Chapter Four: Ascension
Her eyes opened slowly, letting out a groan as a young girl stood up from the ground. Her long brown hair and her red headband had gotten dirty from appearing on the rather dusty ground. Her clothes had been slightly singed and burned. Her body was sore for some reason. She clutched her head, a headache raging in her head. She couldn't remember what happened. Where was she? How was she here? All she remembered was her name.
Amber.
The young woman looked around, finding herself to be in a forest. Pine and oak trees scattered across with some bushes and saplings. There was also an intrinsic bow laying on the ground. Amber frowned to see it broken, the string and the body in two. She picked up the broken weapon and sighed. Even though she had no memory of owning the weapon, Amber was sad that one of her only tools of survival was now broken. She checked herself, seeing if there was anything else on her. No major damage, though she felt something was on her hip. She couldn't remember what and that frustrated her.
Amber looked upwards towards the sky. It was still the familiar blue, yet something about it seems off. It's not as bright as she thought it would be. Heavy clouds covered the sky, along with a peculiar black cloud that blew with the wind. She realized that there were smoke clouds that was blowing from the north side. Her instincts told her to find the source of the smoke. Smoke meant fire, and fire meant people. Yet something else told her something was wrong. The smoke was too black to be from a campfire. With wide eyes she took off, her white heeled boots tapping against the dirt. She could only hope it wasn't as bad as she thinks.
When she arrived at the source, her heart sank to see a burnt village. The houses were scorched from numerous fires, and no signs of any inhabitants. Has the village been attacked? The houses looked to be made of a different kind of stone and metal. It looked nothing like any house she was familiar with. The smoke came from a burning building, with their residents walking out. Amber was about to approach them when she realized they were holding their hands up. Then she saw figures behind the civilians, shouting at them. Amber didn't know who they were, but she hid behind a demolished house, peeking from the corner to see.
There were individuals clad in strange white armor, with helmets that covered everything else except their faces. They carried strange looking weapons that looked nothing like a sword or a bow, instead a long object with handles and pointy things. On the shoulders of their armor, Amber could make out the letters "I.M.C". These soldiers, presumably, were escorting civilians harshly, shoving them with the end of their objects. They walked down the street and left her peripheral vision, so she followed quietly like a mouse. Curiosity pushed her on as she watched with concern.
That concern intensified as the group of civilians were brought to a wall with what appeared to be red paint splattered across it. There were men, women and even children. They held their hands up, crying. A man tried to resist the soldiers by fighting, but one of them pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the side. He gave a scream of pain, before he was roughly shoved to the ground and left to die bleeding. Amber fought the urge to scream, covering her mouth in horror. That red paint on the wall turned out to be blood.
These innocent people were going to die.
The soldiers then held their weapons at them and flicked something on the side. Then they pressed down a trigger as the weapons erupted with loud bangs. The young Outrider could only watch as the men, women and children present fell to the ground, red mist exiting their bodies as their blood was added to the stains of the wall. The soldiers stop firing and aimed their weapons down.
The whole scene made Amber feel sick, as she leaned back to the wall, breathing heavily with panic. Countless thoughts ran through her mind, recalling the terrible scene. What is happening?! Why would they do such a thing?! That's too much blood, oh gods that's a lot of blood. She had to get out of here quick. And whatever this IMC is should be stopped.
She was too terrified to notice the clicking behind her. One of the soldiers had spotted her and aimed his weapon. He shouted to get her attention. "Hands where I can see them, now!"
"AH! P-PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" Amber blurted out, raising her hands in surrender. The soldier gave a scoff, approaching her as he grabbed the hood of her hoodie-like top, dragging the squirming girl out to where the soldiers shot the civilians. "Let me go!" She resisted. Her response was a punch to her solar plexus, which knocked the wind out of her. She coughed, as she was tossed to the ground before another soldier.
"Lieutenant! I found a girl here. Poor sap threw up while we were executing. What do we do with her?" The soldier that was dragging Amber spoke.
Another soldier, who was the lieutenant, gave a look at the shivering girl. After a moment he gave his answer. "Bring her to the cells. We've already spent half our ammo just eliminating suspects. We'll bring her to questioning."
"W-what?" Was the only thing Amber was able to say before she was dragged into one of the houses, which had been converted into a small prison. The soldier tossed the girl into a cell, an iron cage, before going to close the cell door.
"Wait! This must be a mistake!" She protested and tried to leave the cell, only for a strong force to hit her face and send her sprawling back into the cage. The soldier had used the other end of his weapon to smack her. He closed the cell door and locked it. "Don't bother. You're lucky you weren't shot on sight." He said coldly before leaving the prison, and Amber, alone.
Amber covered her face, groaning in pain. When she moved her hand away, her eyes widened to see blood. Her nose had been busted open from when the soldier hit her with his weapon. Seeing that there was no other way to escape (the cage was too small for her to maneuver around), she hobbled over to the corner of the cell, sinking to the floor with her knees to her chest. What did she do wrong to deserve such treatment? Was this karma? Or was she destined to die like a lamb to a slaughter? The thought of it made the poor girl curl up into a ball, tears leaving her eyes while clutching her bloody nose.
…
"Get up."
Amber was suddenly hauled to her feet and brought out of her cell by two guards. She had been rudely interrupted from sleep so she did not resist that greatly. She was placed in a separate room with a table. Her hands were bound to the table with some kind of metal cuffs connected to the surface of the table. The young girl coughed, as her eyes cleared to see where she was. Aside from the room, she could see another person sitting down at the table across from her. A man wearing a leather jacket compared to the other soldiers present, with a sharp stare and a near permanent scowl on his face. Although he showed no insignia, it was clear whose side he was on.
"I will make this question brief. Answer our questions so we can be done with quickly." He said, sounding bored and tired. The man looked at the girl up and down, silently judging her with her attire. His gaze felt piercing and Amber unconsciously covered herself out of instinct.
"What is your name, prisoner?" The interrogator asked. Amber's gaze turned away from him, not wanting to answer to the people that killed those innocent people. He sighed, writing down in some kind of notebook. "Subject unresponsive." He muttered before he looked at her. "I will not ask again, what is your name?"
After a moment of silence, the interrogator was about to call one of the guards when he heard her answer. "Amber..."
"Very good, Amber." He said with a small smile. "Now, there are a few things I want to ask you-"
"Why did you kill them?" She interrupted him, which raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
Amber looked at him with a soft glare. "Why did you kill them? They were innocent people, weren't they?" The interrogator pinched the bridge of his nose. "We are not having this conversation. This is an investigation for suspects who are supportive of the Frontier Militia, nothing more."
"And you kill those whom you deem suspicious right away?" She shot back, her glare intensifying. "That's not fair at all! You're not giving them time for them to clear themselves of their suspicions, you MONSTER!" She slammed the table. "You've killed innocent men, women and CHILDREN! THINK OF THE LIVES YOU'VE TAKEN!" The interrogator watched her reaction with interest, writing it down on his notebook.
