Arknights: Survive as Faust
Summary: Sasha, a normal young man, falls asleep after a rough day of work. However, when he wakes up, he finds himself as Sasha - the character with the same name as his name in the world of Arknights. Knowing Sasha–Faust's fate in the future, the protagonist determines to avoid that poor end and begins his journey. Warning: OCs; the story is for fun; the characters would be OOC.
Author's note: This chapter will contain more OCs, a lot of boring dialogues, and ridiculous ideas, I suppose. If you are okay with that, then please enjoy reading.
Operation 4: Ouroboros
The minute Sasha opens his eyes, he finds himself in the void. He can't feel the ground underneath, hear any sound, or smell anything in the air. There is absolutely nothing, except for the deep darkness.
"I'm here."
With a startle, Sasha quickly turns in the direction where he believes the source of the voice. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a mysterious person appears in front of him. It's a middle-aged man with a slim, tall build, unkempt silver hair, and a freckled face. The tiny white scales on his skin and the snake tail show him as a Pythia, the same race as Sasha. The man's attire is simple, but his white coat creates an impression that he may be a doctor or a scientist.
"W-Who are you? No, where am I? What do you want from me?" Cautiously, Sasha takes a step back and asks. He does his best to remain calm, but obviously, he is afraid and confused about what is going on. Also, he can tell that this stranger isn't an ordinary person, despite his friendly and harmless appearance.
The Pythia man says nothing. Instead, his eyes narrow and focus on Sasha intently, as if he is examining a patient or a foreign object. Sasha frowns, expressing obvious annoyance with the stare, yet the man seems to pay no mind. After a moment of awkward silence, the man gives out a soft chuckle and raises his voice:
"Don't fret, I'm not your enemy, though I owe you an explanation for my sudden presence tonight," the man then clears his throat. "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Ouroboros, an alias since I've forgotten my actual name. I'm simply a scholar who loves discovering new knowledge. Well, what shall I call you?"
"Call me Sasha."
"All right, Sasha, you're still at the sewers, sleeping soundly next to your friend. We are currently communicating with each other through Telepathy Arts. Because of my circumstances, I can't meet and speak with you directly, which is truly a shame..." The Pythia man sighs.
"Telepathy Arts? I see. That's interesting..."
Sasha mumbles, nodding to himself, intrigued by this newfound information. He has already known that Originium Arts come in plenty of forms, ranging from damaging to healing, or augmentation. Amiya, the protagonist in Arknights, can manipulate and read people's emotions, or Kal'tsit can summon a dragon from her own spine. They are examples to show how varied and powerful Originium Arts. Henceforth, Telepathy Arts are totally possible.
"Out of curiosity, is it difficult to use Telepathy Arts?" Sasha asks.
"It's fairly easy, at least for me. However, you're a peculiar case. I actually spent an entire week connecting to your mind," Ouroboros says, tapping his finger to his head. "You have very high resistance to mind-affected Arts, perhaps because you came from the other side."
Ouroboros's words immediately catch Sasha's attention.
"By the way, you called me 'otherworldly being' earlier. Does that mean...?"
"Yes, I know that you are from another world, Sasha," with a smile, Ouroboros confirms. "My Originium Arts allow me to see the soul inside the bodies of others. Your soul has a distinct colour and aura from the inhabitants of Terra, so one glance at your soul is enough to tell me that you're not from this world. That isn't the sole reason which makes you stand out than the rest, though."
"Um, how so?"
"Do you still have some memories of the previous world, the place where you were originally from?" Ouroboros asks, and Sasha answers with a nod. In fact, Sasha can remember everything about his previous life, but he keeps quiet about it for now. Ouroboros continues. "When a soul is reborn into another world, they will lose their former memories to start a new life. However, that didn't happen to you, did it?"
According to the Pythia scholar, there are many other worlds in this universe. When a person passes away, their soul will leave the flesh and enter the cycle of life to be reborn again. Usually, the souls will be reborn into their original world. Yet, there are some rare instances when the soul strays to a different world and reincarnates there. Whatever the cases are, they will forget their past life memories before being born anew.
Honestly, Ouroboros's explanation is rather complicated and implausible, but if Sasha understands it right, then some people from other worlds must have been reborn into this world. Unlike them, his old memories are preserved because he was transmigrated, not reincarnated.
