Lukas’s stomach did a little flip.

Destruction of the crystals in the caverns. Stealing monster prototypes. Hacking and maiming everything that came rushing at him without a second thought. The humiliating defeat he’d impressed upon the genius loci, followed by Tanya’s weird frosty thing sucking all the life out of him. Finally getting out of whatever trance or mind-fuckery the Crypt had subjected him to.

On a neutral case-by-case basis, they were all reasonable— albeit slightly fantastical —events. But bundled together, especially in quick succession, the destruction and deviance was just too large to be swept under the metaphorical rug. Something was brewing ever since he’d first stolen from the Crypt. Something big.

So why wasn’t the anomaly attacking yet?

It was crazy, but after all this time, Lukas felt like he’d developed a sort of… connection with the Crypt around him. This was the place that had given him his new, altered existence. It had transformed him from a simple human into a fearsome predator who boasted skills and levels, into something greater.

Most importantly, there was a sense of acute kinship with the Crypt. Because he was an anomaly himself.

He was standing there with four others, all of whom looked very much human. And truthfully, he should have been wondering how truly human they were. Did they have a similar culture, habits, way of life? Did they have TV and movies? What else did they do for entertainment? Was their society stuck in the middle ages, or was it some crazy warlock-and-magic style dystopia?

But… no. Instead, he found himself stepping into the shoes of a dull, eerie, subterranean anomaly. And if he were honest, it felt very natural.

What did that say about him?

Focus, Lukas. Get the Omphalos and get out.

“Why?”

Tanya’s abrupt question threw him off.

“Huh— what?”

The two of them were walking together, with Zuken, Elena, and Burger— he refused to call him anything else —up ahead, the changeling in the lead sensing her way forward. As it turned out, Elena had an ability similar to his Scan, only larger and more versatile.

On the off-chance that this was all just a big hoax, Lukas had decided to stay behind them. Elena was quirky, but the presence around her practically screamed hostility. Burger was just an unpleasant source of amusement, especially when he got riled up. Zuken was… Zuken. For some reason, he didn’t like that guy. If they suddenly decided he wasn’t worth the effort of their deal, he wanted to see the attack coming.

Naturally, Tanya volunteered to walk alongside him. To keep him from attacking them all the same.

The symmetry of their actions was not lost on him.

“You made sure I’ll receive full payment?”

“And that’s bad because…?”

“Because it’s confusing,” she frowned.

“I guess you can add that to my list of shortcomings.”

Tanya firmly grasped his arm. “You’re not lying, are you?” she demanded. “That the anomaly truly messed with your mind back there?”

Lukas sighed, giving her a deadpan stare. “If I was serious about killing you, I’d have driven a blade through your chest instead of holding a long-drawn conversation about it.” Bitterness welled up within him. “This anomaly unleashed something in me. Something that’s not in my complete control.”

“Yet.”

He nodded.

She was silent for a moment, before nodding back. “I know a thing or two about losing control. When I first attacked you, it was actually the Ice.”

“You mean your kami,” he taunted.

Tanya scowled, but said nothing.

The grin on his face quickly faded as he sobered. “The fact of the matter is, certain aspects of my power are still beyond my control. I’m learning, but it’ll take time to fully grasp it. Until then, I will be a danger to myself as well as those around me.”

“And you’re afraid the anomaly can do it to you again.”

Lukas grimaced. “I’d rather not kill if I can help it.”

That earned him an incredibly skeptical look from Tanya. “I’ve seen you fight,” she dryly retorted. “You’re like a child on a high. When I first agreed to this trip, I never thought I’d meet a murder-happy, sarcastic asshole in the anomaly.”

“And yet here I am,” he sighed.

“And here you are,” she grinned.

“Is it really that difficult to believe I don’t want to see you or the others die in a horrible fashion?”

“I’m nobody to you. What does it matter whether I live or die?”

Lukas sighed. This was going nowhere. “Let’s just say I’m a hypocrite who would butcher droves of monsters but get cold feet over killing someone who looks human.”

“Why would your feet go cold? Is it a curse that activates upon killing you hue-moans?”

“…”

“Well?”

“I— nevermind. Call it random, irrational morality on my part.” He paused. “Come to think of it, it’s also the smarter thing to do.”

She raised both eyebrows.

“If you kill someone, their friends or family will hold a grudge and come for you. Or maybe they’ll come for your family instead, and the process continues. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Tanya looked bitterly amused. “And you think I have people ready to avenge my death should a horrible fate befall me.”

He groaned. “It’s the principle of the matter. You and I have some history now, no matter how… spotty. But now, after putting aside any unforeseen differences, we’re working together and I’ve got a job. None of that would be possible if I’d killed you.”

“I see,” she nodded, seemingly enlightened. “Acknowledgement of aid can provide further aid. Unnecessary killing may actually hinder the fruits of one’s labor.”

Lukas opened his mouth, but immediately closed it. “Whatever you say.”

…

“Were you a soldier?”

The sudden shift in conversation caught him off-guard. Again.

“No, I was a student.” Seeing her visible puzzlement, he tried a different route. “It’s like a— okay how would you— yeah. An apprentice. It’s like being an apprentice.”

“So your master was the soldier?”

“Actually he was a teacher.”

