Chapter Text
The timer on my wrist read 20 minutes when I arrived at the next fissure. The area was filled with construction equipment that looked fairly recent – barrels, steel pipes, and a cement truck, with little signs of rust. I took the sector I currently was in to be one that fell victim to the recent expansion of this Companion Hollow. The site of a construction operation, abandoned not long ago. Looks like Belobog Industries didn't have the time nor manpower to recover all of their assets before they left.
The exact location of the fissure seemed to be inside a container with its gate shut, judging by the pointing gestures Level-clear was doing in its direction. The Bangboo scooted aside as I grabbed the underside and lifted the gate up, adjusting the position of my grip, and pushed it up the rest of the way.
"Eh-na, eh-na!"
Sure enough, at the far end wall inside the container was the purple swirling mass of an Ether fissure. I looked down to see Level-clear analyzing its Carrot data, checking again if this led somewhere nearby the commission target, made clear by its eyes being replaced by a flittering screen of green film. A moment later, and it stood next to the rift gesturing me to pass through. I ducked my head down to adjust for the ceiling and did as per its instructions.
The sensation of being transported was strong, but fleeting. I stepped out to meet a solid cement floor, and crumbling walls protruding rebar from where they had been cracked. A quick look over the edge informed me I had ended up on the tenth story of a building under construction. I needed a way to reach the ground floor and find a Belobog smart construction machine.
The commission I had received came from an anonymous mail through Inter-Knot, identifying themselves as from the Three Gates Corporation. Their request was allegedly simple; live combat footage of a smart construction machine that are used exclusively by Belobog Heavy Industries. Not only were these machines difficult to track down while active inside a Hollow, Belobog's activity being the highest in the Janus Quarter meant there was a travel cost to my search. Fortunately, the amount of money offered upon completion was more than enough to offset any net loss to my own resources.
My client had also provided some crucial details regarding these smart construction machines. They were fully autonomous, designed for long-term Hollow operations, and capable of fighting and coming out on top against high-risk Ethereals. A combination of traits which explained why the commission fee was so high. I wasn't very familiar with Three Gates, but it struck me as a rivalry move to gain more information about Belobog's machinery.
Whatever the case, I needed to get this done. Level-clear emerged from the fissure and I motioned it to follow my lead. Boxes were scattered around this side of the floor, and a brick wall separated myself and the other side. I could hear enemy activity just past it - unmistakably sounded like Ethereals. My sword clicked off the sheath and I swung diagonal, matching the momentum of the collapsing bricks as the center of the wall caved inward, and dashed through that opening.
My head snapped up as soon as I came to a landing. The enemies I'd heard were a group of Tyrfings, but the usual green accent of their anatomy had been replaced with a layer of deep red, meaning these ones had been energized by some source. The commotion I caused already had their attention, and the one in front let out a screech before it charged towards my position, and the rest followed suit.
I shot forward to meet them in the middle, surprising the lead Ethereal as it brought up its claw to block, but was too late. My blade knocked away its appendage and struck the core directly. The black mass rippled under the strain of the impact, and the creature stumbled backwards in a daze.
A second one was right at my back, and I spun around blade first, barely stopping its strike – a loud clang boomed off the clash. My boots skidded on the concrete as I was launched back, grimacing while I made a quick note of how many they exactly were.
Five of them. They could land a hit if I was sufficiently distracted, and that meant I needed to whittle them down fast. I waited until one raised its claw above its core, ducked its attack and slashed out its legs from under in a sliding motion. The creature screeched in agony before it evaporated into Ether particles, and I rolled to my feet facing the rest as they circled my position.
Their gait was unbalanced, but their gazes were set dead on me. Two of them lunged simultaneously, their claws held high. I pulled my sword into a reverse stance and jumped clean over their charge, landing in front of the Tyrfings that had stayed back. The one closest could only take a step before I delivered a flying kick to its core. It recoiled while I landed back down and swung upwards with my blade – now it was writhing on the ground.
The second one rushed with its claw held out in a thrust, which I deflected with a sidestep. It was thrown off-balance, but the other two Ethereals were nearly on me before I could capitalize on it. I swept forward, up into the air twirling. One tried to swat me back down with its claw, but my leg came around just in time to knock away the strike. I propelled off its body and sunk the blade directly into the torso of the other one, producing a gruesome squelch.
