Jessica had been taking antidepressants and the new stimulant, Spider Web, under the impression that the last fertility procedure had failed. Therefore, she deeply regretted this decision. Moreover, when she learned that Joshua’s bodily fluids were filled with lethal poison, the memory of being drenched in his blood haunted her.
She was anxiously waiting for the test results, then Gillian came into the waiting room.
“How is Joshua?” Jessica asked. She recalled how he had managed to leave the office, despite bleeding and stumbling, with a determined look on his face.
She had been struck by his creepy eyes and hideous, disfigured face. He was definitely more infected than his attack squad members as his face was more damaged. His once handsome features were now obscured by hardened, sickly-green scabs, which were a result of the infection.
She hadn’t expected Joshua to come back from the Stage of Advent with such an appearance and realized why he had no choice but to live in darkness inside the robe without appearing in public.
“I heard he is getting better,” Gillian replied.
“Did you hear that directly from him?”
Gillian shook his head. An hour had passed since Joshua had stumbled outside the room, so the surprise in Gillian’s face was gone. However, he looked disconsolate whenever he remembered how gruesome Joshua’s condition had been and the way he was suffering from pain.
Gillian redirected his attention to the ultrasound picture of the fetus that Jessica was holding, and upon estimating the date, he realized that the baby was conceived during their defense of the Day of Advent.
Gillian sat on the bed thinking about how Jessica felt while getting the procedure on that day.
“How are you?” he finally asked.
She grimaced. “I’m fine, but the baby…”
Jessica’s smartphone appeared to be abandoned on the floor, and there was information about the side effects of antidepressants on the fetus. Jessica’s fingerprints were spotted on the screen.
Gillian expressed his honest feelings, “I have no idea…what is going on.”
He was more concerned than happy about the child. However, he couldn’t blame Jessica as she was the one who wanted the baby the most and was in a challenging situation where she needed antidepressants to function. Despite years of failed, painful procedures, she was always willing to undergo the procedure again, fully aware of the possibility of it failing once more, even on the day of a successful attempt.
Fortunately, the impact of Moclobemide, the substance present in Jessica’s antidepressant, on the fetus was uncertain, unlike other antidepressants that were known to have adverse effects. For this reason, Jessica’s physician prescribed the medication, explaining that there was a risk of negative consequences for the fetus, but the benefits to the mother outweighed the potential risks.
“Let’s wait for now,” Gillian said while holding Jessica’s trembling hand.
Jessica asked, “Is it because of the baby? It’s going to be fine.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s because of Joshua. It was my first time seeing him after he returned from the Stage of Advent.”
It was also her first time witnessing someone in such pain. As his face was already hideous, the face distorted by pain reminded her of evil.
After a while, Jessica noticed that Joshua put a priority on the possibility of the association being under attack, rather than seeking immediate medical attention for his own injuries. This thought prompted her to reflect on a multitude of things.
The two became quiet, and medical staff from the association came in with the test results. The explanation, which began with the results dealing with the risk of deformities in the heart, musculoskeletal system, skull, and digestive organs, was as much expected news as it made the two nervous.
There was no issue with the fetus as the doctor said the baby was as healthy as any other ordinary fetus. Still, the pharmacists suggested that she stop taking antidepressants containing moclobemide.
Theft is never good, try looking at .com.
Jessica was so relaxed that she shed tears.
“Our baby is healthy.”
When Gillian let out an emotional voice over the ultrasound picture, Jessica couldn’t stop sobbing while tightly hugging the blanket.
Gillian patiently waited for her to stop crying to tell her something. The door that the healthcare professionals closed was opened again by a man. Considering all the equipment on him, he was obviously an Awakened.
The sound of people running around was in full swing outside the open door.
He announced, “You both are going to outer space.”
“But my wife is pregnant…” Gillian protested.
The Awakened shook his head. “It’s Odin’s order. It won’t be long before you come back to earth.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine with that.”
Jessica got out of bed first with a guilty expression.
The Awakened guided the two to the building where the Safety Bureau was located. It was right next to the building where a powerful Maruka monster called Orca was coiled up. However, everyone’s attention was fixated on the thing in front of the main gate of the Safety Bureau rather than the hideous tentacles.
