Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 56: Re:Evolution

October 04, 4021 07:03 [Sunken Forest]

Jin stretched out his arms, basking in the atmosphere of the Sunken Forest.

"Feeling good?" Grisha laughed.

"Like I've been reborn again," he replied, an expression of pure contentment on his face.

Tengri directed the Scouting Unit to start uploading the documented flora and fauna data to the servers back in Aegypius Lab and ordered them to scan the area for any energy signatures. They did as they were told, procuring measurement devices from their waist belts and uncovering the sensors to properly analyze the environment. The moment the meters were switched on, they began to display erratic and unorthodox behavior, the dials on the equipment spinning uncontrollably.

"We're close to the source. Start combing the area to see if anything matches the readings and monitor your radiation levels. If there's a tear in your suit get to decontamination right away," Tengri stated.

The hours passed by and not a hide nor hair of the energy source had been located. The devices continued to move unpredictably, the analog sticks swinging wildly on the gauge. The meters were finally switched off when Tengri became fed up with the sound, ordering the Scouting Unit to put their devices away.

They set up camp near the cave exit. The engineers huddled together, brainstorming a way to transport the Crawlers deeper within the Sunken Forest.

"Well, if weight stabilization is already a feature, I could simply imbue the Crawlers with an attribute that would lessen the effects of gravity on them. That should allow for the transport of our supplies and the rest of our soldiers," Prasanna proposed, joining in on the engineers' conversation.

The theory seemed sound in principle. Upon testing it with one of the Crawlers, emptied of its content before the experiment began, the machine was able to balance on top of the forest's canopy without issue. They tested the Crawler a few more times with increasing loads until they were satisfied with the results. Prasanna got to work imbuing the rest of their Crawlers with the same attributes, wiping the sweat from her brow once she finished.

Indra waited patiently, walking back to the campsite with her, happy to have concluded their first day in the forest without issue. The Hyenas sat together alongside their Sub-commanders, digging into their rations enthusiastically after a long day of travel and exploration.

"I tried to spread my roots, but the moment they entered the soil, flowers started to bud and bloom. I had to pull out of there quickly," Emil explained when asked why he hadn't used 'Overgrowth' to analyze the area.

Again with the flowers. Indra thought.

Idle conversations and playful banter faded out of Indra's stream of consciousness as he noticed the outlier of the group, sitting separate from them. He tapped Prasanna on the shoulder to let her know he was going to leave for just a second, seating himself next to the Crow.

The Crow, hearing his footsteps just moments before, hastily scarfed down the last of his dinner, quickly lowering his mask and setting his tray aside before Indra could get a word in.

"I'm sorry, was I interrupting?" Indra apologized.

The Crow shook his head. "I was just finishing up. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's just...What do you make of all of this?"

The Crow contemplated the question for a moment before answering. "I'll admit, it's different than what I expected. Still, don't get complacent just yet. The Sunken Forest is bound to hold many secrets. We've only begun to scratch the surface of the mysteries that lie within," he warned.