4 4 304 AniZhuanchangEnd When I am silent, I feel replete; as I open my mouth to speak, I am conscious of emptiness. ffffffff 1 Assets/Product/Texture/Image/BgStory/Bgstory300.png 1 1
5 5 304 The past life has died. ffffffff 1 Assets/Product/Texture/Image/BgStory/Bgstory300.png 1 1
6 6 304 I exult over its death, because from this I know that it once existed. ffffffff 1 Assets/Product/Texture/Image/BgStory/Bgstory300.png 1 1
7 7 304 The dead life has decayed. ffffffff 1 Assets/Product/Texture/Image/BgStory/Bgstory300.png 1 1
8 8 304 I exult over its decay, because from this I know that it has not been empty. ffffffff 1 Assets/Product/Texture/Image/BgStory/Bgstory300.png 1 1
41 41 301 Countless names pop up and flash by in his head—except he's unable to make any of them count, being torn apart and feeling nauseous from a tormenting phantom pain.
42 42 301 ...Is this a dream? Or am I just seeing things now because I'm dying?
43 43 301 Pain and death fill his consciousness. Nothing else can be found.
44 44 301 ...I need to wake up... from this pain.
45 45 301 Confused, the humanoid tries to feel for its limbs.
46 46 301 After God only knows how long, his fingertips finally gain sense amidst the shivers—as he slowly opens his eyes from the pain that has tormented him so.
57 57 301 He has no idea what that means, but his recalibrated vision is showing him exactly what "death" is like.
58 58 301 ??? Where... is this?
59 59 301 Rubbing his messy hair, he sits up the same way any humanoid would and checks his limbs and clothing—which only makes him even more unsure of himself.
60 60 301 ??? Am I still human?
61 61 301 Checking his body for a second time, he doesn't seem to recognize his bio-skin and its mechanical structure.
76 76 301 AniZhuanchangEnd After what seems like forever through the zigzagging paths in the underground tunnel, he's finally out and sees the city.
77 77 301 Beside the entrance sits a pile of stones with a clean sling bag in it, beside which lies two swords of different shapes. They seem like murder weapons the killer didn't have time to properly dispose of.
78 78 301 Picking up the bag, he sees a blueprint in it with the words "Rev Blade" and a blood-soaked notebook.
79 79 301 ??? ...Can't really open this notebook now when it's like this...
80 80 301 Putting the items away, he gives the seemingly empty sling bag a few shakes—and sees a pair of glasses falling out of a side pocket.
81 81 301 ??? ...
82 82 301 The pair of glasses seem familiar to him. Not knowing exactly why, he picks it up and walks up to a puddle of water beside it. He can see himself looking back at himself from the water.
83 83 301 ...Then, he puts the pair of glasses on his face, as if he knew exactly that's what he was supposed to do with them.
84 84 201 1 500506
85 85 301 1 ??? ... 1
86 86 301 It isn't until this moment that he finally senses something familiar in himself—actually, everything in the sling bag seems more familiar to him than his body.
87 87 301 Who left the bag here? Where should he go?
88 88 202 1
89 89 301 He paces around as his brain kicks into gear.
90 90 401 1 36
91 91 401 2 1504
92 92 301 AniZhuanchangBegin At sunset, he hears rhythmed footsteps coming from the distance.
93 93 201 1 500019
94 94 401 1 201
95 95 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Construct A Hey, there is someone over there! 1
96 96 201 1 500506
97 97 301 ??? Who are you? 1
98 98 201 1 500019 -400
99 99 201 2 500019 400 1
100 100 301 1 Construct B Don't worry. We're Babylonia's Task Force, and we're on a rescue mission. 1
101 101 301 Construct B You can go to the conservation area with us if you have nowhere to go back to. 1
102 102 301 Construct C But look, this guy is a Construct. 2
103 103 202 1 2 1
104 104 201 1 500506
105 105 301 1 ??? A Construct? 1
106 106 201 1 500028
107 107 301 1 Construct Captain What's your team? 1
108 108 201 1 500506 4
109 109 301 1 ??? I was wondering about the same thing actually. Say, why don't you tell me what a "Construct" is first? 1
116 116 301 AniZhuanchangEnd The man and the team learn about each other through a brief exchange.
