Remnant, in my older memories, appeared smaller than it does now. I recall how everyone seemed to travel long distances in a matter of days, if not hours. They casually spoke about taking a taxi from Vale to Patch without a second thought. Perhaps these were details I had overlooked or simply didn't pay attention to, understanding that the scale of this world is far greater than I had imagined.
So, how did I come to this realization?
It was rather simple, really.
I had been traveling at high speeds for what seemed like an eternity.
Four hours, twelve minutes, and fifteen seconds to be exact, and yet, I had barely covered half the distance to reach Mountain Glenn, according to my map.
Drawing from my past experiences, I can confidently say that my Solar Surfer surpasses the speed of an average Bullhead any day. However, even with this advantage, it would still take half a day to reach my destination.
And that's not even considering the fact that the sun was already sinking on the horizon, and nightfall was rapidly approaching. For most, nighttime might pose a problem, but not for me thanks to my natural and given gifts. The real issue lies with the emergence of Nocturnal Grimm at this hour.
Yes.
Nocturnal Grimm are a thing which for some reason are even more dangerous and stronger than their morning counterparts. Maybe because it's their element?
As the wind rushed past me, I became surprised at the fact that my speed rendered me practically invisible to the Grimm below. They remained unaware of my presence as I soared overhead. This realization, though comforting, also brought a pressing question to mind: just how common was it to find these bastards roaming the land?
Hours ago, I saw many herds of Goliaths, a sight that, in theory, shouldn't be so easily found in the wild. Because they are supposed to be pretty old ones.
But that was just one of the many strange sightings. I've come across new types of Grimm. One of them being ostrich-like, running in large groups across the landscape.
Even more peculiar were the two-legged, small Grimm, sporting absurdly large teeth, frantically running in bizarre circles for some reason.
I made a mental note to get a comprehensive book containing records of all the registered Grimm. Either to refresh my memory or learn about new species.
Just as I was lost in these musings, a sudden and intense hissing pierced the air, snapping me back to the present. Glancing behind, my eyes widen as I see a flock of oversized birds flying towards me.
Nevermores, but younger.
A Nevermore flock diving in for an attack.
Knowing what to do, I tightly grip the controls of my Solar Surfer and pull, maneuvering it to evade their assault.
My timing precises as I watch the entire flock pass by, narrowly missing their mark. Without wasting a second, I step on the trigger again, accelerating to regain my lost speed, leaving the group behind.
Their hissing and screeching becomes quieter with each passing moment.
Glancing over my shoulder, I can't even see their silhouettes making me smirk. It was surprising at first how they managed to match my speed, but some small wildlife facts from my memories shed some light in that regard.
Certain birds are known to achieve astonishing speeds of almost 400 kilometers per hour in a diving move, typically used to catch their prey. Considering this, and that the Grimm imitate animals to a degree, it makes sense how they kept up with me even for a couple of seconds.
I can already picture how easily one of them can kill a person given the chance.
Shaking off the pointless thoughts, I refocus my attention on the path ahead. There is still a long way to go before I reach Mountain Glenn, and I must stay alert to avoid more of these nasty surprises.
-Hours later-
The night has fallen, and the moon hangs shattered in the sky. I must admit, watching the fragmented moon has a unique abstract beauty to it that has no match. Nothing back on Earth could compare to it.
However, I am not here for sightseeing natural wonders.
Stepping on the second trigger of my solar surfer, I let the veils go down instantly, granting me more direct control as I descend into the ruins of the city. But as I get closer, my eyes widen at the sight of a rapidly approaching chunk of debris flying straight at me.
With a deft twist, I execute a perfect spin to the left, evading the missile before I redirect my attention towards the spot from where the deadly projectile came from.
My brow furrows as I spot a Megoliath below, staring back at me, already preparing for a second shot with its long trump. Without a moment's delay, I engage the accelerator, propelling myself away from the imminent danger.
That didn't stop the giant monster as it shot again, but missed by a large margin.
To be perfectly honest, that was a complete surprise. It just goes to show that these bastards are more intelligent than they were given credit for. Nevertheless, I cannot remain in the sky forever; I need to land and make my way to our base. It's the only place I can meet up with Ilia in relative safety.
I navigate between the buildings to avoid the other Grimm capable of shooting me down. However, my initial decision soon leads to regret as I'm forced to completely turn off the engine to narrowly avoid yet another projectile, causing me to plummet to the ground.
Immediately I reignite the engine and soar away, allowing some distance between me and whatever had just attacked me. Taking a moment to glance back, my eyes widen at the sight of a massive spider emerging from a nearby building, leaving behind a trail of sticky web from its rear.
