Return of the Fallen Volume 11 Chapter 35
Just as the sandworms came rushing forward with mouths agape, Kazuki grabbed Marty and jumped straight into one of the open mouths.
*BANG!*
The sandworms crashed into the wall behind Kazuki and Marty and broke through. Marty had no idea what Kazuki was doing and shouted at him.
“ARE YA INSANE!?”
Kazuki shook his head.
“This is exactly what I wanted. Now the real part starts.”
He said this but the two were still inside of a giant sandworm’s mouth. The mouth started to close and the spiraling rows of teeth were ready to tear the two apart when the expected voice came.
“Six Unregistered Users Identified. Simulation Will Begin In 3…2…1.”
Kazuki’s vision left him and his mind was once more in a simulation. Like last time Marty appeared next to him. This time there were added guests. All four of the Giant sandworms were inside the simulation as well. The four sandworms did not seem to notice anything off and were still searching for prey. Kazuki called out to the A.I.
“I would like to quit the simulation.”
The black diamond-shaped A.I. Appeared in front of Kazuki and a display flashed in front of his face.
“Are You Sure You Wish To Exit? There Is Still Much To Learn.”
Kazuki quickly selected the exit option and his vision changed once more. He was still inside the mouth of one of the Giant Sandworms and he held Marty in his arms. A few seconds later and Marty awoke as well. She looked around and saw Kazuki and laughed out loud.
*Hah*
“Ya sly old fox, to think this was your plan. Damn, that was brilliant!”
Kazuki shrugged before setting Marty down.
“I wasn’t 100% sure it would actually work. I’m glad it did though.”
The two casually walked out of the Giant sandworm’s mouth and looked around. All four of the sandworms were completely unmoving. Their minds trapped within the S.T.I.R. Simulation.
“Since this thing can bring them in it should be almost impossible for them to exit. After all, you have to be able to comprehend language just to be able to leave.”
Marty nodded.
“At the very least they should be stuck in there until the simulation runs its natural course. The first phase lasted a few hours before the display appeared. Since they can’t select no the simulation should continue on and on from one phase to the next. S.T.I.R. How long in total are all of the simulations combined?”
The black diamond-shaped A.I. Flew down near Marty and flashed several times.
“Calculating…Calculating…Simulations Run For A Total Of 13,787,114 Hours.”
Marty and Kazuki shared a look.
“That’s more than 1,500 years. To think this simulation can run that long.”
Marty shook her head.
“We can’t say that for sure. After all, we don’t know what energy this tech uses. It may only have enough power to run for another day or so. No one knows for sure.”
As if to answer her question the A.I. Spoke up once more.
“Calculating…Services Can Be Provided For Another 8.7 Million Years.”
“Ya know how long ya can run. What about your power source? What keeps ya going?”
“Error, Uknown Source Of Power. Can Not Identify.”
Kazuki raised a brow.
“How is it that you can’t identify your own power source when you know of seemingly every lesser energy? Does this Mean your energy source is not a lesser form of energy but a higher one?”
“Information Not Accessible By Unregistered User.”
Kazuki had a few more questions but then Marty who was still attached to him suddenly fell to her knees.
“Marty!”
“Sorry old kid. I seemed to have used up too much energy. I…I just need to rest for a bit.”
Kazuki understood. She had yet to recover from her wounds and she had used up the very little divine power she had to save him. Because of this, it made her healing ability far slower.
“We need to get you out of here.”
Marty shook her head.
“Forget that. The traps aren’t too difficult when I’m not exhausted but with my current state and the fact that the traps have reset and changed by now, leaving will be too difficult. It’s better to stay down here for a while so I can recover.”
“Sure, however long you need, we’ll stay down here. It’s not like I have anywhere I need to be.”
Marty nodded before trying to move her arm that was nearly glued to Kazuki’s side.
“Before that though we need to dissolve this crap before it sticks us together permanently.”
Kazuki now felt a little stupid for using the mucus to stick them together. In the Moment he used it as a declaration that he wouldn’t give up on her. Now that the situation had returned to somewhat normal, this glob of stinky mucus just seemed like a dumb idea.
“Right, you said the worms make something inside of their bodies that can take care of this mucus.”
“Yeah, let’s head back inside, I’ll show ya where it’s located.”
Marty tried to stand but her knees grew weak and she stumbled. Kazuki caught her and helped her to stand.
“Thanks, Jentson. Is this how ya win all the lady’s hearts?”
Kazuki smiled and joked back.
“You can see right through me huh?”
“Hmph, ya must have broke a million hearts back home. Well, this lady ain’t that sentimental, hehe.”
When Marty said this, the image of Asuna and Nunully flashed into Kazuki’s mind for a split second and he couldn’t help but feel a deep pain in his heart. Kazuki went quiet and Marty sensed she may have touched on something she shouldn’t have.
“Anyway, take me inside this ugly worm so I can show ya its dorsal sack.”
“Dorsal sack?”
Marty nodded.
“It’s a small sack located near the top of the beast’s throat.”
Kazuki helped Marty into the mouth of the giant worm and she quickly pointed out a flap of flesh tucked out of the way in the upper throat. From where he stood it was nearly 50 feet high. Kazuki’s ki could not reach that far, not in this restricting world. His aura on the other hand could cover the distance.
“Hey, with these beasts locked into the simulation, we should be able to use our auras without having them come after us right?”
Marty gave Kazuki a cautious look.
“Jentson what are ya thingking?”
Without answering her, Kazuki extended his aura and grabbed at the sack of the beasts, and took hold of it. Marty sensed this right away and wanted to shout at him but she was too on guard and looked around expecting a roaring beast at any moment but the roar never came. Her tense shoulders lowered before she punched Kazuki in the arm.
“Damn you! Are ya trying to scare my soul out of my flesh!?”
Kazuki chuckled lightly.
“Just keeping you on your toes. Now that I have its…sack, what should I do?”
Marty laughed out loud.
“Bwahahaha. Did ya pause on that word purposefully? It’s one thing after another with ya Jentson.”
Kazuki shrugged.
“A coincidence.”
Marty rolled her eyes.
“Right right, I can feel the mucus hardening. All ya need to do is give the dorsal sack a good squeeze and the dissolving agent will naturally leak out.”
Kazuki proceeded to squeeze the…sack. Very quickly the same pungent smelling foul liquid began to leak out. Using his aura to collect some of it, he quickly spread it in between him and Marty and the two fell away from one another.
“That stuff really works fast.”
“That’s only because it still has yet to harden. Once it does, even this stuff has trouble penetrating the hard surface that develops. At that point, it’s practically impossible to break the hardened mucus down.”
“Is there nothing that can be done after it hardens?”
“Hmm, I can’t say for sure. Maybe if ya could find something to soften it first but otherwise, I just don’t see a way.”
Marty was about to say something else when she suddenly stared out into the distance. It was like she was looking straight through Kazuki when she once again collapsed to the ground.
“Marty!”
Kazuki lifted her up but she was completely out. He took her out of the worm’s mouth and laid her gently on the ground.
“Marty! MARTY!”
He called out to her repeatedly and sent her some of his ki but none of it was working. Finally, he decided to try and reach out through her soul world and he tried to send some of his aura into her when a voice called out to him.
(I wouldn’t do that if I were you.)
Kazuki looked down at the ring on his thumb and called out.
“ARC!”
Arc was annoyed already and a weak spark of static crawled up Kazuki’s arm.
(DON’T SHOUT! Damn my mind is a wreck. Whatever you do, don’t shout right now. I still feel scattered.)
Comment (0)