IntSys

Healing: - Harold healed himself for 10 HP. - Scarlet healed Jack for 8 HP. - Jack's shield went back to full HP overtime. - Scarlet additionally regenerated 16 HP overtime. "...Okay then." Dove nodded with a hint of uncertainty. The party began to make a beeline for the surface, with the client doing his best to keep up from behind. Once again, you felt like you were being watched. Pausing briefly at a crossroad, you heard a wave of light steps, as if they were from a pack of wild dogs. Luckily, they weren't in range yet, and so you made it to a ladder in time and escaped into the surface. -- The sky got a lot darker. The streets were mostly emptied out. A passing glance at a public clock revealed the time - 1:50 in the afternoon. It was almost time for the curfew the soldiers had told you about. Maybe it had something to do with the worsening weather. It might just work out in your favor, with there being little obstacles left in the way to the gate. With that, you began to pick up your pace again. For a moment, it seemed that this would be a quick mission after all. [Insert Song] SNOWFLAKE ... But the opposition you had anticipated for finally showed up. A woman with long, black hair, standing in the middle of the street. Her left hand was a mechanical monstrosity, cast in a sturdy black metal that hinted at its strength. And in that hand, she held an even more horrific metal blade, with a handle tailor-made for that hand. She seemed lightly-armored. She fired a warning shot from the handgun in her right hand, and grinned at you directly. "I, Executioner, will be your opponent today. Hand the birdie over, or prepare to die!" Win Condition: Defeat Executioner within the time limit! [TIME LIMIT] The battle will end in a draw automatically after the fifth turn! (1/5) Init: Status: ???

Wonderful. With a swing, fleshy remains fell from the shotgun and to the floor. "If our honorable hosts would still like to greet us, try not to keep us waiting. We haven't got all day!" Vepr-12 shouted into the newly-revealed path. Then, she began to plunder the camp, opening the barrels one by one by force.

And the stage had been set. It was time to humble the monster. Omega's ability presented a golden opportunity that would allow the cadets to inflict massive damage. In particular... with a Water core, Grass was the way to go. Crossing gazes, Solosis moved back behind Emmanuel, and Nicaea was sent out. Only that, lustrous energy wrapped around the stubby creature, catching him off guard. The little Oddish from Nexus #08 had become a Gloom! And of course, she brought with her a pungent stench that made her somehow more intimidating than those 6.5 meters tall Gyarados from a few minutes ago. And she was soon going to match that stench with her newfound power. Until Emmanuel got used to the smell, battling alongside a Gloom meant an intense trial of endurance. Nicaea, however, didn't seem to care about the receptions of her new smell. She put on a confident smile and waited for the opportune moment to strike. Emmanuel recalls Solosis and sends out Nicaea.

Julianne Observant as Julianne was, she managed to see an opportunity amidst the unfolding chaos - a loosely-guarded patrol convertible parked next to a diner. It had only been two decades since they began to mass-produce these chunks of metal back in Imera, so the cars in Gaea were either luxury imports or part of the Monoliths' arsenals. The soldier on the convertible was busy trying to get a better look at the situation from afar by standing on the driver's seat. The car looked to be durable enough to drive through the Nexus' front door, too. But the question was, could she handle the car? Henrietta Henrietta's gospel almost seemed to have a divine effect to it, already compelling everyone, heretic or not, to escape from the premises. To punctuate the final sentence, the heretical statue was blasted into pieces, which then flew to shatter windows. And with that, she was the only one left. One would fully expect bullets to start flying back at her right now, what with the open challenge against the Monolith, but not a shot could be heard amidst the panicking noises coming from outside. Nemesis & Eleanor A deafening explosion echoed out of the mess ahead. Fear pulsated from the now "cleansed" grounds, striking deep into the bystanders. What were they even supposed to do about this? Nemesis and Eleanor could see a few soldiers already trying to approach the Nexus from all angles carefully. Perhaps too carefully with how slow they were going. From the looks of it, it was very likely that Henrietta was the only one left in the building. Not resorting to saturated fire seemed to imply some sort of a strategy here, but what could that be? Or maybe they really didn't want to jump through flames and was hoping that a hero would swoop in soon and take care of everything for them. Perhaps that was also what everyone else watching was hoping for.

