10 10 301 DialogEnable Roland struggles to speak as he blocks Gabriel's strike with his chain blade.
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12 12 201 2 500101 400
13 13 301 1 Roland Hold on... You're not really trying to kill me, now, are you? 1
14 14 301 Gabriel ...Hmph. 2
15 15 301 Seeing that Gabriel has withdrawn his hostility, Roland becomes his usual self once again, standing up and wiping off the dirt on his shoulder nonchalantly.
16 16 301 Roland You're too stiff for the ladies, you know? And I don't mean it as a compliment. 1
17 17 301 Gabriel Not my concern. 2
18 18 301 Roland Not even when it's our dear Miss Luna? 1
19 19 301 Roland Frankly, you really should take a lesson on the art of conversation. Even the Babylonians can't resist when I turn up the charm—they always listen to everything I have to say. 1
20 20 301 Roland Wield it properly, and your tongue can be plenty mighty. 1
21 21 301 Gabriel Excuses for the incompetent. You never were familiar with the concept of humility. 2
22 22 301 Roland I'm flattered. 1
23 23 301 Gabriel ... 2
24 24 301 Roland To tell you the truth, I always take you as quite an eccentric individual, but I'm not even remotely close, am I? 1
25 25 301 Gabriel ...When an agent of the Ascension-Network goes astray, it is our duty as an Ascendant to correct them. 2
26 26 301 Roland Words of a trusted advisor. Luna must be pleased to know how loyal you are to the Ascnet. 1
27 27 301 Roland That said, she never does anything without her reasons. Have you thought about the consequences of questioning her? 1
28 28 301 Gabriel Have you? 2
29 29 301 Roland I believe in Luna. 1
30 30 301 Gabriel Believe, or fear? 2
31 31 204 1 4
32 32 301 Roland ... 1
33 33 301 Gabriel Where were you after what happened in Asslam and Venus Splash Park? 2
34 34 301 Roland Searching for new "preys," as usual. Obviously. 1
35 35 301 Roland And to quell a bit of my curiosity along the way. 1
36 36 301 Gabriel Does that include operating without Miss Luna's authorization? 2
37 37 204 1
38 38 301 Roland ...Oops. 1
39 39 301 Gabriel I know you are hiding something, Roland. You cannot conceal it even if you try. 2
40 40 301 Roland ...Fine. 1
41 41 301 Roland takes out an old hard drive from his windbreaker and throws it toward Gabriel. It glides in a slight arc before Gabriel snaps it out of the air.
42 42 301 Roland Watch it! I didn't make backups. 1
43 43 301 Gabriel What is in it? 2
44 44 301 Roland Nothing of significance, compared to all the researches done by Shome. 1
45 45 301 Roland But... it's better than nothing. 1
46 46 204 1 4
47 47 301 Roland Luna didn't seem very pleased with Shome's results. I wanted to find out what she's really after. 1
48 48 301 Roland And if what she's seeking contradicts the ideals of the Ascension-Network... 1
49 49 301 Roland quiets down. Having heard what he said, Gabriel turns to stare at him, the uncomfortable silence between them spreading and festering.
50 50 301 Eventually, Roland shrugs.
51 51 301 Roland By the way, what are you planning to do with the Core we got? 1
52 52 301 Gabriel I have my plans. 2
53 53 301 Gabriel ...Follow me, if you want to know. 2
54 600 202 2 1
55 54 301 With that, Gabriel turns around and departs, leaving Roland behind. Roland tracks Gabriel's silhouette with his eyes, his signature smile receded.
56 55 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Roland Well... Fun's over. 1
60 59 301 AniZhuanchangEnd The red mud enveloping the Hetero-Core stirs and brews, reaching out and touching Gabriel's feet as he walks past, acting chaotic yet docile.
61 60 301 In this pool of blood-red mess, something begins to emerge, then crumples, before reforging itself into a new form.
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63 62 201 2 500101 400
64 63 301 1 Roland ... 1
65 64 301 Roland Looking good, not bad. 1
66 65 301 Roland So what's the difference between this fella and your little pets? It keeps reshaping itself. 1
67 66 301 Gabriel The Hetero-Core you asked about is inside there. Unlike the inferior Rail Heterozygote, this will evolve into the most advanced being that the Punishing Virus has ever touched. 2
68 800 301 Gabriel What you are seeing is it searching for its most efficient, potent form. Only through destruction can it be reborn into a superior vessel. 2
69 67 301 Gabriel Just like... Miss Luna. 2
70 68 301 Gabriel Oh, how our grand vision has come to an impasse. 2
71 69 301 Gabriel You are right about one thing. Miss Luna has not been acting like herself lately. 2
72 70 301 Gabriel She has become content with the status quo. That is not the behavior of a respectable agent of the Ascension-Network. 2
73 71 301 Gabriel To Ascendants, staying put is no different from regression. A sure path to self-annihilation. 2
74 72 301 Gabriel Which is why we require a motivator, something to rekindle her appreciation of her grand mission. 2
75 73 301 Roland With this? 1
76 74 301 Gabriel The strength I have been seeking, the most pure form of power, might just lie within. 2
77 75 301 Gabriel Perhaps if I follow this path, it will not be long before I come across the answer I am looking for. And then... 2
78 76 301 Gabriel does not continue his speech. His eyes fixate on the "creature" in front of him, repeating the cycle of decimation and rebirth.
