Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)-Chapter 1091. The First Skirmish of the Atelier War

Five thousand Acolytes marched into battle knowing well they were no more than cannon fodder. They were the kind to die and smile as the boots of a superior trampled over their body. As long they contributed, however miniscule, to the cause then they were satisfied.

It was, after all, their purpose.

Five thousand were considered a small army. Small armies in Elysia were between 5,000: 10,000 soldiers strong. An intermediate army of a run of the mill nation could have armies numbering anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000. Large scale armies, usually reserved for empires possessing powerful Gifts and territories could go above a hundred thousand.

And this was only for humans. Elves had significantly less due to their tendency to reproduce outside of humanoid races. Their long lives and nomadic lifestyle also made them stick to smaller clans. Aquatids could easily have over hundreds of thousands in naval wars.

Then, there were the Insectids, whose casualties in Gnawer numbered well into the millions, and that was not even seen as a significant loss.

As a result, the five thousand Acolytes of Act X were an outlier given the majority were Insectids. Jury was not well acquainted with warfare to understand why Act X would send so little at the start.

She turned to how the Nexus operated by a quality over quantity standpoint (and their lack of manpower), and considered it was possible that Act X simply could not spare that many Actors.

Furthermore, Frost’s reiteration about Act X requiring Actors at all costs reinforced this belief.

However, she could not be more wrong.

“Non-lethal attacks! Keep the casualties to a minimum! We can’t give Act X an excuse to pursue the Fate Mechanism’s commands blindly when we’re done here!”

Were it not for the non-lethal clause, then Jury alone would have been enough to keep Act X at bay. Even Res was more than qualified to keep them in check. Summary executions were but a straightforward solution to any problem.

What could 5,000 Atelier personnel do to a Moon of Res’ caliber?

But murder was not Jury’s solution.

If it was, then she would have gladly taken the role and namesake of the White Glimmer Jury. Resigning oneself to bloodshed was only viable when all other options had been extinguished, or when it was unavoidable.

In saying this, Jury’s options were limited.

Beholder Skills, such as [Retrocausality], [Doppler Strike] and [Localized Entropy] were barred from use. [Angel’s Touch], [Smite] and its newly enhanced form: courtesy of the White Horseman: would result in total annihilation.

Additionally, her max ATT damage was higher than the HP pool of most Actors. Luckily, the majority of their opponents were Insectids, meaning they did not pose the risk of bleeding out as easily as most humanoid races.

I better avoid using chemicals too. Act X doesn’t make it easy for us, especially when they’re willing to die.

Thankfully she did not have to do anything right now. Res, Acedia and the Mimic of Amalgamation took the fight to Act X before their front lines could advance. Tendrils emerged from the bony protrusions of Acedia’s body. Each were tipped with an insidious barb. It was smooth, and the base was shaped like a club.

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They flailed wildly, smashing the limbs of Acolytes with a smile that circled around to the back of her head. A small, finger-sized portion of skin kept the top half of her head attached like a tiny hinge. Her teeth chattered, and they wriggled as though alive with each satisfying crunch of bone, flesh and carapace. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

[Mutilate]. It was a basic Skill of the [Desecration] Profession. It enhanced her attacks on non-vital targets, such as the limbs. [Mutilate] was but one of several Skills designed to sate her unending curiosity of what made people who they were.

Because each tendril could extend to over fifteen meters long, she was able to keep a large portion of the front lines at bay. Her speed, however, paled in comparison to Res and the Mimic of Amalgamation.

But she more than made up for this difference with two unique Skills.

“Pop. It bubbles. Burns. But not a grimace forms on your face. Why?” Acedia wore a blank, yet intrigued look as wounds left behind by her tendrils festered. “I’m curious. Do you not feel? Do you only feel pleasure? I would test it myself, but half of you is gone.”

A tendril poked at the sludge that was the lower half of a groaning Acolyte. Their hands dug into the sludge. The spell that had captivated them was broken, and a horrific shudder left their throats as they collapsed what had become of their lower body.

Acolytes were not like the Heralds. Among them were those who had only recently been brought into Act X’s ranks. Despite their utter devotion to Act X, they were not entirely incapable of expressing their emotions, and even their desires.

It roused Acedia’s innate curiosity and brought out the same innocent sadism of a child who stomped on bugs for the sake of them being bugs.

An acidic stench came from within the carapace of another. This was followed by a sickening scream. It shortly exploded and sent shrapnel flying into the marching army. Their weapons, which were pointed at Acedia, began to melt where stray droplets of a dark, gel-like fluid splashed.

This was caused by a Corrupted Passive Skill called [Digestive Solution]. Normally, this fluid only existed in small pouches in her body that were designated as ‘digestion’ chambers. But as a mimic, she was able to channel this to the tips of her barbs.

As a result, even the faintest cut was enough to inoculate the Actors. Trace amounts of foul-smelling gel caused a violent exothermic reaction when it entered the soft tissue. If the crack in their shell was not large enough to vent the steam, then the pressure inevitably turned them into living bombs.

It fascinated her. Her victims were normally too fragile. The durability of an Insectid caused an imperceptible shift in her attitude. The strikes became experimental. Furthermore, each explosion caused the red gel to harden into a carpet of malleable flesh. Ribbons of flesh seized the limbs of unsuspecting targets, trapping around a hundred in these random splotches of biomass.

This was another Corrupted Skill called [Convert Habitat]. Acedia rarely found use for it since she specialized in assassinations. The creeping ivy-like mass could easily give her location away. Furthermore, she preferred focusing on a single target to keep the kill as personal as possible.

“O’ Missionary. The creeping ivy of that one prevents the advance of the Acolytes.” A Herald relayed to a nearby Missionary.

“Push onwards. Mind not the one who was not mentioned in the Scripts.”

The wailings of the Acolytes revealed the emotional disparity between them and the rest of Act X. Acedia lightly bowed, an arm coiling around herself as she approached the Herald and Missionary at the frontlines.

“Splendid. Just when I was starting to become bored of the same reaction, they send me a sturdy one to probe.” Acedia’s cilia-like teeth vibrated with delight. “Mother will never approve of my indulgence. It’s unfortunate that I must maim you. Do give me a pleasant reaction. I wish to understand what brings an Insectid to such devotion. It cannot be love. I’ve seen love.”

She offered a casual conversation amid the carnage. Meanwhile, the Mimic of Amalgamation weaved through another part of the army like a shadow. Dark flashes of light were followed by a spray of red mist. Limbs were cut so cleanly that the Acolytes affected did not even notice what had occurred until they tried to move.

Moreover, the Mimic of Amalgamation targeted the Exarchs primarily. Its goal was to destabilize Act X’s chain of commands. However, Act X did not utilize army formations. They only sought to eliminate the twins.

Thus, even if their commanders were disabled, it would not stop them from attempting to reach the twins.