With that, there was no need for extra words. A quick view of Omega's info using the A-Comm, as well as her previous display of force, revealed a few things to watch out for. She used an unknown move, but it seemed to be physical in nature, were Emmanuel to guess. The plan was already clear. Solosis glowed slightly and raised a veil before the group, gleaming under the night sky. He just had to cover the grounds before he could mount an all-out offensive. Emmanuel sends out Solosis. Solosis uses Reflect.

"... So that was what you were going for..." Emmanuel carefully glared at Omega. The last time they saw Uno when she was unambiguously herself, she was chasing after Betani, who had gotten mad over her. From Betani's words, it was clear that Uno was going to do something about the Ghost Girl, something that only she could do. And then the next thing they knew, she was walking into the sea with Alpha. By Rita's words, that may have been an illusion or a projection of some sort, and the body was still on the surface. That must have something to do with what Uno was going to do. But, where was she going to do it? Some sort of a ritual ground? In any case... Rita mentioned two Claydol. Emmanuel remembered a very peculiar fact about the Pokemon - aside from the devastating Self-Destruct, they also knew Hyper Beam immediately after evolution. They might be on the move as the so-called Ruin of Tradition patiently bought time here! Once they get a clear shot, it'd all be over. Immediately, he called Ray, speaking clear enough for everyone else around him to hear as well. "Emmanuel here, I've gotten a tip that two Claydol are summoned and are on the loose here. They're going to destroy shards on the island, likely with Hyper Beam. One of the shards has already been destroyed - a white stone on the top of a ridge. Could you locate the Claydol and send nearby cadets to intercept them? Or at least, send us their locations?" "A-And one more question, has anyone seen Uno? Er, before we were sent to capture the Ghost Girl. She was chasing after Betani, but we need to know what happened next! I know this may sound crazy, but her body might still be on the surface!" Then, he turned to Omega and declared, "Our friends down there aren't done fighting yet! This kind of future... Uno has more than just dancing in her life! She, she has so many people looking out for her!" A decade-old sourness welled up. Only by focusing on Uno was he able to hold his tears. No one deserves to be so lonely. "T-That's why, I won't let you take all that away from her!"

