Rear Guard | A-011 |
"C-captain, w-w-what the hell is h-happening!?!? It's creating something; what on earth is that monstrosity?"


The whole pile was rearranging itself, creating a mechanized weapon.

The machine guns and rifles on their suits were getting ready to discharge a blast to erase the entire squad.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Cancel order! Don't set the charge! We'll only bury ourselves. This entire structure is unstable and will come down. Retreat. Full retreat!"


The captain issued a new order realizing her mistake.

The whole squad had to flee immediately, or else they were in danger of being wiped out.

As they retraced their steps to find the stairs, they realized the hopelessness of their entire situation. They were trapped!

It was too dark to see inside the building without assistance from their sensors, and finding the stairs would not be challenging.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Thank God I found it! Head for the floor below."


The captain yelled as she lit up an extra flare she had on her and fired it out in a desperate attempt to find the stairs.

Her men did the same as the whole squad had scattered in an attempt to locate the stairs in the darkness.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Over here, men. Follow me."


The vice shouted, leading the squad into the darkness below.

Their situation was beyond hopeless. They had to cover ninety-seven floors with their limited supply of flares. And whatever it was that they left behind, the unknown enemy was preparing to come after them and hunt them down.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"EMPs! Where are EMPs!? Our lives depend on it. There's no other way! Do we have any way to contact HQ? To send out an S.O.S signal? We may be long dead by the time they arrive. But at least we can inform them. We have some intel on the enemy."


The captain steadied her tone and put on a brave front despite the hopeless situation.


All humans, no matter how brave, cower in the face of death. Yet you, most of all, need to remain calm and composed as captain; that is your duty.


The words of her commander Whitefox, who was captain before her, started to resound in her mind.

The difference between succumbing to a hopeless situation and surviving was a thin line.

As a new captain, it was her duty, and she would do anything to bring her men safely back home.


| Alpha-squad Support Carrier | A-012 |
"Captain! We're saved! I found an EMP, and it's all we have. The rest were in our suits."


It was their youngest member, a rookie, that gave them a sliver of hope.

While the squad had no idea where they were, they could still see each other through their passively self-illuminating suits as they faintly glowed a light-green hue.


Each member had a unique marking, and each member memorized the other's insignia.


In the darkness, the vice-captain stepped forward, clumsily reaching out toward the rookie. He felt for the EMP the rookie held out. Grabbing the rookie's arm, he took it and ran his hands over the device.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"...this won't work. It only works in an extremely short range."


At his words, that small hope vanished.


| Alpha-squad Rear Guard | A-011 |
"I didn't sign up for this!"


The rookie was cursing out loud.


| Alpha-squad Medic | A-008 |
"The money was just too good. What use is it if I die!?"


The medic's weak voice was barely audible.


| Alpha-squad Advanced Guard | A-006 |
"I have a family. How could this have happened? How could—"


He said while clenching his teeth and slamming his fist into the ground.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"That's enough. Just say your final prayers. We all have families here."


The captain was preparing the team to accept their fate while the noises coming from the stairs were only ramping up.

She closed her eyes, going over and over the events that led them to this moment. Had she done all she could given the circumstance?


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"...except me."


The vice broke the silence.

| Alpha-squad Captain |
"You got us, vice, aren't we enough?"


The captain smiled weakly. Not that anyone could see her face.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"I'm going in. You guys stay here."


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Vice, no! As the captain, let me go!"


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"..."


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Stand down. Let your captain take some responsibility."


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Negative. No one has more experience on this team than me, Captain! That's an order I'll have to disobey. You're needed to lead this team."


Despite wanting to argue, the captain couldn't think of anything to say. Once he made up his mind, there was no convincing him to stand down.

This man had disobeyed his superiors time and time again. Despite his wealth of experience, his disobedience prevented him from rising further.

The vice then turned to the two rear guards.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Rear guards, do you have your heavy shields?"


| Alpha-squad Rear Guard | A-008 |
"Sorry, sir, I dropped it by the stairs during the retreat."


The rear guard was kicking himself for having dropped it.


| Alpha-squad Rear Guard | A-011 |
"I-I don't know where mine is. I'm sorry, sir, I—"


The vice didn't respond but simply patted the rookie on his shoulder as he passed by him.


The Rear guard was the most heavily armed defensive unit, placed as the shield bearer for the assault units.


Losing your shield on the battlefield as a Rear guard was a sin worthy of heavy punishment.

Losing the defensive shields meant the entire squad was in danger of being eliminated. But no one said anything since now wasn't the time.

In a few minutes, they would all be dead.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Men all salute!"


The entire team rose to their feet and did just that. Even those agonizing about their fate on the floor stood up.

The entire squad silently saluted the passing man in the darkness.

The whole squad placed their hopes on vice. If anyone had a chance of saving them, it was this man who saw more combat on the field than all of them combined.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Take your position. Ready, aim, fire!"


At the captain's command, the team focused their last flares towards the stairway, lighting the way for the vice as he rushed towards it.

In the darkness, they all quietly prayed for his success. But, their vice didn't have time to idle.

The light from the flares would only last for a short moment, and all of the vice's hopes relied on finding that shield by the base of the stairs.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Shit, where is it!?"


The vice was looking around while trying not to blind himself by directly staring at the flares dropping all around him.

He squinted his eyes, yet he could find no shields by the base.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"They must've left it up! I'm dead!!!"


He cursed his fate. He'd have to search for it on the floor above, being completely blind and open to fire.

He ran up the stairs while bending low to the ground. He reached his hands, hoping to find something on the floor as he made a mad dash.

As soon as he made it up, he did an uncontrolled roll toward his left.

As he did, multiple rounds whizzed past him, hitting the stair rails and playing a metallic symphony while the sparks from the impact lit up the dark room.

The vice scraped his skin on the harsh rubble as he rolled with all his might, banging his head against something.

The impact felt like it would split his head open. Soon the flow of bullets followed his motion, making its way straight toward him.

Another melody played out as it hit him directly. The metal clashed against the hardened armor. It was the lost heavy shield.

He had swung his arms out wildly, trying to grab at whatever it was that hit his head—pulling the object in front of him just in time.

The melody kept playing as he waited for the rounds to finish. He was praying to God that the shield would hold up. His own armor would do nothing against the anti-armor rounds being fired at him.

His hands ached and trembled as the shield violently rattled, and his ears rang continuously throughout the bombardment of bullets.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Shit, my hands have gone numb."


He could no longer feel his arms. But he still held onto the highly abused shield with his well-trained iron grip.

His eyes started adjusting to the sunlight pouring in at the end of the hall.

He looked to his left and right at the hallway walls to adjust his vision. Since the shield completely blocked his view of whatever they were facing.

He started gasping for air, breathing deeply, taking in as much oxygen as possible.

He prepared his aching muscles, tensing them up to rush towards the monstrosity as soon as he heard the end of the clip.


*click*


Hearing the familiar chime, he stood to a low crouch and rushed forward erratically.

The moment the rounds restarted, he would be finished!

The shield was barely holding itself together. And the force from the rounds was so strong that it would throw him off balance, making running nearly impossible.

It felt like taking multiple heavy sledgehammer impacts to the shield at a relentless rate.