117 117 201 1 500019 -600
118 118 201 2 500019
119 119 201 3 500019 600
120 120 301 1 Construct A This memory loss you're experiencing is probably caused by a deviation of M.I.N.D. We've seen quite a few Constructs like you these days. 1
121 121 301 Construct B But the database... doesn't have anything on this guy. 2
122 122 301 Construct C This thing he's carrying seems like a telecommunication device... Here, I'll have a look at it. 3
123 123 301 The Construct soldier checks the device the young man is carrying.
124 124 301 Construct B Found anything out of the ordinary? 2
125 125 301 Construct C It's broken, and it didn't come from Babylonia. Should we get rid of it? 3
126 126 301 Construct A We should give it back to him. What if it turns out to be a piece of hint? 1
127 127 301 Construct C Could the guy be an unregistered Construct from ACA or ARU? 3
128 128 301 Construct A Possibly. 1
129 129 202 1 2 3 1
130 130 201 1 500028
131 131 301 1 Construct Captain I'm sure there is a bunch of Ascendants we don't know out there that are unregistered. 1
132 132 401 2 1511
133 133 301 At the mention of the word "Ascendant", the other two Constructs take a few steps back with their weapons raised.
134 134 202 1 1
135 135 201 1 500506 4
136 136 301 1 ??? Wait, you only went over what a Construct is. What is an Ascendant? 1
137 137 201 1 500019 -600
138 138 201 2 500019 1
139 139 201 3 500019 600 1
140 140 301 1 Constructs ... 1 2 3
141 141 301 Hesitating for a moment, the three fill him in on what an Ascendant is.
142 142 301 Construct C They're the reason we're living through this mess now. 3
143 143 202 1 2 3 1
144 144 201 1 500506
145 145 301 1 ??? In other words, they're the bad guys. 1
146 146 201 1 500019
147 147 301 1 Construct C Exactly. They're responsible for the Red Tide and the defecting Constructs. 1
148 148 201 1 500506 4
149 149 301 1 ??? I see. 1
150 150 301 He nods earnestly.
151 151 201 1 500019 -600
152 152 201 2 500028 1
153 153 201 3 500019 600 1
154 154 301 1 Construct A Boy, he really knows nothing. Should we try looking into something else? Like his Punishing Virus concentration? 1
155 155 301 Construct C Already did. He's on the low end, but that only shows he's not a Transcendant. I've read that Ascendants can control the Punishing Virus. 3
156 156 301 Construct C We should speak to the elite squad about it. I heard they'll pass by this area. 3
157 157 301 Construct Captain Yes, and "passing by" is all they're going to do. They won't come to the base because the Purifying Force is busy. And the Gray Raven Commandant just recovered, and... 2
158 158 301 The Construct that the other two Constructs refer to as their captain stops mid-sentence. Looking hard at the young man, he decides to give him the benefit of the doubt.
159 159 301 Construct Captain Come back to our base with us. We'll run check-ups on you after that. 2
160 160 301 Construct C Wait...! 3
161 161 301 Construct Captain We'll deal with any anomalies later when we come across any, but I just don't want to let doubt get in our way of saving people. 2
162 162 301 Construct A Captain is right. Too many lives have been lost. We can still try to be safe, but that doesn't mean we should leave anyone behind. 1
163 163 301 Giving the man the benefit of the doubt, the three decide to bring him back to their base.
170 170 301 AniZhuanchangEnd The team brings the young man to a place they refer to as a "temporary base".
171 171 301 After the man turns in his Rev Blade—deemed a "dangerous object"—and its blueprint, the Support Construct in the base runs a quick check-up on him.
