You're caught in a deep dream.
In this dream, you're running non-stop, as if you're fleeing something and chasing something else all at once.
Your footsteps echo down endless corridors as an inverted hourglass slowly brings your blurry memories back into focus.
There's the metallic tang of blood mixed with vital fluids, the inky black seawater, people stuck at the bottom of an abyss, endlessly reliving cycles of despair, until—
That one whale song.
The "blank" memories suddenly burst with the colors of the ocean depths. You faintly catch the sound of a woman's soft sigh—
Cold sweat has unexpectedly drenched your forehead as the thunderous roar of the transport aircraft pulls you awake from your deep sleep.
The strange, fantastical memories are like bubbles decorating the night sky—once you're awake, they just gradually disappear.
Commandant, we're almost back at Babylonia.
Are you alright, Commandant?
Noticing your discomfort, the three ever-vigilant team members immediately gather around you.
Vital signs are normal... Could there be a glitch with your Mind Beacon?
Or perhaps it's the environment... Is there something off with this transport aircraft?
Lee stands up, eagle-eyed, checking the instrument readings on the transport aircraft.
That could be a Mind Beacon glitch. Once we're back in Babylonia, we'll swing by Star of Life...
That's exactly what you said right before the deja vu episodes started, Commandant.
Lucia gives you a disapproving look.
I've already booked an appointment at the Star of Life medical center. We can head straight there as soon as we disembark from the transport.
Despite the unease, we still can't wrap our heads around why these visions keep popping up. For now, they've been a blessing, not a curse.
You consider asking for more time to figure them out, but the words catch in your throat when you see the looks on your three companions' faces.
Commandant, we... none of us want to go through the pain of losing you again.
Even though I'm sure they won't find a thing.
As the transport glides through the sky, you find yourself unable to even peek at your work terminal with your three companions watching your every move.
...
Liv, who's been guarding the work terminal, tries to keep a straight face but eventually gives in under your pleading gaze.
Fine... but you're not allowed to work for too long, got it?
Opening the terminal, you see that Lee has already neatly laid out all the information from the negotiations.
Three days after you get back from the ground, an invitation from the Diplomatic Court lands in your lap: join negotiations with the Forsaken in the central buffer zone.
These talks wrap up successfully—no surprises there.
With Watanabe holding the launch codes for 7,295 missiles orbiting above, Babylonia simply can't afford to keep fighting them; facing that kind of firepower is a death wish.
What's more, the Forsaken have managed to bring several Golden Age factories back online,
giving them plenty of resources to settle down instead of just drifting through the wasteland.
Now formally recognized as "Oasis," the Forsaken cut trade deals with Babylonia.
Babylonia agrees to help Oasis upgrade the cores of Purification Filters in their territory,
and in return, Oasis supplies Babylonia with resources it can't produce itself.
After this initial agreement, you—having played the part of a "mediator"—can head back to Babylonia, leaving the Diplomatic Court to iron out the finer points of additional treaties.
However...
You can't help but furrow your brow at the name <color=#ff4e4eff>"Cradle,"</color> highlighted in red on your terminal.
This story's almost over.
I'm just a reader here.
But if you could, I'd love for you to call me Cradle.
Hello, [player name].
The girl in the green robe silently lifts her dress and gives a graceful curtsy.
Cradle...
Every time you deal with this green-robed girl from Red Tide, you feel like something's not quite right about her—but it never really pushes you to the point of outright alarm.
I'm here to pick up what's been thrown away.
"Control" isn't quite the word for it...
But please forgive me. I just don't have the words to accurately describe my connection to this land yet.
A connection to this land...
Could her very existence be tied to that <color=#ff4e4eff>Tower</color> that still hasn't come down?
There's no way to tell.
You firmly circle the name "Cradle" in red, then shift your gaze to another message that's been sitting in your inbox.
