CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL was underway.

EXTERMINATION protocols were always in a state of CONSTANT UPGRADE, altered according to Experience and information gathered from INVASION DATA and ANALYSIS of Invader Soul Architecture.

Even so, the Current version of CLEAN SLATE was taking longer than usual.

This could become a POTENTIAL PROBLEM.

The Omphalos of the CRYPT OF FIENDISH WORMS recoiled, analyzing the effects of the Protocol. CLEAN SLATE was always an action performed under Extreme Duress, and was almost immediately altered post the encounter with INVASION.

Information rose before the Omphalos’s own meta-consciousness.

CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL VERSION 3.0

VERSION 3.0.

The Omphalos reared back, aggressively rechecking historical data. As a creature of GROWTH and EVOLUTION, Historical Data was mostly rendered OBSOLETE after every ONE MILLION OSCILLATIONS. Even so, reports of CLEAN SLATE protocols were retained, owing to constant presence of CURSE on the exterior side of the Anomaly.

CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL VERSION 1.0

Launched Against Wraith Invasion

Attacks from the desert above. The very first DANGER against CRYPT OF FIENDISH WORMS.

More information flooded in.

POST EXTERMINATION ANALYSIS

Heteromorphic Monsters survived with minimum damage against MENTAL EROSION.

Liquid metal found effective against SPIRITUAL existences.

It quickly checked the RESULTS.

Non-Heteromorphic Monster Proliferation Suspended.

Heteromorphic Monster Proliferation HEIGHTENED to MAXIMUM CAPACITY.

Active Synthesis of Liquid Metal.

MENTAL EROSION analyzed, replicated, and added to SOUL CRYPT.

…

…

Was that all? More information was required.

The Omphalos looked deeper.

CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL VERSION 2.0

Launched against Yokai Invasion

INVADER ANALYSIS

MENTAL EROSION Wraiths.

ELEMENTAL Wraiths.

Creatures with NATURAL MANA-SYNTHESIS facilities.

Creatures capable of POSSESSION and CONTORTION of possessed body tissues.

Creatures capable of EXTREME BLUNT FORCE.

POST-EXTERMINATION ANALYSIS

Heteromorphic Monsters unable to deal with MANA-SYNTHESIS.

Liquid metal found effective against SPIRITUAL existences.

Extreme regeneration facility found useful against PHYSICAL BLUNT FORCE

Innate slowness of heteromorphs found lacking.

INFERENCE REPORT

Continued Synthesis of Liquid Metal in the Heart of SOUL CRYPT.

Freezing of MANA-SYNTHESIZERS owing to lack of substantial replicative information. Postponed production of Monsters with MANA-SYNTHESIS capabilities. Stored in SOUL CRYPT.

Addition of VATUATIL metal to heteromorphic monster prototypes. Assimilation of cartilaginous tissue and metal endo and exo-skeletons to heteromorphic hybrids.

Facilitated production of Heteromorphic Hybrids.

The Omphalos knew the rest. It had altered the FAILSAFE— Dranzithl —and modified it according to the INFERENCE REPORT. Liquid metal and Vatuatil were assimilated into FAILSAFE’s structure. Extreme Regeneration, followed up from INVASION 1.0 had continued to be part of the dranzithl’s soul architecture and skills.

That brought it to the CURRENT PROBLEM.

ANOMALY HEALTH Less than Threshold Barrier.

Shutting Down Auxiliary Operations.

And that was it.

Extreme Regeneration required a healthy amount of ANOMALOUS ENERGY to be converted to LIFEFORCE for the Dranzithl to overwhelm the INVADERS. That was how it had always functioned in the past.

It did not matter.

CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL was always a quick process involving systematic takedown and extermination of invaders, followed by post-extermination analysis. It was why all CONSTRUCTIVE PROCESSES were automatically put on HALT when CLEAN SLATE was active.

Every bit of ANOMALOUS ENERGY within reach was poured to serve the needs of the Dranzithl— the FAILSAFE.

But—

CONTRADICTION and AGGRAVATION are being DIFFICULT.

And that was making all the difference.

CONTRADICTION and AGGRAVATION were providing INTENSE resistance to the FAILSAFE, causing more and more ANOMALOUS ENERGY to be diverted from ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS to the FAILSAFE. It was the FAILSAFE’s nature to function without limitations, and act with complete autonomy until CLEAN SLATE was established.

And yet—

Anomaly Disintegration Active.

Shutting Down all Regenerative Processes.

Auxiliary Power Sources Absent.

Anomaly Lattice Disintegration Active.