172 172 201 1 500407
173 173 301 1 Support Construct No damage found. It seems that the individual is experiencing aftereffects of a M.I.N.D. deviation. 1
174 174 201 1 500506
175 175 301 1 ??? A M.I.N.D. deviation? 1
176 176 201 1 500407
177 177 301 1 Support Construct I see you're clueless. 1
178 178 301 The Support Construct quickly goes over the M.I.N.D. and all the possible complications it might cause.
179 179 301 Support Construct Memory loss is one of the things that happens when M.I.N.D. deviates. 1
180 180 301 Support Construct You're lucky, though. You're experiencing some issues with memory reading, but the data in there is otherwise intact. 1
181 181 301 Support Construct What you're experiencing is rare, and people like you usually end up with aftereffects that are more severe if they don't get helped in time. 1
182 182 301 Support Construct Maybe your M.I.N.D. is super stable. 1
183 183 201 1 500506
184 184 301 1 ??? Maybe it's because I've been helped. 1
185 185 201 1 500407
186 186 301 1 Support Construct That's possible. We don't have the equipment needed to treat you, unfortunately, and I suggest you seek help somewhere else. 1
187 187 301 Support Construct It's either that, or you can give yourself some time and see if you recall anything. It's quite a gamble, though. 1
188 188 201 1 500506
189 189 301 1 ??? So I don't need to be treated to recover? 1
190 190 201 1 500407
191 191 301 1 Support Construct Yes, but that's based on the assumption that you have a stable M.I.N.D. 1
192 192 301 Support Construct Don't get hopes up, though, because that's not possible with most Constructs. 1
193 193 301 With a smile, she stands up as she waves at him.
194 194 201 1 500506
195 195 301 1 ??? Are you leaving? 1
196 196 201 1 500407
197 197 301 1 Support Construct I have another mission to attend to. Feel free to stay. 1
198 198 202 1
199 199 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Seeing the Support Construct off, the young man stays quietly in the corner as everyone carries on with work.
202 202 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Three hours later—when the world is fully clad with moonlight, the man hears noises coming from outside the door.
203 203 301 It seems to be a group of unexpected visitors.
204 204 201 1 500019 -400 1
205 205 201 2 500019 400
206 206 301 1 Construct A What are you all doing here? 1
207 207 301 1 Construct D We came to rest ourselves up. Commandant and a few Constructs need to be treated. 2
208 208 301 1 The young man looks at where the Construct is pointing—and sees a human behind the crowd speaking quietly to a nearby Construct.
209 209 301 1 Construct A Commandant is here alone? What happened to the rest of Gray Raven? 1
210 210 202 2 1
211 211 201 2 500405 400
212 212 301 1 Construct E The captain came, but the other two stayed up there. 2
213 213 301 1 Construct A Why isn't the captain sticking around Commandant? 1
214 214 301 1 Construct E We had a change of plan and asked the captain to stay there because they were short on hands. 2
215 215 301 After their exchange, they quickly head back to their respective maintenance chambers, leaving the Construct captain, who has been stationed in this place, and the commandant here.
216 216 202 1 2 1
217 217 301 The two sit by the table. The captain asks some questions while opening a white first-aid kit.
245 245 301 1 His finger twitches at the touch of the non-existent book.
246 246 204 1
247 247 301 I'll probably remember more things if I touch the box—the young man thinks to himself as he musters up his courage to offer his help.
248 248 204 1 4
249 249 301 ??? Excuse me... but can I patch you up? 1
250 250 201 1 500028
251 251 301 1 Construct Captain Pardon me? 1
252 252 201 100 1 500506 3
253 253 204 1 4
254 254 301 1 ??? I think... No, I remember learning about this. Can I do this for you? 1
255 255 201 1 500028
256 256 301 1 Construct Captain How did that suddenly cross your mind, though? Well, just because we've brought you back here doesn't mean you have our complete trust. It's nothing personal. 1
257 257 301 Construct Captain We have no idea who you are, so we can't let you lay a finger on an injured human—not to mention one who is the commandant of an elite squad. 1
258 258 301 DialogDisable Right when the Construct Captain is about to push the young man away, you—the person he just referred to as the "commandant of an elite squad"—stop him.