"You are an interesting individual, miss Amber. Though I'm afraid you don't seem fit for questioning yet." He sighed, before gesturing to one of the guards. "If you will."
Amber was about to call him more insults when one of the guards suddenly jabbed something into her. She screamed as she felt an unbearable shocking sensation, twitching in her seat. After the electric shock, she was released from the table and dragged back into her cell
...
The next few hours in the small dirty jailhouse were uneventful, so Amber spent that time sulking. Her red headband that looked like bunny ears drooped, as if to further express her misery. Her eyes were bloodshot and looked as if she was to cry again, but no tears spilled. She was miserable, her nose still stung, and pretty much wishing for anything to happen. The only thing that was keeping her company was a spider in the corner that was probably as miserable as she was. There were no guards that were watching her in the cell, thankfully, but she could hear the faint noises of their activities outside.
Amber wiped her eyes as she stared at one of the corners of the room. This felt wrong. She, an innocent, was taken into custody rather harshly; beaten with a weapon, electrocuted just because she said something that was true and was left here to rot. These IMC people pissed her off; no, she HATED them. If she had broken out of this cell, she'd kill them all...
For some reason, this vengeance growing within her felt familiar. But at the same time, she was anxious to find herself thinking like this. She was no murderer. She just went back to sulking, the silence growing deafening in her isolation.
However, the silence was soon broken with a soft whistling sound. Amber reared her head upward, wondering what it was. The whistling grew into a roar as the soldiers outside yelled. "ARTILLERY!"
Amber suddenly yelped as the ground shook. A loud boom went off a dozen meters from the building, shaking the building as small pieces of debris. She had just recovered from shock when another boom went off, in a different spot much closer to the building. Soon the isolated explosions became a chaotic cacophony as the building threatened to crumble from the force of the explosions. Amber rushed back to her corner, covering her ears and curling back into a ball as the barrage went on. Her heart rate spiked, she was hyperventilating, and scared out of her mind.
She let out a scream as the glass from the window shattered from a very close hit from the barrage. For the first time, Amber had truly felt fear. Her shelter had become her tomb and she was going die for real this time. She yelled in terror, calling out to someone. "Grandpa! GRANDPA! HELP ME!" She did not know who this grandpa was, if he even was her grandfather, but calling out for him was somewhat calming to her. She closed her eyes, holding her knees and sobbing as she pleaded for the barrage to stop...
...
"Captain! We found something here! Looks like a body."
"What the-! That's a live hostage! What are you doing boys? Get her out of there!"
Amber jolted awake as the cell door swung open. There were lights that shone all around her, before they were turned off to reveal more soldiers like before. But these soldiers were different. If the soldiers that captured her were white, these soldiers wore olive-green and brown. They didn't aim their weapons at her as one of the soldiers approached her. Amber was still dazed from the artillery barrage and didn't know who this soldier was, so she clung to the corner shivering in fear. "S-stay back." She warned weakly, staring at the helmet.
The soldier put his weapon away and took off his helmet. It was revealed to be a man around his early 50s with brown skin and grayed hair. His eyes spoke of tough experience, but currently showed calm concern. "Hey, hey. Don't be scared kid." He spoke with a calm and gentle voice, raising his hands as if to show he was unarmed. The man grabbed something from his pocket and handed it over to Amber. The girl took it, revealing it to be a small face towel She wiped her bloody nose as the man asked her. "What's your name, kid?"
"A-Amber, sir." She said meekly, still uncomfortable to see her own blood.
The man nodded, before turning to the other soldiers. "Search the perimeter to see if there's any more civies. Report back to the dropship once you're done." With a salute, they left the building, which already had a hole in the roof from the artillery.
"Alright, Amber. I'll go bring you out and get you to safety, okay?" The man spoke softly, despite his bizarre accent. Amber calmed down and nodded in response. The soldier slowly brought the shell-shocked girl to her feet and headed outwards.
Surprisingly, it was already late afternoon, with the sky now slightly red from the sun lowering to touch the horizon. The village at that point was practically leveled, with the houses destroyed in the artillery barrage. The IMC soldiers that had tormented her now lay dead, covered in rubble. Amber stared at them, looking at their corpses. The sight of the bodies still looked haunting to her, but at the same time, she felt satisfied at their deaths. They have received their comeuppance after what they have done. There was suddenly the feeling of wishing she could've done this herself. She shook off that feeling. Amber was not a killer...
The man had apparently noticed her staring, stopping mid-stride. "You alright?" He asked, walking back towards Amber. The girl gave a small nod, still staring. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you don't need to worry about them anymore. They're dead now."
"O-okay." She sighed, before turning toward him. "Who are you?"
The man answered. "Just call me Tai."
"Tai...got it." Amber nodded. The two walked down the main road of the village. She saw many tents pitched, to accommodate refugees. There were other tents that had crates in them, with the olive green and brown soldiers guarding them.
Tai led Amber to one of the refugee tents that still had space. Inside were refugees of the broken village - men, women and children seated in benches, staying close or being attended to by other soldiers. He brought her to a bench and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders to keep her warm, much to her comfort. "Stay here. I'll go get some food for you." He said, before leaving her alone at the bench.
Amber nodded, left alone with her thoughts. This person was definitely better than the white soldiers she had encountered, already providing her what she needed. He was a calm to the storm that is her current predicament. She had no idea where she is, nor does she have any idea what to do here. The technology here was unlike anything she had ever seen.
Before she could be overwhelmed from her thoughts, the soldier had returned with two bowls of hot stew, along with two spoons. He gave one to Amber before he sat down next to her. The girl looked at her stew for a few moments before she took a spoonful. It wasn't an explosion of flavor, nor was it particularly bland. It left a nice warm feeling in her stomach as she ate. She sighed in relief, turning to Tai who was next to him. "Thank you. So much. I...I can't say how much I want to thank you for doing all this for me."
The soldier gave a smile. "No problem. Just doing what needs to be done." He answers. After a brief moment of silence, he asks her. "Are you alone?"
Amber nodded in response. Tai sighed, before he asked her again. "You have someone to go to?" Again, Amber's response was negative. However, she elaborated further.
"Well...would you believe me if I have no idea where I am right now?" This prompted Tai to raise his eyebrows in confusion. "Are you saying you're not from here?"
"Not that I remember, no." She shook her head. The soldier nodded, putting his index finger and thumb on his stubbled chin, thinking. "Tell you what, we'll find a way for you to get home. If that doesn't work, I'll bring you to my home world." He said. Amber smiled at the act; however, she was confused at the word. "Home...world? The world here isn't your home?"
Tai looked over to her, shaking his head. "No. My home world is Harmony. You're really not from around here, are you?" The Teyvatian simply shook her head. Lastimosa simply chuckled as he stood up. "Alright then. I will be doing some extra work before I head back to you. Is that alright?"