The blade tore free while I watched the creature fizzle out. A sharp whistle, and I dropped to my chest the moment before the claw from behind would've had me, and threw myself up towards the source of the attack. My shoulder collided with the Tyrfing causing it to reel back, and I used the brief opportunity to plunge my weapon deep in its unprotected stomach.
Only one enemy remained. I closed the distance and executed a wide slash, but the energy was knocked back into me when the beast fended off with its claw. I pivoted to retreat on my heel as it began the counter-attack. The creature lurched forward with its claw pulled back, and swung wildly for my neck. I got my sword up to block, but its tottering momentum allowed it to strike again, this time bouncing off the blade and driving me further back.
Its posture was stooped, and it prepared to repeat the same attack pattern, but I dashed forward aiming for the base of its upper arm, and severed it from the rest of the body in one swift motion. A shrill scream emanated from the creature before it crashed to the floor in a heap, convulsing in agony as it dissipated.
They were taken care of. I replaced my weapon to its sheath and spared a glance at the timer on my wrist. A pile of rubble had collapsed blocking access to the stairs, and if there was an elevator it probably didn't reach these uppermost floors, but Ether crystal formations had grown all throughout the exterior walls of this building, many of them wide enough to stand on.
I hoisted Level-clear up beneath my arm, keeping it locked in place before I jumped down to a crystal that was nearby. The walls of the floor two stories below had been blown out completely. I kept my grip on the Bangboo steady while I leapt across to the next formation, and used the closer position to drop further.
A grunt escaped me as I landed on the crystal below, absorbing the impact with my side. This one was angled upwards, putting me in a perched position with one arm latched on to a jutting piece of crystal, and the other holding Level-clear. I took a moment to prepare and pushed off with my leg, for a second plunging rapidly before my free hand clamped hard on the edge of rough cement, and I swung like a pendulum in the open air.
I used the momentum to pitch Level-clear up over, hearing the Bangboo land belly first, and hauled myself up with both of my hands. I was now on the eight floor. The side room I had entered was some sort of workshop, with desks spread around haphazardly. A pulley system was to one corner, while toolboxes with their contents emptied out into various sections of the room were placed on the ground.
The tools consisted of hammers, screwdrivers, nails of different lengths. None of it rusted. On the wall was a poster detailing common hazards during construction work, with the symbol of a falling stick figure ranking at the top. Another next to it was a service advertisement for Belobog Industries, their logo of a roaring bear Thiren at the center, and above it listed their contact information. It was well known that a majority of Belobog's workforce was made up of bear Thirens. Considering their specialty being in-Hollow construction, primarily employing Thirens who possessed superior Ether aptitude to humans was a reasonable choice.
Outside the workshop room was a wide barren space filled with only wooden boxes, along with cement columns supporting the foundation. The stairs were available on this level, but the elevator wasn't until another two floor descent. It took some time for it to arrive from a lower story when I called it, and the gate opened in near complete silence as it allowed me through. The floors weren't designated with numbers on the button options, though I had to remind myself this was an industrial lift.
I punched for the ground floor and the elevator shifted in place, moments before it activated with a robust hum. The speed at which it was going down spoke for just how recent this area had been swallowed up by the Hollow, that no equipment had the time to deteriorate. A sign near the ceiling informed of the 3,000 kilograms it could carry as an upper limit. The lift swept across the remaining floors and eased to a stop at my desired station.
"Eh-ne, eh-ne? Eh-na!"
My grip snapped to the hilt of my sword when I turned to look at what Level-clear was pointing to. The gate opened but I had already vaulted over, twirling my blade to a two-handed stance as the beast drew its body back and lunged into the air, its jaw open wide exposing the core.
I couldn't line up the angle. I dropped to slide under its attack and heard the sound as sharp teeth clamped down on empty space – the cement absorbing its landing caved down with the impact, and its front legs buckled before adjusting. It spun around to its feet huffing, claws scraping the floor.
It was a Hati. A quadrupedal Ethereal twice more aggressive than most others. I dashed quickly towards a pillar taking cover as the beast leapt forward, kicking up minute debris, and drove its claw straight into the obstruction. A shower of concrete erupted from the collision, giving way to the rebar beneath. I swept around, brushing past the smoke and sliced for its throat, cutting across a sharp diagonal line.
