Chapter 139
Then, the Inner Guards with the knife stood in front of Folinic and held up two fingers:
How many is this?
"... two?"
"Hmm, thankfully... Doctor, sever the connection between her hand and the instrument, making sure the bones and joints don't deform. The Pollution will dissipate quickly, but if not handled properly, it could easily lead to disability after re-fixation... Also, don't damage the sticky instrument before completely severing the connection... That thing has become part of her body now; if it's damaged, her internal organs could also be affected and fail."
"This... is that so? Damn it... this is a plastic syringe... how can it be fused to my hand... and the plastic and the needle... partially become bone?"
Although her expression was somewhat confused, Su Sulo still managed to separate the instruments that had become part of Folinic's hand, as well as the sticky residue on her fingers, with the steady demeanor characteristic of a surgeon.
After bandaging Folinic's Pollution injury, which was only 'slightly deeper' Inner Guards, Su Sulo looked worriedly at the center of the Pollution:
"... Nana..."
Melt, redefine, then sink... The dimensional shifts in the physical body will change a person's entire way of life.
Melt, melt, dissolve...
I can't feel my fingers, I can't feel my limbs, I can't feel my facial features, I can't feel life or death.
At first, I could still feel the pain, but later even the definition of what pain is began to become blurred.
But as her consciousness grew clearer, the cat could always feel Cole's voice calling to her from beside her ear.
Seemingly awakening from a long slumber once again, the cat discovered that its vision had deviated from what shouldn't be present in normal people.
The world before our eyes is actually riddled with holes; the actual matter seems to be a constantly wriggling viscous substance; space is like a liquid, constantly bending, deforming, or simply coming into contact, and then pulling out threads.
Strange laughter and indeterminate forms discovered themselves; they circled around them, linked together, and laughed and celebrated like children, raising their glasses in celebration, proclaiming that they had gained new companions.
Hmm... companion?
Own?
And this thing that doesn't look like a human?
These things are enemies!
The voice of 'Nana' kept repeating in my ear.
But... are they hurting themselves?
Watching them continuously extract something from the links they created, 'itself' wondered and wanted to make a judgment.
Looking closely at those thin images that resembled reflections on water, 'oneself' realized that the 'water droplets' they held aloft reflected their own experiences.
Preparation, rest, and endless battles.
Are these guys absorbing their own memories?
Just as Medic realized he was different from these inhuman creatures, that he should at least have a human-like appearance, and was pondering how he could transform himself from the same slime into a proper shape, he suddenly saw these monsters kissing the 'dewdrop' imprinted with memories of his Little Cat.
Was it a conditioned reflex? Or was it out of obedience to the voices around him...? These things didn't matter. After remembering that he was a "person" named 'Medic', 'himself' went up and kicked over those who were trying to 'taste' the image of the White Cat.
[How dare you! Touch my most precious memories!!]
Then, an intense feeling of pressure washed over me... as if I were being flattened with a masonry tool.
The soft sense of touch disappeared, and within the framework of memory, 'self' was reassembled into a person with limbs, senses, organs, and the need to breathe.
Vision returned. Medic didn't know what was on the other side of the Dominion, but he remembered beating those strange creatures. The black mist began to Collapse again, and Medic 'defined' himself by human standards.
I need both hands, because I need to not only hold the weapon, but also hold the hand of Rosemary.
She needs two legs, not only to move in battle, but also to guide Rosemary through her life.
He needed to breathe, because he needed to identify prey not only by smell... Even if he could no longer smell the edible spices on Cole, the milky scent of Rosemary could help him locate the Little Cat in a crowd.
I need ears and hearing, because I need to control the battlefield not only through sound... but also because I want to hear the voices of Rosemary and my friends again!
"... Nai!"
No, I definitely heard it; it was Huang's voice!
It was as if a 'figure' appeared in the sky, vaguely reaching out her hand. The strange world around her began to burn—no... this was the Warp Collapse, and she was in a deeper the Dominion ...
[Nana!]
Medic could feel himself being called by that figure, and as he reached out his hand to the other person, he heard the voice again.
I heard a 'sound' in a world where the concept of 'sound' doesn't exist.
[Nana, I told you! Don't even think about messing things up by yourself!]
How much resentment do you hold for me to see you stopping me from completing my mission even in my dreams? crying
Just as the cat was thinking this, a familiar voice rang in its ear.
"Nana, wake up quickly--!!"
Feelings returned, the pain subsided, and all the feelings one should have as a human being returned!
The intense electric shock from the CPR machine made even the Kitty Killer, tremble and remain speechless for a long time. But looking at Huang, whose body was also covered in the 'Black Rain' representing Pollution, and Su Sulo constantly bustling around him, and Folinic, whose hands were inexplicably wrapped in bandages, Medic blinked.