He could not peep to confirm the exact location of his target either. He only had a single shot, and throwing it was not an option, as his whole arm would be full of holes the moment he poked it out.

Nor could he clearly see anymore; the brightness of the flares had made him blind, and his vision wasn't adjusting. He had to guess its location.

And so, like a baby rhinoceros, he madly rushed at it, hoping to crash into it from his mad charge.


| Alpha-squad Vice |
"Diiieee, you bastard!!!"


The vice screamed like another crazy bastard as he let out his guttural warcry. But it was too late.


*click*


He heard the trigger going off. The rounds were restarting.

In a final desperate attempt, he tossed the shield away, completely exposing himself. He had hoped he could crash into it with the shield, but it was further off than he anticipated.


He then opened up his eyes to take in whatever light his now bloodshot eyes could take in, and that's when he saw it.

The last thing he saw was the blinding light pouring in from the end and sides of the hall and a monstrosity standing at the far end as his body was riddled with a dozen holes from the onslaught.


The EMP dropped from his lifeless hands as his body crumpled on the floor.

As it rolled towards the abomination, it let out a high-pitched buzz.



*Whiizzzst—beep—BEEP—BEEEPPP*



The contraption stared in horror as it saw the bomb slowly roll toward it.


ᛋᚺᛁᛏ!!!



It then detonated with its 2 million amps, frying all circuits in a 3-meter radius.


The high-pitched blast resonated in the ears of all those below, followed by an eerie silence.


Had the vice done it!?


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Alpha squad! Come in. Alpha squad, respond! Alpha—"


Soon, the comms came to life.

The jamming had all but stopped. The entire squad let out a victorious roar while hugging each other.



| Alpha-squad Captain |
"Vice did it! He took down that thing!"


The whole squad rushed towards the stairs, trying to make it up before the last flares fizzled.

What they saw above was the carnage of the ruined heap and the dead man on the side. His body was beyond recognition.

They all gathered around him, with a pained expression on each face.


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"A-alpha squad reporting, Sector 5. Man down. Man down. We are requesting urgent assistance. Vice is dead. We lost all our suits. The squad is down to full manual."


The captain was trying to maintain her composure.

They could not mourn for him. They were still in grave danger after all that abnormality that caused all of this was still there on the floor above them.

The entire team looked toward their captain. If that monstrosity made its way down, they would soon join vice.

The voice from the other end sighed with relief.



| Commander Whitefox |
"W-we thought we lost you before we could send you the information. The other squads were not so fortunate."


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"...what the hell are we facing, ma'am!?"


The captain was beyond frustrated at the lack of information they were given. She threw her etiquette out the window after facing death with her unit and losing her vice.


| Commander Whitefox |
"Don't give me that attitude, captain. We're doing our best out here. But I don't blame you. Now give me a full report quickly! You may all still be in danger."


Whitefox chose to give her captain some leeway. She could only imagine what the Alpha squad had gone through under her orders.

The whole team took the same formation around their captain while she relayed what had happened to her commander.

The voice on the other end became more relaxed upon hearing the events.


| Commander Whitefox |
"Mission accomplished! Well done, Alpha squad!"



| Alpha-squad Captain |
"...What?"


The captain was dumbfounded.


| Commander Whitefox |
"We're sending air support to pick you up immediately. Stand by for further orders."


| Alpha-squad Captain |
"What's going on here? The assailant is still at large, ma'am. That abnormality might have escaped, and we cannot verify if it's still on the floor above."


| Commander Whitefox |
"Type 12, Iron Fortress, successfully located. It's an immobile unit captain, and its highly customized circuitry means it cannot bear weapons. So its main goal is to wage electronic warfare by jamming, as well as to hack other units for defense. Stay where you are. We will send the sweeper with air support to retrieve it."


The whole squad had heard the comm as the captain had opened it out to them. Despite protocol, she wanted them to listen to it.

The entire squad stared at each, quite stupefied over the development.

Relief, confusion, grief, anger, and exhaustion.

They went through all these emotions. Despite everything, they had somehow survived.

They then all gathered around vice.

At last, they could mourn for him. They took turns guarding the squad while switching out to mourn for him.

.
.
.
Half an hour later, the air support ships arrived.

They flew at a distance, staying out of Iron Fortress' range.

They lowered their men through a rope ladder into the opening of the 98th floor, which was exposed to the elements.


| Zeta-squad Captain |
"Zeta squad has arrived with sweeper and medic units. Make your way to the air vessel. We'll take it from here."


The newly arrived Zeta squad captain yelled out orders as her troops poured in from the ladder one after the other.

Their uniforms were entirely different, with different colors and designs.

After making their way up, they found Iron Fortress idly whirling away in the corner.

They had come prepared this time with multiple EMP charges, heavy shield units, and full manual gear.

Thanks to the efforts of the Alpha squad, only their vice was a casualty on that day.

After dismantling Iron Fortress, the Zeta squad took its parts, along with the Alpha squad and their vice's body, on the Zeta squad airship.

Leaving the scene, the Alpha squad thought about all the events that had occurred that day.

However, they were the lucky ones.



***
PROLOGUE ONE

Flares shine brightest when It's dark

—END—


Thank you for reading~
(ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥
​

 

[RiseOfBread]

setup
-Lost Child-

Prologue II: The Peonies that never bloomed


To the one that seemest once, perpetual wink; to the one that seemest twice, life—Type XXIa

Send thy fallen to me so that I might send 'em back to whence they stir forth—Type XXIb

| Delta-squad Captain |
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, NEWBIE!?"


The captain was almost hysterical.

The whole squad was on edge, but their newest scout treated this mission like a game.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"Sir? It's only a lone android, and perhaps it's neutral or even friendly."


The scout lowered his weapon after spotting the popular household cleaning android in the distance.



He was scouting ahead on his own and headed toward it once he saw it.

The silent android let out a curious whistle.



ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞ ᛟᚱ ᚠᛟᛖ?



| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |
"Sir, it's sending us a signal."


The other scout in the distance also e picked up on its signal and saw the runes on his screen.


| Delta-squad Rear Guard | D-009 |
"S-signals? Sir, is it communicating with us?"


The rear guard was spooked on hearing it.


What was a lone sentient android doing in a place like this?



| Delta-squad Captain |
"Ignore it. It's just a new program from Psycorp that interprets its electronic sounds as visual runes, and there's no use for it yet. Now can someone tell that idiot to stop messing with it? We have a mission to finish here."


The captain, who was more accustomed to seeing military androids used in the field, was more dismissive.


There were many of them broken down and abandoned in the wastelands of the abandoned section of the city.


| Delta-squad Rear Guard | D-009 |
"B-but captain, what if that thing is trying to warn us?"


However, his unit was relatively new, and they were still spooked upon seeing a lone android.


| Delta-squad Vice |
"Those things aren't sentient if that's what you rookies are thinking. Their only purpose is to clean and follow orders."


| Delta-squad Special Mobile Unit | D-004 |
"Is there a chance that could be our missing prototype captain?"


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Newbie! Send the details from your scanner."


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"Captain, it's harmless and a model RX-07 household cleaning model. But, the poor guy is broken."


The newbie was shamelessly patting it.

The android didn't seem to mind. It allowed the scout to pat it while it scanned his suit, trying to decipher the insignia on his uniform.

