he end of the ventilation system came faster than Izuku could predict. Launched into a room half filled with water, he paused for a moment, before he realized three amrita swarms were in the room. Aiming the God-hand, he was surprised to see that one orb satisfied what typically took three. Is this the power of the lifeseed? The amplification Dr. Fisher mentioned? It certainly is powerful. Dispatching the other two, he looked around for a way out. There was a set of stairs leading up to another ventilation shaft. This one was just as short, leading to a pitfall and an exit to the side of a cliff, where he could see the silhouette of a structure in the distance. As he dropped down to the grass, pulses of green energy shot out from them. Some of the trees within it died, their leaves withering and bark rotting as the life was ripped from them, absorbed back into what Izuku now realized was Astra. That is where I need to go. But how to get there? There was only one path, a small one alongside the cliffs. He spared two orbs to heal the trees immediately close to him, but he knew that wouldn't stop it for long, so ran as quickly as possible along the path. Fisher's voice filled him in on what he already knew: "As a precaution, we cannot allow Astra to operate without a link to Soma; otherwise it will pull energy indiscriminately, until it has robbed life from the entire valley, or even the entire planet." It was then that the path stopped, but with two deadeye targets. These could get me across... if I time things right. Izuku ran and leapt, waiting for the targets to turn blue so he could activate the Viper Coil. He didn't miss a single one. As he was doing so, Fisher kept hammering the point home: "There should be enough energy within Soma's auxiliary reserves to sustain the link for years. However, if the link to Soma is ever disrupted, Astra will need to be shut down immediately." On the platform he landed on, there was a chest with a single amulet. They said there were 7... I have 6. I'll have to explore the rumored temple when I have time. Continuing on, he thought, if there will be time... first I must shut down Astra! At the end of this platform there were another two deadeyes leading to a mountain path on the opposite side. Succeeding with this, he continued along. His eyes were eventually greeted with a cliff with a derailed train. If I walk on the train, I can use it to get to the top of the cliff! However, something caught his attention. A glowing orange light watched him from above. Roaring inhumanly as Izuku approached, it flew around and up to the top of the cliff, out of sight. What was that?! Was that the thing I saw after the Soma Reactor? I still didn't get a good look... He shook his head, green hair ruffling slightly, determined to get back on the right path. As he started to walk up the train, the suits metal feet clanking against the metal traincars, Virginia spoke, almost defeated: "They won't listen. The energy they're demanding from the valley far outpacing whatever can be produced from the orbs. It's killing this place... and we'll lose it forever if we don't do something. Edwin may try to stop me; I'll no doubt be charged with treason if I'm caught... maybe even executed. But this is larger than me; this valley... it could very well change the world. I have to save it before it's lost forever." This brought a new thought into Izuku's head: Did Virginia try to stop Astra at some point too? She had to have failed, since it is still going, but I can't help but wonder why... As he reached the top, he heard another roar. Still inhuman and terrifying. A few daemons fluttered by, but his path was where they came from... and the source of the animalistic roars. Moving quickly, he was almost at the ancient train depository when another roar sounded, and it finally came into view. At an imposing two feet tall, a large, ghostlike form floated out from the structure. It had large antlers, and glowing orange eyes. It looked just like the wendigos on the Sussurian doors. Hostile, it charged at him. Reflexively, Izuku fired an amrita orb at it. It absorbed it, but then shimmered in a soft purple glow before vanishing from sight. Looking for where it had gone, he was about to continue on when he saw it. Light distorted in a particular place. Firing the god hand again, it was dragged from invisibility before lunging at him once more. In a panic, he stepped back and fired one last time, closing his eyes... when he heard it stop screeching. Looking back, it was overflowing with energy, turing white and floating like a spirit at peace, before vanishing and producing many more of the glowing white amrita orbs. What... is... that...? He thought for a moment before another two revealed themselves. Dispatching those, he remembered his goal. Right, Astra! I have to stop Astra! I can't be distracted! He entered the building, heading left as that was the only way up into the main structure. Zig-zagging through walls, he jumped over the short divide caused by the railway when another of those creatures leapt out from their hiding spot. Running past, he didn't need to take it down. He headed inside, up the stairs, then jumped across to a platform. There was only one way to go, down a disposal chute to a new area. This was a place where many shipping containers had been kept. There were quite a few, and a broken bridge ahead. It was a small rickety wooden bridge, leading to another facility ahead. Another beast waited across the water, so Izuku aimed and fired his trusty god-hand before it noticed him. It exploded into energy yet again. I'm going to call these things Wendigos. It seems to be what the Sussurians referred to them as, so I'll do the same. He continued towards the facility. Another pulse from Astra ripped the life from even more trees, and some of the nearby fauna. Resuscitating them, he pulled energy from a nearby battery. He noticed a ramp up to the roof. Perhaps I can get a better view of where to go up there? Before he could move, however, it was clear that there were more of the Wendigos here than just the one, as another leapt out from invisibility. Dodging in time, he put three orbs into it as it recovered. Pausing to catch his breath, he noticed the name of the place on a nearby sign: Camp Henday. The rooftop led up to a sloping one that could give him enough acceleration to enter the facility. So, he ran and leapt, falling through the hole in the roof. It landed in a prep area. There were a few shipping crates, and dining hall tables, but most importantly, a bunch of LEAF suits in a line. One, presumably the commander's, was missing. He read every name: Ida Greaves, Victor Gray, Edwin Hall, James Howell, and David Hopkins. All Private First Class. Edwin... that's right, he was a pathfinder! Hall... why is his suit missing? Remembering his first encounter with the suit, he looked down, and behold, his had the name patch above his heart. E. Hall... I'm wearing Edwin's suit! Not only is this a tech marvel, but it had such an important role in the region! It's also still mostly functional. He looked over the others. They had deteriorated a lot, rust, leather molded and worn. It's because it was in that chest! Well, that's cool to know... but I have to find a way to Astra. There was a door, and the cable from it led to the Amrita generator in the middle of the pathfinder display. Perfect. He powered it, entering the rest of the facility.
