Chapter 4
184.
Night settles in, and the discussion on Ovae's demand will be tackled by the next morning. The battles in the Outskirts surely took a toll on Ovae, plus they are all both physically and mentally exhausted. Everyone decided to sleep, except for FeLinE and VesTris. Knowing that they are failing their duties as Sentient Kemis kept them awake. Aside from getting back to the Realm Sanctuary, they also need to figure out where are the others. With a long list of things they should fix, the two Sentient Kemis spent the rest of the night assessing their experiences to check for viable hints along the way.
The third day for the group in the Underworld starts and it has been more than a week for VesTris. The young Kemis stay in the VIP room while the group heads out to have a discussion with Ovae, thus the meeting kick-off.
"I'm sure you guys already know what's happening here. Give me a straight answer now so I won't waste resources on those kids. Can you remove the corruption in this realm?" Ovae asked straightforwardly.
"VesTris solved the corruption in Euchambersia, FeLinE thinks it's possible to do it again with the right equipment," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"Well, theoretically it's feasible. It's just way more complicated now than what I pulled off in Euchambersia. They have an enclosed central place called Innards, which made it easier for me to spread the effect of the nullifier. The problem in the Underworld is the hostile environment, plus it's too spread out." VesTris:1100F added.
"How does your nullifier work exactly?" Ovae questioned.
"In simplest comparison, it's like a humidifier that blends through the air. Once the fragments enter the corrupted Kemis' body, it will slowly combat the corruption in their veins, forcing the Forbidden Rune to exit where it entered," VesTris:1100F explained.
"So you know the solution but the problem now is how to amplify it… Interesting~" Ovae responded.
"Hai, it could be easier if we have Sacred Runes. But since we don't have those, we need to figure out a way to let the fragments scatter in the air all at once," VesTris:1100F said.
"That part is your job, feel free to use the laboratory and ask the scientists about whatever resources you need. Antil will keep me updated on your progress, you can also use him to deliver a message." Ovae instructed.
"Wait, are nyu off to somewhere?" Yuna asked.
"Oh no, I'm not going anywhere, I don't need to. I will just be in my office, tracking some one-horned Kemis~" Ovae answered and then left the place.
"She really loves walking away after a speech," Kita commented.
"That sums up her style. It actually suits her, to be honest." Hana added.
The group proceeded to the laboratory in the depths of the lair. There were no windows around, protecting the place from spies. The group met the scientists who work for Ovae, they were already oriented about the situation, so they gave the group a tour around the place. It was a bit messy but at least everything is categorized. There are multiple tables and cabinets that are labeled alphabetically. Each area has a corresponding letter that sorts its equipment. Ovae only goes here to check new inventions and reports, other than that, she doesn't care about the scientists' work ethics.
"This place could really use some makeover…" Hana said.
"It isn't a complete mess, though this type of sorting is for nerds. I mean, nyu need to know all the names of every tool and equipment before nyu could look for it." Yuna responded.
"So… What's the plan?" Kita asked.
"Let's ask the scientists first if they have any equipment that will fit what we need," Raven suggested.
"That's a great idea, let's do that!" Kita replied.
The group gathered the scientists and asked them all at once. It was a long explanation and the scientists raised a lot of questions. In the end, the scientists said that the machinery the group sought may not be invented yet. They argue that Ovae's laboratory is the most advanced in terms of technology in the realm, and it will take a lot of time for them to create the desired invention.
Understanding the difficulty of their request, the group re-evaluates the strategy. It is a race against time, they cannot simply wait for the new invention to be created, and spreading the fragments by themselves would take a lot of time too. They must think of something natural in the Underworld that will work in their favor, like what VesTris did in Euchambersia when she utilized the Innards. The rain heavily falls as the group starts brainstorming once more.
Hearing the rain from the outside despite being in the depths of the lair made Kita curious, "How can we still hear the rain from outside, does it always rain like this?" Kita randomly asked.