It was struggling since its sensor was broken.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"That said, is this the newest model? I've only seen it on videos."


The newbie was further examining it.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Newbie, stop playing around. We got work to do. Just leave it alone."


The captain was quite annoyed and just wanted the day to end.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"Alright, alright."


The newbie sighed, letting go of his curiosity while walking back toward the rest of the squad.


| Delta-squad Vice |
"I still don't understand why you keep him around, captain."


The vice was asking the captain under his breath so as not to allow the others to overhear their conversation.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"I'm regretting that decision now. But, he comes in quite highly recommended by my friend from Beta squad."


| Delta-squad Vice |
"Him? I don't see it. Kid's either got nerves of steel or is just an outright fool."


The vice commented while staring at the carefree newbie who looked out of place compared to the rest of the squad.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Though for an investigative mission like this, that curiosity of his is perfect for it."


| Delta-squad Vice |
"It's going to get him killed, is what it is! Speaking of our mission, do we have a more accurate location for that distress signal? Has HQ given any new leads?"


| Delta-squad Captain |
"We don't—"


The captain was cut short as the comms flared to life.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Delta squad, come in. Confirm your sector at once!"


The voice on the other end thundered across the comms. It was from Greywolf, the man in charge of the Delta squad.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |
"Captain, I see something ahead."


The other scout, further up ahead, interrupted the captain over the comms on finding something from his viewpoint.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Sector 8. We're outside on the main road. No signs of Anti-psycho terrorists."


The captain reported to the commander before turning his attention to his scout.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Acknowledged scout. Report what you see."


| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |
"I see several infra-red in my vision, captain. This is the general area from where the distress signal originated."


The scout then made a sign to indicate a complete halt. On seeing the signal, the whole squad stopped their advance.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Sector 8!? Wasn't your squad assigned to sector 9?"


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Sir? We got an urgent request to support the Epsilon squad from HQ, and the distress signal originated from somewhere within this sector."


| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |
"Oh my god! We've found them, captain. It's the missing Epsilon squad."


The scout now confirmed his finding, broadcasting his sight and the findings to the visors of his entire team.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Good job, rookie!"


The captain praised the scout.

The captain then signaled to his team to keep an eye on their surroundings while he reported back to the commander.


| Delta-squad Captain |
"Commander, we've found them! Epsilon squad has been detected.
Do we approach? There might still be hostiles waiting to ambush us. What are your orders, sir?"


| Commander Greywolf |
"Negative. Do not approach. That's not the Epsilon squad captain. That squad is currently investigating sector 12."


| Delta-squad Captain |
"What on earth are you talking about, sir? We see them clearly on our infrareds, and those uniforms are from the missing Epsilon squad."


The captain said in utter confusion, looking to his men for confirmation.

They all confirmed that they all saw the same thing.


After all, wasn't Greywolf who had asked them to investigate the missing Epsilon squad just an hour back?

They were only following his orders.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Quick, take off all your scanners. Remove them at once!"


| Delta-squad Captain |
"What are y—"


The captain spoke his last and slumped to the ground, his lifeless body hitting the pavement.

Soon after, his entire team followed one-by-one.

The only sound was the fire of the assault rifle coming from the newbie scout who had returned from his investigation of the android.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"Oh, My God! Oh, My God!"


The newbie cried as he kept firing round after round from his rifle.

He had just seen his entire team ambushed by the terrorists, and they had killed his whole squad in the blink of an eye, and he was now the only remaining member.

And so he opened fire on them, killing them all.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Delta squad! Delta squad! Come in. Take off your sensors at once! Delt—"


The comms still buzzed with Greywolf's voice coming from the comms of the dead Delta squad members.

Once all the terrorists were killed, the newbie quickly returned to his team, picking up the comm equipment and responding.




| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"P-private H-Higgs here. D-Delta squad has been completely wiped out! I'm the only remaining member."


The feeble soldier responded in a shaky voice while his hands trembled, holding on to the receiver.


It was a nightmare.


He had just joined the unit after his training. Yet on the very first day, he had been unfortunate enough to have his entire team wiped out before his eyes.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"Captain, Vice, everyone is dead!"


The scout started sobbing audibly.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Private! Private!! Get hold of yourself. You're in grave danger. Take off your visor at once!"


The voice on the other end begged the soldier to take off his visor with utmost urgency.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"...what?"


The scout could not understand what was going on.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Infrareds! It's been hijacked. We fear you've just met Type 21A Mind Worm, which means Type 21B Heat Worm is also around that area. They're a unit."


The scout couldn't understand a word.

He just did as was asked of him. They gave him orders, and he followed. Still not understanding what was happening, he took off his helmet.

The infrared signals on his visor came from a shadowy area under a destroyed overpass.

But when he took off his visor, his eyes adjusted to the natural light, and he could see that there were no bodies under the overpass.

And still not wholly believing what he saw, he stumbled toward the area in a daze.


Yet, his own eyes deceived him.


The Epsilon squad was an illusion!? Was there no one there? What's going on??


Once we reached the overpass and saw no bodies, he turned his attention toward his own squad in the distance, and he saw no terrorists among them—only his dead teammates.

Still not believing his own eyes, he frantically looked for the terrorists.


They had to be somewhere, right?
After all, who else had killed my entire team?


| Commander Greywolf |
"Type 21A, Mind Worm. It hijacks the sensors, even the comms—both audio and visuals. Its main role is to confuse. False infrared signals, fake calls for support. It travels underground but is otherwise unarmed."


The scout held his head.


It confuses you?

So, it led his entire team here on a wild goose chase?


He then walked over and, upon reaching the site of the massacre, bent down to inspect their wounds.

They had all been shot from only a single side with an assault rifle.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Private! You are in danger! Get off the road and find cover pronto. Type 21B Heat Worm has to be nearby. It's extremely dangerous. It generates a powerful electromagnetic field, inducing high voltages on anything nearby. Its main role is cremation. It bakes and fries the bodies of the fallen by turning their own suits into an electric furnace."


But the scout ignored him.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"Shit shit shit!!! No! Why can't I find any other bullets other than an Mk-34 Hellblazer!? You're kidding me! Am I the—"


The man was hysterical as he cradled the body of his dead comrade in his arms.


| Commander Greywolf |
"...find high ground to—"


But he couldn't hear a thing.


Why did this happen?

Who did this!?

Who's responsible for this?


His mind had all but shut down.


| Commander Greywolf |
"..road…find—"


The comms chirped something.

Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.

Nothing matters anymore!


The scout had just killed all of his friends.

His brother was in that unit.
He was the captain.

The scout cradled his corpse and cried bitterly.


| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |
"You never accepted me, did you, captain?"


The scout didn't have it in him to do anything else.

He had to stay by the side of his brother, his friends, and his short-lived family.

.
You were annoyed anytime I brought it up.
.
You always treated me as nothing more than a stranger.
.
Now, look at what I've done to you!
.
.
.
What's wrong with me!?
.
Why didn't I check!?!
.

As his world stopped, something happened.

He felt someone grab him from behind.


ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞ!


Then with supernatural strength, the scout was flung back to the side of the road.

He was flung with such force that he went into a roll from the momentum. The rubble tore at his skin through his clothes, and bruised his body.

