Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)-Chapter 1154. One Thousand Year Prison
There were infinite ways to die in Elysia. If one imagined the worst possible method of death, it would not even break the top million. Imagination had its limits. Even the most barbaric we’re humbled by beings like the Corrupted, monsters of the distant seas, and the Demons of Zelmori.
But, in the end, it did not change that people could only experience death once. Indeed, to cheat death was to never die in the first place. Otherwise, one had to approach the Memento Mori. Resurrection also required an enormous amount of Light and access to the Advent of Attachment.
However, this was only true when the perpetrator was not a Healer.
Torture was a rather mundane term when one thought about it. Torture was a state of constant suffering. Death was the opposite. In Elysia, death was the cure to suffering in most cases.
Indeed, death was commonly what followed torture.
But what if death was merely the beginning? What if death was not the salvation that one would hope for?
Arata, the Fallen Beholder, was the first to experience this firsthand. She arrived at the foot of the Amalgam in pristine condition, but her eyes lacked the vitality of the living.
Prior to being delivered she was in Justica Arm’s hands.
Frost wanted her alive above all else. However, she also wanted her to experience the agony she had put the Rouge Moons through. Firstly, she underwent the same trial as Raoul to have her sins exposed along her ribs.
Afterwards, she was handed over to the Blood Angels and Sanguine Doves under the pretense of experimenting with the durability of a Beholder. Whatever had occurred there undoubtedly led to her losing her will to live.
But if by some miracle she was able to clasp onto a strand of hope, then that was quickly vanquished when she was brought over to the Vermilion Moons, and the Rogue Moons they had taken under their wings.
Because there had to be a Healer present at all times, Beholder Arata could not die. Galia remained close in case she Corrupted. That never occurred. Nor were there any signs of Corruption.
Afterall, Corruption requires one’s worldview to collapse, and for one to allow a Shadow to consume them. Alternatively, she had no Ego to reinforce, as she did not possess a powerful belief.
In the end, Corruption was a rare phenomenon.
Otherwise, everyone on the brink of death would Corrupt.
Arata experienced death after death by the hands of Frost’s beloved Moons and Healers, before she was finally given to CogitO’s Dissonance Matrix: a unit of CogitO who specialized in weaponizing those who experienced an extreme form of cognitive dissonance.
For instance, those who did not want to hurt others: but were not healers: were often scouted and brought into their ranks. Despite this world view, they were among CogitO’s most ruthless murderers.
They were on par with the Dissociation Complex, who were straightjacketed beings that controlled detached, prosthetic limbs through multiple brains, akin to telekinesis.
Throughout Beholder Arata’s cycle of misery, the Sanguine Doves filled their [Manuals of Anti-Healing] to the brim with her injuries.
In total, she had experienced over five thousand unique deaths. A number that Frost was still dissatisfied with, given she was a traitor of the Nexus. She was also disappointed that she broke so easily.
Then again, Arata was a Fallen Beholder, the kind that was easily swayed by her personal desires and the false promises of the Broken Thorn. Even now, broken and mentally exhumed beyond repair, she was not given the antidote that was death.
Jury pulled Joy away and shielded her eyes with her tail and then cupped her ears with her hands. Once that was over, Frost plucked black device device from her [Dimensional Storage].
“Perfect. They didn’t anchor her Soul to the Reservoir, so there won’t be a blueprint for her soul to take after once we’re finished here. Oh, how far you’ve fallen, Beholder Arata. You’re the very first Fallen Beholder I’ve had the displeasure of laying my eyes on.”
The black device she held was a prism with tiny white dots that trickled downwards like snow. The snow cycled endlessly, and one could find very faint golden flakes cascading with the snow.
This was the [Distortion Prism], an Aspect of Technology Frost created before she decided to finally deal with Arata. It was among several devices she spent several days creating as she left Arata to wait outside of the chamber.
And on the thirtieth day, she stepped past the smokescreen and confronted Arata in the audience of Beholder Galia, the Archetypes, and Descartes 3.
Distortion Prism
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< Aspect of Technology | The Head | CogitO | Time Reverberation >
< Beware the Schemas associated with A (Activating Events), B (Beliefs of Irrational Origin) and C (Consequences of Belief) >
< EFFECT: Trap a susceptible mind in a mental prison for up to 1,000 years in the span of a single second. May invoke Corruption >
It was created with CogitO’s and Time Reverberation’s Aspects of Technology. It concentrated the Isolation Sphere to no more than the mind, which in turn allowed for the Isolation Sphere to increase its time dilation ability significantly since it had less space to work with.