The creature snarled as I circled around, repositioning faster than it could turn its body, delivering a spinning slash to the top of its back. I landed by its side and met the first swing with my blade, jumping back to narrowly avoid the second one. The third required the beast to lunge, to open its jaw, and I used the brief opening to sink my blade directly into its core.
The force of my stab knocked the creature back, the body scattered in a mess of particles. My sheath clicked shut and I turned heading for the exit. Ceiling high barriers had been set up on either sides, hazard lines at the bottom and emblazoned with signs that read 'Construction in Progress'. Fortunately they were open, otherwise I'd have to find another way out.
The remains of a box demolished were dispersed on the ground. Ahead, sections of a cinder block wall had been smashed out. A notice propped up on metal bars said 'Construction Zone' in blue font, along with a warning to 'Proceed Slowly'. To my left I could see a cement mixer truck parked in an unoccupied area. Based on Level-clear's interpretation of the data, the smart machine was currently operating somewhere in the general vicinity.
I proceeded under the beams making up the foundation of an unfinished floor plan above, through a passageway leading to a container depot. I glanced at the slabs of wreckage stacked up on my right as I passed by, behind them a set of organized wooden pallets. A deep rumbling of what sounded like falling concrete disturbed the silence, and I could only hope my commission target had been the source of that noise.
Inside the depot were a group of Tyrfings that hadn't noticed my arrival yet, and two Ethereals that seemed to be mutated from the remains of combustion engines. Chunks of orange centered on a cylindrical apparatus outlining the core. Exhaust pipes bulged out from their back, blowing fumes. They were holding themselves aloft on two arms, and it didn't appear they possessed legs. I wasn't sure about their exact classification on the HIA database.
I rushed forward weapon brandished, moving on the Tyrfings. The first one could only turn slightly before it burst apart, but the second intercepted my wide swing. Our blades locked and the discharge of energy fixed my arms in place. My teeth grit as the creature pushed against me, putting me off-balance and in a position I couldn't shove back from.
An arm flashed in my peripheral and moved rapidly across to my vision, colliding with my side. I found myself hurtling through the air as the fresh pain blazed across my body, surroundings blurred as I whirled. My limbs assumed a controlled descent, but I was fast approaching an object at the end of the room. The ladder, the obstruction, whatever it was, crashed to the floor with me in tow, and I flattened to my chest in an excruciating heap.
I rolled away from the crowd of enemies and the motion bought just enough time to get back up to my feet. I lunged aside, barely avoiding the next hit from the mutation. No sooner after its right arm came down it swung sideways with its left, missing my head and instead knocking over a forklift that was behind me.
I retreated from the skirmish and headed for the Tyrfings and the other mutation, the latter of which engaged me first. I ducked under the first strike and deflected the second, leaving the creature open. I took a step back to charge up momentum and propelled the blade for the core, impaling the dark orb clean through. The creature dropped with a hard thud, swirling particles left in its wake.
The next enemy closed the distance before I could, its claw flying out as it stumbled into range. I dodged back causing it to whiff the strike, and tackled the creature sword first on the ground. I headed for the two remaining, slashing an X shape, and launched one off its feet with a low sweep kick. The creature in midair, I twirled the blade around and drove the hilt to its stomach, sending it smashing dead into a container.
The other recovered and slung its claw out, while the engine mutation was charging our direction. I rebuffed the strike and planted a kick to the Tyrfing's center, getting it lurching backwards, directly into the engine's path. It seized the creature by the torso and tossed it aside ragdolling, resuming the stride unimpeded.
The arm incoming pitched and swiped for my legs. I leapt forward dodging the attempt, in the same motion forcing my blade under one of its armor panels and latching on to the hull. The maneuver disoriented the engine. I heaved myself around in a clockwise rotation, using the embedded weapon as an anchor point, and yanked hard as I twisted back over above.
The panel snapped off its frame with a crash and I landed to a crouch on top of the mutation. The core now exposed, I raised the blade two-handed and plunged it swiftly, cleaving the orb through. The arm that was reaching for me crumpled to the floor and the rest of the creature soon followed, losing shape amidst the swarm of Ether.
That sound was getting more frequent. Exiting the depot, ramps had been set up to allow navigating this level of the complex between the different elevations. Mesh fencing had been installed throughout, and metal grating replaced certain parts of the floor, exposing the pipelines that ran below. Large crystal formations protruded from inside the buildings nearby, seemingly having punched through the walls.