259 259 302 Don't worry. 260 Let him try. 260
260 260 302 You can't assume someone is guilty until you have evidence saying so. 261
261 261 201 1 500506 4
262 262 301 DialogEnable 1 ??? ... 1
263 263 301 Weighing his options, the Construct Captain stands up as he looks at the commandant.
264 264 201 1 500028
265 265 301 1 Construct Captain ...I have my eye on you, son. 1
266 266 201 1 500506 4
267 267 301 1 ??? ... 1
268 268 302 AniZhuanchangBegin Please have a seat. 269
276 276 302 (Wait for him to speak again) 277 (Ask him if he has a code name) 277
277 277 301 ??? ...If it's okay with you, feel free to call me Young Man A or whatever comes to your mind.
278 278 302 ... 279
279 279 302 I remember seeing you somewhere before. 280
280 280 301 Young Man A Really?
281 281 302 But you seem a little different from what I remember. 282 Maybe I'm just hallucinating. 282
282 282 301 Young Man A ...
283 283 301 Young Man A What does the person you remember seeing look like?
284 284 301 DialogDisable Young Man A Was he... someone that everyone else had to try to be careful around?
285 285 302 I don't know him well. 286
286 286 302 I've never seen him in person. 287
287 287 302 I've only seen him in videos, and I didn't see his face clearly. 288
288 288 302 I know he's met my team. 289
289 289 302 But I was injured back then. 290
290 290 301 DialogEnable You sigh, your tone growing serious.
291 291 302 ...He might be a goner now. 292
292 292 301 Young Man A ...
293 293 302 What else do you remember? 294
294 294 301 Young Man A Well, when I saw the first-aid kit, it reminded me of a book on surgery that I read before and of when I lent a base doctor a hand.
295 295 302 It's a sign that the data in your M.I.N.D. is pretty much intact... 296
296 296 302 ...If seeing things you're familiar with calls pieces of memories to your mind. 297
297 297 301 DialogDisable Young Man A Right. I was with a Support Construct just now. I didn't catch her name, but she said the same thing.
298 298 302 We can probably get you fixed up in Babylonia. 299
299 299 302 Except we're having some difficulty traveling back now. 300
300 300 302 A transport craft will come to pick us up in a few days, though. 301
301 301 302 How would you like to go to Babylonia with us? 302
302 302 301 DialogEnable Young Man A ...Can I really, though? I mean, I don't even know who I am yet...
303 303 301 As soon as he's finished the sentence, the young man realizes that your question was actually a trick question asked out of doubt—to see if his memory loss is feigned.
304 304 301 None of these people have any reason to trust him just because he was brought back here—which is exactly what the Constructs have said.
305 305 301 And even the young man himself finds their doubt fair, because he doesn't even trust himself.
306 306 301 They could make him a new addition to the good side—but what if he turns out to be a bad guy? The young man finds this idea terrifying.
307 307 301 Young Man A I don't know... Let me think about that.
308 308 302 ... 309 Alright. 309
309 309 302 I look forward to going to Babylonia with you, though. 310 (Say nothing.) 312
316 316 301 The young man finishes patching you up and returns to his corner.
317 317 201 1 500506
318 318 301 1 Young Man A ... 1
319 319 202 1 1
320 320 401 1 120
321 321 301 The base is a lot quieter after dark.
322 322 301 Most people are asleep now—except for a much-too-energetic girl and an old man having a heated exchange in a corner.