"Trees are almost non-existent here, it pretty much explains why it rarely rains but when it does, it's like this. This is in fact, the first rain I've ever experienced since I set foot in this realm." VesTris:1100F answered.
"I kinda want to see how strong the rain is," Yuna said.
"Me too, let's check it then," Hana replied.
Sharing the same curiosity, the group proceeded to the entrance. The noise gets louder as they walk closer, and by the end of the path, they see how devastating the rain is. The flood outside is around 1 foot deep, almost entering the facility. The scenario felt like the place was under a storm, but it was just a normal rain in the Underworld. The group stayed by the entrance, watching the rain rinse the blood on the place.
"I usually love rains, but this one makes me sad…" Kita mentioned.
"I feel sorry for everyone here. I hope someday the situation changes." Raven added.
"It will, FeLinE promised to restore the Keravalley to its original purpose after our mission," FeLinE:1000X stated.
"And I will join that quest." VesTris:1100F supported FeLinE.
"We would love to watch the rain again here when that happens," Hana said.
"Yeah! Right now the rain smells sad, but I'm sure it can be changed." Kita commented.
"What did nyu just say?" Yuna suddenly questioned. It sounded like she disagreed but it's certainly not the case.
185.
Brainstorming for ideas isn't something that will come out right away. Some need a change of phase, or maybe a different scenery to immerse in. While having a random chatter in front of the heavy rainfall, Yuna gained an idea, though the rest misinterpreted Yuna's sudden response. Clarifications are needed, and it looks like it will get crazier as the discussion continues.
"The rain smells sad… I know it doesn't make sense, that is just how I felt. Sometimes a scent gives me a certain emotion about it." Kita defended her claim.
"Yes, yes, I get that. I'm not trying to argue with the sentiment, as a matter of fact, that phrase gave me an idea!" Yuna replied as she walked closer to the rain. "I know it's a crazy theory, though I'm wondering if it is feasible to mix the fragments in the cloud. Since it rains heavily per area, it can spread the fragment when the rain reaches other places. It will eventually clean up the whole realm like how it occasionally washes all the blood stains. And even if the corrupted Kemis don't get wet from the rain, its scent will still enter their body, curing the corruption inside them. The only problem is it rarely rains here." Yuna explained her theory.
While listening to the conversation between Kita and Yuna, VesTris commented, "So Kita is the emotionally driven one while Yuna is the logical type."
"That's basically how our group works," Hana replied.
"Forcing a rain wouldn't be a problem. Back in the day, Sentient Kemis used to do a process called Cloud Seeding to force rain in newly created realms. It was a vital procedure to help the realms develop their own environment." FeLinE:1000X mentioned.
"If we can recreate that process and add the solution, Yuna's theory could work. I think it's worth a shot." VesTris:1100F added.
"And that's how we roll!" Hana gladly said.
"Okay, nyu beat Kita's wild imagination this time." Raven praised Yuna's idea.
"And I fully accept the defeat! LET'S GET THIS MISSION STARTEEED!" Kita energetically responded.
Despite the gloomy setting in front of the rain, the group crafted an idea that boosted their optimism. They sprinted back to the laboratory where VesTris discussed everything that they needed. The materials needed are; a chemical called Silver Iodide, Runecrystals, and a brewing station. The rest of the steps will be handled by VesTris with her Relic. Normally they also need a launcher to send the chemicals to the clouds, but that wouldn't be a problem since the scientists told them that there are plenty of ways to send the chemicals to the clouds.
It took the scientists quite some time to create the said chemical in a large portion. It is something that they cannot just harvest, they need to combine other elements to form the compound solution. As for the Runecrystal, the servants took care of it, they needed at least 5 of it depending on the scale that they would cover. The night comes and eventually, all of the requests are accomplished. It's time for VesTris to show off her skills. Using her Relic, VesTris smashed the Runecrystals into pieces, they have to achieve a powder-like texture similar to Silver Iodide. It will be a long night for everyone in the laboratory.