[!] Precision Suppression [!] Welrod pointed a finger towards the party and blinked. [7 vs 13] A surge of unstable interfering signals struck Scarlet's weapons, suppressing her attacks' precision for two turns! [6 vs 8] Jack's weapons were afflicted as well! [16 vs 16] Harold was able to resist the interference! Welrod then followed it up with a successive series of shots aimed for Scarlet, dealing 9 damage. [!] Observer's Strike [!] "Heh," CZ75's eyes met with Jack's, her hand gripping her axe confidently. "Then I'll split you in half!" With a sideway swing, the axe was launched forward and up, slicing past Jack's armor and arcing back to her hand, dealing [CRITICAL HIT] 50 damage and opening a nasty cut around the breastplate! NZ75 fired several shots at Harold, but his armor completely negated the attack. She grunted and took a step back, but she was hardly fazed by the result. "Blackbeard's armored!" She relayed, and the others nodded in response. Jack launched a Frag Grenade at CZ75! Scarlet, in spite of the interference, was still able to aim at the ceiling, though a bit too close to the wall than she'd like. Gnarly cracks opened up all over the ceiling, spreading to the walls like a web. It was on the brink of collapse! Scarlet took 5 damage from the recoil. [!] Inquisitor's Bullet [!] Contender glanced over the ceiling, and took out a special bullet from her waist. "Let's make this count, then..." Taking her stance, she fired the bullet. It made a loud bang and sank into Harold, dealing a piercing 7 damage! It most certainly felt like an AP round, despite it being fired from a measly handgun. The damage he'd take was increased for two turns. "Perfect." Kar98k loaded that antique of hers, and set her sights on Harold, dealing a piercing 15 damage! Harold fired his Raygun at CZ75, dealing 14 damage! The Frag Grenade went off with way less effective frags than usual, but the explosion itself still packed a punch! Welrod, CZ75, and NZ75 all took 12 damage and were knocked backwards! The explosion rocked the place just enough for the ceiling to finally give way! A deluge of debris came crashing down. The dolls' leader could be heard, declaring a simple "Retreat" amidst the noises. Before long, the passage was entirely sealed in. The last thing you could see between the closing seams of rubble was a smile that did not fit the word that just came out of it. BATTLE SUCCESS The party gained 1 Merit. -- Dove leaned against a wall, clenching his chest. His eyes were as wide as they could be. He was frustrated, yet he couldn't bring himself to vent it. Shuffling through his pockets, he took out a tablet. A holographic projection of the floor maps of the sewers was displayed over it. There was apparently another floor beneath the current one. Exits to the surface were marked and labeled with the names of the streets, and passages to the bottom floor were also marked. "You were followed. This changes everything..." He shook his head. "The sewer plans are no secret. They'll find us soon if we stay here for too long. We have to move fast." His eyes floated past Jack's terrible wound, and he recoiled back a step. "B-But, could any of you fix that first?" TIME ALLOCATION: You have three minutes to allocate between healing and moving. - Healing: For every minute allocated, Scarlet and Harold can both use their respective healing actions once each. - Moving: As long as you allocate one minute on moving, you can decide whether to move forward in the current floor, head for an exit to the surface, or escape deeper into the bottom floor (Or other movement strategies you have in mind). The more time you spend on moving, the further you can go. In either case, Scarlet's passive regeneration (if she doesn't use a healing action) and Jack's shield regeneration will kick in three times. Status ???

"... Exactly. You're not Uno. You're a fiend trying to replace her. Using her as an excuse for the destruction... is unforgivable!" Emmanuel stood firmly. The ringing A-Comm, however, cut into his mind. While the monster before them laughed on, he decided to answer the call. It could be an alarm to a sneak attack, but considering the circumstances, how Cathode was getting the same pause between buzzes, the caller might be someone entirely unexpected.

Unsettling signs. Could Sena and Radovan have failed down there? What of them, then? "You don't get to call yourself by her name," Emmanuel said simply to the woman. Solosis moved forward, exchanging batons with Nicaea. She leered at the destruction incarnate before her. They were ready for another battle, however dire and improbable. It was for Uno, for Sena and Radovan, and for all the other inhabitants of the island.