The cat stretched out its paw, clenched its fist... five fingers, with multiple joints, the characteristics confirmed once again... yes, this is a human hand.
"Great! Medic, you remember me?! What age is this?!"
PS: Waaaaaah, cat meow!
Woof woof cat. jpg flag
4th Crimson Warm Winter: 147 Inner Guards Sharp Commentary
"Su Sulo? This is..."
Seeing Medic's unwavering reaction, Su Sulo, a doctor who was usually very calm, broke down in tears, a rare occurrence for her.
Just as Medic was about to say something, not knowing why she was acting this way, he noticed a test tube on the ground marked with a biohazard symbol... The viscous blue liquid inside was hissing violently upon contact with air.
"... Everyone back off! There's a toxic leak..."
"No, it wasn't a leak; it was used perfectly."
A tall, dark figure appeared behind her. Medic instinctively reached for her weapon, only to find nothing... At that moment, she realized that she was only covered by a white Reunion Movement cloak. FrostNova, standing beside her, was panting... Her Reunion Movement jacket, supposedly modified from the Patriot armor cloak, was gone.
And his own equipment...
Quickly scanning his surroundings, Medic discovered that his belongings... clothes, equipment, props, they were scattered everywhere... The men were kind enough not to look at the girls' private items. The floating Little Cat was rapidly moving through what was originally the Dominion, and Medic's clothes and miscellaneous items were quickly gathered together.
However, compared to those things, how could I use the poison I got from Kal'tsit, which supposedly could melt even a corpse with just a little bit?
"You mean... use?"
"Yes, during the transformation of the Inner Guards, apart from the greatest threat of fear transforming into a physical entity that relentlessly assaults those around them without any rationality, the most difficult part is the process of the body transforming into a vessel for Demons —that is, the process of a person changing from a physical entity into a virtual Demons... Usually, in order to ensure the success rate of the Inner Guards' transformation, when the rate of absorbing Demons reaches the standard, in order to ensure that the body can just absorb the Demons but does not dissolve to the point of being unable to re-form... we will proactively use chemical substances to perform... some technical treatments."
"Using such a dangerous reagent for treatment would be unacceptable even to experienced doctors specializing in Oripathy."
Watching the Inner Guards speak so eloquently, Medic felt there was something more to his words. After all, the way the guard looked at him as if he were examining some rare and precious item gave Medic a feeling of being back in the depths of the Dominion, where he wasn't treated like a human being.
The seasoned Inner Guards seemed to have sensed the growing hostility of the young Feline before them. As the Dominion gradually dissipated and the alarm on the Exploration Vehicle disappeared, the Inner Guards once again escorted the 'traitor' back onto the vehicle, clearly preparing to leave.
"I watched a good show today... You reminded me of the pioneers who first tamed Demons. They, like you, simply relied on willpower and endurance to adapt to the Demons' power... However, I wonder if the original Inner Guards were as... lucky as you..."
Seeing Medic instinctively glance at his friends surrounding him, the Inner Guards, to dispel any thoughts of "I could do that too" among the onlookers, let out a slightly mocking sneer:
"Medics willing to rush into the Dominion to help with treatment, comrades willing to tear the Dominion apart and risk their lives to awaken your will, plus a reason to never give up and an unwavering will... Do you think you can succeed because of these?"
"No, you weren't devoured by the Demons simply because the fully Originium -Originium enhanced skeleton provided you with a 'self-reference point' in the real world. Perhaps there's also a connection related to consciousness that has prevented you from losing your judgment of 'humanity' and 'self'? But even knowing all this, the transformation of the Inner Guards is an extremely dangerous ritual with a limited success rate."
"However, since you were originally a modified human of this degree, it's only natural that you have the confidence to suppress Demons. That's why you're called the Light of Ticarondo..."
Listening to the Inner Guards's rambling, Medic looked completely bewildered, while Huang, who was still supporting himself and dripping black rain, immediately bared his teeth and roared angrily:
"What nonsense are you spouting! N... Medic was engulfed by a Catastrophes but still managed to fire a beacon for the rescue team, which resulted in 70 Originium Crystals. She was barely saved thanks to Rhodes Island's unique technology and became the Infected! Don't think you can spout nonsense just because you helped out a little, you bastard!"
"... Oh? I misunderstood... but... even if seventy Originium Crystals, you can return to normal? I think I understand why the Emperor insisted on achieving cooperation with everyone no matter what."
What was said in the communications, as the Dominion reopened, the Inner Guards lined up, escorting prisoners and preparing to leave with the 'victims' who had been turned into ordinary corpses.
Yes, without the Pollution of the Dominion, they could bring the body back to Ursus, which would also serve as irrefutable evidence of the prisoner's murder of his colleague.
Just as the battle- Inner Guards were preparing to enter the Dominion, Medic suddenly called out to them:
"Can I ask you a question?"
"... I might not answer."