Watching VesTris work helped the rest of the group realize why FeLinE looks up to VesTris highly, she can literally forge imaginations into reality. While the scientists continue to create more Silver Iodide, the servants stack numerous Runecrystals more than they need. The rest of the group served as VesTris' extra hand, when the ingredients were powdered, they added water to the brewing station and then the brewing process began. They also need to crystallize it once the solution is thick and thorough. It will be the birth of a new element, curing corruption through raindrops. It doesn't have a name yet, but it will be a monumental achievement created in the Underworld.
After pulling out an all-nighter, the solution is finally done. With the lead of VesTris, they created almost a hundred batches, enough to make the whole realm rain. Guided by the laws of science, adding Runecrystal to Silver Iodide creates a new term called Runever-dioxide. To make it easier for the public, the newly created element will be known as the Revitalizing Rain named by VesTris. They all sat on the floor, leaning on the wall, with deep eye bags on their faces.
"Revitalizing Rain with a scientific term of Runever-dioxide, I like it," Yuna commented.
"It does ring well, I'm sure this element will be famous to every realm," Raven mentioned.
"FeLinE will update the Sentient Kemis' books of knowledge to cement this discovery," FeLinE:1000X said.
"It was a lot of work and everyone did their part well." VesTris:1100F commended everyone's effort, "By the way, are we missing someone?" She randomly asked.
"No, we're not. Kita is just sleeping beside me." Hana answered.
"Well, that explains the silence and low energy of the atmosphere. I guess it's time to follow her lead now." VesTris:1100F replied and they all took a nap on the floor.
It was indeed a long nap, Antil let them sleep for 4 hours before relaying the news to his master. Ovae then let the group sleep for 2 more hours and afterward, she entered the laboratory and woke everyone up.
"Rise and shine everyone. Tell me how these RRs will reach the clouds." Ovae loudly said.
"RRs? That's a good codename." Kita responded while yawning. The rest stood up and stretched for a bit.
"We will put it in a balloon and then let it fly. It will automatically pop once it goes beyond the clouds, sprinkling the chemicals above. We all just need to distribute the balloons all over the realm. A lot of manpower will be a huge help, and we could release them all in sync. A simultaneous rain in the realm will make it more effective. Everything is already in portions, putting them inside the balloon and releasing them are the remaining tasks." VesTris:1100F explained.
"Great, my servants will handle it from this point onwards. Your group is now dismissed, go prepare yourself coz we will be having some guests." Ovae replied. She didn't provide any other information, and the group was also too tired to raise more questions. What's important for them is their job is done, they will take this chance to eat something while Ovae leads her servant.
186.
Ovae's servants are truly something else, their efficiency is off the roof. Other allies of Ovae also sent troops to aid the manpower needed. With the precise chain of command, backed up with enough resources, the mission was executed perfectly. All that is left to do is wait for the servants to be in position and then send the signal for the synchronized release of the balloons.
While having their first meal of the day, the group's curiosity grows as time passes. "I wonder who the guests are," Hana mentioned.
"It's Ovae's allies that arrived earlier, right?" Yuna responded.
"I don't know… My guts are telling me something else. I also doubt that it's them." Kita said.
"Yeah, telling us to prepare doesn't make sense if she was only referring to her allies," Raven added.
Close to finishing their meal, a servant approached them and said, "The Supreme Ruler requests your presence in this instant." The servant didn't elaborate further, throwing the group into a loop. Since there was no other way to find out, the group dropped their unfinished meal and followed the servant.
Upon entering the room they saw Ovae sitting on her throne. "Oh, they are finally here. Girls, I would like you to meet our guests, or should I say reconvene with familiar faces~" Ovae said as she pointed her hand to the right corner of the room. When the group followed the gesture, they saw Hideo holding a tied-up clone of Cerono, putting them in a bewildering situation.
"Greetings, a pleasure to meet you all again," Hideo said.
"Okay, Hideo is here and Cerono is tied up. Can someone explain what's going on here?" Kita complained while they were all losing their minds.