WARNING!

Power Drainage by FAILSAFE Exceeded Threshold Limit.

CONTRADICTION was causing immense physical damage to the Dranzithl, causing drain of ANOMALOUS ENERGY into FAILSAFE regeneration. AGGRAVATION was deleting Substrate Material from ESTABLISHED SUPPLY and increasing PRESSURE on MONSTER RECONSTRUCTION protocol-units.

Drainage for REGENERATION.

Drainage for PROLIFERATION.

Drainage for RECONSTRUCTION.

Drainage for constant MENTAL EROSION.

The rift was ever increasing.

The Omphalos acted.

DENIAL!

Removal of REGENERATION?

…NO.

Intentional suppression of FAILSAFE was not going to help against INVASION. Alternate counter-measures needed to be deployed. Alternate FAILSAFEs needed to be created,

It expanded its awareness, looking for other resources.

Alternative Countermeasures Absent

Perhaps a different method might be needed?

If FAILSAFE could not be interrupted, perhaps the invader could be dealt with differently?

The Omphalos looked at the available information.

Anomalous Energy Radiation = 0

ANALYSIS : Neonate Anomaly.

Anomalous Energy Reflection = 100%

ANALYSIS : Invader with ALIEN TRUTH

Strength > SELF

Anomalous Energy Reflection = 0%

ANALYSIS : He-Who-Consumes-Within

Anomaly Strength > SELF

There was little that could be done against the AGGRAVATION, the Invader with ALIEN TRUTH. The entity was reflecting ANOMALOUS ENERGY completely. No amount of SOUL CONTORTION would work on it.

But He-Who-Consumes-Within, the Anomaly CONTRADICTION, was different.

SOUL CONTORTION was a Blunt-force instrument, utilized through Radiation of Anomalous Energy into the physical body of a creature, contorting its soul and facilitating MENTAL EROSION and SPIRITUAL EROSION until the creature began to listen to the Omphalos’s commands. Killing such a creature would then result in assimilation of its SOUL PROTOTYPE and be used in creation of new monsters.

But this was the first time the CRYPT OF FIENDISH WORMS, an Anomaly itself, was going to perform it on another Anomaly, albeit a CONTRADICTION. And yet, the entity was absorbing 100% of the Anomalous Energy into itself.

That could work.

It ran the numbers.

The result was within acceptance levels. Any SIDE-EFFECTS or LOSSES could be reported as part of Post-Extermination Analysis.

The Omphalos came to a decision.

Initiate Soul Contortion.

Lukas Aguilar looked down upon the quivering mass of shadows and miasma on the ground with confused annoyance. “I swear no matter how many times I kill this thing, it just won’t die.”

He looked up and glared at Tanya, as if she was the reason behind the abnormality. “You agree with me, right? This is wrong! People die when they are killed. So should this monster!”

Tanya, who had seen him just beat down an ever-regenerating monstrous entity like a naughty puppy, tried to think of a proper response to that. “Err… yes. They should.”

Lukas gave her a wolfish grin. “See? There has to be laws about this stuff. If you’re killed, you die. You move on. Allow the next monster to do its shit. Die and let die and all that.”

Tanya took a step back. She didn’t know why but it felt like the right thing to do.

“Well,” Lukas nodded, clearly lost in his own world, “I can’t say I am terribly upset by it. Ever since, well, recently, I’ve been on a bit of a high. Itching for a good battle. You know how itches can be. They’re absolutely maddening.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, wondering if she would even need to contribute to this fight at all. “I can see that.”

“Thought so,” Lukas continued, oblivious to her expressions. Or perhaps she had a good poker face. Who could say for certain? “Adventurers are all about killing monsters, right? Maybe I can be an adventurer, until I figure a way back?”

Tanya knew she had one of the fastest growths as an Adventurer in Haviskali’s recent history, but her situation was unique. One didn’t turn out average after being trained by someone like Wuodan.

But this lunatic? She wouldn’t be surprised if he was sitting on the top of the Haviskali Guild food chain by the end of the week, as a Silver-plate if not higher. And that was just considering everything he could perform with lifeforce alone. Adding his earlier abilities with pyrotechnics and psionics, he’d easily be a force not to be reckoned with.

Maybe, just maybe, if she played her cards right, she could take advantage of his power. Between the two of them, they’d make one hell of a team. Especially now that she was able to use her ice powers without losing herself in the process. Or, at the very least, worrying about losing herself.

Another thing I’m thankful for.