"Well, I'm indeed from another world, but... This whole concept of spirits and reincarnation, I've always thought them to exist in fairy tales only," scratching his head, Sasha says, unable to hide his suspicions. "How did you learn all about this in the first place?"
"Let's say that I've lived a very long time, long enough to study this subject thoroughly," Ouroboros replies in a low voice, and somehow, Sasha can sense a deep meaning behind those words of his. "During my research, I've met a few people whose soul came from the other side, but none of them could recall anything of their past life, except you. That's also the reason I contacted you, Sasha."
It doesn't take long for Sasha to figure out what Ouroboros seeks from him. Obviously, it has nothing to do with money or anything similar. For a scholar such as Ouroboros, what interests him most would be...
"You want information about another world, am I right?" Sasha says.
"Bingo!" Ouroboros claps his hands. "Information about the other worlds is scarce, so I will take every chance that I can get. Of course, if you help with my research, I will help you to survive in this world."
"Are you... trying to make a deal with me?" Sasha asks, tilting his head a bit.
"Yes, I am," Ouroboros says, flashing a big grin. "You see, I've been watching you for a while, and I know how struggling you are trying to get through each day. However, Terra is a harsh place, and as the Infected, you will need more than luck or money to stay alive. Therefore, I will gladly provide my assistance and wisdom for your cooperation. So, what do you think?"
Sasha furrows his brow, chin on his hand as he considers the deal with Ouroboros carefully. It isn't a poor deal, but the offer sounds so ambiguous. Assistance and wisdom, whether those will help his survival, he highly doubts about it. There is no guarantee that Ouroboros will keep his promise or use the knowledge from another world for good either. Nonetheless, he can't deny that the man spoke the truth. His chance to survive in this chaotic continent is low, especially when he is weak. Even in the Arknights story, the original Sasha and Eno would have died in the wildness if Talulah didn't save them. Maybe Ouroboros is the 'Talulah' that he needs.
"I have two conditions," Sasha says, raising two of his fingers. "First, I will refuse to share personal or sensitive information, and second, we shall not involve my friends in this."
"Very well. I agree with your terms," Ouroboros gives his answer instantly.
"If that's so, I accept your deal."
Accepting a handshake deal isn't a wise decision, and of course, Sasha is aware of the risks. Although he can't fully trust Ouroboros, he likes how the man willingly strikes a deal with him. To Ouroboros, Sasha and Eno are merely children, so if the man desires, he can use violence or take Eno hostage to force Sasha to talk. Yet, Ouroboros did none of that, and thus, Sasha puts some faith in the scholar.
"Without further ado, let's head straight to the business," Ouroboros sits down on the invisible ground and gestures Sasha to do the same. "First thing first, can you tell me a bit about your hometown and former self before transmigrating to Terra? Oh, this isn't an interrogation or anything, so don't be so tense. We are simply having a leisure chat."
Sasha sits down, and after gathering his thoughts for a moment, summarises his previous life on Earth. He was born in Russia during a freezing winter. His father was Russian, and his mother was Japanese. He also had a genius older brother whose body was unfortunately sickly. When he was about five years old, his father lost his job and immersed himself in alcohol and gambling. Soon enough, his mother fed up with her addicted husband, filed the divorce, and took the children back to her parents in Japan. Since then, Sasha has never seen his father again.
The culture difference between Russia and Japan is quite significant, at least to Sasha, and hence he encountered several problems while trying to adapt to the new environment. He could speak Japanese, but reading and writing were on another level. At school, his classmates isolated and bullied him because of his mix-blood appearance, and as a result, he was always alone. Those were tough times, but thankfully, his family was there for him whenever he felt down. His brother cheered him up and helped him to improve his Japanese. His grandma gave him warmth and love in place of his busy mother. His grandpa taught him to become a strong-minded person and a skilled hunter. Thanks to them, he was able to overcome difficulties and move forward.
After graduating from high school, he left his family to go on a lengthy journey. He travelled and visited numerous places in Japan, including foreign countries. He met a lot of people, worked various part-time jobs, and gained many new experiences. When his thirst for adventure was finally satisfied, Sasha came home, got himself a stable job in a small cafe, and lived a quiet life. One night, he returned to his apartment and fell asleep instantly, utterly tired from work. However, when he woke up, he has mysteriously transported to this world in a different body.