His uncontrolled roll eventually stopped as his body hit the wall of a nearby building. It forced all the air out of his lungs as he wheezed due to the air forcing its way out through his vocals.

It felt like a train had just hit him. But the adrenaline from the situation made him keep his eyes open.

He witnessed the beaten-up android fry and spark, along with the bodies at the center of the main road. Then the entire pile of bodies, along with the android, burst into one large bonfire.

Thick black smoke started rising from them.

While they popped apart and sputtered, the scout lost consciousness.


| Commander Greywolf |
"Private! Private! Hold your ground, and find safety. The Epsilon squad is on their way."



***


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Beta squad reporting, sir. Terrorist hideout has been stormed, and all Anti-psycho resistance has been eliminated."

The captain sat on the floor amidst the scattered dead bodies and gave his report while his team guarded him from a distance.

They were in a building with bodies littered all over the place. These were dead resistance members who opposed Psycorps, the organization that had taken control of the city.


| Commander Blackhound |
"And what of their leader?"


All Psycorps units were led by a single high commander, who had to answer directly to the Minister Of Defense, high commander Geist.


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Their leader is dead, and we have his head. What are our orders?"


The captain asked in an annoyed manner.


His three Ops commanders were the ones on the comms, Whitefox, Greywolf, and Blackhound.


| Commander Blackhound |
"Good work, Beta team. What's the loss count on your side?"


The commander ignored the apparent irritation in his captain's voice.


There are six highly specialized squads, and each Ops commander leads two, in addition to a support team.


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Two dead on our end."


The captain closed his eyes, sighing.


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Both rookies."


The main squads were— Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta.



| Commander Blackhound |
"Only two!?"


The voice said in confusion.


The support squads were— Chi, Psy, and Omega.


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Why would you like for there to be more casualties?"


The captain's loud voice echoed throughout the room. His men knew better than to cross him when he was in a bad mood.


| Commander Blackhound |
"N-no! Just surprised. Please give your report, captain."


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Look, I'd like to, but we don't know what's going on either. When we arrived, there weren't many Anti-psycho members left, only a few stranglers."


The captain said, looking towards his men with a tired look.


| Commander Blackhound & Beta-squad Captain |
"..."


Both the captain and the commander on the other end went into an awkward silence.




| Beta-squad Captain |
"Look, if you got a better explanation, I'd love to hear it. Cause you and I both know that these men didn't just kill themselves over some dispute."


The captain and his men had quite a rough day. Despite how things had gone, they still had an arduous search for the hideout.

But shortly after reporting their finding, something strange took place.



| Commander Blackhound |
"...I've just checked with the high commander Geist. Your unit was the first to get there. Before we pick you back, you must give me your full report."


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Oh, come on. You're going to hold us as hostages here?"


The captain had opened his comms to his men. They were all quite frustrated based on what they heard.


| Commander Blackhound |
"I understand your impatience, captain. But we cannot risk losing another team. We've suffered heavy casualties today, the worst since our founding."


The commander had a grim tone.


| Beta-squad Captain |
"What's the count?"


This was new info to the captain. To his knowledge, his team was the only one in danger. He assumed that all the other teams had been unsuccessful in finding the enemy's hideout and had an uneventful but peaceful mission.


| Commander Blackhound |
"Just between us. Alpha team has lost their vice. Delta team only has one survivor. Epsilon team has two members with severe burns. The only team that's been unaffected is Zeta."


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Hold on, what about our sister team—Gamma?"


The way his superior had skipped it could not have been a good sign.


Each team had a unique specialty.

Team Alpha— electronic warfare.
Team Beta— siege warfare.
Team Gamma— bomb diffusion.
Team Delta— Investigation.
Team Epsilon— Heavy Assault Stormtroopers.
Team Zeta— Air Assault.


| Commander Blackhound |
"...they were investigating multiple sectors. We had good intel that the terrorists were planning to set off bombs in those sectors."


| Beta-squad Captain |
"..."


The captain wore a brave face but was torn apart and dying inside.


| Commander Blackhound |
"They all died. My entire Gamma was wiped."


| Beta-squad Captain |
"...at least were they able to stop any of them?"


The captain asked, taking a deep breath while his team drew closer. The vice patted the captain's back.


| Commander Blackhound |
"No, all the bombs went off simultaneously. We couldn't do anything."


| Beta-squad Captain |
"..."


| Commander Blackhound |
"Your son is dead, captain. He died a hero!"

***
PROLOGUE TWO

The Peonies that never bloomed

—END—


Thank you for reading~
(ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥
​

 

[RiseOfBread]

setup
-Lost Child-

Prologue III: The traitor amongst us





Doctor's prescription: A scalpel a day keeps the vices at bay— Medic

| Commander Blackhound |

"Your son died a hero!"





| Beta-squad Captain |

"..."





| Commander Blackhound |

"The only good news was that all the bombings were within the abandoned city, which had long been evacuated. These attacks were a targeted strike to wipe us out."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"...what's their angle?"





The captain could not control his tears.





| Commander Blackhound |

"The Founder's Day parade is tomorrow."





The 20th anniversary of Psycorps.





| Commander Blackhound |

"They're trying to bait our leader into showing himself. If he doesn't turn up, the bombings will continue."





The leader, Psycorp's founder, and the head of the city-state known as Bellspring.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"So, their goal was to…whittle our forces down…so that we can't defend the leader anymore…and keep killing innocents until he shows up..."





The captain spoke in a soft tone, still grieving for his son.





| Commander Blackhound |

"It's all over now. We took Anti-psycho's head and retrieved all the stolen prototypes."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"...stolen prototypes?"





This was the first time the captain had heard the reason for their deployment.





| Commander Blackhound |

"Psycorp was experimenting with a unique division of mechanized infantry for special operations. But, a few of their scientists and researchers went rogue. They smuggled the parts to Anti-psycho and helped assemble them."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"The wretched bastards must've been laying low and planning this attack for quite a while!"





| Commander Blackhound |

"I'm sorry. Our intel came too late…."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"...What has humanity created!? Monsters are creating more monsters!!! In all my years, I've never encountered anything like this."





The captain spoke in a pained voice.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"How could we have known? How could we have prepared!?"





| Commander Blackhound |

"Captain, they all did their best! We did as well."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"You did!? All this is news to me. Tell me, why did Psycorps hide this info from us?... Did you hide this info from other teams as well!? If they only knew."





The captain clutched his knees tightly.





| Commander Blackhound |

"If they knew, captain, the damage would be far greater. Didn't I already explain how members within Psycorps have gone rogue? The enemy is among us! We have to assume that they are listening to these private comms."





The commander retorted in a harsh tone.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"That doesn't make sense. Can't you even trust us? Anti-psycho already know what those prototypes are capable of, so what's the harm in revealing it now?"





The captain could not contain his anger and let his direct superior know his thoughts.






| Beta-squad Vice |

"Captain, don't you'll get in trouble."





The vice tried to calm the captain before he got into more trouble.