Apparently, after learning that Babylonia started large-scale renovations of their Purification Filter cores, Kowloong extended an invitation. They're hoping to team up with Babylonia to build a maritime defensive line against the Punishing Virus.
Hearing your question, Lee whips around, looking alert.
Didn't we agree you'd only look at negotiation-related documents?
Lee shakes his head, then pulls up some supplementary materials from the terminal.
Conservation areas along the coast are reporting a disturbing trend: large numbers of Hetero-Creatures are now gathering in the surrounding waters.
This could be a lingering effect of the Red Tide that swept through the sea, or perhaps the Punishing Virus has been quietly gaining strength on the ocean floor all this time. Regardless, if these Hetero-Creatures manage to make landfall, they'll wreak havoc on coastal regions.
The situation is made worse by the fact that the Defense Light Wall has never been fully repaired since the Battle of Kowloong. On top of that, resources are stretched incredibly thin due to the influx of Kowloong residents who evacuated from the Nighter.
Given that Babylonia's souped-up Purification Filter cores are good to go, it makes total sense they'd seize this chance to ask for a hand.
Sifting through your terminal inbox, your eyes land on "On the World Government's Aid to Kowloong" pretty quickly.
It was a close call, but the proposal scraped by with 67.5% backing.
Here's the kicker, though...
The transport craft's roar dies down as it steadily descends.
Asimov actually asked Gestalt to weigh in on the proposal during the meeting, and Gestalt's verdict was... 100%.
Ever since it was set up, Gestalt has almost never given a proposal its full blessing. What on earth could that mean...
Before you can chew on that thought any longer, Liv comes back after stashing the supplies and grabs your arm.
We've landed, Commandant.
Yeah, I've got a ride waiting. Let's head straight to Star of Life.
Without another word, the three of them usher you into the vehicle bound for Star of Life.
Your unspoken resistance just melts away under the gaze of the three figures in front of you.
Inside, the terminal blares the latest news from Babylonia.
Babylonia just struck a deal with Kowloong. The agreement has a series of clauses. Babylonia will be helping Kowloong beef up Kowloong City's Light Wall defenses and pitching in to build up its defense systems, among other things.
While the Light Wall defenses get their upgrade, Kowloong residents can move to nearby conservation areas under Babylonia's control—
Kowloong City
Building Complex 5, West Third Street, Hexabridge Port.
Kowloong City, Building Complex 5, West Third Street, Hexabridge Port.
Heads up, Kowloong City residents—listen up—
Shattered glass and debris litter the ground, glinting in the harsh sunlight. Residents clearly bolted, accidentally breaking things in their scramble to get out.
Chaotic footprints lead from the courtyard right into the street. And it's not just here—the whole Southern District of Hexabridge Port is completely deserted, every single home abandoned.
Terminals fixed to street posts and courtyard walls crackle with Pulao's announcements, their broadcasts barely audible through the static.
Just three hours ago, a massive wave of Punishing creatures swarmed out of the sea, launching a brutal attack on the satellite districts surrounding the port!
Good news on one front: we've ironed out an agreement with the World Government of Babylonia. Every single Kowloong resident can now head to the safe zones under Babylonia's wing for temporary shelter.
Right now, the Pulao Crew is neck-deep in the fight against these Hetero-Creatures. Meanwhile, the Chaofeng Crew is teaming up with all the other Kowloong Crews still here to manage the boarding and evacuation efforts.
The terminal just keeps blaring, but out here in the residential areas, it's dead quiet. The only sound is the crunch of shattered glass underfoot, reflecting the sun like cold, unblinking eyes.
Heads up, Kowloong City residents—listen up—
Explosions rip through the air, thunderous roars echo, and the sounds of blood and screams fill the Kowloong Crew headquarters at the Nighter. It's pure chaos.
These Hetero-Creatures... they're working together with uncanny precision, almost like someone's pulling their strings, or even outright controlling them...