323 323 201 1 500136 400
324 324 201 2 500260 -400
325 325 301 1 Old Man They leave messages on the paper for everyone to see...! You can't just write down whatever you want on it. 1
326 326 301 Girl But they don't need it anymore... And I'm not writing down random things. 2
327 327 301 Old Man I don't care what you're writing, but the piece of paper is theirs and you can't just take it! People here have no terminals, and they need these papers to stay up to date on what everyone else is doing. 1
328 328 301 Girl ...Sob... 2
329 329 301 Old Man Look, daughter. I just don't want you to get into trouble... Give it back to them already. 1
330 330 202 1 2 1
331 331 201 1 500506
332 332 301 1 Young Man A ...
333 333 204 1 3
334 334 301 Seeing them fight brings up a tinge of sadness in the young man.
335 335 204 1
336 336 301 Young Man A (Did I once have a family like this, too?) 1
337 337 202 1 1
338 338 301 Arguing no more, the girl walks up to the commandant from just now with the paper all crumbled up in her hand, all the while sobbing.
339 339 301 The two of them have a quiet exchange. The commandant doesn't take the paper from her, but instead pats her on the head and gives her a page torn from a notebook.
340 340 201 1 500260
341 341 301 1 Girl Thank you...! 1
342 342 201 1 500506 1
343 343 301 1 Young Man A ... 1
344 344 301 Seeing the girl happy makes the young man happy, too.
345 345 301 When the young man turns his gaze at the commandant, he sees a pair of eyes looking back this way.
346 346 301 Their eyes lock for a few moments in silence. Then, looking away, the commandant says something quietly to the Construct Captain.
347 347 204 1
348 348 301 Young Man A (Are they talking about a mission or are they still being suspicious about me?) 1
349 349 301 The young man hides his smile away embarrassingly.
350 350 204 1 3
351 351 301 Young Man A ...Can I really stay here? 1
352 352 301 The distance between him and the rest of the base feels like a cage—one from which he can neither escape, nor into which people can go—that confines him to the corner.
353 353 301 Young Man A Would I know where I am supposed to go... 1
364 364 301 Deep in thought, the young man hears footsteps coming from the distance—it's the commandant.
365 365 402 1516
366 366 301 Young Man A Yes? 1
367 367 301 The commandant lowers down and, with a smile, hands over a pen and a notebook page.
368 368 204 1 9
369 369 301 Young Man A Why are you giving me these? 1
370 370 302 DialogDisable We'll be on our way to City 006 in a bit. 378 I'm giving you these because I saw that big smile on your face just now. 371
371 371 301 DialogEnable Young Man A ...Big smile, huh... 1
372 372 301 Lost for words, the young man wishes he had something now that could show himself his facial expressions.
373 373 301 Young Man A Was it very obvious? 1
374 374 302 It was. 375 I don't think so. 375
375 375 204 1
376 376 301 Young Man A ... 1
377 377 302 DialogDisable Anyhow. 378
378 378 302 Your M.I.N.D. will probably deviate again as you go. 379
379 379 302 Which means you'll probably experience memory loss again and again. 380
380 380 302 So I thought I'd give you this pen and paper to jot down anything you remember right away. 381
381 381 302 I'm more than happy to help. 382
382 382 204 1
383 383 301 DialogEnable Young Man A Thank you so much. 1
384 384 301 DialogDisable Caught off guard by the commandant's kind gesture, the young man quickly stands up to receive the pen and paper with both hands.
385 385 302 Of course. 386 And I want to thank you for patching me up. 386
386 386 302 I hope you regain your memory in no time. 387
387 387 301 DialogEnable Young Man A ... 1
388 388 301 The young man was going to ask more questions when he realizes that the commandant has left with someone else as they spoke, leaving him all alone.
389 389 202 1
390 390 301 These heroes run into worn-out soldiers, vagabonds, and refugees every single day on the battlefield.
391 391 301 To them, the young man is but one of the many encounters they've had. With all that's on their plates, they simply can't afford the luxury of time to learn about him on a deeper level.