The men felt the same as the captain, but they knew better than to speak up and let their anger quietly burn.





| Commander Blackhound |

"You think it's that simple!? Anti-psycho has only scratched the surface! The true capabilities of these prototypes remain highly classified. We can't risk leaking any of their true capabilities on the comms."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"That's absurd!!!"





| Commander Blackhound |

"Listen. Even disclosing such a thing will get me in trouble. However, I'll gladly sacrifice my points since you lot are all I have left. I rather have my squad in good spirits than have them go off thinking I don't give a damn."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Commander, I apologize…my head is messed up…"





The captain was quite taken aback at the sincere tone of his commander.





| Commander Blackhound |

"Just today, we already discovered one traitor. The survivor from the Delta team. He was their newest recruit. Remember him?"





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Yes, I know him. He's a good kid. So he survived?...that's great! But him being a traitor!? How can that be?"





| Commander Blackhound |

"He single-handedly killed his entire team!"





The commander spoke with utter anger and fury in his voice.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"He did what now!?"





More than one voice exclaimed those words. Hearing such a thing happen brought everyone's morale to an all-time low.





| Commander Blackhound |

"He's on death row. We're executing him before the week is over. Claims it was due to the prototype or something."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"I don't know what those prototypes did, but you have to vouch for him, commander! He's a clutz, for sure. But he's a good kid. He's innoc—"





| Commander Blackhound |

"Innocent? Will that bring back the lives he took with his own hands? I expected more from you, captain. I know he was your son's best friend. But, he could very well be part of Anti-psycho."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Surely this has to be a mis—"





| Commander Blackhound |

" A mistake? A misunderstanding? That excuse is too easy. Rather we must assume that he waited for the right opportunity and took it in cold blood!"





| Beta-squad Captain |

"..."





While the captain wanted to save the boy, due to the friendship the boy had with his dead son, he couldn't deny that he could very well be a traitor. And so he stayed quiet until he could look into this matter himself.





| Commander Blackhound |

"I'm going to send the support team now. I just got word that all stolen prototypes have been accounted for, and your team can come home. Good work, Beta team! Stand by"





The commander cut the comms after his orders.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Men! Pack it up. We're going home!!!"





At the captain's word, all the men around him started hugging each other, and a loud cheer went up.





| Beta-squad Scout | B-005 |

"Finally! We can get out of this shit hole!"





| Beta-squad Heavy Assault | B-008 |

"You said it. I can't wait to go back and be done with this mess. My back's been killing me. I need to get it checked. Know any good chiropractors?"





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Oh, before I forget! Collect the samples from the bodies."





Some color was now returning to the captain's face, and his voice had a bit more strength.





| Beta-squad Rear Guard | B-006 |

"Sir, you mean the strange dark liquid we found within their wounds when we first arrived?"





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Yes, open them up if you have to; those traitors don't deserve an ounce of our respect. Get all the liquid in their bodies into a container. HQ will be interested in investigating what on earth it is."





The captain ordered, finally stepping out of the room and into the carnage outside.



The soldiers who went out all winced. The bodies were so horribly mangled up, dislocated, and jumbled together that they could hardly hold their composure.



Yet, orders were orders, so they switched on their infrared vision. Surprisingly, the bodies still appeared as red blobs on their visors since it hadn't been more than an hour before these men had been so gruesomely killed.



The men winched as their gloves went within the cavity of the bodies lying all over the place. The bodies and blood still were warm to the touch.



Viewing them only through their infrared visors allowed the men to see the fallen soldiers as something less than human. And they began inspecting the bodies for the dark liquid they saw leaking from the wounds earlier, trying to get some of the liquid into their containers.





| Beta-squad Scout | B-010 |

"What do you think caused this?"





The scout asked another as he squatted down to cut the body open.





| Beta-squad Heavy Assault | B-009 |

"I doubt even a rabid animal could cause such a mess."



The heavy assault cut in, overhearing the two.





| Beta-squad Support Carrier | B-012 |

"Then it has to be a machine, right?"





Their newest member pitched in, joining the conversation.





Support Carrier, the mule of the group.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"No, look at the mess. There are no signs of any cuts. Nothing clean. Whatever strange phenomenon occurred here used blunt force to jumble up their innards. In all my years, I've never seen anything like this. It's almost supernatural! But as a man of science, I must rule out the possibility that spirits were involved."





Their new medic answered when he overheard their crazy ideas.



He was new to the team and kept to himself, but today he seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood.



The men all stared at him with awe. Some believed him to be mute; others considered him a moron.



But, what surprised them was that the man had no visor on him, just his glasses that were now clouding over. He happily did his work, cutting open bodies and digging his hands into the hollow cavities, all with a smile.



The men thought that he looked pretty intimidating as some blood splashed onto his face just when he cut open a body with his scalpel. He didn't even bother wiping it off as he was too engrossed in his work.



Realizing his mistake, he tried to calm his team by giving them his widest, most reassuring smile and a thumbs up.



Only to have some entrails from the body he was examining get tangled on his forearm as he struggled to raise his hand to give them the thumbs up. As the medic's teeth sparked and his glasses glinted in the light, the whole team moved away from him, fearing for their lives.



They all decided to leave it to him. After all, no man felt safe working next to the quack medic.



After a few minutes and some precise cuts with his scalpel, the medic was successful in freeing his hands and stood to his feet.

| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Where's everyone gone?"





The medic, being quite puzzled, raised an eyebrow at his team's behavior.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Oh well, their loss to miss out on such a fascinating scene. This whole scene is bizarre. The captain was right to call it that. It's as if someone put all of them into a popcorn machine and rattled them back and forth."





The medic spoke to himself, examining the roof, walls, and floor, which were all covered with blood.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"What's your verdict, doc?"





The vice asked after returning from outside the building, where he was conducting his own examination.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"I saw the men all rushing out of the building in a panic. So I came to see what's up."





The vice asked the medic while communicating with him in sign language.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"An earthquake."





| Beta-squad Vice |

"..."





He can speak!?



Also, we must file a complaint against the crackhead they sent us.



He comes quite highly recommended, but…





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"A massive earthquake! Enough to bounce their bodies all over the place. Off the roof, the walls, through the hallways. I think we might even find some of them outside?"





The medic said in deep thought.





| Beta-squad Rear Guard | B-006 |

"Vice! We found more bodies behind the building. They're all over the place. Some of them are as far as 300 meters away. Captain says it's unbelievable. Almost as if they were placed in a slingshot and shot out the windows!"





The Rear Guard spoke while running in.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"300 meters!?"





The vice then turned to the medic.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Must've been one hell of an earthquake!"





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Wait! I've seen such injuries before."





The medic said, realizing something.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Injuries? Doctor, they're dead! I'd think these are a little more than some injuries."





The vice rubbed both his temples in frustration. The vice then turned towards the rear guard.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Go fetch the captain. Doc's got an explanation for it. He'll want to hear it."





The soldier went back out to call the captain.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"It's rare, but such cases have happened to engineers who've carelessly handled dark fluid."





The medic checked for signs of the liquid. Yet, if there was any, it's long since dissipated.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"The Dark fluid!!! Hold on. The captain needs to hear this."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Hear what? Rookie told me you got an explanation for it, doc?"





The captain asked, coming up the staircase.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Captain, Dark fluid. Are you aware of it?"





The medic raised himself and crossed over his arms.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"The anti-gravity substance that gives our airships flight?"