Yet another new dangerous species, and likely the entire place, is filled with webs, making it dangerous to move around or risk becoming dinner.
I can't help but be grateful for the investment in mind defenses my past self did; otherwise, fear would have surely gripped me by now. Nonetheless, everywhere I look, there seems to be a potential trap, with Grimm lying in wait. But I didn't fail to notice a pattern and if it holds true then, the moment I try to land, another Grimm will undoubtedly emerge, and rip me apart.
"Bring it on."
As I descend closer to the ground, I draw my weapon, fully expecting action.
Without warning, the road erupts in a violent explosion, and from the smoldering ground emerges a gaping maw of fang like jaws.
A Blind worm.
I seize the opportunity, leaping off my surfer with precise timing. My katana finds its mark, impaling the creature as I use my momentum to cut through the worm while letting gravity do its job.
Yet, I know this won't be enough for Grimm this big.
The moment my boots touch the earth, I swiftly remove my blade from the worm and swing it in a wide arc, cutting through its dark flesh. A smirk appears on my face as I cut four even parts from its body, watching as it begins to slowly disintegrate.
The lower half of the creature writhes and spasms uselessly before falling over dead as well.
Calmly, I sheath my weapon back into its scabbard and turn around.
"Hmph. Predictable."
But it is a tactic nevertheless, something to take note of. Somehow, these monsters communicated to set up a multi-step trap. Or maybe they have been directly controlled.
But only Salem is capable of controlling them. Perhaps Cinder could exert some control, but at this point in time, her abilities should be limited, if not entirely absent, given her circumstances. And that's ignoring the possibility that Cinder is still following the same route.
Furthermore, a Blind worm shouldn't be found in Vale; they are more commonly associated with the deserts of Vacuo.
Something strange is at play here.
I look up and spot my vehicle hovering in the air, and with a quick mental command, it disappears, safely stored back in my pocket space.
With that done, I take one more look at my surroundings before I decide to enter inside the nearby building, since it would be much safer from bigger threats. I assume that only Beowolves would be able to pursue me inside.
Or so I thought.
As soon as I step into the building, my gaze is met by a pair of glowing red eyes lurking in the shadows.
But something seems off, way off. The eyes are not at eye level or higher, but much closer to the ground, and there's only one pair of eyes.
In a split second, I realize that this isn't a typical Grimm.
The small two-legged creature emerges from the shadows and rushes straight at me, barking and drooling.
Revealing the thing to be… a Squig?
No, it's a Grimm.
Everything points to it being another Grimm, but it looks exactly like a Squig should look, except its colors are black and white instead of the typical red or green.
Before I have a moment to fully process the information, the little shit launches itself at my face with surprising speed and ferocity. My reflexes kick in, and I catch it right in front of me with both hands.
It starts thrashing and struggling, making peculiar sounds as it desperately tries to free itself from my firm grasp. The Squig's jaws snap open and shut, attempting to bite off my face, while its small legs try to cut me with the sharp claws.
Definitely a Squig.
As the realization hits me like a sudden blow to the back of my head, I come to understand that the group of strange two-legged Grimm I encountered earlier were also Squigs. So, just like in their original universe, there must be various species of Grimm-Squigs present in Remnant.
Fuck…
There is an entire encyclopedia of these bastards. Still, why would this be here?
The company sure loves fucking things up, but at least they should have some originality in their cruelty.
I let out a sigh of annoyance, taking another look at the proto-ork in my hands. I hope that these Squigs and their many variants remain just that, Squigs. The last thing I want to encounter is a Grimm Waaagh.
Although, that kinda happens already. The dreaded Grimm tide which only occurs when an Alpha rises from the ranks and… yes, a Grimm Tide it is essentially an Ork Waaagh thinking it better. If one ever gets to form, you are fucked.
But this gives me an opportunity to test something. In tune with my thoughts, my stamp materializes between my fingers. Despite the Squig's incessant struggles, I maintain an iron grip on the creature, holding it steady as I stamp the area where its stomach should be.
As per instructions, I keep it for three seconds, making direct contact before I drop the stamp and it disappears into nothing.
The small Grimm doesn't show any immediate change. It remains just as angry and determined to devour my face as before. Curiosity piqued, I quickly access my HUD, navigating to the retinue tab.
Terrorfangs T3 (71:59:21 hours remaining) +1 credits capture/+0 sell value
So they are called Terrorfangs here. I will stick with the Squig name.
But I will only get a single credit despite being a T3, which should give me at least 2 credits for capture, and I won't get anything else from this thing. It is frustrating to say the least.