Technically, it leaned more on CogitO’s side than Jury’s, given the description. Frost knew what Schemas were, as well as the ABC concept when it came to psychology. It was a theory based on Cognitive Distortion, which was one way to describe a Corruption Event.
That being said, Arata was already broken. Spending a thousand years in a mental prison wouldn’t cause her to Corrupt. Ten seconds of Arata’s future in Universal Time were already predetermined by Frost. She wouldn’t Corrupt. Thus, this was the safest way to ensure Arata was nothing more than a hollow husk.
“Rise.”
Frost did not wish to lower herself to Arata’s level. Since her blood was still coursing through her veins, Arata could not refuse this command, and she rose to her feet, but also remained hunched as to not tower over Frost.
“How mundane. You were working with the Broken Thorn, but your appearance tells me you must have been close to the Memento Mori. No matter. You’ve confessed enough to my Moons and Healers.”
“… Your… Children…” The words puffed out like a dying breath.
“That’s right.”
A gloved hand brushed against Arata’s skeletal face. She was no more than a skeleton enshrouded in blue armor, with an azure heart beating within her ribcage. The metal plating was animated, and each touch caused it to ripple like a flowing river.
This was of course part of her body. She was highly durable as a Beholder as well.
Fallen Beholder Arata
< The Hasteful Departer >
GIFT FROM A STAR: Aching Departure
< Gone before we knew it. The weight of responsibility hangs high. That price will be paid in full >
LEVEL : 250ORIGIN : HumanHP : 35,000,000
ATT : 230,000MAG ATT : 120,000ATT DEF : 100,000MAG DEF : 100,000MP : 500,000
RESIST : 600AGI : 20 (+430)
Unfortunately, her HP was highly lacking. Her ATT stats were desirable. However, Frost did not want to erase her. She had value as an asset. Moreover, with her Stats, she could develop into a powerful pawn, given her mind was broken beyond repair.
A black orb filled her head, as did a black flame. Her intentions and desires were snuffed by nothingness, and even though she had a heart in her chest, it was as empty as vacuum.
All Frost needed to do was to fill in that space. She placed the object on Arata’s forehead and softly smiled.
“Only I can save you from that emptiness. Death isn’t a cure anymore. You cannot die so long as my blood courses through you. Reflect upon yourself and tell me what you need when you return.”
Arata’s body locked up moments before it slumped into an unsightly heap. A white mark was left on her forehead as the tip of the prism glowed. Frost stowed it away before unexpectedly kneeling before Arata.
A second later, Arata returned, only the twin blue orbs that served as her eyes to dim considerably. Frost’s smirk softened, becoming motherly as she forced her face to be the only thing Arata could see.
This was also due to the [Glimmers Be Silenced] Ability, which forced her to appear as the only source of light in one’s vision. Or in Arata’s case, her sole savior, despite being the source of her torment.
It was a strategy used by unsavory people both in Elysia and on Earth which led to what was called Stockholm Syndrome. By being the emotional caregiver and the abuser of a victim, one could force a victim to become reliant on them.
Ethics, morality: none of this mattered to her. That was only applicable to humans and animals, not monsters or the Impuritas.
“What did you see?”
“… A… Aaa…” A whimper left Arata’s nonexistent lips. Her mandible creaked as it trembled, then, it hung loosely, as if her will to exist left her body in that instant.
“Aaa? Ah, oh dear, did you lose your ability speak? Don’t worry. You won’t need to speak anymore. I have something that can help you. I just need you to stick out your hand.”
She gently held Arata’s hand and brought it out.
“And stick out your pinky.”
Arata did as she was ordered, like an abused child obeying a mother who was putting on a loving act in front of an audience.
“And promise to me that you will never disobey the medicine I’ll impart upon you.”
“… I… Promise…”
Frost plucked an ethereal string from Arata’s pink and wrapped it around her own. Then, she placed a needle in the center of the string. This needle was another Aspect of Technology she had created.
Solemn Promise
< Aspect of Technology | The Head | Golden Index | Scarlet Logic >
< May the liar swallow a needle and die >
< EFFECT: Create binding Contracts. If a Contract is broken, then the predetermined consequences will immediately be applied >