I'm going to get straight to the point. Our top priority is to get the Light Wall of Kowloong Metropolis back online.
Attention, residents of Kowloong City—please, pay attention!
The "Light Wall" of Kowloong Metropolis is being reactivated to push back the Red Tide and the Hetero-Creatures. But there's a snag: Huaxu is currently under an unknown attack, so it can't bring its full computing power to bear to pinpoint targets for the Light Wall's defenses.
The Light Wall reactivation protocol kicks off in 30 minutes. All sectors, listen up: get out now. I repeat: evacuate immediately—
Industrial Center Main Control Room in South Hexabridge Port, 10 minutes before the Light Wall Reactivation
Kowloong Crew headquarters crunched the numbers: the Pulao Crew's ground defenses are pulling back to the North Port in less than five minutes. When they do, the Punishing red tide will completely swallow the entire South Port industrial zone.
The last transport just cleared out, taking all the movable supplies and a hefty 77.5 kilograms of cryogenic deuterium-tritium fuel spheres with it.
Still, it left a tiny bit behind: 0.75 kg, to be exact.
20:47. Pressurize the target chamber.
Ignition at 20:50. Any objections?
Fourteen workers stand in the stifling control room, completely silent. A cigarette, its ember glowing red, makes its way around, hand to hand, until it's just a stub.
The green "situation stabilized" light never comes on. Xianqi flicks the dead cigarette butt away and gestures for the worker at the console to clear out.
This isn't on you.
He brushes the dust from his hands, grins, and hits the red button.
Nearby, the funnel-shaped reactor lets out an ear-splitting shriek—
You've got to protect the factory no matter what. You now have the green light to take out all the facilities by overloading the reactor and blowing up the industrial zone if you have to. Never let the Corrupted and Hetero-Creatures get their hands on it in one piece...
Don't back down. I repeat, do... not back down.
When the Light Wall hits... will it hurt?
No, it won't. I asked Fuxi. It's going to be scorching hot. We won't feel a thing.
Good. That's good...
In the streets, the last remaining crowds huddle together, scrambling towards their last-ditch hope in the valley.
Citizens of Kowloong City, the Light Wall Plan has managed to slow down the Hetero-Creatures and the Red Tide!
But the Hetero-Creatures are still pushing forward. Any Kowloong residents who haven't made it to the safe zone yet need to head to the Underground Ring right away!
Please take shelter inside Tabula Akasha right away. I repeat, find shelter in Tabula Akasha immediately!
1200m under Kowloong Metropolis
Physical Layer of Tabula Akasha
1200m under Kowloong Metropolis, Physical Layer of Tabula Akasha
From high up in Tabula Akasha, Qu, Ruler of Kowloong, looks down at the Kowloong citizens in the shelter areas below.
Huaxu, what's the situation?
Roughly 285 people still haven't evacuated. Everyone else has moved to the compartment under Tabula Akasha's inner ring.
We have 16 minutes and 32 seconds until the Hetero-Creatures break through Tabula Akasha's physical layer. Firewall penetration is expected in 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Get ready to open the central server room.
Where's Duheng?
Duheng is in the compartment under Tabula Akasha's inner ring.
Alright.
It's the last chess piece she has, and she's making sure it plays out just right.
Warning! Hetero-Creatures are busting through Tabula Akasha's physical layer from the lower dome's northeast.
Is Babylonia behind this?
Qu stares northeast, watching endless waves of Hetero-Creatures throw themselves against the dome.
As the only variable in this whole chess game, the Gray Raven Commandant has to own the responsibility Qu's put on their shoulders.
The underground ancient city, once deserted, is now splattered with blood and gunpowder smoke. Deafening explosions boom from the northeast.
Bzzz... Warning! Tabula Akasha's final protective barrier is breached.
So, this is it...
The dark-green-haired woman's face is grim as her glaive silently appears in her hand.