Amber nodded, continuing to finish her stew. Tai gave a soft smile before he left the tent. Once she was done eating, she got up to place her bowl to where everybody else was putting away their bowls for them to be washed. Then she went to her bench and fell asleep, the exhaustion of surviving being imprisoned by the IMC had taken a toll on her.
City of Mondstadt, Mondstadt
6:30
The Pilot exited the bathroom, just finished her morning bath. She had to make do with a bucket of water, and a wooden dipper she found being sold in the market. Amber had once hated cold showers, but her time with Lastimosa and in the Frontier made her used to near subzero shower. She shivered, from the small breeze touching her cold body; and the unpleasant memory playing in her head.
The things the IMC did to her still haunted her, but there was no memory of a broken bow, nor did she remember appearing in a forest out in the backwoods of some unknown planet. Which was odd considering the last thing she remembered whenever she looked back on that day was her imprisonment and nothing else. Perhaps she had remembered it differently?
She went back to her room to get dressed, wearing her pants that was under her Pilot gear and another white tank top before getting her helmet and putting it on.
"Good morning, Pilot." BB greeted in her helmet. "Ready for our next mission."
Amber gave a small smile, fixing her utility belt that had her pistol, the extra magazines and other tools. "Morning, BB. First day officially in Mondstadt." She put the data knife on her right thigh. "You're cheerful today."
"It is imperative to have good morale before we start a mission. We will accomplish tasks more efficiently with a calmer and motivating mood." The AI explained. The Pilot sighed, stretching her limbs. "Well, I can't agree with you more there." She headed downstairs, grabbing socks on the way before she put on her boots in the living room. In the storage room downstairs, there sat a clean brown leather jacket with a woolen collar.
Amber smiled as she put on the jacket, completing her look. She didn't know bomber jackets existed in Mondstadt; though according to the merchant where she bought it from, it was just a leather jacket with a woolen collar to keep explorers and adventurers warm. Then she grabbed her jump kit that was sitting in the corner. Thankfully there was still a large amount of power left for it to work.
From what Amber remembered from training, the jump kit wasn't a typical jetpack that required fuel, instead relying on ionizing the air and creating plasma to propel itself. And since it only allowed Pilots to stick to walls and double jump, it didn't use up that much electricity. The same could be said for spacecraft, except their electric jet engines could produce more thrust and it eats up more power. She wore it around her waist, on her lower back just above her butt. It was light enough to feel like a loaded belly bag.
"Right. First order of business, Mondstadt. If heading back to our home planet might take a while, if we ever, we might as well learn this planet. I could go talk to Jean and the others again, but they're probably busy today." Amber exited her home, breathing in the cold air of the morning. She walked down the small alley to the main street, hands in her pockets. While she walked, Amber remembered something. "Apparently you can use my tactical abilities independently? You said you used my active radar while we were looking for hiding spots." She asked BB.
"That is correct. After connecting to your Pilot helmet and gear, I was given access to your gear's abilities. I am also able to use your helmet to detect individuals and to use the camera as a scanner of some kind. However, I am unable to do anything more advanced other than supporting you in combat." BB explained.
The brunette nodded. That will definitely help in future engagements. "Hm, do you still have some of the data I stored in there?" She asked.
"Unfortunately, I can only take up 5 terabytes of data storage in your helmet before I become a compromise to your Pilot helmet OS. As such I was forced to remove a majority of recreational data." That made Amber frown a bit. The pictures and little bits of virtual hobbies she received from her old platoon will surely be missed. "Shame. Is there any recreational data that's left?" The Pilot inquired.
"Your music playlist is still in here, along with your old mechanic manuals." BB answered. That definitely brightened her mood. At least she wouldn't be stuck with silence. Checking her HUD, she could see the data mentioned by BB. Titan maintenance, reloading bullet cartridges, pick locking, et cetera...and her music playlist. She noticed that her neural link with BB was still active, which was odd considering the Titan didn't have a chassis anymore. Nevertheless, it was still nice to have some features.
"Pilot, there is an android on your 12 waving to get your attention." BB alerted her. Android? In a fantasy world like this? Amber looked to see at the end of the main street close to the main gate of the city, there is a small booth with a woman waving at her. Amber was about to argue when she decided to use a special feature in her helmet she installed when she joined the Marauder Corps, thermal vision. Almost immediately her visor turned dark as heat sources began to show up in her HUD. The blacksmith's furnace, the ovens used for cooking and people walking around. To her shock, the woman that was waving at her did not have a regular heat signature like humans, instead having a dark outline on her showing that her body temperature was very low, something that shouldn't be possible for a human. But to Amber, it just told her about who she was dealing with.
"So, there's androids here...I'll go see what she wants." She mutters as she approaches the woman at the booth.
[…]
"Hello there, traveler." She greeted with an amicable tone. "I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now."
Amber smiled. "Funny, I'm sure you would've seen me a mile away. Does the optics have high magnification?" This prompted a brief moment of surprise from the woman, but was quickly hidden with an eyebrow raise of confusion. The Pilot laughed, shaking her head. "I'm kidding. There's no way there are androids here, right?"
"I believe not..." She shook her head. BB spoke in her helmet. "Voice pattern analysis indicates she is lying."
Amber dismisses what BB said, already knowing what she was and continued to talk. "Alright then. What do you want? Are you some kind of information broker? Or someone looking for people like me?" This definitely surprised the woman and she did not hide it this time.
"You sound like you've done this before." The woman chuckled. "Yes, I am seeking you out for an invitation. I am Katheryne, of the Adventurer's Guild." She introduced herself. "It is my job to seek out new adventurers like you, and so far, you look promising. Carrying a Knights of Favonius Captain is not something you see every day."
"Oh." Amber chuckled nervously. "That...was an accident...sorta. She was hurt. Anyway, what's this Adventurer's Guild?"
"The Adventurer's Guild is an organization where we provide those who wish to seek the world the basics of adventuring, as well as provide quests for those already in the Guild for rewards. We have branches all over Teyvat. I serve as the receptionist in the Mondstadt Branch." Katheryne explained. "I would like to invite you to our Guild. I think you'd benefit from us greatly."
The Pilot rubs the chin of her helmet. The rewards sound interesting, it would definitely help her out in the long run. She wouldn't want to be found broke like her dinner with Eula last night. Come to think of it, she should've asked her about any maps or resources Mondstadt has instead of getting drunk. Eula did not enjoy bringing a drunk Pilot back home...
"What kind of benefits exactly? There's no way I'm simply joining just for the promise of rewards. There has to be something to be given in return, right?" She asked, interrupting her own thoughts.
Katheryne noted this. "Hm, you're cautious. You'd be a good adventurer already."
Amber chuckles. "Well, where I'm from, you don't simply do things for free."