The gate corresponded with the phenomenon that was recorded by the cameras on the Day of Advent, which marked the return of the Awakened after the Final Stage. Not only were the Gillian couple there, but there were also those who came in as visitors. They were all looking at it.
Many Awakened were seen rushing towards the gate, while military trucks made their way inside at a slow pace. The association’s mercenaries, armed with automatic firearms, were also disappearing into the gate as if an urgent war had broken out.
***
As the sun set, the sky was bathed in a scarlet glow, and a moon patiently awaited its turn to shine in full light. Gillian became aware that he had entered outer space due to the presence of a massive planet that dominated a significant portion of the sky, eclipsing both the sun and the moon. The appearance of marbled blue and white paint on a single bead was quite consistent with the picture of the earth seen from the moon.
The sky of this world was familiar but mysterious. It even appeared to be peaceful.
Nonetheless, the terrain was in disarray, and groans echoed in the air. The moans were the sounds of pain from the fights. Jessica and Gillian were acquainted with these noises, having heard Joshua making similar groans just a few hours earlier.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries who entered first were divided into two groups. One group was busy splitting up and setting up tents all over the place, while the other was racing around the area in an armored car with an open roof.
The Awakened were gathered where groans could be heard, and lights were repeatedly appearing and vanishing. They could see Odin there, but they couldn’t get closer to him as he was walking among the injured, giving instructions to the Awakened with a firm expression.
Right then…
Seuk-
…Joshua’s black robe passed by the two. Although he wasn’t clutching his abdomen like he was the other day, his posture was still slightly bent forward, which indicated that he hadn’t completely healed.
Jessica couldn’t bear to talk to Joshua. He was making his way towards Odin and his wounded comrades, with an air of tension visible on his back.
She saw Joshua and Odin start having a conversation. Jessica suddenly realized that the Awakened who had guided her had disappeared. Gillian was also looking around for him.
Then, a military vehicle stopped in front of them. The Awakened who guided them was in the passenger seat. He stretched his arm out of the window and pointed at the back seat.
“I was ordered to show you the battlefield.”
Contrary to the fanciful depictions that had captured the public’s imagination, the alien world was a bleak expanse, with charred ground stretching out in all directions. The car’s windshield wipers were busy trying to clear the clinging ash powder, producing a high-speed, fricative sound.
Upon passing through those areas, they started to see corpses. They resembled the bodies of wild animals that were left unattended for a long time after being roadkills. Bubbles were popping on their bodies and decay was proceeding at a fast speed.
From that point on, the car shook and rattled as they maneuvered around the corpses, with severed limbs remaining on the ground. Jessica and Gillian were now speechless. Gillian frowned while Jessica soothed her nauseous stomach by covering her mouth and nose with her hand.
In fact, Jessica felt like she was in the corner of her nightmare. She was so nauseous that she didn’t care about who won or lost. She thought the sight was too horrible to leave any meaning to the victory.
As Jessica grappled with the overwhelming sights around her, Gillian turned to the Awakened in the passenger seat, whose expression remained emotionless as he gazed ahead.
“How much do you know about Osiris?”
Gilian’s casual mention of Osiris’s name elicited a cold, impassive stare from the Awakened, which even extended to Jessica, who sat quietly beside Gillian. Despite this, the Awakened made an effort to respond as politely as he could.
“I was in the same camp with him before joining the Final Stage.”
“In there was Osiris…”
Gillian couldn’t finish his question because the car suddenly stopped. They were at the end of the steep cliff. In Gillian’s view, even the Awakened and the driver were looking at the scene that unfolded in front of them blankly.
After the Awakened got out of the car, the driver followed suit. Following a reassuring gesture from the Awakened, Gillian, and Jessica then exited the vehicle.
The Grand Canyon was often referred to as the world’s largest canyon. It had a breathtaking sight to behold, with its cliff exposing horizontal faults and the winding canyon stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a testament to the immense power of Mother Nature, whose erosive forces had shaped the landscape over hundreds of millions of years.
