Story Reader / Affection / Lucia: Pyroath / Story
Lucia: Pyroath I
>Rainwater drips off the leaves onto the combat suit's waterproof coating, and the forest glimmers under the scattered sunlight after the downpour.
A moist, earthy smell fills the air, and Lucia's voice, routed through the comm channel, passes softly by your ears.
Move three steps forward.
...
Ahem. The target is at twelve o'clock. The signal's faint—probably buried in the dirt.
Thanks to the Construct's quick tracking and precise navigation, you find one of your mission targets in the grass after just a minute.
A small, heavily worn sound device lies quietly in the soil. Its indicator light flickers, hinting it's still active, but it's completely silent.
This newly developed sound device, crafted by scavengers, emits low-frequency waves that humans can't hear, driving away nearby beasts.
According to the conservation area's patrol squads, it does repel beasts to some extent—but the frequency also attracts Corrupted and Hetero-Creatures.
In a matter of days, those attracted creatures have already wiped out three small scavenger camps. As a result, Babylonia issued an urgent directive, ordering the Task Force to destroy these devices...
Yeah, I'm all done collecting on my end and I'm heading your way. In four minutes... actually, make that three. I'll find you then.
Although the wind is muffled by noise reduction as it rushes through the channel, it can't hide the excitement in her voice.
Right now, Lucia is soaring at high speed. Her new frame handles beautifully in the air, massively boosting her mobility.
The holographic display shows Pyroath's parameters fluctuating within normal ranges, maintaining expected values.
Collecting the sound device is only one part of your mission. During this ground operation, your top priority remains the routine testing of the Pyroath frame.
Three days ago...
...
Wearing a stern look, the Chief Technician swiftly checked the data on his terminal. Across the training room, Lucia expertly swung her designated weapon.
It seems there's no compatibility issue, and the performance is steady. But...
...
He kept cross-referencing multiple data sets on the terminal, then logged the latest changes at the end.
The Science Council's live training room is enough to test ordinary Constructs, but for Pyroath, it's still too restrictive.
Just to be safe, I recommend you head out on a few standard missions to put your frames' performance to the test in actual combat.
Follow the standard procedure. If there's anything to be added, I'll let you know.
Just go through the standard procedure. Talk to Celica and she'll handle the rest.
Data will be uploaded in real time. If you come across any area with interference, make sure you flag it for special attention during the process.
Standard mission tests range from easy to hard, and a commandant can pick any task freely—hence the scene you find yourself in today.
Everything has just started.
You haven't even gathered your thoughts when a soft breeze rustles the treetops above. Right behind it comes a call that bridges the gap between the virtual and the real.
Commandant!
Ahem... Captain [player name].
Barely three minutes have passed. Faster than Lucia herself are her voice and everything that comes with her.
In the comm channel, the roaring wind is just background noise; by the time it reaches you, it feels like a gentle breeze.
Now, the sunlit canopy parts, and Lucia descends slowly. Dawn spreads out behind her, casting her silhouette in a soft golden radiance.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
She raises her hand, palm up.
There's only one sound device left in this area. Follow me.
The Red Tide still sweeps through the forest, where a group of scavengers lingers. Your mission is to collect all remaining sound devices and, if possible, find those scavengers and guide them to the conservation area.
Because human ears can't pick up the low-frequency signals of the sound device, the job of navigation naturally falls to the Construct. That's why you two split up, hoping to find the devices quickly and keep more of the Corrupted from closing in.
With the command now reassigned, Lucia still doesn't seem used to being called by her new title. She always looks a bit uncomfortable whenever she hears it.
...All right. Leave it to me, Captain [player name].
The young girl presses on through every thorn and bramble, and yet she still offers her gentle palm to the one following in her footsteps.
The forest doesn't just harbor danger; it also reveals unexpected wonders. Morning light filters through the uneven treetops, illuminating a nearby lake. Sunlight scatters across the surface, sending gentle ripples dancing through the water.
...Hmm?
Lucia comes to a quiet halt.
Looks like...
The acting Commandant for this mission stops, then crouches in front of a bush where blossoms sway gently.
She carefully pushes aside the grass. A short distance away, a bird chick stumbles clumsily through the dirt, and right next to it is that familiar sound device.
Oblivious to your distant presence, the gray adult bird flutters down into this tiny world. It hands over the food in its beak to its chick, then cranes its neck to check its surroundings.
Here in the sprawling forest, the adult bird offers its little one a small, sheltered sanctuary.
How wonderful... a newborn life.
If we head over there now, we'll probably spook them. Let's wait a moment, Commandant.
It's not the first time you've noticed animals around the sound device.
Whenever Lucia and you split up, she often lets out a little gasp of excitement and shares whatever she sees over the comms.
From squirrels to deer, she always describes these woodland creatures with such wonder, and she truly feels happy every time she encounters new life here.
Until recently... none of these little critters were around.
She speaks in a hushed voice, worried she might startle this tiny family.
Mm, I did run a mission around here once, but I'm not sure if this is the exact spot I visited back then...
The fledgling finishes its meal, and the adult bird stretches its wings again, showing off the sleek, razor-sharp lines underneath. Lucia instinctively brushes her fingers over the winged motif painted on her coating.
In a flash, the adult bird disappears into the sky, and the fledgling slips back into its nest—this seems like the perfect moment to retrieve the sound device.
That's the collection work done for this area.
The final sound device here gleams under the light. Lucia lifts it from the soil, and on its polished surface, she spots her own reflection—along with the gently swaying grass behind her...
Commandant!
The showdown she expects never happens. The dark shape that springs out pulls up short right before her.
It sticks out its tongue and pants obediently, tail wagging nonstop.
This is...?
Word has it that trained hounds can pick up low-frequency sound waves. This one's likely on a mission to track down some sort of sound-emitting device, but...
Lucia crouches down and ruffles its fur, noticing the pleasure in its gaze.
Hey there, little buddy. Did you lose track of everyone else?
Woof... Woof, woof!
Before Lucia can even finish her sentence, the patrol dog slips out of her hand. It barks and keeps turning its head toward one spot, as though it's leading you somewhere.
Hang on—I need to check its ID tag...
The chip inside its collar verifies in a flash, and a green light glows—proof that no one has tampered with it.
Woof!
Seeing there's still no action on your side, the patrol dog becomes a bit restless.
Crack—
In the distance, the grass rustles again. Lucia and the patrol dog both turn to look. The dog, now even bolder, pounces straight into the short shrub.
...There's someone over there!
Before the mission even started, the patrol captain mentioned a stubborn group of scavengers who linger in the forest, doing everything they can to avoid capture...
Copy that!