"It's nothing, it's about me... You just said I have a crystallized skeleton?"
"Yes, when you fully sank into the Dominion, your flesh and blood would have transformed into the same components as the Demons during that process... This is also the most dangerous process of the Inner Guards transformation... We used specially made protective suits to construct a 'human' shape and re-infuse the Dominion into ourselves... And you, based on that skeleton, underwent another 'rebirth'... Even I can only say that it is unprecedented."
"... Then, what color are my bones?"
When Medic asked the question, not only the Inner Guards, but even his own people, who were surrounded by signs of Pollution, gave him a look that said, "Are you out of your mind?"
The Inner Guards's tilted head clearly showed he was also surprised, but he still answered the brave cat's question:
"Under the light, it was a beautiful yet eerily dark green..."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Because of your transformation, Rhodes Island will definitely be the primary target of all the Inner Guards in Ursus... As for you personally, don't come again next time."
As the steady breathing of the Inner Guards gradually faded, the black mist of the Dominion before them seemed to cause unprecedented flashes of Blacklight due to the unprecedented intensity of the Collapse. Medic blinked... It wasn't photosensitive epilepsy, but rather that she suddenly felt that she could do this herself.
Of course, to be on the safe side, she may need some time to train.
Looking back at the pale dawn sky, Medic realized that the night had passed without him even noticing.
Seeing the diverse expressions on everyone's faces, a mix of warmth and coldness, Medic glanced in the direction the Inner Guards had left, then suddenly remembered something. He tightened his coat around his neck with one hand and waved to Talulah with the other.
"Huh? You called... me?"
Before Talulah could react, the black butterfly knife flew in a graceful arc, and then a black wound was cut open on Talulah's cheek.
The fog... or rather, the 'The Dominion' of the Kitty Killer, was now condensing and billowing, as if it were not a wound but some kind of inflated balloon. Thick black fog suddenly poured out from Talulah's head.
"No... I wasn't talking to you... I just meant you can leave Talulah now."
[How... is that possible?!]
Hearing the roars that others couldn't hear, Medic wiped Talulah's cheek, who hadn't even reacted yet... and the few centimeters of black wound from before vanished instantly.
Just as Medic has confirmed that entering and leaving the Dominion can have an indelible impact on consciousness, the evil god now corrupted by Demons does not seem to have shown any resistance beyond that of mortals.
Or rather, quite the opposite, Medic, possessing the same sensitivity to Demons as the Inner Guards, clearly sensed... that terrifying entity that had just seemed about to break free, dissipated along with its consciousness thanks to the opponent's efforts?
Duke Koschei, who was capable of ordering countless the Infected to become the lowest rungs of society or even mere 'supporting figures,' would he, on his deathbed when his consciousness was captured by the Warp, willingly leave along with his own fear to prevent the Fear Entity from wreaking havoc on the base world?
Medic didn't believe this was an act... nor did he believe that the deep-seated hatred Talulah and the Ursus the Infected had harbored was fake. But... could humans be so righteous and selfless as to persecute their own kind on one hand?
After a moment of silent contemplation, Medic seemed to think that humans were just that complex creatures.
Perhaps compared to discussions and considerations that begin with such a broad topic as 'humanity,' the situation faced by Medic itself is clearly a higher priority than philosophical questions.
"... Just now, was that Chesico? Was it the Black Snake?"
"Yes, but also no..."
"What's the meaning?"
Although Medic understood that she had indeed caught Kal'tsit's original quirk, she wasn't deliberately being a riddle-maker; rather, she simply couldn't find an easy way to describe the situation she had just experienced.
Under Talulah's persistent questioning, the black-haired Feline, wearing only a coat and being swayed back and forth, reluctantly answered:
"Because... the weight of consciousness is wrong... the part that was just dispelled... seems to be just an obsession; it doesn't have the complete state a person should have, at least it lacks the will to live... it sank into the Dominion too quickly."
"... So, Chesico still exists in this world?"
Smelling the blood from Talulah's palm, Medic, after switching to his healing persona, smiled and gently stroked the back of Talulah's hand.
"It's alright. At least, he can no longer influence you through his fragments of consciousness and magic... Whether you accept it or not is your own business, and has nothing to do with the immortal Black Snake anymore."
Seeing Medic's explanation, Talulah slowly released her grip and then looked at Alina, who had opened the garage door and was running out with the two little Sankta in red and green.
No?
Wait, why did Aili and Xiya run away? Where are their caregivers? Didn't Eileen, Ah Fu, Miranda, and Athena stop them?
While the naked cat waited for Rosemary to bring its belongings, the two little ones, stumbling through the snow, cried out in tearful voices:
"Sister, sister, something terrible has happened--!!"
The imitation Rhodes Island- style uniforms were very conspicuous on the children, and they really looked like abandoned Little Cat, quickly finding Rosemary to wrap around themselves.