Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

928. Acedia Special Division Headquarters

Death and the corroded stench of rust greeted them at the foot of the Leviathan.

Howling winds carried its scent and rusted particles across the town. If the incident had not yet sent people back into their homes, then the acrid dust certainly would.

The gargantuan train parked on the Express railway line, whilst the five smaller sat on the regular line.

Make no mistake, these were far from regular locomotives. They were moving fortresses of impregnable steel and magic.

They were called the Avernus.

Each of these trains were comprised of three segmented parts. The front (engine), the middle (core) and the rear (utility). Each of these three components could be changed to whatever the Division saw fit, but this was the standard blueprint.

The front segment was universally the most defended part as it carried the Train Core alongside vital instruments.

The center was a massive compartment comprising of multiple sub-compartments, which were arranged like the bullets of an oversized revolver. They cycled with deliberate purpose and were created out of a highly resistant alloy that emitted a faint, mechanical hum.

A mechanism beyond their comprehension grinded massive gears within the mechanisms of the Avernus. They reverberated with each cycle as plumes of superheated steam rushed out from beneath the floating locomotives.

Frost observed what used to be the Iron Coffins with majesty.

The compartments locked into place with a guttural thunk.

She could not help but picture a weapon rather than a vehicle.

And with the middle compartments being the living quarters of the Repenters, it painted an even sinister picture.

They were no more than bullets– expendable rounds rather than people.

As if to build upon that sinister imagery, the last compartment was where the Soul Anchor was installed, alongside weaponry and upgrades such as thrusters, deployable bombs, stationary cannons, and so on.

One had to also remember that the trains of Caldera Industries were larger than they appeared from the outside; a phenomenon caused by the distortion of space thanks to the Train Core.

And because these trains were used by Repenters, all safety mechanisms and failsafes were conveniently abandoned.

Indeed, it would not be a surprise if an Avernus were to mysteriously end up in a vehicle graveyard within the Derma Layer. Of course, there was always a way to get out, and that would require fueling the specialized Train Core.

“Caldera Industries, paired with the Chained Theocracy’s ability to transcend the Layers of Elysia, and Justica Arm’s teleportation.” Frost recited, still fascinated by the technological marvel. “In the event that they disappear, they can teleport out. I’m guessing they return to where they last left off?”

The Orange Conductor glanced over at Icara. After receiving a small nod from the girl, she answered.

“Back to their Headquarters. At least in our case. Most Divisions will end up at their Executive bases. Another part that makes the Special Division ‘special’ is that we’re closely tied to the upper management for better or worse.”

The front double glass-framed doors recessed into the walls of the Leviathan with a disturbing thud. Once they were locked in place, the entire machine seemed to groan, like a living entity anticipating their descent into its maw.

A long stretch of polished hardwood floors invited them. It seemed to stretch on endlessly. Immediately to the left was a large atrium where the balconies of the next three floors overlooked.

It was gloomy.

Despite there being a grand crystal chandelier glowing in the center of the artium, the light could not illuminate the room properly. An artificial darkness pervaded the air. The only source of light that could pass through was the glow from her hair and eyes.

Frost took a short look around on her own accord, hearing Usari whisper: “Usasri wouldn’t recommend that. The Director likes keeping things tidy.”

Nav. Am I able to analyze the air?

“You can give it a try. I recommend using [Cleanse] and see if it can ward the darkness away.”

[Appraise Object].

[Cleanse].

Aroma of Acedia

< When they realize that all things will end, and when the trees darken and the skies lose their stars, then will they come to relinquish it all? >

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

< Qliphoth Presence Detected >

The fog of gloom dissipated around her. She had become a candleflame burning in the dark. The Aroma of Acedia – the physical manifestation of darkness around her – was vanquished within 10 meters of her. Those within 20 meters were half-removed, which fell in line with her [Cleanse V]’s Mastery effect.

Mastery: [Purify]. It allowed her to remove Conditions and Stacks born from Corrupted or sources of Qliphoth.