"That was the last thing I can remember..."
Sasha finishes his story with a sigh and looks at the man in front of him. Ouroboros, who has been listening to him intently, remains in silence with arms crossed and eyes closed, seemingly deep in thoughts. Perhaps Ouroboros has expected to learn some valuable information, but unfortunately, there isn't much for Sasha to share. After all, his world was a lot more peaceful than Terra. He didn't have any memorable achievement, either. In the end, he was an ordinary person, nothing more. Nonetheless, 'the world of Terra actually belonged to a mobile game I've played' is one fact that Sasha can't disclose to anybody. It will be forever his secret.
"Earth, Russia, Japan... Indeed, I have never heard of these locations. Truly interesting," Ouroboros eventually speaks, stroking his chin. "If you tell other people about this, they will undoubtedly call you crazy. Don't worry, though. I believe you. Surely you can't make up for all of this. So, what do you plan to do next?"
"I'm glad that you asked, " Sasha says. "Well, I'm thinking to leave Chernobog for Lungmen. I'm aware that Lungmen isn't much better, but I don't wish to stay in this discriminated country forever."
"I understand. I have a few connections in Lungmen, so I can arrange a safe place for you to live in the slum. Still, I advise that you shouldn't go to Lungmen at the moment."
"Why is that? "
"Because it's dangerous," the Pythia scholar responds in a firm voice. "It's complicated, but because of political problems, the two cities have strengthened their border security. Therefore, it will be a challenge to cross the border without encountering some soldiers. Besides, gang wars are happening in the Lungmen slum currently, so I suggest that you wait until everything settles down."
"Really? That's troublesome. Maybe I should find somewhere to stay in the meantime..." Sasha frowns. "Is there any place in this city that accepts children with Oripathy?"
"Oh, there is one," Ouroboros nods. "Have you ever heard about Azazel, a clinic for the Infected in Chernobog?"
Immediately, Sasha gapes in the realisation that he has forgotten the existence of Azazel clinic.
"Yeah, I've heard, um, some rumours about Azazel, but I have no clue where the clinic is," Sasha replies. "It's a black-market clinic, isn't it?"
"That's correct. With its social status of the Infected, the clinic has to operate in the shadow. I will give you the directions later," Ouroboros says. "Don't concern about the money. The acting manager of Azael has a soft spot for orphaned children, so certainly he will let you stay for free. If the manager is away, you can ask for Dr Liang. He knows me. We were colleagues."
"Colleagues?" Sasha raises his eyebrows slightly. "Does that mean you once worked in Azazel or something?"
"Yes, I was one of the doctors there, but I left for personal purposes."
Since the stories of Arknights has little mention of Azazel clinic, much of its history and members are shrouded in mystery, except for the identity of the acting manager, who is Operator Hellagur. That's why Sasha is surprised to learn such a shady character as Ouroboros is related to Azazel, an influential place to both the Infected and Chernobog city. This discovery strikes Sasha's curiosity, but Ouroboros isn't the type who will share his past that easily. Anyhow, he will have the chance to find out about Ouroboros when he arrives at the clinic.
"Now, what's next?" Ouroboros mutters to himself then suddenly snaps his fingers as if a new brilliant idea flashed across his mind. "I shall teach you Originium Arts, Sasha. It will come in handy for your survival, I believe."
"Wait? What?" Sasha asks, dumbfounded at the unexpected offer. "T-That would be nice, but I'm not sure if I have the talent for Originium Arts... Besides, how are you going to teach me when we can't even meet face to face?"
"While I can't see you personally, I can teach you the basics via Telepathy," Ouroboros says. "Whether or not you have the talent, understanding Originium Arts better can help you to grasp your power or prevent some unfortunate accidents, especially when you have Oripathy."
"You have a point, but what do you gain from this?" Sasha asks doubtfully. "You don't teach for free, do you?"
"About that..." after a short pause, Ouroboros answers with a mischievous grin. "I need you to live longer for my research purposes, otherworldly being. That's all."