Nonetheless, the scene in front of them shocked them in a different manner. Everything was black, and the earth was destroyed, creating a mess. In some places, there were gaps that seemed to stretch on indefinitely, while other clumps of crust appeared to be clearly separated from the whole.
Was there an earthquake?
Despite the absence of an actual eruption, one could easily imagine a volcano spewing molten lava, given the intense heat emanating from the area and the appearance of red vines that appeared to be bending and flowing like a liquid. Whatever natural phenomenon had occurred, it was clear that this world was coming to an end.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew in from behind them, causing Gillian and Jessica to instinctively shut their eyes against the stinging sensation. When they opened their eyes again, Odin stood before them.
Soon, the Awakened and the driver left the spot as he gestured at them. Gillian lowered his head toward him as Jessica couldn’t even bear to look straight at him. Then, Odin opened his mouth.
“You must have heard of the System, correct?”
***
“I heard that it’s gone now,” Gillian answered.
“What about Doom Kaos?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“How much do you know about him?”
“I basically only know that Doom Kaos had infiltrated the System, and you endured and ended its malice,” he responded.
Gillian didn’t hide the fact that he had been interested in the Stage of Advent.
I nodded. “We were able to go through the Final Stage in the Stage of Advent, then return to the mainland with our new strength. That was how we could get rid of alien monsters like Declan and Kciphos. You must have heard it up to this point, right?”
“Yes.”
I continued, “Then you must have been grateful for the mysterious presence of the System, as it had trained and empowered us to eliminate the monsters that had invaded our homeland.”
Gillian added, “I also know that Odin severely punishes those who worship the System.”
“Then what if I didn’t?” I suddenly asked Jessica. She hadn’t been able to look me in the eye since I arrived, and she had been looking at my neck instead.
She hesitantly replied, “The unification of religion would be progressed. The world would have been driven by a System-worshiping religion, and that future would be…horrible.”
I pointed out, “You didn’t like the current situation and turned into a whistleblower.”
“I…”
“Although I too have converted, there is a significant difference between us. The only similarity is that we acted with the future of our homeland and humanity in mind. However, your decision would only result in chaos and that was your intention. You wanted the public to witness my downfall and that of the association. You believed that it would resolve the crisis, but in reality, it was your misjudgment that caused it. Jessica, you betrayed me.”
“You have been converted…?” she asked.
I stated calmly, “Now I fight for Doom Kaos.”
Gillian and Jessica’s eyes shook.
“Because that choice promised a more stable future for humanity, so I didn’t refuse. At least my conversion has resulted in peace, but what about yours, Jessica?”
I added while looking at the land that was destroyed by the battle against Dragorin, “The System’s real name is Old One, and I fought one of its soldiers there. Just one of them. Do you want that kind of battle to be a frequent occurrence on our mainland? Do you want to kill that many people?”
I was going to explain what kind of battlefield the Stage of Advent was, how the Old One tried to use us as consumables, and why I had to join Doom Kaos’s side.
However, Jessica’s conscience was the most noteworthy factor to consider before disclosing everything to them. Her conscience compelled her to relinquish everything and divulge the truth about the organization. While this was undoubtedly a commendable trait in a peaceful world, the current circumstances involved warfare.
“This is the last battlefield that the Old One has built to see the ultimate state with Doom Kaos. Many of the creatures and species here are bound to be swept away by the war because that is the purpose of this area. We have to destroy, kill and take away everything that remains here. The more we do that, the more secure humanity’s peace will be. The rules are that simple, Jessica.”
Jessica looked up and made eye contact with me with a stiffened look.
I continued mercilessly, “We don’t need to even talk about all of mankind. I’d like to ask if you can kill an alien for your husband and baby. The aliens on this land have the same limbs and think the same way as us.”
“...”
“You are neither an Awakened nor a trained mercenary, but the fate of many beings in this realm rests on the signature you make. Your actions hold the power to reclaim many lives, just like the signatures you have signed on the documents in the past. That is the gun you are holding.”
My aides were expected to remain unaffected by their moral principles at least until the war’s end! That was why I pushed her even though I desperately needed her to stay.
“I have forgiven you and now offer you to join me in battle. The decision is yours, Jessica. Will you stay or leave?”