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Isn't it everywhere these days? The monorail that goes to Veritas, which they recently opened, also works with it. Isn't that why it can run on tracks without structural support?"





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"You're both right. They have plans to float an entire building on it down the road. The rumor is that the new Psycorps HQ that the ministry is building at the city's center will use this same material."





| Beta-squad Vice |

"You sure know a lot about this, don't you, doc? But, what's that got to do with these bodies?"





The vice asked with a cheeky grin, giving the medic a small pat on his back.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"I believe the shells that these bodies have been riddled with contain trace amounts of dark fluid. Of course, I can't be completely sure unless we take them to a lab and do a thorough analysis. But, I've reason to believe that dark fluid was used in the massacre of these men."





The medic spoke, examining a shell by raising it close to his eye.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"These shells are hollow, captain. There's a good chance he's right."





The vice interjected after picking a shell up and looking closely at it.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"That's a major war crime, then. The recipe to produce dark fluid is a closely guarded secret. Not to mention that it's a largely untested and highly inhumane weapon. Just look at the state of the bodies. How on earth did it end up here? That's something Psycorp will want to know."





The captain commented while pulling on his beard.

| Beta-squad Vice |

"You think the enemy came here with ammo lined with this stuff?"





The vice turned towards the captain.



This whole thing was quite frightening. Imagining an enemy having such a weapon, and witnessing its gruesome effects firsthand, put everyone into high tension.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"Our commander has assured me that no unit has set foot in this place. Not on our end, at least, and I trust him."





The captain stared into the vice's eyes with a serious look.





| Beta-squad Captain |

"At first, I thought there had to be a third group in play. But, our men found no signs that anyone else had been here. No signs of footprints or other signs. Isn't that right, vice?"





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"How can tha—"





Just then, their comms flared to life.





| Commander Blackhound |

"Captain, the Zeta force has arrived to ferry us back to base. You can give your report once you get back. Our newly put-together investigation team will handle it once we assemble them in a few hours. They'll pitch in until we can properly reform the delta squad."





| Beta-squad Captain |

"That'll be hard. We had some good men at Delta. Roger. Vice. Doc. Pack up. We're heading home."





The captain said after hearing the commander's order. He then returned to the room to gather his supplies, with the vice following him.





Now that the medic was all alone, he could finally focus on the investigation, and his brain went into overdrive to devise a reasonable solution to satisfy his curiosity.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"...we heard crazy explosions right before we came in. At the time, we assumed that it was some chain bombings. But now it all makes sense. It wasn't an explosion that had occurred. There are no signs of burn marks, smoke, or flames. It was all due to the dark fluid being fired in live rounds. However, where did they—"





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Doc, get your ass here and grab your things"





The vice, along with the captain, got their bags packed and walked past the medic, still quite absorbed by the whole scene. Now angry due to the wait, the vice shouted back to the medic from down the hall.



But, if the vice knew this man, he would know better. When the medic got interested in anything, there was no stopping him, and so, like a mad beast, he ran down the stairs but not to go with the rest. Rather, he had a different reason in mind.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Yes, that must be it!"





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Good, don't make us wait! The ship's waiting, doc!"





But, the medic shot right past the vice, waiting for him by the building door. Instead of following the vice out of the building, the medic went down one more floor.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Oopsie, I left my bag downstairs. How clumsy of me!"





He's up to something, thought Vice.



Wait.



Is doc the traitor!?



Hold on! Let's not jump to conclusions.



Maybe he left his field rations down and really loves those tasteless bars!?





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Hurry, doc! Or else we'll be leaving without you!"





In the distance, outside the building, the sound of the airship's engines firing could be heard as it prepared itself for take off.



The medic frantically searched the entire basement.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Where is it? Where is it!?"





The medic spoke to himself while searching all over the place for any fragments he could find. Seeing none, he threw away his first conclusion.



These were not the work killer drones! He assumed that if this were the work of drones, then he should see signs of some kind of struggle. Perhaps the men were able to take one of them down. But he really could not find anything.



Ruling out drones only left one possibility.





The killings were done from within the building by some unknown group.





Shivering at the thought, he ran into the storeroom and tapped against each floor plank with his scalpel.





*Thump*



*Thump*



*Ting*



*Thump*





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Hold on! I heard a ting!"



The medic became ecstatic over the odd sound one of the floorboards made.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"And you'll be hearing plenty of other things if you don't get your ass on that ride!"



The vice said while forcefully dragging the medic away.





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"Nooooo! My discovery! I was so close! Hold on, vice! There's a floorboard that sounded—"



The medic said with a sad look after being dragged away before seeing what was under the board.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Sounded strange? Why yes, there's an underground tunnel from where the intruders could easily massacre the men hiding here."





Ah, that makes sense!



Wait.



How does he know!?





| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |

"N-n-no way!!! Are you the traitor?"



The medic asked as his eyes popped. He tried to turn his head back to meet the eyes of his assailants. He was in terrible danger, so he hid his scalpel in the sleeve of his suit.



The vice stopped dragging him and let him go. The medic was laid flat on the ground, with the medic's head towards him. It was a compromising position if the vice wished he could stomp straight on the medic's head.



The boots of their squad were lined with metal, and one good stomp from the vice could crush the medic's head like a tin can.



Unfortunately, they had to forgo their exo-suits, or else the medic was confident that he would have the upper hand as he had better control of it than anyone else on his team.



He had trained himself with it to the point that it felt like second nature. However, in doing so, he had grown quite weak physically and wasn't prepared to have a death match with the vice.



Any sudden or clumsy movements from him and vice would do him in right there.



The air was heavy, and his life was flashing before his eyes. Amid the tension, he could only think about the element of surprise he hid within his sleeve.





But then again, the vice was smart. How the situation would turn out would be anyone's guess.





Just when the medic was about to spring into action by slipping the scalpel into his hand from his sleeve and slitting vice's Achilles tendon, vice did something unexpected.



Vice sighed and crouched low, looking straight into the medic's eyes as he squatted, bringing his face close to the medic.





This is perfect!





The medic now had the advantage. He was confident in his ability to kill with his weapon of choice.



This little scalpel in his trained hands was like a jack knife or a machete. He could use it to completely sever the man's Carotid artery, directly cutting off the blood supply to his brain and killing him.



Over the years, he had performed many surgeries, and this awkward angle would not stop him. The element of surprise was his, and he started calculating the best angle for his fatal kill.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Traitor?"





The vice had a puzzled look on his face.





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Psycorps sure has a lot of enemies, huh!?"





The vice had a dangerous look on his face.





The medic grimaced in disgust.





This man is truly dangerous!



Why would he kill his own group just to throw us off?



Just how far is he planning to take his vendetta?



Does the captain know?





If vice is the mole responsible for leaking our intel, then doesn't that make him responsible for everything?



Our entire squads were wiped out all because of this man!



Letting him go now will put all my friends in danger, so I must stop him here and now.





My next move will decide everything!





The medic then readied his improvised weapon for the life-and-death struggle about to commence.





Even if I die, I swear to avenge them all!





| Beta-squad Vice |

"Doc, I hope you're not planning anything stupid?"

***
PROLOGUE THREE

The traitor amongst us

—END—


Thank you for reading~
(ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

​

 

[RiseOfBread]

setup
-Lost Child-

Prologue IV: The fight to survive


To trust or not to trust, that is the question— Medic

"A doctor does not take lives but saves them."



