Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

973. A Ringbearer Of The Golden Hand

Fifty out of a hundred magical circles lost various inscriptions. Sparks emitted from them before they exploded one by one due to their instability. The Corrupted Skill she used was called [Singularity] – it removed redundant inscriptions in magical circles, often leaving them disabled or sabotaged.

An additional side effect was its ability to interrupt chants with a localized Silencing effect.

Its main effect, however, was its ability to further optimize and strengthen magical constructions. The fact that these were broken down meant that the underlying principle – the foundation of the magic – was flawed.

“As is all that isn’t built by my hands.” She wrote before she was unceremoniously torn apart by an exploding pillar.

Jury’s eyes lingered on the torn remains that fluttered where she died.

“She can only temporarily manifest it? As an Original?”

She had expected an Original to be able to wield their Corrupted Persona like a second skin, or an additional set of Skills. Ignis and herself for example, didn’t need to manifest a Corrupted Persona to use Corrupted Skills.

Originals were their own Corrupted Personas.

So why was Icara different? Was there an unseen cost involved like Ignis’ Biomass requirement?

“Call it a flaw or whatever you want.” Horus stated. “They can’t use those powers without letting it take over their psyche. It’s Stable. But let it fester or force it out, and you’re asking for it to take over entirely. Take Wrath for instance.”

Horus destroyed the rest with her Justica Arm.

“Stability is to turn that wrath into a bullet. Instability…”

She threw the weapon at the last falling pillar, allowing it to trigger its explosion.

“Is to become that bullet.”

She caught it nonchalantly.

“The design is intentional. What do you think Repenters fight harder for? Their freedom, or, for control over what’s up here?” Horus giggled darkly.

Usari’s crimson eyes also began to emit a faint glow as her weapon trembled, as if alive.

“Usari… ALSO WANTS SOME ACTION!”

Horus’ left eye revealed a strange, curved eye-like symbol. And at the snap of her fingers–

*Snap*

< Usari’s Corrupted Persona Has Been Disrupted >

< She has temporarily experienced Ego Death >

–Usari’s glow faded, and she threw her gun aside in anger.

“LET USARI FIGHT TOO!”

Her Corrupted manifestation was interrupted by the eye of Horus.

“Tut, tut, tut, little rabbit. What’s a bunny whose only notable achievement is their self-immolation out of a desperate attempt to be remembered?”

A rare look of contempt appeared on her face as she gnashed at the air. Her ears hung over her face like horns ready to impale Horus.

“Usari knows her contract will make her remembered. Like the moon. What a Harrower of Sloth has to say to Usari is worthless. You’re not Usari’s Sakra. Not Usari’s Guide. Only a Harrower to lead Usari into hellfire.”

She kicked her gun up back into her arms.

“Usari will reach higher places the higher the temperature becomes.”

“How many iterations of Rabbits have said the same thing?”

Joy shuddered. This conversation was not suitable for the ears of a child. Jury returned from the frontlines, glaring at Usari and Horus equally with dark eyes.

“We don’t have time to be fighting amongst ourselves.” She warned. Her left claw expanded with the promise of claiming more than just their blood. “Let’s not give this bastard a reason to talk. Just hearing that voice makes me want to rip something apart.”

She said this whilst wrapping Joy’s head with her tail.

“Malga?”

“Nothing~” Her expression changed at the drop of a hat.

“How boring~! Is there no team spirit? Friendship bonds that are coherent? Your reactions have been oh so tame. Lammmmeeeee.”

Clown horns played as someone blew a raspberry.

Then, silence befell the world.

The group approached the light.

“But what did I expect? How can those who live prosperous lives above understand the weight of one’s inherent value?”

“Why bicker and scream. Kick and yell… torture and violate when you can claim what they have. Why go through such lengths?”

The light far ahead dimmed as a claw-like cage encased it. They were ribs. Blue chains dangled from these ribs. Each beginning and end were connected to a floating magical circle. Beneath it were massive bloody coins floating like miniature islands in great lake of Liquid Nex.

“You see, what is value?”

“To humanity, value comes from happiness.”

“To the machine, value is what they have.”

“To us… Value is the best of both worlds.”

A hideous grin descended from the ceiling. It spanned from one end of the widening chamber to the other. It served as an entrance to a hellscape that resembled a waterpark.

Only that this waterpark…

“It would have been nice to populate my pools with Healers.”

“Whose value would have allowed them to float to the top unharmed~”

Screams. Hundreds of silent screams. Jury imagined it. Because she could not picture a sight without a scream accompanying it. But the reality was that no one screamed in this place.

This waterpark where Homunculi were thrown into an impossibly deep lake of Liquid Nex. Corrupted thrived in this pool, dragging them, devouring them converting, violating – what they did caused Jury’s stomach to churn.

What floated to the top were limbs.

These were then absorbed into chains.

These body parts were their ‘value’.

“I must warn you. The few of you who thought they knew.”

“Those who live blind are the happiest. The Blind Paw knew that the best.”

“But I am a firm believer that increasing your inherent value…”

“… Is the only way to reach beyond a low-hanging Aspiring Star!”

A figure emerged from the center of the lake, just in front of the ribcage that shielded the light of the Genesis Stone. It was a headless woman dressed in a blue suit with a blue tie shaped like a diamond.

Floating above their shoulders was an expressive magical circle. They bowed politely whilst gazing upon Jury and the others with an air of ridicule.

“Ah. If it isn’t… No. I was almost fooled by that appearance of yours. You must be Beholder Jury. A friend of the wretched Capralis~ Bahahahaha!”

“Baaaaahhhhh… Really now.”

“Two wrongs won’t make a right.”

“What can a fledgling Beholder like you do to a being blessed by a Seed, the holy light of the Brightest Star, and now – a Genesis Stone!?”

Jury put that to the test and launched herself forward, suddenly colliding with a near indestructible barrier.

“A Beholder as weak as yourself cannot–!?”

A crack formed where Qliphoth Corroded hand touched.

“Oh… Oh shit.”

“GRAB THE HOMONCULI! I’M TAKING THIS ONE DOWN MYSELF!” Jury vehemently vowed with a rage rivaling Frost’s.

< Your Emotional State Has Risen to The Second State >