Harold took the lead and scaled up an office building's scaffolding. From a vantage point, he got a better look at the city, in all its ugly glory. Aside from the center of the city, close to the riverside, everywhere else was covered by a sprawling slum. The city center was mostly made up of barracks, though it wasn't possible to see what was in there. On a brighter note, Harold was able to tell apart the few large buildings left in the city and determine the mall's location and a shortest path there. Having decided their approach, the party moved headfirst towards the mall. A fifteen-minute walk brought the party to a huge building that barely resembled a mall. In fact, in its current state, it might look more like a parking lot. Of course, all that was ignoring the people who took residence in there. Shoddy stalls stood in what used to be wide, clean hallways, and rusty metal sheets walled up the storefronts, giving the residents a meager protection for their privacy. An electronic Slavic turbofolk tune served as the mall's musical backdrop, performed not by a broadcasting system but rather old war veterans seeking warmth in the nationalist spirit they once fought for. The party quickly made their way to the basement, through an equally-crowded floor, and arrived at the front of the toilet. The men's toilet seemed to have collapsed upon itself, and stains of dried urine could be seen at its doorsteps. That left the women's, which was only better in the fact that it hadn't cave in just yet. The stench only got worse as the three ventured into the toilet. Suddenly, a stall in the far end opened up. A feminine figure emerged. Long, black hair, and masked with a surgical mask. Fairly lean. "I'm your client." A muffled voice came through the mask. Recalling the pitch, it was apparent that Dove had disguised himself. "Let's go." His words were rapid, almost slurring, and his eyes blinked quickly too. An expected attitude from a man who might be in a black site tomorrow if he were to make even just one mistake. As for that mistake, it was only getting apparent. A soft ping came from his left pocket, and he yelled. "RUN!" [Insert Song] MADE IN HEAVEN Explosives hidden beneath the toilet sent the whole room collapsing down to the sewers below. As the blasts rang in their ears, a pair of bullets flew over them and struck the wall. "You're going nowhere, scoundrel!" A confident voice came from above. Her red eyes flashed briefly, and four more figures jumped down the collapse floor to give chase. As the toilet's flickering lights blended with the sewer's maintenance lights, it became a bit easier to see their appearance. They were all... girls? Of the four, the one taking the lead was a girl with short red hair, red tops and black shorts. She had a hand axe with a scope on its back in one hand, and a handgun - CZ75 - in another. "Out of the way, big guy!" The other three quickly took position. One of them had short blond hair, and wore her blue British jacket like a cape for some reasons. The pistol in her hand was a Welrod MkII. Another had long brown hair, with a long black jacket on the outside and a white shirt and a red tie on the inside. She was carrying one of the many clones of CZ75, the NZ75. The last one had silver hair, and wore a lightweight mix of gray and purple. Her disturbingly large handgun - the Contender - was of note. The smoke above began to clear, revealing their leader. Graceful white hair, contrasted by the intimidating and dreadful German uniform. She began to adjust her aim again, pointing her rifle downwards. The chain of events was absolutely baffling. Were the party tailed? How could they have gotten the information that they were heading to meet up with Dove? It was one mystery that wouldn't matter anymore if they couldn't escape alive. Win Condition: Defeat Welrod, CZ75, NZ75, and Contender OR Somehow block them from continuing the chase Init: Status: ???

Emmanuel With the last Gyarados neutralized just in time by Cathode, Emmanuel finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's leave the Gyarados to the other cadets. Our Pokemon could use a bit of a break." He said, brushing the dust off his clothes. It just occurred to him that they were still in their casual clothes, making them stick out really unnaturally amidst such a time. But it wasn't anything he could really help with. Then, he turned to Nicaea, who had just managed to spray down a nasty Gyarados, and gave her a thumbs up. "We couldn't have done it without you. It's time for you to get some rest." Nicaea answered with a confident smile, and returned to her ball. Emmanuel looked towards the seas where Uno had disappeared into. Aside from the swarm of hostile Gyarados, there had been hardly any echoes coming from there. "Radovan, Sena... I hope things are looking up for you guys as well," he muttered.

Vepr-12 almost giggled as she stabbed her shotgun against the psycho that just sank his puny axe against her. With a clean blast, the imbecile was knocked down to the mat, hanging on to a sliver of life. She swung her way slowly towards the hopeless sack of meat. It was a familiar feeling, and it felt good. Really good. "Useless!" Without any reservation, she grabbed the psycho by the head, shoved the barrels into his mouth, and gave him an ending that rivaled the fate of the poor corpse she had just torn apart. [Perk] SG - Valkyrie of Belgrade: Counter with ASST-Bound Molot Vepr-12 (2d6+7+1/4 high velocity damage, lower target's damage by 20% for one turn). Vepr-12 fires her shotgun at Bandit Psycho 2, dealing 2d6+7+1/4 high velocity damage and reducing their damage by 20% for one turn. Vepr-12 then uses Survival Instincts, giving herself +8 DR for one turn. Loadout (6 Slots) (Passives in bold) Frenzy (Flaw): Every four damaging attacks Vepr-12 use (including counters) will cause her to get reckless and send her into a momentary Frenzy for two turns, during which attacks against her will have their base damage increased by 20%. Every four damaging attacks made during a Frenzy will further increase the duration by one turn. The count is reset once the status is cured or has run out. (2/4)