"That makes sense," Sasha also responds with a smile. "Okay, I will take your offer."
"Good, we will start the lecture another day, then. As for the directions to Azazel..."
"Sasha! Hey, Sasha, wake up!"
A familiar voice wakes Sasha from his deep slumber. He yawns, slowly opens his eyes to catch an anxious expression on Eno's face. According to Eno, he has slept through the morning till noon, and no matter how Eno called or shook him, he didn't wake up. Perhaps because he was talking to Ouroboros at that time? Or is this the side effect of Telepathy Arts? Either way, he feels rather light-headed and dizzy.
"S-Sorry for making you worry. I must have been exhausted, I guess..."
Sasha apologises, and of course, hides his meeting with Ouroboros. Truthfully, he doesn't know how to explain the whole thing without freaking his friend out. 'A weird man abruptly appeared in my dream, and I made a deal with him, ' that sounds absurd, and thus, Sasha promptly changes the topic. He begins to tell Eno about his plan to visit the Azazel clinic and travel to Lungmen in the future.
"A clinic for the Infected? That's great!" Eno exclaims. "We should go there quickly and ask the doctors to treat you, Sasha!"
"Yeah, but let's eat something first. I'm starving. Aren't you hungry, Eno? You have eaten nothing since last night, have you...?" Sasha's voice trails off as his mind relives what happened to Eno last night. Hesitantly, he looks at his friend and asks softly. "How are you feeling now? Are you discomfort anywhere?"
"Huh?" Eno is confused for a second, but soon, he gets what Sasha is referring to. "Ah, I-I'm fine, but if I have to be more honest with you... Deep inside, I feel heartbroken and scared..."
Eno mutters, glancing downwards and clutching his chest with his trembling hand. The boy's reaction is understandable. Who doesn't hurt when their parents wish them to die? For Eno, both the physical and mental scars that his abusive father left will stay forever, unable to heal.
"However, I'm relieved and happy," Eno lifts his head and continues with a faint smile. "Until now, I've never had a peaceful morning when I didn't have to wake up by my father's shouting or his beating. Leaving him and that house was the right decision, so thank you, Sasha, and I'm sorry for always troubling you..."
"Don't sweat it," Sasha says, patting his friend's shoulder gently. "We are friends. And friends should help each other."
"Okay," Eno nods. His face brightens. "I'll help you as well, I promise!"
After that, the two of them have a light meal with some old bread and dried meat that Sasha got from selling the Originium shards. Chewing the hard bread and tough meat, Sasha remembers the delicious meals back home. He seriously misses the taste of fresh toast, fried omelette, and the aroma of hot coffee in the morning. Hopefully, he can feast on some tasty food with Eno one day.
When Sasha and Eno finish eating, they ascend the ladder to exit the underground sewer and depart for Azazel. Ouroboros has given clear directions to the clinic, but how to reach that place was entirely up to Sasha. The clinic is in the southeast suburb and a little far from here, so it will take them about two days to arrive there on foot. It will be much faster if they can ride a bus, but obviously, the Infected is forbidden to use public services or move around the city freely. On the way, Sasha keeps looking around, wary of the thugs who tried to capture him yesterday. There are other threats that he has to stay alert, such as kidnappers, rioters, and Ursus inspectors. Although the inspectors rarely show up on the outskirts, he still spots those guys in the slum, arresting and bullying the Infected cruelly; hence it's best to avoid them.
When the last rays of sunshine disappear and the night falls, Sasha and Eno descend into the damp underground sewer again to find a place to sleep. Contrary to Sasha's worries, so far, they haven't come across any obstacle. Nobody causes problems or chases them down, so he doesn't need to use his Invisibility Arts, either. Both of them have travelled quite a distance, and at this pace, they will be able to reach Azazel tomorrow at noon.
"What's the matter, Eno? You seem to be restless," Sasha says as his white-haired friend is tossing and turning in the blanket.
"Y-Yeah. It's just... I've been having nightmares lately, so I'm afraid to sleep," Eno frowns.
"Is that so?" Sasha pauses briefly before asking. "Shall I sing for you a lullaby? It might help."
"Really?" Eno stares at his friend with surprise. "I have no idea that you can sing, Sasha!"