I made my way across the length of area where progressing from above was possible, then dropped down to ground level. The path continued under a cement foundation, but a pool of water that looked chest-high had collected in the tunnel. My equipment was all water proof, including Level-clear, but I'd need to give it a lift regardless because of the height.
The discolored liquid sloshed with the movement as I descended, until the surface absorbed me nearly up to the shoulders. Level-clear was held above my head, hands pressing on both sides like a plush toy. It didn't seem uncomfortable, at least not as much as I was. The compromising position limited my already compromised mobility, and I was trying my best not to inhale too much of the smell.
"Eh-ne eh-ne!" The sound came again. Much louder this time. Level-clear ran ahead once we reached the other side, motioning me to follow. The egress opened up to a wide corridor with the ceiling grated, casting shadows on the floor. White graffiti was partially obscured behind yellow panels leaning on the wall, a sign near it counting the duration this place was under construction by days.
It was clearly audible now, along with the movement of something heavy-duty. The corridor ended at a downward mud slope leading to a brick wall, with no gaps to fit through. However, the scaffolding around it was high enough to get past from above. I hoisted Level-clear up to the first platform before I pulled myself up, moving along the walkway and repeating the action with the next one.
The platform I was aiming to reach had a ladder propped next to it, but it was across from where I stood, separated by a gap. The metal supports jolted as I came down on the other side, and held without sign of imminent collapse. I switched Level-clear to carry it on my shoulder and took the rungs two at a time, scaling quickly to the top. This height would be sufficient to make the jump clean over the wall.
I backed up until the edge of the platform was under my heel and rushed forward, launching off into open air. My limbs folded to my torso with Level-clear in center, and I spun clear over the top of the wall with only inches to spare. I continued down the other side and hit the ground rolling, exiting to a kneel.
The area was a sinkhole filled with abandoned equipment, mainly consisting of construction vehicles. A few bulldozers and dump trucks were parked next to generators and fuel canisters, while loaders were left beside excavated mounds of dirt. Some crates were in the process of being moved by forklifts, the rest secured together by tapes in a plus shape. All vehicles inactive.
All, except one. I released Level-clear from my hold and set its visual feed to record, then rose to my feet. A large machine on four legs, painted yellow was shifting rapidly in place, occupied with a pile of cement rubble that seemed to have come from a partially collapsed building above. An exhaust pipe on its roof was blowing gray vapor as it worked, collecting the rubble and loading it in the back of a transport truck.
This was it. My commission target. My blade was drawn as I approached, primarily for defense purposes. I wasn't under any delusions I could bring down something like this on my own, without the necessary firepower. The plan was to provoke it, stay alive until the length of captured footage was to the client's specifications and leave. Dangerous, but the payout would be more than worth it.
The machine stopped after I closed a certain distance and turned itself around, detecting my movement somehow.
"Hey, what are you doing here? Identify yourself!"
The voice was loud and mechanical, and I stood there confused for a moment before I realized it was speaking to me. Below the operator cabin was a small circular display, from which a pair of digital eyes were peering at me. I wasn't aware these smart machines were equipped with a language module. Interesting, but it mattered little to my objective.
It needed to be threatened for it to go at me seriously. Attached to its two arms was an excavator bucket the size of my body, and a pincer claw mechanism on the other one. I started by feinting a charge, aiming to bait out an attack. Before I'd made it even halfway an exclamation mark flashed on the machine's display and it threw itself up over, its joints straining as it landed behind me.
"Huh? If you don't answer, I'll have no choice but to remove you myself!"
I twirled my blade up and pointed it at my target in a challenging gesture. A loading icon briefly appeared on its display, seemingly processing the action, then its eyes returned back with a glaring expression. I rushed the machine yet again and headed for the thick cables hooked up to its leg, but the sound of moving components came before the attack, allowing me to notice the excavator arm rapidly descending into my path. I rolled to the side and the impact sent chunks of dirt flying in all directions.
On second thought, damaging those cables was not a good idea. Ran too high a risk of disabling its full combat potential before I had enough footage. Instead, I slashed at the bumper grill above its circular display, to which my sword lamely bounced off the mesh. The sound came again and I looked up to see the pincer claw barreling towards me with a boulder in its grip, that slammed right into me as I was flung back ragdolling.
"So be it! Prepare to face my might, as the Man of Iron, Brave One, Sparkling Engine, Hans!"
