Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

979. The Festival Of Sin

Dregs. The lowest level of Sins marched from the portal, passing by the Rouge Moons. They formed a massive lane, containing Frost and the Rouge Moons before disappearing into another tear in space far behind her.

Hundreds… no, thousands of Dregs dressed in celebratory outfits befitting of a wretched wedding brought forth the stench of eleven Sins.

They were derived from all known Affinities.

* * *

Dregs of Lust (Desire)
Lust

< OBS | Basic : A spark of ambition is born >

These were a lattice of fragile stone in the shape of a human-sized star. Between the cracks of the stone were visible muscle and tendons.

Dregs of Wrath (Wrath)
Wrath

< OBS | Basic : A pathogen lurks in the blood >

Wrath was represented by a bloody larva with a single eye.

Dregs of Gluttony (Lament)
Gluttony

< OBS | Basic : There will never be another fruit with the taste of the first fruit plucked from the tree >

A bloated mass with a hardened shell made of cracked stones represented Gluttony. It was shaped like a fruit with many mouths and teeth between the cracks. They gnawed at the air, hoping to further fill their overstuffed bodies.

Dregs of Envy (Attachment)
Envy

< OBS | Basic : It seeks what it does not yet have >

They were featureless humanoid-shaped figures with comically long limbs.

Dregs of Sloth (Purpose)
Sloth

< OBS | Basic : Drifting ever closer to a place they don’t understand >

Flesh-shaped wheels – no, spheres. Unlike the previous Sins, they were entirely enclosed in a metallic exoskeleton. They moved according to the flow of the march, pushed around by Sins as entrenched eyes stared back at Frost.

Dregs of Heresy (Civilization)
Heresy

< OBS | Basic : Why does the common flame hold so much power? >

A scorched stick-shaped entity standing on four legs marched. Flames burned endlessly from a goblet above, and a red eye could be found within. Those flames resembled a small crown.

Dregs of Acedia (Despair)
Acedia

< OBS | Basic : Futility begins when our eyes first open. Do they ever wonder why they wail when they are born? >

These resembled deep, ocean-blue stick insects. They fell in line with the Relinquished Consanguinity’s theme of dead trees. But they felt more human. Limbs in the shape of branches wrapped around nothing to represent the futility of life.

It emitted a low-humming drone. The creature did not represent death, but rather, anti-life. To live as though one was already dead.

Dregs of Avarice (Hope)
Avarice

< OBS | Basic : Their value was determined by those who did not know their worth >

A golden centipede with purple swirls inscribed into its carapace. Hooked arms jiggled beneath its body like the limbs of a jellyfish. They greedily grasped onto grains of sand as though there was not enough sand in the desert to share.

Dregs of Deceit (Ego)
Deceit

< OBS | Basic : Fingers crossed at every promise. At what point do they become the masks they wear? >

Serpents no larger than a human walked along on six legs. Their bodies were transparent, yet reflective. They wore a mask where their face should be, and it was attached to an exposed spine. The mask occasionally revolved with a loud click, revealing a new face.

Dregs of Pride (Judgement)
Pride

< OBS | Basic : They believe they can do no wrong >

They were floating cross-shaped artefacts with an eye embedded into the center. Few were decorated with thorns and red roses. Others were embedded into the backs of other Sins, and they were made to drag them along the march.

Then, there was the Sin of Treachery.

It came from the Attribute of Identity.

And the Affinity of Amalgamation.

Dregs of Treachery (Amalgamation)
Treachery

< OBS | Basic : Cold is the love of a heart that can’t love itself >

It was a black, throbbing heart with a faint golden eye embedded in the center. Its shell pulsated and cracked with each long breath, revealing a red mass.

It had no other characteristics. But when it came close to another Dreg, a crack would form along their bodies, revealing a mouth that took nibbles out them and their apparels.

It was an oddly warm, lulling creature that attacked when a target lowered their sense of security.

A faint blurring of light could be found at the very edges of this Sin, as though its weight was so profound that it was bending light.

* * *

They were weak, but the sheer quantity had Frost questioning how many more existed within the Subcut Layer. The Rouge Moons trudged onwards, their decision made clear as they pointed their weapons towards Frost with the intention of skewering her.

“Head of the Nexus. Did you come here to punish us?” One recited with a deadpan cadence. “Accept my apology. Then let me skewer you and apologize anew.”

“Let this one atone by driving my rapier into your heart. The cost of atonement.”

The effects of Heart of Ours’ Corrupted Skills nor the [Language of Greed] were working. Their RESIST was so high that they were effectively immune to being swayed by another heart.

Frost clasped the air and caught the weapons of two approaching Rouge Moons. She held them in place, only for them to release their weapons and send a flurry of kicks and punches.

However, these were futile efforts. She clasped the air again and caught their legs mid-kick before speaking.

“I can bring you back to the Nexus. Whatever you’ve done can be repaid by serving the Nexus again. Your Light – I can restore it.” Frost attempted to speak into their hearts.

Her fingers sank into their ankles, bleeding them.

“I can offer you penance.”