And I won't be going around capturing grimm. This little shit is an exception because of how small and harmless it is in comparison to others, relatively speaking, obviously. Those teeth can easily eat half your face with a single bite.
I let out a long sigh of frustration before I exited the building with the Squig still held firmly between my hands.
"Off you go." I say before giving the little monster a strong kick, sending it flying and screaming in the distance.
It kinda looked like a ball. I couldn't resist.
With the creature dealt with, at least for now, I turn around and head back into the building.
Luckily it will live 72 hours so I can get paid.
Inside the building, I open the map and carefully scan for landmarks or any recognizable buildings that could lead me to the entrance of the White Fang Base. After a quick scan, I found what I'm looking for; the entrance is located in a ruined two-story building, with the upper floor almost gone. Just a couple of blocks away. I mentally draw a quick trajectory and dismiss the map, then run deeper into the building.
I cross an empty room and veer left towards the hole in the wall and pick up speed before I jump and cross to the broken house on the other side. My landing is perfect, allowing me to continue my rapid dash.
The house is empty just as the building I left behind, nothing noteworthy. Reaching to the other end of the room, I leap out of a broken window and land on the street below.
Before I can resume my sprint, a loud screech echoes through the streets, causing me to turn back and discover another flock of young Nevermores diving towards me. Without thinking twice I rush under the cover of the nearest building where I watch as the Grimm crash land against the broken road, some even exploding upon impact.
Most of them dying by the impact alone while the few who survive writhe on the floor with their limbs mangled and crying out in pain.
My brow furrows as I watch them for a while longer.
It's evident that the Grimm in this world are displaying more aggressive and reckless behavior compared to what I remember.
I step out and look up in the sky again, trying to find any other Grimm moving around, but find nothing of the sort. With that concern momentarily put to rest, I make my way across the street towards my destination.
The main entrance to the building is blown open, evidence of something ramming its way inside a long time ago. The destruction of the half-crumpled wall is clear evidence of that. I proceed towards the basement of the building, where the entrance should be. There isn't a traditional door; instead, I find broken debris and dirt gathered in a strange way.
Carefully navigating through the rubble, I find the small door hidden beneath a chunk of cement. With a swift kick, I clear the debris and open the trapdoor before dropping inside.
The room I land in is pitch black, but this isn't a problem for much longer. With a simple command, I alter my vision, allowing myself to see the entirety of the room with better clarity.
Which doesn't amount too much, only some broken furniture and a very obvious ladder leading further down a hole.
This doesn't look like a proper secret entrance.
Although considering that to use this entrance you first need to leave the safety of the city walls and then need to pass through wild and extremely dangerous Grimm who made these ruins their home and will happily disembowel you the second they see you, that alone is enough deterrent to most.
Anyway, I jump into the hole, expecting a relatively short distance, only to find that it is much deeper than I anticipated.
My instincts kick in, and I draw my weapon, using it to impale the wall and slow myself down before firmly grabbing onto the ladder. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I look down and gauge the depth of the hole.
And by a rough estimate, there's still about 10 meters of height left, making me scowl.
Honestly, this design is really bad, someone can slip up and fall to his or her death if they don't have aura and I know for a fact I didn't order this type of entrance, I just told them to build one. I should have specified since they did the bare minimum, but no point in crying over spilled milk.
Continuing my descent down the ladder, I eventually reach the bottom and decide to jump off, landing safely on the floor. As I slowly stand up, I take in the sight of the ruined city underground.
There isn't much I can say about Mountain Glenn, just another city in shambles. Traces and remnants of tragedy from the past. Unsurprisingly, the train station remains in a relatively good condition since we were giving it some semblance of maintenance, but I notice the absence of any train carts, freighters, or locomotives. There should be a few here, yet they are nowhere in sight.
Furthermore, I am unable to locate our base, the tents, or the defense checkpoints we had set up to safeguard against potential Grimm attacks.
I decide to get a better view, so I drop off from the cliff and land atop a building roof. From my new position, I survey the area again enhanced by my augmentations, hoping to spot any signs of our base or the missing train carts and still find nothing.
Something is definitely wrong.
I look over the edge before I jump off the building and land on the broken streets below.
As I walk towards where our base should be, I remain vigilant, my senses on high alert in case any Grimm has found their way down here. And to another layer of security, I toggle on my HUD to act as a detector of sorts.
But after noticing the distances, I make a quick detour and decide to investigate the first checkpoint. Taking a turn to the left and walking a single block, I come across the site where sandbags, abandoned equipment, and a small tower lie in disarray. A closer inspection reveals no signs of fighting or Grimm's presence. It seems that whoever was stationed here hastily abandoned their outpost, leaving behind supplies and food.