She'll pull out all the stops to protect Kowloong and Tabula Akasha from the Punishing tide Huaxu predicted.
She won't stop at anything—
Like a peacock diving through the air, her glaive carves a path of Rigor's cold light as she strikes down the Corrupted who've broken through Tabula Akasha's physical layer.
1410m under Kowloong Metropolis
Tabula Akasha Central Control Room
1410m under Kowloong Metropolis, Tabula Akasha Central Control Room
35 minutes until Huaxu's firewall collapses.
As the Hetero-Creature invasion pushes forward, Tabula Akasha's central control room becomes a refuge, with more and more people pouring in.
The air hangs heavy with the metallic tang of vital fluid, and Kowloong residents are packed together, fear etched on their faces.
In a small pocket of space amidst the terrified masses, Kowloong's ruler is locked in a furious exchange with someone.
It's Yin, Qu's older brother. He was banished from Kowloong by Qu himself after trying to stir up a rebellion.
He's probably trying to leverage this crisis to get back into Kowloong, but his timing couldn't be worse.
Many former Nighter residents in Kowloong are already fed up with Qu, but at a time like this...
A frown is creasing his brow as Chaofeng pushes through the crowd toward Qu.
A strange image flickers in your mind, then disappears.
Only Qu's voice cuts through the din of the crowd.
I won't justify my actions...
Nor will I seek forgiveness.
Do what you <color=#ff4e4eff>must</color> do—
It doesn't sound like he's challenging Yin at all. Instead, it sounds more like he's giving an order.
Bang!
An assassin lurking in the crowd pulls the trigger.
No... It wasn't me...
What's going on?!
A small, frail woman emerges from the crowd. She's covered in dust and dried blood, her eyes full of exhaustion and pain.
She looks like so many of the Kowloong people who've made it through this hellish night, but right now, everyone's eyes are glued to the still-smoking, dark barrel of the gun in her hand.
It's a military-grade anti-Construct pistol from the World Government, fitted with special 9.33mm bullets designed to incapacitate them. You can't get your hands on one without a special order from either Parliament or the Purifying Force.
Some people just happen to have a connection for those special orders.
It's all over now.
It's all over now.
1410m under Kowloong Metropolis
Tabula Akasha Central Control Room
1410m under Kowloong Metropolis, Tabula Akasha Central Control Room
25 minutes until Huaxu's firewall collapses.
In just ten minutes, two bombshells dropped back-to-back: The Ruler of Kowloong shot dead and The gun used is from Babylonia. Panicked Kowloong citizens slowly gather in a room deep inside the central server chamber.
To make matters worse, the Hetero-Creatures are about to breach the physical layer of Tabula Akasha.
One thing's for sure: Qu must have a plan for this exact scenario. But with the Chess Player off the board, how does this endgame even play out?
Duheng carries Qu on his back into the small consciousness uploading chamber. After touching base with Lucia and Lee, you mull over your predicament.
You must...
The Mind Beacon is forcibly invaded, as if a whisper echoes within your very consciousness.
As a variable, you must shoulder... the duties of a variable.
Qu chose to trust you.
Therefore, I<//WE> will do everything we can to help you.
Until Huaxu's firewall collapses, there's now—
In the main hall, everyone is locked in a desperate fight against the surging Hetero-Creatures.
Chaofeng raises his weapon, rallying the remaining Kowloong residents to form a defensive line at the central server room's entrance.
The Hetero-Creatures flood like a tidal wave into Tabula Akasha's physical layer.
Gray Raven and Strike Hawk rush back to provide emergency support.
Crowding, wailing, gunfire, screams.
Everything unfolds before you like a scene on repeat. Words materialize before your eyes, then slowly fade, leaving only whispers echoing in your mind.
I<//WE> am just data, hovering between life and death.
My<//OUR> time... is running out.
Huaxu... Tabula Akasha's time...
...Is running out.
Do... what... you... must...
Chief...
