Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)
1000. A Major Victory For The Nexus

A rift large enough to swallow a mountain opened behind Lammy.

It was meant to retrieve the Avatar of Kratt, but it had met an unfortunate death.

The Orbis Impuritas made the mistake of underestimating Cer’s durability.

The ‘Do Not Eat’ protocol surrounding Cer wasn’t an inside joke, but rather a hazard should one accidentally chomp a piece out of her. Once a chunk had been taken, then the target would lose 90% of their total HP.

It seemed to even bypass the Qliphoth Barrier, which led to Kratt’s dire state.

Furthermore, Jury’s [Retrocausality – Smite] utilized a significantly more powerful variant than what they were used to. A pale weapon five times larger than that of its predecessor fired a beam of energy that decimated Kratt until it resembled a giant, hollow metal roll.

< || Retrocausality – Angelic Smite || >

< For bigger fish when you decide to leave the pond. May it be of use to you >

< EFFECT: Upgraded version of the [Smite] variation of [Retrocausality]. Call down a predetermined strike. Whether from the past or future is up to you to decide. Deal 16,000,000 pure ATT damage. Delayed fire. Cooldown requirements >

< COST: 6,000,000 NEX >

< DELAY: 30 Seconds >

< COOLDOWN: 5 Minutes >

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< Heart of Time is not yet at a level to access its full power >

“An upgrade huh.” Frost murmured, moments before Jury and Joy cried at the top of their lungs.

“FROOOOOOST!”

“MALGAAAAAM!”

Dozens of hands reached for the skies and wrapped their waists.

They were then gently eased to the ground where they reunited with Frost.

“Look what I caught!” Jury hummed, presenting Rhyme to Frost like she had caught a fish. She held onto her ankles and hoisted her upside down.

“An Impuritas. This is the one that ate a Seed too, huh. She also resonated with a Genesis Stone. Good catch.” Frost praised.

Jury’s ears wiggled with delight.

“I couldn’t come back without a trophy for you~”

Rhyme didn’t dare to move underneath Frost’s gaze.

Her body had gone limp, for she was already dead. The power that had once coursed through her nonexistent veins disappeared.

She was no different from a beached shark without the Genesis Stone.

Lammy then screeched.

“Beholder Jury…! Of Time Reverberation! That thing was here too!? Rhyme! The Genesis Stone! You are still resonating with it! Hurry! Leave these fools behind or we will have to leave you!”

They had suffered catastrophic losses. Lammy lost one third of her Warping capabilities, a Fallen Beholder, numerous Rogue Moons, Desolate Stars, the Fragment, and now – one of their largest assets: a direct disciple of another Orbis Impuritas.

Frost ran a small victory lap in her mind as she grinned at Lammy.

That makes two now. Terrent and Rhyme.

< Assuming Ringmaster Phalange is also an Orbis Impuritas >

If she’s at the top of the Blood Festival, then we should expect her to be their Orbis Impuritas. Hah.

< You’re laughing? >

I’m just happy we’re that much closer to rooting them out.

After a moment of reveling, Frost took a deep breath and announced:

“A Genesis Stone resonance? I don’t sense one.”

Suddenly, a tiny hand softly touched hers.

“It’s blocked. By me…”

The Fragment whispered faintly. She continued, inching ever so slightly closer to Frost like a kitten seeking warmth.

“But I can stop blocking it if it’s bothering you!”

“You can block the resonance of a Genesis Stone?” Frost spoke slowly.

The girl’s eyes lowered. Her lips quivered, and her grip on Frost’s hand wavered.

Is she afraid of me?

< Wary. She is contemplating what you will do to her once you realize her capabilities >

< You don’t exactly strike anyone as ‘friendly’. Your coat isn’t doing you any favors >

How do you know what’s going on in her mind?

< It’s the impression I’m getting from the drawings of the Star Child >

Just what had happened to this Fragment? Cer had lost communication with Nav, so there was little they knew. But Frost couldn’t help but feel a deep sorrow weighing on the shoulder of this child.

She clasped her hand, surprising the Fragment.

“Friend?”

“Friend.” Frost assured her. “You’re safe with me. Hold on tightly, ok?”

The girl’s face mellowed with a gentle smile.

“Ok…”

Joy stared at where their hands met.

Her ears drooped, and her tail softly patted at the sands. But she didn’t voice her jealousy. Nor did she really feel jealous at all. However, it did feel a little lonely to see Frost holding another child’s hand.

That was until Frost’s other hand reached to pat her head.

“Don’t make that face. If you want something, then say it out loud. A lot of problems start because of bottled-up emotions.”

“Amalgam…” Joy cheerfully wiggled where she stood.

Lammy could not believe her eyes.

“To treat broken thorns… like they are the same as the rose… How revolting of you, Amalgam.”

The way they interacted disgusted her.

How Frost’s hand touched a Corrupted with such fondness, and how she treated that Fragment as anything other than a tool caused her to let out a repugnant screech.

“Captured Star! You’ll become an enemy of Sinder! Is that that your goal!? To accumulate the Light and pretend to keep being Sinder!? You have no idea what a Fragment of the Captured Star is capable of!”

“The thought never crossed my mind.” Frost retorted nonchalantly.

It was almost halfhearted. Casual even.

Yet the air surrounding her was infinitely more dignified than Lammy, who was no different from a rabid dog barking from the other side of the fence.

The difference was staggering. The Rogue Moons couldn’t help but compare her to Lammy. Despite the red portal dominating the skies, Frost’s presence dwarfed it. The way she was surrounded by many pleasant faces caused them to recall Argon’s words.