The latter applied here.

“Wouldn’t this imply…”

That Sins are also Qliphoth? So it’s not just Corrupted and Impuritas.

< It is the biggest mystery right now next to the Light. While we’ve figured out what causes Corruption, we’ve only had a glimpse of its underlaying mechanisms. We have no idea what it is aside that it constitutes malevolent phenomena >

< In contrast to the Light, curiously enough >

Frost was compelled to erase all of the Qliphoth here, but it seemed to serve a purpose. The fact that this Leviathan served as the Acedia Special Division’s moving Headquarters and contained the Aroma of Acedia was no coincidence.

Using that logic, she assumed that the other Divisions had Sins polluting their vehicles as well.

What struck Frost the most was that this wasn’t Nex.

Then again, Nex didn’t exactly have a physical form outside of Liquid Nex as far as she was concerned, or the fluids called Specific Nex that came from Corrupted.

“Two entirely different things, but so alike, huh.” Frost murmured to herself.

Usari held a hand to her mouth and said to Jury:

“She’s being creepy. How can you stand a Color like that? Usari hates crazy people.”

“It’s cute to watch her think though~” Jury hummed, causing the bunny to retract her hand with disgust.

“More weirdoes! Gross!”

“Wallowing in your shackles is no different from drowning. It’s especially true for Acedia.” The Orange Disruptor smiled as Frost returned to the group.

She placed her hands on the shoulders of her Repenters and squeezed them close.

“A completely different breed of inactivity from Sloth. A river will send down a log down the stream. It’s destined to follow the flow, whether it likes it or not. But Acedia–”

She then tapped the side of her eyes.

They sparked with a sudden light, also managing to cut through the darkness.

“– Will be imprisoned beneath the surface of the river. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never fight the flow of the current. What’s the point? Why even try? Why live like a slave in your second life? If they knew the answer, then wouldn’t it be easy to escape the current? Hahaha~!”

She laughed, then, a split second later, she assumed a neutral attitude before moving ahead.

“Loosen up. Let’s not keep the Director waiting. I have a sneaking suspicion she’s going to like you a lot, Black Dove~”

“Agreed. The Black Dove does kind of look like the Director.” Hayte commented.

“Acedia is there then, I take?”

“Usari thinks she looks like the Healer brat that thinks she can shoot better than Usari! Usari is NOT target practice!”

Abigail must be here too.

* * *

The interior was not as spacious as the Cruisers nor like the Leviathans used to collect and imprison criminals across the Nex Megalopolis. It was compact and boasted an endless series of narrow hallways.

Some areas require a person to crawl on their chest and make dangerous 90 degree turns. The Leviathan could never be too comfortable for a Repenter, although that was on a per train basis.

Still, it did not excuse the Acedia Division’s Headquarters for retaining these.

The Orange Disruptor explained that they were using a rather old model due to ‘budget’ reasons.

Even if this was a major Headquarter, they had to start from the ground up.

“It’s not all bad. The majority of the Leviathan is perfectly accessible. As for the Avernus, you can think of them like an expeditionary vehicle. Putting the Headquarters into a vulnerable position is the worst thing you can do.”

The Orange Disruptor hummed, leading them up a flight of carpeted stairs.

The walls here were lined with various golden inscriptions against a black background. The upper floors were far more luxurious than the lower floors, especially the third floor as it belonged to the Director herself.

“So why is this here?” Jury inquired.

“It makes the extraction process of Nex much more efficient. There’s some loss we have to deal with when transferring it into our onboard Nex Accumulator. It’s frankly bullshit, but if you think of it like you’re paying tax for the Head, then it becomes easier to digest.”

There were more corridors on the third floor. Iridescent light bulbs powered by magic were fixed along the dark wood walls. The lights turned on only when they were within five meters of them.

Otherwise, this floor was completely plunged into darkness.

The Orange Disruptor further explained the Avernus, as well as the structure of their Atelier.