“Of what?”

“The law.”

Tanya turned towards him, a shocked expression on her face. “You were studying to become a diplomat?”

Lukas wasn’t sure how much he appreciated the sheer surprise in her voice. Then again, she did see him turn into an uncontrolled rage-monster and almost get killed by him. She got a free pass.

“In a way, yes.”

“Is that why you can speak our tongues? I imagine having a skill to magically speak unknown tongues proves useful in your field.” She looked wistful. “I know I’d like something like that.”

“I suppose you could say that.”

Tanya wrinkled her nose at all his half-hearted non-answers. “You hue-moans are weird. You look like us, smell like us, use lifeforce like us, but you have these… abnormalities. Speaking all tongues. Using mana without a kami.” Her eyes had a childlike innocence and sense of wonder in them. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“You know… use mana.”

He subtly glanced around. Zuken and Burger were in the middle of a furious discussion, if the heated whispers were anything to go off of. Elena, on the other hand, was ahead of them both, carrying Tabby in her arms as the cat purred softly under her ministrations— he didn’t know whether to feel amused or betrayed that his familiar ditched him for the first pretty girl who gave it a pat on the head.

“You mean like yourself?”

Tanya instantly stiffened. If she weren’t walking and talking a second ago, he would’ve thought rigor mortis had set in.

“I’m special,” she bitterly spat. “What’s your excuse?”

“I’m… lucky.”

Tanya vehemently shook her head. “You hold power. True power. You don’t just get something like that by being lucky. You had to sacrifice many to get where you are, didn’t you?”

Lukas thought back to his friends, his family, his planet. The life he’d lost so suddenly.

The pendant on his chest suddenly felt a lot heavier than before.

“I— I’m not—”

“You don’t have to answer that,” Tanya waved off, casually falling into step beside him. “Just keep in mind that while you were busy trying to kill me, crazy or not, I was doing my best to keep you alive.”

“What, by freezing my hand to bits?”

“I could have aimed for your head, mister.”

But you didn’t.

“But I didn’t. And,” she lowered her voice, “I’m not sure what you did to me back there, when we fought for the first time, but it kept the Ice suppressed. That’s… that’s never happened before. I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Don’t mention it. Oh, and if you continue to hold my secret over me, I’ll kill you in your sleep”

Lukas couldn’t help himself. He broke into chuckles.

CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL — Failure

The current EXTERMINATION protocol was INEFFICIENT and OUTDATED. It had spectacularly failed in curbing the INVASION. Instead, the CONTRADICTION and AGGRAVATION lowered the AVAILABLE ANOMALOUS ENERGY by 61%.

The DRANZITHL was weakened. With no REGENERATION pushed into it, it was little more than a mass of toxic sludge.

DRANZITHL rejected as Genius Loci.

Activate Scan for possible alternative for GENIUS LOCI STATE

SEARCHING… [0/11362]

The CRYPT OF FIENDISH WORMS was in a state of extreme disrepair. Most auxiliary energy reserves had been directed to aid the DRANZITHL to complete CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL and had proved an unwise action.

Soul Contortion — Success

Inference Available

…Later.

The Omphalos of the CRYPT OF FIENDISH WORMS would not bother with INFERENCE DATA. By priority basis, analysis of Inferences was rated 13%. Too small to be considered in such an acute scenario.

No, it needed better alternatives. It needed a better course of action. It needed—

Soul Contortion — Success

Inference Available

…LATER!

It hated itself. A peculiar LOGIC-less sensation. HATE? Non-anomalous expression. EMOTION. THOUGHT. LOGIC?

New variables. Where were these coming from?

Possible Paradigm Shift Detected.

Soul Contortion — Success

Inference Available

This was disturbing. This was a MAJOR PROBLEM.

Confused, the Omphalos looked further.

SOUL CONTORTION INFERENCE REPORT

Monster Prototype: Human

Category: Vestigial

Nature: Lifeforce

Mental Capacity Classification: Beast

Power Capacity Classification: Degenerate Mammal

GROWTH POTENTIAL

APEX PREDATOR, limited by foreign variable ‘RATIONALITY’

EXTRA FACTORS—

Nothing too outrageous. Yes, it was on the lower priority list for a reason. But—

EXTRA FACTORS

Host Body has maximum functional efficiency with Host Mind.

Host Mind proved BETTER at OFFENSE/DEFENSE ANALYSIS than Omphalos.

That was surprising.

It reran the numbers.

Extra Factors Confirmed.

Perhaps it was looking for answers in the wrong place?

The Omphalos went back to the other process.

Scanning for Possible Alternative for GENIUS LOCI STATE.

SEARCHING… [9834/11362]

Still no possible choices. This was disturbing.

CONTRADICTION was a Neonate Anomaly in the Human Host Body.

CONTRADICTION had a Human Host Mind active in the Human Host Body.

Extra Factors Confirmed

It was a possibility. A dangerous possibility, but CLEAN SLATE PROTOCOL required an upgrade.

Decision?

The Omphalos came to a decision.

Monster Prototype Human Selected.

Running Analysis…

Sequencing addition of CLEAN SLATE attributes.

RECREATION-REGENERATION through LIQUID METAL Initiation — Confirmed

…

…

ENACT.