"Well, as I said before, we provide you with rewards after each quest, such as experience and money. But we can also provide you with information like the data on certain monsters and locations of certain items." Katheryne explained. "As for something in return? All we need is your service. No fee, no extra documentations."
'Because you can already track me, fucking clanker.' Amber thought with amusement, before she smiled. "Well, that's sounds not suspicious at all." She said with a hint of sarcasm.
Katheryne seemed to catch her doubt and elaborated further. "No need to be reluctant. I can promise you it's free of charge and you can leave anytime."
"Amber, she is not lying this time." BB observes. Amber blinked. So she wasn't? It's definitely rare to find an organization that doesn't have a fee nowadays, since most of them require the money to sustain themselves anyway. And the benefits do sound promising.
"Fine, I'll bite. I'll join your little guild." Amber conceded. "So is there a-" Before she could ask, Katheryne handed her a rather large pouch and a small book. "Here is your reward and your Adventurer's Handbook." She says with a smile.
Amber is visibly confused, and when she opens the pouch, she widens her eyes. Her pouch had a lot of money. Of course, her helmet hid the shock and confusion on her face, but the receptionist seemed to notice her emotion and chuckled. "I was not joking about rewards." She said with a jesting tone. "Allow me to officially welcome you to the Adventurer's Guild."
"Yeah, yeah. You're real generous, Kathy." She opened the Adventurer's Handbook and read its contents. It was an organized handbook labelling different aspects of the adventuring life, as well as a bestiary of the local wildlife. Those tribal fuckers that she fought before were called hilichurls, and the bigger ones Mitachurls. There were actual automatons roaming the old ruins of Mondstadt called Ruin Guards. 'Kaeya was right about one thing.' The Pilot thought.
It also showed how the other parts of Teyvat. Liyue, Natlan, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine and Snezhnaya. The last nation piqued her interest and took a look at the Snezhnayan part of the book. The nation reminded her of old-world Russia. And another painful memory... She shook her head, not wanting to relive that moment again.
"These maps will be beneficial for us in locating certain supplies and items." BB said, as her helmet suddenly began scanning the different maps the Adventurer Handbook has. "However, some of these are incomplete in data. Perhaps we can create our own custom map whenever we have the time."
"That can work." She muttered to BB, before she suddenly saw something that caught her eye. "Wait, ranking system?"
"Yes. As an adventurer, we have a ranking system for those who wish to improve themselves. The higher the rank, the more recognition you gain and the higher the rewards." Katheryne explained. "Most of the time, your rank increases with more experience you gain or with special tasks called Ascension Quests. However, that will come later as you need to get-"
"Give me an Ascension Quest." Amber spoke suddenly with new vigor. If it was one thing that the Outrider was, she was competitive. At the mention of a ranking system, it reminded her of the small competitions she'd do with her old platoon and she was excited at the thought of being on the top of the leaderboard in this new world. She looked at one on the quest board next to the booth and found an Ascension Quest
Katheryne widened her eyes at the sudden request, so much so that she froze out of shock for a moment. The Pilot was confused and waved at her face. After a moment of silence, she answered. "W-What? But Ascension Quests is reserved for experienced Adventurers! We can't simply allow new recruits to partake in such dangerous quests!"
"Exactly! Which is why I'm going for gold or die trying. And besides, I'm confident enough in my abilities." She grinned, cracking her knuckles together.
Katheryne looked very concerned, but for a moment, she seemed to consider it. The receptionist sighed. "I suppose we do need extra help. This is a three-man quest. A majority of our veteran adventurers are busy with their own quests, and our best adventurer we have so far is currently in Liyue." She handed her the information of the quest. "I must remind you that this is a very dangerous task you are partaking. A few adventurers nearly died trying to clear out the ruin. I highly recommend you reconsider."
"Good to know that death and I have a special relationship." She answered with confidence. "Well, I'll just go get myself kitted out and I'll head on there. Good hunting, Katheryne! Or whatever you say here in the Guild?"
Katheryne gave a smile. "Ad astra abyssoque. It is our motto, which means to the stars and to the abyss. May you reach the stars and conquer the abyss, traveler." With that, the newly appointed adventurer left, perhaps to get herself prepared. Katheryne watched the Pilot disappear down the street, before she processed something. The voice of that masked traveler was definitely familiar. It was rather shocking to Katheryne when she figured it out, but instead of telling this news to the branch master or anybody else, she kept it to herself. "So the Outrider returns from the dead...Interesting." She muttered, writing down on her desk to notify the adventurers participating, just as another adventurer visited her for another quest.
[…]
"That was very weird." Amber muttered as she went back to her house to change into her Pilot gear. After exchanging her bomber jacket to her Pilot fatigues, she went out once more looking at the Adventurer's Handbook for the mission details. She had thought of bringing her DMR along with her, but decided against it. It was a challenge she wanted to try anyway. She had seen experienced Pilots use only their Pistols when doing the Gauntlet, and wanted to try it out herself. That didn't mean she wouldn't bring her other equipment, namely her more important Grapple Hook and her Satchel Charges, which she only had five remaining in the wreckage.
"The location Katheryne gave us is in the Starfell Lake Region in the Starfell Valley Area." BB said, a marker appearing in her HUD that showed her the way. "According to the ranking system, we are currently a D-Rank adventurer as we are beginners. Doing this quest will bring us straight to A Rank, possibly even higher."
Amber laughed giddily as she fastened the straps of her armor. "Fuck yes, I haven't had a good adventure in a while. The missions after Operation Broadsword kind of feels stale now." She racked the slide of her P2016 to have it ready. "Alright, let's show these scrubs we don't mess around."
Ascension Domain, Starfell Lake, Mondstadt
7:15
The walk to the underground ruin was once again uneventful, with Amber was listening to her music playlist as she hiked through the woods and past the lake. The tune of Drive Your Funky Soul filled her ears as she reached the domain entrance. It was on the side of the cliffside like some kind of hidden bunker. It was roughly around 20 feet or so, the same height as an Atlas-class Titan, with a squarish frame and large double doors with an intrinsic design. Seeing that the marker was on this giant entrance, she turned off her music to approach it.
As she heard from Katheryne, it was a quest that required three adventurers. From what she could see, there were two men by the entrance waiting for someone. Both men had brown hair, with the older man having a brown mustache. Both wore this outfit that would've made Amber laugh, a bright green outfit with red outlines and a red tie. It would appear that Teyvat haven't found the advantages of basic camouflage yet. The mustached man had a sword with him. She approached them, with hands behind her back.
"Hey there." She greeted them. "You two doing the quest too?"
The two men looked at her oddly. The younger one looked at her with disdain and doubt. "This is our teammate that will join us in this Ascension quest? A rookie no less? Hmph, at least it's not Bennett." He mutters. Amber frowned underneath her helmet. Oh, how she will enjoy wiping that disdain off of his face.