79 77 204 1 4
80 78 301 Roland Out of curiosity, does Alpha know what you're doing? 1
81 79 301 Gabriel She will when the time is right. Now is not it. 2
82 80 301 Gabriel Her perspective is still too shallow, having yet to understand what the Ascension-Network truly means. Miss Luna has never imparted those lessons. 2
83 81 301 Roland It's her long-lost sister, after all. Offering connections instead of burdens sounds like what Luna would do. 1
84 82 301 Gabriel But if such pointless sentiments have wavered her will as an agent, she will require correction. 2
85 83 301 Gabriel There is no price I would not pay for the future of the Ascension-Network. 2
86 84 301 Roland ... 1
87 85 204 1
88 86 301 Roland What a sight to see you agitated. 1
89 87 301 Gabriel For the Ascension-Network. 1
90 88 301 Roland Fine, then. I'll take care of Alpha, and you do what you have to do. 1
91 89 301 DialogDisable Roland Hopefully... it all goes according to plan. 1
100 98 301 DialogEnable 1 Lee We can now be certain that the "Red Tide" is connected to the Ascendants. The way they exploited the Hetero-Core... 2
101 99 302 The Hetero-Creatures must also be their works. 100
102 100 301 Liv I have analyzed the data from our battles and found biological traits in all our enemies. From their looks to their behaviors, it is as if... they were mimicking the evolution of early earthborn creatures. 1
103 101 301 Liv If we consider the "Red Tide" as the ocean of a young Earth, the Hetero-Creatures would be the growing species in the sea. 1
104 102 301 Lee While we can't confirm the exact time when the tide and the creatures came into existence, it's apparent that it must be after the Hetero-Core fell. 2
105 103 301 Lee The rate they're evolving... If it isn't their creator's intent but their own volition, then they will be far worse enemies than the Corrupted. 2
112 110 301 Lee At least the rate they're evolving is still—hold on. 2
113 111 204 1 7
114 112 301 1 Liv The large Hetero-Creature signature we detected before we went underground... Could it be that... 1
115 113 302 Is the signature still there? 115
116 114 204 1
117 115 301 Liv shakes her head.
118 116 301 Liv Not after we've gone below the surface. 1
119 117 202 1 2 1
120 118 201 1 500166
121 119 301 1 Lucia Can this be their "immature trump card"? I think we've stumbled upon where the Ascendants hide their secrets. 1
122 120 201 1 500026
123 121 301 1 Lee The "creature" Gabriel was developing in the replay has to be connected with the large Hetero-Creature. I'm starting to feel like everything's been going too smoothly... 1
124 122 201 1 500166 5
125 123 301 1 Lucia Even if it's a trap, the casualty from the Red Tide is already too high. If this creature's let loose... 1
126 124 302 We have to stop it here. 125 We need more concrete intel. 125
127 125 201 1 1031001 -400
128 126 201 2 500026 400
129 127 301 1 Lee You're right. No time to hesitate. 2
130 128 301 Liv Another thing that concerns me... Gabriel seemed to be planning something with Roland behind Luna's back. 1
131 129 301 Liv I can't figure out what they are after. 1
132 130 301 Lee No way to know with the information on hand. 2
133 131 301 Lee However, it's clear that the two of them are starting to question Luna. 2
134 132 301 Lee As to whether they'd betray her... 2
135 133 202 1 2 1
136 134 201 1 500166
137 135 301 1 Lucia ... 1
138 136 201 1 1031001
139 137 301 1 Liv Lucia? 1
140 138 201 1 500166 5
141 139 301 1 Lucia Betray... 1
142 140 301 Something lingers in the periphery of her M.I.N.D., but Lucia cannot grasp what it is.
143 141 301 But an undeniable, unignorable rage and desperation simmers and roars, its origin escaping Lucia.
144 142 301 It is as if she was also once heartlessly betrayed by someone who she relied on and trusted...
145 143 302 Lucia. 144
146 144 302 Whatever happens, remember this. 145
147 145 302 Doesn't matter what you want to do. We'll have your back. 500
148 500 301 Lucia Everyone... 1
149 146 302 Just like how you've always had ours. 147