The Amalgam was different.

“My atoning Moons!” Lammy called, attempting to rally them forth.

They shuddered. Some rose to their feet.

“Retrieve the Fragment! The Amalgam is too cowardly to punish Moons! Press the advantage! Haven’t you been waiting for this moment!? USE IT!”

Frost gazed at them.

It wasn’t out of contempt.

Not even out of worry.

“… We can’t…” A Rogue Moon threw her halberd aside.

Frost’s eyes were filled with concern. They were enemies of the Nexus. They believed that their eternal lament in the Subcut Layer was their method of atoning for wronging the Nexus.

But that person looked at them as though to say: “You have suffered enough.”

It started a chain reaction.

One by one, the Rogue Moons cast their weapons away onto the sand.

They drew their line in the sand and stood defiantly in the face of their oppressor.

“We can’t go back!” One proclaimed.

“You can’t? Ah… Hahahaha! Sinder save me. These Moons believe that they have a will of their own. Look what you’re doing Amalgam. You’ve given them all false hope. Do you enjoy playing the role of the savior!?” Lammy spoke hollowly, on the verge of snapping. “They wronged the Nexus!”

*Bang*

A bullet slashed her cheek.

“My role and namesake as the Head of the Nexus happens to overlap with the role of a savior. And as the ruler of the Nexus, I believe I’m the only one capable of absolving those who wronged the Nexus.”

Frost began, lowering her smoking De Jure Sanguinis.

“Who the fuck are you to tell my Moons whether they deserve to have hope or not? No matter where my Moons have gone, no matter how steep in sin my Moons are–!”

The Rogue Moons collectively waited with bated breaths. Hands hung limply by their sides as they gazed upon the back of the Amalgam.

Her black feathers were no longer intimidating.

“–I believe there is always a chance for redemption! My colors are clear! How about yours!? I’m certain Sinder wouldn’t find a conniving rat as a suitable partner.”

//////// < ALERT > ////////

< Detecting high amounts of environmental Nex >

< It comes from the Rogue Moons and the Aberration of Lament >

Lammy’s eyes widened larger than humanly possible.

“Ahhh… I should’ve just killed you. Kill you. Kill you kill you kill you – KILL YOU!”

She scratched her head until blood ran down her temples. Each screech was coarser than the last, and she ended it with a hoarse roar.

“LET THE LIGHT SHATTER! You don’t know what Sinder wants. What my beloved needs! A fake like you should just die!”

She had no method of taking the Fragment back.

And when she tried to, she was suddenly met with an immense force that rivalled the speed of her Warp.

“TCH!? THE DAUGHTER OF TYPHON!?”

An armless Cer skidded backwards to Frost’s side. Her electric entry caused the Fragment to squeak as she muttered: “Friend,” with relief.

“Heh. Good to see that Jury’s getting more and more independent. Gah. Crap. That’s an arm gone and some decent Quality X Cloth wasted. She’s tough. Not a single scratch on her. But she doesn’t have much HP. Bullshit.” She spat. “Frost. Winding an enemy is my job. Not bad.”

“Your arm…!” The Fragment exclaimed, only for it to regenerate in mere seconds when Frost tapped her shoulder. “S-So fast!?”

“No one eats this wolf and gets to live to tell the tale about it! Unless you’re a Healer!”

“Oh? Finally, someone with good tastes.” Horus approved, then, she nudged Icara with an elbow. “Enjoying the show?”

Icara remained perfectly still.

She was an outsider that didn’t belong here.

Merely breathing the same air of these beings was an honor beyond words.

Furthermore, she could not believe that she was in the presence of the Head herself.

“Only you.” Horus said. “Since you’re about the only person who can keep a tight lid.”

“An honorable Witch of Icara’s caliber would not dare to leak secrets.” Morgause defended. “It is you that we should be worried about.”

“Trust me, I’d rather not end up like that.” Horus stared at Rhyme. “… So that’s the Aberration I saw down there. White hair. A dress. Where’s the other one hiding?”

“In plain sight. She’s up against another Aberration. The one who accompanied us into the final Level.” Frost revealed. “They’ll retreat at this rate. We’ve won.”

Dark Memoria manifested beside Frost after one last clash. An explosion of darkness rippled from the collapsing Site Core. Sand and pieces of Kratt were absorbed into its mass, never to be seen again.

“[Grand Healing]. You alright? I didn’t get a chance to take a proper look at Alisa.” Frost asked after bathing Dark Memoria in black particles.

“My apologies, Amalgam. Alisa is a natural born killer of kin. The number of Aberrations she has absorbed exceeds the feathers along her mantle. I’m lucky to still be alive.”

Dark Memoria took labored breaths.

She was beyond exhausted after her clash with Alisa.

“But you’re right. We’ve secured… the ‘Fragment’. I was suspecting a Lailah clone, or a machine. A literal fragment of the Captured Star should have been expected. It is my mistake.”

“We didn’t know shit either.” Cer blurted out. “Frost, do you dreams look like this? There’s four different kinds of Jury.”

“Five, if you count that.” Frost vaguely motioned towards the Eye of Elysia.

A ring of shadows surrounded it. It attempted to smother the light of the Eye of Elysia but to no avail. Then, a figure resembling a corroded version of Jury – whose fur contained splotches of black – emerged from Lammy’s shadow.

She was too far away for Frost to pull up her stats.

But she could make an estimate using Dark Memoria’s Level.

Dark Memoria was level 280.

This meant that Alisa’s level was close if not over level 300.

Dark Memoria was not lying when she said that Frost would not be able to stand against Alisa even though she was over level 400.