"Oh, cheer up Royce!" The mustached man exclaimed with energy. "This will be a cake walk, and we get to show our new adventurer here how we do things!" He offered his hand to Amber. "Welcome to the adventurer's life, rookie! I am Stanley! The greatest adventurer to ever walk the face of Teyvat!"
The Pilot smirked underneath her helmet as she sarcastically responded. "Greatest, huh? Oh, what an honor. I sure hope you'll lead the way to victory in the quest."
Stanley seems to be proud at that as he puffs his chest in pride. "I will indeed! Come, let us face these monstrosities together! Just another day for Stanley the Great!" He walks up to the domain entrance and heads inside, with the other adventurer Royce following suit, still giving a glance at Amber before he disappears into the darkness.
"Pilot. I observe that these companions might be a potential liability to this mission. Exercise caution." BB advises.
"Well, isn't that harsh." Amber chuckles, as she follows the two inside, the big doors of the domain closing behind them with an echoing thud.
[…]
The cold empty ruins of the domain were filled with the footsteps of the three adventurers. They walked through some kind of old fortress before moving through floating platforms. Stanley filled the silence with numerous stories all about himself, how he went through numerous landscapes that were "treacherous" and "life-changing". Royce followed behind, tuning out Stanley's stories, finding them annoying.
As for Amber, she listened to the stories with interest. Though it was more of how tame it sounded when compared to what she went through. The vortex creating monster in the Mare Jivari was rather intriguing, though. But hearing Stanley talk about walking through a jungle to get an artifact, crossing a desert and defending yourself from monsters with the stacks favored against you, told Amber how eerily similar his stories are to her time as a rifleman, then as a Pilot. Even though he had experienced some tough adventures, Stanley probably never experienced wading through a jungle and getting ambushed by enemy soldiers, leaving you as the sole survivor of your squad, wounded and left to die on the battlefield.
Looking at the domain itself, it felt...amazing to go through these alien ruins. To see how once a mighty civilization fell apart. Yet, it also gave her the same uncanny feeling she had with Eula and the others. Maybe she was an adventurer back then?
"Sadly, I was the only one who returned home to Mondstadt with tears in my eyes..." He narrated with a heavy heart. "It was a hard time after that, now that I had to live without my dear friend."
Amber nodded. "Must've been tough, big guy." She muttered, just as she suddenly held up her fist. The two adventurers stop, looking at Amber. "What's the hold up?"
"We're here." Amber answered, looking at the giant stone gate that glowed yellow in front of them. According to the mission details shown on her HUD, they are to clear the ruins of enemies and get a relic. As to what kind of enemies they were dealing with and what relic they were extracting were unknown to her. It also mentioned three gates ahead of them. "Guess this must be the first gate then."
"Good eye, rookie! Although I've spotted it right just before I began my storytelling." Stanley said, even though he had just seen the gates now. He approached the gate and pressed his hand by the entrance. The domain around them shifted as the gate opened, the door glowing blue as it opened before them. Stanley drew his sword he had with him and turned to his companions. "Beware fellow adventurers! We must stay vigilant as anything could be beyond this door. Let I, Stanley, charge ahead and take care of it!"
As the gate opened, it revealed to be two Mitachurls with axes. Stanley turned to face them...only to scream in fear. The Mitachurls roared as they charged out the room they were in to pursue Stanley, who promptly ran away. Royce paled at the sight of the Mitachurl and ran too as they were chased around the platform they were on.
Amber watched with amusement, although she winced whenever an attack went too close to one of the adventurers. "You guys need help?" She calls out.
"No, no! We're fine! This is a DISTRACTION!" Stanley shrieked as he dodged a Mitachurl axe swing.
Royce on the other hand was the opposite. "PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" He yelled, tripping over the platform. He turned to see the Mitachurl catch up to him and raise its axe, with the intent to kill. The adventurer held up his hands in a feeble attempt to defend himself and closed his eyes.
This prompted Amber to take action, drawing her P2016 quickly to catch the attention of the two Mitachurls, firing three shots. She was successful, as the echoing shots made the two hulking beasts turned their attention away from the two adventurers, now approaching her. The Mitachurl that closest to her swung its giant axe, the wind blowing from the force of the swing. Amber jumped backwards, just as the other Mitachurl swung its own axe horizontally. She arched her back to dodge the giant axe head, embedding itself into the wall. As she gracefully weaved through the attacks of the Mitachurls, the two adventurers watched with awe. This rookie had a strange weapon that roared with flame and was dodging the attacks of these monsters with the grace of a dancer. This was definitely no ordinary rookie.
Amber rolled, shooting the legs of the Mitachurls to try and slow them down. She turned towards the two adventurers. "What are you two gawking at?! Get going!" She yelled. The two nodded as they raced towards the room where they were supposed to go. A roar alerted Amber of one of the Mitachurls swung its axe once again, now fire coating the weapon. "Where the hell did that come from?!" She yelled, using the Grapple to move away from the attack, just as the axe hit the ground and flames erupted from it, spreading out.
She attached herself to the wall using the Grapple, just as the two Mitachurls steadied themselves. There are moments where she wished she didn't challenge herself and brought her DMR, and this was one of them. From the damage she had done, their legs were now bleeding black ichor and they struggled to stay standing. She took this small moment of pause in the battle to assess the situation. Floating platforms...weak legs...grapple...That's it.
Amber launched herself from the wall, turning mid-air so that her legs were now facing the Mitachurl closest to the edge. The monster roared and swung its axe, only to go wide as Amber's boots hit its face, sending the Mitachurl and Amber over the edge. Just as she was going into freefall, she turned around and fired her grappling hook at the second Mitachurl. It roared in pain upon feeling the sharp hook embed itself into its shoulder, and leaned backwards as Amber was sent upwards, retracting the cable. She pulled her arm, the grapple breaking free from the Mitachurl and sending the other Mitachurl to join its friend to the depths below. She nearly missed the ledge, but her jump kit gave her one more boost before she landed to the platform.
The first gate was clear. She reloaded her pistol and approached the room where Stanley and Royce had taken cover. Apparently, the room that they hid in had a few barrels and a glowing crystal with a water...or Hydro symbol. She decided not to interact with it and found the two adventurers by the doorway, just looking at Amber like they had just seen the Messiah. "What?" She asked, confused.
"I...all my adventuring life I have never seen someone move that quickly and gracefully at the same time. The best fighters I know do not have your...gadgets and skill." Stanley muttered. "Well, I'm proud to say I can consider you as an equal, but you've yet to reach your full potential." He nodded. "We shall continue this quest right away!" He went ahead once again, leading the way. Royce stared at her in awe, to which Amber crossed her arms smugly and walked behind Stanley. "How's that for a rookie?"