[Progenitor Art: Ego – Die Agnosis] was a guaranteed method to peer into their minds. She was about to grant them a spark of Light, but a rebuttal suddenly severed the connection.

“We will never return until this sorrow ends.”

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

< QLIPHOTH CORROSION DETECTED >

The arm of one morphed into a blade infested with weeping eyes, as the other’s head snapped backwards, revealing a maw on the back of her head. They struck Frost, but it did not manage to damage her. She simply held them there, perplexed by what she thought was a Corrupted Persona.

“Similar isn’t it? Qliphoth works by using the same principle. Buuuut – One uses something rawer. Spontaneous. Deep from the dregs of our self, rather mirror or defend what’s down there. If I had to give you an answer, then it’s a lot closer to how the Impuritas are made. But it’s completely reversable. Sort of. They lack the Light now~ Isn’t it tragic?”

“It reflects pieces of their Shadow. Tch. I can already see what the fuck will happen if I grant them a ‘spark’.”

She didn’t want to reveal how she could restore their Light. Not in front of an enemy. She slammed the Rouge Moons together and hurled them back, only for them to be caught by the weapons of their own members.

“You can still fight.” One urged a mortally wounded Rouge Moon. “As for you, retreat. A Lost Star will help you find a bleeding Healer.”

“Wait–!” Frost propelled forward, only to be intercepted by the Aberration.

She moved in an instant!? Tch. Warp… Isn’t going to make this easy!

“You didn’t Corrupt them? Or grant them a bit of your Light? Smaaart~ I was keeping my mouth shut hoping you’d do it. But you’re smart enough to not leave yourself open~ It would be difficult to bring back one of those Moons.”

Frost’s heart stopped.

Not the part that she could bring them back, but that this Aberration knew how vulnerable she would be.

“How do you know about that?”

“We’ve been watching you~ Do you really think the Site Core has a mind of its own? Bahahahaha! You’re so funny. It does, but when does a Site Core murmur about what it means to be a machine? A human? Does it matter in the end?”

She cackled, pressing her whip harder against Frost’s [Plasma Cutters].

“Existence is suffering. To live is to lament. Machines have it easy, but they don’t know that~”

“Is no one on your side on the same page!?”

“Used to be when they thought you’d be easy to take down. There’s some friction now. I can only imagine their faces when they figure that you Captured Star – You can give them what they’ve been waiting for!”

Frost threw herself away.

A tear in space appeared where she was just standing.

< Skill Analyzed >

???

< ACTIVE: Pre-Emptive Whipshot >

< Preparations are part of the cycle of lament >

< EFFECT: Unleash Whipshots from the Subderma Layer. May store up to 240 hours’ worth of lashes >

ATT : 500,000     MAG ATT : 500,000

“Nothing like Retrocausality. Elysia’s fired many more pre-emptive strikes from eons ago. All for the sake of that pitiful replacement. But I actually don’t mind that Jury. So long as her eyes aren’t on Sinder, then I think we can get along juuuuust fine~”

“Bullshit!”

They reengaged in close quarters combat.

Frost avoided using long-range attacks at the risk of eliminating the Rouge Moons. In her heart she believed that they could be saved. A part of her cried out at what they must have gone through with every second she spent staring into their eyes.

“You’re with them! You’d love it if I died right here, wouldn’t you?”

“In a perfect world? Yes. Killing you here would save us a lot of headache. The brighter you become, the more catastrophic your death will be~ Buuut – Sinder would hate that! I can’t kill you till you bring Sinder back!”

“Are you still living in the past!? Sinder is dead!”

[Amplified: Plasma Cutter – Atomic Splitter]. The purple plasma blades bit into the thorny barbs of her whip. The Aberration was faster, but not by much.

She phased through space. Frost’s omnidirectional vision was the only thing that allowed her to keep track of her. They moved through the space like a pair of wasps, their movements highly chaotic and unpredictable.

The stirring sand swept across the parade. Despite this, Rouge Moons fired volleys of ranged weapons at Frost.

“Is that what you believe!?” The Aberration laughed. “You’ll tell me that I also enjoy these marches. This endless dance! Tell me more of what you think of me, Captured Star! Tell me more of how little you know about me. Just like Sinder… Ahahahaha – Ah!?”

Frost managed to connect a clean hit with the side of her chest. [Atomic Splitter] wasn’t able to physically damage her due to her immense HP stat, but it was enough to send her flying.

Then, Frost gave chase.

“I can say the same thing to you!” She roared.

[Progenitor Art: Wrath – Rupture]. This increased her AGI by 20%, bringing her total AGI from 105 to 126.

But she wasn’t done.

The broken halo glowed as she drew power from the Second State.

< [Wrath] >

< [OO] Progenitor Art: Sundering Rupture [OO] >

< EFFECT: Your blood reacts violently to dangerous stimuli. Send a barrage of bloody slashes and spears in all directions inside of a 140-meter radius. Increase AGI by 30%. Explode defeated targets and use their blood to propagate the effect >

< COST: 250,000 HP per minute >

AGI : 136