Tanya glanced towards him. Call it a silver lining or what not, but she was glad things turned out the way they did in the end. In fact, it made her want him even more. And that was without considering the constant itch she felt for him thanks to whatever mind-fuckery he had done to her, with the added effect of the Ice whispering in her mind.

It was probably for the best that a sudden blast of shadows erupted from the walls, covering the floor with miasma to drown the fallen monsters and regenerate them over and over again.

Like clockwork, the monsters began to move again.

“You know,” Lukas sighed, his tone as dry as the desert above them, “I didn’t really hate this thing. But it's so damn annoying that I can’t help it!”

“You are insane.”

“And you are boring,” he retorted, rolling his eyes. “Let’s get— urgh!”

The rest of his words died in his throat as Lukas lurched backwards, his eyes wide as dinner plates. The pair of blades fell from his shaking fingers and dropped to the floor with a loud Clang! His entire body trembled as if he’d been hit by a hundred of those kinetic waves he threw around without a care. Before Tanya could even take stock of the situation, her acquaintance had fallen to his knees, gasping in anguish. Rich, crimson blood oozed out of his ears, nose, fingernails and quite possibly every orifice he had.

“What—”

The word came out as a mix between a scream and a croak. His vocal cords were visibly contorting, causing him to choke on himself as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. His eyes lost the bright, unpredictable lunacy and were instead bulging out, as if they were trying to tear their way out of his face. His nails angrily scratched the floor in a frenzy as copious amounts of lifeforce emanated from him in thick, overwhelming waves.

“Wha—screechh!—what is happe—nnninnggg!”

The grating sound that came from his throat was like dragging rusted iron against glass. Crackling and squelching noises came from within his constantly twitching body, as if he were being zapped by lightning discharge.

It was a gruesome sight.

Tanya slowly reached out to touch him, but couldn’t. For all her curiosity, there was just something utterly repulsive about him. Her instincts screamed at her to go away, to escape while there was still time and ample opportunity.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she stood there, hands raised, paralyzed with indecision.

Lukas snapped his neck in her direction, his eyes rolled back enough that she could only see the whites of his eyeballs. His teeth gnashed together, reddish drool flowing out of his maws like a waterfall.

“Ru—nghaaah!”

Blood splattered across the floor.

“Rghunnnnnnnnh!” he yelled, his voice louder, larger, thrumming with power.

Tanya stilled, and met his eyes.

“RUNNNNNGHHHHHNNNN!” he roared, raising his right hand as he punched—

Space itself distorted in its wake.

The entire floor was drowned by the sound of a howling wind as the air between his punch and the stone floor rippled, sending a shockwave of invisible force hurling forward. It leapt through the space that divided the two of them, literally flinging Tanya away like a ragdoll as she was sent tumbling across the floor. The deafening sound met the cavernous walls of stone around them and—

Stone gave out first.

The mighty walls buckled as large fractures twisted their way through the slabs, bending and exploding under the pressure as a spider web of fissures expanded at an alarming rate. Crevices the size of roads emerged on the floor’s surface, starting from where Lukas stood and spreading in all directions. It was as if the entire floor was a touch away from shattering like glass.

And in the middle of it all, stood Lukas.

Only… he was different now. So much more.

An aura descended upon the cavern— an all-consuming feeling of rage and bloodlust backed by a power as implacable and unyielding as a mountain. It was far beyond any mere matter of strength, but rather a sensation both primal and terrible that flooded the consciousness of everyone in the area, even the dark miasma; it was the feeling of a rabbit that had been cornered by a wolf, helpless and terrified in the wake of its fate.

Tanya continued to gawk, her eyes locked in horror, her body unable to move, her pain momentarily forgotten. Gone was the wolfish grin and the casual demeanor her companion portrayed. His eyes were now pale red, pulsing with rage as lifeforce spiraled out of him like ribbons. As if that wasn’t disconcerting enough, the mindless, impossible power he exuded rooted her to the spot. It was worse— worse than her blackest nightmares, like watching a terrible earthquake or staring into an oncoming hurricane, frozen in fear and awe alike by the unimaginable destructive potential and the prospect of certain death.

And in that moment, she came to an understanding.

This was no warrior. This was no Outsider.

No, Lukas was something more. He was a destroyer. A being wholly dedicated to the obliteration of life. It had no purpose but to choose a target and attack— attack with relentless fury and unstoppable force until it was nothing but wet meat on the ground, at which point he would choose another target, then another, then another until he was surrounded by nothing but dust and blood.

That very same Lukas turned towards her, his bloodshot eyes resembling those of a rabid wolf. And once again, he repeated the same command towards her.

“Run.”