Tai Tai was lost in thoughts for a moment, trying to understand what that meant. Eventually, he figured out how he wanted to respond. "You know, you might not be ultra special in that way, but I still think there's something special about you." He paused briefly, before continuing. "Like how you could change. Really change. You were Silent Requiem, and now you are Astra. You continued with a different mech than the one that got you to the finals. If I were in the audience, I wouldn't be able to believe that the two mechs are really piloted by the same person." "As for the other competitors... Some have left, while others stayed instead. But even as the events in this tournament impacted our lives, at best we only change as a person - that mech you faced in Envy was exactly the same as when it faced the Revenant in Sloth." "That's the special thing about you. You're determined to change. Much more than any of us here. And I think that will get you closer and closer to what you really want."

Nemesis & Eleanor || Kaagan Hunting Guild The price was fairly cheap for a weapon. A mere 500 Tis, no more expensive than a decent piece of clothes. The merchant happily gave the axe to Nemesis. It wasn't really built for augmentation, but it could serve its purpose without it anyway. "Pleasure doing business with you!" He smiled and waved the two customers off. Maybe he was just glad to finally get rid of the outdated weapon. Julianne || Kaagan Hunting Guild The blacksmith in question was intrigued by the unique set of demands from the commission, though he seemed to get the right idea. A good weapon needed a matching price, though the money scavenged was still enough for it. He passed the end result - a threaded cane - to Julianne. And just when she was about to leave... Henrietta || Kaagan Nexus A merciless barrage of bullets pinned Fidelis against the wall, and then smashed him through the wooden wall, sending his corpse arcing into the wall of a tavern. The echoes of the gunshots continued to ring. It felt satisfying, somehow. The door to the Father's room was opened slightly, revealing a seam. That same priest that greeted her was there, peeking into the room to see what was going wrong. The two crossed gazes, intentionally or not, and he ran like his life depended on it. And so did the townspeople, breaking into a panic as Henrietta slowly swung her way towards the statue of Divus Meracus. At that moment, she was untouchable. Nemesis, Eleanor, & Julianne Not too far away, coming from the distance of the Nexus, a familiar string of noises could be heard - Henrietta's minigun, punctuated by a wooden wall crumbling apart. Then there were screams from the same direction, followed by a few soldiers scrambling out to the streets to see what happened. From their expressions, one could tell that they weren't really raring to confront whatever chaos going down in there.

Henrietta || Kaagan Nexus "H-Hah..." Fidelis squeezed out a laugh as Henrietta revealed a frightening minigun, ready to smash his body into pieces. Although he had proven himself to be a bite-less dog, his limbs did not move so much as an inch in response to the drastic shift in odds. A heretic he may be, but that resolve was undeniably true. "Meracus' influence did not leave this world with Him... You won't get away with this!" Smashing that trigger again for one more futile shot, the old man was ready to pay back the life that false God gave to him.

"Aah~" A light, but perverse sound came out of Vepr's mouth, excited at the fracturing of the corpse. That excitement was echoed by the bandits and psychos coming from the torn-down door. Though, her smile slowly faded away. "Ah... I liked it better when I was the only one laughing. Let's fix that." Locked and loaded, she leered the marauders with killing intent. [Perk] SG - Valkyrie of Belgrade: Counter with ASST-Bound Molot Vepr-12 (2d6+7+1/4 high velocity damage, lower target's damage by 20% for one turn). Vepr-12 fires her shotgun at Bandit Marauder 1, dealing 2d6+7+1/4 high velocity damage and reducing their damage by 20% for one turn. Vepr-12 then uses Survival Instincts, giving herself +8 DR for one turn. Loadout (6 Slots) (Passives in bold) Frenzy (Flaw): Every four damaging attacks Vepr-12 use (including counters) will cause her to get reckless and send her into a momentary Frenzy for two turns, during which attacks against her will have their base damage increased by 20%. Every four damaging attacks made during a Frenzy will further increase the duration by one turn. The count is reset once the status is cured or has run out. (0/4)