"No, I can't. I'm bad at singing," Sasha shakes his head. "Maybe you should forget this."
"Wait, I truly want to hear you sing! Please! Pretty please!" Eno says, giving Sasha the puppy eyes.
"All right, but promise me that you won't laugh."
Eno nods firmly, and with a slight sigh, Sasha starts to sing the lullaby. The song that he chooses is none other than 'Lullabye', one of the official soundtracks of Arknights. He enjoyed this song a lot and often listened to it in his previous life. For this reason, he has memorised the lyrics of the song, but singing it well is another story. He sings badly, out of tune, and in the end, he can only hum the melody. Despite that, Eno falls into slumber with a relaxing expression. The Arknights story mentions that FrostNova also sings a lullaby for Eno to sleep, and likely, 'Lullabye' is that one.
"Sweet dreams, Eno," Sasha says in a whisper, lies down, and retires for the night.
The two of them wake up early in the morning, eat the last bit of bread and dried meat, and resume their journey to Azazel. However, unlike yesterday, as soon as they arrive at a new neighbourhood, a commotion occurs. Up ahead, a crowd is gathering in the square, and Sasha recognises a few people with officer uniform among them. They are Ursus guards and inspectors! Immediately, Sasha holds Eno's hand and ducks into a nearby alley, hiding behind the garbage cans.
"We've received reports of the sighting of a dangerous Infected subject around here! Therefore, we are going to conduct a thorough search for the target in this area! We request the civilians to cooperate with us!" one officer says loud and clear.
A dangerous Infected? Sasha raises his eyebrows suspiciously. Honestly, the Ursus people view all the Infected as a threat, but if a dangerous person is indeed lurking around these parts, he and Eno should hurriedly get away from here. With the number of Ursus guards in the area, they won't be able to go freely. The guards differ from some idiotic hooligans. They are well-trained soldiers, equipped with weapons and detection devices, so his Invisibility Arts can't do much.
"Um, should we hide somewhere and wait until the guards are gone?"
Eno suggests timidly. The boy's idea isn't bad, and probably the safest one. Another option is to use the underground tunnels, but since Sasha isn't familiar with this neighbourhood, he may get both him and Eno lost.
"Sure, let's do that."
Sasha agrees and activates his Invisibility Arts, then quietly leaves with Eno before anyone notices them here. They venture deeper into the alley and stumble upon an abandoned construction site, where the junk and metal scraps pile up into big, high heaps. Sasha takes a glance at the place. Nobody is here, except for them and the crows. They decide to enter the construction site and hide behind one of the trash dunes.
"I hope the inspectors will leave soon..." Eno mutters.
"Yeah, me too," Sasha responds, being alert to their surroundings.
Eno parts his lips as if to speak, yet in the end, he closes it shut, and nothing comes out. Sasha doesn't inquire more either, and thus, both of them remains silent. They sit there, waiting anxiously for how long they don't know, but eventually, something happens. A group of guards runs past the construction site hastily. One of them shouts:
"The subject is fleeing to the southwest! Hurry! We must catch them before they escape from the city!"
Southwest is in the opposite direction from Azazel, and the guards are chasing their target in that way. Sasha instantly realises that their chance has shown up. After waiting for the guards to move from the sight, Sasha and Eno exit the construction site and continue heading to the Infected clinic.
The two of them walk without a break, and by the time they reach their destination area, it is dusk. Only a bit more, and they will be at Azazel.
"Hey, this place is strangely quiet... Why isn't anyone here?" Eno says nervously.
Sasha wonders the same. Although the outskirts aren't a bustling place and not many people dare to go out at night, the streets are never this deserted. The air feels somewhat dense and has a weird smell as well. What is going with this neighbourhood? With that question in mind, Sasha cautiously steps into a narrow passageway with Eno behind. Somehow, the small path is a little creepy, being lit by the small lamps on the wall.
Abruptly, there is a growl, low and seemingly aggressive. Sasha's eyes dart to where the source of the sound is. A few meters ahead of them, a black dog stands there, sniffing and rummaging through a litter box. From behind, Sasha can already tell that this canine isn't friendly, from which they should avoid. Sasha and Eno exchange with each other a nod, then begin to retreat. They step back slowly and carefully not to disturb the beast.