Those were the words of my late father. I've always followed his advice and lived by his principles. Since I began practicing medicine, I swore by his grave that I'd follow in his footsteps.

I'm proud to say that despite the times we live in, I've not taken a single life. I rely on my comrades to protect me, and they trust me that I will do the same.

They perform my share in our missions, and I've always been grateful for it. Rather, my duty on the field is to ensure that they live to see another day.

Was I naive in thinking that a day would come when it'd have to be me that does the killing? I really can't leave it to anyone else, can I? There's no one else who knows what I know.

What a troubling situation!


As the medic hesitated for a few seconds, a thought suddenly occurred to him.


Is he even a man!? A man wouldn't be capable of doing what he did.


The medic let out a weak smile, staring at the vice's remorseless face as the vice crouched.

There was no remorse in the vice's eyes for his wrongdoings. Instead, the medic could only see a wild, possessed look on him, with a crude smile across the vice's face.


He's nothing more than a monster!


The medic flicked his wrist, sliding the scalpel into his palm from his right sleeve, all while maintaining his poker face and his steely-eyed gaze on vice.


| Beta-squad Vice |
"???"


Vice furrowed his brow, narrowing his gaze.


Had he noticed!?


The medic started panicking, but he didn't show it. The most important part was not showing a single sign of his intent.

He would offer vice a quick, silent death before the vice realized his intent.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"So, vice you really ar—"


The element of surprise is now!!!


The medic put power into his muscles and readied his attack by trying to raise his right arm for the strike.


*Thump*


Except, his hand refused to obey his command.


| Beta-squad Vice |
"Am I really what?"


Vice asked casually. The vice had not taken his gaze off the medic for even an instant.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"How rude of me to end mid-sentence. So you are th—"


The element of surprise is now!


Once again, the medic tensed his muscles, putting all of his strength into his arm, and in one smooth motion, he—failed to lift his arm again!


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"???"


What on earth is going on!?


| Beta-squad Vice |
"You sure you're alright, doc? I'm beginning to worry that falling shook your brain too hard. You keep stopping all your sentences halfway."


For the first time, the vice's face showed some genuine concern for the medic's condition. It was the worst feeling, being pitied by the man you were about to murder.


This man is so dangerous that he's killing my self-esteem!

What on earth is wrong with me!? My element of surprise has gone straight down the drain, and what sort of mental hypnosis has he done to me!? To bind even a trained surgeon like me from using my favorite tool!

What a fearsome foe! This man absolutely cannot be allowed to live.


The element of surprise is—


The medic knew very well that under no circumstance should you take your eyes from the enemy. This basic rule for survival had been ingrained into him by his old combat instructor.

Yet, the circumstance was so bizarre that it warranted a look to see why he could not move his arm.

His arm felt like it was made of solid lead. No matter what the medic did, it refused to obey his commands to attack vice. And so the medic broke his stare and looked to see what was wrong with his arm.

As the medic raised his head, he found three combat knives stabbed into the wooden planks to his right, pinning his sleeves at three different points.

It was a perfect restraint, so precisely done that no part of his arm could move an inch.


What on earth!? When did vice do that!? He didn't even break eye contact with me, and how did he even know about the scalpel I was hiding!?


The scalpel of doom was now exposed as the medic let it go, resolving himself to his fate.

The medic's nightmare had now become a reality. Vice was an absolute monster. How could a mere medic beat such a formidable foe?

It was silly even to think he could face vice in combat, so the medic got ready to spit on the vice's face. This would be his last sign of defiance.


In the final moments of the medic, the vice continued to say something. But the medic closed his eyes, refusing to listen to a word.


Nothing a monster says will phase me, and if he thinks I'll join him, he can go to hell!

After all, I am a man of honor!


| Beta-squad Vice |
"...After all, you're a man of honor!"


Sure, others may see me as a little weird.


| Beta-squad Vice |
"...Sure, the rest may see you as a little weird at times."


But I'm an honest man!


| Beta-squad Vice |
"...But, you're an honest man!"


I love my work and organization, and the last thing I would do is something so shameful as betray the trust my teammates have placed in me!


| Beta-squad Vice |
"...shameful as to betray the trust of others."


Huh? What!?


The medic blinked a couple of times.


*Swish*


| Beta-squad Vice |
"...So, I need you to trust me."


The vice rose to his feet and got ready to leave as the medic raised his head to see that the knives were gone.


I'm free!?

| Beta-squad Vice |
"Come quick! The captain isn't a patient man. Leave the investigation to the experts. Psycorp has many secrets which will get you killed. Stick your nose in too far, and it's bound to get cut off."


The vice climbed up the stairs, and just before exiting the basement, he looked one last time at the medic and let his threat linger in the air for a bit before heading to the ship.

The medic rose, stupefied from the whole ordeal.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"...so vice isn't the traitor?"


But the possibility that there is no traitor within our midst is close to zero. All the events that occurred today have proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Everything that can go wrong went wrong, and our worst possible outcomes came true.

So, there definitely is a traitor within our group.


The medic dusted himself off and headed upstairs, forgetting his scalpel.


Assuming vice is that traitor, if he wanted me dead, he could easily arrange it at his leisure, and I wouldn't be able to stop him.


The medic thought as he emerged outside the building into the sunlight.


If he is the traitor, would he expose himself like this, risk having his plans leaked, and watch as his goals just slipped him by?

None of this makes sense.

If vice isn't the traitor, then who is?


The medic still didn't know. But, he did know that vice knew far too much to be an ordinary soldier.


Vice spoke as if he had been investigating this conspiracy for a long time. While I only just found out about it today.


| Beta-squad Captain|
"What took you so long, doc? Had a bout of diarrhea?"

The captain joked while addressing the medic who had just gotten on board the airship.


| Beta-squad Vice |
"You know it! Had to pull him from the shitter."


The medic sighed with relief and put on a goofy smile.


Whatever the case, the vice has all the answers.


| Beta-squad Rear Guard | B-006 |
"Damn, man, that's nasty! Stay away from me!"


One rear guard yelled as he scooted over to avoid having to sit anywhere close to the medic.


| Beta-squad Heavy Assault | B-008 |
"Hahaha, that's rich. Medic, you can use the toilet at the back of the ride. Better than holding it all the way to HQ, am I right?"


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Yea, sorry, guys. I think I will do just that."


The medic apologized while holding his backside and rushing towards the toilet.


| Beta-squad Captain |
"Haha, we got a comedian on board!"


As the captain laughed, the men all joined in.

Just letting out a hearty laugh was a great feeling. These simple pleasures meant everything to them.

The medic locked the door and got onto the seat, pulling down his pants.

He really did have to go, after all.

I still don't know whether to trust vice or not. But I owe him my life since he spared me, even though I was set on killing him.

Regardless of my reasons, I had no concrete proof to justify my actions. Mutiny to kill your superior officer is a crime worthy of death, one that can only be pardoned by the leader and him alone.

If I had somehow managed to kill vice, I would still be unable to prove anything. If that happened, then there is no way I would escape that penalty.