In any case, the group continued on to the city, avoiding the unknown figures. As they climbed down the hill they were on and neared the city, the first thing they'd notice were the a tall walls and red towers that surround the city. The walls were slightly slanted inwards, with a pair of large pipes running down them in between two towers. They spewed smoke, making it look like the whole city was snorkeling. And then, they'd notice the checkpoint located at the bottom, a small gate that was closely guarded. Using the provided false ids, the group made it past the checkpoint. From the soldiers' chit-chats, seeing how Jack was so healthy seemed to make them more willing to trust the group. They were given two days of stay. "Welcome to Smederevo. There's curfew at two in the afternoon today. Enjoy your stay." -- Truly, slums look the same wherever you go. Whether it's an advanced space civilization's junkyard planet, or a post-apocalyptic world's cities. they all had the same grimes and neon lights that could invoke nostalgia across the multiverse. Maybe the people are different in shape, but they all do the same things. The street rats paid no mind to Scarlet and Harold. Jack, however, attracted most of the attention. He most definitely didn't look the part. People chattered as they looked at him from a distance. Curious, yet also somewhat alerted. Could he be some powerful figure? What could be his business here? As they walked, the locals instinctively stepped away from them. Despite all that, Scarlet could still feel like she was being watched. Whether it was from the dark alleys, or the stream of passersby. Surely the locals wouldn't know what they were up to exactly. So, would it be safe to head straight to the meetup spot? Walking on the streets, the group would notice a particularly interesting kind of store, selling service-model "dolls" which looked startling akin to a real woman. Of all the people observing Jack, how many of them could turn out to be dolls? ???

Tai "Too late..." Everyone had a dream of their own. So, they were fated to walk on separate paths. Each, following their own dreams. The mental scars from that fight said more than enough. His dreams of fighting in the arena cannot coexist with Cardinal's. Not because of the gears and screws that made up the world, nor was it because of the circumstances she was bound by, but simply because it was an fundamental conflict of ideologies. He may have been the slowest person to figure it out, that dreams should come first before all else. Surely, from all the efforts Cardinal had sunk in into escaping from that lonely space of hers, she had already figured this out eons ago. And so, finally, they were equals again. And so, it was too late. There was no reason to stop anymore. "Then, here's wishing her good luck." Tai said with an earnest smile, not unlike an opening statement in the ring. No one would actually want their opponent to win when they say that, but they still say it anyway. It was a matter of respect, towards people chasing their own dreams, however selfish. Tai then thought about Adam's trick. Those were words almost as vague as the same kind of words that came from the more superstitious bunch in the scene. He had the intent, and he had seen the result once, but what strung them together was entirely unknown. At best, it was an option to try in a pinch, only marginally more effective than just praying. "Mm, thanks for the information anyway." Tai answered, surprisingly not all that disappointed. There was still a long road ahead of him. Sooner or later, he'd figure it out. Skirting around the other question, he asked one more. "I suppose we still have time? If you're taking me somewhere, maybe you could tell me a bit about yourself on the way there-" "-Oh right. For example... What got you into this mess?"