Ovae laughed and said, "That's the reaction I'm anticipating. Anyway, I tracked Hideo by the first night we got here. I sent him a letter earlier, and now he's here to explain his side and negotiate. He was smart enough to not go near me coz I could kill him by the time he entered my range."
"That was a sweet letter in the form of a death threat. To be clear, I needed to move on my own so I could secretly trace Cerono's clone. Betraying Ovae is just a cunning play to catch a bigger target, and to calm everyone down, here's some vital information. Basically, Cerono gains more power if there are more corrupted Kemis. I watched this clone gain consciousness as soon as a lot of Kemis were getting corrupted. It also explains why she scattered the Forbidden Runes ." Hideo explained.
"It was wrong of me to reconnect to this body… I hid this clone before when we were at the UniPaws… Didn't expect to be caught off guard… But since I'm already here… I'll just stay a little longer for the show…" Cerono said.
"When Ovae informed me about the another Sentient Kemi, I rushed here and brought Cerono's clone. So here's my negotiation: you can obtain every detail I unfolded, and I will join the quest to the Realm Sanctuary, how does that sound?" Hideo straightforwardly proposed.
"There's no way we are adding another killer to our team. We don't even know if everything he said was true, all of this can be just an act prepared by him and Cerono." Raven immediately doubted the idea.
"I understand the suspicions. To prove my claim, we can all watch this clone lose connection once you terminate all the corrupted Kemis." Hideo negotiated.
"Wait, based on Ovae and your stories, if Cerono needed a certain realm to be corrupted, how did she get here before the corruption even began?" Yuna questioned.
"Good question, what Cerono has been doing was; corrupting a realm, using that as her energy source to power up a clone, and then sending that clone to other realms to repeat the same process. She bypassed the gates, letting her jump from realm to realm without entering the UniPaws." Hideo answered.
"It means she's been doing this for a long time… It can't be true, how come the Sentient Kemis failed to see this?" VesTris:1100F reacted in shock.
"The previous event in Oceanaia… Already gave me enough power to create hundreds of clones… Creation of these bodies took a lot of years… But it was merely a decade in infiltrating the gates… Of course, none of you will notice my act… You are all too focused on taking care of the UniPaws and the ones with few Ruins in them… Knowing it's the only way to every other realm… Letting the rest of the gates unchecked… I didn't need to scatter my duplicated Forbidden Runes literally… I just need to throw away some as bait… And then seal off the rest… It will automatically break when several Kemis get corrupted… Unleashing more duplications of Forbidden Runes in the realms…" Cerono explained how she pulled off her plan.
"That's the reason why other Sentient Kemis haven't made a move. They were busy solving the situations in different realms." FeLinE:1000X mentioned.
"Also, the glass-shattering sound that Furo told us means the seal was broken. It explains why the Forbidden Runes suddenly doubled their numbers." Yuna added.
"It all interconnects now… But why is she telling us everything? Staying here and revealing all of this info doesn't make sense." Hana commented.
With a sinister grin on her face, Cerono laughed slowly, silencing the whole room.
"She was just buying time!" Yuna shouted, realizing that Cerono was only stalling. In that instant, Ovae commanded the troops through the radio to release the balloons all at once.
No one can move a muscle, they are all anticipating what's about to happen. Cerono's uncanny laugh is the only noise echoing in the room. It looked like they outsmarted Cerono but it turns out, everything was just a strategic scheme for her. Everyone in the room felt like this would cost them something unfathomable.
After a couple of minutes, the rain started to pour heavily. The servants reported that the corrupted Kemis near them were slowly going back to normal. The solution is working exactly as planned. Cerono's laugh suddenly became laggy, like glitching in real life. Her connection is getting weaker as the Kemis are getting healed, proving Hideo's claim. Eventually, Cerono fully disconnects, leaving a lifeless clone on the scene. The atmosphere still feels heavy despite accomplishing their goal, striking an unsettling feeling inside them.
"So… What will happen next?" Kita nervously asked while they all looked at each other.
End of Chapter 4