The next gate of the domain was divided into two parts: platforming mixed with enemies and a time limit. The first of these was the time limit challenge, where the party was sent into a room with a bunch of enemies, namely elemental Hilichurl Shooters and a Fatui Pyro Agent. The time limit was harsh, as the hourglass on the ceiling of the dungeon room started, with the sand flowing down fast. From the looks of it, they only have 60 seconds to complete the room. The adventurers realized the gravity of the situation and would've forfeited if not for Amber stepped forward.
"You guys take care of the shooters. This one's mine." She cracked her knuckles as she approached the Pyro Agent. The adventurers simply followed, engaging the hilichurls.
"You have a debt to settle with the Fatui..." The Agent summoned blades as he approached the Pilot. She answered with drawing her knife.
"Funny. You fired the first shots when you tried to take what's mine." She pointed the data knife at him. "You lot are a joke."
The Agent growled, as he suddenly vanished in thin air, moving around the arena to try and ambush her.
"Ohoho~,Two can play at that game!" She smiled, using the helmet's thermal vision to watch the Agent predictably attack from behind. To the Agent's shock, Amber sidestepped just as she activated her other Tactical Ability.
"Cloak engaged." Her body vanished into thin air as her active camo activated, to the bewilderment of the Agent, as he tried to search for the Pilot. He did not expect an adversary to have the same abilities as his.
"You can't run from debt!" The Agent slashed at the air, hoping to catch her off-guard, only to miss. Her cloak was too advanced for the typical soldier to see. "Soon you will pay!"
The Agent suddenly felt a pain in his side as the Pilot reappeared behind her, her knife deep into his hip. "And you can't run from the devil~" She taunted, wrapping her arms around his head in a headlock. The Fatui Agent struggled in vain as Amber performed the Neckbreaker execution, bringing him downward and snapping his neck.
As the Fatui now lay dead and his corpse bleeding, she watched the other two adventurers take down the Hilichurl Shooters with their own improvised weapons. They soon fell as the timer ran out. Amber looked around. Seeing that there was no trap to kill them when time ran out, it seems that they completed the challenge.
It was time for platforming - with moving floating platforms, more Hilichurl Shooters and freaking lasers to slow them down.
While Stanley and Royce had struggled to maneuver through the obstacles, improvising using wooden shields and crossbows from fallen hilichurls to shoot back at the hilichurls, Amber sped through those levels like it was the Pilot's Gauntlet all over again. Wall running, using the grapple hook to swing across gaps and using even the hilichurls as objects to latch her grapple hook on to, she excelled the platforming using her advanced mobility. When she reached the other side, she waited for the two adventurers to catch up.
"Could you go a little slower please? We're trying to keep up." Royce breathlessly speaks as he drops the now broken wooden shield. Stanley is a little less obvious, but he too is a bit exhausted from maneuvering through the lasers and traps.
Amber chuckles. "As a fellow adventurer like me once said: Speed is life." She mutters, leaving the two bewildered by that statement as she goes on to open the third gate.
By now they have already completed two-thirds of the Ascension Quest. All that's left is the final gate and the relic. Amber approached the gate and pressed the lock, the gate slowly opening before her. Their adversary stood before them, one that made Amber grip her fists.
A Cryo Abyss Mage floated around, waiting for them. It cackled as it greeted the three adventurers. "Welcome to your frosty doom!" It exclaimed.
"Hey, you furry fuck! Did you bring me here?!" Amber roared back, unsheathing her knife. "Because I have a few things I want to introduce you to." The Cryo Abyss Mage looked at her before it growled.
"So, you must've met Fafnir...The bastard was too interested with the technology your people provided to support our cause." The Abyss Mage summoned a series of ice missiles. "We will have his head when we have the opportunity, but I will have yours instead!" With that the ice missiles were sent towards the adventurers.
"Take cover!" She ordered as they dodged the ice missiles. The Abyss Mage cackled with glee seeing the little humans run as it continued to hail down more ice attacks. While Stanley and Royce took cover behind whatever crates and barrels they could find, Amber decided to run around the dungeon room, vaulting over the obstacles and wall running. This thankfully took the attention of the Abyss Mage as he shot more ice missiles.
While the Abyss Mage was distracted, Royce crawled over to Stanley. "Hey, Stanley? You better have a good plan." The veteran adventurer looked at the Abyss Mage from cover, seeing the Cryo entity chase the 'rookie'. He looked at the surroundings, seeing numerous torches around the place. An idea sprung into his head. "Royce, I've got a plan."
"STOP MOVING, YOU IMBECILE!" The Abyss Mage roared with rage as it continued to shoot more missiles. Amber dodged the missiles with jumps and flips, while shooting at the Abyss Mage in return. Unfortunately, it had some kind of ice barrier that stopped the bullets. Though it seemed to crack under the impact of the bullets. It was not enough though.
Before she could find a way to break the shield, a battle cry came from the two adventurers as they began throwing burning pieces of wood at the Abyss Mage, who was too fixated on Amber to notice. The flaming planks hit the ice shield and actually weakened it! The Abyss Mage only noticed the two now and turned its furry head, growling. Stanley and Royce stopped throwing the burning pieces of wood at it and ducked for cover as ice missiles rained down on them.
Now was her chance. Amber unloaded her pistol at the ice barrier, which shattered as soon as her magazine went dry. The Abyss Mage yelped in surprise and fell to the ground as its main form of defense was shattered. Amber lunged for the Abyss Mage, pinning it down with her body and stabbing its body. It cried out in pain, but to everyone's horror (mage included), she didn't stop there. She stabbed its eyeholes of the mask, the Abyss Mage screaming in agony and twitching from the pain. Then to finally end the poor thing's life she stabbed its throat, watching the mage's life drain out as a pool of black blood formed from the mage's body, Amber stopped as she stood up, wiping the black coated blade against the white fur of the mage's robes. She sheathed her knife, watching the body dissipate into smoke.
All while Stanley and Royce watched with newfound fear for the woman. "O-Oh, Barbatos..." Royce muttered with wide eyes. Stanley was speechless, reeling from the sudden show of brutality he was just shown. Amber looked to her companions. "I think we're done here."
The two adventurers nodded silently, now realizing the danger of getting on this 'rookie's' bad side. An apparition suddenly appeared from the place where the Abyss Mage was killed, along with a chest. Amber was cautious from the appearance, but upon scanning its energy pattern it would appear to be a teleportation apparition back outside. Amber decided to check the chest to see if the relic was there. Indeed, it was, along with some money and some...ore? She decided to take that ore for herself for now.
The relic in question seemed to be some kind of blue hourglass with a chain connected to the top. Red sand was in the glass to act as a measure of time. BB scanned the artifact using the Pilot helmet and stated her findings. "This artifact appears to be part of some kind of set, the Berserker's Set according to the Adventurer's Handbook. Peculiarly, I was able to pick up energy levels and electromagnetic patterns having some similarities to the Ark energy source found during Operation Broadsword, only it is more stable. My analysis indicates that the magical energy and Domains in Teyvat has some form of connection to the ancient alien civilization that created the technologies found on the planet of Typhon, such as the Fold Weapon and the Ancient Ruins in the swamplands."
