7 7 301 As the terminal signal reaches full strength, the virtual projections begin to become more apparent.
8 8 302 (Sigh in relief) 9
9 9 201 1 1031001 -400
10 10 201 2 500166 400
11 11 301 1 Lucia There's a lot more Corrupted than I anticipated. Why are so many of them gathering here? 2
12 12 301 Liv Let's continue to investigate the ruins here. There may be some clues... 1
13 13 204 1 7
14 14 401 1 203
15 15 301 Before Liv can finish, the expression on her face drops.
16 16 301 Liv I've detected a large concentration of the Punishing Virus ten kilometers away, and it's approaching quickly! With a size that big... we're going to be devoured! 1
17 17 301 Lucia Is it coming from the high viral intensity region you detected earlier? 2
18 18 301 Liv Based on its path... It appears so. 1
19 19 204 1
20 20 301 As Liv speaks, she quickly assembles the parts of the reinforcement mods.
21 21 301 Liv Hurry and reinforce your protective gear, Commandant! Our enhanced Inver-Devices can still hold out a little longer. 1
22 22 302 Ok. 23
23 23 301 Liv helps you reinforce your protective suit quickly, and a sense of suffocation weighs on your chest.
24 24 301 Lucia How long can we survive in this level of concentration with our current protective equipment? 2
25 25 301 Liv The probability of a successful retreat is 41.32%. But a high concentration of moving Punishing Virus is sure to be accompanied by something more dangerous. 1
26 26 301 Liv opens the small compressed air cylinder and connects it to the protective equipment.
27 27 301 Liv This small cylinder only contains twenty minutes' worth of air. We need to hurry up and think of something... 1
28 28 302 (Breathe slowly) 29
29 29 302 (Try to extend the usage time) 30
30 30 203 1 0.25 -600
31 31 203 2 0.25 600
32 32 201 3 500026
33 33 301 1 Lee Can you chart the quickest escape route? 3
34 34 301 Liv It's moving way too fast. We won't outrun it. 1
35 35 301 Lucia ...What can we do? We at least need to get Commandant to safety! 2
36 36 301 Lee If we aren't fast enough, there's no way a human can get away. 3
37 37 302 What the hell is it? 38
38 38 301 Liv According to the patterns observed, it doesn't appear to be following an individual, nor is it expanding outward. It's like a tide heading straight for us. 1
39 39 301 Lucia Think it might be that red liquid we saw on the street? 2
40 40 301 Lee But liquid can't flow upward. There must be something we don't know. 3
41 41 302 How high off the ground is the tide? 42
42 42 301 Liv Currently, four meters, give or take. 1
43 43 302 Can we evacuate to higher ground? 44
44 44 301 Liv Scanning for buildings over four meters... There is an abandoned hotel in the south with solid floors above the second level. We can still reach a safe height if we head there at full speed! 1
45 45 301 Lucia Let's go then! 2
46 46 301 Liv But a section of the ground floor has collapsed. I don't know if the stairs are still intact. 1
47 47 302 It's our only shot. 48
48 48 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Lucia Even if we can't take the stairs, we still need to get up there, even if we have to climb up the side of the building. 2
51 51 301 AniZhuanchangEnd As Liv has expected, you arrive to find the interior damaged from an explosion. The stairs and the outer walls on the first two levels have also collapsed. To no one's surprise, the elevator is out of service.
52 52 302 Let's climb! 53
53 53 301 You four quickly run outside and start climbing the intact side of the hotel.
54 54 301 AniZhuanchangBegin After arduously climbing to a safe height, you see a strange crimson mass appears before you even have time to take cover inside.
57 57 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Lucia ...Is that the high concentration Punishing Virus?
58 58 301 Liv It's like... a rising tide.
59 59 301 Lee ...
60 60 301 The four of you look out into the distance at what appears to be a tidal wave of blinding red liquid surging toward you, flooding the entire street in an instant.
61 61 301 The vicious red tide crashes outside the hotel as if it wants to climb the stone wall you are scaling. Giant waves swell upward, splashing on your backs.
62 62 301 Lee Watch out!
63 63 301 Every one of you continues to climb up the building in a hurry. Even though you are all fully protected, direct contact with the red liquid still inflicts symptoms of corruption.
64 64 301 Liv This odor...
65 65 301 As the scarlet liquid envelops your vision, the foul odor of coagulating blood fills your nostrils.
66 66 302 Quick! Into the hotel! 67
67 67 301 AniZhuanchangBegin You climb up the wall using the exterior decorations and hoist yourselves into the hotel through a nearby corridor window.
70 70 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Looking down, you see the scarlet liquid pouring in from the damaged section of the building, filling up to the second floor.
71 71 301 You have yet to stand firmly on your feet, and the alarm on your cylinder buzzes to indicate that half of the oxygen is already gone. It seems that your climb has significantly increased oxygen consumption.