If this happened here, then it is reasonable to assume the same happened to the other checkpoints and even the main base. But the question still remains.
What happened?
I let out a sigh and make my way towards the main base to meet up with Ilia. She must know what happened here, and about me.
As I approach the train station, where our base should be, I can already sense something is amiss from a distance. The signs of trouble become apparent as I realize there isn't a single soul in sight.
Even if, regretfully, everyone was killed in the ambush, there should still have been a few dozen members left as a skeleton crew to manage the base and man the defenses. But there's complete silence, and the base appears to be in disarray, much like the checkpoint I've seen moments ago.
But there is a key difference that changes things.
There are broken drones scattered all over the place, recon drones if my memory didn't fail me.
I swiftly approach one of the broken drones, lifting it off the ground with some parts falling off as I do so. I examine it carefully, searching for its insignia or markings.
I breathe a sigh of relief as I notice that the symbol on the drones indicates they belong to Vale and not Atlas. However, this discovery doesn't alleviate my concerns entirely. The fact that Vale's forces seem to know our base's location and the missing crew is evidence enough to understand that those who escaped might have been captured and forced to reveal everything.
I can't blame them for breaking under such pressure. Facing death or… brutal interrogation can push even the strongest of individuals to give in and confess anything.
But now the question is, who has been destroying these drones?
Ilia.
It has to be her.
Either way, this already tells me that this place is compromised, and a real force would come here to investigate and the Grimm on the surface wouldn't be enough deterrent for a proper veteran Hunter Team.
I just hope that little Squig doesn't encounter any hunters and survives those three days. I still want that single credit.
Suddenly, my focus is disrupted as my HUD detects a signal coming from the main building. My attention snaps sharply in that direction, locking my gaze into a window.
The world around me seems to stop, and an eerie silence fills the air.
With the tension thickening around me, my hand instinctively tightens around the hilt of my blade. My thumb hovering near the release trigger, poised to draw it at a mere moment's notice.
But nothing happens, turning the situation into an annoying standstill.
Rather than keep waiting, I take a single step forward without breaking eye contact with the window where the signal came from.
And that seems enough to prompt a swift response, but from a different window.
I manage to catch sight of something flying straight towards my head. My reflexes kicked in. I catch it mid air with my robotic arm, easily stopping the long ranged attack. Raising an intrigued eyebrow, I slowly move my gaze across the long ranged weapon, a whip to be exact. And this whip can be charged with elemental dust, an assumption proven right when I see a torrent of powerful electricity hurtling towards me at breakneck speed.
Rather than releasing my grip on the whip, I tighten it further and tap into my semblance, absorbing the full force of the lighting attack. The surge of electricity courses through me, an unusual sensation that I can't help but find strangely fascinating. And it doesn't cause any pain, just an odd sensation of power flowing through my being with a strong impulse to be released.
With a sense of control, I release the whip, and it swiftly retracts, returning to its place by the window. I tilt my head to the left, anticipating a follow-up attack, but I'm more than ready to take it.
Instead, I watch as a masked figure undergoing a colorful transformation, eventually revealing a girl with spotted skin.
"Ilia?" I call out.
The chameleon girl gracefully leaps off the building and approaches me with deliberate steps. Slowly, she removes her mask, and her gray eyes lock with mine. Time seems to stand still, an unspoken connection passing between us in what feels like an eternity. Just as I'm about to speak, she rushes forward and envelops me in a tight, desperate hug.
Her face finds refuge against my chest, and I can hear muffled sobs escaping from her.
"I…it's really you..."
Initially taken aback by her unexpected reaction, I soon allow my instincts to take over, my hands tenderly wrapping around her. My fingers trail through her hair in long, soothing strokes.
"I've got you," I whisper softly. "You can let it all out."
In response, she clings tighter to me, her sobs becoming increasingly louder.
Ilia Amitola.
Adam's… no… My childhood friend.
AN: Being sick sucks ass, like why does the head hurts so fucking much? It's really difficult to write coherent things with your heard splitting open. But that would be one excuse, the second one being that I just wanted to finish FF14 Shadowbringers, WAAAAAAAAAAY better than Stormblood in every sense. Although, I will give another edit to this chapter some time in the future.
Anyway, here it is another a chapter with a small capture to boot! According to the rules, an extra capture without any reasonable explanation can only amount to a five percent of the Tier capture value, so why not test it? And with this I can advance a little further in exploring more of the company and the new fucked up world and to clarify doubts that might been forming, this is Jim Crow laws/ 1980's South Africa Apartheid levels of fucked up. It will be explained more as the story advances and how it came to be.