"Well shit." Amber looks at the artifact. "That's something...I just hope the IMC doesn't catch on to this. Frankly I could do some less magic bullshit when fighting them."
"With the research facility we raided yesterday containing Teyvatian items, it is not far from possible..." BB concluded. Amber gave a nervous laugh. "Let's just put that problem aside for now..."
"Um...are you alright, ma'am?" Royce asked. "You're talking to yourself."
Amber turned to the adventurer. "Huh? Oh, no. I'm just thinking aloud." She held up the hourglass. "We have our relic, now let's just get out of here." With that, the three adventurers stepped into the exit point, Amber leaving the domain with blood in her wake.
Adventurer's Guild, Mondstadt
10:45
"By the Archons, you actually did it." Katheryne widened her eyes to see the three adventurers return from their ascension quest, relatively unharmed. She noticed that the normally vocal adventurers there were unusually quiet, glancing at Amber from time to time.
The Pilot tossed over the relic to the receptionist, who caught it easily. "Here's your damn relic, Kathy." She bluntly said. "Is that the quest done?"
The receptionist glanced at the artifact, before putting it away. "Yes. That is the quest done." She answered. "Congratulations, you are now the first rookie to ever complete an Ascension quest on their first day." In the back of Amber's mind, she swore she could've heard a sound that meant a level up.
Katheryne then looked at the two adventurers and spoke to them. "As the other two members of the ascension quest team, you have now moved up the ranking board and are recognized as veteran adventurers. However, it would appear that A...the rookie here has outranked you both."
"What?!" Stanley exclaimed. "What are our ranks then?"
The receptionist smiled. "As this was a Level Four Ascension Rank Quest, you and Royce are now recognized as S-tier adventurers from completing the task."
"And the rookie?" Royce inquired, glancing at the Pilot.
"She is now the second top adventurer in the leaderboard." Katheryne revealed, to the shock of everyone present. "It is shocking even to me. But she has done accomplishments no adventurer had done before. As I said before, no recruit has ever thought of partaking an Ascension Quest and finishing it. A Level Four no less, and she did it all on her first day."
Royce wanted to argue, to say that she was very lucky and would've completed the quest himself if not for this upstart. But as he remembered the moves that she did, and the way she took down her enemies, he shuddered at the memory. She may have deserved that kind of recognition and if he did protest, he might've gotten a fist to his jaw. He simply nodded in understanding.
"You!" Stanley shouted at Amber, pointing at her. The Pilot rolled her eyes underneath her helmet. Welp, now she has to listen to the egotistical dickhead's rant. "You...You..." He faltered before he suddenly chuckled. "You, ma'am, are one of the bravest adventurers I've ever met." He patted her shoulder roughly, like what a soldier would to his fellow comrade. "I see great potential in you. I will make sure your stories will be almost as great as mine!"
Amber laughed. "Whatever you say, old man." The three actually shared a laugh, before Amber looked to them. "Hey, don't feel bad. I just want to say that you two were just as important back there. You did great."
"You sound like you've done this before." Royce noted. "Are you sure you aren't a retired adventurer that wanted to return back to the Guild?"
"Nah, just a former 21-year-old military captain." She said casually, which got wide eyes from the two adventurers. That young? And a military captain?
"Alright then, adventurer. What shall we call you? You haven't given us your name since we started." Stanley asked. The Pilot pondered. A new name for herself? She smiled as one name came to her mind.
"Call me...the Red Devil Baroness."
Crash Site Beta, Dragonspine, Mondstadt
20:25
Sucrose shivered in her winter clothes as she stood by the wreckage with her superior, Albedo. The two alchemists have been sent with a team of knights to investigate the crash site here in Dragonspine. As the Recon Captain and her company was already busy with Crash Site Alpha assigned to her by Master Jean, the Investigation Company was sent to the second one to see for any potential national threats.
The crash site itself looked to be a collection of numerous pieces of metal scattered across, as well as the main site that was currently on the southern side of the mountain, even causing an avalanche. Thankfully, the Honorary Knight had cleared the area of the Ruin Graders beforehand so they were able to set up their campsite safely. So far, they found what appeared to be a gold mine of advanced technology as numerous weapons, gadgets and gizmos have been found. In fact, Albedo was currently inspecting some kind of white catalyst that had strange symbols on them, including a series of numbers and letters. "R-101 SOAR"
"Interesting...perhaps this must be another weapon like before." Albedo muttered as he checked the trigger, pulling it. A loud bang came from the end of the catalyst, as some unknown projectile flew off into the distance.
The young bioalchemist covered her ears in fright, letting out a small squeak. "M-Mister Albedo? Could you please not do that again? I'd rather not have another catalyst incident like before." This, of course, wasn't the first time it happened, as one of the investigators accidentally discharged a similar catalyst. It nearly caused killed him as the firing end was close to his body. Thankfully all he suffered was nausea and the order came to not point the catalysts at anybody and to only aim it downwards or upwards should another discharge happen.
"Oh. I'm sorry, Sucrose." Albedo apologized, putting the catalyst away to his backpack. "I found the catalyst rather fascinating in its dangerous form. It's been quite a find for the past day now. I've never seen such artifacts before and I wish to study all of them."
"I-Indeed." The girl gingerly nodded, looking at the white vial she had in her hand with the label "ERS". From what she found while carefully dissecting it, was fascinating. It could theoretically boost the healing process of a person, making the healing time shorten to mere hours instead of a whole month! The biological aspect truly amazed her, yet at the same time confused her. What could these chemicals be? What will it actually look like when applied to a human body?
"Captain! We found something here! It looks like some kind of Ruin Grader!" One of the investigators called. Albedo perked up at the mention and went to the where the investigators were calling from, with Sucrose following suit. It seems from the avalanche a lot of the wreckage was buried in snow, and it seems that the investigators found something.
When they arrived to the scene, Albedo widened his eyes with wonder as he saw what they have uncovered. It looked nothing like a Ruin Grader at all. Its limbs were thin, with large hands and a body smaller in comparison to a Ruin Grader. The "eye" in the middle of its body was not circular, but a vertical rectangle. The colors were not right either. If a Ruin Grader was observed to have white and bronze colors, this automaton had a black and purple palette. The skull with the red backdrop was a little concerning. Next to the fallen machine was some kind of giant sword and another bulky mechanism that had the same trigger and handle like the catalysts they found.
"What is it?" Sucrose asked, tilting her head in fascination and confusion.
"I'm not sure..." Albedo looked at the automaton, then saw the sword and catalyst beside it. "Whatever it is, it's dangerous." He left Sucrose's side to talk to the investigators. Perhaps to order them to secure it and make sure it doesn't activate.