72 72 302 (Calm your breathing) 73
73 73 201 1 1031001 -600
74 74 201 2 500166
75 75 201 3 500026 600
76 76 301 1 Liv The viral concentration here has returned to a level suitable for our regular equipment. Seems like the lethal concentration I detected originates from this red liquid. 1
77 77 302 We should be fine as long as we don't fall into it. 78 I'll take off the enhancement mods. 78
78 78 301 Liv Leave them on for now. We still aren't sure if the concentration will increase again. Let's deal with the signs of corruption first, then head to higher ground as soon as possible. Then you can remove the mods. 1
79 79 302 Ok. 80
80 80 301 Lucia Lee and I will inspect our Inver-Devices. Liv, check on the commandant. 2
81 81 302 I can do it myself. 82
82 82 301 Liv The protective suit is too heavy with the mods equipped. Also, the access port is on your left side. Just let me do it. 1
83 83 302 I can do it with one hand. 84
84 84 301 But Liv ignores you and takes out a vial of serum. She pinches the access port to prevent the virus from entering the protective suit, then inserts the vial through the port and injects the serum.
85 85 301 Lucia No matter how many times I've seen people wearing the enhanced protective suits, I still can't help but feel that it's too heavy for humans. 2
86 86 301 Lucia Some commandants with a weaker physique can barely run with it on, requiring their team members to carry them on the road. 2
87 87 301 After injecting the serum, the three of them watch as you stand up and take a few steps.
88 88 301 Lucia ...Looks like that's not an issue for Commandant, though. I'd even say you climbed up to the third floor as fast as us. 2
89 89 204 1 14
90 90 301 Liv We still need to evacuate to higher ground, so we can lighten Commandant's load. 1
91 91 301 Liv looks at you with concern as she inspects her Inver-Device.
92 92 302 Ok. 93
93 93 204 1
94 94 301 Lee Hold on. Now is the opportunity to study the liquid. Give me a hand, Liv. 3
95 96 301 Lee picks up a long broken pipe and stirs it intermittently from a safe distance.
96 97 301 1 Lee The liquid is thick, almost like mud. Seems to be what we just saw. 3
97 98 302 We need a name for it. 99
98 99 302 How about the "Red Tide"? 101
99 101 301 Lee Simple enough. Good idea. 3
100 102 204 1
101 103 301 Lee It also seems to contain a large quantity of debris and remains. Looks like it swept up quite a few Corrupted on its way here. Is it "recycling" their bodies? 3
102 106 301 Lucia With that smell, I'm afraid these remains aren't just Corrupted... 2
103 107 301 ...But also humans.
104 108 202 1 2 3 1
105 109 301 Lucia stops herself, but it seems like the rest of you have already arrived at the same apparent conclusion.
106 110 201 1 1031001 -600
107 111 201 2 500166
108 112 201 3 500026 600
109 113 301 1 Liv shakes her head, trembling slightly. She looks down at the Red Tide and attempts to analyze it.
110 114 301 Liv ... 1
111 115 301 Lucia What? 2
112 116 301 Liv My survey equipment appears to be malfunctioning... 1
113 117 302 You can't get a reading? 118
114 118 301 Liv It's not that. My readings are exactly what everyone has said. The Red Tide contains a high concentration of the Punishing Virus and a large number of Corrupted remains. 1
115 119 301 Liv But the Punishing Virus... appears abnormal. 1
116 120 301 Liv looks at the analysis terminal with a solemn expression, as if she is considering how to summarize the results.
117 121 301 Liv They're proliferating like biological viruses and exhibiting parasitic behavior. 1
119 123 301 Liv Maybe my survey equipment is just malfunctioning... 1
120 124 301 Lee And if it isn't? 3
121 125 301 Upon hearing this, you all fall silent. If the Punishing Virus really is developing biological traits, who knows what will unfold next.
122 126 301 Liv It can't... It has to be an error. 1
123 127 302 Liv, prepare a report. 128 Let's report the situation to Asimov. 128
124 128 301 Liv hesitates, then prepares the results and sends them to Asimov.
125 129 301 Lee gets rid of the iron pipe in his hand, then the four of you proceed up the intact staircase as you look down at the Red Tide that floods the streets below.
126 130 301 Lucia Why hasn't Babylonia detected such a strange phenomenon? 2
127 131 301 Lee There aren't too many ways to avoid detection. Either it was hidden too well before, or it's rapidly expanded in a short amount of time. 3
128 132 301 Lee Either way, it's outrageous. 3
129 133 302 We need more leads. 134
130 134 301 Lee Another thing, if this area has gone undetected by Babylonia for so long, why would Huaxu let us find it so easily? 3
131 135 301 Lucia You mean to say, Huaxu leaked this location to us purposefully. 2
132 136 301 Lee It's possible. What's Huaxu trying to achieve? 3
133 137 302 Perhaps, it's a trap. 138 Maybe Huaxu wanted us to discover the Red Tide. 138
134 138 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Lucia & Lee & Liv ... 1 2 3
137 141 301 AniZhuanchangEnd The four of you once again shift your gazes to the Red Tide outside the window. The sunlight shines on the mysterious scarlet sea, casting a silver glow on the surging waves.
138 142 301 The light glimmers on the scarlet tide, like countless fetuses opening their starry eyes in thick plasma.
139 143 301 The light dissipates throughout the tide silently, tumbling in the bloody, boiling stew alongside the drowned remains.
140 144 301 The four of you gaze into the red tide of life and death, just like how it gazes back.
141 145 301 Following the strange gaze, a faint voice flows into your ears out of nowhere.
142 146 301 ??? Help...
143 147 301 Liv Who's there?
144 148 301 ??? Help me...
145 149 301 The sound is like seafoam dissipating in the wind, drifting among the crashing waves.
146 150 301 You wait with bated breath, yet you see nothing but the waves.