A sudden gust of wind blows, strong and chill, rustling the leaves. However, Sasha doesn't expect that this harmless wind carries the scent of him and Eno to the canine's sharp nose. With a sniff, the dog raises its head and turns in the direction of them. Sasha flinches as he can see that the hunger and intense hostility fill in the canine's bloodshot eyes. Additionally, he notices that the canine's appearance is very similar to the Hound, one of the enemies in Arknights.
"Sasha, the dog is looking our way...! W-What should we do?" Eno asks in a trembling voice.
"Calm down. It will be all right," Sasha reassures Eno in a whisper, clenching his sweating and shaking hands.
When the hound takes a step forward, Sasha and Eno move back one step. As a former hunter, Sasha is fully aware of the hunting dog's ability. He hates to admit it, but currently, he lacks the strength and weapon to fight the starving beast, and nor can he expect the beast's mercy. Therefore, the only choice for them is to get out of here first.
"Let's run."
With that, Sasha clasps Eno's hands tightly and sprint out of the alley. The black hound immediately pursues them, barking ferociously. As they race down the empty, small streets, Sasha glances around, trying to find somebody or something that may help them. He doesn't catch sight of anything useful, except for a trash can lid, which he can probably use as a kind of shield. Then Sasha kicks the trash can, causing them to fall and roll toward the hound. Unfortunately for him, the canine avoids the trash can easily, and with a hefty kick on the ground, it leaps into the air and forwards the two of them. Its fangs and claws are ready to tear off its prey.
"Watch out!"
On reflex, Sasha pushes Eno away while holding up the lid of the trash can to protect himself. He lets out a cry when the black hound jumps on top of him and forcefully shoves him down on the rough ground. The hound is so close to him that his skin can feel its hot and smelly breath. Without giving him a breather, the canine opens its big mouth and aims for his head. He evades the bite successfully. Next, the canine plunges its sharp claws into him, and thanks to the metal lid in his hand, he blocks the attacks. Panic swells within Sasha as the canine attacks him continuously, and if this keeps up, he will be devoured by it soon.
Eno is also in a panic, desperately looking for a way to save Sasha. He can run and try to get help from somebody, but he refuses to leave his best friend alone with this ruthless beast. Then suddenly, a thought comes to his mind. Eno rummages his leather bag and pulls out a fruit knife. Next, he puts the knife on the ground and slides it toward Sasha.
"Sasha, here! Take my knife!" Eno shouts.
Hearing that, Sasha looks to Eno's side and quickly catches the knife. Eno's loud voice also distracts the hound for a second, and Sasha seizes upon that chance to thrust the small knife deep into the hound's eye socket. Blood shoots out, and the black hound howls in pain. Then, with all of his might, Sasha gives the canine a good kick in the stomach and knocks it apart from him. As a result, the canine's body thrashes against the wall and slumps down. It's still alive, of course. He can use his bow to shoot at this distance, but will he be able to kill the ferocious hound? Truthfully, he highly doubts that.
"Are you hurt?" Eno asks worriedly.
"I'm fine. We should hurry..."
"Don't be afraid. Use your bow and shoot it."
Sasha cuts off mid-sentence as a familiar voice rings in his head again. It's the same voice that told him not to worry when the thug almost caught him. Sasha is hesitant at first, but as if being bound by a mysterious force, he grips his handmade bow in his left hand and holds it out in front of his torso. His other hand reaches behind his back, lightly grasps the wooden arrow and raises it to the bow. Recalling his time in the Archery club, Sasha calmly notches the arrow and draws the bowstring back. The bow creaks lightly, and the bowstring bites into the flesh parts of his fingertips. Next, he aims the arrow a little above the hound, silently evaluating the range and distance between him and his target.
The fruit knife falls out from the hound's eye as the creature rises on its feet. With one eye left, the hound glares fiercely at him, and if that glare could kill, then he would have been dead now. Eventually, the wounded hound charges forward him one more time. Sasha only waits for this moment. Immediately, he releases the arrow with a loud snap of the bowstring.
"This is what you can do. It's your power."
After that, everything happens in a blink of an eye.
To Sasha's astonishment, a powerful purple aura envelopes his arrow, and with lightning speed, the arrow launches into its target, piercing the canine's heart. Without a bark, the black hound falls on the ground, and this time, it is no longer moving. The hound is finally dead.