However, if vice killed me, he would be justified, and the investigators could conclude that a struggle had occurred and his self-defense would be justified. Moreover, I am a new recruit to this team, and no one would bat an eye over my death.


On this day, vice gained a great deal of respect in the eyes of the medic.


Later on, when the time is right, I can confront him. Ask him, what on earth is going on?

Also, why do I feel like I'm forgetting something important?

Ah, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll think of it later.

Right now, I just want to take a short nap.


So the medic fell fast asleep on his seat. He was utterly exhausted from the events of that morning. Meanwhile, his team forgot about him until they remembered and broke down the toilet door pulling him out.


| Giest Admin Support Staff | No. 3421 |
"I can't believe you are still here! We looked all over for you, and the commander was ready to report you missing!"


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Huh? Who are you, and where am I?"


The medic said while rubbing his tired eyes as the support staff dragged him out of the restroom.


| Giest Cleaning Support Staff | No. 1401 |
"Get your ass back to your dorm and catch some rest there. With the city in flames, they'll call you soon enough."


Another angry staff member threw the medic's pants back at him. He was urging the medic not to streak outside with only his shirt.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Flames?"


The medic put on his pants and stepped outside.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Is it night already? Was I asleep that long?"


The medic started at the pitch-black sky.

More bizarre was that the entire base was chaotic as men and women rushed all over the place with airships constantly landing and taking off.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Hey, excuse me? What's going on here?"


| Giest Landing Support Staff | No. 0348 |
"Huh!? Where have you been? Just look behind you. Don't you see the flames?"


Turning back, he saw what the man was talking about—the entire city was engulfed in flames, spewing a ton of ash into the sky and darkening it.

The medic then checked his watch.


-11:18-


He had been out for 4 hours since getting back.


The sky was clear when he boarded the ship. In that much time, had the situation changed that much!?


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"...don't tell me there have been more bombings!"


What on earth is going on? We took their head, so shouldn't it all be over?


That's when the medic saw the mechanized infantry from Psycorps boarding an airship.


| High Commander Giest |
"Doctor, are your toys capable of finding all the residual charges left by Anti-psycho?"


Is that high commander Giest?

He seems to be pissed about something. Maybe it's the man he's talking with. I better not make eye contact and just head straight to my dorm.

The last thing I want is for him to wonder why I am loitering.


| ??? |
"My machines are all top-of-the-line, Mr. Giest. Each unit is worth at least 50 of your best men."


This guy seems like bad news as well.

The man that the high commander spoke to carried an air about him. He wore a lab coat, covered his eyes with red-tinted light-sensitive glasses, and sported a crude goatee.

Whoever he is, best not to get involved.


| High Commander Giest |
"My men retrieved all the lost prototypes. You're on my base. Don't you dare—"


| ??? |
"It's obvious that a fool like you wouldn't recognize me. Is that fire also your men's doing? What a sloppy job. The ministry of defense has certainly fallen, huh?"


| High Commander Giest |
"I don't care who you think you are. I'll have you court-martialed for—"


| ??? |
"I don't remember giving you the right to speak. Shut up and obey. Let me tell you how it works. I'm commandeering your airship commander. Here, why don't you ask the M.O.D himself?


M.O.D was the Minister Of Defense and the head of the Ministry Of Defense. I really shouldn't eavesdrop, but I can't help myself.

The man then dialed a number and handed the high commander a listening device with an annoyed expression.

Commander Giest took the device with a furious expression, not believing a mere researcher would have the minister of defense on speed dial. I wouldn't believe him either.


| M.O.D |
"Who's the asshole who's calling me!? Look, I'm on my way al—"


The M.O.D was on loudspeaker.


| High Commander Giest |
"Sir!? It's me Commander Giest."


The high commander's eyes were ready to pop. Illicitly calling the M.O.D was a major offense. The poor commander was debating if he could hang up and pretend this never happened. Don't worry, sir, I won't tell if you won't!


| M.O.D |
"Commander Giest!? Hold on…isn't this Dr. Akai's number? What business do you have with me?"


| High Commander Giest |
"THE DR. AKAI!?"


The commander turned to the man who was busy tinkering with the captain of the mechanized unit.

Each of the mechanized units had an armband and formed a 12-unit squad. On each of their arms were armbands denoting their rank and role.


OMEGA


The rumored Omega squad!


An all-mechanized android infantry unit under the department of science and the man tinkering with them was even more legendary; the one and only Dr. Akai, the Minister Of Science himself.

The high commander looks just as dumbfounded as I am.

The doctor is seldom seen in public. For him to come out himself must mean that the leader's patience is running out and the leader was not a forgiving man.

The leader's will is absolute, and suddenly the flames are starting to look tame compared to what the leader might do to us for failing to protect his beloved city.

The high commander looks shaken up as well. Is he thinking the same thing?


| High Commander Giest |
"Sir, the M.O.S has requested a—"


| M.O.D |
"Look, whatever he wants, just give it to him."


| High Commander Giest |
"But what about the search & rescue operation?"


| M.O.D |
"...what a mess! I don't like this either. But, my hands are tied. I'm on my way, and the leader is not pleased. Leave it to Dr. Akai and his department. Instead, focus all your efforts on controlling that fire.


| High Commander Giest |
"Sir, we're very fortunate that it's still the abandoned area and all our efforts are focused on keeping it that way!"


| M.O.D |
"Let's hope it stays that way. Get Commander Whitefox, her men, and the Gungir. I'm at the south airstrip, and I've scheduled a press conference in less than an hour, and I want all commanders, captains, and vices on standby."


| High Commander Giest |
"Yes, sir!"


Commander Giest closed the call, thinking of how to apologize to the M.O.S. After all, his head is on the line, and I'd wager that he is pretty attached to it.


| High Commander Giest |
"M.O.S, I beg you for your forgiv—"


The high commander went on all his knees and tried to grovel before the doctor. But while he knelt, I put my hand on his shoulder.

Time to win some brownie points with my superior!


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Sir! I think he just left. I saw him get on the airship with those units."


I nudged the kneeling high commander to raise his head as I pointed to the airship that had just taken off overhead and was flying towards the city.


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"In my humble opinion, sir, I don't think a man as great as Dr. Akai is all that interested in niceties. I believe he was only interested in his research."


The high commander rose to his feet, quite embarrassed to be seen by a subordinate in such a vulnerable state.


| High Commander Giest |
"Ahem. Are you from the beta squad? What are you doing out here? Go and get some rest. We may need you soon."


| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"Yes, sir! Heading back straight away."


I saluted, and the high commander headed back into the central building.

Best head to my dorms. I could use some proper rest. My legs still haven't fully woken up from sitting on the toilet for so long.

So I headed to my dorm with a funny stride, hoping no one would notice.


Home, sweet home!


I always utter these words as I go in. I learned this habit from my roommate. But it looks like he still isn't here. Maybe he's still on some mission?

I took a quick shower, put on my pajamas, and went to sleep. Soldiers like me have to sleep whenever we can since we don't know when we might be summoned.

| Beta-squad Medic | B-011 |
"...vice, so who's the traitor? Tell me everything…."


I mutter those words as I sleep, dreaming of interrogating vice until he tells me everything I want to know.




***
PROLOGUE FOUR

The fight to survive

—END—


Thank you for reading~
(ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥
​