Sucrose slowly approached the metal giant, looking closely at the giant sword. It seemed to hum with some kind of energy for some reason. An Electro Sword? But she has never seen a weapon with this size. The alchemist approached closer to the actual automaton, looking at the body. It looked dead, as no lights came from it. She touched the body, feeling the cold metal on her hands. Perhaps it was too damaged to move...
"Ocular systems functional. Multiple hostiles detected."
As Albedo conversed with the investigators for future plans, he heard Sucrose scream. He widened his eyes as he drew his sword. "SUCROSE!" He yelled, running back to where Sucrose was. He found Sucrose on the ground, breathing rapidly as she pointed in front of her. "Watch out!"
Almost immediately, he rolled forward to dodge a giant metal sword swinging down on him. Albedo was about to bring Sucrose up when the blade began to swing horizontally, prompting the Chief Alchemist to drop his sword and cover his assistant as the sword nearly sliced his torso in half. Sucrose would've found her superior on top of her quite embarrassing if it weren't for the giant robot trying to kill them.
"What's going on...OH MY BARBATOS!" An investigator ran up to them and saw the giant stand from its snowy crater. He was too scared to move, and could only scream as the automaton stepped on him, turning him to red paste with a squelch. Sucrose saw the horrifying image and screamed again in terror.
"Let's go!" He hoisted Sucrose to her feet and began to lead them away from the Titan. "EVERYONE EVACUATE!" Albedo hollered over the carnage as he pulled Sucrose to his left as the ground next to them erupted in dirt, snow and rock. He glanced behind him to see the automaton pick up its weapon, apparently firing a shot. The other investigators began to flee, taking whatever they could find and ran away, spreading out. Unfortunately, a group of researchers were unlucky as the Titan swung its blade from the ground and upwards, sending an electrical Arc Wave towards them. They failed to dodge and were vaporized on the spot.
Albedo panted from all the running, quickly looking for cover as the Titan wreaked havoc, swinging its sword. He pulled Sucrose under a rocky outcrop as another loud bang came from the Titan's weapon, the rock shaking as it took the impact. He signaled to Sucrose to stay quiet, who was shaking in terror and sobbing, as he peeked from cover. To his relief, it stopped attacking.
"Critical damage sustained. Aiming system malfunctioning...Pilot, we must retreat to cover." The automaton spoke, as it went down on one knee. As if the day couldn't get any stranger, the body split itself as an individual stepped out from inside. The person looked so...alien. They wore a strange set of armor that he didn't recognize, a helmet that looked very not human and one eye like the automaton, and some kind of wolf's coat.
Albedo watched cautiously as the person pulled out another catalyst of his own, a longer object with a beefier end and some kind of gadget on the top. He aimed it at something and fired, a loud boom echoing from it. Albedo ducked out of instinct, and winced as he heard someone cry out in pain before the sound of the body falling. He peeked again to see the person pull back something on the side of the catalyst before pushing it forward. The helmet suddenly turned towards his direction, prompting Albedo to duck and join Sucrose in cover, attempting to hide themselves by curling themselves into the outcrop's underside.
He heard boots climb to the outcrop, as snow fell down from the top. Sucrose covered her mouth, to hide her breathing and her sobbing. The tension was high, and only growing worse as they hear a clicking noise from above. Albedo's heartbeat went faster, and he could feel Sucrose's too grow faster. If they were found, they would be dead for sure. And then...
"Harbinger, let's go. They've escaped." Albedo hears the person's voice, revealing to be male. However, it was distorted. It was as if a demon had nearly taken them to the abyss. The footsteps grew fainter as he walked away. Morbid curiosity drove Albedo to peek again, as he watched the man climb into the automaton's body. Then, to add to his growing confusion, the automaton walked off and suddenly disappeared as the air around them warped into some kind of light.
"A-a-are t-they g-g-gone?" Sucrose asked, her words stuttered from the fear she accumulated over the tense moment.
Albedo sighed in relief. "They're gone." He said, letting the anxiety that was rising in his chest dissipate. He breathed deeply, not realizing that he was actually scared. Suddenly he was hugged by Sucrose, who broke down clutching his warm body. The poor girl sobbed as she let her emotions out.
"O-Our t-t-team...they're dead...Oh, Barbatos...they're dead." She mumbled, before she sobbed again. Brotherly instinct took over Albedo as he embraced the traumatized girl to comfort her.
"He's gone now...Shh, Sucrose...he's gone now." He muttered, rubbing the girl's head as she sobbed out the pent-up fear. After a moment in the harsh temperature of Dragonspine, Sucrose pulled away from him. "T-thank you, Mister Albedo."
The alchemist nodded with a comforting smile. However, this event left many questions in his head. Who was he? What is that mechanical pilot? Where did he come from? He put them aside for now. Answers will be given when the time comes.
"We need to tell Jean about this...there's...an automaton and a criminal on the loose."
A/N: Ooo, an enemy Pilot is now on the loose. How will the Knights of Favonius solve this problem? How will the adventurers react to a rookie that sped through the leaderboard like nothing? And will Amber finally find a way back to the Frontier? Find out next time on the Steel Outrider!
I will probably not do that again...
Quick question. How many of you want Signora to be in this fic? Because so far, I've been seeing some interest of redeeming her character by adding her here after she was completely annihilated by discount genderbent Vergil (Raiden Ei if you don't get the joke)
Now that's out of the way. I just want to say thank you for the people that actually stayed to read the fic that I made. To the reviewers, your words motivate me to continue this high quality shitpost even further. To that I say I appreciate your honest words. And also, TSO chapter in 2022!
Now, there are a few things that I want to clear up, both for the universe of Genshin and Titanfall. Firstly, this is set just after the Traveler, Aether in this case, clears things up in Liyue on the Genshin side and a year after the events of Titanfall 2. Just wanted to let everyone know.
Secondly, some lore stuff. You've probably seen in the last chapter that Amber has augmentations in her body. Canonically...that's uncertain, because there is not enough lore for Pilots in Titanfall. Some say they have augmentations, other say they're just highly skilled. For that, I will mix the two together and making augmentations an option for Pilots. Although Amber said she received nanites from training, that won't mean every Pilot will have nanites.
For the Titanfall readers, yes, I am featuring Pilots having multiple tactical abilities, even though in gameplay you only have access to one. But I will balance them out for the Pilots that will appear in this fic.
As for the elements and alien energy crap...well I have to somehow connect the two universes somehow, even if it doesn't make that much sense. It will come up in later chapters, though.
Thirdly, for people looking to see ideas from the old Steel Outrider fic migrating into the new one, there are some ideas. But not all. That's all I'm gonna say.
So, how are the flashback sequences? Leave your thoughts in the reviews.
I hope you liked this chapter, I had a lot of fun making this. I really appreciate the follows, the reviews and the favorites.
Constructive criticism is welcome, don't spam random hate.
- LNC3L0T
[overhaul entry 4/4: added changes for continuity]