Tai That, of course, was only a half-truth. In a delirious craze to get his fire back, he returned to find Cardinal, and therefore finding himself helping her again, even though in all honesty he had no real idea who was in the right and who was in the wrong. She had tortured him in public before, but this, was entirely on him. Yet, it was also the only possible way for him to actually find the real answer again. Where else could he realize what he had been fighting for other than the arena? Tai raised his head from a river of reflection that flowed for as long as he was locked in. Before he could care about anything else, his dream, his passion, should come first. "Aries?" Tai raised an eyebrow upon hearing the name. He was the one who told him to put up a cheesy display in the arena to restore Cardinal's confidence. Doing this... would be the exact opposite of what he was trying to do. Tai laughed softly. "That fight changed far more than I had expected." Getting up, he stretched his limbs and laid his eyes back on Adam. "Thank you too, for being a good sport." An obvious question arose, but it was definitely a question with a disappointing answer, and so he shoved it aside for the time being. "What is that thing you did in the end, by the way? Your mech's build isn't fast enough for speed glitching, am I right?" A casual question, from a man with a dozen of crimes on his shoulders. Some may have been forgiven when he was saved from the snowfield, but more others rose as he stepped back into the core of the conflict.

"Well, I think this place rocks." Vepr-12 replied offhandedly, as her attention was dragged to the skewered corpse. While Hirata worked on the door, Vepr took her time to enjoy the spectacle. With her strength, she tried to tear the frozen corpse off the pole. Not for any real practical reason, but only because it'd satisfy her. Or, well, maybe you could call it "understanding the enemy."

Vepr-12 took her time to stroll along the icy path. Seeing this much ice was a fresh experience for her, though what lied ahead was what was really driving her interest. Normally, having Stella on the ride would be unpleasant and bothersome, but now, her picking up a fight and stirring a ruckus would actually be useful, driving the bandits inside out of their lair and right into Vepr's line of fire. However, interacting with that explosive temper would still be unavoidably uncomfortable, so she just decided to take the lead and wait for the inevitable. In meantime, she followed the path slowly, making sure the others were still moving forward while paying attention to any lurking threat around the corner. "Let's go. Don't lag behind."

After Pirate Jack and Akihiro left for the Forgotten Realms, Scarlet, Harold, and Raider Jack gathered before the Bounty Board and arranged to get transported to the target world. -- Layers of clouds loomed over the plains and hills before the group. The sun barely glimmered through the gray seams. It seemed to be around noon. The air felt off. Something in the air was passively hostile, though at best they could only detect radiation, strange considering how there didn't seem to be any visible hints of a nuclear explosion nearby. Otherwise, there was noticeable moisture in the air. Asphalt roads lined the hills, yet the suburban houses situated along them looked so lifeless that one could only assume that no one had used the paths for decades. The roads lead to a city that didn't really look much better. A river ran by the city, reflecting the gloomy colors of the sky. That must be Smederevo, the slums mentioned in the pitch. Shifting figures dotted the hills sparsely, wandering all on their own. It wouldn't be hard to avoid them, but perhaps investigating them could lead to greater understanding of this world. An address was enclosed in the pitch. If the group knew Serbian, they could infer that their client would be meeting them at a shopping mall. But in plain English, the specific spot was apparently a broken toilet in the basement. In any case, with the city in a ruined state, that mall would probably only have the facade of a huge building left, so it'd take some time to find it. ???