Well, it was certainly threatened now. I picked myself off the ground, putting a hand to my chest to assess the injury. I couldn't afford to take too many hits like that. I prepared my stance while the machine stomped towards me with alarming speed, and brought the excavator bucket down. I leapt to the side near its leg, and barely dodged when it attempted to crush me beneath that leg.
The machine pulled a rock from the ground with its pincer claw, and I shot a glance at the dump truck beside me. The arm swiveled out from its back and launched the stone, and I made it behind cover a second before the entire truck jolted nearly off its frame with the collision.
I remained in the position, waiting for its next attack. The sounds indicated movement, growing rapidly in volume. I gasped and scrambled away from the truck, as the machine pitched it over where I was standing with a dramatic shout. It continued flipping a good distance, destroying crates, until it crashed against the edge of the sinkhole and went still.
My cover gone, I spun on my heel and broke into a sprint, scanning the surroundings for any object I could put between us. Level-clear was recording the action from a corner of the area obscured by shadow, only the green glow of its eyes visible in contrast to its black exterior. I needed to keep the machine away from there and its attention on me.
I heard the pincer claw dig up another boulder and felt the air current shift as it was thrown at me. I rolled away from the impact, the rock burst apart into fragments, and one of them nailed me dead in the back. I fell to the ground skidding on my knees, and only stopped completely when I planted my sword down. A throbbing pain made itself known where I'd been hit. Damn!
"Haha! Training with my bro Anton really has paid off!"
The machine was closing in fast by the time I recovered to stand. The excavator arm swerved around from the side while the pincer claw was held above, ready to strike. If I dodged the excavator now, the claw would no doubt have me. Instead, I jumped towards the path of the incoming excavator bucket and snared the edge with my free hand. The disorienting position lasted only for a moment before the arm stopped moving and I used the momentum to heave my body up over, inside the bucket.
My landing was not so graceful. I got an arm under me to rise up, but the metal surface was quickly disappearing. The bucket retracted to empty its contents, and I spilled out plummeting until I made hard contact with the ground.
Hmm. Creating distance from the target again would result in more rocks being thrown my way. I pushed to my feet and rushed the machine, lunging aside to avoid the falling excavator arm. The pincer claw sparked with electricity and swooped down, and I brought the blade up to deflect its course just enough away. I leapt forward catching the edge above its bumper grill and climbed up to the platform next to the operator cabin. I tried the hatch, but it was sealed with some kind of reinforced frame.
The claw rotated inward and pounced at me. I jumped barely dodging as it clamped down, and vaulted up to the roof of the cabin head first. Crouched, I waited for the machine to perform its next attack.
It remained still for a moment. I picked up on the sound of its leg joints shifting, and realized too late what it was about to do. The machine launched itself high into the sky, with so much force that my body smashed to the cabin roof and flew away weightless. I was still somehow holding onto my weapon as I flailed through the air.
I was ascending faster than the machine, and not intending on tanking a fall from this height. The machine's two arms were hanging above its hull, and I used the brief moment it went inert before falling back down to extend my blade inside the pincer claw and pull myself closer to it. I maneuvered swiftly up along the individual claw and perched to a ready position on the circular base the mechanism was fixed to.
The machine blasted rapidly through the wind as we descended, and I flung myself off the pincer claw the moment before it landed. The noise behind me was like an explosion as I made a downward arc through the air, and rolled several times on impact until I came to a stop.
I stumbled to my feet and didn't bother to check for injuries. I could move and that was enough. Later I'd receive medical attention. The machine had already recovered and was approaching with speed, but I'd gathered the length of footage needed to satisfy my client. An industrial metal slope a dozen meters wide seemed to be my only exit route, and I couldn't outrun the machine if it decided to follow me up there.
I produced a smoke grenade from my belt and deployed it at my feet. The contents flushed out with a hiss, concealing my movement as I headed towards Level-clear and clutched the Bangboo under my arm. The machine had barged into the white smog searching for me, unaware I was fleeing, but that wouldn't last long. More construction vehicles were present throughout the industrial slope. A few transports faced away from the sinkhole, loaded with dirt and other debris. I maintained a decent sprint as I rushed past them.
My client had requested the footage to be delivered as a physical copy, with the location being at a shopping district called Lumina Square. Most of my meetings with contacts in the Janus Quarter took place there, and despite its proximity to a branch of NEPS, the alleys were secluded. I'd notify the client once I was out of the Hollow and close this commission.