"T-That's amazing!" Eno gasps in surprise. "How on earth did you do that, Sasha?"
Sasha ignores Eno's question because he doesn't even know the answer for himself. He drops to his knees, breathing hard and sweaty. His fingers are trembling, and his entire body feels weak, as if that purple shot has taken some of his energy away. His bow is broken as well. Sasha is confused. That purple bolt is a special attack that his future version - Faust can perform. For him to be able to do it early, it's so strange.
Before Sasha can regain his strength, the sound of rushing footsteps approaches them, and a firm voice of a man asks:
"What is going on here?"
Neither Sasha nor Eno replies to the question. They are worried whether this stranger will be their enemy or their ally. For them, it will be bad news if this person is an Ursus guard. When the stranger comes into sight, Sasha lifts his head to look at him, and instantly, his eyes widen in surprise. In front of them stands a tall man in a black military outfit and mantle. He has long, white hair and a beard of the same colour. A pair of yellow wings are on his head, the physical features of the Liberi race. The man is old, and his wrinkles are noticeable, but his eyes don't belong to a senile elderly. Those amber eyes are sharp and imposing, but also kind and warm. On the left side of his mantle, Sasha recognises the logo of 'Azazel'.
There is no mistake about it. This stranger is none other than Hellagur, the acting manager of 'Azazel'!
"Are you all right?"
The man asks again, and Sasha notices that he's trying to hide his black sword in his mantle, perhaps because he doesn't want to scare the two children. It's a bit late since his tall figure and weapon have already frightened Eno, and the boy goes to hide behind his Pythia friend.
"Yes, we are fine, I think..." Sasha awkwardly replies.
Hellagur nods slightly and shifts his gaze to the canine's dead body, the arrow in its flesh, and finally, the broken bow on the ground. Soon, he has another question:
"Did you or anyone do this?"
"I did," Sasha says. "The hound attacked us, so we had to fight it."
"Oh dear," Hellagur frowns and crouches down at the same eye level with Sasha before continuing. "It must have been a fearsome battle for you, children, and I apologise for not being there to help. You are safe with me now."
"Um, are you a guard or an officer, Mister...?" Eno timidly asks. With how Hellagur dresses, it's understandable why Eno wonders so.
"No, I'm simply an old man who works in a nearby clinic. You can call me Hellagur," the Liberi man introduces himself and smiles warmly. "Would you tell me your name and where you came from, young boys?"
"My name is Sasha, and this is Eno. Our parents abandoned us, so that makes us orphans, I guess," Sasha speaks quietly. There is no lie in his words. Eno's father indeed abandoned him, and 'Sasha' has already been alone in the beginning. "Mister Hellagur, you are the acting manager of Azazel, aren't you?" he asks.
"Certainly I am, but how would you know about that information?" Hellagur raises his eyebrows questioningly.
"Ouroboros told me," Sasha says calmly. "I met him in the slum a few days ago, and the man suggested that I should go to Azazel for a shelter and Oripathy treatment. He mentioned about you and Dr Liang."
"I see. That person is still doing whatever he wants," Hellagur mumbles, narrowing his eyes at the name 'Ouroboros'. "Oripathy treatment, does that mean you are an Infected, child?"
"Yes," Sasha responds with a nod. "I can use Originium Arts."
"All right, I shall escort both of you to Azazel, and we can talk more inside the clinic. Now, excuse me, children," with that, Hellagur puts his arms around Sasha and Eno, gently and swiftly picks them up. To him, the two children are light as feathers. "I believe that both of you are tired, so please leave the walking to me. Besides, this will be quicker."
Eno nods shyly. The white-haired boy is nervous at first, but a soft smile soon shows up on his face. He seems to be happy at being carried tenderly in an adult's arms, maybe because his abusive father has never done so. "It is probably the same for me, too," Sasha thinks briefly. His parents rarely cared about him, and thus, he has grown up without an embrace from them. It's quite sad.