Julianne || Kaagan Hunting Guild Although that much was true, the soldiers here had the primary purpose of intimidating the Kaleiga Monolith's forces just across the pass. As such, they were mostly armed with standard rifles. Taking more time to observe the soldiers, however, Julianne would notice that a small minority also had chainsaws slung over their backs, somewhat like Eleanor's weapon. That particular minority also bore a lot of similarities with the local hunters, or perhaps it was the other way around. In any case, taking down treants seemed to be the job of an elite minority. The rest of the soldiers simply had to wait for them to deliver the finished products. Henrietta || Kaagan Nexus Fidelis looked at Henrietta, perplexed. What could she do, anyway? She's barely five feet, she couldn't hurt a fly! And besides... To him, his god was Meracus Carone, the man who gave him a new life under his banner. Unlike in Imera, he could actually live under a roof here, and it was all thanks to him. What did Bramada give him anyway? Nothing but misery! Deep breaths. Deep breaths. He had done this before. This wasn't the first time he had to deal with Ierospolis' inquisitors, and it wouldn't be the last. What was this harmless dwarf going to do against the fastest draw in Meracus? She was definitely all bark and no bite! "... And so must I see my Lord's will done." Though he was old, he still retained the muscle memory from his glorious past. He bolted up from his seat, drawing his handgun and firing away with amazing precision. One shot to rule them all - a bullet to the heart! *Tink* Oh. Oh... Nemesis & Eleanor || Kaagan Hunting Guild "That would be illegal, unfortunately," the merchant frowned. "See, they don't want to get rid of the treants. They want to farm their cores to prop up their soldiers. Using toxins would work against that." He paced to the back of the shop as he spoke, "and besides, there's no one left in this town still interested in researching toxins. Including me." Shuffling through his wares, he took out a dusty axe with one hand. "Well, you seem to value your blade a lot. A tailor-made chainsaw would be fairly expensive, so may I introduce to you a lesser, but cheaper alternative?" He grabbed a blue rag on his way back to the storefront, and tidied the axe up swiftly. "We don't really use these anymore, but they can still serve their purpose." He moved one hand to the halfway point of the handle, and the other to the far end. Then, he held down a button and twisted the handle from below, revealing a retractable section. "It can also be thrown like this. How effective it'll be will be up to your strength, though."

Vepr-12 swung to the crew quarters right away, and, being the first to get there, she took the bed closest to the exit and tossed her duffel bag on there. She was wholly uninterested in the operations of the spaceship, especially since that there were others in the group already familiar with how they work. What she needed to care about, was this- She took out a cleaning kit from her bag and sat down on the bed. She needed her shotgun to be in top condition at all times, so that she could go as rough as she'd like. Humming a Serbian tune, she carefully disassembled her weapon and began to clean its tubes thoroughly. A faint blush faded into her face, as she reminisced the previous high.

Henrietta || Kaagan Nexus "The old men in Ierospolis hold no power here," the head priest spoke up, unfazed by the inquisitor's words. "And that's why we've pledged loyalty to the Monolith. It's a matter of practicality, dear Sister." A sharp glare struck Henrietta. "You're not allowed to be involved in this. Do leave while you still can, for I cannot guarantee that the Monolith will tolerate your hostility..." Slowly, he moved away from his desk, though he was still seated. Julianne || Kaagan Hunting Guild Visiting the marketplace around the hunting guild, Julianne was able to sell the bandits' junk for some quick money. The shopkeepers didn't seem to mind at all - in fact, from their enthusiasm, they were likely glad that the bastards finally got hit by karma. In the end, the money was more than enough to cover the cost of a hat and weapon. Nemesis & Eleanor || Kaagan Hunting Guild The merchant laughed lightly, "Well, just remember that you can't get any uglier than the Chimeras of Kaleiga. Those walking atrocities are what you get from overloading a Manavi with bio-augs." He then addressed the questions. "Anyway, ranged options don't really work well unless you're throwing circular saws. Their bark's nearly seamless normally, with only a small hole leading to the heart. It's an instant-kill if you can hit it, but it can take an expert at least a minute to locate that hole up close, so it's honestly not practical. Though, on the off chance that you end up fighting an overgrown treant, more holes would open up leading to its heart, making it easier to hit, though it would take a few more shots to do the trick." "That's probably the only positive thing about the overgrown treants, though. Everything else is a nightmare about them. Their bark becomes black like charcoal, yet it's even harder than before. They'll also become even more aggressive, taking control of the lesser treants around them and causing ground-splitting tremors just to corner you. Of course, having bio-augs extracted from treants would also leave you in their control, and that's why the Monolith's troops are so afraid of them."