On the way, Hellagur tells them that when the night falls, infected wild creatures often appear in this area, and the hound that they encountered earlier is one of them. That would explain why the streets are empty. Nobody dares to go outside when those dangerous creatures may wander around. "The guards don't come here. That's why I usually patrol at this hour to ensure that our neighbourhood is safe from those beasts," the Liberi man says. That is admirable of him, Sasha remarks.
Sasha sighs and loosens up his stiff muscles, relieved that Hellagur is here with them. Although there was a couple of perilous problems during their trip, he and his friend arrive at Azazel at last. Honestly, a part of him is excited to learn more about Azazel, but at the same time, he feels anxious. Many unexpected events have happened to him, so he needs to prepare for the worst.
What will await him in the clinic? He is about to find out soon.
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Time: Unknown | Weather: Cloudy
Location: Somewhere in the underground of Chernobog
In a small secret laboratory, a scientist is focusing on his research project. He conducts various experiments and notes the results down on the papers. Then, he sits down, thinks for a while, and writes his analysis in a notebook. Abruptly, he hears footsteps outside. Somebody is coming to his study. Yet, he pays it no mind and carries on with his experiments until his guest speaks up, breaking the silence:
"I'm back, father."
"You're late, Camellia. Why is that?" he asks coldly, without turning to face the latter.
"I have a little trouble with the guards," Camellia replies. "However, the two boys have arrived at Azazel safely."
"That's good," he nods and puts down his pen. "It's time for us to move to another location, too, before the 'Emperor's Blades' sniff us out. Those guys are annoying."
Camellia shudders slightly when the scientist brings the name 'Emperor's Blades' to their conversation. Certainly, she wishes to avoid fighting against them.
"Understood," she says. "By the way, why do you suddenly have an interest in that homeless Pythia boy, father? Is he different from the otherworldly beings that you've met?"
"You can't hold your curiosity, can you? Yes, that boy is special. His soul is pure, too pure that it's easy to corrupt it," the scientist smirks and clenches his fist as if he is crushing an invisible fruit. "At the same time, his soul is strong, too strong to be controlled by other forces."
"That sounds contradicting," Camellia remarks in a low voice.
"Indeed, and that makes the boy interesting," after a brief pause, the scientist continues with his monologue. "For the longest time, Oripathy has been known as an incurable illness. Since the Originium particles are assimilated into the Infected cells and blood, it's impossible to filter the particles out from the healthy cells without killing the patient. We can remove the Originium crystals from the body to lengthen somewhat the Infected's life, but in the end, that is a temporary solution. Therefore, perhaps we should try to look for the cure in another different direction."
He flips a page of his notebook.
"We have learnt that Oripathy can affect the Infected's affinity toward Originium Arts notably, strengthen or weaken them. There are also cases that the illness puts patients in rare symptoms such as amnesia and personality disorder. In other words, Oripathy causes an impact to both of the body and mind."
"Perhaps, the nature of Oripathy is something that infects the souls. Henceforth, it's incurable. That is my theory."
He closes his notebook and ends his speech.
"Are you implying that the Pythia boy will be the key to cure Oripathy?" Camellia asks questioningly.
"He may or maybe not. If my theory is true, the disease can't take his life because his soul is from another world. Nonetheless, more observation is required," the scientist grins. "Anyhow, we have wasted enough time here. Let us hurry to relocate to the base near Azazel."
"Yes, sir."
Camellia begins to collect the scientist's important documents and package some appliances. They are always on the move, so she has developed an excellent skill at tidying things up. Then, her hand stops at a piece of paper with the name 'Sasha' written on it. It seems that her father has noted down what Sasha told him yesterday. It's strange, Camellia thinks. Her father has never cared about others this much, but possibly, he only views the boy as his research subject.
"Sasha, I will try to talk with the boy the next time I meet him."
Camellia murmurs. She folds the piece of paper, puts it in her pocket, and quietly leaves with the scientist.
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OPERATION 4 ENDS.
PS: At first, this chapter was short, but I decided to write more details about the interaction between Sasha and Eno. As a result, I ended up rewriting half of the chapter.
This chapter also reveals a part of Sasha OC's past. You can expect that his past is not a pleasant one, and he hides many secrets. I won't put too much of his past in the story because that is for later when Sasha OC gains more friends and allies.
Well, I don't know when I can finish the next chapter (I haven't written a word /LOL), so please wait patiently.